Gita Overview Mumbai 18.36-39 Choose happiness based on intelligence

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, Krishna is analysing for karma. The last and part of the answer in the Karma Letter is about Sukha. So he talks about how happiness is of three types as per the modes.
And all of us strive for the happiness according to the three modes. So, this analysis of the modes has two aspects to it. One is that naturally according to the mode that we are in, we will have a particular kind of knowledge, a particular kind of determination, and we will seek a particular kind of happiness.
So, that is just as water comes down to its level, so like that, depending on our present mode, naturally we will go towards that. So, one purpose of this analysis is to help us understand which mode we are in by looking at what kind of determination do I have, by looking at how do I look at the world, what is my knowledge, we can understand what mode I am in. But the other aspect of this analysis is that we can choose to cultivate a different kind of knowledge, a different kind of determination, we can strive for a different kind of happiness, and say, I may be in passion right now, and I may naturally become attracted to passionate happiness, but if I strive for happiness and goodness, by striving for that happiness, I will rise to the mode of goodness.
So, this is, this analysis is in this way serving two purposes, one purpose is that it serves us by helping us understand where we are, and second is it provides us a pathway to where we would like to go. So, both way, this analysis helps us. You remember one of the points I mentioned is how scriptures are like a map.
So, in a map, okay, this is where I am, and this is where I should go, okay, this is the path to go there. So, the modes are in a sense, they offer us a map of our inner life. What’s the matter? It’s going to be problematic here.
Which was the verse we were in? 18? 35, no? 36. Oh, 218, sorry. Sukham Tvaidanim Trividham Shrunume Bharatar Shabha Abhyasa Dramate Yatra Dukkhan Tam Chani Gacchati So, Sukham Tvaidanim Trividham, Krishna is saying Trividham, Sukha is of three types, and Shrunu here, Bharatar Shabha, and actually, this second part is analysed by different Acharyas differently.
So, the way Srila Prabhupada analyses it is that, he says, by which? So, Abhyasa Dramate Yatra. So, the conditioned soul enjoys this kind of happiness, and sometimes, Dukkhan Tam Chani Gacchati. Sometimes, that means, if the conditioned soul chooses happiness and goodness, and after that tries to transcendence, then that conditioned soul will become liberated.
So, in a sense, Srila Prabhupada analyses this verse as one unit, wherein all the kinds of happiness that will be talked about in the subsequent three verses are integrated in the second part. So, by practise, somebody, actually, to some extent, practise is required even for passionate or ignorant enjoyment. Sometimes, first time a person drinks, the person doesn’t enjoy.
The person may even feel like vomiting or a very bitter taste, but afterward the person starts getting habituated to it, and then after habituation there is addiction. So, abhyasa here refers to habituation. So, abhyasa dharmateyatra.
By habituation one enjoys, and one of those enjoyment, that is the sattvic enjoyment, one may eventually become liberated. Chakravarti Pada, in his commentary, used a slightly different translation, he clubs this with the next verse, and he says that actually, the conditioned soul, his implication is that conditioned souls are naturally in passion and ignorance, and they don’t need much practise for passionate or ignorant enjoyment. But to cultivate happiness and goodness, one requires abhyasa.
So, abhyasa dharmateyatra. It is not that, for example, chanting, or studying scripture, or relishing the refined pleasures of goodness. It requires practise.
So, abhyasa dharmateyatra. But, if by this practise, we will enjoy this happiness, then over a period of time, what will happen by that is, dukkhantam chanigacchati. One will be able to end that misery.
So, in this verse itself, Krishna is telling, is recommending the mode of happiness and the mode of goodness by telling that by this kind of happiness, you will be able to, you will require practise to gain this kind of happiness. But, if you do that, then over a period of time, dukkhantam, you will attain the end of misery. Dukkhantam is a very nice word.
End of austerity. There is an austerity till you become practised, till you become habituated. After that, abhyasa ramate yatra.
Ramate. One will start delighting in it. So, here after talking about this, let’s look at the happiness in the three modes.
yathadagre vishamiva pariname mritopamam pariname mritopamam tatsukham sattvikam proktam sattvikam proktam atma buddhi prasadajam atma buddhi prasadajam So, the characteristic of this happiness is, it is poison in the beginning. Agre vishamiva pariname amritopamam Did I show you the PPT of PNP and everything? No, I mean, I must have drawn the concept in my Isha Upanishad classes, but let us see here. I have it here.
