How the modes control and how association frees, Bhagavatam 2.10.41, Chowpatty, Mumbai
Transcript
This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Thank you. How much are they controllable? Are we completely controlled by them? Can we control them to some extent? And then what role does association play in that? In helping us go beyond the modes that influence us.
The modes are a concept that is talked about primarily in the Sankhya school of thought. And we could take three metaphors to understand the modes and each of them talks about different aspects of the modes. So, Krishna says in 714 that Maya is made up of the modes.
So we could say the modes are like colors. If you are watching a TV screen, then everything that comes on a TV screen or movie screen is just made of three color pixels. But it is a very sophisticated illusion that comes up.
So, when we talk of the mode as colors, they are basically like the building blocks of material existence. And when we talk of them as building blocks of material existence, they can’t be changed. They are what they are.
So this feature of modes is external to us. Like we say a particular place is in a particular mode. Like a forest may be in the mode of goodness, a bar may be in the mode of ignorance.
So this is a feature of the world. So the modes at one level are the building blocks of existence. And in that sense, like if colors for some TV, the TV screen or TV image is built of three color pixels.
That’s one aspect of the modes. Now another way to understand the modes is that the modes, if we consider colors, normally speaking, if we see a TV screen illusion, it’s primarily related with our Gyan Indriyas. We are taking it.
We are seeing, we are hearing. But it’s not that we do anything in relationship with the TV screen. So it’s OK.
We just passively responding. Of course, we may get excited, we may get alarmed. But if we get alarmed, that doesn’t affect anybody on the TV screen, actually.
So for us, we interact with the world. If the soul is here and we could say the subtle body, the mind is here, the body is here. This is the conditioned soul.
So our interaction is three level. It is through the Gyan Indriyas, the knowledge acquiring senses. It is also through the Karma Indriyas.
We act on the world. So the modes, you could say, in another sense, are like forks on a road. That means it’s when I’m going on a particular road.
If the road is constructed, there’s a left, there’s a right and there is a straight. Then I have to choose among the three options. Now, I cannot suddenly go to the air.
If there is no northeast, I cannot go in the northeast. So it’s this aspect of the modes is like predefined set of choices. So this is how do we respond when the modes act upon us.
And the modes act on our Gyan Indriyas, they act also on our Karma Indriyas. So the three modes, they provide us a set of options. Now this is slightly different from the common.
Now, in both of these cases, if we consider like a TV or a video game. In a TV, we are just watching. In a video game, we are also playing.
So we consider a video game example over here. In a video game, the player has to choose, but the player’s choices are set between a particular range of options. So that’s all that the video game, where we have a set of choices that we can make.
But the video game exists out there, I am here, I can choose to play it, I can choose not to play it. But the modes don’t just exist out there presenting us illusions. The modes, the most common metaphor is ropes.
They don’t just exist out there, they pull us. They pull us in particular directions. And at the ropes, many verses, 14.5 in Krishna introduces the modes.
They bind us, they pull us in particular directions. So this is, this is where there is a certain amount of impelling comes in. It’s like in the first two options, okay, we are going along the road.
There’s a shop and outside the shop, there are a set of sweets being displayed or a set of wares being displayed. It’s up to us to go in there or not. But imagine if in that shop, there is somebody with a lasso and they throw the lasso in, zup, pull us inside.
So the modes have this third element also. They are like ropes which pull us in particular directions. And that’s why our bondage, Krishna says, we are all bound.
But our bonds, they are not like a prisoner’s shackles. Now when a prisoner is shackled, the prisoner gets tied to one particular place and the prisoner can’t move. So our bonds are more like a puppeteer’s strings.
The puppeteer is making the puppet move and the puppet may be moving very fast also. But the puppet is not in control. So the bonds are like this for us.
So the modes are like ropes which make us dance. So when Rajoguna takes us over, we act in a particular way. When Tamoguna takes us over, we act in a particular way.
So now among these three, the first and the second, these will continue to exist. The tree of material existence is imperishable. So these two aspects of the modes are never going to change.
