How a devotee transcends worldly miseries through absorption SB 3.22.37

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
At the moment we are discussing on the conclusion that Maitreya Rishi wants to convey to Vidura from the narration of the life of Swayamvara. So he is telling that one who has Hari Samshraya when you seek shelter of Lord Hari how can such a person suffer material miseries? bhautika is material miseries material, klesha is miseries and basically the three kinds of miseries are talked about sadhi-bhautika, adi-daivika, adi-atmika so adi-atmika is referred to as Shahri Rama and divya is referred to as daivika and manusha-bhautika but manusha, other living beings, other bhautas, other living beings is referred to as and that is referring to adi-bhautika so when the soul comes to the material world the soul is placed in these three circles cases we have a bodily case we have a social case we have a bodily enclosure a social enclosure and an environmental enclosure and all these three enclosures become sources of misery for the living beings the soul is such an ananda now people ask if we are actually happy, joyful then why can’t we experience the joy right now? it is because our consciousness is directed outwards we are spiritual it is like a person sitting peacefully at home but is watching a horror movie what happens is the person is peaceful but the person is not peaceful the person is actually not in danger but the consciousness is caught in the horror movie being displayed and that is why the person suffers so like that the soul by nature is such an ananda but the soul’s consciousness is directed towards the three external coverings so the psychophysical or bodily-mental covering then there is the social covering we have various relationships so through the psychophysical covering through the social covering through the environmental covering the soul tries to seek pleasure we try to through our body, through our relationships through our environment we seek pleasure and that attempt to seek pleasure through the external means actually limits blocks traps our consciousness in manner and that is how we suffer so so so situation which is because of because of the desire to enjoy and that is how experiences good and bad in various species so these three glaciers come because soul soul’s consciousness is caught in these three layers of material covering and generally in many karmakandi ceremonies often the ceremonies conclude with om shanti shanti shanti so there is a three times shanti because the idea is there are three glaciers in the world so adhigauti kle shanti adhigaut devi kle shanti adhigauti kle shanti that’s the idea so the glaciers always the karaka covering that we are in they make us shanti now this verse in specific and the bhagavad gita in general makes an extraordinary claim that a devotee will not suffer in these three degrees in fact this is this reference comes many times later on in this canto itself when kapalmeva is instructing to adhigauti at that time he says so he says shelter of heart at the same point it is mentioned over there kapalmeva is speaking so he is saying those who take shelter of me how? the delightful pastimes they hear it they speak it what happens? that means miseries they afflict us they afflict all people but those who are those who are conscious this is me so how does this actually happen? that a devotee in the material world with a devotee does not suffer so actually it is what can be called as krishna conditioning in our the weather is very hot and people are sweating but if he comes inside an AC room then the heat is there outside but the person doesn’t feel the heat inside similarly the miseries and mental existences are there but if we bring our consciousness within the remembrance of krishna then our consciousness becomes krishna conditioned and because krishna is the source of all happiness therefore although the miseries are there the miseries don’t make the devotee miserable miseries don’t necessarily go away they may be there but the miseries don’t make the devotee miserable so how does this happen? how krishna consciousness takes away our miseries is a large topic so actually it takes away our miseries in four ways education purification minimisation and absorption so krishna consciousness takes away our miseries in these four ways education often we only do wrong things which make us miserable so so when we get proper education we don’t do those wrong things things which bring karmic reactions either immediately or eventually so first is education this is good this is bad the good and bad is not just based on some arbitrary scriptural reaction if you say this is good so it is good if you say this is bad it is bad the obnoxious is obnoxious because it is noxious what that means is that the scriptures say it’s bad that it’s bad because it is harmful for us it will make us miserable in the long run so first is education I am not going to talk I will only focus in this class on the last part absorption so let’s finish with the first thing so just knowing what is right and what is wrong that helps us to avoid doing the wrong and that saves us from the complications that come because of that right first is education second is purification sometimes we know that some things are wrong but still we are unable to do them but when we get krishna consciousness then our desires become purified when our desires become purified then we are not pulled and pushed and dragged to do wrong things that also saves us not only from the external reactions but also from the inner agitation when we are purified then we are not even agitated when the temptation is found so that also actually frees a person from a lot of things you know if somebody is a drunkard then every time the person gets some stimulus you know passes by a liquor shop or