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by Reverend Bhakta Dasa, Hare Krishna Minister of Religion and Chair of the Faith Communities Council of Victoria
Every one of us hopes that we will have happiness in our lives.
True happiness is a product of inner fulfillment.
Inner fulfillment is a life without fear.
Though hope helps us to transcend fear, misdirected hope is the cause of all fear and great unhappiness.
On a daily basis we put our hopes in the fallible soldiers of this world.
We put our hopes in our own abilities and the abilities of others.
But what hope is there?
We may try to block this thought out of our minds but, can anything or anyone in this world save us from inevitable death?
The Vedic scriptures repeatedly remind us that we are spiritual beings having a material experience.
We are not these material bodies and we are destined to live eternally in full knowledge and bliss in the spiritual realm.
The Vedas go on to explain that by the power of time, everything and everyone in this material world is destroyed.
Does that mean that we should be pessimistic and should just wait for the inevitable?
No, not really. Actually, it is hope in the wrong thing which creates fear and unhappiness.
Somehow or other, if we get the association of Godly individuals, (in the Hindu tradition, it means seeking out a Spiritual master or Guru), he or she, with spiritual wisdom, can re-direct us on how to approach the Supreme Lord.
With their guidance, when we call out to God, we gain the fortunate position filled with hope, a hope of eternal happiness.
We all need spiritual hope.
No matter how bad any situation is, if one has spiritual hope, one has true meaning and the spirit of joy contained therein.
Everyone, without exception, eventually comes to a point in life where all “material things” become meaningless.
This occurs when faced with loss or death.
But if, during our lifetime, we cultivate finding hope in the eternal love of God, with all sincerity, we will receive the full gift of God’s mercy.
So, before we really learn how to find hope in God, we must realize that everything else is hopeless.
That is not being pessimistic, in fact, it is the most optimistic thought.
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