The Teacher, PainWhen we carefully study what drives people to spiritual life, we find asurprising correlation between a rise in spiritual earnestness and pain andmisery. Pain pushes us to seek relief beyond the body and mind. Pain anddisappointment knock on the closed doors of a superficial life and call usto open ourselves to the Lord in full surrender.While doing so, pain frequently slices through the illusory veil of mindlesssense pleasure. We arrive at the cardinal question: Where is my ultimateshelter?But pain is often seriously misunderstood. After having suffered bouts ofphysical pain and disappointment in my life, I realized something that maysurprise my readers. I tried to put my realization into words in thefollowing poem:Greetings, I Am Pain, Your GuruOh, how men curse and condemn meas if I am their worst enemy.They will pay any price torid themselves of me finally.No journey is too far,no medicine too expensive,no therapy to abstruse.They attack me with painkillers,sedatives,mindless diversions,an army of pills.They call doctor after doctor,run to healers andhospitals, approachsadhus for blessings,burn incense, pray -simply to kill me, your teacher,who has come to save youand to redirect you.Allow Me to Introduce MyselfPlease wake up. I amyour sincere friend and no cruel-hearted enemy.I am a soul-awakener, an eye-opener, a guide, an inspirer.How could you have failedto recognize me? Youthought I was working against your interests.But I have entered your life,an angelic messenger of God.I brought you the wisdom and strength necessaryto change your wrong ways andto point you to the path divine.I break you from harmful attachmentsstop your progress on the roadto destruction. I whisperin your ears: Come out ofillusion and seek shelter in God.I am the other side of pleasure, whois my younger brother. Pleasure begins things -such as karmic paths, but Iconstruct roads to the divine world.I pinch people into philosophy, promptpeople to spiritual practice, teach innumerablewayward souls the things they have forgotten.By my power I turn sensualists into transcendentalists.Pitfalls You Could Not SeeYou fail to observe the laws of right conduct, ofsimple living, spiritual thinking.You abused body and mind, did noteat properly, cultivated unhealthythoughts. You abandoned exercise,neglected to breathe clean air, drinkclean water. You thought you were"living fast."Your mind became a storage room for negativity,attachment, fear, anger,lust, greed, and illusion.Where were your tears of gratitudeand your sincere service all these years?Perhaps you were even disrespectful toward the weak,or the women, the children, the old?By clever manipulation and liesyou might have tried to "benefit" yourselfand harm others.It doesn't matter. Go inside andfind what went wrong.I am here to help you discoverwhat you already know.Others may have abandoned you in disappointment,but I come to enlighten and heal you.I am your friend, sent by God.Lessons to LearnLead a natural life of divine lovein harmony with God.Think of Him always.Serve Him with your senses.Worship and prostrate yourself before Him.Conduct your physical, emotional, and social lifein a way that supports your spiritual development.Have courage to be yourself, a happy,free servant of eternity.Seek competent advice and learn to livea simpler life. Think higher.Follow what I came to teach.When you do, surely I will give you peace and leave you,blessed now.EpilogueI am aware that some of our pain is "karmic debt." We may have to tolerateit for some time. To survive we need endurance, diligence. We will have torepay the debt; we cannot escape it.There is, however, a light at the end of the tunnel. By devoted spiritualpractices, one of two things can happen:1. We may develop the required insight and change of habits. Our teacher,pain, may be satisfied that we have learned our lessons and say good-bye.2. Our pain could lift us to the spiritual level, and from there we will bebetter able to endure our own evolutionary processes, the labor pains of ourown spiritual birth.A word to the terminally ill:Many who changed their perspective found strength and solace in looking atthe phenomenon called life and death. Life they have come to consider theright hand of God, and death His left. When both are His hands, there is noproblem. Understanding they are in His hands, they become both peaceful andblissful.Let me sincerely apologize to all of you who have not found satisfaction inwhat I have written. Perhaps your pain is different or excruciating. But Itoo have come close to death and found myself writhing with pain in hospitalbeds. I don't know if I could have written this poem in the midst of mybattles for survival. I feel empathy for each of you, and if I am aware ofyour situation, please trust that I am including you in my prayers.I hope in the future I can cover the subject of pain more extensively.
Hare Krishna...Dandavat Pranam..AGTSP...
Hari Bol...This poem is absolutely truth speaking...I also have had same experience...and now also experiencing the same...The poem is very good...It feels that it is telling about my feelings and pains...
I m very much thankful 2 u for making this poem available for divotees on the Desiretree Network...
Hare Krishna....Radhe Radhe...
Comments
Hari Bol...This poem is absolutely truth speaking...I also have had same experience...and now also experiencing the same...The poem is very good...It feels that it is telling about my feelings and pains...
I m very much thankful 2 u for making this poem available for divotees on the Desiretree Network...
Hare Krishna....Radhe Radhe...