What exactly does it mean to become mature?
Immediately two answers come to mind:
(1) To develop a new set of desires and orientation in life
(2) To become enjoyable for others.
Let us consider the example of a young, immature boy and girl. When they become physically mature, they see each other in a different light. Previously they had thought members of the opposite sex to be foolish, uninteresting and no good for playing with. Upon physical maturity they develop a different outlook—they become attracted, even infatuated. New, previously unknown desires arise in them.
The same is true for a devotee who becomes mature. He or she will find new or previously unknown desires enter his or her mind: "Oh I wish to really serve Krsna! Oh I really wish to satisfy Him and when, oh when, will I develop my relationship, my loving fulfilling relationship with the Lord?" Often Krsna helps His devotee to mature by sending him a challenging situation which all of a sudden changes his perspective on life. At such a time new perspectives and desires arise in the mind.
Recently I received the following very inspiring letter from a nice devotee who wrote a prayer to Krsna a day before a risky operation. As you will see the prayer is highly inspired by his reading of the Saranagati prayers of Bhaktivinoda Thakura:
I beg you, Krsna, when will the day come when I will stop committing offences and Your holy name finally enters into my heart?
When will I genuinely pray for the mercy of the Vaisnavas? When will the tide of divine love overflow my heart?
Because of my offences, bad character and attachment to the opposite sex, this body has become an abode of pain and suffering.
But even if through the operation I should get rid of the pain, as long as my soul is covered by impurities I will continue to act improperly and suffer the reactions.
O my Lord, when, oh when will I get rid of my enjoying mentality? I am desperate; my body is exhausted from drinking the deadly poison of material desires.
My mind is also exhausted. Dressed in the ropes of lust, I am expecting Your holy name to break through my layers and enter my heart. When will this cheater put down all his disguises and become your servant?
When will the attachment for the beautiful members of the opposite sex turn into the swan of love for you?
O Krsna, I know that You are here beside me, even in this hospital. But again and again I forget You and repeat my best story—cheating myself and others.
But please don’t forget this fool who is still floating in the ocean of his material desires and emotions. I do not know if I will live till the next morning.
Please if I have to leave this body during the long night of pain, please give me the opportunity to remember You one more time.
In this article I would also like to concentrate on another aspect of maturity: becoming pleasing for others. Consider the example of a fruit. At first a fruit is hard and sour, but upon maturation it becomes sweet and enjoyable for others. The same holds true for a devotee: he or she becomes the source of encouragement and inspiration for others and ultimately very pleasing to Krsna because of his or her service attitude. Not long ago, the Americans wanted to find out who is actually happy in this world. The result was astonishing for them. They found out that those who serve others are the happiest people in the world.
H H Sacidanand Swami
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