Why Craving Is a Treacherous Enemy | Bhagavad Gita 3 37 38 | Tirupati | Youth 1

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Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, we have been discussing how to offer prayers based on the verses of the Bhagavad Gita. So, we have seen how the Gita verses can be approached in different ways.
One of them is to analyze the philosophy to understand the meaning. But one way is how Prabhupada actually presents a very emotional understanding of all the verses. So, in spite of all that, I am writing a book where we try to see the Bhagavad Gita’s verses in English only and then some prayers are offered based on that verses.
So, we discussed 36 and 37 yesterday. So, let’s move on to 38. Now, Krishna… So, in the first verse, Arjuna asks, what impacts us with destructive action, self-destructive action? In 37, Arjuna’s answer is that it is a desire that is angry against him kind of wonders.
So, the kama that has krodha toward dharma. Now, dharma, antah kama, moksha is there. So, dharma is the foundation ethics, that is, wonders.
So, Krishna, Arjuna says, dharma abiruto bhuteshu kama vasu dharmasu. Kama that doesn’t go against dharma is not a problem. But kama that goes against dharma, that is a thing.
Towards dharma. That means, why should I enjoy only within these boundaries? Why should I not enjoy down there? So, that is the enemy Krishna says. It’s kama with krodha against dharma.
Now, this particular desire, so, if you look at the sequence of the verses, what happens in this? 36, that is the question that starts from 37 itself. Identity. That who, what is the enemy? It’s kama with krodha for dharma.
Now, the word dharma has different meanings, but here it is. Sense of boundaries. Then 38 is talking about the garb.
The garb is the appearance. How does it look? In what form does it come? Then 39 talks about how its action. How does it act? 40 talks about its location.
Then 41 talks about the first solution. How do you deal with this? 42 talks about the inner hierarchy. Inner hierarchy.
That we will discuss if we get time to go there. 43 talks about the final solution. This is how Krishna is guiding us to deal with the inner war.
Say, say, if India is fighting against Pakistan, you know, Pakistan is over there, across the border, they will attack. But if we are fighting against some terrorists who are, who have already infiltrated into Kashmir, then first we have to identify who are they. Isn’t it? Okay, who are the terrorists? Then we also need to have okay, how do they look? Sometimes people have multiple eyeglasses or multiple goggles.
Sometimes they bring the beer, some bring down the beer, some bring like this, some bring like that. We try to understand the forms in which they come. Then we have to understand, okay, how do we identify the terrorists? They set up bombs over here, they target certain people, they extort money.
In the active research, you identify the terrorists. And then, okay, these are the typical hideouts. Oh, there are these mountains, in this there are caves, some of the caves in this area over there.
These are the smallest caves in this area over here. This particular village, the entire village has become very radicalized. Many of the people over here are terrorists or they are sympathizers.
So like that, once we understand, then we can start taking action. So, first action, Krishna says is sensory recognition. Today morning I talked about boundaries.
Let’s first, Krishna talked about boundaries. And then he says, final solution is spiritual redirection. That is the bond we need to establish.
So deva muddhe parambuddha. So now here Krishna is going to talk about the various forms in which this enemy comes. Now let’s look at that.
So here the enemy is inside us. So now basically we can’t see anything inside us, isn’t it? What do you mean? How do I look? And what is there within? It’s very complicated. So when Krishna uses metaphorical language to explain what is inside us.
So let’s recite this verse. So vahani is fire, dhume is smoke. Dhume na me te vahani.
Then darsha is, that is not darshan, that is a mirror. Mala is dust. Yathama darsho Then ulbe, ulbe is the embryo or the life that is there inside.
Garbha is the womb. Avruta again is covered. Yatholbe na vruto garbha.
Similarly, tena, tena by that idam, this soul, this being, this self is avruta, is covered. Tatha tena vruta avruta. Together once.
Dhume na me te vahani. Yathala darsho malena cha. Yatholbe na vruta avruta.
As fire is covered by rising smoke, as dust on a mirror acts like a cloak, as the moon keeps unknown the life that is within, so is wisdom lost in the desire that drives us to see. So is wisdom lost in the desire that drives us to see. Do you have a mic? Would you like to start with me? My dear Lord, what makes the figure in you deserve so different to beings that comes in different garbs and sees the difference to different degrees at different times? So there is the word garb and then the word garb.
So garb is to catch forcefully. Garb is a little dress, a mask, a disguise. So it comes in different garbs.
It appears in different ways and it seems to be, it doesn’t always seem to be equally threatening. If somebody comes with a gun pointed at us, which is also threatening also. If somebody comes with a smile on their face and they want to hug us and they hug us and then the sadness will get it.
And they look like a friend. But there are different ways in which they come. So it’s so different.
When my hearing is just like smoke around fire, I can notice its presence and I feel that I can feel it. Yes. So here the cremate is not so much.
So just like when there is fire and there is smoke, we know there is fire behind the smoke. And yeah, I can feel this. Let’s stop the fire, the smoke will go away.
So like that at this stage what happens is, say we go to college and we go to work place and we want to focus on our work or our studies. At the same time, there are people who are dressed in somewhat revealing clothes or somebody is trying to get attracted. And then there is a little agitation.
This interaction, this agitation is there, but we are aware of it. I want to focus. I have better things to do in my life.
So we are aware of it. There is a little agitation, but we feel we can do it. It’s like the problem is there, but the problem doesn’t seem very threatening at that time.
