The Desire to Swim Out of the Water

The Desire to Swim Out of the Water

The mother of a boy would never permit her son to take a bath in the river. She
was very anxious in case her son drowned in the river while taking a bath. One day
an elderly neighbour came and advised the mother of that boy that her son would
never learn swimming unless he was encouraged to have a regular bath in the
river. Without practising how to swim the boy may be in danger while crossing a
river by boat. It was therefore most essential that he should learn swimming.
Listening to such advice the boy told his mother, “I want to learn swimming so
that I can save myself from drowning, but could you please find a method of
learning to swim without getting into water>”. The boys mother appreciated the
boys intelligence and promptly recommended an idea.

PURPORT

Hearing the instructions and injunctions that one is supposed to suffer a lot or goo
to hell in the next life unless one practises worshipping Lord Sri Hari, materialists
become anxious to ensure their freedom from such sufferings. But they are not at
all prepared to render devotional service to the lord and follow the regulative
principles after getting initiated in Krsna Consciousness under the lotus feet of a
spiritual master. They indulge in shyness, apprehension, indecision, diffidence etc.
, in this respect.
As a result their interest in rendering devotional service to the Lord never
materializes. just like a desire to learn swimming out of water. To swim, one must
have the requisite, determination and similarly, one has to take shelter of a bona-fide spiritual master in order to be qualified in devotional, and to overcome all the
impediments.