Teachings of Queen Kunti Chp10 (excerpt)
If we waste our time striving for material improvement and forget to chant Hare Krsna, that will be a great loss. Therefore Krsna says, ami-vijna, ei murkhe 'visaya' kena diba (Cc. Madhya 22.39): "A rascal may ask some material prosperity from Me in exchange for discharging devotional service. But why shall I give him material prosperity? Rather, whatever he has I shall take away." [img]/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img]

When our material assets are taken away, we become very morose. But that is the test. That was stated by Krsna Himself to Yudhisthira Mahaaja. Yudhsthira Maharaja inquired from Krsna, "We are completely dependent on You, but still we are suffering materially so much. Our kingdom has been taken away, our wife has been insulted, and our enemies attempted to burn us in our house. How can this be so?" Krsna replied, yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad-dhanam sanaih: "Yes, that is My first business. If I especially favor someone, then I take away all his sources of income and place him into great difficulty." In this way, Krsna is very dangerous. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I have actual experience in this connection. I do not wish to narrate this whole story, but it is a fact that I received Krsna's special favor in this way. When I was twenty-five years old, my Guru Maharaja, my spiritual master, ordered me to go preach. But I thought, "First of all I shall become a rich man, and then I shall use my money to finance the preaching work." I had good opportunities to become a very rich businessman. An astrologer even told me that I should have become as rich as the wealthiest man in India. There were very good chances. I was the manager of a big chemical factory. I started my own factory, and the business was very successful. But eventually everything collapsed, and in this way I was forced into the position of carrying out the orders of my Guru Maharaja. When all my material assets were taken away, then I approached Krsna, saying, "You are the only shelter." Therefore Krsna is akincana-vitta, the property of the materially impoverished. When one is bereft of all material opulences, then one turns to Krsna. And now I am realizing that I have not lost but gained.

So to lose material opulences for Krsna's sake is not a loss. Rather, it is the greatest gain. When one becomes akincana, having nothing to possess, Krsna becomes one's only riches. Expressing this understanding, Narottama dasa Thakura says: [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

ha ha prabhu nanda-suta, vrsabhanu-suta-yuta
karuna karaha ei-bara
narottama dasa kaya, na theliha ranga-paya
toma vine ke ache amara
[b]
"Krsna, but for You I have nothing to claim. I have no possessions. You are my only possession, so please don't neglect me."

If we waste our time striving for material improvement and forget to chant Hare Krsna, that will be a great loss. Therefore Krsna says, ami-vijna, ei murkhe 'visaya' kena diba (Cc. Madhya 22.39): "A rascal may ask some material prosperity from Me in exchange for discharging devotional service. But why shall I give him material prosperity? Rather, whatever he has I shall take away."

We are like bunch of video game addicts. Think about it. The game of life does not exactly affect us, but we cry about it when we don't get what we want and run to krsna who has the cheats. But that just doesn't end our suffering and we don't realize that our addiction to this game is causing us to suffer. So, he just takes away the game or makes you lose in order to finally get your attention to reality.

cheats! I would think of it more like 'tips',
Guru has all the 'tips', end game.

You have to play the game the best you can, but shouldn't start it all over again after you are done.