If senior devotees chanting for many years still have conditionings does that mean conditionings are stronger than the holy name?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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If the holy name is so powerful, why can’t it change people’s hearts? Even if they have some conditioning, some other thoughts, can’t the holy name change that, melt, cover? Are the conditions stronger in the holy name? Not exactly.
Actually, Krishna has arranged things in such a way that he has given all of us freedom. And no matter whatever happens, Krishna doesn’t transgress our freedom. So, when we say conditioning, conditioning means two things.
One, at one level it means that we are habituated to certain things. For example, somebody is conditioned to watch TV. That means if they are doing nothing, immediately their hand will go to the TV and they start watching TV.
That’s the conditioning. So, to some extent, conditioning is involuntary. It just happens without thinking.
But at the same time, there is an exercise of free will over there. I can decide, I will not just go and sit in front of the TV. I have some free will, and after some time, if I just am not careful at that time, I just get caught in that.
So, it impulses. And initially, if you check the impulse, it’s possible. Like a snowball on top of a hill, when it is small, you can just kick it and it will break apart.
But when a snowball comes down the mountain, comes down the hill, it becomes so big, it will knock a person down. So, like that, whatever our conditioning is, when the initial desire, initial temptation comes, at that time it’s irresistible. But it goes down very fast.
And once it goes down, becomes big, it becomes almost irresistible. So, the point which I am making is that there is the exercise of free will over there. And even Krishna, despite his omnipotence, doesn’t interfere with our free will.
So, if a person doesn’t want to change, if a person doesn’t want to redirect their love from the world to Krishna, if a person doesn’t want to give up a particular thing, then even the holy name will not help. Not because the holy name doesn’t have the power, but because Krishna doesn’t interfere with the system of not infringing on people’s free will. Now, the point, the power of the holy name is such that if somebody wants to change, then the capacity for change is much faster with the holy name than without the holy name.
It’s like, say, if I have to lift a 40 kg weight, it’s difficult. But if I have a lever, and then I apply pressure at the right point of the lever, even with a little exertion of pressure, little power, I can lift the 40 kg weight. Still, I have to apply the power.
So, without applying the power, the lever can’t lift the weight. But the amount of power I need to apply is much lesser. The holy name is like that lever.
So, the holy name can change us. So, if we say, lifting the weight of our conditioning, changing our conditionings, if you consider that to be lifting that weight, if we had to do it ourselves, it would be very difficult. With the holy name also, it is difficult.
Some amount of exertion is required. But relatively speaking, it’s much lesser. So, if somebody wants to change, then the holy name will make the process of change far less painful and much, much easier.
At the same time, they have to want to change. They have to endeavor to change. And if they don’t want that, then even the holy name will not interfere.
So, the power of the holy name has to be… the power of the holy name has to be accessed by a willing heart. If the heart is not willing, then the power of the holy name will also not work. Not because the holy name is not powerful, but because Krishna has done Krishna’s free will, which Krishna doesn’t interfere with.
So, it is not that the conditionings are more powerful than the holy name. It is rather Krishna has arranged that He gives a scope for our free will. And He doesn’t take away that free will.
So, if I want to fight my conditionings, Krishna is with me to fight. Help me fight them. But if I don’t want that, I may verbally say that I want to fight it.
But internally, I still believe this is what is going to make me happy. So, that’s why I am not really fighting wholeheartedly. Then, what happens is,