Yeah, this is the one. Most of you have seen this marshmallow, no? Marshmallow video you have seen? How many of you have seen it? Really? All of you are so expert at videos. How come you have not seen it? Anyway, maybe this is the only video I will show in my Gita class.
Most of you have probably seen it. Marshmallow. None of you have seen it? You have seen it once in the room? Surprising.
Oh, God. My computer has got stuck. We’ll just go ahead.
So, Krishna is telling over here, that which tastes like poison in the beginning but which will taste like nectar in the end. That he says is happiness in the mode of goodness. So, another characteristic that he is telling over here of this kind of happiness is that it will lead eventually to satisfaction.
What is the issue? you’ll see afterwards. He says, tat sukham sattvikam parottam. The result of this is atma buddhi prasadajam.
Atma buddhi means that it will lead to spiritual knowledge. A buddhi that is connected with the atma. Atma buddhi prasadajam.
So, prasadajam means born of the satisfaction. Prasada is, we use the word prasada actually for mercy. But, in a sense, prasadamadigachyati.
Prasada, actually it means, the word prasada is related with prasannata, satisfaction. So, prasadamadigachyati. So, actually prasada is to make us, it should make us satisfied.
That is the idea. Krishna and mercy makes us satisfied. If you see that verse, what is that? Prasadamadigachyati.
So, 2.64, Krishna says that, by regulation, when we regulate ourselves, by regulation, according to scripture, we will become satisfied. And, then when we are satisfied, then we will So, here Krishna is telling that, by this kind of happiness, intelligence will be born. Which intelligence? Atma buddhi.
If you see, by material enjoyment, the happiness that we get in material sense gratification, by that, our intelligence is destroyed. Krishna says, So, material enjoyment destroys our intelligence. But, Krishna’s spiritual happiness, it nourishes our intelligence.
So, how does it nourish our intelligence? In a sense, that, when we experience spiritual happiness, we realise for ourselves through experience that what the scriptures are talking about is reality. And, in that sense, that experiential conviction reinforces our intelligence. Another thing that happens is, when we experience spiritual happiness, through practise, that leads to purification also.
Because, how are we experiencing that happiness? We are experiencing that happiness by contact with Krishna. And, when we are in contact with Krishna, it purifies. So, when there is purification, then our vision further becomes clarified.
That also leads to intelligence. So, it is that this mode of happiness and the mode of goodness, it is not only going to make us happy, it is also going to make us wise. So, the idea is, for example, if a student is studying in school, so, now, for the student, playing may be very enjoyable, but the student is determined, no, I will study.
Then, over a period of time, that student will also gain a higher joy of learning. Learning new concepts. The student does not want to go to school, but after sometime, the teacher asks, what is your name? He says, name.
And he says, you know how to write your name? He says, no. He doesn’t even know something called writing. He says, this is how you write your name.
He says, oh, I wrote my name. He starts feeling happy about that. So, like that, there is a higher, more refined pleasure that comes from learning.
And that student is getting the pleasure of learning and is also becoming a learner. So, that enjoyment also makes the person wise. So, that’s how the happiness in the mode of goodness works out.
No, it’s not going to work. It’s all wrong here. So, maybe we’ll see afterwards.
Now, let’s look at happiness in the mode of passion. Vishayendriya Sanyogad Yathadagre Amritopamam Yathadagre Amritopamam Pariname Vishamiva Pariname Vishamiva Tatsukham Rajasamsmitam Tatsukham Rajasamsmitam Vishayendriya Sanyogad By contact of senses and objects, the happiness that comes is, it tastes like nectar in the beginning, but then it is poison in the end. Pariname Vishamiva Tatsukham Rajasamsmitam So, what is this Pariname Vishamiva? What is the misery that comes from this enjoyment? Why should it be considered as poison? Sorry? Okay, karmic reactions is one thing.
But, what if that enjoyment is not necessarily sinful? There are no karmic reactions. It’s not that all enjoyment in passion has to be sinful. Impressions, attachments.
You know, what does Krishna say in the 14th chapter when he was describing the mode of passion? Rajasastu phalam dukkham So, Rajoguna, the characteristic of Rajoguna is that it will create craving. And that craving will keep us forever dissatisfied. So, many people may not believe in the law of karma.
