Back to Godhead Magazine 1966 - 2003
Back to Godhead Magazine #01,
October 23, 1966
Godhead is Light, Nescience is darkness.
Where there is Godhead there is no Nescience.
God appears, and God is Light,
To those poor souls who dwell in Night;
But does a Human Form display
To those who dwell in realms of Day.
—William Blake, “Auguries of Innocence”
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna-Krishna Krishna-Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama-Rama Rama-Hare Hare
Blessings of Krishna! BACK TO GODHEAD is a bi-monthly publication issued by the International Society For Krishna Consciousness. This publication is principally concerned with promulgating through the medium of essays, poems and articles the truths expounded by Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita. Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta, our spiritual leader, stresses that although Krishna and Rama took their births in India, they are not solely the “property” of India or Indians any more than Christ is the “property” of the Middle East. God and His truths know neither boundaries nor nationalities. Narrow sectarianism and ethnocentrism are only pitfalls on the path to liberation. God is neither Christian nor Jew, neither Moslem nor Buddhist nor Hindu—He is beyond all such designations. He is, in the Gita, Krishna, the Knower Who is not known, the Enjoyer, Who, in His spiritual Kingdom, enjoys Bliss-Knowledge-Absolute.
True devotees of Krishna neither reason nor argue about Him. “He who replies to words of Doubt, Doth put the Light of knowledge out,” wrote Blake. For the devotees, Krishna is an established fact. The devotees do, however, spread “Krishna-consciousness” to others, to convince them of Krishna’s existence through the “science of devotion.” Devotion to God is a “yoga,” a science, and it is to teach this science that Swami Bhaktivedanta has come to America. His method is simple: the chanting of the Holy Name of God, “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,” a sixteen word chant prescribed by Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the 15th and 16th centuries as being especially effective in this age of “Kali,” an age characterised by atheism, ignorance, chaos, and disagreement.
Spiritual foods, dancing, singing and chanting the praises of the Supreme Lord, study of the Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam are all parts of this bhaktiyoga method. This method boasts such illustrious adherents as Brahma, Shiva, Laxmi, Kumara, Narada, Vyasadeva, Madhya, Chaitanya, Bhaktisiddhanta and Swami Bhaktivedanta in the East, and, in the West, many of the Christian saints, St. Augustine, Meister Eckhart, Socrates, Plotinus, St. Theresa, St. John of the Cross, William Blake and Whitman. Now in the West, with a sudden resurgence of interest in God-consciousness, spiritual education is needed more than ever. As a confused mankind begins to enter into its third global war in this century, it is the duty of those advanced in bhaktiyoga to speak out and educate the unenlightened.
It is partly with such quixotic intentions that Back to Godhead is being issued. Following the orders of his spiritual master, His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada, Swami Bhaktivedanta began the initial publication of Back to Godhead in 1944. This bi-monthly, published from 1944 to 1956 in Vrindaban, India (Vrindaban, 90 miles southeast of Delhi, was Krishna’s playground during His stay on earth.) established Swami Bhaktivedanta as the leading Personalist in India. This issue marks the first publication of Back to Godhead in the West. The editors welcome suggestions, essays, poems, letters, and articles concerned with Krishna katha (topics).
—Hayagriva Das Brahmachary
(Howard Wheeler)
Rayarama Das Brahmachary
(Raymond Marais)
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Notes transcribed by Woomapati Das Brahmachary (Wallace Sheffey)
From lectures given Sept. 5th and 17th, 1966.
There are different yoga systems, but they all have the same goal: realization of the Absolute Truth and re-establishment of our eternal relationship with Krishna. We have forgotten this relationship due to our association with material energy. Beginners in yoga should engage themselves in work for Krishna. It is difficult to keep the mind concentrated on the Super-soul without work. If a beginner tries to practice sitting in meditation, his mind will wander.
This is the age of Kali—an age of conflict. In this age, meditation is not recommended. Meditation was recommended for past ages when people were more virtuous and more religious. With each succeeding age, people have become less virtuous and less religious. This does not mean that nobody should practice meditation. If one is able to sit perfectly still and keep his mind completely concentrated on the Absolute Truth, he can successfully practice meditation. However, this is not possible for most people today.
Nowhere in the Bhagavad-Gita does Krishna tell Arjuna to sit idly while he works. Arjuna was Krishna’s friend. We can also be Krishna’s friends if we work for Him and keep our minds always fixed on Him. We should cease working for our own profit and always work for Krishna. We should be thinking of things to do for Krishna twenty-four hours a day. When our minds are fixed on Krishna, we become silent. In this way, whenever we sit still, we will be practicing perfect silent meditation because our minds will remain fixed on Krishna.
Work requires a purpose. We are always working, either for our own sense gratification or for Krishna. Practicing yoga means working without thought of personal interest, but solely for the mission of Krishna. What is this mission? To tell people about Krishna-consciousness, or God-consciousness. Lord Chaitanya told His disciples, “Preach this gospel that I teach. Whomever you meet, just try to inform him about the message of the Bhagavad-Gita.” We should inform the world about the message of the Gita. One who does this is on the platform of real yoga..
Man has the choice to elevate himself or to lower himself, in the spiritual realm as well as the material. We are the cause of our own happiness or suffering. If I try to elevate myself, I am a friend of myself. If I put myself into Hell, I am my own worst enemy. Other people can instruct us, but it is up to us to decide whether or not we want to follow the instructions. Heaven or Hell is our own choice. If I drive a car on the wrong side of the road, it is my own fault if I get into trouble.
The spell of illusion is strong. Even Arjuna balked at following Krishna’s instructions. Arjuna knew that only Krishna could enlighten him, but still he hesitated. Krishna never insists that we follow His instructions. He says that this is the way to happiness, but He does not insist. The choice is ours.
My mind is my friend when I can control it. It has been said that when we wake up and when we go to sleep, we should beat our minds a thousand times with a shoe. When the mind says things like, “Why sing ‘Hare Krishna?’ Why not take LSD?” we should beat it with the same shoe. However, if we always think of Krishna, no beating will be necessary. The mind will be our best friend.
Everything we have should be used for Krishna. We should use our tongue to speak of Krishna and to eat food properly prepared and offered to Krishna. We should use our eyes to look at pictures of Krishna, and our ears to hear a master speak of Krishna. We can use our feet to walk to Krishna’s temple, and our hands to hold the broom that sweeps the temple floor. We can use our nose to smell flowers offered to Krishna. We can use our genitals to produce children whom we will raise in Krishna-consciousness. Even if we cannot follow these suggestions, we can always chant, “Hare Krishna, Hare Rama.” We must divert the mind from its material engagements and put it into Krishna-consciousness. It is not recommended to meditate on formless void. The mind should be focused on Krishna.
The mind is restless, so we should chant the Name of the Lord. The sound vibration of the chant is not different from the Lord Himself. In the material world, the name of a person is not the same as the person. If I need Mr. Jones it will not do any good to go into a room and simply chant his name. Krishna, however, is not a material person like Mr. Jones. Krishna’s Name and Krishna are the same. Krishna stays with the devotee who chants His Name. He dances on the tongue that chants “Hare Krishna, Hare Rama.”
It does no good to absent-mindedly chant the Name of Krishna while your thoughts are elsewhere. Chanting will bring an uncontrolled mind under control. A yoga system is a process for bringing the mind under control, not a system for letting the mind wander unrestricted. We can control our minds by always concentrating on Sri Krishna. It is not necessary to go off to some lonely place and engage in difficult meditative practices. Not only is this unnecessary—it is impossible in this age. But chanting is easy and can be performed anywhere. Everyone can take part in it—women, children, scholars, black people, white people—everyone. Simply concentrate on Krishna. Listen to Krishna’s words with the ears and chant His name with the tongue.
We are Brahman, but not the Supreme Brahman. It is within our capability to become as good as the Supreme, but we can never become the Supreme Himself. We are Brahman, but we are covered. We must take the cover off. It is not a case of becoming Brahman; we are already Brahman, but we are entangled by illusory energy. The Supreme Lord is never caught up in illusion. A cloud cannot cover the whole sky. Even if the sky appears to be completely covered, we know that the covered part is only a small fraction of the entire sky. Similarly, the Supreme Lord cannot be covered by the cloud of illusion. When we are free from material entanglements we discover our real identity.
Living entities are in a material position. They can remain in the material world or they can realize their true identity and go to the spiritual world. People think that they can be happy in the material world, but they struggle day and night. They struggle on account of their perverted minds. The yoga systems are for purifying the mind. Meditation is too difficult. It is easier to be a devotee of Sri Krishna and to be always engaged in His service. One who continues in such bhaktiyoga becomes free from material contamination. As soon as he is free he knows that, “I am not this matter. I am Brahman.” As soon as he realizes this he feels the highest pleasure. He is filled with joy. Others may see him as poor and penniless, but he knows that he is the happiest man in the world. This realization has nothing to do with material wealth. A man in Krishna-consciousness can cheerfully accept poverty. One who is not in Krishna-consciousness, suffers even if he is wealthy. If one is in Krishna-consciousness, he is always happy. Poverty means nothing to him. In Krishna-consciousness, life is so blissful that any condition is a happy condition. This happiness is so great that nobody could ask for anything more.
Spiritual happiness is eternal; material happiness is temporary. For this reason, one who wants spiritual happiness must not eat too much nor indulge in unrestricted sex. When one feels this spiritual happiness, he has no need of material happiness. Material life is diseased life. Seeking material happiness is like seeking to prolong a disease because you think that you will enjoy the disease more than good health.
Spiritual life is full of knowledge and bliss, and is above death and ignorance. The spiritual man sees the Supreme Lord everywhere and in every living being. Because he loves Krishna, he sees Him everywhere. Every living being is situated in Krishna and Krishna is in every living being. The spiritual man does not see cows or men or women or fools; he only sees the Supreme Lord. A man in Krishna-consciousness does not walk around in a fog but does his work well, and with the touch of an expert. When one enters Krishna-consciousness he becomes a poet and writes hymns to God. A man of true learning is one who sees every woman except his own wife as his mother and treats her accordingly. He sees other peoples’ property as garbage, and he has unlimited compassion for all living creatures.
Krishna says, “He who sees Me everywhere and sees all in Me; I am not lost to him, nor is he lost to Me.” (Gita, 6.30) A person in Krishna-consciousness sees everything in relation to Krishna. If I use a tape recorder for sense pleasure, it is a material object; but if I use it to record a speech about Krishna it is spiritual. Krishna-consciousness means seeing everything in relation to Krishna and using everything for Him. Even money is spiritual if it is used for Krishna’s purpose.
Krishna says that when the yogi re-establishes his relationship with Him, then, “I will never leave his sight.” The perfection of yoga is to see Krishna everywhere. Even though the spiritual man sees Krishna everywhere, he still worships His form in the temple. He does not think that because Krishna is everywhere, it is of no use to go to the temple to worship. If Krishna is everywhere, He is also in the temple. Krishna is very kind to us. He lets us see Him everywhere and He lets us worship Him in the temple. The real yogi sees Krishna everywhere and still worships Him at the altar. The real yogi also spreads his happiness to others. Because he has become happy through Krishna-consciousness he tells others about it so they can become happy too. This is the true meaning of spiritual socialism. This gives the maximum benefits to the most people. Krishna Himself said that no man is dearer to Him than one who helps others.
When one enters the Kingdom of God he will know how unhappy he was in the material contamination. He will not want to go back. Returning to Krishna does not mean becoming Krishna. When a son returns home to his father he does not become his father. We can even become the father of Krishna, but we can never be equal to Him. We will always be subordinate to Him.
Poem by Kirtanananda
Poem by Kirtanananda
O Savior of the Lotus Eye,
I am unworthy of Thy Form Divine,
Whisper but Thy Name sublime,
Govinda, Govinda, Govinda.
O Krishna of the Lotus Breast,
Where compassion complete doth rest,
Just one embrace is all I ask,
That is enough for me.
O Lover of the Lotus Lips,
Press to my heart Thy tongue;
Enfold Thyself about myself,
Then shall we two be one.
Sprinkle the dust from Thy Lotus Feet
Over my mortal head;
Trample my flesh to pieces,
Then only Thou will be.
—Kirtanananda Das Brahmachary
Krishna the dew of morning,
Krishna the flower of noon,
Krishna the star of evening,
Krishna the all in all.
Krishna the Knower,
Krishna the Known,
Krishna the Subject and Object,
Krishna is All I know.
—Kirtanananda Das Brahmachary
(Keith Ham)
Flip Out and Stay
Flip Out and Stay
by Hayagriva Das Brahmachary
(Howard Wheeler)
Life is a succession of flashes. It is difficult for man, at any time in his history, to see himself as he really is. Events fall upon events with stunning rapidity, and from this vantage point, so arbitrarily designated as “America, 1960’s” we can see that these events have been tumbling from century to century with a snowballing effect and without any direction. Today we sense that the universe is truly explosive. Universe. Etymologically the word means “one turning,” or “one revolution.” Poetically it is easier to think of “universe” as meaning “one song,” or “The Song of the One,” “Song of Myself,” “Bhagavad-Gita,” or “The Song of the Lord.” The universe has been described by Pascal as a sphere whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere. Each individual certainly feels this to be so, as it is the nature of each living entity to feel that the whole of life is revolving about him and that he is the measure of all things. So thinks the President in the Presidency, the laborer in his shop, the ant in his anthill. To quote Whitman, “There is no object so soft but it makes a hub for the wheel’d universe.” This is the case, and, paradoxically, it is not the case. We constantly have glimpses of a larger Self, a Knower Who is not yet known and Who hints at being the center from which all things emanate, an Intelligence that omnipresently pervades creation, yet has, as an observer, His supreme eternal abode in a superior realm.
At this moment in history we may be inclined to wish that man would only stop—stop all his activities—and just look at himself. It would be much like the ant in the anthill suddenly becoming aware of itself as an ant in an anthill. It would be like stopping the camera of life and focusing on one of the frames of that great film, of capturing briefly one of those elusive succession of flashes, or somehow managing, as William James once cited, “to kiss your own lips.” Many of us know that those lips will stay there till we reach the other side. Perhaps some me—at this stage in their evolution—feel that the whole process would be too embarrassing. It would be like a government dignitary being caught naked in a harsh light, or being suddenly surprised in the bathroom. After all, evolution is not symmetrically progressive. Some entities seem trapped in the lower cellars for millenniums while others, with one birth, zip to the top and flip over the ledge. That final flip has been called liberation by the Hindus, nirvana by the Buddhists, and salvation by the Christians. Though concepts differ as to what the “flip” is to, the end result seems pretty much the same. There’s no return. Or, to use the language of the American LSD “hippies”: “no more bring-downs.”
How to flip and flip completely is the question. It is certainly not nobler in the mind to suffer those “slings and arrrows” of contemporary misfortune. Not at this point at least. If a man does stop and take that long look—catch himself between breaths as it were and feel the immensity of the past (decillions of exhausted winters and summers) pushing him into the unknown, eternity pushing him into eternity, toward the final merge he always seems to resist (if not always, why is he still struggling on the material planet?)—then man can easily see that the sound and the fury is robbing him of the best that is in him, that he is actually selling out his happiness for one thing or another (a loaf of bread, family honor, social standing, national prestige, or something else illusory) and that in reality, like the ant on the anthill, he doesn’t know who he is, what he is, where he is, where he’s been, where he’s going, or—most pathetically—who’s in charge.
Who is in charge?
Well, we can pretty much conclude that man isn’t. He can’t even affect his own destiny as history. In this century alone he hasn’t been able to keep from killing himself in two major wars. Now he’s undoubtedly beginning a third in Vietnam and is already unable to stop it. He certainly can’t affect the rotation of the earth on its axis, the rising and falling of the tides, the fire of the sun or the balance of the solar system and its motion within the galaxy. His “progress” is a sham—automobiles and planes only accelerate his deterioration—mass murder by bombs, suicide by speed. Birth, old age, disease and death join hands as firmly now as in prehistoric times. How has man made progress? Certainly none in this age of spiritual malnutrition. The word-pictures Hart Crane, the American poet, gives in “The Tunnel” section from The Brooklyn Bridge are most graphic depictions of life in contemporary New York:
Some day by heart you’ll learn each famous sight
And watch the curtain lift in hell’s despite…
Our tongues recant like beaten weather vanes…
The phonographs of hades in the brain
Are tunnels that re-wind themselves, and love
A burnt match skating in a urinal.
Daemon, demurring and eventful yawn!
Whose hideous laughter is a bellows mirth
—Or the muffled slaughter of a day in birth—
O cruelly to inoculate the brinking dawn
With antennae toward worlds that glow and sink;—
To spoon us out more liquid than the dim
Locution of the eldest star, and pack
The conscience navelled in the plunging wind,
Umbilical to call—and straightway die!
O caught like pennies beneath soot and steam,
Kiss of our agony thou gatherest;
Condensed, thou takest all—shrill ganglia
Impassioned with some song we fail to keep.
(From Hare Crane’s The Brooklyn Bridge)
Such is the cry given by “the Shelley of our age” over the rooftops of the “world’s most modern city.” The “Shrill ganglia” is contemporary civilization and the “song we fail to keep” is the Song Divine, the Song of God. Yet New York is the city other cities about the globe seek to emulate. One look at the faces of the occupants of this city tell us they are not of the “golden Manahatta” Whitman celebrated. No, those are the inhabitants of “the back forks of the chasms of the brain,” the dwellers of the “interborough fissures of the mind.” These are men who’ve never stopped to look at themselves and their position. These are the lost. Lost in the anthill. Lost in the firey mazes of space. Lost in the chaos of the radio static of propaganda. Lost to the archpriests of Moloch. Buddha declared two thousand years ago that everything in the material universe is “on fire.” Yet man still persists. He wants to be God. He wants to lord it over “his” little planet. He wants to control. He wants power. That is his karma. That is his illusion. That is his golden vanity. That is his habit. That is his hangup. And he trains his children to mimic him. “The sins of the fathers are visited on the children to the third and fourth generations.” (Exodus) No wonder so many young collegiates are trying to flip out permanently on super drugs. Perhaps they see that a creation, which is essentially beautiful, is being misused. Perhaps they sense a part of the truth; that man is not proprietor and lord of the creation, but is a custodian and servitor. Perhaps this is their way of saying, “We don’t want any part of this hell you’ve made for yourselves.” So they use psychedelics as a springboard to propel themselves into different realms, into realms previously only known to mystics. But the drug “flip” is only temporary. It is temporary because it is artificial. “Oh, satori,” one young LSD user was hear to say. “Yes, I’ve had that. It wasn’t all that great.” One really begins to wonder where all these “trips” are leading. And one thinks of old Whitman: “That I walk up my stoop, I pause to consider if it really be,/ A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books./ Each moment and whatever happens thrills me with joy.” (“Song of Myself,” Sec. 24) This is cosmic consciousness. This is being awake to ourselves and to the Divine. This is realization.
Realization is not something we learn in a book or hear in a lecture. Realization is living the life for which man is intended. Realization does not imply withdrawal; realization is leading life and meeting destiny with opened eyes. Man does have an integral place in the universe, a unique and perfect place. If a leaf of grass is the “journey work of the stars,” how much more so is man? But man must begin to accustom himself to “the dazzle of the Light,” to wake up and see himself in his position—his constitutional position. This is not “void.” The creation is not void. It is filled with light, motion, and an infinite number of forms and objects. Buddha does not say it is void. “Emptiness IS form,” he says. Each moment we are being shown something by God who is eternally revealing Himself to us. If we would only let Him! We must listen to what He is telling us, to turn off to mankind and tune in to Him. We must learn our lesson well and learn to surrender to Him that He may teach and guide us. It is not necessary to close our eyes and try to think of void in our attempts to “reach” God. God is not so hard to reach. He tends to our every need without our asking Him. We can be in samadhi, or highest union with God, every moment of our lives, and while performing the most menial tasks. Our morning breakfast can be an ecstasy—without penance or meditation or drugs or laboorious study. The best method in this “Age of Kali,” an age characterized by chaos, disagreement, ignorance and quarrel, is the simple chanting of the praises and the Holy Name of God—continuously.
“Krishna” (the Name of God appearing in the Gita) “kirtan” (singing, chanting) is the simplest method for this age, introduced in America by this Society For Krishna Consciousness. This is the quickest way to flip out without coming down: “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare! Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare Hare!” Your associates will think you mad. That is the first sign of progress. Just let others be mad for maya, the old ephemeral lures of women and gold. One doesn’t have a choice of being mad in this madhouse society—most are already mad for the illusion, for the sham, the cheap, the tawdry, the counterfeit, and are being buffeted by the waves of lust, power, sensual pleasures, etc. But be mad instead for the Reality. First of all you will begin to notice how beautiful the creation is. Then you will progress into the eternal realms of the Creator, Krishna, Who is Bliss-Knowledge-Absolute. Allow Him and He will reveal things to you that have confounded the wise for centuries. Then you will find your eternal abode in Him, an abode in which there is no life or death to escape, but only the bliss of the Kingdom to enjoy. Is this such a mean pursuit for a man?
Poem by Kirtanananda
Poem by Kirtanananda
Thy Name, Dear Krishna, is music.
They Name is holy food.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Jehovah, Jesus, Buddha too,
All are Thy Names and are blessed too.
Many Thy Names I know not yet—
What does it matter when I know You.
Kirtanananda Das Brahmachary
(Keith Ham)
BACK TO GODHEAD is published semi-monthly by The International Society For Krishna Consciousness at 26 Second Avenue (between 1st and 2nd streets) New York, New York 10003. 1 year subscription (24 issues) $3.00. Phone 627-2728.
FOUNDER: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
EDITORS: Hayagriva Das Brahmacharya (Howard Wheeler)
Rayarama Das Brahmachary (Raymond Marais)
Circulation: Gargamuni Das Brahmachary (Gregory Scharf)
Printing: Ranchor Das Brahmachary (Ronald King)
Advertisement
Advertisement
Srimad Bhagavatam
by Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasadeva
The original and genuine commentary on Vedanta philosophy by the author of Vedanta himself, Vyasadeva, now available for the first time in English with authorized explanation by Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam is the post graduate study of the Bhagavad-Gita, or the Science of Krishna. This book of transcendental knowledge contains information of classical Hindu culture, philosophy, sociology, economics, politics, aesthetics and Divine love. This unique edition of Srimad-Bhagavatam has been greatly appreciated by all learned societies of philosophy and theosophy and approved by the Indian State and Central Government Education departments and by the United States Government (Library of Congress catalogue #SA 64-1457).
Swami Bhaktivedanta’s edition contains Sanskrit, Sanskrit transliteration, English equivalents, translation and elaborate commentaries. Published by the League of Devotees, New Delhi, India, 1962-65. Price: $16.80 for 3 volumes (1200 pages). Postage paid by the Society.
Available from The International Society For Krishna Consciousness, 26 Second Avenue, New York, New York.
Easy Journey To Other Planets
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Every man is seeking pleasure in life. But he does not know where it is. This small booklet will give an idea of the perpetual pleasure of Krishna Consciousness. Price: 35 cents
Who Is Crazy?
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
A person who is illusioned by the temporary wonders of material energy is certainly a crazy man. Practically all men in material activities are insane in various degrees. How to cure this increasing epidemic is suggested here. Read it and be cured of all craziness. Price: 35 cents
Soon to be printed: Geetopanisad, or Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, translated and with commentaries by Swami Bhaktivedanta.
Available from The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, 26 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. Postage paid.
Back to Godhead Magazine #02,
November 12, 1966
Editorial
Editorial
This is the second issue of Back To Godhead, a publication devoted to promulgating bhaktiyoga, the science of God as expounded by Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita. The International Society For Krishna Consciousness was incorporated in July, 1966. Over a short four months the Society has expanded sufficiently to warrant larger quarters than the small Second Avenue storefront temple. Therefore the Society is presently negotiating for the Temple Emanu-El building on Sixth Street (between First and Second Avenues). This building could provide living quarters for some 75 full time devotees, and would give the Society an auditorium for larger mass kirtan (singing and chanting) as well as provide space for other activities. To raise funds for the building and to acquaint more people with the kirtan movement and the philosophy of the Gita, the Society will hold kirtan at the Gate Theater, 162 Second Avenue (between 10th and 11th Streets) on the next three Sundays, November 13th, 20th, and 27th, and a kirtan and talk by Swami Bhaktivedanta at Judson Hall, 165 W. 57th Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues) November 15th at 8 p.m. The Gate Theater performances will be benefit performances for the new building, but admission is free for the Judson Hall concert. Many downtown New Yorkers have become acquainted with “kirtan” recently through the Tomkins Square Park meetings over the past four Sundays. Since the weather will not permit outdoor kirtan, we hope to be able to offer this program in a new building that will enable more people to participate, without being crowded into a small storefront.
Even more New Yorkers became acquainted with the “Hare Krishna” chant recently at the November 5th Peace Parade from Tomkins and Washington Squares up to Times Square. The New York Times approximated that some 10,000 parade participants were protesting the Vietnam war, though the number looked closer to 30,000. Poet Allen Ginsberg, a friend of this Society, led the “Hare Krishna” mantra during the three hour jaunt, and many in the parade took up the chant. The scene might have duplicated Lord Chaitanya’s march some five hundred years ago when the Lord led thousands of people chanting “Hare Krishna” to the local magistrate’s building because the magistrate forbade chanting the praises of Lord Krishna in the streets. Poet Ginsberg, wearing white Gandhi pyamas and a stars and stripes top hat, sang the “Hare Krishna” chant to harmonium accompaniment at Times Square, and said that “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare” was “a magic formula chant to the gods of preservation that calms peoples’ hearts.” We also feel that when mankind sings the transcendental praises of the Supreme Lord instead of the praises of nationalism and materialism, he will not only have “peace on earth” but will have peace in his heart and soul.
—The Editors
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Notes transcribed by Woomapati Das Brahmachary (Wallace Sheffey)
From lectures given Sept. 13th and 20th, 1966.
We all begin our pursuit of the goal of life from a position of ignorance. Now, an ignorant person does not know of the science of God, but if he at least wants to hear of it, this is good. In fact, the Vedic literature is known as “Sruti,” which means to learn by hearing. Spiritual science does not require a high education, nor a high intellect. Simply by hearing we can pass over the ocean of birth and death. Scriptures are intended to help us in the passage beyond death. The basic principle of spiritual education is that the soul is eternal, but it is constantly changing its bodily dress. Most people don’t realize that they are eternal. The atheists say that if we want to be happy we should get money so that we can have more food and material pleasures. However, in spite of all our material comforts and scientific advancements, we have not been able to stop the miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease. It is these four painful, conditional states that prevent our having any real happiness. Only self-realization can put an end to this suffering. How is this done?
There could not be a material world without God. God is the origin of all creation. Cars and buses do not move themselves; there must be a driver. Similarly, the body does not move without the soul. Living beings, as we find them here, are a combination of matter and spirit. Matter cannot develop into a living being without the presence of spirit soul. The mother and father cannot produce a baby unless the spirit soul first enters into the womb to develop into the body of the baby. When cars, trucks, buses, people, animals, insects, or anything else moves, there is a combination of matter and spirit soul in operation. If these objects cannot move without the presence of the spirit soul, how can the universe move without the presence of the Super Soul, or God?
No material object moves by itself. Space satellites move with the help of the people on the ground. Machines need men at the controls. Without exception, whatever exists—moving or non-moving—is a combination of matter and soul.
Matter is characterized as impermanent, by nature mutable. Soul, our true identity, is eternal. We should not cling to what is temporary. Even the universe will pass away. We should persist in Krishna consciousness which will bring us to our eternal status and we should tell others about it so that they too can be freed. If they do not listen, still we should do our best. If we have done our best, it does not make any difference whether or not we have followers. Not everyone is ready for the perfection of human life. If we preach to animals, for example, they will not understand, because they are not ready. It is the same with people who do not listen. Lord Jesus Christ said, “Cast not your pearls before swine.”
Our eternal lives should be devoted to that which is eternal. When everything else is gone, the Supreme Lord will still exist. Krishna says, “I existed before creation, and after the end of creation I will exist.” The body vanishes when it dies, but the soul does not. When a baby grows, the baby eventually vanishes and a child appears in its place. The mother is not disturbed about the disappearance of her baby. The child eventually disappears, and an adult appears in its place. Death and rebirth is a process similar to this.
God is present everywhere. However, this does not mean that love of God is an impersonal love. Love requires a person for an object and cannot exist without a beloved. When we love God, He is always present. We can see God everywhere, if we love Him. Spiritual development is the development of the love of God. It is a process of give and take, like courtship. Love of God develops like love between man and woman. We begin by giving everything to God. We should be willing to give everything to God, because everything is already His. Even our bodies and senses belong to God. He gave us senses because we wanted to enjoy sense gratification. If we give everything to Krishna, Krishna will give Himself to us. When we have Krishna, we do not want anything else.
We say, “My body,” or, “my sense” because they are given to us to use, but we should know that they really belong to Krishna, and we should use them for His purposes. The fragmented consciousness should dovetail itself with the whole. Our body lives on food which is supplied by God, so why should we use it for purposes other than His? All our purposes should be spiritual, because spirit is the basis of all that is and seems to be. There is spirit in anything that grows, even mountains and stones. It is even confirmed by science that the universe is growing, so the universe must have spirit. A dead plant or animal no longer has the spiritual spark, so it does not grow. A child is supposed to grow, but a dead child, a child without the spiritual spark, does not grow. We living beings are by constitution spiritual. Our very consciousness is the symptom of this. Krishna is the Supreme Spirit, and as such He is the natural and true abode. The real objective of all the strivings of consciousness is the Supreme Lord.
When the scriptures say that Krishna is formless, they mean that He has spiritual form, and that He is also present everywhere. The sun can be used as an example: although there is only one sun, and nobody will deny that it has form, it is still seen and felt in many places at the same time.
When it is said that Krishna does not have senses, it means that He does not have imperfect senses like ours. The difference between Krishna and the living entities is that Krishna is great, and the living entities are subordinate. We are like small grains of gold dust, while Krishna is a gigantic piece of gold. When Krishna indulges in sense pleasure, it is to please His devotees. Krishna Himself has no need of sense gratification. Krishna has no desire to exploit His devotees. He will kindly allow a devotee to be His servant for the sake of granting the devotee his wish to serve. Krishna indulges in sense pleasures in order to return His devotees’ love. Of course, in His boundlessness, He always returns more than the devotee can give.
When the scriptures say that Krishna is beyond words, it means that He is infinite. It does not mean that He has no senses or speech. Krishna has all the qualities that we have, but His qualities are spiritual and pure and quite beyond measure. Our qualities are also spiritual, but they are covered by material nature, and they are, therefore, evidently limited.
Although Krishna’s planet is farther away than man can measure, He is also here, on this planet. He is always with His pure devotees. When we chant His name, He is on our tongues. Krishna is inside and outside everything. People say that Krishna cannot be born in a physical body. Why can’t He? If He can manifest Himself everywhere, why can’t He manifest Himself in a human womb and take birth like an ordinary child?
Krishna is simultaneously one and many. He is undivided but He appears to be divided. Those bound to material concepts say that when something is divided it cannot remain whole. They do not realize that Krishna is above the laws of material nature. In the spiritual realm it can be said that one minus one equals one. No matter how much you take from Krishna, He is always complete and perfect. That is His nature, as He Himself has revealed it to us.
Advertisement
Advertisement
SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM
by Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasadeva
The original and genuine commentary on Vedanta philosophy by the author of Vedanta himself, Vyasadeva, now available for the first time in English with authorized explanation by Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta.
The Srimad Bhagavatam is the post graduate study of the Gita, or the science of Krishna. This book of transcendental knowledge contains information of classical Hindu culture, philosophy, sociology, economics, politics, aesthetics and Divine love. Swami Bhaktivedanta’s edition contains Sanskrit, Sanskrit transliteration, English equivalents, translation and elaborate commentaries. Published by the League of Devotees, New Delhi, 1962-65. Price: $16.80 for 3 volumes (1200 pages). Postage paid by the Society. Available from The International Society For Krishna Consciousness, 26 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y.
Krishna: the Divine Lover
Krishna: the Divine Lover
by Hayagriva Das Brahmachary
(Howard Wheeler)
Being your slave, what should I do but tend
Upon the hours and times of your desire?
I have no precious time at all to spend,
Nor services to do, till you require.
Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour
Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you,
Nor think the bitterness of absence sour
When you have bid your servant once adieu.
Nor dare I question with my jealous thought
Where you may be, or your affairs suppose,
But, like a sad slave, stay and think of nought
Save where you are how happy you make those.
So true a fool is love that in your will,
Though you do anything, he thinks no ill.
(Shakespeare, Sonnet 57)
Krishna is the Divine Lover in the Bhagavad-Gita. This means little to most men today, but when we realize that the entire creation is the Bhagavad-Gita, then we can see that this applies to us. Krishna is our Lover. We are His creation, and He is the Lover of the creation. Like the clever Lover that He is, He hides Himself from us at times so we may long for Him and call to Him. His love for us is actually very great, so great that we cannot begin to comprehend it. It seems to have a tinge of the diabolic in it when He hides Himself from us, but actually He does not hide Himself from us. He is before us all the time. We are simply searching for Him always, but do not recognize Him when He is before us. He is the Lover who satisfies even our smallest needs. Even our remotest desires come from and are directed to Him. His love is really not a matter of genitals, of material love-making, though that element is present. He is even a coarse, material Lover, if this is the way we want Him. But actually this is symbolic of His real love. If His real love were totally manifest to us, we would melt in its fire. His real love is there, but we have up to now been satisfied only with its symbols, with tokens of His love, and have interpreted these on the level of love between humans. Love between humans is on a finite, timely and limited plane. But love between man and Krishna is infinitely more complex. This courtship takes place over millions and trillions of years. For millenniums our individual souls have been wandering throughout the universe, following desire after desire, chaotic, lost to that eternal Lover who can truly satisfy us. For so many lives we have been confined to wandering in these endless rounds of birth, old age, disease and death. All this time our real Lover has been watching and waiting for us to turn to him. Before the beginning of this particular creation He has been watching our progress, our purification, waiting until we finally face Him, until we finally put aside our play, make-believe lovers and turn to Him Whom we truly love and Who can truly answer us.
Knowing Him, feeling His presence, is an excitement far greater than any teenager’s excitement on her first date with the boy she loves. Krishna is not a one-night date, nor is He only a partner for a lifetime. He is the Eternal Lover, His love is not timely, finite or limited. His love is eternal, infinite, and boundless as the great ocean of space. For the soul who loves Him, He plays endless carols of joy. He plays grand symphonies. He is the Lover with the flute. He sings rock and roll songs and strums a guitar. He plays piano, cymbals, drums. His symbolical manifestations are infinite, He sends numberless messengers, but His devotee is only made impatient by them. His devotee knows that these are only symbols of the Lover, that His avatars are only indications of His courtship. He drops signs and loveletters between cracks in the pavement. He writes His messages across the stars. Or He places them in little corners and crevices for us to stumble upon. These signs only drive the devotee madder for Him.
We really long to see His face, His true, eternal, spiritual form. We want Him to take us away, to devour us, to treat us as He likes—cruelly or friendly—anything rather than neglect or forget us. We would rather be cast in hell and have Him conscious of us than to be put in a paradise of material enjoyments and have Him forget us. For we know it is only He who can satisfy. Everything else is a mockery, a taunt. But then we begin to wonder how we can ever warrant His love. When we look at our miserable sinful lives, we wonder how we can ever be worthy of Him. A beloved must be worthy of the Lover. Our only hope is that our pitiable, hopeless condition makes us more lovable to Him. Our only refuge is in totally surrendering to Him, whether He wants us or not. One who loves someone does not wait for his Lover to move. He moves first, makes the first overtures to his Lover. We must begin to make overtures to Krishna, to think of Him constantly, to pray to Him, to offer everything to Him, to deny all others but Him, to be satisfied with nothing, with no one but Him alone. We must disdain any earthly facsimiles, all symbols. When we see beauty on this earth, any bodily beauty, we must remember that it really radiates from Him, that it is only a symbol of His beauty, a minute fraction of His beauty. When we feel the slightest desire or love for anything, we must realize that this desire and love are really for Him. When we see splendor and magnificence, we must be all the more aware that these are but His footprints. Many of us know what it means to be in love with another person—the anxieties, the tremblings, the sudden heartbeats, the loneliness, the constant dwelling of the mind on the lover, the calling of the beloved’s name, the hearing of the beloved in any piece of music, the seeing of the beloved in a painting, the impatience to have the beloved always near, the awful dread lest the beloved be secretly indifferent. All these are on a small, finite scale. All this can be felt by one person to another. All this is felt by one fragment of illusory energy for another fragment of illusory energy. And such feelings only last comparatively short times. How much greater must these feelings, thoughts, passions be between the soul and the Divine Lover? Especially when we realize that love for others has really been love for Him—disguised.
When we shake off the disguise, our love stands naked and unashamed. But our love is finite—it can never compare to the love of the Divine Lover. That which He feels for us we cannot comprehend. We can dissolve or swim or drown in His ocean of love, but we cannot comprehend it. It is limitless. We can rest or doze on His breast. It is limitless. His shoulders that lift us are mountains, His chest fields of grass and golden flowers. Resting on His Body we are carried eternally. There is no end to His glories and attributes. His glance is the creation, His voice the origin of all sound, His call our friendly awakening. How can we resist such a Lover? How unhappy we must be when He is not near, how small and miserable and incomplete. How much would we prefer death to being separated from Him. But we do not really love Him. That we live this miserable life on earth is testimony that we do not love Him. But now we should prepare for Him, wait for Him to call and take us out of this vile, loathsome, diseased bodily dwelling. We must wait for Him, as He has waited so long for us. We must prepare for Him. We must prepare to be worthy to meet Him for whom we pine, the Lover True for whom we long, to meet Him finally, face to face.
When asked if he were a devotee of Krishna’s, Lord Chaitanya said that he was a devotee in name only, that His crying for Krishna was only show for the masses, that if he were actually a devotee, he would have died long ago rather than have tolerated being separated from Krishna for even a moment. If we really love someone we don’t sit in a room calling his name. We go after him, sacrifice everything to be with him. We all know this to be true. It is in this way that the soul of man longs for Krishna. As long as we are separated from Him due to our entanglement in these physical bodies, as long as we put wife, family, money, country, occupation before Him, we cannot have Him. Even the highest demi-gods do not long for Krishna as man can long for Krishna. The demi-gods enjoy fantastically long lives of material pleasure and, although they are subservient to Him, they do not long for Him. They have to take rebirth on earth in a human body for their final liberation into Krishna’s Kingdom. But man’s life is really ideal for seeking Krishna. His life is too short and too unstable to expect any real happiness on this earth. Yet he lives long enough and is sufficiently intelligent to realize all that is necessary for liberation. He gains liberation when he fully understands that Krishna is everything, the Fountainhead that brings into being the entire manifested universe and dissolves this universe, all within Himself. “By Me, in My unmanifested form, are all things in this universe pervaded. All beings exist in Me, but I do not exist in them.” (Gita, 9.4) The man who does not enquire after Krishna is throwing away the most valuable prize in the universe, for he is actually throwing away a jewel for stones and committing suicide thereby. He foolishly tries to squeeze a brief seventy years of pleasure out of his body and says, “To hell with my eternal spiritual life, to hell with Krishna. Let me enjoy myself while I’m living here.” Or, in his frustration he seeks after “void.” Or he sleeps to forget everything. Such a man is not even on the level of the animal, for such a man betrays his own divine nature, whereas an animal is being true to its nature in leading its animal life. The animal life is meant for an animal, but it is not meant for man. Man’s life is intended for enquiring after God. Man’s life is intended for the pursuit of Ultimate Knowledge, which is God. Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, is Bliss-Knowledge-Absolute. Our enquiry after these things finally leads us to Him. “At the end of many births the man of wisdom seeks refuge in Me, realizing that Vasudeva is all. Rare indeed is such a high-souled person.” (Gita, 7.19) Man is intended to ask, “Whence this earth and these heavens? And these lands and seas and countries? And myself? My body? How is it formed from this earth, air, water and soil? How from the progeneration of my parents? Did I exist before my body? If so, how? And what about after death? How is the mind, the intelligence, different from the body? And how is the soul different from the body? I have heard that my sould is immortal, but what part of me is my soul? And this part of me that is my soul, is this also the Supersoul? Is this God? Or is it part of God? And if it is part of God, what then is its relation to God? And how is the soul different from the mind and ego? Does the mind die? Does the ego die? Certainly the body dies, but what about myself? What about my individuality, that which makes me different from all other beings in the universe? Does that individuality die? And what is it in me that makes me like every other living entity in the universe? And how is it that I am made in the image and likeness of God?” These are questions that should be asked by man. They are not impossible questions without answers. They can be answered simply and lucidly. Many of the answers are explicitly given in the Bhagavad-Gita. And many of the answers are shown to us by Krishna, for the answers cannot be given in words.
It is therefore man’s duty, if he is at all interested in his happiness, to turn to Krishna for knowledge. Krishna is the great Lover and Friend of all. He refuses no soul that honestly and humbly turns to Him. “For those who take refuge in Me, O Partha, though they be of sinful birth—women, vaisyas, and sudras—even they attain the Supreme Goal.” (Gita 9.32) But those who do not turn to Him, He casts again and again into diabolic wombs. “These cruel haters, these evil-doers, these vilest of men, I hurl always into the wombs of the demons in the cycle of births and deaths. Having fallen into the wombs of the demons and being deluded from birth to birth, they never attain Me, O son of Kunti, but go farther down to the lowest state.” (Gita, 16.19–20) Such souls suffer countless migrations in the 84 lacs species of life. Just because man and the world do not offer the individual soul hope, it does not follow that there is no hope. Much of the desperation and unhappiness in this age, especially in the youth, is due to this sense of hopelessness. Hopelessness is the dominant theme of man in the twentieth-century, especially after two major wars, and now, on the brink of an atomic conflagration, man thinks, “Oh hell, let me live it up while there’s still time. They might blow it all up tomorrow.” This desire to “live it up” is but a shadow of the real desire—the desire for eternal happiness and bliss. But due to material contact, this desire has become perverted. Man directs his desire for happiness to the earth and not to God. When the subject of God arises most men think it is time for a funeral or a horrible catastrophe. The last words of the Old Testament, “Lest I come down and smite the earth with a curse” seem to echo, in most men’s minds, as the last words of God. But man’s conception of God as something remote and even possible malevolent is due to man’s alienation from Him. Once man sees Krishna as the Eternal Lover of the creation Who only wants to see His children happy and with Him, all these fears, resulting from a sense of severance, vanish. Then man will not hesitate to look at the Lord face to face and yield to the overtures He has so long been making. Krishna consciousness is the beginning of this transcendental renaissance.
Poem by Kirtanananda
Poem by Kirtanananda
Again I am alone,
Again I sit and wait.
Where is the heavenly muse?
Where is my Lotus Lord tonight?
Are my senses dead
That I do not see the Lord of Light?
That I do not clasp His arm and rest on His sweet-scented breast?
My ears are worse than deaf
That at the sound of “Krishna”
I do not sink away and die.
Govinda, Krishna—awaken me, I plead.
Cut off these ears,
Pluck out these eyes,
That I might hear and see indeed.
Take all I have, my brief life,
And then I shall live in Thee.
—Kirtanananda Das Brahmachary
(Keith Ham)
Advertisement
Advertisement
EASY JOURNEY TO OTHER PLANETS
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Every man is seeking pleasure in life. But he does not know where it is. This small booklet will give an idea of the perpetual pleasure of Krishna Consciousness. Price: 35 cents
KRISHNA THE RESERVOIR OF PLEASURE
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Every man is seeking pleasure in life. But he does not know where it is. This small booklet will give an idea of the perpetual pleasure of Krishna Consciousness. Price: 35 cents
WHO IS CRAZY?
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
A person who is illusioned by the temporary wonders of material energy is certainly a crazy man. Practically all men in material activities are insane in various degrees. How to cure this increasing epidemic is suggested here. Read it and be cured of all craziness. Price: 35 cents
Available from The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, 26 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. Postage paid.
BACK TO GODHEAD is published semi-monthly by The International Society For Krishna Consciousness at 26 Second Avenue (between 1st and 2nd Streets) New York, New York 10003.
1 year subscription (24 issues) $3.00. Phone 674-7428
FOUNDER: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
EDITORS: Hayagriva Das Brahmachary (Howard Wheeler)
Rayarama Das Brahmachary (Raymond Marais)
Circulation: Gargamuni Das Brahmachary (Gregory Scharf)
Printing: Ranchhor Das Brahmachary (Ronald King)
Back to Godhead Magazine #03,
December 1, 1966
God appears, and God is light,
To those poor souls who dwell in Night;
But does a Human Form display
To those who dwell in realms of Day.
—William Blake
By the Mercy of Krishna:
By the Mercy of Krishna:
Our Society has been holding Kirtan at a number of places in the city. During November, we were at the Gate Theater on Sundays and at Judson Hall on Tuesday, the 15th. In December, and possibly longer, we’ll be at Film Maker’s Cinematheque every Sunday at 3 p.m. The address is 25 West 41st Street, near Sixth Avenue. Admission will be free. Please come and bring your friends.
Although Back To Godhead has been circulating satisfactorily, we’d like to hear more in the way of comment from our readers, so please consider this an open invitation to give us your opinion of our magazine, and the philosophy to which it is devoted.
In closing, the editors would like to express their appreciation to Poet Allen Ginsberg, for his “Reflections on the Mantra,” which is an excerpt from a forthcoming novel, whose title is as yet undetermined.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare!
The Editors
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Notes transcribed from a lecture given September 23, 1966
The Paramatman, or the Supersoul, is distinguished from jivatman, the individual soul that enjoys the fruits of the body. Jivatman is under the spell of the material qualities, and he enjoys of suffers material activities and consequences, but Paramatman has nothing to do with the material qualities. Some people, who do not know, say that Paramatman and jivatman are the same, but they do not understand that Paramatman has nothing to do with material qualities. He may be compared to a doctor in the hospital tending to his sick patients. He himself is not sick. Only a fool would say that, because the doctor is in the hospital, he too must be sick, so it is the same with those who say that because jivatman and Paramatman live together in the same body, they are the same. Paramatman is never affected by material things like toothaches, even though He is in the same body. The devotee of Krishna must accept the duality of Paramatman and jivatman.
Krishna lives in the body, but He is transcendental. When He comes to earth, He has nothing to do with the material qualities. People in ignorance think that because Krishna is manifested in a human body He is just an ordinary man. This is explicitly denied in Bhagavad Gita: “Foolish persons deride Me when I assume this human form of my transcendental nature. They do so without knowing my supremacy over everything created.” (Gita, 10.11)
We must always distinguish between Paramatman and jivatman. In the Upanishads they are compared to two birds sitting in the same tree. One bird (jivatman) is eating the fruits of the tree, while the other bird (Paramatman) just sits and watches. Similarly, Krishna and Arjuna sat in the same chariot, but Arjuna knew that Krishna was the Supreme. We are also in the same chariot with Krishna, and we too should know that He is the Supreme. Even in the midst of the material world, Krishna is not attached. He does not act out of need, because he has no desires.
To become like Krishna, we should give up all material desires, and take shelter of Krishna. Everything that we do, we do with His permission. If we want to turn away from Him, He lets us; if we want to suffer, He lets us. We must first realize that we are suffering, and then ask why. When the question “why” arises in the mind, it is time to approach a spiritual master who is conversant with the Transcendental Nature, and is fully engaged in spiritual matters twenty-four hours a day. A spiritual master is a man who never leaves his spiritual work to seek sense gratification.
We must know that we are actually qualitatively one with Krishna. When jivatman knows that he is not this body, he becomes like Paratman. Jivatman is almost God, but not quite. Jivatman is wonderful, but not equal to God. The quality is the same, but the quantity is far different. For example, the rays of the sun spread all over the sky, but they come from the sun. Likewise, the Brahmajyoti illumines far and wide, but it emanates from Krishna. The soul is a spark in the heart, but its energy spreads all over the body. As the earth and sky are illumined by the sun, so the body is maintained by the spiritual spark. As the body is maintained by the individual soul, so the entire universe is maintained by God, or the Super-soul. I am not the Supreme. I merely illumine this body, but the Supreme illumines the entire universe.
Today, the twenty-third of September, is Radha’s birthday. She is fifteen days younger than Krishna. When Krishna was a boy, He played with the children of the countryside. Because He was so beautiful, all the girls prayed that someday He would be their husband. Radha loved Krishna the most, even more than the others. She is the symbol of the greatest worship.
Krishna and the girls were of the same age. Because girls are married earlier than boys, the girls were all married before Krishna. Despite their marriages, the girls all loved Krishna so much that whenever He played His flute, they would leave their homes and go to Him. This continued until Krishna was sixteen.
At the age of sixteen Krishna left His friends and went to live with His real father. All His friends spent the rest of their lives weeping and longing for Him. This too, is worship. Radha and Krishna met again during a solar eclipse at Kurukshetra. It was a meeting of love, but they were again separated. Radha is Krishna’s beloved. By her blessing, Krishna will accept us. Hare also means Radha, so when we chant “Hare Krishna” we chant “Radha Krishna.”
Reflections on the Mantra
Reflections on the Mantra
By Allen Ginsberg
Mantram (singular), mantra (plural) is a short verbal formula like Rolling Stones’ “I’m going home,” or Gertrude Stein’s “A rose is a rose is a rose,” which is repeated as a form of prayer meditation over and over until the original thin-conscious association with meaning disappears and the words become pure physical sounds uttered in a frankly physical universe; the word or sound or utterance then takes on a new density as a kind of magic language or magic spell and becomes a solid object introduced into the science fiction space-time place where the worshipper finds himself, surrounded by jutting mountain crags or city buildings.
After several minutes of devoted repetition—such as Alfred Lord Tennyson practiced with his own name (a form of worship of a form of the Self categorized by one Hindu as Atma Darshan. Self-communion translated—one might garland one’s own photo with flowers and kneel to worship that particular manifest image of Divinity)—it is possible that the awesome physical sound reverberating out of the body into the air might serve as a vehicle for the expression of nonconceptual sensations of the worshipper. That is to say, the magic formula pronunciation can be loaded with affects—feelings, emotions—(Bhakti or devotions is the Hindu term) passing through the body of the devotee. Feelings which arise spontaneously all the time, but rarely have suitable channels for direct expression. So that longer stretches of mantra chanting may become the opportunity for realization of certain blissful or horrific feelings which are latent and hitherto unrealized—tears may arise of which the devotee was not aware earlier. Or gaieties, or Hebraic solemnities. Thus the mantram may serve as an instrument for widening the area of immediate self-awareness of the singer; much as an intense conversation with psychoanalyst or lover, or priest or connection may bring out emotional news; singing (from olden times) deepens the soul of the singer. By deepens the soul, I mean not that the soul is added to like brick by brick, but that what’s already there becomes visible or audible. Well, we all know that about singing. I’m just explaining these simplicities to dispel mysterious notions or provincial resentments agains the use of oriental tricks.
Negro spirituals which involve deepening of the expression of a repeated refrain function like mantra. So lovers’ cries in moments of crisis like “Oh I’m coming, coming. I’m coming. I’m coming, etc.” Singing in the bathroom or on lonesome bridges may have some general function of providing situations where full force of feeling is slowly developed and outwardly expressed in solitude. From Yoruba drum-dance-and-shout worship rituals to electronic folk-rock we have developed Western situations to manifest our fugitive aetherial consciousness.
The Indian practice of mantra-chanting is ancient and useful to know; but I don’t know enough about it technically to be the right guru. I wish to explain what I do know through gossip and practice, and hope that scholarly holymen will make allowances for my ignorance.
One Oriental idea is suggestive: that the mantra in itself has magic or practical power irrespective of the sincerity or propriety of its pronunciation in a given situation; and that mere pronunciation of the mantra is a meritorious and mysterious art. On this assumption I take liberty to chant and explain mantram publicly.
The name of Shiva pronounced accidentally by a dying man asking for a glass of water was, on one occasion of legend cause for his immediate release from bondage to rebirth and suffering.
Why is that? Because, according to theory, the names of the Gods used in the mantra are identical with the Gods (or powers invoked) themselves. So that one who sings Shiva’s name becomes Shiva (Creator or Destroyer) himself. The subjective experience of repeated singing of Shiva’s name confirms this theory, as far as I have been able to tell. Obviously it is a subjective experience, not an “objective” one. Subjective sensation is what I’m interested in recovering contact with; and here interpret “objectivity” as a retreat from feelable phenomena.
The mantram is generally given by a teacher to pupil, and most often is to be kept secret, and recited aloud when alone, or silently with lips or only mentally; and recited continually, until the mind’s activities become fixed around the mantram. That way a continuum is begun that deepens till maybe deathbed. Fixing the mind on one point, focusing and deepening in one spot is a classical method of yoga meditation. Some mantra are all-India common property, and are universal, public. The late Swami Shivananda (May his self bless us all!) of Rishikesh recommended Hare Krishna as the Maha Mantra—Great Mantra—for this age, infallible publicly and privately for everyone. He was a large souled man, “Vishnu Himself” as one beautiful yogi explained in a hermitage across the river from Shivananda’s Ashram. Shivananda was the first “accredited” Guru I encountered; a year later at the confluence of Yamuna and Ganges rivers called Trivondrum in Allahabad at a great fair of half a million holymen and ladies, I passed by a larger wooden Nepalese structure where a lady saint supposed to be some Northern princess sat enthroned, with her attendants and worshipers gathered to one side around a harmonium (hand organ) and heard her smiling enrapt singing of the same Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Her face had an inner smile reflected, eyes half closed, the song had lilt of tenderness and odd inevitable sweet rhythm, and though I did notice it at the time, the song was impressed on my own memory. It came back after many adventures. I never knew her name.
August 1, 1966
Advertisement
Advertisement
SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM
by Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasadeva
The original and genuine commentary on Vedanta philosophy by the author of Vedanta himself, Vyasadeva, now available for the first time in English with authorised explanation by Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta.
The Srimad Bhagavatam is the post graduate study of the Bhagavad-Gita, or the Science of Krishna. This book of transcendental knowledge contains information of classical Hindu culture, philosophy, sociology, economics, poiltics, aesthetics and Divine love. This unique edition of Srimad Bhagavatam has been greatly appreciated by all learned societies of philosophy and theosophy and approved by the Indian State and Central Government Education departments and by the United States Government.
Swami Bhaktivedanta’s edition contains Sanscrit, Sanscrit transliteration, English equivalents, translation and elaborate commentaries. Published by the League of Devotees, New Delhi, India, 1962–65. Price: $16.80 for 3 volumes (1200 pages). Postage paid by the Society.
Available from the International Society For Krishna Consciousness, 26 Second Avenue, New York, New York.
The Unconditioned State
The Unconditioned State
by Rayarama Das Brahmachary
(Raymond Marais)
We are conditioned beings. Our thinking and communicating are done by means of symbols, such as words and colors and forms. By the use of words we try to understand our position in existence. Furthermore, we try to communicate—to teach and learn—through words. Words are experiences, surely. But they are experiences intended to convey other experiences—they are meant to be indicators of reality, rather than reality itself. For example, one does not run; one performs a certain action which, for the benefit of communicating with someone else, we call running. This is certainly so on the material plane, where words and actions are divisible.
In this day and age those who seek to know the Truth Absolute must come to grips with the problem of words. Are words an aid to our understanding of ourselves, or do they constitute an impediment? If we examine this question, we can see that they are either: words are, in fact, neutral tools which can be used, misused, or neglected. The theory that all words are false is patently absurd. Like the statement “I am lying,” it must be untrue if it is true.
Although we may use the same words, we each have different meanings for them, therefore the argument is put forth that we cannot accurately communicate anything by the use of words. This is because our comprehension depends upon our conditioning, which is different with each of us. Because our conditioning is unique, the meanings we give our words must be unique. This is the problem of word communication.
Therefore, the conditioned being is bound to fail in his attempts to communicate his experience to others. His experience itself, to begin with, is perceived through imperfect senses. But there is One, of Whom it is said:
… He is the Absolute Truth, and the Primeval Cause of all causes of these manifested universes—in creation, sustenance, and destruction. Directly and indirectly He is conscious of all different manifestations, but He is independent of any cause beyond Himself. (Srimad Bhagwatam)
Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is not conditioned. As the Source and Controller of all that is, the Lord is not bound in any way. When He speaks, it is from the Absolute level. he is within the heart of the hearer, as well as in the words of the scripture which He has given us to be heard. In that position, His words cannot be considered false.
Why then do men disagree as to the meanings of the scriptures? It is because they lack the necessary qualifications for understanding what the Lord says. Those qualifications are given in the Bhagavad Gita:
This same ancient yoga
Has been today declared to thee by Me;
For thou art My devotee and My friend;
And this is the supreme secret. (Gita, 9.3)
The supreme secret is that we must devote ourselves to God and to the study of His words. The Vedas, the Koran, the Holy Bible—all the scriptures of the world are comprehensible on this devotional level, and on no other. Once we have come to this level, we can obtain the knowledge which is revealed to us by God. Nor is this only theoretical knowledge:
This is sovereign knowledge, sovereign secret,
Supreme sanctity, known by direct experience,
In accord with the law,
Easy to practice and imperishable. (Gita, 9.2)
So, using the sovereign knowledge of the Lord, let’s examine the problem of conditioning. Conditioning generally means that which has been acquired artificially, or that which is not natural and original with the being. The materialistic thinker assumes that consciousness is a bio-chemical process, and therefore limits his concept of conditioning to that which is intellectually impose or adopted following birth. Of course, from this standpoint, there really is no question of an unconditioned state. If consciousness is bio-chemical, it depends upon one chemical interaction or another—which is conditioning however you want to look at it. Therefore, in Bhagavad Gita, the Lord clearly states that birth itself is in fact a conditioning.
All beings are born to delusion, O Bharata,
Overcome by the dualities
Which arise from wish and hate,
O Conqueror of the foe. (Gita, 7.27)
Lord Krishna further points to the unconditioned state—or the natural state, the attainment of which is the sole purpose of all scriptures.
But he who knows the true character of the two distinctions (of the soul)
From the modes of nature and their works, O Mighty-armed,
Understanding that it is the modes which are
Acting on the modes
Does not get attached. (Gita, 3.8)
We are, then, not doers of actions. Embodied souls, we have erroneously identified ourselves with the activities of material nature. This is our conditioning. It is a result of attachment, and the process of this attachment is also to be found in Bhagavad Gita:
The soul devoted attains to peace well-founded,
By abandoning attachment to the fruits of works,
But he whose soul is not in union with the Divine
is impelled by desire,
And is attached to the fruit (of action) and is bound. (Gita, 5.12)
We are bound not merely by the intellectualizing of experience. We are bound by our very craving for experience on the material plane – of which the intellectual process is a part. Having given ourselves over to this material sphere of activities, we are subject to its specific laws, and these condition our every action, thought, word and deed—from long before conception in the womb, until far after death, as we continue to be reborn, reborn, reborn.
The soul in nature
Enjoys the modes born of nature.
Attachment to the modes is the cause
Of its births in good and evil wombs. (Gita, 8.21)
These modes by which nature manifests itself are not escapable as long as we remain on the material level—whether we anesthetize, intellectualize or sexualize. Four verses from the Gita will clarify and explain the conditions of material existence:
The three modes
Goodness, passion and dullness
Bind down in the body, O Mighty-armed,
The imperishable dweller in the body.
Of these, goodness, being pure,
Causes illumination and health.
It binds, O blameless one, by attachment to happiness,
And by attachment to knowledge.
Passion, know thou, is of the nature of attraction,
Springing from craving and attachment
It binds fast, O son of Kunti,
The embodied one by attachment to action.
But dullness, know thou, is born of ignorance,
And deludes all embodied beings.
It binds, O Bharata, by developing
The qualities of negligence, indolence and sleep. (Gita 9.5-8)
I’ve underlined the word “all” in the eighth verse, because it is ignorance even to be in the modes of goodness or passion. To be embodied, and to accept the bodily concept of life, is here said to be ignorance. Under that preliminary ignorance, we are subject to the modes of nature—immutable blind laws which take no account of our wishes, as the graveyards ultimately indicate.
This is the conditioned state—and this is our forlorn position, over which we have almost no control. Almost, but not quite exactly. We do have one choice which we can make: that is the choice to withdraw from attachment to material activities, once we understand that they are being artificially imposed upon us.
Whatever pleasures are born of contacts (with objects)
Are only sources of sorrow.
They have a beginning and an end, O son of Kunti,
No wise man delights in them. (Gita, 5.22)
What, exactly, doer the wise mad do? It is a current belief that enlightenment, of liberation—or, for our purposes, the unconditioned state—will come, just as death will come, more or less on its own, with no real need for effort. It is believed that the conditioned state cannot be altered by any endeavor of ours. The Lord Himself, however, says differently. In the concluding chapter of Bhagavad Gita, He says:
Thus has wisdom more secret than all secrets
Been declared to thee by. Me.
Having reflected on it fully,
Do as thou choosest. (Gita, 18.63)
Although Krishna has all power, and can direct any course of events whatever—quite above the controls of nature—He prefers that the embodied being choose for himself. What Krishna wants is our happiness, which can only really be attained in the unconditioned state. However, He gives us the knowledge and the choice to take or reject it. To further stress this freedom, He says elsewhere:
Let a man lift himself by himself;
Let him not degrade himself;
For the self alone is friend to the self,
And the self alone is enemy to the self. (Gita, 6.5)
The Lord is friend to all beings. He never wavers and He never turns from us. It remains only for us to befriend ourselves by accepting His help. This will free us from bondage to material nature.
We have now seen something of the conditioned status under which we labor, but what is this freedom to which we aspire? What is the unconditioned state? It is commonly described as Sat-Chit-Ananda: eternal knowledge and bliss. This is our constitutional spiritual nature, which, through some catastrophic ignorance, we have given up. In this bodily concept of life we are temporary, in ignorance, and rarely happy for longer than a moment’s time. The unconditioned state means that we reach a position of constitutional joy, which no thing can thereafter affect.
When the soul is no longer attached to external contacts,
One finds the happiness that is in the Self.
Such a one who is controlled in yoga on God
Enjoys undying bliss. (Gita, 5.21)
It is further stated:
He who is able to resist
The rush of desire and anger,
Even here before he gives up this body,
He is a yogi; he is a happy man. (Gita, 5.23)
The happiness attained in reaching the unconditioned position is full, not empty. It is simply empty of care, sorrow and bondage.
That, on gaining which he thinks
That there is no greater gain beyond it –
Wherein established he is not shaken
Even by the heaviest sorrow;
Let that be known by the name of yoga,
This disconnection from union with pain.
This yoga should be practiced with determination,
With heart undismayed. (Gita, 6.22–23)
For supreme happiness comes to the yogi
Whose mind is peaceful,
Whose passions are at rest, who is
Stainless, and has become one in interest with God.
Thus making the self ever harmonized,
The yogi, who has put away sin,
Experiences easily the infinite bliss
Of contact with the eternal. (Gita, 6.27–28)
This is the unconditioned state. This is freedom. It is a state of transcendental consciousness, free from all the designations and entanglements which are a part of material consciousness. No materialist philosopher can claim to reach—or even to comprehend—this sphere. This freedom from designation is made even more explicit elsewhere in the Gita:
Even here (on earth) the created (world) is overcome
By those whose mind is established in equality.
God is flawless and the same in all.
Therefore are these established in God. (Gita, 5.19)
This is not a state of consciousness into which one comes, and then again goes. It is bliss, it is ecstasy—which is never again lost. Having recovered our natural, constitutional position, the Lord guarantees that we will not fall again. Having revived our full consciousness, we then pass beyond the strict laws of nature, beyond the bewilderment of maya, beyond the clutches of death.
How to achieve this state of freedom should be our next concern, now that we’ve seen what it is. To help us to achieve it is the purpose of all the scriptures and transcendental philosophies of the world. The Lord Himself incarnates upon this earth to aid us in our plight. Without Him, we would assuredly be lost. Furthermore, even the attainment of wisdom is a gift from the Lord. It cannot be squeezed out of Him, nor can it be devised by us. In our conditional position, our own prescriptions are the very cause of our bondage. But Arjuna explains the way of liberation for us:
The supreme mystery,
The discourse concerning the self
Which Thou hast given out of grace for me—
By this my bewilderment is gone from me. (Gita, 11.1)
So our problem is how to obtain the Lord’s grace, without which no final conclusion to the problems of conditional existence can be reached. Arjuna was, we recall, Krishna’s friend and devotee. We must somehow elevate ourselves to that level—then we too can have the grace of God, and the joy of eternal association with Him in His Kingdom. This Kingdom is described by the Lord in these terms:
The sun does not illumine that,
Nor the moon, nor fire.
That is my supreme abode
From which those who reach it never return. (Gita, 15.6)
The Lord’s abode is not illuminated by external means because it is self-illuminated. This material universe is by nature dark, and is lighted by means of fire and sun. But the spiritual world is by nature light, and so it requires no illumination.
Now to the problem of reaching the state in which we will be free of material designations. We have already seen that this can be done by ingratiating ourselves to God. The practice of yoga is one of the more popular methods now in use for spiritual advancement, and we have seen that Krishna Himself approves of yoga practice. But just what is yoga? This is a question worth examining. The hatha, raja, and jnana systems are current, and are quite acceptable. However, regarding this question of methods, Krishna says:
And of all yogis,
He who full of faith worships Me,
With his inner self abiding in Me,
Him I hold to be most attuned. (Gita, 6.47)
This worship of the Lord is called Bhakti Yoga. It is the highest form of yoga. Its practice is outlined throughout the Bhagavad Gita:
Always glorifying Me,
Strenuous and steadfast in vows,
Bowing down to Me with devotion,
They worship Me, ever-disciplined. (Gita, 9.14)
Glorifying God can be done by hearing, reciting, remembering, serving, worshipping, chanting, following instructions, befriending and totally surrendering to the Lord. Any one of these methods—when perfectly carried out—will lead to full liberation, in that each contains all the others. The practice of bhakti is a practice of twenty-four hour meditation on the Lord, in the course of all activities. It requires no special time to be set aside. It requires that all one’s time be surrendered to the Supreme Reality:
Whatever thou doest, whatever thou eatest,
Whatever thou offerest, whatever thou givest away,
Whatever austerities thou dost practice
—Do that, O son of Kunti, as an offering to Me.
Thus shalt thou be freed
From the good and evil results which are the bonds of action.
With thy mind firmly set on the way of renunciation,
Thou shall become free, and attain to Me. (Gita, 9.27–28)
This is the practice of bhakti yoga—devotional service to the Lord. This is the means for qualifying ourselves to receive the Lord’s grace. Then, by the grace of Krishna, we may come to know Him.
Today the use of artificial aids to consciousness expansion is very popular—but no one can say that LSD, mescaline or marijuana have brought him to the platform where he can “experience easily the infinite bliss / Of contact with the Eternal.” The use of a drug or chemical substance is a method which is not prescribed by those who made a science of God-consciousness thousands of years ago. Depending on the use of an external object is the very conditioning we are seeking to transcend—and cannot be said to be an “easy” means of experiencing infinite bliss and contact with the Eternal. If one has been locked away in prison, or is confined by some disease to a hospital bed—or if one has no money, no friends or no underworld contacts—then this means is indeed difficult.
As to whether the use of external chemical substances can actually bring about the fully unconditioned state, we must recall that Arjuna was freed from the bewilderment of ignorance by God’s grace. There was no mention of drugs, Krishna did not need them; nor did Arjuna when he saw the truth. Krishna still doesn’t need any chemical substances, and neither do we. Rather, these things are to be avoided by one who is serious about spiritual life. These are the words of Lord Sri Krishna, which apply quite nicely to this question.
The gateway to this hell
Leading to the ruin of the soul is threefold:
Lust, anger and greed.
Therefore, these three one should abandon.
The man who is released from these,
The three gates to darkness, O son of Kunti,
Does what is good for his soul.
But he who discards the scriptural law
And acts as his desires prompt him,
He does not attain either perfection
Or happiness or the highest goal.
Therefore let the scripture be thy authority
For determining what should be done and what should not
be done.
Knowing what is declared by the rules of scripture,
Thou shouldst do thy work in this world. (Gita, 16.21–24)
The abandonment of scripture, then, is the abandonment of the means prescribed by God to facilitate the recovery of our natural status. He Whose knowledge is perfect has given us this way, for our ease and speedy advancement. To follow other paths is merely to waste our time, and to throw ourselves back into the entangling grip of the senses. Super-psychic sensuality is still sensuality, and will not lead one to freedom from the governance of the material world—nature and her three over-interacting, pitiless modes.
It is only by devotion to God that freedom can be achieved. If one is devoted to God, he manifests his devotion by following the laws of God, as they are revealed in scripture. Without making one’s devotion practical in this way, one cannot achieve practical results. Theoretical devotion may lead to theoretical liberation—but that is of no real value to us.
The unconditioned state—the consciousness of our real and eternal position in existence—must be known by direct experience, or it is uncertain and incomplete. The formula given by Krishna is very simple—and it can be practiced anywhere, under any circumstances.
Abandoning all duties,
Come to Me alone for shelter.
Be not grieved,
For I shall release thee from all evils. (Gita, 18.66)
Poem by Brahmananda
Poem by Brahmananda
Just as in the dawning sun
the shadow a tree throws
is long,
but as the sun rises
it shortens,
recoiling into the tree
until at noon
the tree casts no shadow
but only stands alone,
ablaze in the purifying light:
So the shadow I cast
recedes
as my Consciousness of Krishna
rises
until my shadow dissolves
and I stand
under His Lotus Feet,
devoted
and pure.
—Brahmananda Das Brahmachary
(Bruce Scharf)
Advertisement
Advertisement
INTRODUCTION TO BHAGAVAD-GITA
An introduction to Geetopanishad, the Bhagavad Gita as It Is. Swamiji is presently working on a complete translation of the text of the Gita. Now this introduction is available. 35 cents
KRISHNA THE RESERVOIR OF PLEASURE
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Every man is seeking pleasure in life. But he does not know where it is. This small booklet will give an idea of the perpetual pleasure of Krishna Consciousness. Price: 35 cents
WHO IS CRAZY?
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
A person who is illusioned by the temporary wonders of material energy is certainly a crazy man. Practically all men in material activities are insane in various degrees. How to cure this increasing epidemic is suggested here. Read it and be cured of all craziness. Price: 35 cents
Available from The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, 26 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. Postage paid.
* * *
BACK TO GODHEAD is published semi-monthly by The International Society For Krishna Consciousness at 26 Second Avenue (between 1st and 2nd Streets) New York, New York 10003.
1 year subscription (24 issues) $3.00. Phone 674-7428
FOUNDER: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
EDITORS: Hayagriva Das Brahmachary (Howard Wheeler)
Rayarama Das Brahmachary (Raymond Marais)
Circulation: Gargamuni Das Brahmachary (Gregory Scharf)
Printing: Ranchhor Das Brahmachary (Ronald King)
Back to Godhead Magazine #04,
December 15, 1966
By the Mercy of Krishna
By the Mercy of Krishna
Our Society has been holding Kirtan at Film Makers Cinematheque Theater, which is at 125 West 41 Street. Our engagement extends for all four Sundays in December, from 3 to 6 P.M. The admission is free and the invitation is open—please come and bring your friends.
By the time this issue of Back to Godhead is released, our 33-Ÿ LP album of chanting should be on sale in various parts of the city. The record features our regular Kirtan, as well as some mantra sung by Swami Bhaktivedanta. So natural is the urge to rejoice while listening to this chanting of the Lord’s names that everyone—company personel and onlookers included—began dancing during the last session at the recording studio. This is the real meaning of Kirtan: Rejoice, and glory to the Lord!
Within a month of this date Krishna Consciousness should have arrived in full bloom on the West Coast. We’re hoping to open a center there, in San Francisco, within the next month. In mid or late January, there will be a Mantra-Rock Rejoicing, at which the Swami will appear. Also aiding in our program will be Mr. Allen Ginsberg, who has already rendered much valuable service to Krishna, especially in propagating the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra.
We’ll have more to say about the West Coast next issue—since that’s where the editors expect to be, laying groundwork for the Swamiji.
The Editors
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Notes transcribed from a lecture given September 8, 1966
The energy of the body emanates from the heart. The spiritual spark, or soul, is situated in the heart, and from there it expands to fill the body. The size of this spiritual atom is 1/10,000 of the tip of a hair. It cannot be detected by scientific means, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t there.
To understand the science of the soul, we must have certain qualifications, which are:
Humility: We should not try to force others to respect us because we are Krishna Conscious. We should preach with humility and respect for others. For example, instead of saying, “Every-you know is a lot of nonsense,” we should say, “I know you are a learned man, but please forget it for a moment and listen to me.” We should not expect to be always well-received, either. Jesus Christ preached the word of God, and He was crucified for it. Humility includes acceptance of difficulties from others.
We should preach Krishna’s word to whomever we meet, but in so doing, we should not try to manufacture a new religion. People want a new religion, but what is there new to preach? We are as old as eternity, so what need have we of the new? Nature’s law is not new—the sun still rises in the East and sets in the West, as it has always done. We still eat and sleep. God is not new. Sometimes, to make people listen, it is necessary to explain the old religion in new terms. This is like putting old wine in new bottles. There is nothing wrong with this, as long as the wine is not adulterated in the process.
Non-violence: We should give the same liberty to others that we want for ourselves for all living beings have the right to live and eat. In nature there is food for all, and every creature has its own allotment. There are different varieties of food for different tastes. Human beings have a responsibility to all creatures. We do not have the right to kill any creature, not even the insects.
There is also another kind of violence. If we do not do our best to bring Krishna Consciousness to other beings, we are acting violently toward them. If we do not act to relieve suffering in others, we are doing them an injustice. Krishna Consciousness means the real end of all suffering, so everyone has the right to Krishna Consciousness.
Patience and simplicity: We should not try to hurry Krishna up. Our thoughts and our speech should also be controlled. We will see Krishna when He chooses. We should render service without reservation to the spiritual master.
Purity: There are two kinds of purity: external and internal. External purity is bodily cleanliness. Internal purity means keeping the mind always on Krishna. There are times when it is not possible to keep the body clean, due to external conditions, but external conditions need not keep the mind from being clean. We can and should always keep our internal purity, regardless of external conditions.
Steadfastness: One who is convinced that he must realize Krishna at all costs will be steadfast. Krishna Consciousness requires self control so that one will not be distracted.
Indifference to sense objects: Smoking, for example, only serves for sense gratification; it is not necessary for the maintenance of the body. This kind of indulgence is a distraction from Krishna Consciousness. Krishna Consciousness subdues the demands of the senses.
Self-effacement: This is the elimination of the false self. We must realize that we are not this body. The body should be maintained for the sake of using it in the service of Krishna. If proper food is not available, then other food may be eaten for the sake of maintaining the body. However, improper food may be eaten only when there is no other food available.
Non-attachment: The devotee should regard desirable and undesirable conditions equally. The householder should be detached from his family. He should take care of his family and fulfill his responsibilities, but he should not let his family stand in the way of his service to Krishna.
Perception of the evils of birth, death, old are, and disease will guide us to Krishna Consciousness. In Krishna Consciousness, we will have transcended all evils, all sufferings, and all delusions.
Poem by Acyutananda
Poem by Acyutananda
These dying temple flowers,
By the end of this day
Will see Krishna’s abode.
Are they not luckier
Than me?
—-Acyutananda Das Brahmachary
(Charles Barnett)
Experience of Karma Yoga
Experience of Karma Yoga
by Satsvarupa Das Brahmachary
(Stephen Guarino)
Karma means “material activities subjected to reaction.” Karma binds us with each act. Yoga means “that which connects, links with the Supreme.” Yoga is the process of Self-liberation. These two words combine in a single process called Karmayoga which is the seeking-and-attainment of self realization (liberation) through action.
Everyone has to act. According to Lord Krishna,
Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to one’s acquired qualities of the modes of material nature, and thus nobody can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment. (Gita, 3.5)
Everyone has to do something, but by the grace of Krishna we can be freed from that place where every action is followed by bondage. If a man is fixed in God-consciousness he does not engage himself in action that is binding, like excessive food indulgence or drug addiction or sexual promiscuity. For instance, no Krishna conscious man should pursue sexual encounters for once he moves into such activities, misery will claim him since he is bound to his action. Without Yoga, Karma is entanglement—action quickly becomes binding and one suffers the good or bad consequences. The lives of such Karmis lead either to aimless chaotic activity on the phenomenal level or directly to hell. The real way out of the action-nightmare is Karmayoga. In the Bhagavad-Gita Krishna says,
… if a sincere person tries to control the sense organs and begins Karmayoga in Krishna consciousness, without being attached, he is far better. (Gita, 3.7)
He is “far better,” he is “sorrowless” because he does not suffer the consequences of his action.
A simple way to begin is to give all you earn to Krishna. That is a start. It releases you at once. If all you earn goes to Krishna, you are saved from a whole area of materialism. Let the world know that any money coming into your hand is going to Krishna—and you are free from great danger.
In Karmayoga, when you are working for Krishna, you can do your office tasks, speak to people on business, and do whatever you duty happens to be, for it all becomes part of your single aim: to return to God. The more God-conscious you become, the more effectively you can function. Whereas formerly you found yourself trapped, once you take to Karmayoga and sacrifice every act to Krishna, then your main objective is not to get out of trouble but to love God. Then no powerful mundane personality will awe or frighten you. You can do your work well and unafraid because you work unattached. And your work goes well.
How can you control your sense organs? In the matter of techniques, sincerity is what is needed. In spiritual effort, when you try hard you succeed. As you work, chant the name of God, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare.” This means “Hail God,” please accept me, be associated with my humble dealings on Your behalf.
Sitting at your desk, waiting for the elevator, answering the phones—make these moments moments of decision and re-affirm your purpose. Are you Karma-yogi? Then don’t let your sense wander! Remember: Why have you come here? Why are you working? Why are you living? Who do you love? Make all your answers—Krishna. Control is gained by being thoughtful of your position. This “thoughtfulness” is the beginning of God-consciousness. Wherever you are God offers this consciousness and you must not fail to grasp it. Aim your heart to this end. When the crowd goes mad, as so often happens, you will not be swept away—if you remember Krishna. Remember, you are in control only because Krishna is controlling—receive His rays. That is real control. Work for Him.
This is not a punishing technique. The punishment is dealt by the material nature. According to the Bhagavad Gita we are in these bodies because we desired to have sensual enjoyment and because we more or less hate God.
All beings are born to delusion O Bharata (Arjuna) overcome by the dualities which arise from wish and hate, O conqueror of the foe (Arjuna). (Gita, 7.27)
The material world is a prison. Factories are producing artificially needed items, and offices are producing artificially created services, at the great cost of daily brute labor. The karma yogi, who is forced by his original desire into one of three modes of material nature (goodness, passion, ignorance) is, by way of his control and sacrifice, receiving a sublime touch unknown to the ordinary fruitive worker. He is a tiny speck of God; he realizes this and takes it seriously. In the presence of the Supreme he is asking for the touch of association, and nothing more. The advanced form of Karmayoga is called Bhaktiyoga, namely “devotional service to God.” As he serves God with his body, words and intelligence, and guided by the principles of the revealed scriptures, the Karma or Bhakti yogi is developing a personal individual relationship with the Supreme. He is not working for his own gain, nor for a formless impersonal concept, but for the Supreme revealed Lord, and the actuality of his position is that he feels the touch of the Supreme.
This process leads to Krishna. It is a question of realizing the Godhead. If God is realized only through His grace you should at least try to see that this Grace is open to you. As stated in the Srimad Bhagavatam, we are bewildered by the Lord:
No one can understand, oh Lord, your transcendental pastime which appears to be human, and is misleading. (SB, 2.8.28)
It is bewildering of course, that you, O Soul of the Universe, have to work although inactive, have to take birth although unborn and are the vital force. Still you yourself descend amongst the animals, men, sages, aquatics. They are verily bewildered. (SB, 2.8.29)
When you work for God, the wages are the chance of understanding Him. Our brains are tiny. To realize the Personal God is most difficult. We have His Word (scripture), His Form (Sri Krishna), His devotees (Lord Chaitanya and the disciplic succession)—and today, most easily available and life-saving, His Holy Name for chanting. But we are nonetheless stupid and covered up by contamination. Without Grace the human brain can conjecture about God for eternity and get nowhere. Nonsense-babbling is endless, fools crowd the streets and governments, waves of illusion throw us around like flies—therefore we must be wary and take shelter of the Supreme Lord. Faced with this material nature, and yet in sight of Divine Light, the Karma yogi has said, “Let me work for Him. God is a person not like me. But yet like me. Let me do His work here. Since I must act, let my actions be for Him—I am nonsense, but He is the True Reality of which everything on earth is a mistaken reflection.”
A karma yogi does not lose heart. He is not staggered or made “punchy” by labor. There is not the taste of dread despair in his labor—not the terror of the abyss, not the wholesale nausea over having to live, not the mad fear of Yamaraj, the Death messenger—at worst the path gets very hard, but the Karma yogi does what he can, and beyond that point the Supreme provides. The Lord—as revealed in the Bhagavad-Gita—has promised protection and deliverance to such a devotee:
Come to Me alone for shelter. Be not grieved, for I shall release thee from all evils. (Gita, 18.66)
Karma yoga is the fulfilling of His promise in reciprocal love, through the energy of His work.
Poem by Brahmananda
Poem by Brahmananda
To think, “I am chanting Krishna’s Name,”
is to think of oneself
and not of Krishna.
We should chant Krishna’s Name
without thinking.
To be self-conscious
is to be unconscious.
Consciousness
of Krishna
is not thoughts
but Knowledge
of Krishna.
—Brahmananda Das Brahmachary
(Bruce Scharf)
The Process of Surrender in God Realization
The Process of Surrender in God Realization
by Hayagriva das Brahmachary
(Howard Wheeler)
Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice to Me, bow down to Me. Having thus disciplined yourself, and regarding Me as the Supreme Goal, you will come to Me. (Gita, 9.34)
Surrendering, in thought, all actions to Me, regarding Me as the Supreme Goal, and practising steadiness of mind, fix your heart, O Arjuna, constantly on Me. (Gita, 18.57)
Surrendering all unto the Supreme Lord is a difficult if not impossible task for must people. This is because they are not aware of the peace such surrender brings. There are many kinds of surrender: there is surrender in war, when the defeated side surrenders in order to preserve whatever life and property remain. This is a willful surrender to a superior force—some thing like a plea for mercy in the hope of avoiding death and total devastation. Then there is surrender in a totally hopeless situation, the surrender of a man, for instance, facing an unavoidable death. And there is also willful surrender to some thing overwhelmingly pleasant—like the surrender to a lover, or surrender to some desire or to the senses. Such surrenders are qualified by extraneous desires and circumstances, but there is a total and perfect surrender—the surrender unto the Will of the Supreme Lord. In the West, Christ is an example of complete surrender unto the Father—He was aware of His impending crucifixion long before it took place, but He surrendered totally and willfully. On the cross His last words were, “Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke, 23/46) In the Bhagavad-Gita, Arjuna also surrendered unto the Supreme Lord by engaging himself in the battle of Kurukshetra and killing those he did not want to kill, only because Lord Krishna commanded him to do so.
Since there are many kinds of surrender, there are many degrees of completeness because some types of surrender are more total than others. By and large they all entail abandonment of certain designations: of birth and parentage, of career and material possessions, of mind, of the body and its senses, of doctrines and concepts. Abandonment of delusion followed by submission to the Divine, to the Will of the Father, is the process of surrender. Such a surrender, when it is total, is in reality the abandonment of momentary misery and darkness for an eternity of bliss and light.
We seldom think of it, but every night when we go to sleep we surrender consciousness and all its concomitants—birth and parentage, possessions, mind, body, senses and conceptualization. Our individual consciousness fades as we push off in the night into the somnolent state. It is only our conjecture that we will awake the next morning in the same bed and in the same body. It is conjecture and faith. So surrender and faith do not belong to a few people only—rather they belong to all men, for all men surrender everything when they go to sleep and all men have faith in something, even if it is nothing more than rising the next morning. But this is usually surrender and faith in ignorance. When a man does not know what he is surrendering to or what he has faith in, then he is in ignorance.
What is the process of perfect surrender? Surrender in knowledge principally involves the abandonment of the modes of ignorance and passion and the misconceptions arising from them. The surrender of birth and parentage means that one relinquishes the false notion, resulting from identification with the body, that he is the son of (for example) Mr. and Mrs. Jones, born at a particular time, that his age is such and such, and that he is an American or Russian or Indian because he is born in that particular place. All these designations are attached to the gross body. In actuality, he is spirit-soul, forever free, unborn, unbegot and eternal, not “belonging” to parents or nation, but the sole property of the Supreme Lord. Christ even addressed his earth-mother, “Woman, what have I to do with thee?” (John, 2/4) and also said, “Who is my mother, or my brethren? … Behold my mother and my brethern! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother (Mark, 3/33–35) To say that one is an American or Indian or whatever is the grossest ignorance, for such thought implies identification with the gross body instead of the Supreme Spirit Man was born” … not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John, 1/13) In this regard, misconceptions result in bondage and finally reduce one, by identification with the body, to the status of an animal who might say, “I am a pig and I belong to Mr. Jones’ farm.” Society encourages this attitude in its insistance on “birth certificates” and “identification papers,” etc. Such are the shackles of delusion. In truth, all things are the property of the Creator, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all things have the tag of the Super-soul. The man in knowledge says, “I am not this body. I am spirit-soul, a part and parcel of the Supreme Soul. I have neither beginning nor end. My bliss is in my eternal relationship with the Supreme Spirit, God.” One can maintain this only after surrendering the false designations of birth and parentage which are attributed to ignorance.
Surrender of nationality and nationalism, like surrender of parentage and birth, follows when one no longer identifies with the gross body and the designations attached to it. In this age, especially, nationalism is one of the greatest tyrannies. For the sake of country and “freedom,” men are willing to commit innumerable atrocities and transgressions against the laws of God. The first commandment, “I am the Lord Thy God, Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me,” explicitly forbids man to place the commands of his country before the commands of the Lord. In this age, however, the trend is to make the State god. Worship of the State is forced upon the people by brute power, and to encourage this the State promotes atheism and atheistic doctrines. Communism, as practised in Russia and China, is such an atheistic doctrine denying the existence of God and advocating worship of the State. Many people in the United States fear that this country’s pursuit of materialism is quickly leading it into the same atheistic position. When the disciples of the Pharisees asked Christ whether it were lawful to give tribute to Caesar, Christ asked them whose image and superscription they saw on the coin, and they said, “Caesar’s.” Christ then said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Matt, 22/21) Had a man in transcendental awareness, who sees God every where, been asked whose image he saw on the coin, he would have automatically said, “God’s.” A wise man knows that all things belong to God and that God is omnipresent. Of course Christ had an apt reply for the ignorant men who were trying to trick Him, but He would not have given the same reply to a holy man or an incarnation like Himself, for they would have said, “Nothing belongs to Caesar. All things belong to God and it is our duty to render everything unto Him.” In the tradition of spiritual communism, no allegiance, no money, no rendering of any kind is given to the State, but all thing are rendered unto the Supreme Lord. Therefore the abandonment of nationalism in total surrender to God-consciousness is revolutionary in the truest and most radical sense. Even in the face of death, one should be willing and prepared to maintain his belief in the truth that all things belong to God.
Surrender of one’s career, of one’s material possessions, etc. is also very difficult for most people who are trained to place value in these things. Regarding material possessions, Christ said;
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matt, 6/19–21)
When the rich young man asked Him what he could do to have eternal life, Christ said, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” (Matt, 19/21) The reason for the relinquishment of worldly possessions is easy to understand. We should not be attached to that which is ephemeral and illusory, but to that which is eternal. Only the Reality, the eternal, can bestow real happiness upon us. It is ignorance to search for happiness in a dungheap. But the glitter of materialism deludes many, despite constant and consistant warnings from the authorities and the scriptures. Material possessions also give rise to other false conceptions, the sense of “I” and “mine”, when in truth all thing belong to the Supreme Lord. Private property is non-existent among truly God-conscious people. The earth and its possessions belong to the Lord. He alone creates them, He alone preserves them, and He alone destroys them.
Similarly, surrender of the body and sense enjoyments born of passion and ignorance appears like poison at first to people who have been trained to believe that the body and sense enjoyments are to be cultivated. Of all sense-enjoyments, the sex drive is the strongest in all creatures and is the greatest bind to the material world. There have been many examples of great saints and sages falling prey to sexual temptation. Many of the demi-gods, who are themselves attached to sex-enjoyment, send beautiful creatures to tempt holymen into sexual play. “The turbulent senses violently carry off the mind even of a wise man striving for perfection,” Krishna tells Arjuna. (Gita, 2.60) We may of ourselves be able to somewhat restrict our sexual activities, but the desires will still remain. Lord Jesus Christ said, “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matt, 4/28) The only solution is to re-direct the sex-drive into desire for the Supreme Lord. We must dovetail all our desires to Him. The desires themselves come from the Lord, and it is He only who can satisfy them. We must have desires—they are healthy—but we must learn to understand what these desires are really for. Observing that Socrates had an eye for beautiful youths, Diotima, Socrates’ teacher, suggested that if he knew what the beauty in youths really represented, he would be after something else—namely, eternal Beauty, undefiled by human contact.
“This, my dear Socrates,” said the stranger of Mantinea, “is that life above all others which man should live, in the contemplation of beauty absolute; a beauty which if you once beheld, you would see not to be after the measure of gold, and garments, and fair boys and youths, whose presence now entrances you … But what if man had eyes to see the true beauty—the divine beauty. I mean, pure and clear and unalloyed, not clogged with the pollutions of mortality and all the colors and vanities of human life—thither looking, and holding converse with the true beauty simple and divine? Remember how in that communion only, beholding beauty with the eye of the mind, he will be enabled to bring forth, not images of beauty, but realities (for he has hold not of an image but of a reality), and bringing forth and nourishing true virtue to become the friend of God and immortal, if mortal man may.” (From Plato’s Symposium)
Furthermore, the impossibility of satisfaction in sexual relations is apparent when we recognize such happiness to be conditioned—an orgasm lasts only a few brief seconds, there are many impurities and imperfections between partners, and the body grows old and eventually decays, leaving one impotent and sexually undesirable. Shakespeare also was aware of the futility and squalor behind every sexual act.
Th’ expense of spirit in a waste of shame
Is lust in action; and till action, lust
Is perjur’d, murd’rous, bloody, full of blame,
Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust;
Enjoy’d no sooner but despised straight,
Past reason hunted, and no sooner had
Past reason hated, as a swallow’d bait
On purpose laid to make the taker mad;
Mad in pursuit and in possession so;
Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme;
A bliss in proof, and prov’d, a very woe;
Before, a joy propos’d; behind, a dream.
All this the world well knows; yet none knows well
To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.
(Shakespeare, Sonnet 129)
When one begins to understand that one is really seeking the Lord when looking for happiness in sex-enjoyment, than one can begin to make progress in properly directing this drive. There is also sexual enjoyment in the spiritual world but it is far different. Transcendental sex enjoyment is eternal, infinite, undefiled by material contact and indescribable. The love men and women experience on earth is but a limited and perverted reflection of the great ocean of love and bliss that is in the spiritual world. But a man will not set aside one pleasure until he receives a greater one. Therefore Krishna says, “The objects of the senses fall away from a man practising abstinence, but not the taste for them. But even the taste falls away when the Supreme is seen.” (Gita, 2.59) So the surrender of sexuality is easy when a greater pleasure awaits a man, but impossible when he gets nothing in return. “Rama” means “Enjoyer.” Krishna and His consort Radha represent the pleasure principle on the transcendental plane. One who abandons earth-lovers for the Divine Lover is never disappointed. “Not the desirer of desires attains peace, but he into whom all desires enter as the waters enter the ocean, which is full to the brim and grounded in stillness.” (Gita, 2.70) A man who is constantly aware of the unchangable Reality within never looks outside for enjoyment. For him no agitation is created by the objects with which he comes in contact during his life on earth.
Incidently, in this connection hatha yoga has led many people astray in its emphasis on body development. Many hatha yoga teachers only incidentally mention union with the Supreme Lord as the goal of all yoga. Instead they advertise that their students look and feel younger longer and enjoy healthy sex lives into their old age. Instead of liberating the individual soul from attachment to the body, hatha yoga more often has the opposite effect in that it fosters bondage to the flesh through emphasis on the body. Christ said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John, 3/6) St. Paul also warned, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall be also reap. Far he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Galatians, 5/7–8) Like hygiene and college gym courses, hatha yoga is a materialistic science. Real yoga is not concerned with maintaining and repairing a faulty, obsolete engine, but with doing away with the engine altogether.
There are other pitfalls of sense gratification—for example, overindulgence in food is often a pitfall for the man who has only succeeded in sublimating the sex-drive. There are many other material enjoyments too that must be relinquished before man is totally free. The body also must be surrendered, as Christ surrendered His body at the crucifixion. Many men surrender their bodies to the armies of the world without taking a second’s thought. Socrates surrendered his body when he drank the hemlock. He also preached the immortality of the soul.
And when you see a man who is repining at the approach of death, is not his reluctance a sufficient proof that he is not a philosopher but a philosoma, not a lover of wisdom, but a lover of the body, and probably at the same time a lover of either money or power, or both. (Socrates, from Plato’s Phaedo)
Socrates considered the body an unnecessary encumbrance for the man in pursuit of wisdom, for it is always getting in his way. All men know that the body must eventually be surrendered, but the wise, established in the eternal and unmanifested Self, neither fear nor avoid this surrender.
In surrendering the body unto the Supreme Lord, one surrenders “the Field” with its constituents: I-consciousness; understanding, or the determining faculty; energy; the ten senses, namely ears, eyes, nose, tongue, skin, hands, feet, vocal organ, and the organs of evacuation and generation; the mind; the five objects of senses, sound, sight, touch, smell, taste; desire; hatred; pleasure; pain; the aggregate, the combination of the body and the senses, intelligence; and fortitude, the state of mind that maintains body and mind. Finally Krishna advises the total and complete surrender of all doctrines and concepts. “Abandon all dharmas and come to Me alone for shelter. I will deliver you from all sins; do not grieve.” (Gita, 18.66) This then is the epitome of devotion to the Supreme Lord—the willful surrender of everything into His hands. In the West we are given the example of Christ as perfect sacrifice and surrender.
Surrender can either be gradual or sudden. This is the age of Kaliyuga, an age characterized by disagreement, ignorance and sudden death. In this age it is best not to waste time. Mankind is already on the brink of a nuclear holocaust. Total surrender unto the lotus feet of the Lord is the only solution. In the Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna gives the example of the Asvattha Tree. “Asvattha” literally means “that which does not endure till the next day.” Because of its changing nature, the entire phenomenal (material world is compared to the Asvattha tree.
They speak of an imperishable Asvattha Tree with its root above and branches below. Its leaves are the Vedas, and he who knows it knows the Vedas. Above and below spread its branches, nourished by the gunas (goodness, passion and ignorance). Sense-objects are its buds; and its clustering roots spread downward in the world of men, giving rise to action. Its true form is not comprehended here, nor its end, nor its origin, nor even its existence. Having cut down this firmrooted Asvattha with the strong axe of detachment, one should pray, “I take refuge in that Primal Being from whom has streamed forth this eternal activity,” and seek that Goal from which they who have reached it never return. (Gita, 15.1-4)
Such is the true method of perfect surrender.
Advertisement
Advertisement
INTRODUCTION TO GEETOPANISAD
(Bhagavad Gita As It Is)
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Bhagavad Gita is widely recognized as the compendium of all Vedic wisdom, yet there are few who have the necessary qualifications to understand and teach this all-important scripture. Swami Bhaktivedanta—who is a devotee in the line of disciplic succession from Arjuna—is one of these few. His classic introduction is vastly illuminating.
Price: 35 c
********************************************
SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM
by Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasadeva
The original and genuine commentary on Vedanta philosophy by the author of Vedanta himself, Vyasadeva, now available for the first time in English with authorized explanation by Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta.
The Srimad Bhagavatam is the post-graduate study of the Bhagavad Gita, or the Science of Krishna. This book of transcendental knowledge contains information of classical Hindu culture, philosophy, sociology, economics, politics, aesthetics and Divine love.
This unique edition of Srimad Bhagavatam has been greatly appreciated by all learned societies of philosophy and theosophy and approved by the Indian State and Central Government Education Departments, and by the United States government.
Swami Bhaktivedanta’s edition contains Sanscrit, Sanscrit transliteration, English equivalents, translation and elaborate commentaries. Published by the League of Devotees, New Delhi, India, 1962-65. Price: $16,80 for 3 volumes (1200 pages). Postage paid by the Society.
Available from the International Society For Krishna Consciousness, 26 Second Avenue, New York, New York.
EASY JOURNEY TO OTHER PLANETS
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Every man is seeking pleasure in life. But he does not know where it is. This small booklet will give an idea of the perpetual pleasure of Krishna Consciousness. Price: 35 cents
KRISHNA THE RESERVOIR OF PLEASURE
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Every man is seeking pleasure in life. But he does not know where it is. This small booklet will give an idea of the perpetual pleasure of Krishna Consciousness. Price: 35 cents
WHO IS CRAZY?
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
A person who is illusioned by the temporary wonders of material energy is certainly a crazy man. Practically all men in material activities are insane in various degrees. How to cure this increasing epidemic is suggested here. Read it and be cured of all craziness. Price: 35 cents
Available from The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, 26 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. Postage paid.
**********************
BACK TO GODHEAD is published semi-monthly by The International Society For Krishna Consciousness at 26 Second Avenue (between 1st and 2nd Streets) New York, New York 10003.
1 year subscription (24 issues) $3.00. Phone 674-7428
FOUNDER: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
EDITORS: Hayagriva Das Brahmachary (Howard Wheeler)
Rayarama Das Brahmachary (Raymond Marais)
Circulation: Gargamuni Das Brahmachary (Gregory Scharf)
Printing: Ranchhor Das Brahmachary (Ronald King)
Back to Godhead Magazine #05,
January 1, 1967
By the mercy of Krishna:
By the mercy of Krishna:
The editors of Back To Godhead, along with our revered teacher, Swami Bhaktivedanta and our godbrothers of the Society, wish to express our deep hopes for a happy New Year—one in which peace and enlightenment may bless the hearts of all men. This, of course, is not just a holiday greeting, but the fervent motivation of our lives in devotional service the year round. Praise be to Krishna for giving us such a sweet task.
The picture which follows our cover in this issue is the product of our new art director, Jodavani Devi Dasi. It portrays Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His disciples during kirtan. When He was present on this earth four hundred and eighty years ago, Lord Chaitanya introduced the ancient practice of Samkirtan as the remedy for the ills of our present age, and it is this remedy that is being promulgated by this Society.
Our record album, tentatively titled “Krishna Consciousness”, has yet to appear, but we’re hoping to have it released within the next two weeks.
Our San Francisco activities have been postponed until late in January, but a temple and center there are now being established. So it looks to us as though Krishna Consciousness is destined to grow and to influence events on the American West Coast. We hope this is but the modest beginnings of a world-wide movement. The influence of the kirtan movement stands to reason—after all, who has more influence than the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Hare Krishna!
The Editors
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Notes transcribed from lectures given September 20, 22, 1966.
The Bhagavad-Gita is an authoritative statement given to Arjuna by Lord Krishna. It must be borne in the mind that the Bhagavad-Gita was spoken on a battlefield. Before the battle, Arjuna declined to fight with his own kinsmen. After the Bhagavad-Gita was spoken, he changed his mind and fought. There was not much time for this discussion—one hour at the most—for the opposing armies were already lined up, and eager to begin the combat.
After hearing about the yoga of meditation, which requires going to a secluded place and sitting perfectly still with the eyes focussed on the tip of the nose, Arjuna said, “Dear Krishna, I think this system is too difficult for me, on account of my agitated mind.” In the material world our minds are agitated. The nature of the material world is such that we cannot be free from anxieties.
God has many names, according to His different activities. Arjuna here addresses Krishna as “Killer of Demons,” because Arjuna sees his own mind as a demon. The sum and substance of any yoga system is to control the mind. Arjuna said that his mind was so agitated, that it was impossible for him to practise meditation. Now, Arjuna, a great warrior, was a personal friend of Lord Krishna, and he was able to understand the Gita in less than an hour whereas today people can’t understand it in an entire lifetime. If Arjuna, who was so intelligent and spiritually receptive that he could understand the Gita in an hour, said that meditation was too difficult for him, what about us? We are not even in the same category as Arjuna, who was Krishna’s friend, and who was so intelligent. If it was impossible for Arjuna, can it be possible for us? It is impossible to still a hurricane, and it is equally impossible to still the mind by force. We can control the mind, however, by always thinking of Krishna. Krishna Consciousness is the perfect form of yoga.
Meditation was good in a former age, when people lived millions of years. In the age after that the best method was sacrifice. After that, it was temple worship. Today, the best method is to chant the Name of the Lord, especially “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.” Today, we don’t live long. We are unfortunate, disturbed and unintelligent. The whole world is fighting. In times such as these, how can we perform anything as difficult as meditative yoga? Bhakti yoga—Krishna Consciousness, and “Hare Krishna”—is recommended for the present age. Meditation for the sake of impressing others or yourself will never be successful for even Krishna said that meditation was too difficult in this age. Meditation requires renunciation, but today, even renunciation is too difficult.
In Krishna Consciousness there are only four things that must be renounced: illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. These four activities agitate the mind. Renunciation of these is easy in Krishna Consciousness for the process of bhaktiyoga is so easy that these four things become distasteful. Krishna Consciousness does not completely discourage sex, but it discourages sex outside of marriage. One who is serious about spiritual advancement cannot encourage illicit or promiscuous sex. If we really want to control the mind it is not necessary to give up sex and food altogether. We can eat food that is properly cooked and offered to Krishna, and we can get married. Keeping the mind always in Krishna Consciousness is samadhi. When one is in Krishna Consciousness, he is leading a renounced life, even if he is not a monk. Success in any form of yoga is not possible without control of the mind.
Once we start on a yoga system, we must stick with it. The desire for spiritual advancement should be there. Out of many men, only a few will try for perfection. Out of thousands of these, only a few will reach it, for it is a difficult process. However, if you want to be a physician, you must study until you graduate. Spiritual advancement is just like that—except that the rewards are eternal.
Arjuna asked Krishna, “What happens to one who starts to study yoga and then gives up?” Krishna replied that when a cloud gathers together, there is a possibility of rain, but if the wind blows the cloud away, there is no rain. There may be thunder and wind, but there will be no rain. Similarly, if one starts the yoga process and quits, he will not have success. Arjuna asked this question so that, in the future, people would not get discouraged and quit.
Bhagavan means one who has complete and perfect riches, strength, knowledge, renunciation, beauty, and fame. Famous people come and go, but God is always famous. God, or Bhagavan, is One Who has the above attributes in completeness and perfection. Krishna is the proprietor of all riches but He can renounce them at a moment’s notice. We receive spiritual knowledge from Krishna, but He Himself had no need of a spiritual master. We must believe One Who is in complete knowledge. We accept the authority of the newspaper, so why insist on seeing before believing the Bhagavad-Gita? The Gita comes from the highest authority, therefore we must make an attempt to study the Gita well suffer no degradation, even if he fails. One who makes an attempt to study the Gita will never be vanquished. This the Lord guarantees.
When one is self-realized, he makes no distinctions between man and animal, or lower and higher. Ideas of high and low, and other pairs of opposites, belong to the material world. When one is in the transcendental position, and sees Krishna everywhere, he is fit to enter into the Kingdom of God. He knows the Supreme Soul, the workings of nature and of the body, and the relationships of these to each other. When one is in his relationship with the Supreme Lord, all things are of equal value. This is not to say that the living entity is seen as equal to the Supreme Lord, or that all distinctions are obliterated. This would be equivalent to being proficient in a language and not being able to distinguish nouns from verbs.
We are all part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. The realized man therefore sees all things as part of the Supreme Lord. He sees all things as Spirit Soul, in different dress. One who is bound to the material world in order to become fit to enter into the Kingdom of God. Krishna comes Himself, or sends His Son or servants to help us—but people still prefer to live on the level of cats and dogs. They want to exploit nature for business purposes, and live sensuously like animals.
The work of nature goes on under the direction of God, to give a chance to the conditioned souls. This world’s miseries remind us that we cannot be happy outside of the Kingdom of God. We have no control over the rain or the snow. We should understand that we are helpless—that whatever we do, we are forced to do. Even the blinking of our eyes is controlled by material nature. We have no independence. We are continually being slapped by material nature, and we keep asking for more. The intelligent person knows he is being slapped and kicked.
The condition of the world has deteriorated because we have fools for leaders and teachers. We must first realize the helplessness of our situation before we can surrender to God. We cannot get material nature to stop slapping us, just as a prisoner cannot stop the harassment of prison life. Wen must be released from the prison of this material nature, for material nature condemns us. When we decide to return to God, spiritual nature helps us. Just as we are free to move on land, but not in the water, so we are truly free in the spiritual world, but not in the material world.
Flowers for Krishna
Flowers for Krishna
By Rayarama Das Brahmachary
(Raymond Marais)
Why does sunlight fade the carpet but not flowers?
And who is the sun?
Behold the countless eyes of day,
Numberless daisies ashiver with ecstasy upon the meadow field.
The meadow is a pure, radiant meadow.
Sacrifice is love, I think.
I?
No, not a balloon full of laughing gas
Which has but to burst to fill the ether with merriment—
Although that is nearly adequate.
I?
A flower too! A flower too!
O, make me a sacrifice!
Make me love!
I?
An eye of day.
Surely, what the simple daisies do I can do,
What can I give who am already given beyond measure?
O, it is a kind of merging,
For the lover and the beloved quite forget themselves
In their passion.
Krishna: The End of Knowledge
Krishna: The End of Knowledge
By Hayagriva Das Brahmachary
(Howard Wheeler)
At the end of many births the man of wisdom seeks refuge in Me, realizing that Vasudeva is all. Rare indeed is such a high-souled person. (Gita, 7.19)
Today, for the majority of students attending universities and institutions of higher learning, the question of the end of knowledge, the destination of the long pursuit, hardly ever comes to mind. One’s eyes are usually fixed on graduation day and the diploma that signifies entrance into a good-paying job. For most, the goal of knowledge is money and the material pleasures it buys.
The more intelligent see the goal in the pursuit itself—as in a literary education, the goal is the enjoyment of literature itself, or, as in mathematics, the goal is in postulating and proving certain theorems. Nothing more is desired. It is like the pleasure a man gets in building a cabinet, or a painter in painting a picture. The act itself is its own reward. So for the more intelligent, education itself is its own reward—the neither need nor seek extraneous compensations.
Yet the true artist, the true technician, always honest with himself, never allows his perspectives to stray too far, never allows himself to be too attached to his work. Seeing himself as a man in time and space, seeing his work and the earth in their relationship to the universe, in time and space, seeing all works, even the grandest—the earth itself and the entire material universe—to perishable, he is not attached. He is happy in his work mainly because of his detachment. He is like the child who happily makes sand castles so diligently on the beach yet leaves them when his father takes him home. He doesn’t care if the waves wash them away. It is a matter of always having things in perspective. This may be said not only of a man’s work or art; it may be said of a man’s entire life.
He who bends to himself a Joy
Doth the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the Joy as it flies
Lives in Eternity’s sunrise.
(From William Blake’s Gnomic Verses)
“Knowledge” itself is elusive. The wisest have always claimed to know nothing. One is always getting the impression that mankind is still in kindergarten, especially as one gradually becomes more certain that “This life’s five windows of the soul/Distorts the Heavens from pole to pole.” (Blake, From The Everlasting Gospel) Socrates was always claiming to know nothing, and Whitman echoed him: “I cannot tell how my ankles bend, nor whence the cause of my faintest wish. That I walk up my stoop, I pause to consider if it really be.” (Song of Myself, 24) The time arrives when man sees himself and his “accomplishments” as nothing more than the dabblings of a child, fabrications to pass the time, games to distract.
It is at this point that “knowledge” begins to break down. Man begins to question, “What is this ‘knowledge’ I’ve been so long pursuing? What are its purposes, its categories? Am I on the right path in this pursuit, or am I deluding myself?” If such a man is fortunate, he will turn to a scripture such as Bhagavad-Gita for guidance, and he will see that Krishna Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, divides knowledge into three “gunas” or qualities: sattva, rajas, and tamas—namely, goodness, passion, and ignorance.
The knowledge by which one indestructible Substance is seen in all beings, undivided in the divided—know that that knowledge is of the nature of sattva (goodness). (Gita, 18.20)
Such is the knowledge of the good or holy man who sees “the touch of the One in the play of the many.” Such a man is never deluded for behind the play of maya he always sees One Actor—the Supreme Lord. That this knowledge is rare today accounts for the abundance of misery in this kaliyuga, this age of ignorance, chaos and disagreement. Transcendental knowledge is in the mode of goodness automatically. Those who cultivate knowledge beyond this body culminating in the firm conviction that “I am not this body, I am spirit-soul,” begin from the mode of goodness, or sattva. Knowledge in goodness is the starting point for self-realization. Men seeking transcendental knowledge have nothing to do with knowledge in the modes of passion and ignorance. Rather, people who see their own interest as separate from spiritual knowledge are in the inferior modes.
But that knowledge through which one sees in all beings various entities of different kinds as differing from one another—know that that knowledge is of the nature of rajas (passion). (Gita, 18.21)
A man whose knowledge is in the mode of passion comprehends different souls dwelling in different bodies in constant conflict with one another. This point of view immediately places such a man in the position of defending “that which is mine” and working for his own benefit, for he sees diversity, and is involved in the struggle which is born out of diversity. Such a man very vigorously struggles to maintain his particular interest against the interests of others. He is also constantly trying to improve conditions in the material world, and of course conditions are continually overwhelming him. He does not understand that he will never be happy in the material world any more than a fish will be happy on land, for in truth he is not matter, but spirit. He will never be happy on this earth, regardless of the number of gadgets he may devise for his convenience and material comfort, for he is still confined to the prison-house of birth, disease, old age and death.
Finally, Krishna speaks of “knowledge” in ignorance:
And the knowledge that is confined to one single effect as if it were the whole, and is without reason, without foundation in truth, and trivial—that knowledge is declared to be of the nature of tamas (ignorance, or dullness). (Gita, 17.22)
Such a man is simply happy with a little food, a place to sleep, some sex enjoyment and a few other pleasures to make life “tolerable.” He considers his body to be the cause of effects and of things into which he comes into contact, and he is therefore a slave to his body, working always with his body comfort in mind. Such men are on the level of the animals—they have no desire for improvement either in this world or in the next. Their conception of the universe is strictly physical and they have no idea of a Supreme Spirit behind the material guise. Of them it is said, “the light shineth in darkness: and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John, I/5)
A brief review of the fields of contemporary knowledge reveals passion and ignorance to be the two predominant modes. In the “humanities,” for instance, history (from the transcendental viewpoint) truly becomes a pack of lies perpetrated on the dead, so much senseless conjecture and family gossip. Of what use is history? Its only justification is that man can learn from it and it can give man a sense of direction; in this century alone there have been two major wars and thousands of books have been written about them, horrors that might well have been forgotten have been dug up, revitalized and dealt to the public in tons of newsprint. Still mankind rushes stubbornly into a third holocaust. History only teaches that it teaches nothing. That most historians are cynics is testimony to this.
Speculative philosophy becomes the most useless of all gestures—stacks and stacks of words that are only good for burning on a cold night. Rationalizing, speculation, intellectualizing a la Western philosophic tradition have only led—at most—to dry and dusty treatises and pipe-arguments. Similarly, literature may contain some beautiful stories, but in this century it so often consists of many stylistic conceits and materialistic nonsense—students had rather dissect the jittery personalities of Faulkner, Pound, Hemingway than road their works. After so many years, man has finally become wary of words and those who use them. “Were you thinking that those were the words, those upright lines? Those curves, angles, dots?/ No, those are not the words, the substantial words are in the ground and sea,/They are in the air, they are in you.” (Whitman, “A Song of the Rolling Earth”) In the realm of words, poetry, often accused of being the most senseless and useless mode of man’s expression, seems to be the only one worth retaining. Poetry is the music of words, and music of transcendental praise does not belong to the sphere of “knowledge.” But history which only records struggle on the material plane, and philosophy that is filled with vain speculation, and literature that also depicts materialistic struggle and is written to amuse without enlightening and is the work of authors desirous of money and fame—such fields of knowledge are in the modes of passion.
Like history, philosophy, and literature, science has only succeeded in implementing man with encumbrances that mainly serve to divert his energy. For example, because there are so many automobiles, man feels the need to travel more and more. Now man is spending so much energy to reach the moon—for what specific reason, no one can really say, save for the psychological need he must feel to escape earth. However, advanced yogis and those advanced in Krishna-consciousness know that such vehicular interplanetary travel is most difficult, if not impossible. Space travel is not difficult—the gross materialists are simply going about it the wrong way. Furthermore, science has principally helped man to destroy himself most effectively. In the realm, science has proved itself most helpful and progressive. Extermination. When God gave man gunpowder He knew the little bangs would grow into bigger and bigger ones. In this field, science is most adept. “They murder to dissect” is now a bland statement. Always what Hart Crane called “the iron dealt cleavage,” iron, metal, science cutting flesh. It is a familiar story. Yet these madmen, masters of extermination, receive large financial grants from universities and foundations to further pursue the annihilation of the race. They are always trying to kill God, but God cannot be killed. Yet science, the pursuit of the firecracker, is considered knowledge. At its best when it attempts to satisfy the material desires of man by helping him attain adequate food and shelter or curing his physical diseases for a short duration, it is knowledge in the mode of passion. And when science shackles man with modern “conveniences” or frivolous gimmicks or when it exterminates man by monstrous bombs and military devices, then it is asuric—it is knowledge in the mode of ignorance and darkness. Although modern man places all his hopes in science, the wise know this to be the knowledge of the madhouse.
And while mentioning madhouses, the lunatics of psychology, one of the latest “departments of knowledge,” are known to be on the loose, supported by a considerable amount of police-power. These “PhD” testgivers, judgers of sanity, can haul any citizen off the streets of (for example) New York City, throw him in Bellevue Observation Ward, and keep him there “indefinitely.” If the unfortunate soul happens to manage a squeal of protest, these heavy-handed soul-searchers throw him into their own Bellevue Kangaroo Court then clap him away into a rat-infested State bedlam supervised by doctors and orderlies whose sadism would have afforded Kraft-Ebing some juicy histories. Many sensitive and intelligent men are broken by the doctors of psychology who manage them much like they manage their white mice. Either conform to the madness of contemporary civilization or you’re “psychotic,” they tell modern man. So this latest branch of “knowledge,” in the mode of darkest ignorance, is affording man one of the biggest detours on his road to happiness.
Many examples of similar diversions can be given: mathematics are concerned with number games. No mathematician has ever been able to prove that one equals one, and besides, reducing everything to an equation helps no one. Politics is an animal farm for the power-hungry, the vanity of vanities, and business and finances are simply the arts of throat-cutting. In that sense they hold hands with science. Sociology is concerned with the dying and anthropology with the dead. The language into which one is born affords a sufficient number of confusing symbols without one’s trying to learn others. Most comparative linguists never manage to master their own native tongues. And astronomy. One glance at the sky and any fool can tell you the stars are innumerable. All these fields of knowledge are in the modes of passion and ignorance.
Such are the branches of “knowledge” offered by man, a poor serving indeed, hardly worthy of consideration let alone a lifetime’s devotion. The principle of money-making keeps most of them in business, and behind the money-making principle is the principle of sense-gratification. And sense-gratification mainly includes eating, merry-making, sleeping sex-life and defending. So take these away and the whole structure of “knowledge” collapses. It’s all really rather basic after all. But the veneer, glossed by centuries of deceit, is thick indeed, and many are entrapped. The real problems of birth, old age, disease, and death go unsolved and untouched. So it is said that “Grace is given of God, but knowledge is bought in the market.”
How to get out? How to put an end to trickery and delusion, the fruits of false knowledge? Krishna says:
At the end of many births the man of wisdom seeks refuge in Me, realizing that Vasudeva is all. Rare indeed is such a high-souled person. (Gita, 7.19)
By Me, in My unmanifested form, are all things in this universe pervaded. All beings exist in Me, but I do not exist in them.
And yet the beings do not dwell in Me—behold, that is My divine mystery. My Spirit, which is the support of all beings and the source of all things, does not dwell in them.
As the mighty wind blowing everywhere ever rests in the aethereal space (akasa), know that in the same manner all beings rest in Me.
At the end of a cycle all beings, O son of Kunti, enter into My Prakriti (nature), and at the beginning of a cycle I generate them again.
Controlling My own Prakriti, I send forth, again and again, all this multitude of beings, helpless under the sway of maya. (Gita, 9.4-8)
Fools disregard Me when I assume a human form; for they are unaware of My higher nature as the Supreme Lord of all beings. Being of the deceitful nature of fiends and demons, they cherish vain hopes, perform vain actions, pursue vain knowledge, and are devoid of judgement.
But the great-sould men, O Partha, who are endowed with the divine nature, worship Me with undisturbed minds, knowing that I am immutable and the origin of all beings.
Ever glorifying Me, always striving with self-control, remaining firm in their vows, bowing before Me, they worship Me with love and unwavering steadiness.
Others, again, offer the oblation of knowledge and worship Me either as one with them or as distinct from them; and still others in various ways worship Me, whose form is the whole universe. (Gita 9.11-15)
Therefore worldly knowledge, by the standards of the Gita, is concerned with maya, the illusion, or the play of God. All things that are perceived by the senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell) and by the mind are ephemeral, illusory. While the human being is in contact with them, they seem real enough, but when they are past they have no more reality than dreams. One can easily understand this by thinking of the past years in one’s life. Now those past years are no more tangible than dreams. Similarly, this moment that is now passing is seemingly real, but in the future, with retrospection, it will also have that dream-like quality. World War II is now over. Now that it is over it only seems like a bad dream. This is the nature of all things in the material world. They are here one moment and gone the next. It is impossible to hold onto them for any length of time. Because they do not endure, because they are all ephemeral, they are called maya, illusion. Life itself, then, is maya. As long as we are perceiving things through these bodies, we are entangled by maya. Life is very much like being rushed through a a tunnel of dreams. We plunge in one side (birth) and are cast into the tunnel’s darkness. While rushing through this darkness all kinds of illusory forms glash past—sounds, sights, tastes, touches, odors … all confront us, all kinds of men and women, countries, lands, earths, solar systems and all the paraphernalia of the material universe presents itself to us. Then suddenly we come out the tunnel (at death) and are once again in the Light. It is this Light, not the tunnel, that is the Reality. Those who are concerned with knowledge of the tunnel are deluded. The tunnel universities and tunnel occupations and pastimes are not for wise men. The truly wise are concerned with the Reality. The Reality is the Kingdom of Krishna, of God, which is the true and eternal abode of Bliss-Knowledge-Absolute. It is in this Kingdom, not in the tunnel, that we are free and blissful. The tunnel is only darkness, confusion and pain. One has often heard that this world is darkness and that we see, as it were, “through a glass darkly.” This is what William Blake meant when he wrote:
This life’s five windows of the soul
Distorts the Heavens from pole to pole,
And leads you to believe a lie
When you see with, not thro’, the eye
That was born in a night, to perish in a night,
When the soul slept in the beams of light.
(William Blake, The Everlasting Gospel)
Since our concerns are not really with the tunnel, since our real happiness cannot be found in the tunnel, what are we to do? Are we to kill ourselves to get out of our miserable condition? No, we have no right to do this. Even our own material body does not belong to us: we have no right to put an end to it. “Man is a prisoner who has no right to open the door of his prison and run away,” Socrates said. “A man should wait, and not take his own life until God summons him.” Socrates was one of the few philosophers in the West to understand that the body is the abode of darkness.
The body is a source of endless trouble to us by reason of the mere requirement of food; and it is liable also to diseases which overtake and impede us in the search after true being: it fills us full of loves, and lusts, and fears, and fancies of all kinds, and endless foolery, and in fact, as men say, takes away from us the power of thinking at all. Whence com wars, and fightings, and factions? Whence but from the body and the lusts of the body? Wars are occasioned by the love of money, and money has to be acquired for the sake and in the service of the body; and by reason of all these impediments we have no time to give to wisdom; and, last and worst of all, even if we are at leisure and betake ourselves to some speculation, the body is always breaking in upon us, causing turmoil and confusion in our enquiries, and so amazing us that we are prevented from seeing the truth. It has been proved to us by experience that if we would have pure knowledge of anything we must be quit of the body—the soul in herself must behold things in themselves: and then we shall attain the wisdom which we desire, and of which we say that we are lovers; not while we live, but after death; for if while in company with the body, the soul cannot have pure knowledge, one of two things follows—either knowledge is not to be attained at all, or, if at all, after death. For then, and not till then, the soul will be parted from the body and exist in herself alone. In this present life, I reckon that we make the nearest approach to knowledge when we have the least possible intercourse or communion with the body, and are not surfeited with the bodily nature, but keep ourselves pure until the hour when God himself is pleased to release us. And thus having got rid of the foolishness of the body we shall be pure and hold converse with the pure, and know of ourselves the clear light everywhere, which is no other than the light of truth. (Socrates, from Plato’s Phaedo)
To come out the tunnel of darkness into the light of truth therefore is the end of knowledge. The light of truth emanates from God, Krishna, Who is the abode of all wisdom and truth. Our happiness then is in surrendering to the Godhead who will put an end to all the false “knowledge” of the tunnel. The light of His truth scatters ignorance and darkness as the sun in the material universe scatters the darkness of night. While we are in the tunnel, we have certain guidebooks to follow that will lead us into the light. The Gospel of Christ is such a “guidebook.” The Bhagavad-Gita is another guidebook. The Koran and Buddhist sutras are also authorised guidebooks. We should be careful, however, to make certain our guidebook is authorised scripture and not mere human speculation.
As long as we are in the tunnel of darkness thinking ourselves these bodies and administering to the demands of these bodies, we will not be happy. We will be like diseased men scratching their sores, making their disease worse. The “knowledgeable” man, PhD, MD, or LSD, who thinks himself this body and who attaches importance to its fame and administers to its desires, is a first class fool with a skin disease. He does not deserve to be listened to, regardless of his teachings. The wise man knows that he is under the spell of illusion due to material contact. He surrenders himself to the Lotus Feet of Krishna and becomes automatically freed from material contamination. He cries “Hare Krishna, Hare Rama” at the Lotus Feet of the Lord, imploring liberation from his diseased condition. And, if he is sincere, real knowledge is communicated to him by Krishna, knowledge that I am not this body: I am spirit soul, ever blissful and ever free. I am Brahman, and my joy is in eternal association with the Supreme Lord. This is real knowledge and is transcendental to knowledge in the mode of goodness, passion and ignorance. It is the beginning of Krishna consciousness. The process of chanting clears away the dirt of materialistic “knowledge” and makes one eligible to receive real knowledge from the Supreme Lord. It is only in this transcendental knowledge that this life becomes worth living and in which the next life is eternally blissful.
Advertisement
Advertisement
INTRODUCTION TO BHAGAVAD-GITA
An introduction to Geetopanishad, the Bhagavad Gita as It Is. Swamiji is presently working on a complete translation of the text of the Gita. Now this introduction is available. 35 cents
KRISHNA THE RESERVOIR OF PLEASURE
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Every man is seeking pleasure in life. But he does not know where it is. This small booklet will give an idea of the perpetual pleasure of Krishna Consciousness. Price: 35 cents
WHO IS CRAZY?
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
A person who is illusioned by the temporary wonders of material energy is certainly a crazy man. Practically all men in material activities are insane in various degrees. How to cure this increasing epidemic is suggested here. Read it and be cured of all craziness. Price: 35 cents
Available from The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, 26 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. Postage paid.
BACK TO GODHEAD is published semi-monthly by The International Society For Krishna Consciousness at 26 Second Avenue (between 1st and 2nd Streets) New York, New York 10003.
1 year subscription (24 issues) $3.00. Phone 674-7428
FOUNDER: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
EDITORS: Hayagriva Das Brahmachary (Howard Wheeler)
Rayarama Das Brahmachary (Raymond Marais)
Circulation: Gargamuni Das Brahmachary (Gregory Scharf)
Printing: Ranchhor Das Brahmachary (Ronald King)
Back to Godhead Magazine #06, January 20, 1967
Blessings of Krishna!
Blessings of Krishna!
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is officially opening its San Francisco branch at 518 Fredricks Street. Swami Bhaktivedanta has flown out to the West Coast and will be introduced to the California audience January 29th by Mr. Allen Ginsberg, poet, at a Hare Krishna Festival. The interest in Krishna Consciousness expressed by San Francisco residents has been encouraging.
The Society's activities and kirtan have been recently filmed by CBS for presentation on the "Eye on New York" program to be televised in three to four weeks. Many of the Society members spoke of their experience with Krishna Consciousness.
The Society is continuing negotiations for a new building, but nothing definite has been ascertained.
During Swamiji's absence, kirtans will continue to be held at the temple during the usual times. There may or may not be group discussions.
The picture appearing in this month's issue of Back to Godhead depicts Lord Chaitanya and His disciples flying high. The artist is Jadurani Devi dasi, who is currently painting twenty-four canvases of Lord Vishnu in various four-handed positions.
The Editors
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Notes transcribed from a lecture given Wednesday, December 7, 1966.
“On The Teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu"
If you want Lord Krishna, then there is no other way except by devotional service. As for yoga, ritualistic performances, and the study of Vedic or other scriptural literature-all these forms are recommended to help us further ourselves. But, if you want to be in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you have to engage in devotional service.
Lord Chaitanya gives evidence of this from the Vedic literature. There is a verse in this connection in Srimad Bhagavatam. In it, Lord Krishna is instructing Uddhava. Uddhava was a great devotee—even greater than Arjuna. (There are three classes of devotees. The first class devotees are represented by the Gopis, the dancers of Vrindavan. Uddhava was next, and Arjuna represents the third.) Uddhava was instructed just as Arjuna was. In Srimad Bhagavatam, Krishna says that God is one, and that to act in devotional service is also one. Now, your body has nine holes or openings; two ears, two eyes, the mouth, the nose and the genitals. If you want to supply foodstuff to the body, there is only one way—through the mouth. You can't supply food through the genitals. Similarly, if you want God, there is one way, bhakti. The foolish say that any path we accept will bring us to God. They are misguiding you. You can't reach God by any other means than by devotion.
Impersonal, localized and universal—these are all forms of realization, but they are not perfect. If you want to know perfection, as its existence is stated in all Vedic literature, then read Lord Chaitanya who points out that, in the Srimad Bhagavatam, the way is called bhakti. You can never know the Lord fully, but you can know Him partially. The highest peak of human perfection can be reached by bhakti.
This process of devotional service is very dear to one who is acting in transcendental service. It is not simple. Belief in God is not sufficient. The ultimate goal is to attain love of God. To believe in God is not the end. You should further develop yourself to become God's order-supplier—that is the way to perfection. Generally, people keep God as their order-supplier, and they ask and thank God for daily bread. The ultimate devotion, however, is rendered when we supply for God. Yasoda was so advanced that Krishna as a child was dependent on her. The mother's system was, "If you become naughty, I shall punish you." The Lord says that when His devotee makes Him dependent on him, then He is pleased. The devotee wants to serve God—that is why God depends upon him. The mother is safe in keeping the child in perfect order. We must see that He is always in order. Thus, although nobody can conquer Him, His devotee can conquer Him by pure love. Such is the process of devotional service.
Lord Chaitanya confirms that if you want to know Krishna, then devotional service is the only way. Devotional service is transcendental. While we are in the material world, we have this material body. So here this practice is apprenticeship. Of course, the same situations will be there in the spiritual kingdom. Though this is really only practice, even in practice we will feel the transcendental flavor. In this apprenticeship, if one follows the proper course, what is the result? Just as when a poor man gets sufficient money, all his sufferings are gone at once and as soon as the sun is in the sky, the darkness immediately goes away, similarly, as soon as get a taste of devotional service, our whole life becomes happy at once.
A person in Krishna Consciousness can't be distressed by material activities. By execution of devotional service, you devote your activities to God, and thus develop your love of God. As soon as you get a taste for Krishna, you lose your taste for material life. As soon as you develop your love for Krishna, all this is gone. As long as you have a tinge of taste for the material world, you have to undergo transmigration from one body to another. The material body is meant for miseries-the threefold material miseries, and the specific miseries of birth, death, disease and old age. Krishna says that love for God begins after many births, when one surrenders unto Krishna. Therefore, we have a great opportunity before us, and we must get ourselves out of material contamination now. With this belief and determination you will make advancement. As you are determined, your taste for association with devotees will develop.
Then you have to execute devotional service according to the prescription of Lord Chaitanya. As soon as your devotional service and prescribed duties are performed, you become free from all material activities. You first have the taste, then you gradually develop and become fully in trance. You can't attain love of God immediately. Nevertheless, the love of God is there within you if you become submissive by hearing and if you practice chanting the tongue should be engaged in glorifying God and in eating Krishna prasadam. As soon as you confirm your submission by engaging the tongue, your service will actually start. Taste Krishna prasadam, speak of Krishna, and chant for Krishna. As you engage yourself, God will reveal Himself to you. You have to please Him by attaining the devotional service attitude. If you execute devotional service, you will develop love. As you develop love for Krishna, you are freed from material contamination. As you develop your love of devotion, you develop your freedom. One should not think, "Now I am happy," or, "I have become liberated." These are the by-products. Becoming happy is not the end. The ultimate goal is to be absorbed in love of God in which you are crying in torment because of separation from Him. That means reaching perfection. If you love someone and they die, you will see everything barren and naked. But when you give your attachment to Krishna, that love will never be finished. That is the perfection of life. That is the love of Krishna.
Chanting
Chanting
by Satsvarupa Das Brahmachari (Stephen Guarino)
When we were chanting
Hare Krishna
and the light of the sky
was going in and out
My pleasure was so
great I was afraid
lest I be swept to Indra's heaven
and there given a chariot ride
down the length of the rainbow.
Whereas here on earth,
standing on Houston Street,
I can chant the Holy
Name of Krishna and
He is with me
(kindly dancing on my tongue),
Who is the Source of Everything.
On Peace
On Peace
By Rayarama Das Brahmachari
Krishna delivered the message of the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra, just as two titanic armies were about to clash. The trumpets and conch shells heralding the battle had already been blown, and the bows were drawn tight with their arrows ready to fly. The horses were nervous, the warriors tense with anticipation of mortal combat. It was at this point that Arjuna had second thoughts. Although he was convinced of the righteousness of his cause and had the direct sanction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, he became sickened at the prospect of leading his army into civil war. He could see no good result coming from the battle. He decided to leave the field—ruined and dishonored—and to adopt a life of poverty, although he was by birth and upbringing a prince of splendid position.
At that point, Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, advised Arjuna to fight. The course of the conversation which followed between these two is the instruction of the Bhagavad Gita. This may seem an unlikely tree from which to pluck the fruit of peace—but we shall soon see that the fruit is there, and that it is well within our reach.
To begin His instructions to Arjuna, the Lord made clear the difference between the body and the soul. Arjuna's misgivings were all on the level of material consciousness—he was considering the ills, comforts and relationships of the body. Krishna politely called him a fool for this, and then explained that the living entity—the real being—is not matter at all. The real person is the soul., the pure spirit that dwells within the body. Krishna speaks of the soul in these terms:
He who thinks that this slays
And he who thinks that this is slain—
Both fail to perceive the truth:
This one neither slays nor is slain.
He is never born, nor does he die at any time,
Nor, having being, will he cease to be.
He is unborn, eternal, permanent and primeval.
He is not slain when the body is slain.
(Gita, 2.19-20))
It is to this real person, and not to the material covering, that Bhagavad Gita is addressed. The material covering—the body—is born, and is quite as ephemeral as a flicker of sunset color. Of the soul, however, these things are not true. Again, Lord Sri Krishna says:
Weapons do not cut this self,
Fire does not burn him,
Waters do not wet him,
Nor does the wind make him dry.
He is uncleavable. He cannot be burnt.
He can neither be wetted nor dried.
Though he pervades the body, he is eternal, unchanging, and immovable.
He is the same forever.
(Gita, 2.23-24)
This is the real person, who has by mischance fallen into this ocean of material misery. Here, he is not at home. He has identified himself with the body, and is therefore suffering the pangs of disease, old age, death and rebirth. All the impermanence and insecurity of the ever-changing material universe are his—although he is in fact "eternal, unchanging and immovable…the same forever."
Before we can actually consider the problem of peace, we must make clear this distinction between matter and spirit. This is what Krishna did for Arjuna, before going on with the teaching of Bhagavad Gita. And so this distinction is necessary for our further understanding also. The great acharya and our grand spiritual master Sri Srimad Bhakti Sidhanta Sarasvati Goswami used to tell the following brief story to his disciples, to illustrate this point:
Once a man fell into a lake. Being unable to swim, he shouted and cried for help, flailing desperately in the water. A well-meaning passerby, seeing the man's plight, leapt into the lake and swam to him. The rescuer, upon reaching the drowning man, took off the man's coat and then brought it back to shore. He was very proud of himself, but the people on the shore jeered at him for being a terrible fool. He had brought the drowning man's coat to safety, but the man himself had by now gone down to his death.
In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says:
Just as a person casts off worn-out garments
And puts on others that are new-
Even so does the embodied soul cast off worn-out bodies
And takes on others that are new.
(Gita, 2.22)
Just as we would deride the fool who brought the drowning man's coat to shore—so we must deride the doers of good deeds in our present society, who ignore the soul—the true, imperishable person—and make prodigious efforts towards the relief of the body. Fortunes are cast into the fire for saving people's bodies, but in the end everyone surely dies. Meanwhile, the real living entity within goes on suffering indefinitely, neither its disease nor its very existence being regarded.
This applies to our present strivings for peace in the world as well. All our grave and earnest efforts are being directed at the body—to prevent its death on the field of battle—yet no one can stay the hand of death, nor turn the sun back on its course, nor stop the coming of dusk. We think that conditions in Vietnam are pitiable, but we ignore the pitiable conditions on the Bowery, in Harlem—and, yes, even in Levittown.
We are all suffering at the hands of material nature, because it is alien to us. No man can live contentedly in the midst of the North Atlantic, nor can a whale find a peaceful home on the Great Plains. The eternal spirit soul, in similar fashion, is out of its natural environment when, under the cloud of illusion, it accepts the bodily concept of life. Its plight is duly noted by the Lord:
The living entities are
Eternal fragmental portions of Myself.
They are dragging on in a bitter struggle for existence in material nature
With the six senses, including the mind.
(Gita, 15.7)
Because we are eternal, we seek eternal surroundings. But we have accepted material nature, and so our strivings for happiness, security and peace are carried out here, where they cannot be brought to success. In the Eight chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says, "The basis of all created things is mutable nature." (Gita, 8.4). As the basis of the created—or material—world, mutability is not separable from the material world. Just what this mutability consists of and how it acts is elsewhere described by the Lord, in discussing the three modes by which nature manifests itself.
Goodness prevails, overpowering
Passion and ignorance, O Bharata.
Passion prevails, overpowering goodness and ignorance.
Even so ignorance prevails, overpowering goodness and passion.
(Gita VIX/10)
This is the working of nature—both within man and within the whole context of material creation. Just as there are many men today who are laboring dearly for peace—so there are even more men (obviously) who are laboring for war. This is an eternal process, according to Lord Sri Krishna. At one time the forces of goodness prevail, at another the powers of passion, and then again—as in a dark or stagnant age-the forces of ignorance are most prominent.
This revolving wheel cannot be stopped. It is not a phenomenon peculiar to human activities, but a universal law—the mutability of material existence. Even on a much higher scale, the very cosmos itself is subject to this restless activity. Here is the Lord's description of cosmic evolution:
At the coming of day
All manifested things come forth from the unmanifested
And at the coming of night
They merge in that same unmanifested.
This very same multitude of existences
Arising again and again
Merges helplessly at the coming of night, O Partha,
And streams forth into being at the coming of day.
(Gita, 8.18-19)
What peace then shall we find here? Here, there is only a perpetual struggle to survive, where survival is assuredly impossible. The Utopian concept of a world without war—a world of material peace and comfort—is an imagination. There is aplace of true peace and, more than comfort, eternal ecstacy—but it is not here in the sphere of cosmic evolution.
However, we have already seen that the living entity is not matter. Although he has identified himself with the body, he is actually eternal, and lives on after the annihilation of the body. He lives on, in fact, beyond the annihilation of the very universe—through cosmic days and nights without end. His real position lies outside the spinning modes of material nature.
The master (of the body) does not act,
Nor does he cause others to act,
Nor does he connect work with its fruit.
It is nature that accomplishes these things.
(Gita 5.14)
Disturbance, turbulence and unrest, the grim struggle for existence, the savage grappling for impossible survival—these are nature's actions. The real living spark does not participate. He merely lends his consciousness, and therefore he suffers. But, when he can withdraw his attachment, and fix himself in his real nature—then he is free, for he has broken his artificial ties with nature. Being established in one's real identity, we must therefore conclude, is the meaning of peace. No aspect of body consciousness can bring peace, because the body is only an artificial covering—itself the cause of our unhappiness, subject by its very constitution to the limits of day and night, and day and night again, and on and on again.
WE can have real peace. We can withdraw ourselves from our attachment to matter, and fix ourselves in ourselves as we really are—full of knowledge, blissful and eternal. This real peace can be had first of all in personal terms—immediately and directly for the individual. The Lord, in His infinite kindness, appeared on this earth to help us find the way to peace. Here is His formula for the individual:
Whatever thou doest, whatever thou eatest,
Whatever thou offerest, whatever thou givest away,
Whatever austerities thou dost practice—
Do that, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), as an offering to Me.
Thus shalt thou be freed
From the good and evil results which are the bonds of action.
With thy mind firmly set on the way of renunciation,
Thou shalt become free, and attain to Me.
(Gita 9.27-28)
Renunciation is the path of freedom to peace. Renunciation does not mean holing up in a cave or in a jungle. It is much simpler than that. Renunciation means offering everything to God. Everything already belongs to God, but we have foolishly set ourselves up as independent lords and masters—and so we are in agony life after life, never resting, never happy and never at peace. Even if we come to know some flickering shadow of these things, the hand of death touches us, and all is gone—the millionaire, the general, the movie star and the madman—all must go then and there, and none may have even a moment's delay, whatever his assets. But the man who understands the Lord—this man finds peace which is sweeter than all April's blossoms—and which will never end. This formula is given most explicitly in the Fifth chapter of Bhagavad Gita:
And having known Me as the Enjoyer of sacrifices and austerities,
The great Lord of all the worlds,
The friend of all beings,
He attains peace.
(Gita, 5.29)
These three items of knowledge, then, will bring us peace: First, that God is the Enjoyer of everything, and that everything is meant for His enjoyment. Second, that God is the Lord and Master of all worlds. And, third, that the Lord is friend to all beings, whatever their aspect. If we accept these principles, we have drawn ourselves out of the entanglement of material nature. If the nations of the world and their government will accept these principles, then we can actually have world-wide peace at once. There will be no need to battle over some land, some sky, some jewels or some influence if we realize that all these things are the property of God. It is because we imagine them to be ours that we are killing each other for them. We come to this earth naked and we go empty-handed—and while we're here we struggle ferociously for some clods of clay. But these things are not ours. They will never be ours. They are God's, and we are also God's.
Modern civilization is deeply engrossed in the search for peace, but for all the efforts made, no peace has been found. Nations are engaged in vicious warfare—and individuals are likewise so engaged in the course of their daily lives. In Sweden today there is no war, and yet the people are committing suicide in appalling numbers. No armies are contesting the roadways in New York or California, but you cannot count the dead which pile up on them everyday. There is no more peace in Stockholm or in the Bronx than there is in Vietnam—only the fashion of the struggle and its attendant agonies are different. This is because we have failed to recognized the Lord. Our godless civilization is a disaster on every account.
There is a Sanskrit verse which translates approximately like this: "Eating, sleeping, defending and mating are instincts common to animals and men. But the extra instinct, which distinguishes the human from the animal, is his religious instinct." Human life is characterized by its highly-developed consciousness. Unless we use this developed consciousness to find out the answers to the problems of existence, then we are using only our animal instincts. In other words, without at least a serious enquiry into the nature of our being, our life cannot be said to be human.
This society as it stands today, then, is not human society. It has cast aside all interest in God and the spirit, and has bent all its energies to sophisticating and elaborating upon the gratification of those simple instincts which we hold in common with the dogs, the hogs and the buffalo. Because war disturbs one's ability to enjoy his animal propensities, our society has decided to find some means to abolish war. It has not taken any consideration of the Lord, however, That would also mean giving up our deep attachment to those propensities which we share with the less-conscious animals. However, without god-consciousness, we are no more than sophisticated dogs. This is why the United Nations is a failure, and why it will continue to fail. There is no more hope of a workable peace coming from the General Assembly than there is from the city pound.
The leaders who are attempting to guide our civilization away from disaster are unmindful of God. Being ignorant of God, they are themselves blind to all truth, and at the mercy of the modes of nature. They cannot possibly accomplish anything but deviltry. The words of this writer will be less trenchant than the following three verses from Bhagavad Gita, in which the Lord Himself speaks on this subject:
Deluded by these
Threefold modes of Nature,
This whole world does not recognize Me,
Who am above them and imperishable.
This Divine maya (illusory energy) of Mine,
Consisting of the three modes, is hard to overcome.
But those who take refuge in Me alone
Cross beyond it.
The evil-doers, the foolish,
The lowest of Mankind—whose minds are carried away by illusion
And who partake of the nature of demons—
These do not seek refuge in Me.
(Gita 7.13-15)
Lord Krishna doesn't mince His words. We may know then, on His authority, that most of the leaders—intellectual as well as administrative—of our modern world, are evil-doers, fools, the lowest among Mankind—and that their knowledge has been carried away by illusion (in other words, they are mad). Do not expect peace in our time. These men who now lead us are particularly qualified only for the grim mischief which we have already so lavishly tasted in this Twentieth Century. As to whether these men are likely to bring about peace in spite of their poor qualifications—by chance, as it were—here are two more verses which pretty nicely examine this possibility:
The deluded despise Me
Clad in human body,
Not knowing My higher Nature
As Lord of all existences.
Partaking of the deceptive nature of fiends and demons,
Their aspirations are vain,
Their actions vain and their knowledge vain
And they are devoid of judgment.
(Gita, 9.11-12)
The fact is that there are probably at least as many atheists campaigning for peace as there are engaged in war right now. Bhagavad Gita says that all of these men are devoid of judgment. We can expect no good from them. The Lord Himself avows this, and the events of history attest to the truth of His words.
Even if a political peace can be established, it will not mean that peace has come to Mankind. Peace is a thing of the heart, the mind and the soul. Peace can be absent from the placid shores of some sylvan meadow stream, and it can also be had in the midst of brutal violence and mayhem. Even so slight a thing as a smile on the rush-hour bus is a conquest of material nature. Peace is an inner quality. It is a gift of God bestowed upon those who are wise enough to accept Him as the Supreme Enjoyer, Lord of all world, and Friend of all beings.
The great-souled (mahatmas), O Partha
Who abide in the divine nature,
Knowing Me the imperishable source of all beings,
Worship Me with undistracted devotion.
(Gita, 9.13)
These are the qualifications which we should look for in our leaders. They are rarely found, to be sure, but if we actually want peace among men, then we must seek out such people. Of course, even the present leaders of the world can quickly attain the status of great-souled. Let them take up the chanting of the Lord's Holy Names, to purify their minds. Let them recognize the Lord's sovereignty of God, and the sacredness of all that belongs to Him. Let them make it their business to propagate God-consciousness among the people whose earthly destinies they wish to guide. These measures will bring peace to this planet.
And, if we want peace within—the real peace which affects the soul and not merely its outer covering of the body—then we must ourselves bow down with undistracted devotion to the Lord. This is what Arjuna did. Thereupon, though he waded into the monstrous melee at Kurukshetra, he was free from the good and evil reactions of his deeds, because he acted not on his own behalf, but at the bidding of the Lord, Sri Krishna. Arjuna the warrior continued to be a warrior, but he was at peace, in worshiping God. We too need not retreat from the world in order to find real peace. We need only turn to the Lord. In Him lies the end of all pursuits. The words of Arjuna, upon seeing the Lord's Universal Form, well apply to us, as well as to all creatures in all ages:
And why should they not do Thee homage, O exalted One, Who
art greater than Brahma, the original father?
O Infinite Being, Lord of gods,
Refuge of the Universe, Thou art the Imperishable,
The being and the non-being and what is beyond even that.
Thou art the first of the gods, the Primal Person,
The Supreme Resting Place of the world.
Thou art the knower and That which is to be known and the Supreme Goal.
By Thee is this universe pervaded, O Thou of Infinite Form!
Thou art the wind, the destroyer,
The fire, the sea-god, the moon and the grandsire of all.
Hail, hail to Thee a thousand fold!
Hail, hail to Thee again and yet again!
Hail to Thee in front, hail to Thee behind,
And hail to Thee on every side, O All!
Boundless in power and immeasurable in might,
Thou dost penetrates all and therefore Thou art All!
(Gita, 9.37-40)
One who recognizes these truths has found the genuine splendor of all existence—and he has found peace as well. He is not a weakling or a fool; he is a realist in the highest sense of the word. Let the madmen whose fingers have closed on the gold and the flesh of this world have their brief game of play. We must seek Reality. One who is sincere in his quest for peace will look to the root cause of the world's distress—and he will find it in the hardness of his own heart. So, let's pry open the doors that have sealed off the pure, radiant chambers of our hearts. Let's pray for peace with these words of Arjuna:
Thou art the Father of the world, of the moving and the unmoving.
Thou art the Object of its worship, and its venerable Teacher.
None is equal to Thee. How then
Could there be one greater than Thee in the three worlds,
O Thou of incomparable greatness?
Therefore, bowing down and prostrating my body before Thee,
Adorable Lord, I seek Thy grace.
Thou, O God, shouldst bear with me as a father with his son,
As a friend to his friend—as a lover to his beloved.
(Gita 11.43-44)
Some Questions to Lord Krishna
Some Questions to Lord Krishna
(Questions probably not conducive to enlightenment)
From Hayagriva Das Brahmacari (Howard Wheeler)
1.
Is it true
That Thou art blue
And art the Supreme
Godhead too?
I also hear
You like to toy
About Vaikuntha
As Cow Boy.
Swamiji says
You always wear
A peacock feather
In Thy Hair
And that Thy Feet
And colored red
And leave a lotus
Where'er You tread
And that eternally
You play
Upon Thy flute
The Vedic Way.
And that in battle
You gave the Gita
To Arjuna
That we might read 'er.
But is it true?
May we traverse?
Within Thy Mouth
The universe?
O Lord Divine,
Who dares to doubt it?
Thy cosmos shouts
Thy praise throughout it.
2.
Because, O Lord,
The Milky Way
Is but cow's milk
You drank one day.
And I believe
We really float
Within Thy Belly
Like a boat.
And time will come
When You'll discharge
Our galaxy
Upon Thy yard.
Then we'll look up
To see Thy Face
And Thy true Form
With all its Grace.
"Welcome," You'll laugh
And give a kick
And like a cow boy
Play a trick.
Lasso devotees,
Corral and tie
All those who to
Vrindavan fly.
And call to us,
"Come on, ladies!
I've made rice, dhall,
And chopaties."
Then I will know
That it is true
That Thou art blue
And Godhead too.
Chanting
Chanting
By Satsvarupa Das Brahmacari (Stephen Guarino)
When we go chanting
Hare Krishna
outdoors,
under the blue sky,
with drums and cymbals
through the streets,
who can measure
the essence of that?
From a cloud hung a
waterspout, the sun
was going in and out,
buildings, faces, and
cars, people-seemed the same
stopping to look at us
in awe.
"We are unbustable," said
Achyutananda;
He meant when
we chant
Hare Krishna
We are unbustable and made
100% pure
by virtue of the Holy Name
Of Krishna.
This world
like a pit of a fruit
spat out of My Lord's Mouth
and the uneaten flesh
that clung thereto
became our forest & crops
& the juice the sea
& the Lord spitted the Heavens
And we germs from this Mouth
Oh how Glorious Our Lord
His mere touch Infinite Wonder
Our existence the breath of His Bliss
We the recoil of His Wisdom
And on that one day my Lord
He ate just 1,000 of such
fruits in an hour
as He walked through His garden
toward the place of His bath.
—By Ravindra Svarupa Das Brahmacari
(Bob Lefkowitz)
Back to Godhead Magazine #07, February 1, 1967
Regarding Psychedelics
Regarding Psychedelics
The following is a letter received by the editors which pretty well speaks for itself:
Dear Editors,
In your December 1st issue of Back to Godhead, you ask for comments by your readers when they feel it necessary, and I would herewith like to offer a humble observation.
Far too far often I find your philosophy hyper-critical of LSD and other psychedelic chemicals. Speaking personally, I would be much more likely to join in your celebration if it were not for the fact that I do not wish to be made to feel guilty about my past ingestions of these mysterious sacraments. Furthermore, in all honesty, I am sure you will admit that the majority of people now deeply interested in Krishna Consciousness would never have been so were it not for the spark of spiritual curiosity ignited in them by their LSD sessions.
This is an age of machine misery and computerized death, and any avenue of spiritual seeking which the American people seek to trod is far better than its alternative. Don't choke yourself off by participating in an undeclared war against acid and grass. People will come to you without this. No doubt more than you are presently receiving. Let the beauty of your quest speak eloquently for itself, and let all people you reach be proud of their own humble search. Too many of us have been guilty for too long, and we are tired of it.
I hope I have made my point. I think it is an important one.
Peace and love,
San Francisco, California.
First of all, we would like to express our gratitude and appreciation for this sincere and well-put comment. We've withheld the writer's name rather than chance hurting him in some way. In response to his questions, Hayagriva Das (Howard Wheeler) has written the following essay entitled, "Psychedelic Drugs and Krishna Consciousness," which will also be published as a separate pamphlet. We hope this question and answer will clarify our position for all who are in doubt of it. We will be glad to hear more and more from our readers on this subject.
And now, Mr. Wheeler's essay:
Psychedelic Drugs and Krishna Consciousness
Psychedelic Drugs and Krishna Consciousness
Due to the recent psychedelic drug movement in America, many people have come to us and asked about the Society's stand regarding LSD, gunga (marijuana), peyote, mescaline, psylocibin, yage, etc. in reply, we would like to say that as a society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness has nothing to do with drugs or drug intoxication. We are neither for nor against the use or repression of such drugs. We are not qualified to judge positive or negative effects, and therefore our policy is one of non-interference, especially in regards to legalization, administration, etc. Believing that people naturally do what they like, we feel that it is not our mission to condemn the actions of others but to suggest, in a positive way, their adopting Krishna Consciousness and chanting the Maha (Hare Krishna) Mantra. Drugs and drug movements are not our concern. We are interested in the eternal Reality, which is Krishna, the Supreme Lord.
However, members of the Society and those seriously pursuing Krishna Consciousness, following the Vedic Way and the injunctions of the Spiritual Master (guru) Swami A.C Bhaktivedanta, do not take intoxicants such as alcohol and drugs. Our authorities are the Spiritual Master, the Bhagavad Gita, and, of course, Lord Krishna—and none of these recommend the use of drugs for spiritual development.
There are a number of reasons we do not encourage psychedelic drugs for those who are interested in pursuing Krishna Consciousness.
1. We believe that our natural state of consciousness is one of ecstasy. Therefore it is not necessary to attempt to alter our consciousness by a chemical process. In actuality, we are eternally in samadhi, in union with God, being His eternal parts and parcels. This is our constitutional position-it is not a position brought about by fasting, vigils, drugs, self-mutilation, etc. the position is already there. If we do not see our position or understand it, it is due to our ignorance. They way our of ignorance is Krishna Consciousness, which helps us to attain our natural unconditional state of freedom and bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda) in Krishna. To the best of our knowledge, drugs only construct a reliance on a material substance and lead to bondage to that substance—therefore, for our purposes, they do not lead to unconditional freedom, but to spiritual regression.
2. Drugs, as an artificial means of exhilaration, are not new. Psychedelics in the form of peyote and "magic" mushrooms have been known to American Indians for hundreds of years, and thousands of years ago, "soma" and similar drugs are recorded to have been used in India. Over the centuries, psychedelics have been known to and rejected by great saints, mystics, sages, incarnations and spiritual leaders. A 130 years ago, the American transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson was also aware of attempts to attain cosmic consciousness by abortive, artificial means:
It is a secret which every intellectual man quickly learns, that beyond the energy of his possessed and conscious intellect he is capable of a new energy (as of an intellect doubled on itself) by abandonment to the nature of things; that beside his privacy of power as an individual man, there is a great public power on which he can draw, by unlocking his human doors, and suffering the ethereal tides to roll and circulate through him; then he is caught up into the life of the Universe….For if in any manner we can stimulate this instinct, new passages are opened for us into nature; the mind flows into and through things hardest and highest, and the metamorphosis is possible…This is the reason why bards love wine, mead, narcotics, coffee, tea, opium, the fumes of sandalwood and tobacco, or whatever other procurers of animal exhilaration. All men avail themselves of such means as they can, to add this extraordinary power to their normal powers.
(From Essays, 2nd Series, "The Poet.")
However, Emerson makes it clear that he does not condone such artificial means, which he considers to be used by an inferior type of man. He also deems the results to be imperfect and temporary, for in actuality deterioration and dissipation are provoked by reliance on external stimuli.
Never can any advantage be taken of nature by a trick. The spirit of the world, the great calm presence of the Creator, comes not forth to the sorceries of opium or of wine. The sublime vision comes to the pure and simple soul in a clean and chaste body. That is not an inspiration, which we owe to narcotics, but some counterfeit excitement and fury. Milton says that the lyric poet may drink wine and live generously, but the epic poet, he who shall sing of the gods and their descent unto men, must drink water out of a wooden bowl…His cheerfulness should be the gift of the sunlight; the air should suffice for his inspiration, and he should be tipsy with water.
(From "The Poet")
3. The great mystics, incarnations, sages, religious leaders, etc through the ages never used drugs in their spiritual undertakings nor advocated their adherents taking them. This includes Lord Krishna, Brahma, Vasudeva, Narada Muni, Shakara, the great Indian Acharyas, Lord Chaitanya, Lord Buddha, Lao Tzu, Huang Po, Confucius, Mohammed, Socrates, Plato, Lord Jesus Christ, His apostles and disciples, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. John of the Cross, innumerable other Christian saints and mystics, the metaphysical poets, Milton, Dante, William Blake, the American transcendentalists, Emerson, Thoreau, Emily Dickinson and Whitman—the list can extend indefinitely. And typically, the principle religions of the world—Buddhism, Taoism, Mohammedism, Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism—forbid the use of drugs by their adherents. Obviously, drugs are not necessary for spiritual realization, and they are not recent discoveries. Children feel no need for them; nor will adults if they only see things as they truly are.
4. Krishna Consciousness involves a firm belief in Krishna, the Supreme Lord, Who is the Absolute Controller and Proprietor of all things. He has not given any indication that drugs provide a legitimate means for reaching Him. He sets down the way by which man may reach His Supreme eternal Abode in the Bhagavad Gita, and no mention is made of drugs. Quite the contrary, He condemns those who follow their own way to the exclusion of Scriptures (Gita 9.3; 16.23-24).
5. From our personal observation of LSD-users who have come to the Society under the influence of or shortly after an LSD "trip," we have found them to been generally confused, disoriented, and badly in need of help. Their conversations have not indicated them to be enlightened beings. Many have had to resort to hospitalization, psychiatrics, etc. Not only are the drugs'results artificial and imaginary, but it they tend to make the user think himself to be further spiritually progressed than he actually is. Many young "avatars" have dropped by the Society to teach Swami Bhaktivedanta about God. In fact, some have claimed to be the Shining, Omnipotent One.
6. The effects of the drugs are only temporary; the drug user is "up" shortly after taking the drug, but after a few hours he "comes down." Krishna Consciousness teaches how to "stay high forever" without bringdowns, by chanting one's way into eternity. Nor do drugs free one from material hankerings such as food, sex desires, etc..,but sometimes rather provoke desires.
7. Some members of the Society experienced psychedelic drugs extensively before meeting Swami Bhaktivedanta, and they now no longer take them. Some consider their previous drug experiences as a kind of spiritual "undergraduate" study and now consider Krishna Consciousness to be graduate school study. Krishna Consciousness teaches one how to swim in the spiritual ocean without water-wings.
In conclusion, we would like to encourage the positive and age-old method of Krishna Consciousness, approved by the great acharyas (spiritual masters) of India, as a true method of spiritual advancement and development. The results are eternal. Through sincere practice, one can come to know his relationship to God, to the world, God's relationship to the Universe and to the individual soul, and ultimately one can attain realization that one is not matter but spirit soul eternally related to the Supreme, and, through Krishna's grace, reach His supreme and eternal Abode. We encourage psychedelic drug users to finish their experimentation, graduate once and for all, and take up God realization under a qualified spiritual master such as Swami Bhaktivedanta. Then they can chant their way into eternity and face God independent of "sugarcubes."
Issued by:
The International Society
for Krishna Consciousness
26 Second Avenue
New York, New York
For further information, write the Society.
By the Mercy of Krishna
By the Mercy of Krishna
We hope that the foregoing letter and reply have clarified the position of the Society on the issue of psychedelic drugs. (The reason for the somewhat confused numbering of pages is that the bulk of our magazine is typed on stencils far in advance of publication, and the present additions caught us off guard. Sorry.)
We would like to express our appreciation for the fine work of our art directress, Jadurani Devi Dasi (Judy Koslofsky), whose picture of Lord Krishna follows our cover.
The opening of the Radha Krishna Temple at 518 Frederick Street in San Francisco's Haight Ashbury district has been a very satisfying success. The West Coast certainly seems certainly seems to be fertile ground for the growth of Krishna Consciousness. Regarding the arrival of Swami Bhaktivedanta on Monday, January 16, at San Francisco airport, here is an excerpt from a letter sent by one of the editors, who was present:
“There were well over fifty people, chanting and holding flowers. Great crowds had gathered to learn of the dignitary. They must have been quite amazed as Swami—with a smile as broad as San Francisco Bay—came through the door. He walked through a gauntlet of well-wishers who each bestowed a blossom into his hands. Then we marched to the parking lot chanting and holding hands. It was ecstasy in itself; I can't describe how beautiful it was. But, naturally, nothing could surpass Swamiji himself for beauty, as he soon showed us. For, while we were waiting for the baggage to arrive, he raised his hands and began to dance, with Ron holding his umbrella over him to keep off the sunlight. Allen Ginsberg was there also, and he joined us, as everyone began to dance and sing. As he danced, Swamiji took handfuls of the flowers which had been given him, and distributed them to just about each and every person there."
Six days after his arrival, the Swami initiated four devotees, and on the following day performed a wedding ceremony, at which a hundred and fifty guests were present. Kirtan is being held at the Frederick Street Temple on the same schedule as here on Second Avenue, so if you happen to be out that way, do stop in and join the chanting.
Although we haven't had any words on the Mantra Rock Dance at the Avalon Ballroom as yet (it is in progress even as this is being written, Sunday, January 29), we feel confident that the affair will be a great success. The kind participation of Allen Ginsberg, the Greatful Dead, Moby Dick and a number of other celebrities is duly noted and much appreciated.
Hare Krishna
The Editors.
On Chanting Hare Krishna
On Chanting Hare Krishna
By A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
The transcendental vibration established by the chanting of HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE, HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE is the sublime method for reviving our transcendental consciousness. As living spiritual souls, we are all originally Krishna Conscious entities, but due to our association with matter—since time immemorial—our consciousness is now adulterated by the material atmosphere. The material atmosphere, in which we are now living, is called Maya, or illusion. Maya means that which is not. And what is this illusion? The illusion is that we are all trying to be lords of material nature, while actually we are under the grip of the stringent laws of material nature. When a servant artificially tries to imitate the all powerful master, it is called illusion. We are trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities. Therefore, we are engaged in a hard struggle to conquer the stringent laws of material nature, but we are ever more dependent on it. This illusory struggle against material nature can be stopped at once by revival of our eternal Krishna Consciousness.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare is the transcendental process for reviving this original pure consciousness. By chanting this transcendental vibration, we can cleanse away all misgivings within our hearts. The basic principle of all such misgivings is the false consciousness that I am the lord of all I survey.
Krishna Consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived. This simplest method is recommended for this age. By practical experience also, one can perceive that by the simple chanting of this Mahamantra, or the great chanting for deliverance, one can at once feel a transcendental ecstasy coming through from the spiritual stratum. In the material concept of life we are busy in the matter of sense gratification as if we were in the lower animal stage of life. A little elevated from this status of sense gratification, one is engaged in mental speculation for the purpose of getting out of the material clutches. A little elevated from this speculative status, when one is intelligent enough, one tries to find the Supreme Cause of all causes—within and without. And when one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind and intelligence, he is then on the transcendental plane. This chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra is enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower status of consciousness—namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is no need, therefore, to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need for mental speculation, nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this Mahamantra. It is automatic, from the spiritual platform, and as such anyone can take part in vibrating this transcendental sound vibration without any previous qualifications. In a more advanced stage, of course, one is not expected to commit offenses on grounds of spiritual understanding.
In the beginning, there may be the presence of all transcendental ecstasies—which are eight in number. These are: 1) being stopped as though dumb; 2) perspiration; 3) standing up of hairs on the body; 4) dislocation of voice; 5) trembling; 6) fading 7) crying in ecstasy; and 8) trance. But there is no doubt that chanting for a while takes one immediately to the spiritual platform, and one shows the first symptom of this in the urge to dance along with the chanting of the Mantra. We have seen this practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting and dancing. Of course, for one who is too entangled in material life, it takes a little more time to come to the standard point, but even such a materially engrossed man is raised to the spiritual platform very quickly. When it is chanted by a pure devotee of the Lord in love, it has the greatest efficacy on hearers, and as such this chanting should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effects can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of non-devotees should be avoided. Milk touched by the lips of a servant has poisonous effects.
The word Hare is the form of addressing the energy of the Lord, and the words Krishna and Rama are forms of addressing the Lord Himself. Both Krishna and Rama mean the Supreme Pleasure, and Hara is the supreme pleasure-energy of the Lord. The Supreme Pleasure Energy of the Lord helps us to reach the Lord.
The material energy called Maya is also one of the multi-energies of the Lord. We the living entities are also the energy—marginal energy—of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to material energy. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible situation arises, but when the superior marginal energy is in contact with the Superior Energy, called Hara, it is established in its happy, normal condition.
These three words, namely Hara, Krishna and Rama, are the transcendental seeds of the Mahamantra. The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His Energy to give protection to the conditioned soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its mother's presence. Mother Hara helps the devotee to achieve the Lord Father's grace, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this Mantra sincerely.
No other means of spiritual realization is as effective in this age of quarrel an hypocrisy as is the Mahamantra.
HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE, HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE.
These red berries of devotion
Mark the sweet names of God
And in touching them I pluck the fruit of paradise.
These red berries of devotion
Are clusters of my soul's delight
Gathered on a branch of the Real Tree, Whose Roots
I cannot fathom.
Sacred as the flute of Krishna's atmosphere
A treasure most sublime,
I praise these sparkling young red berries of devotion.
—Rayarama Das Brahacari
(Raymond Marais)
The Man of Wisdom
The Man of Wisdom
by Satsvarupa Das Brahmachary
(Stephen Guarino)
According to the Bhagavad Gita, those "virtuous ones" who actually come to God, are of four kinds: "The man in distress, the seeker for knowledge, the seeker for wealth, and the man of wisdom." (Gita 7.16) The distressed, who ask sanctuary at the Feet of the Lord, are quickly given ease and shelter. This is a fact: the life of devotional service leads one out of the entanglements of the perishable world. Refuge is granted through worship. For those in distress (anyone without Krishna Consciousness is in some measure of distress) God's mercy grants peace, the easing of their burden. Whatever the frustration, whatever the pain, whatever the loneliness, loss or tragedy, it is balmed with the sincere and faithful hearing of the Vedic message (scripture).People in distress, however, are liable to come and go. With the rise of new "opportunities," or after a period of rejuvenation in association with the Lord and His devotees, the distressed may leave the Supreme's service in order to make a fresh attack on the mazes of illusion, thus falling back into the clutches of the temporary, material world.
The second "virtuous one" is the man who is seeking knowledge. He is curious to know God. God is All-Famous, and so the curious man becomes interested, and wants to know Him. Curiosity is a good reason—as any reason is—to turn to God, but if such a man applies only his curiosity to the Godhead, his intellectual enquiry will soon show itself to be endless, since the Divine Person cannot be measured by our human potencies. The Ruler of all universes and planets, the Source and Proprietor of Life and Wisdom will be enquired after by the speculative, knowledge-seeking man in birth after birth, until at long length the seeker concludes that "Vasudeva (Krishna) is All." (Gita, 7.19). Only then does the imperishable wisdom begin.
In a similar way, the seeker for wealth (whose virtue is in turning to God to satisfy his desires), will probably never actually be satisfied, not even by a deluge of gold. Neither will he ever advance closer toward God, until he goes beyond wanting God to be his order-supplier. In the Gita Lord Krishna says, "But temporary is the fruit gained by these men of small minds." (Gita, 7.23)
That leaves us the man of wisdom. "Of these, the wise one, who is ever in constant union with the Divine, whose devotion is single-minded, is the best. For I am supremely dear to him, and he is dear to Me." (Gita, 7.16). Why is the man of wisdom dear to God? Because he wants nothing in return. The man of wisdom puts aside his desires for those things for which others are searching, and seeks Krishna's pleasure. He realizes that his true, original life is beyond the color of this temporary world of sense-pleasure, sadness, wealth-hankering and puffed-up knowledge-seeking. The wise man knows that he is transcendental, like Krishna. Krishna is above, and unaffected by, the pangs of bondage; and we are Krishna's parts and parcels. While of course Krishna has the power to bestow gold and to dry up our tears of misery, asking for these things is like praying in hell-fire for a sumptuous meal and a woman, rather than asking for release from the flames. Krishna is transcendental, and when we pray to Him it is for mere association with Him. Never mind the list of special requests for our particular situation on Earth. Just pray to see Krishna. Krishna is the fullest Enjoyer and the wise man has the single desire to become His devotee. We have a chant in praise of Krishna: "Hare Krishna, Hare Rama." This chant bestows the very wisdom we are speaking of. Therefore, the wise man's position is to withdraw from all material attachment, both good and evil, and to chant the Holy Name of God. This is the wise man's single need and prime duty.
How does the wise man subsist? He subsists on the nectar of transcendental service to the Lord. He feeds and cares for his body as you would care for the upkeep of a functionary push-cart. He eats for Krishna, after first offering his food to Him. He works at Krishna's business and talks on Krishna's behalf. Krishna says in the Gita, "Whose devotion is single-minded is best." Single-minded devotion is best because Krishna says so, and he is the Single Supreme Person. Devotion to that to which we are inseparably connected is, after all, wise. Since we are all parts of the Godhead, our constitutional function is to serve as His parts, just as the hands serve the body, of which they are part. The hands never try to consume food themselves, absorbing it through the fingernails. Nor do they make a request of the body that they be given their "independence." Yet, the hand performs well in its own miraculous sphere, making music, typewriting, grasping weights. Why, therefore, are we clamoring to God for special benediction? We already have the blessings of function: to serve the Eternal eternally. The wise man is aware of his natural, original position and is using both body and soul in the service of his Lord. If we frantically try to consume God's gifts for our own enjoyment, we will very quickly reach the fruitless end of this mortal road, and will have to begin again: and, if we are not wise, the next time we will again meet the end of the road.
To do transcendental service is to surrender our will unto His will. But no, we have to learn it again and again, stubbornly—we have to learn that we actually have no business apart from God. We are wise when we reach the conclusion that God is the Bestower and is truly All. "Vasudeva is all that is." (Gita, 7.19)
“When thou hast known it, thou shalt not fall again into this confusion, O Pandava, for by this thou shalt see all existences without exception in the Self, then in Me. (Gita, 4.35)
Our independence from Him is our illusion. Similarly fantastic is the pursuit of our own gratification, the desire for love apart from Him, or wealth apart from Him, or happiness apart from Him. The wise man leaves the mirage in favor of the Reality. Absolute Reality is to willingly serve the Lord. We are already His servitors; we cannot avoid the work. All miseries stem from forgetting this factual situation: There is the Lord, and there are ourselves—and we are His own. He is dear to us because we are dear to Him. Love is the key. And the wise man loves God.
Doubt, Thy Name is Bondage
Doubt, Thy Name is Bondage
By Hayagriva Das Brahmacari
(Howard Wheeler)
But the man who is ignorant and without faith and always doubting goes to ruin. Nor this world nor the world beyond nor happiness is for the doubting soul. (Krishna in the Gita, 4.40)
If the sun and moon should doubt
They would immediately go out.
—William Blake
Doubt has been called the shadow of truth. At the very beginning of one's spiritual life, a devotee is invariably beset by a legion of doubts. These doubts, disguised as demons of innumerable colors and forms, all have one purpose: to obscure the light of truth from the vision of the devotee. Francis Bacon once wrote, "In contemplation, if a man begins with certainties he shall end in doubts; but if he be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties." In this age especially one is inclined to disbelieve and doubt—to doubt Scripture, to doubt God, to doubt oneself. This age is called "Kaliyuga" and is characterized by strife, doubt, ignorance, chaos and disagreement. So at the outset of one's spiritual life, needless to say, innumerable doubts will present themselves. These demon doubts always surround the threshold of Knowledge-Bliss-Absolute. As the neophyte stands at this threshold, confused and fearful, the doubts assail him and tell him to turn back, not to jump into the ocean of Divine bliss, and the timid soul, afraid of being hurt, hardly believing that it is eternal bliss and knowledge awaiting him, often fidgets at the threshold and sometimes turns back in fear and disbelief.
Doubt is directly opposed to faith on the battlefield of the soul. Doubts and disbelief are the enemies of faith. If we have faith in a particular man, then we trust him in all kinds of ways, but if we have doubts about a man, then we trust him with nothing. Our relationship to the Divine is similar: our faith and trust in Him is inversely proportionate to the degree of doubt. The more we trust Him, the more He reveals Himself to us, and the more He reveals Himself to us, the less we doubt. In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna stands out as a man with a great deal of faith in Krishna. He was offered a choice between commanding a great army without Krishna or a small army with Krishna as his chariot-driver. He chose Krishna as his charioteer and rejected the large army because he had faith in Krishna. Nonetheless, before the battle of Kurukshetra, even with Krishna as his charioteer, he was beset with fears and doubts. But after Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita to him he engaged in the fearful battle and said, "My delusion is gone. I have regained my memory through Your grace, O Krishna. I am firm; I am free from doubt. I will act according to You word." (Gita, 18.73). Of course, Christianity affords the classic example of "Doubting Thomas" who would not believe until he actually placed his fingers in the wounds of Christ. "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John, XX/29)
Doubt and fear are interrelated. They are both the sons of ignorance. They are all to be found in the realms of darkness. Knowledge is the sunshine that triumphantly disperses darkness and its consorts. Because this age of Kaliyuga is an age characterized by darkness, ignorance and disagreement, doubt and fear are predominant at this time. Kaliyuga, thankfully, does not last forever, but when mankind is in the midst of it, it seems interminable. Yet even in this age it is possible to transcend these inferior modes—one can transcend when one is in Krishna consciousness, God-consciousness. It has been calculated that Kaliyuga lasts 432,000 years and that we have now been through 5,000 years of the yuga, but those in Krishna Consciousness are transcendental to all this darkness, for they are in the realms of eternal light, bliss and knowledge. Nonetheless, to arrive at the transcendental platform in this age, one has to disentangle oneself from the Kaliyuga labyrinth. It is during the disentanglement that maya, illusion, doubt, ignorance and dispair make their most vigorous assaults.
In the West, especially, so much doubt is due to the method of approach: empiricism, the pursuit of knowledge by observation and experiment, which began spreading like a disease in the 17th century in Europe and was well established by the 18th. Locke and Hume were the great "observers" of the phenomenal world and the methodology resulting from their speculative philosophies fostered the skepticism that gradually corrupted faith for the Western mind. In the 18th century, William Blake, a Christian visionary and a personalist, blasted the European skeptics and the method of scientific empiricism in some brilliant verse. For example:
Mock on, mock on, Voltaire, Rousseau;
Mock on, mock on; 'tis all in vain!
You throw the sand against the wind,
And the wind blows it back again.
And every sand becomes a gem
Reflected in the beams divine;
Blown back they blind the mocking eye,
But still in Israel's path they shine.
The Atoms of Democritus
And Newton's Particles of Light
Are sands upon the Red Sea shore,
Where Israel's tents do shine so bright.
In Universities today, however, the empiricists are considered more "respectable" than Blake, and the words of scientists are considered more potent and reliable than the Word of God as revealed in Scripture. Man is now in the material universe; he wants to "know" this universe, and as far as he is concerned, science is his best tool. Science is based on empiricism, and doubt is the basis of empirical proof. The knowledge that man is now seeking to acquire is, according to the Gita, knowledge in the modes of passion and ignorance because science is concerned with knowledge of the material universe, and this knowledge acquired by science is being used by man to lord it over the material nature. This has "progressed" to such an extent that there have been recent attempts to institute a religion based on chemicals (psychedelic drugs) and the empirical process of psychology. Vain men are trying to used their tiny brains to puncture a realm that can only be known through faith, devotion, and the grace of God. As a result the Supreme has strictly confined them to the material universe and the limited knowledge associated with it, which is no more than knowledge in the modes of passion and ignorance. They are only scientists and they know nothing of the transcendental spiritual realms that compose three fourths of the creation. Because they are recalcitrant children of darkness, they have been confined to material nature and their attempts to break out of it through super drugs and sputniks will always prove futile because their scientific methodology, based on doubt and empiricism, will continue to drag them back to the material world. Thinking the physical, material universe the all in all, they set about conquering it like children and blatantly deny the spiritual (non-empirical) worlds and, in addition, deny God, devotion, and the Scriptures that point to the spiritual worlds. The scientist never acknowledge that he automatically accepts so much on faith—his very breath, for example, that makes it possible for him to pursue science and the empirical path.
Such respected "oracles," great-grandsons of old Europe's age of skepticism, have succeeded in instilling doubt in the minds of the young, especially in universities, and have taught them to disbelieve the Scriptures and the Supreme Lord. As a result, general disbelief in the unseen is common. Not that the Supreme Lord is unseen, but His material energy (maya) serves as a guise. "Veiled by My maya born of the gunas, I am not revealed to all. This deluded world knows Me not as the unborn and eternal." (Gita, 7.25). This maya, illusory energy, is the property of the Lord Himself and is kept under His control. "Controlling My own Prakriti (Nature), I send forth, again and again, all this multitude of beings, helpless under the sway of maya." (Gita, 9.8). He is therefore the Unseen Player behind the play. Science and the empirical method teach man to doubt the unseen, and as a result man frantically searches for signs that can be scurried off to the laboratory for analytical investigations. Christ said, "A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign," and Whitman (a "disreputable" mystic and poet) wrote in Son of Myself, "I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars…and a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels….And to glance with an eye or show a bean in its pod confounds the learning of all times." Of course this is roughly dismissed as "sentimentalism" by the learned scientists and empiricists.
But what do they give in return? Legions and generations of "sullen mopers and doubters." They briskly dismiss the Scriptures, guidebooks to the Divine, and replace them with analytical textbooks. Totally under the dictates of their senses, they teach their students to trust their senses only. Altogether dismissing the Real, which they think the unreal, they substitute the unreal which they call the "real," and label this process as education. In addition, because so many ignorant religionists in this age are indiscriminately citing the Scriptures, people are naturally repelled—they associate the ignorant proponents of the Scriptures with the Scriptures themselves and consequently turn away altogether from the authorized guidebooks. Since institutionalized religion only offers a closed door intellectually, many turn to the scientists and professional academicians for guidance. Of course, these men are only too happy to be gurus, and they lead their followers cheerfully into the swamp of materialism and delusion.
Due to this insurmountable barrier, constructed by centuries of rationalization, speculation and conceit, God-realization has become increasingly difficult. First of all the inherited wall of ignorance and passion must be reduced to ruble. This is a hard task indeed for a lonely soul caught in the involvements of the social order. It necessitates a great deal of stamina, conviction, courage, and knowledge. The masterminds of deceit are clever in their defense of materialism and in their attacks against the Supreme Lord and the spiritual worlds. Krishna says, "Men of demoniac nature know not what to do and what to refrain from doing. Purity is not in them, nor good conduct, nor truth. They say, 'The world is devoid of truth, without a moral basis, and without a God. It is brought about by the union of male and female, and lust alone is its cause: what else?' Holding such a view, these lost souls of little understanding and fierce deeds rise as the enemies of the world for its destruction." (Gita, 17.7-9). Typically, these demoniacal creatures, who instill doubt in others, cannot answer for death, which poses an inevitable end to their bodies and material possessions. For them, death is an embarrassing subject, an inevitability that is somehow to be overlooked or avoided. The recognition of death and its inevitability, the sensing of one's finite self, the body and its constituents, to be moving towards death, can be the first step in reducing the wall of ignorance and passion to rubble. Doubts may still remain, but at least a man conscious of the inevitability of death and its implications may be able to see through the shallow guise of materialism and its allurements. The perception of one's miserable material condition and the desire to escape death can mark the beginning of the spiritual life. A this point one may approach a spiritual master.
Unfortunately, the doubts are immediately transferred to the spiritual master. Because there are so many unqualified, self-proclaimed gurus, the neophyte is naturally dubious in the beginning. His way of thinking has been so conditioned by science and the materialists that he may often see the guru as "quaint" or "old-fashioned" or perhaps just short of mad. Of course, there is the initial difficulty of finding a competent spiritual master in this age of Kaliyuga, but if, through the grace of the Supreme Lord, one is so lucky, then one's trust is strengthened through increasing association and gradually, by the help of the guru and through the grace of the Supreme Lord, the darkness of one's doubts are one by one dispelled by the light of knowledge. In this process, the Supreme Lord may speak in several ways to dispel fear, ignorance and doubt—through the guru, through the Scriptures, or directly. In this matter, Lord Krishna speaks through the Bhagavad Gita: "Now listen to the wisdom of yoga, armed with which, O son of Pritha (Arjuna), you will break through the bonds of karma. In this no effort is ever lost and no harm is ever done. Even very little of this dharma saves a man from the Great Fear." (Gita, 2.39-40) This Great Fear is caused by the seemingly endless circle of birth and death, the net that is continually entrapping the materialists, scientists and speculative philosophers who turn from the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord alone can grant liberation from this cycle to which the individual soul has been confined since time immemorial. He only grants this to the soul who, in all sincerity, turns to Him and surrenders to Him. "Take refuge in Him alone with all your soul, O Bharata. By His grace will you gain Supreme Peace and the Everlasting Abode." (Gita, 18.62)
In the process of surrender, innumerable doubts continually assail the neophyte, especially as he approaches the threshold of liberation. Maya, the material nature, is very strong, and the memory of one's past karma, the ghosts of habit, still linger before the candidate for liberation, trying to get him to retreat while retreat is possible. They are constantly reminding the individual soul of his weaknesses and imperfections, which in truth may still be there and are recognized by the neophyte. In this regard, the attempts of the neophyte toward purification and perfection of self are continually thwarted by his lower nature. Krishna warns of this: "There is no creature here on earth, nor among the gods in heaven, who is free from the three gunas born of Prakriti." (Gita 18.40) Therefore Krishna does not expect perfection of the individual living entity: "One ought not to give up the work to which one is born, O son of Kunti, though it has its imperfections; for all undertakings are beset with imperfections, as fire with smoke." (Gita, 18.48) Rather, the process is one of surrender and devotion to the Supreme Lord who grants liberation through His boundless Grace, not through the "earnings" of the devotee. This Grace enables one to come to Him despite one's imperfections. "For those who take refuge in Me, O Partha, though they be of sinful birth—women, vaisyas, and sudras—even they attain the Supreme Goal." (Gita, 9.32) even Lord Jesus Christ, the symbol of perfection in the Western World, deprecated His human nature to teach others. When addressed as "Good Master," Christ said, "Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God." (Matt, XIX/17) Therefore recognition of one's imperfections due to material contact should not be an impediment on the path back to Godhead. One should run roughshod over them, trampling them and the creeping doubts they nourish.
But how does one run roughshod over imperfections and doubt? How does one win the bout to rout out doubt, clearing the road back to Krishna? Once it is clear that doubt is the hell of the human soul, and that, as Petrarch once wrote, "The end of doubt is the beginning of repose," we can then begin to recognize doubt as doubt, as a keen eye can recognize weeds in a garden, and we can begin to uproot the cause of unhappiness. Seeing that doubting the Supreme Lord, His words as revealed in Scriptures, His emissaries, and ultimately our very selves, only leads to a self-defeating unhappiness, we can be therefore willing to discard our doubts. As Krishna says in the Gita, "The man who is ignorant and without faith and always doubting goes to ruin. Not this world nor the world beyond nor happiness is for doubting soul." (Gita 4.40) The will to dispel doubts is a big step toward taking the leap of faith, that "terrifying" plunge out the open threshold of material existence and into the spiritual ocean. Partly the disbelief of one's own ability to attain self-knowledge, doubt is conquered swiftly by knowledge imparted by the Grace of the Supreme. Krishna says: "Solely out of compassion for them (His devotees), I, dwelling in their hearts, dispel with the shining lamp of wisdom the darkness born of ignorance." (Gita, 10.11) Once the Supreme is seen, then the darkness of doubt is scattered by His light. The process of seeing God is the process of God-realization, Krishna Consciousness, and is most easily accomplished in this age through the process of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service which basically entails chanting the Holy Names (Hare Krishna, Hare Rama), in addition to working detached from the fruits of labor, reading the Scriptures, following the regulations of the spiritual master, and totally surrendering to the Supreme Lord. This process may be gradual or sudden, but as one progresses in the dharma one chooses to follow, doubts, fears and ignorance are overcome. "With sins destroyed, doubts dispelled, senses controlled, and devoting themselves to the welfare of all beings, the sages attain freedom in Brahman." (Gita, 5.25)
Therefore recognition of doubt and disbelief as fetters binding one to unhappiness is the first step in cutting these fetters. In our present state of material bondage, we are bound by nature to the flesh. We can hardly, out of our own efforts, break loose from the grip of a force that has been binding us since time immemorial. Surrendering to the to the Supreme Lord, Krishna, we must petition Him to release us. Recognition of our release from material bondage is the process of enlightenment.
This enlightenment of the devotee perfectly enables him to distinguish the spirit from the matter because the knot of spirit and matter is unlocked by the Lord. This knot is called ahankara which falsely obliges a living being to become identified with matter. As soon as, therefore, this knot is loosened, the cloud of all doubts are at once cleared. He sees his Master and fully engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, making a full termination of the chain of fruitive action. In the material existence, a living being creates his own chain of fruitive work and enjoys the good and bad effects of those actions life after life. But as soon as he engages himself in the loving service of the Lord, he at once becomes free from the chain of karma and all his actions no longer create reactions in the material energy. (Swami Bhaktivedanta, Purport, Srimad Bhagavatam, Vol. I, p. 133.)
This process of breaking free is the process of liberation. This is achieved through devotional service to the Supreme Lord, for it is the Supreme Lord only Who awards liberation. Liberation is incomplete as long as one has not surrendered to Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. "At the end of many births the man of wisdom seeks refuge in Me, realizing that Vasudeva is all. Rare indeed is such a high-souled person." (Gita, 7.19) transcendental service of the Lord carries us into eternity. At death, all material connections are severed, but this transcendental service continues. Although this cannot be "proved" to the empirical scientist, it is revealed beyond the shadow of a doubt to the devotee by the Supreme Lord. "Proclaim it boldly, O son of Kunti, that My devotee never perishes." (Gita, 9.31) knowledge that the Lord keeps His word in this matter dispels all fear and doubt. This is beyond all mundane considerations, and the devotee is advised not to engage in idle debates with mundane word-wranglers, for "He who replies to words of doubt/Doth put the light of knowledge out." (Blake.)
There is no doubt in the ocean of Divine Bliss. Doubt, fear and ignorance belong to this relative world which is the abode of darkness, the perverted reflection of the spiritual world. Doubts and fears assail the man who is about to break away from material bondage. In the spiritual world, the Kingdom of God, doubt is impossible because there we are in the abode of Bliss-knowledge-Absolute, having been lifted, through grace, into a region where we can come to know the fullness of our nature and God Himself. Acting as a sort of quaint American guru, the poet Whitman in Song Of Myself delineates his own spiritual fears and doubts and exhorts the young nation to take the spiritual plunge willingly.
Down-hearted doubters dull and excluded,
Frivolous, sullen, moping, angry, affected, dishearten'd atheistical,
I know everyone of you, I know the sea of torment, doubt, despair and unbelief…
Be at peace bloody flukes of doubters and sullen mopers..
Each who passes is considered, each who stops is considered,
Not a single one can it fail.
Dear son,
Long enough have you dreamed contemptible dreams,
Now I wash the gum from your eyes,
You must habit yourself to the dazzle of the light and of
every moment of your life.
Long have you timidly waded holding a plank by the shore<
Now I will you to be a bold swimmer,
To jump off in the midst of the sea, rise again, nod to
me, shout, and laughingly dash with your hair.
Finally, we might recall the example of Sir Isaac Newton who saw himself as a child on the seashore, and his discoveries nothing but the colored shells. He realized he had no knowledge of the great ocean that lay before him, yet he perceived what he could with the faith of a child, and the knowledge he thereby acquired shed light that has dispelled a great deal of ignorance, fear and doubt. How much more light a fully surrendered devotee of the Supreme Lord could shed to dispel doubts and ignorance would be, in comparison, inestimably greater. But he must first be willing to take the plunge and splash in.
Back to Godhead Magazine #08,
February 15, 1967
By the mercy of Krishna:
By the mercy of Krishna:
It is our great pleasure to report that the Mantra Rock Dance, held at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco on January 29 in order to raise funds for the Radha Krishna Temple there has proved a great success. The assistance of poet Allen Ginsberg is noted, and deeply appreciated. As a result of this success, the spread of Krishna Consciousness on the West Coast is steadily gaining momentum. The Swami has given lectures at the Christian Yoga Society’s ashram, and to other groups in that area. Furthermore, the construction of an ashram in upper California is now being planned.
The picture which immediately follows our cover this issue is more of the fine work of our art directress, Jadurani Devi Dasi (Judy Koslofsky). It portrays Krishna, hiding in a tree, with His girl friends, the Gopis, below. Krishna had taken the girls’ clothing while they were bathing, and would not return it unless each came to ask for hers personally. This is meant to teach us that we must be willing to stand naked before the Lord, if we want His association.
At the close of this issue, (again, forgive our numbering of pages) we have added the only writings of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the originator of the Samkirtan movement. These eight prayers have been rendered into English by Swami Bhaktivedanta, and into verse by Hayagriva Das (Howard Wheeler). We hope to publish them again, in the near future, along with an essay on Lord Chaitanya.
Hare Krishna,
The Editors.
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Notes transcribed from lectures given December 21, 22, 1966.
Lectures on the Chaitanya Charitamrita
Liberation from material bondage is called Nirguna. As soon as we are transcendental to the three modes (gunas) of material mature, we are liberated. There is a Vedic injunction that living in the city or village is for those in the state of rajas (passion); living in the forest is for those in the mode of sattva (goodness); and those who live in the liquor store or gambling casino are in tamas (ignorance). When you live in a temple of Krishna, that is Nirguna.
Only Vishnu is actually Nirguna. The three gunas cannot affect Vishnu (Narayana, Krishna). Those in touch with Krishna are similarly above the modes—so it is quoted from the Srimad Bhagawatam by Lord Chaitanya. It must be accepted that we are transcendental and liberated from the modes if we are engaged for Krishna. Such a person is liberated. But Krishna-consciousness is also a declaration of war against Maya. Maya is so powerful, how can you hope to save yourself? Yet, if you simply adhere to Krishna consciousness, there will be no power to get you into the province of personal sense-gratification which is maya’s domain. In the spiritual world there is only activity for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord. No power in the world can drag you down if you are situated in the Supreme. If you simply think, How can I serve Krishna?—even then you will become liberated, so what to speak of actually doing something?
Although it may be snowing outside, you have the means to stay inside and be protected. Similarly, Vishnu and Vishnu bhakta (devotion) are not affected by the modes. The foolish think that Krishna is one of us. Whereas it is He who provides and He who is the Proprietor.
Krishna is the Original Lord and Vishnu is His plenary expansion. In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna Himself says, “There is nothing Supreme over Me.” In Brahma Samhita it is said that, “Govinda is the Original, and from Him come all other Vishnu expansions.” This is like the original candle from which one can light innumerable candles. These others may be of equal power, but you have to accept the one as original. When Krishna came, He was completely free from all rules and regulations. Rama, on the other hand, took only one wife and later banished her when public criticism was turned against her—thus Rama followed the codes and regulations for a King. Krishna, however, called girls at night to come and dance with Him. He followed no rules or regulations; for Him there is no law. Other incarnations came to fulfill some particular purpose, but they did not exercise full power. It is widely confirmed that He is the Supreme Person. Not even Radha, His Eternal Consort, nor the Gopis could control Him when He wanted to leave Brindaban.
Shiva and Brahma are order-carrying servants of Krishna. Krishna is the only Master, and everyone else is His servant. We are servants of the servants of His servants, thus extended a million times. He who realizes this is liberated. But he who thinks that he is God is a dog. Lord Chaitanya said, I am not a Brahmin, I am not a Hindu, I am not a Sannyasi—I am the servant’s servant’s servant. When you learn that, you will be in Krishna consciousness. Liberation is not to become God, but the dog of God.
Realization means to know, “I am not this matter.” That is all right, but what are your activities? Liberation is to have activities based on realization, in other words, devotional service. When you give up your obligation to Maya, you then become obliged to Krishna consciousness. One just doesn’t say “I am American,” or “I am married”—there must be some activities of an American or a married person. Just to say “I am Brahman” is insufficient. What are your activities? Nonsense? Do you mean to say Brahman means nothingness or death? There are activities which turn on Brahman realization. But those with little brain substance cannot see beyond the giving up of the world. Therefore, after giving up the world and family and taking sannyasi (the renounced order), they again come down and open hospitals, do philanthropic work, and take up the worship of man. Those sannyasis who open hospitals are applauded, and those who preach Krishna are thought of as third class and old fashioned by people in general.
Explanation of Krishna’s “separation” from the Gopis: This is a spiritual matter and cannot be understood in terms of material or physical separation. The Gopis’ intense crying when Krishna left Brindaban is spiritual and eternal. On the spiritual platform, there is no difference between crying for Him and being with Him. If there were separation, how could it be transcendent? To be crying for Him they are fixed on Him, thinking of Him. This is absolute. Lord Chaitanya also cried for Krishna. To actually cry for Krishna is the most perfect realization.
In Chaitanya Charitamrita, Lord Chaitanya quotes from the Srimad Bhagawatam and Brahma Samhita in which Brahma says, “I am appointed by the Supreme Lord, and Shiva is also an appointed agent. We are under the control of the Supreme Lord. Actually, nobody is free or independent of God. Furthermore, nobody is equal to or greater than He.” This is spoken by Brahma to his disciple Narada who said, “So far as we know, you (Brahma) are the Supreme; yet sometimes you meditate and worship.” In answer to this, Brahma informed him of his real position.
The energy of the Lord is said to be in three forms, whether conceived of materially or spiritually. Perceived materially, the energies are divided into goodness, passion and ignorance. On the spiritual plane, the energies are divided into spiritual, material and marginal potencies.
Lord Chaitanya goes on now to discuss the six kinds of incarnations. These are: Purusha, Leela, Guna, Manantra, Yuga, and Saktavish. Thus far he has discussed Purusha, Leela and Guna avatars. Now he explains Manu and Yuga. He is telling Sanatan Goswami, his disciple, that there are countless avatars of Manu. They come in one day of Brahma. One day of Brahma is equal to 1,000 yugas or 4,300,000 of our earth years. Similarly one night of Brahma has the same duration, and he lives 100 years, consisting of such days and nights. Within these twelve hours of a day of Brahma there are fourteen Manus. In one such month there are 420 Manus, in one such year, 5,040. So there are 504,000 Manus in one Brahma lifetime. And there are innumerable Brahmas.
Therefore, these incarnations can’t be counted. What is more, all these Manus and Brahmas live during one outgoing breath of Maha Vishnu. There is no way of measuring the power. Because our intelligence cannot cope with this, we dismiss our source as void, or else we speculate endlessly on it. But we have evidence from Vedic literature, on which we can to some extent gauge the size and scope. Evidence comes in three forms: (1) Higher authority, which is the surest; (2) Direct perception, which is often not available; and (3) The age-old tradition of parampara, or disciplic succession of knowledge. The source of evidence of my father’s identity is my mother. I must hear this from her. Similarly, we hear of the Supreme from Mother Vedas.
The Manu avatars are rulers. Manu is the father of man. He gives directions on how to live to the conditioned souls—who are conditioned because they wanted to enjoy material nature. The Manus say, “Enjoy in this way, and you can come back to Godhead.” Manu Smriti and Manu Samhita are law books of the Hindus. So for those who are serious, the sages and saints, such as Manu, point the way. After each and every dissolution, Manu comes. There is one Manu avatar in each universe. They have names, but they are uncountable.
The Yuga incarnations occur in every millennium. There are four Yugas, the Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali Yugas. When 1,000 yugas pass, that is 12 hours of Brahma. Each Yuga is divided into four. The Satya Yuga lasts 18 lacs, or 1,800,000 years. The Treta Yuga lasts 1,100,000 years; Dwapara lasts 800,000 years and the Age of Kali lasts 432,000 years. At present, 5,000 years of Kali Yuga have passed. There are 427,000 years of Kali yet to go. Kali Yuga means the age of quarrel, hypocrisy and ignorance. This situation will grow more intolerable as the yuga progresses. One should know that earth is a condemned place. If one is satisfied with a condemned condition, as the Bowery bum is satisfied lying in the road, he cannot make progress. We are always in the grip of Nature, and consequently we are suffering the three-fold miseries of material existence. Spiritualists are said to be pessimists, and this is actually quite true. One must be.
The Vedic literature offers us an ideal place, where we can go after the leaving of this condemned place. We must try for it. Try for Krishna. Unless one tries, he is defeated. We are born ignorant, and if one is educated more and more into ignorance, as we are today, then all is defeated. One should ask—is there a remedy? The Vedanta Sutra states: “Now (in the human form) it is time for you to inquire into your Brahman life.” This is the knowledge that I am not this body, I am spirit-soul. But to simply know this without living according to one’s knowledge is pointless. To act like Brahman is to be a Vaishnava. The act is called Bhakti, or devotional service. As soon as you begin activity in Krishna consciousness, you at once attain Brahman. The more you act, the more firmly you become situated in spiritual life. In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says, “My dear Arjuna, declare it to all the world, that my devotee never perishes.” We should try to follow this concept as it is found in the Vedic literatures, and under the proper guidance.
Poem by Brahmananda
Poem by Brahmananda
“Day After Day, Life After Life”
To go to Krishna’s Abode
a ladder is provided.
We must pull ourselves up
rung by rung.
There is Maya
swirling like smoke
above, around, below.
By simply
chanting
Krishna’s Name
with sincerity,
submission,
and purified desire,
we clear away the smoke
and see standing rungs above us,
Beloved Swamiji.
How easy it is then to pull ourselves up
one more rung.
But if we forget
Krishna
and say, “Oh, I have advanced another rung,”
the smoke quickly engulfs us
and Swamiji is lost
from our sight.
So we stand there;
we cannot fall off the ladder,
(This is Krishna’s Mercy.)
we just stand there
on whatever rung we are on.
We only need to remember
always,
“I am not the provider;
Krishna is the Provider,”
and the smoke melts away,
and we see
Swamiji
standing there
a few rungs above us,
looking down,
bright-eyed and smiling,
beckoning us to reach up
one more rung towards
Krishna.
Again it is so easy
to pull ourselves up
one more rung.
And no matter how many rungs
we pull ourselves up,
standing there always
above us is
Swamiji,
helping us
to help ourselves
get out of this foreign place
and go back
Home,
Back to Godhead.
—Brahmananda Das Brahmachary
(Bruce Scharf)
Poem by Ranchhor
Poem by Ranchhor
Set adrift again
perverse ocean of duality
(diseased)
billowing the sails
(leading to hell)
ever entangling web of hate
minds sullied with repeated contamination
hearts overladen with dust
from the harvests of senses unrestricted
wastelands of forgetfulness
imperfect, illusioned,
clouded,
covered …
This Maya
proportionately miserable
lurking (hands out stretched)
awaiting those mode accomplices
(of unreality)
attached to the darkness of ignorance …
Krishna
all pervading Lord
shine on the lotus seeds
(that are Your devotees)
till they bloom
(with the fragrance of You)
and drift upstream through the modes
empowered by Your spotless disciples
resting at Your Feet
perfect (in full remembrance)
eternal
knowledgeable
blissful.
—Ranchhor Das Brahmachary
(Ronald King)
Poem by Brahmananda
Poem by Brahmananda
What if every person on this planet
only chanted and sang and danced and lived
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
every hour
of every day
of every life?
—Brahmananda Das Brahmachary
(Bruce Scharf)
The Transmigration of the Soul
The Transmigration of the Soul
by Rayarama Das Brahmachary
(Raymond Marais)
The transmigration of the soul, sometimes called reincarnation, is a much misunderstood phenomenon. This is because the doctrine has often been presented by philosophers who do not actually believe in the existence of the individual spirit soul. However, transmigration has no meaning except on this basis. In trying to explain the infinite variety which we actually see around us in terms of abstract Oneness or Void, these philosophers have twisted the Vedic teachings quite out of shape. Justifiably, therefore, most people cannot grasp this concept—they either get a very vague picture of it, or they laugh it off as ridiculous.
The transmigration of the soul is, however, presented very lucidly and scientifically in the Bhagavad Gita, that marvelous battlefield conversation which sums up the essence of Vedic knowledge in the space of seven hundred verses. Bhagavad Gita was taught by Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It stands to reason that the doctrines of the Supreme Divine Person do not lend themselves easily to impersonal philosophical speculation. This is why the impersonalist thinkers so befuddle their readers when they try to use the Gita’s authority to back up their own theories. If we are to learn from Bhagavad Gita, as from any scripture given man by God, then we must put aside our preconceptions, and accept what is said to us—as it is spoken.
Although the impersonalist philosopher makes the claim that everything is one, the Lord Himself draws a line of distinction for us:
Earth, water, fire, air,
Ether, mind,
Understanding, and false ego—
This is the eightfold division of My nature.
This is My lower nature.
Know My other and higher nature
Which is the soul,
By which this world is upheld, O Mighty-armed.
(Gita, 7.5)
This means that Lord Krishna manifests His creation through two energies. The one—matter—is called lower because it is mutable, and because it depends upon the other for its existence. The other energy is the soul, which is called higher because it is immutable, eternal, and because it depends directly upon the Lord Himself—The Supreme Energetic—for its existence and activities. Futhermore, the lower nature has no independent consciousness, whereas the higher nature is composed of an infinitude of individual, independent sparks of consciousness, identical in quality with the Lord Himself, Who is the Supreme Soul.
A basic difference between God and the individual soul now comes into view: the Supreme Consciousness is all-pervading, but the individual consciousness is limited. Although the Lord is the awake indweller in all manifestations, the individual living entities are each subject to a limited range. They too can extend their consciousness, but on a smaller scale. This they actually do when they adopt the material concept of life, and identify themselves with the body, which is nothing but matter, or lower energy. Unlike the Lord, however, the living entities tend to forget themselves while in contact with matter. For this reason, they are classified in a third category, as marginal energy, although they are constitutionally spiritual. This forgetfulness is the source of all woe, and the mechanism of all bondage.
The soul, being eternal, does not die when the body dies, even though it imagines itself to be the body. It simply goes on to take up habitation in another form. Lord Krishna describes this as follows:
Just as a person casts off worn-out garments
And puts on others that are new,
Even so does the embodied soul cast off worn-out bodies,
And take on others that are new. (Gita, 2.22)
Although this may seem a very far-fetched notion to the man who hasn’t given it much thought—and even more so to one who hasn’t make the distinction between body and soul—it is actually a principle which we see illustrated for us every day of our lives—and in our own lives at that. This is how the Lord puts it for us to comprehend:
As the soul passes, while in this body,
Through childhood, youth and age,
Even so is its taking on of another body.
The wise are not perplexed at this. (Gita, 2.13)
Even modern medical science agrees that the body is perpetually changing. And yet, there is that constant “I,” that has been here since my first memories, and I am still unchanged. In this way we can see that the change of body is always occurring. The change from one body to another is only a bit more emphatic in that, in the process, we lose most of the remembrances of past life.
The factors guiding this change from one body to another can also be understood in terms of the daily processes of the organism. The food I take today will determine the structure and soundness of my body tomorrow. Good, nutritious food will assure me a healthy, strong body. Poor or careless diet will assure me ill-health, and unclean food will result in disease. Food determines the nature of the body. In changing from body to body, it is conscious association that acts as the determining factor.
Thinking of whatever state
He at the end gives up his body,
To that state does he attain, O son of Kunti,
Being always absorbed in thinking of it. (Gita, 7.6)
The living being thus puts in an application, so to speak, in terms of its devotion. That to which it is devoted is given it in full. The much talked-about genetic code is actually the application blank-stamped by nature and approved by the Lord, Who is willing to let everyone have what they want.
All this is accomplished through the agency of the three modes by which material nature manifests itself. Because the soul has lost consciousness of its real identity, and has given itself over to nature, it is limited to nature’s means of expression, which consists of the modes. The situation is outlined in the Thirteenth Chapter of Bhagavad Gita:
The soul in nature
Partakes of the modes born of nature.
Attachment to the modes is the cause
Of its births in good and evil wombs. (Gita, 13.21)
The three modes are goodness, passion and ignorance. They may be characterized as follows: Goodness applies to duty, purity, health and knowledge. Passion is the principle of attraction, avarice, lust, anger and activity. Ignorance is the principle of inertia, negligence, indolence, stupor and blindness. All three are material manifestations, not found on the spiritual platform. As regards the transmigration of the soul from one body to another, the modes work in this way:
Those who are established in goodness rise upwards;
The passionate remain in the middle regions;
The dull, steeped in the lower events of the modes,
Sink downwards. (Gita, 14.18)
The concept of rising applies to more highly developed consciousness, and therefore sinking applies to less developed consciousness. This is the principle of karma, or worldly activity. Those who devote their lives to, and work in accordance with, a particular mode or concept, will quite naturally cling to that concept at the time of death. By concept, I do not mean some abstraction. I mean that to which one is actually actively devoted, irrespective of his announced public philosophy. Thus, one’s activities in this life prepare the ground for the next birth.
The results of actions performed under the influence of the different modes is more fully described elsewhere in the same chapter by Sri Krishna.
When the embodied soul meets with dissolution
When goodness prevails,
It attains to the pure worlds
Of those who know the Highest.
Meeting with dissolution when passion prevails,
It is born among those attached to action.
If it is dissolved when ignorance prevails,
It is born in the wombs of the deluded. (Gita, 14.14-15)
Thus we learn that pious activities will lead one to rebirth on heavenly planets. Activities in passion will usually lead to rebirth on earth, or on similar worlds where greed and lust are the dominating forces. Those who have given themselves over to ignorance, meanwhile, take birth among the lower animals, plants, and even among living stones, such as mountains.
Before going into greater detail about these births and the modes which determine them, let’s examine the actual occurrence of transmigration, as the Lord describes it to Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita.
The living entities are eternal fragmental parts of Me.
They are dragging on
In a bitter struggle for existence in material nature,
With the six senses, including mind.
When the soul takes up a body
And when he leaves it,
He takes these (mind and senses) and goes
Even as the wind carries perfumes from their places.
(Gita, 15.7-8)
Although the mind forgets its past activities when it is brought to a new birth, it does retain impressions. This is why some people have been able to recall events from their previous lives. This is not to be confused with the phenomenon of organic misfunction called deja-vu, in which we actually experience the same thing twice within a thousandth of a second. These impressions of past lives are real, and they have a strong influence on our present actions.
Mind and the senses are actually very subtle forms of matter, which we keep as long as we remain in material nature, or until the period dissolution of the universe. The body is the gross covering of the soul, and mind and the senses are the subtle. It is through the medium of the mind that the spirit surrenders consciousness of itself, and loses its identity. Mind is the seat of the senses, and mind, having become the focal point of consciousness, is also the tape on which our activities are registered, determining—according to the modes—what our next birth will be. This is why control of the mind is essential to spiritual and worldly progress alike. The yoga process is actually nothing more than the science of controlling the mind. The system of bhakti yoga also tackles this problem, but on a slightly different level.
Having obtained some idea of what transmigration is and how is works, let’s examine the influence of the modes of nature upon our activities, and learn what effect these have upon the cycle of rebirth. Lord Krishna says:
The fruit of good action
Is said to be of the nature of goodness and pure;
The fruit of passion is pain,
And the fruit of dullness is ignorance. (Gita, 14.16)
Those who devote their lives to hellish activities can expect to take rebirth in a hellish situation. This is the justice which is a constitutional part of nature, and from which no being is exempt: “… For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall be also reap.” (Galatians, 5.7)
To many people, the idea of eternal damnation has always stood as a most unreasonable proposition in the teaching of Lord Jesus Christ. It is incomprehensible to them how the Lord can give frail man a single chance to choose his way, and then cast him forever into hell. Modified by the principles of reincarnation, however, the prophecy of the gnashing of teeth takes on new meaning. Here is Lord Krishna on this subject:
Given over to self-conceit, force and pride,
And also to lust and anger,
These malicious people despise Me,
Dwelling in the body of themselves and others.
These cruel haters, worst of men—
I hurl these evil-doers only into
The wombs of demons
In this round of births and deaths.
(Gita, 16.18-19)
As for those who, though bound by material nature and unable to give up their attachment to it, nevertheless follow the scripture and have some faith in God, things are different. The fruits of goodness are presented in these terms:
The knowers of the three Vedas who drink the soma juice and are cleansed of sin,
Worshipping Me with sacrifices, pray for the way to heaven.
They reach the holy world of Indra,
An enjoy in heaven the pleasures of the gods.
Having enjoyed the spacious world of heaven,
They return to the world of mankind when their merit is exhausted.
Thus conforming to the doctrine enjoined in the three Vedas, and still desirous of enjoyments,
They obtain what is subject to birth and death.
(Gita, 9.20-21)
This is the fruit of actions performed in the mode of goodness—that is, according to scriptural law and with faith in God. However, it is worth noting that this is the type of birth gained by those who still love this material world, and like all things material, it is perishable. Even on the highest of all material planets, the Brahmaloka, where life is immensely long, and where there are ample facilities for pleasure on a scale unimagined here, still the law of birth and death continues. Even for Brahma himself, whose life span is coequal with the life span of the universe, birth, death, old age and pain exist.
From the realm of Brahma downwards,
All worlds are subject to return to rebirth.
But on reaching Me, O son of Kunti,
There is no return to birth again. (Gita, 8.16)
Just as the craving for the fruits of material activities leads one on to take his next birth in this material situation, and then on and on again—so there are spiritual activities too, and these lead one, by association, to take his birth in the spiritual world, in his natural, constitutional and final form as pure spirit soul. Just what these spiritual activities are and how the association with one’s own true spiritual self can be established is enunciated in all the scriptures of the world.
These whose thoughts
Are set on Me,
I straightway deliver
From the ocean of death-bound existence, O Partha.
On Me alone fix thy mind,
Let thy understanding dwell in Me.
In Me shalt thou live thereafter.
Of this there is no doubt. (Gita, 12.7-8)
And so it is that God guarantees eternal life to those who accept His association. Actually, we are all servitors of the Lord in our true position as His spirit soul parts and parcels. Therefore, returning to our conscious, natural status means returning to our relationship of service to God. If we do not worship God, then we worship some other thing, for we are by nature worshipful. Maintaining these secondary relationships keeps us from Him, and thus from our own full consciousness of Self. Further information of birth in the spiritual world—the Kingdom of God—is given elsewhere in Bhagavad Gita.
Those who are freed from pride and delusion, who have conquered the evil of attachment,
Who, all desires stilled, are ever devoted to the Supreme Spirit,
Who are liberated from the dualities known as pleasure and pain and are undeluded,
Go to the eternal state.
The sun does not illumine that,
Nor the moon nor fire.
That is My supreme abode,
From which those who reach it never return.
(Gita, 15.5-6)
The Kingdom of God is not artificially illuminated, because it is self-effulgent. There is no dead matter of any kind there. All things are fully alive, fully aware and awake—and all things are fully, blissfully engaged in the service of God. This answers the question as to why so few men go there, or even aspire to that state: it is for those who serve. All who dwell there, including the Lord Himself, are full of love, and are engaged in devoted service. Men in their foolishness do not seek this position, nor have they any taste for it—and therefore they do not attain to it. But the one who realizes the sweetness of devotion and who recognizes his real position as the servitor of God, will associate with God by means of transcendental loving service here during this life, and will then take his next birth according to that association.
We must, now, realize that all men buy and pay for their own sufferings. Who plants thistles and expects to harvest grain? We do, all of us. In actuality, the unhappiness of this earthly existence is what we want and what we ask for. The Lord merely supplies our demands.
As men approach Me,
So do I accept them.
Men on all sides
Follow My path, O Partha. (Gita, 4.11)
Nevertheless, because of His unbounded love and mercy, Krishna advents Himself—or sends His representatives from the spiritual sky—here on earth, in order to give us knowledge of these things, and to offer the wandering lost souls an opportunity to return home, back to Godhead.
For the protection of the good,
For the destruction of the wicked
And for the establishment of righteousness,
I come into being from age to age.
He who knows thus in its true nature
My divine birth and works,
Is not born again when he leaves this body,
But comes to Me, O Arjuna.
(Gita, 4.8-9)
We are the beloved children of the Lord of All Existences, and we can have anything we want from Him. This is the secret of God’s love for all beings. What we have to do is to understand our real position, so that the real being can have real happiness by knowing what to ask for. Death is actually a birthday party, at which Krishna presents us with just what we wanted, in the form of rebirth. Understanding this, the sublime and infinite kindness of God, what can we want beyond His association? He Himself is the dearest of all delights, and His service is the most joyful of all activities.
Poem by Hayagriva
Poem by Hayagriva
Second Avenue Samadhi
Standing outside the storefront
of Swamiji’s Society
for Krishna Consciousness,
I look up and down
Manhattan’s Second Avenue
at derelicts
Puerto Ricans
and
sundry fruitive laborers
and wonder.
Hare Krishna, I think
and look at the
Cosmos Parcels Express Corporation
sign
across the way
like the very
cosmos itself
in its white and green
aggression,
and at the
Gonzalez Funeral Home and
Weitzner Brothers Memorials Corporation’s
heavy tombstones
broadcasting death
to all,
and at the
Red Star Bar’s
Seagram’s 7 sign blinking
red and yellow relief for
exhausted karmis, poor
fruitive laborers.
Hare Krishna, I think,
and walk down the sidewalk
past the revolving
red, white and blue
Mobil Gasoline Sign
buzzing and ringing bells of gas pumps
feeding the dumb, steel chariots
of Detroit.
Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, I think,
wondering what Swamiji
must think
of (God bless) America,
and walk on down
the sidewalk’s silent
cigarette butts
that stare up like
little crushed universes
of capitalism.
And think
Hare Krishna
on the corner of Houston Street
and Second Avenue
where I stand a long time
thinking
Hare Krishna,
hands in my pockets and
watching
the dying sunlight fade
over buildings and off
the far silver parapets
of the
Brooklyn Bridge
that reaches over
the river
like an altar
to Krishna.
—Hayagriva Das Brahmachary
(Howard Wheeler)
Poem by Becker
Poem by B. R. Becker
Death paddled his dory past my fishing pole
And he missed me, for who could this body be?
Time leaped along a line of light that years ago
yearned to be with me.
And he missed me too,
or when will the stars stop spinning?
I pour my spirit from a cup for God to drink.
He will wassail and I will kiss the flowers.
—B. R. Becker
Eight Prayers of Lord Chaitanya or Lord Chaitanya’s Mission
Eight Prayers of Lord Chaitanya
or Lord Chaitanya’s Mission
Lord Chaitanya (1486-1535) introduced the Samkirtan movement of chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Rama in India and is considered to be a complete incarnation of Krishna Himself. He is known, therefore, as Krishna Chaitanya. The Eight Prayers, or Instructions are Lord Chaitanya’s only literary contribution. All other Chaitanya literature is written by His disciples.
1.
Glory to Thy Name, O Lord!
Glory to Thee, O Krishna!
Glory to Samkirtan!
Chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
my heart is purified,
the dust of this world
swept away,
and the fires of birth and death
extinguished.
Through Thy Names alone, O Krishna,
I am liberated
from the binds of the flesh,
for Thy Names spread the rays
of the benediction moon,
rejuvenate transcendental knowledge,
expand the ocean of transcendental bliss,
and enable all to taste
the true nectar of the pleasure
that all desire,
for by hearing Thy Name alone, O Krishna,
all men are blessed.
2.
Because only Thy Names, O my Lord,
can bless all Thy creations,
Thou hast millions of Names
like Krishna, Rama, Govinda,
Madhusudana, Nandanandana, Devakinandana,
Yasodanandana, Radharamana, Gopinath,
and in Thy Names, my Lord,
Thou hast imparted
Thy transcendental energies
giving grace to all
to chant Thy praise
without difficulty,
making Thyself
so easily approachable, O Lord,
by Thine omnipotence,
by Thy compassion.
Truly all misfortune and unhappiness
is due to neglect
of Thy Holy Names,
O Krishna.
3.
Chanting Thy Names, O Lord,
in all humility,
mindful of my own
insignificance,
as tolerant as the grass,
forbearing as the tree, prideless, unattached,
like a leaf in the wind,
offering respect to all
without requiring
respect for myself—
in such a state, O Krishna,
I can sing Thy Name
eternally.
4.
O Nandanandana, Supreme Lord,
I do not pray for wealth,
beautiful women, disciples of my own,
nor for objects of sense enjoyment
nor for materials, O Lord—
I pray only
that I may serve
at Thy Lotus Feet
with causeless, unalloyed devotion
life after life after life.
5.
Yet somehow, O Krishna,
although Thy eternal servitor,
I have fallen into this ocean
of birth and death
and am now tossed and overwhelmed
by the tumultuous waves
of material existence.
O Krishna, kindly lift me
from these waters of misery and death
and place me as one of the atoms
at Thy Lotus Feet.
6.
O my Lord, when shall my eyes
praise Thee with tears of Love
flowing constantly by chanting
Thy Holy Name?
And when, O Krishna,
shall my voice falter
and my hair rise
and I tremble to vibrate
Hare Krishna, Hare Rama?
7.
Feeling Thy separation, O dear Lord,
to me a moment is a millenium.
When may I see Thee, at last, O Krishna?
Now, as Thy rain,
tears flow down my cheeks.
I am lost without Thee
in a vacant and empty world—
O Thou Shining One,
Answerer of all, be merciful.
8.
O dear Krishna, You may crush me
as a woman at Thy Feet
or handle me roughly
by Thine embrace
or break my heart
by Thy absence,
for Thou art free, O Lord,
to do as Thou pleasest;
but still Thou are always
my worshipful Lord
unconditionally,
for Thou art no other
than my Lord of life.
Advertisement
Advertisement
INTRODUCTION TO BHAGAVAD GITA
By A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Bhagavad Gita is widely recognized as the compendium of all Vedic wisdom, yet there are few who have the necessary qualifications to understand and teach this all-important scripture. Swami Bhaktivedanta—who is a devotee in the line of disciplic succession from Arjuna—is one of these few. His introduction to the Geetopanishad, or Bhagavad Gita as it is, is a classic in its own right.
TWO ESSAYS
By A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
In WHO IS CRAZY? And KRISHNA, THE RESERVOIR OF PLEASURE, the Swami explains the illusion of materialism, and the process of acquiring true vision in the perpetual bliss of Krishna Consciousness.
KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS
A 33 Ÿ long playing record on the Happening label, in which the devotees perform Kirtan (chanting the Hare Krishna Mantrum), and which further includes mantras sung by the Swami in praise of his spiritual master. Available from the Society.
ALSO AVAILABLE AT OUR TEMPLE
—Incense—30 sticks. . .25c
—Beads, made of wood; along with a booklet of instructions regarding their stringing and general value in chanting the Hare Krishna Mantram. 1 package.. . . .$1. 50
THE NECTAR OF DEVOTION
Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhou—literally “the ocean of the pure nectar of devotional service”—was written by Srila Rupa Goswami, who was a disciple of Lord Chaitanya, the originator of the Samkirtan movement. Lord Chaitanya is considered to be a full incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The work of His disciple reflects, as the title infers, the very finest essence of transcendental life—a life of pure love of Godhead. In two parts, a total of sixty pages. 50cents.
*******************************
SRIMAD BHAGAWATAM
by Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasadeva
The original and genuine commentary on Vedanta philosophy by the author of the Vedanta Himself, Vyasadeva—now available for the first time in English with an authorized commentary by Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta.
The Srimad Bhagawatam is the post-graduate study of the Bhagavad Gita, or the Science of Krishna. This book of transcendental knowledge contains information of classical Hindu culture, philosophy, sociology, economics, politics, aesthetics and Divine Love.
This unique edition of Srimad Bhagawatam has been greatly appreciated by all learned societies of philosophy and theosophy and approved by the Indian State and Central Government Departments of Education, and by the United States Government. Swami Bhaktivedanta’s edition contains Sanscrit, Sanscrit transliteration, English equivalents, translation and elaborate commentaries. Published by the League of Devotees, New Delhi, India, 1962-65. Price: $16.80 for 3 volumes (1200 pages). Postage paid by the Society.
Available from the International Society For Krishna Consciousness, 26 Second Avenue, New York, New York, 10003.
*******************************
BACK TO GODHEAD is published semi-monthly by The International Society For Krishna Consciousness at 26 Second Avenue (between 1st and 2nd Streets) New York, New York 10003.
1 year subscription (24 issues) $3.00. Phone 674-7428
FOUNDER: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
EDITORS: Hayagriva Das Brahmachary (Howard Wheeler)
Rayarama Das Brahmachary (Raymond Marais)
Circulation: Gargamuni Das Brahmachary (Gregory Scharf)
Printing: Gargamuni Das Brahmachary (Gregory Scharf)
Back to Godhead Magazine #09,
March 1, 1967
By the Mercy of Krishna:
By the Mercy of Krishna:
We’re very happy to be able to report that Swami Bhaktivedanta has been lecturing at various places in and around San Francisco during his visit there, including the Berkeley campus.
A donation of land has made it possible to begin plans for an ashram in Northern California.
A third Krishna Consciousness center has now been opened—this one in Montreal, Canada. Although we don’t have much to report on activities there as yet, we expect to make great strides in spreading the Samkirtan movement when that city’s World’s Fair, called “Expo 67,” opens in April. We’re hoping to have the Swami present at that time.
Krishna Consciousness has taken to the television airwaves both in San Francisco and New York. In the former case, a local station, KPIX, carried a program on the Haight-Ashbury section on Tuesday evening, February 21, in which Samkirtan and the temple were mentioned. In the case of New York, the station is CBS and the program “Eye On New York.” Unfortunately, as this is being written, it’s too early for us to say any more than that. In our next issue, however, we’ll be able to consider the response to these endeavors.
In the meantime—wouldn’t you like to send us a letter? Our post man needs the work, and what’s more we’d like to hear from you. Let us have your comments, suggestions and criticisms regarding the Samkirtan movement in general, and Back to Godhead in particular.
Hare Krishna.
The Editors.
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Notes transcribed from a lecture given September 4, 1966
To begin to understand the Truth, one must surrender oneself, because surrender is the beginning of spiritual life. Ultimately, we must surrender to God. To do this, one should find a bonafide spiritual master and question him, just as Arjuna questioned Lord Krishna. The disciple should also render service to the master.
Material life is based on false ego. One thinks, “I am this,” or, “I am that,” leading ultimately to “I am God.” Man is an insignificant spiritual spark, but he is puffed up with imaginary thoughts of what he is. He thinks he is moving the sun, but he cannot overcome even a toothache.
There are two kinds of energy: prakriti and purusha. Prakriti is the passive or female principle, and purusha is the active or male principle. Purusha is the enjoyer; prakriti is the enjoyed. Purusha is the predominator; prakriti is the predominated.
Living entities are prakriti. They may think that they are the enjoyers, but their true function is to be enjoyed. They think that they are the predominators, but their true function is to be predominated.
Living beings are a form of energy. Where there is energy, there must be a field for the energy. The body is the field and the soul is the knower and the owner. One thinks, “This is my hand,” or, “This is my ear,” but who is this “I?” It is pure spirit soul. That which is “mine” is the field. Every individual soul has a different field of activities.
Krishna said, “Know Me as the Knower of all fields.” So there are two knowers, Krishna and myself. But Krishna knows more than I. Although I know what goes on in my body and mind (to an extent), I do not know what goes on in yours. In this way, my knowledge is limited. Krishna knows everything that goes on everywhere. His knowledge is not limited, and that is the difference between us.
Krishna sits with everyone as a friend. It is like two birds in a tree. One bird eats the fruit of the tree while the other bird sits and watches. We are like the bird that eats, while Krishna is the other bird, watching and waiting for us to turn to Him.
People who worship a Personal God accept this duality of individual soul and Super Soul. When the individual entity dovetails his own consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness, he becomes superconsciousness. In the spiritual world, all consciousnesses are in resonance.
God is all-pervading. He is in all of the many universes. He is in every atom and in every living being.
Poems
Poems
To doubt
is to say, “God is wrong.
I will find my own answers.”
But do you know
who you are?
where you came from?
why you are here?
To know the answers
to all questions
all you need to know
is that you are a fragment
of Krishna.
—Brahmananda Das Brahmachary
(Bruce Scharf)
“Good Help Nowadays”
After all, it is Kaliyuga.
But still, I do wish
As I hear of the beauty of the Lord
That I could learn to praise Him.
And when I hear of the kindness of the Lord,
I long to glorify Him.
But my mouth is barren and my voice is cracked,
And all I know of is stone
—if a man can be stone.
So I must beg my Lord
To give me the means
And the method
And the strength
And the will
To serve Him.
And after all that, O Krishna—
What is there left that I can do for You?
—Rayarama Das Brahmachary
(Raymond Marais)
These waters speak of our Lord
they are continually descending down
as a man bowing
as a man bowing.
like a cup emptying.
Yet in reverence & humility
the fulfillment & recognition
as a man bowing
like a cup emptying
these waters run down from the mountains
into the sea
and speak of our Lord
for it is only by running into the sea
that the river never grows dry
it is only by devotion to the Lord
that a man never dies
Yet the river is without salt
and man without memory
but he has been remembered
from all eternity
indeed the cup cannot be emptied
from all eternity Neither can the cup be turned
upside down or right side up
for gravity clashes in other realms
and the river descends in praise
like a man bowing
bowing in His Love.
—Rabindrasvarupa Das Brahmachary
(Bob Lefkowitz)
The Spiritualization of Energy
The Spiritualization of Energy
by Hayagriva Das Brahmachary
(Howard Wheeler)
“The world is charg’d with the grandeur of God . . . .”
—Gerard Manly Hopkins
(Mantra to be sung at the top of your lungs to whatever tune you like from dawn to dawn to dawn without cessation forever and ever and ever into eternity.)
HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA
HARE HARE, HARE RAMA
HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA
HARE HARE
All that we ever see
Is God’s blissful energy.
O God’s blissful energy!
O God’s blissful energy!
God’s blissful energy
All just for you and me.
O God’s blissful energy.
Blissful, blissful energy!
Wipe your eyes
So you can see,
Blow your cool,
Don’t play the fool—
Can’t you see?
We’re His very
E N E R G Y
Energy!
Sing it, shout it,
Tell the entire
World about it.
Chant it, rant it!
Dance, enhance it.
Don’t sit and sigh,
Let’s all get high.
Don’t feel morose,
Have a double dose
Of
Energy!
Energy!
It’s always, always
ALWAYS free!
FREE! FREE!
Don’t be suspect,
It’s direct
From God to thee,
And it’s FREE!
ENERGY! E N E R G Y!
Blissful, blissful
E N E R G Y!
HARE KRISHNA! HARE KRISHNA!
KRISHNA! KRISHNA!
HARE! HARE! HARE RAMA!
HARE RAMA! RAMA! RAMA!
HARE! HARE!
“‘Hare’ means ‘the energy of the Lord.’ So when we sing ‘Hare Krishna,’ we are saying, ‘O Lord, O the wonderful energy of the Lord, O Lord please accept me who am no more than the straw in the street.’”—- Swami Bhaktivedanta
Krishna, the Supreme Lord, is Energetic. In fact, Krishna is the Energetic Supreme Person. Everything is His energy; everything we come into contact with during our brief lives is energy, and what’s more it’s Krishna’s energy. This may sound staggeringly simple (or staggeringly unacceptable) but the degree of our realization of this fact will account for our happiness in this world and in whatever spheres we encounter after death.
As far as man is concerned, the Lord’s energy can be broken into three categories: material energy, marginal energy, and spiritual energy. Material energy is called inferior or external energy, Prakriti, or Nature. Spiritual energy is called superior or internal energy, Purusha, or Spirit. The combination of the two creates marginal energy. Liberated souls without material bodies are examples of spiritual energy. Man, as a conditioned embodied soul, is an example of marginal energy. He is both matter and spirit. And a rock or a piece of metal is an example of material energy. All are emanations of Krishna, the Indwelling Spirit of all things. The process we are interested in involves transferal of ourselves from inferior, material energy (Nature) into the realm of superior, spiritual energy (what has been called the Kingdom of God). This transferal has been referred to as “salvation” by the Christians and “liberation” by the Hindus.
In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna has explicitly stated that Nature, His external, inferior energy, is under His control. “Prakriti, under My guidance, gives birth to all things, moving and unmoving; and because of this, O son of Kunti, the world revolves.” (Gita, 9.10) Again, He states that Nature Herself rests in Him, that He, in brief, contains Nature.
As the mighty wind blowing everywhere ever rests in the akasa (ethereal space), know that in the same manner all beings rest in Me. At the end of a cycle all beings, O son of Kunti, enter into My Prakriti (Nature), and at the beginning of a cycle I generate them again. Controlling My own Prakriti, I send forth, again and again, all this multitude of beings, helpless under the sway of maya. (Gita 9.6-8)
It is Nature, Prakriti, that is called maya or illusion, because it is a perverted, temporary covering of the eternal Reality. All phenomena meeting our senses is termed maya. This includes our very bodies, the bodies of others, all the boys and girls and men and women and animals and aquatics and fowls and insects, the earth and grass and trees, plains, deserts, mountains and oceans, the towns and cities, roads and junctions, signboards, railroads, highways and skyways with all concomitant paraphernalia: clouds and rain and snow and hail and sun, moon and stars and whatever visible through microscope or telescope, on earth or down in the deepest seas or in the highest material planet or sun and whatever else visible or invisible from the tiniest atom to the largest whirling galaxy—all this and whatever else comes to mind is God’s blissful energy, is His Prakriti, or Nature, which He controls, and all, without exception, is maya, illusion, and is therefore subject to the rigid elementary laws governing creation, maintenance and destruction. All this phenomena, which in its entirety comprises the material universe, has been said to be “on fire.” The material universe has been likened to a forest fire because it is by nature always changing and raging. There is no peace for embodied beings in such a place. It has not been designed for peace or happiness. It is called, therefore, Krishna’s inferior energy. It is blissful for Krishna because Krishna is not attached to it—it has consequently been described as His leela, or “play.” But for the embodied, conditioned beings, caught in the ocean of maya, this “play” can be very painful and terrifying. This is because this multitude of beings, not perceiving the eternal Reality behind the play, is “helpless under the sway of maya.” Some men, however, through God’s grace, have been able to perceive the Omnipotent One, the Living God, shining in all His effulgent glory behind His maya. The poet Coleridge in The Destiny of Nations writes of “the clouds that veil His blaze,” in some sublime poetry revealing his knowledge of the One Reality governing the play of the many:
For all that meets the bodily sense I deem
Symbolical, one mighty alphabet
For infant minds; and we in this low world
Placed with our backs to bright Reality,
That we may learn with young unwounded men
The substance from its shadow.
This phenomenal universe, a “mighty alphabet for infant minds,” passes across the Face of the Supreme like clouds passing across the sun. Yet every particle of this universe, being His creation, reflects a bit of Himself, however pervertedly. From this shadow of Reality we may briefly deduce the substance, and by so doing turn from the shadow to the substance. Socrates, in the famous parable of the cave in Book VII of The Republic, speaks of mankind as being chained in a cave with their backs to the blazing fire of Reality, only capable of making out shadows of one another which the fire throws on the opposite wall of the cave. When at first confronted with the blazing light of Reality, men, not accustomed to it, turn away, their eyes dazzled, for they are used to the cave and require to grow accustomed to the upper world. But once their sight is accustomed to the sight of the upper world, they would disdain returning to their prior condition. The shadows, thrown on the wall of the cave, are analogous to the illusory energy of Krishna. The light of the upper world is His superior energy. Our process, in the spiritualization of energy, is a process of moving out the cave, of turning from maya, the inferior energy of Prakriti, to the spiritual light of the Imperishable.
In the Gita, Krishna Himself differentiates between His two energies: Prakriti, or Nature, His inferior energy; and Purusha, or Spirit, His superior energy.
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, false ego—such is the eightfold division of My separated material energies. Besides these there is another energy of Mine which is superior, which is the living entity, by which the world is utilized. (Gita, 7.4-5)
Prakriti, therefore, is indefinable and beginning less nescience in which conditioned souls have been entangled since time immemorial. Conditioned souls are, in actuality, Purusha, or spirit soul, and as such they have no business being entangled in matter. They are Purusha in so much as they are part and parcels of the Supreme Lord. It is the Self, or Spirit-soul, entangled in Prakriti, Nature, that brings about birth, suffering and death. Krishna informs us:
Prakriti is said to be the cause of the generation of the body and the organs, and Purusha is said to be the cause of the experience of pleasure and pain. Purusha, embodied in Prakriti, experiences the gunas (the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance) born of Prakriti. It is attachment to these gunas that is the cause of his (the soul’s) birth in good and evil wombs. (Gita, 13.20-21)
Furthermore, to insure us that all individual entities in the material universe are deluded by Prakriti, Krishna says, “There is no creature here on earth, nor among the gods in heaven, who is free from the three gunas born of Prakriti.” (Gita, 18.40) If this is the case, then how is liberation possible?
Liberation from Prakriti is possible through the spiritualization of energy. Krishna assures us, “He who knows Purusha and Prakriti, along with the gunas, is not born again, howsoever he may comport himself.” (Gita, 13.23) How is this possible? Through a) Knowledge, b) Performance of duties with renunciation of the fruits of labor, c) Devotion to Krishna, and d) Grace given by Krishna to His devotee. Combined, these constitute a sure formula for flipping our of material energy and into spiritual energy. Of course this involves a process of change; up to this point your life has been like a deflated balloon. The process of spiritualization, whereby you turn the material energy in your life into spiritual energy, is like blowing up the balloon and blissfully watching it pop. It was Newton who discovered that every object or body in the universe attracts every other body or object. This is not only true of heavenly bodies—it is true of ourselves. The attraction of energy for energy is basic and natural. This attraction largely operates on the basis of the sex drive. Now the process for eternal happiness is in redirecting all energies to Krishna. Our energies must not be attracted to Prakriti (maya), the illusory energy of Socrates’ cave. Rather, all energies should be one hundred percent directed to Krishna and His eternal Spiritual Kingdom. This is what the spiritualization of energy entails. It is a turning from the illusion to the Reality.
I have mentioned that liberation is made possible by a) Knowledge. In regards to Knowledge, that is, the ability to distinguish between the Reality and the illusion, Krishna says, “Even if you are the most sinful of sinners, yet by the raft of Knowledge alone will you be borne over all sin. Verily, there exists no purifier on earth equal to Knowledge.” (Gita, 4.36, 38) In describing the man of knowledge, Krishna characterizes him in this way:
He who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, he is wise among men, he is a yogi, and he has performed all action. He whose undertakings are all free from desires and self-will, and whose works are consumed in the fire of Knowledge—he, by the wise, is called a sage. Giving up attachment to the fruit of action, ever content, and dependent on none, though engaged in work, he does no work at all. Free from desire, with body and mind controlled, and surrendering all possessions, he incurs no sin through mere bodily activity. Satisfied with what comes to him without any effort on his part, rising above the pairs of opposites, free from envy, and even-minded in success and failure, though acting, he is not bound.
(Gita, 4.18-22)
The man in true knowledge, according to Krishna, is always in communion with the Supreme Lord. His life has been purified through desirelessness and renunciation of the fruits of action (not action itself). He sees Krishna as the Reality behind all form, the Supreme Spirit behind the material guise. “The knowledge by which one indestructible Substance is seen in all beings undivided in the divided—know that that knowledge is of the nature of sattva (goodness).” (Gita, 18.20) For him, energy is already spiritualized. It is only a matter of seeing properly.
Knowledge can be acquired through b) Performance of duties with renunciation of the fruits of labor, and c) devotion to Krishna. Krishna says that “He who neither hates nor desires may be known as constantly practicing renunciation.” (Gita, 5.3) Krishna further states that renunciation of action is not possible without the performance of action. In practicing Krishna-consciousness and spiritualizing one’s life, one does not sit stock still in a room staring at the wall. Rather, one is always engaged in action, devoting one’s action to Krishna and surrendering the fruits of action to Him. Action is not separate from knowledge; rather, they are intimately related. “It is children, and not the wise, that speak of the path of knowledge and the path of action as distinct,” Krishna says. “He who is firmly set on one reaches the end of both.” (Gita, 5.4)
How does one spiritualize energy through renunciation of the fruits of action? First, we recognize that nothing belongs to us. All things belong to Krishna, for He is the proprietor of all energy. For instance, when typing an essay, a man in Krishna consciousness is not performing the same action as a man who is bound by the sense of “I” and “mine,” although an observer may not see a difference. A man on the spiritual platform sees the typewriter as Krishna’s, the paper and ink as Krishna’s, the words as Krishna’s and the fingers that type as Krishna’s. In his action he sees nothing but Krishna’s energy at work. For him there is nothing but God’s blissful energy. He is not attached to this action because he sees “the inaction in action,” that is, he knows that it is simply the senses busy with their objects: or, illusory energy at work. He knows that the real Self remains inactive. In this way he is free from all taint of ego, for he is not the doer. Krishna instructs us in this way:
“I do nothing at all,” thinks the yogi, the knower of Truth; for in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting; in walking, breathing, and sleeping; in speaking, emitting, and seizing; in opening and closing the eyes, he is assured that it is only the senses busied with their objects. He who works without attachment, resigning his actions to Brahman, is untainted by sin, as a lotus-leaf by water.
A selfless man who has renounced the fruit of his action attains peace, born of steadfastness. But the man who is not selfless and who is led by desire is attached to the fruit and therefore bound. (Gita, 5.8-10, 12)
Detached action is made easier through practice. Through such detached action, one becomes purified from actions in the modes of passion and ignorance. Then one is in a better position to execute pure devotional service to Krishna. It is through pure devotional service—chanting of the Holy Names, “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”—that one receives grace from Krishna enabling liberation from the material energy.
Regarding such devotional service, Krishna is outspoken in the Gita. He makes it clear that the wisest man worships Him (Krishna) alone.
All beings, from their very birth, O Bharata, are deluded by the spell of the pairs of opposites arising from desire and aversion. But the men of virtuous deeds, whose sin is ended, are free from the delusion of the pairs and worship Me with firm resolve. (8.27-28)
That Supreme Purusha (Spirit), in whom all beings abide and by whom the entire universe is pervaded, can be attained, O Partha, by whole-souled devotion directed to Him alone. (8/22)
There are two beings in the world: the Perishable and the Imperishable. The Perishable comprises all creatures, and the Imperishable is said to be the Unchanging.
But there is another Being, the Highest, called the Supreme Self, who, as the Immutable, pervades and sustains the three worlds.
As I surpass the Perishable and as I am higher even than the Imperishable, I am extolled in the world and in the Vedas as the Supreme Personality.
He who, undeluded, knows Me thus as the Supreme Personality—he knows all, O Bharata, and he worships Me with all his heart. (Gita, 15.16-19)
How then is worship and devotional service carried out? There have been many methods used. Meditation, sacrifice and temple worship were common practice in more religious ages. In this age of irreligiosity, however, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a 15th century incarnation of Krishna, has suggested the method of Samkirtan, that is, a method of bhaktiyoga utilizing the Maha Mantra, the chanting of “Hare Krishna, Hare Rama.”
The greatest spiritualizer of all energy is this Maha Mantra, the Great Hare Krishna Mantra, which obliterates all materialistic dust by dint of transcendental sound vibration. As Lord Chaitanya and Swami Bhaktivedanta are always pointing out, the words “Hare Krishna” and Krishna are non-different. Lord Chaitanya said, “In these transcendental Names (Hare Krishna, Hare Rama) you have invested all your transcendental energies . . . .” Because Krishna is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, He is present in the very sound of His Holy Names. When we say the word “Krishna,” Krishna is there by His sound representation. We are always anxious to “see” God. But why do we put such stress on seeing God? As He reveals Himself to us, we will see more and more of Him, but we should take advantage of the fact that we can also “hear” Him through His sound representation. Hearing Him is just as good as seeing, tasting or feeling Him. As the origin of sound, He is sound personified. Religion has actually been defined as the worship of God through sound. The transcendental sound vibrations of the “Hare Krishna” Mantra provide the quickest and most effective means for purifying our lives, spiritualizing energy, and making us eligible for “promotion” to the spiritual Kingdom of God.
When one chants the sixteen word mantra (HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE, HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE) one should be careful to follow certain rules in regard to the chant. One should never:
1. Blaspheme the Lord or His devotees
2. Consider the Lord and the demigods on the same level or assume that there are many gods
3. Interpret the Holy Name (All personal interpretations, being conceptualizations of the inconceivable, will of necessity lead one astray. Lord Chaitanya suggested chanting the Holy Name with all humility, thinking oneself lower than the straw on the street and begging the Lord to accept him.)
4. Minimize the authority of the Scriptures or of the spiritual master under whom one is studying
5. Commit sin on the strength of chanting
6. Instruct the glories of the Name to the unfaithful or demoniac
7. Compare the Holy Name with material piety or mundane goodness (The Holy Name is transcendental to all worldly conceptions of sanctity.)
8. Be attentive while chanting the Holy Name (This is a matter of personal, mental discipline. The tendency of the mind to wander will render the chant less effective. One should concentrate on each syllable as one emits it, fully aware that the sound representation of the Supreme Lord of the Universe is passing through one’s body.)
9. Be attached to material things, especially while engaged in chanting. (One should be oblivious to one’s circumstances or surroundings when chanting. The mind should be totally fixed on the Supreme Lord.)
If the rules are consistently broken, then the Lord will render the chant ineffective, for one is then not worthy to chant His Name. The Maha Mantra is not the “hit song of the week,” but the hit song of Eternity, and as such should be chanted with all due reverence and concentration. If one keeps the rules 20% of the time, then the chant will work 20%. If he keeps the rules 50% of the time, then the chant will work 50%, and so on up to 100%. Also, the more frequently one chants, the more effective the chant becomes. One need not chant in a temple with instruments and other devotees, though this is highly desirable. One can chant softly to oneself while at work or walking down the street or on the bus or subway or in the privacy of the home. And if no supplementary instruments (such as cymbals or harmoniums or drums) are available, one can always clap one’s hands softly. The hands and the voice are the original instruments of praise, and as such are especially pleasing to Krishna. In such a simple way we can be transferred out of Prakriti, material energy, into Krishna’s spiritual realm.
It has been argued that in actuality there are no distinctions between material and spiritual energy, that in reality all energy is spiritual energy. If this is the case, then why does Krishna, in the Bhagavad-Gita, make the distinction between Prakriti, his inferior nature, and the jiva (living entity), His superior nature? True, once we are pure, liberated devotees of the Supreme, we are in the spiritual kingdom, having overcome the inferior modes of Prakriti. One whose primary thought is serving the Supreme, in whatever condition he may be, is liberated. In his Purports to Srimad Bhagavatam, Swami Bhaktivedanta clarifies this point.
There is no difference between matter and spirit for the Lord, although there is a gulf of difference between the two in the case of the conditioned living being. As for the Lord, there is nothing except spiritual existence, so also there is nothing except spiritual existence for the pure devotee of the Lord in his intimate relation with the Lord. (Srimad Bhagavatam, Vol. II, p. 696)
As to what constitutes a pure devotee, Swami Bhaktivedanta writes:
… those who see everything in the Lord and everything of the Lord and also sees in everything an eternal relation with the Lord so that there is nothing within his purview of sight except the Lord—are called the Mahabhagwatas, or the first grade devotees of the Lord. Such first grade devotees of the Lord are perfect in all respects.
(Bhaktivedanta, Purport, Bhagawatam, Vol II, p. 708)
Krishna Himself speaks in this way of His pure devotee: “He who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, to him I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.” (Gita, 6.30) Even Lord Chaitanya, God Himself incarnated as a devotee, lamented the inadequacy of His devotion, often saying that if He really loved Krishna He would have died long ago rather than endure separation for a moment. So even Lord Chaitanya taught separation from the Supreme Lord due to His descent into material nature. Until we reach the absolute transcendental levels, we must admit to the duality of matter and spirit, for we are conditioned souls and conditioned souls, entangled in material nature, are marginal energy, a combination of matter and spirit. One might ask how spiritual energy can ever be under the grip of material energy. Well, that is the very conditioning of conditioned souls—if they weren’t under the grip of the material energy they would be unconditioned. This is the difference between conditioned souls and the Supreme Lord. Krishna, who controls Prakriti, is never under the control of maya. That would mean that maya, the inferior energy of Krishna, is stronger than Krishna. No, Krishna is never illusioned. It is the conditioned individual souls that have fallen under the influence of the material nature through contact with it. The process of renunciation and devotion is the process of making oneself eligible to receive the Lord’s grace which will free the individual soul from the entanglements of material energy. It is this process that is called salvation, or liberation. A devotee who considers the Supreme Lord to be his ultimate aim and takes refuge in Him will certainly be transferred to the eternal spiritual realm. This is the promise of Krishna:
Fix your heart on Me, give your love to Me, worship Me, bow down before Me; so shall you come to Me. This is My pledge to you, for you are dear to Me.
Abandon all dharmas and come to Me alone for shelter. I will deliver you from all sins; do not grieve. (Gita, 18.64-65)
This is Krishna’s promise not only to Arjuna but to all devoted men. Because, in this age, we have fallen below the status of even a warrior like Arjuna, Lord Chaitanya incarnated Himself to introduce the Samkirtan method of spiritual realization. This method of chanting “HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE, HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE” is the quickest and most direct way to Krishna. The chant is an instant spiritualizer, transforming the singer into spiritual energy and clearing the way easily to his ultimate liberation for returning home, back to Godhead.
A Work-Prayer to Krsna:
A Work-Prayer to Krsna:
Dear Lord, as I begin this day,
assure me that Your energy is in
Your Name. I ask no boon but to
be allowed to do everything for
You, and transform the mundane
into actual service acceptable
to Your mercy in Your inconceivable
Power.
On the Job,
A Second Essay on Karma Yoga
by Satsvarupa Das Brahmachary
(Stephen Guarino)
In the few minutes before 9 A.M. the office karmis are rushing to each other for idle talk. Pray that you will have no business with anyone which will divert you from those thoughts that lead like arrows back to home, back to Godhead. The work begins, and hopefully the chant is in everything and everything is in the chant.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Karma yoga is not only a matter of the paycheck going to Krsna and not to the sense gratification of the worker. It has to be done favorably. (The Lord doesn’t need your karma yoga at the office; your joy in the morning doesn’t sustain Him, nor do you cause the planets to float in space. But your faith and devotion please Him—“My devotee is dear to Me.” (Bhagavad Gita, 12.14). You must establish moment to moment links with the Supreme. Therefore, the practice of penances in mind, speech and body is prescribed, and we shall see why.
The Gita declares purity, uprightness, continence, and non-violence to be the penance of the body. “The utterance of words which give no offense, which is truthful, pleasant and beneficial” is said to be the penance of speech. Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self control, the purity of mind—is called the penance of the mind. (Bhagavad Gita, 17.14-16) These penances, performed without expecting reward, put one in the nature of goodness. Goodness is the level from which we can most easily progress to the Transcendental. If you are shackled in the illusion of nonsense-talk, or is you are gambling with co-workers on the outcome of sports, and “killing time” whenever possible, then you are not likely to be performing actions acceptable as yoga (toward union with God). Be absorbed. The work is the medium. “Hard to understand is the way of works.” (Gita, 4.17)
When the actual eating-up of work and work-time commences—that Krsna consciousness is not merely a sentiment or spiritual recreation, that your love for Krsna is not merely a good-time, speculative, “fair-weather” friendship—these truths get tested in the fire of work. To the limited eye, what is going on in the office is simply the action of fruitive workers engaged in mundane turmoil. The boss is saying he is God, and he is applying the full force of his authority upon the workers and clerks. Of course in some instances, the boss-worker relationship is going smoothly. Whether he is favored or oppressed by his boss does not concern the karma yogi; he is really not concerned this way or the other with the prevailing mundane temperament. It is part of a karma yogi’s skill that he is able to perform work expertly. He maintains an even temperament under fire, and as a constant activity of work he avoids all embarrassment. To the karma yogi, this desk, these drawers, these forms and files are the paraphernalia of a sacrifice. He is practicing celibacy, and concentration, and meditation and worship. “He who is trained in the way of works … he is not tainted by works, though he works.” (Gita, 5.7)
The true yoga of the Bhagavad Gita, in which one takes a firm seat covered with sacred grass, a deerskin and a cloth one over the other, in a solitary place, for the purpose of the purification of the soul—is a way leading to the same realization (love of Krsna) for which the karma yogi, in his shirt, pants and neck-tie, is ever intent on. In the Chapter of the True Yoga (VI) the Lord describes him at his task:
“Serene and fearless, firm in the vow of celibacy, subdued in mind, let him sit, his mind turned to Me and intent on Me alone.” (6.14).
“With the heart undismayed,” and disconnected from union with pain, the karma yogi makes his hymn to Krsna while fully engaged in the tasks of the office. Because he is using the body—which includes the mind—to perform these tasks, his senses are occupied with the sense objects in sacrifice: by offering each act to God, he “is not touched by sin, even as a lotus leaf (is untouched) by water.” (Gita, 5.10) Even in the beginning stages, a sincere devotee can practice such work in relaxation and with no uneasy sense of being scrutinized by the world. The devotee is confident that everything belongs to Krsna. Fixed in the assured protection of the Supreme Lord, there is no worldly power that can drag him down. The medium of work is a constant purification, a form of penance, and its end-aim is to achieve love through His service. As long as he works, he can’t go wrong.
Karma yoga has been described by Swami Bhaktivedanta as yoga for those who are addicted to work and activity; in this sense it is being practiced by the man who “can’t stop” fruitive work itself, but who is enlightened enough to dovetail his labor with the pleasure of the Supreme. This description of karma yoga places it in a transitional stage between material and spiritual life. The direct, karma-less service is called bhakti yoga, or devotional service. Bhakti is loving service of man to the Supreme Lord; such a devotee in bhakti performs only the Lord’s work in the world, as a direct, confidential servant, who is compact in love for his influential Master. We can understand that the karma yogi is on the path to bhakti. He (the karma yogi) is working behind enemy lines (with the karmis) and waiting for the day when the Supreme Lord will bring him closer into confidence. Man cannot presume to speed up his approach to God—he can’t take Krsna by “storming” His abode. A man in karma yoga turns over his work to the Supreme Personality, Krsna, Who is realized within his heart—where he perceives that he himself is part of God. And it is also realized personally in that ecstatic inconceivable name of Krsna—found kindly dancing on the karma yogi’s tongue when saying the Maha Mantra:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare.
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Average workers who are trapped in the material (non-spiritual) concept of work believe that they themselves are matter, and the work is matter, and so they slug it out—one piece of matter against another—for a fixed rate of pay, for a certain number of hours a day. They will make demands for reduced hours and more pay and better lighting, but they make no demand for karma yoga, the only process which can relieve them from hopeless labor.
As a fellow worker we humbly invite each and every employee at any job whatsoever to take to this process of dove-tailing with God-consciousness—in action. The principles of karma yoga are sound. The results are definite and immeasurably good. Try it whole-heartedly for one week—chant the Holy Name all day and sing it at lunch hour, and chant yourself to sleep at night. See for yourself. No one will have to tell you.
The Flood
The Flood
An infinite ocean of bliss!
Is it milk?
Or pure love energy?
Dancing, on a sea of chimes,
Arms stretched out
In a rain of sweetness;
Legs, dancing for God,
Dancing to His tune;
Alan, leaping to the chant
Like a drunk Cossack.
Everyone’s astonished—
At last—
This is Krishna Consciousness!
by Daniel Clark
Two Fools
Two Fools
A short dialogue
by Daniel Clark
Fool Number One:
Am I talking to Krishna?
Am I talking to an angel?
Am I talking to my wife?
Am I talking to myself?
One moment without you is an agony in Hell.
And even more hellish is the fact that I don’t know it’s happening.
Fool Number Two:
The fool searches to do something for himself alone.
Afterwards he sees his stupidity and thinks,
“Was I searching for the ground floor of experience?”
“A base of pure physicality upon which all else may be built?”
“A definition of my individual existence?”
Then he feels again the all-encompassing negation, the denial.
He knows where the physical ends if it is followed.
It ends in Hell.
It is a planet, it exists somewhere out there,
There is a head magistrate, officers, and so on,
A specific “training course” for each capital transgression;
And after Hell, release; perhaps as a rock.
The fool gets another chance.
Fool Number One:
There must be a memory of something like that,
Somewhere in my head, and at times I escape to it.
It’s easy to escape into memories,
To try to make the present into an ideal that turns out to be Hell.
Fool Number Two:
The past is suffused with Hell,
The present is suffused with Hell,
The future is suffused with Hell.
Hell is the reduvctio ad absurdam of material life.
Stop trying to prove you can do it alone.
You can’t, you need Krishna, you need your wife,
Your idea is a grotesque joke without them,
Your conception of God is pretty stupid if God didn’t give it to you.
Give up;
Give up this silly notion that you have to prove something to somebody.
God loves you as you are;
Anyway, He knows all about your schemes,
And finds them unpleasant.
Is there any other reason He doesn’t give you all His love?
Take off your mask, face it;
You don’t exist,
You are only part and parcel of Krishna,
Yes, and your wife too;
How else can you love each other?
Fool Number One:
All that confuses me.
Crying is better,
Giving up even the attempt to understand,
Giving up hope of liberation, love,
Giving up hope of hope, and crying.
Crying is better, because somehow in crying I know
Krishna loves me.
All I can do is call His Name,
And hope He hears me:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare;
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare!
Following our Cover
Following our Cover
is a picture of Vasudeva, Who is a plenary expansion of Krishna (in other words, a fully empowered incarnation representing the Lord engaged in one of His eternal and infinite pastimes). With Vasudeva is Lakshmi, His consort, Who is further identified as the Goddess of Fortune. The stencil was drawn by our art directress, Jadurani Devi Dasi, who is further identified as Judy Koslofsky. She’s good fortune to us.
The Origin of the Civil Disobedience Movement
(and excerpt from the introduction to the First Volume of Srimad Bhagwatam. The following is part of the life-sketch of Lord Chaitanya Who lived in the Sixteenth Century in India and is considered to be the fullest incarnation of Krishna.)
The Lord was then married with great pomp and gaiety and began to preach the congregational chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord at Nabadwipa. Some of the Brahmins became envious of His popularity and put many hindrances in His path. At last these Brahmins complained about the matter before the Muslim Magistrate at Nabadwipa. Bengal was then governed by Pathans and the Governor of the Province was Nawab Hussain Shah. The Muslim Magistrate of Nabadwipa took the complaints of the Brahmins seriously, and at first he warned the followers of Nemai Pandit (Lord Chaitanya) not to chant the Name of Hari loudly. But Lord Chaitanya asked His followers to disobey the orders of the Kazi and they went on with their Samkirtan party as usual. The Magistrate then sent constables and broke some of the Mrindangams (drums) which were being used in Kirtan. When Nemai Pandit heard of this incident, he organized a civil disobedience movement at Nabadwipa. He is the pioneer of the civil disobedience movement in India—for the right cause. He organized a procession of one hundred thousand men with thousands of Mrindangams, and the procession passed over the roads of Nabadwipa without any fear of the Kazi who had issued the order. At last the party reached the house of the Kazi, who went upstairs out of fear of the mass movement. The men, assembled there at the house of the Kazi, showed a haughty disposition, but the Lord asked them to be peaceful. At this time the Kazi came down and pacified the Lord by addressing Him as his nephew. He said that Nilambar Chakrabarty was called by him “Chacha”, or “uncle,” and as Srimati Chachidevi the mother of Nemai Pandit became his sister. He asked Nemai Pandit whether a sister’s son can be angry with his maternal uncle. Why should be not be respected? In this way, the whole incident was mitigated, and there was a long discussion of the Koran and Hindu Shastras between the two learned scholars. The question of cow-killing was also raised by the Lord and they properly replied with reference to the order of Koran. The Kazi also questioned the sacrifice of cows mentioned in the Vedas, and the Lord replied that the sacrifice of cows mentioned in the Vedas is not considered cow-killing. In that sacrifice an old bull or cow is sacrificed to give it a fresh, younger life by the power of the Vedic Mantra. In the Kali Yuga (the present age of discontent) such cow sacrifice is forbidden on account of the absence of learned Brahmins able to conduct such ceremonies. In the Kali Yuga, therefore, all Yajnas (sacrifice) is forbidden because it is a useless attempt by foolish men. In the Kali Yuga only the Samkirtan process is recommended for all practical purposes. The Kazi was convinced, and he became a follower of the Lord. He declared that thenceforward no one was to hinder the Samkirtan Movement started by the Lord. The Kazi’s crematorium is still existent within the area of Nabadwipa, and all Hindu pilgrims go there to show their respects. The Kazi’s descendants were residents of Nabadwipa, but they never objected to Samkirtan, even during the days of the Hindu-Muslim riots.
Advertisement
Advertisement
SRIMAD BHAGAWATAM
by Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasadeva
The original and genuine commentary on Vedanta philosophy by the author of the Vedanta Himself, Vyasadeva—now available for the first time in English with an authorized commentary by Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta.
The Srimad Bhagawatam is the post-graduate study of the Bhagavad Gita, or the Science of Krishna. This book of transcendental knowledge contains information of classical Hindu culture, philosophy, sociology, economics, politics, aesthetics and Divine Love.
This unique edition of Srimad Bhagawatam has been greatly appreciated by all learned societies of philosophy and theosophy and approved by the Indian State and Central Government Departments of Education, and by the United States Government.
Swami Bhaktivedanta’s edition contains Sanscrit, Sanscrit transliteration, English equivalents, translation and elaborate commentaries. Published by the League of Devotees, New Delhi, India, 1962-65. Price: $16.80 for 3 volumes (1200 pages). Postage paid by the Society.
Available from the International Society For Krishna Consciousness, 26 Second Avenue, New York, New York, 10003.
*******************************
BACK TO GODHEAD is published semi-monthly by The International Society For Krishna Consciousness at 26 Second Avenue (between 1st and 2nd Streets) New York, New York 10003.
1 year subscription (24 issues) $3.00. Phone 674-7428
FOUNDER: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
EDITORS: Hayagriva Das Brahmachary (Howard Wheeler)
Rayarama Das Brahmachary (Raymond Marais)
Circulation: Gargamuni Das Brahmachary (Gregory Scharf)
Printing: Gargamuni Das Brahmachary (Gregory Scharf)
Back to Godhead Magazine #10, March 20, 1967
By the Grace of Krishna--
By the Grace of Krishna—
March has already been an eventful month for all three centers of the Society—in San Francisco, Montreal and New York.
Swami Bhaktivedanta led kirtan at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. to the delight of some 400 stomping, dancing, chanting students. The local Palo Alto newspaper caught up the student enthusiasm for Swamiji and the Hare Krishna Mantra by reporting that a new dance called “The Swami,” a “trance dance,” has replaced the “twist” and “frug.” The students at Stanford danced for 70 minutes with fervor, hands held over their heads a la Lord Chaitanya.
Even more successful have been the Sunday Golden Gate Park kirtans in San Francisco which have been led by Swamiji and devotees weekly. Banners, kettle drums, cymbals, trumpets, mridangam, bongos, tambourines and voices have been attracting some 500-700 at the park kirtans every Sunday. A “love feast” in the San Francisco center has also initiated a Pacific Ocean Sunset Kirtan held at the beach every Tuesday at sundown. Lord Krishna freely provides all splendor.
The new center at 3720 Park Avenue, Montreal, Canada has been throwing Mantra Rock Dances for temple benefit, utilizing local rock and roll bands and lights. The Mahamantra, Kirtanananda reports, “is being made an integral part of the dance.” San Francisco devotees have also been chanting the Mahamantra at local dances.
The New York center is engaged in negotiating for a large building in the downtown Manhattan area. This building would be an important spiritual center for New York and the nation, and as such warrants the work and contributions not only of full-time devotees but of all people interested in spiritual rejuvenation in America. HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE, HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE.
—The Editors
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Notes transcribed from a lecture given December 21, 1966.
Lord Chaitanya is describing the Leela Avatars. There are innumerable avatars: Rama Nrsimha, Kalki, etc. In Srimad Bhagavatam some names are mentioned. All the incarnations, and especially the Leela avatars, descend to settle disturbances caused by demons.
There are, for these purposes, two types of men: devotees and demons. The devas (devotees) are demigods; they are completely Krishna conscious, and are entrusted with universal management. The demons or asuras (atheists) are meant for creating disturbances. When the number of asuras greatly increases and life becomes intolerable for the devas, then the Lord comes in the form of one of His plenary expansions. As stated in the Bhagavad Gita, “Just to deliver the faithful and to annihilate the unfaithful, I come in every millenium.” This is the function and purpose of the Leela avatars.
Lord Chaitanya tells Sanatan Goswami that He will now speak of incarnations of material qualities, the Guna Avatars. Each quality of material nature is controlled by the Supreme Lord in His expansions as Vishnu, Who is a full plenary expansion of God with 94% of the known godly qualities; Lord Shiva, a pure devotee, has 84% of the godly qualities, and Brahma, who is a living entity (like ourselves) with 78% of the godly qualities. Each one is a part and parcel of the Lord (Krishna). The guna avatars are in charge of material affairs. Lord Shiva is the avatar of Ignorance—but he is not ignorant, just as a prison official visiting the prison is not subject to its rules. Similarly, Brahma creates and initiates—passion comes from Brahma. Vishnu maintains these and all plural eternals in the material sphere—but He is the singular eternal.
What is the constitution of Brahma? There are innumerable living entities. Many of them are devotees, but they want to enjoy the material world and take favor from God. Brahma is in this position. Sometimes Krishna Himself becomes Brahma, when suitable living entities are not available. Just as a diamond has the power to illuminate, its power to shine being derived from the sun, so the powerful creator Brahma inherits power from the Supreme Lord. Brahma’s power is tiny in comparison; it is not originally luminous like the sun. This material universe is created by him at certain intervals, stays for some time, and then is destroyed.
As with Brahma, sometimes when Lord Shiva is not available, Krishna accepts management of the modes of ignorance. Shiva is a direct expansion of God, but because He is in the department of ignorance he is not quite God. Shiva means auspicious. His business is destruction. There is a popular statue of Shiva dancing, surrounded by the fires of annihilation. Material energy is under the control of Shiva. Shiva is the father and material energy (Durga) is the mother. Because, unlike Krishna, Shiva has this connection with illusory energy, Shiva is not quite God. He stands between the living entity and Krishna. Lord Chaitanya quotes the Brahma Samhita on Lord Shiva: “If you mix something sour with milk, it becomes yogurt; such is the difference between Krishna and Shiva.” Once made into yogurt it cannot be changed back into milk, although it has the same constitution. Those who worship Shiva cannot derive the same benefits as those in Krishna consciousness. Shiva is not different from Krishna, but he is altered by his association with matter—as he takes on the jobs of destruction and tamas (ignorance) management.
Vishnu is never in touch with material energy. Vishnu is beyond the material worlds. Sankaracharya accepted this Supreme position of Narayana (Vishnu), although he was an impersonalist. Therefore, Vishnu’s Body is Sat-Chit-Ananda, full of knowledge, eternal, and blissful.
The Teachings of Lord Caitanya
The Teachings of Lord Caitanya
By A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
In the instruction of Lord Chaitanya to Sanatan Goswami we can understand the Science of God in the matter of His transcendental Form, His opulences, and His devotional service—for everything is being described to Sanatan Goswami by the Lord Himself. At the time Sanatan fell at the feet of the Lord and with great humility asked about his real identity. He spoke as follows: “I am born of a lower family, my associations are all abominable, and I am fallen and the most wretched of mankind. I was suffering in the dark well of material enjoyment, and I never knew the actual goal of my life. I do not know what is beneficial to me although in the ordinary way I am what is known as a great learned man; in fact, I am so much of a fool that I even accept that I am a learned man. You have accepted me as your servant and you have delivered me from the entanglement of material life; now you can tell me what my duty is in this liberated state of life.” In other words, we see by this plea that liberation is not the final word of perfection; there must be activities in liberation. Sanatan clearly asks, “You have saved me from the entanglement of material existence; now after liberation, what is my duty? Kindly explain it to me.” Sanatan further inquired “Who am I? Why are the three-fold miseries always giving me trouble? Finally, tell me how I will be relieved from this material entanglement? I do not know how to question about spiritual advancement of life, but I beg that you kindly, mercifully let me know everything that I should know.”
This is the process of acceptance of a spiritual master by the disciple. One should approach a spiritual master and humbly submit to him and then inquire from him about one’s spiritual progress. The Lord was pleased by Sanatan’s submissive behavior and He replied to him as follows: “You are already benedicted by Lord Krishna, therefore you know everything and you are free from all miseries of material existence.” The Lord further replied that because Sanatan was in Krishna Consciousness, naturally, by the grace of Krishna, he was already conversant with everything, but, “Because you are a humble devotee you are asking me to confirm what is already realized by you. This is very nice.” These are the characteristics of a true devotee. In the Narada sutra it is said that one who is very serious about developing his Krishna Consciousness, by the grace of the Lord, has his desire for understanding Krishna very soon fulfilled. The Lord said, “You are a suitable person for protecting the devotional service of the Lord, therefore it is my duty to instruct you in the science of God, and I will explain to you one of the orders.”
It is the duty of a disciple approaching a spiritual master to enquire about his constitutional position. In response to that spiritual process, Sanatan has already asked, “What am I and why am I suffering from threefold miseries?” The threefold miseries are called adhyatmic, adhibhautic, adhidaivic. Adhyatmic means pertaining to the body and mind, therefore there are two kinds of miseries suffered by the living entity: sometimes he is suffering bodily, and sometimes he is distressed mentally—both are miseries. We are put into miseries even in the womb of the mother. And there are also many forms of misery that take advantage of our delicate body and give us pain. Miseries inflicted by other living entities are called adhibhautic. There are many living entities such as bugs born of eggs, that give us miseries while we are sleeping in bed. There are many living entities, like cockroaches, that sometimes give us pain, and there are other living entities born on different kinds of planets, and they also give us miseries. So far as adhidaivic miseries are concerned, they are offered by the demigods from the higher planets. For instance, sometimes we suffer from serious cold weather, sometimes we suffer by the thunderbolt, sometimes earthquakes, tornadoes, droughts and all other natural disasters. So we are always in either of these three kinds of miseries. Sanatan’s enquiry was, “What is the position of the living entities? Why are they always put into these three kinds of miseries?” Sanatan has admitted his weakness; although he was known by the mass of people as a great learned man (and actually he was a highly learned scholar in the Sanskrit language)—and although he accepted the designation of a very learned man given him by the mass of people, yet he did not actually know what his constitutional position was, and why he was subjected to the threefold miseries.
The necessity of approaching a spiritual master is not a fashion, but is for him who is seriously conscious of the material miseries and who wants to get out of them; it is the duty of such a person to approach the spiritual master. We find similar circumstances in the Bhagavad Gita. When Arjuna was perplexed by so many problems, whether to fight or not to fight, he accepted Lord Krishna as his spiritual master. There also it was a case of the Supreme Spiritual Master instructing Arjuna about the constitutional position of the individual entity. In the Bhagavad Gita we are informed that the constitutional position of the individual entity is spirit soul; he is not matter, therefore as a spirit soul he is part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead. We also learn that it is the duty of the spirit soul to surrender, for only then can he be happy. The last instruction of the Bhagavad Gita is that the spirit soul is to surrender completely unto the Supreme Soul, Krishna, and in that way realize happiness. Here also, Lord Chaitanya in answering the questions of Sanatan is repeating the same truth, but without giving him information of the spirit soul which is described in the Gita. He begins from the point where Krishna ended his instruction. It is calculated by great devotees that Lord Chaitanya is Krishna Himself. And as He ended His instruction in the Gita, from that point he begins His instruction again, to Sanatan. The Lord said to Sanatan, “Your constitutional position is that you are pure living soul. This material body is not the identity of your real self, neither is your mind your real identity, nor your intelligence, nor is false ego the real identity for self. Your identity is that you are eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord, Krishna. Your position is that you are transcendental. Superior energy of Krishna is spiritual in constitution, and inferior external energy is material. In other words, you are between the material energy and the spiritual energy, therefore your position is marginal. In other words, you belong to the marginal potency of Krishna. You are simultaneously one with and different from Krishna because in a sense you are spirit, therefore you are not different from Krishna; but because you are only a minute particle of Krishna, you are therefore different from Krishna.”
This simultaneous oneness and difference always exists in the relationship between the living entities and the Supreme Lord. From the marginal position of the living entity, this “simultaneously one and different” is understood. The living entity is just like a molecular part of sunshine, whereas Krishna is compared to the blazing and shining sun. Lord Chaitanya compared the living entities to the blazing sparks from the fire, and the Supreme Lord to the blazing fire of the sun. The Lord cites in this connection a verse from Vishnu Purana in which it is stated that everything that is manifested within this cosmic world is but a different energy of the Supreme Lord. For example, as the fire emanating from one place exhibits its illumination and heat all around, similarly the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, is manifesting His different energies everywhere, and the whole world of cosmic representation is but different manifestations of His energy. The energy of the Supreme Lord is transcendental and spiritual, and the living entities also belong to that energy, but there is another energy which is called hard-working material energy, which is covered by the cloud of ignorance and therefore divided into the three modes of material nature. Lord Chaitanya quoted from Vishnu Purana that all inconceivable energies are there in the Supreme Personality of (sic:) ceivable energy is there in the Supreme Lord, and the whole cosmic manifestation is acting due to the same inconceivable energy of the Supreme Lord. For example, as the heat of the fire is all perceivable, similarly the inconceivable energy of the Supreme Lord is always perceivable by an intelligent person.
The Lord says that the living entities are also known as ksetrajna, or “knower of the field of activities.” In the Gita in the 13th Chapter the living entity is described as ksetrajna, the body is described as the field of activities, and the living entity is the knower of that field. Although the living entity is constitutionally conversant with spiritual energy, or has the potency of understanding, he is being covered by the material energy, and he consequently understands this body to be himself. This is called false ego. In material existence, under this false ego, the bewildered living entity is changing his different bodies and suffering different kinds of miseries. The knowledge of understanding his true position is present to various extents in different varieties of living entities. In other words, it is to be understood that the living entity is part and parcel of the spiritual energy of the Supreme Lord. The material energy is inferior energy, and therefore man has the potency to uncover this material energy and utilize the spiritual energy. It is stated in the Bhagavad Gita that the superior energy is covered by the inferior energy. Due to this covering, the living entity is subjected to the miseries of the material world, and, according to the different degrees of obscuration, is proportionately suffering material miseries. Those who are a little enlightened are suffering less, but on the whole, everyone is subjected to material miseries on account of being covered by the material energy. The Lord also quoted from the Gita, 7th Chapter, in which it is stated that earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence, and ego, all combine together to form the inferior energy of the Supreme Lord. But the Superior Energy is the real identity of the living entity; on account of that energy the whole material world is working. The cosmic manifestation, made of material energy or material elements, has no power to act unless it is moved by the Superior energy, the living entity. So actually, the conditional life of the living entity is forgetfulness of his relationship with the Supreme Lord in Superior energy. When that relationship is forgotten, conditional life is the result. Only when man revives his real identity, that of eternal servitor of the lord, does he become liberated.
(PART II OF LORD CHAITANYA’S TEACHING WILL APPEAR IN NEXT ISSUE)
************************************
Last night I saw
In a dream orchard
Hanging from the branches of the trees
In place of fruit
Clusters of golden finger cymbals
Which tingled in the breezes
As if they were thousands of tiny frozen lotus flowers
Shimmering and tingling;
and flocks of devotees in streaming yellow robes
danced up and down between the rows of trees
with upraised arms that looked like the curved necks
of swans
and heads tilted and eyes that looked lost
because they had found
bliss
which only Krishna can bestow
to His pure devotees;
and beneath one of the trees sat Swamiji
as if enthroned
beating His drum intently
smiling, placed
and chanting
HARE KRISHNA
While all the yellow-robed marionettes swirrled about him
Chanting
HARE KRISHNA
And the timbriled trees tingled from each breath of Krishna
Oh Krishna, if in my next thousand births
This dream is all You reveal to me of Your Kingdom
Then it would be enough.
—Brahmananda Das Brahmachary
(Bruce Scharf)
Invocation
Invocation
Meditation on the Gita
by Sri Shankaracharya
Purports by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Text rendered into verse
by Hayagriva Das Brahmachary
(Sri Shankaracharya—or Shankara—is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva, according to Padma Puranam. Appearing in India in the 6th century A.D., he single-handedly drove the Buddhist philosophy out of India and re-established Vedic culture, all in his short lifetime of 32 years. Although he took up the impersonalist guise to better battle the Buddhists-impersonalism is much akin to Buddhism-the commentary rendered below, as well as other writings, reveal him to be, in actuality, devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna. Shankara’s most famous treatise is Vivekachudamani, and his other words include Sarirak Vhasya and Prayers for Krishna.)
(1)
O Bhagavad Gita,
Through Thy eighteen chapters
Thou showers upon Man
The immortal nectar
Of the Wisdom of the Absolute
O Blessed Gita
By Thee Lord Krishna Himself
Enlightened Arjuna.
Afterward, the ancient sage Vyasa
Included Thee in the Mahabharata
O Loving Mother,
Destroyer of Man’s rebirth
Into the darkness of this mortal world,
Upon Thee I meditate.
(2)
Salutations to thee, O Vyasa.
Thou art of mighty intellect,
And thine eyes
Are large as the petals
Of the full-blown lotus.
It was thou
Who brightened this lamp of Wisdom,
Filling it with the oil
Of the Mahabarata.
PURPORT
Srimad Sankaracharya was an impersonalist from the materialist point of view. But he never denied the spiritual form known as Sat-Chit-Ananda Vigrata or the Eternal all-blissful Form of Knowledge which existed before the material creation. When he spoke of Supreme Brahman as impersonal he did not mean that the Lord’s Sat-Chit-Ananda Form was to be confused with a material conception of Personality. In the very beginning of his commentary on the Gita, he maintains that Narayana, the Supreme Lord, is transcendental Personality, and He has nothing to do with the material Personality. Lord Krishna is the same Supreme Personality and has no connection with the material body. He descends in His spiritual eternal Form, but foolish people mistake His body as like unto ours. Sankara’s preaching of impersonalism is especially meant for teaching foolish persons who consider Krishna to be an ordinary man composed of matter.
No body would care to read the Gita if it had been spoken by a material man, and certainly Vyasadeva wouldn’t have even bothered to incorporate it into the history of the Mahabharata. According to the above verses, Mahabharata is the History of the Ancient World and Vyasadeva is the writer of this great epic. Bhagavad Gita is identical with Krishna; and because Krishna is the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no difference between Krishna and His words. Therefore the Gita is as worshipable as Lord Krishna Himself, both being Absolute. One who hears Bhagavad Gita “as is” actually hears the words directly from the lotus lips of the Lord. But unfortunate persons say that the Gita is too antiquated for the modern man who wants to find out God by speculation or meditation.
(3)
I salute Thee, O Krishna,
O Thou, Who art the refuge
Of ocean-born Lakshmi
And all who take refuge
At Thy lotus Feet.
Thou art indeed
The wish-fulfilling tree
For Thy devotee.
Thy one hand holds a staff
For driving cows,
And Thy other hand is raised—
The thumb touching the tip
Of Thy forefinger,
Indicating Divine Knowledge.
Salutations to Thee, O Supreme Lord,
For Thou art the Milker
Of the ambrosia of the Gita.
PURPORT
Srimad Sankaracharya explicitly says, “You fools, just worship Govinda and that Bhagavad Gita spoken by Narayana Himself,” yet foolish people still conduct their research word to find out Narayan; consequently they are wretched and waste their time for nothing. Narayana is never wretched nor Daridra; rather, He is worshipped by the Goddess of Fortune, Lakshmi, as well as all living entities. Sankara declared himself to be “Brahman,” but he admits Narayana or Krishna to be the Supreme Personality Who is beyond the material creation. He offers his respects to Krishna as the Supreme Brahman or Param Brahman because He (Krishna) is worshipable by everyone. Only the fools and enemies of Krishna who cannot understand what Bhagavad Gita is (though they make commentaries on it) say, “It is not personal Krishna to whom we have to surrender ourselves utterly, but to the unborn, beginningless Eternal who speaks through Krishna.” Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Whereas Sankara, the greatest of the impersonalists, offers his due respects to Krishna and His book Bhagavad Gita, the foolish say that “it is not to the Personal Krishna.” Such unenlightened people do not know that Krishna is Absolute and that there is no difference between His inside and outside. The difference between inside and outside is experienced in the dual material world. In the Absolute World there is no such difference because in the Absolute everything is spiritual (Sat-Chit-Ananda) and Narayana or Krishna belongs to the Absolute World. In the Absolute World there is only the factual Personality, and there is no distinction between body and soul.
(4)
The Upanishads
Are as a herd of cows,
Lord Krishna, Son of a cowherd,
Is their Milker,
Arjuna is the calf,
The supreme nectar of the Gita
Is the milk,
And the wise man
Of a purified intellect
Is the drinker.
PURPORT
Unless one understands spiritual variegatedness, one cannot understand the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. In the Brahma Samhita it is said that Krishna’s Name, Form, Quality, Pastimes, Entourage and Paraphernalia are all anandachinmoyarasa—in short, everything of His transcendental association is of the same composition of spiritual bliss, knowledge and eternity. There is no end to His Name, Form, etc., unlike the material world where all things have their end. As stated in the Bhagavad Gita, only fools deride Him, whereas it is Sankara, the greatest impersonalist, who worships Him, His cows and His pastimes as the Son of Vasudeva and pleasure of Devaki.
(5)
Thou Son of Vasudeva,
Destroyer of the demons Kamsa and Chanura,
Thou Supreme Bliss of Mother Devaki,
O Thou Guru of the Universe,
Teacher of the Worlds,
Thee, O Krishna, I salute.
PURPORT
Sankara describes Him as the Son of Vasudeva and Devaki. Does he mean thereby that he is worshipping an ordinary material man? He worships Krishna because he knows that Krishna’s birth and activities are all supernatural. As stated in the Bhagavad Gita (4th Chapter), Krishna’s birth and activities are mysterious and transcendental and therefore only the devotees of Krishna can know them perfectly. Sankara was not such a fool that he would accept Krishna as an ordinary man and at the same time offer Him all devotional obeisances, knowing Him as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva. According to Bhagavad Gita, only by knowing the transcendental birth and activities of Krishna can one attain liberation by acquiring a spiritual form like Krishna. There are five different kinds of liberations. One who merges into the spiritual auras of Krishna, known as impersonal Brahman effulgence, does not fully develop his spiritual body. But one who fully develops his spiritual existence becomes an associate of Narayana or Krishna in different spiritual abodes. One who enters into the abode of Narayana develops a spiritual Form exactly like Narayana (four-handed) and one who enters into the highest spiritual abode of Krishna, known as Goloka Vrindaban, develops a spiritual Form of two hands like Krishna. Sankara, as an incarnation of Lord Shiva, knows all these spiritual existences, but he did not disclose them to his then Buddhist followers because it was impossible for them to know about the spiritual world. Lord Buddha preached that void is the ultimate goal, so how could His followers understand spiritual variegatedness? Therefore Sankara said Brahma Satya Jagat Mithya, or material variegatedness is false but spiritual variegatedness is fact. In the Padma Puranam Lord Shiva has admitted that He had to preach the philosophy of Maya or illusion in the Kaliyuga as another edition of the “void” philosophy of Buddha. He had to do this by the order of the Lord for specific reasons. He, however, disclosed his real mind by recommending that people worship Krishna for no one can be saved simply by mental speculations composed of word jugglery and grammatical maneuvers. Shankara instructs further: Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam Mudhamate; Prapte sannihite khalu marane nahi nahi, raksati du krim karane. “You intellectual fools, just worship Govinda, just worship Govinda, just worship Govinda. Your grammatical knowledge and word jugglery will not save you at the time of death.”
(6)
Of that terrifying river
Of the battlefield of Kurukshetra
Over which the Pandavas victoriously crossed,
Bhishma and Drona were as the high banks,
Jayadratha as the river’s water,
The King of Ghandara the blue water-lily,
Salya the shark, Kripa the current,
Karna the mighty waves,
Ashvatama and Vikarna the dread alligators,
And Duryodhana the very whirlpool—
But Thou, O Krishna, wast the Ferryman!
(7)
May the spotless lotus of the Mahabharata
That grows on the waters
Of the words of Vyasa
And of which the Bhagavad Gita
Is the irresistably sweet fragrance
And its tales of heroes
The full blown petals
Fully opened by the talk of Lord Hari,
Who destroys the sins
Of Kaliyuga,
And on which daily light
The nectar-seeking souls,
As so many bees
Swarming joyously—
May this lotus of the Mahabharata
Bestow on us the Highest Good.
(8)
Salutations to Lord Krishna,
The Embodiment of Supreme Bliss,
By Whose grace and compassion
The dumb become eloquent
And the lame scale mountains—
Him I salute!
PURPORT
Foolish followers of foolish speculators cannot understand the meaning of offering salutations to Lord Krishna, the embodiment of Bliss. Sankara himself offered his salutations to Lord Krishna so that some of his intelligent followers might understand the real fact by the example set by their great Master Sankara, the incarnation of Lord Shiva. But there are many obstinate followers of Sankara who refuse to offer their salutations to Lord Krishna, and instead mislead innocent persons by injecting materialism into Bhagavad Gita and confusing innocent readers by their commentaries and consequently the readers never have the opportunity to become blessed by offering salutations to Lord Krishna, the cause of all causes. The greatest disservice to humanity is to keep mankind in the darkness about the science of Krishna or Krishna Consciousness by distorting the sense of the Gita.
(9)
Salutations to that Supreme Shining One
Whom the creator, Brahma, Varuna,
Indra, Rudra, Marut and all divine beings
Praise with hymns,
Whose glories are sung
By the verses of the Vedas,
Of Whom the singers of Sama sing
And of Whose glories the Upanishads
Proclaim in full choir,
Whom the Yogins see
With their minds absorbed
In perfect meditation,
And of Whom all the hosts
Of gods and demons
Know not the limitations.
To Him, the Supreme God Krishna, be all salutations—
Him we salute! Him we salute! Him we salute!
PURPORT
By recitation of the ninth verse of his meditation quoted from Srimad Bhagavatam, Sankara has indicated that Lord Krishna is worshipable by one and all, including himself. He gives hints to materialists, impersonalists, mental speculators, “void” philosophers and all other candidates subjected to the punishment of material miseries-just offer salutations to Lord Krishna, Who is worshipped by Brahma, Shiva, Varuna, Indra and all the other demigods. He has not mentioned however the name of Vishnu because Vishnu is identical with Krishna. The Vedas and the Upanishads are meant for understanding the process by which one can surrender unto Krishna. The yogins try to see Him (Krishna) within themselves by meditation. In other words, it is for all the demigods and demons who do not know where the ultimate end is that Sankara teaches, and he especially instructs the demons and the fools to offer salutations to Krishna and His words, the Bhagavad Gita, by following his footprints. Only by such acts will demons be benefited, not by misleading their innocent followers by so called mental speculations or showbottle meditations. Sankara directly offers salutations to Krishna as if to show the fools, who are searching after light, that here is the light like the sun. But the fallen demons are like owls that will not open their eyes on account of their fear of the sunlight itself. These owls will never open their eyes to see the sublime light of Krishna and His words the Bhagavad Gita. They will, however, comment on the Gita with their closed owl-eyes to mislead their unfortunate readers and followers. Sankara however discloses the light to his less intelligent followers and shows that Bhagavad Gita and Krishna is the only source of light. This is all to teach the sincere seekers of Truth to offer salutation to Lord Krishna and thus surrender unto Him without misgivings. That is the highest perfection of life and that is the highest teaching of Sankara, the great learned scholar whose teachings drove the void-philosophy of Buddha out of India, the land of knowledge. Om Tat Sat
Come to KIRTAN
Come to KIRTAN
The practice of bhakti yoga through singing, dancing, philosophy and the distribution of Prasadam-spiritual food!
Chant
**HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA**
**KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE**
**HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA**
**RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE**
Join us at the Radha Krishna Temple
In New York: 26 Second Avenue
In San Francisco: 518 Fredrick Street
In Montreal: 3720 Park Avenue
Services: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:00 PM
Every morning at 7:00 AM
Krishna Consciousness in American Poetry
Krishna Consciousness in American Poetry
by Hayagriva Das Brahmachary
(Howard Wheeler)
Part I: Emerson
In the past 130 years the United States has swiftly travelled a long way down the road of materialism and atheism and has done a great deal in bringing the rest of the world down that road with them. It is a dead end road, but anyone jumping off that bumbling, rambling bandwagon is likely to encounter squatting along the roadside as fine a company of transcendental “bums” as one could ever want to meet—Emerson, Thoreau, Miss Emily Dickonson, Whitman, and “roaring boy” Hart Crane. There are some others, but these are the principle American transcendental waysiders who keep their fires of love and canned beans of joy and bliss warm for the hungry, wearied traveller.
There is little doubt in the minds of most truly intelligent man that America has been betrayed by the money-hungry, power-hungry atheist class of men. They have initiated that rambling bandwagon of capitalism that is presently wending its merry way to hell under the banners of Progress, Prosperity, Materialism, Power, and Sense Enjoyment. Even the countries that have previously boasted considerable God-consciousness, such as India, are now scrambling to get on the bandwagon. As a result, the devotees of the Supreme Lord are feeling more isolated and generally “out of it” socially. They lock their doors, close their windows, and chant softly in order not to disturb their atheist neighbors. At least this is the cast in the big American cities. There is no transcendental hero or bearded bard of Fifth Avenue sounding his “barbaric yawp all over the roofs of the world.” The hollow men with heads of straw are holding the wagon reins, and even a whisper frightens them.
This calamity is largely due to there never having been sufficiently powerful spiritual leaders in America. Although some of the early settlers came to this country seeking religious freedom, the New World soon came to represent a challenge of material conquest—gold and land—rather than a spiritual promise. The Christian Church was imported from Europe, and spasmodically—with Jonothan Edwards, Edward Taylor, and the revivalists of the 1830’s and 50’s—the air was surcharged with spirituality. But after the Civil War this country began to ascend the ladder of Material Progress: the bumbling, rambling bandwagon started rolling down the open road to chaos, and the sages started jumping off. Since then the real spiritual gurus have been chased out, killed, or cancelled amid the waves of official materialist propaganda, or perhaps given quaint roles in the Great American Circus. What great poets and sages America has given birth to have had to attain their realization in a secular way, and with God’s help and grace. With many it was a lonely battle—there were no systems planned for them. For the American, the cosmic way to spiritual universe was uncharted, and the few who managed to make their ways to it were often eccentric poets, polite mendicants, hermetic spinsters, mad geniuses—in short, the American “transcendental bums.”
From a spiritual point of view, India is most fortunate in its parampara system of God-realization, a system of disciplic succession steming from Brahma, the creator-god. This system utilizes the guru-brahmachary (student) principle of desseminating transcendental knowledge from generation to another. Krishna speaks of this is the Gita:
The eternal yoga I taught to Vivasvat (the Sun god); Vivasvat taught it to Manu (the father of mankind); and Manu taught it to Ikshvaku (ancestor of the earth-warriors). Thus handed down from one to another, it became known to the royal sages. But through long lapse of time, this yoga has been lost to the world. (Gita, 4.1-2)
To re-establish this yoga on earth, Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna. In the West, the best example that can be given of disciplic succession is the Roman Catholic Church which traces its papal history directly from Christ and St. Peter, the first Vicar of Rome. Such systems are useful, especially for guiding the mass of people who look to higher authorities in spiritual matters. The dangers of such a system are also obvious: the system may become regimentalized, it may deviate from the original teachings, it may become corrupt and die, it may become narrow and secular—in which cases the parampara system stumbles over itself and deals a death blow to God-consciousness. The system is legitimate, but man is frail and subject to error.
There was never such a system in America. America is a new country—not even 200 years old—a baby compared to Vedic culture and civilization. The saints, sages and poets of this country do not generally work out their salvation or progress in God consciousness through the parampara system, or, for that matter, through any orthodox religious system. Many seem to have been directly favored by the Supreme Who endowed them with prophetic powers and Who gave them poetic powers with which to praise Him and direct grace by which to attain Him. In fact, direct revelation—always the Supreme’s gracious gift—seemed natural in a country where individualism and the new, free man were spiritual ideals. One often hears in Whitman and other transcendentalists the sigh of relief for their release from the rotting philosophic, literary and religious traditions of Europe. And the Supreme Lord seems to have taken many of them by the hand, showing them how to “celebrate” Him and justify His ways to man. God is not limited and neither are His ways, and although man may be confined to stringent systems and rules, He is beyond all rules and reveals Himself to whomever He pleases. The tendency of many religionists to place the Supreme under the regulations of their religions is vain and silly.
The Supreme Lord has been directly praised by many great poets in the West—notably Dante, the English metaphysical poets, St. John of the Cross, Milton and Blake—great Christian poets who managed to utilize the orthodox terminology of religion and the Bible as the basis of their poetry. Other poets, although secular in their approach, wrote of the Absolute in different ways, often using the medium of Nature. This is the case for Wordsworth in his famous “Ode: Intimations of Immortality,” and Keats’ reciprocal serenade between himself and the Supersoul in “Ode to a Nightengale.” Byron in “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage” uses the ocean as a symbol of the Absolute, and it is easy to see Krishna as Coleridge’s Kubla Khan. The “unseen presence” of Shelley’s West Wind is addressed as “Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere;/Destroyer and preserver.” In fact, one might say that all the major English poets (especially of the 19th century) had to plug into the Supreme Consciousness for their inspiration.
In America, the poets’ Krishna or cosmic consciousness was given a boost by the “transcendentalist” movement in the early 19th century. Prior to this time, Edward Taylor (1645-1729), a New England Puritan poet, wrote excellent metaphysical poetry in praise of Christ. No major force emerges, however, between Taylor and Emerson, the first superior literary mind of the 19th century.
In his introduction to Nature, Emerson writes:
The foregoing generations beheld God and nature face to face; we, through their eyes. Why should now we also enjoy an original relation to the universe? And a religion by revelation to us, and not the history of theirs. The sun shines today. There are new lands, new men, new thoughts.
This is a capsule statement of the zeit-geist catching hold in the literary circles of New England during the 1830’s—a new land, a new man, a new relation to God. This relationship to God is intimately tied up with the land and Nature which serve as springboards into the realms of the eternal. Emerson describes his mystical experiences in this way:
Standing on the bare ground—my head bathed by the blithe air and uplifted into infinite space—all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am a part and parcel of God. The name of the nearest friend sounds then foreign and accidental: to be brothers, to be acquaintances, master or servant, is then a trifle and a disturbance. I am the lover of uncontained and immortal beauty. (From Nature)
Emerson was also aware of attempts to attain this cosmic consciousness by abortive, artificial means:
It is a secret which every intellectual man quickly learns, that beyond the energy of his possessed and conscious intellect he is capable of a new energy (as of an intellect doubled on itself) by abandonment to the nature of things; that beside his privacy of power as an individual man, there is a great public power on which he can draw, by unlocking, at all risks, his human doors, and suffering the ethereal tides to roll and circulate through him; then he is caught up into the life of the Universe, his speech is thunder, his thought is law, and his words are universally intelligible as the plants and animals.. For if in any manner we can stimulate this instinct, new passages are opened for us into nature; the mind flows into and through the hardest and highest, and the metamorphosis is possible. (From Essays, 2nd Series, “The Poet”)
Regarding narcotics and the psychedelics of his day, Emerson writes:
This is the reason why bards love wine, mead, narcotics, coffee, tea, opium, the fumes of sandalwood and tobacco, or whatever other procurers of animal exhilaration. All men avail themselves of such means as they can, to add this extraordinary power to their normal powers. (From “The Poet”)
However, Emerson makes it clear that he does not condone such artificial means, which he considers to be used by an inferior man. He also deems the results to be imperfect and temporary and imaginary, for in actuality deterioration and dissipation are provoked by reliance on external stimuli.
Never can any advantage be taken of nature by a trick. The spirit of the world, the great calm presence of the Creator, comes not forth to the sorceries of opium or of wine. The sublime vision comes to the pure and simple soul in a clean and chaste body. That is not an inspiration, which we owe to narcotics, but some counterfeit excitement and fury. Milton says that the lyric poet may drink wine and live generously, but the epic poet, he who shall sing of the gods and their descent unto men, must drink water out of a wooden bowl.. His cheerfulness should be the gift of the sunlight; the air should suffice for his inspiration, and he should be tipsy with water. (From “The Poet”)
In “The Poet,” as in other essays, Emerson is prophesying the great poetic vindicator of his philosophy—Whitman. Emerson’s philosophy draws a great deal on Plato and the Bible, but the English romanticists and German philosophers of the 19th century also find their ways into his works. He envisions the self-reliant man in direct relationship with God, free from all “animal exhilarations” such as narcotics, society, and materialism, and also free from the intellectual shackles of the Old World, intoxicated instead with “air and water” in the great virgin woods of America. In this way he struck the theme for the transcendental man in America—and Thoreau and Whitman were to be the most famous embodiments of his vision.
This liberated man is a man free from all encumbrances. He is dependant on no one. He stands alone with his Creator upon the new and fertile American landscape, and he is the epitome of rugged individualism. Emerson’s famous “Self Reliance” essay advises in this way:
A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages.. Trust thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron string. (From “Self Reliance”)
Later, Whitman was also to exhort his reader to see the direct revelation:
You shall no longer take things at second or third hand, nor look through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the spectres in books, You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me, You shall listen to all sides and filter them from your self.
(From “Song of Myself,” section 2)
Emerson felt that part of man’s slavery is due to his attachment to the past—his functioning on old premises, theories and actions—in short, his enslavement to karma. Break them off, he advises, and disregard apparent contradictions.
In your metaphysics you have denied personality to the Deity, yet when the devout motions of the soul come, yield to them heart and life, though they should clothe God with shape and color. Leave your theory, as Joseph his coat in the hands of the harlot, and flee. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. (“Self Reliance”)
Abandonment of mundane conceptualization and open acceptance of the infinite diversity of the Creator and His creation are considered by Emerson to be characteristics of the mahatma, the great-souled man. In Whitman’s words, “Do I contradict myself?/ Very well then I contradict myself,/ (I am large, I contain multitudes.)” (“Son of Myself,” 51) This great souled man has no time for fault-finding, scoffing, argumentation or lamentation. He is blissful, ecstatic, absorbed in Krishna-consciousness. Nor is he attached to anything on the earth.
Nothing is secure but life, transition, the energizing spirit.. People wish to be settled; only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them. (Emerson’s “Circles”)
This is non-attachment as practised by the free man who does not anchor however calm the waters. For him the universe is not a house for sleepers. It is an open road for travelling souls.
Although the poetic strain is everywhere apparent in Emerson’s essays and philosophy, he was not able to completely express his thoughts in his own poetry. This remained for Whitman to do. Emerson did write poems, but he is remembered instead for his essays, which represent him better. Emerson did write a poem called “Brahma,” that appears to be influenced by certain verses in the Gita, especially Krishna’s injunction: “He who looks on the Self as the slayer, and he who looks on the Self as the slain—neither of these apprehends aright. The Self slays not nor is slain.” (Gita, 2.19) Emerson actually paraphrases this verse in “Brahma,” his best poem:
(1)
If the red slayer think he slays,
Or if the slain think he is slain,
They know not well the subtle ways I am the doubter and the doubt,
I keep, and pass, and turn again.
(3)
They reckon ill who leave me out;
When me they fly, I am the wings;
I am the doubter and the doubt,
And I the hymn the Brahmin sings.
(2)
Far or forgot to me is near;
Shadow and sunlight are the same;
The vanished gods to me appear;
And one to me are shame and fame.
(4)
The strong gods pine for my abode,
And pine in vain the sacred Seven;
But thou, meek lover of the god!
Find me, and turn thy back on heaven.
That the above poem was influenced by the Bhagavad Gita is not surprising, for it is reported that Emerson’s copy of the Gita was more “widely used than the one in the Harvard College Library.” No doubt Emerson was fully competent to deliver lectures on Krishna consciousness, but he was not competent to celebrate his great ideas in poetry, for his own poetry is too often stilted and sing-song. And although Henry David Thoreau, Emerson’s youthful disciple, also tried verse, the ascetic of Walden Pond is also best remembered for his Walden and other essays. The poetry of the new God consciousness of 19th century America had to wait for the 1855 “yawp” of another man.
(Next Issue: Krishna Conscious In American Poetry, Part Ii: Henry David Thoreau and Emily Dickinson)
*********************************
Samsara Blues
Samsara Blues
I got those Samsara blues,
Thinking good or bad? Win or lose?
All that smokin’ and talkin’ meth
Just turns the wheel of birth and death.
I’ll never attain liberation
By mere sense gratification
LSD and marijuana
Won’t get me to Nirvana,
And meditating on the Void
Only gets me paranoid
Remembering I’m not this body,
Telling her I’m Brahmachary,
There’s really nothing to control
‘Cause I’m eternal spirit soul.
Fixed up in Krishna Consciousness,
Who cares about the Maya mess?
So forget that Uncle Sam Thing,
Just keep chanting, chanting, chanting
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare.
In material entanglement what calms me?
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
Krishna chase away those Samsara blues!
That’s what I said.
—Hari Das Brahmachary
(Harvey Cohen)
********************************
The editors welcome poems, songs, essays. Please mail contributions to Editor, c/o International Society for Krishna Consciousness, 518 Fredrick Street, San Francisco, California.
Also available from the Society:
Essays by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami: WHO IS CRAZY AND KRISHNA THE RESERVOIR OF PLEASURE (50 cents) INTRODUCTION TO GEETOPANISHAD (35 cents) and SRIMAD BHAGWATAM (3 volumes) translated and with Purports by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
BACK TO GODHEAD subscriptions: 1 year (24 issues) $3.
Printing: Gargamuni Das Brahmachary (Gregory Scharf)
Back to Godhead Magazine #11, April, 1967
On Our Cover
On Our Cover
is the Lord, Sri Krishna, in full battle array. As Creator of all that be, God is no stranger to violence. It too is His play-for He has the full knowledge of the eternal, indestructible nature of all living entities, and His warrior spirit is on the same plane as His loving attitude. Warrior or lover, Krishna is Absolute.
God accepts men in whatever relationship they crave to have with Him. If, like the atheists, they wish for there to be no God, then Krishna hides Himself from them, and gives them proofs to uphold their sentiments. If one wants the Lord as his friend, however, he finds Krishna always with him, kind and loving and playful. And if, as so many do, you want Krishna as your father, He will supply you fully with all needs, as indeed He does anyway.
Again, if one seeks to be the enemy of God, he will find God neither impotent no unwilling to join the contest. And, just as most indomitable, most implacable Foe. He never turns from any proposition, for He is full in renunciation, and neither fears nor longs for anything. Furthermore, those who die by the Lord's hand directly attain to immediate salvation, which is so ardently sought after by others.
By the Mercy of Krishna
By the Mercy of Krishna
The above picture is reproduced from the front pages of the Boston Globe, April 27, 1967. It shows Rayarama Das and Brahmananda Das holding kirtan at the Franklin Park zoo Be-in of the previous day. This was Boston's first such gathering, and a great number of people joined in the chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Such encouraging interest has added impetus to our hopes of establishing a center in that city.
Please forgive the late appearance of this issue, which is in fact out of sequence, as it carries Part II of Hayagriva Das' Krishna Consciousness In American Poetry, the third part of which appeared last issue. Back to Godhead has been undergoing considerable transformations, of which we'll speak at greater length shortly. Before that, here are some ISKCON bulletins:
*The Society's record album, KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, has been selling wonderfully well wherever it has reached the public, and is already on sale as far away as London.
*The great Love Feast which the New York Temple was planning has come to nothing, but a different program of monthly—though modest-feats is still being considered.
*The Ratha Yatra Chariot Festival will begin on July 9 with a parade through New York's streets to a beach-provided a suitable beach can be found.
*The San Francisco Temple's Chariot Festival is all set; we'll publish details next issue.
*As shown on our second page, New York's Tompkins Square Park on the Lower East Side at 7th Street and Avenue A will again resound with the chanting of the Maha-Mantra on Sunday afternoons, beginning May 7, at 3pm.
This brings us back to Back to Godhead. Last issue we promised that, although the cover was about to be changed, the price was not. Now we feel like those politicians who've promised to do away with the taxes: once in office, they find things to be not what they had hoped for: Beginning with the May issue, No.13, Back to Godhead will be offset printed from cover to cover, and will include considerably more pictorial material than it has in the past. Printing will greatly aid circulation, as many stores flatly refuse to carry mimeographed work. It will also, unfortunately, force us to raise the price of the magazine. This and future editions will contain more than double the present amount of material, and will appear monthly rather than semi-monthly. After reviewing the May Back to Godhead, why not write and tell us what you think of the change? We'll be hoping to hear from you.
Hare Krishna
The editors.
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Notes transcribed from a lecture given December 21, 1966.
Lord Krishna says, Although I am equal to everyone and no one is My enemy or My special friend, and there is no particular favor for anyone, still—and "still" here indicates that there is a special case—for anyone who is engaged in My service, so I am engaged in his service. In the Gita, God states that He also becomes a devotee to us. Love is not one-sided; it is reciprocal. Although God is great, He takes part in our lives. It is clearly stated in the Gita that He takes pleasure in serving the devotee.
Someone may say, If a devotee is engaged in the service of the Lord, but his behavior isn't up to standard, what happens to him? Of course, a devotee is in the process of developing the 26 saintly qualities—but the one all-important qualification is that he be a devotee. If he lacks other qualifications but is unflinching in devotion, if his conduct is not good but still he does not divert his attention to demigods and others, fixing it only on Krishna—then the Lord says that he is to be reckoned as sadhu in view of his Krishna consciousness. Sadhu means honest, religious and pious. If I have a bad character but think Krishna consciousness is the right course of action and I take to it, then, even if I can't lose my bad habits, I am considered honest, pious and religious according to Krishna. One may now say, Although one may call him a sadhu, he's not a hundred percent so. But Krishna says, Yes, he is a hundred percent sadhu, regardless of whatever else he may be, if he is devoted to Me.
We must not cling too tightly to the rules and regulations of Vedic culture. All people should be given a chance to develop Krishna Consciousness. Rupa Goswami, a great Acharya, said, "The first business is to see that, somehow or other, people become Krishna conscious. As far as rules are concerned, if one takes to this line, then regulations will follow, just as the servant follows his master." The Lord says that, because one has taken to Krishna Consciousness, he will very soon become a pious man. If you take to Krishna Consciousness very sincerely—chanting, and with rules and regulations—you will very soon become a pious man. If you want to sit on the high court bench, you have to have many credentials, along with the proper background and training; but with Krishna Consciousness, if you'll just sit on the bench, all education will follow. You will relish Krishna Consciousness so much that you will readily give up all nonsense.
The whole world is chasing after sense gratification, but the man in Krishna Consciousness will very quickly give it up. You don't have to train yourself to stop sense gratification. Just chant and hear—you will enjoy this so much that you will automatically give up what is not conducive to spiritual life. Chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. In this fashion, a man will easily attain to perfect, eternal blissful life.
“My dear Arjuna," the Lord says, "Declare it boldly to the world, that My devotee never perishes." Why doesn't He Himself tell it? Krishna has promised that He will protect His devotee. God can violate His own promise, but He will protect the devotee who will spread His word. At the battle of Kurukshetra, Krishna was on one side with Arjuna, while His soldiers were on the other side. He declared, "I shall join Arjuna, but I shall not fight. I shall simply take some work: I shall drive Arjuna's chariot." But in the fight, when Arjuna was hard-pressed by Bhisma, the Lord broke His word. Bhisma had been accused by his comrades of not fighting hard enough because he had so many dear relatives in Arjuna's camp. And so he promised that he would kill all five enemy leaders—the Pandava brothers—on the next day of battle. For this purpose he had five special arrows which Duryodhana kept. Now, Krishna sent Arjuna to Duryodhana—who was king of the opposing forces—after that day's battle. Arjuna went to the king's camp and was received. He now asked Duryodhana to fulfill the promises of a boon he had made, and Duryodhana agreed to do whatever Arjuna asked. Arjuna asked for the five arrows, which were promptly handed over to him.
Aware of Krishna's hand in this, Bhisma resolved to kill His devotee or else force Him to break His promise and fight. On the battlefield the next day Bhisma fought Arjuna so fiercely that Krishna had to grab the wheel of the their shattered chariot and run up to him, demanding that he stop. "It were better I break My promise," said the Lord, "than that you kill Arjuna."
So the Lord said, "You are My devotee…You tell them that anyone who takes to Krishna Consciousness will never be destroyed." What is destruction? When we lose our spiritual consciousness, we lose our identity. As a spiritual being you have eternal bliss and all knowledge, but here you are in a wretched condition, already destroyed—without bliss, eternity or full knowledge. Unless you revive your spiritual awareness, you are destroyed by illusory energy. But whosoever takes to this process will never return to this material world of sense gratification and misery. Soon or later he will be taken up by the Lord, according to how he approaches Krishna Consciousness.
Material existence is ignorance of the spiritual world. We are being kicked around like footballs from body to body—in one birth American, then Indian, then Chinese, etc. This process of Krishna Consciousness is the only way to attain full spiritual life. Eternity, bliss and knowledge are awaiting us. Why should we refuse them? Nor is this a mere theory. Don't think that Bhagavad Gita is imaginary—people have taken it for thousands of years; in its written form it is 5,000 years old and, before that, it was taught to the sun-god millions of years ago. The Gita is followed by all great acharyas.
Take to this process and you will be saved from the material world. If you are thrown in the ocean, it is practically your destruction even if you swim well. To struggle here in the material world is also your destruction. Get out of the ocean. Krishna promises that He will take you from the ocean of birth and death. Save yourself from destruction.
Now, someone may ask, "Is there any qualification? Krishna appeared to be Hindu, and the acharyas are very learned; how can one take to Krishna Consciousness if he is not learned or belonging to a particular creed? But Krishna says that even women (who are generally considered to have small endowment for spiritual advancement), sudras and vaishyas (the lower classes) and even lower can come too. Lord Krishna surpasses all formalities of social structure. All can come. There is no bar to spiritual consciousness. If you simply take to Krishna Consciousness, the Lord is there, and He will give you all protection. One in Krishna Consciousness is already liberated. This is its beauty. Never mind what you are. Take to it. You will reach the perfection of life. Your progress is guaranteed. Just take to this process.
Prayer to Vishnu
Prayer to Vishnu
In the morning
after heavenly porridge,
we go out the door,
down the street
flying with the Maha-Mantra
through dual atmosphere
of sad and glad,
trying to forget all that nonsense
and just fight for
reaching Krishna.
Soaring with the Maha-Mantra
into all that sad-glad material
blue sky and flags
and karmis hurrying to work
Vishnu! Guide me, protect me,
Keep me assured to expect
Mercy in You.
How do I keep my mind on You?
With mace and conch shell and
lotus and disc,
You, Great, kind, Unattached Ruler of
Universal Good,
let me turn within to You—
soul of me, turn to Vishnu!
let me dwell in Him,
and the rest can go on and on.
The sighing faces at work,
the demigod bosses,
bowing to the temporal Office….
it can go on and me with it,
but give me strength
to bear for You
acts in Your Name,
and since I'm unconcerned,
it can go on to the end.
I say I want to
get out
to where
You are
just to be at Your Feet—
but what do I do? Why
don't I answer every question
with Vishnu? Why do I flinch
when they ask me why I'm flowering
just by the thought of You
—You the Indweller in all of us—
even the office boys who think
existence is a kind of joke which
they control.
Vishnu-in-me!
Enable me
to turn a braver face to You
and then to talk out everywhere
for You and say:
"everyone should turn to
Godhead and yearn for that."
Empower me, try me
with the courage
to do much more
so that at least
I can begin
at the foot of Love.
—Satsvarupa Das Brahmacary
(Stephen Guarino)
The Supreme Gift is Krishna Consciousness
The Supreme Gift is Krishna Consciousness
This is an invitation to all Men and Women of Good Will to Benefit the Human Race and all other Inhabitants of planet Earth by distributing the Peace and eternal Bliss of KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS.
Wherever you live, you can do this work. This is called the Devotional Service of the Lord, and it is simply a matter of finding others who may be receptive to the philosophy and practice of Love of Godhead. Inquire at your neighborhood Shops to see if the storekeepers will retail Back To Godhead Magazine, or our record album, "KRISNA CONSCIOUSNESS." Speak with your Friends and Relatives about Krishna consciousness. Perhaps you can hold Kirtan with them at regular Meetings.
Kirtan means Chanting the Lord's Praises—such as the Maha-(Hare Krishna) Mantra—and reading from authorized Scriptural literature, such as Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Holy Bible, Koran, Chaitanya Charitamrita, and others of the same stature. This will Purify consciousness, and the active participation will immensely benefit All concerned.
The most valuable Asset for Spiritual Life is the ability to Serve the Lord actively. Take this opportunity. See for yourself whether the effect is simply Abstract Theoretics, or the practical experience of Sublime Love. And you may have the added Satisfaction of Knowing that Humankind cannot fail to be Elevated by your Labors, be those Labors great or small.
We were doing it together
and there was no imperfection—
the Prayer in our hearts,
and Krishna: there was only
One Sea of Ecstasy
We were bowing down
and there was no effort.
Before us the Prasadam offering
was alive, the plate and food ecstatic.
The altar was fashioned of Ecstasy.
The flowers, candle, the very flame,
all were made of ecstasy. Everything
a maddening sweet Scent, breathing,
bursting our pores in universes of pleasure,
drowning, a blissful rush of fragrant waves.
We were borne on Ecstasy, Thoughts of
Krishna swelling over and over, washing us away…
Then, how did we get there? In that bed,
moving, awakening only for a brief
remembering murmur (falling asleep
I promised not to forget):
Later you said you had a dream
about giving Christmas presents
or something? (Yes, it is December).
But was I not there also? Oh Krishna…
Now it is noon and you say there
was no dream at all, that you
were agreeing only to please me!
"Surely, you have only forgotten…"
Rupanuga says, "Oh Maya, Maya,
Maya, such a Thief you are!
Stealing memories and leaving
dreams that disappear."
—Rupanuga Das Adhikary
(Robert F. Corens)
Two in One
Two in One
And if I saw God in the woods?
and I see God in cement
and God in the sky
And God in the headlights?
would that be good?
or would that be bad?
And if I saw the woods in God?
and I see cement in God
and the sky in God
and the headlight in God?
would that be good?
or would that be bad?
And if I saw the air in God?
and I see God in the air?
—Daffi
The Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
The Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
by Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Part II
Nobody can trace out the history of the living entity's entanglement in material energy; therefore the Lord says that it is beginingless. Beginingless means that conditional life exists prior to the creation-it is simply manifested with and after the creation. Due to this forgetfulness, the living entity, although spirit, is suffering all kinds of miseries of material existence. It is to be understood here also that there are other living entities who are not entangled in this material energy. Such living entities are situated in the spiritual world, and they are called liberated souls. They are also always engaged in Krishna Consciousness and in devotional service. The activities of those who are under the conditions of material nature are taken into account, and in their next life, according to such activities, they are offered different grades of material bodies. In the material world the spiritual soul in conditional life is subjected to different rewards and punishments. When he is rewarded he is elevated to the higher planets due to his righteous activities, and there he becomes one with the many demigods; and when he is punished for his abominable activities he is thrown into different kinds of hellish planets, and there he suffers the miseries of material existence more acutely. The Lord gives a very nice example of this punishment; formerly a king used to punish a criminal by dunking him in the river and then raising him again for breath, and then again dunking him in the water; now, material nature punishes and rewards the individual entity in just the same way. When he is punished he is dunked into the water of material miseries, and when he is rewarded he is taken out of it for some time. Elevation of the living entity to higher planets or to a higher status of life is never permanent. He has to come down again to be drowned in the water. All this is going on in this material existence. Sometimes he is elevated to the higher planetary system, and sometimes he is thrown into the hellish condition of material life.
In this connection the Lord recites a nice verse from Srimad Bhagavatam taken from the instruction of Narada Muni to Vasudeva, father of Krishna. In this quotation from the nine sages who were instructing Maharaja Nemi it is stated that forgetfulness of the relationship with Krishna is called maya. Actually, maya means that which is not. It has no existence. Therefore that the living entity has no connection with the Supreme Lord is a false conception. He may not believe in the existence of God, or he may think he has no relationship with God, but these are all so-called "illusions," or maya. Due to his absorption in this false conception of life, man is always fearful and full of anxieties; in other words, such a Godless concept of life is maya—therefore one who is actually learned in the Vedic literatures surrenders unto the Supreme Lord with all devotion and accepts Him as the Supreme Goal. When a living entity becomes forgetful of the constitutional position of his relationship with God, then he is at once overwhelmed by the external energy, and this is the cause of his false ego or identifying his body as self. His whole conception of the material universe is due to his false conception of Body. He therefore becomes attached to this body and the by-products of this body. To get out of this entanglement he has simply to perform his duty—to surrender unto the Supreme Lord with intelligence, with devotion, and with sincere Krishna consciousness.
A conditioned soul falsely thinks himself happy in the material world, but if he is favored by an unalloyed devotee—by hearing instruction from an unalloyed devotee—he gives up the desire for material enjoyment and becomes enlightened in Krishna Consciousness. As soon as one enters into Krishna Consciousness, his desire for material enjoyment at once is vanquished, and gradually he becomes free from material entanglement. For example, because there is no question of darkness where there is light, Krishna consciousness is like the light that dispels the darkness of material sense enjoyment. One who is engaged in Krishna Consciousness generally has no desire for material enjoyment. A Krishna Conscious person is never under the false conception that he is One with God. He does not think that he would be happy by working for himself. He engages all his energy in the service of the Supreme Lord, and thereby becomes released from the clutches of illusory energy, or material energy. In this connection the Lord quotes a verse in the Bhagavad Gita, 7th chapter, to the effect that the material energy containing the three modes of material nature, is very strong. It is very difficult to get out of the process of material energy, but one who surrenders unto Krishna easily comes out from the clutches of Maya.
The Lord continued to teach that the conditioned soul, for each and every moment in which he is engaged in some fruitive activity, is forgetting his real identity. Sometimes when he is fatigued, when he is tired of material activities, he wants liberation and wants to become one with the Supreme, but other times he thinks that by working hard for his sense gratification he will be happy. In both cases he is covered by material energy. For the enlightenment of such bewildered conditioned souls who are working in false identification, the Lord has presented before us so many Vedic literatures, like the Vedas, the Puranas, Vedantasutra—all intended to guide the human being back to Godhead. Lord Lord has presented further instructions advising that when a conditioned soul is recognized by the mercy of the spiritual master and when he is guided by the Supersoul, he takes advantage of the various Vedic literatures, becomes enlightened, and makes progess in his spiritual realization. It is understood that Lord Krishna is always merciful to His devotees, therefore He has presented all these Vedic literatures by which one can understand his relationship with Krishna and can act in that relationship with the result that he is benefited with the ultimate goal of life.
Actually every living entity is destined to reach the Supreme Lord, and every one can understand his relationship with the Supreme Lord. The execution of duties to attain perfection is known as devotional service, and in fullness such devotional service becomes love of God, the factual goal of life for every living entity. The living entity is not intended to achieve success in religious perfection or economic development or sense enjoyment. Religiosity, economic development, sense enjoyment, and liberation should not actually be desired by the living entity. The real desire of the living entity should be to achieve the stage of loving transcendental service of the Lord. The All-attractive features of Lord Krishna help one in attaining Krishna Consciousness, and when one is engaged in Krishna Consciousness he can realize the relationship between Krishna and himself. In this connection the Lord quotes one story from the commentary of Mahabharata which occurs in Srimad Bhagavatam, fifth Canto. The story involves the instruction of Sarvajna to a poor man who came to Sarvajna to have his future told. When Sarvajna saw the horoscope of the poor man he was at once astonished that the man was so poor, and he said to the poor man, "Oh, why are you so unhappy? I see from your horoscope that you have some hidden treasure left to you by your father. The horoscope, however, states that your father could not disclose his hidden treasure to you because he died in a foreign place. But now you can search out the hidden treasure left by your father and be happy." This story is cited because the living entity is suffering due to his ignorance of the hidden treasure of the father. The hidden treasure of the Father, Krishna, is love of Godhead. In every Vedic literature the conditioned soul is advised to find that hidden treasure which is known as love of God. As stated in the Bhagavad Gita, Vadaisachasarvai aham evavedyam. A conditioned soul, although he is the son of the Wealthiest—the Personality of Godhead—does not realize it. Therefore the Vedic literature is given to him to help him search out his father and his paternal property.
Sarvajna further advised the poor man, "Don't try to dig on the Southern side of your house to find the hidden treasure. If you do so then you'll be attacked by a poisonous wasp and you will be baffled in finding the treasure. The search should be to the eastern side where there is actual light which is called devotional service, or Krishna Consciousness. On the Southern side there is ritualistic performances of the Vedic scripture, and on the Western side there is speculative empiric knowledge, and on the Northern side there is the yoga system or meditational process of self realization. If somebody searches for his ultimate goal by the ritualistic process then he will be baffled. Such a process involves performance of rituals under the guidance of the priest who takes money in exchange of service. A man thinks he'll be happy by such performances, but actually that will not make him happy. Even if he does gain some result therefrom, it is only temporary and his material distresses will continue, so he never becomes happy by such a ritualistic process—the hidden treasure on the Northern side is compared with one's self-realization by dint of the meditational process. By the meditational process, even if one attains perfection-he thinks he is One with the Supreme Lord—this merging into the Supreme by the living entity is something like the great serpent swallowing up the smaller serpent. From practical experience we see sometimes that the big serpent swallows up a smaller serpent, and the merge into the spiritual existence of the Supreme is analogous. The small serpent is, therefore, searching after perfection, and he is understood to be swallowed by the big serpent. Digging on the Western side is compared to the hidden treasure protected by yakasa. He is the evil spirit that protects hidden treasure. The idea is that hidden treasure can never be delivered by one who asks favor of Yakasa for attaining the hidden treasure—the result is that he will simply be killed. The Jnanis or the yogins are analogous to the serpent relationship of the meditational process. The speculative process of self-realization, or yoga perfection of self-realization, is suicidal in this case. Actually one has to dig for the hidden treasure from the Eastern side which is called devotional service in full Krishna Consciousness. That is the perpetual hidden treasure, and when one attains to that achievement, he becomes perpetually rich. One who is poor in devotional service and Krishna Consciousness is always in need of material gain. Sometimes he is suffering the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune," and sometimes he is baffled; sometimes he is following the philosophy of monism and therefore losing his identity, and sometimes he is swallowed up by the big serpent. By giving up all these things and becoming fixed in Krishna Consciousness or devotional service to the Lord, he achieves the perfection of life.
My Subway Song of Love
My Subway Song of Love
A formidable endeavor,
To enter the labyrinthine depths
And pass among the shuffling, shuttling
Subway mob—
Shoving, scuffling, rushing with the hour
In a gray atmosphere which only merchant greed will adorn,
In a foul, burnt-iron, screeching hell.
Here beneath the surface
So little as a smile can signify the conquest of material nature—
But few emerge victorious.
Yet, swaying and jolting in our passage as we span a borough,
Are we not like posies in the wind?
Are we not touched and kissed and tickled
In a passion we ourselves cannot abate?
O, do you hear the whine in the clatter?
Some poor, sun-starved deity is wandering these passages with us,
And he is singing the song of our hearts,
He is the herald of our Spring, the crier of our own true need:
Is Krishna Among You? Is Krishna Among You?
Yes, yes! He is here! But
Everything blurs somehow,
The lights flicker from time to time,
And when they're back the crowds are milling-like shadowy sheep.
There are the boys with their books and bragging
Pretty as their own pretty dreams.
There I see the girls with their giggles and their hairdos and in their
eyes I spy the calm wisdom possessed by veterans of a
thousand mock-tea parties, awaiting their time to come,
not to be seen with basketballs and guns, and not distracted.
The mother's careless hand upon the child's cheek takes my eye
The old man's grumbling, and the embarrassed lady of means
Quite thrill me by their tragic play.
Oh yes, this is a tragic playground.
Fellow passengers, I regard you all fondly,
Wink and smile, don't let me embarrass you……
This is only the prelude to my message.
In a moment I shall rise and go to each and every one,
(Nor will I miss a single car throughout this train)
And in each ear I shall whisper something special that I know, and share it,
for I love you dearly.
I will say:
Don't tell anyone else, but
It's all much sweeter than you feared.
Yes, yes indeed, my dear, my pal,
Just don't believe them no matter what they say.
They have deceived you and told you monstrous lies…
It is not all in the eyes, it is not all in the thighs.
It is all in the heart.
Krishna, Who is all
Is in your heart.
The glory of the Lord shimmers even in this dirt,
This hell is as splendid as the glittering night skies,
And the shadows of the subway do not diminish us,
But have themselves become sublime.
Rayarama Das Brahmacary
(Raymond Marais)
Close your eyes to all this
Roaring illusion
And dance in the white light uncontaminated
By shades of birth and place.
The cymbal sound is clear,
We need no yearning clarion call
Here, breathing the springtime
Winds of His immortal laughter.
Night Shower Sutra
Night Shower Sutra
Bathroom light bulb bulging energy
Blissfully from the ceiling,
White tile walls radiant,
I strip naked, chanting,
chanting, I prepare my billionth bath
maneuvering myself behind rubber-plastic curtains
and into the tub as if
for the first time
and turn on hot and cold water
simultaneously and watch with joy
the ceiling burst into countless
water-drop universes.
“Krishna is water! Hare Hare Hare!"
I chant joyfully, while the light bulb
like Vivasvan, sun-god, pours his energy,
blissful, blissful, blissful kilowatts
all out for Lord Bhagavan in excelsus
while each joyous drop spurts
to mirror Mr. Sun-bulb
showering dear mythical body
with a water orgy,
showering hairs and flesh
with warm water sensation.
Sensation is emptiness,
emptiness sensation
says Lord Buddha-woodha. Ah-cha!
Sensation is not different from Krishna, I add,
nor is Krishna different from sensation,
indeed, Krishna , Krishna is sensation,
Water sensation,
Shower sensation over Hayagriva's feathers,
giving a shower ecstasy
over the millennium,
a bathroom satori,
a washtub samadhi,
free of charge.
Krishna is soap, I think, grabbing the Ivory,
slippery on my belly as I lather
watching with awe
a trillion rainbow'd soapbubbles
run down my pubic tangle
while Niagara
falls down my back.
"Hare Krishna, Hare Rama," I sing,
chanting the white cosmic bathtub
and universal gurgling drain
and soap and wondrous water shower
and washrag and bulging light bulb
and billowing steam clouds and my own
miraculous body,
certain my nightly shower
greater indeed than Rome,
more glorious than Greece,
dwarfing indeed, St. John's
tiny revelation,
as I lather my beard
with decillions of bubbles
while holy waters flow to my voice
sacred, sacred, sacred, sacred, sacred waters
and I thinking,
Next shower I'll have to bring
my fingercymbals.
Hayagriva Das Brahmacary
(Howard Wheeler)
Prana
Prana
I breathe His Name
An for a lasting second He's there
Now gone . . . inhale.
Now He stays for one whole breath
At a time
Now Gone . . . I inhale.
How marvelous this situation, that
He shows Himself in these
Interval distances of my lungs.
This vital air supplied by Him
Is so precious . . .
I chant like a bellows,
Krishna, Krishna, and spiritual
Blazes ignite, scorching my delusions,
Leaving my ancient self pure and vibrant.
I wipe my eyes and wake up
To this eternal spring morning.
Did all that dark, clouded suffering really happen,
Or did I just close my eyes
For a moment?
Achyutananda Das Brahmacary
(Charles Barnett)
Prayer of Self Study
Prayer of Self Study
Of bondage I come,
Yet must free myself and awaken.
Forgive me my inexcusable cravings, my petty wants
For denying the greatness and the Gift which
has been bestowed upon me.
Life in the fullest awakefulness in Thee—
My gift; my opportunity.
Yet I pursue my dreams, and remember not
my every deed; engrossed
are my many false selves
in this sensual play.
Hear me, Krishna, bearer of Lofty contemplations, that
I might transform these scattered games
into my search for Thee-the
Self True in Thee.
I deny not that in my separation
I made myself a glutton by the wealth of
my passions.
Now let Thy grace and divine love strip me naked
unmercifully! I seek no mercy, for I know well
the deadly lies, and am fearful.
Let me view now! Now let me see the sickness
and tormented state of my being………my deceiving lies told!
Let this be my work, my prayer, my meditation.
Open me true to those facts
Which my false selves have long hidden away fearfully.
May I prepare myself for the glimpses of truth in my inner soul,
The shattering pulses agone in the
bubbling waters of creation,
The bursting bumble-bee's hum…..the
piercing ecstatic Bliss.
I be a son lost! You son of spirit
Sent to bear body; this fleshy burden…..
Forsake me not then, Golden Godstar above,
Reawaken me in spirit, that I may
perceive Thine Infinite forms.
There are also millions and millions
upon this tiny earth-bubble-and they the many
have forgotten the life of spirit, and the hurdle to overcome:
this illusion we have long assumed to be the Reality.
O these little ones………….the universe created around them, for them!
Give unto these, Krishna, the gift to realize their
might step out to the threshold of our
Infinite Holy Godstar.
—Devakananda Das Brahmacary
(Ronald Hoyt)
In the valley of the heart
lies the seed of the spirit—
Water thy seed
With rains of love.
Seek the source
which shines within
as the flower faces
the sun
and drinks thereof.
When the wind blows,
sway as gently
as the tree stretches
from side to side,
keeping thy roots
rooted in God.
Open the heart
singing songs of love,
rejoice in the Name of the Lord
as the bird that sings
at the sight of the sky.
—Harsha Devi
(Hope Patrick)
Just See What a Nice Thing it is.
Just See What a Nice Thing it is.
“This birth of you and I
is just a footstep
along the way.
So it is with this child before me,
who is hearing Hare Krishna, Hare Rama.
It will not go in vain—
it will act,
because it is spiritual—
not material—
spiritual.
Just see what a nice thing it is….
he tried to take the cymbals from his mother's hands….
he wanted to play….
he tried to dance….
so he just sat and beat his tow tiny hands together and gurgled,
applauding Krishna in his fashion,
as we chanted Hare Krishna, Hare Rama.
It is such a nice thing,
how it delights the children,
and what to speak of you and me?"
—Brahmananda Das Brahmacary
(Bruce Scharf)
(Rendered from Swami Bhaktivedanta's lecture)
Krishna Consciousness in American Poetry
Krishna Consciousness in American Poetry
By Hayagriva Das Brahmacary
(Howard Wheeler)
Part II: Thoreau and Dickinson
Thoreau made Emerson's injunction of "plain living and high thinking" famous when he set out to live outside Boston on an isolated tract of Emerson's land surrounding Walden Pond. Since then, Walden has come to symbolize American asceticism. During most of Thoreau's mature years, he and Emerson were good friends, and Thoreau even lived in the Emerson home, relieving the Concord sage of many practical duties. Thoreau believed in Emerson's transcendental philosophy, and his passionate temperament carried this philosophy to the limit of rebellion against society and initiated his retreat into the woods at Walden. It was also due to Thoreau temper and arrogance that his friendship with Emerson ran into some rough weather, nonetheless the tow men generally weathered these storms. Thoreau was an ardent admirer of Indian literature, and when Whitman's Leaves of Grass was first issued in 1855, Thoreau went to Whitman with Emerson's compliments, and observing that "Song of Myself" was "remarkably like the Hindus," asked the poet whether he was acquainted with such writings. "No," Whitman said. "Tell me about them." Thoreau supplied Whitman with a list of books for reading, and included the Bhagavad Gita. In Walden, Thoreau writes in this way about the Gita:
Thus…..the sweltering inhabitants of Madras and Bombay and Calcutta drink at my well. In the morning In bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita, since whose comparison years of the gods have elapsed, and in comparison with which our modern world and literature seem puny and trivial; and I doubt if that philosophy is not to be referred to a previous state of existence, so remote is its sublimity from our conceptions. I lay down the book and go to my well for water, and lo! there I meet the servant of the Brahmin, priest of Brahma and Vishnu and Indra, who still sits in his temple on the Ganges reading the Vedas, or dwells at the foot of a tree with his crust and water jug. I meet his servant, and our buckets as it were grate together in the same well. The pure Walden water is mingled with the sacred water of the Ganges. (From Walden)
In Walden, Thoreau even wrote at greater length about the Gita, and it is clear that the words of Krishna figured prominently in the transcendentalist movement. The transcendentalist ideal was to attain union with God through "plain, healthy living," avoidance of the frills of society and all forms of artificial intoxication, avoidance of dogmatic "Church religions," and abandonment to the direct revelation of the Supreme—Who usually spoke through His Nature, or Prakriti, revealing His Supreme Purusha, or what Emerson called, "the Over-Soul." "The overpowering reality," Emerson says, "is that unity, that oversoul within which every man's particular being is contained and made one with all other…Within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related; the Eternal One." For the transcendentalists, direct contact with Nature was as good as direct contact with the Divine, for it served as a springboard to ultimate realization of Him. Nature was a wise, familiar and loving guru.
Just six years before Emerson's Nature was published in 1836, the greatest peotress in literary history was born in Amherst, Massachusetts. Though she had little contact with the New England transcendentalists, Emily Dickinson wrote poems of transcendental love that reveal her qualifications as a New England gopi. For example:
(1)
Wild nights! Wild nights!
Were I with thee,
Wild nights should be
Our luxury!
(2)
Futile the winds
To a heart in port—
Done with the compass
Done with the chart.
(3)
Rowing in Eden!
Ah! The sea
Might I but moor
Tonight in thee!
It is love that figures prominently in Dickinson's poetry, love for the creation—evinced in her Nature poems—and love for the Creator—expressed in her poems of the soul, death, time, eternity and Christ. She writes:
Love is anterior to life,
Posterior to death,
Initial of creation,
The exponent of breath.
Her poems are intimate, intensely personal, and as one reads them one feels oneself to be actually transgressing, breaking into an elder sister's packet of love poems. Emily Dickinson became a recluse early in her life and seldom left her father's house in Amherst. She never intended that her poems be published, but after her death in 1886 her poems were salvaged and published in a series of three volumes. She never married, and though she was reportedly once interested in Rev. Wadsworth, her interests seem wholly absorbed in transcendental matters. Capable of expressing her most subtle thoughts in verse, she is never at a loss for the perfect metaphor. Compared to Whitman, her style seems tinsel and delicate, but her poems—for all their delicate appearances—carry the weight and deliver the wallop of poetic genius. Poetically, she is far superior to Emerson, Thoreau and the other New England transcendentalists. One pictures her standing with fearless love and faith before the Infinite, actually handling God, Nature, eternity and death with a feminine finesse. This is enabled by her capacity to surrender.
My rivers run to Thee:
Blue sea, wilt welcome me?
My river waits reply.
Oh sea, look graciously!
I'll fetch thee brooks
From spotted nooks,—
Say, sea,
Take me!
Her love poetry is unmistakably directed to the Divine:
I envy seas whereon he rides,
I envy spokes of wheels
Of chariots that him convey,
I envy speechless hills
That gaze upon his journey….
At times she actually seems to chastise God when He appears to be far from her, leaving her to stand alone before death. For example:
1) I know That he exists
Somewhere in silence.
He has hid his rare life
From our gross eyes.
2) Tis an instant's play,
'Tis a fond ambush,
Just to make bliss
Earn her own surprise!
3) But should the play
Prove piercing earnest,
Should the glee glaze
In death's stiff stare,
4) Would not the fun
Look too expensive?
Would not the jest
Have crawled too far?
Certain poems reveal her experiencing doubt and also wondering about her own sanity, but she always emerges from these bouts victorious, with a firm faith in the Divine and the immortality of the soul.
I never saw a moor,
I never saw the sea;
Yet know I how the heather looks,
And what a wave must be.
I never spoke with God,
Nor visited in heaven;
Yet certain am I of the spot
As if the chart were given.
That she "never spoke with God" is doubtless claimed for the poem's sake, the atheist class that turns from God, and considers this class of men to be pitifully drowning in their own ocean of disbelief.
The maker's cordial visage,
However good to see,
Is shunned, we must admit it,
Like an adversity.
For her, as for Whitman, the "kelson of the creation is love."
Who has not found the heaven below
Will fail of it above.
God's residence is next to mine,
His furniture is love.
As with Emerson and Thoreau, her transcendental exhibition is often stimulated by direct contact with Nature, and she gets drunk with air and water.
I taste a liquor never brewed,
From tankards scooped in pearl;
Not all the vats upon the Rhine,
Yield such an alcohol!
Inebriate of air am I,
And debauchee of dew……
She writes poems celebrating the intimate details of Nature; the bee, the bat, the hummingbird, the robin, the butterfly, the flowers, the snake, the plants, grass, spiders, the rat, squirrel, jaybird, the rainbow and the wind—all are equally wonderful to her. Some of her Nature poetry is even cosmic, as the beautiful poem beginning "The moon was but a chin of gold…."
Yet Nature is held in perspective. Throughout her poetry, death is her constant companion, and she often considers her sojourn on this earth as a sojourn in exile. Her real life and true lover are in eternity.
Not in this world to see his face
Sounds long, until I read the place
Where this is said to be
But just the primer to a life
Unopened, rare, upon the shelf,
Clasped yet to him and me.
She pictures herself as sailing on a "wondrous sea" toward the eternal shore where there are no storms and all ships at rest. While she is at sea, she prays, "Grant me, O Lord, a sunny mind,/ They windy will to bear." For her, eternity is revealed in the exquisite solitude of the Soul.
The Soul's superior instances
Occur to Her alone,
When friend and earth's occasion
Have infinite withdrawn….
Eternity's disclosure
To favorites, a few,
Of the Colossal substance
Of immortality.
Death is the coachman of the carriage that carries her into eternity, and therefore is honored and glorified.
Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held by just ourselves
And Immortality.
This carriage rides her past all the phenomena of the physical, material universe, off into a superior, timeless realm.
Since then 'tis centuries; but each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.
In another poem, she likens death to the Spirit's discarding an old over-coat.
Death is a dialogue between
The Spirit and the dust.
"Dissolve," says Death. The Spirit, "Sir,
I have another trust."
Death doubts it, argues from the ground.
The Spirit turns away,
Just laying off, for evidence,
An overcoat of clay.
To what degree she saw Christ as her Savior from the clutches of death is not certain. However, a number of poems indicate that she accepted Christ as her Savior, and one poem actually implores His help.
At least to pray is left, is left.
O Jesus! In the air
I know not which thy chamber is,—
I'm knocking everywhere.
Thou stirrest earthquake in the South,
And maelstrom in the sea;
Say, Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
Hast thou no arm for me?
That Emily Dickinson is an excellent candidate for "gopi-hood" is undebatable. She seems to have had fewer personal problems than Thoreau and Emerson whose experiences in cosmic consciousness appear at times to have shaken their stolid New England personalities. She is definitely unattached to her earth life, considering the life to come as the great promise. She lets the Lord know she is "ready to go" on that carriage ride into Eternity in this way:
1) Tie the strings to my life, my Lord,
Then I am ready to go!
Just a look at the horses—
Rapid! That will do!
2) Put me in on the firmest side,
So I shall never fall;
For we must ride to the Judgment,
And it's partly down hill.
3) But never I mind the bridges,
And never I mind the sea;
Held fast in everlasting race
By my own choice and thee.
4) Good-bye to the life I used to live,
And the world I used to know;
And kiss the hills for me, just once;
Now I am ready to go!
Emerson, Thoreau and Dickinson represent the major forces in the transcendental movement in America in the last century. Rebellion had indeed begun against the encroaching materialism that was triumphing in the cities and spreading through the veins of the young nation. Emerson warned young men against going to Boston and New York. Stay with your Maker in the open air, me enjoined. Thoreau retreated to the woods of Walden, and Emily Dickinson hardly ventured outside her house. But there was one courageous Olympian capable of shouting the good news of God and the universe for all men around the earth to hear, for men in cities as well as in the fields and forests—Whitman, who could absorb both good and evil in his Leaves, and who was capable of translating what was previously considered untranslatable. The great song of cosmic consciousness in America was left for him to sing. And he was to be the mendicant-bard of the American roadside.
(Next Issue: Krishna Consciousness In American Poetry, Part III: Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself")
Back to Godhead Magazine #12, April 21, 1967
By the Mercy of Krishna
By the Mercy of Krishna
No, you didn't miss the April First issue of Back to Godhead. We did. There's a long story involved, but suffice it to say that we're very sorry to have done so. We'll certainly print that edition, and put it into circulation, as soon as possible. It contains Part II of Hayagriva Das's "Krishna Consciousness in American Poetry," dealing with Henry David Thoreau and Emily Dickinson, and so we know it will be especially valued by our readers.
The pictures in this issue are of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the founder of the Sankirtan movement, in the ecstasy of chanting the lord's Names. They are the work of our prolific art directress, Jadurani Devi Dasi (Judy Koslofsky). Incidentally, we are very happy to announce the arrival of two new devotees, from our San Francisco temple, who have joined the art department. They are Gaurasundara Das Adhikary and his wife, Govinda Devi Dasi (Gary and Bonnie McElroy.)
Since the Swami's return to New York on April 9, we've had two initiation ceremonies on Second Avenue, adding five devotees to our ranks. They are Damodara Das Adhikary (Dan Clark), Maha-Purusa Das Brahmacary (Mark Babbitt), Dwarkadish Das (Donald Dogherty), Madhusudana Das (Michael Blumert), Purusottam Das (Paul Auerback), and, from the Montreal center, Pradyumna Das (Paul Sherbow.)
The Swami's arrival at Kennedy Airport, by the way, was a grand event. More than two hundred well-wishers were on hand, and we had kirtan for more than two hours. To all who were present, we offer our thanks for your inspiring enthusiasm.
Now that Summer is at hand, the New York temple will resume its Sunday afternoon Kirtan program at Tompkins Square Park on Seventh Street and Avenue A, from 3 to 6 P.M. We also plan to have a giant love feast late in the same month, with poet Allen Ginsberg in attendance. More on this as things develop.
On July 9, both the San Francisco and the New York centers will hold the great Chariot Festival, which includes a parade to the edge of the sea, the distribution of a vast quantity of blessed food along the way, plenty of chanting, and the introduction, in that dramatic fashion, of the worshipable Lord Jagannatha Swami—of Whom we'll have much to say in future issues.
Incidentally, Swami Bhaktivedanta will be at Lewison Lounge in City College, to hold kirtan and deliver a brief lecture at noon on May 4. If you are free, why not come and join us?
Next issue, our magazine will have a new cover, mathead, and the first of a series of somewhat different layouts. But the price, the name, and our earnest endeavors will be unchanged.
Until then, Hare Krishna.
The editors.
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
(Questions asked by congregation and devotees and answered by Swami A.C Bhaktivedanta, New York, Sept-Dec.1966)
Q: What is the relationship between Christ and Krishna?
A: Don't you know? What does it say in the Bible? Christ is the Son of God.
Q: He is also God.
A: Yes, the Father and the Son are One. The Son serves the Father and They are qualitatively One.
Q: Then they are the same?
A: Where do you get "the same?" The Father is the Father and the Son is the Son. If you are the son, then you and your father are one. But if you say, "I am not only the Son but the Father also," then you are speaking nonsense. How can you be the son and the father?
Q: No, but according to the Catholic position they are One. It's inexplicable.
A: If it's inexplicable then why did you ask? But there is an explanation, and I'm giving it to you. Christ is the Son of God and He is One in the Father. But he is the Son and continues to be the Son, and the Father continues to be the Father. You can't say the Son and Father are equal.
Q: You say Arjuna was a soldier and he didn't want to fight, but Krishna was there and He told him to fight. Arjuna had Krishna to tell him to fight, but who can we listen to today?
A: Arjuna belonged to one of the four social castes into which civilization was divided: Brahmin, Ksatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra. The Ksatriyas class is meant to fight. In fact, the word means "to hurt." They are there to protect the weak from being hurt. If I go out onto the street and someone attacks me and you do not come to my aid, then you are not in the Ksatriya spirit. There is always weak and there is always strong and there is always fighting. The Ksatriya class is meant to fight. Krishna asked Arjuna to fight against those who had been harassing the weaker Pandavas, and Arjuna's objection was on family grounds. In the two World Wars, Germany attacked the weaker countries and you went over to help the weaker countries fight. That was Ksatriya spirit. There will always be fighting and Ksatriyas.
Q: But who do we have for authorities today?
A: By what authority is a man hanged? You have the law books. You have the authority of the Scripture. But the real point is to become engaged in Krishna Consciousness; then He will dictate from within you what is Absolute beyond question. Also, there is in the Srimad Bhagavatam a list of offenses for which it is no sin to kill. If a man tries to set fire to your house—kill him! Don't stand by and say, "Oh, I'm a non-violent man," while he burns down your house. That is nonsense. If a man comes to kidnap your wife—kill him. There are similar injunctions. You should fight in these cases. Why not?
Q: What is the difference between karma yoga and bhakti yoga?
A: Karma yoga is for those who are too much addicted to their activities. With karma, you do something, there is a result and you enjoy or suffer. Those who are too much addicted to their activities are advised to link these activities with the Supreme. Then that is yoga. Karma yoga is a transition stage; bhakti yoga is direct and is for those who are not addicted to karma but who are engaged directly in the service of the Lord. Sometimes ordinary karma and bhakti appear the same. We (in bhakti) have nothing to hate in the material world. Everything has its Source in God. For the bhakti, there is no materialism. The materialist is one who doesn't realize the Source. For the advanced devotee there is nothing material.
Q: Is Lord Jesus Christ mentioned as an avatar in Vedic literatures?
A: Yes. There it is mentioned that there are innumerable avatars who can be identified by their symptoms. Jesus Christ displayed these symptoms. He spoke of the Absolute Truth. He didn't bother with temporary things.
Q: Can a man believe Krishna is dead?
A: Yes. Why do you say "a man?" Many men believe that way.
Q: Can they say it and actually believe it?
A: Yes, if they have no knowledge of God science. If they do not see the signs. But one in Krishna Consciousness knows, "Yes, He is here."
Q: Nietzche can say, "God is dead" but yet "Krishna lives." Is this because Krishna is consciousness?
A: God isn't dead. God and Krishna are the same.
Q: But some men call God wrong things.
A: Neither God is dead nor Krishna is dead. They are the same thing.
Q: A person can say God is dead, but can he act that way in fact?
A: There is no question of disbelief. I'll give you a crude example. Everyone is under Government's laws, do you agree?
Q: Yes.
A: Someone may say, "I don't care for law," or someone may say, "God is dead," but the law and God will nonetheless act upon him. If someone says, "I don't care for law," he will be placed in prison and forced to obey laws. Those who refuse to believe God are put into the material world to suffer reactions of sins under the laws of Nature. Those who obey Him live peacefully and are eligible to be transferred to the spiritual kingdom of bliss, eternity and Knowledge. A person can accept or not accept—it doesn't matter. Either in the spiritual or material energy, God will act upon him. A man trying to enjoy the material world is treated to the "drowning man" punishment by Nature. By this process a man is plunged into the river until he is almost drowned, then he is pulled out by the hair. His gasping for breaths of fresh air is his enjoyment….then at once he is again plunged into the water, and so on and on in an endless cycle.
Q: You mentioned the two different worlds. What relationship the two different worlds?
