One of the first things a child learns in life is walking. Except for those who are differently abled, we never meet a person who has never tried to walk at some point in their life. Walking is universal.

Similarly, everyone walks in spiritual life. However, the type of walking differs based on our consciousness, determination, sincerity, and aspirations. Just as there are different styles of walking in the world, there are different ways we move on the spiritual path.

Broadly, spiritual walking can be understood in four ways: cakewalk, long walk, catwalk, and moonwalk.

Cakewalk – When Consciousness Is Fixed on Krishna

Very few people can definitively say that spiritual life is a cakewalk. For pure devotees, it truly is!

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam describes pure devotees undergoing extremely difficult external situations. These descriptions are not meant to discourage us, but to help us understand that even in such hardships, they transcended effortlessly. Why? Because their consciousness was fixed on Krishna.

Externally, their lives appeared full of suffering. But internally, they were absorbed in remembrance of the Lord, making even great difficulties feel light.

Queen Kuntī prays for repeated calamities because those difficulties helped her remember Krishna constantly. For her, walking through adversity became a cakewalk, not because the problems were small, but because the problems helped her remember Krishna.

Śrīla Prabhupāda would often say that Krishna consciousness is easy for the simple and sincere. When one is absorbed in Krishna consciousness, spiritual life can indeed feel like a cakewalk.

Long Walk – The Journey Most Sādhakas Walk

For most practitioners, spiritual life is neither quick nor effortless. It is a long walk, or a long journey.

Spiritual life is not a one or two year course after which everything is complete. It involves moving forward while dealing with anarthas, distractions, and inner resistance, and continuing with determination despite ups and downs.

Dhruva Mahārāja’s journey was a long walk of six months (long because the effort he put was worth an entire lifetime). Bharata Mahārāja’s journey extended across three lifetimes. For some of us, this may be the last lifetime. For others, the journey may continue. Still, even at the point of death, there is struggle.

Krishna says in Bhagavad-gītā 5.23 that the urges of lust and anger must be tolerated until the point of death. Krishna does not promise a cakewalk at the beginning. He says that if we tolerate and persevere, we will attain the ultimate purpose of life.

The long walk requires patience, humility, and steady effort.

Catwalk – Are You Ready for The Show?

Many of us have never done a literal catwalk, but spiritually, it can happen very easily.

A catwalk is performed by models who walk briefly on a ramp, display themselves and their designer outfits, and return. In spiritual life, a catwalk happens when we appear briefly just to show our abilities, and withdraw, seeking appreciation rather than purification.

It may happen after a kīrtana performance, a class, or a service. We walk in, display our skills, enjoy the admiration, and leave. Catwalks can take many forms, but the essence is the same: showing off, seeking credit, and craving recognition.

Romaharṣaṇa Sūta attempted such a catwalk and lost his head when Lord Balarāma killed him. Dakṣa also attempted a catwalk and literally lost his head. Symbolically, when we perform catwalks, we are already out of our heads. Our intelligence becomes covered, and we act against our own spiritual well-being.

One major reason for our prolonged stay in the material world is that we prefer catwalks over long walks. There are no shortcuts for perfection in spiritual life.

Moonwalk – Appearing to Advance While Going Backward

Moonwalk is a peculiar dance where one appears to move forward while actually moving backward. It was popularized by Michael Jackson. It looks really impressive.

Moonwalk happens in our spiritual life when we feel, or others feel, that we are advancing, while in reality we are moving backward. This happens when spiritual life is driven by profit, adoration, and distinction. Moonwalk is also when we feel justified criticizing others.

Moonwalk is when we water the weeds instead of the seed of Krishna consciousness. It is when we base our advancement on external success, position, or praise.

Moonwalk feels intoxicating. The appreciation we receive can make us feel superior, but in Krishna’s eyes, we may actually be falling behind. If our activities are driven by any aspiration other than becoming a pure devotee and sincerely serving the mission of Śrīla Prabhupāda and Krishna, then we may unknowingly be moonwalking.

Choosing the Right Walk

Each of us must honestly examine our lives and ask:
Am I doing a catwalk?
Am I moonwalking?
Or am I willing to commit to the long walk?

If we sincerely choose the long walk, Krishna gradually transforms it into a cakewalk. As Krishna says, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ, He gives the intelligence by which we can come to Him.

Krishna’s grace is present on the long walk. It is not available in catwalks or moonwalks. When His grace is there, even the toughest situations become easy to cross over. That is the beauty of walking with Krishna.