just thirsty something or someone with whom he has drunk then immediately the mind gets agitated now other people who are purified who have never drunk they have no agitation at all because the temptation has not been there so similarly in so many sense objects come in the vision of our consciousness and they agitate us but when we become purified then that whole universe of agitation ceases to exist for us so we can explain this with respect to some temptation maybe we might have been addicted to tea or coffee or maybe eggs or meat or something like that now if we see there is no agitation so purification itself frees a person from a lot of things education purification third is minimisation actually when we surrender to Krishna Krishna minimises our temptations whatever we are supposed to get Krishna is only a small sample of that that also reduces our sufferings and pratyekam kamsa suni kshimanam jnaneva atmakam nivakam so you understand that actually by the anukapa of Krishna the atmakam nivakam my own mistakes which I have to suffer the reactions you have minimised them without even grateful that’s minimisation and the last is absorption so this is the purpose of atmaks how does absorption free us from this need actually the soul by default in material existence is in one emotional state that is boredom you know the survey done in america they said that among even the wealthy and well-to-do people they are 5% of the time happy 5% of the time miserable 90% of the time bored so the whole entertainment industry is actually a boredom industry because people are bored that’s why they watch all kinds of entertainment now why are people bored because life at the sensual level we can live at the sensual level the mental level the intellectual level the spiritual level the emotional level so we can live life at various levels life at the sensual level inevitably then it becomes boring because at the sensual level the pleasures are only very intermittent infrequent somebody goes eat and enjoy out of 24 hours how long can a person eat people want to have sex and enjoy out of 24 hours how much time can they do that so when the stimulus is there they are excited when the stimulus is taken away they are agitated and in between they are bored there is nothing else to do so what happens is that in chitral the life at the material level is boring and to get rid of the boredom people try various things one of the things that they try out very popular nowadays is entertainment now mundane entertainment that is there so what happens by this is that the boredom is also a sort of misery because when there is nothing exciting the soul wants excitement the soul wants stimulation the soul wants happiness when there is nothing exciting that itself is a sort of misery and to get rid of this misery the soul tries to find something to forget the emptiness and the boredom generally what is people’s idea of we went for a movie and the movie is maza aagaya now what is their idea of maza aagaya generally they say if a movie can make me forget the emptiness the aimlessness the boredom of my life then that forgetfulness of one’s emptiness of life that’s what they call as maza that’s what they call as enjoyment and that’s why people need that kind of stimulation more and more it is basically like a painkiller so for painkiller initially when we take it it gets free from pain but after that you have to keep increasing the dosage increasing the dosage increasing the dosage why? because the earlier level dosage doesn’t work and so that’s why earlier in movies there will be little fight shoot shoot shoot but now see building boom it’s exploded and it’s maza aagaya so what happens is that actually the stimulation people want to increase more and more so earlier there was five day cricket just slow gradual one day cricket then there was stimulant cricket so what is happening is the dosage of the painkillers is increasing so because people want more stimulation so Indians basically had two primary painkillers now one is Bollywood and second is cricket so a few years these two painkillers got married and they produced a child whose name is I.P.S so in I.P.S there are cricket stars there are Bollywood stars and if that double dosage painkiller is not enough there are cheerleaders also so the idea is what is basically happening is people are becoming internally more and more empty and that’s why what actually is trying to be done through the means of hyper stimulating entertainment is a misdirected attempt at absorption what people are trying to do is life at that routine level of living is boring so through entertainment what they are trying to do through hyper stimulating entertainment they are trying to absorb themselves in something else which is some level pleasure so by this they forget or they try to forget the emptiness the boredom the misery of their life so in a sense when we say that absorption is free a person from misery that’s not such a ephemeral or abstract concept the whole entertainment industry is based on that principle only that the entertainment industry runs because people want to absorb themselves in something by which they can forget everything else but the real question is what is that something in which we absorb ourselves so when people absorb themselves in entertainment it may give some relief it may give some pleasure but that absorption does it in a way that it putrefies them it fills them with more material desires and eventually brings them back to the same material reality where they have been unsatisfied so in that sense it doesn’t eliminate their problems it aggravates their problems people are bored because there is no there is nothing sensually exciting available in life so then they turn on a computer turn on a movie or go to some sites and try to get something sensually exciting when they get