06.30 – Devotion implies meditation independent of location
Many of us tend to compartmentalize our lives into the material side and the spiritual side. Such compartmentalization is initially helpful in ensuring that we allocate adequate time for our spiritual growth. Eventually, however, we need to go beyond such compartmentalization. Authentic devotion calls for a complete spiritualization of consciousness that permeates even the material side of our life.
Given the contemporary social, cultural and financial reality, most of us will have to spend much of our life in non-devotional, if not anti-devotional, environments. Consequently, if our life is compartmentalized into the material and the spiritual side, we will have to frequently postpone our spiritual growth: “I will think of Krishna later when my environment is more conducive.” Such procrastination may keep us bereaved of deep Krishna consciousness for our entire lifetime, or God forbid, multiple lifetimes.
Therefore, we need to chart for ourselves a more proactive course by making the firm resolution: “No matter what my location, I will make Krishna my meditation.” This resolution will motivate us to intensely absorb our consciousness in remembrance of Krishna when our externals are devotionally congenial and to sustain that consciousness even when our externals are devotionally uncongenial.
By such diligent practice of devotional service, over time we will be able to see all of reality in new devotional light. We will view:
- Our entire life as the arena for our loving service to Krishna
- Worldly events as teachers demonstrating Krishna’s message in real-time
- The whole world as a potential offering of love to Krishna
Once we have gained such a holistic, devotional vision, the Bhagavad-gita (6.30) declares that we will never be lost to Krishna, nor Krishna to us.