How can we know that we are subconsciously justifying our anger?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So if sometimes we get angry, it’s because we’re thinking that anger is power.
But that is what we’re thinking subconsciously. We don’t realize it. So if we have certain subconscious conceptions, how do we even realize that we have those conceptions? Yeah.
Generally, if we are in good association, if we are an association of people who are self-aware, who understand how the mind works, and in good association, when we have inspiration to act right, and then the mind starts acting wrong, we catch it at that time. Ah, this is the mind speaking. So generally that inner awareness comes by associating with people who are internally aware.
So basically what happens, whenever we interact with people, normally we look at them through the filter of our mind. If somebody suddenly comes and starts speaking very sweetly with me, my mind starts thinking, this person must want something from me. What do they want? Why are they speaking so sweetly? So now, it may be true, it may not be true.
It can be also true. The point is that whenever we see anyone, we usually see them through the filter of our mind. But, there has to be some people in our life, at least one person, one or two people, like our spiritual guides, whom we trust so well, that we don’t see them through our mind, rather we see our mind through them.
That means, my mind is saying, this is wonderful, but they are saying, this is not good. Now, it’s not that we will immediately accept what they are saying. That may be difficult.
But at least, we don’t dismiss. Sometimes, you know, if someone we don’t trust, and that person says, you know, you should not do this, this is bad for you. We will think, you know, you are just being envious.
I have got such an opportunity and you are envying me. We will immediately attack that person for correcting us. But, if we have trust in someone, this person is not a bad person.
This person actually is my well-wisher. So then, when we hear them, okay, my mind is saying like this, is saying like this. Now, who is right? I try to evaluate.
So basically, we need association of people who understand our mind and who help us to understand our mind. What do I mean by understand our mind, help us to understand our mind? You see, Bhaktivinoda Thakur says, that we need not just association, we need like-minded association. So, you see, somebody is very intellectual, very analytical, and then that person has complicated philosophical questions.
Somebody who is not analytical, you go and ask them that question, why are you so jnani kind of, why do you have to think so much? Just chant Hare Krishna and be happy. Just practice bhakti, just worship the deities, just do this. Now, that may work for them, that doesn’t work for you.
So, what happens is, if we go and ask complicated questions to someone who doesn’t have those complicated questions, now they will not answer our questions, they will question our questions. Why are you getting these questions? Something is wrong with you. It’s not that something is wrong with us, it’s just that we think differently.
So, we need somebody who understands how our mind works. So, if I am an intellectual, then I need an association of somebody who is also analytically intellectual and they are also spiritually advanced. Then when I get a question, then when I ask them, they won’t judge me for asking that question.
They will understand my question and they will also provide an answer. And this applies in various fields. So, we all have our own particular interests, particular inspirations, particular focuses in bhakti or in life in general.
So, basically, in that association, we can start understanding. Oh, the mind is working this way. Okay, my mind is thinking like this.
So, basically, when we are made self-aware by the association of those who are self-aware in a way in which we need to be self-aware also. Then, okay, like some devotees when they give very introspective classes, some people just get bored. What is all this going on? They just want to have some pastimes of Krishna, have some action, have some drama.
What is this going on? Some people just get bored. Other people just connect. Oh, yeah, this really makes sense.
So, in Krishna’s, by Krishna’s mercy, there are different kinds of devotees who have different strengths. So, we need to find out what is my need. And we have to seek out that need.
Seek out the ways in which that need can be fulfilled. So, when we do that, then the way in which the mind acts, in our particular case, that we can catch. Oh, okay, when I did that, sometimes we ask, why did I do that? Sometimes we just say, you’re a fool, that’s why you did that.
You’re attached, that’s why you did that. You’re conditioned, that’s why you did that. Okay, that’s true.
But, okay, my attachment, my conditioning, my falling, how did it work at that point? There was something I thought. Say, I decided I’m not going to over-eat and I ended up over-eating. So, at that particular time, when I was about to over-eat, what happened exactly? Maybe the mind said, you know, just one more will not make a difference.
Or the mind said that, you know, oh, you’ve dieted for so long, now you deserve a break. Or the mind said, actually, you know, this is not very fatty, this is not going to disturb me. Or the mind said, what is the need for dieting? It doesn’t matter.
I’m here to enjoy life. So, whatever, the mind gave some reason at that time. So, when we catch that reason, then we can counter that reason.
So, dieting is a simple example, but whatever it is, in our particular life, in our particular thing. So, whatever the reason the mind gives at that time to befool us, we need to counter that reason. And we need to have that counter ready.
It’s like, if I go in a war, the enemy attacks. Say, wait a minute, my weapons are in my tent. Let me go and get those weapons, then I’ll fight with you.
The enemy is not going to wait. The enemy will slaughter us at that time. So, like that, we have a lot of philosophy there in the books.
But when the mind attacks us, we just fall for it. So, what we need is, we need weapons in our hand. So, the specific ways in which our mind deludes us, we observe that, and we have counters ready for that.
Then, when we do that, then we’ll be able to resist those rationalizations. Of course, by the power of bhakti, those rationalizations can also disappear gradually. But till that happens, we may need to find out the specific misconceptions with which the mind deludes us, and prepare specific counters for those misconceptions.