Many people may not believe in, in general, Srila Prabhupada did not talk much about hell. The way Prabhupada preached was not that if you do some sense gratification you will go to hell. That was not the basis of our duty in love.
So, Prabhupada wanted to help us to develop love for God. So, the preaching was not fear-based. Fear-based preaching is highly alienating.
It alienates people intellectually and emotionally. Intellectually, people feel that what is the proof that hell exists? And this is just a concept which you have created so that you can get people to submit to your dogmas. And emotionally, the concept of hell creates a notion of a very unloving, cruel, judgemental God, which is not what actually Krishna is.
So, the concept of hell should not be the thrust of the preaching when we are sharing Krishna consciousness with others. When we want to tell people that actually there are reactions, we can talk about reactions even in this life. The way society is getting into all kinds of social, familial, health problems because of understood indulgence, we don’t have to talk about hell.
Even in this life we can see there are so many hellish consequences that come up. Various kinds of diseases. And even if somebody says, I can enjoy without getting diseases, they have the concept called protected sex.
You should not have unprotected sex, you should have protected sex. But actually the protection is not just having some contraception, it is the protection is self control. They may say that the diseases are going to be reduced or whatever, but the craving is going to be there.
The craving keeps a person perpetually dissatisfied. So the idea is here at this worldly level one can see and the more a person enjoys, sometimes people have this whole idea that sex is a necessity. And now in a sense is sex like food? Is somebody going to die without sex? Sex may seem to be a necessity but people mistake the irresistible to be essential.
There are two different things. What is irresistible is not necessarily essential. Although it may seem essential to me.
If I am an alcoholic then for me alcohol may seem irresistible. And if I do not have any means to purify myself, I do not have adequate willpower, if I am too addicted then it will be irresistible. But just because something is irresistible does not make it essential.
It is not necessary for me to drink to live. It is not that if I do not drink I will die. So, food is something which is essential.
If I do not eat, my body will not sustain itself. I will die. But on the other hand, sex, it may seem irresistible and for many people it may be irresistible also.
Especially if they do not know about any higher happiness, they do not have a connection with Krishna and spiritual happiness, then it will be irresistible. But their condition is like that of an alcohol addict who does not know about any way to break free from alcohol. So, it is irresistible.
But irresistible does not mean essential. Essential would mean that without which physically we cannot survive. Irresistible means that without which psychologically we feel I can’t live.
I must get it. The two are different. So, actually speaking, for most people, sex is a psychological necessity and people think that it is a physical necessity.
So, it is not a physical necessity for bodily survival. But it may be a psychological necessity because people are just so infatuated with it. And the attraction is being aggravated continuously by the media images that keep coming in.
So, that is like adding to the intoxication, adding to the addiction. But, that craving keeps a person constantly agitated. It doesn’t let a person become satisfied or stay satisfied.
So, at this level itself we can see that it leads to terrible suffering in terms of constant perpetual craving, dissatisfaction. And then beyond that, as I said, there are diseases which come up in this life. There are so many conflicts, you know, when there is uncontrolled sexual desire, when people fight over it, wars take place and conflicts take place and all kinds of problems result when people are not able to rein in the desire to enjoy.
So, Vishay Indriya Sanyoga can refer to all kinds of gross sense gratification but actually Prabhupada refers to in the Purport, he is talking primarily about gross sense gratification in terms of sex. So, Pariname Vishyam Jiva. Actually, this one has to, by experience, recognise it.
That, over a period of time, just as a person, when a person becomes sober. So, when a person becomes sober, actually, there are what is called as withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms means when a person has addiction, is addicted to a particular substance and the person gives up that substance, the person finds it very difficult to survive without it.
So, there are when that person is withdrawing from the addiction. At that time, psychologically and physically there are certain characteristics, certain symptoms that are created. And they make it difficult for the person to give it up.
But, those withdrawal symptoms, depending on whether it is alcohol or whether it is drugs, they don’t last for long. One can, the physical symptoms, one can withdraw from it. It doesn’t take much time.
However, an addict often uses the addiction to cope with life as a means of coping with life. And there is so much stress, there is so much frustration, there is so much loneliness, let me just drink this and forget everything. And that is a psychological battle.
And that has to be fought at a psychological level. And the battle at the physical level, where there are physical withdrawal symptoms, that gets over in a short period of time. So, same with respect to sex, if somebody is habituated to having sex, the desire will come.
