How can we differentiate between the mind’s voice and the Supersoul’s voice?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
In our day-to-day activities, how can we know which is the voice of the mind and which is the voice of the super soul? Yeah. Normally, we are in the modes of passion and ignorance.
Even when we are practicing sadhana bhakti, say in the morning program when we try to wake up early, do our sadhana, that time we are trying to cultivate the mode of goodness. And that is very good. It is very essential.
At the same time, in the rest of the day, we have to run around, do things, we have so much pressure. So, inevitably we will go to the mode of passion and ignorance. Not ignorance, actually it’s passion we will go into.
So, generally when we are in the mode of passion and ignorance, our inner vision becomes very blurred. So, when we are running around and doing things, at that time we get some impulses. Maybe I should do this, maybe I should do that.
We should know that that is actually, usually not the voice of the super soul. So, when we are ourselves, busily running around doing things, we get an impulse. Let me do this, let me do that.
We can assume that it is the voice of the mind. When we have cultivated the mode of goodness, when we are ourselves thoughtful and introspective, and then we observe. Okay, we get some solution.
We get some idea. We get something. Okay, this might be a good idea.
It’s worth exploring. So, what it means is firstly, we have to see what is the level of our consciousness. Secondly, we have to see whether the idea, whatever is being spoken from the inner voice, whether that is in conformity with Guru Sadhu Shastra or it is in opposition to Guru Sadhu Shastra.
So, one time one devotee came to Prabhupada and he said, Prabhupada, you came in my dream yesterday and you told me to take marijuana. You told me to take drugs. So, Prabhupada said, that was not me, that was maya in my garb.
So, the primary way to discern which is the mind’s voice and which is Krishna’s voice. Now, Krishna’s voice is actually the same as the voice of Guru Sadhu Shastra. So, आचार्यचेत्यवकुषासुरतिन्विनक्ति यो अंतरभेष् तल्लुदुतां अशुभंदि भन्वान्दि It is the same one Lord who speaks from inside and from outside.
So, outside he speaks as the Acharya, he speaks as our spiritual guides and internally he speaks as the Supersoul. So, this means, if the inner voice is telling us to do something that is directly contradicted to Guru Sadhu Shastra, then we should know that this is the voice of the mind. This is not at all the voice of the Supersoul.
Now, what about when the inner voice is telling us to do something which is directly devotional? That’s fine. We can take that up and we can apply that in action. And what if it is in the grey zone? It is neither anti-devotional nor directly devotional.
Sometimes we may get some ideas. See, as I said Krishna says the mind can be the friend also. And we will discuss that.
Sometimes we get good ideas also. So, what we should do is, if some idea comes from within, one of the best ways to evaluate is to press the pause button. Pause means neither yes nor no.
I wait and I will evaluate. And then when we cultivate the mode of goodness, say when we pray, when we study scripture, when we are in a contemplative, reflective frame of mind, then we can evaluate with greater perspective, more wisdom. And then we say, yeah, this is a good idea.
And ultimately we don’t have to go around and say, I got this idea, it came from the Supersoul. We don’t know where it came from. But we have to evaluate the idea on its merit.
Okay, this thing is a good idea, let me implement it at the proper time. But the important thing is, do not just get carried away by the mind. Even if the mind comes up with a good idea, it’s not necessary that we have to get carried away by it.
So, there are impulses and there are some hunches. The word hunch is usually used to refer to something positive. I had a hunch that this would be right.
And sometimes our hunches also work out right. So, it’s not that we have to be always suspicious of whatever inner voice comes along. We can evaluate.
And evaluation requires a calm frame of mind. To the extent we are calm and reflective, to that extent we will be able to evaluate and arrive at a proper understanding. And if there are major decisions to be made, then we shouldn’t rest them based on simply our own evaluation.
There should also be consultation. So, if I have an opportunity, should I take a job here or should I take a job there? Then suddenly we start thinking, maybe I should take the job here. Sometimes it may happen that we might get some hunches which are good.
There might be something positive about this place, something negative about that place. And sometimes our reasoning faculty may not be able to arrive at that conclusion, but just we get that in the sense of inspiration, some insight. So, what we should do is, if we get some idea, rather than just immediately jumping on it or jumping against it, we just say, let me evaluate this.
I am feeling that I should do this. Why should I do this? Try to evaluate, try to analyze. And then if it’s a major decision, we consult.
Consult some senior devotees, consult our spiritual guides. And then we make a mature decision. Ultimately the decision is ours.
But we can make impulsive decisions or we can make mature decisions. And mature decisions largely means two things. Patience and reflection.
Patience means we don’t immediately act on whatever is the inner voice saying. And secondly, we reflect. We calmly reflect.
And that requires usually doing something which brings us to sattva guna. So, we will continue this theme tomorrow. And if you have any more questions, we can discuss tomorrow.