Eliminating The Primary Fear

“All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when they are annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.28)

There are many reasons to read the Bhagavad-gita, the Song of God sung on the battlefield of Kurukshetra some five thousand years ago. As revealed by the singer Himself, the same words were previously delivered many eons prior, at the beginning of creation. Therefore the Gita and its essential teachings are timeless, proving to be valuable in any time period and to any class of men. What’s more is that the primary fear, the root cause of distress, is addressed by this great work, proving that from a single set of teachings all other problems can be solved simultaneously.

What is that primary fear? What is the one thing that we worry about the most? Not surprisingly, it is death. Even if we have come to grips with our own eventual passing, there is still concern over the separation from friends and family members. “How will I live without them? I can’t believe that one day I will never see them again. ‘Never’ is such a frightening concept. Why can’t I have their association forever?” We know that this sadness is widespread based on the reaction to the passing of famous people, which also reveals how there is a lack of knowledge of the afterlife.

If true knowledge of the soul existed, there would be no reason to overly lament the passing of someone else. In reality, the lamentation is for ourselves, for we are now bereft of the departed’s company. But they continue to live on, as the spirit soul cannot be cut up, made wet, burned, or destroyed in any way.

“The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.”  (Lord Krishna, Bg. 2.23)

There are many reasons to be averse to religious doctrines. For starters, so many religions are now organized and thus riddled with the common problems of politics, infighting, and the desire for personal aggrandizement, all of which are antithetical to a system of discipline aimed at connecting with the highest power. There is also the perceived notion that by hearing about and following religious dictates, one’s life will be stripped of fun. “No more sex life. No more eating meat. No more getting drunk. That all equals no fun.”

But if we look at the Gita, we see that the starting point is the primary fear in every person. Thus the teachings that follow the initial inquiries from the perplexed warrior are applicable to every single person. In one sense the Gita doesn’t have to be considered a religious text, as it presents the information of the spirit soul and its travels in a scientific way. There are methods of redress that can be adopted, with a starting hypothesis declared, and the worker can see for themselves with the results of the experiments whether or not the principles presented are valid.

The speaker of the Gita is the oldest and wisest person. He has knowledge of every single past incident, so He knows that the principles of sanatana-dharma, or the eternal occupation of man, never fail when properly implemented. He can also see into the future, so there is no need for Him to observe any future results to experiments. On the battlefield that day, He presented His spotless knowledge in a manner that was suitable to the listener in the immediate vicinity. In the process the information was also shared with countless future generations who would study the text under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master.

So what was the initial premise? What was the problem that sparked the talk? Arjuna was the leading fighter for a group of brothers known as the Pandavas. They had the rightful claim to the throne of Hastinapura, but their cousins unjustly usurped control. Now a war was to settle the matter, and right before hostilities were to start, Arjuna grew hesitant. He wasn’t worried about losing. It was just the opposite in fact; he was afraid of what would happen if his side won. So many people would die, and Arjuna wouldn’t like that. He didn’t want to live without the company of his well-wishers and relatives fighting for the other side, especially if he was the cause of their demise.

Do Arjuna’s sentiments sound familiar? If they are alive today, are we not worried about the day when we will lose the association of our parents? Are we not afraid of losing a loved one either through a disease or a tragic accident? The answers Krishna gave to Arjuna allow for the individual spirit soul to be knowledgeable in its activities, and with that sword of knowledge one can slash away the ropes of doubt and illusion, which bind one in a trap of fear.

What were Krishna’s primary instructions? Through a carefully presented series of verses, the Gita speaks of the spirit soul and how it is ageless. That soul existed prior to the present manifestation of the body and it will exist beyond the current form. The soul is the essence of identity, and its disposition is what matters most, not where the body is currently situated. This holds true for the individual and also for every other person, including people for whom we hold affection.

The person must act, however, and to know how to act one should follow the bona fide religious principles as they are presented by sadhu, shastra, and guru. The sadhu is the saintly man, who is devoted to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Shastra is scripture; it has the recorded instructions of the Supreme Lord and His representatives. The guru is the embodiment of devotion to God. He teaches by both precept and example. He can teach the humble student the meaning to the verses of shastra and how to practically apply the principles in everyday life.

After hearing from Krishna and accepting the information through discrimination, Arjuna decided to fight ahead, casting aside his previous doubt. Does this mean that Arjuna suddenly became callous to life and death? Did he discard his affection for his family members? If he did, isn’t the Gita kind of cold in its teaching? What is the difference, then, between a person who follows Krishna’s teachings and one who is so low in their moral standards that they kill other people at random, having no concern for them?

“The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.”  (Bg. 2.11)

The ultimate lesson of the Gita is to follow Krishna’s instructions, for He is the Supreme Lord. The vague concept of God is the same Krishna but without the features painted. There are incarnations and expansions of Krishna as well, which show off even more features, as many as the living entity can enumerate. Since Krishna is the fountainhead of all energies, following His word, showing love to Him, is actually the only way to have universal brotherhood. The only way to properly love all of God’s creation is to first serve the original creator.

This means that instead of losing his affection for his family members, Arjuna actually learned to love them more. But his affection was no longer based off temporary features belonging to a perishable body. Arjuna knew that everyone is a spirit soul and that by following occupational duties with detachment there is no sin incurred with action. Also, only the bodies of the other soldiers would be destroyed; their souls would continue to live on. Thus with this perfect combination of knowledge Arjuna could continue on without carrying the burden of the primary fear in man.

