Gita Overview Mumbai 17.23-28 How om tat sat sanctifies and spiritualizes

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, the last part of this chapter, 17, talks about Om Tat Sat. Now, this chapter, if you remember, started with the question of how can we understand the faith of, the status of those who have faith, but not in scripture. And Krishna essentially answers that faith is shaped by the modes.
So, we need to look at the modes that are influencing a person. And for checking which modes are influencing a person, we have to look at their actions. And among the wide variety of actions that we can look at, Krishna asks, Krishna focusses on four kinds of actions that are normally known as religious actions.
So, these are the food we eat, then the yajna, dana and tapa. And now, Krishna addresses the specific question that what about those whose faith is not in scripture. So, while addressing this question, he will prepare the background by talking about Om Tat Sat.
So, Om Tat Sat is one of the closest references to the names of God in the Bhagavad Gita. Apart from that, there is in 10.25, yajnanam japa yajnyasmi, that among the yajnas I am japa. But there Krishna doesn’t exactly say what japa one should do.
The very word japa indicate that one should do some sacred japa. Japa indicate that some sacred sound has to be repeated. And of course, the word kirtan comes many times in the Bhagavad Gita.
So, speaking or hearing or seeing the citation that comes repeatedly. But the specific emphasis on references to the absolute truth as addresses, as names has come in the Bhagavad Gita till now indirectly or implicitly. Implicitly it has come by the many names by which Krishna is referred to in the Bhagavad Gita.
When Arjuna or Sanjaya are referring to him, they call out to him by various names. In fact, those names itself are the subjects of significant commentary by the acharyas, why a particular name comes in a particular place. So, that’s sort of suggested by, because the Bhagavad Gita is a model in various ways.
One way, of course, is the instruction that it gives. But it also more, that instruction helps us to model or shape our behaviour. But other ways, the way spiritual discussions are conducted, the Bhagavad Gita at one level recommends spiritual discussions when it says bodhayanta parasparam in 10.11. But another level, it itself models that side of devotional discussions, when it shows us how Krishna and Arjuna are discussing.
And within that one such model discussion, which is the Bhagavad Gita, there are abundant references to the conversationists, the two people who have the conversation by various names. So, that is the indirect reference. Now, we will come to the direct reference.
Now, the direct reference in the Bhagavad Gita is to om tatsaditi nirdesho. Yajna savitapura. So, om tatsaditi nirdesho.
Nirdesho means to be addressed or to be described. So, here the word, if you see two words are similar, but they are different. The first, the 23B has brahmanas and 23C has brahmanas.
So, the 23B brahmanas refers to Brahman, the absolute truth, not the Brahmajyoti, the absolute truth. This is the absolute truth is referred to or known as by these three names. What are they? Om tatsad.
Now, so one is that the absolute truth is known as by the names om tatsad. And what is it? Brahmanas tena vedasya yajnasya vihitahapura. So, pura means in ancient times, long ago, formerly.
And actually these three vihitah, vihita means they are these representations of the absolute truth are referred to, these representations of the absolute truth are used by the brahmanas. Brahmanas tena vedasya yajnasya vihitahapura. That means by the brahmanas, by the yajnas and by the vedas, these three references, these three they use the om tatsad to refer to the absolute truth.
That means the word Brahman comes twice and the three references that their first three is, okay, these three are the names of the absolute truth and the three is other three, the people who refer to the absolute truth as the brahmanas, the vedas and the yajnas when the yajnas are conducted. So now, after describing this, Krishna will go ahead and describe, okay, what is the context of this with sacrifice? He’ll start describing from the next verse onwards. I’ll explain this a little bit more.
So brahmavadi, so this is the closest that you get a direct reference to mayavada and brahmavada in the Bhagavad Gita, a self-reference. But here the word brahmavada doesn’t necessarily refer to the narrow sense in which we use the brahmavada. We use the word brahmavada in the sense of those who refer to the absolute, consider absolute to be impersonal, but don’t derive the personal aspect of the absolute truth.
