What cricket can teach you about life – Hindi

[Prerana youth festival talk at ISKCON, Nigdi, India]

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Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
I welcome you all to today’s program. I came from America a month ago, I was there for two months, when the cricket world cup was about to start in the UK. So in America, there are a lot of Indians who are very fond of cricket.
But when I give some programs, many times when we come from India, we take the example of cricket. But when Americans hear cricket, they first think of an insect. Cricket is the name of an insect.
So they don’t think of cricket as a game. They think of cricket as an insect. But even there, sports are very popular.
Baseball is very popular there. Basketball is very popular there. And there is American rugby too.
There are many universities. Students take admission in that university so that they can go to the basketball team of that university. Or they can go to the baseball team of that university.
And many universities give scholarships for sports. So sports are very popular all over the world. And in different countries, different sports can be popular.
But now we will see that we are all so attracted to sports. So what is the reason for that? How many of you watch cricket matches? Or at least listen to cricket matches? If you don’t want to listen, then it’s not possible. If we are not interested, then who is going to talk to us? As I told you, I was introduced to cricket for a long time.
At first, everyone was interested in cricket. Then when I became a Brahmachari, I was not interested in cricket. But once I gave a lecture in Mumbai about cricket.
And after that, I got a lot of good answers. After that, there was another Brahmachari, who was also a publicist. He came to meet me and he was praising cricket.
But the answer to that question was like hitting a sixer on a googly. So then I started thinking that cricket has become so famous in our country that one Brahmachari is praising another Brahmachari for example of cricket. So in reality, we all are very interested in cricket or any other sport.
So what do you think? Why are people so interested in cricket? Why are you so interested in cricket? Why do you watch cricket matches? Many powers are used in cricket. Yes, nowadays, T20 is a power. Who can hit the ball so powerfully? Who can bowl? Who can bat? Anything else? Constantly? There is a lot of uncertainty.
So what happens with that? It gives you thrill. It gives you thrill. It gives you excitement.
It gives you excitement. For example, we say that we want to have fun. And it gives us excitement.
That is why if there are two teams, one team is very good and the other team is useless, then it is not fun to watch the match. Why? Because we want something new. So basically, we all watch sports for fun.
And why do we watch it for fun? Because our real life is not that fun. Real life is boring for a long time. In America, there was a social research.
They looked at people’s mental states. What are their emotions? They found out that people who are in good health, in good financial conditions, they are happy for 5% of the time. They are sad for 5% of the time.
And they are bored for 90% of the time. Everyone is bored sometimes. And when you are bored, you get relief.
Now, we can do different things for that. One popular activity is sports. In India, it is cricket.
Now, entertainment has been in our culture since ancient times. But the entertainment in today’s society has become very extreme. If today, after 1000 years, there is an archaeologist, who is studying the culture of today’s century, he will see what is it, what is the most important thing of this century.
If you see, in ancient times, people used to make pots, wood, etc. So, in today’s society, there is one thing, which we make a lot, and we spend a lot of money for it. And that is, movies.
We spend crores of rupees on each movie. And why are we making it? Because of entertainment. People need entertainment so much, that we are spending crores of rupees on it.
But people watch cricket only for entertainment. Along with that, what happens? In India, we have a unity with India. We have a nationality.
I was in Australia, when the cricket world cup started. The team of Australia, until a few years ago, the Australian people were very laid back. Laid back means, they live a comfortable life.
But, their Australian cricket team is not like that. They do sledging, they are very aggressive. So, in the Australian team, there are different superstitions of different players.
There is superstition. There was a big batsman of the Australian cricket team. Whenever he went to bat, before going to bat, he used to go to the restrooms of the pavilion.
Do you know what a restroom is? I had been to Canada, I had attended an Indian school there. I had a lecture there. He had come from a small village.
He had come from Canada. I told him, I want to go to the restroom. He looked at me, there is enough room to rest here.
He said, restroom? What does it mean? He thought, you need a room to rest. You can rest here. He didn’t understand.
But, the restroom, before going to bat, he used to go to the restroom. He used to close the lid of the commode. And, if he had to go to bat, he used to go to the restrooms of the pavilion.
And, if the lid of the commode was open, he used to scold his teammates. Why did you keep it open? That’s why I came out. Now, if the lid of the commode was open, does it have anything to do with his outrage? But, why is he behaving like this? I will give you an example from Australia.
The team from Australia, 10-15 years ago, was a very tough team. The players were very rough and tough, aggressive. The captain used to keep a handkerchief in his pocket.
And, half inside and half outside. And, he was a very good fielder. But, sometimes, he used to drop the catch.
So, first, he used to look at the ball, then he used to look at the handkerchief. The handkerchief had fallen. How did he drop the catch? So, what is this? Actually, this is not superstition.
On one hand, it is superstition. But, there is a reason behind it. What is it? In all our lives, whatever we do, some things are under our control.
And, some things are not under our control. So, in sports, performance matters. But, performance is not all.
No matter how well you play, if it rains like today, then, you will not be able to play well. I was in Australia. I have a friend in London.
He is a devotee. He had a friend, who was not a devotee. He had come from India.
He had come from India. He had come before the India-Pakistan match. To watch the match.
But, what happened was, it was raining. So, many matches, 2-3 matches, were wiped out. Because of the rain.
And, at that time, for the India-Pakistan match, the ticket that was purchased, was worth 2000 pounds. 2000 pounds means, about 2 lakh rupees. For one match, he purchased the ticket worth 2 lakh rupees.
And, what happened was, it was the policy of the ICC, that, if a match was wiped out, then, they would return the money for the ticket. If not a single ball was bowled, then, they would not return the money. But, but, if not a single ball was bowled, then, they would return all the money.