That same level of detachment comes to one who follows devotion to Krishna. The wise chariot-driver who enlightened Arjuna on that day can be reached through His holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, which are non-different from Him. Chanting and hearing are the bedrock of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. That discipline transcends sectarian boundaries and religious institutions. Devotion to God is the inherent occupation of the soul and from it the fears we regularly encounter today can vanish, creating a legitimate loving sentiment that extends to all creatures.

In Closing:

The greatest fear is that life will end,

Then creates other fears when it extends.

Even if with my own mortality I have come to grips,

How will I survive when close friends their bodies quit?

Arjuna thought just like this, fate of others to dwell upon,

To dispel his doubts, Shri Krishna sung transcendental song.

Known as Bhagavad-gita, at start deals with end of life,

Then solves other issues, anger, vengeance and strife.

Like Arjuna from the principles of bhakti don’t deviate,

In the process primary fear of life eliminate.

Umbrella of Protection

“He is called the well-wisher for the devotees only. He appears to be partial to His devotees, but factually the matter rests on the living being to accept or reject equal treatment by the Lord.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.16.26-30 Purport) It’s pouring rain outside. There is nothing you can do to avoid the downpour because you have to make the walk to your intended destination. You have just exited a shopping center and your car is parked a long ways away, as this was a particularly busy shopping day. The forecast didn’t call for rain, so you’re a little surprised that so much rain has come by unannounced. If only you had an umbrella at this moment when you really need one. Oh, but you could have brought one with you. You keep a spare umbrella in the trunk of your car for emergency situations like these. But you didn’t remember to bring it with you as you left the car. Since you were entering a shopping center, you intended to carry at least one bag in your hands, if not more, on your way out. A closed umbrella, though compact, would have added to the burden of items to carry around, and since it was sunny outside when you parked your car, you paid no attention at all to the umbrella. Ah, but now you desperately need one. To make matters worse, you see other people who have their umbrellas; thus they are safe from the pouring rain. They can make it to their cars without a problem. They will not be soaking wet when they sit behind the wheel to drive home. In this scenario, is the umbrella to blame for your misfortune? Obviously it is an inanimate object, so it can’t make any decisions of its own, but if for argument’s sake we say that the umbrella is capable of hearing your complaints, should it consider them valid? From the rational human being’s perspective, it is understood that the fault lies completely with the person who forgets the umbrella. The umbrella gives protection from the rain, but it is still impartial. It doesn’t only protect one type of person. It does not look down to see who is holding it and then decide whether or not to block the scorching rays of the sun or the falling raindrops. In fact, you know that the umbrella gives protection; that’s why you kept one in your car. But in this situation you forgot, and though the umbrellas seem to be partial when they protect others, they are simply fulfilling their role. This hypothetical situation and the analysis of the umbrella’s function help to explain the Supreme Lord’s position and how He diffuses His energy. These points are worth understanding because only in ignorance does the human being blame the higher authorities for their troubles. “Oh God, why did you let this happen to me? How could you do this to me? I never did anything to deserve this. You favor everyone else except me.” In reality, when someone accepts the gifts of God already available to everyone else there is only the appearance of favoritism. The highest pleasure comes in the transcendental arena, where the previously conditioned living entity associates with Supreme Spirit and His direct energies. Something that is completely knowledgeable, blissful and eternal can share its transcendental radiance with others, provided they choose to interact in the proper mood. To understand what the proper mood is, we can use a crude example like a lavish ice cream cake. The cake is meant to satisfy hunger and be enjoyed by the taste buds at the same time. But what if we used the ice cream cake as a tray, something to hold our other food items. We place whatever it is we want to eat on top of the cake, but this is actually not the proper use. The cake is meant to be consumed, and by its constitution it cannot remain in its ideal state for too long without melting. When taken out of the freezer and used as a tray, once the melting cake sinks and thus fails in our desired use as a tray, the blame for our troubles actually lies with us. The cake had its ideal role, and we rejected it. The Supreme Lord lives inside of us as the Supersoul and outside as the soul of all creatures. He is the existence of all existences, and not a blade of grass can move without His influence. Nevertheless, that influence is difficult to spot if we don’t know the proper use of objects. The hands we’re provided are meant to be used for such things as clapping along to the congregational songs glorifying the Supreme Lord. The eyes serve their ideal purpose when used to look at pictures of God and His beautiful form. The legs allow for travelling to places where the Supreme Lord is glorified, and the taste buds can eat the remnants of food first offered to Him, prasadam. The tongue can also be used for chanting the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. This simultaneously takes care of hearing, for Krishna and His name are non-different. The name Krishna indicates that God is the most-attractive, that His features are perfect in every way. Those features give pleasure to the devotees, and hence He is also known as the reservoir of pleasure. The results of utilizing the various body parts in an ideal way are peace of mind, the removal of stress, and an invigorated spirit that is ready to take on new tasks in the discipline known as bhakti-yoga, ordevotional service. Thus far there has not been any mention of caste, color, ethnicity, age, or country of origin. The holy name can be chanted by any person, and the beautiful deity in the temple is the sight for any person’s sore eyes. Even if the houses of worship unjustifiably deny entry to some, the mental pictures of the Supreme Lord based on descriptions and accounts of His activities found in the sacred texts can be drawn and enjoyed. “I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.”  (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.29) In the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna’s song that touches on the meaning of life, it is said that the Lord does not envy anyone, and neither is He partial to anyone. Nevertheless, He still shows favoritism to the devotees, who are friends to Him. This apparent contradiction is resolved by the fact that the offer for protection and favoritism is open to any person; but there is the requirement that they make the conscious decision to accept it. The Supreme Lord proved to be an umbrella of protection for the distressed Queen Draupadi when she surrendered everything to Shyamasundara and asked for His help as she was being disrobed by wicked-minded family members in an assembly. Prahlada Maharaja was protected by Krishna during trying times because he only thought of the Lord. The residents of Vrindavana were saved from a torrential downpour, which was instigated by the king of heaven, when they went underneath the umbrella Krishna created by lifting the massive Govardhana Hill and holding it over His head. That same protection is available to anyone who recites the holy names with love, faith and humility. Those who refuse to accept this protection cannot blame Krishna for their troubles. How kind then are the Vaishnava saints who try to spread the holy names to as many people as possible? They know the tremendous protection that God provides through His personal energies, so they selflessly try to share the knowledge on how to utilize nature’s gifts properly to as many people as are willing to listen. The Vaishnava, the devotee of Krishna, hopes that no one will reject the kind treatment offered by Krishna to all. The distresses relating to temporary conditions arise from ignorance of the true meaning of life, which is to become God conscious by the time death arrives. Through the holy names and the proper implementation of bhakti-yoga learned from a bona fide spiritual master, the divine umbrella resting within opens up to protect you from the many rainy days the material land has to offer. Under that protection the protector’s company is cherished and appreciated daily. In Closing: Umbrella meant to block out falling rain, Shields you from wetness’s pain. But what if umbrella you should forget, Pummeled with rain, in your trunk it rests. Others took theirs, you could have done the same, But you forgot, so is umbrella to blame? Know that Supreme Lord to all His glorious light diffused, Pain only comes when His protection refused. Chant holy names for transcendental shelter to gain. And thus make sunny even a day filled with rain.

