​How do we determine when to treat life like a program and when like a manual?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, sometimes there is a tendency to go either towards the manual and give people freedom in terms of Deshpala Partham or sometimes go towards the program, let’s do this thing. So how do we balance? In general, in the initial years of one’s life when one becomes a devotee it is best to follow the program.
That means one recognizes, basically that desire to go closer towards Krishna. It is not just something which automatically comes in the heart. It may come in the heart but it has to preserve.
Krishna says in 12.9 that असचित्तं समाधातं निष्विणो सिमईस्थिरम् अभ्यास योगेन तो मामिच्छातु लनजय He says even the desire for him that will come by Abhyasa Yoga. So even the desire to go closer towards Krishna that requires practice and that practice Krishna is talking about here is Sadhana Bhakti. So certainly the rules of Sadhana Bhakti are very important to practice so that there is basically coming to Sattva Kuna.
Ramapada writes in the introduction of Nectar of Instruction that once one comes to the mode of goodness then how to advance further will be revealed from within. So initially when the mode of goodness is less at that time our own decisions can be very can be self-deceptive. So it is best initially to recognize that this is a program and follow the program by which we at least come to the mode of goodness.
At least in some part of our life even if not throughout our life. We have the capacity for calm reflection and then afterwards we will ourselves learn. We have senior devotees whom we consult.
We observe ourselves and based on our own observation of ourselves based on observation of others we learn that okay this is the best way I can function or this is the best way someone else can function and there is always the tendency in the human mind to exaggerate thoughts. That means whenever there is an adjustment according to time, place, circumstance eventually there are alarmists. People who are always sounding an alarm.
They say oh if you start adjusting then the luck will remain. If you start adjusting everything will be lost. But that’s not necessary.
That adjusting a few things doesn’t mean changing everything. On the other hand sticking to certain things doesn’t necessarily mean giving no room for initiative. So this is not something which can be determined as a matter of policy.
It’s a matter of according to each individual situation they will decide how best they can practice and there is always the senior guidance of the seniors which is important. But broadly rather than worrying too much about whether I am just letting myself go through a program without thinking or whether I am just overthinking. To not think at all, to think too much.
Both can be problems. So the fact is that we do whatever little thinking we can and the focus is on we keep serving. Prabhupada translated bhakti as devotional service.
So devotional service means devotion is the adjective service is the noun. Devotion is the qualification. We want to serve in a devotional way but even if we can’t serve in a devotional way still we keep serving and as we keep serving gradually the mood of devotion comes and things become clearer.
So the important thing is somehow or other stay connected with Krishna, keep serving Krishna and over time by our own self observation, by others guidance and most importantly by our purification so that we come to goodness, we start learning how best we can serve. Any comments you would like to add?