So in one sense, at this level, the craving is present, but it doesn’t appear very threatening. So we are going along on the road and we know that this is a poster somewhere. The billboard is there, that has some image.
And we see it, maybe the image is a little indecent. We see it, we are aware of it, who arrives away. Now we don’t really focus on it.
We know this is there, but let me not let my eyes go in that direction. So this is a stage where it is manageable. So you can put it this way that in terms of the garb also refers to its strength.
So say if I am here, at this place, the enemy seems to be here. So this is like smoke and fire. The enemy is smaller than me and I can deal with it.
But then the enemy starts becoming bigger. And then the enemy becomes much, much bigger than this. So in different stages, the enemy has different levels of strength.
So this is, now we could say this is the soul, specifically the atma, but this is the buddhi of the atma. It is jnana or buddhi that is overcome. And this is calm.
So let’s look at the next level. Obscurity. Obscurity.
Because at the end of the day, it is a being. Yes. So that I am a person, that I have many desires, many aspirations, many dreams, many values.
Different from this particular desire. See when we say identify with our body, that is there. But what I have made is people identify with a particular desire.
And say if somebody is a big cricket fan. Right now in India, Pakistan match is going on. Somebody is a cricket fan, then what happens? Samudarbhan Pantyacharya.
Just forget everything else. That particular desire becomes the most prominent. That’s what I want to fulfill.
So now a days there is a lot of LGBT kind of agitation. Let’s be a bisexual or transvestite. So now, okay, some people may be wired differently.
What happens for most of us is that when the soul comes into a particular body, the soul identifies with that body. But for some people, because of some weird karma, they come into a particular body, but the soul has a jet lag. Or we can call it a transmigration lag.
The soul is identifying with the body it had previously. Somebody might be in a male body right now, but the soul is identifying with the female body it had previously. And that’s why people, they have a sexual orientation that is different from their particular body type.
So that might be there. Why make that your identity? Okay, that’s the way your body is wired. So that’s one part of your life.
Why make that the defining identity? We are some of us are male, some of us are females. There are 50% of the world is female, 50% is female. Now how much is the fact that I am a male a part of my identity? It’s an important part.
But is that our soul identity? Of course our identity as souls. But that is a fundamental thing. Functional level, I may be an engineer, I may be a software employee, I am Indian, I am South Indian, I am a young person, I am a mid-range person.
There are so many different identities. Why identify with one particular desire at the fulfillment of that desire? So what happens then? When this, they told, they thought they’ll show money. So here the example is that, normally there is a little dust on the mirror.
You can’t see clearly. But if there is so much dust on the mirror, then you don’t see the mirror only. All that you see is the dust.
So here we have, where is the, in which familiar words of this metaphor of a mirror come? Chintho dharpanamahajanam. So our manna, our mind, can play three different roles. Our mind can be like a window, our mind can be like a TV screen, and our mind can be like a mirror.
So what does this mean? This is the soul, this is the mind, this is the body. So the soul is like a small circle, the mind is like a screen in front of it, this is the body. So now the soul, mind and body are there.
What happens is that, when sensory inputs come from outside, some perception, some information, sensory data is coming, so right now you are seeing what I am writing. So then that is coming on the mind. And then what is happening is, the soul is watching it.
And so information from the outer world is coming and is being presented on the mind. So in one sense the mind is like a window to the outer world. So the mind is a window.
That’s where the mind gets connected with the senses. Now the mind, when it acts as a TV screen, at that time it gets connected to samskaras. Samskaras are the impressions within the mind.
So sometimes what pops up in the mind is primarily from its own past impressions. Like somebody has been bitten by a dog in their childhood, and they see a small dog, even if it’s a tiny, cuddly little poodle, they see the dog, this dog is mine. And when I was bitten, you know I had so much pain, I had to take injections for 8 years, and a horror movie starts off.
And they start trembling. What’s the matter? It’s such a harmless dog. But what has happened is, the mind has not seen the dog at all.
The mind is actually seeing some terrifying, scary image and movie based on past impressions. So the mind can act as a movie screen. And when the mind acts as a mirror, it focuses on the soul.
That means basically, what is coming here is, it’s like this. The soul, the soul is seeing itself. So the mind can act as a mirror.
This is the time when we can start seeing ourselves. Right now, our mind actually never acts in the mirror. Now to some extent, even self-observation, even at the level of the soul, it’s understanding ourselves.
Okay, I tend to get a little agitated when things don’t go my way. Everybody gets agitated. I tend to get a little extra agitated.
More than others. That is also self-observation. The capacity for self-observation is there when the mind acts as a mirror.
So here, only when there is a mirror, there is a me over there. Like somebody is watching a movie, they are so caught in watching the movie that they forget that I am here. I am here, different from whatever movie is going on.
Generally speaking, there are hundreds and thousands of movies that are released every year. In Hollywood, Bollywood, Tollywood, Bollywood, what all is there. So now, out of these, most movies run very well.
They become flops. Now, why do movies flop? Lack of content. People cannot connect themselves.
You are trying to become like a movie reviewer. It’s a valid reason. But if you want to go to a bigger perspective, why do movies flop? Because the illusion is not good enough.
So the illusion could be the story, the illusion could be the character, the illusion could be the acting, the illusion could be the background, whatever it is. If the illusion is not good enough, then you get bored. You can’t connect with it.
