Our inner wealth can be discovered only by the help of sadhu, Guru, and scripture. Our vision should be that it is all nectar, but we have drawn a screen between the nectar and ourselves and are tasting poison, thinking that it is very useful. On the whole, we must think that no blame is to be put on others, and it is actually the truth. We are responsible for our disgrace, our fallen condition. And the path to self-improvement is also similar: we must learn to critique ourselves and appreciate the environment. Our appreciation should especially be for Krishna and His devotees, and then gradually everyone else. He has not given anyone the authority to harm us. If it appears that way, it is only superficial and misleading. That anyone can do harm to anyone else is misleading. It is only true on the superficial plane. Of course, this does not condone harming others or ignoring oppression, but from the absolute standpoint there is no harm. When we reach the highest stage of devotion, we shall see that everything is friendly, and that our apprehension was wrong. It was a misconception.
Misconception: maya means «what is not» (mryate anaya). When everything is measured from the standpoint of selfishness and not the universal interest — that is the cause of all our troubles. We must gradually realise, «My angle of vision was guided by selfish, not absolute, consideration. So, I am suffering. But now I have come to understand that my interest is included in the absolute interest.»
To parody an old saying, «A bad workman quarrels with his stools.» According to our karma, we produce the environment. What I am blaming was produced by my own karma. When I take food, stool comes as a natural reaction. It would be foolish to blame the stool for appearing. It is the effect of my having eaten. In the same way, I have acted in different ways, and the karmic result is my present environment. So, to quarrel with the reaction to our own misdeeds is a useless waste of energy.
The advice of Srimad Bhagavatam should be our guiding principle under all circumstances. Whatever is coming to us is under His sanction, under His eye, so it cannot but be good. Everything is perfect. The only imperfection is within us, and therefore we should try with all our energy to do our duty. In no time, we shall find ourselves released from all troubles. That is the key advice of the Srimad Bhagavatam.