How to See That We Are Not Frustrated in Spiritual Life

This material life, karmis which we are talking about, they go to the movies, they do gambling, and they enjoy from that.  But after certain time they get frustrated, they want something new out of it.  But for the same thing, when we come into spiritual life, because we are at a very neophyte angle, we regularly hear Bhagvatam class, we chant the holy name, but we have one fear in our mind that the way karmis are getting frustrated after some time and it can happen in spiritual life also.

This material life, karmis which we are talking about, they go to the movies, they do gambling, and they enjoy from that.  But after certain time they get frustrated, they want something new out of it.  But for the same thing, when we come into spiritual life, because we are at a very neophyte angle, we regularly hear Bhagvatam class, we chant the holy name, but we have one fear in our mind that the way karmis are getting frustrated after some time and it can happen in spiritual life also.

Ans:   It definitely will happen like that unless we are very attentive and enthusiastic.  What you put into spiritual life is what you get out of it.  The tendency, after some years we become very familiar, ‘O’ I have been doing this, then we start doing less tapsya. That means we stop trying.  We stop putting our heart and energy into it.  Generally a new devotee is very inclined to tapsya.  He wants to work hard, he wants to give up things, he wants Krishna.  But after we have these things for sometime;  Bhagvatam class, in the beginning I wanted to hear it every day.  But then after a while we think, I need an extra sleep today or it is not very important or it is a long distance.  In this way we become familiar and stop putting effort, we stop putting endeavor,  we stop looking for Krishna in devotional service.  We stop being enthusiastic and then a vicious cycle takes place.  Because you are not putting life and enthusiasm into your service, Krishna is not going to reciprocate by giving you any excitement in your devotional service, by giving you any taste in your devotional service.  Because you are dealing with it materially, Krishna will reveal Himself through devotional service, materially.  That means we are stopping the tapsya of trying to surrender our service.  But if you are trying to surrender your service and you are enthusiastic to do the tapsya, doing it for krishna’s sake not because I like it, not because it is enjoyable, but I am doing a  tapsya for surrender for Krishna’s pleasure.  If you do that, the taste the nectar, the excitement, the realization, everything in Krishna consciousness will become  sweeter and sweeter and more exciting and wonderful every day.  So it is the negligence of our conditioned nature which doesn’t want to surrender and doesn’t want to do tapsya, which creates this whole syndrome of boredom even in devotional service.  Tapsya means, even if I am bored, it am going to do it for Krishna, I am going to be enthusiastic for Krishna.  No matter what, I will come every day and listen as much as I can, why? Because this is want Krishna wants from me.  If you perform that tapsya, you will never lose your taste for Krishna, it will ever be increasing.  So we have to be very careful.  Just like the example often given; this material world is like a river flowing to the ocean of birth and death, and in order to reach Krishna you have to swim upstream.  It is a struggle.  And if you are not struggling what is going to happen.  You are going to go down-stream.  Struggling to be Krishna conscious you are going to go down.  That is the means of attaining Krishna consciousness.