Devotee-seekers sometimes ask, “I am living according to
scripture, yet I am getting misery. Why?”
The occurrence of misery in our life doesn’t falsify
scripture – rather, it verifies scripture.
The Bhagavad-gita (08.15) declares the material world to be
a place of misery. This statement is not pessimistic; it is just an
unsentimental report of objective reality. While living in this world, we are
regularly tormented by psychophysical misery, social misery and environmental
misery, and are eventually devastated by disease, old age and death. Worldly
propaganda that promises happiness here is simply misleading. The Gita by
speaking the unvarnished truth triggers us to start coming out of self-defeating illusion. So when we
encounter misery, we can see it as a confirmation of the scriptural verdict
about this world and as a demonstration of the falsity of worldly propaganda.
“The initial message of scripture has turned out to be true.
Let me investigate if its essential message is also true.”
We may understandably protest, “But when I am suffering, I
need relief.”
Yes, scripture definitely offers relief. Its pronouncement
about this world is a prelude to its essential message: devotional absorption
in Krishna provides the supreme fulfillment that relieves us of all misery.
Keeping this message in mind, we can see misery as impetus for deepening our
devotion: “The initial message of scripture has turned out to be true. Let me
investigate if its essential message is also true.”
With this bold, devotionally adventurous spirit, when amidst
misery we intensify our remembrance of Krishna, we will experience how devotion
raises our consciousness above misery – the misery may exist, but it doesn’t
make us so miserable. Being thus elevated above misery, we can calmly find the
best way to practically deal with it. The Gita (18.58) assures us that Krishna
by his mercy will guide us to go beyond problems and to ultimately go beyond
the problem-filled material existence.
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