Secrets to Living A Happy Life with Gauranga Das

because the body is like a computer and mind  is like a hard disk and when the hard disk gets   corrupted by virus it breaks down okay people are  working on how to make the hung computer hard disk   work I'll work on the mind when someone has lost  a child or they've lost a husband or a wife or a   parent suddenly taken away from them how do they  cope because in that moment if we say this is part   of a wider thing God is teaching you that's really  uncomforting right I have to begin with some Faith   the day one I pop the pill in my mouth my body  is screaming with pain it's not that as soon as   I put the pill the pain goes away then I have to  have faith that over a period of time which the   doctor predicts then the pain will go hey if you  have pain in the body you know you need to go to   a hospital if you feel hungry you know you need  to go to a restaurant but when do you pick up the   Gita and when you go to a temple or any spiritual  place it is when you are experiencing [Music]   thank you so much for being here thank you so  you're my first guest on mumbai's millennial   mind and I'm very excited to to start this podcast  with all of your insights so for people who don't   know who you are can you tell us a little bit  about yourself I grew up in a town called Bly   in the 70s and 80s and went to IIT Mumbai in 89  and after my graduation I had the option to go   into technology as a career then I got intrigued  by the Gita and thought that let me help people   with spiritual technology because the body is like  a computer and mind is like a hard disk and when   the hard disk gets corrupted by virus it breaks  down so I thought okay people are working on how   to make the hung computer hard disk work I'll  work on the mind and therefore in 1993 I became   a monk full-time and last 30 years that's what I  am doing trying to help people fix their minds get   their desires in order have discipline which is  a fusion of intention with action and in General   trying to make a contribution through spirituality  sustainability and social impact it's funny I was   born in 1993 so I hope that's another link but  when you say you decided to become a monk what   does that mean basically uh there are two types  of people who graduate from college one who uses   that knowledge in applying it in their life in  profession in a corporate career then the second   kind of graduates either from the technology or  medical school or the B school goes back to the   college and becomes a professor because they  have a calling in teaching the subject so Gita   was spoken to Arjuna who applied the Gita as a  warrior but then there is also the option to teach   the Gita so I decided to become professor of Gita  rather than actually applying it in a regular life multiple times and I still feel that  every time I read it I learn something new   So when you say you know you want to become  I guess a professor of teaching that did you   feel nervous around doing that because often when  we feel that we're teaching someone something we   have to know everything did you feel nervous  around that interestingly the Gita basically   focuses around the principle of why we become  nervous why we experience fear because today   in India there are 70 000 hospitals and almost 2  million temples and people may wonder what's the   relevance of spirituality and what differences  Gita going to make in our life so I say that   hey if you have pain in the body you know you  need to go to a hospital if you feel hungry you   know you need to go to a restaurant you feel I  need you know a good buy so you go to the mall   but when do you pick up the Gita and when  do you go to a temple or any spiritual place   it is when you are experiencing  fear which is caused by change   so change is the cause of all fear and the  Gita addresses how we can cope with that fear   by embracing things which do not change so that  which doesn't change is defined and described in   the Gita and other spiritual texts across all  Traditions as spirit that's the idea but we're   always changing and in this world that we live in  so much is changing every single day and with the   vast amount of knowledge and information we get  all the time how do we manage that change and   how do we battle those times where we feel we  can't control the things that we can't change I say that if you have to cope with the change  which happens between 9 am to 9 pm in your   life get your 9 pm to 9 am under control okay  Krishna says in the Gita that you have to begin   by managing four things your diet your Recreation  your work and your contemplation and meditation   and therefore if you realize that all through  the day eight things are continuously going   to change your relationship with your body the  body will go through changes yes relationship   with your husband or wife relationship  with the kids or things related to kids   things related to our house our relationship with  the house residence mortgage ownership this that   relationship with our vehicles relationship  with money increase in money decrease in money   losing money growing money spending money  decisions connected to all of this then   seventh is the relationship with how the society  perceives us social acceptance social rejection   it creates a lot of anxiety and  stress as things perceive to be   changed and eighth most important is  the degree of influence we are having   we may call it career we may call it the  ability to have control over things in different   situations as they change so if you analyze and  break it down the change we experience revolves   around these eight items which technically in  the back of them is called Atma Jaya suta agara so in one verse the eight components of change are  described therefore once you know that these eight   are inevitably going to change and you know that  winter is coming so you keep some warm clothes   and prepare yourself so therefore these scriptures  and this Vedic wisdom it gives you a