If human will is strengthened by connection with divine will, how do nondevotees sometimes have great determination?
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Transcript
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Hare Krishna. If willpower is a function of our connection with the divine will, if when we are connected with Krishna, we get empowered and then our determination becomes strong, then how is it that non-devotees such as sportsmen and other professionals sometimes exhibit extraordinary willpower and determination? Answer, yes, willpower ultimately is a result of our connection with the divine, but willpower also transition in the material world or if we say determination, it is also a function of the modes we are in. Krishna talks about determination in the three modes leading point 3, 34, 35 and he says that determination in the mode of goodness is determination which perseveres in the pursuit of dharma for practicing yoga with unbreakable determination, whereas determination in the mode of passion is for so so when one wants karma and artha and for that purpose one does whatever activity one does that is determination in the mode of passion and when one is when one is caught in addictive behavioral patterns when one is obstinate about doing certain things that is determination in the mode of ignorance so essentially what Krishna says is there can be determination in different modes and there is Prabhupada that also in which he says that determination is a bodily function that means bodily function is just as different people have different muscle strengths genetically some people may have a strong muscle culture others may have weak muscle but whatever it is that can be strengthened by exercise similarly some of us may have weak determination some of us may have strong determination but it can be strengthened by practice so whatever determination we have if we use it then by that use determination will become stronger so ultimately what is determination? Determination is nothing but a fixed desire fixed strong form desire and the desire like just like Bilwamangal Thakur we see he had such a strong desire to be with that society woman that he was ready to risk his life not only did he risk his life he did not even notice that he was risking his life he just went he just went there across the river in a stormy night holding on to a corpse and then holding on to a snake to get into her house so what was this? This was determination and where did it come from? It came from a very strong desire so if a person has a very strong desire for something then that itself becomes determination and strong desire does not require connection with Krishna strong desire can come because of attachment we can say in the case as it was with Bilwamangal Thakur or it can we look at Dhruva now Dhruva’s determination led him to see the Lord but what was his determination? Initially it was it was that determination came from anger at being disrespected at being neglected at being at being derided so we could say that this sort of feeling angry at being dishonored isn’t it in the mode of passion? Yes it was in the mode of passion but the principle of bhakti is somehow the other mind fits the mind of Krishna and Dhruva’s passionate determination was directed towards a transcendental end by Narada Muni’s expertise and then the end was truly transcendental he got the Lord and then he lost his desire for the kingdom so similarly if we will see within the bhakti culture also there are different devotees who come from different backgrounds and sometimes devotees who have been achievers in material life who have good position in society and who have good education they have a culture of dedication culture of determination often they also become responsible and they are able to contribute successfully in devotional life also because they are carrying they had they had developed a habit of determination and they are carrying the determination in their spiritual life now we also see the other extreme that people who were addicts who were not having any any who didn’t seem to have a significant amount of determination in a positive sense of the word they also become transformed and they also become devoted and dedicated so that is the transformation potential Krishna consciousness so connection Krishna can make the bad people good and it can make the good people better so the transcendental connection which brings about determination that determination is the best determination because it increases our focus in Krishna determination comes from some other source it can also be dovetailed in bhakti but then the focus is split it is distributed between whatever has kindled the determination and Krishna whom we see more not as the goal of the determination but as a tool to fulfilling something else but still we are thinking about Krishna and that is good so when we see the extraordinary determination among non devotees we need to respect that they worked hard and that’s how they have achieved certain things they have had determination to work hard we can respect that at the same time we know that the same amount of work if it had been same amount of determination if it had been directed in devotional service the results would have been far better far greater so Bhaktivinoda Thakur he would say that I take inspiration from the materialists and how hard they work for their own worldly purposes and how much harder I should be working for Krishna who is my transcendental master so we can certainly take determination from the examples of extraordinary determination in material life and try to try to apply increase that determined spirit in our own lives Thank you