Physically, the semen gets formed, and then when the semen is formed and the cavity gets full, then that may be passed out, either to night falls or whatever. But, if a person decides to break that pattern, there is a little challenge. But the physical craving, after some time, it can’t stop.
The Vedic culture describes that actually semen is present in subtle form throughout the body, and it’s when there is lusty contemplation or lusty glancing, then that subtle semen becomes gross, and then that gets secreted in the body. But if that is not there, then the semen gets secreted. But, many times, people, especially when say people have the habit of masturbation, they watch some videos or pictures and then they masturbate, then that actually is often their way of coping with the stresses of life.
They feel, oh there are so many problems, I just look at this and I enjoy, I just forget everything. So, that if people are using pleasure as a sex pleasure, as a psychological medication, as a way to medicate oneself at the mental level, then that is something which one has to deal with at a mental level. One has to find alternative ways to get that feeling of that capacity to manage one’s stress.
Actually, in devotional service, we have many ways. We have kirtans, we have philosophy, we can take darshan of the deities, we can maybe associate with some devotee who inspires us very much. Very often, if we find that our attachments are difficult to give up our attachments, it’s not so much that the desire is so intolerably strong, it’s often that we are using that pleasure to medicate ourselves, to cope with life.
Actually, it’s a very bad way to cope with life because it only makes the problem worse. We, as it is, have to go on practising Krishna consciousness and every time we indulge, the craving is going to become stronger and the battle is going to become tougher afterwards. So, it’s going to make life difficult and it’s not just for devotees, even for non-devotees.
If they get into this, then the demand becomes more and more because the purpose, now, let me analyse and explain this better. There is the desire for pleasure and there is the desire to avoid misery. We have these both.
I want to enjoy and I also want to get rid of my misery. So, when people take drugs, one thing is they feel high, they get some enjoyment. But, that enjoyment is not what is primarily addictive.
What happens is that enjoyment, it comes, it goes. And if a person just restrains oneself, it goes away after some time. But, there is the desire to avoid misery, to forget misery.
And, if for that one goes towards drugs, then, miseries are going to come in life. And, whenever miseries come in life, the person has to find some way to cope with that misery. And, if the tracks in the mind are in such a way that whenever there is misery, one gets pushed towards that drug addiction.
Then, that’s why dealing with drug addiction is not just about stopping the person from taking drugs. It’s actually about learning to live, learning to cope with the stresses of life without resorting to drugs. So, that’s why, in general, the most successful de-addiction programmes are the programmes which involve cultivating of new habits.
If people are religiously minded and then, Alcoholics Anonymous is a very successful programme because it enables people to connect with God. Other programmes which enable people to develop some more healthier habits, give a better way to cope with the stresses of life. Then, they can get rid of the addictions.
So, misery is something which is going to come in everyone’s life. But, everyone doesn’t become an addict because of misery. So, it’s not that getting into addiction is the necessary way to cope with misery.
Although, if we have done that, we may feel very habituated to that. But, we have to break that internal pattern. You can call it a reaction pattern.
When I feel miserable, when I feel lonely, when I feel frustrated, then there is an immediate reaction. Oh, what should I do? I need some pleasure. I need some relief.
Where should I get that? Okay, let me do this. So, that is the relief pattern which we seek. So, we have to create an alternative reaction sequence, an alternative relief pattern for ourselves.
Okay, whenever I feel miserable, whenever I feel lonely, let me do something. Yesterday, I was telling you about the activities which give us strength. So, if we find out, yes, I just like to hear some reward is here, then I just forget everything, lose myself in that.
Let me do that. Or let me just chant intensely, whatever, we have to find out what it is for us. So, observing what helps us to cope with life within the realm of Krishna consciousness and doing that activity will free us from our attachments.
So, our attachments, they attract us not only because they give us pleasure or they promise pleasure, but also because they promise relief, relief from boredom, relief from loneliness, relief from frustration, and we have to redirect our need for relief from that attraction, that addiction to Krishna, from that metal attachment to Krishna. And then, we will find that getting rid of the attachments is much easier. Any questions about this? So, yeah.
Sensual pleasures are more real than mental and intellectual pleasures. Sensual pleasures are more real than mental or intellectual pleasures and that’s why they are more difficult to give up. Yes, that is why it is also important for us to to whenever we feel agitated or tempted to even physically relocate ourselves, to do some physical changes.
