When Krishna can free us from illusion, can’t he free us from pride too?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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You see, Krishna can in a minute free us from illusion. So, if he frees us from illusion, is it not that he will free us from pride also? Yes, Krishna can do that also. But I have to see that it is not that Krishna is the cause of illusion.
It is we who are the cause of our own illusion. It is because we have the desire that we can exist and enjoy separate from Krishna. That’s what puts us in illusion.
So, when Krishna frees us from a particular form of illusion which we are troubled by, if we may pray at that time, Krishna, please free me from illusion. But if we have not got that realization that it is Krishna who is doing it for me, then afterwards we will forget that it is Krishna who did it and we think that I did it. And that’s how we fall into illusion.
So, you know, devotion devotion amidst trouble, it is good. But that is not mature devotion. Because I am so troubled, because I am so helpless, so I take shelter of Krishna.
It is good I am taking shelter of Krishna at least at that time. But then, is that devotion, is that taking shelter of Krishna because I am attracted to Krishna or is it because I am just helpless to do anything else, so I am taking it to him. Just like it is said in the child in the mother’s womb, when the suffering becomes intolerable, praise to Krishna.
Krishna, please help me. Afterwards, the third kind of saying, the child prays that that actually in this, here I am suffering and I am realizing I am suffering. So, better let me stay here and take shelter of you.
But the child comes out and again falls into illusion. Why is that? It is not that Krishna is causing that illusion, rather it is that when we take shelter of Krishna amidst trouble, that is not necessarily because of the purest or the strongest motives. So, afterwards, again the mentality of kartahamiti manyate, I am the doer will come up.
That’s why when there is adversity, we take shelter of Krishna. When there is prosperity, then also we take shelter of Krishna. When we take shelter of Krishna consistently, that is steady devotion.
So, if we are in illusion and Krishna frees us out of illusion, but if we have not, although we may ourselves have prayed to Krishna at that time, but if we have not realized internally, deeply, it is Krishna who has freed us. Afterwards, we will start thinking that it is I who have been freed. What happens to, it is I who have freed myself.
See, our nature is that Dhritarashtra, he was never entitled to be the king. Because he was visually impaired. But, just by, because Pandu had died and no successor was there, so he started, he took up the throne temporarily.
And just by being on the throne for a long time, he started thinking I am the king. So, like that, what happens is when we are put in a particular situation, just by being in that situation, we think I am qualified for this. And I am the source of whatever I have got.
So, like that, Krishna can free us from illusion, but we will start thinking that Oh, it is I who have freed myself from illusion. That’s why, when through repeated frustrations, we get the realization that I need Krishna. Without Krishna I cannot do this.
Then when we are freed eventually by Krishna, we realize it is Krishna who did it. It is Krishna whom I need absolutely. Does it answer your question? Yeah.
What makes us wait so long for the frustrations before we get that realization? Okay. What makes us wait or what makes us have to go through so many frustrations before getting that realization? No. Realization doesn’t depend on frustration.
Frustration can be an initial spur. But, if misery alone were the cause of spiritual realization, people who work in hospitals, they would all be pure devotees. They see suffering constantly.
But no, they don’t. Why? Because the nature of illusion is even when we see misery, we think, I will be an exception. Maya makes us think this has happened to others, but this won’t happen to me.
So, we have to take exception to the hope for an exception. I will be an exception. Everybody else is going to suffer, but I will not suffer.
That is a matter of individual choosing. So, it’s not that we need to get frustrations to learn, but frustrations can impel us to learn, but it is for us to choose. So, when we are in the normal course of life, if we consistently keep choosing Krishna, then gradually our connection with Krishna becomes stronger and stronger.
And then the temptations of maya become weaker and weaker. Frustrations can prod us, but frustrations are not the source of realization. It is our own volition, it is our own free will and how we use it.
And of course, we need the blessings of Vaishnavas, blessings of the spiritual master. But in one sense, they are always available. So, if we keep choosing Krishna regularly, then the spiritual master or the Vaishnavas are pleased with us, they also give us their mercy.
So, we focus on trying to ourselves make the right choice as much as possible within our capacity. If we do that, Krishna will expand our capacity and we will be able to make the right choices which are presently very difficult or impossible for us. Does this answer your question? Thank you.
Any other questions?