Skip to main content

ALAS, HOW STRONG IS THE DESIRE TO ENJOY!!

 

Even though covid is spreading so rapidly with the possibility of death lingering very close to us still, the desire to enjoy this world is still strong. Isn't it surprising? Probably not because Maya after all is very strong and clever. She keeps the hope to enjoy this world even in the face of the greatest dangers alive and burning in our hearts and thus keeps us stuck here birth after birth.

As Adi Shankaracharya prays in his famous Bhaja Govindam song -

"Angam Galitam Palitam Mundam
Dasanavihinam Jatam Tundam
Vrddho Yati Grhitva Dandam
Tadapi Na Muncatyasapindam
Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam……."_

"The body has become worn out.  The head has turned grey. The mouth has become toothless.  The old man moves about leaning on his staff.  Even then he doesn't give up the bundle of his desires.
O foolish mind! seek Govinda!"

The body may become weak but the desires to enjoy still remains strong until we weaken them by practicing strong Bhakti.


- Achyut Gopal Das

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

MAKE IT A POINT TO MAKE THE POINT

A few days ago, as I was traveling on the ferry that takes us to our ISKCON Center at Chodan island, a relatively young man approached me and started to talk to me. My Vaishnava (devotee) attire probably attracted him to me. He was asking me if I was a preist in a temple. To which I said "Yes". I asked him where he stays and what he does. He told me that he stays in Panjim and runs a chicken shop in Porvorim. I asked him his name and as I guessed, he happened to be a Muslim. I could see marks of dried up blood stains in different places in his shirt. I at once told him to try to switch his profession to one which involves less violence. I suggested to him to start a vegetable or a grocery shop.  He seemed to be taken a little aback by what might have appeared to him to be a stange suggestion by a stranger. I told him that killing innocent animals is not right. They too have life and feelings like us. He was hearing me out. He then asked me, if one can eat chicken ...

Overcoming Pride By Gratitude

We, ISKCON devotees are made from head to toe only by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and the Vaishnava's. We are products of mercy . Nothing actually belongs to us. So, how can we be proud of borrowed plumes! Think about it. When people applaud us for our classes, if we think properly none of the points we speak is ours. We are just repeating what we have heard or read. And even if we get some new insights it's by the mercy of Krishna in our hearts.  We should always remember that whatever respect, facilities and honor we get is only by the mercy of Krishna and the Vaishnavas. It's only because we have some connection with great souls, we are given respect. All great devotees live their lives in alignment with this fact. When Lord Krishna left this world to depart to His eternal abode, Arjuna remembers all the incidents in his life where he achieved extraordinary success. But he doesn't take an iota of credit. He is fully convinced that it is on...

LORD JAGANNATH'S ONGOING LILA: RATH YATRA 2021

  Ever since the pandemic, it has been extremely difficult for us to come together and be in association of devotees and to celebrate the various occasions that we otherwise did with so much of grandeur. Nevertheless, we have been trying our best to bring to you every celebration in the best possible way. We felt that even this year, we wouldn't be able to have a Ratha Yatra like we usually did, but Lord Jagannath had other plans.    Although the whole intention of Ratha Yatra is that everyone gets the Darshan of the Lords, we decided on having a small ceremony, with just a few devotees, within the ashram area, since the pandemic is still prevalent. We decided to utilise the old Ratha from our morjim centre. But to our disappointment, we were informed that the old Ratha was damaged due to rains and hence couldn't be used. Before long, one of our ardent devotee, Pradeep Chodankar Prabhu, from Mapusa came to our rescue like a knight in shining armour. During his visit to th...