A: Let's take a circle to represent the entirety of the two worlds. I say a "circle," but it is limitless. The circle is the Brahmajyoti effulgence. Within this great circle, down in one section, is a little circle. This little circle represents the material world. The remainder of the large circle is filled with spiritual planets of which the topmost is Krishnaloka. Dwelling in bliss in the numberless Vaikuntha planets are the devotees of adoration. Those of pure love who forget that Krishna is greater than them get transferred to Krishnaloka. In Vaikunthaloka they wear diamond necklaces and worship the Lord as Narayana in full opulence and adoration. In Krishnaloka, Goloka Vrindavan, they wear simple cowerd dress. There they do not know who is Krishna and who is an ordinary boy. Although all function in equal freedom from contamination in these spiritual planets, there is differentiation.
Q: If the reflection of the Original is valueless, isn't revelation valueless since it is maya?
A: Yes….if it doesn't lead one back to the Original. People are engaged in the reflection and they don't return to the Source, and that is due to ignorance. We are in the reflection and are being baffled, but we don't question why we are being baffled. There is a song, "I thought I was building my cottage safely, but it was burnt to ashes." Anything we do here is patchwork. How long can you have happiness? It will soon vanish. This sense of the transitory nature of material existence should come to one. One's life is a failure unless he develops spiritual knowledge. Fight with maya and go to do real tree—that should be the aim of knowledge.
Q: You say the reflection itself has no value—but its value is in the spiritual world?
A: Yes. Because it is reflection, you can't touch it or use its fruit. Similarly, the material world is a reflection of spiritual happiness. But when we go to enjoy the material world, we are frustrated. We are struggling in the reflection with no knowledge of the spiritual world. People are also falsely thinking that this reflection is all. Their lives are failures because they have no spiritual knowledge of the true source. The aim of knowledge is the Source.
Q: Is the attainment of love of Krishna without knowing Him possible?
A: Yes. In the Bhagavad Gita, it is stated that if you love, He will dictate within you. One who is so engaged in love of Krishna, Krishna shows him special favor. He becomes compassionate and dissipates and destroys the darkness due to ignorance. Because Krishna is situated in everyone's heart, He dictates information. He who loves Krishna does not remain in ignorance and engage himself in nonsense. He becomes perfect in knowledge.
Q: Can you reach love through understanding?
A: If you love, understanding will come. Both ways. Some of us here understand nicely—no one understands perfectly—but even a person who does not understand Krishna due to strong material attachments—is given intelligence in order to understand Him.
Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
By Swami A.C Bhaktivedanta
Part III
Actually all the Vedic literature directs the human being toward the perfect stage of devotion. The path of fruitive activities, speculation, knowledge and meditation do not actually lead one to the perfectional stage, but the Lord actually becomes approachable by the process of devotional service; therefore one is recommended throughout all the Vedic literature to accept the process of devotional service. Lord Chaitanya quotes in this connection a verse from the Srimad Bhagavatam, 11th Canto, 14th Chapter, in which the Lord says, "My dear Uddhava, neither philosophical speculation no yoga achievements, nor penances can give Him such pleasure as can devotional service practiced by the living entities. He can be achieved alone by devotional service, and He is dear only to the devotees. If a person born in the lower or lowest family of humanity is a devotee, then he becomes freed from all contamination. Devotional service is the only path to achieve the Supreme Personality of God."
This is also the only perfection accepted in all Vedic literature. As a poor man, upon receiving some treasure, becomes at once happy, similarly when one attains devotional service, automatically the pains of material existence are vanquished. As one advances in devotional service, one attains love of Godhead, and as he advances in the love for the Supreme he becomes free from all material bondage. Disappearance of poverty and liberation from bondage are not, however, the end results of love of Krishna. Actually, the love of Krishna or love of God exists in relishing the reciprocation of loving service. In all Vedic literature one will find that attainment of this loving relationship of the Supreme Lord by the living entities is the function of devotional service. Our actual functin is devotional service, and our ultimate goal of achievement is love of Godhead. Therefore in all Vedic literature Krishna is the ultimate center. By knowledge of Krishna, all problems of life are solved.
The Lord said that according to Padma Purana, there are different Puranas for worshipping different types of demigods, but such indications for worship only bewilder persons into thinking that the demigods are Supreme. And yet if the Puranas are scrutinized and studied it will be found that Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the only object of worship. For example, in the Markandeya Purana, there is mention of Devi worship, worship of the goddess Durga or Kali. But in that same Chandika it is also stated that all these demigds—whether in the shape of Durga or Kali—are different energies of Vishnu. Therefore, even the study of the Puranas will reveal Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to be the only object of worship. The conclusion is that directly or indirectly all types of worship are more or less indicating a worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. In the Bhagavad Gita it is confirmed that anyone who worships other demigods is in fact only worshipping Krishna because the demigods are different parts of the body of Vishnu or Krishna. That such worship of demigods is really irregular is clearly stated in the Bhagavad Gita: Abidhipurvakam. Srimad Bhagavatam confirms this also by the question: What is the object of worshipping different types of demigods?
In Vedic literature there are three divisions of ritualistic activities; one is called karma-kanda, or purely ritualistic activities; another is called upasana, or speculating on the Supreme Absolute Truth. What then is the purpose of the ritualistic sections of Vedic literature, and what is the purpose of different mantras or hymns indicating the worship of different types of demigods? And what is the purpose of philosophical speculation on the subject of the Absolute Truth? The Srimad Bhagavatam replies that all these different methods defined in Vedic literatures indicate the worship of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu. They are all indirect ways of worshipping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sacrifices contained in the ritualistic portion of the literatures are to satisfy the Supreme Lord Vishnu because yajna is specifically meant to satisfy Vishnu. Vishnu's Name is also Yogesvara, or Lord of the Yogis. The neophytes are not all on the transcendental level; therefore according to their situations in the different modes of material nature they are recommended to worship different types of demigods so that gradually they may rise to the transcendental plane and be engaged in devotional service of Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For example, it may be said that some of the neophytes are attached to flesh eating, and for them, the Puranas prescribe that they can eat flesh after offering it to the deity Kali.
The philosophical sections of the Vedic hymns are meant to enable one to distinguish the Supreme Personality of Godhead from Maya. After indicating the position of Maya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is approached in pure devotional service. That is the purpose of philosophical speculation. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad Gita in the 7th Chapter, Bahunam janmanam ante… "The philosophical speculators and empiric philosophers, after speculating for many, many births, ultimately come unto the Supreme Lord Krishna, and accept that Vasudeva is everything." Therefore all Vedic rituals and different types of worship or philosophical speculation are all ultimately aiming at Krishna.
The Lord then told Sanatana Goswami about Krishna's multiforms and His unlimited opulence; he also described the nature of the spiritual manifestation, the material manifestation, and the manifestation of the living entity. He also informed Sanatana Goswami that the planets in the Spiritual Sky, known as Vaikunthas, and the universes of the material manifestation are to be known as different types of universes, for they are creative manifestations of the two different types of energies, namely the material energy and the spiritual energy. Therefore as Krishna Himself is concerned, He is directly situated in His spiritual energy, or specifically in His internal potency. To help us understand the difference between the manifestation of the spiritual energy and the material energy, there is a clear analysis in the Second Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam of the two manifestations. Also, Sukadeva Goswami, by commenting of verse one of the Tenth Canto, makes a clear analytical study as follows. Lord Chaitanya accepts Sukadeva Goswami as an authorized commentator on the Srimad Bhagavatam. Therefore He quotes his writing in this connection, and He explains that in the Tenth Canto of the Bhagavatam the life and activities of Krishna are described because Krishna is the shelter of all other manifestations. Therefore Sukadeva Goswami worshipped and offered his obeisance unto Krishna, the Shelter of everything.
This purport maintains that in this world there are two different principles; the one principle is the origin, or the shelter of everything, and the other principle is the deduction from the original principle. The principle on which everything rests, as it is confirmed in the Srimad Bhagavatam, begins Janmadyasya, and in the Vedanta Sutra the same aphorism appears, janmadyasya—the Supreme Truth is the shelter of all manifestations. That Supreme Truth is called Asraya. All other principles which remain under the control of the Asraya-tattva, or the Absolute Truth, are called Asrita, or subordinate corollaries and reactions. The purpose of the material manifestation is to give the conditioned soul a chance to become liberated and return to the Asraya-tattva, or the Absolute Truth. So everything that is created in the cosmic creation is dependent on the Asrita-tattva, or the Supreme Absolute Truth. As such, in the creative manifestation or the Vishnu manifestation, and in different types of demigods and manifestations of energy, the living entities, the material elements—everything, is dependent on Krishna, the Supreme Truth. In the Srimad Bhagavatam everything, directly and indirectly, is indicated to have Krishna as the Supreme Shelter. Therefore the analytical study of Krishna is the perfect knowledge, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad Gita.
Lord Chaitanya described the different features of Lord Krishna in the following manner, and asked Sanatana Goswami to hear attentively: He said that Krishna originally is the Son of Nanda Maharaja and He is the Absolute Supreme Truth. He is the cause of all causes, Lord and He is the origin of all emanations and all incarnations, but there in the Vraja or Goloka Vrindavan He is just like a young boy. His form is eternal, full of bliss and full of knowledge Absolute. He is the shelter of everything, and He is the Proprietor or Master of everything. In this connection Lord Chaitanya gives evidence from Brahma Samhita, fifth chapter, first verse, which states that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His Body is full of knowledge, eternal and blissful. He is the original Person known as Govinda and He is the Cause of all causes. Therefore, Krishna is the Original Personality of Godhead; He is full of all six opulences and His abode is known as Goloka Vrindavan, the highest planetary system in the Spiritual Sky. Lord Chaitanya also quotes a verse from the Srimad Bhagavatam, the First Canto, third chapter, in which it is stated clearly that all the incarnations described in that particular verse are either direct expansions of Krishna or are indirectly expansions of the expansions of Krishna. But the Krishna Name mentioned there is the Original Personality of Godhead, and He appears on this earth, in this universe or in any other universe when there is a disturbance created by the demons, who are always trying to disrupt the administration by the demigods.
To understand Krishna, there are different processes: the process of empiric philosophical speculation, the process of meditation in the mystic yoga system, and the process of Krishna Consciousness, or devotional service. Accordingly, in these different process, 1) by empiric philosophical speculation, the feature of impersonal Brahma or Krishna is understood; 2)by the process of meditation of yogi mysticism, the feature of the Supersoul all-pervading expansion of Krishna is understood; and 3) by devotional service in full Krishna Consciousness, the Original Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is realized. In this connection Lord Chaitanya quotes first from the Srimad Bhagavatam, First Canto, 2nd chapter, which states that those who are knowers of the Absolute Truth describe the Absolute Truth in three features: some describe the Absolute as impersonal brahma, and some describe the Absolute Truth as the localized all-pervading Supersoul, and some know that the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. In other words, Brahma, the impersonal manifestation, and Paramatma, the localized manifestation, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are One and the same, but according to the different processes adopted He is realized in different features known as Brahma, Paramatma and Bhagavan. Impersonal Brahma realization is simple realization of the effulgence emanating from the transcendental body of Krishna. We compare this effulgence of the transcendental body of Krishna to the sunshine—just as the sun disc is there, the sun planet is there, and the sun god is there, and the sunshine is the shining effulgence of that original sun god, similarly, brahmajyoti, the spiritual effulgence or impersonal Brahma, is nothing but the personal effulgence of Krishna.
To support this version Lord Chaitanya quotes one important verse from Brahma-Samhita where Lord Brahma says, "I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, by Whose Personal effulgence there is the unlimited manifestation of the Brahmajyoti, and in that Brahmajyoti (the impersonal manifestation of Krishna's Bodily effulgence) there are innumerable universes, each full of innumerable planets." Lord Chaitanya further describes that the Paramatma all-pervading feature situated in everyone's body is but a partial manifestation or expansion of Krishna, but because Krishna is the Soul of the soul, there He is called Paramatma, or the origin of Paramatma. In this connection Lord Chaitanya quotes one verse from Srimad Bhagavatam concerning the talks of Maharaja Pariksit, while hearing about the transcendental Pastimes of Krishna in Vrindavan, inquired from his spiritual master Sukadeva Goswami as to why the inhabitants of Vrindavan were so much attached to Krishna. To this question Sukadeva Goswami answered that Krishna should be known as the Soul of all souls; he is the Soul of all individual souls and He is also the soul of the localized Paramatma. He was present in Vrindavan for the benefit of all human beings and therefore He was acting just like a human being to attract persons to Him and to show that He is not formless. He is also as good as other human beings, but He is the Supreme and other living beings are all subordinate to Him. All living beings therefore can enjoy spiritual bliss, eternal life and full knowledge in His association. Lord Chaitanya quotes also a verse from Bhagavad Gita in which the Supreme Lord speaks to Arjuna about His different kinds of opulences, saying that He Himself enters into this universe by one of His plenary portions, just like Garbohodaksayee Vishnu, and He also enters in each universe as the Ksirodaksayee Vishnu and then expands Himself as Supersoul in everyone's heart. Therefore, He says, if anyone wants to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth in perfection, he must take to the process of devotional service in full Krishna Consciousness. Then it will be possible for him to understand the last word of the Absolute Truth.
(PART IV OF LORD CHAITANYA'S TEACHING WILL APPEAR IN NEXT ISSUE)
Poems
Poems
This mandarin child waits for hidden dragon
Sleeping sound in hollow mountain pine.
Wanting yet in breath of bowing lower,
Reverence serves to further keeping still.
At dawn the dragon yawning breath like thunder
Vibrates waves of gentle wind and fire,
Spinning dusty clouds are burst in shower
Arousing subtle bloom of mandarin child.
Sweetly Krishna rains on fond surrender
Swelling empty lake with endless water,
Joyous singing spirit mounts the dragon
Bowing ever still this mandarin child.
—Haladhar Devi Dasi
(Holly Lefkowitz)
On Being Crazy
On Being Crazy
That's right, look at me,
all of you,
peeking over your Housewife Stabbed In Queens,
and your stock market scores,
and your baseball scores,
and your Viet Nam scores;
Just keep looking at me,
as I sit across from you,
fingering these ripe, red beads,
chanting
Hare Krishna.
Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you.
Don't snicker, please.
Consider me—
I love.
Is it so very strange for a lover
to sing his Beloved's Name?—
especially when by singing
flowers sprout out of his eyes
and planets fall out of his mouth?
I hope I am disturbing you
with these round, golden chimes
that I ring
to the sound
of His Names.
Madam, you have now stopped fretting about your declining body. And, my dear girl, you have stopped wondering if he's going to ask you.
Young man, you have stopped worrying about no knowing who you are.
And you, sir, have now stopped escaping into last nights' vapid sexual promise.
Now you are all hearing
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
a lullaby
bringing warm tides of peace.
I am singing for us all
Glories to Govinda
on our way to work.
How beautiful amid the subway roar vibrate the Names of God!
HARE KRISHNA HARE RAMA.
The living of your spiritual life has begun now
with this instant of listening,
thousands of births rendered unnecessary, cancelled
with this rebirth.
Understand God
LIVES
in the Transcendental,
and singing His Name
uncovers the transcendental spark of Him
that is each of us,
and we are purified to see Him
everywhere,
and to learn
how to love Him.
So, sing with me.
Sing the names of the Lord.
Sing.
what better way to praise Him?
Oh no, don't fall back into your everydaythesame newspapers,
Please, look at me—HARE KRISHNA
listen—HARE RAMA
watch me, I'm dancing
out the door,
singing HARE KRISHNA HARE RAMA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
down the platform,
dancing my way to work….
You're right, I'm crazy,
blissfully,
from love
of Krishna
and the joy of chanting His Names.
Here I am rattling Krishna's spinal cord in this cloth bag,
and they think I'm crazy!
—Brahmananda Das Brahmacary
(Bruce Scharf)
Krishna Consciousness in American Poetry
Krishna Consciousness in American Poetry
By Hayagriva Das Brahmacary
(Howard Wheeler)
Part III: Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself."
O joyous seer!
Recorders ages hence, yes, they shall hear
In their own veins uncancelled thy sure tread
And read thee by the aureole 'rond thy head
Of pasture-shine, Panis Angelicus!
(Hart Crane's homage to Whitman, in The Bridge)
Aside from Shakespeare, more books have been written about Walt Whitman than any other American or British writer. The interest generated by Whitman testifies to his universal appeal and to the complexity of his thought, poetry, and personality. In high schools in American today many of his poems are required reading and hardly a college student of American literature has not read his "Song of Myself." There are many varying interpretations of him, naturally, but undoubtedly he emerges most strongly as a mystical, intensely spiritual man, for his poetry and life reveal him as such. Living in 19th century America (1819-92), he was influenced by the transcendentalists (especially Emerson), witnessed the Civil War as a stretcher-bearer in the Washington hospitals, and lived to see and abhor the encroaching materialism that he feared was undermining the young nation's spirituality. But in addition, as a poet, seer and sage, he experienced much more—for he was a mahatma in the true sense, and was even adept at cosmic travel. He know well that the "great Camerado" is there, and his "Song of Myself" is something of an American Song of the Lord, though it is not accepted as authorized Scripture.
Whether or not Whitman possessed certain unusual spiritual powers is beside the point. His sense of cosmic consciousness seems as highly developed as Christ's and Buddha's—at least his Leaves of Grass testify as strongly in his case as the Evangelists and the Sutras do for Christ and Buddha. Actually, all men are eternal, but the point is they don't know it. as Whitman writes: "I am the mate and companion of people, all just as immortal and fathomless as myself, (They do not know how immortal, but I know.)" (SofM,7) "Song of Myself" reveals Whitman to be fully aware of both his divinity and immortality, and indicates that he was at a highly advanced state of God consciousness. This state seems to have been precipitated by a revelation (or illumination) that occurred at the age of about 36, when the Supreme Lord touched him one June morning in the woods, and was sustained throughout his life to greater and lesser degrees. This initial illumination gave birth to America's greatest poetic outburst—"Song of Myself," a hymn of joy celebrating the Creator, the creation, and the immortality of the soul. Other poems in Leaves of Grass shed additional light on his philosophy and science of God, but only his first major poem, the "Song of Myself" of 1855, is considered here. It is this poem that provoked Emerson's unconditional praise ("I greet you at the beginning of a great career") and brought Thoreau to Whitman's Brooklyn printshop with lists of Hindu writings.
In the poem's opening lines. Whitman strikes the theme of the unity of the creation, the "song of me rising from bed and meeting the sun," proclaiming the creation to be non-different from the Creator.
I celebrate myself, and sing myself
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. (section 1)
The "Self" speaking here is Bhagavan, using the poet as a mouthpiece, Paramatma speaking through jivatman. This cosmic "I" is non-different from His creation, for He permeates every atom, and every atom belongs to Him—yet He is also beyond this creation which He spins as a spider spins its web. "and these tend inward to me, and I tend outward to them…And of these one and all I weave the song of Myself." (Sec.15)
The vision of the unity of the creation, the insight that the creation rests in the Creator, is communicated to the jivatman, Walt Whitman, by Bhagavan in an overwhelming mystical experience. In this experience, Bhagavan functions in the rasa of lover, and Whitman the beloved, in what is an early climax in the poem and one of the greatest statements in our literature of the exquisite beauty and wonder of the entire creation, from the grand pervading Spirit of God to the seemingly insignificant "mossy scabs" and "pokeweed."
I mind how once we lay such a transparent summer morning,
How you settled your head athwart my hips and gently turn'd over upon me,
And parted the shirt from my bosom-bone, and plunged your tongue to my bare-stript heart,
And reach'd till you felt my beard, and reach'd till you held my feet.
Swiftly arose and spread around me the peace and knowledge that pass all
the argument of the earth,
And I know that the hand of God is the promise of my own,
And I know that the spirit of God is the brother of my own,
And that all the men ever born are also my brothers, and the women my sisters and lovers,
And that a kelson of the creation is love,
And limitless are leaves stiff stiff or dropping in the fields,
And brown ants in the little wells beneath them,
And mossy scabs of the worm fence, heap'd stones, elder, mullein and poke-weed. (Sec.5)
Throughout this creation, the Self functions unattached. The dates, wars, sicknesses, etc. "come to me days and nights and go from me again,/ But they are not the Me myself." (4) The finite Whitman is ofter jolted and bruised in the game, the leela or play of the Lord, but his true Self is always the untouched and unattached Witness within:
Apart from the pulling and hauling astands what I am,
Stands amused, complacent, compassionating, idle, unitary,
Looks down, is erect, or bends an arm on an implacable certain rest,
Looking with side-curved head curious what will come next,
Both in and out of the game and watching and wondering at it. (4)
This Supreme Self is not a part of the material creation, though the material creation is His song. "I am not an earth nor an adjunct of an earth." (7) This Self, in which Whitman has seen his own jiva to be integrally one, is totally full and self-sufficient in itself.
I exist as I am, that is enough,
If no other in the world be aware I sit content,
And if each and all be aware I sit content,
One world is aware and by far the largest to me, and that is myself. (20)
For Whitman, the individual body and soul are no less wonderful and worshipful than the Supreme. As part and parcel of the Supreme, he sees himself as good as the Supreme, as eternal and as divine. "Walt Whitman, a kosmos, of Manhattan the son," he described himself, then goes on to delight in the miracle of himself, which is the miracle of any man, and, indeed, of life itself. "Seeing, hearing, feeling, are miracles, and each part and tag of me is a miracle." (24) He sees his individual soul as journeying in eternity through countless cosmic changes, traveling from the infinity of the past to the present.
Immense have been the preparations for me,
Faithful and friendly the arms that have helped me.
Cycles ferried my cradle, rowing and rowing like cheerful boatmen,
For room to me stars kept aside in their own rings…
All forces have been steadily employ'd to complete the delight me,
Now on this spot I stand with my robust soul. (44)
It is his soul that ascends "dazzling and tremendous as the sun," and that laughs "at what you call dissolution," and that looks at the crowded heavens and questions, "When we become the enfolders of those orbs, and the pleasure and knowledge of everything in them, shall we be filled and satisfied then?" and answers, "No, we but level that lift to pass and continue beyond." (46) for it is his soul that is "tenon'd and mortis'd" in the granite of eternity. With a clean sweep of his hand, he absorbs previous incarnations, "outbidding" them and bestowing equal divinity on the average, common man:
Magnifiying and applying come I,
Outbidding at the start the old cautious hucksters,
Taking myself the exact dimensions of Jehovah…
Buying drafts of Osiris, Isis, Belus, Brahma, Buddha…
Taking them all for what they are worth and not a cent more,
Admitting they were alive and did the work of their days….
Accepting the rough deific sketches to fill out better in myself,
bestowing them freely on each man and woman I see…
The supernatural of no account, myself waiting my time to be one of the Supremes…
By my life-lumps! Becoming already a creator… (41)
The surety of this conviction results from his perception of the omnipresence of the Supreme Lord. He sees the creation "lav'd" all over by the Creator, as a fish by the water of the ocean.
Why should I wish to see God better than this day?
I see something of God each hour of the twenty-four, and each moment then,
In the faces of men and women I see God, and in my own face in the glass,
I find letter from God dropt in the street, and every one is sign'd by God's name,
And I leave them where they are, for I know that whereso'er I go
Others will punctually come for ever and ever. (48)
The Supreme Lord, for such a devotee, is common, actually cheap. He is the one Great Commodity that can be purchased without money, for it is love alone that finds and binds him. "I or you pocketless of a dime may purchase the pick of the earth." The Lord is eager for His creation to love Him, and He gives Himself freely.
What is commonest, cheapest, nearest, easiest, is Me,
Me going in for my chances, spending for vast returns,
Adorning myself to bestow myself on the first that will take me,
Not asking the sky to come to my good will,
Scattering it freely forerver. (14)
Yet Whitman intimates that the Creator has His own Superior Abode, where He "waits" for all in eternity.
My rendezvous is appointed, it is certain,
The Lord will be there and wait till I come on perfect terms,
The great Camerado, the lover true for whom I pine will be there. (45)
Interestingly enough, Whitman envisions a purification process by which his individual soul can return to God "on perfect terms." The soul leaves the body, as Krishna says, "As the wind carries away the scents from their places." (Gita 15.8) but before he can go to Krishna, he must qualify. Krishna is the "steady and central," the "lover true," "the Great Camerado" Who satisfies completely. In His ocean of bliss, Whitman's individual soul debouches.
I ascend from moon, I ascend from the night,
I perceive that the ghastly glimmer is noonday sunbeams reflected,
And debouch to the steady and central from the offspring great or small. (49)
A quotation from "Passage to India," a later poem, should throw considerable light on the relationship between jivatman (the individual soul) and Paramatma, the Supreme Soul:
Bear me indeed as through God regions infinite,
Whose air I breathe, whose ripples hear, have me all over,
Bathe me O God in thee, mounting to thee,
I and my soul to range in range of thee.
O Thou transcendent,
Nameless, the fibre and the breath,
Light of the light, shedding forth universes, thou center of them,
Thou mightier center of the true, the good, the loving,
Thou moral, spiritual fountain-affection's source-thou reservoir,
(O pensive soul of me—O thirst unsatisfied-waitest not there?
Waitest not haply for us somewhere there the Comrade perfect?)
Thou pulse—thou motive of the stars, suns, systems,
That, circling, move in order, safe, harmonious,
Athwart the shapeless vastnesses of space,
How should I think, how breathe a single breath, how speak, if out of myself,
I could not launch, to those, superior universes?
Swiftly I shrivel at the thought of God,
At Nature and its wonders, Time and Space and Death,
But that I, turning, call to thee O soul, thou actual Me,
And lo, thou gently masterest the orbs,
Thou matest Time, smilest content at Death,
And filest, swellest full the vastnesses of space.
("Passage to India," section 8)
For Whitman, the soul, after death, retains its individual identity and becomes a great fish swimming in God's ocean of bliss. For him, faith in the Supreme Lord means faith in his individual soul. Bathing in the light of God, the individual soul itself takes on the divine properties of creator, launching "superior universes." But this is never through any separate, individual or derived power—it simply results from God's using the living entity as an agent, as a powerhouse of electricity uses an electric bulb to diffuse its light. The lightbulb sheds the light, but it is dependent on the "pulse," the "motive of the stars, suns, systems," which is the Supreme Lord.
It is apparent that this God consciousness is also synonymous with "cosmic consciousness," for the universe figures prominently in "Song of Myself," and though it is considered wonderful, it is not considered as wonderful as the eternal soul. The universe is created, maintained for a while, and then destroyed.
I open my scuttle at night and see the far-sprinkled systems,
And all I see multiplied as high as I can cipher edge but the rim of the farther systems.
Wider and wider they spread, expanding, always expanding,
Outward and outward and forever outward…
There is no stoppage and never can be stoppage,
If I, you, and the worlds, and all beneath or upon their surfaces, were at this moment reduced back to a pallid float, it would not avail in the long run,
We should surely bring up again where we now stand,
And surely go as much farther, and then farther and farther…(45)
Through all the cosmic changes, the soul remains the same forever. Whitman exhorts men and women to maintain their placidity through all these cosmic changes, for their souls remain untouched by them.
There is no object so soft but it makes a hub for the wheel'd universe,
And I say to any man or woman, Let your soul stand cool and composed
before a million universes. (48)
Whitman himself is not frightened by the cosmic leela, in fact he is delighted by it, and seems to have had an ability for "astral traveling," like Narada Muni, the Eternal Spaceman.
To me the converging objects of the universe perpetually flow,
All are written to me, and I must get what the writing means. (20)
My ties and ballasts leave me, my elbows rest in sea-gaps,
I skirt sierras, my palms cover continents,
I am afoot with my vision. (33)
I hear you whispering there O stars of heaven,
O suns—O grass of graves—O perpetual transfers and promotions,
If you do not sway anything, how can I say anything? (49)
I depart as air, I shake my white locks at d runway sun,
I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags., (52)
As far as the methods of God consciousness are concerned, Whitman was too much of an individualist to have anything to do with institutionalized religion. Like Thoreau and many other transcendentalists, he was strictly secular. Fulfilling Emerson's image of the free man independent of the past and of the past's institutions, Whitman declares, "No friend of mine takes his ease in my chair,/ I have no chair, no church, no philosophy…" (46) By surrendering everything to God, he takes on responsibilities and actions but relinquishes fruits and results. He holds "creeds and schools in abeyance," and permits to speak "Nature without check with original energy." (1) It is this social independence that has made orthodox religionists wary of him.
Why should I pray? Why should I venerate and be ceremonious?
Having pried through the strata, analyzed to a hair, consel'd with doctors and calculated close,
I find no sweeter fat than sticks to my own bones. (20)
Divine am I inside and out, and I make holy whatever I touch or am touched from,
The scent of these arm-pits aroma finer than prayer,
This head more than churches, bibles, and all the creeds. (24)
This attitude is not due to irreverence or irreligiosity, but is the logical outgrowth of his enlightenment. Krishna Himself says, "To the enlightened Brahmin all the Vedas are of as much use as a pond when there is everywhere a flood." (Gita, 2.46) Having reached shore, Whitman simply discards his raft. Consequently he has been criticized by religionists who profess godliness but whose hearts are in the wrong place due to ignorance and entanglement. Such hypocrites disgust Whitman.
I think I could turn and live with animals, they're so placid and self-contained…
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God…
Not one kneels to another, not to his kind that lived thousands of years ago….(32)
For him it is not the outward show that is important—rather, by their fruits ye shall know them, and the fruits of the soul are joy and bliss, not lamentation. "What have I to do with lamentation?" He makes it clear, however, that he is not anti-church or anti-religion.
I do not despise you priests, all time, the world over,
My faith is the greatest of faiths and the least of faiths,
Enclosing worship ancient and modern and all between ancient and modern…
Drinking mead from the skull-cup, to Shastas and Vedas admirant, minding the Koran…
Accepting the Gospels, accepting him that was crucified, knowing assuredly that he is divine….(43)
Like many true devotees, Whitman considered it a great virtue "to argue not concerning God," knowing Him to be beyond words and theosophies. "Knowing the perfect fitness and equanimity of things, while they discuss I am silent, and go bathe and admire myself." (3) It was possibly the vain discussions about God that drove him out the churches into the open fields and lonely night-time beaches of Long Island. "Logic and sermons never convince,/ The damp of the night drives deeper into my soul." (30) And least of all does he advocate discussions with atheists and non-believers.
Backward I see in my own days where I sweated through fog with linguists and contenders,
I have no mockings or arguments, I witness and wait. (4)
Writing and talk do not prove me,
I carry the plenum of proof and everything else in my face,
With the hush of my lips I wholly confound the skeptic. (25)
Whitman has been accused of a childish, "unrealistic" optimism and of a total disregard of evil forces in the universe. He was well aware of evil forces—he did not stay in a closet, but was active in the Civil War. The evil forces were there, but in actuality he was transcendental to them. Since the Supreme Lord is in control, evil also has its place. One of Whitman's greatest assets is his ability to absorb evil without being tainted by it. "I am not the poet of goodness only, I do not decline to be the poet of wickedness also." (22) Like the Supreme Himself, as a poet he purifies what was previously indecent, revealing the divine function behind the guise.
Through me forbidden voices,
Voices of sexes and lusts, voices veil'd and I remove the veil,
Voices indecent by me clarified and transfigur'd.
I do not press my fingers across my mouth,
I keep as delicate around the bowels as around the head and heart,
Copulation is no more rank to me than death is. (24)
I am the poet of the Body and I am the poet of the Soul,
The pleasures of heaven are with me and the pains of hell are with me,
The first I graft and increase upon Myself, the latter I translate into a new tongue. (21)
Seeing himself in all creatures, seeing the perfect unity of the creation as a "song of myself," he does not criticize the mysterious ways of God, nor does he judge men heavily. Whenever he sees a man falling prey to a vice, he sees himself doing the same. This divine quality of tolerance and forgiveness possibly turned him away from the hypocrites of religion who are prone to criticize and condemn others for the faults that are in themselves. Whitman does not believe in criticizing and condemning (knowing this is not in man's jurisdiction), but in helping—or as Christ said, "I came not in of the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Me might be saved." Good and evil exist within the modes of Prakriti (Nature) and Whitman knows his real Self to be beyond the modes.
What blurt is this about virtue and about vice?
Evil propels me and reform of evil propels me, I stand indifferent,
My gait is no fault-finder's or rejecter's gait,
I moisten the roots of all that has grown. (22)
Whoever degrades another degrades me,
And whatever is done or said returns at last to me. (24)
In all people I see myself, none more and not one a barley-corn less,
And the good or bad I say of myself I say of them. (20)
This echoes Christ's "Judge not that ye be not judged, for wherein ye judge another thou condemn'st thyself." Whitman was a mahatma who believed in a merciful God who wants men to love Him, not in a God Who created a world just to condemn it. Whitman does not condemn or lament. With open eyes he regards the demoniac and atheistic and considers with wonder that such absurdities and incongruities can be.
What behaved well in the past or behaves well today is not such a wonder,
The wonder is always and always how there can be a mean man or an infidel. (22)
Throughout "Song of Myself," Whitman discourages man in looking for signs and wonders. It is the sage who seeks the Divine and miraculous in all things. His method or Krishna Consciousness involves seeing God every second in the most commonplace and generally accepted things. He stresses the great miracle of the commonplace, of daily life. "A…clod, a stone, and gold are the same." (Gita, Vishnu/8) to him because he sees all things reflecting the Divine.
The bull and the bug never worshipp'd half enough,
Dung and dirt more admirable than was dream'd….(41)
I cannot tell how my ankles bend, nor whence the cause of my faintest wish…
That I walk up my stoop, I pause to consider if it really be,
A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books. (24)
He chooses the most commonplace, most handy phenomena as the great symbol to bind the creation—the grass, which grows among all people irrespective of color, caste, or creed. Grass is the Great Democrat of the vegetation, and as Whitman's Leaves of Grass, it accepts and welcomes all.
This is the grass that grows wherever the land is and the water is,
This the common air that bathes the globe. (17)
I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars…
And the running blackberry would adorn the parlors of heaven,
And the narrowest hinge in my hand puts to scorn all machinery,
And the cow crunching with depress'd head surpasses any statue,
And a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels… (31)
And to glance with an eye or show a bean in its pod confounds the learning of all times… (48)
Like Emerson, Whitman saw the haunting past as one of man's greatest enemies. The past is completed and the future uncertain, so these only serve to divert man's mind and energy from the overwhelming importance of the eternally exfoliating present. "This minute that comes to me over the past decillions,/ There is no better than it and now." (22) Whitman declared that the man in Krishna Consciousness must be aware of the constant miracle and wonder of the present, and not allow his mind to wander over the past or things to come. Death comes now, birth comes now, liberation comes now, the vision of God comes now, or, as Christ said, "The kingdom of God is at hand." "The clock indicates the moment, but what does eternity indicate?" Whitman asks, and the answer is now. Guru Whitman instructs the neophyte:
Long enough have you dream'd contemptible dreams,
Now I wash the gum from your eyes,
You must habit yourself to the dazzle of the light and of every moment of your life. (46)
Being at "one" with the creation necessitates acceptance of the moment as being the best possible; happiness lies in the delight of suddenly awakening to find yourself here after so many trillions of years. The is eternal, and we are eternal. Only appearance change.
I have heard what the talkers were talking, the talk of the beginning and the end,
But I do not talk of the beginning or the end.
There was never any more inception than there is now,
Nor any more youth or age than there is now,
And will never be any more perfection than there is now,
Nor any more heaven or hell than there is now. (3)
Whitman also believes in the transmigration of the soul, from lower forms of life and from body to body. "And as to your Life I reckon you are the fore." (49) When he sees animals, he is reminded that he was doubtless one himself in the past. The animals "bring me tokens of myself…I wonder where they get those tokens,/ Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop them?" (32) In fact, he sees his body and his spirit as integral with all the forms of the creation, that he incorporates the lower forms then "distances" them in his evolution toward the Godhead.
I find I incorporate gneiss, coal, long-threaded moss, fruits, grains, esculent roots,
And am stucco'd with quadrupeds and birds all over,
And have distanced what is behind me for good reasons,
But call anything back again when I desire it. (31)
As for the future, he does not put returning to earth again out of the question. "Believing I shall come again upon the earth after five thousand years…(43)
As for death, Whitman, the courage teacher, welcomes it as joyfully as anything else. In fact, he is called the poet of "death and lilacs" because of his frequent and beautiful treatments of death throughout Leaves of Grass. ("What is finally beautiful but love and death?) "I know I am deathless," he proclaims. (20) The Supreme Lord Himself accompanies the soul through the passage of birth and death, so why fear? Rather, there is cause for welcome.
Has any one supposed it lucky to be born?
I hasten to inform him or her it is just as lucky to die, and I know it.
I pass death with the dying and birth with the new-wash'd babe, and am
not contained between my hat and boots.
The Lord witnesses the passing of the individual soul through various dresses (bodies) and knows its history of rebirths, as Krishna affirms in the Gita, "Many a birth have I passed through, O Arjuna, and so have you. I know them all, but you know them not." (Gita, 4.5) Even in this lifetime, Whitman was well acquainted with death, witnessing innumerable deaths of soldiers in the Washington hospitals. In fact, he muses that the leaves of grass may even transpire from the breasts of young men. This is not morbid; life and death are one, inextricably woven.
The smallest sprout shows there is really no death,
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the end to arrest it,
And ceas'd the moment life appear'd.
All goes onward and outward, nothing collapes,
And to die is different from what anyone supposed, and luckier. (6)
Life is an omnipresent force, and death simply a transition to another form of material existence or, possibly, liberation and union with the Great Camerado.
And as to you Death, and you bitter hug of mortality, it is idle to try to alarm me.
And as to you Corpse I think you are good manure, but that does not offend me,
I smell the white roses sweet-scented and growing,
I reach to the leafy lips, I reach to the polishe'd breasts of melons. (49)
At the conclusion of the poem, Whitman magnificently describes the parting of the soul from the body. "I depart as air," he begins, then finally concludes, "I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love, If his bodily remains to Nature, his spirit returns to the eternal abode. His concluding lines remind one of Krishna's "Abandon all dharmas and come to me alone for shelter." (Gita, 18.66):
Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,
Missing me one place search another,
I stop somewhere waiting for you. (52)
It is the ultimate promise of the Supreme—an eternal abode of peace, knowledge and bliss—that Whitman is indicating. He was aware that Krishna is waiting there for all His children to return to Him. By Krishna's grace, he was communicated this knowledge to write for an American audience—and world audience—in an age of materialistic chaos and anti-spiritualism. In such a difficult age, Krishna sends His blessings in many ways, and it is by His grace that we find joyful Walt loafing along the American roadside like a polite old mendicant, offering his Leaves of Grass to the dizzy and wearied Twentieth Century traveler, offering indeed a "matchless gift" and promise:
Do you see O brothers and sisters?
It is not chaos or death—it is form, union, plan—it is eternal life—it is happiness. (50)
(Next Issue: Krishna Consciousness In American Poetry, Part Iv: Hart Crane's The Bridge and the 20th Century.)
Poem to Walt Whitman
Poem to Walt Whitman
You too found Him all attractive,
And your thoughts of Him you called Leaves of Grass
For His green handiwork bends beneath His Feet,
And you knew well those leaves of life
Transpire from the breasts of the dead.
Those leaves of grass for you
Were tokens designedly dropped by the Lord, His handkerchief,
"Bearing the owner's Name somewhere in the corner,
That we may stop and look and say Whose?"
And those Leaves of yours, dead Greybeard,
Were leaves you dropped so graciously for me.
I first found them ten years ago
When at sixteen, on the Atlantic beach, the Florida sands,
Beneath the baking sun I read
Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking
And marveled at it all.
And today, in Golden Gate Park,
The Great Camerado spread a carpet
Of young April grass,
And we sat upon the delicate leaves
To sing to Bhagavan, His Song of Myself.
And looking at the grass,
Shining radiant, green in the sun, I thought
Of Time and Life and Death,
All the living and all the dead,
And chanted Hare Krishna
Just to feel the cosmos vibrate,
And feeling a sudden terror
When it did.
Just when I feared everything would pop,
I thought of you,
Who "smilest content at death,"
And chanted much louder
To see His light and leaves of grass
Play before me, an endless carillon, endless miracle.
Then I felt giddy with joy.
How lucky I am, camerado,
To have such a great friend like you
Reach across the century
Just to comfort me.
—Hayagriva Das Brahmacary
(Howard Wheeler)
Back to Godhead Magazine #13,
June, 1967
On the Cover
On the Cover
is Tridandi Goswami A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami the Swami, who has recently suffered ill health, first began publishing Back to Godhead Magazine in the 1940’s. Now 72 years old, he is the founder and revered teacher of the International Society For Krishna Consciousness. In addition to his continuing essay on The Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, this issue contains some letters to, and replies by, Swamiji, as well as an address written by him, and delivered by his disciple, Kirtanananda Das, at Tompkins Square Park on Sunday, June 4.
All glories to Guru Maharaj.
By The Mercy of Krishna:
By The Mercy of Krishna:
This is the first edition of Back To Godhead to come off our presses. Although the difficulties involved in operating an offset press, especially in view of our inexperience, are great—we nevertheless feel that this is only the first ray of a glistening future for the Society’s publications department.
Our mission is to spread the Samkirtan movement, as it was inaugurated by Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu about 480 years ago. We mean to avail ourselves of every opportunity to do this, for it is the Lord’s pleasure to have us thus devote ourselves to His loving service; and what’s more, this is the only real act of love which one living entity can offer to another—that is, the knowledge of Infinite God. And so we hope to perfect our publishing operations to the finest possible level of art and skill in every facet. And, because this is all in praise of Krishna, it is our delight, not our task, to do so.
Another medium which well served the Lord recently was television. On Thursday evening, May 25, Swami A. C. Bhaktivedanta and several of his disciples appeared on the Alan Burke Show, on New York’s WNEW—channel 5. The program was extremely well-received, and Mr. Burke’s kindness and respect toward the Swami was most appreciated. Our deep thanks go to him for this great service.
Hare Krishna
The Editors
Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
Part IV—The Forms of Krishna’s Manifestations and Incarnations
By devotional service one can understand that Krishna first of all manifests Himself as Sayamrupa, His Personal Form, then as Tadekatmarupa, and then Avesarupa. In these three features He manifests Himself in His transcendental Form. The feature of Sayamrupa is the form in which Krishna can be understood by one who may not understand His other features. In other words. the form in which Krishna is directly understood is called Sayamrupa, or His Personal Form. The Tadekatmarupa is that form which most resembles the Sayamrupa but has some differences of bodily features. This Tadekatmarupa is divided into two manifestations, called the Personal expansion and the Pastime expansion. As far as Avesarupa is concerned, sometimes Krishna empowers some suitable living entity to represent Him; when a living entity is acting as a representative of the Supreme Lord, he is called Avesa avatar, or Saktavesh avatara. His Personal Form is again divided into two: Sayamrupa and Sayapraksa. As far as His Sayamrupa is concerned, it is in that form that He remains always in Vrindaban (also called Pastime Form) with all the inhabitants of Vrindaban. That Personal Form is again divided into two, known categorically as Prabhavav and Braibhava Forms. For example, Krishna expanded Himself in multi forms in the Rasa Dance, and when He danced with the Gopis, He expanded Himself in multi forms to dance with each and every Gopi who took part in that dance. Similarly, He expanded Himself also in 16, 000 forms at Dwarka when He married 16, 000 wives.
There are some instances of great mystics also expanding their bodily features in different way, but that sort of expansion by yoga process is not applicable to Krishna. There are instances in the Vedic history such as Saubhary Rishi, a sage who expanded himself into eight forms by the yoga process, but that expansion was not actually into eight forms—it was simply a manifestation, for Saubhary remained one. But as far as Krishna is concerned, when He manifested Himself in different forms each and every one of them was a separate individual. When Narada Muni visited Krishna at different Palaces at Dwarka, he was astonished, and yet Narada is never astonished to see the expansion of the body of a yogi since he knows the trick himself. But in a verse in the Srimad Bhagawatam states that Narada was astonished to see the expansion of Krishna. He explains his wonder as to how the Lord was present in each and every house of the 16,000 palaces with His queens. Krishna Himself was in a different form with each queen, and He was acting in different ways. For example, in one Form He was talking with His wife; in another Form He was engaged with His children and yet another Form He was performing some household work. These different activities are called actions in the Lord’s different emotions, and when He is in these “emotional” Forms, the expansions are known as Vaibhavapraksa. Similarly there are other unlimited expansions of the Forms of Krishna, but even when they divided or expanded in such unlimited Forms they are still one and the same. There is no difference between one Form and another; that is the Absolute conception of the Personality of Godhead.
In the Srimad Bhagawatam it is stated in the 10th canto, 40th chapter that at the time when Akrura was carrying both Krishna and Balarama from Gokula to Mathura, he entered into the water of the Yamuna and could see all the spiritual planets in the spiritual sky—he saw there the Lord in His Vishnu Form along with Narada and the four Kumaras, and he saw how they are worshipping. This is described in the Srimad Bhagawatam as “Form.” It is stated in the Bhagavat Purana that there are many worshippers who are purified by different processes of worship, as the Vaisnav, or the Aryan who also worship the Supreme Lord according to their convictions and their spiritual understanding; each process of worship involves the understanding of different Forms of the Lord mentioned in the Scriptures, but the ultimate idea is to worship the Supreme Lord Himself. In the feature of His Vaibhavapraksa, the Lord manifests Himself as Balarama. The feature of Balarama is as good as Krishna; the difference is that Krishna is blackish and Balarama is whitish. The Vaibhavapraksa Form was also displayed when Krishna appeared in the four handed form of Narayana before Devaki when He was appearing in this world, and by the request of His parents He transformed Himself into a two handed Form. Therefore, sometimes He becomes four handed and sometimes He becomes two handed. When He is in a Form of two hands that is actually Vaibhavapraksa, and when He is four handed that is Vravhavabilasa. In His Personal Form He is just like a cowerd boy and He thinks Himself, but when He is in the Vasudeva Form He thinks Himself as the son of a Ksatriya, and He feels Himself also as a Ksatriya or a princely administrator.
Form, Opulence, Beauty, Wealth, Attractiveness, and Pastimes are fully exhibited in His Form as the Son of Nanda. In some of the Vaisnav literature it is found that sometimes in His Form as Vasudeva He becomes attracted to the Form of Govinda in Vrindaban; sometimes as Vasudeva He desires to enjoy like Govinda, although the Govinda Form and the Vasudeva Form are one and the same. There is a passage in the Laleeta Madhava 4th chapter in which Krishna addresses Uddhava as follows: “My dear friend, this Govinda, Form as a cowherd boy attracts Me. I wish to be like the damsels of Vraja and be attracted by this Govinda Form.” Similarly, in the Laleeta Madhava, 8th chapter, Krishna says: “O how wonderful it is, Who is this Personality? Exactly after seeing Him I am attracted by Him, so that now I am desiring to embrace Him just like Radhika. When this Form of Krishna becomes a little differentiated, it is called Tadekatma.
In this Tadekatmarupa or Form there are two divisions also: one is called Svamsa. Both in the Vilasa and Svamsa forms also there are many differential features which are also divided into Prabhava and Braibhava. As far as Vilasa Forms are concerned, there are innumerable Prabhava Vilasa. Krishna expands Himself as Vasudeva, Samkarsan, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. Sometimes the Lord thinks Himself a cowherds boy, and sometimes He thinks Himself the son of Vasudeva, a Ksatriya, and this “thinking” of Krishna is called “Pastimes.” In His Prabhava Prakasa and Prabhava Vilasa He is in the same Form but appears differently as Krishna and Valadeva. As mentioned above, His expansion as Vasudeva, Samkarsan, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha is in the Original Chaturvuha, or four armed Forms.
There are innumerable four armed Formal manifestations in different planets and different places. For instance, this four Formal manifestation is both in Dwarka and Mathura eternally. And from these four Forms originally there are the principle twenty four Forms, named differently in terms of the different adjustments of the symbols in the hands—and they are called Baibhivabilasa. The same four Formal manifestations of Krishna is in each planet of the Spiritual Sky, called the Narayan loka or Vaikuntha loka. In the Vaikuntha loka He is manifested in a four handed Form called Narayan. And from each Narayan there is a manifestation of the four formal Forms as mentioned above. Therefore Narayan is in the center, and the four formal Forms are surrounding the Narayan Form. Each of the four Forms again expands in three different Forms, and they all have their different names, beginning from Keshava, and they are twelve in all. Such Forms are understood by different names according to the different placements of the symbols in the hands of Narayan. As far as the Vasudeva Form is concerned, in the four formal Forms they are three, namely Keshava, Narayana, and Madhava. The three Forms of Govinda are known as Govinda, Vishnu, and Sri Madhusudana. It should be noted however that this Govinda Form is not the same Govinda Form as manifested in Vrindaban (as the son of Nanda). Similarly, Pradyumna is also divided into three Forms known as Trivikrama, Vamana, and Sridhara, and similarly there are three Forms of Aniruddha known as Hrisikesa Padmanabha and Damodara.
End of Part IV
Poems by Vidyapati
Poems by Vidyapati
(Vidyapati (1352-1448) a famous and popular court poet of Mathila, India, wrote these Radha-Krishna love songs which find their correspondence in the West to the poems of St. John of the Cross as songs of bhakti between the soul of man and his Creator. In Bengal, Vidyapati’s use of Radha and Krishna as ideal lovers led many Bengalis to regard him as a Vaishnava. Bengali scholars visiting Mathila brought back copies of his songs, and in the 15th century Lord Chaitanya read them with enthusiasm. In fact, Jayadeva, Chandidas and Vidyapati were Lord Chaitanya’s favorite poets. Chaitanya freely adopted the songs of Vidyapati as Vaishnava hymns. The poems rendered below are excerpted from Love Songs of Vidyapati, Translated by Deben Bhattacharya, George Allen Unwin Ltd. , London, 1963.)
Black Stone
Your glances tempt their love.…
O Krishna, Krishna,
You are known to be wise.
How can I tell You what is right?
Gold is tested on the black-stone,
The love of a man by his nature.
Fragrance reveals the flower and its pollen
And the eyes and the tears
The dawn of love.
Nights of Joy
O friend:
How can you ask me
What I feel?
In talk, love always grows,
Is always new.
Since I was born
I’ve seen his beauty
With insatiate eyes.
His gentle voice
Brushed my ears.
Thrilled, I long for more.
Nights of spring
Passed in joy,
Yet still the game of love
Has new delights.
I’ve held Him to my heart
A million ages,
Yet longing flares again.
A host of lovers,
Their love reduced to ashes,
Know nothing of its power….
My Body Hid My Body
My eyes encountered Him
And left me.
The lotus snubbed the sun
And fled away.
The moon and the night-lily
Unite in love.
Madhava I saw today,
But with art I hid my passion.
Shyness dropped with my clothes.
My body hid my body.
My heart was another’s.
Krishna I saw Everywhere.
Sorrow
Clouds filled the sky
And the God of love,
Piercing her heart, withdrew.
Leaning vk fortnight
Radha fades.
Is she the pale crescent moon
Of the wet monsoon sky?
Krishna, You have turned Your face away,
Inflicting pain unbearable.
Ecstacy
Her hair, dishevelled,
Veils the beauty of her face
As evil shadows eat the glowing moon.
Strings of blossom in her hair
Wantonly play
As flooded rivers
Twine about their twins.
Exquisite today,
This sport of love,
As Radha rides on Krishna.
Beads of sweat glisten on her face
Like pearls on the moon,
A present to her
From the God of love.
With all her force
She kisses her lover's lips,
Like the moon swooping
To drink a lotus bloom.
Her necklace dangles
Below her hanging breasts;
Like streams of milk
Trickling from golden jars.
The jingling bells around her waist
Sang glory to the God of love.
Smiles and Laughter
Blue lotuses
Flower everywhere
And black kokilas sing…
King of the seasons,
Spring has come
And wild with longing
The bee goes to his love.
Birds flight in the air
And cowherd-girls
Smile face to face…
Krishna has entered
The great forest.
New To Love
New to love,
I shrank from loving
Yet the night grew And all was done.
I did not relish
Sweets of dalliance.
My shyness warred against my will…
He seized my garland,
Held my hair
And pressed his heart
Against my smothered breasts
But, in my clumsy innocence,
Alone, with none to aid,
I could not please.
He wanted everything
In one great rapture
And to my painful shame
I gave so little.
The spell of passion went.
I said
Nothing.
Eyes of Danger
To gaze on Krishna was my greatest wish,
Yet seeing Him was filled with danger.
Gazing has bewitched me, no will remains,
I cannot speak or hear.
Like monsoon clouds,
My eyes pour water.
My heart flutters.
O friend, why ever did I see Him
And with such joy deliver Him my life?…
Master of Love
My Krishna is so very clever.
With no effort on his part,
He broke my all-resisting pride.
Today He came garbed as a yogi
To mystify me by an exquisite act…
But He was overwhelmed at seeing my face.
When He begged the jewel of My pride,
I knew how cunning was His ming.
And then what He said
I am too shy to repeat.
No one even knew
That this was the master of love.
The Quest
So long our world was new,
We were one like fish and water.
Such was our love.
A sharp word passed between us.
My dear love smiled
And gave no answer
Krishna, in the same bed with me,
Seemed in a far-away land.
In the forest where no one moves,
My love now smiles,
My love now speaks.
I shall dress as a yogini
And look for my love.
Bold Love
I am going today, dear friend,
And shall not fear the elders at home.
Words will not trouble me.
With sandal paste my skin will glisten.
I shall deck myself in pearls.
My eyes look brilliant with no mascara.
I shall cover my body in white
And walk with leisured steps.
When the sky is lit with the smiling moon
From staring eyes I shall not flinch
Nor shall I hide.
So much did I conceal
From fear of others,
Even the currents of my love.
War of Youth
Two armies were engaged in war
As childhood merged in youth.
Knotted, the hair of Radha fell.
At times, she hid her limbs,
At times, released her charm.
Her eyes in innocence roved here and there.
The skin about her rising breasts
Was tinged with red.
Her feet became
As restless as her heart.
The god was waking up in Radha.
His eyes were closed with love.
Waves of Lightning
Her feet showered lotuses.
The glitter of her body
Brought waves of lightning.
The enchanting beauty
Has entered my heart.
Her eyes opened
Like lotuses in flower.
Her widening smile
Cast nectar-spells on all.
Her sidelong glances
Issued darts of love.
I saw her beauty
Only in a flash
But thinking of it
Fills three different, worlds.
At the River
Hold my hand.
Caress me, Krishna.
I will give you
A wondrous garland.
The friends are gone,
But which way, Krishna,
I do not know.
I will not walk
With You, Krishna,
But at the river
By the lonely bank
There I will meet You.
Krishna Consciousness in American Poetry
Krishna Consciousness in American Poetry
Part IV: Hart Crane’s The Bridge and the 20th Century
The victory of the North in the Civil War was also a victory of industrialism in America, for the industrial North had proved the importance of the machine—the machine meant power. Henry Adams, in his Education, proclaimed the Dynamo to be to the modern age what the Blessed Virgin Mary was to 13th century Europe. The machine was to be the new God, and the scientists the priests. What Crane was to call the "iron dealt clevage" had already cut across the new nation. In his Democratic Vistas (1871). Whitman warned America of spiritual degeneracy and cautioned that science without spirituality would only lead mankind into chaos. In his 1872 Preface to Leaves of Grass, he indicates the true function of science:
With Science, the Old Theology of the East, long in its dotage, begins evidently to die and disappear. But (to my mind) Science—and may be such will prove its principal service—as evidently prepares the way for One indescribably grander—Time’s young but perfect offspring—the New Theology—heir of the West—lusty and loving, and wondrous beautiful. For America, and for today, just the same as any day, the supreme and final Science is the Science of God—what we call science being only its minister—as Democracy is or shall be also.
Crane was familiar with all of Whitman’s writings, and the following excerpt from and 1876 Preface is also indicative of Crane’s attitude toward science and its spiritualization:
Only … joyfully accepting Modern Science, and loyally following it without the slightest hesitation, there remains ever recognized still a higher flight, a higher fact, the Eternal Soul of Man, (of all Else too,) the Spiritual, the Religious—which it is to be the greatest office of Scientism, in my opinion, and of future Poetry also, to free from fables, crudities and superstitions, and launce forth in renewed Faith and Scope a hundred fold. To me the worlds of Religiousness, of the conception of the Divine, and of the Ideal, though mainly latent, are just as absolute, in Humanity and the Universe as the world of Chemistry, or anything in the objective worlds.
(Whitman, 1876 Preface to Leaves of Grass)
Ironically, today the greatest, of the modern scientists proclaims the spiritual to be the most important single fact in life, and the source of all true science. Albert Einstein:
The most beautiful and most profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. It is the source of all true science. He to whom emotion is a stranger, who can no longer stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God.
In his essay “Modern Poetry,” Hart Crane calls Science “the uncanonized Deity of the times” that “seems to have automatically displaced the hierarchies of both Academy and Church.”
It was Hart Crane (1899–1932) who directly took up Whitman’s job of creating a poetry of vision that extends beyond civilizations and histories into the grand significance of man in his relationship with the eternal. Crane has been called the greatest poetic genius that America has produced, “the Shelley of our age,” as Robert Lowell called him, for in his short, chaotic life he was able to create a poetic myth that extends and endures beyond narrow literary confines. Crane was also one of the first great poetic geniuses to bump heads with the Machine Age—and he refused to let the mechanical chaos of the 20th Century triumph. In “Modern Poetry” he writes:
The function of poetry in a Machine Age is identical to its function in any other age; and its capacities for presenting the most complete synthesis of human values remain essentially immune from any of the so-called inroads of science. … For unless poetry can absorb the machine, i. e. , acclimatize it as naturally and casually as trees, cattle, galleons, castles and all other human associations of the past, then poetry has failed of its full contemporary function.
Crane’s job, as he saw it, was to inject his vision of God into machinery. He sees Science and its Machine capable of taking two paths—the road to Hell (symbolized by the subway in “The Tunnel”) or the road to God (symbolized by the Brooklyn Bridge). He recognizes, the Brooklyn Bridge as a magnificent technological achievement that is capable of “singing” God. When Crane wrote The Bridge, his magnus opus, he lived in Brooklyn, and his apartment window afforded him a scenic view of the East River, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Coincidently, his apartment was the same apartment the bridge’s architect used during its construction. Musing out the window at the Bridge, that gateway to Whitman’s “golden Manahatta” the harplike “altar” soon came to represent a unifying force in Crane’s roaring life, and in his greatest poem Brooklyn Bridge metamorphosizes into “Thou steeled Cognizance”, the symbol of the Absolute in a technological age of chaos. The Bridge is a long poem divided into eight sections, “Ave Maria,” “Powhatan’s Daughter”, “Cutty Sark”, “Cape Hatteras”, “Three Songs”, “Quaker Hill”, “The Tunnel”, and “Atlantis”. Together they represent an odyssey of the soul through the horrors and paltry, sensual joys of the tunnel of life and the soul’s subsequent release into the eternal bliss of the spiritual realms. Throughout the soul’s odyssey the Bridge is there, but it is removed from all struggle. It awaits the sojourner as the eternal Reality. “I stop somewhere waiting for you”, is the promise, for God awaits all in eternity; He waits for the individual soul to turn from Maya, and turn to Him. In the opening Poem, the Bridge, as the symbol of Godhead, is presented in triumph through “white rings of tumult”, as Krishna is surrounded by His Brahmajyoti effulgence. The picture is one of eternality, omnipotence, and freedom.,
How many dawns, chill from his rippling rest
The seagull’s wings shall dip and pivot him,
Shedding white rings of tumult, building high
Over the chained bay waters Liberty—
The City and its “chained bay waters” are bound however by an inextricable workday business karma. In his Wall Street office, man falls from his realization of this vision.
Then, with inviolate curve, forsake our eyes
As apparitional as sails that cross
Some page of figures to be filed away;
—Till elevators drop us from our day …
At this point Crane likens the phenomenal creation to a motion picture cinema with mankind bending toward the screen, as the deluded men in Socrates’ cave watch with fascination the illusory reflections thrown on the wall of the cave, unaware that the reflections are only dream fantasies and that in actuality their faces are turned from the bright Reality. But the true nature of “Maya” as a reflection of the Reality is revealed to “other eyes,” namely the poet and seer, though hidden from the multitudes, for the Divine reserves the right to disclose Himself only to His chosen.
I think of cinemas, panoramic sleights
With multitudes bent toward some flashing scene
Never disclosed, but hastened to again,
Foretold to other eyes on the same screen;
Meanwhile the great Magician Whose creation is merely a “sleight of hands” trick, stands in His Supreme Abode across the harbor, eternally “unspent” by dint of His own freedom.
And Thee, across the harbor, silver-paced
As though the sun took step of thee, yet left
Some motion ever unspent in thy stride,
Implicitly thy freedom staying thee!
Arjuna saw "the heroes of the mortal world rush into Thy (Krishna’s) fiercely flaming mouths," (Gita, 11.28) but in the age of Kali the heroes are reduced to one mad “bedlamite” jumping from the Bridge’s parapets. This is also a prefiguration of Crane’s suicidal jump from the back of a boat in 1932.
Out of some subway scuttle, cell or loft
A bedlamite speeds to thy parapets,
Tilting there momently, shrill shirt ballooning,
A jest falls from the speechless caravan.
Amidst this madness, the gift of the Divine lies in His pardon and in the relative anonymity of the individual soul.
And obscure as that heaven of the Jews,
Thy guerdon … Accolade thou dost bestow
Of anonymity time cannot raise:
Vibrant reprieve and pardon thou dost show.
Then the Bridge is addressed as “harp and altar, “ which it tends to resemble. The forces surrounding this Absolute are forces of cosmic, not human, fury. No human toil can ever conceive or construct a miracle that is the answer to all prayers, the cry of all lovers, the fulfillment of all desires and prophecies.
O harp and altar, of the fury fused,
(How could mere toil align thy choiring strings!)
Terrific threshold of the prophet’s pledge,
Prayer of pariah, and the lover’s cry,—
Its “swift unfractioned idiom” is a monolithic omnipotence that has power to condense eternity. To the sigh of stars, the dharma is indicated. It is the personal figure of the Deity that lifts night in His powerful arms.
Again the traffic lights that skim thy swift
Unfractioned idiom, immaculate sigh of stars,
Beading thy path—condense eternity:
And we have seen night lifted in thine arms.
In the poem’s conclusion, the Cognizance, Who is eternally awake as His creation (the river, the ocean, the prairie) flows eternally beneath Him, is petitioned to descend into the iron age, and, by His descent, to give mankind a new myth by which to worship Him.
O Sleepless as the river under thee,
Vaulting the sea, the praries’ dreaming sod,
Unto us lowliest sometime sweep, descend
And of the curveship lend a myth to God.
In the “Ave Maria” section of The Bridge, the Deity is invoked by the New World “discoverer,” Columbus, as he sails back to Spain. Columbus, like Whitman in a later day, is a mystical explorer, a seer and leader, who knows Krishna to be as an ocean “athwart lanes of death and birth.” As an explorer, he enters into the Creator’s “burning blue” savannahs and petitions His assurance that his “sail is true,” Without such faith, man can accomplish nothing. Crane’s Columbus knows the Creator to be omnipotent and omnipresent, and fittingly praises His “teeming span” and “primal scan” that surveys all in His domain from the sacred Ganges to the Chan.
O Thou who sleepest on Thyself, apart
Like ocean athwart lanes of death and birth,
And all the eddying breath between doth search
Cruelly with love thy parable of man—
Inquisitor! incognizable Word
Of Eden and the enchained Sepulchre,
Into thy steep savannahs, burning blue,
Utter to loneliness the sail is true.
… O Thou
Within whose primal scan consummately
The glistening seignories of Ganges swim;—
Who sendest greeting by the corposan,
And Teneriffe’s garnet—flamed it in a cloud,
Urging through night our passage to the Chan;—
Te Deum laudamus, for thy teeming span!
White toil of heaven’s cordons, mustering
In holy rings all sails charged to the far
Hushed gleaming fields and pendant seething wheat
Of knowledge,—round thy brows unhooded now
—The kindled Crown! acceded of the poles
And biassed by full sails, merideans reel
Thy purpose—still one shore beyond desire!
The sea’s green crying towers a-sway, Beyond
And kingdoms
naked in the
trembling heart—
Te Deum laudamus
O Thou Hand of Fire
Again, God is presented surrounded by dazzling lights. Images like “seething wheat of knowledge” are typical of Crane who telescopes two interrelated ideas in one phrase. For man, God is both bread (sustenance) and knowledge. Again, His omnipotence is stressed in such phrases as “meridians reel Thy purpose.” The “Hand of Fire” is God’s Shiva (Destroyer) aspect. Columbus is well aware that God can enable him to return with news of his discovery or kill him with one swift stroke. Kingdoms naked in the trembling heart” echo Christ’s “The Kingdom of God is within you.” As in other instances, Columbus prefigures a later figure in the poem, Whitman, as a seer and man of faith. In the second section of the poem we are shifted again to the Twentieth Century in a part entitled “The River” which is none other than the river of life. Here we are given a graphic picture of the wild, bumbling 20th Century Express that roars its way to hell to jazz rhythms. The Express is the 20th Century machine run wild without spiritual direction.
—while an EXpress makes time like
Science—Commerce and the Holy Ghost
Radio Roars In Every Home We Have The Northpole
Wallstreet And Virginbirth Without Stones Or
Wires Or Even Running brooks connection ears
and no more sermons windows flashing roar
Breathtaking—as you like it … eh?
So the 20th Century—so
whizzed the Limited—roared by and left
three men, still hungry on the tracks, ploddingly
watching the tail lights wizen and converge,
slipping gimleted and neatly out of sight.
The three men are mendicants, “hobo trekkers” who have jumped off the wild American bandwagon that is bumbling its way toward “Progress” and Materialism. These are the transcendental waysiders with whom Crane identifies, outcasts who somehow know something of God, though they cannot articulate their knowledge
Each seemed a child, like me, on a loose perch,
Holding to childhood like some termless play. …
Like Whitman, these hobos “confess no rosary or clue,” but their wanderings have put them in intimate contact with the Deity.
Yet they touch something like a key perhaps.
… They know a body under the wide rain …
They lurk across her, knowing her yonder breast
Snow-silvered, sumac-stained or smoky blue—
Is past the valley-sleepers, south or west.
—As I have trod the rumorous midnights, too,
And past the circuit of the lamp’s thin flame
(O Nights that brought me to her body bare!)
Have dreamed beyond the print that bound her name.
Trains sounding the long blizzards out—I heard
Wail into distances I knew were hers.
Papooses crying on the wind’s long mane
Screamed redskin dynasties that fled the brain,
—Dead echoes!. But I knew her body there,
Time like a serpent down her shoulder, dark,
And space, an eaglet’s wing, laid on her hair.
They travel over the body of God (here referred to in the feminine gender) that contains and reconciles both time (the serpent) and space (the eagle). Contrasted with the wandering mendicants is the “Sheriff, Brakeman and Authority,” repressive forces in the 20th Century, that “smile out eerily what they seem” and joke at heaven’s gate.” Such absurd men who try to lord it over the creation are borne down the river of life despite themselves. Crane’s condemnation of the 20th Century American materialists is severe—he sees them as “grimed tributaries to an ancient flow” (a flow that could be Vedic civilization). Without God they can “win no frontier,” make no progress, but only “drift in stillness.”
Down, down—born pioneers in time’s despite,
Grimed tributaries to an ancient flow—
They win no frontier by their wayward plight,
But drift in stillness, as from Jordan’s brow.
The River of Life is much greater than any tributary civilization, and it sweeps all along with it in its course. This is also a River of dreams whose unity or “knit of identity” rests in the Self that is the same in all. Man is eternal in this river, for each man is the father of his father endlessly reincarnated.
The River, spreading, flows—and spends your dream.
What are you, lost within this tideless spell?
You are your father’s father, and the stream—
A liquid theme that floating niggers swell.
The theme the River sings is the Song of God as it heaps itself free from its bed to flow into the great Gulf of the Supreme Lord. The dream of life, of history, pours into the sea, its only will is in rapidly flowing unchecked, in spending itself of its confines and meeting and praising God in His great Gulf.
… Ahead
No embrace opens but the stinging sea;
The River lifts itself from its long bed,
Poised wholly on its dream, a mustard glow
Tortured with history, its one will—flow!
—The Passion spreads in wide tongues, choked and slow,
Meeting the Gulf, hosannas silently below.
In the “Cape Hatteras” section of The Bridge, Whitman is canonized by Crane as the great American poet-sage-guru-seer-saint who could perceive the Deity beneath the inherent sweetness of the earth and, like Columbus, the great Navigator, maintain his vision of the Godhead despite innumerable impediments—in Whitman’s case, the Civil War, industrialism, and the incipient madhouse of the Stock Exchange.
O Saunterer on free ways still ahead!
Not this our empire yet, but labyrinth
Wherein your eyes, like the Great Navigator’s without ship,
Gleam from the great stones of each prison crypt
Of canyoned traffic … Confronting the Exchange,
Surviving in a world of stocks. …Sea eyes and tidal, undenying, bright with myth!
Crane also states that it was Whitman who inspired The Bridge:
Our Meistersinger, thou set breath in steel;
And it was thou who on the boldest heel
Stood up and flung the span on even wing
Of that great Bridge, our Myth, whereof I sing!
The poet’s and humanity’s duty, as Crane sees it, is to meet the challenge Whitman gives them.
… To course that span of consciousness thou’st named
The Open Road—thy vision is reclaimed!
What heritage thou’st signalled to our hands!
… O joyous seer!
Recorders ages hence, yes, they shall hear
In their own veins uncancelled thy sure tread
And read thee by the aureole ‘round thy head
Of pasture-shine, Panis Angelicus!
Crane calls for a cohesive force in the Machine Age, one that will empregnate science and machinery with the. vision of God. The airplane pilot, “Falcon-Ace,” carries with him the hope of the race, and the Vedic injunctions are also in his veins, written in his wrists.
Remember, Falcon-Ace,
Thou hast there in thy wrist a Sanskrit charge
To conjugate infinity’s dim marge—
Anew … !
The next to last section of The Bridge, “The Tunnel,” stands as the most graphic depiction in verse of the hell man has constructed for himself in the 20th Century. The New York City subway comes to symbolize mankind’s tunnel of horrors that result from the improper use of the machine. “The Tunnel” does serve a positive function, however, for as in Dante’s Divine Comedy, one gets to heaven by going through hell. Hence the Blake quotation heading this section: “To find the Western path/ Right thro’ the Gates of Wrath.” It is in this tunnel that we hear the cries and bellows of a chaotic demonic mankind caught in the endless rounds and boroughs of samsara.
Some day by heart you’ll learn each famous sight
And watch the curtain lift in hell’s despite …
Our tongues recant like beaten weather vanes. …
The phonographs of hades in the brain
Are tunnels that re-wind themselves, and love
A burnt match skating in a urinal. …
In these “back forks of the chasms of the brain” and “interborough fissures of the mind,” Crane sees Edgar Poe, poet laureate of the tunnel of horrors, riding like a ghost with Death in his eyes “below the toothpaste and the dandruff ads.” As the train bends to a scream before diving under the East River, Crane delivers the most vehement accusation ainst the iron age in verse:
Daemon, demurring and eventful yawn!
Whose hideous laughter is a bellows mirth
—Or the muffled slaughter of a day in birth—
O cruelly to inoculate the brinking dawn
With antennae toward worlds that glow and sink;—
To spoon us out more liquid than the dim
Locution of the eldest star, and pack
The conscience navelled in the plunging wind,
Umbilical to call—and straightway die!
O caught like pennies beneath soot and steam,
Kiss of our agony thou gatherest;
Condensed, thou takest all—shrill ganglia
Impassioned with some song we fail to keep.
The “shrill ganglia” is contemporary civilization without a living spiritual myth, and the “song we fail to keep” is the Song of God. The section ends on a note of triumph, however. The subway rises up the slope from under the River and emerges in the open air where Crane sees the Bridge standing as a great Word promising eternal life.
And yet, like Lazarus, to feel the slope,
The sod and billow breaking,—lifting ground,
—A sound of waters bending astride the sky
Unceasing with some Word that will not die …!
The ‘Word” is the dharma that releases man from what Krishna called “the Great Fear,” death and the endless cycles of rebirths. Crane asks “Or shall the hands be drawn away, to die?” and the reply is that Shiva, the destroyer aspect, the “hand of Fire,” only gathers us to God. “Kiss of our agony Thou gatherest, / O Hand of Fire/gatherest—” leads logically into “Atlantis,” the great promise of the poem, which is a wonderful, tumbling description (the only one given in American verse) of the wonders of the spiritual universe. In “Atlantis,” the lost mythical city, the Bridge is celebrated in all its beauty, majesty, omnipotence, eternality, and knowledge. Religion, myth, science and technology merge to make a new and joyous music. “Music is then the knowledge of that which relates to love in harmony and system,” Crane quotes Plato, then sings the Absolute.
Through the bound cable strands, the arching path
Upward, veering with light, the flight of strings,—
Taut miles of shuttling moonlight syncopate
The whispered rush, telepathy of wires.
Up the index of night, granite and steel—
Transparent meshes—fleckless the gleaming staves—
Sibylline voices flicker, waveringly stream
As though a god were issue of the strings. …
And through that cordage, threading with its call
One arc synoptic of all tides below—
Their labyrinthine mouths of history
Pouring reply as though all ships at sea
Complighted in one vibrant breath made cry,—
“Make thy love sure—to weave whose song we ply!”
…
White tempest nets file upward, upward ring
With silver terraces the humming spars,
The loft of vision, palladium helm of stars.
…
Like hails, farewells,—up planet-sequined heights
Some trillion whispering hammers glimmer Tyre .
The Bridge is seen through a vision of blazing light, which is none other than the white, pervasive light of love. It is the Bridge that yokes “wave to kneeling wave,” unifying the creation in one mighty song of itself. “The vernal strophe chimes from deathless strings!”
From gulfs unfloding, terrible of drums,
Tall Vision-of-the-Voyage, tensely spare—
Bridge, lifting night to cycloramic crest
Of deepest day—O Choir, translating time
Into what multitudinous Verb the suns
And synergy of waters ever fuse, recast
In myriad syllables,—Psalm of Cathay!
O Love, thy white, pervasive Paradigm …!
The Bridge is beyond this relative world of time and space. It defies all mundane conceptions, logic, explanation, or description. Crane’s verse—a fusion of images—is peculiarly adept to give a sense of its wonder and power. It is the Bridge that controls the creation from lark’s northward flight to the glowing star. And it is the Bridge that leads man lovingly from the realms of time into the realm of eternal bliss.
O Thou steeled Cognizance whose leap commits
The agile precincts of the lark’s return;
Within whose lariat sweep encinctured sing
In single chrysalis the many twain,—
Of stars Thou art the stitch and stallion glow
And like an organ, Thou, with sound of doom—
Sight, sound and flesh Thou leadest from time’s realm
As love strikes clear direction for the helm.
Swift peal of secular light, intrinsic Myth
Whose fell unshadow is death’s utter wound. …
As in Whitman, the Bridge is a secular force in the New Age of the Machine. Without its unifying influence, man dies. Science is only a “minister” to this eternally young Deity, assigning Him a new beatitude, a new attribute as the God of Science and the Machine Age.
Forever Deity’s glittering Pledge, O Thou
Whose canticle fresh chemistry assigns
To rapt inception and beatitude,—
Always through blinding cables, to our joy,
Of thy white seizure springs the prophecy:
Always through spiring cordage, pyramids
Of silver sequel, Deity’s young name
Kinetic of white choiring wings … ascends.
Crane, at this point, sees his own chaotic life as a transgression against the Deity and, begging His pardon, bequeaths himself to His dazzling light while proclaiming the Deity Everpresent beyond the realms of time, unified as One Song, One Bridge, reconciling time and space omnipotently in Himself.
…
Unspeakable Thou Bridge, to Thee, O Love.
Thy pardon for this history, whitest Flower,
O Answerer of all,—Anemone,—
Now while thy petals spend the suns about us, hold—
(O Thou whose radiance doth inherit me)
Atlantis,—hold thy floating singer late!
So to thine Everpresence, beyond time,
Like spears ensanguined of one tolling star
That bleeds infinity—the orphic strings,
Sidereal phalanxes, leap and converge:
—One Song, one Bridge of Fire! Is it Cathay,
Now pity steeps the grass and rainbows ring
The serpent with the eagle in the leaves.
Whispers antiphonal in azure swing.
The Bridge was the only great poem of God consciousness in America to follow Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” and Crane’s early death no doubt cut short some even greater works. Today, thirty-seven years after The Bridge’s publication (1930), no poet in America has taken up the work begun by the transcendentalists, Whitman, and Crane: which is the work of all true poetry, the harmonization of God with the age. Today the poets in America are too busy with protest poems to positively affirm the Presence of the Supreme Lord Who is also the Lord of the Space Age. A true poet shows how God is visible in every age. Many of the young poets have jumped off the bumbling rampaging American bandwagon and are sitting alongside the American roadside like transcendental mendicants, but they don’t offer warm fires of love and truth. They simply grumble that the 20th Century Express is going too fast and in the wrong direction. No one is saying, “Here, this way.”
Krishna Consciousness is now indicating the direction. In American poetry the way has already been trod to a point. The post-war “Beat” poetry was a betrayal of Whitman’s and Crane’s positive vision. Now a poetry of the New Consciousness is needed, especially since the youth are discovering that the grand poetic vision is true and are beginning to explore “inner space.” Nor can the dry, corncob, speculative poetry of the Academy delineate this vision. A true poet is needed. “Nature and Man shall be disjoin’d and diffused no more,” Whitman wrote in “Passage to India.” The true son of God shall absolutely fuse them.” The fusion of Nature, God, the machine, Science and Man should be begun from the pivot of a solid and timeless theology, such as is set down in the Gita, not by recent concoctions of self-proclaimed avatars. May we soon hear a new strong voice singing in America to justify Whitman’s vision—
After the seas are all cross’d, (as they seem already cross’d,)
After the great captains and engineers have accomplish’d their work,
After the noble inventors, after the scientists, the chemist, the geologist, ethnologist,
Finally shall come the poet worthy that name,
The true son of God shall come singing his songs.
Poem to Hart Crane
Poem to Hart Crane
How many dawns you stood to watch the Bridge
Usher the sun from Brooklyn to New York,
Or how many dawns the Beauty of His Face
Entranced you with that white pervasive smile,
I know not; nor have these quick forty years
Changed the Changeless—the Twentieth rolls on,
The hustler’s at his corner and the boys
Still wind themselves to Wall Street’s karmic tick.
Aloft new steel-winged astronauts doth soar,
While underground demonic subways roar
And sweltering masses advertise our doom—
Here no tokens of the heart, nor love can bloom.
Yes, Grecian sex and rum would drive you mad
As they did yesterday. Greenwich Village
Still sells bodies, books, and promises new fads,
Though “Bolero” and the bottle you might trade
For rock ‘n’ roll and cubes of LSD—
Have to keep up—Twentieth Century Limited,
You know, roars fast to keep your prophecy:
“Kiss of our agony, thou gatherest,
O Hand of Fire—gatherest,” and now the bombs
Multiply like weekly subway ads
While Bowery bums blow spindrift off their beer.
That typewriter won’t type Sanscrit, Hart! Oh
Take a boat. Why not? The season’s ripe,
His sovereign Smile is beckoning on His foam…
Why even now I catch His breezes fresh,
Gifts of seahorse couriers winged home.
“The bottom of the sea is cruel,” you say,
But knowing Greybeard’s promise you take off
Your coat and jump—O brave, eternal, true
Is His strong azure Breast that catches you.
Radha Krishna
Radha Krishna
In the days when the Infinite Lord dwelt at Vrajabhumi as boy, He was the darling of all the much-blest people of that neighborhood. Each had some particular rasa toward Krishna—that is, some sublimely sweet relationship. The highest of these relationships was that experienced by the Gopis, Krishna’s girl friends, who were of approximately the same age as Himself. The Gopis’ love for Krishna stood above the purest performance of ritual devotion, and beyond even His supreme capacity to reciprocate. They are considered to stand at the height of all perfection among living entities. And the foremost of these maids was Radharani. She is the Lord’s pleasure potency, His Eternal Consort, and His Most Beloved. In the Maha Mantra, the word Hare is another name for Radha.
How I Met Swami Bhaktivedanta
How I Met Swami Bhaktivedanta
Haridas Das Brahmachary
(Harvey Cohen)
I knew right away that he was my teacher. It was like something that happens in books.
In September 1965 I went up to Ananda Ashram, an hour and a half out of New York City. I went there mostly to get out of the city. The Indian guru who presided at the Ashram I had met before in New York at a Yoga Society. Many of my friends were involved with him studying Raja Yoga, a form of meditation. They were very enthusiastic and tried to persuade me to come uptown with them to their meetings.
To tell the truth, although I liked their teacher personally, I could never meditate successfully. My mind would always wander after a few minutes. All kinds of images drifted into my consciousness, and I would feel I wasn’t normal or as serious as the others who seemed able to sit calm and immobile for great periods of time. “It was such a good meditation,” they would exclaim after a session. I couldn’t figure it out.
Anyhow, I had to have a change from the city for many reasons. My friends said the Ashram was peaceful and beautiful with a big lake and woods. I took a but and felt gradually better as I got further from New York. It was a holiday weekend, Labor Day, and I didn’t have a reservation. I didn’t know you needed a reservation for a Yoga Camp. Arriving at two in the morning didn’t make my reception any warmer but the person in charge let me in and gave me a bed. I was beginning to get that feeling again—that I was an outsider and not ready for Yoga discipline.
Next day everyone got up early and went to morning meditation. The guru was resplendent in golden Indian style jacket and his devotees were already deeply into it when I entered the room. All the cushions were taken and I picked a spot in the back of the room where I could lean against the wall to facilitate my meditation. I noticed some of my friends, eyes closed in lotus position. Seated at one side was an older Indian man in saffron dyed thermal underwear and wrapped in a pinkish wool blanket. He seemed to be muttering to himself and I later discovered that he was praying. It was Swami Bhaktivedanta. His forehead was painted with a white V-shaped sign and his eyes were half shut. He seemed very serene.
There was a lecture by the guru of the Ashram and a girl read from book. Then another meditation, this time with everyone concentrating on a circle drawn on the wall. I couldn’t do it. The circle kept changing it’s size and shape, and after a while began to fill with strange forms. My attention drifted to the faces around the room and all of them seemed involved with the circle. I looked out the window through the lacy curtains to the lake. It was green and misty and beautiful, and even if I couldn’t get interested in Raja Yoga I felt happy to be out of New York City and into the country.
It began to rain. We left the meditation room and filed to the dining room a few hundred yards away in another building. The morning session was evidently success from the conversation at breakfast. There was a Swedish nature film scheduled which I had seen, so I went to my room, sat on the single mattress on the floor and began to read. The rain was increasing and beating against the windows. It was peaceful and I was glad to be alone. I read for a while. Suddenly I sensed someone standing in the doorway. Looking up I saw it was the Swami. He was wrapped in his pink blanket. “Can I come in?” he asked. I nodded yes and he asked if he could sit in the chair in the corner. “What are you reading?” he smiled. “Kafka Diaries” I replied, feeling a little embarrassed. “Uh.” he said, and I put the book down. He asked what I was doing at the Ashram and if I was interested in Yoga. “What kind of yoga are you studying?” “I don’t know much about it” I answered, “but I think I’d like to study Hatha Yoga.” This didn’t impress him. “There are better things than this,” he explained. “There are higher, more direct forms of yoga. Bhaktiyoga is the highest—it is the science of God devotion”. The Swami continued, “We are all dependent. No one is independent. Everyone here is thinking “Who am I?” I can answer that in one second, I am a servant. We are all servants. Servants of what? Of whom? Servants of God. All of us are serving someone or something, a boss a cat or dog, our family, our country. Why don’t we admit this? We should serve the highest master. We should serve the Supreme Lord. This is our constitutional position and the only way to be happy and become liberated from material bondage.” As he spoke I got the overpowering realization that he was right. He was speaking the truth. And it was as if I had never heard it before. All of my questions were answered without having to ask him anything. I felt he read my soul. A creepy ecstatic sensation came over me that this man was my teacher that all my life was a mere preparation to this moment. His works were so simple and yet they seemed to come from the deepest wisdom. I lost all sense of time and place. It was truly a turning point in my life and I knew it.
After that for the rest of the weekend I kept looking at him. He sat so calmly and had such dignity and warmth. He asked me to visit him when we returned to the city. The room he occupied was a tiny office in the back of the Yoga Society in uptown Manhattan. I began to go there regularly and we sat facing each other on the floor, just him and me in this little office with his typewriter and a new tape recorder he had purchased on top of two suitcases, a box of books he had brought from India and a color reproduction of dancing figures which he looked at often. I told Swami Bhaktivedanta that I was an artist and he asked me to “please paint this picture” which he explained was of Lord Chaitanya and his disciples dancing and chanting praises to Krishna, the Supreme Lord. The painting was called Samkirtan. Whenever I came to visit him, Swami would always be happy to see me. He became my mother and father as well as my teacher and friend. I told him the most intimate things about myself. We chanted Hare Krishna together in his room many nights that winter in New York. Praise to Krishna, praise to God.
I couldn’t wait to get the train uptown from my apartment in Greenwich Village so I could see him. Everything and everyone I knew gradually receded into the hum of the city, and Swami Bhaktivedanta became the most important person in my life. I stopped seeing the woman psychologist I had gone to for therapy after the sudden death of both my parents. My relationships with friends began to change. They no longer were my center. Krishna was becoming my center and Swami Bhaktivedanta was showing me the way. It was as if the cloud that had been covering my soul was slowly lifting and the light within me was beginning to shine out. The whole world seemed to shift around me. Going home from those unforgettable evenings with Swamiji I chanted on the train, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and didn’t care what anyone thought.
Haridas Das Brahmachary (Harvey Cohen)
All Glories to Lord Ramachandra
All Glories to Lord Ramachandra
Lord Rama appeared on this planet many long ages ago. He is the Lord as the Perfect King, for He was King of this world, known then as Ilavativarsha. Lord Rama’s life, and His war against the atheist King Ravana, are the subject of the famous Ramayana.
The Ogre's Lament
The Ogre's Lament
by Rayarama das
Gnarled within
And gnarled without,
I am the lumbering, lusting
Brute denizen of this concrete swamp,
The minion of immemorial shadow.
I am the killer and the coward,
I the beast of rages,
The blind and ugly madman
Chasing other madman
Through the death-choked catacombs of Time.
And now, as a burrowing mole might chance upon the noon sun all ablaze,
I have come to You, O Krishna,
And my savage throat,
Clogged with ghastly carrion,
Cannot cherish You.
O, I am a lover who cannot love!
I am a fool addressing Wisdom!
I am the gloomy grotesque, daring to praise the
glistening Pinnacle of beauty!
I croak and shamble,
Beetle my brows,
And groan at the prospect:
How (O how!) - I would adore You—
If I only might? If only I were other than I am!
Nor does it lessen my grief to realize
That in Your infinite splendor
Even I am bathed,
As the sun baths the deep pits of Earth in passing over them.
No. I remain inconsolable!
My heart is bleeding,
And the blood is like a tortured sea
Being churned by the white hot blasts
Of Your unimagined loveliness.
Rayarama das Brahmachary
(Raymond Marais)
Krishna and the Vedic View:
Krishna and the Vedic View:
The Swami Responds
Dear Swami,
In some of your writings, you use the term Krishna, the Divine Lover. Do you mean that Krishna is the Universal Erotic Principle? Or is Krishna a symbol for universal brotherhood?
Sincerely,
Len Berkowitz
Dear Mr. Berkowitz,
It might be more accurate to say that eroticism—by which I assume you mean sexual activity—is a reflection of Krishna’s Eternal Pastimes. Krishna is our eternal Lover, regardless of what body we may be in, if any. Sex must refer to the material body, but Krishna is unlimited, and His love is also unlimited. Neither time nor space can effect Them, as they do the body. As for brotherhood—that presupposes a common father. As Krishna, God, is our common Father, an understanding of our relationship to Him must produce the true sweet brotherhood which our present civilization so sadly lacks.
Dear Swamiji,
Do you claim that the Vedic mythology is actually true?
Roger Cagloff
Dear Mr. Cagloff,
Do you claim it isn’t?
Dear Swami,
What is the relationship between God and the material universe?
Maureen McShane
Dear Miss McShane,
This material universe is shining from the body of the Lord. We are as the sunlight, He the Sun.
Dear Swami Bhaktivedanta,
I’ve heard that you believe in many gods. Is this true? How can you say that Krishna is God, if you follow many gods?
Sincerely, Kay Duffield
Dear Miss Duffield,
The demi-gods are like the ministers of state. Each fulfills a particular function, controlling a particular agency of Nature, so to speak. And Krishna, God, is like the King. God is One, but His energies, agencies and agents are infinite. Some are very powerful, like Brahma, the creator of this material universe, and some are relatively insignificant, like the dust of the roadside, or a flea. But all are God’s, and only He should be followed—nobody else, ever.
Dear Swamiji,
What are the upper planets? Is this the Christian heaven, or Kingdom of God?
Yours truly,
Ronald Holmes
Dear Mr. Holmes,
The Vedic literature informs us that there are three planetary systems in the material world—the upper (heavenly) planets, the middle planets, and the lower, or hellish planets. This earth, for example, is a middle planet. The Kingdom of God, however, is Spiritual. It is transcendental to matter, and exists in the spiritual sky. The material planets are also within the spiritual sky—but in a section which is covered by the unfortunate cloud of Illusion.
Dear Swami Bhaktivedanta,
Could you please answer a question for me: Is there such thing as a spiritual sky? And if so, what is meant by the term? I’ve heard it used, but think maybe it’s a mistranslation of some Hindu concept. Thanks.
Yours,
Sutton Dale
Dear Mr. Dale,
The spiritual sky is not a concept, but a fact. Nor is it Hindu; it is beyond any material designation whatever. In the Bhagavad Gita and other Vedic writings this sky is described as being self-illuminated. That is to say, every atom of that sky is alive, conscious. Sky, or space, is considerably more extended than our modern scientists would have us believe. That is because their instruments are faulty and limited. But don’t be fooled: you can yourself experience the spiritual sky, just as you can now perceive the blue vault over this planet. It simply requires finding out how to do so.
Dear Swami,
What is the Causal Ocean?
Your friend,
Judy Johnson
Dear Miss Johnson,
Can you picture a deep-sea fish wondering, What is the atmosphere? The outer wrapping is difficult to see from the middle of the inside.
Dear Swami Bhaktivedanta,
I’ve heard a little about your Krishna Consciousness movement, and frankly I’m more than a bit skeptical. What is Krishna? Is it the Hindu concept of the Absolute Truth, like Om? Is it Void? Or is it a fearful character, like Jehovah? Another thing that bugs me is, how come Krishna isn’t even mentioned as one of the Hindu Trinity?
Yours,
Harry Fox
My dear Mr. Fox,
Please rest at ease—Krishna is not a fearful character. In the Bhagavad Gita, He declares Himself to be the dearest Friend to all living beings. Om is the sound representation of Krishna. Like the Jewish Jehova, Krishna is a Name of God. But, again, let me assure you, He is your good Friend. In fact, He is your eternal Lover. You have simply forgotten Him. My movement is simply the work of an emissary come from your Divine Lover—hoping to make you remember Him. As for the Void and the Hindu Trinity: do not lose sleep over them. They will not bite you. I shall take up those topics another time, when space permits.
Dear Swami Bhaktivedanta,
I have been chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra for a week. Am I liberated now?
Mrs. Jean McGillis
Dear Mrs. McGillis,
When you eat a good meal, do you have to ask the waiter if you are full? Keep chanting.
Your well-wisher
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Dear Mr. Wheeler,
A number of days ago, I read an article in the “National Insider” called: “The Secrets Of Krishna Consciousness.” I quote you: “The Communists say that everything belongs to the State, we know that everything belongs to God. The key word is consciousness—and I attained it purely by chanting the 16 words over and over again. It is the vibrations you see. … “Frankly, I don’t see. When you speak of consciousness, I assume that you mean awareness. Now I know that my awareness changes in quality, that is, my awareness varies in intensity. Or I would say that my perception varies in sharpness. Now my question is this: are you saying that your perception of the world, what is, or reality has changed; or are you saying that your consciousness change has allowed you to perceive a different world from the one which you perceived before the change in consciousness? Let me put it another way. A number of years ago, the thought came to me that God is not a person; it came to me that God is a state. It seemed to me that one is always in the state of God, but that most of the time we do not perceive ourselves as being in this state. Am I making any sense to you? You spoke of consciousness expansion. What did you mean by it? I assume that you mean that you are less distracted and more able to perceive the world without projecting your own feelings and what have you onto it. Am I right or wrong.?
Suffice to say, I would be very grateful any information that you could give me on Krishna Consciousness. I agree with Swami Bhaktivedanta when he says that “Modern civilization is paying too much attention to the body and not enough attention to studying the nature of consciousness…”
Sincerely yours,
Stephen V. Crosby, Jr.
Penn. State College
Dear Mr. Crosby,
The Reality of God is eternal and does not change. It is Sat Chit Ananda that is, eternal bliss and knowledge Absolute. It is also Consciousness and Intelligence. It is also beyond Consciousness and Intelligence. As the Supreme Personality, it is He (i. e. Krishna), and He is pure Spirit, or Soul (Purusha) which is imperishable, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. Nothing can really be predicated about Him. He is.
Now, in regards to our individual consciousness—this can be changed. In fact, it is constantly being changed from day to day, hour to hour, moment to moment. We are conditioned beings and imperfect. Our senses are imperfect. We do not always perceive the omnipresent Spirit, but this does not mean that He is not there. Our imperfect senses “get in the way”. This is what is meant when it is said that the Supreme is “veiled by Maya, or Illusion.” The Lord’s Prakriti, or material energy, emanates from Him, and entangled in this energy, we lose sight of the Origin, the Ultimate Source which is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.
The process of changing our consciousness to God Consciousness is the process of chanting the Holy Names of God: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This is simple and scientific and sublime. For example, music changes your consciousness very quickly. If you hear rock and roll, you might think of sex. If you hear Bach’s Mass in B you may have a religious ecstasy. These sounds remind you of certain things… they change or direct your consciousness to these things.
Similarly, chanting Hare Krishna directs our consciousness to Krishna, and turns it away from Maya. The more you chant, the more your consciousness changes, the more God conscious you become. Then God will reveal Himself to you. It is a matter of preparing yourself to “see” the Supreme. Who are you that the Supreme should stand before you? What is man that God should be mindful of him? First we must qualify ourselves.
I could write interminably about the chant, but will stop here. By consciousness expansion I mean seeing God in everything, as the eternal Reality underlying all forms.
Sincerely,
Howard Wheeler
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
The innovating spark behind the present Samkirtan Movement was Lord Chaitanya, Who appeared in India approximately 480 years ago. Chaitanya is the perfect Form of Radha and Krishna, together as One. His mission was to teach devotional service of God, and to provide in Himself the perfect example of such transcendental life.
On the opposite page we see Lord Chaitanya, along with His disciples, Nityananda Prabhu (first on the reader’s left), Adwaita Prabhu (next on the left), Gadadhar (first on the right) and Srila Srivas. These great benefactors of the human race passed nearly all their time in the ecstasy of chanting the Holy Names of God: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare!
I Wanted to
I Wanted to
by Damodara Das
I sat on a suburban hillside
And watched, across a small valley,
The opposite rise of land,
Covered with low gray houses.
Where I was in the grass,
By a Black Birch tree
With Branches good for toothbrushes,
Two pheasants slowly picked
Their way through the dry leaves.
Across on the other hill,
Dim noises crackled from the roads
And rooftops. Robins whistled.
It gently faded into brilliance.
I held the light back from me,
Not desiring the Void any more,
Only trying to understand it.
Seven years ago used beer
To hold Revival Meetings.
Six years ago I used a lunatic system
Of “Time and Energy” to forget God.
Five years ago I used Bartok
To make a window disappear.
Four years ago I used logic
To prove everything was nothing.
Three years ago I used film
To eliminate the blood problem.
Two years ago I contemplated mist.
One year ago I saw the Void.
Brittle, metallic stupidity.
The buzzing crash of electrons.
But now Swami told us
Something more that included
The mute impersonal glare.
Swami told us the truth,
And this was just illusion.
Swami told us about people,
And this was just physics.
Swami told us about love,
And this was just eternity.
God takes care of this, somehow,
All this ignorance.
Why was it illusion?
It appeared to be all-inclusive.
There was first the physical,
Then the rattling of the physical,
Then the dissemination into light.
But it didn’t include
What Swami told us.
And he told us the truth.
I remembered the crashing electrons.
I paid attention and realised
The crashing was in this body,
Not in the hillside over there.
In my sense of it, the sight of it,
The sound of it, smell, touch, taste.
It appeared to be all-inclusive
Because this body was a network
With a beginning and an end.
Void-consciousness was body-consciousness.
And the hillside didn’t give a damn.
The hillside was still there,
Going about its business,
And I was wrapped up in this body.
My senses only wanted to sense themselves.
To get to the hill I needed faith.
God made the hill and it was not Void.
He put it there,
I couldn’t deny it.
I relaxed beyond my senses,
I relaxed into faith in God.
Staring at a hillside,
Gathering sense impressions,
Arranging them on a sheet of
Celluloid in front of me,
Pulling it, stretched,
Away from the hillside,
Forced up to me.
Then it burned and disappeared
In a hard shining fire.
But the hill was still there.
I went to the temple that night
Only because I wanted to.
Dancing there was Swami;
Chanting, there was Swami;
Sitting, there was Swami;
Who else told us the truth?
The truth is
Hare-Krishna-Hare-Krishna
Krishna-Krishna-Hare-Hare
Hare-Rama-Hare-Rama
Rama-Rama-Hare-Hare;
Him.
Swami told us that.
Everything else is extra.
Swami told us that too.
Damodara Das Adhikary
(Dan Clark)
An Address to American Youth
An Address to American Youth
By A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
(Delivered Sunday, June 4, at Tompkins Square Park
by Kirtanananda Das Brahmachary)
My dear young beautiful boys and girls of America. I have come to your country with great hope and a great mission. My Spiritual Master, Om Vishnupad Paramhansa Paribrajaka Acharya Sri Sriman Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj, asked me to preach this cult of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the Western World. That was the seed-giving incident. Gradually the seed fructified, and I was prepared to come to the Western World. Still, I do not know why I was so much attracted by the land of America. But from within Krishna dictated that instead of going to Europe I should better go to America. So you can see that I have come to your country under order of superior authority. And even after arriving here, when I perceived that some of the youngsters are being misled, confused and frustrated—this is not the condition in your country only, but in every country, the young people are neglected, although it is they who are the flower and future hope of everyone—so I thought to myself that if I go the American youth with my message and they join with me in this movement, then it will spread all over the world and then all the problems of the world will be solved. How I would like to be with you in person today, but Krishna has prevented that, so please pardon me and accept my blessings in this written form.
This process of Samkirtan—this singing and dancing—is so nice because from the very beginning it places everyone on the spiritual platform. There are different platforms or levels to our existence: the bodily platform, the mental platform, the intellectual platform, and the spiritual platform. When you stand on the spiritual platform then all the problems created by the necessities of the body, mind, intellect, and ego become solved. Therefore I appeal to you to join this movement most seriously. The process is very simple: we ask everyone to come join with us in chanting, hear something of the philosophy of life taught by Lord Krishna, take a little prasadam (foodstuff that is prepared and offered to the Lord), and peacefully, with refreshed mind go home. That is our mission.
We do have certain restrictions; practically, they are not restrictions, but something better in place of something inferior. The other day, Mr Alan Burke questioned me on his television program, “Swamiji, why do you insist on marriage?” And I answered him, “Unless one becomes peaceful in home life, how can he make any advance in any other area of life or knowledge? Therefore everyone should get married—just to be happy and peaceful.” You are all beautiful, nice educated boys and girls—why shouldn’t you get married and live happily? If you live peacefully, regulated lives, eating nothing but Krishna prasadam, then the tissues in your brain will develop for spiritual consciousness and understanding.
However, if you are not agreeable to these simple restrictions, still I request you to join the chanting with us. Everybody can do that, and that will gradually clarify everything, and all problems will be solved, and you will find a new chapter of your life. Just this week I have received a letter from a girl in New Jersey who has had such an experience. She writes:
“Dear Swamiji,
You don’t know me by name, but I am the girl who joined your parade in Washington Square this past Saturday.
When I first saw your group I thought you were all crazy. Either that or on dope of some kind. After listening and talking with some you I realized that it was neither of those. You people plainly believed in what you were doing and I admired you for that much; but my curiosity drove me further and I had to find out why. So I followed you and as I did, the chant you sang began to take hold. The next thing I knew I felt free of myself and I was singing too. I didn’t know where I was or where I was going but I was too elated to care. It wasn’t until we stopped that I learned where I was.
By that time I had picked up bits and pieces of what Krishna Consciousness was about. One of your members asked me to visit your temple and I followed you still further, hoping to discover just what it was that made you feel so strongly about something I’d never heard of.
After having taken a meal with you and reading your literature I left; but not alone. I took with me a new awareness of life. It occurred to me how futile my desires for the material things in life were: that a new dress, or big house or color television were not important. If only people would open their eyes to the endless number of pleasures God has already given us, there would be no need to look any further.
You people are truly lucky. You may have had to do without many things but because of this you are able to enjoy the simple God-given treasures of the world. Because of your beliefs, you are the wealthy; and I thank you for sharing a bit of that wealth with me.
So we invite you to please chant with us—it is such a nice thing; come to our temple if you like; take a little prasadam; and be happy. It is not very difficult if you just chant this HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE, HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE. That will save you. Thank you very much, and God bless you.
Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Advertisement
Advertisement
INTRODUCTION TO GEETOPANISHAD
(Bhagavad Gita As It Is)
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Bhagavad Gita is widely recognized as the compendium of all Vedic wisdom, yet there are few who have the necessary qualifications to understand and teach this all-important scripture. Swami Bhaktivedanta—who is a devotee in the line of disciplic succession from Arjuna—is one of these few. His introduction to the Geetopanishad is a classic in its own right.
25c
TWO ESSAYS
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
In WHO IS CRAZY? and KRISHNA, THE RESERVOIR OF PLEASURE, the Swami explains the illusion of materialism, and the process of acquiring true vision in the perpetual bliss of Krishna Consciousness.
25c
KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS
A 33 Ÿ long playing record on the Happening label, in which the devotees perform Kirtan (chanting the Hare Krishna Mantrum), and which further includes mantras sung by the Swami in praise of his spiritual master. Available from the Society.
ALSO AVAILABLE AT OUR TEMPLE
—Incense—30 sticks. . .25c
—Wooden Beads, with a booklet which offers a fast, easy way to string them, and which further explains their general value in chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra. 1 package.. . . .$1. 50
—Indian Hand Cymbals. .1 pair...$1.25
—HARE KRISHNA lapel buttons. . . 10c each
SRIMAD BHAGAWATAM
by Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasadeva
The original and genuine commentary on Vedanta philosophy by the author of the Vedanta Himself, Vyasadeva—now available for the first time in English with an authorized commentary by Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta.
The Srimad Bhagawatam is the post-graduate study of the Bhagavad Gita, or the Science of Krishna. This book of transcendental knowledge contains information of classical Hindu culture, philosophy, sociology, economics, politics, aesthetics and Divine Love.
This unique edition of Srimad Bhagawatam has been greatly appreciated by all learned societies of philosophy and theosophy and approved by the Indian State and Central Government Departments of Education, and by the United States Government. Swami Bhaktivedanta’s edition contains Sanskrit, Sanskrit transliteration, English equivalents, translation and elaborate commentaries. Published by the League of Devotees, New Delhi, India, 1962-65. Price: $16.80 for 3 volumes (1200 pages). Postage paid by the Society.
Available from the International Society For Krishna Consciousness, 26 Second Avenue, New York, New York, 10003.
* * * * * * * * *
BACK TO GODHEAD is published monthly by the International Society For Krishna Consciousness at 26 Second Avenue, New York, New York, 10003. 1-year subscription (12 issues) $4. 00. Phone 674-7428.
FOUNDER: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
EDITORS: Hayagriva Das Brahmachary (Howard Wheeler)
Rayarama Das Brahmachary (Raymond Marais)
CIRCULATION: Gargamuni Das Brahmachary (Gregory Scharf)
PRINTING: Purushottam Das Brahmachary (Paul Auerbach)
Jaigovinda Das Brahmachary (Jeffrey Havener)
The Artists
The Artists
THE ARTISTS whose work so beautifully graces our pages are, to begin with, Jadurani Devi Dasi, directress of the Art Department. Jadurani Prabhu’s work appears on the inside cover, and on the back cover. Her other work includes a prolific, output of oil paintings on such subjects as Yasoda Krishna, Radha Krishna, Narayana (a series of twenty-four canvases), Guru Maharaj, Narada Muni, and numerous others.
The pictures of The Bridge, Radha Krishna, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and Lord Ramachandra were drawn by Gaursundar das Adhikary (Gary McElroy) and his wife Govinda Devi. In addition to their illustrations for Back To Godhead, they’re engaged in creating a slide film strip on the life of Prahlad Maharaj.
All glories to these fine servants of the Lord.
Back to Godhead Magazine #14, 1967
On the Cover
On the Cover
Kaliya was a many-headed serpent who dwelt in a pool of the River Yamuna, and whose poison was so potent that the entire river thereabouts was polluted. But when the Supreme Lord appeared at Vrindavan as a cowherd boy, five thousand years ago, He sanctified the Yamuna and drove Kaliya from its waters. At first the mighty serpent thought to slay this mere foolish child, but then the Child began a dance upon the viper's heads, and with every touch of Krishna's feet, a head was crushed. At length, Kaliya repented his evil deeds, and took center of the Lord, realizing how truly blest he was—for even the demigods of the highest planets ever crave to be in contact with the dust of the feet of God.
By The Mercy of Krishna:
By The Mercy of Krishna:
As must be widely known by now, Swami Bhaktivedanta, our beloved spiritual master, was stricken with severe illness in May. Although he has been unable to make public appearances since that time, the work which he instituted has continued in all three of the temples devoted to the preaching of Krishna Consciousness.
It is by the grace of the spiritual master that the darkness of illusion is expelled from the heart and mind of the fortunate student, and so it is that the Swami is held in utmost reverence by his disciples.
To be sure, Krishna regards the service of His pure devotee as greater than service rendered directly unto Him. And we whom the Lord has graced by contact with the Swami have no desire but to serve our teacher with all our powers, and to aid in his work of propagating the great Samkirtan Movement. The work of the genuine spiritual master and the service of God are in no way different.
We ask all men of good will to join us in praying Lord Krishna to allow Swamiji to remain on this planet, where his inspiration is so desperately needed!
Hare Krishna.
The Editors
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
I offer my obeisances unto my spiritual master who has opened my eyes in the midst of darkness.
We are in the darkness of material nature and it is the duty of the Spiritual Master to open our eyes to the light. In our conditional state, we cannot see things as they are. But, by the mercy of the Spiritual Master, we can come to see things, through aural reception. The first way to receive knowledge is by direct perception, through the senses. For example, if I see you playing a drum, that is a kind of knowledge acquired.
However, of all forms of learning, the first class perception is to receive knowledge from direct authorities. According to Vedic literature, hearing from authority is perfect knowledge. Direct sensual perception is imperfect. For example, if a motorman sees a car, he knows what it is, but if a child sees it, he can't know. Simply by use of the senses, we can't know anything certainly. The child is not an expert, as the motorman is. In medicine, if you wish to be a doctor, you must study with a doctor. So, if in material things authority is necessary, how can we learn of God on our own? The Vedic recommendation is that, if you wish to have transcendental knowledge, you must go to a Spiritual Master.
But whom shall I accept for my Spiritual Master? There are two qualifications to look for: first, he must be one who has heard perfectly from his master. And what is the proof of this? That, secondly, he lives fully in the knowledge he has received. Bhagavad Gita is the science of God. In other scriptures, there is a concept of God. But, take this example: We can see that the flower is red, and the leaf is green. But a botanist will give you far more perfect and subtle knowledge. So, there is theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge.
The science of God means that we should have, of course, knowledge of the Lord. We cannot have full, practical knowledge of God. Even with a leaf, we cannot know all about it. This is because, by nature, we are limited. In Bhagavad Gita you will find it stated that we are small particles. In Padma Purana the measurement of the soul is given as the tip of the hair divided by 100, and then again. But we have no way to imagine such things. Sometimes we imagine there is no soul. That soul is within you, but persons with less intelligence say there is none.
The Vedic way to understand is to learn from authority. A child must depend upon its mother in order to know who its father is, and there is no recourse to her authority. So, similarly, the Supreme Father—God—what is He? How can we know? We can know through the Vedic literature, the merciful mother. The Vedas are called mother, and Smriti, the additional Scriptural literature, is called sister. We must learn of God from the authority of God. Bhagavad Gita is accepted in Indian theological society. There are two divisions in this theological community: the personalist and the impersonalist. The personalists are divided into four, but all four are personalists. All bona fide impersonalists follow Shankaracharya. Now in his commentary on Bhagavad Gita, Shankaracharya says, “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krishna.” If we want to learn of God, we have Bhagavad Gita, which is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.
It is best to accept authority, but questions and doubts are not forbidden. The means of study are outlined in Bhagavad Gita. First you must surrender to a man of knowledge. We have to search out such a person. But simply finding a Spiritual Master is not enough. Next comes inquiry. And, too, there must be service. This is described in every Vedic writing. The same process is always followed: find a bona fide Spiritual Master, surrender, query, and serve.
In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna is the Spiritual Master and Arjuna is the pupil. Krishna and Arjuna are of the same age. They are related, as cousin-brothers, and Krishna's sister is Arjuna's wife. Krishna is playing like an ordinary man. So, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Krishna and Arjuna were talking as friends, but when the talks got nowhere, Arjuna accepted Krishna as his Spiritual Master. Only this surrender to one in higher knowledge can resolve our bewilderment.
Bhagavad Gita is also known as Geetopanisad. At the end of each chapter you will find: ity srimad bhagavad gita supanisatsu, etc. Out of many Upanisads, nine are very important. But Bhagavad Gita is the essence of all Upanisads. In others, there is a faint idea of God, but in the Gita this God is clearly described. In Isopanisad, the glaring effulgence of the Lord is spoken of. This effulgence is like the sunshine, which can obscure our view of the sun. The effulgence blocks our vision of the Lord. The sun, which we see every day, is unapproachable. There is no way for us to go to the sun planet. What then to speak of God? There is a God-planet also, but it is far, far away. The generally accepted name is Bhagavad Gita, but I have named it Geetopanisad, because that is used at the end of each chapter.
Some American lady asked me for a good translation, but I could not offer one. There are many Bhagavad Gitas in English, but the commentaries are poor.
How to understand Bhagavad Gita as it is, is mentioned in 4th chapter, first 3 verses. This yoga was first spoken to the sun god, then to his son Manu, then to his son Iksaku, and then to Mankind. Now Krishna says that, in the course of time, that line of knowledge was broken. There were many scholars then, but still Krishna says that Bhagavad Gita was lost. Ordinary scholarship is insufficient for understanding Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna was nothing more than a fighter. He was neither a scholar nor a Vedantist. He was not even a Brahmin. He was a great fighter. Spiritually, however, he was Krishna's friend. It is naturally understood that the mystery of Bhagavad Gita was given to Arjuna because of this friendship toward the Lord, and Arjuna's understanding is presented in the 10th chapter.
As on a medicine bottle there is a dosage direction, so the Gita should be studied according to the directions of the Gita. This is done through disciplic succession. Arjuna was accepted as the next in line from Krishna. If we follow him, then our understanding is necessarily perfect.
The First Days of Spring
The First Days of Spring
by Damodar das
The aroma of the chant is a bee,
Buzzing, calling, a magnet pulling
Me away from wife and friends,
Forgetful of all but Krishna,
A baby—
God is a cowherd boy, a baby,
All of us are babies, crying
For our mother, Krishna,
A little bee, buzzing,
And stinging me, a cruel lover,
When I scream so hard for You
And You don't let me see You—
My body is exhausted, my voice broken—
Look what You've done to me!
I can't understand You, but I love You—
Do what You want with me—
I'll never know why You cheat me,
It only seems to be cheating because I'm a fool,
Do whatever You want—
Ruin me—
Your sting is all I ask for,
And perhaps a glimpse, now and then,
Of Your Lotus Feet—
Krishna—
Damodar das Adhikary (Dan Clark)
The Deliverance of the Fallen
The Deliverance of the Fallen
by Satsvarupa das
Mercy is kindness delivered from the Supreme Power. People are partaking of mercy whether they acknowledge it or not; Krishna's Mercy shines into all the acts of the universe.
Our position as living entities is that we have sensual bodies. According to Vedic wisdom we have these bodies because we wanted them:
“All beings are born to delusion Bharata, overcome by the dualities
which arise from wish and hate, O Conquerer of the foe.” (7.27 Bhagavad Gita)
In delusion, hating God, we thought we could better enjoy ourselves as lords of matter—and so, at our wish, we have been put into these bodies which are bound by the three-fold miseries (those arising from the body and mind, those inflicted by other living entities, and those inflicted by Nature). Chief among these are the miseries of birth, death, old age and disease. And yet this very state of temporal life, beset with unavoidable misery, is revealed, on thoughtful examination, to be the mercy of the Supreme.
In our original constitutional position we are infinitesimal fragments of the Supreme Consciousness:
“The living entities are eternally fragmental parts of Me. They are dragging on in a bitter struggle for existence in the material Nature, with the six senses including mind.” (15.7 Bhagavad Gita)
We cannot lose this status, even entangled in the delusions that led to our desiring the perishable body, we cannot lose our eternal part and parcel constitution. Being put into material bodies is God's mercy, and being given the chance to return to Him is also His mercy. This constantly radiating mercy of the Lord is without cause. We are His fragmental portions and He is compassionate toward us, even if we make ourselves strangers and enemies to Him.
His mercy is clearly seen in the Sanskrit word Maya. Maya means “what is not.” It also has a second meaning- “God's grace”. It works this way: Maya is the illusory energy, the material world. Maya is what is perishable, what we living entities take as the real and the all-in-all. These 60 to 100 years of life, the family ties, the working hard for a living, the struggle to get on, the struggle to enjoy with mind and body, the attachment to matter as the final substance—these temporal things work as illusion when we think of them as permanent. In other words, when we forget God and look on the world without Him, we are in illusion. When we do not transcend this world, that is Maya.
But Maya is also “God's grace.” If we want illusion, it is granted to us. God has the power to smash us into powder for being disobedient sons, but as we go on, forgetful of Him, constructing our Times Squares of the world and living for the ‘enjoyment’ of our blunt, misery-bound senses, the Supreme Lord gives us—does not deny us—this freedom for mischievous self-damage. He has shown us the approach to Himself- to Him Who is defined as Sat-Chit-Ananda Vigraha, eternity, knowledge and bliss in their fullness—and we choose instead to mate and sleep, to defend and eat alone. And for this revolt we are given more mercy; we are given more and more of what we want, even if what we want is the lower animal status, or hell. And so the transmigration of the eternal individual soul progresses.
If we live demoniac lives we are granted more of the same—that is, mercy. The godly rise and reach His abode. The demons refute their eternal portion and come back to this world to enjoy the pangs of duality (i. e. pleasure and pain, life and death, heat and cold, etc.) If you study it, you can see that the world is all-merciful: whoever wants problems, has them. The Lord has granted you the facilities to spend your life as you wish. You have His instruction and can lift yourself or be your own enemy. In the Bhagavad Gita Sri Krishna states:
“Fixing thy thought on Me, thou shalt, by My grace, cross over all difficulties; but if, from self-conceit, thou wilt not listen, thou shalt perish.” (18.58 Bhagavad Gita)
After many births a person may find himself disillusioned with Maya and the pleasures of the body, or if he is so fortunate he may have gained some devotion toward the transcendental Lord of all life—and such a person may desire to go back to Home, back to Godhead where there is real pleasure in association with Krishna.
“Those men of virtuous deeds in whom sin has come to an end, freed from the delusion of dualities, worship Me steadfast in their vows.” (7.28 Bhagavad Gita)
To live for the pleasure of the merciful Lord is called devotional service. Everything is God's; the flowers, the grains, the morning, the opportunity contained in a human life, everything goes back to Him, just as the streaming sunlight, which penetrates every corner of darkness, can be followed back to its source in the sun. Life in devotional service is the offering of the consciousness in everything we do, as a gift to Krishna. We are assured in the Bhagavad Gita that He will accept our gesture.
“Whosoever offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, that offering of love, of the pure of heart I accept.” (9.26 Bhagavad Gita)
When we offer our food to the Lord that is called prasadam, which in Sanskrit means “mercy”. When we offer our speech, our bodily acts and our human consciousness, this is also devotional service, and releases us from the bondage of birth and death and brings inner peace and equipoise to all our hours. This service is the secret of yoga, described as the “plus” to life or the link with Godhead. Once it is attained, one never comes back to the perishable and sorrowful. This is confirmed by scriptures:
“Achieving that transcendental devotional service a man becomes perfect, immortal and peaceful.” (Narada Bhaktisutra, Code 4)
“Great souls who are engaged in devotional service and attain the Supreme Lord do not again come back to this miserable material conditional life.” (8.15 Bhagavad Gita)
But how does this state come about? If, admittedly, long long ago we chose these bodies for sensual enjoyment, in ignorance—how does enlightenment come about? That too, is Krishna's mercy. We don’t grow wise automatically. Whenever anyone takes a step away from dullness or ignorance, that is a manifestation of His mercy. That is why a yogi or a devotee is called a fortunate man. Every individual life is an opportunity for one to realise his actual goal and purpose—those who don't miss the opportunity are receiving the mercy of the Lord. Swami Bhaktivedanta writes:
“Such pure devotional service of the Lord cannot be achieved without the mercy of the pure devotee or the bona fide Spiritual Master, and the Supreme Lord Himself. If some body is fortunate enough to find a pure devotee for his Spiritual Master, then that Spiritual Master by his causeless mercy imparts the knowledge of pure devotional service… only by the combined mercy of the Supreme Lord and the Spiritual Master.” (from the Purport to Code 8, Narada Bhaktisutra)
The present age is called Kali Yuga, a period of 432,000 years symptomized by quarrel and disorder. Evidence of Kali Yuga is seen in people's turning away from God. In our own country, the USA, and in this city of New York, we can see the proud citadel of Maya in its arrogant, temporal victory. Witness the flags and towers of uptown buildings dedicated completely to the 80-100-year life span of economics, politics and sense pleasure. The insidious illusion and perversion of mass advertising has dulled millions into daily acceptance of a nightmarish war on the integrity of the human mind. Add to this the administrative cheating, the promotion of political wars, the disillusionment of the nonconformists and the bewilderment of the drug-takers—and you have perfect ingredients for Kali Yuga. And it is supposed to get worse.
Simultaneously, we are witnessing the mercy of Swami Bhaktivedanta's Samkirtan movement. Swamiji is in the line of disciplic succession from Lord Chaitanya, Who originated the movement of chanting the Lord's Holy Name 500 years ago in India. Chaitanya's movement is the magnanimous light of Supreme mercy shining through the death-fog of Kali Yuga. Lord Chaitanya offers to all Mankind the invitation to sing God's Name, and join with Him in our original association.
Even an intelligent man is pelleted and polluted by the constant force of mass media; and so it grows increasingly difficult for him to see his real obligations in this life. But we do have obligations. We all have the human form of life—and our single purpose should be to realise ourselves and to discover the ultimate goal for which we are living. That goal is Krishna.
By chanting God's Name in the age of Kali Yuga, The Lord is conveniently available to everyone—through the Mercy of Lord Chaitanya. Swami Bhaktivedanta writes:
“Lord Chaitanya is especially merciful to the innocent, unsophisticated person. His name is Patitpama, or the deliverer of the most fallen conditioned soul.” (from Teachings of Lord Chaitanya)
Lord Chaitanya is offering every man, woman and child this gift: simply chant the Lord's Name, and you will see that with this chanting, comes everything else truly desired-the blessing of the full moon of pleasure and peace. Through the magnanimity of Lord Chaitanya what is available is the greatest gift—Love of Godhead, and it is simply handed over. This strong, helping hand of Lord Chaitanya is so direct that many may miss it; they think their entanglement and the world's entanglement to be so complicated that any direct solution is a hoax. But nothing is too complicated for God. Nor do those who have seriously tried the chant speak of it except in terms of strength and ecstasy and constant revivification, as though they have drunk of a secret, magic water from an eternal source.
The people who have taken to chanting in this age are fortunately released from all desires and impure hankerings even while moving in the midst of materialistic insanity. Those who are constantly chanting the Lord's Name are not troubled by impersonal conceptions of void or atheism, nor do they foolishly think themselves God. It is said that Krishna Himself takes control of such surrendered souls and brings them further to Himself, The All Attractive. In the Vedic scripture Srimad Bhagawatam, set down 5000 years ago, it is stated:
“In this age of Kali, people who are endowed with sufficient brain substance worship the Lord, Who is accompanied by His associates, by performance of Samkirtan Yajna (Sacrifice by chanting the Holy Name.” (Srimad Bhagawatam 1st canto)
Again, note that the gift is “endowed.” Mercy is operating. We begin to chant and the highest reciprocation between the Supreme Lord and His infinitesimal sparks is at once established and grows ever greater, more intimate, and more pure. Instead of spending our time engrossed in the senses and the temporal world, we are singing His Name; and as we sing we realise that He is the giver of all abilities, even the mis-spent. Then, how fortunate to be singing the Name of the Source- while at the Feet of the Source itself! The Lord has endowed His Name with His full presence. Hare Krishna, Hare Rama is a sound incarnation. It is not an ordinary thing. It is not a laborious exercise. Nor is the chant a secret guarded by a few priests. In this age of severely limited concentration, Samkirtan is the auspicious way to God. Here indeed is the highest mercy for the living entities.
Satsvarupa das Brahmachary (Stephen Guarino)
Poem by Bhaktajan
Poem by Bhaktajan
High ring - low moan
Chanting the sacred mantra
Propelling the spiritual part of us
into oblivion
While the illusion of this material day
Slowly drifts into the now meaningless mire of the material world.
Years go by
Frantic searches for possession of the vanishing things
of earth,
while an oblivion, so staggering, is waiting for those whose good fortune
it is
to be able to comprehend the Consciousness of Krishna.
Giant servant in a land of midgets,
who claim to have freedom.
They are servants of things that vanish before their eyes
Tomorrow, cherished things will vanish
And hands will clap for the magician
And eyes will cry for the loss
Singers’ beautiful voices - dry with age
While spirits and God throw thousands of
enlightenments into their path - only
to be over-shadowed by the rain forest of the physical,
the perishable worshipped
while the never ending is ignored
But, there are those who have tasted the
Nectar of Krishna's sweet fruit
And, have lost taste for everything else
For them this world, too, is bliss.
Bhaktajan das Brahmachary (John Kinney)
My Position
My Position
by Brahmananda das
i've grown accustomed to the birth
of infants
who grow into children;
mature;
and die—
like i am doing.
And, i've grown accustomed to the bloom of the earth every spring
and its demise every winter.
The oceans i've crossed, the far-away mountains, the sky,
the nightly stars,
the concrete cities and the atomic bomb;
my body
that is steadily running down—
there is nothing that surprises me;
it is all part of this life
on this planet.
But when i hear
that universes,
infinite in number,
(which means i cannot conceive how many)
are created by a single exhalation of breath
of Mahavishnu, who is
only a single portion
of You;
or that You
as Baby Krishna
contain all
these uncountable-by-me universes within
Your mouth:
then for me to consider myself a god
is perverse.
Look what i rule!—
these few square inches i stand upon
on this planet;
and for only the next 50 years,
or the next few minutes,
(what control do i have?).
i deserve this punishment of standing here on my square inch kingdom,
suffering separated,
with death being no escape but only a reinstatement
into the suffering.
Oh my Lord God,
i do not know Who You are!
i hear
that You are All-Knowledge, All-Bliss, Absolutely. i am lower
than the dust on the temple floor
which serves
by being walked upon by the Lotus Feet
of my Spiritual Master;
yet i think myself gorgeous, proclaiming
myself the enjoyer
of this body,
and other bodies, and what i perceive
with these senses;
and enjoying them
(trying) like anything.
i am a fly that rubs its hands together and drools
over a piece of excrement.
Is it any wonder that i suffer from not knowing who i am!
i have not surrendered.
i have not surrendered.
i am a strutting lord, thinking (deep-down) i know
what puffed-up Brahma (the four-headed one) cannot know.
Only Your pure devotees know.
So, i sit here,
chanting
Your Holy Names, weeping
for You
Who i do not know.
Brahmananda das Brahmachary (Bruce Scharf)
Thakur Haridas Part 1
Thakur Haridas
Part 1
From the book “Sree Krishna-Chaitanya”
by Professor Sannyal
It will not be out of place at this stage to introduce the great personality who is the practicing teacher (Acharya) of the chanting of the Holy Name, the special Divine Dispensation for the Age of discord (Kali Yuga), the establishment of which is one of the Purposes of the Appearance of Lord Chaitanya in this world. Thakur Haridas is the eternal associate of the Supreme Lord and appears in the Company of the Lord whenever and wherever the Lord Himself chooses to make His Appearance. Thakur Haridas plays a different role in the different Avataras of the Lord. In this Avatara he is the Acharya of the Holy Name.
The Holy Name is both the Method and Object of worship of every pure soul. In the Kali Age nothing less than the Name Himself can effect the deliverance of fettered souls. This Teaching of Lord Chaitanya is exemplified by the life of Thakur Haridas. In order, therefore, to be able to understand the method and object of worship that can alone be acceptable to a highly controversial Age like the present, which is least disposed to take anything on trust, it will be necessary to follow attentively the events of the life of the Acharya.
The fashionable theology at Nabadwip, which was the cultural centre of Bengal at the time of the Appearance of the Lord was frankly atheistical. The Philosophical School of the New Logic (Naba Nyaya) may be described as the attempt of our empiric reason to deny the necessity as well as practicability of all worship. The jiva is himself discovered to be both worshipper and worshipped. Worship itself is supposed to be but a concoction of the jiva's own erroneous speculations. The position to which one of the most highly developed systems of the Philosophy of Logic led the people of Nabadwip, at the time of the Appearance of the Lord, and through them was accepted by people all over the country, was exactly what was specifically the worst fitted for understanding the uncompromising pure form of worship which it was the Will of the Lord to propagate by the life of Thakur Haridas. Whatever name might be borne by the different systems of speculative philosophy they are in common agreement as regards the logical necessity of atheism. Even the Geeta and the Bhagavatam were taught at Nabadwip at this period as Scriptures of atheism. It gives us an idea of the audacity and range of activity of the New School of Logic of Nabadwip that it could devise interpretations even of the unambiguous texts of the Bhagavatam itself in favour of their theory of rankest atheism. It is only to be expected in these circumstances that the Scholarship and acumen of Bengal should be generously recognised in all parts of the country and abroad and even by the atheistical Vedantists of Benares, who have always claimed for themselves the theological leadership of philosophical atheism in India.
Thakur Haridas made his appearance in the village of Budhan in the District of Jessore in East Bengal. This has made that part of the country since then a centre of the worship of Godhead by means of the Kirtan. Thakur Haridas was born in a Muhammedan family. He comes into the light of our definite narrative under his changed name of Haridas, which means literally 'the servant of Hari'; Hari being the Name of Godhead in the Scriptures. So Haridas must have given up his family and society in some manner that is not definitely known to us, had been the recipient of the mercy of a Vaishnava and had already made extraordinary progress on the path of pure devotion, although he was in the first flush of youth when he is found living as a recluse in the forest of Benapole in he native District of Jessore. In the depth of the forest he resided in a solitary hut, worshipped the holy Tulasi, chanted daily the Holy Name three lacs (300, 000) of times night and day and ate food cooked in the homes of Brahmanas, which he obtained by begging.
The Hindu Chief, who was in charge of the Local Administration of that part of the country, bore the name of Ramchandra Khan. He was one of the greatest of atheists and a hater of the servants of Vishnu (literally, the One All-pervading Lord). Haridas was treated with great reverence by the people, and Ramchandra Khan found this intolerable. He could not rest till he had actually devised a plan for effecting the humiliation of Thakur Haridas. For this purpose he did not hesitate to stoop to the basest of devices.
Ramchandra Khan, finding that Haridas was reputed to be absolutely free from all vices, hit upon a plan of creating in him the vice by exposing which he hoped to accomplish his ruin. He summoned to his help the most famous harlots and told them to destroy the chastity of Haridas who was under the vow of continence as an ascetic. One of the harlots, who was young and possessed great beauty, undertook to effect his ruin in the course of three days. Ramchandra Khan pressed her to take an armed footman (paik) who was to catch him red-handed and bring both of them for punishment. But the harlot proposed that she should at first go by herself and after being with Haridas once take the paik to capture him on her second visit.
That harlot, having put on her best attire, then presented herself at nightfall at the solitary cell of Thakur Haridas. After making her obeisance to the Tulasi she went up to the entrance of the cell and bowing to the Thakur remained there standing. She then sat down at the doorstep, exposing her body to the view of Haridas, and made confession of her uncontrollable passion for him praying to be favoured by his intimate society.
Thakur Haridas agreed to fulfill her wish after he had finished chanting the due number of the Names, bidding her in the meantime to wait and listen to the Samkirtana of the Name which he chanted. The harlot on this assurance remained seated there as Haridas went on with his loud chant of the Holy Name till break of day. The harlot came away disappointed when it was morning, and informed Ramchandra Khan that Haridas had promised to enjoy her society and that the promise would be carried out when she met him next night.
As the harlot presented herself before Thakur Haridas on the second evening he expressed his request that as on the previous occasion he could not keep his promise to her for the reason that he must complete the chant of the due number of Names. He would however, certainly fulfill her desire after the chanting of the due number of Names had been completed; and he accordingly bade her wait there and listen to the chanting of the Name. The harlot made obeisance to the Tulasi and the Thakur and sat listening to the chanting of the Holy Name. But she naturally grew restive as the night was drawing to a close. The Thakur, noticing her impatience, told her that he had taken the vow of chanting a crore of the Name in course of the month. He had expected to finish the full number that night but could not do so although he had chanted Him the whole night. The number would be certainly completed by the next night and then the vow would be fulfilled and he would be in the position to enjoy her company. The harlot reported accordingly to Ramchandra Khan.
On the third evening the harlot duly made her appearance and, after making obeisance to the Tulasi and the Thakur, sat at the entrance of the cell listening to the chanting of the Holy Name, chanting the Same herself, till the close of that night. The mind of the harlot was changed by chanting the Holy Name all night in the company of Thakur Haridas. She now fell prostrate at the Feet of Thakur Haridas and confessed to him everything regarding the plot of Ramchandra Khan. She said she had committed endless sin as she was a harlot by trade. She begged the Thakur to save her, who was so vile, by his mercy.
Haridas Thakur replied that he knew everything about the Khan and would have left the place three days ago. He had delayed his departure by three days on her account. The harlot then prayed that he might mercifully instruct her as to how she was to get rid of the miseries of the worldly life. Thakur Haridas then tendered her this advice: 'Give away everything of your household to the Brahmanas. Come and stay here in this cell. Chant constantly the Holy Name. Worship the Tulasi. You will then obtain the Feet of Krishna in no time'. After saying this and instructing her in the Holy Name the Thakur rose up and left the place, chanting the Name of Hari.
Then that harlot on obtaining the command of the Guru gave away to the Brahmanas all the wealth that she had. With shaven head and a single piece of cloth to wrap her body in, she lived in that cell and took the Holy Name three lakhs of times in course of every night and day. She worshipped the Tulasi, ate uncooked food by chewing, and often fasted. The senses were controlled and love of Godhead manifested itself. She became a famous devotee and a great spiritual teacher; and Vaishnavas of the highest order often came thither to have a sight of her. The people were astonished by this wonderful behaviour of the quondam harlot and bowed with reverence whenever they spoke of the greatness of Haridas.
As the above theme is the subject of the highest importance to the present Age I have tried to keep scrupulously to the words of Sree Kaviraj Goswami in describing this famous event of the life of Thakur Harides. The chanting of the Holy Name of Krishna imparted by a pure devotee rescued a youthful harlot who had tried to seduce the saint at the instigation of a most profligate atheist. By this process the harlot was not merely rescued from a life of shame but became a devotee of the Lord fit to lift others to the plane of perfect purity.
The chanting of the Holy Name can, therefore, reclaim the worst of sinners. The Holy Name has to be heard with reverence from the lips of a pure devotee. The Holy Name has to be received as a Sacrament from a pure devotee by complete submission at his feet. The Holy Name so received has to be constantly chanted by being free from all offence. The Tulasi has to be worshipped. All earthly possessions and all association with worldly people, especially in matters of food, clothing and residence, must be disowned. By this method, in a short time, the highest spiritual state is realisable. That state consists in serving exclusively the Feet of Krishna. This is the special Divine Dispensation for this Age of discord announced by the spiritual Scriptures and promulgated by the Supreme Lord, Sree Krishna-Chaitanya, through His eternal servant, Thakur Haridas.
The obvious objection to the above, that is likely to suggest itself to those who are too strongly addicted to the concerns of this world, is that it does not sufficiently appeal to the rationalistic imagination. The scheme seems to be dry and sterile. It also appears to be both meaningless and impracticable. Every admittedly futile speculation, despite its futility, seems to be more worthy of the serious consideration of the worldling than any transcendental proposition. Appearances are decidedly against the acceptance of the teaching of Thakur Haridas by the average merely intellectual worldling.
In the first place Thakur Haridas seems to ignore wholly the life that is ordinarily led by people all over the world. The new life that is proposed has apparently no point of contact with the life previously led by the disciple after election. This is not likely to appeal to those to whom the theory of materialistic evolution has become as it were the very breath of their nostrils. ‘Is a real gap or abrupt revolution possible in the world of life?’ ‘Can there be any such thing as the absence of proper purpose anywhere on the part of anybody in this fair world?’ Such and similar questions are bound to rush into the brain of all mental speculationists the moment they are asked to take the Holy Name of Krishna to the exclusion of every worldly function. The proposal seems to be so puerile and so queer and so utterly destructive of all that is near and dear to the heart of the average man!
It is for this reason that the sadhus are on principle opposed to discuss spiritual subjects with persons who do not really seek the Truth. Those who think that for them there is no driving necessity for such a quest are not likely to follow seriously any elucidation of propositions that have nothing to do with anything in which they feel really interested. The complete denial of any place to empiric conclusions, in the life that is proposed for the novice, is a staggering blow to most people who feel instinctively that they should refuse to listen to what obviously amounts to nothing short of an incitement to the commission of suicide.
The spiritual purpose itself cannot, however, be explained away nor whittled down by means of clever interpretations. The actual doings and sayings of Thakur Haridas stand in the way of those who try to do so. The Thakur literally acted as he taught. He acted also in accordance with the plainest meaning of his words. So there can be no ambiguity whatsoever.
The harlot's condition was not essentially different from any other worldling. The irrepressible desire for complete renunciation of the world is the natural and inevitable result of the appearance of any real inclination for the spiritual life. The awakened worldly mind understands the necessity of committing mundane suicide in order to be reborn as the immaculate soul for the purpose of realising the life eternal. The material mind is not a figment of the empiric imagination. It is a real envelope and has to be completely discarded. It will not do to imagine this enveloping darkness as possessing anything in common with the light. The material mind is like a sheet of impenetrable darkness that completely shuts out the light of the soul. The soul is by his nature self-effulgent and has nothing to do with the material mind which acts as a screen to cut off the light of the soul from the view of the observer who uses the mind for such a purpose. This is fact and not a hypothesis like the so-called 'truths' and 'facts' conceived by the material mind in the vanity of its ignorance. The spiritual realisation of the categorical difference and relation of utter incompatibility between mind and soul' is the first unique experience on the threshold of the awakened spiritual life.
The harlot was not 'converted' by speculative arguments addressed to the mind but simply by listening to the Name of Hari from the lips of Thakur Haridas and chanting the Same herself in his company. She had apparently the advantage of possessing at the very outset a natural regard for Thakur Haridas and for his advice and also for the holy Tulasi. This was the only antecedent condition of her redemption. Was it, therefore, blind and traditional faith that actually saved her in this crisis?
The answer must be in the negative. Those who are most officiously given to the cult of blind faith are not necessarily attracted towards the actual devotee. The affinity for the true soul is itself a spiritual, that is to say perfectly self-conscious, impulse. It must be most carefully distinguished from the blind, material impulse which is so common and which, as a matter of fact, is the worst form of obstacle in the way of the realisation of the spiritual life. The instinctive affinity of the harlot for Haridas is an activity of the soul and as such is, therefore, perfectly moral, perfectly self-cognisant and categorically different from the sensuous sentimentality that ordinarily passes in this world as 'blind' faith. Faith is the instinctive attitude of the soul towards the Truth and can, therefore, never be blind. It is the blind who in their blindness confound true faith with the counterfeit ware with which alone they happen to be, unfortunately for themselves, only too familiar.
Real faith can alone lead one to the presence of the pure soul. The material mind cannot reach the proximity of a sadhu. The harlot possessed the spiritual faculty by which it was possible for her to really approach Thakur Haridas. The Shastras say that this true instinctive reverence for sadhus is the result of previous unconscious association with the pure devotees of the Lord.
For the proper unconscious association with sadhus also sensuous sentimentality is often the chief hindrance. The sensuous sentimentalist seeks the gratification of his own senses. He, therefore, is least disposed to serve the sadhu on the account of the latter. It is going against his grain. The sadhus accordingly keep away from philanthropists, as these are not willing to learn to get rid of their sentimentality. A pseudodevotee, who parades his false sentimentality, readily enough obtains the cheap reverence of all worldly persons as his due, by misunderstanding of the purpose of the Scriptures. Such a person is not likely to bow to the sadhu, as he really wants to be served himself. Plain worldly people are likely to be more easily benefited by the process of unconscious association with the sadhus. Those who bring with them any previously formed notions regarding the nature of the sadhus, find it difficult to get rid of those false sentiments which stand in the way of their associating on a proper footing with the real sadhus. The only natural way of associating with the devotees of Godhead consists in doing whatever the sadhu wants one to do and in the way that he advises, without expecting any desirable or undesirable result to oneself therefrom. The harlot possessed something like this natural faith in sadhus by reason of her previous unconscious association with the devotees of Godhead.
End Part I
Poem by Madhusudan
Poem by Madhusudan
Dear Krishna,
You supply all devotees with
sufficient amount of You
to always help us keep our minds off evil Maya
and on Your Holy Name, Fame and Form—
and we never come down
from the sweet sufficient amount—
As we chant we only proceed up from that point,
at Your pleasure—
Forever—
Love
Madhusudan das Brahmachary (Michael Blumert)
Kirtan
Kirtan
Samkirtan means singing the Glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. In the picture on the opposite page, we see Kirtan as it was performed on the shore of the Pacific in March, 1967. Leading the Kirtan is Tridandi Goswami A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, founder of the International Society For Krishna Consciousness. The San Francisco Radha Krishna Temple holds Kirtan at the beach every Tuesday night, for the pleasure of the Lord and the benefit of all living beings.
Great Whirling Disc of Krishna
Great Whirling Disc of Krishna
Great whirling disc of Krishna
sitting i a sunlit time ago
ocean feet over
norte churned up water—
your wishes are plump oranges
and magic flowers.
you that the spray nuzzles
in among the conch shells—
well wisher to the several hebrew turtles
may they live a thousand eons!
(just my toes scraping coral
barracuda unborn mind)
the spirit omnipresent…
(it was the arm
lifting the sailboat over the barbwire moon.)
simply. simply. more slowly.
did you not hear the gods
flying round the landed quest?
your flowers blew in on the wind
and made a roof
for my house of palm.
bengal poet is a sandcrab
shell shaped food for cosmo
Krishna beings
vegetables and fruits from seas
enormous heart.
happy Herdsboy—ocean melting unity.
our bicycles shall gobble up
tibetan trails
Ted J. Berk
The Great Delusion of the Grand Ascension or the Call of Maya
The Great Delusion of the Grand Ascension
or
The Call of Maya
by Rupanuga das Adhikary (Robert Corens)
One of life's great delusions is that Self-realization is an automatic process, that simply by staying alive for sixty or a hundred years we will come to know what life is all about. This silly conceit remains, in old age as in youth, generally unfulfilled.
Psychology and other techniques have convinced us, through endlessly speculative exercises, to believe that self-realization (note the small S) involves a mere material display of our potency. After all, what is the materialist—gross or subtle—doing, but materializing ideas (his own or more likely someone else's)? Nothing is actually created by us; all is a play between the senses and their objects. The play of Maya is going on, and it is Krishna alone who is the actual and Supreme Enjoyer.
In this country, we are presently preoccupied with conditioned and false ideas of what our “real” needs are and our labors are meant to guarantee some bodily or mental comfort. Unfortunately, people striving in such a system, even though unhappy and miserable, continue to the graveyard in their search for merely the smallest bit of material peace or pleasure. Their efforts are folly because real happiness is transcendental to the material world. Most people,
Bewildered by many thoughts, entangled in the meshes of delusion and addicted to the gratification of desires … fall into a foul hell. (Bhagavad Gita 16.16)
Describing the wisdom of Yoga to Arjuna, Krishna says:
In this, O joy of the Kurus, the resolute (decided) understanding is single; but thoughts of the irresolute (undecided) are many-branched and endless. (Bhagavad Gita 11.14)
We must decide whether to choose God and to love Him, or not; and this is the choice of our lives. Krishna gives us the power to concentrate upon Him. If we choose not to think of Him, our minds continue out of control, lost in the impermanent flux of our desires.
The great delusion of the grand ascension is that, by concocting our own intellectual adjustments and mental speculations, we can rise up to knowledge of or union with the Absolute Truth, God. For example, it is often thought that God is some great esoteric secret, properly cherished deep within. However, knowledge of Krishna is public not private, and readily available to those who truly seek It. The sentimental need for privacy is material only, an excuse for personal unauthorized concoctions. If we want a confidential relationship with Krishna, we must take shelter of Him, chanting His Holy Names.
There are so many practicing impersonalists in the world, striving to merge into or become Krishna. Such persons are transcendentalists who haven't really leaped into the Spiritual Ocean. Either they are afraid of accepting their eternal individuality, or they want to be God, which for them means merging with the Effulgent Rays of Lord Krishna's Body. They are mistaking their true position. Swami Bhaktivedanta calls this spiritual suicide, or giving up the natural position of Sat-Chit-Ananda. It is the realization of our eternal (Sat) feature only, with ignorance of Chit (full knowledge) and Ananda (complete bliss). Thus His Maya shields the Personality of Godhead, Krishna, from those who do not want Him.
Such a misfortune begins with the prevalent conception that Self-realization is an ascending process. Actually, the complete revival of our God Consciousness depends always upon the Grace of Krishna Himself. This is a descending process; it comes down to us from the Spiritual Platform and does not arise from our material level. We cannot know God by some mechanical process, which would automatically place a false limitation upon Him. To the impersonalist, whose concept of God is limited in that it is incomplete, Krishna remains hidden behind His glaring Effulgence.
Now we can see how far this delusion of ascension reaches, for it keeps the conditioned souls milling about in the impermanent worlds of fantasy and false promise, and can eventually drag the impersonally realized soul down from the Golden Effulgence of Krishna and back into the material ocean. Our eternal position is that of part and parcel. Our perfection is to realize our individual relationship as spirit soul, in sweet loving service of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we choose to lose ourselves in speculative worlds or even in His Loving Rays, then we fall far short of our true destination. As a man heading home after an over-extended absence settles for another vacation, we choose foolishly and poorly.
This faith in the ascending process accounts for the skeptical notion that the Maha Mantra is just too easy, too good to be true. After all, we complain, how can one know God simply by chanting His Names? The ascending process is supposedly “progress,” which means it is needlessly complicated. The puffed-up and pompous living entity, who has this misconception of what it means to be independent or “free,” must fill his life with pointless confabulations, unworkable fantasies, arbitrary “goals,” and other nonsense, merely to lend meaning to such independence. All the same, no amount of philosophizing can disentangle us from our material inheritance, which is never actually at our disposal anyway, but is under the complete control of Lord Krishna. We possess the illusory freedom of drowning in the material turbulence while thinking we are flying. Our actual freedom is in complete surrender to, and dependence upon, Lord Krishna. Of course, we cannot change our allegiance from the material to the spiritual instantly, but we can make an immediate start by chanting HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE, HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE. Simply by reading this line you have started.
Those much enamoured of the ascending process are too blinded to accept the bona fide Spiritual Master, whose Grace is necessary for spiritual advancement. They cannot accept the Divine Grace of the Spiritual Master because they do not believe that it is by Krishna's kindness, distributed through the pure devotee, that He may be known. The Spiritual Master is the living proof of Krishna's Divine Grace; in fact, He is Divine Grace itself.
Learn by humble reverence, by inquiry and by service. The men of wisdom who have seen the truth will instruct thee in knowledge. (Bhagavad Gita 4.34)
Spiritual Masters who teach impersonalism are generally descended from Shankaracharya. Factually, Shankaracharya, like Lord Buddha, taught his disciples what they were able to comprehend; he himself was a pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna, as is verified in his Meditation on the Gita:
You fools, just worship Govinda (Krishna)! Just worship Govinda! Just worship Govinda! Your grammatical knowledge and word jugglery will not save you at the time of death.
One engaged in Krishna Consciousness is automatically on the Spiritual Platform when serving, chanting, or reading the Scriptures. When the first Syllable of the Maha Mantra, HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE, HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE dances on our tongue we immediately transcend impersonality as well as the material worlds. As our practice and sincerity increase, our position becomes factually revealed to us without a doubt.
To those who are constantly devoted and worship with love, I grant the concentration of understanding by which they come to Me. Out of compassion for those same ones, remaining within My own state, I destroy the darkness born of ignorance by the shining lamp of wisdom. (Bhagavad Gita 10.10-11)
We can struggle with Krishna, rebels with no cause but our own illusion. If we want, Krishna will even be our Enemy and smash us, for He gives us only what we desire; He enjoys everything.
Those who engage in the ascending process are actually struggling with Krishna, thinking “I can do it on my own,” or “to ask for help would show weakness,” or “surrendering would mean slavery” and on and on. So they flee into the worlds of geegaws, mandalas, psychedelic pacifiers and other material activities. Behold the great Wall Street monopoly set, who are all merely wasting their living energies in games of money. Their least and greatest efforts are alike spent on the wholly perishable.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna informs us that we have only the right to act, and no right to the fruits of actions; for the fruits belong to Him as Sacrifice. Only the number one fool believes that his private machinations are worth the risk of eternal knowledge and bliss, no matter how fancy and glittering the outcome may appear. In reality he ascends nowhere, but becomes more deeply entangled by the tentacles of his activities. Maya, the illusory energy of the material world, is never more fascinating or seductive than when she appears to a man as his own personal reward and pleasure. This is the ascending process, the call of Maya.
Man did not, with his puny intellect, discover or invent the Scriptures, the Word of God, That contains all that can be asked. Krishna Himself, by His Causeless Mercy, tells us how to come home to Godhead. This great gift descends from the Spiritual Sky. Otherwise, we could never know it. Transcendental concepts are not from the material plane and can certainly not be improved upon, much less replaced by the pitiful endeavors of embodied souls.
Our actual position—the position of all living entities—is Sat-Chit-Ananda. Why settle for less? Krishna facilitates our returning to Godhead because He Loves us and wants us to come Home. Swami Bhaktivedanta's instructions, the Maha Mantra, the Scriptures—all are Krishna's Divine Grace.
Let us go to Him
Who is always waiting,
By the Touch of our Beads,
In the Taste of the Prasadam Feast,
At the Ends of our tongues,
In the sweetness of our music,
For the Sweat of our works:
No atom moves without His Grace,
No man lives without His Love,
Whose Home is Goloka Vrindabana,
Whose Name is KRISHNA.
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE!
Suradas
Suradas
As Suradas, the blind saint, sat chanting the Holy Names of God, there approached him, daily, a Child of splendid beauty, who brought a good portion of food and milk. Gentle Suradas gladly accepted the food, and blessed the Boy, Whom he could not see, never realizing that it was Krishna Himself. For the Lord takes delight in rendering service unto His devotees. But the devotee seeks only to serve the Lord, never to be served by Him—and so Krishna played this secret game of love. This is the sublime nature of competition in the spiritual life.
On Installation of the New Deity
On Installation of the New Deity
to Hayagriva das and Upendra das
by Satsvarupa das
I don't know
if it's Monday
Wednesday or Friday
I'm up on my feet
dancing
—our temple has a new Murti!
Blackish Krishna
Lord of the Dance
—oh now we can
really sing and play
—this Murti is
real God-brother!
His toes and palms are pink and
His foot is black
His leg is crossed in curving posture
His robes are bright yellow
His chest is grand
His eyes are huge
His crown is gold
His arms are bent holding a black flute
He stands in the heart of our
temple surrounded
with incense and flowers
and barefoot dancing servants
wearing faded yellow robes
play cymbals and organ,
Sing His Kirtan
Hare Krishna!
Hare Krishna!
Take heart, here's new
singing to the evergreen
Cupid.
He is Shyamsundar and
shining like a fresh rain cloud.
Satsvarupa das Brahmachary (Stephen Guarino)
How I Met A.C. Swami Bhaktivedanta
How I Met A.C. Swami Bhaktivedanta
Brahmananda das Brahmachary
(Bruce Scharf)
In my second year of college I took LSD. In my third year of college I read Whitman and Henry Miller, paused, and continued eating drugs. In my fourth year, one summer day by the seaside, I first read the Bhagavad Gita and learned that spiritual life meant not to take drugs but, as Krishna ordered, “Surrender unto Me.” But, how do you surrender to God? What does “surrender” mean? And who is God?
So I read Ramakrishna, Lao Tzu, Buddha, and countless countless commentaries and interpretations and concluded that spiritual understanding was not a home-study course. I had to live it. I had to find a spiritual master.
I hung around the oriental bookstores, looking for my guru; thinking the old lady at Orientalia a sage; seeing people who passed me on the street and wondering, “Are you my guru? Are you my guru?” Uptown I wandered to the swamis who sat enthroned with harems of soggy old ladies fanning them with their talk. Still, they were swamis. I spoke to one who told me to either get married or stop fornicating. It seemed natural. I stopped searching for that ultimate satisfaction in sex, and immediately I felt liberated from having to play the “male” role. I stopped eating meat; it came naturally, but still I was feeling for my guru.
One evening an old drug friend came by with a leaflet, saying that he had just been to a storefront several blocks away where there was this swami who spoke bad English into a tape recorder, and Allen Gineberg was there. The leaflet read, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Incorporated—and offered ecstasy through transcendental sound vibrations. Right?
So I went. And I chanted HARE KRISHNA, not knowing what I was singing. It just sounded very pretty. And after the service I walked the streets, singing HARE KRISHNA; only I couldn't remember the tune or the proper order. So, I sat in Washington Square, while some guys near me were panting over a stick of pot, and I sang HARE KRISHNA to my own tune that was so wrong I had to eliminate the final HARE HARE. It was such a beautiful experience, so beautiful in fact that I actually did not want to realize I was enjoying it, because as soon as you examine it and say, “It's nice,” you are thinking about it. This is something you just want to experience purely without any self-consciousness. It's called “bliss.” I knew I would never be the same again.
I went back the next morning and learned the tune and the words properly, and it was even better. The next day my job as an elementary school teacher was to begin. How could I go to a job? I just wanted to sit in that bare storefront and sing HARE KRISHNA. So that morning I paced the streets thinking my parents had spent all this money for my education, and I was trying to be responsible, and it was to be my first real job. I wandered into a church. It was so quiet. I started humming HARE KRISHNA and then chanted softly so as not to disturb the handful of worshippers there, and at once the ties of family and responsibility snapped. How foolish of me to hesitate in giving up everything. I fancied myself so free and I was binding myself to what other people would think of me.
I walked straight back to that storefront and asked a Minerva-haired fellow if I could speak with the Swami. We crossed an open courtyard where a tall, thin boy with eyes that never seemed to blink sat typing in the summer morning sunshine, like a scribe in a Lower East Side monastery.
Upstairs A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami sat in faded saffron robes on a mat with a typewriter, stacks of papers, and a yellow tin box before him. He greeted me with a smile that was gigantic, like an ocean, and such jolly eyes, and I had the feeling he had been expecting me. I told him my desire to give everything up, my job, my family, my responsibilities, everything, and be his student. “It is not necessary to renounce your activities. Just change your consciousness! You keep your job and your responsibilities, but just chant HARE KRISHNA. This is Krishna Consciousness.”
I agreed, declaring that all my wages were his. “Thank you very much,” he said.
Later I feared I had been too hasty, but chanting burns away all doubts. I am no longer Bruce Scharf who went to college, read great books, took drugs, had sexual experiences, and wondered who he was and what he was doing here. Now I am Brahmananda das Brahmachary who is struggling to serve his Spiritual Master sincerely and submissively. It is so difficult yet so natural.
Krishna and the Vedic View:
Krishna and the Vedic View:
The Swami Responds
Dear Swami Bhaktivedanta,
Could you please explain the Vedic concept of Universal Time? It seems to me that this is a bewilderingly complex system of thought.
Yours truly,
Henry Langdon
Dear Mr. Langdon,
Universal Time is no more complex than the relationship of a second to a minute to an hour to a day. History is divided into series of four Yugas, or sub-Ages. Each complete series is 4,200,000 years long. One thousand of such complete ages make one day of Brahma. Brahma is the creator of this Universe, and his life span is co-equal to it. Brahma's day is a thousand ages, and his night is also a thousand ages. And Brahma lives one hundred years. Thus, we can calculate the duration of this universe at something over three hundred billion years. I hope this answers your question.
Dear Swami,
How long does it take to attain perfection in Krishna Consciousness? Thank you, Walter Arden
Dear Mr. Arden,
One second is more than enough. The perfection of Krishna Consciousness is found in complete surrender unto the Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna. If you are capable of such surrender, then don't delay even one more heartbeat. The Maha (Hare Krishna) Mantra will help you to be able to surrender, by giving you direct experience of the Lord's presence. By thus understanding His Beauty, Kindness and other Attributes, you will realize the value of His association, and will at once surrender for His sake.
Dear Swami Bhaktivedanta,
Is it necessary to have a spiritual master in order to achieve Krishna Consciousness? Or is the chant alone enough?
Sincerely,
Helen Lee
Dear Miss Lee,
Chanting will put you directly in touch with the Source—Krishna Himself. But the spiritual master is Krishna's direct representative, and he too is of incalculable value for your spiritual progress.
Dear Swamiji,
Why was this material world created, if God truly loves us?
Yours,
N. Ogden
My dear N. Ogden,
Do you think the government builds its prisons in hopes that they'll be filled? But there is a need. As the criminal must be removed from moral society, so the living entities who reject God must leave the spiritual realm, where all adore Him.
Dear Swami,
You say that unalloyed service to the Lord is the purest devotion. But how can we always put faith in Krishna's mercy, and at the same time never ask Him for anything?
Thank you,
Marie Moskowitz
Dear Miss Moskowitz,
We need never ask for the Lord's mercy. It is given us freely and abundantly at all times. Even the atheist enjoys it. But what we must have is God's loving service, if we are to know true happiness. Make this loving service the object of your every prayer, and see the result yourself.
Dear Swamiji,
What's wrong with pleasure?
D. T. Mervin
Dear D. T. Mervin,
Until you serve Krishna, you cannot know what pleasure is.
Dear Swami,
If one has rejected God, will God still take him back?
Yours,
Miss Anita Keough
My dear Miss Keough,
We are all here due to mistakes. Krishna only cares for our love.
Dear Swami,
Is it necessary to pursue all the different yogas in turn in order to reach the Ultimate?
Yours truly,
John The
Dear Mr. The,
You can walk the stairs to the top of the Empire State Building if you like. But the elevator is also there. Try chanting Hare Krishna.
Dear Swami,
Why do so many people neglect the Lord, if He is the center of everything?
Thanks,
Brendan Jones
Dear Mr. Jones,
Why do some men lie down on the Bowery Street? There is independence, and independence means one can choose wisely or foolishly.
Ever your well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
From an April Morning Talk by Swami
From an April Morning Talk by Swami
by Damodara das
There is a nice example
When I was flying from San Francisco—
The plane was flying
Above the cloud ocean.
When I came first from India
I saw the water ocean
And the cloud ocean is just the same,
Round all round.
Above the cloud is the sun
And though we came down through the cloud
And everything in New York is cloudy,
Still, above the cloud
The sun is shining.
Cloud cannot cover the whole world—
It can't even cover
The whole United States,
Which is not even more
Than a speck in the universe.
From the sky
The skyscrapers are very tiny;
From God's position
All this nonsense becomes insignificant.
I, the living entity,
Am very insignificant,
And my tendency is to come down.
The sun hasn't got
The come-down tendency.
The Supreme Lord doesn't come down
To Maya, or under the cloud.
But we have the tendency
To be controlled by Maya.
Do you know how Maya kicks?
The she-ass kicks the male ass
When he comes for sex.
Among the cats they fight and whine.
These are the teachings of Nature—
She tricks. It is like the capture of an elephant.
He is caught in the forest
By use of a trained she-elephant
Who leads him
And makes him fall into a pit.
versified by Damodara das Adhikary (Dan Clark)
Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
Part V
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
All of these twelve different Forms of Lord Krishna are known as the predominating deities of the twelve months. According to the Vaishnav almanac, the months are called by different Names of Krishna. This calendar begins from the month of Margasirsa, which is equivalent to late October-November. The month of November is known by the Vaishnavas as Keshava, December is called Narayan, January is called Madhab, February is called Govinda, March is called Vishnu, April is called Vasudevan, May is called Trivikram, June is called Vamana, July is called Sridhas, August is called Hrisikesa, September is called Padmanava and October is caIled Damodar. This Damodar is different from the Damodar in Vraja. The Name Damodar was given when Krishna was bound by ropes by his mother—but the Damodar Form in the month of October is a different manifestation.
Similarly, the Vaishnava community marks different parts of the body, and each mark is known by one of these twelve different Names of the Supreme Lord. The mark on the forehead is called Kesava, and for the belly, the breast, and the arms there are different names; the Names that are used for the months are also used for this purpose.
The four formal Forms, the Vasudeva, Samkarshan, Pradyumna and Aniruddhya, are also expanded in the Vilasa Murti. They are eight in number, and their names are Purushottam, Achyuta, Nrisingha, Janardana, Hari, Krishna, Adhoksha and Upendra. Out of these eight names, Adhoksha and Purushottam are the Vilasa or Forms of Vasudeva. Similarly, Upendra and Achyuta are the Vilasa Forms of Samkarshan; Nrisingha and Janardana are the Vilasa Forms of Pradyumna; and Hari and Krishna are the two Vilasa Forms of Aniruddhya. This Krishna is different from the original Krishna. All these twenty-four Forms are known as the Vilasa manifestations of Pravhav (four-handed) Form, and they are differently named according to the different position of the symbolic representations, that is, the mace, the disc, the lotus flower and the conchshell. Out of these twenty-four Forms, there is also a division of Vilasa and Vhaibhava. Names mentioned herein, such as Pradyumna, Trivikram, Vamana, Hari, Krishna—are also different in features. Then in regards to the Prahava Vilasa of Krishna, which is Vasudeva, Samkarshan, Pradyumna and Aniruddhya, there are in total twenty further variations. All of them preside over Vaikuntha planets in the Spiritual Sky and are situated in eight different directions; although each of them is eternally in the Spiritual Sky, some of them are manifested in the material world also. In the Spiritual Sky all the planets dominated by the feature of Narayan are eternal, and the highest topmost planet in the Spiritual Sky is called Krishna Loka. That Krishna Loka is divided into three different portions: 1. Gokula, 2. Mathura and 3. Dwarka. In the Mathura portion, the Form of Keshav is always situated. This is also represented on this earthly planet. In India there is a place called Mathura where Keshav Murti is worshipped; similarly there is a Purushottam Form in Jagganath Puri and in Orissa; and in Prayag or Allahabad there is Madhav Brindu Madhar, and, similarly, there is the Form of Madhusudan in Mandhar hill. In Anandanrnya there is the Form of Vishnu, and in Mayapur, the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya, there is the Form of Hari. So there are also many other Forms situated elsewhere on this earthly planet.
Not only in this universe, but in all the other universes, such Forms are distributed all over. On this earthly planet also it is indicated that all the portions of the whole earth are divided into 7 islands or continents, it is understood that on each and every island there are similar Forms, but at the present moment they are found only in India. They are indicated to be in other parts of the world, but at the present there is no information where they are situated. But from Vedic literature we can understand there are Forms in other parts of the world. These different Forms of Krishna are distributed all over the world and the universes to give pleasure to the devotees. Not that the devotees are only born in India, but in all other parts of the world there are devotees who have simply forgotten their identity. Such Forms-incarnate have come not only to give pleasure to the devotees, but to reestablish the devotional service and other activities vitally concerning the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Some of them are incarnations as mentioned in the scriptures, such as the Vishnu incarnation, Trivikram incarnation, Nrisingha incarnation and Vamana incarnation.
In the Siddartha Samhita there is a description of the 24 Forms of Vishnu named differently according to the different positions of the symbolic representations in the 4 hands. In ascribing the different nomenclatures to the different descriptions of Vishnu Murti, the counting should begin 1. with the lower right hand and then rising to the 2. upper right hand, then 3. to the upper left hand and then 4. down to the lower left hand. In these 4 hands are held the four representations: club, wheel conch shell and lotus flower; all in varying positions. Thus in this fashion Vasudeva is represented by 1. club, 2. conchshell, 3. wheel and 4. lotus flower. Similarly, Samkarshan is represented by club, conch shell, lotus flower and wheel. Pradyumna is represented by wheel, conch shell, club and lotus flower. Aniruddhya is represented by wheel, club, conch shell and lotus flower. In the Spiritual Sky also, the representation of Narayan is calculated as follows, at 20 in number: Hrisikesha is represented by conch shell, wheel, flower and club. Narayan is represented by conch shell, lotus flower, club and wheel. Sri Madhava is represented by club, wheel, conch shell and lotus flower. Sri Govinda is represented by wheel, club, lotus flower and conch shell. Vishnu Murti is represented by club, lotus flower, conch shell and wheel. Madhusudan is represented by wheel, conch shell, lotus flower and club. Trivikram is represented by lotus flower, club, wheel and conch shell. Vamana is represented by conch shell, wheel, club and lotus flower. Sridham is represented by lotus flower, wheel, club and conch shell. Hrisikesh is represented by club, wheel, lotus flower and conch shell. Padmanava is represented by conch shell, lotus flower, wheel and club. Damodar is represented by lotus flower, wheel, club and conch shell. Purushottam is represented by wheel, lotus flower, conch shell and club. Sri Achyuta is represented by club, lotus flower, wheel and conch shell. Sri Nrisingha is represented by wheel, lotus flower, club and conch shell. Janardan is represented by lotus flower, wheel, conch shell and club. Sri Hari is represented by conch shell, wheel, lotus flower and club. Sri Krishna is represented by conch shell, club, lotus flower and wheel. Adhoksaja is represented by lotus flower, club, conch shell and wheel. Upendra is represented by conch shell, club, wheel and lotus flower.
According the Hayasirsa Pancharacha, there are sixteen Forms and they are also different in name according to the different positions of the wheel and club. The conclusion is that the Supreme Original Personality of Godhead is Krishna—He is called Leela Purushottam and He is principally in Vrindaban as the son of Nanda. It is also learned from the Hayasirsa Pancharacha that nine Forms are protecting two Puris known as the Mathura Puri and the Dwarka Puri, and they are in the 4 Forms like Vasudeva, Samkarshan, Pradyumna, and Aniruddhya; and besides these four Forms there are Narayan Forms, Nrisingha Forms, Hayagriva Forms, Varaha Forms and Brahma. The above descriptions are different manifestations of the Prakhas and Vilasa Forms of Lord Krishna.
Now Lord Chaitanya is informing Sanatan Goswami that there are different forms of the Svamsa also; Svamsa Forms are divided into the Samkarshan division and incarnation division. From the Samkarshan division come the three Purusha avatars, namely the Karanodakshayee Vishnu, Garbhodakshayee Vishnu and Khirodakshayee Vishnu; and the other division, also called avatar, includes the Lord's incarnation as Fish, as Tortoise etc. There are 6 kinds of different incarnations: 1. the Purusha avatar, 2. the Leela avatar, 3. the Guna avatar, 4. the Manu avatar, 5. the Yuga avatar, and 6. the Saktavesh avatar. Out of six kinds of Vilasa manifestations of Krishna there are 2 divisions based on His age. They are called Balya and Pauganda. The original Form of Krishna as the son of Nanda enjoys Himself in the two Forms of His childhood, namely Balya and Pauganda.
The conclusion is that there is no end of the expansions and incarnations of Krishna. Here Lord Chaitanya describes some of them to Sanatan just to give him an idea how the Lord is expanding and how He is enjoying. This is confirmed in the Srimad Bhagawatam, in the 1st canto, 3rd chapter. It is said there that there is no limit to the emanations of incarnations of the Supreme Lord, just as there is no limit to the number of waves in the oceans. As far as the incarnations are concerned, the first incarnations of Krishna are as the 3 Purusha avatars, namely the Maha Vishnu avatar, Garbhodakshayee avatar and Khirodakshayee avatar. This is confirmed in the Shastrasirsa Stotra. Krishna's energies are also divisable into three: His energy of thinking, His energy of feeling, and His energy of acting. In His energy of thinking He is the Supreme Lord; in His energy of feeling He is Lord Vasudeva; and in His energy of acting He is Samkarshan Valaram. Without thinking, feeling and acting there is no possibility for the creation. Although there is no question of the creation of the Spiritual world, there is nonetheless creation of this material world; both the Spiritual world and the material world are manifestations of the active energy of the Forms of Samkarshan and Balarama of Krishna. In the Spiritual world, the Vaikuntha planets and the Krishna Loka planet are situated in His energy of thinking. Although there is no creation of the eternal Spiritual world, still it is to be understood that the Vaikuntha planets are depending on the thinking energy of the Supreme Lord. This thinking energy is described in the Brahma Samhita, 5th chapter, 2nd verse; where it is stated that the Supreme Abode known as Goloka is manifested just like a lotus flower with hundreds of petals. Everything is manifested by the Ananta, Balarama, or Samkarshan Form. The material cosmic manifestation and the different universes are manifested through Maya, or material energy. The material nature of the material energy is not the cause of all this cosmic manifestation. Rather, it is caused by the Supreme Lord's different expansions through the material nature; without superintendence of the Supreme Lord there is no possibility of any creation. The Form by which the energy of the material nature is created is called Samkarshan. It is understood that under the superintendent energy of the Supreme Lord this cosmic manifestation is created. The example is given of the iron which becomes red hot in contact with fire—when it is red hot it becomes also like fire. In the Srimad Bhagawatam, 10th canto, 46th chapter, it is said that Rama and Krishna is the Origin of all living entities. These two Personalities enter into everything. It may even now appear that they are differently situated.
A list of the incarnations occurs in the Srimad Bhagawatam, 1st canto. They are as follows: 1. Chaturdasham, 2. Narada, 3. Nara, 4. .Mathsa, 5. Yajna, 6. Naradayan, 7. Kardemenkopeel, 8. Dutakria, 9. Hayasesha, 13. Hansa, 11. Dukupria or Eprishnee Garva, 12. Hrisha, 13. Prithu, 14. Narasingha, 15. Kurma, 16. Dhanantari, 17. Mohini, 18. Vamana, 19. Parkava, 20. Radavendra, 21. Vyas, 22. Brahma Balarama, 23. Krishna, 24. Buddha, 25. Kalki. Out of these 25 Leela avatars almost all of them appear in one day of Brahma, which is called a Kalpa, and therefore they are sometimes called kalpa avatars. Out of these, the incarnation of Hanghan Mohini is not permanent, but Kapila, Notatria, Risha, Nonanaree and Vyas are 5 eternal Forms, and they are more celebrated. The incarnation of Tortoise, Fish, Naradayan, Baraha, Hayagriva, Rishnagumbra, Valumbera, Baladeva are considered as incarnations of Vaibhava. Similarly, there are three incarnation of the qualitative modes of Nature. They are called Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
Of the Mananta avatars there are fourteen in number: 1. Yoga, 2. Beevu, 3. Shutersan, 4. Hari, 5. Vaikuntha, 6. Arjed, 7. Vaman, 8. Sadvoboma, 9. Risha, 10. Vishuction, 11. Darmashetu, 12. Sudama, 13. Jodeshel, 14. Behead bama. Out of these fourteen incarnations of Mananta, Yoga and Vaman are also Leela avatars. The balance are Mananta avatars. These fourteen Mananta avatars are also known as Bhaiva avatars.
The four Yugas are also described in the Bhagvatam: in the Sattya Yuga the incarnation of God is white; in the Treta Yuga the incarnation of God is red; in the Dwapara the incarnation of God is blackish; and the incarnation in the Kali Yuga is also blackish but sometimes, in a special Kali Yuga, the color is yellowish or golden. As far as the Saktavish avatars are concerned, they are Kapila and Deshaga, the Shresh avatar, Ananta, Brahma (sometimes the Lord Himself becomes Brahma), Jutershan (as the incarnation of Knowledge), Narada (as the incarnation of devotional service), King Prithu (as the incarnation of administrative power), and Barshnav (as the incarnation of subduing evil principles).
The One Real Eloquent Art of the Worlds
The One Real Eloquent Art of the Worlds
by Satsvarupa das
Saraswati
is playing her vina
inspiring the
speech makers and musicians
But only God-praise is
sweet.
Somehow they get at
her, though,—the others—
from her generosity flows
measured lyrics, sounds, forms
of swan and river and
lotus and dye.
But for me the pure One,
Krishna, is all
I want to know,
and my divine teacher
is he who shows
me Krishna-direction.
First teacher is my Spiritual Master
Swami Bhaktivedanta father of light,
and then my God-brothers and sisters,
by their slightest actions in His favor—
'All we want to do
is please Him.
Anything else is
less than that.'
Also bugs are teachers
running up the sides of
bowls accompanied
by God.
And sunlight is a teacher.
Everything shows me
I am God's,
all atoms are His.
Every painting reflects a piece of His Nature,
Every voice is raised by Him,
He knows the minor spirits and demons,
He observes the wasted lives.
He is all—and you Mr. Artist, what is your proficiency?
Grab a broom and sweep
the temple floor.
Learn—know God is in clear
water and fragrant air
and beyond all the suns
and moons.
Begin serving the Lord—
and you can know what it is all about
He is within you
He is everywhere
He is the Supreme
Person and He dwells in the Spiritual Sky
Everything you need is in the
Bhagavad Gita and
can be learned at the feet of a Spiritual
Master who is a pure servant of God
like Swami Bhaktivedanta.
Very soon you'll
learn the topmost eloquence
—it's Hare Krishna
(God-Praise)
Good wherever you go.
If you learn it
you'll see the Promise
God made to man, Learn it now
for wherever you go.
Chant it always,—
the one real art of the worlds:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
Satsvarupa das Brahmachary (Stephen Guarino)
Human Welfare Activities
Human Welfare Activities
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Once, when I met the founder of a human welfare society, I suggested a little improvement on it by keeping all the items of the plan in touch with the plannings of the Bhagavad Gita. The whole theme of the Bhagavad Gita is to do everything in relation with the wish of the Supreme Lord. Arjuna was sufficiently educated in politics, sociology, family affairs, education and all that is required for human welfare, but he was lacking in the sense of service for the Supreme Lord. So far as Arjuna was personally concerned, he was actually quite cognisant, but he assumed the role of a common man who did not know how to work according to the plan and desire of the Lord. That was the beginning of Bhagavad Gita.
Arjuna pretended to become a pious man, and he desired to be nonviolent, refraining from the painful acts of bloodshed on the battlefield. Such a pious attitude, without knowing the desire of the Supreme Lord, was condemned by Sri Krishna. He described such a psuedo-pious attitude as befitting an unadvanced person. Piety, non-violence and all such good qualities are judged in terms of their purpose. A small boy, without knowing the effect of his pious activity, gave to his ailing brother some pieces of foodstuff when his brother asked for it. The ailing brother was suffering from typhoid fever and as he was a child, he asked his younger brother to give him the food. The younger brother, without knowing the result of his charitable work, gave this to the suffering brother. When the whole thing was disclosed to the mother, the charitable younger brother was severely punished for the food could well prove fatal to the diseased boy. This is our practical experience.
Simply to do charitable work without knowing the effect of it is to act in the mode of ignorance. So far as charities, penances and sacrifices are concerned, they are all of three qualities: Charity done in full cognisance of the authoritative injunctions is called Sattvik, or in goodness. Charity done with the purpose of getting something in return is called Rajasik, or in the mode of passion. And charity done in darkness, without knowing its effect, done under some superior pressure or request, is called Tamasik, or in the mode of ignorance. The same applies to other good works also. Tamasik charity and Sattvik charity are two different items altogether. One leads to degradation while the other leads to elevation. Therefore simple charity, penance and sacrifices may not be always good, unless accompanied by a descriptive and discriminative knowledge.
Human welfare activities in full scientific knowledge will certainly elevate the status of human society. Now, the aim of welfare activity must be first of all ascertained. This means we must consider the aim of life. Is the aim of life to live for a number of long years? The Bhagawatam says no. It is not such. Because, so far as longevity is concerned, the life of some tree is far longer than that of a human being: The longest duration of life of the human being is not more than 100 years. But in the vegetable kingdom some trees live more than one thousand years. A human being will answer that the tree may live for one thousand years but the signs of life are absent there. The main sign of life is breathing. The Bhagawatam, in answer to this, will say that there are many many big bellows which can breathe more vehemently than a man. So breathing is no special qualification. There are beasts who can produce more children than the human being. They also eat sumptuously according to their own standard of life. And so, according to Bhagawatam, which is the practical commentary on the Vedanta Sutra, the only aim of life should be to hear the message of the Supreme Lord, wherein only lies the sum total welfare of human society.
In the Bhagavad Gita the ultimate instruction is to surrender unto the will of the Supreme Lord, and in that manner the surrendered soul is protected in all ways by the Lord from all the frailties of human life. Arjuna understood this principle and he altered his decision to leave the battlefield. Therefore, to know the Supreme Lord and to know our eternally existent relationship with the Lord does not mean to give up all activities. But to know Him, our relationship with Him and our duties to Him is the highest knowledge. And to impart this knowledge to one and all is the highest welfare activity in human society.
Our Prayer
Our Prayer
by Brahmananda das
HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE;
Our obeisances to You, Golden One, Prince of Him, Gouranga.
Obeisances to Your pure disciples.
Obeisances to our grand master, Bhaktivinode Thakur.
Obeisances to Guru Maharaj, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati.
Obeisances to all our spiritual masters past, present, future:
Join us, please, in our plea
To the Lord of everything that is,
Krishna,
You, Who spin planets and hatch ant eggs
While You play Your flute and dance.
So unworthy are we to ask anything.
Constantly we wander to Your Maya
And forget it is Yours.
What humility do we have?
Why do we not surrender to You instantly?
Yet, Lord, only to Your mercy can we turn.
Our Father, Our Master, Our Child, Our Sweetheart, Our Friend,
Swamiji
Is stricken
By Your Maya. Please,
We beg,
Ask, Your servant, to restore His Body
So He can fix us up
Properly
In Your Service.
We do not know how to serve You.
Let Him, Who has sacrificed everything to You,
Teach us.
To take Him from us
Is to pull the breast,
Swollen with You,
From our infant mouths.
HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE.
Brahmananda das Brahmachary (Bruce Scharf)
Govinda
Govinda
My dear friend, if you still have an inclination to enjoy material life with society, friendship and love, then please do not see the boy named Govinda Who is standing in a three-curved way, smiling, and skilfully playing on His flute with His lips brightened by the full moonshine.
Karmi Office
Karmi Office
by Satsvarupa das
Karmis spread a
mental blanket
out over the office
talking to each other
so smart
and clever
Never praising the
One.
Not even seeing in
their actions that
He is all
or they may even
say it but it means
nothing because
they have no
knowledge of God
and they have no knowledge
of God
because
they do not serve and
try-to-love.
I am packed in
here like any other
BUT I PRAISE THEE
DIVINE SELF
I PRAISE THEE
BY THY NAME
AND FORM
HARE KRISHNA
Satsvarupa das Brahmachary (Stephen Guarino)
Advertisement
Advertisement
INTRODUCTION TO GEETOPANISHAD
(Bhagavad Gita As It Is)
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Bhagavad Gita is widely recognized as the compendium of all Vedic wisdom, yet there are few who have the necessary qualifications to understand and teach this all-important scripture. Swami Bhaktivedanta—who is a devotee in the line of disciplic succession from Arjuna—is one of these few. His introduction to the Geetopanishad is a classic in its own right.
25c
TWO ESSAYS
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
In WHO IS CRAZY? and KRISHNA, THE RESERVOIR OF PLEASURE, the Swami explains the illusion of materialism, and the process of acquiring true vision in the perpetual bliss of Krishna Consciousness.
25c
KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS
A 33 Ÿ long playing record on the Happening label, in which the devotees perform Kirtan (chanting the Hare Krishna Mantrum), and which further includes mantras sung by the Swami in praise of his spiritual master. Available from the Society.
ALSO AVAILABLE AT OUR TEMPLE
—Incense—30 sticks. . .25c
—Wooden Beads, with a booklet which offers a fast, easy way to string them, and which further explains their general value in chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra. 1 package.. . . .$1. 50
—Indian Hand Cymbals. .1 pair...$1.25
—HARE KRISHNA lapel buttons. . . 10c each
SRIMAD BHAGAWATAM
by Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasadeva
The original and genuine commentary on Vedanta philosophy by the author of the Vedanta Himself, Vyasadeva—now available for the first time in English with an authorized commentary by Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta.
The Srimad Bhagawatam is the post-graduate study of the Bhagavad Gita, or the Science of Krishna. This book of transcendental knowledge contains information of classical Hindu culture, philosophy, sociology, economics, politics, aesthetics and Divine Love.
This unique edition of Srimad Bhagawatam has been greatly appreciated by all learned societies of philosophy and theosophy and approved by the Indian State and Central Government Departments of Education, and by the United States Government. Swami Bhaktivedanta’s edition contains Sanscrit, Sanscrit transliteration, English equivalents, translation and elaborate commentaries. Published by the League of Devotees, New Delhi, India, 1962-65. Price: $16.80 for 3 volumes (1200 pages). Postage paid by the Society.
Available from the International Society For Krishna Consciousness, 26 Second Avenue, New York, New York, 10003.
BACK TO GODHEAD is published monthly by the International Society For Krishna Consciousness at 26 Second Avenue, New York, New York, 10003. 1-year subscription (12 issues) $4. 00. Phone 674-7428.
FOUNDER: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
EDITORS: Hayagriva Das Brahmachary (Howard Wheeler)
Rayarama Das Brahmachary (Raymond Marais)
CIRCULATION: Gargamuni Das Brahmachary (Gregory Scharf)
PRINTING: Purushottam Das Brahmachary (Paul Auerbach)
Jaigovinda Das Brahmachary (Jeffrey Havener)
Back to Godhead Magazine #15, 1967
On the Cover
On the Cover
On the wedding day of Vasudeva to the maid Devaki, her mighty brother Kamsa learned by a mystic voice that her eighth son would prove, in time, to be his slayer. For the Earth then was oppressed by evil, and the Lord had promised to Appear, to drive out the cruel and vicious leaders and restore the reign of righteousness. Kamsa well recognized his own preeminence amongst the forces of darkness. He now pitted himself against God, Who had chosen the virtuous Devaki to bear Him, and imprisoned the couple. But God's will cannot be shackled, nor His purposes obstructed. There in the palace, He came to Devaki, and through the glance of Vasudeva He entered her, and thenceforth she showered light like the sun, for the Source of all brightness was with her. And when the time came, whilst all the worlds rejoiced and the stars glittered and the blossoms opened themselves unafraid—though the hour was midnight—and the fragrances of heaven and earth intermingled to form a sublime atmosphere—at last He came, the Eternal, the Ineffable, the Primeval Person. Though unborn, the Lord took birth through Devaki—first in His four-handed form, and then, upon her request, He assumed His Primal Form, as Lord Krishna, Refuge of the Universes, the Babe of Mathura.
By The Mercy of Krishna:
By The Mercy of Krishna:
The reaction to our recent editions of Back To Godhead, beginning with issue no. 13, has been very satisfying, and ought to guarantee the continuance of this move toward an ever finer magazine. We feel that a large measure of this success is due to the fine work of our art staff, headed by Goursundar das Adhikary (Gary McElroy) and Jaigovinda das Brahmachary (Jeffrey Havener). Goursundar's wife Govinda Devi Dasi, is his close collaborator in all projects. In addition to these three, there are Haimavati Devi Dasi (Helena Kary) and Jadurani Devi Dasi (Judy Koslofsky). In the future issues, as we (hopefully) gain on our deadlines, we hope to make even more elaborate presentations.
This issue falls just after the Appearance Days of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, and of our Spiritual Master, Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami, and so is especially devoted to celebrating Their Glories.
Swami Bhaktivedanta has returned to Vrindavana in India, in hopes of recovering his health, which has recently suffered severe setbacks, and prolonged uncertainty. In our next issue, we'll present the story of the Swami's departure, but for now it may cheer one and all to know that Swamiji's health is improving markedly. We have hopes of seeing him back in America within the next six months. Thanks be to God.
Hare Krishna
The Editors
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Friday evening, Dec. 30, 1966
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna is advising Arjuna. “I am speaking to you a still more confidential part of knowledge, because you are My dear friend.” As stated in the 4th Chapter, the Bhagavad Gita is spoken to Arjuna because of his one qualification—he was a devotee. The Lord says that the mystery of Bhagavad Gita is very confidential. Without becoming an unalloyed devotee you cannot know it. In India there are 645 different commentaries on Bhagavad Gita. One professor has even pictured Krishna as a doctor and Arjuna as the patient, and has interposed his own commentary in that way. The people have taken it that everyone is perfect, and he can interpret scripture in his own way. As far as we are concerned, we agree to read Bhagavad Gita according to the Parampara system of disciplic succession. It is being taught by the Supreme Person because, “You are My dear friend. I desire that you become prosperous and happy. So I speak to you.” He wants everyone to be happy and peaceful and prosperous, but they do not want it. The sunshine is open to everyone, but if someone wishes to remain in darkness, what can the sunshine do for him? So the Bhagavad Gita is open to everyone.
There are different species of life. Lower and higher grades of understanding exist; that is a fact. But Krishna says anyone can come to Him. If he has lower birth or whatever, it doesn't matter. Bhagavad Gita is transcendental subject matter. Everyone can understand, provided he goes along with this basic principle. The principle is stated in the 4th Chapter: Bhagavad Gita is coming down: “I first of all instructed this yoga system to the Sun-god Vivaswan, who taught it to Manu, who taught it to Ikshaku.” From him the disciplic succession is coming down, but “in course of time the disciplic succession was broken.” Arjuna is made the new disciple.
In the 2nd Chapter Arjuna surrenders: “So far, we have been talking as friends, but now I accept you as my spiritual master.” Anyone following the principle in this line must represent Arjuna. Krishna is speaking as the spiritual master of Arjuna. And Arjuna says, “Whatever You are speaking, I accept.” Read it like that. Not, “I like this so I accept. This I don't like, so I reject it.” Such reading is useless nonsense.
So the teacher must be a representative of Krishna, His devotee; and the student must be like Arjuna; then the study of Krishna consciousness is perfect and otherwise it is a waste of time. In Srimad Bhagawatam it is stated: “If anyone wants to understand the science of Krishna, he should associate with pure devotees. When discussions take place between pure devotees, the potential of spiritual language will be revealed.” Scholarly discussion of Bhagavad Gita is futile. In the Upanishads it is stated, “To one who has got firm faith in God and similar faith in God's representative all the import of Vedic language will be revealed.”
We must have the qualification of being a devotee. Become dear to God. My spiritual master used to say, “Don't try to see God. Just act in such a way that God will see you.” We have to qualify ourselves. By your qualification God Himself will come and see you.
One who can perceive God is transcendental to all material demands. We are always dissatisfied in the material world with circumstances that won't continue. Happiness is temporary, temporary plight will also exist only for some time, cold, heat, duality, all this is coming and going. To get in the Absolute stage is the process of Krishna consciousness. He is seated in everyone's heart, and as you become purified He will show you the path and in the end when you quit this body, you will go to the spiritual sky.
“Nobody knows Me,” He says. “My influence, My power and extension. Even the maharishis (great thinkers) don't know.” “I am the Original Person of all demigods and the Original Person of all rishis.” There are so many forefathers whom we don't know, nor do we know Brahma and the demigods. What little do we know? We can't reach that foremost platform where we can touch God by our own methods. We gather knowledge by limited senses and Krishna can't be reached by the mind (the center of these senses). Imperfect senses can't reach The Perfect Knowledge. Mind and sense manipulation can't reach Him. However, if you engage your senses in Service of the Lord, then He will reveal Himself through your senses.
People can say, What is the use of understanding God? What is the use? Let Him stay in His place, let me stay in my place. But in the Shastras it states that pious activities will raise us to beauty, knowledge, good birth, and that by impious (sinful) activities we suffer. Suffering is always there, pious or impious, but a distinction is nevertheless made. But he who knows God becomes freed from all sinful reactions. If we reject God, we can never be happy.
Monday evening, Jan. 2, 1966
Lord Chaitanya says that nobody knows Him. What to speak of human society, if you take the demigods who are more advanced and intelligent, they don’t know either. The seven great sages whose planet is near the North Star—they also do not know. Krishna says: “I am the Original, the Source of all these demigods.” He is the Father of everything. Not only the origin of the demigods but of the sages—and the universe itself. The Srimad Bhagawatam describes how the Universal Form took place and everything is emanating from Him. Also the origin of Paramatma and Impersonal Brahmajyoti is in Him. “Of everything, of any conception, I am the Source.”
The Absolute Truth is realized in 3 phases. It is One non-dual Truth in 3 phases. Brahman—the glowing effulgence; localised Supersoul; and Bhagawan—the Supreme Person. There are many expansions of the Supreme Person—all planets are emanations from the Superior Deity, as is stated in the Puranas, Upanisads, Bhagwat—all is summarized in the Bhagavad Gita.
If nobody knows the Supreme Person of God, how can He be known? He can be known when the Supreme Lord comes before you and reveals Himself to you. Then you can know. Our senses are imperfect, they cannot realize the Supreme Truth. When you adopt a submissive attitude, and you chant, then realization begins from the tongue. To eat and vibrate sound is the business of the tongue. If you can control your tongue for Prasadam and make sound vibration of the Holy Name—by surrender of the tongue you control all other senses. If you cannot control your tongue, you cannot control the other senses. You taste and become spiritually advanced. You can have this process at your home: offer food to Krishna and chant the Mantra and offer obeisances:
Namo Bramanya devaya
go brahmana hitaya cha
jagat hitaya Krishnaya
Govindaya namo nama.
Everyone can offer food, and take it with friends, and chant before the picture of Krishna, and lead a pure life. Just see the result—the whole world will become Vaikuntha, where there is no anxiety. All is anxious with us because we have accepted this material life. Just the opposite is so in the Spiritual world. No one knows how to get out. Taking an intoxicant doesn't help; the same anxieties are there when you are finished being drunk. If you want to be free and want life eternal with bliss and knowledge, take to Krishna. No one can know Him, but still there is a way. This is the process of Krishna consciousness.
In Srimad Bhagawatam it is stated, nobody can conquer Him or approach Him, but He becomes conquered. How? Let persons remain in their own position, but let them give up nonsense speculation through volumes of books. Thousands of books are printed and read, and after 6 months are thrown away. This way and that way—how can you know the Supreme by speculation with your blunt senses? Give up research—throw it away—just become submissive, acknowledge yourself that you are limited and subordinate to both material Nature and God. Nobody can be equal to or greater than God. So be submissive. Try to hear about the glories of the Supreme Lord from an authorized source. Authority is handed over by disciplic succession. If we can understand by the same authority as Arjuna, that is authority.
God is always ready to reveal Himself. You just become Krishna conscious. Follow the path traversed by the great Acharyas, then everything will be known. And, although He is unconquerable, He can be known in your home, even though the sages themselves don't know Him.
If you take to this process and follow its principles, what will be the result?
As soon as you understand, you will know the Supreme Lord as the Cause of all Causes, but He Who is not caused by any other cause. He is the Master of all planets. This is not accepting blindly. God has given you the power of reason, the power of arguing—but don't argue falsely. If you want to know the transcendental science you must surrender. Surrender to authority and know Him by signs. Don't surrender to a nonsense. Find one who is coming in disciplic succession: who is fully convinced about the Supreme Absolute Truth. If you find such person, surrender and try to please him, serve him and question him. Surrender unto him is surrender to God. But question to learn, not to waste time.
The process is there, but if we waste time by intoxication we will never see Him, the Unconquerable. Follow the principles and slowly but surely, without any doubt, you will know as you go along. You'll know you're on the proper path. “Yes, I'm making progress,” you'll say. And it is very easy, and you can execute and be in a happy mood. Study, take part with music, Prasadam,—and nobody can cheat you by this process. But if you want to be cheated—then go to the cheaters.
Try to understand Krishna consciousness from the authoritative source, and apply it in your life. Amongst the dying mortals, you become the most intelligent because you are freed from sinful actions. If you act only for Krishna, then you are freed from all reactions. There can be no anxiety over what is auspicious or inauspicious, because he is in touch with the Most Auspicious. This is the process. Ultimately we can get in touch with Krishna. Life will be successful.
Anyone can adopt it. It is very simple.
Wednesday evening, January 4, 1967
Here is a nice formula presented by Krishna Himself: that one should understand the position of Krishna. He is unborn and without any Cause. We have got the experience that we are born and we have a cause. Our father is our cause. If someone poses himself as God, he has to prove that he is unborn and uncaused. Our practical experience is that we are born. Krishna is not born—we have to understand this. Understanding this is to be firmly convinced that He is the Cause but is not caused, and since he is not caused He is the Proprietor of all manifestations. Whoever understands this simple philosophy is not illusioned.
But we are illusioned. We are claiming ownership of the land. Yet, before my birth the land was here, and after my death it well be here still. How long will I go on claiming, in body after body—“This is my land! This is my land!” Is it not nonsense?
We should know that whatever we are doing in the material concept of life is illusion. You have to understand whether you are illusioned or not. And all conditioned souls are illusioned. He who learns to be disillusioned gets free of all encumbrances. If you want freedom from all bondage you have to understand God. There is no neglecting this; it is the prime duty of the human form of life.
Out of millions of entities, one may be enlightened. Generally we are all born fools. As soon as I take birth, I am nurtured by parents and educated to falsely claim some land as my own. National education means to make you more foolish. Am I not foolish? I am changing my body and dress—here, changing, changing, you have so many minds and dresses—why do you claim this one? Why don't you understand: “This dress is nice, but next moment I may be in another.” You are in the grip of Nature. You can't say what dress you will have: “Nature, make me American.” No, material nature controls. If you live like a dog—here, take a dog's dress! If you live godly—here, take God! I may be able to dictate to my students, but I can't dictate to the Government. And even the Government cannot dictate to Nature. Out of many fools somebody tries to understand what I actually am—dog? American? Russian? This real enquiry goes on. If you enquire, you have to ask someone besides yourself. Crossing the street in a place you don’t know, you have to ask the policeman or some gentleman. For what I am you have to go to some authority. What is a spiritual master? He is a person conversant with the science of Krishna. Nobody enquires, but if a man does he can make progress and come to this understanding: Krishna is the Cause of all Causes.
The followers of scripture and higher authority enquire of Krishna. Those addicted to sinful activities can't enquire—they go on in intoxication. The righteous, pious man inquires and goes to God. Facility is given to people in the process by the authority—to make people happy, not to exploit them. The purpose of ISKCON is this: to understand the science of God. You want happiness. Here it is. You are distressed due to sinful reactions. If there is no sinful reaction, there is no suffering. One who knows Krishna without doubt is relieved of all reactions. Krishna says, “Come to Me and I will give you freedom from all reactions.” Don’t disbelieve it—He can give you shelter—He has all power. If I give you that promise, I have no such power and I may have to break my promise. But if you associate with Krishna consciousness your dormant relationship with Krishna will be evoked. You have got a relationship with Him. There is no question of disbelieving, it is simply foolishness, the dormant relationship is there. We want to serve Krishna but simply by the spell of Illusion we think we have no connection with Him. We go on doing all “independent” nonsense, and we are always anxious. When we associate with these dormant feelings for Krishna, we will be joyously engaged in Krishna consciousness.
“God is unborn” indicates that He is different from the material world. We have no such experience of an unborn being here. This city was born. Our history is filled with such dates. Spiritual nature is unborn—at once we can see the difference. The material nature is born. You have to understand, if Krishna is Unborn, then He is spiritual and not like one of us. Krishna is not like some extraordinary person who was also born. He is not born. So how can I decide that He is an ordinary man? “Those who are fools and rascals think of Me as an ordinary man,” Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita. He is different from everything in this world. He is anadi—without any cause.
Krishna may be spiritual, we will admit, but there are other spiritual bodies. We have a spiritual body like Krishna's but it is born. It is not exactly born. It is like the sparks of the fire—the sparks are not born apart from the fire—it is actually not born, it is there. We are not born—we are the sparks come out of the Original Form. Even though we are not born, still the spark is come of Krishna: so we are different, we are not Krishna. Simultaneously we are one and different; the sparks of the fire are fire but they are not the original fire. So far as quality is concerned, we are the same. It is like the difference between father and son. Father and son are different and nondifferent, at the same time. The son is an expansion of the father, but he cannot claim he is the father—this is nonsense.
Because Krishna is declaring Himself to be the Supreme Proprietor, therefore He is different from anyone. If I am the proprietor of New York State, I am still not New York State. In every step there is duality. No one can say we are completely and in every way one with God. Analytically studied, you can understand Krishna and your position in a nice way. Then at once you become free from sinful reactions. This process will help you: Chant Hare Krishna and cleanse your mind, and you will catch up the message. One has to be qualified. If you chant and hear, you will approach God. All things will become clear and illuminated. We welcome you to participate.
Yasoda and Krishna
Yasoda and Krishna
Of the states of love manifested between God and His devotee, one of the most exalted is that exhibited by Yasoda and Krishna: although He is the Supreme Absolute Truth, Krishna accepts the role of Son before His fond worshipper, and she with great concern feeds Him, thinking His health may suffer should He not eat well.
Separation
Separation
by Satsvarupa das
What difference will it make?
if I go down to the river to look for You
in the stream of the water—
or if I sit down here before Your picture,
Either way it is the same because
I have Your Name to recite over and over
and it seems I have actually done both,
by thinking of the river I have gone there
and I've come back to where I have not left—
sitting before Your picture.
Everything seems empty and vacant
because I am not worthy
and do not really have You as my Lover and Friend.
Or I do not understand
that You Love me beyond what I can measure
—I cannot realize that.
I think only that You should love me
more than anyone
and then I think I am unspeakably low.
Nothing saves me but Your Name—
Not so much the literature of great learned Goswamis
delineating the 12 categories of relationship to You,
and not by saying the word Bhakti, Bhakti, Bhakti
can I bring it about.
But to say “KRISHNA,” and say all the words of the mantra
together, HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA
HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
—and actually saying it hundreds and thousands of
times, alone with You—then I’m pacified.
Though the truth is I am lazy and
as empty handed as any impersonalist philosopher,
still recitation of Your Name is a balm
to this separated soul who is trying to come back
just on Your Name.
Satsvarupa das Brahmachary (Stephen Guarino)
Getting Across
Getting Across
by Damodara das
A weak, starving man was walking
Slowly through a landscape of
Dead trees and barren thorn bushes.
On his back was a large sack
Filled with heavy grey stones.
He had nothing except these stones.
He loved his stones;
One was round, one was square,
And one was like a pyramid.
He took them out every now and then
To feel them. Then he
Put them back into the sack
And stumbled slowly on.
One day he came to a river;
The first he had ever seen.
On the other side was an amazing
Lush landscape of rich mountains,
Waterfalls, fruit trees, birds,
Gardens, and brilliant golden
Temples with happy children
Laughing, playing with deer.
Strong men with clear eyes
Came to the edge of the river
And shouted to him,
“Come over here! Come over here!
Just swim across the river!”
But the man said,
“I can't! I'd have to leave
My stones! I couldn't swim
With my stones! I'm too weak!”
“Leave them! Don't be foolish!
We have stones here—perfect stones,
Diamonds, dazzling rubies!”
“Yes, but my stones are round,
Square, and one is a pyramid!”
“We have better stones here—
What are you waiting for?”
“But, I'd have to give up my stones!”
“We just said, we could give
You better ones!”
“Yes , but they're not mine!”
“Why should that bother you?
What you have is nothing!
Look at all the beauty here!”
“Well, suppose you swim to me
And carry me over to your side.”
“With your stones?”
“Yes, with my stones.”
“No, we can't do that.
Nothing can get those stones
Across the water. They belong
Over there; but you do not!
You belong over here!”
Just then the man turned
To his side of the river
To see a thin creature
Loaded with stones
Jump into a thick mist downstream
And drown. It was screaming,
“Nothing! Nothing!” as it died.
Another one came, quietly,
And walked calmly in to drown.
It had no stones, but said, “Nothing.”
The man looked at the mist,
And at the temples,
And he looked at himself.
Then he remembered something
He had forgotten, a long time ago.
He threw his stones away
And swam back across the river to get it.
The people greeted him with dancing,
And he found he was in the home of God.
Damodara das Adhikary (Dan Clark)
How I Met A.C. Swami Bhaktivedanta
How I Met A.C. Swami Bhaktivedanta
by Madhusudan das
I had a “normal” childhood, had fights with the kids on the block, envied my older brother for his associations with pretty girls, and tried to be a number one lover myself, all through my school days.
I started taking marijuana in my senior year in high school. After my first semester of college, at the age of 17, I went travelling through Europe and North Africa trying to squeeze some enjoyment out of all I came across.
After running out of money I came back to the Village, where I somehow came upon the joy-spreading chanters of HARE KRISHNA in Tompkins Square Park. My feeling about it was that it was nice; however, at this time I did not think that there was anything serious in these names of God—I thought that these were merely words. I also thought it strange to have a rug in the middle of a park. I did not inquire further.
I began drowning myself in psychedelic drugs such as LSD and DMT, thinking myself a very advanced creature. At the same time I became serious about my relationship to everything around me, and asked questions as to who I was and where I was going. I then went to the Haight-Ashbury area in San Francisco, to live with some people I had met in the Village.
I got too serious about bodily relationships with people and the world, thinking that I was this body and relating to everything in this manner. In trying to be a “virtuous creature,” I was seeking the perfection of life in these relationships, through drugs—which I truly felt to be the answer to the problems of Mankind. I deemed myself one of the discoverers of the newly-found panacea. Such is an example of illusion. In my quest for knowledge—that is, in finding the answers to my questions—the question, Who is God? arose. This was the supreme quest. Then during one “trip” I was sure I had realized God, and afterward desperately tried to put what I thought to be my new knowledge to practical use. I soon entered a mental hospital.
I was then delivered back to New York and started sessions with a therapist.
One day, by the grace of God, I came upon the temple storefront. The first thing that struck me was that the people were so warm and friendly and had no arrogance of attitude. They answered my numerous questions completely, for as I have learned, this is a complete philosophy and the practical method is guaranteed.
After coming to service once, I returned for each one after that. Dancing and chanting the praises of Lord Krishna is so nice. Our kind Lord reveals Himself to His devotees in proportion to their devotion. Much of the revelation comes automatically during chanting, for the chanting of the Lord's Name is our meditation and a most important part of the process of God consciousness.
At the time I came, Swami Bhaktivedanta was at the San Francisco temple, but his message is so fine that I was attracted to Krishna and to the Swami by the teachings he had given to his disciples.
Some time later, as Swamiji was arriving at the airport, I and some of my God-brothers-to-be were preparing the feast. We were very anxious to meet our guru. Finally, we were told that he was downstairs in the temple, and we hurriedly fumbled there to greet our Spiritual Master. He was clad in saffron robes and grandly sitting on his throne-like altar. He was a magnificant sight, as I beheld him every morning at Kirtan. Never have I met a person who exhibited the godly qualities of this man. It is my pleasure to try to be the loving servant of my Spiritual Master, and through him to learn to serve Krishna.
Madhusudan das Brahmachary (Michael Blumert)
Thakur Haridas Part 2
Thakur Haridas
Part 2
Part II
From the book “Sree Krishna-Chaitanya by Professor Sanyal
[In Part I, Professor Sanyal has described how Thakur Haridas was accosted by a harlot, at the instigation of Ramchandra Khan. Instead of falling to the woman's wiles, however, the Thakur converted her to the path of Krishna Consciousness.]
The immoral life that was being actually led by the harlot did not stand in the way of her redemption. The point is made absolutely clear by the fact that she went to Thakur Haridas for the purpose of seducing him. This shows also that her instinctive faith in sadhus was not coloured by any conventional moral sentiments. This was an adventure. Too rigid empiric morality obstructs spiritual awakening more effectively than even confirmed immorality. This is due to want of humility and spirit of submission to the sadhu that is sure to be engendered more or less by the dogmatic professor of conventional morality. True morality is never possible prior to spiritual awakening. That which passes as morality in the society of worldlings, is only a hypocritical, and, therefore more dangerous form of immorality. The moral instinct proper, which belongs to the soul, must not be confounded with this hypocritical immorality and its conventions. The harlot was not hampered by the conventions of a hypocritical morality. She possessed an open mind with a natural liking for the society of really pure souls, although she herself was actually leading a life that is condemned by moralists. But as it is not possible for a person to be really and fully moral before he realizes the nature of his true self, the case of the harlot, instead of being worse, was in certain respects better than that of the conventional moralist who is rigidly committed to the casuistical defence of the unspiritual life that he actually leads.
It is not, of course, intended to undervalue the principle of morality in any way. That instinct, in its pure form, as in the case of every other instinct, belongs to the soul. The form in which it passes current in the world is only the perverted reflection of the real principle and is not conducive to spiritual life. Its apparent advantages are strictly confined to this perverted existence. Whatever tends to reconcile us to the worldly life, stands self-condemned for that very reason. Empiric morality is fully open to this charge of pandering to the unspiritual life. As a matter of fact neither conventional morality nor conventional immorality are praised by the sadhus, as, by themselves, they stand without any relation to the Truth. As soon as our conduct gets related to the Truth it assumes its natural state which has nothing to do with either the conventional moral or immoral principle of this world. To call spiritual conduct merely moral in the ordinary conventional sense of the world, would, therefore, be wholly misleading. Spiritual conduct is no doubt perfectly wholesome, being free from all affinity with the unwholesome things of this world. The so-called 'moral' conduct based on worldly experience owes all its value to its worldly utility. This fact categorically differentiates spiritual 'purity' from worldly morality. There is, of course, no possibility of immoral conduct on the spiritual plane. In the absence of all possibility of immorality there is no scope for worldly morality in the realm of the Absolute. The Kingdom of Godhead accommodates all varieties of conduct by endowing all of them with perfect wholesomeness. Can such conduct be appropriately called 'moral' in the conventional sense of the term?
For instance, the trade of the harlot is in this world generally held to be utterly immoral. Is it possible for the 'ethical' mind to conceive of a state of existence that is infinitely higher than any conceivable worldly moral excellence?
Those fanatics who, grossly misunderstanding the nature of the subject treated by the spiritual Scriptures, set up as orthodox and uncompromising 'believers' in the 'letter' of the Scriptural texts and try to 'reform' the 'abuses' of this world by immoral regulations that are profanely attributed to Godhead Himself on the strength of such silly and mischievous interpretation, deserve to be put into the pound in the company of those 'innocent' creatures that are mercifully denied the quality of voicing their 'notions' for harming everybody. There are hypocritical pedants who affect to hold up their nose at the very sound of the name of a harlot and forthwith prescribe penitential punishment of the most atrocious kind for reforming their morals in 'obedience' to the injunctions of the Holy Scriptures. The Devil is also permitted to quote the Scriptures for his purposes.
Fanatics and hypocrites were in possession of the stage of the tragic drama of worldly life at the time when Thakur Haridas emerged before the bewildered vision of those pseudo-religionists and began to supply by his actual conduct the real explanation of the only purpose of all the Scriptures, by electing the harlot as the fittest and the very first object of the Divine Grace. He was naturally opposed by the renegade Brahmana Ramchandra Khan, who, in order to exploit the letter of the Scriptures for the accomplishment of his villainy, gave it out as his 'duty' to put down by all means a Muhammedan who had the temerity to set up as the expounder of the Shastras of the Hindus!
This brings us to the principle of hereditary caste. The teaching of the Shastras belongs exclusively to the twice-born. The Shastras themselves lay down elaborate rules by which to constitute the community of the Brahmanas who are to be the only teachers of them. This last part of the system had been allowed to pass out of the memory of the people, and, in its place, had been substituted by gradual and insidious steps and by general connivance, the principle of heredity. The hereditary Brahmanas by the strict Shastric test are no Brahmanas at all. Ramchandra Khan was the champion of this corrupt system, not for any real regard born of sincere conviction for the merits of the system itself or from any knowledge of the Shastras, but, as it always happens in such cases, from malice and insolence.
If Haridas Thakur would practice the function strictly reserved for hereditary Brahmanas then the whole system of caste based upon the principle of heredity is challenged at its source. If a Muhammedan can become a Brahmana. the present social system of the Hindus, which is claimed to be part and parcel of the Religion, is utterly demolished. This was bound to agitate profoundly all caste-Hindus.
Nor was this all. The chanting of the Holy Name of Krishna was also practiced with a loud voice. This was an entirely novel mode of worship to the Hindus of that time. The new out-caste apostle of the eternal religion, in opposition to all current rituals and forms of worship, was declaring to admiring Hindus an apparently new form of worship as the one enjoined by the Shastras. Could all the contemporaneous Hindus be so utterly mistaken that they required to be imparted ab initio the knowledge of the fundamentals of their own religion by a Muhammedan, against the teaching of all the hereditary Brahmanas, the exclusive teachers of the same by the rules of the Shastras themselves?
It is quite easy to imagine the intense consternation and hostility that were naturally aroused in an Age of casuistical fanaticism by the preaching of the simple doctrines of the Religion of the Truth. The chanting of the Holy Name of Godhead is the only sacrament of the true religion prescribed for the present Age. This simplification is in keeping with the spirit of all the other sacraments authorised by the Shastras. The other sacraments are not suitable for this Age which is too addicted to sceptical argumentation ad nauseum. As soon as one realises the true nature of the soul, all his activities are thencefoward naturally and necessarily performed on the spiritual plane. The narrow ceremonial view of the sacrament is due to the imperfect spiritual vision of the observer. The sacrament may, therefore, differ in the different Ages in its external appearance, which is, however, the only view that is open to the novice for whose special benefit it is ordained.
The chanting of the Holy Name is liable to the least objection even as sacrament, from a casuistical Age. The Mercy of Godhead must be sought willingly, nay with the keenest hankering that is born of positive liking, for obtaining real touch with Him in order to serve Him by means of the spiritual senses of the pure soul.
The sacrament implies a real mutual personal relationship between the Lord and His servant. It is definite, concrete and loving, but in the spiritual (not abstract, notional or concocted i. e., purely mental) sense. The personality, senses and functions of the soul are not comprehensible to, nor admissible by the mind. The mental refusal to recognise the substantive existence of the soul, is the greatest curse of this Age of dogmatic empiricism. This piece of dogmatism must be got rid of.
The empiric reason is confronted to a fight at its own weapons when it is summoned to admit the rationale of the worship of Godhead by means of His Name only. The Name of Godhead must not also be supposed to connote or denote anything of this world, in no shape, neither as precept nor concept. This should in all conscience more than satisfy the passion for abstraction of even the Moslem iconoclast.
The next point is that the Name of Godhead must be admitted as true and not as a mere concoction of the material mind. The Scriptural Name of Godhead is not a thing of this world. The Scriptural Name is Himself Divine. The Scriptural Name requires to be served with the tongue by an attitude of humble supplication for manifesting His Divine Nature to the pure serving essence of our soul. Even the most rabid iconoclast need have no cause of complaint against such service. It is this pure service that was practiced by Thakur Haridas, which, he maintained, was the only sacrament enjoined by the Scriptures as suitable for this Age of wrangling sophistry (Kali Yuga.) The implications of this position will be more fully developed in course of this Narrative at the proper stages.
As the service of Godhead is the eternal function of the individual soul in the state of grace, it transcends all mental and physical activities. The Shastras accordingly reserve the service of Godhead to those who are twice-born. The terms Brahmana (one who has knowledge of Godhead as the Great) and Dwija (twice-born) applied to persons who are eligible for the service of Godhead, refer to the individual soul in the state of grace and not to caste. If Thakur Haridas be regarded as a Moslem born, it is then the physical body that is denoted by the Name Thakur Haridas. If Ramchandra Khan claimed to be a Brahmana on the strength of his seminal birth in a Brahmana(?) family, he also supposed his physical body to be Brahmana. The objection of Ramchandra Khan to Thakur Haridas, on the strength of such foolish interpretation of the Shastras, was met by Thakur Haridas with pity and indifference. Ramchandra Khan did not possess the good fortune of the harlot, whom he made the dupe of his deviltries, to be enabled to listen to the Holy Name of Godhead from the lips of Thakur Haridas. A Brahmana, who claims to be such by right of seminal birth, is less fit for spiritual service than even an open-minded harlot.
From Fulia, Thakur Haridas moved off to Chandpur. The village of Chandpur was situated in the present District of Hughly in the neighbourhood of Tribeni. Balaram and Jadunandan Acharyas, the purohits (family-priests) of Hiranya and Gobardhan Mazumdars of Tribeni, had their residence in the village of Chandpur which lay to the east of Tribeni. The word 'Mazumdar' is the equivalent of 'Majmu adar', the title of an accountant of the royal revenues under the Nawabs. Balaram Acharya was the disciple of Thakur Haridas and regarded himself as his servant. Haridas stayed with Balaram Acharya in the latter's house. Balaram Acharya with great care made arrangements for the residence of the Thakur in the village. Haridas lived there in a hut and accepted the alms of food at the house of Balaram Acharya. The boy Raghunath Das, son of Bobardhan, was at this time studying under Balaram Acharya. Raghunath used to go to Thakur Haridas for a sight of the saint. Haridas was merciful to the boy. Thakur Haridas's mercy was the cause of subsequent attainment of spiritual enlightenment by Raghunath Das. The following event occurred while Thakur Haridas was staying at Chandpur.
One day Balaram Acharya, by his humble supplications, induced Thakur Haridas to repair to a gathering at the house of the Mazumdars. The two brothers stood up on seeing the Thakur and, falling at his feet, offered him a seat with great respect. There was present in the assembly a very large number of Pandits, Brahmanas, and other worthy people. The two brothers Hiranya and Gobardhana were also very learned persons. All present spoke highly in praise of Thakur Haridas. This met with the hearty approval of the brothers. It was known to all that the Thakur recited the Holy Name three lakhs (300, 000) of times daily. The Pandits accordingly talked about the greatness of the Name as Thakur Haridas assumed his seat in their midst.
Some of the Pandits said that the cure of all sinfulness automatically results from uttering the Name of Godhead. Others expressed the view that the individual soul (jiva) is freed from the miseries of this life by uttering the Name. Haridas declared that those two were not proper fruits of chanting of the Name. Love to the Feet of Krishna is aroused by taking of the Name. Haridas said that the condition of a person who realises such love is described in a sloka of the Bhagawatam (Bhag. 11.2.35). “A person, who is habituated to serve Krishna in the ways enunciated above (viz., hearing, chanting, etc.,) loses all control over his mind and, by reason of realising the quality of love by chanting the Name of Krishna, experiences an anxious restlessness of the heart. He loses all consideration for the opinion of the people and laughs, cries, shouts, sings and dances at intervals.” Salvation and destruction of sinfulness are only attendant results—“Just as the rising of the Sun dispels all darkness, so also no sooner does the Name of Hari manifests Himself than He forthwith destroys all the sins of the persons who utters His Name.”
Haridas requested the Pandits present to explain the above sloka. All the Pandits desired Thakur Haridas to elucidate its meaning to them. Haridas who had recited the sloka now said that even before the Sun actually begins to appear darkness is dispelled by his approaching light and the fear from thieves, ghosts and demons is also destroyed; and, on his actual appearance, all useful activities begin to be performed. In like manner sins and other evils are destroyed by the reflected light of the approaching Sunrise of the full manifestation of the Name; while, on the actual appearance of the Name, love to the Feet of Krishna is aroused. Salvation is a trivial result which is effected by the dim reflection cast by the Name as His Appearance draws nigh. The devotee does not wish to accept salvation which is at first offered by Krishna. Haridas quoted the two following slokas of the Bhagawatam in support of his contention (Bhag. 6.3.42; 5.19.2): “If the dying Ajamila could attain to the realm of the Vaikuntha by calling upon Hari, which happened to be the name of his son, who can estimate the effect if the Name is chanted with faith?” “My own,” says Krishna, “Never accept the different forms of salvation, e. g., attainment of My realm, attainment of power and wealth and fame similar to Mine, the privileges of dwelling near Me, even the favour of becoming one with Myself; all of which privileges I offer them unreservedly. They covet nothing except My service.”
Gopal Chakravarti was a Brahmana who belonged to the household of the Mazumdars, being employed to carry letters and money to the king. He had to go up to Gauda and appear before the Padishah himself in connection with the discharge of his official duties. He used to convey twelve lakhs of rupees annually to the king. He was, in his early youth, very handsome and a very good scholar. Gopal lost his patience on hearing that salvation can be obtained by the dim refection of the Name. He then spoke in great anger.
“Pandits who are in assembly here,” said Gopal. “All of you have heard the conclusion announced by one whose trade is to amuse people by dance and song. Emancipation, which is unattainable by means of knowledge of the Brahman in crores of births, is held by him to follow automatically the manifestation of the dimmest reflection of the Name.”
At this point Haridas entreated Gopal not to entertain any doubt on the subject, as the Shastras themselves declare that liberation from the bondage of the world results at once from the appearance of the dim reflection of the Name. The bliss of liberation is utterly trivial in comparison with the happiness of loving service. It is for this reason that the devotees do not accept liberation. The Thakur then quoted the sloka of Haribhaktisudhodaya (H. Bh. S. 14-31): “Teacher of the universe, to me, immersed in the pure ocean of bliss by meeting Thee, the bliss of the attainment of the knowledge of the Brahman (the Great Nourisher) appears to be as contemptible as the tiny speck of water filling a hole in the ground indented by the hoof of cattle.”
The Brahmana now became furious. He shouted out that he would assuredly cut off his nose if liberation does not result from the dim reflection of the Name. On hearing the blasphemy the members of the assembly gave vent to their sorrow at the behaviour of Gopal. Mazumdar reproved him severely. Balaram Acharya expressed his indignation by remarking that the offender was a fool fit only for hair-splitting sophistry and was perfectly ignorant of the principle of devotion. How could he go the length of insulting even Thakur Haridas! He was doomed to perdition beyond all help.
Haridas rose to leave the place as he heard the words of the Brahmana. Mazumdar forthwith severed all his official connection with Gopal and with all the assembled persons fell prostrate at the feet of Thakur Haridas. Haridas smiled and spoke sweet words. He said that none of them had done anything offensive except that Brahmana. The Brahmana was also not to blame. His addiction to controversial discussion was the cause of his strange behaviour. The greatness of the Name is not realisable by futile discussion. How could he, therefore, understand those principles? He then bade them depart to their homes in peace, expressing the wish that no one might come to grief by his connection with himself.
Hiranya-das came back to his house after receiving this assurance of pardon and forbade Gopal to cross his threshold. In course of three days the offending Brahmana was attacked with virulent leprosy. His very prominent nose rapidly melted away. The fingers of his hands and feet, rivalling the champaka buds in their delicacy, all shrivelled up and dissolved away by the corrosive force of the malady. On beholding this all the people were filled with great wonder. They praised Haridas and made obeisance to him with reverence.
Sri Krishna Kaviraj Goswami concludes the above account with the pregnant observation that although Haridas did not feel offended by the conduct of the Brahmana yet did Godhead award the offender the punishment due to his transgression. It is the nature of the devotee of Godhead that he ever pardons the faults of the ignorant. It is Krishna's Nature that He cannot bear any calumniation of His devotees even through ignorance.
Haridas was grieved at heart on hearing of the misery of the Brahmana. He apprised Balaram Acharya of his intention to leave the place and proceed to Shantipur.
The account is prefaced by Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami with the remark that the event narrated is most wonderful for the reason that it contains the clear elucidation, from the lips of the Acharya himself, of the Divine Dispensation of the present Age. The reader must not forget the point, which is the centre of interest of the whole narrative detailed in this work, viz., that Thakur Haridas is the Acharya, or the practicing teacher, authorized by Godhead to promulgate the congregational chanting (Samkirtana) of the Holy Name, which is the mode of worship that alone can demolish the worst form of atheism in the name of 'free' thinking which is unfortunately so prevalent nowadays all over the world; and which is the terrible but inevitable natural consequence of the exclusive worship of Mammon by all the resources of mind and body.
End—Part II
Deliverance
Deliverance
Be born again.
This time a perfect child.
This time immortal.
This time happy, forever blissful
Be born again!
This time let your crying ring
out to the stars!
This time just scream in eternal ecstasy,
“I' m back. I'm back!”
This time, you fool, Just worship Govinda,
Just worship Govinda, Just worship Govinda!!
Purushottam das Brahmachary (Paul Auerbach)
Pradyumna
Pradyumna
by Damodara das
Pradyumna, Pradyumna,
Pradyumna Prabhu, walking in the park.
Pradyumna walking in the park.
Yellow and blue, shaved head Prabhu,
Walking in the park through the families.
Pradyumna walking through the families.
The grass is green, bright green
Where Pradyumna walks, blue and yellow,
Chanting on his beads, walking,
Walking through the families
In Montreal, walking to the temple,
Prabhu walking so nicely, walking
To the temple among the citizens
Who do not notice he is chanting,
Chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
On his beads as he walks, Krishna
Krishna, to the temple, Hare Hare,
Straight to the temple, Hare Rama,
Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Krishna kirtan,
Hare Hare, walking to Krishna's temple.
Yellow and blue on a green field,
A Brahmachary flag for Lord Krishna.
But still the people do not sing,
Do not follow him, the children do not
Laugh and dance with flowers at his feet.
How can they ignore the call, Krishna's call,
The urge to sing His Name, the urge
To follow Pradyumna Prabhu, a devotee
Of The Lord, walking, Pradyumna Prabhu,
Walking in the park, Pradyumna!
Damodara das Adhikary (Dan Clark)
In Krishna's Abode
In Krishna's Abode
The streets and houses are made of touchstone,
And all the trees are fulfillers of desire.
The cows give limitless nectarlike milk,
And the Lord is served by many fair goddesses of Fortune.
O! I worship that Cowherd Boy,
Who is the Supreme Enjoyer
Krishna and the Vedic View:
Krishna and the Vedic View:
The Swami Responds
Dear Swami Bhaktivedanta,
As simply as possible, could you tell me what the real essence of your message is? I find all philosophers to be long on wind but short on solid meaning. Please try to be clear. Thank you.
John M. Taylor
Dear Mr. Taylor,
I shall try: My message is that humankind can find real—not theoretical or abstract—peace and happiness only through association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And this association is established most quickly and easily through the congregational chanting of the Lord’s Holy Names. My followers and I sing the Maha Mantra—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. However, other authorized Names, such as Jehovah, Jesus Christ and Allah are quite acceptable, as God has a limitless supply of Personal Names. I hope this is lucid, and further hope you will take up this practice of Kirtan, or singing the Lord’s Names.
Dear Swami,
Who is Narada Muni? When you say on your record album cover that he’s a spaceman, do you mean that he uses a flying saucer?
Yours truly,
Marjorie Sherman
Dear Miss Sherman,
Narada is one of the principal saints mentioned in Vedic literature. As stated on the record cover it was he who delivered the Maha Mantra to Earth. Narada Muni doesn’t use a flying saucer, because his body is completely spiritual, and therefore has no limitation in material time or space.
Dear Swami,
If God loves us, why doesn't He stop warfare?
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Arthur
Dear Miss Arthur,
The Lord presents Mankind with all means of understanding His Fatherhood, and our brotherhood toward one another. But He doesn't impinge upon the minute quantity of independence that we have. If we choose to ignore Him, He permits us. Greed treachery and warfare are natural results of this ignorance. As for the major horror of war, death: that is merely an illusion. The living entities are by constitution eternal, in spite of material appearances. But great suffering is undeniably there, due to our unfortunate ignorance .
Dear Swami,
Are there any esoteric principles in Krishna Consciousness, revealed only to advanced students?
Thank you,
Ben Ordway
Dear Mr. Ordway,
Why not take up Krishna Consciousness and see?
Ever your well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
The Highest Sense
The Highest Sense
by Satsvarupa das
“Every second of human life is meant for making an ultimate solution of the problems of life, i. e., repetition of birth and death and revolving in the cycle of 84 lakhs of different species of life.”—Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
We have only minute
independence but it
overwhelms us. The
energy of our body we
run like a crazy machine
to hear it roar only—
the fingertips the ears
the monkey we are—what
nonsense without spirit soul!
Like a dog we run
2 miles one way and
return 2 miles the other way,
stopping at hotels and
motels, slamming and opening
the car door and eating
any junk put on the counter and talking
about the newspapers and the radio—what
rubbish without cultivation of the soul!
We are driving the
machine but we’re so obsessed
we think “I am the machine”
and we waste
our power and only a few times a day
we have to think “What is God?”
but we dismiss it, “Who cares?”
throw Him away! We are God!” and
the highest pleasure is to
park our machine in some
garage with another machine
and run our engines
together and we
call that Love.
The aim of life is spirit
even the hogland fools should know it
this is the highest pleasure:
the soul as the only Sense.
Drive those cars into towns
in the morning and at night
and use the hotels—for kirtan parties to stay overnight
and chant Hare Krishna and give out great
prasadam feasts of sweet rice, halavah and pouris
offered to Lord Sri Krishna's Senses
and use the main ballroom and the hall and the theater
and the public park and the downtown road
for mass dancing to the sound of voice and cymbals
and drums of kirtan and let the neons light up:
GLORIES TO GOVINDA
and speed the cars and planes
to cities like Dwarka built just to please Him
and turn the Love for cats and dogs and machines
into Krishna Who reciprocates His devotees
as Friend and Master and Lover—He
will hear this rejoicing of
victory over matter
and will release us from this
nasty world, which even if transformed,
will have to perish
when only Krishna will be standing
in a nicely curved position,
dark blue like a rain cloud,
and playing His flute.
Satsvarupa das Brahmachary (Stephen Guarino)
Truth and Beauty
Truth and Beauty
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
It has often been argued whether truth and beauty are terms compatible with one another. One would agree willingly, some say, to express the truth, but since truth is not always beautiful—indeed it is frequently rather startling and unpleasant—how is one to express truth and beauty at the same time?
In reply to this we may inform all concerned that Truth and Beauty are indeed compatible terms. Truth which is Absolute is always beautiful. It is so beautiful that it attracts everyone, including itself. Truth is so beautiful that many sages, saints and devotees have left everything for its sake. Mahatma Gandhi, the idol of the modern world, dedicated his life for experimenting with Truth, and all his activities were targetted towards Truth only.
Why Mahatma Gandhi?—every one of us is drawn by an urge towards Truth, because it is not only beautiful, but possesses all power, all resources, all fame, all renunciation and all knowledge as well.
Unfortunately, people have no information of the actual Truth, and 99.9 per cent of men in all ranks of life are following the principles of Untruth in the name of Truth and its quest. We are actually attracted with the beauty of Truth, but we are, since time immemorial, habituated to love untruth in the name of Truth. And therefore, to the mundane thinker, Truth and Beauty are incompatible terms. Mundane Truth and beauty are explained as follows:
A man fell in love with a beautiful girl. He was very powerful and strongly built, but his character was doubtful. The girl, meanwhile, was not only beautiful in appearance, but also saintly in character. As such the beautiful girl did not like the proposal of the powerful man. The powerful man, however, insisted upon his lustful desires, whereupon the beautiful girl requested the man to wait for only seven days and after that she fixed up a time when they could meet. The strong man agreed, and with high expectations began to count the hours, waiting for the moment when he was fixed to meet the girl.
The saintly girl, however, in order to manifest the real beauty of relative Truth, adopted a means which is very instructive: She took a very strong dose of purgative medicine, and for seven days continually she passed loose stool and vomitted all that she ate. All the loose stool and the vomit she stored up in suitable reservoirs. As a result of this laxative medicine, the so-called beautiful girl became lean, thin as a skeleton, and turned gloomy of complexion, with her beautiful eyes pushed into the socket of the skull.
At the appointed hour, she was waiting anxiously to receive the man in love.
The man appeared on the scene well-dressed and well-behaved, and asked the waiting girl, who was depressed in appearance, about the beautiful girl who had called him there. The man could not recognize the waiting girl, as the same beauty whom he was asking for. The girl was in a pitiable condition, and the foolish man, in spite of repeated assertions, could not recognise her. All due to the action of the medicine.
At last the girl told the powerful man the story of her beauty, that she had separated the ingredients of beauty, and stored them up in the reservoirs. She told him that he could have and enjoy the juices of beauty stored up in these reservoirs if he wanted them. The man agreed to see the juices of beauty, and thus he was directed to the store of loose stool and liquid vomit, which were emanating unbearable odors. Thus the whole story of the liquid beauty was disclosed to him. The characterless man, by the grace of the saintly girl, was now able to distinguish between the shadow and the substance, and thus he came to his senses.
That is the real position of every one of us who are attracted by false material beauty. The girl above-mentioned developed a beautiful material body as she desired in her mind, but she was actually apart from that temporary material manifestation of body and mind. She is in fact a spiritual spark, and so also is the man in love, who was attracted by the false skin of the girl.
Many great thinkers, poets, artists and people in general, are deluded by the outward beauty and attraction of the relative truth, and are unaware of the spiritual spark which is both Truth and Beauty at one and the same time. The spiritual spark is so beautiful that on its leaving the body no one any longer wishes to touch it, even though the body may be decorated with the most costly jewels.
And because we are all after a false, relative truth, we find it to be incompatible with real beauty. The truth is so permanently beautiful that it maintains the same standard of beauty as it is for millions upon millions of years. Besides that, the spiritual spark is indestructible. The beauty of the outer skin can be destroyed in a few hours time by one small dose of strong purgative, but the beauty of Truth is always the same, and is indestructible just as it is. Unfortunately, mundane writers are ignorant of the beautiful sparks of spirit, as well as of the fiery resources of these spiritual sparks and their interrelations of transcendental pastimes. When these pastimes are displayed here by the Grace of the Almighty, the foolish persons who cannot see beyond the gross senses mistake such pastimes of Truth and Beauty as being within the same field as the store of loose stools and liquid vomit. Thus they come to despair, and then declare that Truth and beauty cannot be accommodated at one and the same time.
The mundane thinkers do not know that the Whole Spiritual Entity is the beautiful Person attracting everything as the Prime Substance, the Prime Source and the Fountainhead of everything that be. And the infinitesimal spiritual sparks, as parts and parcels of the Whole Spirit, are qualitatively the same—beautiful and eternal entities. The difference is that the Whole is eternally the Whole, and the parts are eternally the parts. Both of them are the Ultimate Truth, Ultimate Beauty, Ultimate Knowledge, Ultimate Energy, Ultimate Renunciation and Ultimate Opulence.
Any literature which does not describe such Ultimate Truth and Beauty is a store of loose stools and liquid vomit of the relative truth. Real literature is that which describes this Ultimate Truth and Beauty.
Evolution and the Human Mission
Evolution and the Human Mission
by Rayarama das Brahmachary
(Raymond Marais)
Long before the advent of Linnaeus, the existing species of life had been analyzed and categorized in the uniquely scientific scriptural literature of India. And, at about the same distance in time from Darwin, a presentation of the evolutionary process was made. In both instances, the earlier work was by far the more exhaustive, although it was done in mind of spiritual values, and with scant heed to the speculative studies of the material world which are so much a part of the scientific tradition to which Linnaeus and Darwin belonged. Indeed, the Vedic analyses are cosmic in scope, depending as they do upon the revelations of seers whose minds were attuned to the absolute knowledge possessed by God. Their theses are complete, and are meant to point out and define the specific place of human life in the universal order, as well as to indicate the role for which the human being is intended.
To begin with, the living entities are divided into eight million, four hundred thousand species. Although not all of these species exist on any one planet, they are to be found within this universe as a whole. What’s more, no species may ever be said to be extinct—not even those seemingly progressive developments like eohippus which have so enchanted Charles Darwin's successors. Occasionally, a breed of beings will disappear from one planet, or appear on another where it was not before known to exist—but the Vedic literature rules out the concept of extinction.
(At this point, we may clearly see that the man who is dependent upon and faithful to the limited scope of vision of empirical science may not in good humor proceed with us. We shall later take up the particular limitations of the individual living entity, and explain why he therefore ought not to rely upon the knowledge acquired by his senses and their mechanical extensions such as the telescope, spectroscope, and radio wave transmitters. But for the moment, we must simply say that Vedic knowledge was delivered by entities far more developed than any earthly doctorate can attest to, and leave skepticism unappeased.)
The Padma Purana classifies the species of life thusly: 9,000,000 aquatic; 2,000,000 vegetable; 1,000,000 crawlers (such as worms and reptiles); 1,000,000 birds; 3,000,000 four-legged beasts; and 400,000 humans. These divisions are not made in the same spirit as are those of modern science, needless to say. For example, gorillas and monkeys are considered human, as are the demi-gods of the heavenly planets. And just as we are advanced above the apes, so are the demi-gods advanced over us—and often the gap is greater. Furthermore, those humans whom we see before us on this planet are divided into various more-or-less fixed gradations of primitive and civilized. For, so far as the Vedic seers are concerned, the civilized life of Earth is the penultimate in the evolutionary process.
How so, when the demi-gods are admitted to be more developed than we?
The answer to this question is also the answer to another question: What is meant by advancement? The biologists, anthropologists and ecologists of today's repute do not recognize the concept of advance and recession, at least not officially—for they say that it is anthropomorphic, unpragmatic, impractical. Within their range of vision this is certainly so. Without some spiritual understanding, no conclusion or goal can ever be perceived in anything, to be sure. But to the man who has some spiritual understanding a sure and unshakable goal is ever before him, its banners hailing his attention at every turn. This goal is spiritual perfection, self-realization as it is most often termed.
How is self realized? How is self obscured? The key word here is consciousness. That the dog has a soul may be a fact, but the dog has no consciousness of this, and therefore he suffers. So it is with all living beings. Spirit soul being the true and constitutional position of the creature, its realization in the form of direct experience means the attainment of Truth, of Reality, and, therefore, one's life can only actually begin at this point. To one without spiritual enlightenment, Truth is an elusive phantom, and so is happiness. Consciousness of Truth, of one's real identity, then, is the goal of life, for all beings seek immortality, knowledge and bliss, whatever their station.
The very wealthy, even on this Earth, do not generally turn to spiritual life, because they are engrossed in material enjoyment. They consider the spiritualist or transcendentalist to be the crier of sour grapes, as though they with their riches can avoid the death which he whom they have derided has transcended. As Lord Jesus Christ said, a camel may pass through the eye of a needle with greater ease than may a rich man go to God. Yet the opulences of this planet are mere baubles as compared to the abundance to be found on the heavenly planets, where dwell the demi-gods. And, therefore, they for all their highly developed bodies and minds, are not so fortunate as we—for we have the more inclusive vision of life and death, which is inevitable for them as much as for us. And, with our vision, is increased the opportunity to transcend the mortal state.
The development of spiritual consciousness is possible only to the human species—and especially so for the civilized humans. This advanced, comprehensive consciousness is, in fact, the only quality which actually distinguishes man from the other creatures. For the pig and the horse and the ant all have sex life, all eat foods which please them, all sleep and all have weapons. And they have their politics, as well. We cannot conclude that human life is merely the manner of living of a sophisticated swine. No, for Man has the ability to wonder—and the ability to find out, too. Therefore, in the Vedas it is said that, when a man first questions, “What am I? How am I here?”—then his human life begins.
This human status is attained after millions upon millions of births. To be sure, the living spirit soul must progress through the bodies of each and every one of those eight million four hundred thousand species, before he can achieve civilized existence. This is a long, excruciating transmigration through a universe of never-ending frustration, pain and defeat. For the living entity cannot know eternal life, knowledge, or bliss complete as long as he identifies himself with matter; and no understanding of one's true identity is possible at any stage below the human. Thus, all life in this material world means vanquishment.
Now, before continuing with the subject of evolution and the meaning of that study in terms of human purpose, we must wonder, after all: How did it begin? How am I here? In the Bhagavad Gita, the Lord explains,
All beings are born to delusion O Bharata,
Overcome by the dualities
Which arise from wish and hate,
O Conqueror of the foe. (VII, 27)
The living entity wishes to become the Lord, the ruler and master—and so he is given a domain in which he may fulfill his longings:
In ancient days the Lord of creatures
Created men along with sacrifice and said,
By this shall ye bring forth, and this shall be unto you
That which will yield the milk of your desires. (B.G. III, 10)
So Krishna, the God Who loves all beings, has given us what we craved, and by sacrifice we had the means to be eternally joyful even here, without His direct association. But the living entity cannot be what he is not—he cannot be God. Whereas the Lord is in all ways perfect, His fragmental portions suffer from certain constitutional imperfections, which are chiefly classed as four: the living entity is certain to make mistakes, he is envious, he is subject to illusion, and his senses are imperfect. With these unfortunate shortcomings, having gone so far to sunder the loving relationship with God, it is easy to see how the state of paradise, known both to Judaic and Vedic scriptural history, was lost.
It is the eternal religion of all beings to serve. By eternal religion it is meant that this is something which cannot be taken from the entity—something which he manifests at all times. Bugs and behemoths, trees and tigers—all creatures are engaged in service. Indeed, the Lord Himself, the Prime and Primal Being, is also the Prime and Primal Servant, giving to all creatures their sustenance in every way both direct and indirect. Because of our natural position of servitude, turning from the service of the Lord means that we must turn to some other service. This is the service of Maya, Illusion, for only God’s service is true.
Thus we can see that, wilfully, we have made our own beds in this world of defeat.
Until the spirit soul enters upon the human platform, he remains blind and innocent of sin. He simply goes on from birth to birth, species to species, until he has risen to the level where his body permits the flowering of long-dulled and suppressed consciousness. At this point, intractable evolution ceases, for the greater consciousness leaves the entity literally master of his own fate. He may choose to end the material entanglement in which he has so long been caught, he may choose to continue human existence, or he may hurl himself back into the sea of raging mortality from which he has barely just emerged. Brief though it be, this human life is supremely important.
The process by which the human makes his choice and by which that choice is fulfilled is called karma. Karma means an action and its attendent reaction. I chop a tree… it falls. That is karma. In a similar sense, the manner in which I lead this human life creates a certain effect which is manifested in my next birth. The culmination of one’s life is its final moment:
Thinking of whatever state
He at the end gives up his body,
To that being does he attain, O Son of Kunti,
Being ever absorbed in the thought thereof. (B.G. VIII, 6)
This is the vital, crucial decision, but one may not make it at that last instance. Indeed, the mind will cling to its ways—and so reflect the life it has known. And in this lies the tragedy or triumph of Man. If he has lived as a goat, then he will get the body best suited to his wishes. And, has he lived as a friend to the eternal God, then he will have birth in that eternal association, and end rebirth altogether.
This is the crux of all Vedic philosophy: one can end the round of birth and death. It can be done. One must simply sever his ties to material existence in the proper manner. Here is the formula:
Save work done as and for sacrifice
This world is in bondage to work.
Therefore, O Son of Kunti, do thy work as a sacrifice,
Becoming free from all attachment. (B.G. III, 9)
Yes, the Bhagavad Gita says that the only means of liberation from the forest of action-reaction is to act without regard for the fruits of work. In other words, to work for God. Give Him your money, give Him your intelligence, give Him your energy. Again, Sri Krishna says,
Those who, laying all their actions on Me,
Intent on Me
Worship, meditating on Me,
With unswerving devotion;
These whose thoughts
Are set on Me,
I straightway deliver
From the ocean of death-bound existence,
O Partha. (B.G. XII, 6 & 7)
This is the way. Those not willing to follow it cannot hope to gain God's association. That a strong attachment to money, sex-life or fame exists is understood. But that attachment must be transferred to God. If it is not, then the individual’s consciousness can never be fixed upon Him. For those who, like Nietzsche, want to go on in the sea, the Lord has no anger. But He has pity, and so He explains our plight to us for our own consideration:
At the coming of day, all manifested things
Come forth from the unmanifested
And at the coming of night they merge
In that same, called the unmanifested.
This very same multitude of existences
Arising again and again
Merges helplessly at the coming of night, O Partha,
And streams forth at the coming of day.
But, beyond this unmanifested,
There is yet another,
Unmanifested eternal being,
Who does not perish.
This Unmanifested is called the Imperishable.
Him they speak of as the Supreme Status.
Those who attain to Him return not.
That is My supreme abode.
This is the Supreme Person, O Partha,
In Whom all existences abide
And by Whom all this is pervaded;
Who can, however, be gained by unswerving devotion.
(B.G. VIII, 18-22)
And so we can see that the perfection of human life, indeed the goal of goals in all this Universe, is to transcend the material encagement and to enter into the eternal Abode of Krishna—through devotional service. This is the purpose to which a man ought wisely to dedicate his life. Otherwise, that life is necessarily dedicated to death, for only by God's grace can we cross the chasm of doom inherent in the flesh. Once spiritual life begins, once the transcendental consciousness is awakened, death has been conquered and life fulfilled beyond the sweetest of dreams.
These concepts are not new ones, nor are they Indian, nor even Vedic. They are found in the Bible and the Koran as well as in other great scriptural literature. The scientist may only examine the phenomenon of mortality, but he may never fully comprehend, much less overcome it. This is the domain of the spiritualist. How then has it come about that our world has turned from God? Why are people by the millions accepting post-dated checks from the men of science, whose finest pragmatic accomplishments are to move some tons of dead earth from one spot to another at great speed?
When we speak of the common good among men, the first and most general thought to arise is that of politics. After all, isn't every politician from the President to the town dogcatcher promising Utopia in exchange for your vote? Those who are genuinely moved to aid their suffering fellow men are, of course, as rare as rubies in the Arctic—yet even the few who have such sentiments simply serve as agents of Illusion if they have no spiritual understanding. And at their heels follow their people, sheep to the block. If Mankind's mortal sufferings are to be relieved, we must have leaders of a higher caliber, men of intelligence, who can see what the mission and purpose of human life actually are. Without such vision, no one can help his fellow man or himself.
Ideal leadership is outlined in the Bhagavad Gita, by Lord Krishna. There He says:
As the unlearned act from attachment to their work
So should the learned also work, O Bharata,
But without any attachment,
With the desire to maintain the world order.
Let him not unsettle the minds
Of the ignorant who are attached to action.
The enlightened man doing all works in a spirit of yoga,
Should set others to act as well. (B.G. III, 25 & 26)
This is good leadership. Those who are themselves mad for riches and fame cannot be expected to serve the people wisely. Those who are limited by the bodily concept of life are blind men, and those who imagine themselves outside God's shelter are worse:
The evil-doers who are foolish, lowest of the humans,
Whose minds are carried away by illusion
And who partake of the nature of demons,
Do not seek refuge in Me. (B.G. VII, 15)
It is a current fashion to exercise any limitless number of theories as to why the United States is declining so noticeably in moral vigor. The answer stares the historian in the face from the page of every letter and document written by the Founding Fathers: they believed in God—most of them actually and ardently. This is what America lacks today, and nothing more, twist though you may for a different explanation.
One who has the true welfare of his fellow man in mind ought to make all strenuous efforts to lead them to the gateway of God's Kingdom. Here, in devotional service, lies the end to suffering; lies peace, plenty and life eternal. What more can one hope to offer? This is release from the age-long cycle of birth and death, and this is what all beings crave despite their delusions.
At the end of many lives
The man of wisdom resorts to Me,
Knowing that Vasudeva (Krishna) is all that is.
Such a great soul is rarely to be found. (B.G. 19)
Offer the fruit of wisdom, ripened for millenia, to your fellows. This is the real act of love, this is the true public service. And, in the process, you will yourself be freed:
Having come to Me
These great souls do not return to rebirth,
The place of sorrow, impermanent,
For they have reached the highest perfection.
(B.G. VIII, 15)
The Great-souled, the Mahatma, is a perfected being, a human who has gone all the way to the goal, having turned to the Lord. He is the final, finished product of evolution, and he has transcended that process by which he has risen—by dint of his own willingness to love, and with the grace of Krishna.
Becoming a great soul, though the breed is a rare one, is not difficult. One simply chooses to dissociate from material activities and to take up the spiritual line. Krishna Himself will guide you from there.
Abandoning all duties,
Come to Me alone for shelter.
Be not grieved,
For I shall release thee from all evils.
(B.G. XVIII, 66)
This is the way to perfection. And, unless he takes this proffered gift, a man's living is vain and wasted and dedicated to death. In the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, it is couched in these rather straightforward words:
“There are 8,400,000 species of life among living entities. If one living being, having passed through this long cycle of births, comes to the human standard, and then foolishly misuses it, he has simply spoiled everything.”
Poem
Poem
All glorious news! The chariot pushes it's way
across Creation to deliver us back.
Behold the mighty driver with all the universe
streaking through His hair. It's Krishna! Our Lord.
So full in bliss, let our arms fly up. Let us
jump, leap, prance into the dance of the jivas.
Dance Hare Krishna, Hare Rama! We're free
again at last. O thunderous joy, leave your
body behind, we're free again at last!
Yes, my mother, my friends. It was always
so easy. The purple trees, the golden fields
were always ours to begin with. Simply chant
Hare Krishna, Hare Rama.
Then ripened with love, we'll gather for Krishna
to pluck us up. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna.
The task is ended at last.
Purushottam das Brahmachary (Paul Auerbach)
The Name
The Name
Now—it is a joy to say His Name
and hear of His Fame—
Sometimes, I just can't say His Name enough!
“Say it faster, faster—Krishna, Krishna
Harder, harder
Think deeply, concentrate—Krishna
I'm Yours—”
When I suddenly remember to
continue saying Krishna
it's like a long-needed
soft cool breeze
on a hot afternoon—
My obeisances forever to You, Krishna
My obeisances forever to You, Swamiji
I shall always chant the Name of the Lord
in order to feel the
soft cool breeze
of His presence.
Madhusudan das Brahmachary (Michael Blumert)
Kirtan
Kirtan
Krishna Consciousness is the awakening to joy on a plane of experience far beyond the mundane or the physical—the sublime bliss of the pure spirit soul in a conscious ecstasy of love for the Perfect Object of Love, the Supreme Godhead, Sri Krishna.
Kirtan means the praise of Krishna in song, dance, music and the taking of spiritual food. It is the mature status of the eternal living entity, the final pleasure of all pleasures which waits at the end of myriad quests through an ocean of births and deaths.
Kirtan is the sweet fruit of virtuous life, the drink from the nectar of true love, the joy ineffable.
Kirtan is practiced at all Radha Krishna Temples—in San Francisco at 518 Frederick Street—in Montreal at 3720 Park Avenue—in New York at 26 Second Avenue—and in Santa Fe at Box 25, Route 3, Seton Village. Why not come and bring whoever you love?
Advertisement
Advertisement
THE SOUND OF HARE KRISHNA
BLISS—what was once only a word now becomes an experience. With HARE KRISHNA you transcend everything—even your body. This is real freedom.
BLISS—wherever and whenever you want it. Try it and see. It's so easy even children do it.
THE SOUNDS OF KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS are recorded by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami and his disciples. This is an invitation to take a trip to the World which lies beyond the senses.
ISKCON
26 2nd Ave.
N.Y.C. 10003
$3.25
The Artists
The Artists
Our special gratitude to Goursundar Das Adhikary and his wife Govinda Devi Dasi for their portrayals of Thakur Haridas, Krishna Loka, Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda (on the back cover), and the Appearance of Lord Sri Krishna, which is on the front cover. Also to Jadurani Devi Dasi for Yasoda and Krishna.
All glories!
Back to Godhead Magazine #16, 1968
On the Cover
On the Cover
When the mad demon, Hiranya Kashipu, roamed this world—long before the dawn of our modern recorded history—he was a scourge to the righteous, including his own son Prahlad. When the five-year-old boy took to praising the Lord, his father sought to kill him, and there was no one who might dare intervene, not even among the demigods of heaven. Yet Prahlad would not succumb to his father’s threats, and so Hiranya Kashipu attacked him. It was then that the Lord appeared as Nrishingha Deva, Terror Personified, the half-lion half-man Incarnation Who tore the mighty demon apart with His claws. Even as Krishna, the Supreme Godhead, will respond to the devotee who seeks His protection—so will He respond to one who desires to be His enemy. And, as Krishna is the perfect Protector, so is He also the perfect Enemy. Krishna is All-Perfect, not one-sided. Yet even in striking His enemies, the Lord acts in love, for He is absolute—the very measure and standard of Love and Goodness. So upon Hiranya Kashipu as upon Prahlad, Nrishingha bestowed His Infinite Mercy. The difference lay only in the desire of the recipient. On our cover, we see Nrishingha receiving the loving respects of the boy Prahlad, as well as those of Garuda the Eagle of Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma the Four-Headed, and Narada Muni, the greatest of sages.
By The Mercy of Krishna,
By The Mercy of Krishna,
In trying to arrange for Kirtan (the singing of the Lord’s Sacred Names) at the beautiful Reis Amphitheater in Lower Manhattan, we recently met with a solid rebuff. The Amphitheater is situated in a city-run project, and, according to the New York City Housing Authority Management Manual: “… No one is permitted to use the community facilities for religious, political or controversial purposes of any kind. Non-sectarian purposes alone are permitted.”
We might argue that Shakespeare’s plays (which are permitted) are religious, political, and undeniably controversial. In fact, it’s to be wondered just what—other than air and water—could be construed as acceptable in “the community facilities.”
But it is the underlying concept—of religion as an arena of petty squabblers, while the atheist stands aloof and unattached—which is worthy of our notice. This insidious philosophy has been gnawing at the entrails of modern civilization for many a long year, until today we find its banners unfurled in the Supreme Court decision forbidding God in the government-run classroom, as well as in the Housing Authority’s carefully (if inanely) worded manual.
Although the Founding Fathers saw to the separation of Church and State with the good intention of having each operate unhampered by the other, they never considered God to be a sectarian concept. Nor did they, apparently, consider Godlessness to be a platform of aloof and serene indifference .
Atheism is a sect, to be sure. And the imposition of Godlessness upon the American people by members of its own Government is the triumph of this vicious minority over the mass of human society.
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
From The Lectures of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Evening, April 10, 1967
Today I shall speak before you of the history of a boy devotee. His name is Prahlad Maharaj. He was born in a family which was stubbornly atheistic. There are two kinds of men in this world: one is called demon, and the other is called godly, or the demigods. What is the difference between them? The main difference is that the demigods or godly persons are devoted to the Supreme Lord, and the demons are atheistic. They do not believe in God. They are materialists. These two classes of men are always there in this world. At the present moment, due to this Age of Kali, the number of demons has increased, but the classification is there from the history of the Creation. This incident which I am narrating to you occurred very, very long ago, a few million years after the time of the Creation.
This boy Prahlad Maharaj happened to be the son of the most atheistic person and the most materially powerful as well—so you will be interested to hear this history. This boy, because the society was materialistic, had no opportunity to glorify the Supreme Lord. The characteristic of a great soul is that he is very eager to broadcast glorification of the Supreme Lord. Just like Lord Jesus Christ: he was very much eager to broadcast the glorification of God, but people crucified him; people misunderstood him. Demoniac people. This is going on. Now Prahlad Maharaj was a five-year-old boy and, when he was in school, as soon as there was some recreation period, when the teacher was off, he would say to his friends, “My dear friends, come on, we shall speak something of Krishna Consciousness.” I am just opening a scene, this is Srimad Bhagwatam, 7th Canto, 6th Chapter. The devotee Prahlad is saying: “My dear boys, my dear friends, this is the time, in this young age, to prosecute Krishna Consciousness.” Before that he had discussions with his little friends, but they said, “Oh we shall now play—why take up Krishna Consciousness?” In answer to which, Prahlad Maharaj is stating, “If you are intelligent then you must begin Krishna Consciousness from this childhood!”
Srimad Bhagwatam offers knowledge—scientific knowledge about God. Bhagwatam means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Dharma means the regulative principle to understand Krishna Consciousness. Why? Because this life, this human form of life, is very rare. It is a great opportunity: “My dear friends, you are born as civilised human beings, so this is the greatest opportunity.” Although it is temporary—I do not know what is the length of my life. By calculation the human body is meant to exist in this age, not more than a hundred years. But as the Age of Kali advances, duration of life, memory, mercy, religiousness there are so many things, and they are all decreasing. Although it is temporary, yet you can achieve the highest perfection of life while in this human form.
Why is this so important? This is the opportunity—you can understand what is the Supreme Lord, the All-Pervading Lord. For other life forms, it is not possible. By the gradual evolutionary process we are coming to this plane, and so this is the opportunity, this human form of life. By Nature’s law, a life is ultimately given to you so that you can promote yourself to the spiritual life and go back to Home, back to Godhead.
The ultimate goal of life is Vishnu. In another verse, Prahlad Maharaj will say: “The people who are in this material world, enamored by the material energy, do not know what the goal of human life is.” Why? “They have been enchanted by the glaring external energy. They have forgotten that they are spiritual energy.” This is explained later on; but here he says, “This life is an opportunity to understand the ultimate goal of my perfection, Vishnu.” Why should we be very anxious to know Vishnu, or God? Prahlad Maharaj gives a reason: “Because Vishnu is the dearmost Person. That we have forgotten.” We are all seeking for some dear friend—everyone is searching in this way. A man is searching for dear friendship in woman, and woman is searching for dear friendship in man. Or else a man is searching in man, and woman is searching in woman—this is going on, searching after some dear friend, some sweet friend. Why? Because I want some co-operation of that dear friend to help me. This is part of the struggle for existence, and this is natural. But we do not know that our most dear friend is Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We are searching after some dear friend, but we do not know who this dear friend can be.
Those who have read Bhagavad Gita will find this nice verse in the Fifth Chapter: “If you make friendship with Krishna, the Supreme Lord, then you can understand perfectly that everything that exists in this world or another world is all the property of Krishna—and He is the Proprietor and He is the Enjoyer of Everything.” Why are you performing austerity? Why are you performing religious rituals? Why are you giving in charity? Why are you engaged in righteous activities? All these formulas—whatever you have manufactured—are meant for pleasing the Supreme Lord and nothing more. By your actions, by your righteous activities, when the Supreme Lord is pleased, you will get the result. The result is the thing. If you want to gain by your actions either material happiness or spiritual happiness, if you want to live in this planet or if you want to go to the other planets—the moon planet, the sun planet—there are so many planets—whatever you like; if you want to be a human being, if you want to be a tiger, cat, dog, nonsense—whatever you like, you will get. You will get: therefore He is the most sincere Friend.
Whatever you want from Him! But the intelligent man does not want anything which is materially contaminated.
In the Bhagavad Gita you will find that Krishna says, you can elevate yourself to the highest planet, which is known as Brahmaloka—where the duration of life is millions and millions of years. You cannot figure it; your arithmetic will be ineffective. The statement in the Bhagavad Gita is that Brahma’s duration of life is so great that four million, two hundred thousand years make one day to him. Krishna says, whatever position you may like, beginning from the ant right up to Brahma, you can have. But the repetition of birth and death will be there. But if, some way or other, by discharging Krishna Consciousness in Devotional Service—“if you come to Me, then you don’t have to come back again to this miserable material existence.”
Prahlad Maharaj said the same thing: that we are searching after the most dear friend, Krishna, the Supreme Lord. Why is He the most dear Friend? By nature He is dear. Why? Well, what is the dearmost thing within yourself? Have you analyzed? You are yourself the dearmost thing. I am sitting here, but if there is fire alarm, I shall at once take care of myself. “How can I save myself?” You forget your friends, you forget even your children—“let me first of all save myself.” Self preservation is the first law of Nature.
Atma, self, of the grossest type means this body, and in the subtler sphere the mind is atma, and in the real sense atma means the soul. We are all very fond of our atma, either this body or this mind or the soul. In the gross stage we are very fond of protecting this body, and in a subtler stage we are very fond of protecting the mind; and, above this mental, intellectual plane, where the atmosphere is spiritualised, there we understand: “I am not this mind, and not this body. Aham Brahmasmi—I am the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. That is the platform of real understanding.
Now, Prahlad Maharaj says that, of all living entities, Vishnu is the Supreme Well-Wisher. Therefore we are searching after Him. It’s just like the child crying. What is it longing for? It is longing for the mother. But it has no language to express this. By nature it has its body, born of the mother’s body, and so there is an intimate relation with the mother’s body. The child won’t like any other woman. The child is crying, but when the woman who is the child’s mother comes and takes it up, at once it becomes pacified. It has no language to express all this, but the real demand is there. Similarly, we are trying to protect this body. Everyone is. This is self preservation. It is a natural law of the living entity, just as eating is a natural law and sleeping is a natural law. I am defending the body because within the body there is soul.
What is this soul? The soul is the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. As you want to protect this hand or this finger, because it is the part and parcel of this whole body, so therefore we are trying to save ourselves because this is the defending process of the Supreme. The Supreme does not require any defense—it is our Love towards Him, now perverted. Just like the finger and the hand toward the whole body: as soon as I want the hand to come here, it comes, and as soon as I want the finger to play on the drum, it plays. This is the natural position. We are searching after God, to be dovetailed in that Supreme; but we do not know it, under the spell of illusory energy. That is our mistake. Now, here is an opportunity, in human life. You have come to understand about Krishna Consciousness, about your real goal of life, because you are human beings. I cannot invite the cats and dogs to sit down here. That is the difference between cats and dogs and human beings. A human being can understand the necessity of life. If I lose the opportunity, it is a great catastrophe.
Prahlad Maharaj said, “God is the dearmost Personality of All. We have to search after God.” Then, what about these material necessities of life? Prahlad Maharaj replied to this, “You are after sense gratification, I know that.” This sense gratification is achieved by the contact of this body. A hog has got his certain type of body, and his sense gratification is eating stool. The thing which is most obnoxious to you—because you at once, after evacuating, leave that place to get free from the bad smell—but the hog is waiting. As soon as you evacuate, he will at once enjoy. Why are other animals not attracted? Because the form of pleasure-seeking is due to that particular body. We have different types of sense gratification according to the particular type of body. It is said here, “My dear friends, sense gratification is achieved according to the particular type of body.” Everyone who has this material body, is subject to sense gratification. Don’t think that the hogs eating stools are unhappy. No, they are getting fat in that way. They are very happy.
Now, if a hog can achieve sense gratification, why not a human being? But that is not our achievement. That is by Nature, it is given; the facilities of the hog’s body are offered by Nature, and the facilities of a dog’s body are also offered by Nature; and, too, the facilities of the human body are also offered by Nature, or God. Why should you bother yourself for facilities which you are destined to receive in any case, by Nature’s law? In every form of life these bodily demands are supplied, by the arrangement of Nature. How is this gratification arranged? Just as it is arranged for distress: Do you like fever? No. Why does it come? I do not know. But it does come, does it not? Yes. Did you try for it? No. So how does it come? By Nature. That is the only answer. Similarly, if miseries come by Nature, your happiness also comes by Nature. Don’t bother about it. That is the instruction of Prahlad Maharaj. If you can attain the miseries of life without effort, similarly, you can have your happiness of life also without effort.
Then, what is your real business in this human form of life? You have to cultivate this Krishna Consciousness. Other things will be obtained by Nature’s law, or God’s law. Even if I don’t try, whatever I have to achieve by my past work and through my particular type of body, will be supplied. At any stage or form of life, facility is given for sense gratification. As you do not try for misery, so also happiness will take place outside your control. Your real business, therefore, is to seek out the higher goal of human life.
Editor’s Note: This is the first of a short series of lectures on the life and teachings of Prahlad Maharaj, delivered by the Swami in April and May of this year.
Narada Muni
Narada Muni
One of the greatest of saints, author of the famous Bhakti Sutra, or Philosophy of Divine Love, Narada Muni is also the Deliverer of the Maha (Hare Krishna) Mantra to the planet Earth. Empowered by God with the freedom to travel throughout the material and spiritual Creation in his eternal Form, carrying his stringed vina and clapper, Narada fills the ether with the singing of the glories of the Lord; and visits innumerable planets, often undertaking to preach the gospel of transcendental love.
The Divine Name Sets the World A-Spinning
The Divine Name Sets the World A-Spinning
by Damodara das
Who can understand the power of The Name?
The simple pronouncing of It
Clears the mind of all dirt,
Softens the heart, gladdens the heart,
Makes the sincere person laugh,
Relax, feel the Bliss of God’s association,
Cry, see Govinda’s Lovely Form before him,
Makes the devotee bow down
At the merest glimpse of Krishna’s Lotus Feet,
Sing, dance, lose consciousness of himself,
Until all he can do is chant, chant,
And go mad with this chanting,
And go mad without the chanting—
Watch out for The Name of Krishna!
It will make you a madman!
Damodara das Adhikari
(Dan Clark)
How I Met A.C. Swami Bhaktivedanta
How I Met A.C. Swami Bhaktivedanta
One evening in the summer of 1966 a friend and I were waiting for a downtown bus on Second Avenue between First and Second Streets. We were going to a Fulton Street loft to rehearse music for a mixed-media show. My friend had gone into a luncheonette for a moment when I noticed, through the window of a storefront across the avenue, an orange-robed Indian man with a shaved head lecturing to a small group of young people. I remembered reading a short article in the Village Voice a few weeks before about Swami Bhaktivedanta, who had come to the United States to spread the devotional practice of chanting mantras of God’s Name. So I guessed this must be the same Swami. When I saw him, I imagined myself walking across the street, going into the storefront, sitting down, chanting, and renouncing all worldly connections. But it was only my imagination, I told myself—after all, I was married, I was in the process of going to a rehearsal, and I didn’t know anything about the Swami anyway. So my friend and I got on a bus. “Imagine!” I said to him. “A holy man in a Second Avenue storefront!”
It was a very intriguing situation for me. I had been involved in various impersonal philosophies, and especially Buddhism, for a few years. And by this time a little psychedelic seasoning had been added. My interest had always been with the traditional forms, and not “new” organizations. So I knew how important it was to have a good guru, and how important it was to obey him strictly. Of course, I considered myself an impersonalist, and the Swami taught that God’s highest aspect is as a person. So I lost interest.
Krishna has a big bag of tricks, though, and by His grace I began to tire of chemical wonderlands, rigid discriminatory eliminations and material analyses. For such a long time I had been saying, “Not this, not that,” just as Lord Buddha had suggested, and had arrived at a potpourri system of my own speculations gleaned from various books I had read, all culminating in Nothing, that big impersonalist Void, the source of many a searcher’s “wipe-out.” God, I thought, was on the third or fourth level down (depending on what day it was). Now, how is anybody to get out of such a jailhouse of intellectualization?
As for myself, I started to think that, psychologically speaking, I needed a devotional tonic. This was an ignorant way of putting it. Simply, impersonalism didn’t satisfy my desire to know the Absolute. But for myself at that time, I felt that all that eliminating was getting stale, and what I needed was some group chanting.
So on a mid-October Sunday afternoon my wife and I went over to Tompkins Park to find out what this Krishna Consciousness was all about. By this time I had read an article in the East Village Other about Swami and his followers, and knew they would be chanting in the park. I expected to hear “Hare Krishna” droned out in a low, single-toned way, like most Buddhist chants. But then I heard the cymbals: one-two-three, one-two-three: a kind of intoxicating flamboyance, considering what I was used to, and very magnetic. I walked a little faster, and saw heads bobbing up and down, arms waving. What was this? No black-robed Zens here! Then I heard it. A song! A beautiful, endless song! Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna! I had to get closer to it, so I pushed through the onlookers. And there he was, Swami, the center of all this whirling-dervish ecstasy, surrounded by every kind of outlandish hippie and frustrated office worker imaginable, scrutinized by solid neighborhood Ukranians and ragged Puerto Rican kids; Swami, banging on a drum, seventy-odd years old, in complete control of this transcendental songfest. How could I keep from chanting at once? It was impossible. And even though I’m pretty shy, I even found myself dancing a little. Hare Krishna!
From that point on the fire of devotional service began to melt my icy Buddhist intellect. I found it hard to accept most of the philosophy at first, but the plain fact of the matter was that Swami gave better answers and better explanations than anyone else. After a while—two or three months—there was only one possibility: he was right!
So it took me a long time to “meet” Swami. I guess the first time I really met him was one morning the next April just after he had returned from opening the San Francisco temple. He had been away from New York for some time, and I had been very anxious to ask him to initiate me. And that morning I finally asked him. And just when I asked him, I realised that Swami Bhaktivedanta was my Spiritual Master.
All glories to Sri Guru!
Damodara das Adhikary (Dan Clark)
Prayer to Maharaj Prahlad
Prayer to Maharaj Prahlad
by Satsvarupa das
Child Prahlad remembering
Lord Nrisingha is safe
from all harrassment.
No elephant will crush him underfoot,
No snake will bite him,
No fire will burn him.
The blissful sweet boy-devotee
is protected by the soothing rays
of Lord Nrisingha’s Lotus Feet.
Maharaj Prahlad may your remembrance
protect me who am at
Krishna’s doorstep proclaiming
devotional service in this town of demons.
May your holy sweet smile,
the grace of you surrounded
by the soft light of
fierce Nrisingha-remembrance
guide me also, through
the hazards and riots of
your enemies who care nothing for the Lord.
May I grow to relish
thoughts of Nrisingha’s nails
and His dear beauty, His Power—
May I take shelter with the half-lion half-man Krishna!
Satsvarupa das Brahmachary (Stephen Guarino)
The Giver of the Holy Name
The Giver of the Holy Name
by Satsvarupa das
Without Krishna
it’s like being deep asleep in a nightmare
with no inkling of how to get out.
So you act out the nightmare.
In Reality Krishna comes with a sword,
the Son of a prince, riding a white horse.
You just take Him in the Form of the Name:
HARE KRISHNA! and you’re released from the nightmare.
Then you can begin loving service.
But who will give you that one Name?
Where is there such a dear friend
who will say it to you?
Oh you have to seek for him!
Look for him wherever he is and go there.
He is the Spiritual Master
who can open your eyes
from the darkness of ignorance
by His Divine Grace.
Satsvarupa das Brahmachary (Stephen Guarino)
Everything for Krishna
Everything for Krishna
by Madhusudan das
Let my fingers feel the beads, with which I repeat and count His Holy Name
Let my eyes behold the sight of His Lotus Feet
Let my ears hear the sounds of His Glory
Let my nose smell the incense offered to Him with love
Let my tongue taste the remnant food eaten with His Holy Mouth
Let me always engage my body in activities which are centered around Him.
Whatever I may possess at a time, let me give it in His Service,
For I am that eternal perceiver behind this fleeting matter; not that I am finger or nose or eye,
Which I may possess only for a while and then by the Laws of Nature must give up—
That constant “I” remains while the possessions always change.
These fleeting things I can never keep for myself.
The only thing I can keep forever is my choice to love Him or not.
Krishna is one companion Who, if I choose, will never leave my consciousness.
He is the Eternal Friend of everyone, giving the Choice:
I may choose another forgetful body,
Or use this one to understand the Divine.
Let me act for Krishna, talk for Krishna and think of Krishna
Forever and with love.
Madhusudan das Brahmachary (Michael Blumert)
The Essence of Water
The Essence of Water
I find, Oh Govinda
Thy Presence in this bowl of water
It sits there, upon Thine Altar
And the bowl sighs with contented
Bliss
And I,
I faint with love
By just knowing this.
Mrinalini devi dasi (Maureen Conley)
Poems
Poems
A Cool Day with Dark Storm Clouds
“Krishna must have such fun—”
She said—Jadurani Devi Dasi—
She had never touched a cow before,
And now, in the fields
She is smiling as twelve cows
Nuzzle her and lick her hands—
She is chanting the Name
Of her beloved Gopala,
And the cows gather around her
In a semicircle, watching, blinking,
Their heads brushing the pale green blanket
Draped over her shoulders—
And she sings His Name—
And her eyes say,
“Krishna is so beautiful—”
Damodara das Adhikary (Dan Clark)
These waters speak of our Lord
they are continually descending down
as a man bowing
as a man bowing.
like a cup emptying.
Yet in reverence & humility
the fulfillment & recognition
as a man bowing
like a cup emptying
these waters run down from the mountains
into the sea
and speak of our Lord
for it is only by running into the sea
that the river never grows dry
it is only by devotion to the Lord
that a man never dies
Yet the river is without salt
and man without memory
but he has been remembered
from all eternity
indeed the cup cannot be emptied
from all eternity Neither can the cup be turned
upside down or right side up
for gravity clashes in other realms
and the river descends in praise
like a man bowing
bowing in His Love
Rabindasvarupa das Brahmachary (Bob Lefkowitz)
Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada
Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada
Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada was born in 1873 at Jagganath Puri. His father, Kedar Dutta Bhaktivinode Thakur, was magistrate of the city and superintendent of Jagganath temple. Once, during the Rathajatra Car Festival, the car stopped in front of the family’s house and, taking the opportunity, the mother of Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati came out with the baby and put him on the Lotus Feet of Jagganath. A garland from the hand of Jagganath fell down on the baby.
Prabhupada was educated in Calcutta and became professor of Mathematics and Astronomy. In his childhood he once took a mango which was meant as an offering for the Deity. When his father rebuked him, saying that he should not have taken the fruit which was meant for the Lord, the child took it very seriously and thought himself a great offender, promising not to take mango again throughout his whole life. He was know as Bimal Prasad Dutta before his renunciation, or sannyasi. On account of his writing a book on astronomy known as “Sruya Siddhanta,” he received the title Siddhanta Saraswati. And, when he took sannyasi, preaching the gospel of Lord Chaitanya, he was known as Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati. He was acclaimed a great scholar in Calcutta, and the celebrated Dr. Kalidas Nag used to call him “a living encyclopedia.”
Thakur Bhaktivinode trained his son in childhood for preaching, and after taking sannyasi Prabhupada started the Gaudiya Mission Institution. All the Gaudiya Maths in different parts of India, plus one in London and another in Berlin—altogether 64 branches—were started by him. At present his worthy disciples have increased the number of preaching centers in different parts of the world. So Thakur Bhaktivinode was the initiator of Krishna Consciousness, working from Mayapur, the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya. And Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati was the priest of the movement. Today, his disciples are continuing to expand this great work wherever they can be heard.
Another Burst Via Krishna
Another Burst Via Krishna
by Madhusudan das
Let thy soul shine forth
In the coming of this new age.
Krishna Kirtan is getting in full drone,
with the sound of
joyous voices and people dancing like
Merry Madmen chanting Hare Krishna.
Mass chanting—Loud-Long-Hot-Fast-Hari Vol!
Where is the end or the beginning?
Only in us, not in Krishna
We need only be aware that we’re
part of His Foreverness
So let’s always chant His Name and forever
Partake of His Absoluteness—and
Tell people everywhere—Hare Krishna
Let thy soul shine forth
Display it for everyone
This is the way to be
Happy
Forever
Think of Krishna always—GOD IS—
WE ARE—only in relation to Him.
Begin the course of “Full Knowledge.”
Krishna Kirtan is the way to be
Happy
Forever!
Madhusudan das Brahmachary (Michael Blumert)
Thakur Haridas Part 3
Thakur Haridas
Part 3
Part III
from the book “Sree Krishna-Chaitanya” by Professor Sannyal
[In Part II, Professor Sannyal described the gathering of great learned Pandits to hear the teachings of Srila Thakur Haridas, at which time Gopal Chakravarti arose in offense against the Saint. Consequently, Gopal was stricken by leprosy—the circumstances of which will be described in Part III.]
The world is gratuitously assumed by a pseudo-rationalism to be the only reality and the attempt is therefore made to ascertain the methods by following which we can attain the gratification of the senses, which function appears to be the relationship naturally subsisting between ourselves (?) and the world. The senses are assumed to be an integral and undetachable part of ourselves. The mind is identified with the senses on the one hand and with the soul on the other. The senses connect the mind, or the soul, by this assumption, with the external world. The senses are the eyes of the whole system. All pain and pleasure suffered by the mind are due to the way in which the mind directs the senses in their relations with the world. The mind cannot apparently know by intuition, at any rate ordinarily, all the consequences of any particular mode of employment of the senses. The mind can, indeed, try to guess about them. But it can never be quite sure about any occurrence till after actual experience. This uncertainty is supposed to be reducible to certainty if it could be possible to know from experience the uniform “laws” that are assumed to govern all phenomenal occurrences under all circumstances. This hypothesis of the uniform operation of the “laws” of Nature has been built up by the accumulated “experiences” of the race. But as the occurrences themselves present an infinity of complications it has not been possible to attain to anything like certainty in isolating the single threads of the web in order to be certain to reproduce all the occurrences of Nature in the Laboratory.
Assuming that the above object of scientific endeavour will be realisable in practice in the long run, its success should make it possible for us to prolong the possibility and scope of sensuous enjoyment ad infinitum. If we fail to be perfectly “happy” by the complete elimination of “pain” by the proper employment of the “forces” of Nature in the way that is calculated to produce such a result under the then-known “laws of Nature,” our labors should still have really no abiding value for ourselves. But has our “experience” up to the present moment taken us an inch towards the realisation of unmixed or lasting pleasure? Is “pleasure” really different from “pain”? Or is it only different by circumstance? That which is food for the goose is food for the gander, is not found to be more true than most hypotheses. Variation, which is sought to be eliminated, is found on close inspection and analysis to be itself the indispensable condition of the pleasures. We are, therefore, left inevitably to the present condition of necessary and complete ignorance in order to have any “pleasure” at all by our dealings with the world by means of our senses.
It is argued that pleasure and pain might themselves by enriched, deepened and broadened by more experience and that it is worth our while to help this process in a conscious manner. To this the answer would be that the better and more detailed realisation of our utter ignorance, in the midst of the mockery of a civilization that is claimed to be based upon knowledge, would be a self-contradiction that is not likely to appeal to the assorting instinct of our rational nature and is calculated to make our condition no better than it is. Civilized wickedness and filth are not preferable to any nuisance of the uncivilized state. Satan, who may be allowed to possess the perfection of worldly culture, is probably more miserable than the uncivilized Gond. It would be difficult for the unbiased reason of man to choose between materialistic savagery and materialistic civilization.
“Ignorance is misery,” says one of the wisest of proverbs. Increase of ignorance is not any decrease of misery. Ignorance is supposed to be the state of all empiric knowledge which is improperly assumed to be alone available to man. Our very nature is sometimes supposed to be incapable of real enlightenment. This axiom of pessimism is exploited for advising man to turn a deaf ear to the Teacher of the Absolute. It is even more disastrously utilized for condemning the devotees themselves.
It cannot be otherwise. The soul is in this case identified with the mind-cum-body. Abandonment of the mind, therefore, appears as equivalent to the abandonment of the soul, or to self-immolation. The mind seems to be our all. Groping in perpetual ignorance appears as our inevitable function, mis-called “Search for the Truth.” Empiric enthusiasts imaginatively describe this process as the “eternal quest.” These metaphors and denunciations do not, however, help us in any way; but, on the contrary, they only tend to obstruct the process of the real quest.
Gopal Chakravarti is a typical Brahmana of the pseudo-Vedantic School of Shankara. He has no doubts regarding the goal of the Vedanta. According to him the attainment of the Knowledge (?) of the Brahman, Who possesses no distinctive function at all that is capable of being defined, is the goal. By the attainment of the knowledge of the real Nature of the Brahman, the individual soul is freed from all the miseries of his apparent existence which only seems to be limited and is, therefore, only supposed to be miserable. As there is only One Entity, the Brahman, Who is ever (?) free from all defects and all merits, the goal can be no other than complete absorption (?) into the One. On the attainment of this desirable goal there is no difference between the devotee, devotion and the Object of devotion. The service (?) of the Brahman is thus only a temporary means to a final end, which means being different from the end and is, therefore, necessarily terminable with the attainment of the goal. It is the highest form of religion to try to realise, by the appropriate methods, the knowledge of, and absorption into, the undifferentiated Brahman. When the individual soul becomes one with the Brahman the state of separate existence and necessity for any kind of distinguishable function terminate together. According to Gopal Chakravarti and his associates this knowledge of the Brahman is higher than service and the termination of both knowledge and service is the highest goal. Gopal is quite sure that this is the only teaching of the Scriptures. It may be observed at this place that Shankara does not discard the principle of worship, but declares its tentative necessity which is terminable on self-realisation which, according to him, is identical with complete absorption into the One.
Thakur Haridas distinguishes between devotion, work and knowledge. The soul in the bound state desires one of two alternative functions: If he is optimistic he wants greater scope for enjoyment. If he happens to be pessimistic, he hankers for emancipation from the misery of mundane existence.
The latter, the pessimist, sometimes thinks that real emancipation is impossible so long as the consciousness of one’s being different or separate from the One persists. It is to this extreme school of atheistic Vedantists, advocating unification with the Brahman, that Gopal Chakravarti, like most cultured people of his day as well as of this, happened to belong by his empiric predisposition. According to this school fruitive work leads to empiric knowledge and the latter to the third position of inexpressible oneness with the Brahman. Devotion or service is classed under fruitive work, which is assigned a lower position than empiric knowledge. The process of advance to the goal of complete unification with the One, according to this school, is devotion (blind faith rendering possible utilitarian work of a low order) (Bhakti?) leading to work of a higher order (Karma), which, in its turn, leads up to empiric knowledge of the uselessness of all knowledge and all activity terminating in perfect absorption into the One.
Haridas is neither a pessimist nor an optimist. He is an absolutist. He is convinced that the theory of complete absorption into the One is logically unsound and opposed to the real teaching of the Scriptures. The alternatives of enjoyment and abstention from enjoyment exhaust, indeed, the possibilities of function of the mind and body; but they have no application to the soul who is located beyond the reach of body and mind. The soul is substantially different from the mind and body. The soul is the substantive reality while the mind is only his perverted reflection in the mirror of limited existence. The mind is the material shadow, so to say, of the soul who is the spiritual substance. The mind is a material phenomenon galvanised into the appearance of self-consciousness by the impulse communicated to it by the deluded soul. Mind is the shadow of the perverse soul mirrored in matter. This description is, and can be, but an imperfect and misleading analogy of the relationship that actually subsists between mind and soul. The shadow of the material substance is not categorically different from the substance itself, both of them being material phenomena. The shadow of the soul in this case is, however, categorically different from the soul, being a material phenomenon pure and simple. The soul in his spiritual or natural condition is categorically different from material phenomena. The soul is self-conscious itself. There can be no such thing as ignorance in the soul. There can be no such thing as genuine self-consciousness in the mind which is non-soul. The apparent self-consciousness of the mind is really a state of complete ignorance which is given its shape and color by the qualities of matter: grossness, limitation, perishability, changeableness, etc. These unwholesome traits are non-existent and impossible in the soul.
The soul is capable of forgetting his real nature, mistaking himself to be a material entity. The soul is not above one possible weakness, willful rebellion against the Truth. It is a real blunder on the part of the soul to choose to be a rebel. But the soul is perfectly free to refuse to serve the Truth, i.e., Godhead. He thereby proves deliberately false to his own substantive nature, because it is the constituent function of the soul, in his natural state of perfect spiritual existence, to be the exclusive servant of the Truth. The soul who rebels against Godhead is punished by his exile to the phenomenal world and by incarceration in the double material case of mind and body. This point will be further elucidated later.
Fruitive work and empiric knowledge are functions of the mind and, therefore, purely material phenomena. By means of such work and knowledge the deluded soul cannot realise his natural function for the plain reason that they are not his proper function at all. By means of work and knowledge the soul only moves in a vicious circle of material existence which is seemingly conscious but is really one of absolute ignorance. This is the explanation why, by means of the undifferentiated knowledge of the Brahman, freedom from the fetters of work and knowledge of this anomalous existence can be attained by crores of years of endeavour. This is what Gopal says. The delay is, however, not due to the complexity of the process, as he supposes it to be. So long as a person continues to suppose that an impersonal all-pervasive Entity is the goal of knowledge one is not yet freed from the real ignorance of his spiritual function. This must be so, because Truth is not impersonal.
Neither is Truth a person in the sense in which the mentalists, including Shankara, apparently want us to understand the term. Spiritual personality is categorically different from the distorted empiric notion of the same. Until the nature of the Personality of the Truth is properly grasped, one continues in the deluded state which is also the state of limitation (bondage). Therefore Gopal Chakravarti is right, although he is unaware of it, in holding that the chance of emancipation of a person who has attained to the notion of Godhead as an impersonal and inactive, although all-pervasive and transcendental, Entity, is very slight. Gopal does not understand that his ideal person is also necessarily no less deluded than himself if he supposes his condition to be the goal.
The interpretation of the text relied upon by Gopal Chakravarti, said Thakur Haridas, is that of a person who does not understand the Nature of the Name by reason of his having no access to Him. The deluded person is no longer consciously contradicting himself and is not, therefore, insincere in the sense of being double-tongued. He is certainly to be pitied. Neither can his conduct be regarded as sincere inasmuch as it is opposed to his real nature of which he only happens to be ignorant by his own conscious perversity. The empiric casuist who affects to believe in the impersonal nature of the Truth is only pushing his conscious perversity of the choice of untruth to its logical conclusion. If the deliberate error is not ignored his conduct cannot be regarded as consistent, being altogether untrue .
Gopal Chakravarti’s source of error lay deeper than the plane on which he stood and was, therefore, naturally incomprehensible to him in his condition of cultured perversity. The Vaishnavas, who alone understand the real cause of the worldly ailment, alone possess the true spirit of toleration. Thakur Haridas showed his toleration of the rank atheism of deluded Gopal Chakravarti by abstaining from disturbing him further. This toleration really means the withdrawal of his causeless, apparently aggressive, mercy from a deluded soul whose opposition to Godhead is likely to be increased by the process. It is the greatest possible misfortune that can befall a conditioned soul to miss the special mercy of the Vaishnava by his successful opposition to the Truth. The apparent intolerance of a Vaishnava is as helpful to a person as his tolerance of evil. The Vaishnava never cooperates with the offending soul in his sinful activities. He does not agree to be false to himself and his eternal Master to please the confirmed apostate. Such sympathetic toleration of evil is a grave offence against the Truth notwithstanding the significant fact that it alone is relished by the pantheistic school of the pseudo-Vedantists.
The point reached marks almost the limit of rational discussion toward the spiritual issue which is open to the empiricist. He cannot proceed further without discarding the method of empiricism by giving up completely the process of his unaided effort. It was not possible for Gopal Chakravarti to retrace his steps by any other method. That he was not at all prepared for this is proved by his offensive conduct towards Thakur Haridas who had, therefore, no other alternative but to leave him to the mercies of Maya. But the actual good will of Haridas towards the offender bore its fruit in the swift punishment, that could be intelligible to the sufferer himself, that smote him in the form of leprosy. Gopal was, thereby, afforded an excellent opportunity of revising his impersonal doctrine. But he was of course free to avail of it or not.
The Godless attitude is an attitude of absolute confidence in one’s own judgment and power. The atheist is not at all disposed to submit to another in any circumstances. He has to be compelled to submit to non-God because he can consistently submit only to compelling force. Such submission alone is appreciated in the state of sin and ignorance which is a radically false position and necessarily entails constant irrational conduct on a really rational being unnaturally disposed to accept the same through the no less unnatural fear of punishment.
The Holy Name of Godhead is not a thing of this world. The Name of Godhead is identical with Godhead Himself. The Godhead appears in this world in the Form of the Name on the lips of His pure devotees. He appears as the transcendental Sound on the spiritual lips of the soul in the state of grace.
The Name of Godhead appearing on the lips of a pure devotee as the Transcendental Sound, is perceptible as such only to the spiritual ear. These statements are likely to appear absurd and puerile to the dogmatic impersonalist. Can the soul, he will persist to ask, have lips and ears? Can the soul have senses? But—can the empiricist know, even if he have?
The transcendentalists maintain that the soul has an infinity of senses of which the physical senses are a perverted reflection. There cannot even be the shadow of existence of the physical senses if there were no substantive spiritual senses. But there are also the spiritual senses themselves as distinct from but not unrelated to their corresponding shadowy reflections in this phenomenal world. This is involved in the very definition of the Absolute. The spiritual sense is categorically different from the physical sense. The spiritual senses are perfect and self-conscious, there being no interval or barrier of time or space between the sense and its possessor. The spiritual body is indivisible and perfectly self-conscious in every part and is identical with the owner of the body. All this is incomprehensible to us although it is perfectly consistent with the fundamental principles of indivisible substantive existence, that are also acceptable to the empiricist. The empiricist, although he may sometimes, under pressure of his own logic, seem to agree with the conclusions of transcendentalism, finds it impossible to adopt them in practice. The absolute conduct is not possible on the mundane plane to which he finds himself strictly confined by his own postulates backed by the real Deluding Potency.
If one is merely disposed to regard any sound as transcendental, such wish alone will not make the sound of his choice to become really transcendental. Similarly, if a person is disposed to regard a transcendental Sound as an occurrence of the mundane atmosphere such attitude will not also affect the subjective nature of the transcendental Sound. There is real difference between the transcendental Sound and mundane sound. The transcendental Sound is identical with the object denoted by the sound. The mundane sound is separated from the object denoted by it by the intervals of time and space. To hear the mundane sound of the name of a Lion is not the same thing as to see the beast. On the spiritual plane the very word ‘Lion’ is identical with the animal. The animal is fully realisable by and in the hearing of his name. Whereas the real nature of the mundane animal, denoted by the mundane sound, ever remains a thing unknown.
The Name of Krishna is identical with Godhead. But the Name of Krishna does not manifest Himself on mundane lips nor to the mundane ear. The Name Krishna appears in His Form of the Transcendental Sound on the spiritual lips of His devotees and is heard by the spiritual ear of the submissive soul by the Grace of Krishna. The Name Krishna is identical with the Possessor of the Name. The Name Krishna appears to the listening ear, as He is, only by degrees. As soon as the dormant soul catches the first faint reflection of His Light he is at once completely free from the bondage of ignorance and sin. It is the Name Who comes of His Own accord to our fettered soul. The bound jiva, or living entity, has no access to the Presence of Krishna on his own initiative. Krishna’s Approach is heralded by the harbinger of Light whose first glimmerings on their appearance put an end to all misconception regarding the categorical difference between light and darkness .
Unless and until the soul becomes aware of the true nature of spiritual existence by being so enlightened by the Source of all consciousness, he is sure to mistake the mind for his real self and the mental function as the only knowledge. If at this stage he does not wilfully shut his eyes but keeps them turned towards the growing Light he gradually and in due course obtains the sight of the concrete Source of all light. This is the mode of Appearance of the Holy Name. The sight of Krishna is alone capable of inspiring love for Krishna. This the position of Thakur Haridas as explained by himself to the Pandits who were in assembly at the house of the Mazumdars.
Thakur Haridas mercifully explains that the different concrete forms of the so-called ‘liberation’ concocted by the mentalists as their unknowable summum-bonum are the outcome of the desire for sensuous gratification. If one could live in the happy realms of Krishna described in the Scriptures, the empiricist supposes that such a person should be enabled to enjoy more good things than are available on the Earth if his condition is really worth having. The same desire for extended opportunities of sensuous enjoyment happens also to be the real motive behind the formulation of the other ‘forms’ of the empiricist’s ‘saved’ existence. The grossness of the ideal of liberation is fully unmasked when one is told that the salvationist’s “final” form is to become the equal of Godhead by merging with the Object of his worship!
It is to this unnatural and profane position that the unchecked speculations of the mentalists are logically bound to lead in the long run. Thakur Haridas ascribes the grossness of the ideal to the attitude of the empiric thinker, the insatiable desire for sensuous pleasure.
The desire to enjoy is categorically different from, and wholly incompatible with, the desire to serve, to love. If one feels a real desire to serve Krishna he would lose all taste for his own enjoyment. All impurity, unwholesomeness and misery are fortunately and mercifully ordained by the Lord as the inevitable consequence of the insatiable desire for selfish enjoyment. But the soul who turns away from immediate enjoyment by considerations of greater prospective enjoyment in the sequel, cannot also for that very reason realise the condition of loving devotion to the Feet of the Lord, however strongly impressed he may profess to be of the desirability of such a state. He is, no doubt, free to think that he really desires it; but at the same time he is wholly incapable of ever attaining to it by such desire. But, says Thakur Haridas, he may nevertheless attain to love for Krishna by the Chanting of the Holy Name, by the Grace of the Holy Name Himself. This is the special Dispensation for the Age which is so irremediably speculative; and there is no other way open to this Age for attaining to the loving service of Krishna.
Haridas refers to the texts of the Scriptures to prove the truth of his statements. This is the only proper use of the Shastras. The Shastras bear witness to the Truth of the realisations of all really pure souls.
There is one other fact which is worthy of our notice. The Pandits of the learned assembly, headed by Hiranya Mazumdar, the master of the house, took the side of Thakur Haridas. They not only strongly censured the conduct of Gopal Chakravarti in the open assembly but Hiranya Mazumdar thought it his duty to renounce all further connection with a Brahmana who could be guilty of an act of discourtesy to the devotee of Godhead. Nevertheless the Pandits and Mazumdar himself felt themselves involved in the sin of Gopal Chakravarti by the unhappy circumstance of their having had to hear most reluctantly the blasphemous words uttered by Gopal in their presence. For this sin the only expiation, prescribed by the Shastras, was to seek in all humility the pardon of Thakur Haridas, not for the offender, but for themselves. This is not mere courtesy, but an unavoidable necessity if one really wants to serve the Truth. Any association, deliberate or accidental, with untruth tends to obscure our vision of the Truth, Who is, indeed, a very Jealous Master. Those who are disposed to serve the Truth with causeless, loving devotion, throw to the winds all considerations of ignorant propriety or ignorant justice and are never satisfied by serving the Truth by all their senses at all times and in all circumstances. By the grace of Thakur Haridas this instinct of loving devotion actually manifested itself in the conduct of those who had listened with faith to the Absolute Truth from his pure lips.
Sri Raghunathdas Goswami was a child at this time. He used to visit the Thakur in his hut during his stay at Chandpur. The boy was the fortunate recipient of the mercy of Thakur Haridas. This is considered by Sri Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami as the real cause of Raghunath Das’s subsequent unique devotion to the Feet of Sri Chaitanya. The mercy of a sadhu acts equally on all persons, irrespective of age, sex or condition—all of whom have an equal chance of being benefited by associating with a real sadhu. The interests of the soul are not capable of being adversely affected by any worldly conditions. The boy’s soul has no defect of immaturity any more than that of an old man the advantage of maturity. Such maturity or immaturity has no relevancy in one’s associating with a sadhu. The boy’s soul, equally with the soul of the old man, may or may not be disposed to listen to the words of a sadhu for the genuine purpose of acting up to the same. It is as necessary for a child to associate with a sadhu as for an adult; but in neither case can one be sure of obtaining the mercy of the sadhu with whom he may choose to associate. The sadhu is kind to one who is really inclined to serve Godhead. It is the function of a sadhu to foster one's inclination for the service of the Lord by means of his conduct and words. The articulated sound is, however, the sadhu’s unambiguous weapon to fight all un-Godliness. It should puzzle the muddled brain of the whole race of self-conceited empiricists to understand why and how the sadhu need have no other work except talking about almost anything to whom he likes. Any person who is spoken to by a sadhu, even for the tiny space of a second, has every chance of attaining the real object of life which is unattainable by infinite endeavour by any other method. Nay, it is our duty to listen to a real sadhu, if we are fortunate enough to meet him, in preference to all other duties, which are not only of secondary importance, but are a positive obstruction on the path of the highest and only good. End—Part III
All Glories to Lord Sri Krishna
All Glories to Lord Sri Krishna
Sri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, beyond Whom nothing exists and before Whom nothing is equal. Being and non-being, void and variety rest in Him and He is the Possessor of all opulences: wealth, fame, beauty, knowledge, strength and renunciation. He is the Goal of all seeking, the Maintainer of all existences, the well-wishing Friend to all living entities. And His loving Service is the highest state of bliss.
The Urge to Roar the Holy Name
The Urge to Roar the Holy Name
by Damodara das
The Earth was green and abundant
But very quiet, very sad;
Then by the urge of the devotees
The subterranean rocks and fires
Began to rumble, then to roar
The Holy Names of God;
The whole Earth sang like a bell
And was happy at last:
Pink and silver flowers sprouted
On every tree, every bush;
Devotees in iridescent golden robes
Danced on hillsides, chanting loudly,
And in temples incense burned
And sweet fruits were offered
To graceful Radha Krishna deities.
That was the power of The Name!
Damodara das Adhikary (Dan Clark)
Swami's Departure
Swami's Departure
by Brahmananda das Brahmachary
A girl who had been coming to Kirtan wants to be initiated 30 minutes before Swamiji is to leave for the airport. He says Yes, so while all the devotees are rushing about, making last minute preparations, Swamiji sits on his white sheet in his room, chanting the Lord’s Names on her beads, bringing another soul Back to Godhead, fulfilling his Master’s mission up to the last minute, serving Krishna always.
He emerges from His apartment, smiling, a transcendental mother who has just delivered another child into eternal life. As he has done so many times before, he descends the stairs, taking each step gracefully, and sweeps across the courtyard—a young bride going to join her beloved. Entering the temple, before the painting of Guru Maharaj he offers his obeisances, prostrating himself on the floor, humbly, as an atom of His Lotus Feet. And, walking to the waiting taxi, he embraces Achyutananda, and then Gargamuni, who stoops to touch his forehead to the pavement.
Some devotees have already left by subway, and some by our chariot, and some ride with him in the taxi. Brahmananda sits in the front crying, and Swamiji reaches over and slaps him on the back—a father giving his loving son support, a pal, and Rayrama only rivets his eyes to Swami, ever-attentive, and Kirtanananda, sparkling, sits beside the most beautiful man in the world.
Swami says in the taxi, “There is no question of separation. The sound vibration fixes us up together, even though the material body may not be there. What do we care for this material body? Just go on chanting HARE KRISHNA, and we will be packed up together. You will be chanting here, and I will be chanting there, and this vibration will circulate around this planet.”
And Swamiji says, “I may be going, but Guru Maharaj and Bhaktivinode are there. I have asked them to kindly take care of all of you, my transcendental children. The grandfather always takes care of the children much better than the father. Do not fear.”
And Swamiji says, “I think this is what Krishna desires. I have come to you, but now in this old age I may be going there to Vrindaban, and you may be coming there to me and be trained up, and we will spread this movement all over the world. Rayrama—you will go to England. Brahmananda—you want to go to Japan or Russia? That’s all right. “
And Swamiji says, “When Kirtanananda sees Vrindaban, he will not be able to understand how I could have left that place to come to this place. It is so nice. There are no motor cars there like here, rushing Whoosh! Whoosh! and smelling. Only there is HARE KRISHNA. Everybody, always chanting. Thousands and thousands of temples. I will show you, Kirtanananda. We will walk all about there, and I will show you.”
And Swamiji says, “I can understand you feeling separation. I am feeling for my Guru Maharaj.”
As the cab pulls up to the terminal, the chariot also pulls up behind it, and devotees pour out, chanting, cymbals clashing, chanting HARE KRISHNA HARE RAMA, into the Air India terminal. And the ticket man runs out from behind his protective counter and demands excitedly, “What is the meaning of this?” “We want to ride in your airplane,” one devotee says. “Oh, yes, yes. I see,” says the man. “Air India?” asks Swamiji. “El-Al?” says the man, misunderstanding, thinking the robed Brahmacharys to be Arabs of some kind. “El-Al is over …” “No, Air India. We want to go to India.” “Oh, yes, yes. I see.”
And Kirtanananda stands at the counter, while Swamiji sits in a nearby chair chanting; dispatching all the paper business, Kirtanananda a beautiful young American Brahmachary in his black suit and red tie and his budding flag. He gives the man his passport, and the man looks at the identification picture taken two years ago of a bearded, run-down youth and now at this beautiful Brahmachary standing before him. “Are you sure you are Keith Gordon Ham?” “That was taken before I met the Swami. I have changed.” “Yes, yes. I see.”
Upstairs we all go to the lounge. The milling people spread apart, and Swamiji sits in a chair, and all his disciples nestle together at His feet. “Kirtanananda, why not play the record? They will enjoy.” And Swamiji sits and looks at all the awe-struck people and smiles his unforgettable, oceanic smile. So the portable phonograph is set up and HARE KRISHNA, HARE RAMA is vibrated, filling what was a lounge with Sat-Chit-Ananda. The devotees dance and sing, and Swamiji, enthroned, just smiles contentedly.
When the record ends, Hansaduta asks, “Should we collect?” “Why not?” says Swamiji. So Hansaduta jumps up and says, “Our mission is to spread Krishna Consciousness. We have a temple in New York. We are always badly in need of money. Please help us.” And a solitary soldier steps foward and offers Hansaduta his hat, so Hansaduta goes around to all the people that are waiting, standing by the bar, drinking and smoking intoxicants, killing both time and themselves, and allows them to benefit by sacrificing for God’s service, and the soldier’s hat becomes filled with dollars and coins.
And Swamiji says, “Our traveling is very auspiciously beginning. We had a nice Kirtan, and we had a nice collection. It is all Krishna’s Mercy.” And a young airport exec-on-the-move rushes over and says that collections are not allowed in the terminal, while the bar’s cash register rings. “But you are collecting,” says Brahmananda. “Yes, this is the Age of Kali,” says Swami.
The other side of the record is played, and the devotees cry and cry. Swamiji leans over and looks into Goursundar’s pained eyes and says, “Everything all right?” in the way that only Swamiji can say it, which automatically makes everything all right. And Swamiji turns to admire steadfast Rupanuga. “You look just like Rupa Goswami. Very beautiful.” “Himavati, you must come to Vrindaban and carry a water pot on your head like those Indian girls there in the picture. Can you learn? That will be nice. Nice young village girls.” “You look beautiful, Swamiji,” says Brahmananda. “Oh? No trace of disease?” asks Swamiji. “No, no. You’re beautiful. Kirtan makes it go away.” “That’s all right.” And then Swamiji says, “When Vivekananda came to this country his picture was taken with so many old ladies. I have seen it circulated in India.” And Swamiji smiles knowingly.
Suddenly the time arrives for Swamiji to leave. The disciples prostrate themselves, declaring their obeisances. Swamiji arises and pats them on the head—a mother blessing her brood. Swamiji goes to silent and sad Jadurani and clasps her chin with his kind hand. “You are doing very nicely. You go on doing your painting work. It is a great service you are doing. Krishna will be pleased.” Then he glides out the door, and the devotees swarm after him like protective drone bees following their queen. The devotees try to get past the gate and go with their Master, but the guard prevents them. Adwaita sees a door that promises the observation deck, but which is barred by a shiny steel turnstile, demanding a dime. The devotees duck under and jump over the gate, like an army storming a barricade.
Outside, a gentle rain is washing the airfield, and the devotees race across the wet deck; and there, below, are Swamiji and Kirtanananda walking across the field! The devotees scream KRISHNA! KRISHNA! Swamiji turns and waves and then climbs the movable stairway; on the top he turns and uplifts his arms, pausing for a long moment, blessing his transcendental children, standing there, majestic, having come to this iron land and sown the seed of HARE KRISHNA, a space-age Narada Muni, saffroned and beautiful—Gouranga!
Our Master, our Friend, our Father, our Mother, our Child, our Sweetheart is gone! The devotees cry frantically; they can only utter HARE KRISHNA! A pack of madmen, not caring for anything. Loving, chanting, increasing the ocean of transcendental bliss; jumping up and down, gorging themselves with the taste of the full nectar which is their only desire. Bhaktas, the greatest of all yogis. And out pops Kirtanananda from inside the plane onto the platform, and he stands there and dances to HARE KRISHNA—dances while all around him are the whines of the great airliners and the scurry of the attendent vehicles and the scampering ground crews; the flashing lights and the evening rain. Dancing, arms uplifted, beseeching the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the devotees dance with him, their Prabhu, tears of Love decorating their eyes, flowing in torrents, all of us in ecstasy. A stewardess reaches out of the plane and taps Kirtanananda on the shoulder several times before he realizes it, and he dances into the plane, and the plane is sealed.
The motors whine, the tail flaps move, the lights flash, and the devotees scream and cry, Damodar growling out HARE KRISHNA, HARE RAMA, and Adwaita clashing his cymbals wildly like a machine running out of control. The devotees pull back as the exhaust blasts out from the plane, but Jadurani stays there, the smoke and the gas and the heat singeing her face; dancing, choking HARE KRISHNA, HARE RAMA. With a great roar the airliner moves forward, and the devotees rush to the railing and then run down the deck, screaming KRISHNA! KRISHNA! as the plane moves away from its roost into the night, and becomes only a distant light.
The devotees wait and watch. It has stopped raining. Govinda says that raindrops are the tears that the Gopis are shedding for their Krishna, and we can understand that. The devotees wait and wait, but they cannot see the plane. Their eyes are not able to see it, but they know it is there. And the devotees wait and watch until one devotee says Let’s go back, and they walk off reluctantly, looking behind, trying to see but not being able to see. And the next morning at Kirtan Brahmananda reads:
I do not know anyone except Krishna as my Lord, and He shall remain as such even if He handles me roughly in His embrace; or He may make me broken-hearted by not being present before me. He is completely free to do anything, but He is always my worshipful Lord, unconditionally.
Krishna and the Vedic View
Krishna and the Vedic View
The Swami Responds
Dear Swami Bhaktivedanta,
I’ve read that your Krishna Consciousness is a non-sectarian science of the soul. How is it, then, that you follow some particular concept of God—Krishna rather than a more universal concept, such as the One, or the All-Pervading Light? I like your movement very much, but I do feel this to be a clear contradiction in your philosophy. Yours truly,
Owen Darcy
My dear Mr. Darcy,
Thank you for your interest, and for your question also. I assure you that Krishna is not a concept: He is the Supreme, Original Person. Everything that exists is His energy, and He is the sole Energetic. He pervades His energy because He has complete and limitless control over it. All that exists, then, is of Him, from Him, possessed, pervaded and maintained by Him—therefore He is the One, All-Pervading, and the Resting Ground of the Universes. But He is more even than this. He is thus held to be an Individual: the Whole is more than the sum of the parts. This omnipotence is called the Lord’s simultaneously one and different Nature.
Dear Swami,
I have always read that self-realization can only be attained by cutting oneself off from human society. Do you agree with this? Thank you,
Jereld Penne
Dear Mr. Penne,
No, I don’t agree. In India also this was long held to be true but my Spiritual Master, Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati taught that one can use the implements of modern civilization for the service of the Lord, and thus attain to the highest perfection. This was his great contribution. In the Bhagavad Gita, as well, Lord Sri Krishna says that he who preaches the message of God to his fellow men is the most dear devotee (Chaps. XVIII, verse 68). One must, of course, be among one’s fellow men in order to do this.
Dear Swami,
Is Krishna really Nirvana?
Thank you,
William Guttenroth
Dear Mr. Guttenroth,
Nirvana is the negation of material life; Krishna is the positive joy of spiritual existence.
Dear Swami,
Your philosophy states that the soul or Self is eternal, and that God, the Supreme Self, is also eternal. If this is so, then how is God to be considered the Creator ?
Sincerely,
Mary Welch
Dear Miss Welch,
Creator means the Source, and creation means the emanation from that Source. The Creator and the creation are both eternal—but the creation depends upon the Creator, and not vice versa. It is like the sun and the sunlight. They are always together, but the sun is supreme and independent, while the sunlight is subordinate. Still, they are not separable, as we are eternally inseparable from God.
Ever your well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna
Join us in Kirtan—the ecstasy of
Krishna Consciousness—at our temples:
Boston, Massachusetts—95 Glenville Avenue, Allston
Tel: 542-7910
Los Angeles, Cal.—5364 West Pico Boulevard
Tel: 937-9556
Montreal, Canada—3720 Park Avenue
Tel: 854-6541
New York City—26 Second Avenue
Tel: 674-7428
San Francisco—518 Frederick Street
Tel: 731-9671
Sante Fe—411 B West Water Street
Kirtan is held regularly on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at 7:00; and every morning at 7:00 in all Krishna Consciousness temples.
Advertisement
Advertisement
SRIMAD BHAGWATAM
by Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasadeva
The original and genuine commentary on Vedanta philosophy by the author of the Vedanta Himself, Vyasdeva is now available in English with an authorized commentary by Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta.
The Srimad Bhagwatam is the post-graduate study of the Bhagavad Gita, or the Science of Krishna. This book of transcendental knowledge contains information of classical Hindu culture, philosophy, sociology, economics, politics, aesthetics and Divine Love.
This unique edition of Srimad Bhagwatam has been greatly appreciated by all learned societies of philosophy and theosophy and approved by the Indian State and Central Government. Price: $16.80 for 3 volumes (1200 pages). Postage paid by the Society.
Available from the International Society For Krishna Consciousness, 26 Second Avenue, New York, New York, 10003.
KIRTAN In San Francisco
Rejoicing in the pure consciousness of Krishna, the Perfect One—this is the final unending delight.
Dancing to the Names of God—singing the Names of God—this is true ecstasy, eternal awakening to Self—and to what lies beyond Self.
Krishna the Cowherd Boy, Krishna the Baby, Krishna the Source of all that exists—Krishna is our Lord, the Refuge of the Universes.
Join us for Krishna Kirtan—the joyful chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra—in San Francisco at 518 Frederick Street, 7 AM or 7 PM daily.
BLISS
Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta invites you to dive deeply into the ocean of ecstasy which lies just beyond the mind. Chant HARE KRISHNA with the Swami on this unique record album—KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS!
Hear the sacred sounds that have been vibrated by the banks of the Ganges since before history itself. Accompanied by tamboura, harmonium, drums and cymbals, the Swami will draw you personally into SAMADHI—the supreme perfection of Yoga.
Also on this record album, Swami Bhaktivedanta explains the true meaning and glory of the HARE KRISHNA MANTRA. $3.25
ISKCON
26 Second Avenue
N.Y.C., 10003
ESSAYS BY SWAMI A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA
On Chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare: These sixteen words, comprising in themselves the essence of Krishna Consciousness, have been sung by the holy men of India since time immemorial. Today, the Maha, or Hare Krishna, Mantra has been found on the lips of the leaders of the new generation movements in East and West alike; it has been called the “Hippie anthem;” and it has been explained endlessly—and mostly inaccurately. Here, Swami Bhaktivedanta, who first delivered the chant to the West, explains the real meaning and purpose of the Hare Krishna Mantra. $.25
Essence of the Vedas:
Bhagavad Gita As It Is
Widely recognized as the compendium of all Vedic wisdom, the Bhagavad Gita is much read but little understood. Here the Swami—a devotee of Lord Sri Krishna in the line of disciplic succession from Arjuna—offers a classic introduction to this sublime Scripture, and reveals the true meaning of Lord Krishna’s Appearance in this world. $.50
Two Essays
In “Who Is Crazy?” and “Krishna the Reservoir of Pleasure,” the Swami explains the illusion of materialism, and the process of acquiring true vision, unconditioned by the effects of material Nature. And, too, he offers the guidelines for life in perpetual bliss—total samadhi—Krishna Consciousness. $.50
On the Back Cover
On the Back Cover
In order to establish the principles of Devotional Service in this Age of Discord, the Lord appeared upon the Earth near the close of the Fifteenth Century, in the Form of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Chaitanya displayed in Himself the perfection of Krishna Consciousness, and it was He Who urged the singing of the Holy Names of God as the single most effective means for the development of spiritual life in modern times. Because He is a complete incarnation of the Supreme Godhead, Krishna, He is known as Krishna Chaitanya. Sri Nityananda Prabhu is the direct manifestation of the Lord, His eternal Companion, sometimes known as Balarama-Nityananda. Together, these Two spread the Samkirtan movement throughout India, and today its momentum continues, until, as Lord Chaitanya predicted, every city, farm and village of the world will ring with the sound of God’s praises.
Back to Godhead Magazine #17, 1968
Editorials
Editorials
This is undoubtedly the most naive editorial you will read about the rioting at Columbia University:
Newsweek (May 6) reported: "In the office of [Columbia President] Kirk some students … broke into his stock of liquor and cigars …" But are they really to blame for imitating their seniors? If the foremost person of such a great university is engaged in smoking and drinking, it is hardly to be wondered at that his students tend toward licentiousness and disrespect. A teacher ought to be a paragon of the virtues he extolls, or at least ardent in his efforts. (And, what’s more, he ought to be extolling virtue.) When he is himself immoral (and drinking liquor is every bit as immoral as smoking marijuana), then he can hardly be expected to elevate those under his charge.
The present state of chaos in education throughout the world is no more than the natural result of the aims (or, rather, aimlessness) of the modern educational system. And this is no more than a reflection of the aimlessness of today’s civilization. On paper, in text books, it would seem that Mankind has just about reached the penultimate peak of knowledge, pleasure, comfort, security and power that he has ever known throughout countless millennia of evolutionary existence. And what we may call the older generation (those who lived through the Depression and fought the Second World War) are certain that this is so. Only the young, who are naive enough to wonder why their elders don’t live up to the pretty ideals they preach, and why their lives are actually wretched and unhappy, seem to recognize the facts.
For although modern civilization is a boom on paper, it’s a bust in practical terms. Even the naked primitives of the forest and desert are happier than modern civilized man, and it would be difficult to find an era anywhere in history as full of discontent as this one. Life carried on simply for the unlimited gratification of material and temporary senses is not worth living, and has no capacity to satisfy the intelligent human being. Without a transcendental purpose—without a direction toward final answers, toward the eternal and the Absolute—the human mission must always go unfulfilled, and human desire must always stand unsatiated and restless. Life not devoted to eternal fulfillment can only be devoted to death as its ultimate goal.
Civilization must serve the higher purposes of human life if it is not to decline into bestiality. And education must be made to lead the young members of society upward toward perfection in self-knowledge—in other words, toward the confrontation with, and love of, God. Unless these conditions are met and accounted for—unless the schools can be elevated above the standard of factories for producing factory workers—both education and civilization will continue to degenerate to the lowest stages of disorder, ineffectiveness and hopelessness.
And, above all, the men who govern and control education ought at least to be required to keep their personal lives free of vice and corruption, and should themselves be engaged in the higher pursuits of human consciousness. Or is there a double standard for students and teachers? Or are we so debased today that we don’t expect austerity from those who claim the respect and hold the positions of austere men? Or is the "advancement" of the human condition just an advertising slogan?
The aimlessness of materialistic civilization is again nicely demonstrated in the rising crime rate so much in today’s headlines in the United States. It seems never to occur to those who worry about these things that, instead of spending millions more on police to crush, and settlement houses to palliate, they might better direct their energies toward making more sensible laws.
It is the Law that makes criminals by defining what is right and what is wrong, what is legal and illegal. The present abominable state of near-chaos and utter disrespect for law and order is the result of stupid, impractical statutes created by businessmen for the sake of keeping and evolving nothing more than economic prosperity. But human life is meant for more than amassing bank balances, drinking Coke and staring dumbly at a television screen. Human life must target its energies upon the loving service of God if it is to be rewarding and happy. And if the laws of society disregard the Supreme Lord and the principles of religion, and ignore this single valid aim of civilization, then they can never be practical or successful.
Man cannot live as a dot on a statistical chart. Man cannot live as a mere economic unit, acting the role of an ant in a hill. Unless the deeper, more genuine and, ultimately, far more pressing need of man—the need to approach and know God, the Absolute Truth—can be fulfilled, then society will not be stable. And any attempt to regulate society simply for the sake of good business, though it may seem practical, will never work.
A note on yogis:
Those who are engaged in spending sums of money for Yoga lessons, private mantras, meditation courses and the like should stop at least once a day and ask themselves what it’s all about. What is Yoga? What is its goal? If you don’t know, then you must not know what you’re doing, or what you’re paying for.
The real Yoga system, as it comes down to us from the sages of ancient India, was meant to lead the practitioner to the stage of Samadhi, or trance, the mind having been fixed upon God in the Form of Four-Armed Narayana within the heart. The aim is to break all attachment with the bodily concept of life, and to identify oneself correctly as a pure, spiritual living entity, rather than as a product of material Nature. This is self-knowledge, or self-realization. It is a very difficult stage to attain, and impossible for one whose mind is concentrated on losing weight, retaining or increasing virility, achieving good health, or developing some occult powers.
At one time, the men of the Western world made their ways to the East—some in order to loot it, some to preach religion there. Now the trend seems to be reversed, but modern values being what they are, it’s difficult to know the exploiters from the missionaries. Before paying out hard-earned money or giving away precious time, be discriminating, and examine what you’re going into. If the goal is not pure consciousness, Krishna or God Consciousness, then it is not Yoga, but nonsense.
Advertisement
Advertisement
This man has changed the history of the world. Do you know him?
He’s A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, the Acharya (Holy Teacher) from India, who came to the U. S. in 1965 and touched off a major revolution.
The Swami’s revolution affects not the external things of the world. It strikes at the very root of being—at consciousness. He has called his movement Krishna Consciousness.
You owe it to yourself to know what A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami is saying to the people of America and India. These are his writings:
ESSENCE OF THE VEDAS: BHAGAVAD GITA AS IT IS
Every serious student of Yoga, Transcendental Meditation and the mystic sciences of the Orient looks to the Bhagavad Gita as the single imperative item on his bookshelf. Find out what the Swami, whose translation of the Gita will be published by Macmillan Co. in October, 1968, has to say about this Scripture and Its immortal, urgent message. price: 50c
ON CHANTING THE HARE KRISHNA MANTRA
The Maha or Hare Krishna Mantra has been found on the lips of the leaders of the new generation movements in East and West alike; it has been called the “Hippie anthem;” and it has been explained endlessly—and always inaccurately. Here the Swami, who first delivered the chant to the West, explains the real meaning and purpose of the Hare Krishna Mantra. price: 25c
TWO ESSAYS
Sanity, self, society—and how to perfect them. Mantra Yoga, the scientific writings of the great Hindu mystics, and the eternal pleasure principle. price: 50c
ISKCON Press
43 East Tenth Street
New York City, 10003
On the Cover
On the Cover
The Battle of Kuruksetra
Modern historians differ as to the age of the various Vedic Scriptures, but the Scriptures themselves seem to agree that they were formally compiled five thousand years ago. Vyasadeva, the greatest of great sages, took the vast and voluminous teachings of the Absolute, which had been handed down by word of mouth since time beyond measure, and committed everything to writing for the benefit of modern man. It is on this literature that the Hindu religions of later times have been based. One of the more important of the works thus handed down to us is the Mahabharata, the chronicle of the last ages of Earth up to the commencement of the present era, called Kali Yuga, or the Age of Dissension.
The most significant event in the previous age was the Appearance of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, upon this planet, and the display by Him of His eternal Qualities, Pastimes, and Paraphernalia. Among His other acts, the Lord took part in the Kurukshetra War as Charioteer for His beloved friend Arjuna, and it is engaged in this activity that He is pictured on this month’s cover.
Unwilling to take the part of an active combattant, Sri Krishna offered to lend His army to one side in the conflict, and His Personal friendship to the other. Arjuna’s enemies chose God’s energy, while the devoted Bowman chose God’s friendship. This is a lesson to Mankind, one he seems never to comprehend: for it was Arjuna who triumphed at Kurukshetra, after eighteen days of bloody fighting. Thus the great devotee broke the power of the atheist King Duryodhana, and established the just reign of his own brother, Yudhisthira.
Yudhisthira’s nephew, Maharaj Parikshit, was the last ruler of this world before the onset of Kali Yuga. In a sense, the Battle of Kurukshetra marked the real ending of Dwapara Yuga, the Middle Age, though the virtues of both Yudhisthira and his nephew staved off the darkness for some time.
More important than the Battle or the flux of the Ages of Earth, however, is the transcendental message of love, devotion, peace and supreme glory which is revealed in the great dialog between Krishna and Arjuna which took place just before the onset of the fighting. This dialog is called The Bhagavad Gita. This is the science of the Eternal, which the Lord chose to deliver in this fashion at Kurukshetra, and one who studies this science, like Arjuna, will know “opulence, victory, extraordinary power, and morality,” and will stand beyond the clutches of Death. And, again like Arjuna, the devotee by his love can engage the Supreme Lord to steer him through all danger.
Book Review
Book Review
The Saint Who Wasn’t
by Rayarama Das
SIDDHARTHA, a novel by Hermann Hesse; 153 pps; New Directions Books, $1.15.
SIDDHARTHA could only have been written by a European scholar, and even though the setting is India, circa the start of the 5th Century B. C., and the characters are all Indians and, in fact, even though the Message and Meaning of the book are suposed to be timeless and without designation—every line and page seems to crackle with European Heaven, European Hell, European misconceptions about both Vedic doctrine and Hindu everyday life, and above all, European cynicism regarding “reality.”
To begin with, Hermann Hesse’s conception of the Hindu era in which his characters live is straight from an encyclopedia. There are, it would seem, two streams of religious or philosophical thought through which Siddhartha wades during his lifetime: one is the polytheism of his family and the established Brahminical order; the other is the impersonal “merging” into the Absolute, dear to the ascetics. There is never a trace of Vaishnavism in SIDDHARTHA the book, nor the least tendency toward worship of one Supreme Being within the heart of Siddhartha the character. This is no small omission, for we must understand that Vaishnavism—the Devotional Service of God—has always been and remains even today the mainstream of Vedic thought.
Except for scholars. The scholars have taken Sankaracharya as the greatest thinker in Vedic history, and they have developed and lauded his theories regarding the impersonal, immutable, undifferentiated nature of the Absolute with such fervor, that the people of the West—who are, after all, at the mercy of the scholarly sect—have come to believe that Sri Sankara’s teaching is THE Hindu philosophy. Other than the sublime impersonal, the scholars see only a bewildering pantheon of “many gods,” which seems to be such an annoyance to them that they’ve never bothered to look into that “pantheon” very seriously or open-mindedly.
Beginning with F. Max Muller, and even going back before him, the prejudices and arrogances of the narrowly scholastic community have filtered out the devotional aspects of Vedic culture in bringing the Sacred texts of India to the West. And so it isn’t surprising that Hermann Hesse—who clearly is an armchair mystic—should seemingly know nothing of the monotheistic sects which form the real living core of Hindu philosophy; and it’s also not surprising that God the Person barely gets a nod in Hesse’s book. This is, however, a meter of the superficiality of the man’s “search” for Truth—and the search of Siddhartha and the search of Siddhartha’s creator can hardly be separated. Otherwise, there would be no scope in a magazine of philosophy for the review of a novel. We aren’t interested here in aesthetics, style, or even imagery. We’re simply anxious to approach the Truth, the Absolute.
Why review SIDDHARTHA at all, then? The reason is that the book has had a tremendous influence upon people young and old—but especially young—who are themselves in search of Truth, or at least of something better than hard-rock, aimless materialism. For Siddhartha the character is a searcher, a discontent, a wanderer, always anxious to find something final—peace. (And isn’t that our old friend European War-Weariness dominating Siddhartha’s thoughts? Maybe not. We all do want peace, some way or other.) And in this sense Siddhartha is very much representative of modern man, and, far more, of modern youth.
Yet the book SIDDHARTHA is not written as a probe, but rather as a dogma. The dogma? Reject all dogmas. And in this SIDDHARTHA the book fails to fulfill any meaningful purpose in human society, and fails furthermore in living up to the faith of those who may read it with the hope of finding a direction there for themselves. For although, in his wanderings, Siddhartha studies with forest mendicants, and encounters none other than Lord Buddha Himself, he rejects them all for a life of sin. The moral here may escape you, but that’s only the half of it. The other half is that the author himself never really lets us in on what Lord Buddha is teaching. There’s a great deal of talk about how He looks—holy fingers, holy hands, etc.—but hardly more than the most superficial glance at His doctrine. The same with the forest mendicants. Their teachings are refuted, but never examined. How they look we are told, and also how they suffer, but not what they believe in.
The real principle of spiritual understanding—like the pursuit, practically speaking, of any branch of knowledge—is to hear the teachings of a realized soul, an expert. Knowledge is acquired by hearing. To walk out of a classroom because a teacher doesn’t appear to be knowledgeable would be an act of awful folly. And to accept or reject spiritual knowledge because someone looks “holy,” or doesn’t, is also foolish. Yet this is as far as Hermann Hesse lets us go in understanding any philosophy but his own. Even the conversation between Siddhartha and Gotama Buddha is one-sided, and all the Buddha really gets to say is to watch out against being too clever. At least He looks perfect.
The plot of the book is simple if perplexing: Siddhartha has a restless impulse to fulfill himself, and, feeling that he’s exhausted the store of knowledge that his father and home-town teachers can give him, he sets off into the forest with a band of wandering ascetics. After some time, this life also seems to be leading him nowhere, and so he leaves the ascetics to go to see Gotama Buddha, Whose reputation is at this time stirring all India. But one look at the Buddha (looks count for everything here, please remember), and Siddhartha knows that he can only gain wisdom through his own experience. In a chapter which is oddly entitled “The Awakening,” Siddhartha leaves the Buddha, and then wanders off into—sin. Yes, having come to the conclusion that he’s every bit as good as Lord Buddha, Siddhartha sinks into worldliness. There’s no mention of the Buddha falling into worldliness, and the reader is left to wonder where any equality between these two can exist.
After a life of sensuousness, in which he accomplishes nothing, Siddhartha realizes how low he has fallen, and leaves this situation too. He comes at length to a river, and to a ferryman who has apparently reached perfection by listening to the gurgle of the waters. Here Siddhartha stays, and here he too reaches “perfection.”
Throughout this book, beginning with the last sentence of the very first paragraph, Siddhartha is constantly having “awakenings,” as the author calls them. Immediately afterward, however, Siddhartha drops like a torpedo into sin and nonsense—“Sansara.” What passed for an awakening to Herr Hesse was clearly his own invention. That first paragraph says, for example, that the hero “Already … knew how to recognize Atman within the depth of his being, indestructible, at one with the universe.” Casually, just like that. Again this is a display of the author’s ignorance of the science of the Absolute, for Atman is Self, and Siddhartha at this point is only a boy, and hasn’t even yet begun his search for himself.
Nor, as he rolls into full gear, does he ever really succeed in his quest. Leaving the Buddha, with that assumption of equality between them (a pretension never once mitigated by a tinge of humility throughout this book), Siddhartha goes, not to heaven, but to a harlot’s bed. He falls into sin, and here the philosophy of Hermann Hesse really begins to reveal itself. Like Rasputin, he seems to have felt that sin is good for a man. As good as virtue, anyway. At the end, fully enlightened, Siddhartha says (among a great many other unfortunate things): “… it seems to me that everything that exists is good—death as well as life, sin as well as holiness, wisdom as well as folly.” “…It was necessary for me to sin, … I needed lust, … I had to strive for property … in order to learn to love the world … to leave it as it is, to love it and be glad to belong to it.”
Yes, you’re better off just looking, just staying at the surface, if you want anything “holy” out of this. For, to follow this philosophy through, we must assume that sinfulness teaches us—after some time, of course—to “love the world.” But, according to the great Teachers whom Hesse is aping, loving the world was the very cause of sin—and neither the one nor the other has ever been highly esteemed by the Buddha, Lord Jesus, Lord Chaitanya, or any other sacred Teacher of validity. What’s more, by Herr Hesse’s definition, we should assume that Adolf Hitler—the greatest sinner of our time if ever there was a sinner—was really our greatest saint, the world’s number one lover. Too bad we didn’t know it at the time.
The idea that one can come to wholly accept the world exactly as it is, and live peacefully in this way, was not new with Hermann Hesse. Nor has the failure of such a philosophy in practical terms discouraged increasingly more men—today especially—to accept this doctrine. Yet this is a concept of life which must ever be wholly intellectual, for one who actually did accept everything would have nothing to say to anyone; and if that were so, books like SIDDHARTHA would never have come into existence, and we’d never have heard of such a philosophy in the first place.
To help the world, to live happily in this life or any other, to live at all, one must act, and action means discrimination between this and that, up and down, left and right, good and evil. Those who have no capacity to discriminate because of a lack of knowledge or of real values on the Absolute platform, have two choices to make: they can go with things, or pretend that it’s all illusion. From the latter. Siddhartha goes to the former state of consciousness, and readers of the book may find themselves at a loss to figure out whether anything was accomplished after all.
Indeed the (again ludicrously one-sided) dialog between Siddhartha and his lifelong friend Govinda at the end of this book is an item-by-item refutation of every principle of religion, morality and spiritual life ever handed down by the great Teachers of Mankind. If such a philosophy of sin, laissez-faire, and atheism (“[I had] to learn to love the world, and no longer compare it with some kind of desired imaginary world, some imaginary vision of perfection …”) is popular and sells a lot of copies in an age when God is reputed to be dead (He certainly was for Hesse) and when moral decay is rotting human civilization like an unchecked cancer. no one should be surprised.
But popularity doesn’t certify Truth, and the intelligent reader should reject the rampant speculations and back-and-forth enlightenments—as well as the life of sin-virtue—which the book SIDDHARTHA recommends. Siddhartha may have come to love the world, but he certainly never reached knowledge of the Absolute or of himself, for his creator never had such knowledge to imbue him with. Yet there is an Absolute Truth, an Absolute Knowledge, a Supreme Person—and it is unfortunate to say the least that so many people are deluded into wasting their precious time sentimentalizing over a specious display such as this, rather than take up the real study of God as it is found in the Scriptures Hesse so blithely refutes. If only he would have studied them first. Who knows that he mightn’t have had an “awakening” or two himself.
Rayarama Das Brahmachary
Poem
Poem
by Harsharani Devi
Dear Swamiji
I offer my respects unto the Lotus
Feet of my Spiritual Master,
Who is always herding cows
In Goloka Vrindaban with His
Dearmost Friend, Krishna.
Sometimes He is running barefoot
Through the forest chasing cows
And sometimes He is hiding behind
A tree waiting for Krishna to
Return with the spoils from
Mother Yasoda’s butter pots.
I offer my respects unto the Lotus
Feet of my Spiritual Master, Who is
Always thinking of what He can
Do in service of His Dearmost
Friend Krishna and never wanting
Anything in return.
Harsharani Devi Dasi
Krishna's Dishes
Krishna's Dishes
The woods are so dark and rich and deep and calling me tonight. “Come out. Come out of the temple and walk amidst our splendor,” say the trees. The moon is a white sliver and it rocks me back and forth: “Come out, come out, come out and see the twinkling heavens.” The sunset burns the hill it sets behind—so warm, so golden. There has never been such a sunset or such air. Have I ever smelled the air so pure as on this night? So clear, so soft, so fragrant… Ah, but I must wash some dishes for Krishna… In that small task all the wonders of this night are revealed to me. I am so fortunate to be washing Krishna’s dishes…
Himavati Devi Dasi
The Butter Thief
The Butter Thief
by Satsvarupa Das
This
Lord Krishna
Blackish, plump
Standing on the shoulders
of His pals,
His two hands around the
covered bowl of butter
hanging on ropes from the ceiling,
has stolen my understanding.
Yasoda is ducking out the door.
He reaches two hands for the bowl.
The Selfsame One God Who descended
as the Hog, and Nosed out the Globe when the
Earth was put in a filthy place by demons,
The Same One Lord Who
As Nrisingha the half-man half-lion
Split apart a pillar and leaped
for grabbing demon Hiranakasipu
in His Nails of Lotus Palms,
has stolen my understanding.
Pious sage-monkeys of Vrindaban
reach out paws to
receive butter from His Hand.
He stands on the backs of His pals,
His arms held over His head,
hands around the butter-bowl.
All Glories to the Master of the Universe!
When is Krishna coming to steal my soul?
—Satsvarupa Das Brahmachary
The Return of Swamiji
The Return of Swamiji
by Madhavendra Das Brahmachary
April 17, 1968
John F. Kennedy Airport
Just hearing that Swamiji was coming back to New York, the devotees, having felt separation from their Spiritual Master, were filled now with so much bliss. Their joyful shouts of “Haribol!” filled the temple at Kirtan.
On the day Swamiji was to arrive, the temple was swarming with activity like a beehive. After morning Kirtan, Hansaduta and Brahmananda gave everyone some task to help prepare things. The brahmacharinis made garlands of flowers, and the brahmacharys cooked a feast. Others made a banner, cleaned the temple, arranged for transportation.
By noon all preparations were finished and the devotees took Prasadam, their spiritual food. Gargamuni called from San Francisco to say that Swamiji was on the plane, flying to us. In this way the Swami encircles the world with Krishna Consciousness.
A bus and a van arrived to take us to the airport. All the transcendental paraphernalia was loaded into the van. The devotees filed out of the temple, and a joyous Kirtan started. At this time many friends of the Society were arriving, anxious to meet Swamiji with us, and so there was a nice crowd.
Finally Brahmananda got everyone onto the bus. The caravan to Kennedy Airport began, a saffron-robed brahmachary driving a van of devotees, all chanting Hare Krishna along the Van Wyck Expressway. Arriving at the Airport, the devotees paraded into the American Airlines Terminal, before them a green-and-yellow banner displaying the Holy Names of God. Inside the Terminal, chairs were pushed aside and a rug was put on the floor. A garlanded painting of Radha-Krishna was set upon an easel, and surrounded by vases of flowers. In front of all this, candles and incense were lighted. Hansaduta, playing a mridangam drum, led Kirtan. A crowd of spectators and American Airlines officials watched as the devotees danced in ecstasy to the Holy Names of the Lord.
Finally Swamiji’s plane arrived, and the Swami stepped out into the Terminal Building and walked over to the seat prepared for him, as all the devotees offered their obeisances. Brahmananda, Purushottam, Rayarama, Balai, and Himavati offered garlands to him, and gasped with joy as Swamiji touched their heads in approval.
Then Swamiji was offered his khartals, and he led Kirtan. After this he lectured to the assembled people:
“God has got millions and trillions of Names,” he said. “Lord Chaitanya recommended that we chant the Name of God. He chanted Hare Krishna, and so we also chant Hare Krishna. But if you don’t like the Name Krishna, you can chant any Name of God that you have got. This chanting of the Lord’s Names is the only means to peace and prosperity in the world.”
Swamiji would have like to talk a little longer, but the Airline officials said they must prepare for the next flight, so everyone got up to leave.
There was a procession out of the airport, Annapurna and Kanchanbala strewing rosewater and rose petals in Swamiji’s path as he walked to the car followed by news reporters.
In the car, driving toward Manhattan, with its giant skyline flashing up above the horizon, the discussion turned to Maya, Illusion. “Maya seems to be getting stronger these days,” Mr. Kallman said, as he drove the Swami along.
Swamihi replied, “It’s not that we have to worry about Maya. It’s a question of how we are related to Maya.” Mrs. Kallman was sitting in the front seat with her husband and the Swamiji gave this example: “Mr. Kallman, if I relate to Mrs. Kallman as Mrs. Kallman, then the relationship is all right, is it not? But if I approach her not as Mrs. Kallman, then there must be some trouble.”
Swamiji was looking out of the car window, and he saw the Empire State Building looming over the city. “The situation of Maya is like the Empire State Building. It is very nice,” the Swami said. “One should look at the Empire Stated Building and think: It is a very nice building, if only it was used for Krishna’s purposes. Not that modern civilization is bad, but it should be used for Krishna’s purposes.”
He went on to say: “The achievements of modern civilization are like Zeros. So many nice things, all just like Zeros. There are so many Zeros, but they still only add up to Zero. But then, if One is added, all the Zeros have some value. That One that has to be added is Krishna. If Krishna is there, so many Zeros with One in front of them will add up to a very substantial accomplishment.”
Now they were in front of the temple. Swamiji got out of the car and went inside where all the devotees and friends of the Society were sitting. Upon seeing Swamiji, everyone bowed down to pay obeisances to him, and he went upstairs to his apartment.
Sitting in his room, many garlands still about his neck, Swamiji said: “Now I am home! I can never forget this apartment, because this is where I started my mission.” He was beaming happily, looking about the small three-room flat which his disciples had painted and cleaned only days before. “When I left, I was very much fearful that the Society would diminish. But instead, it has increased. I am very much pleased.” Swami gave Brahmananda and Rayarama a garland each, and come downstairs to speak at Kirtan. Our joy cannot be described in words or pictures or photos. The pure devotee was pleased. It was a most auspicious day.
To Rupamanjari, Who Knows the Heart of Lord Chaitanya
To Rupamanjari,
Who Knows the Heart of Lord Chaitanya
by Rupanuga Das
O Dear Gopis!
O purest of the Pure
So dear to Krishna,
Who can help you look for Him,
When suddenly He leaves
The Sacred Rasa Dance,
Black Cloud adorned with lightning,
Disappearing in the dark
Tangled wood.
O Dear Lalita, Visakha,
Kantchenbala, where did He go?
Did you see a hint of gold
Beyond those whispering trees, wet
With the shimmering drops of moonlight?
Watching for soft red sparks of ruby,
For lights of white pearl, always
Searching His Sweet Name,
Krishna, Krishna, Krishna!
Krishna, Krishna, Krishna?
Listening for His maddening Flute, and
The soft step of His Lotus Foot,
Red palm aglow in the quietly loving grass.
Filling your nostrils with the blissful
Cool night breeze, to catch
The warm Fragrance of Him,
Infinitely surpassing the essence
Of blue lotus and honey.
Seeking in every bower’s heart.
Ah, but RADHARANI knows
His hiding place.
Did you pass by the wonderful
Four-Armed Narayan, with
His Mace, Disk, Conch, and Lotus
Who tried with all His Might
To hold His disguise?
Yet two arms kept fading
Before the Glories of Radha’s Love,
Revealing a Beautiful Cowherd Boy,
Smiling, as He raised a flute
To His lips.
—Rupanuga Das Adhikary
Food for the Soul
Food for the Soul
by Himavati Devi Dasi
In Bhakti Yoga, all activities can be turned to spiritual advancement. This article describes how to spiritualize your eating—and enjoy ecstasy at every meal.
Krishna Consciousness is a way of life that is practiced twenty-four hours a day. It fulfills the needs of the spirit, the mind and the body. We are pure spirit soul encased in these material bodies: the subtle body of mind, and the gross body, of which the five senses are a part. The need of spirit is to become uncovered and return back to home, back to Godhead upon leaving this body. The way this is achieved is by chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra and by regulating the needs of the body, which are eating, sleeping, fearing and mating.
Surrender is the first step. Surrender to a pure soul, the Spiritual Master comes with chanting and hearing this Mantra, and eating Krishna Prasadam, food specially prepared and offered to the Lord, then distributed to friends and family. These two activities produce attachment to Krishna Consciousness.
Here we will discuss Krishna Prasadam. Prasadam is spiritual food because it has been offered to Lord Krishna through the chanting of the following mantras three times each in front of the picture or statue of the Deity:
Namah om Vishnupadaya Krishnapresthaya bhutale srimate Bhaktivedanta swamin iti namine.
Namo maha badanaya Krishna prema predayate Krishnaya Krishnachaitanya namine goura tvishe namah.
Namo brahmanya devaya go brahmana hitaya cha jagat hitaya Krishnaya Govindaya namo namah.
Krishna eats the food and then we take the remnants. The good taste of the food is thus enhanced, and the body and mind become healthy while the soul remains engaged in service to the Lord.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says that you may offer Him a leaf, a flower, some water, some fruit; and, if offered with love as a devotee of Krishna, then He will accept such an offering. Elsewhere in the Bhagavad Gita, He says that when something is given to Him in sacrifice, that activity is Him, and that He becomes the offering. So you can easily see that eating this Krishna Prasadam is most beneficial for making progress in Krishna Consciousness. Eating Prasadam is associating with Krishna Himself, just as chanting His Name is associating with Krishna, the Supreme Personality, the All-Blissful.
Prasadam is first of all prepared specifically for Krishna, in the way that He likes it. The Spiritual Master therefore gives all the recipes and methods of preparation to his disciples according to the system of “parampara” (disciplic succession), and so we may be sure that we are preparing what is acceptable to Krishna.
Everything used during preparation is clean. All fruits, vegetables, nuts, rice and other grains that can be washed are washed, and all utensils, pots and dishes are washed before using. Anything that drops on the floor is washed. The cook’s hands are kept clean. So, during preparation, don’t touch your hair, clothes, body, garbage can, floor, etc. Since the food is being cooked for Krishna there should be no tasting or smelling, except when urgently required.
When Prasadam is all prepared place on a nice metal (preferably silver) platter, along with yogurt and cold water in nice metal bowls. Place on your altar and offer to Lord Krishna. After chanting the mantras you may remove the food and “take” to your heart’s content.
Now you’re ready to cook for Krishna. Following are four recipes for a nice noon meal:
Food for Krishna: Recipes for the Transcendental Pleasure of the Lord
Food for Krishna:
Recipes for the Transcendental Pleasure of the Lord
by Yamuna devi dasi & Himavati devi dasi
Egg Plant Puki
1 lb. butter
1 tsp. cumin seed
1 tsp. salt
egg plant
¼ cup turmeric powder
¼ cup water
Melt butter in pan; add cumin seeds. Brown (don’t burn). Cut egg plant in wedges, dip into batter—made of turmeric powder, salt and water. Cover all sides of egg plant nicely. Then place in pan over medium heat to deep fry each side. Cook until soft all thru. Remove and drain in colander.
Dry Potatoes
Boil potatoes until cooked thru (test with knife). Peel, cut into large pieces and brown in a little butter and cumin seed, with a pinch of turmeric and salt.
Strawberries and Yogurt
Half cup plain yogurt (not skim milk) 4 strawberries cut up into little pieces and 4 teaspoons sugar, mix, serve cold.
Parvata
(Fried Bread)
Make dough; 3 parts whole wheat flour to 1 part white flour and water as desired. Let stand, then knead to medium soft consistency (15 minutes at least). Make large balls (2-inch diameter) and roll out about 8 inches round so it’s nice and thick. Spread top with melted butter and fold in half. Roll out again, spread top with butter again, fold into quarter. Rollout again, then melt enough butter to fry one in a pan (medium low flame). Fry on each side, pressing with spoon turning frequently until it turns reddish. Then it’s done.
Perfection in Yoga
Perfection in Yoga
By Subal das Adhikary
In the Bhagavad Gita (6.2) Krishna defines Yoga as “linking oneself with the Supreme.” Yoga means to get into touch with the Supreme Lord. That Supreme Lord is Bhagavan Sri Krishna, as is stated in Srimad Bhagwatam (1.2.28):
The ultimate knowable object in the revealed Scriptures is Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead. The purpose of performing sacrifices is to please Him; the mystic paraphernalia are performed for realizing Him; all fruitive activities are ultimately rewarded by Him only. He is the Supreme knowledge, and all severe austerities are performed just to know Him. Religion means to do devotional service unto Him. And He is the Supreme Goal of life.
Vasudeva, Sri Krishna, is all-in-all. The whole purpose of this human form of life is to realize Him, and to re-establish our relationship with Him. Yoga is not meant for any other purpose, such as gaining mystic powers, recognition, wealth, or any other material benefits. The loving service of Govinda, Krishna, is itself the indescribable nectar to be derived from its practice.
And, of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshipping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in Yoga. (Bg. 6.47)
How does one go about achieving this relationship? In the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Krishna gives an outline of the Yoga system, consisting of going to a secluded, sacred place; laying out a special seat; meditating, etc. And Arjuna, a great devotee, rejects it as impractical and unendurable. If Arjuna rejects this system, then who today can take it up? Actually, no one. Or, if we must yield a step for argument’s sake, perhaps one or two men out of billions. As for the rest of humanity, Yoga is not for them, as it is thus outlined. We are five thousand years into the Age of Kali, this Age of Chaos and Destruction. Man’s life span is shortened, he lives in surroundings which are unconducive to spiritual growth, and his mind is in turmoil. How can he hope to sit in meditation, controlling the mind and senses?
However, the factual perfection of Yoga is available to everyone, by chanting HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE, HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE . This is the simple and sublime method recommended by great authorities for this Age. By chanting this Maha Mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance, one is immediately placed on the spiritual platform, surpassing all lower levels of existence. And Krishna is present before you. Krishna being Absolute, His Name is non-different from His Form, Pastimes, Entourage, or Abode. Through this chanting, one can experience the transcendental bliss derived from association with the Lord, and gain full knowledge of spiritual matters.
We are all servants by nature, and Krishna is the Master of everything by His Divine Nature. We are always serving Him, whether indirectly through the agency of His illusory energy, Maya; or directly under the guidance of His bona fide representative. Krishna Consciousness is the direct transcendental loving service of the Lord. It is not merely a method for achieving some higher goal: it is itself the perfection of all Yoga systems, the final goal of all life, and especially the goal of human life. The devotee desires no reward. Love of God is its own reward. He simply desires to be blessed, life after life, with the service of Krishna and the rememberence of His Holy Names.
At this moment, when so many people are becoming infatuated with Yoga, many are being misled into every manner of nonsense and evil by the so-called spiritual leaders, who desire cheap adoration from the innocent public. In the Bhagavad Gita (3.6) Krishna says:
One who restrains the senses and organs of action, but whose mind dwells on sense objects, certainly deludes himself, and is called a pretender.
In his purport to this Verse, our Spiritual Master, A C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, has written:
There are many pretenders who refuse to work in Krishna Consciousness, but make a show of meditation, while actually dwelling within the mind upon sense enjoyment. Such pretenders may also speak on dry philosophy, in order to bluff sophisticated followers. But, according to this verse, these are the greatest cheaters. For sense enjoyment one can act in any capacity within the social order, following the rules and regulations of a particular situation of life, and thus make gradual progress in purifying his existence. But if any man makes a show of becoming a yogi, while actually in search of the objects of sense gratification, he must be called the greatest cheater, even though he sometimes speaks of philosophy. His knowledge has no value because the effects of such a sinful man’s knowledge are taken away by the illusory energy of the Lord. Such a pretender’s mind is always impure, and therefore his show of yogic meditation has no value whatsoever.
We are faced today by many pretenders who claim to be spiritual leaders, holy men, swamis, etc. But most of these men fall under the headings of intoxicant leaders, mental speculators, and atheists who do not have an iota of devotion in them. It is necessary to choose a spiritual master in order to make progress, but we must be careful and use discrimination, or else we will be badly misled. The true spiritual master is Krishna’s bona fide representative, and only he can impart to us the highest good.
A spiritual master must receive his knowledge from someone who is in a line of disciplic succession, originating from Lord Sri Krishna. He must hear this knowledge correctly, realize it for himself, and then impart it to the student without changing it. This is the only way to gain true knowledge. The spiritual master is well versed in spiritual matters, and is the embodiment of religious practices. These are some of the identifying characteristics of Krishna’s representative. And, by surrendering to him, one can achieve the perfection of Yoga, devotion to Krishna—and even Krishna Himself.
Service - Knowledge - Liberation
Service - Knowledge - Liberation
by Brahmananda Das
Service of the Absolute Truth
means to render service
unto the Absolute Personality of Godhead.
The neophyte devotee has no capacity to approach
the Absolute Personality of Godhead with his present,
imperfect,
material senses.
By submissively serving the bona fide spiritual master
who is a bridge between the Lord
and the neophyte,
he is automatically fixed up into
the transcendental service of the Lord.
And, by so doing even for some days
the neophyte gains
knowledge which leads him
ultimately
to extricate himself from the perpetual habitation
in the material world after world after world
and be promoted
to the transcendental world
to be one of the liberated associates
of the Lord
in the Kingdom of God.
[versified from the lectures of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami by his disciple Brahmananda Das Brahmachary]
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami & Allen Ginsberg: A Conversation
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami & Allen Ginsberg:
A Conversation
Recorded by Guru Das Adhikary
Swamiji had come to San Francisco in late January, 1967 for the opening of the Krishna Consciousness Temple there, at 518 Frederick Street. Allen Ginsberg had always shown friendly and helpful interest in the Society; and he agreed to attend a giant “Mantra Rock Festival,” which the temple members were planning to hold in the Avalon Ballroom. And so, a few days before that event, the good poet came to early morning Kirtan (7 A. M.), and later joined the Swami upstairs in the apartment his pupils had rented for him.
We were sitting in the glow of this holy man, munching on Indian sweetballs cooked by the Swami, when Allen Ginsberg came through the door, a warm smile on his face.
The Swami offered him a sweetball: “Take.”
They sat in silence for a few moments, radiating mutual love.
SWAMIJI: Allen, you are up early.
GINSBERG: Yes. The phone hasn’t stopped ringing since I arrived in San Francisco.
SWAMIJI: That is what happens when one becomes famous. That was the tragedy of Mahatma Gandhi also. Wherever he went, thousands of people would crowd about him, chanting, “Mahatma Gandhi ki jai! Mahatma Gandhiki jai!” The gentleman could not sleep.
GINSBERG: (smiling) Well, at least it got me up for Kirtan this morning.
