To remain in control under fire is part of the training for a soldier. By repetition and training, the military prepares troops to use their intelligence to master their survival instincts during a combat situation.
When the instinct simply wants us to flee or freeze in fear, a soldier's training kicks in and he or she can know better.
It's the same throughout life for all of us, just to a lesser degree, of course. The theory still applies though. Under stressful circumstances, the one who has trained the intelligence can overcome any irrational state that sets in.
Those who have not prepared will be quickly overwhelmed as the adrenalin clouds logic and the person is left like a deer in the headlights. Or a panic-stricken chicken, floundering about with feathers flying.
Unless you've been in a life- threatening situation, you will not know what the experience is like. Even the most intelligent person becomes reduced to irrational behavior unless properly trained and prepared.
I have personally woken in the pitch dark of early pre-dawn morning, to find a burglar with a knife and club standing in the bedroom of the house I was looking after for a lady. It was surreal and dream like. But after shaking off the initial shock that led me to freeze, I confronted the intruder and fought him with my bare hands, to finally overwhelm him and chase him away.
In the process I received a stab wound in the shoulder and several bruises. But I succeed in calling the police who came quickly enough to catch the armed burglar red-handed and take him to jail.
I know what is like to face death. The mind and intelligence do not necessarily work properly under such life-or-death threats. It takes training or instinct based on your DNA to stay calm under fire.
Similarly at death, with no training or rehearsal, we may be obliged to call upon our intelligence, as the body collapses, to stay lucid and make a success of the transition and departure from the body. This is the biggest test of all. All the rest are preparation for that.
Therfore, we should train our mind and senses while healthy, by informing the intelligence and by building a valid philosophical understanding of who we are, underneath the current temporary body and mind.
When the body and mind collapse at death, the consciousness observing this happen to them needs to stay lucid, calm and focused. Knowledge is the key. That's why we educate ourselves, we train to master the lower nature with the higher nature.
At the time of crisis, whether a life threatening situation or the process of leaving the body, we want to have the insight and knowledge, even if just in theory, regarding our real identity as consciousness beyond the body.
If we're still identifying with the body or attached to the pleasures of the body because of overwhelming lust, then we really make it harder for ourselves and may even find our self trapped in the realm of the mind, trying to enjoy beyond our time. When that time comes, your preparation and philosophical insight will be needed and will come to your assistance, if you're lucky. So prepare now and improve your odds. Don't get left trapped in limbo because your body's lust keeps you attracted to the wrong thing.
You can thank me later.
Bhagavad Gita ch3:43
evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā
saṁstabhyātmānam ātmanā
jahi śatruṁ mahā-bāho
kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; buddheḥ—of intelligence; param—superior; buddhvā—so knowing; saṁstabhya—by steadying; ātmānam—the mind; ātmanā—by deliberate intelligence; jahi—conquer; śatrum—the enemy; mahā-bāho—O mighty-armed one; kāma-rūpam—the form of lust; durāsadam—formidable.
TRANSLATION
Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to material senses, mind and intelligence, one should control the lower self by the higher self and thus—by spiritual strength—conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.
PURPORT
This Third Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā is conclusively directive to Kṛṣṇa consciousness by knowing oneself as the eternal servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without considering impersonal voidness as the ultimate end. In the material existence of life, one is certainly influenced by propensities for lust and desire for dominating the resources of material nature. Desire for overlording and sense gratification are the greatest enemies of the conditioned soul; but by the strength of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can control the material senses, the mind and the intelligence. One may not give up work and prescribed duties all of a sudden; but by gradually developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can be situated in a transcendental position without being influenced by the material senses and the mind—by steady intelligence directed toward one's pure identity. This is the sum total of this chapter. In the immature stage of material existence, philosophical speculations and artificial attempts to control the senses by the so-called practice of yogic postures can never help a man toward spiritual life. He must be trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by higher intelligence.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Third Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā in the matter of Karma-yoga, or the Discharge of One's Prescribed Duty in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
Reference: Bhagavad Gita As It Is,translation and commentary by Swami A C Bhaktivedanta, original MacMillan 1972 edition,freely available at prabhupadabooks.com.
Image: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/crow-cage-dove-castle-key-4262068/ Edited and published from my mobile device onto the Hive blockchain as a timely reminder for those approaching their time.
Discord Server.This post has been manually curated by @bhattg from Indiaunited community. Join us on our
Do you know that you can earn a passive income by delegating to @indiaunited. We share more than 100 % of the curation rewards with the delegators in the form of IUC tokens. HP delegators and IUC token holders also get upto 20% additional vote weight.
Here are some handy links for delegations: 100HP, 250HP, 500HP, 1000HP.
100% of the rewards from this comment goes to the curator for their manual curation efforts. Please encourage the curator @bhattg by upvoting this comment and support the community by voting the posts made by @indiaunited..
This post received an extra 11.99% vote for delegating HP / holding IUC tokens.