Sometimes,
spiritual life is considered to be an activity that is to be taken up by people
who are retired, old and have nothing else to do. It is perceived as a nice hobby,
where people can sit back and speculate; give their own interpretations about
life and god - an Armchair philosophy. Some times, people comment on ones
taking up spiritual life with sympathy and say things like “Oh, it looks like
he had gone through so many hardships and difficulties in life that he got
vexed up and took up spirituality."At times, we hear this from elders and
parents - "Don’t become so serious about spirituality; this is not the
time for you to think about it. This is the time for you to enjoy life, earn -
name, fame reputation and money."Sometimes, people who take up
spirituality themselves are mistaken about it that, they have nothing to do
with this world and they are going to be alone, live in seclusion, give up
their responsibilities, job and spend life doing nothing. Some people consider
the ones who are spiritually inclined to be individuals with low self esteem or
lack self confidence. “They don’t believe in themselves”, they critics say, “They
want something to hold on to and that’s how God was created”. Then, there are
others who say that, just believe in something and you will be alright… What
these people don’t understand is that Spirituality is such a dynamic, adventurous,
ever fresh, blissful activity where, the devotee perceives unlimited happiness.
Spirituality is not just for people who are failures in life but, they form a
part or section of the whole group.As Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita,7.16 -
catur-vidha bhajante mam janah sukrtino 'rjuna arto jijnasur
artharthi jnani ca bharatarsabha., Four
kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me--the distressed, the
desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of
the Absolute. We have so many examples of highly successful, materially wealthy
persons have becomes devotees or surrendered to God because, they are –
Sukritinah..have some pious credits by which they took devotional service and
surrendered to God. Weather one is rich or poor, failure or successful, young
or old have to go through four miserys of life, the Birth, death, old age and
disease. Again, Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita 8.16 says,ā-brahma-bhuvanāl
lokāh;punar āvartino ’rjuna;mām upetya tu kaunteya;punar janma na vidyate
So
to sum up, one practicing a spiritual life is never lazy, never take things for
granted, never gives up his duties and responsibilities in an untimely manner, never
looses his drive or passion for doing things in a better way or at work
because, he believes in doing his best, truthful, tolerant and so on.. Welcome
to the world of spirituality.
Long
time ago, I saw a movie where the hero is a lazy fellow and basically wants to
escape working hard and getting up early to go to work, be accountable at job
etc. He somehow marries a daughter of a wealthy man, hoping to become a successor
to the riches the man had. But, to his utter dismay, the girl wants to lead a
simple life and does not want to take any help or money from her rich parents.
One day the Hero happens to see group of Sanyasis / renunciants in orange dress
being invited by a rich man. He notices that they are all being fed sumptuously
with all different items and sweets etc.He immediately makes up his mind and
decides give up his family life, wife and become a Monk. He goes to that ashram
and requests the head Monk for permission to become a Sanyasi / renunciant and
takes up orange dress. Just when he was daydreaming about all the sweets and
food that he is going to get, he was harshly woken up from his sleep and was asked
to work in the vegetable farm of the ashram. After a tiring morning of work, he
was served a simple meal of dhal and chapati and was asked to get back to work.
And, the life goes on...Slowly, the Hero realises that life in the ashram is after
all not so easy. Finally, realises his mistake and gives up the orange dress
and goes back to his wife and family life. Thankfully, his wife allows him to comeback
and after that he lives happily, content with what ever he has.
Here
is a further excerpt from Srila Prabhupad’s lecture,
“Sri
Caitanya Mahāprabhu also. He never asked anybody to change his position. He
simply recommended that you associate with pure devotees and hear from him.
That's all. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu never asked anybody that Sometimes this Krishna
consciousness is misunderstood to be inertia, and one with such a
misunderstanding often withdraws to a secluded place to become fully Krishna conscious
by chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna Sometimes the so-called devotees of Krishna...
In Vṛndāvana you'll find that they are keeping
themself in a secluded place and supposed to be chanting Hare Krishna. But practically
it has been seen that by such artificial way of becoming Krishna consciousness,
it does not make anyone advanced. I have seen practically. They are living in a
secluded place,chanting Hare Krishna, but practically, when he comes out, he's
smoking. You see. He cannot give up even smoking, and what to speak of this material
world? You see? That is artificial. This is not recommended. First of all you
become mature, then secluded place. Otherwise there is no secluded place. Maya
is everywhere. Maya will dictate, "Oh, you are so tired. Why don't you
come out and smoke a cigarette?" Yes. And he thinks he's advancing, the
nonsense is advancing. No. Phalena paricīyate. By the result one has to be
judged how far he has advanced. Similarly, there are so many persons, they are
meditating. What meditating, nonsense?
What
is their character? If you challenge their character, nonsense. So these sort
of things will not help. Come practically forward. Just like our students,
going door to door, chanting Hare Krishna. And people are taking advantage of
it, they are hearing. So this process is beneficial to the public. Even a small
child who joins here, he also claps, tries to clap. So this Krishna
consciousness movement is not to remain in a secluded place to get cheap
advertisement, "Oh that man is meditating." No.
Go,
practically work. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he practically worked. So there
is practical work. No question of going into a secluded place. We should remain
in the congested city and preach this Krishna consciousness movement without
being affected by this contamination of city life. That is perfection. They
shall not be contaminated, touched by the contamination of the city life, but
still, they will go on with Krishna consciousness. That is perfection.”
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