Skip to main content

NO GAURANTEE

There is no guarantee that a strong person will live long or a weak person will die soon. There is no guarantee that an educated person will be successful or an uneducated person will be a failure. There is no guarantee that a pious person will not become sinner or an impious person will not become a saint. There is no guarantee that a rich man's son will not become poor or a poor man's son will not become rich. There is no guarantee that one who joined the race early will be the first to finish it or one who joined late will be last to finish it.

Life is such that nothing is guaranteed - everything is predictably unpredictable. God's plan and logic will defy all our logic and short-circuit it. If He wishes, He can make a plum into an apple or an apple into a plum. If He wishes, He can make a King into a pauper or a pauper into a King. God's ways of working are inconceivable. We are always subordinate to His wishes. That's why, whenever any disciple of Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati (a great Vaishnava reformer) asked him about his plans. He would invariably answer - "If Krishna so desires then I will do so and so." He knew that ultimately only His wish prevails. We also should add the words, "If He so desires" in our language and in our thoughts.

In conclusion, we need to be always humble and never arrogant about "who we are" and "what we have" while being completely nonjudgmental about "who others are" and "what they have" for if He wishes things can change in a moment.

- Achyut Gopal Das

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

TRANQUILITY AMIDST TURBULENCE - The formula to transcend this world

" One cannot solve a problem on the very level of understanding with which it was created. " - Albert Einstein We live in a constantly changing world. The external situations, environments, people, our own body and mind are constantly in flux. The turbulence is all over and it can be quite overwhelming at times. How can we expect to be peaceful in this world of chaos, how can we be tranquil in this world of turbulence is the subject matter of this blog. We can't escape from our present situation and run to a peaceful place to experience peace. And even if we are able to manage to do it still, our constantly changing, restlessly moving and aimlessly wandering mind will accompany us. What is the way out of this matrix? Let's see... Bhagvat-gita starts with Arjuna experiencing a state of great turbulence within his heart. His heart was being torn apart between duty and family attachment. In this state of mental turbulence, he surrendered to Lord Krishna and begged for ...

THE VICTORY FLAG - Offering to H.H. Jayapataka Maharaj

  Today is the Vyas Puja (Appearance Day) of one of the greatest heroes the world has ever seen and definitely one of the biggest heroes in my life. Today is the Appearance Day of His Holiness Jayapataka Maharaj. "Jayapataka" means "Victory Flag" . As his name suggests, Maharaj has achieved victory over insurmountable and seemingly impossible obstacles. His life is an emblem of one-pointed dedication to Guru, selfless service to the Vaishnavas and unparalleled compassion to the common people. Even after going through a life-threatening brain hemorrhage, a liver and a kidney transplant, he still continues to preach the message of His Dear Lord Chaitanya with great vigour and zeal. For him the word "Impossible" means "I am possible". His life is a glaring example to the entire world that, if one is possessed by a burning desire to serve Guru and Gauranga, then anything, literally anything is possible.  Srila Prabhupada, in...

DRIVEN BY EXCELLENCE

What is the force that is driving you to work? One of the traits of highly successful people, be they in business, education or spiritual life is that they are driven by the drive to excel. What does excellence mean? It basically means giving your very best to whatever activity you do, putting your heart fully in it and being fully present to the activity in front of you. It doesn't matter if the activity demanding your attention is small or big. In the Niti shastra there is a verse which mentions that a lion whether it attacks an elephant or a rabbit, it attacks with the same intensity. What it means is that for the lion, every attack is equally important. Just like Srila Prabhupada, whether he was speaking to thousands of people or a few people he spoke with the same intensity. ' The difference between ordinary people and extraordinary people is that ordinary people do extraordinary things in an ordinary way whereas extraordinary people do even ordinary...