Practicing spiritual life in the material world is challenging. This challenge exists at all times because materialism is inherent to the material world. The challenge increases during our times because materialism is dominant in this age.
Our materialistic environment may sometimes check our spiritual practices. For example, we may sometimes have to practice meditation secretly or study scriptures discreetly. When such situations are inescapably imposed on us, we may feel disheartened – all the more so when we see no checks at all on those indulging in blatantly materialistic activities.
At such times, we can take heart from the Gita verse (02.16) stating thatthe temporary has no endurance and the eternal, no cessation. So all materialistic activities, even if uncheckedpresently, will ultimately at the time of death get not just checked, but checkmated.
In joyful contrast, material circumstances can only check but never checkmate our spiritual life. All material conditionsare, after all, temporary. Moreover, when our environment is unfavorable, we can turn the checks to our spiritual advantage. We can utilize the external obstacles as internal tests for evaluating the sincerity and intensity of our devotional aspirations. Let’s see how.
When our environment is supportive, we may sometimes engage in devotional practices just to create a positive impression on others. When our environment turns inimical and no one appreciates our devotional practices, that external, superficial incentive is taken away. This forces us to engage in our devotional practices primarily, if not exclusively, for their original and pure purpose: the pleasure of Krishna and the resulting experience of love for him. The strengthening of this pure purpose is the surest guarantorofour authentic spiritual advancement.
Thus by purifying and intensifying our devotional intentions, we can convert the checks that slow us externally into spurs that speed us internally.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 02, Text 16
“Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent [the material body] there is no endurance and of the eternal [the soul] there is no change. This they have concluded by studying the nature of both.”
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