...The sword of transcendental knowledge, and it is Krishna who gives it, Govinda – because after all it was Govinda who spoke the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna. He spoke the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna so He gave transcendental knowledge but it is very difficult to apply that transcendental knowledge.
That we all know very well that the knowledge of the Gita is compared to the sword of knowledge/ it is every sharp- so it has to be applied with intelligence. Intelligence is sharp, intelligence is cutting. It is sharp, sharp intelligence.
So we are cutting with the intelligence- the sword of knowledge, sharp intelligence. So that means it can be painful – because with intelligence one knows what to do but the mind and senses don't feel like it- and still one has to do.
That is intelligence, therefore Intelligence means that one acts according to prescribed duty, that is intelligent…
…thinking feeling and willing are related to the mind and the senses, so when the feeling is so strong:
'But I have to do it!'
'Why?!'
'Because I feel it!'
'I feel that it's right and I have to do it'
'But the intelligence says it's wrong'
'No but I feel it!'
'No, intelligence says it's wrong!'
'But I FEEL IT!!!'
So one has to act upon the platform of intelligence , not on the platform of feelings. That is the difficulty so therefore anybody who acts on transcendental knowledge is intelligent. So therefore all us of should act, male or female, on transcendental knowledge – but this is difficult.
It is very difficult to control the mind and control the senses which are : thinking feeling and willing- so strong. A thought comes to our mind, maybe a good idea:
The mind says 'Yes Yes Yes Yes a good idea, Good Idea!'
And then the next thing: ' YES I want it! Want it now!!!!'
So strong!
The senses push so much and they have no mercy, they are demanding, very demanding. But with the sword of knowledge (sanskrit) one has to say 'No, I cut!' Cut.
But the difficulty is to do that. Very difficult. So it said that Lord Balarama gives us that strength to lift that sword. He gives us the strength to act upon knowledge and to cut our material desires. So that is interesting and Balarama gives us that strength by giving us devotional service – because Balarama makes unlimited arrangements in serving Krishna. By engaging in devotional service one becomes inspired. By engaging in devotional service one becomes very powerful and inspired and in this way we can actually do it on the taste that is there in devotional service.
One might say well there is a lot of austerity in devotional service. There is austerity but it is not the main thing, the main thing is taste. Taste in Kirtan, taste in Prasadam…or the taste of having made a sacrifice to Krishna. So there is no doubt that the source of our strength is not austerity.
It is said that austerity (Sanskrit), that is part of spiritual life but that is not the all in all. That is not the all in all. On the strength of austerity, how long can one last?
Just like when we have to carry bricks. How many bricks can you comfortably carry; six at a time? Eight at a time/? May be the first time you can even do ten at a time! But after a while ten at a time becomes very difficult to lift. After a while even eight becomes hard..even two!
If we have to lift hundreds or thousands of bricks then even to lift the last two hurts the arms, the back and everything! And it become a strain! So that is the nature of austerity. It is like a weight that we are lifting and with time we become fatigued. Therefore no matter how austere we are there is a limit to austerity. But the taste that comes in devotional service of just doing the best we can..
...just like in my early days in Krishna consciousness, one of my services was to prepare a room for a programme for a guest – and they said ;
'Quick quick quick, go in there and go clean the room!'
Quickly I cleaned the room, I quickly swept it, because it was quick and I quickly put the dust under the carpet! But then I thought:
'No! I can't do that because now I am cleaning for Krishna and Krishna is seeing under the carpet as well! So I lifted the carpet back up and took everything from the carpet and now it was for Krishna. And just the fact that we are trying to do a first class job is so satisfying. It gives that feeling:
'Yes I did the best I could!'
'I really tried my level best and I know I did.'
So therefore I can feel that:
'Yes I am satisfied with my performance because I tried my best!'
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