prediction of   what the climate of change is going to look like  and how do you prepare yourself by connecting   yourself with the soul which is the real I Within  and the relationship of the Soul with the Supreme   Soul the Supreme controller and the relationship  between the soul and the Super Soul is something   in all traditions in all religions in all  spiritual texts is described as that which   never changes therefore the more things change  the more we need to embrace things which never   change and that's why our grandparents and you  know Elders in the family would always recommend   begin the day with a prayer end the day with a  prayer which basically means that you acknowledge   that there are certain things which do not  change which is the cause of all my strength   and that gives me strength to cope with things  which inevitably will change through the day   that is so beautiful that the thing that comes  to my mind when you're saying that is I have two   questions first of all my my first question is for  a lot of people to start on that journey and to   say I'm going to pray to someone who I can't see  I can't be with I can't feel how do they overcome   that and the second question is that relationship  which is really strong that you've built with God   when something goes wrong I've heard people say  so many times why did you do this to me why did   you take away my loved one if you're out there  why is there so much harm happening in the world   this person was innocent how could they have been  hurt this way so first is how do you build that   relationship with God when you we can't see God  and the second is what do we do when we doubt that   relationship right I think it's a wonderful  question and I would begin by sharing that   when we feel an urge and a need for something  then we go searching for that thing which   we cannot immediately see also so rather than  focusing on whether I can see God or not see God   I would rather focus on how do I develop  an urge and a need to connect with God   so if I focus on that part then if  someone gives you a glass of water   even if someone gives a glass of water to  a small child who's hardly like four to   five years old as soon as he gets the glass of  water the first thing he'll say is thank you   so when you receive something then the natural  tendency is to acknowledge with gratitude   so therefore what to speak of a glass of water  today across the world 97.5 percent of the water   in all the resources available is salty water only  two and a half percent of the water is Sweet Water   out of that two and a half percent of Sweet  Water 99.7 percent of that 2.5 percent Sweet   Water is either in glaciers or under the  ground what you see outside in the form   of rivers and lakes the Sweet Water which we  can access is only 0.3 percent of that 2.5   percent and still there is humongous amount  still remaining for human beings to consume   and we quench our thirst so therefore if I  give a simple example of water or air and food   we are getting all of these from situations  which is beyond our control yeah and then we   should contemplate and think if someone is giving  me all of this then there must be a need for me to   develop a relationship to acknowledge what I am  receiving what I am getting and therefore prayer   is a form of contemplation which is filled with  gratitude a expression of gratitude so therefore   that relationship is what keeps you secure because  one of the greatest causes of insecurity is   we don't want a relationship to abruptly change  stop or suddenly go in a direction we don't expect   so therefore the Lord is assuring us that I  am your best well-wisher in all traditions and   if a small child one day before the exam is  obsessed with seeing the World Cup final match   the parents will take that Gadget away yes and  the child thinks the parents are cruel to me   but the parents know what we are doing  for the child is for the child's benefit   and therefore we need to First understand  whom we are developing a relationship with   and then get clear about the intention behind  that relationship if we know that the parents   intention is to help the child in all situations  then the different actions which the parents may   choose which may appear as reward and punishment  from the child's perspective doesn't appear to be   in any way shape or form disturbing to the child  because as the child grows up into an adult what   has changed is not the parent what has changed  is not the intention of the parent but what has   changed is in the child's understanding of what  the child understood to be sometimes reward and   sometimes punishment now the child matures and  realizes that my parents were always all good   I love that so you're saying that sometimes in  life when we doubt our relationship with God   because of something that's happened there  is a bigger meaning behind it absolutely   sometimes that's really hard though when you're  going through it so like you said when a child's   parents takes away the PlayStation my parents  used to do that to me they used to make me   leave my phone outside of my room at night and  now I think wow what a wonderful practice that   was because now I wake up and I'm on my phone  straight away and I do that before I go to   sleep but you know as a child I used to think why  are you doing that and same with that parent that   example you just gave the child will be saying  why are you taking my PlayStation or my TV away   when someone has lost a child or they've  lost a husband or a wife or a parent   not due to old age or due to anything you know  that is natural in that sense but let's say due   to a cancer or a terrible disease or you know hit  in a road accident suddenly taken away from them   how do they cope because in that moment if  we say this is part of a wider thing God   is teaching you that's really uncomforting right  in the Mahabharata there is a classic example of   Krishna speaking the Gita to  Arjuna and encouraging him to fight   and