Now we can say society can change and in some society, the modes of Tamoguna may be more. In some society, the modes of Sattvaguna might be more. That’s possible.
But overall, these three modes are going to exist and the corresponding options are going to exist. But the third option, so the starting question was one and two, these are uncontrollable for us. Largely speaking.
But the third is what is controllable. And that’s why in that same Urdhva Moola Madhaya Shakham, it is said that Asanga Shastrena Drudhena Chittva Asanga, it’s like with the sword, with the weapon, with the axe of detachment that cut off this tree. So we don’t and Chakravartipada explains in commentary that we can’t actually break, cut off the tree itself.
We can cut off our bondage to the tree. We are bound to the tree. Now this word Asanga Asanga Shastrena Drudhena Chittva in 15.4 it comes.
It is very strikingly related with the 13.2 Purushaha Prakrti Sthohi Bhoomte Prakrti Jan Gunan Karanam Gunasangosya So Gunasanga and Ga that it is Gunasanga which binds and it is Asanga which will freeze. So it is to the extent we are attached to the extent we have the desire to enjoy. Bhoomte Prakrti Jan Gunan to that extent we get bound.
So now the modes, so in that sense these three features if you talk about what they are doing is the modes influences externally in terms of providing us options and the mode influences internally in terms of pushing us towards certain options. Now then do we really have free will? And how much is the range of our free will? So basically when we say the modes push us internally how do they push us internally? It is that they impel desires inside us. So basically if a person is passing by a bar and that person is an alcoholic it is possible that the person may not drink but it is highly unlikely because the bar exists out there and inside the influence of Rajoguna Tamoguna is there and that will push that person.
So in one sense the modes are like a very sophisticated prison wherein from outside there are forces that allure us and from inside there are forces that allure us. So what is the way out? Now there are many aspects to it but the key is that what do the modes do? They do many things but we can say one focus is they influence our desires. They trigger certain desires within us and if the modes are triggering desires within us how can we have an alternative desire? So the modes are outside the modes are inside can we have a desire is it even conceivably possible to have a desire different from what the modes are pulling us modes are prompting us towards if not then there is no hope for us to be liberated so the key thing over here is that it is very rare that a person is influenced only by one mode entirely all the time that a person may prominently be in Tamoguna but even a Tamasic mood person may have some Rajasic times, sometimes may even have some movements of Sattva.
So that’s why the three modes Krishna says that they are in a competition Rajastamaya, Sattvam Rajastamaya, no Rajastamashyabhibhuyasattvambhavatibharata so there is competition among the modes itself. So what happens is and therein lies our opportunity it’s like you know when Shivaji Maharaj was trying to build the Indwiswaraj India had been ruled by multiple Islamic rulers at different times so there were fights among various Islamic rulers only and Shivaji Maharaj used that opportunity you know he attacked one Muslim ruler then the next one, the next one and finally most of his life he had to fight Aurangzeb who was the prominent ruler over there. So for us the modes are fighting with each other and sometimes within the fight among the modes an opening comes for us so Madhuri Kadambani what is the origin of Bhakti? Is it Punya? Just Punya doesn’t lead to Bhakti but Punya if a person is pious that is more likely to make a person go to places where there will be devotees where a person is more likely to get the influence of Bhakti.
So basically we could say our desires, this is the last part I am going to talk about. How does association affect us and how does it open the doors to go beyond the modes so normally we think of desires as linear. Linear means that I am here, some sense object is here.
So I look at the sense object and I get the desire for that object. So if we see something, hey that’s a gulab jamun, I want to eat it that’s a pakoda, I want to pakoda ne mujhe pakad liya hai so the idea is that we normally our desires are linear and that is true but fortunately for us all our desires are not necessarily linear. Our desires are also triangular triangular means that I am a person here and this is another person.
So by seeing the object I may not get the desire but by seeing someone else interacting with that object, maybe enjoying that object I may get that desire. I think I may have given you this example. When I first went to Australia a devotee had invited me to their home for prasad and then they said for dessert we have got baklava so how many of you know what is a baklava? A few of you.