that that may give them some stimulation some titillation some pleasure but eventually that brings them down back to the physical reality where they want gratification and when that is not available then they feel dissatisfied in fact they feel more dissatisfied because the last greed the anger that has been increased by the exposure to the entertainment and the availability of the fulfilment of the last greed anger in real life is limited that’s why so what happened was the dissatisfaction in real life because last anger greed basically what is entertainment people have lust so they turn on the TV the movies and they watch good looking couples enjoy so what is actually you know our scriptures talk about humans should live like animals eating, sleeping, waiting, defending so this is unfortunate a human being who lives like an animal is unfortunate but you know watching television and movies is not even animal life it is second hand animal life somebody else is doing animalistic activities and we are thinking if I did that it would be so nice so actually it is not even animal life it is second hand animal life so what happens is that in this so at the material real level the level of material reality there is not sufficient excitement in eating, sleeping, waiting, defending that’s why people go towards movies and movies and other forms of entertainment where they absorb themselves in there they get some higher stimulation and they watch people eating, sleeping, waiting, defending, pet, enjoying that better than what they really enjoy that may give them some pleasure but that only increases their desires for eating, waiting, and then when they come back to real life that is not available so what has happened is their dissatisfaction increases it is a decrease lust was there lust could not be fulfilled in real life so they went into entertainment but entertainment life that only increased the lust and when they come back to real life the increased lust leads to increased dissatisfaction same with grief you know I don’t have such an opulent house so I turn on the TV and watch people who have huge row houses and resorts and then when I come back and look at my own house I feel more dissatisfied that’s how it works so actually speaking entertainment in a way increases our dissatisfaction because generally whenever the mind wants to check whether I am happy or not the only way the mind checks whether I am happy or not is by comparison of others so I got one rasgulla I got two rasgullas I am not happy until I saw somebody has given me two rasgullas I got the rasgulla but it made me happy the mind is always directed outwards that’s why the mind doesn’t know about inner happiness when it is independent of comparison with others the mind only compares with others you know I have this much you know my spouse is good looking but I am not so much more better looking so what happens is the whole world entertainment culture you know earlier people had their own community their own city their own locality for comparison but now the whole world becomes an arena for comparison and not just the whole world the most sensually agitating and alluring objects in the world become the objects of comparison and that’s why real life will inevitably be loved you know if there is a comparison between real life and real world and the world that is shown in the entertainment world actually the real world will never live up to one’s hopes maximum entertainment industry it promises some absorption which people think will bring us to the top but what is it going to do is it’s going to aggravate our existence this will be looked at how people are absorbed in entertainment so absorbed and so mad about that entertainment that they are ready to spend millions and millions of dollars billions of dollars and the entertainment industry will become poor if we tabulate and total all the aspects of the entertainment industry then actually the sum total is probably more than all the other industries in the world combined I have tabulated so much because at heart we all want to be absorbed absorbed in something which is something that is liberating from emptiness in the misery of the routine daily business so this misdirected attempt will be redirected by Krishnakumar Jesus so in Krishnakumar Jesus the absorption may not be so titillating but it is far more fulfilling may not be so titillating means when we chant Hare Krishna or when we chant Dakshina Krishna when we absorb ourselves in Krishna Ratha it may not be so sensually titillating there is no in say rock music there is bang boom boom boom so all that is very gross so it may not be titillating in that sense but in this principle titillating there is a very superficial when the child is there and somebody comes along and tickles the child the child will laugh when he tickles the child will laugh but you know that is not real happiness but if a child’s mother comes and embraces the child and caresses the child that is the expression of love it is not deeper than titillating it is satisfying to the heart similarly material entertainment it may still be necessary like tickling at a sensual or mental level it may give some tension but when we come to the centre of Krishna when Krishna embraces us when Krishna embraces us actually that is far more deeper although it may take some time to be alive if a child is very restless and the mother actually embraces the child out of love then the child is like I just want to run around and do this and that how does it come together now I am cared for and nourished but I back to Krishna and gradually realise that Krishna is nearer and nearer to me krishna is caring for us nourishing is nourishing us, loving us. Then the people feel they are at equal level with what is possible by their most entertaining of movies or cricket matches or whatever else.
