Shelter

No I am not talking about the shelter band…!

I am talking about how to take shelter unto Krishna. I lately had a conversation with my wife on this point. What it means to take shelter at the Lotus Feet of the Supreme Lord. It is very natural for us to use our intellect and resources to solve daily problems. But Krishna Consciousness is about taking shelter unto Krishna.

Normally…we take shelter of anything when there is a need. Similarly, normally we take shelter unto the Lord when we are in distress and there are three fundamental types of distresses in this material world.

Suffering from the body and mind – Adhyatmika
Suffering caused by other living entitities (other humans, plants and animals) - Adhibhautika
Suffering from natural causes such as earthquake, famine etc – Adhidaivika

Taking shelter of the Lord is good whether we are in distress or not. However, the issue I would like to raise is “how”. How to take shelter? Normally, we do something to satisfy our needs. In this case, however, taking shelter of the Lord is not to satisfy our need (although that is not prohibited). The true way per the teachings of our acharyas of our line is we should take shelter of the Lord not in the mood to save us from difficulty but to “be an instrument of His will”. This mood will please Krishna the most. Of course, taking His shelter will give relief to our material problems but it may not please Krishna completely. So if our purpose in this life is to please Lord Govinda…then we should seek shelter to be an instrument of His will. This also means the outcome of our problem may not be materially solved. In other words, by taking shelter (in the proper way) may not relieve us of our material problems. We may even end up in more distress.

Therefore, taking shelter is not to pray to Krishna to help solve our material problems but to pray to be a humble instrument of His will (irrespective of the outcome of our problem).

We learn from our acharayas. Aspiring to become a pure devotee should be our sole purpose of life. Below is Lord Chaitanya’s prayer

ashlishya va pada-ratam pinashtu mam
adarshanan marma-hatam karotu va
yatha tatha va vidadhatu lampato
mat-prana-nathas tu sa eva naparaha
Sikshashtakam verse 8

I know no one but Krishna as my Lord, and He shall remain so even if He handles me roughly by His embrace or makes me brokenhearted by not being present before me. He is completely free to do anything and everything, for He is always my worshipful Lord, unconditionally.

Hare Krishna