Whereas here brahmavadi refers to anyone and everyone within the Vedic world. So, that anybody who is following the Vedic literature, they refer to the absolute truth by the word Om and whenever they perform Yajnidana they perform it in this way. So, now Krishna is in a sense talking about spiritualising one’s activity, whatever be the mode one is situated in, by dedicating it to the absolute truth one can spiritualise it.
So, therefore, Yajnidana Tapakriya, this Yajnidana Tapa which Krishna has talked about earlier, Pravartante, that actually when that is to be performed by the brahmavadis, those who follow the Vedic culture, then therefore they begin it with Om by speaking the word Om. So, we will see Prabhupada also use Om Tatsat several times, for example, in the end of the introduction of the Srimad Bhagavatam and several other places. So, it’s a formal address to the absolute truth and there are contexts where the absolute truth is referred to more in majestic terms than intimate terms and for the reference in intimate terms you can have Jayaradha, Madhava, Kunju, Vihari, that kind of names, but for reference in majestic terms there can be names like Vishnu, but there can also be references by these particular names.
Now, the word Om is a cognate. Cognate means linguistically and meaning semantically related to words in various languages which convey the idea of all-pervasiveness and greatness and supremacy. For example, there is the word in English, any attribute of God is usually referred to by the prefix Omni.
So, omniscience, omnipotence. So, this comes from a Latin Greek roots. So, they also refer to all.
So, Om is related with the Omni. Similarly, in Christianity when prayers are offered, at the end there is Amen. So, that is also cognitively related with Om.
Now, actually speaking, the word Om within the Upanishads, many meanings of it are given. So, A-U-M, there are three letters in it. And generally speaking, we discussed this, you remember in the Aishwarya Upanishad, Rupa Goswami used the explanation of various words.
So, he used the explanation of Bhagwan in Sandarbhas and there he used the explanation of Om also. So, he describes that in this, actually there is elaborate analysis of words. So, how this analysis is done, for example, describe that A in the O-A-U-M.
So, A-U-M, these three words are there, sounds are there. So, these three sounds refer to Krishna, Radharani and the Jiva. Now, how does this work out? So, actually there is an elaborate semantic analysis, etymological analysis, but the essential principle is that these particular, like we have the Pavarga, so, now the Pavarga is the Sanskrit equivalent of acronym, not exactly the same.
Actually, it’s more technically what is called as acrostic. Now, acronym is when the expansion already exists as a concept and the shortened form of the acronym forms a single word. So, for example, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, this is a functional term.
This is a functional term and when I shorten it, at that time, I get another shortened form, which can also be explained, which occasionally is also pronounced. Then that becomes an acronym. So, on the other hand, if I compose a word, for example, we may make many acronyms in classes to memorise some things.
For example, I talk material enjoyment is time, temporary, illusory, miserable, enjoyment. So, now, in this case, this is actually technically speaking not an acronym, it is called a bacronym. What is a bacronym? Bacronym means you start with the initialism and then move forward towards the concept.
So, that means what we start with first and where we move backwards. So, if you start first with the concept and move towards the abbreviation initialism, that is called acronym. When I move from the initialism and then move towards the concept, it is called a bacronym.
So, most of the acronyms that we make, what else? Yeah, temple. I did not want to use my acronyms. I am not able to think of anything else.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. That is done by our Suta Babru. Yeah.
So, that is a good example. So, yeah. So, basically, the point is that sometimes I may think that, okay, this is the word and this is what I want to expand it.
So, now, it is not that the process is discrete. The process may be sort of organic. You know, did Prabhupada think of International Society for Krishna Consciousness and then think of ISKCON? Or he thought of ISKCON and then thought of International Society for Krishna Consciousness? Who knows? Because Leelamud says, we could call our society ISKCON.
What is ISKCON? The International Society for Krishna Consciousness. That is how Leelamud describes it. So, there are no references to this name in the early part.
You know, Prabhupada called his movement as the League of Devotees in India. And then the word consciousness was very trendy in America. You know, in India, even now, that whole concept of Krishna Consciousness is relatable only to devotees.
Otherwise, it is not so much, the word consciousness itself is not very common in the outside vocabulary. It is known, but it is not widely used. Whereas, it was a very trendy word at those times.