So, how does absorption Krishna pay us to misery? The miseries will be there. But actually how much the miseries make us miserable depending on how much we miss or don’t miss those miseries. See what does it mean? How can we miss misery? Normally we think we miss pleasure.
We want to miss, we want to actually avoid misery. I think the mind has a perverse tendency. It is like a magnet and iron filing get attracted to each other.
So, the mind often gets attracted to problems. When problems are there, it seems as if the problems come with an inbuilt mental glue. It is adhered to the mind.
What does that mean? That means that sometimes something may go wrong in our life. Somebody may insult me. Or some plan may not work out.
Now when that happens, yes that is a stressing event. But often our mind gets blocked into that. And even when we are doing other things, ok, why did I do such a thing? Why did I do like that? When the mind gets blocked into a problem, that makes the problem bigger than it needs to be.
So, the problem is definitely there. It has to be dealt with. But when we live in the problem, we mentally get caught in the problem, then the problem becomes much bigger than what it needs to be.
So, life determines our problems, we determine their sizes. So, life determines our problems. We can’t control.
Sometimes this may go wrong, that may go wrong. Life determines our problems, but we determine their sizes. We determine their sizes means, if I think a lot about a problem, the problem will become bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger.
Ok, somebody has insulted me. That person spoke that and for what it also went away. And I spent days and days.
So, the brain becomes like a overcooked rotten vegetable. First of all, if a rotten vegetable is there, then itself is useless. And then if we overcook it, it is just a waste of energy.
So, like that, you know, the whole idea that somebody insulted me and I am holding a grudge against that, that itself is like a rotten vegetable. And I keep thinking, thinking, thinking of it, what is it? Overcooking it. So, it is a overcooked rotten vegetable.
It doesn’t serve any purpose at all and it just dissipates our mental injuries. Now, this doesn’t mean that we can just turn a blind eye towards any insults or any problems. No, we need to do what we can to deal with it.
Ok, somebody may be, I did something wrong or maybe that person got it wrong. So, let me clarify. But if the person is not in a mood of clarification, if the person is just determined to hold on to his or her own perception, then go ahead with it.
Let that person go his or her way. Let me go my way. And I don’t have to lock myself mentally with that person.
So, actually speaking, at the material level of consciousness, we feel how good the glue, the mental glue between the mind and the problem is almost unbreakable. Now, something goes wrong and people, because of that one thing that goes wrong, then so many things go wrong after that. Why? Because we let all those things go.
So, on the other hand, if I suggest you to think of Krishna always, what does that always think of Krishna mean? It actually is an active injunction which enables us to free our mind from these agitating, unfulfilling, frustrating thoughts and turn our mind towards Krishna. So, when we think of Krishna or we cultivate a habit of thinking of Krishna, Krishna thoughts are actually pacifying and satisfying. They pacify our mind, they satisfy us.
And many times, after we have thought of Krishna, then we can come back and look at the problem also. We may reveal the problem in a more mature way. So, you know, as devotees, all of us also have problems.
But a devotee is concerned by problems, not disturbed by problems. What is the difference between being concerned and being disturbed? Concerned means, yes, I want that things should work out well and I will do what I can. I am interested in it.
