Navigating Life

“But by the will of the Lord, the circumstances were so created that they became ways to the King’s becoming unattached to family connection and governmental activities and thus becoming a completely surrendered soul unto the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. The merciful Lord sometimes creates such awkward positions for his pure devotees in order to drag them towards Himself from the mire of material existence. But outwardly the situations appear to be frustrating to the devotees. The devotees of the Lord are always under the protection of the Lord, and in any condition, frustration or success, the Lord is the supreme guide for the devotees. The pure devotees, therefore, accept all conditions of frustration as blessings from the Lord.” (SB 1.18.28)

From the moment he was saved by Krishna in the womb of his mother, Maharaja Pariksit’s inner longing was to find his Lord again. His life was wonderful in its birth, wonderful in its duration and wonderful in its completion. Perhaps the most wonderful aspect of his life, however, was his response to the unexpected news of his own death.

Once, when asked how we should react to life’s challenges, a teacher told his student to bring a cup of boiling water, a potato, some cotton wool and a bottle of herbs. The teacher first placed the potato into the cup. A few moments later the hard potato crumbled: “Some people become emotional wrecks and fall apart in difficult times – don’t be like this” he said. Next, the cotton wool was dipped into the boiling water. After a few minutes, the soft substance became solid and impenetrable: “Other people become hard-hearted and emotionally disconnected – don’t be like this” he said. The herbs were then thrown in. Almost instantaneously, a wonderful aroma emanated from the cup: “Unique individuals use life’s challenges to bring out their best – be like this!” he concluded. It was a graphic teaching.

Srila Prabhupada regularly quoted a famous prayer of Lord Brahma, reminding his students of how they should navigate the rocky road of the material world: “My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.” (SB 10.14.8)

In this beautiful verse recited by Lord Brahma, we gain a deep insight into how one should deal with the inevitable reversals of life. Life has its way of rudely ejecting us from our comfortable position at any moment. Change is unstoppable (cannot be checked), uncontrollable (could occur in any way) and unpredictable (could happen at any time). How do we navigate the course of life, especially when it’s riddled with surprises beyond our control? Here are three dictums for your daily deliberation:

1. Adjust your expectation – Maharaja Pariksit, who wisely understood the ways of the world, was not shocked by reversals. False expectation will bring great frustration. We’re not designed to control the world so we shouldn’t be surprised when things don’t go to plan. The famous saying reminds us that if something can go wrong, it will – expect the unexpected. Disempowering? Not really, since the good news is that happiness is not outside of us. Contentment in life is not based on controlling the external world, but rather on conquering the inner world. We need not seek perfect situations, but rather cultivate perfect consciousness.

2. Accept your situation – rather than lamenting his impending death, Maharaja Pariksit graciously appreciated and utilised the seven days he would live for. Every external situation can create incredible internal growth. Properly digested experiences will nourish us with strength, wisdom, humility and powerful insight. The unexpected occurrences are part of a master plan to reconfigure our consciousness. We only have to learn acceptance and stop fighting, denying or cursing a situation. Our gut reaction is to blame others, blame the stars, blame the government or blame God. In the blame game, however, we end up staying the same. Karmic reactions are meant to mould us into the best versions of ourselves.

3. Aspire for connection – turning the reign of the kingdom over to his son, bidding his family farewell and renouncing all royal paraphernalia, Maharaja Pariksit journeyed to the bank of the Ganges with a vow to fast until death and focus his mind on God. In this acute situation, he intensified his spiritual immersion. Amidst the unpredictable rollercoaster of life, we need a permanent anchor. As we commit to spiritual practices and root ourselves in the transcendental reality, we learn to see all the challenges of life on the backdrop of eternity. Everything comes back into perspective. Come what may, success or failure, praise or blame, highs or lows, our spiritual status remains unharmed and untouched. This connection is known as yoga, a process that reconnects us to the spiritual reality.

Let the mantra become part of you: adjust your expectation, accept your situation and aspire for connection.