The presence of impure desires in our consciousness can alarm us: “If despite my practice of bhakti, such dirty things are still there in my heart, then is my spiritual practice actually doing any good?”

Yes, definitely it is doing a lot of good. And the undeniable evidence of that is the change in our perception of impurities. The culture around us aggressively glamorizes such impurities as opportunities for pleasure. And probably we ourselves also had seen them like that in the past – for such is the perception of sensual pleasure in the mode of passion, as the Gita (18.38) indicates. But now we are able to see through the façade and recognize them for what they are – fleeting passions that will sully our heart with lasting impressions, impelling us to degrading actions again and again. It’s only due to this dramatic positive shift in our perception that the arrival of the impurities rings an alarm within us

Rather than being alarmed or disheartened by the presence of the impurity, we can be heartened by the presence of the alarm. After all, an alarm is meant to be a call for action, not a signal of capitulation or rejection. For example, the sounding of an alarm at a military outpost indicates that a danger is approaching, not that the defenders have already been defeated by an enemy or that the defenders have been rejected as worthless by the headquarters. Trained soldiers respond to the alarm by readying themselves to combat and counter the impending danger.

By the spiritual training of the daily diligent devotional practice, we will be able to take shelter of Krishna and repulse the impurities whenever they appear – till they depart forever, freeing us to relish pure love for Krishna.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18 Text 38

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