KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.5.5 TODAY (06/23/21):
- The best example of self-sufficiency is the sun. The sun does not require to be illuminated by any other body. Rather, it is the sun that helps all other illuminating agents, for in the presence of the sun no other illuminating agent becomes prominent.
- Nārada compared the position of Brahmā to the self-sufficiency of the spider, who creates its own field of activities without any other’s help by the employment of its own energetic creation of saliva.
- The constitutional position of the living entity is to carry out the order of the superior. As long as one’s mind remains an unconquered enemy, one has to serve the dictations of lust, anger, avarice, illusion, etc.
- But when the mind is conquered, one voluntarily agrees to abide by the dictation of the Personality of Godhead, who is situated within the heart of everyone as Paramātmā.
- Real yoga practice entails meeting the Paramātmā within the heart and then following His dictation. For one who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness directly, perfect surrender to the dictation of the Lord follows automatically.
- BG 18.58 – If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.
- One should note very carefully that one who is not active in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is losing himself in the material whirlpool, in the ocean of birth and death.
- No conditioned soul actually knows what is to be done and what is not to be done, but a person who acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is free to act because everything is prompted by Kṛṣṇa from within and confirmed by the spiritual master.
- The conditioned souls are being reclaimed by the Lord both ways, namely by the process of punishment by the external energy of the Lord, and by Himself as the spiritual master within and without.
- Within the heart of every living being the Lord Himself as the Supersoul (Paramātmā) becomes the spiritual master, and from without He becomes the spiritual master in the shape of scriptures, saints and the initiator spiritual master.
SB 2.5.5 TRANSLATION:
As the spider very easily creates the network of its cobweb and manifests its power of creation without being defeated by others, so also you yourself, by the employment of your self-sufficient energy, create without any other’s help.
CLASS NOTES:
The best example of self-sufficiency is the sun. The sun does not require to be illuminated by any other body. Rather, it is the sun that helps all other illuminating agents, for in the presence of the sun no other illuminating agent becomes prominent. Nārada compared the position of Brahmā to the self-sufficiency of the spider, who creates its own field of activities without any other’s help by the employment of its own energetic creation of saliva.
Self Sufficiency means independent of material association and being independent of dependence on mundane people and mundane things. That is self-sufficiency. This is further explained by BG 6.5 & BG 6.6. Dependence on Krsna is specifically explained.
BG 6.6
For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.
The purpose of practicing eightfold yoga is to control the mind in order to make it a friend in discharging the human mission. Unless the mind is controlled, the practice of yoga (for show) is simply a waste of time. One who cannot control his mind lives always with the greatest enemy, and thus his life and its mission are spoiled. The constitutional position of the living entity is to carry out the order of the superior. As long as one’s mind remains an unconquered enemy, one has to serve the dictations of lust, anger, avarice, illusion, etc. But when the mind is conquered, one voluntarily agrees to abide by the dictation of the Personality of Godhead, who is situated within the heart of everyone as Paramātmā. Real yoga practice entails meeting the Paramātmā within the heart and then following His dictation. For one who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness directly, perfect surrender to the dictation of the Lord follows automatically.
Self sufficiency of the devotee is different from the self sufficiency of the materialist. Energy of the sun comes from the sun. sun under the guidance of Surya dissiminates the energy through out the universe. Thinking that one is independent of the lord id Maya.
BG 6.7
For one who has conquered the mind, the Supersoul is already reached, for he has attained tranquillity. To such a man happiness and distress, heat and cold, honor and dishonor are all the same.
Actually, every living entity is intended to abide by the dictation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is seated in everyone’s heart as Paramātmā. When the mind is misled by the external, illusory energy, one becomes entangled in material activities. Therefore, as soon as one’s mind is controlled through one of the yoga systems, one should be considered to have already reached the destination. One has to abide by superior dictation. When one’s mind is fixed on the superior nature, he has no alternative but to follow the dictation of the Supreme. The mind must admit some superior dictation and follow it. The effect of controlling the mind is that one automatically follows the dictation of the Paramātmā, or Supersoul. Because this transcendental position is at once achieved by one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the devotee of the Lord is unaffected by the dualities of material existence, namely distress and happiness, cold and heat, etc. This state is practical samādhi, or absorption in the Supreme.
In the previous verse Srila Prabhupada is mentioning dictation of the lord 3 times and in this verse he is mentioning 5 times.
BG 18.58
If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.
A person in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not unduly anxious about executing the duties of his existence. The foolish cannot understand this great freedom from all anxiety. For one who acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Lord Kṛṣṇa becomes the most intimate friend. He always looks after His friend’s comfort, and He gives Himself to His friend, who is so devotedly engaged working twenty-four hours a day to please the Lord. Therefore, no one should be carried away by the false ego of the bodily concept of life. One should not falsely think himself independent of the laws of material nature or free to act. He is already under strict material laws. But as soon as he acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is liberated, free from the material perplexities. One should note very carefully that one who is not active in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is losing himself in the material whirlpool, in the ocean of birth and death. No conditioned soul actually knows what is to be done and what is not to be done, but a person who acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is free to act because everything is prompted by Kṛṣṇa from within and confirmed by the spiritual master.
Accepting the dictation of the lord comes through the disciplic succession. Within and without dictation coming from the lord. We are never bereft of knowledge, unless we accept the dictation of the lord and the dictation of spiritual masters, we are under illusion, and everything we do will be a failure.
SB 1.7.5
The conditioned souls are being reclaimed by the Lord both ways, namely by the process of punishment by the external energy of the Lord, and by Himself as the spiritual master within and without. Within the heart of every living being the Lord Himself as the Supersoul (Paramātmā) becomes the spiritual master, and from without He becomes the spiritual master in the shape of scriptures, saints and the initiator spiritual master. This is still more explicitly explained in the next śloka.
The understanding of the self-sufficiency of the materialists than the devotees. The devotee is self-sufficient of all material influences, philosophies, so called knowledge, and association of such people. Devotees on the other hand are completely dependent on the mercy of the lord. Whereas in the mundane sense, when people talk about off the grid and self-sufficient, oftentimes atheists, do not take the dictation of the lord and do what they think is right and are entangled in the material world. Whereas the devotee is in complete bliss by following the dictation of the lord.
The devotee is always dependent on the lord from free from bad association, bad knowledge.. etc.,