I want it to work out well. So, things outside are wrong and I won’t set them right. But disturbed means, so when things outside are wrong and I won’t set them right, that is concerned.
But disturbed means, things outside are wrong because of that things inside also go wrong. That means, outside shapes the inside. Then I get disturbed.
So, a devotee is fixed in a relationship with Krishna. A devotee knows that whatever happens in the world, ultimately Krishna will be there with him in the end. Krishna is only there in the heart waiting for him.
And Krishna is ever waiting, Krishna is ever willing, Krishna is ever worthy. Krishna is ever waiting, no matter how big the trouble in our life. Sometimes the trouble happens because others trouble us.
Sometimes the trouble happens because we ask them to do wrong things. Whatever way the troubles come, Krishna never leaves our heart. Krishna is ever waiting.
He is always waiting. Not only is he ever waiting, he is ever living. We may have turned away from Krishna.
And sometimes Krishna consciousness is so joyful, it was a trivial pleasure to turn away from Krishna. But Krishna doesn’t get angry with us. Krishna is ever willing to resume our relationship.
And not only Krishna ever waiting and ever willing, Krishna is ever worthy. Krishna is That Gajendra in his prayer says that my dear lord, I am caught in this Vashupash. Vashupash has multiple meanings.
One Vashupash is that he is caught in the jaws of the crocodile. On the other hand, he is also called Vashupash. He is caught in the animal body.
And more importantly, he is caught in animal consciousness. What is consciousness? My dear lord, I surrender to you. Please liberate me.
Why should you liberate me? Yes, you are liberated. But you are not just happily being liberated on your own. You don’t think that I am liberated.
I am bound. Let them stay bound. No.
We want everyone to be liberated. This has a logic to it. That so many lives, so many lifetimes Krishna has been trying to help us.
But we have neglected it. But Krishna doesn’t get tired of us. He keeps striving to help us.
And that’s why, as devotees, within this time, at least there is one reality of life that we have to teach. That no matter what happens in life, Krishna will never stop loving you. No.
This is the truth. Okay. Okay.
This is the truth. There is nothing that anyone can do that can stop Krishna from loving us. There is nothing that we can do that can stop Krishna from loving us.
Nothing can stop the infinite from offering an infinite love to the finite. Krishna will always be there, in our heart, ever waiting, ever waiting. So when we are moved into this reality, then the worldly problems, they give you no resistance.
Because we understand that my inner world will never change. This is a reality which will never change. But when we are moved into this reality, when we are not put in the reality of Krishna’s love for us, then we are moved into a situation in some other reality.
I am put in the reality that I am a brahmachari, I am a counsellor, I am in charge of this project, I am a preacher and this and that. And this reality is changing. I am a preacher and I think I give very good comments.
One day when I go for a class, I get a blackout. I just won’t remember anything. If I am put into the reality that I am a very good preacher, then what will happen is, if I get a blackout, I will get very disturbed.
Now, if I am put into the reality that I am a devotee of Krishna, and Krishna’s love for me, this will be the reality of life. Then, no matter what happens, okay, I forget. I am doing something wrong to myself.
So I am very disturbed. But I am not disturbed. Because I understand that actually, whether I am able to give very good classes or not, Krishna still loves me.
That’s why Bhaktivedanta Thakur says, once I understand that you are my devotee, purvaiti ahasa gulim sakala deva sukha deya maale amitrotto maara tubhi toh maad ika janara dhaane So he says, my dear lord, now that I have understood that I am your servant, that you are my lord, so whatever has happened in the past, purvaiti ahasa gulim sakala I forget everything that has happened in the past. I don’t bother. I may have been sinful, I may have been pious.
It doesn’t matter. I forget everything. Actually, just like when a person wakes up from a dream, whether the dream was a nightmare or a pleasant dream, it doesn’t matter.
It’s okay. So like that, a devotee’s past doesn’t matter. Of course, if they learnt something in the past, which we can use in our service to Krishna, that is fine.
