Passing the Final Exam

Sooner or later we all have to face the prospect of leaving our present material body behind. This experience is commonly known as death. For most people death is something which is very much feared. For the self-realized souls, however, it is the most exciting moment when one is granted the opportunity for promotion into the spiritual world, that place where birth, death, old age, and disease are conspicuous by their absence.

What determines whether we get promoted or whether we have to repeat the course by remaining within the cycle of birth and death? That depends on our consciousness at our final exam, the moment of death.

If our thoughts are purely absorbed in thoughts of the Lord and His service, this is our way of solidly expressing our desire to be with Him in His eternal abode. In this state of consciousness upon leaving our present body we will definitely find ourselves waking up with the Lord and His eternal associates in the spiritual sky.

If, however, our mind is holding onto material desires, the Lord will allow to take birth again in this abode of birth and death for the fulfillment of those desires.

So where we go is definitely up to us. If we would like to attain the spiritual world, we can begin to prepare ourselves right now by spiritualizing all of our desires through the ancient science of bhakti yoga, Krishna consciousness. This is practiced under the expert guidance of the spiritual master and the Vaisnavas. If we will carefully and diligently practice the bhakti yoga science our promotion into the spiritual world is guaranteed.

So why not seriously take up this path? You've got nothing to lose except for all of your anxieties. And you've got an eternal existence full of bliss and knowledge to gain.

Answers According to the Vedic Version

Question: Where Am I Heading?...

Whenever I am indulged in any activity that is in some or other way related to Krishna, I experience immense happiness, pleasure and comfort which I could never experience otherwise. However, at the same time, there is some voice inside me which says .."You are doing these activities for seeking happiness to your own self and not for Krishna. So in turn you are selfish and actually offending the Lord".. Why am I facing such a dilemma? Please explain.

Your lowly servant,

Sukshma

Answer: Back to Your Original Existence...

You should be prepared to execute whatever duties you are given for Krishna's service by the spiritual master, never mind whether they are pleasing or displeasing to you. You should be neither attached to or averse to your own happiness and unhappiness. The devotee is not concerned for his own happiness. He simply wants to see that Krishna is pleased. But because the devotee is part and parcel and Krishna, he naturally becomes pleased when Krishna is pleased.

There is nothing wrong to become happy by serving Krishna because happiness is the natural result of devotional service to the Lord. But you should not become carried away by such happiness thinking that now you have become great. You should rather offer that joyful energy back into the Lord's service to improve the quality of your service to Him more and more and more. In this way you will be heading solidly back to your original existence, which is eternal, full of bliss, and full of knowledge.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari