KRISHNA STORY#5

Krishna story: Changing bad habits!

Once there was a wealthy man who requested an old sage to wean his son away from his bad habits.

The sage took the boy for a stroll through a garden.

Stopping suddenly he asked the boy to pull out a tiny plant growing there.

The boy held the plant between his thumb and forefinger and pulled it out.

The old man then asked him to pull out a slightly bigger plant.

The boy pulled hard and the plant came out, roots and all.

"Now pull out that one," said the old man pointing to a bush. The boy had to use all his strength to pull it out.

"Now take this one out", said the old man, indicating a big tree.

The boy grasped the trunk and tried to pull it out. But it would not budge. "It's impossible," said the boy, conceding defeat.

"So it is with bad habits," said the sage. "When they are young it is easy to pull them out but when they take hold, it becomes impossible to uproot them."

This meeting with the old man changed the boy’s life.

Moral of the story:

Don’t wait for bad habits to grow in you, drop them while you have control over it else they will get control you.

How to curb or wean away these bad habits?

While offering the prayers to Supreme Lord, the personified Vedas say in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 10.87.16

iti tava surayas try adhipate 'khila loka mala
kshapana kathaamrtaabdhim avagaahya tapaamsi jahuh
kim uta punah sva dhaama vidhutaashaya kaala gunaah
parama bhajanti ye padam ajasra sukhaanubhaavam

"Therefore, O master of the three worlds, the wise get rid of all misery by diving deep into the nectarean ocean of topics about You, which washes away all the contamination of the universe. Then what to speak of those who, having by spiritual strength rid their minds of bad habits and freed themselves from time, are able to worship Your true nature, O supreme one, finding within it uninterrupted bliss?"

Names and topics of Krishna are "jagat pavitram" and only by taking shelter of these we will be able to get rid of all our bad habits.

Many a times we have doubt whether it is possible for devotional service to wean out the bad habits from the root.

The answer is that if we are careless about the bad habits, then we will not be able to get rid of it.

But when we sincerely want to get rid of those habits, accept our inability and sincerely pray to Krishna and endeavor to get rid of them, then the all-merciful Lord, washes away all our sins and help us to experience uninterrupted bliss.

Krishna also assures in Bhagavad Gita verse 2.49 that only by devotional service we can keep the bad habits at bay.

durena hy avaram karma / buddhi yogaad dhananjaya
buddhau sharanam anviccha / krpanaaha phala hetavah

"O Dhananjaya, keep all abominable activities far distant by devotional service, and in that consciousness surrender unto the Lord. Those who want to enjoy the fruits of their work are misers."

Proverb "Practice makes it perfect", holds true for all habits - be it good or bad.

So it is very important that we have a constant check on ourselves, on whatever things we see, hear and do in our day to day lives.

Bad habits are like cancer. If detected at early stage, it is easy to get rid of them.

If we detect them only at later stage, then by that time, they would have completely ruined our life.