SWAMIJI: Yes, that is good.
A few days before, the San Francisco Chronicle had published an article called “Swami in Hippie Land,” in which the reporter had asked: “Do you accept ‘hippies’ in your temple?”
The Swami had replied, “Hippies or anyone—I make no distinctions. Everyone is welcome.”
SWAMIJI: Allen, what is this “hippie?”
GINSBERG: The word “hip” started in China, where people smoked opium lying on their hips. [He demonstrates.] Opium and its derivatives then spread to the West, and were looked down upon by the people in power, who were afraid of the effects. As a result, the hip people created their own culture … language, signs, symbols.
San Francisco is a spiritual “shivdas” [meeting ground]. The word hip has changed into hippie today. But basically, Swamiji, the young people today are seekers. They’re interested in all forms of spirituality.
SWAMIJI: Very nice.
GINSBERG: The hippies will all fall by at one time or another.
There was some discussion regarding New York’s Lower East Side and the Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco—both of which are locations of Krishna Consciousness temples, and are well-known to Allen Ginsberg. Then:
SWAMIJI: You have not had LSD, Allen?
GINSBERG: I have had it.
SWAMIJI: It is dependence, Allen.
GINSBERG: It’s like a car—a mental car—to resolve certain inner things.
SWAMIJI: Krishna Consciousness resolves everything. Nothing else is needed.
They then discussed the upcoming dance at the Avalon. Allen Ginsberg felt that certain mantras would be more palatable to American ears than others, and that he would like to try his tune at the dance. Swamiji agreed: “Very nice.”
Poet Ginsberg said he was not yet ready to become a devotee, but that he chants the Maha Mantra every day, and will do so until he leaves this Earth. The Swami thanked him for the work he’d already done in spreading the Kirtan (Krishna Conscious) Movement, and assured him that, if he chanted Hare Krishna daily, “everything will be perfect.”
Allen Ginsberg then prostrated himself, and, touching the Swami’s feet, he symbolically wiped the dust from them onto his forehead. Then, with a few sweetballs in a paper bag under his arm, he took his leave.
Can You Dream Hare Krishna?
Can You Dream Hare Krishna?
by Satsvarupa Das
Yes this Hare Krishna
if you practice in dream
that you are chanting Hare Krishna
you are dancing in the temple
you are seeing Lord Jagganath
you are seeing Krishna
you are talking with Swamiji
or your friends, it is simply practice.
Just like a businessman sees in a dream
he is dealing with some customer. Why?
The whole day he has done that.
The whole day and whole night
if you engage simply in chanting Hare Krishna
you will be in Krishna Consciousness
very easy.
versified by Satsvarupa Das Brahmachary
Living and Dying Absurd
Living and Dying Absurd
An analysis of materialistic madness
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
[Evening lecture on the teachings of the boy Prahlad Maharaj, April 12, 1967]
Prahlad Maharaj is instructing his young friends: “My dear friends, material enjoyment means agitating the senses. You have this material enjoyment—sense enjoyment—my dear friends, and your only thought is how to enjoy these senses, that’s all. By contact of this body.” In possession of a particular body we have particular senses and we enjoy. Just like a camel: a camel enjoys thorny twigs. Camels are very fond of thorny twigs. Why? Because when they chew the thorny twigs blood comes out of the tongue, and they are tasting their own blood. And the camel is thinking it is very nice. He is eating thorny twigs, and the twig is cutting his tongue and blood is oozing out. He is tasting his own blood, but he thinks, “I am enjoying.” This is sense gratification. Sex life is also like that. We are tasting our own blood, and we think we are enjoying. This is our foolishness.
Every living entity has contracted this material body; he is a spiritual being but because he has a tendency to enjoy, to make exploitation of this material energy, he has contracted a body. There are different varieties of life. There are 8,400,000 species of living entities, each with a different body. According to the body, they have their senses in order to enjoy a particular type of pleasure. Prahlad Maharaj says this body and its particular type of enjoyment go together. Suppose you are given the thorny grass or twigs: Ladies and gentlemen, here is very nice food, it is certified by the camels, it is very good. Would you like to take? “No! What nonsense are you offering me?” Because you have got a different body, you have no taste for that. But if you offer it to a camel, because he has that particular type of body, it is a very nice thing.
This is going on—one man’s food is another man’s poison. If you are offered something which is not your food, you cannot take it. These different kinds of enjoyment are according to the particular type of body. That is the conclusion. The stool-eater hog will not accept any nice foodstuff such as cake. Give him stool, and it will be very nice. If you are offered the stool, you say, “What are you offering?” Because you have got a different body.
There are different kinds of material enjoyment, but those who are actually intelligent know that this particular type of enjoyment is due to this body. Actual happiness, however, is that which is not enjoyed by these material senses. Actual happiness is enjoyed by the spiritual senses. Now these are covered by matter, and therefore we are entrapped. Now Prahlad Maharaj says, Whatever it may be, you can have this sense enjoyment in any type of body. Then what is our enjoyment? Eating, sleeping, defending and mating. But this sort of sensual enjoyment—whether you have a dog’s body, or a hog’s body, or a god’s body—whatever you are in this material world, you have some sort of enjoyment offered by the Supreme Lord. Such material happiness is had by the arrangement of Nature. As you get miseries without your endeavor, similarly you will get your material enjoyment without trying for it. This is the conclusion.
Therefore, you should not endeavor to achieve material happiness. It will come. The lower animals have no business, no profession, but still they eat; they live. So Prahlad Maharaj says, You need not make your endeavor for achieving material pleasure. That will come. Because you have this body, it is predestined that this bodily enjoyment—as you are fit to enjoy—will come. How will it come? There is happiness and misery: If misery comes without calling for it, so happiness will come without calling for it. This is the philosophy.
Therefore, we should not be very anxious to aggravate or increase our material happiness. Always in civilization those who have no spiritual happiness are hankering after these sense enjoyments. So Prahlad Maharaj says, Your life is limited. Although it is very valuable, it is also very limited. And our duty is, in some way, to dovetail ourselves in Krishna Consciousness, and to act accordingly. You should not be very busy aggravating your material sense enjoyment. You cannot increase it. There are so many different kinds of body, and they are guided by Nature’s law: you have to eat like this, you have to live like this, you have to sleep like this—this is already arranged.
Our higher intelligence comes with this human body: we have higher consciousness. We should try for the higher enjoyment of life, which is spiritual enjoyment. And how can that spiritual enjoyment of life be achieved? You should not waste your time simply hankering after material enjoyment. Then, what is to be done? One should engage himself in the Supreme Lord, Who gives the pleasure of liberation. We should turn our attention to achieving the Lotus Feet of Krishna, Who can give us liberation from this material world.
How long do we have to engage ourselves? Prahlad Maharaj says, We are now in the material entanglement. This material entanglement is that I have this body. I will quit this body after a few years, and then I will have to accept another body. Once you take up one body and enjoy as your body’s senses dictate, then you prepare another body by such sense enjoyment; and you get another body as you want it. There is no guarantee that you will get a human body. That will depend on your work. Did you work just like a god? You get a god’s body. This is not in your hands; it is in the hands of Nature. Our duty is not to speculate on what we are going to get after what we have been—don’t take account of this. At the present moment, let us understand that we have this material body. Now if we want to have our spiritual consciousness or Krishna Consciousness developed then we should at once engage ourselves—dovetail ourselves in this Krishna activity. That is auspicious for further progress of your life.
How long should you do it? So long as this body does not stop working. We do not know when it will stop functioning. The great saint, Parikshit Maharaj, got seven days notice: “Your body will fall in a week.” But we do not know when our body will fall. Just after going on the road, there may immediately be some accident. We should always be prepared that death is there. We should not be very optimistic that everyone is dying but I shall live. Why will you live if everyone is dying? Your father has died, your mother has died, your sister, your other relatives … why should you live? You will also die. And your children will also die.
Therefore, before death comes, so long as we have this human intelligence, let us engage in Krishna Consciousness. This is the prescription by Prahlad Maharaj.
This material body is called “purusam.” Everybody is anxious to enjoy. Purus means to enjoy, or enjoyer. There is nobody in this material world who does not like to enjoy sense gratification. Therefore, either male or female—the body may be what it is—but the desire, the ambition, is to enjoy material life. So it is called purusam.
We do not know when it will stop, but let us immediately engage in Krishna Consciousness and act according to that. And if I immediately engage myself in Krishna Consciousness, then what about my living? That arrangement is there. I am very happy to inform you that one of our students in a branch is so confident: there was some disagreement. One student said “You are not looking after how we will maintain the establishment,” and he replied, “Oh, Krishna will supply. ‘I take charge.’ ” This is a very nice conviction, it is very good; I was glad to hear it. If cats and dogs and hogs can get food, and we are going to be in Krishna Consciousness and fully devote our service to Krishna, will He not arrange my food also? Is Krishna so ungracious? No. He looks.
In the Bhagavad Gita you will find that the Lord says, “My dear Arjuna, I am equal to everyone. Nobody is the object of My envy and nobody is My special friend, but for one who is engaged in Krishna Consciousness, I have got special attention.” Just like a father whose small child is completely dependent on the mercy of the parents: The parents have special attention for that child. Although the parents are equally good to all the children, to the small children who are always asking, “Mother!” they have great concern. “Yes, my dear child? Yes?” This is natural.
If you are completely dependent on Krishna, He Who is supplying food to the dogs, birds, bees—to 8,400,000 species of life—why should He not supply to you? This conviction—this is called surrender. Not that, because Krishna is supplying my food, I shall now sleep. No, you have to work. One should engage himself in Krishna Consciousness—that is required.
Now calculate our duration of life. In this age it is calculated that we can live at most to a hundred years. Formerly, the human being used to live up to 100,000 years. In the Satya Yuga, or Age of Goodness, they used to live 100,000 years. In the next age, Treta Yuga, they used to live for 10,000 years, and in the next, called Dwapara Yuga, they used to live for 1,000 years. Now in this Age, called Kali Yuga, the estimation is for 100 years. But gradually, as the Kali Yuga progresses, we are reducing our duration still further. Anyone can understand that. Suppose my grandfather lived 100 years, my father lived for 90 years, so I am going to live for 70 years and my son is going to live for 50 years and his son is going to live for 30 years. This is the progress of our modern material civilization. And we are very proud that we are happy, and increasing our civilization. The result is that you come here to enjoy material life, and the duration of life is shortened. This is called Maya, Illusion.
Now accepting that we live for 100 years: Those who have no information of spiritual life, their life is reduced; and one who has not conquered sense enjoyment, or who is unable to control the mind, his age is also reduced. Those who are too much addicted to sense gratification, according to this calculation, their utmost life is 50 years. Even if he has 50 years, because he has no information of spiritual life, his night is wasted by sleeping and sex life. That’s all. He has no other business. And in the daytime, what is his business? “Where is money? Where is money? Because I must maintain this body.” And when he has money: “Now let me speed for my children, for my wife.” Then where is your spiritual realization? At night you spend your time in this way, and by day spend in this way—is that your mission of life? How horrible such a life is.
The average person is illusioned in childhood—playing football, sporting. Up to twenty years, easily, you can go on like that. Then when you become old, another twenty years you cannot do anything. When a man becomes old, then his senses cannot function. You have seen many old men; nothing to do, simply resting. Just now we have received a letter from our student that his grandmother is suffering for the last three and a half years, paralyzed. So in old age, everything is finished, as soon as you get sixty years old. Therefore, the beginning to twenty years is spoiled; and even if you live for a hundred years, another twenty in the last stage of life are also spoiled. So forty years of your life are spoiled in that way. And in the middle age there is very strong sex appetite: So another forty years can be lost. Forty years, twenty years, and twenty year eighty years gone. How long are you going to live?
This is the analysis of life by Prahlad Maharaj. We are spoiling our life instead of using it.
Back to Godhead Magazine #18, 1968
Editorials
Editorials
Item 18 of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical on birth control, “Humanae Vitae,” begins: “It can be foreseen that this teaching will perhaps not be easily received by all…” The Pope’s words have rung true, for his stand against “conjugal acts made intentionally infecund” goes directly counter to the grain of our licentious civilization. A storm of controversy has arisen, and the Pope has been widely denounced as a reactionary—all in the name, we take it, of the poor starving people of Peru and India.
The idea behind the birth control debate seems to be that it is wholly impractical to ask people to do something which they are determined not to do. We refer to the Pope’s admission that his stand “undoubtably requires ascetical practices” of his followers. Apparently no small number of people both Catholic and outside the Church were hoping to get a clear go-ahead on unlimited sense enjoyment without so much responsibility as a dignified cat or dog would accept. And the fact that they looked to the Pope for sanction in the first place indicates surprisingly abusive disrespect for his high office and person.
Whatever we may think of people who imagine that they can coerce their ways into the kingdom of God with placards and protest letters, we must wonder if it wouldn’t be more worthwhile for them to use such determination to follow their supposed leader rather then to oppose him? They might find themselves capable of far more asceticism than they thought. We also must wonder if these same people who ardently demonstrate for the Pill ever take such effort in preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ—or in following its tenets themselves. But, as The Bhagavad Gita—one of the most authoritative of India’s Vedic Scriptures—states, passion has the power to steal intelligence away.
Sex life, according to the Vedic wisdom, is the greatest cause of material bondage because it is the greatest pleasure of material life. Therefore it must be restricted, and the restriction is to marry and to have sex only for the purpose of generating children. Furthermore, these children are not meant to be mere products of lust—which is called demoniac birth—but should be conceived with the full loving intention to deliver them into the hands of God so that they can have liberation from the bondage of material Nature. The Christian doctrine is clearly identical in its essentials, although there are several minor points of difference along the way.
To say that people will not follow such a teaching cannot refute the teaching itself. Krishna, or God, is not relative but Absolute. His doctrines and rules—such as the restrictions on sex life—are not meant to take all the fun out of life; the rules are meant as guideposts to help the conditioned soul reach his ultimate destination, the confrontation by direct experience with the Absolute Truth. One may follow or ignore the guidepost as he chooses—but if he wants to reach the goal, common sense will force him to follow it. Nor will a democratic consensus change the way, any more than a Gallup poll could put New York City on the West Coast.
The path of sin means any path which does not lead to knowledge of Krishna. Sin has no other meaning. And virtue, or saintliness, means any course of thought or action which will lead to Krishna. The center, the criterion, then, is Krishna—God. Those who are so intent today upon changing all the rules have apparently lost sight of this. Until God returns as the only and absolute center of gravity in their lives, nothing that they do can be considered worthwhile or happy, be it with or without ecclesiastical approval. And if Krishna is placed at that center, then even the most rigorous asceticism will be joyful and will lead them to fulfillment. It is not a question of how much sex one is allowed to have, but of how much one wants God.
Another part of the same message by the Pope is well worth noting:
On this occasion, we wish to draw the attention of educators, and of all who perform duties of responsibility in regard to the common good of human society, to the need of creating an atmosphere favorable to education in chastity, that is, to the triumph of healthy liberty over license by means of respect for the moral order.
The main reason why it appears impractical to ask people to practice sexual abstinence today is that the modern social atmosphere is literally drenched in sexual stimuli. This is because sex sells anything, and our upright businessman’s world will do anything to sell, however degrading or depraved it may be.
If children are raised in a moral, religious atmosphere and are not hounded and battered by sex-sale gimmicks throughout their lives, then restraint will not be difficult for them as they grow older. But if sensual connotations pervade their minds almost from the very moment of birth, then they will necessarily crave sex to an exaggerated degree from the earliest point of puberty and even earlier.
Today’s bold and daring underground revolutionaries whose stock-in-trade is primarily sex—and who proclaim themselves liberated because of their sexual “frankness”—do not realize that they are actually only displaying the chains placed upon their minds from birth by a rapaciously greedy industrial society, one which has trained its every facility—from movies, magazines, television and comics to subway ads and public health services—upon them to induce them to buy, buy, buy.
And the so-called generation gap is nothing more than the magnitude of hypocrisy exhibited by those who have created this hellish atmosphere in expressing surprise at its effects. As The Holy Bible says, the sins of the father are visited upon the son.
If human civilization is to endure at all, there must be a radical alteration of this pattern of indoctrination-through-sex into limitless consumption. This is a problem which today’s public-spirited governments and philanthropic groups might take up to actually benefit mankind. But it is more likely they will prefer the Pill to any real solution of our human ills—and will push ahead as busily as possible to create their Utopian world of sub-human industrial sex-slaves. All in the name, to be sure, of freedom.
Advertisement
Advertisement
This man has changed the history of the world. Do you know him?
He’s A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, the Acharya (Holy Teacher) from India, who came to the U. S. in 1965 and touched off a major revolution.
The Swami’s revolution affects not the external things of the world. It strikes at the very root of being—at consciousness. He has called his movement Krishna Consciousness.
You owe it to yourself to know what A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami is saying to the people of America and India. These are his writings:
ESSENCE OF THE VEDAS: BHAGAVAD GITA AS IT IS
Every serious student of Yoga, Transcendental Meditation and the mystic sciences of the Orient looks to the Bhagavad Gita as the single imperative item on his bookshelf. Find out what the Swami, whose translation of the Gita will be published by Macmillan Co. in October, 1968, has to say about this Scripture and Its immortal, urgent message. price: 50 cents
ON CHANTING THE HARE KRISHNA MANTRA
The Maha or Hare Krishna Mantra has been found on the lips of the leaders of the new generation movements in East and West alike; it has been called the “Hippie anthem;” and it has been explained endlessly—and always inaccurately. Here the Swami, who first delivered the chant to the West, explains the real meaning and purpose of the Hare Krishna Mantra. price: 25 cents
TWO ESSAYS
Sanity, self, society—and how to perfect them. Mantra Yoga, the scientific writings of the great Hindu mystics, and the eternal pleasure principle. price: 50 cents
ISKCON Press
43 East Tenth Street
New York City, 10003
Spiritual Names
Spiritual Names
The reader may note that, with only a few exceptions, the names of those who produce and contribute to BACK TO GODHEAD are, to say the least, not Anglo-Saxon. The reason for this is that they are spiritual names, awarded to his disciples by the Spiritual Master at initiation.
Krishna, the Supreme Lord, is described in the Vedic Scriptures as having innumerable Names, each of Which is fully as powerful as God Himself. Being transcendental to material Nature, and non-dual, God and His Names are not separable. Thus the Name of God is God, and God is His Name. This is the spiritual significance of the Maha Mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. By singing God’s Names, one comes into actual direct contact with God, and in this way one’s consciousness can be purified of its false material associations.
Aside from Krishna—Who is the Original Godhead—the Lord has many, many other Names, some of Which are found in Vedic literature, such as Madhusudana, Narayana, Damodar, Vishnu, and so on. When a student takes formal initiation under the guidance of a Spiritual Master, the latter gives him a Name of the Lord, followed by the word “das”—the servant of.
Spiritual initiation means the actual beginning of spiritual life—real life—and so the spiritual name awarded at that time is the real name of the pupil from that moment onward.
Names of very great devotees and saints are also sometimes awarded, such as Rayarama, who was a disciple of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and Madhavendra, who was Lord Chaitanya’s grand-Spiritual Master. This is, of course, quite like the Christian tradition of naming children after the saints at baptism, except that spiritual initiation must be chosen freely by the pupil—normally after a period of preliminary study with the Guru. And spiritual initiation must be asked for by the pupil, never vice versa.
It should be noted that these Names of God are not Indian, though they are known and revered particularly in that country. The Lord appeared many times in India, but He is no more a product or property of India than is the Sun of the East, where it first appears. Lord Jesus Christ, in the same sense, can not be held as a Judaean god or culture figure.
Nor does the acceptance of the spiritual name imply Indianization on the part of the pupil. The process of spiritual realization entails the rejection of all material and bodily designations such as nationalism, sectarian religious faith, sex, race, or social status. The Names of Krishna, being transcendental and sublime, have nothing whatever to do with locality or era.
The word “brahmachary,” signifying a knower or pursuant of Brahman, the Absolute, is given to denote an unmarried student living a regulated, celibate life of full service to the Spiritual Master. “Adhikary” denotes a married man. And the words “devi dasi” denote women, either married or not.
Book Review
Book Review
The Critique
THE BOOK (ON THE TABOO AGAINST KNOWING WHO YOU ARE)
by Alan W. Watts; 148 pps. Collier Books, 95 cents.
THE BOOK purports to be a reinterpretation of Vedanta, one of the ancient Scriptures of India. This is necessarily like re-writing The Bible, and it wouldn’t be possible not to come up with at least a few solid statements of deathless value.
However, being an interpretation rather than a presentation, and being full to the brim with independent speculations, THE BOOK often fails to serve any valid purpose. In its negative principles, it does stand up well. Alan Watts does tell us quite a bit about the taboo against knowing who you are. And when he stays close to his title in this way he has something to say. It is only when he goes on to try positive concepts that he becomes elusive.
He says, for instance, that there is, after all, no reason to awaken from illusion anyway. Knowledge and ignorance, life and death, pleasure and pain are all parts of a “game”—the Game of Black-and-White—which the One Being is playing with Himself. But this would leave no reason for THE BOOK to have been written, and so Mr. Watts tells us “that it is part of ‘things taking their course’ that I write.” After which, all criticism is apparently expected to die down with a bewildered “Oh.”
But this dodge is really insufficient to justify either THE BOOK or the philosophy behind it. It is, in fact, the sort of thing one might expect to hear from a slick Uptown Swami after a clever but self-defeating lecture on Oneness, rather than from a renowned thinker of a more serious order. The idea that God, or the Absolute, or whatever, is so limited that He must create agony and stupidity to keep Himself amused—while any one of us could probably do better—is really both naive and absurd. Again, Mr. Watts advises us to remember that this is only a way of putting it, not the real thing exactly. Exactly what the real thing is he doesn’t say.
After politely leaving aside this flaw, if we plunge along into THE BOOK, we’ll come to some very nice passages in which the writer has outlined the endless complications of materialistic existence. He tells us about college administrations and their troubles (an interesting critique in that THE BOOK is copyrighted 1966, and therefore in some ways prophesies the events of this year); he tells us how difficult it is to take a walk in these days of police-state-ism; how society has ganged up together to agree to accept falsehood as truth—and how in this way modern man has become. divided against both himself and his environment.
But once more, the positive side of all this just doesn’t stand scrutiny, for all the twistings and turnings of the author’s reasoning. The basic concept of identity to which Mr. Watts points is Oneness—everything is one, and cause and effect are simply manifestations of that same one, are themselves one, and thus there really is no cause and effect: things just take their course. This is a philosophy dear especially to the debauched, degraded and depraved of every generation—not only today, but as far back as Rome, Egypt, and before even that. By this philosophy, no sin or crime, no evil or shortcoming need be accounted for. It simply happens, takes place, and no one is to blame . All is One, so who could be blamed ?
Yet this is always a philosophy by which none can actually live. It’s a mental exercise, an excuse for atrocities at worst, a parlor conversation ploy at best—never a philosophy of life. No one steps before an onrushing train, careless of death, and simply shrugs, “It’s all One.” Even Mr. Watts must cross at the green if he wants to enjoy his royalties. No one wears a cotton boll in place of a cotton shirt, on the consideration that there is no cause and effect. Even the author has to make concessions here: “The point is not that we should forthwith abandon penicillin or DDT [i.e., in abandoning our attempt to conquer Nature]: it is that we should fight to check the enemy, not to eliminate him.”
In other words, don’t take your troubles or triumphs too seriously, but go on with them anyway. Don’t try to make a permanent solution. “We must learn to include ourselves in the round of cooperations and conflicts, of symbiosis and preying, which constitutes the balance of nature…” he writes; and yet, wouldn’t we be the only species who didn’t take it all seriously? And wouldn’t that be just as absurd as attempting totally to subdue Nature? What is lacking here is an understanding of the fact that what specifically qualifies human consciousness and sets it apart from that of the beasts is its very ability to seek out a final solution—its determination to pursue and uncover the Absolute, or God. And if modern man has gone mad, it is because he is attempting to find that solution through the exploitation of material Nature, rather than through the development of spiritual life. To abandon the pursuit of a solution wholly is simply another form of defeat.
The advice that we should take things as they come is, in itself, no more than any backyard washerwoman would say after hearing of her neighbor’s arthritis, old age and abuses.
And the idea of Oneness never will explain how all these varieties we experience came about, or what to do with them.
This goes even further into the realm of the absurd when the author quotes Erwin Schrodinger as saying that, “eternally and always there is only now, one and the same now; the present is the only thing that has no end.” But the present keeps changing here in this material world, and even though it has no end, it certainly isn’t always the same. Therefore, to adjust the mind to such a concept of non-differentiation is not to approach reality but, rather, to ignore the world as it is. And, even if the world is only an illusion, then that illusion itself, with all its varieties, still must require an explanation.
According to the actual Vedic sources, the material world with its varieties is illusory in that it is temporary. The real or spiritual world is eternal. But still, the material does exist. It exists as the reflection of the real, perverted through the individual’s deluded consciousness. And, just as a mirror cannot show even false grapes without real grapes existing, so this material illusion can only reflect actual varieties. And, in the same sense, ego—one’s sense of individuality—is only a reflection of actual and immortal individuality, which exists in the spiritual world, in the Kingdom of God.
That there are varieties—blues, reds, yellows, ups and downs, ins and outs, I’s and Thou’s—which never disappear or are corrupted—essences, in other words—is perhaps inconceivable to the mundane intellect; but it is the very dependence upon mundane intellectual scholarship which is the basic fault in Alan Watts’ writings from beginning to end.
The Vedic system, along with all authentic Scriptural systems of God realization, enjoins strict and rigorous personal discipline upon those who wish to understand the Truth. Simply to read some words in a book without comprehending the practical facts by realization is incomplete, and must lead to the sort of distortions and contradictions of which THE BOOK is guilty. Truth must be perceived and manifested on three levels: in the mind, in the speech, and in action. Unless all three are absorbed in the Absolute, then realization, the direct personal experience of the existence of the Absolute, cannot be had.
It is by service to a spiritual master who is himself realized in a particular study or discipline that one is able to advance in understanding, just as an apprentice learns from a master, rather than from a manual. Without this service and without the guidance of a realized soul, no valid comprehension can be attained. The purely scholastic approach has been likened to bees licking on the outside of a bottle of honey: they may see it and smell it, but they can’t really taste it, and so fail to get satisfaction. To go on blithely reading books which are crying out for you to engage your activities in spiritual life, and then to write your own theses about them, while never having followed their injunctions, is the height of arrogant foolishness.
Yet this would seem to be Mr. Watts’ system, and he writes off as “myth” any passages that might tend to disturb him or his readers into active commitment.
Again we’re left with nothing to live by. When THE BOOK has been read, it can be forgotten without loss or bother, for it has said nothing. Again, the author is aware of his own shortcomings, and so he has slipped in a chapter called “So What?”
But “So What?” is also just a dodge. Its principal passage reads: “If, then, after understanding, at least in theory, that the ego-trick is a hoax and that, beneath everything, ‘I’ and ‘universe’ are one, you ask, ‘So what? What is the next step, the practical application?’—I will answer that the absolutely vital thing is to consolidate your understanding, to become capable of enjoyment, of living in the present, and of the discipline which this involves.”
Whatever “consolidate your understanding” may mean, becoming capable of enjoyment is no stranger to us. The only trouble is that everyone is already trying to enjoy in one way or another, from the President down to the neighborhood street sweeper—and yet no one is succeeding. Simply to tell people that they must learn to enjoy might make you popular, but it isn’t a “practical application” after all. How to enjoy remains the real problem.
Bind and double bind, triple bind, quadruple bind—they weave themselves like the glittering tentacles of a fabulous serpent throughout the mental corridors of THE BOOK. We’re told that, to enjoy, we must stop trying to enjoy. But that takes an effort too—that’s also trying to enjoy. And trying not to make an effort not to try to enjoy…? So it goes on, the mind twists on through the labyrinths of illusion, seeking an out, but never finding more than a new path that brings us back to the old starting point: you are not this body. Negative and true.
But for the positive, we’ll all be better off if we turn to the real Vedanta Itself. For there, and in the associated Vedic Scriptures, positive statements are made very succinctly by great sages who actually lived with their minds, words and deeds fixed on God, on the Supreme Transcendence. You are not this body, they agree. You are spirit soul—Absolute—Brahman. They also say this, and they say it in a straight-forward fashion. And there is Param Brahman, a Supreme Spirit, as well.
As for knowing one’s absolute or spiritual nature in full, the sages tell us to find a realized spiritual master, submit to him, serve him and inquire of him regarding Truth. He, being in knowledge, can reveal and explain, and can offer the example of perfection by his own life.
Alongside this, how involved and subtle the writings of Mr. Watts necessarily appear. One almost gets the impression that, above all else, his interest is to avoid criticism; and perhaps this explains the vagueness and negativity of his approach, like a wounded man waving his sword to confuse his enemy in hopes of avoiding a blow, but never of delivering one.
Mr. Watts further displays a surprising ignorance of the principles of devotional service when, on page 79, he states that the idea that everything belongs to God and should be used for God is a kind of stewardship, based on the hope of future reward. For it is devotion itself, manifested in this world as loving service to God, which is the topmost perfection of human consciousness, and of life. There is, in authentic devotional circles, no question of reward greater than love of God itself.
Turn from this, Mr. Watts advises us, because the individual ego is a hoax perpetrated upon us by the ignorant. And turn from the Void concept as well—that also is illusion . Approach life with “the fullest collaboration with the world as a harmonious system of contained conflicts—based on the realization that the only real ‘I’ is the whole endless process.” Again, if you’ll pardon our bluntness, So What? The words sound meaningful, and yet there seems to be something missing: the meaning itself. On and on, Mr. Watts offers mental adjustments which will, supposedly, make you happy. Like weight-watching, if you tend toward materialistic fads, you can give THE BOOK a try. But it doesn’t promise to offer anything final. Death is still there, life is still there, unfulfilled.
Perhaps the words of Sri Shankara Acharya, who also invented an interpretation of the Vedanta many hundreds of years ago, and who is still widely renowned for his gigantic scholarship, will best serve to cap off our consideration of THE BOOK. He wrote:
You intellectual fools I Just worship Govinda [Krishna]! Just worship Govinda! Just worship Govinda! Your grammatical knowledge and word jugglery will not save you at the time of death!
The Nationalism of Pure Consciousness
The Nationalism of Pure Consciousness
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
When a man enters the room of a friend, the friend receives the man with all cordiality, and offers him the best couch for his comfort. The friend may accept this welcome and sit along with his host in all security. Does this mean that the man who has entered the house of his friend should consider the sitting room to be his own property? Certainly, he will not think so unless he has gone mad. Still, his consciousness of the fact that none of the paraphernalia of the friend’s sitting room belongs to him does not disturb him in the least in sitting down securely. With this pure consciousness of facility, along with his friend who is actually the proprietor of the sitting room, he is comfortable.
But if the man, after some time, madly thinks that because he was allowed to enter into the parlor of his friend he has therefore become its proprietor—then what will be his lot? The natural consequence of this unlawful desire of the intruding friend will be police action, instigated by the real proprietor of the room, and trouble will disrupt the friendly relationship. And if the man then leaves the room, being unable to occupy it as his own, and impertinently tells his friend that he is renouncing the right of proprietorship in disgust certainly the proprietor friend will laugh at him, wondering when and how the proprietorship of the room could have been awarded to the intruder in the first place.
This is the real position of the conditioned soul who enters into any given position of life in the cycle of birth and death. The living entity simply changes his dress according to the price of the dress he has paid for. In the shop of material Nature there are 8,400,000 different types of dresses, and the living entity is allowed to put on any one of them according to the price he is able to pay.
Leaving aside all other dresses, let us consider the dress of the human body. In the dress of the human body a living entity is more puzzled than in the dress of the beast, due to the particular garment. The dress of the human body is also exhibited in 400,000 varieties, or species. There are many different dresses of humanity, and almost all of them are no more civilized than the jungle beasts. As such, they have very little idea of the civilized form of national sentiment.
Out of the 8,400,000 different dresses exhibited by the living entities, only the highest civilized human being is conscious of national feeling. This national feeling has created the different civilized nations of the world, but because almost every one of those nations is guided by the sense of nationalism through impure rather than pure consciousness, they are always busy making pacts and blocs for the security of each one’s position.
The impure consciousness of nationalism has kept all the big heads of the world’s nations ever active for an amicable adjustment of everyone’s national interest. They have now made a United Nations Security Council, and are trying in vain to find the right adjustment. The impure consciousness of every nation has made it impossible to come to the safety point, and what is needed, therefore, is to awaken pure consciousness by the propagation of spiritual education, leading back to Godhead. This work was undertaken by the Lord Himself in the Form of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
What is pure consciousness? The idea of pure consciousness is specifically described in the Scripture called Ishopanishad, where it is said:
Everything that we see in this material world or in matter belongs to the domain of the Supreme Lord. You can therefore enjoy what has been offered to you by Him, but you must not accept any other’s property.
The living entity, in any of the above-mentioned eighty-four hundred thousand varieties of dresses, enters into the domain of the Lord. The agent of the lord, material Nature, gives him all facilities to live in that domain, and provides him with all the comforts of air, light, shelter, food, drink, residence, and all facilities for acquiring knowledge. The lower grade living beings, such as the aquatics, the plants and trees, the reptiles, birds, beasts and beastly human beings living in the jungle take all the facilities offered by Nature, and make progressive evolution by a gradual process: From aquatics to plant life, from plant to reptile, from reptile to bird, from bird to beast. The human form of life is evolved out of the life of the beast.
As guests of the material Nature, all these non-human living entities do not bother much about conventional civilization, and do not mishandle the products of material Nature . But civilized man, because of his developed consciousness, can and does mishandle the laws of Nature, thinking in terms of proprietorship over his particular place of appearance (country, city, etc.), and thus becomes entangled in the matter of designations. Civilized man thus makes an error in the name of advanced civilization. These civilized nations forget completely that the particular places offered to them for residential purposes all belong to the proprietorship of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the proprietor of all the “Lokas,” or planets. In The Bhagavad Gita Krishna makes this statement:
I am the Beneficiary of all sacrifices and penances, and I am the Supreme Lord of all the planets and universes. I am the benevolent friend of all living beings, and, when knowing this, one can enjoy perfect peace.
The so-called civilized nations have forgotten the fact that the places of residence particularly specified for them by the Supreme Lord do not belong to them, but remain the property of the Supreme Lord. He has given the nations particular places of residence and comfortable life in order to make progress in the matter of pure consciousness. The Lord has not allowed us to remain in such places simply to create a hell by developing a training ground for hooligans, ruffians, demons and unbelievers. He is the Supreme Friend of all living entities, and therefore He has made the codes of Scripture, such as the Vedas and Puranas, to guide the civilized nations. Without such codes, they may become diverted by the influence of Maya, or impure consciousness, to consider the places of their appearance to be their own property.
The particular place of residence alloted to us must be protected from the disturbing forces of demons and nonbelievers—not as the proprietors of the land, but with full consciousness of servitorship toward the Supreme Lord.
Out of an impure consciousness, Sri Arjuna—in the epic of the Mahabharata—declined to fight on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. He forgot for the time being that he was not the proprietor. The Supreme Proprietor is Sri Krishna, and Arjuna is only a servitor. This fact was explained in The Bhagavad Gita from different angles of vision, and ultimately, when the illusion of proprietorship was dissipated, the pure consciousness of Arjuna was awakened by the mercy of the Lord, and Arjuna agreed to abide by the order of the Supreme Lord. His attitude of nonviolence, adulterated with a sense of proprietary right, was condemned by Sri Krishna at the very inception of the idea. It is sheer nonsense to conceive of the devotees of Godhead as so many inert elements within society. Real devotees of the Lord, like Sri Hanuman (of the Ramayana) are neither violent nor nonviolent on their own account—but they can be both violent and nonviolent in the service of the Lord. This is the criterion of pure consciousness.
Nationalism in pure consciousness, as it was exemplified by Sri Arjuna and Hanuman, brings in real peace to the world. Such pure consciousness is aroused by devotional activities. Unbelievers in the supremacy of the Absolute Lord cannot have pure consciousness. Nationalism, however, guided by the principles of devotional service—of which Sri Arjuna presented the typical example—is the goal of our life.
Evolution—The God That's Failling
Evolution—The God That's Failling
By Rayarama Das Brahmachary
Recently, some college students ardently proclaimed a certain comic book writer to be their modern mythmaker, in honor of his exciting and weird superhero tales. This proclamation led me to reflect that, after all, a myth is supposed to be something that people believe in, or once did. My Webster’s Dictionary defines the word like this: “a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people, or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon … an ill-founded belief held uncritically especially by an interested group.”
Clearly. comic book stories don’t fit this definition because they never pretend to be, or to have been, real. They are tales, but not exactly myths. If we want to consider the actual mythology of modern times, we have to look into the present beliefs which are “held uncritically” by modern man. There are many such beliefs, and the strongest and most fixed would seem to be typified by the commercial slogan: “Doctors recommend.” For this is the Day of Science. Science rules supreme in judgement and in reverence over civilized man’s every thought, word and deed, just as the oracles, omens and stars once influenced the lives of the Babylonians and Greeks. In education, for example, tremendous amounts of money are going towards scientific research, to the almost utter neglect of other areas of learning. In fact, many large corporations find that their top scientific minds can’t write reports in simple intelligible English.
In an article entitled ‘The Humanist Heartbeat Has Failed,” in the May 24, 1968 issue of LIFE, Professor James H. Billington remarks that. “A paltry one out of every thousand dollars of government funds given for basic research in 1966 went to the humanities. The much smaller amount given by private foundations to support research and teaching was some 23 times greater in the sciences than in the humanities.” These are big odds, and it isn’t rash to draw the conclusion that science is today valued above all other studies and pursuits.
Science itself, of course, is neither bad nor good. It is a tool, like a scalpel: and if it’s used for cutting throats instead of cancers, the fault lies in the heart and mind of the man—or men—who are controlling it. Science—the attempt to comprehend and adjust to, or control, material Nature—has accomplished some nice feats: disease control, communications, heating, transportation. It would be as senseless to condemn these things as it would be to put a scalpel on trial for murder. At the same time, it would be equally senseless to laud these things as though they had given life some meaning, as though they had contributed to any real advancement in the human condition of consciousness. This would be like awarding the Nobel Prize to an iron lung.
The Quality Of Life
All who live must die even the Universe itself lives and dies—and so to prolong life is not to insure it against the end. “Death comes when it will come,” and even the greatest scientific genius cannot hold life longer than his due. Some years ago the foremost physicist of India died in a simple plane crash—and all the inventions of science (including the plane itself) proved of no avail to him.
So it is not to avoid death that we should work, but to instill into what life we have some real quality—to use this life well and wisely. Otherwise it is a living death, even at its best. According to the great Scriptures of the world—the Bible, Koran, Bhagavad Gita, and others—the highest perfection of human life is reached in confrontation with God, followed by submission, love, and eternal association. Eternal association means that, in awakening to the existence and love of God, the living being becomes freed from the entanglements and designations of the material world, of which the body and its attendent annihilation are primary.
It would seem a simple matter to recognize the fact that life without goals, life without quality, life without value—is quite like the life of a machine. It is robot life. And an educational system which is devoted to fitting the human mind for a specified place in the modern machine complex is a school for the living dead. And, as I will try to prove, the replacement of God by evolution in the modern school system, and thereby in the thinking processes of modern man, has produced only zombies. But with one flaw: human beings don’t like to act the part of zombies, and the alternative is likely to be revolt, corruption, and the ruin of what civilization we have.
Evolution And Society
Instead of pleasing God, modern children are taught to “please evolution,” as it were. They are taught that the human race was thrown up out of Chaos by blind chance (“or God, if you like,” the teachers used to tell us. I don’t know if they can still say things like that in an American public school). Blind chance may just as easily throw us away again, and so the obvious necessity in the grim struggle for survival is to find a way to defeat both blind chance and all other competing species at the same time. Thus, we are taught, Mankind has constructed society, and society has so far proved the most effective step toward permanence that evolution has ever taken.
Society in this sense means the banding together of creatures of like mentality and structure for the purpose of prolonging the lives of the individuals of the community or species. This is done, apparently, by crippling, castrating or annihilating all other species of life. It is a concept of sophisticated bestiality, more ferocious in both fact and theory than the ravages of plague or the march of an ant army. And it is based on ignorance as utter as that of an ant—no, more profound yet, because the ant is at least acting as an ant. The human consciousness is capable of “graduating” from the school of evolution into the “workaday” world of spiritual life, and unless it is used in this way, it’s not human at all.
And the great ignorance here is the idea that killing other creatures, or trying to control the intricate functions of Nature, will lead to eternal existence either for oneself or one’s race or species. This is like trying to tune in a television station on a radio receiver. The body is product of material Nature, and the first law of Nature is change. Therefore the body, in one form or another, must die. It is only the soul—or consciousness, if you like—which goes on, because this consciousness, in its purified state, is independent of Nature.
Immortality
These attempts at prolonging life and putting off death are reflections of the irrepressible tendency of all forms of life to gravitate toward immortality. This is because of the eternal nature of the soul, which inhabits each living form. The form is temporary, but the soul is not, and it is trying, in ignorance, to get back to its original position. And, in its ignorance, the struggle for survival, the competition with other life forms, goes on, and consumes the energy, the attention, the hopes of the creature, until it dies and takes a new body, to try again.
Now the difficulty in trying to “please evolution”—that is, develop oneself so that the race, if not the individual, can continue to survive—is that no one really knows what will work and what won’t in the long run. Many a modern moralist has tried to construct an ethical system on such foundations, but the fact that evolution remains a theory, remains uncertain in so very many of its details, must frustrate every effort at coherence and consistency. No one knows what activities of the human race will “eliminate it from evolution,” as Lecomte de Nouy has rephrased sin. And no one knows what activities will help it to survive. There are no known principles here, the theories of life origins change almost monthly, and so the attempt to establish a “moral” system, or any system whatever, must come to nil.
Morality means how to act towards some goal. But if the goal is unknown, uncertain, untried, unstable, and unfriendly—then where is the scope for a workable morality? And yet, without morality, without mutually agreed-upon patterns of behavior, society cannot exist. And society, we have been told, “pleases evolution”—it will help us to survive .
So we come to a double bind, an irreconcilable fault in the whole scheme of materialistic moralizing. We are trying to “please evolution” without knowing what it wants.
Theory And Process Of Evolution
That there is evolution, and that there is a goal, an end, to the process, is not refuted here. In fact, the concept of evolution can be found in The Padma Purana, one of the Vedic Scriptures of vast antiquity. In this Purana, it is stated that the living forms in this Universe first arose as the aquatic animals, then evolved to the land vegetables, then on to reptiles, insects, birds, beasts and, at the end, humans. Even the most skeptical scholar cannot date The Padma Purana later than a good many hundred years before Darwin, and so this is a surprising example of scientific theory very slowly catching up to what was already presented by revelation long ago.
Evolution, according to the Vedas, is the process of the gradual development of consciousness from body to body, until the civilized human form is reached. Development of consciousness means that consciousness is more comprehensive, not merely different: a tree may experience the warmth of the sunlight and the cold of the night, but he will never experience running or jumping. The human, however, experiences in principle all that the tree has known, and more. In this way complete consciousness, or the perfection of conscious development, means to experience the sum total, the Absolute Truth. And the Absolute Truth is God.
So the goal of evolution is for the living being, after innumerable lifetimes of experience within body after body (The Padma Purana lists 8, 400, 000 species), to come to an awareness of his actual, transcendental position in relationship to Krishna, the Godhead. This direction of development, then, is “natural.” It is the obvious and intended course of progress for the human life form. All other life forms are only like the grades in a school, leading to the senior year. And, from that senior grade, one is expected to go forward out of school, not merely to remain fixed, or even to fall behind.
Human Purpose
Because the human life form is possessed of this advanced consciousness, it is “natural” for human beings to seek a direction, a way out of the struggle for survival, a solution to the riddle of immortality vs. death. One cannot, as so many philosophers would like to, blunt off the edge of this sword of awareness, become directionless, and at the same time find happiness. For happiness means fulfillment, and fulfillment for human life means the attainment of complete consciousness, unaffected by the conditions of time or Nature. This is the ultimate perfection. And, I must restate for emphasis, the drive toward this perfection is “natural” in man.
Now, the general drift of materialistic civilization has always been toward the fulfillment of these same drives, but through the exploitation of Nature rather than through the development of spiritual consciousness. The discovery and development of the theory of evolution is, after all, only an outgrowth of man’s attempt to achieve immortality and full knowledge on his own. This exploitation of Nature, however, always leads to frustration. Take nuclear energy for an example: along with all the promise of a superefficient, wonderfully comfortable world comes the terrible reality of the Bomb.
Material Nature is endlessly changing, and the patterns would seem to be quite without limit. Therefore the plans which are laid toward the control and utilization of Nature are generally defeated: There is always at least one factor that no one thought of, and this changes everything.
A nice example of this is the theory of evolution itself: It is at basis a try at clocking the changes of Nature in order to get one jump ahead, and in this way insure preservation of the species, if not of the individual. And yet, as this article is meant to prove, the theory itself has become a factor in the dissolution of modern civilization. This is that double bind again, which is inescapable so long as one’s footing remains firmly on the material platform. As soon as everything becomes automatic and predictable, life has lost its zest, and human nature will tend to blaze a new trail, even over the ruins of what went before, in its inexorable pursuit of the Absolute . This is why over-sophistication is generally the precursor of decline in any society. When people have fooled themselves into imagining that they know everything, they have lost their reason to live. Not because full knowledge is a bleak state, but because they don’t actually know, and the “everything” they foolishly accept, out of pride or by education, is utterly unfulfilling. In this sad situation, oblivion becomes a welcome prospect.
Spiritual Fulfilment
Unlike material pursuits, which must end in defeat, spiritual life is an eternal adventure. There is, in the awakening of full consciousness, a satisfaction unparalelled by any experience of the mundane world, as the words of all great saints and mystics attest. And, in the development of loving relationships with God, there is an eternal competition to give pleasure rather than to take—a competition between the devotee and Krishna, Who happily responds. And there is a security in the faith in eternal life which no concept of materialistic philosophy can establish.
Faith is, of course. the whipping boy of modern science. But no scientist has ever produced a theory or concept to remotely approach it in terms of human happiness. On the contrary, modern cynics are little more than dead stones compared to those who actually believe in God, in goodness, and in the immortality of the soul. The hopeless condition of modern mentality is a result of this loss of faith, and if this is progress, one must sincerely wonder where it’s pointing. Not that faith is ever absent. It has simply, now, been fixed in the material concept of life—in science, evolution, and so forth.
At this point, we can see that the goals of the materialist and of the spiritualist are, to a degree, the same: eternal life (for self or race, as you like), full knowledge, and bliss. And we can further see that the latter two, happiness and knowledge, are qualities of awareness, or consciousness . It takes no more than the proper adjustment in one’s consciousness to have happiness and knowledge—and eternal life too, though this will be less apparent. However, if one involves one’s consciousness simply in understanding the mechanics of the material universe, the driving of awareness away from self and into the complexities of an unpredictable machine can only result in ignorance and misery—and death, too, though this again will be less apparent.
Morality
Now, how to reach one’s goals, as mentioned before, is called morality. We should understand this point clearly: one doesn’t just behave. One acts toward some goal. He may desire to please parents, society, evolution, teachers, God, lust, etc. But, always, one’s conduct, at least in the human form of life, has direction. And this conduct and its direction are called morality.
Today, morality as we’ve known it has collapsed because the goals are anything but clear, and not really desirable. People, in being asked to “please evolution,” are asked to submit blindly to the good of the whole, according to the principles of an unsure theory. It is not the sort of request an intelligent person could comply with, and so our present youth, the first real target of full-scale evolutionism, has revolted, has lost hope, and is on the verge not only of smashing the old society, but of replacing it with a blind and vicious, utterly licentious anarchy.
No real morality can be built along materialistic lines. This is because in the end materialism offers nothing but death to its devotees. Educated away from God, facing the bleak prospect of sacrificing their lives to an uncaring force of Nature, it is little wonder that modern youth has rejected the old standards, and is hurling all its energies into grasping sense gratification to the fullest for what little time it may have. This is, after all, the intelligent thing to do under the circumstances.
The “Moral” Populace
Those who imagine themselves to be moral, but who have no understanding of the existence of God, are indeed more damned than those whose lives are devoted to unlimited sex and liquor. At least the sinful haven’t deceived themselves, and can therefore be saved by reasonable arguments. The self-righteous, convinced of their own perfection, are unapproachable by man or God. They are the truly evil in society, the worst of men, and it is of them that anarchy and all the other corruptions of society are spawned.
From such “moralists”—and it would seem that hardly any other kind exists today—revolt and ruin spring in full virulence, and not, please note, from the “wicked.” Not that the criminal elements of society are “good.” But they are, after all, at the mercy of the “good,” who have taught them the arbitrary rules of good and bad. Only when God sets the standard and that means God as He presents Himself in Scripture can the real values of human life, of all life, be set.
This may seem Utopian, but please understand that it isn’t the faithful who are the ranting visionaries of today. The evolutionists and materialists in general are far more extravagant when it comes to building Utopias than any mystic out of Arabia. The only difficulty is that the materialistic Utopias have a way of failing to workout. Look, if you need an example, into any grade school textbook, and read about New York City. How wonderful it must be! So many giant buildings, so many bridges, so many trains, so many museums and monuments, so many people, millions of dollars, tons of food, dozens of restaurants, hundreds of
theaters, scores of parks, zoos, gardens. The millennium. Then take a walk through the streets of New York City. Talk to the people. The balloon will break with stunning speed. As the saying goes, “I wouldn’t wanna live there.”
This is the frustrating nature of materialistic success. There is, in fact, no success without God. And, for one whose heart is set on God, there is no failure.
Individuality
More than all else, the basic shortcoming in educating children to “please evolution” is that no scope is admitted for the individual’s hopes and desires. All must be sacrificed to the Whole, to the country or race or species or life force. Such a philosophy is far more grim than the grimmest Calvinism, far more hopeless and barbarian than the mythologies of the Norse.
The highly developed consciousness which is “natural” to human life is thus diverted, and like a sword turned back by an iron buckler, it may well cut the man who holds it. Prevented from pursuing his real direction, modern man—and more especially modern youth—is restless and empty, hopeless and angry, anxious and tragic and dangerous.
No philosophy, no morality, no system of thought or discipline has ever arisen which can, pragmatically, take the place of that real religion which is a vehicle for reaching God. In God consciousness the individual has his specific, eternal relationship with the Creator, Lover, Friend and Father of all. And acting as friend, child, lover and creature of God, the individual is able to benefit all who live, by offering to them the opportunity to advance out of the struggle for survival, and into the transcendental position of love of Godhead.
In this way. Krishna Consciousness fulfills the needs, completely and eternally, of the individual, the community, both human and universal—and of the Whole, which is the desire of the Supreme Godhead, Sri Krishna. This is not merely an alternative to chaos and anarchy. Such an alternative would necessarily be mundane. This is a final solution for the living being. It is the end of evolution.
Food for Krishna
Food for Krishna
For this issue we’ve chosen a few nice sweet preparations for you to enjoy.
Simply Wonderful
(This name was given to this preparation by our Spiritual Master, who made this comment upon tasting these easy-to-make, quick-to-prepare sweets.)
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter
1 cup powdered milk (non-instant)
¼ cup water
½ vanilla bean
Chop up vanilla bean and heat in butter. Then add all ingredients and rub together. Work into small balls. Offer to Krishna and ENJOY!
Halavah (2 servings)
1 cup farina
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
1-½ cups water
Melt butter over low heat, add farina and stir constantly for 35 minutes. While you roast the farina, bring water and sugar to boiling point in a separate pot, and simmer. When the farina is thoroughly roasted (be careful not to bum) put into sugar water and stir until firm. Now your halavah is ready to offer and serve. It’s a delighfful breakfast treat.
Puris
Puris are wonderful with rose petal jam. This recipe will make 10-12.
1 cup white flour
3 tablespoons melted butter (or ghee)
Sift white flour, add ghee and sift again so that butter is distributed evenly. Then add water and make a soft dough. Knead for 15 minutes. Roll into balls 1-1/2 inch diameter, then roll out each ball, using oil on your rolling pin and board. This will prevent sticking, and make for easier handling. Fry on high heat in ghee, once on each side. (Ghee is made by clarifying fresh sweet butter: Place a pound of butter in a small pot and let it stand on lowest heat for 8 hours. Then skim impurities off the top. The impurities can be used for frying vegetables.)
Rich Molasses Bread
2-½ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
½ cup molasses
½ cup water
½ cup raisins
1 teasp. grated orange or lemon peel
½ cup sugar
2-½ cups buttermilk
½ cup chopped walnuts
2-½ teasp. baking soda
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter pan and sprinkle flour. Combine all dry ingredients in bowl. Combine all wet ingredients in separate bowl. Then add wet to dry, stir quickly, pour into pan and bake for 15 minutes. Then turn heat to 325 degrees and bake 1 hour. This bread can be served with rose petal jam, butter, or cream cheese.
Back to Godhead Magazine #19, 1968
Editorial
Editorial
Generatiocide
The world over, students, faculties and/or parents are in revolt, determined to alter their educational systems. Generally speaking, governments and school administrations are willing to make small changes, but not the sweeping ones which will satisfy the opposition. Students For A Democratic Society, for example, which spear-headed the Columbia revolt in New York last spring, has announced itself determined to bring down the existing university structure wholesale—but only in that it represents the entire American competitive-imperialist system. The SDS members have at least recognized the true dimensions of their struggle, although it seems naive of them to have assumed that the U.S. is THE enemy of human rights.
The truth is that each and every organization, regardless of its size or purpose or location, is ultimately brutal, exploitative and oppressive—including SDS itself—unless it can see beyond the limits of material life.
Materialism means not merely unbounded acquisitiveness. It means the acceptance of material Nature as supreme, and therefore assumes that man must work out his destiny within the bounds of Nature. But Nature, as Darwin pointed out, imposes an unpitying competition of her own upon all beings within her grasp. Therefore even the socialist, even the pacifist must kill to prolong his life, must inflict pain on someone or something (like cattle or chickens) to secure his own pleasure.
The dream of a society without competition, in which human beings can develop to their utmost potential, is natural. It is the gravitation of intelligent beings toward spiritual awareness—for spiritual awareness entails relationships of love and happiness, without hatred, envy or deprivation. But such a spiritual awareness cannot be had through submission to the brute force of material Nature. It is only possible—for both individuals and societies—through the understanding of the distinction between spirit and matter, and of the exalted position of the Supreme Spirit, Sri Krishna. This understanding is the fruit of Krishna conscious meditation upon the Holy Names of God: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
There is something stupendous, something real and gigantic and possibly wonderful waiting in the half-shadows of tomorrow’s dawn for mankind’s young generations. The question is whether the dawn will break in splendor or tragedy, whether the young will carry forward the blight of atheistic ignorance to its awful conclusion in a world of death, or whether they will turn instead to spiritual enlightenment, both glorifying the future and forgiving the past.
As far as their stated endeavors to build something finer and more sane go, we can only applaud and commiserate with SDS and the many similar student activist groups. But to accomplish the reality of a new and just society, we must urge with all sincerity that such revolutionaries add the practice of Krishna Consciousness to their lives and movements. The rejection not only of materialistic social systems, but of the entire scheme of material life, is the real revolution by which the world can hope to see a better day.
Parts & Parcels
Parts & Parcels
by Nayana Bhiram Das
In September, 1965, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami—a holy man in the renounced order of life—landed in New York and introduced the Hare Krishna movement to the West. The movement is based on the chanting of the holy names of God: HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE/HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE. It has from time to time known great popularity in India, and now the Swami has set out to spread its influence in America. By July, 1966 Swamiji had already attracted enough young disciples to form the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. located in the East Village at 26 Second Avenue. In the religious corporation papers, it is noted that one of the main purposes of the society in propagating Krishna Consciousness is “to develop the idea within the members and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).” The present column, devoted to the activities of the various Krishna Consciousness temples is therefore named Parts & Parcels in keeping with the Society’s mission.
New Hare Krishna centers are constantly being opened in order to fulfill Lord Chaitanya’s prophecy that Hare Krishna will someday be sung in every village and town throughout the world. Our latest center is called New Vrindaban, and is considerably more ambitious than any of our past endeavors. Located outside the Appalachian mountain town of Moundsville, 10 miles south of Wheeling, West Virginia, its purpose is “to serve as a holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to Krishna, the Personality of Godhead.” New Vrindaban consists of 133 acres of land, including a stream with a waterfall and bathing ghats, woods, fields, and pasturage; and a knoll called “Goverdan Hill.” Only a house and a barn stand there now, but plans for the future are evolving quickly. As with all centers of Krishna Consciousness, this one is not located in the material world, but is spiritual by virtue of the work done there in devotion to God. Vrindaban in India is where Lord Krishna displayed His childhood pastimes as a cowherd boy, and one special feature of New Vrindaban is cow protection. Because of the great endeavor to build a spiritual city in the wilderness, with the dynamic determination to create a new and perfect human society, New Vrindaban will not be like the numerous country club ashrams popular with Yoga groups nowadays. Hayagriva Das Brahmachary, co-founder of the project, invites anyone interested to communicate with him c/o the Hare Krishna Temple at 26 Second Avenue in New York
—Nayana Bhiram Das Brahmachary
Jagannath Puja
Jagannath Puja
by Satsvarupa das
This is the topmost opulence
and all the courtiers and fools, jesters, politicos
who ever packed great emperors’ palace rooms,
hobnobbing and scraping before the throne,
are no more than figs to this, the transcendent glory
of my Godbrother Jadunandan and I
sitting before the altar late Sunday,
under the throne of Jagganath Lord of the Universe.
We are servants sitting in the court of
the Supreme. We are here!
Jagganath is worshippable Krishna
—and we are here! All Glories to Jagganath’s kindness!
All Glories to our Spiritual Master, whose mercy has
placed us at Your Lotus Feet, liberated and joyful!
Now, let us refresh You with some service!
—Satsvarupa Das Adhikary
Poem of Narottama das Thakur
Poem of Narottama das Thakur
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Although I have come to this human form
My Lord I have passed my life uselessly.
I did not care to serve Radha and Krishna
Yet I have swallowed poison carelessly.
Hare Krishna comes straight from Krishna Loka,
But with chanting I have no connection.
Day and night I’m burning in this dark world
Without working to make the correction.
Lord Krishna has appeared as Sachi’s Son,
Balarama has descended as Nityai.
By chanting, the wretched have all been saved,
Including even Jagai and Madhai.
Oh my dear Lord, O Son of King Nanda,
Together with Brishabanu’s daughter—
“I’ve no shelter but Radha and Krishna,”
Humbly prays Narottama Das Thakur.
—translated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Super Consciousness
Super Consciousness
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Krishna Consciousness is the highest Yoga performance by trained devotional yogis. The Yoga system, as is stated in the standard Yoga practice formula given by Lord Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita, and as recommended in the Patanjali Yoga discipline, is different from the nowadays practiced Hatha Yoga, as is generally understood in the Western Countries.
Real Yoga practice means to control the senses and, after such control is established, to concentrate the mind on the Narayana Form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. Lord Krishna is the Original Absolute Personality, the Godhead, and all the other Vishnu Forms—with four hands, decorated with conch, lotus, club and wheel—are plenary expansions of Krishna.
In The Bhagavad Gita it is recommended that we should meditate upon the form of the Lord. For practicing concentration of the mind, one has to sit down in a secluded place sanctified by a sacred atmosphere, and the yogi should observe the rules and regulations of Brahmacharya—to live a life of strict self-restraint and celibacy. Nobody can practice Yoga in a congested city, living a life of extravagance, including unrestricted sex indulgence and adultery of the tongue.
We have already stated that Yoga practice means controlling the senses, and the beginning of controlling the senses is to control the tongue. You cannot allow the tongue to take all kinds of forbidden food and drink, and at the same time improve in the practice of Yoga . It is a very regrettable fact that many unauthorized and stray so-called yogis now come to the West and exploit the leaning of the people towards Yoga. Such unauthorized yogis even dare to say publicly that one can indulge in drinking and at the same time practice meditation.
Five thousand years ago, in The Bhagavad Gita dialog, Lord Krishna recommended the Yoga practice to His disciple Arjuna, but Arjuna flatly expressed his inability to follow the stringent rules and regulations of Yoga. One should be practical in every field of activity. One should not waste his valuable time simply in practicing some gymnastic feats in the name of Yoga. Real Yoga is to search out the four-handed Supersoul within one’s heart, and to see Him perpetually in meditation. Such continued meditation is called Samadhi. If, however, one wants to meditate upon something void or impersonal, it will require a very long time to achieve anything by Yoga practice. We cannot concentrate our mind on something void or impersonal. Real Yoga practice is to fix up the mind on the Person of the four-handed Narayana Who dwells in everyone’s heart.
The Supersoul
Sometimes it is said that, by meditation, one will understand that God is seated within one’s heart always, even when one does not know it. God is seated within the heart of everyone. He is not only seated in the heart of the human being, but He is also there within the hearts of the cats and dogs. The Bhagavad Gita certifies this with the declaration of the Lord: Iswara, the Supreme Controller of the world, is seated in the heart of everyone. He is not only in everyone’s heart, but He is also present within the atoms. No place is vacant, no place is without the presence of the Lord.
The feature of the Lord by which He is present everywhere is called the Paramatman. Atman means the individual soul, and Paramatman means the individual Supersoul. Both Atman and Paramatman are individual Persons. The difference between Them is that the Atman, or soul, is present only in one particular place, whereas the Paramatman is present everywhere .
In this connection, the example of the Sun is very nice. An individual person may be situated in one place, but the Sun, even though a specific individual entity, is present over the head of every individual person. In The Bhagavad Gita this is very nicely explained. Therefore, even though the qualities of all entities, including the Lord, are equal, the Supersoul is different from the individual soul by quantity of expansion. The Lord or Supersoul can expand Himself into millions of different Forms, while the individual soul cannot do so.
The Supersoul, being seated in everyone’s heart, can witness everyone’s activities, past, present and future. In the Upanishads the Supersoul is said to be sitting with the individual soul as a friend and witness. As a friend He is always anxious to get the individual soul back to home, back to Godhead. As a witness, He is the endower of all benedictions that result from the individual’s actions. The Supersoul gives all facility to the individual soul for achieving whatever he may desire. But he instructs His friend, so that he may ultimately give up all other engagements and simply surrender unto God for perpetual bliss and eternal life, full of knowledge. This is the last instruction of The Bhagavad Gita, the most authorized and widely read book on all forms of Yoga.
Krishna Consciousness
The last word of The Bhagavad Gita, as stated above, is the last word in the matter of perfecting the Yoga system. It is further stated in The Bhagavad Gita that a person who is always absorbed in Krishna Consciousness is the topmost yogi. What is this Krishna Consciousness? Just as the individual soul is present by his consciousness throughout the whole body, so the Supersoul, or Paramatman, is present throughout the whole creation by His super consciousness.
This super consciousness cannot be imitated by the individual soul, who has limited awareness: I can understand what is going on within my limited body, but I cannot feel what is going on in another’s body. I am present all over my body by my consciousness, but I am not present in any other’s body by my consciousness. However. the Supersoul or Paramatman. being present within everyone, situated everywhere, is conscious of every existence. The theory that the soul and the Supersoul are one is not acceptable, because the individual soul’s consciousness cannot act in superconsciousness. This super consciousness can only be achieved by dovetailing individual consciousness with the super consciousness; and this dovetailing process is called surrender, or Krishna Consciousness.
From the teachings of The Bhagavad Gita we learn very clearly that Arjuna in the beginning did not want to fight with his brothers and relatives, but after understanding The Bhagavad Gita, when he dovetailed his consciousness with the super consciousness of Krishna, it was Krishna Consciousness. A person in full Krishna Consciousness acts by the dictation of Krishna, and so Arjuna agreed to fight the Battle of Kurukshetra.
In the beginning of Krishna Consciousness this dictation of the Lord is received through the transparent medium of the Spiritual Master.
When one is sufficiently trained and acts with submissive faith and love for Krishna, under the direction of the bona fide Spiritual Master, the dovetailing process becomes more firm and accurate. At this stage Krishna dictates from within. From without, the devotee is helped by the Spiritual Master, the bona fide representative of Krishna, and from within the Lord helps the devotee as Chaita Guru, being seated within the heart of everyone.
Mystic Powers
To simply understand that God is seated in everyone’s heart is not perfection. One has to be acquainted with God from within and without, and thus to act in Krishna Consciousness. This is the highest perfectional stage for the human form of life, and the topmost stage in all Yoga systems.
For a perfect yogi there are eight kinds of super-achievements:
• one can become smaller than an atom,
• one can become bigger than a mountain,
• one can become lighter than the air
• one can become heavier than any metal,
• one can achieve any material effect he likes (create a planet, for example),
• one can control others like the Lord,
• one can travel anywhere within (or without) the universe freely,
• one can choose his own time and place of death, and take rebirth wherever he may desire.
But when one rises to the perfectional stage of receiving dictation from the Lord, that is more than the stage of the material achievements above mentioned.
The breathing exercise of the Yoga system which is generally practiced is just the beginning of the system. Meditation on the Supersoul is just a step forward. Achievement of wonderful material success is also only a step forward. But to attain direct contact with the Supersoul and to take dictation from Him is the highest perfectional stage.
The breathing exercises and meditation practices of Yoga are very difficult in this age. It was difficult even 5,000 years ago, or else Arjuna would not have rejected the proposal of Krishna. This age of Kali is called the Fallen Age. At the present moment people in general are short-living and very slow in understanding self-realization or spiritual life. They are mostly unfortunate, and as such, if somebody is a little bit interested in self-realization, he is misguided by so many frauds. The only actual way to realization of the perfect stage of Yoga is to follow the principles of The Bhagavad Gita as they were practiced by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This is the simplest and highest perfection of Yoga practice.
Supreme Knowledge
Lord Chaitanya practically demonstrated Krishna Consciousness Yoga simply by chanting the Holy Names of Krishna, as they are mentioned in the Vedanta, Srimad Bhagwatam, and many important Puranas. The largest number of Indians follow this Yoga practice, and in the U.S.A. also it is gradually growing in many cities. It is very easy and practical for this age, especially for those who are serious about success in Yoga. No other process can be succesful in this age.
The meditation process in right earnest was possible in the Golden Age of SatyaYuga because the people at that time lived for a hundred thousand years on the average.
If you want success in practical Yoga, take to the chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and feel for yourself how you are making progress. One should know for himself how much he is progressing in Yoga practice.
In The Bhagavad Gita this practice of Krishna Consciousness is described as Rajavidya, the king of all erudition; Rajaguhyam, the most confidential system of spiritual realization; Pavitra, the purest of all that is pure: Susukham, very happily performed; and Avayam, inexhaustible.
Bhakti Yoga
Those who have taken to this most sublime Bhakti Yoga system, this practice of devotional service in transcendental love of Krishna, can testify to how they are nicely enjoying its happy and easy execution. Yoga means controlling the senses, and Bhakti Yoga means purifying the senses. When the senses are purified, they are also, automatically, controlled. You cannot stop the activities of the senses by artificial means, but if you purify the senses they are not only kept back from rubbish engagement, but also they become positively engaged in transcendental service to the Lord.
Krishna Consciousness is not manufactured by us through mental speculation. It is the injunction of The Bhagavad Gita, Which says that, when we think in Krishna, chant in Krishna, live in Krishna, eat in Krishna, talk in Krishna, hope in Krishna, and sustain in Krishna, we return to Krishna without any doubt. And this is the substance of Krishna Consciousness.
The Official Electric Globe Direction Finder
The Official Electric Globe Direction Finder
by Rayarama Das
“Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men will follow in his footsteps. And whatever standard he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.” The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, 3.21
Here are some headlines from The New York Times on a moderately slow news day (September 5, 1968): FATAL BOMBING IN TEL AVIV STIRS MOB ATTACK ON ARABS; VIOLENCE PANEL TO STUDY CHICAGO; U. S. REASSESSING POLICIES IN WAKE OF PRAGUE CRISIS; OFF-DUTY POLICE HERE JOIN IN BEATING BLACK PANTHERS; KEISINGER WARNS U. S. ON RUSSIANS—SEES MILITARY THREAT RISING STEADILY, HE TELLS LODGE: SPLIT AMONG MILITARY LEADERS SHAKES ARGENTINA; FIGHTING RENEWED NEAR SAIGON—ENEMY DEATH TOLL IS PUT AT 146. These are, of course, only the more sensational and ominous developments, those of a somewhat international character. And, being a slow news day, very little was printed about Nigeria’s cruel war with Biafra, about China’s brutal and enervating Cultural Revolution, France’s development of thermonuclear power, that same nation’s student unrest, the continuing Korean crisis . the imminent civil war in Southern Rhodesia and South Africa, the armed border confrontation between India and China, and the literally innumerable other incidents and near-incidents of violence and warfare which plague today’s world.
Americans of late—and most especially since the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy—have taken to scouring their consciences to determine if the U.S. is really as violence-ridden as it seems to be. But events on the newsfronts of the world suggest that there is no single nation or culture which has a monopoly on violence or brutality. And it is increasingly clear that no nation today is devoid of them.
Dispute—difference of opinion, conflict of interest—is everywhere present in the world at all times. But the resort to unpitying violence in the form of riot, guerilla warfare, armed aggression, and the threat of holocaust seems especially rampant now, while respect of any sort for law and moral order is disappearing.
Is civilization changing—or dying? Perhaps the process of change brings us near to death, like a caterpillar during metamorphosis. If this is so, then whether in change or the throes of death our situation remains critical and dangerous, and the type of men we choose to lead us now may well decide the fate of the human race for many thousands of years to come.
With this elementary consciousness of our position in history, let us consider here what sort of men are fit for contemporary world leadership what qualities we ought to seek in them and what the aim of their leadership should be.
One thing is sure: those who have led us in the past cannot lead us today and will not lead us in the future. This is because the world has changed. As Marshall McLuhan has indicated, electric technology—and specifically the rise of the new mass media—has irrevocably altered the course of civilization. It is not only that warfare has become prohibitively ferocious, but that people all over the world are now linked at least as closely as most next-door neighbors were a century ago. Contemporary man finds himself too much in sympathy with his common fellows to blithely contemplate their torture or annihilation by the superbly armed warriors of gigantic governments—even their own—much less to sing rousing battle hymns about the whole thing.
Perhaps the most striking instance of the new world unity among men which is arising can be found in the spontaneous student revolts which have suddenly afflicted the nations. The first true generation of the mass media has determined, it would seem, to tolerate the “old politics” no more, whether it can offer a ready, reasonable alternative or not. Co-ordination among such “underground” or youth movements has generally developed after, not before, they were set in motion in the various corners of the globe. In this sense theirs is a true mass movement, a spontaneous revolution.
What is the schism between “old” and “new” politics? What is its basis? Again, McLuhan has pointed out the situation, though he seems uncertain himself of the obvious implications.
The “old” politicians are those who cheer their national flags, sing their traditional anthems, attend their traditional churches, make the traditional pledges during the traditional speeches, hate their traditional enemies, and offer peace and prosperity for their people. The old politics, in a word, is nationalism.
Nationalism, or sectionalism, is the obvious cesspool from which the diseases of war and famine arise. It is, to be sure, the bedrock of the United Nations and the cornerstone of our modern governments’ world views. Yet it is the real reason people starve in India while the U.S. pays its farmers not to produce, and it is the glaringly apparent reason why Russia and the United States, under the absurd banners of “world” communism and democracy stand ready to obliterate life on this planet. Nor is any detente likely to change matters in the long run, even if a temporary nuclear accord can be reached. For other nations want power too, and the fact that it is simply power to destroy blindly—and entails inevitably being destroyed in turn—does not deter them. Thus France and China are anxiously, avidly joining in the H-bomb race, and others can be expected to do so in the near future—Israel, West Germany India, Italy, Japan.
Nationalism is the old politics because it views men with narrow common interests as kindred, to the exclusion of others, and because it sanctions all the evils that men can work upon one another, so long as the victim stands outside one’s own community. But electric technology has made the world one community, and so the old lines of thought cannot apply. Nationalism is the politics of ignorance and ceaseless war, of misery, greed, rape, murder and starvation. Electric technology—the television, the photo-filled newspaper and the movie house do not permit the sort of insulation and indifference to such things that a single simple headline used to allow. And they tend to break down the degree of callousness—of alienness—that men of different nations used to be able to feel toward one another.
We are, by virtue of modern technology, one world family with a thousand governments, and this is the canker that rots us. The “new” politics, then, the politics by which we must be guided if we are to survive, is not just a matter of personal integrity, as the popularity of Eugene McCarthy and George Wallace in America seems to clearly indicate. It is true that the unpitying camera cannot help but reveal liars and frauds, as it has done for many during the current presidential race in the U.S., but this is only the beginning, only the first fruit of electric technology. The real and ultimate result is the consciousness within the minds of the world’s people that they are one and not many.
And the new politics can then be seen to be the politics of world unification, the politics of a higher consciousness of brotherhood transcending the limits of race, nation or creed.
Genghis Khan wrote a lawbook by which he hoped to perpetuate the world government which his tremendous conquests had established. Although himself a nomadic shamanist, it is interesting to note that the first of the laws in his “Yassak” reads:
It is ordered to believe that there is only one God, creator of heaven and earth, who alone gives life and death, riches and poverty as pleases Him—and who has over everything an absolute power.
The Mongol warlord understood, as all the great men who have attempted to unite the world under one government have understood, that without a principle transcending earthly ties—that is, transcending sectionalism—no universal government could endure. As Napoleon put it: “No society can exist without morality; there is no good morality without religion. “
The reader may wonder if I mean to hold up Genghis Khan or Napoleon Bonaparte as examples of the world leader required by our times. The answer is no. First of all, though the Mongol’s concept of world government was in many ways admirable, events most certainly demonstrated him a failure, for his empire did not endure, much less continue to expand, long beyond his death. Like Machiavelli, he conceived that men are best ruled by fear as opposed to love, and it was with this conviction that he initiated his campaigns of terror against the peoples of Asia and Europe. What we need today is neither a terrorist nor a Machiavellian, for the mass media no longer permit such extravagances within the human community. Indeed, dissimulation and terrorism are the very things now to be cast off by the human race if it is to live.
Again, Napoleon’s hopes of uniting Europe foundered on two principles: the first being his own self-interest, the second his irrepressible tendency to place France and her people at the forefront of the world. He made France not the liberator but the despoiler of those who had suffered under the abuses of the Old Regime, and in the end it was the people, not the rulers, of Europe who defeated him.
The world leader required by our times—the man or men for whom history and technology have conspired together to set the stage—cannot be a Frenchman or a Mongol, nor an American, Chinaman or Russian. He must stand above the designations of sectionalism, and he must be able to elevate the people of the world with him. And he must have at heart not his own aggrandizement, but the true and transcendant welfare of all the people of the world.
These are not ordinary qualifications, and they are not found in men the way that Napoleon’s military genius or Augustus’s administrative skill were found. They must be consciously, intentionally developed. Everyone accepts certain designations of family, race, religion and nationality from birth, without question. Even where one of these concepts is absent, another is present. But the true universalist cannot accept such exclusive designations. He must be capable of going beyond these things, he must be capable of comprehending the essence of the life force itself. In other words, he must be a man with knowledge of spiritual, or absolute, existence—a self realized soul. And this self realization is a matter of serious personal determination.
If we examine the causes of nationalism, we will see that it stems ultimately from the identification of oneself with the body. The body is born in a particular place, with certain relationships, loyalties, debts and duties already existing to absorb one’s interest. But the relationships of the body, like the body itself, are all ephemeral. One who accepts himself as having no spiritual existence beyond the space-and-time limits of the body cannot possibly avoid identification with one or another of the exclusive groups to which his body belongs. He cannot, therefore, be a true world leader.
The point to be noted is that spiritual knowledge is the requirement—the absolute requirement—for the man who would unify our world, establish peace and justice and, still more, happiness. I say it is the absolute requirement because without it such great men as Alexander, Genghis Khan, Napoleon and who knows how many first-rate administrators, executives, humanists, autocrats and demagogues have failed to do the job. For, though the Mongol and the Corsican correctly realized that religion was the ultimate means of unification, they were themselves not truly religious. They sought to use religion to cement together their empires, and here lay their basic error.
Religion must never justify its existence by service to a state or society, nor allow itself to be prostituted in that way. Religion is not a means to a stable society. It is a pathway to knowledge of God, it is the means of developing love of God. It is liberation from material existence, not a material device or adjustment. When it loses this orientation, when religion no longer serves to bring the individual to direct experience of the existence of God, then it is false and useless—a true opiate of the people.
The religion from which a stable and happy society springs is not, oddly enough, the false, society-oriented religion. Such a religion is ever the harbinger of revolution and disintegration, as witness Christendom these last few hundred years. Only the true religion which strives, and exhorts mankind to strive, after face-to-face knowledge of God can actually bring about peace and stability in the world. One who does not himself believe in God—much less know Him by his own serious devotional endeavors—cannot, therefore, create union among men by means of religion. Such leaders offer only the tradition, the hollow tasteless husk of a creed, and it is in turning from this in search of something better that the world so often finds itself in ferment.
The truth is that it is society which must be made to justify itself in terms of the spiritual advancement of its people, as both Gandhi and Toynbee have foreseen. And the world leader who will succeed in uniting the human race is the man who can affect this change in disposition. He cannot be a man interested in self-aggrandizement, for knowledge of God leads one to glorify God only, to serve and love and obey God only. Nor can he be a man of any section, with any special, narrow interest to serve, for God is one without a second, as He is described in all the world’s authentic Scriptures; and all that exists is His. All beings without exception belong to Him, are His beloved children, and therefore must be treated with the utmost regard, and must be offered the full happiness and peace of spiritual perfection.
One with this consciousness of God as the Supreme Father of all, as the Possessor of all and the Friend of all, is fit for world leadership today, and only such a spiritually advanced person can hope to overcome the strictures of sectional interest in establishing the world union which electric technology has made practical, and history essential, for our survival.
There are, and always have been, innumerable doctrines of a grand and sweeping nature which call for peace, disarmament, brotherhood, and harmony, but modern history has not found one which will work. Neither communism, socialism, capitalism, totalitarianism, democracy, nor whatever is really acceptable for the welfare of all. If communism excludes individual enterprise, capitalism is a system for the exploitation of the poor. And no scheme, whether economic or political, has taken account of the welfare of living beings other than humans. Based ultimately on personal avarice, existing only to adjust the exploitation of the world’s wealth for the benefit of many or few, such grand and all-inclusive world views falter at one point or another, such as Russian national predominance within the communist movement, or American—and before that British—industrial hegemony among the democracies.
The present writer, however, has no such scheme to offer. The Krishna Consciousness movement which I serve has indeed a dialectic, and what’s more an outright science of societal organization, but the point and essence of this essay is that the world cannot be “saved”—that is to say unified—by schemes. It must be saved by men, and only men who have made themselves perfect in the science of God realization are fit for such a task. To be perfect in God realization means to have purified one’s consciousness from the false designations of the material concept of life, and to have risen to the platform of spiritual awareness. Such awareness is universal in scope. and does not recognize the petty and vicious pretensions of sectional society, nor even of human society as opposed to other life forms.
This purification of consciousness has been outlined scientifically within the context of the Vedic Scriptural writings of India. and it is to these Scriptures that the leaders of tomorrow’s world must look if they are to achieve the required consciousness of universal love. Other Scriptures are, to be sure, not excluded by such a study, and it is exactly because they are all-inclusive, rather than exclusive, that the Vedic writings have real value for us now.
The Vedic wisdom can be summarized in a simple phrase: The single worthwhile goal of life is to develop love of Godhead. And the system for the development of that love is presented in many different ways. Especially recommended for this age, where the strains of life seem not reduced but magnified by electric technology, is the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. By constant repetition of this transcendental sound vibration it is possible to arrive at the position of purified awareness of God. Such an awareness necessarily entails awareness of the eternally existing relationships between all creatures and their Creator and thereby endows one with the intelligence required for true world leadership.
This is a scheme not for societies so much as for individual people, and its value lies here. For if the people, individually, can find satisfaction, fulfillment and happiness in the advancement of spiritual life, then society will necessarily be peaceful and stable.
We can therefore see that a perfect society is a natural and inevitable byproduct but not the goal of true religion. And the world leaders of tomorrow are those who will encourage the people in this pursuit of God consciousness—and who will themselves pursue it, thereby offering their lives as examples .
The business of such world leaders can be outlined simply:
• to pursue with heart and soul the quest for personal fulfillment in devotional service to God,
• to unify the world under one government,
• to institute a system of law based on spiritual goals, which will have as its guideline the great Scriptures of the world,
• and to create an atmosphere of God consciousness for the actual benefit of all beings.
Utopian? Electric technology has made each one of these goals wholly practical, while the outcries of the new generation for a way of life more sane, more hopeful and more intimately fulfilling show that the human race is ready, if not waiting.
by Rayarama Das Brahmachary
Rishikesh
Rishikesh
Sacred Temple City of the Ganges
by Jayagovinda Das Brahmachary
Formerly Rishikesh was a special retreat of the ‘‘sadhus,” the saintly wise men, reserved for “tapasya,” the performance of austerities. But today this type of meditation has been replaced by the singing of sacred mantras and hymns during joyful gatherings known as Kirtans. Entire families attend and participate, and all throughout the day the town’s atmosphere is enlivened by this singing.
In the authentic, carefully preserved Vedic writings called “Shastras,” or Scriptures, there is a prophecy regarding the present age of industry and science, and a special mantra is offered for God realization in this era: HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE/HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE. And so by following a natural tendency to sing and dance, people are able to act in accordance with the Scriptures, and thus make progress in spiritual understanding while they enjoy life.
Much of the population of Rishikesh is made up of pilgrims, visiting this as one of a series of holy places in the area of the Himalayas. Everyone takes a dip in the sacred Ganges before retiring to rooms provided free of cost to weary travelers by the different temples. Whether rich or poor, no distinction is made. There are many such places in India, maintained by the wealthy for the spiritual upliftment of the population in general. This principle is quite firmly established throughout the country, and is one of the main causes for the existence of a more spiritually oriented population. The most common Indian has some knowledge of the existence of the spirit from which consciousness emanates, and is trained to act, in some way, to uplift himself to the spiritual platform. The result is a genuinely happy people, for all that one is led to believe in the West; and a population with a deep sense of security as well—which may surprise many westerners, but is quite true.
How the sacred Ganges came into being makes a very nice story: Vamana, the Dwarf Incarnation of God, kicked a hole with His foot in the shell of the universe, and a drop of the Causal Ocean leaked in. This droplet was caught by Lord Shiva, a powerful demigod and great devotee of the Lord. Shiva kept it in his hair for some time and then released it, and it became the River Ganges, which runs down through all the fourteen worlds.
In the early morning and evening hours at Rishikesh the hills ring with bells, announcing the temple worship of Lord Narayan and Lord Sri Krishna, two forms of the Supreme God. People rise with the sun and flock to the temples to see the performance of a ceremony where symbolic items—the five-light ghee lamp, the water-filled conch, and a pretty folded handkerchief—are passed before the deities’ eyes, along with the chanting of Sanskrit mantras and verses of praise.
The deities are called “Archa Vigraha,” a form of incarnation of God. They are made in the image of God, according to the descriptions of Him found in Scripture, and He enters into their forms in order to accept the worship of His devotees. The deities are carefully attended, exactly like living persons: they are fed, bathed, clothed, and offered beds for taking rest.
The temple ceremony ends with the splashing of the ceremonial waters on the crowd. Just raise your hand and the “Pujari” the priest, will give you a liberal sprinkling. Then there comes distribution of delicious sweets called “prasadam,” food which has first been offered to and accepted by the deities. During this distribution the deities are fanned and given rest. Everyone then returns to his ordinary business, inspired by the sight and worship of the deities. And everyone will surely return again and again to experience that inexplicable feeling of goodness from having stood in the sacred presence.
The deities are sometimes considered to be like clocks: The clock is a representative of time, and by looking at the clock one can see time . Even if he destroys his clock, however, and cannot see it, time itself is not destroyed.
Rishikesh is a heaven in itself, and the beautiful Deities at Swargashram, a temple situated on a nearby peninsula along the Ganges, make it even more perfect, with God Himself to preside over it. It is a place of matchless scenery, and a place where the soul is at home.
Three Features of the Absolute
Three Features of the Absolute
by Subal Das Adhikary
There are three classes of transcendentalists, according to the degree of realization of the absolute truth. One class of transcendentalists are the devotees, who have realized the Absolute Truth to be the Supreme Person, or God. A second class of transcendentalists are the yogis, who have realized the Supersoul Feature of the Absolute Truth, or all-prevading consciousness. And the third class of transcendentalists are the philosophers, who generally can only realize the impersonal feature of the Absolute.
Bhagavan, the Supreme Person, is held to be the ultimate in the Absolute Truth, according to the Vedic writings, which define and delineate the aspects of the Supreme in systematic and scientific fashion. Paramatman, the Supersoul, is a partial manifestation of the Supreme Person, and Brahman is the glowing bodily effulgence of the same Supreme Person.
Impersonal Brahman realization is often compared to knowledge of the sunshine. A higher realization is to understand that there is a localized sundisc; and the study of that feature is compared with knowledge of the Supersoul. The highest realization is to know of the sun planet and its inner workings. This compares with intimate knowledge of the pastimes of the Supreme Original Person, Sri Krishna.
These three features of the Absolute Truth are simply different perspectives of the same One Reality, according to the angle of vision of the seer. From a distance a mountain may appear to be a gray cloud, but as we get closer to it we can distinguish different features, such as villages, rivers, or wooded areas. And, when we have reached the mountain, we can distinguish individual blades of grass, rocks, and animals.
When we realize the Supreme Person, this includes realization of His partial manifestation and of His effulgence, both being emanations from Him. However, simply realizing His effulgence, or partial manifestation, does not include realization of His Personal feature. In The Brahma Samhita, one of the most important Vedic Scriptures, it is said:
I worship Govinda, the Primeval Lord, only the tip of the toe of Whose Lotus Feet is approached by the yogis who aspire after the transcendental, betaking themselves to Pranayama [breath control] by drilling the respiration: or by the jnanis [philosophers], who try to find the non-differentiated Brahman through the process of elimination of the mundane, a process extending over thousands of millions of years.
Realization of Brahman or of Paramatman is, therefore, incomplete realization, and the systems of Yoga and philosophical reasoning are also incomplete. That the only way to know the Supreme Absolute Truth perfectly is through devotion is the message of The Brahma Samhita, as it is of all the great Vedic Scriptures which have come down to us from the remotest antiquity.
BRAHMAN
The impersonalists generally cannot realize the spiritual focus of the Supreme Person. Being frustrated in one’s attempts at sense gratification on the materialistic sphere, “by the process of elimination of the mundane,” that is, by saying “not this, not that,” (neti, neti) one may “try to find the non-differentiated Brahman.” Intellectually, through reason and logic, one speculates on the absolute Truth. Due to a poor fund of knowledge, however, such a philosopher tends to misinterpret the Scriptures, and comes to deny the Personal feature of the Lord. This process can go on for “thousands of millions of years,” as the soul progresses from birth to birth to birth. Finally, after achieving realization of the non-differentiated Brahman, the Absolute Nature he tries to merge with It, desiring to lose his individuality—to become God. This is called spiritual suicide, because we are all eternally individual living entities. This absolute individuality is confirmed in The Bhagavad Gita, by far the most widely revered of all the Vedic Scriptural texts, in the words of the Supreme Person Himself:
In fact, there never was a time when I was not, nor when you and all these kings were not. Nor hereafter shall We cease to be.
Again:
The soul is never born, nor does it die; nor does it exist by coming into being. For it is unborn, eternal everlasting and primeval; even though the body is slain, the soul is not.
Further, in The Brahma Samhita, it is said:
The same soul is eternal and exists for all eternity, without any beginning, joined to the Supreme Lord by the tie of eternal kinship.
It is possible to “merge” with the impersonal Brahman, and to temporarily suspend our individuality. If we see an airplane fly very high into the sky, it may go out of our sight and thus seem to have merged with the sky. However, the fact is that if the airplane does not land on another planet, it must again return to earth. Similarly, if we do not reach one of the innumerable transcendental planets within the spiritual sky, we must again at some time take our birth in this material world.
It is the nature of the individual soul to be situated on a planet, be it material or spiritual. In this way he can enjoy the variegatedness of life. Spiritual variegatedness, we should understand, is far superior to its material reflection. Variety is, after all, the basis of pleasure and happiness. And the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is known as Sat-Chit-Ananda Vigraha, “eternity and bliss in the fullest perfection.” When we realize the impersonal Brahman, we realize only His Eternal (Sat) quality, without approaching the Knowledge (Chit) and Bliss (Ananda) aspects of the Absolute.
The Opulence Of God
The impersonalist further thinks that he can become God by merging with the impersonal Brahman. This is a dangerous form of atheism. The thought that someone can become God should be seen as patent nonsense. Is God so insignificant that a dog can become God? God must be eternally God, and we are eternally His parts and parcels—His servitors. Qualitatively we are indeed the same as God—one with Him, as is frequently said—but quantitatively there is a vast difference. The Vedic wisdom says that Krishna, God, possesses six opulences in full: all wealth, all fame. all beauty, all power, all knowledge and all renunciation. We also possess these six opulences, but in very minute quantities. If anyone can actually show that he possesses these qualities in full, then he must be accepted as God. If not, then he has no claim to divinity. If you claim to be God, then you must demonstrate that you are God, and not simply live like a dog.
The qualities of Krishna, the Godhead, have also been seen as sixty-four in number by great sages. And the living entity is said to possess 78% of these qualities. He can never possess all 100%.
Now, if we say we are God, but that we have temporarily forgotten, this is also insubstantial. God never forgets. If God were subject to forgetfulness or Maya, Illusion, then Maya would be more powerful than God. So what then would be the meaning of the word “god”?
Wanting to become God is the very cause of our downfall into the material existence. We must realize that we are always subservient to God. We are eternally His infinitesimal parts and parcels. It is because we are so infinitesimal that we are subject to delusion by the material energy of the Lord. He, however, is always transcendental and in full control of His illusory energy, even when He appears amongst us, as He sometimes does. This is confirmed in The Brahma Samhita by the following two verses:
The Lord of Gokula [Krishna] is the transcendental Supreme Godhead, the Own Self of Eternal Ecstasies. He is superior to all superiors, and is busily engaged in the enjoyments of the transcendental realm, and He has no association with His mundane potency.
Again:
The external potency, Maya, who is the shadow of the Chit [intelligence] potency, is worshipped by all people as Durga, the creating, preserving agency of this mundane world. But I adore the Primeval Lord Govinda, in accordance with Whose will Durga conducts herself.
If we take a drop of water from the ocean and analyze it, we will find that its chemical composition is the same as that of the ocean. In the same way, we are microscopic samples of God, but can we say that the drop of water is the ocean? In the Upanishads, the measurement of the spirit soul is given as one ten-thousandth the ultimate tip of a hair. Yet, we tend to become so inflated as to claim to be God. We are like sparks from a fire. The sparks are indeed fire, but when they fly out of the fire they are subject to extinction. Similarly, we can only remain in our transcendental position by remaining in contact with Krishna, the Supreme Whole.
Yoga
Through practice of the eightfold Yoga system—Astanga Yoga, that is, which consists of posture, controlling the breath, concentration, meditation, etc.—the yogis can realize the partial manifestation of the Supreme Person, Which is known as the Supersoul, or Paramatman. This Paramatman is situated in everyone’s heart as the indwelling Witness and Guide. In the Upanishads the relationship between the individual soul and the Supersoul is compared to two birds sitting in one tree. One bird is eating the fruit of the tree, while the other bird simply sits and watches. The individual soul is compared to the eating bird, and the Paramatman to the bird who is watching. The Paramatman witnesses all our actions, and awards us the fruits of these actions:
That Supersoul enters into the bodies of the created beings and, according to the modes of material Nature, causes the living beings in different bodies to enjoy, by the subtle mind and the effects of Nature. (Srimad Bhagwatam 1:2:32)
He is also waiting to help us go back to home, back to Godhead, should we decide to turn to Him for guidance. He is our dearmost Friend. But the conditioned souls have chosen to ignore Him. Still, He is so kind as to stay with us constantly, and to try converting us to our real and happy state.
Realization of the Supersoul is a step higher than realization of the impersonal Brahman. It recognizes both eternity (Sat) and knowledge (Chit). Yet the bliss, Ananda, of full spiritual realization is still missing. Narada Muni, a very great saint, says in The Srimad Bhagwatam:
It is true that by practicing restraint of the senses in the Yoga system one can get relief from the disturbances of desire and lust; but that is not sufficient to give the satisfaction to the soul which is derived from devotional service to the Personality of Godhead. Only devotional service to the Personality of Godhead can fully satisfy the soul, by developing love of Godhead, unalloyed Prema, which is the perfectional stage of life.
In the Sixth Chapter of The Bhagavad Gita, Krishna describes the Yoga system to Arjuna, and Arjuna rejects it as being too difficult. Arjuna was such a very intelligent man that he understood The Bhagavad Gita in about an hour, as it was spoken to him by Lord Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Today men are studying The Gita for lifetimes and still cannot understand it. Also, Arjuna had the qualification of being Krishna’s friend and devotee. Yet he said:
O Madhusudana [Krishna], the system of Yoga which You have summarized appears impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is restless and unsteady.
For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krishna, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind.
If the great-souled Arjuna rejected this system as being too difficult for him 5,000 years ago, how can we, who are far inferior to Arjuna and who are living in an age that is very unconducive to spiritual practice, hope to perfect this system of Yoga? Our duration of life is shortened, we have poor memory, meager intelligence, and are unfortunate in so many ways. This Yoga system was the recommended means for spiritual realization in the “Satya Yuga,” or Golden Age of a long-gone antiquity. Now we are in the midst of a new age, called “Kali Yuga,” which is characterized by quarrel, chaos, and heavy iron industry. And for realization in this age the chanting of the Holy Names of God is recommended by many authorities and Scriptures. According to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Who appeared some 500 years ago in India:
In the Age of Kali there is no other religion than glorifying the Lord by utterance of His Holy Names, and that is the injunction of all the revealed Scriptures.
In Satya Yuga, by practicing the Yoga system—with devotion—one could realize Krishna, the Supreme Person. But even then there were many pitfalls along the way. For example, some yogis might become attracted by the development of their mystic powers. The yogi who misuses these powers for personal gain surely brings his spiritual progress to a halt.
Other yogis, having realized the Paramatman, think that they have realized the Absolute Truth in full, and therefore do not go on to realize the Supreme Person, of Whom the Supersoul is only a partial manifestation. Others are caused to fall down by attraction for material sense enjoyment. The senses are artificially controlled by the Yoga system, but as soon as some opportunity for sense enjoyment presents itself, the senses may again exert themselves to take advantage of it. Another mistake is to falsely identify the individual soul with the Supersoul, and again come to the faulty conclusion that one is God Himself.
Devotional Service
The really intelligent transcendentalist will immediately take shelter of the Lotus Feet of Krishna, and serve Him with devotion. In this way he can know the Supreme Absolute Truth in full, as the Supreme Person. Krishna is unknowable, but through His Grace, He may reveal Himself to his devotees. Scriptures, and the great saints, the mahatmas, tell us over and over again to simply surrender to God, and in this way reach the perfection of life. Krishna is Sat-Chit-Ananda Vigraha, the form of eternity, knowledge and bliss in perfection. He is calling mankind to go back to home, back to Godhead, trying to wake him up from the gross dream of material life. He offers man a very simple process, and the only possible obstruction to achieving the goal is man’s own failure to accept it.
Of this devotional process, Lord Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita says:
Surrendering all duties, seek refuge in Me alone. I shall absolve you of all sins, so do not grieve.
And, in The Srimad Bhagwatam, the great sage Vyasadeva writes:
Thus the enlivened man, affected by contact with devotional service to the Lord, can positively have scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead, liberated from all material association.
Eternal Dharma
Eternal Dharma
The religion nobody has to join
by Satsvarupa Das Adhikary
Krishna Consciousness is the science of God realization. By this science, we can understand that all living entities are parts and parcels of God. As samples of the Whole, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we share the same qualities as He. God is all blissful, and so, originally, we are blissful. As He possesses all knowledge and as He is eternal, similarly we, in our natural position, are eternal and knowing. According to all authoritative Vedic Scriptures, such as The Bhagavad Gita (Song of God), Srimad Bhagwatam, and Upanishads, as well as The Holy Bible and Koran, the difference between God and the living entities, or parts and parcels, is that God is great and we are small. He is infinite and we are infinitesimal. Since we are small parts and parcels of the Supreme, we are apt to be covered by ignorance; when this occurs, our bliss and eternity become temporarily suspended. This ignorance is due to the misuse of our free will. And true freedom for us is to act with dependence on God, Who is the Absolute Truth, the Source from Whom everything emanates. At the ultimate stage, the goal of life for all human beings is to attain love of God as the topmost perfection.
In this current age, material science is predominating over all subjects, including the tenets of religion. It is, therefore, a very enlivening matter that we can understand the principles of eternal religion, or “Dharma,” from the point of view of the modern scientist. The materialistic scientist, however, too often takes for granted that the ultimate source of energy is simply a material combination. By execution of the spiritual science of devotional service in Krishna Consciousness, one can understand the true position of matter as a mass of ingredients only, whereas the spirit is the Creator and mover. The Creator may remain unseen in the background, but that does not mean that there is no Creator. All beings must learn the necessary information whereby they can admit the existence of a gigantic intelligence behind the gigantic form of the material universe. The Supreme Being, Who has such a gigantic intelligence—quantitatively greater than ours—is the ultimate Creator, the all-attractive Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna.
The eternal religion, called in Sanskrit “Sanatan Dharma,” has no history of beginning or end. By the analytical processes of modern science, we can see that Sanatan Dharma is the business of all the living beings of the Universe. This Sanatan Dharma, being without bounds, is necessarily non-sectarian. When a man professes to belong to a particular faith with reference to time and the circumstances of birth, then he claims to be a Hindu, Moslem, Christian, Buddhist, etc. These are non-eternal designations. A Hindu may change his faith to become a Moslem, or a Moslem may change his faith to become a Christian. But in all circumstances, the change of religious faith does not allow a person to change his eternal engagement—the engagement of rendering service.
Service, according to the Vedic sources, is the eternal “Dharma,” or religion of the living entity. Whatever position one may be in—in terms of time or space—he is always rendering service to someone outside himself. This is true not only for man, but for all species of life without exception. And because it is an eternal engagement, the “religion” of service can never begin or end or be transmuted. Its existence is absolute, just as the spiritual existence of the living being himself is absolute.
Krishna Consciousness means rendering direct and favorable service to the Source of everything. Only by the process of direct service to the Lord can the living entity become free from the transmigration of the soul through the world of material miseries, characterized by disease, old age, birth and death. Only by loving service can he go back to Godhead, back to the eternal spiritual realm, and take part in the eternal pleasure prevailing there.
In this present age, called theAge of Kali (hypocrisy and quarrel), the method of liberation prescribed by the Scriptures is to chant the Holy Names of God continually. God or Krishna is non-different from His Name, because He is Absolute and all-powerful. Therefore He is in His Name. God is everywhere, and so He is present in His Name. The utterance of the Name “Krishna” is the establishment of a transcendental sound vibration. By this simple process of chanting the Absolute Names of God, as contained in the Maha Mantra or Great Chanting—HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE/HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE—one’s life will become sublime. It is only a question of taking one’s already existing “religion,” or tendency to serve, and consciously redirecting it to the perfect object of service, Krishna. Such purified consciousness is the ultimate state of spiritual achievement for the living entity.
Back to Godhead Magazine #20, 1968
Editorial
Editorial
Changing Guards
The trouble with elections is that they tend to give us the distinct sensation that things have changed simply because our representatives in government have changed. Year after year, century after century, institutions, administrations and world leaders come and go with all their sackloads of systems, credos, experiments and cure-alls, while the common man plods on, never really getting what he wants out of it all: some final satisfaction.
Leaders have always exercised power—as much in Egypt of the Pharoahs as in modern America—by popular consent. That consent is sometimes directed toward an institution, as in the case of a monarchy, rather than toward a specific individual, which applies in a democracy, but it is always essential for effective government. And popular consent indicates that the world's leaders and governments reflect no more than the desires of the populace. Therefore, to consider why the people don't get the real satisfaction that each being seeks in life, we must not consider leadership as an entity apart and by itself. The habit of historians to place the blame for the world's ills solely—or even mainly upon our Neros, Attilas and Stalins is misleading. We must consider both the governed and the governor together—they cannot be separated—in order to get a valid picture.
Now, if our leaders are offering us what we want, and if we're following men who have, really, no more than that to qualify them, then we must recognize the fact that we are not unhappy merely because of our leaders: we are unhappy because of what we want. In this our leaders most certainly conspire with us, but they are not guilty by themselves. We are asking for—and our politicians are promising to deliver—our own enslavement, frustration and death. That is to say, we are seeking, to conquer material Nature, and all our victories in this struggle are Pyrrhic to the final degree.
According to the Vedic teachings, there are two reasons for our determination to defeat Nature, to bend her to our will and exploit her and ravage her: The first is that we each desire to be God. Because of this we have left the eternal spiritual association of the actual Godhead, and by His kindness He has given us the material world in which to enjoy according to our own choices. Under the illusion which each creature possesses—the ant and the platypus no less than Caligula or Hitler—that he is the center of existence, we are being constantly engaged in the struggle to exert our supremacy. And because that supremacy does not factually exist, we are continually subjected to defeat in one form or another.
The second reason for the struggle against Nature which is put forward by the Vedic sages is incompatibility. The living force is by constitution spiritual, spirit being described as unchanging, eternal, knowing and blissful. When the spiritual living entity takes on the form of a material body, he tends to falsely identify himself with that body—like a man in a dream who has forgotten his real self. Material Nature is basically mutable, and unconscious except when the life force is present. Therefore, when any creature accepts himself as a product of material Nature, he makes it impossible to achieve the fulfillment of his real and constitutional position.
What we must seek, then, if we are to find satisfaction, is a means of purifying consciousness in order to regain spiritual, total awareness. And the struggle for supremacy over Nature, which our leaders today assume without a second thought to be the real goal of human society, must be abandoned. The Krishna Consciousness Movement exists simply to offer this spiritual alternative to mankind, and our method—the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra—is a scientific and transcendental approach to this real and most basic problem of life.
We strongly urge all men at all levels of the human community to take up this process, and to thereby adopt an actual program of release from the bitter struggle with Nature Compared with the tremendous amount of time and money thrown into the democratic election process, this is an exceedingly easy, inexpensive proposition. Yet it means actual release, whereas our political upheavals offer no more than a change of guards at the gate of the material prison.
Just Like a Ghost
Just Like a Ghost
By Goursundar Das Adhikari
The Battle of Edge Hill was fought centuries ago in England when Cromwell’s Roundheads met the army of King Charles I. Blood, they say, ran in rivers. After the field was cleared, silence reigned until, two months later, a crowd of thousands of Northamptonshire residents, including clergymen and special aides sent by the King, stood watching as strange, ghostly figures performed the same awful fight all over again. In England today, near the battlefields of the War of the Roses, people still sometimes hear the sounds of artillery exploding, soldiers shouting, metal crashing, and the wounded crying horribly. No one is sure where it comes from.
All sorts of similarly “impossible” events challenge the aloofness of our comfortable modern scholars and scientists. Unknown, unexplainable phenomena cover so much of the four dimensions with which science is busy that it is curious anyone can remain indifferent to them.
Ghosts are denied any existence in the modern scheme of things, but nevertheless the exploits of such beings are widely reported in newspapers, periodicals and books, and on television as well. And the case for the reality of the “spirit world” is being championed today by a small group of investigators called Parapsychologists. Parapsychology encompasses all the inexplicable happenings that other branches of research choose to ignore, and rather well-documented volumes from all the ages of history represent evidence that this is no meager or faddish endeavor.
In the “Saturday Evening Post,” July 2, 1966, a very interesting account was presented of the strange experiences of Joe Hyams and his wife, actress Elke Sommers. They had purchased a house in 1964, and right from the start report was made of a stranger on the premises who could not be identified. He appeared one night in the bedroom of Mrs. Hyams’ mother, but again vanished. Frequent noises in the dining room proved inexplicable. Mr. Hyams found that, although he would make sure to lock a certain window at night, it often was found unlocked again in the morning. He also heard the front door open and close, even when he was alone in the house with it tightly fastened on the inside. The chairs in the dining room often sounded as though they were being pushed around, but when he went to investigate, the room would appear empty and quiet. The noises were recorded on a tape recorder hidden for the purpose.
Mr. Hyams left the house for a time, and had it placed under a detective’s surveillance. One night all the lights went on and all the windows and doors of the deserted house were opened. The detective could not find the reason for this. Later, the house was put in the charge of a family friend. He kept the place locked up, but always found the front door open when he came back to the house. Then a repairman observed a large gentleman in the dining room who seemed to evaporate into space.
Mr. Hyams solicited the services of several mediums, people purportedly attuned to the psychic world, who reported the presence of a tall man in his fifties, a doctor who had died of a heart attack and was determined to remain in the house. Mr. Hyams further found that the previous owners had also had eerie experiences in the house. By the second year of Mr. Hyams’ ownership, over thirty mediums, sensitives and investigators had checked the place and agreed unanimously that it was haunted.
New York City is full of haunted houses. In a book entitled “True Experiences with Ghosts, “ edited by Martin Ebon, a Mr . Wainwright Evans has given his description of one such house, 422-1/2 West 46th Street. When Miss Ruth Faison Shaw moved into that residence, she inquired of its history and found that it had once been the coach house of George Clinton, first governor of New York. The governor’s coachman had lived in the rooms above the stables with his young wife. One evening the pregnant wife saw an apparition of the “Old Moor. “ This “Old Moor” had been hanged on the Battery for mutiny at sea, and buried in what was then a field close to the house. The coachman’s wife was terrified, came running down the stairs, fell and died. The baby was saved and raised by the coachman, who observed that whenever the child was ill, an apparition of his mother lingered nearby.
Later, one of Clinton’s granddaughters, Margaret, used to play in the house. She very much enjoyed dressing in old-fashioned clothes and running down the stairs, pretending to be a ghost. One day she, too, fell and died, and needless to say she also became a ghost. Her figure was frequently seen in later years—running down the same staircase. When the building became older and was abandoned for a time, local vagrants would often sleep there, until one night they fled away in fear, having seen the ghost of little Margaret.
Miss Shaw stayed at 422-1/2 for some time without noticing anything strange. But then one afternoon to the good woman’s shock she too beheld Margaret running down the stairs. The little ghost was frequently seen by Miss Shaw from then on, always re-enacting her ghostly drama.
Thousands of encounters of this nature have been reported, and it is far from rational to dismiss them simply by deprecating the character of the observer . The real basis for objection to their stories seems to be, in the final analysis, simple incompatibility with official modern scientific theory . Actually, so-called scientists themselves are cornered when pressed for sound explanations from their side.
All modern science appears superficial when real problems of conscious existence are raised, as in the case of the presence of ghosts. The essential, genuinely rational science aims at the liaison of self consciousness and eternal Truth. The pursuit of anything less, although it may befool all the scholars in the world, is an intolerable waste of the human life span and energy. The man who is really intelligent will try to free himself from the somewhat inflated designations of the organization of prejudice currently worshipped by its votaries as Science. And we should recognize clearly the fact that materialism can be every bit as superstitious an act of faith as unsubstantiated spiritual and psychic phenomena.
Nearly all people have some contact with the world of ghosts. My Spiritual Master, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, has mentioned several interesting stories, one of which relates to a disciple of his grand Spiritual Master, Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj. The disciple had detected some strange festival being performed in the jungle at the dead of night, and although cautioned not to go there, he could not resist a closer inspection. He came upon a big feast being served, and was offered many nice foods including rasgolla, sandesh, hallavah, and paratas, very tasteful dishes popular in India. The young man accepted a whole sackful of food, and left the place. Then, when he was ready to eat, he sat down and opened the bag. He was amazed to find it full of stool. Later, Srila Jagannath Das Babaii explained to him that this was the prank of ghosts, who often appear at night in various forms to do mischief.
My Spiritual Master has also told of an interesting adventure he once had as a boy. His family lived for a while in a very large house where a young gentleman had killed himself. Swamiji several times saw the man’s translucent form passing close by. The ghost was well known, as he had frequently been seen by many people. A school teacher who was holding classes in one wing of the house also informed him that the place was haunted. She said that the ghost had talked with her, and she knew his sad history: The ghost had been a debauchee in his previous life, and had squandered a huge family fortune. Later, overcome by remorse, he had committed suicide.
The fashionable members of American society affectionately known as “hippies” often trace a close connection to the world of ghosts. The ancient Vedic literature informs us that ghosts are attracted to places and persons dominated by intoxication and uncleanliness, as they have greater influence over those whose minds are weakened or crippled by intoxication.
Intoxication is actually a prolonged process of committing suicide. Suicide means destroying the physical body, be it quickly or slowly. And nearly all intoxicants, such as coffee, liquor, L.S.D., marijuana and tranquilizers, are harmful to the human organism to one degree or another. Ghosts, in fact, usually are the victims of suicidal folly, being encouraged by the delusion of materialistic nihilism. Due, however, to the fact that the living entity is eternal, the search for self-annihilation yields only more troublesome entanglement with the laws of material Nature.
The superintendent of this department of ignorance is Lord Shiva, who is often described as the leader of a huge army of ghosts. The experience of ghostly phenomena—such as the Delirium Tremens of the alcoholic—is only too well known to those habituated to intoxication.
According to the Vedic teachings, the living entities are not simply material combinations. They are eternal spiritual sparks manifesting their presence within bodies of matter. The agency which connects a material body to the living spirit force is technically known as the mind. The mind is a temporary extension into the field of matter projected by a living being. The mind is the conductor of living activities in relationship to the material body. The Vedic analysis is therefore helpful in describing the situation of material existence as the incarnation of living souls within material minds and bodies.
The souls enter and exit various temporary habitations at the historical reference points known as birth and death. At death the unusable body must be abandoned. The subtle body, the mind—which is also material—then receives a replacement body, according to its cravings and condition at that moment. By too intensive a focusing of consciousness on the past stages of life, one may sometimes fail to progress to anew body. In such a state one remains with only a subtle or mental body. The soul, conditioned by matter yet existing without a gross physical body, remaining only in subtle, mental form, is known as a ghost.
Ghostly life is said to be most unpleasant. The unfortunate ghost is troubled by a variety of material cravings, which he has not the necessary body to satisfy. For example, the desire for palatable food remains, but there is no tongue or stomach to manage it. The pressures of such frustrated hankerings often drive miserable ghosts to extremes. Essentially no more then disembodied minds, they usually become demented, and try tormenting those who still have physical bodies. Many ghosts even try to control normal people’s bodies, or else to scare them to death, so that they will also become ghosts. One who dies in great horror, or too greatly attached to his physical body, his environment, or his possessions, or by suicide, becomes a ghost.
There is a lesson in this which we should try to perceive. One’s living, from day to day, should be carefully considered, and directed not by the events of the past or the fallacies of materialistic hope, but by the consciousness of that which is real and eternal, that which lies beyond the dualities of material life.
The only recourse to an existence of recurring hope and sorrow, happiness and then pain, is to somehow surrender at the Lotus Feet of Krishna, the Supreme Controller of all existences. The soul has a realm natural to it and compatible with it, which lies beyond the twisted world of matter. That spiritual sky, described at length in many of the Vedic writings, such as The Srimad Bhagwatam, is to be attained only by Krishna’s Grace, through His representations here. The primary service to be rendered by us in order to gain the Lord’s grace is the chanting of transcendental sounds which will invoke Krishna Consciousness. The vibration of the Hare Krishna Mantra, the most exalted of transcendental vibrations, provides some interesting side effects in that it drives away ghosts, with all their sinister intentions, and insures the chanter that he himself will not have to accept such a horrible existence in the future. Of course, the value of the chant in terms of stimulating spiritual emotion far outweighs any such negative considerations, but the fact of its exorcising power remains.
The real purpose of the mantra is to offer the highest benediction to all the fallen, miserable living entities, in the form of pure love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who determines to penetrate the vast, haunted cosmic facade will be able to do so by adopting this method . And, by perfection of the chanting process, he will in due course attain the eternal loving association of Lord Krishna.
Dr. Spock & The Good Guys & The Bad Guys
Dr. Spock & The Good Guys & The Bad Guys
By Rayarama Das Brahmachary
On Tuesday evening, October 8, Dr. Benjamin Spock received the Gandhi Peace Award at the Community Church of New York. This award is a far-distant poor relative of the Nobel Prize, which went this year to the less controversial figure of a French jurist. There was no big money gift at the Community Church, as is the case at the Oslo affair, though there was a nice medallion, the weight of which pleased Spock. Nor was there any press to speak of at the Gandhi Award, the New York Times didn’t do a “Man in the News” piece on Spock as it did on Rene Cassin, the world’s governments didn’t—and wouldn’t dare praise the American pediatrician on the floor of the U.N. General Assembly.
There are other differences, far deeper ones, between these two personalities and their approaches to peace; though, as we’ll see, the differences don’t go quite deep enough.
The eminence of M. Cassin stems essentially from his part in formulating the United Nations’ Declaration of Human Rights. This document is such a marvel of compromise and euphemism that not one member of the General Assembly voted against it when it was adopted in 1948—the year Russia sealed her iron curtain across Eastern Europe. The Declaration deals with such glossy fancies as the universal right to life, liberty and security of person; freedom from arbitrary arrest; freedom of movement, residence, speech, press, assembly and worship. These were the human rights which M. Cassin and his associates felt could be accepted by all nations, religions and races unanimously. And they were—in theory. On paper, where nobody has to get serious.
The United Nations, naturally, has no power to enforce laws, much less standards of morality, upon its member states, but the Declaration was meant to focus the weight of world opinion on specific issues. In the words of one writer: “…when the Assembly of the United Nations gives its judgment, that judgment has a thundering authority as the voice of mankind.”
The “thundering authority” theory is the bedrock of the United Nations and its mission of peace today. It is a forum rather than an actual court of universal justice, and the notion that such a forum carries real power is the latest thing in opiates for the people. Of course, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, the Dominican Republic and Vietnam, the Middle East and quite a number of other conflicts—more than fifty in all since the Second World War ended—have shown us that forums don’t mean all that much. Men like Rene Cassin construct their wonderful compromises and legalisms, and try to speak to mankind in terms of fair play and honor, while the people who actually run things go on with their brutal business unaffected.
Dr. Spock on war and peace
Dr . Spock has a somewhat different attitude toward peace. He cares less and less, apparently, for what passes in the world as legality. In his speech accepting the Gandhi Award, he urged those present to become more aggressive in their efforts for peace. “We must stop wringing our hands and become active,” he declared. All those left of center tend, in his estimation, to be hypercritical of one another, while the rightists—the hawks—”keep their eyes right on the ball,“ which means power and money.
Dr. Spock entered the war-and-peace business officially in 1962 when he joined the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy. Before that, he had achieved great fame as a pediatrician. His book, “Baby and Child Care,” has sold over 20 million copies, and rivals The Bible as the all-time American bestseller. It has gone into twenty-six foreign language editions, and has made Spock the almost unquestioned authority on the subject of child-raising in the Western World, as well as much of the East.
Spock’s concern for children led him naturally to consider the world in which they have to live, and he has found the prospects none too bright. He has said: “I think it’s no longer sufficient to protect children from just the familiar physical diseases and the usual emotional stresses. Now the greatest danger to life—by far—is from nuclear disaster.“
Of his decision to engage actively in the peace movement, the Doctor has commented: “Kennedy said the United States had to resume testing to stay ahead. And obviously you can’t stop testing if you’re behind. It seemed clear that the buildup would continue until there was a nuclear war or a nuclear accident. It made me realize that there wouldn’t be peace and disarmament unless people demanded it.“
Demanding peace has now become Spock’s primary business. He has twice been arrested for his agitation, and in the more recent instance has been convicted of conspiracy to aid and abet U.S. draft resistors. As he has not scrupled to break the law, he has likewise not scrupled to work with any and everyone who will strive for peace. In replying to criticisms of his seeming lack of discrimination, he has said: “My usefulness to the peace movement is in recruiting people from the middle of the road … I’m willing to cooperate with anyone who’s halfway responsible and wants to end this terrible war.“
The “terrible war,” of course, is Vietnam, America’s most excruciating blunder in a long, long time, wherein the “military-industrial elite” sought to establish a base for American forces on communist China’s southern flank—and neglected to consider that the people who live in that region might object.
Dr. Spock said, however, in his speech at the Community Church, that Vietnam “is not an exception or an aberration. It’s only one example of the increasingly imperialistic tendency of the United States,“ extending into the military, economic and industrial affairs of the world. Actually, he might quite as accurately have added that Vietnam represents only a single episode in the vast drama of exploitation and brutality which has marked as much of mankind’s history as modern researchers have been able to reveal.
Peace in any time
As mentioned above, there has been no real shortage of major violent conflicts since the close of World War Two, and we all know that there was no shortage of them before that. In other words, the world never lacks a war, even though nowadays we don’t call them by that name, ever, though it has become fashionable not to “declare war,“ thus committing oneself to “victory”—and possibly annoying one’s people with a sense of insecurity that might make them question their leaders.
Dr. Spock, Senator Eugene McCarthy and quite a sizable number of others raised their voices against the Vietnam War in the U. S. recently, and as a result they toppled Lyndon Johnson from his pinnacle of power, forcing him to think the wiser of running in the 1968 election. And yet a measure of the futility of the peace movement’s endeavors can be witnessed in the fact that not one of the three serious presidential candidates is running on a peace platform. In fact, the most “dovish” of the three is the Vice-President, the very man most committed to defending the administration’s policy.
The peace movement—and by this I mean not only the present McCarthy- and Spock-led insurrection, but the cause of world peace itself, going back at least to the Hague Conferences which preceded the First World War, and following through the League of Nations which preceded the Second, right up to our own United Nations—the peace movement has proved itself a dismal failure. In fact, the more vocal and determined our peace advocates are, the more horrifying and all-inclusive grow the wars that punctuate their protestations, until today we await, half-expectantly, the moment when someone presses The Button, and our glittering civilization goes up in a white hot flash.
The reasons for this are not very apparent: The way men feel in their hearts is not a topic for newspaper headlines. But it is necessary to understand that nations cannot be peaceful if their individuals are belligerent, they cannot be sane if their people are mad, they cannot be stable if their inhabitants are disgusted and discontent. The international situation that confronts us today is only a magnification of the interpersonal situation of exploitation, deception and malice which forms the daily atmosphere of our lives. And so long as the more basic problem remains unsolved, the larger one will not be solved either.
Dr. Spock has reached much the same conclusion, as he pointed out in a recent interview. ‘It seems to me,” he said, “that I see that the problems of America and the problems of the world are moral problems.“ And, further: “Man can’t live without a moral sense. He is a naturally religious person, or at least a believing person. When he becomes disenchanted or cynical he turns rotten very fast. He has to have moral, ethical and preferably religious beliefs.“
The trouble here, of course, is not morality itself. It’s not as though Lyndon Johnson and Dean Rusk have declared themselves against it, and have launched a policy of deliberate evil upon the world, or that they don’t believe in anything. Quite the contrary, they’re fully convinced, it seems clear, that theirs is the truly moral course, and the prosecution of Spock and numerous others in the courts is a natural corollary to such a concept of morality. And the conflict now existing between the hawks and the doves is not a matter of the moral vs. the amoral; it is a question of whose morality is correct.
This was made glaringly apparent in a Meet the Press interview last January, when Douglas Kiker of NBC News asked the Reverend Wm. Coffin, one of Spock’s co-defendants in the conspiracy case, whether he was “advocating” that young men turn in their draft cards in protest of the war. The Rev. Coffin replied: “…if you came to me as a student at Yale and said ‘Should I turn in my draft card’ the last thing I would ever tell you to do is turn in your draft card. That is such an eminently personal decision that you have to make it yourself.“
The point of most of the newsmen’s questions on that occasion, and the point which led to the conviction in court, the point Rev. Coffin seemed strangely to avoid, is whether men can decide for themselves what is moral and what is not. The legalist, the “Establishment,” says that men cannot, that society depends upon men agreeing among themselves as to what they may and may not do—and then sticking to the agreement. The peace activists, strangely enough, do not disagree with this view, with the exception of a small anarchist element. What the peace activists say, however, is that a small group—America’s “military-industrial elite”—have usurped the power of agreement from the people, and are forcing a war upon them which they do not desire, and that this “elite” is, therefore, damaging society.
To go on from here any further into the pros and cons, the moralities and amoralities of the particular Vietnam issue can only involve us in the sort of bickering which everyone else has so fruitlessly engaged in for so many long years. Instead, let’s step back a pace and examine the situation in a slightly different light. This is the light of spiritual knowledge, as it is conveyed to us not by our individual “consciences”—which I do not doubt both Johnson and Spock possess equally—but spiritual knowledge as it is found in the scriptural teachings of the world.
For what the Rev. Coffin failed to establish in his rather lame retorts to the Meet the Press panel was that morality is not created by men, whether in a mob or alone. In any dispute between two parties to which no compromise or solution can be found, there must be a resort to a third party—a higher, standard authority, who can judge the situation properly. And the authority in questions of morality can only be God, the Absolute Truth. To realize why this is so, why an ordinary handshake between the President and the pediatrician can’t solve things, to see how there could be an irrevocable right or wrong beyond the letter of the law, we must inquire into the nature of morality itself.
Public morality means the good of the people. And according to the standard Scriptures of the world, the real good, the very perfection of human life, lies in each being’s personal confrontation with the Godhead, known in the Vedic writings as Sri Krishna. Because Krishna is absolute—that is, because He is the supreme good for every single being at every single moment without limit in time or space—knowledge of Krishna is the only worthwhile goal of human life.
No government can, therefore, offer anything to its people which is beneficial—neither money nor power nor peace—if it fails to offer an approach to God. And any dissenting movement, regardless of the particular situation, must be judged by the same standard. Now, if God realization is the only true goal of human existence, then morality—the good of the people—indicates whatever way of life will bring them to this stage. And, except in terms of this pursuit of God realization, “morality” does not exist.
Further, the approach to God cannot be created at a convention of human minds; it has already been outlined by God Himself, as He has directly addressed mankind through The Holy Bible, The Koran, The Bhagavad Gita, and the other Scriptures of the world. Therefore what is necessary now, for Dr. Spock and the Rev. Coffin quite as surely as for President Johnson and his allies, is to look into the directions and teachings of the Scriptures. The solution to the problems of war and peace can be found there, because the single valid, irrevocable standard of morality can be found there: the guidance and revelation of God, Who declares Himself in The Gita to be the Friend and Maintainer of all creatures without exception or discrimination. Without reference to this standard of morality, neither the doves nor the hawks can actually claim morality as their own.
Institutional humanism
The first mantra of Sri Ishopanishad, one of the oldest of the Upanishads, states:
Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one must not accept other things, knowing well to Whom they belong.
This is a call for a change in consciousness, not a change of institutions. It states that one must recognize the supremacy of God in the practical terms of ownership, and that Krishna’s ownership extends to every being and object. Simply to pray to God to supply us with peace, after we’ve prayed for Him to supply us with plenty, is not the pure consciousness recommended in Sri Ishopanishad.
Similarly, in The Holy Bible, when asked what the first commandment of the Lord might be, Jesus Christ replied:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Love here is not an intonation or formality. It is advised to love God “with all thy heart,“ no simple matter. But Jesus Christ taught that, with this as the first business of life, the pure love of other beings could be achieved.
Like the message of Sri Ishopanishad, this message of Lord Jesus implies the ownership of God over man. To love God completely is to give oneself into His hands completely, to serve Him and follow Him completely.
It will be unnecessary, I think, to labor the point. There is a real fulfillment for human beings, and that fulfillment lies in the realm of transcendental bliss, the ecstasy of love of God. It has nothing to do with material prosperity, with material peace or war. And to achieve this state of fulfillment, one must recognize—in the most concrete of terms, terms of property rights—that God is supreme . If Americans, if Vietnamese, if peace workers and military strategists alike can give up their false concepts of ownership, if the United Nations can stop trying to parcel out the world’s wealth as though it were the exclusive possession of mankind, then peace will prevail. Otherwise, the situation that presents itself is one of thieves trying to divide their spoils with equanimity. Being thieves in the first place, equanimity can never realistically be expected.
In this sense we must also look at the present labors of the peace movement as no more than karma—the reverse side of the coin of war. One man is trying to exploit Nature through battle, another through law, another through human consensus, another through fair play. Someone offers communism. Someone offers compassion. Someone offers freedom of the press. The problem, however, lies not in our systems, but in our directions. Until the human race gives up all its schemes for exploiting Nature, it will never be free of the evils of Nature. It will never be able to release itself from the dualities of pleasure and pain, affluence and poverty, war and peace, which are a part of Nature. And, furthermore, these schemes cannot be given up unless there is something better, something more desirable, to replace them. This most desirable of objects is love of God.
That the Rev. Coffin wastes his valuable time testing the constitutionality of worldly laws is therefore a commentary upon the pointlessness of the peace movement. That Dr. Spock stands at his side, trying to create in a nation’s institutions a kind of humanism which its people do not feel in their own hearts, with his clinical advocacy of “preferably religious” convictions, punctuates the problem. The secular atmosphere of the Community Church auditorium, with its images only of Gandhi and Schweitzer, with its hymnals that proclaim true worship to be the “celebration of life,“ where God is only called upon to help us push forward our own affairs, perhaps completes the picture. It is a picture of good men chasing bad men, who are chasing good men all in circles, endlessly.
Guru
Guru
By Sudama das brahmacary
|t was a very hot day in Oregon, in August of 1968. I awoke rather early, which for me and the people I was around at that time was somewhat unusual. Usually, coming down from last night’s drugs, everyone would rise sometime after noon. On that day, as on every day, I awoke with a feeling of separation, a searching for, a longing for…
All my friends at that time were also into this feeling of separation, searching for something and someone to say what we all wanted to hear, that would guide us out of material existence, the Maya that we were all living under. Someone to answer the questions in our minds. We were all, I think unhappy; yet we would smile and pretend to one another that everything would work out, that the world would be all right very soon. We didn’t know that there is no happiness in material existence, or that drugs and sex are only temporary, or that our search for complete sense gratification on the material plane would run us, like everyone, further and deeper into the pit of mundane existence. Instead of progressing out of the concept of the body, we all thought that putting drugs inside the body would be the answer to our search. The unfortunate thing is that most of my friends still think and feel that way.
On that early-rising day, I started out for a walk through the woods, mostly to get away from all the nonsense, and also to read. Most of the books that had held my interest during the past three or four years had dealt with Eastern thought, astrology, occultism, Zen, Tibetan and Hatha Yoga, etc. But most of those books that I had come across I could not finish. They were all lacking something.
A friend of mine, who was living on the farm where I was a guest at the time, had his school bus—made into his home—parked nearby in the woods. He had a small library there, and I set out for the bus knowing that it would be deserted just then. I entered the bus and went straight for the bookshelf. Every book on the shelf I had seen before, except for three brown hardbacks entitled “Srimad Bhagwatam,“ volumes 1, 2, and 3, by A. C . Bhaktivedanta Swami. There was dust covering the three volumes. I picked them up and dusted them off and started reading the very first page that had print on it:
“All Glory to Sri Guru and Gouranga.“
The language hypnotized me, to say the least, and I couldn’t put the book down. After about two days of reading, I began to feel out of place around my friends. My only thoughts were of those books and that author. I knew that it was time for me to leave Oregon. I started making plans to go to India and search out this Swami Bhaktivedanta.
The day of my departure from Oregon, I asked my friend for the volumes, which he was not reading. At first I was afraid he would refuse me the books, but I thought that if I was meant to read them, they would be mine. I had grown very attached to them. His answer to me was yes: “The books are yours now, take them with you.” I was overjoyed.
I took a plane to Los Angeles to see my family. I told them of my plans to go to India and seek out the Swami. They were all for my happiness and my journey, and gave me as much help as possible. I was to leave in a month. Then I went to San Francisco to make arrangements for my trip.
While reading the first volume I had seen, “Radha Krishna Temple, Vrindaban U. P. “ as the publisher’s address. Now I remembered that there was a Radha Krishna temple in San Francisco, and so I walked to the temple and saw a devotee by the name of Sachisuta Das Brahmachary. I asked him when services were held, and he told me that they had Kirtan in the mornings at 7 a.m., and Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7 p.m. I returned the following Monday morning, to find out with surprise that the same Swami Bhaktivedanta I was planning to go and find would be arriving in about two weeks.
During those next weeks the temple became my home, and all the devotees I felt were my true friends. I surrendered myself to Krishna and to Swamiji, and was welcomed by all the devotees. The Sunday of Swamiji’s arrival came, and when I saw my Spiritual Master, tears came flowing. My tears of ecstasy have not yet stopped, nor will they ever.
The Knowledge Implosion
The Knowledge Implosion
By Nayana Bhiram Das Brahmachary
More than one out of every five American adults, 25 million in all, are actively engaged in some form of educational pursuit, according to a recent Carnegie Corporation Survey. The above figures do not include unmarried people under 21, who make up most of an additional 5 million undergraduate students. And it doesn’t speak of public school students at all. As more people are engaging their leisure time in educational activities, naturally greater sums are being spent on books. Publishers in the U.S. report sales of last year’s books to have totalled $1.2 billion, a 10.6% increase over the previous year, and the general trend over the past fifteen years is in this direction. The printing industry has also been affected by the upsurge of interest in learning, to the extent that it now produces 16,000 printed sheets of paper an hour. The fact is that the world in general and the United States in particular are witnessing an unprecedented demand for knowledge, ranging from the latest in technology to the most obscure of trivia. There are many reasons put forward for this, such as prosperity, economic rivalry in cold war competition, technological advancement, etc. Media analyst Marshall McLuhan credits television with having whetted the world’s appetite for more knowledge in depth. With its “stress on participation, dialogue, and depth,” McLuhan observes, tv is largely responsible for the crash programming in education. Its appeal to the tactile rather then visual sense has brought on the great inundation of paperback books.
Setting aside the medium itself, and venturing into the forbidden realm of the message, what is it that people are learning; and just what, if anything, do they expect to find out? According to Sigmund Freud, all questions that children ask can be reduced to one: “Where do I come from, and who am I?” The pioneering psychoanalyst asserted that a child wants to find out about the process of sexual reproduction, but because of an insufficient fund of knowledge, cannot comprehend its full significance. Hence the child asks so many questions. Sex, however, does not provide a real solution to our quest for an ultimate source or absolute identity. Sex is the vehicle of material birth, but not the key to the source. It does not tell us the origin or nature of consciousness, which is the real “I” that the child is asking about.
The first principle of Krishna Consciousness, as found in The Bhagavad Gita and other Vedic sources, is expressed in the Sanskrit formula, “Aham Brahmasmi.“ I am not this body, but pure spirit soul. Therefore, any ultimate answers, in order to give complete satisfaction to the individual, must of necessity relate to the spirit, and also to the Supreme Spirit, or Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna. This is explained in the First Canto of The Srimad Bhagwatam, where in addressing the sages of Naimisharanya, Suta Goswami says that there is “public welfare” even in just asking about God.
There is no benefit or public welfare in material questions and answers, because ultimately they cannot save us from—nor clearly explain—death. This is illustrated in the story of the scholar and the boatman: In India, where there are many rivers, travel by ferryboat is not uncommon. Once there was a pedantic scholar who, while being ferried across a river, kept plaguing the boatman with his useless questions:
“Do you know astronomy?”
“No,” replied the poor boatman, “I’m ignorant and don’t know anything about astronomy.“
“Oh,” scoffed the scholar.“ Then 20% of your life has been wasted. Do you at least know any literature?”
The boatman again had to admit, “No. In fact, I can’t even read.“
“Then 50% of your life has been wasted.” And so on.
While the two were thus engaged, a tempest arose and smashed at the boat, which began to capsize. All at once the scholar lost his composure, and started yelling for help.
“Can’t you swim?” enquired the boatman.
The poor puffed up scholar had never learned.
“Now, one hundred per cent of your life has been wasted!“ the boatman cried through the foaming storm.
Anyone who studies this and that branch of knowledge, without taking up Krishna Consciousness, the ultimate inquiry into knowledge of the Absolute, has simply wasted 100% of his life. Only knowledge of Lord Sri Krishna, the Godhead, can save one from death. Information on the material platform is always becoming obsolete because this material world is only temporary, both in its totality and in its parts. Whatever is here is here for some time only, and then it passes away. So this human life with its valuable asset of developed consciousness should not be wasted in dabbling at mental play.
Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending are aspects of cat and dog life as much as of human. The human form, however, is meant for more—for self realization. This term means to understand that I am part and parcel of God, Sri Krishna, and that my true nature is to render loving service to Him. The aim of education, as well as the overall aim of civilization itself, should be this self realization.
Unesco, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is currently pursuing a massive campaign to combat illiteracy, and has proposed that no less than $480 million be spent in the next ten years in order to make 330 million adults literate. Simply propagating literacy for its own sake, however, is of little real benefit to anyone so long as the basic questions regarding identity, being, and God are neglected. What good is learning about material Nature if one does not know how to escape from its miseries? Instead of eradicating ignorance, the U.N. is actually spreading it so long as it tries to impose upon mankind a sophisticated world view centered on the economic exploitation of Nature, rather than to offer an inquiry into the origin of material Nature itself. And beyond this lies knowledge of the distinctions between matter and the spiritual living force. Ignorance can only really be eradicated by the propagation of Krishna Consciousness, which teaches these things. This method of God realization is simple and sublime, and anyone can take it up, just by chanting the names of God: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Lord Chaitanya, Who was an incarnation of Krishna Himself, posed as one of the many fools of the present age in introducing this chanting of Hare Krishna. His Spiritual Master had told Him, He once explained, that He could not understand the Vedanta philosophy, and so was forbidden to tamper with it. Certainly, the Lord was no fool, but He was setting an example for us to follow. For if He, as the greatest scholar of His day, agreed not to engage in mental speculation, then we certainly should not do so.
There is another story of Lord Chaitanya and an illiterate brahmin whom He met one day as He was walking through a wood. The brahmin was holding a volume of The Bhagavad Gita in his hands and was weeping emotionally. When the Lord enquired why he was weeping, the brahmin opened The Gita and pointed to an illustration of Krishna driving Arjuna’s chariot, at which he wept anew.
“Although I cannot read,“ explained the brahmin, “I’m holding this Gita and seeing how the Lord is so merciful! He is driving Arjuna’s chariot just like a servant, because of His love for His pure devotee.“
“Ah! You are the true Bhagavad Gita scholar!” Lord Chaitanya exclaimed.
All the pedants, scholars and fools who try to study the Vedic writing do not know that to surrender to Krishna in love is the final teaching of the Vedas. In The Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says: “I am the Knower, the Compiler, and the Goal of the Vedas. “As Lord Chaitanya pointed out, this understanding is the real aim of all education.
Modern educational systems are generally a failure because, even though seemingly advanced in terms of paraphernalia, the emphasis is on material advancement rather than spiritual, and the people are therefore more miserable than ever, despite the wondrous achievements of technology. People are more miserable because any attempt to exploit and lord over material Nature is doomed to frustration and failure. And any system which encourages people to hope for the conquest of Nature and the glorification of man in the place of God is merely an agency of torment, aggravating the misfortunes of the material condition.
Real advancement in education comes through hearing of the transcendental pastimes of Lord Sri Krishna and His pure devotees. Krishna Consciousness, therefore, is the highest form of education. There is no question here of learning something alien. Rather, this science will revive the dormant Krishna Consciousness already present in our hearts. We have only to try it—to inquire and serve—and we will realize our eternally blissful and fully knowledgeable nature. When we are Krishna conscious, we can see Krishna in everything, and understand that everything belongs to Him. This is real knowledge.
Back to Godhead Magazine #21, 1968
“The recommended process for God realization in this Age is chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”-A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Editorial
Editorial
2001: A Credibility Gap
Do them there scientists have the right to play God? In the November 16 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, there is an article entitled “We Scientists Have the Right to Play God,” in which Dr. Edmund R. Leach of King’s College, Cambridge, says they do.
First off, Dr. Leach dispatches the original God with a few deft strokes of the pen: “Our idea of God is a product of history.” “Everyone now knows that the cosmology that is presupposed by the language of Christian utterance is quite unrelated to any empirical reality.” And: “The God of Judeo-Christianity is, in all His aspects … anthropomorphic.”
In the latter two sentences, however, the Doctor displays the usual fault of the modern atheist, in that he attacks the somewhat limited presentations of Judaeo-Christianity, but ignores the far more comprehensive, systematic and scientific approach to spiritual reality found in the Vedic writings of India. These writings, as we have frequently tried to demonstrate in BACK TO GODHEAD, not only do not contend with most of the findings of modern science (e.g., evolution and nuclear physics) but outline these concepts in great detail, and then go far beyond them into realms which today’s researcher would dare to look upon only as “speculative.” Furthermore, they bridge the gap between science and faith, and emphatically support the basic teachings of all the world’s great religions.
Of course, in his eagerness to play God, Dr. Leach has no time for anything as troublesome as an exhaustive examination of more Scriptures. He wants to get on to the much more serious business of Dreaming Up Tomorrows, which is about all our scientists today can do to justify themselves, what with The Bomb and chemical-biological warfare—not to mention the industrial ghetto—representing past and present achievements.
Dr. Leach makes two very fundamental errors in the course of his article, and these are well worth looking into: First, he assumes that scientists can, if they choose, create a new morality by which civilization will be benefitted. Second, he concludes that man—that life itself—is no more than an organic, material “mechanism.”
In regard to the first error, we should recognize the fact that scientists need money from outside their own community in order to carry on their researches. And this money can only come from industry and government, sometimes through the medium of the university, sometimes not. In any case, the fact is that our present world economic systems—in both Russia and the West—have proved themselves unable to remain healthy and stable without resort to imperialism and other means of exploitation to stimulate them. For example, even as this is being written, the bombing halt in North Viet Nam is causing slowdowns at a number of American plants. Total peace will lead, inevitably, to a state of widespread unemployment with which our economic policymakers are unable to contend—short of involvement in another crisis situation.
Now, as the governments and industries of the world must, under the present system, commit themselves to war and exploitation in order to survive, we cannot deny the fact that their wealth is going to be channelled toward that end in the future as much as in the past. And our scientists are by no means likely to leave their fold in any sizable numbers, to starve in, perhaps, the manner that artists in the past have starved. In the case of the scientists, this would make work itself impossible.
Even when it does turn to projects of peace, however, the value of modern science to man remains highly questionable. Take, for example, the enormous amounts of wealth that our nations are throwing away today in order to place a few experimenters on the admittedly barren wastes of the Moon.
As to the second error—the concept of life as a “machine”—we suggest that if this is so, morality as an independent function of the human mind, which Dr. Leach asserts it is, cannot exist. Unless something lies outside the machine, all is mechanical, is it not? Our moralizing, our thinking, our very being must all be geared and determined.
The failure of science to inquire further in this direction—into the nature of pure consciousness and its distinction from matter—is, we strongly urge, the reason why men like Dr. Leach continue to offer us all the rosy tomorrows we could ever hope to ask for, while presenting in reality such things as nuclear weapons and fallout, chemical and biological devices of incredible horror, defoliates, napalm and far more (remember where LSD began?) as the practical results of their endeavors. If we were scientists ourselves—psychologists, that is—we might put forward some rather sharp hypotheses as to why such a gap between promise and performance exists.
But this might be more easily explained by recognizing the fact that scientists have done nothing but “play” God for two hundred years and more. It’s nice for Dr. Leach, of course, to urge the scientific community to look for a moral code to govern itself. It’s only high time—if not too late—for these men to rejoin the human race. We only wish to suggest that such an endeavor begin, however, by discarding the narrow-minded anti-religious prejudice which has so long held science back from a serious study of spiritual life and values.
The Beach Boys Talk About Transcendental Meditation
The Beach Boys Talk About Transcendental Meditation
Backstage at New York’s FilImore East, Purushottam and Gargamuni, two students of the Krishna Consciousness Yoga system, met Car! Wilson, his brother Dennis, and Mike Love—three members of the critically acclaimed Beach Boys rock group. The discussion, taped for BACK TO GODHEAD Magazine, went like this:
PURUSHOTTAM: I’d like to discuss transcendental meditation with you. First of all, are you practicing any form of meditation now?
CARL: Yes, I am.
PURUSHOTTAM: How did you first get into meditation practice?
CARL: Well, I was introduced to transcendental meditation, and I found it to be a great thing for me. You know, nowadays we don’t really have a feeling of well being as much as they did at other times. Of course, it isn’t something that we really know about, you know. You just meditate, and through a long period of time you develop something, a state of awareness that is really good. It’s really just natural. But I definitely feel the influence and the help of it when I do meditate. And when I don’t, I miss it. I stopped meditating for about a month, a month and a half, and then I really noticed it. I really did.
PURUSHOTTAM: Do you have any special object of meditation? What do you consider to be the goal in meditation, the supreme state?
CARL: Bliss consciousness. I’m sure that all forms of meditation are really designed to do the same thing. To bring you to a higher state of awareness. Something above the everyday life. To bring you closer to God and like that.
PURUSHOTTAM: Do you believe that the power of a mantra could actually bring you to a supreme realization?
CARL: Well, I know that it’s worked for others. For myself I don’t know. Because I haven’t—I’m not at that state right now. And I certainly wouldn’t say so if I didn’t experience it for myself. But I know that if I were to stay with meditation a long time, just to meditate—I think that I could reach a state like that. Yes. Because I’ve always felt the Divine Power running through me. And I felt the love a lot. And, you know, that’s the thing—that I’ve always felt things like that for a long time. And I never really tried to categorize them or try to pin them down. And when I found meditation I felt it more, and I felt it all the time. It wasn’t just a once-in-awhile thing. That’s an important thing. That you can feel it whenever you want.
PURUSHOTTAM: What part do you think the Spiritual Master or Guru plays in bringing the disciple to this point? Is he essential, or is he—
CARL: I think he’s an important instrument. He can be a great help.
PURUSHOTTAM: In what way?
CARL: Well, because he’s teaching somebody to be like that. He can bring you up to his level. That’s his position. I mean, if he knows and you don’t, then you’ve got to listen to him or else how are you going to learn? He should be able to guide you, right? And know all about the spirit. Like what you read about in Scriptures.
PURUSHOTTAM: Do you hold as valid authority the words of the saints and sages in the Scriptures?
CARL: Yes, I do. One thing I do think is that a lot of them are grossly misinterpreted, though. Just like the Bible, for instance. The grossest misinterpretations. It’s hard to believe! Like we were singing a song the other day, “Didn’t It Rain.” Do you know that one?
PURUSHOTTAM: Yes.
CARL: It’s a spiritual, you know. An old Negro spiritual. And it was about it raining and flooding and all that. In the song they make it into just a story, I guess. I don’t know why they have to misinterpret it. I don’t know what made them think of it the way they did. But, you know, of course, we could experience the same thing. I think that maybe now people would try to … to say it like it is. To say simply that, well, you know, people were treating the earth bad, and they were abusing it and putting a lot of pressure on the earth in different places. Like in Manhattan, and like in Los Angeles for example. It’s just, you know, it’s just a bad thing to do to Nature. It’s sinful, really.
PURUSHOTTAM: How do you think one can tell if a Scripture is being interpreted correctly or incorrectly? How would you judge it?
CARL: It’s hard to say. I wouldn’t know for myself, but I think that the spiritual master could help you with this if you want to know what it’s saying exactly. I mean if he knows then he can tell you where it’s at. Do you agree?
PURUSHOTTAM: Definitely.
CARL: Actually, I’ve never really gotten into the Bible that much, or any Scripture. I’ll tell you, I did read THE PROPHET, and I think that that is a beautiful thing. I haven’t yet been into any of the things that your Guru has written. I’d like to, though. You know, even before meditation and the whole thing, I was really inclined to … to feel things, and feel things deep. And … I would have feelings that something was or wasn’t real, you know. And to myself I knew it. I don’t know why. But I just felt that. You can’t explain it. Cause, possibly, from a different incarnation, you just know, you retain knowledge. And it gets through to you.
PURUSHOTTAM: You believe in reincarnation?
CARL: Definitely.
PURUSHOTTAM: And that the soul is an eternal part of God?
CARL: Oh, yes. Of course.
PURUSHOTTAM: If you accept that you are not just a body but are spirit soul, what do you think is the purpose of your taking births in the material world? Have you ever thought about that?
CARL: Yeah, I’ve thought about it. I’m sure there are a lot more reasons than we would ever dream about. I don’t really know, though.
PURUSHOTTAM: Do you think that meditation could help you in someday realizing this?
CARL: Sure.
PURUSHOTTAM: In what way?
CARL: Well, I think that it would help, you know, that you could rediscover yourself. A lot of the point is to get out of illusions of forgetting about the spirit. I know then you would become evenly balanced, you know, and gain greater happiness and peace. At that point I think you would know more about who you are and why you’re here. And, I mean, in a lot of cases, if you balance yourself, you can only go straight ahead. It takes control, though.
PURUSHOTTAM: Do you try to control your mind?
CARL: Well, at this stage I don’t know if I can control my mind or not. I don’t think I can control what I think. I can’t help it, you know. That’s just the way it is, so I don’t get hung up about it. But I do know people think too much about things that turn out to be just not worth thinking of. I know meditation can get you more on the right track of forgetting illusions and thinking of the spirit and things like that. Of course, I’m not in that state. I don’t control my mind. I wouldn’t want to try to say what it would be like. I haven’t been there, you know. If I find out at some point that I’m able to control it, and that I would be happier, or that I could get along better, you know, and it’d be a better atmosphere, I suppose I’d always try it. But nobody’s ever laid that on me, so I don’t know.
PURUSHOTTAM: Do you feel that the people who are in the youth movements which are trying to change the world, do you think that if they had a better understanding of what life is, and what truth is, that this understanding would help them achieve better results?
CARL: Definitely. But the problem is people are gonna be on different levels all the time. So you can’t tell them all what it’s gonna be because a lot just aren’t ready to listen. It’s an individual thing, itsn’t it? For instance, not everybody’s at the same place at the same time, so you can’t say, “OK kids, uh, let’s do this!” cause that’s not the way it is, and it’s never gonna be that way. I mean, there’ve been a lot of writings saying that there’s going to be a holocaust, and then there’ll be only the good souls left. I guess that’s their karma, those that are worth it probably will be around after this kind of thing happens. But you can’t plan it. Maybe Scriptures know it, but I don’t.
PURUSHOTTAM: Do you have any special feelings about any particular Scripture? Do you regard any one with special reverence?
CARL: Well, I’ve always felt that Christ was a really great person. A great spiritual leader. I think that, you know, people misinterpret, and they … people blew it … they’re not doing what he wanted. He probably said to worship and get to know about God and Truth. Like in Yoga you get into that. Of course, I can’t say what the right interpretation of the Bible should be, right? Because I haven’t really read it enough, so I wouldn’t be dumb enough to say, “Now, like here. It’s like this.” Because I really don’t know.
PURUSHOTTAM: In your meditations, have you ever chanted the Hare Krishna Mantra?
CARL: No, I never have. Is it a thing you have to be initiated into?
PURUSHOTTAM: No. It’s for everyone.
CARL: [pointing to Purushottam’s bead bag] Are these things here something to…
GARGAMUNI: They’re prayer beads.
CARL: Oh, prayer beads. You keep your beads in them.
GARGAMUNI: Yes. The idea is to engage all of the senses in the process of meditation. To help us to engage the mind on the chanting, we use the sense of touch. Incense helps us to engage the sense of smell. For the eyes we look at pictures of Krishna. So in that way, every sense becomes engaged. To engage the sense of taste, we eat food that we offer. We offer our food to the Lord. We cook vegetarian meals that come out of the Vedic Scriptures.
CARL: Are you vegetarian?
GARGAMUNI: Yes.
CARL: How do you like it?
GARGAMUNI: Oh, it’s great!
CARL: You know, I got on a vegetarian thing, and sometimes I … like I had meat tonight, you know, and it was, you know, it was … I don’t know. (laughs) It’s hard to know what to think about things like that. It’s kind of confusing, isn’t it?
PURUSHOTTAM: You discussed before the spirit soul being reincarnated. Wouldn’t you say that it’s wrong to kill animals because they’re spirit souls also?
CARL: Certainly ! I think it’s wrong to kill a flea, or a fly or anything. A plant or a … you know. Everything is part of Nature. I don’t like to kill anything. Sometimes I really think it’s wrong to eat meat. Yeah, see now, that’s a thing that I think about a lot.
DENNIS: [entered a few minutes before, and now joined in the discussion] Hey man, a piece of wheat growing in the field has just as much right to be alive as a rabbit.
GARGAMUNI: Yes, that’s true.
CARL: I guess everything’s relative. How does your Guru look at that?
PURUSHOTTAM: Well, we learn from The Bhagavad Gita that everything is here for Krishna and is created by Him just for His pleasure. So we use everything in serving His pleasure. We offer all of our food to Him before we eat it and that absolves us from the sin of killing plants. Krishna doesn’t like to eat meat, so we don’t offer it, and therefore we don’t eat it.
CARL: Is Krishna … He was here on the Earth, wasn’t He? Is He still here now?
PURUSHOTTAM: Krishna’s actually always here, but He was visible to everyone on this planet 5,000 years ago. In the Vedic Scriptures the process is described where we can realize Krishna as the Supreme Person and Creator. At that stage you can see that Krishna is always in everything.
CARL: Oh, I see. Yeah.
PURUSHOTTAM: Were you ever religious, in the usual sense of the word?
CARL: I don’t know if I could say I was religious at all, but, you know, I … I always knew that there was a Supreme Being, and I always had a lot of peace of mind about that. And I’ve always thought of God as the Protector. I’ve always known little stupid things, like I’d never get hurt doing this or that, and I’d never … I’ve always known that nothing would ever happen like in a car or a plane or something, you know. Something on that level. I’ve always known that inside. I know that meditation can probably make someone feel it more.
DENNIS: So why are we in this situation? Why is it like that?
CARL: Because we deserve it. Because you get EXACTLY what you deserve, no matter what happens at any time. You’re always gonna get exactly what comes to you. Because you reap exactly what you sow. Is that what your Swami says?
PURUSHOTTAM: Well, yes. He says that if we desire material life then we have to accept the dualities of the material world. And there has to be death and competition for living. But Krishna is waiting for us, and as soon as we turn to spiritual life we can transcend and be free of the material miseries.
CARL: Yeah, well, I’d like to see how your meditation goes. It’s Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, right?
[Little cards were given to Carl and Dennis, on which were written the Maha Mantra. For about five minutes everyone chanted together. Dennis danced, while Carl sat on the couch concentrating on his card.]
CARL: You do that over and over again?
PURUSHOTTAM: Yes.
CARL: What do the words mean?
PURUSHOTTAM: “Hare” means the energy of God. Krishna and Rama are different names for God. This chant is described in Vedic Scriptures as the most perfect means of God realization, because it can be done anytime or anyplace.
DENNIS: Don’t you know you are God? You don’t ever have to do nothing! You’re IT! You’ve always been here. There’s only one thing happening and its right now. And you’ll never do nothing else. Never, really. Everything IS for a purpose. Everything just IS, you know. And then that’s all there is to it. Everything IS, right? So…
CARL: But what he’s saying, Dennis, is like people are waiting around and thinking, “Well, something is going to happen here,” right? And so I think that’s the point they’re trying to make. I think—of course I may not understand…
DENNIS: There’s only one thing wrong, man, and it’s right now. This sound you hear right here …[claps] … it’s the most important thing you’ve ever heard, because the sound is right now.
PURUSHOTTAM: The sound is gone but you’re still here, you know.
DENNIS: Why do I want to know something? I’m here! Hallelujah! The only thing that’s happening is right now, you know, and that’s why this is here sound, music, your thing that you’re doing! What’s important? Everything is the same. It’s all important. God’s in everything!
PURUSHOTTAM: Do you really see that?
DENNIS: Everyone does, man. It’s like that. You don’t have to do anything. It’s already there. That’s the beauty.
GARGAMUNI: Then why are so many people unhappy in the world?
DENNIS: Because that’s what they want to be. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if someone sees sorrow and bitterness and all that crap, you know—well, you have to stay clear!
CARL: The point they’re making, Dennis, is helping people like that out of it. Like, in other words, good will towards men. I mean, it just is true that God is all great, and there’s no such thing as unfairness, because that just doesn’t happen. Really. Because that’s impossible. Either that, or the whole thing about a Supreme Being is a hype. Right?
DENNIS: You are the Supreme Being. You got to see it. You are what you see. Right?
PURUSHOTTAM: It may sound nice to say that I am God, but it’s not what God Himself says, and what realized souls say in the Scriptures. Christ didn’t say that we ARE God but that we should worship God. The Vedic Scriptures say that the spirit soul has the same nature as God qualitatively, but not in the same quantity. In other words, we have the same qualities of bliss, eternity and all knowledge as God. But in the material world, we’ve fallen into illusion, and God can never fall into illusion and suffering. Or else how can you call Him God?
CARL: Yeah, but you see, I can’t picture it. I’m not there yet, where I really know that. I think you’d have to be very advanced.
MIKE LOVE: [entering end seeing the interviewer’s beadbag] What’s that?
CARL: Those are his prayer beads.
DENNIS: Is this bag just a thing to protect them?
GARGAMUNI: Yes.
MIKE: It doesn’t matter what it is, then?
GARGAMUNI: No. It’s just a tradition, over thousands of years. This is just a kind of bag…
DENNIS: Is there any importance in that tradition?
GARGAMUNI: Well, yeah. Tradition helps us to become more God conscious. Not that it’s a tradition that we have to abide by, but it’s a means of helping.
CARL: They’re just there to help anyway.
DENNIS: Suppose somebody came up with a bag that was just a little bit better? I mean, if that’s just a function, it could be a little more subtle.
GARGAMUNI: Right, right. There’s no set rules.
CARL: You know, there are lots of people trying to be happy, trying to turn other people on to good things. Like there are people faking acid, people doing this, people doing that. Everybody … everybody wants the same thing really.
PURUSHOTTAM: Would you say that drugs would ultimately be a help or a hindrance for someone who’s seeking realization?
CARL: Well, I know that grass helped me. You know, I smoked grass.
PURUSHOTTAM: At the ultimate stage of realization, do you think that grass will still be necessary?
CARL: In some way, I think it helped me. But I didn’t say anything about realization. I know drugs aren’t natural like a chant can be. They can’t be really where it’s at. It’s really actually upsetting your nervous system to take drugs and stuff like that. They are unnatural to have in your nervous system. That thing of karma … Maybe some people don’t really think they should be happy, or maybe somewhere in their soul they know that they’re supposed to be, because everybody knows what’s happening. It’s probably hidden somewhere. Anyway, we’re all from the same place, really. We all know the same thing, I think, if we know anything. I mean, we’re all from the Universe, right? Like I said before, right now I can’t see anything. I’m not going to tell anybody where it’s at, because I wouldn’t want to say I know.
[Showtime ended the discussion at this point.]
Book Review
Book Review
Avoid Fanaticism—Believe In Nothing
The True Believer by Eric Hoffer; Harper & Row, 1966, 151 pps; $.60.
Eric Hoffer, a self-made man, a longshoreman—philosopher, has been chosen by President Johnson to serve on a committee studying violence in the United States. No doubt this book, written just prior to the outbreak of the Korean War, served as one of his qualifications. Anyway, LBJ “likes” Hoffer and the feeling is mutual; and so it appears that Hoffer has been accepted by the Establishment as a reasonable man. Even though he gives a first impression of fierce independence, to be sure, he ends up supporting the political powers that be every time. His attitude, reminiscent of the Objectivism of Ayn Rand, another popular rough-and-tough individualist, might be labelled Cynicism. To take up Cynicism, all we have to do is profess belief in this ultimate value: our own individual self-interest. The subject of THE TRUE BELIEVER is Mass Movements, and more particularly, the kind of persons who attach themselves to large-scale revolutionary, nationalistic, or religious uprisings. Hoffer calls such men fanatics, and he doesn’t like ‘em. They are “ruthless, self-righteous, credulous, disputatious, petty and rude.” True Believers are anti-present and pro-future: they can’t stand reality and are ready to give themselves to an impossible dream. They are anti-self, and only want to dissolve their existence in a larger corporate identity. A mass movement’s program is not important. Any cause will do for the fanatics.
Hoffer’s favorite adjective for the villains of his piece is “frustrated”—the assumption being they aren’t strong enough to face themselves and make a go of it in the world, so in their weakness they are driven to chasing illusions.
But—and this is a crucial exception to his main trend of thought—he admits that, given the heroic efforts of fanatics, “‘Things which are not’ are indeed mightier than ‘things that are.’” Now, to Hoffer, this must be a terrifying prospect: could it be that these misfits really obey a law higher than the status quo he defends? Is that apparent illusion actually a more fundamental reality? Again, near the end of the book, he says, “A genuine popular upheaval is often an invigorating, renovating and integrating process … a miraculous instrument for raising societies and nations from the dead—an instrument of resurrection.“ It’s hard to think that all these religious terms are lost on Hoffer. Elsewhere he states that “religiofication” is necessary for a movement to be successful—and, through all the psychological and political reasoning, this chord sounds most strongly.
When he decides to praise movements, Hoffer usually prefaces his sentences with “Strangely enough,” or “It is strange to think…” So, putting them all together, he sees that radicals can cause an invigorating and strangely miraculous resurrection for the sake of things which do not exist.
Yes; very strange that so much energy can be motivated by illusions and come out creating things positive. Without True Believers, the world becomes stagnant. But, for Hoffer, the only reason men become fanatics is their own individual stagnation—this is the main point of the book.
He doesn’t mince around here. For example: “People with a sense of fulfillment think it is a good world and would like to conserve it as it is, while the frustrated favor radical change.“ In another place he points to “men of outstanding achievement” and “people who live full, worthwhile lives” as the opposite numbers of the man-with-a-cause.
Exactly who is “outstanding” is not clearly stated, but there is certainly a suggestion that it is the financially comfortable middle class, which fears change the most. Why are they being praised? Ah, but here Hoffer chooses to employ the “objectivity” of the social scientist. Though he gives no end of examples to bolster his use of the words “frustrated misfits” for the extremists, he gracefully declines from giving affirmative examples for the “worthwhile” folks who made his book a best-seller. Apparently he doesn’t want to sway our opinion. As a matter of fact, he gives only the most unflattering motivations for the conservatism of the “inert Mass,“ indicating a certain lack of respect for them; but he certainly is affectionate toward their respectability as such, their contentment with “things as they are.“
Anyway, in a group called The Worst, part of a social structure of Hoffer’s design, he gathers all those who are an easy mark for a mass movement’s recruiting program: “failures, misfits, outcasts, criminals, and all those who have lost their footing, or never had one, in the ranks of respectable humanity.“
These unfavorable prospects “join a mass movement to escape individual responsibility … to escape from an ineffectual self … to seek refuge from the anxieties, barrenness and meaninglessness of an individual existence.“ The message is clear. And the fanatic becomes dangerous, building a program of hate based on “the delight of the frustrated in chaos and the downfall of the fortunate.“
THE TRUE BELIEVER is studded with examples, most of them, on the face of it, quite convincing. It seems, for instance, that Martin Luther often found it easier to concentrate on his prayers if he thought about his enemies rather than his friends; Hitler originally had plans to be a painter and architect, but felt himself to be a failure; and so on.
Hoffer’s bias is not his alone. Whenever one dissenter decries a deplorable situation, many others, eager to protect their hard-earned gains, will point out the critic’s personal failings and assert his cause to be simply a cover-up, a means of escaping the ugly reality of his own existence. It’s an old trick. And it’s one of the main reasons why so many people saw in Robert and John Kennedy the hopes of changing our world. Being in so many ways favored, they seemed to stand above the suspicions elucidated so clearly in THE TRUE BELIEVER.
This general assumption is all too often extended to mean that there are no causes worth fighting for, that there is no reality transcending the most mundane aspects of materialistic living. “Ordinary” life is indeed boring, but the cynic must affirm it, idolizing those who have somehow beat the game “in commerce or industry,“ as Hoffer puts it. The ideal, like that of the Practical Organization he speaks of, is always one’s own self: self-interest, self-reliance, selfadvancement.
The Cynic believes that the fanatic is actually just as interested in himself, but can’t admit it because he’s afraid of himself. Such thinking reveals a conception of “self” infinitely less vital than that revealed in the True Believer’s activities. Certainly, most people—conservative and radical alike—are unwilling to ask the question, “Who am I?” But to limit the driving force behind those who would change the world to a simple neurotic deficiency doesn’t begin to explain, for instance, why mass movements are necessary in human history as an “invigorating, renovating, integrating process.“ Aren’t there, after all, worthy causes?
Given these attitudes, the Cynic is doomed to a dull, secular, middle-of-the-roadism. Any established institution is OK. An army, for instance: Hoffer says an army might be like a mass movement, except that it “deals mainly with the possible.“ Whereas a mass movement runs on “passion and enthusiasm,” an army depends on “unimpassioned mechanism” in a “sober atmosphere.“ Since an army is a practical organization, then it must be sober. But I doubt Vietnam GI’s, shooting methedrine into their veins before they go out to drop napalm on people would agree. Furthermore, few commanders would be likely to tell you that the morale of their troops means nothing; and morale is no more than the intensity of passion and enthusiasm which the men feel in pursuing victory.
If a person is disgusted with the social situation around him, and I think it only reasonable to say that many human societies have had the gravest faults, he is naturally going to try to find a means to change it. So he might first go to the Communists, then to the Nazis, then to the Christians. Trial-and-error is involved. So, as Hoffer points out (with a quite different argument in mind), the Nazis found it easier to recruit from the ranks of young Communists than from the uncommitted youth. But wasn’t this because the Communists were already convinced that a radical step was necessary—and not, as Hoffer would have it, because they were willing to join any cause, no matter what its program?
The “frustrated” person’s analysis of things might be shared by a number of groups; he wants to find the one group whose solution he agrees with. And he wants to find a group, because if you want change, that’s the way to do it—you can’t change the world by yourself. To pass this off as a desire to lose real, “individual” identity in a fog of false group identity is absurd. It’s quite easy to retain one’s own personality even though political or religious convictions are shared with others. I do not doubt that Mr. Hoffer has managed to remain unsubmerged in his service to Lyndon Johnson, for example.
Also, if the fanatic is frustrated, if he has never had a firm footing, if he seeks refuge, he is really no different from anybody else in these respects. Why single him out as unique? Or does our middle-class tranquilizer epidemic have no place in Mr. Hoffer’s thinking?
Now, where is Eric Hoffer himself in all this? Probably he would like to be found in a group he calls the Creative Poor. As such, he would be free from the siren song of mass movements because “Nothing so bolsters our self-confidence and reconciles us with ourselves as the continuous ability to create; to see things grow and develop under our hand, day in, day out.“ Self-interest becomes self-glorification. The longshoreman becomes the Sunday painter, playing God, watching things grow and develop under his hand. And what is it that distinguishes the creative man? How does he hold his own? It’s “his critical faculty.” Mr. Hoffer doesn’t elaborate on Criticism, but something tells me it’s close to that Cynicism he also holds so dear. How it differs from the sort of criticism which inspires mass movements of revolution is, however, unclear.
Another name for democratic man, in Hoffer’s jargon, is “the gentle cynic.” You know the type: he accepts no truth as absolute, he always keeps a skeptical attitude, his only frame of reference is his own panoply of ever-shifting desires. He’s good for business.
Creativity amounts to nothing more than watching his thoughts change, day in, day out. There is no desire to reach a goal. Nor does he care about answers: this book “does not shy away from half-truths so long as they seem to hint at a new approach and help to formulate new questions.“ New questions. But no answers.
Lastly, who is the “self” who’s so important to this philosophy? Here is the crux of the problem. It is “our true transitory self” which is real, according to Hoffer, and not “the eternal self we are building up.“ We live within “the overwhelming reality of life and death.“ Another term for self, as he uses it, is, when you get right down to it, body. Who am I? Hoffer says, I am this body. What is my self-interest? My bodily interest; namely protecting myself from attacks, keeping my stomach full, getting enough sleep, and having sex.
Man is, however, bound to get frustrated by such a belief. He is bound to run away from a concept of self that admits only the most gross and ultimately dissatisfying of pleasures. If his culture teaches him that he is just a blob, just a combination of chemicals, only a body—hold onto your hats. He’s going to explode. That’s one good reason why there’s violence in the United States today. Most of the population is laboring under the conception that they are no more than body. And that isn’t natural. So, yes, people do get very frustrated. And they certainly do try very hard to escape from that kind of self. They’ll do anything to change the material conditions that go along with that gross bodily view of life.
But, of course, all there is to turn to in most cases, is more materialism. Therefore, Hoffer has good reason to be cynical. Monarchies, representative democracies, socialist dictatorships, welfare states—all have, in their turn, claimed to be the only proper form of government, but still the people are in revolution. Nations have formed, split up and recombined, but still people cannot find their sense of completeness.
On this planet there are three and a third billion humans, and countless billions of other living beings. And we’re all trapped—in the limited consciousness so well typified by Eric Hoffer’s book; trapped by its view, and by the views of the radicals it criticizes as well—we’re all trapped until a truly liberating movement is undertaken, a movement of liberation from materialism, and deliverance into the higher reality of spiritual consciousness.
Now, Hoffer spends a great deal of time criticizing religious movements, along with all others. Yet he sees that for any great change to take place in society, “religiofication is an indispensable factor.“ And, as explained previously, the upheavals themselves are “miraculous resurrections.“ Mass movements are religious inasmuch as they express man’s desire for an end to material suffering. But they fall short of their goal if they cannot propose a positive plan for spiritual activity, a plan that cuts through the limitations of man’s puny speculative abilities. Such a plan must come, not from man, but from God. Of course, only a fanatic would say such a thing. But then, if there is a God—and for all his cynicism, Hoffer never tries to say there isn’t—then maybe it’s the cynics and skeptics who are the fanatics, trying as they do to escape that ultimate Reality.
An Open Letter to Pope Paul VI from A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
An Open Letter to Pope Paul VI from A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ISKCON RADHA KRISHNA TEMPLE
3720 Avenue Du Parc
Montreal 18
Quebec, Canada
December, 1968
His Holiness Pope Paul VI
Vicar of Jesus Christ
State of Vatican
Rome, Italy
Your Holiness:
Please accept my respectful humble obeisances at your Lotus Feet. I beg to introduce myself as an Indian monk, following the Vedic principles of religious life. At the present, I am in the renounced order of Sannyas, aged 72 years, and am preaching God consciousness all over the world. I came to America in 1965, and since then I have many followers belonging to both Christian and Jewish faiths. And I have established a number of Krishna Consciousness temples in the USA and Canada. In the coming months, I am scheduled to go to London on this mission, and maybe I can visit other cities of European countries.
My mission is in the line of Lord Chaitanya, Who is personified Love of Godhead, and Who advented Himself 482 years ago in India, and preached God consciousness all over the country. His mission is to revive God consciousness all over the world, on the basis of Srimad Bhagwatam (The Science of God). The principle of Srimad Bhagwatam is that any religious faith which helps a man to develop love of God, without any motive, and without being hampered by any material condition, is transcendental religion. And the best process or the easiest process, in this age especially, is to chant the Holy Name of God. From this definition of religion as we find it in the Srimad Bhagwatam, the criterion of religion is how it helps people to develop their dormant love of God. This is not artificially invoked, but it is aroused from within, due to bona fide asaociation with devotees, and by hearing about God.
The human form of life is especially meant for this purpose, namely, to invoke the dormant love of God, because a higher development of consciousness is found in the human body. Animal propensities for sense gratification are equally found in both man and animals. But the special significance of human life is to achieve love of God as the prime perfection of life. Unfortunately, at the present moment people are more concerned about the principle of sense gratification, or the animal part of human life, and they are gradually declining in God consciousness. This tendency is very much increasing, and because Your Holiness is the head of a great religious sect, I think we should meet together and chalk out a program for cooperation.
Human society cannot any longer be allowed to continue a Godless civilization at the risk of decreasing truthfulness, hygienic principles and mercifulness. Because, on account of the decline of these principles at the present moment, the duration of life, strength and memory of the human being is decreasing. Human society is gradually devolving in the matter of religiousness and justice; and “might is right” is gradually taking the place of morality and justice. There is practically no more family life, and the union of man and woman is gradually coming to the standard of sexuality. I understand it from reliable sources that people are trying to get Your Holiness’ sanction for the contraceptive method, which is certainly against any religion of the world. In the Hindu religion, such contraceptive method and abortion are considered equivalent to murder.
Therefore, in the matter of sex, the human society is gradually becoming even less than the animals. As a result of unrestricted sense gratification, even in ordinary dealing a man cannot trust another man, because the cheating propensity of man has increased beyond imagination. The attraction of young boys for young girls is no longer even a matter of love, but exists only on the basis of sexual potency. And as soon as there is a slackening of sex life, there is immediately a divorce petition.
In India, which was once the land of religion and Brahminical culture, things have deteriorated to such an extent that a man in a higher caste is recognized simply by putting a piece of thread on his body as a sign of sanctity. The so-called Swamis are cheating the public because the public wants to be cheated by some cheap method of self-realization. They are practicing so-called Yoga for the matter of reducing fat and keeping the body fit for sense gratification. And today, if someone has no sufficient money, it is very hard for him to get justice from the court. And if anyone can simply bluff by so-called advancement of knowledge, he is offered the doctorate degree. If a man is falsely proud, he is accepted as civilized.
By frustration, people are gradually becoming communists and hippies, and the guardians of society must now take up the situation very seriously, without further delay.
The Krishna Consciousness movement is meant for overhauling the whole situation. We are creating men of character, and we are training our disciples to become lovers of God, or Krishna. From the very beginning, they are trained to refrain from the following four principles of degradation: 1) sex life outside of marriage, 2) meat eating, or the eating of any animal food, 3) all forms of intoxication, and 4) gambling and idle sports. Our teachings are based on the authorized movement of Lord Chaitanya: on the principles of The Bhagavad Gita, as the beginning, and Srimad Bhagwatam as the graduation.
I do not wish to prolong the body of this letter further, but if you think that my meeting with you will be beneficial for human society at large, I shall be very much pleased if Your Holiness will grant me an interview. Thanking you in anticipation of an early reply, I am
Yours in the service of the Lord,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
The Glories of Lord Ramachandra
The Glories of Lord Ramachandra
by Satsvarupa
Art by Ric Estrada
Millions of years ago, according to Vedic sources, the Supreme Lord appeared on this planet as the Warrior Rama Chandra, in order to execute His Will and display the Pastimes of the Personality of Godhead. As is stated in The Bhagavad Gita, “From time to time I come, in order to vanquish the demons and rescue the devotees.“
The Pastimes of Lord Rama are revealed in the famous Vedic Scripture called The Ramayana, written by Sri Valmiki. Before being empowered to write The Ramayana, Valmiki had been a plunderer; but, by the grace of the great saint Narada, he became a Vaishnava—that is, a worshipper of the Personality of Godhead. Narada had first asked Valmiki to please chant the Name of the Lord, but Valmiki had replied that he would not. He was a murderer, and so what had he to do with chanting God’s Name? Narada then asked him to meditate on his murders, by saying the name of “Mara,“ which means Death. Valmiki agreed to this, and meditated on “Mara.“ By rapid repetition of the word—Mara, Mara, Mara—he found himself saying Rama, Rama, Rama, and by the power of reciting the Holy Name of God his heart became purified.
The Ramayana is written down as an historical epic, but it contains all the information of the original Vedas. Vedic literature such as The Ramayana and The Mahabharata (of which the famed Bhagavad Gita is a chapter), are especially recommended for this age, even more so than the highly intricate Vedas, or the philosophical theses of The Vedanta Sutra—all of which are prone to misinterpretation by the fallen mentality of this Age of Quarrel.
So diminished is the capacity for receiving God consciousness in this age that The Bhagavad Gita, which was set down 5000 years ago and was especially intended for the less intelligent, is today not understood by the greatest so-called scholars. These men generally attempt interpretations of The Gita leaving out the importance of the Personality of Godhead, Krishna, Who is the essence, Speaker, and Goal of The Gita.
Lord Rama Chandra appeared on this Earth as a man. This means that he actually walked the Earth. What is written in The Ramayana, we should note here, is best understood as it is. When the Pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are narrated, there can be no question of allusion to a higher principle. Allegory means that there is a truth higher than the literal sense of a given text. But the highest realization of spiritual perfection is that the Absolute Truth is a Person—which precludes any possibility of going beyond Him. God means the Highest Reality. He is the One from Whom everything emanates. Although he appeared as a man out of kindness to His devotees, Rama Chandra is the Supreme Lord. His history is, therefore, very marvellous and filled with wondrous feats, as we’ll see.
Rama Chandra was the son of King Dasarath, in the line of King Ikshaku, the first ruler of Earth, and an early recipient of the Bhakti Yoga system of The Bhagavad Gita. Lord Rama was the darling of His father and mother, Queen Kausalya, as well as the hero and darling of all Ayodha, the capital of what was then the single world kingdom.
Rama had all the admirable qualities of leadership, even from earliest youth. Rama Chandra possessed all physical strength, all beauty, religious wisdom in submission to Truth, fame for prowess with weapons, royal wealth, and complete renunciation. He played the part of a human, and yet His stature as a human was praised by all His contemporaries as being worthy of the gods.
Inseparable from Rama was Lakshman, His younger brother. Lakshman was born of Sumitra, one of the 350 queens of King Dasarath. His position is like that of Rama’s Own Self, and nothing is dearer to Rama than Lakshman. Together, the two Brothers appeared on Earth to vanquish the almost invincible atheist King Ravana and his numberless host of Rakshasa (man-eating) warriors.
Rama Chandra is described as being of greenish hue, His bodily lustre like fresh green grass. And Lakshman is golden-hued. Lakshman is as attractive and as formidable a warrior as Rama Himself. During the course of one of the blood-drenched battles against Ravana’s army, Lakshman was rendered unconscious by Rakshasa magic, and at that time Rama gave vent to a spontaneous expression of love for Lakshman: “If I lose kingdom—that I can bear, but I could not bear the loss of Lakshman! I cannot go on if Lakshman is lost to Me!“ Lakshman was likewise dedicated to the service of his Brother, and had no other pleasure than to do the bidding of Rama Chandra.
Rama’s First Campaign
While Rama was still a Boy of 16, the famous yogi, Viswamitra, approached King Dasarath and asked that the Boy be allowed to travel on a military campaign against two Rakshasas who were attacking the hermitages of saintly persons, interrupting the performance of sacrifice. Why did the sage Viswamitra ask for the Boy Rama? Because no one was equal to Him, even though He was as yet untrained in the use of the principal weaponry, bow and arrow. After some hesitance by Dasarath, who was loathe to have his Son part for a dangerous mission, Rama Chandra went forth.
If we take military history as an evolution of progressively more deadly weapons, we may slight the figure of Rama, possessing no more than a bow and arrow. But the enemies of Rama were allowed no such miscalculation as to His ability to destroy. He stood before them like a hill of nuclear missles. He discharged His feathered arrows in sheets which blotted out the blue of the sky and which entered the hearts of the enemy in unlimited numbers at incredible velocity. So we shouldn’t think of Rama the Archer as quaint or dated. His bow, a gift from the demigod Indra, was a supreme Army and Air Force in itself. His arsenal included many varieties of deadly arrows, charmed by the Science of Mantra, or sound vibration. Once released, those arrows could not be turned back, no matter where the adversary fled for shelter.
In the final battle against Ravana, Lord Rama Chandra resorted to a nuclear weapon, the Brahmastra fire weapon, whose released heat is said to frighten the denizens of the uppermost planets of the material universe. And this Brahmastra, too, was a winged arrow affixed to a bowstring. “Among the weapon wielders, I am Rama,” Lord Krishna says in The Gita. God is the greatest Warrior, and He possesses the means to release the ultimate weapon.
On this boyhood military campaign against “the Rovers of the Night,“ Rama discharged two wind weapons, killing one Rakshasa and landing the other a few thousand miles away in the ocean.
Viswamitra, being pleased with young Rama and Lakshman, narrated many wonderful things to them, about the Appearance of the Lord as the Dwarf Vamana, about the origin of the sacred River Ganges—and about a worshipable bow kept by King Janaka, the father of Sita. This Janaka is mentioned in The Bhagavad Gita as having attained perfection by carrying out his occupational duties as a Kshatriya King. Once, for his part in ameliorating the anger of Lord Shiva the Destroyer, Janaka was presented with a most formidable bow. The bow was so mighty, in fact, that no one could even bend it in order to string it. Janaka made offerings of flowers and prayers before the bow given him by Lord Shiva, acknowledging that the personality who could string the sacred bow must be an extraordinary power. In view of which, King Janaka offered the hand of his daughter Sita to the man who would come and bend the bow.
Sita, of course, had many suitors, and all failed to win her. Her dowry was valor. Of all chaste and beautiful young women, she was the topmost jewel, and was very dear to Janaka. Viswamitra brought Rama and Lakshman to Janaka’s palace just to show them the bow given by Shiva. A large assembly of people were gathered to see the weapon, as Rama Chandra took it up in His hand, and asked Janaka, “What would you have Me do with it? Shall I string it now?”
“Yes, “ Janaka assented.
At once, Rama easily bent the bow until it cracked in two pieces, making a thundering explosion which rendered all present unconscious, except for Viswamitra, Rama and Lakshman! At that time the gods showered flowers from the sky upon Rama Chandra, and there was cheering in the heavens. King Janaka then agreed, with great pleasure, that his daughter should be married to the mighty Rama Chandra
Sita And Rama
Sita, the wife of Rama, is not considered an ordinary being. It is understood that, as Lord Rama Chandra was Vishnu, the Supreme Lord Himself, so Sita was actually Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune, who serves eternally at the Feet of Vishnu in the spiritual sky. Being the daughter of the royal saint Janaka, she is also sometimes called Janaki. Actually, Janaka found Sita when she was a baby. He had been plowing a field, and he upturned her in a clod of earth. It is stated in The Ramayana that Sita came to Earth for the destruction of Ravana, who was a villifier of married women. As Rama Chandra was the greatest Warrior and Expounder of religion and morality, so Sita was the greatest beauty among women, and the most chaste.
How can the Infinite Lord be sufficiently praised? And who can completely describe the loveliness, in every feature, of His chaste wife, the Goddess of Fortune?
We shouldn’t think that, as we desire a woman, so Rama Chandra desired a woman, and thus married one with the desires of an ordinary husband. Sita is Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune, and Rama is Lord Vishnu, the Personality of Godhead, and we cannot understand His transcendental position by judging Him on the plane of inebriated sex desire. Sex desire, lust, is the characteristic condition of the ordinary mortal who is at the mercy of the laws of Nature. He is put under these stringent laws out of his wish to enjoy as a lord rather than render service to the Supreme Enjoyer.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, is transcendental to the material laws. What we have here in the material world as sex desire is indeed a reflection of the Lord’s desire to enjoy loving affairs. But His loving affairs have no taint of contamination, no limitations of cheating, of old age, or of death. Here, sex pleasure is false in that it is merely a counteraction to the usual condition of misery, and it is temporary. But when the Lord enjoys loving affairs it is in a state of continual bliss in mutual service, and this expands unendingly into greater and greater bliss, each party exhibiting selfless devotion to the other. It is understood that by the process of purification in devotional service, we too can reciprocate transcendental love with God, and that is the perfection of human life.
The impersonalist philosophers whose propaganda is so rampant in this age cannot appreciate the Divine Couple or the Lord’s loving affairs. These are displayed in the Persons of Radha and Krishna, Lakshmi and Narayana, and in Sita and Rama. The position of the impersonalist is necessarily loveless. Love means persons. No one can love the Void or a non-person. Therefore, impersonal philosophy is merely the negative side of reality, the denial of material inebriety. The impersonalists accept neither sex as being absolute, but the Vaishnava or Personalist has two sexes, Radha and Krishna, or Sita and Rama. Without understanding the real situation of the Supreme Person and His Transcendental Nature—His Activities and His devotees—such an impersonalist yogi or philosopher is forced to come down from his temporary suspension in the impersonal Void, and again he may enter into entanglement with the material inebrieties which he only theoretically declares to be false.
Valmiki compares the sight of Rama and Sita together to the moon and the brightest star. The Rama Chandra worshipper, therefore, never makes the mistake of thinking Sita an ordinary wife. Throughout The Ramayana, the poetry again and again turns to images of the various moods of natural beauty in the jungle, in the sky, and in the night with its wonderful galaxies for comparisons to the loveliness of Sita. And always the worshipper addresses first Sita, and then Rama—Sita-Rama.
Growing old, King Dasarath decided to confer the kingdom on his eldest son, Rama. On the release of this news, the Kingdom of Ayodha turned to joyous preparation for the coronation of the beloved prince. The Ramayana (Ayodha Kandam) states:
The streets were crowded with men. People were going in mobs and there were constant shouts of joy, like the roar of the sea. All the places were filled to their utmost capacities. All the highways were swept and watered, garlands hung on every gate, and flags streamed from every house. The whole city was anxiously waiting for the morning of the coronation ceremony.
The night before, Janaki and Rama Chandra were initiated into the observance of a fast, and were given mantras to recite. They worshipped Narayana, and lay down on a bed of grass within Vishnu’s shrine.
The Banishment Of Rama
The Ramayana goes on to relate fateful events: “Queen Kaikeyi had brought up an orphan girl named Manthara, who served Kaikeyi as a maidservant. “Kaikeyi was one of King Dasarath’s wives, and Manthara was her hunch-backed maidservant. It was she who sowed the evil seed of the great personal ordeals related in The Ramayana. Amidst universal joy, Manthara alone heard the news of Rama’s coronation with a feeling of rage. With malicious intent she entered the room of Queen Kaikeyi and proposed to her that the coronation of Rama Chandra was a calamity to the Queen. Kaikeyi was the mother of Dasarath’s next oldest son, noble Bharat. Manthara cunningly outlined how Dasarath had recently sent Bharat away on a visit to his uncle, in order to install Rama Chandra. And, after installation, Rama Chandra would surely see that Bharat was killed. With crooked logic, Manthara predicted all the grief ahead for Kaikeyi, and in this way implanted evil wrath into the Queen’s heart.
Queen Kaikeyi was now convinced that Rama Chandra must be eliminated. She was very dear to Dasarath, and she was able to strike tellingly by binding him to a promise. Once Dasarath had fallen badly wounded on a battlefield, in a clash between Indra and some Asuras (demons), and Queen Kaikeyi had nursed him as he lay unconscious. At that time he had promised her two boons, but she had said she would ask for them at a later time. By that service rendered by her, and by the oath of Dasarath, Kaikeyi wrought long and bitter grief upon Ayodha.
Lying down in a room in her palace called “the chamber of wrath,” Kaikeyi awaited Dasarath, and when he came and found her there, she infected the coronation day, like a snake biting a calf, by demanding the following two boons: 1. Let Rama Chandra be banished to the forest for 14 years, and 2. Let Bharat be installed as king. Dasarath fell unconscious at her words. He soon regained his senses, understood what she was saying, and again fainted away.
Awakening a second time, he cried out in torment: “Oh how sad! How painful! I suffer from your words, being oath-bound to you! I suffer now as a man does for misdeeds committed in a previous birth!“
We may think, what is this “truth,” what is this “promise,“ if it wreaks such evil? Why didn’t Dasarath simply say, “No! Never! I will not banish Rama. Rama is dearer than truth!” But he did not. He had made a promise, and as a Kshatriya (warrior) he must stand by it. His religion was truth. Because he had promised Kaikeyi a boon at a time when she had saved his life, therefore he must now grant her promise, whatever it might be—in this case a fate worse than death.
There are other examples in the Vedic literature of extreme sacrifices to truth, and Kaikeyi mercilessly cited them for Dasarath: A King named Saivya once promised a pigeon who had flown into his arms that he would protect him from a pursuing hawk. The hawk, who was actually a demigod in the form of the predator, demanded flesh from the king’s body as substitute for the pigeon, and King Saivya agreed, cutting the flesh from his own body.
But was that the same as banishing Rama Chandra? How could Dasarath banish the rightful heir to the throne? For what offense? Rama was the absolute darling of every living entity in Ayodha. He was the outright Destroyer of the demons. He and His wife were comparable to the moon and the brightest star! When the people came to say, “Where is Rama Chandra?“—what then? In short, Dasarath was ruined, and the Kingdom of Ayodha with him. Dasarath lamented bitterly, and prepared himself to be condemned by his peers and by the future. Still, he was bound to the truth of his promise.
Rama Chandra was called to court by Dasarath. Rama was about 26 years old, and it was His Coronation Day. He rode in His chariot to answer His father’s call. The Ramayana states that Rama Chandra came out from His palace surrounded with an effulgence of glory, just as the moon emerges from behind the dark blue clouds. Lakshman stood by Him with a chowri fan. Elephants and horses followed His chariot; and music, shouts and cheers were continually heard. As He passed the windows of beautiful women, they rained flowers on His Head. Some of them praised Kausalya, the mother of Rama Chandra, and others said that Sita was the gem of all women, and must have practiced great penances in former births or she would not have had such a husband as this king-to-be.
But on entering His father’s presence, Rama found the old King looking miserable and sad, seated on a sofa with His Queen Kaikeyi. She personally delivered the cruel message to Rama Chandra. Dasarath fainted away in grief at hearing again the wish of Kaikeyi, but he could not deny it.
Magnanimous Rama Chandra, however, was not a bit pained to hear her shameful words. He only replied: “Very well. I shall go from here and proceed to the Dananka Forest for 14 years with an unwavering mind.“
Rama Chandra proceeded to inform all those gaily preparing for His Coronation that He was at once leaving for a mendicant’s life in the forest. His natural cheerfulness did not leave Him, but He was troubled to have to tell His mother, and He thought both parents might die at His separation from them.
The fateful news soon spread. It spread to the women in Rama’s palace, and they began to cry bitterly. The queens and other royal ladies wailed, for He Who used to serve them and Who looked on them as His mothers, and Who never grew angry with them but had sweet words for all—that Rama was going to the forest!
“No! Dasarath should never have forsaken Him!“
When He approached His mother Kausalya, she was still informed only of the Coronation, and she fell at His Feet and offered Him a seat and some refreshment.
Rama Chandra, with clasped hands, said to her, “Mother, you don’t know what a great calamity is descending upon you and Janaki and Lakshman. I don’t require a seat anymore, for I am now bound for the forest, and shall live there for 14 years on fruits and herbs. Father has ordered My exile, and Bharat’s installation.“
Kausalya fainted on the ground like a tree felled by an axe. Valmiki describes how, with difficulty, she told Rama that He must fight to win the crown. But Rama Chandra told His mother that it was beyond His power to disobey His father’s orders. He could not follow any desire which went beyond righteousness. Similarly, Lord Jesus Christ once taught: “If you gain the whole world, but lose your immortal soul, what have you gained?”
Rama Chandra said to Kausalya: “Father is our preceptor. Who, having any regard for righteousness, will disobey his orders, even though they may be given from anger, joy, or lust? I cannot act against My father’s vows. This life is not everlasting, and so I would not wish to acquire even the world by an unjust means.“
Lakshman was not consoled. He was brooding and overwhelmed with grief at this turn of events. Lakshman argued that Rama Chandra must not submit; he suspected, in fact, that the whole story of promised boons was just a plea by the King in order to install Bharat, and thus satisfy the lust of his Queen Kaikeyi. Lakshman was prepared to hack to pieces with his sword the King and his whole army. He was ready to bring the whole world under the sway of Rama Chandra. Rama replied that he thought the best course for Himself was to obey His father’s orders. Rama’s mother gradually, with great sorrow, offered her blessings and prayed that she would someday see Him coming back.
Rama Chandra then took leave of His mother and went to Janaki’s quarters.
She also knew nothing of Rama Chandra’s exile. She was in a state of joyfulness over His installation as King. She was worshipping the deities when He entered with His head hanging down in shame. On telling Sita of His exile, Rama Chandra said that she must stay behind and live under the rule of Bharat. Janaki, who was always sweet in speech, replied to Him with an offended air. How could He say such infamous unworthy things, especially as He was a hero versed in Vedic science?
“If You repair to the forest, I shall go in front of You and make smooth the path by crushing the thorns under my feet. I shall not leave Your company, nor will You be able to dissuade me. I shall feel no sorrow in passing a long time with You.“
But Rama Chandra, thinking of the factual hardships of forest life told her about the reality of the situation: Prowling animals, sharks, crocodiles in muddy rivers, sometimes no drinking water, no bed, hunger appeased by fruits fallen on the ground, matted locks, bark for clothes, observance of the rules of asceticism, three baths daily, flowers offered on the sacred altar by picking them with your own hand, blasts of wind, reptiles roaming free, great pythons, scorpions, mosquitos, penance, the necessity for bold action—this is the business of forest life.
Rama Chandra said it was too dangerous, but Sita entreated Him that, as a devoted wife, she was happy in His happiness, and sorry only in His sorrow. With Rama, she assured Him, she would find the hardships heavenly. Rama Chandra finally relented and admitted that He was by no means unable to protect her in the forest. And, formerly, many royal saints had repaired to the forest with their wives. So He would follow their example. He advised her to at once give away her beautiful clothes and valuables, and to be ready to leave.
Lakshman, who had been there while Rama Chandra spoke with Sita, caught hold of his Brother’s Feet, as it was unbearable for him to be separated from Rama. Rama tried to dissuade him from joining Him. He asked him to stay in the kingdom and keep an eye on the court. But nothing could turn Lakshman. He replied that Bharat would maintain the kingdom, but he must be given leave to join Rama Chandra. He would go before Sita and Rama Chandra as Their guide, and would procure Their foods; and They could enjoy while he would do everything else required, whether Rama was asleep or awake. Rama was pleased, and ordered Lakshman to prepare for departure at once.
Unfortunately, the whole kingdom could not join Rama Chandra in exile. But the people were sorely distressed. Indeed, they proposed to join Him by the thousands, but Kaikeyi would not allow if: If everyone went with Him, it would be no exile at all. No, Rama Chandra must go with only Sita and Lakshman. But the people lamented that the city would become deserted without Him, all religious institutions would be destroyed and dirt and filth would cover the yards, and rats would roam free. Rama Chandra. hearing them carry on, was not moved.
Shortly after Rama Chandra’s departure his father died of grief. He could not live with Rama in exile, and with his last breath he cried the Names of Rama, Lakshman and Sita. Young Bharat was at once called back from his uncle’s house by special messengers, who told him no more than to come at once. Bharat arrived before his mother, Queen Kaikeyi, and learned first that his father was dead, and then that his Brother was exiled on the wish of his mother. Bharat was shaken with remorse, and called Kaikeyi a murderess. To Bharat there was no question of assuming the throne without Rama Chandra and Lakshman. After performing the funeral rites for his father, he set out without delay, with an army behind him, to bring Rama back and himself take the place of the Exile in the forest. Only in that way could he hope to remove the stain of his mother’s action.
Sita And Rama In The Jungle
Forest life for a royal prince was supposed to be an abominable insult, but Rama Chandra managed to cheer Sita by pointing out to her the beauty of the natural setting. A jungle is generally supposed to be a place in the mode of goodness, just suitable for the cultivation of spiritual life.
The Shastras, or Scriptures, describe life in the liquor shop as being in the mode of ignorance; residence in the city is said to be in the mode of passion; and residence in the forest is in goodness. But even the so-called mode of goodness is not transcendental to material consciousness. Only a temple of God is specifically helpful for the purpose of transcendental consciousness, or linking with the Personality of Godhead. The forest is actually suitable for material habitation, and for the exploitation of raw resources such as trees and plants. Of course, when the Personality of Godhead was in the forest, it was the most perfect temple and shrine. Picking a leaf, or roaming with Janaki, Rama is in perfection, as He is the Supreme Lord, even though acting as a human.
We are cautioned not to think that if we repair to the jungle we will be like Rama Chandra, or that we will become renounced and saintly by such an act. The forest, in other words, is in itself not conducive to thoughts of the transcendental Lord. It is a place of monkeys and trees and good areas for making material habitation. Spiritual life, however, does not mean to become neatly situated in natural surroundings which may or may not be more pleasant than the shops and streets of the city. Spiritual life means to serve and please the will of the Supreme Lord. To be thinking of the activities of the Supreme Lord, and to hear authorized information like The Ramayana and The Bhagavad Gita—about His inconceivable greatness andHis loving intentions toward the living entities—is not attained by automatically putting on rough clothing and plying through the jungles with difficult steps.
Even to sit alone in a yogic posture in the jungle, with forced concentration on the spirit soul, may not be successful if the heart is still impure and the mind roaming to objects of the senses. Lord Krishna has said that He is not to be found in the jungle or in the hearts of the yogis in meditation, but there where His devotees are chanting His Name: Hare Krishna, Hare Rama—”I am there.“
So-called holy men who go to the forests to become sannyasis, renouncers, and do not actually follow the authoritative paths for becoming God conscious are therefore called “monkey sannyasis.” Simply living like a monkey in a tree is not holiness.
Rama Chandra was actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anything He did was perfect, because He is the Person Who is the Source of all perfection. We simply have to offer a submissive hearing of His activities, and we will ourselves be situated in transcendental meditation. He is the Lord, as Rama Chandra the Ideal King, and His life is an example of the rigid morality by which we can find the way back to home, back to our original loving relationship with God. Rama Chandra is Himself full spirit, portraying activities on Earth for the vanquishment of Ravana, and we have only to fully comprehend any Pastime of His in order to contact the honey of God consciousness.
Once Sita and Rama were resting on rocky ledge after straying through the hills, and a bold crow came at Sita and threatened to strike her with its claws. She chased him but he came again and again, tearing at her until, Valmiki describes, “her cheeks were glowing with rage and her lips quivering in anger. Frowns darkened her lovely brow.“ Rama Chandra tried chasing the bird but it paid no heed and flew at Sita even more. Then He fixed an arrow with mantras, and aimed it at the crow. The bird sprang up and flew, but the arrow followed wherever the bird went. The crow then flew back to Rama and pleaded for its life. Rama Chandra was always prepared to protect the surrendered entity, but since He had already released his fatal weapon, the crow was asked to give up some part of its life so that the weapon would not go in vain. The crow gave up an eye and the arrow struck at once.
After some time, Bharat and his army arrived in the vacinity. One soldier climbed a tree and saw smoke issuing from a cottage. Bharat and a few others then went forward on foot, and Bharat beheld Rama’s cottage. Valmiki describes it:
He found there the formidable bow plated with gold. The quiver was full of sharp arrows flaming like the sun. There were swords in golden sheathes, and gloves spangled with gold. There stood a spacious altar, and fire was burning at its northeast. Bharat found there Lotus-eyed, Fire-like, Effulgent Rama, seated on a hide with bark and a black deerskin, and with matted locks on His head.
The brothers embraced. Bharat told of Dasarath’s death and pleaded for Rama Chandra to return and take the kingdom. Rama Chandra replied to His younger brother that none of us have an independent existence, just to do as we please. We are subject to death, all of us. Rama told him to note how people are pleased to see the seasons change, though they do not realize it means their life duration is shortening. And on any walk a person takes, and when he returns, death is with him, and walks with him and rests with him. So in all circumstances, intelligent people subdue grief. He told Bharat to return and take charge, because that was the wish of their father.
Rama Chandra said, “Let me pursue My duties here.“
Bharat pleaded that he was only a boy, and Rama must rule over him. But Rama was firm in keeping His father’s pledge. He cited to His brother a Vedic proverb: He who saves his father from the hell named “Put,“ and he who saves his father from all sorts of difficulties, is “Putra,“ or the true son. Bharat relented, but took back with him Rama Chandra’s sandals, promising to dedicate the kingdom to the sandals of Rama, and to wait in ascetic observance for the expiration of the 14-year exile.
The War With Ravana
The first clash with Ravana took place through his sister, Surpanakha. She was a hideous monster who wandered across the cottage of Rama, and was struck with lust on seeing the Lord. She delivered some low insults to Sita, and for that Lakshman cut off her ears and nose. Running back to the camp of Ravana, she howled for revenge, and the death-struggle thus commenced.
Ravana had almost everything. Through long performance of austere penances he had gained great power; he had received specific boons from Lord Brahma, the topmost demigod, so that he would never be vanquished by any race of demigods, or any power or personality except man. But, of course, no mere man could stand against his onslaught. For the sake of war-mongering he had conquered the demigods Kuvera and Indra. He reigned in a vast island kingdom called Lanka, and possessed all material opulence. He and his “Rovers of the Night” roamed about killing and eating the flesh of solitary hermits engaged in spiritual practices in the forest.
Ravana made a career of violating beautiful women wherever he found them, and had a large harem of hundreds who had surrendered to his material effulgence of wealth and strength.
Ravana believed himself unvanquishable. He did not care for God. Perfect materialist that he was, he challenged even the existence of God. He had a plan where he wanted to deport men to the heavenly planets by means of a staircase structure reaching to Indra’s Paradise, so that people could go there without qualifying themselves by performing pious works. He challenged anything and everything good, and listened to no cautious counsel about the bad reaction which follows sinful activities. Valmiki says that Ravana’s mentality was such that he was living for death. In challenging Rama by the abduction of His wife Sita, Ravana surely chose death, and raced headlong towards his inevitable meeting with it. Therefore, there was no fear of sin in Ravana: until such time as he was actually cut down by a superior power, he would violate the authority of the Lord as far as possible.
We can understand, therefore, that for all his highly developed intelligence, Ravana was ignorant of the soul. By such ignorance one thinks that this one lifetime is all, and that death is the finish of everything. And so one may beg, borrow, or steal if one wishes. And if someone tells him that there will be a reaction in the next life, based on his present behavior, he will disregard that. This is the ignorance by which the conditioned living entity is covered over, and by which he cannot realize his original situation of Sat-chit-ananda—transcendental eternal bliss, and full knowledge in the loving service of the Lord.
As soon as anyone, from the tiny ant up to the conqueror Ravana, takes the attitude that he is the lord and the center, then the material Nature awards him this bodily covering, by which he can go on acting in illusion, ignorant of his real dependence on the Soul of souls, God. Under the illusion that he is independent, he then engages in a futile struggle to conquer the material Nature. Ravana’s case is extraordinary because, in defiance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he actually did conquer a significant part of the universe. But, as we shall see, his victory, like that of all the worldly conquerors of history, was fleeting, and his every step was actually a step on the path towards his ultimate destruction.
From Ravana’s kingdom, 14,000 Rakshasa warriors poured forth to slay Rama and Lakshman. En route, Ravana’s troops experienced a downpour of evil omens from Nature. Blood showered upon them with dreadful noise. The beautiful horses pulling their chariots suddenly tumbled. Vultures attacked their royal flags. Birds, beasts and jackals howled.
The demigods situated in the sky prayed amongst themselves: “May victory attend the cows, Brahmins and those who are held in high regard by Him. Let Rama conquer just like Vishnu with His disc.“
Valmiki writes that, “As the planets move towards the sun and the moon, so the fierce Rakshasa army rushed towards Rama and Lakshman, in lust of battle.“ Rama was informed of their coming. While doom was presaged to the Rakshasas by dark clouds and raining blood, the shafts of Rama Chandra were flaming in war-delight, and His gold-plated bow throbbed with ruthless energy.
The 14,000 warriors were demolished by Rama Chandra, alone and on foot. His arrows, resembling fire with smoke, covered the whole sky, and He discharged them and fired more with a speed that the enemy could not follow. One man-eater survived, and ran back to Ravana with the news that Rama Chandra had devoured them with shafts like a five-mouthed serpent. He said that, wherever they had fled, they had found Rama Chandra stationed before them.
Ravana was outraged, and reminded the lone survivor of 14,000 that Vishnu Himself couldn’t be safe by doing injury to Ravana. But the survivor who had been through the hell of slaughter pleaded that his Lord Ravana just listen to him with attention regarding Rama Chandra’s valor as he had experienced it. He humbly submitted to his chief that Rama Chandra could bring down the stars and planets and raise the submerged Earth by His arrows, and could destroy all creatures and create them anew. Rama Chandra was simply unslayable.
The survivor also offered to Ravana that he had seen the beautiful wife of Rama, called Sita. He said that no woman could be equal to her in beauty. She was in the bloom of youth, and most graceful. Her beauty struck one with such deep wonder, the Rakshasa concluded, that if Ravana could somehow enchant Rama into the forest and take her away, it would be the one way to vanquish Him, for He surely could not survive separation from His wife.
The Kidnapping Of Sita
To implement the abduction of Sita, Ravana called on his warlord, Maricha. This Maricha was the same Rakshasa who had been carried 1000 miles through the air and thrown into the ocean by the wind arrow of the inexperienced 16-year-old Rama on His first military expedition. Ravana asked Maricha to take the form of a golden deer, to frisk in front of Sita. When Sita should wish to have the deer for her own, Rama and Lakshman could be induced to follow it and, at that time, Sita might be carried off.
Maricha was filled with alarm on hearing such talk from Lord Ravana. He reported to his chief that the proposal was impossible. For one thing, “as Indra is the king of the gods, so Rama Chandra is King of all.“ Nobody should dare to take Sita away, as she was protected by chastity and devotion. Maricha knew that Rama Chandra was death-like, and he advised Ravana to desist from his thoughts of crossing the Lord. The King of the Rakshasas, irritated that his subordinate had even attempted to dissuade him, told Maricha that he must perform this service or be killed.
Then Maricha, in the form of a wonderful deer with silver spots and the sheen of jewels, appeared before Sita in the forest. His hoofs were made of blue stones, and he had a little tail that shone like the rainbow. He walked this way and that, browsing on creepers end sometimes galloping. In so many ways, he drew the mind of Sita, who asked Rama Chandra to catch him for her. Rama Chandra was, of course, cognizant that this might be the Rakshasa magic of Maricha, but He decided to go after the deer, and if it was actually Maricha, He would kill him. Rama firmly ordered Lakshman to stay behind with Sita. Then He pursued the deer. It became elusive, and even invisible. Rama resolved to kill it. He shot one deadly shaft which entered Maricha’s heart like a flaming snake.
His counterfeit guise gone, Maricha, in the hideous form of a huge Rakshasa bathed in blood now rolled upon the ground. But with his last breath, he remembered the advice of Ravana, and cried out loudly, “Alas Sita! Alas Lakshman!“
Waiting with Lakshman in their cottage, Sita heard the cries and believed it was Rama, and that He was in some danger. She told Lakshman to go at once and help Him. Lakshman dismissed the idea that Rama Chandra could be in danger. Besides, he knew his duty was to remain and protect Sita. But Sita, in great anxiety over Rama, began to speak very strangely. She told Lakshman that she knew he was not going to help Rama out of lust for her, and that in fact he had long been waiting to be separated from Rama so that he could fulfill his own desire for enjoying Sita. Lakshman could not bear to hear such unfair words, and he took his leave of Sita to seek out Rama Chandra. In that way, Ravana was able to find Sita alone, and he carried her off by force.
It may be asked, how could two invincible heroes be tricked by the magic of illusion into leaving Sita alone? How could Sita, with the purity of her chaste insight, accuse Lakshman of being lustful? And, as Rama Chandra is God Himself, how could it come to pass that Ravana carried off Sita by force in his chariot, and was able to cause bitter lamentation for Sita and Rama? These are not very easy questions, it would seem. The aggregate is: how can someone under the direct protection of the Supreme Lord come under any illusion, or fare badly?
If we take it from The Bhagavad Gita, we can know that the pure devotee is never under the power of illusion. The Lord promises that one who surrenders to Him is straightway delivered from illusion. Maya, the illusory energy, cannot act upon one who is surrendered to the Person of the Absolute Truth. This Maya is the external energy of the Lord, intended as a reformatory measure for those souls still desirous of lording it. As its source is divine, this Maya cannot be overcome by any amount of scholarship, technology, or material intelligence. But, as stated in the Seventh Chapter of The Gita, he alone who surrenders to the Lord is released.
A pure devotee is attached to service of the Supreme Person, and is therefore no longer falsely identifying his perishable body as his self, or claiming material possessions as his own. The devotee is under the internal, spiritual energy of the Lord, called Yogamaya. This means that he is being personally cared for by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, due to his constant association by word, thought and deed with the Yogamaya energy This is just like sunshine. The sunshine is there for everyone, but it cannot benefit one who stays hidden indoors. One who partakes of the sunshine experiences no darkness, because darkness cannot exist where the sun is.
So, if the devotee is freed from all contamination and darkness, why was Rama Chandra banished from His kingdom? Why was Sita, who is Lakshmi the Goddess of Fortune, kidnapped by Ravana? Why was Lord Jesus Christ crucified? Why was the pure saint Thakur Haridas beaten? Why was Lord Krishna shot in the foot by a hunter? And why did Krishna’s devotees, the Pandavas, have to undergo so many ordeals? These things, the devotee understands, are working according to some plan of the Lord’s Will, to facilitate His mission in this world.
This example was given by Rama Chandra when He responded with even mind to His banishment: “I must obey My father in this. Who are We to try to get control for self interest over what is being sent to Us by the law of God? We must accept what is sent by God.“
Surrender means that the Lord can do with us as He likes. The surrendered soul is waiting for the Lord’s Will. He will go back to Godhead at the time when the Lord is pleased to take him. He knows that there must be some plan of the Lord behind what is happening and, as far as he’s concerned, the devotee will never be removed from his position of unconditional loving service unto the Personality of Godhead. In this case of Rama’s banishment and Sita’s abduction, we can understand that these activities had to be carried out in order to fulfill the mission of Lord Rama in coming to Earth—the slaying of the demon Ravana for the relief of the faithful demigods.
Similar occurrences of a devotee in a position of mundane frustration are explained by Goswami A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami as the basis for the presentation of great transcendental literatures like Srimad Bhagwatam and The Bhagavad Gita. In the case of Srimad Bhagwatam, the Emperor Parikshit, who was usually a man of irreproachable behavior, delivered an insult to a brahmin, and was sentenced to death within 7 days. This death curse brought about his revival of God consciousness, and made possible his meeting with the sage Sukadeva Goswami, who narrated the entire Srimad Bhagwatam to him, filled as it is with the Pastimes of Lord Krishna. In this way all humanity was benefitted.
Again, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami writes, “By placing Arjuna and the Pandavas in a position of frustration through the intrigues of their cousins, the Battle of Kurukshetra was engineered by the Lord in order to incarnate the sound representative of the Lord, The Bhagavad Gita.“
In short, we should understand that these unusual circumstances of the apparent distress of Rama and Sita are ordained and serve the Lord’s purposes.
On a chariot pulled by asses, Ravana of ten heads and twenty arms flew through the sky with his arm around Sita. Sita was protected from gross sexual violation by her power of chastity. Also, Ravana had at one time in his career received a fell curse from the yogi father of a girl he had violated: if Ravana ever attempted to again enjoy a woman by physical force, his head would split into pieces.
By this act of abduction Ravana completely sealed his doom beyond a doubt. Not only would he die for capturing another’s wife, but he would not even be able to enjoy her in the meantime, not for a moment. Goswami A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami nicely explains the relationship between Sita and Ravana: “The Goddess of Fortune is called Chanchala. Chanchala means that she is not steady. Ravana took away Lakshmi, Sitaji, to his place and instead of being happy by the grace of Lakshmi, his family and his kingdom were vanquished. So Lakshmi in the house of Ravana is Chanchala, or not steady. The Ravana class of men want Lakshmi only, without her husband, Narayana [or Rama Chandra]. Therefore they become unsteady by Lakshmiji. And so materialistic persons find fault on the part of Fortune. Of course, in the spiritual sky Lakshmi is fixed in the service of the Lord, and in spite of her being the Goddess of Fortune, she cannot be happy without the grace of the Lord.” From this we can also understand that Sita’s essential beauty is that she is associated with the Personality of Godhead.
Unable to forcibly have his lust satisfied, Ravana gave Sita a tour of opulent Lanka. He showed her the swans and ponds, and his harem. He showed her how thousands of mighty Rakshasas awaited his word. And he described Rama Chandra as a weak outcaste who would never be able to come to Lanka. He asked Sita to rule over Lanka, and he would become her slave. Though she was weighted down with sorrow and deeply absorbed in anxious thoughts, Sita seared Ravana by telling him that for this reckless outrage he would be destroyed by Rama and Lakshman.
In the face of his lion-like ferocity, she told him, “How can the consort of a swan, one who sports with her mate amidst lotuses, favor with her glance a water crow, who is straying amongst weeds and bushes? This body is now useless to me. You may chain it or destroy it. I shall not preserve it any more, nor will I ever bear the stigma of unchastity. I am the devoted wife of Rama, and you will never be able to touch me.“
Ravana could only threaten Sita that if after twelve months she did not favorably turn to him, he would cut her into pieces and have his cooks serve her to him for a feast.
Alliance With The Monkeys
In the absence of Sita, Rama Chandra was plunged into unalloyed grief. He was crazed, and His understanding appeared clouded. He was going through the forest asking the flowers and trees if they had seen His love. He feared she had been eaten by the Rakshasas. He and Lakshman searched everywhere. Rama questioned the sun: “Where has My darling gone?“ He asked the wind if she were dead or alive or stolen, or had he seen her on any path?
Lakshman attempted to draw off Rama Chandra’s despair by sensible words, but he was paid no attention. Finally the brothers found signs of Sita, pieces of clothing torn while resisting Ravana, and ornaments which had fallen from her as she rose up in his chariot. They also found the bloodied dying body of Jayatu, the ancient King of Birds, who had made a valiant attempt to stop Ravana’s night. Frothing in his last blood, Jayatu informed Rama Chandra that it was Ravana, the King of the Rakshasas, who had taken Sita. The brothers got further information that they could obtain the help needed to find Ravana’s kingdom by making alliance with Sugriva, the King of the Vanaras, a monkey race who lived in the Pampas region of rivers and lakes.
This chief of the monkeys, Sugriva, beholding Rama Chandra and Lakshman within his province, was at once fearful. The Vanaras were taking refuge from their enemy Vali, who was the chief’s brother, and Sugriva thought that Rama and Lakshman had come to do some harm, as they appeared so formidable with their weapons. The monkeys ranged from peak to peak, and joined their leader for a conference on what to do about the two mighty young men who were walking amongst the trees and lakes. The chief counsellor to the King, named Hanuman, assured Sugriva that their enemy Vali had no access to the Pampa region. Therefore, why should they fear these two godlike warriors?
Hanuman approached Rama and Lakshman on behalf of the king, and with eloquent words invited them to meet with the monkey chieftain. Rama was at once delighted with the eloquent speech and appearance of Hanuman, and a meeting was arranged. Seated on giant Sala leaves, Rama, Hanuman, Lakshman and Sugriva spoke out their hearts and concluded a pact of honorable friendship.
Sugriva narrated how he had become confined to this region of the Pampas in fear of his life, having been deprived of his kingdom by his brother Vali. Rama Chandra acknowledged that the expression of friendship is good service, and He agreed to kill Vali, who had also abducted the wife of Sugriva. Rama accepted the hand of Sugriva in embrace, and the monkey chief promised to aid Rama in His search for Sita by employing his vast, worldwide army of Vanaras.
Sugriva, however, had some doubts that Rama could actually subdue Vali. In order to assure him, Rama Chandra shot one arrow which traversed through seven palm trees, a rock, through the innermost region of the Earth and in a minute returned to Rama Chandra’s quiver! He then set out, and soon met Vali, and slew him.
After some delay, while Sugriva tasted the sensual pleasures of his regained kingdom, he mobilized his forces and sent them out to all quarters in search of Lanka, where Sita was imprisoned. But after months of futile searching, the armies began to lose hope. Some returned, and some dispersed in foreign lands. It was Hanuman alone who received information that the Kingdom of Lanka was an island far across the Indian ocean.
Hanuman is eulogized by all sages and scholars of the Vedic Science of God, for Hanuman is the ideal servitor. He simply wanted to carry out the order of Rama Chandra effectively. His career in finding Sita and battling the Rakshasas on behalf of Rama Chandra sets the highest spiritual standard, surpassing all mechanical yogic practitioners and speculative philosophers and scholars in search of the Absolute Truth.
It is clearly stated in the Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, that at the last stage the highest spiritual perfection is favorable service unto the Personality of Godhead. The exact example of Hanuman is not to be imitated, but his service attitude is to be followed. That is, each of us has some capacity. Hanuman had the capacity of enormous physical strength and agility. He used every ounce of that strength, not in pursuit of sense gratification or for conquering some land or women, but in humble devotional service to the Lord of the Senses, Whom he worshipped exclusively as Lord Rama Chandra. We should do likewise.
There cannot be any exaggeration in praising the stature and exploits of this formidable monkey warrior. He is not great because he was wonderfully powerful, but because he used all his strength even his anger—in discharging service unto the Personality of Godhead in the matter of vanquishing Ravana.
Hanuman resolved to travel through the air in search of Janaki. He was the son of the wind god, Vayu, and thus had the facility for flight. Passage across the ocean is arduous, even for one who can fly like the wind, but Hanuman made it in one leap. His monkey brothers had gathered to watch him off. With a great contraction of strength, Hanuman stood at the edge of the sea and grasped a mountain in his arms. He held his breath and tightened all his limbs. He then spoke these words to his brothers: “I shall reach Lanka with the velocity of the wind, just like an arrow shot by Rama, and if I do not find Janaki there I shall at the same speed go to the region of the gods. And if I do not meet with success even there, then I shall uproot Lanka itself and bring Ravana here in bondage.“
With these words he sprang up with ease. Like Garuda, the Eagle of Vishnu, Hanuman flew over the water, raising great waves by his speed, and exposing the aquatics below, who fled in fear. At times Rakshasas rose from the sea for his destruction, but he was not deterred in his mission. Sri Valmiki says that when Hanuman landed in Lanka and went over the city wall, it appeared as if he had planted his left foot on the crown of Ravana.
The perfection of Hanuman in action is open to anyone who will use to the full his own personal capacities in serving the Lord. There is a nice story that occured at the time Rama Chandra and the monkeys were building a bridge across the ocean to reach Lanka. Hanuman and the other Vanaras were hefting huge boulders and throwing them into the sea. In the course of such tremendous labor, Hanuman spied an insignificant spider, who appeared to be brushing some specks of dust into the water with its back legs. “What are you doing, worthless?” Hanuman asked of the spider. “I am helping Rama Chandra build His bridge,“ the spider replied.
Hanuman was about to move the spider out of the way of his own serious work, when Rama Chandra interposed, saying, “What are you doing, Hanuman? This spider is worth as much as you are by doing his utmost for Me.“
The gist of this is that the topmost position of loving service unto God is made manifest by directly applying whatever you have in the way of words, thoughts and energy. And that will be accepted by the Lord as first class devotion.
Hanuman In Lanka
Hanuman was delighted to observe the City of Lanka. For protection, he reduced himself to the size of a cat, and then proceeded to walk into the city, taking careful note of how everything was situated. As a servitor, he was very concerned at every moment, lest he be caught and ruin the project. Hanuman reflected that, “Emissaries proud of their education or intelligence sometimes become the cause of failure.“ The taking of the city of Lanka and the vanquishing of Ravana appeared to be nearing success, but it could be marred by such an agent as himself.
“If I lose my life,“ thought Hanuman, while walking down the populated way amidst the nightlife of Lanka, “great obstacles will crop up for the fulfillment of my Master’s object.”
Still no more than the size of a cat, he walked along the roof of a seven-storied building and saw at a short distance the palace of Ravana, surrounded by a glittering wall. The palace was guarded by armed Rakshasas, whom Valmiki describes as “never shrinking from anything on account of moral principles.“ Treading past noisy drinking parties and quiet gatherings, past big mansions with spacious halls, Hanuman gained access at last to the inner chamber of Ravana.
The time was past midnight, and the monkey warrior observed a virtual sea of beautiful women, sleeping under the influence of drink. Hanuman was looking for the one woman described to him as Sita, and there was no question of his being moved by a harem full of disheveled beauties. Hanuman’s agitation was, rather, that time was passing, and he had not yet found Sita. In the center of the chamber, on a crystal dais, he saw an elaborately decorated bedstead, and upon the bed lay Lord Ravana himself. Ravana was spread out in intoxication, “like an elephant in sleep.“ Lying like that, his body smeared with red sandal, and wearing bright cloth, he presented the perfect spectacle of a sensualist in royal power.
But where was Sita?
Hanuman paced up and down the city wall. He began to think that his leap across the ocean had been in vain. This is the frustration of the transcendental servant. He does not see all indifferently as One, as the impersonalist philosophers would have it. When engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord, any obstacle unfavorable to the discharge of that service is a source of frustration and even anger, until it is removed. Hanuman was proceeding with the work of Rama Chandra. He was prepared to go to any lengths, and in Hanuman’s case the wish of his heart was not mere bravado. He had been blessed with the most intense individual yearning for actual service of the Lord. Actually, there is no impediment in serving the Lord, and once we decide that we belong to God we cannot be stopped from serving Him. We can always chant His Holy Name. God, being omnipotent, is truly in no need of our services, but He is most pleased by the individual who makes an effort on His behalf.
Finally the noble monkey found Sita in the heart of the dense Asoka forest, seated under a tree. Wracked with grief, but still radiantly beautiful, with tears flowing down her face, she is described as “Lakshmi without the Lotus.“ She was seated on the ground like an ascetic, wane, and sad for the absence of Rama Chandra. She was undergoing a continual, harrowing nightmare of separation from Rama. Hideous Rakshasa monsters of misshapen form danced in a ring around her, telling her rumors of Rama’s weakness and death.
Hanuman’s first step was to communicate with Sita and assure her. He was certain this was her because of the information he had received about her appearance. He had to approach her, gain her confidence that he was not another Rakshasa, and convey to her that Rama and the Vanaras would soon be on their way to her rescue, so that she must not give up her life.
Hanuman began to speak to her from his place, concealed within the branches of the tree. Janaki was delighted to hear him. She had some doubt, but Hanuman was very sweet of speech, assuming a large form, reddish and clothed in white. And he recited to her the history of King Dasarath and Rama Chandra and Lakshman and Sita.
Listening to this being who so cheerfully pronounced the Name of Rama, Sita began to shake off her ascetic firmness. She was becoming convinced that she was beholding Rama Chandra’s messenger, and that was as good as seeing Rama Himself! She thought for a time that Hanuman might be another mirage, but the monkey told her things too treasured to be Rakshasa deceit. Rama Chandra had given to him the utmost confidence.
With folded palms, Hanuman approached Sita and gave her a ring from Rama. In blissful exchange, Sita offered that Hanuman should ask Rama, “Do you remember the time We were wandering in the Dananka Forest and a crow was disturbing me, and You shot him with an arrow?” Sita then received all of Hanuman’s speech like honey. When: however, he related Rama Chandra’s grief at her separation, she received it like poison. Assuring her that she would soon be re-united with Lord Rama, Hanuman finally left. In parting, Sita told him that she could only live one more month like this, and then she would give up her life.
Before heading back with his message, Hanuman decided to gauge the enemy’s power. He understood that he had been given no direct order to do this, but he reflected in his mind that there is no guilt if the servant, while accomplishing the main objective, does something else in addition. Thereupon, in a miraculous display of prowess, Hanuman broke down all of the trees in the Asoka forest except the one under which Sita was seated.
He then sat upon the main gate of Lanka and, uprooting a bolt, shouted out that he was Hanuman, a Vanara, and the servant of Rama Chandra! Frightened Rakshasas rushed out to see him expanding himself to gigantic size, ranging the sky, determined to fight. Hanuman single-handedly destroyed thousands of Rakshasa warriors and top military personalities, and set fire to every house in the city, declaring again and again: “None of you will survive when you make an enemy of Rama Chandra!” Then he flew back across the ocean, and landed with a great noise upon a mountain peak.
The Siege Of Lanka
Without delay, the Vanaras under Sugriva mobilized, and built the miraculous bridge of stones across the ocean. In this connection, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami has written that, as the Supreme Lord floats countless planets in space as though they were no more than little cotton swabs, certainly He can float one bridge of stones upon an ocean.
In millions, with all military equipage, the army marched across the ocean and into Lanka under the very nose of the Lord of the Rakshasas. Even up to the last moment Ravana was oblivious to the warning that he didn’t have a chance in his plan to keep Sita and oppose the wish of Rama Chandra.
In hand-to-hand combat, great heroes from both sides fought to the death day after day, with thousands of fatalities among the troops. Finally, one by one, the great Rakshasa chieftains, such as Kumbhkrana, Narantaka and Indrajit, the son of Ravana, fell before the unlimited powers of heroes likeHanuman, Lakshman, Sugriva and Rama Chandra. At the last, Rama Chandra slew Ravana with a Brahmastra released from His bow.
Valmiki tells of the origin of this weapon: It was handed down by Lord Brahma, and passed from sage to sage. The Brahmastra was smeared with fat and blood, and smoked like doomsday fire. It was hard and deep sounding, and when shot by Rama Chandra it cleft Ravana’s heart in two, depriving him of life.
The Trial Of Sita
Immediately after the victory, with Lanka under the control of Rama’s party, Sita was brought before Him for a joyful reunion. Before the thousands of people gathered, however, Rama Chandra said that He could not take her back because she had lived with Ravana in his house, and had been touched by him. Janaki was mortally ashamed of her own existence, hearing Lord Rama make such an accusation before the multitude. Speaking in defense of her chastity, Sita asked Lakshman to prepare a funeral pyre. As the flames leaped up to a great height, she approached the pyre and bowed down, praying to the fire god, Agni, that if she was actually devoted to Rama the fire might protect her. Then she leaped into the blaze.
At once, Lord Brahma himself, foremost of all the demigods, descended from the sky and demanded of Rama, “Why have You done this to Sita?” And Brahma addressed Rama Chandra as Vishnu Himself, the Omnipresent and Omniscient, Who had descended for the destruction of Ravana.
Agni then appeared from the fire, carrying Sita, who was completely unharmed, even her garland and dress being unburnt due to her purity. And thus all those present could be satisfied that Sita had retained her sanctity even though long in subjection to Ravana.
Years later, however, after the happy end of the ordeal, when Rama Chandra was ruling over a joyous Ayodha, He chose to banish His wife again. His subjects had begun speaking against Sita—of the time she had spent with Ravana. And so Rama sent her away in order to prove Himself an ideal king, Who wanted to make His subjects always happy.
Lord Rama Chandra’s whole program was based on the concept of the ideal king, and it is in that light that we can best understand Him. As the perfect ruler, Rama Chandra followed the principles of morality and ethics just as they should be followed by the perfect human king or ruler. Rama Chandra submitted Himself to those principles, though He was actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and not subject to any moral code. And in this instance He showed that a good leader must think only of the welfare of his people, setting aside his entire life for that purpose, with no private pleasures withheld.
Goswami A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami explains the mood of the Lord in His Appearance as Rama Chandra thusly: “The comparative studies on the life of Krishna and Rama Chandra are very intricate, but the basic principle is that Rama Chandra appeared as an ideal king, and Krishna appeared as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although there is actually no difference between the Two. A similar example is that of Lord Chaitanya. He appeared as a devotee and not as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although He is Krishna Himself. So we should accept the Lord’s mood in His particular Appearance, and we should worship Him in that mood. Our service should be compatible with the attitude of the Lord. Therefore, in the Shastras, there are specific injunctions, such as: To worship Lord Chaitanya, the method is chanting Hare Krishna.“
Sri Valmiki declares that he who always listens to this epic becomes absolved from sins. He who listens with due respect meets with no obstacles in life. He will live happily with his near and dear ones, and get his desired boons from RamaChandra, the eternal Vishnu, the Personality of Godhead.
Children of God
Children of God
They’re meant to experience a life of sublime bliss. So are you. All it takes is awareness.
BACK TO GODHEAD is the only popular magazine devoted to the joys of spiritual awareness. Each month, BACK TO GODHEAD brings you the transcendental outlook on topics as diverse as cooking and the teachings of the mystics, topics as important as education and world affairs, and topics as exciting as psychic phenomena, meditation techniques and the youth movement.
Each month, BACK TO GODHEAD features reviews of books by Alan Watts, Huxley, Nietzsche, Hesse, Buber, Timothy Leary, and others, as well as exclusive, personal interviews with some of the most creative and influential personalities of today, such as George Harrison, Allen Ginsberg, and the Beach Boys. And, in all it does, BACK TO
GODHEAD offers you the unique and stimulating perspective of spiritual self knowledge.
You can have BACK TO GODHEAD delivered to your home by mail every month. To take advantage of our special reduced-rate offer—and get a FREE GIFT besides—just fill out the attached postage-free card and drop it in the mail today.
This year, give yourself more than just a toy. Give yourself awareness.
Krishna’s Holiday Snacks
Krishna’s Holiday Snacks
Coconut Honey Balls
1 lb. grated coconut
8 oz. cream cheese
Ÿ lb. butter
8 oz. cottage cheese
1 small pinch camphor
½ cup finely chopped figs
¾ cup honey
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
Melt butter in frying pan. Add a very small pinch of camphor and stir. Add coconut and fry over low heat, stirring constantly till coconut is light brown. Mix in figs and walnuts. Mix in honey and set aside. When cool fold in cream cheese and cottage cheese. Roll mixture into little balls and refrigerate overnight. Makes about 72.
Choody Noodles
2 cups chick-pea flour
Ÿ cup water 1 tsp. Salt
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 qt. vegetable oil
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly. Mix in water to make a thick dough. Heat oil in large 2-qt. sauce pan. Just before oil begins to smoke squeeze some of the dough through a ricer into the hot oil. Cook for about 5 minutes. Noodles should be a very light brown color. Repeat this process until all the dough is used up. Makes a large bowl of noodles.
Pakora
3 cups chick-pea flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. Salt
1 large cauliflower
½ tsp. Turmeric
2 qts. vegetable oil
massala:
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. Coriander
½ tsp. ground cumin seeds
¼ tsp. Cloves
¼ tsp. Ginger
¼ tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. turmeric
Make massala by mixing dry ingredients together in a cup. Break cauliflower into large thumb-sized chunks. In 1 qt. of water add turmeric. Boil cauliflower in the turmeric water until tender, but NOT mushy. Drain and allow to cool. In a separate bowl, mix together chick-pea flour, baking soda, salt, and massala. Add enough water to make a thick batter. Beat batter for two minutes. Heat 2 qts. oil in large heavy pot or deep fryer until smoking. Dip pieces of cauliflower into batter, coating them completely. Allow excess batter to drip off. Carefully and gently place these in the hot oil and turn to cook all around. Pakora is done when it is hard. Hardness may be tested by tapping one to see if it is firm. Remove to drain on paper towel. Makes about 40-50.
Poppers
Heat 1 quart of oil in a frying pan. Place popper into oil making sure it submerges completely. Poppers take about 3 seconds to cook. Remove immediately with tongs. Popper will expand to about twice original size. Let excess oil drip off.
NOTE:
Poppers, known also as poppadam, or paparh, may be purchased at most Oriental spice shops, or Krishna Consciousness temples in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Food for Krishna
This year instead of the usual holiday treats, you can enjoy a few of the very special dishes we students of Krishna Conscious Yoga prepare on feast days in our kitchens. First, the delicate flavor of Coconut Honey Balls will fill your mouth with bliss and leave a clean refreshing aftertaste besides. Next, when you’re relaxing, try a few handfuls of Choody Noodles. These crunchy little morsels can be the hit of your holiday season. The famous “tempoura” of Japan actually originated in India as Pakora. Be careful to make a liberal portion of this dish. You’ll understand why with the first bite. Poppers, our final treat, are the fastest cooking preparation in the world. They’re completely done in about three seconds, which is how quickly your guests will want to eat them, once they get a taste. Remember, all these foods are made entirely with vegetable products.
Whose God is God?
Whose God is God?
by Rayarama das
On the morning of Friday, July 3, 1187 A. D., Guy of Lusignan, crowned king of Jerusalem, led his army of Frankish Crusaders out from their camp at Sephoria and marched eastward to the relief of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, then under siege by the forces of Saladin, Sultan of Egypt. This was the greatest army the Christians of the East had ever assembled, consisting of 1,200 knights, about 2, 000 light native cavalry, and close to 10, 000 infantry. Saladin, camped at Kafr Sebt somewhat south of Guy’s line of march, had likewise the greatest army he had so far commanded—a mainly mounted force slightly more numerous than the Franks.
Though by our nation-in-arms standards of today these were minute quantities of men, they were nevertheless about to fight one of the decisive battles of world history, a battle with significance to the student of spiritual enlightenment as much as to the student of military or political affairs. For this was a “religious” war, as indeed the entire Crusading movement was a “religious” phenomenon; and the uses and misuses of religion in this context are important to us in enquiring into the nature of relations between God and man.
The Battle Of Hattin
Had the Christian leaders possessed the least regard for strategy, they could not have chosen to move as they did on this day, for the road before them was devoid of water—except for one well which proved to be empty—and almost devoid of shade. It was the hottest part of the year, and the heavily armored knights almost at once began to suffer the pangs of thirst, quickly exhausting their drinking supplies. Yet Tiberias lay near, not twenty miles forward, and the very thought of Eschiva Countess of Tripoli, who was alone commanding the defense of the castle there, fired them with enthusiasm.
Saladin, who had learned of his enemies’ movement along the northern road, had meanwhile brought his camp to the village of Hattin in their path, and joyfully sent out swarms of skirmishers to hamstring the Crusaders. This they did by riding in upon the vanguard, which was commanded by Raymond Count of Tripoli, Eschiva’s husband, loosing sheets of arrows, and then riding off before the Christians
could close upon them in counter-attack. They pursued the same tactics upon the flanks and rear, thus pinning Guy’s mighty cavalcade down in the merciless heat of the desert.
By afternoon the harried, desperate Frankish force reached the plateau above Hattin, Saladin’s headquarters which barred the way to Tiberias. Between the Crusaders and the village lay a hill with two peaks, called the Horns of Hattin. The northern summit was believed to be the Mount of Beatitudes mentioned in the New Testament, from which Jesus Christ had delivered his message of blessed peace to the world. It was soon to be a scene of carnage and agony for those who wore his emblem.
About this time Count Raymond rode in from the van to urge King Guy forward, asserting that, unless they reached the Sea of Galilee or the River Jordan that day, all would be lost. Guy agreed, but then received word from his rearguard, commanded by Gerard of Ridfort, Grand Master of the Knights Templars, that the troops in that quarter could go no farther. Guy now reversed his previous decision, and ordered his men to camp below the Horns. Hearing this, Raymond rode back from the front crying, “Ah, Lord God! The war is over! We are dead men, and the kingdom is fallen!“
The Sultan of Egypt was of the same mind. He had long prayed for the opportunity to catch his opponents out in the open, away from their impregnable castles, and now at last his moment had come. He exploited it to the full, offering the Franks no rest throughout the night. His men set fire to the brush on the hillside, thus sending billows of fumes into the camp of the already thirst-choked Christians. They kept up a constant bombardment of arrows, and rent the night air with cries of “Allah Akbar!“ (God is most great!) and “La ilala il Allah!” (There is no other god but God!)
In the morning the Crusaders found themselves utterly surrounded. Though Count Raymond was able to fight his way some distance forward with his knights in the vanguard, the infantry panicked in the face of Saladin’s relentless archers, and fled up the Horns. Guy, unable to draw them down, at last pitched his tent near them, on the summit of the northern peak. He now made use of one of the most potent stimulants to morale any commander ever possessed: he raised as his standard the True Cross, the very one on which Jesus Christ had been crucified. Inlaid with gold and jewels, it had long been the sacred trust of the kings of Jerusalem, and had more than once before accompanied these fierce men of the West in battle. Today it was nearly all they had left in the way of strategies.
The sight of the Cross sent a shiver of hope through the heartsick Christians, and they rallied round Guy’s red tent, supplicating the sacred object, begging for a miracle to save them. While the rank and file thus turned to the God they claimed to serve, Guy turned to Count Raymond, and asked him what to do. Almost alone among the Frankish leaders, the Count of Tripoli had from the start opposed the dangerous expedition to relieve Tiberias, but jealous and headstrong counsels had turned Guy from his advice. Now the fate of the army was placed in his hands.
Raymond at once organized his knights as best he could and charged against the Moslem ring that encircled them. Taki ed-Din, the Saracen commander of that section, gauging the fury end desperation of this attempt, ordered his forces to part before the Christian onslaught. After the breakout had been accomplished, he moved his men back into place. Thus Raymond escaped, but the bulk of the Christian army, along with its leaders, remained pinned down on the Horns of Hattin. Unable to even consider a rear attack upon the enemy with his meager and exhausted forces, Raymond rode on, while Saladin mounted assault after assault upon the Frankish camp.
Terrific fighting took place at this point, the cornered Crusaders battling with such ferocity that we are told the Sultan himself once blanched and pulled at his beard in dismay. But in the end the triumph was his, an almost unqualified triumph, which entailed the annihilation of Christian military power in the Holy Land. Furthermore, the True Cross had fallen into the hands of the Moslem.
To many Christians this was a disaster not only of exterior political importance, it was a personal calamity of the soul, for Christian men had fought under the shadow of the Holy Cross in the Christian cause—and lost to the infidel. Was its power, then, less than the power of the worldly sword? To many, this seemed the case. More than any other single event, the Battle of the Horns of Hattin marks the point at which secular power began its ascendancy over the Church in the West, for it marked the point at which Popes, divine decrees, miracles and faith had failed. Unable to conceive that Islam might be “right” and Christianity “wrong,“ people preferred to think that men were suddenly on their own in the world, with God on no one’s side.
The Question Of The Crusades
And yet, even the least discerning of readers will have wondered if there wasn’t more to the story of the True Cross’ failure than appears on the surface. And there was. A close examination of events leading up to this epic confrontation reveals several interesting and significant facts:
1. Guy had been made king in violation of sacred oaths taken by all the leading barons and churchmen of Jerusalem, including himself. They had promised the dying leper-king, Baldwin IV, that they would leave the choice of a successor in the hands of the rulers of Europe, while Raymond was to act as regent.
2. Saladin had gathered his army to attack the Christians only after they repeatedly violated truces made with him in good faith. It was their practice to attack the rich caravans which passed along the road between Damascus and Mecca, plundering and slaughtering without conscience.
3. The great army which opposed the Saracens at Hattin had originally been gathered not for that purpose, but to destroy Raymond of Tripoli, the rightful ruler (as regent) of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Only last minute developments forced these two factions into alliance against the Moslem threat.
4. The Holy Cross, whose loss so bereaved all Christendom, seems to have been less highly regarded before the battle. Heraclius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, had declined to bring it on the campaign when ordered to do so by Guy, because he preferred to remain in the Holy City with his mistress, the fabulous Paschia de Riveri. Therefore he sent the holy relic in the care of the Prior of the Sepulchre instead.
More could be said, but I think the point is made. The “Christian” cause was hardly Christian. The Crusaders, whatever their original motives may have been, had by 1187 devolved into little more than merciless robber barons who covered their vicious activities with a cloak of religious sanctity. Yet calling oneself a Christian, and even sporting the relics of Christianity, is not the same thing as being a follower of Christ, as Christ himself declared in his Gospels.
Generally speaking, all people tend to accept the faith into which they are born as “true,“ and use that faith as a symbol of personal superiority and, when pressed—as the Crusaders at Hattin were pressed—they will expect the God Who nominally leads their sect to protect them. This sort of religious consciousness is, of course, hypocritical to a fine degree. It makes God the servant of man, which is the reverse of what is actually taught in the great Scriptures of the world. And, when God fails to sanctify our actions, fill our pockets, and protect us when retribution for our misdeeds arrives, our faith is broken like a fragile bubble. This sort of faith, the sort which was defeated in 1187 by the loss of the True Cross, is not real faith to begin with. It is, more correctly, a social convention meant to justify our personal desires, a tool and not an honest belief in the supremacy of God.
Still, the whole question of the Crusades remains. Why are there different faiths in the first place if, as all civilized religions agree, there is only one God? And, granted that different faiths represent different ways of worshipping the same God, why do the various devotees of that God come from time to time to swords’ points?
In considering the second question we should remember that Saladin, like all good Moslems, thought the Christians no more than pagans because of their worship of the Virgin Mary, a clear instance of demigod worship in the eyes of the Arabs. And the Christians, of course, held the Saracens to be infidels simply because they revered Lord Jesus as a prophet and not as the only Son of God. Yet members of the two faiths, with all the grim and pitiless hatred between them, never doubted that both were ultimately following the same God. This is the great madness of the Crusades, and it has been to many a skeptic proof positive of the harmfulness and senselessness of strong religious convictions.
The present writer suggests that the solution to the riddles indicated by the Crusades cannot be found in the standard teachings of Christianity or Islam, nor in those of Judaism. No faith which holds itself as “true” to the exclusion of all others can adequately explain co-existing religions. In the Vedic writings of India, however, the enquirer may be surprised to find that all religions and forms of worship are explained and, what’s more, accepted; while the basic teaching of love of Krishna, the Supreme Godhead, is maintained as “true.”
The Vedic religious viewpoint has generally been regarded by scholars as bewilderingly liberal. In the words of one writer, “It affirms almost everything and denies almost nothing.” This, however, does not so much indicate how blindly superstitious the people of India have been as it shows the truly universal scope of the Vedic writings. And it is because of their scope, as well as the systematic and scientific approach to spiritual wisdom which they present, that these writings offer us the hope of solving our religious riddles, both old and new.
There is a Vedic analysis, for example, of the stages of consciousness possessed by worshippers of God. The least developed devotee recognizes only two principles in existence: himself and God. All else is excluded, or condemned. Of course, his identification of God as, more or less, his own private possession extends to his family, his society, his nation and culture. He and his belong to God, and God belongs to them—exclusively. It is not difficult to see that this rudimentary worship of God, held to be highly imperfect by the Vedic standard, is the sort typified in the men of the Crusades. And this sheds some light upon their actual position, for they did truly worship God, but their understanding of Him, of His ways and His will and service, were imperfect.
It is not a far step from this narrow, elementary concept of God to the point of outright hypocrisy. First of all the Lord is the ruler and protector of one’s life and community; next He becomes the symbol of their special superiority, and at last He is an excuse for their inebrieties—the servant rather than the master. For this reason the elementary stage of God consciousness, though it is surely transcendental and entails “salvation”—that is, release from the bondage of material Nature—can be seen to be a dangerous, unsteady platform. In this position, the risk of falling into unabashed hypocrisy is always present.
Advanced Consciousness
The next stage of devotion recognizes four principles: God, His devotees, those who hate or oppose Him, and the innocent, who can be swayed either way. The man who has advanced to this stage of consciousness is held to be highly beneficial to society. He is sane in the surest sense, capable of distinguishing right from wrong, and is able to preach the philosophy of God consciousness to the world without mangling or perverting it, as tends to happen with devotees in the less advanced stage. He does not hold a Moslem to be different from a Christian, but judges men on the basis of their love for God, and not on the specific way they go about developing that love.
While making it a point to oppose the atheistic section of human society, the devotee in the second stage of advancement attempts to bring the innocent—generally the greater portion of humanity—to an awareness of spiritual life and values. This is his primary endeavor, and is held in all the world’s great scriptural texts to be the most elevated form of service to the Godhead.
The final or most advanced form of devotional awareness is very, very rare, and is known as the stage of pure, unadulterated love of God. At this point, the devotee sees all beings of whatever shape or form or position—human and non-human alike as servants of the Supreme Godhead. Even the atheist, even the inanimate objects of Nature are visible to him as instruments of the will of God, aspects of the Lord’s perfect plan of Creation.
Such a pure devotee is considered fully merged in transcendental love for God, and in this position he is unable to preach or to chastise, for he sees no ill or harm, no opposition to the supremacy of God. Yet his association, the very sight of him, is enough to awaken the spiritual emotions of love which lie dormant in every being. And this applies not only to humans but to all creatures, as was exhibited by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Perfect Devotee, Who drew even the beasts of the jungle into the service of God.
The worshipper who reaches this platform of pure consciousness is, therefore, the most miraculous of men, for he offers to others—by his very existence—the hope of ultimate perfection, and the taste of true spiritual bliss.
God And Demigod
The Vedas further explain why it is that different religions worship God in different ways, and why the various religions often have distinctly different concepts of God. This is an extremely valuable contribution to our religious understanding, for these seeming inconsistencies have been the greatest unsolved problems of theologians in modern times. Many thinkers have, of course, tended to gloss over them by embracing monism, the concept that God is really a blank, featureless light or state of unity, and that our concepts of Him are ours alone, and do not actually describe the Absolute. But this is contrary to the direct teachings of our Scriptures, for the God of the Bible, of the Koran and of at least the larger portion of the Vedic writings is a Person. We can, if we like, simply reject these Scriptures, or any sections of them that don’t fit our needs, but this course inevitably leads away from knowledge of the Absolute. The Absolute cannot, by definition, be relative, and once the wisdom which is coming from the Absolute is cast aside, only relativity—each man conjuring up a God of his own—remains .
The Vedic wisdom offers the religionist a third alternative between monism and narrow sectarian prejudice. It states that, though all standard Scriptures come to man from the Absolute, the presentation which is made depends upon three things: the time in history at which this knowledge is delivered, the place of delivery, and the character of the people to whom it is delivered. An example of this may be found in the question of meat-eating. In the first chapter of the Holy Bible, Adam is told by God, “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.“ This, of course, was at the time when Adam was in Eden, where there was no lack of fruits and herbs to keep him healthy.
Later in the Bible, after the Flood, we read:
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all these things.
When living conditions had changed, man was permitted to live by eating meat. However, in the earlier, abundant state, this was not allowed. Likewise in the Vedic texts, which were presented in the generally affluent lands of India, meat-eating is forbidden except under special circumstances. The like ought to apply, as well, to our affluent contemporary civilization.
Although the rituals and methods of devotion change, however, the Vedic writings state that the essence of all forms of religion is the same: to develop love of God. Even Buddhism, which preaches ultimate nihilism, cannot dispense with devotion to the Buddha. And in the theistic religions, of course, this principle is always paramount.
At this point the question arises: Whose God is really God? We can agree that love for God is the universally true core of religion, but to which of the many distinct forms of God should our love be directed? Lord Rama Chandra, Lord Sri Krishna, the Buddha, Allah, Jehovah, the Father of Christianity, Vishnu, the Lord of Light adored in Zoroastrianism—these are clearly distinct concepts. And by our normal methods of reasoning we cannot elude the fact that, if only one of them is “true,“ the others must be false.
We return, then, to that Vedic viewpoint which “affirms almost everything and denies almost nothing.“ The Vedic view is that, though there is one Godhead, and though that Godhead has a specific form, He remains unlimited. And, because of His absolute or unlimited nature, He expands Himself into limitless other forms. And all of these forms of God, by the Vedic standard, are equally God. None is false, and none are in opposition to the others. They offer various aspects of the inconceivable varieties of opulence, beauty, power, splendor and wisdom of the One God.
This is not, it should be noted, polytheism. Nor is it demigod worship, for these direct expansions of Godhead are carefully distinguished from the agencies of material Nature. They are not temporary—born at some time and meant to die at some time and they are not restricted as to power or place.
What this view of the limitless forms and opulences of God presents us with is a system of thought leading to actual realization of the full nature of the Absolute through love, without making it a matter of faith to disparage other worshippers of God. And it is, further, the only view of the Absolute which actually affirms its “absoluteness”—all others impose limitations upon God which, in the final analysis, must be seen as inappropriate.
Toward Universal Religion
The writer, then, suggests that it is possible to resolve the quandaries into which religious man has fallen by reference to the Vedic sources, the oldest and most comprehensive Scriptures existing in the world today. I would further state that without such a broad-minded reference, religion in this age of intensive analysis and comparison is doomed to become the province solely of crackpots, fanatics and scholars—a realm apart from the life of the common man. These Vedic Scriptures do not reject, but rather uphold all the great, civilized religions of the world. And it is by this reference that contemporary man can hope to reach a true, consistent and workable understanding of the Absolute Truth.
A byproduct of such an understanding is tolerance, but not the sort of tolerance which is based on ignorance, the sort of tolerance which amounts to no more than a practical rejection of the supremacy of God. The tolerance which this more enlightened understanding gives us is the tolerance of knowledge, the tolerance of the man who has advanced beyond the elementary stage of devotional consciousness, and can see that all who worship God are devotees—that God is pleased by love and not by rituals.
And, further, the most elevated state of consciousness, in which all things are bathed in the aura of transcendental service, though more difficult, is also entirely achievable through the proper pursuit of the wisdom of the Vedic way.
It is, therefore, by the purification of consciousness through devotional service to God—by strengthening rather than by weakening faith—that true religious tolerance is achieved. And, for the purpose of this purification, the Vedic sources recommend the chanting of the sacred Names of God. The Hare Krishna Mantra—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is, of course, the standard mantra, or hymn, for this purpose. But other standard Names of God—Allah, Jehovah, etc.—are also quite acceptable for the same purpose. By chanting in this way, the devotee will arrive at a state of pure bliss in the loving association of God, and will be able to rise up to a clear and positive comprehension of the nature of the Absolute.
This, we must realize, is the way to universal religion. Universal religion, which implies a harmony and love among men that quite dizzies the imagination, does not consist of codifying or standardizing ritual, nor even of getting everyone to accept the same exact Scripture, or the same form of God. It consists, in the final analysis, of a comprehension of the truly infinite, unbounded and all-attractive nature of the Supreme Lord, a comprehension that can only come to man through loving service in purified consciousness.
Such a universal religion would not by any means entail the dissolution of Islam, of the Christian Church, of the Parsi community, of Hinduism or of Judaism. It would, in fact, uphold and strengthen them, and provide them with something more than mere negative exclusiveness as a cohesive force. And it is exactly this kind of universal religion which the world today must have if sanity, not to speak of human fulfillment, is to be attained.
Song of Peace
Song of Peace
We are the living graves of murdered beasts,
Slaughtered to satisfy our appetites.
We never pause to wonder at our feasts,
If animals like men could possibly have rights.
We pray on Sunday that we may have light,
To guide our footsteps on the paths we tread.
We are sick of war, we do not want to fight,
The thought of it now fills our hearts with dread,
And yet we gorge ourselves upon the dead.
Like carrion crows we live and feed on meat,
Regardless of the suffering and pain
We cause by doing so.
If thus we treat
Defenceless animals for sport or gain,
How can we hope in this world to attain
The Peace we say we are anxious for?
Thus cruelty begets its offspring—War.
—George Bernard Shaw
The Peace Formula
The Peace Formula
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
The great mistake of modern civilization is to encroach upon other’s property as though it were one’s own, and to thereby create an unnecessary disturbance of the Laws of Nature. These laws are very strong. No living entity can violate them. Only one who is Krishna conscious can easily overcome the stringency of the Laws of Nature, and thus become happy and peaceful in the world.
As a state is protected by the Department of Law and Order, so the State of Universe, of which this earth is only an insignificant fragment, is protected by the Laws of Nature. This material Nature is one of the different potencies of God, Who is the ultimate Proprietor of everything that be. This earth is, therefore, the property of God, but we the living entities, especially the so-called civilized human beings, are claiming God’s property as our own, under both an individual and collective false conception. If you want peace, you have to remove this false conception from your mind and from the world. This false claim of proprietorship by the human race on earth is partly or wholly the cause of all disturbances of peace on earth.
Foolish and so-called civilized men are claiming proprietary rights on the property of God because they have now become Godless. You cannot be happy and peaceful in a Godless society. In The Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says that He is the factual Enjoyer of all activities of the living entities, that He is the supreme Lord of all universes, and that He is the well-wishing Friend of all beings. When the people of the world know this as the formula for peace, it is then and there that peace will prevail.
Therefore, if you want peace at all, you will have to change your consciousness into Krishna Consciousness—both individually and collectively—by the simple process of chanting the Holy Name of God. This is a standard and recognized process for achieving peace in the world. We therefore recommend that everyone become Krishna conscious by chanting: HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE/ HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE.
This is practical, simple and sublime. Four hundred and eighty years ago this formula was introduced in India by Lord Sri Chaitanya, and now it is available in your country. Take to this simple process of chanting as above mentioned, realize your factual position by reading The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, and re-establish your lost relationship with Krishna, God. Peace and prosperity will be the immediate worldwide result.
Are You Free?
Are You Free?
By Jayapataka
When a person becomes incompatible with the rest of society, he either remains unhappy in that society, or he seeks to escape to a life of greater freedom. This is what is happening in the Western world today. People who become frustrated by living under the unnatural restrictions of the material world have tried to escape these bonds and to achieve a freer life. But then, inevitably, as soon as an intelligent man gets tired of the transitory pleasures gained by some new material endeavor, he is again at a loss, and is forced to wonder about the nature of real happiness.
Many people are under the illusion that they were really happy in their youth. But once the fourfold miseries of material life—birth, disease, old-age and death—manifest themselves, the evanescence of that previous happiness becomes apparent to them. For some the illusoriness of life becomes so obvious that they try to subjugate the mind, to avoid being bothered with thoughts of their hopeless condition, by the use of intoxicants and other means.
According to the teachings of the Vedic sages and Scriptures, all the miseries that we experience are due to our false conception of: “I am this body.“ We are not this body, but pure spirit soul—divine sparks of living energy. The gross material body is similar to an automobile. The automobile runs very nicely with a driver, but once the driver has left it, there is no movement. It is just dead matter. We are the drivers, and our bodies are just dead matter, machines which we as living forces are activating.
God has given man the choice, however, to be God conscious, and thus unaffected by material Nature, or to be matter conscious, and thus subject to the fourfold miseries of material life.
What is our eternal position? We can see on this earth that our principal occupation is serving: The administrator serves the citizens, the employee serves the employer, a man serves his senses, his dog, his wife, his children, his car, etc. It is worthwhile for us to ask here: What satisfaction is gained from all this service? And the answer can only be: Transitory happiness at best. It is therefore not surprising that people are frustrated, that they don’t treat one another kindly, or with sincerity. We are all servants, but we have nothing to serve in the material world which will give us the happiness we are looking for.
Therefore, we should not look to the material world for real, much less eternal peace, love, bliss and knowledge. Whatever you may have gained materially will not do you any good at death. And since we are all going to die, to leave this body, we must consider what there is which will transcend death itself. This sort of reasoning brings us to realize that the only person who can give us everything we want is God, because He is the Supreme source of everything. He has everything to give, and He is all-attractive. We all have an eternal relationship of love with Him, which we have simply forgotten due to material attachment.
The easiest and fastest way of reviving our original relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is by chanting His Holy Names: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This chant is the sublime method for achieving full God consciousness, and it quickly brings one to a state of ecstasy and bliss. It can be practiced by anyone, regardless of age, race, religion or nationality, and therefore offers a real basis for the brotherhood that men have so long been seeking. What’s more, by delivering us to the platform of pure, unconditioned consciousness, the chanting of Hare Krishna sets us free to act in terms of spiritual reality.
Back to Godhead Magazine #22, 1968
“The recommended process for God realization in this Age is chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.” A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Editorial
Editorial
The Poor Little Rich World
The United States is about to enter a stage of cultural and economic ascendancy so colossal that all the rest of the world (with a very few nations excepted) will soon stand as primitives in American eyes. Such is the conclusion drawn by Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber in his celebrated book, “The American Challenge.“
That “rest of the world,” meanwhile, has also been talked about lately. On an American lecture tour, scientist-philosopher-writer C . P. Snow has made the grim prediction that an age of harsh famine is about to descend upon the less advanced nations—comprising most of the human race.
It is both unrealistic and trite to say at this point that the U. S. must be prepared to share its wealth if humanity is to be saved from darker times. (We say “darker” because this decade—in fact, this whole century—has hardly been bright by anyone’s standards.) Nor is it true that a change in institutions, such as socialization, will make much difference. Recent events in Eastern Europe have demonstrated how powerful the sense of national existence is, in spite of 50 years of “world socialism” in Russia, and 20 years of the same in Czechoslovakia and elsewhere.
What could save mankind from a bitter and barbarous future—in which America will be barbarized no less than her neighbors, in many ways aside from simple association—is a change in the world view of contemporary man. Western thinkers have recently returned from a 2,000 year idyll with the teachings of Jesus Christ, and have reverted to various systems of consciousness which—either pragmatically, as in the Church and the ecumenical movement, or overtly, as in scientific atheism—exclude God from the center of existence. But that no such system has produced a single formula for contentment is a readily observable truth.
There are sufficient resources in the world, if taken as a whole, to support the human community adequately. But what “adequate” means is to be questioned. And, as we go into 1969 with all our schemes for the relief of poverty and suffering, we may also ask what “rich” means, what “poor” means, what “happy” means, what “wretched” means…
The answers to these questions, if we obtain them, could decide the course of human history.
We at BACK TO GODHEAD have made it our policy to offer mankind these answers, as they are to be found in the Vedic scriptural literature of India, because we have discovered that that is where the answers lie. In the realization of the supremacy, the beauty and the loving kindness of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the fulfillment of the individual human life is to be had. We say this not because it is written somewhere. We could hardly speak reasonably to an analytical, skeptical generation in such terms. But we say it because it is entirely possible for each individual to achieve that realization, that direct, personal confrontation with the Lord, for himself. And we hold the Vedic texts as sacred because, in quite pragmitic terms, they work, they do lead the way to God realization—”Krishna Consciousness,” as our spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, has styled it.
The fulfillment of the individual means the fulfillment of the nation and race. This fulfillment can be economic as well as spiritual, as the Vedic writings do not neglect to state. We urge our readers to study these writings with no more than an open mind; we neither ask nor require a suspension of the reasoning faculty. “Sri Ishopanishad,” presented in two parts beginning this issue, is an example of the sublime and exquisite wisdom of the ancient seers as it can be applied to the problems of our time. Such texts, if studied by the serious members of the human community today, can offer the way to a future for all men—for all life on this planet—which will be both bright and supremely rewarding. And, as Lord Chaitanya, the Apostle of Love of God, has said, “there is no other way.“
Drugs and Ecstasy
Drugs and Ecstasy
by Subaldas
Nature and scientific laboratories alike produce a vast supply of chemicals which are capable of altering man’s consciousness. The average “straight” American adult consumes three to five of these mind-altering drugs in the course of each day, and they therefore play an important part in determining the structure of contemporary society. Some social groups, for example, function in coffee consciousness, others in beer consciousness, and still others in psychedelic consciousness.
Basically, contemporary society is divided into two. One group, comprised mainly of the middle-aged, uses such drugs as alcohol, cigarettes and tranquilizers, while the younger generation has more generally adopted marijuana, LSD, mescaline, and various other psychedelics. The older drug users generally prefer “depressants,” drugs which tend to limit and decrease consciousness; and, according to their standard of morality, the use of such drugs is perfectly acceptable. Doctors, lawyers, clergymen, politicians, teachers—all the supposedly respectable leaders of society set the example, and the masses follow along with them. Until recently, this social group seemed to be so firmly established, along with its social mores, that it represented the only “sane,“ “realistic” and “respectable” members in our modern civilization.
However, during the past few years a psychedelic revolution has been taking place. The world’s youth has turned to a group of drugs which tend to expand consciousness rather than limit it, and which produce a stimulating rather than sedative effect. As may be expected, this new type of drug produces a whole new social outlook, which is directly challenging the established social order. The establishment, in turn, is fighting back in an effort to keep from being toppled over.
In a lecture before the American Psychological Symposium, one of the foremost spokesmen for the new drug movements, William S. Burroughs, said: “Alcohol is a sedative drug similar in action to barbiturates. Yet because of purely verbal associations we do not think of alcohol as being a drug because it is our national drug.” This statement is supported by the fact that 93 million adult American citizens drink, and six million of them are confirmed alcoholics. The per capita consumption of alcoholic beverages in the U. S. today is approximately 24 gallons per year.
Establishment people are quick to point out the dangers, real or imagined, of drugs like LSD and marijuana, while at the same time ignoring the dangers of alcohol. Yet every year drinking takes a toll of 25 thousand lives on the American highway and causes a million injuries. What’s more, the most common example of psychosis in connection with drugs is not caused by LSD or marijuana, but is the permanent breakdown caused by excessive use of alcohol, which accounts for no fewer than 20% of the patients in U. S. mental hospitals. Furthermore, facts show that 50% of our prison population committed its crimes while drunk. Thus, while there is a direct connection between alcohol and crime, there is so far no evidence that psychedelic drugs have similar effects.
Smoke From The Bottomless Pit
In 1604, James I, King of England, tagged smoking, “a custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the black stinking fumes thereof nearest resembling the horrible stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless.” Today some 60 million Americans smoke millions of pounds of tobacco every year at a cost of about $9 billion. Tobacco is taken primarily, of course, in the form of cigarettes (528 billion consumed each year), which are supplemented by pipe tobacco, cigars, snuff and chewing tobacco. In spite of an anti-smoking campaign in the U. S. in recent years—a result of quite conclusive evidence linking cigarette smoking to a variety of diseases—there has been little progress made in stopping the habit. This is largely due to the fact that all of $232 million were spent on television advertisements alone last year, not to mention various other media, in order to promote smoking.
Caffeine is another very popular intoxicant. Americans consume coffee at the rate of seventeen pounds per year for every man, woman and child in the nation. This amounts to millions of pounds of pure caffeine. In addition, sedatives, stimulants and tranquilizers are used by about 20 million Americans, most of whom are members of the upper and middle classes, and most over thirty.
The Nature Of Narcotic Drugs
In order to see this subject more clearly, we should consider anything which is more than the basic requirement for maintaining a healthy body to be a narcotic drug. Of course, this would include baseball, television, chewing gum, and quite a good deal more that we tend to think of as harmless if not actually beneficial. But our radical definition of narcotics must be evaluated from the spiritual rather than the material point of view.
Generally speaking, Americans have been trained to think of “narcotic” as meaning “addictive.” The dictionary definition, however, classifies as narcotic anything which, in small doses, causes relief or stimulation, but which in excess results in stupefaction, indolence, lethargy, coma or convulsions. Narcotic drugs are therefore necessarily associated with the abnormal and unhealthy condition of the body. They are used either to relieve pain, which is itself abnormal, or to create an abnormal state of consciousness in an otherwise healthy organism.
But the very meanings of such terms as “normal” and “healthy” must now come into question. For, according to the scriptural sources which offer the science of spiritual self realization to us, our true and original identity is that of pure spirit soul. It is the spiritual platform of awareness that is, therefore, the “normal” and “healthy” state for the living being. By the terms of such a transcendental definition of self, we who exist in the material world, under the material conception of life, are conditioned spirit souls, drugged by the body itself, and thus made to forget who we are. At some point we start identifying with the body and its desires, and thus we become more and more intoxicated by material Nature as we try satisfying the demands of the senses. So, quite factually; we are all drugged.
People of advanced intelligence ordinarily try regaining their original unconditioned consciousness, and, according to those who have succeeded, this is a state of unalloyed ecstasy, in which there is no need for any kind of intoxication. The great mystics, incarnations, sages and religious leaders throughout the ages have never used drugs in their spiritual undertakings, nor advocated their adherents taking them.
However, today’s young have turned to such chemicals for spiritual awakening. They have grown up in a materially prosperous and secure society, which has been unable all the same to satisfy them. The young have looked upon the pleasures of their parents’ generation and its whole social structure as dry and empty, and have searched elsewhere for fulfillment. And they have discovered psychedelic drugs. Psychedelics (literally, “mind-manifesting”) are not new. They have been known for centuries. Peyote and “magic” mushrooms were used by the American Indians since before the time of Columbus, and there is even mention of a beverage called soma in the ancient Vedic civilization of India, whose antiquity can hardly be calculated. Both young and old are now, as they have been always, looking for pleasure. They are going about it in different ways, with varying means, varying outlooks, and varying results—but the basic principle of pleasure beyond the ordinary or “normal” confines of bodily material existence remains constant. What’s more, this constant pleasure principle holds true not only for humanity. In Robert S. de Ropp’s famous book, “Drugs and the Mind,“ he describes some experiments which have been conducted using rats with electrodes embedded in the pleasure and pain areas of the brain. This involves the use of an arrangement called a Skinner box, and Dr. James Olds has described the results of these experiments as follows: Electrical stimulation in some of the regions of the hypothalamus actually appeared to be far more rewarding to the animals than an ordinary satisfier such as food. For example, hungry rats ran faster to reach an electric stimulator than they did to reach the food. Indeed, a hungry animal often ignored available food in favor of the pleasure of stimulating itself electrically. Some rats with electrodes in these places stimulated their brains more than 2,000 times per hour for 24 consecutive hours!
Transcendent Ecstasy
According to the great Vedic writings, human life is meant not simply to find mechanical ways of stimulating various areas of the brain (which is itself only an instrument of consciousness), but is meant for reaching the ultimate spiritual ecstasy, which is transcendental to all material conditions.
An example of such spiritual ecstasy and its transcendence over material conditions is found in the life of the great saint, Haridas Thakur. Haridas was sentenced by the governor of his province to be whipped in all 24 streets of the town until dead. He was given this cruel punishment because he was himself a Moslem, but had taken up the practice of chanting the Holy Names of the Lord: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. Both the Moslem priests and the caste brahmins were jealous of him, and looked upon him as a renegade from his own sect. Two brutelike men were given the job of whipping him, and they beat him severely in all the ordained 24 streets.
Haridas, during all this, went on with his chanting, and experienced great ecstasy. He was completely oblivious to any physical suffering because his consciousness was fixed on the spiritual platform, which is far beyond the physical, and is unaffected by it. In the end, he went on to continue his work of chanting in devotional service, and the attempt to destroy him failed.
According to great saints such as Haridas Thakur, real pleasure is not to be found in the whole of this material creation. In comparison with spiritual blias, all that we know here is suffering. Our situation is compared to that of a man stranded in the middle of the ocean, swimming very hard to keep from being dragged under by the big waves. He naturally thinks of how much he is suffering. Then, when the waves calm down and he doesn’t have to struggle so hard, he may think he’s enjoying. Actually, of course, this is not enjoyment . It is simply a less intense form of suffering, since he is still stranded in the middle of the ocean.
The Quest For Ecstasy
Many users of psychedelic drugs are, without question, sincerely looking for a way to get out of this ocean of material misery. They want to make a permanent solution to all their problems. And this, after all, is the primary occupation of the human being, as is declared in all the great scriptures of the world. Human life is not meant for working hard in factories, going to meaningless baseball games, or dumbly watching a television screen. It is meant for finding out such things as who you are, what the purpose of your life is, what God is, and what your relationahip with God is. Human life begins to reach fulfillment only when this stage of inquiry is attained. Few enough know what questions to ask in order to get the ultimate answers.
According to the Vedic sources, until a person starts looking for the answers which will make a final solution to all the problems of life such as birth, death, disease and old age—he is actually no better than an animal. Man and the animals have four principles in common—eating, sleeping, mating and defending. The thing that is uniquely man’s, however, and which differentiates him from the animals, is his highly developed consciousness. Before attaining the human form of life, the spirit soul passes through birth in eight million other species. As it progresses through the stages of evolution, its consciousness and intelligence grow. And, in the civilized human form of life the final stage of evolution is arrived at. This great achievement should surely not be wasted on mere animalistic sense enjoyment, but should be used for final and ecstatic spiritual realization.
The modern forms of Judaeo-Christian faith in the West have failed to satisfy youth’s desire for direct communion with God. Therefore, many of the young have turned to drugs as the key to spiritual awareness. Most members of the psychedelic movement do consider it religious, and a number of groups have incorporated as churches. One thing is certain—the movement is large and ever-growing . There is no lack of people looking for pleasure through drugs and willing to experiment in their quest. Authorities estimate that over ten million Americans have used marijuana, peyote, and LSD. Most of these are in the high school and college age groups. According to United Nations statistics, in 1951 there were 200 million marijuana users throughout the world—a number equal to the entire population of the U.S.A. Yet marijuana has only really become popular in the ‘Sixties, and what astronomical figures represent the 1969 usage can only at this point be guessed.
The great souls whose teachings form the basis of the world’s authoritative religions have always maintained that the body is a source of pain and suffering. The Bhagavad Gita, one of the most important books on the science of ecstasy, describes the soul as Sat-chit-ananda, a form which is eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. Somehow or other we in the material world have fallen into Maya, illusion, and are accepting something which is false in place of reality The body is not the true identity of the living being, but we foolishly accept it as ourselves. Therefore, when the body is hungry we think we are hungry, and when the body is in pain we think we are in pain. This is the material concept of life. When we break with the false ego, the interknitting junction between spirit and matter, then we are liberated from the threefold miseries—miseries caused by the body and the mind, by other living entities, and by natural phenomena.
Drugs such as LSD may sometimes help to break this false identification with the body, but the chemically-induced state of “ego loss” does not last for very long. Such at least is the program for a “trip” outlined in “The Psychedelic Experience,” a classic “manual based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead” by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, and Richard Alpert, three of the early leaders of the psychedelic movement. Furthermore, the process of ego loss does not necessarily lead one to positive knowledge of who or what he really is. Some therefore identify with the mind, which is the subtle material body, and others think they are God, while still others think that they are nothing—Void. Most cannot see beyond the interplay of cells, molecules, atoms, DNA, and the nervous system, because it is precisely the material senses, and not the spiritual, which are affected by drugs.
It is a popular theory in the psychedelic movement that everything is merely an extension of the body, mind, or nervous system. “It’s all one” is the common phrase. Actually, this is true. Everything is one in the sense that everything emanates from one source, Krishna, and it is His energy which is acting in various ways, according to His direction. However, although everything is one, we find within this one infinite amounts of variegatedness and individuality. We are all individual spiritual living entities, scattered throughout the material creation. Constitutionally we are parts and parcels of Krishna, the Supreme Whole. We therefore have the same qualities as Krishna, but we possess them in very minute quantities, while He possesses them in full.
Now, complete bliss is one of Krishna’s qualities. He is known as the Reservoirof all pleasure, and by establishing contact with Him through service the living entity can regain his own natural state of bliss. This ecstasy is eternal. When achieved, there is no coming down again to the material platform of existence. Such a state of supreme consciousness is not available through artificial means. In The Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says that He can only be reached through devotion.
The recommended method for reviving this natural, forgotten attitude of devotion to Krishna is to chant His Names: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This mantra, when properly chanted, immediately raises one to the spiritual plafform, and puts the living entity in direct touch with the Supreme Lord. Krishna is a Person, but He is present everywhere. Just as there is fire potentially present in wood, so Krishna is suffused throughout His creation. We simply have to know how to find Him. It’s really very simple. When we call His Name, He comes.
Psychedelic Leadership
On a successful LSD trip a person may think he has reached the Godhead. Sometimes, as is detailed in the Book of the Dead, a person will reach the “Clear Light,” which is described in the Vedic texts as Krishna’s glowing bodily effulgence, called the “Brahmajyoti.“ This effulgence permeates the whole spiritual sky, just as the sunshine permeates this whole universe. Realization—that is, direct perceptual experience—of the Clear Light is devoid of all variegatedness, however, and such a state of consciousness is therefore very unnatural for a living being who is eternally individual and who is accustomed to varieties for enjoyment. A person can remain in the Clear Light for short periods of time, but then he must come down again to the material platform in order to experience the varieties required for full enjoyment. In this sense, of course, the Clear Light itself becomes no more than a “variety,” a change from ordinary consciousness. It is a “high,” but not a final, unending or supreme state of ecstasy. The only way to remain permanently fixed on the spiritual plane is through realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Through this realization we can experience spiritual variegatedness, which is said to be far beyond any impersonal realization of the Godhead.
In order to achieve this topmost realization, it is necessary to have the guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Krishna. The psychedelic movement does not have such leaders qualified in the devotional line. Quite the contrary, these members of the psychedelic movement have, in the final analysis, practically nothing to offer mankind. They themselves have to continue taking drugs in order to feel any ecstasy. Their state of bliss is, after all, a temporary intoxication which one has to pay money for. How spiritual can it be? True spiritual ecstasy is both eternal and free to everyone.
Dr. Sidney Cohen, another major figure in the drug movement, has suggested that religious experience may one day be redefined as “a dyssynchromy of the reticular formation of the brain.” This is the rather peculiar direction in which scientists are heading. They conduct experiments involving psychedelic drugs, and then they try fitting the results to suit their needs. Because a drug may allow someone to experience something different from “normal” consciousness, the scientists conclude that the experience is, in the first place, due entirely to the drug, and, in the second, that it is equivalent to the religious ecstasies of the mystics and saints.
In his book, “The Varieties of Religious Experience,” William James took note of exactly this point when he wrote: “Medical materialism finishes up Saint Paul by calling his vision on the road to Damascus a discharging lesion of the occipital cortex, he being an epileptic.“ In this way scientists with an atheistic bias have tried to rule out the existence of a transcendent God Who exists beyond all material concepts, by holding the very evidence of direct confrontation with God to be no more than a chemical aberration within the body—in other words, an hallucination.
Even the argument against the validity of drug experiences can be questioned. As one thinker has pointed out, simply because we see something through a window doesn’t mean the window caused the view. Similarly, psychedelic drugs may often open a window in the mind to let us see what is already there. However, it is only through Krishna’s Grace that one can actually have full knowledge of what lies outside that window. And He may choose to reveal Himself or not, without reference to drugs or the laws of Nahure.
Timothy Leary, self-styled “high priest” of the psychedelic movement, has written: “a final comment about the disciplined yoga of psychedelic drugs. They are not shortcuts: they do not simplify. They answer no questions; they solve no problems.“ What value they can have, then, aside from the pleasure-giving potency present in such other narcotics as tobacco and alcohol, must come into question. On the other hand, the standard system of devotional service is the shortest and simplest method for reaching God. It does answer all questions and solve all problems.
Ecstasy And The Law
Legislation will never be successful in stopping people from using drugs, because there is a basic human need for pleasure. The pleasure derived from drugs, quite apparently, is greater than most people’s fear of the law. Whether people are running to or from reality is not important for the law to consider. The important thing is that people are looking for pleasure. Whether it be through beer, pot, coffee, LSD, baseball or television, the basic need is the same. To condemn one form of intoxication and not another is mere hypocrisy.
Millions of dollars are spent every year to induce people to drink liquor and smoke cigarettes, while millions are spent elsewhere to stop people from using psychedelics. Both pursuits could well be abandoned for the general benefit of mankind.
With the insight which transcendental devotional service to God provides, it is possible to create a far wiser and more effective system of law than now exists—one which could actually solve (imagine it!) the problems of our day. Such laws should be designed to curb the desire within the people for using drugs, rather than simply to repress and prohibit their actions. Instead of legislating negatively, there should be positive legislation to encourage the propagation of Krishna or God consciousness. Krishna Consciousness, devotional service, burns out the desire to use any kind of drug because it provides everyone with the natural and unbounded ecstasy of love of God. Everything and anything that falls short of this endeavor may be found lumped together in the teachings of the Vedas under a single heading: ignorance.
Celebrations
Celebrations
By Nayana Bhiram
In the “Bhakti Rasamrita Sindu” (The Waves of the Nectar of Devotion), by the great saint Srila Rupa Goswami, there are listed 64 forms of “Upasana”—service and worship of the Lord. Of these 64, the following three are considered to be of the essence of spiritual life:
1. Submission to the Spiritual Master, or Guru,
2. Receiving initiation and training from him, and
3. Affectionately serving him.
In the study of God realization known as Krishna Consciousness, the most important celebration for a devotee to take part in is his own acceptance of initiation from the Spiritual Master. Initiation is the formalized ritual of entering into a new stage of existence. Even in our modern-day secular society the fundamental events of changing status—birth, marriage, and death—are celebrated by ritual which recognizes, at least formally, man’s link with the Supreme. Spiritual initiation, however, is not the same as our wedding or funeral ceremonies, which clearly indicate events related to the body. Surrendering at the feet of the Spiritual Master is a spiritual event. As His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Spiritual Master of the Hare Krishna Movement, once explained to a disciple: “We [Guru and students] are all eternal associates.“
He added, further, that the Spiritual Master continues to teach in the material world until all his disciples have been delivered into the spiritual sky. For this reason, the Spiritual Master is cautioned by most authorities not to accept too many disciples. And, for the sake of the beloved Spiritual Master, it is incumbent upon the initiated disciple to remain fixed in transcendent Krishna Consciousness through performance of devotional service. In this way, a reciprocal relationship of spiritual love is established.
The initiation ceremony includes the following rites: First, water sacraments and sanctification of the initiate’s japa (chanting) beads by the Spiritual Master. There are 108 beads, usually hand carved from the sacred Tulasi plant. They stand for the 108 Gopis, the Spiritual Maidens with whom Lord Krishna displayed His transcendental pastimes. After sanctification, the beads are returned and the initiate is informed of his spiritual name. Unlike material names, which refer to the body only, spiritual names refer to the true self, and are eternal. In general, they are names of Krishna, His Associates, or great saints. They are all appended with “Das” or “Devi Dasi” (the servant of), the former for boys and the latter for girls.
The initiate also receives a string of Tulasi neck beads, which is one of the marks of a Vaishnava, a devotee of the Lord, and which acts as protection against Yamaraj, the demigod of Death. These neck beads are never removed.
In addition to the usual deity offerings of sweet scents, flowers, incense, candles and eatables, an impressive fire sacrifice is kindled at such ceremonies, upon which ghee (clarified butter), grains (barley and sesame) and whole bananas are sacrificed. Each initiate, as well as others taking part in the ceremony, throws handfuls of grain into the fire at the prescribed times. In the Vedic age, when wealth was measured in the number of cows and grains, tons of butter and grain were sacrificed to Lord Vishnu, and this was the recommended process for God realization. In Kali Yuga, the present age of quarrel and discord, when the earth is poor and men are not engaged in agrarian occupations, the recommended process is “Sankirtan,” the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord.
The fire sacrifice marks the climax of the initiation ceremony, and is followed by joyous singing and ecstatic dancing before the deities. Upon conclusion, Prasadam—food prepared and offered to the deities—is distributed, and feasting begins.
In addition to the initiation ceremonies depicted above, there are many other celebrations within the scope of Krishna Consciousness, the more frequent and elaborate being marriages and installations of the deities in their temples. Both of these also utilize the fire sacrifice.
Deity worship, one of the most important aspects of devotional service, is probably the least understood by nondevotees and neophytes alike. Composed of apparently material elements, the deity may look like an idol to one with limited knowledge, but it is actually a Form of the Lord incarnate, called “Archa-Vigraha.“ The philosophy of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu teaches that God is simultaneously one and different from His creation. Krishna is in every atom, and He can assume various transcendental forms for our benefit, to make it easier for us to worship Him. In no way is the Lord ever subject to, or contaminated by, the laws of material Nature.
Book Review
Book Review
by Nayana Bhiram
I AND THOU by Martin Buber, 137 pp., Scribner Library, $1.25.
THE WAY OF MAN (According to the Teachings of Hasidism) by Martin Buber, 41. pp.,CitadelPress.$.95.
One of the best-known Jewish thinkers of recent times is Martin Buber. Called a poet, mystic and existentialist, the late professor has written a number of appreciations of Hasidism, a mystical Jewish folk movement begun in 18th century Europe, and far more widely read is his treatise on the “philosophy of dialog,“ I AND THOU.
Before beginning the text of I AND THOU, the author cites the following line from Goethe: “So, waiting, I have won from you the end: God’s presence in each element.” The idea is supposedly not pantheistic, not that various items are gods, but that, according to Buber, “a divine spark lives in every thing and being, but each such spark is enclosed by an isolating shell.“ How to find that spark and confront God directly is the problem, and not a new problem to be sure. Tennyson expressed it when, having plucked a “flower from the crannied wall,“ he exclaimed in perplexity: “if I could understand what you are, root and all, and all in all, I should know what God and man is.“
Buber says one can know God through personal relationship—with either Nature, other men, or “spiritual beings.“ Such a relationship is what Buber calls the “I and Thou” relationship. It is reciprocal, and therefore dialog.
The nature of reality is taken here to be twofold—or, rather, to be approachable in two distinct ways: The I-Thou relationship is meeting the world, supposedly as it is, with one’s whole being. It is contrasted with the relationship called “I-It.” The I-It relationship means taking the world as a tool for one’s own aggrandizement. Such a relationship applies to the false world of things to be used and possessed—a world within which most of us live. In I-It consciousness, I am not, paradoxically, an “I” but an “it”—another thing to be used. On the other hand, as I relate to Thou, I become truly I.
Needless to say, the I-Thou relationship is the more desirable of the two. Yet, although in Buber’s estimation it is a vehicle for love of God, at times I-Thou sounds more like an end. Nearly everyone wants to have a nice loving relationship with other living entities, and to feel love of God. Unfortunately, however, such a state of consciousness is not possible under the material concept of life, where everything is based on either immediate or extended self-interest and sense-gratification.
Buber’s method of exposition is not so clear and straightforward as he seems to believe it is. Speaking in the first person singular, at times the author assumes a pose of affected simplicity, like Khalil Gibran, in his “Prophet,” and at other times an abstrusely philosophical one resembling Nietzsche’s “Zarathushtra.“ This pseudo-poetical style of spirituality no doubt accounts for much of the volume’s success. Most people think that mystical awareness means something misty and obscure—rather than clarity and light. And so, when an author speaks in vague spiritual commonplaces and platitudes, it is to be expected that he may attract a number of followers. To pin down more precisely what Buber is advocating, however, we must turn to his less known posthumous volume, THE WAY OF MAN.
A brief but concise exposition of Buber’s thoughts, THE WAY OF MAN is clearly a product of maturity as compared to his earlier I AND THOU. The author takes six Hasidic stories to illustrate the steps in attaining to “The Way”—the way to achieving God realization. This idea of The Way is, of course, borrowed from Taoism, to which Buber is indeed much indebted.
As far as the first step in God realization is concerned, Buber agrees with almost all spiritual authorities that it is to ask, Who am I? So long as a person does not venture onto this path of self-inquiry, he cannot hope to attain the perfection of life.
The second step is called here The Particular Way, and this means that each man has his own individual means of attaining the absolute. Buber asserts that God says, “whatever you do may be a way to me, provided you do it in such a manner that it leads you to me.“ (Exactly where this tautologous quotation of God’s comes from is not explained.) “But what it is that can and shall be done by just this person and no other, can be revealed to him only in himself.“
In other words, what Buber is advocating here is what is known as “doing your own thing”—a popular doctrine, no doubt, but it can be spiritual suicide for anyone who is serious about self realization. For according to The Bhagavad Gita, which is one of the most widely revered texts covering the science of God realization, no progress can be made without surrendering oneself to a bona fide spiritual master. And, as long as one is engaged in devotional service to the Supreme Lord through the transparent medium of the spiritual master, it doesn’t matter what one’s specific activity is. In this way, though the Vedic standard does permit everyone to act according to his individual nature, it requires that that action first be dovetailed into devotional service under the master’s direction.
Thirdly, after advising one to do his own thing, Buber further advises the spiritual seeker to unify his soul, which is nothing less than to realize that soul means “the whole man, body and spirit together.” Buber’s lack of distinction here between body and soul is an error of serious significance, and can only be attributed to a poor fund of knowledge. Understanding that “I am not this body” is essential to the attainment of spiritual knowledge, and is the most elementary teaching of the Vedas: “Aham Brahmasmi”—I am Brahman, pure spirit soul.
In The Bhagavad Gita, Lord Sri Krishna explains the eternal nature of the soul to Arjuna, his pupil, in the following terms: “Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings, nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.” (2.12) So, according to authoritative scriptural sources, we learn that our true position is that of eternal spirit soul, that we are coeval parts and parcels, and servants, of the Supreme Lord.
The fourth and fifth points of Buber’s Way go together: making peace with oneself, and thus making peace with the world. This is a very nice sentiment. Psychologists have been trying since long before Freud to establish peace within man’s heart. And we have today the United Nations trying to make peace in the world. Both in vain. It is very easy for humanists like Martin Buber to advocate peace—individual and collective—but as for offering a practical method to attain it, they are completely baffled in their attempts.
Such a practical peace formula is offered, however, in the Gita Mahatma, an authorized commentary on The Bhagavad Gita: “Let there be one hymn for chanting, and let there be one occupation for the human race, namely transcendental loving service to the Lord.“
Buber’s last points are “not being preoccupied with the world,“ rightfully understanding that the “earth is the Lord’s,” and thus hallowing it for God’s sake. Again, what is meant by “hallowing” is not explained, and it is doubtful whether the author himself knows. Like so many materialists who advocate dealing with the “here and now” of this earth, Buber fails to realize that this material world is only temporary and, in that sense, illusory. Not that it doesn’t exist, but that it is always changing, hence impermanent, and thus unreal. The point in Krishna Consciousness, the Vedic science of God realization, is to be attached neither to oneself nor to the material world, but only to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The material world is recognized in the light of such transcendental devotion to be only a manifestation of Krishna’s energy, and the true spiritual process is to go directly to the source.
Although an irnpersonalist, at times Buber does come close to the personalist conception. In his writing on Hasidism, he states that “God, no matter how infinite he is comprehended as being, is still Person and remains Person.“ Were it otherwise it would not be possible for the I-Thou dialog between man and God to exist. Nevertheless, because Buber does not know very much about God as a person, his idea of dialog is quite roundabout. That is, one can ”converse” with God through the medium of other entities. Why not directly, this reviewer wonders?
In the serious pursuit of God realization, which is really only another way of phrasing dialog with the Absolute, one can learn about the name, fame, and pastimes of the Supreme Lord. The Krishna Consciousness system, for example, follows the teachings of the Srimad Bhagwatam and other Vedic scriptures. Since God is non-different from His Name, one need only chant His Holy Names to associate with Krishna. The effect is blissful. As original Krishna conscious entities, we can attain our natural position of full knowledge, full bliss and eternity simply by associating with the Lord by chanting His Names: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This is a real, direct I-Thou relationship—and it is eternal, not fleeting like the chance meeting of eyes of a child and a cat, as Buber for some reason chooses to see it.
His Divine Grace A. C . Bhaktivedanta Swami has written: “God is situated in everyone’s heart. God is not away from us. He is present. He is so friendly that, in our repeated change of births, He remains with us. He is waiting to see when we shall turn to Him.“ We have simply to turn to Krishna in order to revive our dormant love of Godhead, which has for so long remained buried within our hearts.
Sri Ishopanishad
Sri Ishopanishad
Rendered into English by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
The most ancient of Indias famed Upanishads speaks with surprising relevance to the problems of technological man in this new and important translation. The author one of the most distinguished teachers of Vedic religion ancl thought, has also translated such profound texts as The Bhagavad Gita (published this year by Macmillan) and the Srimad Bhagwatam. As founder and Guru of the Krishna Consciousness Movement in the West he is able to add the practical insights of his experience among today’s young spiritual seekers to an understanding of the eternal, sublime wisdom of the Vedas.
Invocation
The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete. And because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as a complete whole. Whatever is produced of the complete whole is also complete by itself. And because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.
Purport
The Complete Whole, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, is the complete Personality of Godhead. Impersonal Brahman forms an incomplete realization of the Absolute Complete, and so also is the conception of Paramatman, the Supersoul. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Sat-chit-ananda Vigraha: impersonal Brahman realization is the realization of His Sat, or eternity aspect, and Paramatman, Supersoul realization, is the realization of His Sat and Chit, eternity and knowledge aspects. But realization of the Personality of Godhead is realization of all the transcendental features, Sat, Chit, and Ananda, or bliss. In the Personal concept, this is realized in complete form (Vigraha). And so the Complete Whole is not formless. If He is formless, or if He is less than His creation in any other thing, He cannot be complete. The Complete Whole must have everything, both within our experience and beyond our experience. Otherwise He cannot be complete.
The Complete Whole Personality of Godhead has immense potencies, and all of them are as complete as He is. Therefore this phenomenal or material world is also complete by itself. The twenty-four elements of which this material universe is a temporary manifestation are completely adjusted to produce complete things, necessary for the maintenance and subsistence of this universe. No extraneous effort by any other unit is required for this maintenance. The universe has its own time, fixed by the energy of the Complete Whole, and when that time is complete this temporary manifestation will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the Complete.
There is complete facility for the small complete units, namely the living beings, to realize the Complete; and all forms of incompleteness are experienced only on account of incomplete knowledge of the Complete. The human form of life is a complete manifestation of the consciousness of the living being, which is obtained after evolving through 8,400,000 species of life in the cycle of birth and death. If a human being does not realize his completeness within the Complete in this life of full consciousness, he loses the chance of realizing his completeness, and is put again into the cycle of evolution by the law of material Nature.
Because we do not know that there is a complete arrangement in Nature for our maintenance, we make efforts to utilize the resources of Nature to create a so-called complete life of sense-enjoyment. This misleading life of sense-enjoyment is called illusion, because the living entity cannot enjoy the life of the senses without being dovetailed with the Complete Whole. For example, the hand of a body is a complete unit so long as it is attached to the complete body. When the hand is detached from the body, it may appear like a hand, but actually it has none of the potency of a hand. Similarly, the living beings are parts and parcels of the Complete Whole; and as long as the parts and parcels are detached from the Complete Whole, the illusory representation of completeness is not enough to bring the desired result.
The completeness of human life can only be realized when the human form of life is engaged in the service of the Complete Whole. Any service in this world, whether social, political, communal, international, or even interplanetary, will remain incomplete unless and until it is dovetailed with the Complete Whole. And, when everything is dovetailed with the Complete Whole, the attached parts and parcels also become complete in themselves.
Mantra One
Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one must not accept other things, knowing well to Whom they belong.
Purport
The Vedic knowledge is infallible because it comes down through the perfect disciplic succession of spiritual masters beginning with the Lord Himself. The Vedic knowledge is received from the transcendental sources, and the first word was spoken by the Lord Himself. The words spoken by the Lord are called “Apouresheya,” not delivered by any person of the mundane world. A living being of the mundane world has four principal defects, which are: 1. that he must commit mistakes, 2. he must sometimes be illusioned, 3. he must try to cheat others, and 4. he is endowed with imperfect senses. With these four principles of imperfection one cannot deliver perfect information in the matter of all-pervading knowledge. The Vedas are not known like that. The Vedic knowledge was originally imparted into the heart of Brahma, the first created living being, and Brahma in his turn disseminated the knowledge to his sons and disciples, who have continued the process down through history.
The Lord being “Purnam,” or all-perfect, there is no chance of His being subjected to the laws of material Nature, while the living entities and inanimate objects are all controlled by the laws of Nature, and thus, ultimately, by the potency of the Lord. This Ishopanishad is a part of the Yajur Veda, and as such it contains information as to the proprietorship of all things that exist within the universe.
This point is confirmed by The Bhagavad Gita, in the Seventh Chapter, where “Para” and “Apara Prakriti” are discussed: The elements of Nature—earth, fire, water, air, sky, mind, intelligence and ego all belong to the inferior or material energy of the Lord, whereas the living being, the organic energy, is the superior energy, the “Para Prakriti,” of the Lord. Both the Prakritis or energies are emanations from the Lord, and ultimately He is the Controller of everything that exists. There is nothing in the universe which does not belong either to the Para or the Apara Prakriti, and therefore everything is under the proprietary right of the Supreme Being.
The Supreme Being, the absolute Personality of Godhead, being the complete Person, has the complete and perfect intelligence to adjust everything by His different potencies. The Supreme Being is often compared with fire, and everything—organic and inorganic—is compared with the heat and light of the fire. The fire distributes energy in the form of heat and light, and likewise the Lord displays His energy in different ways. And He remains the ultimate Controller, Sustainer and Dictator over everything. He is full of all potencies, the Knower of everything, the Benefactor of everyone, and is full of all inconceivable opulences: power, wealth, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation.
One should therefore be intelligent enough to know that except for the Lord no one is the proprietor of anything, but should instead accept the things which are set aside by the Lord as his quota. The cow, for example, gives milk, but she does not drink the milk. Her milk is designated as food for the human being. The cow eats grass and straw but does not drink her own milk. Such is the arrangement of the Lord, and we should be satisfied with the things that have been very kindly set aside for us by Him. We should always consider to Whom the things that we possess actually belong.
Take, for example, our dwelling house, which is made of earth, wood, stone, iron, cement, and so many other material things. If we think in terms of Sri Ishopanishad, then we must know that we cannot produce any of the above-mentioned building materials ourselves. We can simply bring them together and transform them into different shapes by our labor. A laborer cannot claim to be the proprietor of a thing just because he has worked hard to manufacture it.
There is always this great quarrel between the laborers and the capitalists in present-day society. The quarrel has now taken an international shape, and the world is in danger. Men face each other in enmity just like cats and dogs snarling. Sri Ishopanishad cannot give advice to the cats and dogs, but It delivers the message of Godhead to man through the bona fide Acharyas, or holy teachers. And the human race may take this Vedic wisdom from Sri Ishopanishad: that no one should quarrel over material possessions. One must be satisfied by whatever privileges are given to him by the mercy of the Lord. There can be no peace if the communist or the capitalist or any other party claims to be the proprietor of the resources of Nature, which are entirely the property of the Lord.
The capitalist cannot curb down the communist simply by political maneuvering, nor can the communist defeat the capitalist simply by fighting for the stolen bread. If they do not recognize the proprietorship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then all the property which they claim to be their own is stolen, and therefore they shall be liable to punishment by the laws of Nature. The Bomb is in the hands of both the communists and the capitalists, and if both do not recognize the proprietorship of the Supreme Lord, it is sure and certain that, ultimately, The Bomb will ruin both parties. Therefore, in order to save themselves, both must follow the instruction of Sri Ishopanishad, and thus bring peace to the world.
Human beings are not meant forquarreling like cats and dogs. They must be intelligent enough to realize the importance of human life, and to realize the aim of human life. The Vedic literature is meant for humanity and not for cats and dogs. Cats and dogs can kill other animals for food and for that there is no question of sin on their part. But if a man kills an animal for the satisfaction of his uncontrolled taste buds, he is responsible for breaking the laws of Nature, and therefore he must be punished.
There is a standard of life for human beings which cannot apply to the animals. The tiger does not eat rice, wheat or cow’s milk because it has been given its quota of foodstuff in the shape of animal food. There are many animals and birds who are either vegetarian or non-vegetarian, but none of them transgress the laws of Nature as they have been ordained by the will of the Lord. Amongst the living beings—whether animals or birds or reptiles—there is strict adherence to the laws of Nature, and therefore there is no question of sin for them, nor are the Vedic instructions meant for them. Human life alone, then, is a life of responsibility.
It is also wrong to consider that simply by becoming a vegetarian one can save himself from transgressing the laws of Nature. Vegetables also have life. One life is meant to feed another living being, and that is the law of Nature. One should not be proud of being a strict vegetarian. The point is to recognize the Supreme Lord. The animals have no developed consciousness to recognize the Lord, but a human being is sufficiently intelligent to take lessons from the Vedic literature, and thereby know how the laws of Nature are working, and derive profit out of such knowledge. If a man neglects the instruction of the Vedic literature, his life is very risky. The human being is therefore required to recognize the authority of the Supreme Lord. He must be a devotee of the Lord. He must offer everything to the service of the Lord and partake of only the remnants of foodstuff offered to the Lord. That will make him able to discharge his duty properly. In The Bhagavad Gita the Lord directly states that He accepts the vegetable foodstuffs from the hands of a pure devotee. Therefore a human being should not only become a strict vegetarian, but he should also be a devotee of the Lord, and offer to the Lord all his food, and only then partake of the “Prasadam,” or mercy of God. Such a devotee can properly discharge the duty of human life. Those who do not do so are eating only sins, and thus will be subjected to the different types of distress which are the result of the various sins.
The root of sin is deliberate disobedience to the laws of Nature, through not recognizing the proprietorship of the Lord. Disobedience to the laws of Nature or disobedience to the order of the Lord will bring ruin to the human being. On the other hand, if one is sober and knows the laws of Nature, without being influenced by unnecessary attachment or abhorrence, he is sure to be recognized again by the Lord, and thus become eligible for going back to Godhead, back to the eternal Home.
Mantra Two
One may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on doing work in that way, because that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. And there is no alternative to this way for man.
Purport
No one wants to die, and everyone wants to live for as long as he can drag on. This temperament is not only visible individually, but also it is visible collectively in the community, society and nation. There is a hard struggle for life in every class of living entities, and the Veda says that this is quite natural for the living being. The living being is eternal by nature, but due to his bondage in the material existence he has to change his body from one to another. This process is called transmigration of the soul. This transmigration is also called “Karmabandhana,“ or being bound by one’s own work. The living entity has to work for his livelihood because that is the law of material Nature, and if he does not act according to the prescribed duties of his particular life he transgresses the law of Nature, making himself bound more and more in the cycle of birth and death.
The cycle of birth and death is present in life other than the human form. When the living entity gets the chance for human life, however, it is his chance to get free from the chain of the law of karma. Karma, Akarma, and Vikarma are principles very clearly described in The Bhagavad Gita. Actions which are done in terms of the prescribed duties mentioned in the revealed Scriptures are called “karma.“ Actions which make one free from the cycle of birth and death are called “akarma.” And actions which are performed by the misuse of one’s freedom, thereby directing oneself toward the lower regions of life, are called “vikarma.“
Of these three categories of activities, the one which makes one free from the cycle of further bondage to karma is preferred by intelligent men. Ordinary men want to perform good work in order to be recognized and to achieve some status of life in this world or in heaven, but more advanced men want to be free altogether from the actions and reactions of work. Intelligent men know well that both good and bad works are equally causes of the material miseries of life. They therefore seek to do work which will free them from the reactions of good and bad work. This freedom from good and bad work is ascertained herewith in Sri Ishopanishad.
The instruction of Sri Ishopanishad is better explained in The Bhagavad Gita, sometimes called The Geetopanishad, the cream of all the Upanishads. In The Bhagavad Gita, the Personality of Godhead says that no one can attain the state of “Naiskarma”or akarma without beginning the prescribed duties mentioned in the Vedic literature. The Vedic literature can regulate the working energy of the human being in such a way that one can gradually realize the authority of the Supreme Being. When one realizes the authority of the Personality of Godhead, it is to be understood that he has attained the stage of positive knowledge. At this purified stage of life, where the modes of Nature—namely goodness, passion and ignorance—cannot act, one is enabled to work on the basis of Naiskarma, or work which does not bind one to the cycle of birth and death.
Factually, no one has to do anything more than to render devotional service to the Lord. In the lower stage of life, however, one can not at once adopt the activities of devotional service, nor can one completely stop reactionary work. A conditioned soul is accustomed to working for sense gratification, for his own selfish interest, immediate or extended. An ordinary man wants to work for his own sense enjoyment, and when the principle of sense enjoyment is extended from the individual to include the collective society, nation, or humanity in general, it assumes various attractive names such as altruism, socialism, communism, nationalism, humanitarianism, etc. These isms are certainly very attractive forms of Karmabandhana, the bondage of one’s own work, but the Vedic instruction of Sri Ishopanishad is that, if you actually live for any of the above isms, make them God-centered. There is no harm in becoming a family man, an altruist, socialist, communist, nationalist, or humanitarian—provided all such activities are executed in relation with “Ishavasya,” the God-centered conception.
God-centered activities are evaluated in The Bhagavad Gita as being so rich that even a little bit of them can save one from the greatest danger. The greatest danger of life is to glide down again into the evolutionary cycle of birth and death. If some way or other a man misses the spiritual opportunity offered by his human form of life, and thus glides down again into the evolutionary cycle, it must be considered the most regrettable incidence, although foolish man cannot see this, due to his defective senses. Sri Ishopanishad advises us, therefore, to exert our energy in the Ishavasya spirit, and in that engagement we may wish to live for many, many years. Otherwise, one’s long life is no better than that of a tree, which is also a living being, and which lives for hundreds and hundreds of years. There is no point in living a long time like the trees, or breathing like the bellows, or begetting children like the hog and the dog, or eating like the camel. Even a humble life, with God-centered activities, is more valuable than the colossal hoax of so-called altruism or socialism without any relation to God.
When activities such as altruism are executed in the spirit of Sri Ishopanishad, every one of them becomes a form of Karma Yoga, as is recommended in The Bhagavad Gita. And that guarantees the executor against the dangers of the evolutionary process of birth and death. Such God-centered activities, even though half-finished, are still good for the executor, because they will guarantee him the human form of life in his next birth. In this way he can have another chance to improve his position on the path of liberation.
Mantra Three
The killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance.
Purport
A human life is distinguished from animal life on account of its heavy responsibilities. Those who are cognizant of these responsibilities and work in that spirit are called “suras,“ the godly. And those who are either neglectful of the responsibilities or who have no information about them, are called the “asuras,” or demons. There are only these two kinds of human beings all over the universe. In the Rig Veda it is stated that the suras always aim at the Lotus Feet of the Supreme Lord Vishnu, and act accordingly. Their ways are as illuminated as the path of the Sun.
Intelligent human beings must always remember that this particular form of body is obtained after an evolution of many millions of years of transmigration of the soul. This material world is sometimes compared with an ocean, and this human body is compared with a solid boat, designed to cross over the ocean. The Vedic Scriptures and the Acharyas, or saintly teachers, are compared with the expert boatman, and the facilities of a human body are compared with favorable breezes, which can help the boat smoothly ply to the desired destination. If, with all these facilities, a person does not fully utilize his human life for self-realization, such an asura must be considered “Atmaha,“ a killer of the soul. The killer of the soul is destined to enter into the darkest region of ignorance to suffer perpetually, and here is a warning by Sri Ishopanishad in clear terms.
There are swine, dogs, camels, asses, etc., whose economic necessities are just as important as ours. But the economic problems of these animals are solved under nasty conditions, while the human being is given all facilities for comfortable life by the laws of Nature, because the human form of life is more important than animal life. And why is man given a better life than the swine and other animals? Why is a highly placed servant given all the facilities of comfortable life, rather then an ordinary clerk? The answer is that the highly placed officer has to discharge duties of a higher nature. Similarly, the human being has higher duties in life than the animals who are engaged always in the business of feeding their hungry stomachs.
The modern soul-killing civilization has only increased the problems of a hungry stomach. We approach some polished animal, a modern civilized man, and he says that he wants to work for the satisfaction of the stomach and there is no necessity for self-realization. But the laws of Nature are so cruel that in spite of his eagerness to work hard for his stomach, there is always the question of unemployment, even after denouncing the prospect of self-realization.
We are given this human form of life not to work hard like the ass, the swine and the dog, but to attain the highest perfection of life. If we do not care for self-realization, it is by the law of Nature that we have to work very hard even though we do not want to do so. In this age the human being has been forced to work hard like the ass and the bull, pulling carts. These are some of the examples of the regions where an asura is sent to work, revealed by this verseof Sri Ishopanishad. If a man fails to discharge his duties as a human being, he is forced to transmigrate to the planets called “Asurya” in the degraded species of life, to work hard in ignorance and darkness.
In The Bhagavad Gita it is also stated that the half-self-realized men who in their previous lives could not complete the process of approaching Godhead but had sincerely tried for it—in other words, those who failed to attain success in realizing their relation with God—are given the chance of appearing in the family of “Suchi” or “Srimata.” Suchi means a spiritually advanced Brahmin, and srimata means a Vaishya, or member of the mercantile community. This means that such fallen candidates are given a better chance for culturing self-realization on account of their sincere efforts in past lives. If the fallen candidates are given the chance of taking birth in respectable noble families, we can hardly imagine the state of those who have completely achieved success in the attempt.
Simply to make an attempt for realizing God is to guarantee that the next birth will be in a noble family. But those who do not make any such attempt at all, and who want to be covered by illusion, too materialistic and attached to material enjoyment, must enter into the darkest region of hell, which is confirmed in all the Vedic literature.
Such materialistic asuras sometimes make a show of religiousness with the ultimate aim of material prosperity. The Bhagavad Gita, however, rebukes them as men called great on the strength of false perfection, empowered by the votes of the ignorant and by material wealth. Such asuras, devoid of self-realization and the conception of Ishavasya, the Lord, are sure to enter into the darkest regions.
The conclusion is that we are not meant only for solving economic problems on a tottering plafform, but we are also meant for solving the problems of the material life into which we have been placed by the conditions of Nature.
Mantra Four
The Personality of Godhead, although fixed in His Abode, is more swift than the mind, and can overcome all others running. The powerful demigods cannot approach Him. Although in one place, He has control over those who supply the air and rain. He surpasses all in excellence.
Purport
The Supreme Lord, Who is the Absolute Personality of Godhead, is not knowable even to the greatest philosopher through mental speculation. He can be known only by His devotees through His mercy. In The Brahma Samhita it is said that the non-devotee philosopher who can travel at the speed of the mind, or at the velocity of the air, and who can travel in space for hundreds of years, will find the Absolute still far, far away from Him. As described in the Upanishads, the Absolute Personality of Godhead has His transcendental Abode, known as Krishna Loka, where He remains, engaged in His Pastimes. But by His inconceivable potency He can simultaneously reach every part of the creative energy. In The Vishnu Purana this potency is compared with the light and heat of the fire. The fire can distribute its light and heat from one place, and similarly the Absolute Personality of Godhead, although fixed up in His transcendental Abode, can diffuse His different energies everywhere.
Such energies are innumerable, but principally they are classified into three: the internal potency, the marginal potency, and the external potency. In each and every one of them, there are hundreds and millions of sub-headings. The dominating demigods who are empowered to have control over the administration of natural phenomena such as the air, light, rain, etc. are all classified within the marginal potency of the Absolute Person. The living beings, including humans, are also products of the marginal potency of the Lord. The material world is the creation of the external potency of the Lord, and the spiritual sky, where the Kingdom of God is situated, is the manifestation of His internal potency.
The different energies of the Supreme Lord are represented everywhere by His different potencies. Although there is no difference between Him and His energies, still one should not mistake the energy for the Supreme Truth. The Supreme Lord expands Himself by His different energies, but one should not wrongly conclude that the Supreme Lord, being thus distributed everywhere, has His Personal existence solely in the impersonal Brahman. Men are accustomed to reach conclusions only according to their own capacity to understand. But the Supreme Lord is not subject to our limited capacity to understand Him. It is for this reason that the Upanishads warn us that no one can approach the Lord by his own limited potency.
In The Bhagavad Gita, the Lord says that no one, not even the great rishis and suras, can know Him. So what is there to say of the asuras, who are not even qualified to understand the ways of the Lord ? All these words mentioned in Mantra Four of Sri Ishopanishad suggest very clearly that the Absolute Truth is ultimately the Absolute Person; otherwise there would have been no necessity of mentioning so many varied things in support of His personal features.
Individual parts and parcels of the potencies of the Lord, although having all the symptoms of the Lord Himself, have limited spheres of activities, and therefore are all limited. The parts and parcels are never equal to the whole. Therefore the parts and parcels cannot appreciate the full potency of the Lord. Foolish and ignorant living beings who are parts and parcels of the Lord, under the influence of the material energy, try to make a conjecture on the transcendental position of the Lord. Sri Ishopanishad warns them not to make any mental speculation about the identity of the Lord. Try to know the Transcendence from the superior source of the Vedas, which is already in knowledge of the Transcendence.
Every part of the Complete Whole is endowed with some particular energy to act, and forgetfulness by that part of his particular activities is called Maya, Illusion. Sri Ishopanishad has therefore, from the very beginning, warned us that we should be careful to play the part designated for us by the Lord. This, however, does not mean that the individual soul has no initiative of his own. Because he is the part and parcel of the Lord he must have the initiative of the Lord as well. Proper use of one’s initiative, active nature, with intelligence to understand that everything is but the potency of the Lord, can lead one to the revival of his original consciousness, which was lost on account of association with Maya, the external energy.
All power is obtained from the Lord, and therefore each particular power must be utilized to execute the will of the Lord, and not otherwise. The Lord can be known by one who has adopted a submissive attitude. Perfect knowledge means to know the Lord in all His features, to know about His potencies and how such potencies are working by His will. These things are exclusively described by the Lord in The Bhagavad Gita, which is the essence of all the Upanishads.
Mantra Five
The Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away, but He is very near as well. He is within everything, and again He is outside of everything.
Purport
Here is an explanation of the Supreme Lord’s transcendental activities by His inconceivable potencies. There are two sets of contradictory words mentioned herein to prove the inconceivable potency of the Lord. He walks, and He does not walk. These two phrases are contradictory. If someone can walk then it is improper to say that he cannot walk. These contradictions show the inconceivable power of God. With our limited fund of knowledge we cannot accommodate such things, and therefore the Lord is conceived in terms of our limited powers of understanding. The impersonalist philosophers of the “Mayavada” school accept only the impersonalist part of the Lord’s activities, and refute His Personal feature. The Bhagawat school, however, accepts the Lord in both ways, i.e., as Personal and impersonal. And the Bhagawats also accept His inconceivable potencies. Without inconceivable potency there is no meaning to the words “Supreme Lord.“
We should not take it for granted that, because we cannot see God before our eyes, there is therefore no personal existence of the Lord. To refute this sort of argument, Sri Ishopanishad warns us that the Lord is far away from us, but He is very near to us also. The Abode of the Lord is beyond the material sky. We have no means to measure even the material sky. If just the material sky is so far, far away from us, then what of the spiritual sky, which is beyond the material sky altogether? That the spiritual sky is situated far, far away from the material world is further confirmed in The Bhagavad Gita. But, in spite of the Lord’s being so far away, He can at once, within less than a second, descend before us with a speed more powerful than the mind or the air. He can walk so quickly that no one can surpass Him. This fact has already been described in the previous verse.
When the Personality of Godhead thus comes before us, however, we neglect Him. This negligence on the part of the foolish people is condemned by the Lord in The Bhagavad Gita. The Lord says that the foolish deride Him, taking Him to be one of the mortal beings. But He is not a mortal being, nor does He come before us with a body produced of material Nature. There are many so-called scholars who say that when the Lord descends, He does so in a body of matter, just like an ordinary living being. Such foolish men place the Lord on a level equal to that of the ordinary man, not knowing His inconceivable power.
Because He is full of inconceivable potencies, God can accept our service through any sort of medium, and He can convert His different potencies according to His own will. The unbelievers argue that the Lord cannot incarnate Himself, or if at all, He descends in a form of material energy. This argument is nullified if we accept His inconceivable potencies as realities. Even if He appears before us in the form of some material energy, it is quite possible for Him to convert the material energy into spiritual energy. The source of the energies being one and the same, the energies can be utilized suitably according to the will of that energetic Source. For example, the Lord appears in the Form of Archa, or Deities supposedly made of earth or stone. These forms, engraved from wood or stone or any other matter, are not idols, however, as is held by the iconoclasts.
In the present state of our imperfect material existence we cannot see the Supreme Lord on account of our imperfect vision. But still, those devotees who want to see Him by means of material vision are favored by the Lord, Who appears in so-called material form to accept the devotees’ service. This does not mean that such devotees, who are in the lowest stage of devotional service, are worshipping an idol. In fact, they are worshipping the Lord, Who has agreed to appear before them in a particular way which is approachable by them. This Archa Form is not fashioned in terms of the order or whim of the worshipper. It is eternally existent with all Its paraphernalia. This can be actually felt by a sincere devotee, but not by an atheist.
In The Bhagavad Gita the Lord says that He treats His devotee in proportion to the degree of surrender made by the devotee. He reserves the right not to expose Himself to anyone and everyone, except those who surrender unto Him. Therefore, for the surrendered soul, He is always within reach, whereas for the non-surrendered soul, He is far, far away, and cannot be approached.
There are two words in the revealed Scriptures which are important in this connection: Saguna and Nirgun—with qualities and without qualities. Saguna does not mean that the Lord becomes subjected to the laws of material Nature when He appears, although He has qualities and appears in the material form. For Him there is no difference between material and spiritual energies, because He is the Source of such energies. He is the Controller of the different energies, and as such He cannot at any time be under their influence, as we are. The material energy works according to His direction, and therefore He can use the material energy for His purpose, but without ever being influenced by any of the qualities of His energies. Nor for this purpose does He become a formless entity at any time. Ultimately He is the eternal Form, the Primeval Lord. And the impersonal representation, or Brahman effulgence, is the glow of His Personal rays, as the Sun’s rays are the glow of the Sun god.
When the boy saint Prahlad Maharaj was in the presence of his atheist father, his father asked him, “Where is your God?” The child Prahlad replied that God resides everywhere. The father then angrily asked whether his God was within the pillar of the palace, and the child said yes. At once the atheist king broke the pillar in front of him into pieces, at which the Lord appeared as Nrishingha (the halfman, half-lion Incarnation) from within the pillar, and killed the atheist king. This means that the Lord is within everything, which is created by His different energies. And by His inconceivable power He can appear at any place in order to favor His sincere devotee. Lord Nrishingha appeared from within the pillar not at the order of the atheist king, but by the wish of the devotee Prahlad. An atheist cannot order the Lord to appear, but to show mercy to His devotee the Lord can appear anywhere and everywhere.
The Bhagavad Gita confirms this, in the statement that the Lord appears to vanquish the unbelievers and to protect the believers. To vanquish an unbeliever, of course, the Lord has sufficient energies and agents who can do the work, but to favor the devotee is a pleasing task for Him, and therefore He descends as an incarnation. He does so only to favor His devotees, then, and not for any other purpose.
In the Brahma Samhita it is said that Govinda, the Primeval Lord, enters everything by His plenary portion. He enters the universe as well as the atom of the universe. He is outside in the Virata Form, and He is within as “Antaryami.” As Antaryami He is witness of everything that we are doing, and He gives us the result of our actions as Karma Phal. We ourselves may forget what we have done in previous lives, but because the Lord is the witness of our actions, the result of our actions is always there, and we have to undergo the reactions all the same.
In fact there is nothing except God within and without. Everything is manifested of His different energies, like the heat and light of fire, which means there is a oneness among the diverse energies. In spite of this oneness, however, the Lord enjoys in His Personal Form all that is enjoyable to the little senses of the little part and parcel living entities.
Mantra Six
A person who sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord, and sees all entities as His parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything, never hates anything, nor any being.
Purport
Here is an explanation of the “Maha Bhagwat,” the great personality who sees everything in relation to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are three stages of realizing the presence of the Supreme Lord: The “Kanistha Adhikary,“ the person who is in the lowest stage of realization of the Lord, goes to one place of worship, such as a temple, church, or mosque, in terms of his particular type of religious faith, and worships there in terms of the scriptural injunctions. Such devotees think that the Lord is there at the place of worship and nowhere else. Such devotees cannot recognize who is in what position in the devotional line, or in terms of realization of the Supreme Lord. They follow the routine formulas and sometimes quarrel among themselves, estimating one particular type of worship better than another. These Kanistha Adhikarys, in the lowest stage of devotion, are called materialistic devotees, or those just trying to transcend the material boundary to reach the spiritual plane.
Next above these Kanistha Adhikarys are the “Madhyam Adhikarys,” the devotees who are in the intermediate stage of devotional service. These Madhyam Adhikarys observe four principles in relation to the Supreme Lord, which are as follows:
1. They see, first of all, the Supreme Lord;
2. They see next the devotees of the Lord;
3. They see also the innocent, who have no knowledge about God; and at last,
4. They see the atheists who have no faith in the Lord, and who hate those in the devotional line.
The Madhyam Adhikary devotee behaves differently toward the different above-mentioned four principles. He adores the Lord, considering Him the object of love, and he makes friendship with those who are in the devotional line. He tries to awaken the dormant love of Godhead in the hearts of the innocent people, but he does not approach the atheists who deride at the very Name of the Lord.
Above the Madhyam Adhikary there is the “Uttam Adhikary” devotee, who sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord. He does not make any particular discrimination between the atheist and the theist, but sees in every one of them the part and parcel of God. He knows that there is no difference between a vastly learned Brahmin and a dog in the street, because both of them are of the Lord, though in different embodiments due to the different qualities of material action. The Brahmin particle of the Supreme Lord has not misused the little independence given him by the Lord, but the dog particle has misused his independence, and thus he has been punished by the law of Nature, being encaged in the ignorant form of a dog. Without considering the respective actions of the Brahmin and the dog, the Uttam Adhikary tries to do good to both. Such a learned devotee of the Lord is not misled by the material bodies of the Brahmin and the dog, but he is attracted by the spiritual spark within the respective entities.
Those who imitate an Uttam Adhikary in terms of the sense of oneness or fellowship, but who behave in terms of bodily relationships, are false philanthropists. Therefore the concept of universal brotherhood must be learnt from the Uttam Adhikary devotee of the Lord, and not from a foolish person who has no proper vision of the individual soul and of the Supersoul—the plenary expansion of the Supreme Lord, Which dwells everywhere.
In this Mantra of Sri Ishopanishad it is clearly mentioned that one should “observe,” or see. This means one must follow the previous Acharya, the perfected Teacher. “Anupasyati” is the exact Sanskrit word used in this connection. “Anu” means to observe. One should not try to see things as he does with the naked eye. The naked eye cannot see anything properly, due to its material defectiveness. One cannot see properly unless one has heard from a superior source. And the highest source is the Vedic wisdom spoken by the Lord Himself. This truth is coming in disciplic succession from the Lord to Brahma, from Brahma to Narada, from Narada to Vyasa, and from Vyasa to many of His disciples. Formerly there was no necessity of recording the message of the Vedas, because people of earlier ages were more intelligent and had sharper memories, and they could follow instructions simply by hearing once from the mouth of a bona fide spiritual master.
At present there are many commentaries on the revealed Scriptures, but most of them are not in the line of Srila Vyasadeva, Who originally taught the Vedic wisdom. The final, most perfect and sublime work of Srila Vyasadeva is The Srimad Bhagwatam, Which is the correct commentary on the Vedanta Sutra. Similarly, there is The Bhagavad Gita, Which is spoken by the Lord Himself and Which was recorded by Vyasadeva. These are the more important of the many revealed Scriptures, and any commentary which does not conform to the principles of The Gita or The Srimad Bhagwatam is unauthorized. There is complete symmetrical agreement between the Upanishads, Vedanta, the Vedas, The Bhagavad Gita and The Srimad Bhagwatam. Therefore, no one should try to reach any conclusion about the Vedas without being instructed by members of the line of Vyasadeva, or at least those who believe in the Personality of Godhead and His diverse energies.
Only one who is already in the liberated status, according to The Bhagavad Gita, can become an Uttam Adhikary devotee, and can see everyone or every living being as his own brother. This cannot be seen by politicians who are always after some material gain. Imitation of this liberated status is to serve the outward body (for fame, or some such reward) but is not service to the spirit soul. Such imitators have no information of the spiritual world. The Uttam Adhikary sees the spirit soul of an entity, and serves him as spirit, which includes matter automatically.
Mantra Seven
One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What is there as illusion or anxiety for him?
Purport
Except for the two more advanced devotees described above, no one can correctly see the spiritual position of a living being. The living entities are qualitatively one with the Supreme Lord, as the sparks of the fire are qualitatively one with the nature of the fire. But sparks are not fire as far as quantity is concerned. The quantity of heat and light present in the fire is not equal to the quantity of heat and light in the sparks. The Maha Bhagwat, the great devotee, sees oneness in the sense that everything is the energy of the Supreme Lord. And as there is no difference between the energy and the energetic, there is the sense of oneness. Without heat and light there is no meaning of fire, and yet heat and light from the analytical point of view are different from fire. But in synthesis, heat, light, and fire are all the same one thing.
The Sanskrit words found here, “Ekatwam anupasyata,“ mean to see the unity of the living entities from the viewpoint of the revealed Scriptures. Every individual spark of the Supreme Whole has almost eighty per cent of the known qualities of the Whole, but they are not as good as the Supreme Lord. These qualities are present in minute quantity, as the living entity is but a minute part and parcel of the Supreme Whole. This is like the drop of water and the ocean: The quantity of salt present in the drop is never comparable to the quantity of salt present in the complete ocean. But the quality of the salt present in the drop is equal in quality, in chemical composition, with that present in the ocean.
If the individual living being were equal both in quality and in quantity, then there would be no question of the living entity’s being submerged by the influence of material energy. It has already been discussed in previous mantras that no living being, even the powerful demigods, can surpass the Supreme Being in any respect. Therefore “ekatwam” does not mean that a living being is equal in all respects with the Supreme Lord. It means, in a broader sense, that there is one interest, just as in a family the interest of all the members is one. In a nation, although different individual citizens are there, the national interest is one. Therefore, the living entities being parts and parcels of the same Supreme family, the interest of the Supreme Being and that of the parts and parcels is not different. Every living being is the son of the Supreme Being. As it is said in The Bhagavad Gita, all living creatures, including birds, reptiles, ants, aquatics, trees, and so on, all over the universe—all are emanations from the marginal potency of the Supreme Lord. And therefore all of them belong to the same family of the Supreme Being. There is no clash of interest in spiritual life.
The spiritual entities are meant for enjoyment. By nature, by constitution, every living being—both the Supreme Lord and each different part and parcel—is meant for enjoyment eternally. The living beings who are encaged in the material tabernacle are also seeking enjoyment always, but they are seeking their enjoyment on a platform which is not meant for them. Aside from this material world, there is the spiritual platform where the Supreme Being is enjoying with His innumerable associates, without any trace of material qualities. That platform is called “Nirguna.“ On the Nirguna platform there is no clash of enjoyment. Here in the material world there is always a clash between different individual beings, because here the center of enjoyment is missed. The center of enjoyment is the Supreme Lord, Who is the center of the sublime and spiritual Rasa Dance. We are all meant for joining Him, and for enjoying life with one transcendental interest and without any clash. That is the high platform of spiritual interest, and as soon as such a perfect form of oneness is realized there can be no question of illusion or lamentation.
Maya, or illusion, means a Godless civilization, the result of which is lamentation. The Godless civilization sponsored by the modern politicians is always full of anxieties, and that is the law of Nature. No one can surpass this law, as is stated in The Bhagavad Gita. Only those who surrender at the Lotus Feet of the Supreme Lord can overcome the stringent laws of Nature. If, therefore, we wish to get rid of all sorts of illusion and anxiety and create unity of all diverse interests, we must bring God into all our activities.
The results of our activities must be used to serve the interest of the Lord, and not for any other purpose, because only by serving the interest of the Lord can we feel the “Atmabhuta” interest mentioned here in Sri Ishopanishad. This and the “Brahmabhuta” interest mentioned in The Bhagavad Gita are one and the same thing: The Supreme Atman, or Soul, is the Lord Himself, and the minute Atman is the living entity. The Supreme Atman or Paramatman alone maintains all the individual minute beings, because the Supreme Lord wants to derive pleasure out of their affection. The father extends himself by his children and maintains them in order to derive pleasure. If the children of the father are obedient to his will, family affairs will run smoothly with one interest and a pleasing atmosphere. Exactly the same thing is transcendentally arranged in the Brahman, or Absolute family of the “Param Brahman,” the Supreme Spirit.
The Param Brahman is as much a Person as the individual entities are. None of them are impersonal. Such transcendental personalities are full of transcendental bliss, knowledge and life eternal. That is the real position of spiritual existence, and as soon as one is fully cognizant of this transcendental position he at once surrenders unto the Lotus Feet of the Supreme Being, Sri Krishna. But such “Mahatmas,” Great Souls, are very rarely seen, because such transcendental realization is achieved only after many, many births. Once attained, however, there is no more illusion or distress, no more of the misery of material existence, and there are no birth and death as we experience them in the present status of our life. That is the information we get from this mantra of Sri Ishopanishad.
Mantra Eight
Such a person must know in fact the Greatest of all, Who is unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and uncontaminate, the self-sufficient Philosopher Who is awarding everyone’s desires since time immemorial.
Purport
Here is the description of the transcendental and eternal Form of the Absolute Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Lord is not formless. He has His own transcendental Form Which is not at all similar to those of the mundane world. The living entities in this world have their forms embodied by the material Nature, and they work like any material machines. The physiological and anatomical structure of the body of a living being must have a mechanical construction, with veins and so forth in the embodiment. But in the transcendental body of the Lord there is nothing like veins. It is clearly stated here that He is unembodied. That means that there is no difference between His body and soul, nor does He accept a body by the law of Nature as we do. In the material concept of bodily life, the soul is different from the gross embodiment and subtle mind. The Supreme Lord is apart from any such compartmentalized arrangement, however. There is nothing like a difference of body and mind in the Supreme Lord. He is the Complete Whole, and His mind and body and He Himself are all one and the same.
In The Brahma Samhita there is a similar description of the body of the Supreme Lord. He is described there as the “Sat-chit-ananda Vigraha.“ This means that He is the eternal Form fully representing transcendental Existence, Knowledge and Bliss. The Vedic literature states clearly that He has a completely different kind of transcendental body, and thus He is sometimes described as formless. This formlessness means that He has no form like ours, or that He is devoid of a form which we can perceive. In The Brahma Samhita it is further said that the Lord can do anything and everything with any one of the parts of His body. It is said there that with each and every one of the parts of His body, such as the hand, he can do the work of the other senses. This means that the Lord can walk with His hands, He can accept a thing by His legs, He can see by His hands and feet, and He can eat by His eyes. In The Sruti Mantras it is said that He has no hands and no legs like us, but that He has a different type of hand and leg, by which He can accept all that we offer Him, and walk faster than anyone anywhere. These things are confirmed in this mantra of Sri Ishopanishad by the use of words like omnipotent.
The Lord’s Sri Vigraha, His worshipable form, Which is installed in the temples by authorized Acharyas who have realized the Lord in terms of Mantra Seven, is also nondifferent from the Original Form of the Lord. The Original Form of the Lord is that of Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna expands Himself by an unlimited number of Forms like Valadeva, Rama, Nrishingha, Baraha, etc.—and all of These are one and the same Personality of Godhead.
Similarly, the Archa Vigraha Which is worshipped in the temples is also an expanded Form of the Lord. By worshipping the Archa Vigraha of the Lord, one can at once approach the Lord, Who accepts the service of the devotee by His omnipotent energy without any reproach. The Vigraha of the Lord descends by request of the Acharyas, the holy teachers, and works exactly in the original way by His omnipotent energy.
Foolish people who have no knowledge of these mantras of Sri Ishopanishad, or of any other Sruti Mantras, consider the Sri Vigraha Who is worshipped by the pure devotees to be made of material elements. To the imperfect eyes of the foolish people, or to the Kanistha Adhikarys, this Form is considered material. But such people with little knowledge do not know that, the Lord being omnipotent and omniscient, He can transform matter into spirit and spirit into matter as He desires.
In The Bhagavad Gita, the Lord regrets the fallen condition of men with little knowledge, who regard the body of the Lord as material because He descends like a man into this world. Such poorly informed persons do not know the omnipotence of the Lord. To the mental speculators, therefore, the Lord does not manifest Himself in fullness. He can be appreciated only in proportion to one’s surrender to Him. And the fallen condition of the living entities is due entirely to forgetfulness of our relationship with God.
In this mantra, as well as in many others in the Vedas, it is clearly mentioned that, from time immemorial, the Lord is supplying. The living being first of all desires, and then the Lord supplies the object of desire in proportion to the degree of qualification. If a man wants to be a high court judge he must not only have acquired the necessary qualifications, but he must also depend upon the disposition of the authority concerned, who can award the title of high court judge. Simple acquisition of the qualifications of a high court judge is not sufficient in order to occupy the post. This must be awarded by some superior authority. Similarly, the Lord awards enjoyment to the living being in proportion to his qualifications—in other words, by the law of Karma. Those qualifications, however, are not sufficient without the mercy of the Lord.
Ordinarily the living being does not know what to ask for from the Lord or what post to qualify himself for. When the living being knows his constitutional position, however, he asks to be accepted into the transcendental association of the Lord, in order to render transcendental loving service unto Him. Instead of asking for this, the living being under the influence of material Nature asks for many other things, and his mentality is described in The Bhagavad Gita as divided, or splayed, intelligence. Spiritual intelligence is one, but the opposite number is of many varieties. In The Srimad Bhagwatam it is said that persons who are captivated by the temporary beauties of the external energy forges their real aim of life, which is to go back to Godhead. Forgetting this, one tries to adjust things by various plans and programs, which are compared with the process of chewing already chewed refuse. But the Lord is so kind that He allows the forgetful living being to do so without interfering in his activities. If a living being wants to go to hell, the Lord allows him to do so without interference, and if he wants to go back to home, back to Godhead, the Lord also helps him to do that.
God is described here as “Paribhu,” the greatest of all. No one is greater than, or equal to Him. Other living beings are described here as beggars who ask from the Lord, and the Lord supplies their desirables. If other entities were equal to the Lord in potency, or if they were omnipotent or omniscient, there would be no question of begging from the Lord even for so-called liberation. The real liberation of the living being is to go back to Godhead. Otherwise, liberation as conceived by the impersonalist remains a myth, and the begging business for sense gratification has to continue eternally, unless the beggar comes to his senses and realizes his constitutional position.
The Supreme Lord is self-sufficient. When Lord Krishna appeared on Earth 5,000 years ago He displayed the full manifestation of Godhead by His various activities. In His childhood He killed many powerful demons, and there was no question of acquiring such power by any extraneous endeavor. He lifted Goverdhan Hill without any practice of weightlifting. He danced with the Gopis without any social restriction, and without any reproach. Although the Gopis approached Him with feelings of amorous love, the mixing of the Gopis and Lord Krishna has been worshipped even by Lord Chaitanya, Who was a strict Sannyasi and rigid follower of disciplinary regulations. To confirm this, Sri Ishopanishad says that He is “antiseptic” and “prophylactic,” pure and uncontaminate. He is antiseptic in the sense that even an impure thing in the estimation of the mundane world can become purified just by touching Him. The word prophylactic refers to His association, and is mentioned in The Bhagavad Gita. There it is said that a scrupulous devotee may appear in the beginning to be “durachara,“ not well-behaved. Yet he is still to be accepted as pure because he is on the right path. That is the prophylactic nature of the Lord’s association.
The Lord is “Apapabidham,“ that is, nothing like sin can touch Him. Even if He may do something which appears to be sinful, such actions are all good, as there is no question of the Lord’s being affected by sin. In all circumstances He is “Suddam,“ most purified, often compared to the Sun. The Sun exacts moisture from many untouchable places of the earth, and itself remains pure. In fact it purifies obnoxious things by its sterilizing effect. If the Sun is so powerful, although only a material object, we can imagine the purity and strength of the All-powerful Lord.
Mantra Nine
Those who are engaged in the culture of nescient activities shall enter into the darkest region of ignorance.
Purport
In this mantra there is a comparative study of “Vidya” and “Avidya.” Avidya, or ignorance, is undoubtably dangerous, but Vidya—knowledge which is misguided—is still more dangerous. In modern human civilization this explanation of Sri Ishopanishad is more applicable than at any other time in the past. Modern civilization has advanced considerably in the matter of mass education, and yet the resuIt is that people are more unhappy than before on account of too much stress on material advancement, without any taste for the most important aspect of life, the spiritual aspect.
So far as Vidya is concerned, the first mantra of Sri Ishopanishad has explained very clearly that the Supreme Lord is the Proprietor of everything, and forgetfulness of this fact is called ignorance. The more a man forgets this fact of life, the more he is in darkness; and in view of this, a Godless civilization directed toward the so-called advancement of education is more dangerous than a civilization in which the mass of people are less advanced.
There are different classes of men, called “karmis,” “jnanins” and “yogis.” The karmis are those who are engaged in the activities of sense gratification. Almost 99.9 per cent of the people in modern civilization are engaged in the activities of sense gratification under the flags of various activities such as industrialism, economic development, altruism, political consciousness, and so on. But all these activities are more or less based on the satisfaction of the senses, without any reference to the sort of God consciousness described in the first mantra of Sri Ishopanishad.
In the language of The Bhagavad Gita, people who are engaged in gross sense gratification are “Mudhas”—in darkness like the ass, the symbol of stupidity. People who are simply engaged in the pursuit of sense gratification, without any real profit in life, are in the estimation of Sri Ishopanishad worshipping Avidya. And those who play the role of helping this sort of civilization in the name of educational advancement, are doing more harm than those who are on the platform of gross sense gratification. The advancement of learning by the Godless people is as dangerous as a valuable jewel on the hood of a cobra. The cobra decorated with such a valuable jewel is quite as dangerous as one which is not so decorated.
Again, the advancement of educational activities by a Godless people is, according to the Hari Bhakti Sudhodaya, a decoration for a dead body. In India as in many other countries, some people follow the custom of leading a procession with a decorated dead body for the pleasure of the lamenting relatives. In the same sense, modern civilization is a patchwork of activities meant to cover the perpetual miseries of material existence. Such activities are targetted toward sense gratification, but above the senses there is the mind, and above the mind there is the intelligence, and above intelligence there is the soul. Therefore, the aim of education should be self realization, realization of the spiritual values of the soul. Any education which does not lead to such a realization of life must be considered “Avidya,” or nescience. And to culture such nescience means going down to the darkest region of ignorance.
Such mistaken educators are known in the Vedic language by four names:
1. Vedabadarata,
2. Maya Apahritajnana,
3. Auri Bhavam,
4. Naradhama.
The Vedabadarata people pose themselves as very learned in the Vedic literature, but unfortunately they are completely diverted from the purpose of the Vedas. In The Bhagavad Gita it is said that the purpose of the Vedas is to know the Personality of Godhead, but these Vedabadarata men are not at all interested in the Personality of Godhead. On the contrary, they are fascinated by such results as the attainment of heaven.
As is said in Mantra One of Sri Ishopanishad, we should know that the Personality of Godhead is the Proprietor of everything, and we must be satisfied with our alloted portion of the necessities of life. The purpose of the whole Vedic literature is to awaken this God consciousness in the forgetful living being, and the same principle is presented in various ways in the world’s various Scriptures for the understanding of foolish mankind. Thus the ultimate purpose is to bring one back to Godhead.
But the Vedabadarata people, instead of realizing the purport of the Vedas, take it for granted that side issues such as the attainment of heavenly pleasure for sense gratification—the lust for which is the very cause of their material bondage in the first place—is the ultimate end of the Vedas. Such people misguide others by misinterpreting the Vedic literature, and sometimes they condemn the Puranas, which are authentic Vedic explanations for laymen. The Vedabadaratas make their own explanations of the Vedas, neglecting the authority of the great teachers, called Acharyas; and they tend to raise some unscrupulous person from among themselves as the leading exponent of Vedic knowledge.
These men are especially condemned by this mantra of Sri Ishopanishad with the very appropriate Sanskrit word “Vidyarata.” “Vidya” means Veda, because the Veda is the original in all knowledge; and “rata” means engaged. Vidyarata means engaged in the study of the Vedas. As such, the so-called Vidyaratas are condemned here because they do not know what the purpose of the Vedas is, on account of disobeying the Acharyas. Such Vedabadaratas are accustomed to finding meaning in every word of the Vedas to suit their own purposes, without knowing that the Vedic literature is not a collection of ordinary books which everyone can understand, unless trained through the chain of disciplic succession.
One must approach a bona fide spiritual master in order to understand the transcendental message of the Vedas. That is the direction of the Katha Upanishad. But these Vedabadarata people have their own Acharya, who is not in the chain of transcendental disciplic succession. Thus they will progress into the darkest region of ignorance by misinterpreting the Vedic literature, even more so than those who have no knowledge of the Vedas at all.
The “Maya apahritajnana” class of men are self-made “Gods.“ Such men think that they are themselves God, and there is no necessity of worshipping any other God. They will agree to worship an ordinary man if he happens to be rich, but will never worship the actual Personality of Godhead. Such foolish men cannot recognize their own foolishness, regarding the question of how God can ever have been entrapped by illusion. If God were ever entrapped by illusion, then illusion would be more powerful than God. But they also say that God is all-powerful. If God is all-powerful, then how can He be overpowered by illusion? The self-made Gods cannot answer all these questions very clearly, but they are satisfied that they have become God themselves.
Mantra Ten
The wise have explained to us that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge, and it is said that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience.
Purport
The culture of knowledge can be practically conducted in the following way, as is advised in The Bhagavad Gita (Thirteenth Chapter). There it is said that:
1. One should become a perfect gentleman himself, and learn to give proper respect to persons other than himself.
2. One should not pose himself as a religionist simply for name and fame.
3. One should not become a source of anxiety to others by the actions of his body, mind or words.
4. One should learn forbearance, even if there is provocation from others.
5. One should learn to avoid duplicity in his dealings with others.
6. One must have a bona fide spiritual master who can lead him gradually to the stage of spiritual realization, and to such an Acharya or spiritual master he must submit himself with service and relevant questions.
7. One must follow the regulative principles enjoined in the revealed Scriptures, in order to approach the platform of self realization.
8. One must be fixed up in the tenets of the revealed Scriptures.
9. One should completely refrain from practices which are detrimental to the interest of self realization.
10. One should not accept more than what he requires for the maintenance of the body.
11. One should not falsely identify himself with the material covering of the gross body, nor consider as his own those who are related with his body.
12. One should always remember that, so long as he has a material body, he must face the miseries of repeated birth, death, old age, and disease. There is no use in making plans to get rid of these miseries of the material body. The best thing is to find out the means by which one may regain his spiritual identity.
13. One should not be attached to more than the necessities of life required for spiritual advancement.
14. One should not be more attached to wife, children and home than is ordained in the revealed Scriptures.
15. One should not be happy or distressed in regard to the desirables and undesirables created by the mind.
16. One should become an unalloyed devotee of the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, and serve Him with rapt attention.
17. One should develop a feeling for residing in a secluded place with a calm and quiet atmosphere favorable for spiritual culture, and thus avoid congested places where the non-devotees congregate.
18. One should become a scientist or philosopher, and make research into spiritual knowledge—not material knowledge—recognizing that spiritual knowledge is permanent, whereas material knowledge ends with the death of the body.
These eighteen items form a gradual process for developing real knowledge. Except for these eighteen items, all other items whatever are grouped within the category of nescience. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, a great Acharya, said that all the forms of material knowledge are merely external features of the illusory energy, and by culturing them one becomes no better than an ass. Here in Sri Ishopanishad the same principle is repeated. Material advancement of knowledge means actually converting a human being to the status of an ass. Some materialistic politicians, under cover of spiritual garments, do decry the present system of civilization as satanic, but unfortunately they do not care for the culture of real knowledge which is described in The Bhagavad Gita, and therefore they cannot change the satanic situation.
In the modern setup of things, even a boy thinks himself self-sufficient, and pays no respect to elderly men. Thus, due to the wrong type of education imparted by our universities, boys all over the world have become the cause of headache to the elderly people. Therefore Sri Ishopanishad warns very strongly that the culture of nescience is different from that of knowledge. The universities are, so to speak, centers of nescience only, and therefore the scientists are busy discovering lethal weapons to wipe out the existence of other countries.
University students today are not given instructions on the regulative principles of Brahmacharya, the spiritual process of life, nor do they have any faith in the respective scriptural injunctions. Religious principles are taught for the sake of name and fame only, and not for the matter of practical action. Therefore there is animosity not only in the social and political fields, but in the field of religion as well.
Nationalism in different parts of the world has also developed on account of this nescient education of the people. They have no information that this tiny earth is just a lump of matter floating in immeasurable material space along with many other lumps. In comparison to the vastness of space, these material lumps are like dust particles in the air. Because God has kindly made these lumps of matter complete in themselves, they are perfectly equipped with all necessary arrangements for floating on in space. Our sputnik drivers are very proud of their achievements, but they do not look to the Supreme Driver of these greater, more gigantic sputniks called planets.
There are innumerable suns occupying space, with innumerable arrangements of planetary systems. We small creatures, as the infinitesimal parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, are trying to dominate these unlimited planets by repeated birth and death, but are generally frustrated by old age and disease. This span of human life is scheduled for about 100 years, although it is gradually decreasing to the limit of 20 or 30 years of life. Thanks to the culture of nescient education, befooled men have creased their own nationalisms within these olanets in order to grasp at sense enjoyment for these few 20 or 30 years. Such foolish people are drawing up various plans to make some demarked portion of earth as perfect as possible, which is ultimately ridiculous. And for this purpose each and every nation has become a source of anxiety for the others. More than 50% of their energy is spoiled in defense measures, with no caring for the real culture of knowledge, and they are falsely proud of becoming advanced in both material and spiritual knowledge.
Sri Ishopanishad warns of this faulty mode of education, and The Bhagavad Gita gives instructions as to the development of real knowledge. In this mantra there is a hint that the instruction of Vidya, knowledge, must be gained from the “dheera.“ Dheera means undisturbed, not disturbed by material illusion. No one can be undisturbed unless and until he has perfect spiritual realization. When one is perfectly spiritually realized he has no more hankering for anything acquired, nor does he lament for anything lost. Such a dheera has realized that the material body end mind which he has acquired by chance material association are foreign elements, and therefore he simply makes the best use of a bad bargain.
The material body and mind are bad bargains for the spiritual living entity. The living entity has different functions in the living world, but this material world is dead. So long as the living spiritual sparks manipulate the dead lumps of matter, the dead world appears to be a living world. But actually it is the living souls, the parts and parcels of the Supreme Living Being, which move the world. The dheeras are those who have come to know all these facts by hearing of them from superior authorities, and who have realized them by following the regulative principles.
To follow the regulative principles, one must go under the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. The transcendental message comes down from the spiritual master to the disciple with the regulative principles, and not in the hazardous way of nescient education. One can become a dheera only by such submissive hearing. In The Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna became a dheera by submissively hearing from the Personality of Godhead. The perfect disciple must be like Arjuna, and the spiritual master must be as good as the Lord Himself. These are the processes of learning Vidya, knowledge, from the dheera, the undisturbed.
“Adheera,“ one who has not undergone the training of a dheera, cannot be an instructive leader. Modern politicians who pose themselves as dheeras are themselves adheeras. One cannot expect perfect knowledge from them. They are busy with their own remuneration in dollars and pounds. How can they lead the mass of people to the right path of self realization? One must hear submissively from the dheera in order to get actual education in life.
End of Part One
The concluding 8 mantras of Sri Ishopanishad will appear in the next issue of BTG.
Spiced Pastry
Spiced Pastry
By Uddhava
Samossa (Also Pronounced Sangossa) Is A Favorite Food Of The Devotees Of Krishna. As An Hors D’Oeuvre Or As A Course In Themselves, These Spice-Filled Pastries Are ALWAYS A SURE Delight.
STUFFING:
1 medium sized cauliflower
8 oz. package frozen peas
1 tsp. cumin seeds
¼ tsp. crushed red peppers
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
MASSALA:
¼ tsp. Cloves
¾ tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Coriander
¼ tsp. Cardamon
¾ tsp. Ginger
¼ tsp. Sage
¼ tsp. Thyme
1 tsp. turmeric
COVERING:
5 cups white flour
6 tbsp. Butter
1-1/2 cups water
Make massala by mixing dry ingredients together in a cup. Then, in a 4-quart saucepan heat oil till smoking. Add cumin seeds and crushed red peppers. Cook till black. Break cauliflower into small pieces, add and stir. Add massala and mix well. Add peas and mix well. Add salt. Add water and cover. Cook for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally. When done, mash vegetables into a pulp with fork. Set aside to cool.
Mix flour and butter well by rubbing the mixture between palms of hands. Add water and knead into an even, stiff dough. Make a few ½-inch diameter balls. Roll balls out into circles 4 or 5 inches in diameter, and about 1/8 inch thick. Cut circles in half and fold into cones as shown in figures 1 through 3. Seal this fold with a little water on finger. Stuff the cone to the top. Then seal cone by folding down the loose flap, stretching dough as it is folded (figure 4). Finished samossa should look like a fat little triangle. Make all samossas in this way. Let them set about half an hour before deep frying.
Deep Frying:
Heat 2 quarts of oil in a large heavy pot or deep fryer. When oil is sufficiently hot, but not smoking, put samossas into it and fry for about 15-20 minutes or till golden brown. Stir frequently while frying. Makes about 60.
Back to Godhead Magazine #23, 1969
Editorial
Editorial
The “youth market” is a businessman’s term which refers to the fact that, if you can find something which will get a lot of kids excised, you can exploit them (and their parents) right into the poorhouse with it. In the process, you will become rich as Croesus, or even Walt Disney. Among the very biggest youth market items, of course, is music. Not just any music, but, today, “message” music—the kind that purports to offer a fresh insight into reality, the kind that is supposed to be relevant to the listener’s life and environment.
It is certain that, the problems of physical security having been largely overcome by their forbears, the newer generations have turned their attention toward other and more introspective matters. How to pay the bills is less of a concern to the young of today than how to be … something, anything, someone, anyone. This is natural. Man is endowed with the intelligence to inquire after Truth Absolute, and as soon as the gross material needs of the body can be taken care of, such inquiry must arise. It must arise, that is, if the human being is to pursue the fulfillment of his own destiny.
What is sad is that the ever-flexible business world has not only rolled with the punch (an inquiry into values must inevitably view exploitative commercialization as a form of insanity), but has actually managed to congeal the amorphous spiritual interests of youth into a “market.“ One method by which this is done is through the elevation of a young songwriter/musician/singer (in the manner of Bob Dylan) to the position of demi-prophet for the young masses. Such artists become the idols of youth, worshiped as much for their intellectual abilities as for their good looks or musical excellence. They say a great deal about life and society, and it is all said with the utmost earnestness even when the artist protests too much that he has no message. And it sells records by the billions.
The artists themselves are not exactly frauds, however. They often believe, it seems, in their own messages—which is another tragic aspect of the situation. For we have now hundreds of young creative people who have become “leaders” of society in a very real sense, and who themselves believe in their own rights and abilities to lead. Yet when expressing themselves, it will be seen that few if any of our musical idols have got anything of importance to say. Clothed in new and generally obscure idiom, much that they write merely rehashes the eternal platitudes: love, peace, and in the end a stoical acceptance of death as the inevitable annihilation of self.