So now, for all of us, if the illusion is very good, in the sense that, you just completely get absorbed. You just forget answers. So for us, when the desire becomes very strong, then it’s like the person is so lost in watching the movie, that they forget I am there.
Somebody is watching a horror movie, and they are scared and trembling. Somebody is watching an action movie, and they are like, I think they are in the movie. So they forget their existence separate from the movie.
So like that, when यथादश्योमनेविज्ञी when the desire, and karma is so strong, that the inner, the mind is so covered with it, it doesn’t act like a mirror at all. Mirror is covered in such a thick film, that there is no mirror at all. We forget answers.
That’s why, what is said over here that, I don’t even realize it has obscured me. Like somebody is lost in a movie, they are so lost, that they don’t even know they are lost. Isn’t it? We are trembling, and we shiver, we are horrible, we are completely fearful.
It’s completely lost in it. So because I forget, at least temporarily, that there is a me, that is different from that particular desire. So that desire becomes, almost equated with me.
In the second chapter, Krishna uses the word, कामात्मानः स्वर्गभर So काम becomes the आत्मा of the person. Like the काम, now आत्मा is different, but काम becomes the आत्मा means, the person becomes defined by that desire. That, देहात्मभुद्धि That means, the देह is treated like the आत्मा.
So like that, the काम is treated like the आत्मा. And the person starts identifying with that confusion. And then, the person just cannot function.
So this is a much more harmful level. People just get, completely caught. Say for example now, there is this thing, somebody, they fall in love.
Now, why they fall in love? Why not stand in love? Instead, Why? Because, you just forget everything over there. You just hold it. It’s almost, it’s almost, it’s just an overpowering attraction, that, it just clues awareness of what is going on.
Then, but further, that is, it’s much more harmful. It’s mine. Yes.
So, at least, with respect to your thought, तथा दर्शो बलेयोज़े, it’s like a stamp. It’s a, it’s a romantic attraction that is there. According to a different, what they say is that, it’s a romance, it’s a rich life of over 5 months.
Some people say 18 months. It depends. You don’t have a specific number.
What does that mean? Well, it is some, the hormones are triggered, the person is attracted to someone. Then, at that time, that, that immense attraction, that is like an overwhelming attraction, that stays for a few months. At that time, the person just forgets everything else.
But then, it doesn’t last forever. That’s why they say, love is blind, and marriage is an eye-opener. So, what happens is, it doesn’t last forever.
Actually, it comes down after a few months. After a few, it could be a few weeks also. Some people may look very attractive.
You spend a few minutes with them, they are so proud, and entitled, and so jealous, so much critical about us. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, Sometimes the spell comes out very quickly. Sometimes the spell may take more time to come out.
But it comes out of its spell. But, so, the third one is, that, so, the first is, in some world, it is Rajo Muni Samudbhava, but in the first world, there is some Sattva. Ok, there is this attraction, I don’t want to get attracted, so I have to shave this off.
There is the smoke, there is the fire. I want this fire, I don’t want this smoke. There is some level of Sattva over there.
Now, in the second level, it rushes, it has caught, it has made a person completely lost. And third level is what? He is so buried that even if one spell gets over, the person immediately rushes to the next spell. One indulgence is over, immediately the next indulgence, next indulgence.
So it is, in one sense, that, say for example, if somebody gets married, somebody gets attracted to someone, they get married. Now, okay, there is a level of attachment, but at least they are taking some responsibility when they are attached, that interaction. But for some people, it is like a perpetual hunt.
They have no respect for the boundaries of dharma. Okay, you get one person, enjoy with that person, and then after some time you can go and find another person, find another person. If somebody has wealth, somebody has good looks, you can keep doing that.
But there, they may enter extremely lonely. You know, they are using others and others are using them. It is just a very, very superficial thing.
There is a spell that is enjoyed, there is something wrong with it. They don’t even realize that. So, this is talking dharmas.
Sometimes we demonize Rajoguna. Rajoguna itself is not a bad thing. The word requires Rajoguna for function.
Now, Rajoguna becomes contaminated or dominated by Tamoguna, it becomes a problem. Rajoguna is guided by Tamoguna, it is excellent. But Rajoguna is largely required for the functioning of the world.
We see in the Bhagavatam, that when Kardamoni and Devahuti were in the forest. You know, when Devahuti desired to have a child, Kardamoni was filled with the service and wanted to give her a child. The atmosphere there was so santve, there was no desire of any kind.
So, then what did they do? Kardamoni created a beautiful palace. And then it was uselessly forced to create a palace and he created female attendants for her. Devahuti obeyed her, cleaned her and beautified her.
And then they were attendants until they were born. So, the point is that Rajoguna itself is not a problem. In many ways, Rajoguna is required for the functioning of the world.
But tamas is very dangerous. So, the Bhagavan writes in 16th chapter, how in today’s world, marriage has become practically an imagination. One of the reasons is that, people want physical indulgence without any kind of responsibility.
And that’s even materially this disaster. So, it is because of virtue. Material society cannot function like that.
Now, Europeans and Americans are becoming more aware of it. What is happening is, in Europe and America, the population is alarmingly decreasing. That in Europe and America, if you just look at the white people, the Caucasians they call it.
The white people, their reproduction rate is so low, that America and Europe would die out if there were no immigrants. And if people from other countries were not coming. So, now in London itself, the number of Muslims is more than the number of whites.