But unlike the past, it doesn’t matter to anyone. So, the problems that are there in life, purvaiti ahasa gulim sakala Let’s forget it all and what will I do? prema sukha beya mama me I will drink the joy of service. And how is this joy of service to be drunk? With the mind.
beya durma me And what is the basis for doing this service to Krishna? aamita pramad I am yours and you are mine. ekaja para dhaane What other wealth do I want? As long as I am yours and you are mine, this is the greatest wealth of life. What else do I need? So, now the devotee, not that the devotee is indifferent towards the wealth of the world, the devotee gets that wealth.
You should use that wealth in your service. Aamita, I don’t even have to pay you. So, Prabhupada was happy even when there was nobody following him.
He was in America, a lonely old man. He was satisfied. He was giving his translations, talking about Krishna to everyone who came along.
He was happy. And thousands of people were coming to him and he was just happy. So, when nobody was coming, Prabhupada was concerned.
He was secure in his relationship with Krishna. And he wanted others also to have that relationship. That’s why he was concerned.
So, as devotees, the more you have this Krishna consciousness, the more the material reality becomes peripheral. And the spiritual reality becomes central. What does that mean, peripheral and central? Suppose somebody writes for the first time in a play, then people get very excited when they are writing in a play.
Nowadays, things are becoming common. But earlier, people used to say, Oh, I am flying in the plane. Now, what happens is, that initially, when we are very excited about something material, then the material reality is introduced.
Okay, I am flying in the plane. But for a person who has regularly been flying in the plane, he is just getting into the plane. There is nothing great about it.
Okay, I am going in the plane for that. More important is, not just travelling in the plane, where I am going, what I am doing. That is what becomes more important.
Similarly, for a devotee, initially he is a spiritual writer. When a person is not a devotee, he was a materialist, the material reality is the only reality. That means, Oh, I got this pleasure, I didn’t get this pleasure.
This person honoured me, this person dishonoured me. That is the only reality. But as we become sadhakas, then the spiritual reality starts entering in the background of our consciousness.
That, actually, I should think about this, should not discuss this with a certain person. What do you think? Whether I get pleasure or pain? More important is, whether I am an Indian person or not. But as we advance in our spiritual life, what happens is, so initially, the spiritual reality is just out of our scope.
As we become sadhakas, the spiritual reality starts entering our scope. This is the material reality only to do the work. So when I am giving a class, how many people are there for the class is more important than what I am speaking.
Or, what is more important is, whether people laugh at what I speak, than what I speak. Why? Because the material aspect of the reality is more important than the spiritual aspect. As we keep practising spiritual life more and more, then the material reality becomes very clear.
And the spiritual reality becomes very clear. So what is spiritual reality? I am a servant of Krishna, and wherever, whatever situation I am in, I can serve Krishna, and Krishna will accept the service that I am offering. So at the level of this verse, the service is accepted, the service is glorified, that is wonderful.
But if it is not, it is not. So, as we advance in spiritual life, what happens is, the spiritual reality becomes central, the material reality becomes very clear. And, the material reality is not so important, but, you know, it is important.
We want, when we are preaching, we want people to come and benefit from Krishna’s message. Right? And that is not our duty. Our simple purpose is to glorify Krishna.
That is what happens. Even if nobody comes, we preach to the most. Why? Because, the idea is, I am a soul, and my duty is to glorify Krishna.
If people come and hear, that is my duty. If they don’t come and hear, still I will do my duty to glorify Krishna. As spiritual reality becomes more and more central in our life, then, we will be able to, deal with the material reality also in a more mature way.
Because, when we disturb the material things, we can’t respond in an intimate way. We often respond to them very, there are two kinds of responses. There is a reflexive response, and there is a reflective response.
Reflexive means, somebody slaps me, ta, I can have that person back. So, that is a reflexive. Now, in some cases, for survival, you know, if I suddenly feel a fire on my back, I will jump.
That’s a reflex. So, with respect to many physical issues, reflex action is very good. But, with respect to emotional issues, reflex actions are rarely good.