Crying Babies

“If in any house He could not find any butter or curd to steal, He would go into a room and agitate the small children sleeping there by pinching them, and when they cried He would go away.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.8.29 Purport) Parents know how difficult it is to get young children to remain steady and calm. Depending on the demeanor of the child, just getting them to behave properly is difficult enough. You’re basically walking a tightrope the whole time. Sometimes all it takes is a visitor coming into the house and making strange faces in front of the child. They mean well, for they are delighted at the vision of pure innocence. But from the youngster’s perspective, the visitor is a stranger whose motives aren’t known. And since they have no way of communicating their fears with words, the baby starts to cry. Feeding, putting them to sleep, and a host of other pacification options are tried by the parents to get their children to stop crying. Should someone come and foil that effort, especially if they do it on purpose, the parents are justified in their intense dissatisfaction. In a small village many thousands of years ago one person took great fun in making calm babies cry, and because of His divine nature that nuisance is celebrated and honored to this day. Why would He do what He did? What did the children do wrong? What was the fault of the parents that He would torture them like this? You see the young boy was the owner of everything in the sacred land of Vrindavana. Though only a small child under the care of Yashoda and her husband Nanda, Krishna was the very Personality of Godhead worshiped by all the householders through their daily routines. The mornings began with worship of Vishnu in the homes, and then as the day progressed, the fruits of labor were meant for the benefit of the same Vishnu. “Mother Yashoda was firmly convinced of the Vedic injunctions about the importance of cows and the holy name of Vishnu; therefore she took all shelter in the cows and the name of Vishnu just to protect her child Krishna. She recited all the holy names of Vishnu so that He might save the child.”  (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 6) If a dangerous situation arose, the prayers would go out to Vishnu for protection. Indeed, Yashoda herself recited the many names of Vishnu after her son Krishna would somehow escape from danger. In the Vedic tradition, Vishnu is the name given to the Supreme Lord that addresses His position of all-opulence. Vishnu is everywhere. Simply by exhaling He creates this and many other universes, and by inhaling the same immeasurably large collections of matter come back into Him. He is not an angry God or someone who demands that others worship Him. Just as the SDK provided by a software manufacturer allows the end-user to make whatever programs they like, the universe with its many small and large playing fields gives the occupants free rein when deciding which tasks to take up. Vishnu is the object of worship for those who know how to use the playing fields properly. In some religious traditions He is referred to by a more generic name, such as God or the Almighty. The Vedic scriptures give more details because with more information the end-user can make a better decision on how to move forward. The living entities are users of the material elements, capable of dominating matter, which is dull and lifeless. When you know that there is a supreme controller who has a personality and intelligence to go with it, you can use your position superior to matter to utilize everything around you for the controller’s benefit. This is how the residents of Vrindavana behaved. Their days were spent working on the farms, taking care of the cows and growing crops, but their purpose was always Vishnu worship. Thus it was not surprising that the very same object of worship would appear in their midst as a seemingly ordinary human being. The human goes through a typical life cycle, and the infant years are the most conducive to accepting love from others. The young child is the essence of innocence and they look so cute that even the hardest heart is melted upon seeing them. Think of how people smile and act nice to a baby who is a stranger, but when the same child grows up into an adult the same treatment will not be offered. The individual hasn’t changed; just their visible manifestation is different. From the difference in treatments, we can conclude that the childhood form is the most conducive to accepting the kind sentiments of the living entity. That kindness is within all of us; it just takes the right target to extract the feelings fully. Vishnu as young Krishna was the emblem of attractiveness, so His vision would delight everyone. What good is having a delightful vision if no one gets to see it? Therefore Yashoda’s adorable child would roam through Vrindavana and do different naughty things. Sometimes He would break into the cowsheds and release the calves. They would then drink the milk from their mothers before anyone could extract the milk. The cow is so nice because