So, but if the expanded form becomes not a series of words, but it becomes a sentence. If it becomes a sentence, see, for example, now, Adidas. Okay, Adidas, that’s a good one.
Adidas is all day I dream about sports. That’s a good one. Or another, that’s, that’s acrostic, acrostic.
So, so, or another example is, so, lust is lessened understanding of spiritual truth. What does lust do? It leads to lessened understanding of spiritual truth. Or you could put another way, lust is caused by lack of understanding of spiritual truth.
So, l-u-s-t. So, this is an acrostic. So, now, the, why am I describing all this? So, first we are talking about A-Pavarga and Pavarga.
So, now, Pavarga. Now, you may say, actually speaking, Pavarga is not actually there in Pavarga, the word. Pavarga is a category.
And Pavarga is, in Sanskrit, syllables are categorised into units. And in the Varga, we start from pa-pa-pa-pa-ma. So, in that category of words, so each of them is expanding.
Pa is expanding as? Parishram. Parishram. Pa has failed, like that.
So, when this is expanded, then that expansion is summarised as Pavarga. Now, Pavarga, from the grammatical point of view, simply means pa-pa-pa-ma. But from the philosophical point of view, the way it is used is that Pavarga refers to which are the, which are the words that each of the letters in the pa-pa-pa-ma are expanded to.
And so much so that this has been included in the scripture as Pavarga and A-Pavarga, both. So, this is not exactly an acronym. Because if you wanted to have an acronym, you would have to have pa-pa-pa-ma, which would really not sound very nice.
But here what we have is, the principle of the acronym is condensing an elaborate concept into a small, elaborate set of concepts into a smaller, more accessible term. So, many times acronyms are linguistic devices or they are mnemonic devices. Mnemonic means for memorising.
So, they are devices for memorisation, quick recollection. So, in a similar way, the word Aum. So, when the Aum, I said Aum refers to Krishna, Radharani and Lajima.
So, now how does it refer this way? So, there is an elaborate Sanskrit exegesis. Exegesis means explanation, analysis basically. So, the word exegesis is actually a combination of explanation plus analysis.
That becomes exegesis. So, okay, am I going to become too complicated today? Okay, fine. Okay, as if you are suffering from claustrophobia.
Okay, fine. We will come to this later. But the point which I was making over here is, Aum is a concentrated reference to the absolute truth, which can refer to many various aspects.
So, here Krishna is not going into that sort of acronym. Krishna is just assuming that Aum is well known. And he is saying that Aum Tatsat individually also each of them can refer to the absolute truth.
And together also they are used to refer to the absolute truth. Just as those Krishna people, let me say those Hare Krishna people. So, Krishna, it refers to the same thing.
So, Krishna people refers to devotees. Hare Krishna people also refers to devotees. Some people say Hare Krishna, Hare Ram people also.
Isn’t it? I generally won’t say Hare Krishna, Hare Ram. They say Hare Ram, Hare Krishna. So, actually, in a sense, all three are referring to the same thing.
Same object is being referred. Just as here also, the same is being referred. You close upper one and lower one both.
And it will not open. So, let’s move forward. Okay.
So, Krishna is answering the question that if something is performed without reference to scripture, what is the status of that activity? Those people who act. So, Krishna will describe that if they don’t, his answer essentially will be that even if they don’t have faith in scripture, but they refer to the absolute truth, they chant the name to the absolute truth, they address the absolute truth, then that address will lead to purification. And Krishna will answer in the last verse of this chapter that if one doesn’t have any faith at all, then everything will be lost.
Then even if one does sacrifice, one will not get much benefit. So, but if one is referring to the absolute truth in some way, then that will lead to benefit. See, the aspects are two over here.
One is that just like the Gayatri mantra, the question is that brahmanas chant, do the brahmanas alone chant the Om Tatsad or others also chant it? There are some mantras like the Gayatri, which are by Gayatri referred to the Brahma Gayatri. So, actually in the Vaishya Sampradaya, for example, Gaudiya Vaishya Sampradaya, Brahma Gayatri is only one of the mantras that we chant. There are other, there is Guru Gayatri, then there is Gauranga Gayatri, there is Kaam Gayatri, like that actually there are seven different mantras which we chant, each of them 10 times.