Krishna explains in  the Gita to Arjuna counties my devotee will not perish he says like that  so one may think that he is referring to the   fact that devotee may not perish physically and  may not die no just a few days into the battle   arjuna's son abhimanyu experiences an episode  where the pandavas see that the korovas have   created a chakra view which is a kind of  a battle formation which is practically   impossible to peers unless you know from  the right sources how to break through that   so you used to realizes that if the chakra  view is not broken the pandavas are finished   says that Arjuna is not available because  is another part of the battlefield   the only person who knows how to enter the  chakra view is abhimanyu who is arjuna's son   calls upon abhimanyu and says you have to help  us otherwise we'll also going to be slaughtered he doesn't know how to come out and as a  Call of Duty he does it when he enters into   the chakra View inevitably he's surrounded by  all of these kaurabha soldiers and six of them   Corner him from all directions and finally that  young boy was only 16 years old is killed when the   news reaches Arjuna he is in despair he cries and  he laments and that is the time when Krishna gives   him the assurance that yes there are challenging  situations we'll go through the loss of a loved   one is emotionally devastating but then once you  have expressed and experienced your lamentation   and we should allow people to go through that  period but once you have gone through that   then you have to really focus your energy on  what's my duty at this stage Duty towards the   larger society Duty what the society expects from  me and even the loved one whom I have just lost   what they would expect from me so therefore  lamentation bereavement experience of grief   and expression of grief is perfectly bona  fide but the main point is the time period   the method the way in which we do it and therefore  the dignified way of doing it is to experience   and express it with closed loved ones who are  our emotional support and then with those who   do not judge us who have our best wishes in their  hearts and then at a certain point of time we have   to reset and then think about which way we should  be going therefore Krishna says in the Gita both the principle of Karma akarma and vikarma  is practically impossible to understand   and therefore many of the people in this world  feel that I need to understand the plan of God   whereas Krishna in the Gita  and the other text is saying   you will never be able to figure out my  plan you just try to perform your duty   in the midst of both prosperity and adversity  and that's typically why people go to the temple   is the immature understanding of visit to a temple  in prayer is my dear Lord increase my prosperity   diminish my adversity but the Gita and The  Vedic wisdom and all the texts are saying   that in the midst of prosperity and adversity  let me only ask two questions how can I serve you   and how can I selflessly please you  to serve and to please the Supreme   is the most important duty which all of us  need to attend to in our day-to-day life   so this principle needs to be imbibed and that  takes practice it doesn't happen automatically   so therefore what you are referring to is that  when we go through certain disaster or calamity   the natural tendency of someone who's not  trained is to react with panic react with   so much of uncontrolled grief and react with  confusion because they just don't know because   they are not trained so typically in an airport  or in a public place if someone just collapses   with a heart attack the response  of the common people would be panic   but the response of a trained cardiologist would  be to make sure that the right things are done   so the doctor responds in a cool calculated  measured disciplined manner because the doctor   is trained how to react in that situation so  the doctor is trained to react to every episode   of physical pain a spiritualist is trained  to react to every episode of emotional pain   so I have another two questions first of  all how do you become a spiritualist and   secondly a lot of the time we see seek comfort  in other people's emotions you know if I smile   at you and you smile back I seek Comfort if  you show me no expression I would feel panic   and a lot of people when when you see people  who aren't grieving or they've moved on quickly   there's a lot of judgment there to say well you  couldn't have cared because you are okay now   but then on the other hand it's you're right we  should be cool and calm and collected and I was   listening to a podcast with MO gaudot and he lost  his son and he said at the end stage of everyone's   grief is acceptance and he said I realized early  on I needed to accept it so I could spread his   message with the world and I could share all of  his thoughts and his ideas and he said it doesn't   mean I don't love my son it just means that I care  too much about making him proud and I wanted to   get to that stage sooner because me putting myself  through misery was never going to bring him back   right and so why did I have why do we feel we have  to delay that gratification we feel like we should   mourn for years and years and years and he said I  felt judged as well at points because people would   say well do you not care but he said I love  my son but I just got to that end acceptance   quicker than everyone else you're right you're  absolutely true you're absolutely right in your   assessment and what you have quoted is a beautiful  story it's a fact that we are all each individuals   so eight billion people on this planet have  different ways of responding to different   situations you know we have different ways  of responding to food you know shelter   Calamity difficulty so I think it's an individual  response and coming back to the Mahabharata let's   compare the response of Arjuna who lost his  son abhimanyu and the response of dronacharya   so both were fathers arjuna's son's name  was