Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.22.58-59
Mukti· LiberationKeep Spiritually Steady amid Mistreatment
“Even though neglected, insulted, ridiculed or envied by bad men, or even though repeatedly agitated by being beaten, tied up or deprived of one’s occupation, spat upon or polluted with urine by ignorant people, one who desires the highest goal in life should in spite of all these difficulties use his intelligence to keep himself safe on the spiritual platform.”
What the purport teaches
- A person seeking the highest goal may face neglect, insults, ridicule or even severe mistreatment. Such difficulties should not displace that spiritual goal.
- Devotees of the Lord have experienced these hardships throughout history. Those advanced in God consciousness do not become obsessed with the material body even under such conditions.
- Proper intelligence helps one keep the mind fixed on the spiritual platform. The instruction is to protect one’s spiritual steadiness despite agitation.
Try this today
If an insult comes to mind today, pause and deliberately bring your attention back to your spiritual goal.
Ask yourself
When others upset me, what helps me remember my spiritual goal?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.