By Sacinandana Swami
Preserve your spiritual status - avoid stress.
In the name of service, we often overburden ourselves with impossible schedules, high expectations from ourselves and others and big projects and goals. Sometimes we end up stressed out and frustrated. We have lost the Higher connection.
At that time, our happy Krishna conscious mood leaves us, our spiritual practice might become compromised, and instead of gratitude, we feel burned out, bitter or anxious.
Of course, there is something like "healthy stress," an excitement which brings out the best in us, but here we are addressing unhealthy stress that brings about distress. This stress should be avoided. It harms us.
Here is a letter by Srila Prabhupada that will guide you further:
Krishna Consciousness means we should always be satisfied and happy. Not that we try to do some impossible work, become overburdened, and then because we are unhappy by so much trouble we lose enthusiasm altogether and give up all hope. No. Too much endeavor should be avoided. By all means we must preserve our spiritual status. That is the point. Not that we are mad after big buildings, many devotees, life-members, and this and that. No. These are only ways to engage the devotees so they may apply the principles of devotional living to some kind of work for practical realization of these principles. It is not the result of the work we want. If we only sincerely preach to one person a day, that is sufficient. Never mind big, big programs. So my request to you is that you do not be bothered by these things.... Krishna does not like to see his sincere devotee suffer or become frustrated or depressed. He will not stand by idly in such a case. Krishna has some plan for you. Always think in that way, and very soon he will provide everything to your heart's desire.
(Letter to Tejiyas, 19 December 1972)
Srila Prabhupada reminds us here that preserving our spiritual status is our primary project. The many engagements we have are really meant to help us realize our devotional principles. By bringing these principles out into the open field of practical life and engagement, we are supposed to understand them in a deeper way, not lose them. Spiritual life always comes first, in the middle and at the end.
What can we do from our side?
Again and again contemplate: what is this visible world? Who am I really? Who is Krishna and what is my relationship with Him? These questions will help us to get back on track, in case we get lost.
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