Krishna, if you see, when he starts describing how to control lust, 3.41, first he says is first regulate the senses and then he talks about say how there is a hierarchy about the senses of the mind, intelligence in the soul and then he says with intelligence situate yourself on the spiritual platform. So, in general, if we find ourselves physically in the arena of temptation, then it is best to get out of there and do physically some activity which relocates us in a devotionally conducive place. We just go to the temple or go in the presence of the deities, go in the presence of some devotees and actually physical movement is often very helpful.
It is not the solution but it is the beginning of the solution. So, often our thoughts largely follow our situations. If I am physically in a particular situation, I start thinking of that kind of things.
It is not necessary. I can be in the temple or I can think of maya also. But, in general, our externals do affect our internals.
So, that’s why physical things at our level of consciousness are definitely real for us. So, therefore, it is best to situate ourselves in places where we don’t feel tempted. And, the pressures of Krishna consciousness don’t necessarily have to be only mental or intellectual.
Yes, they are. But, we can even physically pray mudanga. I write something down physically.
So, many times, I know certain philosophical points. But, just getting myself, I know some shlokas, very important shlokas and they are so meaningful. But, just write down those shlokas.
Do something at the physical level. That helps us because our consciousness is affected by our physical situation. So, that way, by doing some activities physically, Bhaktivinoda Thakura said that when he was writing, sometimes he would just walk along and he would speak aloud to himself.
He would speak the opposing argument and he would speak the refutation. Then he would compile everything and then he would write. So, in that sense, we know that our physical situation affects us.
That’s why we can have physical or material stimuli for invoking devotional consciousness. What does it mean, material stimuli for invoking devotional consciousness? Certain material things can help us to remember Krishna. For example, if I have taken initiation and I have a photo of my initiation, then I know I have taken my vow and my spiritual master has given me his mercy and this is my lifelong commitment.
He’s taking that photo and looking at that photo. It’s a physical stimuli, but it inspires us. So, for all of us, the physical stimuli might be different, but using this physical stimuli helps.
So, it’s like there is this physical level, mental level, spiritual level. By mental I mean the whole subtle body, intellectual, whatever. So, the sensual pleasures are only at the physical level, but it is not at the spiritual level.
The spiritual pleasures are also at the mental level, they are also at the physical level. Not that the pleasure is physical, but we can connect with them even to the physical levels. So, if I am the soul in between over here, I am sadhaka, on this side is physical pleasure, and I am at the physical level of consciousness only.
On the other side is Krishna consciousness happiness, which is at the gross material level, subtle material level, and at the spiritual level. So, I have to relocate myself from this to this, and then it is not just enough being here, when I come to a situation that is physically more conducive for remembering Krishna, then I have to raise my consciousness, but being here and raising my consciousness is much more difficult than by being here. Is it clear what I am saying? Any other questions? So, actually, Vishya Yendriya Sanyoga Now, this verse can be understood at various levels.
One is at the level of one experience of sense gratification also. When I indulge in sense gratification, initially the experience is pleasurable, but after sometimes, the same pleasure starts decreasing, then it becomes boring and then it becomes frustrating. Actually, the problem of sense gratification from the spiritual perspective is that it makes our Krishna consciousness tasteless.
Why does it make our Krishna consciousness tasteless? Because, if this is true, then we passion, goodness and transcendence. So, Krishna conscious pleasure requires us to go towards transcendence. And, if I engage in sense gratification, then my consciousness is moving away from transcendence, even away from goodness, towards passion.
And, the more my consciousness is in passion, the less I can experience spiritual reality, the less I can experience spiritual happiness. So, even if, when we engage in sense gratification, even if nobody discovers it, even if no problem comes up, the real problem is that we will find our Krishna consciousness becoming tasteless. Remember the example of the fish out of water? The more we engage in sense gratification, the more the fish is going away from the water, further and further away.
So, actually, the more we engage, the further we go and that much distance we will again have to come back. So, if we make our consciousness materialistic, at the end of the day, no material enjoyment is going to go on forever. So, afterwards, I will have to stop it and then again I will have to come back to Krishna consciousness.
But that will take so much trouble, so much effort for me to rise back again. So, therefore, why get into it? For us, the tastelessness that results, that is very troublesome because that makes the spiritual life very dry, very monotonous and then that makes us vulnerable to further temptations, further temptations which drag us further away from Krishna. So, at one level, we can understand this in terms of one experience of sense gratification.
