How can we strengthen our faith in Krishna amidst difficulties?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
We need to have faith in Krishna. So how can we strengthen our faith in him? Rupa Goswami gives the fundamental directive, ये न के न प्रकार ये न मनन प्रिष्ण निवेश्मत.
Somehow or the other fix the mind of Krishna. Somehow or the other means that each of us is an individual. And based on our individual psychophysical nature, there are certain things in Krishna Bhakti that will attract us.
And whatever it is about Krishna that attracts us, we dwell on that. And through that, we experience Krishna. And first of all, there is an intellectual faith.
Means, we may have questions about why was Krishna unfair to Karna? That may be tomorrow, I mean, tomorrow we have a class on Karna elaborately. I’ll be talking about that. Or you may have a question, why did Krishna dance in Ras Deela? So there are those sort of questions which we have to get philosophical answers by asking the right people.
Once those are dealt with, then after that, Rupa Goswami, in fact, in the Bhagavad Gita says that it is Shraddha itself that transforms into Ishtha and Ishtha itself transforms into Prem. So, faith is like a prelude to love. So, we first have faith in Him.
Yes, Krishna is God. And He is all attractive. I didn’t get the flower for you.
I’m asking an adverse circumstance. Sorry? An adverse circumstance. Okay, okay.
Specific question, yeah. So, if we are facing difficulties in our life, at that time, how do we maintain our faith in Krishna? There are three different aspects to this. First is, at a philosophical level, we need to know that the nature of this world is that it is a place of misery.
So, Krishna says this world is dukkha me ma shashvatam. So, now, this might seem a very discouraging thing. I’m already facing problems and you are informing me this world is a place of practice.
Where is the solace in that? But there is an important point here. Krishna says that so, scripture gives us one teaching that this world is a place of misery. But the same scripture also talks about great happiness.
Vajendana Mahaprabhu says that anantam budhi varbhanam there is an ocean of happiness. And that also says it’s expanding. Pratipadam bodham itha swadhanam.
So, every moment we can relish it. So, that means that when we face troubles in life at that time rather than seeing that as a cause for doubting Krishna we can take that same observation, same experience and turn it around. Scripture gives primary two teachings.
One is that this world is a place of misery. The second is in the shelter of Krishna we can transcend misery by experiencing higher happiness. So, in this by experiencing the problem that I am experiencing I have experienced the truth of the first teaching of Krishna.
Now let me try to experience the truth of the second teaching. The first teaching is this world is a place of misery. I am experiencing that to be true.
The second teaching of Krishna is by remembering me, by absorbing yourself in me you can go beyond misery. So, Krishna is not saying that misery will go away. Krishna says we can go beyond misery.
By becoming conscious of me we will pass over obstacles by my goodness. Krishna says the obstacles will be there but we will pass over them. So, first point is that the same fact that there is misery it can damage our faith or it can deepen our faith also.
Is it right? Considering that the first part of scripture is true let me try out let me see if I can experience the second part of scripture also as true. Second part of scripture that is Krishna’s shelter can help me to transcend misery. Now, second point is that when we face problems life determines our problems but we determine their size.
We determine their size means that the more we dwell on a problem the more it saps our energy and the less is left our capacity to deal with the problem. So, yes, the problem is there. Suppose I lose my job I face a loss in a relationship my health goes down I am diagnosed with some terrible disease otherwise problems can come.
That is a serious problem. It needs to be dealt with definitely. But if we become problem conscious then that problem starts dominating our consciousness and then we lose whatever ability we have to even deal with that problem.
So, at the very least ok, the problem is there I have to deal with it. But I don’t have to think of the problem 24 hours a day. The problem with the problem is that it glues to our mind.
Now, if somebody has insulted me ok, that person may have insulted me 30 seconds but that memory glues to my mind for 30 years. How dare that person speak like this about me. So, problems have a sort of inbuilt adhesiveness to our mind.