The number of British white people. So, they wanted immigrants to come in because the people themselves are not reproducing. Not that they are not having sex, but they are not reproducing.
So, it is totally tamasic. And society cannot function like that. So, now there is a conservative process.
We need to have a stable family structure. And we need to prioritize having children. And taking care of children.
So, Tamoguna is so tamasic, that even material society cannot function. So, that is for a long, long time, people are not even aware of it. So, the kama can infect us slightly, severely and almost fatally.
So, slightly, significantly, severely. So, now what do we do? Lower my guard. If we know there is an enemy, then we keep our guard up.
You know, Israel, what happened with Hamas, they lowered their guard. Now, they had high-tech walls and high-tech barriers. But Hamas just broke the camera and destroyed it.
They had a programming thing, whatever. Still inquiry is going on. But they had not kept any physical guards over there.
And they are still brutalized. What they did was horrible. So, if you lower your guard, the enemy is always there to watch you.
And he grabs and holds you. I am worried that at any moment I can get so caught that I may not even realize that I am God. Bless me, O Lord, to do the good works of God and more importantly, the good works of the spiritual joy, that I can be free from this.
Yes. There are two different things over here. See, we may get caught, but if we are in the association of devotees, or at least it has to do with spiritual values, then what will happen is, we will be warned about it.
We will be warned. We will be alerted. Sometimes, people nowadays, I guess, in the West, they have this idea of open marriages.
Do you know what open marriages mean? Both husband and wife agree that they will have physical relations with other people. So, the wife is going out with some other man, the husband is going out with some other woman. No marriage will be over there.
They say, you know, it’s okay. But, it is basically, in such a situation, what happens is, normally, in any culture, society, lust is so great, that lust will not even let a person stay responsibly within the grasp of it. So, if in a culture, society, there is some level of satanic society, or even some level of rancidness is there, let’s say, if a man is trying to have a relationship with some woman other than the wife, then there are other people involved, don’t you see? If the wife is having a relationship like that, there are other people involved, don’t you like this? But, if society is so distorted, and if somebody does like, hey, you are so clever, you know, you are so clever, and people start glamorizing such a thing, what will happen is, you will get caught and you will not even realize you are caught.
So, that’s why this social condition is very important. So, sometimes you get so caught and you don’t even realize you are caught. And, for us, when Krishna is giving these warnings, this is a deadly enemy.
It’s important to know that you become cautious. But, like I said, if you take maya seriously, but you also want to take Krishna seriously. Then there is a greater joy arising from this.
Now, Krishna Prabhupada did present, very few times he talked about how, you know, if somebody gives in to lust, the result is you will go to hell and you will suffer in hell. That’s why you don’t lust. And, after Ketu, there is a description of various celestial planets, which is in Prabhupada’s classes.
He doesn’t talk about, he doesn’t create fear of hell. But, what Prabhupada says is, we have souls, and as souls, we have the potential for so much greater happiness. His happiness is to jump, he says, do not want to jump, he said, I will not.
So, his focus is not in creating fear. His focus is on creating awareness. Creating awareness that we can have so much more happiness.
So, why should we search for something which is so flickering, so superficial, so external. That’s why our tradition is not so much about creating fear. For us, the fear is, of course, fear is healthy.
Fear that we may get caught. Fear that we may be captivated by mind. But, for us, the focus is not the fear.
The focus is Krishna. Krishna is our Lord. Krishna wants a much better life for us.
And, if we persist, we say, Krishna will have a better life. Then, come to all of us. Go ahead.
I beg you, O Lord, that your words stay alive within me, for that is what will keep me alive, even while this deadly enemy is still alive within me. So, even if this karma, this craving that is there, is still alive, we may not be able to kill it. It’s still alive, but, if Krishna’s words are alive in us, then we are aware.
Like, say, if we know, the enemy is there, we are not destroying the enemy over there. But, I am aware that this is the enemy. Even if that enemy looks like a friend, it’s an enemy.
And, what happens is, then, as long as that warning is alive, then we will stay alive. We will not lower our guard. We will be careful.
So, as devotees, the more we remember Krishna’s words, the more we will stay spiritually alive. In the second chapter, it says, Sruti Brahmashar, Buddhi Nakshar. Buddhi Nakshar, Krishna Shetty.
So, if we forget Krishna’s words, Sruti goes away, then what happens? Then Buddhi goes away. Buddhi goes away, then we fall. So, for us, it’s pretty clear, Krishna’s words, that we hear, we feel, it’s not just some beauty that we have to do.
It’s that the nature of the world is so deceptive, and we need to hear Krishna’s words for that. Then, as long as those words are alive, then we will also stay alive spiritually. Any questions, anyone else? Yes, sir.
I want to say something. Today, what I have seen, the Archana, Sam Archana. Who? Sam Archana.
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So, I have got a question. Three things over here. First is that, as technology is becoming more and more powerful, humanity, man is, humans are getting more and more opportunities to try to take over.
And one of the big ways where people are experimenting is with homosexuality. And all kinds of things are going on. One of the biggest funding things is what we call sex bots.
Like there are robots, there are sex bots. So it’s a huge industry. And the idea is that nowadays relationships are not stable.
So why do you need a relationship at all? You just buy your own robot. And that robot, you can… Their dream is that it can be the robot ship like your favorite movie star. And you can get the robot to speak like that movie star.
And behave like that movie star. And you can fulfill whatever fantasies you have with that robot. So there is a lot of fixation on trying to… Nowadays with AI, there are… There are AI apps which are like a mind economist.