So, it’s like 70 mantras we chant when we do Gayatri. So, now when those Gayatri mantras are chanted specifically by brahmanas, now Om Tatsad is not such a stupid thing. Others can also chant because if it had been something meant to be absolutely confidential, then Prabhupada would not have written it in the, right in the foreword or the introduction of his book.
You know, actually Prabhupada generally didn’t even refer to the Gayatri mantra in public. If you look at the Veda base, maybe somewhere we will find the Gayatri mantra indirectly, partially, but Prabhupada did not do that. So, Prabhupada generally didn’t refer to Gayatri, but Om Tatsad if we see, Prabhupada did not conceal it like that.
So, in the sense that it is that, you know the difference between chanting Om and chanting Hare Krishna, how it is, okay. I think, did we discuss this? Okay, so imagine that there are two circles, I have a slide somewhere also, but anyway, imagine one small inner circle and the other outer circle. So, okay, so imagine, so there is this inner circle which starts with goodness, the lower part is goodness, the upper part is transcendence, the starting of transcendence, that is the inner circle, starts from goodness or the bottom part of it is goodness, upper part of it is transcendence and there is the outer circle which is much bigger and the outer circle goes to the top summit of transcendence, that is pure love of God in the highest process and its lower part goes down to the bottom most rungs of ignorance.
So, the Gayatri mantra can raise one in goodness to transcendence, whereas the Hare Krishna mantra can raise a person even from ignorance to the summit of transcendence. So, in that sense, the Hare Krishna, the power of the Hare Krishna mantra is included, includes the power of the Gayatri. So, now, that doesn’t mean that those who are in goodness shouldn’t chant Hare Krishna, they can chant Hare Krishna also, but the Hare Krishna mantra’s power is much greater than that of Gayatri.
Now, with respect to the Om Tatsat, the Om also is a form of address which leads to, it’s very powerful sound vibration which also leads to purification and even Vaishnavas chant in many occasions. Generally, when the Vaishnavas chant with Om in affiliation with some other mantra, Om Namo Narayana, Om Namo Bhagvate Vasudevaya. So, in that sense, Om is not just a direct address, Om is the invocation to an address, the way Vaishnavas chant it.
When impersonalists chant it, they chant it more as a more as a independent address to the absolute. So, it’s something like the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh and just the Prime Minister of India. So, this Om is just like the Prime Minister and Om Namo Bhagvate Vasudevaya is like the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh.
So, the personal reference comes further. So, that’s why the Om Tatsat, it is not exactly impersonal because ultimately the truth that is being referred to is a personal absolute truth. But the Om Tatsat itself is a, what is the word used for that? The word is non-descript term.
Non-descript means it itself does not give a description of what is being referred to. So, for example, if I use the word, they have come here. Now, they is a gender non-descript term.
So, men come here, women come here, men and women come here. So, that way, the content is not clear from it. So, similarly, Om Tatsat is a term by which you refer to the absolute truth, but what is referred to, what is that truth that is referred to is not clear through this.
That’s why the Vaishnavas prefer the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. But Om, it is when there is certain level of potency available, Om Tatsat, then that, in goodness, one can sort of benefit more from that chanting because the mind is calmer and one can tap the energy more. And in the lower mode, because the mind is so restless, it’s very difficult to tap that power.
See, the point here is that they are transcendentalists, Brahmavadinam. So, Krishna has said in the previous verse that these three chanted, Brahmanas, Vedas and Yajnas, while these three it is being referred to. But who are the people who are chanting this Om? It is Brahmavadinam.
So, who are these Brahmavadinam is not clearly mentioned. Is the Brahmavadi is a person who is just aspiring for the absolute truth? Is it one who has faith in the absolute truth? What is it? Is this way, what is Brahmavadi referred to scripture or what is it referred to? That’s not mentioned very clearly over here. But when we look at the later verses, then it becomes clear by the contrast with the previous section was referring to those who have some kind of faith.
That will become clear in the last verse. Why is Gayatri Mantra required? Prabhupada said that the second initiation is not necessary. One can go back to Godhead without second initiation also.
