When trying to figure out Krishna’s lesson for us makes us indecisive what should we do?

From Durgesh Yewatkar

As i understand in all situation i hav to think of krishna has something to teach me in all situation and i need to understand thro his vision.But many of time it happens people around me think that i have become lazy, i dont think myself what to do in situation and just think of krishna,I find myself going into inferiority zone becoz people bouncing back on me like that.can u put some light on this thought process.

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Jai! Hare Krishna. This is a question based on a Gita Daily article.
Are we strong enough to admit that we are not strong enough? Question from Durgesh Yavatkar. As I understand, in all situations, I have to think of Krishna. I have to think that Krishna has something to teach me in all situations.
And I need to understand through his vision. But many of the times it happens, people around me think that I have become lazy. I don’t think myself what to do in situation and just think of Krishna.
I find myself going into inferiority zone because people are bouncing on me like that. Can you put some light on this thought process? Answer… First and foremost, when we talk about thinking of Krishna, that is not a justification for passivity or lethargy or laziness. A thinking of Krishna is meant to calm our mind down and then plan what to do intelligently.
So there is goodness and there is ignorance. And both can sometimes on the external perspective look very similar. In between them, passion is radically different.
Passion involves activity. Now, goodness involves calmness. It involves thoughtfulness.
But after calm thoughtfulness, there is activity. Whereas, in ignorance, there is fuzziness and there is inability to think. And after that, there is often inactivity also because one is not sure to do anything.
Sure about what to do. So our thinking about Krishna should get us to the mode of goodness. It should not take us down to the mode of ignorance.
Of course, thinking of Krishna in and of itself will never take us down to the mode of ignorance. But if we have a habitual tendency to go into the mode of ignorance, the mode of ignorance means that one is inactive, one is in a dream world, one is passive. Then, if that has been our habitual tendency, then it can become quite harmful if we think that Krishna Consciousness means just passive thinking and resignation to the will of God.
No, that is only one aspect of Krishna Consciousness. We accept the will of God, but after that there is activity. We have to do things to practically deal with the situation that are there around us.
So if people are thinking that we are becoming lazy and if we are also feeling inferior because of that, then we have to check whether Krishna Consciousness has become our rationalization for staying lethargic in the mode of ignorance. Generally speaking, it is not very easy to, when things go wrong, understand what exactly is Krishna’s will. So at that time, instead of trying to understand what is Krishna’s will, we should think of what I should do now.
Rather than thinking, what is Krishna trying to teach me in this situation? That may become revealed later. But right now, we should be thinking, how can I serve Krishna right now? There is another Gita daily article. Ask not why this, but how now? That means not why this.
Okay, why did this happen? What is Krishna’s intention in this? It’s very difficult to find that out for us at our level, as you have rightly said. But we should think, okay, Krishna, in this situation, how can I serve you? How can I serve you? And then if we pray to Krishna and use our God-given intelligence, we will find some ways to move ahead. So certainly we should not become lazy.
That is very undesirable. Because ignorance will take us further away from the transcendence, which is our ultimate goal if we want to practice Krishna Consciousness. So you can study the 18th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita to look at doers, at action and doers in the three modes.
And also knowledge and intelligence and determination in the three modes. This is between verses 18.20 to around 33-35. So you can look at this.
And I have also given some classes on this. You can identify whether Krishna Consciousness has become the rationalization. Rationalization means false justification for staying in the mode of ignorance.
So if that is happening, then we should understand that I have to become active. So if we have some devotees, we can take some guidance from them. Or otherwise, we pray to Krishna.
And after praying to Krishna, whatever intelligence we get, we use that to act. Now, our action may not be the best action. So instead of going in this direction, we may go in this direction.
But then when we understand, oh, I have got slightly off track, then I can come back on track. But staying here itself will not be desirable. And sometimes we may make mistakes also.
It’s not that we will always be able to do correct things. But that doesn’t matter. Even if we commit mistakes, we can always correct ourselves.
The point is that devotional service is not inactivity. It is not just thinking about Krishna and thinking about Krishna’s plan. So even in that article, when we say that are we strong enough to admit that we are not strong enough, that means that the implication is not that we just pray to Krishna and, oh, Krishna, you take care of everything.
No, Arjuna did not say that to Krishna at the end of the Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna said, I will do what you tell me to do, oh, Krishna. So Prabhupada would say that Hanuman was so active in Krishna’s service, in Lord Ram’s service.
So Prabhupada himself was so active at such an old age. So please don’t succumb to inactivity in the name of thinking about Krishna. Prabhupada writes, based on the Vedic scriptures, that the substance of Krishna consciousness is devotional service.
That means it’s practical activity. In the Nectar of Instructions, it is not sentimental speculation or imaginative ecstasy. Or maybe this is Krishna’s thinking, maybe Krishna is thinking that.
Krishna consciousness means primarily, how can I serve Krishna? So we think about Krishna, we think about the philosophy of Krishna consciousness, we think about the holy name of Krishna while chanting, we take darshan of the deities. But with respect to practical situations that are happening, we don’t have Krishna’s omniscient intelligence. So we can’t figure out Krishna’s plan so quickly.
So rather than trying to think out what all Krishna is trying to teach me, we should just try to pray to Krishna, how can I serve? And even if things are not clear, we have to make a decision and move forward. Especially if our tendency is to be indecisive and lethargic, then it is most important for us to break that tent, break those shackles by using Krishna consciousness to do activity in more intelligent ways than what we would have done otherwise. So still also now we may commit some mistakes, but if we are chanting and if we are connecting ourselves with Krishna, then we will be more likely to make right choices.
And then as we keep making right choices, as we keep doing practical activities in the service of Krishna, then we will also become more confident and more purified and better connected with Krishna, then this will keep on increasing. So inferiority complex itself is generally a tamasic phenomena. People who are in the mode of ignorance, they are affected by inferiority complex.
So if that is happening, then that is also further indication that one is too self-centered. So we want to be Krishna centered and Krishna service centered. Not just my thoughts centered in the name of being Krishna centered.
So focus on practically doing something to deal with the situations. And the substance of Krishna consciousness is practical activity. We do our sadhana, we do our studies, but apart from that do practical activity in a responsible, enthusiastic and intelligent way.
Thank you. Hare Krishna.