“One who restrains his senses and fixes his consciousness upon Me is known as a man of steady intelligence.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.61)

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तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्परः ।
वशे हि यस्येन्द्रियाणि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥

tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya
yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ
vaśe hi yasyendriyāṇi
tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

1. Longing for the past

“Do you ever think about childhood? For some reason it has been on my mind a lot lately. I desperately long to return to it. Okay, having to obey the orders of elders was annoying, but the lack of responsibility was great. I could just have fun. That was the objective of each day. No one expected anything out of me. It was wonderful. I can’t find anything close to that in adulthood.”

2. Fear of uncertainty in the near future

“Do you ever worry about outcomes? I am always in distress. I know that life will go on no matter what happens. I know that people learn to cope, they adapt to their situations, in whichever direction the outcomes fall, but I still worry. I cannot help it. The uncertainty takes away my otherwise calm demeanor.”

3. Lack of proper direction in life

“Do you ever wonder what we are all doing here? Everyone before us has moved on. What was their work for? What good did it do anyone? They got involved in different interests, but since we lose everything at the time of death what does it matter?

“I am in one of those funks right now. I have no interest in anything. Nothing stimulates me. I don’t see any point in doing things that others are doing. For some reason, I am not satisfied simply trying to pass the time, pretending that the end will never approach.”

4. Agitated at the slightest provocation

“Are you good at forgiving others? I am not. I hold on to grudges. I keep a memory of every offense made against me. I cannot tolerate disrespect. I loathe unwarranted interference, especially if it is rooted in jealousy. I would rather not turn the other cheek.”

5. Fear over death

“Why do we have to leave? When will it occur? Will it be painful? If it has to happen, why not right now? Why do we have to wait until the appropriate time? I would rather know and prepare myself. I don’t understand why we took birth in the first place.”

…

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that forgetfulness of Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, equates to an unhealthy state of life. In the same way that we know someone actually has a disease based on their symptoms, and not on what some hastily concocted testing system has to say, the unhealthy state of life has visible symptoms.

These are known as various and unending problems and distresses. In fact, it is one issue after another. The illusion is that by resolving a single problem I will be free of the burden. I am somehow taking the weight off my shoulder, when in fact I latch onto something else almost immediately.

The same Shri Krishna I am advised to constantly remember reveals the scientific understanding for the immediate cause of the distresses. We have the senses within this temporary lifetime, where body and spirit are together. Those senses dwell on various objects, which in turn leads to desire.

Sort of like enrolling in the university course which has only a pass or fail outcome, the desire can either be fulfilled or unfulfilled. It appears that the easy way to stay happy is to always fulfill desires, to never be on the losing end, but only one person is satya-sankalpa. To give a hint, that person is not of this world.

ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते ।
सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ॥

dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ
saṅgas teṣūpajāyate
saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ
kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate

“While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.62)

Since only Krishna is satya-sankalpa, there will be failure. That will lead to anger, which is not a healthy state. It is not something we strive to find on a daily basis. Unless we are looking for motivation in a competition of short-term significance, we usually try to keep a level head.

That is one of the symptoms of a person who remembers Krishna. The person who is always in transcendence because they have surrendered their tendency towards desire at the lotus feet of the Lord of the universe becomes free of so many problems and distresses. They live in an atmosphere that is like Vaikuntha, since the Supreme Lord is always with them in consciousness.

In Closing:

Ready to cry and whine,
Depressing this life of mine.

A constant in days repeated,
That my desires defeated.

Because of forgetfulness told,
From previous illusion sold.

For something better now ready,
To make man of intelligence steady.

Categories: the five

Tags: god, hare krishna, meditation, poem, poems, poetry, religion, yoga