abhimanyu who actually was killed and   then abhimanyu grieved for him but then because it  was a battlefield situation within one day he got   back on his feet and he had taken a wow to kill  jaydrata who was the one who was the main culprit   responsible for killing abhimanyu and Arjuna  managed to kill him and avenge his son's death   so Arjuna was emotionally traumatized for some  period but then again he got strength by the   grace of Krishna by remembering the message of  how things change and there are things which do   not change and so we need to embrace that which  doesn't change to again regain our dutiful nature   and then we have dronacharya and ronacharya had  a son whose name was ashwathama and Krishna turns   towards yudistir and says that the only way  we can get dronacharya is emotionally affected   and the difference between Arjuna and Ronald  Sharia was that dronacharya was not so spiritually   trained to be able to cope with adversity  and adverse news in the same manner as Arjuna   so in fact yudhisthir he looked at Krishna  and said but ashwathama is still alive   so there was an elephant by the name of ashwathama  and Krishna tells bhima and then you know that   elephant is killed and when that elephant is  killed comes to comes to dronacharya and you   this day tells ronacharya ashwathama and then  the next word he says is the elephant when he   says the elephant Krishna blows on the console  so dronacharya is not able to hear the elephant   and then he says is killed so dronacharya hears  ashwathama is killed and dronacharya becomes   filled with so much of anxiety he becomes  hopeless helpless puts his arms down and   sits on the chariot in a meditative pose  and that's when Arjuna enters and kills him   so you know these are two personalities one  whose son was killed the other dronacharya   whose son was not even killed but he heard  that he is killed and in both such situations   how the responses were quite different and  therefore it's quite natural for people to   respond in different situations in different ways  but often when someone has passed away or you've   lost a life there is a consensus isn't there off  you know you can't act like that you know in our   culture you can't go out for 13 days you can't  like divas you're not meant to do it too much   so there is that consensus but if someone  is very spiritually trained in that moment   how are they not affected by other people's  opinions of telling them that they don't care   yeah we have to realize that to be spiritually  strong does not mean that you have to be cold spiritual strength does not  equate being careless or callous   in fact the more one becomes spiritually mature  strong spiritually inspired and transformed   to that extent one becomes caring one  becomes filled with emotions and feeling   and therefore there is a difference  between feeling emotional   and second being controlled and overwhelmed by  emotions and losing one's total discrimination   so there is a difference between  experiencing distress and difficulty   and becoming hopeless so therefore  where spirituality comes to the rescue   is that spirituality is not  against experience of emotions   but spirituality and the proper understanding of  how this world operates under the influence of the   Supreme controller helps you becoming  filled with positivity and optimism   and make sure that you may lose the asset of  money you may lose the asset of reputation you   may lose the asset of a relationship you may lose  the asset of a property but spirituality will make   sure that you will never lose the asset of Hope  and that's why all spiritual Traditions focus on   helping each one of us regain maintain and grow  Our Hope and of that the word spirituality in the   last few years has been really popularized  how do you start on a spiritual journey   and how do you become spiritually strong  which is what you've spoken about so much   so I think shivanity um typically in  my discussions on spiritual discourses   and talks we have you know groups of people  who wish to become spiritually strong so we   begin by saying that try to follow the a b c d a  stands for Association you need the association   of like-minded people because you know human  beings have an interesting nature that we get   heavily influenced by what we associate with and  who we associate with so if you want to change   your habits then the most important thing is  you have to pick your right Association yeah   yeah so similarly if you're looking at becoming  more spiritual then you have to come in the   association of those who are spiritually minded  even within that as you go deeper you have to   pick up Association of those who very much match  the flavor of spirituality which you are choosing   and I give the example that you know if you become  sick if you are diseased then even amongst medical   Traditions there is allopathy it is homeopathy  that is naturopathy and if nothing works there is   tirupati so all of these are there so depending  on the kind of medicine you choose you go and   approach a certain kind of doctor so similarly in  spiritual Traditions also because each individual   soul is unique and has its own set of millions of  desires so therefore you cannot put any Soul under   one box and say that this is what you need  to follow so everybody will have their own   proclivities they will have their own Tendencies  and accordingly find the right kind of Association   and with in today's social media age and internet  age there are millions of communities you can   search and get connected so that's the first a for  Association b stands for books so when I refer to   books you know it also includes that particular  spiritual practice and you know as Krishna says understand that the climate of this world is  always going to be filled with three types   of miseries misery caused by nature natural  cataclysms tsunamis torn arrows heavy rainfall   lack of rainfall droughts various kinds of things  that is called ADI David which is caused by   