FACTORS BEYOND OUR CONTROL

Sometimes there are factors beyond our control.

Environmental factors we may not even be aware of.

For instance my mother was very proud of winning

a baby photo contest using my picture.

The prize was a full set of club aluminum cooking pots.

She used those pots for years and years.

But now we know that aluminum is very bad for cooking.

The aluminum leeches into the foods

and accumulates in the body as poison.

It is a difficult time to live. Everything is influenced heavily

by the modes of passion and ignorance.

After a visit to India in 1977 and 1978 I became infected with parasites.

I did not know what was wrong or how to treat it.

But I could not eat at all for many months.

And then digestion was very poor for almost 20 years.

During that time my body was not getting nutrients properly.

Everything was affected. Teeth, nails, hair... skin... eyes...

Conventional medicine here in the West in the late 70's

could not diagnose properly. And there was no internet to run a search.

One doctor told me it was all psychosomatic

and to go home and have a big meal.

Then Krishna sent a miracle. Someone who knew what my problem was.

But 20 years of malnutrition had taken its toll. It is my bad karma.

Hopefully I am winding all that karmic stuff down.

That is what this lifetime is for.

The opportunity to transcend the laws of karma

which is only possible by becoming Krishna consciousness

and engaging in devotional service. Hare Krishna.

But karma is not just bad karma ,

that is an easy one to want to become free from...

But karma is also good karma...

that is not so easy to want to become free from.