Q. In one class you expressed: “When tribulations come we should allow Krishna to control, who wants to control as He likes.” Please elaborate this further if you so desire.
Answer by Romapada Swami: The actual statement I made is more accurately stated as follows: “When tribulations come we should allow Krishna to control. Our department is the service department, and controlling is Krishna’s department.” This means that in times of tribulation, rather than trying to manipulate the material energy in an effort to overcome the tribulation, we should stay fixed in the mood of service to Krishna.
Material consciousness dictates that we figure out some means by which to fix a problem, to eliminate or circumvent the cause of difficulty, to gain control over the situation and try to set things in order. One becomes attached to such plans, and outcomes, and doer-ship mentality, so much so that one does not even mind flexing and compromising some principles or relaxing/ overlooking some superior instructions for the time being in order to accomplish this end.
Pleasing Krishna by my sincere efforts to serve is no longer the driving force of one’s actions.
But in spiritual consciousness, one is conscious that it is in Krishna’s hands to alter a difficult situation, feels fully dependent on His mercy and is fully trusting in the fact that Krishna knows what is in our best interest. Dependence on Krishna does not translate as being passive, but in this consciousness, one makes every effort as needed, while always staying within the periphery of instructions received from guru, sadhu and shastra. We serve, to the best of our ability, and Krishna controls. And as I am doing the needful service, ultimately the result is left up to Krishna, on Krishna’s terms.