They speak on different voices and speak. So basically, in many ways, technology is advancing. But what is it advancing for? It is going for the AHA, Vibhra, Mahim, Atharva game.
It is developing technology. But are we seeking any higher purpose? So yes, this whole field of… Fulfilling people’s sexual fantasies in many different ways. Extroversion is a huge thing in that.
And in fact, one of the big issues in elections in America recently was this. There are men who claim to be women. And the men who claim to be women, they may do some transgender surgery or not or whatever.
They say, I am a woman. And they start doing women’s sports. And you know, if a man and a woman are competing and who is a woman can beat a man, biologically men are much stronger.
So, you know, a man and a woman are playing basketball or volleyball and the man hits the ball and the woman, before she can even hold the ball, she is hit. She gets injured. So, this is becoming very alarming.
And so, they are saying that there are as many genders as 64 genders. All kinds of genders. It is a very peculiar thing.
They say that sex and gender are very different things. So, I mean, a whole conceptual and practical mess they are creating. So, when this involvement came, they openly declared that there are only two genders.
So, I have to agree with that. But things have become really messy. Now, somebody is a transgender.
Then which bathroom do you use? The man is claiming to be a woman. That man goes to a woman’s bathroom. The woman feels scared over there.
There were male criminals who were put in female jeans. And then there were women who were there. It is a whole huge mess.
So, right now, there is some pushback against it. The technological facilitation and even the intellectual rationalization of it. It is going on in a big way.
That’s one side of it. That’s the whole point. So, it is going on in a terrible direction.
And it is glamorized by society. So, many devotees… There is one Christian pastor. We may talk to him.
He said that in the past, when your husband would go out of home, he will give you 50% of humanity and potential temptation for your husband. He will keep a track on your husband. He says, now, 100% of humanity is going to temptation for your husband.
So, it is a very sad situation. Unfortunately. It is horrifying.
It is also sad. But there is a constant pushback against it. The second thing is that Now, I don’t know about Samadhi specifically.
But gay marriages have been more or less accepted, mainstreamed. And if somebody is biologically like that, what are we going to do about it? What will society do about it? If somebody wants to be a gay, in many ways, it will be better that they stay… they have their organization, stay with one person, that keeps the movement going. So, one gay might be better than one gay.
Can we expect them to not engage in sexual activity? Can they get married to a person of opposite gender? Biologically, they might be able to function, but just don’t have a relationship. Just don’t feel any affection. There are many gays who say that a woman’s body stinks for me like a fish.
A man feels no attraction to a woman’s body. So, in one spiritual tradition, Indian spiritual tradition only, there was one sanyasi, who would say famously, for me, a woman’s body stinks like a fish. Everything is so unannounced.
Later on, we came to this point, that he was actually a homosexual. And he was actually enjoying with women. And people saw him so much, that they laughed at him.
So, it is all crazy. The thing is, what you do in such a situation. And it could be because of Kanyuga, these kind of things are happening more.
And because things are happening more, and do something about it, society expects that such people are completely silenced for all time. We don’t do that. No.
So, in the past, if somebody has a sexual orientation, they have to always hide it. And then, they will be seen by the society, they will be stoned to death. Christians have very harsh, homosexual types.
Islam, of course, would also. So, if somebody has that orientation, that particular way of sexuality, you know, if they feel so miserable, they have to hide everything, and if they come out, and they humiliate their lives, there is no need to go to that extreme. So, if somebody wants to get married, if somebody wants to have a child, what people do, tell the truth, that’s up to them.
But, what happens is, it’s glamorized, it becomes a problem. So, even among gays, there are conservatives, and there are liberals. So, I know some people in the West, that is about it.
And these are conservatives, they say, you know, we are different from others, in one particular way, let us be different, and let’s all go on moving. And the gay liberals, they will say that, you know, that society is not arranged for us, so rearrange our society. So, rearrange our society means what? You go on moving.
In search for wedding photos, you won’t get man-woman photos. You’ll get man-man photos also. You’ll get women-women photos also.
They say, children should know, wedding is not only about man-woman. Now, why do children need to know that? Isn’t it? It’s an insane thing. So, I have a video of this, I talk about it in, you know, acceptance, three things, acceptance, prominence, and consequence.
You know, in our tradition, acceptance is possible. That is the way you are. You don’t have to be persecuted for that.
Acceptance is fine. But why bring prominence to it? That is the way you are, say that, here you have your space, and why bring it to a liberal? Prominence is undesirable. And ultimately, what is required is consequence.
Like, we are not our, our physical size is one part of who we are. So, we need to, we need to, ok, wherever our, whatever be the biological, psychological nature we have, so it is that, I call it an activity. Ultimately, we have to go beyond that.
Traditionally, you see, the point is, sexual energy is an important energy. And it can be an extremely strong distraction from spiritual path. So, now, it is the responsibility of this spiritual condition to regulate the sexual energy in such a way that it does not interfere with spiritual path.
So, traditionally, marriage was the institution for most people by which a sexual energy was regulated. Now, if somebody’s sexual energy is affected in a homosexual way, what is the way to regulate for that? It’s difficult to know at this point. So, what? Everybody’s sexual energy needs to be regulated.
So that ultimately, the energy regulation is for the legal responsibility. Otherwise, people say, why do I regulate? They just feel suffocated. They become rebellious.