How to love, how to obtain peace, any practical program for the spiritual and moral regeneration of a Hollow Man civilization—these things are as lacking from the flashy songs of the new generation singers as they are from the mad acts of sheer destruction fostered by SDS and the black militants on campus. This is because, as we hope the whole world will soon discover, the positive side of life is entirely spiritual, and cannot be found, cannot be approached except through the actions of spiritual existence: devotional service to Krishna, the Supreme Spiritual Godhead.
It is our further hope that those who are serious about the problems (and answers) to life will inquire further into the science of God realization called Krishna Consciousness before taking it upon themselves to preach platitudes which (whatever their sales potential) have no relevance to the actual plight of humanity.
Parts & Parcels
Parts & Parcels
Two letters to the London Hare Krishna temple
London
Oct. 15, 1968
Dear Swamiji,
Please accept my humble obeisances. I am writing to you because within one week I have been influenced by Krishna Consciousness.
It started when I went to a rock ‘n roll dance in London. I knew that the advertised “Radha Krishna Temple” was 6 devotees from the Temple in San Francisco, as I had read previously about it in the “New Yorker” magazine. Because of certain feelings, I did not join in—at first. However, I saw the devotees chanting, and those magic words, HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE!! So I finally gave in, and joined them, repeating over and over again. It certainly felt good afterwards.
Two days later, I went to Kirtan, at the devotees’ private house. This time it hit me! I was lost in bliss, divine bliss! Soon, I learned all the devotees’ names, Mukunda, Janaki, Shyamsundar, Malati, Gurudas and Yamuna. They invited me back again and after only 4 days since I first experienced chanting, they invited me to perform with them. I was overwhelmed!
Now, Krishna Consciousness really had a hold on me, and I can’t believe it’s all happened so Fast! Tomorrow I am going to move in with them, as Mukunda told me, for someone just entering into Krishna Consciousness, association with devotees is very important. I have shaved my head, so I am complete with a sika, and I hope you can understand how happy I am feeling at this moment. Although I know very little about Krishna or His life, I am so eager to learn. Already names like Lord Chaitanya, or Bhagavad Gita are starting to mean something to me. I am determined to devote my whole being to Krishna, and although we have not met, I long for the day we do—because if it were not for your Divine Grace, I would not be writing this letter and I would not be so happy at this moment.
I chant every day, naturally, and I am concentrating hard on chanting 16 times round the beads in 2 hours. I have also given up stimulants (which played a considerable part in my previous life), swearing, pre-marital sex, in any way. I gave up meat eating, over 6 months ago, because, after I had thought very hard about it, I decided that eating meat was really eating a warmed up corpse! And I like to see animals free and alive and I don’t want them to die for me, it is as simple as that.
I can honestly say that Krishna Consciousness is the light in my darkness…
I remain, influenced,
Mr. Andy Anderson
Stratford, England
My beloved God-brothers, Mukunda dasa, Shyamasundar dasa, and Gurudasa, and the Brahmachari (who was with us in the pick-up while going from Herne Hill to Drury Lane), and God-sisters.
I am grateful to you for giving me an opportunity to meet you on last Tuesday afternoon. I am impressed by your enthusiasm to spread Krishna’s knowledge in this world, for which it will be indebted to you and in future you will be remembered as great pioneer-saints.
Success is yours; because Krishna dwells in your hearts and therefore His Shakti (power) is behind you. I
look forward to the day when we shall have our own Krishna Temple in this city where we can chant His Holy Names, perform Puja (worship) and exchange our spiritual experiences.
Please do not think of me as a stranger. Ours is the only true relation—that of Krishna Consciousness. All others (worldly) are Mithya (imaginary). I should consider it a favour if you could kindly keep me informed of your activities. But when Swamiji’s arrival date is fixed, please do let me know.
You are the real charmers; with Krishna’s Names on your tongues you are performing the Wonder of Wonders—turning beastly humans into Godly saints, for which you deserve Krishna’s special grace. As you are Jnanis (those who know), it is not for me to remind you that no service goes unrewarded by Krishna.
So, my beloved God-brothers and God-sisters, Godspeed to you,
Lakshmidasa
The Pleasure Principle
The Pleasure Principle
By Uddhava das
All conscious activity, whether in the course of duty or in defiance of duty—depending upon the individual temperament—is regulated by what Freud called the “pleasure principle.” Few will argue the fact that whatever action a living entity does, he does to produce a certain amount of pleasure in his life. With this in mind, we would like to consider what the highest form of pleasure—the ultimate state of conscious existence—may be.
From the teachings of Lord Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, we learn that the relationship we have with Nature is maintained through the five senses of seeing, tasting, touching, smelling and hearing. This relationship is kept under control by the mind and intelligence, and it is kept in perpetual motion by desires for pleasure. This means that if one has a desire, say for a particular type of food, by his intelligence he can decide how to obtain that food, and through the mind one then sets his senses in motion to get the wanted morsel: the ears to hear of where it maybe, the nose to smell it, the eyes to see it, and the fingers to bring it to the mouth where the tongue can taste it. Doing this, one is satisfied for some time and finds himself in a state known as pleasure.
If, however, there is some desire which the senses are not able to obtain, or for some reason one’s surroundings cannot supply what one longs for, then one finds oneself in a state known as displeasure or misery. So, pleasure can be described as that condition where sense desire is fulfilled, and misery as one where it is not. It logically follows, then, that the highest state of pleasure is where the senses can be fully satisfied all the time.
For this state of pleasure to be obtained, two things are necessary—a body or set of senses able to obtain the desire, and surroundings that can constantly supply what is desired. Man has always been working towards these two goals: to have a perfect body set in perfect surroundings. What keeps him working so hard in this direction, of course, is the fact that his present body and surroundings are incapable of producing for him a constant state of pleasure. We should now wonder why our bodies and environment cannot bring us this state.
The great minds of science teach us that everything in the universe is composed of units of energy which they call atoms. This is true of both our bodies and our surroundings. Biologists tell us that the cells in our bodies are always dying and that new cells are always being born to replace the ones that fail. In this way, all the cells in the body are replaced every seven years. This can be noticed as a baby turns into a young boy, who turns again into a young man. At the end of life this same person has the body of an old man, and soon after that, after death, there is no body left at all.
The environment of the living entities is made up of matter which is also changing. Man’s surroundings are his house, his clothes, his food, his associates, his job, his philosophy, his country and so on. A man may get some enjoyment from these objects, but what if his house burns down, he loses his job, he has no food, or some other equally depressing calamity occurs? Then he finds himself in a state of misery unless or until he can adjust to the circumstances.
Adjustment is the main business of the human being. To be in a state of pleasure he must constantly adjust to his own changing tastes as much as to his changing environment. Always his mind and body are changing and always his environment is changing. What chance, then, is there for him to ever find permanent pleasure in this world?
What naturally follows is for man to find an escape from this frustrating existence in one way or another. Contemporary society has often been described as a drug-addicted society. Millions of people wake up in the morning and reach instantly for a cigarette, go to the bathroom and take bromides to combat the effects of last night’s alcohol. Their breakfast consists of coffee and more cigarettes. At work on their coffee breaks—more cigarette smoke enters their lungs. Lunch consists of plastic-wrapped sandwiches treated with at least one chemical preservative. At night one may relax with a nice drink of alcohol and more cigarettes or, as it is becoming more fashionable to do, a polite puff or two of marijuana. Occasionally the body reacts unfavorably to all these drugs, so we go to a doctor who prescribes more drugs to make us still more nervous.
Aside from these oral methods of forgetting the perpetual frustrations of the world, there are also mental pathways of escape such as the movies, literature, music and television.
This desire to escape from the frustrations of material existence is not a new or exclusive activity of modern civilized society. It is age old, as old as the material universe itself, for that is the basis of this frustration—the incompatibility of the living soul in a world of dead matter, the machine of Nature.
Actually, today’s escapism is a perverted reflection of the first step back towards spiritual life. Disentanglement from mundane duality is called, in the teachings of Lord Krishna, “Nirvana.“ A simple definition of Nirvana is a state free from suffering. This state is very inviting to the living entity because it offers, above all, peace. But we learn in The Bhagavad Gita that if one does not try to go further—beyond Nirvana—he misses the whole point of spiritual life.
When a living entity escapes from the sufferings of this world it is called Nirvana. When he works to go beyond Nirvana he is on the path to self realization; or in other words, understanding what his real, positive identity is.
As mentioned above, our connection with material Nature is through the five senses, the mind and intelligence. If we analyze, though, asking, What am I? we will come to some surprising revelations about the senses. Am I this hand ? No, because if this hand is cut off I remain. Am I this body? No, because this body is always changing, while I remain. As we go on in this way, we can discover that the mind is always changing in the form of changing tastes and impressions, and that intelligence changes because we learn to do things differently; but at every step, I—my real self—remain unaltered.
Eventually, by this process of reasoning, one can come to the conclusion that he is pure consciousness that does not change. We can tell that this consciousness does not change because always, at every step, we are wishing we had three abilities: to live forever, to know everything, and to always be happy. Our desire for these three things never really changes, and we exist as something conscious of the desire for these three items.
The material body cannot supply these three items; the mind cannot “think” one into eternal life, intelligence cannot construct any plan whereby one can live forever. The only reasonable conclusion is that I am consciousness, and that I am not sure of the exact nature of this consciousness.
Whenever there is a discussion about eternity, full knowledge and complete happiness, God automatically enters into the conversation. God is generally described as eternal, all-knowing and completely content—One without a second. Because the living entity has a desire for these three properties, we can understand that there must be some relationship between himself and God.
In the Fifteenth Chapter of The Bhagavad Gita, the Lord speaks of the living being as a fractional part of His Own Self. If we can accept this teaching, then we can see that, since the living entity is part of God, the position of eternity, knowledge and happiness is constitutionally his. Still, the material body does not live forever, cannot know everything and is not always happy. Therefore, this material body cannot be accepted as the constitutional situation of the living entity, and this material world is not his real home. His real home is the perfect place and his real body is the perfect body.
The further teaching of Lord Krishna in The Gita, and of all the world’s great scriptural writings, is that we can be in that perfect place with that perfect body simply by becoming fully aware of our relationship with God. This awareness of God is called Krishna Consciousness or God consciousness. Within this process of developing total awareness, one must have active service, and that activity is the ultimate message and conclusion of all spiritual considerations, including this essay.
The highest pleasure of the living entity is to love God. All scriptures confirm this truth directly; In every holy book of the world there are passages where God instructs that the highest joy of life is to love Him, and this indicates that the Lord’s presentation of scripture to mankind is for the purpose of offering him lasting ultimate pleasure—not out of need, because Krishna is the supreme independent Source of all being, but out of a desire to benefit the living entities whom He loves.
Nine Points Toward a Spiritual World Civilization
Nine Points Toward a Spiritual World Civilization
By Rayarama
1. The spiritual welfare of the people must be seen as the highest aim of human civilization
That people gather together for mutual benefit is an old schoolbook axiom. Whether it is true, as Rousseau and others have declared, that this is the original basis of human society, it is surely one good reason people stay together. And the concept of the “social contract” is to a large extent the underlying principle of modern civilization.
However, just what it is that does benefit the people may be questioned. Contemporary man has directed his institutions as well as much of his individual life’s energy toward the development of material comforts and luxuries, in what he calls “the conquest of Nature.” To be sure, the laws of Nature—survival of the fittest, the very struggle for existence itself—are cruel, and it is truly in the character of man to attempt to reverse or escape them. In a sense, civilization is the leaguing together of men in order to transcend the bonds of Nature.
But a perpetual warfare to subdue the material world, being warfare after all, must keep us in the very bondage we want to avert. The materialist who assumes on the one hand that matter is all-in-all, and on the other that he can rise above the laws of material Nature by conquest, is laboring under an obvious misconception. If nothing lay outside the boundaries of Nature with her harsh strictures, then all attempts to surpass Nature would be patently impossible. And so, the very fact that we wish to conquer matter indicates an unspoken faith in our existence above and beyond it.
The fact is that man does strive to escape the laws of Nature—to seek a life of eternity and ecstasy which instinct perceives as possible even when reason has rejected its plausibility.
Further, we should face the reality that the gigantic machine complex we now call civilization—being no more than a grotesque, lifeless mockery of the organic world—has not made us content. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami has likened the accomplishments of technological man to zeroes, which take up space on a page but do not have value. Even a million zeroes all added together amount to nothing. It is only when a number—1, for example—is added to the left that the zeroes become substantial. With a numeral 1 before them, of course, a million zeroes add up to quite a lot.
So, in terms of the Swami’s equation, civilization today is not so much a failure as it is unfulfilled. It lacks that 1, and that 1 is found through the understanding that “man does not live by bread alone,” that there are spiritual values which lie outside the scope of Nature, and which are the true values for humanity to live by. That 1 is Krishna, God, the Supreme Spirit .
Given this center of gravity, human civilization is capable of rising to incalculable heights. It is capable of offering real fulfillment to its members, on the platform of spiritual—that is to say, eternal and blissful—consciousness, in the love of God.
2. Society should be organized to promote spiritual fulfillment in the populace.
A civilization which claims to exalt individualism but which tries to blanket everyone with the same laws, customs, responsibilities and rights is clearly self-contradictory. The Vedic writings offer us a science of societal organization which is capable of meeting men’s seemingly contradictory needs for both communal security and individual character development. That this great science once degenerated into the caste-by-birth system and thus served to weaken and corrupt Hindu civilization should not be taken as a final judgment against it. It did, after all, offer a sufficiently strong structure to uphold the most long-lived civilization of which we have any knowledge, one not yet perished from the world stage.
This system, correctly called “Varnashram Dharma,” gave two sets of outlines for social organization, one vertical and the other horizontal. The four divisions by occupation, or “caste,” offered, originally, not restrictions but opportunities for young students to take up certain types of work at an early age—according to exhibited inclination. This sort of individualized preparation for a life-long career is capable of standing amongst the most progressive concepts in education today.
According to training in the Vedic system, one might take up the career of an administrator or soldier (Kshatriya), that of an intellectual or priest (Brahmin), that of a businessman or farmer (Vaishya), or that of a laborer or servant (Sudra). These are not divisions of society which have disappeared. They exist today as much as in the past. And it might be seen that a more stable and happy populace could be created by the introduction of specialization at an earlier level than we find in our contemporary school system. The present method of imparting a little dose of everything—and a great dose of nothing—into each student regardless of his personality has been so widely criticized by the eminent educators of this century that it is unnecessary to take up the matter at any greater length here.
The horizontal divisions of society advised in the Vedic writings are likewise four: student life, household life, retired life and the renounced order. The vertical caste system was meant to promote material well-being and security, and it was from this stable platform that man could rise to achieve his true purpose, in the quest for God realization, the ultimate fulfillment. This was done by progressing through the four stages of life:
1. The word for student life in the Vedic context is “Brahmacharya, and it is significant that the same word means celibacy. For student life in terms of spiritual fulfillment is a time not only of occupational training, but a formative period when it is possible to instill a sense of detachment in the young. This, of course, is in direct contradistinction to our present curriculum, which seeks to stimulate ambition, aggressiveness and competition.
2. Passing from student life, a man who follows the Vedic principles may either enter directly into the renounced order—the complete submission to God in devotional service—or he may marry and take up his career. As a householder, he is expected to support the entirety of the community, for students, the retired and the renounced order are not involved with practical affairs. Such responsibility perhaps helps dim the glamor of householder life, which might otherwise prove too great an entanglement in material existence. It also permits the other members of society to take up the business of spiritual advancement in complete seriousness, for, of course, the benefit of all.
3 & 4. The retired man is a householder who, at late middle age, tries to loosen his attachments by making pilgrimages with his wife, and by leaving all business affairs in the hands of his children. This is a preparation for the final stage—the renounced order of life—when utter detachment from family and home is undertaken. The mendicant in this last stage lives solely at the mercy of God, his mind, activities and words fixed on transcendence.
In The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, in the Fourth Chapter, Lord Krishna states that these divisions of society were created by Him from the beginning. They are not unnatural or oppressive conditions. They cannot, all the same, be imposed upon mankind by statute or constitution. They will develop naturally as the transcendental consciousness of humanity advances, in accordance with the first of our points. They are mentioned here mainly because they do offer a practical pattern for social organization at a time when the world sorely needs an alternative to such tasteless proposals as capitalism, Communism, socialism and other materialistic cages on the one hand, and the sort of narrow religious intolerance and brittleness represented by feudal Europe (and caste-Hindu India) on the other. The principles of Varnashram will be found, in the end, to present far the most adaptable, practical and spiritually wise concept of human civilization ever to have existed.
3. The true aim of education must be seen as the direct realization of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Contemporary education in the West sees learning more or less as a weapon in the national, racial and personal competition which forms the basic world view of materialistic man. But in the Vedic concept, where spiritual welfare is the true standard of success, education has a somewhat different purpose. The brahmin, or intellectual, is one who knows of “Brahman”—the Absolute. He may or may not be versed in worldly affairs—as in our own society, the scholar is here the guardian of practical as well as theoretical wisdom—but he must be in knowledge of God, following the principles of regulated life found in the Vedas. And his foremost duty is to impart this knowledge of God to his fellow man—with or without remuneration.
“Direct realization” is a way of saying that mankind need not dream or speculate or theorize about God. God is not an abstraction. He is a reality, and “realization” means to experience the absolute reality of God directly for oneself. One who can teach this process of personal confrontation with Krishna, the Godhead, is a true intellectual and a true teacher—and a true benefactor of the human race.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness was formed largely with this purpose in mind. A.C . Bhaktivedanta Swami, who founded the organization, has written: “As for the administrative class of men, the mercantile class and the laborer class, there are many institutions for training. But to train a first class intellectual in spiritual life there is no institution the world over. So this Krishna Consciousness movement is trying to help human society on this point. We have therefore taken a large tract of land in West Virginia, which we’ve named New Vrindaban. We want to train students to become first class intellectuals, and to instruct the whole of human society about the aim of life, which is Krishna Consciousness—God consciousness.
4. Centers for the study and practice of love of Krishna should be opened throughout the world
There are six recognized stages for rapid advancement in God realization. These are: 1) faith—the determination to follow the principles of spiritual life in the first place; 2) association—the practice of congregating with people of like determination; 3) following the rules and regulations—specifically, to chant the Names of God (the Hare Krishna Mantra) and to avoid meat-eating, intoxication, gambling and unmarried or illicit sex; 4) doubts disappear—which is a result of following regulative precepts; 5) attachment to the Lord develops—from which point one is securely fixed in the Absolute Truth; and 6) love of Krishna—the final, sublime perfection—appears within the heart. Of these six, the second is mentioned here as a specific point toward the advancement of world civilization. The association with other devotees of God, and especially with saintly persons who can teach the message of love of Krishna, is extremely important for one who is serious about spiritual advancement. Without the sort of association that such centers of Krishna Consciousness will provide, it is very difficult to maintain the high standards required for spiritual perfection in a world given over largely to material sense gratification, garbed occasionally, it is true, in the hypocrite’s cloak of ritualistic or traditional religion.
The foregoing four points, if accepted by even a small percentage of the world’s population, will inevitably lead to a general detachment from the material concept of life. As a result of this detachment, our other points will develop rather naturally:
5. All natural resources must be viewed not as objects for man’s exploitation, but as the exclusive property of God.
This point, along with 6, 7 and 8 are developed at considerable length in “Sri Ishopanishad,” A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami’s translation with commentary, elsewhere in this issue. It may be worthwhile only to mention here that, based as these points are on the universal conception of God at the center of existence, they offer the transcendental viewpoint required to carry through the sweeping programs of reform in the areas of conservation, ecology, poverty, famine, justice and disarmament—as well as political unification—which are essential for the continuance of human life on this planet.
6. The entire world economy must be taken as a single unit.
This is an extension of the ideals of the Common Market, the Socialist Commonwealth and even of the American Federal system. It is a solution to innumerable problems within the world, a solution so imperative, so logical and—thanks to modern technology—so practicable that one wonders why it doesn’t make political news. The reason is probably that the spiritual basis for such a concept has long been lacking from our world. And, when it was present in such forms as Islam and Christianity, the God-centered concept became not a goal, but a tool in the hands of the greedy. The proper way to world unification, however, can be found in the science of Krishna Consciousness, and must be based on the five points preceding this one. In this way, the process will be effective.
7. False standards of wealth must be abandoned in the world economy.
The present writer shudders at the thought of even mentioning the complex system of trade and coinage now plaguing the world. But the fact of its artificiality—and of its continual decline into crisis—ought to bring a good many thinkers to question this system, and to seek a better one, one offered as an outgrowth of the God-centered concept taught in Sri Ishopanishad. By the standards of this concept, men will seek to simplify rather than complicate the physical and material aspects of life, in order to create free time which can be devoted to the practice of God consciousness. The serenity of a civilization so oriented is worth considering.
Oddly enough, the burgeoning of electric technology has not ruled out this concept of society, but has actually made it possible on a scale never before practical. The security and comfort once available only in the city can today be extended to all the corners of what Marshall McLuhan has termed the “global village.”
Even within our great megalopolises, the “neighborhood” still testifies to the tendency in man toward small, simplified units of society. Only the formal conceptualization—and the political acceptance—of the neighborhood or village as a real administrative unit is lacking today. Yet this is surely the solution to the dilemma of “urban sprawl,“ and more and more groups both professional and lay are recognizing the fact.
8. The personal rights of all life forms must be seen as sacred, to the same extent that man’s rights are sacred.
Volumes have been, can be and will be yet written on this subject. But the Vedic directions (again outlined more fully in Sri Ishopanishad) are simple: all living beings are the children of God, and Krishna, God, doesn’t favor one above another. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami has written: “The foolish idea that plants or animals or other living entities have no life is the basic cause of human sin.“ He has further said: “Animals are the less intelligent children of God, and because they cannot make protest, you kill them. But no father permits the intelligent sons to kill the useless sons. The father loves all the children, and if the intelligent ones use their intelligence cruelly against the others, there will be punishment.“
9. The simple, effective structure of village life should be encouraged through decentralization of congested urban areas and the implementation of agricultural life.
The overall principle governing human life and civilization, from the spiritual viewpoint. is simplicity. Material needs can be summed up in four categories: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. To satisfy these needs in the most basic fashion, thus liberating time and energy for the quest of spiritual realization, is the goal of Vedic organizational schemes. This is a goal obviously determined by the understanding that it is realization of God—complete absorption in the eternal, transcendental pastimes of love of Krishna—which is the ultimate and actual fulfillment of life.
The brilliant success of the capitalist economic system in the West—especially in the U. S. offers a useful contrast to this Vedic system. The industrial development of the West has served the purpose of liberating great quantities of time, but because of a basically materialistic concept of life, the people of the western nations have so far failed to develop any positive principle or meaning to existence, as the rampant nihilism exhibited in the young seems to demonstrate. What is required now—and quite desperately required—is this positive recognition of the supremacy of God, and of the unrivalled importance of the quest for realization of God as the essential business of human life. And we need quite rationally and pragmatically—words chosen deliberately—to dare to construct a new, far more spiritual world civilization to serve these highest interests of man.
Teachings of the Golden Avatar
Teachings of the Golden Avatar
by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur
This important figure in the field of devotional service appeared in India in 1838, and with the help of his son, Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami, rejuvenated the Hare Krishna Movement begun nearly 400 years earlier by Lord Chaitanya. It was Srila Bhaktivinode who first urged that this message be preached to the Westem world, and he was the first true devotee to write in English on the subject of Vedic religion. The article published here was written in 1896, and the lucidity and simple force of the great Thakur’s presentation go far to show us the transcendental timeliness of his mission.
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu—properly known as the “Avatari,” or Source of all incarnations of God—appeared in India in 1486 A.D. In a previous issue (no. 20), we published a brief sketch of His life and activities in initiating the Hare Krishna Movement, in chanting and dancing to the Lord’s Names. In the present article, we examine the precepts of this sublime Apostle of Love of Krishna, as they come to us from one of the great saints in Chaitanya’s line of disciplic succession.
Lord Chaitanya teaches us in the first place that the rational attributes of men are not capable of approaching the divine sphere of spirit. “Jukti,“ as He styles reason, is quite incompetent in such a matter. “Ruchi,” as He styles the religious sentiment in man, even in very small quantity has the power to comprehend it. It is inspiration which can alone give light to spiritual matters. Inspirations coming down from heaven through purified blessed souls have exhibited themselves in the form of the Vedas. The Vedas, together with their explanatory notes, the Puranas, are therefore the only evidence in matters of spirit, and are eternal in nature.
Vedic truths should, then, be accepted as the only truths in higher matters. Reason, while sincerely helping inspired truth, may be accepted as auxiliary evidence. The Vedas teach us, according to Chaitanya, nine principal doctrines, which are:
1) Hari, the Almighty, is one without a second.
2) He is always vested with infinite power.
3) He is the ocean of Rasa [the transcendental bliss which forms the essence of any relationship].
4) The soul is His “Vibhinnangsha,” or separated part.
5) Certain souls are engrossed by “Prakriti,“ His illusory energy.
6) Certain souls are released from the grasp of Prakriti.
7) All spiritual and material phenomena are “Vedavedprakash” of Hari, the Almighty [simultaneously one and different with the Lord].
8. Bhakti, devotional service, is the only means of attaining the final object of spiritual existence.
9) “Prem,” pure love in Krishna, is alone the final object of spiritual existence.
We must explain these points one by one:
1. Hari the Supreme Being is one without a second. In Aryan theology the creative principle of the Deity is personified in Brahma, and the destructive principle in Shiva. Indra is the head of some lower elements, in terms of administration. Hence, they are not the Almighty Himself, but are different representations of different attributes. They have obtained their powers from an original Fountainhead. Hence, they are subordinate beings in the service of Hari or Bhagavan, the Personality of Godhead.
Then again there are three distinct philosophical ideas of the Deity, i. e., (i) the idea of the negative Brahman of the pantheistic school, (ii) the idea of a universal soul, “Paramatman,“ of the yoga school, and (iii) the idea of a personal Deity with all His majesty, might, glory, beauty, wisdom and supremacy combined in His Person.
The ideas of Brahman and Paramatman are included in the idea of Bhagavan. Spiritually, therefore, Bhagavan is Hari, the Supreme Being. Human ideas are either mental or spiritual. The mental idea is defective as it has relation to the created principles of matter. The spiritual idea is certainly the nearest approach to the Supreme Being.
Then again, the spiritual idea of Bhagavan is of two sorts. In one sort, the person of the Deity is overpowered by His own majesty, and in the other, His personal beauty overpowers all His majesty. The first idea is represented in the great Narayana of Vaikuntha, Who is the Lord of Lords and God of Gods. The second is represented in the all-beautiful Krishna with Radhika, who is the representative of His “Hladini,“ or superior ecstatic energy. Krishna appears as man amongst men, and is again generally accepted as God above Gods. Krishna attracts, loves and produces ecstasy in all souls. His person and personal attachments are all purely spiritual and have no relation to the material world. The material senses of man cannot approach Him. It is the spirit in man which can see Him directly and commune with Him.
The soul, fettered in matter, has from its own degradation lost its right to see Krishna and His spiritual “Lila” [pastimes] in the spiritual world, but Krishna out of His Own Supreme Power and prerogative may appear with all His Vrindaban Lila before the eyes of all men. The rational man can hardly conceive of or believe in Krishna and His Lila. As his spiritual essence improves, however, he sees and loves Him with all his heart.
The Spiritual Process
In our small compass, we can hardly treat this subject fully and exhaustively. We therefore leave this point to our readers with these words: Give up the shackles of matter slowly. Cultivate your spirit inwards. Give up prejudices which you have acquired from the so-called rational thinkers who deny the existence of spirit. Be humble in yourself and learn to respect those who work towards spiritual attainments. Do these with your heart, mind and strength in the company of spiritual people alone, and you will see Krishna in no time.
Krishna is not an imaginary Being, nor have you a right to think that He is a material phenomenon fancied to be the Supreme Being by fools. Krishna is not understood by the process of distinguishing the subjective from the objective, nor is He to be accepted as an imposition on the people set up by designing men. Krishna is eternal, spiritually true, reflected on the human soul when it is relieved of all pressure of gross matter, and He is the subject of love which proceeds from the soul. Accept Him as such and you will see Him in your soul’s eye.
Words fail to describe that Transcendental Being. The highest, best and most spiritual ideal of the Divinity is in Krishna. To bring arguments against Him is simply to deceive oneself and deprive oneself of the blessings that God has kept in store for man. Hence, all descriptions of His Name, person, attributes and Lila should be accepted spiritually, giving up the material portion which words must necessarily convey.
2. Hari is always vested with infinite powers. By infinite powers must be meant powers which know no bounds either in space or in time, as His powers alone created space and time. His powers are identified with His person. In material objects, there is a difference between the person and the powers, between the thing and its attributes, its name, its form and action: but it is a spiritual truth that in spirit the thing is identical with its name, form, attributes and action. This truth cannot be subjected to dry reason which deals with gross matter alone.
Krishna is supreme will in Himself, and He exercises His supreme power at His pleasure, which submits to no law, because all law has proceeded from His will and power.
Power is known from its exercise. In this world we have experience of only three of the attributes of Krishna’s power. We see the material phenomena and we understand that His power has the attribute to create matter. This attribute is styled in the Vedas as “Mayashakti.” We see man and we understand that the Supreme Power has the attribute to produce limited and imperfect souls. The Shastras [scriptures] call that attribute “Jiva-shakti.“ We conceive of One Who is Spiritual and Supreme in His realm of eternal spirits. We understand that His power has an attribute to exhibit perfectly spiritual existences. The Vedas call that attribute by the name of “Atma-shakti,” or “Chit-shakti.”
All these attributes together form one Supreme Power which the Vedas call “Para-shakti.” In fact that power (shakti) is not distinguishable from the person of that Being. Still, the powers are separately exhibited in their separate actions. This is styled “Achintya-Vedaved-prakash,“ or the inconceivable simultaneous existence of distinction and non-distinction. Hari being will above law, He exercises His infinite powers, while He Himself remains unaffected. This is not understood, but felt in the soul as intuitive truth.
Divine Ecstasy
3. He is the ocean of “Rasa.“ Rasa has been defined to be that ecstatic principle which comprehends the various forms of love and affection which can be exhibited between the living being and the Lord. The process of exhibiting of Rasa relates to its exhibition in man while still enthralled in matter. But Rasa itself is an eternal principle identified with the Supreme Hari. Hari is the ocean of Rasa, and in the human soul only a drop of the ocean can be conceived.
Rasa naturally is spiritual, but in man, who is subject to Maya, the progenitor of matter, it has been identified in a perverted state with the sensual pleasure of man in his connection with material objects, the soul losing itself in mind and the mind acting through the senses, enjoying the perverted Rasa in the five different objects of the senses. This is the soul’s going abroad with “Avidya,” or ignorance of the spiritual self.
When the soul looks inward it obtains its spiritual Rasa, and the perverted Rasa wanes in proportion to the development of the spiritual Rasa. In spiritual Rasa the souls towards each other, and all towards the all-beautiful, have their unfettered action in Vrindaban, rising above material time and space. Hari, the Infinite Supreme Free Will, has eternal ecstasy in His spiritual power or “Chit-shakti.”
The Hladini attribute or Chit-shakti (spiritual wisdom) produces all bhabs—relations and affections. The “Sandhini” attribute of Chit-shakti produces all existence (other than the free will), including the “Dhams” (abodes), individualities, and other substances in connection with the action of the spiritual Rasa. All these exhibitions are from Chit-shakti, the spiritual power.
The Mayik or material creation, including time, space and gross objects, has no place in Chit-jagat, the spiritual world which is all the same as Vrindaban. Maya-shakti [illusory energy] is a perverted reflection of the Chit-shakti. Hence the particularities in the mayik (material) world have semblance with the particularities in the Chit-jagat or spiritual universe, but are not substantially the same. The Chit-jagat is the model of the Mayik-jagat, but they are not identical.
We must guard ourselves against the idea that man has imagined Chit-jagat from an experience of the Mayik-jagat. This idea is pantheistic, and it may also be styled atheistic. Reason, not spiritualized, has a tendency to create such a doubt, but one who has a wish to enjoy spiritual love must give it up as misleading.
The eternal Rasa of Krishna exists spiritually in Chit-jagat, the spiritual world. To we who are in the netherworld there is a screen which intervenes between our eyes and the great spiritual scene of Krishna Lila. When by the grace of Krishna that screen is drawn up, we have the privilege to see it, and again when it pleases the Almighty to drop the screen, the great Vrindaban Lila disappears. Taste the subject and your conviction will be the same as mine. Brethren! Do not give up such an important subject without due and liberal examination.
4. The soul is His “Vibhinnangsha,” or separated part. By soul are meant all sorts of souls, whether animal, human or celestial. It must be understood that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu believed in the very liberal theory of transmigration of the soul. Certain readers may reject this idea on the ground that certain forms of faith do not support that theory, and because it is therefore in antagonism with the dogmas of certain sectarian creeds. Indeed, it is a matter which reason cannot dare to meddle with.
Candidly examining, we do not see any strong reason to disbelieve the theory of transmigration. On the other hand, our unprejudiced mind is inclined to stand for it. The belief that the human soul has only one trial in life is evidently illiberal, unjust and contrary to the belief that God is all good. When our spiritual sentiment supports the theory and the Vedas, the receptacles of inspiration, have taught us the fact of the continual existence of the soul in different stages in creation, we cannot but give up the idea of disbelieving in the theory of transmigration of the soul. However educated and scientific a man maybe, he is always liable to a creeping error. That which holds good regarding a man holds good also regarding a nation or sect.
The soul, according to Chaitanya, is an atomic part of the Divine Soul. It is a sort of God’s power to produce beings who are spiritual in essence but liable to be enthralled by Maya when they forget their position as eternal servants of the Deity. God here is compared with the Sun, and the souls are said to be the atomic portions of that Sun’s ray, unable to stand freely unless they are protected by another competent attribute of God’s power.
By the word “part” is not meant portions cut out of a piece of stone by an axe: part is meant to be understood as one lamp lighted from another, or gold produced from an alchemic stone, as was believed by the ancients. The souls are also compared with separate atomic emanations of the burning fire. Each soul has drawn from its Fountainhead a proportionate share of the Lord’s attributes, and consequently a small proportion of free will.
These souls are naturally located between the Chit-jagat and Mayik-jagat. Those who chose to serve their God were protected from fall by the interference of the Hladini attribute of the Supreme Chit-shakti. They have been admitted as eternal servants of the Deity in various ways. They know not the troubles of Maya and the “karmachakra,“ the rotative principles of Mayik action and its result. Those who wanted to enjoy were grasped by Maya from the other side. They are in Maya’s Karmachakra, which ends only when they again see their original position as servants of the Deity.
These souls, whether liberated from Maya or enthralled by her, are separate responsible beings dependent on the Deity. Hari is the Lord of Maya, who serves His pleasure. The soul or “Jiva” is so constructed as to be liable to enthrallment by Maya in consequence of want of power when unassisted by the Hladini-shakti of the Deity. Hence there is a natural and inherent distinction between God and Jiva, the individual soul, which no pantheistic maneuver can annihilate. Please avoid the misleading question, “When were these Jivas created and enthralled?“ Mayik time has no existence in spiritual history because it has its commencement after the enthrallment of Jivas in matter, and you cannot, therefore, employ Mayik chronology in matters like these.
5. Certain souls are engrossed by “Prakriti,“ or His illusory energy. Prakriti, God’s Maya, Pradhan, Prapancha and Avidya are different names for the same principle on account of its different phases and attributes. Maya is not an independent Shakti from the supreme Swarup Shakti [Free Will or Power]. She is simply a reflected and outward phase of the supreme power, and serves God in executing His penal order on those who become ungrateful to Him. In fact, Maya is in charge of God’s house of correction. Those living beings who, in abusing their free will, forgot that they were eternal servants of the Deity and thought of enjoying for themselves, were grasped by Maya for their penal servitude and correction.
Maya—The Nature Of Illusion
Maya has three attributes: Satwa, Rajas and Tamas [goodness, passion and ignorance]. These attributes are just like chains used to tie up the ungrateful souls. Maya then applies a double case on the spiritual form of the soul. The double case is described by the words Linga and Sthul. The Mayik existence has twenty-four substances: the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and firmament); the five properties (sound, touch, sight, taste and smell); and the ten “Indrias,“ i. e. the five receiving senses (the eye, ear, nose, tongue and touch) and the five working organs such as hands, legs, etc. These twenty form the Sthul, or outer case.
The Mana, the Buddhi, the Chitta and the Ahankar, i. e . the mind, the understanding, the attention and the perverted ego, compose the Linga-deha, or inner case.
After encasing the spiritual form of the soul, Maya employs the fallen souls to work. Mayik work is composed of Karma, Akarma and Vikarma. Karma is conventionally good action done to obtain virtue, such as the performance of duties enjoyed by the Varnashram Dharma [the Vedic system of civilization]. Akarma is the omission to do duty. Vikarma is sin or crime.
Karma procures heavenly elevations up to the Brahma Loka planet. Akarma gives an unpleasant state on earth. Vikarma hurls down souls to hell. The fallen souls travel from body to body with their Linga-deha doing Karma or Vikarma, rising up to the heavens, and again coming down at the exhaustion of their virtues, going down to hell, and after suffering punishment, again rising up to the platform of work. Thus the state of the fallen souls is deplorable in the extreme. They enjoy and suffer massacre and murder, and go on in this state, sometimes smiling as the princess and sometimes suffering in ruin. The world is, therefore, a prison or a house of correction, and not a place for enjoyment as some people assert.
6. Certain souls are released from the grasp of Prakriti. Jivas are travelling in the path of Mayik existence from time out of mind, experiencing all sorts of pleasure and pain. How to get rid of this unpleasant state of existence? No, Dharma (performance of duty), yoga (development of powers of the Sthul and the Linga), Sankhya (the division of substances under the categories and simple knowledge that one is a spiritual being) and Vairagya (abnegation giving up all enjoyments of the world) are not the proper means by which one can actually get what he wants.
When a man comes in contact with a Vaishnava, whose heart has been melted by “Haribhaktirasa,” it is then that he loves to imbibe the sweet principle of Bhakti, devotion, by following his holy foot-steps. By constant study of Krishna-Bhakti he slowly washes off his Mayik condition, and in the end obtaining his true nature, he enjoys the sweetest unalloyed Rasa, which is the ultimate status of the soul.
Satsanga, or the company of spiritual people is the only means to obtain the ultimate object of man. Bhakti is a principle which comes from soul to soul, and like electricity or magnetism in gross matter, it conducts itself from one congenial soul to another. The principle of Bhakti is sincere and entire dependence on the Deity in every act of life. The principle of duty is no part of Bhakti, as it acts as gratitude for favour obtained and it works like an obligation which is contrary to natural love. The principle of morality in the mortal world, though good in its own way, does scarcely give spiritual consequence in the end. Faith in the supreme beauty of the Deity, a desire for the eternal unselfish service of that Being and a consequent repulsion of every other thought of pleasure or self-aggrandizement are the three principles which constitute Shraddha, or actual hankering after Bhakti. Bhakti by nature is Ananya, exclusive.
Is it chance, then, which brings Bhakti? No, Sukriti, or good work, is the prime moving principle. Good work is of two classes. One class, passing as morals, includes those works which bring virtue and aggrandizement. The other class of good work includes all acts which have a tendency to bring spiritual culture. This latter class of good work brings one in contact with a sincere Vaishnava, from whom one at the first imbibes Shraddha, or faith in spirit, and being then capable of receiving Bhakti, one obtains a flash of that principle from the Vaishnava who is the actual Guru of the man.
Doctrine Of “One And Different”
7. All spiritual and material phenomena are Achintya-Vedaved-prakash of Hari, the Almighty. Metaphysical discussions are perfectly useless here. The Vedas go sometimes to establish that Jiva, the individual living entity, is distinct from the Deity, and sometimes that Jiva is the same as the Deity. In fact, the Vedas always tell the truth. Jiva is simultaneously distinct from and identical with God. This is not understood by the rationalist. Hence it must be said that in the exercise of His powers beyond human comprehension, God is distinct from Jiva and the world, and again identical with them at all times.
The Vedanta teaches us the Shakti-parinamvad doctrine, and not the erroneous Vivartavad of Shankara Acharya. Shankara’s teachings are explained in different ways. Some say that the world and Jiva have emanated from God, and others establish that Jiva and the world are but developments of the Godhead. Shankara, in order to avoid Brahma-parinam, i. e. transformation of the Godhead into the world, established that Vyas [Compiler and Author of the Vedic literature] teaches us Vivartavad, which is this, that God undergoes no change whatever, but it is Maya which covers a part of the Deity (just as a pot encloses a part of the firmament) and creates the world; or, that God is reflected on Avidya, or ignorance, while in fact nothing else than God has yet come to existence.
These are worthless and abstruse arguments. It is plain that the Vedanta teaches us that God is unchangeable and is never subject to modifications. His power alone creates Jiva and the material world, by its own Parinam (modification). The example is in the action of the alchemist’s stone, the power of which is manifested in the form of gold, while the stone remains always unchanged. Thus Chit-shakti, the Supreme Will, goes in the form of theChit-jagat, the spiritual world, with all its particularities of eternal Rasa; and Jivashakti, the individual living force, goes in the form of innumerable Jivas, some staying in Vaikuntha as angels and others moving in this world in various shapes and forms and under very different circumstances. Maya-shakti, the material energy, creates numerous worlds for the habitation and entertainment of the fallen souls.
Vivartavad is no doubt an error and is quite opposed to the teachings of the Vedas. Now Shakti-parinamvad [the doctrine of change and variety existing in the energy of the unchanging Godhead] alone is true, and supports the fact that spiritual love is eternal. If Vivartavad were true, the natural consequence would be to declare spiritual love a temporary principle.
8. Bhakti is the only means of attaining the final object of spiritual existence. Karma as it is cannot directly and immediately produce spiritual results. When it does, it does so by means of Bhakti. Hence Bhakti is independent, and Karma (action) and Jnana (philosophy) are dependent principles. Jnana, the knowledge that man is a spiritual being, cannot directly bring the ultimate object. When it does, it does so with the assistance of Bhakti. Bhakti, therefore, is the only means to obtain the ultimate. Bhakti is thus defined. Bhakti is cultivation of a friendly sentiment for Krishna, free from all desires other than those for its own improvement, unalloyed by such other ingredients as Karma and Jnana.
It will be seen that Bhakti is itself both a feeling and an action. Bhakti has three stages, viz ., Sadhana-Bhakti, Bhab-Bhakti and Prem-Bhakti. Sadhana-Bhakti is that stage of culture when the feeling of love has not yet been roused. In Bhab-Bhakti the feeling awakes, and in Prem-Bhakti the feeling is fully set to action. Bhakti is a spiritual feeling towards the spiritual object of love.
Sadhana-Bhakti is of two sorts, one is called the Vaidha-Sadhan-Bhakti and the other is Raganuga-Sadhan-Bhakti. The word “Vaida” is from Vidhi, or rule. Where Bhakti is to be roused by the rule of the Shastras [scriptures], there the Vaidhi-bhakti works as long as the feeling is not roused. Where one out of natural tendency loves Krishna, there is a principle called Rag, which is no other than a strong desire to serve the Lord of the hears. One who is tempted by the beauty of this process to follow Him has a tendency to cultivate his feeling for Krishna. This is Raganuga-sadhan-bhakti. This latter class of Sadhana is stronger than the Vaidhi Sadhana.
Cultivation of the friendly feeling for Krishna is performed in nine different forms:
1. To hear of the spiritual Name, form, attributes and Lila [pastimes] of Krishna.
2. To utter and sing all those.
3. To meditate on and reiterate all those.
4. Service of His Holy Feet.
5. Worship.
6. Bowing down.
7. Doing all that pleases Him.
8. Friendship.
9. Resignation.
Of all these forms, Kirtan, singing the Name and glories of Krishna, is the best. Humble knowledge is necessary in these forms of worship and fruitless discussions must be avoided. There are some who start at the theory of worshiping Srimurti [the incarnation of God in the apparent form of material elements, such as in a painting or sculpture]. “Oh,“ they say, “it is idolatory to worship Srimurti. Srimurti is an idol framed by an artist and introduced by no other than Beelzebub himself. Worshiping such an object would rouse the jealousy of God and limit His omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence!” Would tell them, “Brethren! Candidly understand the question and do not allow yourself to be misled by sectarian dogmas.“
God is not jealous, as He is without a second. Beelzebub or Satan is no other than an object of imagination, and the subject of an allegory, an imaginary being, should not be allowed to act as an obstacle to Bhakti. Those who believe God to be impersonal simply identify Him with some power or attribute in Nature, her laws and her rules. His holy wish is law, and it would be sacrilege to confine His unlimited excellence by identifying Him with such attributes as omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience attributes which may exist in created objects such as time and space.
God’s excellence consists in having in Him mutually contradicting powers and attributes ruled by His supernatural Self. He is identical with His all-beautiful Person, having such powers as omnipresence, omniscience and omnipotence the like of which cannot be found elsewhere. His holy and perfect Person exists eternally in the spiritual world, at the same time existing in every created object and place in all its fullness. This idea excels all other ideas of the Deity.
Idolatry And Worship
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu rejects idolatry as well, but considers Srimurti worship to be the only unexceptionable means of spiritual culture. It has been shewn that God is personal and all-beautiful. Sages like Vyas and others have seen that beauty in their souls’ eyes. They have left us descriptions. Of course, word carries grossness of matter. But truth still is perceivable in those descriptions . According to those descriptions one delineates a Srimurti and sees the great God of our heart there with intense pleasure. Brethren! is that wrong or sinful? Those who say that God has no form either material or spiritual, and again imagine a false form for worship are certainly idolatrous. But those who see the spiritual form of the Deity in their souls’ eyes, carry that impression as far as possible to the mind and then frame an emblem for the satisfaction of the material eye for continual study of the higher feeling are by no means idolatrous.
While seeing a Srimurti, do not even see the image and you are a pure theist. Idolatry and Srimurti worship are two different things; but, my brethren! you simply confound one with the other out of hastiness. To tell you the truth, Srimurti worship is the only true worship of the Deity, without which you cannot sufficiently cultivate your religious feelings. The world attracts you through your senses and as long as you do not see God in the objects of your senses, you live in an awkward position which scarcely helps you in procuring your spiritual elevation. Place a Srimurti in your house. Think that God Almighty is the guardian of the house. The food that you take is His “Prasad” [mercy]. The flowers and scents are also His Prasad. The eye, the ear, the nose, the touch and the tongue all have a spiritual culture, you do it with a holy heart, and God will know it and judge you by your sincerity.
Satan and Beelzebub will have nothing to do with you in that matter! All sorts of worship are based on the principle of Srimurti. Look into the history of religion and you will come to this noble truth. The Semitic idea of a patriarchal God both in the pre-Christian period of Judaism and in the period of Christianity and Mohamedanism is nothing but a limited idea of Srimurti. The monarchic idea of a Jove amongst the Greeks and of an Indra amongst the Aryan Karmakandis of India is also a distant view of the same principle. The idea of a force and Jyotirmaya Brahma of the meditators and a formless energy of the Shaktas is also a very faint view of the Srimurti.
In fact, the principle of Srimurti is the truth itself, differently exhibited in different people according to their different phases of thought. Even Jaimini and Comte, who are not prepared to accept a creating god, have prescribed certain phases of the Srimurti, simply because they have been impelled by some inward action from the soul! Then again we meet with people who have adopted the Cross, the Shalgram shila, the lingam and such-like emblems as indicators of the inward idea of Srimurti. Furthermore, if the Divine compassion, love and justice could be portrayed by the pencil and expressed by the chisel, why should not the personal beauty of the Deity embracing all other attributes be portrayed in poetry or in picture or expressed by the chisel for the benefit of man? If words could indicate time and sign could tell us a history, why should not the picture or figure bring associations of higher thoughts and feelings with regard to the transcendental beauty of the Divine Personage?
Srimurti worship is divided into two classes, the ideal and the physical. Those of the physical school are entitled from their circumstances of life and state of mind to establish temple institutions. Those who are by circumstances and position entitled to worship the Srimurti in mind have, with due deference to the temple institutions, a tendency to worship, usually by Sraban and Kirtan, and their church is universal and independent of caste and color. Mahaprabhu prefers this latter class and shews their worship in His Shikshastak [His eight prayers]. Worship, then, without intermission, with a feeling of resignation and in a very short time you will be blessed with Prem.
9. Prem in God is the final object of spiritual existence. The Karma-margis, fruitive workers, declare that enjoyment in this world and in the heavens hereafter is all that a man requires. Karma, or action, is of two sorts, i.e. Karma done with a view to obtain a material result and Karma done with a view to please God. With the Karma-margis both sorts of Karma have the object of procuring enjoyment. Here is the line of demarcation between Bhakti and Karma. Bhakti aims at procuring the principle of Prem-Bhakti as the final principle of all actions, while Karma aims at self-enjoyment as the ultimate goal of action.
The Jnana-margis, on the other hand, cultivate spiritual knowledge to obtain Mukti, salvation, as the final aim of such cultivation. Mukti is found to be of two sorts. In one sort of Mukti total absorption of the soul in God is effected—i. e., the annihilation of the separate existence of the soul from God. In the other sort of Mukti the soul stands eternally separate from God, and when salvation ensues, the soul goes to Chit-jagat, obtaining residence in the Chit region of the Deity, residence closely by the Deity, attainment of a spiritual form like that of God Himself, and attainment of powers similar to the powers of God.
The latter class of Mukti is inevitable when it pleases the almighty to “rant us that state. But then, after obtaining that Mukti, we serve God with pure love.
The first sort of Mukti is rejected by the Bhaktas, the devotees, as not worth taking, in consequence of its tendency to annihilate the highest principle of love. The second class of Mukti cannot be the ultimate object as it acts like an intermediate result of our spiritual disenthralment. Besides that, a hankering after Mukti spoils the action of spiritual cultivation, being a strong desire for something other than the improvement of Bhakti. It has a tint of selfishness which is not in keeping with the unselfish principle of pure Bhakti.
We must therefore cultivate Bhakti being always free from the two contending principles, i. e., a desire for fruitive results, and a desire for Mukti or salvation. We must depend on Krishna to give us Mukti or not as it pleases Him. We must pray for continual development of our religious sentiment of Bhakti alone. Pure love is the final object of our own existence.
Varieties Of Divine Love
Rati, as explained above, is the unit of the principle of pure spiritual love for Krishna. Mixed up with Ullas (zeal), it becomes Priti, pure love. Priti, creates exclusive love for Krishna and repulsion for things and persons other than Krishna and His connections. When the idea that Krishna is my own is added to Priti, it becomes Prem. Here commences the idea that God is my own Lord and I am His servant. Add confidence to Prem and it becomes Pranaya. Here arises the relationship of friendship with Krishna. In Pranaya, the idea of respect loses its hold.
Add to Pranaya the idea that Krishna is my exclusive and dearest Object of love and it curiously turns out into Mana. Krishna with all His greatness and power exhibits a sort of submission to it. Excessive melting of the heart being added, Prem turns out to be Sneha. Here ensues the relation of a son and parents between Krishna and the worshiper. In this stage, too much weeping for Krishna, want of satiety with communion and a desire to watch the interest of Krishna naturally occur.
Desire added to Sneha is Rag. In this stage a moment’s separation is unbearable. Here commences the relation of husband and wife between Krishna and the worshiper. Distress attending upon want of mutual interview is happiness. Rag again, seeing its object as new at every moment, and being itself new at every moment, converts itself into Anurag. In this stage reciprocal subjection and a strong desire to accompany the lover everywhere are the principle features.
Anurag, infinitely rising in an astonishing state, mounting as if to madness, becomes Mahabhab. This is indescribable! From Rati to Mahabhab the whole principle is what we have called Sthayibhab. Added to the other varieties of loving relationships with Krishna, the Sthayibhab becomes Krishna Prem Rasa, the eternal ecstacy or beatitude.
We have a perverted picture of this noble Rasa in human life, as human life in thraldom of Maya is but a perverted reflection of the spiritual life. When the soul alone acts towards its proper object, the spiritual Hero Krishna, the Rasa is pure; when the mind and the senses act upon a wrong object, Rasa is degraded and becomes hateful. The perverted Rasa gives a clue of the noble spiritual Rasa to man in general; hence these arguments and descriptions have been attempted in words which correspond with words directly meaning the features of the perverted Rasa. We ask our readers to take care to make a nice distinction between spirit and gross matter; otherwise a fall is inevitable.
One who studies the Name, forms, attributes and the Lila of Krishna as described in the Srimad Bhagwatam with sincere heart, mind and strength, in the company of one who has realized the spirit, is expected to know it by the influence of Bhakti. One who is apt to rationalize everything closely does scarcely acquire the truth in matters of spirit, as by the law of God reason in its present state can never reach the sphere of the spirit.
It is needless to go further on this subject. Those who will have the opportunity to go as far as we have stated, will make a further enquiry from their heart and the all-beautiful Lord will then help them to realise the spirit and to rise higher and higher in its realm. But as long as the mind is confounded with the spirit, there is no way to rise beyond matter and its relations. The great mistake that most of the western philosophers have generally made is to identify the mind, the perverted ego (Ahankar) with the soul or spirit. We are sorry for that.
To summarise man in his present state, the different principles in him are: (i) the Sthul principle, or gross matter composing his body, (ii) the Linga principle, or sublimated matter appearing in the form of mind, attention, rationality and the perverted ego (by which one confounds oneself with the material world). This state has been caused by the influence of Maya, the illusory energy, with the object of correcting the soul in his wrong intention to enjoy, in consequence of forgetfulness of Nature as God’s servant. (iii) Man in fact is solely independent of Maya and her connection. The only way to get rid of the present difficulty is by the influence of pure Bhakti imbibed from a true devotee. Bhakti, as a means, elevates the man up to the all-beautiful Krishna; and again as an end, maintains him with eternal Krishna-prem.
While located in the Maylk world man must live peacefully with the object of cultivating the spirit. In his society he must lead a pure life, avoid sins and do as much good as he can to his brother man. He must be himself bearing difficulties of life with heroism, must not brag of any goodness or grandeur due to him. Marriage with a view to peaceful and virtuous life and with a view to procreate servants of the Lord is a good institution for a Vaishnava.
Spiritual cultivation is the main object of life. Do everything that helps it and abstain from doing anything which thwarts the cultivation of the spirit. Have a strong faith that Krishna alone protects you and none else. Admit Him as your only guardian. Do everything which you know that Krishna wishes you to do, and never think that you do a thing independent of the holy wish of Krishna. Do all that you do with humility. Always remember that you are a sojourner in this world and you must be prepared for your own home. Do your duties and cultivate Bhakti as a means to obtain the great end of life, Krishna-priti. Employ your body, mind and spirit in the service of the Deity. In all your actions, worship your Great Lord.
Thus we have said before our English-knowing readers a summary of Mahaprabhu’s precepts. If it be necessary we shall try to supply more informations treating these subjects in English in a short time.
Our gentle readers will now find that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu preached pure monotheism and chased out idolatry. We have shewn that he makes a nice distinction between Srimurti-worship and idolatry. He tells us that idolatry is the worship of things and persons that are not God Himself. When the sannyasis of Benares addressed Him as the God Almighty, Mahaprabhu told them that it was the worst of sins to address a Jiva as God. And again He has several times denounced the worship of a form or image other than the true image of God (after which man was created). Its representative emblems are to be used in worship of the true image of the Deity. God is one without a second, “There is none to vie with Him” is the motto of Mahaprabhu’s religion.
Chaitanya’s Religion
It will also be seen that Mahaprabhu shewed in his character and preached to the world the purest morality as an accompaniment of spiritual improvement. Morality as a matter of course will grace the character of a Bhakta [devotee]. If it is not seen in the character of one who presents himself as a Krishna-bhakta, his sincerity may be doubted.
There are four classes of thoughts, viz., atheistic, pantheistic, indifferent and theistic. Chaitanya’s religion rejects the first three as inimical to religion. He preaches pure theism alone and advises men to avoid the three others.
He preaches that Varnashram Dharma, including the institution of caste, is simply a social institution introduced by the Rishis [sages] to do good to man in society. They should be allowed to decorate the Aryans so long as they do not oppose spiritual improvement. By sending Pradyumna Misra, a rigid brahmin, to Ramananda Rai for spiritualisation, He has shewn that one who is aware of Krishna-tattwa may be Guru, be he a Sudra, Brahmin or Sannyasi.
He preaches the equality of men in the enjoyment of the spiritual aggrandizement. He preaches universal fraternity amongst men, and special brotherhood amongst Vaishnavas who are, according to Him, the best pioneers of spiritual improvement. He preaches that human thought should never be allowed to be shackled with sectarian views. He tells us that a man should earn money in a right way and by sincere dealings with others and their master, but should not immorally gain it. When Gopinath Pattanaik, one of the brothers of Ramananda Rai, was being punished by the Raja for immoral gains, Chaitanya warned all who attended upon Him to be moral in their worldly dealings.
In His own early life He has taught the Grihasthas [householders] to give all sorts of help to the needy and the helpless, and has shewn that it is necessary, for one who has power to do it, to help the education of the people, especially in the case of the brahmins who are expected to study the higher subjects of human knowledge.
The religion preached by Mahaprabhu is universal and not exclusive. The most learned and the most ignorant are both entitled to embrace it. The learned people will accept it with a knowledge of spiritual values. The ignorant have the same privilege by simply uttering the Name of the Deity and mixing in the company of pure Vaishnavas. The principle of Kirtan invites as the future church of the world, offering to all classes of men without distinction of caste or clan the highest cultivation of the spirit. This church, it appears, will extend all over the world and take the place of all sectarian churches which exclude outsiders from the precincts of the mosque, church or temple.
Chaitanya, as a teacher, has taught men both by precepts and by His holy life. There is scarcely a spot in His life which may be made the subject of criticism. His sannyas, His severity to junior Haridas and such like acts have been questioned as wrong by certain persons, but as far as we understand, we think, as all other independent men would think, that those men have been led by a hasty conclusion or a party spirit.
Chaitanya was an undaunted Hero in the execution of His resolutions. When He was told by some malicious brahmins that the Emperor was sending an army against Him, He said He wished that the reigning prince should take cognizance of what He was doing. He was amiable to everybody and stern in the discharge of His duty. Brahmananda Bharati, a religious brother of Keshab Bharati, His Guru, appeared to Him in a tiger’s skin. He would not bow down to him until he gave up the skin-dress and wore a linen koupin and Bahirvas. He said that the person before Him was not the Bharati. How is it that His Guru should put on an animal skin? The sannyasis should not support the killing of beasts for the sake of their use. Bharati understood that Chaitanya did not like that and changed his apparel; and Chaitanya bowed down to him in shewing His respect to His Guru’s brother.
Chaitanya pressed on His disciples to enter into the spirit of the Shastras without confinement to the words themselves. Pandit Devananda did not understand the spirit of Bhakti while reading the Bhagwat, but when he understood the spirit Chaitanya embraced him and pardoned him for all that the Pandit had done before.
Chaitanya was a jolly Being throughout His life. Though descended from the Eastern Bengal people, He joked with them while a young boy in such a manner that they became angry with Him. While Ballav Bhatta (a pandit of great renown) brought an improved commentary on the Bhagwatam to shew Him and said that he would not submit to Sridhar Swami [whose commentary is standard and authorized in the line of disciplic succession] the Lord said it was an unchaste woman alone who disregarded her swami (husband). This was a taunt which mortified the Pandit and dissuaded him from uttering disrespectful expressions about Sridhar Swami, the commentator of the Bhagwatam.
We leave it to our readers to decide how to deal with Mahaprabhu. The Vaishnavas have accepted Him as the great Lord Krishna Himself. Some have considered Him as the Bhakta-avatar. It is at the request of some Vaishnavas that we have composed the Smaran Mangal verses in the form of a prayer for daily recitation at the time of worship. Those who are not prepared to go with them, may accept Nimai Pandit [Chaitanya] as a noble and holy Teacher. That is all we want our readers to believe.
Readers! If you are inclined after a study of these pages to identify Chaitanya with Krishna we would beg you not to accept Him as God incarnate, for we think that God need not be in a carnal coil like the fallen men. His supreme power can bring Him down to the netherworld with all His glory and particularities without the assistance of the lower energy—Maya, who has created the material coil. If we believe otherwise we would commit the sin of lowering His spiritual power.
We make no objection if you do not believe His miracles, as miracles alone never demonstrate Godhead. Demons like Ravana and others have also worked miracles which do not prove that they were gods. It is unlimited Prem and its overwhelming influence which would be seen in none but God Himself.
Noble readers! Pardon us for intruding on you with these pages. As servants of Chaitanya, it was our duty to propagate His supreme teachings and in doing a duty we are entitled to pardon for any trouble we have given you. We are natives of Bengal and in couching our words in a foreign language we might have been liable to mistakes for which you will please forgive us.
In conclusion, we beg to say that we should be glad to reply to any questions which our brethren would like to address us on these important subjects. We feel great interest in crying to help our friends to seek the way to spiritual love.
Prabhupada
Prabhupada
The word Prabhupada is a term of the utmost reverence in Vedic religious circles, and it signifies a great saint even among saints. The word actually has two meanings: first, one at whose feet (Pada) there are many Prabhus (a term meaning ‘‘master,” which the disciples of a Guru use in addressing each other). The second meaning is one who is always found at the Lotus Feet of Krishna (the Supreme Master).
In the line of disciplic succession through which Krishna Consciousness is conveyed to mankind, there have been a number of figures of such spiritual importance as to be called Prabhupada:
Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada executed the will of his Master, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and therefore he and his associate Goswamis are called Prabhupada. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur executed the will of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, and therefore he is also addressed as Prabhupada. Our Spiritual Master, Om Vishnupad 108 Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj has, in the same way, executed the will of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada in carrying the message of love of Krishna to the Western world, and therefore we American and European humble servants of His Divine Grace, from all the different centers of the Sankirtan Movement, have followed in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada, and prefer to address His Grace our Spiritual Master as Prabhupada, and he has kindly said “Yes.“
New Vrindaban
New Vrindaban
A spiritual concept of community life
by Hayagriva
One practical aspect of the Krishna Consciousness Movement is now taking form in the hills of West Virginia. This is a report on the development—and the philosophical background—of that important project.
“You have New York, New England and so many ‘new’ duplicates of European places in the USA—why not import New Vrindaban in your country?” -A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, in a letter to his disciples
New Vrindaban, a spiritual community united in the pursuit of Krishna Consciousness, is now taking shape under the guidance of our Guru Maharaj, A. C . Bhaktivedanta Swami. Now the hills of West Virginia are vibrating daily with the Maha (Hare Krishna) Mantra, and it is certain that the forests, fields and mountains are no longer in West Virginia—they have entered the spiritual sky of Vaikuntha. By the mere touch of sound, everything at New Vrindaban is Krishna-ized. And by the mercy of the spiritual master, America is seeing a resurgence of God consciousness.
The conception and purpose of New Vrindaban are best set forth in the letters of Swamiji himself. Primarily, the place is intended to serve as an amiable location for reviving our dormant God consciousness. In New Vrindaban, remembrance of Krishna is easy because the atmosphere is conducive: “We can remember Krishna in every moment. We remember Krishna while taking a glass of water, because the taste of water is Krishna. We can remember Krishna as soon as we see the sunlight in the morning, because the sunlight is a reflection of Krishna’s bodily effulgence. And as soon as we see moonlight in the evening, we remember Krishna, because moonlight is the reflection of sunlight. Similarly, when we hear any sound, we can remember Krishna because sound is Krishna, and the most perfect sound, transcendental, is Hare Krishna, which we have to chant 24 hours. So there is no scope of forgetting Krishna at any moment of our life, provided we practice in this way.“
The atmosphere of New Vrindaban is suitable for such a remembrance process—it is cosmic, rural, woodsy. Under the Milky Way, Kirtan—the chanting of Hare Krishna to the accompaniment of musical instruments—expands. Orion, Saggitarius, Virgo—all vibrate to the cymbal rhythm, the sounds loosed in the night, broadcast from the mountains of planet earth. The firmament revolves around Vrindaban—the Maha Mantra twirls it about.
Life revolves about the MahaMantra—the charting of the Holy Names. There is Kirtan, group chanting, every morning and evening. Aritik—cymbal clashing, offering to the Deity—is performed before dawn and four times throughout the day. The morning Kirtan is usually over before sunrise. Then morning “Prasadam,” food first offered for the pleasure of the Lord, is taken, usually cereal, and the day’s chores begin. There is much work at New Vrindaban, and all participate.
The system and purpose of New Vrindaban is set forth specifically in the letters of Swamiji:
“Vrindaban conception is that of a transcendental village, without any of the botheration of the modern industrial atmosphere. My idea of developing New Vrindaban is to create an atmosphere of spiritual life where people in the bona fide divisions of society—namely, Brahmacharies [celibate students], Grihasthas [householders], Vanaprasthas [the retired], and Sannyasis [renounced holy men] will live independently, completely depending on agricultural produce and milk from the cows.“ (8/17/68)
“To retire from activities is not a very good idea for the conditioned soul. I have very good experience, not only in our country, but also in your country, that this tendency of retiring from activities pushes one down to the platform of laziness, and gradually to the ideas of the hippies.
“One should always remain active in Krishna’s service, otherwise strong Maya [illusion] will catch him and engage him in her service. Our constitutional position being to render service, we cannot stop activity. So NewVrindaban may not be turned into a place of retirement, but some sort of activities must go on there. If there is good prospective land, we should produce some grains, flowers and fruits, and keep cows, so that those living there may have sufficient work and facility for advancing in Krishna Consciousness. In India, actually, Vrindaban has now become a place of the unemployed and of beggars. Kirtanananda has already seen it. And so there is always a tendency toward such degradation if there is no sufficient work in the service of Krishna. “ (7/14/68)
From the beginning, as Swamiji suggested, the program at New Vrindaban has been geared to enable the student to progress along the path of devotional service, and so there is work going on all the time. And the program is sufficiently diversified to accommodate a variety of talents, dovetailing them in Krishna’s service.
As in the many transcendentalist farms of 19th century America, the concept of life at New Vrindaban is that of plain living and high thinking.
“Vrindaban does not require to be modernized, because Krishna’s Vrindaban is a transcendental village. They completely depend on nature’s beauty and nature’s protection. The community in which Krishna preferred to belong was the Vaishya community, because Nanda Maharaj [Krishna’s foster father, with whom He spent His childhood while on Earth] happened to be a Vaishya king, or landholder, and his main business was cow protection. It is understood that he had 900,000 cows, and Krishna and Balaram used to take charge of them, along with Krishna’s many cowherd boy friends. Every day, in the morning, He used to go out with His friends and cows into the pasturing grounds.
“So, if you seriously want to convert this spot into New Vrindaban, I shall advise you not to make it very much modernized. But as you are American boys, you must make it just suitable to your minimum needs. Nor should you make it too much luxurious, as generally Europeans and Americans are accustomed. Better to live there without modern amenities, and to live a natural, healthy life for executing Krishna Consciousness. It may be an ideal village where the residents will have plain living and high thinking.
“For plain living we must have sufficient land for raising crops, and pasturing grounds for the cows. If there is sufficient grains and production of milk, then the whole economic problem is solved. You do not require any machines, cinema, hotels, slaughter houses, brothels, nightclubs—all these modern amenities. People in the spell of Maya are trying to squeeze out gross pleasure from the senses, which it is not possible to derive to our heart’s content. Therefore we are confused and baffled in our attempt to get eternal pleasure from gross matter. Actually, joyful life is on the spiritual platform, and therefore we should try to save our valuable time from material activities and engage it in Krishna Consciousness. But at the same time, because we have to keep our body and soul together to execute our mission, we must have sufficient (not extravagant) food to eat, and that will be supplied by grains, fruits and milk.
“The difficulty is that the people in this country want to continue their practice of sense gratification, and at the same time they want to become transcendentally advanced. This is quite contradictory. One can advance in transcendental life only by the process of negating the general practice of materialistic life. The exact adjustment is in Vaishnava philosophy, which is called ‘Yukta Vairagya.’ This means that we should simply accept the bare necessities for the material part of life, and try to save time for spiritual advancement. This should be the motto of New Vrindaban, if you at all develop it to the perfectional stage.“ (6/14/68)
Regarding New Vrindaban’s cow protection program, Swamiji has written:
“We must have sufficient pasturing ground to feed the animals all round. We have to maintain the animals throughout their lives. We must not make any program for selling them to the slaughter houses. This is the way of cow protection. Krishna by His practical example taught us to give all protection to the cows, and that should be the main business of New Vrindaban. Vrindaban is also known as Gokula. Go means cows, and Kula means congregation. Therefore the special feature of New Vrindaban will be cow protection, and by doing so, we shall not be the losers.
“In India, of course, a cow is protected, and the cowherdsmen derive sufficient profit by such protection. Cow dung is used for fuel. Cow dung dried in the sunshine is kept in stock for utilization as fuel in the villages. They get wheat and other cereals produced from the field. There is milk and vegetables and the fuel is cow dung, and thus they are self-sufficient, independent, in every village. There are hand weavers for the cloth. And the country oil-mill (consisting of a bull walking in a circle around two big grinding stones, attached with yoke) grinds the oil seeds into oil.
“The whole idea is that people residing in New Vrindaban may not have to search for work outside. Arrangements should be such that the residents will be self-satisfied. That will make an ideal ashram. I do not know whether these ideals can be given practical shape, but I think like that, that people may be happy in any place with land and cow, without endeavoring for the so-called amenities of modern life—which simply increase anxieties for maintenance and proper equipment. The less we are anxious for maintaining our body, the more we become favorable for advancing in Krishna Consciousness.“ (6/14/68)
As for the development of buildings, Swamiji has given specific instructions for temples and living quarters. At present New Vrindaban includes 133 acres (with more land available in the future) of pasture, forest, ponds, mountains and streams. So there are varied settings for numerous buildings. Swamiji advises:
“Concentrate on one temple, and then we shall extend one after another. Immediately the scheme should be to have a temple in the center, and residential quarters for the Brahmacharies or Grihasthas surrounding it. Let us go ahead with that plan at first.
“Also, you will be pleased to note that I’ve asked Goursundar to make a layout of the whole land, and I shall place 7 different temples in different situations, as prototypes of Vrindaban. There will be seven principle temples, namely, Govinda, Gopinath, Madan Mohan, Shyamsundar, Radha Raman, Radha Damodar, and Gokulananda. Of course, in Vrindaban there are, more or less, big and small, about 5,000 temples; that is a far distant scheme. But immediately we shall take up constructing at least 7 temples in different situations, meadows and buildings. So I am trying to make a plan out of the description of the plot of our land. And the hilly portions may be named Goverdhan. On the Goverdhan hillsides, the pasturing grounds for the cows may be alloted.“ (8/23/68)
In conclusion, New Vrindaban is a means of attaining life’s ultimate goal in the service of the Lord, Sri Krishna. The sincere participants can thereby please the spiritual master by progress in Krishna Consciousness, and when the spiritual master is pleased, Lord Krishna is pleased.
“Now we can work with great enthusiasm for constructing a New Vrindaban in the United States of America. People who came here from Europe to this part of the world named so many new provinces, just like New England, New Amsterdam, New York. So I also came to this part of the world to preach Krishna Consciousness, and by His Grace and by your endeavor, New Vrindaban is being constructed. That is my great happiness. Our sincere endeavor in the service of the Lord, and of the Lord’s assistants, to make our progressive march successful—these are two important things to be followed in the spiritual advancement of life.
“I think it was Krishna’s desire that this New Vrindaban scheme should be taken up by us, and now He has given us a great opportunity to serve Him in this scheme. So let us do it sincerely and all other help will come automatically. I am very glad to notice in Kirtanananda’s letter that he has realized more and more that the function of New Vrindaban is nothing physical or bodily, but purely spiritual and for the glorification of the Lord, Sri Hari [Krishna]. If we actually keep this view before us, certainly we shall be successful in our progressive march.” (8/23/68)
Advertisement
Advertisement
Children Of God
They’re meant to experience a life of sublime bliss. So are you. All it takes is awareness.
BACK TO GODHEAD is the only popular magazine devoted to the joys of spiritual awareness. Each month, BACK TO GODHEAD brings you the transcendental outlook on topics as diverse as cooking and the teachings of the mystics, topics as important as education and world affairs, and topics as exciting as psychic phenomena, meditation techniques and the youth movement.
Next month, for example, we’ll feature a look at the theory and practice of revolution, a revealing post-mortem on Transcendental Meditation, the retelling of a sublimely beautiful episode from the Vedic literature of India, a study of vegetarian and yogic dietary principles, recipes and quite a bit more. A future issue will be devoted entirely to an overall words-and-pictures study of the Vedic civilization of India, including camera views of the most holy of holy places, a review of the famed Bhagavad Gita (often called the New Testament of Hinduism), a consideration of God and the demigods of the Vedic Age, and other related features. And, in all that BACK TO GODHEAD does, you’ll be able to enjoy the unique and stimulating perspective of spiritual self knowledge.
You can have BACK TO GODHEAD delivered to your home by mail every month. To take advantage of our special reduced-rate offer and get a FREE GIFT besides—just fill out the attached postage-free card and drop it in the mail today.
Begin your journey back to total awareness, back to the sublime bliss of spiritual life—with the May issue of BACK TO GODHEAD magazine.
Sri Ishopanishad
Sri Ishopanishad
Rendered into English by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta SwamI
In the final 8 verses of this major Upanishad, the ultimate message of the Rig Veda—human fulfillment through unwavering consciousness of God—is systematically concluded.
Mantra Eleven
Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death, and enjoy the full blessings of immortality.
Purport
Since the start of the material world everyone is trying for a permanent life, but the law of Nature is so cruel that no one has avoided the hand of death. No one wants to die. That is a practical fact. Nor does anyone want to become old or diseased. But the law of Nature does not allow anyone immunity from death, old age or disease. The advancement of material knowledge has not solved these problems of life. Material science can discover the nuclear bomb to accelerate the process of death, but it cannot discover anything which can protect man from the cruel hands of death, disease and old age.
From the Puranas we learn of the activities of Hiranya Kashipu: This king was materially very much advanced, and by his material acquisitions, by the strength of his nescience, he wanted to conquer death. He underwent a type of meditation so severe that all the planetary systems became disturbed by his mystic powers. He forced the creator of the universe, the demigod named Brahma, to come down to him, and then he asked him for the benediction of becoming an “Amar,” one who does not die. Brahma refused to award this, however, because even he, the material creator, who has command over all the planets, is not himself an Amar. He has a long duration of life, as is confirmed in The Bhagavad Gita, but that does not mean that he doesn’t have to die.
“Hiranya” means gold, and “kashipu” means soft bed. This gentleman was interested in these two things, money and women, and he wanted to enjoy this sort of life by becoming artificially immortal. He asked Brahma many things indirectly in hopes of fulfilling his desire to become an Amar. He asked benediction that he might not be killed by any man, animal, god, or any living being within the categories of the 8,400,000 species. He also asked that he might not die on the land, in the air, in the water or by any weapon whatsoever. So on and on, Hiranya Kashipu thought foolishly that this would guarantee him against death. But in the end, although Brahma granted him all these benedictions, he was killed by the Personality of Godhead in the Form of a half-man, half-lion. And no weapon was used to kill him except the nails of the Lord. He was killed on the lap of the wonderful Living Being Who was beyond his conception.
The whole point here is that even Hiranya Kashipu, the most powerful of materialists, could not become deathless by his various plans. What, then, will be accomplished by the tiny Hiranya Kashipus of today, who make plans which are throttled from moment to moment?
Sri Ishopanishad instructs us not to make one-sided attempts to win the struggle for existence. Everyone is struggling hard for existence, but the law of material Nature is so hard and fast that it does not allow any to surpass it. In order to have permanent life one must be prepared to go back to Godhead.
This process of going back to Godhead is a different branch of knowledge, and it has to be learnt from the revealed Vedic Scriptures, such as the Upanishads, Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagwatam, etc. Therefore, to become happy in this life and to get a permanent blissful life after leaving this material body, one must take to this sacred literature and obtain transcendental knowledge. The conditioned living being has forgotten his eternal relation with God, and he has mistakenly accepted the temporary place of birth as all-in-all. The Lord has kindly delivered the above-mentioned Scriptures in India and other Scriptures in other countries to remind the forgetful human being that his home is not here in this material world. The living being is a spiritual entity, and he can only be happy by returning to his spiritual home, with the Godhead.
The Personality of Godhead, from His Kingdom, sends His bona fide servants to propagate this mission of going back to Godhead, and sometimes He comes Himself to do this work. All living beings are His beloved sons, His parts and parcels, and therefore God is more sorry than we ourselves are for the sufferings which we are constantly undergoing in the material condition. The miseries of the material world are also indirect reminders of our incompatibility with dead matter, and intelligent living entities generally take note of these reminders, and side by side engage themselves in the culture of Vidya, or transcendental knowledge. Human life is the best opportunity for the culture of spiritual knowledge, and the human being who does not take advantage of this opportunity in human life is called a “Naradhama,“ the lowest of human beings.
The path of “Avidya,” or material advancement of knowledge for sense gratification, means repetition of death and repetition of birth also. The living entity, as he is spiritually, has no birth or death. Birth and death are concerned with the outward covering of the spirit soul, the body. This is compared with the putting on and taking off of outward garments. Foolish human beings who are grossly absorbed in the culture of Avidya, nescience, do not mind this cruel process, but, being enamored of the beauty of the illusory energy, they do the same thing over repeatedly, without learning any lesson from the law of Nature.
The culture of Vidya or transcendental knowledge is essential for the human being. Unrestricted sense enjoyment in the diseased, material condition of the senses must be restricted as far as possible. Unrestricted sense enjoyment in this bodily condition is the path of ignorance and death. The living entities are not without spiritual senses. Every living being in his original spiritual form has all the senses which are now material, covered by the body and the mind. Activities of the material senses are perverted reflections of spiritual pastimes. The engagement of the spirit soul under the material covering is the diseased condition of the soul. And real sense enjoyment is possible when the disease is removed. In our pure spiritual form, freed from all material contamination, pure enjoyment of the senses is possible. The aim of human life should, therefore, not be perverted sense enjoyment, but should be to cure the material disease. Aggravating the material disease is no sign of knowledge. It is the sign of culturing Avidya, ignorance.
The degree of a fever must not be increased from 105 to 107 for good health. The degree is to be reduced to the normal state of 98.6. That should be the aim of human life. The modern trend of material civilization is to increase the degree of the feverish material condition which has therefore reached the point of 107 in the form of atomic energy, with the foolish politicians crying that at any moment the world may go to hell. That is the result of the advancement of material knowledge, and of the neglect of the most important part of life, the culture of spiritual knowledge. Here is a warning in Sri Ishopanishad that we must not follow such a dangerous path leading to death. On the contrary, we must side by side develop the culture of spiritual knowledge so that we may become completely free from the cruel hands of death.
This does not mean that all civic activities for the maintenance of the body should be stopped. There is no question of stopping activities, as there is no question of wiping out one’s temperature altogether when trying to recover from a disease. We have already tried to explain the matter by the expression “to make the best use of a bad bargain.” The culture of spiritual knowledge has to be done with the help of this body and mind, and therefore maintenance of the body and mind is required if we are to reach our goal. The normal temperature should be maintained at 98.6 degrees, but it should not be foolishly increased to the degree of 107. The great sages and saints of India wanted to maintain the normal temperature by a balanced program of material and spiritual knowledge. They never allowed the misuse of human intelligence for diseased sense gratification.
Human activities diseased by a temperament of sense gratification have been regulated in the Vedas under the principles of Salvation. This system is found in four divisions: religion, economic development, sense gratification and salvation. At the present moment the people have no interest either in religion or salvation. They have only one aim in life, sense gratification, and in order to fulfill this end they have different plans for economic development.
Misguided man thinks that religion should be maintained for its contribution to economic development, and that economic development is required for sense gratification. And in order to guarantee further sense gratification after death, in heaven, there is some system of religious observances. But this is not the purpose of the principles of salvation. The path of religion is actually for self realization. Economic development is required just to maintain the body in a sound, healthy condition. A man should live in a healthy condition of life with a sound mind just to realize Vidya, true knowledge, which is the aim of human life. This life is not meant for working like an ass or for the culture of Avidya or for sense gratification.
The path of Vidya is most perfectly presented in The Srimad Bhagwatam. The Bhagwatam directs a human being to utilize his life in the matter of enquiring about the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is realized step by step as Brahman, Paramatman, and, at last, Bhagavan, the Personality of Godhead. This Absolute Truth is realized by the broad-minded man who has attained knowledge and detachment, having followed the 18 principles of The Bhagavad Gita described above. The central point in these 18 principles is the attainment of transcendental devotional service to the Personality of Godhead. Therefore it is recommended for all classes of men to learn the art of devotional service to the Lord.
Religiousness, economic development and sense gratification without the aim of attaining devotional service to the Lord are all different forms of nescience, as will be shown hereafter in Sri Ishopanishad. Thus, to cultureVidya, especially in this age, one must always hear and chant and worship with concentrated attention, targetted on the Personality of Godhead, Who is the Lord of the transcendentalists.
Mantra TweIve
Those who are engaged in the worship of demigods enter into the darkest region of ignorance, and still more so do the worshipers of the Absolute.
Purport
The Sanskrit word “Asambhuti” means those who have no independent existence. “Sambhuti” is the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Who is absolutely independent of everything. In The Bhagavad Gita, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, positively describes Himself in the following words: “I am the Supreme Cause of the powers delegated to the demigods, the great sages and the mystics. And because these are endowed with limited powers, it is very difficult for them to know how I appear Myself, by My own internal potency, in the form of a man.“
All philosophers and great “Rishis, “ or mystics, try to distinguish the Absolute from the relative by their tiny brain power. However, this can only help them to reach the point of negating relativity, without realizing any positive trace of the Absolute. Definition of the Absolute by negation is not a complete concept. Such negative definitions lead one to create a concept of his own, and one then imagines that the Absolute must be formless and without qualities. But these negations are simply the opposite numbers of the relative forms and qualities, and are themselves therefore relative. By such a concept of the Absolute one can at the utmost reach to the impersonal effulgence of God, known as Brahman; but one cannot make further progress to the stage of Bhagavan, the Personality of Godhead.
Such mental speculators do not know that Krishna is the Absolute Personality of Godhead, and that the impersonal Brahman is the glaring effulgence of His transcendental body, while Paramatman, the Supersoul, is His all-pervading representation. They do not know that Krishna has His eternal Form, with transcendental qualities of eternal bliss and knowledge. The dependent demigods and great sages imperfectly realize Him as one of the powerful demigods, but they consider that the Brahman effulgence is the ultimate Absolute Truth. Krishna’s devotees, however—who by dint of their unalloyed devotion surrender unto Him—can know that He is the Absolute Person, and that everything emanates from Him only. Such devotees continuously render loving service unto Krishna, the Fountainhead of everything.
In The Bhagavad Gita it is also said that only bewildered persons, driven by a strong desire for sense gratification, worship the demigods for the satisfaction of temporary problems. A temporary relief from a certain difficulty by the grace of some demigod is the demand of less intelligent persons. The living being is in the material entanglement, and he has to be relieved from material bondage entirely to obtain permanent relief on the spiritual plane, where eternal bliss, life and knowledge exist.
In The Bhagavad Gita it is said that the worshipers of the demigods can go to the planets of the respective demigods. The Moon worshipers can go to the Moon, the Sun worshipers can go to the planet of the Sun, and so on. Modern scientists are now trying to go to the Moon with the help of rockets, which is not really a new attempt. The human being with his advanced consciousness is naturally inclined to travel in outer space and to reach other planets, either by sputniks, by mystic powers, or by worshiping the particular predominating deity on that planet. In the Vedic scriptures it is said that one can reach other planets in any of the ways mentioned above, most generally by worshiping the demigod presiding over the particular planet. But these planets are temporary residential places; the only permanent planets are the Vaikuntha Lokas, found in the spiritual sky, where the Personality of Godhead predominates. The Bhagavad Gita confirms this as follows:
Even though one may rise to the highest planet, Brahma Loka, one has to come back again. But if someone attains to Me (in the spiritual world), he doesn’t have to take birth again.
Sri Ishopanishad suggests that one remains in the darkest region by hovering over the material planets, whatever his means may be. The whole universe is covered by the gigantic material elements, just like a coconut ball half-filled with water. As it is airtight and fully covered, the darkness within is dense, and therefore planets like the Sun and the Moon are required to illuminate the inside of the universe. Outside the universe there is a vast expansion of unlimited Brahmajyoti space, full of Vaikuntha Lokas.
The biggest and the highest planet in the Brahmajyoti is the Krishna Loka, or Goloka Vrindaban, where the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, resides. Lord Sri Krishna never quits this Krishna Loka where He dwells with His eternal associates, and yet He is omnipresent throughout the complete material and spiritual cosmic situation. This fact has already been explained in Mantra Four of Sri Ishopanishad. The Lord is present everywhere, as the Sun is. A man can move through space with the highest possible speed, and still he will find that the Sun is there, although the Sun is situated in its own undeviating orbit.
The problem of life, however all this may be, cannot be solved by going to the Moon. There are many pseudo-worshipers who become religionists for the sake of name and fame only. Such pseudo-religionists do not wish to get out of this universe and reach the spiritual sky. They want only to maintain the status quo in the material world, under the garb of worshiping the Lord. And the atheists and the impersonalists lead such foolish pseudo-religionists into the darkest regions by preaching the cult of atheism. The atheist directly denies the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the impersonalist supports the atheist by preaching the impersonal existence of the Supreme Lord. So far as we have gone through Sri Ishopanishad, we have not come across any mantra where the Personality of Godhead is denied. It is said that He can run faster than anyone. Those who are running after the planets are certainly persons, and if the Lord can run faster than all of them, why should He be considered impersonal? The impersonal conception of the Supreme Lord is another face of ignorance, due to an imperfect vision of the Absolute Truth.
And so the ignorant pseudo-religionists, the manufacturers of so-called incarnations—directly violating the Vedic injunctions—are liable to enter into the darkest region of the universe, on account of their business of misleading those who follow them. These impersonalists generally pose themselves as incarnations of God to the foolish, who have no knowledge of the Vedic wisdom. And if such foolish men have any knowledge at all, it is more dangerous in their hands than ignorance itself. Such impersonalists do not even worship the demigods as is recommended in the scriptures.
In the scriptures there is a recommendation for worshiping the demigods under different circumstances, but at the same time it is said that there is no real need for this. In The Bhagavad Gita it is clearly stated that the results of worshiping the demigods are not permanent. The whole material world is not permanent, and therefore anything achieved here within the darkness of material existence is also impermanent. The problem, then, is how to obtain real and permanent life.
The Lord states that, as soon as one reaches Him by devotional service—which is the one and only way to approach the Personality of Godhead—there is complete freedom from the bondage of birth and death. In other words, the path of salvation, or getting out of the material clutches, fully depends on the principles of knowledge and detachment. And the pseudo-religionists have neither knowledge nor detachment from material affairs. Most of them want to continue in the golden shackles of material bondage, under the shadow of altruistic and philanthropic activities, and in the name of religious principles. By false religious sentiments they present a make-show of devotional service, indulging in all sorts of immoral principles, and still pass as spiritual masters and devotees of God. Such violators of religious principles have no respect for the authoritative Acharyas, the holy teachers in the strict disciplic succession; and to mislead the people in general they themselves become so-called Acharyas, without even following the principles of the Acharyas.
These rogues in human society are the most dangerous elements and, for want of religious government, they pass on without being punished by the law of the state. They cannot, however, avoid the law of the Supreme, Who has clearly declared in The Bhagavad Gita that these envious demons, in the garb of religious propagandists, shall be thrown down into the darkest region of hell. It is confirmed in Sri Ishopanishad that the pseudo-religionists are heading toward the most obnoxious place in the universe after finishing with the spiritual mastership business, which is simply for the matter of sense gratification.
Mantra Thirteen
It is said that one result is obtained by worshiping the Supreme Cause of all causes, and that another is obtained by worshiping what is not supreme. All this was heard from the undisturbed authorities who clearly explained it.
Purport
In this mantra of Sri Ishopanishad the system of hearing from the undisturbed authorities is confirmed. Unless one hears from the bona fide Acharya, who is never disturbed by the changes of the material world, one cannot have the real key to transcendental knowledge. The bona fide spiritual master, who has also heard the “Sruti Mantras,” or Vedic knowledge, from his undisturbed Acharya, never manufactures or presents anything which is not mentioned in the Vedic literature. In The Bhagavad Gita it is clearly said that the worshipers of the “pitris,” or forefathers, reach the forefathers, the gross materialists who make plans to remain here in this world remain here, and the devotees of the Lord, who worship none but Lord Krishna, the Supreme Cause of all causes, reach Him in His Abode in the spiritual sky.
Here also in Sri Ishopanishad, it is said that different results are achieved by different modes of worship. If we worship the Supreme Lord, certainly we will reach the Supreme Lord in His eternal Abode, and if we worship demigods like the Sun and Moon, we can reach these respective planets without any doubt. And if we want to remain here on this wretched planet with our planning commissions and our stop-gap political adjustments, we can certainly do that also.
Nowhere in authentic scriptures is it said that whatever you do and whatever you worship you will ultimately reach the same goal. Such foolish theories are offered by self-made masters who have no connection with the “Parampara,“ the bona fide system of disciplic succession. The bona fide spiritual master cannot say that for everyone who has his own mode of worship—be it worship of the demigods or of the Supreme—worship leads to the same goal. For a common man it is very easy to understand that a person starting by train from Bombay can reach the destination for which he has purchased his ticket, and nowhere else. A person who has purchased a ticket for Calcutta can reach Calcutta. But contemporary so-called masters preach that, whatever spiritual ticket you may purchase, it will take you to the Supreme Goal. Such mundane and compromising offers attract many foolish creatures to become puffed up with their manufactured methods of spiritual realization, but the Vedic instruction doesn’t uphold them. Unless one has received knowledge from the bona fide spiritual master—one who is in the recognized line of disciplic succession—one cannot have the real thing as it is. The Bhagavad Gita says:
Thus, O chastiser of the foe, the Yoga principles [of The Gita] were known to the great kings. But, the Parampara system being broken, these principles appear now to be lost.
When Lord Sri Krishna was present in this world, the Bhakti Yoga principles defined in The Bhagavad Gita had become distorted, and so the Lord had to re-establish the disciplic system, beginning with Arjuna, who was the most confidential friend and devotee of the Lord. The Lord clearly said to Arjuna that it was because he was His devotee and friend that the principles of The Gita were understandable to him. In other words, no one can understand The Gita who is not a devotee and friend of the Lord. This means that only one who follows the path of Arjuna can understand The Gita.
At the present moment there are many interpreters of this sublime dialogue who have nothing to do with Arjuna or Lord Krishna. They interpret the verses of The Bhagavad Gita in their own ways, and postulate all sorts of rubbish in the name of The Gita. Such interpreters believe neither in Sri Krishna nor in His eternal Abode. So, then, what can they explain about The Bhagavad Gita?
The Gita clearly says that only those who have lost their senses worship the demigods. Krishna ultimately advises that one should give up all other ways and modes of worship, and fully surrender unto Him only. Those persons who are cleansed of all sinful reactions can have such unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord. Others will continue hovering over the material sphere with their paltry ways of worship, and thus will be misled from the real path, under the false impression that all paths lead to the same goal.
In this mantra the Sanskrit word “Sambhavat,“ worship of the Supreme Cause, is very significant. Lord Krishna is the Original Personality of Godhead, and everything that exists has emanated from Him. In The Gita the Lord explains Himself. He says there that He is the Creator of everyone, including Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. And because these three principal deities of the material world are created by the Lord, He is the Creator of all that exists in the material and spiritual worlds.
In the Atharva Veda it is similarly said that One Who existed before the creation of Brahma, and One Who enlightened Brahma with Vedic knowledge, is Lord Sri Krishna. “The Supreme Person desired to create the living entities, and thus Narayana created all the beings. From Narayana, Brahma was born. Narayana created all the Prajapatis. Narayana created Indra. Narayana created the eight Vasus. Narayana created the eleven Rudras. Narayana created the twelve Adityas.“ This Narayana being the plenary manifestation of Lord Krishna, Narayana and Krishna are one and the same.
There are later readings also which say that the same Supreme Lord is the Son of Devaki. His childhood with Devaki and Vasudeva and His identity with Narayana have also been confirmed by Sripad Shankara Acharya, even though Shankara does not belong to the Vaishnava, or personalist, cult. There are still other readings, also in the Atharva Veda, such as this: “Only Narayana existed in the beginning, and there was no existence of Brahma or Shiva, nor of Agni, the fire, nor of water. There were no stars, there was no Sun, no Moon. He does not remain alone. He creates as He desires.“
In the Mokshadharma it is said: “I created the Prajapatis and the Rudras. They have not complete knowledge of Me because they are also covered by My illusory energy.“
In the Varaha Puranam it is said: “Narayana is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and from Him the four-headed Brahma became manifested, as also did Rudra, who later became omniscient.“
Thus all Vedic literature will confirm this view that Narayana or Krishna is the Cause of all causes. In The Brahma Samhita also it is said that the Supreme Lord is Sri Krishna. He is “Govinda,” the Delighter of every living being, and He is the Primeval Cause of all causes. The really learned person will know all this by the evidence of great sages and the Vedas, and will thus decide to worship Lord Krishna as all-in-all.
Persons are called “Buddha,” or really learned, who fasten themselves only to the worship of Sri Krishna. This conviction can be established when one hears the transcendental message from the undisturbed Acharya, with faith and love. One who has no faith in, or love for, Lord Krishna cannot be convinced of this simple truth. Such faithless persons are described in The Bhagavad Gita as “Mudhas,“ foolish as the ass. It is said that the mudhas deride the Personality of Godhead because they don’t have complete knowledge from the undisturbed Acharya. One who is disturbed by the whirlpool movements of the material energy is not qualified to become an Acharya.
Before hearing The Gita, Arjuna was disturbed by this whirlpool—the reaction of family, society and community affection—and thus he wanted to become a philanthropist and a nonviolent man of the world. But when he became Buddha, by hearing the Vedic knowledge of The Bhagavad Gita from the Supreme Person, he changed his decision and became a worshiper of Lord Sri Krishna, Who had Himself designed the Battle of Kurukshetra. Arjuna worshiped the Lord by fighting with his so-called relatives, and thus became a pure devotee of the Lord. Such achievements are possible only by worshiping the real Krishna and not by worshiping some fabricated “Krishna” inaugurated by foolish men who are without knowledge of the intricacies of the science of Krishna described in The Gita and in the Srimad Bhagwatam.
According to the Vedanta Sutra, the “Sambhuta” is the source of birth and sustenance, and the reservoir after annihilation. The Srimad Bhagwatam, the natural commentary upon the Vedanta Sutras by the same author, comments that the source of all emanations is not a dead stone, but is “Abhijna,“ or fully conscious. Therefore, the Primeval Lord Sri Krishna says in The Gita that He is fully conscious of the past, the present and the future; and no one, including demigods such as Shiva and Brahma, knows Him fully. Those who are disturbed by the tides of material existence cannot know Him fully. Such half-educated spiritual masters try to make some compromise, and make the mass of human beings the object of worship. They do not know that such worship of the masses is not possible, nor are the masses perfect. This is something like pouring water on the leaves of the tree, instead of watering the root. The natural process of worship is to pour water on the root of the tree from which the leaves grow. But today’s disturbed leaders become more attracted by the leaves than the root, and therefore, in spite of perpetually watering the leaves, all is drying up for want of nourishment.
Sri Ishopanishad advises us to pour water on the root, the Source of all germination. Worshiping the mass population by rendering bodily service which can never be perfect is less important than service to the soul. The soul is the root generating different types of bodies in terms of the law of Karma, or material reaction. To serve only the human being by medical aids, social amenities and educational facilities, while cutting the throats of poor animals in slaughterhouses, does not add up to any valid service to the living beings.
The living being is perpetually suffering from the material disease of birth, death, old age and disease, in different types of body. The human form of life is a chance to get out of this entanglement of material existence. This can be done simply by re-establishing the lost relationship of the living entity with the Supreme Lord. And the Lord comes personally to teach us this philosophy of surrender unto the Supreme, the “Sambhutam.” Real service to humankind is to teach surrender unto the Supreme Lord, and to worship Him only, with full love and energy. That is the instruction of Sri Ishopanishad in this mantra.
The simple way to worship the Supreme Lord in this age of disturbance is to hear and chant about His great activities. The mental speculators, however, think of the activities of the Lord as imaginary, and therefore they refrain from any such hearing process, and invent some jugglery of words, without any substance, to divert the attention of the poor innocent mass of people. Instead of hearing the activities of Lord Krishna, they prefer to advertise themselves by inducing their followers to sing about the pseudo-spiritual master. In modern times, the number of such pretenders has increased in considerable numbers, and it has become a problem for the pure devotees of the Lord to save the mass of people from the unholy propaganda of these pretenders and imitation incarnations of God.
The Upanishads indirectly draw our attention to the Primeval Lord Sri Krishna, and The Bhagavad Gita, which is the summary of all Upanishads, directly points out Sri Krishna. One should, therefore, hear about Krishna as He is in The Gita or in the Srimad Bhagwatam, and that will gradually help him in cleansing his mind of all contaminated things.
The Bhagwatam says: “By hearing the activities of the Lord, one draws the attention of the Lord towards the devotee. And the Lord, being situated in the heart of every living being, helps the devotee by giving him proper direction.” The Bhagavad Gita also confirms this.
This inner direction by the Lord cleanses the heart of the devotee of all dirty things which are produced by the material modes of passion and ignorance. The non-devotees are under the direction of passion and ignorance. By passion one cannot become detached from material affinity, and by ignorance one cannot know what he actually is, and what the Lord is. Thus, in the state of passion, there is no chance for self realization however much one may play the false part of a religionist. For a devotee, by the grace of the Lord, the modes of passion and ignorance are removed, and he at once becomes situated in the quality of goodness, the sign of a perfect brahmin. This stage of brahminical qualification can be earned by anyone and everyone, provided he follows the path of devotional service under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. The Bhagwatam says that any lowborn living entity can be made purified under the guidance of a pure devotee of the Lord, because the Lord is so extraordinarily powerful.
The first sign of brahminical qualification is that the candidate becomes happy, and becomes enthusiastic in the matter of devotional service to the Lord. This unveils before him, automatically, all about the science of God. And, thus knowing the science of God, he gradually becomes loosened from his material attachments, and his doubtful mind becomes crystal clear, by the grace of the Lord. In this stage only can one become a liberated soul, and see the Lord in every step of life. That is the perfection of “Sambhutat,” as described in this mantra of Sri Ishopanishad.
Mantra Fourteen
One should know perfectly well about the Personality of Godhead and His transcendental Name, as well as the temporary material creation with its temporary demigods, men and animals. When one knows these, he surpasses death, and the ephemeral cosmic manifestation with it; and in the eternal Kingdom of God he enjoys his eternal life of bliss and knowledge.
Purport
Human civilization, by its so-called advancement of knowledge, has created many material things, including space capsules and atomic energy. But it has failed to create a situation in which man need not die, take his birth again, become old, or suffer from diseases. Whenever these questions are raised by an intelligent man before a so-called scientist, the scientist very cleverly replies that material science is progressing, and that it will ultimately be possible to render man deathless and ageless. Such answers by material scientists prove their gross ignorance of material Nature. In material Nature everything is under the stringent laws of matter, and must pass through six stages of existence: birth, growth, duration of life, transformation, deterioration, and death at last. Nothing that is in contact with material Nature can be beyond the above-mentioned six laws of existence, and therefore no one, whether demigod, man, animal, or tree, can survive forever here in the material world.
The duration of life may vary in different species. Lord Brahma, the chief living being within this material world, may continue his life for millions and millions of years, while the minute germs may live just for some hours; that does not matter. No one in this material world can survive eternally. Things here are born or created under certain conditions, they stay for some time, and, if they have life then they grow, create generations, then dwindle gradually, and at last are annihilated. By that law even the Brahmas (there are millions of Brahmas in different universes—each one bigger than the last) are all liable to death, either today or tomorrow. Therefore, the whole material world is called “Martya Loka,“ the place of death.
The material scientists and politicians are trying to make this place deathless because they have no information of the deathless spiritual nature, due to their ignorance of the Vedic literature. The Vedic literature is full of knowledge matured by experience . But modern man is averse to receive knowledge from the Vedas, Puranas, and other scriptures.
In the Vishnu Purana we have information that Lord Vishnu, the Personality of Godhead, possesses different energies, known as “Para,“ superior, and “Apara,“ or “Avidya”—inferior. The material energy in which we are at present involved is called the Avidya, inferior, energy; and the material creation is made possible by such energy. But there is another, superior energy called the “Para Shakti,” where everything is different from this material inferior Nature. That nature is the eternal or deathless creation of the Lord.
All the material planets—upper, lower and intermediate, including the Sun, Moon and Venus—are scattered over the universe. These planets exist only during the lifetime of Brahma. Some lower planets, however, are vanquished after the end of one day of Brahma, and they are again recreated during the next daytime of Brahma. Time calculation on the upper planets is different from that of ours. One of our years is equal to twenty-four hours, or one day and night, on many of the upper planets. The four ages of Earth (Satya, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali) make a duration of twenty-two thousand years and five months in terms of the time of these upper planets. Such a length of time multiplied by one thousand is one day of Brahma, and one night of Brahma is the same. With such days and nights accumulating into months and years, Brahma’s life is estimated at one hundred years. And at the end of his life, the complete universal manifestation becomes vanquished.
The living beings residing in the Sun and Moon, as well as those in the “Martya Loka” system—which includes this Earth and many planets below the Earth—are all merged into devastating water during the nighttime of Brahma. During this time no living beings or species of life remain manifested, although spiritually they continue to exist. This non-manifested stage is called “Avyakta.“ And again, when the entire universe is vanquished at the end of Brahma’s lifetime, there is an Avyakta state. But beyond these two non-manifested states there is another, spiritual atmosphere or nature, where there is a great number of spiritual planets, existing eternally even when all the planets within this material universe are vanquished.
The cosmic manifestation within the jurisdiction of the various Brahmas is a display of one-fourth the energy of the Lord, and this energy is called inferior. The spiritual nature beyond the jurisdiction of Brahma is called “Tripadavibhuti,“ three-fourths the energy of the Lord, and is the superior energy, or “Para Prakriti.“
The predominating Supreme Person in the spiritual nature is Lord Sri Krishna. He can be approached only by unqualified devotional service, and not by anything else, such as the processes of Jnana (philosophy) and Yoga (mysticism), much less that of Karma (fruitive work). The “karmis,” or fruitive workers, can elevate themselves to the “Swarga Loka” planets, including the Sun and the Moon. Jnanis and yogis can reach still higher planets, such as the Brahma Loka; and, becoming still more qualified by devotional service, they are allowed to enter into the spiritual nature, either in the illuminating cosmic atmosphere of the spiritual sky (the Brahman), or on the planets, according to qualification. It is certain, however, that no one can enter into the spiritual planets called Vaikunthas without being trained in devotional service.
On the material planets, everyone from Brahma down to the ant is trying to lord it over material Nature, and this is called the material disease. So long as this material disease continues, the living entity has to undergo the process of changing bodies, whether in the form of a demigod, a man, or an animal; and ultimately has to endure the unmanifested condition during the two kinds of devastations: the night of Brahma, and at the end of Brahma’s life. If we want to cease the process of repeated birth and death, and the concomitant factors of old age and disease, then we must try to enter into the spiritual planets, and Lord Krishna by His plenary expansions is the dominating Figure on each and every one of them.
No one can predominate over Krishna. And anyone trying to predominate over material Nature is called a conditioned soul, being subject to the laws of material Nature, suffering the pangs of repeated birth and death. The Lord comes here to re-establish the principles of religion, and the basic principle is to develop the attitude of surrender toward Him. The Lord teaches this in the last portion of The Bhagavad Gita, but foolish men have tactfully misinterpreted this prime teaching, and have misled the people in diverse ways. They have been urged to open hospitals, but are not interested in educating themselves to enter into the spiritual kingdom by devotional service. They have been taught to take interest only in temporary relief work, which can never bring about real happiness for the living entity. They start varieties of public and semi-governmental institutions for tackling the devastating power of Nature. But they don’t know how to pacify insurmountable Nature.
Many men are advertised as great scholars of The Bhagavad Gita, but they overlook the factual method presented there to pacify material Nature. Powerful Nature can only be pacified by the awakening of God consciousness, as is clearly mentioned in The Gita.
Sri Ishopanishad, however, teaches in this mantra that one must know both the “Sambhuti”and the “Vinasa”perfectly, side by side. By knowing the Vinasa alone—the temporary material manifestation—you cannot save anything: In the course of Nature, there is devastation at every moment. No one can be saved from these devastations by any efforts of hospital-opening. They can be saved only by complete knowledge of the eternal life of bliss and awareness. The whole Vedic scheme is meant to educate men in this art of achieving eternal life. People are often misguided by other, temporarily attractive things based on sense-gratification, but that sort of service which thus misleads them is most degraded.
You must save your fellow man in the right sense. There is no question of liking or disliking the truth. It is there. If you want to be saved from repeated birth and death you must take to the devotional service of the Lord. There can be no compromise in this matter of necessity.
Mantra Fifteen
O my Lord, Sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee.
Purport
In The Bhagavad Gita, the Lord explains about His Personal rays, called “Brahmajyoti”—the dazzling effulgence of His Personal Form—as follows:
I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal and imperishable, eternal, the constitutional position of ultimate happiness. (Gita, 14.27)
Brahman, Paramatman and Bhagavan are three angles of vision of the same Absolute Truth. Brahman is the phase of the Absolute Truth most perceptible to the beginner. Paramatman is the phase of the Absolute Truth for those who have progressed. And Bhagavan is the ultimate realization of the Absolute Truth. This is confirmed in The Gita, where the Lord says that He is the ultimate concept of the Absolute Truth. He is the source of the Brahmajyoti, as well as of the all-pervading Paramatman feature.
As He says that He is the ultimate reservoir of the Brahmajyoti, or impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth, so also He says in The Gita that there is no need of explaining His unlimited potency: it can be summarized in short that, by His one plenary portion—the all-pervading Paramatman—He maintains the complete material cosmic creation. And in the spiritual world also He maintains all manifestations. Therefore, in the Sruti Mantra of Sri Ishopanishad, He is addressed as “Pusan,“ the ultimate Maintainer.
The Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, is always full with transcendental bliss. When He was present at Vrindaban in India 5,000 years ago, He always remained in transcendental bliss, even from the beginning of His childhood pastimes. The killing of varieties of demons, such as Agha, Baka, Putana, and Pralamba were also pleasure excursions for Him. When He was within His village He was enjoying with His mother, sisters and friends as the naughty Butter Thief, and everyone of His associates was enjoying celestial bliss by His stealing. The Lord is known as the Butter Thief, but the term is never used in a derogatory sense. The term Butter Thief, in the case of the Lord, is used with the understanding of the pleasure of His pure devotees. Everything that was done by the Lord at Vrindaban was for the pleasure of His associates there. Such manifestations were created by Him to attract the dry speculators in the transcendental line, as well as the acrobats of the so-called Hatha Yoga system, trying to find the Absolute Truth.
Of the childhood play of the Lord with His playmates, the cowherd boys, Sukadeva Goswami in the Srimad Bhagwatam said:
The Personality of Godhead, Who is perceived as the impersonal Brahman of bliss, Who is worshiped as the Supreme Lord by the devotees, and Who is considered an ordinary human being by the mundane, played with the cowherd boys who had achieved that position after a huge accumulation of pious deeds.
Thus the Lord is ever engaged in transcendental loving activities along with His spiritual associates in the various relationships of “Shanta,” calmness, “Dasya,” servitorship, “Sakhya,” friendship, “Vatsalya,” paternal affection, and “Madhurya,“ conjugal love.
It is said that the Lord never goes out of the Vrindaban Dhama, and so it may be asked how He manages the affairs of His different creations. This is answered in The Gita: He pervades all the material creation by His plenary part, known as the “Purusha” incarnation. The Lord has nothing to do with material creation, maintenance and destruction, but He causes it to be done by His plenary expansion, this Paramatman or Supersoul feature. Every living entity is known as “Atman,” soul. The principal Atman, Who controls them all, is “Paramatman”—Supersoul.
The whole system of God realization is a great science. The materialists can only analyze and meditate on the twenty-four factors of the material creation. They have very little information of the Purusha, the Lord. The impersonal transcendentalists are simply bewildered by the glaring effulgence of the Brahmajyoti. If one wants to see the absolute Truth in full, one has to penetrate beyond the twenty-four material elements and the glaring effulgence as well. Sri Ishopanishad hints at this direction, praying for removal of the “Hiranmaya Patra,” the dazzling covering. Unless this covering is removed, and unless one can perceive the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He is, factual realization of the Absolute Truth can never be achieved.
The Paramatman feature of the Personality of Godhead is divided into three plenary expansions, collectively called “Vishnu Tattwa.” The Vishnu Tattwa within the universe (one of the three principal deities—Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) is known as the “Kirodakshayee Vishnu.“ He is the all-pervading Paramatman in each and every individual living entity. And the “Garbhodakshayee Vishnu” is the collective Supersoul of all living entities. Beyond these two there is the Karanadakshayee Vishnu lying in the Causal Ocean. He is the Creator of all the universes. The Yoga system teaches the serious student to meet such Vishnu Tattwas after overcoming the twenty-four material elements of cosmic creation. The culture of empiric philosophy helps one to realize the impersonal Brahmalyoti, which is the glaring effulgence of the transcendental body of Lord Sri Krishna. This is confirmed in The Bhagavad Gita as well as in the Brahma Samhita (5.40):
In the millions and millions of universes, there are innumerable planets, each and every one of them different from the others by cosmic constitution, and all of them situated in a corner of the Brahmajyoti. This Brahmajyoti is the Personal ray of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Whom I do worship.
This mantra of the Brahma Samhita is the position of factual realization of the Absolute Truth, and the Sruti Mantra of Sri Ishopanishad under discussion is a confirmation of this mantra as a process of realization. It is a simple prayer to the Lord to remove the Brahmajyoti, so that one can see the real face of God.
Perfect knowledge means to know the root of Brahman. The root of Brahman is Lord Sri Krishna, and in scriptures such as the Srimad Bhagwatam the science of Krishna is perfectly elaborated. In the Bhagwatam, the author, Srila Vyasadeva, has established by realization that the Supreme Truth is described either as Brahman, Paramatman or Bhagavan. But he has never said that the Supreme Truth is anywhere described as “Jiva,” the ordinary living entity. Therefore the living entity is not the all-powerful Supreme Truth. Otherwise, there would be no need of prayer by the entity for the Lord to remove the dazzling cover in order to see His real face.
The conclusion is, therefore, that in the absence of potent manifestations of the Supreme Truth, the impersonal Brahman is realized. Similarly, when there is realization of the material potencies of the Lord, with little or no information of the spiritual potency, it is called Paramatman realization. Therefore, both Brahman and Paramatman realization of the Absolute Truth are partial realizations. But when one realizes the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, in full potency after the removal of the Hiranmoya Patra, as is prayed for in this mantra, then he realizes that “Vasudeva sarvam iti”: Lord Sri Krishna, known asVasudeva, is everything: Brahman, Paramatman and Bhagavan. He is Bhagavan, the root, and Brahman and Paramatman are His branches.
In The Bhagavad Gita there is a comparative analysis of the three grades of transcendentalists, known as “jnanis,” the worshipers of the impersonal Brahman, the yogis, or worshipers of the Paramatman feature, and bhaktas, or devotees of Lord Sri Krishna. It is stated in The Gita that amongst all types of transcendentalists, one who is a jnani, who has cultured the Vedic knowledge, is supreme. Yet the yogis are still more than the jnanis. The yogis are far superior to fruitive workers as well. And amongst all kinds of yogis, “the one who constantly serves the Lord with all his energy is topmost.
The summary is that a philosopher is better than a laboring man, and a mystic is far superior to a philosopher. And of all the mystic yogis, one who is following Bhakti Yoga, who is constantly engaged in the service of the Lord, is the highest. Sri Ishopanishad directs us toward this perfection of life.
Mantra Sixteen
O my Lord, O primeval Philosopher, Maintainer of the universe, O regulating Principle, Destination of the pure devotees Well-wisher of the progenitors of mankind, please remove the effulgence of Your transcendental rays, so that I can see Your Form of Bliss. You are the eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead, like unto the Sun, as am I.
Purport
The Sun and the Sun’s rays are one and the same qualitatively. Similarly, the Lord and the living entities are one and the same in quality. The Sun is one, but the molecules of the Sun’s rays are innumerable. The Sun’s rays constitute part of the Sun; the Sun and the rays conjointly are the complete Sun. Within the Sun planet there is the Sun god, and similarly within the supreme spiritual planet, Goloka Vrindaban, from which the effulgent Brahmajyoti is emanating, there is the eternal Lord, as is stated in the Brahma Samhita:
The transcendental Abode of Lord Krishna is the land of touchstones, of which the houses are built, shaded by desire trees. The Lord is engaged there in herding the surabhi cows, and is always served and surrounded by thousands of Goddesses of Fortune, who wait upon Him with all respect.
The description of this transcendental Abode of Lord Krishna is in the Brahma Samhita, and the Brahmajyoti is described there as the supreme rays from that planet, just as the Sun’s rays come from the Sun globe. Unless one surpasses the Brahmajyoti glare, one cannot have any information of the land of the Lord. The impersonalist philosopher, being blinded by the dazzling Brahmajyoti, cannot realize the factual Abode of the Lord, nor His transcendental form. Affected by such a poor fund of knowledge, the thinkers cannot understand the all-blissful transcendental form of Lord Krishna. Sri Ishopanishad, therefore, offers this prayer to the Lord to remove the effulgent rays of the Brahmajyoti, so that the pure devotee can see His all-blissful transcendental form.
By realization of the impersonal Brahmajyoti, one experiences the auspicious aspect of the Supreme; by experience of the Paramatman, or all-pervading feature of the Supreme, one experiences a still more auspicious enlightenment, and by meeting the Personality of Godhead face to face, the devotee experiences the most auspicious feature of the Supreme. Being addressed as the Philosopher, the Maintainer, the Well-wisher, and so forth, the Supreme Truth cannot be considered impersonal. That is the indication of Sri Ishopanishad. The word Maintainer is especially significant: The Lord maintains His devotees specifically, although He is the Maintainer of one and all beings. By surpassing the impersonal Brahmajyoti, when the devotee sees the personal aspect of the Lord and His most auspicious eternal form, then the devotee realizes the Absolute Truth in full. Srila Jiva Goswami says in his Bhagwat Sandharva as follows:
The complete conception of the Absolute Truth is realized in the Personality of Godhead, because He is Almighty, with full potency in transcendence. In the Brahmajyoti the full potency of the Absolute Truth is not realized, and therefore Brahman realization is only partial realization of the Personality of Godhead. O learned sages, the first letter of the word “Bhagavan” is twice significant: first in the sense of “one who fully maintains,” and second in the sense of “guardian.” The second letter Ga—means guide, leader or creator. The letter Va (or Ba) means that every being lives in Him, and He also lives in every being. In other words, the transcendental sound Bhagavan represents the infinite knowledge, potency, energy, opulence, strength and influence, all without any tinge of material inebrieties.
The Lord fully maintains His unalloyed devotees, and He guides such devotees progressively on the path of devotional perfection. As Leader of His devotees, He ultimately awards the desired result of devotional service by giving Himself to His devotees. The devotees of the Lord see the Lord eye to eye by the causeless mercy of the Lord, and thus the Lord helps His devotees to reach the supermost spiritual planet, Goloka Vrindaban. As Creator, He can create all the necessary qualifications in His devotee so that the devotee can ultimately reach Him. The Lord is the Cause of all causes, and there is no cause of Him, for He is the Original Cause. As such He enjoys His own Self by manifesting His own internal potency.
The external potency is manifested not exactly by Himself, for He expands Himself as the “Purushas,” and it is in these forms that He maintains the features of the material manifestation. By such expansions does He create, maintain and annihilate the cosmic manifestation.
The living entities are also differentiated expansions of His Self, and because some of the living entities desire to be lord, imitating the Supreme Lord, He allows them to enter into the cosmic creation, with the option of fully utilizing their propensity for lording it over. On account of the presence of His parts and parcels, the living entities, the whole phenomenal world is stirred into action and reaction. The living entities are given full facility to lord it over material Nature, but the ultimate controller is the Lord Himself in His plenary feature of Paramatman, the Supersoul, which is one of the Purushas.
Therefore, there is a gulf of difference between the living entity known as “Atman,” and the controlling Lord, known as “Paramatman”—the soul and the Supersoul. Paramatman is the controller, and Atman is controlled; therefore they cannot be on the same level. The Paramatman fully cooperates with the Atman, and thus He is known as the constant companion of the living being.
This all-pervading feature of the Lord, Which exists in all circumstances of waking and sleeping, and also in potential states, and from Which the Jiva-Shakti (living force) is generated—as both the conditioned and the liberated souls—is known as Brahman.
Thus the Lord is the Origin of both Paramatman and Brahman, and therefore He is the Origin of all living entitles, and all else that exists. One who knows this engages himself at once in the devotional service of the Lord. Such a pure and fully cognizant devotee of the Lord is fully attached to Him in heart and soul, and whenever such a devotee assembles with similar devotees, they have no other engagement but to glorify the Lord in terms of His transcendental activities. Those who are not as perfect as the pure devotees, those who have realized only the Brahman feature or the Paramatman feature of the Lord, cannot appreciate the activities of such perfect devotees. But the Lord always helps such pure devotees by supplying necessary knowledge within their hearts, and by His special favor He dissipates all the darkness of ignorance. This the philosophers and yogis cannot imagine, because they more or less depend on their own strength. As is stated in the Katha Upanishad, the Lord can be known only to those whom He favors, and not to anyone else. And such special favors are bestowed upon His pure devotees only. Sri Ishopanishad here indicates such favor of the Lord, beyond the purview of the Brahmajyoti.
Mantra Seventeen
Let this temporary body be burnt into ashes, and let the air of life be merged with the totality of air. Now, O my Lord, please remember all my sacrifices, and because You are the ultimate Beneficiary, please remember all that I have done for You.
Purport
This temporary material body is certainly a foreign dress, and in The Bhagavad Gita it is clearly said that, after the destruction of the material body, the living entity is not annihilated, nor does he lose his identity. The identity of the living entity is never, therefore, impersonal or without form; but on the contrary, it is the material dress which is formless, and which takes a shape according to the form of the indestructible person. No living entity is originally formless, as is wrongly supposed by persons with a poor fund of knowledge. Here also in Mantra Seventeen of Sri Ishopanishad, the principle that the living entity exists after the annihilation of the material body is supported.
In the material world there is wonderful workmanship by material Nature in the matter of creating different varieties of bodies for the living beings, in terms of their propensities for sense gratification. The one who wanted to taste stool is given a material body which is quite suitable for eating stool—that of a hog. Similarly, the tiger has such a body that it can live by enjoying the blood of other animals, and by eating their flesh.
The human being is not meant for eating stool or flesh, because the shape of the teeth is different. Nor does he have any desire to taste stool, even in the most aboriginal state of life. Human teeth are so made that they can chew and cut fruit and vegetables, with two canine teeth so that one can eat flesh also. The material bodies of all animals and men are foreign to the living entity, and change according to the desire of the being for sense gratification. In this cycle of evolution one changes bodies one after another: from aquatic life—when the world was full of water—to vegetable life, from vegetable life to worm life, from worm life to bird life, from bird life to animal life, and from animal life to the human form.
The highest development of life is this human form when it is possessed of a full sense of spiritual knowledge, and the highest development of spiritual sense is described in this mantra of the Veda: one should give up this material body to be turned into ashes, and allow the living air to merge into the eternal reservoir of air. The living being’s activities are performed within the body by movements of different kinds of air, and this is called, in sum, the “Prana Vayu.” The yogis generally study to control the airs of the body, and the soul is supposed to rise up from one circle of air to another till it rises onto the “Brahmaranda,” or highest circle of air. Then the perfect yogi can transfer himself to any planet he likes. The process is to give up one material body and then enter into another body, and the highest perfection of such a bodily change is possible when the living entity is able to give up this material body altogether, as is suggested in this mantra. He may then enter into the spiritual atmosphere, where he develops a completely different quality of body—a spiritual body—which never has to meet death or change.
Here in the material world one has to change his body, forced by material Nature on account of his different desires for sense gratification. These desires are represented in the various species of life, from the germs to the most perfect material bodies, those of Brahma and the demigods. All of these have bodies of matter in different shapes, and the intelligent person sees oneness not in the variety of bodies, but in the spiritual identity.
The spiritual spark which is the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord is the same either in the body of a hog or in the body of a demigod. There are different bodies according to the pious and vicious activities of the living entity. The human body is highly developed, with full consciousness of the constitution of the body; and the most perfect man, according to the Vedic scriptures, surrenders unto the Lord after many, many births of culturing knowledge. The culture of knowledge reaches perfection only when the knower comes to the point of surrendering unto the Supreme Lord, called Vasudeva. But even after attaining knowledge in the matter of one’s spiritual identity, unless he comes to the point of knowing that the living entities are eternal parts and parcels of the Whole, and that they can never become the Whole, one has to fall down again into the material atmosphere, even after having been at one with the Brahmajyoti.
The Brahmajyoti emanating from the transcendental body of the Lord is full of spiritual sparks. The spiritual sparks being individual identities, with the full sense of existence, sometimes desire to become the enjoyers of the senses, and thus are given places in the material world to become false lords, under the dictation of the senses. This sense of overlordship is the material disease of the living being, and under the spell of such sense enjoyment he transmigrates through the different shapes of body manifested in the material world. The sense of becoming one with the Brahmajyoti is not, therefore, mature knowledge. The sense of surrendering unto the Lord completely, and developing the sense of spiritual service, is the highest perfectional stage.
In this mantra the living entity prays to enter into the spiritual Kingdom of God after relinquishing the material body and the material air. The devotee prays to the Lord to remember his activities and the sacrifices he has performed, now before his material body is turned into ashes. This prayer is made at the time of death, with full consciousness of his past deeds and of the ultimate goal. One who is completely under the rules of material law remembers the heinous activities performed during the existence of his material body, and therefore he gets another material body after death. The Bhagavad Gita confirms this truth. It states that, at the time of death, the mind carries with it the propensities of the dying animal, and the next life is obtained in terms of that mental state.
Unlike the simple animals, who have no developed mind, the human being can remember the activities of his passing life like dreams at night, and therefore his mind remains surcharged with material desires, and he cannot enter into the spiritual kingdom with a spiritual body. The devotees, however, by practice of devotional service to the Lord, develop a sense of love for Godhead. And even if at the time of death a devotee does not remember his godly service, the Lord does not forget him. This prayer is to remind the Lord about the devotee’s sacrifices, but even if there is no reminder, the Lord does not forget the devotional service of the pure devotee.
The Lord clearly describes His intimate relationship with His devotees in The Gita. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur explains The Gita’s verses in this connection:
One should accept a devotee who is on the right path of the saints, even though such a devotee may seem of loose character. One should try to understand the real import of the words “loose character.” A conditioned soul has to act in double functions, namely one for the maintenance of the body, and again for self realization. Social status, mental development, cleanliness, austerity, nourishment and the struggle for existence, are all for the maintenance of the body. And the self realization part of his activities is executed in his occupation as a devotee of the Lord, and he performs action in that connection also. These two different functions go along parallel lines because a conditioned soul cannot give up the maintenance of the body. The proportion of activities for maintenance of the body decreases, however, in proportion to the increase in devotional service. And so long as the proportion of devotional service does not come to the right point, there is a chance for an occasional exhibition of worldliness. But it should be noted that such worldliness cannot continue for any length of time because, by the grace of the Lord, such imperfections will come to an end very shortly. Therefore, the path of devotional service is the only right path. Being on the right path, even an occasional occurrence of worldliness does not hamper one in the advancement of self realization.
And, in The Gita Itself, Krishna says:
One who is engaged in devotional service, despite the most abominable action, is to be considered saintly because he is rightly situated. Very shortly does he become righteous, and attain to lasting peace. O son of Kunti, it is My promise that My devotee will never perish. O son of Pritha, anyone who will take shelter in Me, whether a woman or a merchant or born in a low family, can yet approach the Supreme Destination. How much greater then are the brahmins, the righteous, the devotees and saintly kings! In this miserable world, these are fixed in devotional service to the Lord. Engage in My service, and surrender unto Me. Completely absorbed in Me, surely will you come to Me. (Gita, 9.30-34)
Such facilities of devotional service are denied the impersonalists because they are attached to the Brahmajyoti feature of the Lord. They can neither penetrate the Brahmajyoti, as is suggested in the previous mantras, nor do they believe in the Personality of Godhead. Their business is mostly concerned with semantics, the jugglery of words of mental creation. As such the impersonalists pursue fruitless labor, which is confirmed in The Bhagavad Gita in the Twelfth Chapter.
All the facilities suggested in this mantra of Sri Ishopanishad can easily be obtained by constant contact with the Personal feature of the Absolute Truth. Devotional service to the Lord consists essentially of nine transcendental activities on the part of the devotee:
1. hearing about the Lord,
2. glorifying the Lord,
3. remembering the Lord,
4. serving the Lotus Feet of the Lord,
5. worshiping the Lord,
6. offering prayers to the Lord,
7. serving the Lord,
8. friendly association with the Lord,
9. surrendering everything to the Lord.
These nine principles of devotional service, either in sum total or one by one, can help the devotee to be constantly in touch with God, and therefore at the end of life it is easy for the devotee to remember the Lord. By adopting only one of these nine principles it was possible for the following renowned devotees of the Lord to achieve the highest perfection:
1. By hearing only, Maharaj Parikshit, the hero of Srimad Bhagwatam, achieved the desired result.
2. Just by glorifying the Lord, Sukadeva Goswami, the speaker of Srimad Bhagwatam, achieved his perfection.
3. By praying, Akrura achieved the desired result.
4 . By remembering, Prahlad Maharaj achieved the desired result.
5. By worshiping, Prithu Maharaj achieved perfection.
6. By serving the Lotus Feet of the Lord, the Goddess of Fortune, Lakshmi, achieved perfection.
7. By personal service to the Lord, Hanuman achieved the desired result.
8. By friendship, Arjuna achieved the result.
9. By surrendering everything that he had, Maharaj Bali achieved the desired result.
Actually, the explanation of this mantra and of practically all the mantras of the Vedic hymns is summarized in the Vedanta Sutras; and then again they are properly explained in the Srimad Bhagwatam. Srimad Bhagwatam is the mature fruit of the Vedic tree of wisdom. In the Srimad Bhagwatam this particular mantra is explained in the questions and answers of Maharaj Parikshit and Goswami Sukadeva at the very beginning of their meeting. As hearing and chanting of the science of God is the basic principle of devotional life, so the complete Bhagwatam is heard by Maharaj
Parikshit and chanted by Goswami Sukadeva. Maharaj Parikshit enquired from Sukadeva because Sukadeva was a greater spiritual master than any great yogi or transcendentalist of his time.
Maharaj Parikshit’s question was, “What is the duty of every man, specifically at the time of death?”
The answer by Goswami Sukadeva was that everyone who is desirous of being free from all anxieties should always hear about and glorify the Personality of Godhead, Who is the Supreme Director of everything, the Extinguisher of all difficulties, and the Supersoul of all living entities.
So-called human society is generally engaged at night in the matter of sleeping or sex indulgence. And during the daytime men are engaged in earning money as much as possible, or else in shopping for the family maintenance. People have very little time to talk about the Personality of Godhead or to make any enquiries about Him. They have dismissed the case of God’s existence in so many ways, especially by declaring Him to be impersonal—that is, without any sense perception. But the Vedic literature, whether the Upanishads or the Vedanta Sutras or The Bhagavad Gita or the Srimad Bhagwatam, in every scripture declares the Lord to be the sentient Being, supreme over all other living entities. And His glorious activities are identical with Himself. One should therefore not indulge in hearing and speaking of the rubbish activities of worldly politicians and the so-called big men of society, but should so mold his life that not a second is wasted without engagement in godly activities. Sri Ishopanishad directs us towards such activities.
Unless one is accustomed to this devotional practice, what will he remember at the time of death when the body is dislocated, and what will he pray to the Almighty Lord for, remembering his sacrifices in life? Sacrifice means sacrificing the interest of the senses. One has to learn this art by employing the senses in the service of the Lord during one’s lifetime, so that one can utilize the result at the time of death.
Mantra Eighteen
O my Lord, powerful as the fire, Omnipotent One, now I do act to offer You all obeisances, falling at Your Feet on the ground. O my Lord, please lead me in the right path to reach You, and, as You know all of what I have done in the past, please make me free from the reactions to my past sins, so that there will be no hindrance to my progress.
Purport
This surrendering process and praying for the causeless mercy of the Lord leads the devotee progressively on the path of complete self realization. The Lord is addressed as the fire because He can burn anything into ashes—including the sins of the surrendered soul. As described in the previous mantras, the real or ultimate aspect of the Absolute is His feature as the Personality of Godhead. His impersonal feature of the Brahmajyoti is a dazzling covering over the face of the Lord. Fruitive activities, or the “Karmakanda” path of self realization, is the lowest stage in this endeavor. As soon as such activities become even slightly deviated from the regulative principles of the Vedas, such activities are transformed into “Vikarma,” or acts against the interest of the actor. Such Vikarma is enacted by the illusioned living entities simply for sense gratification, and thus such activities become hindrances on the path of self realization.
Self realization is possible for the human form of life, but not for other forms. There are 8,400,000 species or forms of life—of which the human form, with the qualifications of brahminical culture, presents the only chance to obtain knowledge of the Transcendence. Brahminical culture means truthfulness, controlling the senses, forbearance, simplicity, full knowledge, full faith in God—and not to become simply proud of one’s high parentage. To be the son of a brahmin is a chance to become a brahmin, just as being the son of a big man is a chance to become a big man. But such a birthright is not everything, because one still has to attain the brahminical qualifications for himself. As soon as one becomes proud of his birth as the son of a brahmin and neglects to acquire the qualifications of a real brahmin, he at once becomes degraded and drawn from the path of self realization, and his life-mission as a human being is defeated.
In The Bhagavad Gita it is assured us by the Lord that the “Yogabhrastas,“ or souls fallen from the path of self realization, are given a chance for rectification by taking birth either in the families of good brahmins, or in the families of rich merchants. These are the higher chances for self realization: to become a rich man’s son, or to become the son of a good brahmin. And if these chances are misused by the illusioned human being, the result is that such a man loses the good chance of human life offered by the Almighty Lord.
The regulative principles are such that one who follows them is promoted from the plane of fruitive activities to the plane of transcendental knowledge, and from transcendental knowledge he becomes perfect, after many, many births, when he surrenders unto the Lord. This is the general procedure. But one who surrenders at the very beginning, as is mentioned in this mantra, at once surpasses all the stages of progression by simple adoption of the devotional attitude. As is stated in The Gita, the Lord at once takes charge of such a surrendered soul and makes him free from all the reactions to his sinful acts. In the Karmakanda activities there are many sinful actions, and in “Jnanakanda,” the path of philosophical development, the number of such actions is less. But in devotional service to the Lord, the path of “Bhakti,” there is practically no chance of sinful reactions. One who is a devotee of the Lord attains all the good qualifications of the Lord Himself, not to mention becoming a brahmin. A devotee automatically attains the qualifications of an expert brahmin authorized to perform sacrifices, even though such a devotee may not have taken his birth in the family of a brahmin. Such is the omnipotence of the Lord that He can make a man born in the family of a brahmin as degraded as a lowborn dogeater, and He can also make a lowborn dog-eater more than a qualified brahmin, simply on the strength of devotional service .
The omnipotent Lord, being situated within the heart of everyone, can give directions to His sincere devotee as to the right path. Such directions are especially offered to the devotee, even if he desires something else. For others God gives sanction to the doer only at the risk of the doer, but in the case of a devotee the Lord directs him in such a way that he never acts wrongly. In the Srimad Bhagwatam it is said that the Lord is so kind upon His devotee that, even though he sometimes falls into the entanglement of Vikarma—acts against the directions of the Vedas—the Lord at once rectifies the mistakes of the devotee from within his heart, because such devotees are very dear to the Lord.
Here in this mantra the devotee prays to the Lord to rectify him from within his heart. To err is human: A conditioned soul is very often apt to commit mistakes, and the only remedial measure for such unknown sins is to give oneself up to the Lotus Feet of the Lord, so that He may guide the devotee. The Lord takes this charge for the fully surrendered souls, and thus all problems are solved simply by surrendering oneself unto the Lord and acting in terms of the Lord’s directions. Such directions are given to the sincere devotee in two ways. One is by means of the saints, scriptures, and spiritual master; and the other is by the Lord Himself, residing within the heart of everyone. Thus the devotee is protected in all respects.
The Vedic knowledge is transcendental and it cannot be understood simply by mundane educational procedures. One can understand the Vedic mantras only by the grace of the Lord and the spiritual master. If one takes shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, it is to be understood that he has obtained the grace of the Lord. The Lord appears as the spiritual master for the devotee. And so the spiritual master, the Vedic injunctions, and the Lord Himself from within all guide the devotee in full strength, and there is no chance of such a devotee falling again into the mire of material illusion. The devotee, thus protected all round, is sure to reach the ultimate destination of perfection. The whole process is hinted at in this mantra of Sri Ishopanishad, and the Srimad Bhagwatam still further explains this.
Hearing and chanting of the glories of the Lord are themselves acts of piety. The Lord wants everyone to do this, because He is the Well-wisher of all living entities. And by practicing this hearing and chanting of the glories of the Lord, one becomes cleansed of all undesirable things within himself. His devotion becomes fixed upon the Lord. At this stage the devotee acquires the brahminical qualifications, and the resultant reactions of lower qualities become completely vanished. He becomes fully enlightened by such devotional service and thus knows the path of the Lord and how to attain Him. All doubts become diminished, and he becomes a pure devotee.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to Sri Ishopanishad, in the matter of realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Good Food
Good Food
by Uddhava
It’s a common misconception that one must give up all of the “good foods” to become a vegetarian. However, anyone who takes to a Krishna Prasadam diet, which strictly rules out meat, fish or eggs of any kind, soon forgets that he has abandoned such so-called “good foods.” Cooking for Krishna stands as one of the great arts of life. The care and affection with which each dish is prepared for the Lord is unmatched in even the finest cuisines of the world. But don’t believe it because we say so. Find out for yourself. Anyone who would like the great experience of tasting Krishna Prasadam may drop in at any of our Krishna Consciousness centers for a lunchtime meal. On Sunday afternoons Krishna’s devotees will welcome you to a great love feast devoted to Krishna and serve you a plate of food you will never forget. Usually, this plate will contain fifteen to twenty different preparations, each displaying its own subtle flavor. You may particularly like our Samossas (featured in the last issue), or you may have a fondness for Choody, those salty, crunchy little noodles, while Puris dipped in strawberry or apple chutney will certainly satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth. Then again, perhaps you’ll favor the coconut dust or the bread chutney featured in this month’s issue.
Coconut dust
1 lb. grated coconut (5-½—6cups)
Ÿ cup butter
¼ tsp. Turmeric
a few tiny grains of camphor
½ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Coriander
1-Ÿ cups sugar
Over medium heat melt Ÿ cup butter in a large skillet. Turn heat to high and stir in a very few grains of camphor, 1 tsp. of coriander, and ¼ tsp. of turmeric. Stir well for ten seconds. Quickly stir in 1 lb. of grated coconut and mix till all coconut is yellow. Add ½ tsp. salt and stir constantly till coconut is light brown. Stir in 1-Ÿ cups sugar and cook for five more minutes. Remove to a platter, and serve in small cups with spoons. Makes about four (standard) cups.
Bread chutney
4 cups flour
2 tsp. Salt
1-½ tsp. baking soda
¼ cup butter
2 cups water
3 tbsp. Sage
1 tbsp. Salt
¾ tbsp. black pepper
1-½ cups water
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ cup butter
½ tsp. celery seed
In a large mixing bowl sift together 4 cups flour, 2 tsp. salt and 1-½ tsp. baking soda. Blend in butter till evenly mixed. Stir water in slowly and mix well. Knead dough 10-15 times. On a buttered pan place 1-½—2 inch lumps of dough and bake in a hot, 400 degree oven till light brown. When biscuits are cool, break into small crumbs. To these crumbs add 3 tbsp. sage, 1 tbsp. salt, and ¾ tbsp. black pepper. In a large skillet melt ½ cup butter. Stir in 1 tbsp. ground cumin and ½ tsp. celery seed. Cook on high heat till seeds are dark in color. Stir in crumb mixture till well mixed. Add water and stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes more. Serves 8.
Pure Blue
Pure Blue
by Shama Dasi
O Krishna, Your sweet essence is dripping through my fallen soul.
Govinda, pure joy is streaming from the tip of my tongue through my innermost being when I cry out Your Holy Name.
Jai, Jai Jai! Your energy feels like perfect honey flowing fresh into crimson castles.
Higher, higher, we rise up only to greet You, Gopala—sweet beautiful cowherd boy blue.
Back to Godhead Magazine #24, 1969
Krishna The Chariot Driver
Krishna The Chariot Driver
by Hayagriva
What are the purposes, the practices—and the fruits—of spiritual surrender?
Krishna the Chariot Driver holds the reins of His chariot, the Creation. He is no inexperienced charioteer. He is very adept at driving the universe through space. As the Absolute Controller, He is able to drive all chariots along even the roughest roads, and for the man who recognizes and accepts His mastery, He is the perfect Guide and Guru.
“Jagannath Swami!” Guru of the Universe! Shankara’s accolade is no extravagance. Full knowledge, as an attribute of the Divine, predicates everything from the proverbial blade of grass that doesn’t stir without His will, to colonies of ants in the deepest forests, to grains of sand shifting on the shores of all the worlds, to the grand panoramas of history—a colorful tableau in time—cosmic phenomena defying man’s imagination—such as the births and destructions of galaxies. All are being guided under the expert hand of this Charioteer, Who sweeps through everything.
Those who have read The Bhagavad Gita know that in that scripture Lord Sri Krishna appears as Chariot Driver to Arjuna, a warrior about to engage in the Battle of Kurukshetra. Krishna’s role here is neither coincidental nor subsidiary—rather, as the Driver, He is in control. Riding in the chariot, Arjuna is the prototype of the ideal man. Sickened by the prospect of fighting against his kinsmen, Ariuna from the very beginning bows to Krishna, requesting that He guide him through his difficulties.
“Now I am confused about duty, and have lost all composure because of weakness,” Arjuna tells Krishna. “In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.“ This attitude of surrender enables Krishna to drive Arjuna to victory.
Not only in the Gita, but in all Vedic literature we learn that “Iswara,” the Supreme Lord, is the Ultimate Controller. The Creation is His chariot which He drives in whatever way He likes. Aware or unaware, every living entity is controlled by Krishna: “The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of material energy.“ (BG 18.61)
All entities are, in fact, being driven by the Supreme Lord on a chariot ride through eternity. Whether or not the entities enjoy this ride depends on their knowledge and acceptance of, faith in, and love for, the Driver.
For instance, the surrendered soul recognizes that Krishna is the Driver, the Ultimate Controller, and therefore he dovetails his will to Krishna’s will, and allows Krishna to drive him with complete faith. The rebellious soul, on the other hand, tries to take the reins from Krishna and drive according to his own whims—and as a result he gets lost or cracks up. “One who becomes conscious of Me passes over all the obstacles of conditional life. If, however, one does not work in such consciousness, and acts through false ego, not hearing Me, he is lost.“ (BG 18.58) In this way, Krishna advises not only Arjuna, but all men.
Krishna, as the Supreme Enjoyer, the Supersoul, is the male or dominant principle—the Driver. The Creation, as “Prakriti” or Nature, is the female or receptive principle—the driven. These principles can be found functioning in the relationship between the devotee and the Lord. In the poems of Saint John of the Cross, for example, we find the Christ in the role of the bridegroom and the devotee as bride. And, of course, this relationship is found in innumerable other Christian poems. Most noted perhaps are John Donne’s “Batter My Heart Three-Person’d God” (…for I/Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,/ Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.“); the poems of George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, Edward Taylor, Blake and Gerard Manly Hopkins.
This concept also holds true, of course, in the devotional poetry directed at Krishna, in the poems of Vidyapati, Jayadeva and Chandidas, where the devotee’s role is that of the beloved, the receptive, and the Lord is the Divine Lover, the Supreme Energetic. This principle can be found functioning not only in the religious and poetic spheres, but in all relationships in the material universe (from the physicist’s positive-negative electrons to the cosmos-void theories and yin-yang opposites) as a reflection of this spiritual reality. Ultimately the spiritual principle is epitomized in the worshipable forms of Radha and Krishna, as the Enjoyed and the Enjoyer.
Some of the great devotees of Krishna have assumed quite naturally their constitutional role as the enjoyed. Lord Chaitanya actually worshiped Krishna in separation and assumed the role of Radha in weeping for His separated Lover. Even the sight of a peacock or the sound of a flute would send Him into a swoon. This is considered the highest form of devotion. It is certainly the most intense, for it employs an explosive segment of the human condition—the sexual.
Strong sexual passions are often considered impediments to spiritual life—and in most Yogas they are—but in Bhakti Yoga these may be easily transformed, because lust for material sex gratification may be properly channeled into love for Krishna. After all, it is pleasure that everyone is seeking, and Krishna, as the Reservoir of all pleasure, can satisfy in all capacities. The process involves directing the libidinous drive from Maya, the temporary, to Reality. Once Maya is seen as the imperfect reflection of the Absolute Beauty—or beauty clogged and tainted by mortality and temporality—then the path is cleared. Absolute Beauty by definition is all-attractive, an attribute of Krishna.
The image of the chariot and the chariot driver is a dynamic one, as opposed to the static Vedantic philosophy of “oneness with Brahman.“ The chariot presupposes movement, progress from one state of being to another state of being. In his fallen state, subjected to the material miseries of life, eternal “oneness with Brahman” remains for man only an idealistic philosophical supposition that is very much divorced from personal experience. But the chariot ride from mundane material consciousness to cosmic spiritual consciousness spurs the imagination and is, coincidentally, more in line with current theories of evolution. The chariot ride with Krishna as the Driver is not a wistful speculation but an exciting promise. Krishna, eternally blissful, is not static or stationary, but dynamic and energetic, and He drives His Creation at a rapid pace. He is, indeed, having fun.
There are, of course, those people who maintain that Nature has no driver, no director, and that the universe indeed is a runaway chariot bumbling along a path of creation and destruction. From generation to generation these theories of universal anarchy have arisen. They have gone under various names, and were even current five thousand years ago when Krishna instructed the Gita to Arjuna.
During Krishna’s time, philosophers who expounded these theories were known as the “Lokayitik” and “Baibhasikas.” They maintained that life symptoms take place at a certain mature condition of the material combinations. The modern material scientists and materialist philosophers think similarly. According to them, the body is a combination of physical elements, and at a certain stage the life symptoms develop by the interaction of physical and chemical combinations. How is this so? Oh, it just happens that way, these scientists and philosophers will answer. Which means they don’t know. Rebellious by nature, they hate and fear notions of an Absolute in any sphere. Nature, the universe, the Creation has no boss, they claim. We’re free! Anything goes! Although under the grip of material Nature, they claim they are free, and that the chariot has no driver.
Currently, many pseudo-religions, manufactured by drug-taking messiahs, have become fashionable in America, and they adhere to this philosophy. It is not surprising that they often find themselves sharing much common ground with certain nihilistic non-devotional Buddhist sects (such as Zen) that also deny an Ultimate Controller. Of course, their assertions are directly opposed to Lord Krishna’s instructions in the Gita:
O son of Kunti, at the end of the millennium every material manifestation enters unto My nature, and at the beginning of another millennium, by My potency I again create. The whole cosmic order is under Me. By My Will is it manifested again and again, and by My Will is it annihilated at the end. This material Nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all the moving and unmoving beings; and by its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again. (Gita, 9.7, 8, 10)
And what does Krishna say of those who think the chariot is driver-less and that life simply “happens” by the lucky interaction of certain physical and chemical combinations?
The foolish mock at Me, at My descending like a human being. They do not know My transcendental Nature, and My Supreme domination over all that be. Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demonic and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities, and their culture of knowledge are all defeated. O son of Pritha, those who are not deluded, the Great Souls, are under the protection of the Divine Nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible. (Gita, 9.11-13)
The Absolute is at the very core of life. He is the Driver who determines, from moment to moment, what will come within the purview of our senses. And it is He Who holds our life, our happiness, our immortality in hand, as He holds the chariot’s reins. When we see Krishna in control of our very thoughts, then revelation is at hand. We may prepare to be touched by Him.
All suffering is caused by opposition to Him. The rebellious mentality current today simply generates human suffering, because it at once rejects all notions of an Absolute in the universe. Why? As one young student told me: “I’ve had no experience with anything Absolute. I don’t even know what you mean when you say Absolute.“
“That doesn’t mean there isn’t an Absolute,“ I replied.
“As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t an Absolute,“ he said.
“But that doesn’t matter. Being Absolute, the Absolute doesn’t require your belief or disbelief. But why do you reject what you don’t experience? Every day, aware or unaware, you accept a great deal that you don’t experience. You are forced to accept a great deal on faith. Until you recognize your relationship with the Absolute, why not accept Him on faith too?”
“But I can’t accept the Absolute like that,” the student assured me. “If there is an Absolute, He would make Himself known.“
“Maybe He is,“ I said. “And maybe you’re trying to shut Him out.“
“But if He’s Absolute, then I can’t shut Him out.“
“True,“ I said. “So why not open up to Him?”
“You’re juggling words,“ He said. “Words don’t mean anything.”
“The glory of God is beyond words,“ I said, “but words can direct you to that glory. Besides, words have a glory all their own. The Gita, the Bible, the Buddhist Sutras—are all truly glorious, and who can deny their meaning? And in describing the Absolute, the Absolute is glorified by words. Being Absolute, He is one with words, and so St. John begins his gospel, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’”
“Just words,“ he said finally.
“Yes,“ I said. “And man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.“
“More words,“ he said. “Everything’s a word.“
“That’s right,” I said. “And you’re a word too. One of the best of words.“ And to completely befuddle him I quoted Whitman: “Were you thinking that those were the words, those delicious sounds out of your friends’ mouths? No, the real words are more delicious than they. Human bodies are words, myriads of words. Air, soil, water, fire—those are words, and I myself am a word with them.“
I might have tried to tell my friend more, but at this point he was openly antagonistic to all words, and finally took recourse in an angry silence. I remember at the time he was going to school in Boston and he had come to New York to enjoy the psychedelic scene and take some LSD. He was open to chemicals, it seemed, but not to words. At least not my words. Subsequently, I have prayed that he has not become an inarticulate psychedelic vegetable. And I have thanked Krishna for His mercy upon Me.
Mercy. Another word. A word that sounds beautiful to me, at least. The Eternal Charioteer, spurring the chariot along complex and mysterious paths, is the dispenser of all mercies. In the Srimad Bhagwatam (11.5.29) it is said, “Your glory, O Lord, is revealed in the world. And yet he alone to whom You grant mercy from Your Lotus Feet may feel a little of it. And to none else will You reveal Yourself, though he might seek You forever.“
To obtain this mercy we can surrender to Krishna and ask Him to be our Charioteer. Surrender must be in love and faith. Krishna told the Gopies, “People obtain liberation from the world only through loving faith in Me. So the love you bear for Me is a great joy to you, for it is through this love alone that I shall be attained.“ (Srimad Bhagwatam, 10.82.31). To taste the pleasure of the Absolute, we must be as the Gopies, we must lay our souls open to Him so He can drive through. He is within, and He will dictate to whomever turns to Him with a sincere heart, for He is within the hearts of all. Once we offer our bodies as chariots, then the Charioteer will drive from the heart and lead us to His abode.
A Brahmin's Prayer
A Brahmin's Prayer
By Janardan
Deluding Maya, killing every spark
Of true intelligence with ribald jest
Or dry morality, not heeding lest
Their castles built today should turn to dust
As all within this world of matter must.
With bitter sorrow torturing their mind,
At death they’ll have to leave their loves behind
And in their following birth they may not gain
A human body but be forced again
To serve their evolutive prison terms
As helpless beasts, aquatics, plants, or germs
All for not having found, within the span
Of human life the goal reserved for man.
That goal, which having reached, no higher goal
He counts, in which established he can’t fall
Even if most grievous sorrows round him rage
But freed forever from the body’s cage
He tastes the highest pleasures without end.
To that alone if they would only lend
Their mind and senses and inteligence
With single, unswerving, loving diligence,
Then they would drink the nectar of Your grace
And gazing on Your smiling Lotus Face
O Madanmohan, they would be redeemed!
But I am powerless, although I’m deemed
A learned Brahmin—all my arguments
Cannot convince these souls to implement
A plan befitting human status. How
Can I then serve You? All my knowledge now
Is empty wind if it cannot recall
But one of these blind men from Maya’s thrall.
God's Playground Vrindaban
God's Playground Vrindaban
A vision of the spiritual sky—the land where Krishna, the Supreme Lord, appeared to man 5,000 years ago to reveal His pastimes
Text by Jaya Govinda
Today there is a seeking for a particular type of surrounding, or “spiritual atmosphere” for meditation, especially among groups of people interested in meditation and the nature of existence. Even for those who are simply desiring relaxation, or repose in old age, there is a necessity for some kind of place with a meditative mood. Certainly, for clear uninterrupted thought, meditation, one must become freed from everyday anxieties and the nervous mechanical nature of today’s cities and industrial towns.
Being a city-dweller from birth, I have found, as I’m sure many others have, that the forests with their varieties of flora and fauna rather set the stage for meditation. They are not the creations of man; they are superior in some way to man’s creations. They might represent to us, if we wish it, the grace and beauty existing in the movements of the cosmos.
To be sure, there is always some superior force present which makes the seasons change, the rains come, the planets revolve; and that force is more perceivable in natural surroundings, of which the forest is only one example. That superior force or life force gives animation to non-living material, and it is that force to which we are attracted when we seek a rural environment.
In our own experience we may find that when this superior living force leaves a person, the remaining material, the dead body, bears little attraction for us, although when the same body was occupied by the life force, that person might have been a close relation. This life force is sometimes called the “soul”; and the universe also has a soul, we may call it the Supersoul, which causes the phenomena of Nature to occur.
The presence of spirit-soul in mutable matter is recognizable by six symptoms: birth, growth, consumption, reproduction, old age and death. And there is also a seventh and more important symptom—consciousness. When we associate with that superior spiritual nature of things, or when we associate with others also seeking after that superior nature, we feel uplifted because we are approaching closer to this basic truth of existence—which is existing within both ourselves and the world around us as a controlling force.
Srila Vyasadeva, compiler of the Vedas, author of the Puranas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, and ultimately of the Srimad Bhagwatam—who lived about 5,000 years ago—describes in all these writings how one may gradually come to the awareness and understanding of this superior nature by which the cosmic manifestation is functioning so perfectly. In his most mature stage, he composed 12 cantos or books, each larger then the preceding, to form an immense literature called Srimad Bhagwatam. In this he described the nature of a spiritual realm existing outside of this world of matter.
It would be very difficult for us to understand that spiritual realm when we have available to us only information of this temporary and mutable world. Therefore we must accept the information given us directly from the place where the spiritual energy predominates; a realm which, fortunately, lies outside the scope of our limited mundane sense perception. Srila Vyasadeva was a personality incarnated from that place specifically for the purpose of delivering such information. In the Srimad Bhagwatam, then, one may find in the later cantos a lucid description of a place called Goloka Vrindaban. This is the supreme abode of the Lord, Who is the Source of all cosmic manifestations.
The Supreme Lord is described as eternally youthful. He is not burdened by the maintenance of all the planets, but, by His omnipotence, He maintains them effortlessly and at the same time enjoys childlike sports as a cowherd boy, in eternal Vrindaban. He has many companions and lovers there, amid beautiful fields and surroundings described as “all-conscious.” In that spiritual world, of which the material sphere that we know is a perverted mirror-reflection, the nature of people, places and events is permanent or eternal, all-blissful and full of all knowledge. These are the qualities of the higher spiritual nature, of the spiritual living entities when they are out of contact with the inferior, mutable Nature of this world.
There is a verse in the scriptural text called Brahma Samhita which says of Vrindaban: “The houses are made of touchstone [a substance which turns iron to pure gold]. There are thousands of trees, called desire-trees, from which one may obtain anything whatever. The Lord is surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Lakshmis, Goddesses of Fortune, and the Lord is constantly attending the Surabhi Cows, which give an unlimited supply of nectar-like milk. I worship Govinda, the Primeval Lord, Who is the Cause of all causes.“
Of course the absolute center of attention in the spiritual world is Govinda or Krishna. In that sublime realm walking is dancing, and speaking is sweet song. It is a realm meant for all living beings to dwell in. We ourselves cannot even conceive of the wonders of this universe of matter; and so it may be difficult for us to conceive of another, transcendental realm where there is no death.
It is stated in The Bhagavad Gita that all living beings are meant to enjoy some relationship with the Lord directly, either as friend or lover, parent or son. But a small percentage of living beings have come to be trapped in this world that we now find ourselves in. We might assume, therefore, that the Supreme Lord is a cruel and punishing Personality, having placed us on this plane of death, and that He freely inflicts all manner of pains upon us. For example, a mother’s son having been harmed in an auto accident, the mother might ask: “O Lord, why have You so cruelly harmed this boy?” The mother is attentive to the idea of “innocent youth.“ But actually the child’s life force—his real self—is existing unchanged in its superior form of spiritual energy, and only the temporary body has been affected, being of a mutable nature.
The spiritual form is in a state of false identification and is governed, as a result, by impure or ignorant desires. Because of these impure desires he is forced to transmigrate from body to body, until such a time as he may desire to awaken to the higher platforms of spiritual consciousness. Therefore, he whom we are seeing as “young” is in reality a spiritual entity who has been allotted a certain body, like a shell covering his true self, and who has also been allotted certain circumstances, according to past deeds.
One who makes inquiry into the spiritual cause for all this manifested world becomes acquainted with the spiritual life force within himself, and therefore he need not lament for himself, even though death is approaching. Those who seek after spiritual understanding can know for a fact that the Lord is most kind and merciful to have given them this human life with which to reach Him and understand Him. And it is only those who are not using their lives in this way who fail to understand the kindness of the Lord.
The Lord can be known by direct experience, through the process of chanting the Holy Names: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. In the attainment of such knowledge one experiences the sweetest love and the fulfillment of life, a state of bliss that he could never have even hoped for in his fallen state.
The Lord might well leave the inhabitants of this world to suffer and rise up, going round and round on their own blind groping efforts. But His kindness is so great, and His desire to see the living beings out of this morass of birth, death, old age and disease is so strong, that He Personally descends from time to time into our view to lift the veil of illusion which renders invisible the spiritual reality, the eternal Truth of His own Personage and realm.
That spiritual realm, the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna and all His eternal associates, the enactment of His eternal pastimes—all this is sometimes made manifest in the material world. And the location for such a manifestation is described as entirely nondifferent from that location in the spiritual realm. Thus the Vrindaban which we find as a small village in north central India today, and pictured on these pages, is in reality the very Vrindaban of the spiritual sky, the supreme abode of the Lord. At this location the Lord reveals His eternal pastimes, although He has not left that original locality in the spiritual sky. This is done by the Lord’s omnipotence, and it is as though a dimensional window has opened, making the spiritual realm visible to beings of this mundane world.
When this manifestation takes place, Krishna creates a spiritual locality for those beings who are attracted by the higher spiritual nature. For those persons who are advanced in the matter of self realization, especially by the process of chanting the Holy Names, the Lord reveals His eternal pastimes at Vrindaban, and He may also reveal the nature of an individual’s eternal relationship to Himself. You might say that Vrindaban is a pleasure reserved only for devotees of the Lord, because they alone are able to relish the transcendental aspect of that most sacred place on Earth. And anyone may come to the devotional stage whereby he can understand Vrindaban simply by chanting the Holy Names of Krishna.
Easy Journey to Other Planets
Easy Journey to Other Planets
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
What the Vedic literature of 5,000 years ago has to say about the aspirations of space-age man
Every living being, especially civilized man, has a longing to live forever, and that happily. This is quite natural for him, because in his original state a living being is not only eternal but also joyful. The present conditional state of his life is diseased, formed by the struggles with recurring birth and death; and therefore he is neither happy nor living forever.
The desire to go to other planets which has now become prominent is also quite natural, because the living being has got the original right to go to any part of the material or spiritual skies, full as they are with unlimited globes of varied qualities. One can best fulfill his desire by the process of Yoga—the means by which one can join himself to the planets as he likes, where life is not only eternally blissful but also full with varieties of enjoyable energies.
Anyone who can go to such planets will never come back to this miserable sphere of birth, death, old age and disease. And one can attain to that stage of perfection by his individual effort very easily, practicing at his own chosen place, simply by following the prescribed method of Bhakti Yoga under proper guidance.
An attempt has been made herein, in these days of technological advancement, to give information to the people in general, and more especially to those interested in spiritual life, as to how one can transfer oneself to other planets by the process of Bhakti Yoga, the highest of all Yoga systems.
Antimatter
Modern materialistic science has discovered what it terms antimatter, dating back at least to the experiments of Drs. Emilio Segre and Owen Chamberlain in 1955 and 1956. But the antimaterial concepts of such wranglers of gross materialism are generally defective because they do not recognize either the scope of matter (Nature) itself, nor can they perceive what the reverse of the material condition might be. There are many theories regarding different types of antimatter—universes in variant vibratory fields, galaxies composed of atomic particles opposite in magnetic properties to our own, even one brilliant concept of a universe lying, as it were, beyond the horizon of the speed of light—but all of these types of “antimatter” are actually only variations of matter. They are not truly antimaterial, because they rest on imperfect analyses of what matter itself is to begin with.
All the same, there are three generally recognizable points widely agreed upon, which must be considered in a discussionof antimatter. These are that 1) there is an antimaterial atom or particle which is another form of energy, but which possesses qualities the reverse of the material atom; 2) there is an antimaterial world of which we have some kind of experience; and 3) these two different worlds may clash at a certain period, which may bring annihilation to both.
Out of these three items, we students of theistic science agree with numbers 1) and 2), but we cannot agree with the third, because although matter as it is constituted is subject to annihilation, antimatter—if it is free from all material symptoms—must be also free from annihilation by its very nature of existence. If matter is destructible or divisible, antimatter must be indestructible and indivisible.
We shall try now to discuss these three points from the angle of authentic scriptural vision.
The most scientific, authentic and recognized scripture of the world is the Veda. The Veda—originally one—has been divided into four—Sama, Yajur, Rig and Atharva. The subject matter of the Vedas is very difficult and dry for ordinary understanding, so to make these grave matters more easily comprehensible the four Vedas are again explained in the history of Mahabharata and in the eighteen Puranas. The Ramayana is a historical epic which also contains all the necessary information of the Vedas.
Therefore the four Vedas, the original Ramayana (by Sri Valmiki), the Mahabharata and the Puranas are all Vedic literature. The Upanishads are parts of the four Vedas, and the Vedanta Sutra is the cream of the Vedas. And to summarize all these Vedic writings, The Bhagavad Gita is accepted as the cream of all Upanishads and the elementary explanation of the Vedanta Sutra. The conclusion is that from The Bhagavad Gita alone you can have the essence of all the Vedas, as the Gita is spoken by Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He descends to this material world from the antimaterial sphere from time to time just to give such complete information of that superior form of energy.
The superior form of energy of the Personality of Godhead is described in the Gita as “Para Prakriti,” superior nature. The scientists have discovered that there are various forms of matter, but the true concept of matter and antimatter is described most perfectly in The Bhagavad Gita as two forms of energy. Nature is an energy which creates the material world, and the same energy in her superior form creates the antimaterial world. And living entities belong to the superior energy group. The inferior energy or material energy is called “Apara Prakriti,” the lower nature. So, in the Gita, the creative energy is presented in two forms, namely Apara and Para Prakritis, superior and inferior natures.
Life as Antimatter
Matter itself has no creative power. When it is manipulated by the living energy, material things are produced. Matter in its crude form is therefore the latent energy of the Supreme Being. Whenever we think of energy it is natural that we should think of the source of energy. For example, we may think of electrical energy, and along with it we think of the powerhouse where that energy is generated. Energy is therefore not self-sufficient, but is dependent upon its source.
Fire is the source of two other energies, namely light and heat. Light and heat have no independent existence without fire. Similarly, the two ultimate forms of energy—inferior and superior—are derived from a third source, call it by any name. But that source of all energy must be a living being with full sense of everything, or else it would be lacking the very elements of its creation. That Supreme Living Source is the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, the all-attractive Being.
In the Vedas, the Supreme Absolute Truth is called “Bhagavan,” or the full-fledged Living Being who is the Fountainhead of all energies. The discovery of two forms of energy by scientists—even if they could distinguish matter from spirit, the true antimatter—is not the end of progressive science. One has to go still farther in the subject and thus discover the source of the two opposite particles or atoms.
How can we explain the antimaterial particle? We have experience of material atoms, but we have no experience of antimaterial atoms. The Bhagavad Gita, however, gives a vivid description of the antimaterial particle as follows:
That which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul. Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is subject to destruction…(2.17, 18)
This description of a living being within the gross material body asserts that energy does indeed exist in two forms. And when one of them, the antimaterial particle, is absent from the material body, the latter becomes useless for all purposes. As such, the antimaterial particle is undoubtedly a superior energy to the material particle.
O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of heat and cold, happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed. O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation. (The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, 2.14, 15)
The antimaterial world is suggested here as liberation, freedom from matter, and the intimation is that in the antimaterial world there is no such experience of seasonal changes. Everything there is permanent, blissful and full of intelligence. But when we say it is a world, we mean that it does have its forms and possesses the paraphernalia of different categories beyond our material experiences.
The discovery of these two forms of energy now leads us to seek out the specific qualities of antimatter. The description given in the Gita is as follows, and our scientists can make profitable research on the basis of this valuable information:
For the soul there is never birth or 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. (2.20)
Here is the beginning of the description of the antimaterial particle. The perfection of science will come when it is possible for the material scientists to know the qualities of the antimaterial particle and to liberate it from the painful association of nonpermanent material particles. This liberation of the antimaterial particle is the highest stage of scientific progress.
Creation and Destruction
The suggestion of the scientists that there may exist a world of antimaterial atoms and that a clash between that world and this would result in the annihilation of both is partly true. Such a clash is in fact continually going on between the material and antimaterial particles. But in that continuous clashing, the annihilation of the material particles is taking place at every step while the nonmaterial particle is only trying to get out of it all.
We think therefore that the theory of the annihilation of both worlds is wrong in conception. This is further explained in The Bhagavad Gita as follows:
As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones; similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones. (2.22)
Everything that is annihilated is also created at a certain stage. As the material body is created so also the material world is created. And because the antimaterial particle is never annihilated, so also it is never created. This is corroborated in the Gita in the different verses cited above. This principle is applicable to the entire antimaterial world as well. When the material world is obliterated, the antimaterial world exists in all circumstances. This fact will be explained more elaborately later on in this article.
The antimaterial scientist may also know from The Bhagavad Gita that, “Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that, of the non-existent there is no endurance, and of the eternal there is no cessation. Seers have concluded this by studying the nature of both.“ (2.16)
The atomic scientists may think of annihilating the material world by their development of nuclear weapons, but they are unable to do the same in terms of the antimaterial world. The antimaterial particle and its properties in this connection are clearly explained in the following lines:
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. This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchanging, immovable and eternally the same. It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable, immutable and unchangeable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body. (The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, 2.23-25)
Thus, in the Gita and in all other Vedic writings the superior energy or antimaterial principle is accepted as the vital force, the living spirit—called in the Sanskrit “Jiva.” This living principle cannot be generated by any sort of combination of material elements.
The material elements—namely earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intelligence and false ego—all these eight material principles are described as inferior energies, whereas the living force or the antimaterial particle is described as the superior energy. And they are all called energy because they are all controlled by the Supreme Living Being, the Personality of Godhead.
The materialists have long been limited within the boundary of the eight material principles mentioned above, but it is encouraging that they have now a faint idea of some antimaterial principle and of an antimaterial world also. We hope that with the progress of time such materialists will be able to estimate the value of the antimaterial or spiritual world, where there is no trace of material principles. The very word antimaterial suggests that the principle is completely different from all material qualities.
The mental speculators, in two groups, see this antimaterial principle in two different and equally erroneous ways. One group (the gross materialists) denies the truly antimaterial principle, admitting only the disintegration of material combinations at a certain stage. The other group accepts the antimaterial principle as completely, painstakingly opposite to the material principle with its twenty-four categories (as described in various Vedic texts).
The second speculator is known as the “Samkhyaite,” or the speculator who scrutinizes the material elements with minute analysis and synthesis. And at the end of such studies, the Samkhyaites can accept only a nonactive principle as antimatter, or the Absolute.
The difficulty for both of the above mental speculators is that they speculate with the help of the inferior energy, without any source of information from the superior. It is therefore necessary that one should rise to the plane of the superior energy, and from that transcendental position only can one realize the true position of the antimaterial principle.
The Giver of Knowledge
From the platform of the material world one cannot estimate the real position of the antimaterial world. But the Supreme Lord, Who is the Controller of both the material and antimaterial energies, descends out of His causeless mercy, and gives us complete information of the antimaterial world; and thus we can know what the antimaterial world is.
The Supreme Lord and the living entities are both of the same antimaterial quality. We can thus form an idea of the Supreme Lord by an elaborate study of the living entities. Every living entity is an individual person. Therefore, the Supreme Living Being must also be the Supreme Person. In the Vedic literature the Supreme Person is very rightly declared to be Krishna. This Name—Krishna—of the Supreme Lord is the only intelligible Name of the highest order. Because He is the Controller of both the energies—material and antimaterial—the very word Krishna signifies that He is the Supreme Controller.
In The Bhagavad Gita the Lord offers this fact as follows:
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies. Besides this inferior nature, O mighty Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine which are all living entities who are struggling with material Nature and who sustain the universe. Of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this world, know for certain that I am both its origin and dissolution. (7.4–6)
The Lord’s inferior and superior energies manifest the material and spiritual worlds, and as such He is the Absolute Truth. In the Gita Krishna further explains this fact as follows:
O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread. (Vll/7)
Long, long before the modern discovery of any principles of antimatter, then, the subject was delineated in the pages of The Bhagavad Gita. And from the Gita it appears that this philosophy was first taught to the presiding deity of the Sun-globe. This means that the principles of the Gita were spoken by the Personality of Godhead long, long ago—at least 140 million years in the past. Modern science has just very lately discovered a partial truth long fully available in The Bhagavad Gita.
The suggestion of the antimaterial world mentioned in the Gita, along with other Vedic sources of data, lead us to assume without the slightest doubt that the antimaterial world is the world situated in the antimaterial sky. This spiritual sky is likewise mentioned in the Gita as the Sanatan Dham or the eternal abode.
Exactly like material atoms, the antimaterial atoms form the basis of the antimaterial world with all its paraphernalia. The antimaterial world is inhabited by antimaterial living beings. “Living being” means antimaterial in the first place, therefore in the antimaterial world there is nothing like inert matter. Everything there is a living principle and the Supreme Self. The denizens of the antimaterial world reside there with eternal life, eternal knowledge and eternal bliss, qualified exactly like God.
Death on the Higher Planets
In the material world the topmost planets are called Satya Lokas or Brahma Lokas. In this group of planets, beings of the highest talents live. The presiding deity of the Brahma Lokas is called Brahma, the first living being created in this material world. Contrary to the popular fallacy of a “Hindu trinity,“ Brahma is a living being like so many of us, but he is the most talented personality in the material world. He is not in the category of God (as Vishnu is), but he is in the category of the living entities dominated by God.
God and the living entities both belong to the antimaterial world. The scientist, therefore, will do well to research into the constitution of this antimaterial world—how it is administered, how things are shaped there, who is the predominating personality there and so on. In the Vedic literature, especially in the Srimad Bhagwatam, these subject matters are elaborately dealt with, and The Bhagavad Gita is the preliminary study of the Bhagwatam. These two important books of knowledge must be thoroughly studied by all men of the scientific world. They will give them many, many clues with which to go forward in the matter of scientific discoveries.
There are two classes of men, namely the trascendentalist and the materialist. The transcendentalist gathers knowledge from the authoritative scriptures like the Vedic literature. The Vedic literature is properly received from the authoritative sources, who are in the line of disciplic succession. This disciplic succession is also mentioned in The Bhagavad Gita. It is said there that hundreds of millions of years ago the principles of the Gita were spoken to the presiding deity of the Sun-globe, who delivered the knowledge to his son Manu, from whom the present generation of man has come down. The Manu again delivered the transcendental knowledge to his son, known as the King Ikshaku, who is the forefather of the dynasty in which the Personality of Godhead Sri Rama appeared.
This long chain of disciplic succession was broken during the advent period of Lord Sri Krishna 5,000 years ago, and then the same chain was again reforged, with Arjuna as the first disciple of Godhead in this age. The transcendentalist of this age, therefore, gathers knowledge from the disciplic succession of Arjuna so that without troubling himself in the matter of materialistic research work, he acquires the truths of matter and antimatter in the most perfect way, and saves time and botheration—unlike the gross materialist.
The gross materialist who does not believe in the words of the Personality of Godhead is an unfortunate creature. He may be very talented, educated and advanced in knowledge to some extent, but he is at the same time bewildered by the influence of material manifestations, without any knowledge of the antimaterial realm. It is a good sign therefore that the materialistic scientist is gradually progressing towards the region of antimatter, and it may be possible for him to make further progress and thus one day know—better late than never—the details of the antimaterial world where the Personality of Godhead resides as the Predominating Figure. There are many individual entities who live there with Him in equal status, but who are predominated over as servitors. In the antimaterial world there is no difference between the predominated and the predominator, but yet the sense in perfection of the predominator and the predominated prevails there without any of the inebriety of the material world.
The nature of the material world is destructible. The assumption of the physical scientist about the annihilation of the two worlds—namely, the material and the nonmaterial—by a chance clash is thus partially true as far as we get it from The Bhagavad Gita. The material world is a creation of changing modes of Nature, called by the names Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas (goodness, passion and ignorance). It is created by the Rajas (passion) mode, it is maintained by the Sattwa (goodness) mode and it is annihilated by the Tamas (ignorance) mode.
These modes are present everywhere within the material world, and as such at every second, every minute and every hour of creation, maintenance and annihilation are taking place all over the universe.
The highest planet of the material world, the Brahma Loka, is also subjected to these modes of Nature, although the duration of life on that planet—on account of a predominance of the Sattwa (goodness) mode—is said to be 4,300,000 x 1000 x 2 x 12 x 100 (about 310 trillion) years, as we know years on this planet. But with all these long periods of time, the Brahma planet is destructible. In comparison to the eternal life in the nonmaterial world, these countable years on the highest planet of the material world form a quite negligible span.
The Speaker of The Bhagavad Gita, the Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna, asserts therefore the importance of the antimaterial world, which is His abode. He says that all the planets within the material world are destructible at the end, and that all the living beings docilely dwelling on these planets are also destroyed—bodily—along with the destruction of the material world.
The living entities are antimaterial particles. And, unless they elevate themselves to the region of the antimaterial spiritual world by a rigid culture of antimaterial activities, then at the time of dissolution such living entities remain within the material world in the nonmanifested state. Again, they later resume their material shape along with the rebirth of the material world. Only those living entities who take to the loving service of the Personality of Godhead during the manifested stage of material life can be transferred to that antimaterial world, after quitting the material body. Life immortal is obtained by those who go back to Godhead by the practice of antimaterial activities.
What are these antimaterial activities? The antimaterial activities are just like medicinal doses. When a man falls ill he goes to the doctor. The physician prescribes some medicines, and when they are carefully prescribed by the expert physician such medicinal doses cure the ailments of the suffering patient.
But the foolish materialist does not put himself under the expert transcendental physician. Otherwise he would be cured of his material disease, which puts him under the tribulations of repeated birth, death, illness and old age. Such a foolish materialist can best put himself under the treatment of “Back to Godhead,“ and thus transfer himself to the antimaterial world where there is eternal life without birth or death.
The annihilation of the material world takes place in two ways:
Partial annihilation takes place at the end of every 4,300,000 x 1000 solar years, or at the end of every daytime of the Brahma Loka, the topmost area of the material world. During the ensuing nighttime of partial annihilation, the higher planets of the material world are not annihilated, but all else is. Then, after a period of 4,300,000 x 1000 x 2 x 30 x 12 x 100 (about 310 trillion, as above) solar years, the whole cosmic manifestation is closed up and merged into the antimaterial body whence the material principles originally emanate. Over and over again matter emerges, is manifest and again merges back into that body.
The antimaterial world, however, which is far away from this material sky, does not cease to be at any time; it only absorbs the material world. It may be that a clash takes place between the material and antimaterial worlds, as has been suggested by the scientists, and that as a result of this clash the annihilation of the material world occurs—but so far as antimatter is concerned, there is no annihilation at all, even when all the material worlds are obliterated.
Antimatter as Devotion
This eternally existing antimaterial world is nonmanifested to the material scientist. He can at best only have information of its existence as being contrary to the modes of material Nature. Full details of the antimaterial realm can be known only from those infallible sources, the liberated authorities who have thoroughly realized the constitution of the antimaterial principle.
This information of the antimaterial world is therefore had by the aural reception of a submissive disciple of the Personality of Godhead. The Vedas or the Vedic knowledge was thus imparted into the heart of Brahma, the first living being in the created material world, and Brahma educated the great saint Narada in this transcendental wisdom.
So it is also with The Bhagavad Gita. The philosophy of the Gita was spoken by the Personality of Godhead long, long ago to the presiding deity of the Sunglobe, and when such knowledge was misinterpreted by breaking the chain of authoritative aural reception, it was repeated by the Personality of Godhead on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. At this time Arjuna took the place of Brahma and of the Sun god to receive transcendental knowledge from Sri Krishna. In order to drive out the misgivings of the gross materialist, Arjuna asked all relevant questions about the Lord, and all relevant answers were given by the Lord to the full satisfaction of a layman.
Those who are too captivated by the glamor of the material world cannot accept the authority of Lord Sri Krishna on account of their polluted life and unclean habits. Therefore, one has to become thoroughly clean in habit and heart before one can understand the details of the antimaterial world. And Bhakti Yoga—which means the process of purification by devotional service, as enunciated in the Gita—is the detailed and scientific program of spiritual activity for all beings, from the beginner neophyte to the highest perfection of the line.
The details of the antimaterial world are many times more extensive than the details of the material world. The material world is only a shadow representation of the antimaterial, and intelligent men who are clean in heart and habit will be able to know the facts about the spiritual sphere from the texts of The Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagwatam and similar Vedic scriptures.
The basic points of antimaterial knowledge areas follows: The presiding Deity of the antimaterial world is Sri Krishna, the original Personality, as well as His expansions into many plenary portions. Such Personalities of Godhead can be known only by antimaterial activities, commonly called Bhakti Yoga or devotional service.
The Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Truth and He is the whole antimaterial principle. Material principles as well as antimaterial principles are emanations from His Person. He is the root of the complete tree. When water is poured onto the root of a tree the branches and leaves of the tree develop automatically. And in the same way when Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, is worshiped, all the details of all the worlds are given into the heart of the devotee, without laboring in the materialistic way. This is the secret message of The Bhagavad Gita.
Journey to Godhead
The process of traveling to the antimaterial world is different from materialistic processes. The individual living being, that antimaterial particle who is now embarrassed by material association, can enter the antimaterial world very easily by practicing antimaterial activities, while continuing to reside in the material sphere. But those who are gross materialists and depend on the limited strength of experimental thought by mental speculation or on material science cannot enter into the antimaterial world.
The means of approach to the antimaterial world is shrouded by hardships for the gross materialist. The mechanical planes, missiles and rockets that are now being thrown into space cannot even yet approach the material planets in the near regions. The planets situated in the antimaterial sky, meanwhile, are far beyond the entire material cosmos of our experience.
The yogis who have perfectly controlled their mystic powers can give up their material bodies at will at some opportune moment, and thus are able to enter the antimaterial world through a specific thoroughfare which connects the material and antimaterial. Such yogis are able to do this only in accordance with the prescribed method given in The Bhagavad Gita as follows:
Those who know the Supreme Brahman pass away from this world during the influence of the fiery god, in the light, at an auspicious moment, during the fortnight of the moon and the six months when the sun travels in the north.
The different deities are powerful directing officers appointed to the administration of cosmic affairs. Foolish people who are unable to perceive the intricacies of cosmic management deny the concept of personal control over fire, air, electricity, day, night, etc. But the perfect yogis know how to satisfy the unseen administrators of such affairs of the material world. Such yogis take advantage of these administrations and leave their material bodies—at will—at opportune moments, so that they can enter the antimaterial world, or else travel to the higher planets of the material world.
On the higher planets of the material world one can enjoy a more comfortable and pleasant life for thousands of millions of years, but all the same, life on those higher planets is not eternal. Those who desire eternal life enter into the antimaterial world by their yogic or mystic powers at opportune moments which are arranged by the administrators of cosmic affairs, beings unseen by the gross materialists of this planet earth.
Those who are not yogis but die at some opportune moment because of their previous pious acts—sacrifices, charity, penances, etc.—can rise up to the higher planets after death, to later return to this planet. The periods for such a death are called “Dhooma”: nighttime, the moonless fortnight and when the sun passes to the south.
To summarize the whole subject, The Bhagavad Gita recommends that everyone adopt the means of devotional service or antimaterial activities if he wants to enter the antimaterial world. People who adopt the means of devotional service as prescribed by the expert transcendentalists will never be disappointed in their attempts to enter the antimaterial world. The obstacles are many, but the devotees of the Personality of Godhead can easily overcome such difficulties if they follow rigidly the path chalked out by the transcendental devotees who have gone before them.
Such devotees, the passengers who are progressing in the journey of life towards the antimaterial Kingdom of God, are never bewildered in their attempts. No one can be cheated if he adopts the guaranteed path of devotion for entering the antimaterial world. One can easily attain all the results that are derived from the mystical studies of the Vedas, from performing sacrifices, practicing penances or disposing of charities—simply by the performance of devotional service, technically known as Bhakti Yoga or Krishna Consciousness.
Bhakti Yoga is therefore the panacea for all purposes, and it has been made easy, especially for this iron age, by the Lord Himself in His most sublime, liberal and munificent appearance as Lord Chaitanya, who urged the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra as the perfection of Bhakti. By His Grace one can quickly pick up the principles of Bhakti Yoga through chanting and attain the summary disappearance of all misgivings in the heart, as well as the extinction of the fire of material tribulations, with a further chance for the development of transcendental bliss.
Food for Krishna
Food for Krishna
By Uddhava
In this month’s spiritual food article we are presenting two preparations that come down to us from the ancient line of disciplic succession. These preparations are as old as the Vedas themselves, and just like the Vedas their taste is ever refreshing and new. Either of these may be served as a main or a side dish. Also, with a little water added, each can become an excellent sauce for rice or Chapatis (unleavened wheat cakes).
Cuddy
1 qt. plain yogurt
½ qt. Water
2 tbsp. Turmeric
1 tsp. Salt
½ cup ghee or melted butter
2 cups chick-pea flour
Make a thin batter of chick-pea flour, ½ tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. turmeric, and ¾ to 1 cup of water. Heat ghee or butter in a small skillet until hot. Ghee should cover entire bottom of skillet. Place small spoonfuls of batter in hot ghee. Small circles will form. These are called Pakoras. Cook Pakoras for less than a minute on each side. Save about Ÿ cup of batter. Then, with a mixer, blend together yogurt, remaining water, turmeric, salt and batter. Cook mixture slowly in a separate pot until it begins to bubble. Mixture will thicken slightly. Gently stir in Pakoras, and the preparation is complete. Serves 5–6.
Maha brinjal
2 large eggplants chopped
4 large tomatoes chopped
1 bunch (lb.) finely chopped spinach
¼ cup ghee or melted butter
1-½ tsp. cumin seeds
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. turmeric
Over high flame heat ghee or butter in large skillet till smoking. Add cumin seed and red peppers. Cook for two minutes. Stir in eggplants. Cover and cook until eggplants are soft as butter. Stir in salt and turmeric. Add tomatoes and cook with no cover for ten minutes, maintaining original high flame all the while. Add spinach. Cover and steam for ten minutes. Remove cover, reduce flame to medium low and cook, stirring frequently, till preparation has the consistency of a thick paste. Serves 3 or 4.
Back to Godhead Magazine #25, 1969
“The recommended process for God realization in this Age is chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.” A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Krishna Consciousness Temples
Krishna Consciousness Temples
Attend Bhakti Yoga and mantra meditation classes, lectures on The Bhagavad Gita and related Vedic literature, chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra—every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (or write for details) at any one of the following Krishna Consciousness Temples:
Boston—95 Glenville Avenue, Allston
Buffalo—15 La Salle Avenue
Hamburg—2 Hamburg 19, Eppendorfer WEG 11, West Germany
Hawaii—P. O. Box 506, Kaaawa, Oahu
Los Angeles—1975 South La Cienega
London—22 Betterton Street, W2
Montreal—3720 Park Avenue
New York City—61 Second Avenue
New Vrindaban, W. Va.—RD3 Moundsville
North Carolina—107 Laurel Avenue, Carrboro
San Francisco—518 Frederick Street
Santa Fe—4llB West Water Street
Seattle—5516 Roosevelt Way, N.E.
Vancouver—271 East Georgia Street
Book Review
Book Review
by Subaldas
THE BHAGAVAD GITA AS IT IS, translated, with commentary,
by Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta; Macmillan, $6.95, Collier (paperbound), $2.95.
This book makes available for the first time in the English language an authoritative translation and commentary on the world’s most popular book of spiritual science. It contains complete information for lifting one from a life of gross materialism to the highest plane of transcendence. THE BHAGAVAD GITA AS IT IS is valuable reading for the novice as well as for those who are more advanced on the spiritual path.
The Bhagavad Gita, also known as the Geetopanishad, was first spoken by Lord Sri Krishna to His disciple Arjuna some five thousand years ago, just prior to the great Battle of Kurukshetra. This teaching, then, is in the form of a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna. It is complete in seven hundred verses, and Vyasadeva, the compiler of the Vedic literature, included it in his great epic, the “Mahabharata.”
The Bhagavad Gita is handed down to “Parampara,” or disciplic succession. Krishna taught the Gita to Arjuna because the previous succession had been broken through the course of time.
In the Fourth Chapter, Krishna says to Arjuna, “That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore, you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.” Arjuna was not a great scholar or yogi. He was a warrior, having many worldly responsibilities, and he was being taught while sitting in his chariot on the battlefield, just as the battle was to begin.
There were many great sages, saints and yogis living at that time—some present at the field of war itself—but Arjuna was chosen to receive this knowledge because he had the special qualification of being Krishna’s devotee and friend. Therefore, he could understand this transcendental science.
There are a number of editions of The Bhagavad Gita on the market. Some are commented upon by the devotees and some by nondevotees. Only the commentaries by the devotees can be considered real. Those of the demon nondevotees are worthless. Most editions of the Gita are, therefore, worthless, because they have not been received through submissive hearing from a bona fide spiritual master, one who is a devotee in the line of disciplic succession originating from Krishna. Therefore, the authors of such commentaries are unable to unfold this sublime science to the public. The American market especially is glutted with worthless commentaries on the Gita, and all the readers of those editions are being misled. THE BHAGAVAD GITA AS IT IS was written primarily to adjust this anomaly.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami is a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession, and he possesses the same two qualifications that Arjuna did. He is Krishna’s devotee and His friend. Swami Bhaktivedanta is widely recognized as one of the great spiritual leaders and authorities of our time, and in this work he presents the Gita in a manner which is comprehensible to the modern reader, without deviating from Krishna’s original teaching, which makes THE BHAGAVAD GITA AS IT IS unique.
In the Gita, Krishna speaks as the supreme authority because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Origin of all knowledge. He speaks directly about Himself and therefore The Bhagavad Gita hits right on the Absolute Truth. It is not a parable, as some commentators would have us think.
One commentator, for example, writes that, “Strictly speaking we cannot give any description of Brahman.“ But Krishna is the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Spirit, and in the Gita He describes Himself very nicely, as well as describing everything within His Creation, both spiritual and material. Scholars have many different viewpoints regarding the Absolute Truth, but they generally come to no factual conclusions because they do not accept Krishna as the Supreme Person. The Bhagavad Gita, as it is presented by Krishna, is authoritative because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If this were not so, His book would be as useless as the writings of the so-called learned scholars, because anything done by a conditioned living entity is bound to be imperfect.
The Bhagavad Gita is, however, recognized as an authority on transcendental science. It is for this reason that scholars and philosophers comment on it in the first place. But in order to put forth their own ideas, they twist Krishna’s words to suit their own purposes, and The Bhagavad Gita, which is one of the most beneficial teachings for spiritual realization, becomes as poisonous as milk touched by the lips of a serpent.
One must accept Krishna and His teachings as Arjuna accepts them if one wants the vision of reality which the Gita offers. Arjuna accepts Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and accepts His teachings as they are spoken, without inventing any interpretation of his own.
Generally speaking, there are two groups of commentators on The Bhagavad Gita. One group is known as the impersonalists and the other group is the personalists. The personalists accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they are His devotees. They present His teachings without any distortion and direct the reader to a clear understanding of Krishna. The impersonalists, on the other hand, do not accept Krishna as the Supreme Person, and they try diverting the mind of the reader away from Krishna.
An example of this unscrupulous type of commentary is to be found in the thirty-fourth verse of the Ninth Chapter. Krishna says there: “Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, engage your body in My service; and surrender unto Me. Completely absorbed in Me, surely will you come to Me.“ And, a well-known commentator writes: “It is not the personal Krsna to whom we have to give ourselves up utterly but the Unborn, Beginningless, Eternal who speaks through Krsna.“ This shows how little intelligence he has. Krishna is Himself the Unborn, Beginningless Eternal. This is the very message of the Gita. Why invent something else?
There is no difference between Krishna’s inside and His outside, as He is all spiritual, and therefore one without a second. If such foolish writers do not agree with Krishna’s philosophy, it is to be wondered why they don’t simply write their own books, instead of commenting on The Bhagavad Gita. The reason, of course, is that no one would listen to them. And so they use the Gita because it is a very highly respected spiritual authority, and then try to draw some new and invalid meaning out of it.
Most of these less intelligent commentators also say that to know God is to be God. They are claiming to be as good as Krishna, and people in general have shown themselves very willing to accept this because they are told that they are God also. Krishna must be very great if everyone wants to be like Him. However, not one of these “Gods” can speak anything remotely resembling The Bhagavad Gita, nor can they display the Universal Form which Krishna showed to Arjuna in the Eleventh Chapter.
Krishna not only said that He was God, but He also practically demonstrated it, so that the nonbelievers would accept Him, and because He knew that in the future there would be many imposters claiming to be God. Before accepting such a misrepresentation of God, then, one should ask to see His Universal Form. In this way people will not be so easily misled.
The conclusion of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta regarding this matter is that one who understands that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead is liberated, and “one who does not understand the real nature of the Lord as the eternal, blissful, all-knowing Personality of Godhead is certainly Fool Number One.“ Swami Bhaktivedanta accepts The Bhagavad Gita in the same way that Arjuna does: Krishna is the Supreme Lord and all living entities are His parts and parcels in an eternal relationship of servant and master.
All the great commentators on the Gita, such as Ramanujacharya, Madhyacharya, Lord Chaitanya, Siddhanta Saraswati, and now A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami in the present age, hold Bhakti Yoga—devotional service to Krishna—to be the highest goal of spiritual realization as well as the most direct means for reaching this goal. The entire Bhagavad Gita is directed toward establishing the living entity in a direct relationship with Krishna, and toward teaching him to act in Krishna Consciousness. And, as this is the original goal of the Gita, it is also the unquestionable purpose of this new and important presentation.
There are many Yoga systems discussed in The Bhagavad Gita—Karma Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Dhyana Yoga, Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, etc.—but they are all stepping stones to Krishna Consciousness. Bhakti Yoga is different, in that it is both the means and the goal itself. At the end of the Sixth Chapter, Krishna says, “of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in Yoga, and is the highest of all.” Devotional service to Krishna can therefore be seen as the most confidential part of knowledge and the essence of The Bhagavad Gita.
It is declared that one who does not understand the instructions of The Bhagavad Gita is faithless and misusing his intelligence. On the other hand, anyone who reads THE BHAGAVAD GITA AS IT IS and follows the simple process prescribed therein is sure to attain the highest perfection in a short time. Krishna says that anyone who knows Him knows everything, and so His final advice is to surrender unto Him. By utilizing this great science presented to us by Swami Bhaktivedanta, the whole human mission can be fulfilled, and it is therefore to be hoped that intelligent men will take full advantage of this book.
Parts & Parcels
Parts & Parcels
London Yatra
In January 1969 the sound of HARE KRISHNA vibrated across Britain’s “Today” program on Thames television as millions of viewers throughout the country began to fall in love with the holy sound of HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE/ HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE.
The small temple temporarily located in West Central London at 22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden, has barely been able to contain the ever-increasing crowds at morning and evening Kirtans. Wherever and whenever Prabhupad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami’s servants chant the Holy Names in the streets of London, they are cordially received. Perhaps the people had heard us in December at the Royal Albert Hall, where over 2,000 chanted, and not less than 100 people leapt into the space between the front row and the stage to dance in ecstasy. Or maybe they had attended one of our Kirtans at the Middle Earth Round House in Chalk Farm, or at the Arts Lab in Drury Lane; or heard us on John Peel’s “Night Ride”on Radio One; or read about us in Phil Oakes’ “Atticus” column in the Sunday Times, which began with the aphorism, “Hare Krishna is good for you.”
Visitors from all over England, from the U.S., from Holland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Africa, Japan, India, Canada, Italy, Scotland and Australia frequent our present headquarters on Betterton Street. The temple is easily accessible via Holborn, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, and Tottenham Court underground stations, and on a number of central buses.
Very soon the British Isles will be transcendentally pervaded by the sound of HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE/ HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE.
A Study in Mysticism
A Study in Mysticism
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
An explanation of the mystic techniques offered by the great
Teachers of Vedic wisdom—and their value to contemporary man.
Yoga means the connecting link between the soul and the Supersoul, or the Supreme and the minute living creatures. Lord Sri Krishna is that Supreme, the Personality of Godhead. Being, therefore, the ultimate object of Yoga, Krishna’s Name is “Yoga Iswara,” the Master of Yoga.
At the conclusion of The Bhagavad Gita it is said: “Where there is Krishna and where there is Arjuna, the greatest of bowmen, there, undoubtedly, is victory.“
The Bhagavad Gita is a narrative spoken by Samjaya, the secretary of Maharaj Dhritarashtra. This is just like airwaves from the radio: the play is going on in the auditorium, but you can hear from your room. So, just as we now have such a mechanical arrangement, at that time there were also certain arrangements, although there was no machine. Anyway, the secretary of Dhritarashtra could see what was going on at the battlefield, and he was in the palace telling this to Maharaj Dhritarashtra, who was blind. Now, the ultimate conclusion made by Samjaya was that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
When the Yoga performance is described, it is said that Krishna’s Name is Yoga Iswara. No one can be a better yogi than the Master of Yoga, and Krishna is the Master. There are many different types of Yoga. Yoga means the system, and yogi means the person who practices that system. The object of Yoga, the ultimate goal, is to understand Krishna. Therefore, Krishna Consciousness means to practice the topmost type of Yoga.
This topmost Yoga system was described by Krishna in The Gita to His most intimate friend, Arjuna. In the beginning, the Lord said that this system can be practiced only by a person who has developed attachment for it. This Krishna conscious Yoga system cannot be practiced by an ordinary man who has no attachment for Krishna, for it is a different system, and the topmost—Bhakti Yoga.
There are five types of direct attachment to God, and there are seven types of indirect attachment. Indirect attachment is not Bhakti. Direct attachment is called Bhakti. If you are attached to Krishna by the direct method, it is called devotional service, and if you are attached to Krishna by an indirect method, it is not devotional service. But that is also attachment. King Kansa, for example, was the maternal uncle of Krishna; and there was a warning that Kansa would be killed by one of his sisters’ sons. So he became very anxious about the sons of his sisters, and he decided to kill his sisters. Devaki, Krishna’s mother, was saved by her husband, Vasudeva, by a compromise. The Lord’s compromise was that He had Vasudeva propose to the brother-in-law: “You are afraid of the son of your sister. So your sister herself is not going to kill you.“ He requested, “Don’t kill your sister. Save her, and I promise that all the sons born of her will be brought to you, and if you like you can kill.“
Vasudeva did this in order that his poor wife might be saved. And Vasudeva thought, “When Devaki’s son is born, Kansa may have a change of heart.” But Kansa was such a great demon that he killed all the sons of Devaki. It was told that the eighth son of the sister would kill him. So, when Krishna was in the womb of His mother, Kansa was always thinking of Krishna. You may say that he was not Krishna conscious, but actually he was. Not directIy, not for love’s sake, but as an enemy. So, that is not devotional service. One in devotional service is Krishna conscious as Krishna’s friend, Krishna’s servant, or Krishna’s lover.
You may want Krishna as your lover, you may want Krishna as your Son, you may want Krishna as your Friend, you may want Krishna as your Master, you may want Krishna as the Supreme Sublime. These five different kinds of direct relationship with Krishna are called devotion, or Bhakti. They entail no material profit.
The concept of accepting God as a Son is superior to the concept of accepting God as a Father. There is a distinction. The relationship between father and son is that the son wants to take something from the father. The father’s relationship with the son is that the father always wants to give something to the son. Therefore, the relationship with God or Krishna as Son is better then the relationship with Krishna by one who thinks, “If I accept God as my Father, then my business will be to ask for my necessities from the Father.“ But, if I become the father of Krishna, then from the beginning of His Childhood, my business will be to serve Him. The father is the parent of the child from the very beginning of his birth: therefore the concept of Vasudeva and Devaki is so sublime.
Krishna’s foster mother Yasoda is thinking, ‘If I do not feed Krishna sumptuously, He will die.” She forgets that Krishna is the Supreme Lord, that He is sustaining the three worlds. She forgets that only one Lord is supplying the necessities of all the living entities. This same Personality of Godhead has become the Son of Yasoda, and she is thinking, “If I do not feed Him nicely, He will die.” This is love. She has forgotten that it is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Who has appeared before her as a little Child.
This relationship of attachment is very sublime. It requires time to understand, but there is a position where, instead of asking, “Oh God, please give us our daily bread,” you can instead think that God will die if you do not supply bread to Him. This is the ecstasy of extreme love. There is such a relationship between Krishna and His devotee Radharani, the greatest devotee, the greatest lover of Krishna. Mother Yasoda is His lover as a parent; Sudama is His lover as a friend; Arjuna also as a friend—there are millions and billions of different kinds of direct devotees of Krishna.
So the various Yoga systems lead to Bhakti Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga can be practiced by persons who have developed attachment to Krishna. Others cannot practice it. And, if anyone is able to develop that attachment, the relationship will be that he will understand God, Krishna, perfectly. However we may try to understand God by our different theories or speculations, it is still a difficult job. We may say that we have understood God, but it is not possible to understand Him as He is, because we have limited senses, and He is unlimited.
It is said in the Srimad Bhagwatam that our senses are imperfect, all of them. We cannot understand even the material world perfectly. You have seen so many planets and stars in the sky at night, but you do not know what they are. You do not even know what the moon planet is, though men have been trying for so many years to go there in sputniks. Even this one planet, Earth! We do not know what varieties there are even on this planet! If you go to the sea, to the sky, your perception is limited. Our knowledge is, therefore, always imperfect. On that we must agree. If we foolishly think that we have acquired all forms of knowledge, and we have advanced in science, this is another foolishness. It is not possible.
And, when it is not possible to understand even the material things which we daily see with our eyes, what can we say of the spiritual world and Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead? He is the Supreme Spiritual Form, and it is not possible to understand Him by our limited senses. Then why are we bothering so much for Krishna Consciousness, if it is not possible? If these imperfect senses cannot realize Krishna as He is? The answer is that, if you become submissive, if you develop the spiritual attitude of following Krishna, and you are as a servant or a friend, as a parent or as a lover—if you begin to give service to the Supreme Lord—then you can begin to know Him.
Your service begins with the tongue. How? By the tongue you can chant Hare Krishna, and by the tongue you can taste Krishna “Prasadam,“ spiritual food. So, the beginning of the process is very nice. You chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—and whenever Prasadam is offered to you by Krishna, by His kindness, you accept it. The result will be that—if you become submissive, and if you begin this service, chanting and eating Prasadam—Krishna will reveal Himself before you.
Knowing Krishna
You can’t understand Krishna by speculation; that is not possible, because your senses are imperfect. But if you begin this process of service, then it will be possible—one day Krishna will reveal to you: “I am like this,“ just as Krishna is revealing to Arjuna. Arjuna is a devotee, and he is submissive, and he is in contact with Krishna as a friend. Therefore Krishna is revealing to him.
The Bhagavad Gita was spoken to Arjuna—not to any Vedantist philosophical speculator. In the beginning of the Fourth Chapter, you will note that Krishna says, “I am speaking to you that ancient system of Yoga.” It is atated, “Unto you.” Arjuna was a Kshatriya, a fighter. He was a householder, not even a Sannyasi, not a renouncer—but these are no qualifications to understand Krishna. Then what is the qualification? This: “One who has developed the service spirit, with love and devotion, can understand Me.” No other. Not Dr. Radhakrishnan or similar great learned persons; but a child can understand Krishna, if he has full faith in Him. So faith and devotion qualify one.
Simply by such faith and service you will understand that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just as the writer is preaching Krishna Consciousness: he is not wasting your time or his own, because he is in full faith that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Theoretically or practically, you should accept Krishna, that He is the Supreme Person. Theoretically, there is the revealed scripture. You will understand from the Vedic literature, from the great devotees in the past and in the present.
For the present, there is Lord Chaitanya. Lord Chaitanya is the great authority. None is greater. He was mad after Krishna. And then, after Him, His six disciples, the Goswamis, have left us an immensely valuable literature—especially Jiva Goswami. They have written volumes on Krishna. So, under disciplic succession, we have come to this point; and if you like past history, then go back a long, long time to Vyasadeva. He is known to have written the Srimad Bhagwatam and other literature on Krishna. Srimad Bhagwatam is nothing but a description of Krishna. Vyasa is also the writer of The Bhagavad Gita. The Gita was spoken by Krishna, and noted down by Vyasa who put this Gita into the Mahabharata, his chronicle of events in the previous age of world history.
So Vyasadeva accepts Krishna as the Supreme Person. In the Srimad Bhagwatam he has given the description of the different incarnations—there are twenty-five of Them. And, in the conclusion, he says that the descriptions that are given of different incarnations are all parts of the representations of God. But Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. He is not part, but 100%—100% God. So, there is the evidence of authority.
And, practically, if we believe the “Shastras,” the scriptures, then we can see: Who can be more powerful than Krishna? Who can be more beautiful than Krishna? Who can be more famous than Krishna? Krishna appeared five thousand years ago, but His knowledge, which He gave in the form of The Bhagavad Gita, is still worshiped. It is worshiped not only by the Hindus or the Indians, but is read all over the world. In your country there are at least 50 different editions of The Bhagavad Gita, written by different men. Similarly, in England, in Germany, in France and in all other countries, you will find hundreds of editions of The Gita. So, who can be more famous?
There are many other evidences, if you believe in Shastra: that Krishna married 16,108 wives, and He provided each one of them with a big palace, and each one of them had 10 children, and from the 10 children there were many other children born. So we have the evidence of revealed scriptures; and in the Brahma Samhita also, Krishna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is a very old book, supposed to have been written by Brahma, the first living being in the universe.
In that Brahma Samhita it is said, “Iswara Parama Krishna.“ Iswara means God. There are many gods. It is said that there are many demigods, and there is the Supreme God. So Brahma Samhita says “Iswara Parama Krishna”—He is the God of gods. “Iswara Parama Krishna,” and then: “Sat-Chit-Ananda Vigraha”—and His body is eternal, and full of bliss and knowledge. And next: “Anadi”: He has no beginning, but He is the beginning of everyone. “Anadi gadi Govinda.“ Go means senses, Go means cow, and Go means land. So He is the Proprietor of all land, He is the Proprietor of all cows, and He is the Creator of all senses.
We are after sense pleasure, but our perfection of sense pleasure can be achieved only when we reciprocate our pleasure with Krishna. Therefore, His Name is Govinda, the Supreme Original Personality of Godhead.
The same Personality of Godhead spoke to Arjuna in The Gita. Personally, about Himself. How can you say that somebody, by his thinking, by speculation, can say something about God that is more important than what is being said by Krishna Himself? It is not possible. No one can speak better than Krishna about God, because God Himself is speaking. If you speak about yourself personally, who can say more than you? So, if you have faith, if you believe theoretically or practically in Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then, by the speeches that are delivered by Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita, you can understand God. There is no difficulty.
And, if you believe Krishna, then the result will be that you can understand God—how He is working, how His energies are acting, how He is manifesting, what is this material world, what is the spiritual world, what are the living creatures, what is their relationship—so many things are to be found in God’s literature.
The whole Vedic literature deals with three things: the first is your relationship with God; then, next, after you understand your relationship with God, how to act in the spiritual way. Just as a man or woman may not be related, but as soon as the relationship is established that one is husband and the other is wife, then the dealings begin.
Once they understand their relationship with God, people generally believe that God is the Father, and the son’s business is to ask father for whatever he needs. But that is really a lesser relationship. If you understand God perfectly, then there are intimate relationships also. Your intimate relationship will be revealed when you are perfectly liberated. Each and every living creature has a particular relationship with God, but we have, for now, forgotten. When that relationship is revealed in the process of devotional activities, or Krishna Consciousness, you will know that that is the perfection of your life. Krishna Consciousness is a great science, it is not a sentimental speculation regarding love. It is based on scientific propositions described in The Bhagavad Gita, in the Vedas and in the Brahma Samhita; and it is accepted by authorities like Lord Chaitanya, Ramanuja Acharya, Madhya Acharya, Narada, Asita, Vyasa—there are so many authorities. Krishna Consciousness is not an ordinary love-making or money-making business; it is reality, and if you stick to it seriously, your life will be perfect.
The Goal of Transcendental Meditation
In The Bhagavad Gita, the Sanskrit word “Mam” is frequently used. This word means “unto me.” Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead says, “unto Me”—Krishna. We cannot interpret this in a different way. When I say, “Bring me a glass of water,“ it means that I am the person in want of the glass of water, and if you supply to me and not to others, then it is right. When Krishna says, “unto Me,” that means Krishna. But philosophers are still interpreting—they say “unto something else.” Even grammatically this is wrong.
One who has developed attachment to Krishna is Krishna conscious. They say if you have attachment for your lover you always think of her. That is lover consciousness. It is natural. It is stated that a woman who has another lover besides her husband shows herself very attentive to her household duties, but is always thinking, “When shall my lover and I meet in the night?” This is an example: It is possible, in spite of our false engagement, if we love somebody, to think of him always. If materially it is possible, why not spiritually? That is the whole teaching of The Bhagavad Gita.
In The Gita Krishna says to Arjuna, “As a fighter you have to fight. You cannot step away from the fighting. It is your duty.“ Nowadays I have practical experience that the draft board of your country is calling for boys to join the army, but they are not willing. They are not willing because they are not trained as “Kshatriyas,“ warriors. They are trained as “Sudras“ laborers, or else as “Vaishyas,” businessmen. Therefore, the caste system is very scientific. A section of people should be trained as “Brahmins,” men of knowledge. Those who are intelligent enough in the society should be picked and trained in higher philosophical science. And those who are less intelligent than the Brahmins should be given military training. We require everything in society—not only military men. How can everyone be a military man? Because they are sending Sudras, ordinary workers, to Vietnam, these are unnecessarily being killed. Any country which is very proud of scientific advancement, and yet does not know how to organize its society, is a fool’s society.
Organization of Society
In The Bhagavad Gita Krishna says that there are four divisions of society: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra. That is natural. Some are inclined toward spiritual advancement, and these are the Brahmins. Now we are training boys who are spiritually inclined, and they are unnecessarily being forced into military service. The foolish have no knowledge that some boy is being trained up in higher science. Why should he be destroyed when he is being perfected? The intellectual persons, those boys who have brahminical qualifications, are restrained in Brahmacharya student life: they don’t take to meat-eating, they don’t take part in intoxication, they don’t take part in gambling, they don’t take part in illicit sex. They are being trained as complete Brahmins, the highest intellectuals, the most purified persons in society. If there is one Brahmin in a whole family, then the whole family—the whole society—becomes sanctified. But today they have no knowledge of how to train a Brahmin, or how to train a Kshatriya.
In the other fields of action, in the work of Sudras and Vaishyas, there is nice training. If anyone wants to be a businessman, there are colleges or technological schools. That’s very nice. But why should everyone be dragged into technology? Just as in your body: for proper maintenance we require the head, the arms, the belly and the legs. All these parts of the body are required. You cannot say, “We do not require the head.” That is nonsense—we require everything. Suppose there is a body without a head—it is a dead body. If the body is now intact but there is no head, it is called a dead body. The head is to be considered the intellectual part of the body. Similarly, if there is no Brahmin in the society, it is a dead body. If there is no spiritual man in the society, it is a dead society.
Therefore Krishna says, “I have created the four divisions of society, according to quality and work.” If someone is working as a Brahmachary (celibate) Brahmin, and has acquired the quality of understanding Krishna, the Supreme Lord, then why should he be called for army action? The arm of the body is the Kshatriya. Of course that is required: to protect the country, to protect the society, a military arrangement should be there. No one will disapprove. But not the Brahmins. It is putting a race horse before the work cart. A race horse is required for different purposes. The other beasts of burden—asses, mules and oxen—are required for pulling carts.
I say this frankly—everybody may read it—that any society where there are no spiritual persons or Krishna Consciousness is a rascal society, because it has no head. Where there is a headless man, there is a dead body. And if there is no brain, there is no head; if the brain is not working properly then he is a madman; if he has no head at all, then he is a dead man.
Do you think in a dead society or a mad society that there can be any peace ? No. If the society is full of madmen, then where is the question of peace? Therefore Krishna Consciousness is the most important study in present-day society. The men who are leading the society, the President and the Secretary of Defense should have the intelligence to understand this science of the soul.
The other day when I was coming to your country I met a secretary of the Japanese Government in Tokyo. I wanted to explain to him that he should cooperate with this movement, but he said, “Oh, we cannot co-operate with any religious movement.“ He is one of the chief secretaries of that Government, and he is such a fool. He is taking this movement as a religious movement, just like we have so many sentimental religions. But this is not sentimental. This is the necessity of society: that a class of men should be Krishna conscious. Otherwise the society is doomed, it is going to hell.
And, when such rascals are at the head of the government, how can there be peace? How can you expect peace in a dog’s society? The dogs are by nature howling—”Woof! Woof! Woof!” as soon as they see other dogs. So do you mean to say there will be peace if you turn human society into dog society, into cat society, into tiger society? The tiger is very powerful; he can kill many other animals. But does that mean he is a very important animal? No, he has no use in society. And now we are very powerful, and we have good weapons to fight with, and we can kill many people. But these are no qualifications for good men or good society.
We are not meant to manufacture a society of monkeys or tigers or asses—or rascals who work very hard. Do you mean to say a society of asses will derive any benefit from life? No.
Justice and Peace
For those who have developed an attraction to Krishna, attachment can be developed. Before my coming to the West, there was no movement like this Krishna Consciousness, but now it is developing. Krishna was not born in your country, you do not accept Krishna as your religious God. But Krishna is so attractive that, although you are a foreigner, you are not foreign. To Krishna you are not a foreigner. He claims everybody. We make Him foreign, but this is our foolishness.
In The Gita Krishna says, “My dear Arjuna, there are many different forms and different species of life undoubtedly. But I am their Father.” Just see how Krishna is universal. He is claiming not only human society, but animal society, bird society, beast society—everyone. He says, “I am the Father.” So how can Krishna be foreign? It is a mental concoction. They say Krishna is Indian or Krishna is worshiped by the Hindus, and therefore He is one of the Hindu gods; and they think that Krishna is saying, “Yes I am the Hindu God, yes, I am Indian.“ But He is like the Sun: if you say it is an American Sun, that’s wrong. The Sun is the Sun. Why American Sun or Indian? Nothing is American or Indian; that is all artificial.
“This planet belongs to the humans, that’s all.” This is your Communism. This present Communism is defective because the Russians say that Russia is for the Russians or China is for the Chinese. Why not for others? Just think in terms of human communism! Why human communism? Living being communism! If you take this world as belonging to human society, that is defective. It belongs to everyone ! It belongs to the tree community, it belongs to the beast community. They also have a right to live. Why should you cut the trees? Why should you send the bulls to the slaughterhouse? This is injustice. How can you gain justice by yourself doing injustice?
We have no Krishna Consciousness. We do not know that Krishna is the original Father, and that we are all His sons. The tree is my brother, the ant is my brother, the bull is my brother. The American is my brother, the Indian is my brother, the Chinese is my brother. Therefore we have to develop Krishna Consciousness. We talk all this nonsense of universal brotherhood and the United Nations—all nonsense. Either you acknowledge the Father, or else you have no idea of how to realize brotherhood or humanity. Therefore, they are talking for years and years. They are the same fools. Can’t you see the U. N.? They have headquarters in New York. They are simply talking nonsense, that’s all. That is their business. So unless there is full Krishna Consciousness, there cannot be any improvement of the world condition.
Krishna says that you have to develop your attachment for Him. Begin at the beginning, but you can do it; it is not artificial. I have a few sincere students here, just developing; they are not complete, but they are developing Krishna attachment. Otherwise, why should they waste their time chanting Hare Krishna? They are doing it, and it can be done. You can develop love for anything if you try for it. But Krishna development is very natural. Because Krishna is not a thing belonging to a particular type of religion or sect. Krishna claims, “I belong to everyone.” Therefore, originally, we were all connected with Krishna, but we have simply forgotten. This process of chanting is to evoke your remembrance of Krishna. It is not that we are inducting something artificial into you. No, Krishna is already connected with you, but you have forgotten. And we are trying to give you the process—how you can revive your original consciousness. So you can come to our temple; that is the beginning. You can see Krishna or Krishna’s devotees, you can chant Hare Krishna.
Krishna is not different from His Name because He is Absolute. He is non-different from His words. The Name Krishna and the Person Krishna are not different. Because everything is Krishna.
Oneness, the philosophy of monism or pantheism, is imperfect. When that Oneness comes in understanding Krishna, that is perfection. If Krishna is the Supreme Absolute Truth from Whom everything is emanating, then everything is Krishna. Just as you have a gold mine and you are preparing so many golden utensils and ornaments and many other things. But they are all gold because the original is gold. So you may name it “earring,” but you have to add “gold”—golden earring. You may name it “necklace,” but it is gold, because originally it came from the gold mine. Similarly, originally, everything is coming from Krishna.
If He is Supreme, the Absolute Truth, then nothing is different from Him. Just as, whether you say earring or necklace or bangle or wristwatch, these are all made of gold, and so they are gold. But, at the same time, you cannot say that this is all gold—you must say, “this is a gold necklace, this is a gold earring.” The “Mayavadi,” or impersonalist, will say that everything is Brahman. But “everything is Brahman” is not right.
This is very nicely explained in The Gita, in the Thirteenth Chapter: “I am expanded all over. That is My impersonal feature.“ Krishna is everywhere in His impersonal feature, but still He is a Person. The Mayavadi philosopher thinks that if Krishna has become everything, then where is the possibility of Krishna here, apart? This is complete rascaldom, because it is thinking in a material way, and there is no spiritual knowledge.
In the material way, suppose you take a piece of paper and tear it into particles and throw it all over. The original paper has no existence. This is material. But we get information from the Vedas that the Absolute Truth is so perfect that if you take away the whole, still the whole remains. One minus one equals one. The material way of thinking is one minus one equals zero; but spiritually it is not like that. Spiritually, one minus one equals one, and one plus one equals one also.
Krishna is everything. The Mayavadis, the impersonalists, see our deities here and say, “Oh, they have installed some wooden forms and they are worshiping them as God.” But one who knows Krishna science understands that Krishna is everything; and therefore He can appear in everything. With electricity, the current is everywhere along the line, so wherever you touch you will feel it. Similarly, the Krishna current in His impersonal Form is everywhere, and it is the technician who knows how to use the force. Before we have a phone installed, we have a telephone conversation, and we simply inform the person, before we even talk money, that he should come immediately to find out where the connection can be made. And he comes out and does his work; and we do not notice, because he knows the technique. So, one must know how to connect with Krishna. Krishna is everywhere—this is Krishna Consciousness. But one must know how he can derive Krishna from the features of Krishna’s form in wood or iron or metal.
Everywhere you have to learn how to contact Krishna, in everything. That is explained in the system of Yoga. Krishna Cosciousness is also Yoga, the perfect Yoga, the highest of all yogic aystems. A yogi may come and we can challenge him, saying that this is the top Yoga system, though at the same time it is very simple. You don’t have to exercise your body over a period of weeks before you feel some power. But in Krishna Consciousness you won’t feel tired. All of our students are simply anxious to be overloaded with work in Krishna Consciousness. “Swamiji, what can I do?” And they are actually doing it. In the material world, if you work for some time you’ll feel weak.
Of course, I am not exercising myself. I am an old man of 72 years. I was ill, I went back to India, but I want to work. Actually, I could retire from all these activities, but so far as I can, I want to work, I want to learn day and night. At night I will work with the dictaphone, and I am sorry if I cannot work. It is not an idle society. No, we have sufficient engagements: editing papers, selling papers.
Simply find out how Krishna conscious you can be. If you want to be really at peace, if you want to be happy, then develop Krishna Cosciousness. And the beginning is to develop attachment for Krishna. The process which we have prescribed is chanting and dancing before the deities, and offering “Prasadam,” spiritual food. This will make you more Krishna conscious.
Yoga Process
The Yoga system as it is described in The Bhagavad Gita is different from the bogus Yoga system which is going on in the West these days. The Yoga systems which have been introduced into the West by so-called yogis are not bona fide. Yoga is difficult: the first thing is to control the senses. That is the position of the yogi: he is not allowed to indulge in sex life. If you indulge in intoxication, if you indulge in meat eating, and if you indulge in gambling and sporting—all nonsense—you cannot at the same time become a yogi. I was astonished when a yogi came here, having advertised in India that you can be a yogi even though you may be addicted to drinking. This is not the Yoga system. This is not standard. You can call it Yoga, but it is not the standard Yoga system.
The Yoga system is especially difficult for this age. In the Srimad Bhagwatam we understand that yogic transcendental meditation means to concentrate one’s attention on the Superself, Vishnu. He is situated in your heart. And, in order to concentrate your attention, you have to control the senses. The senses are working just like enfuriated horses. If you cannot control the horses of your carriage, it will be dangerous. Just imagine that you are seated in a carriage and your horses are so furious that they are dragging you to hell. Then what is your position?
The Yoga system means to control these senses. The senses are also compared to serpents: The serpent does not know who is its friend and who is its enemy. It bites anyone. And, as soon as the serpent bites, the result is death. Similarly, if the uncontrolled senses work in their own way, then you should know that you are in a dangerous position.
It has been said that, when one becomes too sensuous, he loses his temper, he loses his identity, he forgets himself. Enfuriated by the senses, a man will attack even his children, even his daughter. Therefore, for those who are advancing in spiritual life—not only for them but for everyone—the Shastra, the scripture, says that you should not sit in a secluded place even with your mother, even with your daughter or your sister. Why? Because the senses are so strong that if they become enfuriated, you will forget whether she’s mother, sister or daughter.
You may say that this may be true only for some foolish persons, but Shastra says no—you should not sit in a secluded place even with your mother, sister or daughter, because the senses are so strong that, even though you may be very moral, you may still be attracted by sex.
Our position in this world, our suffering in this world, is due to the body. This body is the cause of all miseries, and the ultimate goal of life should be to get out of this material body, and be situated in the spiritual body. This is a foreign atmosphere. The soul is free spiritually, but it has been conditioned by this material atmosphere. And the body is of this matter.
A human being is fit to enquire as to whether I am this body or something else. This can be understood very easily. I am not this body, because at the time of death the body remains—although everyone cries, “Oh, the poor man is gone !” The man is lying there. Why do you say he is gone? He is lying there. At that time, we can come to our senses, that the body is not the man. The real man is gone. The childhood body is changed to the youthful body, and the childhood body is gone. Similarly, the boyhood body is gone, and you’ll have to accept a body like mine an old man’s body.
The body is changing. Not only year after year, but at every second the body is changing. Still, you are situated there. This is very simple to understand. And because the body is there, we are suffering. Everyone is trying to get out of suffering, in any field of action: in the economic field, in the political field, or any field of activity, social or national, everyone is trying to get out of misery. There is no other activity. Either nationally or socially, individually or collectively—we are all suffering, and this suffering is due to the body.
Yoga means to enquire, What am I? If I am not this body, then what am I? I am pure soul. Now, if my bodily activities or sensual activities are incorrect, I will not be able to understand myself. Therefore, the purpose of Yoga is to understand oneself—what I am—and The Bhagavad Gita says that we are all grand fools. Why fools? Since we have this body, we are fools. If somebody invites you to come to his apartment, but you know it is full of danger, do you think you would like to go there? “Oh no,” you will say. “I am not going there. If it is full of danger, why shall I go?” Similarly, don’t you think that the body is full of danger? Then, why are you going there, taking repeated birth? When you are flying in a plane, you are always fearful that there may be a crash. And what is this crashing? It is due to the body. The soul cannot be affected by crashes. But you are always afraid.
The soul is ever-existing, and the body will not exist. And because you are existing and the soul has accepted the non-existing body, therefore you suffer.
The problem, then, is how to get out, just as you try to get out of a fever. The fevered condition is not your permanent life. Permanent life is enjoyment, but due to the fever you cannot enjoy life. When you are sick you cannot go out, you have to rest and take so many medicines and formulas. But we don’t want that—”Why should I be a sick person?” But you are diseased. Similarly, we should always know that this bodily conditional stage of the pure soul is a diseased condition. And anyone who does not understand this truth, that “I am pure soul,” is defeated in all his activities.
Lord Jesus Christ taught like that: If you lose your soul and gain the whole world, what do you gain? People do not know what they are, and yet they work just like madmen. Just see, all these people are working, and they are madmen. They are not Americans or Indians, Germans or Japanese. They are nothing of the kind. They have been given a chance to come to this naughty place, this Earth; and so, being born in a particular place they have a particular kind of body—and they are mad after that.
Liberation
The Bhagavad Gita says that, just as we change our outer garments, so this body is changed. Transcendental meditation means the yogic process of getting out of this material embodiment. Just as you are repeating changes of dress, so you are repeating birth and death, and this is the cause of your miseries. If you do not understand this, then all your activities end in defeat.
Yoga means to get out of this embodiment, and it means to know oneself. This body is born of the parents. Similarly, as pure soul, you are also the source of its birth. We do not mean birth beginning historically from a certain day, and ending on a certain day. No; the soul is not like that—it has no beginning, and it has no end. But in The Bhagavad Gita it is said that the soul is part and parcel of God: God is eternal, God is full of joy and bliss. The position of the Absolute Person, the Godhead, is Sat-Chit-Ananda Vigraha: full of bliss, eternal, and full of knowledge. And, because we are also part and parcel of the Supreme, we have partial blissfulness, eternity, and we are full of knowledge—according to our infinitesimal size.
The human beings are understood to be the most intelligent of all living creatures, but they are misusing their intelligence. How? They are misusing their intelligence by devoting it to the animal propensities. These animal propensities are: eating, sleeping, mating and fearing. You can analyze the trend of modern civilization: everyone is busy with these four principles of animal life. They are sleeping and creating some cushions for comfortable sleep. They are creating palatable dishes for the eating propensity. They are exciting sex very nicely, for the mating necessity. And they are defending their country with so many atom bombs—that is the fear propensity.
But these symptoms you will find among the animals. They are also sleeping according to their own ways, and they are defending. You can kill your enemy, or he can kill you, but there is actually no defense. You cannot defend yourself; wherever you drop the bomb, it will hurt you, due to nuclear radiation. So this is not the solution of your problems. The solution of your problems is to get out of the conditioned state of life. That is called Yoga—to link yourself to the Supreme.
There is a Supreme. This material Creation is so nice—don’t you think there is a Friend behind it? The sky is so beautiful, the foodstuff is being produced, the Sun is rising in due course, the Moon is rising in due course, supplying heat for your health, supplying heat to the planetary systems. Everything is arranged very nicely, and yet the fools say there is no brain behind it; it is all happening automatically.
The fact is that there is God, Krishna, and we are all parts and parcels of Krishna. We have been conditioned in some way or other in this material atmosphere. But now we have this human form of life, and so we have to get out of the entanglement. But getting out is not possible. You cannot get out of the entanglement of the material body unless you develop your Krishna Consciousness. Krishna Consciousness is not artificial—don’t think that. This International Society of ours is not another political tool. This is the greatest necessity of the human being. Krishna Consciousness, God consciousness, is there within you. Don’t you find, when there is a Kirtan performance, that the more innocent a person is, the sooner he begins to chant and dance? Immediately, the child begins to clap, begins to dance. This is within them; and it is very simple, this Krishna Consciousness.
So, unless you develop Krishna Consciousness, there is no rescue from the entanglement of conditioned life. This you have to understand. This is not some sentiment. No, it is a great science. You have to understand it nicely. Then the human form of life will be successful, and otherwise it is defeated. You may become a very great nation, but that is not the solution to the problem of life.
By the grace of Krishna, I am able to serve you with my life’s energy. I left the United States in 1967 in poor health; but life and death—everything—depends on Krishna. I thought, Let me go back to Vrindaban, because Vrindaban is a sanctified place where Krishna Consciousness is very strong. I thought that I might go there and die in Krishna Consciousness. Of course, if you are always in the atmosphere of Krishna Consciousness, then here also you can have Vrindaban. Vrindaban is not a particular place that is called Vrindaban. Krishna says, “It is not that I live in the Kingdom of God, Vaikuntha; nor is it that I live in the heart of the yogi.“ The yogi wants to find out where Krishna is within the heart. But Krishna says, “I am not in the abode in the spiritual sky, nor am I in the heart of the yogi.” Then where are You? Krishna says, “I stay where My pure devotees are chanting My glories.” That is Vrindaban.
So, if that is Vrindaban, then I am there. There is no difference. Wherever there is electric light, there is electricity. It is naturally understood. Similarly, wherever there is Krishna Consciousness, it is Vrindaban. We can create Vrindaban by the mercy of Krishna, if we chant Hare Krishna. Perfect this Krishna Cosciousness, try to understand the philosophy behind it. It is a science, not a bluff. We can speak from any angle of vision.
Krishna Consciousness is the great necessity of human society. Learn it and appreciate it, comprehend and assimilate it—and teach it. It is very simple. If you offenselessly chant Hare Krishna, everything will be revealed from within. Because Krishna is sitting within you. If you are strong and have faith and conviction in Krishna, as well as the spiritual master—the transparent medium to Krishna—then Krishna is there. The Vedas say that if you have implicit faith in God and implicit faith in your bona fide Guru who teaches you Krishna Consciousness, then the result will be that all the Vedic scriptures will be revealed authoritatively.
The process is spiritual; it does not require any material qualifications. The speculators who are not realized souls are covered in delusion, and are simply wasting their time. Whatever they may do in their official class, they remain the same foolish rascals. But our Krishna conscious students will feel a change in their lives, a change in happiness—and a change in youth, also This is reality.
I shall request you, my dear young girls and boys, to take to Krishna Consciousness very seriously, and you will be happy, your life will be perfected It will be the sublime addition to your life. It is not a bluff. I have not come here to collect some money. Money is supplied by Krishna. I am going back and forth to India—not only I but my students as well—and for a rich man there would be many expenditures. It would cost $10,000 for such trips. But our business is Krishna, and He will supply. I do not know where the money comes from, but Krishna supplies. In Krishna Consciousness, you will be happy. You are the young generation, you are the flower of your country and society. Practice Krishna Cosciousness, this most sublime system of transcendental meditation. Be happy and make others happy. This is the real mission of life.
Identity and Meditation
The Bhagavad Gita says that out of many thousands of human beings, one may try to make perfection of his life. Man is an animal, but he has one special prerogative, rational thought. What is that rational thought? Reasoning power, argument. Now, reasoning power is there in dogs and cats as well. Suppose a dog comes up to you; if you say, “Hut!”—he’ll understand. The dog will understand that you don’t want him. So, he has some reasoning power. But what is the special reasoning power of the human being?
So far as the bodily necessities are concerned, the reasoning power is there even in the animal. If a cat wants to steal some milk from your kitchen, she has very nice reasoning power: she is always looking to see when the master is out and she can take. So, for the four propensities of animal life eating, sleeping, mating and defending—there is reasoning power even in the beasts. Then, what is the special reasoning power of the human being, by which he is called THE rational animal?
The special reasoning power is to inquire, “Why am I suffering?” This is special reasoning. The animals are suffering. But human beings are making scientific advancement and philosophical advancement, cultural advancement, religious advancement—progress in so many lines—because they want to be happy. “Where is the point of happiness?” This reasoning power is especially given to the human being. Therefore, in The Gita, Krishna says, “Out of many men, one may know Me.”
Generally, the people are just like animals. They simply do not know anything beyond the necessities of the body: how to eat, how to sleep, how to mate and how to defend. And The Bhagavad Gita says, out of many thousands, somebody may develop this reasoning power: “Why am I suffering?” He asks this question: “Why am I suffering?” I do not want to suffer, but suffering is forced upon me. Suppose I do not want too much cold—but too much cold and too much heat are forced upon us.
When there is some impetus to awaken this reasoning power, it is called “Brahma Jijnasa.” This is found in the Vedanta Sutra. The first verse says that now, this human form of life, is meant for asking the question of how to solve the problem of suffering.
So Krishna says that this special prerogative of the human being awakens not very easily, except by some association. Just as we have this Krishna conscious association. If we attain such association, where nice things are discussed, then that awakening of reason—that special prerogative of the human being—will come. So long as this question does not arise in one’s mind, he should understand that whatever activities he is doing will all lead to his defeat. He is simply leading an animal life. But, not when these questions arise: Why am I suffering? What am I? Am I meant for suffering? Am I meant for troubles?
I am undergoing troubles by Nature’s laws and by the state’s laws. So the question of freedom is how to become free from all these troubles. The Vedanta Sutra also says that the soul—my actual self—is by nature joyful. Yet, I am suffering. Lord Krishna further says that when these questions arise, gradually one comes to God. Those who have awakened to these questions are said to be on the path of perfection. And, when the question of God and our relationship with God comes, that is our final perfection of life.
Now, Krishna says that out of many thousands of people one may try to make perfection of this life; and out of many millions of such persons on the path of perfection, only one may understand Krishna. So understanding Krishna is not very easy. But it is also the easiest. It is not easy, but at the same time it is the easiest. It is the easiest if you follow the prescribed forms.
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has introduced this chanting of Hare Krishna. He has not exactly introduced it; it is in the scriptures. But He has especially propagated this formula. In this age this is the easiest method of self realization. Simply chant Hare Krishna. It can be done by everyone. In my classroom, I am perhaps the only Indian. So, it is imported from India, but that does not mean it is Indian. My students are all Americans, they are taking part in the chanting very nicely, chanting and dancing. That means that, in any country, in any place, this thing can be performed. Therefore it is the easiest. You may not understand the philosophy of The Bhagavad Gita. That is also not very difficult; but still, if you think that you cannot understand, you can still chant very easily: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna.
If we want to understand God, Krishna, this is the beginning. The easiest beginning—simply chanting. Now, there are many students of my ISKCON institution. This institution is open a little over a year, but some of the students, by simply chanting, by the Grace of Krishna, have advanced in such a way that they can talk about the science of God, and they will very easily answer those human questions. So, this is the easiest method of transcendental meditation.
Krishna says that out of many millions of people, one may understand Him. But, by the chanting of this Hare Krishna as introduced by Lord Chaitanya—chanting and dancing—you can understand Krishna within a very short time. Knowledge begins not from Krishna, but from things which we are accustomed to see every day.
Advancement in Knowledge
Land is gross. If you touch it, you can feel its hardness. But, as soon as the land becomes still finer, it is water, and the touch is soft. And then again, from water to fire, still finer. After fire or electricity the air is still finer; and after air, the sky, ether, is finer still. Beyond ether, the mind is still finer; and beyond the mind, intelligence is still finer. And, if you go beyond intelligence to understand the soul, it is finer still.
From these elements people have discovered so many sciences. There are many scientists, for example, who are soil experts; they can say, by analyzing a particular type of earth, what kind of minerals are there. Somebody seeks out oil, somebody seeks out gold, somebody seeks out mica—so many things. This is knowledge of gross things—the earth. If you go to finer substances, then you study water, or liquid things, such as petrol and alcohol. Go still finer, and from water you will go to fire and electricity. If you study electricity, you have to study all sorts of books. And, from this finer fire, you will come to air. We have so much advancement in our airplanes; we are studying how they move, how they are made—now sputniks and jets—so many things are being discovered.
Next comes the study of the ethereal: electronics, ethereal transformations from one thing to another. Then, finer still, is the mind—psychology and psychiatry. But for intelligence, rationalism, there is only a little philosophical speculation. And what about the soul? Is there any science of the soul? The materialists have none. Material science has advanced to the study of ether, or the mind and intelligence, but there is no advancement beyond that. Beyond intelligence, they do not know what exists. But in The Bhagavad Gita you can find this.
The Bhagavad Gita begins at the point after intelligence. When Arjuna was perplexed at the outset, his intelligence was perplexed—whether to fight or not to fight. Krishna begins The Gita from the point where intelligence fails. How does knowledge of the soul begin? It is just like a child playing. You can understand this child’s body is now so small, but one day this child will be grown up, like you or me. But the same soul will continue. So, by intelligence, you can understand that though the body is changed, the soul is there. The same soul which was existing in the body of the child is still continuing in the body of the old man. Therefore the soul is permanent, and only the body has changed. This is a very easy thing to understand. And the last change of this body is death.
As at every moment, every second, every day, every hour, the body is changing, so the last change is when one cannot act with the body, and so he has to take another one. Just as, when my cloth is too worn out or old, I cannot put it on; I have to take a new cloth. It is similar with the soul. When the body is too old or unworkable, I have to change to another body. This is called death.
This is the beginning of The Gita, when the preliminary knowledge of the soul is there. And you wil find that there are only a few who can understand the existence of the soul as permanent, and of the body as changeable. Therefore Bhagavan, Lord Krishna, says that, out of many, many millions of people, one may understand it. But still, the knowledge is there. If you want to understand it, it is not difficult. You can understand it.
Ego
Now, we should inquire into the existence of the ego, the finest material substance. What is ego? I am pure soul, but with my intelligence and mind I am in contact with matter, and I have identified myself with matter—and this is false ego. I am pure soul, but I am identifying falsely. For example, I am identifying with the land, thinking that I am Indian, or that I am American. This is called “Ahamkar.” Ahamkar means the point where the pure soul touches matter. That junction is called Ahamkar. Ahamkar is still finer than intelligence.
Krishna says that these are the eight material elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. False ego meas false identification. Our nescient life has begun from this false identification—thinking that I am this matter, although I am seeing every day, at every moment, that I am not this matter. Study your own child, and you will see that the soul is not matter. Soul is permanently existing, while matter is changing. This misconception, this illusion, is called Ahamkar, false ego. And your liberation means when you are out of this false ego. What is that status? “Aham Brahmasmi.” I am Brahman, I am spirit. That is the beginning of liberation.
Of course, one may be suffering from disease, from fever, and the temperature may come down to normal, 98.6 degrees. So he is now normal, but that is not the cure. Suppose for two days he has a 98.6 degree temperature, but with a slight change of diet, a slight change of behavior, the temperature rises immediately to 100. Relapse. Similarly, simply understanding, simply purifying the mind, rejecting this false Ahamkar identification—I am not this body, I am not this matter; I am soul—this is not liberation. It is only the beginning of liberation. If you stick to this point, and continue—just as you might continue your activities and keep your temperature at 98.6 degrees—then you are a healthy man.
For example, in the West now there is some propaganda for taking intoxication. The people want to forget the bodily existence. But how long will you forget? There will be a relapse. You can forget for one hour or two, by intoxication, and think that I am not this body. But unless you are actually on the platform of understanding yourself by knowledge, it is not possible to continue. Still, everyone is trying to think, “I am not this body.” Because they have experience that, by bodily identification, they are suffering so much, and so, “If only I could forget my bodily identification!“
This is only a negative conception. When you actually realize yourself, that “I am Brahman,” simply understanding Brahman will not do. You have to engage yourself in the activities of Brahman. Otherwise you will fall down. Simply flying very high is no solution to the problem of going to the Moon. Even if you go 25 million miles, still you are limited. So this will not do. If you at all want to go high, you must have shelter. If you can take rest there, then you cannot fall down. But if you have no rest, then you will have to fall down. The airplane goes so high, seven miles, eight miles up from the Earth, but it comes down immediately.
So, simply understanding Ahamkar meas no more than understanding the false identification. Simply understanding that I am not matter, I am soul, is not perfection. The impersonalist, the Void philosopher, simply thinks of the negative, that I am not this matter, I am not this body. This will not stay. You have to not only realize that you are not matter, but you have to engage yourself in the spiritual world. And that spiritual world means to be working in Krishna Consciousness. That spiritual world, that functioning of our real life, is Krishna Cosciousness.
False ego I have already explained. It is neither matter nor spirit, but the junction—where the spirit soul comes into contact with matter, and forgets himself. It is just as, in delirium, a man is diseased and his brain becomes puzzled, and gradually he forgets himself and becomes a madman. He is gradually forgetting. So there is the beginning of loss, and there is one point where he forgets. That beginning point is called Ahamkar, or false ego.
Transcendental meditation, chanting the Maha Mantra—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—is the process not merely of putting an end to this false conception of the self, but goes beyond that, to the point where the pure spirit soul engages in his eternal, blissful, all-knowing activities in the loving service of God. This is the height of conscious development, the ultimate goal of all living entities now evolving through the cycles and species of material Nature.
Two Poems by Bhaktivinode Thakur
Two Poems by Bhaktivinode Thakur
A Poem on the Passing of Thakur Haridas
He reasons ill who says that Vaishnavas die
When thou art living still in Sound!
The Vaishnavas die to live and living try
To spead the holy life around!
Invoking the Name of Krishna
O when will that day be mine,
When, my offenses ceasing,
The relish for the Holy Name,
Will be communicated to my heart
By the power and mercy of the Name?
Deeming myself more lowly than the blade of grass,
Summoning in my heart the quality of patience,
Offering honor to all, desiring none for myself,
When shall I taste the essence
Of the Rasa of the Name?
Wealth, following, the beautiful maid of poesy,
I shall not ask from thee for making me happy.
May Thou, O Gaura Hari, give me at every birth,
Causeless devotion to Thy Feet!
In articulating the Name of Sri Krishna,
The hairs of my body will be startled,
My voice will grow thick,
Pallor and shivering will manifest themselves,
And tears constantly overflow my eyes.
O when at Nabadwip by the bank of the celestial stream,
Guilelessly calling upon the Names of Gaura and Nityananda,
Shall I roam about—running, dancing, singing,
Giving up all thoughts, like one mad!
O when will Nityananda out of pity
Free me from the temptations of the world,
Afford me the shade of His Own Feet,
And give me access to the congregation
Of the chant of the Holy Name?
When shall I secure and gather the Rasa
Of the Name of Hari,
Be overwhelmingly intoxicated with the Rasa
of the Name,
And by touching the feet of those immersed
In the Rasa of the Name,
Be constantly plunged into the luscious Rasa
of the Name of Hari?
O when will my compassion for all fallen souls manifest itself?
And forgetting my own pleasures, with a lowly heart,
By the method of humble persuasion, this Bhaktivinode,
Will set out to preach the Divine Command!
Devotion and Rationalism
Devotion and Rationalism
By Hanumanprasad Poddar
Mr. Poddar is widely known for his beneficial work as Controlling Editor of India’s leading religious magazine, KALYANA KALPATARU, and is the motivating force behind the renowned Gita Press.
Gross rationalism is the order of the day, and to raise one’s voice against the same may be regarded as a betrayal of thickheadedness. To those of my readers, however, who have a devotional temperament, I venture to submit with great humility my views on the subject, which are directly concerned with the path of Devotion. By opposing rationalism I should not be misunderstood as totally denouncing reason. Wisdom consists in making use of reason, which is essential for devotion; but, in the event of our reasoning faculty developing to such an extent that it may give rise to wrong notions in our mind and sap the vital fluid of reverence for sacred things, a wise devotee would do well to bid adieu to such reason, and fall back upon faith.
By “gross” rationalism I mean sophistical or perverse reasoning, which is a great hindrance on the path of Devotion. An excess of reasoning in spiritual culture involves greater risk of fall than blind faith. Those who are given to reasoning, squander away the most valuable time of their lives in hairsplitting. They cannot remain steadfast in any spiritual discipline whatsoever. Those, however, who are equipped with faith utilize their time in traversing a considerable distance of their journey towards their destination.
Ramakrishna Paramhansa used to repeat a parable in this connection: Two friends visited a mango grove. One of them busied himself in taking measurements, counting the number of trees comprised therein and assessing its value, while the other sat down and began to enjoy the very best mangoes, with the permission of the keeper of the grove. Now let us decide who is the wiser of the two—the man who kept himself busy in counting the trees or he who ate the mangoes. Reason tells us that the latter is undoubtedly the wiser, inasmuch as be chooses the substance and derives satisfaction. Similarly, it is by betaking oneself to God with a devout heart that one secures genuine bliss.
Truth cannot be realized by unremitting study of the Scriptures, by passing examinations, testing scholarly knowledge, by dint of intellectual power, or by outwitting unsophisticated folk in verbal jugglery by enmeshing them in the cobweb of sophistry. The subtle reason which is necessary for investigating truth cannot be had by reasoning: it can be had only with the help of pure faith flowing from a guileless heart and by surrendering oneself to the Lord; for the divine faculty can be attained by Divine Grace only. To quote the words of the Lord Himself, the following are eligible for obtaining such faculty from the Lord:
Those who have their mind fixed on Me alone, who have dedicated their very lives to Me, who talk of Me at every moment, trying to edify one another, who are ever contented and pleased,
On those ever united (with Me) and remembering Me with love I am pleased to confer that intellectual equipment by means of which they are enabled to reach Me. (Gita 10.9–10)
It is this intellectual equipment that we should verily acquire. That is the supreme art and the highest science. For without it we can never grasp the real truth, and without comprehending the real truth we cannot secure supreme happiness. We may feel gratified to think that the promotion of arts and crafts and the progress of scientific discoveries and inventions have advanced our material welfare; but what is the value of this welfare in our mortal existence? Death is bound to come and with it the extinction of all earthly happiness and prosperity as something belonging to dream-life. No amount of technical and scientific knowledge can arm us against the horrible pangs of death. A holy man was once pleased to narrate a parable in this connection, which is reproduced below:
Once upon a time a young man who had just finished his education and had acquired proficiency in several arts and sciences was crossing a stream by means of a boat. He looked at the azure sky and asked the boatman whether he knew astronomy. “No,” said the boatman, “I have never heard this name.” The youth observed that the boatman had wasted a quarter of his life, and pitied his lot. Not long afterwards the youth came in sight of beautiful green fields and trees rich with foliage on the banks of the river, and enquired of the boatman if he had a knowledge of Botany. The boatman again replied in the negative, on which the young man remarked that he had recklessly wasted half of his life if he had not learnt Botany. The young man then gazed on the swift-running stream and asked the boatman if he knew Mathematics. To this the boatman again gave a negative reply, adding that he did not know even the rudiments of a science, and that he made his living on rowing. The youth took him to be a damned idiot and spoke to him scornfully thus:
“What do you know about these sciences, a fool as you are? You have wasted three-quarters of your life.”
While the conversation was thus going on, a furious storm came up all of a sudden. The waters of the river rose high, the boat began to toss about and was in no time filled with water. Seeing danger ahead, the boatman jumped into the water and began to swim. The young man, who could not swim in spite of all his scientific knowledge, now realized the seriousness of the situation, his own helplessness, and the futility of his versatile knowledge, and the words “God! save me!” escaped from his lips even against his will. The boatman, while swimming, asked him whether he did not know swimming. The young man piteously replied that he did not.
The boatman felt great sympathy for the young man and said, “Indeed, I am very sorry for you. Your whole life has been wasted. Please remember the Lord now.”
Just as one who does not know swimming cannot but be drowned when left to himself in water, however proficient he may be in the various arts and sciences, so no amount of secular education or learning can enable us to cross the ocean of worldly existence, which is full of misery. It is therefore futile and foolish to pride on these. The goal of human life is to learn that art and acquire that proficiency which can enable us to cross the unfortunate ocean of metempsychosis, and to secure everlasting freedom from the pinching bonds of sins and afflictions, grief and doubt, disease and death; and this cannot be acquired by reasoning. Subtle reason or the higher form of devotion is that art. By this alone can one fully realize the essence of truth of the Divine Principle and secure immunity from afflictions.
Reasoning or intellectual power alone cannot enable one to apply one’s mind to devotion. In fact, devotion is not capable of being put to the test of reason. Mahatma Gandhi, while writing on the glories of the Divine Name in one of the old numbers of the KALYANA observed that the greatness of the Divine Name cannot be proved by reason; it can only be realized by means of faith. He is perfectly right in saying so. When even the greatness of the Divine Name cannot be conceived by reason, how ridiculous it is to seek to know God, whose Maya (enrapturing power) makes the world appear totally different from what it really is, by means of intellect or reasoning. The fact that a particular individual cannot prove the existence of God by means of reasoning does not negate His existence. However much man may take pride in disproving God, engrossed as man is in sensuous pleasures, his intellect clouded by infatuation; however much he may prattle and pride on his intellectual capacity, his doing so cannot make any difference in the existence and perpetuity of God. Of course, one who is proud of his intellectual powers and is infatuated by the charms of Maya is carried away far from the possibility of realizing the truth. It is futile to endeavour to bring round those who regard God as disproved, even though His existence is patent at every step. They will not be persuaded to believe in Him even if He were to appear in Person before them. When Lord Sri Krishna manifested His wonderful Universal Form in the Court of King Dhritarashtra and kept the whole assemblage spell-bound, Duryodhana, due to his captious nature, refused to believe in His divinity. Besides this, God does not feel the necessity of convincing the dialecticians of His existence by appearing before them in Person. They alone are able to realize Him through His Grace who betake themselves to the Lord with reverence and naive faith. It has been well said by Goswami Tulasidas:
He alone is able to know You to whom You make Yourself known.
The incredulous who give undue importance to their reasoning faculty, dismiss the revelations of devotees from Prahlada and Dhruva down to Tulasidas, Suradas, Mira, Narasi, Chaitanya and others of the mediaeval times as fictitious. To these people they are the outcome of the wild imagination of dreaming poets or stories concocted by the blind followers and admirers of the devotees themselves. For them it is just like that. The existence of God is a fact realized and substantiated by eminent saints and seers through a prolonged course of austere penance. God, however, would not care to get Himself substantiated. Hence it is impossible for those who do not recognize Him to attain Him. But no one should be misled to think that unbelievers are exempt from the operation of the Divine Laws. Under the Divine Dispensation, Nature (Prakriti) invariably causes the good and evil cosequences of their actions to accrue to them, and they are bound to reap the fruits of their actions even though unwilling to do so. Of course, those who do not recognize His existence are no longer afraid of Him, and absence of the fear of God is the principal factor in encouraging an individual to indulge in sinful deeds. Those who do not entertain any fear of divine retribution do not scruple in perpetrating the most heinous crimes.
Man is saved from falling into sin mainly by five kinds of fears: (1) fear of God, (2) fear of morality, (3) fear of society, (4) fear of state laws and (5) fear of bodily harm. Man abstains from committing adultery, for instance, for fear of displeasing God, destroying merit, incurring opprobium in society or being ostracized, being convicted by a court of law and spoiling bodily health. Out of these five considerations the first two are the most important; for it is these considerations which deter a man from committing mental sins of horrible nature. A man will surely forbear from a sinful act as soon as he comes to realize that God, Who is omnipresent and the inner Controller of all, is witnessing it, or that it will destroy his merit. But where both these considerations are absent there is no scruple left to deter him from committing mental sins at least. The absence of these two considerations is also helpful in inciting one to commit even bodily sins or those pertaining to speech. One who is Godfearing and scrupulous continues to regard himself as guilty even though he may be acquitted by a court of law or exonerated by society.
There are quite a number of cases in which the true facts never come to the notice of the Government or society. Even if the Government or society suspects a particular individual, he is held not-guilty in the absence of sufficient ocular proof. That is why habitual offenders who do not entertain fear of God or morality persist in their sinful activities by evading the law or destroying tangible proof incriminating them. Fear of Government or society does not prove effective in putting a stop to their crimes. That is why the tendency to perpetrate crimes by evading the law, as well as the number of crimes, is increasing with great rapidity, notwithstanding the fact that fresh enactments are being added to the Statute Books every day with a view to check crimes. The main cause of this deplorable state of affairs is that fear of God and the Divine Law has more or less disappeared, with the consequence that our life has become unbridled, licentious and sinful.
The ever-new accretions to the body of laws, while they enable accomplished offenders to escape scot-free through their resourcefulness, are proving a source of great hardship to unsophisticated innocent folk who are unable to defend themselves and prove their innocence and are ignorant of legal chicanery. The result is that in course of time they find themselves compelled by force of circumstances to acquire a criminal tendency. It is regretable that the world is fast drifting towards such a deplorable state of affairs. It is absence of fear of God and the Divine Law that makes even those who proclaim themselves theists and believers to cast amorous glances at ladies even in places of worship, and thus aggravate their sins. Imposters in the garb of Acharyas, missionaries and religious heads, are engaged in exploiting the masses in the name of God, and sacrifice the interests of their country and community at the altar of personal gain in a clandestine way by posing as patriots and servants of their community. Things are going from bad to worse day by day even as fear of God and the Divine Law is gradually diminishing.
Fear of injuring one’s health is the only consideration that is effective in deterring men from committing sins. But, in the first instance, all sins do not involve the risk of injuring one’s health; and, secondly, one can succeed to a certain extent in arming oneself against this risk. Although it is true that hypocrisy is fast gaining ground under the names of God and Religion, and true lovers of God and truly religious men can be counted on fingers, and although it is equally true that the existence and growth of an empty Godless rationalism is largely traceable to the above-mentioned facts, it must be admitted that such a type of rationalism can never enable the world to grasp the real truth. It will gradually tend to extinguish the faint light of faith that still lingers in the minds of sincere people, and the result will be a reign of unbridled license all around. It is equally true, on the other hand, that a religion which rests on blind faith cannot exist eternally. But this is not the case with our religion. This eternal God-inspired religion, founded by Indian sages and seers-which can easily stand as a universal religion embracing as it does the truths of all other religions of the world-is not so hollow and does not stand on flimsy grounds. The fundamental truths of this religion can be grasped only with the help of a highly refined intellect or mental faculty, and such a faculty cannot be acquired by mere reasoning. It can be had only by long practice of devotion.
Real worship of God is not possible without faith. One may not have studied the sacred books, one may be lacking in scriptural knowledge, yet he can approach God by mere faith. Hence it is that even those who are inferior in birth, social status, learning, riches, physical strength, appearance, reputation, merit and so on, but who are exclusively and faithfully devoted to the Lord and regard Him as the sole Object of their love, have been recognized as eligible for betaking themselves to the Lord, to whatever sex they may belong. This is what Prahlada says:
I hold the pariah who has dedicated his mind, speech, activity, money, nay, his very life to God Vishnu, the Supreme Lord, far superior to a Brahmin endowed with twelvefold virtues; for whereas the former can purify his whole ancestry, the Brahmin who is puffed up with pride cannot. (Srimad Bhagwatam 7.9.7)
God can be attained by those alone who betake themselves to the Lord with supreme faith, as is corroborated by the Lord Himself:
They who with their mind fixed on Me and constantly engaged in remembering Me worship Me, with faith supreme endowed; these, in My opinion, are the best of yogis. (Gita XII, 2)
The concluding verse of the same chapter, which has been designated as Bhakti Yoga, runs:
The devotees who endowed with faith and sole devotion to Me, partake of this life-giving wisdom as stated above, (in other words, who worship Me in accordance with the precepts laid down in the previous verses), are surpassingly dear to Me. (Gita 17.20)
The above exposition establishes it beyond doubt that worship is impossible without faith, that without worship one cannot feel the Divine Grace, that no one can attain God or the real truth without His Grace, and that without realizing God one cannot be rid of afflictions for all time to come.
It therefore behooves us all to guard against falling into the meshes of sophistical reasoning, and to acquire faith by moulding our conduct in accordance with the principles inculcated in the Scriptures dealing with Devotion; and, developing the faith thus generated into supreme devotion, to engage in genuine worship of God in order that we may be able to attain Him Who is the Supreme Goal of human existence as early as possible. The span of our life is very short, and time once gone never comes back. Let us then be up and doing, losing no time in vain and frivolous pursuits.
Prahlad Maharaj
Prahlad Maharaj
By Satsvarupa das
From the most ripened vedic wisdom, Srimad Bhagavatam comes this story of sublime devotion
Prahlad Maharaj was a boy who, at 5 years of age, preached to his school-fellows of their urgent need for taking to Krishna Consciousness without delay. Prahlad was the son of a very powerful atheist king, Hiranya Kashipu, and so from the moment of his birth he was in the hands of “Daityas,” or enemies of God. The nurses who picked him up, the court attendants, his mother, the court children-all were obsessed with the illusion that the body is the self, and there was no talk of Krishna, the Supreme Spirit. Like most boys born into our contemporary civilization, Prahlad’s chances for hearing any truth about the Supreme Personality of Godhead were almost nil.
And yet, every day, when the teacher would take a recess and leave the palace schoolroom, this 5-year-old boy would address his fellows in this way: “My dear atheist friends, now is the time to prosecute Krishna Consciousness, while we are still young. Listen, my fellow demons-we have to start now! I know you want sense gratification, but we have to start Krishna Consciousness immediately or we’ll never get out of the material entanglement. This material life will soon become too complicated and we won’t be able to get out-we’ll be like silkworms trapped in our own cocoons!”
Understandably, when Prahlad spoke the boys would only say, “Let us play, Prahlad! We’re only children. We’re only 5 years old! We can do Krishna Consciousness when we get older.”
“Yes,” Prahlad would respond, “I know you want to play. But just listen a moment. There’s no need to try so hard for sense happiness. That happiness will come without any endeavor, according to whatever body you have. That arrangement is already made by Nature and will come of itself, just as misery will come. But there’s a need to develop an understanding of what the dearmost thing in life is.
“Each of us is looking for his dearmost friend. That dearmost friend is the Supreme Lord, Krishna. He’s in everyone’s heart and He’ll make us satisfied forever. We can just chant His Name, ‘Hare Krishna,’ and we’ll be linked with Him and He’ll dictate to us how to come to Him.”
Gradually the boys began to listen. “Where did you get this excellent knowledge from?” they asked. “You’re like us, only 5 years old and like us you never leave the palace grounds. It’s not possible for you to go and take some instructions outside. And our teachers never have taught us this. Where did you learn it?”
The answer was that Prahlad had learned Krishna Consciousness from the foremost sage of Vedic times, Narada Muni, and he had learned it while still in the womb of his mother. It had come about that Prahlad’s mother was pregnant at the time of a great war between the demigods and the demons. The demigods were led by Indra and the demons by the party of Hiranya Kashipu. The victorious demigods eventually swept over the cities of the demon king and ransacked his deserted buildings. King Indra himself had entered the palace of Hiranya Kashipu, and was leading off Prahlad’s mother, the Queen, when Narada appeared and interposed.
“Do not take her! It is not right, for she is chaste,” he said.
Indra answered, “I’m not doing anything wrong, good Narada. But she is carrying a child within her womb who is Hiranya Kashipu’s son. She is therefore carrying a snake, and I just want to keep her in custody until the child is born and we can take him away. I had no other purpose.”
“No,” Narada protested. “She is carrying a great soul within her womb. Don’t try to kill him, Indra. Nor in fact could you kill him, since he is a great devotee.”
Solely on the word of the pure saint Narada, Indra relinquished his design and the Queen was allowed to go with the saint to his hermitage. Narada gave her shelter at his ashram, and as he was a very great devotee he spoke the spiritual science of Krishna Consciousness to her daily. Prahlad, who had developed within her womb to the point of consciousness, heard all these discussions, and he did not forget.
Actually, every human child attains a confrontation with God just before the time of birth. It is stated in the Srimad Bhagwatam that the process of development within the womb is extremely painful for the child, as he has to live in a cramped position, near gastric fire and stool and urine. Just at the time of birth, conditions become unbearable and he then prays to the Supreme Lord, who is seated within his heart as the Supersoul. The child promises that if the Lord will just get him out of this predicament, he will become a sincere devotee of Godhead and so will never again have to take mortal birth.
Once he is out, however, with the shock of entering into the material world the living entity loses all memory of his promise to God. And, in addition, from the first moment after birth he is in the hands of nurses, friends and relatives who are themselves under the illusion that the goal of life is sense gratification, and who mistake the body as the self. So the child forgets.
But Prahlad did not forget Krishna. He told his “Daitya” fellows just how life is wasted: “Non-believers, just look! How long can you live? Say, at most, 100 years. And the first 20 years are all spent in playing ball and sporting. That’s 20 years wasted with no spiritual development. Then during the middle 40 years sex is very prominent, and those years are all spent in the pursuit of sex pleasure.
“Sex life begins when you meet a girl and you think, ‘She’s nice.’ And then when there is sex, the root of attachment is made. Then you get married and you have children. You must earn to support your family and for all the work you are doing you need some recognition, some prestige. So you must labor for that, and at the same time serve your family so that they can expand in wealth and material happiness. Under such conditions there is no chance of getting out of material, deathbound existence. There is no time for finding out Vishnu, God, the dearmost thing in life.
“So calculate: 20 years in sporting, 40 years in sex life and married life. Then at the end of life, the last 20 years are feeble and invalid. Or, even if a man has good health he remains enamored up to the last moment, playing with his fond grandchildren and making no preparation for spiritual life. So where is the time for Krishna? If a man spends his life in this way, always attracted to the nonpermanent and forgetful of his real self-interest, the eternal Vishnu within the heart-then at the time of death he will fall back among the struggling, lower species of life and have to take another body as an animal.
“This is why, demon brothers, we have to take action in this youthful age, while we are still unattached to such things. Only by cutting free of the material consciousness of life can we realize who we are: I am not this body! I am eternal spirit soul! Come, put your faith in the authority of Narada, and you can derive the same benefit as I have!”
The news of Prahlad’s preaching ultimately reached back to Hiranya Kashipu, and he called his son’s teachers before him. “What is this Hare Krishna?” he demanded to know. “I understand all the boys are chanting some nonsense about God. Tell me now-what are you teaching my Prahlad?”
The Srimad Bhagwatam states that at this time Hiranya Kashipu had come to dominate all the planetary systems by ruthless force. He had gained such great power by performing an excruciating austerity: he had stood on his toes with his arms upraised, and remained in that position uninterrupted for 125 years. Hiranya Kashipu had so frightened the demigods by this that they had run to their supreme leader, Lord Brahma, the prime living entity and creator of the material universe.
“What can this man want?” they asked Lord Brahma. “Please go and grant him some boon so that he may be satisfied-before he becomes too powerful and causes great disturbances!”
Lord Brahma at once approached Hiranya Kashipu and asked him what his wish was. The demon king asked to be made immortal.
“You must ask for something else,” Lord Brahma replied. “I myself am bound sometime to die.”
Thereupon Brahma conferred a boon upon Hiranya Kashipu which made him invincible in all the material worlds: he would never be killed by man or beast, nor at night, nor in the daytime. He would never be killed on earth, nor on the sea, nor in the air, nor by any weapon.
With this power conferred upon him-assuming himself unconquerable-Hiranya Kashipu took up the business of dominating all the universe for his personal pleasure. So great was his might that it is said the demigods would tremble at the mere upraising of his eyebrows.
Prahlad’s teachers, however, had committed no offense before Hiranya Kashipu. “Sir,” they explained, “we do not know where your son has learned this Hare Krishna from, but he is ruining our whole school! We have only taught mathematics, economics, history and the other subjects-so we don’t know where he has got it from. But he’s preaching to the other children every day, whenever he can.”
Hiranya Kashipu then called his son before him. The father was a materialist and he wanted his son to get a good education so that the boy would be advanced in the attainment of money and beautiful women. The very name of the demon king indicates this. “Hiranya” means soft bed, and “Kashipu” means gold. These were the basic principles of his life.
The father now sat Prahlad on his knee and with affection asked his boy, “What is the best thing you have learned from your teachers?”
Prahlad replied honestly to his father. “O foremost of atheists,” he said openly, “I haven’t learned anything good at all from my teachers. But I do know the best thing.”
“Oh? And what is that best thing?”
“I have heard that the best thing is to leave this dark well of material life and to take shelter of Krishna, the Lord.”
This answer caused the break that could not be repaired, for the father was a determined atheist, and the son a firm devotee of Krishna.
“Tell me,” Hiranya Kashipu continued. “What is this teaching that you could not learn from our Brahmins? What is this teaching of Krishna?” he demanded.
The boy replied, “My dear atheist father, if I told you you could not know, and so I cannot even bother. If you took courses in it, still you would not understand, because you are too attached to sense gratification.”
Hiranya Kashipu grew enraged at this and threatened his son, but Prahlad was unflinching. He simply remembered the teaching of Narada, and took shelter in thinking of the form of Krishna. To every question and demand of his father Prahlad answered in terms of love of Krishna, his Protector. The father, who was unaccustomed to the slightest hint of insubordination, finally took hold of the boy and personally dragged him outdoors to a nearby cliff. With uncontrollable fury he threw Prahlad into the abyss. However, all-pervading Krishna caught hold of his devotee and saved him from the intended destruction.
Hiranya Kashipu now became all the more livid with angry determination, and he set to work to destroy the life of Prahlad by one means or another. He set a great pot of water boiling and thrust the boy into it, but Prahlad was not hurt. He tried to freeze the boy in a snowstorm and he tried to have him torn apart by the winds of a hurricane-but Prahlad was in direct spiritual communion with Krishna, and so he was at all times protected by the intervention of his worshipable Lord.
Hiranya Kashipu, obsessed, threw his son into a pit of snakes, but they did not harm him. He placed Prahlad under the foot of an elephant, but with his trunk the pachyderm picked the child up and placed him on his back for a triumphant ride. The fierce king forced Prahlad’s mother to administer poison to the boy in his food, but it would not take effect. In a seething fury of frustration, Hiranya Kashipu finally picked the boy up in his own hands and hurled him to the floor, as though to smash him like a rock. Prahlad, in meditation upon Krishna, the Soul of souls, remained unhurt even by this attack.
“Where do you get your supernatural powers from?” Hiranya Kashipu screamed, standing over his son.
“From the same place you do,” Prahlad replied mildly. “From God.”
Hiranya Kashipu began to foam. “God!? What is God? Where is your God?”
“My God is everywhere,” Prahlad said.
“Everywhere?” Hiranya Kashipu drew his sword.
“Yes, everywhere.”
“Is He in this pillar?” Hiranya Kashipu cried, pointing with his weapon to a nearby column of marble.
“Yes,” said Prahlad evenly.
At this the mighty demon drew back his sword and struck a single unimaginable blow at the mute column. Then, just as his sword fell upon it, the pillar burst into a thousand pieces and, with a roar that deafened half the cosmos, a most wonderful being leapt out from within. This was Lord Nrishingha, a form of God manifesting Ferocity Personified. As God is perfect in all things, He was not unable to answer the dread challenge of Prahlad’s father, and there now ensued a brief but terrible struggle.
Half-lion and half-man in appearance, Nrishingha fell upon Hiranya Kashipu, who struck back with all the fury of his being. But he was as nothing against the boundless might of God. Lord Nrishingha quickly caught him up with His nails and stretched the angry, incredulous demon across his lap, and then tore him apart.
Hiranya Kashipu died instantly upon that blood-drenched lap. In this way, as Nrishingha was not a man, and as the time was twilight-neither night nor day-and as the king was killed on the lap of the Lord, which was neither sea nor air nor land-and as he was torn apart by no weapons but the claws of Nrishingha-so none of Brahma’s promises to Hiranya Kashipu were broken. And yet he was vanquished.
Prahlad, unafraid, bowed down and offered his profound obeisances before this form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. “O my Lord,” he prayed, “I know that You have thousands of forms, and that there are as many forms of the Supreme Person as there are species of life in the world.”
In this way Prahlad worshiped at the Lotus Feet of the fierce half-man half-lion appearance of Sri Krishna, from whom all things emanate. As Nrishingha, He appears as the Source of all ferocity, just as in the Original Form of Radha Krishna He is the Source of all Love. To Prahlad, the long hard nails of Lord Nrishingha and His fierce aspect carried no terror.
“The rays from Your Lotus Feet,” he prayed, “are more soothing than 10,000 autumnal moons. What I truly fear is the reaction of birth and death in this world, which is whirlpool of bad things. I do not fear Your nails, O Lord and Protector! But I fear this world of Karma, where the remedies we seek for our ills are worse than the ills themselves. And only by taking shelter of You can we become fearless and satisfied.”
The Lord then was very pleased, and He requested that His devotee ask for his heart’s desire.
Prahlad replied, “Don’t ask me to take anything, my Lord. Worship is my duty. If I should take something in return, then I have become a merchant.”
But the Lord again asked Prahlad to name something that he wished for. Prahlad, as a devotee, had no personal desire, but the thing he thought of now was his father. So he prayed in Nrishingha’s presence that his father might be pardoned for his offenses and granted liberation. The Lord assured the child Prahlad that not only would his father be liberated from the hellish conditions of life in the material world, but that many generations of his family, both in the past and into the future, would be granted liberation. Such is the purifying influence of a pure devotee in a family.
For ourselves, just to hear the narration of Prahlad’s activities is auspicious, because just as he fixed himself onto the Lord in remembrance, so can we and thus derive that full, eternal, blissful freedom from evil which the Lord promises mankind in The Bhagavad Gita:
“Give up all varieties of religiousness, and just surrender unto Me; and in return I shall protect you from all sinful reactions. Therefore, you have nothing to fear.” (BG 18.66)
Food For Krishna
Food For Krishna
By Uddhava
Cinnamon Apple Pastries are a great treat either served by themselves or as a dessert. The dishes they complement best are vegetable preparations such as Sweet Pepper. And to finish the meal off I’m passing down a preparation given to the Krishna conscious students once in a lecture by our Spiritual Master. The original recipe had an ingredient called “Misri,” but misri is extremely hard to find in the United States, so we are substituting white sugar for it. “Kiba” is a Sanskrit word meaning come and see, so Kiba Taste means come and experience the nice taste of this preparation.
Sweet Pepper
Over a high flame heat butter or ghee in a large skillet. When it smokes add fresh ginger. Cook for two minutes. Stir in chopped celery. Cover and cook till celery starts to become soft. Add peppers, cover and cook until tender. Add spinach, cover and steam for ten minutes. Remove cover. Stir in sugar, then salt. Cook until most of water is gone. Turn off heat. Add black pepper. Serves 5-6.
½ cup butter or ghee
1 tbsp. Salt
½ tbsp. black pepper
½ quart finely sliced celery
1 tsp. Finely chopped fresh ginger
½ cup sugar
1 quart finely chopped peppers
1 quart finely chopped spinach
Kiba Taste
1 cup plain yogurt
½ cup sugar
1/8 tsp. black pepper
tiny pinch of cake camphor
Mix all ingredients well and see the taste. Serves 2-8.
Cinnamon Apple Pastry
4 cups white flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ cup butter
1 bar butter
1 cup water
4 cups finely chopped apples
1 cup raisins
3 cups sugar
1 tbsp. Cinnamon
2 tbsp. Coriander
1 tbsp. salt
Sift flour and baking soda together. Add butter and rub together till well mixed. With water make a stiff dough. Take a small amount of dough and roll into a rectangular shape twice as long as it is wide (a nice size is 3” x 6”) and paper thin. Rub entire surface with your stick of butter, except for a half-inch border on all sides. Spread a thin layer of apples and raisins on buttered area. Mix together the portions of sugar, salt, cinnamon and coriander in a bowl. Spread a generous amount of this mixture over apples, keeping some aside for later. Roll up rectangle of dough with apples, etc. inside. Rub entire pastry with butter. Sprinkle with sugar-spice mixture. Perforate 5 times with a fork and bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Makes about 1 dozen.
Back to Godhead Magazine #26, 1969
“The recommended process for God realization in this Age is chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. -A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Krishna Consciousness Temples
Krishna Consciousness Temples
Attend Bhakti Yoga and mantra meditation classes, lectures on The Bhagavad Gita and related Vedic literature, chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra-every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (or write for details) at any one of the following Krishna Consciousness Temples:
Berkeley—2728 Garber Street
Boston—95 Glenville Avenue, Allston
Buffalo—15 LaSalle Avenue
Columbus -318 East 20th Avenue
Hamburg—2 Hamburg 19, Eppendorfer WEG 11, West Germany
Hawaii—51-576 Kam Highway, Kaaawa, Oahu
Los Angeles—1975 South La Cienega
London—40 Gauden Road, Clapham, S.W. 4
Montreal-3720 Park Avenue
New York City—61 Second Avenue
New Vrindaban, W. Va.—RD3 Moundsville
North Carolina—605 Airport Road, Chapel Hill
San Francisco—518 Frederick Street
Santa Fe—411B West Water Street
Seattle—5516 Roosevelt Way, N.E.
Vancouver—1250 Grandville Street
Parts & Parcels
Parts & Parcels
Los Angeles Sankirtan
According to the eternal Vedic calendar, this material world is now well advanced into the Age of Kali, the iron age of quarrel, during which the attractiveness of the temporary manifestations of material Nature constantly increases. Consequently, living entities taking human birth here are immediately drawn by their senses to work toward securing material objects for the purpose of sense enjoyment. By engaging in such fruitive activities and taking temporary pleasure in the results, these living entities develop a strong identification with the material bodies in which they are situated. It is stated in all the revealed scriptures that the true identity of the living entity is eternal spirit soul, which is wholly transcendental to material Nature. This spirit soul is described as being an infinitesimal and subordinate part of the all-knowing and blissful Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. But as a result of this material entanglement, the soul is thinking he is the body and that he can be happy by enjoying its senses. Due to this attachment to the ever-changing material Nature, with its endless cycle of creation, maintenance and destruction, and its dualities (such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain) the living entities are sometimes enjoying and sometimes suffering in ever-varying situations. In addition, everyone is sure to suffer the fourfold miseries of old age, disease, death and rebirth. As the body decays and dies, the spirit soul transmigrates to a new form, suited to enjoy according to the desires he manifested in the old.
This deluded existence is certainly frustrating to the fallen conditioned soul, who has by his own nature an eternal desire to enjoy. Being transcendental to the material Nature, he can derive no satisfaction from the temporary engagement of his senses in material sense gratification. According to the scriptures the soul finds true bliss and the perfection of existence when he is fully engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord.
Unfortunately, due to their captivation by material attractions, the human entities in this dark age are wasting their lives and intelligence by acting only according to the bodily propensities for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, and they are therefore falling ever more deeply into the complexities of material existence.
Seeing this fallen and miserable condition of the living souls in this age, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of His causeless mercy, appeared here 500 years ago in Bengal, India, in the Golden Form of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Rather than appearing in His original form as the Personality of Godhead, the Lord appeared as a perfect devotee Of Lord Krishna in order to set a perfect and practical example. We can therefore follow this example in reviving our blissful spiritual consciousness as loving servants of God.
Lord Chaitanya taught that engagement in devoted service for the pleasure of the Lord is the most effective method for clearing away our material contamination and reviving our Krishna (God) Consciousness. He particularly emphasized that Sankirtan, the congregational chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord, is the most essential part of this process, teaching that without this chanting there is no way to revive our spiritual consciousness in this age. He was therefore constantly engaged in chanting the Maha Mantra, or Great Chanting for Deliverance—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare and He instructed his followers to attempt to follow this example.
The Lord instructed His disciples to go out to the people in general and preach this philosophy of devotional service, and to encourage all to chant the Holy Names. He taught that work done in spreading this Krishna Consciousness process is the most pleasing service to Lord Krishna, who desires that all the fallen souls should turn to Him in order to be eternally blissful in His service.
In 1966 one pure devotee, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is in direct disciplic succession from Lord Chaitanya Himself, came to the United States in order to spread Krishna Consciousness throughout the Western World. Since his coming he has mercifully accepted several hundred followers as his disciples. He has instructed these disciples to continue his work by publicly engaging in Sankirtan activities for the glorification of Lord Chaitanya.
The basic principle underlying these Sankirtan activities may be explained as follows: the Lord's Name, Krishna, means All-attractive. It can be understood from this that the Lord's Name, His form, His pastimes, His service and all other personal qualities are perfectly attractive in themselves. In most circumstances it is therefore not the policy of devotees engaged in Sankirtan to attempt to convince people they should engage in devotional service by logical argument, although the perfectly complete Vedic philosophy is available for that. Rather, we simply attempt to expose people to our activities in Krishna Consciousness, and we invite them to participate with us.
Contact with Lord Krishna by any means immediately brings a feeling of true spiritual pleasure to the soul of the conditioned living entity. This taste of real satisfaction after ages of frustration in seeking happiness from the material energy, where it is not to be found, changes the course of that living entity's meanderings in material existence. This revived higher taste for spiritual activity will lead one back to Lord Krishna's association, until he can engage fully in the activities of devotional service, permanently ending his material entrapment.
Lord Krishna is so attractive that, if a person hears the Lord's Name but once, even by chance, or takes a bit of Prasadam (the spiritualized remnants of foodstuffs offered to the Lord), the course of his life is permanently altered and he is sure to return to Krishna's association in the near future. It is the bliss of Krishna conscious activities which is the strongest argument in bringing people back to Godhead.
An example of spreading Krishna Consciousness is found in the activities of the devotees at the Los Angeles Radha Krishna Temple, who are engaged in a full program of Sankirtan throughout the greater Los Angeles area. We are working under the loving guidance of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, in order to attract all people to participate in praising and serving the Supreme Lord.
The present Los Angeles Temple is a small church containing a number of large rooms. This building has been renovated by the devotees to include a beautiful temple room, where worship of the installed Deity is performed; and also a nicely decorated activity room for informal gatherings and the taking of Prasadam. These rooms are decorated with beautiful pictures of Lord Krishna, Lord Chaitanya, Their associates and Their pastimes. Throughout the week public services are held in the temple, which include the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra and lectures by the devotees on The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, which forms the essence of all Vedic literature, as translated and explained by His Divine Grace.
On Sunday afternoons a special festival is held which includes chanting Hare Krishna, the offering and distribution of a feast of many delicious Prasadam preparations, and, frequently, simple plays and transcendental puppet shows depicting stories from the Vedic writings. All these activities are designed to inform the guests about the philosophy of devotional service to the Lord, and especially to involve them in these transcendental, blissful activities of devotional life. The basic principle again is that if the devotees make Lord Krishna's temple and the activities carried on there very pleasing to the Lord, then He will attract increasing numbers of people to participate in these affairs.
In addition to these events, it is the business of the devotees to go out and attempt to contact as many people as possible in the large Los Angeles community. This is done in order to expose them to the Holy Names and to preach Krishna Consciousness, as well as to invite them to attend our temple events.
This work is primarily done by Sankirtan parties of 5 to 20 people, who travel wherever there are numbers gathered for the pursuit of enjoyment. These parties publicly chant Hare Krishna and talk about Krishna Consciousness to those who gather to watch and listen. In Los Angeles these parties visit downtown shopping areas, entertainment centers and parks, and also colleges and universities. As the summer season advances, these activities have also been extended to the many beach communities along the west Coast.
An example of how these Sankirtan parties operate is found in their evening activities on Hollywood Boulevard, the main entertainment center in Los Angeles. A group of perhaps 10 devotees arrange themselves attractively on rugs along the sidewalk and chant Hare Krishna and dance to the accompaniment of traditional Indian musical instruments. Attracted by the beautiful sounds, dress and appearance of the dancing devotees, a crowd of interested onlookers soon gathers to watch and listen. Between Kirtans (chants) one of the devotees preaches to the crowd, explaining briefly this process for the glorification of the Supreme Lord, and inviting the people to join in the singing. Throughout the evening other devotees circulate through the crowd talking to people individually about Krishna Consciousness and inviting them to the temple, selling Back to Godhead Magazine and taking collections for the maintenance of temple activities and the propagation of Krishna Consciousness. Although the money collected in this way, to be used for the service of Lord Krishna, could be secured by other means, these collections are taken for the spiritual benefit of the contributor. Even if a person is not interested in chanting Hare Krishna or visiting the temple, if he can be induced to simply give a contribution, that offering is accepted by the Lord through His devotee as an act of service, and such an activity revives that person's dormant taste for devotional service to the Lord.
Devotees from this temple are also beginning to teach courses on Krishna Consciousness at several colleges and universities throughout the area. This is done in order to help young students understand that the perfection of education is to know the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, who is the Fountainhead of all knowledge. The knowledge that we are all living parts of the Supreme Person and that, therefore, it is our constitutional, blissful nature to act in devotional service, is to acquire truly beneficial education.
Also forthcoming is a weekly program on a popular F.M. radio station (KPFK-WBAI) which will enable us to reach a wider audience with this most auspicious message. There are no restrictions on the means which can be used to spread Krishna Consciousness. The devotee strives to utilize everything available to him for the pleasure of the Lord, and in this way everything becomes spiritual. In these ways the Sankirtan movement daily presents more and more members of the Los Angeles community with the chance to engage in Krishna Consciousness. These activities lead to a positive, blissful life of spiritual realization, culminating in one's eternal loving relationship with Lord Krishna. The gradually growing response from the people of Los Angeles is encouraging to the devotees, as it indicates that the Lord is pleased by our service. It is ultimately Lord Krishna who calls the fallen souls to Godhead, and when He is pleased by His devotee's service, He rewards him with ever-increasing opportunities to further His purpose. As it is this service itself which is the highest bliss of spiritual life, we members of the Los Angeles Sankirtan Party take this opportunity to express our eternal gratitude to our Spiritual Master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, for giving us this work of spreading Lord Chaitanya's Sankirtan Movement.
—Rebatinandan
Ohio:
The founding of the Ohio State University Yoga Society and the establishment of a new ISKCON center in Columbus, Ohio, by Hayagriva and Pradyumna, two disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, was undertaken on direct instructions from Srila Prabhupad in the fall of 1968.
Since then, devotees from nearby New Vrindaban Ashram, along with some sincere students, have helped spread the movement all over Ohio. Kirtans on the OSU campus and weekly love feasts have attracted many to inquire into the chanting-and-hearing meditation on the transcendental sound vibration of the Hare Krishna Mantra, recommended by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as the most efficacious method for attainment of spiritual realization. Devotees chanted with Poet Allen Ginsberg and a beautiful gathering of one thousand students at Ohio Wesleyan, and the response to Kirtan, the philosophy of The Bhagavad Gita and our Prasadam feasting has been very enthusiastic at Ohio University in Athens.
The headquarters of Krishna Consciousness activities for Columbus and the surrounding region are newly located in a large house at 318 East 20th Avenue, Columbus, where ecstatic chanting and the teaching of all aspects of a functioning spiritual life are offered to those who wish to join in experiencing it. Classes are 7 a. m. daily, and 7 p. m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings.
-Pradyumna
Krishna Consciousness means giving. Please give.
Krishna Consciousness means giving. Please give.
If you purchased this copy of BACK TO GODHEAD from a Krishna conscious devotee who is trying to give everything to God, and he asked you for an offering—it's because he wants you to share in his joy of giving. Join us in spreading KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS.
Send your check or money order to: INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, SIXTY-ONE SECOND AVE .,NEW YORK, N.Y. 10003
contributing member
$10. per year
supporting member
$25. per year
honorary member $100.
life member $500.
Members receive all publications with our appreciation. International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is registered with the United States Treasury Department as a tax deductible, non-profit organization.
THANK YOU. HARE KRISHNA
Beyond the Universe
Beyond the Universe
By A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Using the Vedic scriptural writings of India, the author makes an important contribution to our knowledge of man, his universe and the destiny of his life.
In the Brahma Samhita, one of the oldest and most important of Vedic scriptures, in the fifth chapter, there is a description of variegated planetary systems within the material world. And in The Bhagavad Gita such planetary systems—in thousands and millions of material universes—are considered to be one fourth part of the complete creative energy of Godhead. The major three-fourths of the Lord's creative energy is manifested in the spiritual sky, called "Paravyoma," or the "Vaikuntha Loka."
The declaration of the Brahma Samhita is widely confirmed by material science today, both as regards varieties of habitable planets within the universe, and also insofar as there is the theoretical acceptance of an antimaterial world.
According to the Brahma Samhita there is not only an infinite number of habitable planets within the universe, as is confirmed by most leading contemporary astronomers, but there is also an infinite number of universes. And all these infinite universes with their infinitude of planets are floating on and are produced of the Brahman effulgence emanating from the transcendental body of Govinda, Lord Sri Krishna. This is the Primeval Lord who is worshiped by Brahma, the presiding deity of the universe where we are residing.
Various astronomers throughout the world have asserted their belief that beings capable of reason can and do dwell on the different planets throughout the universe. Such eminent minds as Drs. Nikolai Zhirov and Vladimir Alpatov of Russia, as well as Sir Harold Spencer Jones of England (author of the erudite "Life on Other Worlds") have expressed their agreement that life can adapt to the various atmospheres—such as that of Mars—which are to be found on the planets.
This adaptability of organisms to different varieties of planets is described in the Brahma Samhita as "Vibhuti bhinnam," i. e., each and every one of the innumerable planets within the universe is endowed with a particular type of atmosphere, and the living beings on some are more perfectly advanced in science and psychology on account of a superior atmosphere for life.
“Vibhuti" means specific power and "Bhinnam"means variegated. Scientists who are attempting to explore outer space and are trying to reach other planets by mechanical arrangements should realize that organisms adapted to the atmosphere of the Earth cannot long exist under the atmospheric influences of other planets. As such, attempts to establish colonies on the Moon and on Mars will be an ultimately futile endeavor on account of the different atmospheres prevailing on those planets, as described in the Brahma Samhita.
Interplanetary Travel
Individually, however, one can attempt to go to any planet he desires. But this is only possible by psychological changes within the mind of a particular person. The mind is the nucleus of the material body. The gradual evolutionary process of the material body depends more or less on the psychological changes in the mind. The change of bodily construction of a caterpillar into a butterfly, and in modern medical science the conversion of a man's body into that of a woman or vice versa—all depend more or less on the psychological change of the mind.
In The Bhagavad Gita it is said that, at the time of death, if anyone concentrates his mind upon the form of the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, and thus doing relinquishes his body, he at once enters into the spiritual existence of the antimaterial world. This means that anyone who strives constantly for psychological changes within the mind, going from master to the spiritual form of Godhead by the performance of the prescribed rules of devotional service, can easily attain to the Kingdom of God in the antimaterial sky.
And in the same way if anyone desires to enter into any planet of the material sky, he can go there just after quitting the present body—i.e., after death—and enter into the atmosphere of the particular planet he desires. Thus if someone wants to enter the Moon planet as science is now attempting to do, or the Sun planet or Mars, one can do so simply by performing certain acts meant for that purpose.
The Bhagavad Gita confirms this in the following words: "In whatever condition one quits his present body, in his next life he will attain to that state of being without fail." (8.6) In the Mahabharata, of which the Gita is a part, we find the story of Maharaj Bharata, who in spite of a life of severe penances foolishly thought of his stag at the time of death, and thus became a deer in his next birth. But because of his life of austerity, he was granted clear consciousness of his past. This is a very important point. The atmosphere created at the time of death is but an aftereffect of the actual deeds which one performs during his life.
In the Gita the process of entering into the Moon planet is mentioned. There it states that materialistic men who have no information of the Kingdom of God are generally mad after the acquisition of wealth, fame and adoration. Such men are interested in progress and welfare work for the family and for self-satisfaction, and they may extend these activities into social or national welfare. Such men obtain the desired object by material activities, through the prescribed mechanical or ritualistic discharge of duties, and are thus inclined to satisfy the "Pitris," or the bygone forefathers, as well as other controlling gods by sacrifices such as are presented in the revealed scriptures.
Addicted to such acts of sacrifice and ceremonial observance, such men enter the Moon planet after death. When a person is thus promoted to the atmosphere of the Moon he gets the necessary strength to enjoy the drinking of Somarasa, a celestial beverage.
The Moon planet is the place where the demigod Chandra is the predominating deity. The atmosphere and amenities of life there are far more comfortable and advantageous than those that we have here. But, reaching there, if a person does not utilize the opportunity to get promotion to still better planets, then he is degraded and is made to come down again to this planet or some other similar to Earth. And even though such materialistic persons may attain to the topmost planetary system, they ultimately are annihilated at the time of the periodic general disappearance of the cosmic manifestation.
So far as the planetary systems in the spiritual sky are concerned, there is an unlimited number of such “Vaikunthas” there, and the ratio is that that manifestation of the lord's internal potency is three times greater than this material sky, which is manifested by the external energy.
The yoga of space travel
The poor materialist is busy making his political adjustments in a place which is most insignificant in the evaluation of God. Not just to speak of this planet Earth, the whole universe with its innumerable planets has been compared by one saint with a grain of mustard seed amongst all the mustard seeds packed in a bag. But the poor materialist makes his plans to live here comfortably, and thus he wastes his most valuable human energy on a cause which is never to be realized. Instead of wasting time in that plan-making business, a plain and simple life with high thinking after spiritual matter would save the misguided human being from perpetual unrest, the only gift of matter.
Even if a materialist wants to enjoy developed material facilities, he can transfer himself to the many, many other material planets where he can experience more and more advanced material pleasures. The best plan of life is to prepare oneself for going back to the spiritual sky after leaving this body; but yet if anyone wants to enjoy the largest amount of material facilities, one can transfer himself to other planets—not by means of playful sputniks, which are simply childish entertainments—but by psychological effects and by learning the art of transferring the soul through mystic powers.
The Yoga system is also materialistic inasmuch as it teaches one to control the movements of air within the body. The spiritual spark or soul is floating on air within the body, and inhalation and exhalation are the waves of that air containing the soul. Therefore the Yoga system is the materialistic art of controlling that air. By practice of such Yoga, the soul with all its energy and consciousness can be transferred from the stomach to the navel, from the navel to the chest, from the chest to collarbones, from the collarbones to the eyeballs, and from there to the cerebellum. From the cerebellum the expert yogi can convey his own soul to any planet he desires.
The velocity of light must be taken into consideration by the materialscientist as the highest speed theoretically attainable by any object in travel, but the scientist has no information of the velocity of such forms of matter as the mind and intelligence. We have some experience of the velocity of the mind, because, in a moment, we can transfer the mind to places hundreds and thousands of miles away. Intelligence is a still finer form of matter. And finer than even intelligence is the soul, which is not matter at all but is spirit or antimaterial, and which is many, many times finer and more powerful than intelligence. We can thus barely imagine the velocity of the soul and how quickly it can travel from one planet to another by its own strength, without any help from any sort of material vehicle.
Our animal's civilization of eating, sleeping, fearing and sense-gratifying has misled contemporary man and he has forgotten how powerful the soul is. The soul is in fact a spiritual spark which is many, many times more illuminating, dazzling and powerful than the Sun, the Moon or electricity. Human life is spoiled by not realizing this as one's own true identity.
How the yogis can travel to all the planets of the universe is described in the Srimad Bhagwatam as follows: When the vital force is lifted to the cerebellum there is every chance of this force bursting out from one of the bodily holes like the eyes, nose or ears. These places are known as the seventh orbit of the vital force. The yogis can, however, block these holes by complete suspension of the passing air, and then the yogi carefully concentrates the vital force in the middle position, in between the eyebrows. At this point the yogi can think of which of the planets he wants to go to after leaving this body. He can decide either to go to the abode of Krishna in the Vaikunthas, which are transcendental places and from which no one is required to come back to the material world, or if he wants to travel to the higher planets in this universe, he is at liberty to do so.
For a perfect yogi, one who has attained success in the practice of leaving this material body in perfect consciousness, the process is as easy as it is for an ordinary man to go from one place to another. As we have already indicated, the material body is just a covering of the spiritual soul. Mind and intelligence compose the inner covering, and the gross body of earth, water, air, etc. is the outer covering of the soul. Any advanced soul who has realized himself by the yogic process (which means, literally, the linking up of matter with spirit) can leave these shirts and coats of the soul in perfect order as he desires. Such a one has complete freedom by the grace of God.
The Lord is so kind upon us that we can live anywhere, either in the spiritual sky or in the material sky, and in any planet thereof. The misuse of this freedom makes one fall down in the material world and live a conditioned life, subject to the threefold miseries (those imposed by Nature, by other living beings and by the bodily condition itself.) To live a miserable life in the material world is a choice of the soul, as is nicely illustrated in Milton's "Paradise Lost," and is not a matter of chance. And from the material world, also by his own choice, one can go back to home, back to Godhead.
The Upper Planets
So in that critical time of placing the vital force between the eyebrows, one has to decide where he wants to go. If he is completely reluctant to keep any connection with the material world, he can do so and within less than a second he can reach the transcendental Vaikuntha sky and appear there in a spiritual body just suitable for the spiritual atmosphere. One has simply to desire to leave the material world both in finer and grosser forms, and then fix the vital force at the topmost part of the skull and leave the body from the hole of the skull called "Brahmarandhra." That is the highest perfection in practicing the Yoga system.
But the yogi is endowed with free will, and as such if he does not wish to get completely free from the material world, but prefers to enjoy a life of "Brahma Pada, " or to occupy the post of "Brahma," and if he wishes to see the place of materially perfect beings called "Siddha Loka," where every living being has full capacity to control gravity, space, time, etc.—then he doesn't have to leave the mind and intelligence (finer forms of matter), but can simply give up the grosser matter and thus go up to the highest place of the material universe.
The sputniks and other man-made mechanical planets will never be able to carry human beings very far in interplanetary space. The reason is, again, that in the higher planetary systems the atmosphere is different from here. Each and every planet has its particular atmosphere, and if anyone wants to go to any planet anywhere within the material universe, he has to get his material shirt and coat (his body) made exactly adaptable to the climatic condition of that planet.
It is just like this: If a person wants to go from India to Europe, where the climate is different from India, then one has to change his dress accordingly. Similarly, a more complete change of dress, to the extent of changing the body itself, is necessary if we want to go up to the transcendental planets of Vaikuntha, or even to the upper worlds of this universe.
If we want to go to the highest material planet we need not change the finer dress of mind, intelligence and ego, but we do have to change the gross dress of earth, water, fire, air, etc. When we go to a transcendental planet, however, we require to change both the fine as well as the gross body and we have to arrive in the spiritual sky completely in spiritual form.
The change of dress will automatically take place simply by desiring it at the time of death. This desire, however, is possible only if we practice it during the conscious state of life. Such desires, when practiced in relation with the material world, are called fruitive actions, or Karma. When such desires are conducted in relation to the Kingdom of God, they are called divine or devotional service.
One can prepare himself for an easy journey to the Vaikuntha or antimaterial planets, where life is free from birth, death, disease and old age, by pursuit of the following principles:
1. The desiring candidate must accept a bona fide spiritual master in order to be trained scientifically to use the senses in devotional service. The senses are made of matter, and as such it is not at all possible to realize the Transcendence through the material senses. Therefore the senses have to be spiritualized by the prescribed method offered by the proper guide, who is himself Krishna conscious, or perfect in antimaterial activities.
2. When the choice of a bona fide spiritual master is made, the candidate must take rightful initiation from the spiritual master, which is the beginning of spiritual training.
3. The candidate must be prepared to satisfy the spiritual master in every way. A bona fide spiritual master who is fully cognizant of the effects of spiritual science, learned in the spiritual scriptures like The Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta, Bhagwatam, Upanishads, etc.—and who is also a self realized soul, having made tangible connection with the Supreme Lord—is the transparent medium to help the willing candidate on the path to Vaikuntha. He must therefore be satisfied in all respects, because simply by his good wishes a candidate can make wonderful progress in the line.
4. This service of the spiritual master is meant for the intelligent class of candidates who can place relevant questions before the master in order to clear the way. The spiritual master shows him the way not whimsically, but on the principles of authorities who have actually traversed the path. The names of such authorities are also disclosed in the scriptures and we have simply to follow them by the direction of the spiritual master. The true spiritual master never deviates from the path of the authorities .
5. The candidate must always try to follow in the footsteps of the great sages who have practiced the method and obtained success. This must be taken as the motto of life. Not to imitate them, but to follow them sincerely, in terms of the particular time and circumstances.
6. The candidate must be prepared to change his habits in terms of the instructions contained in the books of authority, and he must be prepared to sacrifice sense enjoyment as well as sense abnegation for the satisfaction of the Lord, as Arjuna did.
7. The candidate should live in a spiritual atmosphere.
8. He must be satisfied with as much wealth as is sufficient for maintenance only. He should not try to amass more wealth than is necessary for maintenance in the simple way.
9. He must observe certain fast days, such as the eleventh day after the growing and again after the waning moon (called Ikadasee).
10. He must show respect to the banyan tree, the cow, the learned Brahmin and the devotee.
11. One should avoid offenses in the discharge of duties, in devotional service and in chanting the Holy Name (the Hare Krishna Mantra).
12. He must leave the company of nondevotees, i. e., not associate with them intimately.
13. He must not create unlimited disciples. This means that a candidate who has successfully reached up to the 12th stage can also become spiritual master himself, just as a student becomes monitor in the class. He should have, however, a limited number of disciples.
14. He must not pose himself as a vastly learned man, simply quoting the statements of books. He must have solid knowledge from others.
15. A regular and successful practice up to the 14th item will enable the candidate to have equilibrium of the mind even if there is a great trial of material loss or a great material gain in life.
16. And the next stage is that the candidate does not become afflicted by any lamentation or illusion.
17. He does not deride another's mode of religion or worship, neither does he indulge in deriding the Personality of Godhead or His devotees.
19. He must not indulge in topics regarding the relations of man and woman, or in the useless topics of others' family affairs.
20. He must not inflict pain either in the body or in the mind of another living being, whosoever he may be.
The latter ten items are negative injunctions while the first ten are positive. Out of these twenty the first three positive items are imperative and most essential for the desiring candidates. There are 44 other items to be followed by the desiring candidates, but Lord Chaitanya, the great Avatar of Godhead whose mission was to deliver the souls of this age, selected only five items from them as being most important, having regard for the conditions of the present mode of life. These five are as follows:
1. To associate with devotees. The association of devotees is made possible by hearing them attentively, by asking them relevant questions, by supplying them with foodstuff and accepting foodstuff from them, by giving them charity and accepting from them whatsoever they offer.
2. To chant the Holy Name of the Lord in all circumstances. The chanting of the Lord's Name is an easy job and the most inexpensive attempt also. One can chant any Name of the Lord from among His innumerable Names at any time, and try to make it offenseless. There are ten offenses in the method of such chanting of the transcendental Name, and those offenses must be avoided as far as possible. But at all cost the Holy Name of the Lord can be chanted without any restriction at all times.
3. One should hear the transcendental topics enunciated in The Bhagavad Gita. This hearing is made possible through platform lectures as well as through press propaganda. And this item includes the other two items above.
4. One should make his home at Mathura or the birthplace of Lord Krishna or should make his home as good as Mathura by installing the Deity of the Lord at home to be worshiped by all the members of the family after proper initiation from the spiritual master.
5. To worship the installed deity with attention and devotion so that the whole atmosphere at home becomes the replica of the Lord's abode. This is made possible by the direction of the spiritual master, who knows the transcendental art and can guide the candidate in the proper method.
The above-mentioned five items can be adopted by any man in any part or place of the world. Thus one can prepare himself for going back to home, back to Godhead by the simple method recognized by such authorities as Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who specifically advented Himself to deliver the fallen souls of this age.
Transcendental Love
The whole process of transferring oneself to the spiritual sky is to gradually liquidate the material composition of gross and subtle coverings over the spirit soul. And the last-named five items of devotional activities are so spiritually powerful that their performance by a devotee, even in the preliminary stage, can very quickly promote the sincere executor to the position of “Bhava”—emotion on the spiritual plane which is above the intellectual status of the mind. And complete absorption in such spiritual emotion is the perfect change which makes the candidate perfectly fit to be transferred to the spiritual sky just after leaving the present material tabernacle.
Such emotional perfection of the devotee—that is to say, the development of love of God—causes him to be situated on the spiritual platform even from outset, although he may remain superficially fixed in the way that an iron made red hot completely ceases to an iron, and acts like fire. These things are made possible by the subtle cohesion of the Lord's inconceivable energy, a realm of action which material science has very little scope to calculate.
One should, therefore, engage himself in the task of devotional service with absolute faith, and to make that faith a steadfast affair the candidate should seek the association of standard devotees of the Lord. This will gradually develop into factual devotional service to the Lord, causing the disappearance of all material misgivings like a flash of lightning.
All these different stages of spiritual realization will be personally felt by the candidate and that will create in him a firm belief in this means of making positive progress, resulting finally in sincere attachment for the Lord and His abode. That is the gradual process of evolving love of God, the prime necessity of human life.
There are many instances in Vedic history of great personalities—both kings and sages—who attained perfection in this line. Some of them attained success by adhering to just a single item of devotional service with faith and perseverance. Some of the more important examples of such devotees are as follows:
1. Emperor Parikshit attained the spiritual platform simply by hearing from a great authority, Sri Sukhadeva Goswami.
2. Sri Sukhadeva Goswami attained success in this matter simply by recitation ad verbum of the transcendental message, as he had received it from his great father, Srila Vyasadeva.
3. Emperor Prahlad attained success in this matter simply by remembering the Lord constantly, in pursuance of the instruction of Srila Narada Muni, a great saint and devotee.
4. Lakshmiji, the Goddess of Fortune, attained success simply by sitting and serving the Lotus Feet of the Lord.
5. King Prithu attained success simply by worshiping the Lord.
6. Akrura, the charioteer, attained success simply by chanting prayers for the Lord.
7. Hanuman (Mahabir), the famous nonhuman devotee of Lord Sri Rama Chandra, attained success simply by carrying out the orders of the Lord.
8. Arjuna, the great warrior, attained the same perfection simply by making friendship with the Lord, who delivered the message of The Bhagavad Gita to enlighten Arjuna and his followers.
9. Emperor Bali attained success by surrendering everything unto the Lord, including his personal body.
These are the nine standard items of devotional service to the Lord, and a candidate can make his choice to adopt any one, two, three, four—or all the items together—as he likes. As all these forms of service are rendered to the Absolute, the services themselves are Absolute and there is thus no real difference in quantity or quality, as in the case of inert matter. These are different varieties on the spiritual platform, where everything is identical with everything else.
Emperor Amburish stands as a very prominent example of devotion because he adopted all the above nine items in his practical life, and he also attained the supreme result. He engaged his mind just on the Lotus Feet of the Lord, his words in describing the spiritual world, his hands in cleansing the temple of the Lord and his ears in submissively hearing of the words of Lord Sri Krishna. He engaged his eyes in visualizing the Deities of the Lord, his body in touching the bodies of the devotees, his nostrils in smelling the flowers which had been first offered to the Deities, his legs in visiting the temple of the Lord and all his energy of life in the services of the Lord without the least desire for sense gratification. All these activities helped him to attain the perfect stage of spiritual life, a stage beyond the vision of the most brilliant experiment in material science.
It is therefore incumbent on all serious human beings to adopt these principles of spiritual realization for the perfection of life. A human being has no obligation whatsoever save and except spiritual realization in his life. In the modern setup of things, human society is very busy in the discharge of national duties. But, in fact, national, social or humanitarian duties are obligatory only to those who are bereft of the spiritual duty.
As soon as a man takes his birth in any part of the globe he does not only have national, social and humanitarian obligations, but also has his obligations to the demigods who supply air, light, water, etc. He has obligations to the great sages who have left behind them a vast treasure house of directions in the conduct of human life. He has obligations to all kinds of living beings, to his forefathers and family members, and so on and so forth. But as soon as one engages himself in the single duty of spiritual perfection, he automatically liquidates—he in fact fulfills perfectly—all other obligations without any separate effort.
A devotee of the Lord is never a disturbing element in society, but on the contrary he becomes an asset to all others. As far as possible no devotee is attracted by any sinful action, and as soon as a man becomes a devotee he can do inestimable service to his society, bringing peace and prosperity to all concerned, both in this life and in the next. Even if by chance a devotee may commit something undesirable, the Lord Himself rectifies that in no time.
Therefore, there is no necessity for a devotee to culture superfluous knowledge or abnegation. A devotee can safely remain at his place and execute devotional service smoothly in any order of life. There are instances in history where the cruelest man became the most kind-hearted simply by the execution of devotional service. Knowledge and abnegation follow automatically in the life of a pure devotee without any extraneous effort by him.
The Eternal
This spiritual art and science of devotional service is the great contribution of the Indian sages to the rest of the world. Everyone, therefore, who has taken his birth in India has an obligation to make his life perfect by adopting the principles of this great art and science, and then to distribute this to the rest of the world, to offer mankind the ultimate aim of life.
Human society is destined to reach this stage of perfection by the gradual development of knowledge. Many Indian sages have already reached this position, while other men still have to tread on the path for many more thousands of years. It is this writer's hope that the true sages of India today will make a serious and sustained effort to give the world this sublime information immediately, in a systematic way, so that they may not only save humanity's time and energy for this progress of life, but also so that all men may immediately take advantage of this human form of life—a form which they may well obtain again only through the labor of millions of years.
Many writers of philosophy and even of fiction advocate the concept of the eternal life of man. They contribute various literary suggestions to the rest of the world indicating that scientific progress can help man to live forever. But they do not generally believe in the concept of a Supreme Being as the Creator. We welcome the suggestions of such writers because we know that any actual progress in scientific knowledge will certainly take man to the spiritual sky, and that the advancement of knowledge will ultimately inform the scientist that the Supreme Creator exists, full with inconceivable potencies that lie beyond the calculation of material science.
As suggested hereinbefore, although every living being is eternal in form, one has to periodically change his outer coverings of gross and subtle matter. This changing process is technically known as life and death. So long as a living being has to wear the shackles of material bondage there is no relief from this changing process, which continues even at the highest stage of material life.
Our fiction writers may go on with their imaginings, as fiction writers are apt to do, but the saner section of the people, in studying natural law, will not agree that man can live forever within this material world.
A naturalist can observe the overall action of material Nature by simply studying fruit on a tree. A small fruit develops from a flower, and it continues to develop more and more. It stays for some time and then it becomes full grown and ripen. After the ripe stage it begins to dwindle day by day, and on some day it falls down from the tree to the earth and begins its decomposition. And at last it becomes dust, leaving behind its seed, which again springs up to become a tree and produces many, many fruits which in due course meet the same fate already described.
Similarly, a living being (the spiritual spark which is part and parcel of the Supreme Being) takes its organic form in the womb of the mother just after sexual intercourse. It grows little by little within the womb, and afterwards outside the womb, gradually becoming a child, a boy, a youth, an adult and so on. In old age a man begins to dwindle, and at a certain period he falls down in the grip of cruel death in spite of all the good wishes and desires of all sections of humanity, fiction writers included. So, by comparison, there is no difference between the two organic bodies—namely, the man and the fruit. As such the man may leave behind him seeds in the form of numerous children, but by Nature he cannot exist permanently within the material body.
How can our writers ignore the law of material Nature? No material scientist can change the stringent rules of Nature, however boastful he may be. No astronomer can change the course of the planets, although he can manufacture a toy planet under the name and style of Apollo. Foolish children may give much credit to the flying of a modern space capsule, but the saner section of the people will give more credit to the Creator of the truly gigantic "capsules"—namely, the stars and planets. If a small playful capsule has a creator in Russia or the West, why should the Creator of these gigantic capsules not exist in the spiritual sky? If a toy spaceship requires the assistance of so many scientific brains, why should we not believe in the existence of a more perfect and subtle brain which has created the gigantic spaceships? So far we have received no good answer from the nonbelieving class of men with their poor fund of knowledge about this suggestion of the Supreme Creator.
These unbelieving men put forward their theories of the Creation with so many doubtful wordings, some of which are as follows: "It is hard to understand … Our imagination cannot conceive of it … But it is quite possible that … " etc., which shows that the ideas put forward by such men are not based on authorized and scientific data. They are simply hypotheses resulting from imperfect induction.
But we can give an authorized account from The Bhagavad Gita of how, within this material world, there are living beings who possess a duration of life covering 1,000 x 4,300,000 x 12 x 2 x 30 x 100 solar years of our calculation. We call The Bhagavad Gita authorized because this bookof knowledge has been widely accepted by India's great sages even in modern times, and by many of the greatest spiritual personalities, such as Sri Shankaracharya, Sri Ramanujacharya, Sri Madhyacharya, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and so on.
Varieties Of Planetary Systems
Even possessing so long a duration of life does not guarantee deathlessness within matter. Therefore, all material shapes are subject to the law of change although potentially the material energy is conserved. Potentially everything is eternal, but in matter the form, or phase as the scientists sometimes call it, takes place, remains for some time, develops to full maturity, becomes old, begins to dwindle and at last disappears. That is the position of all material objects. The current suggestions of the scientists that beyond the material sky there may be some other form, lying outside the boundary of visibility, strange and inconceivable, is a faint idea of the basic principle of the spiritual sky.
This basic principle of spirit is present within all living beings. When the spiritual principle is out of the material body, then no change takes place in that body. Within the body of a child the same spiritual principle is there, and therefore changes take place in the body and it develops. But if somehow or other the spirit has to go away, the same body may be preserved by chemical adjustment; but there will be no more development.
This law is applicable in every material object. Matter transforms from one shape to another when it is in contact with the spirit. Without spirit there is no such transformation. The whole universe is developed in this way. It emanates from the energy of the Transcendence, and on account of the spiritual force the body develops into gigantic forms like the Sun, Moon, Earth, etc.
There are fourteen divisions of planetary systems, each different from the others in dimension and quality, and everywhere the same principle of development holds good. Therefore the spiritual force is the creator, because, entirely on account of this principle, transformation, transition and development take place.
So far as life is concerned, we can know definitely that life is not generated by any kind of material reaction, like a chemical combination. Material interaction, set in agitation by a Superior Being, creates a favorable circumstance for accommodating the spiritual living force, and the superior energy handles matter in a suitable way by the free will of the spiritual being. For example, building materials do not automatically react and then turn into the suitable shape of a residential house. The living spiritual being handles the matter suitably by his free will and thus constructs a residential house.
And so matter is only the ingredient, while spirit is the creator. The creator may remain unseen in the background, but that does not mean that there is no creator. Such a faulty conclusion will be made by a men with a poor fund of knowledge. One should not therefore be illusioned simply by the gigantic form of the material universes, but must learn to admit the existence of a gigantic brain behind all these material manifestations. The Supreme Being who has such a gigantic brain, quantitatively greater than ours, is the ultimate Creator, the all-attractive Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. For one who does not have the necessary information about the Creator, there is definite information of Him in the Vedic literature, and especially in the Srimad Bhagwatam.
When a capsule is thrown into outer space, a child may not understand that it is sent aloft by some scientific brain, but an older man knows fully well that there is a brain behind the machine. Similarly, a less intelligent person may not have any information of the Creator and His eternal abode in the spiritual world, but actually there exists a spiritual sky more spacious with spiritual planets more numerous than in the material one. From The Bhagavad Gita we get information that the material planets are only one-fourth of the Creation—or a third the number of spiritual planets. Such information is extensively available in the Bhagwatam and other Vedic writings.
A Universal Socialism
If living energy could be generated in the physical laboratory by the interaction of chemical compositions, why then are creatures not being manufactured by the boastful material scientists? We should know definitely that the spiritual force is distinct from matter, and that it is not possible to produce such energy by any amount of material adjustment.
At present the Russian nation, though undoubtedly very much advanced in many departments of technological science, is of all nations most glaringly lacking knowledge of spiritual science. The Russians have yet to learn from the superior brain in order to make a perfect society of progressive humanity, and the practical breakdown of their so-called Communist system can be traced to this.
In the Srimad Bhagwatam a socialist philosophy is most perfectly described which our Russian brothers have yet to learn. The Bhagwatam directs that whatever wealth arises, either by agriculture, mining or otherwise, is supposed to be given by the ultimate Creator, and therefore every living being has a right to partake of such wealth. It is said there that a man can possess only as much wealth as will be sufficient to maintain his body, and if he desires more than that, then he is liable to be punished. It is further said there that all living beings who live with man, like cats, dogs, camels, cows, mice, monkeys or even serpents—all should be treated as one's own children.
I believe that no nation on the globe can conceive of socialism so perfectly as it is thus described in the Srimad Bhagwatam. Living beings other than humans can be treated as brothers and children only when one has a full conception of the Creator and of the actual constitution of the living being.
The principle of deathlessness is possible in the spiritual world. A desire for eternal life or deathlessness is in fact the sign of one's dormant spiritual life and the aim of human civilization should be to develop the fullness of spiritual awareness. It is possible for every human being to transfer himself to that spiritual realm by the process of Bhakti Yoga, as described above. This is a great science and India has produced many scientific writings for such a perfection of life.
Bhakti Yoga is the eternal religion of man. At a time when material science is preponderant over all subjects, including the tenets of religion, it will be a greatly enlivening event if we can see the principles of this eternal religion from the point of view of the modern scientist. Even Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the famous philosopher and former President of India, admitted at a world religion conference held some time ago in Delhi that religion will not be acceptable in modern civilization if it is not offered from the scientific point of view. And in reply to all these different propositions the writer is very glad to put forward in this article for the lovers of Truth the firm idea that Bhakti Yoga is the eternal religion of the world, and is meant for all living beings.
Sripad Ramanujacharya has explained the word "Sanatan," eternal, as that which has neither any beginning nor any end. And when we speak of "Sanatan Dharma," eternal religion, we may take it on the authority of Sripad Ramanujacharya that this has no beginning and no end. The thing which has no beginning and no end cannot be sectarian or limited by any boundary. In the light of modern science it will be possible for us to see Sanatan Dharma as the business of all the people of the world—of all living entities of the universe. Noneternal religious faith may have some beginning in the annals of human history, but there cannot be any history of Sanatan Dharma because it continues always within the history of the living entities.
When a man professes to belong to a particular type of faith with reference to the particular time and circumstances of his birth, thus claiming to be a Hindu, Moslem, Christian, Buddhist or member of any other sect, such designations are not Sanatan Dharma. A Hindu may change his faith to become a Moslem or a Moslem may change his faith to become a Hindu or a Christian, etc. But in all circumstances such a change of religious faith does not allow one to change his eternal engagement—rendering service to others. A Hindu or a Moslem or a Christian, in all circumstances, is the servant of someone and thus, while to profess a particular type of faith is not to be considered Sanatan Dharma, the constant companion of the living being—the rendering of service—is itself Sanatan Dharma, the true eternal religion.
The Fountainhead Of Existence
In The Bhagavad Gita there are several references in this matter of "Sanatanam." Let us see some of the statements of the Gita and try to take the import of Sanatan Dharma from the authority.
There is one reference to the word Sanatanam in the 10th verse of the Seventh Chapter, in which the Lord says that He is the original Fountainhead of everything and, therefore, Sanatanam—the Eternal or Unchanging. The Fountainhead of everything is described in the Upanishads as the Complete Whole. All emanations from that Fountainhead are also complete in themselves, and in spite of many such complete units having emanated from Him, this Eternal Whole and Eternal Source does not diminish in quality or quantity. This is nature of the Unchanging.
Anything that wears or tears under the influence of time and circumstances is not Sanatan. Therefore, anything which has a circumstantial change in whatsoever form or quality cannot be accepted as Sanatan. The Sun is disseminating its rays for hundreds and millions of years and yet there is no perceptible change in the formation or radiation of the Sun. That is a materially created object, but the substance which is never created cannot, therefore, have any change in form or quality, even though He may be the seedling Source everything.
The Lord claims to be the Father of all species of life. He claims all living beings, regardless of form or species, as parts and parcels of Himself. And The Bhagavad Gita is meant for all these beings.
In The Bhagavad Gita there is information of the Sanatan nature of the Supreme Lord, of His abode which is far away from the material sky, and of the Sanatan nature of the living beings. He also gives information that this material world is full of miseries in the shape of birth, death, old age and disease, and even up to the topmost planet of the universe—that is to say, in the Brahma Loka—the same miseries are current in some form or other. Only in His own abode is there no misery at all. In that abode there is no need of light from the Sun, nor from the Moon, nor from fire. And the life there is perpetual, with full knowledge and bliss. That is called Sanatan Dham—the Eternal Abode.
It is quite natural, therefore, to conclude that the living entities must go back to home, back to Godhead to enjoy life in the Eternal Abode along with the "Sanatan Purusha," the eternal Lord, Sri Krishna; and further to conclude that they must not rot in this miserable land of material existence. There is no happiness in the material sphere, even including the Brahma Loka, and the plans and activities to elevate oneself to the higher planes within the material universe are done by those who are less intelligent. The less intelligent men also take shelter of demigods and various objects of devotion other than the Lord Himself, and derive some benefit which is to endure for a limited period. In this way all such noneternal religious principles are only temporary measures for the temporary benefit of the less intelligent.
The intelligent person gives up all such engagements of religiousness and takes shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; and there is the absolute assurance of immunity from sin from the part of the Almighty Father. Sanatan Dharma—eternal religion—is, then, the process of Bhakti Yoga, by which one can know the eternal Lord and His Eternal Abode, and by that process only can one go back to the Sanatan Dham, the Kingdom of God, to take part in the eternal enjoyment prevailing there.
Those who are followers of the eternal religion of devotional service to God may henceforward take up the principles of Sanatan Dharma in the spirit of The Bhagavad Gita. There is no bar against anyone taking up these eternal principles, and even those who are less enlightened can go back to Godhead in this way. Such is the verdict of the Srimad Bhagwatam, as well as of the Supreme Lord Himself in the Gita.
People should be given the chance to take advantage of this opportunity, and, because The Bhagavad Gita was spoken in the land of "Bharatavarsha," every Indian has the responsibility to broadcast the message of real Sanatan Dharma in the world. The misguided men of the world, especially at the present moment, are suffering greatly in the darkness of the material atmosphere, and the result is that the so-called advancement of learning has only helped foolish mankind to discover lethal weapons in the form of nuclear bombs. Humanity is practically on the verge of ruin because, as soon as there is a declaration of war, no one knows what will happen to the human race on earth. The eternal religion will teach man about the real aim of life, and all will benefit by such propagation of Krishna Consciousness.
On Our Cover
On Our Cover
The painting on this month's cover of BACK TO GODHEAD was originally commissioned by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami for the dust jackets on his 60-volume masterwork, "Srimad Bhagwatam." The present version is by Murlidhar, a young disciple studying in Los Angeles, California. Following is His Divine Grace's explanation of the picture:
1. The original spiritual planet, resembling a huge whorl of lotus flower, is called "Goloka Vrindaban," and is the abode of Lord Krishna, the Original Personality of Godhead.
2. This original planet is throwing out a spiritual ray or effulgence, called the Brahmajyoti, which is the ultimate goal of the impersonalist philosophers. This is the White Light or dazzling Brahman so prominent in mystic and philosophical treatises, often accepted as the ultimate formless state of the Absolute Truth. The Brahmajyoti is due to the illuminating Vaikuntha planets, and thus there is no need of sun, moon or electricity there.
3. Within the unlimited Brahmajyoti there is an unlimited number of spiritual planets, just as there are innumerable material planets within the rays of the material sun. These spiritual planets are dominated by plenary expansions of Lord Krishna, and the inhabitants there are ever-liberated living beings. They are all four-handed. The Lord is known there as Narayana, and those planets are known as Vaikunthas.
4. In some corner of the spiritual sky, or Brahmajyoti, a spiritual cloud arises, and this covered portion is called the Mahat Tattwa, or total material substance. The Lord, by His expansion as Maha Vishnu, then lies down in the water of that Mahat Tattwa. This water is called the Causal Ocean, or Karana Jal.
5. While Maha Vishnu is sleeping within the Causal Ocean, innumerable universes are generated within the bubbles of His breathing. These universes are floating, scattered all over the Causal Ocean. They stay only during the period of Maha Vishnu's outgoing breath.
6. Into each and every universal globe the same Maha Vishnu enters as Gharbodakshayee Vishnu, and He lies down there on the Garbha Ocean, on the serpent-like Sheesha incarnation. From His navel a lotus stem sprouts and on this lotus Brahma, the lord of the material universe, is born. Brahma creates all living beings in different forms, in terms of their desires within his universe. He also creates the sun and moon, and the other demigods who are to work under him.
7. The sun in every universe is situated almost in the middle, and as there are innumerable universes so there are millions and billions of suns and moons, distributing profuse light, heat, temperature and rays all over these universes. All of them are, however, compact within the compass of the Mahat Tattwa, as explained above. The suns and the moons are required within the universes because the universes are dark by nature. The Vedas instruct us to go out of the darkness altogether, and to approach the glowing effulgence of Brahmajyoti.
Goverdhan Hill
Goverdhan Hill
by Jaya Govinda
Little known to most of the world, there is a spot in India where the Supreme Godhead, Krishna, once displayed the eternal pastimes of His spiritual kingdom. This is the story of that place as it still endures.
Goverdhan hill is inseparable from Krishna, the Supreme Lord. Goverdhan was manifested in the land called Vrindaban when Krishna appeared there to display His incredible array of transcendental pastimes from the spiritual world. Krishna always remains the unbound blissful Supreme Entity, and everything and every living being is His creation. All living entities are only expansions of His own Self, and bear His own subtle and transcendental qualities when they are in a reciprocation of action with Him.
In the spiritual realm, which exists outside the purview of the entities in this temporal or mundane world, even inanimate objects have consciousness; and every being's action, whether as a young boy or as the soil beneath Krishna's feet, is a part of an intense love relationship between himself and Krishna. This eternal relationship is ever-increasing in its fulfillment and is unbounded by time or space.
Every object of the eternal realm is simply a manifestation of love for the Lord, coming originally from Himself. There is no lack of the necessary implements of service, because those implements have become manifest by the sentiment of serving the Lord in some particular way. Thus there is never any frustration in the eternal realm, because every deed is performed as an act of devotion to the Lord. In short, the only thing which does not exist in this realm is the absence of love for the Lord.
Everything being the Lord's manifestation, at the same time both conscious and active, it is to be understood that the Lord is omnipotent. And one of His energies, called His internal potency, is created to give pleasure to His own Self in the form of conscious and independently acting living beings. From the Vedic writings we can understand that the beings of this temporal world are originally a part of this internal potency.
Krishna advented Himself in this world for the purpose of recalling the fallen living entities to their original place in the spiritual world, and also in order to please the hearts of His devotees here on earth. When He came, He told Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva (the three ruling powers of this universe) that they could all incarnate as mountains; and so Brahma incarnated as a hill in Varsana (Radha's home), Shiva incarnated as a hill in Nandagam (Krishna's father's home), and Vishnu incarnated as Goverdhan Hill, a hill in Braja where Krishna engaged in childhood pastimes with the cowherd boys and girls.
Brahma is Krishna's special agent for the creation of this material world. Shiva is a form of the Lord that results from the Lord contacting the energy of this material world we see. This is often compared to milk turned into yogurt. Though made of milk, it can never be turned back to milk again. Shiva's position is like that. Both these agents have some direct connection with the material sphere of activities, but the third party, Vishnu, has no connection with this material world. Still, He is not a complete form of the Lord, for Krishna is the embodiment of more qualities than even Vishnu. He will reciprocate not only a feeling of servitude for Himself, but feelings also of friendship and of filial and amorous affection. Vishnu is an expansion of Krishna for the purpose of ruling, and He is created by Krishna in the way that one candle lights another candle. When Krishna lifts Goverdhan, then, we might say it is the Lord lifting the Lord.
Being especially merciful, Krishna allows the Brijbasis, the residents of Braja (Vrindaban), to gaze on His Eternal blue moonlike face for 14 days without a moment's interruption, and to drink the limitless ambrosial nectar emanating therefrom. Meanwhile, He accomplishes the equally supramundane purpose of protecting all the residents of Braja from the torrential rains sent by Indra, the vain king of the heavenly planets of this cosmos.
The story of this event is as follows: Krishna's father Nanda was in the custom of performing sacrifices to please the demigod of the heavens, Indra, in order to receive good rains for his crops. But seven-year-old Krishna told him there was no need to perform sacrifices for Indra, that it was Indra's duty to supply rain anyway. Therefore His father stopped the sacrifices, and the people resumed their usual work. Meanwhile, Indra, who was not receiving his sacrifices, became angered and sent torrential rains down upon the Brijbasis. At that time it was the Lord's grace to perform the superhuman feat of lifting Goverdhan on His little finger, to act as an umbrella for His friends and kinsmen. He thereby showed that simply to follow the Lord's advice is better than following all the scriptural injunctions, because He remains supreme over all the demigods, who are only His agents. And He will protect His devotees personally in all circumstances.
Of course, the scriptural injunctions are not without purpose. But they are meant to help one attain to love of the Supreme Lord, which is the be-all and the end-all of existence.
During the 14 days of torrential rain, all the residents of Vrindaban were protected by standing under the umbrella of the uplifted hill. By the end of that time Indra, realizing his mistake, came down to earth and bowed down before the Lotus Feet of Sri Krishna, his worshipable Lord.
Goverdhan also gives unlimitedly to Krishna. And when Krishna and His cowherd friends come to Goverdhan, Goverdhan prepares many lush groves and clear silver streams for them. Soft grasses and gently-stirring breezes lure the Lord closer. And when Krishna comes, all Nature sighs in ecstasy, and with a quickened pulse-beat, all living things become a harmony of joy. All the creatures of the forest—even those most shy of animals, the deer and the small birds—come out to frolic with Krishna and the cowherd boys. There is no fear, but only unbounded love, in the presence of Krishna. Nature then abounds in a wealth of beauties, many colored butterflies fill the air, and the earth sprouts forth with love all its wealth of flowers.
Here Krishna and the cowherd boys play at many games. Finding in the woods many types of colored clay, they smear their arms and faces with it, and make designs on one another with much laughing and joking. Some follow the brooks after the frogs, imitating their way of jumping, and others chase through the fields after the shadows of the birds flying overhead, or stand imitating the way of the cranes. Looking into the clear ponds, they make faces into the reflections. And a group of boys, finding a deep cave, shout insults into it to hear the cave's echoed reply. They discard their clothing and instead wear suits of leaves and flowers, and decorate themselves by wearing pretty flower garlands around their necks and in their hair. Then Krishna sits beneath a tree whose branches, laden with fruit, droop heavily, almost touching the ground. The cows and deer all flock around Him to lick His moonlike face, and the honey bees fly nearer, attracted by the unfolding red petals of His ambrosial lips.
When Krishna and the boys walk together with the cows, returning home at the end of the day, sometimes Krishna plays His soul-enchanting flute. And, receiving the ocean of nectar that outpours from its silvered strains, all the animals of the forest stand like stone, transfixed by the coursing of His music which, like a living vine, twists gently about the very heart of Creation. All natural laws are crumpled and melted by this sweetness, and the rocks begin to flow like liquid, and the brooks and streams sit stilled by the music which penetrates to the very core of existence. Mother Earth heaves a sigh, relieved of her burdens, as the cowherd boys dance together with Krishna, frolicking all the way home. And this is the nature of the pastimes of the Supreme Lord.
Today, people erect tiny houses of bricks or stones all around Goverdhan Hill. It is their prayer to be born in that most holy of places. And people press their faces into the holy dust of this land for miles around. And even this extreme form of worship is not for any personal benefit in terms of material remuneration, but is conducive only to Bhakti, or love for the Lord, which is to be understood as the greatest benediction on the living entity.
Why do devotees of Goverdhan and Krishna ceaselessly offer their bowing obeisances? And why do they constantly sing the Names of the Lord with loving affection? It is because we have all become trapped in a world of temporal things, which is not our natural position; and the Lord in His blissful compassion has enacted the pastimes of Goverdhan to present us with the key to the shackles of birth and death and illusion. We are thus invited by Him to enter into that spiritual realm of bliss and happiness for which we were all created. Of course, it is not possible for anyone to imitate these pastimes of the Lord, but if we hear about them from the authorized source, the disciplic succession, then we can partake eternally of that full life which is to be had in the highest and most blissful of all realms, the Abode of the
Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna.
The Hare Krishna Explosion
The Hare Krishna Explosion
The joyful history of a dynamic transcendental movement
by Hayagriva
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare vibrates from a walkup temple on New York's Lower East Side, from the sidewalks of Haight Ashbury, from Golden Gate Park, from a London flat, from student quarters in Hamburg and Amsterdam, from a storefront in Santa Fe, an exbowling alley in Montreal, a sprawling university campus in Ohio, from Old Vrindaban in India to New Vrindaban in the West Virginia mountains, and from Boston and Buffalo to Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver and across the Pacific to Hawaii.
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The voices chanting the magic vibrations are invariably young. The chanting, accompanied by khartals (small hand cymbals), tambourines and drums, is often loud and frenetic. The dancing is vigorous. The middle-aged and elderly usually stand in doorways or look through windows, watching in amazement, unaware that they are witnessing a process of spiritual realization that has been practiced on this planet for thousands of years. They do not understand. No one really understands. The chanting just spreads. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna …
In a brief three years, the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra has exploded all over the Western world. Its chief propagator is a 73-year-old Indian monk, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who came as a nearly penniless stranger to America in 1965 to spread the transcendental message of The Bhagavad Gita. Whoever encounters Prabhupad, as he is called by his disciples, is immediately struck by his sincerity and magnetism.
I first met him in 1966 on a bright July morning in New York City. At the time I was living in a low-rent apartment on Mott Street near Houston, on the Lower East Side. That particular July morning I remember hurrying down Houston and across Bowery, past the numberless bums and drunks, on my way to see friends at Tompkins Square. It was after I had crossed Bowery (just before Second Avenue) that I saw Prabhupad strolling down Houston, head raised, seeming a million miles away. A 70-year-old man, he looked around 50 and ambled along like a man in his 30's. He was wearing the traditional saffron-colored robes of a sannyasi, monk in the renounced order, and quaint white shoes with points. Coming down the street, he looked like the genie that popped out of Aladdin's lamp. I was fresh from a trip to India, and Prabhupad reminded me of the many holy men I had recently seen walking the dirt roads of Hardwar and Rishikesh and bathing in the Ganges. But Houston Street wasn't the Ganges.
I had to stop him, so I asked the most stupid, obvious question: "Are you from India?" and of course he stopped and beamed cordially, "Oh yes. And you?" I thought he mistook me for a Sikh because of my beard. I told him that I had just returned from India and that I was very interested in his country and Indian thought. He smiled happily and told me that he had been in New York almost ten months. Although an old man, his eyes flashed with the freshness of a child's, and I was immediately charmed.
He seemed to anticipate my questions and took a lively interest in my India trip. Then he told me, "I've a place around the corner. Perhaps you can see it and tell me if it's suitable. I plan to hold some classes." We walked around the corner of Second Avenue, and he pointed out a small storefront building between 1st and 2nd Streets next door to a filling station. It had been a curiosity shop, and someone had painted the words "Matchless Gifts" over the outside door. At the time I didn't realize how prophetic the words were.
“How is the area for having classes ?" he asked me.
“I think it's all right," I said. I knew he wouldn't attract wealthy or influential New Yorkers downtown, but I thought the EastVillage hippies would be interested enough in Indian philosophy or whatever he was offering to give him some patronage. I really didn't know what he intended to do, but I told him that his storefront was suitable just to reassure him. I recalled how hospitable the Indians were to me, and I wanted somehow to return their hospitality. I told him I would drop in to his classes with some of my friends, and he told me to come any Monday, Wednesday or Friday night at 7. Then we parted, and I hurried off to see my friends.
I’ll never forget the first night I went to see Prabhupad. Four of my friends were sufficiently interested to attend his "class." When we began chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra for the first time that July night, I was reminded of the services of the monks up in Hardwar. We played khartals and answered Prabhupad with the sixteen word chant: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Prabhupad led the chant, sitting on a dais clanging khartals rhythmically.
“It is not necessary to understand the words of the mantra," he told us.
“Just chant and listen."
He explained, however, that "Hare" was an address to the universal energy, "Rama" meant Enjoyer, and "Krishna" meant all-attractive and indicated the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Godhead. His lecture was our first introduction to what he called "Krishna Consciousness," that is, God consciousness. I think at the first meeting my friends were more impressed than I was, for I was afraid his approach was a little too esoteric to appeal to most Americans, but after the first two weeks I didn't care about his mass appeal. I became conscious that I could learn something. I remember asking him about using psychedelic drugs for self realization.
“You don't need to take anything for your spiritual life," he told me. "Your spiritual life is already here."
I knew he was right. He seemed naturally in a state of exalted consciousness, a state many try to trigger via psychedelics, and he promised he could teach me the same. "Krishna is Absolute," he told me. "Krishna and Krishna's Name are nondifferent. They are the same. You may not realize this at first, but the more you chant the clearer this will become. Now everyone is claiming God is dead or that I am God.' You just chant. Eventually you will have God dancing on your tongue."
I was willing to give it a try. When he talked about Krishna, he spoke with authority. He seemed the only person who actually knew beyond the shadow of all doubt what was really happening in the universe. He had the Vedas and Lord Krishna behind him, and he certainly made sense. My friends and I attended more meetings, and we found ourselves rising sleepily at 6 a.m. to attend morning classes too.
I hoped to get Prabhupad the support of many of the Lower East Side youth (whom the press was just beginning to call "hippies"), and knowing that poet Allen Ginsberg was in town, I sent him an invitation to one of our "Kirtans," as the ceremony of chanting and hearing a lecture is called. One evening he arrived in a Volkswagen bus accompanied by Peter Orlovsky. He brought a harmonium—a hand-pumped Indian reed organ—as a gift and joined in chanting. One night he even came with the Fugs, a popular rock group. The East Village Other gave Prabhupad a cover story and then The New York Times printed a story on the "new Lower East Side Swami," quoting Ginsberg that the mantra was instant "ecstasy." Prabhupad's classes were suddenly being transformed into a movement. During the night meetings the small storefront was packed. Kirtans were getting livelier. The music was sounding better and better, and people were loosening up and even dancing. The chanting, khartals, drums and harmonium were so loud that the inevitable complaints from neighbors started coming in. Curious New Yorkers crowded about the storefront window. Some laughed. Some cursed. One even threw a rock through the window, and the neighbors upstairs poured boiling water through the floor. We were in ecstasy.
Prabhupad had prodigious energy. He was up every morning before any of us. He pounded the drum, exhausted everyone at Kirtan, chanted hymns, danced, delivered lectures, translated books, cooked and supervised all affairs. And he was triple the age of any one of us. To help spread the movement, Ginsberg suggested chanting in Tompkins Square Park where the hippies were starting to congregate. For four consecutive Sunday afternoons we held Kirtan in the center of the park. Prabhupad kept the rhythm of the Hare Krishna Mantra by pounding a small bongo drum somebody had given him. One Sunday he played the drum two hours incessantly, and his disciples practically fell out.
The crowd accepted us at first with mild enthusiasm, but they gradually warmed up, and finally the Kirtans expanded into three-hour marathons. Many of the youth would join in and dance. Some of the old Ukranian and Polish residents would stare uncomprehendingly, then walk away, shaking their heads and grumbling. Many people stood for hours on the hard concrete to join in the chanting. Poet Ginsberg joined every Sunday. I recall one Sunday when a New YorkTimes reporter asked me to bring Ginsberg over to talk to him. Ginsberg was absorbed in the chanting, but I asked him anyway. It was the only time I ever saw him annoyed. "He shouldn't interrupt a man worshiping," he said. "Tell him that." And he went right on chanting.
There were fifteen initiated disciples by that time, and our fervor was fresh. I remember writing up handbills and passing them out at Tompkins Square during our Kirtans. They were glaring, evangelical, ambitious:
Stay High Forever
Stay High Forever
No More Coming Down
Practice KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS
Expand your consciousness by practicing the
TRANSCENDENTAL SOUND VIBRATION
HARE KRISNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
This chanting will cleanse the dust from the mirror of the mind and free you from all material contamination. It is practical, self-evident, and requires no artificial aid. Try it and be blissful all the time.
TURN ON
through music, dance, philosophy, science, religion and prasadam (spiritual food.)
TUNE IN
AWAKEN YOUR TRANSCENDENTAL NATURE!
REJOICE IN THE OCEAN OF BLISS!
The process of Sankirtan (chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare; Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare) brings about transcendental ecstasy.
DROP OUT
of movements employing artificially induced states of self-realization and expanded consciousness. Such methods only lead to spiritual laziness and chaos. End all bringdowns, flip out and stay for eternity. Bhaktiyoga has been practiced for many centuries and is authorized by India's great acharyas. Swami Bhaktivedanta is in the bonafide line of Krishna's disciplic succession. He has especially come to this country to spiritually guide young Americans.
THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, Inc.
26 SECOND AVENUE (between 1st and 2nd Streets) NEW YORK, N.Y.
Phone: 674-7428
Acharya: A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI
Meetings every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7 P.M..
Every morning at 7 A.M.
YOU ARE CORDIALLY IMVITED TO COME AND BRING YOUR FRIENDS
I don't know what the Polish housewives thought about staying high forever, but most of the young renegades from middle-class suburbia liked the idea. I remember literally throwing those handbills to thousands in '66 at the November 5th Peace Parade from Tompkins and Washington Squares to Times Square. That was a marvelous parade. Some 30,000 joined the three-hour jaunt for world peace that brisk autumn morning. Poet Ginsberg, wearing white Gandhi pajamas and a stars and stripes top hat and playing a portable harmonium led the Hare Krishna Mantra. Hundreds in the parade took up the chant. Some were so electrified that they continued chanting on into the night, the world peace issue seeming insignificant in the light of the "Maha Mantra," the Great Hymn. Prabhupad's injunction came to mind: "Take up Krishna Consciousness and peace in the world will automatically come."
In January '67 we descended on Frisco and opened up the Radha Krishna Temple on Frederick Street, smack in the middle of the Haight Ashbury scene. During the spring and early summer of '67, Haight culture was at its peak. We were flying high with the mantra, and thousands opened up to us. We splashed in the Haight pond with a mammouth mantra-rock dance at the Avalon Ballroom. Prabhupad and Ginsberg danced on stage with upraised hands. Multi-colored lights swirled across huge wall slides of Krishna and Rama. The Grateful Dead, Moby Grape and Big Brother blared away. Even Tim Leary garlanded one of us and salaamed, "A beautiful night, a beautiful night."
Five thousand hippies, teenieboppers and Hell's Angels stood reverently when Prabhupad entered and listened attentively while he talked. After the chant, someone in the crowd asked him about death. "Oh, death is not such a wonder," I remember Prabhupad replying. "Death is there, of course. But it is life that's the constant wonder. And this is life."
Later, at the Frederick Street center, Prabhupad told his audience that the real life for which man is intended is "to praise his Creator through song, through dance, through study of scripture, through meditation, through renounced action." Many of the young found some of the disciplines hard at first, but they were encouraged by Krishna's injunction in the Gita: "That happiness which is like poison in the beginning and nectar at the end is of the nature of goodness."
And many tasted nectar at the beginning. Every Sunday we chanted in Golden Gate Park and hundreds joined, holding hands and dancing in a ring. At any time of the day I could walk down Haight Street playing khartals (the small hand cymbals) and chanting and pick up at least a dozen enthusiasts. People were also attracted by our free Prasadam (food) program—we would feed dozens daily. The Radha Krishna Temple quickly became a dynamic influence in Haight Ashbury life.
Shortly after the Frisco center opened, the movement really began to explode. People were chanting the mantra at all sorts of gatherings: sit-ins, demonstrations, be-ins. Prabhupad was whizzing via jet from the West Coast to the New York center. Then some of his disciples began opening centers in other areas: Montreal, Boston, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, Buffalo, Seattle, Columbus, Vancouver, Hawaii and in Europe—London and Hamburg.
At Prabhupad's advice, we purchased some 135 acres of land in the mountains near Wheeling, West Virginia and are now developing a transcendental community named New Vrindaban, modeled after Vrindaban in India, where Lord Krishna sported as a Youth. Last winter The Macmillan Company published Prabhupad's translation of The Bhagavad Gita As It Is. Throughout last year Prabhupad delivered lectures on Krishna Consciousness at Harvard, MIT, the University of California and innumerable other colleges and universities.
At this point many who have never heard of Krishna, Rama, The Bhagavad Gita or A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who always equated swamis with crystal-ball gazers, might ask how so many Americans—especially young Americans—are being swept up in a movement whose basic philosophy is spiritualistic.
The answer is simple, though many may not find it credible. There is an old Hindu proverb which says, "By the grace of Krishna one gets Guru, and by the grace of Guru, one gets Krishna." Krishna, by definition, is all-attractive. As the Supreme, Krishna is the repository of all beauty, all wealth, all fame, all power, all knowledge and all renunciation. Prabhupad has the power to deliver Krishna to his students. This is a spiritual power given by Krishna. When his students dance and chant Hare Krishna, they are actually participating in bliss. They are actually experiencing Krishna Consciousness. There are many swamis who come to America with a familiar storehouse of Oriental claptrap. They woo rich women and take money as favors, or charge for "initiation." Swami Bhaktivedanta simply delivers the goods.
“How do you know he's not a phoney like all the others?" one girl at Ohio State asked me.
“How do you know an electric wire's live?" I asked her.
“I don't know," she said. "I'm not an electrician."
“You don't have to be. Just touch it and you can feel the current. The real Guru is a transparent medium. You just meet him and you'll feel the current going through you. That's because he's plugged in to the real Powerhouse."
The girl simply looked at me skeptically, but later I sew her chanting with closed eyes. She was already feeling the current.
“Just vibrate Hare Krishna once," Prabhupad has often said, "and your spiritual life has begun. There is no expense. And if there is some gain, why not try it?"
Who would want to doubt him?
Food for Krishna
Food for Krishna
By Uddhava
Krishna is eternally situated on the transcendental plane, and all items associated with Him are fixed in that desirable location. In that spiritual atmosphere, no entities exist for the slightest moment without their consciousness merged in thinking of how they can please the senses of Krishna, and for this purpose they have mastered the art of preparing nice foodstuffs, which they always offer to the Lord with love. By Krishna's mercy we on the transitory plane can also learn this great art and enter into the spiritual activities of direct devotional service to God. The spiritual master is expert in preparing these foodstuffs, and is always offering instructions to us with love. So, following his example, we are offering to everyone some suggestions for preparing foodstuffs for the Lord, to be offered, we hope, with love.
Bhava Sakti
½ lb. cream cheese
½ lb butter
2 cups flour
crushed fruit
Let cream cheese and butter soften in large bowl, mix together when soft. Add 2 cups flour, mix and make into cough. Separate dough into 4 parts and chill. Roll each part out on floured board and cut into small triangles. Fill each triangle with small amount of crushed fresh fruit such as pineapple, strawberries, cherries, mango, figs, or raisins. Fold two of the sides together over the fruit to form a little cup. Bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until light golden in color. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Makes about 3 doz.
Lime Puffies
4 cups puffed rice
¼ cup butter
3 tbsp. Sugar
2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
salt to taste
In a large frying pan over a medium high name fry puffed rice, stirring constantly, until gently golden brown. Set aside. In a smaller pan melt butter. When butter bubbles stir in sugar and lime juice. Cook gently for one minute. Allow butter to cool for about ten minutes then mix well with puffed rice and salt to taste. Serves 4-5.
Dahi
3 cups yogurt
2 cups cold water
1 cup sugar
2 cups fresh fruit juice
Squeeze pineapples, tomatoes, oranges, lemons, papayas, watermelons in any combination to make two cups of juice. Then thoroughly mix all of the ingredients together. Serve cold. Makes about 7 cups.
The Brahmin and the Mercantile Man
The Brahmin and the Mercantile Man
By Birbhadra
Birbhadra is an 11-year-old devotee shown here before a painting of one of the great saints in the disciplic succession, Gour Kishore Das Babaji Maharaj.
Long, long ago there once lived brahmin devotee of Lord Krishna. One day a mercantile man came to the brahmin's house and said, "My dear brahmin, will you marry my daughter? She is very pretty and so nice. Please marry her."
The holy brahmin said, “I cannot marry her on my own free will. I can only marry her at Krishna's will. If Lord Jagannath will come to witness this marriage, the big Lord Jagannath which is six feet tall, I will marry your daughter." Of course, the huge Jagannath Deity installed in the temple was never seen to move at all, except by pure devotees who can see transcendentally.
So, the mercantile man went happily home and told his son all that happened: "O my sons, I have good news! A holy brahmin has said he will marry my daughter. Isn't that nice?"
The sons said, "Oh, father—what have you done? This brahmin has no money! What have you done? You cannot allow this marriage to take place."
“But I have promised," said the mercantile man. "I cannot go back on my word."
“We have a plan," said the sons. "Just do as we say and all will be well. Go out through the village and tell everyone you meet that the brahmin is crazy and that you never said he could marry your daughter. They will all believe you over him, and he will become the laughingstock of the village."
And so it happened. When next the brahmin walked down the village road all the people laughed at him. He asked them why they were laughing, and they aaid, "Oh, you're the one who thinks you are going to marry the rich man's daughter! You are so crazy!" And immediately they would fall into fits of laughter, because everybody knows that no rich man would marry his daughter to such a poor fellow.
When the day came for him to marry the mercantile man's daughter, the brahmin went to Lord Jagannath and said, "O Lord Jagannath! If You want me to marry the mercantile man's daughter, please witness this marriage."
Lord Jagannath replied, “I want you to be married to her, so I will witness this marriage. Go to the gate now—but you must not look back."
As the brahmin walked to the gate he heard the beautiful sound of Sri Krishna's ankle bells and he knew that the Lord was walking behind him; but he would not turn around. Finally at the gate he could resist the sound of the bells no longer; it was too beautiful. He looked back and immediately Lord Krishna turned back into His wooden incarnation, Lord Jagannath!
At once all the village heard the news and came to see Lord Jagannath standing before the gate. They all knew that the brahmin could not have picked up Lord Jagannath and moved Him out of the temple, for He was too heavy. Those that had laughed before laughed no longer. They knew now that this was not just a poor man, but a very holy brahmin, and that the Lord had bestowed great mercy upon him.
The wedding took place that very afternoon with great feasting and rejoicing in the Holy Name of Hari. Through the association of such a holy brahmin the rich man's daughter also became a great devotee of the Lord, and together the holy brahmin and the rich man's daughter are eternally chanting the Holy Names of God: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Back to Godhead Magazine #27, 1969
Krishna Consciousness Temples
Krishna Consciousness Temples
Attend Bhakti Yoga classes and congregational chanting of the HARE KRISHNA Mantra, and hear lectures on The Bhagavad Gita As It Is- every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7 P. M. at any one of the following ISKCON Temples:
Berkeley—2728 Garber Street
Boston—95 Glenville Avenue, Allston
Buffalo—15 LaSalle Avenue
Columbus-18 East 20th Avenue
Hamburg—2 Hamburg 19, Eppendorfer WEG 11, West Germany
Hawaii—51-576 Kam Highway, Oahu
Los Angeles—1975 South La Cienega Boulevard
London-40 Gauden Road, S.W. 4
Montreal-3720 Park Avenue
New York City—61 Second Avenue
New Vrindaban, W. Virginia—RD3 Moundsville
North Carolina—605 Airport Road, Chapel Hill
Philadelphia-45-24 Regent Street
San Francisco—518 Frederick Street
Santa Fe-411 B West Water Street
Seattle—5516 RooseveltWay, N.E.
Vancouver—1250 Grandville Street
As of press time, a new Krishna Consciousness center is being opened at Laguna Beach, California. Check local phone directory in this area.
The mission of ISKCON is to spread unalloyed love of Godhead as taught by the bona fide disciplic succession and the authorized Vedic literature.
To join ISKCON write N.Y. Center (Aft: Membership Chairman) for details.
COVER: Srimati Radharani and Lord Krishna in the Pushpa Yatra Festival Puppet Show at ISKCON Los Angeles.
BACK TO GODHEAD
is published by ISKCON Books, an organ of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Executive and editorial offices: 61 Second Avenue, New York, New York 10003. All materials copyright 1969, ISKCON Books. Printed in Japan.
Founder: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
The Buffalo Lectures of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
The Buffalo Lectures of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
For those who have developed the urge for hearing the spiritual message, the message becomes purified without any doubt. The idea is that Krishna or God, in His Supersoul form, is situated in everyone's heart. And He is sitting like a friend, not as an enemy. Because God is the Father of everyone, so He is always friendly, merciful. Just like when an invalid son is there: the father is always looking for when the son will be cured, will come back home. That is the father's desire; and, similarly, we are not so much anxious to approach God, but God is very anxious to recall us from this dungeon house of material existence. Therefore He sends Lord Jesus Christ, or He comes Himself, or He sends His confidential devotees. This is going on—not only in the human society, but in other societies also. In animal society, in bird society there are incarnations of God and messengers of God. That information we have.
So God is always anxious to accept us. In the Upanishads it is said that God and the living entity are sitting in one tree, just like two birds. One bird is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other bird is only the witness. There are these descriptions in the Upanishads, of how God is always looking to see when I shall turn my face towards Him. He is always sitting, waiting, in my heart. And when we hear about Krishna from The Bhagavad Gita or the Srimad Bhagwatam, at that time God becomes very pleased.
This applies not only to The Bhagavad Gita or Srimad Bhagwatam, but to any literature that is giving information of God, any scripture—say the Bible—from which one hears about God. God becomes pleased that now this living entity is coming towards Him, now this son is coming home. He becomes very glad.
This is nicely explained in the Gita: when Krishna sees that a man is trying to learn about Him, by hearing and chanting about God, He is pleased, and He offers help. Even if you do not understand the purport, still it is pious activity. Just if you have the conviction. It is not that everyone who goes to church follows all the rules and regulations, and understands the Bible, or that everyone who goes to the temple understands everything. But going there and giving aural reception to the transcendental message from different scriptures about God, that will make one pious.
So in reading The Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagwatam, sometimes you may not understand, because it is originally in Sanskrit. But we devotees try to explain the message as far as possible, and if you will kindly come here and simply try to hear, then gradually you will become pious. You'll be pious, even if you do not achieve anything else. "Pious" means you become freed from sinful reactions. This Hare Krishna chanting, even though you do not understand it, if you simply come and chant and dance with us, it will make you pious. You will achieve piety or sinlessness; it is so nice.
And what is the benefit of becoming pious, or achieving piety? That is explained in the Gita: By repeated transmigration from one body to another in this material world, we are simply accumulating reactions to sinful activities. That's all. So long as we have no information of God, no information of Krishna, we are simply living like animals and accumulating sinful reactions. And our hearts are polluted, contaminated. There is so much misunderstanding between human nations, human bodies, this man and that man; it is due to our accumulated contamination in the heart. You are my enemy or you are my friend—for what? Because you have got a body and its relationship to mine is contaminated.
Generally, everyone is envious of everyone else. Everyone thinks of others as his enemies. I see in your country so many signboards—No Tresspassers, No Peddlars—that means everyone is an enemy. Otherwise, why should I restrict? No admission. That is the way of nation to nation also. America is my enemy, Russia is my enemy—so China is thinking. So this world is full of enviousness and hate, because every one of us has accumulated past sinful activities, which are stocked up now in our hearts.
The result, if you try to hear about Krishna, is that Krishna will help to cleanse away these contaminated things, accumulated during years and years of darkness. Because the very hearing is piety, therefore it will act on your heart. And how will it act? All the contaminated things within my heart will be cleansed away. Just like, when you have accumulated so many unclean things, if you set fire to them, all these unclean things will be turned to ashes, and everything will be disinfected. Simply one fire, one match. You gather all the garbage together, all varieties of contaminated garbage, and if you set fire to that garbage all will be cleansed. It is just like our contaminating so many things daily, and then the sunshine purifies it. This is also a medical process: sterilization. So, as there is in the material world a sterilizing process, this is a spiritual sterilizing process: simply hear of Krishna, then all nonsense things within the heart will be pure, cleansed.
And who cleanses? The Lord Himself is sitting within you. He'll cleanse your heart. He'll cleanse your heart; you cannot. You have no power, you see. You have been so much contaminated that you have no power. But He'll take charge. In The Bhagavad Gita it is also said that, "you just surrender unto Me. I shall give you protection from all sinful activities." So if God, Krishna, gives you protection, then you are safe.
Our sufferings are due to our sinful activities. And what do we mean by sinful activities? Sinful activities means acting in ignorance. When a living entity is in ignorance, he commits sinful activities. Therefore knowledge is so valuable. This crude example I can give you: I have come from India. In India, the motor cars are driven on the left side, and in your country I see it is on the right. Now, if I drive my car here in the Indian way, to the left side, then I become a criminal, I become subject to arrest. And if I say in the court, "I did not know that in your country the law is different," that is no excuse. That means I became a criminal because I was in ignorance.
Similarly, all sinful activities are due to ignorance. Therefore we should know things as they are. And how can you know things as they are? You have to approach a superior person who himself knows things as they are. That will make you free from all sinful reactions. And this hearing process is very important. If you have a chance to hear from a person who can present things very nicely, or rightly, then you get knowledge, and you become free from all sinful reactions. It is a logical conclusion.
Krishna Himself takes charge of cleaning the heart, and when He Himself takes charge, everything is purified. In The Bhagavad Gita it is said that Krishna is sitting within your heart, but that He talks to you when you become a devotee. Otherwise He is simply Witness; that's all.
You cannot do anything without the sanction of the Lord sitting within, but He gives sanction. Just like a persistent child: he wants to do something wrong, and his parents say, "All right, you do whatever you like." Similarly, God is always ready to give us good advice, but we do not follow Him. Because we have a little freedom, we misuse it; and at that time He gives sanction: "All right—you do it. That is your wish." But God is not responsible for the action or reaction. The sinful action and its reaction or the pious action and reaction-these are not the creations of God. They are created by you. You are independent. You can act as you like. God only gives you His sanction.
God is always situated in your heart, and He is helping you as you like, as you are asking. But if you are surrendered, if you say, "Now, from this day, my dear Lord, I shall act according to Your instruction," then He takes charge. Otherwise you are free. You can do whatever you like, and the action and reaction will have to be suffered. I do not know—I was a student in Scottish Churches College in Calcutta. That was a missionary college. So I attended Bible class half an hour, and I remember one very great scholar and missionary priest, Dr. Altman. He was my professor, professor of psychology, and he was also taking class in the Bible. I remember once in that class—I do not know whether in your Bible the law of karma is admitted or not—but he protested that, "In your Hindu system the law of karma is there, and if one has done something sinful, therefore he is punished." So he inquired, "What is the evidence that you have done something?" At that time I was a student, I could not reply. But after studying The Bhagavad Gita and other Vedic literature, I was prepared to answer him. Here it is. Here is the Witness. You may forget what you have done, but Krishna is not forgetful—He is always sitting within you. So, when you have done as you wanted to do, He reminds you, "All right, you did this."
In The Bhagavad Gita and in all Vedic literature it is affirmed that the Lord is sitting in the heart. As soon as we surrender unto Him He takes charge, and He says, "I have taken charge of one who has pursued this Krishna Consciousness, or devotional service, seriously and sincerely." And He's within. He says, "I give that devotee the needed intelligence." What kind of intelligence? That by which he can come quickly back to home, back to Godhead. That is Krishna's taking charge.
A child does not know his way in life. He is a soul surrendered to his parents. The parents take charge of him, and the parents know how this boy should be raised, how his life will be fruitful—so many things. The boy is free, though he is completely in the hands of his parents. Similarly, if we surrender unto Krishna, who is sitting within our hearts, then He takes charge of us. And He says, "Just to favor them [such devotees] specifically." God is good, but He is especially kind and merciful to the devotees. That is not unnatural. You may ask, "Why is God specifically merciful and kind to the devotee?" But it is not unnatural. Suppose in the street so many children are playing: If there is some danger, and if someone goes and picks up his own child, you cannot say that that is not good. "There are other children, why do you not take care of them?" It is natural, and no one can blame him: "Oh, you did not take up the other child. Why?" Nobody blames him; it is natural. It is good that his child is given first care. Similarly, everyone is the child or son of God—that's all right; but one who has taken to the service of the Lord, he gains the special interest of God. Just like in your Bible it is said that Lord Jesus is the only son. Because he has given his life for God's service, therefore he's taken such special care of. So this is the process of Krishna Consciousness.
Krishna says, "Because a devotee has surrendered unto Me, and I am sitting within him, I take charge of him." And even though one is ignorant or does not know any of the Vedic literature, if he is not learned—still, he will be made learned. That is stated in The Bhagavad Gita, that in order to show them special favor, He eradicates the darkness of ignorance. How? "I am sitting within, and I enlighten him with the torch of knowledge, which is very awesome, just like sunlight." Sunlight is very bright; you don't require to see the sun with the help of a lamp. Similarly, Krishna within, the Supreme Lord, enlightens the devotee. This is the secret of knowledge.
You cannot acquire knowledge through your deficient senses. But, if you surrender unto God, the knowledge will be revealed. Even if you cannot understand what God is. After all, it is very difficult. You cannot know, even in this material world, what things are going on. So how can you know or understand God? God is so great, unlimited. But if He reveals Himself unto you, then you can understand. That is the process. This revelation is possible when you are surrendered. If you are surrendered, if you have given up everything for God, then He is in your heart and will give you all knowledge, all help, everything. It becomes simple.
So it is explained in the Gita that He cleanses and He directs. Just like the father says, "Oh my dear son, do this, do this." And the child becomes expert, although he is not expert. The guidance is expert. And who can give better guidance than God? So if God gives you knowledge, who can give you better knowledge than Him? He is better than anyone. So surrender unto Him. He is within you, and He will give you intelligence and knowledge
Then, what is the effect of such knowledge? The cleansing process means cleansing off the influence of material nature. The material world is working under three modes—the mode of goodness, the mode of ignorance and the mode of passion. There are certain entities who are in goodness, there are certain entities who are in passion and certain entities who are in ignorance. When God takes charge of you, then it is automatically understood that you are transcendental even to goodness. Spiritual quality is transcendental to goodness. That transcendental platform is not very easily attained, but at least the qualify of goodness is immediately achieved. Material goodness is immediately achieved. That is explained in the Gita.
The hearing process in spiritual life means hearing about God. Not hearing the newspaper or any political news. No. You must hear the words of God, the words of Krishna. In this way the cleansing process progresses daily by such hearing about God. And the result will be that you'll enhance your devotion.
“Uttama Sloka" means God. "Uttama" means very nice and transcendental. "Sloka" means verses. Just like when you offer prayers to the Lord, they are selected words and very nice verses. Therefore another name for God is Uttama Sloka. So, to that Supreme Personality who is offered nice verses, unto Him a devotional attitude becomes fixed. That is the second stage of spiritual life, and the third stage comes when one is fixed in devotional service unto the Supreme Lord. At that time the modes of passion and ignorance—the whole world is moving under passion and ignorance-these modes become cleansed away.
We are hankering to possess so many things. This is called passion. And when we are in loss of something we cry for it. This is ignorance. And the material disease is that everyone is hankering for something which he does not possess, and lamenting when he has lost his possessions. This is the material disease. The materialists have only these two businesses; no third business. Simply hankering after something which one does not possess, and when that possession is lost, lamenting, "Oh, I have lost it!" So this is ignorance. What you have lost? What have you brought that you have lost? You came empty-handed. What did you possess in the beginning? Then why are you crying? This is called "sudra," unnecessarily lamenting. Unnecessarily lamenting. Suppose you had millions of dollars, and if you have lost that, then there is reason. But if you did not possess anything, where is the cause for lamenting? That is ignorance. What did you possess? What is your proprietorship? Nothing! This is ignorance. But still I am proclaiming myself the proprietor, the master of this body—but I cannot keep it.
Therefore I must know that I possess nothing. Everything is given to me for my use; that's all. This is knowledge. And as soon as we come down to this idea that we can possess, it is ignorance. Because I try to possess falsely I am wasting my life.
These modes of material nature—passion and ignorance—are pushing me to acquire and possess. You can possess something because you have a body. You must possess something, but then there is greediness. Say I have one thousand dollars income, and I live very nicely. Then I want two thousand dollars. And if I get that, again I am hankering, "No, four thousand dollars! No, eight thousand dollars. No, ten thousand dollars! No, a million dollars!" There is no limit to the impetus of the modes of passion. But when a person becomes a devotee, a surrendered soul, he is freed from these two material modes of nature, passion and ignorance. Then the mode of goodness is there. He becomes situated on the platform of goodness.
When one is not disturbed by the modes of passion and ignorance, then it is understood that he is on the platform of goodness. The heart is no longer influenced by passion and ignorance. Then he remains in goodness. And as soon as he comes to the platform of goodness, he remains happy. If you want to become happy, then you have to elevate yourself to this platform of goodness. Then you will feel happiness. When one is on the platform of goodness, or when one is transcendental, he has no more hankering or lamenting.
The next stage, when there is no more lamentation or hankering and you are situated in goodness, is transcendental. Now, how we have come to the platform of goodness? It is due to devotional service. We are reading and hearing Srimad Bhagwatam and the Gita, and, by dint of engaging ourselves in devotional service, we can be elevated to the platform of goodness, and become jolly. Then one can understand the transcendental science of God; not before. Then one can understand. So you have to elevate yourself to this platform of goodness by starting devotional service. Then, when your heart is free from all material anxieties, just as in the clear sky you can see the sunlight very nicely, so when you are posted in that position, you'll understand the science of God. It is a science. It is not a hobby or a sentiment. It is not a religious sentiment. Religious sentiment without philosophy is ignorance, and philosophy without religious sentiment has no value. Philosophy without religious sentiment is dry speculation; simply wasting time. And religion without philosophy is fanaticism. So both should be combined. Then it is the science of Godhead.
We are trying to open so many centers to teach this science. And, if you take the time to simply hear of this, you will be benefitted. We are not charging anything, there is no fee. So why not come? The world is suffering for want of this knowledge, Krishna Consciousness. Men are becoming less than animals. So this is not progressive civilization. If you want to save human society, then you must take to Krishna Consciousness. Otherwise you are doomed. Hare Krishna.
Fathers and Sons
Fathers and Sons
by Satsvarupa
It is said that one's body is an inheritance from one's father, that the sins of the father are visited on the son, that in terms of progress we stand upon our fathers' shoulders. So many "truths” have defined the relationship of father to son; but at the ultimate issue, all these affairs of father-and-son are unreal, because they are material. This relationship, which seems so firm and certain, is actually just an illusion, because it is temporary. This is the conclusion of the great sages who have developed and passed down to us our knowledge of spiritual life. The real father is the spiritual master. One who is liberated from identification with temporary existence factually experiences that his "guru" is his spiritual father forever.
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami once explained the transcendental situation of father-and-son in a letter to one of his disciples: "You have accepted me as father, so I have also accepted you as my dear and real son. This relationship of father and son on the spiritual platform is real and eternal, while on the material platform such a relationship is ephemeral."
In the relationship of the bodily father, the son asks for something and the father gives. That is, something material is exchanged. If one is so fortunate, however, as to receive "second birth" by initiation under a bona fide spiritual master, then he receives the spiritual gift of eternal life through chanting the Holy Name of God. By chanting the Holy Name of God and hearing the scriptural teachings, the student can have his eyes opened from the blindness of material life. From the blessings of the guru-father, the disciple-son derives all knowledge of reality.
The most crucial thing to be learned, the first important gift of the spiritual master, is that we are eternal spirit soul, part and parcel of God, the Supreme Person. The true situation is not, as the bodily father may tell us, that we were created by him, according to his plans, and that we are thus his private investment or possession.
Actually, all beings live under the plan of Krishna, the Supreme Father. Individually—fathers and sons alike—we are coming here on our own, by a choice of free will we wander down the ages, taking various births among the 8,400,000 species of creatures, taking different bodies in life after life, living in different countries, on different planets, being born of countless different fathers—all according to the works we perform. The Vedic scriptures say that if we lead pious lives we will be born into aristocratic, rich or beautiful families. The Bhagavad Gita specifically states that if we take up Krishna Consciousness or Yoga practice, but fail to execute it perfectly, then at the time of death we will be transferred to the higher or heavenly planets; and when the results of our piety are used up, we are again born on some earthly planet—in the families of yogis, so that we can continue our spiritual progress.
To be born into the family of a brahmin or yogi should be very advantageous to spiritual life, but of course we can always spoil such an opportunity, just as a rich man's son can turn to idling and intoxication. This is why the term "born brahmin," and the whole latterday caste-by-birth system, is a misconception of the spiritual path. The qualities of a brahmin (intellectual or priest) or of a Kshatriya (soldier or statesman), etc., do not depend on material birth, and even the most lowly-born person can advance unimpeded to perfection simply by chanting in the association of a pure devotee.
In his letter to a disciple, my own spiritual master explains what the guru, the transcendental father, can do for his spiritual son: "Although I cannot give you anything as a father, still I pray to Krishna for your more and more advancement in Krishna Consciousness."
Through the spiritual master we learn the actual relationship that exists between God and the individual living entity. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is Father, Mother and Friend of all life, is usually approached by Christians as the Father, and is prayed to more or less as a Supreme Order Supplier. God is the Great Supplier of bread. This is, however, an elementary conception of the Personality of Godhead. Only through the grace of the spiritual master, who has very scientific, realized information about the Absolute, can we advance beyond the idea of God as no more than a material father, a supplier from whom we demand. To learn to love God as a friend and playmate-or even as a lover—comes only through the process of devotional service to the spiritual master. To please the guru-father is the perfect way to liberation, happiness and still greater freedom in the service of Krishna.
It is also possible, of course, that the man who brought you into this world through the shelter of your mother's body could also impart to you the same spiritual instruction that is coming from the spiritual master. In such a case, he is not exactly a "material" father. When a devotee of Godhead marries, under the guidance of his spiritual master, his marriage is not material but spiritual. Such a marriage is not undertaken for sense gratification, but in the service of Krishna. The issue of such a union is not, therefore, comparable to the offspring of cats and dogs—that is to say, productions of accident and lust.
It is said in the scriptures that no one should become a spiritual master, father or husband unless he can deliver his charge from the clutches of death. This means that unless he can free his disciples, his son or his wife from material consciousness he should not take on the responsibility of master or parent. The mission of the real father is to impart spiritual wisdom. We can say, then, that the father who brings a child into the world for Krishna conscious purposes is not material, as he is not operating in temporary, illusory consciousness, which is held to be the standard of material life.
An important example of such a transcendental father is the great saint Thakur Bhaktivinode, who appeared in India during the nineteenth century. A perfect example of productive, spiritual household life, Srila Bhaktivinode fathered 12 Krishna conscious babies, the most notable among them being Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, founder of the Gaudiya missionary movement. Bhaktisiddhanta was the guru of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, the spiritual master of the present Krishna Consciousness Movement. Just as anything-an airplane, money, talent, etc.—can be used in the service of Krishna and thus made spiritual, so sex and fatherhood can work this way.
There is a question one may ask at this point. Since Lord Chaitanya, the incarnation of God who played the role of the perfect devotee, gave up his wife and only then took spiritual sons—disciples—what is the purpose of procuring only one, or even a dozen souls for the service of Krishna via the complicated and laborious method of material childbirth? If the only true sons are spiritual, why not adopt sannyas, the renounced order, at once and make many disciples? A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami has generally encouraged his students, both boys and girls, to marry and raise Krishna conscious children. He has said that, although we are canvassing for Krishna, we are after quality and not quantity. It is not by votes that one goes Back to Godhead. If a spiritual master can find one precious soul and carefully train him in Krishna Consciousness from the very start of life, then there is a very good chance for him to become a devotee or future spiritual master. In this way, to raise one individual in pure consciousness can benefit many people.
It should also be noted that one does not stop his personal service to Krishna by becoming a father or mother. Everyone serves Krishna, and every devotee, regardless of whether he is married or unmarried, can be a true guru in the style of Lord Chaitanya by simply persuading whoever he meets, anywhere in the world, to chant Hare Krishna.
It is stated in the Srimad Bhagwatam that in previous, more congenial ages, yogis or devotees would first attain spiritual perfection, and only then find a wife and produce some children. Their purposes for having children were: 1) to bring a fallen, conditioned entity into the world, and then to enlighten him so that he could develop love for God and transfer to the spiritual world at the time of death; or 2) to bring into the world a ray of Vishnu Himself—to have a liberated, saintly child, as did Srila Bhaktivinode.
The ultimate perfection of such spiritual fatherhood is to be the instrument for the appearance of an incarnation of God. Such was the case of the yogis Kardama Muni and Devahuti, through whom Kapiladev, the Teacher of the sublime Samkhya Philosophy, entered this world. The mother and father of Krishna Himself achieved the ultimate in this perfection of parenthood. One devotee sings in this way to Nanda Maharaj, the worshipable foster father of the Supreme Lord: "People have taken shelter of the Vedic literature from fear of material life. Let them worship Sruti or Mahabharata. I am not going to do that. I shall worship Nanda Maharaj, because he has captivated the Supreme Lord into crawling as a child in his courtyard.”
Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhyalila XVIII
And the Lord Gouranga [Chaitanya], while going to Vrindaban, made tigers, deer and birds on the way through the forest utter the name of Krishna, and intoxicated them with the ecstasy of Divine Love and they danced with Him.
“So the Lord went through the solitary forests and He sang the Holy Name "Krishna" all along. And the denizens of the forest-tigers and elephants-saw Him and they allowed Him to pass without any harm. And the Lord marched on in His deep ecstasy of love through them all.
“And on another day a more wonderful occurrence took place and lo! it was this: the Lord went to take His bath in a stream of the forest, and a whole herd of elephants came to drink water in the very same stream. The Lord was saying His prayers just then and the elephants stood before Him. The Lord saw them all and they, too, saw Him. And as the Lord saw them, He threw water at them, saying 'Chant the Holy Name Krishna! Krishna! O elephants!' And at that very same moment all those elephants whom the water touched jumped up and began to run about in ecstatic love, and chanted the Holy Name of Krishna all about. And some of the elephants acted more wondrously still, for they fell down on the ground and shrieked in sheer ecstatic love.
“And now some peacocks saw the Lord passing through the forest and they followed Him, uttering with His Holy Self the Name of Krishna, and danced in holy joy. And the Lord saw this and He uttered the Holy Name (Hari) more loudly still. And as the trees and creepers of the Jharikhanda forest heard His voice they were deeply pleased.
“And on another occasion as the Lord was passing through the forests singing loudly the song of the Holy Name, some does came near to His sacred Self. And they followed the Lord as He walked to His left and right, and the Lord saw this and was pleased. He rubbed their bodies out of love, and read out the following verse from the Holy Bhagwatam: 'Blessed are the does, for they marched along with the deer following our Holy Lord all along.' And the Lord said to them, 'Sing ye, O animals, the Holy Name of Krishna!' And as the Lord spoke thus, so the tigers and elephants and deer chanted the Holy Name and danced in ecstasy and wept in holy love."
The Great Soul Who Walks Among Us
The Great Soul Who Walks Among Us
Notes on the teachings of a pure Devotee … taken by Satsvarupa
Swamiji has said that what is important is sincerity. Not the rules and regulations, but sincerity. To the sincere devotee, Krishna from within the heart reveals, and everything is taken care of.
People are in ignorance, darkness. The Vedic literature is light. They take this spot life as everything. They do not know where they were before they were born, they do not know what body they will have to take after death. But they are absorbed in this spot life. They do not know that the soul does not die.”
“When Krishna was at Dwarka He had a headache one day, and He told His servant that He could be cured only by the dust from a devotee’s feet. The servant went out to the devotees, but they were shocked and said, ‘No, Krishna is God,’ and they dared not put the dust of their feet on His head, because they would be sent to hell. No devotees gave the dust of their feet. But the servant went to Vrindaban to the Gopis, Krishna’s purest lovers, who quickly gathered: ‘How is Krishna?’ The servant told them, and they at once scraped the dust from their feet and collected it for Him. ‘You gave the dust of your feet?’ said the servant. ‘Aren’t you afraid you’ll go to hell?’ ‘We are prepared to go to hell!’ they said. ‘We don’t care! But Krishna must be cured!’ That’s love. The less you care for yourself and care only for Krishna, that’s a good sign.”
“They see someone innocent and right away they exploit. I trust you, I lay my head on your lap, and you cut my head off-that is civilization. If they exploited for good purpose-but they exploit only for sex and liquor, the most abominable things. They have no other information or pleasure. But just because they have nicely washed pants and shirt they are respected."
“Man thinks he is free, but he is like the cow tied up with a long rope that is fastened at one end; however we may fly we have to come back. We are all under conditional Nature, you cannot surpass it. But anyone who takes to Krishna Consciousness is freed from material Nature. If we believe Bhagavad Gita, Krishna Consciousness is so sublime that it is transcendental to goodness also—it has nothing to do with matter. It is simply on the spiritual platform."
[Someone had asked Swamiji what about people who said that Form limits God. He replied that that was another nonsense.]
“The Lord is conscious. He may appear to be limited because He has a Form, but His potency is unlimited. He is the Absolute Truth. The sun is like this. It appears limited in the form of the sun planet, but the effects of the sunshine are unlimited. By their material calculation the impersonalists say if God is all-pervading, how can He be localized? He, however, has spiritually unlimited potency. The localized sun has energy all over the Universe. The Lord and His energy are inseparable, but the Lord is Personal and localized."
He said his Guru Maharaj, Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami, liked daring devotees who did not compromise. Those who compromise he called good-for-nothings .
“All is one does not account for variety. Red flowers, blue flowers, white flowers, all are one, all are Krishna, but there is union in variety, many in one. Krishna is everything and everything is Krishna. You can believe. You don't have to have philosophical understanding. It's the source of wood that determines the by-product. Men go to work with a saw and hammer and some talent to make a piece of furniture, and they say they created it. God supplied it. We supply nothing."
Swamiji said these people who think "I am God" really just sit around smoking, and they need to have some spiritual recreation, so they say, "All is void." And they smoke and sit and talk in this way, and then do all nonsense. They are of the society of the cheaters and the cheated. They go to some yogi, take postures, get told something nice, pay 5 dollars, and leave.
“All is spirit from Krishna. Just as a fingernail is skin, but cut it and it doesn't hurt. Matter is a form of spiritual energy in which we forget Him."
“They try to kill devotees. They tried to kill Lord Jesus Christ and His religion is now dominant over most of the world. They tried to kill Krishna, and now He is still growing from 5000 years ago. They put Prahlad under the elephant's foot, and the elephant lifted him up and carried him in triumph."
“The whole world is a butchershop. Whoever isn't giving Krishna Consciousness to another is butchering him. The mother is butchering, the father is butchering, the friend is butchering."
“Mahatma is he whose heart and soul have become great for serving the Great.”
Parts & Parcels
Parts & Parcels
Beatle John Lennon With Montreal Devotees
by Bibhavati Dasi
As devotees of Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we are not supporters of the cult of Beatle worship. So when John Lennon and his wife Yoko and their small daughter Kyoto came to Montreal, we were in the position of being able to relate to him with all the real respects due another human being rather than a demigod. It was a very auspicious occasion for me, because it confirmed that the living entity can never be satisfied by material wealth, fame and power. If he is sufficiently intelligent he will always be searching for something more. I rejoiced to think that the object of our attention is Krishna the All-famous, and not some other human being exhibiting some partial qualities of fame, wealth and power.
It is one of the manifestations of this upside down, twisted state of affairs in Kali Yuga, the Age of Quarrel, that corporate beings are made into gods by the unscrupulous priests of the mass media. Few people, if offered a ticket on the roller-coaster ride to fame, riches and power are able to refuse. Neither could John Lennon, at first. But so temporary are the satisfactions obtained by material pleasures that the living entity quickly becomes disillusioned—if he is intelligent. The happiness to be obtained by "making it" and finding all worldly success has been seen by John Lennon for exactly what it is, transitory and unreal. By Krishna's mercy he has been showered profusely with all the better fruits of karmic action, and thus has come quickly to realize this. For most people it takes a little longer.
This is how he talked about it last week from his hotel room in Montreal, in conversation with the writer and her husband Ishan: "…and I found out what being famous was like. It's a drag responsibility. So then I spent a long time looking; meditation in India and all that. It was all okay, you know, but it wasn't the answer. And then I met Yoko, and we worked our sort of thing out between us, fell in love and that. And then we asked, 'What do we went out of life?' And we want Krishna Consciousness. We want peace. The same peace formula that your spiritual master tells about, and the other kind too, that the housewives understand."
I wished that all the millions of struggling karmis, working so hard to clutch success, could be with us at that moment to hear how it feels to be a demigod: 'We're very narrow, very shy and very straight and ordinary, but we're in an abnormal situation and we use it to the best of our ability."
John was very interested in New Vrindaban, especially the school system planned for it. He asked us when such a community would be set up in England. "I mean I don't want to leave any of me kids or me friends' kids in the hands of the devil. I'm not sure about sending them away at the age of five, but if I do send them away I want it to be to a place where they'll be turned on. We have a nice cottage at the back of our property that would be perfect for a school if you'd like to use it."
The hotel room filled up with crude vibrations as the reporters and guests circled the large bed on which John and his wife were reclining. As cigarette smoke and liquor fumes became thicker, sometimes feelings became dark. But John and Yoko did not seem to mind the surroundings. Perhaps they viewed it as a kind of austerity necessary to get full coverage from the news media, which they are attempting to exploit for their goal of spreading peace.
The devotees, however, found the atmosphere less tolerable and chanted constantly when not having Kirtan. On the last day of our visit the hotel threatened to have John Lennon thrown out if the mridungas (our drums) did not stop playing.
Hansadutta spoke to John Lennon on several occasions, praising the sublime Lord Chaitanya, telling of Prabhupad, always stressing the purity of the Vedic injunctions and the necessity of adhering to the instructions of a spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession. But John was not always able to accept everything, and arguments broke out over small things—like shaved heads. Nevertheless, I feel certain that John Lennon truly respects the basic principles of ISKCON. Here is a part of my conversation with him:
Writer: Don't you find yourself picking up the vibrations from the uptight people who come in here?
John: We're stronger than they are and we're protected.
Writer: Where do you get your strength?
John: From Hare Krishna.
Writer: Hari Bol!
Yoko: That's where we get it from, you know. We're not denying it.
John: We don't mind arguing with a few disciples. But Hare Krishna's where it's at. And whether we get round to chanting, only time will tell. It's not where we're at right now, but we fully believe in it. You see we're protected by Krishna.
All glories to Sri Krishna, the All-Famous!
West Germany:
This is an article printed in Hamburg's "Welt am Sontag" on May 11, 1969, about our center there:
He calls himself "Jaya Govinda,” he looks like a tibetan monk, speaks the American idiom of the West Coast and works as a gardener in the Botanical Gardens of Hamburg. He is the president of the first Krishna Society on the European Continent, which will hold this Sunday at 5:00 a feast of Indian food and lectures in its temple, on Eppendorfer WEG 11.
Three Americans and one German from Augsburg, who lived in America for 15 years, have come to Europe to spread the teachings of Krishna. This is said to be the oldest Indian method for spiritual realization. In America there are more than a thousand adherents, Allen Ginsberg and Beatles George Harrison and John Lennon have interest in Krishna Consciousness.
Victory for Krishna (which is what Jaya Govinda means), Servant of Krishna (Krishna Das) and Best Prayers for Krishna (Uttama Sloka) are the names of these young people, with ages ranging from 19 to 25 years, who, on Mockeberg Street, held an open meditation hour and distributed leaflets. In the leaflet it was announced that one may visit the temple Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. It said, "We serve a specially cooked Indian feast."
What will await the visitor? From the outside the temple gives the effect of a hippie locale. The big window pane is painted deep blue. Just after you enter, a bearded young man requests you to take off your shoes. I sat next to a young couple who were likewise barefooted, sitting against the wall. The room is painted white, with wall-tapestries, and there is an altar. The meditators, close to half a dozen, are sitting on the floor, with crossed legs, singing: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
This verse—an Indian mantra, as a young man later clarified—is always practiced in the temple: it is painted on the walls, spoken and sung. A drum played by a young man with a shaved head gives the rhythm, a continuous monotone is coming from a harmonium, and two cymbals clang. After half an hour, refreshments are served—pieces of apples. And now, one may ask questions.
They call themselves "devotees.” Their regulations: no cigarettes and no alcohol. The four did not give their names of birth. A venerable Guru in the U.S., A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, is their teacher. In the U.S. there are quite a number of temples established, and in furthering this work, these young men have come to Europe. Is Hamburg a good missionary area? May I know? Uttama Sloka, the 22-year-old German, answered: "We are interested in the young people. Even rockers.” [Rockers are the Hells Angels of Europe.]
And how do the four missionaries live? "We do not need much," answered Krishna Das, a thin 19-year-old from San Francisco, and apart from Uttama Sloka the only devotee who can speak German. "The gardener is working mostly for the rent and maintenance. I myself am an apprentice to a Hamburg goldsmith. Yet he does not know that he has a devotee as an apprentice."
Ohio Newsletter:
Columbus, Ohio, ISKCON, 318 E. 20th Ave: Prabhupad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami arrived Friday, and our Kirtan at the Columbus airport attracted attention in local papers ("Undoubtedly the most exotic procession ever to grace the airport portals"—Citizen Journal). Guests crowded the new Hare Krishna center to hear a talk delivered as soon as Prabhupad arrived. Kirtans have been lively. Poet Allen Ginsberg arrived and spent the night and next day at the temple conversing with Prabhupad and chanting. He was especially impressed with the Aratrik ceremony, especially the music, which was "the most beautiful I've heard in years."
Several days later Prabhupad and Ginsberg filled a campus auditorium (which seated 750) to twice the capacity. Students flooded the stage and aisles, and when we started chanting they immediately responded. Within five minutes the chant was out of our control. Over 1500 students were roaring Hare Krishna, standing in their seats, waving their arms, dancing in the aisles and on stage. Ginsberg, sweat pouring down his face, chanted and danced ecstatically. When his garland broke in the melee, we seized the flowers and started throwing them to the students who clambered for them. Then Prabhupad stood on his dais and all the students rose to their feet. He gave his garland to Kirtanananda and indicated that we were to throw the flowers to the audience. The students grabbed them, then joined arms to dance. Prabhupad began jumping up and down and the dais bounced.
All this went on for thirty minutes. Then Ginaberg gave a talk to introduce Prabhupad, and then Prabhupad talked. The students were attentive, though hot and exhausted from the chanting and dancing. Then, remarkably enough, we had a second Hare Krishna Kirtan which was as wild as the first. The sound rose to a grand cataclysmic roar and the stage thundered with dancing. NBC-TV shot film during the whole Kirtan. Some students wept with joy. Afterwards Ginsberg said that he had never before seen so many students "burst out their skins" and chant and dance so vigorously and responsively. Hayagriva was reminded of a Kirtan at Stanford U. in Palo Alto in '67, at which the students similarly flipped out to the mantra, though the crowd was much smaller. Our only regret was that we did not get a larger hall to accommodate the crowds that were standing outside. We approximated over 1500 managed to cram into the auditorium. The following day all the students were talking about it. It seems that Ohio State had never before so completely broken out of its robotic regimen.
A Letter From A New Vrindaban Devotee:
We had great agricultural dreams up until Prabhupad arrived, but he is not very much interested in agriculture now. We had cleared four acres for plowing, but now we will have only a small garden. Prabhupad said we should devote our time to two things, the cows and the building of living quarters. We have one cow at present but there are three more coming this month. There is constant work going on to clear pastureland.
Prabhupad said, "When you get married you say 'This is my wife.' What is the philosophy behind this? It is that in exchange for her service I must give her protection. In the same way a cow gives milk so you give her protection. This is cow protection. This is my cow, I must give her protection." So Prabhupad wants us to keep four or five cows and chant Hare Krishna. He says if you have one or two bowls of milk and some grains daily, you can never starve.
So once we can keep some cows nicely, when and if we get more help we can have agriculture on a larger scale and build a new temple. Right now there is a big house which contains a temple and living quarters for Prabhupad. I have fixed up the chicken-coop nicely for Satyabhama and myself, the pig pen has been remodeled for four or five brahmacharis. The top of the barn has been partially remodeled for brahmacharis and will be further remodeled. The frame of what used to be a corn-crib is still standing, and will be made into a two-story brahmachary dwelling. The lumber for the barn and corn-crib projects has been obtained from a house we tore down in Wheeling. We rented a truck yesterday, and brought the wood as close as we could, now we must build a two-wheel horsecart to carry it the final two miles up our road. Kirtanananda Maharaj purchased the wheels and frame at an auction last week, and Nara Narayan Prabhu began building the cart today. Prabhupad requested that we fix up the road also.
I don't think we appear to be as busy as we actually are. You probably think we go slam, bang, boom and have a house put up. Well it's not like that at all. New Vrindaban is indeed developing into a community, but slowly by city standards. Prabhupad wants us to be independent—that is, not dependent on the outside. He wants us to cut our own lumber and make our own bricks, etc.
I must go and work on the barnyard fence now. Don't forget that with Prabhupad here new and unexpected projects may begin anytime. The situation is always changing.
—Paramananda
Mystic Experience and the Name of God
Mystic Experience and the Name of God
by Achyutananda
Taking into account the many descriptions of Godhead found in ancient books, scriptures and the eternal wisdom heard by disciples from their venerable masters, the Absolute Truth may be defined as follows: He is by Himself and for Himself; He has all knowledge, strength, opulence, fame, beauty and renunciation; He is the Fountainhead of limitless energies and the Fountainhead of infinite qualities all of which are identical with Himself. He has infinite forms, all of which have equal powers and qualities; and He has infinite Names with which He is identical. And, He is beyond the scope of the organic senses. We cannot see Him, hear Him, touch Him, smell or taste Him with our eyes, ears, hands, noses or tongues. The Name of God can only be spoken through spiritual lips; in which case, in our Krishna Consciousness society, which preaches the group chanting of the Name of God, exactly what are we all doing? Why chant the 16-word mantra of Hare Krishna if God's Name is beyond our power to utter? This sensible question deserves a sensible answer, and to do justice to this common inquiry we can only go to the writings of those souls who actually have had spiritual bodies, senses and faculties—and who had regular intimate communion with Krishna.
Bhaktivinode Thakur is one such spiritual entity whose poems, writings and powerful, inspiring personality is moving mountains of darkness from the hearts of the devotees. He has written, "O Harer Nama [the Name of God], You enter my ear, my tongue and penetrate my heart and tears spring from my eyes, turning the dust at my feet to clay. Thus the impressions of my steps are left so that others will follow my way." So it is not by his own initiative that anyone may chant the Name, but it is the Name which takes the initiative and out of His own prerogative descends to the soul of the aspirant.
When the Name pierces all the physical, mental and intellectual boundaries up to the soul, then the full Personality of Krishna—with all His qualities, forms, etc.—is realized. It is just like this: on a cloudy day we cannot see the sun, but it is due to the sunlight itself that we see the clouds. When by the heat of the sun the clouds break, the clear light is seen and then the full sphere of the sun is seen at last, revealing the world, myself and of course the full sun itself. Krishna descends to our consciousness in the same manner. First as a principle—that is to say, by our reason we come to the knowledge that we and this world must have a creator who is different but not apart from us. Then if the seeker is more fortunate, a firm belief can become lodged in his mind.
As the Divinity comes down through the chanting of the Name, real spiritual experience enters one's senses, and sometimes he feels or sees God everywhere. Where the devotee is determined to seek after God above and beyond anything else, it is a sign that Krishna is piercing his finer sentiments until, face to face, the devotee sees Krishna, having totally surrendered to Him. Those learned in the science of Krishna declare this stage to be "Samadhi," or trance.
Such a state is very rarely to be found in any person, and yet nowadays we frequently read about states which resemble samadhi achieved by quite a number of mystical people. How can we be sure of authenticity?
There are eight symptoms which precede samadhi, which are as follows: 1) stunned sensation, 2) chills, 3) what we know as goose bumps or horripilations, 4) trembling, 5) perspiration, 6) tears, 7) choking and 8) trance. But just by seeing these outer signs, can we conclude that a person is really in samadhi? No. And many cases of such tricks or accidents of nature occur. Once a scholar was reading this description to some elderly religious women. He noticed that all through his discourse one women was weeping constantly. He thought that she might be approaching that rare state, and afterwards bowed to her and praised her devotion. But the old grandmother said, "No, I am not a devotee. I had a son—he died last year. You look just like my boy!” With that she departed the temple, leaving the foolish scholar baffled.
We must never judge the true contact with God by material or outward symptoms, though they may resemble the eight sattvik, or pure, symptoms of samadhi. Once a yogi came to a village and displayed his power of walking across the surface of a river. All the people showered coins and praises on him, but one wise old man approached him and said, "Swamiji, you have two cents worth of power!"
“How is that?" the yogi retorted, amazed by such denseness and arrogance.
“Because for two cents I can take you across the river on my boat!"
No matter how wonderful the feats of magic or of nature may look, we must always weigh them on the scales of eternal, blissful knowledge. At this moment huge waves are crashing together in the ocean. Niagara Falls is discharging billions of kilowatts of energy, even galaxies are colliding somewhere, causing inconceivably blinding light and explosions terrible enough to dwarf 1000 megaton hydrogen bombs—but sitting aloof from any of this temporary if grand phenomena, the soul of man remains untouched. No matter how great the impressions of phenomena are, they are only elements changing energy into other elements, and cannot pierce to the true depths of the soul. But if one man makes 1 per cent of spiritual progress, he has made eternal progress which benefits all beings. For when Krishna actually does descend to any soul, He can project His energy to all things near and far.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's inconceivable spiritual potency is such. When His chanting was vibrated, even trees and wild animals forgot their conditional natures and danced in ecstasy. Any of the supremely fortunate people who witnessed His pastimes became powerhouses of divine energy, each and every one capable of continuing the smooth flow of Krishna Consciousness to all, as that consciousness itself descended from Krishna's realm.
No personality, incarnation, saint or great emperor has revealed such vibrant outbursts of direct contact of God as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sometimes He would, in the transcendental feeling of separation, be endowed with all the eight above-mentioned symptoms. Raising Himself to full height, He would crash to the ground wailing for Krishna. The devotees often feared all His bones broken to splinters. After chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra, Chaitanya sometimes began to roll to and fro. Rivers of tears flowed from His eyes. And then He gave an extremely confidential teaching: "I have no trace, not a tinge of love for Krishna in Me—for if I did, how is it that I could remain alive within this body?"
Not to speak of the trances and "experiences" recorded by many curious seekers of "bliss consciousness," cosmic and "expanded" consciousness, Lord Chaitanya, in the ecstasy of love of God, felt His own love hopelessly inadequate. He made light of the many symptoms He exhibited, and when He spoke at all it was not of Himself, but of the pure love of God which was His life and mission.
Now, if it is possible to connect oneself with the current of blissful consciousness, what is the method? There are many doors—but which one leads to the goal? We are not yet possessed of pure intelligence, so how can we know which way is right? Again the answer descends from Krishna, enriched by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and revived by Bhaktivinode Thakur, whose potency was infused into Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, who in turn bestowed his great love and mercy and sublime wisdom upon Prabhupad Bhaktivedanta Swami, the writer's own divine master. Now available for all, regardless of rank or status and free of charge, the same primeval Krishna Consciousness is being distributed by Prabhupad's Society. Carried along spiritual currents, the Name divine, the Maha Mantra comes, as we spread the glorious chanting of Hare Krishna.
Krishna Consciousness in Hawaii
Krishna Consciousness in Hawaii
by Goursundar
“That which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul."—Bhagavad Gita, 2.17
Anyone can understand what is spread all over the body: it is consciousness, the energy of the soul. When souls depart from bodies, bodies become dead. Half a millennium ago in the circle of Gauda in India, Sri Krishna Chaitanya appeared and taught Krishna Consciousness or spiritual happiness to all comers. And now Krishna Consciousness has come West.
Everyone wants to be happy. Different people expect to be happy by submitting to different circumstances in life. But sometimes the suspicion flashes across our minds that things just aren't what they appear to be. We also want knowledge. We read books, newspapers and magazines. We listen to speeches and we philosophize. If we can get more knowledge we can probably get more satisfaction. Due to ignorance we often make mistakes for which we must suffer. But if we want really complete knowledge, we have to search for the primary causes or origins of existence. If we are too frenzied to spend time asking such questions, we should expect to have to play the parts of mindless fools in the continuing pageant of history
The modern world is sometimes supposed to offer evidence that man is progressing towards greater material happiness. Materialism is often opposed to theism, which is generally agreed to have declined. People widely believe that the advancement of material science is more rewarding than the enlargement of spiritual science, and that they are actually en route to unlimited luxury via materialism. But men with no understanding of the real significance of life are no better than animals. Their society will always be brutish, even if it be decorated with tons of trinkets and perfumes.
In physics there is the concept of a space-time continuum through which bodies move. By careful study we see that the bodies of living entities change within these space-time continuums. What is commonly called growth or aging is actually a progressive charging of the body. But although the body is changing, the individual soul remains intact. We had our infant bodies, but now our bodies are changed. We can remember the activities of our childhood bodies, but those bodies have vanished. The bodies are passing away, but we are remaining. Therefore we must be different from these bodies. We do sometimes wonder what the images in mirrors really have to do with us.
The soul is different from the body; the soul is eternal. And the truly natural existence is spiritual—eternal. Yogis are trying to come from materialism to this eternal point by meditation: "I am not this body." By concentrating the mind in meditation, one should seek answers to such questions as, “What am I? How am I here? Where am I going? How can I achieve lasting happiness, uncut by the various miseries such as birth, disease, old. age and death?"
These are questions to be considered by one seriously seeking complete philosophy. At the point of asking such questions, spiritual life can begin. These questions are thoroughly discussed in The Bhagavad Gita As It Is and associated Vedic texts. This process of understanding is known as self-realization.
In this present span of time, known as Kali Yuga (the Age of Quarrel, Chaos and Hypocrisy) the chanting of mantras is described as being the secret of liberation from this mundane world. In the Vedic texts the chanting of the Maha Mantra, or Great Hymn—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—is especially recommended for self realization in this age.
The Vedic texts, written in the ancient Sanskrit characters, are accepted by most authorities as the oldest writing known to man. And this Krishna science has been elaborated by great spiritual personalities throughout the untold ages.
Krishna Consciousness has been established in the West by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who came alone to the United States to fulfill the order of his spiritual master to teach through the medium of the English language.
Krishna Consciousness in Hawaii is currently established at 51-576 Kam Highway in Kaaawa (just before the Crouching Lion Inn), phone no. 237-8544. Classes are held at 7 a. m. daily and at 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. A Love Feast, consisting of very fine vegetarian foodstuffs, prepared according to old East Indian recipes, is held every Sunday at noon, along with chanting and dancing. Everyone is invited to come.
Boston Weddings
Boston Weddings
by Uddhava
The most important celebration in the study of God realization is the initiation ceremony, when the student agrees to live by the orders of the spiritual master who has understood the necessity for a program whereby one can gain control over his sensuous activities. In Krishna Consciousness we use the word control because we do not teach that one should cease his sensuous activity, but that he should perform that activity in the pursuit of higher spiritual life. Then that same activity, when performed under the regulative principles of the spiritual master, becomes devotional service or Bhakti Yoga. This devotional service when performed with a pure heart has not only the power to simply release one from the sufferings of this material world, but also to raise one to the platform of love of God.
After a boy is initiated into Krishna Consciousness he is called a "brahmachari," a renounced student. A brahmachari is by Vedic custom supposed to be very austere. He should simply lie down on the floor to take rest, he should strictly regulate his eating and sleeping, and he should have no association with the opposite sex. After some time as a brahmachari, a boy may decide whether he wants to remain in this renounced order of life or if he wants to become a married man. Present-day society is not designed for developing spiritual life—there is too much intermingling of men and women—and so our spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, recommends that most of the brahmacharis become responsible married men and raise Krishna conscious families.
Accepting a wife is also considered renunciation, because the student is voluntarily sacrificing his tendency toward unrestricted sex life for a program of regulated restraint to develop his spiritual consciousness. When a brahmachari decides to marry, the system is that he should consult his godbrothers and ask their advice. If they agree that marriage is the best thing for his spiritual advancement, then he should submit his plan to the spiritual master for approval. Upon approval of the spiritual master an eligible girl is chosen, either by the spiritual master himself or by the brahmachari's godbrothers. It is best if neither the boy nor the girl has choice in selecting this lifelong companion. Marriage is not for sense gratification, and therefore the partner should not be selected on the basis of sexual attraction, but on the couple's desire to work hard together for the spiritual master.
On May 8th of 1969, the Krishna conscious society had a wedding of three couples at the Boston Radha Krishna temple, as depicted on these pages. The couples learned of the marriage one day prior to the actual ceremony. Krishna Consciousness means simple living, and so there was no problem preparing for the event in such a short space of time. The boys gathered together enough money to purchase new saris for their prospective brides, and the women on the day of the ceremony made garlands of flowers for themselves and their prospective husbands. Someone was put in charge of collecting the necessary items for the ceremonial fire—rice flour colored with dye, small pieces of wood for fuel, sesame seeds, barley and bananas to sacrifice in the fire, and clarified butter to make the fire burn brightly.
The spiritual master and the couples to be married sat down on opposite sides of the fire pit, each bride sitting to the right of her groom. A flower garland was first offered to the spiritual master and then the couple was offered flower garlands. Much sweet smelling incense was lit and the spiritual master began by reciting auspicious mantras and sipping three small spoonfuls of water from his hand. All the couples followed the sipping of the water. When the mantras were said the spiritual master delivered a lecture stressing the importance of married life:
“Married life for Krishna Consciousness is all right. My spiritual master was a strict celibate all of his life, but he used to say that if he could raise children in Krishna Consciousness then he was prepared to indulge in sex life one hundred times. In The Bhagavad Gita Krishna declares that sex life based on religious principles is a representation of Himself. The regulative principle that married couples should follow regarding sex life is that it should be avoided except for the propagation of children, and then only indulged in once a month until pregnancy. If the couple does not desire children then sex life should be avoided completely. This is known as natural birth control. In our Krishna Consciousness society we are not teaching the cessation of activity, but the regulation of activity. It is natural for young boys and girls to be attracted to each other and to desire enjoyment, but they should not act unrestrictedly on the platform of dog or cat consciousness. Let them be married and live peacefully. In all forms of life there is eating, sleeping, defending and mating. The human form also indulges in these activities, but in the human form there is a fifth activity which distinguishes it from the society of the animals. This we call religiousness.
“True religiousness begins when one asks himself, ‘Why am I suffering? Who am I? What is my true position?' If someone, no matter who or what he is, sincerely looks for the answers to these important questions and if he has accepted a bona fide spiritual master, then he is said to be on the path of religiousness. Our Krishna conscious society is meant for supplying the answers to these questions as they are answered by the Supreme Lord Himself in various scriptures such as The Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagwatam, Chaitanya Charitamrita, etc.
“Parents, please give your blessings to your children. Let them be happy for the benefit of society, country and humanity.”
Prabhupada then asked the parents to repeat these words in giving away their daughters: "She has been in my charge for so many years, now I hand her over to you.” The man accepts this offer by answering, "I accept her as my wife for my entire life. I agree to protect her and provide for her needs." Next the woman confirms the marriage by agreeing to serve her husband and provide for his comforts in this life. The smiling couples then trade flower garlands and change their sitting arrangement: the wife sits to the left of the husband and the husband covers his wife's head with the loose part of her sari. The distinguishing mark of a married woman is the red streak of pigment found in the part of her hair at the center of her head. This is now placed there for the first time by her new husband.
When all the couples have been married in this manner, it is time to light the sacrificial fire. The colored rice flour is sprinkled across the earthen bed where the fire will burn so that a colorful arrangement of lines is produced. In the center of this is placed a burning splinter which has been dipped in ghee (clarified butter) and lit by a candle. This is followed by more splinters dipped in ghee, the pieces becoming larger and larger until the flames are rising two feet into the air. All of the happy newlyweds are crowded around the hot fire. Sweat appears on their brows but they can barely move back because of the crowds of friends and relatives behind them pushing forward to reach the sesame seeds and barley, which has just been mixed with ghee, and which is being offered for everyone to throw in the sacrificial fire. The spiritual master is chanting sets of mantras to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, and everyone is loudly repeating these. Each set of mantras is ended with "Shaha!" This is the signal, everyone answers with an ecstatic "Shaha!” and for a moment the temple appears to be raining sesame seeds and barley as everyone throws their small handful into the fire.
After the mantras are chanted, the spiritual master motions for the couples to stand. They are handed bananas which they place between their folded hands. With heads bowed in submission they repeat the beautiful mantra being chanted by the spiritual master, and at the end place their bananas in the fire. Ghee is poured over the bananas and the names reach higher into the air. By this time the temple is filled with smoke and no one can tell if the tears in the eyes of the devotees are caused by smoke or by the bliss of the joyous occasion. All the couples now bow down, their heads to the sesame-seed-covered floor, and by a mantra offer their obeisances, their minds, their hearts, their lives to the spiritual master, who simply says, "Thank you very much. Chant Hare Krishna.” Hearing this the devotees leap into the air, grab at cymbals and drums and begin loud chantings of the Hare Krishna Mantra. By now everyone's eyes are full of tears and sweat is pouring from their brows as the flames of the fire shoot three and four feet into the air. But nothing will stop these merry madmen from having their Kirtan in praise of Lord Krishna.
The crackling of the bananas, the heat and smoke from the fire just add bliss to the already ecstatic chanting and dancing scene. Many are jumping into the air yelling, "Hari Vol!" Others are beating furiously on drums, crashing together small hand cymbals, or simply clapping their hands together loudly. Hare Krishna chanting continues for half an hour or so and is ended by a nod of the head from His Divine Grace. Everyone falls to the barley-covered floor and prostrates himself before His Divine Grace, who is chanting respects to all of the greater teachers and holy places where Lord Krishna had His pastimes. All then assume the sitting position and the temple quiets down, except for a few devotees who can't quite check their crying or laughing in ecstasy. They sit slowly shaking their heads from side to side in disbelief that there could be such bliss in praising the sweet Lord, Sri Krishna. With a broad smile on His face Prabhupada asks the married couples if they are happy. They simply nod, "Of course!" is in their eyes. In their minds they are thinking: if only I had something more than my whole life to offer my spiritual master.
His Divine Grace is now offered a plate of Prasadam (food offered to Lord Krishna) and His eyes sparkle as he sees the sweetballs, samossa, Kachori, Radha Ballabhi, Rasgolla and fifteen other preparations. He takes a few small bites and asks that everyone be fed. Seconds, thirds and even fourths are being demanded by even guests who have never before seen a Prasadam feast. At some time during the feast His Divine Grace rises to leave. All immediately fall to the floor offering obeisances, and then jump up to accompany him to the door yelling "Hare Krishna! Hari Bol!” On his way out he turns, throws his hand in the air, and says again in a majestic voice, "Chant Hare Krishna!” The devotees, feeling his love, return to the feast, some still shaking their heads in bliss, others saying softly, "Hare Bol,” or "All glories to Prabhupada." After some time the guests slowly begin to leave and the newly married couples prepare to leave for their respective new homes to join together in long and happy lives in praise of the sweet Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna.
Sree Vyas Puja Homage and Offering
Sree Vyas Puja Homage and Offering
This "Sree Vyas Puja Homage" was read by Abhay Charan Das (His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami) before the members of the Sri Gaudlya Math in Bombay in February, 1936 on the occasion of the birthday anniversary of His Divine Grace Prabhupada Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. His Divine Grace Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati was very fond of the poem by Abhay Charan and was especially pleased by the lines: "Absolute is sentient Thou hast proved, /Impersonal calamity/Thou hast moved." The speech was published later in 1936 in The Harmonist, the publication of the Gaudiya Math. It is noteworthy that the same spirit of preaching has been maintained by His Divine Grace over the past 33 years. This is testimony to the eternality of the message of Krishna Consciousness.
Sree Vyas Puja Offering
1.
Adore adore ye all
The happy day.
Blessed than heaven,
Sweeter than May.
When He appeared at Puri
The holy place,
My Lord and Master
His Divine Grace.
2.
Oh! my Master
The evangelic angel
Give us Thy light,
Lite up Thy candle.
Struggle for existence
A human race.
The only hope
His Divine Grace.
3.
Misled we are
All going astray,
Save us Lord
Our fervent pray.
Wonder Thy ways
To turn our face
Adore Thy feet
Your Divine Grace
4.
Forgotten Krishna
We fallen souls,
Paying most heavy
The illusion's toll.
Darkness around
All untrace.
The only hope
His Divine Grace.
5.
Message of service
Thou hast brought.
A healthful life
As Chaitanya wrought.
Unknown to all
It's full of brace.
That's your gift
Your Divine Grace.
6.
Absolute is sentient
Thou hast proved,
Impersonal calamity
Thou hast moved.
This gives us a life
Anew and fresh,
Worship thy feet
Your Divine Grace.
7.
Had you not come
Who had told
The message of Krishna
Forceful and bold.
That's your right
You have the mace.
Save me a fallen
Your Divine Grace.
8.
The line of service
As drawn by you,
Is pleasing and healthy
Like morning dew.
The oldest of all
But in new-dress
Miracle done
Your Divine Grace.
—Abhay Charan Das
Sri Vyas Puja Homage
Saksad haritvena samasta sastrai
Ruktastatha bhabyata eve sadbhih
Kintu prabhoryah priya eve tasya
Vande guroh sri charanaravindam.
“In the revealed scriptures it is declared that the Spiritual Master should be worshipped like the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this injunction is obeyed by pure devotees of the Lord. The Spiritual Master is the most confidential servant of the Lord. Thus let us offer our respectful obeisances unto the Lotus Feet of our Spiritual Master.”
Gentlemen,
On behalf of the members of the Bombay branch of The Gaudiya Math, let me welcome you all, because you have so kindly joined us tonight in our congregational offerings of Homage to the Lotus Feet of the world-teacher Acharyadeva, who is the founder of this Gaudiya Mission and is the President Acharya of Sree Sree Viswa Vaishnab Raj-Shabha,—I mean my eternal Divine Master Paramhansa Paribrajakacharya Sree Sreemad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj.
Sixty-two years ago, on this auspicious day—the Acharyadeva made his appearance by the call of Thakore Bhakti-Vinode at Sree Kshetra Jaggannathdham at Puri.
Gentlemen, the offerings of such a homage as has been arranged this evening to the Acharyadeva is not a sectarian concern, because when we speak of the fundamental principle of Gurudeva or Acharyadeva, we speak of something that is of universal application. There does not arise any question of discriminating my Guru from that of yours or of any one else's. There is only one Guru who appears in an infinity of forms to teach you, me and all others. The Guru or Acharyadeva, as we learn from the bonafide scriptures, delivers the message of the absolute world, I mean the transcendental abode of the Absolute Personality where everything non-differentially serves the Absolute Truth. We have heard so many times that mahajana yena gatah sa pantha (Traverse the trail which your previous acharya has passed.), but we have hardly tried to understand the real purport of this sloka, and if we scrutiniously study this proposition we understand that mahajana is one, and the royal road to the transcendental world is also one. In the Katha Upanishada it is said,
Tad vijnartham sa gurumevabhigachhet.
Samit panih srotnyam brahmanistham.
“In order to learn that transcendental science, one must approach the bonafide Spiritual Master in disciplic succession, fixed in the Absolute Truth.”
Thus it has been enjoined herewith that in order to receive that transcendental knowledge one must approach the Guru. Therefore, if the Absolute Truth is one, about which we think there is no difference of opinion, the Guru also cannot be two. The Acharyadeva to whom we have assembled tonight to offer our humble homage, is not the Guru of a sectarian institution or one out of many differing exponents of the truth. On the contrary He is the Jagatguru or the Guru of all of us; the only difference is that some obey Him wholeheartedly, while others do not obey Him directly.
In the Bhagavatam it is said—
Acharyam mam vijaniyat navamanyeta karhichit.
Na martabuddhyayasueta sarvadeva mayo guruh.
“One should understand the Spiritual Master to be as good as I am," said the Blessed Lord. "Nobody should be jealous of the Spiritual Master or think of Him as an ordinary man because the Spiritual Master is the sum total of all demigods.”
That is, the Acharya has been identified with Godhead Himself. He has nothing to do with the affairs of this mundane world. He does not descend here to meddle with the affairs of temporary necessities but to deliver the fallen and conditioned souls—the souls or entities who have come here in the material world with a motive of enjoyment by the mind and the five organs of sense perception. He appears before us to reveal the light of the Vedas and to bestow upon us the blessings of full-fledged freedom after which we should hanker at every step of our life's journey.
The transcendental knowledge of the Vedas were first uttered by Godhead to Brahma the Creator of this particular universe. From Brahma the Knowledge descended to Narada, from Narada to Vyasadeva, from Vyasadeva to Madhwa and in this process of disciplic succession the transcendental knowledge was being transmitted by one disciple to another till it reached Lord Gauranga or Sree Krishna Chaitanya Who posed as the Disciple and Successor of Sree Ishvara Puri. The present Acharyadeva is the tenth disciplic representative from Sree Rupa Goswami, the original representative of this transcendental tradition in its fullness from Lord Chaitanya. The knowledge that we receive from Him is not different from that imparted by Godhead Himself and the succession of the Acharyas in the preceptorial line of Brahma. We adore this auspicious day as Sree Vyas-Puja Tithi because the Acharya is the living representative of Vyasdeva, the Divine compiler of the Vedas, the Puranas, Gita, Mahabharata and the Bhagavatam. One who interprets the Divine Sound or Sabdabrahman by his imperfect sense perception cannot be a real spiritual Guru because in the absence of the empiricist's proper disciplinary training under the bonafide Acharya, the interpreter is sure to differ from Vyasdeva (as the Mayabadins do), the prime authority of the Vedic Revelation, and therefore, such irrelevant interpreter cannot be accepted as the Guru or Acharya howsoever he may be equipped with all the acquirements of material knowledge. As it is said—
Sampradaya vihina ye mantraste biphalamatah.
“Unless you are initiated by a bonafide spiritual Master in the disciplic succession, the mantra that you might have received is without any effect.”
On the other hand one who has received the transcendental knowledge through the bonafide preceptor in the disciplic chain by aural reception and has sincere regard for the real Acharya must needs be enlightened with the revealed knowledge of Vedas which is permanently sealed to the cognitive approach of the empiricists. As it is said in Shetaswatara Upanishada,
Yasyadeve parabhakti yatha deve tatha gurou.
Tasyaite kathitha hyarthah prakasante mahat manah.
“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the Spiritual Master, simultaneously, are all the imports of Vedic Knowledge automatically revealed.”
Gentlemen, our knowledge is so poor, our senses are so imperfect and our sources are so limited that it is not possible for us to have even the slightest knowledge of the absolute region without surrendering ourselves at the Lotus Feet of Sree Vyasdeva or His bonafide representative. Every moment we are being deceived by the knowledge of our direct perception—they are all the creation or concoction of the mind which is always deceiving, changing and flickering. We cannot know anything of the transcendental region by our limited perverted method of observation and experiment. But all of us can lend our eager ears for the aural reception of the transcendental sound transmitted from that region to this through the unadulterated medium of Sree Gurudeva or Sree Vyasdeva. Therefore gentlemen, we should surrender ourselves today to the Feet of the representative of Sree Vyasdeva for the elimination of all our differences bred by our unsubmissive attitude. It is accordingly said in Sree Gita,
Tad biddhi prani patena pari prasnena sebaya
Upadeksanti te jnanam jnamna tatva-darsinah.
“Just approach the wise and bonafide Spiritual Master. Surrender unto him first and try to understand him by enquiries and service. Such a wise Spiritual Master will enlighten you with transcendental knowledge because he has already known the Absolute Truth.”
To receive the transcendental knowledge we must completely surrender ourselves to the real Acharya in a spirit of ardent enquiry and service. The actual performance of the service of the Absolute under the guidance of the Acharya is the only vehicle by which we can assimilate the transcendental knowledge. Today's meeting for offering our humble services and homage to the Feet of the Acharyadeva will enable us to be favoured with the capacity of assimilating the transcendental knowledge so kindly transmitted by Him to all persons without distinction.
Gentlemen, we are more or less all proud of our past Indian civilization, but we actually do not know the real nature of that civilization. We cannot be proud of our past material civilization which is now thousand times greater than in the days gone by. It is said that we are passing through the age of darkness or the Kaliyuga. What is this darkness? The darkness cannot be due to backwardness in material knowledge, because we have now more of it than formerly. If not we ourselves, our neighbours at any rate have plenty of it, and therefore, we must conclude that the darkness of the present Age is not due to lack of material advancement, but that we have lost the clue to our spiritual advancement which is the prime necessity of human life and the criterion of the highest type of human civilization. Throwing of bombs from aeroplanes is no advancement of civilization from the primitive uncivilized way of dropping big stones on the heads of the enemies from the tops of the hills. Improvement of the art of killing our neighbours by inventing machine guns and by means of poisonous gases is certainly no advancement from primitive barbarism priding itself on its art of killing by bows and arrows, nor does the development of a sense of pampered selfishness prove anything more than intellectual animalism. True human civilization is very different from all these states, and therefore, in the Katha Upanisada there is the emphatic call—
uttisthata jagrata prapya varan nibodhata
ksurasya dhara nisita duratyaya
durgam pathas tat kavayo vadanti
“Please get up, awake and try to understand that boon of life which you now have in this human form of life. The path of spiritual realization is very difficult and is sharp like the razor's edge. That is the opinion of learned transcendental scholars.”
Thus while others were yet in the womb of historical oblivion, the sages of India had developed a different kind of civilization which enables us to know ourselves. They had discovered that we are not at all material entities, but that we are all spiritual, permanent and nondestructible servants of the Absolute. But because we have against our better judgment chosen to completely identify ourselves with this present materialised existence, our sufferings have multiplied by subjection to the inexorable law of births and deaths and consequent diseases and anxieties. These sufferings cannot be really mitigated by any provision of material happiness because matter and spirit are completely different elements. It is just as if you take an aquatic animal out of water and put it on the land, supplying all manner of happiness possible on land. The deadly sufferings of the animal are not capable of being relieved at all till it is taken out of its foreign environment. Spirit and matter are completely contradictory things. All of us are spiritual entities. We cannot have perfect happiness which is our birthright, however much we may meddle with the affairs of the mundane things, unless and until we are restored to our natural state of spiritual existence. This is the distinctive message of our ancient Indian civilization, this is the message of the Gita, this is the message of the Vedas and the Puranas and this is the message of all the real Acharyas and of our present Acharyadeva in the line of Lord Chaitanya.
Gentlemen, although it is imperfectly that we have been enabled by His Grace to understand the sublime messages of our Acharyadeva Om Vishnupada Paramahansa Paribrajakacharya Sree Sreemad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj, yet we must admit that we have realized definitely that the Divine message from his holy lips is the congenial thing for the suffering humanity. All of us should hear him patiently. If we listen to the Transcendental Sound without unnecessary opposition, he will surely have mercy upon us. The Acharya's message is to take us back to our original home and back to God. Let me repeat, therefore, that we should hear Him patiently, follow Him in the measure of our conviction and bow down at His Lotus Feet for releasing us of our present causeless unwillingness for serving the Absolute and all souls.
About this spiritual existence we learn from the Gita that even after the destruction of the body, the Atma or the soul is not destroyed; he is always the same, always new and fresh; that fire cannot burn, water cannot dissolve, the air cannot dry up or the sword cannot kill him; that he is everlasting and eternal and this is also confirmed in the Bhagavatam by the sloka,
Yasya atmabuddhi kunape tridhatuke
Svadhih kalatradisu bhouma ijyadhih
Yattirthabuddhih salile na karhichid
Janesu abhijnesu sa eva gokharah.
“Anyone who accepts this bodily bag of three elements (bile, mucous, and air) as his self and who has an affinity for an intimate relationship with his wife and children, and who considers his land as worshipable, and who accepts the waters of the holy places of pilgrimage but never takes advantage of those persons who are in actual knowledge, is no better than an ass or cow.”
But unfortunately in these days we have all been turned foolish by neglecting our real comfort and have identified the material cage with ourselves. We have concentrated thereby all our energies for the meaningless upkeep of the material cage for its own sake, completely neglecting the captive soul within. The cage is for the undoing of the bird, and not the bird is for the cage. The poisoned shirt is for the death of the wearer who is never meant for wearing the coat. Let us, therefore, deeply ponder over the thing. All our activities are now turned towards the upkeep of the cage and the most we do is try to give some food to the mind by arts and literature. But we do not know that this mind is also material in a more subtle form. This is stated in the Gita—
Bhumi rapoanalobayuh kham buddhi manoreva cha
Ahamkara iti ayam me bhima prakritirastadhah
“Earth, fire, water, air, sky, intelligence, mind and ego are all My separated energies.
We have scarcely tried to give any food to the soul as distinct from the body and mind, and therefore we are all committing suicide in the proper sense of the term. The message of the Acharyadeva is to give us a warning halt to the procedure of such wrong activities. Let us, therefore bow down at His Lotus Feet for the unalloyed mercy and kindness He has bestowed upon us.
Gentlemen, do not for a moment think that my Gurudeva wants to put a complete brake to the modern civilization, which is an impossible feat. But let us learn from Him the art of how to make the best use of a bad bargain and let us understand the importance of this human life which is fit for the highest development of true consciousness, and let us not neglect it. The best use of this rare human life should not be avoided. Says Srimad Bhagwatam—
Labdhu sudur labhamidam bahu sambhavante
Manusyamarthadamanityamapiha dhirah
Turnam yateta napatedanu mirtyu yavat
Nisreyasaya visaya khalu sarvatah syat.
“This human form of life is obtained after very many births, and although it is not permanent it can offer the highest benefits. Therefore, a sober and intelligent man should immediately try to furfill his mission to attain the highest profit in life before another death occurs. He should avoid sense gratification which is available in all circumstances.”
Let us not misuse it in the vain pursuit of material enjoyment, or, in other words, for the sake of only eating, sleeping, fearing and sensuous activities. The Acharyadeva's message is conveyed by the words of Sree Rupa Goswami—
anasaktasya visayan
yatharham upayunjatah
nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe
yuktam vairagyam ucyate
prapancikataya buddhya
hari-sambandhi-vastunah
mumuksubhih parityago
vairagyam phalgu kathyate
“One is supposed to be situated in the full renounced order of life if he lives in accordance with Krishna Consciousness. He should be without attachment for sense gratification and should accept only what is necessary for the upkeep of the body. On the other hand one who renounces things which could be used in the service of Krishna Consciousness, under the pretext that such things are material, does not practice complete renunciation.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.255-256)
And the purport of these slokas can only be realized by fully developing the rational portion of our life and not the animal portion. Let us try to understand from this transcendental source of knowledge as to what we are, what is this universe and what is God and what is our interrelation, at the Feet of the Acharyadeva.
The message of Lord Chaitanya is the message for the living entities and the message of the living world. Lord Chaitanya did not bother Himself for the upliftment of this dead-world which is suitably named as the Martyaloka or the world where everything is destined to be dead,—but He appeared before us 450 years before to tell us something of the transcendental universe where everything is permanent and everything is for the service of the Absolute. But recently Lord Chaitanya has been misrepresented by some designing persons, and the highest philosophy of the Lord has been misinterpreted to be the cult of the lowest type of society, and we are glad to announce tonight that our Acharyadeva with His usual kindness saved us from this horrible type of degradation, and therefore, let us bow down at His Lotus Feet with all humility.
Gentlemen, it has been like a mania for the cultured or the uncultured society of the present day to accredit the Personality of Godhead in His mere impersonal feature and to stultify the Personality of Godhead as having no sense, no form, no activity, no head, no leg, and no enjoyment. This has also been the pleasure of the modern scholars due to their sheer lack of proper guidance and true introspection in the spiritual realm. All these empiricists think alike, as if all the enjoyable things should be monopolised by the human society, or by a particular class only, the Impersonal Godhead being a mere order-supplier for their whimsical feats. We are happy that we have been relieved of this horrible type of malady by the mercy of His Divine Grace Paramahansa Paribrajakacharya Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj, our eye-opener, our eternal father, our eternal preceptor and our eternal guide. Let us, therefore, bow down at His Lotus Feet on this auspicious day.
Gentlemen, although we are like ignorant children in the knowledge of the transcendence, still His Divine Grace my Gurudeva has kindled a small fire within us to dissipate the invincible darkness of the empirical knowledge, and we are so much so on the safe side that no amount of philosophical argument of the empiric schools of thought can deviate us an inch from the position of our eternal dependence on the Lotus Feet of His Divine Grace—and we are prepared to challenge the most erudite scholars of the Mayavada school on this vital issue that the Personality of Godhead and His transcendental Sports in Goloka alone constitute the sublime information of the Vedas. There are explicit indications of this in the Chhandyogya Upanishada especially in the text—
Syamatsavalam prapadye sabalatsyamam prapadye.
“For receiving the mercy of Krishna I surrender unto His energy (Radha), and for receiving the mercy of His energy I surrender unto Krishna.”
and in the Rigveda Samhita—
Tadvisnoh paramampadam sadapasyanti surayah
Diviva chahsuratatam visnoyat paramam padam.
“The Lotus Feet of the Lord Vishnu are the Supreme Objective of all the demigods. These Lotus Feet of the Lord are enlightening as the sun in the sky.”
This plain thing so vividly explained in the Gita, which is the central lesson of the Vedas, is not understood, nay even suspected, by the most powerful scholars of the empiric schools. Herein lies the secret of Sree Vyasa Puja. We are glad to meditate on the transcendental Pastimes of the Absolute Godhead; we are proud to feel that we are His eternal servitors which make us jubilant and dance with joy. All Glory to my Divine Master for it is He Who has, out of His unceasing flow of mercy, stirred up within us such a movement of eternal existence. Let us bow down at His Lotus Feet.
Gentlemen, had he not appeared before us to deliver us from the thraldom of this gross worldly delusion—surely we should have remained for lives and ages in the darkness of helpless captivity. Had he not appeared before us, we would not have been able to understand the eternal truth of the sublime teaching of Lord Chaitanya, had He not appeared before us, we could not have been able to know the significance of the first sloka of Brahmasamhita,
lsvara parama Krishna sachchidananda vigrahah
Anadivadir govindah sarva karana karanam.
“Krishna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the Origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the Prime Cause of all causes."
Personally I have no hope to have any direct service for the coming crores of births of the sojourn of my life, but I am confident that some day or other I shall be delivered from this mire of delusion in which I am at present so deeply sunk. Therefore, let me with all my earnestness pray at the Lotus Feet of my Divine Master to let me suffer the lot which I am destined to do for all my past misdoings, but to let me have this power of recollection, that I am nothing but a tiny servant of the Almighty Absolute Godhead, realised through the unflinching mercy of my Divine Master. Let me, therefore, bow down at His Lotus Feet with all the humility at my command.
ABHAY CHARAN DAS
For Members, Sree Gaudlya Math, Bombay.
Book Review
Book Review
Teachings Of Lord Chaitanya
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami; 292 pp., ISKCON Books, $5.95.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, foremost teacher of the Vedic science of spiritual realization in the world today, was born Abhay Charan De on Sept. 1, 1896 in Calcutta. He attended the University of Calcutta, majoring in philosophy, English and economics, and after finishing his education took up the management of a large chemical firm. It was in 1922 that he met his spiritual master, His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj. From the beginning Srila Bhaktisiddhanta instructed him to bring the message of Lord Chaitanya to the Western World. In 1933, Abhay Charan De was initiated by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, and in 1944 he began Back To Godhead, a semi-monthly magazine in the English language, as a first step toward fulfilling his spiritual master's order. He was recognized as Bhaktivedanta in 1947, and in 1954 he became Vanaprastha, retired from family life. In 1959 he entered the renounced order of spiritual life, sannyasa, and now he is known as A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
It was in September of 1965 that His Divine Grace arrived in the United States, seeking further to fulfill the mission given him by his Guru Maharaj. By July of 1966 he had gathered some disciples to him, and he began the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Now this society has branches in the major cities of the U.S., Canada, Britain and Germany. His Divine Grace is the author of a number of other books, including "Srimad Bhagwatam" (complete in 60 volumes), "Nectar of Devotion," and the recently published "Bhagavad Gita As It Is.” He has also made two LP record albums—"Krishna Consciousness" and "Govinda.”
The Swami writes out of his daily experiences with the authority of a master, so that his books are both learned and practical, instructive as well as deeply moving. The present volume is a study of the sublime philosophy of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Chaitanya advented Himself in Mayapur in the town of Nadia on February 18, 1486, and from the time of His appearance He made everyone chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Lord Chaitanya is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna Himself, advented in the present age of Kali Yuga in the garb of a devotee in order to experience the bliss of devotional service and to spread love of Godhead to everyone. TEACHINGS OF LORD CHAITANYA is based on the "Chaitanya Charitamrita" by Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami. Chaitanya Charitamrita, the topmost book in the field of spiritual science, deals with the life and precepts of Lord Chaitanya.
TEACHINGS OF LORD CHAITANYA begins with the Lord's instructions to Rupa Goswami on the bank of the Ganges at Prayag. He began His teaching as follows: "My dear Rupa, the science of devotional service is just like a great ocean, and it is not possible to show you all the length and breadth of the great ocean. But I shall simply try to explain about the nature of the ocean by just taking a drop of it; and you can thus taste it and understand what is that ocean of devotional service.”
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went on to teach that the human form of life is a very rare thing, and that it should not be wasted in the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. It should rather be utilized for spiritual realization. In order to do this one must receive the mercy of a bona fide spiritual master who imparts the science of devotional service to the student. The student receives this knowledge through submissive aural reception, and then it is his duty to faithfully carry out his master's instructions. In doing this one must be careful to avoid all offenses and obstacles on the path to pure devotion.
Sriman Mahaprabhu has explained the symptoms of pure devotion, the stages of devotional service and the development of the various "rasas,” or mellows (flavors) existing between the devotee and Krishna.
Lord Chaitanya gave all this information to Rupa so that he could write books on the subject, and one of his principal works is "Bhakti-Rasamrita Sindbu" (literally, "The Ocean of the Pure Nectar of Devotional Service"), which A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami is very kindly preparing for us now under the title "Nectar of Devotion,” soon to be published.
Both Rupa and his elder brother Sanatan were important government ministers, but after meeting Lord Chaitanya they both retired from government service and became His followers. Sanatan had great difficulty in doing so, because his service was very valuable to his Moslem ruler. He was thrown in jail, but while the governor was off fighting in a neighboring province Sanatan escaped and made his way through the jungles to Benares, where he joined the Lord.
The Lord instructed Sanatan in the process of devotional service, explaining that the living entity is of superior spiritual energy, but is in a marginal position. That is, sometimes he is controlled by spiritual nature and sometimes by material. If the living entity maintains his natural relationship of eternal part and parcel servitor to the Lord, he remains under the control of the spiritual potency of the Lord. And if he forgets his relationship and tries to be independent of the Lord, he is put under the control of the inferior material potency. The only way for the materially conditioned souls to achieve perfection, therefore, is through devotional service or Krishna Consciousness.
There are three features of the Absolute—the impersonal Brahman effulgence, the localized Paramatman (Supersoul) manifestation and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krishna is the origin of all these forms, and He has an infinite number of personal forms, such as Vishnu, which are eternally existent in the spiritual sky. These forms are also found on this planet and within this universe. Lord Chaitanya described His various types of "avataras," or incarnations, to Sanatan Goswami, and the account of this teaching in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami's book will come as a distinct contribution to man's understanding of the varieties exhibited by the Absolute Truth in relation to the material world.
Krishna is the greatest of the great. No one can surpass His opulence. He possesses all fame, all beauty, all strength, all knowledge, all wealth and all renunciation. He is manifesting the material and spiritual universes simply through His energy. Lord Brahma, the topmost demigod in the universe, admits that he cannot conceive how great Krishna is. And it is the verdict of all Vedic literature that devotional service to this Supreme Personality of Godhead is the only thing worthwhile. In order to achieve such a state of perfection, one must be favored by a great soul, a pure devotee of the Lord.
Lord Chaitanya described to Sanatan some of the godly qualities of a devotee, as well as his behavior. The Lord also enunciated the devotional practices by which one reaches perfection. There are sixty-four items of devotional practice, and by their adoption one's devotional service gradually becomes pure. Lord Chaitanya explained devotional service according to the regulative principles, and He also described devotional service in attachment, which is a higher stage. The ecstasy of the Lord and His devotees, which is enjoyed according to their particular relationships on the transcendental plane. is described by the Lord to Sanatan, as well as the transcendental qualities of Radha and Krishna. All this and more is to be found in TEACHINGS OF LORD CHAITANYA, and the book therefore offers us a most unique insight into the very highest principles and concepts of transcendental existence. It is unlikely that any other work in the English language can approach this sublime achievement.
When the Lord finished His instructions, Sanatan offered his most humble prayers and asked for the Lord's benediction so that His teachings might fully evolve within his heart.
Lord Chaitanya next explained the famous "Atmarama" verse from Srimad Bhagwatam. He had previously explained it to Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya, but at Sanatan's request He explained it again, and the Lord gave 61 different explanations of the verse. The Lord has complete knowledge which far surpasses that of any mundane scholar, no matter how great he may be. Sanatan could understand that Lord Chaitanya was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna Himself, and he fell down at His feet and offered Him praise.
“The Lord then replied to Sanatan Goswami, 'Do not try to eulogize Me in that way. Just try to understand the real nature of Srimad Bhagwatam.’” In this way, Lord Chaitanya did not like to be called God. His role was to act as a devotee of the Lord and to set the example of pure devotional service. He empowered Sanatan Goswami to write many books on the subject of devotional service, and Sanatan kindly carried out His order. We who are the benefactors of such sublime gifts must offer all glory to Sanatan Goswami and Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu !
While the Lord was staying at Benares He was strongly criticized by the mayavadi (impersonalist) sannyasis who resided there. According to their principles, "Singing, dancing, and playing on musical instruments are strictly prohibited; they are called three kinds of sinful activities. The mayavadi sannyasi is supposed to engage his valuable time in the matter of Vedanta study. When the mayavadi sannyasis in Benares saw that Lord Chaitanya was indulging in singing, dancing and playing musical instruments, and was always chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, they concluded that this sannyasi was not educated and, out of sentiment, He was misleading some of the followers. Shankaracharya has said that a sannyasi should always be engaged in studying Vedanta, and should be satisfied simply having one cloth and nothing more. Lord Chaitanya was neither studying Vedanta in formality, nor did He cease from singing and dancing, and so He was criticized by all the sannyasis at Benares, as well as by their householder followers.”
While two of the Lord's followers were discussing the mayavadis' criticism of Him, a brahmin came and invited Lord Chaitanya to his place, where he had also invited all the other sannyasis. The Lord accepted the invitation, taking the opportunity to meet the mayavadi sannyasis, and the next day went to the house of the brahmin. He offered His respects to all the sannyasis assembled there and they returned His respects, as was usual. The Lord then had a conversation with Prakasananda Saraswati who was the chief amongst the impersonalist sannyasis.
Lord Chaitanya humbly explained His chanting of the Holy Name—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—which had been instructed to Him by His spiritual master. The Lord also gave the true explanation of the Vedanta Sutra, and refuted the impersonalist philosophy which tries to draw some concocted meaning of its own from Vedanta Sutra. Lord Chaitanya said that Srimad Bhagwatam by Srila Vyasadeva, who also authored Vedanta Sutra, is the real commentary on the Vedanta. And Bhagwatam is the all-glorious description of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Chaitanya refused to attempt any indirect interpretation of the Vedanta Sutra, and then put forth the direct interpretation of each of the verses. Prakasananda and his students admitted the defect of Shankaracharya's indirect interpretation, and accepted the teaching of Lord Chaitanya to be correct.
One day after this incident, as He was on His way to visit the temple of Viswonath and Bindumadhav, Lord Chaitanya began charting and dancing in the streets. "Thousands of people were gathered around Him, and there was a roaring following the vibration of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This vibration was so tumultuous that Prakasananda Saraswati, who was sitting nearby, came immediately along with his disciples, and as soon as he saw the beautiful body of Lord Chaitanya and His nice dancing, along with His associates, he also joined and began to sing with Him: Hari! Hari! All the inhabitants of Benares were struck with wonder by seeing the dancing of Lord Chaitanya in ecstasy.” When Lord Chaitanya stopped His chanting and dancing, Prakasananda Saraswati immediately fell at His feet and offered humble prayers to the Lord, begging His mercy and forgiveness. In this way all of Benares took up the chanting of the Holy Name.
After taking sannyasa, Lord Chaitanya went to Jagannath Puri on the east coast of India. There He met with Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya, the greatest logician of that time. Sarbabhouma took compassion on the young sannyasi, and he wanted to teach the Lord Vedanta Sutra, feeling that, without such instruction, it would be difficult for the handsome young man to continue in sannyasa. The Lord agreed, and Sarbabhouma spoke to Him about Vedanta Sutra continually for seven days. Lord Chaitanya did not say anything during all this time, and on the eighth day the Bhattacharya enquired as to why He was so silent.
Lord Chaitanya then criticized the mayavadi sannyasis who hear Vedanta Sutra simply as a formality and without any understanding. He went on to say that He understood the codes of Vedanta Sutra, which are not very difficult, but that Bhattacharya's explanations obscured the real meaning. This was because Bhattacharya was trying to expound some particular doctrine of his own through the codes. Therefore he was giving indirect meanings and hiding the true meanings of the Sutras.
All Vedic evidence affirms the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be the final concept of the Absolute Truth. Realization of the Supreme Person is higher than impersonal Brahman realization or localized Supersoul realization. Vedic literature, according to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, is meant for three things—telling us of our relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, showing us how to act according to that relationship and, finally, to achieve love of Godhead as the highest perfection of life. Lord Chaitanya showed many defects in the mayavadi philosophy. By the force of His arguments and His explanation of the Atmarama Sloka in 61 different ways, the Lord converted Sarbabhouma into a staunch and pure devotee. Lord Chaitanya showed His mercy to the Bhattacharya, and the Bhattacharya was melted by it.
While Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was on His tour of southern India, at the bank of the river Dudabundee, He met with Sri Ramananda Roy, who was the governor of that province. The Lord had been requested to see this great devotee by Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya, who had previously thought Roy rather mad.
Lord Chaitanya inquired of Ramananda Roy, “Please quote some verses from scripture about the ultimate goal of life for the human being." Thus begins the most moving and ecstatic section of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami's book, taking the reader step by step on a sublime journey to indescribable heights of transcendental consciousness. Ramananda Roy quoted several verses, which the Lord rejected. Then, "Ramananda Roy said that devotional service without any attempt at cultivation of knowledge or mental speculation is the highest stage of perfection," and to confirm this, he gave evidence from the Srimad Bhagwatam, Tenth Canto, 14th Chapter.
Lord Chaitanya immediately accepted this prescription presented by Ramananda Roy, and asked him to go further in advanced devotional service. Ramananda Roy mentioned several stages of devotion, and finally concluded that love of Radha and Krishna is the highest attainment. Ramananda Roy described the Holy Rasa Dance and Radharani's special attractiveness for Krishna. He also discussed the most confidential dealings of Radha and Krishna, and how to gain Their service and association.
These talks between Lord Chaitanya and Ramananda Roy are on the highest spiritual level, and in order to reach this level one must approach a bona fide spiritual master. A spiritual master is "a qualified person conversant with the science of Krishna.” One should approach such a spiritual master with an attitude of submissive hearing and service. Then one will be eligible to achieve perfection. One can only approach Krishna through His representative, the spiritual master. This is also the verdict of Lord Chaitanya.
After ten days of high level discussions with Ramananda Roy, Lord Chaitanya left that place, inviting Ramananda Roy to join Him at Jagannath Puri, where they could spend the rest of Their lives together discussing Krishna. "After the departure of Lord Chaitanya, Ramananda Roy became overwhelmed by separation from the Lord; and he decided to retire from service just to meet the Lord again at Jagannath Puri."
Lord Chaitanya is the most magnanimous appearance of Godhead, and everyone should take advantage of His sublime instructions which are so nicely presented to us by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami in TEACHINGS OF LORD CHAITANYA. If one is fortunate enough, he can place his faith in this book, and can enter into the transcendental association of Radha and Krishna.
Prayers to the Six Goswamis
Prayers to the Six Goswamis
by Srinivas Acharya
1
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Goswamis, named Sri Sanatan Goswami, Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Raghunath Bhatta Goswami, Sri Raghunath Das Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami and Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswami, who are always engaged in chanting the Holy Name of Krishna and dancing. They are just like the Ocean of Love for God, and as such they are popular both with the gentle and with the ruffians, because they are not envious of anyone; and whatever they do, they are all-pleasing to everyone. As such, they are respectful to all, because they are fully blest by Lord Chaitanya. Thus they are engaged in missionary activities meant to deliver all the conditioned souls in the material universe.
2
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Goswamis, named Sri Sanatan Goswami, Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Raghunath Bhatta Goswami, Sri Raghunath Das Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami and Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswami, who are very expert in studying all the revealed scriptures scrutinizingly, with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. On account of this they are honored all over the three worlds, and they are worth taking shelter of because they are in the mood of the Gopis [Krishna’s most perfect devotees], and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Radha and Krishna.
3
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Goswamis, named Sri Sanatan Goswami, Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Raghunath Bhatta Goswami, Sri Raghunath Das Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami and Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswami, who are very much enriched in the matter of understanding Lord Chaitanya, and who are thus expert in narrating His transcendental qualities. They can puirfy all conditioned souls from the reactions of their sinful activities by pouring upon them the transcendental songs about Govinda [Krishna]. As such, they are very expert in increasing the limits of the Ocean of Transcendental Bliss, and they are the saviors of the living entities from the devouring mouth of liberation.
4
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Goswamis, named Sri Sanatan Goswami, Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Raghunath Bhatta Goswami, Sri Raghunath Das Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami and Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswami, who kicked off all associations of aristocracy as insignificant. In order to deliver the poor conditioned souls, they accepted loin cloths, treating themselves as mendicants, but they are always merged in the ecstatic Ocean of the Gopis' love for Krishna, and bathe always and repeatedly in the waves of that Ocean.
5
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Goswamis, named Sri Sanatan Goswami, Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Raghunath Bhatta Goswami, Sri Raghunath Das Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami and Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswami, who were always engaged in worshiping Radha Krishna in the transcendental land of Vrindaban, where there are beautiful trees full of fruits and flowers, having under their roots all valuable jewels. The Goswamis are perfectly competent to bestow upon the living entities the greatest book of the goal of life.
6
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Goswamis, named Sri Sanatan Goswami, Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Raghunath Bhatta Goswami, Sri Raghunath Das Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami and Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswami, who were engaged in charting the Holy Name of the Lord and bowing down in a scheduled measurement. In this way, they were utilizing their valuable lives, and in executing these devotional activities they conquered over eating and sleeping, and were always meek and humble, enchanted by remembering the transcendental qualities of the Lord.
7
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Goswamis, named Sri Sanatan Goswami, Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Raghunath Bhatta Goswami, Sri Raghunath Das Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami and Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswami, who were sometimes on the bank of the Radha Kunda lake on the shores of the Yamuna, and sometimes in Bansibhat. There they appeared just like madmen in the full ecstasy of love for Krishna, exhibiting different transcendental symptoms on their bodies, and sometimes being merged in the ecstasy of Krishna Consciousness.
8
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Goswamis, named Sri Sanatan Goswami, Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Raghunath Bhatta Goswami, Sri Raghunath Das Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami and Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswami, who were chanting very loudly everywhere in Vrindaban, shouting as follows: "O Queen of Vrindaban—Radharani! O Lalita [Her associate]! O Son of Nanda Maharaj [Krishna]! Where are You all now? Are You just on the Hill of Goverdhan? Or are You under the trees on the bank of the Yamuna? Where are You?" These were their moods in executing Krishna Consciousness.
Back to Godhead Magazine #28, 1969
ISKCON New York City
ISKCON New York City
In this Age of Kali, characterized by chaos and quarrel, the pursuit of spiritual life is considered to be difficult. Handicapped by symptomatic disturbances of the age (short life span, poor memory, and political turmoil), few if any can take up the path of self-realization by means of meditative yoga, temple worship or study of the Vedas. These methods were prescribed in other ages for spiritual advancement. Despite the problems which beset us in this age of quarrel, we can take advantage of the process of Samkirtan Yajna or congregational chanting of the Holy Names of God.
ISKCON Boston
ISKCON Boston
This process is especially recommended for self-realization in this age. By performance of Samkirtan, one can achieve the perfection of human life, and the process is so simple that anyone can take it up without qualification.
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, an incarnation of Krishna, advented Himself on this planet 500 years ago in India for the purpose of delivering the conditioned souls from the clutches of material nature. Lord Chaitanya's appearance in the Age of Kali has particular significance because His purpose was to introduce, by His personal teachings, the most practical means of self-realization in this age—the performance of Samkirtan. Lord Chaitanya, accompanied by His associates, spread the transcendental sound vibrations of Hare Krishna throughout India by holding Samkirtan in the streets of the cities. His purpose was to reach the mass of people, and in this respect His unique movement was in contrast with temple worship, for in this way anyone anywhere could benefit from the transcendental sound vibrations of Hare Krishna.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, spiritual master of ISKCON, is in the line of disciplic succession from Lord Chaitanya. Under the directions of his spiritual master, he has come to America to spread the Samkirtan movement to the Western world. His Divine Grace has instructed his disciples to follow the example of Lord Chaitanya in chanting Hare Krishna in the streets of the cities and preaching Lord Chaitanya's message of Samkirtan. By following these instructions, the Society, which began as a storefront on the Lower East Side of New York City, has grown to include twenty centers in major cities of the West. Each day a Samkirtan party from each center goes out into the streets of its respective city to chant Hare Krishna, accompanied by traditional instruments including mridunga (Indian drum) and kartals (cymbals), and to distribute literature about this important movement. His Divine Grace says that Samkirtan is the life and soul of the Hare Krishna movement, and we, his disciples, can appreciate this insight by practical experience. Membership is rapidly increasing, and many people are taking up the charting of Hare Krishna due to the influence of Samkirtan. This process can be adopted by anyone at any stage of life, for anyone can chant Hare Krishna. Although simple to perform, this Samkirtan movement can bestow upon its sincere followers the perfection of life.
—Rishi Kumar
(ISKCON—New York)
Krishna Consciousness Temples
Krishna Consciousness Temples
Lord Chaitanya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, wanted the Hare Krishna Mantra to ring in every town end city of the world to make one world of fully Krishna conscious servitors. His pure devotee His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami is fulfilling this Great Dream.
BERKELEY—2710 Durant Avenue
BOSTON—38-40 North Beacon St.
BUFFALO—15 LaSalle Avenue
COLUMBUS—318 East 20th Avenue
DETROIT—74 West Forest Avenue
HAMBURG—2 Hamburg 19, Eppendorfer WEG 11, West Germany
HAWAII—Box 1684, Sunset Beach
LOS ANGELES—1975 South La Cienega Boulevard
LONDON—7 Bury Place, Bloomsbury, W.C. 1
MONTREAL—3720 Park Avenue
NEW VRINDABAN, W. VIRGINIA—RD3, Moundsville
NEW YORK CITY—61 Second Avenue
N. CAROLINA—409 W. Rosemary Street, Chapel Hill
PHILADELPHIA—45-24 Regent Street
SAN FRANCISCO—518 Frederick Street
SANTA FE-411 B West Water Street
SEATTLE—5516 Roosevelt Way N.E.
VANCOUVER—2904 West 4th Avenue
WASHINGTON, D.C.—21-54 Newport Place NW
Become a part of Reality. Attend Bhakti Yoga Classes and lectures on The Bhagavad Gita As It Is at ISKCON every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7 P. M ., and every morning at 7 A.M.
What is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness?
What is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness?
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness was formed in 1966 by Prabhupada A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who came from India on the order of his Spiritual Master to preach love of God to the people of the West. Prabhupada is in a line of disciplic succession going back directly 500 years to the time when Lord Chaitanya appeared in India, and from there back still further-5000 years—to the time when Krishna first spoke The Bhagavad Gita to His disciple Arjuna.
Krishna Consciousness is experienced as a process of self purification. Its means and end are an open secret, and there is no financial charge for learning Krishna Consciousness or receiving initiation into the chanting of Hare Krishna. The gist of devotional service to Krishna is that one takes whatever capacity or talent he or she has and dovetails it with the interests of the Supreme Enjoyer, the Lord, Sri Krishna. The writer writes articles for Krishna, and we publish periodicals in this way. The businessman does business in order to establish many temples across the country. The householders raise children in the science of God, and husband and wife live in mutual cooperation for spiritual progress. These activities are done under the sanction of the expert Spiritual Master, and in line with the Scriptures. Devotional service in Krishna Consciousness means regular chanting in the temple, hearing talks about the Pastimes of Krishna from Srimad Bhagwatam, and taking foodstuffs prepared for and offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
By books, literature and records, the Society is dedicated to awakening the worldwide public to the normal, ecstatic state of Krishna Consciousness, so that all may regain their eternal position of favorably serving the will of Krishna. Sankirtan—congregational chanting—is carried to the people: in public parks, schools, on t.v., in the theater, on the streets. Krishna Consciousness is not an idler's philosophy. Rather by chanting and by engagement in the service of Krishna, anyone who takes part will experience the state of "Samadhi," ecstatic absorption in God-consciousness, 24 hours a day!
As the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness is non-sectarian, any man, Hindu or Christian, will become better in his faith by chanting the Holy Name of God and by hearing The Bhagavad Gita. Without knowledge and realization and loving service to the One Supreme God, there can be no religion. Let everyone rejoice in the Sankirtan Movement, and we may see the fulfillment of the prediction made by Lord Chaitanya 500 years ago: that the chanting of the Holy Names of God, Hare Krishna, would be carried to every town and village of the world. Only in this way can real peace prevail. It is sublime and easy.
HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA,
KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE/
HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA,
RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE
If You Are Interested In Becoming A Member Of Iskcon Write: Iskcon—New York For Further Details.
The OSU Yoga Society Presents
The OSU Yoga Society Presents
SWAMI A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA
Chanting magic word formulas
HARE KRISHNA HARE RAMA
Transcendental pastimes
Ecstatic illuminations
FREE TO ALL
8 PM MONDAY MAY 12th
HITCHCOCK HALL AUDITORIUM
WOODRUFF & NEIL
Ohio State University Welcomes Prabhupad
[EDITOR'S NOTE: On the night of May 12, 1969 His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and poet Allen Ginsberg filled a campus auditorium at Ohio State University in Columbus to twice the capacity. About two thousand students flooded the stage and aisles, and soon after His Divine Grace led the chanting, the students jumped from their seats, crowded the stage and danced and chanted ecstatically to a mantra most of them had never heard before. His Divine Grace jumped up and down on the dais and threw flowers from his garland at the students who scrambled for them and then joined arms to dance. Poet Ginsberg was surprised at the student response and afterwards said that he had never before seen so many students "burst out their skins" to chant and dance so vigorously. The night was testimony to the immediate power of the mantra—one can feel its power without being acquainted with the philosophy and without even previously hearing the mantra or even knowing what the words mean. The following two speeches were delivered to the students immediately after the chanting. The first, given by poet Gineberg, is an introduction to A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami's samkirtan movement. The second is A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami's introduction to the simplest and most effective method of God realization—mantrayoga. His speech is an epitome of the basic principles underlying Krishna Consciousness and a challenge to the students to pursue a path of knowledge which is superterrestrial.]
Allen Ginsberg's Speech
The amazing thing was that everybody was able to get up and dance after sitting frozen, not knowing quite what to do. When ancient rhythms are flowing through everybody's body, then certainly everybody desires to dance and sing rather than be frozen. But such is the nature of our conditioning in this which is called the Kali Yuga according to Hindu theology, Hindu religion, Hindu belief, Hindu metaphysics, Hindu cosmography … probably corresponding to what in our Western tradition we know as the Gnostic tradition through Paraceleus, Jacob Boehme and William Blake. This is an Orient version of what may be the same tradition, suppressed in the west when the CIA took over religion in 313 A.D. [laughter and applause] when Constantine, Caesar, made a deal with the church to suppress all alien thoughts and heresy and to formulate a square version of heaven and hell.
The Kali Yuga concept is one that you can now in a sense interpret ecologically. If you have been following the scientifical pronouncements of doom possibility coming over television, radio and slick magazine lately, as well as from the underground press, you'll notice that there's increasing attention to the fact that our own fecal materials, the waste products of our robots, have now so polluted Lake Erie that it's now a great lake of green-blue slime, biologically dead, that our atmosphere, the planetary atmosphere, is increasingly polluted with carbon wastes, and that we are so sunk in our attachment to automobile exhaust fumes, to sulphur wastes from great steel factories producing metals that can be sent flying to explode on the other side of the planet with the collaboration of the science faculties of such universities as this, [applause and laughter] that we find ourselves increasingly sunk into what is called the materialistic habit like the junkie stuck on his junk, people hooked on matter and on their own identity in matter, taking their own identity from their faces, noses, bodies and immediate physical city complex around them, not realizing another sweeter, deeper but wilder or "transcendental" identity than the identity of the one-dimensional man that Marcuse has talked about. So what we are proposing here is a modern-minded view, or some indications of a modern Western, i.e. Gnostic-Marcuse view of Kali Yuga as applying to our own situation.
As it stands, I read in the paper today, the prognosis (according to U Thant in today's paper, according to the head of the U .N.) is that mankind has almost ten years to reverse the political, social, moral, emotional course of the planet and alter our technology, alter our consciousness radically enough to preserve human existence on the planet. [applause] This is not only official U.N. pronouncement, but it's also the pronouncement of most of the ecologists, biologists and ecosysthenic students of the planet who are presently considering the ecological disruption that we have caused through our greed and destructiveness.
The Oriental analysis has it, however, that we have a good deal more time. The Kali Yuga or the age of heavy metal entanglement, Iron Age, lasts 432,000 years, and we are only 5,000 years into it. So there is 427,000 years to go. In a conversation with Swami Bhaktivedanta today I was enquiring more about the details of the theology which I found in a book called the Bhagavat Purana. He explained that according to Hindu analysis we are 5,000 years into the descent from a lighter age, the Age of Brass, the disappearance of Lord Krishna, the Preserver, or the Supreme Form of the Preserver aspect of the universe, of ourselves or of Vishnu. The disappearance of Krishna historically is 5,000 years ago. We are 5,000 years into the Age of Iron, and we have 10,000 years in which to chant Hare Krishna, which is to say repeating the Name of the aspect of preservation, hope, that particular vibration of dancing joy, transcending our cosmo-political worries. We have 10,000 years for that play, before there is a total descent into one-foot-tall monsters who will eat each other up for meat because all the vegetables have disappeared because the DDT has completely cleared out any biological life form except mammals who go around eating each other at that point.
I have known Swami Bhaktivedanta for about three years, since he settled in the Lower East Side New York, which is my territory or my neighborhood. It seemed to me like a stroke of great intelligence of him to come, not as an uptown swami [laughter], but as a real down home street swami [laughter] and make it on the street in the Lower East Side and also opening a branch on Frederick Street in San Francisco, right in the center of Haight Ashbury neighborhood. The people who were tripping in Haight Ashbury several years ago, coming down, wanting some more permanent eternal reassurance, formula, ritual, magic, hope, feel, or truth, zeroed in on the Frederick Street rug laden, perfumed, incensed ashram where chanting would be heard at dawn, as they were coming down off a trip all night. A great many people who were hung on acid or other varieties of chemical psychedelics found it much more stable to practice a prolonged ritual, or sadhana, following the instructions of Swami Bhaktivedanta which are old classical Indian style instructions for rituals, daily living, diet, sexuality, book-consciousness, apparel, hand gestures, a very complicated, ritualized yoga, a very ancient one also.
I thought Swami Bhaktivedanta made a great move in coming to the Lower East Side and to Haight Ashbury and then, naturally because people dig chanting, centers formed in other parts of the United States so that there are small street level houses or store front centers in Vancouver, in L.A., in Montreal, up in Buffalo, down in—there are some Buffalo chanters here—"Chant," incidentally, comes from the word "enchant," by the way, which means to make a magical spell about oneself. There's a Santa Fe center also. In other words, the importation of a very strange Oriental form, almost a hard-shelled Baptist Oriental form in the sense of its traditionality and its fundamentalism, its reliance on ancient texts and interpretation of ancient texts by a long tradition of teachers … it's strange that so far out and ritualized an Indian form should take root in the United States a little more naturally than the more protestant Vedanta Society or the extremely rigorous Zen groups that have taken root. I think partly it's due to the magnanimity or generosity by the old age charm, wisdom, cheerfulness of Swami Bhaktivedanta, his openness of heart, his willingness to come down onto the street and his sense of his own divinity and the divinity of others around him that it's been possible for the bhakti-yoga cult of India to be planted very firmly here in America so that now there are communes or ashrams functioning on the basis of the Krishna rituals, which are in some respects a model for all those anarchists and political people who are interested in establishing indigenous American communes. The regulations on food, on sexual relations, which generally cause much confusion in mutually held pads, the regulations on sleep and thinking process are an interesting model to study for those who are interested in forming affinity groups or large family communes.
I will have my turn at language tomorrow because I am giving a poetry reading at the student union. So, I will cut myself off now and be brief and leave the rest of the evening to Swami Bhaktivedanta who will give a language explanation or whatever he wants to say, of the cultural or metaphysical or religious roots. So the rest of this evening Swami Bhaktivedanta will explain his Divine Self and then we will continue chanting. [applause]
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami's Speech
Om ajnana timarandhasya jnananjnana salakaya chaksurumilitamyena tasmai sri gurave namah. My dear boys and girls, I thank you very much for your coming here and participating in this samkirtan function, or, as it is called, samkirtan yajna, sacrifice. There is a statement in Srimad Bhagavatam: Samkirtanai yajnai jajantihi sumedhasah. In this age, as poet Ginsberg has explained to you, in this age which is called Kali Yuga, a very degraded age from the spiritual point of view and from the material point of view also, people are reduced in their duration of life, in their merciful tendency, in their strength and in their stature. If you study it scrutinizingly, you will see that your stature is reducing, your memory is reducing and your duration of life is reducing in this Kali Yuga. There are many symptoms. So Bhagavat recommends performing this sacrifice or samkirtan for self realization in this age. The samkirtan yajna is so nice that at once you get transcendental ecstacy, and from spiritual consciousness you'll try to join. Even a child desires like that. This is the effect of the samkirtan yajna. Lord Chaitanya, the inaugurator of this movement five hundred years ago, says that if you chant this mantra, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, HareHare/HareRama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare then the first installment of your gain will be that all the dirty things in your heart will be cleansed. Ceta darpana marjanam. Then when we are in clean heart, the next stage will be Bhava maha davagni nirvapanam. The problems of material existence will be solved, and when we are spiritually steady on this platform of samkirtan yajna, then our original consciousness, Krishna Consciousness and its concomitant joyfulness begin. This is also explained in Bhagavad Gita: brahmabhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param. It is said there that when one comes to the platform of pure spiritual consciousness or Krishna Consciousness he becomes completely joyful—brahmabhuta prasannatma. Prasanna means joyful; atma means soul. And the symptom is na socati na kanksati: he neither laments nor hankers.
In material existence we have two diseases: hankering for things which we do not possess and lamenting for things which are lost. But actually we do not possess anything. Everything belongs to God. That is the Vedic injunction: Isavasya idam sarvam. Whatever we see is the property of the Supreme Lord, and this claiming that "This is my property and this is my body, this is my country, this is my home, this is mine, this is mine—" is called illusion. Actually we do not possess anything. So when you actually come to spiritual consciousness, you understand that nothing belongs to you. Brahmabhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati. Kanksati means hankering and na socati means lamenting.
Then the next stage is Sama sarvesu bhutesu. Then you can see everything or every living entity on an equal status. People are trying to come to that platform of oneness, but that is only possible when you come to the spiritual platform or Krishna Consciousness. On the material platform it is not possible. Practically we see that the United Nations is trying to come to oneness of all nations, but they have failed. Simply the flags are increasing. Instead of being united, we are increasing our flags. So, if you actually want oneness then you must come to that platform of brahmabhutah prasannatma—joyfulness.
Everyone is hankering after joyfulness, but how can that joyfulness be obtained? That is explained in the Srimad Bhagavatam:
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati
Atma means soul, yourself. Here we are all hankering after peace and tranquility. How is this possible? Bhagavat says Yaya atma suprasidati. Suprasidati means becoming completely satisfied. How is this possible? sa vai pumsam paro dharmo. That is the first class occupational duty by which you develop your love of God. That is first class, the test of religion. Every religion has some conception of God. That's all right. But if by following the principles of that religion you see that you are developing your love for God, then that is first class. Otherwise Bhagavat says it is simply wasting time laboring. Dharma svanusthitam pumsam visvaksena kathasu yat. Note padayet ratimyadi srama eva hi kevalam. The Bhagavat says that if you are a very nice man, very honest in your occupational duty, that is all right. But if by discharging your occupational duty you do not develop your eagerness to understand what is God and what is love of God, then Bhagavat says that it is simply laboring and wasting time.
And why should we try to increase our love of God? That is also explained. Ahoituku apratihata yaya atma suprasidati. We should love God without cause, without any cause. But we go to the temple and chant with a motive. We go there and pray, "God, give us our daily bread. I have come to You for my bread." This is not love of God. This is love of bread. [applause and laughter]
So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has given a nice example of love. He's playing the part of Radharani. Radharani is the conjugal consort of Krishna. Our Krishna Consciousness is not dry. You see the picture of Radha and Krishna. Krishna is a boy sixteen-years-old and Radharani a young girl, a little younger than Krishna. They are enjoying. Radha Krishna pranaya vrikriti ahladini saktirasmat. There are different potencies of God. Parasya sakti vividaiva sruyate. In the Vedic literatures you will find that God has many energies. Parasya shakti. Shakti means energy, power. Vivedaya—multifarious. Parasya shakti natasya sama adhikascha drisyate—this is the injunction of the Vedas: You cannot find anyone equal to or greater than God. Nobody can be equal to God; nobody can be greater than God. Then it is not God. Natasya sama adhikascha. Sama means equal. Odhica means greater. They have analyzed who is God. The great sages, the liberated sages are not fools and rascals who will accept anyone as God. No. They will test. And this is the test. If you find somebody who is neither lower than anyone nor equal to anyone, then he is God. There are many other definitions of God. Analytical studies.
So try to understand God. This is the only business of the human form of life-not that we have simply to eat, sleep, mate and defend. That is animal business. The animal knows how to eat, how to sleep, how to mate and how to defend, in its own way. So that is common formula for human beings or animals. But there is one other facility in the human society or in the human being. He can understand God, what is God. If I explain to a human being, however illiterate or uneducated he may be, if he simply has these two ears he will understand what God is. Therefore the Vedic information is called Sruti. Just try to hear. You don't have to be educated or literate. God has given you these two ears and you can learn. You simply have to learn from the authorized sources and then you will understand God. And when you understand God then you develop love of God, and when you develop love of God without any motives and without any impediments, then you will find Swamin kritarthosmi baram na yache. I have no more demands. I am completely satisfied.
Try to come to this platform, the transcendental stage. You cannot be happy simply by material advancement. That is not possible. That is explained in the Srimad Bhagavatam: Parabhavastat abodha jatam. Everyone of us are rascals, born ignorant, but we have the capacity to take the message of God from authorized sources. That we have. So Bhagavat says: Parabhayastat abodha jatam. All living entities are born ignorant, and whatever they are doing for the advancement of society, culture, education is only for their ultimate defeat if they do not enquire about what they are. Parabhavastat abodha jatam yabanna jijnasita atmatattvam. Atma tattvam means so long as we do not enquire, "What am I? What is God? What is this material nature? What are these activities? What is our relationship?"—if these enquiries are not there, then all our activities are simply defeat. Parabhavastat abodha jatam yabanna pritimoyee vasudeve. As long as one does not develop his dormant love of God—Namnechyate deha yogenatavat—he will not be able to get out of these repeated births and deaths, the transmigration of the soul.
This transmigration of the soul, these repeated births and deaths, is a diseased condition of the spirit soul. That you do not know. And in our educational system there is no department of knowledge teaching what the soul is, what is after death or what was before birth. There is no science. It is very lamentable. Education in the name of simply eating, sleeping and mating is not education. Not if my bodily conception continues. The Bhagavat says: Yasya atma buddhi kunape tridhatuke. Anyone who is thinking that his body of flesh and bones is Self—he is an ass. [applause and laughter] Khava means ass. And because they conceive this body to be the Self, they don't even have common reason. This bag of flesh, bone, blood, urine, stool and secretion—can this be soul? Can this be Self? Yet they are exercising this body to try to find out the soul. The soul is there, but you cannot see it by material instrument. It is very fine. It is one ten-thousandth part of the tip of your hair. This is explained in the Vedic literature. So how can you find it with your material eyes? You cannot see it, and because you cannot see it you are concluding that there is no soul. That is ignorance. There is soul, and this body has developed on the platform that there is soul, and that soul is migrating from one body to another. That is called evolution, and that evolutionary process is going on through 8,400,000 species of life. There are aquatics, birds, bees, plants and so many species of life, and now we have this developed consciousness, this human form of life. We should properly utilize it. That is our Krishna Consciousness movement. We're simply educating people, "Don't waste your valuable life, this human form of life. If you are missing this chance, you are committing suicide." This is our propaganda.
So don't commit suicide. Take to this Krishna Consciousness. The process is very simple. You don't have to take difficult processes like the yoga system or the philosophical speculative systems. Those are not possible in this age. I am not simply speaking from my own experience, but I am taking the experience of these acharyas and these stalwart sages. They say, Harer nama harer name harer namaiba kevalam, kalau nasteva nasteva nasteva gatir anyatha. If you want to realize yourself, if you want to know what your next life will be, if you want to know what God is, if you want to know what your relationship with God is, then all these things will be revealed to you, this real knowledge will be revealed by your simply chanting this mantra—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. It is practical. We are not charging anything. We are not bluffing you, saying, "I shall give you some secret mantra and charge you fifty dollars." No. It is open for anyone. Please take it. That is our request. We are begging you—don't spoil your life. Please take this mantra and chant it wherever you like. There is no hard and fast rules you have to follow. Wherever you like, whenever you like, in any condition of life, just like we chanted one half hour before. Chant in any condition and you will feel ecstasy.
So you can continue chanting this Hare Krishna mantra. It is given to you free. But if you want to know what this Hare Krishna mantra is, through philosophy, through knowledge, through logic, then we have volumes of books. Don't think that we are simply dancing sentimentalists. No. We have background. So try to understand this Krishna Consciousness movement. I have especially come to your country to deliver you this good message because if you accept this, if you can understand this science of Krishna Consciousness, then other parts of the world will also follow and the face of the world will be changed. That is a fact. Therefore I request that you take this Hare Krishna mantra with you and chant wherever you live, in whatever condition you are in. You don't have to change.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended: Sthane stitha srutigatam tanubang manobhi. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu discussed spiritual realization with one of His great devotees, Ramananda Roy, and Ramananda placed before Him many theories expounded in the Vedic literature, and at last Ramananda gave this verse from Srimad Bhagavatam: Jnane prayasam udapasya namato eva. "Don't foolishly try to speculate to understand the Unlimited. It is not possible." By your tiny senses you cannot understand the Unlimited. It is not possible. Therefore the first recommendation is Jnane prayasam udapasya: don't try to be a speculator to understand the Ultimate Truth. Lavandar—just become meek and humble. Sanmukharitam bhavadiyavartam-and try to receive the message from the authorized sources. Sthane sthita srutigatam manoghi—in whatever condition you work, you don't have to change. You simply hear. Then a day will come when you will be able to conquer the Supreme Lord who is unconquerable. God is great. Nobody can conquer Him. But if you simply follow this process in whatever condition you are in, if you simply try to hear about God from authorized sources, then one day you will be able to conquer God … within your hand.
This is also confirmed in the Brahma Samhita: Advaita achyuta anadiananta-rupam, Vedesu durlabha adurlabha atmabhaktai. You cannot find where God is simply by searching the Vedas or the scriptures. You have to conquer Him by your love. He'll reveal Himself to you. That is also explained in The Bhagavad Gita: Tesam satata yaktanam bhajatam pritipurvakam dadami buddhiyogam tat yena mam upayantite. Everything is clearly explained there. Please try to read this Bhagavad Gita As It Is. It is the science of God. You will understand and you will realize. And chant this Hare Krishna mantra. This mantra will cleanse your heart, and after your heart is cleansed, if you read one chapter of Bhagavad Gita, you will gradually understand what is God, what you are and what your relationship with God is, and when you understand all these things and develop your love of God, then you will become perfectly happy. So we want to see you all happy. That is our program. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. Everyone of you become happy. But you must take the path of happiness. This is the path—Krishna Consciousness. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Thank you.
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and poet Allen Ginsberg—Conversations
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and poet Allen Ginsberg—Conversations
[EDITOR'S NOTE: The following conversations between His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and poet Allen Ginsberg took place at the Radha Krishna Temple in Columbus, Ohio May 11, 12 and 14, just before and just after the meeting with the Ohio State student body. These conversations, packed with gems—anecdotes, theology, reminiscences, candid remarks, exhortations, Vedic allusions, wisdom, humor, prophecy and joy—are important because they contain succinct yet complete answers to questions many Westerners, and especially young Americans, find themselves asking—either verbally or emotionally—about Krishna Consciousness. They are also important because they reveal some of the major concerns of the most important ambassador of The Bhagavad Gita to ever come to the West and this century's most famous American poet. The conversations are directly transcribed from tape recorder and are included in their entirety in two installments.]
[It is about 9:30 at night, May 11, 1969 at the Radha Krishna Temple, a large three-story house, in Columbus, Ohio, the "All-American City." Disciples of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada usher Allen Ginsberg and Peter Orlovsky into Prabhupada's room. Allen has just flown in from Louisville, Kentucky and is concluding a long tour of college poetry readings before retiring to his upstate New York farm. Prabhupada, recently arrived from the Boston temple, is initiating the new Columbus center. When Allen enters, Prabhupada smiles broadly.]
ALLEN: Hare Krishna. [He offers obeisances.] So, we will sing tomorrow.
PRABHUPADA: Yes.
ALLEN: Is this your first visit here?
PRABHUPADA: The first visit, yes.
ALLEN: Do you have the whole house?
PRABHUPADA: Yes, they are doing very nicely. At noon we had some meeting in the university [Ohio State]. Kirtan. Wherever we go, kirtan and speaking. You have seen our book Lord Chaitanya's Teachings? [He hands Allen a copy.]
ALLEN: No, I haven't seen that. That's new.
PRABHUPADA: Yes.
ALLEN: ISKCON published. Printed where?
PRABHUPADA: Japan.
ALLEN: Printed in Japan. Beautiful. Very industrious. It's marvelous.
PRABHUPADA: The next book is coming. Nectar of Devotion.
ALLEN: What will that be, your own writing?
PRABHUPADA: No. It is authorized translation of Rupa Goswami's book Bhakti-Rasamrita Sindhu.
ALLEN: Whose?
PRABHUPADA: Rupa Goswami. Lord Chaitanya's principal disciple. There are six Goswamis, direct disciples of Lord Chaitanya, and three other confidentials. So amongst the six Goswamis, Rupa Goswami is the principal. He was finance minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah in Bengal. But when Lord Chaitanya started His movement he was captivated and he resigned from government service and joined. He wrote immense literature. I was just saying, Narottam Das Thakur says, "Ruparaghunatha pade haive akuti kave hama bujhava se jugalapiriti." One can understand the conjugal love of Radha and Krishna when he goes through the literature presented by these Goswamis. So this first book is Bhakti-Rasamrita Sindhu, The Ocean of Nectar of Devotion. That is a very authorized book using quotations from various Vedic literatures about Radha Krishna, and of the different stages of relationships with Krishna, shantarasa, vatsalya, admiration. God is great. This is also one stage, appreciating the greatness of God. Then further development, dasya, willing to serve. "Oh, God is so great. I must serve." Because every one of us is serving somebody. Why not serve the Supreme? Nobody is free from service because we are constitutionally servants. Either you become a servant of the great or maya. Just like in any condition of our lives we have to abide by the laws of the state. If we say that we won't abide, then we come to the prison house. We will be forced. Similarly, maya and Krishna. If we don't abide by Krishna, then come to maya. We cannot be free. That is not our position. Freedom is frustration.
ALLEN: Do you remember a man named Richard Alpert?
PRABHUPADA: No.
ALLEN: He used to work with Timothy Leary in Harvard many years ago. Then he worked in India and found a teacher and is now a disciple of Hanumanji, a devotee of Hanuman. We were talking about maya and the present condition of America and he said that his teacher in India told him that LSD was a Christ of the Kali Yuga for Westerners in that as the Kali Yuga got thicker and thicker that also salvation would have to be easier and easier and—
PRABHUPADA: That is a very nice testament, that in the Kali Yuga salvation is very easier. That is the version of Srimad Bhagavatam also. But that process is this kirtan, not LSD.
ALLEN: Well, the reasoning there was that for those who would only accept salvation in purely material form, in chemical form finally, completely material form, Krishna had the humor to emerge as a pill.
PRABHUPADA: The thing is that when it is material form, then where is the salvation? It is illusion.
ALLEN: The subjective affect is to cut out attachment. During the—
PRABHUPADA: If you have attachment for something material, then where is this cutting attachment? LSD is a material chemical. So if you have to take shelter of LSD, then you take help from matter. So how are you free from matter?
ALLEN: The subjective experience is that while in the state of intoxication of LSD, you realize that LSD is a material pill, and that it does not really matter.
PRABHUPADA: That is risky. That is risky.
ALLEN: So, if LSD is a material attachment, which it is, I think, then is not the sound, the sabda [sound incarnation], also a material attachment?
PRABHUPADA: No. Sabda is spiritual. Originally, just like in Bible it is said, "Let there be creation." This is sound. This is spiritual sound. Creation was not there. The sound produced the creation. Therefore sound is originally spiritual. And from sound, sky developed, from sky air developed, from air fire developed, from fire water developed, from water land developed.
ALLEN: Sound is the first element?
PRABHUPADA: Yes.
ALLEN: What was the first sound, traditionally?
PRABHUPADA: The Vedas say OM. So, at least we can understand from your Bible that God said, "Let there be creation," so this is sound, and there is creation. God and His sound are nondifferent … Absolute. I say, "Mr. Ginsberg." This sound and you are a little different. But God is not different from His energy. Sakti saktimatorabheda. Shakti (energy) and shaktimakt (the energetic) are nondifferent. Just like fire and heat. They are nondifferent, but heat is not fire. You cannot differentiate heat from fire or fire from heat. But fire is not heat.
ALLEN: Well, the sound Krishna—
PRABHUPADA: Yes, is not different from Krishna.
ALLEN: Under all circumstances?
PRABHUPADA: All circumstances, yes. But it is a question of my appreciation, of my realization. That depends on my purity. Otherwise this Krishna sound and Krishna are nondifferent. Therefore, if we vibrate the sound Krishna, then immediately we are in contact with Krishna, and Krishna is pure spirit and immediately I become spiritualized, just like if you touch electricity, immediately you are electrified. And the more you become electrified, the more you become Krishnized. So when you are fully Krishnized, then you are on the Krishna platform. Tvaktadeham punarjanma naiti mameti kounteya. Then when you are fully Krishnized, you no more come back to this material existence. You remain with Krishna. The impersonalists say "merging." That is less intelligent. Merging does not mean losing individuality. Just like a green bird enters a green tree. It appears to be merging, but the bird has not lost his individuality. There is still individuality. Similarly, Krishna says in the Second Chapter of Gita that “I, you, Arjuna, and all these people assembled—it is not that they did not exist previously, neither is it that they will not exist." This means I, you and all these persons were all individuals in the past. In the present we see, practically, and in the future they remain individuals. And individually we are, in our present existence, every one of us, individual. You have your individual views; I have my individual views. We agree on a common platform … that is a different thing … but we are individuals. That is our nature. Therefore there is disagreement sometimes. So the individuality is never lost. But our proposition, bhakti marga, is to keep individuality and agree. Our surrender means we agree with Krishna in everything, although we are individual. If Krishna says that we have to die, we die, out of love. But we are individual—that we cannot deny. But, "Why should I die?" That prerogative I have got. Just like Arjuna was told, "Now I have taught you Bhagavad Gita. Now whatever you like, you do." Yatha ecchasi tatha kuru. "As you like.” He doesn't touch individuality. But Arjuna voluntarily surrendered—"Yes!” Karisye vacanam tava. "Yes, I shall do what you ask.” He changed his decision. First he decided not to fight, but then he agreed. Karisye vacanam tava. This agreement—this is oneness. That oneness does not mean to mix up homogeneously. No. He keeps his individuality and Krishna keeps His individuality. This is oneness—not to lose individuality. We cannot lose our individuality. We are individually made, originally. Krishna is individual, we are individual, everyone is individual. Merging means merging in that total agreement. That is liberation. Totally, without any disagreement. And that is the perfection: to keep individuality and agree with God in total agreement. That is perfection. And imperfection? So long as we are in rebellious condition, that is material. Because one who has a slightest desire to disagree with Krishna cannot live there [in Krishna's abode]. There the only predominant figure is Krishna. So those who are trained fully to agree with Krishna are accepted as associates. Bhagavad Gita says, Bahunam janmanamante jnanavan mam prapadyate. "After many, many births of cultivating knowledge in spiritual life, the fully conversant wise person surrenders unto Me." Bahunam janmanam. "Fully unto Me." How does he surrender? Vasudevah sarvamiti. "Ah! Krishna is everything!" The Vedanta Sutra gives hint: janmadyasya yatah. What is Brahman? What is the Supreme? Janmadyasya yatah. The answer is "Brahman is That or He who is the original Source of everything." But we have to find out Who is the original Source. So that requires wisdom. So when one is perfectly wise after many, many births, after culture, he sees, "Here is the Origin—Krishna!” Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah. "That mahatma, that great soul, is very rare to be seen." So we are giving the short cut process. What one has to attain after many, many births, we are simply saying surrender to Krishna. That is Krishna Consciousness. This is the greatest boon or contribution to the human society. And if actually one is wise, then he will take our word that if one has to come to this point after many, many births, that Krishna is everything, Vasudeva sarvamiti, why not accept it immediately?
ALLEN: Do you take rebirth literally?
PRABHUPADA: Yes. What is the difficulty?
ALLEN: I just don't remember having been born before.
PRABHUPADA: You don't remember your childhood? That does not mean you had no childhood. Do you remember when you were a small boy? What did you do?
ALLEN: Certain things. Not very small, but—
PRABHUPADA: Or when you were in the womb of your mother? Do you remember?
ALLEN: No.
PRABHUPADA: Does it mean that you were not?
ALLEN: No, it does not mean that I was not.
PRABHUPADA: Then that you do not remember is not a reason. That is explained in Bhagavad Gita:
dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
(Bg. 2.13)
Although I do not remember what I did in my mother's womb, it does not mean that I had no little body. The body changes. I am there. Therefore I change this body, I remain. That is just common sense reasoning. I'm changing my body every day, every moment. Your childhood body and this body are not the same. You have changed this body. But that does not mean you are a different person.
ALLEN: But I have really never seen or heard anything but what I see and hear now. What I see and hear is what I can remember. I have never heard any reasonable or even thrilling description of previous incarnation or previous births.
PRABHUPADA: You have never heard?
ALLEN: I have never heard anything sensible sounding about it, anything that actually makes me think, "Ah, that must be."
PRABHUPADA: And why not? Your body in the mother's womb from the first day of the father and mother's sex life comes just like a pea. Then it develops. So from the pea you have come to this point. The body is changing, so what is the astonishment if you change this body and again take another pea body? What is the difficulty to understand?
ALLEN: Well, the difficulty to understand would be to understand that there is any permanent being, or any continuity of any form of consciousness from one body to another.
PRABHUPADA: Then you have to consult. Just like when you cannot understand something, you consult some great authority. Is it not?
ALLEN: Not enough to make me dream of it at night. No. Not enough to make me love it. Words are not enough. Authority is not enough to make me love it.
PRABHUPADA: You do not accept authority?
ALLEN: [Emphatically] Not enough to love.
PRABHUPADA: No. … love, apart from love—consult, consult.
ALLEN: No, it's not that I don't accept authority—it's just that I can't even understand an authority that says that I am there when I don't feel myself there.
PRABHUPADA: Suppose when you are in some legal trouble you go to a lawyer. Why do you say you cannot understand? When you are diseased you go to a physician. The authority you accept.
ALLEN: In America we have had a great deal of difficulty with authority. Here it is a special problem.
PRABHUPADA: No, that is misunderstanding. Our authority we have to accept. The child has to accept authority. He always asks, "Mother, what is this? Father, what is this?" That is the beginning point. Ask, ask, ask. That is the way of acquiring knowledge. Tat vijnartham sagurum ebam abhigacchet. The Vedic injunction is that if you want to understand that science you must go to guru.
ALLEN: And you understand your previous lives from the descriptions in authoritative texts or from introspection?
PRABHUPADA: No. We have to collaborate. Just like in The Bhagavad Gita it is said sucinam srimatam gehe yogabhrasto 'bhijayate. "One who could not finish this Krishna Consciousness takes birth in two places, either in a very rich family or in a very pure brahmin family, a brahminical culture family." So from my life I experienced that when I was a very little child, six or seven years old, I was very much fond of Krishna, and I got the opportunity of these two things. Although my father was not very rich, he was pure Vaishnav. He was a great devotee of Lord Krishna.
ALLEN: In Calcutta?
PRABHUPADA: In Calcutta. And accidentally, I was born in a very rich family. You have seen that picture in my Calcutta, dancing? Kashi Molik's family? They are very aristocratic family. I did not belong to that family, but I was born in that family. And from the very beginning the Kashi Molik family has a nice Radha Krishna temple. So I was standing before the Deity and I said, "Ah, here is Krishna. Ah, people say He is dead. How is that?" And then I asked my father, "Oh, I shall worship Krishna. Give me Deity." So my father gave me Radha Krishna and whatever I was eating, I was offering. So the statement of the Shastras and my factual experience collaborate. We have to take an instance like that, you see. Sadhu shastra guru vakya. We have to test everything from three physicians: the spiritual master, scripture and holy man. Scripture means a writing just like the Bible. What is the Bible? Scripture. Why is it scripture? It fully contains the instruction of sadhu, holy man, of a spiritual master, Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore it is scripture. Scripture means the statement of a liberated holy man. That is sadhu. Therefore scriptures should be tested through the holy man and the spiritual master. The spiritual master should be tested through scripture and holy man, and holy man should be tested through spiritual master and scripture.
ALLEN: What is the difference between holy man and scripture?
PRABHUPADA: No difference. But one has to test whether he is holy man. Then he has to collaborate it with the statement of the scripture. A spiritual master has to be tested whether he is holy man and whether there is collaboration with the statements of the scripture. Sadhu sastra guru vakya tinete kariya aikya. Just like in the law court, the experienced lawyer is speaking and giving evidence. Sadhu Sastra. And the judge is giving judgment. Here is a statement, here is a law book. So the judge is also testing how the lawyer is speaking and how it is collaborating with the law book. Similarly, everything has to be tested in that way. The scripture should be consulted, and we should not accept any man as spiritual master or holy man if he does not collaborate with the statements of the scripture. He should be rejected.
ALLEN: What should we sing tomorrow? Have you thought of an arrangement for the program?
PRABHUPADA: As you like.
HAYAGRIVA: We have the auditorium which will seat at least one thousand. Then maybe five hundred or more can stand or sit on stage.
PRABHUPADA: So how are you feeling about chanting?
ALLEN: I have been chanting steadily all along now. I enjoy it more and more. Lately Peter and I have been chanting together on stages and lately we have been singing Ragupati Raghava Raja Ram. Is that part of your canon also?
PRABHUPADA: No, there is no harm, but this chanting of Hare Krishna mantra is recommended in the scripture.
ALLEN: The Hare Krishna is the most pleasing of the chanting as far as I am concerned. Do you want to do that continuously or do you want any other, like Gopala?
PRABHUPADA: I think that this Hare Krishna should be chanted.
ALLEN: See, we have two and a half hours.
PRABHUPADA: In the beginning we should have kirtan and at the end we should have kirtan and in the middle we can speak. You can speak about Krishna Consciousness.
ALLEN: I think you had better speak because you are more eloquent on it, and you understand in the language what you want to say.
PRABHUPADA: I will speak. You will also speak.
ALLEN: You might not like what I say. [laughs]
PRABHUPADA: So you say how you are experiencing. That is all right. Yat yat bibhutimat sattva. You have Krishna's blessings upon you. You are not ordinary man.
ALLEN: I am not certain that I am worthy of that.
PRABHUPADA: That's all right. But I know that you are not ordinary man.
ALLEN: Well … I recently stopped smoking, by the way, finally. With a car crash I quit. But I haven't stopped eating meat. So what is the—
PRABHUPADA: You remain with us for about three months. Then you forget. You remain with us. [everyone laughs] With your associates just come to New Vrindaban and we shall live together.
ALLEN: You have a farm there?
PRABHUPADA: Yes. And you will forget everything. Fully Krishna conscious.
ALLEN: We have a farm also now in upstate New York. We have a vegetarian table also in the farm. We have a cow, goats. But—
PRABHUPADA: From an economic point of view, if one man has a cow and four acres of land he has no economic problem. That we want to start. He can independently live in any part of the world. Simply he must have one cow and four acres of land. So let the people be divided in four acres of land and a cow and there will be no economic question. All the factories will be closed. [everyone laughs]
[At this point, Allen and some of the New Vrindaban members discuss some of the problems of farming.]
PRABHUPADA: There is a proverb that agriculture is the noblest profession. Is it not?
ALLEN: Yes.
PRABHUPADA: And Krishna was a farmer, cowherd boy. Yes, and in Vedic literature you will find that the richest man is estimated by the possession of grains and cows. If he has sufficient quantity of grains, then he is rich. And actually that is a fact. Keep cows and have sufficient grains and the whole economic problem is solved. As for eating and sleeping … you can take some wood and four pillows. Of course in your country it is cold, but in India all year they are lying under the sky.
ALLEN: Men lived this way for 20,000-30,000 years. Till the 19th Century.
PRABHUPADA: We have to think, "Plain living, high thinking.” The necessities of this bodily existence should be minimized—not unhealthy, but healthy to keep oneself fit. But the time should be utilized to develop Krishna Consciousness, spiritual life. Then his whole problem is solved.
ALLEN: So tomorrow we will be chanting. Now the next question I had in mind, we'll be doing kirtan, then language, speech, then end with kirtan.
PRABHUPADA: Language is also kirtan. Kirtan means glorifying. That is kirtan. Just like Sukhadeva Goswami continually spoke to Maharaj Parikshit. That is also stated: Sri visnu sravane pariksit avavad vaiasakikirtane. The son of Vyasadeva, Sukhadeva Goswami, became liberated simply by kirtan. But what is that kirtan? He never played musically; he simply explained Srimad Bhagavatam. This is also kirtan. This is called samkirtan.
[At this point,. Allen and Hayagriva discuss the technical plans and the music for the chanting scheduled at Ohio State the next night. Finally Allen changes the subject to poetry.]
ALLEN: Let's check the pitch of the harmoniums tomorrow. [to Prabhupada] I have been learning to write music. My guru was a poet named William Blake. You know Blake?
PRABHUPADA: Yes, I know Blake.
ALLEN: So, I have been writing music. He is a lot like Kabir. I have been learning to meditate music in singing songs by William Blake, which I have written music to. So those are in the wind.
PRABHUPADA: I can give you so many songs.
ALLEN: Would you like to hear one of the Blake songs?
PRABHUPADA: Yes.
[Allen and Peter harmonize and sing Blake's "To Tirzah." Prabhupada listens with open-eyed amusement and delight.]
ALLEN AND PETER:
Whate’er is born of mortal birth
Must be consumed with the earth,
To rise from generation free;
Then what have I to do with thee?
Thou, Mother of my mortal part,
With cruelty didst mould my heart,
And with false self-deceiving tears
Didst bind my nostrils, eyes and ears;
Didst close my tongue in senseless clay,
And me to mortal life betray:
The death of Jesus set me free:
Then what have I to do with thee?
It is raised—a spiritual body!
PRABHUPADA: He believed in spiritual body. That is nice. That is Krishna Consciousness.
ALLEN: He apparently fits into the West into what is called the Gnostic tradition, which has similar bhakti ideas related to the Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Similar cosmology. He was my teacher.
PRABHUPADA: He did not give much stress to this material body?
ALLEN: No, at the end of his life he didn't.
HAYAGRIVA: Blake died chanting.
[Allen and Peter then sing Blake's "The Chimney Sweeper." Afterwards one of Prabhupada's disciples announces that it is five to eleven.]
ALLEN: Let everybody retire.
PRABHUPADA: So, Mr. Ginsberg, you take first of all.
[Prabhupada offers him two flower garlands from the picture of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati. They are put around Allen's neck and Allen offers obeisances.]
ALLEN: Thank you.
[The next day, May 12th, Allen comes in early in the morning, having spent the night at the temple. Prabhupada immediately suggests that he write poetry on the subjects and pastimes of Krishna. He mentions one of the peculiar qualifications of a devotee, that of lunacy.]
PRABHUPADA: The poet, the lover and the lunatic. [He laughs] So the Krishna lover is also another kind of lunatic or poet, you see.
ALLEN: Except that it [writing of Krishna] would mean concentrating all my consciousness on the one single image of Krishna.
PRABHUPADA: Not image.
ALLEN: Or the one single thought or name or feeling or awareness.
PRABHUPADA: So for that we have varieties of duties. You are seeing that all these boys are always engaged. Similarly, everywhere they are always engaged in Krishna. We even want extra time for the service of Krishna. Twenty-four hours are not sufficient for us. Yes, then we shall see that we are sleeping, wasting time. The Goswamis used to sleep for one half hour only, and that was sometimes forgot.
ALLEN: [laughs] To dream?
PRABHUPADA: Always engaged! Thousands of books they have written. If there was no writing, there was chanting, dancing, talking … engaged in Krishna Consciousness always. That we have been taught by our Guru Maharaj—twenty-four hours engagement with Krishna. So maya has no scope to enter in our minds. She always remains here, therefore here is fire, I cannot touch. Bhaktidas says, Bhakti yadistaee bhagaban sthiratarasyat daivena phalatidivya kishora murti. Mukti mukulitanjali sevate asman dharmartha kama samaya pratiksa. Vilvamangala, a great devotee, executed devotional service for seven hundred years. He lived for seven hundred years in Vrindaban. In that picture you have seen Surudas?
ALLEN: Surudas? The poet?
PRABHUPADA: Yes, he is known as Surudas.
ALLEN: Teacher of Tulsidas? Or student of Tulsidas?
PRABHUPADA: He may be different, but Vilvamangala Thakur was also blind. You know the story of Vilvamangala? Vilvamangala Thakur, in his previous-life, elevated himself to the loving stage of Krishna. Not exactly … the stage just previous—bhava, ecstasy. But somehow or other he could not finish, so according to the instruction of Bhagavad Gita he was given birth in a nice brahmin family. Sucinam srimatam gehe … a rich family and at the same time a brahmin family. But richness generally or sometimes leads down to wine, women and intoxication. So by bad company he became a woman hunter, prostitute hunter. He was too much addicted to one woman—Chintamani. So his father died and he did not marry what in your country is called a girl friend and in our country is called a prostitute. So he was nuts about that prostitute, Chintamani. He was performing the rituals, but he was thinking of his girl friend Chintamani—"When I shall go there—" So he asked his servants, "Oh, give me some food and I shall go to Chintamani." Anyway, he performed rituals, or did not perform, for his mind was there, and he took some nice foodstuffs, and then he went. There was a big river and it was raining heavily, and the river was flooded, so he thought, "How shall I go to the other side?” One dead body was floating and he thought it was a log, so he took the help of the dead body and went to the other side. And it was heavily raining, and then when he reached Chintamani's home, he saw the door was locked. So he jumped over the wall by taking the tail of a serpent, and when he reached inside the locked door, Chintamani was astonished and asked, "How did you come?" So he told her he had to cross the river. He said everything like, "Oh, I cannot stay without you.” So, she was very much inquisitive. "Oh, how did you come? How did you jump over this wall?" He told her everything. So at that time Chintamani thought, "Oh, this man is so much addicted to me." Then she told him, "If this much attraction you have for Krishna, oh, how nice your life would be." So immediately he took to sannyas because he was addicted to that position in his previous life. Immediately he left. He was going alone to Vrindaban, and on the way he saw another beautiful woman. His business was to be attracted by woman, so he again became attracted, and he followed her. This woman, after entering her home, told her husband, "This man has been following me from a distant place." Then the husband asked him, seeing he was a rich man, a brahmin, "What is this?" And he said, "Oh, I've been attracted by your wife, by the beauty of your wife!” "All right, come on! You enjoy my wife. You are brahmin.” So he was received well, and at night he was given a place. Then he asked that woman, "Mother, will you give me your hairpin?" So he took the hairpin and pushed it in his eyes. "Ah, these eyes are my enemy." Then he became blind, and in that blindness he was worshipping Krishna and Krishna was coming to him, and he'd sing, dance and supply milk. So this Vilvamangala Thakur wrote one book, Krishna Karnamritam, which is very valuable. That was very highly esteemed by Lord Chaitanya.
ALLEN: What century is that?
PRABHUPADA: Vilvamangala Thakur was some seven hundred years ago. There are many poets. He was a great poet. If you read this Krishna Karnamritam poetry, oh you will find … [laughs] There are many nice poets.
ALLEN: Jayadev I know. And I know some Baul poetry.
PRABHUPADA: You just try to read this Narottamdas Thakur especially. That song you were reading last night, "Nitai Pada Kamala,” is Narottamdas Thakur's. Oh, for the Vaishnav, to become poet is another qualification. Vaishnav has twenty-six qualifications. [laughs] And one of them is to become poetical. All the Vaishnavas are poets. [laughs]
REKA: Because they are so deep in love with God.
PRABHUPADA: Poetry comes out of deep love for something.
[One of Prabhupada's disciples, Hrishikesh, reads a list outlining the twenty-six qualifications for a devotee.]
ALLEN: Whose list is that? Is that an old list or did you make that up for young Americans?
PRABHUPADA: No. It is taken from Vaisnava Shastra. This is a test to see whether you are becoming Krishna conscious or not. You have to test yourself, whether you are developing these qualities.
ALLEN: I am slowly developing all qualities except sanity. [all laugh]
PRABHUPADA: Insanity for seeking Krishna, that is required. Yes, unless you become insane after Krishna … Just like Lord Chaitanya. His wish was to become insane after Krishna.
ALLEN: Is Kabir in the Vaishnav tradition? What tradition is he in actually?
PRABHUPADA: He is impersonalist on the whole. And he has some Vaishnav thought, that's all. Perverted thoughts.
ALLEN: So who is the most perfect of the Vaishnav poets? Mirabai? Have you used her songs here?
PRABHUPADA: Yes. In India she is very popular. Most of her poems are written in Hindi and some of them have been interpreted. Mirabai was a devotee. She saw Rupa Goswami and she has written many poems.
ALLEN: Oh, she was a contemporary of Chaitanya?
PRABHUPADA: Yes.
ALLEN: Did they meet?
PRABHUPADA: No. She appreciated the fact that Lord Chaitanya is Krishna, and she has written a song that "Now You have left aside Your flute and now have taken a sannyasi garb.” In that way she has written nice poetry. "And where is Your hair and peacock feather? Now You are bald headed." In this way she appreciated. Her life was also excellent. Her father gave her a small Krishna doll to play with and she developed love of Krishna as husband.
ALLEN: What position does Ananda Mayima have now?
PRABHUPADA: She is also impersonalist. She is not a devotee. There are many impersonalists. They take advantage. They say, "Chaitanya's path and Sankara's math.” Follow the principle of Chaitanya, but ultimately take the conclusion of Sankara. That means—
ALLEN: What was the conclusion of Sankaracharya?
PRABHUPADA: Sankaracharya's conclusion was to defeat Buddhism. They did not know it, but actually when there was too much animal killing and people became almost atheists under the shadow of Vedic rituals, Lord Buddha appeared. He wanted to stop man from the sinful activities of killing unnecessarily under the plea of Vedas. So he invented ahimsa, non-violence. And because people will give evidence, so they use the Vedas. They are not following actually the Vedic rituals, but they are just like crooked lawyers who take advantage of law books. So Lord Buddha said, "I do not follow Vedic rituals; I have nothing to do with Vedas. This is my own formula." Jayadeva has written one prayer, so Vaishnavas will understand how God is great: Nindasi yajnabidhe rahaha sruti jatam. "My dear Lord, now You have appeared as Lord Buddha. You are decrying the Vedic rituals.” Sruti jatam means Vedic. Why? Sadaya hridaya darsita pasughatam. "You are so compassionate to see the poor animals being killed unnecessarily." Kesava dhrite buddha sarira jaya jagadisa hare. "All glories to Jagadisa. You have now assumed the form of Lord Buddha. And You are playing His pastimes.” So Lord Buddha is accepted as an incarnation of Krishna. In Srimad Bhagavatam it is stated that He is the ninth incarnation.
ALLEN: Who was eighth?
PRABHUPADA: Eight was Valadeva, Krishna's elder brother, Balaram.
ALLEN: Buddha is ninth and Valadeva is eighth.
PRABHUPADA: The tenth is KaIki.
ALLEN: What is Kalki's nature?
PRABHUPADA: Kalki's nature is described in Bhagavatam. He'll come just like a prince, royal dress with sword and on horseback, simply killing, no preaching. All rascals killed. No more preaching. [Allen laughs.] You laugh, but they will have no brain to understand what is God.
ALLEN: There'll be no brain to understand God?
PRABHUPADA: They'll be so dull ... so dull.
ALLEN: Yes?
PRABHUPADA: It requires brain to understand, just like in the Bhagavat it is stated Evem prasanna manaso bhagabat bhakti yogatah … fully joyful by Bhakti Yoga. Bhagavat tattva vijnam muktasamgasya jayate. And freed from all material contamination. He can understand God. Do you think God is such a cheap thing that everyone will understand? Because they do not understand they present some nonsense. "God is like this, God is like that, God is …” And when God Himself comes and says, "Here I am. Krishna," they don't accept it. They create their own God.
ALLEN: So, Kalki comes at the end of Kali Yuga?
PRABHUPADA: Yes.
ALLEN: Is Kalki connected with the Kali Yuga cycle?
PRABHUPADA: Yes, Kalki. Yes.
ALLEN: So He would come at the end of the Kali Yuga to end the Yuga.
PRABHUPADA: Then Satya Yuga will begin.
ALLEN: Which is?
PRABHUPADA: Satvic means pious. People will be pious, truthful, long living.
ALLEN: Are those the people who remain or whatever new creation comes out of destruction?
PRABHUPADA: Some of them will remain. It will not be completely extinguished. Some of them will remain, the pious. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskritam. All miscreants will be killed and out of them there must be some pious to remain.
ALLEN: Do you think of this in terms of an historical event that will occur in the lifetime of your disciples?
PRABHUPADA: No. This will happen at least 400,000 years from now, at least. So at that time my disciples will be with Krishna. [Everyone laughs joyfully.] And those who will not follow them … they will see the fun. [laughs]
ALLEN: Will people still be chanting Hare Krishna in 400,000 years?
PRABHUPADA: No. Hare Krishna will be finished within 10,000 years. There will be no more Hare Krishna.
ALLEN: So what will be left?
PRABHUPADA: Nothing. There will be I shall kill you and eat you, and you shall kill me and eat me. That will be left. There will be no grain, no milk, no sugar, no fruit, so I will have to eat you, and you will have to eat me. Full facility for meat eating. [Everyone laughs.] Krishna is very kind. [Laughter again] He will give facility. "All right, why cows and calves? You take your own son."
ALLEN: Yes.
PRABHUPADA: Just like serpents, they eat their own offsprings. Tigers. So this will all happen. There will be no brain to understand, no preacher, nothing else. So, go to the dogs. And then Krishna will come. "All right, let me kill you so that you are saved."
ALLEN: Do you see it as actually a historical thing in 10,000 years for the chanting or the diminishing chanting of Hare Krishna?
PRABHUPADA: Yes.
ALLEN: Well, then do you think that more people would chant Hare Krishna? Or fewer?
PRABHUPADA: Oh yes, more people.
ALLEN: Until?
PRABHUPADA: Up to 10,000 years.
ALLEN: Then?
PRABHUPADA: Then diminish.
ALLEN: So what is the purpose of right now in a world increase?
PRABHUPADA: People will take advantage of this, up to 10,000 years.
ALLEN: This is like the last rope.
PRABHUPADA: Yes.
ALLEN: The last gasp. [laughter]
PRABHUPADA: So, the sooner we take shelter of Krishna Consciousness …
ALLEN: Then according to Vedic theory, when did this Yuga begin?
PRABHUPADA: Kali Yuga has begun 5,000 years ago.
KIRTANANANDA MAHARAJ: This wave within Kali Yuga in which Hare Krishna increases and then diminishes lasts about 10,000 years, and that began five hundred years ago.
PRABHUPADA: The duration of Kali Yuga is 432,000 years. Out of that we have passed 5,000 years. There is balance of 427,000 years. Out of that, 10,000 years is nothing.
ALLEN: Yes. Where is all this stated?
PRABHUPADA: Vedic literature. Bhagavat Purana.
ALLEN: Bhagavat Purana has the detailed analysis of what goes on in the Kali Yuga? There are some translations of that?
PRABHUPADA: In the Twelfth Canto, Kali Yuga descriptions are there, and you will find now all the descriptions are coming true. There is one statement: Svikarameva hi udbahe. "Marriage will be performed simply by agreement.” And that is being done. And, Labanyam Kesadharanam. "People will think that one becomes very beautiful by keeping a bunch of hairs.” That is coming true. These are written there. All things are there.
ALLEN: In the Bhagavat Puranam is there also provision for the Chaitanya cult?
PRABHUPADA: Oh yes. Krisna barnam tvisa a Krisnam. That is in the book Teachings of Lord Chaitanya. It is the first quotation there.
ALLEN: So it is on this quotation from Bhagavat Puranam that Chaitanya built His system?
PRABHUPADA: No, no. That is a program already presented, and He came to execute the program, just like our meeting is already programed. I come and execute it. That's all.
ALLEN: Yes.
PRABHUPADA: It is said, “In the Kali Yuga the Supreme Lord comes as One Who always chants the Holy Name of Sri Krishna, Who is Sri Krishna Himself, Whose complexion is yellow.” You'll see this in Srimad Bhagavatam, 11th Canto, 5th Chapter, 32 verse. So we have accepted Lord Chaitanya as Krishna not impractically. There are evidences in Upanishads, Mahabharata, Puranas, in Bhagavat, all Vedic scriptures.
ALLEN: Well, then within this period of 10,000 years, only those who hear Krishna's Name can worship Krishna by chanting.
PRABHUPADA: Kirtanateva Krisnasya muktasamga param brajet. That is also stated in the Srimad Bhagavatam.
ALLEN: So also only those who practice Krishna chanting can get moksha?
PRABHUPADA: Can be immediately liberated and go back to home, back to Godhead.
ALLEN: And everybody else gets involved deeper and deeper in the Yuga.
PRABHUPADA: Yes. So if anyone believes in the Shastras, he should take to this Krishna Consciousness. That is intelligence—to take advantage of authorized scriptures. You will find in the Bhagavata that there is history of Chandragupta and that Germans will become kings, that means English occupation, Mohammedan occupation, Kikitesu, meaning the Bihar province in India. Bhavisyati … because Bhagavat Puranam was written 5,000 years ago and Lord Buddha appeared about 2,600 years ago. So therefore it is stated Bhavisyati. "In future, just in the beginning of the Kali Yuga, the Lord will appear as Buddha, his mother's name will be Anjanasuta and his business will be to cheat the atheists."
ALLEN: To cheat the atheists?
PRABHUPADA: Yes. Sanmohaya suradvisam. Suradvisam means atheist. Suradvisam—those who are envious of the Lord's devotees … that means atheists. So, to bewilder … what is that bewildering? The atheists became so much absorbed in this animal killing that they forgot everything about God. So they say, "What is God? It does not matter.” Lord Buddha says, "Yes, there is no God. There is no God. Void. But what I say, you follow. Yes, that is all right." But He is God. Is this not cheating? [laughs]
ALLEN: Well, yes, except that He claims to neither be God nor not God.
PRABHUPADA: But He does not say that I am God; He says that there is no God.
ALLEN: No, He doesn't saythat there is no God either. He says—
PRABHUPADA: That's it, that's it anyway. [laughs]
ALLEN: All conceptions of the existence of the Self as well as all conceptions of the non-existence of the Self as well as all conceptions of the existence of the Supreme Self, as well as all the conceptions of the non-existence of the Supreme Self are equally arbitrary, being only conceptions.
PRABHUPADA: Yes, that is jugglery of words, but the principle is that they did not believe in God. So still the Buddhists say they don't believe in God. But they are worshipping God, Lord Buddha. There are so many temples. In the same way as we worship. This is transcendental cheating.
ALLEN: Transcendental cheating. [laughter]
PRABHUPADA: Just like sometimes the father has to cheat his child. That is not cheating. That is welfare. But apparently he likes cheating, you see. The child is insistent on some point. "Yes, yes, you are right. But you do it like this and you are a very good boy." But in Vaishnav Vedic literature He [Buddha] is God. The godless are worshipping God in a different way. If there is nothing, why should they worship Buddha?
ALLEN: Well, strictly speaking, one does not worship Buddha.
PRABHUPADA: There are big, big temples in Burma and Japan—
ALLEN: But the practice in the temples is—
PRABHUPADA: Maybe. That is a little different, that is all. But the temple worship, the God is there.
ALLEN: In Zen Buddhism and in—
PRABHUPADA: That is later invention. Originally, the statue of Lord Buddha was worshipped all over.
ALLEN: Originally there was no Buddha, there was a wheel for the doctrine, the dharma, a wheel and then a parasol.
PRABHUPADA: But we can see from historical, archaeological evidences that—
ALLEN: Then when the Europeans came to India—
PRABHUPADA: It is not a question of Europeans.
ALLEN:—then they made a statue of a human faced Buddha.
REKA (Bengali lady): No, no. It was much different than that. Because I saw the great posture of Buddha, the way He died in a little village, I saw Buddha in the nirvana, a twenty-two foot gold statue, just the way he lied when He died. Paranirvana pose, exactly twenty-two feet long. And it was made just after His death.
ALLEN: What I had understood was that like the Jews and the Muslims, in the original first few centuries of Buddhist meditation, made use of a wheel for the dharma or parasolor a bo tree as the image of Buddha, but no—
REKA: When Buddha died, they started making statues of Him.
PRABHUPADA: Yes, that is the archaeological evidence. Archaeological evidence is that Buddha statues are worshipped.
ALLEN: The museum at Mathura has the earliest human statues which—
PRABHUPADA: Buddha is worshipped by the statue. That is historical. And there are many temples in Burma, China, Japan, Buddhist temples. But these Buddhist temples began not exactly after Buddha's disappearance, at least 1,000 years later. That is a fact.
ALLEN: Yes, that is much later.
PRABHUPADA: Yes, much later. Because when Buddhism was driven out of India, then in Japan and China the Buddhists became Taoists. That is almost after 1,000 years. Otherwise, all India was Buddhist, the whole of India. Sometimes the Jagannath temples are sometimes interpreted (actually it is not so) to be Buddhist.
ALLEN: I think I told you I had darshan with Jagannath.
PRABHUPADA: Oh?
ALLEN: Yes, I got inside the temple. I was silent and made believe I was a madman. I had long hair and white pajamas.
PRABHUPADA: Just like some Punjabi.
ALLEN: So I went inside and when anybody came to ask me anything I was afraid of opening my mouth.
PRABHUPADA: There is no enemy of the dumb. Bobarsatrunai.
ALLEN: So I just kept my mouth closed and got down on my knees and touched their feet, so they all thought that I was crazy and they kept away from me. [Laughter]
PRABHUPADA: So you had a nice view of Jagannath?
ALLEN: Yes. It was very beautiful. I was there, with Peter also, for about a week. Yes.
PRABHUPADA: So, you were there several times?
ALLEN: One time. I was afraid to go in and out many times. I figured I got away with it once and I didn't went to—
PRABHUPADA: In that Aquarian Gospel it says that the Lord Jesus Christ lived in the Jagannath Temple. He was thick and thin with the priests. One preacher was very friendly. And he was discussing philosophical subjects with them.
ALLEN: So according to the Aquarian Gospel Christ was in Jagannath Puri.
PRABHUPADA: Yes. And He saw Rathayatra, as we are performing in San Francisco.
ALLEN: Yes.
PRABHUPADA: So Lord Jesus Christ saw.
ALLEN: We went to Mathura also. We were on the road several days. In Vrindaban for about a week.
PRABHUPADA: You stayed there in Vrindaban?
ALLEN: Yes, for about a week.
PRABHUPADA: You have seen Vrindaban nicely?
ALLEN: Well, we went from one temple to another, sang, sat by the River, went to the little garden where the tree is and met two bhakti devotees I mentioned, Sri Mata Krishnaji and Banki Behari.
PRABHUPADA: Banki Behari?
ALLEN: Yes. They translated from Mirabai into English. Good translations. They were published in the Barati Vidya Bhavan series. They have about four or five books. One Sufis, Yogis, Saints, Poets, like Muktesvara. And then another of Mira, two volumes of Mira and then a life of Mira. And one on the Kumbha Mela.
PRABHUPADA: They're good scholars?
ALLEN: Yes, good scholars. They know Blake also. They know English.
PRABHUPADA: In which year have you been in Vrindaban?
ALLEN: Oh, 1962 in Vrindaban.
PRABHUPADA: Oh, at that time I was there.
ALLEN: Yes, we probably passed on the street. [both laugh] You were there then? 1962?
PRABHUPADA: Yes, I left Vrindaban in 1965. From 1956 I was there.
ALLEN: I would like to go and live there for a while and stay. I liked it when I was there. It would be a good place to live.
HAYAGRIVA: Are you going there next year?
ALLEN: I think pretty soon I will be going back. I have to stabilize the farm. Hare Krishna.
[Allen offers obeisances and takes leave.]
“Krishna's Number One"
“Krishna's Number One"
Ohio State University Students Write Their Reactions To Hare Krishna
[Editor's Note: Below are excerpts taken from the essays of sixteen Ohio State University freshman students who wrote their reactions to Hare Krishna and A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami for their freshman English class. These are interesting testimonies because they come not from San Francisco hippies or New York mystics, but from Mid-Western, middle-class, middle-brow American teenagers who are just beginning their college careers. Out of about a hundred similar themes, these statements are typical. They verify Lord Chaitanya's teaching that Hare Krishna is for all types of men in all places at all times.]
“It was with eager anticipation that I entered Hitchcock Hall Auditorium on May 12. All around me were different types of people, of all ages. There were a few adults, perhaps professors, who were still in their business suits. Many students were dressed in skirts and sweaters or jeans and a shirt. But there were many shudents who had come barefoot, wearing bells and beads. Downstairs, the entire stage was filled, and all the people reminded me of a can of sardines, it was so crowded. My mind wandered as I looked at all the faces, and I wondered what they were thinking, expecting. The magical chanting began and people all around the stage were beginning to sway with the beat of the drums, clapping their hands and chanting the words, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. At first, most of the people in the balcony hesitated to join in the chant and clap their hands. It was as if we in the balcony were separated from those people on the ground floor, as if we were just watching, but not participating. Gradually, however, we too began to feel the beat of the drums awakening within us, and before I knew it, the entire audience in the balcony was also caught in the magical rhythm of the chant. People around me were standing, as if mysteriously enticed out of their seats by a strange force. I too was hypnotized by the beat of the drums and rhythmic chanting of the words. People below us were joining in circles, wildly lost in their own gyrations, conscious only of the drums and the complete content that overwhelmed them. To me, it was as if I were really 'high,' and able to release all my inner anxieties and frustrations. I was swept with exhiliration and it was a great feeling to know that I could scream the words as loud as I wanted, and nobody would care. Flowers were thrown to the audience. It was as if everyone had taken a 'magical mystery tour.' Before I realized where the time had gone, the evening was over. As Mardel and I slowly left our seats and walked down the stairs, we saw many people milling about the building. Little was said between us, for we were each engrossed in our own thoughts, still not entirely believing what we had just witnessed and participated in. Yet we both know that, indeed, something magical had occurred, if only because of the satisfaction that we carried home with us in our hearts."
—Marilyn Byrne
“It is hard to begin to write of a night, of an experience, where so much has happened at once, an experience in which one actually feels a part of a large group, an experience which draws one from his chair and moves his lips to a chant, and an experience which provokes one to thought. To have all this in one night is a rarity.
“I arrived at the scene of the meeting, Hitchcock Hall, about a half-hour early, hoping to get a good seat. When I entered the building I was truly surprised. It was packed. The halls were packed; so were the seats, the aisles, the balcony, and the stage. I pushed my way through the crowd into the auditorium and finally squeezed into a seat. I was really tight until the session began.
“I looked around at the huge crowd and after sizing it up (hip, straight, curious) I looked to the stage. The first person I noticed was Mr. Wheeler (my English teacher) on stage close to Swami Bhaktivedanta. He beat out the rhythm on a large drum for the chanting. Also on stage I saw Allen Ginsberg, who was discussing microphone difficulty with one of the sound equipment people. Most impressively and most importantly sat Swami Bhaktivedanta, surrounded by his pupils and a mass of people on the stage. While I was looking around I noticed the noise, people talking, doors buzzing, and mikes screeching, but soon quiet was indeed heard. The Swami was seated and the meeting began.
“The first chant began, led by the Swami. The chant, Hare Krishna, was sung slowly until the words were memorized, and then it began to gain in strength and speed. The chanting, coupled with the reaction of the mass of people, made me tingle. At first I thought the people dancing on the stage were phony, but by chanting and dancing and concentrating on the chant I suddenly felt free and happy. Just to forget the problems I had and express myself in such a way (chanting and dancing) was a unique and indeed pleasant experience. I can say that for the first time in a long time I felt I had no problems. The mantra was quite effective. From the chanting the program moved to Allen Gineberg's introduction to the Swami and the message and philosophy of Swami Bhaktivedanta."
—Julie Fishley
“I was a little hesitant at the beginning of the chanting of Hare Krishna, but after seeing that everyone else was joining in I did the same. It was fantastic. The more I repeated the words of the mantra the better I felt. A strange feeling seemed to seize control of my entire body. My mind became disconnected from material matters, and all of my energy seemed dedicated to achieving what the Swami later said was a complete state of consciousness. The musical instruments seemed to fit all of the chanting together into a perfect rhythm which made me want to clap and dance. I thought the chanting of Hare Krishna to be a truly different experience, and I must say it really turned me on.
“Swami Bhaktivedanta's speech was very stimulating. It helped me find something that I have been searching for for a long time. He said when you find God you will be filled with the love of God and you will be satisfied. The Swami's speech inspired me to search deeper for the love of God. He said that one would need a clean heart and an open mind. I am now trying to accomplish this, and I must say it is an extremely hard thing to do. I believe I am gaining a new outlook on life, and it is a very wonderful feeling. I received a great deal of understanding from this meeting and when I left I had really gained something."
—Jeff Hunsaker
“I found worth in the speeches. I think that the Swami really makes good sense. His speech involving materialism was excellent. It made me reflect upon myself and my goals. I wholeheartedly agree with him on the subject. It made me realize that most people only concern themselves with monetary possessions. They work and strive all of their lives for money and everything concrete which it can buy. There are so many important things of value which money cannot buy. No one truly appreciates them until they are gone.
“Fortunately, I happened to notice a few of my friends in the audience. They have been repeatedly warned against materialism. When I discovered the nature of the speech, I suspected that they would immediately be rude and 'turn off' the Swami. It was interesting to note their reactions. They sat perfectly still and paid full attention to the Swami. It seemed that he had a sort of hypnotic control over them. Later, I asked them what they thought of the purport of the speeches. Two of them thought they were good and were beginning to realize their 'mistake.' The other one listened, but is too deep in materialism to take heed to advice. To get through to two out of three persons deserves credit."
—Sandra Homer
“Only a few of the more daring joined the chanting in the beginning, but as it went on, those less daring were made to feel left out and soon joined the others. Those on stage were in their zenith; their faces flowed with wide smiles. To sit there and merely watch gave one an inner desire to stand up and become a part of this. More and more of the audience gave in to this desire and began clapping their hands and chanting as the session went on.
“Suddenly a summit was reached and the atmosphere overwhelmed everyone—the constant clanging produced by the Swami, the incessant rhythm of the drum, the buzzing background sound of the sitar and the clapping of the audience caused an emotional catharsis, as if everyone were summoned by a divine force. They all rose at once, and started chanting. The inner emotion proved overpowering, and I found myself rising and clapping my hands as I began to chant. It was wonderful. Everywhere there were smiling faces and happiness poured over everyone like a sparkling liquid. At the end, everyone sat down; I was left with an empty feeling as if something had been taken away from me. I wanted to chant some more."
—George Sims
“During the middle of the chant, I found myself almost lost in the continuous rhythm of Hare Krishna. Obviously the chanting had the same effect on most of the audience. The same people who walked into Hitchcock Hall sure that they could not be moved by the chanting, left the building feeling a little removed from mundane reality. I found the entire evening an enlightening experience, and I feel that anyone who believes in anything as strongly as those who believe in Krishna consciousness should be respected for it."
—Judith Hirsh
“I was impressed most by the Swami's philosophy of God. I understood this philosophy to mean that the only way to happiness is through God. He said that one cannot achieve happiness from liquor, drugs, cigarettes, and other vices which are entirely material and cannot make one spiritually content. One must have spiritual enlightenment, and this can be had through the chanting of Hare Krishna. This chant excites the soul and, in a way, gets one ‘high,' but this is a spiritual highness and not like getting high on alcohol or drugs. I was expecting the Swami to preach some new type of religion and a new God, but was surprised when he did not. He said it was not actually a religion at all but a science."
—Steve Pottmeyer
“I was very skeptical as I entered the auditorium where the Yoga meeting was to be held. Knowing very little about the subject, I did not know what to expect. My first reaction was one of surprise at the large number of people that filled the auditorium. Many of the students were dressed in absurd 'hippie' costumes, but they appeared as bewildered as I was. I had recently read an article about Allen Ginsberg and easily identified him on the stage. The Swami and his disciples then drew my attention, and I studied their strange garments and shaved heads. After some technical difficulties, the Swami began to chant. At first only the people on the stage joined him, but gradually the contagious melody spread through the crowd. The people on the stage began clapping their hands and dancing and some of the people in the audience followed suit. Soon I was lost in the excitement of the crowd and amazed at the hypnotic effect of the chanting as I timidly joined them."
—Charlotte Beaudis
“The shouting at first was unbearable, but I continued to chant softly and soon found myself shouting too.
“After about ten minutes the whole room shook with the vibrations from everyone's screaming throats. A large circle was formed on the stage and people were dancing around and chanting over and over again 'Hare Hare, Hare Krishna.'
“Clapping and yelling I felt a release within myself. Whether it was one of freedom, rebellion or the mere excitement of so many screaming people, I did in fact realize a definite change in my inner feelings, in my consciousness. As the chanting died down, I left the room, and as I started to walk home the whole world seemed very tomb-like to me. It was too still without the chant piercing my ears. I walked home asking myself how one. man and one chant could have so much control over so many people."
—Jean Amrein
“Being caught right in the center of all the commotion on stage, I became one of the many who made up the largest 'turned on' groups ever. It felt great and wonderful to free the soul and lift a heavy load from my mind after a trying day.
“After waiting in the lobby of the overcrowded auditorium for more than a couple of hours and becoming impatient, instinct overtook my sense and I followed my nose to find a way to get closer to the Swami and the origin of the action. I ended up on the backstage scene where I was no more than ten feet from the Holy Man himself. The setting was breath-taking. There was a mound of golden cushions about the glowing spirit. There were hundreds of people and glaring, blaring television lights in front of me. On a silver platter beside the Swami were fruits like jewels and a goblet of gold, holding a thirst quenching liquid. About this majestic set were situated the musicians and devotees who played the 'Pied Pipers' music, leading the followers in the chanting. Giving the stage players no room were the followers who were enchanted and enticed. All wanted to become closer, yet ever closer to Krishna and Rama.
“I have had the experience to being 'turned on' before, but never like this. The sensation grabs one's soul and mind and carries them to far off places like a great and ever flowing river."
—Vance E. Nichols
“I was most impressed with the overall affect mantra produced. The evening of May 12th, 1969 was the first time I ever witnessed unity among all types of people. Even though many persons there were ignorant of the interpretation of the chants, everyone joined.
“I never knew mantra existed before, and I certainly am glad I was exposed to it. My one experience with mantra enhanced my belief in my fellow man. I needed someone like Swami Bhaktivedanta to see that unity and compatibility among people is possible. Swami Bhaktivedanta and mantra made me aware of a larger purpose of life, one with a greater meaning in terms of true goals.”
—Barb Ponieski
“The chanting of Hare Krishna had a marvelous effect upon me. While chanting Hare Krishna all else was forced from my mind and all I could do was chant and dance. Nearly everyone in the auditorium was dancing and chanting, and there was a feeling of love and peace circulating through the auditorium.”
—Mark Poling
“The Monday night meeting with Swami Bhaktivedanta and Allen Ginsberg was the first of its kind that I ever attended. Upon entering the Hitchcock Hall auditorium I was shocked at the whole audience standing and chanting Hare Krishna. This chant continued for fifteen minutes with every person, including myself, participating. By participating I soon forgot all my conscious worries and thoughts. It was as though my mind was free to roam as it pleased. No one special idea or thought stayed with me for more than several minutes. I was completely caught in the rhythm of the chant and enjoyed every minute of it, as did the entire audience.
“The stage in the auditorium was jammed with people captured by the powers of the Hare Krishna chant. Men and women alike were swaying back and forth and dancing wildly across the entire stage. In the audience the scene was practically the same. Every living soul was clapping his hands, stamping his feet and chanting Hare Krishna to the beat of the cymbals and drums on the stage. The audience seemed to forget about its problems, classes, and everything else while this chanting was in progress. Allen Ginsberg and Swami Bhaktivedanta kept the whole group of lively people enjoying the whole evening.”
—Milton Watson
“Monday evening May 12 was an evening that I will remember for a very long time. The Ohio State Yoga Society produced an event by which people could release themselves from the problems of the world and participate in a new light. Swami Bhaktivedanta was very impressive and preached a self-releasing speech. The audience reacted to his speech in many ways. I saw some people laugh, some meditating deeply, and even some in a trance-like expression.
“The chant was about enjoyment in the fullest sense and was directed to the Supreme God. I also detected restlessness for peace, and a sense of love for all. The audience was quick in response to the Swami's encouragement to join in. People were practically hypnotized, 'leaping out of their skins' as Mr. Ginsberg stated. In addition, the audience showed enjoyment, and there was a feeling of a released pressure. The chanting was in a tempo that was very distinct and gave the impression of power, and at the same time released worries by giving supreme enjoyment. Hence, I feel that the Yoga Society was a huge success in its attempt to try out a belief that is new in Columbus."
—Michal Peters
“The audience rose to their feet and began chanting and clapping. The entire audience seemed to be awed and enchanted by the chanting. I felt a sense of tranquility and friendliness between everyone present. I was amazed the way everyone joined in and charted without hesitation. Allen Ginsberg and Swami Bhaktivedanta were greatly respected by the audience, as shown by the silence when the Swami spoke and by the responsive chanting of the masses. Although it was hard to understand the Swami, he was graciously received when he spoke."
—Neal Levitt
“For many the evening was a totally new experience, for others a link in the chain leading to the realization of where to fit in the puzzle of life. We are obligated to Allen Ginsberg and Swami Bhaktivedanta for revealing a new course for students to follow."
—Lynn Miller
Transcendental TV
Transcendental TV
by Damodar
(ISKCON—New York)
New York's WNEW-TV chose to include Samkirtan Party as part of the opening show in their new series, "Helluva Town" on June 29, 1969. Our chanting performance was recorded on video tape one sunny afternoon on Fifth Avenue in front of a large statue of Atlas, who is holding the Earth on his shoulders with great effort. It was remembered by the devotees that Prabhupada, on seeing this statue some time before, had remarked that Atlas' brow was wrinkled with the great strain of lifting the Earth planet, but that Lord Krishna is floating all the planets and all the universes too, and yet He doesn't have to exert Himself at all—He continues to play His flute blissfully, sporting with the cowherd boys .
Similarly, the Samkirtan Party chanted with relaxed bliss, vibrating Krishna's Holy Names as the TV crew wound around them with cables and microphone cords, straining to record the bliss of Lord Chaitanya's movement. At first they were confused by the repetitive chanting and the party's colorful appearance—and the interviewer reflected this confusion. But as the joyful sounds worked their influence, the crew became friendlier, and by the end of the taping, Gene Rayburn, the interviewer, was joining the chant and recommending his viewers to try it too.
The TV show, appearing on a Sunday night at 10:30, devoted its first 25 minutes to a variety of entertainments and causes that aptly confirmed the show's title, "Helluva Town." But the last 5 minutes with Samkirtan was heavenly. And it was quite frankly presented that way. The announcer said, "So, in the midst of all this turmoil, if you want some peace of mind …" and the refreshing Hare Krishna chant was heard. Devotees were interviewed, and one bystander proclaimed, "I don't know what it is, but it sure is great." Gene Rayburn joined in chanting, and the Mahamantra continued as the show's end credits rolled up the TV screen.
We couldn't have done it any better ourselves—except that we would have given Samkirtan 30 minutes instead of 5. But the message of the show was clear—after engaging in so many frustrating, nonsensical engagements for sense-gratification, the man of intelligence turns to devotional service for real pleasure—the satisfaction of blissfully serving the Supreme Lord.
ISKCON Hamburg
ISKCON Hamburg
Krishna Consciousness came to Hamburg in October, 1968. Two Americans and one native German formed the team for the first center in Central Europe. The Hamburg Krishna Consciousness center will especially occupy itself with the task of translating and publishing the great volume of Krishna Consciousness literature into the German language. The German branch of ISKCON Press was begun in April with the purchasing of a large offset press (now known as "Radha Press"), and since that time the staff has been built up to put out a regular monthly edition of Back to Godhead, which, translated into German, becomes ZURUCK ZUR GOTTHEIT. The first major work to be published by ISKCON Press will be BHAGAVAD GITA AS IT IS as published by Macmillan & Co. last year. The work for this began in August.
Nord Deutsch Rundfunk, the major television station of Northern Germany, filmed Kirtan in Hamburg's streets for a one-hour special program in October. The cameras also came into the temple to record the colorful festivities within.
Lord Shiva, the Pure Devotee
Lord Shiva, the Pure Devotee
by Satsvarupa Das Adhikary
(ISKCON—Boston)
Once, at the dawn of the universal creation a great sacrifice was performed by the leaders of mankind,—namely Marichi, Dakha and Basistha. All great personalities, powerful sages, philosophers and demigods, along with their followers assembled. Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva were also present. When Dakha, the leader of the Prajapatis (the first progenitors of the universe), entered into the assembly his bodily luster was so bright that practically everyone else present seemed insignificant. Influenced by Dakha's luster, they gave up their places and stood in respect. Lord Brahma is considered to be the first living entity of the universe and the creator of all the material planets and entities. Lord Brahma is directly empowered by the Original Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna or Vishnu, and so he was logically presiding at the head of the assembly. Although Lord Brahma did not rise to honor Dakha, he adequately welcomed him with words and asked him to take a seat of honor. Lord Shiva alone remained seated without showing any respect to the effulgent Prajapati. Dakha was very offended seeing Lord Shiva sitting there, and instead of taking his seat, Dakha began to speak strongly against him.
So begins the history of a great sacrifice and misunderstanding between Dakha and Lord Shiva, which resulted in widespread destruction. It is fully related in the Fourth Canto of Srimad Bhagwatam, the Vedic scripture which deals exclusively in the narration of the transcendental Pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, and His pure devotees.
Lord Shiva is a pure devotee of Lord Krishna, who is accepted as the Supreme Lord by the purport of all Vedic literature, Upanishads, Puranas and Vedanta Sutra, and by the disciplic succession of spiritual masters. The intelligent human being who worships the Supreme Lord Krishna or His immediate expansion, Vishnu, is called a "Vaishnava.” And in the Vaishnava Purana it is stated that Sambhu (Lord Shiva) is the greatest Vaishnava: "Vaishnavanan natan Sambhu." Lord Shiva himself declares, in the Shiva Purana, that one should take to devotional service of the Supreme Lord Vishnu. Being a pure devotee and a confidential deputed agent of Krishna, Lord Shiva is beyond reproach in all his actions.
But Dakha spoke against Lord Shiva: "All sages and brahmins and firegods present here, please hear me with attention as I am speaking about the manners of gentle persons. I am not speaking out of ignorance or envy.” Dakha very tactfully presented to the assembly that he was going to make a sensible speech, and not out of enviousness. Although he was speaking like a man in ignorance by intending to attack Lord Shiva's behavior, and although all present were perfectly aware of the exalted position of Lord Shiva, yet Dakha was so envious that he tried to cover his poisonous statements with a plea for gentleness and nonenviousness. He then launched verbally into Lord Shiva and said that he has ruined the good name of the demigods and that he is unclean. Dakha then stated, "Although Lord Shiva has already accepted a position subordinate to me, by marrying my daughter, yet he is not respectful to his father-in-law.” The fact was that Lord Shiva's wife, Sati, was the daughter of Dakha and they had married under the instructions of Lord Shiva's father, Lord Brahma. Since Lord Shiva was actuallly the son-in-law of Dakha, one might ask, why did he not stand up and pay respects when Dakha arrived, and that might have prevented the total holocaust which, as we shall see, soon followed. The answer is that at the time Dakha entered, Lord Shiva was meditating, as he always is, on the Form of the Supreme Lord who dwells in the hearts of all creatures. As the greatest Vaishnava, he was in trance of ecstasy, meditating on the One God of all Being and Nonbeing who is alone factually worthy of all our reverence. In meditation, he might not have seen Dakha enter the arena of the sacrifice. But Dakha took the opportunity of cursing him because he was holding an envious attitude toward him for a long time.
Actually, those who are self-realized think of everybody as a temple of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as He resides in everyone's body. The respect paid to the body is not paid to the material body, but to the Presence of the Supreme Lord within the body. By offering obeisances to the Supersoul, Lord Shiva had already offered respects to the Supersoul of Dakha and there was no need of offering respects to Dakha's body. But Dakha, not being a transcendentalist, could not appreciate Lord Shiva's irreproachable behavior. To be always in meditation on the Supreme Lord is not a conjurer's trick or something to be imitated. Nor is it anything like meditating on the impersonal void. Just as we are persons, but limited to our individual bodies, so the Supreme Lord Krishna is an individual Person, but He is at the same time one and different from the creation. He is Single, One without a second, and yet He is all-pervading. By His Mercy He is present in everyone's heart, giving the intelligence and pure memory whereby one can go back to Him for personal association in eternal bliss and all knowledge. Lord Shiva then was fixed in mind on the Absolute and therefore he should not have been reproached. Dakha however was thinking only in bodily, materialistic terms, and considered his body insulted by the behavior of his exalted son-in-law. Before the great assembly he vilified Lord Shiva.
Dakha said: "Shiva remains in the filthiest places like the crematorium, and his companions are ghosts and demons and he remains like a madman. He never bathes regularly and puts a garland made of the skulls of dead bodies around his neck for ornamentation. He is very dear to the crazy beings in the mode of ignorance. On the request of Lord Brahma I handed over my chaste daughter to him although he is devoid of all cleanliness and his heart is filled with nasty things."
The name Shiva is auspicious, and yet those who do not bathe regularly are supposed to be in association with the ghosts and crazy creatures. Lord Shiva appeared like that, but his actual transcendental position is that he is very kind to persons who are in the darkness of the mode of ignorance, the drunkards and the unclean. He is so compassionate on the lowest of the low that he gives such creatures shelter and gradually makes them elevated to spiritual understanding. This is the explanation of Lord Shiva's transcendental position, according to the authoritative literature. It is stated in the Vedas that Lord Shiva is all-auspicious, so by his association even the most fallen souls can be elevated. In the creation of the Supreme Lord there are different kinds of living creatures, some of them are in the quality of goodness, some in the quality of passion and some in ignorance. Lord Vishnu takes charge of the persons who are advanced Vaishnavas or Krishna conscious, Lord Brahma takes charge of the persons who are very much attached to material activities, but Lord Shiva is so kind that he takes charge of persons who are grossly in ignorance and whose behavior is less than the animals.
Dakha cursed Lord Shiva out of envy and called him the lowest of the demigods and not worth being offered oblations or taking part in the sacrifice. One of the great commentators on the Srimad Bhagwatam, Sri Viswanath Chakravarty, says in regard to this curse of Dakha by which Lord Shiva was cut off from participating in the sacrifice, that it was an indirect blessing for Lord Shiva. As the greatest devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead it is not worthy that Lord Shiva should eat and sit with materialistic persons like the demigods who might be a distraction to his prosecution of devotional service. So he was saved from the calamity of their non-Krishna conscious association.
Dakha was a very powerful mystic brahmin, but under the deadly influence of anger, he declared he could not bear to carry on in the presence of the unclean Lord Shiva, and so he left the area of sacrifice. All the sages and Lord Brahma requested Dakha, "Please do not leave our company"-but in spite of all requests Dakha left the place under the effect of cruel anger. In the Bhagavad Gita it is advised that anyone interested in spiritual advancement must avoid lust, anger and passion, but Dakha was attacked by all three. Nandikesvar, one of the chief associates of Lord Shiva, also caught the evil influence of anger, and he prepared to curse Dakha as well as all the brahmins present there who merely sat by and tolerated the cursing of Lord Shiva. Goswami A.C. Bhaktivedanta writes of this situation: "There is a longstanding dissension among the neophyte Vaishnavas and Shivites, by which they are always at loggerheads. Some brahmins are not admirers of Lord Shiva and might enjoy his being cursed, but this is due to their ignorance of Lord Shiva's position (as the greatest Vaishnava).” Nandikesvar in his anger did not follow the example of Lord Shiva who was silent and tolerant. Nandikesvar could not tolerate the insult to a Vaishnava and he countercursed Dakha and his followers, stating that whoever supported Dakha would be bereft of transcendental knowledge of the soul and devoid of knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He called Dakha a pretentious householder, with only superficial knowledge of the Vedas; and such a person, he stated, although following the rules and regulations of the Vedas, will be attached to the temporary material sex happiness as the all-in-all, with no knowledge of the spiritual, eternal, blissful life. Lord Shiva's aide further deemed that whoever attacked Lord Shiva would be doomed to continue seeking happiness in the nescience of materialistic education and working for mundane rewards, and would therefore continue perpetually in the cycle of birth and death. Such attacks on the brahmins are applicable to the so-called brahmins of the present Age of Kali who claim brahminical or spiritual status simply on the basis of heredity or birth in a family of brahmins. In the scripture Vedanta Sutra, it is stated that the human form of life is meant for realizing the Supreme Brahman or Absolute Truth and that is the real business of a brahmin. But the so-called brahmins cursed by Nandikesvar were more interested in living for maintaining the perishable material body and elevating their family position. And worst of all they refused to recognize the pure devotee of the Lord, in the personality of Lord Shiva. Ignited by the envy of Dakha, Nandikesvar wrongly cursed all the brahmins present in a nondiscriminate condemnation. The whole issue became so complicated that those who were not strong enough forgot their positions, and cursing and counter-cursing went on in the great assembly.
As a reaction to Nandikesvar's cursing, the brahmin sage, Brighu, delivered a brahminical curse to all followers of Lord Shiva, as follows: "One who takes the vow of satisfying Lord Shiva or who follows those principles certainly becomes an atheist, as he becomes diverted from the scriptural injunction." It is understood that the devotees of Lord Shiva sometimes imitate the characteristics of Lord Shiva rather than follow his example. Lord Shiva once drank an ocean of poison, so the followers of Lord Shiva, without being able to drink even a fragment of poison, imitate him and take intoxicants.
Brighu delivers the curse that if somebody follows such principles of intoxication, he must become an infidel against the principles of Vedic regulation. Lord Krishna Himself declares in the Bhagavad Gita that He descends and corrects the regulative principles when there is too much general disregard of the prescribed rules for spiritual progress. So anyone seriously interested in prosecuting spiritual life has to follow the footsteps of the Supreme Lord, the scriptures and the teachings of His deputed controllers or Mahajans. We have to follow their example, and we are warned not to imitate Krishna or His controllers. Lord Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill in His Childhood Pastime while on earth, and no human being can possibly imitate Him in this. Lord Shiva is a Mahajan or authority in Krishna Consciousness and his unusual activities on behalf of Krishna may be completely independent of the injunctions of the scriptures. But his followers may not assume his stature. The Srimad Bhagwatam plainly states, "One should not try to drink an ocean of poison, imitating Lord Shiva.” Brighu further states that the followers of Lord Shiva will turn against the conclusion of the scriptures. It is confirmed in the Padma Purana that Lord Shiva himself (as Sri Shankaracharya) was ordered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to preach impersonal philosophy for a particular purpose, just as Lord Buddha preached the philosophy of nirvana for a particular purpose. These purposes are mentioned in the scriptures, in those instances where it is required to preach some philosophical doctrine which is against the Vedic conclusion. In the Shiva Purana, Lord Shiva says to his wife Parvati, "In the Kali Yuga, in the body of a brahmin [Shankara], I will preach the Mayavadi [impersonal] philosophy in order to baffle the atheists.” So it is found that the followers of Lord Shiva are mostly Mayavadi impersonalists who believe in becoming one with the Supreme. Lord Shiva himself, however, by virtue of austerity and devotion, is more conversant with the actual constitutional position of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. As stated in the Chaitanya Charitamrita, Krishna is the Supreme Soul and we are His Parts and Parcels; our position is qualitatively one with God, but eternally subordinate in quantity. The most elevated persons, the pure devotees, engage their lives, minds and intelligence in all varieties of service to the Whole Spirit, Krishna. Lord Shiva, as the greatest Vaishnava, was fully aware of all such intricacies, but Brighu cursed both Shiva and his followers as one in fault. He said, "The vow of worshiping Lord Shiva is so foolish that they imitate and keep bunches of hair on their heads and live the life of wine and flesh indulgence and do not take baths.” Brighu's point is that those who live without any spiritual regulation are foolish and become devoid of transcendental knowledge. He curses Nandikesvar and says, "Not due to my cursing shall you become an atheist, but you are already situated as an atheist and therefore condemned."
When the cursing and recursing was going on, Lord Shiva was silent and sober and didn't speak a word. Lord Shiva is described as always tolerant, but he became sorry at the unnecessary anger. In order to stop them, he left the arena of the sacrifice, and his disciples followed.
Dakha's Second Sacrifice
Thereafter Dakha began another performance of sacrifice, and he deliberately did not invite Lord Shiva. Generally, although such sacrifices were meant for pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu, yet all the demigods, and especially Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, were always invited; otherwise the sacrifice was not complete. But Dakha, being very proud of his position as chief of the Prajapatis, and envious and inimical to Lord Shiva, thought to avoid them. He could understand that the purpose of sacrifice is to please the Supreme Lord. His supposed logic in avoiding Lord Shiva was that if Vishnu is satisfied by his sacrifice, then what was the need of satisfying His followers? But Lord Krishna says, "Worshiping My devotees is better than worshiping the Lord Himself." And in the Shiva Purana it states, "The best mode of worship is to offer oblations to Vishnu, and better than that is to worship the devotees of Krishna.” Dakha's Shiva-less sacrifice was therefore inauspicious from the start.
But, many sages and demigods from all parts of the universe, with their wives nicely dressed and decorated, were attending the sacrificial ceremony. When Sati, the daughter of Dakha, saw that from all directions the beautiful wives in fine clothing were going there along with their husbands in airplanes, she too became anxious to go and approached her husband, Lord Shiva. She proposed to him that if he would desire to go to the ceremony, then they could go. Being a woman, Sati had some attachment for dressing up and participating in social functions and meeting her relatives in the assembly. But Lord Shiva was a different personality, and not interested in material enjoyment. Sati pleaded that she was not so transcendentally advanced as her great husband and therefore still had a strong desire for a nice social, family gathering; so she begged that they might dress with ornaments and go there like the others. But on hearing reference to Dakha's sacrifice, Lord Shiva remembered the heart-piercing malicious speeches delivered at the last sacrifice, and he became sorry at heart. There is a question raised here: Why did a liberated personality like Lord Shiva feel so unhappy due to the cruel words of Dakha? The answer is that Lord Shiva is an expansion of Vishnu, assigned as controller of the material quality of ignorance. Although he is completely self-realized and enlightened, yet because he is in charge of the material mode of ignorance, he is sometimes affected by the pleasure and pain of the material world. In the spiritual world one may also feel sorry, but in that absolute existence, either pleasure or so-called pain is full of bliss. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna appeared on the Earth in Vrindaban, He had childhood pastimes in which He was chastised by His foster mother Yasoda, and He sometimes cried. But His shedding tears is not in the mode of ignorance. Also, when Krishna played with the cowherds girls, the gopis, it sometimes appeared that they were distressed, but actually that feeling was full of bliss. The temporary material world is declared by the Vedic knowledge to be a perverted reflection of the eternal Kingdom of God, so every variety of feeling that exists here in the material world also exists originally in the spiritual world. But in the spiritual world all the varieties of apparent pleasure and pain are perceived as eternal bliss, whereas in the material world, there is a dualistic perception of pleasure and pain due to the contamination of the modes of passion and ignorance. Lord Shiva is self-realized but due to his contact while in charge of the material mode of ignorance, he could feel sorrow. His position is therefore unique. He is sometimes called almost-God. He is compared in the Brahma Samhita to yogurt. Lord Vishnu the Supreme Personality of Godhead is compared to milk. Yogurt is also milk, but due to fermentation it has become changed. That is the position of Shiva: he has the full godly qualities but he is changed because of contact with matter. Only Vishnu the Supreme Personality of Godhead is 100 percent transcendental and above the material manifestation. Even when He enters the material atmosphere He enters as the Purifier and spiritualizes all matter in contact with Him. As the greatest worshiper of Vishnu, Lord Shiva willingly accepts the position of serving as controller of the mode of ignorance, and he is called the shelter of the most fallen.
Lord Shiva could foresee that as soon as Sati would reach the house of her father, Dakha, being so puffed up with the mistaken identification of the body as the self, would be angry with her although she was faultless. Therefore he ordered her not to go. As the wife of Lord Shiva, she would certainly be insulted by Dakha and his followers; Shiva told her that no one can bear such family insults and that it would be equal to her death if she went. But Sati made womanly pleas. She addressed her husband as he who has no equal in the material world. She knew that no one can match Lord Shiva in his equality to everyone, so why then wasn't he acting equally toward her by letting her go to the ceremony? It is described that Sati took shelter of a woman's last weapon—weeping—and she began walking back and forth in the rooms, like a swinging pendulum, divided in mind whether to obey her husband or to go to her father's sacrifice. At one point she begged her husband calling him Blue-Throated One. Lord Shiva is known widely by this name for a compassionate feat he once undertook. Once some demons and demigods took a sea journey in order to churn the ocean for the purpose of producing nectar. The first effect at churning, however, produced only poison, but Lord Shiva in anxiety that some less strong persons might drink it, took the ocean of poison himself and held it in his throat—which turned blue. Sati called him Blue-Throated and intimated, "You are so kind to others, why not to me?" Finally Sati forcibly left her husband's protection and started out alone towards Dakha's house.
When Lord Shiva saw Sati bent on going, he sent his men with her, and he also followed seated on his bull and accompanied by thousands of disciples. When Sati reached Dakha's house she was greeted only by her mother and sisters. Dakha, her father, completely ignored her. On account of her association with Lord Shiva, he forgot all his affection for his own daughter. Such is the material-familial conception of love, that even by the slightest provocation all intimate affection is gone and a whole relationship is finished. Sati was grieving over this insult and at the same time, as she looked over the arena of sacrifice, she saw that there was no oblation or sacrificial offering being made to Lord Shiva. At once she became angry and looked as if she were about to burn her father just with her eyes. Whenever one offers oblations in the fire, Lord Shiva is one of the demigods honored by the chanting of the mantra, Namah Shivayah Swaha. But under Dakha's instructions the brahmins deliberately omitted Shiva's offering and were not uttering that mantra. She became doubly insulted. The followers of Lord Shiva, the ghosts, were ready to do harm to Dakha, but Sati stopped them in the name of her husband. She was so angry and sorry, however, that she began to condemn Dakha and his sacrifice, speaking in the presence of the large gathering. Anger is usually abominable and leads to the destruction of intelligence. But Sati's anger was special. Regarding such anger, which is transcendental, Goswami A.C. Bhaktivedanta writes as follows: "When Vishnu and the Vaishnava are insulted, one should be angry. Lord Chaitanya, who is the preacher of nonviolence, meekness and humility, became angry when the Vaishnava Nityananda was insulted by Jagai and Madhai, and He wanted to kill them. That should be the attitude when Vishnu and the Vaishnava are blasphemed or dishonored. One should not be tolerant when a person is offending Vishnu or a Vaishnava.” So Sati spoke personally to Dakha in her devotional anger:
“Lord Shiva is the most beloved personality of all living entities—he is universal. Nobody is his enemy, nobody could envy him—only one who is envious by nature. Only you could find fault in him. If somebody has just a little good quality Lord Shiva magnifies it, but you have found fault with such a great soul." Lord Shiva is so magnanimous that he grants his followers whatever they desire. He is sometimes called Asutos, or one who is satisfied very easily. Once a devotee of Lord Shiva asked the irregular benediction from Lord Shiva that whoever the devotee would touch, that person's head would fall off. Lord Shiva granted him as he desired. Such a benediction was not very good because the devotee tried to touch the head of Lord Shiva as soon as he was given the power. Still, Lord Shiva considered the devotee's good quality, that he had come to him and worshiped him and satisfied him.
Sati continued before her father and all persons gathered: "Lord Shiva is the friend of all living entities. He fulfills all desires of the common man as well as the higher personalities who are seeking after transcendental bliss. You think yourself superior to Lord Shiva as his father-in-law and you call him inauspicious for associating with the demons in the burning crematorium, with the locks of hair thrown all over his body and garlanded with human skulls—but greater personalities than you, such as Lord Brahma, honor Lord Shiva by accepting flowers offered to his feet. So you do not know that he is always transcendental. He must be, otherwise, why would such a person like Brahma worship him?" Offering many arguments based on authoritative Vedic information, Sati as a chaste wife, faithfully defended her husband from the slander of her father, Dakha. She certainly spoke in the spirit of eulogy as it was her duty to elevate Lord Shiva to the highest position; but it was not on sentiment, but by facts. Lord Shiva is not an ordinary entity. Someone may take the narrative of Sati as imaginative and conclude that there is no such person as Lord Shiva, but that is not the conclusion of the pure devotees who accept the authority of scriptures and the living chain of spiritual masters in disciplic succession. Doubt-ridden and cynical persons think that there can be no one as wonderful as Lord Shiva. This is because they themselves are limited in body and mind, and they ascribe their limitations to all personalities. Actually it is not so wonderful that there are powerful controllers of universal affairs such as Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma and other demigods. Even in common affairs the president of the country is the final authority in government, and yet he has agents who assist him in his mission. Similarly, the Supreme Controller, God, or Krishna, expands Himself into qualitative incarnations like Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva and He also empowers ordinary living entities with unusual powers and long duration of life in accord with His inconceivable will. In common affairs or in the workings of nature, men of a poor fund of knowledge see everything as happening automatically. But mature examination to the end of things reveals that there is also personal control behind the wonderful happenings in government, science and nature. The space ships are not flying independently across the sky without the control by the brains of great scientists on earth; the staggeringly complex electronic computers cannot work without the human touch. Similarly, the gigantic space satellites called planets are controlled by a Great Intelligence or God. If artists study and labor so hard to paint the image of a flower, and never duplicate its original freshness and beauty, then who can seriously think that the thousands of varieties of natural flowers are produced "automatically" without the touch of the superior Artistry? Storms at sea, the movements of the luminaries in the sky as well as the movements of our hands and fingers, can all be traced to a power beyond our limited selves, to a Supreme Controller, the Cause of all causes, the Personality of Godhead. The wisdom of submissive reception of authoritative scripture enables one to understand what is inconceivable to the mundane senses and mental speculations of strictly materialistic scientists or philosophers. Those who hear and live in the spirit of devotional service have it revealed to them through the heart, with complete sane conviction, that there is a Controller. And to them it is understandable that for His Pleasure He can expand into multi-energies and personalities for control of universal affairs.
All the Vedic literatures describe Lord Shiva as the agent of destruction. When annihilation is due in the cyclical course of time, after a fabulously long time span by human standards, it is Lord Shiva who is the personal destroyer of the world systems. And until that time he willingly serves as the master of the mode of ignorance and offers his compassion to the most degraded souls so that they can be gradually elevated and have hopes of going back to Home, back to the Kingdom of God. We have specific information about the character of Lord Shiva from Vedic literature, the scripture which is likened to the mother of the conditioned souls. In ordinary life, the mother is the sole authority for knowing who one's father is. So if we want that information on how the controllers of the universe are acting, where they reside and what they are doing, we have to turn to the authority or mother, Vedic scriptures. It is not a question of imagination, but of knowledge. The impersonalists or atheists who say that the scriptures are merely stories can never gain entrance into the Pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His associates like Lord Shiva.
Sati was not merely talking. She was deeply mortified to be so intimately connected to Dakha who had committed offenses at the lotus feet of Lord Shiva. Sati said to Dakha: "I have this body produced by you. And I am therefore connected with you and very much ashamed. I shall not any more bear this unworthy body which is received from you who have blasphemed Lord Shiva. If someone takes poisonous food, the best thing is to vomit." As the potency of Lord Shiva, his wife Sati could have easily killed Dakha. But to best save her husband from ill fame, as if he had no power to himself fight Dakha, she decided to give up her own body. The Vaishnava feels personally at fault for even hearing blasphemy against Lord Krishna or His pure devotee. The body being the source of her unhappiness, she decided to quit her body at once. Dressed in yellow garments, Sati sat on the ground facing the northern side, closed her eyes and became absorbed in the mystic yoga process. She took the required sitting posture, and then carried the life air upwards towards the navel and gradually raised it to the heart and towards the pulmonary passage, and from there she raised the life force between her eyebrows; meditating on the lotus feet of Lord Shiva, she became cleansed of all taints of sin and then quit her body in blazing fire by meditation on fiery elements. Srimad Bhagwatam states, "When the body of Sati was annihilated by anger, there was a great tumultuous roar heard all over the universe." Most astonishing was that Dakha remained disrespectful and unmoved by his chaste daughter and made no attempt to stop her death. Dakha was supposed to provide for all living entities, and his own daughter deserved the most respectful treatment. While the assembled persons were still talking among themselves about the passing away of Sati, Lord Shiva's attendants made ready to kill Dakha and rushed at him with their weapons. As they were coming forward forcibly, the sage Brighu saw the danger and immediately uttered mantras and hymns by which the destroyers of sacrificial performances can be killed. As soon as Brighu offered oblations in the fire thousands of demigods became manifested in the fire and they began to attack the ghosts and attendants of Lord Shiva, scattering them in all directions.
Lord Shiva was at a distance from the sacrifice, but when he was informed that his wife was dead due to Dakha's insult and that his associate soldiers were driven away he became angry. The Srimad Bhagwatam describes his fury: "Lord Shiva in anger pressed his lips with his teeth and from the bunch of hair on his head he snatched a piece of hair that blazed like fire, and laughing like a madman he dashed the hair to the ground. Then appeared a personality as tall as the sky, equipped with thousands of weapons and arms, of a black color and as bright as three suns.” Lord Shiva sent this gigantic demon of personified anger to kill Dakha. In Bhagavad Gita Krishna declares, "Of generals I am Lord Shiva,” so he is the most formidable of commanders. Led by the demon of anger his army swept into the sacrificial arena and prepared to plunder everything in sight. Seeing the approaching army, the brahmins and their assembled women were filled with anxiety, all due to the danger created by Dakha. In fact the wife of Dakha foresaw, "This is the same Lord Shiva who at the time of dissolution destroys the worlds." So there was no comparing the tiny power of Dakha to that of Lord Shiva. Goswami A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami writes, "At the time of dissolution, Lord Shiva with his trident in hand dances over the rulers of different planets and his hair is scattered like the clouds over all directions, and he deluges the different planets with torrents of rain. "
The followers of Lord Shiva are described as running around the sacrificial arena with bodies like shark-fish. They pulled down the pillars of the altars, entered residential and kitchen departments, broke pots and urinated on the sacrificial ground. Some of them blocked the way of the fleeing sages and shackled the women. Two priests who had shown their teeth during the cursing of Lord Shiva had their teeth extracted by the soldiers of Lord Shiva, and a continuous shower of stones was set up, so that all the members of the sacrifice were in miserable condition and running for fear of their lives. It is described that such horrible fighting was not exactly on an inimical basis; everyone present was very powerful, and they all wanted to show their strength by Vedic mantra or mystic power.
Finally Dakha was beheaded by the giant-like personality created by Lord Shiva. The party of Lord Shiva gave out joyful exclamations and the brahmins in charge of the sacrifice also exclaimed in grief at the death of Dakha in such a manner. Dakha's head was thrown on the sacrificial fire and the whole area was set on fire by the followers of Lord Shiva who then departed for their master's place in Kwelas.
The defeated and injured demigods, priests and all members of the sacrificial assembly then approached Lord Brahma with great fear. They offered their obeisances and spoke in detail to him of all that had happened. Lord Brahma already knew what had happened, and having known beforehand he did not attend the sacrifice. When he had heard everything from the members, he replied: "You cannot have happiness if you blaspheme great personalities like Lord Shiva.” Lord Brahma said it was good for Dakha that he had been killed, otherwise, without that punishment, he would have committed more and more offenses and would be entangled in future lives. Knowing Lord Shiva's easy, compassionate nature, Lord Brahma advised: "If you go to him without any reservation of mind and surrender unto him and ask to be excused at his Lotus Feet, he is very easily pleased and it will be nice. He has recently lost his wife and is afflicted by the unkind words of Dakha. So go and beg his pardon, who is so powerful that by his anger all the planets can be destroyed."
After instructing all the demigods, Lord Brahma took them along with him and left for the place known as Kwelas Hill, the abode of Lord Shiva. Srimad Bhagwatam describes Kwelas as having different kinds of mountains, filled with valuable trees and plants and deer. There are different types of waterfalls with transparent water. Peacocks, cuckoos and other birds are always vibrating as if in rhythmic tune. There are many varieties of flowers, animals like the forest cow and buffalo, and plenty of decorated lakes. All the demigods were struck with wonder at the opulence of Kwelas. Under a huge banyan tree where it was silent and with unbroken shade, Lord Shiva sat as grave as time eternal, and the demigods approached him. He was encircled by famous saintly persons like the four Kumaras and Narada. Lord Shiva sat with his left leg on his right thigh and his right hand raised in the position of teaching or Tarkamudra, with the fingers opened and the second finger raised. He was instructing the saint Narada, and it is understood that if Narada was forming the audience, the topic must have been bhakti, or devotional service to Krishna. Brahma very respectfully payed obeisances to Lord Shiva on behalf of the party of the demigods. Lord Brahma requested that the priests whose limbs had been broken by the jaws of Lord Shiva's soldiers be restored by Lord Shiva's grace. "Please accept your portion of the sacrifice and let it be properly completed." Lord Shiva was pacified by this, and he spoke as follows: "My dear father, Brahma, I do not mind the offenses created by the demigods because they are childish and less intelligent, and I do not take a serious view of it, but whatever I have done is just to punish them in order to set them right." By this, Sambhu (Lord Shiva) expressed his desire for everyone's welfare and asserted that he had chastised only in the way a father punishes his son, not as an enemy. All the priests' injuries were gradually healed and even Dakha was revived to life by Lord Shiva's placing the head of a goat on his trunk. Although he had a goat's head and a human trunk, Dakha was revived in his previous individual consciousness, because it is not the head or bodily construction that makes individuality but the spirit soul whose symptom is consciousness. When he saw Lord Shiva, just by his presence, Dakha became purified in mind. Tears rolled from his eyes and he was finally sorry and affected by the death of his daughter Sati. He could hardly express himself in prayers, overwhelmed with nonduplicitous love and respect for Lord Shiva. "Although I was punished by you for my ignorance, I understand that you have not withdrawn your mercy. I know both yourself and Lord Vishnu are kind to the friends of brahmins."
After begging forgiveness from Lord Shiva, and with the permission of Lord Brahma, Dakha again began the sacrifice in the regular way with fire and oblations. And first they offered oblations of the Holy Name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu, in order to make the whole situation purified. Goswami A.C. Bhaktivedanta writes in this matter: "Performance of sacrifice is a very difficult task. In this present Age of Kali (Age of Quarrel) those who are intelligent know it is neither possible to perform the costly sacrifices nor to invite the demigods to participate. Therefore in this age, the Srimad Bhagwatam recommends Samkirtan Yajna (chanting of the Holy Names) as the means to keep the balance of social peace and prosperity and attain spiritual perfection. Samkirtan Yajna means to chant the Holy Names, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and invite people and distribute Prasadam. This sacrifice will please all the demigods, and there will be peace and prosperity. The difficulty of performing Vedic rituals is that if you do not satisfy even one demigod out of many hundreds and thousands, just as Dakha could not satisfy Lord Shiva, then there is disaster. But in this age the performance is simplified by the chanting of Hare Krishna. And by pleasing Krishna all the demigods become satisfied automatically."
The sacrificial arena had been desecrated by the followers of Lord Shiva and the recitation of the Name of Vishnu was required to sanctify the procedure. Of course Lord Shiva was now present, and he is all-auspicious, but because in the past his followers had broken the arena and passed urine and done many obnoxious things, so only by chanting the Name of Vishnu in devotion was purity found again. And as complete benediction to this famous Yajna, Lord Narayan (Vishnu) appeared there, seated on the shoulder of Garuda His birdcarrier, and illuminated the whole arena. Lord Vishnu is described as of a beautiful transcendental blackish hue, dressed in yellow garments and many ornaments and appearing in an eight-armed form bearing conch, shell, wheel, club, lotus, arrow, bow, shield and sword and being extraordinarily beautiful. Just His smile was pleasing to the whole world and captivated the audience of Dakha, Brighu and all present.
Lord Shiva, beholding the personified object of his constant meditation, bowed and spoke in ecstacy before the Supreme Controller of the worlds. He said: "My dear Lord, my mind and consciousness are always fixed on Your Lotus Feet, which are the Source of all benedictions and fulfillment of desires. They are worth worshiping. With my mind fixed in meditation on Your Lotus Feet I am no longer disturbed by persons who blaspheme, claiming that my activities are not purified. I do not mind their accusations and I excuse them out of compassion, just as You are compassionate to all living entities." So here is the key to the character of Lord Shiva. By his own declaration the most powerful personality in the material world never forgets his transcendental relationship as servant of the Lord; and he continues always in Krishna Consciousness in order to remain free from material afflictions. Without such personal meditation on the Supreme Lord, no one can be free of contaminating material activities, characterized by the disadvantages of birth, death, disease and old age and the struggle for existence. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna assures that the dedicated soul who serves with love will never be vanquished by the material devastations. He says: "You simply surrender unto Me and I will give you protection.” The practical example of Lord Shiva's worship is that liberation means, not some negative, temporary abeyance of trouble by meditation on the void, but practical eternal engagement in loving service to the Personality of Godhead. Those who cannot surrender their own personality, by submissive hearing, unto the Supreme Person must return again and again to the round of birth and death for attempted enjoyment and suffering in the material world. That is the verdict of the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagwatam.
By the grace of Lord Vishnu the sacrifice was completed to His full satisfaction.
Finally, out of so many incidences that make up Lord Shiva's eternal career, and prove him glorious, there is one activity which is offered as his most glorious pastime in association with the Supreme Lord Krishna. This activity is stated in the Third Canto of Srimad Bhagwatam: "The blessed Lord Shiva becomes all the more blessed by bearing on his head the holy waters of the Ganges, which has as its source the water that washed the Lord's Lotus Feet. His Feet are like a thunderbolt hurled to shatter sin stored in the mind of the devotee meditating on him." The gist of this incident is a reference to the entrance into the material world of the sacred river Ganges which flows through many planetary systems. Lord Shiva carried this water down in his hair when it first emanated from the Causal Ocean which is the outside covering of this universe. By carrying this water, the auspicious Lord Shiva becomes even more auspicious. No one should laugh at or attempt to criticize Lord Shiva's unconventional activities or foolishly attempt to imitate him as a so-called Shivite. Lord Shiva is great for doing humble service unto the Greatest. He is no voidist or impersonalist speculating on the Absolute as we often hear him described. With half-closed eyes and beautiful austere form, seated in meditation, he fixes his mind on the dearmost object, his Lord. And that is why he is called the greatest Vaishnava.
Prabhupada
Prabhupada
by Patit Uddharan
Paramhansa of the nectar lake
Did You Your own True Love forsake,
Leaving His sweet and fragrant breast
To come to this world of birth and death?
Or is this a helping hand You lend
While this world of matter You transcend?
I am perplexed. Please, let it be known:
Have You come to take me home?
My feeble memory cannot recall—
Did I once in anger slip and fall?
If there is Truth, then tell me, where?
From this I'll turn: go with You there!
Tell me please of life's true goal
So I may cleanse the dust from my soul,
And from this humbly let me start
To nourish the spark of life within my heart.
Your blessings I crave as now I see
Your love can teach infinity
And of the mercy that therein lies
For this my twice-born soul does cry.
So tell me please of Vrindaban
and the Blue Boy, yes, the Gentle One
Known as Krishna, Devaki's Son.
To His Abode I long to run!
KRISHNA! Yes that is the Name
And the reason why to Your Feet I came.
I pray I'll hear KRISHNA wherever I go
With sounds of cymbals and HARI VOL!
Now tell me of His jewelled throne
And how He dances with His Gopis alone,
Oh, and how His flute notes fill the air.
Tell me this in loving prayer.
I see in nectar that You swim
While herding Surabhi cows with Him
Tell the beauty of His lotus flowers
And His Strength and Fame and Mystic powers!
And of devotees whom He holds so dear
In Vaikuntha His abode where there is no fear.
Do tell! Are His features like the moon?
Tell it sweetly, lest I swoon.
Now unto Your Lotus Feet I'll cling
Lest I be whipped by Maya's sting.
Even the dust at Your Grace's Feet,
As I bow down, tastes nectar-sweet.
O Paramhansa of our land,
I see in glory You do stand.
Ten thousand times a day I beg
Let me thank You for Your helping hand!
ALL GLORIES
TO SRI GURU AND GOURANGA!
—Patit Uddharan
(ISKCON—New York)
Tell the beauty of His lotus flowers
Read Guru Purnam-July 24, 1969
Back to Godhead Magazine #29, 1969
Boston Samkirtan
Boston Samkirtan
—By Satsvarupa das Adhikari
The Boston center has been eager to fulfill the wish of our beloved Spiritual Master Goswami A.C. Bhaktivedanta. Coming in the line from Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who so much stressed the public chanting of the Holy Names, our Guru has always instructed us that the best preaching of Love of God is the chanting of the Holy Names of God in the parks and in the streets. The benefit to every living entity—not just the humans—is inconceivably great. Just by hearing the Name of God one can be saved from the greatest danger, and his door to liberation, for eternal association with Krishna, will be opened. Lately, we have received letters from His Divine Grace emphasizing the importance of the chanting party: "Regarding your questions about Samkirtan party, I think you should try to always have Samkirtan going on. All other things are subsidiary. This chanting is our life and soul, so we must arrange our program so that there will be as much chanting on the streets and at college engagements as possible.” (from letter of May 15, 1969)
We usually reach Boylston Street every day by 12 noon. Boston is very busy during the day, and at noon on Boylston we are able to reach thousands by chanting and instruct them in the sublime teaching of blissful eternal life lived with Krishna. His Divine Grace has written us, "Not only does chanting liberate us from all material impediments and diseases, but even in our conditioned state we like to hear the sweet melodious sound of the chanting. Only a person who is committing suicide or who is addicted to animal killing cannot relish the sweetness of this chanting. But even if they take to this chanting, they will become liberated.” (letter of May 13)
After Boylston Street, we take the Samkirtan van, which is a completely spiritualized vehicle used only in the service of the transcendental Lord, and drive to nearby Harvard Square, Cambridge, where thousands await the Deliverance of the vibration from the spiritual sky, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama. About our transcendental van, Prabhupada has written us, in his letter of May 13th, "Now you have got a nice carriage and thus you can go anywhere you like." Harvard Square is supposed to be busier per square foot, and its real estate more commercially desirable than any other area in the country. In order to chant in such a crowded area without causing any civil difficulty, we had to inform the police of all our activities beforehand. Regarding this matter, Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta has written us, "Try to keep nice peace with the police as far as possible. Because our method is to be more tolerant than the tree and humbler than the grass on the street. We don't mind for so-called prestige. If keeping peaceful we can execute Krishna conscious duties, that is all we want.” (letter of May 31st)
The scriptures declare that the Maha mantra is an incarnation of Krishna, or God, for this age. Under the order of our Guru, we appear sometimes at Fenway Park and sometimes along the Charles River, and every Sunday about 10,000 people who gather at the Cambridge Commons are exposed to the Hare Krishna benediction. We go wherever people gather, and sometimes, when we begin chanting where nobody is around, a crowd automatically gathers to hear the Names and see the dancing in glorification of Krishna. At all such gatherings we pass out wallet-sized cards which say, "We humbly request, you chant this mantra and your life will be sublime: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare."
Lord Chaitanya said the chanting would be spread to every town and village in the world. So we at least must spread it to every street and person in the Boston area.
What is The International Society for Krishna Consciousness?
What is The International Society for Krishna Consciousness?
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness was formed in 1966 by Prabhupada A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who came from India on the order of his Spiritual Master to preach love of God to the people of the West. Prabhupada is in a line of disciplic succession going back directly 500 years to the time when Lord Chaitanya appeared in India, and from there back still further—5000 years—to the time when Krishna first spoke The Bhagavad Gita to His disciple Arjuna.
Krishna Consciousness is experienced as a process of self purification. Its means and end are an open secret, and there is no financial charge for learning Krishna Consciousness or receiving initiation into the chanting of Hare Krishna. The gist of devotional service to Krishna is that one takes whatever capacity or talent he or she has and dovetails it with the interests of the Supreme Enjoyer, the Lord, Sri Krishna. The writer writes articles for Krishna, and we publish periodicals in this way. The businessman does business in order to establish many temples across the country. The householders raise children in the science of God, and husband and wife live in mutual cooperation for spiritual progress. These activities are done under the sanction of the expert Spiritual Master, and in line with the Scriptures. Devotional service in Krishna Consciousness means regular chanting in the temple, hearing talks about the Pastimes of Krishna from Srimad Bhagwatam, and taking foodstuffs prepared for and offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
By books, literature and records, the Society is dedicated to awakening the worldwide public to the normal, ecstatic state of Krishna Consciousness, so that all may regain their eternal position of favorably serving the will of Krishna. Sankirtan—congregational chanting—is carried to the people: in public parks, schools, on t.v., in the theater, on the streets. Krishna Consciousness is not an idler's philosophy. Rather by chanting and by engagement in the service of Krishna, anyone who takes part will experience the state of "Samadhi, " ecstatic absorption in God-consciousness, 24 hours a day!
As the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness is non-sectarian, any man, Hindu or Christian, will become better in his faith by chanting the Holy Name of God and by hearing The Bhagavad Gita. Without knowledge and realization and loving service to the One Supreme God, there can be no religion. Let everyone rejoice in the Sankirtan Movement, and we may see the fulfillment of the prediction made by Lord Chaitanya 500 years ago: that the chanting of the Holy Names of God, Hare Krishna, would be carried to every town and village of the world. Only in this way can real peace prevail. It is sublime and easy.
HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA,
KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE/
HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA,
RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE
If You Are Interested In Becoming A Member Of Iskcon Write: Iskcon—New York For Further Details.
The Vedanta: Its Morphology and Ontology
The Vedanta: Its Morphology and Ontology
—By Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj
—A lecture delivered on the 27th August, 1933 at the Saraswati Assembly Hall of Sri Gaudiya Math, Calcutta on the occasion of the Advent Celebrations of Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: His Divine Grace Paramahansa Paribrajakacharya Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj, Founder of the Gaudiya Math, is the Spiritual Master of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. It was He who sent Bhaktivedanta Swami to the Western world to deliver the message of Krishna Consciousness. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta is highly regarded throughout India, for during His lifetime He founded hundreds of centers in all parts of the country and had literally thousands of followers. This lecture, delivered three years before His Disappearance Day from this mortal world, commemorates the Advent of His own Father and Spiritual Master, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, the Great-grandfather of the Krishna Consciousness Movement in America.]
All glory to Guru and Gauranga!
Dear Friends—I stand before you as a teller. I am going to tell you now a few words more on the Vedanta and specially its ontological aspect, morphology being a former changeable part of the same. My telling craves a reciprocity of your listening to my sound through your aural reception. Sound is the main substratum of the Vedanta which deals with a subject unapproachable by our present crippled imperfect senses. The ear cannot work as a receptacle unless we are willing to admit a sound, and this admittance depends on our taste and previous experience. This prior experience invites affairs within the phenomenal range, but the Vedantic sounds have a different aim. So our reciprocal situation will crown our efforts with success.
Many of our friends pose themselves as knowers when they have a true taste for knowledge. To acquire such knowledge they utilize their senses to associate with the conception of objects and their components. These knowers claim a subjective position to consider the synthetic as well as analytic values of their determination. The objects before them are known as phenomena which serve to engage their attention to scrutinizing the knowledge of the causes and the laws of all phenomena by their empiric and intuitive reasonings. This is, in other words, philosophising the object by mental speculation.
When the knowledge of a being is restricted to phenomena, it passes by the name of natural philosophy, but the psychological dealing of sentiments discloses a branch of knowledge known as mental philosophy.
All the philosophical speculations in connection with our sensuous perception are no bar to our wrangling over them. The outward representations in all cases, if reasoned, need not exactly identify themselves with the true objective stand; as for instance, our impression of a star is much more augmented when we are conversant with the coaching of an adept of astronomy or when scientific methods predominate over our erroneous convictions. The deceptive outward manifestations are not necessarily to be accepted when such delusions are detected by our true activity. The seeming reasons often carry us to a wrong direction and we are not favored with the Truth, and seeming truths are found tobe efficacious in particular circumstances with susceptibility of transformation. So ontology of unchangeable formation need not be neglected for alternative changing features.
The methods of thinking of different people of different countries are not the same. So we cannot expect identical results in philosophy. Happiness and virtue have been selected as the essence of philosophical speculation by both the Hellenic and Hebraic Schools, whereas in China they were meant for the preservation of loyal society and local constitutional Government. The mystic philosophy of the mediaeval Europe in its different varieties has invited apathetic reflection in the judgment of considerate persons. The animistic conception of Persia as well as impersonal idea have brought out criticisms from the Indian philosophers. The savage conception of philosophy as well had no favor with the critical and ethical arguments.
For a long time Indian Philosophy had been mentioned in six different phases bearing dissimilar methods of exposition and in the unrolling evolutionary process we have had a few dozen of philosophic views coming to us for our speculative considerations. Mind has been noticed as the functional agent of agreeing or disagreeing with a standard position of its finitudinal range. It is termed conscience or Buddhi when it is fixed. The egotistic function of mind in respect of mundane objects is called Ahankar or worker's activity of lording it over a partial phenomenal aspect. The Jiva or soul is different from phenomenal denomination, but the fettered condition of an individual soul has association with the material world.
The five old schools of philosophy of India do not vouchsafe to bear the same character with the Vedanta philosophy. Some super-sensuous methods are marked by the comparative studies though in the beginning such warnings need not be offered to the students of the Vedanta. The science of the Vedanta philosophy has also dealt with the aspects of formation concerning the constant changes of form resulting from an unfolded development and permanent unalterable elements in ever-altering forms.
The Vedanta deals with a theme beyond the finite views of phenomena. The subjects dealt with in that particular philosophy are not confined to any part of the material space, any definite span of time or any object of sensuous perception made up of any substance of this Universe. The activities of a being are measured in time, the playground of a being either linear, superficial or cubical is accommodated in space and the limited subjectivity or fleshy tabernacular entity is confined to phenomenon. The Vedantic scheme is quite different from such limited structural monuments though some people attempted to bring Vedanta within the prison bars of their senses.
Though Vedanta deals with ordinary language quite dovetailing the views of ordinary intelligentsia to gradually heave them up to the supersensuous regions where senses cannot work by their present implements or cannot help them by the words of their credulous friends, still the transcendental topics are imparted slowly through the linguistic and rationalistic attainments to differentiate the plane of transcendence and the undesirable transformable plane of enjoyments. As it is helping the journey of understanding, we need not stick to a stagnant view in order to gratify our senses at the cost of rationality and harmonious language exactly fitting our whims. So the method of studying this particular philosophy should never be confined to the same process of confusing the transcendence with our present plane of thought.
When the Absolute becomes the goal of a sentient being, such sentientism has a character other than the nature of phenomenal restrictions. But when it tends to limit activities to finite things of phenomena, we find a temper of lording it over the finite things which have mundane relativity among them. All activities of a spirit towards the direction of transcendental Absolute are to come under devotion or Bhakti, whereas the gratification of senses leads to an activity known as Karma of the actor. The Absolute has an unalterable complete situation void of all sexological divisions as well as of the three positions of the observer, observation and the observed; they become the functions of the gnostic or jnanins. The factor of time cannot have any supremacy over the Absolute.
Unlike phenomena where everything is liable to transformation during the course of time, the Absolute does not undergo any change, whereas the opposite element has a shaky position. The Absolute cannot be enjoyed by sensuous exploitations to bring any profit to mind and body. All the profits accrued by offering our services to the Absolute are never meant for our temporary happiness depriving others of the benefit. The theme of the Vedanta actually deprives the human frame and subtle body of the Bliss which is wrongly incorporated with the unalloyed absolute infinitesimals. By the word absolute infinitesimal I mean the individuation of the identical quality and not the quantity. The stuff of the Absolute is not liable to any change. No factor of time would have any cogent potency to mutilate it. No space is reserved for it like material entities. The Absolute when analyzed will go to show a division between the parts and the whole. The character of the Absolute will differ from non-Absolute as estimated by the properties of perfection and imperfection. The undesirable experience of regions of imperfection and inadequacies need not be carried over to the eternal aspects of origin, nature and ontological essence of the Vedanta.
The knowledge of the Vedantic field need not be restricted to the mere elementary formula excluding the Smarta elucidation and to treatises of such workers as have deviated from the strict path of Sruti. The untenable sectional views need not be included under the category of the Vedanta. The different inculcations offered by the explanations of the creative actors and destructive exploiters should not be confused with the Satvata Puranas and Pancharatras.
Besides the Smarta development of the Vedanta we have to deal with the various treatises written by the Vedanta scholars to enlighten us on the very points in our practical life. So we find that the Vedanta includes four-fold aspects which pass by the names of (1) Sruti Prasthan, (2) Nyaya Prasthan, (3) Smriti Prasthan and (4) Prakarana Prasthan. The first two series are accepted by impersonalists, with a very few quotations from books known as Smriti, whereas they do not admit the whole arena of Smriti for their Vedantic advancement.
The Upanishads are Scriptures accepted as the Vedas or Srutis. They are not only the Vedas but considered as the acme of the Vedic literature. The rational version of the Upanishads are philosophical in comparison with the adorative songs of Samhitas towards a pantheon of Vedic gods. Though the various Upanisadic mantras have apparently conflicting features, they are reconciled by the aphorisms of Sri Vyas in his Uttar-mimansa philosophy under different systematic logical categories known as Nyayas or Adhikaranas. Each theme of an Adhikaran has been fully dealt with by Panchanga or five-fold positions of logical system to meet all opposing controversies. The aphorisms have met with all polemical views of different philosophical systems which prove to go against the truth of the Srutis, and again the aphorisms are supported by the Upanishad-Mantras followed by Smritis and reasons offered in favor of the citatory passages termed as Bhashyas and their commentaries by erudite savants.
The leaders of interpretations have given us first hand information regarding the classified subjects, Nyayas or Adhikaranas briefly treated in the Sutras. Among these interpreters we find contending views of wranglers in offering their explanations Some of them differed with others in grouping together the Mantras under the same heading of a particular subject, and sometimes their views were found palpably varying with one another due to designed observations. They are liable to contract fourfold defects of misconception, inebriation, organic shortcomings and inclination for deception which do not permit them to have correct views. To illustrate this I give here a short discourse of the leaders of the different interpretations.
The early Bodhayana School, Tanka, Drabida, Bharuchi, Audolomy, Yamunachary and others have left for Ramanuja their opinions which are thoroughly different from the observations of Acharya Sri Shankar. For a comparative study we should survey the views entertained by the different leaders who have written their Bhasyas of the aphorisms prompting separate systems.
Shankar and Shrikantha are more or less analogous to each other, though Shrikantha has admitted the personality of Brahman in Shiva for some time, apart from henotheistic views, unlike Ramanuja whose conception of the Personality of Brahman in Vishnu-nomenclature is not a transitory element to be dissolved in indistinctive phase of Brahman. The Shrikantha cult merged in the system of Shankar together with his follower Appyaya Dikshit whose conversion to Shankara view has destroyed more or less his former writings of Shivarka Manidipika and Nyaya Rakshamani. According to Shankara his adoption of the illusory theory of Maya has explained the unreal positions of Jiva or individual soul and material world, whereas the theory of devotion or Bhakti has been accepted by theists as the sole medium of reaching the eternal destination. Shankara's targetted salvation—Nirvana, can be had through inflated unalloyed knowledge of an individual, free from the reference of eternal existence and beatitude, by annihilating himself to the non-perspective situation of Brahman where he should have no retention of individuality of his unalloyed entity save and except assumption of a hallucinative universality dispelling all empiric ignorance and bitter experience of defective designative finiteness. This would give him a theoretic relief of his existence.
Madhva's eternal associative duality always maintains eternal devotional aptitude which is the common basis of all the four inculcators of Positive Truth. Maya or delusive energy is to be abandoned or overpowered by devotion which will give eternal relief to conditioned individual soul or spirit. Individual spirit is never to indulge itself in the imaginary inflation for becoming the universal non-designative Spirit. Individuals are eternally atomic isolated numberless entities. They have eternal cognitional, volitional and emotional attributions in them. They are prone to be forgetful of the direction of service towards their Eternal Master, the Fountainhead. In salvation they are never to lose their eternal special individuality, and this temporary captive individuation in the present sheath should never be considered as permanently neglecting the eternal ontological transcendental form. The individual souls and matter are not temporary production, but they are emanated from Brahman and both of them are reciprocated to each other. The Personal Body of Brahman known as Vishnu is the very center of all energies and attributes, be they temporary or eternal. He is all-potent and His Service is the eternal function of the individual spirits. The worldly pretensions of Maya are traced in the unusual desire of elevationists and salvationists. The devotees have no such pretensions like the fictitious believers of enjoyment or the salvationists like the Vedanta interpreter Shankar. Madhva's interpretation of the Efficient Cause is not challenged by his opponents, but his conception of material cause of the world has been misunderstood by the Mayavadins to be different from the unique situation of Brahman. The phase of the material cause is not isolated from Brahman but the yieldings of the material cause should in no case be confused as identical with Brahman The material cause has produced this phenomenon to befool conditioned Jivas or individual captive spirits, who have by their indolent mood behaved as enjoyers, but the real cause should be traced to have emanated from Him through one of His conflicting potencies for that purpose which is misunderstood by a hasty idealistic conception for outward reading. A true insight should surely convince a student of the Vedanta endowed with a true theistic mood that the unique existence of Brahman has brought forth simultaneously the phenomena of sentients and insentients.
The ontological view will surely tell us that Eternal Brahman is the all-pervading Supreme Cause of all manifestive eternal and transforming domains. All the Vedantic literatures, viz., Sruti, Nyaya, Smriti and Prakarana tend to delineate the Personality of the Unique Owner of all Eternal manifestations and their opposites and the conception of His Personality need not be morphologized by worldly temporal transforming attributes and at the same time He should not be denied His Spiritual Form, Attributions and spiritual eternal innumerable transcendental Qualities and unending and unrestricted Pastimes. Owing to His supersensuous situation, frivolous attempts should not be directed against Him by our antitheistic exploitations. He should be approached through Sruti or pure aural reception of transcendental sounds which should not be confused with mundane sounds which are temporary and meant for the gratifications of our senses. The mundane sounds are to submit to our inspectorial staff of senses whereas cogent transcendental sounds are enriched with super-delegated powers of Divinity to regulate the previous conviction of an enjoying captivated object who poses himself as a subject to lord it over the phenomena. The mind and all other wrong activities of senses are to be regulated by means of devotional temperament to proceed to the Region of eternal transcendental Beatitude. The approaching activity along the path of devotion will empower all individual captivated entities to throw off the thraldom of this enjoying region.
Over this, we can trace as well the development of the Vedantic aspects in the history and in many ritualistic works, known as Satvata Pancharatra, all of which went to show an advanced thought of the practical Vedanta. Moreover the commentators on the Puranas and the Pancharatras also give us facility to drink deep into the conception of the Transcendental Truth which will form an eterprize of the Vedantic extension. Some of the Prakarana books have significance of tending towards the impersonal goal. The analytical development has given us a long list of arguments refuting pure impersonalists where we find a foliage of 'Rasa' apart from its indolent aspects. This is no doubt a valuable addition to the Vedanta library. Vigilant writers will come up in the field of the Vedanta in its dualistic phase, vehemently protesting the pent up ideas of indolent pantheists by their synthetic propaganda towards the Absolute. This process may appear to us as an inductive process leading to pantheistic vision in the long run shaping convergently to one point. Many schools of philosophy in their progress tend to convert themselves to one thought where specification is utterly denied; in other words, they speak of many things which will be proselytized to one thing viz., indistinctive monism.
Some of the adventurers have been found to transform the substratum itself or proselytize their mundane exploitive journey to the theory of misconception. The analytic process meets the synthetic aspirant at a point, and we find a combined attempt of their development in literatures which are also included later on in the Vedantic School. Dvaitadvaita scholars of the Bhaskara and the Nimbarka schools have given us such views. The empiric starting from a perishable plane aiming at the indestructible direction could bring for us a cumulative view of the terminus. The system of the Vedanta philosophy should always look forward to approach the Absolute and not to any non-absolute search. The mundane morphological march need not be considered identical with the transcendental morphology which cannot in any case show its transiency and altering phases.
The origin of the Vedanta is innate in knowledge and inseparable from the same, though its practical phases may insist on tracing the cause where it submits to inspection. Nature seems to undergo a transformation, but a vigilant eye could easily discern the unalterable situation, as she has two apparent aspects viz., measurable and immeasurable. The measurable attributes vary according to the temporality and permanency of the measurer. Transcendental measurement is perfect and true and not liable to become a victim of mundane controversy arising out of transforming, imperfect, unretentive and finite relativities. The purpose or essence of the Vedanta is not conflicting as it has been reduced by wranglers to polemic exploitations which simply dissuade the puzzled entity of the observer.
The Absolute Infinity and absolute infinitesimals are not at loggerheads with one another. So the subjectivity and the objectivity described in the Vedanta Philosophy have different denominations from the present conception of the limited idealists who disown all types of objectivity. If we have a keen watch over the transcendental object we can eliminate the grossness and mundane subtleties. The new state of spirit need not have any relation with mundane manifestations. The unalloyed soul should not be disturbed by cutting asunder the transcendental links inseparable with the entity of the unalloyed spirit. We should not anthropomorphize our present crippled ideas when we traverse the Vedantic path. The potency of the Personality of the Transcendental Absolute (Purushottama) need not be restricted, out of our poor experience of this world which is of a faulty nature. The apotheotic conception should not prevail in the region of transcendence, as that plane is not to be confused with the world of three dimensions. The passionate views of imperfect limitations, if carried over to that region, would give a speculative transitory result which we should avoid for the safety of this particular philosophy. The origin of the Vedanta need not be epistemologized from the limited experience of phenomena. Of course our restless mind cannot resist such temptations, but we should be cautious not to disturb the peace and the harmonious system of transcendence. We are to approach, and not to mutilate, the reciprocal entities of transcendence. Our initiative faculty shows an unlimited scope of designing and shaping things according to our whims, but those are of no use, if such whimsical orders are not carried out by the transcendental Authority for reasons best known to Him. We have marked that our mind is offered viands for its consumption in the fettered situation and with the same we cannot utilize our mind and mental activities however ethical, may they impress on us here for our future movements in the eternal path of welcoming our volitional and cognitional enterprizes. An empiric mind with its intuitive aspirations cannot possibly work, unless helped by the spiritual Power Who does not bear the same demeanor of the present phenomenal impressions. It would be better for us if our exploited innovations do not accompany us during our acceptance of the conception of the Transcendence. Our present conscience and mind with all their paraphernalia cannot possibly claim the suzerainty of the Transcendence when our poor ego is quite adaptable to and contented with the dolls of the universal phenomena. We have got an enjoying caliber when we tread on the worldly path receiving help of our gross body and flickering mind. We have noticed that phenomena have direct connection with the mind and their paraphernalia. The mundane phenomena have a perishable value, whereas the distinctive character of phenomena beyond our conception, is not identical with our present store of knowledge. The phenomenal objects require modification and our different philosophical speculations require rectification, whereas the transcendental Region does not submit to such regulative admonition and chastisement. We are to approach the transcendental Truth Who does not require any aggressive exploitation from any quarter. The summum bonum of all knowledge, beatitude and unending time should not be mutilated for the safety of our eternal entity, which is absolute infinitesimal and not Absolute Infinity, as the inflation of our quantitative eternal ego is not expected to go beyond our own. The imperfection of grossness and subtlety should not claim to have their location in that region, as Parabyoma is never meant to accommodate the special characteristics of worldly phenomena. The subject matter of the Vedanta is not an innovation, so the origin was lying dormant in spirit, and the Vedantic sound need not have any origination in this material world. The transcendental Sound, though specified to exhibit a differentiative character, is not to be enjoyed by our enjoying senses.
We must necessarily convince ourselves that the essence of the Vedanta philosophy should terminate in the principle of devotion.
The last aphorism of the Vedanta Sutras tends to the impressions that Sound will bring us to the Region wherefrom a return journey along the path of knowledge is not possible. It goes to show a process leading to the Transcendence, where no foreign invasion can be invited to form an opposite party who can persuade a sojourner to shift himself from the transcendental termination. The place is not meant for an indolent being to benumb his unending progressive activity by dissociating his connections with the transitory dark and undesirable element. By the constant chanting of the Transcendental Name the aim of spiritual aspiration will be fulfilled, and no other process can remedy the evil of accepting the undeserving position of a worldly enjoyer. The whole line of our religious associative transaction should terminate in our activity of being an instrument of the transcendental Sound. The constant uttering from the lips of a transcendental devotee can only help a man to get rid of his limited activity for the limited perishable objects. The aural receptive entity is not to exert its influence to impede the course of the transcendental Sound who would be pouring in with the purpose of regulating the erring ego.
So an eternal devotee should not cease to chant the Eternal Name of Hari constantly without any interruption. The interceding—repelling and covering—energy of the Absolute will otherwise act on him. The antidevotional attitude will keep a reader of the Vedanta far off from the Absolute Truth. The sincere student of the Vedanta is expected to realize the presence of the Object of his eternal devotion and to be emotional. The mellow quality will display some symptoms which will bear testimony to his transcendental realization; otherwise it would prove his impervious character resembling that of stone or adamant, or in other words, he would be considered to be an unsuccessful reader of the subject. The conception of the Absolute Truth will never be in his possession, if he confines himself to his sensuous activities bearing a form to lord it over the worldly phenomena.
If he cares to learn from others the real nature of their experience to bring himself in touch with the objects that have not been within the range of his senses, he will profit much by such association and try to add to the store of his knowledge, which he could not have gathered by his attempts through the senses. When he welcomes the unprecedented nature of the Vedanta working in him his sensuous aggrandizement, he erroneously thinks himself amply awarded by the acquisition of experience of an expert who is running after an impersonal object void of all sorts of designation. He can avail himself of a partial view of indeterminate non-designative plane where the triple forms of mundane qualities are not expected to preponderate in exhibiting their significance. The Transcendental Sound becomes his engagement, he having secured the position of setting himself free from the egoistic exploitations of the phenomenal plane. Such a position would offer him the conception of the Absolute to Whom his only duty would be to offer his eternal services. This stage is known as regaining the true function after the expiry of his term of imprisonment as an enjoyer. Now he is in his proper health to engage himself as the eternal servitor of the Absolute, knowing his own position. The full conception of the Absolute will give him the facility of serving the eternal Master in the highest capability of devotion. In the Dahara Chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad, we find that all these passionate activities are fulfilled when true salvation is acquired. The passionate activities are proselytized to most perfect engagement with the Absolute. So eternal full recognition will render a servitor exactly fitting the Great Consort for Whom every unalloyed spirit should have her only activity.
The Consort Absolute will wait for the consort servitor. The parent servitor will meet the Child Absolute, the object of his or her only engagement. The eternal friend servitor will regain his position as such. The personal attendant servitors will meet their Master and offer their confidential services, for sheer love. The confidential service offered by the neutral entity will indirectly be directed to the Absolute without any cognisance on the part of the unalloyed individual spirit.
The different readings of the Vedanta under true guidance will give us the result that Personality of Godhead is not approached by identifying oneself with the transcendental Effulgence (Brahman) coming out from the transcendental Body of the Absolute and that the all-engrossing features (Paramatma or Universal Godhead) are but a part of the Absolute in Whom a freed soul does not merge. After such association the devotional aptitude will have a free play to join as a transcendental factor of His pastimes. He is the very Emporium of all potencies and the resortive ocean of all sorts of love. The detachable border-land potency, though liable to come under the clutch of a disposition to enjoy Nature's products and to welcome them as temporary servitors, can get a true direction by exchanging the enjoying mood for eternal devotion. Both the transcendental manifestation as well as the transformable mundane manifestations are simultaneously incorporated in the Absolute and differ from Himself like the rays of the sun and the glowing disc. The isolated individual phase of the servitor is eternally associated with Him. The analogy is drawn from the sun. The spirit, the glowing disc, the emanated rays and the penumbra are four aspects concerning the sun and inseparable from the existence of the sun. So the manifested world has association with the integral position of the Absolute. True devotion should be the method of reaching Him, where all activities of the freed souls should tend finally to the eternal service to please their Absolute Object of service. The one phase of harmony of the Absolute need not be metamorphosed into rupture, by courting different phases of the goal.
The Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya, by inculcation of His loving attitude towards absolute infinitesimals has disclosed the reading of the Srimad Bhagavatam as a standard light-house in our journey of life through the rough waters of the phenomenal ocean.
Renouncing temperament with all uncongenial phenomena has been ordained by instructing philosophers and theologians. The imaginary ideas of blind salvationists who had no occasion to witness the Absolute Truth have not been approved by the Supreme Lord, but He has advised us to acquaint ourselves with the reading of Krishna's Pastimes and to direct our services to the Adokshaja; and in that case our feeble limbs and senses cannot claim to approach Him unless we have a true serving mood. We would fail to offer our services to Him, if we think that our present acquisitions are enough to approach Him Who has however reserved the right of not being exposed to the mundane activities of the enjoyers of matter and motion.
Vyasa, when he had an adorative temperament and sat for Samadhi with his devotional aptitude, witnessed, with his spiritual eye, the full transcendental Form of the Absolute incorporating the negative energy of Nescience which has the power to cover the senses of individual spirits who have been apathetic to their Master and indulged in their enjoying mood, posing as lords with predilections for embracing the triple mundane energy. Though the border-land potency is more powerful than the triple qualities of transformable nature and prefers to wait to serve at their command, still its predilecting nature can at any moment throw off the clutch of, and the affinity for, the phenomena, if she comes to know the desirability of her turning towards her master-the Eternal Fountainhead, the transcendental Bhagavan Krishna, which will give her permanent release from her exploitive march of courting the most undesirable position of an enjoyer here. This fact of devotional instruction had not been imparted before to the undeserving humanity, but the kind-hearted writer of the aphorisms in his genuine commentary Srimad Bhagavatam exposed the truth for the benefit of deserving souls. He was like a kindhearted shepherd of the congregation of individual souls who were sheep under his protection. He managed to hand over the cattle to the transcendental Cowherd to learn the nature of worship and desirability of flocking to Him. None was so kind to mankind as He, to disclose the fact that the object of service to any other phase of Krishna would not be so profitable as to target the object of unalloyed devotion to Krishna Who will, by the bye, help them to cut off their connection and the unusual affinity with the perishable objects. The unalloyed soul will be rescued from all apprehension arising out of the apathetic mood lying latent in the individual soul. The devotional engagement will enable us to comprehend the real position of self and no tempting nature would be able to win over the heart of the individual soul, dissuading him from his spontaneous transcendental loving service. The individual soul will be set free by his devotional practices to endure the affliction of separation of tempting things and will prefer to appreciate the only desirable object and to court His sweet pleasure, His sweet beatitude.
In closing up my telling, I offer my sincere sympathy to my friends who have allowed me to speak before them about the morphological and ontological aspects of the Vedanta Philosophy as inculcated by the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Who is ever kind to all humanity in all its stages. The Supreme Lord is the Manifest Form of all true, and His transcendental benign instructions will surely attract us to offer our eternal services when we refuse to submit to the foreign associations which are our temporary bearings, viz., the gross tabernacle and the subtle entity. He is so kind to us as to send His transcendental messengers to this world for heaving us up to His presence and to accept our transcendental candidature, though we are His undeserving, indolent eternal slaves to carry His true wishes to our friends.
Prabhupada at New Vrindaban
Prabhupada at New Vrindaban
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada arrived at New Vrindaban, West Virginia on the morning of May 21st, 1969. It was his first visit to the mountain ashram, which is the first community in the West dedicated to Krishna conscious living. Prabhupada walked swiftly up the two mile road proclaiming that he enjoyed the walk, and quietly entered into country life for one month. In the morning he would usually take walks around the property and point out sites for building constructions. Sometimes in the late morning he would lie outside in the sun, and in the evening he would sit in a favorite spot beneath a persimmon tree and look out over the mountains. "You don't get tired outdoors like you do inside," he once said. He especially enjoyed the milk fresh from Surabi Gai. He urged us to develop the acreage so that civilization can see that all man needs is a little land and a cow to live properly.
[The following two talks were given on the nights of May 23 and June 22.]
“Glory to the Sri Krishna Samkirtan which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years together. Thus the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death, is extinguished. This Samkirtan movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction Moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it helps us to have a taste of the full nectar for which we are always anxious.” In this Sri Krishna Samkirtan we feel cleansed for having washed in the ocean of transcendental bliss. Now present here at this meeting is an old man (I am 74 years old) and a child one year old. Yet everyone, beginning from the child up to the old man, can take part in this Samkirtan movement. Actually we can see practically that everyone is taking part in it. It is such a nice yoga system that there is no need for any material qualifications. If there are material qualifications, that is all right—we need not neglect them. We can dovetail all our material qualifications by rendering service to Krishna. That will make our material position successful.
All these children here at NewVrindaban are very fortunate. They are learning automatically how to chant, how to eat prasadam, how to say beads. They are very fortunate to have this tendency for Krishna consciousness, and it is the duty of the father and mother to raise children in Krishna consciousness so that the children can be saved from further bondage to birth and death. The Bhagavatam says that one should not become a father unless he is able to save his child from the impending mouth of death. Without Krishna consciousness no one can be saved from the cycle of birth and death. It is not possible. We are not this material body, but somehow we have contacted it, just like we contact some infectious disease. So long as we do not develop this Krishna consciousness we will never be able to free ourselves from contact with this material body. We may have a very nice body or a very bad body—that doesn't matter. There are many insects and germs which live for five minutes only, and there are living entities in Brahma Loka who live for five millions of years—but that doesn't matter. There are all varieties of life present here within this universe, and in Krishna's creation we will find both the gigantic and the minute. We can see here in New Vrindaban that there are very big trees and also very small ones, some so small and insignificant that we trample over them without even knowing it. So in the living condition there are so many varieties of life and so much changing of bodies, but the problem is not to promote ourselves from a small body to a big body, from an ant's body to an elephant's body, but to free ourselves from all material bodies altogether. Actually we have a spiritual body—satchitananda vigraha—a body just like Krishna's—and our goal should be to attain that. So this Krishna consciousness will give us this opportunity, and those who are grihastas, family men, have the duty to raise their children in Krishna consciousness so their children can take full advantage of the rare human life. Now in this New Vrindaban we will have a community of such enlightened fathers and mothers, and of sannyasins and brahmacharies. Actually we make no such distinctions. Whoever is in Krishna consciousness, whoever can understand the science of Krishna, can become a Spiritual Master, a teacher. In New Vrindaban we should live in such an ideal way that people will learn what human life and what human civilization actually are. What is the purpose of civilization? This we must teach the world. Thus I request those who are conducting New Vrindaban to develop this community in such a way that it will be exemplary.
Now this little one-year-old child is dancing and trying to chant Hare Krishna on beads. They have this natural tendency; they are simply to be instructed. They must have association of devotees, then there will be a new growth of superior population. They will not be like cats and dogs, but will actually be demigods. "Demigod" means devotee of Krishna, that's all. And "asura" (demon) means non-devotee. So there is a sufficient population of asuras in this world, and thus the people are not happy. This demonic civilization is actually killing the human race, and therefore it is the responsibility of Krishna conscious people to save the ignorant and the innocent. This human form of life is meant for ending all the miserable conditions of material existence, but people are being misguided, just like animals. It is not a good civilization. So one of the major advantages of New Vrindaban is that it is out of contact with the asuric civilization. It is Krishna's desire that no man of ordinary interest will come here. It is beyond the reach of the ordinary class of men. [Prabhupada laughs] Just like Hayagriva's father says, "I'll never walk up that road again." [Laughs]
So these nice children have come here, and I have especially requested Swami Kirtanananda to take care of them and also for this nice motherly girl, Satyabhama, and her husband to help. If you can just make one child Krishna conscious that will be a great service. Krishna will be very pleased. Many children will come here, for this place is very nice and Krishna will give us all opportunity. I will also come again, for I like it here, but first I must finish a little work which is still remaining—I want to go once to London and Germany—and then I'll entrust the whole preaching work to you.
Now let us cooperate. In New Vrindaban the women's business will be to take care of the children, to cook, to clean and to churn butter, and, for those who have the knowledge, to help in typing. No other hard work—that's all. But for the men, there is hard work—working in the field, taking care of the animals, collecting food, constructing buildings. So in this way we should cooperate. The girls who are here should prepare nice prasadam so that the boys can get their prasadam regularly. That is the duty of women. If men are given good prasadam on time, then they will work hard. And the churning business is for the girls—that will keep their health very nice. Yasoda, the mother of Krishna, although very exalted and so materially rich that she had many maidservants, still took pleasure in churning. And in Los Angeles recently there was a butter ceremony and people churned twelve pounds of butter at the meeting. So our Krishna consciousness movement is very appealing. We churn butter and have festivals and dance Hare Krishna. Just cooperate and try to improve this New Vrindaban scheme. It will certainly develop if you are sincere, for Krishna will send all help. Someday it will actually be a replica of Vrindaban. Kirtanananda Swami was in Vrindaban and so has an idea of what it is like. Now we have already instituted one Kesi Ghat here. So with cooperation this is all possible. Krishna will help you.
Now we shall discuss the compilation of Srimad Bhagavatam by Vyasadeva. There are millions of verses compiled by Vyasadeva—the Puranas, Vedanta Sutra, the Mahabharata. Mahabharata alone contains more than a hundred thousand verses. Similarly, there are other Puranas, and besides that the Upanishads. Vyasadeva is the editor and the compiler of all these Vedic literatures, but even after compiling all these he was not satisfied. Even after presenting the Vedanta Sutra in which he summarized all the Vedic knowledge, he was not satisfied.
The Vedanta Sutra contains the codes of all Vedic knowledge. Sutra means codes. The Vedanta Sutra begins with the words, "Athato brahma jijnasa.” This is translated, "Now one should enquire after the Supreme Absolute Truth." This is the first injunction, and this verse can be explained in volumes of books, and there are so many different commentators who have explained this one verse. Someone says we should enquire after karmakanya, after finishing the sense gratificatory processes. Or after this, or after this. But the word is "athato," a very significant word meaning "now, therefore." "Therefore" means that you have enjoyed your material life as much as possible but are still confused and unhappy. In America you have just produced hippies. Frustration. Because the Americans have failed to achieve the highest pleasure of life despite their arranging all kinds of material facilities, therefore they should be eager to understand, and they should enquire what is the cause. So brahma jijnasa—what is the greatest happiness? Now you are enjoying material happiness, but you are not satisfied. You are confused. So you should enquire into the greatest happiness. Now we are trying to find out the Original Source of this cosmic manifestation. Why are we hankering after happiness? Why are we confused? What is the Original Source? The Original Source, it is replied immediately in the next sutra, either of happiness or of distress, of everything, is that wherefrom everything emanates. Distress emanates from it and happiness also emanates and these cosmic manifestations also emanate. The sky also emanates—everything emanates from the Supreme Source. How is it that both distress and happiness emanate and knowledge and ignorance also emanate? That is fullness. And how does everything emanate from that Original Source? That is explained in the Bhagavad Gita and in the Bhagavatam also. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says, "I am the Source of everything. I am the Source of happiness, and I am the Source of distress. I am the Source of all this, of Brahma, Vishnu—everything, for there is no Source beyond Me.” You will also find in the Bhagavad Gita that all dualities such as happiness and distress are reconciled in Krishna. "I am situated in everyone's heart, and from Me there is remembering and forgetting."
So why does one man forget and another man remember? Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says that the actual constitutional position of all living entities is that of eternal servitude to God. That is the position of everyone. All entities are made for that purpose, but we forget, and that forgetfulness is also from the Supreme. Why does Krishna allow one to forget? Because one wants to forget. We all have a tendency to imitate. If we see someone is enjoying himself, we think, "Oh, why shouldn't I enjoy myself like him?" This is natural. We have the independence to think in that way. Similarly, among living entities whose business is to serve, there are those who want to imitate and become Krishna. Actually their position is that of a dog, but they want to become God. When living entities want to imitate in this way, they are immediately put into the clutches of Maya. Maya says, "All right you enjoy. Try to become God." So in this material world everyone is trying to become God. I am trying to become God, and you are trying to become God, and so there is competition between gods. We have forgotten that we are dogs in our efforts to become God, as if God is such a cheap thing that anyone can become Him. This tendency to try to become God is actually asuric. We have the example of Hiranya Kashipu. As soon as his little child would say, "Krishna, Narayan," Hiranya Kashipu would immediately become angry. "Oh, who is this Narayan?" he would ask. "Oh, He is God," his little child would say. "Oh, who is God? I am God. Are you trying to respect some other God?" This philosophy is always present, and now it is very prominent. Everyone is trying to become God. There are so many swamis coming to your country and saying, "Oh, I am God, you are God, he is God, that is God, this is God.” So all this is going on.
In the lower stage they are grossly under the impression that I am this body, I am this mind or I am this intelligence, or I am God or so many other things. But the Bhagavatam explains the nature of the Supreme. The Supreme is that from which everything is emanating. And what is one of the characteristics of the Supreme? "He knows everything." There are many so-called incarnations of God who do not even know what is going to happen the next moment. So this Srimad Bhagavatam gives the characteristics of the Supreme. It is the proper explanation of the Vedanta Sutra. The author himself, Vyasadeva, in the Fifth Chapter of the First Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, explains how this commentary on the Vedanta Sutra (Srimad Bhagavatam) originally came to be written. After compiling huge volumes of Vedic literature, including the Vedanta Sutra, Vyasadeva was not satisfied. He was still morose. So Narada Muni, his Spiritual Master, could understand that he was seeking something. "Why am I morose?" Vyasadeva asked him. "I have tried to give knowledge to the people as far as possible, as I have known it from reliable sources, but I am still not satisfied." At that time, when Narada came to see him, Vyasadeva received him well, for it is the duty of the disciple to give a good reception to the Spiritual Master. And when he was seated nicely, he began to speak to Vyasadeva. "My dear son of Parasara, do you think that you'll be satisfied by identifying yourself with this material body or with this mind? That is not possible. You have compiled so many books based on this concept of life. Some living entities are considering that they are the body, and others are considering that they are the mind, and yet others are considering that they are the intelligence. But the self is none of these, for he is above them. He is transcendental. Unless one comes to that position there is no question of satisfaction."
So this was the first point Narada Muni made. Vyasadeva was very great, born of a great father and very learned and fortunate. Yet, all of his books were based on the concept of the body and the mind. Therefore he could not find happiness. After the Battle of Kurukshetra, Vyasadeva wrote the Mahabharata, the history of this planet, and in it he deals with the four interests of human beings—dharma, artha, kama, and moksha. In a human society, or at least in a peaceful human society, people must have religion (dharma) and some good economic development (artha), and they must have some nice arrangement for sense gratification (kama), and after they have failed to become satisfied with these, they next need liberation (moksha) from the material bondage. So these are the four basic needs of humanity. But Narada indicates here that these are not the highest. There is a final interest and ultimate need, and that is given in Srimad Bhagavatam. Becoming liberated is not final. Merging into the existence of the Absolute is not the ultimate. Therefore in the Srimad Bhagavatam we find from the very beginning that these four principles (dharma, artha, kama, and moksha) are cast aside. The great commentator, Sridhar Swami, says that one should not even aspire for liberation. That should be the position of the devotee. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said that he cared nothing for liberation. Life after life he only wanted Lord Krishna's causeless devotional service.
Srimad Bhagavatam should be studied very carefully, scrutinizingly. There are eight commentaries which are authorized, and there are many ordinary commentaries which are not, but actually Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gita are within themselves illuminating, just like the sunlight. One does not need a lamp to see the sunlight, and similarly one does not need commentaries to understand these great works which are self-illuminated. Simply if you try to understand them word by word, you will attain enlightenment. Yet, there are acharyas who can help. Here we can see that Vyasadeva, the great sage, is enquiring from Narada, and that is the duty of the disciple. Just like Sukha Goswami says, one should be inquisitive and one should enquire from a Guru, a Spiritual Master, who can actually give right knowledge. The Spiritual Master is one who can answer all questions. And what should one enquire? Should one enquire about the rate of stocks just like a businessman? No. That is also explained in Srimad Bhagavatam—one should enquire about that which is beyond this darkness. Only when one is inquisitive to understand the spiritual worlds should he accept a Spiritual Master. Otherwise there is no need. A Spiritual Master is not a fashion or a fad. One should be very serious and make enquiry and then assimilate the answers. After hearing and assimilating, one should distribute the knowledge to the world. That is the order of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
So Narada tells Vyasadeva that he has written very well and that his knowledge is very wonderful. He gives him all credit for having enquired about Brahman, not about ordinary things. Brahman means that which is eternal, not temporary. So Vyasadeva has enquired, assimilated and delineated many wonderful things in the history of the Mahabharata, and he has set forth all information concerning the four principles of perfection. The Bhagavad Gita is also contained in that Mahabharata. Yet after setting down all of this, Vyasadeva was morose. Here, out of respect, Narada addresses Vyasadeva: "My dear prabhu, you have done such wonderful things, and you are so very learned. You have enquired about transcendental subject matter, and you have compiled so many fine books. Therefore why are you lamenting?"
This discussion between Narada and Vyasadeva is given in the First Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, and it is very interesting. In it Narada indicates that Vyasadeva is unhappy because he has not dealt with the transcendental pastimes of Lord Sri Krishna. But the Srimad Bhagavatam, which deals with these pastimes, is the completion of Vyasadeva's work and is consequently the cream of Vedic knowledge. Vyasadeva felt incomplete before writing it. Therefore it is not possible to have complete Vedic knowledge without studying it. We shall further discuss this conversation between Narada and Vyasadeva at another lecture.
States and Attributes of the Creation
States and Attributes of the Creation
—By Hayagriva das Adhikari
(ISKCON—Columbus)
Part I (Continued in Issue No. 31)
“Intelligence, knowledge, freedom from doubt and delusion, forgiveness, truthfulness, self-control and calmness, pleasure and pain, birth, death, fear, fearlessness, non-violence, equanimity, satisfaction, austerity, charity, fame and infamy are created by Me alone." (Gita, 10.4-5)
Just before relating His various opulences to Arjuna, Lord Sri Krishna gives this list of conditions and qualities by way of an introduction. In no way is this list complete, but what is given should be considered to be of special significance. Krishna is the Original Cause of everything, and consequently He is the Cause of all good and bad qualities and all states of existence. Because of our limited perception, whatever we see in this phenomenal world has a dual nature: good and bad, pleasure and pain, hot and cold, joy and sorrow, and so on. "O son of Kunti, the non-permanent appearance of heat and cold, happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed." (Gita, 2.14) Actually these states are alloyed qualities of the Supreme Lord. They exist in Krishna in full, and they are seen in part in the living entities.
Intelligence
What is real intelligence? At the risk of seeming facetious, it can be stated that there are two kinds of intelligence: stupid intelligence and intelligent intelligence. The first variety is material, the second spiritual. Sometimes we say that a person is an intelligent driver. This means he knows how to drive a car well. Or a man like Henry Ford takes a few scraps of metal, assembles them and makes a machine that can run down the road. This may be an example of technology and may take some intelligence, but according to the Gita, this is mundane or material intelligence.
So what is real intelligence? Real intelligence is to know and understand that Krishna is the Supreme and I am part and parcel. It is the ability to analyze things in their proper perspective, to understand the finer activities of nature and how things work in nature. A child may be interested simply in the anatomical or the automatic in watching a train run down a track or in watching a baseball player hit a ball, but one who is actually intelligent tries to understand the active principle behind the train and the body. A child thinks that a motor car in the street is running of its own accord, or if he sees a record player he wonders what a fine discovery it is because there is music coming out of it. In the same way the scientists observe nature and wonder how so much is happening, and most often they spend their time observing and describing an infinitude of natural functionings. They may be keen observers like the hawk, but what conclusions do they draw from hundreds and hundreds of years of research? They already admit that despite all their research they have not even scratched the surface in their investigation of natural phenomena. And they will simply go on observing for millions and millions of years. In this way they will compile volumes and volumes of books of observations, but there will be no cohesive vision to unify them. There is a proverb that says, "The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” Mundane scientists, educators and professional men, like the fox, may have billions of scraps of information at their fingertips, but they have no unifying vision like the hedgehog. The hedgehog knows that its quills will protect him against a million foxes, and similarly a man of vision knows that he can withstand countless mundane wranglers. For instance, Lord Jesus Christ was more certain of one thing than anyone in the world. He knew that God the Father was the Supreme and that He was His son and servant. He was not so much interested in the workings of nature, for He knew the principle behind nature and His relationship to it. And because He knew this and could express this and because He sacrificed His life for this, He has influenced the lives of countless millions.
So the gross observation of nature is not intelligence. Simply watching the machine run is not enough. We must try to find out who is working the machine. Philosophers and scientists are not working of their own accord but under the spell of material energy. They are subject to birth, old age, disease and death. They are subject to the functionings of their bodies and are dependent on the resources in nature for their very existence. Everything is being carried on completely independent of them. No man can keep his heart beating after that organ is exhausted. No man can give air to the earth and no man can make the sunrise in the morning or stop it from setting in the evening. All of the workings of nature are conducted by a Force beyond nature, by a Super natural. In the Gita, Krishna asserts this Super natural to be Himself. "This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunti producing all the moving and unmoving beings; and by its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again." (Gita, 9.10) Nature, then, is simply the agent. The real worker is Krishna. Therefore one who has real intelligence, real buddhi, knows that he is just an instrument in the hands of Krishna.
Knowledge
The English word "know" comes from the Sanskrit word gnanum by way of the Greek word gnosis. Real knowledge is the ability to understand and discriminate between spirit and matter. This is not the type of knowledge that is taught in universities. The reference here is to transcendental knowledge of which the universities are in dire need. In the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna says that work done in a spirit of renunciation culminates in transcendental knowledge and that one should try to learn the truth by approaching a Spiritual Master, inquiring from him submissively and rendering service unto him. Because the Spiritual Master has seen the truth, he can impart knowledge to his students. And what is the fruition of this knowledge? It is stated very plainly. "When you have thus learned the truth you will know that all living beings are My parts and parcels—and that they are in Me and are Mine." (Gita, 4.35) This knowledge is priceless and bestows the highest benefits. Sri Krishna says that such knowledge will bear even the most sinful of sinners across the ocean of miseries. "In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism. And one who has achieved this enjoys the Self within himself in due course of time. A faithful man who is absorbed in transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses quickly attains the Supreme spiritual peace.” (Gita, 4.38-39)
Therefore if one wants to be free from all doubt and delusion he must cultivate spiritual knowledge. The first step in cultivation is to understand the difference between matter and spirit and by thus understanding transcend the material platform of body consciousness, of thinking that I am this body. There is something in the body which is working the body. Matter is animated due to the touch of spirit. It is dependent on spirit. We must be able to distinguish between the two. Unfortunately today in all of our universities study is restricted to matter only, and spirit is neglected. An automobile is given all attention, but the man, the driver, is neglected. In the Second Chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna elaborately explains that Arjuna is not that body and that the soul exists apart from the body. We are a combination of matter and spirit in our contaminated state. In actuality, we are all spirit, superior energy, but because we wanted to enjoy material nature we became embodied in the inferior energy. Therefore the conditioned living entity is called the marginal energy of Krishna.
Knowledge of the inferior energy is temporary because matter is temporary. We may become chemists or engineers in this life and acquire so much knowledge, but at death all of this knowledge will be finished. We will no longer be chemists or engineers. But because the spirit soul doesn't die, whatever knowledge we acquire about the spirit soul does not die with the body. It is retained and carried into our subsequent lives. If we develop 10% spiritual knowledge in this body, when we get our next bodies we will continue from 11%. Of course the best thing is to finish it 100% now because human life is meant for the elevation of the spirit, not for the exploitation of matter for sense enjoyment.
Krishna consciousness is dormant within every living being. If one approaches a mahatma, a Spiritual Master, this dormant knowledge can be awakened. In Srimad Bhagavatam it is said that the living entity is a spiritual spark that wanders not only from one body to another but from one planet to another. He is wandering in his search for Absolute Knowledge, and he does not know that his best course is to find a Spiritual Master who is well versed in the scriptures, who has realized Krishna and who chants His glories, Hare Krishna. In order to cross the great ocean of material nescience, one must have a good ship, a good captain and a favorable atmosphere. To cross this ocean we already have a very good ship, this human form of life. This kind of ship is not always obtainable. We have come to this stage by gradual evolutionary process from aquatics, birds and animals. So we should use this opportunity, and if we have a good captain, a Spiritual Master to steer us, then the atmosphere of Krishna consciousness will be supplied by the Lord. So if there is no hurricane and if there is a good ship and a good captain delivering the message of Bhagavad Gita, take advantage and cross. As soon as one becomes fully conscious of his position apart from the gross material body, then he becomes free from material consciousness. One should acquire this knowledge of spirit slowly but surely. One should not blindly accept but use his developed consciousness. This knowledge also depends upon one's mode of living. Therefore one has to develop the other positive qualities enumerated.
Freedom From Doubt And Delusion
In the Fourth Chapter of Gita Krishna says, "But ignorant and faithless men who doubt the revealed scriptures go to ruin and perish. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next." (Gita, 4.40) Doubt has been called the shadow of truth. At the very beginning of one's spiritual life, a devotee is invariably beset by a legion of doubts. These doubts, which are but demons of innumerable colors and forms, all have one purpose: to obscure the light of truth from the vision of the devotee. Francis Bacon once wrote, "In contemplation if a man begins with certainties he shall end in doubts, but if he be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties." In this age, especially, one is inclined to disbelieve and doubt—to doubt scripture, to doubt God, to doubt oneself. This age is called Kali yuga and is characterized by strife, doubt, ignorance, chaos and disagreement. So at the outset of one's spiritual life, needless to say, innumerable doubts will present themselves. These demon doubts always surround the threshold of Knowledge-Bliss-Absolute. As the neophyte stands at this threshold, confused and fearful, the doubts assail him and tell him to turn back and not jump into the ocean of Divine bliss, and the timid soul, afraid of being hurt, hardly believing that it is eternal bliss and knowledge awaiting him, often fidgets and sometimes turns back in fear and disbelief.
Doubt is directly opposed to faith on the battlefield of the soul. Doubt and disbelief are the enemies of faith. If we have faith in a particular man, then we trust him in all kinds of ways, but if we have doubts about a man, then we trust him with nothing. Our relationship with the Divine is similar: our faith and trust in Him is inversely proportionate to the degree of doubt. The more we trust Him the more He reveals Himself to us, and the more He reveals Himself to us, the less we doubt. In the Bhagavad Gita Arjuna stands out as a man with a great deal of faith in Krishna. He was offered a chance between commanding a great army without Krishna or a small army with Krishna as his chariot driver. He chose Krishna as his charioteer and rejected the large army because he had faith in Krishna. Nonetheless, before the Battle of Kurukshetra, even with Krishna as his charioteer, he was beset with doubts. But Lord Krishna dispels all these doubts with the light of knowledge. He tells Arjuna, "Therefore the doubts in your heart risen out of ignorance should be slashed by the weapon of knowledge. Armed with yoga, O Bharata, stand and fight." (Gita, 4.42) After Krishna spoke the knowledge of Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, Arjuna said, "My delusion is gone. I have regained my memory through Your Grace, O Krishna. I am firm, I am free from doubt, I will act according to your word.” (Gita, 18.73) Doubt, fear, and delusion are interrelated. They are all the sons of ignorance and are all to be found on the roads of darkness. Knowledge is the sunshine that triumphantly disperses darkness and its consorts. Doubt is due to delusion. One is deluded who thinks that that which is unreal is real and who therefore does not know the nature of reality. Matter is illusion and spirit is reality. Therefore one who knows and can distinguish between matter and spirit is not deluded. Knowledge, therefore, as stated above, is understanding the nature of matter and spirit. Just as Krishna dispelled the doubts of Arjuna on the battlefield, the Spiritual Master imparts knowledge to his disciple and dispels the doubts that destroy his spiritual life. "If the sun and moon should doubt, they'd immediately go out," Blake wrote. Lord Krishna proclaims that just a little advancement in the Dharma He is teaching can "protect one from the most dangerous type of fear." (Gita, 2.40) So if one doubts the knowledge imparted by Lord Krishna and the Spiritual Master, one remains in ignorance and continues to be deluded about the nature of matter and spirit and so confuses his body with his Self and fears death.
Etymologically the word "fear," coming from the Anglo-Saxon faer, literally means "a sudden attack," and it is akin to the Old High German word fare which basically means "ambushed, snared, or entrapped." So we are entrapped by material nature and are constantly being attacked by it. And because of this we are always in a fearful condition in the material world. Fearfulness is due to worrying about the future. When a person has no knowledge about the next life, when he thinks his body is all in all, then he is always in anxiety to protect that body from the onslaught of other living entities, from natural catastrophes and from diseases arising from the body itself. Therefore fear is due to one's absorption in illusory energy. It is often said that all fears boil down to the basic fear of death. At death only the gross material body dies. So it is only when one identifies himself with the gross body that he fears death. Fear is therefore due to ignorance of one's real identity. Conversely, fearlessness is due to one's knowledge of his constitutional position. One who is in Krishna consciousness has no fears because his activities are non-material and assure him of going to the spiritual sky, back to Godhead at death. He is established in the Divine consciousness apart from the body consciousness, and because he has knowledge of the next life he is never in anxiety. His eternality is asserted by Lord Krishna Himself, "Proclaim it boldly, O son of Kunti, that My devotee never perishes.” (Gita, 9.31) Krishna also says that He is both the personification of fear and death itself, Yamaraj. Because a bhakta always sees Krishna, death is not something unknown or strange to him, and because he knows the constitution of the soul, he knows that death is simply a transition to life. With the Names of Krishna on his lips, he fears nothing, for Krishna says that His Names contain all His potencies. And in the Srimad Bhagavatam it is said that the vibration of Krishna's Names strikes terror into fear itself.
Forgiveness
We cannot expect that all men will be first class. There may be men in goodness or in passion or in ignorance, but one should always be tolerant and forgiving. In Krishna consciousness one doesn’t really have any connection with this man or that man. He is simply connected to the philosophy and the process of life. On a ship one may not find everyone to his liking, but he should nonetheless sit down firmly in his cabin and take advantage of the crossing. The minor offenses of others should be forgiven as a penance. Lord Chaitanya says that if one wants to chant Hare Krishna he should become as tolerant as a tree. Everyone commits offences against trees. People cut them down, snatch leaves from them and break twigs and branches. But still the trees supply fruits and flowers and shade. To chant the Hare Krishna mantra, one should be as forgiving and forebearing as the grass which does not protest even though it is trampled down. After all, offenses are committed against the gross body. How is it possible to offend the ever blissful soul? Puffed-up artificial honor is simply connected with the body. Whether one is aking or a poor man, whether one is honored or insulted, kingdom, poverty, insult and honor will all be finished at death. One should realize that he is spirit and has nothing to do with honor or dishonor. Becoming God conscious is declaring war against material nature. And so material nature puts all impediments in one's way.
One may be insulted, but one should never become disturbed by this. Ananda, one of Lord Buddha's disciples, was once asked by Lord Buddha what he would do if, when going to a town to preach the dharma, the inhabitants insulted him. Ananda replied, "Oh, I would bless them for not injuring me." Then Lord Buddha asked what he would do if the inhabitants threw stones at him and injured him, and Ananda replied, "Oh, I would bless them for not killing me." Finally Lord Buddha asked what he would do if they killed him, and his disciple replied, "Oh, I would bless them for delivering me from all the sufferings of this material world." Similarly, Lord Jesus Christ was crucified because He preached God consciousness. And yet while He was dying on the cross, He said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Lord Jesus, by His very life and teachings, emphasized the importance of forgiveness in this age of Kali. Similarly, Lord Krishna says that the wise man is always forgiving and is the same both in pleasure and pain, honor and dishonor. In Srimad Bhagavatam Maharaj Parikshit insulted Samika Rishi by placing a dead snake on his shoulder, but the sage considered this unimportant and readily forgave him. However his son, Sringi, who was puffed-up with brahminical powers, did not forgive Maharaj Parikshit, but cursed him, and for this Sringi was condemned. The best policy then in this age of Kali is to forgive others as one would have himself forgiven by Lord Krishna.
Truthfulness
The word "truth" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word treowe and originally from the Sanskrit word derew, both meaning "tree.” The idea is that one who is truthful is as firm, upright and strong as a tree. When one is truthful, he does not misrepresent the facts, but presents them fully for the benefit of others. Of course it is conventional from the social point of view to speak the truth only when it is palatable to others, but this is not what is meant by truthfulness. One should always speak the truth under all circumstances, although it may seem to be unpalatable at the time. Flattery, like insult, is directed to the body. How can one flatter the spirit soul? So, neglecting to be truthful for the sake of flattering others is indulging in a type of sense gratification. In the Srimad Bhagavatam it is said that the Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates. So we should understand what the Absolute Truth is, and we should always speak according to that understanding. Then we will be speaking truthfully. Lord Jesus Christ has said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." The truth frees us because when we tell the truth we do not become entangled by trying to compromise with material situations, which are always changing. Because we know the Absolute Truth, which is, "God is great and we are subservient," we have a center for speech, thought and action and so are straightforward in all our dealings. By not becoming entangled in a chain of lies, we are set free.
If we don't accept our subservient position before God then we have to do it before material nature. It is a false notion that we are independent. We cannot be absolute. Nature's law forces us to starve, forces us to take breath, forces us to get sick and die. Materialistic ideas of independence and freedom are but the wishful pipedreams of feverish brains. In America the slaves thought that when they would be set free, all their problems would be solved, but the Emancipation Proclamation was just the beginning of their problems. Similarly, India, although eating well under British rule, was hankering for independence. But now that she is free she is starving and begging. So what is this independence? It is simply illusion. We are all put under the jurisdiction of material nature. Our freedom only comes when we are subservient to the Absolute Truth. When one serves the government he partakes of the opulence of the government, and when one serves the Absolute Truth he partakes of the qualities of the Absolute Truth and so becomes truthful and free from illusion. He speaks of the Absolute Truth for the benefit of others, and he does not invent but bases his statements on scripture. It is often said that God is truth and is referred to as Absolute Truth because He is never at variance with truth. This is to say that He is never false or in a state of illusion, nor can there be any duplicity in Him.
Meister Eckhart once wrote, "What is Truth? Truth is something so noble that if God could turn aside from it, I could keep to the truth and let God go.” This means that the concept of "God," which is the concept of Absolute Controller, is not as important as Absolute Truth. Out of helplessness we yield to the Absolute Controller, but out of love we yield to the Absolute Truth.
Self-Control
A swami is one who can control the senses. Generally we are all servants of our senses. Our eyes will make us turn from something horrible to look at something beautiful. Our nose will make us avoid stench and sprinkle ourselves with perfumes and lotions. Our ears will make us avoid unpleasant sounds and buy phonographs and go to concerts to hear the music we like. Our hands and sense of touch will make us buy expensive clothing to cover our bodies and make us hunt for sexual partners. And our tongue will make us go to the grocery store to buy expensive foods and make us go to restaurants to partake of the concoctions of special chefs. And our mind will make us buy intoxicants so we can get dizzy, have hallucinations, and feel "happy" for a moment. And all of these senses combined make us work very, very hard throughout our lives to serve them nicely. Then when we are under their control and serving them very nicely, they suddenly all leave us at death. "An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them." (Gita, 5.22) So the senses are hard ungrateful masters who are never satisfied. They drag the self into the darkest regions of the universe and make him endure all kinds of ignominies.
The attraction the senses have for their objects is called lust. And in the Third Chapter of Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, "It is lust only which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath; and which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world," (Gita, 3.37) that turns one from the Divine. "As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, similarly, the living entity is covered by different degrees of this lust. Thus, a man's pure consciousness is covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which veils the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him. Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, in the very beginning curb the great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization." (Gita, 3.38-41) Throughout the Gita, self-control is of central importance, and Krishna emphasizes that the man who is in communion with Him can control himself. As long as one is under the control of the material senses there is no question of mukti or liberation. And of all the senses the mind is the strongest, for it controls the other senses. After Lord Krishna gives instructions in Samkhya yoga in Chapter Six of the Gita, Arjuna says that this yoga appears impractical and unendurable to him because the mind is restless and unsteady. "The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krishna, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind." (Gita, 6.34) The Lord admits that it is very difficult to curb the restless mind but, "It is possible by constant practice and by detachment." (Gita, 6.35) He then tells Arjuna that "one who strives by right means to control the mind is assured of success." (Gita, 6.36) The mind is central to the control of other senses. "One should engage oneself in the practice of yoga with undeviating determination and faith. One should abandon without exception all material desires born of ego and thus control all the senses on all sides by the mind." (Gita, 6.24)
It is not possible to control the senses by denying them absolutely. Activity is the symptom of the living entity. Lord Krishna says that one cannot remain inactive for even a moment. Therefore the senses must be engaged. In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna enumerates ways whereby the mind and senses can be engaged in self realization and thus controlled. There is the very difficult path of meditation, Samkhya yoga, according to which one must select a seat in complete solitude, sit erect and cross-legged, refrain completely from all sex life, stare at the tip of his nose, regulate his breathing, shut out all external objects and go into a trance meditating on the Super Soul within. This was recommended for the previous age and is practically impossible now. It is certainly impractical for Westerners whose legs ache after about fifteen minutes of lotus posture, what to speak of days. Another method for controlling the senses is Karma yoga, which is the process of engaging the senses in action and work in a spirit of detachment and renunciation. And a third method is Jnana yoga, by which the senses are engaged in the study of scripture. All of these culminate in Bhakti yoga, which is the highest, easiest and most profitable method for this or any age. In Bhakti yoga, the senses are controlled by total devotion to the Supreme. One classic example of total devotion was Maharaj Amburish who adopted all the processes of devotional service and attained perfect success. It was he who engaged his mind on the Lotus Feet of the Lord, his voice in describing the spiritual worlds, his hands in cleansing the temple of the Lord, his ears in submissively hearing the words of Lord Sri Krishna, his eyes in visualizing the deities of the Lord, his body in touching the bodies of the devotees, his nostrils in smelling the flowers offered to the Lord, his tongue in tasting the food offered to the Lord, his legs in visiting the temple of the Lord, and all the energy of his life in executing the services of the Lord without in the least desiring his own sense gratification. All of these enabled him to be completely successful in controlling the senses. It should be noted that he did not control his senses by trying to negate them, by trying to meditate on the void or even by practicing austerities. For, after all, he was speaking and working, associating with others, eating, traveling about, smelling flowers. He led a life of full engagement. Yet his senses were perfectly controlled because they were absorbed in the service of Krishna. So it is not that we have to deny our senses. In fact, this is not possible. But we must engage our senses positively, following in the footsteps of Maharaj Amburish. One who can control his senses in such a way is called a swami, for the senses are actually acting under his order. "Before giving up this present body, if one is able to tolerate the urges of the material senses and check the force of desire and anger, he is a yogi and is happy in this world." (Gita, 5.23)
It is also said that next to the mind the most difficult sense organ to control is the tongue, for when one can control the tongue, he can control all the other senses. And if he cannot control the tongue, all the other senses run riot. The tongue is controlled by chanting Hare Krishna and eating prasadam, spiritual food. The business of the tongue is to vibrate the transcendental sounds and to taste the transcendental food. In this way, it will be restricted from idle talk, meat-eating, smoking, etc.
We are not stones but men, and our senses are superior to dull matter. Lord Krishna says, "Mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he, the soul, is even higher than intelligence. Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, one should control the lower self by the higher self and thus by spiritual strength conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust." (Gita, 3.42-43) The material senses which belong to the lower self are actually reflections of the transcendental senses which belong to the higher self. The process of total devotional engagement of the senses as practiced by Maharaj Amburish transcendentalizes our senses. "For one who has conquered his mind, it is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy." (Gita, 6.6)
Calmness
Once the senses are controlled, one becomes calm. He does not always worry about making money in order to be able to buy things to gratify them. Because the mind and the senses are controlled by engagement, the self is not disturbed by the dictation of the senses. He hears them but tolerates them as a man may tolerate a nagging wife. The desires of the senses may come and go, but he is always calm because he knows that they are controlled against their will by devotional engagement. It is not possible to stop the flow of desires, but it is possible not to be disturbed by them. Lord Krishna says, "A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires—that enter like rivers into the ocean which is ever being filled but is always still—can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires. A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship, who is devoid of false ego—he alone can attain real peace.” (Gita, 2.70-71)
A person in the Divine consciousness is also calm because he is established in Krishna who is the Ultimate Security. As stated before, he is not fearful of death because he knows his identity beyond the body. Rivers are turbulent when they are running to the sea, but their waters become calm when they enter the great ocean. When the individual consciousness is severed from its relationship with the Divine, it is restless and turbulent, but when it enters the great ocean of the Divine consciousness it becomes calm.
Continued in issue number 31.
Poem
Poem
by Uttara Dasi
Just at the end of night, when all is still
And hung with blindness, breeding dark decay,
The sun, with rays of cleansing, living light
Moves forth on the horizon, and brings day;
So an Acharya comes, bearing the light
Of love of God, the clearest beams of all.
He is our Shelter from the eyeless night
Of nescience, and we know we shall not fall.
If we but keep His teachings in our hearts
We shall love Krishna by this one life's end,
The Master's order is our life and soul
For He is Krishna’s confidential Friend.
I therefore offer this most humble prayer
That Srila Prabhupad make my faith strong;
He is the sun; illuminating all:
Go back to Godhead back where you belong!
What It Means to be Spiritually Deprived
What It Means to be Spiritually Deprived
—By Rupanuga das Adhikari
(ISKCON—Buffalo)
The symptoms of spiritual deprivation are the same for everybody in the material world. Consider that we are all subject to birth, disease, old age, and death. We suffer from the three-fold miseries: miseries inflicted upon us by our own minds and bodies, by other living entities (viruses, mosquito bites, wars), and by Nature in the form of hurricanes, floods and other dangers and inconveniences. In addition, we are always imperfect, prone to make mistakes, and illusioned, and our memory is poor. Our senses are blunt and imperfect, we cannot see through a piece of paper a tiny fraction of an inch thick, and at night we are blind without artificial lighting. Any scientist knows that we are capable of perceiving only a minute portion of the known vibratory spectrum of the material world, great areas of which are invisible to our senses and our inventions.
A sane man should accept this as the description of the human condition and as the actual plight of his personal self. Failure to recognize this is the work of illusion, and because we are illusioned we make mistakes and cannot be perfect no matter how hard we try. All because we have forgotten God.
Spiritual deprivation is forgetfulness of God. This is the only reason that what we see around us is happening at all. What we see around us, this material world, is the embodiment of our forgetfulness. At a time not traceable even in the Vedas, the most ancient of scriptures on this planet, we desired to be imitations of the Supreme Lord. We wanted to lord it over our private domains, and that Supreme Personality of Godhead, infinitely kind in His Love, gave us what we desired. But since such desire to be as powerful as the Supreme was born of illusion, what else could be reaped but another illusion, this material world, this reflection of the Kingdom of God? Because we wanted to forget our relationship with God, He gave us this world in which to live out our forgetfulness. We will remain here until we remember that we are actually His servants and recover our love for Him, our Master. Our personal realization of this is called Krishna Consciousness.
We must begin our recovery from the disease of forgetfulness by understanding that we are deprived, mired in this material misfortune, bound in this body by the immutable laws of nature. Can this misery be doubted? Ask any man if he is happy and contented. If he says yes, we automatically do not believe him, because experience teaches us that whatever happiness comes our way is only temporary. Yet it is our illusion, as with the drunk lying in the Bowery and the pig eating stool, to be thinking that we are happy. Or, if we do admit that we are mostly unhappy, we do not know what to do about it.
Mention God and we are embarrassed, flying into impersonal and abstract concepts such as "Society," "moral responsibility," "existentialism" or some political issue. This instant depersonalization, when the mind refuses to concentrate on thoughts of God, is speculation leading away from our Real Self. Afraid of becoming personal about our real business, we seek shelter in ultimate voidism.
In this perpetual struggle to cope with happiness and misery, adjustments can be made, but never permanently; there is neither victory nor escape, only certain defeat in death or rebirth. Our misery and happiness automatically accrue to us by the control of nature. Nature or Maya—the material energy—controls us, and Krishna The Supreme Personality of Godhead controls Maya. Krishna tells us:
The whole cosmic order is under Me. By My Will is it manifested again and again, and by My Will is it annihilated at the end.
This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all the moving and unmoving beings; and by its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again. (BG 9.8 and 10)
We control nothing, not even our own minds and bodies. As long as we think that we are of this matter, then we serve matter. As long as we serve matter, we are out of control, quite beserk. In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna says,
One who is not in transcendental consciousness can have neither a controlled mind, nor steady intelligence, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace? (2.66)
We are merely the guests of time and space until we start to remember Krishna; then He will allow us a little control and our Self-realization, our Spiritual Life begins.
Until that time, a person manufactures his own brand of deprivation—with considerable cooperation, especially from the "psychotherapist" or "psychoanalyst." It is our misfortune that we can produce no better offer for guidance than these bogus spiritual masters (or the fashionable heir-apparent, the psychedelic guru). Although psychological theories center around deprivation as the primal cause of mental disturbance, the conception is material only. Therefore, any adjustment must necessarily be temporary, and where then is the cure? It is sought in the realignment of our desires. It is said in explanation that our desires are still attached to our parents, and our search for love and happiness will fail because it is still infantile. Therefore we must detach such desire from that parent who never fulfilled it, and re-attach it to someone or even something else which will. Hopefully another woman, a wife or a husband.
There are a number of variations on the theme, but the premise is the same: deprived of love we are unable to develop and to give love, and thus we cannot be happy. The skill of the therapist is to manipulate the so-called unconscious desire and to re-attach it consciously to the fulfilling object. Yet still there is the anxiety that always goes with desire, and there is no cure for frustration.
All this is only sexual and economic adjustment and is a reflection of the real life taking place right now on the Spiritual Plane, where every living entity is eternally in exchange of love with God. On the material plane, the embodied soul takes all Krishna provides in love for us, but gives nothing in return. Krishna is in love with us, but we are not in love with Him. There is no question of being deprived of God's love; rather we are in love with our own desires, our minds and bodies. As Swami Bhaktivedanta says, we are merely tasting our own blood.
It is a fact that the history of bodies as worked out in ancestry and family relationships, communities, organizations and countries, has nothing to do with us. It all goes on quite automatically, in order to provide us with a particular body, time, and space so that our individual desires can be facilitated. As spirit-soul we are related only to the Supreme, and we are all brothers because our positions are the same although individual: we are the servants of the servants of the servants of servants of servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. "Relatives" and relativity belong to the material world. The spirit-soul knows no generations, only the transcendental connection between the disciple and his Spiritual Master, and all the Spiritual Masters in the line of Disciplic Succession, all the way up to Krishna Who is the Supreme Guru. There is no other family tree.
We are all disturbed by involvement in the turmoil of this material world. Insanity is the condition of the material mind and senses, it is only the matter of degree which remains to be gauged. There are a number of people whom we would all agree are insane, because they hear voices and see things and tell crazy stories. Are they not sleeping? Dreaming? But are we awake, with our private worlds of fantasies and confabulations? Who is crazy? It is only a matter of degree.
Obviously, the insane man is the opposite of intelligent. But who is intelligent? Do we know who we are, where we came from, where we are going? Where are the sages who can tell us the meaning of life? Intelligence means how well we know God. Knowledge of the Absolute Truth is the only real knowledge there is.
The living being is by constitution transcendental to material engagements, but he is now imprisoned by the external energy and therefore he thinks himself one of the material products, due to such unholy contact. And due to this unholy contact, the pure spiritual entity suffers all material miseries under the modes of material nature. The living entity misconstrues himself as a material product. This means that the present perverted way of thinking, feeling, and willing of the living being under material conditions is not natural for him, but that he has his normal way of thinking, feeling, and willing as much as there is a difference between a normal healthy man and the diseased man. (Srimad Bhagavatam, Vol. I, Chap. 7, Text 5)In the final analysis, all misery, all disease, all frustration and dissatisfaction are symptoms of spiritual deprivation because existence in matter is itself this deprivation. The psychiatrist senses this as a separation, a lack of love, but he has no knowledge of love of Godhead. And it is not that God fails to give us His love, for it is always within our hearts, but that we fail to return it. Our anxiety comes from this separation, all other separation is illusion. The love that our parents perhaps never gave us was a love between body and body; it was a thing of identifications, or material attachments between material bodies.
Therefore, there is only one problem for all of us, the body. Our problem is that we think that we are this body or matter. That is the only real disease. But we are not this body; we are spirit-soul and our real attachment, our real desire is the Spiritual Love of Godhead. If we love God we automatically love all living entities.
We can choose God anytime we want, or we can remain separated and disturbed. The facility for separation is worked out in the arrangement of the immutable laws of Karma which govern the transmigrations of the soul. Karma means that to every action there is a reaction leading to further action-reaction, good for good and bad for bad, continuously involving further commitment and entanglement. The aggregate of these activities, including past lives, determines the type of body we take, birth after birth after birth. Living a miserable life, we take a miserable birth because we get only what we want. Our desire has always been our destiny. Unfortunately, the tendency is often downward: in the Vedas are described lower planets where the only light is provided from jewels in the heads of serpents.
There is no end to this samsara, or wheel of birth and death; we have been so engaged since time immemorial. What does the therapist armed with shock treatments and the fantasies of sons and lovers know of this? What does the self-appointed guru think he is doing? Prodding the Supreme Personality of Godhead with a pill? Such is the power of our ancient bad habits.
We cannot by such imagination free ourselves. We cannot cure ourselves merely by changing the objects of our material desire because by doing so we remain only on the material plane, this distorted reflection of the Spiritual World. It is a choice we must make: love of God or love of matter. There is no half-way house. As soon as Krishna sees that we are trying to revive our love for Him, He will help us. And just as anxiety goes with desire in the material world, so anxiety will accompany our desire for Krishna Consciousness, but this anxiety has now become an aspect of our transcendental love of Godhead. We must give up the symptoms of spiritual deprivation, and develop the symptoms of God-realization.
We can develop these symptoms by thinking about the Supreme Person—His Name, His Fame, His Pastimes. This process of being so engaged in the Goal of all life is called bhakti, or devotional service. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness demonstrates and teaches, under the expert guidance of a Spiritual Master, how to develop a taste for this love of Godhead. By hearing, chanting, remembering, serving, singing, dancing, reading, eating, and telling others, our distorted consciousness becomes purified. It is not that we have to stop our work, whatever it is, but that we have enough faith to chant HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE/HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE.
If we can follow this, then no longer disturbed we gradually become peaceful. The bleak duality of the pleasure-pain world cannot engage us, our illusions lose their grip on us: deprivation ends as we recover the memory of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami assures us that "advancement can be tested by the decreased taste for material consciousness: there will be no more taste for material miseries and happiness. YOU WILL BE CURED.")
Man's Link to God
Man's Link to God
—By Kirtanananda Swami
(ISKCON—New Vrindaban)
Love. Love is a very pleasing word, for everyone wants to love or be loved. It is the natural propensity of the living entity, and where there is no natural object of love we sometimes find perverted objects of love. A mother cat deprived of her kittens may nurse a mouse, or a dog may nurse a kitten. Similarly we see so many childless women, with no object of love, loving dogs and cats as if they were their own children. Love there must be, but love for what? That is the question. Everyone is actually loving something, either his wife, or family, or country, or party, or hobby, or some intellectual pursuit, or at last his senses. Some object there must be. Everyone is loving something.
But what about the Absolute Truth? Why not love the Absolute Truth, Krishna? Actually, love for Krishna is dormant within each of us, but because we have no conscious love for Him we are frustrated in various objects of love, and, therefore, in the material world, love is 99.9% frustration simply because the love isn't in the right place. When you love Krishna you love everyone, but the converse is never true. If you water the root of a plant, all the leaves and branches are nourished; but it is not the same thing to simply water the leaves and branches. Therefore we must learn to love Krishna, for only those who love Him perfectly can love others. They are called liberated souls, and they live in the spiritual world eternally. Such eternally liberated souls never come back to this material world; but the eternally conditioned souls have been groping their way through these sundry planetary systems since time immemorial. For us there is no exit, for in this wandering, forgetful condition we have forgotten our love of Krishna.
This love of Krishna is not something vague or illusory, nor is it impersonal. Actually, love can never be impersonal, for love means an exchange between two persons. But the Supreme Lord is a person, and the living entity is a person, and in such loving transcendental affairs, it may be forgotten who is God and who is not, but the center is always Krishna. Without Krishna the eternally liberated soul feels mad. He wants to think Krishna. He wants to dream Krishna. He wants to eat Krishna. He wants to do everything for Krishna. Simply Krishna. The spiritual world means simply loving Krishna. That is all. That love for Krishna is pure and true; so if anyone thinks he has tasted pleasure in a perverted love affair of the material world, just imagine the pleasure of a perfectly centered love affair with the Absolute Truth Sri Krishna—a sat chit ananda love affair. That is the perfectional stage: the lovable object is eternal; the lover is eternal; the bliss is eternal. Unfortunately, in our conditioned state we have forgotten this love of Godhead, and we now think it is our business to hate God. Sometimes we think, "Oh my God, foolish people are gathered to worship God.” By nature we are all lovers of God. But here is the illusory world, and in this maya, we think that He is our enemy. This is maya, what is not. But because we have forgotten Krishna, we think we are adverse to Him; therefore we are perpetually entangled in the threefold miseries; not only threefold, they are sevenfold: they are the miseries of birth, old age, disease, and death, and the miseries of this body, the miseries of nature, and the miseries inflicted by other living entities.
Those in ignorance may not understand the miserable condition they are actually in. Indeed they may think they are happy, but that does not actually alleviate their condition. The drunkard lying in the gutter may think he is happy, but he is simply intoxicated. Actually he is in a miserable condition, and when the intoxication ceases he will be fully conscious of it. Likewise, the conditioned living entities may be intoxicated, thinking they are happy for some brief moment, but the inevitable result is that the intoxication wears off and they are again miserable. This is called samsara, or the entanglement in miseries. Sometimes we try to compensate for this miserable condition of so-called enjoyment, but the result is a more and more hellish life. We are going round and round in various species of life, eating nasty things, acting fiendishly, and on account of our ignorance we are trying to lord it over the material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities.
There is a painting of the goddess Durga riding a lion with a trident in her hand, piercing the breast of a demon. The lion she rides is a symbol of raja guna, passion, full of anger and lust. Satya guna, goodness, is full of knowledge, and tama guna, ignorance, is complete forgetfulness, like the Bowery drunkard—neither angry, lustful, knowledgable-simply lying in the gutter. The demon's characteristic is to challenge the Lord. And the trident represents the threefold miseries of material nature So whether it be the miseries of bedbugs or other troublesome creatures, or the miseries of famine and pestilence, or the miseries of this body, we are all under the control of this material nature, and the trident is pressing against our chest. Those who are enlightened know that this is a miserable condition, whereas others say, "That is all right." "We are enjoying very nicely." In this way we are being kicked, like a football, thrown first to the party of lust and then to the party of anger. If the football thinks, "I am free, I am moving of my own accord," what is that freedom? Simply the freedom to be kicked; as the ball is kicked by the player, so we are being kicked by the power of lust and anger, the concomitants of material nature.
In this way we are passing our lives. But if by chance we get the association of a saintly person, a pure devotee of the Lord, then by His mercy, this illusion becomes vanished. Therefore it is advised that everyone should seek the association of a saintly person, so that this ghost of ignorance may be removed; simply by taking shelter of a saintly person the kicks of material nature can be stopped. Actually, the trouble is in our mind, and it is there like a knot. It is called the mental knot of matter, and by the instruction of the Spiritual Master it is cut. That instruction is sometimes called the sword of discrimination, and in the second chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Krishna very elaborately explains this knowledge to His disciple Arjuna. In the 16th, 17th, and 18th verses Krishna says: "Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the non-existent there is no endurance, and of the eternal there is no cessation. Seers have concluded this by studying the nature of both. That which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul. Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is subject to destruction. Therefore, fight, O descendant of Bharata."
Real knowledge, therefore, is to be able to distinguish that which is eternal from that which is temporal, to perceive the difference between body and soul, to know that matter is not spirit. Matter is dependent on spirit—that is knowledge; and Real Intelligence is to understand the finer activities of this nature and how things are happening. A child is interested simply in the anatomical or automatic. He thinks a motor car is running in the street on its own accord. He sees a tape recorder or a microphone and thinks no more of it than the surface appearance. But not one of these instruments works unless the spirit soul touches them. That is intelligence. To know the spirit soul that is behind the body as the activating principle is called buddhi. Try to find out who is working the machine. Simply grossly seeing is not intelligence. Unfortunately our men of high standing, our writers, our teachers, our leaders have become more interested in technology than Ultimate Knowledge. They clap very loudly at the latest convention and say "How wonderful" to the newest invention, but where is the scientist who can bring forth a substance and say, "Here, inject this in my body when I die and I will come back again." If they could do that, there would be no scarcity of scientists or any other great brains. The truth is that the so-called scientists and philosophers are not working of their own accord but under the spell of material energy. In Bhagavad Gita, Ninth Chapter, tenth verse, Krishna says, "This material nature is working under my direction.” So nature is simply the agent, or the efficient cause, but Krishna is the real Cause. Similarly, He tells His disciple, Arjuna, that it is actually He Himself who has killed all the soldiers and kings on the battlefield, and He simply invites Arjuna to be His instrument for victory. So buddhi or knowledge means to understand that we are simply an instrument in the hands of Krishna; and therefore, work in Krishna consciousness means to work on the account of Krishna; but if you try to work against Krishna, frustration is inevitable.
Therefore, real knowledge is not book knowledge, nor is it specific knowledge. Some of us at our ashram, New Vrindaban, in West Virginia, have had experience recently that in spite of all of our so-called intelligence, we sometimes cannot even control a cow or a horse or hitch a wagon; but any old farmer in the neighborhood can do any of these things. Similarly, I cannot build a nest like the bird, or make a dam like the beaver. These specific activities may be technology, but they are not knowledge. Knowledge is to know matter from spirit. There is something in the body by which the body works, but that something which pervades the body and makes it work, that is unknown to modern educators; and modern education takes account only of the material side; and the result, therefore, is that today we have a civilization of fools. The automobile is designed and redesigned, but the driver is neglected, so much so that a caption in Scientific American magazine read, "For manufacturing matter, a soul is killed."
Real intelligence means that one gives more attention to the spiritual side of existence, for that is the active principle. Only this kind of discrimination between matter and spirit or between the temporal and the eternal can create a really advanced civilization, technically called an Aryan civilization. This word Aryan is a Sanskrit word which means advanced, advanced in spiritually based civilization and knowledge. When Arjuna declined to fight on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra, Krishna said that he was acting like a non-Aryan because he had lost his knowledge and become like the non-Aryan. That knowledge which he was neglecting was spiritual knowledge, knowledge that he was not that body, that he was pure spirit, part and parcel of the Supreme Whole, Krishna. A non-Aryan civilization, conversely, means a civilization based on the ideas of bodily sense gratification, and that is the unfortunate modern condition.
But this human form of life is not meant merely for sense gratification. In the human form of life, the soul has developed consciousness, developed by a long, slow process of evolution—from aquatics, to birds, to beasts, to man. If in this human form of life we are using this developed consciousness simply to carry out the engagements that all other animals carry out, namely, eating, sleeping, defending, and mating, how can this be called advanced civilization? Rather it is a civilization fit for dogs and hogs. On the contrary, this human form of life is meant for ending this material entanglement, and, therefore, we require a civilization that promotes God consciousness, Krishna consciousness, or love of Godhead. Today, however, people have forgotten this, and they have forgotten how to love God, and so they think God is dead. Now, inevitably, material nature is kicking them: war, pestilence, overpopulation; yes, overpopulation because no one is graduating. If I open a school and admit 100 new students every year, but never graduate a single soul, my schoolhouse will soon be bursting at the seams. Because we have forgotten the path back to Godhead, back to home, this human form of life is becoming crowded; no one is being promoted and we are being blocked; and so by nature's course there is some pestilence, some war, something to break it up. We have received the greatest gift of God, this human form of life, which is meant to develop our spiritual consciousness; and God has given us so many great books of knowledge, but who has any use for them today?
If we follow the animal propensity, just like a hog after a sow, we cannot consider ourselves civilized. We must be sober, distinct from animal life, jealous of this body achieved after so many millions or trillions of years of births. There are so many varieties of bodies, and why is this form of man so rare? Because from here we can attain the highest perfection. But still we are only attached to money. Money may deliver us a substance for some time, but it is not permanent. But if we are sober and ask how we shall use this most valuable life, that will be our perfection. We do not know how soon death will come, and so we should not neglect this life. Prahlad Maharaj was instructed by the great sage Narada and became a teacher of Krishna consciousness at five years of age, whereas a 300 year old tree or a 5 million year old stone may have no utilization. A five-year-old boy who has this knowledge has perfection. Don't say, "Oh I am so young, let me enjoy for now. I will become Krishna conscious when I am old." Your next breath is not assured, and the Bhagavatam warns that one should not be puffed-up because of long duration of life, for that is only in comparison to the cats and dogs. "Don't you see the tree?" Bhagavatam says, "It lives 500 years or 1,000 years. "Yes," you may say, "but it can't breathe." "Oh don't you see the bellows? It breathes.” "Yes, but the bellows can't enjoy sex life," you may say. "Oh, dogs and hogs, don't they enjoy sex life? Don't they eat? Why are you so proud, man?" Rather our pride should be in Krishna consciousness, otherwise we are simply animalistic. Only Krishna consciousness is freedom from bewilderment. Therefore, take advantage of your intelligence, reason and knowledge in Krishna consciousness. Don't spoil your life. Act for Krishna.
ISKCON Hawaii
ISKCON Hawaii
The Kam Day Parade
—by Govinda Dasi
The Kam Day Parade is a yearly event commemorating the reign of the Hawaiian King Kamehameha. This parade is known to draw thousands, so we were naturally anxious to take advantage of this opportunity for propagating Krishna consciousness.
Despite the uncertainty due to rainy weather, the boys started into town the day before the parade, collecting banana leaves, flowers, etc. for decorating our truck to make it look like a float. They worked nearly all night on it, and meantime the girls made trimming and painted signs for decoration, so that by morning the truck was no longer recognizable as a 1960 GMC pickup, but was rather a beautiful flower-laden Krishna consciousness float.
We arrived at the Magic Island Fairgrounds at 8:00 next morning, and finished the decorating, then got in line at 10:00 and waited two hours for our turn to move out. At noon the announcer called out through his microphone: "The Hare Krishna Temple—step out!" So we began our five mile march down the main street of Honolulu, before 55,000 people, TV cameras, etc. Goursundar, Balabhadra, Turyadas, and Sudama, and a new boy named Charles were dancing and chanting before the float; Jadurany, Jayasri and Govinda Dasi sat atop the float singing and tossing flowers to the crowd; and Vamandev was driving the truck beneath its layers of leaves and flowers. Our procession was bewildering to most of the people, but a number of young people chanted as we passed, many adults clapped, dozens of children scrambled after the flowers tossed down by the girls, and many simply gazed in awe—for we were undoubtedly the most unusual and unexpected float in the parade! The other floats bore Hawaiian hula dancers, ukulele players, actors appearing as Hawaiian kings and queens, etc., but we had nothing to do with Hawaiiana, so the officials seemed a bit embarrassed.
As we reached the end of the march, the Iolani Palace Gates, we approached the largest part of the crowd, including the government officials. We went right up to the speaker stand, then off to the side and the parade was over. We were escorted by motorcycle patrolmen back to Magic Island to dismantle the float. We were televised again on the evening news broadcast.
It was a successful appearance since many thousands heard the Holy Name, along with khartal and mridanga, and saw the small procession of devotees for the first time in their lives.
Kirtan Hawaiian Style
Jimmy Hendrix, we were told, is the biggest in the rock business, so there were thousands of people, mostly young, expected at his shows at the Waikiki Shell. Sure enough, the Shell was jam-packed on Friday night, May 30; the gate was 26,000 in all. It was crowded both inside and outside when we arrived there with our cymbals, bells and guitar.
There were only four of us, Sudama, Turyadas, Barbara, and myself. Goursundar and Balabhadra had gone to Maui and the Big Island, Hawaii, to search out land or a suitable house for a temple and/or ashram there.
We sat down just beside the ticket office and gate and began chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, with the sound of Hendrix's mammoth amps rumbling in the background. Very soon a circle of fifty or so people gathered; some joined, some stared, some left and were replaced by others. This went on for a couple of hours, with more and more remaining to join us in chanting. In fact, we began to hear Hare Krishna singing coming from within the Shell—and as we learned later, Hendrix's equipment was not working properly, so it was a bad show, and everybody inside began to chant Hare Krishna along with us. The show was called off early and re-scheduled for Sunday. The people began to stream out the gate, and many joined us, forming a circle which got larger by the minute. I got up and began to dance around the circle, inducing others to join us. A few joined at first, and many others stood around clapping and singing loudly Hare Krishna. Then as the show was closing down, thousands of kids streamed out the mouth of the Shell, looking for excitement. They found it. Hundreds began crowding around, loudly singing, and began dancing madly, dancing round and round, jumping up into the air, arms upstretched crying, "Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare!" The frenzy of the mob increased in tempo, and almost instantly there was an ocean of arms and heads, waving and shouting, "Rama Rama, Hare Hare!" Everyone was radiant, smiling, joyfully relishing the beauty of Krishna Samkirtana. A little boy climbed a tree above to see the singing ocean, and I handed him a picture of Lord Chaitanya to hold up high above the crowd. The mob, unknowingly, was performing the greatest yajna (sacrifice) for spiritual upliftment in the present age of Kali! I lifted up my arms to reach up to Lord Chaitanya's Merciful Lotus Feet, and hundreds also began lifting their arms, swimming in the Ocean of Mercy surrounding the Lotus Feet of our Preceptor, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj. It was so beautiful to witness this Ocean of Mercy flowing so freely for all. All were glorifying Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with Harer Nama Samkirtana. The crowd's pace heightened, and the police were pushing them, trying to make way for the remainder of persons leaving the Shell. The chanting crowd was now so large that it was blocking the gate, so Sudama and Turyadas started a parade to lead the mob into the park to continue chanting on the grass beneath the full moon and banyan trees. The whole mob followed them to the park, and I remained to gather the Hare Krishna banners, scattered instruments, magazines, etc. In the park the chanting continued at a heightened pace, and I began selling BTG magazines. Then four police cars screeched up, blue lights blinking, and insisted that we disperse. I explained patiently that being a religious organization we were chanting the Names of God, etc., but they were interested only in park permits (which, incidentally, are not available at all), so we had to leave. Turyadas, Sudama and I began to lead the mob in a parade to the sidewalk. Then Sudama turned and gave a short talk and invited everyone to our Sunday Love Feasts in Kaaawa. "You don't need a permit. There's seven acres of land. Just come and we can chant Hare Krishna all day and all night!" The crowd nodded and roared. Then we were given a ride home by some very interested young people.
The next night there were only three of us, and we began chanting outside in the same spot. This time we displayed a big sign, advertising the Hare Krishna Love Feast, and a brightly colored Hare Krishna Mantra Banner. We hung these high from the tree's limbs so that when the mob gathered they could see the banners. This time, the same thing happened. Just as quickly—hundreds were dancing and roaring to the sound of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. There was once a break in the chanting (which was long out of control), and due to the instigation of others the crowd began chanting, "We are one, we are one …," but very quickly, within five minutes, they tired of this and returned to resounding loud vibrations of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The tumultuous chanting and dancing mob once again overwhelmed the gate keepers, so Sudama led them in a parade into the park, where the chanting continued for some time until once again the police came, complaining of our permitless trespassing in the public park.
Because Friday night's audience was dissatisfied with the show, Hendrix jammed on Sunday for free—so there were lots and lots of people there on Sunday, and we were there again too. By now, everyone was talking about Krishna's Bliss, and the "far-out chanting things" of the two nights before, so we had no trouble getting our crowd. This crowd wasn't so rowdy, but was standing together, all two hundred, singing loudly, but peacefully. One boy held up candles and incense. This time there was only Turyadas, Frankie and I, so Turyadas stood in the middle of the chanters strumming the guitar, while I chanted round the outside playing cymbals, and Frankie sold BTG magazines. Everything was nice; everybody was chanting and loving it, but once again, the police started complaining and pushing the crowd to break it up. The police were very unsympathetic and not interested in Krishna consciousness. We had to stop at their insistence. But we had already made our main propaganda and met with overwhelming success on all three nights.
Heroine Govinda Dasi
[EDITOR'S NOTE: The title for this article was suggested by our Spiritual Master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada]
Hawaii: The Pleasure Fair was a program for young people, held in the Waikiki Shell (a huge park and amphitheatre) on June 20 and 21, 12 noon till 12 midnight, which drew over 12,000 youth both days. There were musical performances, arts and crafts displays, distribution of young peoples' publications, etc.
Goursundar, Balabhadra, Turyadas, and Frankie went in early on Thursday, June 19th, the day before the Fair opened, in order to construct our booth. They got a donation of small planks, which they nailed together to build a simple shed roof frame which they covered with canvas. The walls were made of bamboo screens. The next day they again came early and decorated the booth with altar, cloths, banners, etc. It was undoubtedly the nicest booth in the whole Fair. We got an electrical extension so that we could play the tape recorder and also use it as an amplifier in our kirtans there. We had a dozen friendly musicians for whom we got free passes to play with us on stage.
On the first day of the Pleasure Fair, we were supposed to open up the whole event at 12 noon with kirtan, but due to the Fair's opening later than scheduled, we went on stage at 2:30. It was a really beautiful kirtan performance. Goursundar played rhythm guitar, Turyadas bass and Turya's nice friend, John, played lead guitar, with drums, cymbals, flutes, sitar—and several giant amplifiers. We could be heard for blocks around! It was a beautiful band! People very much appreciated it, and many boys and girls sang along with us. The shell is like an outdoor acoustical amphitheatre. The stage has a huge concrete shell-shaped backing, which, along with the giant amplifiers, sends out sound clearly a great distance—so Hare Krishna was vibrating throughout the Fairgrounds, as well as in the outlying park where thousands could hear. So the first on-stage performance of the Hare Krishna Temple band was a huge success.
Then after kirtan, we opened our booth, where Lord Jagannath stood on a silk-covered altar bearing flowers of all sweet sorts. We offered and distributed noon prasadam to all passers-by, and we held kirtan off and on all day, talked with people, played kirtan and lecture tapes, Govinda album, and distributed coconut luddu prasadam. Many hundreds of youth passed, stopped, and gazed at the merciful Lord Jagannath. Toward evening many people came and stood in a circle by our booth chanting. We had aratrik announced on stage through the amplifiers, so everyone heard that at 8:00 a beautiful ceremony as is performed each evening in the ancient temples of India, aratrik, would be performed at the Hare Krishna Temple booth. Many came to see the beautiful ceremony, and Lord Jagannath seemed very pleased with all the people standing and clapping.
One young man, known widely as Sai, came by our booth and bowed to make offering of fruit to the Lord. He chanted with us, and invited us over to his yoga tent to chant Hare Krishna. So at 9:00 we had a Hare Krishna parade over the hill. But up on the hill, where thousands of youth were roaming, the parade stopped and we were playing instruments and singing, and within minutes, a huge crowd of several hundred was jumping up and down, arms upstretched, dancing and chanting Hare Krishna joyously. This glimpse of Lord Chaitanya's Mercy brought tears to the eyes of the devotees. This went on until we were asked to move on, because it was such loud singing that it was drowning out the group performing down on the stage, despite their amplifiers! So we had a big parade—chanting Hare Krishna—across the Fairgrounds. We tried to get to Sai's booth, but the cops stopped us for some reason, so we all went back to the Hare Krishna Temple booth! (Lord Jagannath was happy to receive so many chanters.) We had a beautiful kirtan at our little outdoor temple. Sai later came to our Sunday Love Feast, and chanted with us, took prasad, and invited us to his ashram to hold a big Samkirtan party in the future.
Goursundar, Balabhadra, and Turyadas remained overnight at the Fairgrounds with Lord Jagannath, and Sudama, Jadurany, Jayasri and myself all came home about 2 a.m. to rest for Saturday's 12 hour engagement there.
When we arrived back at the Fairgrounds on Saturday noon, we learned that Jesse (the boy who promoted the Fair) wanted to have a parade all the way down the Waikiki beach to advertise his Pleasure Fair. So we took up the idea, and began immediately to build a Jagannath Car (Vamandev did it in less than an hour!) and covered it with silks, and flower garlands, so that within an hour we had a very beautiful carry-car for Jagannath—to be borne on the shoulders of Balabhadra and Turyadas. We led the parade. About a hundred followed the cart out the Fair gates and down the side walk-Jagannath was going to the beach! We walked along the beach, chanting, playing mridanga and kartals, and hundreds of people saw the Lord's parade. Some joined, some chanted, some only clapped, and many did nothing but watch the procession in wonder. We went down the full length of Waikiki beach and returned to the sidewalk of Kalakaua, the busiest street in Honolulu, all singing loudly Harer Nama. Many, many more saw in awe the Lord's Pleasure Ride. We went through the International Marketplace, where hundreds heard the echo of the chanting—and, as we were told later, a radio microphone in the International Marketplace was lowered and the echo of our kirtan went over the air to hundreds more! Back on Kalakaua a number of "hippies" joined us, dancing and chanting down the sidewalk. On approaching the Shell fairgrounds, we invited them all to our Temple booth, where they joined us for aratrik and kirtan. We offered some apple juice (donated by Jesse) and distributed it to all the people in the parade. It was all very beautiful-everything perfectly timed, due to Lord Jagannath's Mercy.
At our booth we chanted and played recordings all day, and hundreds of people came throughout the course of the evening. There was a constant turnover of young people. We would take turns leading kirtan, with the help of the recorder as amplifier, and many joined us, asked questions, read our literature, etc.
Toward evening, I was crossing the hill and, passing an enclosed tent, I peeked in to see an altar with a man's picture, flowers, candles, etc., and learned that it was a booth glorifying a prominent "incarnation" of God. A young man inside was giving an informal talk to a dozen or so persons, so I stopped in to see what he was saying. He was speaking of love of God, and how this could be achieved by a process of elevation through sense gratification, yogic powers, etc. At the highest point, he said, we understand that we are God.
I was astonished to hear these things, so I questioned him. "What scriptures do you follow?"
He said, "His own writings."
“Who is this man you are worshiping?"
He said, "He is an avatar of God, he is Rama and he is Krishna."
The so-called incarnation he was speaking of actually has none of the qualifications of God, and I was becoming angry that such an ordinary mortal was being passed off as the Supreme Lord. I began to speak loudly so that all could hear: "You have no scripture, you have no disciplic succession, you are blindly following the teachings of this rascal! What proof do you have that this man is God? Has he shown you any evidence? Krishna lifted Goverdhan Hill as a Child when He appeared on this planet, but this man has not done any wonderful thing. Rather, I see by his picture that he is old and wrinkled and ugly, ready for death to take him; and yet you so foolishly believe that he is God. In the Vedas, the avatars’ appearances are fully described along with the birthplace and philosophy of each avatar. There is no mention of this rascal! You say that he is the last avatar of this age, but the Vedic authorities say that Kalki will come in 427,000 years. You fail to mention Lord Chaitanya, who appeared 486 years ago, and propagated the Samkirtan movement all over India, who drenched the universe in love of Godhead. His mission, His golden color—everything—was described by Vyasadeva, the compiler of all the Vedas, 5,000 years ago. But instead of accepting the authorized incarnation of Lord Chaitanya, you believe the word of an ordinary man who tells you, ‘I am God, and you can become God too,’ without even asking for scriptural evidence or proof of his lordship. This is very unfortunate.
“In the last half-century, so many of these cheaters have come to this country from India to mislead the people, proclaiming, ‘I am God,’ and holding in their hand a cigarette or a wine bottle. What kind of foolishness is this? We are all suffering in this material world, kicked this way and that like dogs, and yet you say you are God? You can never become God! You are conditioned, controlled by God. God is supreme, you are minute. Qualitatively you are one with God, you have in your pure spiritual state godly qualities, but you can never become quantitatively as great as God. We are simultaneously one and different—qualitatively one but quantitatively different—like the gold ring and the gold mine. The quality is the same, but one is far more vast. Krishna states it plainly in The Bhagavad Gita: ‘My dear Arjuna, all these living entities are My parts and parcels.’ But instead of accepting Krishna’s words as they are, you are listening to some fool who will only mislead you. He can never give you any proof of his lordship. Krishna showed His Universal Form. He said to Arjuna, ‘You just surrender unto Me!’ But rather than do that simple thing, you choose to follow the imperfect speculations of some so-called swami, and consequently you are being completely misled."
The young man was very astonished to hear that we could never become God. He tried to argue, but was defeated on every point. Appearing like a fool before so many people, the boy was very upset and tried to compromise and stop the argument. He said, "All right, I will come down to your booth and we can discuss it further," and he called in one senior student to talk with me.
A girl in the crowd was upset because I wasn’t "emanating love." I told her, "How can I emanate love? This rascal is misleading so many people, and I am feeling compassion for them on account of their innocence. If the boy next to you was trying to kill you, should I not say something to stop him? Or do you think I should stand quietly, emanating love, and watch him murder you?"
She insisted, "I am everywhere, I am everything," but I showed her that this was not possible. "You are finite, and are confined to your body. You cannot experience the pains and pleasures of my body, nor at any time in the future will such awareness come to pass. Why don’t you take Krishna’s teaching in Bhagavad Gita?"
She said, "Krishna was one man only, and there are many others to listen to. It doesn’t matter which way you do it; it’s all the same thing."
I showed her the flaws in her thinking. In every Veda Krishna is established as the Supreme Personality of Godhead; never is He said to be just an ordinary person; this is stated plainly in The Bhagavad Gita and confirmed by Vedic authorities. But the girl was unable to abandon her misconceptions about the identity of God.
The senior student arrived on the scene, holding a cigarette. So I questioned him: "You claim to be God, but I see that you are serving Maya: does that mean Maya is greater than God?"
He said, "It doesn’t matter what I do, I can do anything, smoke 25 packs a day. That doesn’t change anything. It’s love that matters."
I said, "You cannot share your love between God and Maya. If you really love God there will be some symptoms, and I see only symptoms of service to Maya." I led him to our booth, and he began to tell me how he had been searching for God over nine years, and was still perplexed. "I’ve been studying for over nine years with so many different mental speculators, and I’m tired of intellectual games; I don’t want to argue."
I told him, "O.K. You’ve tried these rascals for nine years, now you try Chaitanya Mahaprabhu," and I put on a kirtan tape. He sat and listened to it, and the younger student also came down the hill and joined him.
He asked me if there was any kind of literature about our movement. I showed him The Bhagavad Gita As It Is and Back to Godhead; he wanted to buy a Gita but had little money, so he bought a Godhead. He admitted, "This way may prove better," and said that he would like to learn more about Krishna consciousness.
Suddenly, a man came to our booth and began arguing that it is possible for something to generate from nothing (there was no necessity of a God or Creator), so Goursundar challenged him and told him that something can never originate from nothing. He offered evidence: we have no experience of something which has been spontaneously generated from nothing. Sometimes, in India, a scorpion is found in a bag of rice, and the less intelligent people think that the rice has produced the scorpion; but those who are intelligent can understand that actually the scorpion must have come from an egg laid by a mother scorpion. Similarly, some people may think that life has been spontaneously generated from matter, but those who are intelligent know that all life is the creation of God. The man was unable to defeat these arguments, and he became so angry that he struck Goursundar on the chin.
Goursundar was bleeding, and we were scheduled to appear on stage again. It took fifteen minutes to bandage Goursundar’s chin, and then we appeared on stage chanting Hare Krishna as the grand finale of the Fair. There were thousands of young people in the audience who appreciated our amplified kirtan. Afterward, we took Goursundar to the hospital, where he had to have ten stitches in his chin.
Having received bona fide spiritual knowledge from our Spiritual Master, it is our responsibility to spread this knowledge, even though there may be some inconvenience or even some danger of bodily harm. At least, because I have a girl’s body, when I shout and defeat the impersonalists, they may become very angry but they never hit me.
Not only did we have the opportunity of defeating the impersonalists and atheists who take pleasure in misleading innocent people, but thousands of people were able to enjoy the actual spiritual bliss of chanting Hare Krishna—Supreme Pleasure at the Pleasure Fair.
Back to Godhead Magazine #30, 1969
What is The International Society for Krishna Consciousness?
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness was formed in 1966 by Prabhupada A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who came from India on the order of his Spiritual Master to preach love of God to the people of the West. Prabhupada is in a line of disciplic succession going back directly 500 years to the time when Lord Chaitanya appeared in India, and from there back still further—5000 years—to the time when Krishna first spoke The Bhagavad Gita to His disciple Arjuna.
Krishna Consciousness is experienced as a process of self purification. Its means and end are an open secret, and there is no financial charge for learning Krishna Consciousness or receiving initiation into the chanting of Hare Krishna. The gist of devotional service to Krishna is that one takes whatever capacity or talent he or she has and dovetails it with the interests of the Supreme Enjoyer, the Lord, Sri Krishna. The writer writes articles for Krishna, and we publish periodicals in this way. The businessman does business in order to establish many temples across the country. The householders raise children in the science of God, and husband and wife live in mutual co-operation for spiritual progress. These activities are done under the sanction of the expert Spiritual Master, and in line with the Scriptures. Devotional service in Krishna Consciousness means regular chanting in the temple, hearing talks about the Pastimes of Krishna from Srimad Bhagwatam, and taking foodstuffs prepared for and offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
By books, literature and records, the Society is dedicated to awakening the worldwide public to the normal, ecstatic state of Krishna Consciousness, so that all may regain their eternal position of favorably serving the will of Krishna. Sankirtan—congregational chanting—is carried to the people: in public parks, schools, on t.v., in the theater, on the streets. Krishna Consciousness is not an idler's philosophy. Rather by chanting and by engagement in the service of Krishna, anyone who takes part will experience the state of "Samadhi," ecstatic absorption in God-consciousness, 24 hours a day!
As the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness is non-sectarian, any man, Hindu or Christian, will become better in his faith by chanting the Holy Name of God and by hearing The Bhagavad Gita. Without knowledge and realization and loving service to the One Supreme God, there can be no religion. Let everyone rejoice in the Sankirtan Movement, and we may see the fulfillment of the prediction made by Lord Chaitanya 500 years ago: that the chanting of the Holy Names of God, Hare Krishna, would be carried to every town and village of the world. Only in this way can real peace prevail. It is sublime and easy.
HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA,
KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE/
HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA,
RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE
If You Ark Interested In Becoming A Member Of Iskcon Write: Iskcon—New York For Further Details.
Rathayatra Parade San Francisco
Rathayatra Parade San Francisco
by Purushottam Das Brahmachary and Sudama Das Adhikary (ISKCON Los Angeles)
On July 27th, 1969, at the corner of Haight and Ashbury, a massive three ton car stood above a huge crowd of people; they had gathered from all around the country to witness the third annual Rathayatra Car Festival held by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The Krishna Consciousness devotees had constructed the two and a half stories high car, called a ratha, which was to transport the Deities Lord Jagannath, His Sister Subhadra, and Brother Balaram to the ocean. The three Deities were already on the upper level of the car and were smiling upon all members of the crowd.
The bottom level contained several devotee-musicians and loudspeaker equipment. The second level consisted of a narrow walkway running around the one and a half story high Orissan dome, which was covered in magenta-pink silk and embellished with a giant, golden lotus. All sides of the cart were decorated with trappings of silks, satin, and heavy brocades in different colors. From the second level, two huge pots were spewing transcendental flavored clouds of frankincense over the crowd. Thirty twenty-five foot long garlands of carnations, gardenias and roses were wound around the gold railings and around the columned first level.
The chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra was already nicely underway as everyone stood around the car on Haight Street, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Suddenly the Krishna Consciousness devotees began madly jumping up and down in an extraordinary ecstasy, crying out "Prabhupada! Prabhupada! All Glories to Sri Guru! All Glories to Srila Prabhupad! Haribol! Haribol!" Then His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada emerged from a car which had cautiously nuzzled its way through the crowds up to the side of the great ratha car. Purple velvet steps were lowered onto the street by the devotees, and the Golden Guru rose up onto the ratha's opulent throne, just below the Deities. Garlands of roses and gardenias were placed around his neck, and quantities of rose petals were tossed at his lotus feet. Then hundreds of people fell down on the ground, paying their humble obeisances and respects to His Divine Grace, for the inevitable ecstasy which was to take place on that Holy Day. Beneath the Lotus Feet of Lord Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe, His Divine Grace spoke the following words:
“This ceremony that we are performing today is performed every year at this time in Jagannath Puri. The temple there is very tall, and from the historians' point of view it is more than 2,000 years old. I was reading a book called the Aquarian Gospel. From that book I can understand that Lord Jesus Christ also lived in the Jagannath Temple for some time. So it is to be concluded that Lord Jagannath was worshipable even by Lord Jesus Christ, and Lord Jesus was attending this Rathayatra Festival in Jagannath Puri. It is also learned from this book, Aquarian Gospel, that Lord Jesus Christ got his spiritual inspiration from Lord Jagannath. So Lord Jagannath is so pleased that He has come to your country. Because Lord Jesus Christ loved Him, and because Lord Jagannath loved Lord Jesus Christ, therefore He has come to your country. Please receive Him adequately. You will be happy.
“Another special significance of Lord Jagannath is that when Lord Chaitanya renounced His family life at the age of 24 years, His mother requested that He make His headquarters at Jagannath Puri. So Lord Chaitanya had quarters at Jagannath Puri and lived there for 18 years. He took sannyas at 24 years old. For six years He travelled all over India, and the last 18 years He lived at Jagannath Puri. He was regularly attending this Jagannath Car Festival every year, and many thousands of devotees assembled in that Festival wherein Lord Chaitanya and His devotees chanted the Hare Krishna Mantra.
“This inauguration of Rathayatra Ceremony will bring a new chapter in the history of the world—it is that potent. It is stated in the Vedic literature that anyone who sees Lord Jagannath seated on this car will no more have to take birth within this miserable material world.
“Perhaps you saw in the San Francisco Chronicle that when I landed at San Francisco airport a reporter asked me my opinion of the landing of your American people on the moon. I asked him whether I should give my frank opinion. He said, "Yes." So I replied that it is "simply a waste of time." If you actually want to transfer yourself from this planet to another planet, then you must follow the principles of the Bhagavad Gita. In the Bhagavad Gita you will find a nice verse which says that there are innumerable planets, not only in this one universe, but there are innumerable universes also. In each of these universes there are millions and trillions of planets, and each planet has a different atmosphere. So even if you go to the moon, you will not be happy there, because everywhere in the material universes the four principles of material conditioning are always present. They are birth, death, old age and disease. But Krishna says that, if one goes back to My Supreme Planet, which is called Goloka Vrindaban, he will never have to come back to this miserable condition of life. This Krishna consciousness movement is to take you to the highest state of eternal bliss and knowledge. It is not a sentimental movement, but is the practical means of perfect spiritual realization. If within this life you practice Krishna consciousness, then you will very easily be able to go to Goloka Vrindaban and have your blissful life, eternal and full of knowledge. You should start this process today. Simply chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. I request you to follow this car of Lord Jagannath, and make progress in your life to Goloka Vrindaban, instead of wasting your time for the moon planet. Thank you very much."
After this divine message was presented, there were shouts of "All Glories to Prabhupada, the Golden Vaishnava! Jai! Jai!" and obeisances were again offered. The ratha then began to roll down Haight Street towards its destination, through Golden Gate Park to the Great Ocean Highway. Thousands present began chanting Hare Krishna, the Great Chanting for Deliverance: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Approximately 100 Krishna devotees were dispersed among the constantly increasing crowd, some holding flags, banners and instruments. A 10 foot high picture of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Incarnation of Krishna who inaugurated the Hare Krishna Movement 500 years ago in India, was being carried 100 feet in front of the ratha. On the ratha the musicians and singers were leading the ecstatic chanting with mridungas, kartals and harmoniums. The ratha was being pulled by many men, by means of long ropes which extended in front of the car; and ropes behind the car were used to slow it down while going downhill.
As the joyous procession proceeded through Golden Gate Park, the crowd increased to about 8,000 persons, many of whom had, by chance, been in the park and were drawn by the transcendental sights and sounds of the parade. The ecstasy in all hearts culminated when the mighty ratha halted at the entrance of a bridge above the road in the park. Thousands swarmed into the echoing bridge and breathlessly beheld His Divine Grace stand up from his throne. With arms upraised, he began to dance before the Lord of the Universe. Namah Om Vishnu Padaya Krishna Presthaya Bhutale/ Srimate Bhaktivedanta Swamin Iti Namine. Everyone was then crying and screaming out the Hare Krishna Mantra, along with fervently felt obeisances to His Divine Grace. There can be no adequate description given here of the splendrous dance done by His Divine Grace at this time, or of the joy experienced by all of those who witnessed this holy scene. As Prabhupada has often instructed—and proven—to his disciples throughout the world, the constitutional position of every living entity is to be ecstatic and joyous in glorifying and rendering loving service unto Krishna (one of whose Names is Jagannath). The many persons who were for the first time coming into contact with the Hare Krishna Movement also got a taste of the nectar pouring forth from Krishna Consciousness.
The ratha then proceeded past the bridge and along its pilgrimage to the ocean. At the ocean, another 2,000 people who had been awaiting the arrival of the car joined the crowd, now numbering approximately 10,000. When the ratha finally came to a halt, Prabhupada delivered another message regarding the importance of developing spiritual life.
“My dear American boys and girls, I thank you very much for your taking part in this great ceremony known as Lord Jagannath's Rathayatra Ceremony. This ceremony is performed every year for the last 2,000 years or more in India, and in your country perhaps this is the third year of performing this great Rathayatra Ceremony. We are also performing this ceremony in Boston, London, New York and Columbus. The purpose for this Krishna consciousness movement is for invoking your dormant love for Jagannath, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Every one of us, not only human beings but every living entity including birds, beasts and aquatics, is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And just like a son has the right to inherit the property of his father, so we have the prerogative to achieve the status of our Father, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This status is called Sat-Chit-Ananda Vigraha. Sat means eternal, chit means complete in knowledge, ananda means bliss, and vigraha means person. As we are all persons, so the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also another Person, but He is very, very great. And He being the greatest, He supplies the needs of all other individual persons. We have a relationship with Lord Jagannath, and we are meant to participate in His qualities of Sat-Chit-Ananda Vigraha. This material life is just the opposite conception of our life with Lord Jagannath. This body is full of misery, it is temporary, and there is no complete knowledge. This Hare Krishna Mantra will gradually lead you to the status of your Supreme Father, Krishna. Don't think this is any sectarian movement. It is the postgraduate study of all religions. In the Srimad Bhagavatam it is said that the first-class religion is that which teaches you to invoke your dormant love of Godhead. Now our love is distributed in so many different channels, but this love should all be concentrated upon Krishna, the Supreme Lord. Kindly chant this Hare Krishna Mantra—we do not charge anything. This is not a business; we are giving you everything for free. So please take part in this movement. Come with us. We simply request you to chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and come with us; and you will see how your life will be sublime. You will feel eternity, all blissfulness, and you will know everything. I have spoken about landing on the moon; but if you come to Krishna consciousness, you will know not only what is on the moon, but you will know the condition of all the planets in the material sky, and you will want to go back to Goloka Vrindaban in the Spiritual Sky.
“If you would like to understand this science of Krishna consciousness, we have many books, such as Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Srimad Bhagavatam, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, Nectar of Devotion, plus we have a monthly magazine, 'Back To Godhead.' But if you have no time to read, kindly chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. In this mantra the whole spiritual power is given. It is for everyone. Our only request is that in whatever condition of life you are in—it doesn't matter—you don't have to dress like us, no; wherever you are, remain there, but just chant this Hare Krishna Mantra. Thank you very much."
Many of the Krishna devotees had been at the ocean for several hours and had managed to put together 10,000 plates of delicious, sumptuous, transcendental Krishna Prasadam—foodstuffs offered to and eaten by Jagannath and left as Divine Remnants for His part and parcel children to taste in bliss. While many of the crowd's members went to the shore to bask in the glory of chanting beneath the open sky, several thousand others gathered into the Family Dog Auditorium where His Divine Grace had been escorted. He was seated on a stage that had been transformed into an altar to Krishna, complete with pictures, incense, candles, and throne. Kirtan was held and all the people who were newly exposed to the chanting actually felt spiritual bliss. The chanting by the ocean proceeded into the night, and finally the crowd began to disperse. Since this Rathayatra Day Ceremony, many new people have decided to dedicate their lives to the pursuit of Krishna Consciousness, and it is hoped that by the Mercy of Lord Jagannath many more will come to understand the reality and the utmost importance of spiritual life in Krishna Consciousness.
Rathayatra Lecture
Rathayatra Lecture
by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada
(Delivered at The Family Dog Auditorium, San Francisco)
My dear boys and girls, I thank you very much for joining us on this Rathayatra Ceremony. I am going to sing an Indian song and then I will explain it. Even if you don't understand the language of the song, still, if you kindly hear patiently, the sound vibration will act. The song begins
Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu Dayanoramoray.
The author's name is Narottam Das Thakur. He wrote many songs. We are gradually translating them into English, and will have them in our magazine, "Back To Godhead." The purport of this song is—Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu Dayanoramoray—my dear Lord Chaitanya, please be merciful upon me. I do not find anyone as merciful as You. You can see the picture of Lord Chaitanya on the altar—that is Lord Chaitanya dancing. He, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared as a devotee. You have heard of the Bhagavad Gita. In that scripture the last instruction given by Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is that He is asking everyone, "My dear sons, please understand, God is Father." That is accepted in every religion. Especially in your Christian religion: God is the Supreme Father. In the Vedas also it is said, nitya nityanam chaitanyas chaitanaram, etc. The Supreme Absolute is also a living entity like us. Your material father, from whom you have this body, he is also a person, and you are also a person. You are the son of your father. Similarly, although you cannot see God, you can understand from the version of the Vedas and authoritative scriptures that, if God is the father, then He must be a Person. He must be a Person, because I am person. We have to study by analogy, by our reason, our intelligence. You have experience in this life that your father is a person, and you are also a person. The relationship is that I am his son, he is my father, yet both of us are persons. None of us is imperson. Such a conclusion is nonsense. How can my father become imperson if I am a person? This idea is nonsense. Therefore the knowledge of those who are impersonalists is not yet perfect. They do not actually know what is the situation of their Father.
The Supreme Father is a Person. It is confirmed in the Vedas, nitya nityanam chaitanyas chaitanaram; He is the Supreme Eternal of all eternals. We are all eternal. Each living entity is eternal. Death means the end of this body. We are dying at every moment as our bodies change. So this death means death of this body, not of the spirit-soul. The spirit-soul is eternal. God is eternal, and I am His son, you are His son; you are also eternal. Just as a small particle of gold is also gold, similarly the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord is also God. It is said that we are partly God, and He is the Supreme God. That is stated in the Vedas: nitya nityanam chaitanyas chaitanaram; He is the Supreme Eternal among all the eternals, and He is the Supreme Living Creature among all living creatures. Supreme, that is the difference. The quality of God and the quality of you and I is the same. If you chemically analyze a small portion of the ocean water, you will find the same chemical composition as in the vast ocean. Similarly, as a living entity you have all the qualities of God in minute portion. Therefore He is Supreme. We have all the qualities of God, but in very minute portions. So He is Supreme. We are subordinate. Therefore in the Vedas it is said that the living entities are maintained by the Supreme Lord. That you can understand by your practical experience. There are millions and trillions of living creatures. The human society is only a small portion of all the living species. If you take a portion of a drop of the Pacific Ocean, how many aquatics are there? There are, in total, 900,000 species of aquatics. There are 8,400,000 species of living creatures, and all of them are being maintained by God, the Supreme Lord. We are also being maintained: but because we have become "advanced in knowledge," therefore, the result is we have forgotten God. This is the result of our education. The more you become advanced in so-called knowledge the more you forget your relationship with God. Actually, this is not knowledge. In the Bhagavad Gita it is said that the knowledge is already taken away by Maya from those who are atheists, or Godless. They are so-called men of knowledge, wise men. But actually they are fools, rascals the atheists. This is the statement of Bhagavad Gita. They are called Naradhamas, the lowest of mankind. Nara means man, and adhamas means lowest. The lowest grade of man denies the existence of God. As we are forgetting our eternal relationship with God, so we are gradually degraded to the lowest position of living creatures. Our knowledge has no value. Anyone who is atheist, who has no knowledge of God, has no good qualifications. These are the statements from the scriptures.
Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu Dayanoramoray. In this age we ask the Mercy of Lord Chaitanya because we have all forgotten our relationship with God. We still have dormant love for God. Just as a son and father—the son may forget, he may become a crazy fellow and go out of home, but that does not mean that his relationship with his father is broken. That is not possible. Even if he is a crazy fellow, when the father dies the son may still have the right to inherit the property of the father. The relationship is that strong. We may try to forget God due to our craziness, but the relationship cannot be broken. God is so kind, He comes Himself, He sends His bona fide servant, He sends His son. In so many ways He is always canvassing, "My dear sons, do not suffer in this abominable condition of material existence. Come back to Me. Come back to Home. Enjoy eternal life, blissful life, life of knowledge." That is God's business, therefore He is all-merciful. In spite of our being disobedient and forgetful, He does not forget. He says, "Whenever there are discrepancies in the religious processes, and when there is predominance of irreligiousness—I incarnate." As for what is religion and what is irreligion, that is stated in the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna says, "I come to establish religion," and again He says, "Give up all sorts of irreligion." Religion means surrendering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Any other religion is not religion, but is bogus. We have concocted so many religious principles, but real religion is that which teaches to surrender to God, to love God. That is real religion. That is what we are teaching. Our Krishna consciousness movement is no sectarian movement. We don't say that this is Christian religion or Hindu religion or Mohammedan religion or Buddhist religion. These religions develop in different parts of the world under different conditions. They give some idea of our relationship with God. But real religion is that which teaches how to love God. If by following certain religious principles you develop your dormant love of God, then that is first-class religion. That development is without any reason. It is not that you love God because He supplies bread: "Oh God, give us our daily bread." No, there is no exchange like that. There is no reason why I should ask. God is great, I am His part and parcel; it is my duty to love Him. When you develop this consciousness, it is called Krishna consciousness. Try to understand this philosophy of Krishna consciousness.
It is not a new thing. Krishna consciousness philosophy was taught 5,000 years ago. Bhagavad Gita is the philosophy of Krishna consciousness. Although it was written down 5,000 years ago in history, within the Bhagavad Gita it is stated that It was spoken some millions of years ago to the Sun-god. Apart from that reference Bhagavad Gita is eternal, because it teaches what is your relationship with God, what is your eternal duty to God, and what is the ultimate end of life. The last instruction of the Bhagavad Gita is that one has to give up all sorts of rascaldom or concocted religion. One simply has to surrender to God. That is religion. We have developed this human form of life after passing through many millions of lower grades of life, and now we have to develop this Krishna consciousness, love of God. Take this Krishna consciousness movement very seriously—we have volumes of books to convince you of your relationship with God, and what is your duty, what is your ultimate goal of life—these things are all very nicely explained in the Bhagavad Gita. But, unfortunately, so-called scholars and so-called wise men misinterpret the whole thing. That is why the Lord appeared as Lord Chaitanya 500 years ago, to establish the correct principles of Bhagavad Gita. He showed that even if you do not understand the process of religion, then simply chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The results are practical. For example, when we were chanting Hare Krishna, all the members who were assembled here were joining in, but now when I am talking about philosophy, some are leaving. It is very practical, you can see. The Hare Krishna Mantra is so enchanting that anyone can take part in any condition and if he continues to chant, gradually he will develop his dormant love of God. His heart will be cleansed of all dirty things and gradually he will be freed from the material concept of life, and he will be joyful. He will see everyone as sons of God, and then he will begin his loving transcendental service to Krishna. Our only request is that you try to understand this Krishna consciousness movement. It is very simple. We are requesting everyone to chant the Hare Krishna Mantra and take Prasadam. When you are tired of chanting, the Prasadam is ready. You can immediately take Prasadam. And if you dance, then all bodily exercise is Krishnized; and all of the attempts of the yoga processes are attained by this simple process. So chant, dance, take Prasadam—even if you do not at first hear this philosophy, it will act, and you will be elevated to the highest platform of perfection. Thank you very much.
Holy Rathayatra
Holy Rathayatra
Lord Jagannath's Triumphal Ride To The Sea
—by Nara-Narayan Viswakarma
Suddenly, at noon on the 27th of July, a frenzied storm of 10,000 young and old chanters startled the heart of San Francisco. A sea of people poured around the corner of Haight and Ashbury Streets in the dazzling noonday sun, completely surrounding the thirty-five foot high, brilliantly decorated Rathayatra car. The brightly painted wooden vehicle had wheels eight feet high and a twenty foot tall magenta satin dome decorated with gold, painted with lotus flowers and topped with a fringed flag on a spire. Below, amidst multi-colored wooden columns decorated with gold lotuses, fringed flags and swinging strings of Vedic cowbells, sat a dozen musicians playing drums, cymbals and a hand organ, filling the whole area for blocks around with amplified charting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The car rolled heavily to the intersection and stopped—emitting clouds of fragrant frankincense and myhrr from large sensors on the car's second level, high above the crowd. At the front of the car, upon a palanquin decorated with a gold-scalloped canopy and magenta draw-curtains, were the beloved Jagannath Deities: Krishna, Subhadra and Balaram. Smiling, Their Arms extended and Eyes blazing, the three Deities presided over the chanting mass of people; Their garlanded silk-clad Forms welcomed all who had come to pay them homage. The car had stopped for an important reason, although the excited crowd almost pulled it away several times in their anxiety to begin dancing all the way to the sea. They were, however, persuaded to wait, as the spiritual master of the Krishna consciousness movement, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami—saffron-robed and smiling—stepped from a nearby automobile. He was at once guided through two protective rows of robed devotees toward velvet-cushioned, rose-petalled steps extending up to a giant red throne set on golden lions' claws. The spiritual master's throne was decorated with hundreds of roses and carnations and covered with a gold-fringed magenta canopy. The whole front of the car, consisting of a large platform holding the throne, was upholstered with pink satin and draped with carnations, rich bunting and flags. As His Divine Grace stepped up the stairs, his ecstatic, weeping disciples pressed their heads on the petalled cushions where his feet had walked. They cried out, "Prabhupada!" a name which indicates a soul so great that even great spiritual masters can take shelter at his lotus feet. He sat down on the throne, located right under the three Jagannath Deities on the front of the car, and gazed over the wildly chanting devotees and participants. Spectators were gathering to witness the Festival. Many stopped their cars, left their parcels and baby-carriages and approached to find out what was attracting so many people. The spiritual master pressed his palms together, and, after smiling his Blessing on the assembled crowd, began to speak as follows: "My dear American boys and girls, I thank you very much for taking part in this great ceremony known as Lord Jagannath's Rathayatra. This ceremony is performed every year for the last two thousand years or more in India. Today this inauguration of Rathayatra ceremony will bring a new chapter in the history of the world. It is stated in the Vedic literature that anyone who sees Lord Jagannath seated on this car will no more have to take birth within this miserable world. It is that potent. This Krishna consciousness movement is to take you to the highest state of eternal bliss and knowledge. It is not a sentimental movement, but is the practical means of perfect spiritual realization. If within this life you practice Krishna consciousness, then you will very easily be able to go to Goloka Vrindaban, and you will have your blissful life, eternal and full of knowledge. So today you should start this process. Simply chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. I request you that you follow this car of Lord Jagannath, and make progress in your life to Goloka Vrindaban, instead of wasting your time for the moon planet. Thank you very much."
