Fighting material enjoyments

It is possible only when we engage all our senses in the service of God. Our senses are like venomous serpents with the fangs of the enjoying mentality. But if we engage the senses in the service of the Lord, it is like removing their poison teeth. Without its fangs, a snake can cause no harm. Similarly if our senses are engaged in the service of the Lord, they be­come harmless. Service to the Lord gives us a higher pleasure, which enables us to give up the pleasure derived from sense enjoyment.How can one engage the senses in the ser­vice of the Lord? By using our eyes in behold­ing the beautiful forms of the Deities in the temple, by using our hands in cutting veg­etables for the Lord and in washing the temple, by using our legs in going to the temple of Lord Krishna, by using our whole body for dancing in front of the Lord, by using our tongue for chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra and for honouring prasadam. In this way all our senses can be purified of the contamination of the desire to enjoy.

And if our mind starts making too much demand for material enjoyment, still we don't have to experience it to realize its futility. We can see and learn from the experience of the worldly people. Those who are struggling to increase their enjoyment more and more in the world are only becoming more and more frustrated. Thus, using our intelligence, we can control the mind.We can derive further spiritual strength by knowing that life, after all, is flickering and tem­porary; it is just like a dream. Every night, when we sleep, we have an 8-hour dream. But life is an 80-year dream; that is the only differ­ence. Both are temporary and, after they are over, neither has any factual existence. Know­ing that life will pass away like a quick jour­ney, we should cultivate the Hanuman men­tality of serving Lord Rama. Just as Hanuman was trying to make arrangements to bring Sita back to Rama, similarly we should try to bring all the things of the world closer to God by engaging them in His service. Then we can achieve peace of mind.

How can we actually engage all the things of the world in the service of God, especially in the modern times? All of us can use our various talents in the service of God. Some of us who are expert in computers can do com­puter services for publishing ebooks and websites about God and His message. Some of us can make beau­tiful garlands to decorate the Deities of the Lord. Some of us can engage in cooking and offering to the Lord. Thus according to individual abilities and inclinations, we can engage ourselves in service to the Lord. By perform­ing such service, the most dangerous enjoy­ing mentality will subside and we will get the serving mentality, which alone can bring us to the platform of sanity and peace. The enjoy­ing mentality is a deadly disease and the ser­vice of the Lord is the perfect medicine for it.

vibhooshankrishnadas's picture

DESIRE AND LUST ARE NOT THE SAME

PAMHO,
AGTSP,
ALLGLORIES TO SRI GURU AND GAURANGA,
HARE KRISHNA MATAJI,
DESIRE IS A QUALITY OF SOUL.BUT LUST IS DIFFERENT FROM THAT .REAL LOVE FOR KRISHNA HAS TURNED INTO LUST IN THIS WORLD.( IN A PERVERTED WAY ). WHERE AS DESIRE IS THERE AND ONE CANNOT STOP DESIRING.EITHER ONE WILL DESIRE SOMETHING FOR KRISHNA OR FOR ONESELF .WHEN ONE DESIRES ACCORDING TO THE INTEREST OF KRISHNA ,THEN HE IS IN DEVOTIONAL PATH ,OTHERWISE HE IS INFLUENCED BY MAYA .WHEN ONE IS UNDER MAYA ,HE GETS INTO TROUBLE .TROUBLES AND SUFFERINGS ARE THERE IN EXECUTING DEVOTIONAL SERVICE ALSO.BUT THIS SUFFERENG IN DEVOTIONAL SERVICE ,WE ACCEPT IT VOLUNTARILY WITH LOVE FOR KRISHNA . WE DONT SAY IT AS SUFFERENG.ACTUALLY WE ENJOY THAT KIND OF SUFFERING.AND WE DONT FEEL IT AS SUFFERING , BECAUSE KRISHNA GIVES US THE SPIRIT AND TASTE TO SERVE HIM MORE .SO WHEN ONE DESIRES TO DO SOMETHING FOR KRISHNA,THAT DESIRE CANNOT BE TOLD AS LUST.
IN THE SERVICEOF KRISHNA,
AN INSIGNIFICANT BEGGAR,
vibhooshankrishnadas.

abrennan's picture

Dear Insignificant beggar : )

Please do not use capital letters when you make a post it makes things very hard to read. Please just use the normal lower case. Thanks for your assistance.

Very interesting post though

Antony

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vibhooshankrishnadas's picture

sorry

Hare krishna Prabhu,
Thanks for correcting me . I am extremely sorry ,I will not repeat again.

MahaVishnu's picture

Fight 'indentifying with' material enjoyments

Putting material enjoyment before the lord is the root of suffering.

This material does not have to be like a prison though, we just have to master 'how to' deal with it.

Maya is as Maya does- - its like watching the river flow from the bank, verses falling in and letting it take you for a ride, and especially these days with all the pollution, you could end up swallowing a turd!

Haribol

vibhooshankrishnadas's picture

we cant fight but we can identify by the mercy of Guru

PAMHO,
AGTSP,
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya,
Hare Krishna Prabhu ,
We cannot fight because Maya is Krishnas energy.we are unable to do anything .we are totally in darkness .We dont know to identify .
"om ajana timirandhasya,
jnanjana salakaya,
caksur unmilitam yena ,
tasmai sri gurave namah."
It is my guru who opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge .
My eyes was affected by the cataract of ignorance so i cant see things as it is . And my guru removed the cataract from my eyes with the weapon of knowledge.My humble obeisances to that guru who made me see things as it is .So only by the mercy of guru we are able to identify .
in the service of Krishna ,
an in significant beggar,

abrennan's picture

good on you beggar

Mate, that looks great : - )

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