Do You Want To Make a Difference?

Hare Krishna.

Sometimes a person goes into a state where he thinks that "What I am doing in life is so important!" Unfortunately, because of the tremendously competitive culture created by the media, those who do not think that what they are doing is "important" are very miserable. They get tortured by their mind thinking about how to do "something that matters", or "something that makes a difference". These phrases are thrown around so much now-a-days that everyone thinks that he should become a very special person. They all want to become like the cinema heroes who rescue the whole earth from devastation! Though people might not speak these thoughts out, and not display their anxiety to others, they are continuously being tortured by their minds in some degree or other. Please be honest and think about it for yourself. I'll be honest and let you all know that I used to think like this :-)

Earlier in my life, I felt strongly about being a great lover of the nation! I wanted to die on the battlefield fighting for my country! Then as I kept thinking about things (thats one benediction Krishna has given me, I think a lot.. ofcourse, He has given me my everything :) ), I realised, that perhaps dying in the battlefield is not the best way I can serve my country. Perhaps there are better ways.. like?

Well, being a huge sports fan, I decided: I will one day take it upon myself to win India an Olympic Gold Medal!" And I got all passionate about it. And my mind tortured me about it. "Abhijit, Do something! Help the world! Have a purpose in life! Dont just exist!" Hmmm... Well, I was miserable :)

So, I have been honest with you, see.

Sometimes people get obsessed with what they think is the perfect goal of their life. Especially if they are enjoying a lot of success in what they do. Typical examples are sportstars, who say "I want to win the cricket match for India.. thats as far as my spirituality goes". They think that they are making a profound statement! But actually, is that the case? And the fans will go gaga over this statement. "Wow! Indian cricket is in very safe hands!" And the next thing they know is that India is out of the World Cup! Lost to minnows!

Another example is the technocrats. They think that by making better and better machines, they are doing such a great service to humanity! And the driving force in their life is to produce better and better machines. And they think that this is my religion! Actually, all specialists in various fields consciously or subconsciously start thinking that what they are doing in life is the most important activity. They think that giving time to any other activity is a waste of time! For them, their activity is the goal of their existence.

And as I said, the flip side is that others who are not experts, or who are not doing some glamorous thing, feel that they must also do something.. and they suffer..

All this is not to say that one should not try to help others (and oneself :) ). However, any honest man will agree that humanity is suffering even today. Even if India wins the World Cup, the humanity will continue to suffer. Similarly, despite tremendous development in medical science, humanity continues to suffer newer and newer medical problems. Despite advancement in the aviaiton industry, flights continue to crash. Despite so many social work organisations, people continue to die of hunger. Further, how is going to Mars going to solve the suffering of the humanity? Even if we are successful in establishing a community on Mars, what is the proof that people will become happy because of that?

Therefore we see that no person ever in history has done something that has eradicated misery totally. Those who think that they will be the first are in illusion. And those who are miserable because they cannot make any such claims are also in illusion. Why not wake up from this dream? Why not take stock of the situation? Why not accept that there can be no end to the sufferings of this world? Why not be really honest?

Only when we accept this, will we search for an alternative. Only when one accepts the problem, can one try to solve it. But if one is just adamantly not accepting the reality, how can he be helped? But once we accept the reality, then, to our great relief, we will rediscover the sublime process of Bhakti (Devotional Service to Krishna). We wont have to invent anything, just apply! And our lives will become sublime. Those fortunate people who come in contact with the devotees of Krishna, and who sincerely follow the process, irrespective of their material state, find joy and happiness and purpose and meaning in their lives. History is the witness. ISKCON is the living legend :)

The reason I am writing this article is just to point out that it is very dangerous for us to get into such modes (thinking that our day-to-day activities are the end in themselves). These activities are superficial, because they are at the level of the body. If one gets involved with them too much, or one gets a lot of success in those activities, or one starts running after success in these activities (usually because of wanting to become heroes in the eyes of all.. because of watching too many movies and sports..), then there is a danger of totally forgetting the reality. Our existence will become like that of the frog in the well. Our field of activity will become restricted only to that particular activity. We will forget the higher truths. And we will become miserable.

In the modern world, these bodily activities and achievements have been portrayed so glamorously that even a sane man will lose his sanity and run after them. It is very important for all of us to safeguard against the contaminating and bewildering effects of the association with materialistic people and their ways. It is almost impossible to avoid such association in the modern world, but fortunately we have the infallible shelter of Srila Prabhupada and the Holy Name!

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

Let us once again and again and again and again be grateful to His Divine Grace Dearest Srila Prabhupada for what he has done for us. Let us once again pray to him that we never leave the service of his lotus feet.

Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai!!

Your servant, Abhijit.