Bhaktisashtri, BG unit 3, question 2

With reference to appropriate verses, purports and prabhupada’s lectures from Bhagavad-Gita
Chapters 14 and 17, explain in your own words.
(A) The importance of developing the mode of goodness in the practice of Krishna
consciousness.
(B) How Krishna consciousness is independent of the mode of goodness.

Answer (by Diptiman Gaurahari das)

(A) The mode of goodness is not necessary to initiate bhakti but it is necessary to sustain
bhakti. It means that a person can even be a drunkard and that person can chant and
dance and sing and in that way practice bhakti. So a person can be in low mode and
even in the lowest of modes and eat prasadam. So a person can practice bhakti in terms
of starting bhakti from any mode but over a period of time one needs to not just do
bhakti occasionally, but if it’s to be transformational then it has to be done regularly. And
regularity and discipline are characteristics of mode of goodness. Now in modes of
passion and ignorance one is basically driven by one’s attachments and one may be very
regular and discipline, one may say in terms of drinking alcohol considering one is
alcoholic. But that is not exercise of will power that is an exercise of abandoning one’s
will power and succumbing to one’s attachments. In goodness, one discriminates, this is
good, this is bad and this is what I should do. Even if it doesn’t feel good right now, I will
continue doing it. So goodness is what will enable us to sustain the practice of bhakti.
Because in goodness we can subordinate our emotion to our reason. In passion and
ignorance we can’t do that much, so in bhakti we may get taste occasionally. So even a
person who is alcoholic may find taste in dancing but that’s not what the person will
find always. And when the person is in ignorance, if dancing in kirtan feels boring, then
he will give it up. But a person in goodness will understand by purification I will get
higher taste even if there doesn’t seem any taste right now. And in that way a person in
goodness can sustain the practice of bhakti using reason. So material emotions can be
subordinated to reason and one can sustain one’s actions.

sarva-dvaresu dehe ‘smin

prakasa upajayate (BG 14.11)
Krishna says in 14.11 in Bhagavad Gita the characteristic of mode of goodness is
illumination. Illumination means one has knowledge by which one can understand what
is desirable and what is undesirable. Not just in terms of what our desires tell us but in
terms of what are the consequences in the long run. So anybody can start bhakti in any
mode but to sustain bhakti requires discipline which in turn requires subordinating our
feelings to our intelligence which is a characteristic of mode of goodness. So that’s why
the mode of goodness is important in practice of bhakti. Now when we say mode of
goodness, we shouldn’t think necessarily that it means changing our entire nature, its
not that if a person has a vaisya propensity that person has to become a brahmana to
practice bhakti. No, even the vaisya activities can be done in a passionate way, can be
done in an ignorant way or can be done in a goodness way. So when a person is vaisya
and is motivated primarily by greed and is even ready to hurt others for the sake of
 Bhaktisashtri, BG unit 3, question 2
getting money that sort of activity is characterised by lower modes, passion and
ignorance. But when a person may be a vaisya and its not that the person can by the
practice of bhakti become a brahmana, not necessary. That person may continue
business and that’s what the person’s liking will be, talent will be but that person will
conduct business in a goodness way that means with regulation by scripture, with
moderation, with concern for others also. So, basically the way the mode of goodness
will be expressed in different people will vary. So a vaisya when we say is in mode of
passion that is talking about nature of vaisya but that person if agrees too follow
scripture, then there is level of goodness even in that. And if he starts practicing bhakti
then that goodness can take one towards transcendence. So we shouldn’t think of that
coming to goodness necessarily means that we have to all abandon our innate nature
and we have to just artificially act in a goodness sort of way. No, we can act according to
our nature in fact that’s what the Bhagavad Gita tells us
sva-karmana tam abhyarcya siddhim vindati manavah (BG 18.46)
So here we see that Bhagavad Gita tells that sva-karmana, do your work but worship
that Supreme Lord by the work that we are doing. So what Krishna tells here is that we
don’t have to change our occupational duty from ignorance to goodness or from sudra
to brahmana to practice bhakti. But then Krishna also says that
raga-dvesa-vimuktais tu
visayan indriyais caran
atma-vasyair vidheyatma
prasadam adhigacchati ( BG 2.64)
In 2.64 he says that we put aside our attachments and aversions and follow
scripture, vidheyatma, so coming to mode of goodness essentially means doing our
duties but in accordance with scripture. So acting according to our nature but not letting
that nature completely dominate all our actions. We harmonize the actions in that
nature according to scripture and in accordance with devotion. And that way we can be
in mode of goodness while being faithful to our material nature and also being faithful
to the path that will awaken our spiritual nature and help us to find eternal happiness
and love for Krishna.
(B) A devotee keen on advancing in Krishna consciousness has to transcend the three
modes. Lord Krishna says that a person who dies in the mode of goodness goes to the
higher planets of the great sages, a person who dies in the mode of passion is born
among those engaged in fruitive activities, and a person who dies in the mode of
ignorance is born in the animal kingdom. A devotee has no desire to go to these
destinations but wants to go back home, back to Godhead. A sadhaka, or practicing
devotee, desires to transcend the three modes by the constant practice of devotional
service under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master in the guru-disciple system
(parampara).
After hearing all about the three modes, in text 14.21 Arjuna asks three questions
important for devotees who want to transcend the modes:“Arjuna inquired: O my dear
Lord, by which symptoms is one known who is transcendental to these three modes?
What is his behavior? And how does he transcend the modes of nature?”
 Bhaktisashtri, BG unit 3, question 2
Lord Krishna's answers to these three questions, in texts 22–25, form the complete
philosophy of how one can transcend the modes of material nature and return to the
spiritual world. Srila Prabhupada expertly summarizes this philosophy in his
commentary. Transcendentally situated persons have no envy and do not hanker for
anything. They perform their duty in Krishna consciousness, indifferent to honor and
dishonor. They have nothing to do with material existence. Social and political issues do
not affect them. They do nothing for their own sake and everything for Krishna. Lord
Krishna answers Arjuna’s third question (how one transcends the modes of nature) in
text 14.26: “One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at
once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.”
To rise above the three modes of material nature, we have to transfer our
consciousness from the influence of the material modes to Krishna consciousness by
practicing bhakti-yoga. A devotee in Krishna consciousness is not in association with the
modes, is without false ego, and serves with great determination and enthusiasm,
unwavering in success or failure. The influence of the modes vanishes when a devotee
completely surrenders to Lord Krishna. Commenting on text 14.26, Srila Prabhupada
recommends, “One should not be disturbed by the activities of the modes of nature;
instead of putting his consciousness into such activities, he may transfer his
consciousness to Krishna activities. Krishna activities are known as bhakti-yoga—always
acting for Krishna.” Commenting on text 14.27, the final text of the chapter, Srila
Prabhupada summarizes Krishna conscious activities: One should always engage in the
service of the Lord, should eat the remnants of foodstuffs offered to the lotus feet of
the Lord, see the places where the Lord had His transcendental pastimes, read the
different activities of the Lord, His reciprocation of love with His devotees, chant always
the transcendental vibration Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and observe the fasting days
commemorating the appearances and disappearances of the Lord and His devotees. By
following such a process one becomes completely detached from all material activities.