Elevation to Krsna Consciousness - Original 1973 ... - Prabhupada

24 Elevation to q.a Consciousnessof such miseries. This is not a pessimistic view oflife but is an actual fact which we should not beblind to. The miseries of life are divided into threecategories, namely miseries arising from the bodyand mind, miseries arising from other living entities,and miseries arising due to natural calamities. Asane man must look to eliminate these miseries andthereby become happy in life. We are all trying toachieve peace and freedom from these miseries, atleast unconsciously, and in the higher intellectualcircles there are attempts to get rid of these miseriesby ingenious plans and designs. But the power thatbaffles all the plans and designs of even the mostintelligent person is the power of Maya devi, or theillusory energy. The law of karma, or the result of allactions and reactions in the material world, is controlledby this all-powerful illusory energy. Theactivities of this energy function according toprinciples and regulations, and they act consciouslyunder the direction of the Supreme Lord. Everythingis done by nature in full consciousness; nothingis blind or accidental. This material energy is alsocalled Durga, which indicates that it is a force whichis very difficult to surpass. No one can surpass thelaws of Durga by any amount of childish plans.To get rid of the sufferings of humanity issimultaneously a very difficult and also a very easyaffair. As long as the conditioned souls, who arethemselves bound up by the laws of nature, manufactureplans to get rid of the three miseries, therewill be no solution. The only effective solutions are