You know, somebody insults me, and, that person has insulted me once, I feel like insulting that person 111 times. That reflex action, only makes the problem worse. So, there is a reflexive response, and there is a reflective response.
Reflective means, there is a connection between what is happening, and, you know, emotions. So, in general, especially with respect to emotional events, emotionally challenging events, troubling events, the reflexive response is rarely the right response. I see something attractive, I think we should take a risk here.
Sarva Dharmaan Paritraja, Maya Nekam Sharma Paritraja. It’s small, a jar will smell like that. So, with respect to emotions, the reflex action is rarely the right action.
What happens is, there is a roar from the eyes, that just bypasses the head and goes to the heart. Does this get cooked? Or it bypasses, sometimes it bulldozes through the head. You know it is wrong still.
Breaks through it and goes through. So, the reflexive action, especially with respect to emotional situations, is not very good. What it is with emotionally, still values, is a reflexive action that we have.
That is what helps us to be right. And the reflexive action comes when we are not emotionally dependent on our own reflexive response. So, how Krishna Consciousness frees us from bodily miseries, where Krishna Consciousness frees us from emotional dependence on the world.
So, when I am emotionally dependent on the world, then anything that happens in the world will make me emotional. But when I am emotionally managed by Krishna, then what happens in the world, it will concern me but will not disturb me. If I am in the ocean, then the waves of the ocean are going to shake me.
But if I am on the land, when I see the waves, if they indicate the storm, I am concerned, but I am not disturbed. So, if we are rooted in material reality, if we are emotionally determined, dependent on the world, then we will be shaken by worldly things. But, we learn that emotionally dependent on Krishna, then we will not be shaken by worldly things.
We will be able to step around and then respond with a spiritual maturity. And that is how we will become Krishna conditioned. And therefore, what happens, How can the miseries of Guruvigil students travel the devotee? As Vidura has told, in this lecture, the life of Sai Baba can be summarised.
I started by talking about how should the consciousness free us from misery. I discussed four levels, education, purification, victimisation, absorption. And in absorption, I focused primarily on the point of how material reality is basically holding.
And that’s why people want hyper-stimulating entertainment because that is a misdirected attempt at absorption by which people can forget the boring and frustrating reality of routine life. But, when we turn towards Krishna, the advantages of going towards material reality is not only unfulfilling, it is aggravating. Because the lust, anger, greed, they become worse when we go into that entertainment and then return to the real world.
But when we turn towards Krishna, actually, what we have is a freedom in the way of consciousness. And, the devotee is concerned but not disturbed by whatever happens. The devotee knows that whatever the changes in this world, Krishna’s love for me will always be constantly changing.
And, when I am emotionally nourished by Krishna, then I am not emotionally dependent on the world. And, to the extent I am not emotionally dependent on the world, to that extent, I will not be shaken by the miseries of the world. Thank you very much.
Are there any questions? What are the various processes by which one can develop emotional nourishment? Generally, we have to see what it is that connects with Krishna most effectively. That will vary for different people. For some people, it may be the philosophy of Krishna.
For some people, it may be the past time of Krishna. For some people, it may be Kirtan. For some people, it may be Vaishnavism.
For some people, it may be Ditya-Varsha. So, actually, we should understand that, always, the Bhagavan has given a standard process for advancement. Our spiritual advancement is our response.
And, if I had been a father, gave father as a millionaire, and he divided his business and gave ten equal shares to ten sons. So, now, the business will run on its own. Father will set up the business.
But still, if the son wants to expand the business, expanding the business, the structure of the business is given by the father. But, expanding the business further is the son’s responsibility. So, remember, the Bhagavan has given a standard process for Krishna consciousness in his teachings.
And, by following that, we make advancement. But, if we want to initiate Krishna consciousness, we have to find out what is the way by which I get most related and absorbed in Krishna. And, we do that more.
We do not neglect or reject other things. We do other things also. But, whatever absorbs us more, we do that more.
