How can we avoid forgetting our resolutions?

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Transcript

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Thank you. So how can we maintain the resolution to, say, be satisfied materially and focus on inner growth, inner improvement? Because that decision doesn’t sustain. As soon as we go out in the materialistic world, then we tend to forget resolutions.
Yes, forgetfulness, we should see it not as something unnatural. It is something which is a natural result of the dissipation of energy. That means, when I eat food, I feel energetic.
But after a few hours, naturally my energy will go, because the energy has been used. And then what do I do? I take food again. So like that, when we talk about a decision, the decision is basically an intention of the mind, an inner intention.
This is how I’m going to do. But it needs sustenance. And for that sustenance, we need energy.
So when we associate with devotees, we hear some wisdom and we feel, yes, this is what I want to do. So what we have heard is the energy for maintaining that. But after some time, that energy is going to get exhausted.
So we shouldn’t expect that once I make a decision, it’s going to stay forever. Why shouldn’t we expect that? Again, that is because the patterns of the mind are also real things. So for example, we use the word inclination.
I have an inclination for this thing or I don’t have an inclination for that thing. When we mean that I have an inclination for something, that means that I like that. I naturally go towards that.
I naturally think about that. So to understand this further, we can consider, say, the inclination of a floor. Sometimes in a bathroom, when the sink is on one side, the floor is slightly inclined on that side, towards that side.
Now if, say, we have had to change some design or maybe that sink is choked and we have created some sink elsewhere. Now just because I have created a sink there, the water is not going to flow in that direction. If the floor is inclined this way and if I want the water to go in that direction, each time I will have to push the water in that direction.
Each time I will have to push the water in that direction. And if I want the sink to be there only and I want the water to go naturally, then just by intention, I have got to sink there, water should go there, it is not going to work. Then I will have to restructure the flooring.
Only when I change the inclination of the flooring, then the water will go there naturally. So like that, our mind has developed certain inclinations. And inclination means the thoughts will naturally go in a particular direction.
So by association, like we are trying, we make positive resolutions, then we are trying to get the water to flow against the inclination right now. And it is going to be difficult. So it requires energy.
And as soon as we stop applying the energy, the water again starts flowing in the opposite direction. So now, this is not unexpected. First of all, we expect that just one intention is going to stay lifelong, it is not going to work.
We have to reinforce that decision. And so if we hear something, then maybe we can note and revisit that. Or basically the point is we have to associate regularly, hear regularly.
I guess as we get exposed repeatedly to materialistic things, we have to periodically expose ourselves to spirituality, spiritual circles, spiritual wisdom, then that will give us the energy to keep pushing the water upwards against the direction of inclination. But over a period of time, if we keep practicing bhakti, what happens is when we keep repeatedly directing the mind in a particular direction, and that changes the inclination of the mental flow. If we keep doing something again and again and again, gradually that becomes ingrained within us.
But that becomes like the change of the default setting. So that is what purification is about. So that is basically a three step.
First is the conviction of the intelligence. 6.25 Krishna says, You have to focus the mind. How do we do that? With intelligence sustained by conviction.
So first, when you start practicing bhakti, there is the intelligence that is very important. Jiva Goswami in his Sandarbhas states that for the pure devotees, for those devotees who are already pure, it is their priti that keeps them in bhakti. They love Krishna, so they naturally practice bhakti.
But he says that is for the siddhas. For us sadhakas, it is our buddhi that will keep us in bhakti. We need to have our buddhi.
So as we become more and more attracted to Krishna, our kriti will develop and then we’ll naturally be attracted. But till then, our buddhi has to be alert. So we have to keep hearing regularly.
So first step is the conviction of the intelligence. Second is the practice of bhakti. And then the third is the purification of the mind.
So there’s a three step process. So when we say that our intention doesn’t stay, that means what has happening is the intellectual conviction which we got, that is going to dissipate. So the intelligence, we could say like the energy to push the water up again and again.
Now, if I feel the energy, I have to eat and then again I come and push. So the pushing is acting at the level of the intelligence. But practicing of bhakti itself is like changing the tilt of the floor, reconstructing the floor.
So although when we do bhakti on a daily basis, it may seem to be simply like a mechanical activity. The mind is going, again I’m bringing it back to Krishna. My mind is going, I’m bringing it back to Krishna.
But this is not just a mechanical activity. This mechanical is also transformation. Because in bringing the mind back to Krishna, the mind is getting some connection with Krishna, some exposure to Krishna.
And over a period of time the mind will realize, now I get so excited about this and that and that. But you know the pleasure in that is not all that great. Actually in Krishna there is greater happiness.
When the mind gets it, then it’s like the flooring inclination has changed. So till then we have to keep pushing. The water and it’s like if you keep pushing the water, gradually that itself helps in changing the inclination.
But to get the conviction to keep pushing the water, we have to keep hearing again and again. Does this answer your question?