When we face overwhelming problems in life, we may lift our
eyes and look for help from higher powers, ultimately from God, Krishna.
Such lifting our eyes above life’s routine realities is
auspicious; it indicates that we have accepted that forces higher than the
human are for real and can make a real difference. The Bhagavad-gita (07.16)
appreciates such people who approach Krishna as pious.
While the mitigation of our problems does provide some
relief, unfortunately, no worldly relief lasts for long. Some or the other
problem soon comes up. Our vulnerability to such disruptions stems from our
misdirected desire. We are souls who are eternal parts of Krishna. Though we
are meant to love and serve him, we are craving for worldly things. But these
things are inherently temporary, so they are incapable of providing us lasting
shelter.
If we are fortunate, we understand by studying the Gita that
Krishna is the embodiment and fulfillment of all our heart’s desires. Whatever
has attracted us gets its attractiveness from Krishna, as the Gita (10.41)
informs us. Understanding this inspires us to seek him as our ultimate goal,
not as a means to something else that presently rules our heart.
Thus, we raise not just our eyes but also our heart. That
is, we strive to make Krishna our most desirable object by practicing
bhakti-yoga diligently. When we thus enthrone him as the Lord of our heart or
at least cherish him as our loftiest aspiration, then we experience a sublime
peace and empowerment in our inner connectedness with him through devotional
remembrance.
Aptly, the Gita (07.19) declares that those who devote
themselves to Krishna are enriched with knowledge (jnana-van); they surrender
wholeheartedly to him, thus deserving and receiving the worthy epithet of being
great souls (mahatmas).
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