When he had finished speaking, a signal was given and the crowd picked up the thick ropes fore and aft of the car and surged forward, guided by the enthusiastic directions of saffron-robed devotees. Thus the tilting and creaking 8,000 pound wooden car began its ponderous five mile journey to the sea.
As the car found its way up Haight Street to the entrance of Golden Gate Park, His Divine Grace's voice soared in resonant tones leading the chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, accompanied by the musicians inside the car. The turbulent, dancing crowd was swaying in the power of the mantra, walking backwards, unable to take their eyes off the magnificent car shimmering in the sunlight or the Divine Passengers riding in glory above their heads. Certainly this day "opened a new chapter in the history of the world." The spiritual master was hailed and glorified, and that alone brought an epoch of hope to the benumbed and frustrated world, so torn as it is with false hopes and desires. Higher and higher his voice rose announcing to all sentient beings the all-protecting nature of the Lotus Feet of Lord Sri Krishna, the factual Refuge for all in this miserable world. "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna," the crowd chanted back, bewildered, yet grasping at this ray of hope, bliss, eternal supreme knowledge. A devotee with a peacock fan fanned Lord Krishna on the second level of the car, and the all-pervasive incense curled in wafts through the confused, yet thrilled throng. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. Groups had started to dance in circles in the midst of the river of people, and everywhere sticks of incense were sending up thin trails of smoke and fragrance. Hare Krishna! Bobbing heads were chanting everywhere, and incense sticks were seen moving up and down in the hands of shaved-headed devotees. Hare Krishna flags and banners waved above the heads of the crowds. The giant voices were amplified so loud that it seemed the car itself was chanting. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Waves of transcendental emotion flowed through the thousands, each exposed to the direct vibration of the mantra.
Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord! Out of the nihilistic hearts of today's youth flowed the nectar of love, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama. Washed and washed with the shudders of transcendental ecstasy, the many-voiced crowd seemed to chant with one voice. The mantra was sung first, like nectar, from the lips of the spiritual master, and then the reply came from thousands of mouths chanting in reply—Hare Krishna, Hare Rama. Where was the end to all this? No matter how ecstatically one chanted, there always seemed to be a higher level to which one could go; and the chanting rose and rose in the sublime. There were no enemies that day. Stolid-looking citizens walked side by side with stooped and bearded youths, while small children rode on the shoulders of their fathers or asked to ride upon the car. Elderly ladies also rode upon the car, swaying back and forth, their eyes closed and hands clapping softly, singing the transcendental words. Overhead the cow bells clanged their varied tones. To the side, the mounted policemen astride their chestnut horses eyed the spectacle with genuine wonder. The car, the chanting, the wild yet stately procession, the joyful people, the richly decorated and garlanded Deities smeared with fragrant oils and fanned with a peacock feather fan—what was it all about? The spiritual master seated with his legs folded beneath him upon the sumptuous red and golden throne sat perfectly serene in knowledge of it all, of all that had been done and was yet to be done. Who was he? He sat clapping his hands slightly, eyes almost shut, his form exasperatingly yet exquisitely beyond the mental grasp of the mundane mind. Looking around the crowd, one could see that he was the object of it all. His divine glance had brought us all. We were once like blind and stumbling refugees; now we knew that happiness lay in the glorification of the Transcendental Lord.
Lord Jagannath! Lord of the Universe! Hari Hari Vol! There was no doubt as the chanting reached new peaks, for every heart could hear beyond its limited reach—at least on that one day. Each person knew that beyond material woe lay the divine nectar released for once by the chanting of the Holy Name. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami purified us all with the chanting of Hare Krishna, personally distributing the Holy Name of the Lord, offering to everyone the nectar of love of God. Shining and pure, the Holy Jagannath car directed its ponderous self through the churning, swaying throng. Rumbling and trembling, seemingly fixed in place, it moved with great resolve to the sea. To the sea! Would we ever get there? Miles and miles the massive domed car rolled on. No one knew if he was really tired. It was hard to say. The hot crowds, the endless marching, dancing, labored breathing; yet the chant constantly suspended us and carried us on. Such ecstasy! Everyone was a bit surprised. Who had ever done such a thing before? Were we all bewitched? But No. It was easy to see. This was no satanic orgy or bohemian cavort, nor was it a college frolic. Rather it was a transcendental event never before seen in this whole land, a giant colorful festival solely for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord. Unlikely perhaps, but there it was, as lovely as could be!
About halfway through the park, when the chanting had reached its peak, the whole procession came upon the low arch of a bridge spanning the roadway. Somehow, above the roar of the chanting, the order was given just in time: "Stop the car!" The car stopped, and everyone looked relieved. The devotees who had been there the year before smiled to themselves as they saw the baffled crowd gazing at the thirty-five foot car in front of the fourteen foot opening. No one knew what to do! Some laughed and others cried, while the majority never let up on the chanting of the Holy Name. The devotees from last year smiled again as they remembered how the car had been a bit too tall, and, while the devotees had leaped and chanted hoping for a miracle, one had climbed up and lowered the top with a saw. This year everyone gathered around the car and clapped their hands. The chanting crescendoed and melted the hearts of everyone present. When nothing could be heard but waves of Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, Prabhupada stood up on the front of the car, his garlands swaying back and forth. He began to dance and then leap up and down, exhorting the now-whirling mass of devotees by his stance and gesture. In this whirling ecstasy akin to madness he was leading us higher and higher, dragging us out of our sins and reviving our Krishna consciousness. By his divine example we were soaring in transcendental bliss. Each gesture revealed new truth, and as our appetite for self-knowledge grew, so did the vibrancy of his leading chant. Greater and greater rose the chanting, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama. How perfect he is, and how fallen we are. We let loose our hearts and shouted, "Hari Vol [chant the Name]!" Through the chanting few noticed that an internal mechanism had lowered the dome of the car, and with the spire adjusted to the side the car barely made it under the bridge. When Prabhupada had seated himself once again in his blissful composure, the car started under the bridge, with Hare Krishna echoing forever under the tunnel. On the other side, there was the sun again and the freely moving ecstasy picked up with no more anxiety. As the ocean appeared before us, some of us recalled that the gopis paying their obeisances to Krishna is compared to the thundering of the ocean waves on the shore. And through our minds flowed the remembrance of the great prayer to the spiritual master: "The spiritual master is always engaged in chanting and hearing the Message of Lord Chaitanya (Hare Krishna Mantra), and sometimes he is dancing in ecstasy. Sometimes he feels quivering in his body on account of spiritual trance. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such spiritual master." Down the Great Highway the car swept on, the sea breeze billowing the magenta dome and causing the flags to flap in wild array. It was quite ordinary now to see cars stop by the side of the road, fascinated drivers climbing out from behind the wheel to join in the tumultuous, jubilant procession. On and on we went, the cymbals clashing and drums thundering through the hidden speakers on the car; and Prabhupada's voice leading us onward, onward.
The oceanside dance hall showed just ahead, with crowds already gathering at the doors, waiting for the promised mass-chanting, and especially the feasting. The day before, the women devotees spent long hours into the night preparing spiced sweet rice, "simply wonderfuls" (powdered milk, sugar and butter, rolled into balls with nuts and raisins and spices), hot spiced apple chutney, fresh fruit salad and a huge piece of watermelon for every plate. During this preparation, the last decorations were being put on the car by the brahmacharies while thousands of flowers were strung.
On the cart's arrival at the ocean auditorium, the doors opened and the feast was seen in the courtyard. Fifteen thousand paper plates loaded with relishable foodstuffs ranged along the walls and in numerous rows over the entire courtyard. Guests swarmed into the giant hall where an altar had been set up with the Deities presiding in Their palanquin, and Prabhupada seated on the red throne. No one seemed willing to stop chanting, and His Divine Grace Swami Bhaktivedanta led everyone again in chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Rama. Meanwhile many of the guests congregated on the beach around large bonfires, where watermelons were cut open and plates were distributed. Even hours later guests were delightedly distributing simply wonderfuls to the incredulous Sunday beachcombers. Back at the auditorium, Prabhupada finished the chanting and gave a short talk on the importance of Krishna consciousness as a means of achieving the supreme goal—love of God. Then everyone feasted, and gazed with admiring glances at Prabhupada and the magnificent altar. No one had feasted like that before. So many people ate sumptuously, yet not a single animal had been killed. Everything was prepared from food grains, vegetables and milk products, yet no one was dissatisfied. It was glorious and abundant. Again the devotees recalled the prayer to the spiritual master: "The spiritual master is always offering four kinds of delicious foodstuffs, analyzed as that which is chewed, licked up, drank and swallowed. Four kinds of prasadam are offered to Krishna, and when the devotees are eating Bhagavat Prasadam, the spiritual master is satisfied. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such spiritual master." Everyone was satisfied.
Note on Krishna Consciousness:
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a group of mostly young people who are dedicating their lives to living the teachings of the topmost Vedic transcendental scripture, The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, under the direction of their spiritual master; His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada came from Vrindaban, India three years ago just to impart this knowledge to the western world. Hitherto the Bhagavad Gita, as well as other Vedic teachings, were beyond the scope of comprehension as presenting a practical way of life for the average American. But when His Divine Grace, who is acharya (one who teaches divine life by example), came to this country, his scholarly knowledge as well as his ability to perfectly live the divine scriptures immediately drew hundreds of disciples to him. The Rathayatra Car Festival is only one of many such occurrences which are emerging untainted from the scriptures under his masterful guidance. The huge crowds that gathered chanting Hare Krishna and dancing in ecstasy are an excellent example of the magnetism of these transcendental festivals. Everyone had a glorious time; the festival and feast were over only eight hours after the beginning of the march to the sea. The guests all went home at peace with themselves, carrying to their various abodes the transcendental vibration, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, the endless song of Krishna's Abode. As for the devotees, they were already planning the next festivities to be held, in Los Angeles, in New York, in Boston—and throughout the twenty-five Krishna conscious centers around the world, which are all being carefully guided by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
“The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just like the cloud pours water on the forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master extinguishes the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respecfful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such spiritual master."
Prabhupada writes in Nectar of Devotion, “… as it is said in the Brahmanda Purana, ‘A person who sees the Lord’s Rathayatra Car Festival, and then stands up to receive the Lord, can curb down all kinds of sinful results from his body.” Many people stood that day, July 27th, when Prabhupada’s devotees and many other young people pulled the Rathayatra Car through the streets of San Francisco. On the car sat Lord Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe, and Prabhupada, the Lord’s best friend. Thousands of people stood alongside the road or came to their windows or stood on elevated places and rooftops to watch the Rathayatra Car Festival pass by.
“A person who is in jubilant spirit and with profound devotional ecstasy while dancing before Me [Krishna], manifesting features of bodily expression, can burn away all the accumulated sinful reactions he has stocked up for many, many thousands of years.”
-Dwarka Mahatmya
Journey to the Sea
Journey to the Sea
—by Sukadeva Das Brahmachary (ISKCON—Los Angeles)
There was great excitement in the San Francisco temple. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, affectionately known as Prabhupada, had given a lecture the night before, and the chants had been sung with much enthusiasm. Now today was the Jagannath Car Festival. Through the mercy of the spiritual master the disciples are able to enjoy transcendental bliss, and therefore the temple was very much elated.
Food was being prepared in large, shining-new barrels, as there were no pots large enough to hold all the prasadam. Prasadam means spiritual food because it has been offered to God. The scriptures state that food which has been offered to Krishna takes on all His power. So we were prepared to distribute Krishna to thousands.
The women's quarters were filled with carnations and gardenias, to be for garlanding the large car. And a special garland would be made to be placed around the neck of our spiritual master.
Everyone was busily working to make sure that everything was perfect. All the last minute details were checked. This year our ingenious Godbrother Nara-Narayan Das had installed a movable top which could be raised and lowered; the previous year there had been trouble with the top of the cart hitting telephone wires.
The car was being moved by 11:00 a. m. On top of the car were placed the Jagannath Deities. According to the sanskrit scriptures, there are two types of Deity worship, nirguna and saguna. Nirguna worship means without possessing the power of the Supreme, or idol worship, (the word nirguna also means that Krishna's qualities are beyond estimation), and saguna means possessing the powers of the Supreme. Krishna consciousness engages in saguna Deity worship; therefore, by the mercy of the Supreme, the Deities have all the power of the Supreme Lord Krishna.
Lord "Jagannath" means He is the Lord of the universe. Along with His Brother and Sister, Jagannath was placed on top of the car where a devotee undertook the auspicious assignment of fanning Them with a peacock feather fan.
On the car's topmost level, devotees passed along a walkway adding final decorations.
Below the Jagannath Deities was a magnificent throne for His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Someone might ask, "Why is there a throne for the spiritual master? Does he think that he is God?" The answer is definitely "No." The spiritual master is honored and worshiped with all the honor due to the Supreme Lord only because he is a bona fide representative of the Lord. His Divine Grace never states that he is Lord Krishna. He has always made plain to his devotees that he is a servant of Lord Krishna. This is one of the symptoms of a pure devotee. The throne that His Divine Grace sat upon was a deep velvety red and as the day was relatively clear it could be seen for quite a distance.
Directly behind the throne of His Divine Grace there was a large section for the musicians. Included in the ensemble were harmoniums, kartals (hand cymbals), mridangas (sweet drums) and singers of the Hare Krishna Mantra. To enhance the music of these performers there were microphones and amplifiers, and the chanting could be heard very clearly and for a considerable distance.
The large steel barrels of food, dozens of watermelons, thousands of "simply wonderfuls" (the name given to a favorite recipe of the devotees by His Divine Grace), as well as other assortments of fine Indian vegetarian foods cooked in savory butter, were already moved to their destination. Everything done in Krishna consciousness is acted through the sanction of higher authorities as revealed in the scriptures. The prasadam was cooked directly from recipes found in Vedic scriptures, and the effort and care taken by the devotee-cooks was primarily for pleasing the transcendental Senses of the Supreme Lord Krishna. All of this food was taken to the Family Dog Auditorium, the site of the feast. Rathayatra Festival is also called the march to the sea. The festival-march was to start at Haight and Ashbury streets and to end at the seaside auditorium.
Right on schedule the cart began moving at Haight and Ashbury Streets. Meanwhile the prasadam, which had already been taken by truck to the ocean auditorium, was being arranged for mass-serving. Inside the auditorium devotees were sweeping the floor and decorating the stage with flowers. A place onstage was reserved for the throne of His Divine Grace. The auditorium was brilliant with red and white flowers, all carefully placed.
The Radha Krishna temple was empty and silent save for a few people. Outside the temple, the Jagannath Car had been moved to the designated place to wait for union with His Divine Grace. Everyone was waiting for Srila Prabhupada to arrive, and the assembled devotees could feel the auspiciousness of this event.
His Divine Grace was driven by auto to Haight and Ashbury Streets, and a giant hush fell over the crowd as his car pulled up beside the Jagannath Cart. The devotees immediately bowed on sight of him and paid their obeisances to the eternal guru. Prabhupada was helped up to the altar. He took his seat and sat with a majestic stature. Prabhupada always has this majestic presence, projecting his confidence in his movement and his confidence that Sri Krishna will help him spread Krishna consciousness.
The streets were filled to capacity and at first the predominant sound was the wind. San Francisco is very windy and that was the prevailing sound whistling through the hills; but then His Divine Grace's voice was heard. He spoke in calm yet commanding tones. His words are always precise and clear every time he speaks. He speaks like a surgeon, cutting away all unnecessary words and speaking only of the Supreme Absolute Truth, Sri Krishna. Prabhupada never speaks nonsense.
After a short lecture, the march to the sea began. People were dancing and singing the Hare Krishna Mantra all the way to the sea. The entire atmosphere was one of happiness and bliss, and His Divine Grace exhibited his most wondrous smile. Working together as a team, the devotees pulled the car slowly and smoothly over the route. The leader of the car expertly guided it through the streets, spreading the glories of Krishna by singing His Holy Name. At certain points along the route devotees were seen dancing in flower patches, and flowers were continually distributed. As with the foodstuffs, the flowers were offered to Krishna, and thus they were spiritualized, prasadam. They had all the power of Krishna. Anyone who took a flower would have his door to liberation opened wide, even without his knowing it. According to the Vedic authorities, the chanting of Hare Krishna is the special Mercy given by Lord Krishna to the people of this Age of Kali. People are not capable in this age of going to the woods and meditating for a hundred or a thousand years or following the rules and austerities of the bona fide Yoga system. Krishna has said that by chanting the Holy Name, Hare Krishna,—or just by taking prasadam—you can very soon become self-realized. On the day described, thousands took part in the special dispensation of the Holy Name and thousands accepted prasadam of foodstuffs and flowers.
The car joyously reached the auditorium, and His Divine Grace gave another lecture. During his talk he sang a special chant which he does not usually sing. Then the auditorium was filled with the transcendental sound vibration of Hare Krishna. Any person of any sensitivity could surely feel the vast amount of energy and happiness that was radiated by the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord.
As the chanting gradually subsided, the prasadam was served by the devotees. While the foodstuffs were being distributed a lovely girl devotee was singing a prayer to the spiritual master:
Namah Om Vishnupadaya Krishna Presthaya Bhutale
Srimate Bhaktivedanta Swamin Iti Namine.
“I offer my respectful obeisances to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami who is very dear to Krishna on this earth due to his taking shelter of the transcendental Lord." This young girl's voice was dominant over the murmer of the crowd, and one could feel her overwhelming affection for her spiritual master. Another devotee sat with Srila Prabhupada's shoes in his hands until Prabhupada was ready to leave.
One may ask, "Why are these people being so humble and subservient to their spiritual master?" Some examples may be cited: If a servant of a king does his duties and sweeps the palace and is always there when the king calls for him, then the king will give him nice foodstuffs, nice shelter, and thus the servant is enjoying; only by satisfying the king can the servant be happy. Or, if a man is working in an office and he reports to work on time, never makes any mistakes on the forms, is willing to do anything for his boss, then he gets monetary gain and respect and prestige in his company. Similarly, if the spiritual master is satisfied, he will bestow his mercy upon you and you will advance spiritually. It is stated throughout the Vedic scriptures that there is no spiritual advancement without the mercy of the spiritual master.
This Car Festival is only one of the many festivals that are held throughout the year in different cities. Each Sunday at 4:00 in Los Angeles there is a love feast comprised of 15 courses of vegetarian foodstuffs prepared directly from the holy scriptures.
Krishna consciousness is more than a religion. It is the postgraduate of all religions. All religions are trying to become aware and conscious of God. All religions are trying to become Krishna conscious. The devotees of all the Krishna consciousness temples humbly request that if anyone has any questions, no matter how mundane, please go to one of the temples and inquire about this transcendental science. Please also look forward to the festivals that will also be taking place in the future. If you can do none of these we humbly request you simply chant Hare Krishna and your life will be sublime. Hare Krishna.
Eyes Smeared with the Ointment of Love
Eyes Smeared with the Ointment of Love
Another Version of the Rathayatra Festival
—by Lalita Devi Dasi (ISKCON—Los Angeles)
On July 27th, 1969 in San Francisco the most powerful spiritual celebration the bay area has ever known, the Rathayatra Festival, took place. I cannot do justice to the splendor and power of this magnificent celebration in a written article, for words cannot describe the nectarean beauty of the holy day glorifying the Jagannath Deities. I will try, however, to reflect a glimmer of what took place.
Every year for the past 2,000 years the Rathayatra Car Festival has taken place in Jagannath Puri, India. The transcendental Rathayatra Car carries worshipable Forms of Lord Krishna who is Lord Jagannath, accompanied by His Brother Balaram and His Sister Subhadra. The brightly colored Deities are enchanting to behold; and on this auspicious day they are brought out from the temple and carried on the carts from the town to the ocean, with millions of souls chanting and dancing and beholding the splendor of God on His jaunt to the ocean. Sometimes many devotees are so carried away that they throw themselves under the wooden wheels of the cart and kill themselves. Actually, no one dies; only the body is killed. The soul lives eternally and is unchanging. Actually everything rests in Krishna and He is in full control of everything. It is simply His causeless mercy that He allows His devotees to pull Him regally to the sea for Rathayatra, so that countless living entities can get the chance for liberation by viewing the cart, singing, dancing and taking His prasadam.
Through the mercy of our spiritual master, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, this wonderful celebration of God is becoming popular in the United States. This is the third year in a row that the Rathayatra Festival has taken place in San Francisco. We fortunate souls who are able to take part in such heavenly celebrations are truly grateful.
The day of the festival was, at first, a bit foggy, but warm. At noon, hundreds of people were gathered at Haight and Ashbury Streets, waiting for the wonderful celebration to begin. All of a sudden the sounds of kartals, drums and chanting could be heard; then out of the blue the most beautiful sight came moving down the street. A huge 5,000 pound wooden cart, with a purple silk canopy and a golden lotus flower decorating the front, was carrying the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His relations and devotees. Multicolored flags fringed with gold tassels were dangling all around the cart. Pictures of Krishna and Prabhupada were on the cart, and these were carried in the hands of devotees. They came marching joyfully along the street with saffron robes and gleaming shaven heads, chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Pulling the cart were the world's greatest men, who had worked heart and soul to create this cart for God to ride upon. This is confirmed in the Vedic scriptures, that the greatest are they who have become devotees of the Supreme Brahman—Lord Krishna—and who constantly engage their energy in His transcendental loving service.
The cart, with devotees surrounding it, stopped and waited on the corner of Haight and Ashbury for the spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, to make his appearance. He is the only spiritual master who is offering pure love of God, Bhaktiyoga. He has taken us fallen souls under his fatherly arm and given us jewels of love and truth. Blessed be this pure devotee of God. Prabhupada stepped out of his auto and spoke a few words about Krishna consciousness and about men landing on the moon. He said going to the moon was a waste of time, because the only planets worth going to were Krishna Loka and the Vaikunthas, which are impossible to reach by material pursuits. They can only be reached by pure devotees of Krishna. One should hanker for the Kingdom of God, Krishna Loka, not landings on material planets which are temporary and destined for annihilation, as are all material universes. Only spiritual planets are eternal, as is the nature of our soul. The sound of the spiritual master's voice can enlighten one more and more each time one hears it, as it is coming straight from the transcendental world.
Prabhupada mounted his throne and his lovely neck was bedecked with sweet-smelling flower garlands. Then the cart began to move down Haight Street. The procession entered Golden Gate Park, and we danced, with the chanting building louder, and everyone constantly stealing glances at the Deities and Prabhupada. When we got to the tunnel the cart stopped at the entrance and there seemed to be hundreds more people now. Prabhupada stood up before the tunnel-bridge and spoke, then chanted and then began to jump up and down. His ecstasy is purely transcendental, as if God is lifting him in His own Arms. Prabhupada is so merciful to let us behold his joy for God in that manner. All the people in the tunnel and all around began to jump up and down chanting Hare Krishna. Krishna's love seemed to be pouring all around the area like falling rain, washing away the dust in our hearts and bringing in new light, pure joy of the sound of God's Name, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama.
At times I pulled the rope to the cart and felt a renewed closeness with my Godsisters and Godbrothers. We later marched down Irving Street and passed the house where I grew up. Life seemed to flood fuller into my heart, for I was once a lost little girl crying for a love that was pure, and now through Prabhupada I have found a way to love God—who is the purest. I lifted my eyes and arms to the skies in a prayer of thankfulness.
When we got closer to the beach it seemed as if thousands more had joined in. All the people had literally danced and chanted the whole way, about three miles, not growing tired, but being reborn from the energy given off by resounding God's Name. The more you chant God's Name the more love and energy He gives you.
At the beach the holy cart found a resting place after much going back and forth. Prabhupada went into the auditorium to lecture on Krishna consciousness and to hold kirtan. Some of the devotees went inside while the other devotees served spiritual prasadam on the ocean wall. Barrels and barrels of sweet rice, simply wonderfuls, fruit salad and apple chutney were served to thousands of people. It seemed as if the entire city was being served prasadam by devotees. I never saw so many eating together. Everyone had blissful expressions on their faces, because they were tasting the most delicious foodstuffs, Krishna's mercy.
Inside the Family Dog Auditorium, Prabhupada was imparting the essence of Krishna consciousness to the audience and telling them the importance of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, the benediction moon in this Age of Kali. He was humbly requesting everyone to take part in this movement and to see how nice it is. The devotees were on a platform facing Prabhupada, and all sang and danced as Prabhupada led kirtan.
Seeing Prabhupada sitting there and beholding his beauty and chanting to him my humble obeisances brought me mounting pleasure. More and more I could realize that only Prabhupada's teachings can save our fallen souls from misery and lift us to the spiritual platform of loving service to Krishna. Prabhupada is a bona fide representative of God on this planet earth, and we must surrender fully to him—and only then can we begin to know Krishna.
Next there was a beautiful puppet show about Krishna and His friends and some demons who try to kill Krishna. The puppets sang Hare Krishna and were accompanied on flute so beautifully sounding, as if Krishna Himself were playing in Vrindaban Forest in the spiritual sky.
Prabhupada left after the puppet show. and the feasting and chanting continued in the auditorium and on the beach.
When I left I caressed the transcendental cart of Lord Jagannath and did not want to part from it, for this colorful transcendental creation was Krishna Himself. I will never forget this Rathayatra Festival, for it brought me closer to my most dearly beloved spiritual master, to Radha Krishna and to the dear devotees—and the whole world.
Next year I pray it will be a worldwide festival so all of God's children can behold the truth and beauty of their Creator and begin the march back to home, back to Godhead.
In Nectar of Devotion Prabhupada says, "It is stated in the Bhavisya Purana: 'A person who follows the Rathayatra Car while passing the rathas in front or from behind, even if born of a lower grade family, will surely be elevated to the position of achieving equal opulences as Vishnu.’” Thousands of people stood and watched the Rathayatra Car Festival pass by and thousands more followed the car, chanting and shouting and dancing Hare Krishna all the way from Haight and Ashbury to the beach. As Prabhupada explains to us, it is not necessary to understand how it is that when you touch fire you get burned; whether you understand or not the result is the same, you still get burned. Similarly, when one stands up while the Rathayatra Car is passing or one follows the Rathayatra Car Festival one gets liberated whether he understands or not.
Rathayatra, London
Rathayatra, London
London Impressions, July 27, 1969
—by Ramatanu Das Brahmachary
(ISKCON—London)
A tree waiting patiently for so many years in a quiet English forest, a green spark of Krishna consciousness wishing somehow to serve the Primeval Lord. Then of a sudden, this tree, humble and anonymous, patient and silent, by the grace of Sri Krishna is transformed into wooden planks, and the strong work-worn hands of Prabhu Shyamasundar begin, with the knowledge of having carved so many nice Jagannath murtis, to transform these boards into the mighty holy car of Lord Jagannath.
It is the backyard of an ordinary English neighborhood. But soon the red-headed five-year-old who lives next door begins to repeat after us as we afix oversized wooden carriage wheels to the frame … "Hare Kr—-ishna" … smiling, feeling the devotion, asking his mother if he can join our procession. Sometimes Prabhu Malati sends down orange drink and prasad and Indian boys stop after their day's work to paint a wheel or sand the frame. To work directly for Krishna is so irresistable that it is not work at all! Such a large noble creation being pushed through the twilight streets, first in the western world, this car bearing the ever brightly smiling Personality of Godhead. Then after six hours journey over the historic bridges we arrive at Hyde Park, and humbly lay the garlanded flowers at the Lotus Feet of the Deities, the frame swaying as we place the ladder against it to staple the red and yellow satin, the Hare Krishna banner and the other bunting of this most happy of vehicles. People from everywhere gather about to take pictures, other banners of Indian communities being carried in, east and west singing to Lord Krishna. Small children and gray-haired grandmothers with tilok all wanting to pull the rope that will send dancing the grand Lord of the Universe. Then the conch is sounded (she who was laid so nicely upon the shore just for this service of being sounded for the Lord) and with the transcendental broom sweeping away the material dust, we dance towards Trafalgar Square, the street resounding with "Hari Vol! All Glories to Lord Jagannath!" Prasadam is given freely to all and all become friends of Sri Krishna—the sweetest and most loving of friends. People in cars who may have been thinking only of this mundane world hear the chant and see the devotees, arms upraised ecstatically, calling to the Father and to Srila Prabhupada, and they become relieved of all anxiety. Prabhu Mataji from eternal Vrindaban, her eyes closed, shawl overhead with her friends around her, also chants the Maha Mantra, as so many cameras record the joy that cannot be manufactured but which must come by pleasing God in full surrender.
Such a glorious massive samkirtan through central London that when we arrive with the hundreds and thousands in Trafalgar Square we want only to chant and chant. We see many leading happy kirtans, many dancing and savoring transcendental bliss … so involved, so uplifted that at dusk, still full of the strength which the blessed Lord constantly renews, we finally thank our so kind brothers and sisters and leave for our dwelling places with but one thought … O dear Krishna, let me ever be refreshed by the nectar of serving You!
Lord Jagannath is Krishna Himself
Lord Jagannath is Krishna Himself
—by Satsvarupa Das Adhikary
The nature of God is that He has unlimited qualities. It is not that He is without qualities. In the Bhagavad Gita, the Supreme Person describes Himself: "Of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this world, know for certain that I am both its origin and dissolution." In the Sanskrit of the Vedic scriptures His qualities are described as "nirguna," that is, they are beyond estimation. We can at least know that everything which we are seeing now is His quality, His energy. Therefore earth, stone and wood are His energy, and all colors are His energy. They are described as belonging to the Lord's external or inferior, material energy. But when this energy of the material world is combined according to authoritative direction, and a shape of the Supreme Lord is carved or shaped from it, then it is no longer material, it is spiritual. That is the version of all Vedic literatures. In this way, by the Mercy of the Absolute, a firm, easily worshipable link can be set up between the spiritual kingdom and those spirit souls who have temporarily fallen into the ignorance of material suffering.
In the Twelfth Chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead is asked by His disciple Arjuna, "Which form of worship is more perfect, devotional service unto Your Personal Form, or deliberation on Your impersonal unmanifested effulgence?" The Lord clearly declares, "He whose mind is fixed on My Personal Form, always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith, is considered by Me to be most perfect." He further states, "For those whose minds are attached to the non-manifested, impersonal Feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that unmanifested discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied." Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta elaborates on this point as follows: "It is very difficult for the embodied individual to simply theoretically understand that he is not the body. Therefore the Bhaktiyogi accepts the Deity of Krishna as worshipable because there is some bodily conception fixed in the mind of everyone, which can be applied. Of course, worship of the Supreme Lord in His Form within the temple is not idol worship. The Form of the Lord even in the material qualities, such as when made of stone, wood, or oil paint, is not actually material. That is the Absolute Nature of the Supreme Lord.
“A crude example may be given here: We may find some mailboxes on the street, and if we post our letters in these boxes, they will naturally go to their destination without any difficulty. But any old box, or an imitation, which we may find somewhere, which is not authorized by the post office, will not do the work. Similarly, God has an authorized representation in the Deity Form, which is called "Archa Vigraha." This Archa Vigraha is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord. God will accept service through that Form. The Lord is omnipotent and all-powerful; therefore, by His incarnation as Archa Vigraha, He can accept the service of the devotee, just to make it convenient for the man in conditioned life.”
So the transformation of matter into spirit in the Deity Form of the Lord is an act done out of His kindness. In His Universal Form, as described in Chapter Eleven of the Gita, Lord Krishna manifests Himself as the entire cosmic manifestation, including all life and planetary systems. He is the Greatest of the great and He is also the Smallest of the small. For the ease of His parts and parcels who are estranged from Krishna Consciousness and trapped in the material world, He descends as incarnation in the Form of the most merciful Deity, such as Lord Jagannath. The Absolute Truth is inconceivable, beyond the reach of the philosophers' speculation, but the devotee who is willing to go back to Godhead can have easy access to Him. He can offer Him foodstuffs and eat the sanctified remnants, he can dress Him and glorify Him on the Rathayatra car journey. None of this is done whimsically or with any material sentiment, but strictly according to the rules chalked out by the great spiritual masters, who have themselves never disdained the presence of the Lord in the Deity Form. In a recent Deity installation ceremony at the Los Angeles temple, Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta said, "The difference between idol worship and Deity worship is life. If there is no life, then it is idol worship, heathenism. And when there is life, feeling, then it is Krishna. We must think, 'Here is Krishna. I have to serve Him, I must do it very nicely.' If you think Jagannath is a wooden idol then He will remain a wooden idol to you forever. But if you elevate yourself to the higher platform of Krishna Consciousness, this Krishna will talk with you. At the time just after Lord Chaitanya, the Deity of Madan Mohan used to talk to the great devotee Sanatan Goswami. Sanatan had no temple. He was hanging his Deity on a tree. Madan Mohan was talking with him: 'Sanatan, you are bringing only a dry chapatti to offer Me, this chapatti is stale and if you don't give it a little salt, how can I eat?' Sanatan replied, 'Sir, where shall I go? Whatever I get I offer You. Kindly accept. I cannot move. I am an old man.' So Krishna had to eat whatever was offered. Because the devotee was offering, He could not refuse. Because the real thing is not what you offer, but your feeling: 'Krishna, kindly take. I have no qualification. I am rotten, false. But I have brought this thing for you, please take.' In that way it will be accepted."
Lord Jagannath is especially liberal and accessible to the aspirant devotee of Godhead. As for the history of the Appearance of the merciful Lord Jagannath, our spiritual master, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, has often told the incident: Five thousand years ago, a great devotee and king named Subal requested a sculptor from one of the upper material planets to carve him a Form of Krishna commemorating Krishna's Appearance on His chariot at Kurukshetra when He was joined with His Brother Valaram and Sister Subadra. The sculptor certainly accepted the commission, but stated one positive condition. He said he must work in absolute privacy in his studio. King Subal agreed, and the work began. The king, however, grew impatient after what he thought was too long a time, and finally he could wait no longer but approached the sculptor's place and actually forced open the door. On sight of the king, the demigod sculptor disappeared, leaving behind the Deity Forms of Jagannath, Valaram and Subadra exactly as we know them today from the Rathayatra Festival. The king simply accepted the Forms of the statues as complete: "These will be my worshipable Deities." In other words, the king was in Krishna Consciousness. As in so many of such incidents involving devotees and seeming accidents, the whole thing was an arrangement by the Lord. This is most significantly confirmed in that Lord Chaitanya, the Avatar of Krishna Himself as a Devotee, has solidly taken Lord Jagannath as nondifferent from the Absolute Truth. In his biography of the life of Lord Chaitanya, Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta relates that "At Puri when He entered the temple of Jagannath He [Lord Chaitanya] became at once saturated with transcendental ecstasy and fell down on the floor of the temple unconscious." Prabhupada has said that Chaitanya was in such convulsive ecstasy that He could only utter, "Jag, Jaga," but He was thinking, "Oh, Krishna, for so long I have wanted to see You, and now I can see You." Bhaktivinode Thakur, the great householder devotee in the line of disciplic succession from Lord Chaitanya, emphasized in an essay, "The Golden Avatar" (which appeared in issue number 25 of Back to Godhead), that he who can see the incarnation of the Deity within the shape of stone or wood is the perfect theist. And this is accessible not only to the stalwart realized saints, but to any person making a sincere offering with devotion.
On another occasion Bhaktivinode Thakur conclusively affirmed the Jagannath Deity as nondifferent from the Form of Absolute Truth. Some hundred years ago, the devotee Bhaktivinode was the magistrate of the city of Puri in India. At that time a yogi was going around the city proclaiming that he was himself God, Sri Vishnu, and he was getting some less intelligent people to accept him as the Supreme Lord. The yogi had developed the useless talent of breathing fire from his mouth and he was getting a lot of attention. As magistrate, Bhaktivinode called the man before him. "You say you are Lord Vishnu?" "Yes I am," the man insisted. Bhaktivinode also held the position of caretaker of the large Jagannath temple at Puri and he therefore invited the yogi, "If you are Vishnu, then why don't you go live with Lord Jagannath at the temple?" "What?" the yogi was disdainful of the suggestion, "Go live with some wooden idols?" At this gross mistake in transcendental reasoning, Bhaktivinode was convinced the man before him was not God but an imposter, and he had him imprisoned for false teachings. It is further told that, immediately after imprisoning this false "Vishnu," Bhaktivinode's family members became seriously ill. This continued for one or two days, and the townspeople began to speculate that maybe the fire-breathing yogi was actually God and that Bhaktivinode had committed a great blasphemy. But the Thakur was unflinching in his faith and assured his family that all would be well. After a few days their illness passed and the yogi finally confessed from prison that he had been indeed an imposter.
Let us finally stop petty arguments and accept that the unlimited Supreme Lord can, if and when He likes, enter any Form and any place, and He is not prohibited from entrance simply by the desire of the atheists. So many people facilely declare that "God is everything" and "God is everywhere." Why then do they not admit that He is also present in the temple and in the sculptured or painted Form of Lord Jagannath? For this is the actual case, according to the foremost transcendental authorities, the scriptures and the spiritual masters of Vaishnavism.
By and large, the people of this age are unfit to enter into spiritual affairs with the Lord; they cannot see anything beyond matter. In the Srimad Bhagwatam, Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta writes of Krishna's solution to the predicament: "Because such fallen souls cannot see anything beyond matter, the Lord condescends to enter into each and every one of the innumerable universes as Garbhodakshayee Vishnu. The Lord grows a lotus stem from the lotus-like depression in the center of His transcendental abdomen and thus the first living being in the universe is born, by the name of Brahma. Therefore the Lord is known as 'Pankajanavi.' The Pankajanavi Lord accepts the Archa Vigraha—His transcendental Form—in different elements, such as a form within the mind, a form made of wood, a form made of earth, a form made of metal or jewel or painting or sand. All such forms of the Lord are always decorated with garlands of flowers in a soothing atmosphere in the temple of worship, in order to attract the attention of the nondevotees who are always engaged in material wranglings. All the great Acharyas have established such temples of worship in all places just to favor the nondevotees, and one should not pose himself as having transcended the stage of temple worship, while actually being in the lower grades of society."
We have it from the authoritative source of Srimad Bhagwatam that even the great impersonalist philosophers and yogis, who have already cut free from all bodily conception of self and fixed themselves in the Brahman conception of the Absolute Self, can become devotees of the Personal Form of Krishna simply by visiting the Archa Vigraha in the temple. This was the case with Sukdeva Goswami, who was fixed in the impersonal conception and later, as the narrator of Srimad Bhagwatam, became the number one speaker on the Pastimes of Lord Krishna. Also, the four Kumaras, who were accomplished yogis, traveled by mystic powers to the gates of the Spiritual Abode of Narayan, Lord Vishnu, in the Spiritual Sky; and although not qualified at first to enter into His Pastimes there, just by smelling the flavor of the dust of His Lotus Feet, their minds became changed and they became Personalist devotees of Godhead. This is the power of the merciful Lord and His Archa Vigraha incarnation. He is always ready to take the souls out of their endless attempts to speculate about Him and to instead fix them up as joyful eternal servitors in the perfection of spiritual consciousness.
Back to Godhead Magazine #31, 1969
What is The International Society for Krishna Consciousness?
What is The International Society for Krishna Consciousness?
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness was formed in 1966 by Prabhupada A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who came from India on the order of his Spiritual Master to preach love of God to the people of the West. Prabhupada is in a line of disciplic succession going back directly 500 years to the time when Lord Chaitanya appeared in India, and from there back still further—5000 years—to the time when Krishna first spoke The Bhagavad Gita to His disciple Arjuna.
Krishna Consciousness is experienced as a process of self purification. Its means and end are an open secret, and there is no financial charge for learning Krishna Consciousness or receiving initiation into the chanting of Hare Krishna. The gist of devotional service to Krishna is that one takes whatever capacity or talent he or she has and dovetails it with the interests of the Supreme Enjoyer, the Lord, Sri Krishna. The writer writes articles for Krishna, and we publish periodicals in this way. The businessman does business in order to establish many temples across the country. The householders raise children in the science of God, and husband and wife live in mutual co-operation for spiritual progress. These activities are done under the sanction of the expert Spiritual Master, and in line with the Scriptures. Devotional service in Krishna Consciousness means regular chanting in the temple, hearing talks about the Pastimes of Krishna from Srimad Bhagwatam, and taking foodstuffs prepared for and offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
By books, literature and records, the Society is dedicated to awakening the worldwide public to the normal, ecstatic state of Krishna Consciousness, so that all may regain their eternal position of favorably serving the will of Krishna. Sankirtan—congregational chanting—is carried to the people: in public parks, schools, on t.v., in the theater, on the streets. Krishna Consciousness is not an idler’s philosophy. Rather by chanting and by engagement in the service of Krishna, anyone who takes part will experience the state of “Samadhi,” ecstatic absorption in God-consciousness, 24 hours a day!
As the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness is non-sectarian, any man, Hindu or Christian, will become better in his faith by chanting the Holy Name of God and by hearing The Bhagavad Gita. Without knowledge and realization and loving service to the One Supreme God, there can be no religion. Let everyone rejoice in the Sankirtan Movement, and we may see the fulfillment of the prediction made by Lord Chaitanya 500 years ago: that the chanting of the Holy Names of God, Hare Krishna, would be carried to every town and village of the world. Only in this way can real peace prevail. It is sublime and easy.
HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA,
KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE/
HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA,
RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE
If You Are Interested In Becoming A Member Of Iskcon Write: Iskcon—New York For Further Details.
Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
—Excerpt from a work in progress by
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
[His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s forthcoming book, KRISHNA, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, will contain all the transcendental Pastimes of Lord Krishna when He appeared within the universe 5,000 years ago, as revealed in the ultimate scripture, Srimad Bhagavatam.]
[From Chapter Eight: Lord Krishna appeared as a Child, the Son of Vasudeva and Devaki, and was transferred to the home of Nanda and Yasoda so as to escape being killed by Devaki’s brother, the demon Kansa. When Krishna was one year old, His foster father Nanda Maharaj called in the astrologer-sage Gargamuni to foretell the Child’s future.]
Gargamuni was an astrologer and he could understand everything past and future; therefore he said: “I know everything about His Activities and Name, but others do not know. This nice Child will be very pleasing to all the cowherdsmen and cows. Being very popular in Vrindaban, He will be the Cause of all auspicity for you. On account of His presence He will overcome all kinds of calamities of material existence without any opposing elements.” Gargamuni continued to say: “My dear King of Braja, in His previous births, this Child many times protected righteous persons from the hands of rogues and thieves wherever there was political disruption. Your Child is so powerful that anyone who will become a devotee of your Boy will never be troubled by any enemies. Just as demigods are always protected by Lord Vishnu, so the devotees of your Child will always be protected by Narayan the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Child will grow in power, beauty, opulence—in everything on the level of Narayan the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore I would advise that you protect Him very carefully so that He may grow without any disturbance.” Gargamuni informed Nanda Maharaj that, because he was a great devotee of Narayan, so Lord Narayan had given a Son who was equal to Him At the same time he indicated, “Your Son will be disturbed by many demons so be careful and protect Him from all future disturbances.” In this way, Gargamuni convinced Nanda Maharaj that Narayan Himself had become his Son. In various ways he described the transcendental qualities of his Son. When Gargamuni had gone back to his home, Nanda Maharaj began to think of himself as the most fortunate and he was very satisfied to be blessed with such a Son.
Within a very short time, both Balaram and Krishna began to crawl by Their hands and knees and were moving hither and thither. When Rama and Krishna were crawling like that it was very pleasing to the mothers. Their bells fixed up on the waist and ankles sounded very fascinating and They moved around very pleasingly; and sometimes, just like ordinary children, being afraid of others, they would immediately reach to Their mothers for protection. Sometimes They would fall over the clay and muds of Vrindaban. The crawling Children, Krishna and Balaram, would approach Their mothers smeared with clay and saffron. They were actually smeared with saffron and sandalwood pulp by Their mothers but after crawling over muddy clay Their Bodies were also smeared with clay. As soon as They would come crawling to Their mothers, Yasoda and Rohini would take Them on their laps and covering the lower portion of their saris, they allowed Them to suck the breast. When the Babies were sucking the breast the mothers would see small teeth coming within the mouth and they would be intensified with joy seeing their Children growing. Sometimes the naughty Babies would crawl up to the cowshed, catch the tail of a cow, and stand up. The calves, being disturbed by such catching, would immediately begin running here and there, and the Child would be dragged on clay and cow dung. Yasoda and Rohini would call all their neighboring friends, the gopis, to see this fun. By seeing the Childhood Pastimes, the gopis would be merged in transcendental bliss. And in their enjoyment they laughed very loudly.
Both Krishna and Balaram were restless, and the mothers Yasoda and Rohini tried to protect Them from cows, bulls, monkeys, water and birds; at the same time they had to execute their household duties. Always anxious to protect the Children and to execute their duties, they were not situated in tranquility of mind. In a very short time both Krishna and Balaram began to stand up and slightly move on Their legs. When Krishna and Balaram began to walk, other friends of the same age joined Them and together They began to give the highest transcendental pleasure to the gopis, specifically to Mother Yasoda and Rohini.
In order to enjoy further transcendental bliss, all the gopis assembled and went to Mother Yasoda to lodge complaints against the restless Boys. While Krishna was sitting before Mother Yasoda the elderly gopis began to lodge complaints against Him, so that Krishna could also hear. They said: “My dear Yasoda, why don’t you restrict your naughty Krishna. Every day your Krishna along with Balaram comes to our house both morning and evening, and before the milking of the cows they let the calves loose, and the calves drink all the cows’ milk. When we go to milk the cows we see there is no milk and we come back with empty pots. The calves have already drunk all the milk. If we try to warn Krishna and Balaram against doing this, They simply smile charmingly and then we cannot do anything. Another complaint against your Krishna and Balaram is that They find great pleasure in stealing our stock of yogurt and butter from anywhere we keep it. When Krishna and Balaram are caught stealing the yogurt and butter They say: ‘Why do you charge Us for stealing? Do you think that butter and yogurt are in scarcity in Our house?’ Sometimes They steal the butter and yogurt and milk and distribute it to the monkeys, and when the monkeys are fed well and do not take anymore, then your Boys chide, ‘This milk and butter and yogurt are useless even the monkeys won’t take it.’ And They break the pots and throw them hither and thither. If we keep our stock of yogurt, butter and milk in a solitary dark place, your Krishna and Balaram find it out in the darkness by the glaring effulgence of the ornaments and jewels on Their Bodies. If by chance They cannot find the hidden butter and yogurt, They go to the little babies and pinch their bodies so that they cry, and then They arrange to reach it by piling all kinds of wooden carts over the grinding machine; and in that way They reach the pot of butter and yogurt. And if They cannot reach the hanging butter and yogurt by piling up carts, They make a hoIe in the pot, We think therefore that you’d better take all the jeweled ornaments from the Body of your Child.’’ On hearing this Yasoda would say. “All right, I will take all the jewels from the Body of Krishna so that He may not see the butter hidden in darkness.’ Then the gopis would say, “No, no, don’t do this. What good will you do by taking out the jewels? We do not know what kind of Boys these naughty Boys are, but even without ornaments They spread some kind of effulgence so that even in darkness They can see everything.” Then MotherYasoda would inform them: ‘‘All right. keep your butter and yogurt carefully so that They may not reach the place.” In reply to this the gopis said. ‘‘Yes, actually we do so, but because we are sometimes engaged in our household duties, these naughty Boys enter our house somehow or other, and spoil the whole thing. Sometimes being unable to steal our butter and yogurt, out of anger They pass urine on the clean floor and sometimes They spit on it. Just see your Boy now-He is hearing this complaint. The whole day They make arrangements how to steal our butter and yogurt. and now They are sitting just like very silent good Boys. Just see His face.” After hearing all the complaints, Mother Yasoda desired to chastise her Boy, but when she saw the pitiable face of Krishna she began to smile. and stopped chastising Him.
Another day, when Krishna and Balaram were playing along with Their friends, all the friends combined together with Balaram and lodged a complaint to Mother Yasoda that Krishna had eaten clay from the earth. On hearing this complaint from the boys. Mother Yasoda caught hold of Krishna’s hand. Krishna was very afraid of His mother and saw her in a very attractive outlook. She said: “My dear Krishna, why have You eaten earth in a solitary place? Just see, all Your friends including Balaram are complaining against You.” Being afraid of His mother, Krishna would reply: “My dear mother. all these boys including My elder brother Balaram are speaking lies against Me, I have never eaten or taken any clay. I know My elder brother Balaram, while playing with Me today, became angry and therefore He has also joined with the other boys to complain against Me. They have all combined together to complain, so you may be angry and chastise Me. If you think They are truthful then you can see within My mouth whether I have taken clay.” His mother replied. ‘‘All right, if You have actually not taken any clay then just open Your mouth, I shall see.” When the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna was so ordered by His mother, He immediately opened His mouth, just like an ordinary boy. Then Mother Yasoda saw within that mouth the complete opulence of creation. She saw the entire outer space in all directions, mountains, islands, oceans, seas, planets, air, fire, moon and the stars. Along with the moon and the stars she also saw the entire elements like water, sky, the extensive ethereal existence along with total ego and their products of the senses: she saw the Controller of the senses, all the demigods and the objects of the senses like sound, smell, etc. and the three qualities of material nature. She also could experience that within His mouth were all the living entities, eternal Time, the material nature, the spiritual nature, activity, consciousness and the different forms of the whole creation. Yasoda could find within the face of her Child everything meant for cosmic manifestation. She also saw within the mouth, herself, taking Krishna on her lap and Him sucking her breast. By seeing all this she became struck with wonder and began to think whether she was dreaming or actually seeing something extraordinary. She began to think within herself that actually she was either dreaming or seeing the play of the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. She thought she had become mad, and deranged in her brain, so that she was seeing all those wonderful things. She was thinking, “It may be cosmic mystic power attained by my Child and therefore I am perplexed with such visions within His mouth. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead under whose energy the conception of bodily self and bodily possession are conceived.” She said: “Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Him, under whose illusory energy I am thinking that Nanda Maharaj is my husband and Krishna is my Son, and all the properties of Nanda Maharaj belong to me, and all the cowherdsmen and women are my subjects. All this misconception is due to the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord. So let me pray to Him that He may protect me always.” When Mother Yasoda was thinking in that high philosophical way, Lord Krishna again expanded His internal energy just to bewilder her with material affection. Immediately Mother Yasoda forgot all philosophical speculation and accepted Krishna as her own Child. She took Him on her lap and became overwhelmed with familial affection. She thus began to think, “Krishna is not understandable to the masses through the gross process of knowledge but can be received through the Upanishads and the Vedanta or mystic Yoga system and Samkhya philosophy.” She began to think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as her own begotten Child. Certainly Mother Yasoda had executed many, many pious activities as a result of which she got the Absolute Truth Supreme Personality of Godhead as her Son who sucked milk from her breast. Similarly, Nanda Maharaj also must have performed many great sacrifices and pious activities so that Lord Krishna became his Son and addressed him as father. But it is surprising that Vasudeva and Devaki did not enjoy the transcendental bliss of Krishna’s Childhood Pastimes, although Krishna was their real Son. The Childhood Pastimes of Krishna are glorified even until today by many, many sages and saintly persons, but Vasudeva and Devaki could not enjoy such Childhood Pastimes personally. Why Vasudeva and Devaki could not enjoy the Childhood Pastimes of Krishna is explained by Sukadeva Goswami to Maharaj Parikshit as follows.
When the best of the Vasus, of the name Drona, along with his wife Thara were ordered to increase progeny by Lord Brahma they said unto him, “My dear father, we are seeking your benediction.” Drona and Thara took benediction from Brahma that in the future—when they would take birth again within the universe-the Supreme Lord Krishna in His most attractive feature of Childhood would absorb their whole attention. Their dealings with Krishna would be so attractive that simply by hearing Krishna’s Childhood Activities with them anyone can very easily cross over the nescience of birth and death. Lord Brahma agreed to give them the benediction, and as a result the same Drona appeared as Nanda Maharaj in Vrindaban, and the same Thara appeared as Mother Yasoda, the wife of Nanda Maharaj.
In this way, Nanda Maharaj and his wife, Mother Yasoda, developed their unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, having gotten Him as their Son. And all the gopis and cowherdsmen who were Associates of Krishna naturally developed their own different feelings of love for Krishna.
Therefore, just to fulfill the benediction of Lord Brahma, Lord Krishna appeared along with His plenary expansion, Balaram, and executed all kinds of Childhood Pastimes—in order to increase the transcendental pleasure of all residents of Vrindaban.
Chapter Nine
Benedicting the Gopis
Once upon a time, seeing that her maidservant was engaged in different household duties, Mother Yasoda personally took charge of churning butter. While she was churning butter she was also singing the Childhood Pastimes of Krishna and enjoying transcendental feelings.
The end of her sari was tightly wrapped while she churned, and on account of her intense love for her Son, milk was automatically dripping from her breasts which were moving as she labored very hard, churning with her two hands. The bangles and bracelets on her hands were tinkling as they touched against each other. Her earrings and breasts being shaken, there were drops of perspiration on her face and the flower garland which was on her head was dispersed here and there. Before this picturesque sight of Mother Yasoda, Lord Krishna appeared, as a Child. He felt hungry, and by increasing the feeling of love for His mother, He wanted Her to stop churning—He was indicating that her first business was to let Him suck her breast. He indicated in such a way that His mother knew she must breast-feed Krishna first, and churn butter later.
Mother Yasoda took her Son on her lap and pushed the nipples of her breasts within the mouth of Krishna. And while Krishna was sucking the milk, she was smiling enjoying the beauty of her Child’s face. Suddenly, the milk pan which was on the oven became swollen with milk and began to overflow. Just to stop the milk from spilling on the ground, Mother Yasoda at once put Krishna aside and went to the oven to save the milk. Left in that state by His mother, Krishna became very angry and His lips and eyes became reddened in rage. He pressed His teeth and lips, and taking a piece of stone He immediately broke the butter pot. Taking butter out of it, and with false tears in His eyes, He began to eat the butter in a secluded place.
In the meantime, Mother Yasoda returned to the churning place after setting the overflowing milk pan in order. She saw the broken pot in which the churning yogurt was kept and she could not find her Boy. She concluded that the broken pot was the work of her Son, and she began to smile because she thought within herself: “The Child is very clever. After breaking the pot He has gone away from this place fearing that I may punish Him.” When she sought all over she found a big wooden grinding mortar which was kept upside down and she found her Son sitting on the grinding mortar. He was taking butter which was hanging from the ceiling on a swing and He was feeding it to the monkeys. She saw Krishna looking this way and that way, in fear of His mother because He was conscious that His behavior would not satisfy her. After seeing her Son so engaged, she very silently
began to approach Krishna from behind. The Son, however, found out that His mother was coming with a stick in her hand and immediately He got down from the grinding mortar and began to flee away in fear of His mother.
Mother Yasoda chased after Him to all corners, just to capture the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is never approached even by the expert meditational mind exercises of great yogis. In other words, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, who is never caught hold of by yogis and jnanis, was playing just like a little Child of a great devotee like Mother Yasoda. Mother Yasoda, however, could not follow her fast-running Child so quickly, on account of her thick waist and heavy body. Still she tried to follow the Child as fast as possible. Her bunch of hair became loosened and the flower in her hair fell to the ground. Although she was tired, she somehow reached her naughty Child and captured Him. When Mother Yasoda captured Krishna, Krishna was almost on the point of crying. He smeared His hands over His eyes, which were annointed with black eye-cosmetic. The Child was repeatedly seeing His mother’s face while she stood over Him; and His eyes became too restless from fear. Mother Yasoda could understand that Krishna was being unnecessarily afraid and for His benefit she wanted to stop such fearfulness.
Being the topmost well-wisher of her Child, Mother Yasoda began to think within herself, “If the Child is too fearful of me, I don’t know what will happen to Him.” Mother Yasoda threw away the stick in her hand. But in order to punish her Child she thought to bind His hands with some ropes, without knowing the influence of her little Child. It was actually impossible for her to bind the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mother Yasoda was thinking that Krishna was her tiny Child she did not know that the Child had no limitation. There is no inside or outside of the Child, nor beginning or end. He is unlimited and All-Pervading. Practically, He is Himself the whole cosmic manifestation. Still, Mother Yasoda was thinking of Krishna as her Child; although He is beyond the reach of all senses, she endeavored to bind Him up to a wooden grinding mortar. But when she tried to bind the offensive Child, she found that the rope she was using was too short—by two inches She gathered more ropes from the house and added to it, but at the end she found the same shortage. In this way, she connected all the ropes available at home, but when the final knot was added she saw that it was still too short. Mother Yasoda was smiling, but astonished—how was it happening?
In attempting to bind her Son, she became too tired and was perspiring. The garland on her head fell down. Then Lord Krishna appreciated the hard labor of His mother, and being compassionate to her, He agreed to be bound up by the ropes. Krishna playing as a human Child in the house of MotherYasoda was performing His own selected Pastimes; otherwise, nobody can control the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The pure devotee surrenders himself unto the Lotus Feet of the Lord, and He may either protect or vanquish the devotee—but for his part, the devotee never forgets his own position of surrender. Similarly, the Lord also feels transcendental pleasure by submitting Himself under the protection of the devotee. This was exemplified by Krishna’s surrender unto His mother, Yasoda.
Krishna is the Supreme Bestower of all kinds of liberation to His devotees, but the benediction which was bestowed upon Mother Yasoda was never experienced even by Lord Brahma or Lord Shiva or the Goddess of Fortune.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead who is known as the Son of Yasoda and Nanda Maharaj is never so completely known to the yogis and jnanis, but He is easily available to His devotees. And it is the devotees alone who appreciate Him as the Supreme Reservoir of All Pleasure.
After binding her Son, Mother Yasoda engaged herself in the household affairs. At that time, bound up to the wooden mortar, Krishna could see a pair of trees before Him, known as arjuna trees. The great Reservoir of Pleasure, Lord Sri Krishna, thus thought to Himself: “MotherYasoda first of all left me without feeding Me sufficiently of her breast milk, and therefore I broke the pot of yogurt and distributed the stock butter in charity to the monkeys. Now she has again bound Me up to the wooden mortar. So I shall do something more mischievous than before.” And thus He thought of breaking down two very tall arjuna trees.
There is a story behind the pair of arjuna trees. In their previous lives the trees were born as the human sons of Kuvera, and their names were Nalakuvera and Manigriva. Fortunately, they came within the vision of the Lord. In their previous lives they were cursed by the great sage Narada in order to bestow on them the highest benediction of seeing Lord Krishna. This benediction of cursing was bestowed upon them on account of their forgetfulness by intoxication.
Chapter Ten
Deliverance of Nalakuvera and Manigriva
The story of the cursing of Nalakuvera and Manigriva and their deliverance by Krishna, under the all-blissful desire of the sage Narada, is here described, as follows.
The two great demigods Nalakuvera and Manigriva were sons of the treasurer of the demigods, Kuvera, who was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. By the grace of Lord Shiva, Kuvera’s material opulence had no limit. And as a rich man’s sons often become addicted to wine and women, so these two sons of Kuvera were also addicted to wine and sex. Once, these two demigods, desiring to enjoy, entered the garden of Lord Shiva in the province of Kwelasa on the bank of Mandakini Ganges. At that place they drank much and were engaged in hearing the sweet singing of beautiful women who accompanied them in that garden which was full of fragrant flowers. In intoxicated condition, they both entered the water of the Ganges which was full with lotus flowers; and they began to enjoy the company of the young girls exactly as the elephant enjoys with the she-elephants within the water.
While they were enjoying in the water, all of a sudden Narada the great sage happened to pass that way; and he could understand that the demigods Nalakuvera and Manigriva were too intoxicated and could not even see that Narada was passing. The young girls, however, were not so intoxicated as the demigods, and they at once became ashamed on account of being naked before the great sage Narada. They began to cover themselves with all hastiness. The two demigod sons of Kuvera were so intoxicated that they could not appreciate the presence of sage Narada, and therefore did not cover their bodies. On seeing the two demigods so degraded by intoxication, Narada desired for their welfare and therefore he exhibited his causeless mercy upon them by cursing them The great sage was compassionate upon them and therefore wanted to finish their false enjoyment in intoxication and associating with young girls; and he wanted them to see Lord Krishna eye to eye. He conceived of cursing them as follows. He said that the nature for material enjoyment is due to an increase in the modes of passion. A person in the material world, when favored by material opulence of riches, generally becomes addicted to three things-namely intoxication, sex life and gambling. Such materially opulent men, being puffed up with accumulation of wealth, become so merciless that they indulge in killing animals by opening regular slaughter houses. And they think that they themselves will never die. Such foolish persons, forgetting the laws of nature, become too puffed up with the body, without knowing that this material body-even if advanced in civilization up to the position of demigods-will finally burn into ashes. And while living, whatever the external condition of the body may be, within there is only stool, urine and various kinds of worms. Thus being engaged in jealousy and violence to other bodies, they cannot understand the ultimate goal of life; and without knowing this goal of life they generally glide down to the hellish condition of life in their next birth. Foolish persons commit all kinds of sinful activities on account of this temporary body, but they are unable to consider whether this body actually belongs to them.
Generally it is said that the body belongs to the persons who feed the body. It is therefore to be considered whether this body belongs to me personally or to my master, to whom I render service. The master of slaves claims full right to the body of the slave because the master feeds the slave by supplying foodstuff. It may be questioned then, whether this body belongs to the father who is the seed-giving master of this body. The next question is whether this body actually belongs to the mother, because when the child is within the womb of the mother, she develops the child’s body by her own blood and secretion. Sometimes a grandfather, a mother or father gives his daughter in charity to a person with a view to getting back the daughter’s child as their son. The body may also belong to a stronger man who forces another body to work for him. And at the end of life the body belongs to the fire, because the body is given to the fire and burned to ashes. Or the body is thrown into the street to be eaten by the dogs. Before committing all kinds of sins for maintaining the body, one should be considerate and understand to whom the body belongs. Ultimately it is concluded that the body is a product of the material nature, and at the end it merges into the material nature; therefore, the conclusion should be that the body belongs to the material nature. One should not wrongly think that this body belongs to him. For maintaining a false possession why should one indulge in killing? Why should one kill innocent animals for maintaining the body? When a man is infatuated with the false prestige of opulence, he does not care for any moral instruction, but indulges in wine, women and animal killing. In such circumstances, a poor man is better situated. Because a poor man thinks of himself in comparison to other bodies. A poor man does not wish to inflict injuries to other bodies because he can understand more readily that when he himself is injured he feels pain. As such the great sage Narada thought that the demigods Nalakuvera and Manigriva were so much infatuated by false prestige that they should be put into a condition of life where there is no opulence.
A person who has some pinprick in his body does not wish others to be pricked by pins; a considerate man in the life of poverty does not wish others to be also put into that condition of life. Generally it is seen that one who has come up from poverty-stricken life and becomes wealthy creates some charitable institutional at the end of his life, so that other poverty-stricken men may take advantage. In short, a compassionate poor man can think of others’ pains and pleasures by comparing himself in that condition. A poor man can hardly become puffed up with fake pride, and he is freed from all kinds of infatuation. He can remain satisfied by whatever he gets for his maintenance by the Grace of the Lord. To remain in poverty-stricken condition is a kind of austerity. According to Vedic culture, therefore, the brahmins as a matter of routine keep themselves in poverty-stricken condition, to save themselves from the false prestige of material opulence. False prestige out of advancement of material prosperity is a great impediment to spiritual emancipation. A poverty-stricken man cannot become unnaturally fatty by eating more and more. And on account of not being able to eat more than he requires, his senses are not very turbulent. When the senses are not very turbulent he cannot become violent.
Another advantage of a poverty-stricken person is that a saintly person can easily enter his house and he can get the advantage of the saintly person’s association. A very rich, opulent man does not allow anyone to enter into his house, therefore the saintly person cannot enter. According to the Vedic system, a saintly person takes the position of a beggar mendicant, so that on the plea of begging something from the householder, he can enter any house. The householder who has forgotten everything about spiritual advancement, because he is too busy in maintaining the family affairs, can get some advantage for spiritual emancipation in the association of a saintly person. There is a great chance for the poor man to become liberated on account of association with the saintly person. What is the use of persons who are puffed up with material opulence of wealth and prestige, if they are bereft of the association of saintly persons and devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? The great sage Narada, therefore, thought that it was his duty to put those demigods into a condition of life where they could not be falsely proud of their material opulence and prestige. Narada was compassionate with their fallen condition and wanted to save them from such pitiable life. They were in the modes of darkness and therefore unable to control their senses, addicted too much to sex life; and it was the duty of the saintly person to save them from such abominable condition of life. In animal life, the animal has no sense to understand that he is naked. But Kuvera was the treasurer of the demigods, a very responsible man, and Nalakuvera and Manigriva were two of his sons. Yet they became so animal-like and irresponsible that they could not understand, on account of being intoxicated, that they were naked. To cover the lower portion of the body is human civilization, and when a man or woman forgets this principle of human civilization, he or she is no more than an animal. Narada therefore thought that the best punishment for them was to make them immovable living entities, or trees. The trees are, by nature’s laws, immovable; although the trees are covered in the modes of ignorance, they cannot do harm. The great sage Narada thought within himself that, although they would be punished to become trees, yet, by his mercy, they would continue to keep their memory and could understand from what condition of life they had come to be put into that condition of becoming trees. After changing the body a living entity generally forgets the condition of his previous life, but in special cases, by the Grace of the Lord, there may be an exception. Thus Nalakuvera and Manigriva still continued to remember their former condition of life, even after being put into the life of immovable trees.
Sage Narada therefore contemplated that the two demigods should remain for 100 years, in the time of the demigods, in the form of trees, and after that they would be fortunate enough to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face by His Causeless Mercy. And thus they would be again promoted to the life of demigods and great devotees of the Lord. After this, the great sage Narada returned to his place known as Narayan Ashram and the two demigods turned into trees, known as twin arjun trees, grown in the courtyard of Nanda Maharaj. The two demigods were favored by the causeless mercy of Narada and given the chance to grow in Nanda’s courtyard and see Lord Krishna face to face.
When the Child Krishna was bound up with the wooden mortar, He began to proceed towards the growing trees in order to fulfill the foretelling of His great devotee Narada. Lord Krishna thought within Himself that Narada was His great devotee, and the trees standing before Him as twin arjuna trees were actually the sons of Kuvera. “I must now fulfill the words of My great devotee Narada.” After thinking this, Child Krishna began to proceed through the passage in between the two trees, and although He passed through the space between the trees, the wooden mortar fell down horizontally and was stuck between the two trees. Taking this advantage of the mortar being stuck, Lord Krishna began to snatch the rope tight in His waist. As soon as there was a great jerking on account of pulling the rope, the two entire trees, with all branches and limbs, fell down immediately with a great sound. Out of the broken, fallen trees came two great personalities shining like blazing fire. All sides became illuminated and beautiful by their presence, and the purified bodies immediately came before Child Krishna and bowed down to offer their respects and prayers in the following words: “My dear Lord Krishna, You are the Original Personality of Godhead, Master of all mystic powers. Learned brahmins know very well that this cosmic manifestation is an expansion of Your potencies which are sometimes manifested and sometimes unmanifest. You are the Original Provider of the life, body and senses of all living entities. You are the eternal God, Lord Vishnu, who is All-Pervading, the principal Controller of everything. You are the Original Source of the cosmic manifestation which is acting manifestedly under the spell of the three modes of material nature-goodness, passion and ignorance. You are living as the Supersoul in all the multi-forms of living entities, and You know very well what is going on within their bodies and minds; therefore You are the Supreme Director of all activities of all living entities. But although You are in the midst of everything which is under the spell of the material modes of nature, You are not affected by such contaminated qualities. Nobody under the jurisdiction of the material qualities can understand Your transcendental qualities. Your transcendental qualities existed before the creation, therefore You are called the Supreme Brahman who is always glorified by His Personal internal potencies. In this material world You can be known only by Your different Incarnations. Although You assume different types of Bodies they are not anything of the material creation. Such Bodies are always full of transcendental potencies of unlimited opulence, strength, beauty, reputation, wisdom and renunciation. In the material existence, there is a difference between the body and the owner of the body, but because You appear in Your Original Spiritual Body there is no such difference between Your Self and Body. When You appear Your uncommon Activities indicate that You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and such uncommon Activities are not possible by any other body in the material existence. You are that Supreme Personality of Godhead, now appeared to cause the birth and death as well as liberation of the living entities and You are full with all Your plenary expansions, and can bestow on everyone all kinds of benediction. O my Lord, the Source of all auspicity and goodness, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. You are the All-Pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Source of peacefulness and the Supreme Person in the dynasty of King Yadu. My Lord, our father, known as the demigod Kuvera, is Your servant. Similarly, the great sage Narada is also Your servitor, and by their grace only we have been able to see You Personally. We therefore pray that we may always be engaged in Your transcendental loving service by speaking only about Your Glories and hearing about Your transcendental Activities. May our hands and other limbs of the body be engaged in Your service and our minds always be wrapped up at Your Lotus Feet and our heads always bowed down before the All-Pervading Universal Form of Your Lordship.”
When the demigods Nalakuvera and Manigriva finished their prayers, the Child, Lord Krishna, the Master and Proprietor of Gokula, being bound up to the wooden grinding mortar by the ropes of Yasoda, began to smile and said as follows: “It was already known to Me that My great devotee-sage Narada had shown his causeless mercy by saving you from a very abominable condition of being puffed up due to extraordinary beauty of opulence in the family of demigods. He has saved you from gliding down into the lowest condition of hellish life. All these facts are already known to Me. You are very fortunate because you were not only cursed by him but you had the greatest opportunity to see him. If somebody is able, by chance, to see face to face a great saintly person like Narada, who is always equiposed and merciful to everyone, then immediately that conditioned soul becomes liberated, simply by seeing such a personality. This is exactly like being situated in full light of sun: There cannot be any impediment of vision. Therefore, O Nalakuvera and Manigriva, your lives have now become successful because you have developed ecstatic love for Me. This is your last birth within the material existence. Now you can go back to your father’s residence in the heavenly planet, and by remaining in such attitude of devotional service you will be liberated in this very life.” After this, the demigods circumambulated the Lord many times and bowed down before Him again and again, and thus they left the place and the Lord remained in the condition of being bound up with ropes at the grinding mortar.
Chapter Eleven
Killing the Demons Basasula and Bokasura
When the two twin yamalarjuna trees fell down on the ground, making a sound like the falling of thunderbolts, all the inhabitants of Gokula, including Nanda Maharaj and other cowherdsmen, immediately came to the spot. They were very much astonished to see how the great trees had suddenly fallen. But without finding any cause of their falling they were puzzled. They also saw Child Krishna bound up to the wooden mortar by the ropes of Mother Yasoda, and they began to think it must have been caused by some demon, otherwise how was it possible? At the same time they were very much perturbed on account of such uncommon incidences always happening in relation with the Child Krishna. While the elderly cowherdsmen were thus contemplating, the small children who were playing there informed the men that it was due to Krishna’s pulling down the wooden mortar with the ropes in which he was bound up. “Krishna came in between the two trees,” they explained, “and the wooden mortar was topsy-turvied and stuck in between the trees. Krishna began to pull the rope and the trees fell down. When the trees fell down. out of the broken trees two very dazzling men came out and they began to say something to Krishna.” The cowherds did not believe the statement of the children, that the trees fell due to Krishna’s pulling the rope. They could not believe that such things were at all possible. Some of them, however, believed and said to Nanda Maharaj, “Your Child is different than all other children, maybe He might have done it.” Nanda Maharaj began to smile, hearing about the extraordinary abilities of his Son. He came forward and untied the binding just to free his wonderful Child. After being freed by Nanda Maharaj, Krishna was taken onto the laps of the elderly gopis. They took Him away to the courtyard of the house and began to clap, eulogizing the wonderful Activities of Krishna. Krishna began to clap along with the eulogizing, just like an ordinary child. The Supreme Lord Krishna being completely controlled by the gopis, began to sing and dance, just like a puppet in their hands.
Sometimes Mother Yasoda used to ask Child Krishna to bring her the wooden plank for sitting, and although the wooden plank was heavy and not to be carried by the Child, still somehow or other Krishna would bring that plank before His mother. Sometimes while worshiping Narayan, His father would ask the Child to bring his wooden slippers and Krishna with great difficulty would take the slippers on His head and bring them before the father. When He was asked to lift some heavy article and was unable to lift such article He would simply move His arms. In this way, daily, at every moment, He was the Reservoir of All Pleasure to the parents. When the Lord was exhibiting such childish Activities, in exchange, between the inhabitants of Vrindaban and Himself, He wanted to show the great philosophers and wisemen searching after the Absolute Truth how the Supreme Absolute Truth Personality of Godhead was controlled and subject to the desires of His pure devotees. One day, a fruit vendor came before the house of Nanda Maharaj. After hearing the canvasser’s voice-“If anyone wants fruits please come and take from me!”-Child Krishna immediately took some grains in His palm and went to get fruits in exchange. In those days the exchange was barter, therefore Krishna might have seen His parents exchange fruits and other things by bartering grains, and so He imitated. But His palms were very small and He was not very expert to keep them tight, so the grains were falling down. The vendor who came to sell fruits saw it and was very much captivated by the beauty of the Lord, so he immediately accepted whatever few grains were left in His palm and filled up His hands with fruits. In the meantime, the vendor saw that his whole basket of fruit had become filled up with jewels. The Lord is the Bestower of all benediction; if somebody gives something to the Lord, he is not the loser, he is the gainer by a million times.
States and Attributes of the Creation
States and Attributes of the Creation
-by Hayagriva Das Adhikary
(ISKCON-Columbus)
Part two. [Continued from Issue Number 29.]
Pleasure And Pain
Pleasure is a general term which is applied to any feeling of satisfaction which is agreeable to the living entity. This feeling may range from a sense of bodily gratification to a positive sense of spiritual happiness. In psychoanalysis “the pleasure principle” maintains that the living entity automatically adjusts his mental and physical activities to secure pleasure and to avoid pain. Pain is the sensation one feels when hurt mentally or physically. It can be manifest due to a physical wound, distress, great anxiety, suffering, anguish, grief and so on, or it can be caused by the body being attacked, or loved ones being lost, or by disappointments, etc. As far as pleasure is concerned, the position of the conditioned living entity is difficult because he is dwelling in the abode of pain and suffering, the body, which lives in the land of suffering-the material universe. Deluded, the living entity tries to lord it over objects in the material universe but is ultimately always frustrated. It is like a men trying to enjoy a picnic in the middle of a blazing forest fire. In His famous “Fire Sermon,” Lord Buddha paints a vivid picture of the situation:”The ear is on fire; sounds are on fire; the tongue is on fire; tastes are on fire; the body is on fire; things tangible are on fire; the mind is on fire; ideas are on fire; mind-consciousness is on fire; impressions received by the mind are on fire; and whatever sensation, pleasant, unpleasant, or indifferent, originates in dependence on impressions received by the mind, that also is on fire. And with what are these on fire? With the fire of passion, say I, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of infatuation; with birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, misery, grief and despair are they on fire.”
Ignoring this mighty conflagration, man tries desperately to enjoy himself in this world. He does not seek a Guru who, like a raincloud, can extinguish this fire. Rather, he throws fuel on it by flocking to cities to seek pleasure on all fronts, and despite continual frustration he tries again and again to gratify his desires which are infinite and insatiable. Not only men, but all organisms seek pleasure. The pleasure principle is universal. It extends from microscopic beings in the lowest states of life to the great demigods in the heavenly planets.
This principle is not unnatural. Mundane pleasure is but a reflection of the infinite pleasure which exists in the spiritual worlds. Lord Krishna has been called the Reservoir of all pleasure-satchitananda-Knowledge-Being-Bliss-Absolute. The pleasure that the conditioned being is seeking is really there in Krishna in the spiritual life, but due to a poor fund of knowledge he seeks pleasure in other things. Lord Krishna is called Govinda, the Enlivener of senses, for He gives total pleasure to the total senses of all created beings. Once in contact with Him, the soul becomes satisfied. Otherwise it is always hankering after more and more pleasure. In the material worlds the highest pleasure is derived from sex, or, some may argue, from a psychedelic mental inebriation. But, in either case, sex or inebriation are temporary. The happiness derived from them cannot satisfy because they exist external to the human being and are therefore subject to being used up. Consequently one is always looking for more sex partners or more drugs. Real pleasure is not relative, is not dependent on exteriors, but is inherent constitutionally within the soul. Real pleasure is experienced by the soul when it is in contact with the Super Soul, Sri Krishna. That is an interior pleasure which is eternal. The soul is automatically in contact with Krishna when one chants Hare Krishna, for by dint of the omnipotency and omnipresence of the Divine, the word “Krishna” and Krishna Himself are non-different. So when one chants Hare Krishna, he has Krishna dancing on his tongue, and this is the supreme pleasure. This vibration is eternal, and the soul can partake of it apart from the body, for it is vibrated eternally in the spiritual spheres.
Therefore pleasure or happiness should always be derived from that which is favorable to the cultivation of spiritual knowledge, Krishna consciousness. And that which is painful is that which is unfavorable for the cultivation of such knowledge.
Birth and death here refer to the birth and death of the body, for the soul, being eternally situated, being unborn, is not subject to birth and death, though he may be entangled in them. Lord Krishna establishes this fact in the very beginning of Bhagavad Gita. “For the soul there is neither 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.” (Gita, 2.20)
The jiva soul, though unborn, struggles very hard in the tree of the material body. Under delusion he thinks himself that tree. And in order to enlighten him, his constant companion, the Super Soul, sings the Bhagavad Gita to him. In the Svetasvataro Upanishad it is said that two birds are sitting in the same tree. One of the birds, the individual soul, eats the fruit of the tree, and the other bird, the Super Soul, simply witnesses. The bird who is eating the fruit is so intent on enjoying the tree that he has forgotten his loving relationship with the other bird. The whole purpose of Bhagavad Gita is to awaken the materially absorbed soul to that relationship. As long as he is interested in enjoying the fruits of the tree, he will be entangled in birth and death.
By revival of our relationship with the Super Soul, all desire for enjoying the fruits of the tree of material life is vanquished. Then we are able to enter into our eternal relationship with Krishna in the spiritual world which is the realm of eternality beyond time and pure existence beyond birth and death. The quickest and simplest method for reviving this relationship and attaining this state is the chanting of the Holy Name of Krishna.
Repeatedly in the Gita Lord Krishna says that He is the Super Soul, Paramatma, seated in the hearts of all. “One who sees the Super Soul accompanying the individual soul in all bodies, and understands that neither the soul nor the Super Soul is ever destroyed, actually sees.” (Gita, 13.27) Factually knowing the identity of all living entities to be unified in Krishna, the person in Krishna consciousness does not commit violence against others. “He is a perfect yogi who, knowing that the Self dwells in all, sees the equality of all living entities, both in their happiness and distress, O Arjuna!” (Gita, 6.32) Non-violence does not simply extend to injuring another person physically. One who is non-violent does not put another into misery or confusion. The human body is meant for spiritual realization, and one who does not further this end or who impedes this end actually commits violence on the body. Of course in this age of Kali the whole world is fraught with violence. Violence arises out of anger, and anger arises when one’s lust is frustrated. Therefore non-violence will automatically come when we control our senses and learn to tolerate the comings and goings of lust and desire.
Mahatma Gandhi tried to show that Bhagavad Gita is a treatise on non-violence in order to serve his own political ends, and to do this he had to force an allegorical interpretation on this Scripture. Somehow or other he had to answer for the fact that the Bhagavad Gita was spoken on the battlefield and that Krishna specifically told Arjuna to kill Drona, Bhisma and every other enemy he could get his hands on. In his attempt, Gandhi stated that the Battlefield of Kurukshetra is only a symbol for the human body where the spiritual war between good and evil is waged and that Krishna simply represents the Divine voice in man and Arjuna the mortal voice. The triumph of the Gita then is that the Divine voice wins out. Somehow or other Gandhi ignored the fact that Kurukshetra was a real battlefield and that it is presently existing in India under the same name. Also, in relegating the Bhagavad Gita to mere symbolism he relegates the entire Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavatam as well, for if Krishna is only a character in a fable, then these literatures are no more important than fairy tales. In order for Bhagavad Gita to make sense we must understand that it was not spoken by an ordinary man and that Krishna is not just another ordinary character in fiction. We must come to the understanding that the Speaker of the Gita is the omnipresent eternal Reality who is the very Light of the light by which we presently read His Divine instructions.
Now, should one conclude that just because Krishna told Arjuna to go out and fight that we have license to kill at our whim or at the whims of unscrupulous politicians? Arjuna was a kshatriya. The word kshatriya denotes one who protects others from harm. This is the duty of the kshatriya. It is not that he attacks innocent men and women; rather, he fights for a higher cause against other kshatriyas who are capable of defending themselves. Nor is it that he stays in the back lines and sends his men out to be killed. In the Dwapara yuga, when Arjuna was a kshatriya, the head of the state would fight in the very front line, and at his death the war would cease. Who could imagine today’s presidents, premiers and prime ministers personally engaged in battle? Besides, Lord Krishna is very specific that Arjuna should fight, not for his own sense gratification, but for the sake of the Supreme. “Considering your specific duty as a kshatriya you should know that there is no better engagement for you than fighting on religious principles; so there is no need for hesitation. O Partha, happy are the kshatriyas to whom such fighting opportunities come unsought, opening for them the doors of the heavenly planets. If, however, you do not fight this religious war, then you will certainly incur sin for neglecting your duties and thus lose your reputation as a fighter.” (Gita, 2.31-33) Therefore Arjuna should fight because Krishna desires the battle. For one in Krishna consciousness there is no consideration for personal happiness, profit or gain, victory or defeat. Everything is performed for Krishna as a matter of devotional service.
Today there are no kshatriyas, no specific class of fighters. Men are simply drafted out of society from all walks of life and inducted en masse into the armed forces where they are trained to spray napalm on innocent civilians, including children, and even on defenseless soldiers, and to drop atomic bombs to annihilate the population of entire cities. This is not in the kshatriya spirit. Perhaps the only kshatriyas in the West were the knights of the Crusades, for they at least fought in hand to hand combat against other soldiers for religious principles. Certainly the large global wars of this century are demonically inspired and demonically waged.
One who is in Krishna consciousness is certainly non-violent. He knows that he does not have the right to kill even an ant, for he knows that the Super Soul is dwelling in all living entities. He will fight in battle only if he is a kshatriya and only if Krishna or the Spiritual Master tells him to. Nor is it that one imagines Krishna to give instructions according to one’s own desires. It is standard practice to claim that God is “on our side” and that we are fighting for God, when in actuality we are only fighting for our own stomachs or a vague concept. No. The best course in the age of Kali is renunciation of violence because no war is being waged on religious principles. Therefore Lord Chaitanya, Lord Jesus Christ and Lord Buddha, all Kali yuga avatars, advocate non-violence as the best course in this age.
Non-violence does not mean that I will sit idly by and let someone kill me. Why should I permit another person to commit violence against a body that is in Krishna’s service? If I am devoting my life to spreading Krishna’s message, then I should defend it. Self-defense is not considered violence, and according to the Vedas one is allowed to kill the following aggressors: one who attacks suddenly with a deadly weapon, a house-burner, a poison giver, a plunderer or an agricultural usurper and an enticer of one’s wife.
Non-violence, then, does not mean that we become as passive as stones, nor that we wage war for some vaporous cause such as “freedom now” or “down with the Commumst or fascist pigs,” nor for any other political or ideological concept or slogan. Non-violence means that we benefit others by spreading the message of Krishna consciousness and that we protect ourselves and others from senseless violence.
Equanimity
Equanimity refers to freedom from the dualities of attachment and aversion and thus transcendence of the three material modes. This implies an inherent evenness of temper and a disposition which is not disturbed even in the most trying circumstances. In order to attain this, one must be a master of self-control by having his senses engaged in devotional service. Once one engages in devotional service he automatically acquires all these good qualities, such as forgiveness, truthfulness, self-control, calmness, fearlessness, non-violence, equanimity, charity, austerity, satisfaction and the rest. The characteristics of the man who has transcended the modes of nature by devotional service are outlined in detail in the latter part of Chapter Fourteen of the Gita: Such a man is established in equanimity. “The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: He who neither hates nor desires the development of the three qualities of illumination, attachment, and delusion, who is transcendentally situated, remaining neutral through all the reactions of the qualities, thinking that they may work, but that he is transcendental; he who looks equally upon happiness and distress, upon a pebble, a stone, or a piece of gold, who is equal toward the desirable and the undesirable, steady and well-situated in defamation or in adoration: he is said to be transcendentally situated, when he treats equally both honor and dishonor, both friend and enemy, and is not engaged in material activities. That is the position of transcendence over the three modes of Nature.” (Gita, 14.22-25)
Satisfaction
When one is satisfied, all his needs, expectations, wishes or desires are fulfilled. The English word satisfaction comes from the Latin words satis and facere which mean “to make enough.” When one is hungry and enough food is made, he will be satisfied because all his demands will be answered.
Today in modern America the theme song of the general populace, and especially of the youth, is “I can’t get no satisfaction.” This is because human desires when unchecked are insatiable. When one desire is fulfilled it goes away for a moment but returns shortly afterwards with ten friends. It is especially impossible to satisfy the youth who are demanding a greater variety of sense objects to gratify their desires. We all know of the alcoholic who is no more satisfied with twenty drinks than with one drink, or the LSD user who always needs a few micrograms more to obtain the bliss of paranirvana. American society affords a million daily examples of frustration in a frenetic search for satisfaction. The real hunger is internal, and man is trying to satisfy it by externals. There is no satisfaction outside the satisfaction of the soul in its blissful relationship with the Super Soul Sri Krishna.
One who is in Krishna consciousness is always satisfied with whatever is obtained by the grace of the Supreme Lord. If Krishna sends a palace with unlimited opulence, it can be used in Krishna’s service; and if Krishna sends nothing but a tree, the devotee is satisfied to simply lie on the ground beneath it. Because he is in a transcendental relationship with Krishna and is receiving pleasure from the reservoir of pleasure, his material needs are cut to a minimum. He is therefore satisfied with whatever is available. His real satisfaction comes from simply sitting on the planet earth and having the Names of his beloved Lord roll off his tongue
Austerity
In the English language, the word “austerity” has negative connotations. It comes from the Greek word austeros meaning “dry or harsh.” One who is austere is expected to be stern, rigorous or harsh and severe. His bearing is expected to be grave and sober, and his morals are expected to be very strict. In fact, in the west the ideas associated with the word austerity are so negative that when we hear of an austere person, we automatically wish to avoid him But this is not what is meant by austerity here. Krishna consciousness is not dry or harsh, but one’s activities are regulated.
First, it is important to understand what Lord Krishna does not mean by austerity. In the Middle Ages, among Christians, self-laceration and flagellation were fashionable methods to purge oneself of sins. But in the Gita Lord Krishna condemns such bodily violence. “There are those who undergo severe penances and austerities not mentioned in the scriptural injunctions; this they do out of pride, egoism, lust and attachment They do such things impelled by passion. Those who torture the material elements of this body and the Super Soul within it are to be known as demons.” (Gita, 17.5-6)
Austerity refers to the observation of specific rules and regulations, such as rising early, taking baths, attending ceremonies of worship and so on. It may be that these regulations are troublesome because someone is addicted to sleep or dislikes bathing in cold water, but one should nonetheless practice them. The trouble that is suffered is called penance or austerity. In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna sets forth a general program for the regulated life. “There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much, or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough. He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, working, and recreation can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.” (Gita, 6.16-17) One can easily recognize these injunctions as the principles underlying the Greeks’ metronariston, philosophy of the Golden Mean, the happy medium which is the safe and prudent way between extremes, and the Eightfold Path (right understanding, right aspiration, right speech, right conduct, right vocation, right effort, right alertness and right concentration) of Buddhism. In fact, Lord Buddha Himself underwent severe austerities almost to the point of starvation and finally proclaimed such self-punishment to be contrary to the Dharma.
In the Seventeenth Chapter of the Gita Lord Krishna says that austerity is basically threefold-austerity of the body, austerity of the tongue, and austerity of the mind. “The austerity of the body consists in this: worship of God, the demigods, the twice-born, the Spiritual Master, and of wise and experienced teachers; and the practice of cleanliness, celibacy and non-violence.” (Gita, 17.14) The Spiritual Master directs the student by example and by specific instructions in the austerity of the body. The body is not created by Krishna to be tortured but to render service unto Him. Therefore the first duty of the body is to worship the Supreme with the total senses like Maharaj Amburish.
“Austerity of speech consists of speaking truthfully and beneficially and avoiding speech that offends. One should also recite the Vedas regularly.” (Gita, 17.15) One should not say things that would cause mental agitation to others, nor should one engage in frivolous, nonsensical speech. In speaking of spiritual matters, one should refer to the scriptures to establish the truth, and one’s speech should be palatable without being compromising so that others can derive the greatest benefit. Fault finding and upbraiding others only lead to emnity.
“And serenity, gentleness, silence, self-control and purity of thought are the austerities of the mind.” (Gita, 17.16) Detaching the mind from the objects of the senses is austerity for the mind. When the mind is removed from the service of the senses by engagement of devotional service, it becomes serene.
This threefold austerity practiced by men whose aim is not to benefit themselves materially but to please the Supreme is of the nature of goodness.” (Gita. 17.17) The whole purpose of austerity is outlined here. In Krishna consciousness everything is done for the pleasure of Krishna. By watering the root of the tree the branches are automatically served. Often people perform penances and austerities to attract the attention of others and to receive honor and veneration as great saints and sages. Such persons who are in the modes of passion allow subordinates to worship them and offer them riches. And although this may endure for a while, Lord Krishna says that the results are not permanent. “Those ostentatious penances and austerities which are performed in order to gain respect, honor, and reverence are said to be in the mode of passion. They are neither stable nor permanent.” (Gita, 17.18) We also have the example in the Srimad Bhagavatam of the great demon Hiranya Kashipu who performed very severe austerities to make himself immortal. Because he underwent great penances to achieve the impossible, namely eternality of the material body, he was finally killed by Lord Krishna in the form of Nrishingha. Lord Krishna proclaims such austerities to be in the modes of ignorance. “And those penances and austerities which are performed foolishly by means of obstinate self-torture or to destroy or injure others are said to be in the mode of ignorance.” (Gita, 17.19)
Austerity, then, is not simply a matter of being harsh and dry or of torturing oneself. Austerity should be performed according to rules and regulations under the guidance of a Spiritual Master for the sake of the Supreme.
Charity
One can perform charity, like austerity, in one of the three modes of material nature. Lord Krishna says, “There are also three kinds of charities. That gift which is given out of duty at the proper time and place and to a worthy person and without expectation of return is considered to be charity in the mode of goodness.” (Gita, 17.20) The Vedas do not recommend that one give charity indiscriminately. It is best given to those who are engaged in spiritual activities. Charity is regarded as a means of spiritual perfection, and it is suggested that one give charity at holy places during specific times, such as during eclipses or at the end of the month. It is also recommenced that one have no consideration for recompense. In America there are so many charitable institutions for the poor, and compassion often dictates that we give to them, but most often we see that the poor engage in objectionable activities such as drinking, meat-eating, gambling and sexual promiscuity. Obviously charity will simply encourage them to continue their debasing habits. Therefore the best policy according to the Vedas is to give charity to one engaged in Krishna conscious activities, specifically to one who is spreading the message of Bhagavad Gita.
Charity in the inferior modes is to be altogether avoided. “But charity performed with the expectation for some return or with a desire for fruitive results or in a grudging mood is said to be in the mode of passion.” (Gita, 17.21) When people give charity in order to elevate themselves to higher planets they are expecting some return. This is discouraged. Some people give grudgingly out of a sense of obligation, and their gift is in the mode of passion because it is motivated by social convention. “And charity performed at an improper place and time and given to unworthy persons without respect and with contempt is charity in the mode of ignorance.” (Gita, 17.22) When one walks down the Boweries of America one sees innumerable drunken derelicts and mendicants who are begging for money. According to the Vedas, charity that is given in places where people indulge in intoxication, illicit sex or gambling is considered to be in the modes of darkness. This charity does not benefit anyone, and to give to such persons is to simply commit violence against them, for the gift only encourages their harmful activities. Actually, all mundane charities are harmful because the gifts are given to benefit the gross material body. The real gift, the matchless gift, is the message of Bhagavad Gita. Since the living entity is not the material body but the spirit soul, charity to the body is not directed to the individual, but to his corpse. Real charity is awakening someone to the awareness that he is the servant of the Supreme Lord and that his happiness lies in re-establishing his transcendental relationship with the Lord.
Fame And Infamy
Practically every teenager in America wants to be a famous rock and roll star. It is natural to want to be well-liked or well-known. Actually one of the opulences of Krishna is total fame. Being the totality of everything, complete fame goes to Him alone. Because we are minute reflections of Krishna, that tendency to enjoy the opulence of fame is in us minutely. However, fame is incidental to Krishna, whereas the living entity is always hankering for it.
In the Chaitanya Charitamrita Lord Chaitanya tells Ramananda Roy that the greatest fame to be had in the world is the fame of being known as a devotee of Krishna’s. Being known as anything else is infamy. This should be our standard for judging real fame in the world. Worldly fame, like every other worldly opulence, is temporary. Who were the most famous popular singers of the last century? Who were the greatest actors during Shakespeare’s day? During Caesar’s day? Assyria, Greece, Rome, Carthage-what are they? Mere dream bubbles. And if empires pass into oblivion, what to speak of personal fame?
All of these qualities and attributes are found throughout the universe in both human and demigod society. If the self of man is to be his friend instead of his enemy, then he will develop the positive qualities and attributes. One who engages in devotional service to Lord Krishna automatically develops the positive attributes. The purport of this verse, however, is that “All these were created by Me alone.” Krishna is the origin of all qualities and all attributes, be they good or bad from the material point of view. What is seen in the material universe is but a minute reflection of what exists in Him in full. In order to become godly, man must develop those attributes which detach him from the world consciousness and establish him in the love for the Divine. This is the real objective of human life.
Adventures of the Boar Incarnation
Adventures of the Boar Incarnation
—by Satsvarupa Das Adhikary
(ISKCON-Boston)
I: Introduction
There is a story in the Vedic scriptures of a time when the great sage Narada went to visit the Supreme Lord Narayan (Krishna) in the Spiritual Kingdom of Vaikuntha. Narada was travelling on the earth at the time for the purpose of spreading the Hare Krishna Mantra, and before leaving, he met a brahmin on the road. The brahmin learned that Narada was going to see Lord Narayan, so he requested that Narada find out his spiritual status: how long, how many more births would he have to undergo before he would be liberated from material existence? Narada agreed to inquire about the brahmin’s position. Further on he was hailed by a cobbler who was tending his craft while sitting under a large tree by the roadside. The cobbler paid his respects to Narada and asked the great sage to please find out how many births more he would have to spend in the miseries of repeated birth and death before he would attain final liberation. In the Vaikuntha planet, in the Presence of the Supreme Lord, Narada reported his missionary activities to Narayan and received all the necessary information for carrying on his loving devotional service. He then inquired about the two conditioned souls he had met on the earth planet. When the Lord was asked about the brahmin He said, “Oh he will have to spend many, many more lifetimes before his liberation.” Narada noted the reply, and then asked about the cobbler. On hearing mention of that cobbler, the Lord smiled, “Please tell him that he will be liberated in this very lifetime!” Then Narayan added, “And when you tell them, if they ask what I was doing, please tell them I was threading an elephant through the eye of a needle.”
When Narada approached the brahmin on the earth planet the brahmin enquired what the Lord had said. Narada told him, and the brahmin became morosely silent. This brahmin was a rigid practitioner of the scriptural regulations; he took three baths a day and never failed to perform the proper rituals, so he was surprised to hear that he had a long way before being liberated. He then asked what the Lord was doing. When Narada told him that Lord Narayan was threading an elephant through the eye of a needle, the brahmin became outraged with disbelief: “What? Go away! You haven’t been to see Narayan. This is just some nonsense you are concocting!” And the brahmin turned away from Narada. Narada next approached the cobbler. On seeing Narada Muni, the man jumped up from his place under the tree and ran to the devotee-sage:”You have just seen the Lord. So tell me when I am to be liberated.” Narada was pleased to tell the cobbler that he would be liberated in this very lifetime. The cobbler turned ecstatic and began jumping for joy. Very soon he would be with the Lord! He then asked Narada what Lord Narayan was doing. Narada replied, “The Lord was threading an elephant through the eye of a needle.” The cobbler became still more ecstatic. “Ah, how great my Lord is!” he exclaimed. Narada asked him further, “How is it you have such faith that you can believe the Lord was doing such an impossible thing?” The cobbler answered unflinchingly, “Impossible? Just see this large, spacious tree we are sitting under. Do you know that such a big spreading tree came out of a seed no bigger than a pin? So if the Lord can put such a big tree into a tiny seed, why can’t He thread one elephant through a needle’s eye?”
The purport is clear. The cobbler had more than a blind faith in God. He had understanding that God means Param Brahman, the Greatest, and the Greatest means that He can do anything. So many impersonalists will admit that God means the unlimited, the infinite, but as soon as they hear that the Lord descends as Avatara and acts in a way indicative of His unlimited potency, they take it differently. They say it is a myth or allegory, or they criticize. The mental speculator tries to put God within the restrictions of the understanding of the tiny human brain. This is his error. Rather, the Vedic process for understanding the Absolute Truth is to receive it as it is. The Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is inconceivable, therefore we cannot measure Him. But we can hear from authorized sources of His Activities. Everyone should be interested in this transcendental hearing, because everyone is intimately connected as part of the One Supreme Lord. By listening, our heart can become cleansed and we can have revealed to us the practical, loving intent of the Lord in His multi-incarnations. If we can understand His Pastimes, all our problems will be solved. By understanding Krishna’s Appearance in the world, we reach the perfection of life by leaving this temporary world of ignorance and misery and going back to Home, back to Godhead. That is the version of the Bhagavad Gita.
It is in this spirit that the great sages and transcendental scholars of the Vedic literature request we listen to the Activities of the incarnation of the Lord as Boar, or the Baraha Avatara.
II: The Holy Boar Rescues Planet Earth
At a time far remote from present history, in the Swetabaraha millennium, just at the dawn of the creation of the material world, Lord Brahma was approached by the presiding Manu. The Manu asked Brahma to do something about the earth planet, which had fallen to the bottom of the Garbhodak ocean which fills half of the universe. Lord Brahma, being the chief administrator of the affairs of the material universe, is the direct representative of Krishna. Brahma was presented by the Manu with this calamity: earth had fallen to a filthy place and had to be rescued. Lord Brahma gave it his full attention and meditated as follows: “While I was engaged in the matter of creation, the earth was inundated by deluge and went down into the depths of the ocean. What can we, who are engaged in this creation, do? Better let the Almighty Lord direct us.” The chief entity, Brahma, was perplexed, but not discouraged. With full faith in Krishna, his thinking suddenly bore the solution of his duty, by the Grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is all narrated in the spotless Vedic literature, the Srimad Bhagavatam, Third Canto: “All of a sudden, while Brahma was engaged in thinking, a small form of a Boar came out of his nostril, and the measurement of the creature was not more than the upper portion of the thumb. While Brahma was observing Him, the Boar-like form became situated in the sky in a wonderful manifestation, grown suddenly into a gigantic form like a great elephant. Brahma, along with great brahmins like Marichi, began to argue as to what it was. Brahma exclaimed: “Is this some extraordinary entity come in the pretense of a boar? It is very wonderful.” As he was the supermost person in the universe, Lord Brahma could guess that the wonderful Appearance of the Boar was an Avatar of Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a form was never before experienced. The symptoms of the incarnation of Godhead are so uncommon that even Brahma became perturbed. While these sages and demigods were deliberating, the Lord as Boar resounded a tremendous sound which echoed in all directions.
It is said that the sound of the Voice of Baraha was gorgeous to the devotees of the upper planets, but to the demoniac, who also heard it, it was the most dangerous sound-the sound of doom to their rebellion. Lord Vishnu is declared by all the Vedic literature as transcendental. The Lord as Boar is also the Supreme Lord, or the Vedas incarnate. Those elevated, pious intellectual beings on upper material planets (such as Siddha Loka and Brahma Loka) replied to the Lord’s Voice by praying to Him with Vedic hymns. The earth planet was submerged in the mire on the bottom of the ocean, but on hearing the sound of the Lord as Baraha, the devotees knew that He was present for the earth’s deliverance. They understood that Vishnu was appearing as a Boar because a boar can get something out of a filthy place. The Bhagavatam describes the Voice of the Boar and the chanting of the devotees as enacted on a cosmic scale. They reciprocated vibrations of love back and forth through the regions of all outer space. And it is stated that of all the Vedic hymns vibrated in that concert between the Supreme and His loving servants, the most important was the Brihanaradiya Purana verse, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Srimad Bhagavatam relates: “He resounded again in reply to the Vedic prayers by the great devotees. The Lord is the Object of the Vedic prayers, and thus He understood that the devotees’ prayers were meant for Him.” As the mantras were being properly recited, the Lord was pleased. Before entering the water to rescue the earthly planet, the Lord Boar flew down from the sky, slashing with His Tail and quivering His hard Hairs. His very Glance was luminous, and He swatted the clouds in the sky with His Hoofs and His glittering white Tusks. Although the body of a boar is material and contaminated, that is not the case with the Boar Form of the Lord. Nor is it possible, of course, for an earthly boar to assume a gigantic form and perform so many wondrous activities. Baraha is the One Lord Who is without a second Who comes for Pastime functions. As stated in the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad Gita, the Lord is One, and yet He is appearing in multi-incarnations The example is given that He is like the Vaidurya stone which changes colors but is one. These things are understood by submissive hearing and inquiry and by devotional service to the One Lord. Bhagavad Gita clearly states that whoever understands how the Lord appears and disappears on the material scene is at once liberated. This is the proper application of the Sanskrit expression, “Tatvamasi,” ”You are that too.” In his purports to the Gita, Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta writes: “Anyone who understands Lord Krishna to be the Supreme or who says unto the Lord, ‘You are the same Supreme Brahman, the Personality of Godhead,’ is certainly liberated instantly, and consequently his entrance into the transcendental association of the Lord is guaranteed.” When we speak of Krishna, it is to be understood that Krishna includes all the Avataras. Baraha is mentioned in the list of incarnations in the Srimad Bhagavatam: “The Supreme Enjoyer of all sacrifices accepted the Boar Incarnation for the welfare of the earth. He lifted it from the nether regions of the universe.” (S.B., 1.3.7)
In any of His eternal Forms, Krishna is God. This is to be understood. When He is playing as Child Krishna on the lap of His mother, Yasoda, He is God; when He appears as the half-lion half-man Form of Nrishinghadeva He is God; and as Baraha, in the Form of a Boar, He is the same transcendental Supreme Lord. Just as wood is wood, fire is fire, so by the law of designation God is God. He is always God in any Form He takes; and these Forms are all described in the authoritative Vedic scriptures. The materialistic mentality not only thinks that the form of a boar cannot be spiritual or transcendental, but he thinks that the human form is always material. According to the Bhagavad Gita, this inability to accept Krishna as He presents Himself, or is presented by a pure representative, is a disease. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami cites this in his purport to the 10th verse of the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad Gita: “It is very difficult for a person who is too materially affected to understand the Personal nature of the Supreme Absolute Truth. Generally, people who are attached to the bodily concept of life are so absorbed in materialism that it is almost impossible for them to understand how the Supreme can be a Person. Such materialists cannot imagine that there is a transcendental Body which is non-perishable, full of knowledge and eternally blissful. In the materialistic concept, the body is perishable, full of ignorance and completely miserable. Therefore people in general keep this same bodily idea in mind when they are informed of the Personal Form of the Lord For such materialists, the Form of the gigantic material manifestation is supreme; therefore they imagine that the Supreme is impersonal.” Since we are now hearing or reading of Lord Baraha, let us spend the time for the highest benefit and thus take shelter of Srila Vyasadeva, the author of the Vedic Shastra; in this way we can best receive the Activities of the incarnation of Boar, as they are told.
“Lord Boar penetrated the water with His Hoof, which was sharp like arrows, and found out the limitation of the ocean, although it was unlimited. He saw the earth lying as it was in the beginning of creation, as the resting place for all living beings, and He Personally lifted it.”
Thereupon Lord Boar killed the demon within the water, just as a lion kills an elephant.
According to the Vedic philosopher devotee, Jiva Goswami, the topics told of Baraha in the Third Canto of Bhagavatam are of different millenniums. The topics of Baraha’s rescue of the earth from the mire is of the Swetabaraha millennium, and the topics of His killing the demon Hiranakya are of the later Caksus millennium in His second Appearance as Boar. In one incarnation His bodily hue is described as whitish, and in the other it is reddish. In either case, just by His glancing over His devotees, all of them felt transcendental happiness. The Body of the Lord is always transcendental in all cases. His assumption of the Form of Boar is only His Pastime. Just as when Krishna played the part of a human being, He was the perfect human being, so He assumed the Form of a Boar and found the earth by smelling, like a perfect boar, and he rescued it by lifting it up on His tusks. Yet His Body is the Vedas Personified.
III: The Fight With Hiranakya
As the Boar was coming out of the water, He was attacked by the powerful demon, Hiranakya, who had been travelling through all the three worlds and planetary systems, conquering whomever he met, out of bellicose madness. Hiranakya was the twin-brother of the demon Hiranya Kashipu. The pair were born into this world specifically to take up the role of personal combatants or enemies of the Supreme Lord in His respective incarnations of Lord Baraha and Lord Nrishingha, the half-lion half-man Avatara of the Satya Yuga. As the Reservoir of all desires, the Lord also has a fighting spirit, from which comes all fighting spirit as found in the material world. For instance, the natural fighting spirit sometimes displayed by young boys wrestling is but a perverted reflection of this original desire of the Lord. The fighting of the Supreme Lord, however, doesn t result in the destruction of the enemy, but works for his liberation. Sometimes people are suspicious because Lord Krishna taught His transcendental philosophy on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. But, as stated by the devotee Bhismadeva, all those who took part in the Battle of Kurukshetra and were killed while seeing the Form of the Personality of Godhead, Krishna, gained their eternal liberation. Even being kicked by Krishna is eternally auspicious.
When the demon brothers appeared, born from the womb of Diti, the very pores of the earth and the sky and the animals and plant kingdoms virtually cried out with omens of evil portent.
When the Supreme Lord fights, He does not fight with an ordinary mortal or nondevotee. Rather, He exchanges this rasa only with His devotees. By the Grace of the complete revelation of Vyasdeva, the compiler of the Bhagavatam, we are able to understand that Lord Baraha picked His own servant, a doorman of the palace in the spiritual planet, Vaikuntha, and this servant descended in the form of Hiranakya and took on the demoniac life for the purpose of battling with the Lord in hand to hand combat.
Hiranakya was broad and strong, golden-haired and covered with ornaments. He is described as being so tall and big that he blocked the view of the sky. And his prowess was not that of an ordinary man because in fighting he appeared almost on an equal level with the Lord. But his mentality was all demoniac: he travelled for the purpose of fighting with all peace-loving creatures. Wherever he could find anyone with a fighting reputation he would challenge him to fight. He thus made the demigod Indra flee before him, and he challenged Varuna the god of the water. Varuna advised Hiranakya that if he were really so desirous of battle he ought to fight with Lord Vishnu, and he told the demon that at the present moment the Lord had taken the Form of a Boar, and he told him where he could go to meet Him.
The demon came upon the all-powerful Personality of Godhead in His incarnation as Boar, as the Lord was bearing the earth upwards on the end of His tusk. The Bhagavatam says that “the reddish Eyes and Hoofs of the amphibious beast robbed the demon of his splendor.”
“Your power is only mystic!” the infatuated demon roared to the Supreme Lord. “Today I shall enliven my kinsmen by killing you, oh fool.” This is the demoniac mentality. The Lord is invisible to the eyes of the common man, but His energies are everywhere, acting in various ways. The demons think that God is actually hiding Himself and working by mystic power, and if he can find Him out then he can kill Him. The demoniac are anxiously trying to kill God by words and “philosophy.” The idea underlying this is that if one is materially powerful enough, he can kill God by weapons. Actually, the demoniac cannot understand at all how God is working. They can neither kill Him nor touch Him. He can be present everywhere and still remain at His eternal Abode.
The demon continued hurling insults, but the Lord Boar patiently bore them while He carried the earth to safety on His tusks. “When You are smashed by my mace,” the demon challenged, “then the sages and devotees who offer You devotional service will cease to exist.” It is well-known by everyone that the demons do not like the fact that the devotees worship the Lord in the prescribed ways recommended in the scriptures.
The Lord Boar was pained by the abusive words of the demon, but He carefully placed the earth on the water of the universe and enabled it to float by its own power. Then He turned to the business of fighting the demon who was delivering furious insults. The Lord is no myth, but is actually present in multi-incarnations. As He is the Source of all sentiency and feeling, He has feeling Himself, and He is therefore never pleased by insults. According to Goswami A.C. Bhaktivedanta, “God is as sentient as we are, and He is satisfied by our prayer and dissatisfied with our harsh words against Him.” In order to give protection to His devotee, He is always ready to tolerate all kinds of insults by the atheists. Therefore He patiently placed the earth in a safe place and prepared to dispatch the demon. The Lord said to Hiranakya: “We are creatures of the jungle, and we are searching after dogs like you. One who is freed from the entanglement of death does not fear the insults of the kind in which you are indulging because you are bound by the laws of death.” Baraha knew that Hiranakya’s position was a false one. The demon doesn’t believe in God; he thinks that he can defy the material laws and be freed of birth and death. No one, however, has ever been able to achieve freedom from death, not by any advancement of science nor by mental speculation, Yogic power or sheer brawn, as possessed by Hiranakya. “Give up your nonsensical talking,” Lord Baraha went on. “You are supposed to be the commander of many soldiers, so now you can take prompt steps to overthrow us.” Hiranakya became so angry and agitated that he began to tremble “like a challenged cobra.” The Lord had asked him to fulfill his loud promises to kill Him.
Hiranakya then sprang upon Baraha and dealt Him a blow with his powerful mace. The Lord dodged that blow by moving aside a little. The Personality of Godhead then exhibited His anger and rushed to meet the demon who was hissing and shaking with rage and holding his mace to deliver another blow. The Lord then struck at Hiranakya, but the expert demon protected himself with a maneuver of his mace. In this way, they began to strike at each other with their huge maces, each seeking his own victory.
Lord Brahma, accompanied by his followers and other demigods, came to see the terrible fight for the sake of the world. The Lord is described by the demigods as “Yajna,” or “the Body full of worshipful offerings.” As learned devotees, the demigods never consider the Lord to have the body of an ordinary boar. He can assume any Form, and He has all such Forms eternally. All forms actually emanate from the Original Form of Krishna, as declared in the Srimad Bhagavatam. So this Boar Form is always Vishnu, transcendental. Lord Brahma addressed Him thus: “This demon has proved to be a constant pinprick to demigods, brahmins, cows and innocent persons. He has attained a boon from me and has turned to be a demon and is always wandering over the earth looking for a fight. My dear Lord, there is no need of playing with this serpentine demon who is very skilled in cunning tricks and arrogant and most wicked. Kindly kill him. The dark evening is fast approaching.” It is said that upon hearing the words of Brahma the creator, words which were free from all sinful purposes and were as sweet as nectar, the Lord heartily laughed and “accepted his prayer with a glance ladened with love.” The prayer of Brahma was pure, whereas Hiranakya had prayed and performed austerities in order to derive power in the form of a boon from Brahma. It is said in the Bhagavad Gita that those who undergo severe penances and austerities not mentioned in the scriptures, out of pride, ego, lust and attachment, do such things impelled by passion.
The Lord then aimed His mace at the chin of His enemy who was stalking in front of Him. But He was instead struck by the demon’s mace, and His mace slipped from His Hand. It is described that the demigods became alarmed at this. Hiranakya, however, respecting the law of combat, did not strike an unarmed foe. The Lord’s anger was kindled by this, and He invoked His Sudarshan discus, which is the personal ultimate weapon used by the Personality of Godhead. As the discus revolved in His Hand, the demon sprang into the air, saying, “You are slain!” and threw His mace. The Lord knocked it down with His left Foot. The demon picked up his mace and aimed it again. The Lord stood firm and caught the flying mace and offered it back to the demon to try again. This humiliated the demon, and he took a trident and hurled it furiously. The Lord, however, tore it to pieces with His Sudarshan, which has a sharp-edged rim. Hiranakya then struck the Lord with his hard fists on His Chest. The Bhagavatam says that this was felt by the Lord as an elephant feels the striking of a wreath of flowers. In other words, the Lord desired the fighting in order to enjoy transcendental bliss. The demon then began to conjure tricks on a full scale, as was in his power. The skies were filled with winds and stones were discharged from caves. Puss, hair and blood rained from the skies. At this, Lord Baraha at last discharged His Sudarshan. At the moment the weapon left His Hand, a shudder ran through the heart of Diti, mother of Hiranakya, and her breast ran with blood. When the demon saw that his whole magic show was dispersed by the Presence of the Personality of Godhead, he tried to embrace Him with his arms in order to crush Him. But to his amazement he found that the Lord had again eluded him. Finally, the Lord slapped him at the base of the ear, and though struck indifferently, Hiranakya’s eyeballs bulged out of their sockets, his body wheeled, and he fell down like a gigantic tree uprooted by the wind, his arms, limbs and head broken and scattered.
It is described that when the demigods approached the battle area, they saw the so-called corpse of the demon Hiranakya was still rosey-hued, as if full of life. Then it was noticed that the demon’s body was still touching Lord Baraha’s Body, and therefore the Soul of souls was giving him life. Lord Brahma remarked, “Oh what blessed death is here!” The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Who grants liberation in any incarnation, is so inconceivably great that His kick brings the greatest benefit to the “victim.” Because He is inconceivably great, we are warned against thinking that we understand what it is to be a devotee of the Lord, or how it feels to be a friend of Krishna, or to act as His parent when He is partaking of His Childhood Pastimes. And certainly, no one should pretend to grasp the understanding of what it is to exchange loving affairs with the Lord. Most persons actually have no concept of God, or at most they may have heard that “God is great.” Yet the mystery of the Pastimes of the Chief of all persons is open to everyone who will hear His Pastimes as presented in the Srimad Bhagavatam and related intact by His pure representatives.
Dullards and Slugs
Dullards and Slugs
The Materialistic Demeanor Revisited
—by Goursundar Das Adhikary (ISKCON—Hawaii)
Our eighth year of “primary education” passed in an American Dependent School in Okinawa. During that eventful year we heard that we would have to decide for ourselves what had caused our existence, that the average man used less than one fourth the potential of his brain, and that God was never to be discussed in school.
Our studies of physical science had culminated in the visualization of the fleshy structure of the human brain. Electrical impulses flashing on the circuitry inside a man’s head are supposed to be responsible for all thinking, feeling, and willing. Life, memory, and the living zone are strange. The head is filled up with thoughts. The mind projects itself outside the body. We wondered, “What would we be thinking if we were using all the power of the brain?”
We had encountered sectarian religionists whose shallowness had turned us toward the camps of the atheists. We passed amidst the “humanists” and received many promises which were never to be fulfilled. Burning in despair we went past childhood’s end. The prospects for enjoyment which had been pointed out to us by our teachers proved inadequate. After exhausting many the sauri of philosophy, we realized we had been deceived all along, from the earliest beginning. We felt doomed, not for not knowing answers, but for not even being able to frame proper questions.
We had secretly designated ourselves as atheists. But as our intelligence matured, we saw through the hypocrisy of our so-called religious friends. We saw them as atheists to a man. It was then that we began to seriously study: What is religion? How are all things related? Who is God?
We had glimpsed the desolation in store for the materialists. We knew the agony of the “Underground Man” and the pretenses of the “Absurd Man.” We had followed the avant-garde of pop culture in “new” explorations. All of these things sickened us.
We had long felt as if we were being watched. We were fortunate. Everything was fully explained by our spiritual master and we began to realize the unique situation of Absolute Knowledge. We had to surrender ourselves in his service.
Humanism is the atheist’s disease. The people of the world are atheists. It is for this reason that they have been transferred here. People hypocritically express pity at the plight of “Fellow Man.” They feel noble when they stoop to sympathize with another person’s sufferings. They hear gravely how a soldier has been run over by a tank, how his mother suffers, and how nothing can console her. But when it is brought to their attention that daily they have been feeding on the carcasses of slaughtered innocent animals, they become angry. So their brand of compassion is very limited in scope. Personal gratification comes first. In fact, the motive for humanistic efforts is the enhancement of sensual pleasures in a particular sphere or select group of living entities.
Collectively they blame God when their pleasure turns to pain. They want to live in this hostile world hoarding all the treasures which can captivate their senses, and somehow escaping all distress. They intend to massacre an unlimited number of animals in order to taste the bloody bodies.
The humanists are ever ready to calumniate, assault, and assassinate the humble servants of God, but they maintain many sectarian views meant to righteously dress up their selfish desires.
“Waikiki at three o’clock in the morning is real. Bhagavad Gita is not.”
“The Gita is old and cannot cope with the new.”
But what is new? Is life or death new? Is pleasure-pain or hot-cold new? Is the Sun or the Moon new? Is the earth new? Is eating, sleeping, mating, and fighting new?
The Darwinian theory of evolution has reassured everyone: Man is the Pinnacle of evolution. And when he becomes bored with himself, he can escape into intoxication.
Our materialistic friends have the conviction that religion is one of man’s inventions. Somehow they have taken man as all in all. They see religion in terms of apotheosis, anthropomorphism, zoomorphism, theanthropism, therianthropism, etc.
The pseudo-Christians, pseudo-Buddhists, etc. do not protest the slanders of the modern “enlightened” thinkers, being eager to feed on the scraps from their dissecting tables, cherishing as they do aspirations for the utmost enjoyment of the senses.
The devotee of God admonishes them: this world is not your real home, neither is it lovable-if you are not a fool, do not try to remain here, decrying God for making your life miserable. Do not waste time artificially discriminating material goodness and badness. “What is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”-New Testament, Luke 16/15.
This life is bound to be predominated by pain. The world is a vacuum without the sight of God. The people are all after phantasmagoria, clashing with one another in their struggles to possess shadowy things which will soon cease to exist.
This fool’s paradise is not cherished by liberated souls. Beyond the material creation is another existence known as anti-material nature. “There is another, eternal Nature, which is transcendental to the manifested and non-manifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is.”-Bhagavad Gita, 8.20. God’s playgrounds are there in the spiritual kingdom.
People are puffed up with material knowledge. They wish to show off their experience of the world. They always waste time discussing transitory things. But they do not find the Bhagavad Gita interesting. “There is no need for Eastern religion.” People do not understand spiritual science, but they remain complacent. Krishna and His devotees canvass and teach. But people crave mammon. “Krishna’s Presence mocks the world of man.”-The Bhagavat Purana, 10/70/40.
“Does man have free will?” we have been asked. Does a crazy man have free will? No. Everyone has his will, but under material bondage it is never free. “The place of action, the doer, the senses, the endeavor, and ultimately the Supersoul: these are the five factors of action.”-Bhagavad Gita, 18.14
A man is the servant of his senses led by the mind. All these are conditional. “The bewildered individual soul, under the influence of the three modes of Nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by Nature.” Bhagavad Gita, 3.27. Is a man free to serve his senses? No He is obstructed by Nature at every turn.
Man has the potential to exercise his free will in spiritual existence. But he has thrown it away and come to be the dog of Maya. Man still has the option of surrendering to God and manifesting his freedom in harmony with the absolutely free Personality of Godhead.
“If one has no free will, can he be blamed for his misdeeds?” Yes. All misbehavior is the result of aversion to God’s Will and is bound to be chastised. The demoniac people, those in revolt against God, have chosen to do evil. Their lives follow the standard aberrations of the conditioned soul.
All the wrongs which a man commits are his sole responsibility, and he need not further degrade himself by the cowardly business of trying to shift the blame. Man has the opportunity to have liberation. The other living entities in the material world who are wearing different dress, viz. bodies of aquatics, plants, animals, etc., will have to wait until they attain human forms. The eternal soul is only temporarily covered by material bodies. The majority of the inconceivably great number of individual souls are fixed in the transcendental realm. The miscreants are serving time in matter.
By taking the initiative to oppose God, the conditioned soul has plunged himself into the world of ignorance, hiding his vision from the sight of God. By the continuing sequence of actions and reactions technically known as karma he is being buffeted by Nature’s laws. He can be released in the end by sincere devotion to God through His Grace. “Give up all other duties and surrender unto Me [Krishna]. Do not fear, I shall protect you from all sinful reactions.”-Bhagavad Gita, 18.66.
“Does God enjoy punishing miscreants?” No. Miscreants are malicious, and for everyone’s good their wrong impressions have to be regulated. “How can God allow the gruesome things of this world to exist?” All worldly problems are posed by transient phenomena distinct from the real self of the living entity. The soul can never be maimed or killed. But the false possessions (including bodies) to which he has become attached are bound to disintegrate. The material world is satisfying the whims of its residents and blocking the real manifestation of happiness, i.e., the Vaikuntha, the spiritual abode where there is no misery. Krishna always offers us happiness without depriving us of our individual will. Our infinitesimal will characterizes our existence as individuals. And we are never to cease to be individuals. Krishna has assured us of that fact.
“For the soul there is never birth or 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.”-Bhagavad Gita, 2.20.
We must have the right self-determination apart from the impressions of the changeable body and fickle mind in order to realize the proper conception of God and the soul. We have to engage ourselves as the subservients of God and regain our real nature lost in material excesses. We have to serve the regulative sound vibrations manifesting themselves in the limited disclosure of this nether world for our benefit. We cannot obtain spiritual enlightenment, which is identical with loving devotion to Krishna, if we choose to actively or passively resist serving the Supreme.
We have heard that God is great. God must mean the absolutely All-powerful. His greatness is His absolute goodness. If God is God, He must be great. Nothing can happen without God’s sanction. Everything that occurs is His Will because every occurence must not be contrary to His Will. So everything that occurs must be good. But the material world being the resort of creatures opposed to the Will of God, it is natural that there appear in it a conditional goodness. In fact, the whole material creation is an extraneous manifestation to the real Nature of God. It is an adjustment for counteracting the mischief of the living entities who have gone abroad in false identifications of themselves. The strictures of birth, disease, old age, and death are operative only on the outer covering layers, the bodies of conditioned souls, which have nothing to do with their eternal identities. So we must know the position of the soul in the first place. If we realize our existence apart from the temporal affairs and our impending changes of body, we can adopt the humble attitude of true inquisitiveness which will help us in entering the regions of true theism.
Historians and philosophers have long puzzled over the meaning of life to no avail. But we have nothing to profit from their imaginary explanations which cannot give us any relief from the miseries of the world. The self-realized soul can understand how conditional life is non-cooperation with Krishna.
We individual souls are emanations qualitatively like Krishna, but quantitatively unequal to Him. God is the Infinite Absolute. God must be One. We have the qualities of our Fountainhead, who is the Background or Support of all existence. Aquinas says that God should be known as “He Who Is.” This is so because His Existence is the pre-requisite for all subsequent existence. He is the prime Progenitor of all manifestations, which do exist. Our perceptions, both of ourselves and of things outside ourselves, are possible because we all exist in Him. “I worship Govinda, the Primeval Lord, who is the Absolute Substantive Principle being the Ultimate Entity in the Form of the Support of all existence.”-Brahma Samhita, 5.41.
God is the Infinite Absolute, and we are infinitesimal absolutes, His eternal servitors. Our tiny will cannot be good when it opposes God. The intervening emanation which nullifies any possibilities of our ushering evil into God’s sphere of absolute goodness and which acts as a corrective agent to rectify us through limited indulgence is the material creation.
Krishna is actually clearer to us than our own selves. He is all-attractive, and He is the Inner Soul of all souls. Without Krishna, no real happiness can be found.
Nescience on the part of wayward souls subservient to the non-cognitive or non-soul is accommodated within the material creation. The indolent soul does not transmogrify nor fall from his constitutional eternal fixture, but by his apathetic egoism, i.e. by allowing his conception of himself ascendance over Godhead, he blinds himself to the nature of his own identity-with its inherent tendency to fall down. He assumes the mentality of aspiring to lord it over, and he is at that point overwhelmed by Maya.
Maya is God’s good adjustment which impounds the erring souls, confining them in bodies like strait-jackets to obstruct their suicidal commission. Maya is material Nature. Maya means forgetfulness of God. Maya means the measuring tendency (by elevating oneself to the Judge’s seat). Maya means what has no reality in itself. And Maya means mercy. These may be understood as esoteric truths.
By God’s inconceivable power we have been gifted with the erroneous determinations we have warranted. But at the same time we are being urged to reconsider our misjudgements. We have voluntarily come into the material aggregate elements to seek our fortunes. But the material manifestation actually enforces impotence upon us. We are left to our own conclusions. Can we, lacking as we do absolute knowledge and power, be independently happy? We are personalities meant to augment the perfection of God’s sovereign Will.
Krishna’s relationship to the world is mysterious. Is He Transcendent or Immanent? If He is Transcendent, has He no concern for the world? If He is Immanent, then has He spread Himself everywhere and ceased to maintain His distinctive Identity? These questions were long debated.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us the truth of Krishna’s inconceivable oneness with and distinction from His multifarious energies (Achintya Bhedabheda Tattva). “In My transcendental Form I [Krishna] pervade all creation. All things are resting in Me, but I am not in them.”-Bhagavad Gita, 9.4. Krishna is distinct from the cosmos and the living entitles (Jivas) and at the same time He is always identical with them, which can be understood only by His Grace.
“He is an undifferentiated Entity, as there is no distinction between potency and the Possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him, and He is present in His Fullness in every one of the atoms that is scattered through the universe, at one and the same time. Such is the Primeval Lord whom I adore.”—Brahma Samhita, 5.35. Although His inconceivable energy is all-extending, still He maintains His all-attractive medium size, manifesting His Supreme Personality in His eternal Form. “Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful spiritual Body. He is the Origin of all. He has no other origin, and He is the prime Cause of all causes.”—Brahma Samhita, 5.1.
Krishna is the sole Object worthy of being worshiped by all souls. If we were to fabricate any fanciful idea of worship we would become idolators. The Vedic injunctions are the instructions of Krishna, and they state that chanting the Holy Names of Krishna is the sacrifice which we should all be performing in the present age. We should abandon all crippled conceptions known as monism, dualism, pluralism, deism, pantheism, etc. and qualify ourselves as pure theists. Our only asset upon which we can rely is our devotion to God. At the moment of death, all our sophistry and false prestige, all our material opulence and attachment will betray us. We should not waste our lives in the pursuit of perishable things. We should instead travel the path which will take us back to Home, back to Godhead.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has solved for all time the problem of re-establishing our relationship with Krishna. He has assured us that Krishna is best approached by us through the constant chanting of His Holy Names. Our whole attention is best engaged in the transcendence by the repetition of the Hare Krishna Mantra: HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA, HARE HARE/ HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE
Krishna's Light vs. Maya's Night
Krishna's Light vs. Maya's Night
—by Kirtanananda Swami (ISKCON—Columbus)
Light and dark. Day and night. These are the dualities of the material world, and they are the archetypes of the gulf between the things of this world and the things of the spirit. Jesus Christ said, “I am the Light of the world,” and St. John said, “Men love darkness because their deeds are evil.” Lord Krishna, in Bhagavad Gita states: “What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage.” (2.69) And what is the distinction between “all beings” and a “sage”? That is explained in the Seventh Chapter of the Gita: “After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the Cause of all causes, and all that is.” Therefore we may conclude that knowledge of theAbsolute, Krishna, is Light, and ignorance is darkness, or Maya; and that is actually what Maya means—that which is not. Krishna is just like the sun, for where the sun is there is no darkness. But Krishna is also the Original Sun, and therefore eternally full of knowledge; therefore ignorance and illusion can have no existence in Him.
If, however, one is not in the light of Krishna Consciousness, of knowledge of the Absolute, then there will be some manifestation of darkness, such as excessive sleeping (more than six hours), laziness, intoxication, or madness; but a person in Krishna Consciousness never exhibits these things. His qualities are listed in the Eighteenth Chapter of the Gita as “peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness…”
How, some may ask, can mere knowledge of Krishna change the spectrum of one’s qualities so radically—literally from black to white. And that too Lord Krishna answers in the Bhagavad Gita: “All states of being—be they of goodness, passion, or ignorance are manifested by My energy. I am, in one sense, everything—but I am independent. I am not under the modes of this material Nature.” (7.12) Here Krishna definitely claims to be the author of all states of being, be they goodness (knowledge or light), passion (mixed), or ignorance (darkness). They are all Krishna’s energy, but knowledge means to be in direct contact, whereas ignorance can make no claim at all, being covered by the cloud of illusion. The sun is always shining, but when a cloud intervenes, the sun’s pure qualities of light and heat are distorted. Similarly, the pure qualities of Krishna, as exhibited by Himself and His pure devotees, are distorted by the conditioned soul under the illusion of material nature. Again in the Fifteenth Chapter Krishna states that “remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness” all come from Him—but how? By our desire. That is the whole import of the Gita: “In all activities, and for their results, just depend upon Me, and work always under My protection. In such devotional service, be fully conscious of Me.” (18.57) There is an old proverb in India: “He finds God quickest whose yearning is strongest,” and Meister Eckhart admonishes us that even in those times when we feel no desire for Him, we can at least desire to desire Him.
As soon as we have that sincere desire, Krishna fulfills. Actually, He is more anxious that we regain the Heavenly Kingdom than we ourselves, and if we recall the story of the prodigal son, we’ll remember that while he was “still a long way off” his father “ran and fell on his neck” and embraced him. Krishna says that He is the father of all living entities, and He is not willing that any perish. So the difficulty is not on Krishna’s part. He is eternally present everywhere by one of His energies. Krishna has innumerable energies, all of which are like Himself—Absolute; and He can appear to us by any one or more of these transcendental energies, and deliver the same effect as with any other or all energies. That is His greatness, called omnipotence. Wherever He is, He is Absolute. He can be present in Person, He can be present by representative, or He can be present by potencies. For instance, He can be present by His Name. Krishna’s Name is not different from Himself. In the relative world, of course, this is not true; if someone goes to my room and calls, “Swamiji, Swamiji,” and I am not there personally, it will do no good. I cannot answer. I am now limited to the sensory responses of this body. By mechanical technology I may be able to extend my voice to California, or even to the moon, but I can never extend it everywhere. But Krishna cannot be limited, either in time or extent or in any other way. That is Absolute. So just imagine how great He is. He may not be present, but still He is present by His Name, otherwise great acharyas like Lord Chaitanya would not have bothered chanting His Holy Name.
The presence of Krishna’s chit potency, however, can also be demonstrated practically. Take some beautiful word like rose. Gertrude Stein could repeat it three times, “A rose is a rose is a rose,” and still have a nice line of poetry, but one more repitition would have spoiled the whole thing. Or take the name of any famous personage, John, Julius, Mary or anything else, say it twenty times and you are bored. But you can chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare twenty-four hours a day and not get tired. It is the difference between relative and Absolute; Hare Krishna is coming directly from the spiritual platform where everything is eternal, and therefore each time you say Hare Krishna it is as new and fresh as the first time you heard it. So keep Krishna present by His Name; then what is the possibility of ignorance and delusion? Keep Him always on your tongue, and rigidly keep chanting offenselessly. Then He is surely with you, and there is no danger, no ignorance, no Maya.
Krishna is present not only by His Name; He is also present by His Fame. His Pastimes and Leela are also identical with Him, as are His Associates; therefore, when we speak of Narada, Vyasadeva, Lord Chaitanya, the Goswamins or other pure devotees, Krishna is there. Thus the whole of Srimad Bhagwatam is Krishna’s Presence—the discussions of the sages, the adventures of the Pandavas, the fighting at Kurukshetra, as well as the events of His own life—everything is Krishna. It is just like a magnet: there may be one original magnet, but as soon as another piece of iron comes in contact with it, it too becomes a magnet. Everything that comes in contact with Krishna becomes Krishnized, or spiritualized, and regains its original transcendental purity. That is the greatness of Krishna Consciousness and the Bhagavad Gita—they teach us how to make all our activities, even apparently mundane ones like fighting, spiritual. Just put everything in contact with Krishna.
This is an actual fact, but one has to realize it. The sun is present in the sunshine, although millions of miles away, and Krishna is the Sun of suns eternally emanating His Spiritual Energy, Brahmajyoti; and it is actually on this eternal effulgence from Krishna Loka that all other fires and light depend. Therefore Krishna says, “I am the light of the moon.” “Of lights I am the radiant sun.” “I am Agni, fire.” Actually, however, the entire material and spiritual creation rests on this Brahmajyoti, and for that reason many transcendentalists are content to bask in its shine. They are called impersonalists, and their enquiry stops there. But the personalists want to know the Source of that glowing effulgence. The last verse of the Fourteenth Chapter of Gita states: “And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal and imperishable, eternal, the constitutional position of ultimate happiness.” Krishna alone is final.
We must have the realization that Krishna alone is Absolute. This will come: it is simply a question of realization. And that realization will come as we associate with one of Krishna’s energies. It has the same effect as meeting Krishna Personally, because He is Absolute, and there is no difference between seeing Him and hearing of Him. At the present stage of civilization we are putting almost all of the stress on visual perception, but do we really suppose that spiritual understanding will come through our material eyes? We have many senses, and even on the mundane level the eye is not the most important The greatest part of the learning process is dependent on hearing, and it is the aural sense which is first to react to calamity, even during sleep. Hold a piece of paper with some message on it in front of a sleeping man and he will never wake up, but call him and he immediately responds. On the Absolute or Spiritual platform we will gain the same understanding from all the senses, but hearing is best. When Krishna was present on this earth 5,000 years ago, so many could not understand Him, even though He was in range of their eyes. But one who has heard of Krishna by disciplic succession can understand perfectly. Therefore hearing is more important than touching, tasting or smelling, or even seeing. Sound can always reach us, even in sleep. So by Vedic principle, hearing is knowledge, and in the Bible also it is said “Faith cometh by hearing.” And Lord Jesus frequently said: “He who hath ears to hear let him hear.” Hearing from the authentic source is all-important, and if we hear in this way about Krishna, His Name, His Fame, His Associates, His Abode, His Pastimes or Activities, then He is present.
Whereas Krishna is the light of Truth, Maya is the darkness of illusion and ignorance. Maya can no more come before Krishna than darkness can approach the sun. Maya is actually a servant of Krishna, but due to the shameful nature of her work she has no access to that Great Person. Her task is also thankless for she is always dealing in miseries. She is always discharging her duty by inflicting the four-fold miseries of material existence, namely, birth, old age, diseases, and death, but no one appreciates it. It is something like the police—unless they become ruthless they cannot execute their duty, and when they do, everyone dislikes them. Even if a policeman should come to one of our kirtans to hear about Krishna, we would be very suspicious of his real intent. That is the nature of their work—no one likes them. So too, Maya can neither approach Krishna, nor is she liked by the conditioned soul.
The conditioned soul, illusioned by Maya, thinks like a madman: “I am,” “It is mine,” “I am lord of all I survey,” “This is my country,” “These are my children,” “My home,” “My father.” Simply “me and mine.” But Ishopanishad tells us that nothing is ours—everything belongs to Krishna! And Krishna Himself states: “With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support these entire universes.” (Bg., 10.42) The whole world is moving under a false impression (Maya) because men are claiming Krishna’s property as their own.
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu tells us that if we wish to escape this great snare of Maya (“I,” “me” and “mine”) then we have to take to the process of Krishna consciousness. Krishna consciousness means association with Krishna, either with His Name, His Devotee, His Messages—every one of His energies which is Absolute. For this present age Lord Chaitanya has especially recommended the chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This chanting at once removes the cloud of illusion from our minds and reveals that eternally effulgent form of Krishna. We cannot imagine where there is sunshine and darkness simultaneously, nor can we imagine Krishna and Maya: but where Krishna is not, Maya is sure to be. So we must be very careful to chant Krishna’s Name always. This is the only path, and the more we make progress by chanting inoffensively, the more the consciousness of “I” and “mine” will vanish in exactly the same way that hunger and weakness disappear after sufficient food has been eaten. It is not a question of denial but satisfaction, and the more one is in Krishna consciousness the more satisfied he becomes. This is fact. Full Krishna consciousness may not come all at once, and some “weakness” may linger for some time. But that does not matter, for we will surely attain the goal by Krishna’s Grace.
If we fail to make progress on the Path, it is due to lack of surrender. In his book Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, Swami Bhaktivedanta outlines six phases of surrender: 1) accepting everything favorable to the discharge of devotional service; 2) rejecting everything unfavorable to devotional service; 3) being convinced that no one can protect him but Krishna; 4) accepting only Krishna as his maintainer, not demigods; 5) being conscious that his desires are not independent, and that unless Krishna fulfills them they cannot be fulfilled; and 6) always thinking himself as the most fallen, so that Krishna may take care of him. If we think of Krishna as an ordinary man, then there will be doubts, and the Path will be blocked; but if we clear our doubts, as we have a right to do, by approaching a self-realized Spiritual Master and inquiring of him submissively, he will instruct us about Krishna and all doubts will subside. We must not miscalculate the Lord because He sits on the lap of Mother Yasoda. He is still God. When Krishna was three months old, a great demon, a friend of Kansa, came to Vrindaban in the form of a beautiful young damsel. She quickly made her way to Nanda Maharaj’s house and asked Mother Yasoda if she could please feed the beautiful young child. Being pure and simple, Krishna’s mother consented, not knowing that it was a well calculated plan of Kansa’s for disposing of the Lord. Being God Absolute, the Lord knew perfectly well that the demon’s breasts were filled with poison, and so He sucked her breasts, but also sucked out her very life, and she fell over dead in her original huge demon form. Yasoda screamed, “O God has saved my child.” God is on her lap, but she says, “God has saved my child.” That is called yogamaya. Her connection was one of love only. This can happen by supernatural Grace only, but these things must be studied, seen, and heard through the line of pure devotees.
Unless we hear of Krishna perfectly, we cannot surrender perfectly; and how much we have surrendered, He knows. God is much more intelligent than we. Prabhupada says, “He is at least two inches more intelligent—always.” That is God eternally “two inches beyond.” If we sincerely practice this Krishna consciousness, we can be linked on to that “two inches beyond,” but if we refuse to surrender and continue to doubt. then we will never understand Krishna and difficulties will forever disturb us. If we simply revive our transcendental consciousness by chanting Hare Krishna, surely we will live in bliss eternally.
The Great Chant
The Great Chant
Sung with thousands of others, or while sitting in solitude, the Maha Mantra awakens love of God, the ultimate end of life.
O my Lord! Your Holy Name alone can render all benediction upon the living beings, and therefore You have hundreds and millions of Names, like Krishna, Govinda, etc. In these transcendental Names You have invested all Your transcendental energies, and there is no hard and fast rule for chanting these Holy Names. O my Lord! You have so kindly made approach to You easy by Your Holy Names, but, unfortunate as I am, I have no attraction for Them.
One can chant the Holy Name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street, more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the Holy Name of the Lord constantly.
O my Lord! when shall my eyes be decorated with tears of love, flowing constantly while I chant Your Holy Name? When will my words be choked up when uttering the Holy Name? And when will all the holes of hair on my body have eruptions by the recitation of Your Name?
—Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Sikshastak, verses 2, 3 & 6)
Back to Godhead Magazine #32, 1970
On The Cover
On The Cover
On the cover is Caitanya Mahaprabhu leading a sankirtana chanting party through the streets of Puri in India, 480 years ago. The five-thousand-year-old Vedic scriptures foretell the appearance of Caitanya Mahaprabhu: “In the age of Kali the Supreme Lord comes as one who always chants the holy name of Krsna, whose complexion is golden.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 11.5.32) Caitanya Mahaprabhu was about twenty years old when He began His sankirtana movement, and yet He led crowds of hundreds of thousands in ecstatic chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra. The key to the success of the sankirtana movement is that it is simply joyful—it is pleasing to the Lord and it is pleasing to the devotee. In the present age blissful, eternal spiritual life is available to anyone who sincerely chants the names of God. Caitanya Mahaprabhu distributed this universal benediction all over India, even encouraging the wild animals in the jungles to dance and swoon in ecstasy at the singing of Hare Krsna. A Vaisnava poet in the disciplic line of Lord Caitanya expresses his desires to fully appreciate this sankirtana movement: “When will the time come when there will be shivering of my body simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Caitanya? And when will tears glide down from my eyes simply by chanting Hare Krsna!” Just as the original sankirtana movement was started by young boys, so it is appealing mainly to young people of today. The disciples of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, a spiritual master in direct descent from Caitanya Mahaprabhu, are spreading the present Hare Krsna movement among the youth of the Western countries, and the devotees are now spreading sankirtana throughout the whole world. This dynamic sankirtana movement has as its goal the awakening of the dormant love of God in all people of all races and religions. The Hare Krsna chanters are practically demonstrating all over the world that the understanding of one’s joyful relationship with God is revealed by the chanting process. And this is due to the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Krsna Himself and who is revealed only through the mercy of His pure devotee, the spiritual master. Lord Caitanya and all the spiritual masters of the disciplic succession kindly request: “Please chant Hare Krsna.”
London Town Town Lecture
London Town Town Lecture
—by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
[This lecture, delivered September 15, 1969 at Town Hall in London, is His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s first public address in England.]
Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming to this meeting. This Sankirtan movement is very authorized, according to the Vedic literature. Most of you are well acquainted with the studies of Bhagavad-gita, and in the Bhagavad-gita you will find that Lord Krsna says, “After many births, the man of wisdom seeks refuge in Me, knowing that Vasudeva is everything.” After many, many births. Of course at the present moment they do not believe that there is birth after death, but it is not a question of whether you believe or do not believe. The truth is there. So there is birth after death. You do not die after finishing this body; you simply accept another body. That you can experience daily. In your childhood you can remember that you had a body just like a child’s. Now you are grown up, and so where is that body? That body is gone. Now you have a new body, but you know that you once had a childhood body. Actually transmigration of the soul is a very simple subject. Any sensible man can understand it. And in the Bhagavad-gita, in the very beginning of the instruction, Krsna says that those who are sober and intelligent are not bewildered when a living entity changes his body. Change of body is going on at every moment, at every second, imperceptively. Medical science also accepts that at every second our bodies are changing. That is a fact. Our bodies are changing every moment, and the final change is called death. But actually there is no death. You simply accept another body.
Thus Krsna says that after many, many births of struggle or attempts to acquire knowledge, when one comes to the summit point of understanding, he understands that the Origin of everything is Vasudeva, Krsna. And the first aphorism of the Vedanta-sutra says that this human form of life is meant for inquiring about Brahman. And the Vedas say aham Brahmasmi, “I am Brahman. I am not this body. I am spirit soul.” And when one understands that he is spirit soul, he at once becomes joyful. That is the sign of Brahma-bhuta. As soon as one realizes that he is Brahman, that he has nothing to do with this material world, then all anxieties immediately leave. Finished. And in the Vedanta-sutra you will also find that the spirit soul and the Supreme Soul are both ananda, blissful. By nature they are blissful, always wanting to enjoy. That is the nature of spirit. But at the present moment, because we have forgotten that we are spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and have identified ourselves with something else, something which is transitory, we are suffering.
Actually we are not products of this material world, but we are thinking, “I am American, I am Indian. I am Englishman. I am German. I am Chinaman. I’m Russian, or I am a cat or dog.” There are so many. These are all designations. But by realizing “I am Brahman,” I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, qualitatively I become one with God, just as a particle of gold is also gold. So qualitatively I am one with God or Krsna.
When I speak of Krsna, please understand I mean God, because Krsna means all attractive. Without being all attractive, one cannot be God. God must be all attractive, all opulent, all merciful, all luminous, all renounced, all beautiful. These are the qualifications of God.
Cultivation of knowledge is not easy for everyone. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Out of many millions of human beings, one may be interested to know what is the aim of life, one may ask, “Why am I suffering?” Everyone is suffering. That is a fact. In this material world nobody can be happy. If one is thinking he is happy materially, he is a fool. Nobody can be happy here, for this is the place for distress. It is certified by the scriptural law: This place is for misery. And we also learn that it is temporary. Even if we accept that although this is just a miserable place, we shall stay here, nonetheless, we shall not be allowed to stay. One day death will come and immediately kick us out. We have seen that the great President of the United States, Mr. Kennedy, who was supposed to be the happiest man in the world, was kicked out within a second. In our country, Mahatma Gandhi was a very popular leader, but in a second he was removed from the field. So we do not know when we shall be removed immediately by the freaks of nature. Therefore, the intelligent man should try to know his constitutional position. “I want to stay, but some super power kicks me out of this place. Why?” This is the question. The Vedanta-sutra instructs that human beings should not remain ignorant. You should question why you are suffering these threefold miseries. “I do not want death. Why does death overcome me?” An intelligent man should always keep before him the four principles of misery: birth, death, old age and disease. These are the instructions of the Bhagavad-gita. One who is making progress in knowledge must keep before him these four problems. You may be very much proud of your scientific advancement of knowledge, but here is the real science. If you overcome birth, death, old age, and disease, then you are advancing.
The Bhagavatam says, that after properly executing your duty as Indian or American or Englishman or scientist or businessman or father or mother, if you do not develop your anxiety to inquire about Brahman, then you have wasted your life This is the beginning of the Vedanta-sutra. People are interested in studying Vedanta, but Vedanta is not a matter of speculation. It is to be studied from the authorities. So if after executing your duties very properly, you do not develop your consciousness to know about yourself or the Supreme Self, then whatever you have done is simply a waste of time.
This message of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this Hare Krsna movement, is to warn you, “Don’t spoil this opportunity, this human form of life. Don’t spoil it.” Eating, sleeping, mating and defending are common to the animals and the human beings. You eat; the animals eat. You sleep; the animals sleep. You mate; the animals mate. You are afraid of your enemy; animals are also afraid of their enemy. So by discovering very palatable dishes to eat, or fashionable dresses for sex life or atom bombs for defending, by advancing in these principles only, you are no better than the animals. You are only as good as animals.
According to Sanskrit, dharma means constitutional position which you cannot change. For instance, sugar is sweet. If you say, “Oh, this sugar is salty,” it is not sugar. So sweetness is the dharma of sugar. That is real dharma. Not that today I accept Hinduism, the next day I accept Christianity, or the next day I accept Mohammedanism. These are not dharma. Real dharma you cannot change. It is not possible to change. And what is that dharma? Krsna says, “You give up all speculative nonsense. Just surrender unto Me.” To surrender unto the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is real religion. And all sects and faiths are rituals to lead one to that point. Real religion is surrendering unto the Supreme Lord. Therefore Krsna says that after many, many births, when man is actually intelligent, he surrenders unto the Supreme Lord. Then he is mahatma. And what are the symptoms of mahatma? Those who are mahatmas are not under the control of this material nature. They are under the control of the spiritual nature. And what are the symptoms of one under the control of the spiritual nature? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita. He is fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and always engaged in glorifying His activities. The mahatma is also always very careful about executing devotional service. He is always offering obeisances. In this way he enjoys and is satisfied. These are the signs of mahatma. There are so many theories on how to become liberated, how to become a mahatma how to become a religionist, how to become a philosopher, but real success in life is to become broadminded. Mahatma means broad-mind. They do not think “I am this, or I am that, I am Hindu; I am Muslim; I am Christian; I am Indian I am German; I am Englishman.” No. The mahatma is freed from all designations. When I think “I am Englishman, or I am Indian,” this is only my designation, because as soon as I change this body and accept another body, then all of this is immediately finished. Just like President Kennedy. President Kennedy and his philosophy are all finished. Now you do not know where Mr. Kennedy is and what he is doing. But he has a body; that is a fact. That I have already explained. But now you do not know where he is, nor does he know that he was President, or this or that. This is called illusion, maya.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, “My dear friends, my dear brothers, why are you being washed away by the waves of this illusion? You’ve been thrown into the ocean and are being washed away by the waves.” Similarly, by the waves of this material nature we are being washed from one body to another, but actually we do not want this. Actually, every one of us wants a permanent body, a permanent position, a permanent life, a blissful life, a life of knowledge. But you do not know how to get it because you do not care to know. Everything is here. You don’t have to study many books; just study Bhagavad-gita As It Is. We have therefore published this Bhagavad-gita As It Is without any nonsensical interpretations. As it is. When you attain this knowledge, you’ll know what you are meant for.
This movement is meant to revive your original consciousness. Original consciousness is Krsna consciousness. And the other consciousness which you have now acquired is superficial, temporary. “I am Indian, I am this, I am that.” These are all superficial. Real consciousness is aham Brahmasmi. Lord Caitanya, who started this movement 500 years ago in Bengal, India, immediately informs you that your real identity, your real constitutional position, is that of being part and parcel of Krsna or God. From this you can understand what your duty is. This hand is part and parcel of your body. What is the duty of this hand? To serve the body. That’s all. The hand cannot enjoy independently. It is not possible. If you cut off this hand from this body and throw it into the street, nobody will care for it. It becomes ugly and useless. But so long as it is attached to this body, it is worth millions and trillions of dollars. If there is any trouble with it, you will spend any amount to save it, but when this hand is detached from this body, you don’t care if it is trampled upon by any man. So this is our position. We are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. If we remain attached to the Supreme, then we have value. Otherwise we have no value. Therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, “Just be attached to Me. Then your all problems are solved.”
This Krsna consciousness is there. You can see that there are now twenty branches in Europe and America and the boys and girls are neither Hindu nor Indian. In the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, I am the only Indian. How is it others are taking it? Because it is there. It is in you. It is in me, in everyone. We simply have to invoke it, that’s all. And that invoking process is this Sankirtan Movement. If you chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, your heart will become cleared and you will understand that Krsna is everything.
This movement is neither manufactured, nor bogus, nor bluff. It is genuine and authorized. Try to understand this philosophy. We are teaching no new philosophy. Bhagavad-gita as it is, that’s all. Bhagavad-gita is read all over the world, but unfortunately there are many rascal interpreters who are poisoning the whole thing. But just try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is, and the goods will be immediately delivered.
In Srimad-Bhagavatam, in describing the condition of this age of Kali, Sukadeva Gosvami said that at the end of this age the condition will be very horrible. So after explaining the difficulties of this age, Kali-yuga (of which 5,000 years we have already passed and of which 427,000 years are still remaining), Sukadeva Gosvami says, “My dear King, I have explained to you the difficulty and resultive condition of this age, Kali-yuga, but there is a great opportunity in this age. And what is that? Simply by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra, one can become freed from all contamination and be eligible for promotion to the spiritual kingdom which is beyond this dark region.” This material world is darkness. For instance, there is no sun now. It is dark, so we have to illuminate by electric light, by moonlight, by so many things. Actually, the nature of this world is darkness. Therefore the basic injunction is, “Don’t remain in this darkness. Go to that effulgent region.” The Bhagavad-gita says the same thing. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gita. So our request is that you read The Bhagavad-gita As It Is. That is my request. I am not charging anything; I am not making a profession. This Sankirtan Movement is free. Not that it is a secret thing and if you pay me something then I shall give you some mantra. It is an open secret. If you chant Hare Krsna, there is no loss, but there is great gain. You can try it. We are freely distributing it by chanting. Join with us and try to understand this philosophy. We have a monthly magazine, “Back to Godhead,” and many publications, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya. If you want to understand this movement through philosophy, science, argument, we are prepared. But if you simply chant, there is no need of education nor philosophizing. Chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and you will gain everything. Thank you.
London Airport Press Conference
London Airport Press Conference
[The following is a press conference given upon Prabhupada’s arrival in England, September 11, 1969. These are the first words he spoke to his English audience.]
PRABHUPADA: I am personally not very much fond of receptions. I want to know how people give reception to this movement. That is my purpose.
REPORTER: How long will you be in England?
PRABHUPADA: I am coming here for the second time. Last time in 1967, when I was going to India, I stayed here for two days and then went away. Practically this is the first time I have come.
REPORTER: And for how long now?
PRABHUPADA: That I do not know. I have so many fathers and mothers to take care of me. So as long as they keep me here I can stay.
REPORTER: Can I ask if this is a very special welcome for you, or is this a performance that you do each day?
PRABHUPADA: No, wherever I go, I have my disciples. In the Western countries, I have about twenty centers, especially in America and Canada. The American boys are very enthusiastic. I got in Los Angeles and San Francisco a very great reception, and at the Ratha-yatra Festival about 10,000 boys and girls followed me for seven miles.
REPORTER: What are you trying to teach, sir?
PRABHUPADA: I am trying to teach what you have forgot. That is God. Some of you are saying there is no God. Some of you are saying God is dead, and some of you are saying God is impersonal or void. These are all nonsense. I want to teach that there is God. That is my mission. Any nonsense can come to me; I can prove that there is God. That is my mission. Krsna consciousness. It is a challenge to the atheistic people. There is God. We are sitting here face to face; similarly you can see God face to face if you are sincere and if you are serious. But unfortunately we are trying to forget God. Therefore we are embracing so many miseries of life. So I am simply preaching that you be Krsna conscious and be happy. Don’t be swayed away by this nonsense, by the waves of maya or illusion. That is my mission.
REPORTER: Is this chanting essential to the sustenance of your faith?
PRABHUPADA: This chanting is the process of clearing the dust accumulated on the heart. Our relationship with God is eternal. It cannot be broken. But due to the contact of maya, we are trying to forget Him. But if we chant this Holy Name of God, Hare Krsna, then maya will not act, and we shall very quickly understand our relationship with God. That is the process. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that those who are miscreants, rascals and the lowest of the mankind and atheistic do not know what is God. But those who are virtuous or those who are inquisitive will try and understand what is God. So my appeal to you is that you try to understand this movement, Krsna consciousness. It is not a bogus movement. It is scientific, authorized. Any scientist, any philosopher, any logician may come, and we shall prove that there is God and that we have an eternal relationship with Him. So if you want happiness, then you must take to this Krsna consciousness movement. Otherwise the human race is doomed. Anyone who has no God consciousness has no qualifications, however academically rich he may be. His only qualification is mental concoction, that’s all. So we reject all this nonsense. We simply accept a sincere soul who wants to dedicate his life for God’s service. These boys and girls who are following me are very elevated; they are not ordinary boys and girls. They have taken to Krsna consciousness. Their quality is greater than that of any mundane erudite scholar. For one who has developed Krsna consciousness, love of God, all good qualities will automatically develop in him. Bring anyone in this world to test any one of our boys. You will find how much difference there is in their character, in their feeling and consciousness. If you want peaceful society, then you must make people God conscious, Krsna conscious. Then everything will be automatically solved. Otherwise your so-called United Nations will not help.
REPORTER: Mr. Billy Graham makes people God conscious in a different way. Can you tell me what you think of him?
PRABHUPADA: I do not know what is Billy Graham, but I am following the Vedic principles, Bhagavad-gita as it is. Krsna says that you give up all nonsense occupations and simply surrender unto Him, and He will take charge of you and give you protection. This is our philosophy.
REPORTER: Can I ask you several questions about your general attitude about things going on around us? For instance, what do you feel about man going to the moon?
PRABHUPADA: This is simply a waste of time. I already commented on this when I was in San Francisco. The reporters asked me this very question and I gladly replied that it is simply a waste of time and a waste of money. That’s all.
REPORTER: What about something very much nearer to ourselves in this country, and that is of war, or civil disturbance going on, between Christians.
PRABHUPADA: We are not Christian nor Hindu nor Muslim. We are God’s servants. That’s all. With anyone who is God’s servant, there is no disagreement. But when one is maya’s servant, servant of illusion, then there is disagreement. That system of religion is first-class which teaches how to love God. That’s all. It doesn’t matter whether it is Christian religion, Mohammedan religion or Hindu religion. We can see if the follower of the religion has learned how to love God, then his religion is perfect. Otherwise it is useless.
REPORTER: So you don’t think it’s worth going to such places as Ireland and trying to talk to the people out there.
PRABHUPADA: This is our talking: first-class religion is that which teaches how to love God. Try to understand this. This is a simple process.
REPORTER: Yes, but don’t you think it’s worth going over there to help them?
PRABHUPADA: We can see. Suppose you are Christian. If you have developed your sense of loving God, then you are perfect. But instead of loving God, if you have developed your sense of loving dog, then you have wasted your time.
[Prabhupada is suddenly informed that his car is waiting, and he prepares to leave the terminal.]
REPORTER: I just want to know how old you are.
PRABHUPADA: I am 74 years old. I was born in 1896.
REPORTER: Where abouts?
PRABHUPADA: In India. Calcutta.
REPORTER: Are you married, sir?
PRABHUPADA: Yes, I have my sons, and they have sons. My wife is living. But I have no connection with them. I am a sannyasi … renounced order.
REPORTER: You say you have no connection with your family.
PRABHUPADA: No.
REPORTER: Why?
PRABHUPADA: Because I have taken sannyasa. I have dedicated my life for Krsna.
REPORTER: I see.
PRABHUPADA: That is the Vedic system: a certain portion of your life you should simply dedicate for God. That is called sannyasa.
REPORTER: To do this, did you have to divorce?
PRABHUPADA: No. There is no question of divorce. We do not even know what divorce is. In our country there is no divorce. Wife and husband, once combined, there is no question of separation, in all circumstances, either in distress or in happiness. Our modern politicians have introduced this divorce law, otherwise, according to Hindu Manu-samhita, there is no divorce law.
REPORTER: When did you renounce your family?
PRABHUPADA: In 1959.
REPORTER: How are they managing without you?
PRABHUPADA: They are managing. My sons are grown up and are earning. My wife is also a rich man’s daughter; she has some property. So they have no problems.
REPORTER: Do you ever see them at all?
PRABHUPADA: I cannot see, at least, my wife. But if my sons and daughters come to see me, I can see them. But my wife I cannot see. That is the system of sannyasa. A sannyasi cannot see his wife again. Renunciation means renouncing connection with woman, renouncing sex life. That is renunciation.
[Prabhupada is escorted to a car which takes him from the airport to the London temple.]
Prasadam: Food for the Body, Food for the Soul and Food for God.
Prasadam: Food for the Body, Food for the Soul and Food for God.
—by Kirtanananda Swami
Prasadam means food for the body, food for the soul and food for God. More specifically, it is food which has been sanctified by special selection and preparation and then offered to Krsna, God, in love and devotion. Cooking for God? How absurd that sounds to the sophisticates of this modern age! How anthropomorphic! Even most transcendentalists will smile a smile of condescension at the suggestion: cooking for God! But why not? We cook for every conceivable nonsensical purpose. Why not cook instead for the Lord? Why shouldn’t this most important and central activity of life be dedicated to the Supreme? Why not cook transcendentally?
We are not so naive as to suggest that God needs our food, but we are suggesting that we need God to bless the energy of our hands, and thus to sustain us by means of daily bread. He does this by accepting and eating the food which we prepare and offer to Him, and then giving it back to us in the form of prasadam.
In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says: “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water, I will accept it. O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.” (Gita, 9.26-27) Of course, He doesn’t need food; He is Supreme, Absolute. He is full of all opulences, namely, wealth, fame, beauty, strength, knowledge and renunciation. He is never in need or want of anything. Still, He asks His devotee to offer Him these simple fruits of the earth. The key word is devotion. Twice it is used: “If in full devotion a pure devotee offers a little leaf, a little flower, a little fruit with a little water, because he offers it with great devotion, the Supreme Per venality of Godhead accepts them and eats them.” So it is not as if the Lord were in need of something; He is fully satisfied in Himself. Indeed, He is EVERYTHING. So whatever we are offering Him, be it a grain or a fruit, it is already His; it is not, and never was, “ours.” But out of His Causeless Mercy, He is so kind to His devotees that any small offering given in devotion He accepts and eats. The Lord is not hungry for our food, but for our hearts; He is not wanting for our substance, but for our consciousness, our love, our union.
This is why prasadam is “mercy.” In shopping, in preparation, in eating, we are given a chance to remain conscious of Him, to be engaged in His transcendental loving service. This is why the word bhakti, or devotion, is so stressed—it is this bhakti which makes the Supreme Lord “transcendentally hungry.” Even the greatest banquet cooked by the most renowned chef has no appeal to one who is not hungry; so, too, Krsna’s acceptance of our gifts is dependent upon His being “hungry”; and only our love and devotion can do that. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami writes: “The devotee is so humble and submissive to the Supreme Lord that whenever he prepares something for the Lord, he takes all care to finish the preparation nicely. And for such offering a devotee asks nothing. It is the exchange of love. That love is accepted by the Supreme Lord, and He eats … Therefore, devotional service is the only way to offer anything to the Supreme Lord, to understand the Supreme Lord, to be in the confidence of the Supreme Lord, and to go back to the Supreme Abode of the Supreme Lord.” Devotional service begins with the chanting of the Lord’s Holy Names, as in the Maha Mantra: HARE KRSNA, HARE KRSNA, KRSNA KRSNA, HARE HARE/ HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE. That is the first great activity of transcendental service, and the next is to prepare and offer food to the Lord. There are a number of reasons for doing so. First of all, Krsna commands it: “The devotees of the Lord are released from all sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin. All living bodies subsist on food grains; food grains are produced from rains, rains come from performance of sacrifice, and sacrifice is born of man’s work.” (Gita, 3.13-14). Here, then, the Lord asserts that EVERYTHING belongs to and comes from Him alone. It is already His, but He invites us to take it and offer it to Him first, and then eat the remnants for our bodily demands.
Similarly, because everything belongs to Him, we have no right to take anything we please, but only what He allots us; and our allotment, according to the Gita and the Vedas, is what can be offered to Him: a leaf, a fruit, etc. At no point does He ask us to offer meat, or fish, or eggs; but, on the contrary, the prohibition against animal slaughter is so strong that even if one has only an indirect dealing with animal slaughter, such as selling or transporting, he is guilty of murder and must pay a murderer’s price. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.7.37) Therefore, we cannot offer Lord Krsna animal flesh, and to do so is an offense.
If I am preparing a dinner for my friend and I know he does not like spinach, I do not fix spinach. I go to all pains to prepare only those things which he likes. That is the meaning of friendship. If one has no regard for Krsna’s wishes, how can he claim to be the Lord’s friend? If we want to cook nicely for Krsna, we must dovetail our desires with His desires, and that is clearly expressed in the above-quoted verses.
There is another reason why we must offer our food to Krsna if we wish to make spiritual progress. Not only are we thieves if we do not, but we become further implicated in the wheel of samsara by sinful reactions. That every action has a reaction is as true in regard to our personal behavior as in the laboratory test tube. The slaying of life automatically provokes a like result upon the slayer, and if I sustain myself on another’s life, at some point my life will be demanded in return. That is nature’s law.
This applies equally to those who take animal life and to those who take plant life. Life is life, and the slayer will be slain. Then what is the difference? The difference is that Krsna says we may offer the leaves and flowers to Him, and by accepting them He also accepts all the sinful reactions, leaving the purified remnants, free from all reactions, for our consumption. But those who eat that which is not offered to Krsna, or that which Krsna will not accept, are left with all the reactions on their own heads. That is why the Lord says: “The devotees of the Lord are released from all sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin…” (Gita, 3.13)
Of course, the devotee’s primary concern is not for himself, nor even for liberation, but always for Krsna. Therefore suitable foodstuffs—suitable, that is, for Krsna—are the concern of the pure devotee: vegetables should be fresh and appealing to the eye, grains should be wholesome, fruits large and sweet, and milk fresh and pure. Obviously, living under the conditions of the modern metropolis, these are often impossible to procure—at least on our budgets; but we must do the best we can. That is Krsna consciousness.
No canned foods—please!
Having selected the items for preparation, our next concern is cleanliness. Since it is the Supreme for whom we are engaging our energy, we want to be super-hygienic—not for ourselves, but for Him. Wash your hands thoroughly as soon as you come into the kitchen; wash the food as you prepare it; use nothing that touches the floor or other contaminated areas, such as the sink and garbage pail, unless it can be cleansed. In all preparations, use only fresh things; no left-overs should be mixed in (they should not even be in the kitchen, but rather kept in a specific area of the dining room). Remember, we are cooking for the Supreme, and that which has been offered once should not be offered a second time. And, as good Vaisnavas, we refrain from using garlic, onion, mushroom, and from mixing salt with fresh milk (although there is no restriction with any other kind of milk culture).
Finally, and probably hardest for American cooks, don’t taste the food during preparation—not even to see if it is seasoned properly. I know that it is difficult, but it is worthwhile; we are cooking for Krsna, and He must be the first to relish it.
When the food is nicely prepared, we offer it back to the Source from which everything emanates. If we remember that His “hunger” is proportional to our love, the offering is sure to be successful. Simply place love, and a generous portion of each item to be offered, on a plate or metal tray, along with a glass of fresh water, and set it before the Deity. Then prostrate yourself and pray:
O Lord, this material body is a place of ignorance, and the senses are a network of paths to death. Somehow, we have fallen into this ocean of material sense enjoyment, and of all the senses the tongue is most voracious and uncontrollable; it is very difficult to conquer the tongue in this world. But You, dear Krsna, are very kind to us, and have given us such nice prasadam, just to control the tongue. So now we take that prasadam to our full satisfaction, and glorify You, Lord—Radha and Krsna—and in love call for the help of Lord Caitanya and Nityananda.
Kittrie
1 cup rice
1 cup split peas
2 potatoes
1 cauliflower
8 cups water
1 teasp. red pepper
1 teasp. Cumin
1 teasp. Salt
1 teasp. Turmeric
4 teasp. ghee or sweet butter
First wash rice and vegetables thoroughly. Measure water and pour into a pot. Add the rice, split peas, potatoes and cauliflower, then turmeric and salt. Boil lightly on high flame, with the pot covered. After 25 minutes, mixture should reach a thick consistency, with no water remaining in the pot.
Now in a separate pot heat ghee on very high flame. When the ghee begins to smoke, add cumin seeds and red pepper, and add mixture to kittrie. Stir in nicely. Serves four.
Cuddy (Sauce for Kittrie)
1 cup yogurt
3 cups water
¼ cup chick pea flour
1 teasp. Salt
1 teasp. Turmeric
(chaunch)
½ teasp. red pepper
½ teasp. cumin seeds
2 teasp. ghee or sweet butter
Mix yogurt, water and chick pea flour in a pot. When mixed, heat on a medium flame. Add turmeric and salt. Stir frequently. Chaunch (spicing process):
In a separate pot, heat ghee until it smokes. Then add cumin seeds, red pepper and asafetida. Add mixture to cuddy and stir. Serves four.
Chaporries
2 cups whole wheat flour
approx. ½ cup water
Mix flour with water and knead until dough reaches a soft consistency. Make into balls about the size of golf balls, and with a rolling pin roll into a circular shape about ½ inch in diameter. Deep-fry in ghee or vegetable oil (preferably ghee) until blown up like balloons. Serves four.
Sweet Rice
1 gallon whole milk
1 cup rice
2 cups sugar
Wash rice thoroughly and add to milk, while stirring on a medium high flame. Stir constantly, until it reaches the consistency of pudding. Then stir in sugar. Make sure that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot while cooking. Takes approximately 45 minutes. Refrigerate and serve cold. Serves four.
Spiced Vegetables
2 potatoes
1 cauliflower
1 teasp. Salt
1 ½ cups water
½ teasp. crushed red pepper
1 teasp. cumin seeds
4 teasp. ghee or sweet butter
Cut potatoes and cauliflower into small pieces. Heat ghee in frying pan over a very high flame, until it begins to smoke. Now add cumin seeds and red pepper, and let brown. Add potato and cauliflower to ghee and sprinkle on turmeric and salt. When all is mixed, add water. Cook vegetables in covered pot until soft. Serves four.
Pera Or Laddu
1 cup chick pea flour
¼ lb. sweet butter
1 cup powdered sugar
Melt butter on low flame. When butter is melted, add chick pea flour. When flour starts to tan (which takes about ten minutes), add powdered sugar and continue stirring until sugar has mixed in evenly with flour. Let cool, then roll into little balls. Serves four.
—Recipes contributed by Sridama das Brahmacari
The Avataras of Godhead
The Avataras of Godhead
—by Nayana Abhiram das Brahmacari
The Vedic literatures such as Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Brahma-samhita, Padma Purana, etc. all confirm Lord Sri Krsna as the original manifestation of Godhead. This is proclaimed in the opening verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam as follows: “Oh my Lord Sri Krsna, Son of Vasudeva, the all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I meditate upon Thee because Thou art the Absolute Truth, the Primeval Cause of all causes, and the Creator, Maintainer and Destroyer of these manifested universes. It is Thou only who imparted first the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of the original living being, Brahmaji.”
Lord Brahma declares: “I worship Govinda, the Primeval Lord, the First Progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, who is surrounded by millions of purpose-trees and who is always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of Laksmis or gopis.”
According to Vaisnava teachings, there are five fundamental manifestations of God. They are the Lord, His expansion, His internal energy, His perfect devotee and His Avatara. An Avatara, by definition, is one who descends from the Spiritual Sky in order to perform a specific function which cannot be accomplished by any ordinary living being. Whenever Lord Krsna advents Himself on the earth, it is to succor the devotees and annihilate the demons. For example, at the dawn of creation, when the demons threw the Earth planet into the muddiest regions of the nether world, Krsna advented Himself as Varaha, the Boar Incarnation, defeated the demon Hiranyaksa with one slap of His hoof and scooped the earth from the mud with His tusks.
There are innumerable Avataras of Krsna. In the Caitanya-caritamrta they are classified as follows:
1. Three Purusa Avataras: Karanodakasayi Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu. The first Purusa incarnation, Karanodakasayi Visnu or Maha-Visnu, is the expanded four-armed Form of Krsna. “Visnu” means He is all-pervading, omnipresent and omniscient, and “Purusa” means that He is the Supreme Enjoyer. The Maha-Visnu is the Lord of all material creation, the Creator of countless millions of individual souls (jivas) and the source of thousands of Avataras. Maha-Visnu reposes in the vast expanse of water known as the spiritual Causal Ocean, in which He remains in a state of divine sleep called Yoga-nidra. Maha-Visnu is so boundless that in one exhalation the pores of His skin secrete bubbles containing seeds of myriad universes. With each inhalation the universes are consumed within His Body and with each exhalation they are sent forth again.
Maha-Visnu enters into each universe as His plenary portion Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Upon entering each universe and finding it empty, Garbhodakasayi Visnu perspires and fills half of it with an ocean of sweat. The Lord then rests on Ananta, an expansion in the form of Infinite Couch bearing seven serpent heads. From the navel pit of the Garbhodakasayi Visnu springs the stem of a lotus, upon which is born four-headed Brahma, the father of all living entities, including the various demigods. Within the lotus stem are located the 14 divisions of planetary systems, with the earth planets in the middle.
Ksirodakasayi Visnu is the next further expansion of Garbhodakasayi Visnu who enters into every atom and every individual soul in each universe. In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna states that He is present in everyone’s heart and from Him come memory and forgetfulness. This presence of Krsna is in the Form of the Ksirodakasayi Visnu, who is called the Paramatma or Supersoul. In the Upanisads it is described that He is the size of the thumb and is seated in the human heart. The idea of the Lord’s accompanying every living entity as Supersoul is His Causeless Mercy. Everyone in the material world is understood to be here due to forgetting his superior loving relationship with the Supreme Lord. Because every living entity has a minute amount of free will, Krsna allows them to come into this material world of ignorance, for an attempt to enjoy in rebellion against the Supreme Lord. But it is His great kindness that He accompanies His parts and parcels wherever they go. The Katha Upanisad gives the example that two birds are dwelling within the tree of the body. One bird (the individual living entity) is engaged in tasting the different fruits of the tree of the body—sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet. The other bird (the Supersoul, Visnu) is witnessing, aloof, and simply waiting for the time when the other bird will turn to Him as friend. Krsna consciousness means to turn to the Supersoul or God within the heart and receive dictation from Him. This dictation from within, along with the dictation of the spiritual master from without, forms the parallel tracks for sure success in going back to the Kingdom of God. According to the authorized Yoga system as taught in Bhagavad-gita and Patanjali Yoga-sutras, the goal of Yoga practice is to see this Form of Visnu in the heart. He is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam as very beautiful, of transcendental bluish hue, four-armed, bearing conch, wheel, lotus flower and club. The yogi is advised to meditate not on some abstract target or void but—when his vision is purified—he should fix on the smiling face of Visnu. Visnu the all-powerful Lord is seen in the heart of the perfect yogi. It is described that His glance of compassion for his yogi-devotee ends all agony at being in the material world; His smile dries up the ocean of tears which is present in material life; and Lord Visnu is all-attractive just for the good of the sages, so that to see His eyebrows vanquishes the god of sex.
2. Three Guna Avataras. Visnu, Brahma and Siva, incarnations of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, preside respectively over the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. They are also in charge of the creation, maintenance and destruction of the material universe, by the Will of Krsna. Of the three Guna Avataras, only Lord Visnu is considered the Personality of Godhead, as He contains 96 percent of the attributes of Krsna in full. Lord Siva possesses 78 percent of the divine attributes in full, and Lord Brahma, who is the most powerful of the conditioned living entities, possesses 78 percent of the godly attributes, in partial form. Lord Brahma is called “the unborn” because he is born of the navel of Garbhodakasayi Visnu without the assistance of Visnu’s wife, the Goddess of Fortune, Laksmi. Brahma is the first living entity to enter the universe, and after a period of meditation, Lord Krsna instructs him through the heart how to create the various planetary systems and how to begin the business of populating the planets and working the cosmic order. Brahma is actually a post, like President, and can be filled by any qualified living entity. The pure devotees of Godhead do not, however, desire to become Brahma or to go to his planet, because despite his position of fabulous management and administrative responsibility, Brahma’s loving service to the Lord is tainted by the desire to be the number one administrator of universal affairs. The pure devotee doesn’t desire such opulence; he doesn’t even desire liberation. The devotee is actually willing to take the most lowly birth, even as an ant, so long as he is in association with the Lord or His pure devotees who are always chanting the Holy Name, Hare Krsna. As Guna Avatara of the Lord, Lord Brahma is in charge of creation and the modes of passion; people desirous of worldly advancement can pray to him for boons and material facilities, which are ultimately granted by Lord Visnu, through Brahma.
The maintenance of the universe is continued by Lord Visnu (Ksirodakasayi) who is in control of the mode of goodness by which the living entities journey back to Godhead. Despite His all-pervading presence amidst the material world, Visnu is completely transcendental to the laws of material nature, unlike Lord Brahma and Lord Siva who partially are under the influence of material conditioning. Even the impersonalist sage Sankara admits, in his commentary to the Bhagavad-gita, that Lord Narayana or Lord Visnu is completely transcendental to the material nature. This transcendental position is a qualification of the Personality of Godhead, and no one under the jurisdiction of the stringent laws of material nature can measure or estimate the potency of Lord Visnu. Those in knowledge of the transcendental science do not accept the cheap imitators who claim to be God or who offer to transform their disciples into God for a fee. These imitators are bound up under the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance, and are being kicked by the material nature’s strict laws in the form of birth, death, old age and disease—and yet they refuse to worship Visnu but try instead to usurp His position.
The unique position of Lord Siva is that he is almost the Personality of Godhead. He has the qualities of Godhead, but due to his contact with matter, as administrator of the modes of ignorance, he has become changed. The example given in the scriptures is that Lord Siva is compared to yogurt and the Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is compared to milk. When milk comes into contact with acid, it becomes yogurt. Its ingredients are still milk, but it can no longer be used as milk. Although yogurt comes from milk and is nothing but milk, it can never become milk again. Lord Siva is actually declared as the greatest Vaisnava (worshiper of Visnu) and he is therefore fully liberated, but it is just his compassion that he accepts contact with the material modes of ignorance in order to elevate the fallen souls who are suffering under the grip of ignorance. Siva’s associates are among the most fallen—ghosts, drunkards and drug takers—and he mercifully uplifts them gradually to the platform of Vaisnavas.
3. Four Yuga Avataras. These are incarnations of the millenia. According to Vedic calculations, there are four ages which rotate like calendar months: Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali. The present Iron Age of quarrel and chaos, Kali-yuga, is only 5,000 years old and is scheduled to last another 427,000 years. Conditions in the Satya-yuga, the first age in the cycle, are such that people live a long duration of time and 100% of the population is in the mode of goodness, so that God consciousness is very prominent. This happy conditior gradually declines throughout the yugas until the end of the Kali-yuga when the population is almost entirely atheistic, demoniac and intent on wiping out the devotees of Godhead. The Avatara of the Satya-yuga is called Hayagriva, the horse incarnation. Lord Krsna Himself appears at the end of Dvapara-yuga and is described as having the hue of a fresh rain cloud and more beautiful than thousands of cupids. Strictly speaking, Krsna is not an Avatara, since He is the Original Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Srimad-Bhagavatam confirms this as follows: “All the above mentioned incarnations are either a plenary portion or a portion of the plenary portion of the Lord, but Lord Sri Krsna is the Original Personality of Godhead; and all of them advent themselves in all the planets whenever there is disturbance by the atheists; and the Lord incarnates to protect the theists.”
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.3.28)
The incarnations of each yuga are of different colors, as follows: Satya-yuga, white; Treta-yuga, red; Dvapara-yuga, black; and Kali-yuga, yellow. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is considered the most magnanimous because he freely bestows love of Godhead. It is said that when Krsna last appeared in His Original Form on this planet, the separation of His beloved Radharani was felt so intensely that He wanted to come back as His own devotee so He could feel the ecstasy of separation. Therefore Lord Caitanya is considered as an Incarnation of Radha and Krsna.
There is a prescribed form of worship for each yuga. In the Satya-yuga the recommended process was meditation. Having peaceful atmosphere of godly civilization and hundreds of thousands of years of life duration, people could practice the meditation system with success. In this way, unbroken meditation for 10,000 years was not uncommon. In the Treta-yuga the recommended process of God realization was to offer costly sacrifices; in the Dvapara-yuga it was temple worship; and in the Kali-yuga the process recommended by the scriptures is the chanting of the Holy Names. Lord Caitanya successfully pushed this easiest, most sublime method, as is being carried on by the Hare Krsna movement of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, a spiritual master in direct disciplic succession from Lord Caitanya. Lord Krsna Himself recommends the chanting in the Bhagavad-gita: “They [the great souls] are always engaged in chanting My glories. Endeavoring with great determination, offering homage unto Me, they worship Me with devotion.” (9/14) “… Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the Holy Names.” (10.25) And in the Brhad-Naradiya Purana it is stated that no other means of God realization will be effective in the Age of Kali, except the chanting of the Holy Name.
4. Twenty-five Lila-Avataras. These are incarnations in which Krsna displays specific Pastimes. In His 14th incarnation, the Lord appeared in the half-lion, half-human Form, as Nrsimhadeva, in order to save the boy Prahlad Maharaj from his demoniac father, Hiranyakasipu. There is a prayer by Jayadeva Gosvami to Nrsimhadeva: “Oh my Lord, Your hands are very beautiful like the lotus flower, but with Your long nails You have ripped apart the wasp Hiranyakasipu. Unto You, Lord of the Universe, do I offer my humble obeisances.” Sometimes nondevotees ask why the Lord appears in such a fierce aspect as Nrsimhadeva. For answer, the Vedanta-sutra states that the Absolute Truth is that from which everything is emanating. Therefore everything we see here in this material world has its natural original source in the Spiritual Sky, in the Supreme Person, but exists here only in the form of a perverted reflection. In the loving affairs of Radha and Krsna we see one aspect of the Absolute Truth and in Nrsimha’s ferocious anger we see another aspect. The devotee Prahlad, in offering prayers to the Lord as half-lion and half-man, prayed, “I am not afraid of You, my Lord, but I am afraid of karma, I am afraid of the birth and death cycle.” It is understood from the Vedic literatures that even the victim of Nrsimha’s attack, the demon Hiranyakasipu, received the utmost benefit and attained eternal liberation upon his destruction in the lap of the impartial Supreme Lord. The demon Hiranyakasipu wanted to exchange with the Lord as enemy, therefore the Lord was there in His most formidable aspect to exchange and personally kill him. Those who are in favorable relationship with the Supreme find His reciprocation of boundless love and happiness. Those who want to hear nothing of God as the Controller find themselves moved further and further away from Him; and in regard to their rescue from the material nature, the Lord is silent in their case. Therefore He is impartial and yet He can favor the devotee by giving him the inner intelligence and facility to advance to the position of an associate of Krsna in the Kingdom of God.
Krsna appeared as Lord Ramacandra in the 18th lila incarnation. The mission of Lord Rama in coming to the earth was the slaying of the demon Ravana for the relief of the faithful demigods. Rama displayed Pastimes as all ideal King, and therefore, although He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He subordinated Himself to the moral codes and ethics of perfect human law. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami advises that we must worship the Supreme Lord in the attitude He has taken. In order to fulfill his vow of truth and honor to his father, Lord Rama allowed Himself to be banished to the forest for fourteen years. Ramacandra’s superhuman feats as warrior and His saintly life of moderation are related in the scripture Ramayana, coinpiled by Valmiki.
5. Fourteen Manvantara Avataras. From Lord Brahma, the demigods like Manu became incarnated for generating the living entities within the universe. The Manus are rulers and their loving service to the Lord is to carry out the necessary business of populating the universe.
6. Saktavesa Avataras. There are innumerable indirect empowered incarnations springing from Garbhodaka-sayi Visnu, such as the Kumaras and Narada. Narada Muni is all intimate servitor of Lord Narayana and is an incarnation of devotion; he travels, without the aid of spaceship, throughout the material universes distributing the nectarean message of Love of God, especially through the chanting of the maha-mantra. Narada is the spiritual master of Vyasadeva who compiled all the Vedic scriptures. In his previous life, Narada took birth as the son of a maidservant. His mother was at one time waiting on some traveling devotees of the Lord, and just by taking the remnants of foodstuff from the devotees’ plates, the boy Narada gained self realization. He attained to His eternal spiritual body within that very lifetime and began his preaching throughout the limitless creation of his worshipable Lord. The scriptures contain numerous instances of persons, even of the lowest sinful character, who gained enlightenment just by seeing the sage Narada in his travels. Other examples of Saktavesa Avataras often include travelling mendicant spiritual masters like the six Gosvamins of Vrndavana and, in the modern age, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur and Paramhamsa Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj, of whom His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami is the leading disciple.
Prahlad Maharaj offers a prayer to the Lord: “Oh my Lord, You manifest as many incarnations as there are species of life—namely, the aquatic, the vegetable, the reptile, the birds, beasts, men, demigods, etc.—just for the maintenance of the faithful and the annihilation of the unfaithful. You advent Yourself as such in accordance with the necessity of the different yugas. In the Kali-yuga You have incarnated Yourself garbed as a devotee [Lord Caitanya].” Information concerning the Avataras described here can be found in authoritative scriptures, and is reconfirmed by the guru of disciplic succession and the sadhu or saintly person who follows the prescriptions of this faultless literature. The devotee conversant with the transcendental science never accepts a cheap imposter as God.
The impersonalist speculator makes much repartee about how he is God or one with God. He may even admit to the various Avataras of Krsna but then say that he too is the Personality of Godhead or that we are one with Him. The learned acarya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami does not make such mistakes in transcendental reasoning. He recently spoke clear conclusive words on this subject: “You may say we are all one. That is all right. Are you not one with President Nixon? He is American; he is a human being. In so many qualities you are one. But you cannot claim that you are President Nixon. Every living entity is Brahman, but Krsna is the Chief Brahman. Just as you are all Americans but your President is the chief American. Similarly, Krsna is the Chief Brahman. You are all Brahman, but He is the Chief Brahman. In so many respects and qualities you are one with God, but that does not mean you are God. God is one. Just as in spite of your becoming an American or a human being you do not identify yourself with President Nixon because you have full knowledge of President Nixon and yourself. And as soon as you say, “I am God,” that means you have no full knowledge of God. That very assertion immediately shows that you know nothing about God. God is so great, but you are claiming that greatness. That means you do not know how great He is. A tiny factor claims that he is God without having that greatness. That means insanity, the same as if you claim that you are President Nixon. But how great God is! How much greater than President Nixon! Do you deny to become one with President Nixon and yet accept yourself to be one with God? How insane you are! One is claiming that ‘I am God’ and his follower accepts that he is God. This is insanity.”
Sri Dham Mayapur , The Most Holy Abode
Sri Dham Mayapur, The Most Holy Abode
—by Acyutananda das Brahmacari
The archetype pattern of all universal harmony, the scheme of the universe, is the beautiful Form of Krsna within the lotus. In Brahma-samhita, one of the oldest known books, it is inscribed, “The whorl of that transcendental lotus is the realm wherein dwells Krsna. Like a diamond, the central supporting Figure of Self-luminous Krsna stands as the transcendental Source of all potencies.” It is described in lucid detail: “There is a mysterious quadrangular place named Svetadvipa, surrounding the outskirts of this lotus.” And further on: “Let me tell you the mystery. In Navadvipa the identical realm of Goloka Vrndavana on the bank of the Ganges, Gauracandra who is Krsna, the Entity of pure cognition, who has two hands, who is the Soul of all souls, who has the supreme great personality as the great meditative sannyasin and who is beyond the three-fold mundane attributes, makes the process of pure unalloyed devotion manifest in this mundane world. He is the sole Godhead, the Source of all forms, the supreme soul, and is Godhead manifesting Himself in yellow, red, blue and white colors. He is the direct Entity of pure cognition, full of the Spiritual Cit Potency. He is the figure of a devotee, the bestower of devotion, and cognizable by devotion alone. The self-same Lord Caitanya, Gauracandra, who is no other than Krsna Himself, in order to taste the rasa of the Pastimes of Krsna in Vrndavana, is manifest in the eternal Realm of Navadvipa identical with Vrndavana.”
The Absolute Person has the power to make Himself known to the non-absolute finite beings without in any way limiting His unbounded powers and dimensions. God cannot be confined to the 3 dimensions of height, breadth and depth, which are limiting this world; but by His own inconceivable power He can come and sport with men as their equal and yet maintain His complete divinity, just as the governor can visit the prison house and speak to the prisoners without at all being obliged to obey the orders of the warden. Fools think that because the governor is in the penitentiary that he is also a prisoner, but he can exercise all of his power as a governor and still be in the prison.
Navadvipa means “Nine Islands.” It is the most ideal arrangement of the Supreme Lord to create His Abode in this scheme. In the chart, the nine islands of Navadvipa, the supreme Realm, the Kingdom of God, is shown. Antardvipa (literally, the central island) within which Sri Mayapur is situated, forms the first of the Nine Islands and the starting point of the pilgrims who parade the islands each year on the day of Caitanya’s divine Appearance day. Simantadvipa is the next Island that the pilgrims reach. The house of the grandfather of Caitanya is on this island. The third is Godrumadvipa. Brahma, Indra, and other demigods took the shape of hills on this island to witness the supramundane activities of Sri Caitanya. This island contains the Bhajana-kutir, the hut used for spiritual practices and austerities, and the samadhi, the temple of holy trance, of Srimad Saccidananda Bhaktivinode Thakur, one of the discoverers of the “Home of God” and a guru in the line of Caitanya’s disciples. The fourth is Madhyadvipa. It contains the hills formed by the seven rsis who also have their abode in the heavens comprising the seven stars of the Big Dipper constellation. “That which is above, so is below,” the Upanisads teach. Also adjoining the area is the forest of Naimisaranya, considered to be the hub of the universe. Next to Madhyadvipa is Koladvipa. Many asramas of the present protectors of Vaisnava doctrines are established here. It is said that if one performs devotional austerities here it is assured that he will reach the Ultimate Goal—Love of Godhead. This is the special significance of all the islands that the unbounded and causeless mercy is distributed freely by Caitanya, whereas Sri Krsna merely revealed the Absolute activities leaving the explanations and intrinsic meaning for the future avatara—Caitanya. The sixth island is Rtudvipa which today is the site of the famous Gadadhar-Gaur temple. The seventh island is Jahnudvipa, where the learned scholar of Vedanta Vasudeva Sarvabhauma lived. Modadrumadvipa and Rudradvipa comprise the eighth and ninth islands and have special importance only to those sages who are still able to perceive the pastimes of Caitanya in their developed spiritual trance. (see map and chart)
There are many current stories of miraculous occurrences connected with the sites. But the most startling miracle of all is the fact that the persistent local tales are now found to be confirmed in their details by the topographical descriptions of the old writers. For example, we read in the Bhakti-ratnakara that the courtyard of Srivasa, where Sri Caitanya inaugurated the chanting of HARE KRSNA HARE KRSNA KRSNA KRSNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE and where in the early days of the Movement Caitanya used to chant daily the Kirtana all through the nights in the company of His close associates, was situated one hundred dhanus (200 yards) to the north of the “House of God.” According to the scripture, Caitanya-bhagavata, the Muslim governor was offended at hearing the chanting and ordered his men to break the drums and instruments of the “hindu heathens.” The site is always referred to as Khol bhangar danga, the mound on which the drums were broken. (see picture, Srivas Angen) Today the house of Srivasa is a temple, established by His Divine Grace Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati, and the images of Caitanya and His associates are worshiped three times daily with prasadam and kirtan. (see photo—the great kirtan at Srivas Angen)
The actual site of the Appearance of Lord Caitanya, the Yoga-pitha, was identified by the famous saint Caitanya-dasa Babaji Maharaj, about eighty years ago. It appears that the actual site was known as such to the few Vaisnavas who cared to be informed about it and had also been visited by them for their devotional purposes. The place was noted by the inhabitants of adjoining villages for alleged peculiarities. They maintain that the place used to be always overgrown with the sacred tulasi, a plant which is a dearly beloved devotee of Krsna containing many medicinal and spiritual potencies. For this reason, people instinctively desisted from any act of defilement or occupation for the purpose or erecting a dwelling. This reverence was also observed by the local Mohammedans to give final conclusion to the prophecy that all faiths would one day recognize the Supreme Truth as Caitanya.
The Appearance of Sri Caitanya came about in the following way. In Navadvipa there dwelt a most generous and pure-hearted brahmana devoted to the zealous performance of all spiritual and enlightening duties. The name of the brahmana was Sri Jagannatha Misra. Saci-devi, his most faithful consort, was the embodiment of Devaki, the mother of the Supreme, herself. One night Jagannatha Misra awoke and triumphantly exclaimed to Saci, “I had a dream that a realm of light entered my heart and from my heart it passed into yours. I believe it is a sign that a great personage is about to be born.” Other indications of some divine occurrence were to be seen. His body and the dwelling house appeared to be shining, and all people showed him honor and respect at all places. Saci-devi noticed the figures of heavenly beings in the sky who appeared to her in the attitude of prayer, and no one else could see them.
Sri Krsna Caitanya made His auspicious Appearance in this world on the 23rd day of Phalguna, corresponding to the 18th of February of 1486. He was born in the evening just with the rising of the full moon, which was then in eclipse. It is the custom of the Hindu public to bathe in the Ganges and other sacred rivers and chant the Vedic mantras for purification. Thus when Lord Caitanya was born the whole of lndia was roaring with the holy sound of the maha-mantra. Nature joined with man and the gods to pay homage to the Moon of Nadia (Caitanya). The spotted lunar disc hid its face in shame under the excuse of eclipse, on the Appearance of the “Perfect Moon”, absolutely free from all spots. On that blessed moment of nativity of the exquisitely beautiful Baby, the most auspicious influences of all the favoring constellations were shed in unstunted profusion. Strange forms of celestial beings appeared to be lying prostrate on the bare earth in the act of adoration or dancing in wild ecstacy chanting Hari Bol Hari Hari Bol!
Beneath the pure fresh breeze of a Nim tree, the Supreme Lord was born. (See photo, Caitanya’s Birthsite.) Today the advent grounds are kept sacred by Sri Caitanya’s devotees. All may come and meditate on this Divine spot. To step under the spreading bows of the Nim tree, which still stands, is like walking into an air conditioned room. The founder, discoverer, and past spiritual master of the devotees of Caitanya predicted that some day Europeans and Americans would come by the thousands to live near the holy site of the Ultimate universal Teacher Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He stated they would dance in ecstacy side by side with the Indian devotees, and their shouts of JAI SACI-NANDANA! (Glory to the Son of Saci!) would shake the whole universe, drenching all the inhabitants with Divine Love and ecstacy unbounded. His Divine Grace Bhaktivedanta Swami, the founder of our movement in the west, has also said, “When the languages of trees and animals will be learned we will also teach them the chanting of maha-mantra.” We in India should make all arrangements for the thousands of devotees who will soon be coming back to Mayapur, Navadvipa.
Lust and Love
Lust and Love
—by Subal das Adhikari
Maya, the illusory material nature, is duping people into accepting lust in place of love. Lust is what traps the living entities, who are spiritual by nature, in this material world. It makes us accept temporary mixed happiness in place of eternal spiritual bliss. Through the attraction of the senses for the objects of the senses we try to enjoy and find happiness where there is no happiness. Therefore, we are forced to take our births again and again.
In the Vedit literature Caitanya-caritamrta, the author, Krsna-das Kaviraj, defines lust and love as follows: “Lust means to satisfy the senses of this body, and love means to satisfy Krsna’s [God’s] senses.” Real love is selfless and has no other object than pleasing the beloved. The thought of selfish pleasure never enters into this. All thoughts are directed towards the pleasure of the beloved. It will go on growing regardless of whether it is reciprocated or even if our beloved spurns us, or any other factors which cause the ending of love in the material world. Lord Caitanya prays to the Supreme Lord as follows: “I do not know anyone except Krsna as my Lord and He shall remain my Lord even if He handles me roughly by His embrace or makes me brokenhearted by not being present before me. He is completely free to do anything, but He is always my worshipful Lord, unconditionally.”
Love exists in the spiritual world in its pure and perfect form. The Bhagavad-gita states that this world is a perverted reflection of the Spiritual World. It is natural for the living entities to love Krsna, but due to maya, the illusory energy, they are accepting something else in place of the greatest. Krsna is offering us unlimited pleasure, but in ignorance we are taking the temporary sense pleasures as the all in all.
The practice of Krsna consciousness revives the dormant love of God that is within each of us; once that love is tasted, all the illusory substitutes fall away. Love in the material world is misdirected, generally having a false idea of oneself as its object. Krsna consciousness redirects that love to Krsna, the real Beloved of everyone. As we are all eternally parts and parcels of the whole Spirit, Krsna, loving Him is our actual self-interest. When Lord Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, was Personally present and walked the earth planet 5,000 years ago, He displayed wonderful Childhood and Youthful Pastimes in Vrndavana, where He attracted all living entities to His blissful nature. The residents of the village He lived in, who saw Him daily, were madly in love with Krsna. Sukadeva Gosvami, the sage who first spoke the Srimad-Bhagavatam (narration of Krsna’s Pastimes), was asked by his disciple, “Why was Krsna so dear to everyone in Vrndavana, more so than the natural sons of the mothers and fathers?” Sukadeva answered this question: “Because Krsna is the Soul of all souls.” He is therefore factually the most dear, and loving Him is ultimate self-interest. Without Him, all life ceases.
Humans and the lower animals have four common activities that are necessary for maintaining the body—namely, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But the humans have a higher intelligence and more developed consciousness than the animals. The human form of life is meant for searching out higher truths. Until a person starts asking questions—“What am I?” “What is the purpose of life?” “What is God?”—he is no better than the animals. Most people are simply engaged in satisfying the four animal propensities without any concern for spiritual development. This is a complete waste of a most valuable life.
The Vedic literature describes that there are 8,400,000 species of life, and only 400,000 species are of the human form. Before attaining this human form, we have passed through all other 8,400,000 species. This is known as transmigration of the soul. As we progress higher and higher through the various species of life beginning from the aquatics, to the plants, worms, reptiles, birds and beasts, our consciousness slowly develops just like a flower. The flower starts out as a small bud. Gradually it blossoms forth, until it is finally full-blown. The aquatics have a very limited consciousness, and this consciousness expands as we progress to higher and higher species of life. The human form is compared with the fully developed flower. Only in the human form of life can we escape from the cycle of birth and death known as samsara, and revive our loving relationship with Krsna. This is the perfection of human life—love of God. If we can attain such purified consciousness then we are fit to be transferred beyond all these material universes to enter the kingdom of God on eternal, blissful spiritual planets in the spiritual sky. Unfortunately no one today is serious about ending samsara; they do not think there is a next life or eternal planets, and so they feel they are “free” to beg, borrow or steal and there will be no reaction to sinful activities. But the fact is that by our present actions we are determining our future, next birth. As far as the lover of God or pure devotee is concerned, however, he is not even aspiring after liberation from samsara. In his unalloyed devotion, he finds the highest bliss in selfless loving service, simply carrying out Krsna’s wish as expressed through the spiritual master. Again Lord Caitanya prayed: “Oh almighty Lord! I have no desire for accumulating wealth, nor have I any desire to enjoy beautiful women, nor do I want many followers. What I want only is that I may have Your causeless devotional service in my life, birth after birth.”
The animals have much easier access to sense enjoyment than we do. This is because the animals are meant for unrestricted sense pleasure. We are not. We are meant for spiritual development. The dogs will have sex right out on the street in front of everyone. Is this what we want our society to develop into?
Krsna consciousness recognizes the necessity of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, but these activities should be restricted and simplified in order to leave time and energy for spiritual pursuits. This body is a vehicle for going back to Godhead, back to home. Therefore, we should treat it as such. For example, if we have an automobile, we have to keep it operating nicely so it will get us where we want to go, but we don’t want to spend all our time polishing it. The vehicle is there to serve us, not for us to serve it. The Bhagavad-gita states: “He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, working and recreation can mitigate all material pains by practicing the Yoga system.” (Bhagavad-gita, 6.17)
According to the varnasrama system, a man’s life is divided into four parts: student, householder, retired and renounced orders of life. The student’s life is the first part. It is meant for creating a spirit of detachment through knowledge, renunciation and devotion. During this period, the student remains celibate, studies under the spiritual master and serves him. For those who fail to develop sufficient detachment during tht first stage, the second stage is householder, or married life. Sex is allowed under certain restrictions, and a sense of detachment is also present. The third stage is the retired life. During this period the householder leaves home to prepare himself for complete detachment. The wife can accompany him as a voluntary servant, but there is no more sex life. The renounced order of life is the final stage. When the man becomes fully detached from sex life, he sends his wife home to be taken care of by the oldest son, and he becomes a mendicant. Also, those students who did not enter married life go directly to this stage. Of course, sex life is forbidden for the mendicant also.
We can see that sex is only allowed under certain restricted conditions. It is advised that this system be practiced by all civilized men for spiritual attainment. It is a gradual process for giving up attachment to the sense pleasures and developing attachment to Krsna.
An example is given wherein the sensualist is compared to the camel. The camel is a desert animal, and it relishes eating thorny twigs. The thorns cut the camel’s tongue and there is discharge of blood. The camel thinks he is eating a very tasty twig, but actually it is the taste of his own blood that he is enjoying. We are also tasting our own blood and thinking how nice it is by indulging in sex and various other sense pleasures. This material world is actually a prison house. We should be working towards getting free and entering into the real life that waits for us outside the prison boundaries. In the spiritual world, we can enjoy this life of freedom which is sac-cid-ananda—eternal, blissful, and full of knowledge. As long as we are attached to the temporary pleasures of this world, however, we cannot enter into the spiritual world. The more we indulge in material sense pleasures the longer we prolong our term of imprisonment and deny ourselves eternal bliss.
We all want to enjoy, to be lords of the material nature, but constitutionally we are not enjoyers. We are secondary enjoyers. We enjoy by serving Krsna, the Supreme Enjoyer. Serving Krsna is like pouring water on the roots of a tree. By watering the leaves and branches of a tree, there will be no effect; but when water is given to the root, all the leaves and branches of the tree are satisfied.
Everyone is looking for some happiness, some pleasure and enjoyment. This is true even in the animal society. We all want happiness because it is our nature to be happy and joyful. We are not meant to undergo sufferings, but we are suffering because we are trapped in the material world and identifying with these material bodies. There is real happiness to be found. We simply do not know where to find it. Therefore, we are accepting so many substitutes. Real happiness waits for us in the spiritual world. It is pure unalloyed bliss with no trace of suffering. By accepting the authority of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, as handed down in disciplic succession by Sri Krsna, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Rupa Gosvami, Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati, and A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, one can easily become a liberated person and attain spiritual bliss.
Such a liberated person is not attracted to material sense pleasure, but is always in trance, enjoying the pleasure within. In this way, the self-realized person enjoys unlimited happiness, for he concentrates on the Supreme. An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery which are due to contact with the material senses, O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them. (Bhagavad-gita, 5.21-22)
The Gita describes the goal:
Before giving up the present body, if one is able to tolerate the urges of the material senses and check the force of desire and anger, he is a yogi and is happy in this world. One whose happiness is within, who is active within, is actually the perfect mystic. He is liberated in the Supreme, and ultimately he attains the Supreme. (Bhagavad-gita, 5.23-24)
Transcendentalists who have had a taste of spiritual bliss cast aside the temporary, mixed pleasures of this world. They are no longer attracted by them because they have found the real, superior quality pleasure. Indulging in sex life is like chewing the chewed. The example is given that, in India, the people eat sugar cane. They chew on it and suck out the sweet juice. Then the chewed cane is thrown in the street. Nobody wants it anymore. Similarly, we’ve been chewing on the material pleasures for millions of lifetimes. But there is really no juice there, just the same thing, over and over again. The intelligent man will see that they are tasteless and cast these “pleasures” aside. Why go on chewing the chewed? Unlimited happiness awaits us in loving service unto the Transcendental Absolute, Sri Krsna.
Los Angeles—Bliss!
Los Angeles—Bliss!
Within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the Los Angeles center is known as the best sankirtana center. That is because the Los Angeles devotees have taken with the utmost seriousness the spiritual master’s order: the chanting of Hare Krsna in the parks and streets is to be taken as the life and soul of Krsna consciousness. As a result the devotees are always feeling transcendental bliss from the reservoir of pleasure, Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the morning the L.A. sankirtana party chants and dances on the streets of downtown Los Angeles, and in the evening they go to the area of Hollywood Boulevard. On special occasions and nice sunny days, they are found to be gathered at Griffith Park in the city. All are invited to visit the Los Angeles center and experience spiritual ecstasy.
Love of God
Love of God
“Any child who is given an impression of the Lord from his very childhood can certainly become a great devotee of the Lord.”—Srila Jiva Gosvami. The fortunate children born of Krsna conscious parents or those children fortunate enough to once see Prabhupada or to pass the fire offering during kirtana or to attend a prasadam feast or enjoy with the devotees on sankirtana in the streets can at once become attracted to transcendental loving service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Children are known to sense the real, genuine impression of a way of life, and so they may, when guided by their parents towards association with devotees, immediately learn the art of spontaneous love of God and thus end the suffering of thousands of births and deaths in the material world.
Liberation at Last
Liberation at Last
—by Satsvarupa das Adhikari
Recently I spoke to an acquaintance who is practicing “meditation” and I asked him the goal of his practice. The answer was, “Liberation. To merge with the one.” Expressions such as “annihilation of the ego” and “merging with the Supreme” are commonly passed back and forth in this age of the widely attended Yoga and meditation class. Regarding liberation, one significant question is—what is liberation? And also, we want to know—what are the chances of a person actually gaining liberation? For answers, we best go to the source of the very concept of liberation and the place where all its techniques are elaborately and carefully taught; that is, the scriptural literature of India, called the Vedas. Yoga technique and meditation are given in gist in the Bhagavad-gita, spoken by Lord Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, and expounded further in the Srimad-Bhagavatam which is considered the postgraduate study of the Bhagavad-gita.
Liberation generally refers to freedom from the bodily concept of life. But unless there is positive, non-bodily activity or spiritual activity, then liberation is a merely theoretical, lip-service liberation. To sit in a posture of meditation and think, “I am moving the moon, I am moving the sun, I am moving the stars,” and then 10 minutes later to be dictated to by the tongue—“I must have a cigarette”—is not liberation; nor at the time of death can such a “yogi” be expected to be liberated to the spiritual sky. Without practical devotional service to Sri Krsna, Giver of Liberation, the idea of liberation is just a negative concept of material life. The Vedic literature describes four material categories of civilized life, and liberation is among them. The first is religiousness. This means to perform sacrifice, churchgoing or pious acts with the aim of being rewarded by promotion to a heavenly material planet. The aim behind such acts is personal gratification; by being religious I will be rewarded. It is noted by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that nowadays the church, mosque or temple is an empty place because the people believe that they can get their desired economic ends without making prayers to God. Therefore, the second material activity of civilized persons is economic development—building, making money, doing business. The third activity is sense gratification culminating in sex life. In fact, sex life is the essential background for the first two material activities. The fourth, mukti or liberation, is a little different, although it is a material activity. After being frustrated by all the material activities and seeing that either failure or success are really failure due to the disadvantages of birth, death, disease and old age, a person desires liberation. He desires to become One with the Supreme. He is too bitter with all his experiences to be happy in material life. But in itself this is only a negative concept. By such liberation he thinks he wants to lose the individuality which has caused him so much pain, and instead, to merge with the Oneness of spiritual existence.
The background for understanding liberation starts with gaining true identity of the self. In the beginning stages it expresses itself in the desire to be One with the Spirit. This is called Brahman realization. If someone is actually realized in Brahman that is a great thing. It is called Brahma-bhuta stage, and it is characterized by joyfulness. The joyfulness is due to understanding that, “I am not this body.” This is carefully described by Lord Krsna in the Second Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. The living entity is there declared to be spirit-soul, or Brahman. In the Third Chapter Lord Krsna reveals that for full realization of Brahman, you have to work in Brahman. Bhagavad-gita (3.5) says, “Nobody can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.” And in his Purport to that verse, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami writes, “This is not a question of embodied life; it is the nature of the soul to be always active. The proof is that without the presence of the spiritual soul there is no movement of the material body. The body is only a dead vehicle to be worked by the spirit soul and therefore it is the nature of the soul itself to be always active, and cannot stop even for a moment. The spirit soul has to be engaged in the good work of Krsna consciousness, otherwise it will be engaged in occupations dictated by the illusory energy.” When one realizes “I am Brahman,” that means he has no death, just like Krsna, the Supreme Brahman. This is a joyful position, “I am not this perishable body, that is not my self, I am spirit soul.” That is all well and good, but then, what do I do? It is not that the liberated state is without activities. This question was asked by Sanatana Gosvami, the learned disciple of Lord Caitanya: “You have said that I am already liberated, now what are my duties in the liberated state?” The impersonalists, however, do not like to take up the devotional service path; they are simply desirous of merging into the One, described as the Brahma-jyoti effulgence. That destination is explained in the Gita. Brahma-jyoti is not material, it is the spiritual effulgence coming from the Body of Sri Krsna; it is eternal spiritual light. This light illumines the spiritual world and the naturally dark material world is lit by its reflection. And to merge in this light is the goal of the impersonal liberation. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is a fully realized devotee of the Personality of Godhead, states the disadvantages of aiming at the Brahma-jyoti as the topmost goal: “In the Brahma-jyoti the spirit souls on account of their impersonal views are devoid of a body, exactly as here in maya there are ghosts who are devoid of any gross bodies. The ghost, being devoid of a body, suffers terribly because he is unable to satisfy his senses. The spirit souls in the Brahma-jyoti, although they have no desire for sense gratification, feel inconvenience like the ghost; and they fall down again in maya’s atmosphere and develop a material body. In the Bhagavatam therefore it is said that that intelligence of persons who are impersonalists and do not develop the dormant devotional attitude is not pure; because for want of a spiritual body, they come down again to the material world. In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly said by the Lord that the only way of not coming back to the material world is to be promoted to the spiritual planets. For the impersonalists there is no such assurance of not falling down in the whole Vedic literature. The conclusion is that without developing the spiritual body and without being situated on one of the spiritual planets, the so-called liberation is also illusion, or it is not complete. A spirit-soul who falls down from the Brahma-jyoti to the Kingdom of maya may have a chance of associating with a pure devotee, and then he may be elevated to the spiritual planets of Vaikuntha or to the Goloka Vrndavana. From the Brahma-jyoti there is no direct promotion to the spiritual planets.”
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, many questions regarding liberation are asked by Devahuti the mother of the incarnation of Godhead Kapiladeva. Lord Kapila spoke the Sankhya philosophy whereby the material entanglement is analyzed and found to be not the true identify of the spirit soul. Lord Kapila describes to His mother that liberation from material entanglement can be considered in three different ways. As expounded by philosophers like Lord Buddha it is annihilation or cessation of material existence altogether; and after the cessation of material existence there is void. Then another concept, according to the Sankarite school, is that the material existence is false, and therefore one has to transfer oneself into the spiritual existence and that is not void but spiritual existence without variegatedness. This is the Brahma-jyoti. Devahuti, however, asks not only for freedom from matter, not only to be situated in the spiritual existence without variegatedness, but to be always associated with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As expounded by Kapiladeva this is actually the goal of the Yoga system. Some target at impersonal Brahman, some aim at the Paramatma realization and some aim directly at the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all other features including His different energies and manifestations become understood. As A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami once said, “When you get to the top, everything is included. This Bhakti-Yoga is explained in Bhagavad-gita where it is said that after many, many births of understanding. when one comes to understand that Vasudeva the Supreme Personality of Godhead is everything, he is a Mahatma, a great soul—and that is very rare. It is further explained in Bhagavatam that the Lord is called Hrsikesa, the Master of the senses. The senses and mind are naturally inclined to work, but when they are materially contaminated they work for some material benefit or for the service of the demigods, but actually they are meant for serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami writes to this point in Bhagavatam: “When the senses, without any reason, without any material profit and without any selfish motive, are engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is devotional service and that service spirit is far, far better than salvation (mukti). Bhakti, then, begins after liberation. Without being liberated nobody can engage the senses in the service of the Lord. When the senses are engaged either in material activities or by Vedic injunction, it is for a motive of personal gratification, but when the same senses are engaged in the service of the Lord, there is no motive, and that is the natural, original inclination of the mind. When the mind is not deviated but fully engaged in Krsna consciousness for devotional service of the Supreme Person, that is beyond the most aspired after liberation from material encagement.”
There is a nice example regarding liberation in the case of a man who is confined to bed with a fever. His fever is compared to material activities. To bring down the high temperature of the fever can be accomplished by Brahman realization. Having brought the fever down, the man may be still lying in bed, in convalescence. Of course, full health is not enjoyed until he can get up from the bed and resume his normal activities. Those who are impersonalists or mayavadis, however, do not desire to get up from the bed of convalescence, but are content simply that their fever has gone down. They are described as afraid that because activities in the feverish state were so bitter, painful, if they take up activities again, it will be painful again. In this way the impersonalists fail to take up transcendental loving service of the Personality of Godhead in individual spiritual form. Refusing to take up full healthy activities, one puts himself in the dangerous position of facing a relapse in health: the patient who doesn’t resume his normal activities cannot expect to stay fixed in inactive convalescence, rather he will fall ill again. It is commonly experienced that those sannyasis or svamis of the impersonalist path, after declaring “all is false” but failing to take on the activities of real liberation, fall down to the material platform and become engaged sometimes in humanitarianism and material welfare work, opening hospitals, etc. For failing to take on the greatest service, preaching Krsna consciousness to those in the clutclies of illusory matter, the impersonalist svami falls back into feverish material activities. The failure is his neglect of the Lotus Feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, called Mukunda, the Giver of Liberation.
The endeavor to get liberation from the material encagernent is automatically served in devotional service. A devotee doesn’t have to try separately for liberation. Sri Bilvamangala explains, “If I have unflinching devotion unto the Lotus Feet of the Supreme Lord, then mukti or liberation serves me as my maid servant.” Liberation is no problem at all. The impersonalists are after mukti and they undergo severe penances and austerities to attain it, but the bhakta passes liberation by engaging his senses and especially chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare and accepting the remnants of foodstuff offered to the Personality of Godhead. As soon as the senses are controlled in the tongue, the other senses follow automatically and the perfection of the Yoga principle is there. The devotee Prabhananda says that for a devotee sense control is as easy as anything, the pleasures of gorgeous life and fabulous duration of the upper planets is just phantasmagoria, and the pleasure of merging into the Supreme is seen as hellish. Lord Kapila states before His mother: “A pure devotee who is attached in the activities of devotional service and always engaged in the service of the Lotus Feet of the Lord does not ever desire to become One with Him. Such devotees are unflinchingly engaged and always glorify the Pastimes of the Lord.” Liberation becomes of no consequence and is realized as a material desire tainted with selfishness.
There are five kinds of liberation stated in the Vedic scriptures. One is to become otic with the Supreme Personality of Godhead or to forsake one’s individuality and to merge into the supreme spirit. A devotee never accepts such kind of liberation. The other four kinds of liberation are: to be promoted into the same planet as the Supreme Lord, to achieve the same opufence as the Lord, to associate personally with the Supreme Lord, and to attain the same bodily feature as the Supreme Lord. The pure devotee does not aspire to any of the five kinds of liberation, and especially he rejects the prospect of merging with the impersonal effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as being hellish. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada writes in the Bhagavatam: “Many so-called devotees say that we may worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the conditioned state but ultimately there is no personality, the Absolute Truth is impersonal. One can imagine a personal form of the impersonal for the time being and as soon as one becomes liberated, the worship is stopped—that is the theory. Actually, if the impersonalists merge into the Personal luster of the Supreme Person that is no different from His Personal Body, but that sort of oneness is not accepted by a devotee. The devotees are simply wanting to be fully engaged in reciprocatory loving devotional service.”
Aside from its desirability, what are the chances of the meditators really attaining liberation? The answer is stated in the Twelfth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita:
He whose mind is fixed on My Personal Form, always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith, is considered by Me to be most perfect. But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which is beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, fixed and immovable—the impersonal conception of the truth … at last achieve Me. For those whose minds are attached to the nonmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that unmanifested discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied. (Gita, 12.1-2)
Speaking as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kapila, the incarnation of Lord Krsna, makes clear that there is no salvation outside of direct reference to Lord Visnu (Krsna): “The terrible fear of death and birth can never be forsaken by anyone or by resorting to any other shelter than Myself, because I am the almighty Lord the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original Source of all creation, and also the Supreme Soul of all souls.”
One may try to understand the Absolute Truth by mental speculation or through the mystic Yoga process, but unless he comes to surrender his attempts cannot give him liberation. That is the conclusion of Bhagavatam. Lord Brahma prayed to the Lord: “They think they are liberated or one with God, but in spite of thinking in such a puffed-up way, their intelligence is not laudable.” In spite of austerities, then, if there is no surrender unto the Personality of Godhead, the intelligence is understood to be not clear. The nondevotee transcendentalists can go to the brink of spiritual realization in Brahman realization, and they are suspended in the effulgence; but because they have no transcendental activities they fall down.
As for devotional activities, Lord Caitanya prescribed five items as the sum and substance of performing devotional service. These are: 1. to associate with devotees; 2. to read Srimad-Bhagavatam; 3. to worship the Deities; 4. to chant the Holy Name; 5. to live in a holy place. As the perfect devotee, Lord Caitanya described His own desires, transcendental to the desire for liberation from the chain of birth and death: “O Almighty Lord, I have no desire for accumulating wealth nor have I any desire to enjoy beautiful women; neither do I want numbers of followers. What I want only is that I may have Your causeless devotional service in my life birth after birth.”
Liberation does not mean to grow four heads and four arms, but to change the consciousness, to live in understanding. The bodily encagement means sense gratification, and when that is dissipated in favor of pleasing the transcendental senses of Krsna, then liberation is there. Finally, the pure devotee never thinks that he is fit for liberation. He prays, “My dear Lord, I may be born anywhere, that does not matter; but let me be born as an ant in the house of a devotee.” A pure devotee does not pray to the Lord for liberation from this material bondage. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami describes the mind of the devotee: “He thinks he is fit for being sent into the lowest region of all considering his past life, his mischievous and miscreant activities. Anyone in this material world must have committed so many misdeeds. If I am trying to become a devotee it does not mean I was 100% pious in my past life.” Therefore the devotee is always conscious of his real position. He knows that only for the purpose of attaining his full surrender unto Krsna, the Lord makes the suffering of the devotee shorter. Ultimately, even his attainment of the topmost spiritual planet, Krsna-loka, is not desired by the devotee; he goes there but he does not desire it. His desire is simply to work in service mood for Krsna and Krsna’s devotees. Liberation then is not the goal of spiritual life, but it is an automatic by-product of devotional service. With that understanding we can achieve success.
Krsna lila: The Divine Forms and Pastimes
Krsna lila: The Divine Forms and Pastimes
—by Hayagriva das Adhikari
Lord Krsna’s pastimes, His appearance and disappearance, are continuous and eternal throughout the universe. As far as these pastimes are concerned, there is no stoppage. It is hard for the common man to understand how Krsna’s lilas (pastimes) can be eternal. To our conception He was present on earth 5,000 years ago, and now He is gone. We compare Him to ourselves. We remain on this planet for 100 years at the most and then, like a bubble, we pop and disappear. Although this is true for ourselves, we should not compare our condition to that of the Absolute Godhead. His Body is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, whereas ours is mortal and full of misery and ignorance. Consequently we cannot understand how Krsna’s lilas are eternal.
When Krsna intends to reveal Himself on the earth or any other material planet, He first sends His parents and devotees. Then He manifests Himself in His different ages: as an infant, a young boy, and a youth. He is never old or middle-aged. Because His Body is acyuta, changeless, He looked like a young boy on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, although He was a grandfather.
The pastimes of Krsna are revealed beginning with the killing of Putana and extending through to His disappearance. There are innumerable universes, and in all of them these lilas are revealed. Lord Caitanya compares the progression of the lila with the progression of the sun across the sky. Just as the sun in 24 hours passes over all the continents of the earth, so Krsna’s lilas in the 14 manvantaras pass over the various universes. When the sun passes over a continent, it appears that this great orb has a rising and a setting. It comes and it goes. But in actuality the sun is constantly shining and is fixed. It is only from the perspective of the earth that it appears to rise and set. Similarly, to the human perspective the lilas of Krsna appear to come and go, but in actuality they are always being enacted. The lilas are always taking place somewhere in the universe, just as somewhere on earth the sun is always shining, although it is not always seen in any one place. So the orbit of Krsna’s lilas passes through various spheres and is manifest on the earth after certain millions of years.
Although Krsna sports in infinite lilas throughout the universe, He still sports eternally in Goloka Vrndavana in the spiritual sky. Goloka and Gokula are expansive, like the Body of the Lord, and through His will these regions are revealed all over the universe. Goloka is revealed in the eternal abode of His lila. Lord Caitanya says that just as a drama has three stages, the high, the middle, and the low, so Lord Krsna is revealed in three stages. This revelation is full in Dvaraka, fuller in Mathura, and fullest in Vrndavana. When He first descends, He is seen in Vrndavana, and the pastimes there, being the original, are the most important and sacred.
There are fourteen Manus in one day of Brahma, and as the orbit of Krsna’s lilas circulates, He is seen on the earth once during a day of Brahma. There are seventy one yugas or ages, and in the twenty-eighth kalpa, in the Dvapara yuga, Krsna appears. Thus He appeared on this earth 5,000 years ago. While He was here He remained 125 years, and while He was on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra He was 100 years old, yet His eternal Body appeared as that of a fresh youth’s. During every second of these 125 years, this sequence of pastimes was appearing in all other parts of the infinite universes. Although these lilas are always occuring with clock-like precision, Lord Krsna is always aloof from them. One would stand a better chance counting the dewdrops on the grass or the rays of the moon and stars than counting the virtues, powers and energies of Krsna’s lilas as they are revealed throughout the creation. Neither Lord Brahma with all his heads nor Lord Ananta with his thousand mouths can describe them. Lord Caitanya hints that perhaps even Lord Krsna cannot know them all, and therefore He is thirsty to taste them. Infinite orbs whirl incessantly in His bosom like so many particles of dust, all moved by time. And the holy scriptures only cry out, “Not here. Oh, He is not here.” And no one sees the end. Srimad-Bhagavatam testifies: “We do not know how the Lord celebrates, nor if we could travel throughout the whole creation could we know this, for He is celebrating as He pleases. His jubilations extend through infinite forms of energy.” (Bhagavatam, 10.14.2).
Lord Krsna creates worlds both visible and invisible to the mundane senses. In the spiritual sky, which is invisible to us, there are infinite worlds with Deities, expansions of Krsna, presiding over each. This is doubtlessly very wonderful, but His pastimes in Vrndavana with the cowherd boys and girls are no less wonderful because in Lord Krsna’s supreme Abode, Krsna-loka, He similarly sports with an infinite number of gopas and gopis. In that Abode each cowherd boy has millions of cows, each of which yields limitless milk. In the same way Lord Krsna presides over millions and millions of Brahmas, who create under His Divine order infinite worlds.
In one instant Lord Krsna created both the visible and invisible worlds and created lords to preside over each of them. These lords preside over various planets as the cowherd boys preside over cows. All these creations proceed from Lord Krsna, and all of them find their being in Him. When Brahma once witnessed the breadth of the material creation, he was in awe and prayed, “Whoever says he knows the glory of Krsna let him talk; I know nothing of it. Wonderful is the work of Lord Krsna, but of His glory I know nothing. And whoever says he knows all about it actually knows nothing. Oh Lord, I know nothing of Your infinite glory.”
Although the ethereal forms of the three Purusas (the Karanodaka-sayi Visnu, the Garbhodaka-sayi Visnu and the Ksirodaka-sayi Visnu) are wonderful, the two-armed form of Krsna that dwells in Vrndavana is the purest and most sublime. In this form He reveals the sublime sweetness of His own Self, and it is in this form that He celebrates Himself in the great Rasa-lila, the dance with the exquisitely beautiful gopis. Below the Ultimate Planet of Vrndavana, floating in the rays emanating from His Body, are infinite spiritual planets where Lord Krsna dwells in four-armed forms known as Narayana. In these planets the six opulences of knowledge, wealth, fame, power, beauty, and renunciation are present. This is the middle holy presence of the Lord, and is comparable to Mathura. Below these heavenly Vaikuntha planets a river called Viraja flows which is a Divine river flowing from the sacred Goddess of the Vedas. This eternal river is full of glories and nectar. On its upper bank extend the Vaikuntha planets and on its lower bank lies the outer palace of the Lord, a region known as the Devi-dhama. Many created beings dwell here. The goddess Laksmi protects this region, and the goddess of illusion serves the Lord here as a maid. This region is visible to the material eye, whereas the region of the Vaikuntha planets, Paravyoman, and the region of Goloka are invisible. Being regions of cit energy, they are far above physical creations.
Although the pastimes of Lord Krsna in these spheres are infinite, the highest pastimes are those in which He jubilates in human form. There are pastimes in which He plays as a lion, a fish, a boar, a horse, a bird, and so on, but the human form is His very Self, and in this form He appears as a youthful cowherd boy, eternally in His kaisora age, an age corresponding to the adolescent age of sixteen. He carries a flute, which He plays from time to time, and dances masterfully. It is the mercy of the Lord that He reveals this form on earth, for this is the very same sublime Self which dwells eternally in Goloka. The Lord’s beauty is so overwhelming that He wonders at it Himself and desires to taste it. This beauty is so sublime that it glories in itself, for it contains all the components that we call beauty. Each of His Limbs has a halo of its own. He often stands with one leg bent before the other, and this makes His Body curve gracefully in three bends. His eyes send forth knowing, playful glances that pierce the soul like arrows. The Lord not only completely overpowers the minds of the gopas and gopis with His
sacred beauty, but He charms even Cupid, the god of love himself. His love is transcendental and is far superior to all the powers of sexual desire. He jubilates in this transcendental love and so supersedes all mundane cupids.
It is with this very transcendental Self that He plays in the holy Vrndavana with His friends who are cowherd boys like Himself and who also have bodies full of eternality, bliss and knowledge. When describing the beauty of Krsna in these pastimes, Lord Caitanya in ecstasy sang the following verse: “On the ocean of My Lord’s eternal youth, the waves of beauty are forever rolling. As the mighty ocean contains whirlpools, so the ocean of Lord Krsna’s eternal youth contain whirlpools expressing deep and sudden emotions. There are also sweet whirlwinds on the ocean, and these are the sweet tunes flowing from the flute of the Lord. As the whirlwinds of nature sweep away autumnal leaves, so the whirlwinds of sweetness from the ocean of the Lord’s eternal youth sweep away the souls of the gopis of Vrndavana and draw them towards the Lord.”
It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that the gopis chastise their creator Lord Brahma for giving them only two eyes, for two cannot satisfy them when the Lord Krsna is before them. They need more in order to better perceive His multiglorious Form. And it is written in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: “The two ears of the Lord are adorned with earrings made in the shape of crocodiles, the two cheeks of the Lord are bright and beautiful, the smile of the Lord is charming, and His dance is wonderfully attractive. Indeed, He is so charming that both men and women desire to gaze on His Form forever. Their eyes are never satisfied, and so they criticize their creator for giving them only two eyes, and they become angry at him for this defect.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 9/24/15) Similarly, the gopis said, “O, Lord, in the daytime You go away to feed the cows in the holy Vrndavana, and we do not see You then. How can we bear this separation? A moment of this time seems to us to endure for centuries, and when You return in the evening we look at You with wistful eyes and see Your face so bright and beautiful and Your hair so gorgeously adorned. It is painful for us to blink our eyes, and we regret that we have only two eyes. At that time we speak ill of the creator for not giving us more eyes. Indeed, we feel that his power is extremely limited.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.31.15)
The beauty of Lord Krsna in Goloka Vrndavana is ethereal and can only be compared to the most lustrous cosmic phenomena. In Caitanya-caritamrta Lord Caitanya sings of His beauty in this way: “O, the face of Lord Krsna is like the brightest full moon and like a king sitting in glory on his throne. And this throne is the body of Lord Krsna Himself. His face sits like a king of moons among so many moons. All His beautiful limbs are like moons, and the moon of His face seems to coutrol them all. His two cheeks are pretty, brighter than the brightest of jewels. And They also look like two moons. Another moon is the half moon on the forehead of the Lord with a point at its center. This point is so bright that it appears like yet another moon shining among the others. And the white nails of His hands are also like so many moons, and when the Lord blows His flute these little moons dance upon its holes, and it appears that the tune proceeds not from the flute but from these beautiful nails of the Lord. And the nails of His Feet are also like moons which seem to dance as the Lord walks, and the tinkling sounds proceeding from His ankle bracelets seem like so many songs sung by these moonlike nails. The ears of the Lord are adorned with two earrings resembling crocodiles. His two eyes are like two lotuses, and it seems that His regal moonlike face makes His ears and eyes dance in their places. The eyebrows of the Lord are like bows, His nose is like an arrow, and His ears are like the strings of the bow. With these weapons, His face, which is like the moon, pierces the hearts of the beautiful maidens of Vrndavana. Thus the King of Vrndavana jubilates, a King of moons, distributing rays and light from His face. And to some this moon gives sweet, soft smiles. And to others He gives nectar from his lips.”
As mentioned before, when Lord Krsna comes to earth, He does not leave this eternal Abode which is Vrndavana. When His lila was enacted on this earth 5,000 years ago, He brought Vrndavana with Him, and today Vrndavana is still present in India and is visited by pilgrims as a holy town. The Lord is not so limited that Vrndavana exists only in a certain part of the spiritual sky and no place else. No, Vrndavana is in the heart of the devotees and is manifested wherever Krsna and His devotees sport. Krsna’s fullest manifestation is Vrndavana, and when He is there He is at full freedom. Therefore there is no question of Vrndavana being bound by concepts of time or space. Lord Caitanya’s disciples often told Him, “Wherever You are, O Lord, there is Vrndavana.” Nor can material scientists understand the nature of such a place. They cannot even understand the material sky nor reach its limits. How then is it possible for them to pierce the outer universal covering and ascend into Para-vyoman, the self-effulgent sky? If they were to enter the Para-vyoman they would be amazed to see countless millions of expansions of Krsna there. Lord Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such He is like the original candle which lights so many millions of other candles which are His countless expansions. The candles all have the same quality, yet one candle is the original one. There is no question of void, the question of nothingness, for there are billions of great spiritual planets which are trillions of miles in area, and over each planet preside entities which are sac-cid-ananda in their essence. Everything there is Absolute and spiritual. There spiritual planets float in the effulgence emanating from Krsna’s Body which sports in the supreme planet of Vrndavana.
Thus the pastimes of Krsna in Vrndavana are the most sublime. It is from Vrndavana that the songs of His flute issue and spread like lightening in all directions. This song is heard in all the planets of the Vaikunthas where it reacts with a terrific super-atomic force and penetrates into the ears of all inhabitants to enchant them.
The boys who are playing with Krsna and herding cows in Vrndavana are not ordinary living entities. They are highly developed sages who have acquired perfection by the accumulation of pious activities in past lives. For those who are under the spell of materialism, Krsna is an ordinary boy, but these cowherd boys in Vrndavana accept Him as their Master, and their Supreme Lovable Object. It is stated in Brahma-samhita that Krsna is very fond of playing with these boy friends who are unlimited in number. Each of these boys carries a cane for herding cows, some fruit and lotus flowers, and they are beautifully dressed. In Goloka Vrndavana everyone is just like Krsna, just as in the Vaikuntha planets everyone resembles the four-armed Narayana expansion. In these worlds of the Absolute, everyone is the same. Consequently, all the individual boys and girls who sport in Goloka Vrndavana enjoy Krsna’s spiritual bliss. Similarly, the gopis are not ordinary cowherd girls, but are great sages who transform themselves in order to enjoy conjugal love with Krsna. Lord Caitanya spoke of them in this way: “Oh what penances did the gopis perform to eternally enjoy the beauty of the Lord Krsna? They drink His beauty with their eyes and they fill their eyes, their limbs and their hearts with celestial visions of His beauty. O, blessed are they, for they enjoy that sublime beauty which is the sweetest in the creation and which has no equal. Even the Lord Narayana, Ruler of the heavenly planets of Para-vyoman, does not possess such beauty. The goddess of glory known as Sri Laksmi illustrates the truth of this, for she is dear to Lord Narayana and is the very flower among women created by the Lord, yet even she hankers after Sri Krsna’s beauty. All attributes and all species of sweetness are but shadows of His inner sweetness and inner attributes. The pure love of the gopis is like a glass that reflects this sweetness and these attributes. As the Lord sees these reflections, His sweetness increases and so does the love of the gopis. And both His sweetness and their love grow and grow as though competing with one another. And though both attain new brilliances, neither admits defeat in this wonderful competition.”
Lord Caitanya instructs that Lord Krsna primarily exists in three forms known as svayam-rupa, tadekatma-rupa, and avesa-rupa. In the svayam-rupa form, Lord Krsna appears as a cowherd boy in Vrndavana. There are two manifestations of this form: (1) prabhava and (2) vaibhava. The prabhava-prakasa is exhibited when, as in the Rasa-lila dance, He manifests 108 bodies, and when, as at the marriage ceremony at Dvaraka, He manifests Himself in 16,108 identical forms. Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said, “O King, it is a great wonder that Lord Krsna manifested Himself simultaneously in so many identical forms and married 16,108 queens at Dvaraka.” The vaibhava-prakasa refers to Lord Krsna’s assuming different roles, sentiments and shapes according to situation. Although these manifestations are identical in form, they have different names according to their shape, colors and weapons. For instance Sri Balarama is the vaibhava-prakasa of Sri Krsna manifested as His elder brother. Sri Balarama and Sri Krsna are identical in all respects except complexion. And sometimes Krsna exhibits Himself with two arms and sometimes with four arms (vrabhayavilasa) as the Son of Devaki; and in one form He assumes the sentiment of a cowherd boy and in another, as Vasudeva, He appears as a ksatriya (warrior). However, the greatest ecstasy is experienced in His original Form as a cowherd boy in the forest of Vrndavana. Rasa-lila there is greatest in respect to loveliness, sweetness, and power. And for this reason, Vasudeva hankers after the loveliness of Govinda, the cowherd boy. This original manifestation very much enchanted Vasudeva who expressed His desire to taste it while witnessing the Gandharva dance at Mathura. “Oh Uddhava, this dancer, by dancing in honor of the lovely forms of Gopala at Vrndavana, has so charmed Me that I am eager now to assume the sentiment of one of the gopis to taste the sweetness of My beauty.” (Lalita-madhava, 4/10)
These forms of Krsna are manifested in different shapes, sentiments, dresses and abodes. There are two types: (1) vilasa and (2) svamsa. Vilasa can be divided into two forms: (1) prabhava and (2) vaibhava. The chief manifestations of prabhava-vilasa are Sri Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. Sri Balarama assumes the sentiment of a cowherd boy and that of a ksatriya at Mathura and Dvaraka. This is called vilasa in respect to differences in complexion and dress. Lord Caitanya explains that Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha form the primary quartet of Krsna’s expansions. They are four-armed expansions. None are equal to them, and they are the source from which innumerable quartets are manifested. These four dwell eternally at Mathura and Dvaraka and form what is known as the prabhava-vilasa of Lord Krsna. From them 24 other forms have been manifested in the spiritual planets and are called the vaibhava-vilasa. They have different names according to the various weapons they hold. In the second quartet Lord Krsna dwells as Narayana in Para-vyoman. Other quartets are manifested from this one, and they rule their own planets in the vast spiritual sky. These quartets include forms of Vasudeva (Kesava, Narayana, and Madhava), the forms of Sankarsana (Govinda, Visnu, and Sri Madhusudana), the forms of Pradyumna (Trivikrama, Vamana, and Sridhara), and the forms of Aniruddha (Hrsikesa, Padmanabha and Damodara). Each of these twelve manifestations is assigned a month of the year, and each is recited by the devotee while adorning twelve parts of his body with the tilaka marks.
The principle quartet also has eight vilasa forms, the vilasa of Vasudeva (Adhoksaja and Purusottama), of Sankarsana (Upendra and Acyuta), of Pradyumna (Nrsimha and Janardana) and of Aniruddha (Hari and Krsna).
The above 24 forms (the principle quartet, their twelve corresponding forms and eight vilasa forms) are the chief forms of the prabhava-vilasa. They have different names according to the weapons they hold.
Vaibhava-vilasa refers to the different forms and dresses of these 24. All of these 24 dwell in Para-vyoman, the spiritual sky, and live in three forms in separate Vaikuntha planets in eight directions of the Para-vyoman. Although they dwell eternally in the spiritual sky, some of them have their abodes in this universe. Above the Vaikuntha planets of the Para-vyoman is the glory of Krsna Loka.
In this way these four-armed expansions manifest in the spiritual universe. In order to protect religion and grant bliss to the devotees by destroying all impieties, they also manifest in the material universe. Some of them are regarded as incarnations, namely Visnu, Trivikrama, Nrsimha and Vamana.
As for the svamsa shapes, there are those in the Sankarsana category and incarnations. The former include the Purusa Avataras (Karanodaka-sayi Visnu, Garbhodaka-sayi Visnu and Ksirodaka-sayi Visnu) and the latter, the incarnations, include the lila avataras.
The avesa forms are the greatest of the jivas and are the demigods mentioned in the Eleventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. Lord Janardana enters them by His jnana-sakti (knowledge potency). These include the four Kumara brothers, Narada Muni, Brahma, the serpent Anantadeva, Prthu, Parasurama, and countless others.
Hearing the pastimes of the Lord is the same as hearing the song from His flute. Even if one has fallen into the whirlpool of material existence, he will become attracted to the Supreme Lord of Vrndavana simply by hearing of His pastimes. By hearing of the activities of Krsna, studying the forms of Krsna, learning of the opulences of Krsna, and reading the words of Krsna in Bhagavad-gita, the soul can be directed to that glorious planet of Vrndavana where he can finally attain eternal transcendental association with Krsna. The first step of awakening is to hear the song of His flute which plays the glories of His pastimes.
Isavasya: God-centered Soceity
Isavasya: God-centered Soceity
—by Rupanuga das Adhikari
The immediate result of chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare has been the phenomenal growth of a unique federation of urban communes in the United States, Canada and Europe based on Vedic philosophy and centered around self-realization as the goal of community life. This transcendental federation, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is held together by mutual agreement to accept the principles of Bhakti-yoga or devotional service as the goal of life.
The Society is in the greater society but definitely transcendental to it. Its members, ordinary people without qualification of special training or talent, are free of the anxieties of the greater population. This freedom is due to their gradual realization that the actual standard of life is the pleasure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the natural Object of all daily activities and affection. By mutual endeavor the entire Society is thinking of Sri Krsna from one engagement to another, whether cooking, cleaning, eating, working in an office, or chanting His Holy Names in the city streets. Such a purified mentality gradually springs up, free from the materialist’s acute concern for the result of his work and free from competitive struggles carried on between friends, neighbors, communities and countries.
In other words, all activities are directed toward the Absolute Truth who is the Chief Person, Sri Krsna. It is natural to engage in His transcendental service, because He possesses all the attributes of the Perfect Leader: all beauty, all strength, all wealth, all intelligence, all fame and all renunciation. This is confirmed in all essential Vedic literature, including the Brahma-samhita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and the Caitanya-caritamrta. This literature also informs us that originally we are parts and parcels of Lord Krsna, and by nature transcendental, eternal persons, full of knowledge and bliss. We come under the conditions of suffering because of our forgetfulness of our relationship with Lord Krsna, God. It is recommended that we return our attention to Him by meditation on His Holy Name, whose association gradually changes the quality of our consciousness from haphazard pleasures and pains to steady variegated bliss, our original uncontaminated perception. For the purpose of realizing such a nice conclusion, the Vedic concept of Isavasya, or God-centered society, has been instituted at ISKCON.
The growth of ISKCON demonstrates the feasibility of self-realization on a mass scale. The secret of successful self-realization is God-centered communal life. ISKCON grows because it practices devotional service or Bhakti-yoga, the principle of developing actual love of Godhead and thus love for all living entities. As the Reservoir of Pleasure, Krsna dispenses all satisfactions according to the individual member’s sincerity. As the All-attractive, He fascinates His servants to higher realms of bliss, revealing more and more of Himself to His sincere devotee.
Generally, society’s energies are being expended in all directions, attempting to solve so many problems like violence, war, inflation, crime, old age, disease, etc. Consider that the problems remain unsolved and the energy dissipated. In fact, the complexities are increasing (with no shelter on the moon). The energy would be better spent on curing the disease rather than its symptoms. As stated in the Vedic scriptures, the disease behind all material distresses is ignorance of God. There is then one single problem—how to best serve the Supreme Person, Krsna, who is the all-attractive Source of Love and the Object of love.
The test of ISKCON’s activity is to observe the participants and see that they are satisfied, friendly, and unusually jolly. A person advancing on the spiritual path naturally loses his affinity for the anxiety-producing stimuli of the material world-glitter, which is endlessly alternating between happiness and misery. Such persons are being freed, astounding as it may seem, from the unchangeable laws of birth, death, old age and disease, which ordinarily block everyone’s real desires to be eternal, full of knowledge and blissful. Their satisfaction comes from Krsna Himself, who is equal to every living entity, impartial in His Love. But just as a father feels some special affection for his obedient and affectionate son (though he takes care of the rascal sons as well), Krsna encourages His devotee to go on. The devotee tries to please the Lord’s Senses rather than his own. His growing freedom is the result of knowing that he (a spirit soul) is not his body or mind but a transcendental person on the way back home, back to Godhead.
These transcendental communes are unique because the members are practicing the highest Yoga principles in the midst of urban confusion and glut. Yoga is the process of connecting with God. There have been a number of Vedanta societies, self-realization groups, etc., in this country for years, mostly practicing some form of mental or physical exercise only. In the Bhagavad-gita, the basic book of Yoga practice, Sri Krsna indicates that to practice any Yoga other than Bhakti-yoga (devotional service) requires special circumstances. One must take refuge at a sacred place, away from the mass of people, make a special seat, practice difficult breath control and meditation, arrange the body in special positions, practice celibacy, etc. Such endeavor must continue for lifetimes to reach the Supreme Goal, and it is possible only for one in millions. Yoga systems other than the regulated principles of Bhakti-yoga, though bona fide, are not intended for the current city civilization. Five thousand years ago, Arjuna was a superior man in all respects, living in conditions far more conducive to self-realization than today, and yet he insisted, in answer to Krsna’s explanation of these Yoga systems, that such practices were beyond his capacity. In numerous places in the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna explains Bhakti as the real principle and process of Yoga. Bhakti-yoga has two irresistable aspects for the urban citizen: it is both easy and sublime. Easy because it can be practiced at all circumstances and sublime becluse it offers immediate results due to association with the Supreme Transcendental Person, “Krsna.” It is this easy application to daily city life that is so fortunate; quite naturally, spiritually-minded persons come together and form a transcendental society, when such means are so readily available by Krsna’s mercy.
According to Sri Isopanisad and the Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Person Krsna is the actual Proprietor of the world. Proprietor, owner, means controller as well. With some little meditation, i.e. with a thoughtful consideration of the subject matter, we can see that we do not even own our very bodies. If we did then we would be able to control their getting old and diseased. Our very bodies and minds, what to speak of other entities such as mosquitoes and robbers or natural events like hot weather and hurricanes, inflict pain upon us. No one should take seriously the mad scientists’ promise of eventual immortality through our future progeny. Nor should a man think he lives on in his children. When the individual father and individual mother have an individual child, they expand by body not by soul. In the Second Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly explained that consciousness is the symptom of the spirit-soul, and it is explained further that the self or spirit-soul is eternal and individual, but that his bodies are always changing. We are not the owners of these changing bodies, or of any material object. We are renting everything we have.
Even without full understanding, a person may engage what is Krsna’s in the service of Krsna. Such a reformed thief is free of the anxiety of worrying about how to enjoy the fruits of his work, knowing well for whom he is working. Rather, he enjoys that service as its own reward and leaves the result, successful or not from the mundane viewpoint, to Krsna. Satisfied by such work in devotion, he continues until reaching twenty-four-hour-a-day association with Lord Krsna, while still in the temporary body This, of course; is the highest stage, beyond our present comprehension, but devotional service is also the method by which to reach the highest stage. Devotional service is the end as well as the means. In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna promises that such a faithful soul abides in Him and goes to Him.
Everywhere there is a natural division of labor, but the purpose or goal of labor (work of any kind) is misunderstood. According to Chapter Three of the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna is the sole beneficiary of all work, all sacrifice. Therefore, the community that works in devotional service is free of worry. All efforts are directed to Krsna and the community members are free of the tremendous burden of trying to satisfy their temporary senses. In contrast, the greater society is directing all or most of its energy toward satisfaction of the temporary senses, which occupation has been an historical failure. No one has succeeded in remaining always happy by the path of gratifying the senses, yet everyone is still trying. This is called maya or illusion. The greater society functions in this illusion: everyone is working for maya. In the ISKCON community everyone works for Krsna.
One should be concerned with relieving their neighbors of their material ills. Therefore, it is the greatest welfare work to remind the greater society of its Leader, Krsna. This reminder is the purpose of the missionary work of ISKCON. To this end, radio, T.V., newspapers, magazines, lectures, festivals, door-to-door canvassing, mass kirtanas, and chanting Hare Krsna in the city streets are all utilized and completely open to investigation as an open secret. As such activities increase, more and more of the material atmosphere which is intoxicating the greater society is purifica. The potency of transcendental works and sounds should not be underestimated. The doubtful are spiritualized by association and the atheists will die their usual death. Transcendental vibrations are encircling the planet. When the waves of bliss reach every nation, the entire world will be one nation under God. All intelligent persons should join that eternal nation now. No special birth, no visa is needed to enter that natural state, only serious desire.
The pattern of a transcendental earth is being designed in the Krsna conscious centers. The presiding tendency of the world is to imitate the West, the U.S. specifically, and this is facilitating the spread of Krsna consciousness. In this way, the nationalistic pride of the U.S. and all nations may be dovetailed in Transcendence. Happiness will come when peace comes, and peace will come only after the quality of world-consciousness is changed from material to spiritual, from body-family-state-nation-race-earth consciousness to Krsna—or God—consciousness.
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the greatest example of devotional service, indicates, in opposition to the prevailing cultural prejudices, that divisions of labor and national boundaries are useful for the administration of material needs, but that chanting the Holy Names of God and the practice of devotional service is the natural unfettered business of all human beings regardless of birthplace or occupation. In all scriptures this path of devotional service is verified, and this is proof that it is not some sectarian concept. Lord Jesus Christ taught pure devotional service, love of God, as the highest aim of life. When he was questioned as to the prime duty or first commandment for human beings, he answered, “to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, and mind.”
The conception of Isavasya or God-centered society is clearly explained in the first mantra of Sri Isopanisad
Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one must not accept other things, knowing well to Whom they belong.
War and other endless competition is based on the nationalistic premise that land and other energies belong to the human beings who can occupy them successfully. This is a conceited assumption of fragile-bodied men. If I cannot keep my own body from decaying, how then can I be the proprietor of the land in which my body will be buried? Actually, the real knowledge is “nirmama,” nothing is mine. Not even this body, what to speak of my so-called possessions.
This illusion of the temporary tenant that he is the proprietor, the landlord, goes against reasonable experience. The so-called Russians, Americans, and Hindus, all leave this temporary residence as they came—naked and empty-handed. True, a man has his possessions that come naturally by honest labor, they are his quota. But he can only use his money, his car, his clothes, friends, etc., he cannot keep them. If a man or a nation tries for more than what comes to them by honest labor, in other words, becomes greedy, then there is nothing but trouble. The problems growing from material hankerings can be avoided, but not by planning commissions and varied governments, as is proved by history and confirmed daily.
In the Bhagavad-gita, the solution is neatly expressed in the following verses:
O son of Kunti [Arjuna], all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me. Thus you will be freed of all reactions to good and evil deeds; and by this principle of renunciation you will be liberated and come to ME. (Chapter Nine)
By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect. Now please hear from Me how this can be done: By worship of the Lord, who is the Source of all beings, all-pervading, man can become perfect, doing his work. In all activities, and for their results, just depend upon Me, and work always under My protection. In such devotional service, be fully conscious of Me. (Chapter Eighteen)
That is the standard of peace and happiness—Krsna consciousness—using Krsna’s energy in His service. Actual freedom. Krsna-karma or Krsna-activities lead the members of this spiritual community to higher and higher states of pure consciousness and liberation from anxiety, an atmosphere unknown in our present condition. The greater population has its ideas of what liberation means, but it does not detect that activities centered about gratifying the temporary senses lead only to further bondage and, inevitably, to nihilism, impersonalism and cynicism. But in contrast, the activities of the liberated person are chosen according to a standard that is transcendental to mere sense gratification, and the results cannot be imagined or pretended. There is an opportunity for spiritual advancement, to work for Lord Krsna and give the results to Him. But if we cannot understand for whom we are actually laboring in this world, then our efforts can never satisfy us, no matter how hard we may work.
The standard of success in life is the satisfaction of the Supreme Sentient Being Sri Krsna, and the result is knowledge and bliss, the eternal heritage of every living entity. One is liberated shortly after going to work for Lord Krsna and after continuing his activities for some time, he lives with Him everywhere in sight; and at the end of the body he goes to Lord Krsna’s planet, Krsna-loka.
In 1969, the prevailing standard of life all over the world is material well-being. In this most advanced civilization men are very restless, and there remains a vacuum in everyone’s heart. That is because the symptoms of actual material advancement, such as good shelter, enough to eat, cleanliness, adequate clothing, education and a regular job, are actually dependent upon healthy spiritual advancement.
The transcendental citizen knows the actual standard of life. He sees all boundaries, flags, and political consciousness as illusions only, in what is clearly God’s country. Therefore he serves God, not illusion (maya). He is the most loyal, because always he wants to relieve his neighbor of his material miseries, and he becomes expert at the office because he worships Lord Krsna by his work. These transcendental citizens have come together to tell others in the anxious cities the news about Krsna. It is a great relief to hear this news of Krsna. Rupa Gosvami, a great leader in the eternal history of this Transcendental Sampradaya (community), has said, “If you hear that Krsna consciousness is to be purchased in the marketplace, then at once go there and purchase it!”
Some people contend that Krsna consciousness consists of hallucination, self-hypnosis, emotional contagion, etc., without a real look at the evidence. Everyone is fond of speculating or guessing about everything, based on previous experience or lack thereof, as if that process guaranteed some final and true conclusion. Little children are famous for disliking some food preparation, especially vegetables, they have never seen or tasted! Likewise, speculations and hypotheses are like the bee licking the outside of the jar of honey; one cannot speculate about the taste of honey. The transcendental flavor of Krsna consciousness—devotional service—is beyond guessing, as is Sri Krsna Himself.
Therefore, the sincere investigator has three opportunities for studying the validity of Krsna consciousness: he can meet and talk to the devotees, he can chant Hare Krsna and experiment for himself, and he can read The Bhagavad-gita As 1t Is and try to understand the philosophy. Also, if so fortunate, he can hear a lecture by the Founder and Acarya (one who teaches by example) of ISKCON, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Prabhupada and the members of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness are forever inviting our friends and guests to join in the vibration of Hare Krsna and know for yourselves. Please accept this invitation, intelligent people! It is scientific, provable, testable, most palatable! Accept our fervent humble plea! There is no harm, no expenditure. No force: in the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna says, “Thus I have explained to you the most confidential of all knowledge. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.”
The Transcendental Sound Vibration
The Transcendental Sound Vibration
—by Jadurani devi dasi
Sound has form eternal. According to the Sankhya philosophical system disclosed to the world by Lord Kapiladeva at the dawn of creation, the whole material world is produced by sound. This is also a scientific fact and scientists are now engaged in researching the importance of sound. In the physical sciences, such as electronics, they are studying sound, and discovering that the material sound vibration has great power. As one can perceive the existence of air by the medium of touch, he can understand the existence of ether or space simply by clapping his hands—by sound. Sound means there is space batween the two objects—between the speaker and the person receiving the information. According to the stringent laws of nature, everything is already established; there is nothing new we can create—by sound we develop our intimate relationship with the world. For example, stones and cement are already here; but by hearing we can understand how to utilize them and can construct a house. If material sound has so much power we should try to understand the power of the spiritual sound, because real, original sound is coming from the Spiritual World. This material world can be compared with a record player. The sound is originally coming from a person and the record player is simply reproducing that sound, and is not the original source. Whatever sound there is in the material world, the original sound is produced from the spiritual sky—from God. In the Bible it is said, “Let there be creation,” and simply by dint of this sound vibration, the whole creation is flowing out; God’s Word is sufficient. During the autumn months the leaves fall to the ground in only a few days. And again, at the beginning of spring, everything immediately becomes green. If we were to decorate even one tree or take all the leaves off that tree it would take months. But God does not require any engineering work. Simply His Words, “Let there be creation,” are sufficient.
As sound is the cause of this material world, it is also its destruction. That same sound which destroys this cosmic manifestation elevates one to the spiritual sky, which is conspicuous by the absence of the qualities of the material sky. While the material sky is described as a temporary, miserable existence of ignorance, everyone in the spiritual world is living eternally in full bliss and knowledge. The sound that elevates one to the spiritual world is Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Hare Krsna is not a whimsical invention, manufactured by some individual. It descends from the spiritual sky. It is recommended in Vedic literature such as Brhad-naradiya Purana, Agni Purana, Varaha Purana, Bhagavad-gita, and Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is a transcendental sound vibration, and the fortunate chanter or hearer of these nectar-like words relishes at every moment the goal of his life, association with the Supreme Lord of all the worlds, Sri Krsna. As material sourld vibrations develop our intimate relationship with this world of nescience, the transcendental sound vibration revives our full knowledge of the infinite spiritual space. If someone hears a friend’s voice on the telephone after a long period of separation, he immediately remembers everything about the friend—where they ate together, what they did together, etc. If he is so fortunate as to hear the transcendental sound “Krsna” he can at once remember everything about his own blissful spiritual identity. It is unfortunate that in this age people are not interested in hearing God. They want to see God.
Not only is hearing as good as seeing, hearing is actually better. Prabhupada A.C. Bhaktivedanta says that we are seeing so many things around us every day, yet we do not understand them. When Krsna appeared on this earth 5,000 years ago, everyone saw Him but only a handful understood Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Five thousand years later we are hearing about Krsna from the Bhagavad-gita and other authoritative literatures; and if we hear submissively we can understand everything about His transcendental nature. If one is fast asleep at night and a burglar enters within his house, he can apprehend the villain only by hearing. The other senses are for the time being not working. A child learns in the beginning of its training by hearing. “This is a watch, this is your father.” Prabhupada gives the example of milk. If I smell milk, I can understand that it has a nice aroma; if I taste it I can understand that it tastes sweet; by touching it I know it is wet and cold, and by seeing it I can understand it is white. But simply by hearing, “This is milk,” I immediately know everything. I know it is sweet, it is white, wet, cold and aromatic. Also by sound I can know Krsna, the Reservoir of pleasure, the Fountainhead of all knowledge and eternal life.
Within the material and spiritual worlds there is nothing in existence but the Supreme Lord and His energies. Therefore anyone in knowledge of Krsna, the Supreme Lord, is in knowledge of everything. Hare means the power of the Lord, and Krsna is the Supreme Powerful. There is actually nothing within our vision except Hare and Krsna. The Lord being absolute there is no difference between His Name and His actual Form. As it is stated in the Vedic literatures, Krsna’s Name is called Vigraha. The Name Itself has form. Even in this material world sound has form, or it would not be possible for it to travel through the air in the form of waves. We can speak to a friend thousands of miles away over the telephone because sound has travelled through the telephone wires. As it is possible for ordinary material sound to have form, then why not spiritual sound? In fact, the Name Krsna is the subtlest form of God, and Krsna Himself is dancing on the tongue of the sincere chanter. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, 4.9, “I descend in every millenium to vanquish the demon and to protect the devotee.” But in this age the Lord is especially compassionate with the fallen condition of the people and He comes not to vanquish them, but to reclaim them. He comes in the Form of the Holy Names. Therefore, Hare Krsna is an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the Hare Krsna Sankirtan Movement is also considered by the great authorities to be an incarnation, invested with the same potencies as the Lord Himself.
Because Krsna’s Name and Krsna Himself are identical His Name is also called rasa. It has taste. In the material world there is difference between the form and the name. The word mango is different from the form of the mango and one cannot taste the sweet mango fruit simply by chanting “mango, mango, mango.” But the devotee who knows that there is no difference between Krsna and His Name chants always Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and by experiencing the sweet mellow of these Names, realizes that he is always in the Lord’s Company.
Krsna’s Name is also called nitya; It is eternal. In the material world our names are not eternal. They belong to these temporary bodies and therefore are also temporary. When we leave our body and are forced to accept a new one, we are forced to change the name. But millions of years ago, when Krsna delivered the Bhagavad-gita to the Sungod, His Name was Krsna; 5,000 years ago, when He delivered the Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, His Name was Krsna; and today also It is Krsna. If one can contact the Eternal, he also becomes eternal, immortal and therefore fearless.
The mind of the ordinary person is always filled with fear and anxieties, because he has not realized his eternal spiritual nature. But when the mind is fixed on the Absolute Reservoir of pleasure, Lord Krsna, by chanting Hare Krsna, he is immediately elevated to the Absolute platform. When the senses are engaged on a particular object, the mind is automatically engaged and therefore by sincerely chanting and hearing the Maha (great) Mantra, Hare Krsna, the mind is fully absorbed in spiritual thought and is thus freed from the pangs of temporary material life. The example is given of an elephant who has suffered in the forest fire and enters the river to get himself pacified. If persons who are suffering in the forest fire of material existence will only enter into the nectar-like river of Hare Krsna, they will forget all the troubles of material existence.
In this collection, Narottama-dasa Thakur, a great acarya in the line of Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya, has written in his song “Nitai Pada-kamalam” that the whole world is suffering under the blazing fire of material existence; in order to get relief from the fire one should take shelter of the Lotus Feet of Nityananda by chanting Hare Krsna (Nityananda is another Name for Rama), because it is as cooling as millions of moonrays combined together. During the summer months a man works long, hot, tiring hours at his job and in the evening he feels new life by taking shelter of the cooling rays of the moon. The Lotus Feet of Lord Nityananda offer the relief of millions of moons. Under this shelter one immediately finds a peaceful atmosphere. If one has not contacted Nityananda that person should understand that he has simply spoiled his valuable life. The Thakur uses harsh words and says that such a human being who has never uttered the Holy Name of Nityananda (Hare Krsna) has to be considered an uncontrolled animal, because he does not know that all of his education, his family, name or national prestige cannot help him.
There is some pleasure here in this material world but that pleasure is flickering and all our activities are tested at the time of death. When we enter into a new body by force, our family, education, etc., cannot protect us and will have proved useless. The very word Nityananda means eternal pleasure. Nitya means eternal and ananda means pleasure. The man who is mad after false prestige is thinking, “Who is Nityananda! What can He do for me?” He accepts something which is not. He accepts this body as himself. As the conclusion of his song, Narottama dasa prays to Lord Nityananda, “I am very unhappy in this material world. Please make me happy by placing me at the corner of Your Lotus Feet.” The Thakur is desiring: “When will the time come that there will be shivering of my body simply by chanting the Holy Name of Lord Caitanya [Krsna]? And when will tears from my eyes glide down simply by chanting, ‘Hari, Hari,’ and when will I be favored by Lord Nityananda so that all desires for material enjoyment will appear to me very insignificant? When shall I become free from the desires of bodily demands and thus be able to visualize the transcendental land of Vrndavana [the Supreme Spiritual Abode]?”
When Krsna appeared on this earth, He taught the Bhagavad-gita and offered realization by knowledge. The Bhagavad-gita was spoken especially for the less intelligent class of men 5,000 years ago, but in this age everything has degraded so miserably that even the greatest scholars spend their entire lifetime studying Bhagavad-gita and still they cannot understand it.
Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda are also Krsna and Rama but They came here especially to deliver love of God and therefore have offered that simply by chanting Hare Krsna and dancing for Krsna one can achieve the goal of self-realization in a very short time. The process is simply joyful and one should chant Hare Krsna with firm faith that by chanting Hare Krsna his existence will become purified. One devotee prayed that Hare Krsna is so powerful that it melts even stone—it melts the heart of stone-hearted men. When Lord Caitanya chanted in the forests of India the birds would cry and even the tigers would accompany Him in chanting and dancing. In fact, Hare Krsna has so much power because it is descending from the lips of Lord Caitanya. Of course we are not Lord Caitanya and cannot expect to enthuse the animals, but at least we can enthuse the human beings. Practically, the Hare Krsna Mantra is more merciful than Krsna Himself. Prabhupada says that if Radha and Krsna were to come to the temple, he would have to make so many elaborate preparations, dress beautifully, spend vast amounts of money for decoration and food, but Hare Krsna is so merciful that there are no requirements and no conditions. You can chant it anywhere at any time and there are no hard and fast rules. And the result is the same—association with the Absolute Truth, Radha and Krsna. Prabhupada also tells a story that when Krsna was on earth His devotees put Him on one side of a scale because they wanted to see how much gold would be needed on the other side to outweigh Krsna. The more gold they put, the heavier Krsna became. Then one devotee had an idea. He wrote “Krsna” on a tulasi leaf and placed it on the opposite side of the scale and immediately it outweighed Krsna.
Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, mercifully informs its reader that everyone who has accepted this material body is “rotting in the kingdom of material energy,” and its stringent laws of birth, old age, disease and death are very difficult to surpass, but anyone chanting Hare Krsna is at once relieved from its clutches. Those who are merged in the nectar of hearing Hare Krsna are liberated. They have no fear of material conditioned life. This world is described as an ocean of miseries. There are dangers at every step, but for one in Krsna consciousness that ocean appears as large as a puddle of water made by the imprint of a calf’s hoof in the mud.
Moreover, for the devotee of Krsna, that peaceful condition is simply a by-product. As stated in Nectar of Devotion, the ocean is always calm even though many rivers flow into it. But as soon as there is a rise of the full moon no one can stop the tide from rushing wildly toward the shore. Similarly, the pure devotee of Krsna is calm even with the coming of desire and anxieties in the mind, but when the new moon of Krsna arises by the chanting of the Holy Names, no one can stop him from dancing and shedding tears in ecstasy. Lord Caitanya prayed in His Siksastaka, “Oh my Lord, when shall my eyes be decorated with tears of love flowing constantly by chanting Your Holy Name? And when will all the hairs of my body have eruptions by the recitation of Your Name?”
The highest perfection is to be continuously thinking of Krsna, the Absolute Truth; in Yoga terminology such state of absorption is called samadhi. It is the facility of the sound of the Holy Name that by chanting it with the tongue and hearing it with the ear the mind is fixed on the Absolute Truth. Not that we want to apply the mind to anything and everything. By applying oneself to the vibration of the transcendental sound, Hare Krsna, one enters into realization of his eternal nature as spirit soul, servitor of Krsna. We want to be always thinking of Krsna’s Pastimes. Once one of A.C. Bhaktivedanta’s disciples wrote to Prabhupada as follows: “I understand that on one hand the highest meditation is thinking of these Pastimes, such as Krsna stealing butter, Krsna upholding the Govardhan Hill, playing with the cowherdsboys, with the gopis, and later speaking Bhagavad-gita at Kuruksetra. On the other hand we have so often been told to simply listen with attention to the pure sound vibration of the words ‘Hare’ and ‘Krsna.’” The student therefore asked, “Should I try, while chanting, with separate endeavor to think of the Pastimes of Krsna as I have heard them from lectures and in the literature?” Prabhupada’s answer is printed here for the benefit of all persons: “Hearing the vibration of Hare Krsna automatically reminds one of Krsna’s Pastimes. Both of them arise simultaneously in the mind when one is sincerely chanting. You cannot make a distinction between listening to the sound and thinking of the Pastimes. The process is to hear, and then Krsna’s Pastimes, Form, Qualities, etc., will automatically come into mind.”
Ideally, at the time of death, when whatever we do is tested, we should be uttering this immortal sound vibration, “Hare Krsna.” A great devotee, Maharaj Kulasekhara, however, prays as follows: “My dear Lord, just now I am quite healthy, and it is better that I die immediately so that the swan of my mind can seek entrance at the stem of Your Lotus Feet.” The image is that of the swan, whose sporting pleasure is to duck his head and neck under the water and entangle himself in the stem of the lotus. Maharaj Kulasekhara is saying to the Lord: “Now I am not disturbed in mind and I am healthy, so if I die immediately chanting and thinking of Your Lotus Feet then I am sure that my performances of Your devotional service has been perfect. But if I have to wait for my natural death then I do not know what will happen; because at that time, the bodily functions will be dislocated and my throat will be choked up with cough and I do not know whether I shall be able to chant Your Name. Better let me die immediately.” We personally recall Prabhupada remarking, “These bodies are temporary. They will not exist. But this sound vibration will go on.”
Back to Godhead Magazine #33, 1970
Sri Brahma-samhita (5th Chapter)
Sri Brahma-samhita (5th Chapter)
First Installment
With commentary by Sri Srimad Jiva Gosvami and translation and purport by Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya (108) Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami
[Editor’s Note: This is the first installment of the Brahma-samhita, the Hymns of Brahma, including a foreword by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, the translator and commentator, and the first two verses and purports of the Fifth Chapter of this work. Brahma is the first created entity in this universe, born out of a lotus flower sprouting from the navel of the Garbhodakasayi Visnu, the Great God, and he is the greatest of the demigods, being directly empowered by Lord Krsna to create the solar and planetary systems and all life that dwells therein. Despite his great power, at his birth Brahma knew neither his whereabouts nor his identity. Therefore the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna, imparted Vedic knowledge into his heart, and these hymns are Brahma’s articulation of that knowledge. It is not surprising then that the Brahma-samhita is in praise of Govinda (Krsna), the primeval Lord who is the very origin of Brahma.
His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati renders, in his foreword and purports, detailed information which reveals his great scholarship and devotion. The greatest exponent of Vaisnavism in this century, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta founded the Gaudiya Mission in India. He is the spiritual master of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami and therefore the grand spiritual master of the Krsna consciousness movement in the West.]
Foreword
The materialistic demeanor cannot possibly stretch to the transcendental autocrat who is ever inviting the fallen conditioned souls to associate with Him through devotion, the eternal serving mood. The phenomenal attractions are often found to tempt sentient beings to enjoy the variegated position, which is opposed to undifferentiated monism. People are apt to indulge in transitory speculations even when they are to educate themselves about a situation beyond their empiric area or experimental knowledge. But often the esoteric aspect obliges them to trace out Immanence in their outward inspection of transitory and transformable things. This impulse moves them to fix the position of the immanent to an indeterminate impersonal entity, no clue of which can be discerned in moving earth and heaven through man’s organic senses.
The lines of this booklet will surely help such puzzled souls in their march towards the personality of the Immanent lying beyond their sensuous inspection. The very first stanza of this publication will revolutionize their conservative ideas when the nomenclature of the Absolute is put before them as “Krsna.” The speculative minds will tend to offer some other attributive name to designate the unknown object. They will prefer to brand Him by their own experience as the “creator of this universe,” or “the entity beyond phenomena,” which are far removed from any object of nature and void of all transformation. So they will urge that the very fountainhead should have no conceivable designation other than that which would indicate an invisible, inaudible, untouchable, non-fragrant and imperceivable object. But they will not desist from contemplating on the object with their poor fund of experience. The interested enquirer will be found to hanker after the records left by erudite savants in lieu of incompatible hallucinatory views of savage demonstration. In comparing different names offered by mankind’s different schools of thought, a particular judge would naturally decide in favor of some nomenclature which will suit best his limited and specific whims. The slave mentality of an individual will no doubt offer invectives to those who would appeal to him to explain his decision. To remedy this evil, the Hymns (Brahma-samhita) of the accepted progenitor of the phenomena would help greatly for they offer a nomenclature which is possessed of adequate power to dispel all imaginations conjured by those who experience phenomena through tentative exploitations.
The first hymn will establish the supremacy of the Absolute Truth, if His substratum is not shot by the bullets of limited time, ignorance and discomfort by those who recognize Him as an effect instead of accepting Him as the prime cause. But earnest seekers will be satisfied to note that the object of their determination is the par-excellent Supreme Lord Sri Krsna who has eternally embodied Himself in His ever-present, all-blissful, all-pervasive form of perfected knowledge, the very fountainhead of all prime causes, or unending non-beginning time, the supplying fosterer of all entities, namely, mundane and transcendental.
The subsequent lines will determine the different aspects of the Absolute, which are but emanations of the supreme fountainhead Krsna, the most attractive entity of all entities. Moreover, the etymology of the nomenclature “Krsna” indicates a plane of uninterrupted, unending, transcendental felicity and indicates that He Himself is the source of the two components which go by the names of “efficient” and “material” causes. The very transcendental name “Krsna” enotes the embodiment of all the transcendental eternal rasas (nectarean pleasures) as well as the origin of all eclipsed conceptions of interrupted rasas (perverted relationships) found in the mentality of animated beings which are successfully depicted by literati and rhetoricians for our mundane speculation.
The verses of Brahma-samhita are a full elucidation of the origination of phenomena and noumena. These hymns of the incarnated prime potency deal fully with the henotheistic speculations of different schools, which are busy giving the outer coverings of esoteric concoctions without referring to the true, eternal aspect of the transcendental, non-transformable and imperishable manifestation of the Immanent. These hymns also deal with different partial aspects of the Personality of the Absolute, who is quite separate from the conception of the enjoyers of this phenomenal world.
A very closely attentive comparative study of all prevailing thoughts and conceptions will relieve and enlighten all—be one a materialist, a downright atheist, an agnostic, a skeptic, a naturalist, or a pantheist—busy with knowledge of mere three dimensions by speculative exertions.
This booklet is only the fifth chapter of the Hymns of Brahma (Brahma-samhita) which were recorded in a hundred chapters. The Supreme Lord Sri Caitanya picked up this chapter from the temple of Adikesava at Tiruvattar, a village lying under the government of Travancore, for the assurance of all God-loving, and especially Krsna-loving, people in this conditioned world. This booklet can easily be compared with another book called Srimad-Bhagavatam. Though it has reference in the pantheon of Puranas, the Bhagavatam corroborates the same idea of this Pancaratra.
The devotees should note that these two books point to the identical Krsna who is the Fountainhead of all transcendental and mundane entities and who exhibits a manifestation of plenary variegatedness.
Aspersions and calumniation are confined to the limited world, for the Transcendence cannot admit such “angularities,” being at an angle of 180 degrees, that is to say, void of any angular discrepancies.
The publisher is carried away to the realm of gratitude when his stores of publication are scrutinized. Thakur Bhaktivinoda has given an elucidating purport to the conception of the most sublime fountainhead of all entities, and one of his devout followers has rendered that from Bengali into English for propagatory purposes. The background of the purports and translations are traced to the writings of Srila Jiva Gosvami, a contemporary follower of the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya.
The materialists often go on to say that the provincial conception of theism has depicted the transcendental unity as diversity, but we differ from these erroneous considerations, for we get a prospective view of the manifested Transcendence which eliminates all historiographies and allegorical interpretations. Our enjoying mood should take a different direction when we take into account the Transcendental Entity who absorbs all the frailties and limitations of nature. So we solicit the happier mood of the scrutinizers and beg them to pay special attention to the importance of manifestive transcendence in Krsna.
It was found necessary to publish this small book for the use of English speaking people who are interested in the acme of transcendental truth in all its manifested phases. The theme delineated herein is quite different from the ordinary heaps of poetical mundane literature which are confined to our limited senses. This book was found in South India some four centuries ago, and it is again brought to light in the very same country after a long time. It is just like the worshiping the Goddess Ganges by offering her own water.
Siddhanta Sarasvati, Sri Gaudiya Math, Calcutta, August 1, 1932.
isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
SYNONYMS
isvarah—the controller; paramah—supreme; krsnah—Lord Krsna; sat—comprising eternal existence; cit—absolute knowledge; ananda—and absolute bliss; vigrahah—whose form; anadih—without beginning; adih—the origin; govindah—Lord Govinda; sarva-karana-karanam—the cause of all causes.
TRANSLATION
Krsna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.
PURPORT
Krsna is the exalted Supreme entity having His eternal name, eternal form, eternal attribution and eternal pastimes. The very name "Krsna" implies His love-attracting designation, expressing by His eternal nomenclature the acme of entity. His eternal beautiful heavenly blue-tinged body glowing with the intensity of ever-existing knowledge has a flute in both His hands. As His inconceivable spiritual energy is all-extending, still He maintains His all-charming medium size by His qualifying spiritual instrumentals. His all-accommodating supreme subjectivity is nicely manifested in His eternal form. The concentrated all-time presence, uncovered knowledge and inebriating felicity have their beauty in Him. The mundane manifestive portion of His own Self is known as all-pervading Paramatma, Isvara (Superior Lord) or Visnu (All-fostering). Hence it is evident that Krsna is sole Supreme Godhead. His unrivaled or unique spiritual body of superexcellent charm is eternally unveiled with innumerable spiritual instrumentals (senses) and unreckonable attributes keeping their signifying location properly, adjusting at the same time by His inconceivable conciliative powers. This beautiful spiritual figure is identical with Krsna and the spiritual entity of Krsna is identical with His own figure.
The very intensely blended entity of eternal presence of felicitous cognition is the charming targeted holding or transcendental icon. It follows that the conception of the indistinguishable formless magnitude (Brahman) which is an indolent, lax, presentment of cognitive bliss, is merely a penumbra of intensely blended glow of the three concomitants, viz., the blissful, the substantive and the cognitive. This transcendental manifestive icon Krsna in His original face is primordial background of magnitudinal infinite Brahman and of the all-pervasive oversoul. Krsna as truly visioned in His variegated pastimes, such as owner of transcendental cows, chief of cowherds, consort of milk-maids, ruler of the terrestrial abode Gokula and object of worship by transcendental residents of Goloka beauties, is Govinda. He is the root cause of all causes who are the predominating and predominated agents of the universe. The glance of His projected fractional portion in the sacred originating water viz., the personal oversoul or Paramatma, gives rise to a secondary potency-nature who creates this mundane universe. This oversoul's intermediate energy brings forth the individual souls analogously to the emanated rays of the sun.
This book is a treatise of Krsna; so the preamble is enacted by chanting His name in the beginning.
sahasra-patra-kamalam
gokulakhyam mahat padam
tat-karnikaram tad-dhama
tad-anantamsa-sambhavam
SYNONYMS
sahasra-patra—possessing a thousand petals; kamalam—a lotus; gokula-akhyam—known as Gokula; mahat padam—the superexcellent station; tat—of that (lotus); karnikaram—the whorl; tat—of Him (Krsna); dhama—the abode; tat—that (Gokula); ananta—of His infinitary aspect, Balarama; amsa—from a part; sambhavam—produced.
TRANSLATION
[The spiritual place of transcendental pastimes of Krsna is portrayed in the second verse.] The superexcellent station of Krsna, which is known as Gokula, has thousands of petals and a corolla like that of a lotus sprouted from a part of His infinitary aspect, the whorl of the leaves being the actual abode of Krsna.
PURPORT
Gokula, like Goloka, is not a created mundane plane-unbounded character forms the display of His unlimited potency and His propagating manifestation. Baladeva is the mainstay of that energy. The transcendental entity of Baladeva has two aspects viz., infinite spiritual manifestation and infinite accommodating space for insentient gross things. The uniquadrantal delineation of material universe will be dealt with in the proper place. The triquadrantal extensions of the transcendental infinitary field of the almighty, unlamenting, nonperishing and nonapprehending unlimited situations of halo which are fully spiritual majestic foliation. This very majestical extension portrays the manifested lofty rich feature of the vaster unlimited region or greater atmosphere which has its resplendent location wholly beyond the realm of mundane nature, on the further shore of Viraja surrounded by the halo of Brahman or indistinguishable entity. This majestical power of unlimited spirit emanates on the upper portion of the luminous sphere into the most charming Gokula or eternally existing Goloka, exceedingly beautified by the assorted display of effulgence. Some designate this region as the abode of the Supreme Narayana, or the original fountainhead. Hence Gokula, which is identical with Goloka, is the supreme plane. The same sphere shines as Goloka and Gokula respectively by its upper or transcendental and lower or mundane situation.
Sri Sanatana Gosvami has told us as follows in his Brhad-bhagavatamrta which embodies the final essence of all the books of instructions: "He displays His pastimes here in this land as He is used to do in Goloka. The difference between the two planes lies only in their locations as high and low; that is, in other words, Krsna plays exactly the same part in Goloka as He exhibits on the mundane plane of Gokula. There is practically no difference between Gokula and Goloka save that this what exists in the shape of Goloka in the upper region is the same as Gokula on the mundane plane when Krsna showed His various activity there. Sri Jiva Gosvami has also inculcated the same in the Bhagavat-sandarbha of his 'Six Treatises.' " To ascertain the plane of Goloka-Vrndavana is the eternal abode of Krsna and Goloka and Vrndavana are identically one, and though both are identical, yet Krsna's inconceivable energy has made Goloka the acme of this spiritual kingdom and Gokula of Mathura province forming a part of the mundane plane which is also a manifestation of triquadrantal vibhuti (conducting majesty). Poor human understanding cannot possibly make out how the extensive triquadrantal, which is beyond human comprehension, can be accommodated in the limited nether material universe of a uniquadrantal disclosure. Gokula is a spiritual plane, hence his condescended position in the region of material space, time, etc., is in no way restricted but unlimitedly manifested with his full boundless propriety. But conditioned souls are apt to assert a material conception in regard to Gokula by their miserable senses so as to bring him below the level of their intellect. Though the eye of an observer is impeded by a cloud when gazing at the sun and though the tiny cloud can never really cover the sun, still the clouded vision apparently observes the sun as covered by the cloud. In just the same way the conditioned souls with their obscured intelligence, senses and decisions, accept Gokula as a piece of measurable land. We can see Gokula from Goloka which is eternal. This is also a mystery. The attainment of final beatitude is the success in attaining one's eternal self. The success in identifying the true self is finally achieved when the screen of gross and subtle coils of conditioned souls is removed by the sweet will of Krsna. However, the idea of Goloka is seen to differ from Gokula till the success in unalloyed devotion is achieved. The transcendental plane of infinite spiritual manifestation having thousands of petals and corolla like those of the lotus, is Gokula, the eternal abode of Krsna.
Sukadeva's Instructions
Sukadeva's Instructions
[delivered as a lecture by
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
before the International Society for
Krishna Consciousness in
Boston, December 22, 1969]
I’m pleased that you are doing things just to my satisfaction. Stick to this principle, and Krsna will bless you. Our line of action is not difficult: chanting sixteen rounds regularly, trying to follow the four restrictive principles, taking prasadam, reading the books, speaking, discussing about the subject matter of devotional service. This is the process.
I am speaking tonight about Pariksit Maharaj, of whom I have spoken several times before. As you know, he had only seven days to meet his death. He was a young man, but somehow or other he was cursed by a brahmana boy that he would meet death within seven days. According to Vedic culture one should prepare very nicely before death for going back to Godhead. This is Vedic culture. In the modern civilization, they do not know what is going to happen after death. But our Vedic culture is not so blind. Vedic culture is based on the aim of human life, not aimless life. Aimless life is animal life. They are governed by the laws of nature. They are going on, transforming from one body to another; and ultimately they are coming, by the evolutionary process, to the human form of life. Especially this civilized human form of life is very responsible. One has to make his choice whether he wants to continue his materialistic way of life and change bodies one after another. That is a very risky job. We should always remember that in our next body we may be given a body of a tree. Just see, in this part of the world, what a condemned life they are leading—forced to stand in the snowfall. You have a house; you can protect yourself. They cannot even move. So there is possibility of getting such life. We should be very responsible about how to avoid such laws of nature. We can enter any form of life out of 8,400,000 species that are evolving. We should always remember that if by chance we slip down to one of them, then we have wasted our time. This is responsibility.
Labdhva sudurlabham idam bahu sambhavante. Bahu sambhavante means after many, many appearances. This present body is one of the appearances—it will never appear again. You or I may have to appear again in a different body, but this human form of life is a great opportunity. Bahu sambhavante. Bahu means many, and sambhavante means appearances. Then, labdhva sudurlabham. Su means very costly, and durlabham means to gain with very great difficulty. This responsibility must be there in the human form of life. “After many, many appearances one can achieve this human form of body, and can achieve a great success in this life.” This is the hint given. Therefore, for that great success, everyone should try his best. One must not think, “Now that we are young men, young boys and girls, let us enjoy life.” That facility is very easy to obtain in your country. In the schools, colleges, in society, the young boys and girls have ample facility for enjoying material life. Material life means sex life. But the Srimad-Bhagavatam says you should immediately try for the ultimate success of your life. Don’t spoil your life. If we become absorbed in the course of the materialistic way of enjoyment, then naturally we have to take birth again in another body, not necessarily of human form. The Bhagavatam says that unless we purify our mind and consciousness, we must accept a material body and again accept all miserable conditions that we are undergoing with this body. This is not a pessimistic view of life. This is a fact.
Only responsible persons can understand. Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami were ministers of government. Their society was very aristocratic, and they were very rich. But wealth and aristocratic society could not satisfy their desire. They left their enjoyable posts and followed Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu for the ultimate solution of life. The examples are many. Lord Caitanya’s direct disciples are all very important men. For example, Svarupa Damodara, Lord Caitanya’s secretary, was a very learned man, a Vedantist. And the Gosvamis—Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami, Raghunathadasa Gosvami—were very important and rich men of that time. Raghunathadasa Gosvami happened to he the son of a very big landlord or zamindar. In those days, five hundred years ago, his father’s income was 1,200,000 rupees. He was the only son of his father and uncle, but he did not like to enjoy the father’s property. He joined Caitanya Mahaprabhu and is known as Raghunathadasa Gosvami. Gopala Bhatta Gosvami and Jiva Gosvami (a very learned scholar and philosopher, the nephew of Rupa Gosvami) were all very important men of society. They joined Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu to make their lives successful, and we should take their example for our own success. The successful life means to change our consciousness to Krsna consciousness. That is success. All you young boys and girls, you are fortunate. I’m not bluffing you; actually you are fortunate. You have come to the right place where you can learn Krsna consciousness. This is the greatest boon of life. The sastras say that you should try very quickly to face this business. Pariksit Maharaj was aware that he was going to live for seven days, but we do not know whether our life will last for seven days or seven minutes. It may end at any moment; there is no guarantee. Don’t think that we shall take up this business of Krsna consciousness in old age. From the example of Pariksit Maharaj, we can take the lesson that we do not know when we shall die. But before death we have to become competent in Krsna consciousness. What is the competence? To be twenty-four hours a day, always thinking of Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness.
At the last stage of his life Pariksit Maharaj got the association of a big Krsna conscious personality, Sukadeva Gosvami. He asked him, “My dear sir, I’m now going to die; what is my duty? Please tell me.” Pariksit Maharaj was born in the family of the Pandus. He is the grandson of Arjuna. Arjuna’s son, Abhimanyu, died in the battlefield of Kuruksetra, He was a sixteen-year-old boy at that time, but he was married. Fortunately, when he died, his wife was pregnant. Pariksit Maharaj was the posthumous child. He was born after the death of his father; he never saw his father. His grandfather raised him. All the Pandava boys died in the battlefield. Of the whole family, only the five brothers remained alive, and this child who was in the womb of his mother. Otherwise, all the members of the whole Kuru family died in the battle—it was such a big fight. This child was also hit by atomic energy, or brahmastra, but Krsna saved him. Krsna wanted the descendant of His devotee to live on. The Pandavas are a very good Krsna conscious family. Krsna wants to give protection to the Krsna conscious men and families. That you know from the Bhagavad-gita. So the child was saved, even in the womb of his mother, by Krsna. Krsna could also have saved him from the curse by a brahmana boy, but Pariksit Maharaj did not like the idea. He took it very seriously: “I have offended the brahmana and he has cursed me. That’s nice.” How liberal he was! He accepted and immediately prepared for death. After all, he was a great devotee. In his childhood he was playing with Radha-Krsna Deity. Just like our child-devotee, Dvarakadish das. He is playing with Jagannatha. That is very nice. My father also gave me Deities in my childhood, and I had the opportunity to serve Radha-Krsna from childhood. Pariksit Maharaj asked Sukadeva Gosvami to recite to him about Krsna. Although he was very anxious to know about his duty, he was thinking that his only duty was to think of Krsna at the last stage. Therefore, he asked his spiritual master if he could hear about Krsna at this last point of his life. Sukadeva Gosvami was ,very glad that the King was already anxious Sukadeva was just going to advise him to think of Krsna, but he found that he was already anxious to think of Krsna. He was always thinking of Krsna, and even from childhood he was playing with Radha-Krsna Deities. From the womb of his mother he saw Krsna. After his birth he was searching after that figure who saved him. Therefore, his name was Pariksit, or “Examiner.” Many people were present after his birth, and he was looking all around thinking, “Where is that form of Krsna?” Therefore his name is Pariksit. When he inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami if he could hear about Krsna, Sukadeva Gosvami replied: variyan esa te prasnah krto loka-hitam nrpa atmavit-sammatah pumsam srotavyadisu yah parah. My dear King, you are very fortunate. Your question about Krsna is welcome. You are inquiring about Krsna, so this very question is very important. And this is not only good for you, it is good for all the human society. Because you have questioned, I shall reply. Questions and answers about Krsna are so important that in the future these questions and answers will be discussed in the human society.” Actually it is being done now. We are discussing the same incidence. And he said, “This question is so authorized that those who are interested in self realization will approve it.” Sukadeva is saying, “Yes, this is a nice question. It is not a bogus question. This type of question should be inquired.”
The whole world is full with questions and answers, these questions and answers about Krsna are approved by those who are self realized; they are not appreciated by the bodily realized. There are two classes of men. The bodily realized make up 99.9 percent of the population—always thinking of the body And there is another class called atmavit, self realized Krsna conscious persons. There are many kinds of subject matter for hearing, but this is the sublime subject for hearing, questions and answers about Krsna. Parah means sublime, and srotavya means worthwhile hearing. Why is it sublime? Sukadeva said: Srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasah apasyatam atma-tattvam grhesu grha-medhinam. This matter of Srimad-Bhagavatam is such exalted transcendental knowledge that there are 18,000 verses and you can realize great transcendental importance in each verse and each word. This Bhagavat Puranam, this old history of the world, is spotless. Srimad-Bhagavatam is also history. Pariksit Maharaj was cursed by a brahmana. He was a king, Emperor of the world, and we are hearing how he met his death. These things are described in the history. But it is not ordinary history, not what we generally mean by chronological history. It is the history of the most important, or at least one of the most important kings of the world. This history of his life and death is historical fact.
Sukadeva Gosvami said, “My dear King, srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasah. For ordinary men there are many, many subject matters for hearing.” Just as in the newspapers there are many varieties of news, but they are meant—for whom?—for ordinary men. They are not meant for us; we don’t care for what is happening in the newspapers. Although, early in the morning, everyone else is anxious to read them, the boys and girls of the Hare Krsna movement do not care for the newspapers. This is the very fact which is stated by Sukadeva. What is the newspaper? The Sanskrit word is srotavyadini. Srotavya means that thing which is to be heard. Unless there is some news, what will you hear? So this word srotavyadini means subject of news. He addressed the King: “Dear Emperor, there are many varieties of subject matters for hearing by the human being.” But what class of human being? There are many different kinds of knowledge for those who are fools and rascals without any self realization. They are called blind. They have eyes, but they have no introspection for the value of life. Therefore, he says they have eyes like the eyes of the peacock feather. They have no introspection. Therefore, Vedic culture says you should see through sastra (scripture). Don’t try to see by these eyes. These are only valueless eyes. They are conditioned in so many ways, so don’t believe the eyes. See through the sastra. See through the spiritual master and through the sastra. Try to see through these—this is perfection.
The subject matter for hearing for the ordinary person means for those who are engaged in family matters. But does it mean to become a family man is bad? No, it doesn’t. But if you become grhamedhi, that is particularly mentioned as bad. In family life there are also two classes of men, grhastha and grhamedhi. Therefore, we can see that each and every word of Srimad-Bhagavatam has new, enlightening meaning. There is a difference between grhastha and grhamedhi. Grhamedhi means ordinary persons Whose household life and home have been made the center of the householder’s existence. Earlier tonight I was seeing the rooms of our grhastha householders, our boys and girls, and their things are scattered. If you go to another person’s home, you will find his apartment nicely decorated with chairs, cushions and sitting pads. But they have no vision about self. Here, we see their household affairs and their resting places are not so nicely decorated, but their aim is Krsna. That is the difference between grhamedhi and grhastha. Grhamedhi means they simply want to decorate their apartment and children and wife; that is their aim of life. They have no other business. They are blind to the value of life; whereas a grhastha is not blind about the value of his life. He’s simply looking forward, how to become successful in Krsna consciousness. Those who are blind to the point of self realization have thousands of subject matters of hearing in the newspapers. The ordinary householders have made their aim of life to decorate the apartment, that’s all—work day and night and have good dress, good apartment, that’s all. They think that this is successful. For them there are many thousands of news items. Why do they have thousands of varieties of news? What is their mode of life? This will be explained. Sukadeva Gosvami is describing their mode of life: Nidraya hriyate naktam vyavayena ca va vayah diva carthehaya rajan kutumba-bharanena va. “At night they are wasting their duration of life either by sleeping or by sex life.” That’s all. This is their business at night. Then at daytime, what is their business? In daytime they are always busy: “Where is money, where is money, where is money?” Then they are getting money. And as soon as there is money, they immediately have a program of how to spend it perfectly. They will spend thousands of dollars for family and relatives, but if you ask a dollar for Krsna consciousness they will say, “I do not have any.” So for these persons, there are varieties of material nature. This is the program for their life: at night either sleeping or going to the night club or dancing club, sex life, that’s all. Not that these things are new. These are old things. People are long accustomed to all these things; it is human nature. And yet they are thinking, “We are in the modern days.” What do they mean by modern days? Nothing has changed by putting the old wine in new bottles. Practically this is going on. So the question is why are they wasting their life? That is answered also.
The Bhagavatam says: dehapatya-kalatradisv atma-sainyesv asatsv api tesam pramatto nidhanam pasyann api na pasyati. Deha means this body. Apatya means his children. Kalatra means wife. Just as the nation thinks it is well-protected when it has good defense measures, so an ordinary man thinks that if he has a strongly built body and a very faithful wife, nice children, good bank balance, some property, securities, these things will give him protection. “Yes,” he believes, “they will give me protection. I have nice children, I have nice wife, I have a good bank balance, I have so many properties, so why shall I go to Krsna consciousness? I am well-protected. These boys and girls have no bank balance, they have no home; therefore they should go.” But actually they are blind. How are they blind? They are thinking that these things will give them protection. Pramatta means crazy. Their craziness is thinking that these things will give them protection. No. tesam pramatto nidhanam pasyann api na pasyati. Because he is crazy, he does not see the destruction of these things, although he is seeing others destroyed at every moment. “My father has died, naturally I shall die, naturally my sons also will die,”—so why are you so anxious for protecting this family? Everyone will die. They can see daily that the things they are working so hard for will be destroyed; but still they do not see, although it has been destroyed previously in history. Many empires have been destroyed previously in history. Many empires have been destroyed. The British empire, the Roman empire, the Egyptian Empire—all have been destroyed. Also, the Indian empire is now gone where formerly Pariksit Maharaj was the emperor of the world. They see that these things cannot give one protection when he is called for death.
Pariksit Maharaj was preparing. It was not that his good soldiers, children, wife, country, or bank balance could protect him. No. Nobody can give any protection. For example, when you fly in the sky you have to protect yourself. And if you are crashing in the airplane, nobody—neither the birds or other airplanes—can save you. You have to come down. Similarly when death will come, nobody will be able to give You protection. You cannot say, “My good state, good family or bank balance or this or that will protect me.” No. That’s all. Finished. Sukadeva Gosvami is giving right instructions to Pariksit Maharaj. The rascaldom news of ordinary persons is not meant for hearing.
Therefore he concludes: Tasmad bharata sarvatma bhagavan isvaro harih srotavyah kirtitavyas ca smartavyas cecchatabhayam. Cecchata abhayam. If one is actually expecting that he shall be protected, there should be no more fearfulness. Sukadeva Gosvami is instructing that if you simply divert your attention to the varieties of newspaper or any other information of this world, which is for the grhamedhi, whose business is to sleep at night and work hard at daytime, that will not give you protection. What you have to do is hear about Bhagavan, hari isvara.
Sukadeva addresses Pariksit Maharaj as the descendant of Bharata. Pariksit Maharaj happened to be descendant of the Kuru dvnasty, which was begun from King Bharata. There are two or three Bharatas in the history of the Vedic literature. One Bharata is Lord Ramacandra’s younger brother. Bharat’s mother wanted to make him King. Therefore, by palace diplomacy, Ramacandra was sent to the forest. He was faithful to his brother, but by his mother’s diplomacy Lord Ramacandra was sent to the forest. This is one celebrated Bharata. Another Bharata is the forefather of the Kuru dynasty. And another Bharata was the son of Rsabhadeva, by whose name this whole planet is called Bharatavarsa. Sukadeva is addressing Pariksit Maharaj as the descendant of King Bharata. He says, “You have to talk and hear about sarvatma, the supersoul sitting in everyone’s heart. He is called Bhagavan, the Personality of Godhead, full with all opulences.” Bhagavan, this word, every word of Srimad-Bhagavatam suggests volumes of meaning. And He is called Hari, which means He who can take away all your sufferings. And He’s isvara, the supreme controller.
So instead of diverting your attention to the varieties of news of this world, you must always hear about Him. Hear, and then preach. After hearing, the next thing is spreading. Therefore, we have our disciples like Kirtanananda Maharaj who will preach. Pushing out the news of Krsna. First of all hearing, then spreading and thinking. Always be thinking, or else what will you preach? You hear, you think of it, you preach; this is the business. Those who are actually seeking protection in the bank balance, or in this or that—they will never succeed. Pariksit Maharaj was advised by Sukadeva Gosvami, “This is your business—become Krsna conscious.” He was at the point of death. But you cannot take to this business all of a sudden. Even if it is advised. You must practice it. You cannot become a good soldier on the battlefield. You have to receive military training before going to the battle. So this Krsna consciousness movement is training, for when you ultimately meet death.
Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, Part 1
Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra - Part 1
by Kirtanananda Swami
(ISKCON—New Vrndavana)
[Editor’s note: This is the first of a series of eighteen essays on the chapters of Bhagavad-gita.]
Bhagavad-gita has sometimes been called the perfect theistic science. Actually Bhagavad-gita means “Song of God,” but because it is a song sung by the Supreme Himself, it is also a science. There are many scriptures in the world, and as St. Paul said, “All scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable…” But that does not mean that there is not variation in scriptures. Some scripture is spoken by holy men or prophets, some is spoken by confidential agents, and some is spoken by God’s son; therefore in the Christian Bible we will sometimes see that the words of Lord Jesus Christ are marked in red just to emphasize their importance.
Because this Gita or Song is coming directly from the Father, it has the greatest potency. In Bhagavad-gita, the words are actually the very words of the Father, Lord Sri Krsna. Secondly, Gita is the perfect theistic science because of the audience. Two factors are always important in any transcendental transmission: the speaker and the audience. In this case, the audience is Arjuna, Krsna’s intimate friend and pure devotee. So since the speaker is perfect and the hearer is perfect, we can readily understand that the transmission is also perfect. Therefore we can expect to find in Gita the epitome of all scripture, and that is factually the case—whatever we find in some other scripture, we also find explained in Gita. Factually, of course, Arjuna is not in need of any teaching. Being and eternal associate of the Lord and a pure devotee, he is always in full knowledge. But for the sake of the conditioned souls who are in need of a perfect transmission, the Lord has chosen Arjuna to receive this message on the basis of that one qualification—“you are My devotee and My friend.” (Gita, 4.3)
It is as if the Lord is purposely clouding the mind of Arjuna so that he will ask the questions which all beclouded living entities wish to ask. By Arjuna’s asking questions for the benefit of all living entities, the Supreme Lord can give the answers that will save all His children and bring them back to their eternal position, back to home, back to Godhead. So two aspects of Gita are to be considered: one, Krsna, the Supreme Lord is speaking, and two, Arjuna, for the benefit of the conditioned soul, is hearing.
The way in which Arjuna understood Gita provides the standard for our understanding. Arjuna was actually present before the Lord, and his understanding is stated to have been correct. So if we can arrive at the same understanding that Arjuna had, we are assured of the same result, as if we were standing personally before Krsna. In fact, we will be standing personally before the Lord, for that is the nature of this supreme spiritual science: one who actually understands it comes into Krsna’s presence—not in some theoretical sense, but actually, practically.
The First Chapter of the Gita is devoted to setting the scene. But this “setting the scene” is not peripheral to the meaning of the Gita. When one deals with transcendental literature, it must be understood that each and every word is transcendental and therefore absolute or infinite. As such, the whole import of the Gita can be understood at any point if we but try to understand in the perfect disciplic succession coming down from Arjuna. From the very first verse, the whole nature of the conflicts can be understood: Dhrtarastra said to Sanjaya, “After assembling in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do, being desirous to fight?” (Gita, 1.1) First we may note that the question arises from the blind Dhrtarastra. Dhrtarastra is blind not merely physically, but spiritually; therefore he is full of perplexities. And the person he is addressing, Sanjaya, is the only person who can provide the answer. Sanjaya, as a bona fide disciple of Vyasa, has special vision, which alone can enlighten the blind. Unfortunately, Dhrtarastra does not ask a very profound question, or one that is ultimately very important. Instead, he is content to know the outcome of the battle at Kuruksetra. Materially minded men, even though in the presence of one who can bestow all transcendental knowledge, are content to know something in relation with this perishable body: either how to eat better, or sleep better, or defend better, or mate better. So Dhrtarastra is enquiring about Kuruksetra because the battle affects his sons. It is specifically mentioned that Kuruksetra is a holy place, a place of pilgrimage, and therefore the effect of such a sanctified place is troublesome to the old man. He has some suspicion that it may work against his sons—all of whom are equally blind spiritually—to the advantage of the righteous Pandavas. How would the battle come out? That was Dhrtarastra’s only concern. This is further borne out in the next verses, where it is revealed that his sons have only this concern as well. They are looking over their forces and the forces of the opposition, trying to make some comparative estimate. They are calculating who has more strength, but from the way they calculate we can understand their true position. Calculation is all right—that is wise but how to calculate: that is the question.
So in the tenth verse, Duryodhana makes his estimate: “Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhisma, whereas the strength of the Pandavas, carefully protected by Bhima, is limited.” These adjectives “immeasurable” and “limited” are very important. Like Mr. Worldly-minded, Duryodhana thinks that the outcome will be determined by the size of the forces involved. He sees that he has more men, a more experienced general, a superior phalanx arrangement, and greater military advisors. All these material calculations tell him “we will win,” and so he is boasting that “our forces are immeasurable,” whereas the Pandavas appear to him to be “limited.” Even before the Battle of Kuruksetra, this shortsighted materialistic vision of Duryodhana was revealed when he was given the choice of having Lord Krsna’s soldiers or Krsna Himself on his side. Krsna had promised to give one side only Himself and the other side His thousands of men, horses and equipment. Duryodhana quickly grabbed the many men, but Arjuna, for the Pandavas, desired only to have Lord Krsna drive his chariot. When the two sides, the Kurus and the Pandavas, approached Lord Krsna for help, Duryodhana, counting numbers, said, “Give me Your forces,” but the Pandavas, knowing Lord Krsna to be the Supreme Person, said “Please be with us Yourself.” So from the very beginning here we see that the atheists have no understanding of the person Krsna; they are more interested in His energy, or what He possesses and what He can bestow, than in Krsna Himself. But Arjuna knows Krsna, and he wants Him to be his chariot driver as well as his Lord and master.
All this is more elaborately explained in the accounts of the blowing of the trumpets, bugles and conchshells. “After that, the conchshells, bugles, trumpets and horns all suddenly vibrated simultaneously, and the sound was tumultuous. On the other side, both Lord Krsna and Arjuna … sounded their transcendental conchshells.” (Gita, 1.13-14) Again the same type of calculation is there: the Kurus’ battle cry is tumultuous, physically it is overwhelming, materially it is deafening. But that is all. And on the other side there is simply the word “transcendental.” Transcendental means that it has all of the potency of Krsna. Krsna is all powerful, and anything that He touches or is associated with is all powerful. Where Krsna is, the goddess of fortune is. So how can there be any hope of victory for the merely “tumultuous”? And actually this is so, for we read in verse nineteen, “The blowing of all these different conchshells became uproarious, and, vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarastra.” There is no indication that the tumultuous sound of the Kurus’ disheartened the Pandavas, but it is very clearly stated that the “transcendental” sound of the conchshells shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarastra.
As indicated in the very first verse, it is the characteristic of materialistic men to be always fearful, to be always in a state of uncertainty. “Oh, how will it come out?” But that is not true with Krsna’s devotee, for the devotee who has Krsna by his side knows that Krsna is in control. “What does it matter whether the battle is successful or not? I am merely fighting by Krsna’s side.” For him there is no fear; he is residing with the Lord, who is the dispeller of all inauspiciousness. Certainly one who has taken shelter of the feet of Lord Sri Krsna has nothing to fear. Whereas the Kurus have put their faith in military might, the Pandava devotees have put their faith in the Personality of Godhead. This is the real import of the first half of the First Chapter of Bhagavad-gita.
As long as such confidence remains in the heart of a devotee, there is never any problem. But in the second half of the First Chapter, we find the difficulty that arises when the devotee seeks to emulate the practices of the atheist. For our benefit, a cloud of doubt begins to arise in Arjuna’s mind. Therefore he tells Krsna, “Please place my chariot between the two armies so that I may see who is present here, who is desirous of fighting…”
(Gita, 1:21-22) Now Arjuna is making the same mistake that Dhrtarastra made, namely forgetting who is present before him, in this case, driving his very chariot. Arjuna is thinking, “Let me calculate. Let me see who is here. Let me use my eyes to see what is going on. Let me judge for myself.” Then we can see that a whole string of perplexities follow, for after seeing all his friends and relatives assembled there for battle, he became overwhelmed with compassion and said: “My dear Krsna, seeing my friends and relatives present before me with such fighting spirit, the limbs of my body are quivering and my mouth is drying up.” (Gita, 1.29) Actually this kind of compassion is very nice, and it is one of the qualities of a devotee.
The scriptures say that a devotee who has genuine faith in the Lord has all the good qualities to be found in the demigods, but a nondevotee has no good qualification, no matter how materially advanced he may be either through education or culture. But we shall see that Lord Krsna says that Arjuna’s compassion is misguided; it is misdirected because it is not under the control of the Supreme. There is nothing wrong with any emotion (what to speak of compassion) if it is directed toward Krsna, or in Krsna’s service. But no matter how fine the emotion or how elevated the sentiment, if it is not in the service of Krsna, then it is merely sense gratification—useless, if not harmful. Therefore we find that Arjuna’s compassion was not in the service of Krsna, and consequently its result was not good: his body began to tremble, his hair began to stand on end, he could no longer hold his bow Gandiva, and he said, “I am forgetting myself, and my mind is reeling. I foresee only evil, O killer of the Kesi demon.” (Gita, 1.31) By material calculation there could be only evil from such a situation, that is correct, but notice the pronoun: “I foresee.” And in the next verse: “I do not see how any good can come from killing my own kinsmen in this battle.” (Gita, 1.32) And again, “Nor can I, my dear Krsna, desire any consequent victory, kingdom, or happiness.” (1.32) This whole calculation is based on “I.” And what “I” is that? It is the “I” of the senses devoid of the consciousness that Hrsikesa, or Krsna, is the proprietor of the senses. Without knowing that one’s self-interest is Krsna, the conditioned soul is attracted by the bodily relationships of this “I.” And in such a condition, Arjuna could no longer remember his duty; nor could he remember his relationship to Lord Krsna.
If Arjuna had just remembered, “Oh, my dear friend Krsna is driving my chariot. Let Him take control. Let me simply be His servant,” then there would have been no such question or doubt arising in his mind. Krsna is actually driving Arjuna’s chariot, and yet because of his forgetfulness, Arjuna is questioning Him: “What will happen if I commit this sin? Surely I will go to hell.”
There is a story that once Lord Krsna had a headache, and He proclaimed that nothing would cure it save the dust from a devotee’s foot. So Narada was dispatched to find some dust, and he immediately went to some of the great demigods like Brahma, Siva, Indra, etc., but none would oblige him. They pleaded, “Oh, what would happen to me? What a great offense to put the dust of one’s foot on the head of the Almighty Lord.” So no one would give him any dust. Finally he went to the gopis, who, when they heard of Krsna’s plight and His request, said, “Here, take this!” and immediately produced some dust from their feet. He asked them if they were not afraid of going to hell for this act, and they replied, “We’ll go to hell. That’s all right. But please take this to Krsna right away.” That is the position of a devotee—he cares neither for heaven nor hell, simply the pleasure of Krsna. “Whatever Krsna wants is what I want.” That is devotion. But when we forget, then we must make so many material calculations, just like Dhrtarastra, who wants to count his forces. He wants to see whether they’re lined up properly; he is calculating the sound, “Oh, it is tumultuous!” But what about Krsna? The devotee only thinks about what Krsna wants. We will see, at the end of Bhagavad-gita, that this is the understanding that Arjuna reawakens to: “My dear Krsna, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and now I am fixed without any doubt, prepared to act according to Your instructions.” (Bg 18.73) When we have reawakened to that platform, that Krsna is our Lord, that Krsna knows everything, that whatever Krsna wants, that we will do—then there is no more calculation, there is no more uncertainty, there is no more hesitancy to act for the Supreme. That is Krsna consciousness.
Addresses to the Grand Spiritual Master
Addresses to the Grand Spiritual Master
The following addresses of worship unto Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, were submitted by the students of Bhaktivedanta Swami, the foremost disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta. They were mailed to Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta on the Appearance Day of Bhaktisiddhanta, and Prabhupada has requested they all appear in BACK TO GODHEAD.
I humbly offer my most respectful obeisances to the divine lotus feet of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati on this blessed day, his appearance in this mortal world. O most divine representative of our Lord Sri Krsna, you have so mercifully sent our beloved Prabhupada, who has delivered us from the wretched sinful life we were engaged in. I have no words from this contaminated mouth with which to glorify your holy name. But I humbly offer my most sincere thank you for sending His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, our most blessed lord and saviour Prabhupada.
All glories to Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj. All glories to Sri Guru.
Madhavananda dasa Brahmacari
I am just a particle of dirt that has been lustfully lingering in this material world since time immemorial in the darkness of nescience. Somehow or other I was blown by the wind and dropped in the infinite ocean of transcendental mercy of the disciplic succession. At this most auspicious time, I respectfully offer my most worthless obeisances at the divine lotus feet of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj, whose divine teachings are eternally benedicting the fallen conditioned souls with the absolute transcendental message, love of God, Lord Sri Krsna. I only pray to Lord Krsna that I am always humble and submissive at the pure lotus feet of His Divine Grace and never give up the shade of his feet for the miserable existence of sense gratification and mental speculation that is ever tempting me, the most fallen.
Thank you, your Grace, for sending Prabhupada here, thus saving me from the most miserable condition of existence. All glories are unto you, O the spiritual master and servant of Sarasvati Gosvami. You are the deliverer of Lord Caitanya’s message, and it was your divine order that sent our beloved Srila Prabhupada to deliver the western countries, which are full with impersonalism and voidism.
All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga!
All glories to Prabhupada’s Guru Maharaj, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj! Your servant,
Svarupa dasa Brahmacari
Bhaktivinode had one son whose name was Bhaktisiddhanta;
The divine spiritual master of A.C. Bhaktivedanta.
As a child he was placed before Lord Jagannathaji;
The Lord’s garland fell upon him mercifully.
He recited the Gita at the age of seven,
Which clearly shows that he was sent from heaven.
As a spiritual master he was very strict;
He allowed no nonsense and mystic yogic tricks.
Our Prabhupada was reluctant to see him that day;
However, being persuaded by his friend, he went anyway.
Just that second of association with Srila Sarasvati,
Was the beginning of Prabhupada’s service to root the maya-vadi.
“Go to the Western world and preach this teaching there;
Every town and city will chant as is Caitanya’s prayer.”
Their intimate relationship developed thick and thin;
Prabhupada would chant japa in the room with him.
And so it came to pass from this world Sarasvati departed,
But not before he told Prabhupada to get started.
It is his order only that Prabhupada is here,
Who taught us Hare Krsna which brings our love so near.
As we have accepted Prabhupada in humble submission,
Now Bhaktisiddhanta is our grandfather in disciplic succession.
We can only thank you, dearest grandfather Bhaktisiddhanta,
Thank you for giving us Prabhupada, the topmost paramahamsa
Saradia devi dasi
Prabhupada’s Guru Maharaj
Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur,
Upon this earth his mercy has poured.
He is in Lord Caitanya’s disciplic succession,
Spreading love of Krsna is his eternal mission.
By his grace he has sent Srila Prabhupada here,
To teach us about Krsna, who is so dear.
He will surely bring us, without any fear,
To serving the Lord, our only natural career.
We must follow his teachings, all of us,
To rid the mind of material dust.
This is for sure the only solution,
To be with Krsna, and not in illusion.
So please surrender, everyone!
To Srila Bhaktivinode’s transcendental son,
Spiritual master of our Prabhupadaji,
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.
Lilasuka devi dasi
O venerated paramahamsa,
as I speed throughout
these next million births,
I beg it be
at the sacred feet
of he who churns always
within the nectar of your lotus ways.
And tho, today
I prostrate bound,
and this chalise
can but eclipse
your effulgent glories,
still, as the father
pardons to teach his son,
I beg you link me
upon your golden chain,
O great and perfect one.
Karunamaya dasa Brahmacari
Jagat Nrsima Guru
Humble obeisances are due unto you O Prabhupada. You are spiritual master of this planet and you have come to the children of Kali yuga to replace a life worse than death with the yoga of ecstasy.
Remembrance in loving obeisance must always be given unto my grand spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, who is always engaged in assisting the gopis of Vrndavana as the manjari. Because he is very dear to Govinda Gopala, he has come to establish Lord Caitanya’s teachings of traditional Vaisnavism in preparation of Kali yuga’s golden age.
O eternal ray of Krsna, O thou messenger of Govinda’s flute,
Thy blessed countenance I did recall when once I walked a wayward route.
Effulgent was thy personage, thou did beg I seek my Lord
So the asuras within my heart could breathe their last by the mercy of His sword.
Prabhupada has told us thou art an evangelic angel Krsna sent
He told us as a surrendered soul he is thine serving instrument.
As electric current, Krsna’s blessing flows through the heart of devotee pure,
And in the following of your most blessed footprints all glories are found for sure.
Durga’s jailhouse tower of void is now lying crumbled in the dust,
Now open wide Vaikuntha’s gate, and dovetailed is our lust.
Your touchstone fingers have picked us up to protect us with your might,
And in the presence of your brilliance vanished now despair of night.
Secure thou were in knowledge that the great chain must stay unbroken:
Thus you ordered this sublime tradition spread to where the English tongue is spoken.
In the woods of New Vrndavana Prabhupada said Krsna sent him here,
Though thanklessly—I yearn to bathe thy feet with my ungrateful tears.
Just as a fish spends its time eating waste up from the ocean floor,
Any remnant of prasadam your devotee leaves behind is mine in glory to devour.
This aquatic bathes in nectar now, while poison was my wash before;
Each grain of dust your foot has touched is nectarine and I your omnivore.
As the grandfather showers his mercy upon the gurgling babe
With more mercy than the parent I beg you bless me in that way.
But my lord and master Prabhupada desires sons who see tapasya in each test;
Therefore within his holy lotus heart your dream of world sankirtana may rest.
The hypocrisy of Kali yuga the American Vaisnavas do deplore;
Sankirtana its mighty cure more fierce than Lord Nrsimha’s roar!
Eyes that pierce can see your grand swan’s bliss is as sweet as lotus flowers,
And your miracle of Krsna consciousness surpasses Brahma’s powers.
O master of my master, O modern Sukadeva,
Thy sweet will alone our shelter be from Yamaraj’s fiery grave.
Just as all the rivers of the world do serve the ocean blue,
So all pious men of Kali yuga shall do service unto you.
Never must I think I am surrendered servant of the feet of your Divine Grace;
Prabhupada alone serves thy feet for the deliverance of the human race.
He is the surrendered soul of Krsna’s swan, he the pure devotee
Because Prabhupada loves Sri Jagat Guru, and thus spoke he: “Gurudev loves me.”
Heaven’s damsels I may be offered or the liberation of soma-rasa,
But I would fall from these senseless ventures believing all I thought mine lost;
I would suffer flaws and then reactions but I’d never suffer worse
If somehow from you I were removed, O uplifter of the universe!
Sac-cid-ananda-vigraha is written clearly upon thy face,
And millions offer homage unto the lotus feet of your most holy grace.
Grandfather thou art of a generation of righteous saints and kings
Who likewise will teach others of the power your greatest disciple brings.
Patit Uddharan dasa Brahmacari
Beloved Guru Maharaj
I worship your grace
Bhaktisiddhanta
Shelter to the race
and Bhaktivedanta
You taught my guru;
You have spoken the truth.
Your words are still new,
Your back straight as youth.
You are so austere: You keep every rule.
And the rascals fear you
The impersonal fools!
But Prabhupada does love you,
And we him do love
And the love goes on through
To Krsna above.
He is in Vrndavana,
We the material well;
Disciple’s chain we grab on,
Back to Him, done with hell.
Giriraja dasa Brahmacari
All glories, all glories to Your Divine Grace
Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj,
Beloved spiritual master of Srila Prabhupada.
All glories, all glories to Your Divine Grace
Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj,
Who came to expound the teachings of Srila Rupa Gosvami.
All glories, all glories to Your Divine Grace
Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj,
Founder of Gaudiya Math Sampradaya and
Rejuvenator of pure bhakti cult.
All glories, all glories to Your Divine Grace
Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj,
O ray of Visnu; Son of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur.
Dearest Guru Maharaj,
Please accept my most prostrated obeisances at your transcendental lotus feet time and time and time again. You have so kindly given me the opportunity on this most auspicious day—that of your appearance—to write this pitifully inadequate appreciation of your unlimited mercy. All glories, all glories to you. I am so very much indebted to you, for if it weren’t for your causeless mercy, I wouldn’t have come to Srila Prabhupada, my beloved spiritual master, or have known at all who is Krsna. Nor would I have had the strength to stay in Krsna consciousness. You are my guardian, my grandfather, and I know that you are always looking after me. I am so very fallen, but still you are always there to help me. You are always so mercifully answering my prayers.
I remember the eve of my initiation; my body was ill and I couldn’t rest—doubting that initiation was the right thing. And so I was chanting Hare Krsna vigorously, praying to someone to please help me over this dilemma. And though I didn’t know you (but had just once seen your picture), still I could feel your presence that night so strongly, and I know it was you who was guiding me.
After initiation, for some months I was still suffering from that most disgusting infection: impersonalism, and from within I knew that if I just prayed to you to give me strength to forget my past life I would see the form of Krsna as the Supreme Absolute Truth. And to this day I am still praying to you every evening: Your Divine Grace, please don’t let me fall down, but help me to surrender myself cent per cent at the lotus feet of your spiritual son, Srila Prabhupada. And just looking at your picture, your erect unflinching posture, gives me all the strength I need to battle any impersonal calamities.
When I became agitated in mind due to sex impulse, again I prayed to you, the most perfect Brahmacari, for strength not to give in to bodily impulses, but instead fix my mind on the form of the Lord. Again you gave me sufficient strength. Whenever I have been very much distressed I have turned to you through prayer, and I know you are always with me and guiding me back home, back to Godhead. Eternally your most unworthy servant,
Aravinda dasa Brahmacari
I offer my most humble and respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of His Divinc Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, my spiritual master, who has come to the Western world, which is so full of voidness and impersonalism. He has come to deliver the benediction of Lord Caitanya’s Krsna consciousness movement, under the direct order of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, our spiritual grandfather. He lives forever by his divine instructions, and the follower lives with him. Let us all become followers of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada! While the mental speculators spend countless lifetimes licking the Bhagavad-gita bottle of honey, he has opened this bottle and distributed the Krsna consciousness honey to his confidential servitor. By the Divine Grace of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, unlimited numbers of fallen souls afflicted with skin disease can be fully liberated from all bodily misery and go directly back to Godhead, and nations of dead men have been revived and are now dancing and chanting in ecstasy. Against all opposition, he has definitely established that anyone from any part of the universe can become a qualified Gaudiya Vaisnava simply by following the regulative principles of devotional service. Thus he has sent His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to create Vaisnavas all over this planet. I pray for the mercy of the disciplic succession, that I may have a stout broomstick and a heavy shoe, with which to beat my rascal mind 100 times, morning and evening, so that I may have a chance for executing the sacred order of my beloved spiritual master. I pray to become their instrument.
Jayadvaita dasa Brahmacari
Prayer To Guru Maharaj
Oh grand spiritual master, please forgive me for this broken expression in my own words, unto you who is very dear to Radharani and beyond my contaminated understanding. One day in the hospital my spiritual master, your foremost disciple and spiritual son, said he didn’t know Krsna, he just knew you, his Guru Maharaj. During those days he also offered flowers to a picture of you, and I could understand that when you accept it, it is as good as accepted by the Lord. It is now many years since your disciple who is now the acarya for the age, Bhaktivedanta Swami, first wrote, “The Lord is sentient thou hast proved, impersonal calamity thou has moved.” He, the world’s Prabhupada, is certainly now your most prominent, faithful son. He has captured the western world at your command. We, your grandchildren, joyfully sing Gauranga’s praises where only yesterday we were drug-infested, obscene and miserable. How has he done this? He says, “I have done nothing extraordinary. I am following the instructions of my Guru Maharaj.”
So in Prabhupada’s example we see it is practically true: the sat guru is so potent that simply to do what he asks can conquer the world. And now we are engaged in stabilizing Krsna consciousness all over the world, and many are coming. It is as if we are trying to distribute a langero mango free of charge, and many are suspicious of love of God; but if we persist, as did our Prabhupada, then success is guaranteed. On your appearance day I simply pray, grandfather guru that you allow all Prabhupada’s sons and daughters to remain steadfast at your feet, and let us, through thick and thin, remain the personal servants of Bhaktivedanta Swami, our eternal father. Please be kind to bless us in this way. All glories to Vaisnava Sampradaya! All glories to Simha Guru our learned guide!
Satsvarupa dasa Adhikari
Dear Guru Maharaj,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. You are known as Sringha Guru, and therefore the impersonalists were afraid to approach you. Two weeks before your disappearance from this mortal world you wrote one letter to Prabhupada instructing him to deliver the sublime teachings of Lord Caitanya to the west. Thousands of years of penances and austerities may not liberate a conditioned soul who has fallen into the dark well of material existence; but one word from the pure devotee, and he is at once freed. You saved Prabhupada from engagement in material affairs by honoring His Divine Grace with transcendental loving service of the dust of your lotus feet. He said you are like an ocean and have pulled him out of material existence. Now by your grace Prabhupada is the most powerful personality in the three worlds, as he can deliver the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
You were born in one place, Prabhupada was born in another, and we were born in still another, but Krsna has brought us all together to push on the sankirtana movement.
The grandfather takes better care of the children than the father, and therefore you must be even more merciful than our most merciful Prabhupada. So my dear Guru Maharaj, I only pray to you that in some birth I may develop a tiny fraction of the love for Prabhupada that he has for you. I pray that I may remain a tiny part in his gigantic plan of dragging all of us back to Godhead. Your servant,
Jadurani devi dasi
Dear Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada Maharaj,
Please accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. On this day of your appearance, I want to please offer my prostrated obeisances to you again and again, for it is by your mercy only that I am having bestowed upon me the mercy of your beloved disciple, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is teaching me how to love the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna. Before finding Prabhupada, I had nothing, and now, being given the opportunity to serve him, I have everything. Prabhupada has said so many times that he has come here to spread Krsna consciousness simply because you have ordered him to do so. So actually, I have you to thank for everything, for it is completely by your grace that Prabhupada has come here. So, please, on this day of your appearance, accept my repeated obeisances again and again and again. Always your servant,
Arundhati devi dasi
All glories to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami.
Your garlanded picture on the wall in front of me:
You are looking very beautiful and grave,
You whose mind is fixed on Lord Caitanyadev.
By your mercy, for love of you, Prabhupada is here;
Your message, love of Krsna, is ringing loud and clear.
I want to thank you on this auspicious day
For sending our dear Prabhupada to save us from our ways.
I am especially the most wretched devotee of all,
And it is by your mercy only I do not fall.
And I pray, dear Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati,
That I may serve Prabhupada from now until eternity,
That I may one day become humble and sincere,
And learn to love Krsna, to whom you are so dear.
Balai dasi
Prabhupada, you are like a touchstone,
The land of Cintamani Dham is your home.
Your holy self is far more than royal,
Your nectar love of Krsna is true and loyal.
From the golden lotus-flowered succession you have come to here,
Saint Bhaktisiddhanta’s divine instruction has been captured by your lotus ear.
By the infallible line of perfected spiritual masters with the transcendental view,
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta is so beautifully transcendental, just like you.
Oh, Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, my Prabhupada loves you so,
I offer all obeisances to you, from myself so very low.
I see in your book, Relative Worlds, a great thing about you:
Even the greatest English erudite scholar, next to you is but a fool.
You are the greatest of all the learned men,
To Goloka Vrndavana, a saving hand you lend.
You are so kindly and completely, showing us all,
We puffed up souls, don’t know anything at all.
By your mercy, my dear grandfather, master, we are having a sweet taste
Of this beautious Krsna consciousness, you’ve sent our Prabhupada, so full of divine grace.
It’s so wonderful!! What your disciple, Prabhupada, says is really so,
This nectarean chanting is making our love for Lord Krsna grow.
Your messages of Goloka and the aratrika prayers, so sweet and true,
All obeisances, all obeisances, all obeisances unto you.
Oh, Guru Maharaj of my Guru Maharaj, although I have no right, let me make one crying plea,
Although you are showing freely the blissful devotional sea,
I am still lost, absorbed in envy, greed, I’m so perverted, I cannot see,
Oh Guru Maharaj of my Guru Maharaj, never let me fall from the service of thee.
Vaikunthanatha dasa Adhikari
When will this mind cease to reflect the horrors of my lust,
Just chanting Hare Krsna vanishes the dust.
My thoughts they are so selfish to satisfy my needs,
By chanting Hare Krsna uprooting all bad seeds,
This illusioned fallen soul I am, a victim of Kali’s prey,
The mercy of his lotus feet I need in every way.
Dear Guru Maharaj, I beg to present my prostrated obeisances unto your divine lotus feet on this, your appearance day.
Sridama dasa Brahmacari
As I journeyed in a labyrinth of darkness with ignorance and passion at each step, and the glitter of maya as my only illusory refuge, I screamed for mercy, for a light of truth. Amidst this world of confusion and sleep I heard and echoed a sound that seemed to come from the remotest corner of my heart. It was Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, the holy mahamantra. By chanting and hearing, the maze dissolved, and in its place dawned the sweetest, purest, most glorious sense of eternal bliss and divine link with the all-attractive Supreme Personality, Lord Sri Krsna. And now by Krsna’s causeless mercy, I am guided toward the supreme destination, back to Godhead. Thank you, Your Divine Grace, for saving me. Thank you for giving us Prabhupada. On this sacred day of your appearance, I muster all the gratitude of my unworthy self and offer obeisances unto your holy lotus feet.
Manmohini devi dasi
My dear Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj,
We cannot hope to begin to praise you, and yet by the inconceivable mercy of your transcendental son, Bhaktivedanta Swami, we are writing these meager words for this auspicious day.
All glories, all glories, all glories to the Appearance of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati!
You come as the son of Bhaktivinode Thakur, just to show us what the transcendental product of household life should be.
You are eternally Brahmacari, and yet the numbers of children you have fathered are uncountable.
By your causeless grace upon the western world, so many souls from this land of license are entering the sublime path of bhakti, being so attracted to your beloved son.
Simply because he heard you, all the nectar of Krsna consciousness is flowing across oceans to our parched ears.
We do not know you, and yet you are caring for us even better than our own spiritual father.
So we are very much desirous of taking shelter at your lotus feet, but we are afraid to approach you, having not an ounce of austerity or intelligence. But because our spiritual master is so kind upon us, he is giving us the opportunity to address your holiness in this way. So may we appeal to you—help us keep ourselves for Krsna. We are so much a prey to the agitations of this mind-body, and you are the perfect master of the senses, so only you can help us look within for the treasure of our lives. Please pull us out of the mire or our ignorance, and even if you must drag us by the hair, kicking and screaming, like children balking at the sternness of their wise grandfather, please, please help us be ourselves again. Restore this battered consciousness to its natural condition.
We know that if you will be kind upon us, only then will Lord Nityananda cast His blissful glance over our unbowed heads. Since you are so dear to Srimati Radharani, help us heal these broken tools for Her service.
It is unto your lotus feet, O Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada Maharaj, the deliverer of the science of Krsna and the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya, that we offer our most respectful obeisances.
Despite these pitiable and unworthy appeals, may we be your eternal servitors.
Murari dasa Adhikari, Lilavati devi dasi, Subhadra devi dasi
Oh my dear Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada, you are the ocean of transparent mercy who has sent your loving disciple Srila Prabhupada to flood the world with Hare Krsna love of God vibrations.
We were demons envious of Krsna and unhappy, but now by your mercy Prabhupada has come and dissolved this madness with the magic wand of Sri Krsna Caitanya sankirtana. All glories to Your Divine Grace’s lotus feet! All glories to he who is always serving at your lotus feet! All glories to Sri Sri Radha Krsna! Repeat! Repeat! Repeat!
Nanda Kisora dasa Adhikari, Jahnavadevidasi
All glories to you, Sri Bhaktisiddhanta, preceptor of Srila Prabhupada. Siddhanta Thou truly art the conclusion of the ripest fruit upon the Vedic tree. By your sweet grace you have set us free.
You the unflinching lion, who having quelled the maya-vadi’s deathly trance, now a conquering hero, have taken the regal stance.
Your presence has outshone illusion’s most deceptive maze, and your greatest gift has been to send us the shelter of Srila Prabhupada’s unflinching gaze.
All glory to you, who are not different than Srimad-Bhagavatam.
All glory to you, nectarean moon, distributor of Visnu’s rays.
I humbly bow at Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet, knowing that a father is most pleased when honor is given to his son, so kindly accept this worthless gift.
My service to parampara from now on.
Naranarayana dasa Adhikari
I beg to ask of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to kindly convey my humble obeisances unto the dust of the lotus feet of His Divine Grace Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya 108 Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Gosvami Prabhupada. Even my obeisances are worthless. But you purify everything by engaging it in Krsna’s transcendental loving service, thus making a fallen soul such as I worthy to serve superior authorities. So therefore I am coming to you.
I am part and parcel of Krsna and eligible for going back to Godhead, but I am forgetful and in my ignorance I forget who I am and what the purpose of life is. Please force me, Prabhupada, to always remember my constitutional position. Please force me.
Brahmananda dasa Brahmacari
We offer our humble obeisances unto His Divine Grace Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya 108 Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj.
Like a thunderbolt, His demeanor is straight and bold, fearless. His grace, like a rose, is soft and sweet. His spiritual son, Prabhupada, is merciful and kind. Please help us to know your mercy. Your ungrateful servants,
Sacisuta dasa Adhikari, Indumati devi dasi
Humble servants we are of Bhaktivedanta Gosvami, who presses holy head to your feet, the sheltering refuge. Oh the most regal lion guru, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati! You whose roaring of the message of Lord Caitanyadeva will pierce this dark jungle of Kali. Then the jackal that is our mind on hearing such a roar may run to relinquish the eatable thing it has stolen from the lion to enjoy in fearful secrecy. But we are calling in faint voices upon the mercy of your regal strength to catch the jackal and destroy him and take back your due, our eternal service unto your lotus feet, Oh most beloved Gurudeva.
Bharadraja dasa Adhikari, Rukmini devi dasi
Peculiar Canons Of Distaste
The materialistic demeanor will not insure
that this phenomenal existence will not recur.
But what will, my friends, I’m sure,
is listening to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur.
Infinitesimal absolute is not supreme,
But disassociated from the Absolute by his foolish dream
Between two infinite dominions he trod,
And started thinking, “Perhaps I’m God.”
Transcendence regrets these fallen ways,
But facilitates with this phenomenal phase.
Those who exhibit distaste for this mundane sod
Will do well to follow Bhaktisiddhanta Srila Prabhupada.
Variegated positions of the Absolute resemble
Plural phases of this transitory ensemble.
So we offer an anthropomorphic suggestion,
And discredited transcendence as a cultural extension.
But these conceptions are philosphical pretensions,
Concocted in whole by our limited inventions.
But for those who truly wish to see,
The Lord has sent Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.
His teachings are there, regardless of caste,
So find them quickly, time is slipping fast.
This one life will soon be past;
Only what’s done for Krsna will last.
Uddhava dasa Adhikari
Sankirtan
Sankirtan
Sankirtana means singing and dancing about the glories of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of God. It is nothing manufactured or concocted; it is not a “new religion.” The most ancient Vedic scriptures of India recommend that for the present Age of Quarrel, this simple method will be the only successful one for bringing God consciousness to the people in general. Actually, religion cannot be manufactured. Religion means to follow the codes or laws of the One without a second, the One God who is glorified by all the true religions of the world. Sankirtana was brought to the U.S. in 1966 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who has recently said, “Don’t think that these boys and girls are dancing out of religious sentiment or fanaticism. We have the highest philosophical and theosophical background.’’ The Hare Krsna movement is based on science and on the authority of the Vedas. But its beauty is that it is all simplified. The first result from chanting is that one becomes freed from all material misgivings by realizing his real self as eternal spirit soul. This means blissful, loving union with the all-blissful Godhead. One’s whole body, mind and intelligence become joyful! It is guaranteed the sincere sankirtana chanter will feel symptoms of the highest ecstasy and the perfection of the human form of life: love of Godhead.
(The pictures on this page were taken at the Hare Krsna centers in New York City and Vancouver, British Columbia.)
Love Of God
One devotee has prayed, “O my Lord, at the time of death it will be so difficult to think of You, because my throat will be choked up in death rattle, and I may not have time to calm my mind from pain in order to think of You. So now, while I am in healthy frame of mind and blissfully chanting Your holy name, let me die at once.” But Prabhupada has also said, “Death is not such a wonder, and it is life that’s the constant wonder and this chanting is life.
So while the Hare Krsna chanters have solved the gravest problem of existence—the death problem—they are also free from all fearfulness and are enjoying the fullest extent of happiness in the here and now. Please chant this mantra!
These pictures were taken at the Hare Krsna centers in Berkeley and San Francisco, California
The Peace Formula
A hundred devotees from east coast Hare Krsna centers were present in Washington, D.C., during the mass peace demonstrations of November 15, 1969. Reference to the Godhead, a program which is completely ignored by the materialistic peace marchers, was energetically propagandized at the peace rally by the disciples of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. They distributed thousands of pamphlets of Prabhupada’s essay “The Peace Formula,” which presents the following practical propositions.
“The great mistake of modern civilization is to encroach upon other’s property as though it were one’s own, and to thereby create an unnecessary disturbance of the laws of nature. These laws are very strong. No living entity can violate them. Only one who is Krsna conscious can easily overcome the stringency of the laws of nature, and thus become happy and peaceful in the world.
“As a state is protected by the department of law and order, so the state of Universe, of which this earth is only an insignificant fragment, is protected by the laws of nature. This material nature is one of the different potencies of God who is the ultimate proprietor of everything that be. This earth is, therefore, the property of God, but we the living entities, especially the so-called civilized human beings, are claiming God’s property as our own, under both an individual and collective false conception. If you want peace, you have to remove this false conception from your mind and from the world. This false claim of proprietorship by the human race on earth is partly or wholly the cause of all disturbances of peace on earth.
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
“Foolish and so-called civilized men are claiming proprietary rights on the property of God because they have now become Godless. You cannot be happy and peaceful in a Godless society. In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna says that He is the Supreme Lord of all universes, and that He is the well-wishing friend of all beings. When the people of the world know this as the formula for peace, it is then and there that peace will prevail. We therefore recommend that everyone become Krsna conscious by chanting: HARE KRSNA HARE KRSNA KRSNA KRSNA HARE HARE/ HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE.”
The Opulences of Krsna
The Opulences of Krsna
—by Hayagriva das Adhikari
(lSKCON—New Vrndavana)
Lord Krsna has innumerable expansions. As far as Krsna Himself is concerned, there are six opulences which are always present—knowledge, wealth, fame, strength, beauty and renunciation. He has these opulences in totality, whereas created beings have them in part only.
Knowledge
In the world there have been men who have been considered very rich in knowledge—Socrates, Plato, Sir Isaac Newton, Galileo, Francis Bacon, Da Vinci, Einstein, etc. History has afforded us innumerable geniuses whose thoughts have profoundly affected human civilization and who have been considered very expert from the human point of view. But it is remarkable that in their own eyes they feel like dwarfs before the great storehouse of knowledge which governs nature. Isaac Newton used to consider himself to be no more than a little boy playing on the seashore and observing multicolored shells washed up on the beach. The shells were all he knew of what inhabited the inaccessible depths of that great ocean.
So no man can claim to have all knowledge. Even if a man has all knowledge about his particular field (indeed the more a man pursues a subject the more he realizes he knows nothing about it), he is still ignorant of other fields of knowledge. No one knows everything in this material world. Even the demigods, whose knowledge is fantastic from the human point of view have limited knowledge. Lord Brahma, for instance, creates this universe and so thoroughly knows every object in it, but when he rose out of the lotus flower springing from the navel of the Maha-Visnu, he looked about in total confusion and began to meditate to find out what he was, where he was, and why he was. So even his knowledge is limited. Lord Krsna says, “Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and sages.” (Gita, 10.2)
It is only Krsna, the Supreme Lord, who has total knowledge of everything. He is the Self seated in the hearts of all. He is in the heart of the great Brahma and in the heart of the tiny atom. “O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies; and to understand this body and its owner is called knowledge; that is My opinion.” (Gita, 13.2) The living entity is the knower of his particular body, but Lord Krsna is the supreme knower, proprietor and dweller in all bodies. Therefore, He is the super knower, the omniscient, the embodiment of total knowledge. He is both the knower and that which is to be known. He is addressed by Arjuna: “Knowing everything, You are all that is knowable.” (Gita, 11.38)
Wealth
There have been fabulously wealthy men in history and wealthy empires, but from the point of view of Krsna the total wealth of the earth is insignificant. The earth is merely one planet in a solar system, which is but one of sextillions of solar systems in the universe, which is only one of countless universes in the material creation, which is only a tiny cloudy spot in the all-pervading brahma-jyoti in which there are countless spiritual planets. And this brahma-jyoti is emanating from the body of Krsna. This effulgence is simply a by-product and is in no way His real opulence. So the wealth of the Supreme Godhead defies the imagination. Arjuna saw everything concentrated in His body on the battlefield. “Whatever you want to see, you can see in this body all at once,” Krsna told him. (Gita, 6.7) Total wealth then means that He contains and owns everything.
Fame
All the demigods who are in charge of the various universes know and worship Krsna. Being the supreme omnipresence, He is known and extolled in all the three worlds. Though it may appear that some planets are ignorant of Him due to the influences of the age of Kali, His fame is total, and His countless names are chanted in all spheres.
The fame of any man or nation is temporary or illusory. Today we have completely forgotten the nations that dwelled on this earth only six thousand years ago, and because we have forgotten them, we claim that no civilizations were existing then, although man is known to have been walking upright on this planet for at least a million years. Yet man’s vanity would have him think that his fame is eternal.
Like the other opulences, fame is incidental to Krsna. In the Vaikuntha planets hundreds of millions of Laksmis serve at His feet. “I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, who dwells in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose-trees, and who is always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of Laksmis or gopis.” (Brahma-samhita, 5.29) Lord Krsna is the totality of everything. He is known in all the worlds, and so has total fame.
Strength
The average man has hardly the strength to lift his own weight. And at most his intelligence has only enabled him to detonate a hydrogen bomb which is not even able to destroy the earth. The strength of one who is able to lift all the worlds out of the Causal Oeean and drain that ocean itself is inconceivable. Upon seeing the splendor of the Lord’s universal form, Arjuna extolls His might: “O great one, who stands above even Brahma, You are the original master. Why should they not offer their homage up to You, O limitless one, O refuge of the universe? You are the invincible source, the cause of all causes, transcendental to this material manifestation … O limitless form, this whole cosmic manifestation has come from You … I offer my respects from the front, from behind and from all sides. O unbounded power, You are the master of limitless might!” (Gita, 11.37, 38, 40)
In Srimad-Bhagavatam there are innumerable accounts of Lord Krsna’s battles with great demons which celebrate the strength of the Lord. It is always notable that after playing with the demons for a while, He kills them easily in an off-handed manner. There are demigods whose strength is unlimited from the human point of view, but the strength and power of the demigods are insignificant compared to Krsna’s. After giving a brief account of some of His opulences in the Tenth Chapter of the Gita, Krsna says, “But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support these entire universes.” (Gita, 10.42)
So the Supreme Lord is asamardha, which means that no one is greater than Him because no creature can move without His aid, for He is the prime mover. “Furthermore, O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being—moving or unmoving—that can exist without Me.” (Gita, 10.39) Being the strength in all beings, He is therefore the embodiment of total strength.
Beauty
The absolute beauty of Krsna is sung in praises by great sages who incarnate themselves as cowherd girls (gopis) in order to enjoy loving exchanges with Him. His supreme original form, as exhibited in the forests of Vrndavana, is that of a youth of around sixteen years of age. He descended on earth as the embodiment of love, all spiritual in essence, and He attracts men, women, and all that move and move not. He comes with laughter and with loving glances, and He wears brilliant yellow cloth and garlands and plays His flute. In the forests of Vrndavana He sports with the cowherd girls, the gopis, who worship Him with the holy sentiment of transcendental love. Since He is love incarnate, He enchants even the heart of the God Narayana, and the divine Laksmi transformed herself into the hairs on His chest so that she can always be near His heart.
It is stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta that Krsna is so supremely lovely that He attracts Himself and even desires to embrace His own form. Upon seeing the beauty of His fresh, youthful, brightly shining limbs reflected upon a pillar of pearls, He yearned for Himself like Radha. “I bestow joy to all,” He says, “but who can bestow joy upon Me?” His love’s power instills joy, and Radha is the essence of this love.
The body of Krsna is the figure of beauty itself. It is tinged with color of blue clouds. The bottoms of His hands and feet are pink. His torso is bare, but from His neck hangs a garland of flowers, beautified with a locket in the shape of the moon. From His waist a cloth of dazzling gold hangs in folds. His flowing black hair reaches His shoulders. He wears a golden, bejeweled crown topped by peacock feathers. His eyes are as large as the petals of a full blown lotus, and His hands and lips play lightly upon a flute. Being the embodiment of supreme absolute beauty, He is ultimate majesty and beauty, perfect in every respect. His eternal form is incomparable and is worshiped throughout the creation. His very name, Krsna, means He who attracts everyone.
In Lord Caitanya, a play written by this author and based on the Caitanya-caritamrta, Lord Caitanya praises the beauty of the Lord in this way: “His beauty is an ocean of nectar whose waves flood the arid hills of the soul. His words delight the ear. His arms and legs surpass the coolness of a thousand moons. Oh, His beauty enchants my senses so! How sweet the fragrance of His lips! My five senses ride my mind like a horse and drive the mind at once five different ways. And He dances through my mind, and my mind, overjoyed, responds to Him, His speech, His touch, and my mind is ridden to madness, death. Yet I cannot blame my senses, for the Lord attracts them so. Oh, the waves of His beauty cover the mountains of my yearning soul! His speech ravishes my ears with mischief, and His touch, O His touch is cool, and His limbs, so fragrant, soft, strong, intoxicating, surpass the color of the blue lotus. His lips mixed with the sweet camphor of His smile grow sweeter. His color is sweeter than the nimbus, and His cloth brighter than lightning. What autumnal moon compares to His face covered with locks of hair? Rainbows of peacock feathers crown His head, and stars wreath His neck like pearls. Oh, the Lord kills the gopis with love. His chest is broad and high, and small hairs adorn it. These hairs are Goddess Laksmi who transformed herself to dwell always on His breast. And this breast is a robber who steals a trillion hearts. Oh, He enchants the gopis with shining cheeks and crocodile shaped rings hanging from His ears and His sharp side glances full of smiles. Yes, He is a clever hunter and they His prey whom He kills at will. And His arms are soft but strong and lethal as blue cobras, for they pry open the doors of the soul and inject the painful venom of love. Even the god of love now pines for Him.”
In the Bhagavad-gita Arjuna tells Krsna, “You are the unborn and all pervading beauty.” (Gita, 10.12) Therefore, all beauty that is seen in the material world is but a reflection of that absolute beauty existing in Krsna.
In the Tenth Chapter of the Gita, Arjuna says that “neither the gods nor demons, O Lord, know Thy personality. Indeed You alone know Yourself by Your potencies.” (Gita, 10.14, 15) He then requests Krsna to tell him in detail of His divine powers by which He pervades all the worlds and abides in them. Lord Krsna replies, “Yes I will tell you of My splendorous manifestations; but only of those which are prominent, O Arjuna, for My opulence is limitless.” (Gita, 10.19) Lord Krsna then proclaims that He is the self seated in the hearts of all and is the beginning, middle and end of all creatures. After establishing this, He begins to enumerate specific incarnations and phenomena which is He Himself. He mentions demigods, animals and natural wonders like the Himalayan Mountains and the Ganges. Among all living entities in the world, He is the greatest. He is wind, death, fire, unexhaustible time, the spiritual science of the self, the flower-bearing spring, splendor, victory and adventure, the generating seed of all existences, the rod of chastisement, statesmanship, silence, wisdom, the holy fig tree, the ocean, the thunderbolt, the monarch among men, the greatest among elephants and serpents and other animals, and so on. At the conclusion of this brief account of some of His opulences, He says, “O mighty conquerer of enemies, there is no end to My divine manifestations. What I have spoken to you is but a mere indication of My infinite opulences. Know that all beautiful, glorious and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.” (Gita, 10.40-42)
Renunciation
The sixth opulence of Krsna is perhaps the most awe inspiring. It is renunciation—the opulence by which the Lord can reject all others. “There is nothing whatever that is higher than I. Everything rests upon Me as pearls are strung on a thread.” (Gita, 7.7) And like a string of pearls, all of Krsna’s opulences can be taken off and thrown away while Krsna remains complete in Himself. Lord Krsna is much more than the sum total of His creation. “In My transcendental form I pervade all this creation. All things are resting in Me, but I am not in them. Yet, everything that is created does not rest on Me. Behold My mystic opulence. Although I am the maintainer of all living entities and although I am everywhere, still My self is the very source of creation.” (Gita, 9.4,5)
Being the embodiment of perfect renunciation, as taught in the Gita, Lord Krsna creates everything in a spirit of detachment. “The whole cosmic order is under Me. By My will is it manifested again and again, and by My will is it annihilated in the end. O Dhananjaya, all this work cannot bind Me. I am ever unattached, seated as though neutral.” (Gita, 9.8, 9) Also in the Fourth Chapter Lord Krsna says that works do not defile Him because although He creates everything, He has no yearning for the fruits of His creation. One who knows the nature of His creation and of His renunciation is not bound by works.
