From:
ISKCON DC <ISKCON.DC@pamho.net>
Digest 337: November 21st, 2010. Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami
Maharaja
You are invited to send your questions to His Holiness Romapada Swami at
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http://www.romapadaswami.com/?
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Need association and knowledge for staying in goodness
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712) I have a question about how to break the maya and to deal with karmic
baggage. I come from a highly intelligent family. I however, suffer from
manic depression. I am the youngest and the least intelligent. So, things
are more difficult for me.
The good news is that the Gita IS taking hold. Because of the Gita, issues
and problems are beginning to heal and my behavior has changed drastically
over the four months that I have listened to it. I enjoy working and giving
my work to Krishna, and I enjoy the nectar of an audio Gita everyday.
I consider myself a sudra, NOT because of my intellect, but because of my
disability. I enjoy words and how they work. I am word-smith. I am actually
more Hindu, than a Hare-Krishna. I do believe I am a dualist. I would say
that BOTH devotional service and philosophical rumination/discourse are
good.
I still deal with paranoia and the shame from my karmic baggage. When the
maya comes over me, it is hard to feel Krishna even though I know He is
there. A part of me still feels Krishna (atman?) but that part cannot act,
because of the mode of passion and the circumstances still "color" my
perceptions. It is not until later that I can understand what is going on
and correct it. I get caught up in guilt and shame and think that I am
condemned.
Where I live, the Hindu community stays hidden, so I don't get the benefits
of any Yogi instruction. I need to stay close to the mode of goodness. I
need to strengthen my knowledge. Respectfully, I ask for ideas.
Answer: Within Part 1 of my reply, I will first address your question re.
staying uncovered by maya and closer to goodness.
The best means to counteract maya is to somehow or other stay in constant
touch with Krishna.
mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma -bhuyaya kalpate
"One who renders service unto Me, through the linking process of bhakti-
yoga, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of
material nature and comes to the spiritual platform." (BG 14.26)
Krishna is the "Supreme-Atman" or the "Super-soul", and is above maya, He
is even beyond material goodness. Because Krishna is above maya, anyone in
touch with Him also rises above maya. Krishna is like the Sun, and maya is
compared to darkness. Where there is light, there can be no darkness.
The Self is by nature superior to Maya, but because it is an infinitesimal
spark, it is susceptible to become covered. But when it is connected to the
Supreme Self, it cannot be covered.
Particularly in the practice stage, it is to be expected that one will
experience ups and downs in consciousness, due to past conditioning.
But by continuing to connect to the Supreme Self, in all circumstances,
somehow or other, however feeble one's strength and clarity at such times
may be -- the influences of passion and ignorance will gradually subside.
Soon one becomes established in steady goodness.
Your specific question is how to remember/feel Krishna's presence when you
feel particularly covered/pushed by the modes. Of all the different methods
of linking to Krishna, hearing and chanting transcendental sound vibrations
that directly praise Krishna are particularly most powerful.
For hearing to be effective, it should be from the lips of a liberated
soul, who is free from any tinge of material desires or sins. The sound
vibrations from a pure person can penetrate the heart and revive one's
intrinsic knowledge, even at such times when we become covered or lost in
deep forgetfulness. Hearing about Krishna and/or repeating His Holy Names
is guaranteed to dissipate the cloud of maya and uproot karmic baggage,
just as the rising sun can dissipate thick fog.
The Gita also acknowledges your belief that devotional service and
philosophical understanding go side by side.
"Religion without philosophy is sentimental, or sometimes fanatic, and
philosophy without devotional service is just dry empiricism." Even a
person with knowledge can fall prey to maya, as seen in the history of even
great sages and demigods. But by pure devotional service, particularly
hearing from a pure soul, one's knowledge matures into realization, and
then one does not fall down.
If you have access to Srila Prabhupada's audio recordings and particularly
his chanting, may I recommend you to try listening to them?