it provides enough milk for both its children and the human population. But if the calves drink the milk first, there will be nothing left for the owners to consume. Thus the general procedure is to first milk the cows and then let the calves feed. The milk production relies only on one ingredient: love. When the mother is able to love her child she will provide more than enough milk. That love flows fully when the cows and the children are protected. It’s interesting to note that the cows loved Krishna just as much as they loved their calves. Thus simply by seeing Krishna their milk bags would become full. The delight of Nanda Maharaja took great pleasure in angering the cowherd men and women with His naughty behavior. Seeing what Krishna had done, they would chase after Him in anger but they couldn’t catch Him. On the off chance they were fortunate enough to catch up with Krishna, from seeing His charming face they would forget about what made them angry. Krishna’s favorite activity was eating butter. He wouldn’t eat only the butter that was at home either. He would visit the homes of the neighbors, with or without their permission, and eat the butter they had saved up. If the butter ran out, He would break the pots in anger. If there was excess butter, He would distribute it to the monkeys of Vrindavana. Again, this is typically considered rude behavior. You shouldn’t steal what belongs to others. Yet as Vishnu, Krishna had a right to enjoy His property. What were the neighbors saving their butter for anyway? Everything in this world is meant for Vishnu’s enjoyment. Since the best use of the materials is to sacrifice them to the Supreme Lord, Vishnu is also known as Yajna. If your heart is pure, even if you’re not explicitly performing a ritualistic sacrifice, Krishna will come and enjoy what you have anyway, accepting it as an offering. If there was no butter, Krishna would sometimes pinch the young children of the house. Pinching would then make the children cry, and Krishna would then run away, as if He had no part in the act. Of all of Krishna’s pastimes, this is likely the most amusing. One can connect with the Supreme Lord in a variety of ways. Sight is one way, but a vision doesn’t stay in front of us for too long. Physical sight lingers through mental sight, which can be recalled to memory at any moment. Better than seeing God is hearing Him, and so the most potent method of religious practice is the chantingof the holy names, something which the residents of Vrindavana were quite accustomed to. As Krishna is actually the origin of Vishnu, just by saying His name the residents were already calling out to Vishnu. The name of Rama represents the same Vishnu as well,  and since the maha-mantra contains both of these names, reciting it is the best way to connect with God. “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, is a direct call to the butter thief of Vrindavana, and it can be repeated over and over again. Just as the cow produces so much milk when her calf cries, the Supreme Lord runs to the scene whenever He hears a devotee chanting His holy names without any motive for personal gain. The holy name is the direct representation of Krishna, and in Vrindavana the crying of the babies pinched by the Lord was the indirect representation. That crying sound, though normally annoying, ended up being pleasurable for the parents because it indicated that young Krishna had been in their home. He didn’t ignore His devotees, even if they were preoccupied with household work. The parents had taken great effort to care for their children, but they also needed to spend just as much time thinking about Krishna. Why else are we given an existence? Why do we have ears if not to hear the liberating sound of Krishna’s names? These pastimes relating to Krishna are included in the Shrimad Bhagavatam, which is meant to be heard from the mouth of a devotee who loves Krishna as much as the residents of Vrindavana did. The neighbors complained about Krishna’s antics to His mother, but when they were finished complaining, they realized that they really enjoyed Krishna’s favor. They liked that He would come to their homes and cause mischief. Better to put up with the antics than be ignored by the delight of Vrindavana. He was Yashoda and Nanda’s son and Balarama’s younger brother, but He was also the entire community’s reason for living. Remember His activities every day and He will favor you with the same interruptions. In Closing: After much time sleeping baby placed on bed, That they’ll wake up too soon and cry parents dread. Crying is way for babies to parents to communicate, To say if they’re hungry or something they don’t appreciate. If their child made to cry on purpose parents don’t like, Delicate balance broken for no reason, anger it ignites. But Krishna would pinch babies to make them cry, That sound notified that Yashoda’s son came by. Ran after Him and then to Yashoda to lodge complaint, Krishna took great fun, smiled as if He acted like a saint. As the Vishnu they worshiped Krishna was the same, Thus for their pleasure to Vrindavana He came.