The hand of the Lord is in every sphere of activity, yet He remains neutral. In the Brahma-samhita it is said, “The lord of Gokula is the transcendental Supreme Godhead, the own self of eternal ecstacies. He is the superior of all superiors and is busily engaged in the enjoyments of the transcendental realm and has no association with His mundant potency.” (Brahma-samhita, 5.6) The material nature, which is a perverted reflection of the spiritual potency, is located on the other side of the river Viraja which surrounds the Brahman-dhama which is the boundary of Maha-vaikuntha. It is said that material nature is actually ashamed to appear before Lord Krsna, and when He wishes to create through material nature He does not mingle with her but simply glances her way. “Krsna never consorts with His illusory energy. Still her connection is not entirely cut off from the absolute truth. When He intends to create the material world, the amorous pastimes in which He engages by consorting with His own spiritual (cit) potency, Rama, by casting His glance at the deluded energy in the shape of sending His time-energy, is an auxiliary activity.” (Brahma-samhita, 5.7) Therefore the material creation has only indirect contact with Krsna. It is the cit potency that carries His glance to the inferior energy. Lord Krsna is therefore complete within Himself. All of His opulences can be renounced totally at any moment, and in no way by such renunciation is He any the less. This is the meaning of total renunciation.
Simply by studying the opulences of Krsna one can become a mahatma, a great soul. These opulences are described in detail in the various Vedic literatures—in the Gita, the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Caitanya-caritamrta, Brahma-samhita and so on. The results of such studies are quickly perceived. One immediately comes to understand that Krsna is the factual proprietor of everything and that the highest benefit derived is love for Krsna Himself. “He who knows in truth this glory and power of mine engages in unalloyed devotional service. Of this there is no doubt. I am the Source of everything; from Me the entire creation flows. Knowing this, the wise worship Me with all their hearts.” (Gita, 10.7, 8)
Understanding how things exist as separate from Krsna is of no value. The knowledge, wealth, fame, strength, beauty and renunciation of a man who is unaware of Krsna are worthless. One must come to understand that all these things exist in the Supreme Lord and that they are His gratuitous opulences. By studying the opulences of Krsna we can come to understand why He is worthy of our worship. We may adore the beauty, wealth, fame, knowledge, strength or renunciation of a person, but when we come to understand that these are only fragmental and that Krsna is the source of all of them, then we direct our adoration to Krsna. Thus our thoughts should always dwell in Krsna. We can become completely satisfied only by thinking of Him, surrendering our lives to Him and speaking of nothing but Him. “The thoughts of the wise men dwell in Me. Their lives are surrendered unto Me, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss enlightening one another and conversing about Me.” (Gita, 10.9) The wise are always so engaged because Krsna is their all in all. Therefore the truly wise are the most opulent, for they belong to Krsna and Krsna belongs to them.
Narada
Narada
—by Satsvarupa das Adhikari
(ISKCON—Boston)
If you have read or heard even a small sampling of the vast Vedic literature, you have come upon the name of Narada, who is depicted on the back cover of this issue of Back to Godhead. He is a great bhakta (devotee) of the Supreme Lord Narayana, or Krsna. Etymologically analyzed, nara means of Narayana or the Lord (Krsna), and da means deliverer. Narada is the deliverer of the Lord and the Lord’s message. Of course there are countless preachers, gurus, evangelists, mendicants and religious representatives traveling all throughout this planet, but Narada Muni is eminently distinguished. His pupils include the greatest devotees. Also, he is not restricted to one planet, but has the facility to travel to any part of the universe without the aid of a spaceship. Most importantly, Narada teaches the topmost process of God realization—bhakti, devotion to God—and he is coming in the unbroken line of disciplic succession originating with the Supreme Lord Himself. These qualifications of the sage Narada are described in Vedic literatures such as Srimad-Bhagavatam, Ramayana, etc., where Narada is called the eternal spaceman.
Long ago, as will be described here, Narada attained the spiritual perfection of liberation from the round of birth and death in the material world. He is thus eternally unconditioned, existing in his eternal, spiritual body. In this way, he is almost as good as the Supreme Lord Himself. Narada is the deliverer of the Hare Krsna mantra, called the mahamantra or Great Chanting for Deliverance. He is described: Narada Muni bajaya vina radhika ramana name. “Narada Muni plays the vina chanting Hare Krsna.” The Hare Krsna mantra—Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare—is the potent benediction for the present spiritually deprived age, Kali Yuga, in which other spiritual processes are not possible. The Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, Chapter 6, text 34, states: “It is personally experienced by Narada Muni that for persons who are always full with cares and anxieties on account of desiring contact of the senses with sense objects, constant chanting of the transcendental activities of the Personality of Godhead is just the suitable boat for crossing the ocean of nescience.”Most people in this age are not very serious about spiritual advancement and cannot undertake rigorous, austere disciplines, but anyone can chant Hare Krsna or simply hear about Krsna. Not only can Narada travel wherever the Lord desires him to go, carrying the first-class spiritual process, bhakti (devotional service), but he is an especially empowered authority who can convince the most fallen. In Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Caitanya Mahaprabhu reveals Narada Muni as an avatara of the saktyavesa category. Narada is not considered the Personality of Godhead Himself, but he is directly empowered with an opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in order to carry out the Lord’s will. Narada, then, is technically a saktyavesa avatara potent with the opulence of devotion. The basis of his teaching is expressed in Narada-bhakti-sutras and Narada-pancaratra. Narada explains that nobody can check the thinking, feeling and willing activities of the individual. Therefore, if someone is desirous of getting out of the frustrating, death-bound life of material consciousness, he must change the subject matter of his activities, which is not to say he must renounce them. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, as spiritual master in disciplic succession from Narada, writes: “Instead of talking in politics of a dying man, one may discuss the politics administered by the Lord Himself; instead of relishing the movie actors he may turn his attention to the activities of the Lord with His eternal associates, the gopis.” Narada recommends bhakti, or activities of the purified senses, as the process by which one can cross the ocean of birth and death, the source of all miseries, and be promoted to the transcendental position. We are already thinking, feeling and willing; if we simply begin to think, feel and will on behalf of Krsna, under the guidance of a spiritual master, then we will at once feel transcendental ecstasy and reject the material platform of life. He assures us from his own experience that devotional service activities will be successful. It is advised that we can experience the same success as Narada if we begin to follow the path of bhakti in the footsteps of this great sage, who is the dearmost devotee of the Lord.
In the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Narada Muni relates to his pupil Vyasadeva the incidences of his previous birth, before he became the immortal sage we all know as Narada: “O Muni [Vyasadeva], in my past life, during the last millennium, I was born as the son of a certain maidservant engaged in the service of brahmanas who were following the principle of Vedanta. When they were living together during the four months of the rainy season I was engaged in their personal service.” In his previous life, then, Narada was engaged in devotional service at the earliest age. Lord Krsna says that to do service for His servants is more valuable than direct service to Himself. Narada’s parentage was insignificant as his mother was just a maidservant. Narada was automatically given the most rare opportunity of rendering personal service to devotees of the Lord. Because some holy brahmanas were used to staying at the place where his mother was a servant, Narada, at less than five years of age, was in contact with them, and thus his door to liberation was opened. He states that the devotee brahmanas blessed him with their causeless mercy. They found this poor boy to be without any attachment to sporting habits; he was not naughty, nor did he speak more than required. Thus, although the devotees are impartial by nature, they were able to shower their full downpour of mercy in the form of transcendental knowledge and devotional service onto this uneducated young boy.
The boy Narada’s association with the pure devotees was consummated the moment he took up the remnants of their foodstuff. By so doing, all his sins were at once eliminated. As servant, the boy was cleaning up for the devotees, and noticing some remnants of food on their plates he asked their permission to take, and they of course encouraged him. As pure devotees, these bhakti-vedantas (knowers of Vedanta through devotional service) ate only prasadam, or foodstuffs which are first offered to the Supreme Lord with prayers. It is understood that prasadam is not ordinary food, but once accepted by the Lord it becomes as good as the Lord Himself, by His mercy. So the boy took this mercy of the bhakti-vedantas and became infected with their qualities of purity. Having associated with them, and having once eaten the remnants of their food, Narada advanced into transcendental life.
He then began to hear from them about the absolute truth. This is the way in which Narada gained eternal life, unlimited knowledge and unfathomed bliss, with facility to travel anywhere in the material worlds. Simply by hearing attentively authentic information about the Personality of Godhead from a bona fide authority, all his past sins were cleaned off and he was liberated from mundane association. Narada relates to his pupil Vyasadeva: “O Vyasadeva, in that association and by the mercy of the great Vedantists describing the attractive activities of Lord Krsna, I purified my aural reception. Thus hearing attentively, step by step my taste for hearing of the Personality of Godhead became manifest.”
Our spiritual master has told us many times that love of God is natural, original with us; however, due to our false attraction to the perishable material world and illusion of the body as our self and material things as our possessions, this consciousness is now dormant. So the wonderful change that occurs by chanting Hare Krsna or hearing about Krsna’s activities is not an artificial imposition on the mind, but is the natural return to our original consciousness. We may not be able to completely realize this at first, but very quickly the consciousness of the sincere chanter changes, and his material anxieties and desires fade away. Narada described how he developed definite realization of the Personality of Godhead as the absolute reality and how his attention became uninterrupted in hearing about the Lord. By hearing about the absolute, one becomes associated with the supreme light which dissipates all ignorance. The bhakti-vedantas were never speaking mundane topics of politics or sensuous affairs before Narada; nor were they teaching him negative concepts of reality, such as speculations on the concept of void or the impersonal aspect of the absolute truth. They were constantly engaged in chanting about the pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, who possesses inconceivable potencies; and by submissively hearing, the son of the maidservant felt his ignorance being removed.
Our spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, writes: “By ignorance only the conditioned soul wrongly thinks that he is a product of the material nature and that the Personality of Godhead is also a product of matter. But in fact, the Personality of Godhead and the living being are transcendental and have nothing to do with the material nature When nescience is removed, then it is perfectly realized that there is nothing existing without the Personality of Godhead. As the gross and subtle bodies are emanations from the Personality of Godhead, the revival of transcendental knowledge permits one to engage both of them in the service of the Lord.” The gross body can be engaged in rendering service, cleaning the temple, distributing Krsna conscious literature and bowing down in the temple, and the subtle mind can hear and think of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. The realization by which one can change his activities into transcendental activities develops without apprehension in execution of the bhakti path. Narada grasped this at once by his superior attraction for the Supreme Personality of Godhead—through the most effective method of hearing from pure souls. As Narada tells it, “The flow of my devotional service began.” Devotional service is natural to everyone, but it is choked up and suspended due to our being covered by modes of passion and ignorance. In Narada’s case, the pure sound vibration of unadulterated devotees speaking the glories of the Supreme Lord at once removed the material coverings and his devotional service thus began. Or in other words, the eternal being who was residing in the body of the maidservant’s son woke up, and the ultimate goal—love of God—became manifest in his heart. Narada’s position before his teachers is a model for the disciple who wishes to attain success even within one lifetime: “I was very much attached to the bhakti-vedantas. I was gentle in behavior, and all my sins became eradicated in my heart. I had strong faith in them; I had subjugated the senses and was strictly following the bhakti-vedantas with body and mind.”
Eventually the rainy season and the autumn passed, and the bhakti-vedantas left the place where Narada and his mother were living. But the confidential part of knowledge, devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, had been implanted in Narada’s heart. Knowledge of the absolute truth—permanent and blissful behind all temporary shows—is not a cheap or easily attainable thing. According to the Bhagavad-gita, out of millions of men one may know the absolute truth, the Personality of Godhead.
When the immortal sage Narada told these things to Vyasadeva, his disciple became anxious to know how the boy passed the duration of his previous life and how he finally quit his body and attained a spiritual body of sac-cid-ananda (eternal life, bliss and knowledge) as Narada Muni the eternal spaceman. Narada related that after his initiation by the bhakti-vedantas there was a tangible change in his life, but as he was only five years old and the only child of his mother, he was bound to her with the tie of affection. Instead of being dependent on the Supreme Lord who is the only independent controller, the boy was dependent on his mother’s care, and she looked after him as if she were his maintainer. But Narada relates: “Once upon a time the poor woman, my mother, while engaged in milking a cow at night, was fatally bitten on the leg by a serpent as influenced by the supreme time.” In this way, the sincere soul who was being looked after by his mother had her withdrawn from the world by the supreme will, and he was thus put completely at the mercy of the Lord. “I took it as the special mercy of the Lord, who always desires benediction for His devotees. Thinking in this way, I started for the northern side.” This may seem surprising: a five-year-old boy, suddenly left all alone in the world, takes it as an auspicious direction from God. We find that most people when they are put into natural frustration and loss bewail the cruelty of their plight and even presume to be critical of the absolute will. But the devotee sees in every step the special mercy of the Lord. Bewailing our material losses is due to our ignorance of the real purpose of human life.
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami has written on this point: “Mundane prosperity is a kind of material fever and by the grace of the Lord, the feverish material temperature of the devotee is gradually diminished and spiritual health is obtained step by step.” So the orphaned boy at once took the daring step of making God his only shelter and maintainer. He did not spend time trying to make some economic adjustment for his future comfortable living, but he took to traveling. “I passed through many flourishing metropolises, towns, villages, animal farms, mines, agricultural lands, valleys, gardens and forests. I passed alone through many forests full of pipe, bamboo, sharp grass, weeds and caves difficult to go through alone. I visited the dangerous, fearful forests deep and dark, the play-yards of snakes, owls, jackals.” The boy was not making a whimsical youth’s journey by these travels. It is the duty of a mendicant to have experience of all varieties of God’s creation. This is called parivrajakacarya, to travel alone through all forests, hills, towns, etc., to gain faith in God and strength of mind, as well as to enlighten the inhabitants with the message of God. In the present age this is not possible for the ordinary man, but it was possible for Narada, who was finishing his last lifetime before his liberation.
“After that, under the shadow of a banyan tree in a forest without any human habitation, I began to meditate upon the supersoul situated within myself, using my intelligence as I learned by hearing from liberated souls. With my mind transformed into transcendental love I began to meditate upon the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead. Tears rolled down from my eyes, and immediately the Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna, appeared on the lotus of my heart.” It is understood that Narada was not performing a concocted meditation, but he had received knowledge from authoritative sources on how to meditate on the supersoul who is dwelling within every living being. There are five stages of transcendental development leading to love of God described in the Narada-bhakti-sutra. The first is called sraddha, or an initial interest in or liking for the Supreme Lord. After that, one practices the prescribed rules and regulations of devotional service which clear away misgivings and personal deficiencies. Then one develops firmness, or standard faith in the reality of transcendental life; then comes attraction, and then bhava, the stage prior to unalloyed love of God. Narada Muni in his previous birth was able to attain the highest stage shortly after his departure from home. The tears from his eyes indicate his feelings of separation in transcendental love for the Personality of Godhead, after which he actually was able to perceive the actual presence of the Lord by his developed spiritual senses. A.C. Bhaktivedanta writes of spiritual ecstasy such as that perceived by Narada: “Spiritual feelings of happiness and intense ecstasy have no mundane comparison. Therefore it is very difficult to give expression to such feelings. We can just have a glimpse of such ecstasy in the words of the pure devotees.” “O, Vyasadeva, at that time, being exceedingly overpowered by feelings of happiness, every part of my body became lucid being absorbed in the ocean of ecstasy.”
Narada describes the form of the absolute truth as he saw Him: “The transcendental form of tht Lord, as it is, is perfectly apt to the desire of the mind.” Narada did not experience the Lord as formless, but His form is not like anything in this material world. It is described that all the differently cut and shaped forms that we are seeing all through our life do not banish all our mental disparity and dissatisfaction. But the special feature of the transcendental form of the Lord is that once it is seen, one is satisfied forever, and no material form holds any more attraction for the seer. So the Lord’s form is like nothing we see now in matter. Another great devotee, Maharaj Pariksit, was able to see the form of Krsna even while he was in his mother’s womb. On being born into the world, Pariksit (the word means “examiner”) was always looking this way and that way, his eyes bulging to see again the form of the Lord among all the unsatisfying forms and shapes of the material atmosphere.
Narada saw the form of God, he was completely satisfied in his being, and then the same form was no longer present to his vision. “Not seeing that form again, I suddenly got up, being perturbed in mind, as it happens when one loses that which is desirable.” Desiring more than anything to see again the form of the Lord, Narada tried to concentrate his mind on his heart, but he could not see Him anymore, and so became grief-stricken. Srila Prabhupada writes: “There is no mechanical process to see the form of the Lord. It completely depends on the causeless mercy of the Lord. Just as the surf rises out of its own accord, the Lord also is pleased to be present out of His causeless mercy. One should simply wait for the opportune moment and go on discharging the prescribed duty in devotional service of the Lord.”
Not at Narada’s command, but by that same causeless mercy, the transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead, seeing Narada’s attempt in a lonely place, spoke unto him, just to mitigate his grief. “O Narada, I regret very much that during this lifetime, you will no longer be able to see Me. Those who are incomplete in service or still immature in being freed from all material dirt can hardly see Me. O virtuous one, you have only once seen My Person. This is just to increase your hankering for Me, because the more you desire Me, the more you will be freed from material desire. By service of the absolute truth even for a short time, a devotee’s intelligence becomes fixed firmly on Me. As a result he goes on to become My associate in the transcendental world after giving up the present deplorable material worlds. Intelligence engaged in My devotion can never be defeated at any time. Even at the time of creation, as well as at the time of annihilation, your remembrance will continue by My mercy.” How wonderful is the devotee Narada, that the Lord, the supreme authority personified by sound, unseen, spoke to him, seeing him so sad for lack of the Lord’s presence! Again, this is the special gift of Narada, and the ordinary devotee, what to speak of the non-devotee, should not claim to have access to the voice of the Supreme Lord. We are so puffed up and presumptuous in matters of the absolute truth, although it is the field of endeavor which, more than any other, requires us to give submissively and humbly aural reception to the bona fide authorities. For this age the authoritative Vedic literature recommends the sound vibration of the Lord’s holy name, Hare Krsna, which is as good as the personal presence of the Lord. If this were not so—that the Lord is present Himself when His name is uttered—then how could He be considered absolute? Absolute means that He is present in His name, His fame, and His devotee. If we wish to exchange transcendental love with the absolute truth we have to qualify ourselves by the purifying process of chanting His holy name. There is no difficulty on His part in coming to us when He wills. It may be very difficult for an ordinary subject to get an audience with the king; but if the king desires to see any citizen, what is the difficulty in his coming? As Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, spiritual master of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta, said, “Don’t ask to see God, rather act in such a way that God can see you.” Such elevated standard—the perfection of human life—is easily attained by constant chanting and associating with devotees and the first result of this process is the loss of misgivings. Misgivings means lamenting over something lost and hankering for something we don’t have. These vanish when the superior taste derived from executing spiritual devotional service begins under the authorized spiritual master.
Blessed all along and taking each occurrence as an opportunity to increase his hankering for the Lord, the servant boy who was to become Narada finished the days of his life in chanting and remembering the pastimes of Sri Krsna and in traveling for distributing the Lord’s message of back to Godhead, with no thought of material gain.
In the course of time, while fully absorbed in thinking of Krsna, Narada reached that point, commonly called death, when the change of body suddenly occurs. Narada told his pupil: “Being freed from all material taints, I met with death just as lightning and illumination occur simultaneously.” It is told further that just as the illumination follows the lightning, the devotee changed his material body after death and evolved a spiritual body by the will of the supreme. The material body is a product of karma, earned by our accumulation of material desire, action and reaction. It is temporary and subject to miseries, and it is unenlightened. The spiritual body residing dormant within the material body, is eternal, blissful and in full knowledge. It is understood from authorized scriptures that even while in the material body, a pure devotee’s body becomes surcharged with spiritual energy by the constant engagement of his senses in the service of the transcendental eternal Lord. It is like an iron rod in contact with fire: after a while the iron rod acts not like iron, but like fire. The material body is afflicted with inebrieties and is taken on by the living entity as a result of his desires to enjoy temporary sense gratification, without understanding his real position—that he is eternal servant of the Lord and meant to please His senses. Therefore when the devotee’s body becomes engaged in devotional service he becomes surcharged with the transcendental qualities. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami writes on this important matter, so often misunderstood by neophytes: “Change of the body means stoppage of the reaction of the qualitative modes of material nature (goodness, passion and ignorance) upon the person of a pure devotee. There are many instances in the revealed scriptures where Dhruva and Prahlada and many other devotees were able to see the Personality of Godhead face to face apparently in the same body. This means the quality of a devotee’s body changes from material affinity to transcendence. By the mercy of Krsna the devotee becomes exempt from the karmic reactions of his work.” In order to understand how the body of a devotee becomes spiritualized, we have to understand that consciousness is the sign of life. The sensation you have when you are pinched means you have consciousness. This consciousness, which is spread all over the body, is eternal, though the body of flesh and blood is perishable. Consciousness is a symptom of the presence of the soul, which is located in the heart. This is confirmed in the Upanisads and Bhagavad-gita. If an ordinary conditioned human being meets a pure devotee and his consciousness is changed from the polluted desire to enjoy with the body, and he instead starts to use the body as a vehicle for service in Krsna consciousness, then his body becomes spiritualized. Any material object, a telephone, a typewriter, becomes spiritualized if used in the direct service of Krsna consciousness for propagating the Lord’s transcendental message. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami has written that, in the eye of the Supreme Lord Krsna, the body of the converted or reclaimed devotee who has changed his standard of consciousness from material to Krsna consciousness is as good as the eternal spiritual body of a jiva in the spiritual sky who has never fallen under the conditioned state. The example Srila Prabhupada has given is that of a gold box and a gold-plated box. The gold box is compared to those who have never fallen to the material world. But once a fallen soul takes a bona fide spiritual master and becomes one hundred percent engaged in devotional service, then he too becomes liberated, even while remaining in the present body and he is thus compared to a gold-plated box. The Lord accepts the gold-plated box as equal to and as good as the gold box.
Narada describes his position then to Vyasadeva: “At the end of the millenium, when the Personality of Godhead Lord Narayana lay down in the water of devastation, Brahma began to enter into Him along with all creative elements, and I also entered through His breathing. After expiration of a period of 4,300,000 x 1000 years when Brahma awoke to create again by the will of the Lord, all the rsis like Marici, Angira, and Atri were created from the transcendental body of the Lord, and I also appeared along with them.” Narada’s entrance into the body of the Lord at the time of annihilation and re-entrance into the material cosmos occur in the same transcendental body, which is described as being just like the Lord’s, without any difference between body and soul. Therefore when Narada appears in the universe as the son of Brahma, born from his heart, it is understood that this is not the forced birth of a conditioned entity, but a transcendental pastime of the devotee. Narada’s appearance and disappearance in the world are in the same category of transcendence as that of the Lord, who appeared on the earth as the son of Vasudeva.
Narada Muni is brahmacari, living the order of celibacy without the complication of family life. He is the greatest emblem of devotional service and therefore the most learned. And he is worshipable. Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita, “Among sages I am Narada.” His vina is charged with transcendental sound and was handed to him by Lord Sri Krsna, as stated in the Linga Purana. The vina is therefore identical with Krsna, and the glories of the absolute truth as chanted by Narada are also nondifferent from the Lord. Therefore the presence of Narada means Lord Krsna is present.
Narada is called the original spiritual master. His disciples, surrendered souls who first heard Krsna consciousness from his lips, include Vyasadeva, the compiler of all the Vedic scriptures, Valmiki, the author of the Ramayana, Dhruva Maharaj, Prahlada Maharaj, and many others.
“Thus I travel, constantly singing the glories of the Lord.” Narada is traveling, vibrating his instrument, the vina, by his own free will. He is not being forced. His devotional service is free; he offers it out of his free will and he is free to travel when he likes. By his surrender unto the Lord he has attained complete freedom of life. The illusion of persons in the material world is that they are free, whereas actually they are bound up by the stringent laws of nature. We can only try to imagine, at this point, the unlimited freedom of Narada, whose freedom is as good as the Lord’s.
Let us all help Narada Muni with his welfare work of the spirit. Encourage everyone you meet to chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. The mahamantra will enliven the planet, will bring us all a life of transcendental bliss, and help us to have a taste of the full nectar for which we have been anxious from time immemorial.
The Descent of the Holy Name
The Descent of the Holy Name
—by Achyutananda das Brahmacari
(ISKCON—India)
B.R. Sridhara Maharaj sat on the roof of his quarters in Navadvipa. The now very old sadhu was in a very contemplative mood, and to approach him in this state disturbed me. He motioned that I should sit in front of him, so I timidly went and sat down on a grass mat. There was no one to be seen anywhere. “There are many things to see from up here by which we can remember Caitanya,” His Holiness said. “This Ganges, this forest, the temples, His favorite tree, banana. What do you want?” “Can you explain how, if the name is a spiritual thing, how are we all chanting it?” I asked, feeling very foolish. After some silence he began to say, “Nitai Caitanya, Nitai Caitanya,” and then began:
“It cannot be uttered by a material tongue, nor can a material ear hear the name. He [the name] is adhoksaja, [beyond experimental knowledge], having reserved the right of not being exposed to organic senses. All the experience, knowledge and memories that we have are gleaned with the help of mundane senses. Our tongue is comprised mostly of earth and water elements; the nerve endings extending to all parts of the body carry charges of electricity, also a material element. If an object is too far away, it is not touchable, seeable, tastable, etc.; if an object is too close, it is also imperceptable; we can’t see our own tilaka mark or eye make-up. When the senses are extended by microscopes and telescopes, these instruments have more range, but are still limited to the material sphere. The telescope cannot penetrate the outermost covering of the universe; the microscope lens is composed of atoms and therefore cannot see the atom or anything smaller than the atom. Likewise, the system of mental speculation is also inefficient to perceive the spiritual element. Mind is a material element whose density is very slight. (Bhagavad-gita, 7.4) Higher abstractions are no more spiritual than hard rocks. There is a common belief that by extending the potency of the mind we can conceive of the infinite, but this process is defective. If the infinite can be confined in a limited mind, then it is not infinite. I don’t even know how many hairs are on my own head. Mental speculators grind their brains over abstract aphorisms of Zen and Upanisads and think that by their own power they can achieve something like infinity. The result is mental masturbation. The mind explodes and dies of exhaustion. And the reaction is deplorable: total forgetfulness of the self and the infinite.
“There are channels by which the infinite descends. He is all power, glory, beauty, knowledge, wealth and renunciation. He is dominant, all-extending, free, and autocratic. The infinite cannot be contained in a limited sphere, but if He is really infinite then He has the power of making Himself known in all His fullness to the finite mind. When, out of His own perogative, He takes the initiative and reveals Himself to the devotee, there is actual perception of Godhead, self realization, transcendental revelation. By the channel of transcendental sound He comes, by vibrating the spiritual tongue of the pure devotees representing Him to the world. The spiritual element vibrates the spiritual tongues of the sat-guru’s audience, which have hitherto never been vibrated.
“Sat-gurudeva utters Hare Krsna. Our material ears hear some sound that resembles the transcendental name of Krsna, our eardrum moves the liquid of the inner ear, half water and half air, which vibrates the ethereal element and touches our mind. At this point, soul has still been untouched, and there has been no genuine spiritual experience. By hearing with the mind’s impressions, we enjoy the sound of the cymbals, the beat of the chant, the pleasant company and effect of listening and hearing. But it doesn’t stop here. Piercing the mind, the original sound uttered by guru moves our intellect, and we consider the Krsna conscious philosophy. For millions of years, sages chanted this on the banks of many holy rivers. Ideas flood everywhere about the possible effects of the mantra. This, while being quite blissful, is not spiritual revelation in the true sense. Beyond the intelligence is the spiritual element—soul, myself. That sound, having cut through all my senses including the mind and intellect, now vibrates the finest sentiments of my own real existence. This is the perception of the holy name on the spiritual plane with my spiritual ear. Then, the soul inspired, recapitulates, sending vibration back into the intelligence, mind, etc., out to my external tongue and we say, ‘Hare Krsna.’ That Hare Krsna is He. And we dance in ecstasy.
“Sounds, sounds, sounds,” His Holiness repeated slowly. “Sounds, catch hold of the sounds. Seize the sound waves traveling within the ether, and your happiness is assured in spiritual life. One rsi has explained in his sutra that massive epidemics are due to contamination of the ether by impure sound. When the lawyers and pleaders in court begin to tell lies in the name of justice, these sound vibrations contaminate the ether, which in turn contaminates the air and water which people breathe and drink, and epidemic is the result. When four-headed Brahma creates the universe, the seed ingredient is sound, ‘OM.’ And from that ‘om’ the gayatri-mantra is born. In this sound, the fourteen planetary galaxies sprout like whorls of spiraling stars and planets, with the sun situated in the very center of the universe. Each planetary system is composed of a different sound uttered by Lord Brahma. Each galaxy provides the infinite jivas with their particular spheres of karma (action), dharma (religious functions), artha (economic development), kama (sensual enjoyment and suffering), and moksa (facility of liberation). It is the function of Brahma to provide these different galaxies and planets according to the sinful and meritorious deeds of the innumerable. Lord Brahma utters a different sound for each planetary system and his engineer, Sri Visvakarma, creates the planets according to those sounds. The subtle elements and gross elements are distributed in this way. In our planet, the predominating elements are earth and water. In other worlds, only water is found. On the sun, fire is the prominent element. If a spiritual individual, under the effects of illusion, or maya, wishes to end his gross existence, he may enter a planet of air, ether, mind or intelligence and live as a ghost.
“The individual jiva is also endowed with a particle of creative power. And the ordinary individual as well creates his tiny sphere of influence by sound. Some jivas’ spheres of influence are no bigger than their own craniums, and some jivas have influence over a community, a nation, or even a whole planet. The beauty and harmony of their particular spheres of influence depends on the quality of sound they produce.
“When one nation tries to conquer another nation, the first points to capture are the radio stations, the newspapers, the journals—the lines of communication. By sending out its manifesto by sound, the government can move the former leaders from their posts and capture the country. Then, also by sound, the new government becomes established. If there should be any defect in that sound, then the whole thing is ruined. That is why there is so much alteration in the world situation. The sound of all these jivas is, to quote the Bible, ‘Babel.’ Nonsensical sounds are entering and contaminating the ether, the air, the water, and the very molecular structure of each and every person, place and thing.
“A person’s mind is composed of two functions, technically termed sankalpa and vikalpa. Sankalpa means the mind’s desire to join thoughts into concepts, theories and tableaus of theories. Vikalpa is the mind’s function of rejecting thoughts, simplifying and limiting experiences which are gathered through the sense s of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Both functions are controlled by sound. Here is an experiment: Close your eyes. When I repeat a number, you will see the number flash before your mind like a cash register. One… Three… Seven… Four… The processes of sankalpa and vikalpa respectively make the thoughts come and go. This is a very simple form of the mind’s process. On a more complicated scale, there is the very risky business of intentionally invading the sound waves with defective sound. The lines of communication are filled with impure sound from the earliest of schoolbooks to the most advanced so-called philosophy. The White House filibusters are another excellent example of intentional pollution of sound channels. If we were to infuse spiritual sound into the ether, saturate the ether with the transcendental sound vibration of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, the mantra would purify, enlighten and saturate every being with its potencies.
“In Lord Caitanya’s eight verses, which comprise the final message of all spiritual instructions, the first verse gives five effects of the transcendental sound of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, as follows:
“Ceto-darpana-marjanam. It wipes the material dust from the mirror of our mind. The mind is like the intermediate connecting medium between the spirit and that material external covering called the body. The soul has no material activity. When covered by maya, or illusion, the soul remains dormant in a state of suspended animation. The magnitude of the soul is so great, however, that it infuses consciousness on all sides. Through the mediurn of the mind, the senses act and we ‘know’ things. If this ‘glass,’ the mind, is put out of focus by the external nature, we suffer confusion, pain, disease, and death. Yes, death is a state of mind only, as the soul has no death. By the mind we mistakenly think ‘O! I’m dying!’ ‘I’m drowning!’ ‘I’m giving birth!’ ‘I’m sick!’ etc. When the mind is cleansed by the mahamantra, the mind is forcibly purified. All the material concoctions, which are the cause of our suffering, are forcibly murdered, starved to death. They thrive on material sense pleasures. Flooding the mind with transcendental sound is just like stepping on the pin of a bomb: All those misconceptions of material suffering and enjoyment are shattered, murdered, and the material mind is conquered wholly, leaving no enemies behind. The mind then reflects the spiritual knowledge, quality and energy of the soul itself.
“Bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. The fire of conditional life is thus extinguished. Nirvana, which most people are trying to understand from Buddhist texts, means extinguishing the fire of material existence. This body has been burning from the very beginning of time by the process of digestion. Biologists all declare that the body is a burning organism, giving off heat, water vapor and carbon dioxide. After seventy or more years, our body is consumed by that smouldering digestive fire, and we move into another body, only to burn up that one too. It is like chain smoking: with the lit end of the cigarette you light up a fresh cigarette, and on and on. By the potency of the transcendental sound, the cause of that fire is extinguished.
“Sreyah-kairava-candrikavitaranam vidyavadhujivanam. The transcendental sound then spreads the light of benedictions, peaceful suggestions and fearlessness, and no more anxieties invade the mind. We approach the world after coming out of the womb with many deep-rooted fears: Is there safety? Is there happiness? Is there peace? The answer is the basic seed. Om in this case means one big spiritual yes. Om, yes—a positive answer. Simply by negating the mind, the questions of the soul are not satisfied; something positive must be given. The mahamantra floods the mind with suggestions of the truth.
“Anandambudhi-varddhanam pratipadam purnamrtasvadanam. A full draught of an ocean of blissful nectar is served to the soul, who has been thirsty from time immemorial.
“Sarvatma-snapanam param, vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. This point has a twofold meaning, one external and one internal. Sarvatman means all jivas. The holy name bathes all souls with spiritual bliss, knowledge and love. The transcendental sound completely overcomes the soul with His sublime potencies. But atman has many meanings, as given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Atman means the supreme absolute truth, the body, the mind, the intelligence, endeavor, conviction and nature. By uttering the pure sound of mahamantra one invades the very cause of everything that exists. The mind, body and soul, and even nature itself can be changed into transcendental nature by one exclamation of Hare Krsna. Capture the sound waves which are the cause of every item of existence and saturate them with Hare Krsna. The result will be the total transformation of energy. An asrama, temple, and all the paraphernalia in them are all divine. The environment in which we live in the asrama is not the same as the one in which we were born. It is ‘there,’ it is Goloka, and the more we progress in our sadhana the more He will reveal Himself to us.
“One of the supreme forces in the descent of the Hare Krsna mantra, Jayadeva Gosvami, jagat-guru, has written a beautiful verse in description of this process: “O Hari Nama, You enter my ear and touch my heart, and tears flow from my eyes and fall to the ground; making soft clay, my footprints are left for my successors to follow my way.”
“It must be noted that if the guru is bogus, then that name will not touch the spiritual spark within the coverings of mind and body. It may sound the same, but it is not—just as milk and whitewash look the same, but they are altogether different.
“Now many such artificial gurus are about, and this fact is, as it were, camouflaging the genuine devotees. If someone finds a treasure beneath a tree and marks the tree with his initials and then comes back to find every tree marked with the same initials, he is unable to recall the original tree.
‘‘The original sentiments invoked by the name are concentrated, blissful recollections of the pastimes of Krsna. These sentiments are in all souls and are five in number: the neutral sentiment, the serving sentiment, the sentiment of friendship, parental sentiment, and the sentiment of intimate love. Krsna is called akhila-rasamrta-sindhu, the ocean of all transcendental sentiment. In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says, ye yatha mam prapadyante, tams tathaiva bhajamy aham: “I reciprocate all the different services rendered within the sphere of these different sentiments, or rasas.” Krsna uses the neutral devotees, who do not take active engagement in His interest, at His own sweet time and liking. If He wants to play the flute He picks it up, and He sets it down when He likes. To His servants, He is the noble master. In this relationship there is more facility to please the master, to bring His food, His favorite clothing. Yet there is still some hindrance, since He may tell the servant to be gone, and the servant must obey out of duty. The friendship rasa has two stages. The first stage is friendship with feeling of respect and reverence. Arjuna has this type of friendly relationship with Krsna. He begs forgiveness from Krsna for unknowingly calling Him in jest or for associating with Him without bowing down, etc. When the friendship is more developed, the respect and honorable formalities disappear. Jumping on Krsna’s shoulders, wrestling and playing as though Krsna were their equal, Sudama, Sridama and the other cowherd boys revel in endless sports. Sometimes they even consider Krsna their inferior: ‘Oh, Krsna; He’s the youngest one of us. He’s also the lightest. We can all overcome Him in wrestling, so go lightly with Him.’ As sugar cane juice is concentrated into molasses and then into crystal, so also the friendly rasa, with added feelings, develops into parental affection. ‘Krsna is my son,’ says Mother Yasoda. ‘I must always look after His needs and protection. If I don’t see Him for even five minutes I get so scared. I see huge trees falling on Him and horrible demons capturing Him. Oh, there You are! Why do You scare Your mother like that? Always stay in my presence, I can’t stand to have You out of sight.’ Even punishment of the beloved is seen in this intimate relationship.
“As concentrated sugar becomes rock candy, so the parental exchange of rasas condenses into conjugal love, in which there is complete dedication to the desires of Krsna, with no tinge of desire for one’s own pleasure. ‘I am Yours’—complete unconditional surrender. ‘If you trample my body underfoot or embrace me fondly, for Your pleasure I am happy. If You want to throw me into hell and keep me far from Your company, I am prepared to go. If You forget me, I cannot forget You; You are always my beloved.’”
By this time His Holiness had become exhausted. After forty years of lecturing previous to the use of microphones, his voice had become very thin. We were only one inch apart, face to face.
Just then the loud gong began to toll in crescendo, reaching four loud blasts and reverberating into silence.
“Go down now. It’s time for aratrika. Could you follow my words?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Did you like it?”
“Yes.”
“That’s all right. Go down now.”
Sankirtana and Puppet Show at Griffith Park
Sankirtana and Puppet Show at Griffith Park
—by Lalita devi dasi
(ISKCON—Los Angeles)
The Los Angeles Sankirtana Party usually goes to the downtown area to preach and chant during the week, but since it was Thanksgiving Day, Sankirtana Party was held at Griffith Park where large crowds of people gathered to enjoy the sun, music, friendship and dancing. The devotees of Krsna do not celebrate Thanksgiving only one day a year: we give our prayer of thanks every day and every waking moment. We try to show our gratitude to the Lord by offering Him loving service eternally.
When the Sankirtana Party arrived at Griffith Park on this sunny day, the purpose of its members was to spread the holy name of God to their brothers and sisters. According to the scriptures, everyone is searching for God but most of us are temporarily trapped in maya or illusion. The mass of colorful devotees advancing on the scene was beautiful to the eye; and for the ear there was the sound of transcendental conchshell, sweet mrdanga drum and kartals (hand cymbals)—and the loud and sweet singing of the Hare Krsna mantra. Because Krsna is all-attractive, His name is transcendentally powerful; thus large crowds were immediately attracted. The paraphernalia brought to the park and on all sankirtana parties includes a large picture of Krsna and one of Prabhupada, the spiritual master. When one looks upon these pictures he can actually see Krsna and Prabhupada themselves! The picture of Krsna and the divine person Krsna are nondifferent. Our transcendental paraphernalia also includes incense, Back to Godhead Magazine, cards and leaflets. We are engaged in inviting people to sing Hare Krsna and to visit the temple of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. We are bringing paraphernalia to attract all the senses. Through seeing pictures of Krsna and Prabhupada and seeing the devotees in person, one is attracted to Krsna by the sense of vision or of sight. By hearing the Hare Krsna mantra, one is attracted by the sense of hearing. By smelling the incense and flowers offered to God, one is attracted by the sense of smell. By tasting the spiritual prasadam, or food offered to God, one is attracted by the sense of taste. By touching the instruments used for God, or clapping one’s hands or touching japa beads, one is attracted by the sense of touch. We want to share these jewels of transcendence with all living entities so they can become self realized and worship God in full joy. If all the senses are not utilized for the satisfaction of God, they will be used for the satisfaction of the temporary body and thereby trap us in the cycle of birth, death, old age and disease. If one is bound by the temporary pleasure of this body, he will not be able to transcend this material nature upon leaving this body. And what’s more, he risks being thrown into a lower form of life, like the plant or animal, and may be forced to live on more hellish planets.
When the devotees placed themselves in an auspicious spot at Griffith Park, about three hundred people gathered around in a big circle; and the devotees began to sing and dance with great ecstasy. A few of the spectators began to sing and dance, and more and more joined as time went on. Soon a group of about thirty people joined hands and held a circle-dance, intertwining among the devotees and the crowd. The joy of chanting Hare Krsna is that one is spontaneously attracted and can immediately feel the joy emanating from God. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that Krsna dwells as supersoul in the heart of every living entity; the moment one starts to chant Hare Krsna, the love of God lying dormant in his heart is at once revived. Our souls are crying out to be revived, so let us tend to the needs of our souls by singing the names of God. The people who were sitting and listening were certainly being spiritually benefitted by hearing the sound of God’s name, and we encouraged everyone please sing the Hare Krsna mantra! God is pleased when we sing His name, and in this age of Kali there is no other way to please God. If we call out to Krsna and praise His energy and pray for His mercy, He will protect and guide us back home, back to Godhead.
By showing the picture of Prabhupada to the men and women and children at Griffith Park, we introduced them to the guru whose teachings are available to everyone on this earth. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami is here to teach us how to enter the kingdom of God. He holds the secret treasure and is bringing it out in the open for all. We cannot fully appreciate the nectar of transcendental fruit until we know something of the creator of that fruit. The more you love Krsna, the more He will love you and guide you back to home, back to Godhead.
After the circle-dance, the puppet show began. Visnujana das is an expert puppeteer, and he put on a beautiful puppet show that attracted not only the children but the adults as well. In addition, the show carried the highest knowledge. The puppets were sleeping in their beds in the tent until they were aroused to put on their show. They looked lovely in their brightly colored clothes of silk and satin covered with pretty jewels. With perfect precision and illuminating facial expressions, Visnujana put on a puppet show that normally would have taken five people to perform. He flashed back and forth like lightning, expressing the quality of each puppet, and thus the puppets became alive. Everyone there couldn’t help but be amazed. The devotees were excited like little children and were making some of the sounds of the different puppets.
The play was about the gopi girlfriends of Krsna. Radha, who is the most beloved gopi of Krsna, and Her associates Visakha and Lalita are talking amongst themselves. Radha is saying to Her friends; “Oh dear friend Lalita, sweet Visakha, Oh search out that Krsna.” And Her friends call out: “Syamasundara, are You near Your beloved river Yamuna resting Your blue body?” “Search near the Govardhana Hill, gopis,” Radha says. “My beloved does not know where to place Himself. He cannot distinguish bad places from good.” Lalita and Visakha console Her. “Oh dear Queen Radha, be patient, for Krsna is not localized, He is all-pervading. He is in the sky, He is in the water, He is the supersoul in everyone’s heart.” Radha says, “Alas for us, fair gopis, what have we to offer this Lord Krsna when He owns our very soul?”
After the gopis, other puppets were presented. The last part of the puppet show was the exciting story of Bakasura, the voracious stork. His voice was ferocious, as he was a terrible demon. One day Krsna and Gopala and other cowherd boyfriends were playing and looking for something exciting to do. Gopala found a cave and said, “Let’s play in here.” The cave was actually the huge mouth of Bakasura, and the demon stork was planning to devour Krsna and His cowherd boyfriends. As soon as they stepped inside, the stork closed his mouth and said, “Now I’ve got You, Krsna, You and Your friends. There is no way out.” The boys were not scared, because they knew Krsna would save them. Within the stork’s mouth, Krsna expanded His body to gigantic size, thus suffocating the demoniac stork to death. Then Krsna and His friends began to rejoice and sing Hare Krsna. The puppet show was captivating and thrilling. Afterwards many people chanted Hare Krsna with us, and there was some preaching of the philosophy of Krsna consciousness. The crowd seemed to enjoy themselves.
It was a blissful day at Griffith Park; it is so nice when many people and children join in and share this great joy of God. The joy that we all felt was just a drop of nectar from the vast ocean of the eternal bliss of Krsna consciousness. You will be seeing more and more of the devotees of Krsna at the parks, colleges and market areas. Whenever you hear the ringing of the kartals, the sound of the mrdanga drum and the chanting of Hare Krsna, join in with us and help to spread love of God.
Back to Godhead Magazine #34, 1970
Poem by Srila Prabhupada on His First Arrival in the USA
Poem by Srila Prabhupada on His First Arrival in the USA
The spiritual master and founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, is now engaging thousands of men and women in America and throughout the world in the science of bhakti-yoga, transcendental loving service to God. Prabhupada had no personal motive in first beginning ISKCON; he so vigorously preaches the philosophy of God consciousness simply because he has been ordered to do so by his own spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada first arrived in the United States in 1965 with seven dollars, a letter of introduction to an Indian family in Pennsylvania, and a suitcase with some volumes of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the following poem, written in Bengali on the day of his arrival in the USA, Srila Prabhupada addresses the Supreme Lord Krsna, asking Him His purpose in sending His servant to America. The translation from Bengali was done by Srila Prabhupada himself.
1
My dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me.
2
But I can guess that You have some business here, otherwise why should You call me to this demoniac place?
3
Most of the population here is covered by nature's modes of ignorance and passion, and I do not know how they will be able to understand the transcendental message of Vasudeva.
4
But I know that Your causeless mercy can make everything possible because You are the most expert mystic.
5
Therefore, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I can be able to convince them about Your message.
6
All living entities have come under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.
7
If You so desire, I wish that You may deliver them ; just by Your desire they will be able to understand Your message.
8
The words of Srimad-Bhagavatam are Your incarnation, and if they receive them in submissive aural reception, repeatedly, then they will be able to understand Your message.
9-13
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, Second Chapter, verses seventeen through twenty-one, it is said: “For anyone who gives aural reception to the always auspicious transcendental messages about You by hearing and chanting, You become a special well-wisher, and thus, remaining within his heart, You clear up all inauspicious understanding. When such inauspicious understanding is almost cleared up, a person realizes the importance of devotional service. In that stage of understanding, the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion becomes almost nil, and the resultant action of passion and ignorance can no more attack the heart; thus he becomes joyful, being situated on the platform of goodness. When, by dint of devotional service, he thus becomes jubilant due to awakening the modes of goodness, he becomes liberated from material contamination and is able to understand the science of God. In this stage of liberation, all misgivings in the heart, or the bondage of the material network, become cut to pieces, and by the science of God he is elevated from all sorts of doubts. At this stage the result of past activities becomes vanquished because of his realization of the Supreme Lord.”
14
This is the process of becoming liberated from the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion, and thus they can become freed from all inauspicious things accumulated in the heart.
15
But because I am very unfortunate, unqualified, and the most fallen, I am therefore seeking Your benediction so that I may be able to convince them about this Krsna consciousness.
16
Somehow or other, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now it is up to You to make me a success or failure, as You like.
17
You are the Lord of the whole creation, so if You like You can make my power to speak suitable, so that they can understand.
18
By Your causeless mercy only my words may become transcendentally pure, and I am sure that when such a transcendental message penetrates their hearts, certainly they will feel engladdened and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life.
19
I am just like a puppet in Your hands; You have brought me here, and now You can make me dance as You like.
20
I have no devotion, nor have I any knowledge, but still I have been designated Bhaktivedanta. Now if You like You can just fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.
The most unfortunate, insignificant beggar, Bhaktivedanta Swami, onboard the ship Jaladuta, Commonwealth Pier, Boston, Massachusetts (U.S.A.). Dated 18th September, 1965.
Hari Kirtana: The Yoga for the Modern Age
Hari Kirtana: The Yoga for the Modern Age
—by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-mahadavagni-nirvapanam sreyah kairava candrika vitaranam vidyavadhu jivanam anandambudhi-vardhanam pratipadam purnamrtasvadanam sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. All glories to the sankirtana movement. Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when He was only a sixteen-year-old boy, introduced this sankirtana movement 500 years ago in Navadvipa, India. It was not that He manufactured some religious system, just as nowadays so many religious systems are being manufactured.
Actually religion cannot be manufactured. Dharmam tu saksad-bhagavat-pranitam. Religion means the codes of God, the laws of God, that’s all. Certainly we cannot live without obeying the state laws, and similarly, we cannot live without obeying the laws of God. And in the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says, “yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata abhyutthanam adharmasya,” and there is a predominance of irreligious activities, “tadatmanam srjamy aham,” at that time I (Krsna) appear. And in the material world we can see the same principle demonstrated, for whenever there is disobedience of state laws, there is the advent of some particular state officer or police man to “set things right.”
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is worshiped by the Gosvamis. There were six Gosvamis: Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Jiva Gosvami, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami and Sri Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami. There are three meanings of go. Go means land, go means cow, go means senses. And svami means master. So gosvami means that they were masters of the senses. When one becomes master of the senses, or gosvami, he can make progress in spiritual life. That is the real meaning of svami. Svami does not mean that he is servant of the senses, but master of them.
One of these six Gosvamis, Rupa Gosvami, was the head, and he compiled a nice verse in honor of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He says, anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirnah kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasam sva-bhakti-sriyam harih purata-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandipitah sada hrdaya-kandare sphuratu vah saci-nandanah. Kalau means this age, this age of Kali, the Iron Age, which is very much contaminated, an age of quarrel and disagreement. Rupa Gosvami says that in this age of Kali, when everything is disagreement and quarrel, “You have descended to offer the highest love of God.” Samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasam. And not only the topmost, but a very brilliant rasa or transcendental humor. Purata-sundara-dyuti. “Your complexion is just like gold, like the luster of gold. You are so kind that I bless everyone [The Gosvamis can bless because they are masters of the senses] that this form of the Lord, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, may always remain dancing in everyone’s heart.”
When Rupa Gosvami first met Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Prayag, Lord Caitanya was chanting and dancing in the street “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna.” At that time also he offered one prayer. Namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te. “O You are the most munificent of all incarnations because You are distributing love of Godhead.” Krsna-prema-pradaya te krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne gaura-tvise namah. “You are Krsna Himself because if You were not Krsna You could not distribute Krsna-prema or love of God, for love of Krsna is not so easily acquired. But You are distributing this love freely to everyone.”
In this way this sankirtana movement was inaugurated in Bengal, India, and in Navadvipa. In this sense, the Bengalis are very fortunate that in their country this movement was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya who predicted, Prithivite achhe yata nagaradi gram sarvatra prachar haibe more nama. “In all the villages and towns all over the world, everywhere, this sankirtana movement will be preached.” That is His future prediction.
So by the grace of Lord Caitanya, this movement is already introduced in the Western countries, beginning from New York. Our sankirtana movement was first introduced in New York in 1966. At that time I came and began to chant this Hare Krsna mantra in Tompkins Square. I was chanting there for three hours with a small mrdanga (drum), and these American boys assembled and gradually joined, and so it is increasing. First of all it was started in a New York storefront, 26 Second Avenue, then we started our branches in San Francisco, in Montreal, Boston, in Los Angeles, in Buffalo, in Columbus. We now have twenty-four branches, including one in London and one in Hamburg. In London they are all American boys and girls, and they are preaching. They are not sannyasi, nor are they Vedantists, nor Hindus, nor Indians, but they have taken this movement very seriously. Even in the London Times there was an article headlined, “Krsna Chant Startles London.” So we have many in the movement now. All my disciples, at least in this country, are Americans and Europeans. They are chanting, dancing, and are issuing a paper, Back to Godhead. Now we have published many books, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Isopanisad. It is not that this movement is simply a sentimental movement. Don’t think that these boys are dancing out of some religious sentiment or fanaticism. No. We have the highest philosophical and theosophical background.
As an illustration, let us consider Caitanya Mahaprabhu. While He was preaching, He went to Benares, the seat of mayavadi sannyasis. The followers of Sankaracarya are mostly seen in Benares. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was there, He was chanting and dancing. Some of the people very much appreciated this, and so He quickly became famous. One prominent sannyasi, Prakasananda Sarasvati, leader of many thousands of Mayavadi sannyasis, was informed: “Oh, from Bengal one young sannyasi has come. He is so nicely chanting and dancing.” Prakasananda Sarasvati was a great Vedantist, and he did not like the idea. He said, “Oh, he is a pseudo-sannyasi. He is chanting and dancing, and this is not the business of sannyasi. A sannyasi should always engage himself in the study of philosophy and Vedanta.”
Then one of the devotees who did not like the remarks of Prakasananda Sarasvati came back and informed Lord Caitanya that He was being criticized. So the devotee arranged a meeting of all the sannyasis, and there was a philosophical discussion on Vedanta between Prakasananda Sarasvati and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. These accounts and philosophical discussions are given in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya. It is remarkable that Prakasananda himself with all his disciples became Vaisnavas.
Similarly, Caitanya Mahaprabhu had a great discussion with Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, the greatest logician of that time, who was also Mayavadi, impersonalist, and he was also converted. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement is not mere sentimentalism. There is a very rich background if one wants to understand this sankirtana movement through philosophy and logic. There is ample opportunity, for this movement is based on science and on the authority of the Vedas. But it is all simplified. That is the beauty of this movement. Whether one is a great scholar or philosopher or a child, he can take part without any difficulty. Other systems of self-realization, the jnana process or yoga process, are also recognized, but it is not possible to practice them in this age. That is the verdict of the Vedas:
krte yad dhyayato visnum
tretayam yajato makhaih
dvapare paricaryayam
kalau tad dhari-kirtanat
(Bhag. 12.3.52).
In the Satya-yuga, the Golden Age, it was possible to execute the meditation process. For instance, Valmiki Muni meditated for sixty thousand years to get perfection. But where is our old age? Besides that, for the meditation process, as described in the Bhagavad-gita, one has to select a secluded place, he has to execute it alone, he has to sit down in a rigid posture, he has to lead a life of complete celibacy and so on. There are many rules and regulations. Thus astanga-yoga meditation is not possible. But if one is satisfied by imitating, that is a different thing. If one, however, wants perfection, then he has to execute all the eight stages of astanga-yoga. If this is not possible, then it is a waste of time.
What is the ultimate goal of the yoga process or meditation? Contact with the Supreme, the Supersoul, the Supreme Lord, is the aim and object of all yoga processes. Similarly, philosophical research, the jnana process, also aims at understanding the Supreme Brahman. These are recognized processes, undoubtedly, but according to authoritative description, they are not practical in this Iron Age of Kali. Therefore one has to take to this process of Hari-kirtana. Anyone can practice without pre-qualification. One doesn’t have to study philosophy or Vedanta. This was the purport of Lord Caitanya’s meeting with Prakasananda Sarasvati.
When the Vedanta philosophy was thoroughly discussed between Lord Caitanya and Prakasananda Sarasvati, Prakasananda Sarasvati first of all asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu, “I understand that You were a very good scholar in Your early life [Lord Caitanya was actually a very great scholar. His name was Nimai Pandit, and at the age of sixteen He defeated one great scholar from Kashmire, Kesava Kasmiri.], and I understand that You are a great Sanskrit scholar, and that especially in logic You are a very learned scholar. You were also born in a brahmana family, and now You are a sannyasi. How is it that You are chanting and dancing and not reading Vedanta?” This was the first question asked by Prakasananda Sarasvati, and Lord Caitanya replied, “Yes, the reason is that when I was initiated by My spiritual master, he said that I am fool number one. ‘You don’t discuss Vedanta,’ he told me. ‘You will simply spoil Your time. Just take to this chanting of Hare Krsna, and You will be successful.’ ” That was his reply. Of course Caitanya Mahaprabhu was not a fool, and certainly Vedanta is not for fools. One needs sufficient education, and one must attain a certain status before he can understand Vedanta. In each and every word there are volumes of meanings, and there are many commentaries by Lord Sankaracarya and Ramanujacarya, huge volumes in Sanskrit. But how can we understand Vedanta? It is not possible. It may be possible for one person or two persons to understand, but for the mass of people it is not possible. Nor is it possible to practice yoga. Therefore, if one takes to Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s method, chanting Hare Krsna, the first installment of gain will be ceto-darpana-marjanam: all the dirty things will be cleansed from the heart simply by chanting. Chant. There is no expenditure, and there is no loss. If one simply chants for one week, he’ll see how much he will progress in spiritual knowledge.
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
We are attracting many students simply by chanting, and they are understanding the entire philosophy and becoming purified. This Society’s movement started only four years ago, 1966, and we have so many branches already. The American boys and girls are taking it very seriously, and they are happy. Ask any one of them. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. They are cleansing the dirty things from the heart, simply by chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
The next point is bhava-mahadavagni-nirvapanam: as soon as the heart is cleansed of all dirty things, then all the problems of material existence are immediately solved. This world has been compared with davagni, which means a blazing fire in the forest. In this material existence no one wants unhappiness, but it comes by force. That is the law of material nature. No one wants fire, but wherever we go in a city the fire brigade is always active. There is always fire. Similarly, there are many things that no one wants. No one wants death—there is death. No one wants disease—there is disease. No one wants old age—there is old age. They are there, against our will, against our desire.
Thus we should consider the state of this material existence. This human form of life is meant for understanding, not for wasting valuable life like animals by eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is not advancement of civilization. The Bhagavatam says that this body is not meant for working hard simply for sense gratification. Nayam deha dhabhajam nrilike kastan kaman arhati bidbhujam ye. To work very hard and satisfy oneself by sense gratification is the business of hogs, not human beings. The human being should learn tapasya. Especially in India, so many great sages, so many great kings, and so many brahmacaris and sannyasis have passed their lives in great tapasya in order not to go further to sleep. Lord Buddha was a prince who gave up everything and engaged himself in tapasya. This is life. When King Bharata Maharaja, under whose name India was named Bharatavarsa, was twenty-four years old, he gave up his kingdom, his young wife and young children and went away for tapasya. When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was only twenty-four, He gave up His young wife, mother, everything. There are many, many examples. India is the land of tapasya, but we are forgetting that. Now we are making it the land of technology. It is surprising that India is now no longer propagating this tapasya, for India is the land of dharma: dharma-ksetre kuruksetre.
But it is not only in India; everywhere in this Age of Iron everything is degraded, degraded in this sense: prayenalpayusah sabhya kalav asmin yuge janah. In this age of Kali the duration of life is diminished, and men are not moved to understand self-realization, and if they are, they are invariably misled by so many deceitful leaders. The age is very corrupt. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s process of chanting Hare Krsna is the best and the simplest method. Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam/ kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. “In this age of Kali there is no other religion than glorifying the Lord by utterance of His holy name, and that is the injunction of all the revealed scriptures. There is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way.” This verse appears in Brhad-Naradiya Purana. Simply chant Hare Krsna. There is no other alternative. Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam. Kalau … in this age, Kali, nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. There is no other alternative for self-realization. So we have to accept it.
There is another version in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Pariksit Maharaja was informed by Sukadeva Gosvami of the faults of this age in the Twelfth Canto, third chapter, and now all the symptoms of the age of Kali are apparent. In the conclusive portion, however, Sukadeva Gosvami says, kaler dosanidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah. “My dear King, this age, Kali, is full of faulty things, but there is one good opportunity.” What is that? Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet. “Simply by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra, one can become liberated and go back to Godhead.”
This is practical and authorized, and one can also test himself to see how he is advancing simply by chanting. This Krsna consciousness movement is not something new, something that we have introduced or manufactured. It is authorized on the Vedic principles, authorized by acaryas like Caitanya Mahaprabhu and others. And the method is very simple; there is no loss. We are not charging anything, we are not asking for fees and giving the people some secret mantra and promising them that within six months they will become God. No. This is open for everyone—children, women, girls, boys, old people—everyone can chant and see the results.
To further this end we not only are establishing New Vrndavana, our commune, but are establishing New Navadvipa and New Jagannatha Puri in America. We have already started New Jagannatha Puri in San Francisco, and the Ratha-yatra Festival is going on. This year also there will be a great ceremony of Ratha-yatra in London. There will be three cars for Jagannatha, Subhadra and Balarama, and They will be taken to the River Thames. And in America they have imported New England and New York, so why not New Vrndavana? We should especially establish this New Vrndavana because Lord Caitanya recommended aradhya bhagavan krsna tad dhama vrndavanam. Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, in the Vrndavanadhama of Vrajabhumi, is the Supreme Worshipable Deity, and His place Vrndavana is also worshipable. The Western boys and girls are taking to Krsna consciousness, and they should have a place like Vrndavana. Svami Kirtanananda, who went to Vrndavana with me two years ago, knows what Vrndavana is like, so I have instructed him to construct at least seven temples. In Vrndavana, there are 5,000 temples of Radha-Krsna, but the most important temples are seven, established by the Gosvamis. Our program is to live in New Vrndavana, depend on agriculture and cows as an economic solution, and peacefully execute Krsna consciousness, chant Hare Krsna—that is the Vrndavana scheme. Yuktahara-viharas ca yoga bhavati siddhidah. This human form of life isn’t meant for increasing artificial needs. We should be satisfied just to maintain the body and soul together, and the rest of the time we should enhance our Krsna consciousness so that after leaving this body we won’t have to take another material body but will be able to go back home, back to Godhead. That should be the motto of human life.
Material life means eating, sleeping, mating and defending, and spiritual life means something more than this. This is also the difference between animal life and human life. In animal life, the common formula is eating, sleeping, mating and defending. A dog eats, a man also eats. A man sleeps, and a dog also sleeps. A man has sex life, and the dog also has sex life. The dog defends in his own way, and man also defends in his own way, maybe atomic bombs. These four principles are common to human beings and animals, and advancement of these four principles is not human civilization but animal civilization. Human civilization means athato brahma-jijnasa. In the Vedanta-sutra the first aphorism is athato brahma-jijnasa. “Now is the time for inquiry about Brahman.” That is the human life. As long as one is not spiritually inquisitive, jijnasu sreyo uttamam, he is an animal because he lives according to these four principles, that’s all. He must be inquisitive to know what he is and why he is put into these miseries of life, birth, death, old age, disease. Is there any remedy? These matters should be questioned. That is human life; that is spiritual life.
Spiritual life means human life, and material life means animal life. That’s all. We have to make the adjustments that are recommended in the Bhagavad-gita. Yuktahara-viharasya. (Bg. 6.17) For instance, this does not mean that because I am going to be a spiritual man I shall give up eating. Rather, my eating should be adjusted. Bhagavad-gita describes what class of food is first class, in goodness, and what class of food is in passion, and third class, in ignorance. We have to raise ourselves to the sattvic (goodness) platform of human civilization, then revive our transcendental consciousness or Krsna consciousness. Everything is there in the sastras. Unfortunately we do not consult them.
Evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam mukta-sangasya jayate (Bhag. 1.2.20). Unless one is liberated from the clutches of these three modes of material nature, he cannot understand God. Prasanna-manaso. He must be a Brahman realized soul. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati (Bg. 18.54). These injunctions are there, so one should take advantage of these sastras and preach. That is the responsibility of intelligent men. The mass of people know that God is great, but they do not know how great God actually is. That we will find in the Vedic literature. That is our duty in this Iron Age. That is Hari-kirtana, param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam: glorification of the Supreme.
Contents of the Gita Summarized, Part 2
Contents of the Gita Summarized, Part 2
—by Kirtanananda Swami (ISKCON—New Vrndavana)
Sanjaya said: “Seeing Arjuna full of compassion and very sorrowful, his eyes brimming with tears, Madhusudana, Krsna, spoke the following words: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy.” Having set the scene in the First Chapter with Arjuna’s display of misdirected compassion, here in the Second Chapter, Krsna at once begins His instruction. The Second Chapter is sometimes called “the contents of the Gita summarized,” for actually in its compass, Krsna gives the whole purview of the transcendental message. It will be repeated in so many ways, but it is actually all here in nutshell. However, the Second Chapter deals more extensively with one particular subject than any other, and that is the nature of the individual soul and its constitutional position, or its relationship with Lord Sri Krsna.
The point should again be made that compassion is one of the most noble human emotions, materially considered, but compassion wrongly placed is ignorance. Arjuna’s compassion is ignorance because it is displayed in contradiction to the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is personally present before him; therefore Krsna uses the word kutas, wherefrom. Wherefrom have these impurities come? And “impurities” is the next important word. These impurities which have overcome Arjuna are not befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. The problem which Krsna is pointing out is not inherent in the nature of the individual soul; it is something external—wherefrom. Somehow or other a covering has come over the consciousness. As long as these impurities are present, one cannot know the progressive values of life. One who knows the progressive values of life knows what is matter and what is spirit and knows what will help one to cultivate the knowledge of matter and spirit. A civilization that is based on this knowledge is called Aryan. Aryan does not mean blond hair and blue eyes; it is not so cheap. An Aryan is one who is conscious that he is not the body, who is in full knowledge that he is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord Krsna, and who therefore knows that his duty is to extricate himself from the impurities which are covering that consciousness.
Arjuna was deviating from the great Vedic tradition of his forefathers who maintained a progressive God conscious civilization aimed at helping all living entitles to go back to home, back to Godhead. Instead, he was thinking like the non-Aryans, the materialistic men, about bodily relationships. “Oh, this is my family! These are my relatives, and this is my country!” All such designations are false because they belong only to this body, which is temporary, and since it is temporary, it is ultimately frustrating, or confusing. Therefore Arjuna quickly came to the conclusion, “Now I am confused.”
As was pointed out earlier, atheistic men are always confused because they make their senses the standard, and the senses are like wild horses running in different directions. Krsna says, “The intelligence of the irresolute is many-branched.” And Arjuna frankly admits, “Now I am confused about duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.” This is the point at which spiritual life begins. Without coming to the conclusion that I know nothing, I am in no position to receive spiritual knowledge. Unless I empty myself of all false opinions, I will not be very receptive to the absolute message. One cannot fill a cup that is already full. If the conditioned soul is still under the illusion that he knows something, or can somehow or other figure it out, he cannot make spiritual progress. The Bhagavad-gita actually begins when Arjuna says, “My dear Krsna, I am confused. I know nothing. Now I am Your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.” The first qualification, therefore, is surrender. But surrender to what? Actually everyone is surrendered; I see some of my friends surrendered to their wives, I see others surrendered to a sport, or to their senses, or to drugs. Some have even surrendered to a dog. Surrendered to what, or to whom? Arjuna gives us the perfect example—he surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna.
If one wants to surrender for the purpose of knowledge, one must surrender to someone who is in knowledge. Now knowledge of the Absolute is not so cheap that just anyone in the street has it. One must test very carefully to see if the symptoms are there. All of the Vedic literatures advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual master to get rid of the perplexities of life which happen without our desire. Bhagavad-gita, 4.34 says: “Just try to learn the truth by approaching, a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” The qualification of the spiritual master is that he has see n the truth. And what is that truth? That is answered in the Seventh Chapter, 19th verse: “After many, many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” So that is the qualification of a spiritual master: he has found out Krsna, he has surrendered to Krsna, and he knows that Krsna is the cause of all causes and all that is. So if one is fortunate enough to find such a soul who is in contact with Krsna, who thinks Krsna, who walks with Krsna, who talks with Krsna, who sleeps with Krsna, who eats with Krsna, whose whole life is devoted to spreading the knowledge of Krsna, he is most fortunate because he has a chance to solve all the problems of life.
And just what are the problems of life? Birth, old age, disease and death. These are the miseries of material nature which are plaguing us like a burning fire, and he who has not solved them is known as a miser, a krpana. In the Garga Upanisad it is stated: “He is a miserly man who does not solve the problems of life as a human, and who thus quits this world like the cats and dogs, not understanding the science of self-realization.” This example is actually very appropriate, for a miser takes something that has some potential value and simply hides it, or effectively wastes it. This human body is the most valuable gift because there is developed consciousness in it. One can ask, “Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? Who is God? What is His nature?” The animals cannot ask such questions. But if we simply spend our life fulfilling our animal desires or economic needs in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending and mating (as do all the animals), then this human life is effectively wasted, and we are misers.
Arjuna is acting like a krpana, like a miserly man, because he is overly concerned with his wife and family, country and society. These exist simply on the basis of skin disease.” He is not thinking about the ultimate solution to birth, old age, disease and death. Arjuna forgets, but Krsna never forgets. That is the qualification of a spiritual master—he does not forget Krsna, and therefore he can save one from death. In the Upanisads it is said that no one should become a spiritual master, or a father, or teacher, unless he can save his dependents from death. Lord Krsna is the original spiritual master, and He can make a solution to all problems, including death. So how Krsna spoke and how Arjuna heard should guide us in making a final solution.
Mundane scholars who deride Krsna as the Supreme Person say that one need not surrender to Krsna personally, but to some unborn, unmanifest within. They do not know that there is no difference between Krsna’s within and without, and one who has no such understanding is the greatest pretender and the greatest fool.
Having surrendered to Lord Krsna, Arjuna now takes the position of a disciple and listens, and Krsna assumes the role of supreme teacher and speaks authoritatively. There is no question, no hesitancy, and He begins by chastising His disciple: “While speaking learned words you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief.” Indirectly He is calling Arjuna a fool, because “those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.” To be a wise man means more than to parrot a few phrases, and to be an enlightened man calls for enlightened living. Therefore Krsna now develops the central theme of the chapter, namely the spirit soul is eternally existing as His own part and parcel.
“Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.” In both the Katha and Svetasvatara Upanisads it is affirmed that the Lord is the maintainer of innumerable living entities and that by His plenary portions He is alive in the heart of every living entity and is eternally maintaining them individually, both in the conditioned and liberated states. The impersonalist idea that after death one again merges into the Supreme and loses his individuality is here refuted by Krsna. Krsna is the supreme authority, and He says, “Never was there a time, past, present, or future.” Furthermore, this point is central to Krsna’s argument. He is telling Arjuna that there is no cause for lamentation, because whether one is in this body or that body, the individuality is still there. If one could lose his individuality, then there would be cause for lamentation. But Krsna is telling His disciple that there is no cause for lamentation because in spite of all such apparent bodily changes the individual soul is there eternally. In verse 20 He says: “For the soul there is never birth or death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying, and primeval.” If individuality were only an illusion, as the impersonalists maintain, then how could Krsna say this? Can something which is temporary and illusory, likened by the impersonalists to a ripple on the water, which is here for an instant and soon gone, be described as “unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying, and primeval”?
Nor can it be argued that the individuality Krsna is referring to pertains to the body only. Krsna has already condemned His disciple for such a bodily conception, so how could He Himself have resorted to it? Again in verses 23-25 Krsna affirms that the soul can never be divided, cut into pieces, burned, moistened, withered, or dissolved. It is “eternally the same.” I have my individuality now, and I have it eternally; the only difference is that now it is exhibited through matter, and when the impurities mentioned in the first verse are removed, that individuality is exhibited in its pristine purity.
Krsna is reinforcing the concept of the eternal individuality of the soul in so many ways. It is eternally His own part and parcel. It cannot be cut into pieces. Since it can never be cut into pieces, it is eternally fragmental, just as it is “eternally the same.” Where is the ground for maintaining that someday the part can become the whole’? That is not Bhagavad-gita, and that is certainly not the way Arjuna understood it. This concept is repeated in many places in the Vedas and in many different ways just to confirm the stability of the conception of the soul. Repetition of something is necessary in order that we understand it without error.
Just to reassure his disciple. Krsna presents the argument from another angle. He suggests that just for the sake of argument Arjuna should suppose that the soul is not eternal. Still there is no reason for lamentation. Suppose this consciousness is just a result of a chance combination of matter, as modern scientists and anthropologists are inclined assert, that at a certain point in evolution consciousness appears for some time, and at another point it disappears due to the decomposition of matter. If all of these bodies on the battlefield are but a lump of chemicals, then why all the concern, for in battle who would withhold some chemicals in order to achieve victory? According to this theory there are so many entities generated out of matter every instant, and so many other entities are simultaneously annihilated. So why is this a cause for lamentation and the abandonment of one’s prescribed duty? Whether one accepts the Vedic conclusion that the soul is an atomic fragment of the supreme consciousness eternally or thinks that it is just a bunch of chemicals, there is no cause for lamentation or the abandonment of duty, what to speak of a duty being personally directed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krsna.
Krsna is making it clear to Arjuna that He does not accept this atheistic philosophy and that neither should he, and that it behooves him to carry out his duty in the tradition of all great Vedic warriors. “O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature. Do thou fight for the sake of fighting, without considering happiness or distress, loss or gain, victory or defeat, and, by so doing, you shall never incur sin.” (Gita 2.30, 38) Krsna here definitely asserts that there is no cause for lamentation because in fact no one can be slain. Secondly, Arjuna should fight simply for the sake of fighting because Krsna is requesting this. The materialistic man is forever bewildered, being concerned with victory, gain and happiness, but the devotee is not concerned with these things. Happiness or distress, loss or gain, victory or defeat are the same to him. Whatever Krsna desires—that is the devotee’s rule. It is not that he will be Krsna’s devotee when he is victorious or when there is some gain. That is not devotion: that is business. Unfortunately most people, even most religious people, simply want to do business with God. “Give me this day, and I will do such and such.” That is not love of God, that is love of whatever one is bargaining for. Whatever condition Krsna wants, even if Krsna wants to send the devotee to hell, the devotee also desires. It is known as “dovetailing desire” when one makes Krsna’s desire his desire. “Do thou fight for the sake of fighting” simply because Krsna has willed it. Krsna is Supreme, and His reasons for desiring anything are supreme. So we can rest assured that there is divine justice in the battle, just as we understand that when the surgeon amputates an infected limb, it is not violence but mercy. Krsna is perfect, and whatever He does is perfect. Actually, Krsna favors no one, not even his devotee, because Krsna claims all living entities as His children. Thus we can rest assured that whatever Krsna is ordering is best for everyone concerned.
The first 38 verses of Chapter Two deal with what is called sankhya philosophy, or with the analytical study of matter. By means of this analytical study, Krsna has shown Arjuna that the living entity is eternally part and parcel of Himself and that any impurity concerning this knowledge is temporary or illusory. Now the same thing will be shown by means of yoga namely that one can come into perfect understanding of his relationship with Lord Krsna by means of yoga, or renounced work. It says in verse 40 that even a little advancement on this path can protect one from the greatest harm.
There are two main points one should note about this type of yoga: the first is that one must work. It will be more elaborately explained in the Third and Fourth Chapters that work is necessary, but here Krsna is briefly outlining the fact that renounced work is superior to inaction, but not work for the fruits of one’s action. Verse 47 states, “You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Neither consider yourself the cause of action, nor be attached to inaction.’’ Actually there are three concepts here: one is prescribed action, called karma; the second is prohibited action, called vikarma: and the third is inaction, or the failure to perform prescribed action. One of these is auspicious, and the other two are inauspicious; one will help one to advance spiritually, and the other two will degrade him. Krsna advises Arjuna to fight according to his karma, or prescribed duty, but not to be anxious about the results, either success or failure. Simply “fight for the sake of fighting” for Krsna.
Verse 51 states, “The wise, engaged in devotional service, take refuge in the Lord and free themselves from the cycle of birth and death by renouncing the fruits of action in the material world. In this way they can attain that state beyond all miseries.” Whereas the atheists are always anxious, those in devotional service take refuge at the lotus feet of the Lord. If one knows that the Lord is the factual doer of every action and is the proprietor of every result, where is there room for either pride or despondency? The Lord is the supreme enjoyer, enjoying the fruits of all actions; therefore it is said that He takes as much pleasure in the sting of an arrow that pierces His transcendental foot as He does in the love bites of His lovers in the bowers of Vrndavana. Krsna, as the supreme enjoyer, takes transcendental pleasure in all the actions of His devotees, as long as they are dedicated to Him in love. That is the only qualification. He has nothing to fear, nothing to gain and nothing to lose, but He is always reciprocating with the devotee who is working on His account. That is the first half of yoga—to be engaged for the Lord. And the second half automatically follows, namely that one withdraws his senses from the multitudinous sense objects. “One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws his limbs within its shell, is to be understood as truly situated in knowledge.’’ (58) Without sense control, no yoga system can be complete. We can see today that there are so many so-called yoga societies where they are sitting this way or that, or pushing their noses, exercising and reducing, but where is the spiritual progress. Where is the love of Godhead? When Lord Jesus was once journeying down the road, he saw a fig tree in the distance and went in search of some figs, for he was hungry. But when he came close he saw that there were no figs, only leaves, and so he cursed the fig tree, and it withered up and died. So we must produce fruit. It is not enough simply to have a form of godliness. There must be some fruit, and that fruit is love of Godhead. Unless we develop that dormant love of Godhead, which is within all of us, we will be cursed. Why? Because we have been given this valuable form of life, this human body. If we are simply wasting it on the objects of the senses, then we are krpanas, misers. We are lower than dogs, for at least the dogs are following their nature. But since we have this dormant tendency to love God, and we are not following it out, we are not as advanced as the dogs.
Why control the senses? Because that dormant love of God cannot develop until my senses are controlled. In the Vedic literature it is said that the individual is a passenger in the car of the material body. Intelligence is the driver, and mind is the driving instrument, but the horses pulling the car are the senses. These senses are wild horses, pulling in so many ways uncontrollably, and unless they are controlled by the tight rein of the mind, there is no possibility of gaining that equilibrium known as peace. Actual advancement is dependent on remembering our original position as part and parcel of Krsna. Revival of that memory of Krsna consciousness is explained in verses 62-63: “While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool.” So it is not possible to revive that memory of Krsna consciousness until the senses are controlled; nor is it possible to develop attachment for Krsna unless we are detached from matter.
But detachment from matter and attachment for Krsna can at once be accomplished by devotional service. The purest, simplest form of devotional service, especially benedicted for this age, is the chanting of this Hare Krsna mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. It is the special mercy Lord Caitanya, who is Krsna Himself, that in this Iron Age of Kali, an age of quarrel and destruction, He has especially empowered His name with His full potency, so that by associating with the holy name of Krsna one actually associates with Krsna. There is no need to wait for death to be with Krsna we can be with Krsna every instant through His name. We can also be with Him via His form, pastimes and qualities because they pertain to Krsna and are absolute. On the transcendental plane there is no difference between Krsna and His name, fame, form, associates and entourage. If we will simply associate with Krsna, then our consciousness becomes Krsnized, and our life becomes sublime.
The Guru: Via Media to God
The Guru: Via Media to God
—by Hayagrivadas Adhikari
(ISKCON—New Vrndavana)
It is always best to assume that we are in the modes of ignorance, and at least we will be right on that point. When knowledge is staggeringly finite, humility is the best policy. On the spiritual path one tries to make progress to the modes of goodness and then transcend, for it is not always possible to transcend the modes all at once. God alone is perfect, and we are always imperfect, even in our so-called liberated state. It is because we are imperfect that we have to take shelter of the perfect.
Lord Caitanya advises that we take shelter of a sadhu, who is a holy man of spotless character, sastra, which is scripture, and guru, who is the perfect spiritual master. The scriptures should be the guidelines for the other two. The guru is liberated because he follows scriptures, and the sadhu is pure and honest because he accepts scriptural principles. The insistence on the authority of the scripture is to discourage people from inventing their own religions and to warn others against following such fabricators.
Actually, only God can establish a religion that is bona fide. Religion refers to man’s relationship with God or the Supreme Absolute Truth; it is neither a mere ritual, nor a set of regulations, nor a conglomeration of mental speculations concocted by man. Actual religion is to know God and one’s relationship to Him. And this is not possible unless God reveals who and what He is and reveals man’s relationship to Him. It is not that we can artificially say, “Oh, I think God is this, so I think if I do this or this I will become God, and then I’ll be happy.” One who invents in this way may be well intentioned, but he is actually misguiding himself and others.
The purpose of the Bhagavad-gita is to reveal to man what God is and to establish man’s relationship with God. Lord Krsna says, “In order to deliver the pious and annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent My self millennium after millennium.” (Gita 4.8) The Gita is like a play enacted for this purpose. Arjuna, who is actually an elevated devotee, puts himself on the level of an ignorant man in order that Krsna may reveal His Divine Self to him and enunciate the dharma of Kali Yuga. In the beginning of the Eleventh Chapter, Arjuna requests, “If You think, my Lord, that I am able to behold Your cosmic form, O Lord of all mystic powers, then please reveal to me Your universal Self.” (Gita 11.4) Krsna then reveals to Arjuna “whatever you want to see,” contained in His body all at once. He shows him “hundreds of thousands of varied divine forms, multicolored like the sea.” In an attempt to describe this unprecedented sight, Sanjaya said, “If the radiance of thousands of suns were to burst forth all at once in the sky, that might resemble the mighty splendor of the Lord.” (Gita 11.12) Actually, the form revealed on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, which is called the visva-rupa or universal form, is not the ultimate form of the Lord. Arjuna, being Krsna’s devotee, knew that this form was not ultimate. The visva-rupa is a material form revealed in the material universe to those who cannot easily accept the personal two-armed form of the Lord as ultimate. Therefore, the Lord reveals Himself impersonally as the cosmos, containing all varieties of living beings, mountains, forests, earths, planets and so on. This was revealed as an example whereby man can have some criteria for verifying an incarnation of the Lord. If someone is claiming to be God and is trying to establish a religion, then one has the right, like Arjuna, to request to see his universal form. If he reveals this universal form, then one would have no doubts about offering him worship. It is not that Krsna played word games with Arjuna by telling him, “This is My universal form that is before you, O Arjuna, but you cannot see it now because your vision is faulty.” No, Arjuna requested to see the vision, and Krsna delivered it immediately. Our Vision of God is not dependent on our limited perception, otherwise we would never see Him. Krsna delivered not only the vision but the means whereby Arjuna was to see it. “But you cannot see Me with your present eyes. Therefore do I give you divine eyes, so that you can behold My mystic opulence.” (Gita 11.8)
Actually Arjuna was not interested in seeing this form, for being a pure devotee he was interested only in the personal two-armed form of Krsna. It is not possible to render service or enter into a loving relationship with the visva-rupa. Upon seeing this form, Arjuna, though a great warrior, trembled and lost all equilibrium, being unable to understand the fierce form displayed. Therefore, after the visva-rupa was revealed to him, Arjuna requested to see once again God’s personal form. “After seeing this universal form which I have never seen before I am gladdened, but at the same time my mind is disturbed with fear. Therefore please reveal Your form as the Personality of Godhead.’’(Gita 11.45) Then Krsna returned to His human-like form, which “even the demigods are ever eager to see.” Thus the visva-rupa is a revelation to show man the extent and opulence of the Supreme and to give him a guideline with which to reject imposters who claim to be God without having the powers of the Supreme.
The rest of the Gita is devoted to the outlining of the various paths wherein one can enter into a relationship with Krsna by means of meditation on the Supersoul within the heart, study of the scriptures (jnana-yoga), work in a spirit of renunciation (karma-yoga), and the culmination, devotional service unto the Lord (bhakti-yoga). Thus, in the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna establishes a science of religion by showing what God is and how man can relate to Him and ultimately attain Him.
Only God is able to establish religion in this way, and because of this Lord Krsna is called the guru of gurus by Sankaracarya. This means that spiritual masters acknowledge Him to be the ultimate authority. One is not really a guru if he doesn’t follow the sastras for guidance, for by manufacturing his own way he is liable to mislead others. A guru is not a man who writes his own scriptures and gathers disciples for his own glorification. When Sanatana Gosvami asked Lord Caitanya how one can know whether or not the guru is a bona fide avatara, Lord Caitanya answered, “The medium is sastra. The medium is guru.”
Whether the guru is a genuine avatara must be determined through the sastras. An incarnation never says, “I am an incarnation.” Nor does an avatara canvass for students. Because of his superior qualities, he is automatically accepted. The scriptures give evidence that at such and such a time an avatara will descend from Krsna’s abode, his father’s name will be this, His birthplace will be that, and so on. All these evidences were given in the sastras for Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but Caitanya never claimed to be an avatara, although He is the Supreme Godhead Himself.
Aside from being foretold by scriptures, a guru can be verified by parampara. That is to say he himself may not be mentioned in the scriptures, but he must follow in a line of disciples from an avatara who is mentioned. For example, our spiritual master is in the disciplic succession stemming from Lord Caitanya in the Fifteenth Century. Of course, Lord Caitanya, being an avatara, could have begun His own disciplic succession, but He accepted the succession coming from Lord Krsna, Brahma, Narada, Vyasa, etc.
The guru never contradicts scripture. This means that he never contradicts Lord Krsna. When Lord Krsna says, “Offer Me fruits and grains,” the guru doesn’t say that one should offer Him meat, eggs and wine. When Krsna says, “Worship Me,’’ the guru does not say worship the void. When Krsna says, “Surrender unto Me,” the guru does not say surrender unto one’s own mental speculations. Like the wheels of a train, guru and Krsna run down the same track.
One may ask. “Why is the guru necessary? Isn’t scripture enough?” Actually the Protestant movements within Catholicism asked this very question, and they ultimately rejected the Pope as their guru and relied completely upon individual interpretation of the Bible. Before this, the Church of Rome had remained unified for 1500 years, but as soon as they rejected their unifying head, the Pope, they did not simply splinter into two or three groups but into hundreds and hundreds of various Protestant sects. Christianity lost its power due to this faction.
The rejection of the Pope by the Protestants may be justified, for since the time of Peter the divine powers of the Papacy have been steadily declining due to corruption, and during the Babylonian Captivity the line of disciplic succession was broken. Granted the Catholic Church has been plagued with nepotism and simony, but this does not mean that the process of disciplic succession under a singular head should be rejected per se. The Pope or guru should be rejected, however, if he contradicts scripture or the divine holy sages (sadhus) who write scripture under the dictations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Factually the Protestants argued that because the Pope and the Church had, in their worldliness, deviated from the message of Christ, they were fully justified in rejecting them and relying solely upon scriptures.
This is an understandable course but a very dangerous one, especially when one is following the Bible for scripture. The Bible is filled with many allegories, proverbs, metaphors, parables and paradoxes and consequentely can be interpreted in infinite ways. Therefore, Protestantism, with the doctrine of individual interpretation, could not remain unified. In The Everlasting Gosple, William Blake poked fun at the inevitable diversity of Biblical interpretation in this way:
The Vision of Christ that thou dost see
Is my vision’s greatest enemy.
Thine has a great hook nose like thine,
Mine has a snub nose like to mine.
Thine is the friend of all mankind;
Mine speaks in parables to the blind.
Thine loves the same world that mine hates;
Thy heaven doors are my hell gates.
Both read the Bible day and night,
But thou read’st black where I read white.
Due to imperfect senses and due to a tendency to cheat, which are characteristic of every man, the scriptures are better received through a perfectly realized medium. If one wants to study chemistry, mathematics, geography or physics, he does not simply check a chemistry or physics book out of the library and sit down and begin reading. No, he buys the books, attends the lectures in the university, takes notes of the professor’s lectures, does the assigned reading, takes the examination, and finally writes a thesis under the guidance of his professor. If mundane science is so difficult that one needs a teacher in addition to the textbooks, how much more does one need a teacher for the supreme science—the science of God. Not to speak of physics or chemistry, if one wants to learn how to drive a car, he does not simply sit down with a textbook. He has someone who knows how to drive a car teach him. If a teacher is needed just to learn about a mundane exterior process, how much more does one need a teacher to understand the mystical interior process of self-realization? So just as professors and textbooks are necessary for the understanding of a material science, the guru and scriptures are necessary for the understanding of the spiritual science of Krsna. Therefore, Lord Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita, “Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Gita 4.34)
Personally I have had practical experience in trying to understand the Bhagavad-gita both alone and with a guru. When I was teaching at Ohio State University in 1964, my officemate, Dr. Mohan Lal Sharma, who was Punjabi, gave me a number of Hindu scriptures to read. We were both interested in the literature of Nineteenth Century American Transcendentalism (Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, Hawthorne), and in order to show me a mystical background that extended beyond the Bible, he loaned me a copy of Bhagavad-gita and Sankaracarya’s Viveka-cudamani. I read the Gita twice and was very interested, but somehow or other I could not understand the meaning of Krsna either as a person or a force. Sankaracarya made much better sense to me because he insisted on the Self much as Whitman did, but I misinterpreted this to mean my own finite self in perfection. After all, according to Sankara, nothing exists but the Self. I was right in the sense that I did not exist apart from the Self, but I was wrong in relegating the Self to my own finitude. When I read in Bhagavad-gita that Lord Krsna said that He was the Self seated in the hearts of all, I identified this Self with the Self in Sankara and so considered Krsna to be none other than a personified spokesman for my own finite self. The idea that Krsna was God delivering a message to me, a finite creature who was but a part of Him, never crossed my mind.
In 1965, in New York, I re-read Gita for the third time in a different translation, and just because there was a cover picture of Krsna standing in a chariot and instructing Arjuna, I conceptualized Krsna to be the higher Self that was within me instructing the lower self. In both cases, I was relegating the Infinite to my own finitude. I remembered nothing about the first reading, and the second reading left me so dissatisfied that I put the book aside for the Zen Teaching of Huang Po. Because I could not superimpose the Personality of Krsna on my own finite personality, I found impersonal discourses in terms of the one mind to have more meaning. But this only carried me so far, and I got very tired of walking down St. Mark’s Place saying to myself, “That which you see before you is the one mind—begin to reason about it and you at once fall into error.” As a mantra, this has limitations. At this point, I felt a sudden urge, a deep need, to find someone who could teach me something about realization.
Feeling I had exhausted all American literary and psychedelic possibilities, I left for India in 1965 with some vague notions of finding a guru who could direct me. I only emerged from this trip in 1966 with the conviction that India didn’t have the answer and that she was only capable of giving me the dysentery. However, on the trip I read Bhagavad-gita again and was told by a Nepalese boy who played a flute that wherever the flute is played Krsna is present. Although he called himself a Buddhist, his eyes lit up when he spoke of Krsna, and it was obvious that Krsna was much more real to him that the Tathagatas of the Sutras, which he probably never read. And when in India, while trying to sleep on a train from Bombay to Delhi that stopped at every station where the sounds of hawkers, music and cows would awaken me, I somehow strongly felt that the sounds I was hearing were weaving themselves into a song which was the song of Bhagavad-gita. This was a song not only of India, but of the entire creation. Somehow or other, I realized the Gita, but not Bhagavan. I heard the Song, but knew nothing of the singer. Krsna was still a perplexing question mark that I preferred not to give much thought to.
It was only after I returned from India that I met His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada walking down Houston Street near Second Avenue. After listening to him talk about the Bhagavad-gita every morning for several months, Krsna suddenly became more than a name in a book. He became that person for whom I have always yearned.
I feel safe in saying that the Gita would have always remained enigmatic to me had not the explanations of the spiritual master and the Hare Krsna mantra which he delivered to me opened that locked door. Actually we are all prisoners of conditioned life, and no amount of literature within the prison can free us. We can only be freed by someone from the outside. Then once freed we can read these great literatures in their true light.
Guru, sadhu, sastra. These can always be compared, and they should never contradict. The sadhus are the servants of the Lord. And the scriptures are the words of the Lord. They do not contradict because Krsna is the center of all of them. The Protestants used to complain that the Pope came between the individual and God and obscured God. But this is not the case with the real guru. The real guru is a transparent medium through which God is perceived. He actually delivers his disciples to God. He is likened to a cowherd boy who leads the cows down to the water. Once the cows are at the reservoir, they drink of the waters of the Lord themselves. In the same way the guru leads the soul out of the slum of conditioned life, down the narrow streets of purification, on to the broad avenues of the dharma, into the heavenly city of God. Therefore the sastras say, “By the grace of Krsna one gets guru, and by the grace of guru one gets Krsna.” When Krsna sees that a student is sincere, He sends the spiritual master who can instruct him in the ways of purification so that finally he may be able to attain ultimate happiness—the reestablishment of his eternal relationship with Krsna.
Nonviolence
Nonviolence
—by Damodara das Adhikari
(ISKCON—Washington, D. C.
War is inevitable: an eye for an eye, dog eat dog, kill or be killed. Human history is a history of wars. Lust, anger and greed run amok in our minds, and for the sake of power and increased facilities for sense gratification, we become less than the animals. War is misery; and after victory there is still more misery, for the victor must protect himself against new opponents.
Violence does not necessarily mean political warfare. It can be seen in smaller groups as well, in wars of minds, personalities and egos. Each combatant is trying to successfully lord it over the others, hoping he can thereby satisfy himself. Even within the individual there is war, as he strives to overcome his conflicting desires
Even the millions of viruses, bacilli, and microbes within the body are engaged in a fierce struggle to gain predominance. Just to walk outside on a cold, rainy day is to participate in another war, defending ourselves against the attacks of an unfriendly environment. Where does it end? Death itself is the greatest opponent, the fact that frustrates a lifetime of aspirations. Who can conquer death? No one. Material life is war, and from the very beginning of hostilities, our defeat is sure. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita (11.27): “For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain.” So it is not so that when death comes we can at last have peace. No. Not at all. That is just the beginning of more conflict and misery. The mothers of the war dead may wail for peace, the poets may sing the longing for peace in their funeral dirges of a war-torn world; but as long as there is birth and death, there must be war. And love, unless directed toward the all-blissful resolution of all struggles, Sri Krsna, cannot end this war.
Krsna has kindly spoken the Bhagavad-gita to His friend Arjuna just for our sake. He tells us how to achieve actual nonviolence, how to be liberated in the supreme peace, Brahman-nirvana. Oddly enough, however, He is simultaneously telling Arjuna to engage in fighting as a warrior on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. Even more baffling to us, He is asking him to kill his teacher, his cousins, and other intimate and venerated associates! At this point, we might well conclude that we have come to the wrong place to study nonviolence. It is the assurance of all Vedic authorities, however, that nonviolence can be achieved by following the Bhagavad-gita, so let us take the counsel of these great souls.
Arjuna offers the best arguments for nonparticipation in the fighting. He pleads that he has no desire to enjoy the fruits of victory, especially when those with whom he would want to share the fruits will be dead. He states that he cannot contradict the will of the revered persons standing against him. He says that it is sinful to kill them and that their greed is no excuse for his sinking to their level. Arjuna thinks that the family, with so many of its members destroyed will become corrupt and irreligious, polluting the community. He concludes that he would rather be killed unresisting than engage in killing.
Arjuna declares: “Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing ourselves to commit great sinful acts, driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness.’’ (Gita, 1.45)
He throws down his bow and arrows and announces his plan to become a beggar, hoping thereby to practice a nonviolent life. This is what we would expect from a spiritually advanced person like Arjuna, but Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, exhorts him to fight. Throughout the entire Gita, He repeatedly encourages Arjuna to do battle.
What’s more, in the most spectacular section of the Gita, the Eleventh Chapter, Krsna reveals His universal form to Arjuna, who exclaims in terror as he sees the soldiers on the warfield being killed by the all-pervading person: “Every one of them is rushing into Your mouths, his head smashed by Your fearful teeth.
And some I see being attacked between the teeth as well … I see You devouring all people in Your blazing mouths and covering all the universe by Your immeasureable rays. Scorching the worlds, You are manifest.” (Gita, 11.17) So it seems that, of all destructive persons, Lord Krsna is supreme. And yet another name of His is Hari, which means one who can rescue us from the miseries of material life. How is it that He who is supremely violent can also be supremely peaceful?
The key to understanding this transcendental point is knowledge of the difference between matter and spirit. In our present situation, this refers to the difference between the body and the person. The person, or spirit soul, is not the same as his material body. According to the Bhagavad-gita, the person is a spiritual body covered up by a series of layers called false ego, intelligence, mind and body. The violence rejected by Arjuna and then shown to be inevitable by Krsna takes place on the bodily level. Krsna wastes no time telling this to His friend:
“No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul. Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasureable and eternal living entity is subject to destruction; therefore, fight, O descendent of Bharata.” (Gita, 11.17–18)
We must remember that Krsna is not an ordinary general building morale in his troops. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is not concerned with material victories or defeats. His only concern is that all living entities come back to Him and enjoy with Him.
“The self slays not nor is slain.” says Krsna. And by His instructions, Krsna begins to turn Arjuna’s consciousness from a limited vision of a grassy plain filled with temporary bodies to a sublime understanding of spiritual activity—developing the life of the eternal body in peaceful devotional service to Him. “Free from attachment and aversion,” Arjuna will ride into battle, knowing that his apparent violence is really nonviolence. Following the Supreme Lord’s order, he is beyond the actions and reactions of the material nature, so he is doing no violence to himself; and inasmuch as all the warriors have been already vanquished by Krsna in His form as inevitable time, Arjuna is only acting as Krsna’s instrument. It would be absurd to consider this attitude as being on the same level as the Nazi Eichmann’s statement, “I just followed orders.” Eichmann followed Hitler, the dying politician, and Arjuna is following Krsna, the Supreme eternal Person. The difference is obvious.
Yet it cannot he denied that swords and bows and arrows were being used, blood was flowing, and material bodies were dying on the battlefield. In a material sense, it certainly was violent. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains this nicely in his purports of The Bhagavad-gita As It Is:
“For the administration of justice, so-called violence is permitted. A surgical operation is not meant to kill the patient, but is for his cure.”
Still, this nonviolence is not what we have been accustomed to call nonviolence . Our acquaintance with the doctrine has been by way of an ethical, moral arrangement. Although the basis of this arrangement is material consciousness, at least it is the most justifiable aspect of materialism, the mode of goodness. Relative goodness, however, can easily blind us to the persistent violence of the world of birth and death. The humanitarian is kindly toward all those living beings of his species, but he does not hesitate to eat a cow or a chicken and burp complacently. Would he eat a human? No. Why does he eat a chicken? Because he is not broadminded enough to extend his magnanimity to communities with bodies unlike his. In other words, he claims to be philanthropic, but actually he is selfish. He is helping out the people who are like him and eating the people who are not like him.
So, in response to this particular problem, we find that many people have at least become vegetarians, which is certainly laudable. But there is still a problem. It is not that easy to jump out of maya’s stringent punitive system. Even if we restrict our diet to vegetables, fruits and grains, we must accept a reaction from killing a potato or hurting an apple tree, because even these nonmoving living entities are people; they just have simpler bodies than you or I. They have life, and they can feel pain. So we still are left with our hands dirtied by violence, in spite of our good intentions.
Similarly, in politics, many have tried nonviolence as a means toward their particular ends. Gandhi is the most familiar example. But in the last days of his life Gandhi was distraught because his passive resistance had simply engendered violence, even among his own followers; and he himself was killed by an assassin’s bullet.
Even though such material nonviolence is pathetic in its failure to achieve its avowed purpose of peace, Krsna does advocate nonviolence of this more generally recognized variety as a code of conduct. In the seventh verse of the Thirteenth Chapter of the Gita, He mentions it, along with humility, pridelessness, tolerance, simplicity, and other good character traits, in “an aggregate called knowledge.” So Lord Krsna certainly has a high regard for nonviolence. But let us look at Srila Prabhupada’s purport to the verse to clarify the concept:
‘‘Nonviolence is generally taken to mean not killing or destroying the body; but actually nonviolence means not to put others into distress. People in general are trapped by ignorance in the material concept of life, and they perpetually suffer material pains. So, without elevating people to spiritual knowledge, one is practicing violence. One should try his best to distribute real knowledge to the people, so that they may become enlightened and leave this material entanglement. That is nonviolence.”
So ours is not a passive process. A devotee does not want to disturb other people. He does not want to hurt them. He wants to help them get out of suffering. He offers vegetarian foodstuffs to the Supreme Lord, and even though there is some killing and pain involved, the offering enables the plant to advance to a higher stage of life in his next birth. As for humans, he asks them to chant Hare Krsna and feel the bliss of association with the Lord. Now, Arjuna was asked by Krsna to kill, but that was an extraordinary circumstance. Since the Supreme Personality of Godhead was personally present on the battlefield, all who died there in His presence were liberated from the material world. So there is no question of violence. Krsna gave them the greatest gift.
Nonviolence, as also humility, tolerance, etc., is not meant to be taken as an isolated aspect of moral behavior. It is one facet of a transcendental process of purification from material contamination. Part of that material contamination is the mode of goodness; so the yogi should be able, when the occasion arises, to reject even moral behavior and do what is necessary to serve Krsna. Devotees are usually vegetarian, but if they must eat a dog to stay alive to serve Krsna, then they will eat a dog. It is not recommended to eat dogs, however, and similarly it is not recommended to be violent in a bodily sense. Actually it is possible to become completely liberated from attachment to sense gratification only after the point of being elevated to the material mode of goodness. Suta Gosvami says in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, “As soon as loving service is irrevocably fixed in one’s heart, the effects of nature’s modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from one’s heart, and one becomes fixed in the mode of goodness which makes him completely happy. When a person of enlivened mind is thus affected by the contact of devotional service to the Lord, he can, in the stage of liberation from all material association, gain positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead.”
Development of the mode of goodness may make a person completely happy on the material platform, but we can understand from the Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic sources that this happiness is still on the temporary platform, and, conditioned by material happiness in the mode of goodness, one is obligated to continue in the material struggle for existence. However, if one can understand Krsna by contact with devotional service, he becomes eligible to escape entirely from the conflicts and miseries of the material world and return to his eternal position in the spiritual world. So the separate cultivation of nonviolence, or any other individual quality in the mode of goodness, is of no particular value. Nonviolence should be understood as merely a small part of a transcendental whole. If one takes to the process of devotional service in Krsna consciousness, he automatically develops all the transcendental qualities characteristic of the modes of goodness and can, in addition, free himself from all material conditioning. We must not be misled. Srila Prabhupada clarifies this in The Bhagavad-gita As It Is: “To pursue the transcendental path is more or less to declare war on illusory energy.”
Krsna is supremely destructive. In His form as material time, He is killing millions of bodies daily. But that is all part of our desire; and part of His subsequent plan is to show us that real enjoyment is enjoyment according to His desire, not according to our plan for satisfying a miserable material body. So in the end, Krsna’s activities are all nonviolent because His only purpose is to give peace. (The only place where there is no war is in the spiritual sky, where Krsna has His abode.)
We must declare war on maya, or illusion, and on her influence over our activities, if we are to become purified. Once having attained Krsna consciousness, however, there is no more war. The pure devotee is not touched by maya. He sees how the material nature is serving Krsna nicely deluding the fallen souls again and again until they slowly learn to take shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna and become freed from maya’s laws.
Our present separation from Krsna is not caused by innocence or lack of knowledge. We are aware of what we’re doing. We envy Krsna. We hate Him and the thought of bowing down to Him; we want to be Krsna. We are rebellious criminals; this world is a jailhouse where we continually riot, living like dogs and hogs.
To get out, we have to listen to the spiritual master, who is sometimes compared to a king visiting a penitentiary—he is not subject to its laws. But many people are trying to get out the wrong way. They are accepting the advice of puffed-up philosophers who claim it is possible to storm the gates separating them from the world of freedom. These philosophers are telling the inmates, “You are God. Everything is perfect. Everything is love. It doesn’t make any difference. Nothing exists. We are all one. Do whatever you want to do.” Of course, such philosophers used to live very strict lives, reading difficult literature, restraining their diet and their sex life, in order to be always situated in the highest aspect of this kind of consciousness, which is called merging with God. Actually they are no different from the usual egotistical inmates of the cosmic prisonhouse, but they have rarified their egotism to an amazing extent. The inmates in general, however, do not have the ability to do this, and the result is that their envy of God, instead of being controlled, becomes whipped up by the philosophers’ statements, and they indulge in an unrestricted riot of sense gratification, imagining that thereby they can get out of the grey walls of the prison.
These philosophers, who maintain that God is impersonal energy or impersonal nothingness and that everything and everyone is therefore God, are murderers. They are not murdering bodies; they are murdering souls, people. They are casting souls down and down, farther into hell, by their demonic doctrines of rebellion against Krsna. So if we are looking for real violence, we can find it here. Of course, these persons are very often outwardly gentle and magnanimous, dressed in robes, calling themselves holy men, revered by crowds of followers. But what they most seek after is nothing but spiritual suicide, annihilation of their personality in the radiance of the supreme. Violence means destruction, and the worst form of violence is destruction of reality, or the spirit. To think of myself as God is to commit violence, both to myself and others.
The pathway to this violence is material. A man may take up religion in order to get some material benefit, a business deal with God—it’s common enough. Then, having achieved his economic benefit, he can take up advanced sense gratification. And finally, after having been through all the “kicks” of maya, he tires of it all and seeks liberation from matter. He is then ready to listen to the philosopher who will tell him he is God.
The fighting ends when one surrenders to Krsna or His representative. We must admit: “I am not God, I am fool number one.” That is self realization. “I am lower than the straw in the street. I am the most fallen, so please, Krsna, come to me first.” Krsna is beyond us, inexplicable; if we surrender to His grace, then He will gladly pull us out of the material mire and wash us in the ocean of spiritual bliss.
What is the fighting about? We are fighting against ourselves and against God. How silly it is. Krsna has won anyway. He has killed our bodies millions of times, in hopes that we’ll learn something from it. So let’s give up this vain fighting! Surrender to Krsna! Then there will be peace.
After the Battle of Kuruksetra, when the great devotee Bhismadeva was lying on a bed of arrows, ready to give up his body, he spoke many verses to the Lord, who was next to him. In one verse, Bhisma says: “Let Him, Lord Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who awards salvation to others, become my ultimate destination. Being wounded by my arrows, His shield was scattered and His body was smeared with blood from the wounds, and He therefore moved towards me in an angry mood as if he were my aggressor.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.9.38)
In the previous verse, Bhismadeva had said that Krsna ran at him “just like a lion goes to kill an elephant.” This is actual nonviolence, because Bhisma’s mind was always fixed on the form of the all blissful Lord. Bhisma wanted to see Krsna as a valiant warrior, so Krsna, out of His boundless mercy, gave to His pure devotee what the devotee wanted.
If we follow Bhismadeva, we will have peace. The following is a description from the authoritative scripture Brahma-samhita of the peaceful atmosphere of Krsna’s eternal spiritual planet, Goloka, the ultimate destination of the devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead:
“In Krsna’s abode the ground is made of touchstone, and the trees are all desire trees, giving any fruit that you desire for Krsna. And the cows that they have are all surabhi, giving fountains and fountains of milk endlessly. And Radha and Krsna are seated on a throne decorated with all valuable jewels. They are served by hundreds of thousands of girls who are all goddesses of fortune. I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the source of all sources.” (Brahma-samhita, 5.29)
Sankirtana
Sankirtana
Sometimes friends look at pictures of sankirtana which are gathered from various cities, and they become curious to recognize the locale: “Oh, that is downtown New York.” “That must be Seattle.” “There is Vancouver.” “There’s Hawaii.” But as long as there are devotees chanting the holy names of God, it is misleading to say that they are in New York or Seattle or Vancouver or Hawaii. The version of the Vedic literatures is that the chanters of the name of God become immediately situated in the spiritual sky. Our real self is not our body; real life is proven by consciousness, which is a symptom of the spirit soul. (For example, at the time of death, the body is still there, but bereft of consciousness it is considered lifeless.) The real self, spirit soul, has his eternal abode in the kingdom of God, and he can go there when he becomes purified and develops his love for God. This abode of God cannot be reached by a mundane geographical journey or by purchasing an airplane ticket, but one does not have to wait until the time of death to experience the spiritual sky. By purifying the senses of his present body, one can feel his original nature, which is sac-cid-ananda, eternity, bliss and knowledge. This is most easily done by chanting the holy names of God, Hare Krsna, Hare Rama. Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has declared, “I am not in the heart of the yogi, and I am not in the forest where the sages are meditating, but I am present where My devotees are chanting My glories.’’ When His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada visits any city and gives instructions in Krsna consciousness, that city becomes a place of holy pilgrimage. Similarly, when his disciples who are sincerely following the regulative principles of devotional life chant in the streets of New York or Hawaii, those streets lose their mundane identification and become holy sites because of the fully empowered appearance of Krsna, the Supreme Lord, in His sound incarnation. In other words, because God appears in His name, wherever the chanting of Hare Krsna is carried on, the atmosphere becomes purified and transcendental. The sankirtana party is a transcendental festival for all people, inviting them to enter the spiritual sky in fully blissful consciousness. Everyone can achieve love for God, and this can be practically experienced by the practice of sankirtana. Anyone can then experience that he is not a part of Broadway or Hollywood Boulevard or Waikiki, which are temporary places soon to perish, nor is one ultimately a part of Christianity or Hinduism or any national or racial designation, which are subject to change with the change of the body. One’s pure self is eternally the servant of God, and to be engaged in the loving service of God is our natural eternal activity.
The Prayers of Akrura
The Prayers of Akrura
—by Satsvarupa das Adhikari
(ISKCON—Boston)
Akrura, a devotee of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, achieved perfection by his notable prayers. In his book Easy Journey to Other Planets, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada describes nine processes of realizing God. It is said that perfection of human life and entrance into the spiritual kingdom are guaranteed by execution of any or all of the nine items of devotional activity, and it is recommended that we execute these processes, following in the footsteps of great devotees. A partial list of the nine great devotees who achieved success simply by perfecting one process reads as follows: Maharaja Pariksit achieved perfection by hearing the Srimad-Bhagavatam from Sukadeva Gosvami. Sukadeva Gosvami achieved perfection by reciting the Srimad-Bhagavatam to Maharaja Pariksit. Akrura, the charioteer of Krsna, achieved perfection by praying to the Lord.” The Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the transcendental literature containing the most full descriptions of Sri Krsna, includes Akrura’s long prayer, composed spontaneously in the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead when Akrura was carrying Krsna and Balarama by chariot from Vrndavana to Mathura. The circumstances under which he prayed are very wonderful because they involve the pastimes of Lord Krsna.
Lord Krsna was raised incognito as a cowherd boy in Vrndavana in order to prevent His being killed by His uncle, Kamsa, who had heard an omen that the child had come into the world to kill him. When Krsna was sixteen, the sage Narada went before Kamsa and revealed to him Krsna’s real identity and whereabouts. In fear of his life, the demon Kamsa then arranged for the killing of Krsna and His elder brother Balarama. Kamsa was the ruler of Mathura Province, and he at once arranged for a gala wrestling match and ritualistic sacrifice to be performed in the heart of the city. Kamsa called for Akrura and asked him to go to Vrndavana to invite Krsna and His father, Nanda Maharaja, and the cowherd men to join in the festivities at Mathura. Kamsa was the ruler of all the citizens of Mathura, and
he considered Akrura to be his trustworthy agent. On the instructions of Kamsa, Akrura set out for Vrndavana in his chariot, thinking that although he was on a mission for Krsna’s enemy Kamsa, Krsna, as Supersoul present in everyone’s heart, would know his real feeling. Akrura was a devotee of Lord Krsna, and as he traveled all day in his chariot he remained wrapped in thought, anticipating the sight of the beloved Supreme Lord. He was certain that simply seeing the Lord would cleanse him of all sinful reactions and make his life perfect.
Just outside of Vrndavana he observed the footprints of Krsna, which are decorated by special markings—a lotus flower, a rod, a flag and an umbrella. Akrura lost all mental equilibrium at the sight of the actual footprints of Sri Krsna, and he jumped out of his chariot and fell onto the ground, shedding tears and crying, “How wonderful it is! How wonderful it is!”—touching his head onto the footprints of the Supreme Lord.
When they learned that Akrura had come to take Krsna away to Mathura, Krsna’s most intimate devotees, the gopis, cowherd girls of Vrndavana, were put into madness of grief at the idea of separation from their beloved. They cried out against the cruelty of providence and also expressed displeasure with Akrura: “You are cruel, although your name is not cruel.” (Akrura means “not cruel.”) Krsna and His brother Balarama, as well as His father and mother, Nanda and Yasoda, and many of the cowherd men, accepted the invitation to attend the wrestling match in Mathura, and thus they prepared to go, bringing offerings of butter and milk products. Akrura took Krsna and Balarama in his chariot and, despite the gopis’ blocking his way in a desperate attempt to keep Krsna from leaving, set out on the journey to Mathura bearing his two glorious passengers.
It is described that Krsna and Balarama asked Akrura to stop the chariot after some time so that They might bathe in the River Yamuna. When They had finished Their bathing, Akrura requested that He might bathe also. While Rama and Krsna waited on the chariot, Akrura entered the water of the river. To his surprise, however, he saw the two brothers, Krsna and Balarama, within the water of the Yamuna. He was certainly confused, since he had just left Them sitting in the chariot. Akrura at once emerged, returned to the chariot and, indeed, saw the two brothers seated as before. He was then doubtful as to what he had seen in the water, and he returned to the river. This time he saw Krsna in the water in His expansion-form of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, the source of the universe, and he saw Balarama as the white Ananta, or snake incarnation, which is always present with Visnu, serving as His hood or couch while the Lord is resting on the causal water. It is described that Akrura saw “the four-handed Supreme Personality of Godhead, smiling very beautifully with His beautiful face. He was very pleasing to all and was looking toward everyone. Surrounding His Lordship were His intimate associates like the four Kumaras, demigods like Siva and Brahma, and devotees like Narada and Prahlada—all offering prayers to the Lord.” Seeing the situation of the Personality of Godhead, Akrura was overwhelmed with great devotion, and he experienced transcendental shivering in his body. Maintaining his pure consciousness, however, he bowed his head before the Lord and, with folded hands and faltering voice, began to compose his prayers: “My dear Lord, I pay my respectful obeisances unto You because You are the supreme cause of all causes and the original inexhaustible personality, Narayana.”
Akrura first acknowledged Krsna to be the source of all sources. Certainly this must be a quality of God. Scrutinize any object in the material or spiritual worlds and trace out its origin or source—ultimately all things go back to one absolute source, or God. As the controller, He controls all other sources; all sources emanate from Him, and He Himself needs no source other than Himself. This is not offered as a research proposition, but is to be accepted as the Vedic conclusion. That the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the source of all sources, although inconceivable, can be accepted on the strength of higher authorities. Just as if one wants to know who one’s father is, the only authority for that information is his mother, the authority for transcendental knowledge is the Veda, scripture. Transcendental knowledge originates from the Personality of the Absolute Truth and descends through His pure devotees.
As the source of all sources, God is also the source of knowledge about Himself. Man cannot know the source of all sources by his speculative mental power. It is not a matter for research. It is said in the Brahma-samhita that if one rides on the airplane which runs at the speed of mind (it can take you to India in a second), and if one travels at that speed for millions of years, he will find the spiritual sky to be unlimited. It is not possible even to approach it. If we attempt to reach this knowledge of the cause of all causes by inductive reasoning, we cannot reach the goal. We will go on experimenting, thinking, “There may be some cause existing somewhere which I have not traced back to God.” In Sanskrit this is called aroha, or the ascending process, and it cannot work for reaching, transcendental knowledge. But it is said in the Brahma-samhita, “Krsna, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, and He is the prime cause of all causes.” Brahma-samhita is an authoritative scripture and is accepted by the disciplic line of spiritual masters. Although Krsna is very difficult to understand, one can very easily learn about Krsna from the authentic sastras and from the devotee of Krsna. As the cause of all causes, God is also the cause of bringing the Vedic literature into the world, and He is the cause of the pure devotees who move among fallen souls distributing love of Krsna. And because He Himself is beyond any cause, the Lord bestows causeless mercy upon the living entity. Causeless mercy does not depend on the qualification of he who is receiving it. Krsna’s mercy is called causeless because it is not given for any return benefit, but only out of love, whereas in the material world there is always motive or cause. Krsna and Krsna’s devotees are causeless in their mercy. So Akrura’s prayers, although moved by the deepest needs of the heart, are based on the version of the Supreme Lord, as He is, as revealed by scripture and by His pure devotees from time immemorial.
Akrura prays, “You are the original inexhaustible personality.” God is a person; one cannot pray to imperson, and void cannot respond to one’s prayers. Because they are under the influence of the stringent laws of the material energy, the impersonalists find this sublime faith in the Supreme Person to be very distasteful. The impersonalist philosophers think in a material way about the Personality of Godhead, Narayana or Krsna, and they conclude that He cannot be the Absolute Truth. They understand the last word in the Absolute Truth to be the impersonal eternal spirit, Brahman. They understand the Absolute Truth to be distributed everywhere as impersonal. To them, personal identity means materialism, falseness and illusion. They wish to merge with the Brahman. But according to the Bhagavad-gita, that Brahman is but the effulgence of the Supreme Person: “… and I [Krsna] am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal and imperishable, eternal, the constitutional position of ultimate happiness.” (Bhagavad-gita 14.27) That the Absolute Truth is a person is affirmed throughout the Vedic literature: “Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.” (Bhagavad-gita 14.27) “O my Lord, O primeval philosopher, maintainer of the universe, O regulating principle, destination of the pure devotees, well-wisher of the progenitors of mankind, please remove the effulgence of Your transcendental rays so that I can see Your form of bliss. You are the eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead, like unto the sun, as am I.” (Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 16)
He is the chief person, infallible, and His body is nondiffercnt from His soul. He is a person unlike ourselves, who are but parts and parcels of the whole. Because the Absolute Truth has to be inexhaustible, the impersonalists with their material way of thinking cannot accept that He can be a person. But although every person in the in the material world is mortal and subject to the defects of illusion, c heating, and limited knowledge, Krsna is a perfect person, possessed of inexhaustible potencies. That is the verdict of all Vedic literatures and the direction of all scriptures. He did not exhaust Himself by creation of the material cosmos. Although He has distributed Himself everywhere, His personality has not become lost. That distribution of Himself is not a very difficult job for God. Even the sun, a material object, has been distributing unlimited energy for countless years, and it has not become diminished in heat or bereft of its individuality. If we take a piece of paper and rip it into tiny pieces, we may say that the identity of the whole paper is lost, but in the realm of Absolute, Krsna is distributed and yet remains aloof from that distribution. Although nondifferent from the creation which is His energy, He is whole and separate from it. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, “In My transcendental form I pervade all this creation. All things are resting in Me, but I am not in them. Again, everything that is created does not rest on Me. Behold My mystic opulence: Although I am the maintainer of all living entities, and although I am everywhere, still My Self is the very source of creation.” (Bhagavad-gita 9.4–5) Although all creation, spiritual and material, is Krsna’s energy and His energy is nondifferent from Himself, He is aloof from everything and is the eternally enjoying Original Personality. This is the sublime doctrine of simultaneous oneness and difference expounded by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Similarly, the living entity, part and parcel of Krsna, is also one of the energies of Krsna and is qualitatively nondifferent from Him. But at no time can any of the qualitatively equal parts become quantitatively equal to or greater than the whole.
Akrura’s prayers continue thus: “You are the cause of all causes. The elements of this cosmic manifestation—earth, fire, air, sky, egoism and the total material energy, as well as nature, the marginal energy, the living entities, mind, senses, sense objects, and the demigods who control the affairs of this cosmic manifestation—all are produced from Your body. You are the Supersoul of everything, but no one knows Your transcendental form. Everyone who is in this material world is influenced by the modes of material nature. Demigods like Lord Brahma who are covered by the influence of material nature do not exactly know Your transcendental existence, which is beyond the cosmic manifestation and the three modes of material nature.”
Akrura’s prayers of personal expression concur with the version of the standard Vedic literatures. Knowledge of the spiritual sky or of the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be concocted or self-made. It is stated that for such knowledge we have to take assistance from the Vedas. That Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as accepted by Akrura, is confirmed by the highest authority, the Vedas. All classes of transcendentalists who accept the authority of the Vedas, even the impersonalists generally known as Vedantists who are led by Sankaracarya, accept Krsna as the highest authority. Although Sankaracarya is supposed to be an impersonalist, in his commentary to the Bhagavad-gita he reveals himself to be a covered personalist. He writes as follows: ‘‘Krsna, Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond this cosmic manifestation.’’ This is what Akrura also prays as he beholds the transcendental form of Sri Visnu reclining on the snake-couch of Sesa Ananta on the Causal Ocean.
Beholding Visnu, Akrura beholds the spiritual form of the Absolute Truth. Very beautiful in bodily feature and surrounded by hosts of devotees and demigods, Krsna, or God, is the chief person, the source of all persons, and yet He is not like one of the jiva souls who are under the influence of the limiting material energy. He is not covered up; His spirit is not encaged in a body of matter which grows old and is subject to disease and death. There is no difference between His inside and His outside.
Visnu is the controller of this material world, and unlike the countless living entities who pervade all the material planets in the bodies of germs and in gigantic bodies, He is not controlled by time, and He is not subject to transmigration in different deteriorating bodies. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, “Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millenium in My original transcendental form.” (Bg. 4.6) Krsna does everything at His own will, and by that will He sometimes appears in the material world. Nevertheless, He remains unaffected by its material laws, just as a king visiting a prison is not affected by the laws of the prison.
“Except for You,” Akrura prays, “everyone is being carried away by the waves of material nature.” The material nature is so powerful that even the demigods like Brahma are in illusion and do not have knowledge of the spiritual sky and of the nature of the spiritual Personality of Godhead. But by the mercy of the Supreme, if anyone in any species of life surrenders to Him sincerely, he is freed from the deluding energy (maya) and from the stringent laws of nature, and he can be brought up to the spiritual level. This was the special benediction of Lord Caitanya for the especially fallen souls of the present age. Simply by chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, the unfortunate souls of Kali-yuga can cross over millions of births of wandering and attain a spiritual status beyond the material modes. This is achieved simply by switching their dependence from dependence on matter and the energy of illusion to dependence on Krsna and the spiritual energy. And this is done by the guidance of the expert pure devotee or spiritual master. Following the spiritual master and transferring from dependence on illusion to dependence on Krsna is the practical experience of Krsna consciousness.
Akrura prays that the Lord is the universal form. “My dear Lord, the fire is Your mouth, the earth is Your feet, the sun is Your eye, the sky is Your navel, the directions are Your ears, space is Your head, the demigods are Your arms, the oceans and seas are Your abdomen, and the winds and air are Your strength and vitality. All the plants and herbs are the hair on Your body, the clouds are the hair on Your head, the mountains are Your bones and nails, and the days and nights are the twinkling of Your eyelids.”
Akrura pays his obeisances to all the different incarnations, such as the fish incarnation, Lord Rama, Lord Nrsimhadeva, Lord Vamanadeva, Lord Buddha and Lord Kalki.
Finally Akrura admits that he himself is helplessly in illusion regarding spiritual knowledge: “My dear Lord, I am also no different from these conditioned souls. I am falsely thinking myself happy by possessing my home, wife, children, property and effects: in this way I am acting as if in a dreamland because none of these are permanent. I am a fool to be always absorbed in such thoughts, accepting them as permanent and true. My dear Lord, on account of my false identification, I have accepted this nonpermanent material body, which is a source of all kinds of miserable conditions. Being bewildered by such a false concept of life, I am always absorbed in thoughts of duality, and I have forgotten You, who are the reservoir of all transcendental pleasure. I am bereft of Your transcendental association, just like a foolish creature who leaves a lush oasis to search for water in the desert. The conditioned souls want to quench their thirst, but they do not know where to find water. They give up a spot where there is actually a reservoir of water and run into the desert, where there is no water. My dear Lord, I am completely incapable of controlling my mind, which is now driven by unbridled senses, attracted by fruitive activities and their results. My dear Lord, Your lotus feet cannot be appreciated by any person in the conditional stage of material existence, but somehow or other I have come near Your lotus feet, and I consider this to be Your causeless mercy upon me. You can act in any way You please because You are the supreme controller. I can thus understand that it is only by Your causeless mercy that when a person becomes eligible to be delivered from the path of repetition of birth and death he becomes attached to Your causeless devotional service.”
The Srimad-Bhagavatam describes that while Akrura was offering his nice prayers to the Supreme Lord, the Lord disappeared from the vision, just as a dramatic actor changes his dress and assumes his original feature. After the disappearance of the Visnu form, Akrura came out of the water and walked back to the chariot where Krsna and Balarama were sitting. Upon seeing Them, Akrura was struck with wonder. Krsna then asked him whether he had seen something wonderful in the water or in space, and Akrura said, “My dear Lord, all wonderful things that are happening within this world, either in the sky or in the water or on the land, are factually appearing in Your universal form. When I have seen You, what wonderful things remain to be seen? There cannot be anything more wonderful than Your transcendental form.” Krsna had seen that Akrura, approaching from the water, was dumbstruck, and therefore He had asked him, “Have you seen anything wonderful?” But Akrura’s expression indicated that there was nothing more wonderful to be seen than the original form of Krsna.
Akrura had seen Krsna’s universal form, and yet upon seeing the original form of Krsna seated on the chariot as a cowherd boy with two arms holding a flute, Krsna in a bluish hue, wearing beautiful garments and a peacock feather, His hair decorated with flowers, a flower garland around His neck, and accompanied by His brother Balarama, who wore blue clothing and whose complexion was whitish, Akrura felt that this was the greatest thing and that what he had just seen in the water could not compare to it. The devotee Arjuna expressed the same feeling after Krsna revealed the universal form to him on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. After seeing this manifestation, which contained the entire material cosmos, consisting of time and space and innumerable forms, Arjuna requested that he again be allowed to see the original form of Krsna. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that Krsna, having frightened Arjuna with His universal form, displayed His real four-handed form and at last showed Him His two-handed feature, thus encouraging the fearful Arjuna. When Arjuna thus saw Krsna in His original aspect he said, “Seeing this humanlike form so very beautiful, I am now settled in mind and am restored to my original nature.”
The statement of the Vedic literature is that one who knows Krsna knows everything, and once one has seen Krsna he has seen everything wonderful. The appreciation of Krsna in His original form is the highest perfection of spiritual life, beyond awe of His multipotencies, the cosmic manifestation or universal form, the impersonal Brahman, and even the Visnu form.
Akrura could see this original form, but others cannot. The ability to see Krsna is proportionate to the service offered to the Lord; in that proportion He reciprocates. For example, even in our material world everyone is serving something. The materialists are serving maya, the illusory energy, and therefore they sec only maya, not Krsna. The impersonalists are serving that concept of Krsna which is imperceivable, and therefore they cannot perceive Him. The most recognized transcendentalist, however, is the Bhagavata, or devotee, who is serving the personal form of Krsna. Therefore knowledge of how to discriminate between matter and spirit is not sufficient: one must serve the Supreme Spirit, Krsna.
Akrura’s prayers began with philosophical glorification of the Supreme Lord as the total origin and cause of everything and the energetic source of all energy, and the prayers end with the fervent, personal plea that the Lord allow the individual devotee to become attached to His lotus feet in an attitude of loving service. It is very significant that an elevated devotee of Godhead like Akrura does not pray that the Lord grant him material benefits such as daily sustenance, a wife, wealth and good health. (These are already granted by the Lord in accordance with the form of species of body in which one is appearing in this material world.) Nor does the pure devotee pray to God for improvement of the material welfare of the people in terms of temporary prosperity or advancement of the national cause, nor does he pray for temporary cessation of a particular war while neglecting to pray for the solution to all war—the world-wide development of God consciousness. It is stated by the Vedic scriptures that the highest benefit will be derived by all living entities when they submissively hear about and glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When one praises the naturally praiseworthy glories of God according to authoritative understanding of His transcendental qualities, and when others give their submissive aural reception to these prayers or chants or glorification, then it is guaranteed that all involved will move very quickly toward the perfection of life, love of Godhead, and then follows an eternal life of bliss and knowledge in the association of Krsna.
Krsna consciousness is the Absolute Necessity for Mankind in this Age
Krsna consciousness is the Absolute Necessity for Mankind in this Age
—by Jananibas das Brahmacari
(ISKCON—Columbus)
Let me first offer my obeisances to my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya 108 Sri Srimad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Gosvami Maharaj Prabhupada, the acarya for this age, who has opened my eyes with the torchlight of knowledge, having rescued me from the fires of material birth and death. Let me also offer my most humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of Sri Krsna Caitanya, who is more magnanimous than any avatara, even Krsna Himself, because He is bestowing freely what no one else has ever given, pure love of Krsna. Let me offer my obeisances to the Supreme Absolute Truth, Krsna, who is the well-wisher for the cows and the brahmanas as well as for all living entities in general. Let me offer my repeated obeisances to Govinda, who is the pleasure reservoir of all the senses.
The Krsna consciousness movement is the absolute necessity for mankind in this age. Krsna consciousness is the only science that is informing us of our true, eternal position as spirit souls, living entities, constitutionally part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, Krsna. It is presenting the problem of our suffering clearly: we have desired to enjoy independently of Krsna, and therefore He has put the eternal spirit soul in the temporary material body where he can enjoy all he likes. Krsna consciousness gives absolute solution to all suffering; through devotional service to the Supreme Lord the soul, conditioned by material energy, can get rid of lustful contamination and then go back to home, back to Godhead, and return to his original, blissful, constitutional position.
Let us examine how we know the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be Krsna. In Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 10, verse 3, Krsna says, “He who knows Me as the unborn, as the beginningless, as the Supreme Lord of all the worlds—he, undeluded among men, is freed from all sins.” In Chapter 10, verse 12, Arjuna says, “You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal Divine Person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty.” So Arjuna accepts Krsna as God. But who is Arjuna who declares this? We learn in Mahabharata, in which Bhagavad-gita appears, that Arjuna is a pure devotee of Lord Krsna. What is a pure devotee? A pure devotee is an individual fully engaged in bhakti-yoga, the yoga of devotion or of love. This means he renders uninterrupted, unmotivated devotional service to the Lord. For a pure devotee there is not a moment’s lapse in his unqualified loving consideration of the Lord. A devotee is not engaging in bhakti for any selfish reason. He wants nothing for himself and everything for the Supreme Self. And because of the unstinting affection the devotee gives to the Lord, Krsna reveals His personal form, paraphernalia and pastimes to the devotee.
Arjuna, then, has received knowledge by revelation from Krsna Himself that He is the Personality of Godhead. We shall see that an ordinary man cannot sanely make this claim to another man, because he does not possess the required opulences or qualifications of the Personality of Godhead.
We learn in Mahabharata that Arjuna was a pure devotee whose realization of Self was taken away; he was put into gross ignorance during the Battle of Kuruksetra so that Bhagavad-gita could be delivered to him by Krsna, who advented Himself on earth at that time. So in Chapter 10, verse 3, Krsna says that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and in verse 12 Arjuna concurs. But this is not simply a private agreement between friends. In verse 13 Arjuna says, “All the great sages such as Narada, Devala, and Vyasa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.”
The goal of spiritual realization is only one, love of God; the Vedas and all Vedic literature stands as a single comprehensive whole towards this transcendental understanding. All the sacrifices of the Vedas are finally aimed at the Supreme Person, Visnu or Krsna. The essence of the Vedas is presented in the Vedanta-sutra as the complete exposition of the Absolute Truth, and Vedanta is accepted by all classes of transcendental scholars. In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says, “I am seated in everyone’s heart: I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I know Veda as it is.” The goal of Vedantic study, therefore, is to know the Supreme Lord Krsna, and this is also confirmed by the leading acarya of the impersonal school, Sankaracarya, who wrote in his commentary of the Gita: “Narayana [Krsna] is alone above the cosmic manifestation … Krsna, the son of Devaki, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” The sage Parasara declared that the Personality of Godhead can be defined as possessing in full the six opulences of all wealth, all strength, all knowledge, all fame, all beauty and all renunciation, and in the Srimad-Bhagavatam the activities of Krsna reveal that He possesses these opulences in full, and His activities cannot be imitated by any man claiming to be God for gathering the cheap adoration of the public.
We must investigate how Bhagavad-gita is authoritative and who are these sages Arjuna rnentions. The means to understanding this authority is called sampradaya. Sampradaya refers to the chain of disciplic succession. In Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 4, verse 1, it is stated, “The Blessed Lord said, ‘I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of Mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku.’ ” Verse 2 continues, “This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.” Verse 3 goes on, “That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend: therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.”
This science of Bhagavad-gita is coming down to us through sampradaya, through a chain of spiritual masters. The bona fide spiritual master is such that he never deviates from the instructions of the previous acarya. What was first spoken by the supreme authority, that is, the word of God, is being carried down perfectly by the disciplic succession with all care not to adulterate or malinterpret it. In Chapter 4, verse 34 of Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Lord says, “Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” There is, then, a succession of spiritual masters, self-realized individuals known as Brahma-madhva-gaudiya sampradaya of which the present acarya (divine representative) is His Divine Grace Tridandi Gosvami Om Visnupada 108 Sri Srimad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Gosvami Maharaj Prabhupada. He is known to his many disciples as Prabhupada, meaning the master at whose lotus feet all other masters must pay homage. Srila Prabhupada has seen the truth. He is a pure devotee of Lord Krsna. He renders uninterrupted, unmotivated transcendental loving service to the Supreme Person. The truth that he sees is the same Eternal Truth spoken of by by Arjuna, Narada, Asita, Devala, Vyasadeva and so many other liberated sous, and because he sees the Supreme Absolute Truth, Krsna, he can impart this knowledge to others. The teachings that His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada imparts today are the same undistorted teachings of his spiritual master. His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj Prabhupada, who speaks only the word of his spiritual master, who is speaking only his spiritual master’s, etc., in a line of succession traceable to the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna Himself.
Veda means knowledge. The Vedas are understood to have been revealed by Krsna to the heart of Brahma, the demigod empowered with the ability to create this material universe. Lord Brahma gave this Vedic knowledge to Narada Muni. Approximately 5,000 years ago, Narada Muni gave this Vedic knowledge to Vyasadeva. Srila Vyasadeva is an incarnation of Krsna. This incarnation of God played the part of a disciple and became instructed in Veda. We must understand that Srila Vyasadeva, as God, already knew this Vedic knowledge. Still he came to earth and learned it. Why is this? This is part of the Lord’s pastimes. In Chapter 9, verse 11 of Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna says, “The foolish mock at Me, at My descending like a human being. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.” In Chapter 4, verse 7, the Lord says, “Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise in irreligion—at that time I descend My Self.”
Although the Lord descends to this material world and plays with us as a human being, He is still the Supreme Lord. Srila Vyasadeva is an incarnation of Krsna who was given Vedic knowledge on the earth planet by Narada Muni. He descended at a time when men were degenerating. Their minds and memories were becoming more and more deficient, their lifetimes shorter, etc. However, before this time the Vedas were given orally and remembered word for word by the farther-reaching minds of men who had highly developed memories. Due to the degeneration of man’s memory, Srila Vyasadeva divided the Veda into four Vedas and put them in book form: the Rk, Sama, Yajus and Atharva Vedas. He also compiled the Mahabharata, in which Bhagavad-gita appears, and in the mature stage of his realization he compiled the Srimad-Bhagavatam containing the direct pastimes of Sri Krsna and His devotees. Vyasadeva is recognized as an incarnation of the Lord by all the great realized souls as well as by scripture. The word that he set down 5,000 years ago is recognized as the supreme authority on all matters, and it has come to us through the chain of disciplic succession culminating today in His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is the acarya for this age. His Divine Grace speaks only according to the scriptural authority, and the teaching he gives is identical with that of every other acarya in the chain going back to Srila Vyasadeva, the incarnation of the Lord. That is the basis for authoritative knowledge of Absolute Truth.
In Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 18, verse 64, Krsna tells Arjuna, “Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to you the most confidential part of knowledge. Hear this from Me, for it is for your benefit.” And in Chapter 11, verse 54, the Lord says, “My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you; and I can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.” Arjuna, engaged in undivided devotional service to Krsna, His very dear friend, is a pure devotee of the Lord. And by dint of such qualification he is viewing the Supreme Absolute Truth. This Supreme Truth can only be understood by devotional service. And the pure devotee, the acarya in the disciplic succession, is the representative devotee for teaching this word of Krsna. Therefore we must understand this word only as it comes from the acarya and none other.
There are many, many individuals translating Bhagavad-gita from Sanskrit into English, but only one is a pure devotee. All the others are academicians, impersonalists, puffed-up scholars, etc. Only one person is following the Gita perfectly. This is His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Because he is practicing Krsna’s word perfectly and is a realized soul of the highest degree, his word is as good as the Lord’s word.
In the Second Chapter of Gita the Lord tells the preliminary understanding of all spiritual life, as He introduces knowledge of the eternal individual self and its relationship to the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord says, “That which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul.” (2.17) In his purport to this sloka, Srila Prabhupada says, “This verse more clearly explains the real nature of the soul, which is spread all over the body. Anyone can understand what is spread all over the body. It is consciousness. Everyone is conscious about the pains and pleasures of the body in part. This spreading of consciousness is limited within one’s own body. The pains and pleasures of one body are unknown to another. Therefore, each and every body contains an individual soul, and the symptom of the soul’s presence is perceived as individual consciousness.”
Now in the 7th Chapter, 5th verse, the Lord says, “Besides this inferior nature, O mighty Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine which are all living entities who are struggling with material Nature and which sustains the universe.” Srila Prabhupada’s purport to this verse reads, “Here it is clearly mentioned that living entities belong to the superior nature (or energy) of the Supreme Lord. The inferior energy is manifested in different elements, namely earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligenee, and false ego. Both forms of material Nature, namely gross (earth, etc.) and subtle (mind, etc.), are products of the inferior energy. The living entities, who are exploiting these inferior energies for different purposes, are the superior energy of the Supreme Lord. Energies are always controlled by the Lord; they have no independent existence. They are never equally powerful, as men with a poor fund of knowledge think. The difference between the living entities and the Lord is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as follows: ‘O Thou Supreme Eternal! If the embodied living entities were eternally all-pervading like You, then they would not be under Your control. But if the living entities are accepted as minute energies of Your Lordship, then they are at once subjected to Your supreme control. Therefore real liberation entails surrender by the living entities to Your control, and that surrender will make them happy. In that constitutional position only can they be controllers. Therefore, men with limited knowledge who advocate the monistic theory that God and the living entities are equal in all respects are actually misleading themselves and others.’ ”
We understand the living entity, then, to be soul, consciousness, reincarnated in many bodies through many different births. The soul is of a superior nature to the body. Its nature is that it is spirit. Everyone can see that the gross physical body is good for eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. And that is all. Subtler still is the spirit soul which is situated within the body, pervades it with consciousness, and leaves it to enter a new body at death. The spirit soul is entirely under the control of Krsna, and the distinction is always there in transcendental life. Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, is the whole, the individual living beings are His parts and parcels, and the impersonal aspect of spirit, Brahman, is also subordinate to His personality.
The Bhagavad-gita is given by Krsna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, just before the great battle between the Kurus and the Pandavas 5,000 years ago. The Pandavas are sons of Pandu, and their cousins and brothers are known as Kurus, whose father, Dhrtarastra, challenged the Vedic scriptural injunction and denied the Pandavas a share in his inheritance. The Supreme Lord, Krsna, was present on earth in His original form during those years, and He tried to prevent a war. But since the living beings wanted to fight, the all-merciful Lord gave them their opportunity. So on this battlefield, Arjuna, a Pandava, was put into ignorance so that Krsna, his friend, could speak to him the Bhagavad-gita. Arjuna had been an archer of great reputation, but when he observed the soldiers lined up to fight, he saw his relatives, teachers and friends on the opposite side, and in ignorance, he grew terribly fearful that he would have to fight against his endeared ones. When the Lord saw this, He said, “My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy.” That is the 2nd verse of the 2nd Chapter, and the Lord goes on to re-enlighten Arjuna of his true, eternal nature.
In Chapter 2, verse 20, the Lord says, “For the soul there is neither 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.” Then in sloka 21: “O Partha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, unborn, eternal, and immutable kill anyone, or cause anyone to kill?” Now the question should arise, “How is the soul situated, and what does it do?”
In sloka 25 of Chapter 2, the Lord describes the soul as invisible, inconceivable, immutable, and unchangeable. Srila Prabhupada’s purport says, “As described above, the magnitude of the soul is such that, for our material calculation, he cannot be detected even by the most powerful microscope; therefore, he is invisible. As far as his existence is concerned, no one can establish his stability beyond the proof of sruti, or Vedic wisdom. We have to accept this truth because there is no other source for understanding the existence of the soul, although it is a fact by perception. There are many things we have to accept solely on grounds of superior authority. No one can deny the existence of the father, based upon the authority of his mother; there is no other source of understanding the identity of the father, except on the authority of the mother. Similarly, there is no other source of understanding the existence of the soul except by studying the Vedas. In other words, the soul is inconceivable to human experimental knowledge. Unlike the bodily changes, there is no change for the soul. As eternally unchangeable, he remains atomic always in comparison to the infinite Supreme Soul. The Supreme Soul is infinite, and the atomic soul is infinitesimal.”
In Chapter 15 of the Gita, verse 7, the Supreme Lord says, “The living entities in this conditional world are My living fragmental parts, and they are eternal. But due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” Here it is stated by the Supreme Person Himself that the living entity is eternally fragmented. He is not the same as God, as the monistic theory holds. He is His fragmental part and parcel—eternally. Then in sloka number 8, the Lord says, “The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life, as the air carries aromas. Thus does he take one kind of body and again quits it to take another.” The purport states, “Here the living entity is described as isvara, the controller of his own body. If he likes, he can change his body to a higher grade, and if he likes he can move to a lower class. Minute independence is there. The change of his body depends on him. The process is that, at the time of death, the consciousness he has created will carry him on to the next type of body. If he has made his consciousness cat-like or dog-like, he is sure to change from his human body to a cat’s or a dog’s body. And if he has fixed his consciousness to godly qualities, he will change his body into the form of a demigod. And if he changes his consciousness into Krsna consciousness, he will be transferred to the Krsnaloka (the planet of Krsna) in the spiritual world.” Then in verse 9, “The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a particular type of ear, sense of touch, tongue, and nose, centered about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects.” Srila Prabhupada’s purport says, “Consciousness is originally pure, like water. But if we mix water with a certain color, it changes. Similarly, consciousness is pure, for the spirit soul is pure. But consciousness is changed according to the association of the material qualities. Real consciousness is Krsna consciousness. When, therefore, one is situated in Krsna consciousness, that is his pure life. Otherwise, if his consciousness is adulterated with some type of mentality, in the next life he gets a corresponding body.” Therefore, in answer to the question of what the atomic soul is to do, the answer is that as part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, he is to serve the whole, and in serving, his own pleasure is also derived.
The Intelligence to Love Krsna
The Intelligence to Love Krsna
—by Jayadvaita das Brahmacari
(lSKCON—Boston)
“Intelligent persons who are endeavoring for liberation from old age and death take refuge in Me in devotional service. They are actually Brahman because they entirely know everything about transcendental activities.”—Bhagavad-gita 7.29
Krsna consciousness is meant for the most intelligent persons. Although it is available for everyone, those who are not intelligent will not be interested in this transcendental movement, but will continue to engage their energy in the pursuit of the flickering, illusory happiness of the material platform of activities. Despite any material qualifications they may have, they are wasting the opportunity afforded by this human form because they have not taken the opportunity to learn about spiritual life.
Thc human form is specifically meant for self-realization. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending are the sole activities of the animals, and these activities are carried on by human beings as well. Because the animal is limited in intelligence, his activities cannot extend beyond the limit of these four divisions of bodily necessities. The animals must therefore continue to engage in their pastimes of sense gratification, without any thought of understanding what is spirit and what is matter. But because human beings have a more highly developed consciousness, they can try to understand Krsna consciousness. Animals will not be interested in the discussions of Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literatures, but human beings should give attention to this literature, for it offers complete knowledge concerning the perfection of individual existence. Our present existence is characterized by the four inevitable miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease. We are trying to enjoy life by accumulation of wealth, fame, education, etc., but all of these acquisitions bring only temporary happiness. Despite great material advancement in the fields of science, politics, education, economics, etc., we have still been unable to conquer these four material miseries, and therefore all of our enjoyment must come to an end. A person may be very beautiful, very well-educated, very wealthy, or very famous, but with the inevitable advent of old age he must become miserable, and whatever enjoyment is left to him must be abruptly ended by the arrival of death.
Although we wish to go on enjoying unrestrictedly, old age and death are inevitable. Why? The Vedanta-sutras instruct us that human life is meant for solving this problem, and the answers are to be found in the Vedic literature. Bhagavad-gita gives us information that our suffering is due to being situated on the bodily platform of life. We are thinking that our bodily existence is our real existence, and we have no knowledge that our actual identity is spirit soul. This is explained in the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. Our real position is transcendental to all material conditions. “For the soul there is never birth or 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.” (Bg. 2.20) So, actually, I am not this body. This body is temporary, while I am eternal; but because I am falsely identifying myself with the bodily existence, I must suffer from the miseries of material duality. As pure spirit soul, it is my original constitutional position to enjoy eternal life, but in material life I am always subject to the changes of body which must take place in the material world. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, in his purport of The Bhagavad-gita As It Is, has written: “Change of body by the atomic individual soul is an accepted fact. Even some of the modern scientists who do not believe in the existence of the soul … have to accept continuous changes of body which appear from childhood to boyhood, and from boyhood to youth, and again from youth to old age. From old age, the change is transferred to another body.”
The materialistic person tries to establish a permanent settlement in the material world. “The demoniac person thinks: ‘So much wealth do I have today, and I will gain more according to my schemes. So much is mine now, and it will increase in the future, more and more. He is my enemy, and I have killed him, and my other enemy will also be killed. I am the Lord of everything; I am the enjoyer. I am perfect, powerful and happy. I am the richest man, surrounded by aristocratic relatives. There is none so powerful and happy as I am. I shall perform sacrifices, I shall make some charity, and thus I shall rejoice.’ In this way, such persons are deluded by ignorance.” (Bg. 16.13–15) The materialistic person, although he may be rejoicing in material opulence, is nonetheless not exempted from the miseries of old age and death. Therefore, rather than persisting in a false spirit of enjoyment under the miserable conditions of material life, intelligent persons try for liberation from those miseries.
By careful analysis one can understand that although his body is constantly changing, he is eternal. This understanding is expressed by the Vedic aphorism aham brahmasmi, “I am not this body; I am spirit soul.” This is the beginning of liberation. A self-realized person knows that he is eternal spirit soul and is therefore transcendental to all material conditions. But although a living entity may realize that he is Brahman, spirit soul, such realization is not sufficient for gaining steady liberation from the clutches of the material energy. One may understand that he is Brahman, but unless he then engages himself in the activities of Brahman, he will not be able to maintain a transcendental position.
According to the laws of nature, the materialistic person who has no knowledge of the spirit soul is obliged to act on the bodily platform of sense gratification; his anxiety is increased to an unlimited extent by his misguided attempts to satisfy the insatiable desires of his senses. The person who knows that he is an eternal spiritual entity distinct from his temporary material covering may understand the futility of such engagement in fruitive action for the sake of sense gratification, but nevertheless he must also continue to act. “Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows his nature. What can repression accomplish?” (Bg. 3.33) Even a person who has gained the understanding that he is different from his temporary material body must nonetheless continue to act according to his nature, as it is the constitution of the spirit soul itself to be always active. But one must know how to act in such a way that his activities do not obligate him to continue in the entanglement of materialism. Therefore Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita, “Intelligent persons who are endeavoring for liberation from old age and death take refuge in Me in devotional service.” One should engage one’s senses in the service of the master of the senses, Krsna. This devotional service to Krsna is recommended in all the Vedic literatures as the eternal activity of the living entity.
As explained in the Bhagavad-gita, the living entity is the eternal part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore his eternal constitutional position is that he is the servant of the Supreme Lord. Because the conditioned living entities are adverse to this principle of service to the Supreme Person, preferring to adopt an attitude of so-called independence, they have become entangled in the complexities of service to the material nature; and old age and death are the rewards for the living entities who foolishly indulge in such misdirected service.
The solution to the ever-present problems of material misery is not to try to artificially renounce activity, but to revive our dormant love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead and to perform all activities on His behalf. It is stated in the Vedic literature that in this current age of quarrel and dissension, the only practical process for reviving this transcendental attitude of loving service towards the Supreme Lord is the method of chanting His holy names. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the great apostle of love of Godhead, has declared that this chanting process cleanses the heart of all material dirt accumulated for years together. Thus the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death, becomes extinguished. And the Srimad-Bhagavatam informs us that in this age, persons who are endowed with sufficient brain substance will participate in this sankirtana movement of chanting Hare Krsna. By this chanting process, our consciousness becomes purified, and in purified consciousness one can engage himself in transcendental activities in service of the Supreme Lord.
It is not practical to artificially renounce activity, but to become free from material limitations one should adopt the authorized process of Krsna consciousness. One should revive one’s dormant love for God and perform all activities on His behalf. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that there is no material reaction to such activities performed in Krsna’s service, and one who becomes conscious of Krsna passes over all the obstacles of conditioned life. The intelligent person who understands the uselessness of material activities and understands that he is Brahman, pure spirit soul, should engage in the pure spiritual activity of transcendental service to the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna.
The impersonalist philosophers do not accept this proposal of transcendental service to the Supreme Person because they refuse to admit the personal identity of the Absolute. They obstinately insist that the impersonal Brahman, the manifestation of undifferentiated spiritual energy, is the ultimate feature of the Absolute Truth, although authoritative Vedic literatures such as Bhagavad-gita and Brahma-samhita inform us that this impersonal Brahman is actually the personal ray of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The aim of the impersonalists is to annihilate their individual identity by merging with the impersonal effulgence; but, because neither knowledge nor activity is possible without the existence of individual identity, if they achieve their desired goal they immediately become ineligible to understand anything about the transcendental activities of the spiritual world. In addition, it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that for those whose minds are attached to the nonmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. Therefore intelligent persons who are endeavoring for liberation will reject the difficult and limiting path of trying to merge with the impersonal effulgence of the Supreme, but will instead engage themselves in loving devotional service to Krsna.
People who are too attached to the material concept of life will also neglect this proposal of devotional service to the Supreme Lord, because they cannot understand how the Supreme can be a person. In the materialistic concept of life, the body is temporary, full of ignorance, and full of misery, and persons who are too absorbed in materialism cannot conceive of a transcendental body which is exactly the opposite.
Actually, the Supreme is a transcendental person, and He has a spiritual body which is eternal, full of bliss and knowledge. And, because the living entity is part and parcel of this Supreme Person, he also has a similar spiritual body, which is unaffected by the material energy although temporarily covered by it. As the transcendental body of the Supreme Lord is not subject to the material conditions of birth, death, disease, and old age, similarly the original spiritual body of the living entity is not subject to these fourfold miseries.
The transcendental nature of Krsna can only be understood by His devotees; others cannot understand. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: “One can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God. Though engaged in all kinds of activities, by My mercy, the pure devotee reaches the spiritual kingdom in the end, without any pain.” (Bg. 18.55–56)
By engaging in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord, one can attain to the spiritual kingdom. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a person, He has His form, His abode, His activities, His associates, His pastimes—but these are all transcendental. The material world with which we are currently associated is merely a perverted reflection of the transcendental abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the material activities in which we are currently engaged are a perverted reflection of spiritual activities in relationship with Krsna.
The Lord is eternally present in His transcendental abode, enjoying variegated spiritual pastimes in association with those eternally liberated souls who are His devotees. This abode of the Supreme Lord is described in Bhagavad-gita as being without need of sun, moon or electricity, and in the Brahma-samhita it is more explicitly described: There are palaces made of touchstone, and the trees are all desire trees. Although these trees can grant the fulfillment of all desires, the devotees in the Supreme Lord’s abode do not have any desires to fulfill—yet still they have variegated transcendental desires for serving their Supreme Lord. The Lord is eternally present on His supreme planet, enjoying transcendental pastimes as a cowherd boy, and He is always surrounded by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune who serve Him with great reverence and affection. The Bhagavad-gita confirms that when one develops pure love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he becomes eligible to enter into this spiritual world, and it is also stated there that one who attains to the abode of the Supreme Lord is never required to return again to this miserable material existence.
Intelligent persons who are endeavoring for liberation from the miserable conditions of material life can, taking shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Krsna in devotional service, relish transcendental activities in eternal exchange of love with Him.
The Mahamantra and the German Expedition
The Mahamantra and the German Expedition
—by Gurudas Adhikari
(ISKCON—London)
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the golden avatara, the embodiment of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in the aspect of a devotee, appeared 484 years ago to deliver the pure essence of the Vedic literatures to the entities of this Age of Quarrel. He brought God consciousness from behind locked doors into the streets and into the hearts of everyone. He showed the importance of sincerity in our service to God. This eternal loving service is the highest religion, over and above any limited sectarian faith.
Five centuries ago, people came from everywhere to join Him in singing the holy names, “Hare Krsna, Hare Rama.” He walked throughout India, and everyone who came to chant with Him experienced God dancing on their tongues: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Many people became overwhelmed with happiness and felt, “I must give this to my friends.” Although He agreed that this was a nice proposal, Lord Caitanya insisted that it must be given in its pure and unpolluted form. For this reason He taught the six great Gosvamis of Vrndavana how to impart this love of Krsna purely, and thus they instructed the impeccable Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. Today these scriptures have reached us without adulteration through the parampara disciplic line, which hands us the precious fruit from the top of the Vedic tree, branch by branch, each spiritual master cradling the fruit so as not to damage it. This line of teacher-disciple is alive today in His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Gosvami Prabhupada, who, at the request of his spiritual master, has brought this divine message of singing, dancing and offering spiritual foodstuffs to the glory of the Lord.
On request of Srila Prabhupada, his disciples are carrying this joyous spiritual plan to everyone they meet, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu that the holy names will be sung in every town and village.
The ways of illusion are very deceiving, like the shifting sands, but this maha-mantra can solidify and pacify the restless mind and body, and in this way the years of collected dust covering the soul are swept away. “When one is enlightened with the knowledge by which nescience is destroyed then his knowledge reveals everything, as the sun lights up the daytime. When one’s intelligence, mind, faith and refuge are all fixed in the Supreme, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation.” (Bg. 5.16–17)
“Haribol!” is now being heard in the streets of London, the concertgebouw of Holland, on the riverbanks of Paris, and in the sin-filled Raperbahn of Hamburg. This process, called bhakti-yoga, is for everyone, everywhere, irrespective of birth or material qualifications. Simply serve with your God-given talents, be sincere in chanting the holy names, and soon all entanglements will fall away. The devotees are overjoyed at the prospect that Srila Prabhupada may be pleased with our minute service. And when we serve sincerely, others see the results and feel, “Oh, I would like to serve also.” With this feeling, all temporary nonsense falls away.
George Harrison also wants to join us in serving Srila Prabhupada. So we sang together in his house and constructed an altar and sang again, and the whole atmosphere was transformed: ecstatic tears flowed from all eyes, and we offered holy prasadam and partook of the remnants, and everyone experienced a little more of the unending bliss of devotion to Krsna. When George asked how this feeling could go on and on, we told of chanting all the time and serving with our natural talents. He knew his engagement to be music and so decided we must record “Hare Krsna” so others could experience this bliss.
It was done in 1968 at E.M.I. studios, and the holy sounds reached around the world to the mountains of Mexico, the fjords of Norway, the shores of Italy, and behind the Iron Curtain, where the record became the number one hit in Yugoslavia, what to speak of all other universes, both spiritual and mundane. Amid the glitter of temporary sense indulgence, this pure sound was heard. The music industry had never encountered a sound as simple or as happy. The president of Capitol Records wrote: “Dear George, I am hooked on ‘Hare Krsna.’ ” At their jobs, both young and old would sing along, many not realizing that they were singing, so deeply had the sound penetrated.
All glories to Lord Krsna! May we serve You, Krsna! My heart, once dirty, now cries like a child to be clean again. Even the young gang members stalking the streets would see us and sing, maybe mocking “Hare Krsna” at first, as the children mocked Lord Caitanya, who merely covered His ears, pretending to be bothered by their mocking cries of Hare Krsna so that they would chant the holy names more. Lord Caitanya’s message is in the sankirtana parties, in which devotees come together in groups and sing and dance the mahamantra in the villages and towns. Pritivitaj jata nagar adi gram. Sarvatra prachar haibe mor Nam: “In every town and village, My name will be sung by all creatures.” This is our movement. We do not keep the precious jewel just for our own benefit. No, we distribute it freely. As the powers of purification and liberation lie in these sixteen words—Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—why should we keep this to ourselves?
Many people from all parts of the world were exposed to Krsna consciousness through the recording media and invited us to chant and speak on Krsna consciousness philosophy. When there came the opportunity to go to Germany, we accepted the invitation, as some of our sincere Godbrothers were already there to begin a new Krsna consciousness center. Joining with them, we chanted in colleges and clubs, stores and marketplaces. The first night we chanted in the Star Club in the famed sin-filled Raperbahn and changed the atmosphere. The next day we chanted in the marketplace of Kiel, passing out literature announcing a Krsna consciousness concert that night at the university and selling the German edition of “Back to Godhead,” called “Zuruck zur Gottheit.”
The next day we had the transcendental pleasure of witnessing the Sri Sri Radha-Krsna Temple come to life in Hamburg. The installation ceremony of the Deities was relished by all, and nice prasadam was offered.
Then again the next day off to Munden and Hereford, walking into the dens of apathetic youth to whom sex and intoxicants are the only outlets to their searchings. At one engagement we turned off the red lights of passion and darkness, put the house lights on, and began to chant, and we jumped into the audience singing (for no one is merely the audience). In this process we are simply a room full of spirit souls singing to our beloved One, Lord Krsna, crying for our divine father, mother, friend, advisor, protector, confidante, savior; everything that we love and relate to personally is enclosed in this transcendental name. We all started jumping and crying Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, and then the chant ended. We paid our obeisances to Srila Prabhupada and started to leave, but they wanted more. So we chanted more, and again we went to leave, but still they wanted more chanting. So again we began holy sankirtana, and they were jumping and shouting, “Krsna, Hare Krsna!” Everything is purified by association with sankirtana. “Glory to the Sri Krsna sankirtanam which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years together. Thus the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death, is extinguished. This sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge, it increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it helps to have a taste of the full nectar for which we are always anxious.”
We invite everyone to join with us when you see us in the streets. If you haven’t experienced this yet, you soon will, for these holy names will be sung in your town or village, as prophesized by Lord Caitanya.
Please join with us in glorifying the Lord of the universes by singing His names.
“O my Lord, You are so kind that in Your name You are my constant companion.”
ISKCON Around the World
ISKCON Around the World
In no country is Krsna foreign. The chanting of God’s holy names is natural to every land. In the Bhagavad-gita, the Lord Himself declares, “I am the father of all living entities.” Therefore, since Krsna cannot be foreign or alien anywhere, it is not surprising that the chanting of Hare Krsna is attracting sincere souls all over the world. Because God consciousness is dormant in the hearts of all living entities, glorification of God is therefore the only totally universal movement. ISKCON’s temples in Tokyo, Sydney, London and Paris, staffed mostly by American students of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, have met with instant success simply by sankirtana. His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, the spiritual master of our spiritual master, said that when there is fire in a house, because of the urgency of the message, one can make himself understood by the residents of the house, even in a foreign language. Indeed, if during a fire one wanted to first learn the language of the residents, all would be finished. Similarly, time is short in the human form of life, and the prime necessity of life is to develop loving service to God. Therefore the Hare Krsna chanters are being nicely understood even in so-called foreign cultures. The devotees of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are distributing this bliss free of charge to all who will take it.
Back to Godhead Magazine #35, 1970
The Highest Love
The Highest Love
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
If one protects the tender creeper of devotional service nicely, then gradually it will produce the fruit of unalloyed love for God. Unalloyed love for God means love that is not tinged by desire for material benefit, for mere philosophical understanding, nor for fruitive results. Unalloyed love is to know, “God is great, I am His part and parcel, and therefore He is my supreme lovable object.” This consciousness is the highest perfection of human life and the ultimate aim of all methods of self-realization. If one reaches this point—God is my only beloved, Krsna is the only lovable object—then one’s life is perfect. And when one tastes that transcendental relationship with Krsna, then one feels real happiness. The devotional creeper wi11 then be so strongly protected that just by catching it, one will be able to reach the supreme destination. If one climbs steadily up a tree, one eventually comes to the very top. Similarly, if one can achieve love of Godhead by catching that devotional creeper, there is no doubt that one wi11 reach the transcendental abode of Krsna and will associate with Him personally, just as we are associating here, face to face.
God is not fictional or imaginary. He is as real as we are. (Actually, we are under illusion; we are living as if this body were our factual self, although this body is not at all reality, but only a temporary manifestation.) We dare to presume that there is no God or that He has no form. This mental speculation is due to a poor fund of knowledge. Lord Krsna and His abode exist, and one can go there, reach Him and associate with Him. That is a fact. Spiritual life means to be in association with the Supreme Lord and to exist in bliss and knowledge eternally. Such eternal association means to play with Krsna, to dance with and love Krsna. Or Krsna can become your child—whatever you like.
How To Love Krsna
There are five primary relationships with Krsna: as a passive devotee, as a servant, as a friend, as a parent, and as a lover. The cows in Krsna’s abode are also liberated souls. They are called surabhi cows. There are many popular pictures showing how Krsna loves the cows, how He embraces and kisses them. That passive relationship with Krsna is called santa. Their perfect happiness is achieved when Krsna comes and simply touches them.
Other devotees are inclined to actually give service. They think, “Krsna wants to sit down. I will arrange a place for Him. Krsna wants to eat. I wi11 get Him some nice food.” And they actually make these arrangements. Other devotees play with Krsna as friends on equal terms. They do not know that Krsna is God; to them, Krsna is their lovable friend, and they cannot forget Him for a moment. All day and all night, they think of Krsna. At night, when they are sleeping they think, “Oh, in the morning I shall go and play with Krsna.” And in the morning they go to Krsna’s house and stand by while Krsna is decorated by His mother before going out to play with His friends in the fields. There is no other activity in Krsnaloka (Krsna’s abode). There is no industry, no rushing to the office or any such nonsense. There is sufficient milk and butter, and everyone eats plentifully. Krsna is very fond of His friends, and sometimes He enjoys stealing butter for them. One can actually live this way, and that is the perfection of existence. We should hanker for that perfectional stage of life. Krsna consciousness is the process to attain it.
But as long as one has even a slight attachment for this material world, one has to remain here. Krsna is very strict. He does not allow anyone to enter into His association who has any tinge of the material conception of life. Bhakti must be free from material contamination. Do not think, “I am a very learned scholar. I shall find out what is the Absolute Truth by mental speculation.” That is nonsense; one can go on and on speculating and wi11 never find the source of all sources. It is said in Brahma-samhita, “One can go on speculating about the Absolute Truth for millions and millions of years, and still it wi11 not be revealed.” One can rot in this material world as he is and can go on speculating, but that is not the right process. Here is the process—bhakti-yoga.
Lord Caitanya says that to render devotional service to Krsna is the highest perfectional stage of life, and compared to this, other things for which people are hankering in this material world are like bubbles in the ocean. Generally, people are after rewards, and therefore they become religious. They say, “I am a Hindu,” “I am a Christian,” “I am Jew,” “I am Mohammedan,” “I am this, I am that, and therefore I cannot change my religion. I cannot accept Krsna.” This is called religiosity, dharma. With such a materialistic, sectarian idea of religion, they will rot in this material world, stuck to rituals and faith. They are under the impression that if they follow their religious principles, they wi11 get material prosperity. Of course, if one sticks to any kind of religious faith, he will get facilities for material life.
Why do people want this material prosperity? For sense gratification. They are thinking, “I shall have a very nice wife. I shall have very good children. I shall have a very good post. I shall become president. I shall become prime minister.” This is sense gratification. And when one is frustrated and has seen that to be rich or to attain the presidency cannot give him happiness, after squeezing out all the taste of sex life, when he is completely frustrated, then perhaps he takes to LSD and tries to become one with the void. But this nonsense cannot give happiness. Here is happiness: one must approach Krsna. Otherwise, it wi11 end in LSD—confusion and roaming in impersonal void concepts. People are frustrated. They must be frustrated if they do not have genuine spiritual life because a person is spiritual by nature.
How can anyone be happy without Krsna? Suppose one is thrown into the ocean. How can he be happy there? That is not for us. One may be a very good swimmer, but how long will he be able to swim? He eventually becomes tired and drowns. Similarly, we are spiritual by nature. How can we be happy in this material world? It is not possible. But men are trying to remain here, making so many temporary adjustments for survival. This patchwork is not happiness. If one really wants happiness, here is the process: one must attain love of Godhead: Unless one can love Krsna, unless one finishes with love for cats, dogs, country, nation and society and instead concentrates his love on Krsna, there is no question of happiness. Rupa Gosvami has given a very nice example in this regard: There are many drugs which saturate one with ideas or hallucinations. But Rupa Gosvami says that unless one tastes that final drug of love of Godhead, Krsna-prema, he will have to be captivated by meditation, impersonal monism, and so many other distractions.
Krsna’s Desire
Caitanya Mahaprabhu describes that to attain unalloyed love of Krsna, one has to execute devotional service, or Krsna Consciousness. One has to engage oneself exclusively in serving Krsna. The highest perfectional stage of unalloyed devotion is to be free from all material desires, all mental speculation and all fruitive activities. The basic principle of unalloyed devotion is that one cannot maintain any desire other than to become fully Krsna conscious. Even if one knows that all other forms of God are also Krsna, one should not worship any other form, but should concentrate on the Krsna form. Krsna has many forms, but one only has to worship Krsna in His form with the flute as in the Radha-Krsna Deity. Simply concentrate on that form, and all mental speculation and fruitive activities will fall away. One has to cultivate Krsna consciousness favorably, and that means to execute service by which Krsna becomes satisfied. Krsna consciousness is not attained by manufacturing one’s own way. I may think that I am doing something in Krsna consciousness, but who has sanctioned it? For instance, in the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna hesitated to fight for certain moral reasons, but he was viewing the situation from the platform of fruitive activities, on which one has to enjoy or suffer the results. He was considering that if he killed his family members he would then be subjected to many reactions. This conclusion, however, was not sanctioned by Krsna. The law of action and reaction in the material world is called karma, but devotional service transcends karma.
Unalloyed love must be free of all tinges of fruitive activities (karma) and all tinges of mental speculation and material desire. That unalloyed devotional service should be favorably fixed on Krsna. Favorably means in accordance with what He desires. Krsna desired that the Battle of Kuruksetra take place; it was all arranged by Him. Arjuna was told, “You are thinking in your own way, but even if you do not fight, rest assured that because it has been arranged by Me, none of these warriors who are assembled here are going back to their homes. They will be killed here. It has already been arranged.” God’s desire is such that one cannot change it. Krsna has two qualities: He can protect, and He can also kill. If He wants to kill someone, there is no power in the world that can protect him, and if He protects someone, there is no power in the world that can kill him. Krsna’s desire is supreme. Therefore, we have to dovetail our desires with Krsna’s. Whatever Krsna desires, no one can make null and void because He is the Supreme Lord. Therefore, our duty is to dovetail our acts with Krsna’s desire, not to manufacture an action and then declare “I am doing this action in Krsna consciousness.” We have to be very careful to ascertain whether Krsna actually wants it. Such authorized knowledge is instructed by the representative of Krsna. In our prayers of praise to the spiritual we are singing daily, “If the spiritual master is satisfied, then God will be satisfied.” And if one dissatisfies his spiritual master, then there is no way for him to please God.
Therefore, as far as possible, one has to execute the order of one’s spiritual master. That will enable one to progress. That is the essence of the favorable execution of Krsna consciousness. In my old age, I have come to America, and I am trying to teach Krsna consciousness because my spiritual master gave me an order that I must do it. It is my duty. I do not know whether I shall be a success of failure. It doesn’t matter; my duty is completed if I can present before you whatever I have heard from my spiritual master. This is called the favorable execution of Krsna Consciousness. Those who are actually serious should take the order of Krsna through the representative of Krsna as their entire life and soul. One who sticks to this principle is sure to progress. Caitanya Mahaprabhu spoke in that way, and my spiritual master used to say, “The spiritual master is the transparent via media.” For example, I can see the letters of this book very nicely through these transparent eyeglasses, without which I cannot see because my eyes are defective. Similarly, our senses are all defective. We cannot see God with these eyes, we cannot hear Hare Krsna with these ears, we cannot do anything without the via media of the spiritual master. Just as a defective eye cannot see without the via media of spectacles, so one cannot approach the Supreme Lord without the transparent via media of the spiritual master. Transparent means that the via media must be free of contamination. If it is transparent, one can see through it.
In unalloyed love of Godhead we have to engage our senses—sarvendriya, all the senses. This means that sex is also to be engaged in Krsna consciousness. The conception of God as a father or mother does not allow the engagement of one’s sex in the service of the Lord because there is no sex relationship with the father and mother. But in the conception of God as a lover, there is sex engagement also. Therefore, Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave the most perfect information of our engagement with the Supreme Lord. In other religious conceptions of life, God is at the utmost taken as the father or mother. Many worshipers in India take goddess Kali to be the representation of God. Of course, that is not sanctioned, but the belief is there, and also in the Christian religion the conception of God is as a father. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu informs us that one can even have sex engagement with the Lord. This information is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s unique contribution. In this material world, sex engagement is considered to be the highest engagement, the greatest pleasure, although it exists only in a perverted form. No one, however, has conceived that there can be sex engagement in the spiritual world. There is not a single instance of such theology anywhere in the entire world. This information is given for the first time by Caitanya Mahaprabhu: one can have the Supreme Personality of Godhead as one’s husband, as one’s lover. This is possible in the worship of Radha and Krsna, but no one, especially the impersonalists, can understand Radha- Krsna. The impersonalists have no idea; they cannot even conceive that God has form. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that not only does God have form, but He has sex life also. This is the highest contribution of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Spiritual Relationships
One can serve the Supreme Lord in various relationships, but in the material world those relationships exist only as perverted reflections. What is our engagement in relationship to this material world? What are our ideas of society, friendship and love? They are all based on the material conception of life. In our society, someone is engaged as a father or mother to a son, and others are engaged as husband and wife, lover and beloved. There are other rasas (relationships) also, such as to be engaged with another as an enemy. There are twelve different relationships, out of which five are predominant. The other seven are indirect relationships, such as, for example, to be someone’s enemy. There is usually a relationship between enemies, even between a murderer and the one he murders. As far as our relationship with Krsna is concerned, however, even if one establishes a relationship as His enemy, then his life is successful. Therefore, when one engages his senses with Krsna, a relationship can be established in one of twelve different varieties, of which five varieties are direct and seven are indirect.
When Krsna appeared in the arena of Kamsa, there were many big wrestlers prepared to kill Him. In fact, He was invited there to be killed. His enemy, Kamsa thought, “Soon the boys will come. We have tried for sixteen years to kill them, but that boy Krsna could not be killed. But now I have invited Him as a guest, and when He arrives He will fight with these wrestlers, and they will kill Him.” The demoniac or atheistic people are always thinking of Krsna or God in terms of killing Him. Therefore they present their theories that God is dead. They think that if God becomes dead, then they will be free to act however they please. But as far as their actual activities are concerned, God may be dead or alive, but God’s agent, the material energy, is so strong that no one can do any wrong. As soon as anyone does something wrong, there is immediate punishment. It does not require the presence of God. God may be dead or alive, but the material energy is sufficient to punish anyone who violates the material laws, even to the slightest degree. God has set these conditions, but foolish people do not understand.
Lord Caitanya, however, speaks of favorably engaging all the senses in the service of Krsna in pure devotional life. One should favorably engage one’s senses and should do whatever Krsna wants. Yet even if one engages one’s senses against the will of Krsna but still thinks of Krsna, that is also advantageous. The demon Putana, for example, thought of killing Krsna. Just as the occupation of godly persons is to serve God, so the demons and atheists are always prepared to kill God. Putana thought, “I shall kill Krsna. He is only a child.” This is another mistake of the demoniac. They think Krsna or God to be an ordinary child or man. So in this way Putana was thinking: “Let me smear my breast with poison, and when the child goes to suck my milk, He wi11 die.” As we study this, we see that she approached Krsna as His enemy, and yet He accepted her as a friend because He is so merciful. He did not take the demoniac portion of her mentality, but He accepted her. Every living entity is conditioned but Krsna is not. A doctor or psychiatrist treats madmen, but he does not become mad. Sometimes a patient may become angry with him or call him ill names, but the doctor is sober and simply treats him. Similarly, if someone treats Krsna as his enemy, Krsna does not become his enemy.
Putana came to poison Krsna, but He took it otherwise. He thought, “I have sucked her breast milk. Therefore she has become My mother.” Krsna treated her as His mother, and therefore she became liberated to the same position as Krsna’s real mother, Yasoda. The conclusion is that the highest perfection is to establish a favorable relationship with Krsna, but even if one engages himself unfavorably, Krsna is so merciful that He at least gives one salvation. All the enemies killed by Krsna were immediately liberated.
Two classes of men may merge into the impersonal brahmajyoti: he who is intentionally aspiring to merge into the impersonal brahmajyoti may enter, and those who are enemies of Krsna and are killed by Him may also do so. Therefore, the devotee concludes, why should I accept a condition which is offered even to God’s enemies?
Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends pure devotional service. There should be no desire to fulfill one’s own material desires, there should be no attempt to understand Krsna by experimental philosophy, and there should be no fruitive activities to derive material benefits from Krsna. The only desire should be to serve Him favorably, as He desires. If Krsna wants something, then we should do it. Suppose I were to ask a disciple, “My dear student, please give me a glass of water.” It is then his duty to give me a glass of water. If he thinks, “Prabhupada wants a glass of water, but why not give him something better? Why not a glass of hot milk?” that is not service. In his consideration, hot milk is very palatable and is better than water, yet because I have asked for water, he has to give me water, not milk. That is favorable service. One has to understand what Krsna wants. When there is that intimate relationship, then one can serve Krsna most favorably. And as long as there is not that intimate relationship, one must take information of what Krsna wants through the transparent media of the spiritual master.
A Vaisnava never thinks that he has a direct relationship with Krsna. Lord Caitanya says, “I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant—a hundred times the servant of the servant—of Krsna.” We have to agree to become the servant of the servant of the servant. This is the process of disciplic succession, and if one wants real transcendental love of God, then he has to adopt this process. Because people do not accept this process, they therefore do not develop real love of God. They speak of God, but actually they do not love God; because there is no cultivation of pure devotional service, they love dog.
Spiritual Senses
We may say, “love of God,” but unless we adopt this principle, then we will have to love dog, not God. That is the mistake. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that if one really wants love of God, then one has to follow the process of pure devotional service. It is not that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is speaking out of His own mental concoction, but His statements are confirmed in Vedic scriptures such as Narada-pancaratra and Srimad-Bhagavatam. These two books, and Bhagavad-gita, are very authentic scriptures meant for devotees. Caitanya Mahaprabhu quotes from a verse in the Narada-pancaratra: hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate. This is the definition of pure devotional service. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam. Hrsikena means by one’s senses. We have to engage our senses; it is not that we engage only our minds. If someone says, “I am always thinking of Krsna,” that is not pure devotional service. Meditation is thinking, but no one thinks of Krsna; they think of void or of something impersonal. If someone is thinking of Krsna or Narayana or Visnu, as is prescribed in the Vedic scriptures, that is real yoga; yoga meditation means to focus one’s mind upon the Supersoul. The Supersoul is the representation of Krsna in the form of four-handed Narayana. Even Patanjali, an authority on the yoga system, prescribes meditation on Visnu. But just as people are manufacturing bogus religious processes, so the so-called yogis of today have manufactured their own way of thinking of something void.
But the Narada-pancaratra says, hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam: one must engage not only one’s mind but one’s senses. Engage the senses in the service of the master of the senses. These three Sanskrit words are very significant. Hrsikesa means the Lord of the senses. So bhakti-yoga means to serve with the senses the Lord of the senses. The Lord of the senses is Krsna. We should always remember that we have our senses because we wanted to enjoy this material world, and therefore the Lord has given us a particular set of senses for our enjoyment. The hog has a particular type of body and senses because he wanted to enjoy eating stool. Similarly, a man has a particular type of body and senses because he wanted to enjoy something else. We have a particular set of conditioned senses with which to enjoy this material world, and this is what we have to purify. Our senses are original, but now they are covered by material desires. We have to cure ourselves and become free from such desires. When one’s senses are no longer inclined toward material sense gratification, that is called pure devotion.
From this verse of the Narada-pancaratra, we can understand that the spirit soul has original senses. However small a body it may have entered, the spirit soul is not impersonal: it has senses. Perhaps one may find a bug on one’s book. It is so small, smaller than a pinpoint, but still it moves: it has all the senses. The small bacteria also move, and they have their senses. Originally, all living entities have senses. It is not that the senses have developed under certain material conditions. The atheistic theory is that under material conditions we have developed senses, but in the spiritual condition there are no senses, and we are impersonal. By logic and reason, however, that cannot be so. A minute particle of spiritual force, even if it is smaller in size than an atom, has its senses. These senses, being covered by material elements, manifest themselves in a perverted way. We have to purify the senses, and when the senses are purified, we can engage them for the pleasure of the master of senses. Krsna is the master and proprietor of the senses. Therefore, because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, our senses are borrowed from Him; they are on rental. The best thing is to use the senses for His sense satisfaction, and not for our own. This is the process of pure Krsna consciousness.
From the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Lord Caitanya gives an example of pure devotion: it is said in the Bhagavatam that Krsna is situated in everyone’s heart. Therefore, just as rivers flow and their natural tendency is to reach the sea or the ocean, so as soon as one hears the glories of the Lord, his soul is at once attracted toward the Supreme Lord. This is the beginning of pure devotional service. As soon as there is the chanting vibration, Hare Krsna, immediately Krsna’s paraphernalia, Krsna’s name, Krsna’s fame, Krsna’s abode, Krsna’s associates—everything—all of a sudden become manifested within because He is present. This is the beginning of one’s Krsna consciousness. To remember by reference to a context means that as soon as one hears a code word, one at once remembers all the information behind that code. Similarly, when our minds are attracted to Krsna and everything about Krsna simply by hearing a little glorification of His qualities, that is the beginning of pure Krsna consciousness. Then there is no more gati, or movement of the mind.
It was just that way with the gopis: as soon as they heard the sound of Krsna’s flute, they gave up everything. Some of them were lying down, some were working in their family affairs, some were taking care of their children, but as soon as they heard Krsna’s flute, they forgot everything and rushed to Him. Their husbands, their brothers and their fathers said, “Why are you going and leaving your duty?” But they did not care—they simply left. There is no impediment and no stumbling block in that merge of the mind with Krsna. This is the beginning of pure devotion.
Purusottama means Krsna. The word purusa means enjoyer. The conditioned living entities are false enjoyers, imitation enjoyers. Here in this material world, all living entities are acting as purusas. The more exact meaning of purusa is male. The male is considered to be the enjoyer, and the female is considered to be the enjoyed. In the material world, whether one has a male or a female body, everyone has the propensity to enjoy, and therefore they are called purusa. But actually the only purusa is the Supreme Lord. We living entities are His energy, and He is the supreme enjoyer. We are not purusa. Energies are employed for enjoyment, and we are energies, instruments of the Supreme Person. Therefore Purusottama is the supreme transcendental person, Krsna. When our pure devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is employed and there are no impediments or stumbling blocks, that is the symptom of pure Krsna consciousness.
Purity Of Krsna Consciousness
There is no ambition or motive in pure Krsna consciousness. Every other transcendental function or mode of worship is backed by a motive: someone wants salvation, someone wants material prosperity, someone wants to go to a higher planet, someone wants to go to Krsnaloka. These ambitions should not be there. A pure devotee has no such ambitions. A pure devotee does not even desire to go to the supreme abode of Krsna. Of course, he goes, but he has no desire. He simply wants to engage himself fully in Krsna’s service.
There are different kinds of salvation. There is salokya liberation, to live on the same planet as the Supreme Lord. The residents of the Vaikuntha planets live on the same planet as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sarsti liberation means to have almost the same opulence as Narayana. The liberated individual soul can appear just like Narayana, with four hands, the four emblems, almost the same bodily features, the same opulence, the same ornaments, the same buildings, everything. Sarupya means to have the same form or features. Samipya means never to be far away but always to be associated with the Supreme Lord. For example, just as we are sitting together, so we can associate with the Lord. This is called samipya-mukti, the liberation of being nearer. Pure devotees, however, do not accept these various forms of liberation. They only want to be engaged in Krsna’s service. They are not concerned with any kind of liberation. Those who are actually Krsna Conscious achieve the association of thc Supreme Lord, but they do not desire it: their only ambition is to be engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. The highest perfection of devotional service or Krsna consciousness is exhibited when a devotee refuses to accept any benediction or profit from the Supreme Lord. Prahlada Maharaja was offered whatever he liked, he had only to ask for it, but he said, “My Lord, I am Your eternal servant. It is my duty to serve You, so how can I accept any benefit from it! Then I would not be Your servant; I would be a merchant.” He replied in that way, and that is the sign of a pure person. Krsna is so kind that He fulfills all the desires of a devotee, even if he wants material benedictions. If at the bottom of his heart there is some desire, He also fulfills that. He is so kind. But the sublime position of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, is that a pure devotee refuses to accept the five kinds of liberation, even if offered by the Supreme Lord.
If one has material desires or motives within himself, and for fulfillment of such desires he engages himself in devotional service, the result will be that he will never get pure love of God. If one is thinking, “I am engaged in Krsna consciousness, in Krsna’s devotional service, because I want such and such an opulence,” that desire may be fulfilled, but he will never get such unalloyed love of Krsna as the gopis had. If one has a motive, even though he discharges his devotional duty, he still will not be able to reach the stage of pure love of Godhead. In a verse from Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Rupa Gosvami says, “As long as one desires some material benefit [bhukti] or even if he wants salvation [mukti] then he must take thost ghostly representations.” As long as that maya exists within one’s heart, how can one enjoy the spiritual bliss which is derived from pure love of Godhead? In other words, if one has material desires, or even a desire for salvation, he cannot attain pure love of Godhead. Pure devotion is devoid of all desires—it is simply to render loving service for its own sake.
There is a nice example in the life of Rupa Gosvami. Rupa Gosvami and his brother, Sanatana Gosvami, were living separately in Vrndavana and going on with their bhajana, devotional service. Rupa was living in the forest, and there was no facility for cooking nice food or begging from the village for a capati to eat. Rupa Gosvami was the younger brother, and he thought, “If I could get some foodstuffs, then I could prepare nice dishes and offer them to Krsna and invite my elder brother.” He had that desire. The next moment, a nice girl about twelve years old came and delivered an abundance of foodstuffs—milk, flour, ghee, etc. That is the Vedic system: sometimes householders present foodstuffs to mendicants and sages in the renounced order of life. Rupa Gosvami was very glad that Krsna had sent so many things and that he could now prepare a feast. He prepared a feast and then invited his elder brother.
When Sanatana Gosvami came, he was astonished. “How have you secured such things? You have prepared such a nice feast in this forest. How is it possible?”
So Rupa Gosvami explained, “In the morning I desired for it, and by chance Krsna sent me all these things. A nice girl came, and she offered it to me.” He was describing the girl: “A very nice girl.”
Then Sanatana said. “This nice girl is Radharani. You have taken service from Radharani, the Lord’s eternal consort. It is a great blunder.” That is their philosophy. They would not accept service from the Lord. They simply wanted to render service. But Krsna is so clever that He also wants to serve His devotee. He looks for an opportunity to serve His devotee. This is spiritual competition. A pure devotee does not want anything from Krsna; he simply wants to serve Him. And Krsna also looks for the opportunity to serve His devotee. Krsna is always as anxious to please His devotee as the devotee is to please Him.
This is the transcendental world. On the absolute plane, there is no exploitation. Everyone wants to serve; no one wants to take service. In the transcendental world, everyone wants to give service. You want to give service to me, and I want to give service to you. This is such a nice attitude. This material world means that I want to pickpocket you, and you want to pickpocket me. That’s all. This is the material world. We should try to understand it. In the material world, everyone wants to exploit his friend, his father, his mother, everyone. But in the transcendental world, everyone wants to serve. Everyone has Krsna as the central point of serving, and all the devotees, either as friends or servants or parents or lovers of Krsna, all want to serve Him. And at the same time, Krsna also wants to serve them. This is a transcendental relationship; the main function is service, although there is no necessity of service, for everyone is full. There is no hunger, there is no necessity of eating, but still everyone offers nice things to eat. This is the transcendental world. Unless we attain the stage of simply serving Krsna or His devotee, we cannot relish the transcendental pleasure of service. If we have any motive, then that sense will never be awakened. Without a motive, without desire for personal sense gratification, service should be rendered to the Supreme Lord and His devotees.
Karma-yoga—Perfection through Action, Part 3
Karma-yoga—Perfection through Action, Part 3
by Svami Kirtanananda Maharaja
(ISKCON New Vrndavana)
[This is the third in a series of eighteen articles on the eighteen chapters of Bhagavad-gita.—Editor]
As Chapter Three opens, it is clear that Arjuna has not understood Krsna very well. Not only has he not understood that the path of knowledge and the path of devotional service are ultimately the same because the goal is the same, but also he has not understood the difference between action with fruitive results and inaction, or action without fruitive results. Arjuna thus asked Krsna, “Why do You urge me to engage in this ghastly warfare if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive work?” Arjuna’s memory is still clouded; therefore he is still in a state of confusion, and he frankly admits, “My intelligence is bewildered by Your equivocal instructions. Therefore, please tell me decisively what is most beneficial for me.”
Actually Krsna’s instructions are never equivocal, as we can see from a detailed study of the Second Chapter. The instruction was not equivocal, but decisive; namely, Arjuna should fight for the sake of Krsna. Krsna explained this both on basis of philosophy and yoga. The fact is that it is Arjuna’s mind that is equivocal. But Arjuna has one good qualification: he is placing the whole matter before the bona fide spiritual master. Actually Arjuna is eternally liberated and never forgetful of Krsna’s instruction, but for our sake he is taking the part of the conditioned soul lost in forgetfulness. So he says, “Therefore, my dear Lord, please tell me decisively what is most beneficial for me.” If one is simply sincere and approaches a man in knowledge, he is sure to have all matters cleared up. After all, Krsna is the loving father of all living entities, and if one sincerely approaches Him for some guidance He wi11 surely give it to one’s full understanding.
In the Second Chapter Krsna previewed many paths of self-realization: sankhya philosophy, karma-yoga, work without fruitive results, devotional service, and many others. Now for the sake of His disciple, so that he wi11 more clearly understand, He wi11 give the instructions again, but in a more systematic and detailed way. In this Third Chapter He describes the path commonly called karma-yoga. Four great topics are discussed here: action, sacrifice, surrender and lust. As Krsna indicated in the Second Chapter, action is superior to inaction, and here again Krsna is more elaborately explaining that one can never achieve perfection simply by abstaining from work, indeed no one can refrain from work, for all are driven helplessly by the modes of nature. Indeed, Krsna says that one who makes a show of not working while the mind dwells on sense objects is merely a pretender and a hypocrite. One who can control the senses and the mind by engaging them in acts of service and devotion to the Supreme is said to be far superior. Therefore Krsna tells Arjuna, “Perform your prescribed duty, which is better than not working. “A man cannot even maintain his physical body without work.”
It is significant that Krsna chose Arjuna, a ksatriya or warrior, a married man in householder life, to receive this transcendental message. If we keep in mind that Arjuna is the representative of all conditioned souls, we can see that Krsna is saying that one need not be born of a high family, one need not have the best education, one need not have so many material qualifications in order to understand the science of Bhagavad-gita. One must only follow in the footsteps of Arjuna. One first of all must surrender to the spiritual master by hearing and service. This means to follow his instructions. The world is full of religious pretenders, men who want religiosity simply to cheat the innocent public and solve their own economic problem. That is not recommended here by Lord Krsna, for He is specifically discouraging his disciple from going off to the woods to meditate. He did not want him to become a pretender. He is therefore ordering him to do his prescribed duty. We may ask that if he is only performing his prescribed duty, how is he the example of religiosity? How is he any different from any other man who is taking care of wife and family and so many other mundane things? What is the difference between Arjuna’s duty and my so-called duty? Is religiosity merely duty? That is answered in the major portion of this Third Chapter under the topic of sacrifice. Verse nine says: “Work done as a sacrifice for Visnu [Krsna] has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain unattached and free from bondage.”
According to Krsna’s instruction, action or work is a foregone conclusion—everyone must work. But what work and how the work is performed are left to the living entity. That is his minute independence. Actually, we are all parts and parcels of Krsna, and as such we have all the qualities of the Supreme, who is supremely independent, but being fragmental, we have the qualities in fragmental or minute portions. Therefore our independence is not complete but partial, and in this case we have no independence to say that we will not work—we are compelled by nature to work, but we have the choice of who we wi11 work for, either Krsna or the false ego of “I and mine.”
All living entities are active, for they cannot even maintain their physical bodies without action, by nature’s law, but who are they working for? That is their choice. Arjuna now has a choice. He can either do as Krsna bids or he can follow his own whims. One path will lead to elevation and happiness, and the other to further bewilderment and frustration. Therefore to carry out action in the spirit of sacrifice means to understand that everything is Krsna’s.
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam Srila Sukadeva Gosvami describes the Lord as prajapati, the Lord of all worlds, all living creatures and all beauty, the protector of everyone. Similarly, Isopanisad says that Lord Krsna is the proprietor of everything, that everything is His energy, and as such He is the supreme proprietor. This material world is meant simply to give a chance to the conditioned living soul to practice Krsna consciousness to go back home, back to Godhead. That practice is celled yajna, or sacrifice. If factually everything is Krsna’s then ultimately we must come to that point where we want to present everything at the lotus feet of Krsna. Unfortunately we cannot do that all at once; it takes gradual development of consciousness, and that gradual development is made possible by means of yajna or sacrifice performed for Visnu. Yajna vai Visnu is the injunction of the Vedas. All sacrificial performances are meant for the satisfaction of Krsna, so in the subsequent verses it is explained that when the living entity follows this injunction and performs sacrifices for Visnu, then all of his material needs are automatically taken care of and his consciousness is gradually elevated to the position of Krsna consciousness. When every act of our daily lives, from sleeping to eating, becomes spiritualized by becoming a sacrifice to the Lord then that is the perfect stage of Krsna consciousness.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has written: “By performance of yajna one’s eatables become sanctified, and by eating sanctified foodstuffs one’s very existence becomes purified; by the purification of existence, finer tissues in thc memory become sanctified; and when memory is sanctified, one can think of the path of liberation, and all these together lead to Krsna consciousness, the great necessity of present day society.”
Actually the whole problem has arisen because of forgetfulness, because we have forgotten our original heritage as part and parcel of Krsna. From this forgetfulness, bewilderment has come about, and with bewilderment come frustration and anger and all the perplexities of material contamination. So if we want to remember our spiritual nature, we must perform yajna or sacrifice, and the proper sacrifice for the present age is sankirtana-yajna, or the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. This process is specifically recommended in the Vedas for this present time, and it was introduced for the deliverance of all men some 500 years ago in India by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Sankirtana
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it says: “In this age of Kali people who are endowed with intelligence shall worship the Lord who is accompanied with His associates by the performance of sankirtana-yajna.” Lord Caitanya is Lord Krsna appearing in devotional form, that is, as a devotee, and is accompanied by His associates Lord Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Gadadhara and Srivasa. Other sacrifices as prescribed in the Vedas are not readily performable in the age of Kali, but sankirtana or the chanting of the holy name is at once easy and sublime. Furthermore, the purpose of all other yajnas (namely the pleasure of Lord Visnu) is automatically fulfilled. Just to link the conditioned soul back to Himself, the Lord accepts our humble sacrifice, and this is enough to revive the dormant love of Krsna which lies within all our hearts. So the sankirtana movement of chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, at once links the conditioned soul back to Krsna, and at once one can feel the material dust of contamination being wiped from the mirror of the mind. Then one can see the dormant love of Godhead springing forth. This love of Krsna is sometimes likened to a creeper that somehow or other breaks out of the hard shell of the human heart, and by the constant watering of Hare Krsna it grows and grows until it pierces through the material sky and then through the spiritual sky and finally enters that supreme planet, Goloka Vrndavana, where it finds the lotus feet of Lord Krsna and takes its eternal rest.
Purpose Of Sacrifice
Thus all sacrifice is meant for the satisfaction of Krsna or Visnu, and as such it cannot be done whimsically, for verse fifteen says: “Activity (karma) arises from the Vedas, and the Vedas spring from the Supreme Godhead. Therefore, the all-pervading transcendence is eternally situated in acts of sacrifice.” Karma means working according to the prescribed rules and regulations, or scriptural injunctions, and here it is asserted that such instructions are not different from the personality of Godhead. And elsewhere it is stated that “All the four Vedas—namely Rg-veda, Yajur-veda, Sama-veda, and Atharva-veda—are emanations from the breathing of the great Personality of Godhead.” Krsna is so powerful that just by His breathing He can produce so many Vedas; factually His omnipotence means that He can do anything with any one of His senses, and that is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita. Bhagavad-gita says that He can impregnate with His eyes, for it says that He glanced over material nature and thus fathered all living entities. Out of His infinite mercy, the Supreme Lord, after impregnating the conditioned souls into material nature, gave directions how they could return home, back to Godhead, how they could revive their original Krsna consciousness.
The individual soul is conditioned in matter because he has a tendency to try to lord it over material nature, to desire the enjoyment of some portion of Krsna’s inferior energy, matter. The Lord gives the conditioned soul a chance to fulfill his desire to be lord, but at the same time he instructs him to perform some yajna. In that way, while fulfilling his material desires, he can also progress back to Godhead. It is something like the little child who is pestering his mother while she is cooking: “Let me cook! Let me cook!” So the mother gives the child a little set of play cooking utensils and says, “Here, cook.” While the child is amusing himself with his artificial “cooking,” he is also being gradually trained up for the time when he can factually help mother with the real cooking. The conditioned soul is actually the servant of Lord Krsna, but because he has forgotten his position as servant, he is put into this material bondage where he must learn to serve before he can return to the kingdom of God. But as soon as one actually comes to that platform of desiring to render transcendental loving service to the Lord, immediately he is a liberated man, even if apparently still in the material world. Verse eighteen says: “A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being.’ A self-realized man knows that he is the servant of Krsna and knows that Krsna is the proprietor of everything; therefore everything which is entrusted to him is Krsna’s. Certainly such a liberated soul has no duty to perform, but one will find that such a man is always performing his duty. Why? Because there is no reason not to do it, and because Krsna has requested it. There is no reason not to do it because such a liberated man is no longer under the bodily conception of existence. Sometimes it appears to us too troublesome to do our duty because it may be a little inconvenient for the body. But for one who factually knows and has fully realized that he is not the body, there is no reason not to perform his prescribed duty. There is, rather, every reason to perform it. Krsna states in verses twenty and twenty-one: “Therefore just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work. Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men will follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.” Krsna Himself is following this example, for He says that he has no need to act personally in any particular way, nothing to gain, nothing that He is in need of, yet He is never inactive.
The Real Guru
Lord Caitanya says that a teacher should behave properly even before beginning to teach others, and one who teaches in that way is called acarya or ideal teacher. There is a Sanskrit phrase, guru, sadhu, sastra, which means that the real teacher or guru is one who does not deviate from that which has been taught by other sadhus (holy men) or by scripture. These three, guru, sadhu and sastra, form the standard of truth and are always in agreement. Therefore one need not be in ignorance as to whether he is following a bona fide system. Does the guru follow in the line of the great acaryas and is his teaching in accord with the scriptures? Is the scripture and scriptural understanding confirmed by the guru and all other sadhus? In this way one can check the truth, and no one need be led astray or cheated by a pretender.
Krsna Himself, for our example, is following in the line of Vedic instructions, and instructing His disciple, “Just do your duty for My sake.” Krsna is urging Arjuna to do his duty, not because He needs it, but because this is the path of spiritual advancement—for everyone: “As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, similarly, the learned may also act, but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path.” (3.25). That means that the wise man and the so-called ignorant man are asked to perform similar duties, but we should not assume that they are on the same platform. The consciousness is different. The ignorant is acting because he thinks that he is going to get something. He goes to church or gives some charity, but in the hope of getting something back, either material or spiritual. But the wise man is doing these same things for a different reason—because it is the desire of Krsna. That is called devotional service. Therefore, the action is the culmination of surrender. Verse thirty says: “Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with mind intent on Me, and without desire for gain and free from egoism and lethargy—fight.”
Sacrifice is not meant for satisfying anyone less than the Supreme, and when the Supreme is satisfied, all the part and parcel subordinates like the demigods and living entities are automatically satisfied. The leaves of a tree are watered when the root is watered, and all the limbs of the body are nourished when the stomach is fed. Krsna is in need of nothing, but as long as we are disconnected from the service of the Supreme, something is out of joint. So actually, sacrifice or surrender is simply for our own good. Therefore Krsna is emphasizing the necessity for surrendering all work to “Me,” for keeping the mind intent on “Me.” Finally He tells him to fight enthusiastically without desire for gain and free from possessiveness. Everything belongs to Krsna, including the result of the battle; therefore Arjuna must simply fight for the sake of fighting because Krsna has requested it. That is the meaning of surrender and the real import of Bhagavad-gita. Krsna doesn’t tell Arjuna to surrender preaching work or to surrender teaching work or charity or humanitarianism or so many other things. No, Krsna says, “Surrender all your work to Me.”
In the Vedic system there are so many occupations. Some of them are not very pleasant. Arjuna’s was not very pleasant; he was a warrior, and he was being asked to kill his friends and relatives. If we, like Arjuna, surrender all work to Krsna, certainly the next part will follow: the mind will be intent on Him. When the mind is intent upon the lover, the lover is never out of mind. There is always longing for the lover, always the feeling, “When can I see my beloved again?” or, “What is my lover doing now?” or, “How can I do something for my love?” Everything is revolving about the lover, and in such a state of mind the next stage automatically follows: freedom from desire for gain, from false egoism and from lethargy. If one is actually intent on Krsna, he is always thinking of Krsna, about His pastimes, about His devotees, His beauty, etc. Who can be thinking of anything so gross as material gain, some business calculation? If Krsna is in mind, what loss could make one lament? Krsna is full, absolute, so if Krsna is in the mind, the mind must be full. That is fact. Therefore with great enthusiasm one can fight or do anything else Krsna desires. One can fight anyone—father, mother, son, daughter. What are father and mother but the accidental circumstance for the appearance of the body? Krsna is the real father and the real mother, and by love and service He will become one’s child and lover. We owe everything to Krsna, so if Krsna is bidding us to fight, how can we refuse?
For the person surrendering to Krsna, Krsna promises all good fortune: “One who executes his duties according to My injunctions and who follows this teaching faithfully becomes free from the bondage of fruitive actions. But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not practice them regularly, are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and doomed to ignorance and bondage” (Bg. 3.31–32). For one who surrenders to the feet of Lord Krsna there is all good fortune; nothing can touch him, for he is protected by the Almighty Himself. But for the soul who refuses to take shelter of Mukunda, Krsna, the giver of liberation, everything is inauspicious.
The Enemy—Lust
The symbol of ill fortune is bondage to lust. As was stated at the beginning, all conditioned souls are impelled to action, but how they will act is their fragmental independence. Now we see that the soul can either surrender to Krsna or to lust, for in verse thirty-six Arjuna complains that he feels sometimes impelled to sin even against his will, and Krsna says, “It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world.” Actually this lust is a reflection of our dormant love for Krsna, but because the individual soul has chosen not to cultivate that love for Krsna, that same propensity is pervertedly exhibiting itself as lust. And that lust means sex enjoyment. Sex enjoyment is the bondage to the material world, for no man can do without it, and the more he gets the more tightly he becomes bound by material nature. The Manu-smrti tells us that lust cannot be satisfied by any amount of sense enjoyment, anymore than a fire can be put out by a constant supply of gasoline. In the state penitentiary criminals are kept in check by iron bars, and similarly, those who misuse their fragmental independence are tightly shackled by sex desire, which is forever binding them to material existence. Once having exerted his independence against the Lord, the conditioned soul has no further independence. So here Arjuna speaks of being impelled unwillingly, and elsewhere Krsna says that all living beings are working helplessly under the spell of His maya.
Some foolish people therefore conclude that Krsna is the origin of sin and that the living being has not moral agency and responsibility, and therefore one may go on as he pleases. But that does not follow any more than that the prison warden is responsible for the acts of the criminals under his charge. As wi11 be more elaborately explained in the Sixteenth Chapter, the living entity is being forced to act according to the modes of material nature, but still he is free. And what is that freedom? Freedom to become Krsna conscious, freedom to awaken from the slumber of forgetfulness induced by lust. “Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, in the very beginning curb the great symbol of sin (lust) by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization” (3.41). So our choice is limited, and this is proof that we are fragments of Krsna. Krsna is the supreme independent; we have some independence, but we are not supremely independent. We can surrender to Krsna or we can surrender to His inferior energy and be forever kicked like a football by the agents of material nature, lust and anger. So how can we complete our term of material nature and transform that lust into love? Both lust and wrath can be turned into Krsna consciousness by expert guidance, and that process is called bhakti-yoga or Krsna consciousness, and it is exemplified by Hanuman, who transformed wrath into service for Lord Rama by visiting destruction on the demons of Lanka for the satisfaction of the Lord. And by the grace of the gopis, lust attained the highest perfection of love of Krsna in the bowers of Vrndavana. So the great secret of success is Krsna. Whatever is related to Him becomes perfect, and whatever is disjointed becomes useless and ugly. Acts performed for sense enjoyment are material; acts performed for the Lord are spiritual. Krsna makes the difference.
Lord Caitanya Festival
Lord Caitanya Festival
by Haridayananda dasa Brahmacari
(ISKCON Boston)
On March 29, 1970, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the golden avatara, appeared on the streets of an American city, Berkeley, California. Lord Caitanya, who is Krsna Himself, appeared just to please His devotees and to attract the minds of all living entities who are suffering from the pangs of material entanglement. Lord Caitanya is called Gauranga, or “golden one.” The appearance of the Supreme Lord in His golden form is very rare and auspicious and should be carefully studied and understood by everyone.
Gauranga first advented Himself 484 years ago in Navadvipa, India, and as a child He exhibited wonderful pastimes. As an infant, sometimes he would cry, and the women and girls of Navadvipa would hurry over to see the beautiful golden baby. They would then clap their hands and sing the holy names, Hare Krsna, Hare Rama, and immediately the infant would stop crying and would smile sweetly upon the women and girls. So even as a young child, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to propagate His mission of sankirtana-yajna, or congregational chanting of the holy names, as the most effective means in this age for deliverance from the ocean of material miseries.
In Vedic literature, the present age is called Kali-yuga, or the age of quarrel and hypocrisy. It is said that in this age, it is very difficult for a common man to successfully complete the eightfold path of mystic yoga, which normally requires many thousands of years of full-time endeavor, and thus in order to make liberation from all material suffering possible in this degraded age, the Supreme Lord kindly appeared in His golden form and propagated the chanting of the holy names. Lord Caitanya, who is Krsna Himself in the guise of His own devotee, reaffirmed the same principles taught by Lord Sri Krsna 5,000 years ago, when the Lord spoke Bhagavad-gita to His friend and disciple Arjuna. Sarva-dharman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja. This is the final instruction of Bhagavad-gita, and it means that one should just try to give up all varieties of religiosity, yoga and philosophical speculation and should simply surrender unto Krsna. That is the perfectional stage. Lord Caitanya taught that in this age it is very easy and simple to achieve this: just sing for Krsna and dance for Krsna and feast upon prasadam, or foodstuffs offered to Krsna.
Just as in a boat, there is a captain, so it is natural that one striving for perfection should be guided by a spiritual master so that his devotional activity becomes perfect. To set this example, Lord Caitanya also accepted a spiritual master in the authorized chain of spiritual masters. Such a chain is authorized because it begins with the Supreme Lord, Krsna, and passes down perfect knowledge by perfect hearing and repetition, not relying on mental speculation and interpretation. Lord Caitanya explained that hearing from a bona fide member of the disciplic succession is as good as hearing from the Lord Himself; there is no difference. Although Lord Caitanya is the Supreme Lord, He nevertheless followed this system to set an example, and we should accept His instruction as it is; that is the meaning of surrender.
Sometimes, as a young boy, Lord Caitanya would run along the banks of the Ganges River, and He would splash water on all the yogis who were sitting staring at the tips of their noses and meditating upon the impersonal effulgence of the Lord. He would tell them, “Just get up and dance for Krsna and praise Him by His holy names. Then you will be the greatest yogi. “This is the version of all the Vedas. In Bhagavad-gita, Krsna says, imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam: “Originally I spoke this ancient science of yoga to the presiding sun-deity, Vivasvan.” So the science of yoga is originally spoken by the Lord. And in Srimad-Bhagavatam we can find, vasudeva-para yogah: “The supreme goal of yoga is to know Krsna.” This was the message of Lord Caitanya, who came just to rouse the sleeping human society. The highest goal of life is to know Krsna, and in this age, one can know Him just by chanting His holy names. Thus one can very easily go back home, back to Godhead, surpassing the stringent material laws of birth, old age, disease and death. That is the kindness of the Lord. The Lord offers everyone this opportunity of supreme liberation, regardless of condition of life.
In order to spread this glorious mission of Lord Caitanya, the devotees of Krsna in Berkeley staged a giant festival to glorify the golden Krsna and to distribute His causeless mercy freely to everyone. Lord Caitanya has declared, “In every town and village, I will be known by the chanting of the holy name,” and the devotees act just to fulfill this prediction. When Gauranga first appeared on this planet, He was always seen to dance in ecstasy, His arms upraised, His chest decorated with fragrant garlands of flowers, and His eyes and cheeks smeared with tears of love of God. Therefore, on the 484th anniversary of His appearance, it was decided to hold a large transcendental festival to glorify Lord Gauranga and attract the minds of all men.
The first step was to construct a large form of Lord Caitanya, rising over twenty feet into the sky. Sometimes less intelligent persons mistake such forms of the Lord to be ordinary statues or idols. In Srimad-Bhagavatam, however, it is stated, vadanti tat tattvavidas, tattvam yad-jnanam advayam: “Those who are actually learned scholars say that the Lord exists beyond all duality.” He is absolute, and no relativity can exist within Him. Therefore there is no difference between the Supreme Lord Himself and His transcendental name, fame, quality, form, pastimes, etc. They are all absolute and identical. This absolute nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can never be understood by philosophical word jugglers nor by those who are materially attached to the temporary things of this world. The ordinary materialist, with his severely limited senses, finds it difficult to understand how the Lord can appear in a constructed form, supposedly fashioned of material elements. Such persons are under the jurisdiction of the deluding energy of the Lord, called maya. Due to their illusion, they do not properly utilize their intelligence in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, but instead they use this God-given intelligence to decry the Personality of Godhead. Thus they can never appreciate the unlimited potencies of the Lord. The devotees, however, whose eyes have been opened by the grace of the Lord, correctly perceive the Lord’s factual presence in His name, form, etc.
Therefore, all of the devotees in Berkeley were swept up in a mood of anticipation and expectation. As elaborate preparations were underway, feelings of bliss predominated, and all conversation centered around the wonderful pastimes of the Lord in His munificent golden form. Concerning the planning of the festival, it should be noted that a devotee never artificially puts forward a so-called creation, but tries to the best of his ability to take direction from Krsna within his heart. In the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna says, “I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.” Material life means to falsely take credit for our activities, and Krsna consciousness means to understand that actually all credit goes to Krsna. Therefore, when a devotee is seen to be always talking about Krsna, this should not be mistaken for mere sentiment.
By Krsna’s grace, the Berkeley police commissioner agreed to shut down Telegraph Avenue for the festival. When the devotees heard of this decision, preparations were swung into full gear, and everywhere around the Bay Area, the blissful news began to spread that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of the entire cosmic situation, would manifest Himself on the 29th of March, on the streets of Berkeley, California, on the anniversary of His original appearance day. And to receive the Lord, who is the reservoir of beauty and strength, a big transcendental parade would be held straight down Telegraph Avenue, with all mundane traffic shut off. The parade would culminate at Willard Park, on Telegraph Avenue and Derby Street, and there the Lord’s festival would be fully celebrated.
Days before the festival, the streets of Berkeley and San Francisco were bedecked with glittering golden posters foretelling the appearance of the Lord. Finally the day arrived. All of the devotees from the Bay Area gathered early in the morning in the Berkeley center, and there were many duties to perform. Some devotees swept the temple, others washed the temple, last minute cooking had to be finished, instructive lectures were delivered, etc.
At 1:00, approximately fifteen devotees walked down to the University of Berkeley campus, carrying sacred mrdanga drums and sweet kartals. They were greeted by a swelling crowd of over one thousand people, who had come from many different places to attend the festival. Immediately sankirtana was started. Sankirtana means congregational chanting of the holy name. This sankirtana was introduced by Lord Caitanya, and so it was just proper for the occasion. In all circumstances, the Lord is to be glorified. This is the practical perfection of any activity. In Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that any activity which does not involve glorification of the Lord is simply useless labor.
Everyone joined the chanting, and the vibration established was like the blissful roar of transcendental lions. The combined sound of the drums, bells, and the holy name was so sweet and relishable that everyone began to raise their arms and dance in ecstasy. This is the effect produced by the chanting of Hare Krsna. After each kirtana, a devotee spoke briefly about the science of Krsna consciousness, and because the words described the unlimited glories of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, everyone was satisfied at heart and felt as if there were no greater happiness. If this extreme sense of happiness can be felt simply by once chanting the holy names of Krsna and hearing about the wonderful transcendental qualities of the Lord, then what to speak of the happiness of the pure devotee, who is one hundred percent immersed in the ocean of love of God. Srila Rupa Gosvami once prayed, “O my Lord, I am like a bee, and Your lotus feet are the sweetest honey. Therefore, the bees have left the fields and are simply engaged in following You, and I have no desire but to remain at Your lotus feet.”
The chanting of Hare Krsna should never be mistaken for ordinary singing because it is actually the most exalted activity of the living entity, and it brings the highest pleasure obtainable anywhere in the three planetary systems. Therefore the chanting of Hare Krsna was especially appropriate for the Appearance Day Festival of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The chanting continued, and soon great waves of transcendental ecstasy began to wash over the crowd. As the chanting grew increasingly blissful, and as thousands of conditioned souls were overcome with transcendental pleasure, suddenly two golden lotus-like hands could be seen reaching high above the trees. In a matter of seconds, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was fully visible dancing in supreme ecstasy, tears of love falling from his lotus-petal eyes, and everyone’s heart began to melt, just as butter melts very quickly when placed on a hot fire.
It is said that a mountain of gold, when seen beneath the brilliant sun, is very bright indeed. But the transcendental brilliance of the Supreme Lord, appearing in His original, eternal form of bliss and knowledge, was like millions of suns and hundreds of millions of gold mountains. It is said that the lotus flower which floats upon the surface of the lake is delicate, but the two lotus-petal eyes of the Lord, delicately shedding ecstatic tears of love of God, derided the lotus flower.
The Lord was dancing in ecstasy, and His arms were raised high in the sky. His weeping lotus-petal eyes were fixed in a longing gaze toward the transcendental land of Vrndavana, which is the abode of the Lord in His original form of Krsna, Govinda. Around the body of the Lord was wrapped a flowing golden robe, and His chest was bare. The chest of the Lord was like the purest molten gold and was decorated with fragrant flower garlands, which swung, multicolored, from His golden neck. The Lord’s long hair, brilliant and black, played with the wind.
Overcome by the sight of the Lord, the devotees fell to their knees and offered repeated obeisances. Some members of the gathered crowd, which now numbered several thousand, also fell to their knees, and others became silent and shy in the presence of the Lord. After proper respects had been offered, kirtana began, more ecstatic than before, and thousands of spirit souls danced blissfully around the Lord, who is the supreme dancer, and whose lotus feet are the only shelter in all the three worlds.
How could any man hope to describe the happiness that was felt? The conditioned soul has been transmigrating, since time immemorial, through 8,400,000 species of life, and now the Lord had come personally, just to bring the fallen souls back home, back to Godhead, in full knowledge of their relationship with Him as His parts and parcels.
Lord Caitanya was carried on a platform which rested upon the shoulders of His devotees, and at His command, the festivities moved into the street, and the glorious transcendental parade began. This scene of the Lord being carried by His devotees nicely illustrates our actual position. The Lord states in Bhagavad-gita that although He is self-sufficient in every respect, He wi11 accept our service it if is rendered in a devotional mood. The example is given of the father who is pleased to accept the offering of his child. Sometimes at the dinner table the child wi11 take some morsel of food and offer it to his father. The father feels no hunger, and he has originally supplied the food to his son, but still the father relishes the loving attitude of the child. Similarly, Lord Caitanya is so kind that He allows His devotees to serve Him by helping to propagate this chanting of Hare Krsna all over the world, and anyone who joins this great mission will also receive the causeless mercy of Lord Caitanya. Anyone who refuses the mercy of Lord Caitanya is considered most unfortunate and is said to be bewildered about the purpose of human life.
With the aim of spreading the mercy of the golden Lord, the procession proceeded to Telegraph Avenue, which was now closed to ordinary traffic. The sounds of kirtana, of drums and bells couching the holy name of Krsna, vibrated uproariously in the sky and on land. The devotees appeared like dancing angels, and everyone felt overcome by transcendental pleasure. Lord Caitanya was like the sun, and His sun-like face was the unlimited drinking pot of all eyes. The procession continued, and the large crowd continued to grow until the parade filled all lanes of the street and spilled onto the sidewalk. Thousands of flowers were distributed, and everyone began to lovingly shower these flowers upon the chest and head of the Lord. The Lord became surrounded by moving rainbows of flowers, and at every moment His beauty increased. Many people along the avenue opened their windows and stared at the transcendental parade, startled to see thousands of boys, girls, men and women dancing in full-fledged transcendental ecstasy, and similarly, many shopkeepers rushed into the street and simply stared at the Supreme Lord as He made His way toward the park.
Although everyone was thinking that there could be no greater happiness, when the procession reached the park, the mercy of Lord Gauranga was felt even more strongly than before. The whole atmosphere became surcharged with bliss, like that of Vaikuntha. Vaikuntha means free from anxiety, and it is also the name for the innumerable spiritual planets which are floating in the self-effulgent anti-material sky. The topmost planet in that self-effulgent sky is Krsnaloka, known as Goloka Vrndavana, which is the most confidential abode of the Supreme Lord. This transcendental kingdom of God is not a product of the imagination, but it is forever sealed off from the eyes of materialistic men, whose stock in trade in life is sense gratification only, and who therefore constantly seek to exploit the resources of the material nature in accordance with particular desires. This supreme abode of the Lord, in which there is no need of sunlight or moonlight or electricity, is easily obtained, however, by the unalloyed devotees of the Lord, whose only desire is to render transcendental loving service unto the Lord. The Lord Caitanya Festival was planned by Lord Caitanya just to give the conditioned souls a small taste of the nectar of devotion. If such blissful, all-auspicious activities can occur within the confines of the material world, among ordinary people, then one can hardly imagine the transcendental pastimes of the Lord and His pure devotees which are eternally manifest in the spiritual sky. No one can enter the spiritual sky on the strength of dry philosophical speculation and argumentation. In Bhagavad-gita, Krsna advises that only by unalloyed devotion can the Supreme Personality of Godhead be known as He is.
Everyone accompanied the Lord into the park, and the youthful Lord, overcome with transcendental love, danced upon the grass, and His youthful children danced around Him, holding hands, tossing flowers, and bathing their minds in the sacred waters of the holy name. The wind blew the Lord’s long black hair. On top of His head was a wreath of flowers, formed of red, white and yellow blossoms, and His face was streaked with tears.
After kirtana, the devotees introduced transcendental theatre. Transcendental theatre means plays and skits exclusively about the Lord and His pure devotees, who are qualitatively on an equal level, although quantitatively different. The first play was entitled, “The Big Fish and the Little Fish,” and the second was entitled “The Saga of Liquid Beauty.” These plays were filled with the Lord’s presence, and thus they were filled with humor, knowledge and transcendental pleasure. Throughout the festival, the devotees remembered the lotus feet of their spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. In the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna instructs, tad viddhi prani-patena pariprasnena sevaya/upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah: In order to learn this transcendental science of Krsna consciousness and become steadily situated on the transcendental platform of eternal bliss and knowledge, one must, in a humble state of mind, approach a bona fide spiritual master. It is suggested here that one make intelligent inquiries and that one be prepared to render unflinching service unto the spiritual master. In return, the spiritual master benedicts the sincere student with perfect transcendental knowledge. Therefore it is through the causeless mercy of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is the most confidential servant of the Lord, that the activities of Krsna consciousness are able to transform the face of the earth.
After the transcendental dramatizations had enlivened the hearts of all, a giant transcendental feast was served. The menu included spiced fancy kitterie, which is a nourishing vegetable preparation, heart-melting luglu sesame seed balls, packed with crumbly flavor, crisp, tasty poppers, great lakes of lemonade prasadam, and unlimited reservoirs of super-fruitsalad-buttermilk nectar, which overflooded and purified the senses of everyone. In this way, the contaminated senses of the conditioned souls can be naturally purified, not by artificial cessation of sensory engagements but by engagement of the senses with transcendental sense objects.
Lord Caitanya’s festival, a transcendental birthday party for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was all-successful, all-victorious and all-blissful. This was because Krsna is the husband of the goddess of fortune. Everyone in material life is eager for fortune, but the goddess of fortune is restless, and no one can always be fortunate within the material world. But if one is surrendered unto the husband of the goddess of fortune, then his success is assured, for the goddess of fortune never leaves the chest of the Personality of Godhead. Therefore, these activities were able to continue for long hours, but no one felt fatigue or satiation. The hearts of thousands were gently plowed by the causeless glancing of The Lord, and the seed of love of Krsna was implanted.
Finally, when the sun gave way to a cool twilight sky, Lord Caitanya decided to return to His temple, at 2710 Durant Avenue, and so He was borne upon the backs of His tireless devotees, and He began to move through the quiet streets. As the night grew late, the devotees reluctantly took rest, and as they looked into the yard, beneath their blankets they could see that the Lord was continuing to dance in ecstasy and that there was no cessation of tears gliding from His two gorgeous eyes. As the devotees were overcome by sleep, the golden Lord danced all through the night. Therefore, who will not join in the glorious mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu?
The readers of this article are requested to sit down, or stand, and clap their hands and repeat the holy names delivered by Lord Caitanya:
Certainly no one should be envious of Lord Caitanya, who is Krsna Himself, nor doubt the power of His mission, which cannot be checked by any force. Everyone is humbly invited to join immediately this glorious, transcendental movement and to abandon the darkness and ignorance of dry mental speculation. All glories to Lord Caitanya, the unrivaled beauty, whose blooming lotus-petal eyes are constantly decorated with tears of transcendental love, who is the fountainhead of transcendental mercy, the reservoir of unlimited seeds of devotion to God, and the core of the heart of the pure devotee.
The Hidden God
The Hidden God
by Hayagriva dasa Adhikari
(ISKCON New Vrndavana)
“For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.” (Gita 6.30)
Even the philosophers of the modern churches are declaring that God is dead. In one sense this is true, for in the societies of the modern world God remains an obscure mystery which most people prefer to forget. He is considered dead because He has been buried beneath tomes of speculative philosophy.
In recent years there have been many philosophies based around the premise of the nonexistence of God. One such philosophy, existentialism, which emerged in a shattered France during World War II, maintains that the universe is purposeless and that there is no supreme controller. The existentialists assert that man has free will to struggle against purposelessness, but they give no information as to how the exercise of this will can give life real purpose. Out of a rather bleak and antiquated philosophy synthesized by Jean-Paul Sartre emerged the philosophy of l’absurde popularized by Albert Camus This philosophy appealed to the post-War mentality by dint of its rather simple but unabashed assertion that all life is absurd. As is often the case, Camus was half right, for mundane materialistic life is absurd. It is absurd that man bears his burden of sense gratification like an ass bearing a burden of stones. Camus’ most famous essay, “The Myth of Sisyphus,” which summarizes the philosophy of l’absurde, utilizes the ancient Greek myth about the shrewd and greedy King of Corinth, Sisyphus, who was forever doomed in Hades to roll uphill a heavy stone which always rolled down again. Camus equates the absurdity of Sisyphus’ position with that of all men. He sees man as condemned to roll the heavy ball of material conditioned life to the top of some unknown hill where it simply rolls down again and forces him to repeat the drudgery. This is a sort of eternal position. Camus concludes from this that, “The only philosophical problem is the problem of suicide.” It is to his credit that he has the insight to perceive the futility of mundane existence, yet he poses no positive solutions outside of encouraging men to recognize the absurdity of their position and seek refuge in a humanistic “solidarity.”
The popularity of this philosophy in America was almost inevitable, and it was picked up about five years later by the Beat movement. And its transformation was also inevitable: if life is absurd, then let us enjoy our gross senses as much as possible. This is also the hedonistic philosophy of Hippyism. Initially, at any rate, this hedonism, which is grounded in aspiritualism and pessimism, grew out of the refuse of the Christian church just as mushrooms grow out of dung.
Kierkegaard and Nietzsche were the forerunners of this movement, Sartre and Camus were the popularizers, and the masses were the dupes. Suddenly every major writer from Homer to Chaucer to Shakespeare to Melville to T.S. Eliot was analyzed as an “existentialist.” Books entitled Existential Thought in Wordsworth and Coleridge were placed on front counters in book stores while the Bhagavad-gita was placed in the occult section.
The Guise Of Maya
The Gita still remains in the occult section and will evidentally for years to come. The word “occult” comes from the Latin word occulere meaning to cover over, conceal, and no doubt it is only right for a society that so methodically conceals the Divine to place the words of the Divine on an occult shelf. God in this age remains hidden, obscure, mystical (from Greek mystikos, referring to secret rites). In this age of technological chaos, the guise of maya is very heavy, and when the Divine appears, He seems only to be a vaporous apparition subject to vanish quickly
Then with inviolate curve forsake our eyes,
As apparitional as sails that cross
Some page of figures to be filed away—
Till elevators drop us from our day.
(Hart Crane, “Proem” to The Bridge)
In this age, the vision of God is as elusive as the seagulls that glide and dip in New York Harbor. One may then appropriately question how it is that Krsna, who is the totality of everything, remains unseen. Because no one knows Him, mankind concludes that He is either nonexistent or dead.
In the Gita, Lord Krsna concludes the situation. “I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent For them 1 am covered by My eternal creative potency [maya]; and so the deluded world knows Me not who am unborn and infallible.” (Gita 7.25) In this Age of Iron, practically the totality of mankind is deluded. “All riving entitles are born into delusion, overcome by the dualities of desire and hate.” (Gita 7.27) Man is born into this material world because he desired material enjoyment, and when his material desires are frustrated he becomes angry and so directs his hatred to animals, to other men, and to God. Being in such passion, his senses are bewildered, and thus he cannot perceive the resplendent Godhead who is everywhere about him. For him Krsna is never manifest, for He is covered by maya, which, for the living entity, is forgetfulness. Consequently Krsna, who is the infallible Lord, remains unknown. “I know all living entities, but Me no one knows.” (Gita 7.26) Because no one knows Krsna, no one knows His song, Bhagavad-gita, and therefore it is placed aside on bookshelves marked occult.
The sun, moon and stars may be obscured by clouds, but this does not mean that they are actually covered. It is the vision of the earth that is covered. If we but travel a mile or two high we would rise above the clouds and see the stars and the moon and sun in all their glory. It is not that we have to travel very far. But we at least have to make the effort. Similarly, there is a speck covering our eyes which makes us see this universe as purposeless. But once that speck is removed, everything will appear as it is—the boundless glory of Krsna.
God’s appearance and disappearance in this world are continuous and eternal, but common men cannot understand this. The owl says that there is no sun because he doesn’t see or wish to see it. No amount of speculation or discussion can bring about realization of the Absolute Truth, but one to whom Krsna reveals Himself can understand immediately. The best process is to execute devotional service and wait for His mercy. Just as the sun sterilizes a contaminated place, He purifies the soul before He enters. The appearances of Krsna are unlimited and eternal, and in the Gita He says that one who knows the nature of His appearance and disappearance is a wise, liberated soul and is not born again in this material world. Actual knowledge of the appearance of Krsna in the world is neither occult nor difficult. All the informations are given in Vedic literatures, and they are available to everyone. Unfortunately, being under delusion, man considers such literatures to be occult and so does not take them very seriously.
The philosophy of atheistic existentialism and its grandchild, that of Hippyism, would balk at the philosophy underlying Bhagavad-gita. Existentialism would never admit of an Absolute which makes existence meaningful. The existential conception of man’s freedom as the only philosophical possibility in a senseless universe would be threatened by the absolutism of Krsna. In the Gita Lord Krsna says that nature is working under His direction, which means that the universe is not purposeless but has a meaning known to its controller. Again, Krsna says that millennium after millennium He sends forth all of these various created beings who are helpless under the sway of His maya. This precludes any absolute freedom from the point of view of man, for this makes man dependent on an exterior creative, maintaining and annihilating force.
Bleak Philosophies
In Sartre’s best known novel, Nausea, the main character suffers from fear, queasiness and nausea due to a heightened sense of the mutability of phenomena. He sees objects and people changing before his very eyes and experiences existence itself as sticky, syrupy, fluid. Psychedelic drugs can give similar hallucinatory experiences through which the flux of the creation, or the unreality or instability of maya, can be intensely perceived. Sartre’s character takes refuge in the stability of an old American jazz record which he listens to over and over. The improvisations of the saxophone give him a feeling of freedom, yet the repetitiveness of the recording makes him feel that there is some stability and security in the universe. Unfortunately, he does not take refuge in the chanting of Hare Krsna, which would give him freedom by liberating him from the bonds of material consciousness and would stabilize him in the divine service of Krsna. Sartre, however, would consider that listening to the phonograph record and chanting Hare Krsna are both in “bad faith” because he would never acknowledge the absolutism of Krsna. There is a similar passage in Camus in which the main character, while observing a common citizen talking in a telephone booth, suddenly realizes that he is watching an absurd pantomime. This is not faulty perception because Lord Krsna says that men function as though “mounted on a machine made of the material energy.” The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wandering of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” (Gita 18.61) But l’absurde philosophers could never accept Krsna because once Krsna is accepted, life ceases to be absurd.
Whereas the existentialist refuses to accept the philosophy of the Gita on philosophical grounds, Hippyism would reject it because it is anti-sensual and advocates a life dedicated to tapasya (penance) in order to attain the Supreme. In either case, the absolutism of Krsna is rejected due to conceit. On the one hand the existentialists would not compromise the idol of man’s personal freedom, and on the other hand the hippies would not compromise the idol of the almighty psychedelic priapus. Today the philosophy of Hippyism has superseded existentialism because no one wants to take time away from sex and drugs to read long philosophical treatises by sullen Frenchmen. Nonetheless, atheistic existentialism is the precursor of contemporary hedonism, and the Sartrean derelicts who float from cafe table to cafe table in a drunken haze are the ancestor of today’s hippies.
One is bound to be thus entangled by materialistic life as long as Krsna is veiled to one’s sight. Man cannot continue to live by thinking that life has no meaning. He will give it the meaning of sense enjoyment if no other is available. “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” This means that death is inevitable and life has no meaning, so let’s squeeze out as much sense gratification as possible in our brief sixty of seventy years. But according to Bhagavad-gita, the man who lives only for the senses lives in vain. “An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.” (Gita 5.22) It is said that the wise dwell in the world like the lotus leaf on water. The leaf of the lotus, although on the water, remains dry, and in the same way the wise man, though in the world of the senses, is unattached to them. He witnesses the flux of existence but is not carried away by it, for he is established in the divine consciousness. Consequently he does not experience nausea or fear even in the midst of the most terrifying calamities, for his consciousness is nonmaterial. Those who delight only in the senses are constantly in a state of anxiety. “Their belief is that to gratify the senses unto the end of life is the prime necessity of human civilization. Thus there is no measurement of their anxiety.” (Gita 16.11) And those who say that life is absurd and meaningless, that there is no Absolute in control, and that the universe results simply from a chance combination of material elements are declared in the Gita to be demonic in nature. “Those who are of demoniac quality … say that this world is unreal, that there is neither any foundation, nor any God in control. They say that it is produced of sex desire and has no other cause than lust.” (Gita 16.8) Thus being under delusion, men are unaware of the purpose of life, which is to extricate oneself from the material desires causing conditioned existence and to enter into a relationship with the Divine who bestows total spiritual freedom upon the individual.
Although atheistic existential philosophers maintain that man has personal freedom, they cannot account for the fact that man is bound by the rigid laws of nature, that he is forced to take birth, forced to eat, forced to work in order to acquire food, forced to breathe, forced to sleep, forced into the bondage of sex, forced to defend himself, forced to grow old, catch some disease and die. Yet, they claim that he is free. This is the grossest type of delusion. Man is a prisoner in this world and is constantly being kicked by the modes of material nature. His only freedom lies in his willingness to surrender unto Krsna, who reveals Himself to such a surrendered soul. In this way he can enter into the unlimited freedom of spiritual life which is beyond all material qualification and which is deathless and ever blissful.
The obscuration of God by maya is a problem for contemporary civilization. One may question why God reveals Himself to some and yet remains an explicable myth to others. It is the Divine’s prerogative to reveal Himself and to hide Himself. Therefore it is stated in scriptures that God neither hates anyone nor likes anyone but that He seems to. In the Gita Arjuna says, “I see all people entering with full speed into Your mouths, as the moth hurries into the blazing fire.” (Gita 11.29) From the point of view of the father, all of his sons are the same because they are his sons, yet the ungrateful son who leaves home expressing no concern for his father is not as beloved as a son who carefully obeys his father’s wishes. The goodness of the father may be revealed to one son and not to another. For the son who has left home his father might as well be dead for all he knows or cares, but although the son may forget the father, the father never forgets the son. He will always welcome the son home. Similarly, all the conditioned souls on earth have left their home, which is Krsna’s spiritual abode, and have wandered into a dream world where they become entangled in enjoying things of the dream. Some may even recognize it as a dream. Yet instead of acquiring knowledge to awake, they become more implicated. But Krsna always gives the living entity the opportunity to awake and return to Him. It is said that at least in every millennium every conditioned being gets an opportunity to revive his latent Krsna consciousness. It is important to understand that Krsna does not want the individual soul deluded, yet He gives him the minute independence to choose between a life of awareness and a life of forgetfulness.
God is always veiled to eyes that are smeared with desire and hate and is always revealed to eyes smeared with surrender and love. The quickest and most sublime process whereby civilization can awake to the fact of God’s existence is the process of invoking His names. When one has lost a friend he immediately tries to find him by calling his name and asking where he is. This is also the quickest way to find Krsna. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the great propagator of this process, always had the names of Krsna on his lips, and He would journey from town to town crying, “O Krsna, why have You hid Yourself from me? Have mercy on me, O Lord, for in Your absence, a moment seems to last for years. When shall my eyes be decorated with tears of love flowing constantly while chanting Your holy name? I do not know anyone but Krsna as my Lord. He shall always remain as such, even if he makes me brokenhearted by not being present before me.”
The quickest way, then, to find a hidden God is to desire sincerely to find Him.
Transcendental Wedding
Transcendental Wedding
A Krsna conscious wedding is performed according to an authorized devotional procedure thousands of years old. The marriage is sanctioned by the spiritual master, the marriage vows are taken in the temple, before the Deities of Radha and Krsna, and the couple vows that there wi11 be no separation or divorce. In Krsna consciousness, marriage is meant for cooperation in executing spiritual life, and not for sense gratification.
Generally the association of woman is very restricted for any man who wishes to seriously make spiritual progress. According to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, however, restriction of association with woman may be slackened in Krsna conscious marriage: “If a man or woman’s attachment is not to each other but to Krsna, then both of them are equally eligible to get out of the material entanglement and reach the abode of Krsna.” (Bhaktivedanta Purports of the Third Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam)
Krsna consciousness is the Absolute Necessity for Mankind in this Age
Krsna consciousness is the Absolute Necessity for Mankind in this Age
by Jananivas dasa Brahmacari (ISKCON Columbus)
This article is a continuation of “Krsna Consciousness, the Absolute Necessity for Mankind in This Age,” which appeared in BTG No. 34.
What is devotional service? In Chapter Five of Bhagavad-gita, verse 23, Lord Krsna says, “Before giving up this present body, if one is able to tolerate the urges of the material senses and check the force of desire and anger, he is a yogi and is happy in this world.” Then in Chapter Six, verse 2, He says, “What is called renunciation is the same as yoga, or linking oneself with the Supreme, for no one can become a yogi unless he renounces the desire for sense gratification.” Then in verses 10–12, the Lord says, “A transcendentalist should always try to concentrate his mind on the Supreme Self; he should live alone in a secluded place and should always carefully control his mind. He should be free from desires and possessiveness. To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kusa-grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should neither be too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogi should then sit on it very firmly and should practice yoga by controlling the mind and the senses, purifying the heart and fixing the mind on one point.”
The purport here reads as follows: “ ‘sacred place’ refers to places of pilgrimage. In India, the yogis, the transcendentalists or the devotees all leave home and reside in sacred places such as Prayag, Mathura, Vrndavana, Hardwar and practice yoga there. A sacred place is where the sacred rivers like the Yamuna and the Ganges flow. Any bank on the rivers Ganges or Yamuna naturally has to be sacred. One should select a place which is secluded and undisturbed. The so-called yoga societies in big cities may be successful in earning material benefit but these are not at all suitable for the actual practices of yoga. One who is not self-controlled and whose mind is not undisturbed cannot practice meditation. Therefore in the Brhan-Naradiya Purana it is said that in the Kali-yuga (the present age), when people in general are short-living, slow in spiritual realization and always disturbed by various anxieties, the best means of spiritual realization is to chant the holy name of the Lord. In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is to chant the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way to success.”
The chanting of the holy names of Krsna is the recommended authoritative method for attaining God realization in this age. Performing devotional service under the expert guidance of a bona fide spiritual master who is in the disciplic succession is the highest yoga practice and is recommended for this age.
Yoga Technique
The Supreme Lord continues His description of the yoga process in verses 13–15. “One should hold one’s body, neck, and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life. By meditating in this manner, always controlling the body, mind and activities, the mystic transcendentalist attains to peace, the supreme nirvana which abides in Me.”
We can clearly see that the yoga process is one of renunciation of material activity. It is a spiritual process and must be followed per prescription if one is to reach the goal. The prescription is given in Bhagavad-gita. Nowadays, many are taking to the yoga process seeking improvement in their health or a stronger body. They are simply wasting their valuable time because they still must grow old, get sick and die. No living entity in the material universes escapes birth, death, old age and diseases. Even the demigods who administer these universes according to Krsna’s supervision and energy must die. It is obvious fact that the great majority of time we have in this life is spent suffering. If I do not investigate the cause of this cosmic manifestation and the reason for this suffering and devote all my time to self-realization to transcend this material platform of existence, then I have wasted my life.
When we are sick with a 107 degree fever, the process of cure is not to reduce this to 104 degrees, or to 101 degrees, or to 99 degrees. The cure is to be 98.6 degrees all the time. So one should find this out. We are all sick in material existence. Our nature is pure consciousness, pure spirit soul, blissful and full of knowledge, but we are preoccupied, mind and body, with lustful contamination, bondage to material energy. And the more we are bound to bodily attachment, the more there is pain. It is as though we are drowning under the huge waves of the ocean. Now those who are practicing the yoga exercises are only temporarily relieving the heavy deluge. They think they are enjoying themselves, but this is not true, for they are still in the middle of the ocean, stranded, and the waves are pounding a little less hard, that’s all. This is not enjoyment, for they are still bound by their condition. So in the next lifetime, or the next, or whenever, this will catch up with them, and they will have to work off more and more sinful reaction.
Where is the sin? The sin is that the yoga process is given by Krsna for realizing Him. It should be executed properly. He tells us that a yogi must renounce sense gratification. But the yogis of today are practicing it primarily to sharpen their senses for enjoyment. The materially contaminated senses of the gross body form the network that will bring the soul farther and farther into misery, farther down the evolutionary ladder in his later lifetimes. Forgetfulness of Krsna is sinful activity.
Therefore, everyone is urged to overcome the desire for personal sense gratification by working in transcendental devotional service to Krsna. Such a state is always blissful. The more we want merely to gratify this body and mind (subtle body), then the more we are becoming contaminated with lust, which is like an itch, and the more we scratch, the more we itch. It is insatiable. One day we will realize the corrupt nature of the material consciousness, and we will endeavor to come out of that sick state.
After Krsna describes the sankhya-yoga system of renunciation and control of the mind through solitary meditation upon Him, Arjuna says, “O Madhusudana, the system of yoga which You have summarized appears impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is restless and unsteady.” (Gita 6.33) His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada points out here that Arjuna, although favorably endowed in many ways, “belonged to the royal family and was highly elevated in terms of numerous qualities. He was a great warrior, he had great longevity, and above all he was the most intimate friend of Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Arjuna had much better facilities than we do, yet he refused this system of yoga.”
The quality of man has degenerated so much since then that but for one of two great, great souls, no one should seek spiritual advancement through such yoga processes, for he will simply be wasting his valuable time which could be much better spent in Krsna consciousness. Five thousand years ago, 700,000,000 men fought on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. Arjuna was one of the greatest generals. The leaders of each side mastered armies of 300,000,000 and 400,000,000 men. They were stationing each man, and the positions of all these men were contained in their minds. We must often strain to remember what we did one hour ago, we could never consider positioning such massive armies. The reason men are becoming so corrupt in this age is due to the features of the Kali age. Material energy is becoming more and more attractive. It is an age of rapid spiritual decline. What is the binding force in Kali-yuga?
In the Third Chapter of Bhagavad-gita the Lord says, “It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.
“As a fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, similarly the living entity is covered by different degrees of lust.
“Thus, a man’s pure consciousness is covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.
“The senses, the mind, and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust, which veils the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.”
So the lust is veiling the real knowledge (cit) of the soul, which is pure and knows Krsna in full Krsna consciousness. If the mind is too caught up in this lust, it is bewildered. But by transcending the material platform of consciousness, one can burn lust away. Then the true, eternal reality, in all its bliss and knowledge, will shine throughout. How can this transcendence be achieved? Become a perfect yogi.
Who is the perfect yogi? In Chapter Six, the Supreme Lord says, “And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.”
Prabhupada writes in his purport that this verse clearly indicates the bhakta or devotee. The bhakti-yogi is higher than all the other yogis, including those who work without fruitive result for themselves (karma-yogis), those who engage the mind in philosophical speculation (jnana-yogis), those who meditate on the om syllable (raja-yogis), and those who meditate on the Supersoul expansion of Krsna, Ksirodakasayi Visnu, within the heart and who are following the eightfold system of classic yoga (astanga-yogis). The bhakta is not only in a more ecstatic state of trance, but he is also a more highly realized yogi. This is because he understands his eternal position of rendering transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord, Krsna.
The Devotee As Yogi
The astanga-yogi can meditate for hours and days at length. He can create a planet. He can die at will and can move astrally anywhere in the material universe. But he cannot approach the tip of the toe of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. The neophyte bhakta is more purely realized because the astangi is still tainted. He is still wanting to be God. Lust, anger and greed. If I open slaughterhouses or I want to be a pseudo yogi, what is the difference? I still am trying to exercise my powers over others in a perverted godlike fashion. For this I must only build up sinful reactions which will follow my soul through all the ensuing bodies I take until they are cleansed away. How can I cleanse reactions? By working in Krsna consciousness.
In Chapter Three, Lord Krsna tell us, “All men are forced to act helplessly, according to the impulses born of the modes of material nature; therefore, no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.” And Prabhupada’s purport reads: “This is not a question of embodied life; it is the nature of the soul itself to be always active. The proof is that without the presence of the spirit soul there is no movement of the material body. The body is only a dead vehicle to be worked by the spirit soul, and therefore it is to be understood that the soul is always active and cannot stop even for a moment. As such, the spirit soul has to be engaged in the good work of Krsna consciousness; otherwise it will be engaged in the occupations dictated by the illusory energy.” This last sentence is very important. We understand that our nature is spirit soul full of bliss, eternity and knowledge, and that the soul is always active and eternally part and parcel of the Supreme Soul. And now we see that as such, the spirit soul has to be engaged in the good work of Krsna consciousness; otherwise it will be engaged in the occupations dictated by the illusory energy.”
Illusory energy—this is called maya. In Chapter Seven the Blessed Lord tells Arjuna, “Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.” False ego is due to identification with the body with the mind.
In the following verse He says, “Besides this inferior nature, O Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine which contains all living entities who are struggling with material nature and which sustains the universe.” So earth, air, water, fire, mind, ether, intelligence and false ego are the inferior potency of the Lord. The superior potency of the Lord is the spiritual potency, the souls. Here we can clearly see that our bodies and minds are composed of the inferior energies, namely earth, air, water, fire, mind, intelligence, ether and false ego. And what is supplying these dead things with life is the living entity situated within, the individual soul or jiva.
In the material conception of life, we are identifying ourselves with these inferior forms which are not actually even alive. This is known as maya, or lust. The way to escape from this predicament is to realize that the soul within is eternal and that its real relationship is with Krsna and to know that due to our eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the soul always remains transcendental to the eight manifestations of material energy. Yet if we confuse the soul’s energy with false ego, then we think that we are a temporary manifestation, this body (actually dead), and then lustful situations develop. Then we want to enjoy independently of Krsna, but constitutionally, we cannot. Therefore, we must engage in devotional service to the Supreme Lord in full Krsna consciousness in order to transcend this mundane affair.
Krsna says in Chapter Two: “While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. From anger, delusion arises and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls again into the material pool.”
Therefore we must always live transcendental to this material ocean of birth and death, lust, old age and disease. It is clearly understood that the living entity is eternal spirit soul, part and parcel of God. We also have established that this soul is foreign to the material body in which it is lodged. Although a fish is taken out of water and made to live on land and given all the things he would need to be happy on land, he cannot live free of pain. Similarly we are spirit soul but are conditioned in the material universe by a temporary body. The object, then, is to return to spiritual life. This can be done best through the bhakti-yoga process.
The common yogi cannot be ultimately successful, and his liberation is only temporary. Because he is not fully realized in love of Godhead, he can merge in the brahmajyoti, that is, the effulgence of Lord Krsna, but he cannot remain there for more than some few millennia. Then he must return to some planet like the earth where he will take an advanced birth in a brahmana family so that he can become a bhakta or a devotee. Only the devotee can be ultimately liberated and attain to the spiritual kingdom of which Krsna says in Chapter Eight: “That supreme status is called unmanifested and infallible and is the highest destination. Going there, no one ever returns from that, My supreme abode.”
His Pious Deeds Exhausted
Now that abode is not to be thought of as heaven. “Heaven” refers to the higher, more subtle planets of this material world. In heaven the living entities are all very pious and the enjoyment very fine, but still they are subject to the desire to enjoy for themselves, so they also return to the lower earth-like planets, when their reactions for pious deeds must expire. These souls are travelling always about the universe where there are planets and civilizations established through each of the eight material elements, earth, air, water, fire, ether, etc. The earth, for example is a water planet where most of the planet’s surface is water, the bodies are mostly water, etc. But the supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is described in the Brahma-samhita as the cintamani-dhama. “That abode of Lord Krsna, known as Goloka Vrndavana, is full of palaces made of touchstone. There the trees are called desire-trees, and the cows are called surabhi. The Lord is being served by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune—He whose name is Govinda, the Primal Lord and the cause of all causes. There the Lord plays His flute; His eyes are like lotus petals and the color of His body like a beautiful cloud. On His head there is a peacock feather. He is so attractive that He excels thousands of cupids.”
Here something of the infinitely beautiful form of the Lord has been described. It is not a fanciful creation of the imagination formed after visualizing the beautiful things of this world. This is the all-attractive blissful body of Lord Krsna as He is eternally. In another place in Bhagavad-gita, at the conclusion of Chapter Six, Prabhupada’s purport condludes, “The ideal yogi concentrates his attention on Krsna, who is called Syamasundara and is beautifully colored like a cloud. His lotus-like face is as effulgent as the sun, and His dress is brilliant. He wears earrings, and His body is flower-garlanded. Illuminating all sides is His gorgeous luster, which is called the brahmajyoti. He incarnates in so many different forms, such as Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha, and Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; and He descends like a human being, as the son of mother Yasoda; and He is known as Krsna, Govinda and Vasudeva. He is the perfect child, husband, friend and master, and He is full with all opulences and transcendental qualities.”
The form of the Lord which has been described is, again, no imagined concoction. Rather, this is how the Personality of Godhead is eternally manifest. We are well acquainted with this form because we all know Him as our living, eternal father. The soul has this knowledge, but due to our lust we have been bound in this material world for millions of births in different bodies. Some births have been on low, hellish planets. Many have been on earth-like middle planets. Still all have been material, temporary, unreal. The unreality is due to our false ego’s attachment to bodily lust. This lust causes us t become bewildered. Bewilderment results in delusion and loss of memory. Thus we have forgotten the all-blissful Personality of Godhead due to our wanting personal selfish sense gratification. That’s all.
In the real, eternal world, spiritual abode, which is located beyond the reach of the material senses, everything is full of knowledge. Everything is always blissful. Everything is conscious. The Lord is present there, and He is surrounded by so many individual living entities who are serving Him in love. In this material world where we are exercising our lustful potential in different capacities, we are serving our senses and are deluded by these senses, this body, to act as God. We demand service from everything surrounding us, and we are totally out of contact with the real, eternally existing truth. So this world is the antithesis of the spiritual sky. Here is pain. There is pleasure. Here is temporality. There is eternity. Here, misery. There—bliss. Here God is not manifest to our senses. There, God is directly manifest to the transcendental senses of the spiritual body. The material world is but a perverted reflection of that spiritual sky. It is as if there were a river reflecting a tree on the bank. This world is all illusory energy, just like the illusory tree. The form is there, but it is temporary. If we try to hold it, we cannot be satisfied with it because its nature is ultimately mutable. When there is no sunlight, there is no more tree.
Many people, notable impersonalists, say that God has no form, but clearly we can see the fault is not with form but the nature of the form. Forms are healthy, alive, blissful, eternal, real, etc., or sick, temporary, ultimately dead, endlessly mutable, etc. That is the trouble. The impersonalists just have a poor fund of knowledge. But there are so many revealed scriptures and eternally realized spiritual masters who are completely illumined by the mercy of the Lord, and these realized souls are associating with Him in blissful pastimes. So they can teach others this knowledge. And they state that the Absolute is ultimately a person.
So far, the situation, that we are eternal spirit soul living entities, part and parcel of Krsna, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, has been explained. And the problem, that we are in a contaminated atmosphere of material illusion where lust is God, completely alien to our real, eternal life of knowledge, and bliss, has been made apparent. The solution which Krsna consciousness teaches is Krsna consciousness itself. It is giving direction how to return home, back to Godhead.
Instructions by Vidhura
Instructions by Vidhura
by Satsvarupa dasa Adhikari
(ISKCON Boston)
A transcendentalist is generally not interested in mundane topics such as history and politics, but when the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna appeared in human society 5,000 years ago, the history and politics in which He took part became spiritualized. The transcendental devotees of the Lord take great pleasure in hearing such narratives. The Mahabharata, an important Vedic literature, is such a spiritualized history, and it is accepted by the disciplic succession of spiritual masters as the actual history of Bharatavarsa, the ancient land which is now called India. The Mahabharata deals chiefly with the struggles of the Pandava brothers, great warriors and pious rulers to whom Krsna was related as a cousin. Krsna’s devotees are inseparably one in interest with the Lord, and therefore their activities are also taken to be as good as those of the Lord Himself. There is a famous palace intrigue related in the Mahabharata in which Krsna sent one of his pure devotees, Vidura, a brilliant political moralist, to stop an impending war between the Kurus and the Pandavas. For the purification of all readers, we here present a short transcendental history of Krsna and His associates, as related in Mahabharata and the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
King Dhrtarastra, blind from birth, was ruling the kingdom of the world. He is described as being blind both in material and spiritual vision. Lord Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, appeared in the King’s court and pleaded for the return of some land which was the rightful property of His powerful but exiled relatives, the Pandava brothers. Every word Krsna speaks, as recorded in scriptures like Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita is relished like nectar by those who are not so entangled in matter that they cannot appreciate the transcendental vibration. But when Krsna addressed the assembly of King Dhrtarastra and pleaded for a peaceful settlement, the message was not taken very seriously by the King and his one hundred sons, led by Duryodhana. These rulers were thinking themselves independent of the Personality of Godhead and His laws, and they were intent on their own course of destroying the Pandavas. Due to losing their kingdom in a gambling match, the Pandavas, the rightful hereditary heirs to the throne, were exiled for a term of thirteen years. When the period of exile was over, they returned to the kingdom which was rightfully theirs, but were refused even so much as the rule of a single village. In fact, Duryodhana, the leader of the sons of Dhrtarastra, said that if the Pandavas wanted even as much land as can fit under the point of a pin, they would have to fight for it.
Impending War
After the rejection of Lord Krsna’s peace offering, the battle loomed like a large black cloud in the sky. At that late, ominous hour, with the armies already making preparations for battle, King Dhrtarastra invited in his elder brother Vidura for consultation. Vidura was an expert minister and politician. His instructions are well known in Vedic literature; just the phrase “instructions by Vidura” indicates policies approved by experts in political and moral principles. Therefore, Dhrtarastra expected his words to be exactly to the point.
Vidura came into the presence of King Dhrtarastra and his one hundred sons, headed by Duryodhana and Duhsasana. The hall was silent, and everyone pressed forward to hear Vidura. Vidura was known by those present to be partial to the Pandavas, who from the time of their birth had to undergo many attempts on their lives by Dhrtarastra. Actually, when the Pandavas were just babies, Dhrtarastra acted as their affectionate and protective uncle, but as soon as they began to grow into strong, competent youths, Dhrtarastra realized that these boys, and not his own, would take the throne. He then turned to unfair means in order to dispose of them. According to the Vedic system, after the retirement of the previous king, Dhrtarastra, as the eldest son, should have been heir to the throne, but he was disqualified by blindness. Therefore, the next in line was Dhrtarastra’s brother, Pandu, who duly reigned. After the early death of King Pandu, his five sons, the Pandava brothers, led by Yudhisthira, the oldest, came in rightful line. But Dhrtarastra was determined that his sons, and not the sons of Pandu, should rule. Due to this illegitimate desire, he had many times tried to kill Yudhisthira and his brothers, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva. Vidura, however, the younger brother of Dhrtarastra, took it upon himself to guard the Pandavas, just as a bird protects her eggs with her wing.
Vidura was filled with compassion by remembering the continual sufferings caused by Dhrtarastra to the Pandava brothers and their mother, Kunti. But at the same time, he was a great court philosopher and a true friend to Dhrtarastra. There was no doubt of his faithfulness to his brother; even Duryodhana knew this to be so. (Ultimately, after the last miseries of the war, it was shown that Vidura was Dhrtarastra’s only true friend in the entire royal court.) Called in on the verge of war, Vidura stood in the hall and offered his advice to the blind King. He could not help remembering, however, that this was the same royal hall wherein Yudhisthira and his brothers had lost their kingdom and their wife in a rigged gambling match. Dhrtarastra’s sons, led by Duhsasana, had at that time tried to insult the Pandavas’ wife, Draupadi, by first loosening her long hair and then trying to strip her naked in the presence of a large gathering. At that time, Krsna, the infinite Lord, had answered the helpless cries of Draupadi, his pure devotee and cousin, and had become her infinite sari. The more the brothers unraveled her sari, the more sari was supplied by Krsna, and she was never disrobed. Another time, Dhrtarastra ordered a house built, and when the building was finished, he invited his brother’s family to live there. But Vidura gave a hint in the presence of all of the members of the royal family that even a weapon not made of steel or any other material element can be the most sharp for killing. Thus he hinted that the Pandavas were being sent to the house to be killed and that they should be alert. Later he came disguised as a brahmana and directly warned the Pandavas that on a certain night the house was to be set on fire. Thus the Pandavas were able to make a timely escape through a tunnel under the earth. Vidura could remember many such plots, and in each case he had given protection to the Pandavas, while at the same time trying to restrain his brother, Dhrtarastra.
Vidura, however, was not about to be influenced by attachment to the Pandavas; he had the good of his brother at heart, and he spoke in direct words which made him famous among expert ministers in Vedic history as the giver of the keenest political and moral instruction. This is recorded in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Vidura said, “You have asked me, brother, to come for consultation at this dangerous hour. I say that you must now return the legitimate property of Yudhisthira, who has no enemy and who has been forebearing through untold sufferings due to your offenses. He is waiting with his younger brothers, among whom is Bhima, breathing heavily like a snake—surely you are afraid of him.” Vidura offered good counsel, but at his first words, Duryodhana’s face turned with rage. But Vidura spoke on: “Lord Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, has accepted the sons of Prtha as His kinsmen, and all the kings of the world are with Lord Krsna. He is residing at home with His family members, the royal order of the Yadu dynasty, who have conquered unlimited numbers of rulers. He is their Lord.” Palatably or unpalatably, Vidura wanted to impress on his elder brother that to fight against the Pandavas would be ruinous for him because they were supported by Lord Krsna. Vidura, being saintly, could recognize that Lord Krsna was the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, enacting His pastimes upon the earth. The Lord had conquered many powerful demons, even in His childhood, and the Pandavas themselves, prior to their exile, had won their wives by conquering all the rulers of the world. With Krsna as their intimate relative, the Pandavas had all universal power behind them. Such was Vidura’s advice.
According to the law of karma, that Dhrtarastra and Duryodhana were born in the royal family and had reached a position of wealth and power indicates that in past lives they had performed pious deeds. But because they could not hear Lord Krsna Himself when He spoke sensibly to them on important topics in a grave hour, it is to be understood that the benefits of their past piety were completely exhausted. There was no way now but downward if they refused to accept the Personality of Godhead or the words of His bona fide representative. Vidura was on a welfare mission to save them from the wrong choice. But by now, hearing Vidura, Duryodhana was angry, and he was cursing. It is said that good counsel given to a foolish person causes the fool to become angry, just as feeding milk to a snake only increases its venomous poison. But Vidura gave these final instructions in an attempt to deliver Dhrtarastra from the clutches of death:
“You are maintaining offense personified, Duryodhana, as your infallible son, but he is envious of Lord Krsna. And because you are maintaining a nondevotee of Krsna, you are devoid of all auspicious qualities. Free yourself from this inauspicious condition as soon as possible, for the good of your entire family.”
Duryodhana could stand it no longer, and he delivered a direct insult, like an arrow to the ears of the famous minister, Vidura: “Who asked him to come here, this son of a kept-mistress? He is so crooked that he spies in the interest of the enemy, against those upon whose support he has grown up. Get him out of here immediately. Take all he has, cane him and leave him with only his breath!”
The actual facts behind this slanderous attack by Duryodhana were as follows. When getting married, the kings in Vedic society would take on several other young girls along with the married princess. By intimate association with the king, these girls, called dasis, would have sons. Such sons had no royal claim, but they were raised with all the facilities of princes. Vidura was such a son of a dasi. Duryodhana not only attacked his birth, but he called him a spy because he seemed to support the cause of Yudhisthira, whom Duryodhana took to be his enemy. Duryodhana actually knew well that Vidura was a great soul and was Dhrtarastra’s well-wisher, but, caught up in political intrigue, Duryodhana had become blind to the actual situation. Therefore he slandered his uncle Vidura and threatened to drive him from the palace. Dhrtarastra had always been affectionate to his younger brother, Vidura, but he tolerated the insults by Duryodhana because he and his sons were set on wiping out the pious Pandavas once and for all.
Krsna’s Advice Rejected
Duryodhana is understood from the first verses of Bhagavad-gita to be a brilliant administrator and political leader. But the most important thing he didn’t know. Absorbed in false ego, Duryodhana thought that he was doing everything by himself. Actually, Duryodhana, like every conditioned soul in the material world, is under the direct control of God. In the Bhaktivedanta Purports to Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated: “The external energy of the Lord, or the material nature, is fully under the control of the Supreme Lord, and the conditioned soul is fully under the grip of the external energy. Therefore, the conditioned soul is fully under the control of the law of the Lord. But, illusioned, he thinks that he is independent in his activities.”
Duryodhana refused the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, and plotted his own destiny in terms of removing Vidura and warring against the Pandavas. We can understand that only the first act—rejecting the personal instructions of God—was factually performed freely, of his own volition. According to the revealed scriptural sources, our minute amount of free will can be exercised in choosing either to follow the dictation of God or to follow the dictation of His material energy, maya. There is no other choice. Once one refuses God, one must follow His material energy. Whatever one’s personal philosophy may be, one must grow old, one must be subjected to diseases and material miseries (miseries caused by the body and mind, miseries caused by other living entities, and miseries caused by natural disturbances like earthquakes, droughts, etc.), and eventually one must die. And after death, one must go wherever nature sends one. By the law of karma, action is necessarily followed by reaction, and all actions in the world take place under mixed modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. The Vedic understanding is that God is transcendental to the material laws and conditions—He is their master. He is eternal, free and unlimited in knowledge and pleasure, and when we, the infinitesmal individual souls, dovetail our own small amount of free will with His, then we can directly experience those same qualities of bliss, eternity and knowledge. By that dovetailing process, we can be freed from the misgivings of the body, mind and intelligence and can be situated on the transcendental plane. But when, instead, we come to this material world due to forgetfulness of the Supreme Person, then our plight (from which only the pure devotees of Godhead are excluded) is that we suffer a covering of our eternally pleasurable qualitative oneness with the Supreme Spirit.
We think, “I am this body,” but actually the real person is still spirit soul; due to contacting a material body, however, the spirit soul finds himself frustrated by an incompatible situation, like a fish on land. The example given by the spiritual masters is that the spirit can be compared to electric force. Electricity is unlimited in the tasks it can perform—it can heat, cool, drive giant machines, etc.—but once the unlimited electricity is put into one limited appliance, it can perform only a limited function. For example, the electricity in a toaster can do nothing else but make toast. The electricity has become limited or conditioned in its expression due to the vehicle in which it is confined. Similarly, thinking that we are this body, we are forced to react in terms of goodness, passion and ignorance within the material world, under the control of the inferior material energy. In material consciousness, we are no more free than a cow tied to the end of a rope: even if the rope is long, the cow is still not free.
When God or His pure devotee speaks, that is direct, superior, spiritual energy; by following His will directly, one can return to one’s original, eternal, happy state of consciousness, both immediately, in this body, as well as in the next life, after the demise of the body. The atheist or materialist who misuses his free will and derides the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, must nevertheless come under the strict superintendence of the material energy. Thus, one may think oneself the almighty supreme enjoyer, the benefactor and proprietor of all, but despite these grand illusions, one must be limited by God’s material laws. Duryodhana is the typical materialist of the present civilization of Kali-yuga (the age of quarrel). He had just heard Vidura criticize him for being a nondevotee of Krsna, and he at once affirmed this status by insulting and threatening bodily harm to Vidura. This is the height of rascaldom, adopted here by Duryodhana; he wants to beat Vidura, whose only offense is that he is speaking the truth, that God is great and we are small. The Kali-yuga materialists in today’s godless civilization are also intent on destroying the brahminical culture and denying the advice of the bona fide spiritual teachers. “Why should I listen to God? Who is God? I am God! I shall enjoy as I like.” These are materialists’ symptomatic responses to brahminical or spiritual guidance. It will be seen in the case of Duryodhana that thinking himself to be God Almighty did not prevent him from being broken to pieces on the battlefield and ruining all his allies.
Under the illusion of material energy, he could not see the best course for his people, and therefore he led them into war. But even the present-day peacemakers who are trying to secure peace without authoritative spiritual guidance are finding no success. They are trying to establish Utopia—the kingdom of God without God—but it cannot be. As the expert politician Vidura said, a path without God is inauspicious for the state, the society the family, and the individual. We can get no profit by saying that we are God or by trying to conquer the material nature but we can gain all good fortune in this world if we can be directly led by the superior, spiritual energy of Godhead, which comes in the form of guidance from the pure devotees of the Absolute Truth. In his materialistic folly, thinking he was independent, Duryodhana was the dreamer, off in the clouds. In contrast, Vidura shrewdly offered Dhrtarastra the key to success.
But the Battle of Kuruksetra was not avoided. As for Vidura, he took the opportunity of Duryodhana’s insult as a blessing in disguise. He saw that Duryodhana was on the path of ruin. As a devotee, he also saw that the Lord’s internal energy was helping him to come back to Godhead. A devotee is always in a temperament of renunciation because the worldly attractions can never satisfy him. Vidura had never been attracted by the royal palace of his brother, and now he had the opportunity, by the grace of Duryodhana, to quit the place and devote himself completely to the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Instead of being sorry, he thanked Duryodhana from within because he had given him the chance to live alone in a holy place and thus be fully engaged in the cultivation of spiritual life. Also, he saw no more hope in defending his brother, so he left the palace without Duryodhana’s taking physical steps for his removal.
Srimad-Bhagavatam describes the fate of General Duryodhana on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra: “Duryodhana lost his good fortune, as well as his life, because of the intricacy of ill advice given by Karna, Duhsasana, etc. Although he was very powerful, he finally lay on the ground, his thighs broken, and his followers were with him.” It is described that Krsna is harder than a thunderbolt to the wrongdoers and softer than a rose to the devotees. Duryodhana was misled by bad associates and ill advice, contrary to the established principles of the Lord’s order, and so he became subject to punishment.
Of course, ultimately, anyone who can be so fortunate as to associate directly with the Personality of Godhead when He appears in this universe to enact His pastimes is liberated as a final result. In this way, all the soldiers and sons of Dhrtarastra who were able to see the Lord at the time of their death and could appreciate the beauty of His face and features were transferred, in their original spiritual forms, to the spiritual sky, beyond the material universes which are limited by death and pain. That is the version of the Vedic texts.
As previously stated, the banished saint Vidura turned out to be the only true friend of King Dhrtarastra, After the war, the defeated, blind Dhrtarastra. whose sons had all been killed, wanted to remain as King in the palace. As a matter of duty, King Yudhisthira, the leader of the victorious Pandavas, maintained Dhrtarastra in royal honor. Dhrtarastra, therefore, was happily passing away his numbered days in the illusion that he was the royal uncle of King Yudhisthira. At that time, Vidura returned from traveling to holy places all over the earth and especially from inquiring on transcendental topics from the great sage Maitreya. Vidura had of course been thoroughly involved in court politics, but after being thrown out of the palace by Dhrtarastra and his son Duryodhana, he had taken full advantage of existing conditions and had become fully Krsna conscious, fixed in loving service to the Supreme Lord, by taking instructions from a great devotee-sage. He was therefore received as a godly person on his return to the palace. The court personalities and his kinsmen like Yudhisthira and the Pandavas, Dhrtarastra, Kunti, Draupadi and many others with their wives and children, in a tearful post-war reunion, all rushed to hear and see him. The Bhagavatam says that when the court family saw Vidura again after the long separation, it was as if their lost consciousness was revived. They gathered around him like students sitting before a teacher. They were very eager to hear spiritual instructions from him, and they listened with rapt attention. Vidura spoke for the welfare of all, but he especially directed himself to his oldest brother, Dhrtarastra.
Vidura knew the situation of Dhrtarastra, and he addressed him as follows: “My dear King, please get out immediately. Do not delay in the least. Just see how fearfulness has overtaken you. You are very old, and there is no remedial measure for your death. My brother, please understand that death is identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it is approaching for all of us. Your father, sons and well-wishers are all dead, your body is overtaken by invalidity, and here at the last stage you are living in another’s home. You have been blind from birth, and recently you have become hard of hearing. Your teeth are loosened, your liver is diseased, and you are coughing with mucus.”
Vidura’s words cut to pieces the network of illusion in which he found his brother rotting. Vidura addressed him as King because actually he was not the King. Overtaken by foolish ideas, Dhrtarastra was living for temporary comforts and was trying to make a permanent settlement for his perishable body. Vidura’s sharp but compassionate words were to wake up his brother so that, before it was too late, he could make progress for the welfare of his real self, his eternal soul.
Vidura said: “Alas! So powerful is the living being’s hope to continue life indefinitely. You are living just like a household dog and taking scraps of food from the warrior who killed your son Duryodhana!” Vidura did not avoid the naked truth of Dhrtarastra’s humiliating position. Dhrtarastra was living at the house of the Pandavas because he wanted to continue his comfortable life, even at the cost of being humiliated. Vidura pointed out to him that the whole raison d’etre of the human form of life is to get a chance to wake up to self-realization and to go back to Godhead, where life is eternal and from where, once going, no one comes back to this material world. “There is no necessity of living a degraded life,” Vidura continued, “subsisting on tile charity of those whom you tried to kill. In spite of your desires, your body will certainly dwindle and die, like an old, deteriorated garment.”
Wakened in no uncertain terms by his well-wishing brother, Dhrtarastra left the palace without saying anything, and under the guidance of Vidura, he sat on the bank of the Ganges and engaged in the beginning of yoga practice. He took regular baths, performed special sacrifices and fasted by drinking only water. This helped him to control his mind and senses and to free himself from thoughts of family affection. Due to his offenses at the feet of pure devotees, the Pandavas, Dhrtarastra was not able to become a pure devotee of the Personality of Godhead, but by the grace of Vidura, and to the astonishment of all the court, Dhrtarastra was able to cut himself off from all external sense attraction and concentrate on his pure being. The Bhagavatam describes, “He had to amalgamate his pure identity with intelligence and then, with knowledge of being qualitatively one with the supreme eternal living entity, merge into the impersonal aspect of the Supreme Being. Thus he rescued his consciousness from the clutches of the five elements and realized his qualitative identity with the eternal Supersoul who is sitting in everyone’s heart.” Practicing under the instructions of Vidura, Dhrtarastra achieved the impersonal perfection of liberation from his body, and after many such liberated births, he transcended the material sky to become engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Despite Dhrtarastra’s many offenses, the Lord’s mercy was bestowed on him by his contact with Vidura, and he was able to attain the perfectional stage. He quit his body by turning it into ashes in a self-made fire of mystic power.
Liberation
Vidura was sorry that he could not turn his brother into a pure devotee in one lifetime, but he was most liberal in his benediction, and so Dhrtarastra’s time before reaching the topmost perfection was shortened. Ultimately the result depends on the will of the Supreme Lord, and in one lifetime Dhrtarastra attained liberation from the material conception of bodily consciousness. Only after achieving such a liberated state can one attain to devotional service.
The conditioned entities are suffering under the illusion that the body is the self and that the temporary world is permanent. Although they have no information of God or eternal pleasure, they can become engaged in the eternal, blissful activities of devotional service to the Supreme Lord by becoming wholly dependent on the instructions of pure devotees like Vidura. One should not only inquire but should render loving service to pure devotees and surrender to them. Only then is inquiry meaningful and fruitful. In no other way can one gain real knowledge of one’s position. That is the secret of spiritual knowledge or knowledge of God or Krsna: it is revealed from within the heart after serving a pure devotee and receiving instruction from him.
Back to Godhead Magazine #36, 1970
Krishna Consciousness Temples
Krishna Consciousness Temples
ISKCON CENTERS
Atlanta Georgia 390 9th St. NE 30309
Baltimore Maryland 1300 N. Calvert St. 21202
Berkeley California 2710 Durant Ave. 94704
Boston Massachusetts 40 N. Beacon St. 02134
Boulder Colorado 623 Concord St. 80302
Buffalo New York 40 Englewood Ave. 14214
Chicago Illinois 2210 N. Halstead 60614
Columbus Ohio 318 E. 20th Ave. 43201
Detroit Michigan 8311 E. Jefferson 48214
Hamburg W. Germany 2000 Hamburg 6, Bartelstr. 65
Honolulu Hawaii 2016 McKinley St. 96822
Laguna Beach California 130 Woodland Drive 92651
London England 7 Bury Pl.,Bloomsbury,W.C.1
Los Angeles California 3764 Watseka Ave. 90034
Montreal Canada 3720 Park Ave.
New Vrndavana W. Virginia RD 3, Moundsville 26041
New York City New York 439 Henry St.,Bklyn 11201
Paris France B.P. 113, Paris 14
Philadelphia Pennsylvania 416 South 10th St. 19147
San Diego California 3689 Park Blvd. 92103
San Francisco California 518 Frederick St. 94117
San Jose California 397 South 11th St. 95112
Santa Barbara California 613 E. Victoria St. 93103
Seattle Washington 5516 Roosevelt Way 98105
St. Louis Missouri 4544 Leclede Ave. 63108
Sydney Australia 298 Birrell. St., Bondi, N.S.W
Tokyo Japan No. 6–16, 2 Chome Ohhashi, Meguro-ku
Toronto Canada 40 Beverly St., Ontario
Vancouver Canada 260 Raymur St. no. 305 B.C.
Washington D.C. 2015 Q Street N.W. 20008
Everything Belongs to Krsna
Everything Belongs to Krsna
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
[Transcribed from tapes of a conversation with disciples, May 10, 1969, Columbus, Ohio]
When I first started going to see my Guru Maharaj (Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati), he said of me, “This boy hears very nicely. He does not go away. So I shall make him a disciple.” These very words he said. Actually I did not follow him in the beginning. Philosophically speaking, I was a new boy. I could not follow him, but actually I was so glad to hear him, that’s all. (laughs) So that was my qualification, or whatever you may say. I was simply asking when Guru Maharaj would speak; then I’d sit down and go on hearing. I would understand, or not understand; others would disperse, I’d not disperse. Then at first there was one instance, circumambulation of Old Vrndavana. Although I was not initiated then, I was one of the important members. So I thought, “Let me go. What are these people doing circumambulating all over Vrndavana?” So I went to Mathura and then to the Vrndavana interior to a place known as Kosi. In that Kosi one of my Godbrothers declared, “Prabhupada [Bhaktisiddhanta] is going back to Mathura tomorrow, so he’ll speak this evening, and anyone who wants to hear him can stay, and others may prepare to see another temple, which is called Sesasayi Temple.” So although I was new I did not want to see the Sesasayi Temple. I decided to hear instead. Some of my important Godbrothers were sitting about like this. And I was sitting at his left, but he knew, “This boy is new.” Everyone was gone, all others, (laughs) except a few selected Godbrothers. And he marked, “This boy is interested to hear.” So hearing is very important. Hearing, just like Arjuna heard Krsna.
Because I was serious in hearing, therefore I am now serious about kirtanam, which means speaking or preaching. Do you understand? So one who is serious about hearing can become a future preacher. Sravanam kirtanam. The next stage will develop. If one has actually heard nicely, then he will speak nicely. Sravanam kirtanam smaranam. Then consciousness will automatically develop, because when you speak or when you hear, unless your mind is concentrated, your consciousness is slight. It cannot rightly hear or speak. Sravanam kirtanam smaranam pada-sevanam means that activity begins immediately. Just like Bali Maharaja—he was giving, giving, giving, giving, giving, giving, and when Vamandeva said, “Bali Maharaja, you have lost everything,” he said, “Still I have another place for You to place Your foot. Yes, there is a small thing—it is my head.” (laughs) So Lord Vamandeva said, “You have now purchased Me. I shall remain your doorman, standing here always to give you protection.” So Krsna became purchased by him, and He remained his doorman. Dvari means doorman. Just see His mercy. So by serving Krsna no one is loser; he is gainer. Ah, he is gainer, permanently … eternally. And we do not know what is the value of that gain now because we are materially covered.
And what is service? Service in this world is maya. No one will be satisfied. No one. You cannot satisfy; nor will you be satisfied. The best example is in your country. Your President, Mr. Kennedy, gave you the best service, and the result was that you or some of your members killed him. That means his service was not appreciated, although he gave his best service. Similarly, in the material world whatever service you render is spoiling time. But if you render service to Krsna, you will be satisfied, Krsna will be satisfied, and when Krsna is satisfied, everyone will be satisfied. So take to this Krsna consciousness service by hearing, by speaking, by remembering, by giving active service, by worshiping, by making friendship and, after all, doing everything for Krsna. That is perfection. So engage all your service in the service of Krsna. It is very pleasing, encouraging, and enlightening.
After too much material enjoyment, the next stage is frustration. That stage is coming to your country. Therefore the boys are becoming hippies. After too much material enjoyment, the next stage is—that is natural—frustration. There is a good example in our country. One gentleman, who was a great leader, next to Gandhi, an important political leader and a topmost lawyer, a barrister, was earning $50,000 monthly. He was a very rich man, and he was making charity and he was also spending like anything … he was drunkard number one, woman hunter number one, etc., because he had money to enjoy everything. But he was not happy. So one day he was sitting with his wife in view of the street, and he was drinking. So his wife asked him, “My dear husband, you are earning so much and spending. People are very much fond of you, a great leader. Why do you always remain morose? What do you want to be? You now have everything.” Then at that time one mendicant, a sannyasi, was passing, and so he said, “I want to be like him. Then I’ll be happy. I don’t want to enjoy. I want to go to beggar life.” You see? So that time is coming to your country. These hippies are frustrated. They are giving up everything; we can study their psychic movement. They are not satisfied. That is the main principle. That is natural. To accept adversities voluntarily. So this is frustration. But if you take to Krsna consciousness before reaching that point of frustration, then you will reach the real standard of happiness because everything belongs to Krsna. I shall give you another example. Suppose you have stolen something from somebody’s house or some friends. You know you will not be happy possessing that stolen property. But if some day you come to return that thing to its owner, you will be happy. Then you will feel relieved.
Therefore, the real situation is that everything belongs to Krsna. We are artificially enjoying, and so this frustration will come. But if we return everything to Krsna before coming to that frustration, then it will be all right. So the best thing is to return everything to Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness. Then you will not be loser; you’ll be gainer just like Bali Maharaja. Actually if you do not think that everything belongs to Krsna, that it belongs to you, this is maya. It is Krsna’s property, and you are thinking “mine.” Does this land of America belong to you actually? It is stolen property. There is another example. Hira means diamond, and khira means cucumber. One man has stolen a cucumber from the street, and he is captured. Another man has stolen a diamond, and he is also arrested. But for the police both are thieves. If the man says, “Oh, what have I stolen? I have stolen a little cucumber. It is worth nothing, not even two cents or one cent. Why are you arresting me? No. In the eyes of law, he is a thief, and the other is also a thief. Everyone’s a thief. Anyone who is not in Krsna consciousness is a thief. He’ll not be happy. The best thing is to return whatever you possess. “Krsna, it is Yours. Take it.” Finish with it. Bhaktivinode Thakur has written a song expressing this. Everything we possess in mind, actually we don’t possess. Suppose I am “possessing” all this. As soon as I go from this body, all possessions will remain here. I will not take anything. So I don’t possess, but in my mind I am thinking, “Oh, this is mine, this is mine. Where is my other box? Why is it not coming?” It is possessed in the mind. If I leave this body, I leave the box here or in Chicago or anywhere else. What is the difference? There is no difference. But because I am possessing in the mind, “Oh that box is mine,” therefore I am asking whether it is in Chicago or it is here or there. So possession is in the mind. Actually you don’t possess. By that false possessive attitude we have gotten our mind, our body, then the expansions of the body, wife, children, family, society, country. In this way we possess so many things. Bhaktivinode Thakur says, “Now whatever I possess, either in the mind or in the family, or in the society or in the body, whatever I have, I surrender unto my dear Krsna. Nandakisora, O son of Nanda, I give it unto You. Now whatever You like You can do. Either You kill me or protect me, as You like. You are the proprietor. You have the right to do anything.” This is surrender. This is full Krsna consciousness. But that is not possible immediately. Therefore we have to practice. And if we die in this Krsna consciousness … according to the particular type of consciousness in which one gives up this body, he’s transferred in the next life to the respective position. In this way in Krsna consciousness we are able to be with Krsna, by practicing always, constantly, that situation of consciousness. Then in the next life, after giving up—Why next life? This life also—one who is always in Krsna’s service in this life or the next life is with Krsna. Any person who is in Krsna consciousness is always with Krsna. Krsna is everywhere, though I may not understand that Krsna is everywhere.
So you American boys and girls should take to this Krsna consciousness. You’ll be happy. In your position you should take this up because you are on the top of the material happiness. Now you take it, and you’ll be saved. Otherwise this frustration is coming. That will come. Just like that politician—out of frustration he gave up everything. He sacrificed his life for something political. Why was that a sacrifice? You may become a great man of your country in the estimation of your people, but not in the estimation of Krsna. You may become a great man in the estimation of your country, but in others’ estimation you’re an enemy. “Oh that man is dead now. Our enemy is finished.” So to another side there is imperfection; not everybody is satisfied by your service, but if you serve Krsna everybody is satisfied. If you chant Hare Krsna and dance, nobody will be dissatisfied. They will say, just as they did in the paper, “The boys are very nice.” You see? They were not very sympathetic, but they have remarked, “These boys are very nice.”
So at least people will appreciate these boys. They do not smoke, they do not drink, they have no illicit sex life, they do not kill to satisfy the tongue. They are satisfied with natural food. And their ideals are very good. Who’ll deny it? And the asset! They cannot estimate how much the devotee is in contact with Krsna the Supreme. They have no estimating power. So they will appreciate these external features. While I was going to Hawaii one clergyman was talking with me, and he said, “Swamiji, I have seen that your disciples have very nice glowing faces.” “Yes certainly, they must be making spiritual progress.” So it is not difficult. It is very easy. If you take to this, you have everything sublime, and your life becomes sublime. You don’t have to give up anything. The material needs are there: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is not forbidden. But adjust it for Krsna consciousness. We cannot allow eating and mating like animals, cats and dogs, no. That is not possible. You’ll eat and you’ll mate, but just like human beings, civilized men. What is the distinction between animal and man, if we behave like animals? Krsna, God, is pure. So if you keep yourself in an impure condition of life then how can you make progress towards purity, the highest perfection of purity? In the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita Arjuna is accepting Krsna as the purest of all: Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhagavan. If you are going to reach the purest of all, how can you remain impure? And this voluntary restraint means tapasya. The Sanskrit word tapasya means voluntarily restraining or accepting some suffering condition. But that is not actually a suffering condition. Just like a patient. A doctor says, “You cannot take it.” But he mentally thinks, “Oh, the doctor has restricted this. I am suffering.” Actually he is being cured, but he thinks that he is suffering. And when he’s cured, he says, “Oh, the doctor is a good friend. He told me not to indulge in this. Now I am cured.” So tapasya means voluntarily accepting some so-called suffering. That is required to make advancement in Krsna consciousness: voluntary acceptance of so-called suffering. That suffering is for transcendental realization. That is good. It means your existence will be purified. And to purify existence means to advance in realizing unlimited happiness. And what is the disease? Disease means limitation of eating, limitation of sleeping, limitation of mating, Everything limited. A diseased man cannot have sex life unlimitedly. There is restriction. That restriction is for curing him. And the cure means he enjoys. Whatever you think is enjoyment must be unlimited. Eternal happiness, unending happiness. So to acquire unending, eternal happiness, if you have to accept some voluntary suffering in this life, you should do that.
So if you like, you can ask some questions. If you go to a person, superior or a spiritual master, then you should ask questions. You should be inquisitive for better understanding. That means you are inquisitive for higher, happy life. So what is your inquisitiveness?
Student: Would you say something about Christ and his relation to Krsna?
Prabhupada: Christ is Krsna conscious, that’s all. So you become like Christ, Krsna conscious. Don’t you understand that Christ is fully Krsna conscious? You don’t understand it? Then you become like Christ, fully Krsna conscious.
Lokanatha: What was Arjuna’s relation to Krsna. I mean as concisely as you can put it.
Prabhupada: Friendship. There are five kinds of relationships. Just like “God is great.” That is simply feeling the greatness of God. And when one feels exactly how God is great, then naturally there will be an inclination to serve God. That is called servitude. First, neutrality, the estimation that is called santa-rasa, neutral, no activity, but simply appreciating that God is great, simply appreciation. And then servitude. When the appreciation is complete: “Ah! Why not serve God? He is so great. He is giving us so many things. Let me return something. Let me do some service.” That servitude is further development of the appreciation of the greatness of God. And even further development is friendship. Service means I ask you, “Please give me a glass of water,” and you give it to me. And friendship means you are thinking, “How is my friend? Now he may be wanting a glass of water.” So before asking, if you give it to me—“I think you may require a glass of water.”—that is friendship. Friendship means feeling the friend’s welfare always. Su-hrd. Friendship is not simply chatting. Friendship means thinking how my friend will be happy. This is friendship. And then that friendship, when further developed, is parenthood. Parents have no other consideration than wanting to see how their child will be happy always. And further development is conjugal love. Just like man and woman, male and female—that love. That love includes everything. So there is appreciation of greatness, servitude of servant, friendship, maternal love, and finally offering everything to the lover. That is most affectionate stage of love. So in this way we have five kinds of direct relationships. And there are seven kinds of indirect relationships. Those are on the platform of enmity. Just like Kamsa. Kamsa was thinking of Krsna as an enemy. So he was also Krsna conscious; he was thinking of how to kill Krsna. That is also Krsna consciousness. But indirectly. So there are seven indirect rasas: ghastly, comic, wonderful, anger, chivalrous, mercy and shocking. In so many ways there are many different relations. Without relationship, nobody can remain. Seven kinds of relationships are indirect. And five kinds of relationships are direct. So we want to be situated in a direct relationship.
Kirtanananda Maharaja: Although the conditioned souls are in an indirect relationship, everyone is in a relationship?
Prabhupada: Yes, there must be some relationship. Without some relationship one cannot exist. He is part and parcel. Just like persons in the prison house. They are not outside the government; they have a relationship with the government. But that is indirect. The prisoner does not appreciate the service of the government, and the government is bothered by his existence. Instead of receiving some service from him, the state has to spend unnecessarily for him. That is a botheration. So those who are in an indirect relationship with Krsna are a botheration. They are simply giving trouble to Krsna. But there is a relationship.
Hayagriva: Is the humorous a direct or indirect?
Prabhupada: Humor is practically in every direct relationship. And in indirect there is humor also. I am thinking of you as an enemy. That is also another type of humor. (laughs) Yes.
Pradyumna: Do the five direct rasas take place between jiva souls also when there is—
Prabhupada: Everything is for jiva souls. All relationships. And Krsna is one, the Supreme. And all the jiva souls are part and parcel of Krsna. Therefore the eternal relationship is there. Now they’re exhibited in this dual kind of humor, either directly or indirectly. Jiva soul, the part and parcel, cannot be separated from the Supreme. The sun and the sunlight, the electric bulb and the diffusion of light, cannot be separated. But this portion is covered, and it appears to be darkness. So when it is covered, that is called maya. When one thinks that he has no relationship with God, or “I am God; there is no God,” this is maya. He is covered. He cannot see. So he has to be treated by this Krsna consciousness treatment, and maya will go, separated, and he will see, “Ah yes! I am part and parcel of Krsna.” Then he comes to the direct relationship. There are spiritualists or transcendentalists who claim that there is no God, or “I am God,” or that there is only void. All these are disturbing positions, different symptoms of this disease of maya. It is a disease. How can one think that he is God? That means he does not know what is God. If I say here that I am President Nixon, will you accept it? Will you accept it? Any one of you, if I say that I am President Nixon, will you accept? Why? Why?
Student: I don’t know.
Prabhupada: What? Why? Why do you not accept me? I say, “I am President Nixon.” Why do you not accept? Why?
Student: I would say you are, if you say you are. (everyone laughs)
Prabhupada: That means you are not rascal. You have seen that you do not accept me as President. Yes, that is one thing. At least you are not insane. So if I say, “I am God” and you accept me, then how much more insane you are. Just try to understand how much insanity is there. One is claiming that “I am God,” and one is accepting that he is God. This is insanity.
Student: Are we not all one?
Prabhupada: One, that is a different thing. Are you not one with President Nixon?
Student: Yes. He’s a human being.
Prabhupada: That is all right. He is American; he is a human being. In so many qualities you are one. But you cannot claim that you are President Nixon. Param brahman. Param means the chief. We are all brahman. Aham brahmasmi Every living entity is Brahman. But Krsna is the chief Brahman. Just like you are all Americans, but your President is the chief American. Similarly, Krsna is the chief Brahman. You are all brahman, but He is the chief Brahman. Is it clear? You should understand in that way. In so many respects and qualities you are one with God, but that does not mean that you are God. God is one. Just like in spite of your becoming an American or a human being, you do not identify yourself with President Nixon because you have full knowledge of President Nixon and yourself. And as soon as you say, “I am God,” that means that you have not full knowledge of God. You’re insane. You do not know what God is. That very assertion immediately shows that you know nothing about God. God is so great, but you are claiming that greatness. That means you do not know how great He is. A tiny factor claims that he is God without having that greatness. That means insanity, the same as if you claim that you are President Nixon. But how great God is! How much greater than President Nixon! Do you deny being one with President Nixon and accept yourself to be one with God? How insane you are. Just try to understand. Yes?
Hrsikesa: I have read in Bhagavad-gita that he who knows the Self does not do action nor cause action to be done. So, what is the soul’s, the spirit soul’s, relationship to actions performed both in material consciousness?
Prabhupada: Material consciousness means forgetting God. When one forgets God, that is material consciousness. Material consciousness is called maya. Actually one should not forget, but if he forgets somehow or other, that is material consciousness. Naturally, nobody forgets his father and mother, but if somehow or other he forgets, that is a special circumstance, and that is called maya, illusion. Just like any one of NOU who are existing must have a father and mother. That is a fact. Without father and mother your existence cannot be. Now, if you cannot say who is your father and mother, if you do not know, this forgetfulness is called maya. Actually, it should not happen, but somehow or other if you are asked who are your parents, you cannot say. This is called maya. But there must be some father and mother. Without a father and mother there cannot be an existence. You cannot deny that. You may not know who are your father and mother; that is a different thing. But you cannot say, “Oh, I have no father and mother.” So this denial—“I don’t believe in God or His existence.”—is like forgetting your father and mother. That is maya. And that is material consciousness. They deny God in different ways. “There is no God.” That is denial. “I don’t believe in God.” That is also denial. “God is impersonal, void,” or however you say it, that is all insanity, maya. Maya means insanity, for when a man becomes insane that is false; it is expected that he should not be insane. Maya means insanity, forgetfulness of God. And by the Krsna consciousness treatment, one can come to His original consciousness and become a cured man. Actually, maya means that which has no existence. Maya has no existence, but sometimes it is there, just like the clouds in the sky. The covering is not reality. Reality is the clear sky. This is temporary, illusory. If I see the cloud only and if I think there is no sun, no illumination or no clear sky, that is insanity. Because I cannot see under certain circumstances, I deny it, and that is my insanity. Therefore you have to approach the man who knows that there is sunlight, there is sun, and there is clear sky. You require all this education, knowledge. By knowledge, one transcends maya or material existence. What is the difference between an ordinary man and a Krsna conscious man? He also is living in this world, in this apartment and using everything that is being utilized by others. He is also eating and sleeping, but what is the difference? The difference is that he accepts that everything belongs to Krsna. Others do not. That’s all. Everything actually belongs to Krsna. Others do not know. They think it belongs to them, or “This is my nation, this is my country, this that.” So many things they manufacture, but we know the simple truth: everything belongs to Krsna. So let everything be offered to Krsna. That’s all.
Kirtanananda Maharaja: We understand that under material consciousness the living entity is being forced to act.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Kirtanananda Maharaja: His actions are quite automatic under the laws of material nature.
Prabhupada: Yes. Action is there. Because you are a living entity, you are active.
Kirtanananda Maharaja: Yes, but they’re being dictated.
Prabhupada: Yes, just like a man in fever is talking nonsense.
Kirtanananda Maharaja: Yes.
Prabhupada: But this is due to fever.
Kirtanananda Maharaja: In Krsna consciousness are the actions of the jiva similarly controlled by Krsna’s superior energy?
Prabhupada: Yes, certainly.
Kirtanananda Maharaja: But everything is being ultimately controlled by Krsna, either by inferior energy or by superior energy.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Kirtanananda Maharaja: So these activities are never independent.
Prabhupada: Never, never, never. That is his insanity. Anyway, as soon as one thinks, “I am independent,” that is another insanity. He is under control. Just like a man is thinking, “I don’t care for the state laws.” He’s insane. He will be forced to accept state laws in the prison house by the police. But he thinks, “Oh, I am a prisoner, but I am still independent.” He is slapped by the police, but he still says, “I am independent. Go on slapping.” That is insanity. Is it not insanity? The police slap him, and he says, “I am independent.” Do you think that is independence? That is the sort of independence we are having. We are always kicked by maya, yet we are thinking ourselves independent. This is insanity. We do not think how we are independent. One is servant of his senses, he cannot refrain from enjoying his senses for an hour, and he is thinking himself independent. That means he is insane. He cannot think properly. Where is his independence? He cannot be independent. He is born dependent; he is part and parcel of God. His constitutional position is dependent. The child might declare independence, but what is the meaning of that independence? Danger, that is all. He is simply inviting dangers. A child says, “Oh, I don’t care for my parents. I shall cross the ocean; I shall go everywhere.” So if he is allowed to do that, then he’s simply inviting dangers. And if he remains under the protection of the parents, he is always safe. So these living entities declaring independence are insane and are suffering from different kinds of insanity. They cannot be independent. Let them think very deeply, but they cannot be independent. They are thinking themselves independent of God, but they are dependent on their senses, that’s all. And some intoxication. They voluntarily accept dependence of something—maya. That’s all. Who is independent? Is there anyone independent? Nobody is independent. To think of independence is maya. The best thing is that since I am dependent, let me remain dependent properly. Then I am protected. So is your question answered? Material consciousness means thinking oneself falsely independent. That is material consciousness. Falsely. He is not independent, but he is thinking falsely, “I am independent.” This is maya. Just like in a dream, he is falsely thinking there is a tiger. There is no tiger, but he is actuated by this false impression: “Oh, the tiger is eating me! He has attacked me! Save me!” So this material existence means that because he is insane he is thinking there are so many problems. “The tiger is there! He is attacking me!” This, that, oh, so many, he is creating so many things. But they’re all false. But he is attacked by that false hallucination. That’s all. This is maya. Everyone is thinking, “Oh, there are so many problems I have to solve; I have to make this much. I have this—” But he actually has no problems. His only problem is how to accept Krsna. That’s all. And Krsna is so kind He says, “Yes, you accept Me. Simply chant ‘Krsna’; I am yours. That’s all.” But I am so unfortunate that I cannot chant it. All problems are solved simply by chanting Krsna. Etadrsi tava krpa bhagavan. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, “O Krsna, You are so kind that You have come to me in the sound vibration ‘Krsna.’ I can very easily chant, and You will remain with me. But I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction even for this.” When you see people and tell them, “Chant Hare Krsna and you’ll get everything,” they’ll not believe it. And if you say, “I’ll press your nose, you pay me $50, and I’ll give you some nice mantra. And you move your head like this, your leg like this,” then they will say, “Oh! Here is something!” (laughter) “So this Swamiji says simply chant Hare Krsna! What is this?” Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, “You have become so easily available in this age, but I am so unfortunate that I cannot accept this.” This Krsna consciousness is so easily being distributed, but they are so unfortunate that they cannot accept. Just see. And if you give them a bluff, if you cheat them: “Ah, yes, welcome!” Yes. They welcome it, and cheaters are always ready. “Customers are being cheated, so let me take advantage of it.” My Guru Maharaj used to say that this world is the society of the cheaters and the cheated. You have the association of cheaters and cheated. So we want to save people from this society of cheaters and cheated.
Hrsikesa: Prabhupad, often I would be performing, doing something, some activity during our day, and so many things will go wrong, and I’ll become frustrated.
Prabhupada: When one is in a profession, there may be something wrong. That doesn’t matter. But you try to discharge your duties rightly, whatever you are prescribed to do. Then everything will come to the right point. Your only business is to follow the four principles of the regulated way of life and chant Hare Krsna, sixteen rounds. So there may sometimes be a mistake. That will be corrected automatically because we are coming from a different platform. It is also said in Bhagavad-gita: api cet-suduracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak sadhur eva sa mantavyah. “Although one is found committing mistakes or doing something wrong, because he is sticking to this principle of Krsna consciousness, he is a sadhu.” Sadhu means holy man. He is holy. He is not doing any wrong consciously, but due to habit. Suppose, just like most of you, in your former life you were smoking or taking intoxication. But by some influence, if you sometimes again take to it, you may be conscious, “Oh I have done wrong.” But that is excused if you have done so unconsciously. But if you think, “Now that I am Krsna conscious, whatever I do is all right,” then it is bad. But if accidentally it happens, that is excused. So an accidental mistake is not dangerous, but a willful neglect is dangerous. We should be very careful always so that accidental mistakes also may not take place. But if they take place, they will be excused.
Student: Can hatha-yoga hinder or help Krsna consciousness?
Prabhupada: Hinder. Because it is useless, simply wasting time. You cannot follow the rules and regulations. You are simply bluffed. Do you know what are the rules and regulations of hatha-yoga? Actually? You have to select a secluded place. Actually it is not practiced in an assembly of so many men, but they go to a hatha-yoga class where there are hundreds of members practicing. And someone is collecting money, five dollars for a seat, and you are thinking, “Oh I am practicing.” That is useless, a waste of time and money. Hatha-yoga is not practiced in that way. You have to practice in a secluded place, alone. Do you do that?
Student: No, I guess I don’t.
Prabhupada: It is very difficult in this age. Then you have to restrain yourself in so many things, completely free from sex life. You have to eat under certain directions. You have to—so many things. These rules are not followed. Simply they have some bodily gymnastics, sitting postures, and they are thinking, “I will practice.” No, that is just one of the items. So all the items cannot be observed in this age. Therefore, it is wasting time. And what is the real yoga practice? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: “Of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.” This is the goal of yoga practice. So that is possible very easily by this movement, Krsna consciousness, not by any other process. The ultimate goal is here. One should be always abiding with God, worshiping Him in loving transcendental service and should be intimately united with Him. Intimately. This “intimately” refers to the five kinds of relationships. That is the perfection of yoga. Krsna advised yoga practice. Sankhya-yoga. So you read about sankhya-yoga in chapter six of Bhagavad-gita in the forty-seventh verse. This is the version.
Student: There is no value in keeping the body fit through exercises?
Prabhupada: Yes, you can become very healthy, but does that mean that health is the perfection of life? Do you mean to say that if one has a healthy life, he will not die? He will not change his body? So health is required, but health is not the ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is here.
Lokanatha: Buddha taught very similar things to what the Gita taught also, didn’t he? Are there agreements in certain places, what Buddha teaches and what the Gita teaches?
Prabhupada: Do you follow Buddha?
Lokanatha: No.
Prabhupada: You simply talk of him? Practice like Buddha and appreciate him. Give up everything like Buddha and meditate. But that you will not do. Then what is the useless talking about? You just talk. Do something! Either you believe Buddha or Jesus Christ or Krsna. Do something! Don’t talk, simply. Lord Buddha is very nice. He gave up his kingdom. He led a full life; he was a prince. He thought it was all nonsense, “Let me meditate.” So do like that. We won’t do anything. That is the disease. We talk much about this, that, this, that. Do anything, but do it perfectly! Jack of all trades, master of none—that is no good. Be master of something! It doesn’t matter. Either you follow Lord Jesus Christ or Lord Buddha, or Krsna, it doesn’t matter much. But do it perfectly. That is all we request.
The Platform of Real Bliss
The Platform of Real Bliss
by Jayadvaita dasa Brahmacari (ISKCON-Boston)
Krsna is the all-blissful Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we are all constitutionally His eternally blissful servitors. Unfortunately we have forgotten this fact, and thus we have fallen into material consciousness.
Prahlada Maharaja said to his father, “My dear father, I think you do not know what the success of life really is.” People do not know how to be actually successful in life. Everyone is interested in his own personal enjoyment, but no one really knows where real pleasure is available. Everyone is supposed to be concerned with his own self-interest, but no one knows what his self-interest actually is.
Prahlada’s father, Hiranyakasipu, was a greatly powerful atheist king, and he perfectly displayed the character of materialistic, or “demoniac,” consciousness. All of his energy was devoted to obtaining increased bodily pleasure. And, of course, he was hoping that his five-year-old son Prahlada would follow in his footsteps. But Prahlada was not interested in material affairs. When his father inquired from him what was the best thing that he had learned from his teachers, Prahlada replied that he had not learned anything of any value from them. By the grace of the great sage Narada Muni, Prahlada had obtained the rare opportunity for developing Krsna consciousness, and he was therefore completely disinterested in material happiness. Instead of working very hard in school, Prahlada was chanting Hare Krsna and dancing, and, to the dismay of the teachers, all the other young children joined with him.
The person who has tasted the bliss of Krsna consciousness soon loses all interest in material pleasure. As his consciousness becomes cleansed by chanting Hare Krsna, he comes in contact with superior spiritual pleasure. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita: The person who is in spiritual consciousness is jolly. He is completely satisfied by spiritual pleasure and therefore fails to display the symptoms of material hankering. He does not lament for anything.
In the material conception of life, we are engaged in trying to get pleasure from dead objects through our temporary and limited senses, and thus we obtain only flickering happiness. We are dependent on material conditions for our happiness, and thus it is inevitable that we are always hankering to have something or lamenting because we have lost something. We see a beautiful girl or boy and our mind becomes dominated by strong hankering, or we lose our girl friend or boy friend, and lamentation is the immediate result. Despite such circumstances we are thinking that we have control over events in this world, not realizing that we are actually under the control of our senses. The fact that we do not recognize that we are controlled is an indication of the extent to which our originally pure consciousness is contaminated by the material atmosphere.
Under the control of the illusory energy, we are thinking that we are enjoying great sense pleasure, but we do not know that this is not real pleasure. The materialistic person is under the false conception that there is no difference between his body and his self. He is thinking himself identical with his body, and therefore he is fully engaging himself in trying to satisfy his bodily desires by the four activities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending.
The lower animals are guided by this conception, and they engage themselves in these activities without any knowledge of higher spiritual principles. But human beings, endowed with the rare facility for developing spiritual consciousness, should not limit their activities to these four animal propensities. The civilized person should use the developed consciousness afforded by the human form of life, not to pursue bodily sense pleasure in the same manner as the animals, but to understand his eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. This is the only way real pleasure is available to him, and this is the perfection of life.
This perfection is only available by the grace of a bona fide spiritual master who is a devotee of Lord Krsna. One may understand that there is a difference between the temporary material body and the permanent spiritual soul, but without the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master, it is not possible to halt materialistic activities and to engage in positive spiritual life.
No one can approach the Absolute Truth by the power of his own mundane speculative faculties; it is not possible. Our mind and intelligence are limited and imperfect, and by the agency of such limited organs no one can approach the unlimited transcendental person.
Those persons who are trying to know the Absolute Truth by speculation, formulating their own ideas and concocting their own formulas for spiritual life, cannot be successful in their attempt. They become easy victims for so-called spiritual masters whose mastery is actually limited to the financial sphere. In their attempt to reach the transcendental platform by mental speculation, they may philosophize that they are God, but because they have not accepted a bona fide spiritual process for freeing the senses of material contamination, these so-called Gods are unable to achieve actual spiritual enjoyment and are therefore addicted to material activities for sense gratification. Such persons are pleased to accept any man as their spiritual master, provided such “spiritual master” agrees to make no attempt to limit the disciple’s sense-gratificatory activities. Those who have independently reached the faulty conclusion that the Absolute Truth is void or impersonal are in the same position; though they may say that everything is one, they are nevertheless addicted to material sense gratification.
In order to be successful in spiritual life, one has to accept a bona fide spiritual master and agree to abide by his instructions. If one is determined to act in accordance with his own concocted formulas, there is no use in accepting a spiritual master just for the purpose of show. By definition, the disciple must be willing to accept the authority of the spiritual master. It is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita that the bona fide spiritual master can impart transcendental knowledge to his student because he has seen the truth. The student should therefore approach the spiritual master with an attitude of submission. A person who adopts this method has no need to continue speculating about the truth. When one approaches the spiritual master with service and submissive questions, the Absolute Truth is available to him. The spiritual master instructs the disciple in such a way that the disciple can reach the perfection of life without any doubt, and one should therefore follow the spiritual master’s order without hesitation.
The spiritual master is the representative of Krsna, and therefore his words of instruction always agree with the words of the Supreme Lord, which are found in the bona fide scriptures. The Supreme Lord instructs in Bhagavad-gita that one should surrender unto Him and become His devotee, and the bona fide spiritual master instructs the disciple in the same way: “One should surrender unto Krsna.” Any person who claims to be a bona fide spiritual teacher but is opposed to the principle of unconditional service to the Supreme Lord must be rejected at once as bogus.
The spiritual master cannot be an ordinary man, but he must be a self-realized soul, a devotee of Lord Krsna coming in disciplic succession. He must be completely free from the contamination of the material energy. He must be a great soul, mahatma. As described in Bhagavad-gita, such mahatmas are fully engaged in devotional service to Lord Krsna, knowing Him to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible. They do not regard the Supreme as impersonal; they are in eternal association with Lord Krsna in His eternal transcendental form and are always engaged in chanting the glories of the Lord.
A great soul is very rare, and it is he only who is able to give the sincere searcher the unsurpassable gift of devotional service to Lord Krsna. The conditioned souls have forgotten Lord Krsna and are engaged in serving their senses, but by the grace of the bona fide spiritual master one’s original spiritual position of loving service to Krsna can be revived, and by this service one can experience the highest spiritual bliss.
The pleasure derived from devotional service is so great that the pure devotees of Lord Krsna reject all other kinds of happiness. Prahlada Maharaja therefore prayed to the Lord, “My dear Lord, I repeatedly pray unto Your lotus feet that I may simply be stronger in devotional service. I simply pray that my Krsna consciousness may be more strong and steady, because happiness derived out of Krsna consciousness and devotional service is so powerful that with it one can have all the other perfections of religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and even the attainment of liberation from material existence.” Frustrated by the experience of incessant material misery, unhappy persons sometimes try to become liberated from such misery by attempting to merge with the Supreme Absolute Truth. But it is confirmed by the great authority Bilvamangala Thakur that for one who is devoted to Lord Krsna in His personal form, liberation from material misery “stands at his doorstep with folded hands.” Such liberation is automatically achieved by one who becomes a devotee of Lord Krsna.
One who is trying for pleasure by materialistic activities or by trying to lose his identity by “merging” with the Supreme must perpetually continue in such activities without any hope of becoming satisfied, but the devotees of Lord Krsna experience such great bliss that all other pleasures seem insignificant to them. There is nothing that can compare to this bliss, and therefore one who is engaged in the loving devotional service of Krsna easily gives up the meager and temporary enjoyment of material sense-gratificatory activities. Krsna consciousness is so wonderful that even a drop of happiness in Krsna consciousness surpasses an ocean of happiness derived from any other activities.
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
This great transcendental bliss can be experienced by anyone who is engaged in devotional service under the direction of the spiritual master, and therefore devotional service to Lord Krsna is the perfection of existence. This devotional service is very rare, but in this age it is easily attained by the causeless mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Lord Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, and He has descended personally from His transcendental abode to freely distribute love of Godhead to the unfortunate souls who have fallen into this material world. The Supreme Lord has no obligation to descend to this material world, but due to His mercy upon the conditioned souls, He appeared on this planet 500 years ago in order to indicate to everyone by His personal example that the only possible way to achieve spiritual life in this age is by chanting the transcendental names of God. The most potent chant is Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. He kindly descended Himself and described the full science of devotional service to His disciples, and He personally propagated the Hare Krsna sankirtana movement.
Even a drop of happiness in Krsna consciousness surpasses an ocean of happiness derived from any other activities, and there is an ocean of Krsna conscious happiness. This transcendental ocean of bliss is not only unlimited, but it is always increasing. We have no experience on the material platform of an ocean which increases, but the unlimited ocean of spiritual bliss can be unlimitedly increased by the sankirtana movement of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
It is by the grace of Lord Caitanya that His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has come to America to spread this sankirtana movement, at a time when it is very much required. Although the Western countries are economically and technologically prosperous, their citizens are nevertheless experiencing great anxiety and frustration due to widespread spiritual poverty, and there is no place where one can receive instruction in spiritual science. The transcendental science of Krsna consciousness which Srila Prabhupada has brought to this country is therefore a most rare and valuable commodity.
There is a story that one devotee of Lord Siva was informed by Lord Siva that Sanatana Gosvami, a great Krsna conscious saint, had in his possession something very valuable. This devotee therefore went to Sanatana and requested that he give him the most valuable thing that he had. Sanatana Gosvami told him that he had a touchstone—a stone capable of transforming iron into gold—lying in a pile of garbage. Directed by Sanatana Gosvami, the devotee searched through the garbage and found the touchstone. A few experiments quickly revealed that the stone was indeed capable of changing iron into gold, and so the devotee went away with great satisfaction. But as he was walking on the road, he thought, “Sanatana Gosvami has left this valuable touchstone in a pile of garbage, and he seems not to care about it at all. He must have something even more valuable.” He therefore approached Sanatana again: “You must have something more valuable than this stone; please give it to me.” And so Sanatana Gosvami gave him the Hare Krsna mantra to chant.
This same Hare Krsna mantra is being offered freely to everyone by our spiritual master His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and the most intelligent people will take to this chanting process. Krsna consciousness is so valuable and rare that if a man has a million dollars, he will still be unable to purchase Krsna consciousness anywhere. Under the spell of illusion, we are thinking that material advancement is the goal of life, but we do not know that by this process no one is enjoying real happiness. The temporary material happiness of this world becomes insignificant when compared to the unlimited spiritual pleasure available from Krsna consciousness, and this is a fact which will be readily confirmed by any one of the steadily increasing number of devotees who have taken to this transcendental process. Chanting Hare Krsna is the scientific method recommended in the Vedic literature for reviving our dormant love of God, and when we are fully absorbed in Krsna consciousness we can become free from all material distress and resume our eternal association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Krsna in the spiritual sky. Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana movement makes this spiritual perfection available to everyone, and it is therefore the prime benediction for all living entities. It is the priceless gift now made available to people all over the world by the causeless mercy of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
A Day at ISKCON Boston
A Day at ISKCON Boston
Spiritual life is blissful, but it is not whimsical. The regulative principles of bhakti-yoga (the yoga of devotional service), as defined by the spiritual master and the authorized scriptures, form the standard way for the conditioned soul to come to the purified stage of spiritual existence, and one must first reach that joyful stage of purification before he can serve Krsna in spontaneous love. The Krsna consciousness bhakti schedule in Boston is rigidly followed. The day is filled with various activities, especially sankirtana (the public chanting of Hare Krsna), the printing of the spiritual master’s literature, and the worship of the Deity in the temple.
At 3:30 A.M. the brahmacaris, single celibate students, are awakened by the chanting of Hare Krsna and brought to their feet. Some devotees are awake long before 3:30. As early as 3:00 A.M., the pujari (caretaker of the Deities) is up doing her duties, and designated press men are working transcendental night shifts on the IBM composing machine which is putting out an unlimited stock of Sanskrit literature. At 3:30 A.M., the cooks begin preparing foodstuffs which will be offered to the Deities in the temple at the 4:30 A.M. ceremony. Also at 4:00, girls start making flower garlands for the Deities. And several days a week the temple vehicle starts out early in the morning to purchase flowers to adorn the Deities.
The goal of all these activities is to realize Krsna. It is stated in the scriptures that if one not only recognizes that God is great but personally engages in His service, then he is the perfect yogi and is most intimately linked with the Supreme. At 4:30 the Supreme 1,ord is glorified in the form of His Deity incarnation. By His mercy the Lord appears in the Deity form of stone or wood, and the devotee is thus able to perform loving service to the Absolute Truth, who so kindly accepts being bathed and being dressed and fed. During the morning kirtana ceremony, praises are sung to Krsna and the guru, and especially the mahamantra—Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—is chanted. At 7:30 there is breakfast and then cleanup until 9:30, when there is a Bhagavad-gita class. The public is invited to take part in this program, beginning from the seven o’clock service.
Anyone who participates in this program gains great spiritual benefit. It is stated in The Nectar of Devotion: “Persons who are impelled by pure devotional service in Krsna consciousness and who therefore go to see the Deities of Visnu in the temple will surely get relief from entering again into the prison house of a mother’s womb.”
The sankirtana party, with all paraphernalia for a full day of chanting, leaves at 11:00 in the sankirtana van. The devotees chant throughout the day in the parks and streets of Boston. In this age, sankirtana is especially recommended as the highest welfare work. The distribution of Krsna consciousness to the living entities who have forgotten Krsna is a far greater service than the patchwork of material welfare work, altruism, etc.
The offering to the Deity in the temple is at 11:30. Food is prepared with the consciousness that it is not primarily for the devotees but is for Krsna in His Deity incarnation. Prayers to the spiritual master are sung before the Deity, and then the offered food is to be taken as prasadam, or divine remnants first accepted by God Himself. All food taken at the temple is first offered in this way. So every activity, even eating, is calculated to increase spiritual strength. One simply has to apply his body and mind to Krsna’s service, and he will thus become cleansed of material desires to satisfy himself and will instead try to please the Supreme directly.
The ISKCON press is on a special schedule. All phases of transcendental printing go on at the Boston center, beginning from receipt from the spiritual master of dictaphone tapes for a book such as The Nectar of Devotion. The tapes are typed out, edited by English and Sanskrit editors, composed and made ready for print, then printed, bound, and distributed to Krsna consciousness centers all over the world. Illustrations for these books are done by a team of artists working under the direct order of His Divine Grace. Prabhupada has called the press his heart. Press workers follow the temple schedule as closely as possible while putting in long hours of work on this special mission of the spiritual master.
At noon the sankirtana truck takes out several more devotees, who join the sankirtana party which has already left at 11:00. Prasadam is brought to them in the field, where, according to Sri Krsna, they are doing the highest work. After the Devotees take prasadam, the ecstatic chanting party continues, and chanting and distribution of literature go on until 6:00.
Every evening at 6:30, all the Boston devotees, numbering about forty, join for evening prasadam, along with as many as twenty guests, most of whom are attracted during the day by the sankirtana chanting in the streets. After taking plenty of delicious prasadam, all are invited to attend the ecstatic 7 P.M. aratrika worship in the temple. There, before the Deities of Radha and Krsna and Lord Jagannatha (spiritual forms of Krsna and His expansions), the devotees ecstatically sing the holy names and dance, accompanied by mrdanga drums, karatalas and harmonium. This transcendental chanting, performed with sincerity, cleanses the heart of all material anxiety and brings complete relief to any person who takes part. Following aratrika a forty-minute Bhagavad-gita class is held, following which guests and devotees ask questions which are answered on the authority of the spiritual master and the Vedic scriptures. Hearing of the topics of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very important in the process of bhakti; simply by hearing from the proper Vedic authority, one can advance toward attachment to Krsna.
All these activities are authorized by the founder-acarya of ISKCON, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord and who is himself authorized by a chain of spiritual masters in a disciplic succession going back to the time of the creation of the universe. Lord Caitanya, the avatara who 500 years ago preached exclusive engagement in chanting Hare Krsna for all peoples, prayed as follows: “One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street, more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.” Thus the chanters do not hesitate to chant anywhere and everywhere for the benefit of all. One can understand that the boys and girls who engage six hours daily in this sankirtana activity are automatically freed from the immoral practices of this age and are situated in the ocean of transcendental bliss.
All devotees take rest by 10:00 P.M. It is stated in the Vedic scriptures that the passing of a day means that one day has been taken from our life’s duration, and all the money in the world cannot buy back that time. Time takes away our life day by day until finally there is nothing left but death. That is the predicament for all who spend their time in bodily, material consciousness, forgetful of their eternal relationship with God. But the time of those devotees who constantly engage in transcendental loving service can never be taken away, nor at death can such devotees be forced to give up their God consciousness. A day at ISKCON in the eternal devotional service of the Lord’s pure devotee is counted permanently as an asset toward the ultimate goal of attaining the kingdom of God.
CHANT (Part 1)
CHANT (Part 1)
by Hayagriva dasa Adhikari
(ISKCON—New Vrndavana)
Note: This is the first part of “Chant,” a lengthy four-part poem. Part One traces the activities of the spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, from his landing in New York in 1965 to the end of 1969, four short years packed with transcendental events so numerous that only the most memorable are recorded. There is nothing concocted or exaggerated in this section. The events recorded are only those the author personally witnessed or experienced. Who could begin to chant all the glories of the spiritual master? The grammatical form utilized in this section, a long series of pronoun clauses, was developed a century ago by Whitman in “Recorders’ Ages Hence,” a Calamus poem.
nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya
bhutale srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine.
I offer my humble obeisances unto His Divine Grace Prabhupada A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Krsna on this earth, having taken shelter of the lotus feet of that ever-youthful, beautiful, transcendental Lord,
who, alone, in his seventieth year, threw family, society, friendship, love to the wind, left mother India and set sail around the earth to foreign, unknown shores because his spiritual master spoke to him in a dream,
who carried the glorious message of the munificent Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu to a nation plagued with the leprosy of voidism and impersonalism, who brought an ageless message of love of Godhead,
who landed in Manhattan with saffron robes, a suitcase and seven dollars and wondered at maya’s skyscrapers and empty, noisy dreams,
who, with white, pointed holyman shoes, walked through the snow to Times Square and laughed at Kali’s cinema ads,
who accepted residence with hashish-yogis who believed they were moving the sun and moon,
who played cymbals and chanted Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami, “I worship Govinda the Primeval Lord,” explaining to void-meditators that Krsna’s transcendental body is unlimited, that He can extend His hand to all parts of His creation, that any one part of His body can perform all the actions of all the other parts, and that simply by glancing at nature He impregnated her with countless living entities and set the cosmic systems spinning and struck up the song of the universe,
who journeyed downtown, out of compassion, and set up quarters in Lower East Side narrow mice-ridden storefront and trusted Krsna to bring next month’s rent,
who opened the storefront doors even to Bowery derelicts and clashed cymbals and chanted Sanskrit hymns to God, whose vibrations caught the ears of young psychedelic middle class renegades searching for alternatives to their legacy of lies and materialism,
who had and everlastingly has infinite mercy, delivering it free of charge, a matchless gift, to whomever stops to hear,
who never, to my knowledge, turned one soul away, who effused them all with kindness, affection, truth,
who had mercy on my soul one bright July morning amidst the roaring Manhattan traffic of Houston and Bowery (Most holy spot! Transformed to Vaikuntha by his feet! Bowery transformed to Vaikuntha!),
who lectured every morning on Second Avenue and as the gold of dawn lit his face played cymbals and chanted softly, careful not to awake the neighbors lest they pour hot water through the floorboards,
who opened Bhagavad-gita and explained Sri Krsna’s message verse by verse and set His names—Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare—on the lips of the young,
who, by contact only, warmed their hearts and lit the fires of love of God in their souls and smeared their eyes with the ointment of devotion,
who defied cheap popular adoration by truthfully telling the youth of America that to have Krsna the soul must be pure, free of everything,
who supplanted the old white-bearded Judaic-Christian God with a beautiful, blue adolescent Boy and evoked gopi tears from the eyes of men,
who led his flock to Washington Square to chant, was invited off the grass by the cops, sat complacently anyway on the asphalt and Hare Krsna’d as nervous sailors flicked their cigarets,
who initiated his first dozen disciples with a fire sacrifice in his apartment, told them their real, spiritual names, chanted their beads, threw rice and ghee in the flames (Svaha!) and sat smiling amidst the smoke as they coughed and ran to open the windows,
who listened, tolerant, to the threats of Jewish, Catholic and Protestant mothers accusing him of stealing their sons, and offered them bananas, apples, dates and tangerines and charmed them with his smile,
who every Sunday afternoon for a month sat down on the ground in Tompkins Square Park, pounded a bongo and chanted Hare Krsna three hours straight while dancing angels dropped exhausted and Lower East Side Ukranians and Poles stared uncomprehendingly and grumbled,
who delivered a beautiful lecture on the spiritualization of energy to a thousand empty seats in midtown’s Judson Hall while across the street hundreds flocked to hear the Boston Pops at Carnegie,
who patiently endured the red tape visa harassment of immigration offices and allayed the fears of his children as they swore to follow him to India,
who, on a sudden invitation, jumped a jet to Frisco, telling his New York disciples he’d return in a fortnight, and after four months’ absence laughed, “You have not reckoned a day of Brahma.”
who lectured a thousand Hell’s Angels, hippies and teenieboppers in the strobe-flashing Avalon ballroom on the glories of Lord Caitanya’s sankirtan movement and, hands upraised, danced with poet Ginsberg, Moby Grape, Grateful Dead and Big Brother to Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna as Tim Leary looked on benevolently,
who chanted and danced in a ring with longhair boys, girls, beads, beards and headbands below the shadow of Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park on bright March and April afternoons,
who lectured at Frisco Christian Yoga societies, to hippies in the Panhandle, to pacifists at Berkeley, to yellow, red, white and black nationalists, to anyone, everyone and no one in the streets and parks of Saint Francis,
who taught the students of Palo Alto a new dance—the “swami”—which in fervor surpassed the frug and watusi,
who led a nighttime firelit kirtan at Frisco beach, roasted potatoes and sang starlit hymns to Narada Muni,
who sauntered through Muir woods contemplating the redwoods and reflecting how tired their souls must be for having to stand so long without Krsna,
who, back in Manhattan, wore his body down chanting and glorifying the transcendental blue body of Krsna, cooking and writing for Krsna, and suffered a stroke that would have killed a mere man, left his body and then returned with the names of his love on his lips,
who sang to Yamaraj, Death, as he stood before him, sang songs of love to the lotus-eyed Boy with pink bottom’d feet,
who, in Beth-Israel Hospital, sat like a helpless child as demonic needles came at him, tolerated them and listened to the Western diagnosis: “Tell him to take it easy. The old man prays too much,”
who, after five days, baffled obscene doctors by walking out the sickward’s pea-green walls to recuperate across country in the dazzling Pacific sands of Stinson beach,
who sat amidst a labyrinth of kelp horns and sea shells proclaiming that there are only devotees and demons, naught between,
who composed Sanskrit odes to the Primeval Spirit whose eternal teenage lips play a flute,
who wept in a Frisco storefront—“Take to this process. I may be with you or not, but it is eternal.”—and bade farewell to his students who thought he was going to India to die,
who bathed in the sun wearing a turban and flying on a carpet as the Pacific crashed in his ears—“All glories to the assembled devotees! All glories to the Pacific Ocean!”—and finally, following the sun, whizzed to Delhi, Vrndavana and Calcutta to Ayur-Vedic physicians,
who bathed in the Yamuna, where Lord Krsna played His water games, and lived in Radha-Damodar Temple, where repose the samadhis of Rupa and Jiva Gosvami,
who traveled through India, defying pneumonia, looking for a house for his American children,
who returned to the U.S. via Japan, trying to see the mayor of Tokyo to institute the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in a glass American-made skyscraper,
who finally proclaimed the Japanese “not ready,” and returned to a deluge of tears and flowers in Frisco airport,
who, surpassing the Chinese, instituted a yearly festival of Jagannatha love down Haight Street through Golden Gate to the beach, nine miles, and led twenty thousand before the cart of Krsna, Subhadra and Balarama,
who bowed to Radha and Krsna in Seattle and sat in new glory on the New York Vyasasana, the floating dais of praise, as his children fell at his feet,
who forgave his renegade disciples in Montreal with a garland of roses and a shower of tears,
who told golden beachboys in Honolulu and Kaaawa, Oahu that sun, beach and palm worship is all maya, that golden flesh, after all, is just a bag covering blood, bone, stool, puss, bile, urine and guts, all rotting moment by moment,
who danced to Krsna beneath the sun in L.A. and beneath the red, white and blue flashing neon illusions of Hollywood Blvd., Kali-yuga plastic America, and beneath the moon danced to Govinda and Radharani in a Manhattan alley, searching for a possible temple,
who proclaimed natural vegetarian prasadamism to the nation’s hamburger stands, the cow-eaters of America, the pig-eaters, bird-eaters, fish-eaters, lamb-eaters, threatening them with endless rebirths as tigers,
who declared that Colonel Sanders of the Fried Chickens of Kentucky would have to undergo a chicken-birth-life-and-death for every chicken smeared with his recipe making its saucy way into the all-devouring mouths of the American karmavores,
who burst two thousand Ohio State students out their skins and jumped for joy on his dais in the All-American City,
who, lauding the “big mrdangam,” bought a press, said, “This is my heart,” and printed his own books in Boston,
who, having chanted six years in temples of Vrndavana, India, where Lord Krsna’s lotus feet danced, walked two miles up a West Virginia dirt road, stopping only once briefly for breath, and founded New Vrndavana in the locust-flower’d hills,
who lived there in a shack, sauntered on morning walks through the locusts and maples and blessed the dandelions, blackberries and pokeweed with his gaze,
who sat quietly beneath a persimmon tree reading Srimad-Bhagavatam and musing over the Appalachians,
who boarded the jet age from New York to Hamburg, carrying over the Atlantic real Aryan Vedic civilization in his head and magic mantras on his lips, the Paramhansa on Lufthansa, descending on Europe on his silver swan, singing songs of Krsna-love for fractured Germany,
who, not knowing one word of German, lectured on ecstasy in a little storefront temple on Eppendorfer Weg, chanting Hare Krsna uber alles,
who defined real Aryanism—life according to spirit, not to flesh—to rapt disciples following him on a vigorous morning walk amidst cold, implacable North German beer consciousness, sausages and Volkswagens,
who sat before an Elbe sunset, holding up a picture of Radha-Krsna dancing on the lotus shaped Vaikuntha planet, and who smiled and transformed the Elbe into the Yamuna,
who descended on London reporters like a thundercloud and deluged them with the Absolute Truth—“I have come to teach what you have forgot.” “Which is?” “God.”
who sang “Bhaja Govindam” to this century’s British bards, the Beatles—“What are you doing? Your philosophical speculation and grammatical word jugglery will not save you at the moment of death, so bhaja Govinda, just worship Krsna,” and struck up a new song in George’s heart,
who shouted down the new crows in London’s Conway Hall and continued playing cymbals as their wings fluttered,
who founded a six-story Radha-Krsna temple a block away from a storehouse of ravaged Indian treasures, the British Museum, and despite a Gandhi exhibition began the Vaisnava colonization of England,
who buried his head in flowers and danced in ecstasy before the Lord,
who saw Arjuna throw down his bow at Kuruksetra and Lord Krsna and Balarama pass through Mathura with Their cows and boy friends as the city girls showered Them with flowers from their balconies,
and who at this moment deluges the blazing fire of the soul trapped in materials and drowns the conflagration of even the most obdurant (my own!) soul entangled in the great chain fire of action and reaction,
who even now insists on wishing me well despite my pigheaded gnawing at o’erchewed stool,
who knows the innate sweetness of the soul in love with Krsna and who delivers that love with truth, who draws it out the timid soul with truth and who demands its flourishing and wishes it well,
who resides at the lotus feet of Krsna eternally, who is His ambassador on earth, transmitting His message infallibly,
who views this universe to be no more significant than water in a calf’s hoofprint,
who floats upon the tossing ocean of material and looks with compassion upon the countless dynasties of suffering souls struggling below,
who hears the discordant sounds of Kali’s millennia and blends them in harmony to one song that anyone can sing,
who must play in the starry sandbox of the universe like a child with his toys,
who must laugh at the maya karmaval, the vast play of illusion, of America, of the world,
who must talk to Krsna alone at night, sitting on his bed, conferring, listening carefully to His advice,
who perpetually receives the waters of benediction from the ocean of mercy and who pours them forth in torrents to extinguish the flames of materialism,
who, always engaged in chanting and celebrating the message of Lord Caitanya, sometimes dances in ecstasy and trembles and quivers in his trance,
who, with his disciples, untiringly worships Sri Sri Radha and Krsna in Their temple,
who is always offering food to Krsna and who derives great satisfaction in seeing his disciples eat bhagavat-prasadam, the delicious mercy of the Lord,
who is eternally eager to chant and preach the glories of the loving exchanges between Lord Krsna and Radharani and who aspires to relish these pastimes at every moment,
who expertly assists the gopis, Lord Krsna’s transcendental cowherd girl friends engaged in the perfection of Radha-Krsna conjugal love affairs, who makes various tasteful arrangements for Them,
who, as all scriptures reveal, should be honored as highly as the Supreme and Almighty Lord, for he is the Great God’s most confidential servitor,
whose mercy enables me to receive the benediction of the mercy of Krsna and without whose mercy I cannot advance on the spiritual path, and who is therefore worthy of my perpetual obeisances and my worship.
How to Get Out of the Clutches of Maya
How to Get Out of the Clutches of Maya
by Satsvarupa dasa Adhikari (ISKCON-Boston)
The Sanskrit word maya means that which is not. In other words, it is illusion. For example, if a servant of a king thinks that he is the king, that is illusion. Generally, it is the illusion of all human beings that they are the lords of all they survey. But the actual fact is that they are under the grip of strict laws. They are trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but are becoming more entangled in nature’s complexities. Since this maya is illusion, or unreality, it can be stopped simply by reviving the real, original nature of the human being. This is called Krsna consciousness. According to the Bhagavad-gita, the mistaken idea that we have of ourselves and of our environment makes it impossible for us to enjoy our real, eternal nature. Moreover, once into the predicament of being under illusion, it is very difficult to get out of it.
On hearing the description of our entanglement in maya’s clutches, one might well ask, “How did we ever get into such a complicated predicament in the first place?” Another fair question is, “Why should God put anyone into the illusion that he is something which he is not?” The third question to be answered is, “How can one actually get out of maya?” We fall into maya because we are forgetful of our real selves. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has explained that it is not very important to trace out when this happened. When people hear of the kingdom of God and of the original nature, blissful, eternal and full of life, they ask, “If it were so nice, why would I leave?” The answer to the question of when we fell is there in the Vedic literature. Specifically, in the Seventh Chapter, twenty-seventh verse, of Bhagavad-gita, it is stated that we are born into this material world of delusion when we are overcome by our desire to be God and by our hatred of Him. As for the time when we fell, it is untraceably long ago, so long that it is called a time immemorial. But more important than tracing out just when we fell is finding out how we can be rescued from our present fallen state. In other words, if one is now very poor, it is not important that he was once rich. Or if one says, “Once I had much butter,” but now he does not have butter, the important thing is that now he has no butter. Similarly, we can observe that we are now in illusion. Some may think that these statements are word jugglery. Often a person tells us, “Never mind spiritual consciousness. I am already completely liberated. Do not call this illusion—I am happy here.” But let us examine the real nature of the material world, the kingdom of maya.
Maya means to live in this material world and to think that it is one’s permanent place and that one can become happy here. Ask a person living in this maya, “Are you happy?” and he may answer, “Yes, I am happy.” But what is this happiness? Ask him further, “Do you like to grow old?”
“No,” he’ll answer.
Then, “Do you like disease?”
“No.”
“Do you like to die?”
“No.” Then where is happiness? As long as we have to suffer these very basic defects to life, there can be no happiness.
The way out of maya is the process of self-realization. By understanding who we are and understanding our relationship to God, we can understand that we are in maya and that it is no good. Self-realization and God realization begin with dissatisfaction. When we are dissatisfied, then we can search out liberation in our original state. By finding out our true nature, we can become free from the miseries of maya. But we must not think that we are happy in maya. To accuse the transcendentalist or spiritualist of being morbid because of his extreme criticism of the material world and its attractions is false. Rather, it is morbid to think that this life, which leads only to death, is everything. It is morbid to think that one is enjoying his body and its sensual pleasures when every day one can see side by side a beautiful young girl and a decrepit old woman and observe how quickly the change takes place. It is morbid to try to squeeze pleasure out of the body, mistaking the body for the real self. To treat the body as the self is as foolish as to try to eat by putting foodstuffs in one’s ear rather than one’s mouth. We can see from common affairs or learn from the Gita that we constantly change our body, but the real self exists eternally. The craziness of thinking that our eternal self is the temporary body is maya. But because the majority of people are in maya consciousness, this has become the standard of sanity in modern civilization. The proper use of the human form of life is to inquire with dissatisfaction about this state of suffering in maya. Usually when someone is afflicted with a disease, he will say with a feeling of dull resignation, “All right, let me go to the doctor.” But one who inquires, “Why do I have to suffer? Who am I? Why must I endure disease and old age?” is intelligent. When such a process of inquiry begins, the sincere, determined searcher finally ends with God.
These are not questions of mental exercise or philosophical speculation. Rather, the inquiries, “Who am I? What am I meant to do? Where do I go after death?” are questions that are dormant and natural in all living entities. These questions are asked by intelligent men, and the real answers to these inquiries satisfy the innermost need of the soul. Of course, one may ask such questions without sincerity, or one may ask them of someone who is not an authorized spiritual master, and so one may go on suffering birth after birth because it is very difficult to free oneself from the stringent laws of material nature. Therefore, among the qualifications of a devotee is gravity. One should listen seriously when questions about suffering in life are discussed, and one should not think that simply because one is young or intoxicated, there are actually no problems. The problems of birth, death, disease and old age cannot be done away with by medicine or technology or poetry or philosophy, nor should one think that one can become God and thus become free from material nature’s stringent laws. Actually it is very simple: maya is there because of our false consciousness. And it can be removed as soon as the consciousness is changed to reality. If a servant is trying to act as king, he will be frustrated because his real position is servant. But if he lives as a servant, he can enjoy all the facilities of his real position, without the anxieties of trying to be something he is not. Therefore, everyone should understand that this material life is a diseased state and that because we are diseased, we cannot enjoy. We must first become well. We must first get out of maya. Anyone who is teaching a process whereby people can enjoy without changing from bodily consciousness to real or spiritual consciousness, Krsna consciousness, is cheating, just as a doctor cheats if he tells an ailing patient, “Please get up and enjoy.” No! The true doctor who has diagnosed an illness, says to the person, “You cannot enjoy now: you must lie in bed, take these medicines, and when you become well, then you can enjoy.”
Maya traps us by offering us allurements in the way of sensual pleasures and by confining us to designations of the ego. By surrender to Krsna these attractions vanish before the superior attractions of true spiritual life. Of the sensual pleasures, the chief is sex life. The difficulty with sex life is that it necessitates trying to enjoy on the bodily platform, whereas our real nature is not satisfied by the sexual act, but is left unsatiated, just as a hungry man is left unsatisfied if one buys him expensive clothes or takes him to see a movie. Impetuously, madly, one thinks that he can become happy by sex life, but after repeated attempts, the complete satisfaction is still not attained. The satisfaction is only flickering. The Srimad-Bhagavatam states that by engagement in illicit association with women a man loses the qualities of truthfulness, cleanliness, mercifulness, gravity, spiritual intelligence, shyness, austerity, fame, forgiveness, control of the mind and senses, and fortune. Even when a man has sex with his wife and decides to raise a family, he becomes trapped in a desire to maintain economic status and social prestige and to elevate the material standard of his family. In this way maya manipulates a man by his attraction for sex and leads him away from all possibilities of taking to the path of self-realization and real eternal enjoyment. We must understand that although maya is dictating, we are victimized only because of misuse of our own free will.
The Call Of Krsna
Opposed to maya’s dictation is the call of Krsna, coming through the spiritual master or pure devotee. Krsna appears in the form of scriptures and in the form of His instructions carried by pure devotees. The devotees always seek to call back the lost souls from the kingdom of maya to where they can enjoy their real nature. The human being has wandered through many species of life—animal life, plant life, and all other lower forms of life—and in most forms of life one is unable to free himself from the experience of repeated miseries. The human form of life, however, is a special advantage for getting out of this entanglement. Therefore, it is imperative that we hear and take to a practical path before death comes.
The chief symptoms of the disease of maya are desire for sex life and false identification. The ideas that one is an American or a Russian or a black man or a white man are designations that cover one’s real self. Our real self is spirit soul, part and parcel of God. These other things are only the outer coverings and are not our ultimate identity. It is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that a person who thinks that he is his body, which is made of air and bile, or who thinks that the land of his birth is worshipable, is no better than a cow or an elephant. We will only be Americans or Russians for this one body, and at the time of death we do not know where we will go. To cling to that false identification is also maya, or “that which is not.” Rather, we should put our energies into finding our real, eternal nature, which continues from one body to another. Actually I do not even belong to the human race; it is only a temporary designation. I am now wearing a shirt and pants, but I do not think that my shirt and pants are my real self. When the shirt and pants wear out, then I get new ones. But my self will continue. Similarly, I am not my car when I drive in my car.
In forgetfulness of our real Krsna consciousness, we are trying to enjoy in a false way in terms of bodily pleasure and false designation, and we do not find real happiness because we are without Krsna, who is our true and dearmost friend. To understand that we are not the lords of all we survey, we do not need to inquire into scriptures. Simply by common affairs, anyone can see it. One may think that he is free, just as a cow on the end of a long rope with a ring in his nose may think himself free because he has a long rope, but eventually he sees that he is not free. When one comes to the conclusion that he is under the stringent laws of material nature, that he is in fact bound up by limiting conditions and limiting senses, and that he is not satisfied by any amount of sensual enjoyment, and when he can conclude that his position is temporary although he desires an eternally happy position, then he can seek out something greater, and he can inquire about God, the controller.
Misuse Of Free Will
Let us examine the intents of the controller. Why is He putting the living entities under the stringent laws of material nature? Krsna says that all the living entities who are struggling in the material nature are His parts and parcels. Therefore one might ask why He doesn’t stop this struggle at once and simply bring the souls out of their illusion. The answer is that although the Supreme Lord is full of compassion for His parts and parcels, they are eternally individuals by His divine will, and thus each individual has a minute amount of free will. His free will is such that he can decide either to be in maya or to be with Krsna. Once he decides to be in maya, his free will stops, and maya acts upon him. For example, one can decide whether or not to put his finger in a flame, but once he puts his finger in the flame, the flame will act and burn him. That action of the flame is called the material nature. The individual spirit souls are just like Krsna and are originally intended to be with Him in spiritual bliss, yet because they are small, they are prone to come under the jurisdiction of material nature. Krsna Himself never comes under the influence of maya because He is the controller of maya. So why has He set up this material nature? Because the living entities desire it. The example is given of a child who sees her mother cooking in the kitchen and becomes envious of the mother’s superior position. The child declares to the mother, “No, I will be the cook. I will be the cook.” The mother, just out of a desire to quiet the third, may give her a toy kitchen set and let the child think that she is actually cooking. Another example is that when serious men are discussing something and a little child is in the room causing a disturbance, the child is put out of the room. Once the living entity becomes envious of God, then he is removed from His association and put into the material world where he himself can act as God. He must, however, come under the material laws. This is actually the reality under which we are all existing.
Influenced by maya, we forget our real position. A perfect example of the total forgetfulness to which one may come when he is put under the spell of the illusory nature of God was displayed by the demigod Indra when he was cursed by his spiritual master to become a pig on earth due to acting licentiously in the heavenly planets. When Indra was thus degraded to take the body of a pig, he took up his piggish activities and soon lived on a farm with a she-pig and piglets. After some time, the spiritual master returned to retrieve Indra, but Indra as a pig refused to be liberated to his former grand position, thinking in delusion that he had so many responsibilities. He refused his spiritual master: “No. I cannot go to heaven. Why are you saying that I am Indra? I am not Indra. I am a pig. I have so many responsibilities; I cannot leave. I am happy. I have my wife. I have my piglets. I have my stools.” This is the influence of maya.
Although it seems to be a punishment, maya also means God’s grace. If someone does not want the topmost spiritual life, the opportunity to go back to Godhead, but instead desires to cultivate ignorance, then he is put under the agency of maya so that he can try for happiness in the material world. The basic idea is that anyone who is born into a body has made a foolish choice; being born into the material world certifies one as a fool.
After Dissatisfaction
The signs of return to sanity are dissatisfaction and inquiry. Dissatisfaction refers to the realization that all is not well. Why must I grow old and diseased? Why must I die? After dissatisfaction comes the desire to inquire, to find a solution. The materialist is also seeking his solution to happiness, but his efforts are all patchwork. He tries to repair his body by going to a hospital, but soon the body will end. The real solution to bodily miseries is liberation from bodily existence. This spiritual knowledge solves things once and for all. When one realizes that this material world is useless to him, then he can come out of maya. Everyone born into a body is in maya, but by dissatisfaction and inquiry one may escape from maya’s clutches. The process to do this is God consciousness or self-realization. Therefore, the first step out of maya is to realize that one is in maya. This is not ignorance. This is intelligence; Ignorance is to think that one is living in reality within material life.
Prabhupada refers to the material world as the world of names. To a transcendentalist, buildings, machines, war, peace, politics and family are all just names, like the babble of waves at sea. The way out of maya is not through mental efforts. In the Bhagavad-gita it is stated by Krsna, “My divine energy, maya, is very difficult to surmount, but for one who has surrendered, it is very easy.”
The way to get out of maya is outlined by the Supreme Lord Himself in His incarnation as Kapiladeva. In the Third Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Devahuti, the mother of Kapila, asks Him questions exactly to this point: “How can there be any freedom for the soul as long as the material nature acts on him and binds him?” The living entity may desire freedom from the contamination of matter, but he is not given release. Once he desires to come into the material world, then he is already conditioned by it, and he has no opportunity to get control of it. Bhagavad-gita says that it is very difficult to get out of the clutches of material nature. Mental speculators, concocting in different ways, try to think that everything is void, that there is no God, and that even if there is a spiritual background of everything, it is impersonal. This speculation may go on, but actually it is very difficult to get out of the clutches of material nature. Devahuti asks, “One may speculate in many ways, but where is the chance of liberation as long as one is under the spell of material nature?” The answer is given in the Bhagavad-gita that only one who has surrendered himself unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord can be freed from the clutches of maya. When one gradually comes to the point of surrender, he can ask such an intelligent question: “How can one be liberated, how can one be in a pure state of spiritual existence, as long as he is strongly held by the modes of nature?” This is also an indication to the false meditators who artificially think that they are the Supreme Spirit and that they are controlling the activities of material nature. They may think, “Under my direction the sun is moving; under my direction the moon is rising,” and they may think that they can become free by such meditation. But it is seen that three minutes after their meditation, they are immediately captured by the modes of material nature, and they become thirsty: “I want to smoke or drink.” So they are under the strong grip of the material nature, although they are thinking that they are separated from the clutches of maya. Such a person sometimes thinks that everything is void and that there are no sinful or pious activities. But actually these are just atheistic inventions. The truth is that unless a living entity surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead as instructed in the Bhagavad-gita, there is no liberation or freedom from the clutches of matter. That is the transcendental fact.
When one misuses his free will and challenges, “Why shall Krsna be the all-in-all? I am as good as Krsna,” then desire and envy of Krsna bring about his material bondage. One may be a philosopher or a salvationist or a voidist and think that he is the Supreme and that he is everything, but as long as he has this desire or thinks that there is no God, the cause of his bondage remains, and there is no question of liberation.
Surrender Unto Krsna
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada writes in this regard, “Theoretically one may analyze things and say that by knowledge has become freed and so on but actually as long as the cause is there, he is not free. The Bhagavad-gita confirms that after performing speculative activities for many, many births, when one actually comes to his real consciousness and surrenders unto the Supreme Lord, Krsna, then his fulfillment of research in knowledge is actually achieved. There is a gulf of difference between theoretical freedom and actual freedom from material bondage.” So if one gives up the auspicious path of devotional service and tries to know things by speculation, he is wasting his valuable time. The labor of speculation is ended only by exhaustion, and the result is only labor. It is like husking the skin of an empty paddy; there is no benefit because the rice is already gone. To get out of maya, one has to nullify the cause of entanglement, and then the effect will be different. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead says. “One can get liberation only by seriously discharging devotional service unto Me. One must hear for a long time about Me or from Me and execute one’s prescribed duties without reaction. One will thus become freed from the contamination of matter.”
It is not that one has to leave the material world. One can remain in association with matter and still remain unaffected, if he is performing service to Krsna. If someone is in connection with the police department, that does not mean that he is a criminal. As long as one does not commit criminal acts, even though there is a police department, he is not punished. Similarly, the liberated soul is not affected, although he is in the material nature. Even the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes into association with matter when He descends, but He is not affected. So we can exist side by side with matter, but by using it for Krsna we are unaffected. This is called liberation and is achieved simply by engaging in devotional service.
One must perform his prescribed duties in Krsna consciousness. One does not have to change his duties: he just should perform them in Krsna consciousness. The criterion for success is whether by one’s profession or occupation the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied. Everyone has some duty to perform, and its perfection is achieved if Krsna is satisfied by one’s acts. For example, Arjuna was a warrior. His prescribed duty was fighting, so the perfection of his fighting was tested by the satisfaction of Krsna. Krsna wanted him to fight, and as long as Arjuna was not willing to fight, he did not reach perfection. If a man wants to achieve perfection, then he should discharge his prescribed duties for the satisfaction of Krsna. All actions should be performed as a sacrifice for Krsna. In this age especially, one simply has to chant the names of God to achieve the perfection of sacrifice. By chanting, hearing and associating with devotees, one can bring this about. When one is fixed in serious devotional service and acts in that way, then he has no reaction and is freed from all contamination of the influence of the three modes of material nature. By continuous and regular hearing of the holy names and pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, the effects of contamination, such as lust and greed to enjoy and lord it over the material nature, are diminished, and one becomes situated in the mode of goodness. In that way he becomes fixed on the transcendental platform. To remain on the transcendental platform is to be liberated from material entanglement. That is the way in which to get out of the clutches of maya. The personification of maya, Mayadevi, the superintendent of the material world, performs the thankless duty of punishing all living entities who have the enjoying mentality, but she herself, as a servant of Krsna, becomes pleased when someone finally gets out of her clutches, and according to Prabhupada, she exclaims, “Ah, you have triumphed.” So everyone becomes happy when a soul becomes freed from maya and joins the association of Krsna in the kingdom of God. That kingdom of God begins as soon as one begins serious devotional service.
