Hare Krishna,
Please help to get the right understanding:
In BG2.41 it is said:
Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.
And BG3.27 it is said:
The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.
Now if prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah, then how to be resolute in purpose.
How to get vyavasāyātmikā intelligence ?
In fact intelligence at this end is totally screwed up and spoiled. Shall We keep chanting and leave it to Lord ? Please guide.
Replies
Hence I surrender to the will of the Gods I consider most deserving,- to me.-
Sri Sri Hari Krishna & Ram' Viah the Shri Vishn Sumpadiah.
Prahbupoda use to say" that ISKCON) Is not field with The Valiant heroes of religiously it would be field with old souls' who
having. exosted all other means
To independently exploit this creation for their own selfish perpuses & ultimately been bewilderd & defeated by Him (God) Krishna for Hi's greater good and intentions I.e. the realization of His identity pastimes & service . I am one such Soul !
(HDG) would say "this gift of life & this planet, what have you/we done to earn or deserv them? Nothing so why do we think, or come hear thinking that God has provided it just for our enjoyments. & that He/God hasn't already devised a plan for it & us and that, that is /should be the aim & and intention of our inquiries "
Like in the SriModBhogaVotom when the god Shiva appeared from the brow of His father Brahma " & Cryed "What is my name & what is my perpus hear" we should also 1st. have made this inquiry. & not like some Coyote dogs 1st. Embraced this place as some gratuitous gift.
"O happyDays" & begun to plunder it as if it it were our own. With out ever considering "What is all of this & to whom does it belong?
Or how or when did I become so deserving? Instead our iintelagence' making the assumption that this life is hear for our owm pleasher seeking dove rightzin to this karmic pool/trap/Ocion & have been up to our necks in our own actions reactions everSence. Simply spining like a top being bated & befouled "here is happyness" oh "here is pleasher oh this is mine" & 'that is greatness" & this is freedom etc. Etc. Life after life chacing the carrots of possibility's. But all things that are not a part of Krishna's plans or pastimes or shared with Him are not things that will flourish long, for they/all things, were intended for Hi's pleasher & glory 1st.
This is what I am learning Viah ISKCON. always include God ! 1st.
"Thank you Krishna"
Always say this beforehand befot excepting whatsoever you receive. Is a good habit to get into. Thank you Krishna Thank you Srila Prahbupoda !
of the bhakti yogi." hence He to-us is Our "FarmaRodge" our preceptor our jahgot guru, ultimately & locally in_teal time, regardless of reality that ther are' other authoritys in place that can rightfully occupy & deserve these titels! We have resolved to accept our results of this desision and the whatever consaquenses that are accompanying this conclusion, that He is exclusively God. & particularly Our God, Guru & best addvisor.
The Soul (factually worshipabl personality) of all the creations. Although we respect everyone mortal-individuals as well as Hi's apointed representatives, He alone occupies the position of the Head of all Gods to us! ?
Also it is our understandings the He is requiring us individually to diminstrate a certan amounts of exclusivity in this regard, such as the direction & and dedacation of such facelties as "the intelagence"?
Taking shelter of Krishna is not a "pieceMill project" whereby one honor's Krishna as The GodHead intellectually & yet resorts to taking shelter of others for the sake of convenience or for what we may surmise or speculate to be a more expodisus path/means to our ends.
I.e. for example I need a new car, so '
acording to Krishna I should simply continue serving Him ceaselessly and causlisly and with out expectations except for basic preparations such as looking at & evaluating what type of vehicle would best suit my needs. But ultimately if the Supreme Athoraty (Krishna) decides differently then I should simply arrange other means of transportation !
& continue to maintain my saddana* & darshon & the apointed service of chanting Hics holy names. Without regret, having accepted Hics will & grace as the finnal Athoraty.
If we have Sexual lust that should also be directed to the lotus feet of our GodHead, as should the minds awareness & attraction & service. This same rule is applicable to our intelagence. In other words the submissions of all our personal indevers should not be pieceMill. They should be absolutely relient upon Hi's judgments & desisions. "Lean not, upon your own device's but to the intelligence of God-the supreme proprietor be true.
