Understanding God’s role in our life
[Talk at Sacramento, USA]
Video:
Transcript
This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
thank you very much I spoke on the topic of understanding God’s role in our life so the Bhagavad Gita begins with Krishna apparently being a non-combatant so the biggest war in the Mahabharata is about to happen and Krishna as God is nothing similarly people think what does God do in life He doesn’t seem to do anything, I have to do things people have to do things God seems to be non-entity this was Duryodhana’s vision and I talked about how when we try to progress without having God in our life, then that simply increases the height from which we fall and that we see today happening through the area of technology and psychology technologically we have got far more control than what even royalty had a few hundred years ago and despite having technological comforts we are having psychological distresses we are comfortably miserable and that’s because technology doesn’t just provide a facility to control things, technology creates the mentality that I am the controller and when that mentality confronts the reality that we are not the controllers we just can’t bear it so depression, inferiority complex anxiety, suicidal tendencies, all these come because we just can’t accept that I am not able to control things and then some people try to control things simply by positive thinking, just visualize whatever you want, you will get it positive thinking is good but it is not a substitute for realistic thinking, if by positive thinking we stay in denial of reality then we only increase our problems like a person having drunk thinking that I can still drive a car or I can perform brain surgery so technology and psychology today both give us the promise that we can become the controllers that we can become God and that only increases our illusion increases the height from which we fall so the increased psychological distress that people are facing, that is indicative of the height from which we are falling we get the notion I am the controller then we fall down when we are unable to control then I concluded and then I talked about how the Bhagavad Gita tells Arjuna was demoralized but by hearing the Gita Arjuna became again rejuvenated so how did that happen? the Bhagavad Gita gives two understandings to Arjuna that no matter how many things go wrong in life, you are indestructible and even when things go wrong in life Krishna is in control and he can bring good out of the bad and that way by these two understandings our own indestructibility and God’s infallibility God’s benevolence we can stay persevering in a mood of service Duryodhana tried to be a controller and he was crushed. Temporarily when he heard Krishna’s glories he felt peaceful but because his attachment was so strong spiritual knowledge did not become like a light turned on in his life, it was a lightning temporarily on.
He got close once again. And lastly by harmonizing with Krishna recognizing people, everybody needs a satisfying object of thought people want entertainment because I just want something satisfying to think about. So Krishna is supremely satisfying object of thought.
You can just learn to fix the mind on Krishna stop worrying about fixing everything around us. Just fix the mind on Krishna. We will get inner calm we will get inner clarity and that inner calm and clarity will help us to deal with our external situations and by continuing the mood of service to Krishna no matter what happens in our life, we will be able to find that Krishna brings good even out of the bad when we are brought down to nothing Krishna is up to something what is up to? We will learn if we stay firm in our attitude of serving him.
Thank you very much Hare Krishna Are there any questions or comments?