natural disasters second is Adi bhavatic distress  and disaster caused by other living entities   could be in the form of diseases it  could be in the form of crimes various   kinds of things and the third is adhyatmik  distressed caused by our own body and mind   and therefore you know almost we have  approximately 17 million people getting killed   every year due to cardiovascular diseases over 10  million due to cancer and 5 million due to obesity   so and what to speak of the 300 million across  the world who are experiencing stress and anxiety   symptoms so yes our own mind and senses and body  can also be the cause of lot of distress so once   you are aware from the books that yes distress is  inevitable but the response to that is in my hand   and then to respond to that you prepare  yourself through C which is contemplation   so there are various forms of contemplation and  meditation which have been described some are   achievement oriented some are knowledge knowledge  oriented some are Perfection oriented and some are   devotion or love oriented so we choose our  contemplation accordingly and then through   the process of contemplation and meditation we  actually start evolving ourselves spiritually   and realize that I the soul Jiva I  am trying to actually control nature   Through Time and engage in action or activity   so technically the Gita calls this Jiva the  soul prakriti nature time and Karma is action   so when we try to enjoy and exploit nature using  kala and Karma the experience is that of anxiety   so this attempt an effort to enjoy Carl and  Karma is technically in Sanskrit known as bhoga   or the tendency to enjoy and exploit so bhoga  causes Chinta or anxiety so when a person goes   through that anxiety then he starts contemplating  and the object of that contemplation is I thought   I have everything under control I thought I worked  out everything I thought I have all the plans for   everything but looks like there is a controller  above me yes I had all my plans for April 2020   May 2020 June 2020 but I didn't imagine that  on May 20th 2020 there would be a national wide   lockdown called yes that lockdown continued for  months and in some countries for a couple of years   and then I realized that maybe there  is a controller above all of us   and that technically in the Gita is called  as ishwar basically means the controller   so therefore if someone says I don't like  religion I don't believe in Hinduism I don't   believe in Christianity I don't believe this I  don't believe that we say okay forget religion   just look at five elements five realities there  is you the soul are you real are you existing yes   there is nature does it exist yes time does it  exist yes activity does it exist yes and then   could there be a controller which is  beyond any of our planning and Imagination   looks like yes so we are looking  at ishwar jio prakrati kala Karma   we contemplate how the soul can be  connected to the Super Soul or ishwara   and that object of contemplation and the method of  contemplation has unlimited flavors and varieties   and so after you go through the association books  and contemplation the fourth is D which is diet   yes and that plays a major role because I say  people ask me questions should I be vegetarian   should I be non-vegetarian should I be this  that I say first focus on your objective   the diet of a boxer will be  different from the diet of a gymnast   a gymnast's breakfast cannot be same as a boxer's  breakfast so if someone's objective or end goal   is to become strong like a boxer his diet will  be different if someone's goal is to become   Supple flexible Slim like a gymnast their  diet will be different so if someone says   I want to have the peace the serenity of a  yogi Yogi is the one who's contemplating on a   relationship of the Soul not directly with nature  kaala and Karma but with ishwara so if you have to   have the attitude of a yogi then you have to have  the diet of a yogi so therefore it all depends   on what is your priority what is your objective  what is your end goal and accordingly you choose   accordingly so one whose intention in life is  fear under the influence of mode of ignorance   above that is the intention of mode of  passion which is intention caused by desire   but above intention of fear and desire is the  intention caused by mode of goodness which is   intention out of a sense of Duty from that  point onwards a person can start cultivating   the yogic attitude and above that is pure goodness  where one is simply trying to act influenced by   selfless service which is love so therefore  the attitude of a yogi should be accompanied   by the diet of a yogi which is basically in  the mode of goodness so in terms of the diet   I guess if somebody who's vegetarian or vegan  sees somebody else eating meat they often think   they're a bad person because they're killing  another life or killing another Soul without the   Judgment within itself so how do we move away  from that well in all the various traditions   compassion has always been emphasized so  today the the fact of the matter is that   out of the 8 billion people on the planet  there are only around 700 million vegetarians   so meat seems to be the most prominent diet  in people's lives but as I said that if you go   into the texts of the Gita and of you know various  other Traditions they will have so many quotations   of what is to be done what is not to be done but  from various perspectives from the perspective   of compassion from the perspective of climate  change from the perspective of your consciousness   you know there have been tremendous benefits  described of following a plant-based diet and   even there is a whole movement currently amongst  doctors in America who are seeing the impact of   non-plant based diet on various kinds of diseases  it creates so I would say that in today's day   and age there is so much of information available  that everybody can make their own informed choices   so it all depends on which kind of information  