The world features many attractive things that we clamor and labor to enjoy. Yet their beauty doesn’t last for long. Even while it lasts, their charm dwindles with time, leaving us disappointed.

Is our longing for pleasure meant to be permanently thwarted?

No, asserts Gita wisdom – provided we understand the point of the world: Krishna.

The Bhagavad-gita (10.41) explains that all attractive objects manifest a spark of Krishna’s splendor. However, because the attractiveness of those objects is finite and short-lived, they offer just a drop of pleasure. In contrast, because Krishna’s attractiveness is infinite and eternal, he offers a limitless ocean of pleasure.

By their attractiveness, worldly objects allure us to seek pleasure. By their temporariness, they jolt us into thinking where we can get pleasure that lasts. And when such experiences make us spiritually inquisitive, the Gita stands ready to explain that lasting pleasure is found in Krishna alone.

Unfortunately however, most of us miss the point of Krishna. Why? Because we are too captivated by worldly objects. We think that if one object doesn’t gratify us, some other will.

Aggravating our illusion, today’s culture dangles before us an endless array of alluring objects. We waste our whole life, chasing one object after another, either physically or digitally, craving in vain for something somewhere to satisfy us. Through it all, the One who can fully satisfy us resides in our own hearts. Krishna as the Supersoul is constantly waiting and working to awaken us spiritually.

By material frustration or spiritual association or personal introspection, we somehow sometime become metaphysically receptive. And Krishna grabs that opportunity to inspire us to study the Gita and apply its guideline to practice bhakti-yoga. Bhakti practice purifies us and increases our attraction for Krishna, leading eventually to eternal, ecstatic absorption in him.

 

Think it over:

  • How does the world point to Krishna?
  • Why do we miss the point of Krishna?
  • How does Krishna help us to connect with him?

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