Initially, it tastes like poison, but after some time, it just becomes boring, it becomes empty, it makes our spiritual life seem so dry and tasteless. At another level, we can see this in terms of a life thing. When a person is young, that person may enjoy.
And the person may think, okay, I can’t enjoy forever, but in youth, again, okay, I enjoy, I lose my capacity to enjoy. Again, after some time, I get the capacity to enjoy, I enjoy again. So, in youth, there may be some enjoyment, but as a person starts becoming old, then, when a person loses the capacity to enjoy, at that time, life becomes hellish, because the person doesn’t know, what am I living for? All my life, I just lived for sense enjoyment, and now, suddenly, helplessly, the capacity for sense enjoyment is going away from me.
The capacity for sense enjoyment goes away means, the body loses capacity, and even if the body doesn’t, somebody takes some chemicals and keeps the body’s capacity, but still, the body loses physical attractiveness, and one just can’t sustain the capacity to enjoy for very long, and then, there is tremendous frustration that results because of that. The desire to enjoy is there, but the capacity is completely gone away. So, we know, this is the condition of ghosts, isn’t it? Ghosts have the desire to enjoy, but they don’t have the capacity to enjoy.
So, when people who have lived materialistically, they come into the old age, their existence is almost similar. They have the desire to enjoy, but they just don’t have the capacity to enjoy. And of course, beyond that is, somebody may enjoy this life, but afterwards, there is suffering as a reaction to what one is doing.
can be in hell also. So, can be at this level, even at this level, people in old age, when the capacity goes away, can also be in hell. Now, many people in material life, they face something which is called by psychologists as a mid-life crisis.
What is a mid-life crisis? That a person starts a particular career, works hard, and then the person comes by the age of 35, 40, 45, that’s middle age, roughly. So, at that time, the person starts feeling, did I choose the right career? Have I achieved something in my life? Or did I have done something else? What did I get in my life by living so long? So, at that time, when a person starts feeling that, have I chosen the right track in my life? And a person becomes overwhelmed by anxiety. So, large number of people face this because now there is no Varanashram, so ultimately people choose their own careers.
And when they choose their own careers, there is so much competition all around that we always, you remember, it is better to be a big fish in the ocean than to be a fish in the ocean. So, when a person becomes 40, the sexual desire suddenly becomes strong. It is not like that.
Actually, if one has a not practised as a brahmachari very seriously, then, seriously means two aspects to it. One is our internal development of Krishna consciousness, the other is the external taking up of responsibility in Krishna’s mission. So, if you have not done that seriously, then by the time when we come to middle age, you start thinking, did I do the right thing by becoming a brahmachari? Look at my friend, you know, he is a big manager in a big company now, look at that friend, he has got such a nice house, look at that, what have I achieved in my life? So, actually, in youth, sometimes, our minds are so restless and we feel that just let me focus on sadhana and let me focus on this and let me focus on that, we may avoid responsibilities but all of us have the passion that I want to do something, I want to do something worthwhile, I want to do something wonderful.
So, if we don’t take up serious responsibilities, then maybe 10, 15 years down the line, we may feel, what did I achieve in my life? So, therefore, it is important, if we even look back at our life till now, probably the most outstanding moments of our life are usually closely associated with the moments when we just struggled, worked hard, did something extraordinary after lot of sacrifice and commitment and challenges. So, we can’t have that high tension more constantly in our life but those moments that are there, they become the outstanding moments of our life. same way, even in our brahmacharya life, we will need some sense of material achievements and we will get that if we take up responsibility, surely we will get that.
In fact, often, in brahmacharya life, we can do much more. For example, in Krishna consciousness, there are devotees who may be sort of heading big big temples at the age of 35-40 and to lead projects like that in an outside company may require a person to spend 20-30 years in the company. So, actually, even from a material point of view, if you just want to look from a material point of view, Krishna consciousness offers us promising career prospects, not in terms of having our own possessions, but there are two aspects to material achievement.
One is just having our own possessions. You know, see, I have this car, I have this house, I have this. But the other aspect of material achievements is that, okay, whatever abilities I have, whatever talents I have, I have used them responsibly.
See, I have done something worthwhile with my life. So, that is also an aspect of material achievement that is important. And Krishna consciousness gives us a lot of channels for that.
