On Monday morning I was reminded why I don’t particularly like slugs. The night before, two rows of bright green baby lettuces were gently pressed and watered into their cosy earth beds. The next morning some of them were gone completely, and many others had precious baby leaves missing. I was disappointed but not surprised. Slugs have no respect for other people’s boundaries.
Slugs. Those slimy, blobby, grey-brown mucus-tubes. They don’t care how much I’ve toiled digging the earth; how I’ve carefully raised my lettuce children from packet to tray to pot; how I’ve gently watered them at the right time of day. All they know is that they want to eat. They offer me no respect, but are very happy to help themselves to the fruits of my labour.
People can be like that too can’t they? Last night, in the Eurostar train terminal in Brussels, Belgium, I was very gently pick pocketed. The thief stole my wallet that was in my pocket and under my coat. I never felt a thing. There was no knife, no fight, and no words exchanged. Just a very quiet robbery by someone with the consciousness of a slug. Someone who was no respecter of boundaries or the fruits of someone’s labour. Just someone who wanted what someone else had.
Slugs are very much at work in the world of religious movements too. A preacher, priest, vicar or rabbi works hard to spread the good word of spiritual life. Much labour is expended and hours of time employed. After careful nurturing a person takes to regular practise, growing day by day into a soul that is happy to be strongly situated in a divine garden.
Then along comes a slug. Someone who wants to feed off the spiritual growth of the new person for his own purposes. Through charisma, propaganda, false promises or free chickens, the new member of the church, synagogue, temple or sangha is mentally, physically and emotionally first sucked then chewed by the slug. The preacher wakes up the next morning to find that his spiritual garden has become depleted.
The Christians call it ‘sheep-stealing’ when a rival preacher takes away a member of their congregation. Other groups call it ‘stealing apples from our tree.’ Still others say: “We invited them to our home, but they stole the cheese off our bread while we ate together’
Now, dear readers, you will know that I believe in a world where people can make up their minds about what religion they follow, and which fellowship they finally settle for. But I object strongly when others do no work, respect no boundaries, create falsity in the minds of others, and exploit my humble efforts to share the message of my spiritual master. It has happened too often and I’ve had enough.
So my message to all slugs this morning is as follows: Whether you want my lettuce, my wallet, or my spiritual students, things have changed. I’m ready for you.
The Vaishnava Voice 
This may not fit the extended metaphor very well but it might help with the literal slugs.
Get some shallow containers like a saucer and go out in the evening and put some beer in it. Then preach to the slugs about the evils of intoxication. In the morning, you will see that many of the slugs will have ignored your good advice and died after ingesting the beer.
The danger is that someone may see you going into the liquor shop and criticize you. 🙂
Thanks for this advice Madhava Gosh prabhu. Any suggestions for my metaphorical slugs?
Very sorry to hear of your unpleasant experiences with the slugs…do like Madhava Gosh’s solution, hee hee.
Life sucks, then you die. Slugs live by suction. To be slugged is inevitable. 🙂
All we can do is our best and figure that Krishna has some plan, even if it is inconceivable to us at the given moment.
One thing they tell parents is that children tend to revert to the values of their parents, so even if they seem to stray for a while when stretching their wings, often they return if we keep loving them.
Dear Kripamoya
I am very sorry to hear about your misfortune.
I have similar problems with slugs in garden…last year all my lettuce, my hanging baskets, courgettes, and chrysanthemums went to slugs…
try spreading some sharp gravel around plant.
Lila
The slug problem is always a gardener’s nightmare and there seems to be more each year.
There’s an easy solution and that’s to put oats down; the slugs don’t like this much, and its better than killing another living entity to satisfy our desire for good organic food. Note, however, that a ready supply is needed as the rain washes it away.
I liked the analogy; this has been talked about a lot, especially as we see so much effort put into book distribution and individuals only to see them leave ISKCON for other sampradayas.
Thanks for this insight, it made me think.
I’m happy if someone feels genuinely drawn to one of the other three Vaishnava sampradayas after a period of intense, comparative theological study and personal reflection. But I’m disappointed if they respond to the emotional propaganda of a ‘sugar-rush swami’ and join another organisation within the same sampradaya.
Yet, as Madhava Gosh counsels above, they often grow out of such spiritual adolescence and come back.
Only the Lord knows. I look upon such incidences as a part of me reducing my Karmic Debt. Maybe I owed something to the theif in a previous life.In this life ,I am witnessing people sponge off us in one way or the other.Sometimes we are able to ask,why do you hurt me so?Is this Fair?;but many times it is not possible.and it becomes a lesson in humility to me.That is part of life,just as getting a Lottery would be. I am only sharing my experience with such people. I hope it was of use.
all said, it is still an unpleasant experience to have been through,but there is bound to be a silverlining /light at the end of it.