Saving This Life

“If one could achieve success without the sanction of the Lord then no medical practitioner would fail to cure a patient. Despite the most advanced treatment of a suffering patient by the most up-to-date medical practitioner, there is death, and even in the most hopeless case, without medical treatment, a patient is cured astonishingly. Therefore the conclusion is that God's sanction is the immediate cause for all happenings, good or bad.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.14.9 Purport) For all we know, we’ve had only this one life. The memory of the experiences within this life isn’t complete either, as we don’t remember emerging from the womb nor being unable to crawl or walk. These experiences are accepted on the authority of the parents, but nevertheless, once there is conscious thought and the ability to plan the future, the natural inclination is towards protecting the vital force within the body, for maintaining the ability to live. Forgotten in this mindset, however, is the hand of the divine, by whose influence life and death take place. No adjustment in either direction can guarantee a prolonged life or an immediate death. Thus the sanction of the divine master is the primary cause for outcomes, putting Him in a superior and worshipable position. Typically, the focus is not on bringing about death at a specific time, for we first try our best to save our life or the lives of others. But an infamous king a long time ago saw exactly how difficult it can be to force death. His five-year old son made the mistake of worshiping Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Lord in His manifestation as an opulent and beautiful four-armed figure. Vishnu is the personal aspect of God; from that feature one can stay connected in a mood of worship known as bhakti-yoga, which is devotion. For devotion to be strong, there has to be some sort of attachment to the attributes of the Personality of Godhead; hence requiring the attributes to be attractive. “Having obtained the mercy of his spiritual master, who reveals to the disciple the injunctions of Vedic scriptures, the devotee should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the particular personal form of the Lord the devotee finds most attractive.”  (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 11.3.48) In the gradual progression towards bhava, or transcendental ecstasy, the devoted soul finds a non-different expansion of Vishnu they prefer and then dedicates their life to worshiping Him. There are choices available because there are natural tendencies within every person. Some will be automatically attracted to Shri Krishna, who is considered the original personality, the source of even Vishnu Himself. Krishna’s name says that He is all-attractive, and both the mental and physical portraits created from the descriptions found in sacred texts like the Shrimad Bhagavatam and Mahabharata support that assertion. Nevertheless, some devoted souls will be more attracted to Lord Rama and His entourage. Rama is the same Krishna, the same Vishnu, but in a slightly different manifestation and with a series of acts and behavioral traits discussed and documented in the famous Ramayana poem and its derivative literatures. The devotion to any one of these Vishnu forms can occur spontaneously, as it did with Goswami Tulsidas. In his entire life, he had nothing but his devotion to Lord Rama. “Rama” was the first word the famous poet said as a child and it continued to be the word he would repeat up until the time of his death. Nothing could break that devotion, and no other form of Godhead could give the poet the same pleasure, though he never treated any of the other various Vishnu forms as lesser in importance. Though a Rama-bhakta, from Tulsidas you will find heartwarming poetry praising Lord Krishna, Lord Vishnu as Bindu Madhava, andNarasimhadeva as well. “In the course of traversing the universal creation of Brahma, some fortunate soul may receive the seed of bhakti-lata, the creeper of devotional service. This is all by the grace of guru and Krishna.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 19.151) Narasimhadeva relates to the five-year old son of that famous king. The boy was named Prahlada, and he had spontaneous devotion to Vishnu from the time of birth. The seed of the creeper of devotional service is planted by the spiritual master, who is sent by Krishna Himself. For Prahlada, the spiritual master was Narada Muni, who strangely enough provided instruction to the boy’s mother while she was pregnant with him. If there is any doubt as to the power of the holy name and its ability to positively affect consciousness, take the example of Prahlada and know for certain that the divine message from the spiritual realm can break through any boundary and influence even those we believe to be lacking a developed consciousness. Hiranyakashipu took Vishnu to be his number one enemy, someone only purported to be God by the foolish people of the world. Thinking himself to be the master of his fate and the fate of others, the king tried to kill Prahlada in so many ways. Should have been easy work, no? Prahlada was just a boy, so how could he protect himself? During the attacks instigated by his father the devoted soul thought of Vishnu and was thus saved each and every time. Throwing him off a cliff, placing him in a raging fire, feeding him to a pack of snakes, and leaving him at the bottom of the ocean could not kill Prahlada. The boy wasn’t a Houdini-type magician either; Vishnu just protected him every time. In the end, it would be Hiranyakashipu to lose his life. Though he had so many boons previously granted to him that made him immune to seemingly every type of attack, Vishnu appeared on the scene at just the right time and place and in the perfect form to do away with the king; keeping the boons intact. Thus from that one series of incidents we see that with the divine sanction birth and death take place, and not otherwise. Through patterns we may appear to get a grasp on what can influence birth and death, but even then it is the laws of nature instituted by the Supreme Person which allow the predictable patterns to take effect. With respect to protecting our own life, the natural inclination is to try our best to seek out top of the line medical treatment. Just read a newspaper or internet news site on any given day. There are always stories on how to prolong your life through eating certain foods or avoiding specific kinds of behavior. But forgotten in this analysis is the divine sanction. If someone could be successful completely without the aid of the heavenly father, then there would be a way to absolutely stop death. Yet we know that this is not possible. We can look at it another way. There is the push by health experts and well-meaning politicians to get people to seek preventive care. That is, they urge citizens to visit the doctor regularly. And to support that practice, they insist on every person having health insurance, which is either purchased individually or provided by the government through a national health insurance system. The problem is that the underlying assumption is flawed. People that have health insurance die. In fact, it is a one hundred percent success rate in that area. Or flipping it around, there is a one hundred percent failure rate with respect to health insurance saving lives. Even when describing the effectiveness of certain treatments, the analysis is given in terms of a survival rate spanning a certain number of years. You can’t say that any treatment is one hundred percent effective because eventually every patient must die. Surely you can be healthier if you can pay for your medical treatment when you need it, but the idea that you will automatically die if you don’t have health insurance is ludicrous, as is the idea that doctors are universally correct in their treatment methodologies. If you went to the doctor every single day for your entire life and you did whatever they said, would you live forever? The answer is ‘No’. You could detect cancer at the earliest stages, recognize illnesses and follow the proper treatment, and even keep track of your risk factors, but never will you be able to stop death. The end of life is concomitant with its beginning. As the sanction from the Supreme Lord is required for either extending or ending life, He naturally becomes the object of appreciation. If the life we have must end anyway, why not spend it worshiping the person who is in control? From that worship followed in the highest mood of devotion you actually gain intelligence about birth and death and how it repeats in a cycle. Just from the proper type of worship you reach a point where the artificial prolonging of life is no longer desired. As the spirit soul is eternal, the devotee asks only to be allowed to continue their devotional efforts in life after life, wherever they may end up. As Narasimhadeva showed with Prahlada, the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes to the rescue of the surrendered souls and grants them that highest benediction of achieving a consciousness that is eternally pure. In Closing: So many possessions you have got, But death to come, like it or not. To extend stay within body you can try, With healthy routine many days to pass by. But without divine sanction nothing possible, To thwart His influence is impossible. His son Prahlada Hiranyakashipu tried to kill, But after so many attempts the boy living still. Then Supreme Lord to king painful death gave, Not even Brahma’s boons the ruler could save. From that incident most important lesson take, Follow devotion to God for life fruitful to make.

