Sharanagati

The wicked mind, materialistic mind is coming from the body. But then we should ask whether the spirit soul also has a mind of not? There must be. Should there be added any adjective to that mind? Spiritual mind! There must be spiritual mind also. Why? What is the function of the mind? Thinking, willing and feeling.

Thinking, thinking capacity is the first. When you are able to move not only in the physical plane, but you have some brain, you can make a plan. But the main mistake for materialists and the neophyte devotees is that they act first and think later. Better we do not make a post calculation; think first and act second.

Thinking capacity can be very useful; and can be very dangerous also. Because if you become over-complicated in your mind, then it’s just a maze, you cannot find your way out. Therefore we should be very simple-minded. Simple-minded doesn’t mean that you are stupid, but means you are simple and honest person. Just like it said in the Bible that for the simple-minded there is the Heaven. This is what I mean: simplicity is almost equal to spirituality. This is some very elemental necessity.

And then second is willing. When you think, then you come to some conclusions. And to realize your conclusions you must have will power. Schopenhauer says that “The world is just will power and vision”. Or may be better I quote the Goswamis and not the Schopenhauer? Anyway, he is the authority on skeptic philosophy and pessimism also. And his conclusion about the world was: “O, this life is a marsh – so I decided to think, to ponder over it!” Our conclusion is not like this, our conclusion is that life – with all the troubles and all the ups and downs – is a necessary part of our training.

And we DO posses some will power. But we have to find the direct and the perfect targeting of our will power. Because if the power of a human being or a soul is misdirected, then only bad results will come. If we want to serve our own separate interests, we shall loose. If you live for yourself, you live for nobody; but if you live for God, then you live for everybody. You agree with this equation? Spiritual mathematics… Spiritual metaphysics…

We must understand how to use our will power. It’s not that we should become so much empty and impotent, that we are not able to do anything. Many times I had told you that the requirement from the disciple is that he should feel like a fool number 1 in front of the spiritual master; but he should not ACT as a fool number 1!!! Don’t mix. That means, you should find the best targeting of your will power. Set the goal and examine how to reach that. So if my goal is the lotus feet of Shri Krishna, what is the way to achieve that goal? The way to the lotus feet of Krishna is paved by the holly name. So the simplest message is to set the goal, find the way and do it.

And then comes the third function of the mind – the feeling capacity. Because how can we achieve our goal without deep feelings? Then this is only VERY superficial. We can call this artificial also. Because the soul is full of feelings by nature. If we don’t utilize our feelings, then we move only on the surface of the soul platform.

So if we want to summarize the devotional ideas, then we can say that the highest ideal and the highest goal is voluntary self-surrender. How is that possible without feelings, without affection? This is the definition of Bhakti Yoga: dedicate yourself with feelings.

And this is not some sectarian idea; this is a very practical idea in everyday life also. How many of you have a job here? If you have to approach your boss, what is the way? Try to submit yourself with affection. This will be an unusual approach in the job. If you are not driven by more money or more fame or more whatever, but you want to serve, simply you want to serve, with affection. This will be very unusual, try it! But sometimes you are bosses, not employees but leaders. The same applies – try to submit yourself to your subordinates. This will be extra unusual! They will be amazed what has happen to the boss. So far he was such a fool, so unbearable, but now he had changed a lot! So this works. It gives some impulse on people.

How many of you have a family, or friends, or we can add any kind of human relationship… All of us are integrated in human relationships, right? This way or that way, doesn’t matter – we have company. So the same applies – try to submit yourself with affection. This is Bhakti Yoga – submit yourself with love. Therefore I say that this is not something theoretical that we apply only to Krishna and in very scientific and metaphysical way we try to surrender to God and forget about everybody else! How can you be God conscious in an inhuman way!? How could we love Him without appreciating His company.

Bhakti must be a general approach. Bhakti is the emotional approach to the Supreme Truth – we can give that definition. But it HAS some practical consequences.

So if we use our wicked mind, then material consequences will come. The wicked mind will bring us to this material sphere. Wicked mind means you are very complicated. You have so many ideas, that you miss the truth. And you are so much devoted to truth, that you miss love. One is worse than the other.

But then, where is the spiritual mind? They say the mind is residing in the heart. And I feel that the brain is only just like projection tissue of the heart, of the mind. Just a gland of the heart – quite big indeed, but still subordinate to the heart. The heart is small and the brain is big, too big sometimes, head is too big… but still this is subordinate. And actually spiritual progress, spiritual path or devotional path means a journey. A journey from the head to the heart. Only 30 centimeters. But it takes so much time to travel that path!

So the spiritual mind we can identify as such a function, where the soul’s thinking, willing and feeling capacities are manifested. We cannot say that the soul does not have these functions. Because then how can you love Krishna if you have no feelings? How can you say “yes” to him if you have no will power? How can you perform your service if you don’t have any thinking capacity – how to organize your service, at least? Or – how to protect my yoghurt from Krishna today – you must have some brain! We have to think, we have to think a lot in Vrindavan also!

If we are willing to surrender, using our free choice, using our free desire and we give our affection also – than this is complete. So, voluntary approach is obligatory.