So, how is it to be done? I don’t know. But, it is that, these people, they are not dysfunctional people. You can call them digital people.
But, they are actually, they, this is one aspect of their life. But, other areas, they are talented, they are intelligent, they are successful. Some of the subcultures are successful also.
So, but, they definitely deserve acceptance. Everybody deserves acceptance. Everybody, whatever be their sexuality, sexual orientation, they are souls who are biased and Christian.
But, there is no need to bring that into prominence. There is no need to thrust that on everyone else. There is no need to make that as a model for everyone else.
So, in schools in America, at least in some of them, see, America is also like almost two countries. For us, America is like California, Hollywood. But, that’s liberal enough.
It’s conservative enough. It also is there. Much in southern parts, it’s called conservative.
It’s midlands also. The middle part is conservative. Coastal, occupied, liberal.
But, see, in some parts of America, if a child goes to school, the, if the child has a new depression, then, every school has a therapist. Therapist asks, you know, if a boy is really depressed, do you think you are actually a girl? That’s why, because you cannot act on it, that’s why you are depressed. The therapist puts that idea in the mind of the child.
It’s such a crazy thing. The girl is depressed, do you think you are a boy? Yeah, maybe I am a boy. And, and, it’s like, normally, people can even do, people can change their gender, they can even take treatment, they can even go to the state, and the government sponsors it.
And, the kid, does not even require the permission of the parents. You see, one day, there was one American couple who came to me and said, no, I am a boy. One day, they just came back from school and said, I am a girl.
And, they referred to me as a girl. And, if you don’t refer to me as a girl, then you are abusive parents. The government will come and arrest you.
So, there was an Indian couple, and, the boy did like this. He just, he threatened, if you don’t refer to me as a girl, I will call you. I will, I will, I will call the police.
So, he was so alarmed, that, they just, decided they want to leave America. So, they gave him some healing medicine, and, they took a plane, and they came back to India. He was like, hey, what have you done? And, now, they called him a stupid.
So, it was, unfortunately, a very crazy situation. So, what you do, I think, social knowledge is required. And, we have a better social knowledge than we have.
It’s not, it is reasonable, but, see, although, at one level, what, what they are doing is, it seems crazy to us. But, if you talk with them, there is a logic to it, what they are doing. It’s a tragic logic, but, there is a logic to it.
And, if we just come up as condemning it, then, people will just condemn and reject us. They will not even let them hear us. So, it is, it is not easy, to, to outreach and all that stuff.
So, I was staying in one place, we loved each other. And, I used to go there regularly, 2-3-4 times a year. I got to know a lot of people over there.
And, one day, two girls came and, they said, we want your blessing. We are getting married. So, I was crying, and I said, to whom? And, the organizer was just with a sour face.
Then, I understood. Because, both of the girls were holding hands. So, they were going to get married to each other.
So, then, I told them that, as a, as a representative, of a particular spiritual tradition, I cannot offer you, my blessings. But, as an individual, I can offer you my blessings. So, it is a difficult situation.
That, we have solutions, we are spiritually interested. That is not so simple. But, that is the way we are functioning.
So, what do you do? Yes, we have to be very, on one side, we have to be firm, in our principles. But, at the same time, we have to be sensitive, that we don’t invade people. That’s, it’s a, especially, in liberal America, it’s a, it’s a huge chaos.
It’s a, and not just America, actually, Canada, and, France, and, and, Australia, New Zealand, things are getting worse. In America, at least, conservatives have a little pushback. So, conservatives are becoming a little more interventional, a little more conservative.
New Zealand had a very, very different orbit, in that timeline. in the current moment, it’s not completely conservative, it’s a little more conservative. So, slowly, there’s a pushback.
There’s, there’s a little pushback, in some way. So, let’s take one more notice. Any other question? Question from the audience.
See, for us, now, Switzerland is invisible. So, even if something is invisible, then what does it mean? You don’t know, you can’t perceive it. So, when I say the car, what I was saying is that, it’s a metaphorical car.
It’s a metaphor, but it’s like, it’s like the extent of the power that is there. So, sometimes it’s weak, sometimes it’s very strong. Sometimes it’s so strong, that we, we don’t even realize that we are in sleep.
So, let’s take one more verse, and then we’ll stop. So, आवतं घ्यावनं, this, by this, the घ्यावनं is covered. घ्यावन्यो इत्यः, ग्यावन्यो इत्यः, it’s a constant ending.
It’s not an ending that stops, even after we die. It comes and changes over time also. कामः रूपियः हम्पे, this is in the form of कामः अजून, दुष्पूरिः अनिच्छ, in a fire, another is fire, दुष्पूरिः, it never ceases.
This means no more. So, आवतं घ्यावन्यो इत्यः, आवतं घ्यावन्यो इत्यः, यानि यानिको यानिना, तेया, दुष्पूरिः यानि यानिच्छ, कामः रूपियः, this is in the form of कामः अजून, desire which tends to endlessly grow, like a ferocious fire, like a fire that burns insatiably, never letting it be extinguished. Who will tell you? Who is the mind? My dear Lord, please let me understand that the things that connect me away from you are not just an illusion, or even a dangerous illusion.
They are dangerous and precious illusions. So, the illusion is a illusion, but it is a precious illusion. Precious means, it does not appear to be like me.
In a natural lagna, the person we trust, and the person we trust. So, like that, it does not appear to be like me. It appears to be somebody who comes and is crazy.
