What can we do to protect ourselves from ever sinking to the level of being strengthless and faithless?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
spiritualize our consciousness. But it is not necessary that it has to be this way or that way alone. Okay.
How does one get into that state of no faith and no strength? It’s basically, is that a subtle indication that I should end the class? So, it’s tough. Sometimes it’s karma by which our strengths are taken away from us. We have certain abilities, we may lose our wealth, people may turn against us.
But along with that, it could be our own, not just past karma, but it could be our present mistakes also. Sometimes when we get strength, we might just become so arrogant that we alienate everyone else. And then when our strengths go away, we have driven everyone else away already.
And we are just powerless and flameless at that time. So, that’s why when we are successful also we need to respect others. And the answer is Amanina Manadena.
When we are successful, it is very difficult to not become proud. But the easiest way to stay humble is by offering respect to others. Yes, I may be more successful than you, but you are also a part of Krishna.
You are also doing what you can. I respect you for that. So, if we respect and appreciate people, even when we are successful, even when we have strengths, when the strengths go away, the people will be there for us.
In today’s society, it is extremely isolated. At one level, it is because of the kind of jobs and structure that we have. The post-industrialized society basically ripped people out of their communities and took them far and wide across to work for earning.
And then now with Q and A, both members of the family may times working, the people whom their families would spend so much time together. So, it’s like people are not touched. Their social bonding is also not there.
And on top of that, our culture has also become very individualistic. At one level, economically, the social economy forces itself to pull us apart. And the ethos has also become very individualistic.
I am great. I will do it myself. So, because of all those factors, when difficulties come, when we see our strengths go away, nowadays more and more people in the study of sociology are talking about not only economic capital, but also social capital.
Social capital is the kind of connections you have with society. And if people don’t have enough social capital, then their quality of life goes down enormously. So, that’s also something we have to consider.
We have to maintain our strengths. If we alienate everyone else, thinking that everyone needs me, I don’t need anyone. When we look down upon them, then it will be a big problem.
Another thing could be that when we go through those difficulties, whenever we have some abilities, it is not just our ability. It is Krishna who is giving us those abilities. If we are grateful when ability manifests through us, then we can be graceful when ability doesn’t manifest through us.
It is not our ability. It is Krishna who manifests it. If I am grateful when ability manifests, then I don’t feel it’s the end of my life.
I don’t feel graceful. I had no strengths. It came through Krishna.
I don’t have no strengths, but still I have Krishna. So, it’s important that when we are in a situation of having material strengths, we conceive those strengths come from Krishna. I just wrote an Italian article today before I came here.
That’s why I got late. It’s like we are all birds on branches. Now, a bird doesn’t feel the branches may break.
Because branches will always have its strengths. But, if the bird’s wings are not developed, then if the branch falls, then it will crash. So, we are our wings, we are like birds, our wings are our attraction position, our illusion position.
So, right now, we are sheltered in the branches and we know to leave those branches. But, we can’t let these branches become our permanent shelter. We have to see these branches, whatever it is, may be our financial situation, our social situation, our health situation.
If it is good, we see that it’s a shelter for me and I need it. But, it is not for settling down comfortably into material. It is for preparing myself for spiritual growth.
So that, eventually, when the branch breaks, it will fly at least to the next branch. Then again to the next branch. Eventually, I will fly into the sky, to Krishna.
So, when we are in the situation of strength, at that time, we need to value people around us. And, we need to value Krishna. Then, we can protect ourselves.
We will talk one day. We will talk one-to-one. Don’t mind.
So, thank you very much.