More Than Brahma-Sukha

“The king went and received blessings and then paid so much honor and respect after that. When he saw Rama, he experienced a happiness one hundred times that of Brahman realization.” (Janaki Mangala, Chand 5.2) nṛpa gahe pāya asīsa pāī māna ādara ati kiem̐ | avaloki rāmahi anubhavata manu brahmasukha sauguna kiem̐ || There is happiness when one realizes Brahman, or the all-pervading spirit. With maya, which is not Brahman, there is perpetual misery. The resulting happiness felt only arrives in short bursts and then vanishes very quickly thereafter. The next time the same experience will not bring as much happiness, for the living being gets accustomed to sense satisfaction, in effect raising the threshold for sense pleasure. The concept of a “proper perspective” can only apply in a realm where ignorance reigns supreme. Though the happiness of association with Brahman is everlasting and different from temporary sense pleasure, the source of Brahman is the real reservoir of pleasure. For a famous king a long time ago, the thrill felt from seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead gave him a happiness he never experienced before. How do we know that the senses spoil us into requiring more for gratification? Think about why athletes and celebrities involve themselves in children’s charities and other philanthropic ventures. If you’re worried about performing well in the big game, the mental toil will have an impact on your psyche, on your overall happiness. At the same time, when you see a young child suffering from cancer, your problems don’t seem to be as big. One side is worried about how to succeed in a life where living is taken for granted, while the other side is struggling for existence at a young age. Because of the influence of the senses it is easy to lose sight of the proper perspective. In the larger scheme, even death itself isn’t that big a deal. Sure we don’t know what lays ahead in the future, but the uncertainty of upcoming time doesn’t mean that our existence will cease. The present moment is the culmination of much past thought and struggle. Ten years ago we likely worried about the immediate future, and yet somehow we managed to make it through. Prior to our birth we had no say in the circumstances of our upcoming life, but everything worked itself out anyway. “For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.”  (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.20) The Vedas reveal that everything in life that we know about is temporary in its manifestation. Those who are illusioned by the temporary easily lose perspective, both in the short and long term. That which is permanent, knowledgeable and blissful is the opposite of the material nature. The Vedas refer to this force as Brahman, and its realization is the main objective of the living entity gifted with a human birth. Within a human body the dichotomy between Brahman and maya can be studied. The most mature living entity can follow instruction and guidance to train the senses to cope with hardship. The marathon runner can run for long distances without any discomfort, while the person new to running finds one mile difficult to complete. The difference between the two individuals is in the training of the body. In the larger picture, if the body is trained to rely only on limited sense interaction, the realization of Brahman can be attained. The entire breadth and scope of religion is meant for this connection with Brahman, the understanding that I am a spirit soul, part and parcel of God. Though the ultimate realization may not be disclosed immediately to the sincere spiritualist, the purpose of austerity, sacrifice, and religious practice is the knowledge of the Absolute Truth. From that knowledge comes happiness. And why shouldn’t there be happiness? If I know that I am an eternal spiritual force, will I get distracted with temporary ups and downs? The greatest fear for the mature human being is death, similar to how the ripened fruit on the tree has nothing left to do but fall. With a fear of death gone, so many other fears are eliminated. Absorbing the authorized information of the Vedas, which reveal the process of transmigration of the soul, which is better known as reincarnation, the living being understands that there is no reason to lament the loss of the temporary body. Neither is a temporary gain a cause for excessive celebration. “He who is without attachment, who does not rejoice when he obtains good, nor lament when he obtains evil, is firmly fixed in perfect knowledge.”  (Lord Krishna, Bg. 2.57) Brahman realization is meant to continue uninterrupted. You can know theoretically that you are spirit soul and not body, but practically every activity you are inclined towards from birth follows the realization of maya, which requires no effort. Thus to attain and stay on the Brahman platform is quite difficult. King Janaka a long time ago mastered the art of real yoga to keep the Brahman vision within his mind at all times. He still followed work. He did not become a robot or give up his obligations without cause. Brahman realization can occur through any type of activity, provided it is authorized and the worker keeps the proper vision within the mind. King Janaka had a kingdom to rule over, but he carried out his responsibilities with detachment. He did the work because that was his duty, but he had no concern for the result, success or failure. Through his equipoised condition he realized Brahman. He knew what brahma-sukha, or the happiness of realizing Brahman, felt like. Nevertheless, when he saw one young man in particular, the immediate happiness he felt was like no other. By the very nature of the reaction we can understand that the object viewed was not maya. Thus in the above referenced verse Goswami Tulsidas has affirmed Lord Rama’s position as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. King Janaka saw the eldest son of King Dasharatha enter his kingdom alongside Vishvamitra and Rama’s younger brother Lakshmana. As a good king, Janaka kindly welcomed the arriving party. Their entrance wasn’t as pronounced as the others, but Janaka nevertheless followed protocol. Who were the others that arrived? At the time, Janaka was holding a bow-lifting contest to determine the husband for his daughter Sita Devi. Interestingly enough, when Janaka found Sita as a baby girl one day on the field, he immediately felt tremendous affection for her. He loved her so much that he took her in as his daughter. Again, this happiness was not related to maya, for it did not distract from his religious duties. If anything, having Sita as a daughter only made Janaka more committed to the righteous path. Seeing Rama now Janaka felt a happiness that was one hundred times that of brahma-sukha. The Personality of Godhead has this effect on the pure souls who cherish His company. Janaka didn’t know that Rama was God appearing on earth in the guise of a human being to do the work of the demigods in eliminating the nefarious character Ravana, but he didn’t have to. The purity of the Brahman realization made Janaka eligible for appreciating the transcendental form of the Lord. That form is meant to provide happiness to the observer. The eyes have a purpose. Through fulfilling that purpose they provide a fruit that can be enjoyed. More than anything the eyes exist to gaze upon the sweet, charming, lovely, and beautiful vision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who so innocently goes about His business, caring for the welfare of His devotees at every step. It should be noted that seeing Rama is not dependent on Brahman realization. The reference to brahma-sukha made by Tulsidas is only for comparison purposes. One seeking the happiness of merging into the spiritual light of Brahman does not get the same happiness that the devotees do. Why did Janaka ever bother with Brahman then? Why didn’t he just go straight for God realization at the start? It is said in the scriptures that one who sincerely follows the devotional path, bhakti-yoga, has already performed so many religious sacrifices and penances. In this way we see that the other methods of yoga do have a purpose. The target aim of the human form of life, the fruit of the eyes, is not reached when personal interaction with Shri Rama is absent, but there are still benefits to be gained with disciplines such as jnana-yoga, karma-yoga and hatha-yoga. If one has the good fortune to hear about bhakti, they should take to it right away, bypassing Brahman realization altogether. Know it for certain that if you have the rare chance to bask in the sweet vision of Shri Rama entering Janakpur to lift Lord Shiva’s bow, you have certainly performed all the necessary rituals and regulations in a previous time. The soul’s reward for pious behavior is the company of the person whom Janaka so delighted in welcoming as a guest. In a short amount of time, that same guest would formally join the king’s family. In Closing: Maya, with her illusory visions deceives, Allows not the eyes the fruit of existence to receive. Brahman is truth, with maya nothing to do, Above karma, victory and defeat too. To feel brahma-sukha is surely a great chore, But know that happiness can have even more. The supreme pleasure of seeing God Janaka felt, Knew brahma-sukha, but this time his heart did melt. Supreme Lord is wherefrom Brahman has come, Follow bhakti and know your ascension done.

