Once a disciple of the Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda asked him, “How can one get out of the clutches of Maya (duality)?”

Swamiji said, “It’s impossible.”

The disciple was stunned!

Impossible?!

He thought that perhaps I did not address my question correctly. Let me ask again on another occasion by rephrasing it.

Next time he asked, “Prabhupāda, I was wondering that there is so much suffering and agony in the conditioned state for the living entity; can there be a way to go beyond it?”

Once again, Swamiji said, “It is impossible.”

The disciple, who was a sincere seeker, was disheartened again. If going beyond the conditionings of life is impossible, then why do we even engage in spiritual (or even material) activities?

The disciple wanted to give his question another try. His question was sincere and from a desire to grow and learn. Though he knew if his spiritual master will provide the same answer, it will shatter him.

He asked Prabhupāda once again, “Master, it is REALLY impossible to go beyond this dual nature of life?”

This time, once again, the same answer and the master started walking away. The disciple was despondent.

However, as Prabhupāda was walking away, he suddenly stopped. Turning to his disciple with a smile he said, “It IS impossible BUT if, Govind (Krishna) sanctions, you can easily overcome anything.”

A Smart Approach

Have you ever been to a place where the dog is less of a pet and more of a beast ready to pounce not to give and receive affection but to give bites and receive a part of your flesh?

Well, I have.

When I encountered such a dog, I realised just like people, and there are good dogs and bad dogs.

Anyway, have you also noticed though, no matter how violent an animal maybe, if you approach the master, he will put the animal in check.

One can apply a similar approach for the energy (Duality) and source (God).

Going Beyond Frustrations

Frustrations invariably arise when we put in intense efforts for something, and it doesn’t yield. In other words, we usually act with an endeavour in mind, but it doesn’t always go to plan. However, if we observe life closely, we realise we are just a part of the cycle of life. The result of an action is the cumulative combination of not only our action but specific determinants beyond our control.

For instance, in another era of this world when we had Marvel movies releasing in cinema halls, I wanted to watch End Game, first day, first show. I couldn’t. I was ready to pay 1500-2000 bucks, get the best seats at the best cinema but, no. Others were ahead in line, perhaps alert, perhaps luckier, probably with some ‘jugaad’!

The point being, if we only ever rely solely upon our efforts in life, frustration and disappointments will be inevitable.

It is worth reflecting how we as a society have ended up judging (ourselves mostly) asking for help as weak. I’m starting to now look upon it as a sign of intelligence.

In the story above, Swami Prabhupāda subtly and smartly pointed out to his disciple that nothing is impossible with grace. 😊

If we were to just go within— in our minds and hearts and ruminate upon the miracles that we keep witnessing in our day to day lives, we would be easily able to appreciate and tap into that grace of source. Manifestations often are as easy as the nails that grow on your fingers, the hair that grows on one’s head (and other unwanted places), the trees that arise from tiny little seeds, the miraculous process of birth on the planet and so forth.

Name it what you want- source, field of intention, God, Power etc. yet the idea is the same, the effect universal.

We want to live a life that enables us to experience freedom and peace. When we know that there is a power that may be unseen but can be felt and experienced with some serious reflection, worries dissipate like Millenials savings! 😁

When You Have A Backup

When in 1999 Cricket World Cup, Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid smashed the Sri Lankan bowlers all around the stadium, an elder said to me, “They could only score so many runs because they knew Sachin was still in the dressing room and ready to come and bat if needed. They played without fear!”

While the gentleman was a huge Sachin fan but, the point he was trying to make is that people can do the extraordinary when they have an assurance of backing.

Players play better when backed by the manager, employee performance gets better with incentives and encouragement and so on.

When we while going through our life journey, attach ourselves with the idea that the Universe is a friendly source, and it only wants to help, life becomes easier to navigate.

You may ask how to do that, Kushagra?

Well, a mere intention is enough.

Or

Rather than directing the question to any mortal, you direct the question to the universe itself!

I leave you with a couple of questions for contemplation

What do you think is impossible for your life right now?

What would you like support with?

Thank you so much for giving your time to read this piece.

God bless you with vibrant health and joy.

Kushagra

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WEEK

• Podcast: I uploaded a new episode after a while this past week on my Podcast. Listen to this 8 minute episode to know how to resolve contentions.
• Book: Mahaviri: Hanuman Chalisa Demystified by Nityanand Misra is a scholarly, fantastic work on one of the most powerful and famous prayers for devotees- The Hanuman Chalisa
• Kindness: For yourself and others 🙂