Despite our advanced technology, we remain
helplessly insignificant in front of nature’s fury.

By Purushottama Nitai Dasa

A few months ago, California was burning. Thousands of acres of land got burnt. Homes of famous Hollywood actors, business tycoons, and political leaders are now in ashes. Thousands of people evacuated, thousands of homes lost. Unfortunately, many have lost their lives too. The uncontrollable fire spared none. After many days, the US government, with their advanced technology and resources, was able to extinguish the fire. But the impact of the devastating fire is still felt.

In fact, if we turn the pages of history, we find that humans are always helpless in front of nature’s fury. We may be proud of our scientific advancement by sending rockets into space, we may gloat over creating robots that talk and walk like humans, but as soon as nature begins showing her might our laughter turns into loud cry for help. This is not to say that scientific breakthroughs are bad, or technology should be shunned.

An important lesson to learn

But these natural phenomena teach us that no matter how hard we try, how best we use our intellect, we are insignificant in front of nature. We cannot control her now, and will not be able to do so in future too. We are always under nature’s control. But nature too is not independent. The ancient Vedic scriptures tell us that mighty nature is controlled by the Supreme Lord. “This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.” (Bhagavad-gita 9.10)

But why does nature become ferocious from time to time? It is to wake us the sleeping souls and to remind us that in this world we cannot live peacefully, happily and permanently.

If one is caught in a forest fire, one will desperately run in fear hither and tither to save one’s life. One will look for ways to get out of the jungle. Or else one will pray to God to send dark clouds laden with water in the sky and pour it profusely to extinguish the fire. In such a terrifying situation, no one will ever think of enjoying the flora and fauna of the forest. This material creation can be compared to such a forest fire because here we are constantly subjected to different types of misery. If we introspect, we will find that for most of our life we have been struggling to solve problems of our life. If one problem goes away then others immediately barge in. We fear for the future, lament about the past and always remain in constant anxiety. While struggling for existence, we do get some happiness but it’s minuscule. It’s like trying to quench thirst by licking a drop of water. And eventually everyone here is forced to die although no one wants to die.

Why suffer here?

So, are we doomed to suffer forever? Definitely not. The Lord, our creator and the ultimate controller, comes to this world to rescue us from this fearsome situation. He asks us to leave this pain-giving world and come to his eternal world, which is free from all sufferings including death. (Bhagavad-gita 8.15)

We can all go there, but to be there we have to be qualified. In his abode lives those who are his pure devotees and are free from all the vices. They are always absorbed in chanting his divine names and singing his glories. And every moment they are engaged in serving the Lord of their heart. These pure souls have only one desire: to always serve the desire of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna. If our heart too is flooded with such spiritual desires, then we too can become residents of the spiritual world. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us that we should immediately grab.

The great Vaishnava saint, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, durlabha manava-janma labhiya samsare/ krishna na bhajinu-duhkha kahibo kahare?: “The human form of life is the rarest opportunity for attaining spiritual perfection. But now I am lamenting, because I’ve somehow or other been born with such an opportunity, and I wasted it by never worshiping Lord Krsna. Oh, to whom shall I tell the tale of this misery?”

Human form of life provides us a rare chance to practice devotion to Krishna. If we are not doing so, then what is the use of being a human? Even animals are trying to enjoy their life through eating, sleeping and mating, and if we too keep doing the same, how are we better than the animals? With every rising and setting of the sun, we are going closer to death. And if before death we fail to fully take shelter of the Lord, then we will continue to transmigrate into different specifies in this world. There could be a possibility that next life may not be a human life but animal life. And animal life means more suffering. Let us plan for a better future. Krishna too wants a happy life for us.

Krishna’s rescue mission

In a forest fire it is extremely difficult for one to save oneself. But if someone comes to rescue him then he is saved. We saw that how the government of USA sent many rescue teams to save people’s lives. Similarly, to save us from the blazing fire of material existence, Krishna comes personally and also sends his pure devotees time and again to rescue us. These messengers of God guide thousands of suffering souls towards his lotus feet, which is the topmost shelter of all living entities. In recent times, we have seen how Srila Prabhupada travelled throughout the world to rescue thousands of suffering souls.

We suffer as long as we remain disconnected from Krishna. It is imperative for us that we get connected to Krishna. And this is done easily in this age by chanting the names of Krishna i.e. the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Srila Prabhupada spread the chanting of this maha-mantra all over the world and gave a clarion call to all to constantly chant the names of Krishna. As the spiritual master of the entire world, he brought us great relief from all our sufferings. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura writes in Gurvashtaka, “Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence.”

Let us follow the advice of great acaryas like Srila Prabhupada and take shelter of Krishna to get freedom from all sufferings.

Purusottama Nitai Dasa is a member of the congregation at ISKCON Newtown, Kolkata. He writes at https://discoverursupersoul.com/