Helping The Little Guy

“Exploitation of the weaker living being by the stronger is the natural law of existence; there is always an attempt to devour the weak in different kingdoms of living beings. There is no possibility of checking this tendency by any artificial means under material conditions; it can be checked only by awakening the spiritual sense of the human being by practice of spiritual regulations.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.13.47 Purport) “The little guy is in trouble. It’s time to help him. He’s suffering more than we are, so why not do something that will fix his condition, bring him to a higher place? Now that you mention it, there are so many other people in the same position. The teams in the sports leagues that are always at the bottom of the standings, what can we do to help them? What about the victims of discrimination? There should be something in the law codes to address their plight. In fact, all the injustices and inequities of life need to be fixed, and I will dedicate my life to enacting and distributing the necessary fairness.” The sad case is that these issues will always exist. In a specific region of the world, one group of citizens, perhaps of a specific skin color, is exploited, while in another part of the world that same group is in the majority that exploits. Through the passage of time the positions can change, with one group dominant for a period and then the same group exploited later on. Those with a firm understanding of the purpose of this creation know how its conditions foster the attitude of exploitation. Therefore they don’t give much attention to temporary highs and lows, because in all species and at all intelligence levels the same exploitation takes place. Through following the religious principles, which are geared towards man and his higher potential for intelligence, every type of social issue is addressed, including exploitation. But aren’t religious principles dogmatic in nature? One politician says that I shouldn’t use contraception, but what business is it of his? Should the same recommendation come from a spiritual leader, what is its significance? Shouldn’t I be allowed to live my life the way that I want to? Under bona fide religious principles, the proper end goal is what drives all activity. Think of what it takes to complete a marathon. Obviously you need to practice running. But you also need to prepare mentally, not distracting yourself with too many other stressful obligations. You also need to sleep on time the night prior to the race and eat the right kinds of food. The marathon is but one short activity in a list of many that will take place in the journey through a single lifetime. That same vibrant force for action flows through the cycle of birth and death perpetually until desire is purified. The nature of the land of residence is such that it fosters attachment to temporary objects. It keeps the otherwise knowledgeable living entity in ignorance of his real position, that of servant of God. The playing field exists to facilitate the pursuit for equaling or even surpassing the Supreme Lord in the areas of beauty, wealth, knowledge, renunciation, strength and fame. Ah, but this pursuit is fatally flawed. To begin with, no one can be more opulent than God; hence He is known as Bhagavan in the Vedas. He is the most fortunate, and also the most attractive; hence another way to address Him is Krishna. He is also Rama because He gives more transcendental pleasure to others than any person possibly could. His direct energy serves at His pleasure, and since that energy is so intimately tied to Him, both He and His energy are called in the famous maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. Only when I am ignorant of God’s position and the constitutional nature of His energy expansions will I feverishly pursue material gain in a temporary body. Every other conditioned soul has the right to follow the same pursuit as well. As no one can be God, the competition that results is similar to the fighting that goes on between animals. To further a specific aim, one person comes up with a system of rules and regulations, but those are regularly violated by the competitors looking to gain an edge. Discrimination against a specific race, gender, ethnicity, or income group helps to advance in the competition to become God. Hence the practice will continue, regardless of the efforts made to curb it. Recognition of the problem isn’t enough; there has to be a tangible reason provided for its root cause. Also, the proper end goal must be uncovered; otherwise man is left in the dark. The pursuit that removes the harmful competitive spirit entirely will solve the problem, at least on the local level. The starting point is recognition of God’s supreme standing and His intimate relationship to every living entity. From that knowledge one can take updevotional service with firm faith, love and determination. Chant the holy names, devote yourself to God, always think of Him, and you will gradually come to Him. “Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.”  (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.34) How will this style of worship curb exploitation? The purification of desire is what does the trick. For instance, instead of harboring jealously for the rich, the devoted soul knows that no amount of material wealth can make one happy. True happiness comes from having the ability to stay in Krishna’s company, to be able to chant His name and remember His sweet smile. The ears are gifts from God that allow us to hear the sweet pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who protects His devotees and continues to show His mercy through the deity form, which is authorized for worship by the spiritual master, who is sent from heaven to rescue us from the ocean of material suffering. If my guiding desire is to connect with Krishna, instead of having a competitive attitude, my mindset will be to forgive as many people as possible for their exploitative attitude, for they don’t know any better. At the same time, the message of divine love, which is so nicely presented in the Shrimad Bhagavatam, can be distributed and discussed widely, as it is the only cure for the venom injected by the serpent-like fangs of competition, which then fuels the attitude of exploitation. “By remembering Shri Rama’s holy name, even those who are born into a low caste become worthy of fame, just as the wild trees that line the roads in heaven are famous throughout the three worlds.” (Dohavali, 16) Krishna’s land is worshipable, as are the foodstuff and flowers offered to Him in love and devotion. If that is the case, it shouldn’t surprise us that His devotee who regularly chants His name is also worshipable. The holy name is what removes any specific defining negative condition. This fact is nicely pointed out by Goswami Tulsidas in his Vinai Patrika. The poet says that among many other things, the holy name is the high birth for one who is low born. If I am born in a family that doesn’t have a rich spiritual culture, the odds of me turning to devotional life are very slim. Following religious principles alone will be difficult for me. But if I should chant the holy names of Krishna and Rama, all of a sudden my low birth turns into a high birth, wherein I am deserving of honor and respect from others. That status results from the ability to shed transcendental light on others. Therefore the devotee is a saint at heart and always above useless competition. The true saint knows what is best for everyone and tries to distribute that knowledge freely, without concern for the reception. The devotee saint knows how to extract the loving sentiments from every single person, giving them the greatest gift of all: the ability to practice divine love. The primary principles instituted in the beginning stages of religious life are austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness. These four principles are absent in society when there is a lack of true God consciousness. From these practices the root of exploitation is removed. Dedication to these principles is strengthened by full devotion to God. In fact, bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, is so powerful that one can start chantingthe holy names and worshiping the Lord even from the contaminated state. The holy name is so powerful that it will automatically bring the aforementioned primary principles to the sincere worshiper. A life dedicated to redressing a specific social ill will have temporary effects, but eventually the exploitative attitude will continue in some way or another. The weak and the strong can trade places, either in the current life or in a future one. Regardless, rebirth indicates a restart to the fierce competitive race that is destined to end with death. The devoted soul, on the other hand, finds a cure to birth and death, and reaches the supreme abode at the end of life. Giving that same gift to others through their example, the saint shows how to stop the onset of the disease of exploitation. In Closing: A fierce competitive advantage to seek, Leads to the strong exploiting the weak. One group is up while the other is down, Though in other places it’s turned around. To fix the issue is a daunting task you face, Solve one and another you’ll soon have to chase. Root of the problem is inability to see, Know the Vedas for from ignorance to be free. Saint chants holy names and thus passes on highest gift. Follow bhakti and from competitive fire yourself lift.