This is soundingslike simplicity & for an ashram devote it may be, however, for others who are out in Mya's society it is not so one-pointed. There are many distractions & temptations that leed us to think that they are viable opptions.
"The bills must be payed, the lights must be kept on they say, so this money must be made at all/any coust, morraly of physically" some say like this! ? Similarly one's intellectual disciplines being simply a facelty superior to the mind should be harnessed & redirected to the supervision & service of Krishna. It's awareness should also reliant upon Krishna & Krishna's intelligence all bhaktis are like Gopi's "if you oh Krishna choose that I tumble into the Hellish worlds do to my neglected obaysoncies of this/my present environment thin into hell we will willingly fall for you are the only lord with in our heartseven there! This is my desision & the determination of our intellagence.please forgive my offences & remain beside me thrugh whatever conditions and circumstances my neglectfulness might cause for me. For you are my Lord & my God cent-per-cent Unconditionally. Please guide me allwsys in all ways!
Thanks for those beautiful insightful words. I wish to refer them regularly till it gets engraved in my mind.
-Hare Krishna.
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
If everything was being done by nature, then what is the minute freedom given to jivatma? The minute freedom is to choose - whether one wants to do x or y, whether one wants to remain in the mode of ggodness, passion or ignorance.
Verse 3.27 is mainly talking about the ego of the person, who refuses to see that "he" is not the doer. A lot of our activities, if not all, are dictated by the modes of nature. We want to be masters of our universe, actually, we are slaves of our senses and consequently the modes of nature.
Resolute in purpose is required - suppose you are doing a course, appearing for national level exams, if you spend the preparation time watching TV or playing with friends, would you be able to do justice to your potential in the exams? No na. You need to be focused to crack the exam or interview, whatever. Now to get something material, we have to work so hard and remain focused, then why not for the highest goal, for the spiritual pursuit, for Krsna Consciousness. The resoluteness has to be much stronger and much more sustained, isnt it? That is the choice we have in the name of minute freedom given to jivatma.
I am not sure I have been able to explain properly prabhuji. Pls ask if you have further questions.
I am happy to see your questions, it shows that you are studying the Gita, not merely reading it.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Thank you very much Matey for your kind words.
For a neophyte devotee whose mind is agitated by the passionate mode of material nature and also bewildered by the ignorant mode of nature (ref.ed from SB 2.1.20), how can he surrender unto God ? Can a mind under occasional agitation really surrender ?
Hare Krsna
how can he surrender unto God ? Can a mind under occasional agitation really surrender ?
Surrendering is a process. It is not a switch. vyavasāyātmikā intelligence is not the beginning stage, it is quite an advanced stage. By gradual progress in KC only one can attain this stage. The gradual progress is given in BG 4.10
1. In the beginning one must have a preliminary desire for self-realization.
2. This will bring one to the stage of trying to associate with persons who are spiritually elevated.
3. In the next stage one becomes initiated by an elevated spiritual master, and under his instruction the neophyte devotee begins the process of devotional service.
4. By execution of devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master, one becomes free from all material attachment,
5. attains steadiness in self-realization, and (Here one has vyavasāyātmikā intelligence)
6. acquires a taste for hearing about the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Çré Krsna.
7. This taste leads one further forward to attachment for Krsna consciousness,
8. which is matured in bhäva, or the preliminary stage of transcendental love of God.
9. Real love for God is called prema, the highest perfectional stage of life."
So, by the slow process of devotional service, under the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master, one can attain the highest stage (Purport BG 4.10)
So depending where we are on the path of bhakti the we have to accordingly take steps to attain the next stage. For example - If one is in the stage 2 - Association with devotees, then one must aspire to move to stage 3 - accepting a spiritual master & following his instructions.
This kind of gradual progress is also called surrendering
YAS Bharat
Thanks a lot Prabhu. With my current state of mind, crossing even a single step appear impossible to me. I wish, you devotees and Lord's mercy, gives needed guidance in continuing on this path with enthusiasm and determination.
-Hare Krishna!!