Suppose some soldiers are guarding the national boundary
from infiltration by terrorists. If the soldiers are diffident that too many
terrorists may attack, they may flee at the first sign of danger. On the other
hand, if they are overconfident, they will not be alert enough, thereby
becoming unnecessarily vulnerable to sudden terrorist attacks. They need to be
confident without becoming overconfident. How? By being vigilant. – the
overconfident don’t stay vigilant, whereas the confident do.
A similar dynamic applies to our attempts in spiritual life
to guard our consciousness from infiltration by anti-devotional desires. If we
are diffident, thinking that such desires will be too strong to resist, we will
cave in at the first sign of temptation. On the other hand, if we are
overconfident, we may believe that we are already pure and are in no danger of
being tempted. Being thus misled, we won’t stay on guard and will find
ourselves overpowered by temptation even before we realize what is happening.
The Bhagavad-gita (02.60) cautions against overconfidence
when it declares that even discerning seekers striving for sense control can be
overwhelmed by temptations. Thankfully, this is not a scary prognosis of defeat
– it is a sobering call to vigilance. The next verse (02.61) assures that if we
focus our consciousness on Krishna, we will stay spiritually safe and
well-situated. Thus, the Gita recommends vigilance – vigilance not so much to
watch out for temptation’s next attack, but more so to stay connected with Krishna
through service and remembrance.
Overconfidence means imagining that we don’t need Krishna,
that we can deal with temptation ourselves. Confidence means the conviction
that if we stay connected with Krishna, his mercy will empower us to survive
and triumph.
Thus, being vigilant in executing our devotional practices
will enable us to be confident without becoming overconfident.
No comments:
Post a Comment