The greatest fear is the fear of losing the key to freedom by Chaitanya Charan Das Based on Bhagavad Gita Chapter 02
Material existence is like a prison, for it subjects us to
multiple miseries, especially the ultimate agony of death. What imprisons us
eternal spiritual beings is our desire to enjoy temporary material things.
The key out of this prison is the human form because it provides
the soul with the advanced intelligence to perceive the eternal and to redirect
desires from the temporary to the eternal. Our desires determine our
destination. As long as we love the temporary, we stay trapped in the
temporary; when we learn to love the eternal, we attain the eternal. So, when
we use our human life to redirect our desires from the temporary to the
eternal, we use the key to attain freedom.
Just as an
intoxicated prisoner doesn’t value the key, we don’t value the human form,
being intoxicated with dreams of converting our prison into our kingdom – a
fool’s errand.
For a prisoner who has been long incarcerated and has now
got the key to get out, the greatest fear is losing the key. But just as an
intoxicated prisoner doesn’t value the key, we don’t value the human form,
being intoxicated with dreams and schemes of becoming happy in the material
world, of converting our prison into our kingdom – a fool’s errand. However,
when we become spiritually sober by studying Gita wisdom, we fear losing the
key to freedom, that is, transmigrating downwards to the sub-human species.
The Bhagavad-gita (02.40) assures that we can gain protection from this fear if we begin
pursuing the eternal by even slight yoga practice. Nature and ultimately
nature’s Lord, Krishna, appreciate our spiritual desire and ensure that we get
human births in future to continue our spiritual pursuit.
Of course, if we use the key fully and learn to love Krishna
during our lifetime, then we can become free not just from the greatest fear,
but from all fear – we can attain Vaikuntha, the abode that is free from all
fear.
No comments:
Post a Comment