Self destruction strategies

Strategies for self-destruction

The sinister strategizer Who makes the strategies for self-destruction? The mind – it misappropriates the intelligence for its purposes

The inner sabotager

Srila Prabhupada: “We are meant to use the intelligence to control the enjoying mentality, but we are used to enjoying intelligently”

Use or be usedIf we don’t use our intelligence to make strategies to discipline the mind, we will let our intelligence be misused by the mind to make its strategies

Humility is Krishna-centeredHumility means:1. Not that “I am good-for-

nothing”2. Krishna can engage even a

good-for-nothing like me.

Strategy 2

Be a perfectionist

Standards“If I can’t be the best, I won’t practice at all.” We don’t have to be the first; we just need to put Krishna first.

Spiritual growth

Is analog, not digitalGradual increment, not overnight elevation

Stay connected

Gita 12.08-12: multiple rungs on the ladder of progressWhere we are is not as defining as where we are moving

Strategy 3

Treat the peripheral as the essential

Be adept to adopt and adapt Tradition: fidelity & flexibility Adopt: Fidelity - connects us with the tradition Adapt: Flexibility – connects us with contemporary society

Don’t fight more battles than necessary

Don’t alienate people: Gita 3.26, 17.16, 18.03Don’t use an axe where a hammer is necessaryCut people’s misconceptions, not their bhakti-lata bija

Strategy 4

Let guilt come between you and Krishna

Conscience Conscience is the inner dog that barks when the thief of sin comes to steal our integrity. The bark of that dog is guilt – it is meant to be an inner defense mechanism against wrongdoing

The misappropriation of guiltGuilt should come between us and wrongdoing, not between us and Krishna.The guilt that discourages us in going closer to Krishna is pseudo-guilt; it is Maya.

A healthy attitude towards guiltTo not feel guilty at all is dangerous – and so is to feel nothing but guiltyWe are not defined by our lapses, but by what we do between the lapses

Strategy 5

See your work as Maya

Gita: Renunciation in action The way out of the world is through the world Detachment from results is not apathy towards goals

Spiritual vision of workMeans to meet bodily needsMeans to have social position for sharing Krishna’s messageMeans to work out our passion

Spiritual vision of workMeans to raise workplace consciousness by setting example of sattvika way of workingMeans to attract people through our competence and excellence

Work can be MayaGreed – What we live with shouldn’t replace what we live forWorkaholism – Work becomes our defining identity

Work as worship Means to do justice to our God-given talentsMeans to experience Krishna in this world What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God