Conquering overpride has a lot to do with receiving instructions that one is to do so. Another very powerful means of overcoming pride is appreciation of the lives of those who really have something to be proud about, in comparison to us. Howhumble they are -- really qualified souls-- how humble they are! We become proud of a little insignificant something. But if we look at those who are really qualified, we see how humble they are. Prabhupada so many times spoke about Sanatana Goswami.He was the prime minister of a big king, Nawab Hussain. Look at wha tpeople go through to get elected to some government office by our present system. Sanatana Goswami was appointed by the King as the prime minister of half of India, and he walked away from it!
Vastly wealthy. Vastly powerful. Learned in seven languages and respected by everybody. But he walked away from all of it and followed Lord Caitanya, asking him, “Who am I? I don’t know who I am.” Or consider Rupa Goswami, of whom Lord Caitanya twice said, “You have received the fullness of my mercy.” Rupa Goswami is so devoid of pride that even when asked by Lord Caitanya to do so, he can’t in the midst of other devotees,feeling himself unqualified, unfit. So those are pride chasers. Where can pride stand with that? Study the lives of persons who are truly prideless, then the quality of pridelessness comes into ones heart.
Adapted from a lecture by His Holiness Romapada Swami on SB 1.3.10-11 entitled “Kapila and Dattatreya”, given in July 2009 in St Louis.
No comments:
Post a Comment