And that’s why those problems they become bigger than they need to be. So, again with respect to Krishna Bhakti if we have practiced Krishna consciousness regularly then we can turn our mind towards Krishna. And if the problem doesn’t go away but the problem doesn’t have to cast a bigger darkness in our consciousness, then it needs to go.
If we turn towards Krishna and we have to force our mind to fix on Krishna at least during that time we experience solace from the problem. Yes, the problem is there. It’s not gone away but we can experience relief during that time.
So, yes, there are different levels of perceiving Krishna’s mercy. The advanced devotees may see even the problem is Krishna’s mercy. Now, we can’t do that.
Trying to see the problem as Krishna’s mercy will be an exercise in futility. It’s just impossible. But at the very least we can see the problem is there but Krishna’s mercy can help me cope with the problem.
I write mostly English poems. Once I wrote a Hindi poem. आये संकट तो हुआ साक्षात का बिना भक्ति के कैसा करता इने पार.
So, when dangers came, I got the realization how would I have endured these problems without bhakti, without Krishna’s shelter. So, yes, the second level is the problem is there and we have to do relief from the problem. But rather than letting the problem dominate our consciousness, we still try to take shelter of Krishna to ensure that the problem doesn’t sap our mental energy.
And even in the midst of problems, if we think about Krishna, we will get strength. We will get clarity. We will get a certain level of calmness.
And then we will become more empowered to deal with the problem. So, no matter what problem comes in this world, Krishna is still ready to give us shelter. No matter what problem comes, everybody in life may desert us.
But the super soul will never desert us even if there is a ball from our heart. Krishna will always be there for us. And if we seek his shelter, we can still experience the shelter.
So, that is also one level we can maintain our faith. So, first is in the validity of scriptural teaching. Second is in the reality of the shelter of Krishna at all times.
Even amidst problems. The third level is that Krishna is an expert in transforming adversities into opportunities. We may not be expert, but Krishna is an expert.
So much so that even if a devotee commits a mistake, Krishna can transform that mistake also into a positive thing. How is that? There are many stories. Many of us know the story of the Pandavas when they were in the forest.
Durvasa Muni came and Duryodhana had arranged that Durvasa come after the Pandavas magic plate, the Akshaya Patra, had already become exhausted. So, the Pandavas had no way they could feed Durvasa and his thousands, his many multitudes of disciples. They were in great anxiety.
And at that time, they didn’t know what to do. So, Draupadi, a devotee, said, intelligence means to know what to do when you don’t know what to do. What to do? How do you know that? So, when you don’t know what to do, remember Krishna.
Pray to Krishna. So, we may not have a solution to a problem, but at least the problem doesn’t become a bigger problem because we don’t know what to do with it. So, what did Draupadi do? By her devotional, reflex action, she prayed to Krishna.
Now, interestingly, praying to Krishna made the problem worse. Why? Because when Krishna came, Krishna said, I am very hungry, give me food. And now, Draupadi’s agony is one thing to not be able to serve a venerable sage who has come to her house.
It’s quite another to not be able to serve her beloved lord. And she said, Krishna, you didn’t even know what to speak. Krishna, I ask you for relief because we don’t have any food.
We are not able to feed the sages. How can I feed you? So, then Krishna said, just go and check the Akshay Math. Now, she went and she saw there was a monster of food over there.
Now, the thrust of the story is usually that Krishna just ate the monster of food and not only was he satisfied, all the sages became satisfied. But, this is an important point over here, that how did that monster of food come over there? Now, normally, any housewife will keep her utensils very clean. And Akshay Patra is there.
It’s not an ordinary utensil. Somebody has a burnt utensil. They use a burnt plate for certain special occasions.
Nobody will let you put utensils on a burnt plate again. So, how did Draupadi, whether she cleaned it or her maidservants cleaned it, but she would have overseen it. How did that monster remain over there? So, whatever the cause, Krishna used that seeming mistake for his own good.
So, Krishna is an expert, not only in transforming adversities that come of their own accord, but even adversities that come because of our own mistakes. Krishna can transform human youths. So, what we need to do is persevere in the process of bhakti.
