When problems trouble us and we can’t put our heart in our service what can we do?

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This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, we are facing problems. At that time, the problems constantly go on in the background. And we may do our services, but we do it mechanically.
We don’t do it wholeheartedly. Yes, at the very least, doing service mechanically is better than giving up the service. See, we have to know that Krishna is not a demanding God.
He is an understanding God. Krishna understands our situation. So, if we are having problems, He also knows it.
And, in spite of the problems, we are trying to serve Him. See, Krishna sees not just our emotions. Krishna sees not just our feelings.
Krishna also sees our feelings about our feelings. What does that mean? Sometimes we may be chanting and just don’t feel like chanting. Now, sometimes those feelings just come upon us.
But what do we do at that time? We just think, you know, okay, how can I get rid of this chanting and move on with my life? Hare Krishna, you are so merciful, you are manifesting of the holy name. But somehow I am not feeling like chanting. Krishna, I don’t want to feel like this.
Now, please help me to overcome this feeling. Please help me to put my heart. Please help me to chant nicely.
So, what is happening? The feeling is there. I don’t feel like chanting. But then what is our feeling about the feeling? Are we welcoming that or are we fighting that? So, in the Bhagavad Gita, in chapter 14, verses 20 to 23, Krishna urges us to see our feelings that come in our consciousness like visitors who come in our house.
उदासीन वदासीन गुड़े योवन विचाल्यते गुणावर्थन कित्येव योधिष्ठतिनेंगते Krishna says that sometimes प्रकाश, sometimes illumination, sometimes you feel very good, clear understanding, sometimes you feel a lot of passion. I have to do this, I have to do that, so many things I have to do. What is this? I am just sitting here doing nothing.
मोह, sometimes you feel what is there to do so many things? जुन्या तो चलते है रहनी बादी Just relax. Sometimes you feel lazy. So like that you go through different emotions.
प्रकाश, प्रवृत्ति and मोह refer to three modes, goodness, passion and ignorance. So Krishna says sometimes these feelings will come within us, sometimes they will go away from us. So when they come, Krishna says don’t crave for them.
नद्वेश्टी, संप्रवृत्तानी Don’t be resentful. Why am I feeling like this today? नद्वेश्टी, संप्रवृत्तानी After it goes away, don’t crave for it. Why am I not feeling like this now? So Krishna says उदासी अवदासी नम् Be situated as if detached.
गुणियो न विचालियते Don’t be shaken by the modes. Rather understand गुणावर्तन्ति एव Because of the modes I am feeling like this. यो अवतिष्ठतिनेंगते Don’t be shaken by it.
Understanding that you are spiritual. Just like sometimes we may be in a room And some people come who are very friendly. Some people come who are very disagreeable.
It’s not that we have to just Get completely affected by that. Yes, if a disagreeable person has come We will decide, we will talk a few words with him We will be very cautious about what we speak. But our life goes on.
The disagreeable person will come and go after some time. Sometimes friendly person comes That doesn’t mean we just give up everything And just keep chit-chatting with him. We have some things to do But we also spend some time talking with that person.
So basically just as sometimes Different people of different dispositions Come in our room And we deal with them appropriately But that doesn’t mean that We let them determine our entire life. Like that Krishna says Different emotions will come in your consciousness. Treat them like visitors.
Our response will be shamed a little bit by them. But we don’t let that determine our response. Let that alone determine our response.
So for that we need our spiritual practices. So sometimes yes, we may not feel like doing But at least we keep doing. And over a period of time if we keep doing Now we start feeling better.
That is the joy of Bhakti. Krishna says that यत्तद अग्रे विषमिव परिणामे उन्दोतोपम तच्चुकं सात्रिकं प्रोप्पं आत्मविद्धी वसाधिजम That which tastes like poison in the beginning He says in 18.37 will taste like nectar in the end. But when will it taste like nectar? If we are actually perceiving through it.
Means we are doing the service and trying to have a devotional attitude. I don’t have a devotional attitude right now. But I will try to have.
At least if we try, Krishna will give us. And gradually that poison phase that is there Poison phase means the phase where we don’t feel like doing it. That poison phase will end and the nectar phase will begin.
Then we will start feeling like doing it. We will start feeling joyful while doing it. So yes, when problems are there we may not be able to be wholehearted in our service.
But still we keep doing our service and keep praying to Krishna Krishna, I really want to do this service. I know this problem is there and I I want to deal with this problem but I also want to do this service. So please give me the strength to serve you.
So if we keep that mood Krishna will help us. And we don’t have to feel very bad if we are not able to do wholeheartedly. Because Krishna is an understanding God.
Krishna is an understanding God. He is not a demanding God. Yes.