Robinson Crusoe | Desert Island of Ego

{'type': u'plain'}

Here we’re making
a distinction,

we’re defining,
connotating,

we’re increasing the connotation
of what is meant by ‘heart’,

[Robinson Crusoe | Desert Island of Ego]

because from
a mundane point of view

in the 7th chapter
of the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says,

bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ
khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā
[Bg: 7.4]

He outlines sequentially
what are the eight material elements:

bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ
[Cc: 2.6.164],

earth, water, fire, air, ether,
mind, and intelligence,

and ahaṅkāra—
false ego.

In the following śloka
He says,

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ
prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām

jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho
yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat
[Bg: 7.5]

He says that,
“But the jīva, jīva-śakti …

(what I’ve just outlined
is prakṛti—mundane energy)

jīva is a superior
type of śakti,

which is above
these eight elements.”

So although we don’t normally
think of it this way, it’s not the first verse

that would come to our mind
in terms of sahajiyāism.

Śrīla Guru Mahārāj used it
as a refutation of sahajiyāism.

Along these lines that their idea
is that by reconditioning

the element of mind,
the mundane element of mind,

filling it with images
of Kṛṣṇa,

making it accustomed
to hearing certain sounds,

that one will have
some sort of epiphany,

and their swarūp
will manifest.

Guru Mahārāj is of the opinion
that all of this must dissolve.

Because the subtlest aspect
is ahaṅkāra, false ego,

but then the buddhi,
the mind,

the body that’s housing
these elements—

all of these
must be dissolved.

In what way? Or …
Gurudev gave a famous lecture called

“Dissolving the pillars of ego.”

“Demolishing the pillars of ego.”

How? Not through some
Buddhistic type of dissolution,

but rather through service,

through service engagement,
through dedication.

Biological expression
of the soul’s delusion is the body.

It’s the outcome of jīva’s
exploiting tendency,

the desire
to lord over matter.

Sometimes he would quote
“Robinson Crusoe”.

Alexander Selkirk, the famous …
The man shipwrecked on the island.

And he has a line, where he says,
“I am the lord of all I survey.”

So he’s saying,

“This mood, this mania
that I’m the master

and detesting
the very notion of …

servitude or,
by extension, slavery,

being subordinate,
being submissive.”

In modern times any qualities
associated with this notion

are considered undesirable
and detrimental

to developing oneself
and one’s self-esteem, etc.

So the body is a biological expression
of the soul’s delusion,

that includes mind,
intelligence,

but the outcome
of exploiting tendency,

the biological outcome
of exploiting tendency,

if we become connected
to the service plane,

if we withdraw
from being exploiting agents

and become enriched
with a dedicating tendency,

then the body,
mind, intelligence,

which were the outcome
of the exploiting tendency,

start to vanish,
and the spiritual mind, intellect, body

begin to manifest—the swarūp.