If we have, if we take up that initiative, then there is so much we can do in Krishna service. So, that’s why we cannot have, as I said, continuous stress in our spiritual life. But, at the same time, there are times when the situations, the responsibilities call for sacrifice, call for stress.
And if you do that, those moments will, in retrospect, become the highlights of our spiritual life. And they will inspire us to go on. Yes, by all the sacrifices is worth while.
I am doing something wonderful in my life. So, it’s not that I may not be wonderful, although maybe I would like people to believe that I am wonderful, but I know what I am. But even if I am not wonderful, still, by Krishna’s mercy, I am able to do wonderful things in this service.
That is the external aspect. So, if devotees take up responsible service, then we won’t ever face that midlife crisis sort of situation. The other is the internal aspect of Krishna consciousness.
Now, all of us, we need to individually, as I said earlier, find out what gives us strength and what enriches our Krishna consciousness. And, as we keep practising Krishna consciousness, this will happen, this will become stronger. We’ll find that there are certain activities which do give us a strong sense of connection with Krishna, by which we feel the shelter of Krishna, we feel satisfaction in Krishna consciousness.
And, if we do those activities more and more seriously, then we learn that whatever life we bring in future, I know how to cope with it. It’s not that I am so advanced, but I know, by doing this, I can cope with it, I can tolerate it, I can transcend it. So, both ways, externally and internally, as devotees, we need to have at least some aspects that we are serious about.
And then, we can, actually, then our life will not be like this. It will be the previous words. So, right now there is poison, but there is nectar in the end.
And that end doesn’t only mean, when I go back to the spiritual world, that end means, even in this life, even in this life, once we go beyond the stage of Anarthani Vritti, then actually it’s Paranamaya Amritopamam. It’s the real struggle of spiritual life, only in Anarthani Vritti. Anarthani Vritti is a long, bumpy ride, but once, if we keep going through it, then it’s not, the stage of Anarthani Vritti is definitely not eternal.
It is, like everything else in the world, temporary. But what makes it longer than what needs to be is that, while in Anarthani Vritti stage, we go 10 steps ahead and then we pause. Should I go ahead? And sometimes I go 10 steps ahead and I go 5 steps behind again.
And then again I go 10 steps ahead and again I go 5 steps behind. That makes Anarthani stage much longer than what it needs to be. But if we stay determined and keep moving forward, then Anarthas get over.
And then that Paranamaya Amritopamam is something which you can experience even in this life. Any questions about this? Any indicator to know whether Anarthani Vritti is happening or not? First thing is, we don’t have to put ourselves in provocative situations to find out. That’s the first most important thing.
Life itself will present us provocative situations. And we can ask, we will also be able to face I can clearly see that before I was introduced to Krishna Consciousness, when I would face problems, I would get so disturbed by those problems. Now also I get a little bit disturbed, but certainly not that much.
So that’s one way to understand that okay, my irritability, my agitation, irritability is a sign of basically anger or it could be a sign of illusion. That is decreased. Similarly, the last, the greed.
Life will itself in its normal course present us provocations. And by observing our responses, we can understand, okay, has the anartha gone down, has it come up? See, if we just look at our consciousness on a daily basis, we may not observe much difference. Because daily our consciousness is like a sine wave.
Sometimes we feel very, that peak is going towards Krishna and the trough is going towards Maya. So we will not feel transformation. But if you look at our long-term perspective, six months ago, one year ago, three years ago, five years ago, then we find a substantial difference.
anarthas themselves are not quantifiable. So, anarthaniruddhi itself is not quantifiable, but it is observable in terms of our responses to provocative situations. And over a period of time, we learn.
We observe that, yes, we do become more mature, we do become more self-controlled, Krishna-centred. So by especially observing our responses to provocative situations, we can understand it. Any other questions? Yes.
What are the sensory gratification that one can get in Brahmacharya ashram? Is over-eating a sensory gratification? Over-eating is not a sensory gratification. serious problem as long as it doesn’t obsess our mind too much. That is the first thing.
We want to be Krishna-conscious, not just Krishna Prasad conscious. That is the main thing. Especially if it doesn’t obsess the mind too much and it doesn’t have any physical problems because of eating too many sweets or eating too much of this, so either I become too overweight or I start getting… enjoyment of the tongue translates into sexual desire.
