Sunday, March 17th, 2013

Harder Within

Mayapura, West Bengal

The harder attacks come from within. Shades of lust, anger and greed creep into our very self. They deposit in the mind, senses and intelligence. Once in, they'll stay for a duration. It could be a lifetime. It is an onslaught to the highest degree.

Chapter 7.27 of the Gita expresses this point in regard to the lifetimes of contempt and insatiable desire that keeps us locked in the chain of birth and death.

I was making my way to the samadhi for the early morning arati ritual. I was not harassed by the harshness of self-centeredness in particular, but by a slew of dogs. They snarled and barked. They were not nice. One mutt sprang onto my left leg. Then another on the other side. They were not domesticated and yet they were totally wild as they tend to be around the village, but without a master or proprietor. I had tried to pet one hoping for a calming and less aggressive response but to no avail. I kept moving while the entourage kept me clearly in the center spot.

I had bypassed a Chokidhar (security guard) just two minutes earlier near the Vamsi Bhavan guest house. I could have screamed for help but that's not my nature. At least the pack of them let me inch forward. The area was rather remote. No one was around. It was 3:45am. I was quite helpless. I felt it. A chill went up my spine. I moved towards a lit area of the campus towards a gate. It looked closed. The barking persisted with the dogs leaping on my dhoti. I reached the gate. Fortunately, I flung it open enough for my body to squeeze in. Finally the canine creatures left me be. Thank you Krishna! I'll avoid that route in the future

I have always related to postmen who experience such encounters. It truly is a pilgrim's reality from time to time.
"Be happy , Swami!" I convince myself, "It could have been a pitbull or rotweiller team." In the end I received not a bite or a scrarch. It was moments of tension though that came and went.

The internal attack by the lust, anger and greed had to be a more vicious haunt, a recurring snarl. That's why the harder attacks come from within.

6 KM