you seek to actually ultimately guide your   intentions it feels though sometimes we need to  be on either one side or another so if you know   when we spoke previously about who do you want  to be if I say my intention is you know to be   quite spiritual be in touch with God feel um you  know be someone who's clean-hearted let's just say   then why should I do these podcasts or why should  I make money or why should I wear nice clothes or   it often feels like if you say I'm going to  be vegan I'm spiritual then I shouldn't care   about money and often money seems to be  the root of all evil for a lot of people   is making money a bad thing well if there's  a knife that knife can kill somebody   the knife can cut vegetables to feed you the  knife can be in a surgeon's hand and save lives   so the knife by itself is neutral but depends on  what kind of use it is put to with what intention   so therefore wealth by itself is  neutral but if the wealth is powered   by fear and greed then the wealth can create havoc  the same wealth if it is powered by compassion   it can create so much of transformation and  change in people's lives so therefore it all   depends on the intention behind the action so true  I love that example I've never heard that before   so a lot of people would be looking at that and  saying okay well my intention is to make a lot   of money and help others with it right so that's  okay but a lot of people listening to that would   think okay well you only need a little bit of  money to make an impact or you only or you should   give away all of the money and not keep anything  for yourself so you know how we talk to our own   self or a sacrifice previously let's say I make  I don't know a million pounds some people would   say well you don't have to live in a nice flat or  a nice house you should donate all of your money   if you want to be a good person right so just let  me give an example that if somebody needs to stay   fit then they need to exercise play a game or  whatever but if someone says I will only play   football when I become like Ronaldo so that means  you'll never start so Ronaldo will play at his   level but each one of us can play at our level so  it depends on how eager we are to start playing   so when when it comes to philanthropy when  it comes to charity when it comes to giving   then we have to begin the process knowing that  it is a part of our regular ongoing purification   of consciousness it is called aparigraha  to be free from the conception that I am   the possessor of this I am the controller of  this so just like there are things we do on a   daily basis we take a bath we clean ourselves we  brush the teeth because all of this is required   because our body tends to become dirty on  a regular basis similarly there are things   which we need to do on a regular basis to keep  our mind and emotions clean and part of that is   maybe prayer and contemplation but other part  is also actions which impact the Mind actions   which Infuse our emotions with feelings  of compassion consideration collaboration   cooperation and part of that is giving in charity  and therefore Krishna says in the Gita College he says that a charity which is done in  the mode of goodness has the following   characteristics first we must do it as  with a sense of Duty Advan number two the charity must be given with no  expectation of getting something in return as per time place and Circumstance we have to give   like suppose I go to a place and say I want to  give you know distribute sweets amongst children   ok so that may be a good mood and it may be  okay to distribute sweets amongst children   but if somebody is diabetic and then you say I  want to do good for him and I want to distribute   these sweets this is the only thing I have to  distribute and I have to fulfill my quota of   distribution today and you are the only person  I see so please take this so the distribution   of sweets to a heavy diabetic person would not be  doing good so that's called their Sheikh College   as per time place and Circumstance therefore you  know the whole idea is that for a person to remain   peaceful satisfied stable and secure he needs  to inculcate the culture of giving and forgiving   and both of these actually help cleanse  the soul and many times people think   that giving is good for the receiver but  actually the important thing is to realize   giving is good and healing for The Giver so true  you talk so much around all of these Concepts that   you have learned and all of these Concepts that  you currently teach but a lot of people would say   you know it's almost like a cult following that's  what people have said to me so I go to the temple   every Sunday and for me it's kind of like my safe  space and somewhere I go because I really enjoy it   but some people have said to me you know  make sure you don't get too sucked in   make sure you don't become so obsessive because  a lot of people can become obsessed with religion   how do we move away from that and  why do we think people say that   well um it all depends on how each one  has their particular flavor of attraction   if someone is a football addict then the ones  who are not interested in football just can't   understand it yes yes and then they'll make  all kinds of judgments and comments around that   so each one has their own area of absorption and  as the intensity so it begins with attraction   once that attraction grows then  when there is undeviated attraction   intensified attraction it becomes absorption  when the absorption grows further in dimension   it may become obsession and then one can't  live without it it becomes very much part   of one's own life just like a life breath so  each one of us would find ourselves moving in   different directions depending on the kind  of Association we have in this life and the   kinds of Association we may have had in previous  lives because that is something which most people   are unable to explain because many many  lifetimes of associations determine   the direction