But then, it becomes a person who makes me become crazy. But when you see that, it is very important. It is like, some people, they are very extroverted.
So, there are some people who say, for example, they ask us to invest money in this project, in this shares, in this stock. And some people are very clear investors and they give us the gold returns. But some people are very sweet talkers.
They take all the money and go. So what happens is, if you want to invest, you need to be very careful, you know what is going on. So like that, we, we want to invest our time, our life, our so many things into a particular interaction.
So when I borrow a particular desire, what I am making, I am investing my time in that desire. My energy in that desire. So is it really trustworthy? It is.
This is one thing. In the universe, comes another thing. The opportunity to exert a potential solution.
Go ahead. The craving for such things burns within my heart like a fire. But it is unlike any other fire.
Normally, when a fire burns severely, I reflexively move away from it. But this is a fire that draws me closer to it, the more it burns. And I grow closer, not as a firefighter to extinguish it, but as a deluded astronaut setting my own life on fire.
So, it’s like, when a fire comes, don’t move from the fire. I am here. We grow closer, we fuel the fire.
We get our own focus on the fire. So the idea of desire of the fire is not un-human. So it’s like somebody who is also, you know, strong, sour, enjoy, all that.
So the idea that, you know, every particular desire, particular season, their sexual desire is not strong. But they think that by indulging in it, the desire will go away. So what happens? Why do we go closer to it? Because we think that the desire, by indulging in it, the fire will go away.
But it’s what happens? Indulgence seems to temporarily extinguish the fire. But the relief from the craving lasts only for a brief while. And then the craving returns.
With indulgence, the indulgence repeats itself. I have experienced it. How I can put a craving? Because of, it is true that indulgence cannot become a restful.
Yeah. So basically, see, all of us experience this to some extent. That there is some desire that is troubling us.
To do this, eat this, touch this, touch this. We do it. After that, see, initially what happens is, indulgence.
By indulgence, I mean self gratification. With this indulgence, initially, there is pleasure. Some pleasure is there only in something when we watch something.
But after some time, it’s not pleasure. It’s only relief. What is happening is, initially, if the craving is not really strong, then let me do this, let me do that.
But after some time, as the conditioning becomes stronger, the conditioning becomes stronger, then there is a great torment. The torment is to do it. Something is like holding us from doing it.
And at that time, when you do it in this manner, the tension is solved now. And so we do feel some relief. But what is the nature of this relief? Say, imagine this is a fire.
Suppose there is a fire, it is burning. And I put a log of wood on it. Then what will happen is, the fire will disappear.
But it will disappear for how long? Till the wood catches fire. And once the wood catches fire, then the fire will not only reappear, it will stop. So like that, for us, when we indulge, we do get some relief, no doubt.
So there is a high point that we need to decipher. Now in Tantra, Tantra’s idea is, that if there is a fire, and you just enjoy so much, holding a huge log of wood, and put so much wood on it, enjoy so much, the fire will be extinguished by the enjoyment. Now that is one idea of Tantra.
But the problem with that is, first of all, all this is very intangible. We don’t know how big is the fire inside us. And we don’t know how much wood will be big enough for that.
So if the fire is bigger, already when we put a huge wood, then after that the huge wood catches fire. It’s a deadly thing. So can a lot of enjoyment lead one to, lead one to, there is no point in this, there must be something bigger in there.
Maybe. But it’s a big issue. Most often what happens is, when one enjoys a lot, all that it leads to is, one enjoys a lot, and after that there is nothing in this.
What that leads to is, frustration. And it is a big misconception. Frustration is not the same as renunciation.
Frustration and renunciation, what is the difference? It’s, see, there is a desire to enjoy, and there is the ability to enjoy. So in frustration, the desire is there, the ability is not there. In renunciation, the ability may be there, but the desire is not there.
The two are almost opposite. So generally, by excessive indulgence, frustration may come. But frustration is not renunciation.
That’s why there is a lot of frustration about it. But can frustration lead eventually to renunciation? Frustration, if it is followed by purification. Purification means, one does some serious sadhana, by which, okay, this desire I experienced, it’s pointless, now I actually purify myself.
It leads to some higher desire. When sadhana comes, then it leads to renunciation. So, this is a very dangerous thing.
By indulgence we go beyond it, it doesn’t happen like that. So, now, there is a Vishvamudhe Ardhanam, Vishvamudhe. It’s like a fire, it seems to grow bigger and bigger.
This statement is so fearfully recent, that it makes me disbelieve. Not just the words of Vishnu, I hear from him, and I’m so devoted to him. But also my own past experience, it blinds me to the number of times I have personally realized the futility and form of that inner life.
What it means is that, we ourselves have experienced it. There’s nothing in it. There’s nothing in it.
For example, you may decide to resolve this and that and that, and spend half an hour, one hour, three hours, four hours, and I just get frustrated. I’m digging on this, I come out of it, I relax, I just keep working my device. But after some time, what happens? After a few days, again the designer comes, and then maybe one part of us is in the emptiness.
But another part, I’m just going to do it, I’m going to say that. So it just overwhelms me. It exists.
So, we’re not just rejecting the words of Shastra, the words of Guru Samaj Shastra. We, as a community, become so much that we reject our own experience. Our own experience to whatever extent we have an experience.
There’s nothing that big about this nature. It’s huge. It’s there, it’s there, it’s probably shorter.
