(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 27 December 2012, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 8.6.39)
We have to take responsibility for the suffering that we are undergoing in this world. We have to own it and actually come to the point and say, ‘Yes, I brought this on myself due to my own selfishness which is so deeply rooted in my nature. This hard-heartedness within me; it takes a strong medicine.’
And therefore, even this harshness which we see in the material energy, is Krsna’s kindness. It is the lower manifestation of his kindness. It is a lower manifestation for the non-devotee and to the extent that we are still contaminated, we will still go through it. Therefore Krsna is not immediately taking away all the reactions to our previous sinful activities because we are not completely cured from hrt-rogam, the material disease within the heart. Remnants are still there and therefore Krsna keeps a little pressure on. We are devotees but still some pressure is there – just so that we don’t forget because once everything becomes comfortable then we may forget!
One person, who was terminally ill, approached Srila Prahbupada and this person wanted to go to the holy dhama to just chant Hare Krsna and asked Prabhupada, ‘Please give me, babaji.’ And Prabhupada said, ‘Okay I will give it to you.’
The babaji initiation is the type of initiation where one becomes absorbed in bhajan. One’s personal bhajan becomes the focus. Babaji is meant for chanting non-stop, practically speaking. Anyway, this devotee was terminally ill asked for this level of initiation and Prabhupada gave it. But then after sometime, he didn’t die! Then he checked again with another doctor and the doctor said, ‘Nah, it’s not that bad. It’s not actually terminal.’
And then he gave up the chanting of all those rounds, also very quickly. So when the harshness is there, ‘Oh yes, Krsna… yes, yes, yes!’ Then we take shelter but when it gets very comfortable then, ‘Oh well, yes, Krsna… tomorrow. I’ll do it tomorrow.’
When we are desperate and in great difficulty then we are on our knees and praying and so on. So Krsna keeps us a little bit desperate!