We want to advance spiritually. We want to do actions so that we can be great devotee. We want guaranteed recipe of success. We want to know what actions will make us great or take us to Vaikuntha. Many people or gurus give their own recipes of success like chanting names for specific number of times, rituals, meditation, sense control etc. We want to control our senses so that we can become great. We want to feel that we are a great devotee.
Sadhana or doing right actions is important. But in absolute sense, there is no action which can lead us to God. Actions are results of prakriti or inert matter (guna gunesu vartante). Inert matter cannot reach the self which is completely beyond inert matter. That is truth - the self is beyond inert matter.
Real devotee does not want to control his senses. He does not want to do jap for specific number of times. Real devotee is happy in whatever situation Krishna keeps him. He has internal eagerness for Krishna and that internal eagerness and remembrance of Krishna gives happiness to Krishna. He is satisfied whichever way the nature (prakriti comprising of three gunas) takes him.
My dear mind! Be happy with what Krishna has given. Remember Him and don't try to become great devotee. Don't try to become great controller of your body or this nature. Due to foolishness, you think that you are the doer. You are completely dependent on Krishna. Understand your dependence and surrender to Him. Be happy in whatever situation Ram keep you.
Sadhana or doing right actions is important. But in absolute sense, there is no action which can lead us to God. Actions are results of prakriti or inert matter (guna gunesu vartante). Inert matter cannot reach the self which is completely beyond inert matter. That is truth - the self is beyond inert matter.
Real devotee does not want to control his senses. He does not want to do jap for specific number of times. Real devotee is happy in whatever situation Krishna keeps him. He has internal eagerness for Krishna and that internal eagerness and remembrance of Krishna gives happiness to Krishna. He is satisfied whichever way the nature (prakriti comprising of three gunas) takes him.
My dear mind! Be happy with what Krishna has given. Remember Him and don't try to become great devotee. Don't try to become great controller of your body or this nature. Due to foolishness, you think that you are the doer. You are completely dependent on Krishna. Understand your dependence and surrender to Him. Be happy in whatever situation Ram keep you.
10 comments:
I don't understand how one can "surrender" to Krishna without following what He says to do.
Krishna says over and over again in the Bhagavad Gita that we should endeavor to control the senses.
Krishna does not talk about external actions in Gita. He talks about internal consciousness like bhakti, surrender, equanimity etc.
When Krishna refers to sense control, he refers to internal control from within i.e. having no internal attraction to sense objects.
Why we should no attraction? Our self is not this body. Due to false identification (maya), we attribute our self to body. The true self is not touched by sense objects or by this world. Therefore, a person who realizes that his self is part of Krishna (not of this world) is not attracted to this world i.e. sense objects of this world.
Advanced devotee is jitendriya which means that he has internal control of senses. Krishna calls a person pretender who externally controls senses but is internally attracted to senses objects or desires sense objects.
Even though I have internal attraction to sense objects, I want to control my senses externally so that I can feel that I am great. I am talking about my endeavors to become great devotee. Why I don't want to be dependent on Krishna? Due to false ego, I think I am doer and I think that by my actions, I can get Krishna. That is not possible.
How to develop internal control? Feel your helplessness and be dependent on Krishna for internal control. That control comes when we internally experience happiness from within. That comes when Krishna gives us. That does not come from our external actions.
Try to remember Krishna as much as you can. Then, be happy with your situation.
Look at this post also.
http://harismaran.blogspot.com/2008/12/what-actions-should-we-perform.html
3.41 tasmat tvam indriyani adau
niyamya bharatashabha
papmanam prajahi hy enam
jnana vijnana nasanam
Look at what this verse plainly says and the context in which Krishna makes this statement.
A devotee follows all of what Krishna says, not just the parts that are convenient.
It may be that it is difficult in the beginning, but that is the nature of the mode of goodness.
We may not be able to come to the highest platform right away but we should not cheat ourselves and others by pretending that Krishna does not recommend what He clearly recommends in the Bhagavad Gita.
What does Krishna say in 3.42:
Senses are more subtler than matter.
Mind is more subtler than senses.
Intelligence is more subtler than Mind.
