“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.27)

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प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि
गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः
अहङ्कार-विमूढात्मा
कर्ताहम् इति मन्यते

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate

1. A four hour meeting

“How did this happen to me? I am ready to do a good job. I am both eager and enthusiastic. I want to be the one people look to in times of trouble. I want to solve the difficult problems. I want to be known as reliable.

“But this went well beyond any reasonable expectation. We spent the entire day in a troubleshooting meeting. The managers referred to it as a ‘war room.’ It was brutal. My ears started to hurt from wearing the headset for that long. My eyes could no longer look at the computer monitor.”

2. A screaming wife

“How did this happen to me? After a long day at work, there is no rest, relaxation, or relief upon reaching home. I get treated as if I have been out at the playground the entire day. I have been having fun, you see. Now is the time to get to work, to make sure the family has something to eat.

“The amount of stress and anxiety this causes is beyond description. Who would want to live like this? I would rather work a second job than have to come home to this. I pray that one day the misery will end.”

3. A child struggling in school

“How did this happen to me? I did well in school. I earned top marks. I never struggled to learn new topics. I was always one of the best students in the class. I assumed that the distinction would easily pass along to the next generation.

“But I just learned that my child is struggling in school. They are not keeping up with the other students. The teacher wants to devote extra time, to get her to catch up. I feel like such a failure, as a parent.”

4. Addiction to intoxicants

“How did this happen to me? I try my best to give up the bad habit. I know it is not good for me. I have a feeling that life will be so much better if I quit. I really want to; I mean it.

“Except whenever I try, the stress kicks in. If there is any adversity at all, I jump right back into the habit. It’s as if I need things to settle down first. How will that ever happen? Life is becoming too difficult.”

5. No time for anything

“How did this happen to me? How did I stumble into a daily routine where I have no time to relax? I want to move to someplace and have no contact with the outside world. I long for peace and quiet. Silence. No phone calls. No messages. No email. No news. No television. Nothing. Just leave me alone, already.”

…

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that there are no accidents when it comes to life in Krishna consciousness. Everything happens for a reason. It may appear accidental to have fallen upon hard times. It may seem unexpected or a sudden onset to face difficulty, but there is always an extended lesson or two to derive from the experience.

We tend to think the opposite, that since we are devoting everything to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we should be able to get away with things. We can take liberties here and there, precisely because we are protected. That is the promise from full surrender, after all.

सर्व-धर्मान् परित्यज्य
माम् एकं शरणं व्रज
अहं त्वां सर्व-पापेभ्यो
मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.66)

What is there to learn from the trouble, then? We already acknowledge that there is God. We want to stay with Him. We want to serve Him. We want to please His servants. We wish to make their lives easier, in the manner that we give blessings to young children. Just as we want the youngsters to grow up to be happy, healthy, and prosperous, let the devotees be unobstructed in their pursuit of excellence in devotion.

One of the primary lessons we learn from the supposed accidents is that we are not in control. We have the philosophical reassurance from Bhagavad-gita. The living entities think they have control, but they are under illusion. It is actually nature, with its three modes, that must first agree to cooperate.

Moreover, the Supreme Lord is in control of nature. The difficulties remind us that only He is satya-sankalpa. Only He can fulfill desires as soon as they manifest. Only He can be perfect, without ever falling down, Achyuta.

The struggle is a reminder of Krishna’s glories. In this way, the difficulties end up being a blessing. Though they are not easy to endure, the connection in yoga remains. Nothing is able to break that, for as long as the desire for the connection remains.

In Closing:

Nothing able to break,
Even if everything to take.

Like quiet and peace,
And from work release.

Spouse screaming regularly where,
Failure both here and everywhere.

A reminder that only Krishna tall standing,
As highest authority commanding.

Categories: the five

Tags: god, hare krishna, krishna consciousness, poem, poems, poetry, religion