People are too hung up on this concept of “keeping everything relaxed” and “keeping everyone happy”
Sometimes people need a little dose of MEDICINE and it’s not always pleasant.
No normal Doctor you go to will tell you “yes, I will cure your disease, and I will make certain you will feel very comfortable during the entire surgery and you will always feel and think I am really nice and friendly, and nothing will ever make you feel offended”.
People are too hung up on this concept of “keeping everything relaxed” and “keeping everyone happy”
Sometimes people need a little dose of MEDICINE and it’s not always pleasant.
No normal Doctor you go to will tell you “yes, I will cure your disease, and I will make certain you will feel very comfortable during the entire surgery and you will always feel and think I am really nice and friendly, and nothing will ever make you feel offended”.
Well, if that person has a very bad disease that requires some surgery, it’s going to hurt like hell, and most likely they will HATE the Doctor during it, and even after it, until the pain is gone finally, and they realize they have been cured.
However, if someone else comes along and says “oh, this is terrible, you should not have to feel pain from this Doctor, you should not feel you’ve been made to suffer during this treatment, etc… and says to the Doctor “can’t you see, you are about to hurt this patient, please relax and don’t continue this treatment”… well that creates a problem.
So, lets try to remember that we’re fighting a war against maya, and we’re trying to become cured from the worst disease possible, that of thinking we don’t need Krishna.
Then we can realize there are more important things than “everyone staying relaxed”.
We are not yogis, we are devotees.
Did Krishna say to Arjuna “Oh, it’s really going to upset you and make you feel uncomfortable to fight with your family members, and have to kill them. Much better that you should make sure everyone stays relaxed and you stay relaxed too. So, just put down your weapons and go home and relax”.
Not at all, He said “stand and fight”.
So, there are more important things than staying “relaxed”.
It’s not always relaxing to get free from the material energy.
If you feel “relaxed” all the time, it’s a very good sign that you are making no spiritual progress at all.
* Navasi’s blog
* Login or register to post comments
Comments
Sat, 04/19/2008 – 12:08 — krsona
krsona’s picture
Hare Krsna
Hare Krsna
* Login or register to post comments
Sat, 04/19/2008 – 15:35 — Navasi
Navasi’s picture
Krsna Krsna
Hare Hare
: )
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
: )
* Login or register to post comments
Tue, 04/08/2008 – 17:25 — Ѕantosh
Ѕantosh’s picture
Be always mindful of Maya
Haribol!
Excellent post. Nectar in every letter. May I add that ‘relaxation’ is just the opportunity that Maya needs in order to re-infect us. Maya is continually stalking us, waiting for us to slip up just once. We need to be always mindful of this and pray to Krsna for us to remember him and take shelter of his holy names at every waking moment.
Jay Govinda!
* Login or register to post comments
Wed, 04/09/2008 – 13:34 — Navasi
Navasi’s picture
The Razors Edge
Hare Krishna Santosh,
You are totally right.
Prahbupad has warned us repeatedly that we do not take Maya seriously enough.
I think you are familiar with the “razor’s edge” example…
Srila Prabhupad said that spiritual life is like a razor’s edge, one slip and there is bloodshed…
So, if we are serious about our spiritual life, then we will not allow ourselves to be “relaxed” and allow Maya this chance to re-infect us and you so nicely stated.
I also love what you’ve said about how we have to pray to Krishna and take shelter of His Holy Names…. that’s truly the best way to be protected from Maya.
Along with removing “relaxation” from our consciousness and out lives. Vigilance is what is required to stay Krishna conscious and become more Krishna conscious, not relaxation.
Very nice comment.
Thank you so much for expressing your appreciation of this post.
It was very inspiring to me to read your comment.
Jaya Govinda! : )
Navasi
* Login or register to post comments
Tue, 04/01/2008 – 06:43 — Dhama Rupini
Dhama Rupini’s picture
Complacency hinders spiritual progress
Hare Krsna Navasi,
Thank you for posting this very interesting blog. Your blog reminded me of my readings.I was thinking Chapter 16 of Bhagavad Gita is one such chapter that gives a little dose of medicine. The chapter highlights demoniac and divine natures. Many may become scared by such readings but we certainly need , “little doses of medicine”, to keep us in check in order to advance spiritually. We need to be ever vigilant and avoid complacency , in order to advance spiritually.
Thanks for your lovely post.
Julia
* Login or register to post comments
Tue, 04/01/2008 – 08:42 — Navasi
Navasi’s picture
Comfort Zones
Hare Krishna Julia,
Thank you for your nice comment here.
Yes, you’re exactly right about complacency. Keeping everything really comfortable.
It reminds me of the term (I’m sure you’ve heard it) “the comfort zone”.
That’s the place where everything is how we like it, how we are used to it being, and nothing ever upsets us. It’s also the place that we are not making any progress in.
In the material world, no one wants “medicine” or “suffering” of any kind.
But, in spiritual life, that very same “medicine” or “suffering” can be the exact thing we need to Propel Us Forward spiritually.
The important thing is Are We Progressing, not “are we feeling good about everything”.
I’m glad you appreciated this post.
Hare Krishna
Navasi
* Login or register to post comments
Tue, 04/01/2008 – 11:04 — Jai Srila Prabhupada
Jai Srila Prabhupada’s picture
Thanks to both of you
I completely agree with both of you. In the material world we don’t want suffering and that is the reason we don’t progress where as spiritually we must be ready to take a medicine. Excellent both of you. Thank you for making me realize my mistake in making foolish comments previously.
* Login or register to post comments
Tue, 04/01/2008 – 11:15 — Navasi
Navasi’s picture
Medicine
That’s very nice that you feel you are understanding this now Mihir, that’s the way of progress.
Here’s a nice quote from Srila Prabhupad on this topic. Perhaps you will appreciate reading this.
“There is the example given of the jaundice patient. He is suffering from disease, and when given sugar-candy, which is the cure, he finds it very bitter and distasteful. But that does not mean the sugar-candy is not very sweet and delicious; it is simply due to his diseased condition that it seems bitter. In order to be cured from his disease, he must take the medicine of sugar-candy, despite the apparently bitter taste, and as he becomes cured, the real sweet taste of the candy is gradually revealed”.
Srila Prabhupad, letter, March 22, 1968
Navasi
* Login or register to post comments
Tue, 04/01/2008 – 23:12 — Jai Srila Prabhupada
Jai Srila Prabhupada’s picture
Very Nice
Hare Krishna, Dear Mataji,
I remember reading this for the first time when you posted it in the japa section. After reading it again I enjoyed it even more. Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Mihir.
* Login or register to post comments
Sat, 04/19/2008 – 13:06 — Snehal
Snehal’s picture
Maya- A Loyal Servant
Mataji, you have very rightly said that advancing spiritually is like battling with Maya.But Maya is a loyal servant of Krisna. Krisna’s mercy,devotion and love is so precious that we need to pass the tests put forward by Maya before we get it. Just as as one has to pass through various security checks before meeting President, one who wants to progress spiritually has to pass through tests put forward by Maya. So we need to be always prepared for the test as we dont know when and how we would have it. In such a situation, relaxing is very dangerous.
Another thing is fighting with Maya, can serve as an oppurtunity to advance futher. When we are put in a difficult situation by Maya we realize that we dont have strength to fight in out and so we pray for Krisna’s mercy. Which ultimately brings us near Krisna. As gold has to be put in fire to get purified, Maya puts us in her fire so that we come out as better devotees.
* Login or register to post comments
Sat, 04/19/2008 – 15:33 — Navasi
Navasi’s picture
Pure Devotee Maya Devi
Dear Snehal,
Yes, you are quite right, Maya Devi is most expert in her devotional service to the Lord. She is a Pure Devotee, and thus she serves Krishna perfectly.
As you have said, it is her service to Krishna to make certain that we are entirely pure before coming close to the Lord, and in this endeavor she will do all kinds of things, and put us to all kinds of tests.
It’s said that as one advances more and more, her tests become more and more subtle and tricky.
We alone cannot hope to counter the power of Maya Devi of course, it is only by the causeless mercy of the Lord, and the protection we gain from following carefully the processes recommended by Srila Prabhupad. By carefully following the process and remaining vigilant then we will be best equipped to pass these tests and to pray for the protection of Krishna at all times, taking shelter of His Holy Name.
The process of purification is devotional service to the Lord, and that starts with chanting the Hare Krishna maha mantra…. and then there are the 9 total processes of devotional service and any one of them enough if engaged in seriously will protect us.
But, we have to be very serious about them, especially chanting the maha mantra.
As Srila Prabhupad says we cannot understand Krishna by studying Vedic literature alone.
So, we have to chant our 16 rounds (at least) of japa every day, and follow the regulative principles, in order to have protection and to be able to pass all these tests from Maya Devi, as you are saying.
If we don’t pass a test, it will come back to us, over and over until we do pass it.
Krishna is very merciful and He wants us to reach Him (in our consciousness, not saying what planet or world as per our previous discussion 😉
Thank you for your nice comments.
Hare Krishna,
Navasi
* Login or register to post comments
Sun, 04/20/2008 – 05:47 — abrennan
abrennan’s picture
Wow what a conversation
Mayadevi is actually doing us a great favor. That’s my feeling.