English
21 October 2020
Upgrade beyond the three modes of nature
Hare Krsna! Welcome you all to the Japa Talk. Devotees from 767 locations are chanting with us right now. All devotees are welcome! Good morning.
Suprabhatam. Suprabhat is good or you want to make it good. We are making the morning good by this process of chanting. The discussion of the 3 modes of nature is already going on.
We will be discussing this topic and how to identify in which mode of nature we are.
During the day you are meeting different people or friends, they may be in the mode of ignorant, passion or goodness. When we associate with them it affects our nature. It is said, “You are known by the company you keep” because you are identified by your company. In Marathi, there is one proverb, "When we put two bulls together in one stand, their colour cannot be changed but there will be a change in their nature of quality."
We have to understand that passion is better than ignorance and goodness is better than passion and ignorance. We have to come up in the suddha satva.
Maybe you were living in an unclean house or an unclean room. This creates the mode of ignorance. The habit of keeping the surroundings clean is in the mode of goodness. Whose association you are in, the kind of books you read and if you watch movies, there are scenes of lust and anger. If you are lusty, and your desire is not fulfilled then you become angry.
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kāma eṣa krodha eṣa
rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ
mahāśano mahā-pāpmā
viddhy enam iha vairiṇam
Translation:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world. [BG 3.37]
This anger is a by-product of the mode of passion. We must think what should be done to get rid of the mode of passion. If we are 50 years old, it means that for the past 50 years we are constantly changing dominance of these three modes of nature.
If we eat the uneatable, it increases the mode of passion. The mouth, the tongue, the genitals are in one line, so if we eat more, then we become lusty.
vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ
jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam
etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ
sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt
Translation:
A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind’s demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world. [NOI Verse 1]
We sleep more, or we are unable to sleep on time, because we are unable to get up on time. If you get up early, but you have not slept properly so you cannot chant attentively.
To sit in one place is mode of goodness
To stand is in mode of passion
To lie down is in the mode of ignorance
All of them have a nature of binding so we must practice being situated in the mode of pure goodness. Krsna says when we get this supreme knowledge of the three modes of nature, we must practice being situated in mode of pure goodness. By this we can go back home back to Godhead.
We have to attentively study the three modes of nature. Then we have a better understanding. After that we have to preach this knowledge also.
yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa
āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa
Translation:
"Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land." [Madhya 7.128]
This knowledge of the three modes of nature is supreme wisdom. And earlier also, many munis attained supreme perfection. We have to leave ignorance and lift ourselves up to suddh satva - parāṁ siddhim ito gatāḥ - because it leads us back to Godhead.
The Lords of the three modes of nature are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Lord Brahma is situated in the mode of passion, and he creates (srishti) the material world. Lord Vishnu shows the influence of mode of goodness and takes care of the maintenance (sthiti) of the material world. Lord Shiva shows the influence of the mode of ignorance and takes care of the annihilation (pralayah) of the world.
Lord Shiva is the number one Vaisnava and there is no doubt. He is certainly situated beyond the three modes of nature, but just to fulfil his duties he uses and controls the mode of ignorance. As soon as Lord Shiva appeared from between the brows of Brahma, he started accomplishing his duties of annihilation. Lord Brahma stopped him saying that this was not the time. He handed Lord Shiva a japa mala and asked him to sit and chant till the time comes.
Maintenance is in mode of goodness
brahma bole chatur mukhe krishna krishna hare hare
mahadeva pancha mukhe rama rama hare hare
Translation:
Brahma sings "krishna krishna hare hare" in ecstasy with four mouths & Shiva ecstatically sings "rama rama hare hare" as if with five mouths.
Lord Vishnu is the controller of mode of goodness and pure goodness.
ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ
viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param
tasmāt parataraṁ devi
tadīyānāṁ samarcanam
Translation:
“[Lord Śiva told the goddess Durgā:] ‘My dear Devī, although the Vedas recommend worship of demigods, the worship of Lord Viṣṇu is topmost. However, above the worship of Lord Viṣṇu is the rendering of service to Vaiṣṇavas, who are related to Lord Viṣṇu.’ [CC Madhya 11.31]
We are Vaisnavas. That is why we can focus on maintenance and not pay too much attention on annihilation and creation. We have to maintain our sadhana, japa, preaching, prasada etc.
We should also try to engage in maintaining our house, the temples, etc. If we are busy in creating or destroying then we are not pure Vaisnavas. You all may share what you are planning to do to upgrade yourselves to the mode of pure goodness.
Haribol! Thank you so much.
