Formerly, in the Vedic agrarian society at least- land, cows and extended family were considered to be wealth, not factory-made goods and paper money and corporate jobs that could end at any moment and split a family miles apart. In India's villages I saw extended families working together and helping each other since they get most of their necessities locally. I saw at the neighbors there, for example, at least three grown women are living close together to share in the cooking, childcare, household duties, etc.
For various reasons, I had little help from husband's family or from my own while raising children, and most of the neighbor women were working jobs; it was rare to see another mother at home.
For various reasons, I had little help from husband's family or from my own while raising children, and most of the neighbor women were working jobs; it was rare to see another mother at home.
Looking back, however, I can see that whatever I had to go through was all part of His plan. This entire material world is set up that way. Troubles purify the heart, clarify priorities and push the fortunate soul to cry out to Him again and again.
Material miseries are His plan to bring us to our senses. He masterminded the whole Mahabharata events to overturn the impossibility of the Pandavas victory in the greatest battle ever. Similarly, He masterminds our lives to get us to the point of surrender in pure love for God. Everything and everyone is helping us do what otherwise would be impossible, to cross beyond the ocean of repeated birth and death and reach the Lord's eternal abode.
Krishna says, "This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome, but those who surrender unto Me, can easily cross beyond it." - Bgita 7.14
Choice is what gives meaning to love, and that choice is what makes the jiva living entity or the Lord's marginal energy so special, but since Krishna holds all the cards it really is "surrender", not just that we choose to love Him. Think about it. We can't really choose to love God because we are totally enslaved by the material energy; it's rigged in such a way that whenever we choose the wrong way we suffer or get zapped like the laboratory mouse going the wrong way until finally we are forced to succumb to death. This can go on for countless lifetimes.
So finally we surrender with hands raised in the air, "OK, OK, OK...You win, Krishna. I give up. I choose Your way, Lord, not mine!." It is based on love, however, Krishna's love for us. Love has to get heavy sometimes, like the wise, far-seeing parent for his child.
Coming to this understanding is where our real choice lies- the one we are surrendering to has actually been our greatest well wisher and friend all along. Then surrender is done with great happiness.
For this reason we should not lament for ourselves or others, but try to see everything in a bigger, transcendental way. We may lament loud and long the pain we must sometimes feel and also the pain of others, but Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita not to lament for anyone. Material lamentation is unbecoming for one who knows the progressive values of life,
Emotions flow
Like wind blown grasses
Across memory stations
Of past trepidations.
Desperately needy,
Alone and contrary,
A naked abyss
Scalded by the sigh of my pitiless Friend.
He says, "The wise lament not for the living nor the dead."
"But what does that mean???"
"One who knows Me does not suffer;
And sobered is one who knows Me not."
It makes sense that the trouble created due to the incompatibility between the living entity and the material energy is Krsna's way to gradually bring us to His shelter, fully surrendered, bringing us into a space where there is no more suffering, only externally does it appear that way to outsiders. One who knows the Lord does not suffer in the ordinary sense. SB 3.22.37 says:
"Therefore, O Vidura, how can persons completely under the shelter of Lord Krsna in devotional service be put into miseries pertaining to the body, the mind, nature, and other men and living creatures?"
Purport by Srila Prabhupada:
"Every living entity within this material world is always afflicted by some kind of miseries, pertaining either to the body, the mind or natural disturbances... but one who has completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord in Krishna consciousness is in the transcendental stage; he is not disturbed by any miseries, either due to the body, the mind, or natural disturbances of summer and winter. He is transcendental to all these miseries."
I used to think, "Because I have become a devotee, there will be no danger or suffering." Prahläda Mahäräja was greatly harassed and so were other devotees like the Pandavas and Haridäsa Thäkura, but they had no false bodily identification and had full faith "Krishna is present, and He will give me protection." There is no shelter other than Krishna. Thinking otherwise is the only danger and sadness.
Choice is what gives meaning to love, and that choice is what makes the jiva living entity or the Lord's marginal energy so special, but since Krishna holds all the cards it really is "surrender", not just that we choose to love Him. Think about it. We can't really choose to love God because we are totally enslaved by the material energy; it's rigged in such a way that whenever we choose the wrong way we suffer or get zapped like the laboratory mouse going the wrong way until finally we are forced to succumb to death. This can go on for countless lifetimes.
So finally we surrender with hands raised in the air, "OK, OK, OK...You win, Krishna. I give up. I choose Your way, Lord, not mine!." It is based on love, however, Krishna's love for us. Love has to get heavy sometimes, like the wise, far-seeing parent for his child.
Coming to this understanding is where our real choice lies- the one we are surrendering to has actually been our greatest well wisher and friend all along. Then surrender is done with great happiness.
For this reason we should not lament for ourselves or others, but try to see everything in a bigger, transcendental way. We may lament loud and long the pain we must sometimes feel and also the pain of others, but Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita not to lament for anyone. Material lamentation is unbecoming for one who knows the progressive values of life,
Emotions flow
Like wind blown grasses
Across memory stations
Of past trepidations.
Desperately needy,
Alone and contrary,
A naked abyss
Scalded by the sigh of my pitiless Friend.
He says, "The wise lament not for the living nor the dead."
"But what does that mean???"
"One who knows Me does not suffer;
And sobered is one who knows Me not."
It makes sense that the trouble created due to the incompatibility between the living entity and the material energy is Krsna's way to gradually bring us to His shelter, fully surrendered, bringing us into a space where there is no more suffering, only externally does it appear that way to outsiders. One who knows the Lord does not suffer in the ordinary sense. SB 3.22.37 says:
"Therefore, O Vidura, how can persons completely under the shelter of Lord Krsna in devotional service be put into miseries pertaining to the body, the mind, nature, and other men and living creatures?"
Purport by Srila Prabhupada:
"Every living entity within this material world is always afflicted by some kind of miseries, pertaining either to the body, the mind or natural disturbances... but one who has completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord in Krishna consciousness is in the transcendental stage; he is not disturbed by any miseries, either due to the body, the mind, or natural disturbances of summer and winter. He is transcendental to all these miseries."
I used to think, "Because I have become a devotee, there will be no danger or suffering." Prahläda Mahäräja was greatly harassed and so were other devotees like the Pandavas and Haridäsa Thäkura, but they had no false bodily identification and had full faith "Krishna is present, and He will give me protection." There is no shelter other than Krishna. Thinking otherwise is the only danger and sadness.
