How can offences be avoided? - By HH Sacinandana Swami Maharaja

[Charlotte Bhakti Yoga]

Answer: In order to become free from offenses, one should ultimately
begin to lead a positive spiritual life. One who is always afraid of
committing offenses, thus continuously meditating on them, will not
really advance in chanting. The following story illustrates this point:

In a forest, a millipede could dance wonderfully. A toad that was
observing his dancing became envious and decided to stop the millipede.
However,she did not want to just come along and clumsily trample him
down; so she conceived of a devious plan.

The toad wrote a letter to the millepede. "My dear millipede, you are
certainly the best dancer in the entire forest, and in your dancing all
the fine arts of the whole universe are reflected. I have, however, a
question: when you are dancing, do you lift first the 52nd foot and
then shift to the other side with the 56th foot, or do you begin by
softly rolling your 200th foot and then go back to the 150th foot? How
exactly do you perform your dance? That is my question. Yours
sincerely, the toad from the bog."

The millipede read the letter carefully,and the next time when he came
to the dancing place where all the forest animals had already
gathered,he bacame embarrassed. Instead of just dancing as usual, he
thought, "Do i start with the 52th foot,or do i roll slowly from the
200th foot ahead? How do i exactly perform my dancing?"

As he was fully entangled in his thoughts, he could not dance anymore.
he began to stagger and to stumble."What is the matter?" asked the
forest animals in amazement. The toad had attained her objective. What
actually was the matter is called "Paralysis through
analysis"-being paralyzed by thinking too much. One who is
continuously absorbed in various thoughts, always living with the fear
to commit offenses, will not be able to chant properly. This principle,
by the way, affects the whole life: To be always afraid of negative
things, thus meditating on all kinds of possible mistakes, makes it
very difficult to follow the path of Krsna Consciousness. The
injunction is: Think of Krsna! Only that will bring us out of
'maya'!

Therefore, it is essential for every devotee to live a positive
spiritual life, beyond the constant anxiety of how to avoid offenses.
The best is to reverse ther offenses and consider them in a positive
light.

-From 'The Nectarean Ocean of the Holy Name by HH Sacinandana
Maharaj'