But, the person who purchased the ticket, would be given the same amount of money. But, he purchased the ticket in black. So, he was not going to get anything.
So, this, my friend’s friend, his devotee, called him and said, you are a devotee, so, pray to your God, that it does not rain. So, the meaning of this is, that, even in sports, even in sports, even if the players have to practice well, have to perform well, performance matters, but, performance is not all that matters. Beyond performance, there is something, which is very important.
And, what is that? That, in a way, that is, whatever that is, different players, in different ways, try to balance it. They try to balance it. So, someone tries to close the lid of a cupboard, someone keeps a kerchief.
There is a batsman, when he comes to the pavilion, when he comes to the field, first of all, when he comes to the boundary line, his right foot is in front, his left foot is not in front. Someone comes, first of all, before coming to the pitch, before coming to the pitch, look up towards the sun. After 11, it is 2. So, different people, in different ways, which are unknown, which are uncontrollable, which we do not know, which we do not control, they try to control it.
So, in a way, what we see in sports, that is actually done in our life too. That, is life like a game? Yes, it is. That life is like a cricket game.
What is it? In our life too, some things are under our control, and some things are not under our control. So, what is it that is not under our control? Now, the cricketers may not know exactly what it is. But, that other thing which is not under our control, how can I control it? If I cannot control it, then how can I at least satisfy it? Through which, whatever is my wish, my work should be done according to that.
My work should not be controlled. So, when we are living our life, then in our life, some things are under our control, and some things are not under our control. And, sometimes it happens that we try our best, but still, if something beyond our capacity, beyond our power, comes up, because of which, we do not get any pleasure, then we should accept it.
Your batsmen have tried their best, they have prepared, they are in a good form, but if it rains, then they cannot do anything. So, if we see, nowadays, many people have depression. There can be many reasons for depression, but one reason is that whatever is not happening according to our will, we are not able to accept it.
Why did he do this? Why did he not give me so many marks? Why did I do this? Why did I not get the result? So, some things are not under our control. Bhagavad Gita tells us, that whatever is not under your control, sometimes you will get the result, sometimes you will not get the result. Those who are good sports players, not only they can play good sports, but they know that no matter how good I play, sometimes I will win, sometimes I will lose.
Even after that, they keep playing. It is natural that if you win, you will be happy, if you lose, you will be sad. But after that, you move forward.
Those who are good sports players, they know that the game is bigger than winning or losing the game. Playing cricket is more important than losing. You want to win, but no one wants to lose.
But playing cricket is more important. Even if you lose today, you can win tomorrow. In the same way, in our life, this will happen, and that will happen.
We have to understand that sometimes beyond my capacity, there will be situations because of which I will not be able to enjoy. And if that happens, then I don’t want to be discouraged. I want to keep moving forward.
So, four things from today’s cricket, we can learn four things and discuss them. The first thing is that even in cricket, even in cricket, beyond our efforts, there are some things that produce results. So, we have to accept that.
In the same way, we have to accept that sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. So, from these four points, after each point, we will take a little break, we will take a little pause and answer some questions and then move forward. Does anyone have any questions so far? There are two types of people in the world.
Some people are wise and some are otherwise. So, when sports players play, sometimes what happens is some sports players are very impulsive. What does impulsive mean? Right now, your team is doing well, but they can win every single run.
But what happens then? I will show the world how I can hit a six. And they hit a six first and get out. So, this is called play for the team, not for the gallery.
But, We are all impulsive. So, even in cricket, cricket is a game, but even in a game, if you want to play, what do you need? You need impulse control. Let’s take an example shot.
You have to see what the situation is. So, in that too, if I take this shot, it will be so good. Everyone will applaud.
But, if I play one by one, how can we win without any risk? So, is it important to hit a six or is it important to win? Which is more important? Winning is more important. So, this is short-term and long-term. Which I can get immediately or I can get it gradually.
And this difference, is that in reality, for any player, it is very important. Because, one thing is talent and the other is temperament. Talent means talent, talent.
So, someone has a lot of talent, he can bat very well. But, in any field, the glory he gets is not just because of talent. We can call it an equation.
Talent plus temperament leads to achievement. If we want to achieve something, it is not just because of talent. For that, what do we need? Temperament.
Temperament means to take rest, to think and work well. If there is no temperament, there is talent. Sometimes, one or two achievements, but he does not achieve much.
Such people are called wasted talent. A person who had a lot of talent, but could not achieve much. And in every country, in every country, if we look at history, there are many cricket players, who were very talented.
And when they were 15-16 years old, it felt like they would become world-famous cricketers. But, when they are 20-25 years old, then they become wasted. So, now, how much talent we all have, we cannot change that.
If we have got some talent from our childhood, we can increase it a little. But, we cannot change that talent a lot. What is there, is there.
But, what can we change? What can we improve? We can improve our temperament. If someone has a lot of talent, then he looks ambitious. But, there are many players, who do not have a lot of talent, but they have a very good temperament.
They think and work well. And when they play like this, when they look like this, then they will not be able to do a great thing. But, they will be able to do a responsible thing.
So, those who have talent, they can do great things. Everyone likes to do great things. But, not everyone has that talent, to do great things.
But, everyone can do responsible things. And there are many players, who will play very well in one match, and will not be able to play in the next 15 matches. And then, all the teams, all the spectators, all the fans, want to know, when to play, when to play, when to play.
But, if they do not have impulse control, then they look in a good form. One shot like a fool, and everyone is finished. So, we all, we all want to achieve something.
So, there was a player, who was the god of Indian cricket. Who was he? Dendulkar, yes. So, when Dendulkar, when he was playing cricket at the college level or club level, or when he was playing for Maharashtra Ranji Trophy, there was another cricketer.
They both played a partnership of around 600-700 runs. They both were going to become big stars. Does anyone know his name? Yes, Vinod Kamble.
He became a Christian afterwards, I think. I felt that both of them will take Indian cricket by storm. In future, both of them will become very good batsmen So, what happened? Vinod Kamble also played for India for some time.
But, he was not able to shine as much as he was talented. Both of them were talented. Some people said that Kamble was more talented than Dendulkar.
But, what was it? His temperament. If someone is temperamental, his talent does not work. Many times, in our life, we see that he has a lot of talent.
Sometimes, when we are studying, some students remember it after reading it once or twice. Some students have to read it 5-6 times and still they do not remember it. Now, if someone does not have this talent, he has it.
And, if we keep saying that he has a lot of talent, but I do not have it. We cannot change that. And, many times, we go for talent, whether I have it or not.
And, from that, we think whether our life is successful or not. But, we cannot change our talent. But, talent does not make an achievement.
Temperament does. What does temperament mean? How much we are patient, how much we work with calmness. I have a friend in Mumbai.
He is a cricket coach. Many times, he is a talent scout. Who is a good player? Who plays well? He is a talent scout.
But, in reality, we do not scout talent. We scout talent and temperament. We see how much temperament he has.
And, the temperament that he has, we can develop that. And, how can we develop our temperament? When we understand that the more spiritual knowledge we have, the more we can increase our temperament. Because, what is it? Spiritual knowledge tells us that life is very big.
Meaning, there can be two weaknesses. Life is like a 100-meter athletic sprint. You run 100 meters.
A whistle is blown. In 2-3 seconds, everything is over. In 5-10 seconds.
And, suppose there is a 10-mile marathon. Then, how is our life? Is it a sprint or a marathon? It is a marathon. What is it? When you think that your life is like a sprint, if this happens, your life will be like this.
And, if this does not happen, then your whole life will be wasted. It is not like that. If this does not happen, then it is fine.
You do not have to be so excited. The peace with which we work, the temperament we have, we can develop that. And, our life is very big.
And, in the spiritual world, when a person meditates, chants, or does spiritual knowledge, the less or more the talent, the better the temperament. And, little talent with good temperament can achieve more than a lot of talent with little temperament. That is why, all of us can improve our temperament.
And, as long as we can do this, we can move forward This is the second point. Does anyone have any question? Whenever a cricket match is played by a good team and they lose, what do people say? He has fixed the match. Now, match fixing, when it happens, if someone comes to know that the match has been fixed, then people get very angry.
What does match fixing mean? That, whenever someone plays a sport, what happens in that? There are some rules. And, when he goes beyond the rules, if someone deliberately bowls such a ball, if someone deliberately throws such a ball, then what happens? He is not playing the way he should be playing. Then, he does not enjoy the game.
To enjoy the game, everyone has to play according to the rules. If someone does not play according to the rules, then what happens? He does not enjoy the game. Suppose, there is a batsman and he is bowling.
Now, the bowler is bowling and the batsman is hitting the ball. Now, the bowler gets angry. The bowler comes to the pitch and does not stop here.
He comes running, pushes the batsman aside and throws the stump. This does not work here. Here, the batsman is batting, he hits the ball, and the ball goes up.
Now, the batsman is catching the catch and he picks up his bat and hits the ball. Then, what happens? If the batsman, bowler and fielder do not follow the rules, then they do not enjoy the sport. So, actually, rules make the sport enjoyable.
Normally, we say that we do not need rules. Why should we follow the rules? But the rules make the sport enjoyable. An interesting study has been done by Udhyanik.
How is it? Now, animals also play some games. There are small rats. Now, we say that in the jungle, might is right.
What does might is right mean? The one who is powerful, he will rule. But, it is not always like that. Suppose, there are two rats, and they are playing.
What do they play? Suppose, they are playing wrestling. What is wrestling? It means, they fall on each other and try to crush each other. So, the rats also play.
Suppose, one rat is bigger than the other. Now, if 15-20 people play, if they are big, then, The bigger one will win easily. But, if the bigger rat wins, then, after that, when they play, then, the smaller rat will not be invited to play.
And, if the bigger rat wins again and again, then, the smaller rat says, I will not play. So, if the bigger rat is bigger, then, it can win easily. According to Vagyar, while playing, 20-30% of the time, the bigger rat loses.
Why does it lose? Because, it has to keep playing. It has to keep winning. Winning is not important.
It wants to keep playing. So, if the bigger rat wins, when the smaller rat is bigger, then, in 2-3 years, the smaller rat socializes. What does it mean? It means, it understands how to socialize with other children.
When the smaller rat is a baby, then, the baby is always right. What does it mean? If the baby cries at midnight, then, the mother says, there is no time to cry at midnight, so, be quiet. Don’t say like that.
If the baby starts crying, then, get up. I am hungry. So, if the bigger rat cries, then, I am hungry.
Go to sleep. So, when the baby is very small, then, he is always right. Because, in reality, he doesn’t understand anything.
In a way, the hunger, thirst, he starts crying. But, the bigger rat socializes. What does socializing mean? It means, socializing means how to behave with others.
Understand this. Now, you all are sitting here. You all have a lot of faith that the person sitting next to you will not suddenly turn and slap you.
Now, it is possible that he can slap you. Right? But, you all are so socialized that you won’t do such a thing. I hope so.
So, here, what does socializing mean? In a way, how to behave in a society, how not to behave in a society, understand this. So, this can be different in different places. But, in every society, we have to be socialized.
Now, when the rats are playing, what happens? A small rat will come to play again and again. But, the small rat will not play. That is why, there is an unspoken rule that even though I can always win, but I will not win.
Because, I will win again and again, but I will not play. There are small kids, who want to win. But, if they play like a grandfather, if they put a lot of effort, if they injure each other, then what happens later? The other kids say, I don’t want to play like this.
And, the kids, who don’t want to play, become lonely. And, in 4-5 years, if those kids don’t become socialized, then, when they are 15-16 years old, they will become juvenile delinquents. That means, they will start doing wrong things.
They will start doing drugs, they will start committing sins. And, they are reasonable predictors. Why was I giving this example? I was doing this because, when we are playing, in everything, there are some rules to work properly.
And, the one who follows those rules, he has to show you sensitivity in following those rules. A bowler has to bowl from here. If he steps forward, he becomes a no-ball.
He says, there is a ball. The ball has gone there. Still, it is a no-ball.
So, following the rules is very important. And, the rules give us a framework. They give us a structure in which we can show our talent.
If there are no rules, then what happens? The one who can play more, the one who can show more, he will put up his bat. But, if this happens, there is no fun in it. So, in the same way, in our life, many people say, we don’t have any rules.
We can do as we wish. But, in Shastra, there is a rule that you should not do this. And, this rule is not to keep us away from happiness.
Actually, the rule gives us but does not trouble us later. Bhagavad Gita says, यत्तदग्रे अम्रृतोपमः परिरामेशिवा कब ही सुख दे रहे हैं अभी अम्रृत जैसे लगते हैं पर बाद में यह जो है जहर के समान मिले है तो ऐसे जीवों से भले ही अच्छा है चाहे कि आप दूर रहो यह दूर रहना जो है यह नियम है, वास्तम है उसके द्वारा विक्ति अच्छी परहाँ से सक्रियर है सकता है मैं भी कुछ सामय पर न्यूजिलन्ड में था तो मैं तभी मैं जो लेक्सर पढ़ा था कि वो था था I quote some statistics कैसे आजकल के समाज में सारे वच्चणाए जो है वो गिर रही है तो क्या है? Divorce rates बढ़ रहे है वो लोग शादी नहीं करते हैं वहाँ तो अभी शादी नहीं करते हैं तो फिर परिवार साथ में नहीं होता है तो जो बच्चे होते हैं बच्चों को कोई पालं करने वाला नहीं होता है और तो जो होता है ऐसे पूरा जेनरीशन जो अमेरिका में 1934 यह लोग है पर 1936 के लिए ज़्यादा हो गया है उसको बोलते है सेक्श्वल रेवलिशन नहीं का सेक्श्वल रेवलिशन मतलब क्या है कि लोग बिना किसी नियम से किसी का भी कभी भी संकरेंगे और तभी उनका ऐसे भाव था कि इससे जो पहले हमको धर्मने नियंत्रित किया था हमको संकुछित करेता है हमसे सब छुटकारा पाके हम भोग करेगे, आजाधी प्राप करेगे सुख प्राप करेगे पर जो 1960 के जन्रेशन है जो पीड़ी है उसको अगर हम 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 में अगर देखते हैं तो क्या हो रहा है? वही लोग ऐसे हैं सबसे अगर depressed हैं, सबसे अगर लोगी है और उस अभी इसका दुनिया में लोग परिवार बना के परिवार, चंटान उपने के आगे तो सदियों से बढ़ा रहे हैं पर यह 1960 के जन्रेशन के जो बच्चे है उन में भी उन में भी criminality, drug addiction यहाँ सब बहुत जादा है तो क्या होता है? जब लोग नियमों का पालन नहीं करते हैं तो उससे जीवन में भी जो आनन्द प्राप्ट करना है वह आनन्दा प्राप्ट नहीं कर सकते है तो क्या है? It is rules that provide a framework for the pursuit of happiness जो नियम होते हैं हमें ऐसे रखना देते है जिसमें हम सुक्ष की खोज कर सकते हैं क्रिकेट में अगर नियम ही नहीं है तो फिर क्रिकेट में कोई अच्छा बैट्समा है, अच्छा बॉलर निखाया कैसे? सब नियम के साथ मैं नियम के साथ बॉल कर रहा हूँ, वो ऐसे बॉल कर रहा है पर वो इतना अच्छा बॉल नहीं करता है या मैं उससे अच्छा बॉल नहीं कर रहा हूँ So we need rules as a framework for our life अगर नियम नहीं हैं तो फिर क्या होता है? हाँ हम खुद को फ़सा देते हैं, फ़स जाते हैं नियम नहीं है तो हमारे जीवन को एक रचना नहीं है और अगर रचना नहीं है तो फिर हम इतने सारे परियाएं सामने आ जाते हैं उसे फ़स जाते हैं हमें मुझे आस्थिल्या में था अगर दुर्भाग्य है, तो तीन बहरे में एक केस हो जाएगा और बहुत परियाएं होती है पर क्या है वो? तो भी डौक्टर क्या करते हैं? अभी ये विर्मान देखते है अगर अम्मी थोड़े चर्दी खासी हो गये ये थोड़ा दौ अगर मुझे मुखार हो गये, मुझे भीमारी हो गये तो कोई भीमारी होती है, डौक्टर हो जाता है जब वो डौक्टर हो जाता है तो डौक्टर क्या करते है? देखो, तुमको तुमको तुमको खासी है तुमको सर्वी है, तुमको मुखार है तुमको कम्जोरी है अब ये चार लक्षिन जब होते है तो इसका मतलब ये भीमारी हो सकती है ये भीमारी हो सकती है, ये भीमारी हो सकती है, ये भीमारी हो सकती है