So anyway to the Indian ear at least to my Maharashtrian ear baklava doesn’t sound very sweet so I said maybe later. There is another devotee who had come with me and he said I would like to have and he took the baklava and he was closing his eyes and relishing it. When I saw him I said can I also have one? There is no linear desire but there was a triangular desire.
That’s why companies spend so much on endorsements. Now generally for Rajasic objects often the linear desires come up because they look visibly attractive but for Sattvic objects the linear desires may not come up Not many people just pass by a gym and think oh I want to start exercising. But if they see someone coming from the gym, a friend, looking very healthy looking very fit, maybe I should also start doing some exercising Not many people see a Bhagavad Gita and even if they get a Bhagavad Gita, I want to read it People take Bhagavad Gita as it is and keep it as it is But if they meet someone who is filled with insight and joy and excitement about studying the Bhagavad Gita What is there in this? I want to know more about it.
And that’s how they become attracted. So for us desire for Krishna it will primarily be awakened through association to somehow within the fold of the modes we are under the control of the modes, it’s not that suddenly we can come out of the modes but somehow while we are within the control of the modes, if somehow we can get to associate with the devotee and in that association the devotee injects a spiritual desire within us then that is what Moksha Dwaram Apavritam that is what opens the doors to liberation So now that is where the expertise of a devotee is if we consider Sattva, Rajas, Tamas to be different lanes in the pathway of the world so now different people a person may be going on Sattva, a person may be going on Rajas a person may be going on Tamas. So ideally if we consider a devotee, especially an exalted devotee is transcendental.
But the devotee extends themselves to manifest the presence in all the modes. Prabhupada went to America, there America at that time was considered degraded by traditional Indian people but the hippies were considered degraded even by Americans. But Prabhupada went there and Prabhupada made himself available over there.
Now the hippies were not all Tamas seekers, just be careful to understand this that many of them were spiritual seekers but they had been misled into believing that drugs will take us high that will make us spiritual high. So Prabhupada came in their pathway and he elevated them. So Jagannatha Swami Nayanapathagami Bhavat Tume So our Nayanapath, our eyes will go where they go according to the modes.
The modes that are influencing us internally, the modes that are present in the world outside. But if we have if we are somehow fortunate Brahmanda Brahmite Kona Bhagyavan Ji then Guru Krishna Prasade Paye Bhakti Lata Bij So on whatever path we are going because of the modes, somehow there is an interaction with the devotee. And if that happens, say somebody wants to succeed in life, I want to be famous, I want to be wealthy, I want to be powerful, I want to be successful material.
Now we may say such a person has no spiritual desire but if that person meets a devotee and that devotee is giving wisdom, may be just sattvic wisdom about how to be successful in life but with some spiritual connection that will trigger somebody might be starving and their only thought is food but if they come across somebody distributing food for life they have no interest in Krishna, their despair is only I am hungry, I need some food but they come across so that is compassion so in one sense we are all going on the path determined by the modes but if somehow we encounter devotees, association over there that that association can trigger spiritual desire within us and those who accept that spiritual desire and conclude with the last point Prabhupada says what is required for someone to come to Krishna consciousness? Prabhupada says one needs to be fortunate he says in the lecture of instruction and intelligent so fortunate means to get the opportunity that ok, many people live and die without even coming to know that there is a higher purpose to life, there is a better way to live to get the opportunity is fortune to take the opportunity is intelligence, now we cannot force people to become intelligent, if people don’t have the opportunity then we should see that that is my problem if people don’t take the opportunity that is their problem we can’t do anything about that, so although the modes are influencing increasingly in today’s world but even within the influence of the modes more and more people are exploring and somehow in their explorations they can encounter Krishna and especially encounter Krishna in a way that triggers some spiritual desire within them then their spiritual journey can begin and that is what Srila Prabhupada did in the most extraordinary of situations and that is what we all can try to do according to our capacities so I will summarize what I discussed I talked about the modes and how association can free us from the modes so I talked about three parts, what are the modes so we talked about three metaphors the first was the modes are like colors in a TV screen or they are like menu options in a video game so these are in one sense beyond our control but then the