lf one wants to make steady progress on the path of self-realization, he must try to control the forces of the material senses. We often feel strained by the pressure of having so many things to do. Even if we have a heavy workload, our strain frequently comes not from our outer burden but from our inner burden. What is our inner burden? We are bombarded by continuous media images that sometimes whisper and sometimes scream to us how we should be: what we should wear, what gadgets we should have and so forth. We hanker and struggle to obey the dictates of the media, but over timepractical considerations force us to recognize grudgingly that we can’t acquire most of these media ideals. Our inability frustrates us. This combined weight of hankerings and frustrationsis our innerburden; it strains us much more than the outer burden of our workload. Among these two, decreasing the outer burden may not be in our hands, but decreasing the inner burden is. We just have to restrain ourselves by resolving internally to not be seduced by the media images. For this, the Bhagavad-gita (05.23) recommends that wetolerate the urges of hankering and frustration. To tolerate, do we have to practice dry, joyless abstinence, as when a diabetic person gives up sugar? Not at all.The same Gita verse states that tolerance makes us happy (sukhi). Gita wisdom helps us replace theouter happiness that we have renounced with a higher, inner happiness that we can attain by connecting devotionally with Krishna, who is the source of all happiness. When we cultivate his remembrance regularly and lovingly, our inner life becomes profoundly enriched. This enrichment propels us on the path to eternal happiness with Krishna. Additionally as a byproduct it enables us to restrain ourselves. By this restraint, we tap hitherto dissipated mental energy and thereby manage life’s unavoidable strains better. Bhagavad Gita Chapter 05 Text 23 śaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṁ prāk śarīra-vimokṣaṇāt kāma-krodhodbhavaṁ vegaṁ sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ “Lord Krishna Said : 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.” There are the forces of talk, forces of anger, forces of mind, forces of the stomach, forces of the genitals, and forces of the tongue. One who is able to control the forces of all these different senses, and the mind, is called gosvāmī, or svāmī. Such gosvāmīs live strictly controlled lives, and forego altogether the forces of the senses. Material desires, when unsatiated, generate anger, and thus the mind, eyes and chest become agitated. Therefore, one must practice to control them before one gives up this material body. One who can do this is understood to be self-realized and is thus happy in the state of self-realization. It is the duty of the transcendentalist to try strenuously to control desire and anger. This crying is the last word in the progressive path of devotional service. One who can cry for the Lord in love is certainly successful in the line of devotional service. When we understand our relationship with God then we all will be happy. It is an essential factor for establishing peace in the world. Please accept my humble obeisances All glories to Srila Gurudeva ... All glories to Srila Prabhupada ... Always think of the Lotus Feet of Lord Krishna and you will find no difficulties in executing the tasks allotted to you by Krishna. As you clap your hands in praise for success, similarly clap your hands in Sankirtan movement of Holy Names. Chant these names with love and you will feel the ecstasy: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare ... Hare Krishna ... Jay Jagannath ... ~~ Bhakta Sanjay https://facebook/groups/harekrishnaharerama/
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 04:07:30 +0000