If Krishna directs us from heart, why should He direct us to do bad deeds?
Actual Question from a male devotee:
Hare krsna prabhu dandavat pranam… i have a small doubt regarding bhagwadgita. In chap 18, lord said that he i the form of super soul resides in us and directs our activites. According to our past karmas, as the soul dont remember anything..Does this mean that what ever a person does are those all activites directed by supersoul? I mean how? Becz a man does both bad and good activities, good activities i can understand but what about the bad activites?? Even bad activites are directed by supersoul?
REPLY:
Krishna directs us from heart only if we desire for something. Choice is ours; Help is that Krishna.
This will be very interesting if you read further.
(HOW THE ATHMA (SOUL) CHANGES THE BODIES? MECHANISM! READ HERE!)
There is electricity. It does not do anything. It just gives electrical energy.
But, how is it used in actual application?
If it activates the fan, it rotates.
If it activates radio, it sings.
If it activates a motor pump, it sucks water from the ground.
If it activates the lamp, it burns.
Thus, same electricity that gives the same electrical energy is converted as light energy by an electric bulb. Converted as sound energy in radio. Converted as mechanical energy in a fan and motor.
(Nature Of Athma (Soul): Can the athma (Soul) feel, see, speak and work? READ HERE!)
Thus, the electrical energy does not direct the devices and instruments. It just gives electrical energy to a device making them alive.
Only the devices act according to their programs using the electrical energy.
Apply the same principle in our body also.
Athma is like electricity. It just keeps the body alive.
Paramathma is situated in our hearts as a witness, not the director.
Athma gives energy to this body to function. If it leaves the body, the body is dead like the instruments stop working if we stop the electricity.
Athma is actually nirguna and pure. Only when it takes the body, the guna starts to screen the athma. Because of this screen of gunas, we forget our actual pure condition as athma and start to think in terms of our body.
(8 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ON SOUL (ATHMA) ENTERING THE BODIES! READ HERE!)
So, we perform good or bad deeds according to the directions of our three gunas – Satva Guna (mode of goodness), Rajo Guna (Mode of passion) and Thamo Guna (Mode of ignorance).
If the satva guna is dominated, he acts with good manners.
If the rajo guna is dominated, he acts violently.
If the thamo guna is dominated, he acts lazily and foolishly.
Thus, athma or paramathma are nothing to do with our activities. They just give energy to the body to do anything according to our karma or free will.
Only until the athma is residing in our body, the Paramathma accompanies it. If athma leaves the body, the Paramathma too leaves.
(Does Athma have gender as males and females act differently? READ HERE!)
Though athma is giving energy to function, the Paramathma does not have to do anything until we desire to do anything. He is silently watching all our activities from the heart. When we like to do something, Paramathma, ie, Krishna makes the arrangements for us to fulfil our wish.
If we like to do bad things, the paramathma allows that. If we like to do good things, the same paramathma encourages that.
In case we think of Krishna, now, the Paramathma becomes happy and takes arrangements to take us closer to Krishna.
This is what Athma and Paramathma do within our body.
Hope you understood this simple explanation for how Krishna directs us from heart.
(Athma (Soul) and Paramathma (Supersoul)- Differences! READ HERE!)