Look Within

We live in a society that places a great deal of emphasis on the external. Whether it be looks, material possessions, jobs or status, the list can go on and on. As a bhakti yoga practitioner, we have an idea of how these things may be assets but they are not the goal of life. In fact it can detract one from the ultimate goal- bhakti.

Now we may understand that both theoretically and practically, but do we actually guard ourselves against being influenced by it? I know that I've fooled myself long enough into thinking that I am immune to these factors. It wasn't until recently that I realized that I'm not actively working on guarding myself against this kind of an influence.

But first and foremost, it's important to recognize the symptoms of being infected by this disease. What is the result of that influence? Feeling as though "something is lacking my life." It seeps into one's consciousness and pervades it completely until one ends up feeling sorry for themselves and are not able to recognize all the valuable gifts they are blessed to have received in their life.

But how does this happen. How do we go from seeing or hearing something to all of a sudden feeling unsatisfied? I've noticed in my life, one thing plays a huge contributing factor- comparing myself to others.

That's it. It may seem naively simple or mundane, but I know that when I compare myself to others, I end up feeling unsatisfied. It's a sure fire way of becoming the root cause of your own suffering. The mind is very tricky that way. It focuses on the external and then automatically starts to compare it with whatever it is used to.

And then, most dangerous of all, when it does this, feelings of envy can start to burn inside one's heart. "I want that. How come I don't deserve that?" Which can lead to the most dreaded of all, "How come Krishna doesn't let me have that." It's a very dangerous and slippery slope.

That's why Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita advises Arjuna to remain equipoised in both happiness and distress. One of the reasons why it can be so difficult to do this is because the mind is always accepting and rejecting, which is exactly what happens when you compare yourself to somebody else.

Instead, we should look within. Krishna is within us. Even if we can just theoretically accept that Krishna is looking out for all of us, then we can find some solace in that the next time the mind goes crazy. We can also take steps to catch ourselves when we start comparing and even more importantly take everything we hear with a grain of salt.

I'm sure everyone in their lives have heard a parent, a sibling or someone near and dear compare you with somebody else. It can be very discouraging and hurtful because it can make one feel, "I'm not good enough."

That is not to say that we should not try to improve ourselves, but there are better ways to do that than by comparing oneself to someone or something else. Instead, one can try competing with oneself. I used to do that a lot in university and it worked really well. You know that you can always do better, so what better yardstick to measure by than yourself?

Most importantly we should trust that everything that is happening to us is what's supposed to be happening right now. Instead of comparing and driving yourself insane, grab your beads and chant. Pray for the strength to find happiness within. We've all looked for happiness in different places for so long and have been so disappointed. It's time for a change.