the trajectory in which our current  lifetimes attraction Moves In and many times you   find yourselves irresistibly attracted to  an activity to a person to a situation there   may be sense of deja vu when you visit certain  places and we are not able to explain that but   it's all because the soul is part of a journey  and then Krishna says in Gita there he knows the soul goes through series of experiences  in different lives old age and birth youth   old age disease and death and after death the soul  continues the journey but the soul has the smell   of so many lifetimes of experiences with it and  therefore it defines many of our current choices   that we perhaps don't directly understand or know  of but how do you know whether to believe that   because a lot of people blame a lot of things  on religion right well it must have been my   previous lives there so that must have been your  karma or this is written in the stars for you   how do we know what's true and what isn't true   well you know I would like to begin by  saying that loud is always not large   sometimes in our family or organization Society  situations when you are making decisions there   may be some resistance from people there may be  some protest there may be objections or skepticism   but it is usually a few people who are extremely  loud about it but that which is loud is not always   large because the majority may not disagree the  majority may agree but they may be quiet about it   similarly the data shows that today  the world has eight billion people   and almost 31 percent are Christians 23 percent  are following Islam 15 percent are following   Hinduism and almost eight and a half percent  Buddhists and there is a 16 percent Skeptics   atheists agnostics and things like that but if you  see the overall numbers the numbers are showing   that majority are quite aligned with some kind  of spiritual thought process yes so therefore   I do agree there may be pockets of people who  may disagree and may have major doubts about it   but when you come to actual practice  then you ask all the hard questions   and when you ask the hard questions you allow  the texts and the teachers of the texts to   answer rebut and give logical explanations on the  cause and effect phenomena to all of these various   questions and then when you become intellectually  convinced and logically convinced to a certain   extent you will begin the process and the  remaining conviction comes through the experience   so logic takes you halfway and then the experience  completes the process just like in a visit to a   doctor you have a pain I have a pain I go to  a doctor doctor gives an explanation analysis   gives a pill gives a medication I have to begin  with some Faith yes the day one I pop the pill in   my mouth my body is screaming with pain it's not  that as soon as I put the pill the pain goes away   then I have to have faith that over a  period of time which the doctor predicts   then the pain will go similar thing in any  spiritual practice also I'm loving all of   these analogies I'm going to write them all down  afterwards but I I know that for a lot of people   listening and watching this they're feeling at the  start of perhaps that journey of having that face   and for some people they may be thinking you know  I'm going through a bad time or you know in the   UK at the moment loneliness is such a big thing  and when I always ask people you know what advice   do you need do you need any help with things  people always say I'm so lonely I'm feeling   really depressed and I'm finding it really hard to  manage my mental health so kind of at the start of   that Journey what would you recommend to people  it's very important for us to realize that for   every visit to a restaurant and  every order we make at the restaurant giving the order getting the order placed getting  the item delivered on your table the hot pizza   is there you enjoy it it's a great experience  but at the end of the Pisa and the drink at the   end of the pizza and the juice which you have  there is something which is required which is   you have to pay the bill so there are no free  lunches in this world so last 30 to 50 years   humankind has become more and more technologically  obsessed spending more time with technology   than with other human beings and one of the  interesting things which technology has done   is technology has given us the satisfaction  of feeling that I can control things better   so if there is a television which is you know  showing a show and I have a remote I switch off   it gets off I change the channel I get a different  channel so my ability to control the gadgets   is at an all-time high then I realize that oh  my God looks like it's easier for me to control   gadgets than it is for me to control other people  and their emotions and what I expect from them so   because we spend so much of time switching  on and off the gadgets we kind of get used   to the habit of getting responses at the flick  of a button but human beings are not like that   things are there so that they could be  controlled but human beings need to be loved   but we seem to get into the obsession  of controlling people and loving things   and therefore in this scenario we have lost  contact with the humankind and humans need to   spend more time with other humans and especially  in the younger ages as people are growing up they   need to feel emotionally sheltered and secure  like one of the greatest challenges the world is   facing is malnutrition yes in several pockets of  Africa and other third world countries where even   though they may have the food but the proper  amount of nutrition is not there in the food   so once you are malnourished and if you do not  get the right kind of vitamins and minerals in   your food in the age of you know from the time  you are born till the age of five to seven   many times it leaves behind permanent impact  even when the person grows up physically   similarly from the time one is born till the  age of seven to eight