Gopesh
From Back to Godhead
By Suvarna Radhika Devi Dasi
I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. My flight was circling over Delhi, waiting for permission to land. My thoughts flashed through the entire process of flying from purchasing the ticket till reaching my destination. Some facet of Krishna consciousness seemed present at every step.
Ticket Reservation
We are careful when we do this checking all the available flights and then choosing the most convenient one. We make reservations days in advance so we get the best rates. After booking the ticket, we double-check all the details: the flight number, the date and time of departure, the destination, etc.
Shouldn’t we exercise the same kind of caution on our spiritual journey? There are many teachers and many paths we can follow. We need to ask, do all roads lead to the same goal? Well, do all flights take you to the same city? No, all flights go to different destinations, and similarly different spiritual paths lead you to different goals. Should we select a spiritual path because it is convenient or easy to practice? Do we take a flight to some other destination just because it’s cheaper than where we actually want to go? Before selecting a spiritual path we need to carefully study its scriptures and observe the lives of its successful practitioners. But even more than that, we must actually know the right goal, for without a proper destination, the entire process of flying becomes useless. The ultimate goal of the human form of life is to love Krishna, and the process is bhakti, rendering devotional service to Him.
Let us compare the different stages of a flight journey to different situations in life.
The Check-in Process
Everyone at this point is alert, especially the airport staff. The baggage scanning, the identity checks, the full-body scan every individual must endure this to prevent a terrorist hijacking that could cause harm to the passengers and likely divert the flight and take it to some unknown destination. Like a terrorist, the binding illusory energy, Maya, will always try to divert us from our goal to become Krishna conscious. She will present constant stream of images to the mind material objects meant to attract us in the shape of forms, sounds, tastes, smells, and tactile experiences each of which will promise us enjoyment. But these temporary enjoyments simply distract us from Krishna. So like the airport staff, we too must remain alert while we are checking in for our spiritual flight, constantly scanning the images filling our minds and rejecting all harmful ones. It helps when practicing this kind of vigilance to avoid television, the internet, mundane music, and prohibited food, because these things increase our base qualities like lust, greed, anger, pride, envy, and the tendency to be illusioned. Instead, we should receive images that remind us of Krishna pastimes, divine message, glories, and mercy. To strengthen our will power it is important to chant His holy names attentively, regularly read and hear the philosophy of Krishna consciousness, and to follow prescribed spiritual disciplines. These practices build a secure fortress around the mind so the terrorist of illusion cannot penetrate.
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