ये भीमारी हो सकती है तो इसके लिए ये द्वाई ले सकते हैं ये द्वाई ले सकते हैं, ये द्वाई ले सकते हैं ये द्वाई ले सकते हैं ये द्वाई होगी, तो इसके लिए ये द्वाई ले सकते हैं इसका ये परिणाम है ये द्वाई ले सकते हैं, ये द्वाई ले सकते हैं ये द्वाई ले सकते हैं, ये द्वाई ले सकते हैं जब गवर चुनते हैं, तो उसका बोजा हम पर हैं तो इसलिए, जब नियम होते हैं हमारे जीवन में, तो कभी तो उससे लग सकता है कि मेरे, मेरे option कम हो रहे हैं नियम मतलब ऐसे ही कारे करना है पर फिर वो option के अंदा है जब नियम होते हैं, तो हमें क्या होता है हमें ज़्यादा बोजा नहीं होता है तो क्रिकेट जीवन खेलते हैं क्रिकेट खेलने के लिए, जीवन खेलने के लिए हम सबको rules बहुत ज़रूरी है इतना हम rules का पालन करते हैं उत्ता, भले हमारे options विस्टिक हो जाएगे पर उसमें, उस मार्ग में options के अंदर, हम हमारा expertise, हमारा excellence दिखा सकते हैं तो यह तीसरा point है rules are necessary in sports and every walk of life इसका सवाल है इसके कोई अगर हम यह नहीं पालन करें घर में यह हमारे factory में कुछ भी नहीं कर पाए मान लिए ज़िये ज़िये ज़िये कोई traffic का rules पालन नहीं करें तो क्या होगा भारतिया traffic होगा कई लोग अच्छे थे मैं कभी January में हम America से लगो 25-30 लोगों ले गया थे जो बिल्कुल कोई इंडिया का परिजिया नहीं था और वो Delhi में आये एरिपोर्ट से महार निकले और परिजिया कार वो ट्राफिक देखे तो हमने ऐसा driving देखा ही नहीं कभी कोई भी कैसे में driving करते हैं और गाड़े चलती हैं तो क्या है वहाँ पर अमेरिका में ज़िये driving करते है एक जीज़ है अगर पास्चे मेने मैं अमेरिका में रहता हूँ मैं साल में लगबा 8-10 मेने बाहरत में से बाहर रहता हूँ तो जब पास्चे देशे में भारत में आता हूँ अगर मैं driving करके जा रहा हूँ एक प्रोग्राम के लिए तो एक जीज़ होता है कि यहाँ पर हमको पास्चे देशे में कोई हौन नहीं हो जाना है कोई भी साउं पॉलिशन करते हैं उसको आप धनिको बुशित मत करो और जब कोई हौन बजाता है उसका मतलब क्या है दूसरे वेक्ति ने इतनी बड़ी गलती की है कि तो उनको हौन बजाता है उसको बताना पड़ता है तो अगर कोई वेक्ति आपके ओर हौन बजाता है मतलब उसने आपका अपमाण किया है मुझे ड्राइविंग आता है तो मुझे हौन बजा रहे होगा तो कोई हौन में भी आता है तो कहा है सब बहुती जो लोग कहते हैं हमको साहरा फ्रीडम चाहिए हमको यह जैसे करना है यह कारे करना है वैसे कारे करना है पर वहाँ लोग भी वो रोड पे बिल्कुल नियम के साथ कारे करते हैं और इतना अच्छे साथ ड्राइविंग करते है हाँ बजाते हैं पर भारत में ना केवल हाँ बजाते हैं पर हर गाड़ी पर लिखते हैं हाँ प्लीज मतलब क्या है तुम मुझे ठूकर मत दो पहले हाँ तो बजाओ तो क्या है कि यहाँ पे भी ओर्डर है पर यह क्या है यह सब जाओ आमरिका में ओर्डर पे अओडर होता है इंडिया में ओडर पे ओडर इन दिफाउडर होता है वो ओडर है पर वो कैसा ओडर है वो साधा दुश्च समझ नियाता है सब लोग चलते हैं But if we don’t follow the rules, we won’t be able to walk on the road. Thank you.
Yes, sir. Not cooking, please. Okay, that’s nice.
If we get happiness by following the rules, then naturally we have to follow the rules. Because it takes time to get the happiness we get by following the rules. And if we get happiness without following the rules, then we don’t have to make any effort.
So, let’s say there is a young boy who is studying. So, let’s say he wants to learn the alphabet. So, he writes this letter like this, this letter like this.
It takes time. After that, he asks, what is your name? And then he writes his name. And when he writes his name like this, he is very happy.
Then he says, my name is written like this. And he shows it. So, when he learns, he is happy.
But to learn, he has to make an effort. He says, leave it, I will play with my toys. I will play with my gun, I will play with my truck.
It is easy. So, it takes time to follow the rules. Don’t move your hand like this.
Don’t move it like this. If you want to write this, you have to write it like this. You don’t have to write it like this.
So, rules are one way. So, the happiness you get by following the rules, it takes a little patience. It takes a little effort to get it.
But on the contrary, we feel that we will get happiness in a short time. That is why we try to go towards it. But the happiness of playing with toys is very little.
It does not last long. Because we see short-term happiness many times, that is why we go back a little by following the rules. Is there any other question? So, I will take the last point here.
After that, we will end with questions. So, when any person is playing sports, there are two types of sports. One is individual sports and the other is team sports.
So, can anyone give an example of individual sports? Athletics, Tennis. There are doubles in Tennis too. But normal Tennis is single.
There can be Tennis. There can be Chess. These are individual sports.
