13: Ocean of Peace

CHAPTER TWO, TEXT 70: A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires – that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still – can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.

Sometimes - well, most of the time - desires flow through my mind with the force of the Amazon River. I want a muffin, I want cheese fries, I want a gorgeous house, I want to take a yoga class, I want to dye my hair blue... I want I want I want... in fact, while I was looking up pictures of the Amazon River, the desire flowed into my mind: I want to travel to the Amazon. 

All day, every day, flowing in and in and in. 

If I give in to those desires, I often feel swept away, flailing and drowning in the attempt to be satisfied. Case in point - the muffin I wanted this morning. Or should I say, muffins - I ate one too many, and now my stomach feels stretched, I shift in my seat in discomfort. 

Desires desires desires.

All day.

Every day.

Flowing in and in and in.

Until I burst.

When I strive to satisfy my desires, I get swept away in the current. When I try to stop them - well, let's just say that's like standing in the middle of the Amazon River with a hand out yelling "STOP!"

Yeah. All pretty futile. 

Srila Prabhupad acknowledges the futility of fighting desires when he writes that "As long as one has the material body, the demands of the body for sense gratification will continue" (128). As long as I'm alive until my last breath in this body, I will demand and yearn to enjoy. This is the reality. 

So we are truly in a predicament in this world, suffering at the mercy of our desires.  

In this verse, Krishna gives us a vision of one who can overcome this predicament: Although rivers of desires flow into the ocean, the ocean "remains the same - steady; it is not agitated nor does it cross beyond the limit of its brink" (128). The ocean does not swell or shrink, no matter how big or strong the river and flow of our longings. The ocean remains steady, still, at peace.   

So how can one become like the ocean, instead of being swept away by the Amazon River of desires? How can one truly be desireless in order to be at peace? 

Prabhupad illuminates the solution: "Real desirelessness is desire for the satisfaction of Krsna, not an artificial attempt to abolish desires" (129). The phrase here "artificial attempt" shows that it is only natural for the soul to desire. In fact, to desire is the function of the soul. So there is no need to abolish desires. The key is to use this natural propensity to enjoy and satisfy our longings by satisfying Krishna.  

Naturally, I wonder why it's necessary (or even recommended) to satisfy Krishna. Prabhupad writes, "One who is situated in this perfect stage [of knowledge] knows that because Krsna is the proprietor of everything, everything must be used for the satisfaction of Krsna" (129). If Krishna is the proprietor, this means that he is the source of everything, the ultimate source of satisfaction. 

When I was a teenager in Hawaii, I used to ride my bike out along a mountain trail to watch the sun set on the Pacific Ocean. Just gazing at the glassy, luminous water that stretched off into the limitless horizon, my mind would quiet. 

Krishna is like that ocean. He is so vast, limitless, and steady, for He is the proprietor of everything. He is vast enough to contain my feverish yearnings and deep longings, no matter how furious my river of desires flows into Him. All I need to do is take those yearnings and longings and redirect them to the "transcendental loving service of the Lord" (128) - just offer the muffin (and cheese fries) to Krishna. Place Krishna in the center of the gorgeous house. Meditate on Krishna when I take yoga. Um... dye my hair blue... to the shade of Krishna's skin...? ;)

Let the desires flow in and let them flow out - to Krishna. He can hold me. Then my mind and heart may become like the ocean: steady, still, at peace. 

The Amazon River flowing into the Atlantic Ocean