Envy - that is why we are here

From all the qualities generated from the mode of ignorance envy is the most poisonous.

To become angry, lusty, to become ignorant all the way, all that takes some time. For some more, for some less. But envy is for everybody. It is instant, and its root is frustrated lust of the one who hopes to become the ultimate enjoyer in this world of illusions.

There are different types of envy. Some is generated simply from the heart, some from intelligence, and some simply from momentarily sensual perception. The end-result is the same: somebody has something we think we don´t have.

It doesn´t have to be necessary of physical form. The desire to discredit such person may arise instantly, obstruct it in its ways of expressing itself, or remove it from peripheral perception of others altogether.

The simple ones push simply such „opponent“ aside, or attack him physically. The more sophisticated ones, the Sisupala type, will try to find means how to discredit such person by dint of so-called psychoanalytical studies, or some sort of invented argument.
In the worst case, they will edit the scriptures or quote out of context with envious, malicious attitude. Fault finding and envy go hand in hand.

Envy has no boundaries. It is international, national, and even domestic. In this age of hypocrisy and conflicts, envy can be found even amongst family members, between husband and wife, along their children as well.
Male-female envy is based on frustrated sexual expectations, which can take subtle forms. What may be perceived as love turns out to be a competitive relationship based on envy. All this will be revealed when one of the partners manifests a quality the other doesn´t have.

Envy addresses everybody. It is a proof that we are eternally individual living entities. If we would be one and the same, there would be no reason to be envious.

Even in the spiritual world, there is freedom to become envious or not. Envy can be of a most subtle nature. Of course, nobody can stay there while becoming envious, hence we are falling down to this place, material world, which is perfectly arranged so we can enact our envious exchanges to fullest extend here.

How does one recognize an envious person? It is rather simple. He or she  will try to get or demolish what the other one has by dint of unnecessary argument, physical force, or the more cunning ones will act their envy out by dint of manipulating others, pretending that they are not envious at all.

As we saw in the past and maybe even in the presence, gurus can become envious by dint of programming their disciples against their own opponents, disciples can become envious by finding fault in the guru where there is none. Envy simply has no limitation. It sprouts straight from the heart and it is instant.

How does one overcome envy, which may manifest like an epileptic attack?
Srila Prabhupada gave a simple solution: one should approach the one one may envy and… SERVE him. In this way the spell of envy is broken.

Of course, there may still be a problem. The person being served could be envious as well and refuses to give up his envy. He cannot be satisfied and will not respond with the same service attitude. Therefore the basis of a real love and pure consciousness is… absolute absence of envy.

As much Srila Prabhupada was giving us solutions to so many problems, when it comes to envy, if all participating ones are not willing to address it and oppose it by right means, it cannot be stopped.

Srila Prabhupada comments that one can neutralize poison of a snake by an antidote or by mantras. (As I have seen in India.) But an envious person cannot be stopped, it simply has to be devoured by its own venom.
Fortunately, for such person it is arranged that there will always be another more envious opponent, and so they may both eliminate each other.

If there would be no envy, there would be no conflicts. ALL conflicts are based on envy. Envy eliminates all introspection, all pragmatic approach to scenarios, which material nature automatically installs in front of us in order to test our sincerity to become Krsna Consciousness.
Envy eliminates all communication, the basis of management and socializing, isolating us from each other, so no flow of any constructive uplifting information is possible.

Chanting of the Holy Name is the ultimate purifying process for eliminating envy, if done without any material intention. When done with ulterior motives, it may take long long time before envy may vanish. Still, it is the only way to address this deep rooted quality of us called envy.
When serving enviously, or when chanting enviously, still the effect  may be there, but the process is tiresome, as igniting a fire and simultaneously throwing wet blanket over may create just lots of smoke.

For the non-envious ones the path is smooth and easy. For the more contaminated ones, it may take some time or be even blocked for a while.

It is for this reason all the acharyas of our sampradaya plea to the humanity, „give up your envy and listen with an open heart the message of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu!“

The relieve you will experience will be instant and most invigorating.