How to avoid boredom while hearing the same points being repeated in classes?

Transcript

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Question When we hear the Bhagavatam class, often it is the same point that is spoken again and again, and it tends to get boring. So, how can we go deep in our bhakti, in activities that seem repetitive, like hearing or even chanting? Answer In material life, the newness often comes from new actions. Let’s say people go to new places, they buy new gadgets, they even have new partners.
So, in material life often, newness comes from new experiences. Whereas in bhakti, the newness comes from new inner experiences. That means that when there is attraction to Krishna, we experience Him more and more.
And the same chanting of the holy names, the remembrance of the same Lord will awaken deeper awareness of His glories. And that’s how our experience will stay fresh. Now, this requires time.
First of all, in principle, we understand that Krishna is ever fresh. But in practice, that experience doesn’t come to us so easily. So, we have, in general, the activities that we do, we can classify into three categories.
Some activities which we love to do. That means we really relish them. It may be we like to give some devotees classes, or we like to recite verses, or we like to participate in kirtans, or whatever.
Some activities which we look forward to do, and they are the sources of our strength. And whatever happens, we need to have time to do these activities. First of all, we need to find which are those activities which I really love to do, and they give me strength.
And these, we need to make time for these. Then, there are some activities which we don’t mind doing. Okay, I can do it.
Nice. It’s okay. It’s not that I look forward to them.
But it’s not that I find them difficult to do. I’ll just do it. The third category is something which you find very difficult to do.
It seems like a boredom or a burden. So, in general, this is going to be our stage where there are some activities which we love, some activities which we don’t mind, and some activities which we find very difficult to manage. That’s just the nature of our conditioning.
And which activities fall in which category will vary from person to person, but this principle will apply to everyone. So, knowing that this is because of our conditioning, we have to check the activities in the third category, how important they are. If, say, some central elements of sadhana fall in this category, then, even then, we are not just able to force ourselves to do it constantly.
So, 2-3 things can be done. First is, we get strength from doing the activities which inspire us, which enliven us. And that strength we use for doing these activities.
So, if we don’t have strength from the we are not inspired from elsewhere, then we will not be able to do these activities for long. That is the first point. And second is that even in these activities which we find boring or burdensome, we can find out how best to make ourselves more aware of their depth.
So, for example, if the bhagavatam classes are repetitive, then we can try to see other devotees who seem to have taste for bhagavatam. And they like to hear. Then ask them, what interests them? And often, it is not necessary that our thoughts have to stay restricted only to what the speaker is speaking.
Because often, if we try to hear attentively, the speaker may be speaking or saying a familiar point. But that familiar point may awaken in us in some other thought, connected to some other similar past time or some other similar point. So, absorption does not have to depend on what the person is speaking alone.
What the person speaks can be a stimulating point which can trigger our thoughts. Of course, we don’t want our thoughts to be triggered in non-devotional directions. But in the Shastra, if we try to connect, suppose the mind is in A, you have heard this so many times.
Just turn it around. Okay, when did I hear it last? What was the context? And now, what is the context? Is the context similar? Is the context different? Is it the same point? Can this point be analysed in a different way at different times? Or is this point similar? This point is so familiar, okay. This same point, which other scripture it comes in? And in what context it comes? That means, rather than letting the mind make us indifferent, because of the familiarity of the point, we can counter-question, use our intelligence to counter-question, okay, what makes this point familiar? And is it in English, that Prabhupada, many times he quotes the same verse, but sometimes he quotes it in different contexts.
And then, the whole process of absorption is essentially a process of connection. So, when we say somebody gets absorbed, that means, whatever we are hearing, we are able to connect with many other things. And if we try to make ourselves intellectually active like this, to connect more, then when we have to do classes, wherever we have to, the points will all be ready for us.
So, we will otherwise find that, when we have to give classes, yes, the points are there, but it doesn’t come at the right time. So, we will be familiar. So, if we are supposed to give a class on a topic, we don’t know what to speak.
And then, somebody else gives a class on that topic, I could have also spoken this, I could have also spoken that, I could have also spoken this, but, I can get those thoughts at that time. So, there is familiarity, and there is connectedness. So, rather than just saying, I know this, okay, let me put it in a framework.
This example is used in this context for this point. In this context, it can be used for this point. That means, every time we hear a familiar point, try to establish some new connections of that point with other points.
In general, for our subsequent recollection utilization, the more a point is connected with other points, the more we will be able to recollect it easily. Because there will be multiple channels of going to that point. If we just hear a point and it’s not connected anywhere, then it will be very difficult to recollect it and use it when we need it.
So, you can yourself find out which strategies work for you, but the familiarity can be used as a tool for greater absorption, not as a tool for indifference. Or you could turn around, okay, this is a good point, you know. When I am giving a class, I can also speak this point.
Or this point, this point is not so logical. Maybe some other example also given this can be, we are not criticizing that speaker, but we are just thinking about how I could use this point. If I were to speak this point in the class, would I speak it in the same way? Or would I need to modify it in some way? So, in general, if we have been for several years in the movement, then most of the points which we hear are mainly familiar.
The only way, at least, unless we get very purified and develop direct taste for Krishna, one of the few ways in which we will be able to sustain our attention is by shifting our role from that of a student to a potential teacher. Not that we place ourselves in competition or superior to the speaker, but we understand. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission was that, yada dekho talika ho Krishna ho, whoever we meet, speak to us, speak about Krishna.
He wants us to become teachers also. So, we start thinking about these points, how can I use, if I have to speak. And that will make the class much more intellectually stimulating.
Otherwise, the class sometimes becomes intellectually deadened. It feels passive. I have to go as a ritual, hear the class, same points I have heard again and again.
But, when you are hearing a class, if you really want to seriously absorb ourselves, what you could do is, before you go over the class, read the Bhagavatam verse. And think, if you had to speak on this, how would you speak? And you may not be giving classes now, you may be giving classes now, but I don’t know. But you will surely give classes in future.
And you also have to, we all will have to speak more and more in future. So, if you think, okay, I would have spoken this way. And this, you would be speaking this way.
You will learn more about the subject. Oh, this subject could be spoken this way also. And you will say, oh this devotee, this devotee hears more, reads more Chaitanya Chaitanya, that’s why he is speaking Chaitanya Chaitanya faster.
No, I study more Bhagavad Gita, so I would have spoken from Bhagavad Gita. So, you can learn that way, more about the speaker also, more about the subject also, and more about specific topics. So, these are just two suggestions I gave.
One is, question the familiar point as, so that it becomes more connected. And try to shift your role from a student to that of a potential teacher. And that way the absorption can increase much more.
Thank you.