And, that way, we develop ourselves. Just as, we would have been enterprising if we were pursuing a material career, similarly, we should be enterprising when we are pursuing a spiritual career. Bhagavan has said, devotees are fortunes.
So, fortunes are not just with respect to preaching, but also with respect to our own spiritual advancement. How can I make, how can I get most absorbed in Krishna? So, so, when a person comes to Demodi, the person should, ah, Prabhuji, if we 16 beads, we have attained Guru Maharaj’s blessings by following If we have whimsical ideologies before then, God removes all our sins and we that Papa, whether as a devotee or as a saint we should adopt Vaishno Sudacharya. We should found Krishna the true by trusting Krishna.
So, if we have now becamel Christia and become initiated, Should we remember our past? Does Krishna forgive our past sins? And should we remember those sins or should we just forget those sins? Krishna simply forgives our sins. The way His forgiveness manifests will vary depending on our individual consciousness. How best we can be drawn towards Him.
That’s how Krishna will manifest those reactions. He may completely take them away, give a small token, whatever. He knows best.
But we should worry about the past reactions. Kunshikar Maharaj says that… Lord Kunshikar Maharaj is saying, Oh mind, don’t bother about your past sins. Don’t contemplate because of my past sins.
That Yamaraja will give you a lot of blessings. Why? Why should you worry? This is… Don’t you know that your master, he is the enemy of papa. He will drive away all papa.
And not only is he the enemy of papa, he is… He is the lord of the goddess of fortune. So he will drive away all this fortune and he will bring all the fortune in life. All that we need to do is… Whole heartedly contemplate on Lord Narayana.
Whole heartedly become devoted to Krishna. Actually, the only problem with Krishna consciousness is a lack of enthusiasm for Krishna consciousness. If you become enthusiastic, the problems will be there but they won’t trouble us so much.
So, then this is… And then he says… He says, ordinary people, when they come to the temple and pray to God, God removes their miseries also. The one who has dedicated his life to him, one who is trying to serve him regularly… And how can Krishna not help you versus him? So, he is giving us three reasons for assurance. First is, Krishna is papa rebaba.
Second is, Krishna is Shri Dharada. And Krishna is Lokasya Vaisnava Padukutta. The enemy of sin, he is the lord of the goddess of fortune.
And he kills good people. That’s good even for those who come just for utility and for purpose only. When somebody comes to offer his life, somebody wants to become his servant, why Krishna not help him? He is better than him.
So, we shouldn’t worry too much about our past sins. We should just focus on enthusiastically practising Krishna consciousness. And should we remember our past sins? We have to see what is the consequence of that remembrance.
See, if we say about remembering our past sins, we should remember… Ultimately, whatever we remember, we have to see whether it is anamol to bhakti or pratyekul to bhakti. So, if that remembrance agitates our mind, I know I was enjoying so much, I am missing it all now. If that’s my perception, then better don’t remember it.
Why? Because that makes me think, actually I was doing something in the past. And Krishna is the only bhakti I remember. Let that be so.
So, what is the difference between the two? When I remember my past, will I feel that, oh, I am missing so much? Or I have been saved from so much? What is the difference? That difference is based on my current consciousness. If I am stable in Krishna Consciousness, then I will be happy. If I am happy here, then I will feel, oh, I was saved from so much.
There was a little bit of misery, but there was so much trouble after that. I was saved from all that. But if I am not practising Krishna Consciousness properly right now, I am not experiencing spiritual happiness right now, then when I think of that, oh, there was so much happiness in the past, there was so little happiness in the present, but as compared to not experiencing anything now, so much happiness is there.
I feel that I am missing something. So, we have to see. The basic principle of doing anything in devotional life is, anukulyas namana mukti kulyas varchi.
That whatever is favourable, accept it. What is unfavourable, reject it. So, if the remembrance of our past lapses, past sins, still leads us to take shelter of Krishna more, by feeling grateful for what we have been saved from, then that is definitely a miracle.
Thank you very much.