Hare Krishna, Dear Anil,
I really like what you've said here about how Krishna gives us the opportunity to serve devotees.
That is just so important.
Krishna also gives us the opportunity to associate with devotees, it's a great blessing.
If we are given this great blessing we need to understand what a great blessing this is, as you do.
Sometimes, people don't realize how very fortunate they are to get a chance to associate with devotees, or to serve them, and then, they commit offenses, and they loose this opportunity.
Offenses to devotees of Krishna are very serious, and they are most serious when they are intentional.
Of course you already understand all of this very nicely, I am only just making this comment because your saying it has called my attention to this very important point.
Love,
Navasi

Hare Krishna, Dear Anil Bobade,
This is a very nice question.
Actually it is Krishna's incredible mercy and kindness to us that He tests us.
If we are very sincere, then He will test us even more.
This is because our tests are opportunities for us to become more and more pure in our desire for Him,
To Love Him,
To Serve Him,
To Remember Him,
To Worship Him,
And Only Him.
If we are very sincere in our desire to do this, then He will test, test, test, to give us more chance for purification, more chance for surrender, more chance to want only Him, and nothing else.
So, this is a great blessing, to be tested by Krishna.
Krishna, Krishna, Krishna.
That's all we can think of when we are being tested.....
Unless we don't pass the test, then we fail, and that's what I was talking about here.... we get these tests, by Krishna's kind mercy to us, and we can either pass the test, by remembering and loving only Him, or we can fail the test, by taking shelter of our senses, our material desires, our false attempts at finding solutions, protections, and gratifications outside of Krishna, (that we think will make us feel better).....
It's up to us, Krishna gives us free will, otherwise, it would not be love, love.
Navasi

Hare Krishna, Dear Gary,
I'm confused by the first part of your comment, could you please explain what you are saying?
You said "giving to Krishna is why we have come here to this planet"....
The way I understand it is that we have come here to this planet because we did not want to give to Krishna.
We wanted to take, to be the one who was the "Lord" and the "Enjoyer" etc..
So, I don't understand what you are saying.
Thank you,
Love,
Navasi

This is a very nice post Dachsowned. We all think that we will miss out on some pleasure if we let go of our attachments, without realizing that what we are holding on to tightly is surely going to lead us to misery.
Now why despite so much knowledge that we are still struggling with desires? Krsna says it is due to our svabhava - our impressions, our proclivities that we gather and carry on from life to life. Krsna says even a jnanavan - a man with knowledge - is led by his svabhava, and so what can repression accomplish? This is exactly the state we are in.
We have knowledge but no practical wisdom but have desires that goes against what we know. We indulge our desires and then regret it. But again we indulge in the same desires and again regret it. So why do we do it again and again? Sukadeva Gosvami says that due to forgetfulness of our misery, in Bhagavatam.
Ok, theoretically these are all fine. But how do we practically do anything about it? Visvanatha Cakravarti says by association of devotees our impressions are broken, and we get pure bhakti to the Lord. So we need to be always in the physical association of devotees who can guide us and correct us.
For some of us this may not be practical to be amongst devotees. But if we really desire that we give up desires that go against Krsna, we should make all efforts to be among devotees. I know I am not doing it and thus always struggle with desires. But I understand the wisdom of these great souls

Radhikesh das

Hi Dach! Hare Krishna!
You know this is so funny, you just have me really laughing here with your example of the tree climbing and being stuck etc...
The reason is I feel exactly like that... and I think maybe you and I are becoming like our cats! lol :)
You know those kitties are always famous for getting stuck in trees also, and no matter how much you try to convince them that it's safe to come down, they won't do it!!! Stubborn little things.. lol
It was their idea to go up there in the first place!! :)
Then, they want you to come and "rescue" them, and they cry desperately to be rescued, but sure enough, when someone tries, even nice firemen, they will stay in that tree till they are pulled out, and even then, they'll be scratching and clawing at the hand that saves them! lol
So, this is a great example! We're in the "tree" of the material world, having gotten there by our own desire, and now, Krishna is trying to rescue us, because we're crying in distress from the suffering brought about by ourselves alone, and yet, all we do is fight Him every step of the way!!!
It's a fantastic example Dach, (though I know you used the kid, but I like the kitty also :)
Thanks so much for your very wonderful input here on this topic! I really really appreciate this! :) :) :)
Love,
Navasi

Hare Krishna, Dear Mihir,
Yes, it seems quite impossible to me at times also, to apply even the most basic understandings that I have.
You have brought out some very good and important points here.
Thank you for that.
First, when we are in distress, we are not actually supposed to be asking to be relieved from that distress, only just to ask to become more devoted to Krishna, more surrendered to Krishna, etc..
The reason for this is that we understand that we have been put into distress by Krishna for the purpose of our purification from material desires. So, since we know that is the reason for our distress, praying to be relieved from it would be counter productive, because it is only Krishna trying to help us become closer to Him, so why would we ask Him to take that opportunity away from us?
The other interesting thing you've said here is in relation to Krishna fulfilling our desires if we continue to desire something material in opposition to our spiritual advancement.
This is the way I understand it: that Krishna does in fact give us what we keep desiring so very much, and allows us to satisfy that desire, however... (and here's the thing, this is a very huge however!):
He does it in such a way that in the end we will only desire Him.
One example of this would be: He will give you what you are desiring, but in such a way as to sort of teach you a lesson, the thing will in the end cause you a great deal of misery and you will most likely wish you had never desired it in the first place, what to speak of actually asked to have that desire fulfilled, what to speak of actually engaging in the activity you were so desiring! lol :)
Krishna is pretty amazing, eh?
Thanks so much, Mihir, for bringing up all these really relevant and helpful points and discussing this with me, I really appreciate this...... :)
Love,
Navasi