The modes of material nature exists outside of us and also inside of us – They are not necessarily the same.Externally we can be in a place of passion.
Internally we can be in a place of goodness.
So the reverse - imagine externally the place is in the mode of goodness:
"The swan, the lake, the lily."
But we are in passion… right? So then we sit there and say:
“Look at the stupid swan! I wonder if he can fly?” And then throw some stones! That’s when we are in the mode of passion and the place is in the mode of goodness...
So you see that the modes of material nature work like that. They exist outside of us and inside of us. They are not always synchronized, but by externally creating the conditions of the modes of goodness – we can gradually influence the modes that exist internally, and gradually cultivate more goodness! That’s good and we engage in devotional service, but some remnants of ignorance and passion may remain with us – even if we are in the transcendental atmosphere all the time.
That is the topic I have been addressing today and with that we have to be careful when these tendencies emerge, because they are detrimental to devotional service and spiritual advancement – and we have to correct these things. When we see laziness in ourselves, when we become aware of it - we need to rise above it.
When we see harshness in ourselves – we have to correct it in our behavior.
When we see a lack of cleanliness in ourselves – we have to correct it.
All these things will pull us down in spiritual life and they will keep us covered.
vayam tu na vitrpyāma uttama-śloka-vikrame
yac chrnvatām rasa-jñānām svādu svādu pade pade.
We should be completely absorbed in transcendental sound and relishing every step – that is where we should be!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, October 2010)
