How do we balance between endeavor for bodily maintenance and dependence on Krishna?
Transcript
Disclaimer: This transcript was generated using AI and may contain occasional errors or inaccuracies.
So, the question is that, at one level we say that we have to take care of our body. Because we cannot just wish our way out. At another level we also say that we should be dependent on Vishnu.
And dependence is perfectly glorified in the Bhakti literature. So how do we balance between our endeavour and our dependence on Vishnu? So, if we look at surrender, there are six items of surrender to talk about. Now interestingly among these, the first two are actions.
And the remaining four are emotions or their dispositions. अन्भूल्यस्त्संतर्तो पतिकुटे से वर्जिन। They are actually very dynamic. The normal stereotype of surrender is hands up, surrender.
The stereotype is passive. I did not study the wrong stereotype. Raghupati did not raise his hand in surrender.
But Arjuna also surrendered by shooting arrows. So, surrender has this action component and the disposition or the emotion component. Now if you look at the disposition component, that is not the only aspect of surrender.
It is the feeling that I am dependent on Krishna. I have this thought of Krishna. Krishna will protect me.
Krishna is my lord. Krishna is my lord. Now these are moods or emotions or dispositions which we don't have much control over.
They will come as our relationship with Krishna evolves. So, we can't just sort of… There are two aspects in our bhakti. We should… Should we feel our way? We should not try to feel our way to actions.
We should act our way to feelings. Feel our way to actions means we want to begin with feelings. And then we do actions.
Like Prabhupada said, Prabhupada doesn't feel like offering obeisances to me. So, Prabhupada said, offer obeisances and then start to connect. So, rather than trying to feel our way to actions, we act our way to feelings.
So, in general, for us, to feel the dependence on Krishna is not very easy. So, if we can feel dependent, that's wonderful. But when we don't feel dependent, what do we do at that time? So, the consistent thing that we can do is act.
We can always act our way to those feelings. So, that means, even I surrender to Krishna, the primary thing would be, I will put this tantra for the Kundalini. So, we decide what is favorable and reject that.
And we decide what is favorable and accept that. And whatever is unfavorable, we reject that. Now, while doing this, the devotees' individual nature and situation will play a significant role.
That means, say some devotees, they may, by their responsibility, think that, okay, it's a small health problem, why go to much trouble, why go to much trouble, let me just alter it. And that is something which is acceptable. How do you want to get rid of it? Gurus respond.
How do you get rid of it? Let me find out what I should do. And the devotee does that. So, this can be left to the individual devotee.
I have seen that some devotees, it's clear that this body is like that only, and ultimately it cannot be cured completely. So, don't bother too much about it. Only when the body goes too much near Vicky Ramu, then they will pay attention to it.
Now, that may not be the best way to act, but that is the way they feel. There is no need to mandate something like this. And overall, the point is that the devotee should be able to connect with Krishna.
That connection should be to some extent authentic. It should not be just, what shall we say, fake or artificial. So, that means, as long as the devotee is feeling connected with Krishna, whether it is through services or whether it is through the prayerful disposal or whatever.
So, that is perfectly okay. And when can we know if somebody is going too much towards endeavor, too much towards dependence? So, too much towards dependence will be when there are certain things which a devotee can and should do, but the devotee is not doing. I will give you an extreme example that I have come to our situation.
Suppose the devotee says, I want to come to the temple, and therefore I want to take a house close to the temple. But the house close to the temple is really expensive. So, I will take a big loan.
I will take a house. I will take a big loan. I will take a house.
And that repayment loan will require 20 years. But how will I repay the loan? Oh, I depend on Krishna. Now, depending on Krishna doesn't mean depending on Krishna to make some miraculous arrangement for us.
Depending on Krishna means also using our intelligence to evaluate our capacities. So, for example, similarly, if I have a disease and say, if I have some, if I have a history of polymystic malaria and I start getting cold shoes, then I will depend on Krishna only. I know, if you have it, if there is a danger of a lab, then take, be proactive, take action immediately.
So, when there are known, when it's known that a certain course of action is likely to lead to problems, at that time if one chooses passivity in the name of dependence, then that passivity is likely to be irresponsible. And that is Raveli Pratikundi. On the other hand, if one knows that, okay, sometimes I get ulcer, if I just get little more rest, if I observe my diet properly, ulcer goes away.
Then every time I get ulcer, I don't have blood sugar. So, then, if I am doing that, then maybe I should have too much of energy. So, if there are, if say, at least we know certain situations where the problems are not going to become too much and by our endeavor, we can solve them, if we do some things, then actually at that time we can make an endeavor.
Or if we feel that the problems are not going to be solved, then we can do something. Prabhupada was asked sometimes a lot of questions, I don't remember, like they have passed time now. Prabhupada said that, you are watching me do this, try and understand, Krishna consciousness means use your common sense.
Use your common sense. So, sometimes we think, so much of the transcendental, but we forget to use our common sense. And sometimes I think that basically, that from a practical point of view, there is no need to get too parallelistic.
So we just understand that there is a philosophical point that we want to depend on Krishna. But dependence on Krishna is not just passive. So there is an actual component to that.
Then we can use our competencies and we can arrive at better decisions. Whatever we can. So thank you very much.