How do we deal with the material-spiritual conflict in our heart?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, there are material and spiritual things in our mind. How do we deal with them? The process of bhakti is not just rejection of material but as I said again, connection of material with the spiritual.
So, in general often we classify as material and spiritual. But within material also there can be further classification. There are material things which are pro-devotional.
There are material things which are non-devotional. There are material things which are anti-devotional. So, material things which are pro-devotional means roughly we could say sattva guna.
There are many sattvic activities which can be connected with Krishna. Very easily connected with Krishna. Let’s say somebody has singing ability, musical ability, writing ability, speaking ability, managing ability.
These are various things. These are material things. But they can be connected with Krishna.
So, then they can be connected with Krishna, they are pro-devotional. So, we don’t have to necessarily reject everything material. The pro-devotional, we try to train ourselves so that we connect with Krishna more and more.
So, it’s good if we can get the association of those devotees who are also good at these things, who are interested in those very things. Then in that sangha, our whole spiritual life will blossom. Because, again if you see the whole principle of Varanashram is, the principle is that we do what we are good at doing for the cause of dharma.
Now, brahmana is good at intellectual work and a brahmana does that, he does intellectual work for the cause of dharma. Kshatriya is good at managing and delegating and planning and things like that. Brahmana does it for Krishna.
Sorry, Kshatriya does that for Krishna. So, there are many, even with the material that is pro-devotional, we connect with Krishna. Then there is non-devotional.
At one level we could say everything can be connected with Krishna. But from practical functional point of view, we may not be able to immediately connect everything with Krishna. For example, we have a job and in the job we are working with non-devotees.
Then there may not be anything directly devotional within it. So, yes, the purpose is devotional. We are doing that job because our whole life is devoted to Krishna, so our job is devoted to Krishna.
But specific activities within that may not necessarily be devotional. But non-devotional is not necessarily anti-devotional. Non-devotional means if we are working in a company or an office, wherever, then basically we are doing our profession over there.
Others are doing their profession. If we are good at it, we move forward in our life. So we don’t have to, it’s not that for the sake of bhakti, we have to reject that.
Whatever a devotee does, our intention will be doing it for Krishna. So if a devotee is doing a job, the devotee does a job well for Krishna’s sake. And the connection in that case is in the intention.
There is no direct connection. Now we see Maharaj Yudhishthira was a king and what did he do? He performed the Rajasuya Yajna wherein he glorified Krishna. So that was his ultimate intention to glorify Krishna by performing Rajasuya Yajna.
But he had to do so much effort for that. Sending his brothers all over the world to conquer the world was no easy task. But he did that, so his intention was devotional and ultimately that manifested.
So the point is that a devotee can bring a devotional intention even in non-devotional activities. And that way, non-devotional in the sense that they may not have any explicit visible devotional connection. But our intention can spiritualize them also.
And within the material, there are certain things which are anti-devotional. So for example, if there are people, there are colleagues who bring the four regular principles, there are parties where sinful activities happen, then we have to find an intelligent way by which we can avoid those activities. And according to time and circumstances, we can find out how best to do that.
So in general, if we maximize the pro-devotional and then we manage the non-devotional, then we don’t have to worry so much. So the most important thing is if our direct devotional connection with Krishna, our sadhana, our hearing, our seva, if they are strong, then we will be able to connect other things with Krishna also. So in our sadhana, we offer our heart to Krishna.
Once our heart is offered to Krishna, then whatever we are doing in the world, that also we offer to Krishna. Because our heart is offered to Krishna. But if our sadhana is not very strong, then our heart is not offered to Krishna.
Then our heart is attracted to Krishna. Then whatever we do, that is not offered to Krishna, that is offered to our own ego. And I want to prove how great I am.
So that means there are four different things. There are direct devotional activities which we try to do as seriously as possible to solidify our devotional connection. Then there are pro-devotional activities within the material activities.
By material I mean in which there is no direct visible devotional connection. The pro-devotional, we try to get a sangha in which we can use those activities in devotional service. The non-devotional, we do as much as is required.
So if it is required for our profession or whatever. And the anti-devotional, we skillfully avoid those activities. And that way we can move onwards to study the inner spiritual life.