Soul is more subtler than mind.
We can practice sadhana at different levels.
Doing it at the level of mind and intelligence is more effective. Doing it at level of soul is beyond my level yet. Doing sadhana at level of mind and controlling senses through mind is more effective. That is done by remembering Krishna as much as possible.
Smartavyah satatam visnur
Vismartavyo na jatucit
Sarve vidhi nisedhah syur
Etayor eva kinkarah
Vishnu should always be remembered and never forgotten at any moment. All the rules (actions to be performed) and prohibitions (actions not to be performed) should be the servants of these two principles. (Padma Purana)
That is what I have said in my post. Remember Krishna constantly and as much as possible. Leave the rest to Krishna.
Prohibitions (donts) are dependent on remembrance. Remembrance become primary focus and sense control is result of remembrance of Krishna. So, control the senses because they are hindrance in remembrance.
ananya-cetah satatam
yo mam smarati nityasah
tasyaham sulabhah partha
nitya-yuktasya yoginah
For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain. (BG 8.14)
Following link nicely explains what I meant::
http://harismaran.blogspot.com/2009/05/true-devotees-attention-is-only-on-god.html When I become focused on sense control, then my attention is on myself. I need to focus on Krishna and be happy whichever way He keeps me. This can be easily done by trying to remember Krishna all the time. Then, mind is controlled and senses are automatically controlled. It is important that in remembrance focus should be Krishna.
I guess my point is that one yoga practice means mind and sense control.
As Krishna says in 3.43 samstbhya -by steadying and 3.42 niyanya by regulating we can them focus the mind. If we allow the senses to do whatever they want we will not be able to focus our mind on Krishna.
Krishna most definitely talks about sense control in the Bhagavad Gita. It is not by any means irrelevant. It's like the horses of the chariot. If the horses are out of control who knows where the chariot will end up?
Even if we cannot come to much of a standard of sense control in the beginning we should know that it is part of the practice of actual yoga. The senses, the mind and the intelligence should all be engaged in Krishna's service. And they should all be restrained from actions that are not recommended. Certain things will block our path, like intoxication, gambling meat eating and illicit sex. The more we can avoid these things the more we can become free from the ill effects of Kali yuga, and the more the mind will be able to be fixed.
Intoxication, gambling, meat eating and illicit sex are basic sense control. I am in favor of them.
I was involved with an organization which had child abusers as saintly people. I dissociated myself with that organization. Having compassion towards other living entities is basic human quality. How can a real devotee hurt anyone? If one has tendency to hurt others, then one needs sense control. SB 10.2.22 & SB 12.2.41 clearly state that such persons who inflict suffering on others will go to hell.
Even in my friends, I seek those people who have this basic sense control.
There are degrees of sense control. When I see beautiful women especially in scantily clad clothes, my mind gets attracted to them. I don't have control over it. Instead of beating myself on it, I prefer to focus my mind on Krishna.
I have seen many people especially Indians who are attracted to women. In order to counteract the attraction, they develop aversion. They want to run away from them. That is not healthy. Attachment and aversion both are same.
I do not give much value to sense control due to aversion. Krishna says to control raag (attachment) and dvesa (aversion). (Side note: Being vegetarian due to aversion is still better. I am talking about more higher level.)
Summer time is coming. In US, I will see more and more girls with mini-skirts etc. I will feel attracted to them.
I need to take it naturally. Due to maya, I have accepted myself as body. This body and mind is attracted to women.
I need to bring my mind from useless thoughts (believe me there are many) to Krishna remembrance (smaran).
I am helpless in controlling my body, mind etc. I get reminded of it every day. I need to surrender to Krishna and wait for His mercy. If I cannot control it in this life, I pray to Krishna to give me strength in next birth to remember Him. I know Krishna love me and that is the only hope.
>> Certain things will block our path, like intoxication, gambling meat eating and illicit sex. The more we can avoid these things the more we can become free from the ill effects of Kali yuga, and the more the mind will be able to be fixed.
To be sure if I was clear in my previous post.
I agree with you.
Apart from above four qualities, we need more to avoid effects of Kali.
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