If that happens, then there has to be a reason to be concerned about it. But otherwise there is no… one doesn’t have to become too worried about it. Actually speaking, in brahmachari life, we can get delicious prasadam, but overall there is some regulation that is there.
Just following the regulation of brahmachari life itself, we are not choosing what we eat. Whatever we are given, we take that. And occasionally there is some delicious food also comes up.
So in that sense, that is itself a significant regulation. But only if it is too much obsessing our mind or it is having some physical consequences, then one needs to worry about it. And over a period of time, we start observing ourselves.
That sometimes the pleasure is not worth the trouble. All of us will come to that consequence after some time. And that time may vary.
If I overeat, then after that I feel so sleepy, sometimes I sleep so long and then I feel I wasted so much time. And even if I don’t sleep, I eat and then whatever I am doing, I am just not able to concentrate. I am half awake and half asleep.
And then I feel so lethargic about everything. So if that sort of things are happening, then we will ask ourselves, this is not what I should do. I should not be doing this.
So it is something which we all learn by experience. So now even eating prasadam extra or eating prasadam selectively, I am not sure whether we can literally use the word sense gratification for it. Because generally we use the word sense gratification in terms of that which is disconnected with Krishna, that which disconnects us from Krishna.
This is Krishna prasadam but if it is indulged disproportionately then it can take us away from Krishna but doesn’t have to. Actually as one starts ageing, it will happen that the attraction to Krishna prasadam will spread over to other forms of Krishna also. So initially our spiritual attraction will be concentrated on Krishna prasadam.
Sometimes concentrated exclusively on Krishna prasadam but afterwards it gets distributed. Other manifestations of Krishna also. Regarding other forms of sense gratification, kirtans, dancing is there, playing musical instruments is there.
All those are wonderful. You have some specific things in mind? No, I mean they are asking about this question. Actually Krishna conscious you know, there is a western scholar who said a very interesting observation.
He says bhakti is sensual spirituality. Bhakti is sensual spirituality. Actually the word sensual may have some negative connotation but his emphasis is that actually the senses are involved in this form of spirituality.
In the path of jnana the senses are withdrawn. So it is senseless spirituality. Not senseless in the sense of consciousness.
spirituality. Sensual indicates sense gratification. Sensory means it involves the senses.
So we can find out how our senses can be best engaged. Let’s see if this is working till now. No, maybe I’ll talk about it in next class.
Let’s move forward. Is it clear? Any other questions? So let’s look at happiness in the mode of ignorance now. yatha grecha nubandhecha sukham mohanam atmanah nidralasya pramadottam tattam samudaratam tattam samudaratam So from beginning to end yatha grecha nubandhecha sukham mohanam atmanah that happiness which creates, which creeps the soul in delusion and increases the delusion nidra alasya pramadottam Krishna has said yukta nidra is not tamasic.
But here when there is disproportionate nidra alasya pramadottam so lethargy sleep and intoxication actually speaking when a person is just acting lazy not doing anything then there is no pleasure in it. There is just the perverse satisfaction of having avoided some trouble. If I wake up and I have to do some work and I don’t want to do that work then I just act as if I’m sleeping or I actually try to sleep or I just sleep over all and then I feel ah yes I have avoided the trouble but actually there is no pleasure in that.
There is at the back of the mind there is this trouble and I am not coping with it. So, that itself creates a sense of guilt or a sense of irritation, a sense of decreased self-esteem and actually we are not dealing with the problem also. So, the external problem is still there and lethargy it also decreases our moral internally.
The external problem doesn’t go away the internal morale goes down and we make things more difficult for ourselves. So, that’s why agrejanu bandheja from beginning to end. The only pleasure that is there is just in the vague sense of evasion of trouble.
Although that trouble may be for a constructive purpose but by that evasion of trouble one thing that, yes, I am so clever, I avoided it, I got away from it. But we can’t get away from it for very long and that’s why this is not something which is at all conducive to transcendence. Now, after describing these three kinds of pleasures, Krishna will move forward and then he will talk about broad principles of varna ashram.
So, the idea is, why is Krishna talking about all this? He is talking about the jnana of a karma yogi. So, then after this he will talk about how karma yoga, the actual practise of it is incorporated in varna ashram so that it raises a person towards transcendence. That we’ll discuss in the next class.
Thank you very much. Shri Madh Bhagwat Gita Ki Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai. Gaur Bhakta Vindhya Ki Jai.