Page 7 - Powerful Feminine Qualities

She said, “Yes. Everyday.”
I said, “What else? I went through a list of things to see if the grandmother was a devotee. My guess was she
worshipped a form of Lord Vishnu. She chanted bhajans, holy chants, and she had a guru who gave her a mantra.
However, she did not get angry. Why did her granddaughter get angry, but she did not? The answer is because the
grandmother’s material expectations were not exorbitant. She was satisfied with what Lord Krishna gave her. Even
though she was in a lower economic level than we are accustomed to today, she was satisfied with what God gave her.
She learned to be satisfied with her situation without yearning for more. She made the best of a bad bargain.
The bad bargain is birth, old age, disease and death. The grandmother understood, “I have to perform my duties. I
have my duty to my husband, duty to my children, duty to my in-laws, duty to my parents, and duty to my guru and
Krishna. Somehow or the other, I have to respect these duties, and if I get angry, I will not be able to perform them
peacefully. Why should I get angry, if my only desire is to perform my duty so that my dependents are satisfied?
However, if I desire ‘I want my privacy, I want my own home, I do not want people intruding in my house, I want my
space, I want this, I do not want that, then if I do not get what I want, I will become angry because of so many
desires.’”
If one simply performs duties properly, according to the principles of dharma, then there is no reason to get angry
because one has a higher, long-term goal that he will not achieve by getting angry in the present. The ultimate duty is
to remember Krishna throughout all the hours of the day while working honestly. Krishna says, “He who meditates on
Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the
path, he, O Partha, is sure to reach Me.” (Bg 8.8)
The grandmother had a daily spiritual practice which was as important as her other duties. It was essential for
maintaining the equilibrium of her mind so that she could control her senses, lust, and anger to stay focused on
performing her mundane duties dispassionately. A life of Krishna consciousness is therefore the solution to all
problems of material existence. By focusing the mind on Krishna, one learns to tolerate all the distressful conditions of
life by virtue of spiritual practice that gives peace of mind and control of the senses. Krishna says, “Before giving up
this present body, if one is able to tolerate the urges of the material senses and check the force of desire and anger, he
is well situated and is happy in this world.” (Bg 5.23)
Material desires that are not satisfied generate anger. One who can control the mind and senses by keeping them
engaged in serving and thinking of Krishna becomes self-realized and lives happily in this world. It is essential to
control desire and anger to overcome the degrading effects of unnecessary interpersonal disputes.
Disturbance of the mind is due to not having an ultimate goal in life that is more than mere material acquisition,
power, fame and domination. This is only possible if one’s goal is to garner the mercy of God by following His
instructions without any personal motive other than pleasing the Lord. If one is certain that Krishna is the enjoyer,
proprietor, and best friend of everyone, then one can, with a steady mind, evolve a consciousness of peace and
happiness that is independent of one’s living conditions.

Lower and higher sva-dharmas – specific duties
There are two types of specific duties. While one is under the influence of the three qualities of material nature –
goodness, passion, and ignorance – he must perform duties of his particular body in accordance with religious
principles (Varnashrama dharma) in order to rise above their influence. There are prescribed duties for the different
social orders of society.
When one is liberated from material influence, one’s sva-dharma becomes spiritual, and is no longer in confined to
the concept of material body. A person can rise above the lower sva-dharma to the higher one by practice of Krishna
consciousness. Krishna says, “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.” (Bg 14.26)
The grandmother was an example of an ordinary person who persevered in her humble position by her steady worship
and chanting the names of God with faith. Guided by the instructions of her guru, she was able to control the lower

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