10.09 – Are we bandaging an infected wound without cleaning it?

We often make resolutions to improve ourselves, to correct our unworthy behaviors, to live more spiritually. But we frequently fail in our resolutions. Why?

Because we are sabotaged by our false beliefs. Metaphorically, we are bandaging an infected wound without cleaning it. The unworthy behavior is like the wound; the resolution, the bandage; the infection, the misbelief.

What is the misbelief?

The notion that we are ok the way we are and change will cost too much effort. This notion can come in many variants. But its common denominator is that we can enjoy life at the normal material level, so becoming more spiritual is not worth the trouble.

This misbelief is contagious. It infects us when we indiscriminatingly associate with materialistic people who hold it as their defining belief.

To avoid getting thus infected, we need to become more discriminating in our association. When associating with worldly people, we can try to share the Gita’s spiritual wisdom with them and thereby decontaminate them of their misbelief. If we can’t do that, at least we shouldn’t let ourselves become contaminated by their misbeliefs. For that, we need to minimize worldly association – or at least be on intellectual guard during such association.

And more importantly, we need to associate with devotees who are relishing higher spiritual happiness. They delight in sharing their spiritual joys, as the Bhagavad-gita (10.09) indicates. By entering into their association, we can get glimpses of spiritual happiness. These glimpses help us understand how much happiness we are missing by staying at the material level. This understanding exposes the falsity of our beliefs and inspires us to abandon them.

Correcting our beliefs empowers us to live up to our resolutions and enables us to relish lasting spiritual happiness.