You wrote about being overcome with feelings of guilt or shame. Regret for
one's lapses can be beneficial – it makes one humble and sober, and
humility is the beginning of true knowledge. Sincere regret also prevents
such tendencies from turning into habits. But excessive remorse and
lamentation are in the Mode of Ignorance. The process of self-realization
may take time but those who are persistent will eventually be victorious.
Even if forgetful or covered over sometimes, the moment you get clarity,
you can re-cover and re-instate yourself again without looking back. When
dark feelings tend to overpower you, recall the Gita's emphatic words of
assurances:
*BG 9.30* <
http://vedabase.net/bg/9/30/en>: "Even if one commits the most
abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be
considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination."
*BG 9.31* <
http://vedabase.net/bg/9/31/en>: "He quickly becomes righteous
and attains lasting peace. O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My
devotee never perishes."
*BG 9.32* <
http://vedabase.net/bg/9/32/en>: "O son of Prtha, those who take
shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth — women, vaisyas [merchants]
and sudras [workers] — can attain the supreme destination."
Instead of feeling undone, an aspiring transcendentalist uses such times to
reflect within and search where their knowledge or understanding is weak or
lacking, and thus delves deeper into the mysteries of Bhagavad-gita's
wisdom.
Part 2: Designations such as brahmana/sudra, intelligent/dull, man/woman –
all these pertain to the body only. They are not the permanent identity of
the Self. The spirit soul is sat-cit-ananda-vigraha -- eternally full of
pure knowledge and bliss; the soul can neither be a sudra nor less
intelligent.
Indeed, the rigid external designative approach to the different castes &
orders of society has led to the corruption of the original Varnashrama on
which "Hinduism" is based. By adopting suitable means and by higher
association, a sudra can become higher than a brahmana, even in the present
life.
"A person, whatever he may be, can attain the perfection of a twice-born
brahmana <
http://vedabase.net/b/brahmana> by undergoing the spiritual
disciplinary actions under the guidance of a bona-fide spiritual master,
exactly as a chemist can turn gun-metal into gold by treating it with
mercury." (Hari-bhakti vilasa)
Conversely a brahmana can degrade himself to sudra or lower. A
transcendentalist does not invest much thought and energy on their
present/past disposition, knowing these to be non-permanent. Instead they
devote whatever time is at their disposal to try to realize their eternal,
original, pure nature in relation to the Supreme Soul.
The pressure you must have felt to live up to the standard of the rest of
your family is understandable. But every living entity is endowed with some
unique ability that they can use in service to God. Identify what that gift
is in yourself, and by utilizing whatever gifts you are endowed with at
present to connect with and serve Krishna, you can realize the perfection
of your life, notwithstanding what past dispositions or baggage you may
carry.
For example, Valmiki was a hunter turned to a great poet, but by
delineating the activities of the Lord in the Ramayana, he became immortal.
The perfection of any asset or talent is not in how high /low it is in
worldly estimation, but how well it is used in the service of the Supreme.
(Please see
http://vedabase.net/sb/1/5/22/en) As you do so, your intrinsic
spiritual intelligence will increasingly unfold. I hope this addresses your
questions and your heart.
**************************
Digests 1-336 are available with subject classification at
http://www.romapadaswami.com/?q=inquiries
Digest 1-242 are included as a PDF file at:
http://www.romapadaswami.com/Inquiries/IITA_full.pdf
Lectures:
http://www.romapadaswami.com/?q=audio and
http://www.caitanya.com
Brief biography of His Holiness Romapada Swami:
http://www.romapadaswami.com/?q=HHRPS_bio
**************************
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The modes of material nature in this way are afflicting us. But we are not helpless in the matter. The modes of material nature may create waves for us, and these waves comes through our consciousness - due to our conditioning and these influences as I described earlier a little bit in astrological terms. So we can clearly see that they are there, but we can rise above it, and that is what we can do by taking shelter. 
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