During a recent exposition of the Srimad Bhagavatam, KrsnaKnows gave a lesson on reducing the amount of karma we create in this life. He teaches that one should not get involved with other people’s bad behaviour and to just “be your Good-Self.”
“Insulting words one should tolerate and one should never disrespect anyone, nor should one identify with this material body or hold a grudge against whomever.” (Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 12, Chapter 6, v34)
Perception and reception of words spoken by others, are wholly at your command. You cannot stop people from speaking poorly to you or about you. Do not get caught up in reacting to another person’s insult or praise. Krsna helps His students to reduce future karma by teaching us to just let it be. Your reaction creates a new karmic loop for you with that person, instead walk away from the situation and just let it be. It may hurt your feelings, but it does not really touch you. Keep yourself focused on God and try not to dwell on the deeds and statements of others.
Be respectful to others, all others. Krsna asks His students to be kind and compassionate whether it be towards a person, an insect, an animal or the environment, be respectful of it. You need not run around kissing or hugging everything, nor join some protest group to march carrying signs. When a situation arises, whereby you encounter others, just be kind. You need not cleanup the world just be clean yourself and do not add to the problem.
All that happens in this world is directed towards the body. When you identify with the material world you are drawn away from your focus on God. Carrying a grudge will only get you more involved in karmic loops that continue your cycles of birth and death (samsara). The quicker you can let go of insult or injury the less involved you will be. The mind will want to keep examining and processing every incident the body undergoes, but that will only get you more in debt.
For me, an important revelation came when Krsna taught that it is not just the physical action that will get you caught up in a karmic loop, it can happen simply by a thought. When your mind creates responses even though you do not verbalise or act upon them, it creates additional karma for you. An attachment with another person is created with just a thought. Holding a grudge against another will only bring you closer to that person, it is much better to let it go. Experience the insult and just move on from it.
It is most difficult for me to implement any of the teachings received. Learning to let it be, will just take time and practice. It requires that the mind not get involved in repetitive thought. Lashing back at others has to be controlled. It seems to be human nature, that we reflect back what we receive, meeting every drop of bad will with our own wish of bad will to the perpetrator, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Krsna teaches we just have to experience it and move away. You may be destined to receive those bad words due to the previously acquired karma, so just take it and let it be.
My Guru shoulders the weight of my past and future karma. He is helping me to work through that karma which I am here to dissipate. He teaches me the way of not adding more. I do not want to burden my Gurudev, I am but one student and He has many students, for each of us he carries the load. Guru’s Grace has been given and I humbly proceed with Love and Respect.