So, what is Cricket? Cricket is a team sport. So, if we are comparing Cricket with life, then what is our life? Is it an individual sport or a team sport? Is it a team sport? How many of you think it is a team sport? How many of you think it is an individual sport? How is it an individual sport? Everyone has to perform their own performance. But we all have to perform with other people.
No person is an island. Once there was an atheist. He was very intellectual.
He asked him, Do you believe in hell? He said, Yes, of course. He said, How can an atheist believe in hell? What does hell mean? Hell means other people. What does hell mean? Other people.
So, what happens is, people who cannot have a good relationship with others, keep fighting with others, what happens is, other people are like hell. I was going to a program. There was another car ahead of the car I was taking.
There was a sticker on the bumper. I said, The more I get to know people, the more I love my dog. The more I get to know people, the more I love my dog.
What does it mean? People are so bad, but my dog is so good. What happens is, sometimes it is very difficult for people to have a relationship. And yes, some people have a very deep relationship.
Some people have a very deep relationship. They are introverts and extroverts. But what happens is, that in life, we want a guest, but we want such a guest, that we can take others with us.
Suppose, you get all the wealth in the world, but, you are alone in the world, and there is no one. Then what will you do with the wealth? We want to enjoy things, but we want to enjoy things with people. Sometimes what happens is, people who are not team players, how to play with the team, different talents will decide.
But, we all live in a society. And, if someone becomes very individualistic in team sports, that means, if the team wins, I am going to do a century. Then what will happen? You will have a century, but, the whole team will be angry with you.
The whole country will be angry with you. So, what happens is, in team sports, every player plays well. And the team that plays for the team, that team is very good, and the players are also very good.
So, in our life also, what happens is, we are all individuals. So, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, I gave a series of lectures, 5-6 lectures on overcoming negative emotions. So, if a student is coming from outside, then he becomes a bit mentally.
So then, I asked a student, normally when we meet in India, we ask, okay, where are you from? What do your parents do? We normally ask such questions. But later, the devotee told me that in America, in America, don’t ask what your parents do. Why? Because, it touches a sore spot in them.
Some children, their parents are separated. Some have two mothers, three fathers. So, it is very complicated.
So, what happened? So, I met this student. Later, there was some connection. So then, he told me that I grew up in a foster home.
What does foster home mean? How do you say it in Hindi? Nayana Thala is orphanage. So, what does foster home mean? Someone adopts a child. And then, sometimes it is called adoption.
But foster home is a bit in between. There is a family, they have a big house, so they adopt some children. And how can they adopt them forever? Sometimes, they take care of them for some time.
But they consider it better than an orphanage. So, this student told me that I grew up in a foster home. So then, I asked him, what happened? Did you have an accident? He said, no.
My parents are alive. So then, you are an orphan. Why did you grow up in a foster home? He said, when I was 5 years old, my parents got separated.
This is a divorce word. It is a very cruel word. He said, my mother and father are separated.
They are separated. It is a polite word. The reality is not polite.
But he said, when I was 5 years old, they got separated. And then, what happened? My parents told me that this marriage that we had, was the biggest mistake of our life. And, you are reminding us of that mistake.
That is why, my parents said, we don’t want anything to do with you. So, being parents, what happened to this child? How can someone take care of his own child? But the thing is, so many people become self-centered. They become so individualist, that they can’t think of anything And when this happens, the person, the foundation of the society, does not give up.
The self-centeredness, it increases a lot. And because of this, no relationship is stable. Whether it is between parents, or husband and wife, or brother and sister, no relationship is stable.
So, our life is a team sport. And team sport means, we have to excel ourselves. We have to do a good job.
We have to excel ourselves. But we have to take others with us. If we excel ourselves, then many people, they become very rich.
They become very rich. But, they get money, and they have a big house. Many times, I have been to such people’s houses.
Because, sometimes, they need counselling. So, I tell them very honestly, that they have a big house, but from that big house, they get only one convenience. That they get a lot of space, in which they feel lonely.
The large house, only gives them the privilege, of a lot of space, in which to feel lonely. They don’t need anything else. So, if we all, we all need happiness, we all need happiness, we all need success.
But, if we pursue success, at the expense, of our relationships, then, it will be a hollow success. For example, in a team of three, if a loser excels, the team loses. So, what is happiness in that? It is hollow.
We all have to excel, but we have to walk with that. And, our most important relationship, in our life, there are many relationships. There are some horizontal relationships, and one vertical relationship.
The horizontal relationship, is with all of us, our friends, our parents, our relatives. The vertical relationship, is our relationship, with Bhagwan Krishna. So, the relationship, can be very important.
But, the most important, is our relationship with Bhagwan. This relationship, is eternal. The rest of the relationships, will remain for some time, but the relationship with Bhagwan, will remain forever.
We have so many relationships, with Bhagwan. So, when we, maintain the relationship, maintain the relationship well, then, we have the greatest, relationship with Bhagwan. In Bhagavad Gita, in the end, in the beginning, Arjuna is alone.
He does not know, what to do. But, Arjuna and Krishna, become one. And, what is the end of Bhagavad Gita? Where, Bhagwan Krishna, and Arjuna, are together, then, there, there will be glory.
So, our biggest team, is the team of Atma and Paramatma. In our hearts, there is Bhagwan. Like Arjuna, was fighting in a battlefield.
Our life, is also like a battlefield. Our life is like a battlefield. We do not have to fight, in all the battles.
But, still, there is intellectual struggle, there is emotional struggle, there is aggression. We have to fight in life. But, when, we are with Bhagwan, then, the problem of Bhagwan, Bhagwan’s great power, great intellect, is with us.
