(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 26 April 2015, Radhadesh, Belgium, Vyasa Puja Morning Lecture, Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya Lila 24.124)
Question: Are there any scars from one’s past sense gratification – drug, sex abuse or other previous impious activities – which cannot be changed in this life?
It may be that certain drugs have burnt out the brain quite a bit so some people may have a handicap because of that. Sure, if we misuse the body or the mind then we can get some damage from that and then for the rest of our life, we have to live with it. It may be an added austerity but not an obstacle for getting Krsna consciousness, as Krsna consciousness is available to everyone.
But if we damage our brain very much then that creates lots of problems – we all know of people who are unfortunately having a lot of additional issues. But even if that is the case, even if we have created some bad karma, still we have no alternative but to carry on. Even if we are limping on the spiritual path, even if we are jumping on one leg, still we have to continue on the spiritual path, even if it is on crutches, carry on and then one can be glorious.
Just like our Bhakti Raghava Swami, somehow he lost his leg and since then he walks on crutches but of all the swamis, he is the one who went on foot to Tirupati, India, for darshan. He went up the mountain with his crutches. I went with a car and met him as he came up on his crutches.
So even with crutches, one can stay on the spiritual path and then one becomes glorious; more glorious! So, a handicap can actually turn into an impetus for a greater glory because if you overcome it and just carry on then that handicap makes you great! In that way, even scars can become auspicious in Krsna consciousness.
So, it is not that we carry with us some terrible inauspiciousness that we created which will always be a source of depression in our spiritual lives, ‘If only I had not taken so many drugs then I would be able to chant Hare Krsna…’
No! We can chant Hare Krsna and if we have a disease by which we cannot chant Hare Krsna then we can hear Hare Krsna or we can mentally chant Hare Krsna and if our mind does not work, then we can somehow or other look for mercy because there is always a room for mercy!