When a woman youth is slaughtered on the 13th day of the war, Kurukshetra war, at that time, Yudhishthira is devastated. Especially because Dronacharya had arranged a Chakravyu whose primary object was to capture Yudhishthira. And because no one else knew how to connect with Yudhishthira, Yudhishthira sent Abhimanyu.
And the Pandavas’ plan was that they would follow Abhimanyu. But Jaidrath blocked it. And then Abhimanyu was trapped and he was killed.
So, Yudhishthira felt himself responsible, felt himself to be blamed not only because he was a king, not only because Abhimanyu was just a teenage boy, but also because he had specifically sent Abhimanyu into the Chakravyu. So, Abhimanyu, Yudhishthira was such a virtuous person and he can scarcely imagine the amount of guilt he must have felt at that time. No, I caused the death of my Abhimanyu.
He was so distraught that he just charged into the Kaurava army. He said, I will take revenge against Abhimanyu’s death or I will die myself. At that time, he was just charging like that.
At that time, Vyasadev came over there. And even at that time, Yudhishthira was cultured enough. He immediately got off his chariot and he offered his obeisances.
And he was in tears. And he told Vyasadev, what is happening? Abhimanyu has been killed. So, then Vyasadev gave him philosophical instructions.
Elaborate instructions. I won’t go into all of it. But one important point he said is he said, the inscrutable will of the Lord is surely for the good of all living beings.
He is saying two things over here. First is, the will of the Lord is inscrutable. We cannot know why certain things happen in certain ways.
But it is surely for the good of all living beings. Krishna is benevolent. He is always wanting the good of everyone.
One problem in the practice of Krishna Bhakti is that we half-trust Krishna. What do you mean by half-trust Krishna? That means I have this problem and Krishna, you have the strength to solve this problem. I don’t have the strength.
Just like if some thief is attacking, then a person may go to a policeman. Oh, protect me. Or you may have a bodyguard.
Protect me. So, we don’t consider the bodyguard to be very intelligent. But he is strong.
So, like that, when we often go to Krishna, we take my intelligence and your strength. So, this is the problem. This is the solution.
Krishna, make sure you subscribe. But, having faith in Krishna means having faith not only in his strength but also in his intelligence. Krishna is wiser than us and he knows better than us how to solve our problems.
So, often when we expect or demand a solution in a particular way, then when that doesn’t come, our faith weakens. But full faith in Krishna means not just that Krishna can solve the problem, but also the faith that Krishna knows how best to solve the problem. So, that brings us to the next part of what Vyasadev says to Yudhishthira.
First he says that the inscrutable will of the Lord is surely for the good of all living beings. Next thing he says is if you do his will, then you will understand this in due course of time. That means if you do his will, then how everything was for the good, you will understand it in due course of time.
So, we may not have a solution to our problem and even bhakti may not still be solving our problem. But no matter what the situation is, we can at a very basic level understand Krishna’s will. What is that? Krishna’s will? We seek shelter of him.
We clear our intelligence. We clear our mind and take one step ahead. So, faith does not necessarily have to mean that I will believe in Krishna throughout my life.
It doesn’t mean that because I have faith, my whole journey of life, it will be all well lighted and clear. Faith means just take one step ahead right now. Just take one step ahead.
And then one step ahead. And then one step ahead. So, if you do his will, then you will understand it in due course of time.
That means, for leadership movement, what is Krishna’s will? Continue. Continue fighting for the cause of good. So, for all of us, there can be huge problems, but we can just keep taking one step forward, one step forward, one step forward.
And in due course of time, we will find out how things do work out for us. So, in this way, by first understanding that problems can increase our faith in Krishna, in scripture because they demonstrate the truth of one of the teachings of scripture. And we can push forward to verify the second teaching.
Secondly, even amidst problems, we don’t need to let them become bigger than what they have. We can take shelter of Krishna and get strength to face the problem. And thirdly, by knowing that Krishna always desires the good and Krishna knows best how to bring about the good, we can just keep taking one step forward, one step forward.
And that way, we will be able to not only preserve, but strengthen our faith even amidst problems. Thank you.