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"Lord! Intellectually I know what virtue is
but I cannot practice it. I know what vice is but have no power to resist it. O
Lord of the senses! You dwelt in my heart and I will do as you impel me to do." --
Prapanna Gita
This prayer recognizes human weaknesses and the helplessness of our
intellect, samskaras, beliefs, and practice of virtues. We know virtues are helpful, yet our lust and greed overpowers us. It overtakes all our wisdom
gained from bookish or philosophical knowledge.
It doesn't take a college
education to know how harmful vices are, but millions still
fall victim to them. But instead of giving up and helplessly living a wretched
life, we should struggle against the enemies lying within us. We
need sincere efforts and God's help to drive our chariot of life to a successful
end.
Only
after we have sincerely done all we can to fight these vices -- also known as Duryodhanas,
Ravanas and Kauravas -- can we expect additional help from Lord Krishna
within us. We must become an instrument of God like Mirabai and act as
a faithful and obedient servant as directed by the Lord in the Gita. In this
lies our honor, dignity, wisdom, character and manliness, whether we are a
woman or a man.
Humility must be the basis of all our acts which otherwise will
blind us further. Wisdom is in surrendering to the Lord and loving Him/Her in
all the infinite manifestations around us. Faith, humility and love are the
three gates to ultimate peace, joy and freedom.
-- Swami Radhanandaji
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