third is that they are also like ropes, they pull us so their control can either increase or the control can decrease, so that is up to us and within that the second point I discussed was that the modes as far as the externals how much can we change it to some extent we can, we can try to rearrange society have social reform by which modes of passion, ignorance, their manifestation less prominent but that is not much in our control but the internal influence that we can change to some extent and that is where within there is a competition among the modes there is a fight among the modes and in their competition there is an opening for us so while maybe sattva is manifesting at that time we cross the path with the devotee and then what happens to devotee association is our desires which are normally linear externally I see an object, internally the desire comes up and I get trapped but the desires can also be triangular and it is association that can give us the fortune that wherever we may be in the mode we get an opportunity to have some spiritual desire injected in our consciousness and if we are intelligent enough to take that opportunity then we can be freed from, we can gradually take the journey to become freed from the modes. Thank you very much Hare Krishna Is there any quick question? See the competition between the modes, say for example somebody is a student in college now among students there is a tug of war in their heart now one is I want to be an enjoyer the other is I want to be an achiever now I want to enjoy means I want to go to parties, I want to drink I want to have fun, I want to be an achiever I want to become famous, I want to become wealthy, I want to get a big job now neither of these may be spiritual they want to achieve also so that they want to enjoy later if I come first in class if I get a good job then I will get a more attractive partner so that achievement may also be for enjoyment but still you can say just wanting to enjoy in the moment that is tamasic not worrying about anything else but achieving that is also not spiritual at all and it may not be much sattvic also because the achievement is also for material enjoyment only but still I want to do well in this exam so I am not going to go for any parties so there is a competition between rajas and tamas over there and while from a spiritual perspective rajas and tamas can be equated or they are both considered something which you have to transcend but Bhaktivinoda Thakur says that we should not equate the two from a material perspective from a material perspective rajas can actually be an antidote for tamas which is like a poison from a material perspective especially after I started travelling abroad I meet Americans and many of them have such troubled childhood I mean their parents were on drugs and things like that not all Americans are like that they are conservative parents who take care of their children very well but most conservatives never come to our movement it is mostly liberals who come to our movement in the west so they have had very difficult childhood so an Indian parent may not be interested in spirituality themselves may not be interested in the child’s spirituality but if their child is sick they will move heaven and earth to have their child treated a tamasic parent is so stoned on drugs that they don’t even know that their child exists and the child has to fend for themselves so from this life’s perspective rajasic and tamasic parenting is a universe of difference so there is in that way a competition between the modes also somebody is an alcoholic and they have a family the urge to drink is there but he says no I have to take care of my family, I have to take care of my children although I want to drink, no, that person has a sense of responsibility even material responsibility that rajoguna if it can triumph over tamoguna then it helps so in the Scandinavian countries that’s what they did one of the ways they found addiction is when somebody is a drug addict they put them in jail for using drugs they said that nobody wants to employ somebody who is a drug junkie but the government said that we will if you employ somebody who has a record of using drugs we will pay half their salary so now what happened is even from material perspective somebody just gets a sense of meaning in life, I can hold a job I can do something worthwhile with my life then maybe I can have a relationship, I can have a family, all those things come afterwards people even if they don’t have paramartha they need some artha in their life, artha is not just money it’s some meaning in life, so once people get a sense ok I can do something of value then many people are able to fight off addiction not everybody, sometimes it’s very vicious but my point is rajas can also help somebody to fight against tamas so sometimes rajas rises in the person only tamas rises in the person sometimes generally by 35-40-45 many people have what they call a midlife crisis or midlife reflection now I mean chasing material things is this really meaningful for me, do I want something more in my life so that’s, in rajas some sattva is coming what is really of value, what matters in life they may still not be interested in Krishna but they are still thinking what is meaningful in life so like that there is a competition between the modes so thank you very much