How can we get relief by letting go of things and still be responsible?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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Thank you. So, if everything is determined by karma, then we can just let go of things and we can get relief. Emotionally, we can let go of things.
Yes, in material consciousness, we basically think of two alternatives. That things are in my control or things are out of control. But bhakti wisdom helps us to understand that things that are out of my control are not out of control.
They are out of my control but they are still in Krishna’s control. So, let me focus on doing that which I think and sometimes the first thing which we have control over is our own consciousness. That means, somebody has hurt me terribly.
At that time, what do I do? That person has done that, it’s hurting me. I can’t do anything about that. That event has happened.
If my consciousness I can do. I’m thinking of that person again. Why did he do that? Why did she do that? Why? Why? Why? It’ll simply make me frustrated.
But if I control my consciousness directly to this person, I’ll calm down. Calm down. Once I’m calmed down, then I can think more objectively about the situation.
And then I can decide how to deal with that situation. So, letting go does not necessarily mean necessarily not doing anything about the situation. In different situations we can respond in different ways.
Normally, when we think of letting go and surrendering to Krishna, the standard example is of Draupadi. When she was being disrobed, she just raised her hands and surrendered. So, now, before that, if you hear the whole pastime, Draupadi was trying to reason.
So, the minister had gambled himself, how could he have gambled me before when he was not his own master? And she’s throughout trying to avert disaster. So, is it that Draupadi was surrendering only when she raised her hands? And before that she was unsurrendered? Before that she was rebellious? No, it is not like that. She was surrendering throughout.
Her surrender was that she was adhering to dharma. She was reminding everyone else of dharma. But at that particular time, when she realized that no one can help her, she just raised her hands and surrendered.
So, that is one way of surrendering. That she just let go of everything, just offer her consciousness, her heart to Krishna. Now, at the end of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arunachala, surrender to me.
Maa may come, Sharanam may come. And Arjuna says, yes, I’ll surrender to you. Karishcheva may come.
But how does Arjuna surrender to Krishna? Now, Arjuna doesn’t raise his hands and surrender. Arjuna raises his bow in readiness to fight. So, Arjuna’s surrender is in his readiness to fight.
In his upraised bow. So, surrender can have different forms in different situations. Actually, Prabhupada’s surrender was when he prays to Krishna.
Nacchao, nacchao, Prabhu, nacchao se mate. Kashtera purkarin jata nacchao se mate. I say, Lord, make me dance, make me dance.
Just as a puppeteer makes a puppet dance. What does that mean? Prabhupada himself was planning so much. Should I do this, should I do that? Should I try this out, try that out, try that out? So, Prabhupada’s surrender was not just raising his bow to fight, not raising his arms to surrender.
Prabhupada was doing wherever an opportunity came. Taking that opportunity to try Krishna. Krishna, make me dance.
So, specific. So, we do want to let go. But letting go does not necessarily mean not being ready.
Letting go means putting first things first. First thing is, it is our consciousness that is what we need to come through. Our consciousness we direct towards Krishna.
We offer it to Krishna. Once our consciousness is offered to Krishna, thereafter, we can wisely choose. We will get the calmness, the clarity to choose.
Should I do this or do that? Should I fight as Indra Upadhyay? Should I fight as Vyarjuna? Or just let go as Indra Upadhyay? So, basically, when we face difficulties, we have three options. We change ourselves and tolerate the situation. Act to change the situation.
Or walk away from the situation. It is like when the Pandavas were subjected to atrocities. Initially, they tried to burn it.
They attempted to burn it. Lima was poisoned. Krishna told, don’t blow up the issue.
Just keep it in the family. They tolerated it. They tried to keep it.
But eventually, when Draupadi was dishonored, a particular line was crossed. And they fought. And eventually, when Krishna departed from the world, he just walked away.
Or sometimes, basically, we also have these three different options. Sometimes, there is some situation. You can’t change it.
You just tolerate it, accept it. I’ll tolerate and continue. Sometimes, you know, this person, the way they are acting, they are hurting me and they hurt others also.
Something has to be done. Some action has to be done. So, maybe action.
Sometimes, you may decide, this particular problem is so messy. I have better things to do. I’m not going to get involved in this.
Just move on. So, if we have the attitude of service, then, the attitude of service, Krishna will give us, how can I just move on? So, that way, we can be guided towards making the right choice. Is the answer clear?