obstacles | Jayapataka Swami

Question: How can we come to a state where we don’t see obstacles in spiritual life as obstacles? How can we develop that appetite for Krishna consciousness that we are not worried about any obstacles?

Guru Maharaj: You just expect to have different obstacles. If it was too easy, that wouldn’t be glorious. So we expect there will be tests and challenges. If we see that, we will be determined to go ahead. 18-Aug-2020 SRI MAYAPUR DHAM, INDIA

Question: We have heard that demigods, being Krishna’s administration team, help the vaisnavas for progress in Krishna bhakti. But here we see the demigods are creating many obstacles. How can we reconcile with this?

Guru Maharaj: The devas, the demigods are sakama devotees. They have some material desires. Because they are afraid that Dhruva would take over their posts, therefore they gave him different obstacles – in one way they were testing him. So if you don’t want a position...

Question: I have heard or read somewhere that Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakura had said that there are 20 different pastimes of Lord Krishna by which we can overcome 70 difficulties in our devotional life. What are those 70 different obstacles in devotional life?

Guru Maharaj: So Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura did not tell what the 70 obstacles were? To mention all the 70 would take a lot of time, and is not part of the present lecture. So I will have to look it up. There are various obstacles in our spiritual life, and so hearing...

Question: Why is that even if we make our goal to serve Guru and Gauranga life after life, we face so many obstacles, which at time feels like taking us away from the goal?

Guru Maharaj: You see, this material world is like a prison house. And if you serve Krishna, you get out of this prison. If you serve Guru and Krishna, you will be free! Do you think that the jail keeper will let you go so easy?! She tests you first to see that you...