Why do we counter-push against lower modes and not against goodness?

From Sushant Kulkarni P

When our modes of nature (our body, mind) impel us to fulfill sensual desires, we try to counter-push the modes. But, when the same modes impel us to act in a, say, brahminical way we don’t counter-push the modes to try to act in some other way, say, ksatriya’s way. So, why is it that in one case we suppress the modes’s instincts and in the other case we go along with the modes?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Hare Krishna. Question from Sushant Kulkarni Prabhu.
Why do we counterpush against certain modes, say when the lower modes of passion or ignorance impel us to do certain activities, but when the higher mode of goodness impels us to act in brahminical ways, we don’t counterpush it. Why is that? Answer. The principle is, whatever is favorable for bhakti, we accept that.
Whatever is unfavorable for bhakti, we reject that. So that means in general, the lower modes, passion, ignorance are unfavorable for bhakti. They fill us with desires which are non-devotional or even anti-devotional.
And that’s why, because they are unfavorable, we counterpush, counter against them. But that’s not always true. The passion in and of itself doesn’t have to be always bad.
Kshatriyas use their passion for the service of Krishna by doing heroic activities in his service, in the protection of dharma, for the cause of virtue. So similarly, when we have to do some challenging services, when certain targets are given, certain goals are set, certain deadlines are assigned. So at that time, we can also stimulate the passion within us and utilize that in the service of Krishna.
So the passion should not take complete control over our being, but a certain level of passion can be utilized. So Prabhupada would do that when he would say that I will come to whichever temple which distributes maximum books. So then it would create a constructive competition between different temples of who would do more service to Prabhupada and Krishna.
So that is actually utilizing the mode of passion in Krishna’s service. Now, similarly, goodness, in general, it is favorable for bhakti because it helps us to become contemplative, discriminative, and we are able to see the futility of short-term activities, short-term indulgences, and we are able to see the utility, the value of the glory, of long-term devotion of spiritual activities. So in general, goodness is favorable, but there may be exceptional situations where even goodness may be unfavorable.
So, for example, when Krishna told Drona, told Duryodhana, told Yudhishthira, that, tell Drona that Ashwathama has been, Ashwathama is to be, Ashwathama is dead. So at that time, Yudhishthira Maharaj hesitated. So that was because he was a little bit too attached to the mode of goodness.
But then he surrendered and he did Krishna’s will. So these are, of course, exceptional situations and generally devotees should act in the mode of goodness. But the point is that I gave this example to illustrate, So if we get a direct instruction from Krishna, where for some higher principle, goodness needs to be subordinated to transcendence, we can do that and we should do that.
So the devotees have nothing against the mode or nothing for the modes. The devotees are primarily concerned about serving Krishna and whatever is the best way to serve Krishna, devotees will use that. So whatever mode is uncool for Krishna bhakti, we accept.
Whatever mode is particularly cool for Krishna bhakti, we reject. We counter-push against it. And that way, the modes may come and go, but we stay steadily and go onwards on the path back to Krishna.
Thank you. Hare Krishna.