First is now, that’s the first point. Our second point is that the actual service starts here. Okay, this is a big subject.
Does actual service start at Brahman initiation? Initiation has five aspects. There is Nama that is given, there is Vigraha Pooja that is started, then there is Pundra. Pundra is the Tilak that is worn, then there is the Namakaran that is done.
So, first Nama refers to giving up a new name, Pundra is wearing of a Tilak, then the Mantra is chanting of a particular Mantra, then there is the Archa, the worship of the deity and one more element is there. Sorry, I will take time now. We are going slowly.
But the point is that these four are overall done at various times to complete the process of initiation. So, now in the traditional circles, traditionally as it happened in Gaudiya Vaishnavism as well as in other Vaishnav circles, the Harinam Diksha was a very informal sort of Diksha. The real Diksha was considered to be Brahman Diksha only.
Harinam Diksha was a very informal sort of Diksha and the Diksha in which the Gayatri Mantra was given, that was considered to be the primary Diksha. In Dr. Siddhartha’s time, both Dikshas were considered almost equally important. So, Prabhupada gave far greater emphasis to the first initiation itself.
Now the important point over here is that the emphasis is that through Diksha, the spiritual knowledge is given. And that process of giving spiritual knowledge varies according to the time and place circumstances. So, that’s why the emphasis on specific rituals is not important.
Now, Srila Prabhupada generally didn’t reject the traditional rituals. So, in that sense, you could say that the Brahma Gayatri is not required. But traditionally, the initiation, the Brahman initiation was considered the primary initiation.
So, as the parampara goes down, in a sense, the emphasis on the devotional aspect becomes more and more and the emphasis on the ritual aspects becomes less and less. So, we see in the Vedic culture, as it is seen in Mahabharata, Ramayana, Yajnas are performed a lot, fire sacrifices. In Shaitanya Mahaprabhu’s time, fire sacrifices are practically zero.
We see mostly Sankirtan Yajna being performed. Now, even when Sankirtan Yajna is being performed, we don’t necessarily see during Shaitanya Mahaprabhu’s time, the names of the people being changed at the time of initiation. Or we just know the initiated names, we don’t know.
It is Haridas Thakur, he was born as a Mleccha. What was his name on birth? It’s not mentioned anywhere already. Rukh Sanatana is an example, where they were sort of out of caste and they came into the caste.
At that time, their name was changed. Yeah, so the point here is that if somebody is born in a Vaishnava family and is practising Vaishnava life, if the previous name itself is Vaishnava, then there is no need to change the name also. So, the idea is that emphasis is not necessarily the changing of the name.
The emphasis is on the change of the heart. So, change of name is a powerful tool for changing the changing of heart. Jai Dutt Maharaj has asked that, you know, is our initiated name related with our Swaroopa in the spiritual world? So, Maharaj said the Das part is.
So, let’s move forward. These are technical topics. So, now the difference between this and the previous, the way Krishna is describing is that here he uses the word Anabhisandhaya.
Anabhisandhaya means without desiring fruitive results. So, Brahmavadinath, the way it is used over here is, any follower of Vedic culture, whether that person is desiring religious material results or that person is desiring spiritual transcendental results, they are all included. But Tatha, Anabhisandhaya doesn’t desire any fruits.
So, then the purpose of this is what? To get free from material endangerment. That means Om can be chanted while reciting, while doing any rituals. Tatha should be chanted when one is aspiring for liberation.
Now, here Satatam Brahmavadinam. After that, Sadbhave Sadhu Bhavecha, Sadityai Tattrayujyate, Prashaste Brahman Tatha, Prashaste Brahman Tatha, Prashaste Brahman Tatha, Prashaste Brahman Tatha, Satchabdha Parthayujyate, Satchabdha Parthayujyate, Yajne Tapasidhanecha, Yajne Tapasidhanecha, Siddhisaditya Utyojyate, Siddhisaditya Utyojyate, Karmachaivata Darthiyam, Karmachaivata Darthiyam, Sadityeva Abhijiyate. So, now, Sadbhave Sadhu Bhavecha.