And, whatever problem arises, we can face it. So, life, is a team sport. And, the team is not just the people around us.
The team, is ultimately the team with God. And, Bhagwan, says, Bhagwan says, whatever problem arises, you will be in my consciousness, you will be connected to me, you will be connected to me, you will be free from all problems. So, this was the discussion, how we can learn from cricket.
So, we saw four things. How? First of all, performance matters, but performance is not all that matters. We all go to cricket, for entertainment.
Why? Because, life, Superstition is boring, but along with superstition we can also learn something else. What can we learn? Why does a cricketer have superstition? Because everything is not in our control. Even if we try our best, if we don’t achieve something, then we have to accept it.
Good cricketers want to win, but they know that the game of cricket is bigger than winning or losing. So life is bigger than winning or losing. If we focus on life, then we can win or lose.
When we work in our life, then we should have a rule. If we don’t have a rule, then we can’t even play a game like cricket. Because we don’t get a chance to see talent.
Rules bring structures in which we can have experience. If we want to achieve something in cricket, then we need talent and temperament. We can’t improve our talent, but we can improve our temperament.
Especially when we get spiritual knowledge, then we get a far-sightedness. When we get a far-sightedness, then we get a far-sightedness. What does temperament mean? Impulse control.
We don’t want to play for show, we don’t want to play for gallery, we want to play for team. If we control our impulses, then we can use all our talent to improve our temperament. Life is a team sport, not an individual sport.
We all want to move forward, but we don’t want to crush our relationships. We want to move forward together. The most important relationship is with God.
With God, we can move forward. If Arjuna and Shiva are together, then we can be successful. Thank you very much.
Hare Krishna. Next question. Life is not a straight race, it is a marathon.
Similarly, there is a series of games, series of cricket matches. So if one player scores essentially in the match, even if the match loses, he fixes his position in the next match. Because there is some division.
So in the citizen way, when taking the decisions in life, many a times there is a dilemma that we have to choose. The decision may be helpful for individual or may be sometimes helpful for the team. So how should we tackle the situation and take the sustainable path? I was trying to say that if the player is after his century so much, that is why the team loses.
So that is not right. So if one player plays well, then at least he is better than me. So I was not talking about that.
If we are losing, then let it be, there is no need to do anything. No, it is not like that. We have to play as well as we can.
Similarly, when we have to take a decision, then we have to decide for ourselves or for the team. We have to do it with others. So there is no universal formula in this.
But we have to see that some things are very important for us. And if we have to offend others for that, then we can do it. In reality, there is one thing.
If it happens in the team, then there are different people in the team. If a bowler has to bowl towards the end, then all ten players come and tell him to bowl like this, like that. Then the poor bowler will get confused.
There are one or two players, there is a vice-captain, vice-captain, there is a senior player, he tells you to do like this. And then you have to call him yourself. So if that bowler takes everyone’s advice and does it, then he is not able to do anything.
Similarly, in our life, the easiest way to make yourself miserable is to try to make everyone happy. If we want to make everyone happy, then there will be a lot of misery. How will we do it? We cannot do it.
We are all limited beings. Our situation also limits us. So that is why we have to see who is important in the person, who is important in the work.
And sometimes we have to dismiss some people. That is okay. But what is small and what is big, this is understood only when our purpose is clear.
If the purpose is not clear, then what is small becomes big. Suppose you are sitting here, listening, and you sit down for an hour or two, it can be a little uncomfortable. You will think when it will end, after that I have to take prasad, I have to go home.
There is no question. But if what happens, now there is a little pain in the knees, or something is happening here, so now what will happen, if you start thinking about that thing, what will happen? It will increase, it will increase. But okay, no matter how much it is, it is not going to last for a long time.
I will bear a little pain, I will bear a little discomfort. So if you focus on the big thing, then we can bear the small thing. So if you have not come here just to take prasad, then for an hour, when will the prasad go on, when will the prasad go on? But if you have to listen to prasad, have to take kirtan, have to take prasad.
Okay, this will be done, then that will be done, then that will be done. So what is it? For whom prasad is a very big thing, then the rest of the things become inconvenient. When will it end? It will end.
So what is it? In that way, we all have to keep the small thing small, and the big thing big. And based on that, we have to decide. What? How can we improve our temperament? Actually, for this, I would like to say that when we practice spiritual knowledge, then we do not make the small things bigger.
We see that life is not a sprint, it is like a marathon. Now what does temperament mean? If temperament is not good, then what does it mean? That a person’s feelings go so fast that he becomes dependent on his intellect. It means that he is doing batting, but he is like this, and he is dependent on his feelings.
So intellect is our intellect and feelings are our feelings. So what does temperament mean? That we do not have to control our feelings, that we do not have to deny our feelings completely, but we do not have to control our feelings. We do not have to become a controller.
We have to take our feelings along with our intellect. So how does this happen? In a way, we have to purify our feelings, and we have to strengthen our intellect. So what does it mean to purify our feelings? That the one who thinks that I will hit a six, he will clap.
He will feel very good. But purifying the feelings means that if I play well, I will beat my team, then the happiness that I will get, people will appreciate me, is higher than that. So sometimes our feelings, we all have such feelings, some small happiness or lower happiness, and some feelings are good or higher happiness.
So purifying the feelings means that we do not get that much happiness in small things. We get happiness in big things. So when we do bhakti, our consciousness develops.
What does it mean to develop consciousness? It means that our feelings are purified. So our feelings are not developed because of small things. So I have given an example of bhagavad-gita for this.
