I am often of two minds. As a practicing devotee, I know that I should focus my mind on spiritual matters, but I am also living in this material world in a material body. Therefore much of my time and energy is engaged in material activities, like watching world news for example. It is like driving by a roadside accident and wanting to look at the damage, but knowing I should keep my eyes on the road.
I try to understand that “I am not this body, I am Spirit soul” and yet every day I feel the pains of ageing. I try to focus on the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam, but my mind is drawn to events of this world. My heart aches for the suffering of others, and my only solace is the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam.
In Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that one who is advanced in spiritual knowledge is not disturbed by the pains and pleasures of the material body. The material body is completely separate from the spirit soul, and the pains and pleasures of the body are superfluous. The practice of austerity and penance is meant for understanding the distinction between the body and the soul and how the soul can be unaffected by the pleasures and pains of the body…” (from purport SB 5.10.9)
Everyone in this material world is distressed by miserable conditions, but Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says that this world is full of happiness. How is this possible? He answers, yat-kāruṇya-katākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ taṁ gauram eva stumaḥ. A devotee accepts the distress of this material world as happiness only due to the causeless mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. By His personal behavior, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed that He was never distressed but always happy in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. One should follow in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and engage constantly in chanting the mahā-mantra—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then he will never feel the distresses of the world of duality. In any condition of life one will be happy if he chants the holy name of the Lord. (from purport SB 6.17.30)
One should live in the material world very expertly. The material world is known as the world of duality because one sometimes has to act impiously and sometimes has to act piously. Although one does not want to act impiously, the world is so fashioned that there is always danger (padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām [SB 10.14.58]). Thus even when performing devotional service a devotee has to create many enemies. Prahlāda Mahārāja himself had experience of this, for even his father became his enemy. A devotee should expertly manage to think always of the Supreme Lord so that the reactions of suffering cannot touch him (from purport SB 7.10.13)
Trying to advance in spiritual life outside the association of fellow devotees can be difficult. the Sanskrit word Smṛtyā means remembering Kṛṣṇa always. Life should be molded in such a way that one cannot remain alone without thinking of Kṛṣṇa. We should live in Kṛṣṇa so that while eating, sleeping, walking and working we remain only in Kṛṣṇa. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society recommends that we arrange our living so that we can remember Kṛṣṇa. (from purport SB 4.22.24)
Or as I like to say: “Its Drama or its Rama”
The Hare Krishna Movement 