So, Sadbhava refers to transcendence. Sadhubhava and Sadhubhava refer to goodness and transcendence. So, Krishna is saying over here, whether you want to attain, if you are in the lower mode, you want to come to goodness or you are in goodness and you want to move towards transcendence.
At that time, what is there? Sadityeva Abhijiyate. So, use Sat. So, what is he telling over here? Om Tat Sat are basically references to the absolute truth, to rise from whichever mode one it is, to rise upwards.
Prashaste Brahman Tatha, Satchabdha Parthayujyate, Satchabdha. Satchabdha means refer to Sat Shabda. The word is Sat.
And Sadityeva Abhijiyate. So, the whole idea over here is, let’s not go into a technical analysis too much, because this concept is not directly relevant to the way we practise Krishna Consciousness. Because in Kali Yuga, because of the mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Om Tat Sat is not used as much as directly the holy names of Krishna used.
That was Hare Krishna Mahamant. So, let’s focus on the principles over here. Just like we will see that in the sixth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, when there is a chapter on Narayana Kavach, at that time it is described that for a particular kind of protection, for protecting the arms, please chant this mantra.
For protecting the head, chant this mantra. And all of them are names of Vishnu only. But chant this.
And it is also said that when Yashodamai wanted to protect Krishna, she would also apply some sort of tilak or some sort of application with various mantras for specific bodily parts. But even when she was doing that, the essence was the application of the remembrance of Krishna through the various names. So, the way bhakti has been practised from Srim Chaitanya Mahaprabhu onwards to Srila Prabhupada, the emphasis has been just on the holy names and not the specific correlation between the holy names and the parts.
So, now generally the only reference that we have is we apply tilak. We have specific bodily parts, specific names. There are some devotees who can’t even remember the names for various parts.
So, they chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. I would say that it is not so difficult to remember 12 names. It gives some variety in the chanting of the holy names also.
But in the past, people had so much said that they would make thousands of names, thousand names of Vishnu, thousand names of Radharani, thousand names of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu like that. The principle here is by chanting the holy names, whatever be one’s level of faith, one can become elevated. Now, in the last verse, Krishna will tell by contrast.
So, Pretya means after death. Remember in the transition journey, when the soul is leaving this body, he becomes a Pretya. Remember that? His body that is grosser than subtle body, subtler than the gross body.
So, one will not get any benefit in Pretya stage or Iha stage, neither here nor after death. When? If one doesn’t have faith at all. If one does tapa without any faith, one will not get any result at all.
It is all asat. It will not lead to any benefit. So, essentially Krishna’s answer to Arjuna’s question is that faith is an essential element.
Now, the Bhagavad Gita in general is not legalistic. You know, what is the word legalistic means? Legalist, the word is used often where some person just sticks to the letter of the law without understanding the spirit. So, for example, and the Bhakti tradition in general is not legalistic.
Although there are rules and regulations, we have one of the harmful elements to Bhakti as Niyamagraha. So, Niyamagraha, insistence on rules without being mindful of their purpose. That is undesirable.
So, here also Krishna’s emphasis is that one should connect. Whatever religious activity one is performing, whatever activities one is performing, that faith has to be connected in some way with the absolute truth. Then that faith will lead to benefit.
If there is no connection with the absolute truth, then the benefit will be minimal or there will be no benefit also. In this way, Krishna concludes this chapter by asking Arjuna’s question, by giving him criterion for recognising what level a person is in by analysing three modes. And now the next chapter when it starts, it will start with this fresh question of Arjuna and that question refers to the, it sort of comes back to the starting setting of the Gita, actually speaking, should one act or should one not act? And Arjuna, it is not an explicit that question, but it is related with that.
And in summary to that, actually, as we see in the 18th chapter, Krishna will almost like summarise the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita of the previous chapters, but he will unify them along the way and also bring in certain concepts which clarify the understanding. So, that will start from tomorrow. Thank you very much.
Yeah. Yeah. So, Manish was asking that sometimes, I was talking elaborately about satisfaction, but it is said that we should never be satisfied.
We should always want to do more and more for Krishna, more and more for Prabhupada. Actually, Prabhupada was never satisfied also. If he had been satisfied, then he would have been satisfied in Vrindavan.
