We are all innately pleasure-seeking.
Gita wisdom explains that we being souls, eternal parts of Krishna, can find the supreme pleasure by serving him with loving devotion. For those who don’t have such devotion and primarily seek worldly pleasures, the Gita recommends scriptural sacrifices that help them attain those pleasures. More importantly, such sacrifices instill an ethos of selflessness and infuse an awareness of the divine. This gradually paves the way for the awakening of selfless love for the supreme divinity, Krishna.
Unfortunate are those who seek worldly pleasures without doing such sacrifices –the Gita (03.16) warns that they live in vain. Worldly pleasures when pursued unidimensionally soon lose their charm, leaving the pleasure-seekers feeling disappointed and bored. Over time, when they repeatedly experience the unfulfilling nature of worldly pleasures and because they don’t know of any higher pleasure, they start finding life itself as meaningless: “Nothing makes sense; nothing feels good for long; it’s all purposeless.”
Though the purposelessness of their existence saps them internally, their consciousness being addicted to matter can’t discern any deeper purpose of life. Their material attachments impel them to relentlessly re-enact their ritual pursuit of pleasure – without getting any pleasure.
Even for those sunk thus in the pleasure-less and purposeless pit of materialism, Krishna makes his grace available. If they just accept his grace by opening their heads to his words of wisdom and opening their hearts to the chanting of his holy names, they start connecting with him. As they gradually comprehend his wisdom and relish his love, their desire to reciprocate empowers them to cast aside the burden of purposeless living. And as they savor more the joy of selfless devotional service, gradually that service becomes their life’s defining purpose – a purpose that is deeply fulfilling and delightfully unending.
Comments