When we hear the Bhagavad-gita’s repeated exhortation to fix our mind on Krishna, we may doubt, “I have so many responsibilities that I need to think about. How can I just think of Krishna?”
Certainly, it’s important to be responsible, but it’s just as important to understand responsibility holistically. We all have many responsibilities associated with our various roles such as family members, professionals and citizens. But we are not those roles; we are souls, parts of Krishna. Our fundamental spiritual responsibility is to connect devotionally with him.
As souls, we are on a multilife journey of spiritual evolution towards eternal ecstatic love for Krishna. Our worldly responsibilities gain lasting value only when we do them in a devotional mood. For developing that devotional mood, we need to practice bhakti-yoga, which centers on fixing our mind on Krishna. To focus on him, we need the trust that he won’t let our world fall apart if we temporarily stop thinking about it.
We can develop this trust by understanding his position, as explained in the Gita. He is the supreme controller (09.10) – whatever results we can get in our various roles, we can get them only when he sanctions (13.23). Whatever abilities we have for discharging our responsibilities, those abilities are his gifts (07.08). He is our greatest benefactor (05.29). Will he who took care of the whole world before our birth and will take care of it after our death, not take care of our small world while we are alive, especially when we are trying to serve him? Surely, he will. Gaining this conviction by understanding his position, we unhesitatingly absorb ourselves in him (10.07).
Devotional absorption purifies us and provides us the inner clarity to discharge our responsibilities with lesser anxiety and greater efficacy.
Think it over:
- What is a holistic understanding of responsibility?
- When do our worldly responsibilities become spiritually valuable?
- How does understanding Krishna’s position increase our conviction to fix our mind on him?
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Don’t have enough words for your praise..pls accept my humble obeisance
Hare Krishna Prabhuji,
Your words are so inspirational and Faith giving.
I feel so blessed by reading your inspiring articles.
PAMHO.
Thank you – it is the Gita’s wisdom that is inspiring and faith-giving. We all are blessed to have the opportunity to savor and share it.
Hare Krsna!
Your most indepth explanation of Gita Verses are so soothing to the heart that after reading in the morning we are relieved from anxiety ;you are great pandit of the Bhagavad Gita ;I pray to you to continue giving us these nectarean verses
Dear Jayap Prabhu, thank you for your kind words and good wishes. Am grateful to have the opportunity to daily share the Gita’s wisdom – and am happy to know it is benefiting you.
The Think it over section is great prabhu. Thanks for the addition.