There is a huge ocean. आपू यमाणमचलप्रतिष्टम् समूद्रमापप्रविशन्तियद्वत् तद्वत्कामायंप्रविशन्तिसर्वे सशान्तिमाप्नोतिनकामकामे When waves come in the ocean, when rivers come, the ocean does not rise. But suppose there is a small puddle, there is a small pit, there is some water, then what happens? It will overflow completely.
In the same way, the good and bad things in the world will come like a river. If our consciousness is like water in a small pit, then we will be very happy with it. If our consciousness is like an ocean, then we will not be happy.
So how does our consciousness depend? Our consciousness depends on what is present in our consciousness. If what is present in our consciousness is a big thing, then our consciousness also becomes big. God is the biggest.
So when our consciousness is called God, then our consciousness expands. And then the things that come in the world, we are not so busy with them. So by purifying our emotions, by purifying our intellect, by making it strong, this is a small thing, this is a big thing.
And by connecting with God through bhakti, by bringing God in the center, we can improve our temperament. What is the meaning of spiritual knowledge? What is the meaning of spiritual knowledge? Some people, like pandits, they know a lot about worship. Is it spiritual knowledge to know about every individual soul? The meaning of spiritual knowledge is there are three main things that Bhagwan Maharaj has told us.
Kshetra, Kshetrajna and Pradhan Kshetra. That is, body, soul and Paramatma. We know these three things.
So what is that? So that is spiritual knowledge. In English we call it obtaining a degree in M.Sc. What does M.Sc. mean? Master of Science, Matter, Spirit and Controller. We understand these three things that this is the material world, there is a soul and there is a Paramatma.
So the soul that we are, we are in the middle of the soul. If the soul is connected with the Paramatma, then it will be the creator of the soul and the soul will be happy. But if the soul is connected with the matter of the body, then the soul will be affected, it will be closed.
So we have to take the soul and the soul will be happy. Can you give an example when you feel you should not follow rules? I thought of this question. Is it necessary to follow rules always? Look, there are rules and the second is the purpose of the rules.
So what is it? By following the rules, the purpose, the objective is achieved. So suppose, we drive from the left side in India, or from the right side? From the left side. If we go to America, then we drive from the right side.
So now, in India and America, the rules are completely opposite, but the purpose of both the rules is the same. So the rules are important, but the purpose is more important. So, if you follow the rules, the purpose, then people can travel and reach their destination.
But sometimes, rarely, sometimes it can happen that to fulfill the purpose of the rules, you have to go against the rules. So suppose, someone is going to have a heart attack, then there is an ambulance. So when the ambulance honks, the rest of the people go aside.
So sometimes, the ambulance does not follow the rules that it normally follows. The red signal goes away and the rest of the people stop. So, in traffic, where people have to go safely, that is the purpose, to save their lives.
So, just because there are exceptions to a rule, does not mean that the rule is not necessary. Normally, rules are very important, but there can be exceptions to them. It is said in the scriptures that if someone forgets the purpose of the rules and just follows the rules, then it is called Niyamagraha.
Just following the rules and forgetting the purpose of the rules. So, it is not right. And especially, in today’s society, many people do not know the purpose of the rules.
And if they do not know the purpose, then the rules become very restrictive. They become very restrictive. Why should we follow the rules? So, we should not just tell people the rules.
We should not tell people to follow the rules. First of all, we should tell them the purpose of the rules. When we explain what will happen if we follow the rules and what will happen if we do not follow the rules, then people will follow the rules with their intellect.
And even if they have to to achieve the purpose of the rules, they will be able to do it. Is there a question? Yes, there is a question here. We behave well with outsiders.
We quarrel at home. Yes, it is very strange that the people who matter the most to us, we treat them the worst. The people who are the most important to us, sometimes we treat them the worst.
Why does this happen? There are two main reasons. When we are in front of the world, we discipline ourselves. We keep ourselves disciplined.
But when we come home, we say, I will just be what I am. In a way, we all need people in front of whom we do not have to suppress our emotions. Suppose I am very worried, but I show the world that I am not worried.
But if I am really worried, then there should be someone with whom I can worry. If there is no one, then it will not work. If there is no emotional guard, then we are with the people whom we love.
The people who are very important to us, in front of them, we suppress our emotions. I am very tired, I am very sad, I am very worried. All these emotions we cannot express in front of the world.
We can express them in front of a few people. We express our emotions in front of them. We do not suppress them.
But still, it does not mean that we can express any emotion. Naturally, we lower our emotional guard, but still, that emotional guard needs to be there. If we express our past without thinking, then it is not right.
What we should not say, what we should not do, we do it. How does it happen? We cannot see someone’s mind. We cannot see what thoughts and emotions are in someone’s mind.
And this is a big boon. Why? Because if we start seeing each other’s thoughts, emotions, desires, then we will feel like no one else. So, nature has given us a protective mechanism.
It has given us a medium that we get thoughts, desires, emotions, but they do not exist on a physical level. They do not exist in words. There is a buffer between them.
If the filter is tight with some people, then it is loose, but the filter is always necessary. If the filter is not there, then we cannot maintain any relationship. That is why our family members should understand that I can bring in my emotional guard with them.
They should not feel bad about it. So, we want to follow but we keep adjusting to them. So, what should we do about it? This is a natural natural process that happens with all of us.
For this, we can do three things. First of all, we should we will not get anything if we do this or that. We should that we will not get anything if we do this or that.
We should not get anything if we do this or that. We should not get anything if we this or that. if we do this or that if we do this or that.
if we do this or that. SSS Small Simple Steps Small Simple Steps Even if we want to do big, we need to start small. Even if we want to study for 6 hours, I will study for 10 hours every day.
We will not open the book for 10 days. 10 hours is too long. Small Simple Steps Thank you very much.
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