Sharanagati

How to escape the influence of the gunas and act according to our spiritual identity? Krishna says that those who are on a high level, they have no inclination to material things. But those who are still conditioned by the body, they should regulate themselves. The basic propensities of the body are very simple and universal for all living species – like maintaining the self and maintaining the race. For maintaining the self every living entity is taking food, protecting himself and taking some rest. In order to maintain the race the living entities have sexual activities. So this is quite natural on the bodily level: eating, sleeping, defending and mating. Until you have a material body more or less you have to deal with these questions. Every religion gives some advice concerning this.

The difference between an ordinary person and a devotee is that the devotee can say: ”No!” when the desire comes. Sometimes the devotee is also influenced and attacked by different desires concerning the body or the mind, but he can say: “No!” What is our “No” to desires? This is a big “Yes” to Krishna. If you are attached to the spiritual, to the high-class things, immediately the attachment to the low-class things will be diminished.

We should be wise enough not to come under the influence of desire or aversion because these are the two extremities of the same thing. When you are neutral, independent, then you do nоt hate and you are not attached. To be attached or non-attached is a deeper thing. Until we are not independent, we should control whatever bodily desire or function is there. Everything can be controlled and used in the service of Krishna. We use everything for the best service – we use our eyes to see Krishna, we use our ears for drinking nectar with them while we are listening кrishna-katha (talks of Krishna).

In another place Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita (5.22) that the wise man is not attached to the sense objects, because the happiness derived from the contact of the senses with the sense objects is very transitory. Therefore do not be satisfied with some fleeting pleasure. Use your intelligence. You have to be totally, perfectly and permanently happy.