We frequently get agitated by life’s ups and downs. However, that agitation is especially aggravated by the forces of desire, fear and anger that reside within us.

How do these forces increase our agitation? To understand, let’s compare the world to an ocean. Just as waves are intrinsic to an ocean, so too are dualities to this world.

When we desire something material, that’s like our wanting something atop a particular wave. Craving and slaving to get to that thing, while seeing it appear and disappear as the wave rises and falls, increases our agitation manifold.

Eventually, when waves threaten to separate us from our desired object, we become overwhelmed with fear. The greater the emotion and the effort we have invested to get that object, the greater our fear.

Finally, when the unruly waves hurl that object away from us or hurl us away from that object, we become overwhelmed by anger – anger at that object for having gone away or anger at the waves for having taken it away or anger at ourselves for having let it slip away.

How can we minimize our agitation? By turning away from objects in the ocean and striving to swim towards the land. That is, we learn to decrease our emotional fixation on material things and increase our focus on spiritual reality. The Bhagavad-gita states that the wise detach themselves from externals and delight within, in their spirituality (02.55). Those who free themselves from the forces of desire, fear and anger stay steady amidst dualities, being neither elated in gain nor dejected in loss (02.56). The easiest and safest way to stay spiritually situated is to devotionally absorb ourselves in the supreme spiritual reality, Krishna – therein, we get both spiritual insight and spiritual joy.

Thus, absorption in Krishna comprises the best protection from agitation.


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