The Beatings are coming by Guru’s Mercy!!

One who receives the beatings of karma and the tests of devotional life, is most fortunate as it brings them to the point of raising their arms and feeling helpless. Crying out for help to Krishna. Unless we are beat up we will not cry for Krishna and Guru. Sri Gurudev always says, raise your arms high and call out to God. You have nothing to hide under your armpits. Only thieves hide things under their armpits when running away. So surrender fully as you really have no one other than Krishna.

Just like in the Mahabharata we see how Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, was being disrobed in an assembly of family and elders. Until she raised both her arms to call out for Lord Krishna, He didn’t come to save her. He was waiting for her full surrender. Once she realized she could not save herself she raised both her arms. Lord Krishna came instantly as an incarnation of the sari that was draping her body (vastra avatar) and saved her.

Life is going on day by day. With each passing moment our body is growing older with time never looking back. It is easy to forget about or get complacent with our relationship with the Lord, especially for those that have established a comfort zone without hardships. But even in that case karma will find a way to come knocking and force us to remember the almighty.

Gurudev often recites the 3rd verse from Sikshastakam spoken by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror api sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. Source

Being humbler than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, respecting others, and not demanding respect from others, with these four qualities one is able to chant the holy names purely and continuously. We know our goal is to chant the holy names, but these four qualities are hard to come by. Luckily humility is the key to the other three qualities. Gurudev explains that in order to be humbler than a blade of grass we must become like the earth below the grass, the clay.

Clay is often used to make earthen pots (pottery). The traditional way to make these pots is to first use a shovel to gather clay from the earth. Then the potter mixes in water and has to make it soft. To make it soft he can take a large stick and beat it or stomp it with his feet repeatedly for hours on end. Then it is left overnight and later can be used on the potter’s wheel. Once a pot is shaped on the wheel, the final stage is to bake it in the fire so it becomes dry, firm, and usable as a pot. Similarly we have this material body which is made from the earth (clay). If we want to shape up our clay into a vessel for the Lord, we may need to be beat up by the karma of our past misdeeds, and also the tests that come along our devotional path. The pride in our heart needs to be softened, then a proper vessel can be formed. We will also need to go through the burning stage in the fire. This fire is the fire of tapasya, meaning austerities. It is also the fire of separation from the Lord which has to manifest. Making this body into a devotional vessel is the only we can chant purely and continuously. Gurudev always teaches by example.

So gracefully and graciously accept the beatings of karma and allow the clay to soften. Gurudev is testing us, how will we handle these situations. Are we ready to chant the holy names purely and continuously? We must pass these tests. The holy names will not appear on our tongue unless we please Sri Gurudev.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare