SB 4.29.31-The living entity is exactly like a dog, who, overcome with hunger, goes from door to door for some food. According to his destiny, he sometimes receives punishment and is driven out and at other times receives a little food to eat. Similarly, the living entity, being influenced by so many desires, wanders in different species of life according to destiny. Sometimes he is high, and sometimes he is low. Sometimes he goes to the heavenly planets, sometimes to hell, sometimes to the middle planets, and so on.

SB 4.29.32-The living entities are trying to counteract different miserable conditions pertaining to providence, other living entities or the body and mind. Still, they must remain conditioned by the laws of nature, despite all attempts to counter these laws.

PURPORT-Just as a dog wanders here and there for a piece of bread or punishment, the living entity perpetually wanders about trying to be happy and planning in so many ways to counteract material misery. This is called the struggle for existence. We can actually see in our daily lives how we are forced to make plans to drive away miserable conditions. To get rid of one miserable condition, we have to put ourselves in another kind of miserable condition. A poor man suffers for want of money, but if he wants to become rich, he has to struggle in so many ways. Actually that is not a valid counteracting process but a snare of the illusory energy. If one does not endeavor to counteract his situation but is satisfied with his position, knowing that he has obtained his position through past activities, he can instead engage his energy to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is recommended in all Vedic literature.

tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā

“Persons who are actually intelligent and philosophically inclined should endeavor only for that purposeful end which is not obtainable even by wandering from the topmost planet [Brahmaloka] down to the lowest planet [Pātāla]. As far as happiness derived from sense enjoyment is concerned, it can be obtained automatically in course of time, just as in course of time we obtain miseries even though we do not desire them.” (Bhāg. 1.5.18) One should simply try to develop his Kṛṣṇa consciousness and not waste his time trying to improve his material condition. Actually the material condition cannot be improved. The process of improvement means accepting another miserable condition. However, if we endeavor to improve our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the distresses of material life will disappear without extraneous endeavor. Kṛṣṇa therefore promises, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: “O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.” (Bg. 9.31) One who takes to the path of devotional service will never be vanquished, despite all miseries of the body and mind and despite all misery brought about by other living entities and providence, miseries which are beyond our control.

SB 4.29.32-A man may carry a burden on his head, and when he feels it to be too heavy, he sometimes gives relief to his head by putting the burden on his shoulder. In this way he tries to relieve himself of the burden. However, whatever process he devises to counteract the burden does nothing more than put the same burden from one place to another.

PURPORT-This is a good description of an attempt to transfer a burden from one place to another. When one gets tired of keeping a burden on his head, he will place it on his shoulder. This does not mean that he has become freed from the strains of carrying the burden. Similarly, human society in the name of civilization is creating one kind of trouble to avoid another kind of trouble. In contemporary civilization we see that there are many automobiles manufactured to carry us swiftly from one place to another, but at the same time we have created other problems. We have to construct so many roads, and yet these roads are insufficient to cope with automobile congestion and traffic jams. There are also the problems of air pollution and fuel shortage. The conclusion is that the processes we manufacture to counteract or minimize our distresses do not actually put an end to our pains. It is all simply illusion. We simply place the burden from the head to the shoulder. The only real way we can minimize our problems is to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and give ourselves up to His protection. The Lord, being all-powerful, can make arrangements to mitigate our painful life in material existence.

Some Conclusions--I always  liked to hear this accurate description Srila Prabhupada gives pertaining

to everyone’s situation within the confines of the material world. Who will not admit he or she suffers various things while living out our existence here? Yet how many will understand that the methods we employ to counteract these miseries only cause more misery themselves? One example Prabhupada gave above is the automobile. Today practically nobody likes to walk or even ride a bike, so to “counteract” that problem we buy a car, like millions of others. And most of us also know that same car is causing so much damage to the environment, makes wars develop over the oil needed to keep them running, the air is polluted from exhaust, the water also become polluted when oil spills take place,  so many thousands are killed every year in accidents, etc, the list it seems is endless as to the actual results of this just one desire for all of us to ride in a car. Now apply modern life with all its gadgets and gizmos that is promised to make our lives easier. Lets admit it, we are hooked and addicted to machines !

There is one story of a sage who was given the benediction to live for as long as a day of lord Brahma. Narada muni came upon him one day sitting out in the hot sun doing his meditation and asked him-why don’t you just build yourself a hut to keep the sun off your head? He replied-why should I , life is so short !!

Therefore Srila Prabhupada and the entire param para encourages us to simplify our lives and purify our living situations so as to make our stay here easier, and easier to deal with. What is that solution? To chant Hare Krsna maha mantra and find the ways and means to keep body and soul together without discomfort.

That second solution was Srila Prabhupadas second mission-the varnashram system and learning how to become self sufficient without all the modern so called amenities that only make life more troublesome.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das

►740524r2.rom                Conversations …  Yes, naturally. If this man is fed up with  this industry, he cango back to village and  produce his own food. But he is attached to this industrial  activity because he is thinking that “We are getting more money for wine and  woman and meat. Let me enjoy.” That is the perfect, imp…  But  if he chants Hare Krsna maha-mantra, hisconsciousness  will be purified and he will be made not interested thiskind of work. He will go back to village  andproduce food.

740524r2.rom                 Conversations….    eatables to the animals and to the men, then everything is  prosperous. So where is that arrangement? There is enough land,  enough possibility, enough water. Now utilize them and produce food  grain,eat nicely and live peacefully and chant Hare  Krsna and go back tohome, back to Godhead. This is our  philosophy. Why there should be industry? You want to eat after  all. Instead of eating this flesh, killing poor animals, why don’t you  produce food grains, fruits, flowers, food grain, and take milk from the  animals and produce milk products, all nutritious food, all nice food, and be  happy and remember God for His kindness. This is  civilization. What is this nonsense civilization? Now there is  petrol problem. I see so many buses, and not a single man, one or two men.  And for two men a big huge bus is being run, and so much petrol is consumed  unnecessarily. I have seen. I went from Nairobi to London in a  plane–only five passengers. Out of that, four passengers we were. Why?  Why this nonsense? And there is petrol problem now. They are creating  simply, the so-called advancement of civilization, creating problems,  that’s all. And that is due to these rascal leaders. Andha  yathandhair upaniyamanas te ‘pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah. They do not  know what is the ideal of life, what is the aim of life. They are  creating

►740525mw.rom                Conversations Prabhupada: Yes, that was Gandhi’s philosophy, village  organization. These people, they are attracting villagers to work in the  factory, and they are exploiting them…. our philosophy. Make your  life successful. By becoming Krsna conscious, you become free from  allthese troubles of material  condition. This is our education. Don’t be after these  motorcars, television, and all nonsense things, sporting, wine, women. Don’t  be after these. Simply eat sufficiently, keep  yourhealth nicely, chant Hare Krsna, realize Krsna, and  go back  to home This is our  philosophy…