Does Maya Offer New Devotees More Allurements?

[suchandra]

Bhagavad-gita, 6.38

 

O mighty-armed Krishṇa, does not such a man, who is bewildered from the path of transcendence, fall away from both spiritual and material success and perish like a riven cloud, with no position in any sphere?

 

Priya dd, posted, 16 November 2007: "It is not unusual for one to fall down from the platform of devotional service. Sometimes a neophyte devotee does not keep the rules and regulations. Sometimes he yields to intoxication or is trapped by some feminine attractions. These are impediments on the path of yoga perfection. But Sri Krishṇa gives an encouraging answer, for He tells Arjuna that even if one sincerely cultivates only one-percent worth of spiritual knowledge, he will never fall down into the material whirlpool. That is due to the sincerity of his effort. It should always be understood that we are weak and that the material energy is very strong. To adopt spiritual life is more or less to declare war against the material energy. The material energy is trying to entrap the conditioned soul as much as possible, and when the conditioned soul tries to get out of her clutches by spiritual advancement of knowledge, material nature becomes more stringent and vigorous in her efforts to test how much the aspiring spiritualist is sincere. The material energy, or maya, will then offer more allurements."

[Sarva gattah]

Maya is always testing us to see if it’s Krishna we really want to serve or if there is some hidden motive. The material 'itch' we have been attached to deep in our heart will be tested the closer we get to Krishna. This is why as soon as we are puffed up and think we are advanced, immediately we are tested by sex in all it's varieties, opulence and adoration or Krishna may even take everything off us – This happens to see if we turn to Krishna or run back to mummy and take shelter of family, friends and the T.V. set

[mahak]

it gets worse. as one makes advancement, maya gathers her troops for another round. Like Bhisma is dead, but here comes Karna, followed by Krpacarya, Drona, et al.

 

Chanting, and mahabharata, these are the two needs, especially bhagavad gita as it is, the whole thing, especially the intro (which I just read).

 

haribol, ys, mahaksadasa

[realist]

 

it gets worse. as one makes advancement, maya gathers her troops for another round. Like Bhisma is dead, but here comes Karna, followed by Krpacarya, Drona, et al.

 

Chanting, and mahabharata, these are the two needs, especially bhagavad gita as it is, the whole thing, especially the intro (which I just read).

 

haribol, ys, mahaksadasa

 

 

I love reading about the brave chivalry of Bhisma

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[mahak]

Great picture. Sri Bhismadeva is saying, "Remember me. Engage me in Your Bhaktiyoga". Krsna replies, "Only you."

 

thanks for reality, realist. harekrsna, ys, mahaksadasa

[suchandra]

 

Maya is always testing us to see if it’s Krishna we really want to serve or if there is some hidden motive. The material 'itch' we have been attached to deep in our heart will be tested the closer we get to Krishna. This is why as soon as we are puffed up and think we are advanced, immediately we are tested by sex in all it's varieties, opulence and adoration or Krishna may even take everything off us – This happens to see if we turn to Krishna or run back to mummy and take shelter of family, friends and the T.V. set

 

Learning to be satisfied with things that come easy - will I ever understand this plain truth?

 

"In material world everyone is working. Somebody is getting per hour thousands of rupees, and somebody is getting not even morsel of food. But still, one has to be satisfied. “Because one is getting thousands of rupees per hour, I will have to get also.” No. Then you will never be happy. You be happy what you are gaining. Because everyone is making profit and losing according to his past karma. Pūrva-janmarjitam dhanam pūrva-janmarjitam vidyā, agre dhāvati dhāvati. This is the shastric injunction.

 

One man is trying with a little capital to do some business, and within few years he becomes very multi-millionaire. And one man is trying to elevate himself to a prosperous condition, but he cannot get even sufficient food. Why? Pūrva-janmarjitam vidyā pūrva-janma. One boy is passing examination, standing first-class. Another man, boy, is failing. Everyone is trying. Everyone should try his best, but he should be satisfied with the result which comes without any very much strain, yadrcchā-lābha. Yadṛcchā-lābha- santustah. That is lacking in the present civilization. Not only at the present moment, because Krishna was speaking five thousand years ago. And before that, He spoke Bhagavad-gīta millions and trillions of years ago to the sun-god. This is the way of material civilization or material conditioned life, competition.

 

The real competition began by being jealous to Krishna. Real competition began. Krishna-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. Krishna is the Supreme enjoyer. Krishna says, bhoktāram yajña-tapasām sarva-loka-maheśvaram [bg. 5.29]. So our fall down this I have explained the other day is there when we wanted to compete with Krishna or become Krishna. The jealous, icchā…. Icchā-dvesa- samutthena sarge yānti parantapa. Sarge. Sarge means this creation, this material creation. We have come to this material creation. We do not belong to this material creation, but we have come here.

 

Just like one does not belong to the prisonhouse, but by his own action he comes to the prisonhouse. He becomes criminal, and therefore he is put into the prisonhouse. By his own activity. It is not that government wants somebody should live in the prison house and somebody should live outside prisonhouse, free. It is not government’s desire …enjoyment we act sinfully also, vikarma. Nūnam pramattah. Because we are mad after sense gratification. But in the human form of life one should be sensible."

 

Bhagavad-gītā 4.22

by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Bombay, April 11, 1974

[realist]

 

Great picture. Sri Bhismadeva is saying, "Remember me. Engage me in Your Bhaktiyoga". Krsna replies, "Only you."

 

thanks for reality, realist. harekrsna, ys, mahaksadasa

 

 

 

 

[suchandra]

 

Maya is always testing us to see if it’s Krishna we really want to serve or if there is some hidden motive. The material 'itch' we have been attached to deep in our heart will be tested the closer we get to Krishna. This is why as soon as we are puffed up and think we are advanced, immediately we are tested by sex in all it's varieties, opulence and adoration or Krishna may even take everything off us – This happens to see if we turn to Krishna or run back to mummy and take shelter of family, friends and the T.V. set

"Although he was so much trained up, still, vimohita, forcibly he was attracted to this thing, forcibly. Because young man.

So these things are being shown regularly in the cinema. What character will be formed of the young men? By seeing once, this Ajāmila, he fell down so much, and our boys and girls are seeing these things every day in the cinema. So what kind of character you can expect from them?

 

 

So Ajāmila was being trained up. He was sufficiently educated in Vedic literature, his character was very nice, and he was offering respects to the elderly persons, spiritual master. He was offering oblations daily to the fire, sacrifice. Everything is described. But all these qualities became nullified."

 

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.56-62

by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Surat, January 3, 1971,

At Adubhai Patel’s House