once emotions are very   vulnerable and therefore just like physically  we need the right kind of nutrients minerals   and vitamins through the food and if you don't get  you get affected similarly emotionally the child   is dependent on the parents on the siblings on  the immediate family members and so when you had   larger families and Joint family system it may  have been little more inconvenient physically   it may have been inconvenient in terms of sharing  of resources and you know trying to align with   so many thoughts of people around and maybe we  thought by bringing in the nuclear families we   have scored a victory but as we make the families  smaller and as we make every member of the family   A working a family member then you have kids  growing up with lesser amount of emotional support   than what they would have been comfortable  with or have been nourished with emotionally   so therefore nourishment should not be  seen only in terms of physical receiving   of vitamins minerals and nutrients yes but also  in terms of emotional feelings of appreciation   satisfaction gratitude just the feeling  that someone is always there for me in all   circumstances that unconditional love which  a child experiences in the growing years   it goes deep into their psyche that creates a  kind of nourishment and the kind of mental and   emotional resilience which cannot be shaken  up in the later years and gives that person   a kind of fortitude to be able to face any kind  of Calamity so deep believe happiness is a choice   happiness depends on the various kinds of flavors  we choose there is you know maybe five I say   50 by say one rupee five rupees and maybe a  billion rupees similarly happiness or pleasure   in terms of sensual pleasure sensual happiness  when there is a gulab jamun or a rasgulla or a   sweet or a cookie which hits the tongue  you experience one level of happiness but it's the five I say type the peers yes  the next there is a musical piece there's a   poetry you hear it is the mental pleasure it is a  50-piece type little longer lasting it makes you   also forget that sensual pleasure for some time  higher than that is the intellectual pleasure   the one rupee type you're into problem solving  it absorbs you you forget the sensation of time   people who play all kinds of intellectual games  or into solving a certain problem is the world   is facing the scientists they experience  intellectual pleasure higher than that   is the egoistical pleasure a sense of achievement  the sense of accomplishment the sense of control   and when that drives people they do all kinds of  things but about the sensual mental intellectual   and egoistical pleasure all of this is within  the five dollar five pound five rupees range   above that is directly the 5 billion  range that is a spiritual pleasure so Ram is a very popular word but most people  don't know that the meaning of ram means   Reservoir or ocean of pleasure and that ocean  of boundless pleasure comes from the experience   of the unlimitedly Blissful Jiva Soul serving the  unlimitedly all-powerful all Blissful Supreme soul   and therefore that relationship of the Soul  with the supersoul unleashes releases the   unlimited spiritual pleasure and therefore those  people who are seeking that unlimited pleasure   they are the connoisseurs of pleasure they are  known as the yogis so the yogi is not a Madman   Yogi is a connoisseur of pleasure who's saying no  to all the other options of pleasure because his   eyes are set on only experiencing the highest  type of pleasure spiritual yeah so powerful   I've learned so much from you today and I  feel that you've given me so many different   analogies and examples but what would you say is  your favorite lesson or teaching from the Gita   the Gita says very beautifully that we  have limited control over our circumstances   but we have unlimited control over our  consciousness if I am sitting in a flight   and the flight is on the runway and I look and I  see the buildings all around I can't decrease the   size of those skyscrapers but if the flight starts  moving on the runway and the runway is required   because the runway keeps the flight's Journey  restricted is restriction good is restriction bad   if the flight is not restricted to move on the  runway it cannot gather speed if it cannot gather   speed it cannot gain altitude when the flight  gains altitude then from the window when I   look down the skyscraper looks like a matchbox  so I have not changed the size of the problem   but I have gained altitude and height and the  perspective so therefore when today when people   go through difficulty and challenges they become  depressed yes they pop a pill bhagavad-gita is   saying there is an alternative to popping a pill  in depression it is transforming your perspective   so therefore the material way is Spill the  spiritual ways perspective I choose to follow   how to transform the perspective and how to help  people transform the perspective that's what I   say that Gita brings to the table which is so  important in today's context as we are dealing   with constant changes in circumstances let's  focus on elevating our Consciousness to Krishna   Consciousness to God Consciousness to elevate it  at such a level that no matter what changes happen   you may be affected but you do not become hopeless  so powerful I love that I'm so excited to read   your book as well I feel like I'm gonna I hope all  of these analogies are in there so I can some of   them so I can I can read them back but thank you  so much for for being here and for for teaching me   so much today I really really appreciate it thank  you thank you so much everyone and thank you so   much for listening and watching this podcast  wherever you're listening or watching if you   could please press the follow like And subscribe  button it would really mean the world to me

Channel: Shivani Pau

Views: 13,585

Keywords:

Id: 5NzzAyA7Ru4

Length: 63min 33sec (3813 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 28 2023