So, and he would never have started the Krishna consciousness movement. Yeah. There is a difference between satisfaction at a material level and satisfaction at a spiritual level.
So, we cannot artificially cultivate any emotion. We cannot pretend, but we can strive. Now, what is the difference between pretending and striving? Pretend means as if I already have it, whereas strive means I try to develop it.
And while trying to develop it, it may be that, okay, I try to act as if I have it. I mean, for example, say forgiveness. Somebody has hurt me and I forgive you.
Although my heart is burning, actual forgiveness means that the load on the heart goes. Hmm. So, that means we may have to go through a therapeutic procedure, talk some with somebody, understand why forgiveness is important, see how Krishna has forgiven him, what is the forgiveness and then we feel the release from the heart.
So, what I can do is, when I, if I just pretend that I am forgiving, that means the wound is burning me in the heart, but I pretend I have forgiven. I’m a very forgiving person. That is pretence.
On the other hand, striving for forgiveness means that I try to philosophically understand how ultimately everybody is an instrument of my own karma and ultimately my goal is not just to take vengeance against others. My goal is to get purified and go back to Krishna. So, philosophically I understand how and why I should forgive.
And also I strive not to feel resentful. That means when there is feelings of anger, feelings of hatred, feelings of resentment come, I don’t hold on to them. I try to change my thoughts.
I try to think of something different. That is striving. Similarly, with respect to both satisfaction at the material level and say dissatisfaction or hankering at the spiritual level.
For both, we cannot do any artificial simulation. That means if I have to be satisfied at a material level, then also that requires some intelligent analysis, philosophical analysis. Okay, these are my capacities.
These are my limitations. It’s possible that in the future, Krishna can empower me beyond my limitations also. But right now, this is what I can do.
This is what my limitations are. These are my capacities are. And this is what I am doing.
So, I’m satisfied with that. Although I would like to improve my… do more also. So, for example, if I need say six and a half hours sleep now, I would like to sleep only five, five and a half hours and do more service.
But if I try to sleep five, five and a half hours, it’s five and a half hours during the night and it’s remaining 19 hours, half asleep throughout the day. What is the use of that? So, therefore, I will have to arrive at a balance intelligently. Now, even spiritual dissatisfaction, the idea is it’s all anukulyaswanthal ko prathikulyas vachal.
So, if my spiritual dissatisfaction, now there are so many scriptures to read and there is so much, I should read more and more. If that thought excites me, then that thought is anukula. And I feel yes, I read one book, I’ll read more, I’ll read more.
But then, you know, if I start thinking there are so many books to read, even if I read one, there will be so much more remaining. So, what is the point in reading more? Let’s not start over. So, you know, it’s like in mountaineering, there are some people who when they look at the summit, they see that, that inspires, I’ll climb that high.
Or suppose somebody cycling and wants to go up, he thinks, oh, how tall is that, I’ll climb that up. That may give some inspiration. But some other people, you know, it may have a different effect on them.
So, then those people who are sort of inhibited by the hugeness of the project and often they are told that, don’t bother, you know, just start now and a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. It continues with a single step. That’s all we have to take.
So, then the person, often it is found that those who are cyclists who are sort of going up a hill, often in twilight they can’t see very clearly how bogged the hill is. And that’s why they don’t get mentally drained out. A little bit I’ll keep going, a little bit I’ll keep going.
So, it may happen that they may want to go more also. So, the idea is whether we should try to cultivate satisfaction at a material level or whether we should try to cultivate craving at a spiritual level. How do we decide that? So, if I feel, yes, I want to preach more and more.
So many people don’t have Krishna consciousness. I should share this Krishna consciousness with others. If that inspires us to study more, if that inspires us to to do our sadhana more seriously, to get informed, that’s fine.
But if I start thinking, there’s so many people, even if I preach, how many people can I preach to? You know, and while preaching there’s so much trouble, so many people better let me just sit and do nothing. You know, then at that point, let me sit and focus on my, if that’s discouraging us, then we need to find some other way of sharing Krishna consciousness. Maybe not directly interacting with outside people, but in some other way.
So, essentially both are important, but they were important in different contexts and for different devotees with different mentalities. Thank you very much.