Ok. Don’t be good to yourself. But be good to Krsna. This body is His and He sits in it. You’re just here for the ride.
You’re borrowing a face in the Universal form. That face has a name. Happens to be… [whatever it is……I know mine]. How do feel about him, or her?
[This is where you say how you feel about yourself] Personally I’m embarrassed.
So you’re embarrassed of Krsna. You think He’s a loser. You hate Him and wish He would go away, disappear, evaporate, eh?
No. I’m embarrassed of me. He’s not me.
But you’re not you either. Everything comes from God, including “your” body, and “your” ego. (Even you, little spirit soul, are an emanation of God’s energy) So if you’re embarrassed by one of God’s faces, then are you not embarrassed by some aspect of God? And do you think that’s good?
No. I suppose not.
Then be good to […whatever your name is]. What would […so and so] be doing that Krsna would be pleased with? How is Krsna happy with David’s [or whoever’s] activities and attitude? David’s actions are part of Krsna’s play. Is David playing well? Is he pleasing the director? David is the director’s character, not the actor’s. The character is set by the director; the actor didn’t create him. The actor just agreed to play him.
Krsna is in your heart. He resides in this body. Your senses are His. He experiences what you experience (though he’s not attached).
Then if he’s not attached, why does he care whether I act good or bad? If my impetus to be inspired and serving is Krsna’s experience of David but Krsna is unattached to the experience of David, then how can I be inspired? I’m only inspired if I think that I’m not me; If I think that I’m actually operating Krsna’s body for Krsna’s enjoyment. So if He’s not bothered, how can I please Him?
Ok, He’s not attached because He has His own nature beyond David and He can enjoy plenty there; so what you do doesn’t affect him. Still, he’s not callous towards you, or else why would He come and sit with you? Why does he say that persons who perform austerities not recommended in the scriptures give him pain, since He is sitting in their hearts as the Supersoul? Why does He say that? Because He cares; He senses.
So like a father and child who go on a fairground ride. The father goes with the child because the child wants a ride. On his own, the father wouldn’t bother. There are plenty of other things he likes to do, but it doesn’t bother him to go on the fairground ride when his child is eager to be taken; in fact he rather enjoys it, but he enjoys it mostly because he enjoys the pleasure that his child gets; he enjoys sharing the experience with his child when the child feels protected and indulged. Sure he likes the fairground ride too for what it is, but he’s not about to slide off on his own some day after work and seek a ride on the fairground on his very lonesome now is he? Then we could say he was attached… if he did that.
Now if the child had a bad ride because he insisted on losing the seat-belt, or he insisted on stuffing his face just before, or for any other number of reasons that are entirely the child’s fault, then is Dad going to be happy? Will he be happy that Junior had a rubbish ride? Happy that junior spewed his guts? Happy to have to carry him off in tears? (the child’s tears; not Dad’s – though it I suppose it could happen in reverse)
You may say, “Well why didn’t Dad strap him in? Why didn’t Dad make sure of this and make sure of that? Why didn’t Dad insist?” But Krsna’s not that kind of Dad. He knows it’s only a ride. And on this ride you won’t die (because you’re eternal of course!) Sure, Dad will say, “Now you really should stay inside the safety bar” and, “if you eat too much now, you might feel sick after” and, “On this ride it’s a very good idea to keep your arms inside the car. You like your arms, right?” But he won’t force.
Why won’t he force? BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T WANT THE RELATIONSHIP. In effect you said, “Hey. You’re not my Dad. I can make it alone. I don’t need you. I’m a big boy now, or a big girl, and I’m big enough to ride this thing alone.” But Dad still wants to be Dad, and he can only be Dad if you agree to be child. Of course He is Dad whether or not you agree, but as far as experiencing the relationship of father and child, well… that takes two. He’s also your friend; your best friend. And best friends don’t impose their will if it will push you away. So if you want the relationship back, He’s ready and waiting. He won’t force. The child that agrees to be child: he can be forced. It’s fine with that child, because that child knows that the force is applied for his good; is applied by his Dad, and his Dad is his friend.
So there you have it. In one case the child asserts his rather illusory independence (after all: Dad owns the ride, and Dad paid for it). And in the other case, the child listens to his father.
In the one case, the child ignores Dad’s advice and Dad lets Junior make Junior’s own mistakes for Junior’s own realization (but to the degree that Junior still depends on Dad, then Dad makes sure Junior is safe… Hey, even if Junior insists on tying himself to the tracks for an ugly suicide, the mundane Dad will generally force his hand — since the relationship is terminally threatened. But the transcendental Dad will never interfere unless you want Him to. Why? — Because your relationship is absolutely inescapable. At some point, even if after a ridiculously inconceivable length of time of simulating your ‘escape from freedom’, you will wind up saying, “Hi Dad. I’m home.” ‘Sat’ is eternal. ‘Asat’ is temporary).
So in this less than preferable scenario you can hardly say that Dad had a fantastic time at the fairground, riding around with his insubordinate child, who screamed, cried, spewed, and fell thirty feet to a nasty crunch. You can’t say that. Sure Dad is cool; Dad is grand; Dad didn’t get a scratch; but Dad had to scrape Junior off the tarmac and ride with him to the hospital. Great day out for Dad… yeah! And if you say, “Well Krsna is unattached. He can ride with us to hell and it’s no biggie for Him. He can read a book on the way”, then I say you’re an absolute impersonalist and you don’t know the first thing about God. If you want to get back at God for being God, then just do everything you can possibly think of to hurt yourself. Since you can’t get to God and kill him, all you can do is kill yourself. But God’s not phased. He’s still God, and He still finds it sad that you’re in pain. He’s only hurt that you’re hurt…… You can’t hurt Him.
Let’s take our preferable scenario now: The child accepts the protection and advice of his father. He’s comfortable with that because he’s comfortable having a relationship with the old man (who’s never old by the way). He’s happy to have someone who loves him and can offer him complete security and facility. Knowing this, he submits his own will to his father’s because his father’s will is his happiness — meaning (in both senses of the phrase) that his father wills the child’s happiness and (on a higher platform) the child’s happiness is the realization of his father’s will. Yes, the relationship is each one for the other. So, taking his father’s direction, the child experiences a safe and enjoyable ride, and if he is fortunate to be conscious of the role that his father plays in arranging this whole experience, then his pleasure comes not merely by token of the ride; but by token of the relationship he experiences with his father. And Dad, experiencing the satisfaction of his child who relates to his Dad in a proper way, has a good time too. Conscious of this relationship, the child seeks further opportunities to submit himself to the protection and facilitation of his father. As he matures, he seeks not only the relationship that awards his self-centered experience, but a relationship that awards clear pleasure to his Dad. In other words, the ride becomes less important and Dad becomes more important. The child becomes Dad’s friend. But even before such maturity, his Dad has a fantastic time at the fairground.
Include Krsna in all that you do. And think how he will be happy. Think how I can make His experience of riding with me in this machine of a body a happy one. Take care of His body. Take care of His mind...And take care of his jiva. Why would you want to do this? Well, you’ve been hammering away at the alternative for eons and you’re still depressed. You’re scared that if you sacrifice what you think you want to do for what you either think or know God wants you to do, then somehow you’ll lose out. Happiness will elude you. But this is a great fallacy. Our philosophy is just the opposite. Take a chance on it. Try it. Be bold. Put Krsna first. Try it every day, every moment. Follow His direction. Seek the service of His servants. See if you lose your “freedom”. See if you become happy. See if He fills your every need. See if you get addicted, and see if you never come down…
So did you get your inspiration back?
Go on. Give Dad a fun ride.
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