But the nature of the craving becomes so strong, when we’re not only rejecting a shabda, we’re also rejecting the text. Our own experience, we end up rejecting that. Yeah.
I beg you, oh Lord, help me remember the receptiveness of worldly desires, and more importantly, let me remember the mercifulness of your heart. Only by these two rituals, can I stay safe in this temptation. Yes.
Maya is receptive, but Krishna is still merciful. And the extent we remember this, in a dangerous world, but Krishna is there, we need to cherish our Krishna. Sometimes what happens is, because we have, maybe we have plans to live long ways, so we may become so discouraged, maybe I’m very fallen.
Yes, no matter how fallen I am, Krishna is strong enough to elevate me. So, sometimes I’m so fallen, that He may come near me, and do me a favor. You see, that is not humility, that is ego in the mask of humility.
You see, that my capacity, which is impure, is more than Krishna’s, if I’m impure. So, Ramakrishna, Brahma Kumbhara, Govinda Kumbhara, all crazy, so, his wife was fighting with him, and so suddenly that, he invited his wife to come and say, you know, the son-in-law of Kunti is there, and all that, he said, actually, if I go there, and face my daughter, I’m not going to let her go. Now, this is an excuse, but when you witness, what happens is, if somebody openly says like that, we understand it is, it is, it is just foolish to say like that.
But, you know, we also do like that. Have any of you heard the statement, spilt? Spilt? You know, fallen soul? You’ve all heard the statement. And for us, what happens is, fallen, becomes so big, that you forget it as soul.
So, fallen, is also a temporary exhibition. Just like, you know, many Indian, you know, engineer, in that, it will be, it will survive. So, fallen, is also a resignation.
You should identify with the resignation so much, you forget that we are souls. So, fallen, is the power of maya. And need to be aware of the power of maya.
But, we are souls, and there is the power of Krishna. Krishna never rejects us. No matter what we may have done.
Krishna will never, if so, I have discussed it with you, I’ll leave your heart and go away. I’ll never pick up on your heart again. Krishna will never say that.
Ever. We don’t have ever, the power to do anything, that will make Krishna stronger than us. So, Krishna always means thousands.
Krishna always means the best for us. Krishna is always there, to empower us. We need to remember the mercy of Krishna, and take shelter of that Lord.
And by His mercy, Manchitama, Sarvabhadra, Manthiprasad, Krishna. By my mercy, He rides above all obstacles. We respect that Krishna.
I need to become conscious of the power of maya, but please my Lord, let me not become so maya conscious, whether in the form of how enjoyable it is, or how dreadful it is. Let me not become so conscious, that I don’t become Krishna conscious. You are my hope, you are my shelter.
In case, I may know you, that I can be freed from whatever conditions I have. Please my Lord, let me always be conscious of you. Krishna, Manjula, Saraswati.
Saraswati, discuss to me, discuss voices, try to make me think like a man. Try to make me discuss the point of equanimity. So degrees is, degrees of hostility or enmity.
So calm in sattva, when we are in sattva, calming down sattva, real sattva, like calmness and happiness. Then, here we are aware. Aware, and then we want to, aware, and we are fighting.
Fighting against it. We like smoke, we like fire. When we are in brudges, what happens is, we have lost awareness.
We are caught in an awareness spell. We are completely, we are watching a movie, and we are just forgetting where we are and what we are doing. But when we are in tamas, so then it is like a window, a mirror, the mind can tell us what the mind actually thinks.
As a, you remember, mind can be a window, or it can be a mirror. The mind is not actually a mirror at all. And then, in tamas, what happens is, that we have already lost awareness.
It is like we are, it is the spell of one object. So, that particular, we are watching one movie, and lost in that movie. But when that movie gets over, okay, now what should we do? Come out of that spell.
So, like, there is a romance, romance type of romance. But here, it is like we are caught in a spell, which is not of an object. It is the spell of a mentality, of a habit, of an addiction.
So, like, one, one realization is over, like we are not caught by a movie, we are caught by the habit of movie watching. So, as soon as the movie gets over, immediately, what is the next one? Turn it on and watch it. So, in that, people get caught in one, one, one, one thing, that is just second thing, that is like, the soul is completely lost.
For several years, and life times, also not come out. It is like a, the life completely withered, with the, you know, it is not even aware. And then, 30 seconds, 30 seconds, we discussed once, and how, how is this action? So, the action is, That will act like a fire.
So, how do we come down and kill you? One minute, the other minute. In fire, what happens is we only fuel it. And we don’t do the rest.
So, initially, there will be some pleasure. But eventually, there will only be grief. And you seek that relief, and you mistake it with pleasure.
What happens? This is the fire. We put a log of it. That’s our indulgence.
And that becomes like the wood that fuels the fire. And the thing out of this is, that we need to remember, at one level, maya is power. And then we need to remember, Krishna is power.
So, maya is not just dangerous, it is treacherous. That no matter how treacherous Krishna is, maya is, Krishna is mercy. So, because of maya, I may be fallen.
We discussed about how I am. I am a fallen soul. So, we need to be aware that I am fallen.
Maya’s power is that I am fallen. But I am a soul. That is Krishna.
Krishna’s power. So, we focus on the soul. Not on Krishna.
So, remember that I am fallen. But we remember much more that I am a soul. And when we remember that I am a soul, then, remember this, but remember this much, much more.
Then we will be able to move ahead and become purified by Krishna’s mercy.