Every ashram requires lots of adjustment but that is required for us
to be successful to rise above the karma. We don't know what karma is
still there, the aprarabda karma is stored within the heart - it is
stored in the heart, so many sinful reactions from so many lifetimes,
we don't know what is there. We don't know what reactions are still to
come.
It is mentioned that Ajamila at the time of being a student, he was a
brahmin. It is said that he was the best student among all the others,
he was exemplary and there was no one like him. So, his teachers were
very impressed by him and they were just wondering what kind of karma
does this Ajamila have and so therefore one day they thought let's
consult an astrologer.
So, the astrologer calculated the birth chart of Ajamila and he saw to
his astonishment that soon Ajamila would go into a very dark phase and
then he would fall down in his brahaminical standards and would get
involved in illicit activities.
They knew it that, ' Yes the astrologer is qualified'
and therefore they immediately made arrangements for Ajamila to get
married. They said 'You get married' and they said:
'You just stay here in the ashrama, no need to go looking for a job.'
They made maximum arrangements for his protection, but it was not
successful because the sinful reactions stored within the heart from
the previous life finaly caught up with him and over took him even
though the stars seemed to be good. Therefore the nature of aprarabda
karma cannot be over seen and obviously in the age of kali it is
already going for 5000 years, we can appreciate that we have had many
births before in this age of kali and most likely during those births
engaged in so many sinful activities and if some of them were human
then we are responsible.
The human birth is the one birth where one is held responsible - that
we have to understand. We cannot accept that things will be smooth and
that we will not be attacked by possiblly strong material desires.
In the Vishnu Purana it is stated that Dhruva Maharaja in his previous
life was a brahamana. As a brahamana he was very qualified and in due
course of time he became friends with the king and in his friendship
with the king, Dhruva Maharaja started to develop desires to have
similar opulence as the king - and then we see in his next life he
becomes Dhruva. He is denied to sit on the thrown and is denied to sit
on the laps of his father and becomes very angry and what does he
want? ….a kingdom greater than his father and grandfather and where did
it come from?
We can see it was a desire which was already there from his previous
life and he carried it with him, just see. So, we cannot expect that we
will not be attacked by some very powerful material desires since the
aparabda Karma is not so good in the age of Kali. The un-manifested
karma stored in the heart is not so good. Therefore it will happen to
us, - we will be attacked with strong desires and we will develop the
inclination to act against our better knowledge.
Then we should remember that now I am a victim of external forces -
this is not me. I am simply a play ball on the waves of karma. I am
simply being controlled by external forces, this is not me. One has to
understand that karma works in this way and we become controlled simply
by previous impressions. This way one must be detached of even what may
come in the future. One already has to have a detached attitude when
desires come that: 'I will not take it serious'
Like that one has to fix himself. That is only possible for one who
fixes himself while chanting the Holy Name. Try sincerley to conquer
the mind while chanting the Holy Name and to fix our mind on hearing
the chanting and if we simply do that then we can get the strength to
be fixed also in ordinary dealings. Just like inattentive chanting
leads to inattentive service.
So we have to be attentive in spiritual life, attentive in our
chanting, attentive to take shelter, attentive to act properly,
attentive to act accordingly to the desire
of Krishna. We need shelter at every step, therefore should very
carefully and firmly take shelter at the Lotus Feet of Srila
Prabhupada and all the followers of Srila Prabhupdada.
(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Chowpatty, 11th Dec 2010)
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