Answer
Nothing surprising—this is the natural process. As I said, spiritual life is a battle. And why does one fight a battle? Because one wants to win. Similarly, we are fighting against māyā, against illusion. We want truth. We want Krishna.
This victory does not come suddenly; it is a gradual process.
First comes sādhu-saṅga—association with devotees. By associating with devotees, a desire awakens within us: the desire to chant, the desire to connect with Krishna. Then we begin sādhana—regulated practice—especially chanting the Hare Krishna Mahāmantra and engaging in different forms of devotional service.
Through this repeated association with Krishna, something powerful happens. When you “touch” Krishna through sincere practice, His qualities begin to manifest in you—sat (eternity), cit (knowledge), and ānanda (bliss). These spiritual energies gradually dissolve all the lower impulses and conditionings.
All these disturbances are not your real identity. They are impressions stored in the citta (subtle body). Your true self is covered. In that sense, it is like being in a dream—you are not truly acting, but you believe you are. Similarly, under false ego, we think, “I am this body, I am this, I am that.” These are deeply rooted beliefs within the subtle body.
Now, this conditioning cannot be removed simply by suppression. It requires higher spiritual energy. Unless the real ānanda of spiritual life begins to flow, the taste for lower pleasures will not go away.
And that higher ānanda is not something we chase independently. It naturally comes when we serve Krishna. Our focus is service—not enjoyment. As we become more determined in service, spiritual energy flows into us, and the struggle becomes easier.
Constant engagement is the key:
Chanting the holy name,
Performing devotional service,
Hearing and sharing spiritual knowledge.
This is the most effective way to counter māyā. Gradually, a deep and permanent cleansing takes place.
At a certain stage, the internal conflict reduces. The fight between old habits and the emerging Krishna-conscious identity fades away. Why? Because those old tendencies lose their foundation. They are not real—they are temporary constructions of illusion.
Māyā means “that which does not truly exist.”
So in spiritual life, we are not creating something new—we are simply rejecting what was never real and awakening to what always was: our eternal identity as servants of Krishna.
