Being true to oneself

Saying Yes when we mean No- Well do you find yourself doing this often? I guess most people do. I believe its not healthy, because mostly we would be agreeing to do something we don't want to and then begrudgingly doing it. The worst would be that we are so used to giving in and agreeing that we might simply forget what we really want or who we really are. We can't please everyone or avoid difficulties by avoiding the truth of who we are--though we are not the body, we have to acknowledge its nature. However this doesn't give us an excuse to avoid our duties or responsibilities or abandon the correct path in life. But its important to be honest to live a genuine life peacefully. There are already so many miseries in this material life, our personal mental agitation with ourselves on account of not accepting who we are will only multiply miseries

Besides it makes more sense that people accept us for who we are from the beginning because the truth cannot be hidden forever and the earlier its revealed the easier the acceptance is. Doesn’t it make sense? If we give a person an image of something for a long time and later he finds that, that’s not who we really are, not only it becomes impossible to for him to accept this sudden change but also the feeling of betrayal, makes it harder to forgive and accept. Besides in all relationships one grows accustomed to the traits and nature of the other and accordingly nurtures the relation. This is how the bond grows stronger with time, which is why its important to give our true picture from the beginning of the relationship, as later, it would require not only to break the bond with our not-so-true personality but also develop a new one with out true one. Does this make sense?

You know I had read something similar on this topic and I had myself been thinking on the same lines, but I just realized earlier I had mentioned about ‘us not being the body.’I think I need to explain this further, even here I am presuming that my readers are already convinced that we all have a soul and are not just this body. (Incase of any comments on this, please mail me or leave a comment so we can have a separate discussion on the same.)As mentioned in my other blog, causelessmercy besides this material body, we have a subtle body.
Our subtle body consists of the mind, intelligence and the false ego. Beneath these two coverings is the actual self, the soul. The material body is given up at the time of death when you accept another gross material body according to the state of your consciousness at the time of death. The subtle body goes with you birth after birth until you become completely free from its clutches and go back to the spiritual sky for reviving your original spiritual form. The gross body is given up at the end of each lifetime in exchange for a new gross body either as a human being, a plant, or an animal. And the subtle body travels with you through your millions of births until it is finally given up at the time of your spiritual emancipation.
Frankly when I read this I got scared, so this means that if I am evil, does it mean that in my every birth I would be evil, because I would have the same subtle body which after all is responsible for my personality and general traits. Then I was told that this subtle body however is constantly being influenced by the three modes of nature. (Mode of goodness, mode of passion and mode of ignorance)
You can understand this better from the following verse in Bhagvad Gita (BG) (please click on the link to read not only the verse, but its purport for better understanding)
"Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish? There are principles to regulate attachment and aversion pertaining to the senses and their objects. One should not come under the control of such attachment and aversion, because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization." [BG 3.33-34]
But you know after reading this I still had the doubt as to how will then I ever find liberation of in my case Krishna. You could say by mode of goodness. True but there are so many religious practices in mode of goodness these days and even morals make some people follow the mode of goodness, however all that assures is the better heavenly planets (swarg- which is what mostly everyone aspires) but I want the ultimate and Krishna is the ultimate. There is such a simple answer to that too. “Govind Iccha” ie Krishna’s wish or his mercy directly or through his devotees. Which is why its very important to let anyone and every living entity hear or say once the name of Krishna. The holy name of Krishna is non-different from him, only then they would be assured to find their way back to him.(ofcourse most of you would say we don’t really want to find our way there, but if you are reading this blog then you are already trapped as you have read his holy name, seen his picture and are a part of my prayer so well if not in this life, in some you will definitely take up Krishna Consciousness and go back to him. ;) )

But then what can we do on our part to speed up the process. You know we suffer so much in this material world that I can bet at some point or the other in our life or for that matter in this Kalyug, (some point today itself) we wished, is there no end to this? Can’t there be eternal peace and happiness? However, that is generally not to be. We only gradually spiritual awaken, though we have an ocean of theory to give us a direction, and a community of fellow travelers (devotees of Krishna) to give us support. In the mean time, most of us need to address the reality of our desires and attachments, and work through them. Many devotees have tried to ignore them, and fallen away from the path to pursue their material desires , what one devotee rightly refers to “ Karmic Mission”. Many people say to me, there are so many restrictions, we wont be happy suppressing our natural feelings. But what I want to say is that is a big misunderstanding. No we are not supposed to suppress our feelings or restrict our desires.( Ironically its our desires that has put us in this position in the first place) Most Vaishnavs follow the four regulative principles ( No illicit sex, No meat eating, No intoxication, No gambling) but then they are not forced ever. Isn’t it commonly observed if someone we love likes something, and we love that person so dearly that we are willing to do anything to please him/her. Similarly devotees follow these principles to please Krishna. Because that’s the ultimate aim. (However in this age, even love is difficult to explain, because within the conditioned material life love is more or less a business deal, an exchange of services highly intoxicated with selfishness, Ego, pride and lust. I know this because I myself have been a part of this material love and a promoter too) Its absolutely different from spiritual love.

Coming back to my point, to overcome this conditioned nature, we can make it our friend by using our occupational and family necessities in Krishna's service. We have to serve Krishna with the help of our mind and senses, not turn them off and deny/suppress them. What is the cause of bondage--attachment--is also the cause of spiritual elevation. Material attachments can be dovetailed and used and thus gradually given up, or they can bind us take another birth. We want to ultimately become attached to Krishna. (i.e his service and his devotees, that is why a smart solution is to make people (who are non-devotees) we are attached to a devotee. ;) )

"One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well." [BG 6.5] (please read its purport too at this link)

Its about time we accept and search for out true identity which is different from our gross material body and subtle body- Our soul and its relationship with Krishna. And in this enlightened state of consciousness we will be very happy and satisfied resituated in our true identity. This happiness is millions and billions of time greater than the temporary sense of happiness or rather a solution we find by enacting as to what seems to work or put off the problem for the time being. It always better to find permanent solutions than last minute disaster management.

Phew I hope this made sense to someone, and for putting to practice what I just wrote, I have been craving for some hot jalebis all afternoon, so without repressing my desire, I buy them from this real famous sweet shop, but to make it a permanent blissful experience I offer it to Krishna first. And mmmm… the prasadam, let me tell you another secret, Radharani makes every offering perfect for Krishna, so it out of the world, and free from any Karma. Hehe more on this later, my jalebis are here … :D

Hare Krishna!
Isn’t life blissful, eat, sing, dance, make merry and be loved tremendously?
PS- Don’t say no when you want to say ‘Yes’ either ;)

Radhe Radhe!