Secrets of the Soul 5

yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete
puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha
sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ
so ’mṛtatvāya kalpate

“O best among men, the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress, and is steady in both, is certainly eligible for liberation.” [Bhagavad-gita 2.15]

These are the signs, characteristics or symptoms of someone who is qualified to attain spiritual liberation in this lifetime. A person who realizes aham brahmasmi, “I am spirit soul,” cannot be deviated or discouraged by the changing conditions of the material world. Both happiness and suffering refer only to the material body. Spiritual existence is on the platform of eternal transcendental bliss.

One who knows the state of spiritual being can never be deviated from his determination to achieve the transcendental world. He simply performs the process of spiritual cultivation given in the Esoteric Teaching, and patiently awaits the result. Just like we have accepted the duty of propagating the Esoteric Teaching, so we have to execute our duties faithfully, despite the ups and downs of material life. If we continue to perform spiritual duties despite changing material conditions, we can be certain that Kṛṣṇa will give us the result we desire. Therefore we should remain patient, steady and determined to make spiritual progress.

When a young girl marries a boy, she may desire a child. But it is not possible for her to have the child right away. If she demands the child immediately, she will simply become frustrated. But if she has confidence in the marriage relationship, and her husband is pleased and loves her, in due course of time, he will give her a child. So there is no need for her to become impatient; in fact, that will make getting the child more difficult.

Similarly, we have taken to the path of the Esoteric Teaching, or Vedic spiritual life. The cultivation of spiritual advancement is a life-long endeavor. We cannot expect an immediate result. But we know from the experience of our predecessors, those who have gone before us on this path, that if we perform the process of the Esoteric Teaching faithfully, then in due course of time, Kṛṣṇa will give the desired result and we will attain the pinnacle of self-realization.

Don’t be hesitant, doubtful or impatient. For anyone who follows the process of the Esoteric Teaching, progress is sure. Kṛṣṇa assures us:

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ’rjuna

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” [Bhagavad-gita 4.9]

The Lord says, “Anyone who has understood this Esoteric Teaching perfectly, after leaving this body, will come to Me.” This is His assurance. So we haven’t got any doubt that the Esoteric Teaching will lead to our spiritual emancipation, because Kṛṣṇa has promised the result of our activities. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme spiritual authority; His promise is never false.

So our intention is to perform the process of the Esoteric Teaching perfectly, as far as humanly possible. Of course, we cannot execute anything perfectly in the presence of Kṛṣṇa because He is infinite, and we are finite. Our intelligence, energy, talent, and everything about us is finite. But if we try our best, then bhava-grahi-janardana: Kṛṣṇa becomes satisfied and grateful even for a little service, if the quality of our service attitude is pure. Kṛṣṇa gives the result based only on how sincere we are, how purely we perform the process of the Esoteric Teaching.

This is Kṛṣṇa’s exalted character and His loving kindness upon us. Otherwise it is not within our power to serve Kṛṣṇa perfectly, because we are very insignificant. But He assures us that the desired result will come if we act sincerely to advance in spiritual life by means of His Esoteric Teaching, the original yoga method given in Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic scriptures.

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