All of us must have come across this dialogue box if we wanted to continue writing, or filling in a form, from you left off before. This made me think about how it aligns with the teachings from the Bhagavad Gita.

Bhagavad Gita tells us, whatever state of being one remembers while leaving the body, he attains that state in his next life. Srimad Bhagavatam shows us the life of Sati, while she gave up her life at the fire sacrifice of Daksha her mind rested on her dear husband, Lord Shiva, and in the next life, she was born as Parvati to continue serving her husband as his dear wife. She picked up where she left off.

King Bharata, although lived as a strict renunciate, was caught up in the snare of the Lord’s illusory energy and ended up being affectionate to a baby deer, which formulated his destiny to be born as a deer in the next life. Nevertheless, a little investment on this path of transcendental devotional service to the Lord saved him from the greatest danger and he continued his service as Jada Bharata in his next life. Reassuring the teachings of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, he picked up from where he left off!

This process of devotional service is very hopeful. Even if a person does not finish his devotional service, Bhagavad Gita assures that they are born in a wealthy family or in the house of a devotee, which would facilitate their devotional service and they can pick up, from where they left off. Nevertheless, we should never become complacent and not give our best to reach the ultimate destination in this very lifetime.

Moreover, going up and down on this Ferris Wheel of samsara (the cycle of birth and death), we would not be nicely welcomed everywhere we go and begin from where we left off!