Haridasa Thakur: Namacarya
Haridasa Thakur: Namacarya
by Uddhava dasa Adhikari
(ISKCON-BOSTON)
Namacarya is a compound of two Sanskrit nouns. Nama is used in connection with the holy name of the Lord, Sri Krsna, and acarya means one who teaches by example. So one who is considered the spiritual master of the holy name of Krsna is called namacarya. Lord Caitanya, the Supreme Godhead, awarded this title to one of His intimate disciples, Haridasa Thakur.
Little is known about the birth of Haridasa Thakur except that by the will of Godhead he appeared in the late 1400’s in a village of Buddan as the child of a family of Mohammedans. History does not relate to us any of the childhood pastimes of Haridasa’s life, but it is understood that at an early age he must have received the mercy of a pure devotee of Krsna because in his teens, to the dismay of his kinsmen, he renounced all conventions of Mohammedan religion and society. With shaved head and the simple clothing of a mendicant, Haridasa left the home of his parents for good and resumed his eternal position as a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna.
Haridasa’s renunciation of the Moslem faith in favor of devotional service to the Lord Sri Krsna, who is often mistaken by sectarians to be the Supreme Deity of the Hindu faith, is significant because if we are to come to an understanding of the purity of Haridasa’s activities, we must first note the difference between mundane religious activities and transcendental loving service to God. Those who are engaged in the process of religion may be classified in three groups, according to their realization of the presence of the Supreme Lord. First, there are those who are kanistha-adhikaris. Next, above them, are the madhyama-adhikaris. And finally there are the uttama-adhikaris. The kanistha-adhikari is characterized by the activities of going to a place of worship such as a church, temple or mosque and performing a particular type of religious function determined by an established formula. This type of religious person considers one type of religion to be better than another. The madhyama-adhikari is characterized by four principles: 1) He sees first of all the Supreme Lord. 2) He sees next the devotees. 3) He sees next the innocent, those who have no knowledge of the Lord. 4) Lastly, he sees the atheists. The madhyama-adhikari behaves differently toward each of the above four persons. He adores the Lord and desires the association of the devotees of the Lord. He tries to inform the innocent about the Lord, and he completely avoids the atheists.
If we were to try to explain Haridasa’s change of heart in terms of the kanistha-adhikari level of religious activity, then quite probably we would come to the conclusion that Haridasa thought that the practices of the Mohammedans were not as cogent as those of the brahmanas. This reasoning, however, is not substantiated by the activities of Haridasa after his renunciation. Although he left the association of his fanatical elders and took up the life of a brahmana, Haridasa did not adhere strictly to the separate line of the brahminical order. In fact, many of the brahmanas hated the sight of him. “Haridasa does not follow the principles of sastra,” they said, “nor does he take part in any of our philosophical discussions. He simply idles away his time in a secluded cave muttering the same thing over and over. Besides, he was born in a family of untouchables.” We will learn later that it was just these caste brahmanas who tried to plot the defeat of Haridasa Thakur.
The activities of Haridasa Thakur were not on the kanistha-adhikari level. Nor will the activities of Haridasa permit us to explain away his renunciation on the principles of the madhyama-adhikari stage of consciousness. Haridasa, of course, adored the Supreme Lord, but he did not make a formal practice of associating exclusively with devotees or preaching this love solely to the innocent. Haridasa would associate with whomever chanced his way, and no matter who that person was, devotee or demon, Haridasa would at once engage him in talks about Krsna, the Supreme Lord. We find a description of the mentality of Haridasa, called the uttama-adhikari level, in the sixth verse of Sri Isopanisad:
yas tu sarvani bhutany
atmany evanupasyati
sarva-bhutesu catmanam
tato na vijugupsate
“A person who sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord and sees all entities as His parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything, never hates anything nor any living being.”
Haridasa left the home of his kinsmen not out of religious sentiment nor out of disgust for their ignorance of spiritual matters. He left wholly out of love for the Supreme Lord because that was his natural position. Haridasa displayed in full the consciousness of an uttama-adhikari. He felt equally at home in the company of devotees and in the company of demons. The uttama-adhikari does not see any difference between a vastly learned brahmana and a dog. He realizes that both are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and his love for them is equal because of this knowledge of the spiritual identity of both. So Haridasa’s renunciation cannot be classified as an ordinary change of faith, as we so often experience in our limited spheres of activity. Haridasa simply realized his true position in relation to the Supreme Lord and did his utmost to behave according to sanatana-dharma.
The Eternal Religion
Sanatana-dharma means eternal religion. This sanatana-dharma or loving service to Godhead cannot be taken away from the living entities, just as light and heat cannot be taken away from fire. When we speak of the living entities, we should try to understand that they have an eternal position called sanatana-dharma. It is accepted as a scientific fact that matter contains an immeasurable quantity of potential energy because of the arrangement of its parts. When this energy becomes manifest, it is called kinetic energy. An example is that light and heat are present within the wood, as potential energy, but when they come out it is called kinetic energy. Sanatana-dharma is there within the living entity, and when it comes out, it is called devotional service. Haridasa’s only activity, then, was to chant loudly the names of his most beloved Lord. He would most often be found in his secluded cave on the bank of the Ganges near the city of Fulia, attending to his duty of chanting the names 300,000 times each day.
Haridasa was well visited by all pious persons, and whenever they chanced upon him he would be displaying the bodily symptoms of anubhava. These symptoms of anubhava are described by Srila Rupa Gosvami in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu as follows: 1) dancing, 2) rolling on the ground, 3) singing loudly, 4) stretching the body, 5) crying loudly, 6) yawning, 7) breathing heavily, 8) neglecting the presence of others, 9) drooling, 10) laughing like a madman, 11) reeling the head, and 12) belching. (These twelve items are discussed in Chapter Twenty-seven of The Nectar of Devotion, a summary study of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.) The great saints who came to that spot would at once fall into an ecstatic trance upon seeing the person of Haridasa laughing like a madman, rolling upon the ground or loudly crying. At all times he completely displayed the symptoms of one whose mind was merged in transcendence. In the Second Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna asks about the characteristics of a person whose mind is merged in transcendence. Lord Krsna replies that one who finds satisfaction in the self alone, who is free from attachment, fear and anger, and who renounces engagements with sense objects is just such a person. Lord Krsna further declares, “One who restrains his senses and fixes his consciousness upon Me is known as a man of steady intelligence.” (Bg. 2.61) The purport is that material desires are very strong because the senses need engagements. One should, however, overcome sense desires by thinking of Krsna. When one has a taste for Krsna consciousness, he automatically loses his taste for sense enjoyment because of its inferior nature. This is exactly what was constantly being displayed in the person of Haridasa.
The great saint Haridasa passed some time in this way on the bank of the Ganges, and his popularity grew and was spread to all parts of the country. Great holy men came from all quarters just to gain sight of him. The caste brahmanas, however, became very jealous of Haridasa’s reputation, and they began to complain to the local magistrate of the government. (At this time Bengal was under the rule of the Mohammedans.) The Kazi took notice of the activities of Haridasa, and he decided that he should report them to the Governor of the province. Since Haridasa was born a Mohammedan but was acting as a lower-caste Hindu, the Governor, upon hearing of Haridasa, ordered his immediate arrest and dispatched a band of soldiers to fetch him. Haridasa offered to return peacefully with the soldiers since he had no fear of death. But all the good people who enjoyed the association of Haridasa became terrified for his life.
The Hindu leaders of the time were being kept in prison, and when they heard that Haridasa had been arrested, they became anxious to catch sight of him. They thought that simply by seeing the great saint, their troubles would be vanquished. When Haridasa entered the prison, he saw the prisoners in their state of consciousness and said to them, “May you all remain in this present condition.” Confusion covered their faces, so Haridasa explained, “My veiled benediction is rightly meant, for all of you just now are thinking of Krsna. Your minds should always be fixed on His lotus feet. If you return into the world, your minds may become distracted from Krsna, and you may become worldly-minded once again. I do not wish for you to remain in your present state of captivity, but just chant the name of Krsna always and never forget Him, no matter what may happen to you.” After blessing the prisoners in this manner, Haridasa presented himself before the Governor.
The Governor was amazed at Haridasa’s personal beauty, and with great respect he offered him a nice seat and kindly questioned him: “My dear brother, why do you act in such a way? By God’s grace you have been born a Mohammedan, but now you have renounced this birth for a lesser position. Please accept once more the religion of your kin and ask for God’s forgiveness.” Haridasa burst into loud laughter and said that the governor was speaking as one who is deluded by material nature. Differences between Mohammedan and brahmana exist in name only. God Himself stands apart from such party feelings. He only requests through the agency of different scriptures that one should develop love for Him. “So,” Haridasa said, “I am acting in accordance with all religions in declaring this love of God as the highest aim of all. If there is anything amiss in my conduct, then please by all means punish me.”
His Immortal Words
These sweet words pleased the ecclesiastics who heard him, except for one, who was of a demoniac disposition. He said to the Governor, “Punish this evil person before the good name of our race falls into ruin.” So the Governor tried once more to convince Haridasa to accept the religion of his birth and denounce his present activities. Haridasa answered with the immortal words that stand as a pinnacle of determination for chanting the holy name: “No one can do anything else than what Godhead directs. If my body be hacked to pieces, if life itself shall desert me, still I will not give up the practice of chanting the holy name.” The assembly was quick to the verdict: “Let Haridasa be whipped at the twenty-two marketplaces of the city.”
The Beating
Strong deputies seized Haridasa and carried him into the streets. The beating began, and all saintly people were shocked. They begged for the release of Haridasa, who was still chanting sweetly the names of Krsna. From one marketplace to another they beat him, but the name of Krsna never left Haridasa’s lips. One deputy would do the whipping until he was exhausted, and then another would take over until he also was exhausted. In this way the punishment continued until the twenty-second marketplace was reached. The deputies, in dismay, said, “Haridasa, you will be the death of us. We beat you until our arms are exhausted, and still you do not die. But what’s worse, from time to time you even smile.”
On hearing these frustrated statements, Haridasa simply replied, “If my presence on this earth is all that’s troubling you, then I’ll leave at once.” Haridasa then fell into an ecstatic trance, immersed in love of Krsna. The deputies thought that he was dead, and they approached to dispose of his body. They thought that Haridasa should not be awarded a burial, so they decided to throw him in the river. Haridasa’s body was thereupon thrown in the sacred Ganges, and soon he regained consciousness and found himself on shore. A crowd of saintly people surrounded him with chanting of the holy name, and Haridasa began to dance as everyone sang the holy name of Krsna.
It is worthwhile to note that all through the terrible beatings, Haridasa never showed signs of suffering pain. Only signs ecstatic love for Krsna manifested themselves on his face. Verse nine of Chapter Six of Bhagavad-gita says, “A person is still further advanced when he regards all—the honest well-wisher, friends and enemies, the envious, the pious, the sinner, and those who are indifferent and impartial—with an equal mind.” Haridasa never for a moment felt at all hostile toward those who had brought this seeming calamity upon him because he understood that everything happens by the will of God. The only feeling Haridasa had toward his punishers was compassion for them. He considered them to be deluded men with no knowledge of the real self.
The question may be raised that if Haridasa was such a great devotee of Krsna, why then did Krsna permit such a mishap? First of all, it may be replied, the pastimes of Haridasa are not to be considered part of this mortal world. It is stated in the Narada-pancaratra that by concentrating one’s attention on the transcendental form of Krsna, who is all-pervading and beyond time and space, one becomes absorbed in thinking of Krsna and then attains the happy state of transcendental association with Him. Because of his constant remembrance of Krsna, Haridasa never had to go through the tribulations of this mundane existence. He was always completely absorbed in the transcendental atmosphere where material sufferings have no juristdiction. In this material world, if a king sends his representative to an unfriendly state and that representative is insulted, the king receives the insult as malice against his own self. Likewise, when Krsna’s pure devotee is affronted, this is blasphemy against the Supreme Lord Himself. It is understood that those wicked deputies who beat the body of Haridasa were beating the Supreme Lord Himself. Some days elapsed after the beating of Haridasa, and he met with the fortunate opportunity to gain association with the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya. The Lord appeared before Haridasa and displayed on His beautiful person countless cuts and bruises. Haridasa became confused, so Lord Caitanya explained to him, “Because you are My pure devotee, I have accepted all of the pain of your whipping.” Haridasa immediately fell on the ground mortified, but Lord Caitanya smiled very pleasingly.
Above The Sectarian
Haridasa lived up to the standard of a namacarya, so we should follow his great example and renounce all mundane sectarian views. God does not claim that He is Hindu, that He is Christian or that He is Moslem. God stands above all the subtlety of mundane concoction. He is interested in our love for Him, which requires no mundane qualification. Simply by following the example of namacarya Srila Haridasa Thakur, anyone can gain the greatest benefit of developing love for God.
Back to Godhead Magazine #37, 1970
Krishna Consciousness Temples
Krishna Consciousness Temples
ISKCON CENTERS
Amsterdam Holland Frissenstein 292, Bijlermeer
Atlanta Georgia 390 9th St. NE 30309
Baltimore Maryland 1300 N. Calvert St. 21202
Berkeley California 2710 Durant Ave. 94704
Boston Massachusetts 40 N. Beacon St. 02134
Boulder Colorado 623 Concord St. 80302
Buffalo New York 40 Englewood Ave. 14214
Calcutta India 37/1 Hindustan Rd. Ballyganj
Chicago Illinois 2210 N. Halstead 60614
Columbus Ohio 318 E. 20th Ave. 43201
Dallas Texas 5108 Mission St.
Detroit Michigan 8311 E. Jefferson 48214
Hamburg W. Germany 2000 Hamburg 6, Bartelstr. 65
Honolulu Hawaii 2016 McKinley St. 96822
Laguna Beach California 130 Woodland Drive 92651
London England 7 Bury Pl.,Bloomsbury,W.C.1
Los Angeles California 3764 Watseka Ave. 90034
Montreal Canada 3720 Park Ave.
New Vrndavana W. Virginia RD 3, Moundsville 26041
New York City New York 439 Henry St.,Bklyn 11201
Paris France B.P. 113, Paris 14
Philadelphia Pennsylvania 416 South 10th St. 19147
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 5480 Penn Ave. 15206
Portland Oregon 2111 E. Burnside
San Diego California 3689 Park Blvd. 92103
San Francisco California 518 Frederick St. 94117
San Jose California 397 South 11th St. 95112
Santa Barbara California 613 E. Victoria St. 93103
Seattle Washington 5516 Roosevelt Way 98105
St. Louis Missouri 4544 Leclede Ave. 63108
Sydney Australia 298 Birrell.St., Bondi, N.S.W
Tokyo Japan No. 6–16, 2 Chome Ohhashi, Meguro-ku
Toronto Canada 40 Beverly St., Ontario
Vancouver Canada 260 Raymur St. no. 305 B.C.
Washington D.C. 2015 Q Street N.W. 20008
Love in the Absolute World
Love in the Absolute World
by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
As long as we have the desire for material sense gratification or the desire for material liberation there is no possibility of developing transcendental bliss in Krsna consciousness. Bhukti is the desire for material sense gratification, and mukti is the desire, after being frustrated, for liberation. Real mukti or liberation however, means to achieve devotional service. If one becomes liberated from nonsense then one must engage oneself in something which is tangible. Otherwise it is not possible to stop one’s material sense gratificatory activities. To make the mind void of engagement in the material world by intoxication or by forgetting with drugs is artificial. One must be completely free from material engagement. That freedom can be possible. To give a material example, if one fills up a glass with milk, then there is no possibility of the glass’s filling up with ink. It is our choice whether to fill up the glass with ink or milk. But if we simply empty the glass of ink and d not fill it up, or if we have no knowledge how to fill the glass with milk, then naturally, in an inky atmosphere, there is the possibility that it will again become filled with ink. Even if we empty the glass of ink, if we have no better quality of liquid with which to fill the glass, then it well be prone to being filled with ink again. Therefore, this impersonal void philosophy does not stand. It is simply negation. Impersonalists wish to cease material activities, but if they do not take on positive, spiritual activity, then they will fail because they will not be able to control their minds.
In the Bhagavad-gita it is stated that the mind cannot be vacant even for a second. The mind must accept something and reject something. Either one is accepting something or rejecting something but one cannot make the mind void. And even if one is able to do so that voidness will not stand. If one has nothing good to think then one will have to think of all nonsense. And when we fill up our minds with Krsna consciousness we will not be distracted by material sense gratification or material liberation.
Fill The Mind With Krsna
There is transcendental bliss in Krsna consciousness. But transcendental bliss cannot be conceived as long as one’s mind is not completely vacated of material sense gratification. This process of emptying the mind of material engagement and filling it with spiritual engagement can be practiced. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that one has to follow the regulative principles. A man who is diseased has to follow the regulative curative principles, and gradually his fever decreases, and he is cured. Similarly, one must adopt the means by which one can fill one’s mind with Krsna consciousness, and gradually the mind’s engagement in material consciousness will disappear. This is the process of devotional service. If one is always engaged in some sort of service in Krsna consciousness, then there will be no chance for material consciousness to enter the mind. Therefore I insist that when my students are not engaged in Krsna consciousness work, then they must simply chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. That is also engagement. Twenty-four hours a day, even in sleeping or even in working, our minds should be always full with Krsna consciousness: then there will be no chance for material consciousness to enter, and that will make us perfect.
The Object Of Love
When one sincerely struggles to fill the mind with Krsna consciousness and drive away material consciousness, then one gradually develops the mature condition of love of Godhead. The mind is attracted by so many so-called loving affairs in the material world that it is very difficult to drag the mind from this so-called love and transfer the love to God or Krsna. Love exists, of course, in everyone. I want to love. That is my instinct. But if I have no object of love which will permanently exist, then I will have to apply myself to an object which will ultimately perish. This is called sat and asat. Sat means that which will exist, and asat means that which will not exist. Matter will cease to exist, but spirit will exist and is existing eternally. Our bodies are matter, so if we place our love in connection with these bodies, then our love will cease to exist. It will be frustrated, either during this life or the next life; it will be frustrated because matter will not exist eternally. How can your love exist eternally? Everyone has love, so if we practice how to direct our love toward Krsna, then gradually our temporary love for so many different objects will be transferred to Krsna, and our eternal life and the propensity of love will continue.
The Practice: Bhakti
Now we are trying by regulative principles to transfer our minds to Krsna consciousness. In that mature condition, one achieves love of God. Love of God does not mean theoretical knowledge and book writing. People say, “We have trust in God; we have love for God,” and yet they engage in all sorts of nonsense. This will not do. Rather, one must practice so that one will love others. Bhakti means devotional service. Krsna consciousness means realization of God. The symptom of realization of God is that as soon as one is in touch with God or Krsna, one will have no more taste for material things. This is the test. If one is free of disease, one will have no more fever, and one’s pulse will be normal. Similarly, if one is actually advanced in Krsna consciousness, the concomittant result will be that one will lose one’s interest in material consciousness. One can test for oneself whether one is advancing. If one is advancing in Krsna consciousness, then his taste for material consciousness will decrease. If one gives a hungry man foodstuffs, the more he goes on eating, the more strongly he feels satisfaction. He can understand, “I am eating something.” And when he has actually filled his belly with foodstuffs, then even if one offers him a golden sweetball, he will not accept it. He is filled up; he does not want any more. Dhruva Maharaja went to search out God in order to get the kingdom of his father, but when he actually found God he said. “My dear Lord, I do not want anything.”
It is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita that if one actually attains Krsna consciousness, then any other gain or profit will be most insignificant. That is satisfaction. Krsna consciousness will give one peace. This is called self-realization. It is not gained by smoking marijuana or ganja. By intoxication one may be able to forget material nonsense for the time being, but as soon as the hallucination is gone, one must again come back. For example, one can travel 50,000 miles high by spacecraft, but what are 50,000 miles? There are millions and millions of miles in outer space! Unless one gets the shelter of another planet, one will have to come back again to this planet. We want shelter. To be situated in the sky-voidness will not give one satisfaction. The astronauts are trying again to go to the moon or other planets. It is not that they are trying to wander in outer space. Their aim is to go to the moon; they are looking for tangible shelter.
As for spiritual life, as long as one does not get that ultimate shelter, he will have to come back again. Simply voidism or impersonal negation of this material consciousness will not help. One must have positive consciousness; then one can stop. Therefore, Srimad-Bhagavatam says, “My dear Lord, there are persons who speculate that they have become free.” Vimukti-manina means the concoction of thinking that one has become free when actually one is not free. One may go up 20,000 or 50,000 miles and think, “Now I am out of this world,” but that is not out of the world. Similarly, those who are speculating mentally—“Now I am free.”—are not actually free. They are thinking, “I am out of this earthly sphere,” but they are not because their intelligence is not yet purified. And why are they not purified? The Bhagavatam says, “They have neglected Your personality.” Because they are impersonalists, they have no shelter. Those who are thinking in an impersonal way have no entrance into the Krsna planet. Their intelligence is not purified. The result is that even though they go very high, almost to the concept of Brahman realization, because there is no engagement in the service of the Lord, they will come teach again and engage themselves in philanthropic service and altruistic service, such as opening hospitals and doing humanitarian work, and so they fall down.
First of all they say, “The world is false, and the Absolute Truth is truth,” and they try to realize the Absolute Truth. But because they have not truly realized the Absolute Truth, they therefore come back again to that false world which they have denied. So what is the value of their humanitarian work? If they say that this world is false, then why do they take to humanitarian work? It is because they do not have genuine realization of the Absolute Truth. If they say that the world is false, then why do they take to material service, social science? Why take to it if it is false? It is because they have no other engagement that they have to take to this false engagement. Therefore the Bhagavatam states, “Their intelligence is not purified because they have no shelter.” Bhagavad-gita confirms this: “Therefore, when one’s intelligence is purified after many, many births of the speculative habit of searching after the Absolute Truth, one then surrenders.” Mental speculators say that they want peace in the world, but they will not believe in God. This was nicely stated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who said, “You want the kingdom of God without God.” They will say that God is dead, that there is no necessity of God, and that God has played so much havoc. They will decry God, and with their limited power they will try to establish peace and prosperity among humanity. But how is it possible? The example can be given that if one doesn’t pour water on the root of a tree but simply waters the leaves and twigs, the entire tree will die. That is not the natural process. Similarly, if one doesn’t supply foodstuffs to one’s stomach but simply washes one’s body with soap to make it clean, it will die; it will cease to exist. So we have to take to the root. Vedanta-sutra says, janmadyasya yatah: Brahman is He from whom everything is coming. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, “If one gives up the prime source of emanation, if one gives up the root, and if one simply hovers by mental concoction, then where is the possibility of transcendental bliss’?” There is no possibility. One must engage oneself in the regulative principle of devotional service in Krsna consciousness, and then gradually the material disease will be cured, and one will be established in complete Krsna consciousness, and that will give one blissful eternal life.
Somehow Or Other, Surrender
If one surrenders in some way or other to Krsna, Krsna will not let him go. Sri Rupa Gosvami says, “Somehow or other, just try to apply your mind to Krsna. Never mind what you are, what you are doing or what your position is—it doesn’t matter. Simply try to apply your mind to Krsna; then everything will follow.” Krsna is not subject to any conditions. It is not that one can go to Him only after becoming qualified. There is no such necessity. Material qualifications have no value. In the material world we calculate, “This is good, and this is bad.” But actually nothing is good, and nothing is bad—it is all illusion. In illusion where is there goodness or badness? Illusion is illusion.
In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that even a slight application of the principle of Krsna consciousness delivers a person from the greatest danger. What is that greatest danger? The greatest danger is our material existence. Repeatedly we take birth, and repeatedly we meet death. This is the greatest danger. People do not understand it. They do not know on which platform they are standing. This material platform is the greatest danger. It is compared to a forest fire: samsara-davanala-lidha-loka. Actually, anywhere we go we see that there is always fire. The fire brigade is always running this way and that way. However we try to keep our material existence peaceful and prosperous by artificial means, there is no possibility of peace and prosperity in the material world. We must understand that it is always full of danger. One who becomes serious about his position knows: “I am not in a very steady or fixed up position; my position is very tottering. I am standing on a tottering platform.” This is the actual beginning of spiritual life.
Love Is Our Life
Once we begin spiritual life, we can find real enjoyment. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has explained that our real life is love of Godhead. Love is our life; everyone wants to love. Everyone is hankering to love someone. But we do not know where to place our love. Krsna, however, is the ultimate object of love. We are trying to maintain this body, but the body is not actually the proper object of our love. Rather, it is the life within the body that is the real object of love. Similarly, the central point is Krsna. As soon as we somehow or other place our love with Krsna, our path of happiness, eternity and bliss opens. If we gradually make progress, then we actually reach the platform of love, and then other symptoms of love become manifested. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has explained how love in the pure transcendental stage of life develops with Krsna, and He has divided it into five relationships: santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya.
These categories differ according to progressive affection for God, but the basic principle of all of them is love of God. Santa means the neutral position. This is the sublime position of knowing that God is great. When there is appreciation of God but there is no activity, that is called the neutral stage, santa-rasa. But when activity is added, one concludes, “God is the greatest, so let me render some service to the greatest.” It is quite natural. Suppose one is with a person who is one’s superior. Naturally one says, “Mr. Such and Such, can I do something for you?” This offering of service is natural. Whenever one finds some superior, one will naturally offer one’s service.
Simply understanding that God is great is the principle of all religious scriptures, whether Christian or Jewish or Hindu or Muslim. The common conception of all religion is that God is very great. The Muslims say, “Allah agavat.” The Christians say, “God is great.” The Hindus say, “Satyam param brahman.” When Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gita and understood Krsna also, he addressed Krsna as param brahman, the greatest spiritual identity. The acceptance of the greatness of God is called santa-rasa. It is also peaceful realization: “I have realized the greatest.” This is called brahma-bhuta. “I am qualitatively one with the Supreme. I am Brahman, and the Lord is also Brahman.” Suppose a very big man is our very nearest and dearest relative. Are we not proud of it? For example, wouldn’t you feel proud to know that the President were your uncle? Similarly, as soon as one understands that he is Brahman or that Krsna is Param Brahman, he will feel ecstasy. That is called santa-rasa.
The next stage is when one feels, “Why not render some service to the President? I want to do something for him.” A great man has a great field of activities; if one offers some service to the Supreme Lord, one has an unlimited field. One can worship the Supreme Lord by one’s talent. Everyone has some specific talent; even birds and beasts have specific talents. When Lord Ramacandra was constructing a bridge over the Indian Ocean to approach the kingdom of Ravana, Hanuman and the other big monkeys were bringing big stones, and a spider also concluded, “Why not serve Ramacandra?” They were trying to construct a bridge, and the spider thought, “What can I do?” So he started rubbing his legs in the dust and throwing bits of dust into the ocean. Hanuman said, “What nonsense are you doing?” The spider replied, “I am doing some service.” And Ramacandra said, “He is doing as good as you are. You are throwing big stones, but he has no power to bring big stones. He is doing whatever he has the power to do, so he is doing as well as you.” This shows that God does not require any service from us. He is complete, but He wants to see our existence engaged in giving pleasure to the Supreme.
Many people ask, “Why did God create us?” The answer is that God created us for enjoyment. Why does a father create so many children? For enjoyment. Otherwise, what is the use of taking so much responsibility for a family? Nowadays people don’t want to take any responsibility, but people try to evade it. It is a fact, however, that by not being family men they are unhappy. Everyone should be responsible; no scripture disallows family life. Anyone can serve the Supreme Lord.
The Unlimited Enjoyer
The Lord has created all these living entities for His enjoyment. Why has He created so many? Because He is unlimited, and His aspiration for enjoyment is also unlimited. Therefore He can produce unlimited children, and there is an unlimited possibility for enyoyment with God. This is God consciousness. Don’t think that if a few people enter into the abode of Krsna, it will become congested and overpopulated. There is no question of overpopulation. That is nonsense. God has the capacity to maintain everyone because He is unlimited. We are not suffering due to overpopulation. It is due to our godlessness that nature inflicts suffering upon us and we are therefore suffering. Fruit is produced for human beings, and if there is overpopulation, nature can profusely produce more fruit. It has the power. But if we are not God conscious, Krsna conscious, nature can reduce, and then we have poverty. Any production depends on nature, and so nature will supply. For example, in a prison house the prisoners sometimes are not supplied the proper food. Why? Is the government unable’’ No. But the government feels that the criminals should be punished. So when there is poverty, when there is scarcity, one should know that it is not due to overpopulation; it is due to our godlessness.
In India they are thinking that technology will save them. But technology will not save them. They have committed a great mistake; they have killed their own culture of God consciousness. In Berkeley there was a meeting, and an Indian girl asked me, “Swamiji, what is God?” So that is their punishment. I told her, “You claim that you are an Indian girl, and you do not know what God is. The birthplace of God is India; Krsna appeared there, Lord Ramacandra appeared there, Lord Caitanya appeared there, and you claim to be Indian, and you do not know. How degraded you have become.” It is due to our degradation that we suffer, otherwise there is no scarcity in the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God can be immediately established here also, if we are Krsna conscious.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam describes the great prosperity of the government of Maharaja Yudhisthira. It is even stated that there was no excessive heat or excessive cold in his kingdom, and there was no anxiety among the people. Not only were there foodstuffs in abundance, but no one was in physical anxiety. There was no enmity; there was not even severe cold or severe heat. These miseries are punishment. When we feel severe cold or severe snowfall, this is punishment. One can observe that in some of the cold parts of the world there are Eskimos living in houses of ice and eating raw flesh and blood, and yet maya has so much power that they are thinking, “We are happy.” If they did not think themselves happy, they couldn’t live there. Therefore the conditions are created in such a way that even a worm in the stool also thinks, “I am happy.” The hog who is eating stool also thinks, “I am happy. I am getting fat.” Unless one feels happy, he cannot get fat. This is psychology. Eating will not make one fat. When one thinks, “I am quite all right,” he will get fat. The hog is thinking, “I am happy.” The worm in the stool is thinking, “I am happy.” The Eskimos are thinking, “I am happy.” But who is actually happy? No one is happy. There is no happiness in this material world.
When one gets out of the so-called happiness of material life and becomes conscious that God is great, that is called santa-rasa. And when one tries to offer some service to the Supreme Lord, then there is much one can do because this is a civilization of godlessness. If one engages one’s body, mind, words, intelligence and talent for propagation of this Krsna consciousness, then one’s dasya-rasa attitude of rendering service to the Lord will be nicely developed. In Bhagavad-gita the Lord says, “Anyone who is trying to broadcast the Bhagavad-gita’s message of Krsna consciousness is very dear.” Those rascals who are trying to curb down Krsna while at the same time teaching from the Bhagavad-gita are doing the greatest disservice, and they will have to suffer for that. They preach only their own concocted philosophy, not the real thing. But if anyone actually preaches Bhagavad-gita as it is, he becomes the dearmost person. The example is given that if one pleases one’s stomach, then automatically all parts of one’s body will be pleased. Similarly, God, Krsna, is the center; He is the stomach of all manifestations. If we give Him our service, then He will be pleased, and the whole world will be pleased—and the whole world will be peaceful and prosperous. Krsna consciousness is very scientific. Try to please Krsna. If one pours water onto the roof of a tree, all the branches, leaves, flowers and twigs become nourished, and if one supplies foodstuffs to one’s stomach, the nourishment is distributed all over the body. Similarly, if one wants peace and prosperily, then one should begin devotional service immediately.
Santa-rasa is to realize that God is great. Every religion says that God is great, but in the Vedic scriptures we find how to render service to the Lord. That we won’t find in any other scripture. Simply to understand that God is great is very nice, but that understanding of greatness will not stand if one does not apply oneself practically in service. That science is taught in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. Therefore Krsna consciousness is not a sectarian religion. The example is given regarding the pocket dictionary and the international dictionary. A pocket dictionary is undoubtedly a dictionary, and the huge Webster’s International Dictionary is also a dictionary. But the two dictionaries are not the same, although both of them are dictionaries. Similarly, there are many scriptures and many religious principles all over the world. No human society is without religious principles. But here is the International Dictionary, Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. So don’t take it as a sectarian thing. It is international, universal. One should study Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam in that spirit, not in the sectarian spirit.
Lord Caitanya has therefore described the five different kinds of attraction. The first is santa, neutral attraction. When the affection increases more, it becomes servitude; when it increases still more, it becomes parental love; and when it finally increases to the highest degree, it is called conjugal love. These things are possible in our relationship with Krsna in the transcendental world. The basic ingredient is love of Godhead. The example of degrees of sweetness was nicely given by Lord Caitanya to illustrate this principle: molasses, when sweetened, becomes sugar, and when sugar is further concentrated, it becomes rock candy. Also, when we analyze the material elements, we find that from ether, air is produced; from air, fire is produced; from fire, water is produced; from water, earth is produced; and in the earth one will find all other elements. If one analyzes earth one will find ether, fire, air, and water, but in the water there is no earth in the fire there is no water, in the air there is no fire, and in the ether there is no air. This is scientifically true. Similarly, in the transcendental world, our relationship with Krsna can be further and further developed. It. can be developed unlimitedly. In the spiritual world the spirit souls are enjoying unlimitedly. There is no misery there, and all is full of joy, eternal bliss and eternal knowledge. Everyone there is relishing his particular relationship with Krsna, and everyone is satisfied in that particular relationship. One may say that friendship is better than servitude, but in the transcendental world there are no such differences. Whether friendship, servitorship, parental love or conjugal love, the transcendental bliss is fully derived.
Secondary Relationships
There are seven secondary relationships with Krsna. Hiranyakasipu, for example, was killed by an incarnation of the Lord, Nrsimhadeva, for the sake of his son. It is very difficult to understand the absolute nature of the Supreme Lord: to be killed by Him is another mellow. Hiranyakasipu is an eternal associate of Krsna, but Krsna wanted to fight. We cannot make God a stereotype—He is the most dynamic force. When Krsna wants to fight, He fights. Sometimes kings keep wrestlers and they mock fight. Similarly, when Krsna desires to fight, then He has to fight with His devotee. If Krsna desires to have a mother, then one of His devotees becomes His mother. If Krsna wants a wife, then one of the devotees becomes His wife. He is full, but at the same time He has unlimited desires. Don’t think that Krsna has no desire. With that desire, He has become many. Sometimes we take pleasure in fighting. We make fighting parties; some friends form one party, and other friends form an opposite party, and they fight. That is enjoyment, not fighting. Similarly, the killing of a devotee by Krsna is also a sporting pastime. In the absolute world there is no such thing as discrimination, yet every variety exists.
The secondary as well as the primary relationships relished by Krsna and His devotees are described in The Nectar of Devotion. When the relationship between Krsna and His devotee is joking, it is called hasa-rasa. Another relationship is that of adbhuta, wonder. Hiranyakasipu was struck with wonder at the form of Nrsimhadeva, half-lion and half-man. He did not know whether the form was an animal or man or God or a demigod. This is called adbhuta, being struck with wonder. There is also another reciprocation vira, chivalry, as in the fighting between Bhisma and Arjuna. Bhisma was taking pleasure in piercing Krsna with arrows. Blood was oozing from Krsna’s body, and ultimately He took a wheel and presented Himself before Bhisma: “I have taken the weapon. Just see!” The description of Bhisma’s worshiping Krsna by fighting appears in the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is not that Krsna can be worshiped only by offering flower garlands. A devotee also has the power to love Krsna by piercing His body. Otherwise it is not complete. The impersonalists cannot enter into the kingdom of completeness. There is eternal bliss in fighting with Krsna and in seeing Krsna bloodstained. That is described in this scene from the Bhagavatam. Bhisma enjoyed seeing Krsna with His hair covered with the dust kicked up by the horses on the battlefield. Krsna was in anxiety that His devotee Arjuna would be killed. He appeared disturbed and perspiring, while at the same time Bhisma was piercing I km with arrows. That scene was remembered by Bhisma: “I want to see that Krsna.” This is reciprocation. Hiranyakasipu wanted to see Krsna as an enemy, and therefore he began to torture His own son so that Krsna would come as His enemy and kill him.
Other relationships were displayed when Krsna appeared as a gigantic boar form in the sky to deliver the earth. At that time the earth planet had fallen in the mire of the nether world, and all the demigods prayed to Krsna to get it out. When features such as ghastliness, astonishment, wonder, anger and dread are displayed in different pastimes of the Lord, these are not direct relations, but are indirect. In the absolute world, however, there is no difference between the feature of wonder or the loving feature of Krsna embracing Radharani or Krsna playing with the damsels of Vraja. There is no such difference in the absolute world.
For purposes of calculation, there are a total of twelve different relationships with Krsna. Out of the twelve, five are primary, and the seven others are secondary. But there is no difference between the primary and secondary relationships. We should always remember that this is the Lord’s absolute variety. This transcendental variety is always absolute, and so there is no difference. That is not to be understood on the material platform because here there is antagonism in the variety, but in the spiritual world there is no antagonism. Everything is relishable.
Transcendental Knowledge, Part 4
Transcendental Knowledge, Part 4
by Kirtanananda Svami
[This is the fourth in a series of eighteen articles on the eighteen chapters of Bhagavad-gita.—editor]
In the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita Krsna explains two main topics to his disciple Arjuna: the first has to do with the nature and activities of the Lord, and the second has to do with the activities of the living entity, which are sometimes called sanatana-yoga, or eternal activities of the living being. Krsna as the Supreme Lord of the universe is always transcendental, and in the first nine verses of this chapter we learn a great deal about the transcendental nature of the Lord. He first instructs Arjuna about the transcendental nature of Bhagavad-gita itself, and how this science was transmitted: “I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku.” (Bg. 4.1)
So the first point to be made about the transcendental nature of Krsna is that He is the origin of all dharma. No system of religion can be manufactured by the mental speculator. Krsna definitely asserts here, “I instructed,” and similarly He says that in the course of time, because of changes made in the transmission, the disciplic succession was broken. Therefore Krsna is again speaking the same message to Arjuna, “because you are My friend and devotee.”
There are always two classes of men, the devotee, who is always trying to carry out Krsna’s orders, and the demon, who is always envious of Krsna. The Lord speaks the message of Bhagavad-gita to the first class only, namely the devotees, such as Arjuna or Vivasvan, because they are not envious of Krsna, and will listen. But the demons never listen and are forever rebellious. They are convinced that they can figure out the Absolute Truth by their own mental speculation, and ultimately they conclude that they are as good as Krsna, even though they have none of the qualifications of Krsna. Therefore they cannot accept Lord Krsna as He is, and as He is portrayed in the Bhagavad-gita.
He Is Transcendental
The second point to be made about the transcendental nature of Krsna is that He is not like an ordinary living entity, in that His memory is always perfect: “Many, many births both you and I have passed,” He tells Arjuna, “I can remember all of them, but you cannot.” (Bg. 4.5) Actually this capacity of remembrance and forgetfulness is one of the basic differences between the Supreme and the conditioned soul. The quality of the Supreme is cit, or perfect knowledge, past, present, and future, but the conditioned soul is always forgetful.
With each body that we take we leave behind the memory of the last. With each new body, and even within these bodies, we tend to forget, and especially in this present age called Kali-yuga, memory is being so reduced that we cannot even remember things very close at hand. I doubt if there is a single reader who could recite perfectly the first sentence in this essay. Yet it was not very long ago that a good brahmacari, or student, could hear a lecture and remember it perfectly. Such is our position in this age that we are going down and down, and all the while we think that we are advancing. That is called maya, what is not. We are being degraded and dragged down to hell, and maya says, “Isn’t it nice.”
He Never Forgets
But Krsna is never forgetful. In the Brahma-samhita it says: “I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda [Krsna], who is the Original Person, absolute, infallible, without beginning, although expanded into unlimited forms, still the same original, the oldest, and the person always appearing as a fresh youth.” Such vision may on occasion be manifest to the best Vedic scholars, but Krsna says that it is always available to the pure devotee. Actually, this word acyuta, infallible, means that He never forgets himself, even when He is in contact with material nature. The jiva, or individual soul, forgets himself because the jiva is infinitesimal while Krsna is infinite.
So the Lord and the living entity can never be equal in all respects, even if the living entity is as liberated as Arjuna. Although Arjuna is a liberated soul from the very beginning and is an eternal associate of the Lord, nevertheless he sometimes forgets the nature of the Lord. But by the divine grace of the Lord, a devotee alone can understand the infallible condition of the Lord, whereas a nondevotee or demon cannot understand this transcendental nature of Krsna.
And why the Lord never forgets is further explained in the sixth verse: “Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.” The Lord’s body is called advaita, which means that there is no distinction between the Lord and His body—everything is spirit. But the conditioned soul is different from his material body. Therefore when he leaves one material body and goes to another he forgets, but the Lord never takes a material body; He always appears in the same sac-cid-ananda body. Sac-cid-ananda means eternal, knowledgeable and blissful, so that is called His transcendental body, and it never deteriorates, and He never changes bodies.
It is something like the sun, which appears on the horizon and passes through the meridian and then sets; but this appearance and disappearance is due to our vision, not to the sun. Similarly, Krsna’s appearance and disappearance are due to the imperfect eyesight of the conditioned soul. The Lord is always the same Absolute Truth and is without differentiation between His form and His Self, or between His quality and body. This is omnipotence.
Why He Appears
Now the reason for this appearance and disappearance is revealed in verse seven: “Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend My Self.” No man can manufacture a system of religion, for only Krsna can breathe new life into the sleeping soul. Therefore, it says that the Lord originally spoke this transcendental message to Brahma from within his heart. Actually, from the eighth verse of the Fourth Chapter, we can understand that the reason the Lord descends Himself is not so much to annihilate the wicked—He can do that without coming Himself. He can do that by the potency of any one of His multi-energies—all of whom He controls by His expansion as Paramatma.
Then why does He come Himself? Just to deliver the pious, just for the pleasure of His devotees. Actually, when Krsna was a small child He killed so many demons, but it was not for the demons’ sake that He appeared. It was for Mother Yasoda’s sake, just so she could think, “Oh how God has saved my child.” God was her child, but by the ecstasy of love, Mother Yasoda could think, “Oh how God has saved my child.” That is one of the inconceivable pastimes of the Lord. So just to please His devotees, the Lord appears when there is too much wickedness.
For anyone who can understand this transcendental nature of the Lord, the transcendental nature of His appearance and disappearance, and the nature of His activities and speaking, for him there is assurance of liberation, and Krsna promises such a one a place in His transcendental abode. Why is that? Because such a person is qualified. According to the tenth verse, such a person has no attachment to the material world, and one who has no attachment to this material world becomes completely attached to Krsna. Krsna means all-attractive, and therefore He can attract one completely. Even as a magnet can attract all of the iron to itself, so Krsna can attract every jiva soul to Himself. The question is one of knowledge. The soul in knowledge is attracted to Krsna, because He is the reservoir of all pleasure; but the soul in forgetfulness is being attracted to so many reflections because the conditioned soul has forgotten the source of all rasa or pleasure. So Krsna can attract all the living entities as soon as they remember Him. Furthermore, as one becomes free from attachment, he automatically becomes free from fear and anger, because he is completely absorbed in Krsna. And since he is taking refuge in Krsna, what is there to fear?
Next, Krsna tells Arjuna that as proof of what He says, so many great saints and sages in the past became purified in this way and attained transcendental love for Him. So this process of thinking about the transcendental nature of Krsna, His appearance and activities, is an authorized way to attain love for Krsna.
Krsna Reciprocates
It is all a question of surrender. Verse eleven states: All of them, as they surrender unto Me, I reward accordingly.” Actually Krsna is seated within the heart of every living entity. So there is no question of fooling the Supersoul. He is not impressed by outward show, and He is not impressed by ritual, but He is impressed by a loving heart. There is a nice verse in the Holy Bible which says, “Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.” The point is that the Lord responds in exact proportion to the striving of the living entity. If we want Krsna ten percent, it is ten percent that we will get. But if we surrender everything that we have (and actually we have nothing which is not already Krsna’s save and except the false ego which we have manufactured in our conditioned state), then Krsna will likewise give Himself. It is something like the mother who hears her child beginning to whine, and so hands him a toy. Then when he whines again she gives him another and another, until the point is reached when the child will not be quieted with any toy. At that point the mother picks up the child and gives him herself.
Similarly, when we become thoroughly disgusted with all of this paraphernalia, and when nothing else will satisfy, Krsna will give us Himself. In this connection, one great saint has prayed, “O my Lord, when will that day come when I will have no more taste for the inebrieties of this world, and I will take to the nectar of Thy loving service? When will that day come when my ears will become stopped up from hearing of Thy glories, and my tongue will be forever engaged in chanting Thy holy name?”
Actually, no one ever becomes the loser by giving to Krsna. We may be giving up ten percent, or fifty percent, or one hundred percent of what we have, but count it any way you want, ten percent of nothing or fifty percent of nothing or one hundred percent of nothing is still nothing. It is all illusion, maya, that is all. But if I get ten percent of the Infinite, that is infinite, and we cannot imagine what is one hundred percent of the Infinite. One may give up a worthless body, or the worthless conception of “I” and “mine,” but Krsna can give one a body like His own, and a conception of I and mine which is spiritual, and therefore in perfect relation to the Absolute, a body not subject to birth and death, but one which is eternal and full of bliss. In short, such a man has Krsna, and therefore all the resources of all the opulences of the Almighty.
Krsna is so kind that He reciprocates with the devotee just as the devotee would like to have him. To one He is master, to another He is friend, to another He is son and to still another, He reciprocates in the supreme exchange of the perfect lover. Krsna awards equally all devotees in their different intensities of love for Him. Thus the devotees can serve Krsna personally, and as such they partake of His sac-cid-ananda nature, because no one can be in the presence of Krsna without experiencing bliss.
And even the impersonalists, who are envious of Krsna’s personal form, who are fearful of having an eternal personality because of their material frustrations, and who are so frustrated with material existence that they want to commit spiritual suicide, they will also be rewarded by Krsna accordingly. Krsna allows them to merge into His effulgence, called the brahmajyoti, but that certainly is not the most desirable position. We have information that those who attain this brahmajyoti eventually fall down to material existence again to exhibit their dormant desire for activities.
Activity is the actual condition of the living entity, and such a condition of non-activity is against our spiritual nature. So we should not strive to give up activity, but we should strive to practice sanatana-yoga, or the eternal activities of the living entity. Verse fifteen of Chapter Four says, “All the liberated souls in ancient times acted with this understanding and so attained liberation. Therefore, as did the ancients, you should perform your duty in this divine consciousness.” And verse eighteen says: “One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities. “
So we can understand that this sanatana-yoga or eternal activities of the living entity is not exactly a question of whether one is materially active or inactive, but rather, a question of his consciousness. Therefore there are three concepts in the Sanskrit: One is karma, one is vikarma, and the third is akarma. Karma means to follow prescribed regulations, as laid down by the great authorities and scriptures, for good work, for good results, for fruitive activity, for gaining some material benefit or heavenly happiness. These activities are always performed with some good result in view, and therefore ultimately there must also be some reaction. Vikarma is just the opposite. It means acting for one’s personal sense enjoyment, or according to one’s personal whim, disregarding the directions of the scriptures or authorities. Therefore there is reaction, but the consequences are always inauspicious or bad.
But akarma means to work in such a way that there is no reaction. The first mantra of Isopanisad says: “Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one must not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.” So the conclusion of Isopanisad is that everything belongs to the Lord. Everything is His energy, and therefore He is the ultimate proprietor of everything that is.
So if a man can become a servant of Krsna and use things only as Krsna directs, then certainly for that man there is no reaction, any more than there is legal action against the bank teller who just does his job nicely, without claiming any of the millions of dollars he is handling as his own. He is simply transferring it from one account to another on behalf of the bank. But if a teller tries to keep some of the funds for himself, he is called an embezzler, and is immediately thrown into jail. Similarly, the living entities who do not do everything for Krsna are actually thieves.
Everything For Krsna
So sanatana-yoga means to be doing everything for Krsna, and in verse twenty-four of this Fourth Chapter it is practically explained how such a man works: “To him, Brahman, the Supreme, is the offering, Brahman is the oblation and the sacrificial fire, and by Brahman the sacrifice is performed. By performing action in this way, one ultimately attains the Supreme.” So it is not very difficult for someone who is practicing Krsna consciousness to know that whatever has come into his hands is simply the energy of the Supreme Lord Krsna, or Brahman. Therefore the very offering is Krsna; and to whom he is offering it, that is also Krsna. He understands that even his body is Krsna’s energy, and therefore it is Krsna’s energy which is performing the sacrifice.
The conclusion, therefore, is that one who practices Krsna consciousness in this way certainly can never be separated from Krsna. The more the activities of the material world are performed in this Krsna consciousness, as a sacrifice for Visnu only, the more the material atmosphere becomes spiritualized by complete absorption.
Some people want to give up all activities because they have become frustrated by material activities of maya, but that is not at all recommended. A person who is suffering from a disorder of the bowels from drinking too much milk cannot be cured just by abstinence from milk. No, that is not a very good cure. But if he would take another milk product, yogurt, then that will cure him. Similarly, we have become addicted to and diseased by this material life consisting of activity for sense gratification, and the cure is to transform this material life into spiritual life by dovetailing everything with the Supreme. Actually, everything that exists is Krsna’s energy and is situated with His brahmajyoti, or divine effulgence. But when this effulgence is covered by the cloud of illusion, it is called maya or sense gratification, and that is called material. But when matter is dovetailed in the service of the Supreme, or Krsna, it regains its spiritual quality. Krsna consciousness, wherein everything is done for Krsna, is the process of converting illusory energy into spiritual energy, or Brahman.
The Aim Of Sacrifice
So what shall we sacrifice, what shall we give to Krsna? Basically, there are two kinds of sacrifice, as explained in the thirty-third verse. There is a sacrifice of material possessions and a sacrifice of knowledge. Actually the two are one, but in the beginning there is an apparent difference. The ultimate aim of all sacrifice is to attain Krsna consciousness, which means to attain complete knowledge of the Absolute and thereby be freed of all material miseries, finally attaining transcendental love of Krsna. But due to differences between performers, there are also differences in prescriptions for gradually attaining that goal. Therefore for one who is a neophyte it is prescribed that he give up his material possessions, and gradually this will elevate him to the position where he can sacrifice knowledge. But a person who is actually in Krsna consciousness sacrifices everything, material possessions and knowledge.
So this transcendental knowledge of Krsna consciousness is not such a cheap thing that it can be discovered on any corner or practiced whimsically, without direction. As stated in the thirty-fourth verse: “Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” As was pointed out in the very beginning of the chapter, the transcendental message must come from above. Krsna first spoke it to Vivasvan, and Vivasvan spoke it to Manu, and thus the message comes down in disciplic succession. So Krsna is repeating here that one must find a spiritual master in the disciplic succession and inquire from him submissively. That means unchallengingly, without thinking that one is as good as the spiritual master: The qualification of the spiritual master is that he has seen the truth, and therefore he is in a position to instruct.
So the aspiring disciple must be willing not only to listen, but to also render service. And since our ultimate goal is to render transcendental loving service to Krsna, this process must be learned by rendering such service to the spiritual master. This is the way we learn, and without a developed service mood, no one can enter the transcendental realm. For the ultimate goal of transcendental knowledge is service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and until one has learned how to serve the representative of the Supreme Person, how can they hope to serve the Supreme Personality Himself? The spiritual master is not envious, and he is not trying to get something out of his disciples, but instead he is trying to give. He is trying to disseminate knowledge of Krsna, so that he can present the disciple to Krsna. One who is unqualified cannot approach Krsna, and therefore the spiritual master, as the confidential servant of Krsna, has no other business than to take these forgotten souls for his master, Lord Sri Krsna, back to home, back to Godhead.
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Therefore, when the disciple is submissive, and always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiry becomes perfect, and the result is stated in the thirty-fifth verse: “When you have thus learned the Truth, you will know that all living beings are My parts and parcels, and that they are in Me, and are Mine.” One who has factually realized his identity with Krsna as part and parcel, or as eternal servant of the Lord, is certainly in the transcendental position and free from all anxiety. In the association of a pure devotee one can attain this consciousness simply by rendering devotional service and chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This is the recommended process for this age for cleansing all the dust, all the dirty things, from the mirror of the mind. Such a person can easily realize that the Supreme Lord is definitely a person, and that all His activities are transcendental. One who understands this is a liberated person from the very beginning of his study of Bhagavad-gita.
The Genuine Spiritual Master
The Genuine Spiritual Master
by Giriraja dasa Brahmacari
(ISKCON Boston)
“Instant Problem Solving—Guru Inside” Every day we Boston devotees pass this sign as we chant the holy names in Harvard Square. The sign hangs on a local shop window, and it is sold in quantity inside. This week at the neighboring movie theatre a new movie is showing—The Guru. So who is the guru?
The true guru is the person who says that Krsna, God, is our true friend. He does not pose himself as God or tell us that we can become God. The bona fide guru has various qualifications, and someone who is looking for a spiritual master must know the standards that the true guru must meet.
Today everyone is posing himself as a spiritual master or guru, and so we have that facetious sign. One group of foolish persons thinks that they can become gurus by their own concoction, simply by proclaiming themselves spiritual masters. And a corresponding group of foolish persons accepts such phonies because the formula is so easy, offers so much sense gratification, and supposedly permits the practitioner to become God. They like to think that in an instant their problems will vanish, and thus they are cheated.
Despite such foolishness, there is such a thing as a bona fide guru or spiritual master, and the sincere student of spiritual science should know how to recognize him. One should understand who the spiritual master is, what his position is, how he can be identified, and how we relate to him. And one should know the ultimate goal in accepting a spiritual master.
Simply stated, the ultimate goal of spiritual life is to develop love of God, and the duty of the spiritual master is to awaken this dormant love of God in the hearts of his students. The spiritual master is a servant of the Supreme Lord. Thus the student becomes the indirect servant of God, and if a student serves God sincerely, God will ultimately reveal Himself to the student in a pure loving exchange. This process is described in Bhagavad-gita and is recommended as the highest yoga by the Supreme Lord Himself, Sri Krsna, the original spiritual master.
So in real spiritual life the spiritual master acts as the via medium between us, so minute, and Krsna, so great. We are so limited that we cannot approach the unlimited God, but the spiritual master, out of his causeless mercy, makes himself available to help us approach the Supreme Lord.
God Is Revealed
The spiritual master has completely surrendered to God, and God has revealed Himself fully to such a pure devotee. The spiritual master acts as a via medium between ourselves, who are contaminated by our association with matter, and Krsna, God. In this sense the spiritual master is even more merciful than God, since he comes and reveals himself to the conditioned soul who is still contaminated by material association. But since the spiritual master is pure in his surrender to God and the will of God, he is, in a sense, one with God. Thus the student who comes to hear and love the spiritual master also comes to develop knowledge and love of God.
Of course it is the mercy of God to send the spiritual master, and then it is the grace of the spiritual master to deliver God. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, the process for going back to Godhead is simply to engage in devotional service to God. But how can we, who are so minute and actually helpless, do anything for God, who controls and owns everything? The answer is to serve the spiritual master. It is like this: Suppose one knows a very, very rich man. What can one do to please him? Nothing. He has everything, and in comparison we have nothing. But suppose the man has a son. Then simply by giving a small piece of fruit to the son, one can please the son, and when the son is pleased, then automatically the father becomes pleased. So in this way one can please a very rich man.
The spiritual master is very dear to Krsna, just as a son is dear to the loving father, and by pleasing the spiritual master one can please God Himself. In Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Lord states, “There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.” (Bg. 18.69) So Krsna has feelings, and He dearly loves the spiritual master. In fact, as stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Third Canto, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is thinking, “There is no way I can ever repay My pure devotees.” When a man walks barefoot in the blazing sun, his feet are scorched, but his head feels no pain. Similarly, although He may tolerate offenses to Himself, Krsna tolerates no abuse to His pure devotee. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Third Canto, “They captivate My heart who are gladdened in heart; they look upon the brahmanas [holy men] as My own Self and pacify them by praising them in loving words, even as a son would appease an angry father or as I am pacifying you.” So by serving the spiritual master we can please the Supreme Lord and thus go back to Him, by His divine grace.
An Intimate Servant
In this connection another example may help. Suppose you know of a very rich, famous, or distinguished personage and want to gain entrance into his house. You cannot go to his home and say. “I make $200 a week so let me in.” No—$200 a week or $500 a week or $1000 a week is nothing to him. You have no qualification of your own. But it you have the favor of one of his associates or servants, then by his desire you may enter the rich man’s home. Similarly, the intimate associate of the Lord is the spiritual master, and the Lord is anxious to please His pure devotees. The relationship between the Lord and His devotee is transcendentally beautiful. As a devotee is elevated in all good qualities due to his being a devotee of the Lord, so the transcendental glories of the Lord are increased due to His being devoted to His servitor. In other words, as the devotee is always anxious to render service to the Lord, similarly, the Lord is very anxious to render service to the devotee, the bona fide spiritual master.
With confidence in this relationship, the student, out of love, agrees to serve the spiritual master. There is no question of force. Where there is force, there is no love. Our spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, once said, “If a father calls his son, ‘Come here!’ and there is no love, the son will either refuse to come, or he will come reluctantly, thinking secretly, ‘How can I get back at my father?’ But if I say, ‘Satsvarupa, come here!’ you will come immediately, out of excess of love. Is that no right?” Satsvarupa, one of Srila Prabhupada’s students, immediately nodded his head—“Yes!” Thus the service rendered by the student to the bona fide spiritual master is performed out of love. Anyone who sees His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada with his disciples is seeing the perfection of family life.
The mother, the Vedas, directs the child to the father, the bona fide spiritual master, as illustrated so personally in the Gita. Arjuna, who had very great spiritual qualifications as well as material qualifications, still confessed to Krsna, the supreme spiritual master: “Now I am confused about duty, and I have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.” (Bg. 2.7) By nature’s own way, the complete system of material activities is a source of perplexity for everyone. Vedic wisdom therefore advises us that in order to solve the perplexities of life and to understand the science of the solution, one must approach a spiritual master, for a bona fide spiritual master is supposed to know everything.
Disciplic Succession
Furthermore, the Vedas set forth the qualifications of the bona fide spiritual master. The first requirement for the bona fide spiritual master is that he be in the line of disciplic succession from the Supreme Lord Himself. Not just anyone can qualify as a spiritual master, nor should the student accept anyone to be a spiritual master simply on sentiment. Sri Krsna is the original spiritual master, as stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam: “The path of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord.” The bona fide spiritual master teaches the transcendental science, as first enunciated by the Lord, as it is, without concoction or alteration. He is able to do so because he understands the purport of the Lord’s teaching from the disciplic succession descending directly from the Lord.
The knowledge mercifully given by the Lord is like a perfect fruit passed down from the top of a tree. The fruit must be passed delicately. If someone drops the fruit, or lets it fall, or in any way mishandles it, then the whole fruit is spoiled. If the bona fide spiritual master is in the line of disciplic succession from the Supreme Lord, he is careful to pass the fruit of Vedic wisdom to us without personally motivated interpretation. The conclusion of all Vedic knowledge is that Sri Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the goal of all yoga, knowledge and sacrifice. All the great saints and sages in our line of disciplic succession, the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya, beginning with Sri Krsna and including Brahma, Narada, Vyasa, Lord Caitanya, Srila Narottama Dasa Thakur, Srila Bhaktivinode, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada, and finally His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, have personally realized and taught Krsna consciousness. If the result of a process is good, then the process itself must be good. These great saints and acaryas are unmatched in spiritual realization so the process of God realization first spoken by Krsna and passed on through the disciplic succession is also matchless.
The second requirement of the bona fide spiritual master is that he speak only on the authority of the Vedas or of his spiritual master, so that the disciplic succession may be kept rigidly in line with the original teachings. The spiritual master never invents ideas or processes for self-realization, but always goes to the higher authorities. He is aware of the limitations of the minute living entity and his small mind and imperfect senses, so he similarly teaches his students to speak only from the higher authority.
Even the Supreme Lord Himself does this. In the Bhagavad-gita, Chapter Thirteen, Verse 4, Krsna states, “That knowledge of the field of activities and of the knower of activities is described by various sages in various Vedic writings, especially in the Vedanta-sutra.” Of course, Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate source of all the Vedas, and the supreme authority on all matters, but still He cites the accepted spiritual literature. Lord Krsna teaches by example how the bona fide spiritual master always gives evidence from previous authorities. That is the process. Similarly, Lord Caitanya, who was also the Supreme Personality of Godhead, accepted a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession, and He always quoted His spiritual master.
The spiritual master and student alike strictly follow the line of disciplic succession and the Vedic authorities, so others who are interested in spiritual life should follow this process too. People are so prone to indulge in transitory speculation, even when they are to educate themselves on areas beyond their empiric jurisdiction. People so often mistake these illusory experiences, especially when influenced by a drug or “meditative” process, for genuine spiritual realization. They so often have “inspirations,” “visions,” “experiences” and “revelations” which are merely the concoctions of a limited and deluded mind. The person interested in spiritual life should therefore be very wary of his own personal messages. God, Krsna, is in our hearts as Paramatma, Supersoul, and thus He can speak to us. But there are parallel tracks—God on the inside and spiritual master on the outside—so the religious seeker must confirm his inner realizations by the authority of the spiritual master on the outside. This dual confirmation is very important; one must go to the spiritual master.
Realization
The third requirement of the bona fide spiritual master is that his knowledge is realized. He must be a pure devotee of God, teaching by example, practicing what he is preaching—not that he teaches dry theory or philosophy. In the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krsna describes the characteristics of His pure devotees, and by these characteristics one can recognize a bona fide spiritual master: “He who knows in truth this glory and power of Mine engages in unalloyed devotional service; of this there is no doubt. I am the source of everything; from Me the entire creation flows. Knowing this, the wise worship Me with all their hearts. Their thoughts dwell in Me, their lives are surrendered unto Me, and they receive great satisfaction and bliss, enlightening one another and conversing about Me.” (Bg. 10.7-9) “They are always engaged in chanting My glories. Endeavoring with great determination, offering homage unto Me, they worship Me with devotion.” (Bg. 9.14) These are the characteristics of the pure devotees.
The bona fide spiritual master is always in ecstasy of love of God, having realized who God is, who the self is, and what is actually the relation between the Lord and the living entity. The bona fide spiritual master is in a direct relationship of loving reciprocation with the Lord, and he fully accepts the Lord in His personal form. As stated above, the mahatma, or great soul, is always engaged in chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, with no other engagement. That means that he must glorify the Supreme Lord, praising His holy name, His eternal form, His transcendental qualities and His uncommon pastimes, and he must pass on such information to his students. The bona fide spiritual master does not dwell on the impersonal Brahman feature of the Supreme Lord, in which the ananda or blissful aspect of loving exchange with the Supreme Person is missing.
The spiritual master, being completely attached to the Supreme Person, is not attracted to material or bodily affairs. He understands that he is not this body but is pure spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Person Krsna, and that his position is of loving service to Krsna. Therefore he is always joyful and free of anxieties, neither hankering nor lamenting about material affairs. He is self-satisfied, atmarama, and transcendental to the dualities of material life. His eves are always wet with tears of love for Krsna, in fully realized knowledge of Bhagavad-gita. And, as stated in the Gita itself, such a great soul is very rare.
Once a student of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada said to Srila Prabhupada, “Prabhupada, you look so sad in this picture.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “No, that was a moment of ecstasy.” Who can imagine the ecstasy of one who is in direct contact with Sri Krsna? His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has all the qualifications of a bona fide spiritual master, and he is always in contact with Krsna, the all-attractive person, the supreme friend. His Divine Grace needs nothing but engagement in transcendental loving service to Lord Krsna, and that he has all the time. So what need has he of us? He has no desire to accumulate wealth, nor any desire to enjoy beautiful women, nor does he want any number of followers. He wants only the Lord’s causeless devotional service. He has come to the West to spread this divine message only out of his causeless mercy upon us, in service to Krsna and his Guru Maharaja, pouring the shower of his mercy on all the dried-up souls of the universe.
Does Not Claim To Be God
The fourth requirement of the bona fide spiritual master is that, realizing Krsna to be everything, he never poses himself as God, nor does he ever promise his students that they can become God. God is God, and we are His servants eternally. God is infinite, and we are infinitesimal parts of God, inconceivably, simultaneously one and different from God, but we are never God Himself. Actually, the spiritual master, having approached God and having realized how inconceivably great He is, always feels meek and lowly, completely dependent on the Lord for protection. Thus the sage is humble; he is ready to pay his respects even to the ant, and he considers himself the most fallen. This is humilitv. When the Lord was on earth five hundred years ago, He was known as Patita Pavana, the deliverer of the most fallen. When the great saint Narottama Dasa Thakur approached Him, the Thakur said, “You are the deliverer of the most fallen, so kindly save me first.”
Once Srila Prabhupada was in his room in Los Angeles with a few devotees surrounding him, and at one point in the discussions he began to cry, saying, “All I ask of you us to be humble. All we can do is be humble to everyone and in everything that we do. That is all that I ask.” Another time Srila Prabhupada went to the temple, and, seeing the throne that the devotees had just made for him, he said, “Oh, I cannot accept this. I am the most fallen, and you have made this for me.” He was crying. So a devotee replied, “Oh please, Srila Prabhupada, please accept this as our offering to you.” His Divine Grace said, “I have no qualification of my own, but I shall accept it for Krsna.”
Then another time a boy made some prasadam (spiritual food) for Srila Prabhupada and was waiting at Srila Prabhupada’s door to give it to him. When His Divine Grace appeared, He looked at the prasadam and opened his eves wide and said, “For me?” After that, the boy who brought the food smiled so hard that he got a headache, and he danced down the street all the way home. Later he said, “Up until that moment I had only theoretically known what humility meant. Now I have practical experience of what humility is; now I understand humility.”
Even Lord Caitanya, although He was actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead, never claimed to be God because He wanted to demonstrate the proper behavior for a bona fide spiritual master. When people said that they recognized Him as God, He would cover His ears with His hands and say, “No, don’t say that!” He further said that one should chant the holy name of the Lord constantly “in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respects to others.” The true spiritual master is always humble. He sees on an equal level a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater, and he offers his services to all. He always points to Krsna, saying, “God is great, and we are very small. Therefore we are not God, so we should surrender to God.”
Fake Spiritualists
The fake spiritualists are puffed up with notions of their own power, and they often think that they are God. “I am God, a dog is God, everyone is God.” Or they say, “All is one. We are actually God, but we are now under illusion.” If God is under illusion, then illusion is greater than God. And if everything is God, then our everyday meditation on dog or wife should be sufficient to give us liberation. Clearly these pretenders are not God, and His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada urges everyone not to accept cheap gods and fake spiritual masters.
The story is told of one so-called spiritual master who was on the stage in an auditorium sitting in so-called yoga and saying, “I am moving the sun, I am moving the moon.” But he had to leave the stage because he got a toothache. So is he God? He claims to be moving the sun and the moon, but he cannot stop a toothache. Another charlatan spiritual master was once going to give a lecture on the secret of eternal youth, but on the way to deliver the lecture he died. Still another yoga instructor, after giving a lecture, met with one of Srila Prabhupada’s students. The so-called yogi was sitting on a chair smoking a cigarette, and he said, “You know, I have been having a terrible problem. I just can’t give up smoking. Do you have any suggestions?” He was teaching yoga, but he could not give up smoking. Yoga means to control the senses, to renounce sense gratification, but although he could not even control his tongue, this rascal claimed to teach yoga. Is yoga such nonsense? “Surrender to Krsna. That is yoga. That is all,” says His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.
He who teaches surrender to Krsna is the bona fide spiritual master, and such a spiritual master is the only refuge for one who wishes to end his material bondage and live in spiritual ecstasy. Lord Sri Krsna Himself states this in Bhagavad-gita: “Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Bg. 4.34) In other words, only someone whose hands are free can free someone whose hands are tied. The parampara purport to this verse is as follows: “One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge. Such a teacher should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master like a menial servant, without false prestige. Satisfaction of the spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must pass the test of the spiritual master, and when the spiritual master sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding. In this verse, both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned. One should not only hear submissively from the spiritual master, but one must also get a clear understanding from him, in submission and service and inquiries. The spiritual master is by nature very kind toward the disciple, and therefore when the student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect.”
For Krsna consciousness to act, therefore, there must be a bona fide source of information and a sincere soul desiring to know, just as in order for there to be conception, there must be a potent male and a fertile female. If a man is potent and a woman is fertile, then by their combination there can be conception. Otherwise, if there is no reciprocation, conception is impossible. One should ask questions and learn from a person to whom one can surrender. If one has any doubts about the person, then one should not waste one’s time, since one will not accept his instructions anyway. At the same time, a person who approaches a bona fide spiritual master with a challenging attitude will never understand the transcendental message. One who is fortunate enough to have found a bona fide spiritual master must hear submissively in order to understand and benefit.
Qualification For Hearing
In Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Three, verses 40–41, Krsna describes the nice qualifications for hearing in relation to the spiritual master: “This instruction should be imparted by the spiritual master to persons who have taken Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as more dear than anything, and who are not envious of anyone, are perfectly cleansed and have developed detachment from everything outside the purview of Krsna consciousness. Instruction in Krsna consciousness should be given to the faithful devotee who is respectful to the spiritual master, non-envious, friendly to all kinds of living entities, and ready to render service with faith and sincerity.” This attitude is demonstrated by Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra in the beginning of Bhagavad-gita. He understands that he had no facility to know the Truth by his own endeavors, and that he must surrender at the lotus feet of the authority, in this case the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna. Therefore he says, “Now I am Your disciple and a soul surrendered to You. Please instruct me.”
Bhagavad-gita demonstrates the transcendental relationship between Krsna, the supreme authority, and Arjuna, the ideal listener. This relationship is established out of respect and love, and only from this personal relationship is God realization possible. The student takes the spiritual master as his spiritual father and follows the teachings of the spiritual master to his full capacity. Lord Jesus Christ said, “Unless you become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Only to one who has full faith in the spiritual master will all knowledge be revealed. The word of the spiritual master is the life of the student, and everything else is secondary. Then there is contact. If one touches electricity, even if the source is thousands of miles away, the current is there, and one who touches it can always feel the blissful association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Everyone now has all facility to become happy by the mercy of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our spiritual master. He wants everyone to be happy in Krsna consciousness, and he is offering all transcendental opportunities. He gives us Back to Godhead Magazine, The Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Srimad-Bhagavatam, the many temples of Krsna consciousness, and himself wherever he appears. Greatest of all, he is offering Krsna Himself directly, in His holy name: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. These names form the maha-mantra, the great chanting for deliverance and the greatest benediction for the conditioned living entities. Finally, His Divine Grace is giving everyone the opportunity to become a spiritual master. The greatest spiritual master, Lord Caitanya, the Supreme Personality Himself, said, “Whoever tells people, ‘Chant Hare Krsna,’ he is My spiritual master.”
O Glorify the One Who to Krsna is so Dear
O Glorify the One Who to Krsna is so Dear
—Tirthapada Dasa Brahmacari (ISKCON Sydney)
O glorify the one who to Krsna is so dear,
Whose presence scatters the clouds of illusion clear,
Whose name is sweeter than the sweetest nectar,
And who brings the torch of knowledge near:
His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada,
At whose lotus feet all other masters gather,
Pulling us out of maya’s thralls to see
How wonderful is reality.
None can save us from death but he.
When will I have eyes to see you
And to concentrate my attention on you?
Your Divine Grace, our very lives
Are dependent on your mercy.
O Prabhupada, let me forever be
Chained to your service, never free,
Lest maya should overcome my weak mind
And drown me in her fearful sea.
ISKCON Detroit
ISKCON Detroit
Vedic authorities confirm that the holy name of the Supreme Lord can render all benediction upon all living entities. The living beings in the material world, although originally pure in their spiritual nature, have become contaminated by forgetfulness of their relationship with the Supreme Godhead. The living beings are God’s eternal parts and parcels, but due to the influence of material nature, this eternal relationship has been forgotten. Thus somehow or other the conditioned souls have fallen into the ocean of birth and death.
But the Lord has kindly invested all of His transcendental potencies in His holy names, and therefore by chanting any one of His innumerable names, one can be delivered from the ocean of birth and death and be fixed as an eternal servitor of the Lord, an atom at His lotus feet. This is not a sectarian process limited to a particular faith or nationality. The Supreme Lord has made approach to Him easy by His holy names, and there are not even any hard and fast rules for chanting the name of God. Anyone, no matter what his position in life, can chant the name of God as he finds it in His particular scripture, and thus anyone can feel transcendental ecstasy by glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, under the guidance of their beloved spiritual master, are engaged in spreading the sankirtana movement of publicly chanting the holy names Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, so that living entities may, by hearing this transcendental sound vibration, begin to revive their eternal love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna.
The pictures on these pages show devotees in Detroit engaged in spreading the rays of the benediction moon of the holy name by chanting Hare Krsna.
Sankirtana in the Bible
Sankirtana in the Bible
by Hayagriva dasa Adhikari (ISKCON Calcutta)
In the Vaisnava (Krsna) literature of India there are innumerable scriptural injunctions encouraging sankirtana—the chanting and singing of the names of God as an efficacious means to attain God realization or as a glorious end in itself. Yet many Westerners, perhaps justifiably skeptical, might ask, “If sankirtana is so all-encompassing, so potent and effective, why isn’t it stressed in the Bible?”
Even a quick reading of the Bible will show that sankirtana was very much present indeed amongst the ancient Jews and early Christians and that it was certainly stressed by one of the Bible’s major figures—David. “But that’s not the sankirtana practiced by the Krsna consciousness movement,” one might object. “Moses and David certainly didn’t chant Hare Krsna, Hare Rama.” It would be difficult to prove that they did, and it is doubtless safe to assume that they didn’t, but sankirtana is not limited to the Hare Krsna mantra. In fact, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the chief propagator of Hare Krsna chanting in this age, has written in His Siksastaka:
O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names like Krsna, Govinda, etc. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them. (Siksastaka, 2)
Any Name Of God
The principle of sankirtana, then, does not insist on the names Krsna and Rama. Theoretically any name for the Absolute Godhead will do. The point is, however, that in this age—which extends back 5,000 years—the chanting and singing of the names of God and God’s glories is the most certain way to spiritual emancipation. “Chant the names of God,” Lord Caitanya enjoins. ‘In this age of Kali [chaos] there is no other way, there is no other way at all.” The effect of chanting the holy names, Lord Caitanya further instructs, is that transcendental love of God is awakened in the soul.
Why chant the name Krsna in preference to others! Although other names are potentially as good, the name Krsna is the principal name because it is the name of the primal, original person. God is one, but His manifestations are infinite. One may light any number of candles from an original candle, yet the original candle still retains its original identity. There are countless expansions of God, but the adi-purusa, the primal person, is asserted in the Vedas to be Krsna (Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami, Brahma-samhita). From Him appear countless expansions, incarnations, avataras, etc. In Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna asserts, “I am the source of everything; from Me the entire creation flows. Knowing this, the wise worship Me with all their hearts.” (Bhagavad-gita, 10.8) This claim is not made by anyone in the Bible, not even by Christ.
The word “Christ” is also connected to “Krsna” etymologically, for “Christ” is derived from the Greek word christos, meaning “anointed,” or “the anointed one,” a translation of the Hebrew word mashiah, Messiah. One of the principal signs of Krsna and His devotees is the tilaka or clay which anoints the forehead with a V sign.
Information Witheld
The Bible speaks of the Supreme as God, Jehovah and Christ, and the Vedic literatures—Bhagavad-gita, Brahma-samhita, Srimad-Bhagavatam—indicate Him personally to be Krsna, a word which means “all-attractive” in Sanskrit. (Rama means enjoyer, and Hare refers to the energy enjoyed.) The Bible is principally concerned with the laws given to the Jewish people by God, the Jews’ breaking of these laws and God’s subsequent punishments. Christ stressed forgiveness for those who are truly repentant and He supplied a new element—love or bhakti as a means to attain God. Throughout the Bible, however. God is described as “great,” “angry,” “terrible,” “greatly to be feared,” “almighty,” “the everlasting Father,” “Alpha and Omega,” etc., but nowhere is the all-attractive personality of God explained. Who is God? Just how great is He? What are His features? His opulences? His activities? Exactly what does His abode look like? What does He look like? What are His various manifestations? Specifically how does He create? How does He pervade His creation? What is the relationship of the individual with God? What is the individual’s role in the world, and how does it come about, and flow can the individual self transcend it? These and many other questions are neither raised nor answered in the Bible because ancient Judaic culture was not sufficiently advanced to absorb this information. Christ Himself told His disciples, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” (John, 16:12) In the Old Testament we hear God’s voice from the sky, but we do not see His face. He appears as a burning bush, a dove, a pillar of fire by night, a cloud by day, etc., but He does not appear as He is. Christ appeared as a devotee of God, but He does not reveal His Father to His disciples. With a voice on high the Father speaks of Christ as His beloved Son, but Christ Himself said,
Ye have neither heard this voice at any time, nor seen His shape.… Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. (John, 5:37, 6:46)
Vedic literatures, which pre-date the Bible, were written in a highly advanced spiritual culture, and they specifically reveal God’s form, His features, His pastimes and His personality. Of course God’s attributes are infinite, and words can only hint at His glory, but the Vedas supply man’s mind with more information than he can accommodate to the point of enlightenment, at which time the Vedas are of no more use “than a pond when everywhere there is a flood.” (Bhagavad-gita, 2.46) At that stage man sees God or Krsna everywhere, but that realization is not to be imitated. The point is that the Vedas give a detailed explanation of God and His activities and indicate the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be Sri Krsna. Not only is Sri Krsna indicated to be God, but He is vividly physically described, and His personal activities are narrated.
Lord Krsna Himself sang Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna on the battlefield, and thus His instructions are known as the song (gita) of God (Bhagavan). In the Gita, Lord Krsna characterized the mahatmas or great souls in this way:
They are always engaged in chanting My glories. Endeavoring with great determination, offering homage unto Me, they worship Me with devotion. (Bhagavad-gita, 9.14)
The Bible is certainly peopled with many great souls—Moses, David, Paul—and none would have contradicted the essential validity of the sankirtana principle. This thesis is supported by innumerable passages in books by the prophets and the apostles.
The Books of Moses
After the children of Israel were saved, after they passed through the Red Sea and after the Pharaoh’s army drowned, Moses and his followers immediately began to sing praises to God.
Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously.… The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. (Exodus, 15:1-2)
In Deuteronomy, Moses, in his exhortation to the Jewish people after the deliverance of the ten commandments, set forth the basic tenets underlying the bhakti or devotional process which forms the very root of the sankirtana philosophy. Here Moses stresses the importance of service to God and the evocation of His name.
Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.… Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; Him shalt thou serve, and to Him shalt thou cleave, and swear by His name. He is thy praise, and He is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen. (Deuteronomy, 6:4–5, 10:20–21)
Knowledge of the greatness of God, Moses maintains, necessitates the devotee’s “publishing” His name and broadcasting His glories. In his second song, Moses says:
My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. (Deuteronomy, 32:2–3)
As in Vaisnava philosophy, the name of God is integral with Him. Of course the Godhead, by His omnipresence, exists impersonally in all sound, and all sound has its being impersonally in Him, yet the names of God are identical with Him in a different way: they are sabda, or sound incarnations, and God is personally present in them. Thus the names of God are praised and evoked in the religious traditions of both East and West. (The English word “God,” for instance, stems from the Indo-European base ghawa- and the Sanskrit havate, meaning “to call out to, invoke,” the idea being that God is He to whom man calls out both in joy and distress.) Moses, the great lawgiver and father of the Jews, was not inaugurating a new tradition in advocating the verbal glorification of God but was working within the established context of Judaism.
The Book of Judges
After Deborah and Balak delivered Israel from Jabin and Sisera, they sang: “Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.”
Samuel
Upon being delivered out of the hands of his enemy Saul, David, in his psalm of thanksgiving, sang: “Therefore I will give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto Thy name.” (Samuel II, 22:50)
Chronicles
Of all the figures in the Bible, David is undoubtedly the most avid promulgator of sankirtana. David brought the ark of God—which was worshiped like the Vaisnava Deities—into Jerusalem, and, dressed in fine linen, danced before it.
Thus all lsrael brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps. (I. Chronicles, 15:28)
David appointed a number of Levites to attend the ark, as in India certain pujaris are assigned to attend the Deities.
And he [David] appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to record, and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel: Asaph the chief, etc., and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals; Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God (I. Chronicles, 16:4–6)
David then informed the people of the process of worship before the ark. In essence, this is also the message of the Krsna consciousness movement: kirtana, or praise of God, by song, the glorification of His names, the relation of His pastimes, the search for His personal presence.
Then on that day David delivered first this psalm, to thank the Lord, into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him, talk yet of all His wondrous works. Glory ye in His holy name; let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually. (1. Chronicles, 16:7-11)
This message extends beyond the people of Jerusalem, just as Lord Caitanya’s message extends beyond India.
Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; shew forth from day to day His salvation. Declare His glory among the heathen; His marvellous works among all nations. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all Gods. (1. Chronicles, 16:23–25)
In the Krsna temples of India, the Deities are glorified full time. Similarly, David appointed Heman and Jeduthun “with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God” (Chronicles I., 16:42) to sing continually before the ark. Moreover, David chose 288 people, mainly youths, to chant with instruments in the temple.
All these were under the hands of their father [Heman’s fourteen sons and three daughters] for song in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king’s order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman. So the number of them, with the brethren that were instructed in the songs of the Lord, even all that were cunning, was two hundred fourscore and eight. (Chronicles I., 25:6–7)
Solomon, David’s son, renowned for wisdom and riches, followed in his father’s footsteps in building a magnificent temple on Mount Moriah at Jerusalem, a temple which he overlaid with pure gold, and in seeing that chanters were also installed. It seemed that their kirtanas were lively indeed, being that they precipitated the descent of the glory of God.
Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is God; for His mercy endureth for ever; that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God. (11. Chronicles, 5: 12-14)
Jehoshaphat, who reigned over Judah, also followed in this tradition. It is notable that specific mention is made of the method of bowing and of praising the beauty of God and relying on His mercy, for these are also typical of Vaisnavism.
And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high. And when he [Jehoshaphat] had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord: for His mercy endureth forever. (11. Chronicles, 20:18–21)
Hezekiah, David’s grandson, followed the path of David, not that of his idolatrous and blasphemous father Ahaz. He opened all the doors of the temples which his father had shut down. The ceremony that was conducted under his direction could be a description of a Vaisnava aratrika.
And he [Hezekiah] set the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet; for so was the commandment of the Lord by His prophets. And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priest with the trumpets. And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David King of Israel. And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped. Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped. (II. Chronicles, 29:25–30)
The Book of Ezra
Of those returning to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon, there were “among them two hundred singing men and singing women.” (Ezra, 2:65) After they returned, the people gathered “as one man” in Jerusalem, where they began construction of a new temple and held sankirtana during the foundation ceremony.
And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the songs of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David King of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. (Ezra, 3:10-11)
The Psalms of David
Of all the books in the Bible, David’s Psalms place the greatest emphasis on kirtana. The Psalms make four important assertions. First, since man exists only by the mercy of God, man’s only recourse is to trust Him completely. “And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.” (Psalms, 9:10) Second, the names of God have great potency, and it is the duty or dharma of man to thank and praise Him.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. (Psalms, 48:1;
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O most high. (Psalms, 92:1)
Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed by the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised. (Psalms, 113:1–3)
Third, man derives great joy in praising Him.
Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness: To the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto Thee forever. (Psalms, 30:4, 11–12)
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. (Psalms, 100:1–2)
I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. (Psalms, 104: 33–34)
Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. (Psalms, 147:1)
Fourth, all nations and indeed the entire creation will eventually praise Him, and thus the chanting of the names of God will constitute, as Lord Caitanya prophesied, the world religion.
All nations whom Thou hast made shall come and worship before Thee, O Lord; and shall glorify Thy name. (Psalms, 86:9)
Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise Him in the heights. Praise ye Him, all His angels: praise Him, all His hosts. Praise ye Him, sun and moon: praise Him, all ye stars of light. Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for He commanded, and they were created. (Psalms, 148: 1–5
David also enjoined that the chanting of the holy names be—as in India—accompanied by a number of instruments and by hand clapping.
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King.… O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of truimph. (Psalms, 98:4–6, 47:1)
Nor are the chants to be mere vain repetitions or caterwauling noise-fests: “Sing ye praises with understanding,’’ (Psalms, 47: 7) David instructs. Man cannot take God’s kingdom by storm, for God is not mundane and cannot be approached by fanaticism or human mental speculation. His abode is above the heavens, and the easiest approach to Him is through praise fixed firmly in knowledge.
My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise Thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto Thee among the nations. For Thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and Thy truth unto the coulds. Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let Thy glory be above all the earth. (Psalms, 57:7–11)
Chanting the holy names and recounting the great deeds of God are important factors in man’s search for Him.
O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him: talk ye of all His wondrous works. Glory ye in His holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord, and His strength: seek His face evermore. (Psalms, 105:1-4
David also maintained that one should praise God throughout life.
Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live I will praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. (Psalms, 146:1)
David’s last five psalms (146–150) are in themselves musical exhortations urging not only man but all living creatures to praise God. In their lyrical insistence (insistence it is, not repetition) they stylistically approach a mantra form. For example, the last psalm:
Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary: praise Him in the firmament of His power. Praise Him for His mighty acts: praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet: praise Him with the psaltery and harp. Praise Him with the timbrel and dance: praise Him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise Him upon the loud cymbals: praise Him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. (Psalms, 150:1–6)
The Psalms of David are both lyrical and devotional. Christ’s last words on the cross (“My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me!”) are the beginning of the 22nd Psalm. Far from being a cry of despair, this psalm, which Christ was not able to quote in full, asserts: “I will declare Thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee.” (Psalms, 22:22)
Thus the Psalms bridge the Judaic and Christian traditions and establish the sankirtana principle in the West more strongly than any other book in the Bible.
The Book of Isaiah
Isaiah, who foresaw the Lord’s deliverance of the Jewish people from Assyria, Egypt and other places, prophesied:
And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord: for He hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. (Isaiah, 12:4–5)
Also in relating the Lord’s future mighty deeds, Isaiah reports God as instructing Jacob and Israel in this way:
Sing unto the Lord a new song, and His praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein: the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare His praise in the islands. (Isaiah, 42: 10–12)
In speaking further to Jacob and his people, God coaxes the entire creation, including inanimate objects, to sing His praise:
Sing O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel. Sing, O heavens: and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains for the Lord hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted. (lsaiah, 44:23, 49:13)
The New Testament
Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples to go forth and preach among all men that “The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” (Luke, 10:9) Such preaching is also kirtana: whether one says, “Repent, the kingdom of God is at hand” or chants Hare Krsna, the message is essentially the same, for the Godhead is verbally proclaimed amongst men. When asked when the kingdom of God was coming, Christ taught that God is attained not by the mental speculative method nor by investigation of external phenomena but by spontaneous love arising from within the individual himself.
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke, 17:20–21)
Thus God and His kingdom are most quickly attained when one’s yearning is strong, when bhakti arises in the soul.
There is also stress on the holy names in the New Testament, for Christ warns His disciples: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Mark, 13:13) Christ also emphasized the potency of the holy names: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew, 18:20)
In one of the most intensely mystical passages in St. John’s Gospel, when Christ prays to His Father the night before the crucifixion, He asserts that the name of God is a unifying force, that He (Christ) Himself manifested the name to His disciples and that it will be God’s name that will keep them as one. Christ prayed:
I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do. I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest me out of the world: Thine they were, and Thou gavest them me; and they have kept Thy word. And now I am no more in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name: those that Thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. (John, 17:4, 6, 11–12)
Christ’s disciples continued in this tradition. After being beaten and thrown in jail and shackled in Philippi in Macedonia, Paul and Silas chanted praises to God: “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” (Acts, 16:25) It was also St. Paul who wrote the Romans:
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles: and laud him, all ye people. (Romans, 10:13, 15:6, 11)
Again, St. Paul emphasized the potency of the Lord’s name in an epistle to the Philippians:
Wherefor God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. (Philippians, 2:9–11, 4:4)
St. Paul also wrote the Thessalonians and Hebrews similar instructions (II Thessalonians, 1:12. Hebrews, 2:12). Similarly, the apostle James in an epistle used skillful means to get the people to chant: “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.” (James, 5:13)
In his apocalyptic Revelations, St. John describes a vision of universal destruction and salvation which resembles, in magnitude, Lord Krsna’s display of His universal form in the Eleventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. St. John, in his vision, sees the Lamb (Christ) glorified amongst thousands of devotees who have God’s names written on their foreheads (a Vaisnava custom). The devotees stand on a sea of glass and fire, a sea of cosmic destruction, and chant the names of God. Again it is proclaimed that all peoples will worship the Almighty God and glorify His name.
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder; and as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou king of saints. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest. (Revelations, 14:1–3, 15:2–4)
Thus from Moses to Revelations—the garmut of the Bible—sankirtana is a prominent factor. The message is essentially one throughout the Bible and Caitanya (Vaisnava) philosophy: man only meets with frustration when he tries to assault the kingdom of God physically or intellectually. The Supreme Godhead is above man—is above, in fact, the heavens—and man is subordinate as an organ of the body is subordinate to the entire body. In the spiritual hierarchy that culminates with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, man’s role is established as an organ of praise, and it is in praise of God that man is elevated to the spiritual platform. Actually this is not a unique role, for, as the Bible and Caitanya philosophy maintain, all creatures that breathe—and even entities that do not breathe—can join in universal acclamation of the Supreme Person. The total unity and harmony of that hymn comprise the great song of God.
How to Check the Age of Kali
How to Check the Age of Kali
by Satsvarupa dasa Adhikari (ISKCON Boston)
The followers of Krsna consciousness are aware that at present the universe and the earth are in the age of Kali. Vedic culture calculates the long duration of time between the creation and annihilation of the cosmos according to repeated cycles of the following four seasons: Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvapara-yuga and Kali-yuga. Of the four, the last, the Kali-yuga, is noted for being the fallen age, the age of hypocrisy and quarrel. Aside from the evidence of Vedic literature, one can observe the fallen condition of the present civilization in everyday common affairs. In Kali-yuga the basic principles of religion are abandoned by a majority of the people, the government is ruled by the lowest class of men, and society lives on the basis of animal life for the goal of sense gratification. Huge quarrels are predicated on various minor pretexts. Kali-yuga lasts for 432,000 years and is supposed to get increasingly worse, until finally men will be eating their own sons and finding sport in hunting down the devotees of God. Let us therefore examine the history of the influx of Kali-yuga 5,000 years ago and try to understand how its degrading influence can be checked.
This information regarding Kali-yuga is recorded in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the transcendental literature which depicts the pastimes performed by the Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna when He appeared on the earth. Srimad-Bhagavatam relates that Krsna appeared on this earth for a period of 125 years during the end of the Dvapara-yuga, and when He disappeared from the earth the age of Kali entered. The personification of Kali, the agent for all irreligion and vice, was kept in check, however, even after the disappearance of Krsna, due to the presence of a very strong and pious ruler of the earth, Maharaja Pariksit. His life is described as being wonderful in its birth, wonderfulin its duration, and wonderful in its completion. We may at this time examine the life of Maharaja Pariksit as the background to understand the strength of Krsna consciousness even in the midst of Kali-yuga.
Maharaja Pariksit’s strength was due to his being completely surrendered to the word of Krsna. And as we shall see, Krsna was pleased to work His will through this surrendered soul. Maharaja Pariksit was the posthumous child of Abhimanyu, who was the son of Arjuna, the famous hero of the Battle of Kuruksetra. While he was still in the womb, Maharaja Pariksit was struck by a nuclear weapon detonated by an enemy of his family, and yet due to the mercy of the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, who entered the womb of his mother, Uttara, and protected him, Pariksit was not burned. When he grew up and began to rule the kingdom, he was always conscientiously surrendered unto the Personality of Godhead and was never afraid nor overwhelmed, even up to his death.
Kali Enters
One day Emperor Pariksit was traveling through his kingdom, and he met the personality of religious principles, Dharma, in the form of a wounded, wandering bull. He also met the personality of the earth, in the form of a cow who had tears on her face and who appeared to be greatly aggrieved, like a mother who had lost her child. The Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, Seventeenth Chapter, relates that Maharaja Pariksit observed a lower class laborer, dressed like a king but with a large stick in his hand, beating the bull and the cow as if they were without a protector. The bull was as white as a lotus flower and was terrified of being beaten. It was trembling from fear and was standing on one leg urinating. Cows are beneficial because one can draw out religious principles from them, but this poor cow was being beaten by the lower class laborer and appeared very distressed.
Maharaja Pariksit became furious upon seeing this scene. Seated on his golden chariot and equipped with arrows and bows, he came upon the cow’s persecutor. “Who are you!” he demanded. “You appear to be strong enough, and still you dare to kill, within my protection, those who are helpless. By dress you pose as a manly king, but by your deeds it is clear that you are against all fighting principles. You rogue, do you dare to beat an innocent cow simply because Krsna and Arjuna are out of sight? Since you are beating the innocent in a secluded place, you stand as a culprit and therefore deserve to be killed.” Maharaja Pariksit then turned to the bull and said, “O bull, you are as white as a lotus. Who are you?” The ksatriyas or rulers such as Maharaja Pariksit are meant to protect the innocent, and therefore Pariksit Maharaja was outraged to see this brutality taking place in his kingdom.
Religion Personified
Before the arrival of Maharaja Pariksit, the bull, the personification of religion, Dharma, had inquired of the cow, “Why are you lamenting? Are you unhappy because people in general do not follow the rules and regulations for eating, sleeping, drinking, and mating and are inclined to do these things without regard for time and place?” In the age of Kali, because the tendencies of sense gratification are not regulated, illicit sex, intoxication, and so many preliminary vices are being engaged in everywhere. When Pariksit arrived he said, “For the first time I see you lamenting with tears in a kingdom which has always been well protected by the arms of the kings. Before this I have never seen anyone shed tears because of royal negligence.”
The Emperor could see that the bull was standing on only one leg. Dharma explained that his four legs were austerity, cleanliness, mercy, and truthfulness, and three of these legs had been broken because of the people’s rampant irreligion, characterized by pride, affection for women, and intoxicating habits. He was left on only one leg, truthfulness. The Emperor took his sword and prepared to kill the personality of Kali who, posing as a ruler, was beating the bull and thus causing all irreligion and causing the cow of the earth to shed tears. In the dress of a king, this lower class man, Kali, was simply gratifying his senses and thinking that there was no suitable king to curb him down. The Srimad-Bhagavatam, in which the narration of Maharaja Pariksit is given, is itself the systematic propaganda for educating people in general how to clean up the atmosphere of corruption. Maharaja Pariksit, the ideal executive, was about to kill Kali, but when Kali saw that the King was willing to kill him, he at once gave up his false kingly attire and with great fear completely surrendered unto him.
According to the Vedic culture of the four orders or qualities of occupation, a real warrior never surrenders in a fight. Therefore, when this lower class laborer or sudra surrendered himself, he disclosed his real identity by not accepting the challenge. When he saw that Maharaja Pariksit was ready to fight and that the king was beyond his power to defeat, Kali bowed down his head as a subordinate and gave up his royal dress. Maharaja Pariksit did not want to kill a surrendered soul such as the fallen Kali because he was always compassionate and kind to the poor. Thus the personality of Kali, who was entering earth for the first time to cause corruption and irreligion, was saved by the will of providence.
Out of chivalry and compassion, Maharaja Pariksit said, “Do not fear. You have no need to fear for your life, but you cannot remain in any land of my kingdom.” So Kali was allowed to live, but he was afraid that wherever he went he would see the King with his bows and arrows. Therefore he asked for special places where he could live, and Maharaja Pariksit then gave him permission to reside in four places—places where gambling, drinking, prostitution and the slaughter of animals take place. In this way he intended to confine him. The principle was to restrict Kali to these places so that those addicted to irreligious habits might be regulated and not encouraged by the state. Maharaja Pariksit showed the simple way to categorically stop war and vice. He announced that he would collect all the illicit gold collected by exploiting the propensities of the age of Kali and employ it in sankirtana propaganda for the glorification of God. He made sufficient plans so that Kali would have little chance to infiltrate the sound structure of human society. Thus the influence of Kali was checked as long as Maharaja Pariksit himself was present to drive him away and uphold the principles of religion for the spiritual enlightenment of all people.
Krsna Conscious Politics
In the present day we lament that lower class men are voted in and voted out of high posts of political power, but in Maharaja Pariksit we can see the example of a practical king who could progressively advance society and who was intolerant of all kinds of corruption. Often people ask if the Krsna Conscious movement is apolitical, but the answer is no. Krsna consciousness offers the political principle followed by rulers such as Maharaja Pariksit, and the Krsna consciousness society wishes to put such a God conscious man in office.
Further activities of Maharaja Pariksit show how, because of the King’s complete surrender to the Absolute Truth, the Lord used him as an instrument to bring about the narration of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, which, after the departure of Krsna and after the death of Maharaja Pariksit, was to be the standard of religion for all people in the midst of the age of Kali. Srimad-Bhagavatam is declared to be the transcendental literary incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, and it is only because of Maharaja Pariksit’s relationship to Krsna that this story is narrated. All Krsna conscious activities are meant to help us remember Him. The purpose of Srimad-Bhagavatam and all spiritual literature is to continually glorify God. To hear these literatures is purifying and sublime. When spoken, especially by pure devotees of the Lord, these narratives carry the full potencies of bhakti-yoga, or devotion to Krsna.
Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, Chapter 18, text 26, relates: “Once upon a time, Maharaja Pariksit, while engaged in hunting in the forest with his bows and arrows, became extremely fatigued, hungry and thirsty while following some stags. In search of a reservoir of water, he entered the hermitage of the well-known Rsi Saunaka and saw the sage sitting silently with closed eyes.” The birth of Maharaja Pariksit is wonderful because Pariksit was saved in the womb by the Supersoul when the demon Asvatthama sent a fire weapon to kill him. His career as king was wonderful, for he upheld religious principles and drove out Kali. This present description of Maharaja Pariksit’s becoming thirsty begins the story of his death, which proved to be most wonderful because it was engineered directly by the will of the Lord in order to bring about a much greater transcendental event—the narration of Srimad-Bhagavatam.As a man of controlled senses, Maharaja Pariksit would never have been disturbed by thirst or hunger. His hunger and thirst on this occasion were irregular in that he became perturbed by these bodily demands. It is therefore explained that the situation was created by the Lord in order to bring about Pariksit’s renunciation of worldly activities. As a worldly king, even though a great king, Maharaja Pariksit was necessarily involved in much worldly diplomacy, and the Lord was making it possible for him to be forced into complete state of renunciation. The awkward situation by which the devotee Pariksit was obliged to renounce all worldly affairs is to be taken as the grace of the Lord and not as a matter of unfavorable frustration.
Arranged By Krsna
Pariksit Maharaja entered the muni’s hermitage and saw that the muni, longhaired and covered by the skin of a stag, was in transcendental meditation. The King, however, being thirsty, asked the sage for water. Not having received any formal welcome seat or water or sweet words of address, the King felt neglected, and he became angry. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that this lack of sense control—his immediate anger at not being properly received by the yogi—is the same as Arjuna’s becoming bewildered on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. Had Arjuna not been overcome by illusory family affection by the will of God, there would have been no chance for the Bhagavad-gita to have been spoken because Arjuna would not have asked Krsna his questions of doubt, to be answered for all mankind. Similarly, had Maharaja Pariksit not been fatigued, hungry, thirsty, and then angry, there would have been no chance for Srimad-Bhagavatam to have been spoken by Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, who was the prime authority on Krsna. Pariksit’s improper behavior is actually the prelude to Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is itself a counteraction to Kali, as much as the upraised sword of Pariksit on Kali’s neck.
The insulted King took up a dead snake which he found in the front of the cave. Picking it up on the front part of his bow, he placed it on the shoulder of the sage as an insult and then left. He accused the sage of not actually being in meditation on the Supreme but of putting on a false show of trance just in order to avoid receiving him.
Srimad-Bhagavatam goes on to describe that the sage had a son, who was immature but, because he was a brahmana’s son, very powerful. While he was spending his time playing with other inexperienced boys, he heard of the King’s insult to his father, and he therefore became furious and cursed Maharaja Pariksit to die. It was through this inexperienced boy that Kali found an opportunity to ruin the entire cultural heritage of the four orders of life and bring about the corruption which now exists in India as the caste system. In the perverted caste system, one order of life tends to lord it over another by birth, and enmity is thus created among the orders. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, because these orders are created by the Lord, they are naturally existing in every society. There is always an intelligent class, a warrior or administrative class, a mercantile or agricultural class, and a laborer class which serves the other three orders. By corruption, individuals claim to possess the qualities of a particular position simply by birthright, and then there is no cooperation among the natural orders, but rather there is friction. The first victim of brahminical injustice was Maharaja Pariksit, and after the incident of His being cursed, the intelligent class was not protected properly by the warrior class, the mercantile class began outright exploitation of the other classes, and the lower classes became dissatisfied because of not being protected and cared for. Because these events occurred at the dawn of Kali-yuga, they are understood to be most significant in ushering in the corruption and degradation which characterize this fallen age.
The warrior class is supposed to protect and not insult the brahmanas; therefore the son of the sage, acting immaturely and rashly, used his brahminical power to curse the King. The brahmana boy, Srngi, cried, “The warrior class is supposed to act as watchdogs. Since when does a watchdog enter the house of the king, sit in the house of the master, and eat with him on the same plate?” In that way he tried to explain away the incident of the yogi’s not receiving the King. In those days the brahminical class had powers to curse, but the boy committed a great mistake in using this power. Touching the water of the River Kausiki, he discharged a thunderbolt of words: “In seven days a snakebird will bite the wretched King on account of his breaking the law of etiquette and insulting my father.” The boy then returned to the hermitage, and seeing his father with the snake draped on his shoulder, he began to cry loudly. His father gradually opened His eyes and found the dead snake on his neck, but he did not take it very seriously. On hearing what his son had done, He very much regretted the whole incident. He said to his son, “What a greatly sinful act you have performed over such an insignificant offense by the King. He then chastised his boy and warned him that the King, as a representative of the Personality of Godhead, is never to be placed on an equal footing with common men. The sage foresaw the downfall of cooperation between the orders, the end of the pious monarchical regime, and the plundering of the people’s wealth by rogues and thieves. He told his son, “Without protection there will be great disruption and social anomalies in the future, and there will be killing and stealing of animals and women. And we shall be responsible for the reaction of all these sins. Without protection of a good king, the people will be scattered like lambs.” The rsi then prayed to the all-pervading Personality of Godhead to please pardon his boy who with no intelligence had committed the great sin of cursing a person who was completely sinless. Kings were considered subordinate to the intelligent or brahminical class, and therefore they should have been protected and not cursed.
King Pariksit returned home, but he regretted insulting the brahmana for his inauspicious act, and he hoped that whatever reaction there might be would come at once. While the King was thus repenting, he received the news of his imminent death. He accepted this news as good and used it at once to detach himself from his worldly kingdom. According to the Vedic system, a man is expected to detach himself from family affairs in the latter part of his life because old age is the notice of death. A householder should leave home and go to the forest and live there in seclusion in order to obtain knowledge from the sages about the real purpose of life, spiritual progress, and about how to prepare for the next life.
Seven Days To Live
Rather than lamenting that he was to die within seven days, Maharaja Pariksit took it as auspicious in that he knew that for at least seven days he would live. He utilized this accurate notice of death so that he could perfect the responsibility of life before the day of his death. Turning the reign of the kingdom over to His son Janamejaya, bidding his family goodbye, and giving up all royal paraphernalia, Maharaja Pariksit went toward the bank of the Ganges to observe fasting unto death, and he gave himself up unto the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead Krsna, who alone is able to award liberation. In this way he accepted the curse of the brahmana boy and used it to achieve the ultimate goal of spiritual advancement. At that time, because Maharaja Pariksit was such a great personality, both as a king and as a saint, many greatly learned figures arrived with their disciples on the bank of the river where Maharaja Pariksit was fasting and praying. They were of such an elevated status that the places of pilgrimage they visited became sanctified by their presence.
Thus the scene was set for the recitation of Srimad-Bhagavatam. The great sages who were present included Bhrgu, Vasistha, Parasara, and Parasurama. The King received them by bowing his head to the ground. Then the rsis took their seats, and the King expressed his decision to fast until death. He then stood before them humbly with folded hands and made his spoken obeisances. He began by saying that he understood that the sages generally did not like to associate with kings and that he therefore felt himself greatly fortunate. Sages usually reject royal personalities and keep them at a distant place like garbage. Pariksit said, “O brahmanas, just accept me as a completely surrendered soul, and let the mother Ganges accept me because I have taken up in my heart the lotus feet of the Lord. Let the snake or anything magical created by the brahmana bite me at once. All I want is that you sages may go on singing of the deeds of Lord Visnu.” Because Maharaja Pariksit was actually surrendered to the feet of the Supreme Lord, he was not afraid of death. Conditions were very auspicious for the sages to speak about Krsna.
It is seen that Maharaja Pariksit was not striving for ordinary spiritual knowledge or merely practicing yoga techniques to gain liberation. He said, “I do not even care if I take my birth in this material world again, as long as I have attachment for Lord Sri Krsna, who has unlimited potencies.” Maharaja Pariksit, being a very advanced king and saint, was, at the time of his death, already beyond inquiring about liberation or trying to free himself from return to birth and death. He simply wanted to hear the glorification of God or even to be assured that after his demise the glorification of God, the highest pleasure, the highest satisfaction, and the prime benediction for all humanity, would go on. This example is so wonderful that even the demigods in the higher planetary systems scattered flowers over the earth and beat celestial drums to praise the actions of the King. The sages said that they were not astonished to see Maharaja Pariksit give up his throne, which was decorated with the helmets of many other kings, in order to obtain eternal association with the Personality of Godhead. And they declared that they would wait there in the King’s presence as long as he did not go back to the supreme planet, which is free from all material contamination.
Maharaja Pariksit congratulated the great sages and again expressed his desire to hear of the activities of Lord Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead. Pariksit then asked them the following question: “What is the duty of people in general and specifically of those who are about to die immediately?” The sages, however, did not answer unanimously in their decision as to what was to be done. In fact, they offered many different prescriptions. It was at that time that the great sage Sukadeva Gosvami, the sixteen-year-old son of Vyasadeva arrived. Despite his young age, he is described by the Bhagavatam as being most experienced in knowledge. All the sages present stood up and offered him obeisances.
Sukadeva
The great devotee Maharaja Pariksit went near the sage Sukadeva Gosvami, who was sitting perfectly at peace and who was prepared to answer everything. Bowing down before him, Pariksit said, “You are sanctified. This place is a place of pilgrimage due to your presence.”
This wonderful meeting of Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Gosvami is glorified by a whole disciplic succession of spiritual masters because Sukadeva Gosvami was authorized by Krsna to speak about the pastimes of the Lord, and Maharaja Pariksit, because of his eagerness to hear, was the perfect audience to receive that message. Maharaja Pariksit had just been expressing to the sages that he wanted to hear about the pastimes of Krsna and nothing else, and when he expressed this to Sukadeva Gosvami, Sukadeva said, “This is very nice because I just was going to tell you that you should hear the pastimes of Krsna.” This is the perfect combination for Krsna consciousness: a bona fide spiritual master and an eager and qualified student.
The teachings of Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit are the subject of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the most elevated of all Vedic literatures. Simply to hear this most authoritative Srimad-Bhagavatam can bring one to the stage of devotional service to the Lord. Maharaja Pariksit’s death was great because he was able to achieve the ultimate success of going back to Godhead by being favored by Krsna, who sent him His true representative. As soon as a devotee meets a true representative of the Lord, he is guaranteed to go back to Godhead after leaving the present body. This depends on the sincerity of the devotee himself. The Lord is seated in the hearts of all living beings, and he knows well the movements of every individual person. And to that particular soul who is eager to go back to Godhead, He sends a bona fide spiritual master. When Maharaja Pariksit was hearing from Sukadeva Gosvami, he was receiving the direct help of the Lord Himself in the form of the instructions of his spiritual master. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, it is stated that after Krsna left the earth. He remained present in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, so hearing the Srimad-Bhagavatam can be taken to by all peoples as the panacea for the age of Kali. Hearing about the pastimes of the Lord and chanting His holy names will free everyone from the attack of maya, the illusory energy of the Lord.
All of us should follow in the footsteps of the pure devotee Maharaja Pariksit and glorify the Lord by hearing from the bona fide spiritual master. This was the answer given by Sukadeva to Maharaja Pariksit’s question. “What should we do at the time of death?” One should glorify God by hearing of His pastimes, as described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Surely that is the highest occupation for mankind. If one can simply do that, then there will be peace and prosperity, just as in the days when Maharaja Pariksit ruled the earth. Maharaja Pariksit controlled the corruption of the age of Kali, and there is every reason to believe this can be effected again today. By vigorous distribution of Krsna conscious literature, prasadam, and sankirtana or chanting the holy names, the age of Kali can be transformed into the golden age.
Tho’ I wait days, months, years
Tho’ I wait days, months, years
Vida Jurkovic (ISKCON Sydney)
Tho’ I wait days, months, years
For the moment when
My worthless eyes rest upon
Your divine face,
What will it matter?
For thou has given me shelter;
Thou has led me from
the darkest regions of nescience
By example
To surrender to the enchanting Lord.
O Prabhupada,
When will flowers of my devotion bloom
And be worthy to place
As an offering before thee?
I prepare for thy coming,
Chanting the holy name.
Ridding my mind of adulterated waste,
With zealous heart I shall say the name
Till it captivates my wandering consciousness.
In the silence of the temple I sit and chant,
Yearning for the sight of your holy face,
My only solace the name.
London Sankirtana
London Sankirtana
On the occasion of the appearance day of Lord Caitanya, thousands of Britishers heard the joyous vibration of Hare Krsna, the glorification of God’s holy name. According to the Bhagavad-gita, the devotee of Krsna is “always busy working for the welfare of all sentient beings.” The sufferings of humanity can be understood to be due to forgetfulness that Krsna (God) is the supreme enjoyer, the supreme proprietor and the supreme friend. Therefore, to revive Krsna consciousness within the entire human society is the highest welfare work. Hare Krsna!
Back to Godhead Magazine #38, 1970
Krishna Consciousness Temples
Krishna Consciousness Temples
ISKCON CENTERS
Amsterdam Holland Frissenstein 292, Bijlermeer
Atlanta Georgia 390 9th St. NE 30309
Baltimore Maryland 1300 N. Calvert St. 21202
Berkeley California 2710 Durant Ave. 94704
Boston Massachusetts 40 N. Beacon St. 02134
Boulder Colorado 623 Concord St. 80302
Buffalo New York 40 Englewood Ave. 14214
Calcutta India 37/1 Hindustan Rd. Ballyganj
Chicago Illinois 2210 N. Halstead 60614
Columbus Ohio 318 E. 20th Ave. 43201
Dallas Texas 5108 Mission St.
Detroit Michigan 8311 E. Jefferson 48214
Hamburg W. Germany 2000 Hamburg 6, Bartelstr. 65
Honolulu Hawaii 2016 McKinley St. 96822
Laguna Beach California 130 Woodland Drive 92651
London England 7 Bury Pl.,Bloomsbury,W.C.1
Los Angeles California 3764 Watseka Ave. 90034
Montreal Canada 3720 Park Ave.
New Vrndavana W. Virginia RD 3, Moundsville 26041
New York City New York 439 Henry St., Bklyn 11201
Paris France c/o Fein, 8 Rue Lacage, 14e
Philadelphia Pennsylvania 416 South 10th St. 19147
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 5480 Penn Ave. 15206
Portland Oregon 2111 E. Burnside
San Diego California 3689 Park Blvd. 92103
San Francisco California 518 Frederick St. 94117
San Jose California 397 South 11th St. 95112
Santa Barbara California 613 E. Victoria St. 93103
Seattle Washington 5516 Roosevelt Way 98105
St. Louis Missouri 4544 Leclede Ave. 63108
Sydney Australia 298 Birrell.St., Bondi, N.S.W
Tokyo Japan No. 6–16, 2 Chome Ohhashi, Meguro-ku
Toronto Canada 40 Beverly St., Ontario
Vancouver Canada 260 Raymur St. no. 305 B.C.
Washington D.C. 2015 Q Street N.W. 20008
An Ancient Science for Modern America
An Ancient Science for Modern America
by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Vedanta means the ultimate goal of knowledge. Formerly there was only one Vedic literature, known as the Atharva-veda. In the Atharva-veda Krsna’s name is mentioned, and He is described as the son of Devaki. Srila Jiva Gosvami has quoted from Atharva-veda in his commentary on Brahma-samhita. Atharva-veda is the original Veda.
Kali-yuga is considered to be very contaminated, for three fourths of the population is impious in this age, and officially only one fourth is pious, and that is also dwindling due to the strong influence of Kali; so before the beginning of this age, as a favor to the people, Vyasadeva divided the original Atharva-veda into four parts, Atharva-veda, Rg-veda, Sama-veda and Yajur-veda. Then he explained the Vedas by eighteen Puranas. Then he summarized the purpose of the Vedas in a historical form, the Mahabharata, taking advantage of the Battle of Kuruksetra, and gave it to the less intelligent human beings, to stri-sudra-dvijabandhu. Stri means woman, sudra means the working class of man, and dvijabandhu refers to those who are born in a high family like brahmana, ksatriya and vaisyas, but who are not actually qualified for their high position. For instance, in India there are many so-called brahmanas and ksatriyas. But today if one reads the Mahabharata he will find that it is difficult even for the greatest scholar of this age.
For instance, Bhagavad-gita is set up in the Mahabharata, and originally it was meant for the less intelligent. So one can just try to imagine what class of men existed in those days. Bhagavad-gita is such a lofty philosophical spiritual treatise, but it was taught to Arjuna in the battlefield. How much time can a person spare in a battlefield? And at the time he was about to fight and was deliberating, “Oh, why should I fight?” So some instruction was given by Krsna in half an hour, or at most one hour. And Arjuna understood the whole Bhagavad-gita. So what kind of man was Arjuna? This is the very Bhagavad-gita that even great scholars of this age cannot understand, and Arjuna understood it within half an hour. We can hardly imagine what class of men was present at that time. Arjuna was not even a brahmana. He was a military man, and a military man is not expected to be very scholarly, though he knows his own work.
In this way the Vedas were distributed in several forms and divisions so that people could take advantage of them. Formerly the Vedas were not in written language, being what is called sruti. Sruti refers to that knowledge which is learned simply by hearing. There was no need of noting down or cramming; they were so intelligent. The brahmacari system was so nice that students became very fertile in the brain and very receptive. For instance, even recently Lord Caitanya produced a hundred slokas immediately after hearing them from Kesava Kasmiri. Although Kesava Kasmiri was a very learned scholar and Lord Caitanya was only a sixteen-year-old boy, Lord Caitanya told Kesava Kasmiri, “I have heard that you are a great scholar, so please compose some nice verses in praise of Mother Ganges.” So he immediately composed a hundred verses, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard them and said, “Will you explain the sixty-fourth verse? Why have you said bhavani-bhartah?” Bhavani means the wife of Lord Siva, and bharta means husband. Caitanya Mahaprabhu pointed out that since bhavani means Lord Siva’s wife, it was redundant to mention bharta, husband. That means that she has another husband. This was a poetical fault. So he was astonished that a sixteen-year-old boy, a grammar student, could point out his mistake, and he felt defeated. Formerly, two scholars would argue, and if one were defeated he would accept the other as spiritual master and become his disciple. That was the challenge. It was not like nowadays, for now we go on talking for hours, and although someone is defeated he’ll never accept it.
The Highest Technology
Vedic literature is a vast literature, and it is complete. Every religion, every human society accepts God, or at least appreciates Him and says God is great, but no one knows how great God is. That information is available in the Vedas. In school, children may use a pocket dictionary, which gives brief definitions, but if they use a big dictionary, just like the International Dictionary or the Complete Oxford English Dictionary of many volumes, they will see that the descriptions are more complete and vivid for any given word. So those who are actually interested in the science of God will find ample opportunity in this Krsna consciousness movement. It is not that we are decrying any other religion. No. This is a postgraduate study of higher consciousness or God consciousness. Therefore there is no objection to any religious group coming to Krsna consciousness. Many students from India come to America for higher study in technology, so we are offering the higher study of learning how to love God. That is our program. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje.
The test of first-class religion is whether or not the followers are developing love of God. It doesn’t matter what that religion is. It may be Christian, Hindu or Mohammedan. If one is developing love of God, then his system of religion is first class. Of course every system of religion is nice, but as mentioned before, some are more complete. Desa-kala-parta. Desa means country, and kala means time, and parta means the receiver or the student. The Christian religion was taught in a different time. Now people are more advanced in education. And it was preached in a desert; the people were not very prosperous at that time. So they have some description of God. But Vedanta was compiled under different circumstances for a different audience and with a different view. Vedanta means to know God. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah. Veda means Knowledge, Ultimate Knowledge, which is to know God or Krsna. That is perfection of knowledge. Bahunam janmanam ante. After many, many births and cultivation of knowledge, when one comes to the point of understanding God or Krsna, that is perfection. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate. God is full of joyfulness, pleasure; He is the reservoir of pleasure. We are hankering after pleasure, but somehow or other we are already connected with the supreme pleasure. Everyone is connected. I am sitting here and you are sitting here, but without being connected with God we cannot sit even for a moment. God’s energies are working at all moments, otherwise the whole material world would be vanquished. So it is by the mercy of God. I am now speaking to you, but within a twinkling of the eye the whole body may be paralyzed immediately. Factually we are living at the present moment by the mercy of God. I am speaking to you by the mercy of God, and you are hearing by the mercy of God. The mercy of God is there. The prisoner is living at the cost of the government, even though he is in prison. Similarly, although we are in this conditional stage of life, we are living by the mercy of God. God’s mercy is there even if we are against Him, so how much more will His mercy be bestowed upon us when we are His devotees.
Therefore we should read this Vedic literature, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, Teachings of Lord Caitanya—there are volumes and volumes. One cannot even finish reading the Srimad-Bhagavatam in his whole life. These literatures are meant for human society, for advanced human society. One should therefore take advantage and make his life sublime. Labdhva su-durlabham idam bahu sambhavante. This life is obtained after many, many millions of births. That we do not know. Modern education, university education, is lacking here. They are simply after technology. Technology is good, for technology has produced this microphone, but don’t forget the real technology of life, how to understand God, how to love God. That is real technology. This other technology will be finished as soon as this body is finished. And if, by chance, my next life is something other than human life, then I will have no concern with technology.
Cleansing The Heart
Those who are intelligent should therefore try to know themselves, what is God, what is man, what is man’s relationship to God, what is this world, how it is working, what is this time, what are our activities. These are subjects for real knowledge, and these things can be learned in our Krsna consciousness movement. And by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra one can become fit to receive this knowledge because it will cleanse the heart of all contaminated dust and garbage. Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. By hearing of Krsna and His words, His message, the garbage of the heart will be cleansed and one will be able to see the situation of everything in true perspective. And then if one cultivates this knowledge of Krsna consciousness, his life will be successful and sublime.
I have come to America with a mission, and I think my mission will be successful. I thought that in India it would not be possible, but now, whenever I go to some American university, the Indian students take this as a trifle because they have rejected it. They want to imitate. Overnight they want to be technicians like Americans. So when they see that I have brought the Hare Krsna mantra to America, and that the American boys are chanting and dancing, they not only become surprised, but sorry that what they have rejected is being introduced and accepted here. So India’s position is not very nice because they are imitating. They are neither this way or that way. They are suffering. If a person tries to step on two boards at a time, he will drown. Indians are trying to imitate the Western technological, economic developments, but the people are not fit for that purpose. They are by nature Krsna conscious, and the modern leaders and government are trying to cut them down. So they are perplexed.
The History Of The Gita
But America is not poverty-stricken; it is rich; there is enough land and enough production, so everyone should be very satisfied and begin to make progress in Krsna consciousness. Americans have no economic problem, and yet they are searching after something. Somehow or other they are not satisfied with the Christian religion. On one hand, no one follows the principles, and on the other, it is not a complete science for modern America. But Krsna consciousness is complete. Bhagavad-gita is a complete science delivered by Krsna 5,000 years ago on this earth, and before that to the sun-god, as is stated at the beginning of the Fourth Chapter: The Blessed Lord said: “I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of Mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku.” Herein we find the history of the Bhagavad-gita traced from a remote time, when it was delivered to the kings of all planets. The royal order is especially dedicated to the protection of the inhabitants, and thus its members should also understand the science of the Bhagavad-gita, in order to rule the citizens and protect them from the onslaught of the material bondage to lust. Human life is meant for cultivation of spiritual knowledge, in eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the executive heads of all states and all planets are obliged to impart this lesson to the citizens, by education, culture, and devotion.
Therefore this science of Bhagavad-gita is not a new presentation. Just from these words we can understand that it was instructed to the sun-god Vivasvan. Just as this country’s executive head is called the President, similarly, there is a President or chief executive head also in the sun, and the present President’s name is Vivasvan. So everything is in full detail. This is called Vedic literature. Vedic literature is not concerned only with this planet; it deals with all the universal planets. For instance, Krsna says that in the beginning He explained this science of Bhagavad-gita to the predominating deity of the sun, whose name is Vivasvan. So do you think that Krsna is playing a joke or lying? No, that is not possible. He actually spoke to the god of the sun. Rascals and fools may think of Krsna as an ordinary man, but in India the great acaryas, like Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, acaryas who are guiding the whole destiny of the Hindu world, all accept Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So whatever Krsna is speaking is right. Now, if Krsna told this science to the sun-god, and the sun-god told it to his son Manu, then just imagine how old the science of Bhagavad-gita is. Apart from the sun-god’s duration of age, if we simply take the present age of the Vaivasvata Manu, which is 71 multiplied by 4,300,000 years, or three hundred and five million, three hundred thousand years, we will see that it is a very long duration of life. Now at the present moment the age of the Vaivasvata Manu is half finished. That means 152,650,000 years since Bhagavad-gita was spoken to Vivasvan.
So Bhagavad-gita is not a new thing; it is not a new adventure. And obviously the Person who spoke Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god did not leave a work which is to be distorted and interpreted by mundane man. He did not leave something that would require their interpolations for understanding. Must such a great Personality, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, tell something which has to be understood through the interpretations of a mundane scholar? Is this reasonable? No. Whatever He spoke is complete and clear. There is no question of interpreting it in a different way. For instance, the Blessed Lord said: “I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god Vivasvan.” What is the difficulty there? Is there any word which we cannot understand? Is there anyone who cannot understand these lines? It is clear. The Blessed Lord said: “I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god Vivasvan.” Everyone can understand that Krsna instructed this science of Bhagavad-gita or the yoga of Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god, whose name is Vivasvan. It is clear. How can we interpret this? But if I think that Krsna is an ordinary man and therefore would have difficulty speaking to the sun-god Vivasvan, then an interpretation is required. But that sort of thinking is not bona fide; if one wants to study Bhagavad-gita he has to take the words of Bhagavad-gita. “The Blessed Lord.” He is Lord. He can speak to the sun-god. The Lord is not like an ordinary man. Do we think that just because we cannot speak to the sun-god, Krsna cannot? That is our foolishness. Why should we calculate Krsna’s activities with our activities? Therefore, all the commentators who think that Krsna is an ordinary man are null and void. Their commentaries should not be accepted. All the commentaries in the market are simply presentations of the particular commentator’s personal view. That is not Bhagavad-gita. If one wants to understand Bhagavad-gita, then he should understand it as it was spoken and not interpret it in his own way.
God Is Not Cheap
Now, because an ordinary man might doubt that Krsna could speak to the sun-god, the next verse gives a fuller explanation. Because Arjuna is taking instructions from Krsna, he knows who Krsna is, otherwise he would not have accepted Him as his spiritual master. But because others would doubt that Krsna spoke to the sun-god, Arjuna said, “The sun-god Vivasvan is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him?” Arjuna is taking our position. People are thinking of Krsna as an ordinary person; therefore Arjuna is trying to clear up that point and show that Krsna is not an ordinary person but the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The sun-god, Vivasvan, is the father of Manu, and Manu’s age we cannot calculate. So how is it possible for an ordinary man to speak to Vivasvan? That point is being cleared. So what is Krsna’s reply? The Blessed Lord said, “Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot.” That is the difference between God and man. We cannot even remember what we did at this time yesterday. That is our nature: to commit mistakes, to forget, to be illusioned, to be cheated, and to have imperfect senses. These are our qualifications. Whoever is in this material world is subjected to be illusioned, and he has a cheating propensity. For instance, a mundane scholar, whom I do not wish to name, admits in his introduction that it is very difficult to interpret Bhagavad-gita in one’s own way because it is so tightly composed. Actually, it is so. Unless one contradicts himself, he cannot interpret Bhagavad-gita according to his own whims.
Arjuna, therefore, clears up the misconception that Krsna, the speaker of Bhagavad-gita, is an ordinary man. It is also in the Fourth Chapter that Krsna tells him: yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamy aham. “Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice and a predominant rise of irreligion, at that time I descend Myself.” (Bg. 4.7) Krsna appears and we also appear, but our appearance and Krsna’s appearance are different. We have appeared in this world forced by our karma, according to our past deeds. For instance, every one of us has different bodily features. Why? The body is made according to karma; that is the explanation of the difference. Although we cannot know, we can understand that our mentalities differ. We all act in different ways Therefore we are forced to accept certain types of bodies according to our own karma. But this is not the case with Krsna. Krsna does not change His body, but we change our bodies; forgetfulness means change of body. We had some types of bodies in our previous lives, but we have forgotten them. Not to speak of our last birth, we cannot even remember our childhood when we were three or four years old. We did so many things, but do we remember them? No, because we have changed our bodies—that child body is gone; therefore we have forgotten. We are changing bodies every second, every minute, and therefore we are forgetting every minute. But Krsna does not forget, and this means that He does not change bodies; His body is eternal. This is pure understanding of Krsna. Krsna says, “Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them.” Ah, many, many thousands and thousands of times Krsna has appeared in this world, and He remembers everything, but I cannot even remember my childhood. So, how can I become one with Krsna? These mayavadi philosophers are declaring that they are God, but what is their qualification that they can become God? God is not such a cheap thing. People have assumed that everyone can become God. That every one of us is God is another illusion, another maya concocted because we do not know what God is. Here is God. He says, “Many, many millions of years ago I spoke to the sun-god. I remember it.” This is God; the simple truth.
The Symptoms Of God
In the Brahma-samhita we have information of many, many incarnations of the Lord. It is stated there: “I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda [Krsna], who is the original person—absolute, infallible, without beginning, although expanded into unlimited forms, still the same original, the oldest—and the person always appearing as a fresh youth. Such eternal, blissful, all-knowing forms of the Lord are usually understood by the best Vedic scholars, but they are always manifest to pure, unalloyed devotees.” Krsna can expand Himself. That is God. Suppose a man is away and is wanted by some relative at home. If someone inquires whether Mr. Such and Such is at home, he is told, “No, he is not at home.” Krsna is not like that: Krsna, Goloka eva nivasati akhilatma-bhutah. He is present everywhere. It is not that because Krsna was speaking with Arjuna in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, He was not present in Goloka or in Vaikuntha. He is not only in Goloka, Vaikuntha—He is everywhere, as is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Krsna is also here. Now, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati. Krsna is in everyone’s heart. Therefore advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam. Ananta means unlimited. But one, advaita. There is no difference. As a crude example, unlimited factories are running on electricity, and different types of work are utilizing electric energy, but the electricity is one. Similarly, God is one, but He can expand. That is His potency.
In the Bhagavad-gita, Thirteenth Chapter, Krsna says idam sariram kaunteya ksetram ity abhidhiyate etad yo vetti tam prahuh ksetrajna iti tad-vidah. (Bg. 13.3) “The living entity is the proprietor or the knower of the particular body.” But He says again, ksetrajnam capi mam viddhi. “I am also the knower of this particular body.” Sarva-ksetresu bharata: “I am the knower in all bodies.” So He is in every body, in every atom. That is Krsna. Now I am living in my body, and if there is pain here, I can understand that here is a pain, but if there is some pain in another’s body, I cannot understand it. Therefore, I am different from others. But Krsna can understand what is pain and pleasure in my body and what is pain and pleasure in everyone else’s body as well. That is Krsna. Sarva-ksetre, ah, that is God! Not that simply by thinking that I am God, I become God. How can anyone become God? Can a self-proclaimed God tell me what another person is thinking? No. Then what kind of God is he? Don’t accept a cheap God; know the symptoms of God.
Our Dormant Relationship
Advaitam acyutam ananta-rupam. He is an ananta, unlimited. In the Vedas it is stated, nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. There are unlimited living entities, unlimited eternals, but there is one Supreme cetana, one supreme eternal, supreme entity. And what is the difference between the singular entity and the plural entities? That is also answered: eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. That singular entity is supplying all necessities to all the plural entities. Can’t we see how God is supplying all the necessities of life to the birds, beasts and everyone? But because we are civilized we do not acknowledge this. The birds and animals also do not acknowledge this, but should we become just like animals, denying the existence of God, the authority of God? We are taking advantage. If Krsna does not supply us this sunlight, we will die. But He gives it, and He does not charge anything. And because we are human beings, we should try to repay. “Oh, Krsna is giving me so much facility. Let me render some service unto Him.” This is Krsna consciousness, acknowledging. “O God, You are so kind. You are giving us so many things, so I am offering this fruit. It is Your fruit, I know, but still, please accept.” If one can do this, then one becomes a great Krsna conscious personality, and Krsna says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. (Bg. 9.20)
Krsna does not want anything from anyone; Krsna is complete in Himself. He can produce countless nice things. He is not begging, but still He is expecting something because He is supplying so many things. Isn’t something expected? “Ah, I give so many things to my friend, but he does not offer me anything.” Krsna is complete in Himself, but He says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. “Anyone who offers Me a little fruit, a little water and a little leaf, I accept it because he has brought it with devotional love.” If Krsna accepts our offering, then our life becomes sublime. That is Krsna consciousness; we simply have to acknowledge. We are getting so many facilities from Krsna. He is sitting in our heart and supplying all necessities giving sunlight, moonlight, giving seasonal rains, food, flowers, grains. And we are so ungrateful that we do not acknowledge. And when Christians go to church, they say, “Oh, God, give us our daily bread.” That is all right; Krsna is supplying bread, otherwise wherefrom are we getting bread? We cannot manufacture bread in the factory. Or wheat, or rice. We can manufacture some iron tools, that’s all. Not eatables. That is not possible. Grains and good eatables are supplied by Krsna. So we must try to understand Krsna consciousness, God consciousness, in this way, and then our dormant relationship with God will be revived.
The Central Point
Ceto-darpana-marjanam. Lord Caitanya has said that by revival of Krsna consciousness the dirty things accumulated in our heart will be dissipated immediately. Then we shall see—“Oh, this is my position! I am Krsna’s, and Krsna is mine.” So although Krsna is present everywhere, as it is stated here, Krsna is the original father. Anadi means the original personality. We find in the Bhagavad-gita: sarva-yonisu kaunteya murtayah sambhavanti yah tasam brahma mahad-yonir aham bija-pradah pita. (Bg. 14.4) “In every species of life, in all types of forms of life, the mother is this material nature, and I am the seed-giving father “ The father is the seed-giving agent, and the mother gives the body.
So this material nature is our mother. According to the Vedic conception, there are seven kinds of mother, not just one 1) Adau mata—the real mother from whom I have taken birth. 2) Guror patni—the wife of the spiritual master. 3) brahmani—the wife of a brahmana, learned scholar, who is also a guru because from a learned scholar we learn so many things. 4) rajapatnika—the queen. Now there is no king and queen, but formerly there were. The queen is also a mother because the king is father since he gives protection to the citizens. 5) dhenu—the cow is our mother. Why? It supplies milk. Yet cows are being butchered. That’s not good—killing mother. 6) dhatr—material nature is also mother because by the material nature we get these bodies, and 7) the earth, for the earth gives us all our resources.
So if we study Vedic literature very nicely and try to understand it, then our life will be sublime. This Krsna consciousness movement is giving all the authoritative information from Vedic literature. We are not manufacturing anything. We are not empiric philosophers presenting some mental concoction. Therefore we have presented Bhagavad-gita As It Is. This is our business, just like a postman’s business is to deliver it as it is. Similarly, our business is to present Krsna’s message as it is. This is the duty of the spiritual master. A spiritual master is not grown like a tree; he is carrying the message from higher authorities, as Krsna states: “I told this message to Vivasvan, the sun-god. He told it to his son Iksvaku.” So there is no difficulty in administering this Vedic message to the world provided we simply carry the same message as it was delivered by Krsna unto Arjuna. That’s not very difficult. Anyone can do it. Simply try to understand Bhagavad-gita As It Is and distribute it. “Krsna says this—that’s all.” We don’t have to comment or add anything. Of course to present it we can speak something, but the central point should not be missed. Then people will be benefited, for they will receive the message as it is.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, Amarajnaya guru haiya tarasarva-des. “Every one of you become a spiritual master.” Not one or two, but everyone. Is being a spiritual master a very difficult job? No. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says Amar ajnaya. “Just try to carry out My order, that’s all. Then you become spiritual master.” But if we interpolate, if we add some rubbish to show off our education, then it will be immediately spoiled. And if we present it as it is, then it’s pure.
Ancient Science, Always New
Avaisnava mukhodgirna puta hari-kathamrta sravanam na kartavyam sarpocchista payah yatha. This message of Bhagavad-gita is Hari-katha. Hari means the Supreme Lord, His word. One is warned not to try to hear this message of Hari or the Supreme Lord from rascal nondevotees. Why? Milk is a very nutritious food, but if a little milk is touched by the tongue of a serpent, it is all spoiled. Therefore this parampara system: evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh. “The Blessed Lord told it to Vivasvan, Vivasvan told Manu, etc.” Rajarsayah. Formerly the kings were given the instruction because they were responsible for the citizens’ spiritual life, not only for material prosperity. That is the verdict of Vedic literature. The father is responsible, the teacher is responsible, the king is responsible, and the husband is responsible for the development of the spiritual life of their dependents. The Srimad-Bhagavatam says that if you cannot develop the spiritual life of your dependent, then don’t become a spiritual master, don’t become a teacher, don’t become a father, don’t become a husband. These things are restricted.
Try to understand this Vedic science. Bhagavad-gita is the essence of Vedic knowledge, and it is being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Krsna. If we try to understand it as it is, then our lives become sublime and we will feel joyful always, anandamayo ’bhyasat. By nature we are joyful, but what is that nature? That’s spiritual nature, not material nature. Manah sasthani indriyani prakrti-sthani karsati. If we remain in material nature, then our struggle for existence will continue. It will never stop. But if we take to this spiritual nature, Brahman nature, then we will immediately become joyful. Everyone is hankering after joy and happiness. This is the way, this Vedic knowledge which is Krsna consciousness. It is an ancient science which is eternally new. Modern America has reached a stage of civilization where it is ready to ask important questions. This science, as always, is ready with the answers.
Karma-yoga-Action in Krsna Consciousness, Part 5
Karma-yoga-Action in Krsna Consciousness, Part 5
by Kirtanananda Swami
(ISKCON—Calcutta)
[Editor’s note: This is the fifth of a series of eighteen essays on the chapters of Bhagavad-gita.]
As the Fifth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita opens, Arjuna is asking Krsna practically the same question he asked at the beginning of the Third Chapter, namely whether there is a difference between renounced action and inaction or between knowledge and devotional service, and if so, which is better. He says that he is confused: “Now will You kindly tell me definitely which of the two is more beneficial.” One may wonder why such a great devotee of Krsna should be confused after so much instruction from the Supreme Person, how after listening to the close reasoning of the Third and Fourth Chapters Arjuna still has question in his mind. But we must keep in mind that Arjuna is not simply asking questions for his own sake; actually, Arjuna is an eternally liberated associate of Krsna’s. As such, there is no question in his mind, but because Arjuna has been placed in the position of ignorance by Krsna’s yogamaya for the benefit of the conditioned soul, he is, therefore, asking the questions on the part of the conditioned soul. Therefore he is repeating them in so many ways so that Krsna can have a chance to explain still more elaborately, just to erase every possibility of doubt. Repetition of a thing is necessary to understand it perfectly.
Work In Devotion
In the Second Chapter preliminary knowledge of the soul and its entanglement in the body were explained; how to get out of this entanglement by the method of buddhi-yoga was also explained therein. In the Third Chapter it was explained that a person who is on the platform of knowledge no longer has any duty to perform; and in the Fourth Chapter the Lord told Arjuna that all kinds of sacrificial work culminate in knowledge. However, at the end of the Fourth Chapter the Lord advised Arjuna to wake up and fight, being situated in perfect knowledge. Therefore by simultaneously stressing the importance of work in devotion and inaction through knowledge, Krsna has perplexed Arjuna and confused his determination. Arjuna understands that renunciation in knowledge involves cessation of all kinds of work involving sense gratificatory activities, but if one performs work in devotional service, how is work stopped? In other words, Arjuna has not quite understood that work in knowledge is as good as renunciation or inactive knowledge, that work in devotional service, because it is nonreactive, is transcendentally the same in result as inaction in knowledge. So Krsna will more elaborately explain that these two are actually one.
In the second verse Krsna says: “The renunciation of work and work in devotion are both good for liberation. But, of the two, work in devotional service is better than renunciation of work.” Fruitive activities are the cause of material bondage, and action performed for Krsna is the cause of liberation. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam this is confirmed as follows: “People are mad after sense gratification, and they do not know that this present body, which is full of miseries, is a result of one’s fruitive activities in the past. Although this body is temporary, it is always giving one trouble in many ways, and therefore to act for sense gratification is not good. One is considered to be a failure in life as long as he makes no inquiry about the nature of fruitive results, for as long as one is engrossed in the consciousness of sense gratification, one has to transmigrate from one body to another. Although the mind may be engrossed in fruitive activities and influenced by ignorance, one must develop a love for devotional service to Vasudeva. Only then can one have the opportunity to get out of the bondage of material existence.” (Bhag., 5.5.4–6)
The Purifying Process
Therefore simply to have theoretical knowledge that “I am not this body” is not sufficient for liberation. Factual liberation means to know that the spirit soul is different from the body and then to act on that knowledge. Simply knowing theoretically that “I am not this body” is theoretical liberation, but real liberation means acting as if I am not this body. Aham brahmasmi: “I am Brahman.” Liberation is a matter of activity, because constitutionally the spirit soul is always active. The spirit soul is never inactive at any point, either before or after liberation Therefore one who only knows theoretically that “I am not this body” and never acts on that platform, is not factually liberated. But one who acts in Krsna consciousness, or acts in knowledge that aham brahmasmi is of course liberated from the very beginning; and the action itself, which is performed as a sacrifice for Krsna or Visnu, is itself the purifying process, purifying the consciousness of all the dirty things accumulated for millions and millions of births.
As Krsna will tell Arjuna at the beginning of the next chapter, the real sannyasi, or person truly situated in renunciation, is not he who lights no sacrificial fire, or does no work, but he who is unattached to the fruits of his action; that is, he who does everything as an offering to the Lord. Renunciation becomes complete when it is in the knowledge that everything belongs to Krsna and that therefore I must use everything as if it is Krsna’s. This is action based on knowledge. Similarly, it is the conclusion of Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Bhakti-rasamrta-sindu that renunciation of things related to the Supreme, simply for the cause of liberation, even though those things appear material, is incomplete renunciation. Real renunciation means to renounce this idea of “I” and “mine.” This is called false ego. Real ego is all right—the sense of identity with Krsna: “I am Krsna’s”—but false ego means to claim Krsna’s property as our own. Actually everything belongs to Krsna, but I am making a false claim: therefore the only thing I can possibly renounce is this false claim—everything else is Krsna’s.
The Soul Of Existence
The conclusion of knowledge is service. This perfect form of action in Krsna consciousness is far better than any amount of artificial renunciation by a sannyasi or renounced person of the impersonalist school. So as long as one has not engaged his energies, both personal and extended, in the service of Krsna, his renunciation is incomplete, and his knowledge is incomplete. Krsna says: “Only the ignorant speak of karma-yoga and devotional service as being different from the analytical study of the material world [sankhya]. Those who are actually learned say that he who applies himself well to one of these paths achieves the results of both.” (4) Actually Krsna had already stated this in the 39th verse of the Second Chapter, and again in the third verse of the Third Chapter. Both of these paths are ultimately the same, Krsna said, because the goal is the same. The aim of the analytical study of the material world is to find out the soul of existence, Krsna, or the Supersoul; so by this speculative process one comes gradually to the conclusion, as explained in the Seventh Chapter, that Krsna is everything; and when one understands that He is everything, there is nothing else to do but to surrender in full devotional service. So the real student of sankhya philosophy ultimately finds the root of the material world, Visnu or Krsna, and then in perfect knowledge engages himself in the service of the Lord; whereas the bhakta engages in the service of the Lord from the very beginning. Therefore, Krsna says that devotional service is better, although in essence there is no difference in the two. But as long as one is not engaged in the service of Krsna and does not know that the two are one in conclusion, he has neither satisfied the demands of knowledge or service. So Krsna repeats this statement in the fifth verse. “One who knows that the position reached by means of renunciation can also be attained by devotional service, and who therefore sees that sankhya and yoga are on the same level, sees things as they are.”
Krsna has therefore established the point that the paths are the same because the goal is the same. In either case if one completes the course, one achieves Krsna; of that there is no doubt. But of the two, Krsna has also made clear that one is better. The second verse clearly states: “Of the two, work in devotional service is better than renunciation of works.” Similarly, in the 47th verse of the Sixth Chapter Krsna tells Arjuna that of all yogis “He who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service is most intimately united with Me.” And if we will recall the 7th verse of the Third Chapter: “He who controls the senses by the mind and engages his active organs in works of devotion without attachment is by far superior.” So this conclusion that work in devotional service is superior to mere renunciation in so-called knowledge cannot be overlooked. Work in Krsna consciousness is automatically perfect knowledge, but mere renunciation of work is not necessarily Krsna consciousness. After all, Arjuna wanted to renounce fighting and go to the forest for meditation, and Lord Krsna heartily disapproved.
In the 6th–11th verses Krsna explains exactly why this is so. Verse 6 says: “Unless one is engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, mere renunciation of activities cannot make one happy. The sage, purified by the works of devotion, achieves the Supreme without delay.” As explained in this and the subsequent verses, Krsna consciousness is a process of purification. And what is that purification? It is a clearing away of the material contamination. And what is that material contamination? It is action from time immemorial based on the principles of sense gratification, action based on the concept of “I” and “mine,” and action, predicating the false ego, based on “I am lord of all I survey.” This is the condition that we have inherited, and since time immemorial we have been carrying out these activities; and now to simply try to stop them cold with nothing to replace them will not help us. Krsna says that it is not possible to stop action, for even the maintenance of the body requires action. Just as a giant rolling stone may not be stopped dead in its course, but with a very little effort its direction can be changed, so too activity cannot be stopped, but the direction can be changed, and that change is called purification, or Krsna consciousness. “Formerly I have been engaged in all these activities for my sense gratification. Now let me do them for the satisfaction of Hrsikesa, Krsna, the proprietor of all senses. Gratifying my senses will simply bind me further in the slavery of material bondage, but satisfying Krsna will release me at once and forever.” So in the eighth and ninth verses it says that “A person in the divine consciousness, although engaged in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving about, sleeping, and breathing, always knows within himself that he actually does nothing at all.” And the tenth verse says that such a person is unaffected by the sinful or pious reactions of his deeds, “as the lotus leaf is untouched by water.”
The Pleasure Within
In all the Vedic hymns it is indicated that everything in the material world is a manifestation of Brahman and that all the effects are but differently manifested and are nondifferent from the cause. Similarly, in Sri Isopanisad it is stated that everything is related to the Supreme Brahman, or Krsna, and thus everything belongs to Him only. One who knows perfectly well that everything belongs to Krsna, that He is the ultimate proprietor of everything, and that everything is engaged in His service, naturally has nothing to do with the results of his activities, whether virtuous or sinful, exactly as the lotus leaf, although remaining in the water, is never wet. Therefore Krsna’s instructions throughout Bhagavad-gita are “unto Me,” “surrender to Me,” “think of Me,” “be devoted to Me.” Always unto “Me,” Krsna. The conclusion is that such a person in Krsna consciousness is already liberated, free from the concept of the material body and senses, for he knows that even this body belongs to Krsna and should therefore be engaged cent percent in the service of Krsna. And what is the position of a person so purified? Krsna says in verse 17: “When one’s intelligence, mind, faith, and refuge are all fixed in the Supreme, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation.”
Because the devotee’s every action is dedicated to Krsna, naturally his intelligence, his mind, and his faith and refuge are all fixed in the Supreme. In such a happy condition one becomes fully cleansed of all misgivings through complete knowledge. Misgivings mean doubts. There are so many doubts that beset the struggling neophyte—the senses are so strong, Krsna asserts at one point, that they carry away the mind of even an intelligent man. But because one has acted only for Krsna, he is said to be steady, and therefore in possession of real knowledge: aham brahmasmi, “I am not this body; I am part and parcel of the Supreme, Krsna.” Everything is a manifestation of that Supreme Spirit; therefore one proceeds straight on the path of liberation. Liberated from what? Liberated from this material body, or bodily conception of existence. Verse 21 says: “Such a liberated person is not attracted to material sense pleasure, but is always in trance, enjoying the pleasure within. In this way, the self-realized person enjoys unlimited happiness, for he concentrates on the Supreme.”
Material bondage means that I am in bondage to my senses, and that they are forcing me to act other than I might want to. Just as Arjuna asks Krsna what it is that forces a man to commit sin, even against his will; and just as St. Paul confessed, “That which I would do, I do not, and that which I do, I would not.” So even where the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. The senses are constantly dictating to us: “Now feed me.” Actually, as it is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, everything in the material world is “food and looking for food.” All living entities are food for some other living entity, and similarly they are preying on some poor creature. Similarly, each of the senses is looking for its food, and the objects of the senses are its food, the only difference being that the senses are never satiated, any more than a fire is extinguished by a lavish supply of gasoline. Therefore it is said that the senses are on fire; taste is on fire; sight is on fire; touch is on fire; hearing is on fire; smelling is on fire; and finally, the mind itself is on fire. Everything is on fire, and the only thing that can extinguish it is the mercy of the spiritual master, which is likened to the gentle action of the rain that can extinguish any forest fire: samsara-davanala-lidha-loka.
Twenty-four hours a day the conditioned soul is being kicked by material nature in the form of lust: first kicked by the party of lust for some pleasant sight, or some pleasant sound, or being forced to go here or go there in search of some satisfaction, some intoxication, or some sex pleasure; and then if one is not satisfied, which one never is, he is angry. So on the rebound he is kicked by the party of anger. First lust, then anger; that is the cosmic football game being played at the expense of the forgetful living entity under the stringent rules of material nature. But by the grace of the bona fide spiritual master, one can immediately be freed from this bondage simply by following in the footsteps of Krsna and Arjuna. Krsna is the original spiritual master, and Arjuna is the original student, and the key to success in self-realization is to hear in the same way that Arjuna heard. The spiritual master is the actual representative of Krsna because he speaks nothing but what Krsna spoke. Anyone who adds to or takes away from what Krsna said cannot be bona fide, and one who wants to “interpret” Krsna’s words is the greatest pretender. Krsna’s words are Absolute and need no interpretation. After all, what kind of ego is it that thinks, “I can improve on or explain the message of the Supreme Person”? Are we to suppose that He was not capable of saying it another way if it would have been clearer? This is sheer madness. Furthermore, we have the absolute check of Arjuna. How did Arjuna understand Krsna? So the spiritual master, who is presenting the words of Krsna exactly as Krsna spoke them and exactly as Arjuna understood them, is a bona fide spiritual master, and as such, it is he alone who can deliver the fallen soul from its pitiable condition.
Standards Of Pleasure
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
So in this 21st verse Krsna is explaining the characteristics of the liberated soul. A person situated in transcendence is not attracted, Krsna says, by the pleasures of the material world, for he is always in “trance.” That trance does not mean sleep or some unconscious state, but steadiness of mind, a mind fixed on the Supersoul, or supreme goal Krsna. In that condition, the verse says, one is always enjoying the pleasure within. Unlimited happiness is his, it says, because Krsna is the reservoir of all pleasure. The name Krsna means all-attractive, and by His omnipotence He has endowed His name with full potency so that in the name of Krsna we can attain all pleasure; simply by chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare one has access to all pleasure.
Krsna is the reservoir of all pleasure. Krsna is the reservoir of all opulence, all beauty, all wealth, all fame, all strength, all knowledge, and all renunciation. Thus He is the reservoir of all pleasure. Whatever pleasure there appears to be in the material world variously reflected, it is but a reflection of this supreme pleasure, Krsna. So the devotee who is merged in the thought of Krsna is drinking deeply at that pleasure well, and because he is obtaining some higher pleasure, he has no desire for a lesser pleasure. Actually, we are all seeking pleasure, and we must go where we find pleasure. Therefore if a man is not finding pleasure in Krsna he will seek it elsewhere; that is for certain. Similarly, if a man is finding pleasure in Krsna, he will not seek it elsewhere. So verse 22 says, “An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.” How can sensory contacts, which are temporary and ephemeral, compare to the pleasure of Krsna, which is eternal, always blissful, and fully cognizant? In the Eighteenth Chapter Krsna says that there is a happiness “which at the beginning may be like poison, but at the end is like nectar.” And similarly, there is another pleasure, which “appears at the beginning like nectar, but at the end is like poison.”
The Ultimate Purpose
Because sensory pleasures are all temporary, in the end they leave nothing but ashes in the mouth. They are like poison, and so the wise have nothing to do with them. And here it is clearly stated that a person who is liberated, and in Krsna consciousness, has no desire for them. It is not simply that he refrains from them, but he has actually lost the taste. That means that he is actually drinking of the pleasure of Krsna. It is something like being asked to eat a second time after being fully satisfied by good food. Sri Yamunacarya, a great devotee in Krsna consciousness, said: “Since I have been engaged in the transcendental loving service of Krsna, realizing every new encouragement in the matter of self pleasure, whenever I think of sex pleasure I spit at the thought, and my mouth becomes bitter with distaste.” A person in Krsna consciousness is so absorbed in Krsna that he has no taste for sense pleasure, not even the highest form of material pleasure, sex pleasure. Actually, the whole world is moving under the spell of this sex motivation, but a person in Krsna consciousness is free from such bondage and works with greater vigor as a result. This is the test of spiritual progress, namely, how much am I becoming detached from matter, or how much taste do I have for sense pleasure? Just as the test for a man’s recovery from disease is the gradual decrease in fever, so when the fever of sense gratification goes down one knows well that he is making advancement. So as long as I am still feeling some desire for material sense pleasure, I should know well that I am not yet fully situated in that transcendental position of drinking freely from the well of Krsna, for when that day comes, certainly I will spit at the highest conceptions of this material world.
In the Padma Purana it is stated, “My dear sons there is no reason to work very hard for sense pleasures in this life. Such pleasures are available to the stool-eaters [hogs]. Rather, you should undergo penance in this life whereby your existence will be purified, and as a result you will be able to enjoy unlimited transcendental bliss.” So by this process of purification, by acting in Krsna consciousness, one comes to the position of the healthy life, of actually feeling the pleasure of Krsna, or transcendental bliss. This process of purification, or action in Krsna consciousness, is at once both the path and the goal. As Krsna says in the last verse of the chapter, “The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.” No one is free from the pangs of material miseries, just as no one is free from the demands of the senses, but by knowing Krsna as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifice and austerities, one can engage in the transcendental loving service of Krsna and thereby be completely released.
Transcendental Service
Under the spell of illusion, living entities are trying to be lords of all they survey, but actually they are dominated by the material energy of the Lord. The Lord is the master of the material energy, as He is of all energies, and the conditioned souls are under the stringent rules of this material nature. Unless and until one understands these bare facts it is not possible to achieve peace in this world, either individually or collectively. This is the sense of Krsna consciousness, that Lord Krsna is the supreme predominator, and that all living entities, including the great demigods, are His subordinates. One can attain perfect peace only in complete Krsna consciousness. But by cultivation of this Krsna consciousness, of this consciousness that “Krsna is the Supreme and I am His servant,” one comes into a position to understand that Krsna is the well-wisher and benefactor of all living entities, and thereby attains peace. Actually, Krsna as the supreme predominator is not in need of anything. He is full of all opulence. Therefore, He needs nothing from His creation; but His creation is always dependent on Him. He is in a position to supply everything. Because we are His parts and parcels, it is our position to render transcendental loving service. We are supplying transcendental loving service to Krsna, and actually Krsna is supplying everything to us. In this transcendental exchange of love we can know Krsna as the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
True Happiness Must be Eternal
True Happiness Must be Eternal
by Upendra dasa Adhikari
(ISKCON-Sydney)
Sri Brahma-samhita is one of the oldest Vedic scriptures, and it is accepted by Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu (an incarnation of Krsna Himself who appeared 484 years ago) as the essence of Vaisnava (Krsna conscious) philosophy. The first verse of the Fifth Chapter of Sri Brahma-samhita reads: “Krsna, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, and He is the Prime Cause of all causes.” And in the thirty-eighth verse of the same chapter: “I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Syamasundara, Krsna Himself, with inconceivable, innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.”
“Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami.” Our program in Krsna consciousness is to worship the Supreme Lord, Govinda, Sri Krsna. Those who are serious about yoga or spiritual life must necessarily go to the yoga authorities for genuine spiritual knowledge. Just as, if one wants to be a doctor, one must study with a doctor, similarly, to have spiritual realization one must associate with those who are accepted as mahatmas, great souls. The qualifications of such great souls are described by Lord Krsna in Bhagavad-gita, Chapter Nine, verse 14, to quote one of many verses which confirm the same principle: “They are always engaged in chanting My glories. Endeavoring with great determination, offering homage unto Me, they worship Me with devotion.” In the Western world there is one such mahatma, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. My preceptor, Srila Prabhupada, is all that I know, and hence all that I can relate to you is simply what I have heard from his pure lips.
In the material world, whether one is American or Australian, communist or capitalist, Christian or Jew, black or white, there is one common platform: everyone wants to be happy. From the Vedas we learn that there are two processes to gain happiness: the material and the spiritual. It is self-evident that material life cannot give us happiness. There is no use arguing that a materialistic man can be happy, at least according to the definition of true happiness given in the Vedic texts. According to the Vedic definition, true happiness must be eternal; it must have a permanent basis. It cannot be limited in any way. Happiness in the material world, however is always limited by unavoidable material miseries. These miseries are of three kinds: adhyatmic, adhibhautic, and adhidaivic. Adhyatmic miseries pertain to the body and mind For example, sometimes our metabolism is upset, or there is sometimes fear, bodily pain, etc. Sometimes we suffer great losses, and this results in mental distress. Adhibhautic suffering is due to other living entities. For example there are miseries caused by germs, mosquitos, bedbugs, and human enemies also. This is called adhibhautic suffering. Adhidaivic suffering is due to the laws of providence or material nature. For example there are calamities caused by earthquakes, storms, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc. Sometimes there is too much heat, and sometimes there is too much cold. These are called adhidaivic miseries.
We are all trying to adjust to these problems of life. The whole social structure of human civilization is meant for getting relief from these three types of miseries. And every day one will hear so many prescriptions for relief: “Take Anacin and get fast, fast, fast relief!” “Things go better with Coca-Cola.” The merchants have their prescriptions, the philosophers give their advice for relief, the politicians promise cessation of troubles, and even the atheists have some opinion on how to get relief, from material complexity.
Sometimes mere freedom from problems and miseries is taken to be happiness; that is, one may say, “If I can just get rid of my toothache, then I will be happy,” or “If I can just pay the debts for my car, then I will be happy,” and so on. This sort of happiness is likened to that of a man tied to a dunking stool. In colonial America a public offender would sometimes be punished by being tied to a dunking stool, dunked in a tank of water until his lungs almost burst, and then raised up again for a breath of air. The pleasure derived from this gasp of air is likened to the pleasure available in the material world. The person is thinking, “Ah, at last—air! How nice!” But no sooner does he swallow the air than down again he goes for another turn; and likewise our insignificant pleasures are quickly forgotten as we, time and again, are plunged into the ocean of incessant material complexities. True happiness, true freedom, is to be free from this punishment altogether.
There are those who will say, “Ah! These Hare Krsna people are just escapists. They cannot face up to life.” And our reply is simply, “Yes, we are escapists. You stay here; we will leave!” And as for facing up to life: My friends, is this life? In this world there is death at every step. Every time a day goes by we are not one day older, but one day closer to death. The whole world is struggling hard to live off one another. This is a proven fact. So, according to Krsna consciousness, all one needs to do to get out of this illusory suffering is to change one’s consciousness. That is all. All suffering is due to a lack of knowledge. And, as stated before, knowledge can be achieved by associating with authorities.
As soon as our original consciousness becomes polluted by material enjoyment, i.e., as soon as we desire to “lord it over” matter, then our troubles begin. Everyone from the smallest ant to Brahma, the engineer of this particular universe, is trying to become the lord or controller. For example, in the United States there is regular competition for the presidential position. The various candidates promise solutions to problems in return for votes, but actually what they really want is position, power. This is maya, illusion.
Krsna consciousness is the opposite. In Krsna consciousness, under the guidance of Srila Prabhupada, our spiritual master, we are trying to become the servants of the servant of the servant—one hundred times the servant of the servant—of Krsna. Modern thinking might dictate that this is slave mentality. But no, it is not slave mentality; it is our constitutional position. Whether I am Christian, Jew or atheist, still I must serve. I serve my country or my family or my pets, or when I am hungry I serve my stomach; and ultimately I must serve the stringent laws of material nature—birth, death, disease and old age. So we are always servants. But under the illusion of being masters of this world, we have become servants of our senses. What a nasty position!
One should just agree to become a servant of Sri Krsna because, as stated above, servants we all must be. We are serving our lust, avarice, anger, greed, etc., and in the higher stages we are servants of humanity or the state or our country. But underneath the desire to serve one’s country, society or whatever, the actual purpose is to become the master. This is maya, illusion, again.
There is absolutely no doubt. No one can say that he is free, that he is master. If one thinks like that, then that is maya. Just serving the senses does not solve our miseries. The intoxications of wine, women, drugs, cinemas, novels, etc., are all artificial; there must always be “comedowns”; and “I am servant” always remains.
Why all this trouble? We are forced to serve something or someone that we don’t want to serve, but still we are reluctant to serve Krsna. I remember once in our Seattle center one boy asked Srila Prabhupada, “How come I don’t feel like bowing down to you or to Krsna?” Srila Prabhupada answered, “That is your disease. You are thinking that you are better than everyone or at least that no one is better than you, and so you will not bend. That is your skin disease.” There is a disease called yellow jaundice, and in India that disease is so dangerous that sometimes people die from it. But the cure is simple: sugar. A patient suffering from jaundice takes sugar as his medicine. One symptom of jaundice, however, is that to a person afflicted with this disease, sugar tastes so bitter that he wants to spit it out. But if he just goes on taking his medicine, then he becomes cured and again tastes this sugar medicine as sweet. Krsna consciousness is sometimes like that for those of us who are suffering from the “skin disease” of thinking ourselves to be Australian, American, etc., or in other words of identifying with the material body. Afflicted by such a spiritual sickness, we really can’t appreciate genuine spiritual pleasure. “I have tried chanting Hare Krsna,” a person might say, “and of course it doesn’t do anything for me.” But if that person would just use his intelligence enough to take the spiritual medicine (the chanting of Hare Krsna) and eat the prescribed diet (prasadam, food offered to Krsna), then very shortly he would taste his medicine to be as sweet as nectar.
How should we use our intelligence? An example may be given. We might pass a store and see sweetmeats we like. Our mind says, “Ah, candy! Go purchase some,” and our body obeys. But if we are suffering from an illness, then even though the mind might want some candy, our intelligence tells us no. If we indulge, then the illness will be prolonged or worsened, and so we abstain. Similarly, in the everyday situation of material consciousness, we must use our intelligence to regulate our indulgence in habits of sense gratification. By indulging in intoxication and unrestricted sex life, one may derive some pleasure, but this pleasure is temporary and impure. Although it appears nectarean, it will soon turn to poison. Material consciousness is a disease which is merely worsened by unrestricted sense gratification. The process of treatment recommended by authorities is Krsna consciousness, and although to some this process is not appealing at first, anyone who accepts it will quickly find it sweet. In Bhagavad-gita we find that although Krsna is the Supreme Lord, He agreed to serve Arjuna as his chariot driver. This is the sublime relationship between Krsna and His devotees. If, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, one just becomes a pure lover of Krsna, then Krsna will become his servant. This is a very elevated realization.
We must transfer our service attitude so that by our service we can satisfy everyone. This can be easily accomplished by developing our Krsna consciousness. If one waters the root of a tree, then all the leaves will be nourished automatically. Similarly, if we just try to love Krsna and serve the bona fide spiritual master, then, because Krsna is the root of everything and we are like leaves, we will be satisfied, everyone else will be satisfied, and it is then that we can truly have universal brotherhood. Sentimental peace moratoriums will never be a solution. They simply waste time. We clamor for brotherhood, but we are not willing to serve the Father. Before there can be peace on earth there must be peace in the heart. No number of committee meetings or United Nations assemblies will bring about the peace for which we are all anxious. Krsna is peace eternal, and if one just makes the connection with Him through a bona fide spiritual master such as His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, then one will have peace and will be able to transmit that peace to others.
There is a prayer that says: “So long have I served my senses. Even what I should not have done I have done by the dictation of lust.” When one is a slave to lust, then he is forced to do things he would not ordinarily do. Someone might say, “You have served your senses. That is all right. Go on—enjoy your senses.” But the prayer continues: “I have served so much, but I find that my senses are still not satisfied. My senses are not satisfied, I am not satisfied, nor will my senses give me relief from their service.” An example of this is a recent headline in an Australian newspaper: “Man 80 Years Old Married 75 Times.” The senses are not satisfied, even at the point of death. That is the real problem of life.
Lord Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita that we have been servants of our senses in life after life, transmigrating through 8,400,000 species. Now we should just surrender unto Him, and He will take care of us. By the dictation of the senses we commit so many sinful activities. According to one’s activities or work, one gets a particular type of body. There are different bodies due to different types of sense gratification. The hog, for example, making no distinction between mother, sister, etc., simply has sex with anyone; and the senses in all species are so strong that this goes on even in human society. The threefold miseries from which we are trying to free ourselves are due to love of the senses of the material body, but Krsna is the real object of love. Just transfer your love to Krsna. Give up trying to satisfy the bodily senses, and just try to satisfy Krsna. As soon as you change, gradually Krsna will reveal Himself to you and will exchange service with you. Then you will be fully satisfied.
Please, my friends, try to understand this sublime benediction. Chant Hare Krsna and gradually develop love for Krsna All your troubles will be gone. Krsna is beyond the senses and the mind, but if you chant sincerely, then He will reveal Himself to you. It is not a question of belief. God exists! It is just a matter of having eyes to see Him. Under the expert guidance of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master, we are developing those eyes. Krsna consciousness is not a blind sentiment: we have a vast philosophical background.
Krsna consciousness is not a tower of Babel to Krsna. There are two processes in spiritual life, the ascending and the descending. Through the ascending process one tries to construct a ladder up to Krsna by processes of yoga, meditation, word jugglery, logic, dry philosophy, etc. However sincere, Krsna is acyuta, unapproachable, that process will never be successful But if the unapproachable Krsna wants to come to us, then nothing can stop Him. That is called the descending process, Krsna consciousness. Krsna is presenting Himself to you and I through the authorized disciplic chain of Vedic teachers. This is the oldest family tree in the universe. Knowledge of Krsna (which is non-different from Krsna Himself) is coming down to us without any tinge of contamination through this unbroken disciplic succession, and His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is the contemporary representative of this line.
Please do not dismiss Krsna consciousness as foreign or esoteric. Try to scrutinizingly study this movement, and, more than anything chant—chant Hare Krsna! As the yoga authorities confirm in the Brhan-naradiya Purana: harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam/kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha: In this age of Kali (quarrel and hypocrisy) the best means of God realization is the chanting of the holy name of God, and there is no other alternative.
The Spiritual Master: Emissary of the Supreme Person
The Spiritual Master: Emissary of the Supreme Person
by Hayagriva dasa Adhikari (ISKCON-New Vrndavana)
Guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata bija.
(Caitanya-caritamrta)
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Srila Prabhupada, once said that religion without philosophy is fanaticism and philosophy without religion is mental speculation. For a sincere student engaged in God realization, major philosophical points should be understood in the light of the guru, scripture and practical devotional service. One of the first points to understand is the position of the spiritual master. How is he related to Krsna? Is he Krsna? Is he an ordinary man? How should the disciple approach him? How can one know that the spiritual master is bona fide? What is the duty of the spiritual master? What are his symptoms? These and other questions concerning the spiritual master and Krsna are discussed herein by way of authoritative evidence compiled from the writings of Srila Prabhupada, the spiritual master himself. (Page references are given for his books.) In addition to rendering devotional service to Krsna through the spiritual master, the student should come to a philosophical understanding—based on scripture—of his own identity and the identity of the Supreme Person, Sri Krsna, and His emissary, the bona fide spiritual master. This understanding should correlate with the basic teachings of the spiritual master and other great saints and sages.
The Ultimate Truth
In the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, Lord Sri Krsna informs Arjuna that one should learn the Absolute Truth by approaching a spiritual master. “Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master, inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Bg. 4.34) As a result of approaching a spiritual master, the disciple is benedicted with the truth by the mercy of the spiritual master. And what is the ultimate truth to be realized? It is this: Lord Sri Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or, as stated by Sri Krsna in Bhagavad-gita: “And when you have thus learned the truth, you will know that all living beings are My parts and parcels—and that they are in Me, and are Mine.” (Bg. 4.35) What is the result of this knowledge? Sri Krsna also gives this information: “He who knows in truth this glory and power of Mine engages in unalloyed devotional service; of this there is no doubt. I am the source of everything; from Me the entire creation flows. Knowing this, the wise worship Me with all their hearts. Their thoughts dwell in Me, their lives are surrendered to Me, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss enlightening one another and conversing about Me.” (Bg. 10.7–9)
Definition Of Krsna
One will never make a mistake about the identity of Lord Sri Krsna if one has a good idea of what is meant by Lord Sri Krsna. “When we speak of Krsna we refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His many expansions. He is expanded by His plenary parts and parcels, His differentiated parts and parcels and His different energies. Krsna, in other words, means everything and includes everything. Generally, however, we should understand Krsna to mean Krsna and His personal expansions. Krsna expands Himself as Baladeva, Sankarsana, Vasudeva, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Rama, Nrsimha and Varaha, as well as many other incarnations and innumerable Visnu expansions. These are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam to be as numerous as the uncountable waves. So Krsna includes all such expansions, as well as His pure devotees.” (The Nectar of Devotion, xxi) Thus the pure devotees, some of whom are spiritual masters, are part of the internal energy of Sri Krsna, but they are certainly not the totality of His internal energy. They are subordinate. “The relationship of the living entities, therefore, is to be always subordinate to the Supreme Lord, as with the master and the servant, or the teacher and the taught.” (Bg., p. 71)
No one knows the extent of the energy of Lord Sri Krsna, not even His pure devotees. As is stated by the Lord Himself: “Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin; for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and the sages.” (Bg. 10.2) Although no one can understand the extent of the Lord’s glory, nor of the origin of the Lord, who has no beginning, still it is stated, “The devotees of the Lord surrender unto Krsna and are thus able to understand Him.” (Bg., p. 209) Thus by “Krsna” we refer to the Supreme Entity and His activities. “… In the Vedic literature, whether the Upanisads or the Vedanta-sutras or the Bhagavad-gita or the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in every scripture it is declared that the Lord is the sentient Being, supreme over all other living entities. And His glorious activities are identical with Himself.” (Sri Isopanisad, p. 93)
The Spiritual Master: Krsna’s Representative
It is important to understand the position of the spiritual master as Lord Sri Krsna’s pure devotee. The disciple is enjoined by Lord Sri Krsna to worship the spiritual master as he would worship the Supreme Lord Himself: “Sage Prabuddha continued to speak to the King as follows: ‘My dear King, a disciple has to accept the spiritual master not only as spiritual master, but also as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supersoul. In other words, the disciple should accept the spiritual master as God because he is the external manifestation of Krsna.’ ” (NOD, 59) The Spiritual master is stated here to be the representative of Lord Sri Krsna and the Supersoul. It is clearly not stated that he is Lord Sri Krsna or the Supersoul, but that he represents them as a viceroy represents a king. “One can know God and one’s relationship with God only when one actually meets a representative of God. A representative of God never claims that he is God, although he is paid all the respect ordinarily paid to God because he has knowledge of God. One has to learn the distinction between God and the living entity.” (Bg., p. 144)
Although it is stated that the spiritual master is “the external manifestation of Krsna,” he should not be considered mundane or material. “… Lord Caitanya states that it is a fortunate person who comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krsna. One who is serious about spiritual life is given by Krsna the intelligence to come in contact with a bona fide spiritual master, and then by the grace of the spiritual master one becomes advanced in Krsna consciousness. In this way the whole jurisdiction of Krsna consciousness is directly under the spiritual energy—Krsna and the spiritual master. This has nothing to do with the material world.” (NOD, xxi) By “external manifestation” it is meant that the spiritual master can be perceived as being in the material world by the conditioned souls whom he deigns to liberate.
The followers of Ramakrishna and Meher Baba, as well as adherents of other cults generally found in India, proclaim their spiritual masters to be God Himself. Usually a spiritual master does not contradict this flattery because in this age of Kali there are many pseudo-spiritual masters who claim to be God. But we do not understand the position of the bona fide spiritual master to be cent percent identical with that of Lord Sri Krsna. For example, in our daily prayer to the spiritual master (nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine) we offer our respectful obeisances to our spiritual master Srila Prabhupada “who is most dear to Lord Krsna on this earth, having taken shelter of His lotus feet.” Srila Prabhupada is most dear to Lord Krsna on this earth because he has indeed taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. “The definition of a pure devotee, as given by Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, can be summarized thus: his service is favorable and is always in relation to Krsna.” (NOD, xxxii) Lord Sri Krsna Himself states that one who explains the science of Bhagavad-gita is most dear to Him: “There is no servant in the world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.” (Bg., 18.69) In Srimad-Bhagavatam the position of the pure devotee is further explained: “The asuras [demons] are gradually rectified into God consciousness by the mercy of the Lord’s liberated servitors in different countries and climates according to the supreme will. Such devotees of God are very confidential associates of the Lord, and when they come to save the human society from the dangers of godlessness, they are known sometimes as the powerful incarnation of the Lord, the Son of the Lord, the servant of the Lord or the associate of the Lord, but none of them declare falsely that they are themselves God. This blasphemy is declared by the asuras, and the demoniac followers of such asuras also accept a pretender as God or His incarnation.” (Bhag., Canto I, p. 123–124)
When does one know that one is declaring himself falsely to be God, or when does one know whether the followers of the spiritual master are declaring their spiritual master falsely to be God? The criterion for the acceptance of an incarnation of the Lord Himself is also stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam: “In the revealed scriptures there is definite information of these incarnations of God. One cannot be accepted as God or as an incarnation of God without reference to the above-mentioned revealed scriptures.” (Bhag., Canto I, p. 124) A list of incarnations can be found in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, Third Chapter, and for this yuga or age these include only Buddha and the Kalki avatara yet to come. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Krsna Himself, is also mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.32).
The distinction is always made between the devotee of God and God Himself, but a neophyte servant of the devotees should respect the servants of God as God. “These servants of God are to be respected as God by the devotees who actually want to go back to Godhead. Such servants of God are called mahatmas [great souls] or tirthas [saints able to deliver fallen souls], and they make various propaganda according to the particular time and space. The standard quality of the servants of God is that they canvass people to become devotees of the Lord, and they never tolerate the blasphemy of being called God. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was God Himself according to the authoritative indications of the revealed scriptures, but He played the part of a devotee. When a person knew Him to be God Himself and addressed Him as God, He used to block His ears with His hands and murmur the name of the Lord Visnu. He strongly protested being called God, although undoubtedly He was God Himself. This behavior of the Lord is just to warn unscrupulous men who take false pleasure in being called God.” (Bhag., Canto I, p. 124)
The Functions Of The Spiritual Master
What is the position of the bona fide spiritual master in relation to Lord Sri Krsna? This position is hinted at by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur in his Sri Gurvastakam:
nikunjayuno ratikeli-siddhyair
ya yalibhir yuktir apeksaniya
tatratidaksadati-vallabhasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
“The spiritual master is very much expert in assisting the gopis who are engaged in the perfection of Radha-Krsna conjugal love affairs. At different times they make different tasteful arrangements for such spiritual exchanges, and the spiritual master is there to assist in the affairs. I offer my most humble obeisances unto his lotus feet.” The Gurvastakam gives further reason why the spiritual master should be worshiped and honored as much as the Supreme Lord:
saksadd hari-tvena samasta-sastrair
uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
“The spiritual master is honored as much as the Supreme Lord because he is the most confidential servitor of the Lord. This is acknowledged in all revealed scriptures and is followed by all authorities. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who is a bona fide representative of Lord Sri Krsna.”
So the function of the spiritual master should be clearly understood. The spiritual master serves the Supreme Lord directly in the spiritual sky and is a most confidential servitor of the Supreme Lord. The conditioned soul cannot approach the Supreme Lord directly, for the Supreme Lord cannot be perceived by the blunt material senses. “Vyasa was the spiritual master of Sanjaya, and he admits that it was by his mercy that he could understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This means that one has to understand Krsna directly, but through the medium of the spiritual master. The spiritual master is the transparent medium, although it is true the experience is still direct. This is the mystery of disciplic succession.” (Bg., p. 316)
Out of mercy for the conditioned souls, the Supreme Lord sends His representative, the spiritual master, who is His external manifestation in the material world, and the conditioned soul is thus enabled to serve the Supreme Lord by serving and worshiping the spiritual master. As mentioned before, although called the “external manifestation,” the spiritual master is a purely transcendental person in the spiritual universe, and thus he represents the internal potency of the Lord.
What is the specific function of these emissaries in the material world? “These servants of God come with the mission of life to propagate God consciousness in human society. Intelligent persons should cooperate with them in e very respect. By serving the servant of God, one can please God more than directly serving the Lord. The Lord is more pleased when He sees that His servants are properly respected because such servants of God who risk everything for the service of the Lord are very, very dear to the Lord. The Lord declares in Bhagavad-gita that no one is dearer to Him than those who risk everything for the preaching work of God’s glory. By serving the servants of the Lord, gradually one gets the quality of such servants, and this particular qualification of serving the servant of God makes one qualified with the urge for hearing the glorification of God. This eagerness for hearing about God is the first qualification of a devotee eligible for entering into the kingdom of God.” (Bhag., Canto I, p. 124)
Worship Of The Spiritual Master
Lord Sri Krsna Himself proclaims that worship of His pure devotee is higher than worship of Himself. In the Padma Purana there is a statement praising the service of Vaisnavas or devotees in which Lord Siva tells Parvati: “My dear Parvati, there are different methods of worship, and out of all such methods the worship of the Supreme Person is considered to be the highest. But even higher than the worship of the Lord is the worship of the Lord’s devotees.”(NOD, 103) A similar statement is found in Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhag. 3.7.19): “Let me become a sincere servant of the devotees because by serving then one can achieve unalloyed devotional service unto the lotus feet of the Lord. The service of devotees diminishes all miserable material conditions and develops within one a deep devotional love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (NOD, 103)
Worship of the spiritual master goes directly to Lord Sri Krsna, and this is the method of the disciplic succession. Everything, for instance, offered to the spiritual master is offered by the spiritual master to Lord Sri Krsna through his spiritual master. For instance, whatever is offered with love and devotion to Srila Prabhupada is offered by Srila Prabhupada to his spiritual master, who offers it to his spiritual master, etc., on to the Supreme Person, the Original Spiritual Master, Lord Sri Krsna. This is the method of approaching the Supreme Lord, and this is the purpose of parampara, disciplic succession. Thus it is stated: “The attitude of the disciple should always be to satisfy the bona fide spiritual master. Then it will be very easy for him to understand spiritual knowledge. This is confirmed in the Vedas, and it will be further explained by Rupa Gosvami that, for a person who has unflinching faith in God and the spiritual master, everything becomes revealed very easily.” (NOD, 59)
The Spiritual Master And Krsna: Oneness And Difference
Some confusion, however, may result from the following quote, a statement of Lord Sri Krsna’s: “My dear Uddhava, the spiritual master must be accepted not only as My representative but as My very self. He must never be considered on the same level with an ordinary human being. One should never be envious of the spiritual master, as one may be envious of an ordinary man. The spiritual master should always be seen as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and by serving the spiritual master, one is able to serve all the demigods.” (NOD, 59) The point here is that the spiritual master should never be considered to be an ordinary man because he is part of the internal potencies of Lord Sri Krsna, as was stated earlier (NOD, xxi). As such, he shares the Lord’s opulences. “The Supreme Lord is full in six opulences; and when a devotee approaches Him, there is reciprocation with these opulences. The servant of the king enjoys an almost equal level with the king.” (Bg., p. 271)
The spiritual master is eternally perfect, and his self is Lord Sri Krsna’s very self in the sense that the self of the spiritual master is in perfect harmony with the Supreme Self. It may here be recalled that Krsna is the Self in the hearts of all: “I am the Self, O conqueror of sleep, seated in the hearts of all creatures. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.” (Bg. 10.20) Although Sri Krsna is the Self seated in the hearts of all living entities throughout the entire creation, He exists independent of them. “In My transcendental form I pervade all this creation. All things are resting in Me, but I am not in them. Again, everything that is created does not rest on Me. Behold My mystic opulence: Although I am the maintainer of all living entities, and although I am everywhere, still My Self is the very source of creation.” (Bg. 9.4–5) This is the sublime philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva: the Lord is simultaneously, inconceivably one with all living entities and yet different from them. Srila Prabhupada, in a letter to a disciple, explained this philosophy very clearly: “Just as fire and heat cannot be separate and in one sense both can be called fire, still heat is not fire. Another example, electricity and the powerhouse; although practically one and the same, still the powerhouse is not electricity. On the whole, the power and the powerful, although sometimes indistinguishable, still are different. That is the philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva propounded by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. As such, the spiritual master is the Mercy Representative of Krsna. As Mercy Representative, he is worshiped by the disciples as Krsna, but at the same time he is not identical with Krsna. Sometimes it is said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna is the Master Krsna, whereas the spiritual master is the Servant Krsna. As it is said by Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, Radha and Krsna are one, still, in order to serve, Krsna’s pleasure potency, Radharani, appears separately. Therefore the conclusion is that the spiritual master as Servant Krsna is always respected as good as Krsna, but he is never identified with Krsna, which is Mayavadi philosophy.” (Srila Prabhupada, letter, 8/29/70) Although Lord Sri Krsna is the Self seated in the hearts of all, all creatures are not accepted as spiritual masters because they are not always in harmony with the Supreme Self. There are degrees of perfection involved. The bona fide spiritual master is known as nitya-siddha, and the conditioned living entities are known as nitya-baddha. “Persons who have achieved eternal, blissful life exactly on the level of Sri Krsna, and who are able to attract Lord Krsna by their transcendental loving service, are called eternally perfect. The technical name is nitya-siddha. There are two classes of living entities—namely, nitya-siddha and nitya-baddha. The distinction is that the nitya-siddhas are eternally Krsna conscious without any forgetfulness, whereas the nitya-baddhas, or eternally conditioned souls, are forgetful of their relationship with Krsna. The position of the nitya-siddhas is explained in the Padma Purana in connection with the narration of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and Satyabhama Devi. The Lord tells Satyabhama: ‘My dear Satyabhama Devi, I have descended to this earthly planet by the request of Lord Brahma and other demigods. Those who are born into this family of Yadu are all My eternal associates. My dear wife, you should not consider that My associates are ever separated from Me; they are My personal expansions, and almost as powerful as I am. Because of their transcendental qualities, they are very, very dear to Me, as I am very, very dear to them.’ ” (NOD 211–212) The spiritual master is certainly a nitya-siddha, but one who claims the spiritual master to be Lord Krsna Himself is committing a great offense. “As is stated in the Bhagavad-gita by the Lord Himself, His birth, deeds and activities are all transcendental. Similarly, the birth, deeds and activities of the associates of the Lord are also transcendental. And, as it is an offense to consider oneself to be Krsna, so it is offensive to consider oneself to be Yasoda, Nanda, or any other associate of the Lord. We should always remember that they are transcendental; they are never conditioned souls. It is described that Krsna, the enemy of Kamsa, has sixty-four transcendental qualities, and all of the ever-liberated souls who accompany the Lord have the first fifty-five of the qualities, without any doubt. Such devotees are related to the Supreme Personality in any of five transcendental mellows—namely, neutrality, servitorship, friendship, parenthood and conjugal love. These relationships with the Lord are eternal, and therefore nitya-siddha devotees do not have to strive to attain the perfectional stage by executing regulative devotional principles. They are eternally qualified to serve Krsna.” (NOD, 213)
Thus the spiritual master is not to be considered an ordinary man, but an eternally transcendental personality like Yasoda and Nanda. As such he has the first fifty-five of the sixty-four transcendental qualities of Lord Sri Krsna Himself. But he does not have them in full. “As parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, the individual living entities can also possess all of these qualities in minute quantities, provided they become pure devotees of the Lord. In other words, all of the above transcendental qualities can be present in the devotees in minute quantity, whereas the qualities in fullness are always present in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (NOD, 157)
The Supreme Lord and the spiritual master have been likened unto two rails of the same track. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said: “By the mercy of the spiritual master who is a pure devotee and by the mercy of Krsna one can achieve the platform of devotional service. There is no other way.” (NOD, 13) By the grace of Lord Sri Krsna, one gets a bona fide spiritual master, and by the grace of the bona fide spiritual master one gets Lord Sri Krsna. Lord Sri Krsna and the spiritual master work conjointly to bring the conditioned soul to full Krsna consciousness. The spiritual master as the external manifestation works from without, and Lord Sri Krsna works from within. The spiritual master is supplemented by sastra, scripture, and sadhu, holy sages. None of these are ever in contradiction. “To err is human: A conditioned soul is very often apt to commit mistakes, and the only remedial measure for such unknown sins is to give oneself up to the lotus feet of the Lord, that He may guide the devotee. The Lord takes this charge for the fully surrendered souls, and thus all problems are solved simply by surrendering oneself unto the Lord and acting in terms of the Lord’s directions. Such directions are given to the sincere devotee in two ways. One is by means of the saints, scriptures, and spiritual master; and the other is by the Lord Himself, residing within the heart of everyone. Thus the devotee is protected in all respects.” (Sri Isopanisad, p. 97) In themselves, the scriptures cannot lead one to Krsna consciousness, for without the guidance of Sri Krsna as the Supersoul within and as the spiritual master from without, the scriptures remain contradictory and enigmatic. “One can understand the Vedic mantras only by the grace of the Lord and the spiritual master. If one takes shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, it is to be understood that he has obtained the grace of the Lord. The Lord appears as the spiritual master for the devotee. And so the spiritual master, the Vedic injunctions, and the Lord Himself from within all guide the devotee in full strength, and there is no chance of such a devotee falling again into the mire of material illusion.” (Sri Isopanisad, p. 97) As stated in the Gurvastakam:
yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado
yasyaprasadanna-gatih kuto ’pi
dhyayam stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
“By the mercy of the spiritual master one is benedicted by the mercy of Krsna. Without the grace of the spiritual master no one can make any advancement. Therefore I should always remember my spiritual master.”
To say that the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are one is to say that they are one in purpose. They are in total agreement. The Supreme Lord says surrender unto Me, and the spiritual master says surrender unto Lord Sri Krsna. They are one in that sense. They are not one in the impersonalist sense of being merged. In conversation, Srila Prabhupada has said: “Merging does not mean losing individuality. Just like a green bird enters a green tree … it appears to be merging, but the bird has not lost his individuality. Our proposition, bhakti-marga, is to keep individuality and agree. Our surrender means we agree with Krsna in everything although we are individual.… Like Arjuna—first he decided not to fight, but then he agreed: karisye vacanam tava. This agreement—this is oneness. That oneness—not to lose individuality.… Merging means merging in that total agreement. That is liberation. Totally, without any disagreement. And that is the perfection: to keep individuality and agree with God in total agreement.… So those who are trained fully to agree with Krsna are accepted as associates.” (Srila Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, No. 28, p. 8)
The original spiritual master is Lord Sri Krsna Himself, and the disciplic succession comes from Him. “The path of spiritual realization is undoubtedly difficult. The Lord therefore advises us to approach a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from the Lord Himself. Nobody can be a bona fide spiritual master without following this principle of disciplic succession. The Lord is the original Spiritual Master, and a person in the disciplic succession can convey the message of the Lord as it is to his disciple. No one can be spiritually realized by manufacturing his own process, as is the fashion of foolish pretenders.”(Bg., p. 130)
Thus the spiritual master who proclaims to be Lord Sri Krsna, or disciples who proclaim their spiritual master to be Lord Sri Krsna Himself, are to be immediately rejected. Srila Prabhupada has stated that the test of the spiritual master is that he speaks of nothing but surrender and devotion to Sri Krsna. “It is the duty of the acarya, the spiritual master, to find the ways and means for his disciple to fix his mind on Krsna.” (NOD, 20) This is the actual duty of the bona fide spiritual master. Who may become a spiritual master? How does one get to be spiritual master? “Whatever he may be, whatever position he may have, if a person is fully conversant with the science of Krsna, Krsna consciousness, he can become a bona fide spiritual master, initiator, or teacher of the science. In other words, the capability of becoming a bona fide spiritual master depends on his sufficient knowledge of the science of Krsna, Krsna consciousness; it does not depend on a particular position in society or of birth.” (TLC, 266) Srila Prabhupada further outlines his specific qualification. “The qualification of a spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters. Everyone should try to find such a bona fide spiritual master in order to fulfill his mission of life, which is to transfer himself to the plane of spiritual bliss.” (NOD, 58) Such a qualified spiritual master can be immediately recognized by his symptoms: “The mahatma, or great soul, cannot be manufactured by rubber-stamping an ordinary man. His symptoms are described here (Gita 9.14): A mahatma is always engaged in chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord Krsna, the Personality of Godhead.” (Bg. p. 201)
Mayavadi Impersonalists: Pseudo Spiritual Masters
The Mayavadi spiritual masters and their followers proclaim that by surrendering to Lord Sri Krsna one can become Lord Sri Krsna Himself. Under the guise of glorifying the spiritual master, such Mayavadi disciples declare the spiritual master to be Krsna Himself. Thus they await the day that they can become acarya in the disciplic succession and thus become Krsna Himself. A bona fide spiritual master will reject such disciples. “Those who are under the spell of the material energy, instead of following the instructions of the disciplic succession, try to manufacture something of their own, and thereby step outside the sphere of Vedanta study. A bona fide spiritual master must always condemn such independent mental speculators. If the bona fide spiritual master directly points out the foolishness of a disciple, that should not be taken as otherwise.” (TLC, 169)
We have already quoted the example in Srimad-Bhagavatam in which Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, although the Supreme Lord Himself, covered His ears with His hands and shouted the name Visnu loudly when His disciples called Him Krsna. “Caitanya’s philosophy is: one should give up everything and worship God, Krsna. The difference is that Krsna, as the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, spoke the same words, indicating Himself, and the Mayavadi philosophers misunderstood Him. Therefore Lord Caitanya indicated the same thing: one should not declare himself to be as good as Krsna, but should worship Krsna as the Supreme Lord.” (TLC, 159)
Actually a disciple who, out of sentiment or fanaticism, proclaims a bona fide spiritual master to be Krsna Himself is committing the greatest injury to the spiritual master. The bona fide spiritual master instructs that one should approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krsna through the bona fide representative of Lord Sri Krsna, the pure devotee. He instructs that one cannot approach Lord Sri Krsna directly. If the spiritual master is Lord Sri Krsna Himself, as the Mayavadi followers of the spiritual master may maintain, then these followers are actually approaching Lord Sri Krsna directly. Thus they distort and twist the teachings of the spiritual master under the guise of glorifying him. The actual motive behind such false glorification should be understood as asuric. As stated before, none of the devotees declare themselves to be God, but “This blasphemy is declared by the asuras, and the demoniac followers of such asuras also accept pretenders as God or His incarnation.” (Bhag., Canto I, 123) The motives of the Mayavadi are themselves asuric. Actually every conditioned soul is a Mayavadi, otherwise the soul wouldn’t be conditioned. When Srila Prabhupada first began lecturing in New York in 1966, he would often attack the Mayavadi impersonalists in his talks, and not understanding this I joked with friend: “Mayavadi? When was the last time you saw a Mayavadi?’’ None of us could understand who Srila Prabhupada was talking about; we all thought that the Mayavadis were a little group of philosophers in India against whom Srila Prabhupada was waging theologic battle. But actually we were all Mayavadis. Now we are daily praying:
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine.
“Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.”
The Mayavadi, being envious of God, wants to be God. Therefore he is thrown by Lord Krsna into the material world where he can try to lord it over material nature. “The impersonalist philosophers are in one sense like the enemies of the Lord because the out-and-out enemies of the Lord and the impersonalists are both allowed to enter only into the impersonal effulgence of the brahmajyoti. So it is to be understood that they are of similar classification. And actually the impersonalists are enemies of God because they cannot tolerate the unparallelled opulence of the Lord. They try always to place themselves on the same level with the Lord. That is due to their envious attitude. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has proclaimed the impersonalists to be offenders of the Lord.” (NOD, 123)
The Mayavadi spiritual master claims, “I am Krsna. Just surrender to me and you can become Krsna too.” Or the Mayavadi disciples claim, “Our guru is Krsna. Just surrender to him and you’ll become Krsna too.” Or they claim, “We are all Krsna. We have just forgotten, that’s all.” These impersonalists may set up their own Krsna and proclaim that He is talking to them directly. “There are many so-called devotees who artificially think of Krsna pastimes, which are known as asta-kalika-lila. Sometimes one may artificially imitate these, pretending that Krsna is talking with him in the form of a boy, or else one may pretend that Radharani and Krsna both have come to him and are talking with him. Such characteristics are sometimes exhibited by the impersonalist class of men, and they may captivate some innocent persons who have no knowledge in the science of devotional service. However, as soon as an experienced devotee sees all of these caricatures, he can immediately evaluate such rascaldom. If such a pretender is sometimes seen possessing imitative attachment to Krsna that will not be accepted as real attachment.” (NOD, 143) Thus such Mayavadi impersonalists who proclaim their spiritual master and themselves to be Krsna simply propitiate their conditioning life after life.
The impersonalists discourage direct discussion of Lord Krsna and His pastimes. “Impersonalists do not directly derive the transcendental pleasure of association with the Lord by hearing of His pastimes. As such, the impersonalists cannot derive any relishable transcendental pleasure from the topics of the Bhagavad-gita, in which the Lord is personally talking with Arjuna. The basic principle of their impersonal attitude does not allow them the transcendental pleasure which is relished by a devotee whose basic principle of understanding is the Supreme Person.” (NOD, 290–291)
The Mayavadi impersonalists who envy the Lord and who actually want to be the Lord are in reality not spiritualists at all, but materialists. “Because the impersonalists cannot appreciate the spiritual happiness of association and the exchange of loving affairs with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, their ultimate goal is to become one with the Lord. This concept is simply an extension of the material idea. In the material world, everyone is trying to be the topmost headman amongst all his fellow men or neighbors. Either communally, socially or nationally, everyone is competing to be greater than all others, in the material concept of life. This greatness can be extended to the unlimited, so that one actually wants to become one with the greatest of all, the Supreme Lord. This is also a material concept, although maybe a little more advanced.” (NOD, 32) It is also to be understood that the impersonalists are not really in a relationship with Lord Sri Krsna at all, for “In relationship with Krsna there is no question of impersonalism.” (NOD, 251)
The Real Speaker Of Bhagavad-Gita
Generally the impersonalists like to maintain that I am God, you are God, everyone is God, etc., and their conception of God ends there. Such a philosophy excludes all morality: since I am God, and you are God and we are all God, we can act in any way we please. They deny Lord Sri Krsna as a person, and boldly proclaim that He is not actually the speaker of Bhagavad-gita as it is. In Bhagavad-gita Lord Sri Krsna directly tells Arjuna: “Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, engage your body in My service and surrender unto Me. Completely absorbed in Me, surely will you come to Me.” (Bg. 9.34) Lord Sri Krsna is actually standing in person before Arjuna and is telling Arjuna to concentrate on Him, to be devoted to Him, to worship Him and to revere Him, and yet the impersonalist commentators write: “It is not the personal Krsna to whom we have to give ourselves up to ultimately, but the unborn, beginningless eternal who speaks through Krsna.” (Commentary on Bg. 9.34 by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan)
Thus the Mayavadi impersonalists set up their own teachers and ultimately their own selves as the speaker of Bhagavad-gita, but we receive different information from a pure devotee of Lord Sri Krsna: “The Bhagavad-gita also should be accepted as it is directed by the Speaker Himself. The speaker is Lord Sri Krsna. He is mentioned on every page as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or ‘Bhagavan.’ Bhagavan sometimes means any powerful person or demigod, but here it means Krsna.” (Bg. p. 23) The words “Bhagavad-gita” actually mean “The Song of the Lord,” for it is sung by the Lord to Arjuna. Sri Krsna’s statements are prefaced with the Sanskrit words sri bhagavan uvaca, which means “Sri Bhagavan said.” Srila Prabhupada explains the Sanskrit word bhagavan in this way: “The Sanskrit word bhagavan is explained by the great authority Parasara Muni, the father of Vyasadeva. The Supreme Personality who possesses all riches, entire strength, entire fame, entire beauty, entire knowledge, and entire renunciation is called Bhagavan. There are many persons who are very rich, very powerful, very beautiful, very famous, very learned, and very much detached—but no one can claim that he is possessor of all these opulences entirely. Such a claim is applicable to Krsna only, and as such He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No living entity, including Brahma, can possess such opulence—neither Lord Siva, nor even Narayana can possess such opulence as fully as Krsna. By analytical study of such possessions, it is concluded in the Brahma-samhita by Lord Brahma himself that Lord Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nobody is equal to or above Him. He is the primeval Lord, or Bhagavan, known as Govinda, and He is the Supreme Cause of all causes.” (Bg., p. 62)
It has been said that the spiritual master is the “representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supersoul” (NOD, 59), but Lord Sri Krsna is “the Source of both Supersoul and the impersonal Brahman.” (Bg., p. 63) Lord Sri Krsna is described in detail throughout Vedic literatures as a beautiful blue boy who plays a flute, and we should know it for certain that it is He and He alone who is the speaker of the Bhagavad-gita. Those who envy Him cannot actually know Bhagavad-gita, although they may make a show of studying it. “In studying the Bhagavad-gita, one should not think that he is the equal of Krsna. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who wants to understand the Bhagavad-gita should accept Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise it is very hard to understand, and it becomes a great mystery.” (Bg., p. 25) Again, Srila Prabhupada says: “Those who are envious of Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead have no bona fide access to this great literature. The nondevotee’s approach to the teachings of Bhagavad-gita is something like a bee licking on a bottle. Similarly, the mysticism of the Bhagavad-gita can be understood only by devotees, and no one else can taste it, as is stated in the Fourth Chapter of the book. Nor can the Gita be touched by persons who envy the very existence of the Lord. Therefore the Mayavadi explanation of the Gita is a most misleading presentation of the whole truth. Lord Caitanya has forbidden us to read commentaries made by the Mayavadis, and warns that one who takes to an understanding of the Mayavadi philosophy loses all power to understand the real mystery of the Gita.” (Bg., p. 69)
The Spiritual Master As Pure Devotee
It is the pure devotee who is in a unique position to understand and explain Bhagavad-gita and the science of Krsna consciousness, for he knows Bhagavad-gita as it is. “… By devotional service the Supreme Truth, which is the Personality of Godhead, is pleased; and He reveals Himself to the heart of the pure devotee by His inconceivable potency. The pure devotee always has Krsna within his heart, and therefore he is just like the sun that dissipates the darkness of ignorance. This is special mercy rendered to the pure devotee by the Supreme Lord.” (Bg., p. 213) His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has proved beyond all comparison in this contemporary world that he is a pure devotee of Lord Sri Krsna. His characteristics are given in Bhagavad-gita (10.9) where Srila Prabhupada himself writes in a purport: “Pure devotees, whose characteristics are mentioned here, engage themselves fully in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Their minds cannot be diverted from the lotus feet of Krsna. Their talks are solely transcendental. Twenty-four hours daily, they glorify the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. Their hearts and souls constantly submerged in Krsna, they take pleasure in discussing Him with other devotees. In the preliminary stage of devotional service they relish transcendental pleasure from the service itself; and in the mature stage they are situated in love of God and can relish the highest perfection which is exhibited by the Lord in His abode.” (Bg., p. 212)
Thus the position of the Lord and His pure devotee should be understood by the neophyte wishing to make progress on the road back to Godhead. The platform of real progress can be reached when one agrees to follow submissively in the spiritual master’s footsteps. The following is not very difficult, and if one follows sincerely he will transmit the greatest benefit to all conditioned souls. “If the disciple follows in the footsteps of his spiritual master and chants the holy name with equal respect, that becomes the worship of the transcendental name. When the transcendental name becomes worshiped by the devotee, and when he is perfectly qualified in chanting such transcendental vibration of the holy name, he is quite fit to become a spiritual master for delivering all the people of the world.” (TLC, 173)
All glory to Srila Prabhupada and the munificent Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!
Temple Worship
Temple Worship
by Satsvarupa dasa Adhikari
(ISKCON—Boston)
There have been many newspaper and magazine articles written about visits to the temples of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Often, a mundane newswriter reports entering a room filled with sweet aromatic incense and seeing colorful brass and wooden Deities on an altar surrounded by flowers, paintings and other paraphernalia. The newspaper reporters usually misunderstand that they are experiencing an oriental ritual in worship of Eastern gods. They do not attribute great significance to the chanting of the holy names Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare; they report only that it is repetitious or loud. They cannot convey the real transcendental meaning of the temple in terms of the devotees, the Supreme Lord and devotional service. What, then, according to transcendental authorities, is the purpose of the temple? What are the Deities? What is the meaning of kirtana, the dancing, singing and playing on musical instruments? What is the purpose of the activities going on in the temple?
The temples of Krsna in India are like kings’ palaces, and the Supreme Lord who is staying there in the Deity form is considered to be the proprietor. Although the Supreme Lord does not need an opulent temple, the devotees take pleasure in keeping the temple clean and in worshiping the Lord in an opulent manner, and the Lord appreciates this service. Once a devotee asked His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada about the dressing of the Jagannatha Deities, and he replied in a letter: “Clothing is already painted on the Jagannathas even if there is no cloth supplied, but even if Krsna is naked, that does not make any difference. But when we dress Him, our service is appreciated. On Krsna’s side, naked or dressed, He is Krsna. And from our side, if we nicely dress Krsna and we nicely feed Him, He appreciates our service, and we are certainly benefited. Krsna is the same. He does not need us to dress Him or to feed Him, but the more we serve by dressing and feeding and caring for Him, the more He appreciates the service, and the more we become Krsna conscious.”
The Supreme Lord is not in need of big temples, and similarly the pure devotees do not need an opulent setting in which to worship. Pure devotees are prepared to live on a footpath or sleep under a tree if Krsna desires. Therefore, the temple is meant not for the Lord or the devotees but for the people in general, and especially for householders. In the Second Canto, Third Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, which our spiritual master has published as a book entitled Pure Devotional Service: The Change in Heart, it is stated in the purport to the twenty-second verse: “Attention engaged in the service of the Lord, especially in dressing and decorating the temple, accompanied by musical kirtana and spiritual instructions from the scriptures, can alone save the common man from the hellish cinema attractions and the rubbish sex-songs broadcast everywhere by radios. If one is unable to maintain a temple at home, he should go to another’s temple where the performances are regularly executed. Visiting the temple and looking at the profusely decorated forms of the Lord, well dressed and in a well-decorated sanctified temple, naturally infuses the mundane mind with spiritual inspiration. People should visit holy places like Vrndavana where such temples and worship of the Deities are specifically maintained. Formerly all rich men like kings and rich merchants constructed such temples under the directions of expert devotees of the Lord, like the six Gosvamis, and it is the duty of the common man to take advantage of these temples and festivals observed in the holy pilgrimages by following in the footsteps of great devotees. One should not visit all these temples with sightseeing in mind, but one must go to them guided by the proper men who know the science.”
The Deities are not idols. They are incarnations of Krsna appearing in material elements. This is explained in Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Mantra Five of Sri Isopanisad: “Because He is full of inconceivable potencies, God can accept our service through any sort of medium, and He can convert His different potencies according to His own will. The unbelievers argue that the Lord cannot incarnate Himself or that He descends in a form of material energy. This argument is nullified if we accept His inconceivable potencies as realities. Even if He appears before us in the form of material energy, it is quite possible for him to convert the material energy into spiritual. The source of the energies being one and the same, Krsna, the energies can be utilized simply according to the will of that energetic source. For example, the Lord appears in the form of arca, or Deities supposedly made of earth or stone. These forms, engraved from wood or stone or any other matter, are not idols, however, as is held by the iconoclasts.” The proper understanding, then, is that because we cannot see the spiritual form of the Supreme Lord with our present senses, He may choose to appear in this material world in a form made of the material elements. But since He is the controller of both the material and spiritual energies, when He appears in such a form, it is no longer considered material. After all, since He is the supreme controller, who can restrict Him from coming in whatever form He chooses? The Lord is so pliable that He has agreed to appear before the neophyte devotees in the Deity form so that they may worship Him, feed Him and dress Him, and in this form the Lord will accept what they offer.
The form of the Deity is not fashioned in terms of the whim of the worshiper. It is eternal with all its paraphernalia, and this can actually be felt by a sincere devotee, but not by an atheist. For His devotee the Supreme Lord is always within reach in the Deity incarnation, whereas for the unsurrendered soul He is far away and cannot be approached. The eternal identity of the Deity is confirmed by the authority of spiritual masters who are able to see past the material energy to the spiritual form of the Lord in His incarnation as Jagannatha or Radha-Krsna. Therefore, one who is sincerely looking for spiritual union with the Supreme Lord will not refuse to worship His authorized forms in the temple.
Deity worship is especially recommended for householders, those entangled in the material complications of family life. This is stated in Pure Devotional Service: The Change in Heart: “Engagement in the worship of the Deity, under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master, will greatly help the householders to purify their existence and make rapid progress in spiritual knowledge. Simple theoretical book knowledge is not sufficient for the neophyte devotee. Book knowledge is theoretical, whereas the arcana process is practical. Spiritual knowledge must be developed by a combination of theoretical and practical knowledge, and that is the guaranteed way for the attainment of spiritual perfection. The training of a neophyte in devotional service completely depends on the expert spiritual master who knows how to lead his disciple to make gradual progress back home, back to Godhead.”
The temple itself is not located in the mundane world. Our spiritual master has declared, “This temple is not in Boston, and that temple is not in New York. They are in Vaikuntha, the spiritual planets.” The nondevotees argue that there is nothing special about the temple because God is everywhere. But the devotees of the Lord like to gather in the temple, which, because everything there is done in a manner conducive to Krsna consciousness, is an entirely transcendental place. It is said in the sastras that although he who lives in the forest is in the mode of goodness, he who lives in the city is in the mode of passion, and he who lives in the liquor shop is in the mode of ignorance, a temple is transcendental. Who, then, can object to going to the temple to see the beautiful form of the Lord surrounded by decorations and flowers? The Deities are honored in special ceremonies such as Jhulana-yatra, at which time They are swung on a swing, the Jagannatha Cart Festival, when the Deities are taken outside and wheeled on carts to the sea, and special festivals when the Radha-Krsna Deities are taken on processions in beautifully decorated carts. Since the essence of religion is to glorify God, then who can object to these transcendental ceremonies, which spread spiritual emotions to all who take part, even by offering a small flower to the Deities? Our spiritual master has stated that if one simply comes to the temple, even not understanding the spiritual nature of the form of God in the Deity, but merely appreciating the beautiful setting of the altar, and if one comes again another time and remarks, “Yes, this is very pretty; this is beautiful,” then, due to his appreciation of Krsna. he will become a devotee. In fact, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Second Canto, Chapter Three, verse 22, states: “The eyes which do not look at the symbolical representations of the Personality of Godhead Visnu are like the eyes printed on the plumes of a peacock, and the legs which do not move to the holy places where the Lord is remembered are considered to be like tree trunks.”
The Deities are regularly worshiped by a performance called aratrika, which is an offering of foodstuffs, incense, flowers, a waving handkerchief, a fan and a lamp. In the ISKCON temples the Deities are worshiped with aratrika early in the morning, at 4 a.m. Then at 8 a.m. the altar is decorated and breakfast offered. At 11:30 there is again an offering of foodstuffs. At 5 p.m. the temple is opened after the Deities have rested from one to four. Then there is another aratrika ceremony. In the morning fruit and milk are offered to the Deities, and at noon dahl and chapatis and many other varieties of foodstuffs are offered. At dusk there is aratrika and again at 9 p.m. an offering of puris, vegetables, milk and sweetmeats, and after this final aratrika the Deities finally rest.
Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur has written a song of prayer for the aratrika ceremony in honor of the Supreme Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Krsna in the appearance of a devotee. His song is as follows: “Everyone come see all the glories of the beautiful arati ceremony of Lord Caitanya. This aratrika ceremony on the bank of the Ganges to receive Lord Caitanya is so beautiful that it will attract the minds of all the people of the world. Come see how Lord Caitanya is seated on the jeweled throne. To offer aratrika to Lord Caitanya, all the demigods have come, headed by Lord Brahma. See Nityananda Prabhu on the right side of Lord Caitanya, and on the left side Sri Gadadhara. Nearby is Advaita Prabhu, as well as Sri Srivasa, who is bearing the umbrella above Lord Caitanya’s head. Listen to the sounding of the conchshells, the ringing bells and the karatals. All these sounds, along with that of the sweet mrdanga, are very relishable to hear.”
This worship of Lord Caitanya can be performed with a painting of the Panca-tattva as shown here. His Divine Grace has said that in this age all that one needs to achieve spiritual perfection is to sit before this picture and chant before the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. Srila Prabhupada has authorized this form of temple worship, and anyone who takes part will feel natural bliss. All activities and paraphernalia in temple life become meaningful by the grace of the spiritual master. Without the mercy of a spiritual master, one cannot receive devotional service in one’s heart. The progress of a neophyte devotee completely depends on the spiritual master who knows how to lead his disciple back to Godhead. The spiritual master teaches the neophyte devotee all the rules of Deity worship, and it is his duty to help his disciple fix his mind on Krsna. It is said in the third verse of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti’s Sri Gurv-astakam: “The spiritual master is always engaged along with his disciples in the temple worship of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master.”
As far as the chanting of Hare Krsna is concerned, it is the prime benediction of the Krsna consciousness movement, and therefore the temples vibrate with the transcendental sound of the holy names. The chanting is purely spiritual; it is the cry of the individual soul for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, like the cry of a child for its mother. Chanting the mahamantra is the prescribed method of worship for this age. “In this age the sacrifice of holding congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord is the prescribed method.” (Bhaktivedanta purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.1.14).
The chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra is eternal, beyond history, but it was first delivered to this planet by the great sage Narada Muni, and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is accepted by the Brahma-sampradaya (the disciplic succession of Krsna conscious spiritual masters) as Krsna Himself, gave special impetus to this movement. Lord Caitanya gave evidence from the Brhan-Naradiya Purana concerning chanting in this present age: harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha: “Chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name! There is no other means of success in God realization for this age of Kali.” In the age of Kali, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, it is not possible to perform difficult penances or austerities in order to obtain spiritual life. “In this iron age of quarrel, men almost always have short lives. O learned one, not only that, but they are also very lazy, misguided, unlucky, and above all, always disturbed.” (Bhag. 1.1.10) “[But] living beings who are entangled in the meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krsna, which is feared even by fear personified.” (Bhag. 1.1.14) We cannot overestimate the benefit made available to the average man in the age of Kali by the congregational chanting and Deity worship afforded by the lSKCON temples.
The chanting is glorification of God. There is a difference between American food and Indian food, yet the purpose of both is the same: to satisfy our hunger. Similarly, there are different rituals in churches and temples, but the goal is the same: to achieve love of God. If the goal is otherwise, then that is not real religion. The chanting of Hare Krsna is the essence of religion—to glorify God. Who can object? And what is the harm in chanting? The chanting is a prayer to the Supreme Lord to please take the chanter out of the inferior energy, into the spiritual. It is a plea for transcendental loving service unto God. Once, when asked what a man should pray for, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada answered, “We should pray, ‘Dear God, please let me love you.’ ” And so the musical instruments, mrdanga drums and hand cymbals are used in glorification of God, and the dancing is a beginning stage of ecstasy. Anyone may take part in the chanting, even a child. It is so nice.
The temple is also used for lectures and classes in the transcendental science of Krsna consciousness. Due to the unbreakable system of disciplic succession, the scriptural elaborations and expositions on the philosophy of Krsna consciousness (as found in Vedanta-sutra, Bhagavad-gita, the Upanisads, Srimad-Bhagavatam, etc.) are the most voluminous, exacting and consistent of any religious culture in the world. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, the science of Krsna consciousness, devotional service unto God, is the king of knowledge. This science teaches one that the material body is merely temporary, whereas one’s real identity is as an eternal, blissful spirit soul who is a part and parcel of God. It teaches us our eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead as His eternal servants. In daily classes on the Vedic literatures, perfect knowledge is received by submissive aural reception. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.2.18: “If a candidate for devotional service regularly attends classes in the Srimad-Bhagavatam or renders service unto pure devotees, all that is inauspicious in his heart becomes destroyed almost to nil, and thus loving service unto the Personality of Godhead … comes to be an irrevocable fact.”
The disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are so fortunate that they can partake in the transcendental activities in the temple, and we all acknowledge that the pure devotee has given us all means to reach Krsna. As disciples, we invite everyone to come to the Krsna consciousness temples and take part in the feasts, classes and other programs.
Back to Godhead Magazine #39, 197?
Krishna Consciousness Temples
Krishna Consciousness Temples
ISKCON CENTERS
Amsterdam Holland Frissenstein 292, Bijlermeer
Atlanta Georgia 24 13th St. 30309
Baltimore Maryland 1300 N. Calvert St. 21202
Berkeley California 2710 Durant Ave. 94704
Bombay India 74 Marine Drive
Boston Massachusetts 40 N. Beacon St. 02134
Boulder Colorado 623 Concord St. 80302
Buffalo New York 130–132 Bidwell Parkway 14222
Calcutta India 37/1 Hindustan Rd. Ballyganj
Chicago Illinois 2210 N. Halstead 60614
Columbus Ohio 318 E. 20th Ave. 43201
Dallas Texas 5108 Mission St.
Delhi India 3514 Netaji Subash Marg
Detroit Michigan 8311 E. Jefferson 48214
Gainesville Florida 1915 NW Second Ave.
Hamburg W. Germany 2000 Hamburg 6, Bartelstr. 65
Hamilton Canada 122 Charlton Ave. W., Ontario
Hong Kong China c/o Warren Weinstein, American Express Union House No. 609
Honolulu Hawaii 2016 McKinley St. 96822
Houston Texas 406 Gray St. 77002
Laguna Beach California 130 Woodland Drive 92651
London England 7 Bury Pl.,Bloomsbury,W.C.1
Los Angeles California 3764 Watseka Ave. 90034
Miami Florida 2851 N.W. 159th St., 33054
Montreal Canada 3720 Park Ave., Quebec
New Orleans Louisiana 7827 Spruce St. 70118
New Vrndavana W. Virginia RD 3, Moundsville 26041
New York City New York 439 Henry St., Bklyn 11231
Paris France c/o Fein, 8 Rue Lacage, 14e
Philadelphia Pennsylvania 641 E. Chelton Ave. 19144
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 4514 Plummer St. 15201
Portland Oregon 2325 E. Burnside St. 97214
Salt Lake City Utah 774 E. 8th St., So. Salt Lake City
San Diego California 3689 Park Blvd. 92103
San Francisco California 455 Valencia St. 94103
San Jose California 397 South 11th St. 95112
Santa Barbara California 613 E. Victoria St. 93103
Seattle Washington 5516 Roosevelt Way NE 98105
Singapore China c/o American Express 6th S.I. AIA Bldg.,
St. Louis Missouri 4544 Laclede Ave. 63108
Suva Fiji Islands 44 Baniwai Rd.
Sydney Australia 118 Oxford St., Paddington
Tallahassee Florida 412 W. Jefferson Ave., Apt. 303 32301
Tokyo Japan 3211 Minami Asakawa-cho Hachioji-shi 193
Toronto Canada 187 E. Gerrard, Toronto 225
Trinidad West Indies 2 Cipero St., San Fernando
Vancouver Canada 260 Raymur St., No. 305, B.C.
Washington D.C. 2015 Q Street NW 20008
Lord Caitanya: The Golden Avatara
Lord Caitanya: The Golden Avatara
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the golden avatara, appeared in India nearly 500 years ago. It is the custom in India that when a child is born, an astrologer is called for. When Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared 5,000 years ago, Gargamuni was called by His father, and he said, "This child formerly incarnated in five complexions, such as red and golden, and now He has appeared in blackish color." Krsna’s color is described in the scriptures as blackish, just like a cloud. Lord Caitanya is understood to be Krsna appearing in golden complexion.
There are many evidences in Vedic literature that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is an incarnation of Krsna, and this is confirmed by scholars and devotees. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is confirmed that the incarnation of Krsna or God in this present age, Kali-yuga, will always engage in describing Krsna. He is Krsna, but as a devotee of Krsna He describes Himself. And in this age His bodily complexion will not be blackish. This means that it may be white, it may be red, or it may be yellow because these four colors—white, red, yellow and black—are the colors assumed by the incarnations for the different ages. Therefore, since the red, white and blackish colors were already taken by former incarnations, the remaining color, golden, is assumed by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. His complexion is not blackish, but He is Krsna.
Another feature of this avatara is that He is always accompanied by His associates. In the picture of Caitanya Mahaprabhu one will find that He is always followed by many devotees chanting. Whenever God incarnates He has two missions, as stated in Bhagavad-gita. There Krsna says, “Whenever I appear, My mission is to deliver the pious devotees and to annihilate the demons.” When Krsna appeared, He had to kill many demons. If we see a picture of Visnu we will notice that He has a conchshell, lotus flower, club and disc. These last two items are meant for killing demons. Within this world there are two classes of men—the demons and the devotees. The devotees are called demigods; they are almost like God because they have godly qualities. Those who are devotees are called godly persons, and those who are nondevotees, atheists, are called demons. So Krsna, or God, comes with two missions: to give protection to the devotees and to destroy the demons. In this age Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission is also like that: to deliver the devotees and to annihilate the nondevotees, the demons. But in this age He has a different weapon. That weapon is not a club or disc or lethal weapon—His weapon is the sankirtana movement. He killed the demonic mentality of the people by introducing thc sankirtana movement. That is the specific significance of Lord Caitanya. In this age people are already killing themselves. They have discovered atomic weapons with which to kill themselves, so there is no need for God to kill them. But He appeared to kill their demonic mentality. That is possible by this Krsna consciousness movement.
Therefore, in Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said that this is the incarnation of God in this age. And who worships Him? The process is very simple. Just keep a picture of Lord Caitanya with His associates. [See picture on this page.] Lord Caitanya is in the middle, accompanied by His principal associates—Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara and Srivasa. One simply has to keep this picture. One can keep it anywhere. It is not that one has to come to us to see this picture. Anyone can have this picture in his home, chant this Hare Krsna mantra, and thus worship Lord Caitanya. That is the simple method. But who will capture this simple method? Those who have good brains. Without much bother, if one simply keeps a picture of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at home and chants Hare Krsna, then one will realize God. Anyone can adopt this simple method. There is no expenditure, there is no tax, nor is there any need to build a very big church or temple. Anyone, anywhere, can sit down on the road or beneath a tree and chant the Hare Krsna mantra and worship God. Therefore it is a great opportunity. For example, in business or political life one sometimes finds a great opportunity. Those who are intelligent politicians take a good opportunity and make a success of it the first time it comes. Similarly, in this age, those who have sufficient intelligence take to this sankirtana movement, and they advance very quickly.
Krsna As He Is
Lord Caitanya is called the golden avatara. Avatara means descending, coming down. Just as one may come down from the fifth story or the one hundredth story of a building, similarly, an avatara comes down from the spiritual planets in the spiritual sky. The sky we see with our naked eyes or with a telescope is only the material sky. But beyond this there is another sky, which is not possible to see with our eyes or instruments. That information is in Bhagavad-gita; it is not imagination. Krsna says that beyond this material sky there is another sky, the spiritual sky.
We have to take Krsna’s word as it is. For example, we teach small children that beyond England there are other places called Germany and India, and the child has to learn about these places from the version of the teacher because they are beyond his sphere. Similarly, beyond this material sky there is another sky. One cannot experiment to find it, any more than a small child can experiment to find England or India. That is not possible. If we want to get knowledge, then we have to accept authority. Similarly, if we want to know what is beyond the material world, then we have to accept the Vedic authority, otherwise there is no possibility of knowing. It is beyond material knowledge. One cannot go to the far planets in this universe, and what to speak of going beyond this universe. The estimation is that in order to go to the highest planet of this universe with modern machinery one has to travel for 40,000 years. So we cannot even travel within this material sky. Our lifetime and means are so limited that we cannot have proper knowledge of even this material world.
In Bhagavad-gita, when Arjuna asked Krsna, “Will You kindly explain the extent to which Your energies are working?” the Supreme Lord gave him so many instances, and at the end He finally said, “My dear Arjuna, what shall I explain about My energies? It is not actually possible for you to understand. But you can just imagine the expansion of My energies: this material world, which consists of millions of universes, is a display of only one-fourth of My creation.” We cannot estimate the position of even one universe, and there are millions of universes. Then beyond that there is the spiritual sky, and there are millions of spiritual planets. All this information is available from the Vedic literature. If one accepts Vedic literature, then he can get this knowledge. If one doesn’t accept it, there is no other means. That is our choice. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, whenever an acarya speaks he immediately gives references from the Vedic literature. Then others will accept it: “Yes, it is correct.” In a law court the lawyer gives references from past judgements of the court, and if his case is tight, the judge accepts. Similarly, if one can give evidence from the Vedas, then it is understood that his position is factual.
The Avatara
The avatara for this age, Lord Caitanya, is described in Vedic literature. We cannot accept anyone as an avatara unless he has the symptoms described in the scriptures. We do not whimsically accept Lord Caitanya as an avatara on the basis of votes. Nowadays it has become a fashion that any man can come and say that he is God or an incarnation of God, and some fools and rascals will accept it: “Oh, he is God.” We do not accept an avatara like that. We take evidence from the Vedas.
An avatara must conform to descriptions in the Vedas. Then we accept him, otherwise no. For each avatara there is a description in the Vedas: He will appear at such and such a place, in such and such a form, and He will act like this. That is the nature of Vedic evidence.
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is a list of the avataras, and there is mention of Lord Buddha’s name. This Srimad-Bhagavatam was written 5,000 years ago, and it mentions different names for future times. It says that in the future the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, His mother’s name will be Anjana, and he will appear in Gaya. So Buddha appeared 2,600 years ago, and Srimad-Bhagavatam, which was written 5,000 years ago, mentioned that in the future he would appear. Similarly, there is mention of Lord Caitanya, and similarly the last avatara of this Kali-yuga is also mentioned in the Bhagavatam. It is mentioned that the last incarnation in this age is Kalki. He will appear as the son of a brahmana whose name is Visnu-yasa in a place called Sambhala. There is a place in India with that name, so perhaps it is there that the Lord will appear.
So an avatara must conform to the descriptions in the Upanisads, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Mahabharata and other Vedic literatures. And on the authority of Vedic literature and the commentary of great stalwart gosvamis like Jiva Gosvami, who was the greatest scholar and philosopher in the world, we can accept Lord Caitanya as an incarnation of Krsna.
Caitanya’S Purpose
Why did Lord Caitanya appear? In Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna says, “Give up all other engagements and simply engage in My service. I will give you protection from all results of sinful actions.” In this material world, in conditional life, we are simply creating sinful reactions. That’s all. And because of sinful reactions we have received this body. If our sinful reactions stopped we would not have to take a material body: we should get a spiritual body.
What is a spiritual body? A spiritual body is a body which is free from death, birth, disease and old age. It is an eternal body, full of knowledge and bliss. Different bodies are created by different desires. As long as we have desires for different kinds of enjoyment, we have ot accept different kinds of material bodies. Krsna, God, is so kind that He awards whatever we want. If we want a tiger’s body with tiger-like strength and teeth with which to capture animals and suck fresh blood, then Krsna will give us the opportunity. And if we want the body of a saintly person, a devotee engaged only in the service of the Lord, then He will give us that body. This is stated in Bhagavad-gita.
There Is No Loss
If a person engaged in yoga, the process of self-realization, somehow or other fails to complete the process, he is given another chance; he is given birth in a family of a pure brahmana or a rich man. If one is fortunate enough to take birth in such a family, he gets all facilities to understand the importance of self-realization. From the very beginning of life our Krsna conscious children are getting the opportunity to learn how to chant and dance, so when they are grown up they cannot change that. They will not change, but instead will automatically make progress. They are very fortunate. Regardless of whether he is born in America or Europe, a child will advance if his father and mother are devotees. He gets this opportunity. If a child takes birth in a family of devotees, this means that in his last life he had already taken to the yoga process, but somehow or other he could not finish it. Therefore the child is given another opportunity to make progress under the care of a good father and mother so that he will again advance. In this way, as soon as one completes his development of God consciousness, then he no longer has to take birth in this material world, but returns to the spiritual world.
Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita: “My dear Arjuna, if one understands My appearance, disappearance and activities, simply because of this understanding he is given the opportunity to take birth in the spiritual world after giving up this body.” One has to give up this body—today, tomorrow or maybe the day after that. One has to. But a person who has understood Krsna will not have to take another material body. He goes directly to the spiritual world and takes birth in one of the spiritual planets. So Krsna says that as soon as one gets this body—it doesn’t matter if it is from India or the moon or the sun or Brahmaloka or anywhere within this material world—one should know that it is due to his sinful activities. There are degrees of sinful activities, so according to the degree of sinfulness, one takes a material body. Therefore our real problem is not how to eat, sleep, mate and defend—our real problem is how to get another body which is not material but spiritual. That is the ultimate solution to all problems. So Krsna guarantees that if one surrenders unto Him, if one becomes fully Krsna conscious, then He will give him protection from all reactions to sinful life.
There Is Only One Teaching
This assurance was given by Krsna in Bhagavad-gita, but there were many fools who could not understand Krsna. In Bhagavad-gita they are described as mudhas. Mudha means rascal, and Krsna says in the Gita, “They do not know what I actually am.” So many people misunderstood Krsna. Although Krsna gave us this message of Bhagavad-gita so that we could understand Him, many people missed the opportunity. Therefore Krsna, out of His compassion, came again as a devotee and showed us how to surrender unto Krsna. Krsna Himself came to teach us how to surrender. His last instruction in Bhagavad-gita is surrender, but people—mudhas, rascals—said, “Why should I surrender?” Therefore, although Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself, this time He teaches us practically how to execute the mission of Bhagavad-gita. That’s all. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is teaching nothing extraordinary, nothing beyond the process of surrendering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead which was already taught in Bhagavad-gita. There is no other teaching, but the same teaching is presented in different ways so that different kinds of people may take it and take the opportunity to approach God.
Caitanya Is Krsna
Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives us the opportunity to reach God directly. When Rupa Gosvami, the principal disciple of Lord Caitanya, first saw Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he was a minister in the government of Bengal but wanted to join Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement. So he gave up his position as a minister, and after joining, when he surrendered, he offered a nice prayer to Lord Caitanya. This prayer says, namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te/ krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne gaura-tvise namah. “My dear Lord, You are the most munificent of all the incarnations.” Why? Krsna-prema-pradaya te: “You are directly giving love of God. You have no other purpose. Your process is so nice that one can immediately learn to love God. Therefore You are the most munificent of all incarnations. And it is not possible for any personality other than Krsna Himself to deliver this benediction; therefore I say that You are Krsna.” Krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne: “You are Krsna, but You have assumed the name Krsna Caitanya. I surrender unto You.”
So this is the process. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself, and He is teaching how to develop love of God by a very simple method. He says simply to chant Hare Krsna. Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam/ kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. In this age, simply go on chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. There is no other alternative. People are embarrassed by so many methods of realization. They cannot take to the actual ritualistic processes of meditation or yoga; it is not possible. Therefore Lord Caitanya says that if one takes up this process of chanting, then immediately he can reach the platform of realization.
The chanting process offered by Lord Caitanya for achieving love of God is called sankirtana. Sankirtana is a Sanskrit word. Sam means samyak—complete. And kirtana means glorifying or describing. So complete description means complete glorification of the Supreme, or the Supreme Complete Whole. It is not that one can describe anything or glorify anything and that will be kirtana. From the grammatical point of view that may be kirtana but according to the Vedic system, kirtana means describing the supreme authority the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called kirtana.
Hearing, Chanting
This devotional service begins with the method of sravanam. Sravanam means hearing, and kirtana means describing. One should describe, and another should hear. Or the same man himself can both describe and hear. He does not need anyone else’s help. Just as, when we chant Hare Krsna, we chant and hear. This is complete.
This is a complete method. But what is that chanting and hearing? One must chant and hear about Visnu, Krsna. Not of anything else. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh: One can understand Visnu, the all-pervading Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by the method of hearing.
We have to hear; if one simply hears, that is the beginning. One does not need any education or development of material knowledge. Just like a child: as soon as he hears, immediately he can respond and dance. So by nature God has given us these nice instruments—ears—so that we can hear. But we must hear from the right source. That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. One must hear from those who are devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are called satam. If one hears from the right source, from a realized soul, then it will act. And these words of God, or Krsna, are very relishable. If one is intelligent enough, he will listen to what is spoken by the realized soul. Then very soon he will be released from material entanglements.
This human life is meant for advancing on the path of liberation. That is called apavarga, freedom from entanglement. We are all entangled. Our acceptance of this material body means that we are already entangled. But we should not progress in the process of entanglement. That process is called karma. As long as the mind is absorbed in karma, we will have to accept a material body. At the time of death, our mind may be thinking, “Oh, I could not complete this work. Oh, I am dying! I have to do this. I have to do that.” That means that Krsna will give us another chance to do it, and so we will have to accept another body. He will give us the chance: “All right. You could not do it. Now do it. Take this body.” Therefore Srimad-Bhagavatam says, “These rascals have become madly intoxicated; because of intoxication they are doing something which they should not have done.” What are they doing? Maharaja Dhrtarastra is a very good example. Maharaja Dhrtarastra was cunningly planning to kill the Pandavas in order to favor his own sons, so Krsna sent His uncle, Akrura, to advise him not to do that. Dhrtarastra understood Akrura’s instructions, but he said, “My dear Akrura, what you are saying is quite right, but it does not stand in my heart, so I cannot change my policy. I have to follow this policy and let whatever happens take place.”
Madness
So when men want to satisfy their senses, they become mad, and in this madness they’ll do anything and everything. For example, there have been many instances in material life where someone has become mad after something and has committed a criminal action such as murder. He could not check himself. Similarly, we are accustomed to sense gratification. We are mad, and therefore our mind is fully absorbed in karma. This is very unfortunate because our body, although temporary, is the reservoir of all misfortunes and miseries; it is always giving us trouble. These matters are to be studied. We should not be mad. Human life is not meant for that. The defect of the present civilization is that people are mad after sense gratification. That is all. They do not know the real value of life, and therefore they are neglecting the most valuable form of life, this human form.
When this body is finished there is no guarantee what kind of body one will take next. Suppose in my next life I by chance get the life of a tree. For thousands of years I will have to stand up. But people are not very serious. They even say, “What is that? Even if I have to stand up, I shall forget.” The lower species of life are situated in forgetfulness. If a tree were not forgetful it would be impossible for it to live. Suppose we were told, “You stand up for three days here!” Because we are not forgetful, we would become mad. So, by nature’s law, all these lower species of life are forgetful. Their consciousness is not developed. A tree has life, but even if someone cuts it, because its consciousness is not developed, it does not respond. So we should be very careful to properly utilize this human form of life. This Krsna consciousness movement is meant for achieving perfection in life. It is not a bluff or exploitation, but unfortunately people are accustomed to being bluffed. There is a verse by an Indian poet: “If one speaks nice things, people will quarrel with him: ‘Oh, what nonsense you are speaking.’ But if he bluffs them and cheats them, they will be very glad.” So if a bluffer says, “Just do this, give me my fee, and within six months you will become God,” then they will agree: “Yes, take this fee, and I shall become God within six months.” No. These cheating processes will not solve our problem. If one actually wants to solve the problems of life in this age, then he has to take to this process of kirtana. That is the recommended process. Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha: In this age, Kali-yuga, one cannot execute any process of self-realization or perfection of life other than kirtana. Kirtana is essential in this age.
In all Vedic literatures it is confirmed that one must meditate on the Supreme Absolute Truth, Visnu, not on anything else. But there are different processes of meditation recommended for different ages. The process of mystic yogic meditation was possible in Satya-yuga, when men lived for many thousands of years. Now people will not believe this, but in a previous age there were people who lived for 100,000 years. That age was called Satya-yuga, and the meditation of mystic yoga was possible at that time. In that age the great yogi Valmiki Muni meditated for 60,000 years. So that is a long-term process which is not possible to execute in this age. If one wishes to conduct a farce, that is another matter. But if one actually wants to practice such meditation, it takes an extremely long time to perfect. In the next age, Treta-yuga, the process of realization was to perform the various ritualistic sacrifices recommended in the Vedas. In the next age, Dvapara-yuga, the process was temple worship. In this present age the same result can be achieved by the process of Hari-kirtana, glorification of Hari, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
No other kirtana is recommended. This Hari-kirtana was started 500 years ago in Bengal by Lord Caitanya. So in Bengal there is competition between the Vaisnavas and the Saktas. The Saktas introduced a certain type of kirtana which is called Kali-kirtana But in the Vedic scriptures there is no recommendation of Kali-kirtana. Kirtana means Hari-kirtana One cannot say, “Oh, You are Vaisnava. You can perform Hari-kirtana. I shall perform Siva-kirtana or Devi-kirtana, or Ganesa-kirtana “ No. The Vedic scriptures do not authorize any kirtana other than Hari-kirtana Kirtana means Hari-kirtana, the glorification of Krsna.
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
So this process of Hari-kirtana is very simple: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare Hare. Actually there are only three words: Hare, Krsna and Rama. But they are very nicely arranged for chanting so that everyone can take it and chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Since we have started this movement in the Western countries, Europeans, Americans, Africans, Egyptians and Japanese are all chanting. There is no difficulty. They are chanting very gladly, and they are getting the results. What is the difficulty? We are distributing this chanting free of charge, and it is very simple. Simply by chanting, one can have self-realization, God realization, and when there is God realization, then nature realization is included also. For example if one learns one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and zero, then he has studied the entirety of mathematics because mathematics means simply changing the places of these ten figures. That’s all. Similarly, if one simply studies Krsna, then all his knowledge is perfect. And Krsna is easily understood simply by chanting this mantra, Hare Krsna. So why not take this opportunity?
Take this opportunity that is being offered to human society. It is very ancient and scientific. It is not that it is a concoction that will last for only three or four years. No. In Bhagavad-gita Krsna Himself says, “This philosophy is inexhaustible and indestructible. It is never lost or destroyed.” It may be covered for the time being, but it is never destroyed. Therefore it is called avyayam. Vyaya means exhaustion. For example one may have a hundred dollars, and if they are spent one after another, the next day it will come to zero. That is vyaya, exhaustible. But Krsna consciousness is not like that. If you cultivate this knowledge of Krsna consciousness, then it will increase. That is certified by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Anandambudhi-vardhanam. Ananda means pleasure, transcendental bliss, and ambudhi means ocean. In the material world we see that the ocean does not increase. But if one cultivates Krsna consciousness, then his transcendental bliss will simply increase. Anandambudhi-vardanam. And I shall always remind everyone that the process is very simple. Anyone can chant, anywhere, without taxation or loss, but the gain is very great.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has explained this kirtana movement in His Siksastakam Siksa means instruction, and astaka means eight. He has given us eight verses to help us understand this Krsna consciousness movement, and I shall explain the first of these instructions. The Lord says, ceto-darpana-marjanam. I have explained this several times, but it does not become monotonous. It is just like the chanting of Hare Krsna; it does not become tiresome. Our students can chant the Hare Krsna mantra twenty-four hours a day, and they will never get tired. They will continue to dance and chant. And anyone can try it; because it is not material, one will never get tired of chanting Hare Krsna. In the material world, if one chants anything, any favorite name, for three, four, or ten times, he will get tired of it. That is a fact. But because Hare Krsna is not material, if one chants this mantra, he will never get tired. The more one chants, the more his heart will be cleansed of material dirt and the more the problems of his life within this material world will be solved.
What Is The Problem?
What is the problem of our lives? That we do not know. Modern education never gives enlightenment about the real problem of life. That is indicated in Bhagavad-gita. Those who are educated and are advancing in knowledge should know what is the problem of life. This problem is stated in Bhagavad-gita: One should always see the inconveniences of birth, death, old age and disease. Unfortunately no one pays attention to these problems. When a man is diseased he thinks, “All right. Let me go to the doctor. He will give me some medicine, and I will be cured.” But he does not consider the problem very seriously. “I did not want this disease. Why is there disease? Is it not possible to become free from disease?” He never thinks that way. This is because his intelligence is very low grade, just like that of an animal. An animal suffers, but it has no sense. If an animal is brought to a slaughterhouse and sees that the animal before him is being slaughtered, he will still stand there contentedly eating the grass. This is animal life. He does not know that next time it will be his turn and he will be slaughtered. I have seen it. In a Kali temple I have seen that a goat was standing there ready to be sacrificed and another goat was very happily eating the grass.
Similarly, Maharaja Yudhisthira was asked by Yamaraja, “What is the most wonderful thing in this world? Can you explain?” So Maharaja Yudhisthira answered, “Yes. The most wonderful thing is that at every moment one can see that his friends, his fathers and his relatives have died, but he is thinking, ‘I shall live forever.’ ” He never thinks that he will die, just as an animal never thinks that at the next moment he may be slaughtered. He is satisfied with the grass, that’s all. He is satisfied with the sense gratification. He does not know that he is also going to die.
Everyone Has Died
My father has died, my mother has died, he has died, she has died. So I will also have to die. Then what is after death? I do not know. This is the problem. People do not take this problem seriously, but Bhagavad-gita indicates that that is real education. Real education is to inquire why, although we do not want to die, death comes. That is real inquiry. We do not want to become old men. Why does old age come upon us? We have many problems, but this is the sum and substance of all of them.
In order to solve this problem, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu prescribes the chanting of Hare Krsna. As soon as our heart is cleansed by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra, the blazing fire of our problematic material existence is extinguished. How is it extinguished? When we cleanse our heart we will realize that we do not belong to this material world. Because people are identifying with this material world, they are thinking, “I am an Indian, I am an Englishman, I am this, I am that.” But if one chants the Hare Krsna mantra, he will realize that he is not this material body. “I do not belong to this material body or this material world. I am a spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme. I am eternally related with Him, and I have nothing to do with the material world.” This is called liberation, knowledge. If I don’t have anything to do with this material world, that is called liberation. And that knowledge is called brahma-bhuta.
A person with this realization has no duty to perform. Because we are now identifying our existence with this material world, we therefore have so many duties. Srimad-Bhagavatam says that as long as there is no self-realization, we have so many duties and debts. We are indebted to the demigods. The demigods are not merely fictitious. They are real. There are demigods controlling the sun, the moon and the air. Just as there are directors of government departments, so for the heating department there is the sun-god, for the air department there is Varuna, and similarly there are other departmental demigods. In the Vedas they are described as controlling deities, so we cannot neglect them. Also, there are great sages and philosophers who have given us knowledge, and we are indebted to them. So as soon as we take birth we are indebted to so many living entities, but it is impossible to liquidate all these debts. Therefore the Vedic literature recommends that one take shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna. And Krsna says, “If one takes shelter of Me, then he doesn’t have to take shelter of anyone else.”
Therefore those who are Krsna conscious devotees have taken shelter of Krsna, and the beginning is hearing and chanting. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. So our fervent, humble request to everyone is to please accept this chanting. This movement of Krsna consciousness was introduced by Lord Caitanya 500 years ago in Bengal, and now all over India and especially in Bengal there are millions of followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Now this movement is starting in the Western countries, so just be very serious in understanding it. We do not criticize any other religion. Don’t take it in that way. We have no business criticizing any other process of religion. Krsna consciousness is giving people the most sublime religion—love of God. That’s all. We are teaching to love God. Everyone is already loving, but that love is misplaced. We love this boy or this girl or this country or that society or even the cats and dogs, but we are not satisfied. So we must place our love in God. If one places one’s love in God, he will be happy.
Don’t think that this Krsna consciousness movement is a new type of religion. Where is the religion which does not recognize God? One may call God Allah or Krsna or something else, but where is that religion which does not recognize God? We are teaching that one should simply try to love God. We are attracted by so many things, but if our love is reposed in God, then we will be happy. We don’t have to learn to love anything else; everything else is automatically included. Just try to love God. Don’t try to love just trees or plants or insects. This will never satisfy. Learn to love God. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission; that is our mission.
On the Constitution of the Soul
On the Constitution of the Soul
by Hayagriva dasa Adhikari
(ISKCON—New Vrndavana)
“The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be moistened by the water, nor withered by the wind.” (Bhagavad-gita, 2.23) Here Lord Krsna begins to describe the properties of the spirit soul. These properties are antipodal to the properties of the body. We all know that the body can be cut to pieces, burned up, wetted, and so on, and because of this it is subject to pain and death. We are so certain of the killing abilities of fire that we use it to sterilize so that things will be germless. But we have information from Vedic literatures that there are living entities also in the fire. “This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can neither be burned nor dried.” (Bg. 2.24) Here Lord Krsna is stressing the point that fire cannot kill the soul. All material attempts to annihilate the soul are futile. It is not possible to kill the soul by making a hotter fire, by using a sharper weapon, or by drowning it with any amount of water. The individual soul is sanatana, eternally situated.
Eternally Individual
Because it is not possible to cut the soul, it is not possible to sever the individual soul from the Supersoul. Consequently the jiva, or individual soul, has always been individual because if it had ever been homogeneously one with the Supersoul, it would never have been possible to break it or cut it away. Therefore, Lord Krsna speaks of the jivas as “eternal fragments of Myself.” “The living entities in this conditional world are My fragmental parts, and they are eternal. But due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” (Bg. 15.7)
Because the soul can live under any material means, it can go anywhere and live anywhere. And we have practical experience that living entities are everywhere and that they acquire suitable bodies for their particular environments. If we dig deep into the earth, for instance, we will find so many worms, and of course on the earth’s surface there are so many entities, and also in the air, and, of course, there are infinite creatures in the water.
And from Vedic sources we understand that even in fire there are many living entities that have particular bodies which are adaptable to living in fire, just as some souls can acquire bodies for living on a planet with no atmosphere. However, these bodies are more subtle and are difficult to perceive by the gross senses.
Life Is Everywhere
Because the soul is not influenced by material condition and because it can grow in fire, water, air or earth, we can conclude that on all other planets there are also living entities because every material planet is made up of at least one of these five gross elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether. Some of the planets are principally composed of water and earth, like our planet, or of fire like the sun, or of air, ether and gases like Jupiter. Due to a poor fund of knowledge about the constitution of the soul, material scientists doubt that life can exist on any other planet in our solar system. They argue that there is no life on Mercury and Venus because Mercury is so close to the sun that the temperature on its sunlit side reaches as high as 700 degrees F, and that Venus, although almost twice as far from the sun as Mercury, has an even higher surface temperature of 800 degrees F, which is distributed uniformly by strong winds. They fail to understand the relativity of heat and the ability of organisms to adjust to any circumstance. Our mean earth temperature of 57 degrees F may be astoundingly hot or cold to other living entities who may argue that life is not possible on earth due to intense heat or cold. Man has landed on the moon, which has a temperature of 215 degrees F on its sunny side and minus 250 degrees on its dark side, and seeing no living entities he concludes that there is no life there. “A magnificent desolation,” he calls it upon landing, and from the gross material point of view he is right, but we should not conclude that there are no living entities on the moon because the soul can inhabit various subtle bodies which can endure lack of atmosphere and extreme temperatures. Similarly there is no scientist who would argue on behalf of life existing on the sun. The surface temperature of the sun is 10,000 degrees F, and its average interior temperature is 25,000,000 degrees F, a temperature inconceivable from the material point of view, and yet we have information from Bhagavad-gita that the sun-god Vivasvan is residing there, presiding over his entourage of sun dwellers. It is also stated in Vedic literatures that Vivasvan drives a chariot with horses which obviously must be able to withstand such heats. These bodies, then, are subtle in order not to be consumed, and, being subtle, they’re practically imperceptible to mundane vision.
Why Only The Earth?
On the side of the earth away from the sun, the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are, according to scientists, too cold to sustain life, and their surfaces are reportedly enveloped by layers of methane and ammonia, which are poisonous gases. Again using the earth conditions as a criterion for life possibilities, scientists speculate as to whether life exists on Mars, the planet most similar to earth. They have perceived seasonal color changes that appear to be some kind of vegetation, but they have discarded the idea that the Martian canals were dug by intelligent beings. Hence they conclude that in our solar system only the planet earth provides the proper condition for life. It does not follow logically that living entities can exist in the elements earth and water and not in the other elements. Most major scientists agree, however, that earth is not the only planet in the entire universe containing life. They claim that there are other innumerable solar systems with planets that duplicate the earth. No doubt there are, but their insistence that life can exist only on this particular type of planet is a conjecture ethno-, geo-, and egocentrically based.
Here we are reminded of the example of Dr. Frog, Ph.D, an eminent scholar who lives in a well. One day a fellow frog went down to see the Doctor and inform him that there is such a thing as the Atlantic Ocean. Upon hearing about this ocean, Dr. Frog enquired, “Tell me, how big would you say it is compared to this well? Is it as big or twice as big?” “No, much, much bigger,” said the visitor. “Oh, much bigger then?” asked the Doctor. “Then tell me, is it five times as big, ten times as big?” “Oh, no, much vaster.” “Vaster? How is that? Maybe a hundred times or a thousand—how can it be so much bigger?” In this way Dr. Frog goes on speculating about the breadth of the Atlantic Ocean, but it is obvious that he will never comprehend its vastness because it is totally outside his experience. It is natural to compare that which is unknown to that which is known, but it is narrow-minded to insist that the unknown must correspond with the known.
So from Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literatures we can understand that in every planet and in every atmosphere there are living entities. All these living beings are numberless; the various species alone number over 8,000,000. These countless entities are being maintained by the singular entity, Krsna or God. It is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that this is the major difference between the Supersoul and the individual jiva: the jiva is maintaining itself in its own body, but the Supersoul is maintaining infinite jivas in infinite bodies all over the universe. It is illogical and contrary to experience to state that life is supported in one part of the universe and not in another.
We Are Always Persons
The parts of the Supreme Soul are thus scattered throughout the universe, and they remain parts eternally, taking on and shuffling off bodies. Even after being separated from the illusory identification with matter, the jiva remains a separate identity. After liberation from material contamination, the atomic soul may prefer to remain a spiritual spark in the effulgent rays of the Supreme Lord, and this stage is called Brahman realization. However, the more intelligent soul enters into the planets of the spiritual sky to associate with God’s person, and this is one step beyond liberation.
Lord Krsna further characterizes the soul in this way: “He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable, and eternally the same.” (Bg. 2.24) Here the word sarva-gata (all-pervading) is significant. This gives additional evidence that there are jivas, individual souls, pervading the entire creation, on land, on water, in air, in the earth, even within fire. Because it is stated that the soul cannot even be burned by fire, it is a misconception that fire can kill all living entities.
As mentioned before, Gita gives evidence that there are inhabitants of the sun. If the sun is uninhabited, then the word sarva-gata—living everywhere—is meaningless.
The Existence Of The Soul
Lord Krsna also gives more information about the soul’s constitution. “It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable, immutable, and unchangeable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body.” (Bg. 2.25) The soul, being spiritual, cannot be perceived by material eyes. Even the most powerful microscope cannot see the spirit soul. It is experimentally impossible to establish the existence of the soul, and therefore sruti, or Vedic wisdom, must be accepted as proof. We do, however, perceive symptoms of the soul as life symptoms. We understand that when the soul has left the body, the body is dead. These are symptoms of the soul which can be perceived materially. Beyond this we have to accept the existence of the soul on the grounds of Vedic authority. Here the supreme authority Lord Krsna states that the soul is beyond human conception, immutable and unchangeable. The body is everlasting and is always the same, although it may inhabit countless bodies.
Compared to the infinite Supreme Soul, the individual soul or jiva is atomic or finite. It is not possible for this infinitesimal soul to become equal to the infinite soul because it is stated here that it is unchangeable. Being unchangeable, it cannot expand to include everything. Therefore the theory of the Mayavadi impersonalists that at death the individual soul leaves the body and merges into the great all-pervading spirit to become one with that spirit contradicts the Gita. The totality of the jivas is all-pervading, but the individual jiva is infinitesimal and remains so eternally. It partakes of the total ocean by swimming about. In the very beginning of the Gita, Lord Krsna asserts the eternal individuality of the soul: “Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.” (Bg. 2.12) It is not that at a certain point the individual soul cuts itself off from the Supreme Soul and merges into matter, or that at another point it will leave its association with matter and merge once again into the Supreme Soul. Such a process of amalgamation is not possible. Even after liberation the individuality remains. The oneness mentioned here refers to oneness of interest. The common interest of all liberated individual souls is the Supersoul, Lord Krsna. When the jivas are in total agreement with Krsna, then there is oneness. Oneness is therefore experienced when the jiva surrenders unto Krsna, and diversity is experienced when the jiva rebels. When he surrenders, the jiva associates with Krsna in the spiritual world, but when he revolts he is placed in the material world amidst diversity. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita: “After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes, and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Bg. 7.19) Attaining this knowledge may take time, but this is the ultimate Vedanta. Vedanta means to know that Lord Krsna is everything.
“I Am Not Matter, I Am Spirit”
This eternality of the soul apart from the body is the basis for Lord Krsna’s urging Arjuna to fight in the battle. “For the soul there is neither birth nor death, nor having once been does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” (Bg. 2.20) The consciousness that pervades the entire body is the consciousness of the soul that inhabits the body. When the soul is not in the body he cannot perceive bodily pleasures and pains. Because the soul may be addicted to the pleasures of the body, he may take on another body after leaving his present body. Lord Krsna likens this struggling off and taking on of bodies unto changes of dress (Bg. 2.13). This constant change is senseless and very painful. Eventually, after so many changes, the conditioned soul becomes materially exhausted and so seeks a spiritual master who can teach him how to liberate himself from the constant repetition of birth and death (samsara). It is at this point that the jiva decides to revive his ever dormant Krsna consciousness in order to escape the miseries of reincarnation. Upon reestablishing his relationship with the Supersoul, the jiva attains the state of brahma-bhuta, realizing aham brahmasmi: “I am not this material body. I am not matter, but spirit.” The first symptom of brahma-bhuta realization is joyfulness. Perceiving its eternality, seeing that it can never be cut to pieces, burned, moistened, broken, dissolved or dried, the soul becomes instantly joyful. It at last identifies with its true essence. As long as it is in identity with matter, it will hanker and lament, as Arjuna was hankering and lamenting on the battlefield. The message of Bhagavad-gita, then, is one of joy, for the lesson taught Arjuna provokes the conditioned soul to seek its eternal happy position.
In the material position, entangled in birth and death, the jiva tries to lord it over matter, and in his attempt becomes adverse to Krsna. The conditioned soul, forgetful of his spiritual nature, engages in a hard struggle in the ocean of material existence, but all this time the love of Krsna is dormant within him. This love is awakened by the spiritual master who engages the jiva in devotional service and so opens the way for liberation.
Wonderful Beyond Conception
Concluding his initial statements on the soul in the Second Chapter of Gita, Lord Krsna tells Arjuna that “some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.” (Bg. 2.29) It is not often that one finds a man who can understand the nature of the soul. However, we should take the statements of Krsna in Bhagavad-gita as authoritative and so learn of the constitution of the soul through Him. It is certainly wonderful that a minute particle smaller than an atom can sustain life in a body; without this atomic particle the body dies. It is also wonderful that this minute particle is eternal and that the totality of souls pervade the entire creation. Because this is beyond human conception, one should accept the authoritative statements of Krsna.
Lord Krsna tells His friend Arjuna that even if he thinks that the soul itself is perpetually being born and dying, still there is no need for his lamentation. “For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore in the unavoidable discharge of your duty you should not lament.” (Bg. 2.27) Certainly no one laments when he sees a skyscraper being erected. Nor does he lament when he sees it being dismantled. The dismantling is inevitable. In either case, even from the material point of view, one does not grieve over what is perfectly natural. “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?” (Bg. 2.28)
Vedic wisdom encourages self-realization based on the nonexistence of the material body. As far as the eternal spirit soul is concerned. the material body has no factual existence. One may dream of becoming a great king or a great general or even a pauper, but when one awakes, the body in his dream no longer has substantiality. Nor did it ever have substantiality. So identification with the material body is a sort of dream for the spirit soul.
The process of the awakening of the soul is joyful, and the dream of entanglement is painful. Just as one is awakened from sleep by sounds, the sleeping soul is awakened by the sabda, or sound incarnation, of the Lord imparted to the soul by the spiritual master. The sabdas which the spiritual master uses to awaken the sleeping souls are the sounds of Bhagavad-gita and the holy names of Krsna. Since it is inevitable that one who is sleeping will awake, one should not become disheartened if it seems that he continues to lounge even after hearing the call to arise. Eventually the sabda will enact, and the drowsy soul will enter into his blissful position.
Children In Krsna Consciousness
According to the Vedic scriptures no one should become a mother or father unless he can free his children from the clutches of death. This is real family planning: one should have sex life in marriage only for the purpose of producing nice children to be raised in God consciousness. It is a great service to God and to humanity if one can raise a child according to spiritual principles from the very start of his life, and that is the practice of the married disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
As for the children themselves, they are fully participating in Krsna conscious activities, as shown here. Any child can chant Hare Krsna and dance and feel transcendental ecstasy. That is the special facility of Krsna consciousness—even a child can perform it. We are all naturally part and parcel of God; we have simply forgotten this due to misuse of our free will. But by purifying his consciousness by chanting God’s names and following regulative devotional principles under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, anyone can gain spiritual enlightenment and relish the taste of spiritual bliss. Any child who is chanting Hare Krsna on sankirtana in the streets, or attending ISKCON school and learning that God is the source of all material and spiritual knowledge, is certainly a wise person. Indeed age in years is not in itself the measure of wisdom. Certain trees, although obviously at a very low point of consciousness, have been growing for hundreds of years, whereas the great devotee Prahlada Maharaja, when he was only five years old, was preaching the sublime teachings of Krsna consciousness which he had heard while still in the womb of his mother. Prahlada heard from the sage Narada, and similarly Sukadeva Gosvami, the great reciter of Srimad-Bhagavatam, also heard of the pastimes of Krsna from his father while Sukadeva was still in the womb. If age were measured in knowledge, then Krsna conscious children would have to be considered already mature because they are Vaisnavas, worshipers of the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna. The Vedic scriptures confirm that love of Krsna is the ultimate goal of all knowledge.
Our spiritual master has said that a child’s naughtiness is his beauty and is even a sign of intelligence. Lord Krsna displayed unparalleled naughtiness when He was here on earth 5,000 years ago performing His childhood pastimes. But in ISKCON all a child’s playful tendencies are dovetailed in dancing, singing the Lord’s names and taking part in transcendental plays which please even the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One two-year-old girl, the daughter of married disciples of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, was playing childishly with Srila Prabhupada by handing him a flower, and His Divine Grace said to the parents, “She is doing as much service as you.”
That these children have been born into Krsna conscious families indicates that they are not ordinary but have seriously strived for spiritual perfection in their past lives. According to Bhagavad-gita, if one was a yogi in his past life but did not perfect his devotion up to the point of liberation, then in his next life he may “take birth in the family of transcendentalists who are surely great in wisdom. Verily, such a birth is rare in this world … By virtue of the divine consciousness of his previous life, he automatically becomes attracted to the yogic principles—even without seeking them.” (Bg. 6.42, 44) So these children have in the past practiced the principles of devotional service to the Supreme Lord, and now, having taken birth in the families of practicing devotees, they are being given the chance to become free from all material contamination and become eligible in this very life for eternal existence in the kingdom of God.
How is it that we can claim such children to be rare and wise? It is simply because they are following the sankirtana practice of glorifying God introduced by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is a pure devotee coming strictly in the disciplic succession from Lord Caitanya, the incarnation of Krsna for this age. The Vedic scriptures prescribe that in this present age of quarrel those people with sufficient brain substance should worship the Lord in exactly this easy manner, which even their children can fully perform—to sing the holy names of the Lord, to dance before the Deity of the Lord, to hear authorized readings about the pastimes of the Lord, and to take nourishing prasadam (foodstuffs offered to the Lord). It is easy and sublime, and the children in Krsna consciousness can feel it and teach others how to perfect life by this natural Krsna conscious method.
Kardama Muni, A First-Class Yogi
Kardama Muni, A First-Class Yogi
by Satsvarupa dasa Adhikari (ISKCON-Boston)
First let me offer my humble obeisances to my spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the pure servant of God and thus the knower of the scripture. All transcendental knowledge contained in this essay emanates from his teachings, which are exactly in line with the disciplic succession going back to Lord Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead and original source of this narration of Kardama Muni. The disciple of Srila Prabhupada has simply to present the teachings of the spiritual master intact; then there will be good benefit for the reader seeking self-realization and spiritual happiness.
In the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna teaches the mystic yoga process complete with sitting postures and the method of meditation under strict regulations. At the conclusion of the chapter, in the last verse, the Lord describes the topmost yogi: “He who, full of faith, offers everything to Me and worships Me, is the most united with Me in yoga.” Nowadays the yoga system, as taught authoritatively in Bhagavad-gita and the Patanjali-yoga-sutra, is not being followed. Instead, false teachers are allowing their students to engage in all kinds of material sense gratification whiled collecting a fee from them and inducing them to think in their meditation that they are one with God. Such students of false cheaters cannot actually be making spiritual progress in yoga.
Ultimate Yoga
The Vedic literature contains histories, however, of many great yogis who were accomplished in full mystic perfection. But even these yogic perfections, such as to be able to influence anyone; to be able to attain whatever one desires from any place in the universe, to fly in space, etc., are all material perfections, and they are ultimately exhausted. Yoga ultimately means to find Krsna, the Supreme Lord, in His localized aspect seated in the heart and to engage in eternal loving union with Him through devotional service. Yogis who are distracted from this path by material perfections have to return to the earth after death and again take another material birth and engage in devotional service before reaching the perfection of liberation, completely spiritual devotional service.
The following narration is an incident from the life of a great devotee yogi, Kardama Muni, who was not only a yogi but a perfect yogi, a devotee of the Lord. The narration of his activities appears in the Third Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the most mature and spotless scripture of the entire Vedic literature. Kardama lived long, long ago, in the Satya-yuga, just after the dawn of the creation of the universe.
His Meditation On The Lord
At that time, Lord Brahma, the original creator empowered by Krsna, was ordering His sons to marry and beget children so that the universe might be populated with worthy offspring. Commanded by Lord Brahma, Kardama practiced meditative penances on the bank of the Sarasvati River for a period of 10,000 years. It is understood that the yoga system, in order to be rightly practiced, must be performed by persons who possess a very long duration of life; otherwise, there is no possibility of attaining real perfection. There is no point in attempting the preliminary practices of yoga, such as the different postures of sitting, unless one is able to practice until perfection. Kardama Muni was not one of the so-called yogis of the present age of Kali (age of quarrel and bluffing) who sit for a paltry fifteen minutes a day in yoga postures and claim spiritual advancement. It may be noted here that in the age in which Kardama lived, yoga meditation was the process recommended by the Vedic literature, whereas today the Vedic literature clearly states that there is no alternative to the chanting of the holy name: harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam/ kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha (Brhan-Naradiya Purana).
Why did Kardama practice meditation? It is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam: “During that period of penance the sage Kardama devotedly waited upon the Personality of Godhead.” In other words, he practiced mystic yoga for 10,000 years just to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Therefore He is the first-class yogi. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada writes in his commentary to the Third Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam: “One has to surrender unto the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, Krsna, in order to achieve real success. To attain perfection of the yoga practice or meditation, one must act in devotional service, namely hearing, chanting, remembering, etc. Certainly remembering is also meditation, but upon whom must one meditate? The Supreme Personality of Godhead. He must not only be remembered, but one must hear about the activities of the Lord, and chant His glories.” After engaging himself in different types of devotional service, Kardama Muni attained the perfection of meditation, which is attained only by those who are surrendered souls. Srila
Prabhupada writes: “Where there is no mention of the Personality of Godhead, then where is there yoga and surrender? And where there is no meditation upon the Personality of Godhead, then where is there any question of yoga practice?”
The Eternal Form Of The Personality Of Godhead
Perfection means that Kardama actually saw the Personality of Godhead. The form he saw was not imaginary. It is not that one can concentrate his mind on some arbitrary form of the imagination in meditation. It is clearly stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam: “The form which the Lord showed to Kardama was consistent with Vedic principles and can be understood through the study of the Vedas from authoritative sources.” The eternal blissful form of the Lord is described in the Bhagavatam: “Kardama Muni saw tht Supreme Personality of Godhead in His eternal form, effulgent like the sun. The Lord was wearing a garland of white lotuses and water lilies. He was clad in spotless yellow silk, His lotus face fringed with slick dark locks of curly hair; adorned with a crown of earrings, He held His characteristic conch and disc and mace in three of His hands and played with a white lily while smiling. His smiling captivates the hearts of all devotees. Having set His lotus feet on the shoulders of Garuda, He stood in the air with a golden streak on His breast and the famous Kaustubha gem suspended from His neck.” The descriptions given in Srimad-Bhagavatam are not products of the material energy. Kardama did not meditate for 10,000 years simply in order to see an imaginary vision concocted by his own brain. Rather, he attained a level of perfection by which the Lord was pleased with Him and revealed His transcendental form, which is never revealed to impersonalists. Perfection of yoga does not end with voidness; on the contrary, perfection of yoga is attained one sees the Personality of Godhead as He is in His eternal form.
When Kardama Muni saw the Lord, his transcendental desires were fulfilled, and he fell to the ground with head bowed and offered obeisances. He addressed the Supreme Personality of Godhead as follows: “O supreme worshipable Lord, You are the reservoir of all pleasure, and those who are advanced yogis aspire, through many, many births of performance of deep meditation, to see Your transcendental form.” Again it is seen that Kardama reached the ultimate in yoga and acknowledged the goal to which yogis aspire after many lives of yoga practice. The point is not to see void but to see the spiritual form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Clearly, then, Kardama was in the most advanced stage. His next words spoken unto the Lord are therefore difficult at first to understand: “Desirous of marrying a girl of like disposition who may prove a veritable cow of plenty in my married life, I too sought the center of Your lotus feet to satisfy my lustful desire.”
It is startling to hear a yogi, who is supposed to be freed from all attachment to material life by meditating in solitary celibate penance for many thousands of years and attaining sight of the Personality of Godhead, only asking for a nice wife. But explanation reveals to us that Kardama was even more exalted than we have so far understood. Not only did Kardama Muni not actually seek marriage out of lustful desire, but his desire was the desire of Krsna. As stated in the Bhagavatam, “I shall accept this nice chaste girl as my wife until she bears a child born out of the ray of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then I shall accept the life of devotional service which is practiced by the most perfect human beings. I know that this is the desire of Lord Visnu and that it is a process free from envy.”
It was the practice in former ages that great sages and saintly persons, after making their lives perfect, would beget children in order to serve the Lord in that way, and but for engaging in sex life to produce exceptional progeny, they strictly observed the laws of celibacy. As for Kardama’s statement about producing a child who would be a “ray of Visnu,” it may be told that Kardama Muni is the father of the incarnation of Godhead Lord Kapila, who is Visnu Himself. Lord Kapila appeared as the son of Kardama Muni and Devahuti for the purpose of preaching the godly Sankhya philosophy, which is a combination of mysticism and devotional service. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada writes in this connection, “One should beget a child who can perform the duties of Visnu, or else there is no need to produce children. There are two kinds of children born of good fathers. One is the child who is educated in Krsna consciousness so that he can be delivered from the clutches of maya in that very life, and the other is the child who brings forth the ray of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and who teaches the highest goal of life. Great householders pray to God to send His representative so that there may be an auspicious movement in human society, or they pray to the Lord for an opportunity to train a child in Krsna consciousness so that he won’t have to come back again to this miserable world. Parents should see to it that the child born of them must not enter again into the womb of a mother.”
Instructions On Marriage
Kardama prayed to the Lord as if he were under the grip of lust and desired the Lord’s mercy in the form of an ordinary marriage. By speaking in this way, Kardama, who was actually a liberated soul, brought out for all the future readers or hearers of Srimad-Bhagavatam many significant clarifications of marriage and married life. At his request, the Lord was able to show that a man should pray to the Supreme Personality of Godhead for whatever he wants, whether it be liberation, devotional service or the fulfillment of material desires. Material desires should be satisfied in accordance with the will of the Supreme Lord or the Vedas wherein there are prescriptions for a married life of regulated sense gratification. Even if one has lustful desires, if he takes his desires to the Supreme Lord and abides by His will, he will get far more than he could imagine, and he will eventually gain spiritual purification and association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ultimately it is God who awards. Man proposes and God disposes. If one can accept what the Lord offers as his share, then he will find it a richer share than he had ever dreamed of attaining by his own endeavors. But if he strains to exploit under the illusion of winning by his own endeavor, he will lose on all counts. For example, Kardama was an austere penniless yogi with no facilities for gaining a beautiful wife, yet since he prayed to the Lord for a wife, he was granted the most beautiful and highborn princess in the world.
Lord Visnu, who shone on the shoulders of Garuda, spoke to Kardama with transcendental words in accents as sweet as nectar. His eyebrows moved gracefully as He regarded the sage with a smile full of affection: “Having come to know what was in your mind, I have already arranged for that for which you have worshiped Me through the discipline of the mind and senses. My dear rsi, O leader of the living entities, for anyone who serves Me in devotional service by worshiping Me, especially persons like you who have given up everything unto Me, there is no question of frustration.” It is stated here that the Lord gives His devotees all pleasures and that He answers all their desires, although He never awards anything which might be detrimental to their devotional service. Even if the devotees approach the Personality of Godhead with material desires, there is no question of frustration in those desires.
The Lord Disposes
The Lord then outlined His plan of benedicting His devotee Kardama with a perfect wife: “Svayambhuva Manu is well known for his righteous acts. That celebrated emperor, who is head of religious activities, will come to see you with his wife Satarupa the day after tomorrow. His daughter, who is grown up and ready for marriage, has all good qualities; she is also searching for a good husband, and her eyes are black, My dear sir. Her parents will come to see you just to deliver their daughter as your wife.” In his purports, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada writes of the proper selection of a husband for a girl: “Girls are never thrown into the public street to search out their husband. When girls are grown up and are searching after a boy, they forget whether the boy they select is actually suitable for them. Out of the urge of sex desire a girl may accept anyone, but if the husband is chosen by the parents, they can consider who is to be selected and who is not to be selected.” For example, within the family of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a husband or wife is selected by the spiritual master or by his representative, the temple president, and so it is by the proper sanction.
The Lord predicted that nine daughters would come from the union of the marriage and that through the daughters great sages would duly beget future children. Finally the Lord said to His devotee Kardama, “With your heart cleansed by properly carrying out My command and having resigned to Me the fruit of all your acts, you will finally attain to Me.” Thus the Lord disclosed to Kardama that if he only acted under the direction of the Lord then all his acts, even in married life, would be completely sanctioned, and he would finally attain the supreme abode. The Lord finally requested Kardama to be compassionate to all living entities. He asked him to please give assurance to all that the universe is identified in Krsna and that Krsna is in everyone.
Kardama Attained Real Oneness
The Lord referred to Kardama’s upcoming householder life as well as to the last days of his life, when Kardama would again take up the renounced order. He was not simply to receive the potency of the Lord’s mercy and keep it for himself, but he was to distribute the knowledge of devotional service to everyone. By following the order of Visnu, Kardama Muni attained real oneness with God because the Lord wants His devotee to always think of Him and worship Him. It is not that the Lord wants the transcendentalist to try to usurp His position and become God Himself, but to always offer obeisances to Him and offer Him unlimited service. The Lord wishes to reciprocate with His devotees and supply the fulfillment of their desires. The Lord revealed to Kardama that he would be the father of an avatara of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. “Manifesting a part of My divine being through your wife Devahuti, O great sage, I shall instruct her in the philosophy which deals with the ultimate principles or categories.” This is the first reference to Kapiladeva, the first propounder of Sankhya philosophy. This Sankhya philosophy is not to be confused with the Sankhya philosophy propagated later by an atheistic godless imposter who was also named Kapila.
Having spoken to His devotee, the Lord left the Bindusarovara Lake, on a pathway leading to Vaikuntha. The sage stood below looking up, and he listened to the hymns which emanated from the flapping of the wings of the Lord’s carrier. Thc sage Kardama then waited for the time spoken of by the Lord, and he prayed.
As predicted, the great worldly leader Svayambhuva and his wife Satarupa journeyed on a chariot all over the globe and reached the hermitage where the sage Kardama was completing his long vows of austerity. Srimad-Bhagavatam states that the holy lake Bindusarovara was filled with “the drops of tears fallen from the eyes of the Lord, who was overwhelmed by extreme compassion for the sage who had sought His protection.” The lake area is described as resounding with the notes of overjoyed birds who were all pious, as were the fruit-bearing trees and the flowers. Svayambhuva Manu and Satarupa entered the hermitage and found Kardama sitting before a sacred fire into which he was offering oblations. Clad in rags, of high stature, and his eyes as big as the petals of a lotus, he looked like an unpolished gem. In these Bhagavatam descriptions of the brahmacari-yogi, it is stated that usually a yogi is skinny on account of his austerities and lack of comforts, but Kardama Muni had seen the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, and he looked healthy due to having received the nectar-like sound vibration.
The King And The Yogi
“Seeing that the monarch had come to his hermitage and bowing before him, the sage greeted him with benediction and received him with due honor.” The yogi then addressed the King with words of praise because he understood that unless a pious king is ruling, the wicked elements in society can overthrow the whole aim of the society, which is to help the citizens go back home, back to Godhead. He addressed the King as the protecting energy of Sri Hari (Krsna). After offering obeisances, the yogi then asked the King why he had come with a glad heart and how he, the yogi, could meet his wishes. The royal order formerly gave all protection to the brahmanas so that they could advance the society in terms of spiritual culture, and the brahmanas would give their valuable instructions to the royal order so that every citizen could become elevated to spiritual perfection.
Svayambhuva said that he was most fortunate to be able to touch his head to the dust from the feet of the sage, and he thanked him for his words of instruction. “We are seeking a worthy match for our daughter in terms of age, character and good qualities.” The father, Svayambhuva Manu, confided to Kardama that “the moment she heard from the sage Narada of your noble character, learning, beautiful appearance, youth and other virtues, she fixed her mind on you.” So although Devahuti had not seen Kardama Muni, she had fixed her heart upon him after hearing of him from Narada, and on the basis of that hearing she had decided to marry him. Svayambhuva offered his daughter with all reverence as a worthy match for taking charge of household duties. By household duties he did not mean sense gratification but mutual execution of Krsna consciousness, which is called, in Sanskrit, grhastha. There are two words in Sanskrit to describe married life. One, grhamedhi, means to accept a wife for sense gratification and to make one’s apartment a center for executing the same propensities as the animals, whereas the other, grhastha, means to gain a helper in Krsna consciousness. Devahuti was eligible to offer such help, for she was equal in age, character and quality to the sage.
Kardama Accepts Devahuti
Kardama at once agreed. “Certainly I have a desire to marry, and your daughter too has not yet married or given her word to anyone; therefore our marriage according to the Vedic system can take place.” Kardama expressed appreciation of Devahuti’s beauty. He too had heard of her, for she had attracted even the denizens of the heavenly planets by her personal beauty. Kardama had been ordered by his father Brahma to produce progeny, but actually the goal of his life was Visnu, in whom even Brahma originates, as do all living entities in all the worlds. Therefore, since it was the desire of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kardama would marry and father children in the spirit of devotional service. This story in the Bhagavatam is related by the sage Maitreya to Vidura, and it continues. “The sage Kardama thus spoke very nicely regarding Devahuti. Then he became silent, thinking of his worshipable Lord Visnu, who has a lotus on His navel. When he was silent and smiling, his face attracted Devahuti, and she began to think within herself of the great sage.” As soon as Kardama Muni stopped talking and became silent, he at once began to think of Lord Visnu. The devotee may seem to be engaged in things other than Visnu, dealing and talking about other matters, but actually he is always thinking of Krsna, and thus his smile is so attractive as to win many admirers and followers.
Transcendental Married Life
After their marriage and the departure of her parents, Devahuti began to serve her husband with great love. She pleased him by giving up all sorts of lust, pride, envy, greed, sinful activities and vanity by fidelity and purity of mind. These are some of the qualities of a great husband’s great wife. Both were great by spiritual qualification. Devahuti was not proud because of her high birth. As can be seen from this narration, the union of Kardama and Devahuti is filled with pertinent instructions regarding how to live in transcendental married life with the goal of life, the center, being Krsna. Householders wishing to benefit from their union may listen with an aim to raising their married life to the transcendental stage. Devotion of the wife to the husband is recommended. Srila Prabhupada writes, “The wife is expected to be of the same category as the husband. She must be prepared to follow the principles of the husband; then there will be happy life. If the husband is a devotee and the wife is materialistic, then there cannot be any peace in the home.” In the case of Devahuti, by following the strict vows of a chaste woman she became very skinny, and therefore her husband became compassionate. She had formerly been the daughter of a great king and was now serving him just like an ordinary woman. She had become reduced in health, and her service was so selfless that she did not demand sense gratification even with her husband. She was simply acting to facilitate Kardama Muni’s engagement in spiritual life. Srila Prabhupada writes, “It is the duty of a faithful and chaste wife to help her husband in every respect, especially in Krsna consciousness.”
In the case of Devahuti, her husband rewarded her amply. Kardarma told her, “My dear Devahuti, I have achieved the grace of the Lord in my discharging of my own religious life of austerity, meditation and Krsna consciousness. I shall offer you all these achievements, which are free from lamentation, because you are engaged in my service, although you have not yet experienced these things. Now I am giving you transcendental vision to see how nice they are.” By her husband’s grace, Devahuti was able to feel practical realization simply by serving a great personality. Similarly, any sincere disciple of a bona fide spiritual master can achieve spiritual life simply by service.
Devahuti Desired Offspring
Coming from a great royal family, Devahuti had much aristocracy and wealth, but the greatest treasure, love of God, she had been unable to fully appreciate. She therefore expressed her full satisfaction to her great husband, who was under the protection of the spiritual energy. But she reminded him, “One thing you promised may be fulfilled now by our bodily union, because for a chaste woman it is very glorious to have children of the same quality.” Kardama Muni had certainly promised to her parents that he would stay with her until they had children. Since both were spiritually enlightened, a child was very desirable as an expansion of their qualities. Devahuti then asked her husband what arrangement should be made and what was required according to the scriptures in terms of conditions, time and place for the most suitable sex life. Sex life is meant for having good children. One must arrange everything so that the husband may be attracted by the beauty of the wife and a favorable mental situation may be created so that at the time of sex life the mental state may be transferred into the womb of the wife and nice children will come out of that marriage. Thus we see that the Vedic scriptures provide not only spiritual instructions but instructions on how to prosecute material existence nicely with the ultimate aim of spiritual perfection. It is mentioned in the Ayur-veda that when the passion of a man is greater than that of a woman, then there will be a greater chance of a boy being born. And if the passion of the woman is greater, then there will be more chance of a girl being born. Devahuti wanted her husband to instruct her according to scripture so that his passion might be increased. She also requested a suitable house because the hermitage in which Kardama was living was very simple and completely in the modes of goodness, with little possibility of passion.
The Aerial Mansion
Srimad-Bhagavatam then describes the miraculous accomplishments effected by the yogic power of Kardama Muni. Since he was completely perfected in yoga practice and sought to please his beloved wife, Kardama exercised his yogic power and instantly produced an aerial mansion which was fully arranged according to his will. It was a huge and wonderful structure filled with opulent pleasurable rooms and decorated with rubies, furniture and all kinds of attractive wealth. It was such a magnificent castle that the yogi himself was astonished at what he had created. Devahuti, however, because she was so niggardly in her appearance, with matted locks and a dirty dress, seemed afraid of the marvelous castle in the air. Kardama Muni knew her mind, and with further yogic powers he requested that she simply step into the Bindusarovara Lake, where he had arranged for hundreds of beautiful female maidservants to attend her and beautify her with ointments, scents, beautiful silks, etc. They offered her foods and drinks to improve her bodily condition, and they held a mirror for her, cleansed her, adorned her with garlands and marks of tilaka, and in general made much of her so that she finally emerged from the lake looking very beautiful with a smiling face and nice figure. She could understand that all this was taking place due to the yogic prowess of her husband and that nothing was impossible for such a yogi.
Husband and wife then traveled in the aerial mansion to the pleasure valleys of Mount Meru, which is frequented by the demigods. They traveled all over the universe and enjoyed pleasures together. Although yogis are known to display such wonderful powers, Kardama was more than a yogi, and his life is more praiseworthy than that of ordinary yogis. Even in his travelling through the universe for pleasure with his wife, his actual motivation was to produce good progeny in the service of Lord Visnu. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita (6.47), “Out of many yogis, he who is a devotee of the Lord is a first-class yogi.” Kardama Muni is therefore understood to be an already liberated soul, better than the conditioned demigods, who also can travel in space. So although he was enjoying with his wife, he was above material conditional life and transcendental to all material limitations. That is the verdict of the Bhagavatam.
He Returned To His Hermitage
After showing his wife the different arrangements throughout the entire extent of the universe, Kardama Muni returned to his own hermitage. Despite having such immense powers to travel all over the universe, Kardama did not claim that he was equal to God or comparable with the inconceivable energy of the Supreme Lord, as do some bogus yogis, who cannot travel in outer space but who simply instruct sitting postures and take fees from students. Kardama Muni remained a devotee of the Lord, and that is the real position of every living entity. Finally by his yogic powers he at once produced nine daughters through the womb of Devahuti. Devahuti, the sage devotee, bore all these children on one day, and all were charming in every limb and breathed the fragrance of red lotus flowers. Having begotten children through his wife, Kardama then prepared to leave household life, home and his beautiful wife to prosecute Krsna conscious life, as he had promised. His real business was always spiritual realization, and he did not forget this, even while travelling in the mansion.
It is described that Devahuti, seeing Kardama Muni about to leave, was smiling externally, but she was at heart very afflicted. The stories in the Bhagavatam, such as this narration, are not told for entertainment’s sake but are filled with instructions pertinent for spiritual advancement of life, even while one is within household life. In the Bhagavad-gita, Srila Prabhupada writes in a purport (p. 257): “As for detachment from children, wife and house, it is not meant that one should have no feeling for these. They are natural objects of affection. But when they are not favorable to spiritual progress, then we should not be attached to them. The best process for making the home nice is to live in Krsna consciousness. If one is in full Krsna consciousness, he can make his home very happy because this process of Krsna consciousness is very easy. It is just to chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and to take and accept the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Krsna, and have some discussion on books like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, and engage oneself in Deity worship. These four things will make one happy, and one should train the members of his family in this way. The family members can sit down morning and evening very nicely and chant together Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama; Rama Rama, Hare Hare. If we can mold our family life in such a nice way for developing Krsna consciousness by following these four principles, then there is no need to change from family life to renounced life. But if it is not congenial nor favorable for spiritual advancement, then family life should be abandoned. In all cases, one should be detached from the happiness and distress of family life because this world can never be fully happy or fully miserable. Happiness and distress are concomitant factors of material life.” Devahuti asked her husband to wait before going out alone and entering the order of sannyasa or renounced life. “My dear brahmana, as far as your daughters are concerned, they will find suitable husbands and go away to their respective places. But who will give me solace after your departure as a sannyasi?” Devahuti began to lament that she did not know that her husband was so advanced in spiritual realization, and she had been, as a less intelligent woman, mostly prone to sense enjoyment in his association. She pleaded to him, however, that even though she did not appreciate his glories, because she had taken shelter of him he must therefore deliver her from material entanglement. It is a known fact that association with a great personality is most important and by that means alone one can make great advancement in spiritual life. Devahuti finally realized with whom she was associating, and she wanted to utilize the advantage.
Devahuti pleaded so feelingly that Kardama recalled the words of Visnu to be compassionate to all, and so he replied, “Do not be disappointed, O princess, and just take heart. You are praiseworthy, and I tell you that the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead will come out from the womb of your body as your son.” Kardama Muni advised his wife to just engage in devotional service. “The Personality of Godhead, being worshiped by you, will disseminate our name and fame. He shall be the vanquisher of the knot of your heart by becoming your son and spreading spiritual knowledge.” Having received instruction from her husband, the bona fide spiritual master, Devahuti began to worship the master of the universe, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is situated in everyone’s heart. Concerning the appearance of the Personality of Godhead as the son of a couple of devotees, Srila Prabhupada writes: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the father of everyone. No one, therefore, is His father, but by His inconceivable energy He accepts some of the devotees as His parents and descendants. The devotee may ask the Lord to appear as his son. The Lord is already sitting within the heart of everyone, and if He comes out from the body of a devotee it does not mean that the particular woman becomes His mother in the material sense. He is always there. But in order to please His devotee He appears as her son. In this way the Supreme Personality of Godhead Madhusudana, the killer of the demon Madhu, after many, many years of worship by Devahuti, appeared as the son of Kardama Muni, just as fire comes out from wood in sacrifice.” At the time of the appearance of the Lord, the demigods who fly freely in the sky dropped showers of flowers out of their good will, and everyone smiled and became very satisfied.
Description Of Kapiladeva
Lord Brahma, chief engineer of the universe and the father of Kardama, then appeared to the sage, and after praising his obedience and instructing him about the marriage of his nine daughters to nine great sages, he described the incarnation of God who had been born as the son of Kardama and Devahuti. “Your son, Kapila Muni, will be characterized by His golden hair and His eyes just like lotus petals.
Sitting in the yogic asana called padmamudra, His feet resembling lotus flowers, this incarnation of Godhead, by practical application of knowledge from the scriptures, will uproot the deep-rooted desire for work in this material world.” Kapiladeva’s conclusion, after exhaustive analysis of the material elements, is the same conclusion arrived at in Bhagavad-gita: devotional service. “Just become Krsna conscious. Just worship Krsna and become a devotee of Krsna. That is real knowledge, and anyone who follows that system becomes perfect without doubt.”
Prayer To Kapiladeva
Kardama approached the Lord, who was Lord Visnu Himself and had descended into his home, and he offered Him obeisances. Kardama said, “The householders are generally negligent, but in spite of that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has taken His appearance in their home, just to support His devotees.” Devotional service to the Lord is so sublime that even a householder can have the Supreme Personality of Godhead as one of the members of his household, as his son, as Kardama experienced. This is due to the fact that the Lord is called bhakta-vatsala; He is inclined to His devotees. Kardama paid obeisances to the innumerable forms of the Lord, none of which are material. His prayer to Kapiladeva is here stated: “I surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead who has descended in the form of Kapila and who is independently powerful and transcendental, who is the Supreme Person and the Lord of the sum total of matter and the time element, who is fully cognizant and who is the maintainer of all the universe via the three modes of material nature, and who absorbs the material manifestation after dissolution. Now I am liberated from the debts of my father, and all my desires are fulfilled. Now I wish to accept the order of a mendicant. Renouncing this family life, I shall always think of You, and thus I shall remain free from lamentation.”
God Entered His Home
It is described by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada that there are two kinds of devotees of the Lord. One is called gostyanandi, which means those preachers who have many followers for preaching the glories of the Lord and who live amongst those many followers just to organize missionary activities. The other devotees are atmanandi, or self-satisfied, and do not take the risk of preaching work. In this class was Kardama Muni. He remained alone, free from all anxieties, always moving from door to door to enlighten people about Krsna consciousness. The wonderful thing about Kardama Muni is that the Lord Himself, as Kapiladeva, had taken birth in his home as his own son, and yet he was preparing to leave that home to search out self-realization. God was present in his own home, so why should he leave? The answer is that Kardama was living an exemplary life just in accordance with the Vedic authority, which says that one who is a householder must leave home after his fiftieth year. Kardama had very rigidly practiced yoga before his marriage; then Lord Brahma had ordered him to marry and beget children as a householder. Kardama did that also. He begot nine good daughters and one son, Kapila, so his householder duty was performed, and now his duty was to leave. Even though he had the Supreme Personality of Godhead as his son, he had to respect the authority of the Vedas. He would travel all over the world as a mendicant and always remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart and thereby be freed from all anxieties of material existence.
Kardama Muni was anxious about his good wife Devahuti, and so his worthy son promised that not only would Kardama be freed but Devahuti would also be freed by receiving instruction from Him. “My incarnation in this form is especially meant for persons who aspire to get free from the entanglement of this material body, and I mean to explain the philosophy of Sankhya in order to disseminate the knowledge of self-realization to interested people. I shall also instruct this sublime knowledge to My mother so that she also can attain the stage of perfection and self-realization, ending all kinds of reactions of fruitive activities. Thus she also will become free from all fear.”
After the departure of Kardama Muni, Kapiladeva extensively explained the principles of Sankhya philosophy to His mother. The Bhagavatam states, “By following the principles instructed by Kapila, Devahuti soon became liberated from material bondage, and she achieved the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as Supersoul, without difficulty.” There is a Vaikuntha planet known as Kapila Vaikuntha where Devahuti was promoted to meet Kapila and reside eternally, enjoying the company of her transcendental son.
The Eternal Abode
The sage Vidura concludes the story of Kardama, Devahuti and Kapila by describing the pastimes of the incarnation of Kapila. “Kapila, the great sage and Personality of Godhead, later went out from His father’s hermitage with the permission of His mother and went toward the northern side. Even now Kapila is residing there in trance, and all great teachers of Sankhya philosophy are worshiping Him. He is staying in that position for the deliverance of the conditioned souls of the three worlds.” It is stated that these descriptions are the purest of all things, and whoever hears or reads these narrations will become a devotee of the Lord and enter the supreme abode.
Transcendental Art
Transcendental Art
One of the basic principles of Krsna consciousness is that one may utilize whatever talent he has in the service of the Supreme Lord. And it is a symptom of a bona fide spiritual master that he is expert in engaging everyone in practical transcendental devotional service. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has thus engaged a number of very talented artists in the service of the Lord by asking them to use their natural artistic inclination in painting pictures of the Supreme Godhead. According to all the revealed Vedic scriptures, God is not formless or void, but on the contrary He has the most attractive personal form. In fact He has many transcendental forms. Krsna appears and expands Himself in multi expansions and incarnations, and these are described in Vedic literatures such as Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has written many books and continues to translate authoritative books about Krsna for the benefit of all mankind, and he has requested that this transcendental literature be profusely decorated with illustrations. His Divine Grace has also founded many temples of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and these are transcendental centers where men and women may come and engage in spiritual life by seeing the form of the Lord. Therefore paintings are needed in all the temples, as well as for illustrations in books. For these two reasons an art department has been set up in ISKCON for production of Krsna-katha art (art based on the pastimes of Krsna).
If a painting is done according to authoritative descriptions, it has the same potency as the Deity. According to the Srimad-Bhagavatam such paintings, when painted under authorized direction, in devotional service, are also considered incarnations of the Lord. In other words, Krsna is personally present in a picture of Krsna.
His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada first came to this country in 1965, and he began at once to engage young artists in painting pictures to be hung in Krsna conscious temples. Many of the artists began painting only in Krsna consciousness, with no previous formal training. Srila Prabhupada wrote a letter in April, 1968, to one such artist, Jadurani Devi, who was feeling misgivings because she was not a highly developed artist. Srila Prabhupada wrote as follows: “I know that pictures in this country are sold not on the merit of the pictures but on the reputation of the artists. That system is also current in India. But to come to the point of being a reputed artist will require a long duration of time, and our time is very short. We have to finish our Krsna consciousness during our lifetime, and we should not waste a single moment for anything else. According to Caitanya-caritamrta a man is famous who is known as a great devotee of Krsna.
“Continue trying your best to make your pictures as nice looking as possible, but not to satisfy the senses of the rascal public. Yesterday I was in a Unitarian Church, and I saw there two pictures of logs and bamboos, and then it was explained to me by our artist Govinda dasi that these are modern art abstract paintings. Anyway I couldn’t see in them anything but a combination of logs and bamboos. There was nothing to impel my Krsna consciousness. If you want to be a great artist in that way, I will pray to Krsna to save you. If the public doesn’t buy, we don’t mind. Why are you anxious to sell? We shall distribute them to devotees without any price.
“In the beginning I was seriously corresponding with some Indian friends to get some good mrdanga players for our sankirtana street chanting, but when I found it too difficult to get a man from India, some of my students were given the rudimentary lessons in playing, and simply by practice they are now pulling on with sankirtana parties everywhere. My Guru Maharaja used to say that in a foreign land where one cannot speak the language with the natives very nicely, what does he do to get help when there is a fire in his house? In such an emergency one must express himself somehow or other to his foreign friends and get their help to extinguish the fire. But if he wants to learn the language first and then talk with the foreign friends to get help, then everything in the meantime will be finished. Similarly, if we have to learn and then paint, it will be a long-term affair. But we want so many pictures immediately for all of our books. So all the artists may always engage in painting works, and that painting itself will gradually teach them how to make things nice. Regarding organization of the artists, there is no need to waste time learning art from studying texts. We should always remember that our time is very short. I think that our artists should be satisfied with whatever they have learned already—that is sufficient. They should simply engage in painting pictures always, and that will sufficiently teach them the art.
“In this connection I may remark that you have sent one picture of Narada Muni which I understand was copied from a so-called great artist, but Narada Muni’s body appears to be very sensuous. But he was a first-class brahmacari. He cannot have such a sensuous body. So you will do well not to work from the so-called well-known artists, but you should follow exactly the descriptions in the scriptures. The picture of Narada Muni which you painted in my presence was very nice and good-looking, but this picture here doesn’t appeal to me. Better not to worry about this sort of technique and style now.”
Srila Prabhupada has guided his artists to the transcendental level in art. It is only by the blessings of the spiritual master that one achieves any success in spiritual life. It is said in Bhagavad-gita that the perfection of any prescribed duty is to please Krsna, and one can please Krsna by pleasing the spiritual master or the pure devotee of Krsna. Therefore the artists who are pleasing the spiritual master are using their talent for liberation. Moreover, the paintings shown on these pages, which can be seen in the various publications of ISKCON Press and in the temples of ISKCON, not only liberate the artists, but they also attract other people to the transcendental form of Krsna. Up to date the most notable effort of the art department has been the production of the fifty-five illustrations of Srila Prabhupada’s book, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srila Prabhupada wrote that people are attracted to the book simply on the basis of the pictures, which very nicely explain the scriptural narrations.
Krsna consciousness is a personal philosophy, and the spiritual master is always personally thinking of his artists. Someone recently complimented Srila Prabhupada on the fine artwork in his book Krsna, and he said, “But the persons who painted these are even more beautiful shall the pictures.” In another letter to one of his art students, Srila Prabhupada wrote, “You may inform the artists that I am always satisfied by their work. I am satisfied only to see that everyone is always engaged in his respective duties. The teacher wants to see that the students are engaged in their handwriting work. As to who is writing with a nice hand, that is the secondary question. The teacher’s first duty is to see that everyone is engaged in handwriting. So if all the artists are always engaged in painting, that will satisfy me, and that will gradually make them experienced in making good paintings.”
While Krsna was being painted, Srila Prabhupada was sent samples of paintings, and he commented in a letter to one of his artists: “The art department is doing very nicely, and surely the production will improve even more by the grace of Krsna. You are all being inspired by Krsna how to portray the Lord and His associates for the devotees’ eyes, so everyone who sees these transcendental pictures will turn to become a devotee, and that is our aim.” Srila Prabhupada has seen from the beginning that Krsna conscious art is a strong and convincing means to engage people in Krsna consciousness. He has described the paintings as shutters which open the spiritual world for view, and he has requested the artists to flood the world with their paintings.
The authenticity of the paintings depends on the devotees’ scrupulously following the scriptures. Descriptions of the Supreme Lord are given throughout the Vedic literature, where His beautiful form is described in detail. For instance, in a purport of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, offering information from the Brahma-samhita, says, “The ideal yogi concentrates his attention on Krsna, who is called Syamasundara. He is as beautifully colored as a cloud, and His lotus face is as effulgent as the sun. His dress is brilliant, He is decorated with earrings, and His body is flower-garlanded. Illuminating all sides is His gorgeous luster, which is called the brahmajyoti. He incarnates in different forms like Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha and Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He descends like a human being as the son of mother Yasoda. He is known as Krsna, Govinda and Vasudeva. He is the perfect child, husband, friend and master, and He is full with all opulences and transcendental qualities. If one remains fully conscious of these features of the Lord, he is called the highest yogi.”
Srila Prabhupada has encouraged the artists to work nicely together. He has said that by painting together and discussing the subject matter of their work they will remain in samadhi, or absorption in constant thought of the Personality of Godhead. One cannot imagine how fortunate one must be to meet a bona fide spiritual master, for it is only with the guidance of such a spiritual master that one can perfect one’s life. The Krsna conscious art students always scrupulously follow the descriptions in the scriptures. Also, the spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, has often given them additional descriptions. A team of four artists—Devahuti Devi, Jadurani Devi, Muralidhara Das, and Bharadraja Das—painted the illustrations for Krsna, and they received many specific instructions. For example in the second volume of Krsna there is a description in the text of prayers offered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the personified Vedas, but there is not much reference to their appearance. So the artists asked Srila Prabhupada, and in a letter of May, 1970, he replied: “The personified Vedas are just like great sages in appearance. Some of them may look like Vvasadeva, Valmiki, Narada, etc. Some of them are older, some of them are younger, some of them have full hair like Vyasa because they are householders, and others are brahmacaris, with shaved heads, but they are all great souls, paramahamsas, highly elevated in the transcendental science. As you suggest, these pictures will be needed for illustrating a long portion of text describing the prayers It is a very important chapter, and it should be appropriately illustrated. You are very able to choose suitable subject matter for the pictures, so please execute them carefully for Krsna’s satisfaction. If you need any other information, please write your inquiry to me, and I shall be glad to give you the proper direction.” On occasion the spiritual master has corrected the artists, as in a letter of 20 August 1970 regarding a picture showing the great sage Sukadeva reciting Srimad-Bhagavatam to the renowned King Maharaja Pariksit: “This picture is not to the point. Sukadeva Gosvami should be offered a nice raised throne, and King Pariksit should be sitting along with the sages on the floor on the bank of the Ganges. King Pariksit has no beard. His face should be very nice looking. He is a young king, between thirty and forty years of age.” Srila Prabhupada, however, has also told the artists to work on their own: “The best thing will be that you paint pictures to your best discretion. The controversial points you can send to me, and I will send instructions. All of you are expert painters, so your mutual decision for painting a picture is more valuable than my suggestion. The descriptions are already given in the books, so it should not be difficult to take out the points and prepare a sketch.” Such instructions from the spiritual master, although seemingly dealing with artistic techniques, reveal something of the extent of his philosophical realization. One can acquire transcendental knowledge after thousands of years of yogic meditation, or one can receive it in a minute by submissively accepting the word of the self-realized spiritual master. For example a letter of June 22, 1970, describes how to paint Lord Visnu, the form of the Absolute Truth who is seen by a yogi at the very culmination of his meditation. “Regarding the cover for The Lord in the Heart, Lord Visnu should be distinguished by Srivatsa on His chest. The Kaustubha jewel should be painted to look like a very precious jewel. Lord Visnu should be surrounded by an effulgence emanating from His person. The first concentration should be on the lotus feet of the Lord. They should be very distinct and very nicely decorated with jewels, sandalwood and tulasi.”
Transcendental art as shown on these pages easily attracts one to the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this is the perfection of human life. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, Chapter Twelve, verses 1–2: “Arjuna inquired: ‘Of those who are properly engaged in Your devotional service, and those who are engaged by the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested—which is considered to be the more perfect?’ The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: ‘He whose mind is fixed on My personal form, always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith, is considered by Me to be most perfect.’ ” Out of His infinite mercy, the Supreme Lord descends to this material world for the pleasure of His devotees and to rescue all living entities who are dragging on in this temporary world of miseries.
There is no one as successful as a disciple who uses his talent to serve Krsna under the expert guidance of his bona fide spiritual master. A sincere seeker of God consciousness will never minimize the importance of the spiritual master. But someone may ask, “If God is everywhere, then what is the need of the spiritual master?” The answer is contained in a comparison of the spiritual master to an electrician. Electricity is everywhere, but it is necessary for an electrician to come and make a connection before one can tap the electric flow for one’s telephone or radio. In the same way, God is present in His multi energies, but the pure devotee of God knows just how to use these energies of the Lord in His service. Particularly, the pure devotee spiritual master can show transcendental artists how to paint the personal form of the Personality of Godhead. Because he is completely conversant with the scriptures and is realized in love of Krsna, the spiritual master knows all the intricacies of the appearance of Krsna. He can authorize an artist’s work so that it becomes transcendentally worshipable as an arca incarnation, or incarnation of the Lord in material elements, such as in the form of statuary or oil on canvas. As for the artists who accept such eternal employment, their world becomes transformed from aimless vanity or from a simple labor of love into the perfection of human existence—glorification of God through one’s occupation. Therefore we offer our respectful obeisances unto the spiritual master who is coming in disciplic succession from Lord Caitanya.
The Time of Death
The Time of Death
by Damodara dasa Adhikari
(ISKCON-Washington, D.C.)
I offer my most respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, my spiritual master and the spiritual master of the universe, from whose lotus lips has sprung the eternal message of the Vedas in the purest line of disciplic succession from Sri Krsna, the Absolute Truth, through Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja. He is spreading the teachings of Krsna consciousness around the planet for the benefit of all living entities, and just by his kindness so many of his faithful disciples are being delivered from the clutches of impending death. Please allow me to address myself to this subject. The death of the body is an inevitable fact for each one of us, so let us find out what the Vedic literature says about this.
The final purport of the Vedas is stated by the Supreme Lord Krsna in Bhagavad-gita: “Just surrender unto Me.” (Bg. 18.66) But surrender is made difficult by our attachment to the gross and subtle bodily coverings of the soul. We must control the various senses and gradually extract ourselves from the predicament of material life. In Bhagavad-gita the Lord states: “O mighty-armed son of Kunti, it is undoubtedly difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by constant practice and detachment.” (Bg. 6.35) For the yogi this practice is most severely tested at the time of death. The Supreme Personality of Godhead says, “Anyone who quits his body, at the end of life, remembering Me, attains immediately to My nature; and there is no doubt of this.” (Bg. 8.5)
For example, the Vedic literature cites the case of Ajamila. Ajamila, who had been born into a good brahmana family, fell into bad association after having seen a man and a woman embracing on a public road. His lust drew him into worse and worse circumstances, and finally, sick and wretched, he found himself dying and went to the house of the prostitute he was currently favoring. She threw him out mercilessly, seeing his abject state. He had no one present to help him, and so his thoughts turned to his son, and as he fell down to die, he called out his son’s name, Narayana. Now, it so happens that Narayana is a name of God, indicating Krsna’s four-armed form. So just by the potency of the sound vibration of the name of God, uttered even in this indirect manner by the dying Ajamila, he was not taken away by the constables of the lord of death, Yamaraja, who were waiting for him, but instead was transported to the realm of Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Narayana. On the other hand, Bharata Maharaja, although advanced in spiritual understanding, thought of a stag at the time of his sudden death, and he became a stag in his next birth (although an extraordinary stag who could remember his previous life’s activities).
Everyone, from the smallest germ, known as indra-gopa, up to Lord Indra, the King of heaven, is subject to the stringent laws of material nature. We are attempting to win over these laws, but in fact we are simply becoming more and more entangled in illusion’s complexities. Even Lord Indra himself was once subject to the influence of the deluding potency. Indra once became captivated by the superior facilities for sense gratification available on his heavenly planet, and therefore when his spiritual master, Brhaspati, the guru of the demigods, scolded him, Indra acted offensively toward him. Brhaspati then decided to teach his student a lesson. He cursed him to take birth on a lower planet as a pig. Sloshing around in mud and stool, Lord Indra as a pig felt that he was enjoying life very much. He thought to himself, “I am very fortunate. Here I have my nice sow for sex life, so many nice piglets, and the farmer serves me daily with a nice big bucket of stools to eat. How lucky I am!” Meanwhile the upper planets fell into confusion in Lord Indra’s absence, and Lord Brahma flew down to Indra’s farmyard on his swan to bring the King of heaven back to his post. But Indra would not leave: “I am very happy here, thank you.” So, with controlled intelligence, Lord Brahma took his sword end killed the sow and piglets. “No! No! What are you doing?” cried Indra. “My beautiful wife and children! You have mercilessly killed them!” Brahma then reminded Lord Indra that his death was going to come next anyway; at that very moment the farmer was sharpening his knife for the kill. The king of heaven was shocked into awareness, and he gladly returned to his duty as administrative head of the demigods.
The death of the body is approaching for all of us. But Lord Krsna begins Bhagavad-gita by teaching that we are not the material body, but pure spirit soul. After confirming the eternal character of the individual soul (Bg. 2.12), the Lord says: “As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth and then to old age, similarly the soul also passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Bg. 2.13)
Later in the Gita, the Supreme Personality of Godhead elaborates on this: ‘‘From the highest planet in the material world, down to the lowest, all are places of misery where repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again.” (Bg. 8.16)
Why should we go to Krsna’s abode? We should go there because that is our natural home. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, this material world is a foreign place for us, for the soul is made of the same spiritual energy as Krsna is, and he belongs in the spiritual sky. Therefore, in order to enter into the abode of Sri Krsna, we must be delivered from the womb of material nature. We have been impregnated into this womb by Krsna because we desire to lord it over dead matter. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita: “The total material substance, called Brahma, is the source of birth, and in that Brahma do I create pregnancy. Thus come the possibilities for the births of all living beings. It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.” (Bg. 14.3–4) After the living entities, or jivas, are injected into maya, they lie dormant for some time. Since the living entities come into material existence due to envy of Krsna, it can be said that they are in a state of spiritual death. Spiritual death means to forget that one is spirit. The conditioned living entities come into the material world due to a desire to identify with the deluding energy. Therefore they lie dormant in this state of spiritual death. Then, after some time, “those jivas who had lain dormant during the cataclysm are awakened.” (Brahma-samhita 5.20)
But it must be admitted that this awakening is itself illusory, since we are still within the womb; we have not actually been born yet. Nor are we awake. Sukadeva Gosvami says in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, “The conditioned souls hover in a dream of heavenly illusory pleasures, but actually they do not relish any tangible happiness in this way.” (Bhag. 2.2.2)
What is needed is known as dvija, or second birth. This second birth occurs when we are initiated by a bona fide spiritual master. He can deliver us from illusion just by his causeless mercy. After this kind of birth, there is no death any more just eternal, blissful life in Krsna consciousness.
The great saints and spiritual masters can give us advice on the proper method of passing out of this present body. One illustrative account is found in Srimad-Bhagavatam First Canto, Thirteenth Chapter. The gist of the narrative is as follows.
In the course of losing the Battle of Kuruksetra, King Dhrtarastra’s one hundred sons, led by Duryodhana, had all been killed and so the aged father was living in the palace of the victor, king Yudhisthira. Yudhisthira was very kind to his former enemy, and, according to the Vedic custom, he allowed him all the privileges of a member of his family, regularly paying his respects to the elderly king every morning. Dhrtarastra, who had been blind throughout his life, was thus living in Yudhisthira’s palace in peace and friendliness, along with his wife Gandhari.
This placid domestic scene was not to continue for long, however. Dhrtarastra’s brother Vidura, who had left Duryodhana’s palace just before the great battle, now at last returned from a long pilgrimage to holy cities and temples. He had sat at the feet of his spiritual master, Maitreya Muni, and thereby received the gracious gift of absolute knowledge. Vidura was not an ordinary human being. Actually he was a demigod, Yamaraja, the lord of death, who had taken birth on this planet as the result of being cursed by the sage Mandavya Muni. So Vidura was particularly qualified to ascertain the flaws in his aged brother’s present way of life.
Vidura’s arrival at the court of Yudhistthira was filled with gaiety. For the members of the royal family, it was like regaining consciousness after a long period. They had been distressed by Vidura’s absence, and now they all offered their most respectful obeisances to the great saint and embraced him heartily, crying affectionately due to their long separation. King Yudhisthira arranged for a nice place for Vidura to sit, and a festive reception was offered, with sumptuous foodstuffs for the brother of Dhrtarastra. After taking sufficient rest, Vidura was given a comfortable seat, and, after paying his respects, King Yudhisthira asked him about Lord Krsna and the Lord’s immediate relatives, the Yadus.
Now, it so happened that the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna had brought His earthly pastimes to a close, and He and His relatives had departed for the spiritual sky. But Vidura did not disclose this unbearable news to the assembled devotees. They were to find out soon enough just by the laws of nature, and Vidura did not want to hasten their inevitable distress. Instead he turned to Dhrtarastra and addressed his remarks to him directly:
“My dear King, please get out of here immediately. Do not delay. Just see how fear has overtaken you. This frightful situation cannot be remedied by any person in this material world. My lord, it is the Supreme Personality of Godhead as eternal time that has approached us all. Whoever is under the influence of supreme eternal time must surrender his most dear life, and what to speak of other things, such as wealth, honor, children, land, home, etc.
“Your father, brother, well-wishers and sons are all dead and passed away. You yourself have expended the major portion of your life. Your body is now overtaken by invalidity, and you are living in the home of another. You have been blind from your very birth, and recently you have become hard of hearing. Your memory is shortened, and your intelligence is disturbed. Your teeth are loose, your liver is defective, and you are coughing up mucus.
“Alas, how powerful are the hopes of a living being to continue his life. Verily, you are living just like a household dog and are eating the remnants of food given by Bhima. There is no need to live a degraded life and subsist on the charity of those whom you tried to kill by arson and poisoning. You also insulted one of their wives and usurped their kingdom and wealth. Despite your unwillingness to die and your desire to live even at the cost of honor and prestige, your miserly body will certainly dwindle and deteriorate like an old garment.
“He is called undisturbed who goes to an unknown, remote place, and freed from all obligations, quits his material body when it has become useless. He is certainly a first-class man who awakens and understands, either by himself or from others, the falsity and misery of this material world and thus leaves home and depends fully on the Supreme Personality of Godhead residing within his heart.
“Please, therefore, leave for the North immediately, without letting your relatives know, for soon that time will approach which will diminish the good qualities of men.” (Bhag. 1.13.18–28)
Because Vidura spoke the truth from the platform of direct realization, Dhrtarastra followed his brother’s advice, and he and his wife both left at once for the Himalayas and took up yoga practice under Vidura’s guidance in order to purify their consciousness so that they could be liberated from the attachments of material life. After perfecting their austerities, they voluntarily accepted death in the fire of mystic yoga. The yoga which they performed, however, was not sufficient for attaining the highest knowledge. Mere liberation is not sought after by pure devotees of Krsna. It is not such a great achievement. Even the most demonic of all living entities, Hiranyakasipu, was also liberated at his death, simply because he was killed by the Personality of Godhead in His form as Nrsimhadeva. Such is the grace of Krsna that He awards salvation even to the lowest of the low, if, through their atheistic activities, they are so corrupt as to necessitate their being annihilated by God Himself.
Mere impersonal salvation is not considered worthwhile because it is temporary. Thus it is on the same level as religion, economic development and sense gratification. Only pure devotional service of God can render the living entity completely free from birth, death, disease and old age. Sukadeva Gosvami says in Srimad-Bhagavatam, “For those who are wandering in the material universe, there is no more auspicious means of deliverance than what is aimed at in the direct devotional service of Lord Krsna.” (Bhag. 2.2.33) His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada writes in his purport to this verse, “Srila Sridhara Svami and all other acaryas, like Jiva Gosvami, etc., agree that bhakti-yoga is not only easy, simple, natural and free from trouble, but that it is the only source of happiness for the human being.”
Commenting on the kind of yoga practiced by Dhrtarastra, His Divine Grace writes: “In olden days such practice was very common for the transcendentalist for the mode of life and character in those days were favorable. But in modern days, when the influence of the age of Kali is so disturbing, practically everyone is untrained in this art of bodily exercise. Concentration of the mind is more easily attained in these days by the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The results are more effective than those derived from the inner exercise of the life air.” (Bhag. 2.2.19, purport)
So here is a hint for all of us not to be dissuaded from attempting for spiritual emancipation. The human form of life is given to us as a chance to surpass the hurdle of birth and death. How, then, can we transcend the material nature at the time of death? Let us take the example of King Pariksit.
King Pariksit had offended a sage, Samika Muni, and the son of that holy man had subsequently cursed the King to be killed in seven days by the bite of a snake-bird. Having been informed of this by the Muni, the King was in the unique position of knowing exactly when he would die, and therefore he immediately prepared for death. He accepted the news of his death as “well and good for its being the cause of his indifference toward worldly attachments.” (Bhag. 1.19.4) He left his palace and sat down tightly on the bank of the most holy Yamuna River, observed fasting, and simply depended on Lord Krsna. As he sat there, the most auspicious saints and mystics arrived on the scene; they could foretell what was going to happen. The demigods, seeing the great assemblage, scattered flowers over the earth. Then at last, Sukadeva Gosvami arrived, and he took the most exalted seat as the chief guest of Pariksit. He is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam as “surrounded by saintly sages, demigods, and kings, just as the moon is surrounded by stars, heavenly bodies, and planets in the sky. He was gorgeously represented in that manner, and factually he was also respected by all of them.” (Bhag. 1.19.31)
The King then put a question to Sukadeva Gosvami: “You are the spiritual master of great saints and devotees. I therefore beg to inquire from you the way of perfection for all persons, and especially for one who is just about to die.” (Bhag. 1.19.37)
Sukadeva answered: “The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life.” (Bhag. 2.1.6) “Those who drink through aural reception, fully filled with the nectarean message of Lord Krsna, the beloved of the devotees, purify the polluted aim of life known as material enjoyment and thus go back to Godhead, to the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead.” (Bhag. 2.2.37) In the remainder of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Gosvami tells the King about Sri Krsna, His energies, His opulences and His activities; and just by hearing this transcendental sound vibration, the King was transferred to the spiritual sky at his death.
Here is the conclusion of the Vedas. The first principle of spiritual life is hearing, and Sukadeva Gosvami assures that this is the most important factor at death. The hearing must be submissive. One should not hear in a challenging spirit. In Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna tells Arjuna: “Because you are never envious of Me, O Arjuna, I shall give you this most secret wisdom, knowing which you will be relieved from the miseries of material existence.” (Bg. 9.1) Elsewhere the Lord says, “That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore, you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.” (Bg. 4.3)
Our attitude towards Krsna and the spiritual master must not be envious, but favorable and devotional. Lord Caitanya prays, “In such a humble state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.” (Siksastakam 3) In the Gita the Lord tells us how to act in relationship with the spiritual master: “inquire from him submissively and render service unto him.” (Bg. 4.34)
So, with this in mind, let US hear something of that supreme destination, the goal of the bhakti-yogis, described nicely by Srila Prabhupada in Bhagavad-gita:
“The supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is described in the Brahma-samhita as the cintamani dhama. That abode of Lord Krsna, known as Goloka Vrndavana, is full of palaces made of touchstone. There the trees are called desire trees, and the cows are called surabhi, and the Lord is served by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune. He is Govinda, the primal Lord and the cause of all causes. There the Lord plays His flute; His eyes are like lotus petals, and the color of llis body is like a beautiful cloud. On His head is a peacock feather. So attractive is He that He excels thousands of Cupids.” (Bg. 8.21, purport)
The real meaning of eternal deathlessness is to perform devotional service for the eternal Supreme Lord, and therefore pure devotees do not even desire to attain to the Lord’s eternal abode, Krsnaloka, as just described. Lord Caitanya prays, “O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor have I any desire to enjoy beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. What I want only is that I may have Your causeless devotional service in my life birth after birth.” (Siksastakam 4) Similarly the great acarya of modern times Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, offering a poem on the death of a great devotee, says:
He reasons ill who says that Vaisnavas die
When thou art living still in sound.
The Vaisnavas die to live and living try
To spread the holy life around.
Devotional service to Krsna is eternal and cannot die. So the devotees pray, “Whether I attain to Vaikuntha, the spiritual sky, or whether You wish to send me to hell, whatever You desire is all right. I simply pray to always remember You.” Therefore when the Lord grants devotional service, it means that deathlessness is assured. When a devotee takes up Krsna consciousness seriously he becomes very dear to Krsna, and although the devotee may not desire it, his going back to Krsnaloka is assured.
We urge our readers to consider these topics seriously and with all reason and cool logic. Srila Prabhupada has said that actually our desire to live eternally is indirect evidence that we are actually eternal by nature. These propositions on how one can go beyond death by performance of devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead are not mere word jugglery. Death is not the most wonderful thing; it is life that is most wonderful, and Krsna consciousness is real life. Death can be conquered. Krsna promises that this freedom from death can most assuredly be attained by His devotees. By becoming purified through hearing of the Lord from the spiritual master and by chanting the holy name of God, the devotees learn to take everything as the mercy of God, and thus they become eager to serve Him. That change from material consciousness to God consciousness makes one eligible to enter the kingdom of God for eternal blissful life.
Back to Godhead Magazine #40, 197?
ISKCON Centers Around the World
ISKCON Centers Around the World
Amsterdam Holland Frissenstein 292, Bijlermeer
Atlanta Georgia 24 13th St. 30309
Baltimore Maryland 1300 N. Calvert St. 21202
Berkeley California 2710 Durant Ave. 94704
Bombay India 74 Marine Drive
Boston Massachusetts 40 N. Beacon St. 02134
Boulder Colorado 623 Concord St. 80302
Buffalo New York 130–132 Bidwell Parkway 14222
Calcutta India 37/1 Hindustan Rd. Ballyganj
Chicago Illinois 2210 N. Halstead 60614
Columbus Ohio 318 E. 20th Ave. 43201
Dallas Texas 5108 Mission St.
Delhi India 3514 Netaji Subash Marg
Detroit Michigan 8311 E. Jefferson 48214
Gainesville Florida 1915 NW Second Ave.
Hamburg W. Germany 2000 Hamburg 6, Bartelstr. 65
Hamilton Canada 122 Charlton Ave. W., Ontario
Hong Kong China c/o Warren Weinstein, American Express Union House No. 609
Honolulu Hawaii 2016 McKinley St. 96822
Houston Texas 406 Gray St. 77002
Laguna Beach California 130 Woodland Drive 92651
London England 7 Bury Pl.,Bloomsbury,W.C.1
Los Angeles California 3764 Watseka Ave. 90034
Maui Hawaii P.O. Box 537
Miami Florida 2851 N.W. 159th St., 33054
Montreal Canada 3720 Park Ave., Quebec
New Orleans Louisiana 7827 Spruce St. 70118
New Vrndavana W. Virginia RD 3, Moundsville 26041
New York City New York 439 Henry St., Bklyn 11231
Paris France c/o Fein, 8 Rue Lacage, 14e
Philadelphia Pennsylvania 641 E. Chelton Ave. 19144
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 4514 Plummer St. 15201
Portland Oregon 2325 E. Burnside St. 97214
Salt Lake City Utah 774 E. 8th St., So. Salt Lake City
San Diego California 3689 Park Blvd. 92103
San Francisco California 455 Valencia St. 94103
San Jose California 397 South 11th St. 95112
Santa Barbara California 613 E. Victoria St. 93103
Seattle Washington 5516 Roosevelt Way NE 98105
Singapore China 80 Stevens Road, Singapore-10
St. Louis Missouri 4544 Laclede Ave. 63108
Suva Fiji Islands 44 Baniwai Rd.
Sydney Australia 118 Oxford St., Paddington
Tallahassee Florida 412 W. Jefferson Ave., Apt. 303 32301
Tokyo Japan 3211 Minami Asakawa-cho Hachioji-shi 193
Toronto Canada 187 E. Gerrard, Toronto 225
Trinidad West Indies 2 Cipero St., San Fernando
Tucson Arizona 132 Santa Rita
Vancouver Canada 260 Raymur St., No. 305, B.C.
Washington D.C. 2015 Q Street NW 20008
If you are interested in becoming a member of ISKCON, write to ISKCON New York for further information.
Amateur and professional photographers who would like to offer photographs of Krsna conscious activities for inclusion in Back to Godhead are invited to send them to ISKCON Press, 32 Tiffany Pl., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11231. Hare Krsna.
Krsna Consciousness: The Sankirtana Movement
Krsna Consciousness: The Sankirtana Movement
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a bona fide religious society strictly following the principles described in the Vedic scriptures and practiced in India for thousands of years. Our basic beliefs are as follows:
1) The Absolute Truth is contained in all the great scriptures of the world, the Bible, Koran, Torah, etc. However, the oldest known revealed scriptures in existence are the Vedic literatures, most notably Bhagavad-gita, which is the literal record of God’s actual words.
2) God, or Krsna, is eternal, all-knowing, omnipresent, all-powerful and all-attractive, the seed-giving father of man and all living entities. He is the sustaining energy of all life, nature and the cosmic situation.
3) Man is actually not his body, but is eternal spirit soul, part and parcel of God, and therefore eternal.
4) That all men are brothers can be practiced only when we realize God as our common father.
5) All our actions should be performed as a sacrifice to the Supreme Lord: “…all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.” (Bhagavad-gita, 9.27)
6) The food that sustains us should always be offered to the Lord before eating. In this way He becomes the offering, and such eating purifies us.
7) We can, by sincere cultivation of bona fide spiritual science, attain to the state of pure, unending blissful consciousness, free from anxiety, in this very lifetime.
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
8) The recommended means to attain the mature stage of love of God in the present age of Kali, or quarrel, is to chant the holy name of the Lord. The easiest method for most people is to chant the Hare Krsna mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Our basic mission is to propagate the sankirtana movement (chanting of the holy names of God) all around the world, as was recommended by the incarnation of the Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. People in this age are very much reluctant to understand God consciousness because of their unfortunate condition of life. They are working hard day and night simply for sense gratification. But this transcendental vibration of sankirtana will knock at the door of their hearts for spiritual awakening. Therefore, they should be given the chance for this opportunity.
It is not recommended that a Krsna conscious devotee go into seclusion to chant by himself and thereby gain salvation for himself alone. Our duty and religious obligation is to go out into the streets where the people in general can hear the chanting and see the dancing. We have already seen practically how by this process many, many boys and girls of America and Europe have been saved from the immoral practices of this age and have now dedicated their lives to the service of Krsna.
It is hoped that the government authorities will cooperate with our sankirtana parties in enabling us to perform sankirtana on the streets. To do this it is necessary that we be able to chant the names of Krsna, dance, play the mrdanga drum, request donations for our society’s journal, and on occasion, sit down with the mrdanga drum. As devotees of Lord Krsna, it is our duty to teach the people how to love God and worship Him in their daily life. This is the aim and destination of human life.
Authorized Purports on Sripada Sankaracarya’s - Meditation on the On the Bhagavad-gita
Authorized Purports on Sripada Sankaracarya’s -
Meditation on the On the Bhagavad-gita
by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
versification by Hayagriva dasa Adhikari
(Sri Sankaracarya—or Sankara—is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Siva, as the Padma Purana testifies. Appearing in India in the 6th century A.D., he single-handedly drove the Buddhist philosophy out of India and reestablished Vedic culture, all in his short lifetime of 32 years. Although he took up the impersonalist guise to better battle the Buddhists—impersonalism is much akin to Buddhism—the commentary rendered below, as well as other writings, reveal him to be a devotee of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sankara’s most famous treatise is Viveka-cudamani, and his other works include Sariraka-bhasya and Prayers for Krsna.)
–1–
O Bhagavad-gita,
Through Thy eighteen chapters
Thou showerest upon man
The immortal nectar
Of the wisdom of the Absolute.
O blessed Gita,
By Thee, Lord Krsna Himself
Enlightened Arjuna.
Afterward, the ancient sage Vyasa
Included Thee in the Mahabharata.
O loving mother,
Destroyer of man’s rebirth
Into the darkness of this mortal world,
Upon Thee I meditate.
–2–
Salutations to thee, O Vyasa,
Thou art of mighty intellect,
And shine eyes
Are large as the petals
Of the full-blown lotus.
It was thou
Who brightened this lamp of wisdom,
Filling it with the oil
Of the Mahabharata.
PURPORT
Srimad Sankaracarya was an impersonalist from the materialist point of view. But he never denied the spiritual form known as sac-cid-ananda-vigraha or the eternal all-blissful form of knowledge which existed before the material creation. When he spoke of Supreme Brahman as impersonal, he did not mean that the Lord’s sac-cid-ananda form was to be confused with a material conception of personality. In the very beginning of his commentary on the Gita, he maintains that Narayana, the Supreme Lord, is transcendental to the material creation. The Lord existed before the creation as the transcendental personality, and He has nothing to do with material personality. Lord Krsna is the same Supreme Personality, and He has no connection with a material body. He descends in His spiritual eternal form, but foolish people mistake His body to be like unto ours. Sankara’s preaching of impersonalism is especially meant for teaching foolish persons who consider Krsna to be an ordinary man composed of matter.
No one would care to read the Gita if it had been spoken by a material man, and certainly Vyasadeva wouldn’t have bothered even to incorporate it into the history of the Mahabharata. According to the above verses, Mahabharata is the history of the ancient world, and Vyasadeva is the writer of this great epic. Bhagavad-gita is identical with Krsna; and because Krsna is the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no difference between Krsna and His words. Therefore the Bhagavad-gita is as worshipable as Lord Krsna Himself, both being absolute. One who hears Bhagavad-gita “as is” actually hears the words directly from the lotus lips of the Lord. But unfortunate persons say that the Gita is too antiquated for the modern man who wants to find out God by speculation or meditation.
–3–
I salute Thee, O Krsna,
O Thou who art the refuge
Of ocean-born Laksmi
And all who take refuge
At Thy lotus feet.
Thou art indeed
The wish-fulfilling tree
For Thy devotee.
Thy one hand holds a staff
For driving cows,
And Thy other hand is raised—
The thumb touching the tip
Of Thy forefinger,
Indicating divine knowledge.
Salutations to Thee, O Supreme Lord,
For Thou art the milker
Of the ambrosia of the Gita.
PURPORT
Srimad Sankaracarya explicitly says, “You fools, just worship Govinda and that Bhagavad-gita spoken by Narayana Himself,” yet foolish people still conduct their research work to find out Narayana; consequently they are wretched and they waste their time for nothing. Narayana is never wretched nor daridra; rather, He is worshiped by the goddess of fortune, Laksmi, as well as all living entities. Sankara declared himself to be “Brahman,” but he admits Narayana or Krsna to be the Supreme Personality who is beyond the material creation. He offers his respects to Krsna as the Supreme Brahman or Param Brahman because He (Krsna) is worshipable by everyone. Only the fools and enemies of Krsna who cannot understand what Bhagavad-gita is (though they make commentaries on it) say, “It is not the personal Krsna to whom we have to surrender ourselves utterly, but to the unborn, beginningless Eternal who speaks through Krsna. “ Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Whereas Sankara, the greatest of the impersonalists, offers his due respects to Krsna and His book Bhagavad-gita, the foolish say that “it is not to the personal Krsna.” Such unenlightened people do not know that Krsna is absolute and that there is no difference between His inside and outside. The difference of inside and outside is experienced in the dual material world. In the absolute world there is no such difference because in the absolute everything is spiritual (sac-cid-ananda), and Narayana or Krsna belongs to the absolute world. In the absolute world there is only the factual personality, and there is no distinction between body and soul.
–4–
The Upanisads
Are as a herd of cows,
Lord Krsna, son of a cowherd,
Is their milker,
Arjuna is the calf,
The supreme nectar of the Gita
Is the milk,
And the wise man
Of purified intellect
Is the drinker.
PURPORT
Unless one understands spiritual variegatedness, one cannot understand the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. In the Brahma-samhita it is said that Krsna’s name, form, quality, pastimes, entourage and paraphernalia are all ananda-cinmaya-rasa—in short, everything of His transcendental association is of the same composition of spiritual bliss, knowledge and eternity. There is no end to His name, form, etc., unlike the material world where all things have their end. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, only fools deride Him, whereas it is Sankara, the greatest impersonalist, who worships Him, His cows and His pastimes as the son of Vasudeva and pleasure of Devaki.
–5–
Thou son of Vasudeva,
Destroyer of the demons Kamsa and Canura,
Thou supreme bliss of Mother Devaki,
O Thou guru of the universe,
Teacher of the worlds,
Thee, O Krsna, I salute.
PURPORT
Sankara describes Him as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki. Does he mean thereby that he is worshiping an ordinary material man? He worships Krsna because he knows that Krsna’s birth and activities are all supernatural. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (4th Chapter), Krsna’s birth and activities are mysterious and transcendental and therefore only the devotees of Krsna can know them perfectly. Sankara was not such a fool that he would accept Krsna as an ordinary man and at the same time offer Him all devotional obeisances, knowing Him as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva. According to Bhagavad-gita, only by knowing the transcendental birth and activities of Krsna can one attain liberation by acquiring a spiritual form like Krsna. There are five different kinds of liberations. One who merges into the spiritual auras of Krsna, known as impersonal Brahman effulgence, does not fully develop his spiritual body. But one who fully develops his spiritual existence becomes an associate of Narayana or Krsna in different spiritual abodes. One who enters into the abode of Narayana develops a spiritual form exactly like Narayana (four-handed), and one who enters into the highest spiritual abode of Krsna, known as Goloka Vrndavana, develops a spiritual form of two hands like Krsna. Sankara, as an incarnation of Lord Siva, knows all these spiritual existences, but he did not disclose them to his then Buddhist followers because it was impossible for them to know about the spiritual world. Lord Buddha preached that void is the ultimate goal, so how could his followers understand spiritual variegatedness? Therefore Sankara said brahma satya jagat mithya, or material variegatedness is false but spiritual variegatedness is fact. In the Padma Purana Lord Siva has admitted that he had to preach the philosophy of maya or illusion in the Kali-yuga as another edition of the “void” philosophy of Buddha. He had to do this by the order of the Lord for specific reasons. He, however, disclosed his real mind by recommending that people worship Krsna, for no one can be saved simply by mental speculations composed of word jugglery and grammatical maneuvers. Sankara instructs further: bhaja Govindam, bhaja Govindam, bhaja Govindam mudhamate, prapte sannihite marane nahi nahi, raksati dukrn karane. “You intellectual fools, just worship Govinda, just worship Govinda, just worship Govinda. Your grammatical knowledge and word jugglery will not save you at the time of death.”
–6–
Of that terrifying river
Of the battlefield of Kuruksetra
Over which the Pandavas victoriously crossed,
Bhisma and Drona were as the high banks,
Jayadratha as the river's water,
The King of Gandhara the blue water-lily,
Salya the shark,
Krpa the current,
Karna the mighty waves,
Asvatthama and Vikarna the dread alligators,
And Duryodhana the very whirlpool—
But Thou, O Krsna, wast the ferryman!
–7–
May the spotless lotus of the Mahabharata
That grows on the waters
Of the words of Vyasa
And of which the Bhagavad-gita
Is the irresistably sweet fragrance
And its tales of heroes
The full blown petals
Fully opened by the talk of Lord Hari,
Who destroys the sins
Of Kali-yuga,
And on which daily light
The nectar-seeking souls,
As so many bees
Swarming joyously—
May this lotus of the Mahabharata
Bestow on us the highest good.
–8–
Salutations to Lord Krsna
The embodiment of supreme bliss,
By whose grace and compassion
The dumb become eloquent
And the lame scale mountains—
Him I salute!
PURPORT
Foolish followers of foolish speculators cannot understand the meaning of offering salutations to Lord Krsna, the embodiment of bliss. Sankara himself offered his salutations to Lord Krsna so that some of his intelligent followers might understand the real fact by the example set by their great master Sankara, the incarnation of Lord Siva. But there are many obstinate followers of Sankara who refuse to offer their salutations to Lord Krsna, and instead mislead innocent persons by injecting materialism into the Bhagavad-gita and confusing innocent readers by their commentaries., and consequently the readers never have the opportunity to become blessed by offering salutations to Lord Krsna, the cause of all causes. The greatest disservice to humanity is to keep mankind in darkness about the science of Krsna or Krsna consciousness by distorting the sense of the Gita.
–9–
Salutations to that supreme shining one
Whom the creator Brahma, Varuna,
Indra, Rudra, Marut and all divine beings
Praise with hymns,
Whose glories are sung
By the verses of the Vedas,
Of whom the singers of Sama sing
And of whose glories the Upanisads
Proclaim in full choir,
Whom the yogis see
With their minds absorbed
In perfect meditation,
And of whom all the hosts
Of gods and demons
Know not the limitations.
To Him, the Supreme God Krsna, be all salutations—
Him we salute! Him we salute! Him we salute!
PURPORT
By recitation of the ninth verse of his meditation quoted from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sankara has indicated that Lord Krsna is worshipable by one and all, including himself. He gives hints to materialists, impersonalists, mental speculators, “void” philosophers and all other candidates subjected to the punishment of material miseries—just offer salutations to Lord Krsna, who is worshiped by Brahma, Siva, Varuna, Indra and all other demigods. He has not mentioned, however, the name of Visnu because Visnu is identical with Krsna. The Vedas and the Upanisads are meant for understanding the process by which one can surrender unto Krsna. The yogis try to see Him (Krsna) within themselves by meditation. In other words, it is for all the demigods and demons who do not know where the ultimate end is that Sankara teaches, and he especially instructs the demons and the fools to offer salutations to Krsna and His words, the Bhagavad-gita, by following in his footsteps. Only by such acts will the demons be benefited, not by misleading their innocent followers by so-called mental speculations or showbottle meditations. Sankara directly offers salutations to Krsna as if to show the fools, who are searching after light, that here is light like the sun. But the fallen demons are like owls that will not open their eyes on account of their fear of the sunlight itself. These owls will never open their eyes to see the sublime light of Krsna and His words the Bhagavad-gita. They will, however, comment on the Gita with their closed owl-eyes to mislead their unfortunate readers and followers. Sankara, however, discloses the light to his less intelligent followers and shows that Bhagavad-gita and Krsna are the only source of light. This is all to teach the sincere seekers of truth to offer salutation to Lord Krsna and thus surrender unto Him without misgivings. That is the highest perfection of life, and that is the highest teaching of Sankara, the great learned scholar whose teachings drove the void-philosophy of Buddha out of India, the land of knowledge.
Om Tat Sat.
Sankhya-yoga, Part 6
Sankhya-yoga, Part 6
by Kirtanananda Swami
In the Sixth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna is explaining how to practice yoga by meditation. Although the Lord is recommending the eightfold yoga system here, we will also see that in the end it is rejected in favor of karma-yoga because it is impractical to perform in this age. In the age of Kali, the present yuga, it is said that there is no other practical way than the practice of Krsna consciousness. So in the very first verse, the Lord points out that a true mystic is one who is unattached to the fruits of action, not one who performs this feat, or doesn’t perform that ritual, or is in this stage of life or that order of society. No, it is the qualification that one needs, and that qualification is to have no other desire than to carry out the orders of the Lord. That is the way that Arjuna finally understood Krsna, and that is what Lord Caitanya, the highest perfectional paradigm of love of God, or devotional service, proclaims: “O Almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor to enjoy beautiful women. Nor do I want any number of followers. What I want only is the causeless mercy of Your devotional service in my life, birth after birth.”
In the second verse Krsna emphasizes that what links all different yoga systems and makes them one is the fact that all end in the Supreme and that all go by the way of controlling the senses. Unless one attains to Krsna, there is no perfection, and unless one controls the senses, it is not possible to attain Krsna. Now in dealing specifically with the eightfold astanga-yoga system, Krsna is pointing out that it is a gradual process for controlling the senses. As pointed out in the fifth, sixth, and seventh verses, the central point of control is the mind. Krsna says: “For he who has conquered his mind, it is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy.” The central concept here is control. The mind is something like a blank check; the check itself is of no value—it is only paper—but the account it is written on is worth millions. If it is written on a good account, it is of inestimable value. If not, it is worthless. Similarly, when the mind is engaged in matters of sense gratification, it becomes the greatest cause of bondage, but if the mind is engaged for Krsna, then it is the cause for liberation.
Actually the mind is part of the sensory system, and it is sometimes called the sixth sense. As such, it is the controlling sense. If the controlling force is uncontrolled, where can control come from? Therefore, the whole purpose of the astanga-yoga system is to control the mind by sitting in certain positions, by breath control, etc. Everything is meant to bring the mind under control, for without that there is no possibility of controlling the senses. But for a person in Krsna consciousness, because he is always thinking of Krsna, and always chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare and because his mind is thinking, “How can I serve Krsna?” and because he is actually engaged in activities in which the mind can be fully engaged, there is no question of the mind’s being drawn away to sensory gratification. Therefore the mind and the senses are automatically controlled by Krsna consciousness.
As soon as the mind is controlled, one can perceive Paramatma within, which is the actual goal of meditation, to perceive Krsna within, to come under the dictation of Krsna within. If I am not controlled by Krsna from within, I will certainly be controlled by illusory energy from without. No one can escape the control of Krsna, but we may choose the form of control—either His internal superior energy or His external inferior energy. But everyone must serve Krsna. That is a fact.
Absorption In The Supreme
As soon as the mind is fixed on Krsna, one becomes perfectly situated under His personal control and follows His dictations. The effect of controlling the mind by meditation is that it brings one under the control of Paramatma, or Supersoul, but because this position is at once reached by one in Krsna consciousness, a devotee of the Lord is unaffected by the dualities of the material world, namely distress and happiness, heat and cold, etc. This state is practical samadhi or absorption in the Supreme.
Still, if one is determined to follow the more difficult astanga-yoga system, starting with the ninth verse and continuing through the eighteenth, the means by which this yoga is practiced are given. First one must consider the well-wisher, friend and enemy, the envious, pious and the sinner all on the same level, with indifference and impartiality. Then he must concentrate his mind on the Supreme Self. He must go to a secluded place and be free from all desires and feelings of possessiveness. These are some of the preliminary prescriptions for controlling the mind. Unless the mind is controlled, there is no possibility of meditation. Unless one can do away with possessiveness, for instance, there will be desire, and the mind cannot attain equilibrium, without which it is impossible to see the Supersoul within. Krsna may be realized in different ways—as impersonal Brahman, as localized Paramatrna, or as Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A person who is fully in Krsna consciousness is always engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and as such he knows the Lord as the Supreme Person who possesses all opulences, including the Paramatma and impersonal features, or His localized expansion and bodily effulgence respectively. So his knowledge is called perfect because it is complete. But the meditator who knows Krsna as Paramatma, and the impersonalist who knows Krsna as the Supreme Brahman or brahmajyoti are also indirectly Krsna conscious. But to be directly Krsna conscious is more perfect, just as one who possesses a million dollars is wealthier than the man who possesses one dollar. A dollar is a dollar, that is so; so qualitatively the man with one dollar is as good as the man with a million dollars, but quantitatively they are not the same. Only a fool would say they are. Similarly, we may have knowledge of the infinite particles of Krsna’s energy, but until we have perfect knowledge of the Supreme Source of all, Krsna, our knowledge is not perfect. So the personalist has full knowledge of Krsna and all His multi-energies, but the impersonalist or the meditating yogi know Krsna in part only. Nevertheless, in the Sixth Chapter here one is encouraged to pursue this path in order to come to the ultimate goal, Krsna. But it is specifically stated that the mind must be focused on the Supreme, Krsna. Unless one thinks of Krsna, meditation is not possible.
Perfect concentration of the mind on the Supreme is called samadhi or trance, but this condition is never possible when there is possessiveness. Srila Rupa Gosvami puts it this way: “When one is not attached to anytlling, but at the same time accepts everytning in relation to Krsna, one is rightly situated above possessiveness. On the other hand, one who rejects everything without knowledge of its relationship to Krsna is not as complete in his renunciation.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu) A person who simply rejects certain things may be making some progress in the sense that he is preventing further entanglement in material existence, but his renunciation is incomplete. But a Krsna conscious person from the very beginning engages everything in the service of Krsna. Therefore he has completed his course in perfect knowledge. A Krsna conscious person well knows that everything belongs to Krsna, and thus he is always free from feelings of personal possessiveness. As such, he has no hankering for anything on his own personal account; therefore a person in Krsna consciousness is the perfect yogi.
Qualifications For Yoga
The eleventh and twelfth verses lay further qualifications on the aspiring yogi. There it is stated that he must not only go to a secluded place, but also to a sacred place; and after following so many restrictions, completely abstaining from sex, he must sit very firmly, just in order to purify the heart. Without purification of the heart, spiritual advancement is not possible. But in this age of Kali, where can one find a secluded, sacred place? Our cities may be full of so many so-called yoga societies, and they may be very successful in reducing people who are overweight or in providing some kind of recreation, or even in making one healthy, but as far as self-realization is concerned, they are useless. It is specifically said here that one must sit in a secluded sacred place, and there he must completely control the mind. Therefore in the Brhan-Naradiya Purana it is said that in the Kali-yuga (the present age) when people in general are short-lived, slow in spiritual realization and always disturbed by various anxieties, the best means of spiritual realization is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. And Lord Caitanya was even more emphatic when He said, repeatedly: harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam/ kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. “In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy [Kali] the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way! There is no other way! There is no other way!”
The thirteenth and fourteenth verses prescribe further instructions for the yogi. He must sit in a certain way to restrain all movement, his eyes must be fixed on the tip of the nose. “Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life.” Therefore it is perfectly clear that without seeing Krsna, one is not successful in meditation. Unless one makes Krsna the ultimate goal of life, one is not following the yoga system. Nor is it possible to follow this yoga system with an agitated or roving mind; nor is it possible while engaging in sex life. One has to practice controlling the mind and avoiding all kinds of sense gratification, of which sex is the chief. In the Yajnavalkya rules of celibacy, it is said: “The vow of brahmacari is meant to help one completely abstain from sex indulgence in work, words, and mind—at all times, under all circumstances, and in all places.” No one can perform correct yoga practice while participating in sex life, not even in married life. Therefore in the varnasrama institution when a boy is five years old he goes to live with the spiritual master, and there he is taught the material and the spiritual sciences, and he is taught to be a brahmacari, to be strictly controlled. Without such practice one cannot make advancement in any yoga, whether it be dhyana-yoga, jnana-yoga, karma-yoga, or bhakti-yoga. However, as prescribed by the authorities, in the school of bhakti-yoga one can become a householder, or live in married life according to regulation, and that will also allow one to advance. But in jnana-yoga or dhyana-yoga not even that is possible—householder life is never allowed. Complete abstinence without compromise is required. This is because a person who is actually practicing bhakti, while engaged in regulated sex life, dedicates his sex life to Krsna. His household life means that he is raising a family for Krsna, and thus it is superior to the mundane duality of celibate and married. A devotee of the Lord automatically refrains from sense gratificatory life because of superior taste. This means that he is actually drinking at Krsna’s reservoir of pleasure.
In the sixteenth verse there is the further prescription that one cannot eat too much or eat too little, or sleep too much or not enough. Without controlling the diet and sleep, meditation will not produce the desired result. Eating more than required means eating more than is needed to keep body and soul together, and sleeping more than six hours in twenty-four means sleeping too much. Nor is there need to eat animal flesh, because there is an ample supply of palatable vegetables, grains, fruit and milk. And such simple foods are considered to be in the mode of goodness, according to Krsna. But a person in Krsna consciousness is automatically controlled in all these things because he does not eat anything which is not first offered to Krsna. And what can be offered to Krsna is stated in the Gita itself, in the Ninth Chapter, where Krsna says that He accepts the gift of one who offers a leaf, a flower, a fruit or a little water, with love and affection. Actually, the real qualification is love and affection, but one who has love and affection naturally only offers the things that Krsna likes. Because the devotee’s food is first offered to Krsna, he is without sinful reactions, as explained in the Third Chapter.
Regulated Life
A person always engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord considers sleep to be his greatest enemy, for it is a waste of time. In this regard his standard is Srila Rupa Gosvami, who could not sleep more than two hours a day, and often not even that, or he desires to follow the example of Haridas Thakur, who would not even accept food or sleep until he had completed his daily routine of chanting more than three hundred thousand holy names of the Lord. So where one has superior taste there is no question of sense gratification. When one is regulated in all his work, sleep, speech, and all other bodily activities, there is no material contamination or misery. The perfectly regulated life is exemplified by King Ambarisa, who first of all engaged his mind on the lotus feet of Lord Krsna; then, one after another, he engaged his words in describing the transcendental qualities of the Lord, his hands in mopping the temple of the Lord, his ears in hearing of the activities of the Lord, his eyes in seeing the transcendental forms of the Lord, his body in touching the body of the devotee, his sense of smell in smelling the scents of the lotus flowers offered to the Lord, his tongue in tasting the tulasi leaf offered at the lotus feet of the Lord, his legs in going to places of pilgrimage where the temple of the Lord is situated, his head in offering obeisances unto the Lord, and his desires in executing the mission of the Lord. All these transcendental activities are quite befitting a pure devotee, and where they are present, there is no question of sense gratification.
Patanjali’s Version
Such a truly Krsna conscious person, always absorbed in Transcendence, in constant undisturbed meditation on his worshipable Lord, is likened in the nineteenth verse to a lamp in a windless place. He does not waver. Indeed, one who is always engaged in the loving service of the Lord becomes steady, and his whole life is passed in samadhi. As explained in the 20–23 verses, in that stage he can see the Self by the pure mind, and thus relish and enjoy the Self. “In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain.” By practice of yoga one can become gradually detached from material existence, and in that detached state, one can be situated in trance or samadhi which means that one has realized the Supersoul or Krsna within through transcendental mind and intelligence without any of the misgivings of identifying the self with the Superself. This yoga system is more or less based on the principles of the Patanjali yoga system. Some try to identify the individual soul with the Supersoul. The monist calls this liberation, but he does not understand the real purpose of the Patanjali system of yoga. Patanjali accepts the concept of transcendental pleasure, but the monists do not accept this transcendental pleasure, out of fear of jeopardizing their theory of oneness. The duality of knowledge and knower are not accepted by the nondualists, but in this verse transcendental pleasure—realized through transcendental senses—is a clearly stated fact. This is corroborated by Patanjali Muni, the famous exponent of the yoga system. In his Yoga-sutras, Patanjali states that this oneness of the Supreme that the monists talk about is an internal potency of the Lord by which the living entity becomes aware of his constitutional position. Lord Caitanya further explains that real liberation means to clear the mirror of the mind of its impurities. The theory of nirvana, when seen as a preliminary condition, corresponds with this principle. Nirvana means to clear away the material dust, but after nirvana or material cessation, there is a full manifestation of spiritual activities or devotional service to the Lord known as Krsna consciousness. In the words of the Bhagavatam, this is the “real life of the living entity.” Maya, or illusion, is the condition of spiritual life contaminated by material affection. Liberation from this material infection does not mean destruction of the original eternal position of the living entity, but its full manifestation. So transcendental pleasure does not mean void, but real life. This is confirmed in the Vedanta-sutras and will be more vividly described in the Bhagavad-gita beginning with the Seventh Chapter.
The Result Of Steadiness
In verses 24–27, the concept of determination and steadiness is stressed. There is an old adage that “one finds God quickest whose yearning is strongest,” and similarly Krsna here is urging that kind of determination. Unless one is determined, there is no possibility of advancement. Similarly, the words “full conviction” are used, and again: “From whatever and wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self.” So one must “certainly withdraw it.” And the result of such steadiness or perseverance is stated in the 29th and 30th verses: “A true yogi observes Me in all beings and also sees every being in Me. Indeed, the self-realized man sees Me everywhere. For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.” As stated, the end of the yoga system is Krsna. Unless and until one sees Krsna everywhere, until one understands that Krsna is the Supreme Person and that everywhere He is expanded by His energy, there is no perfection. But that is not easy to accomplish, and it is only possible by the grace of the Lord and the self-realized devotee.
In the 33rd verse, Arjuna complains to Krsna that this system seems to him impractical and impossible to perform. Arjuna was a great soul, a great devotee and intimate friend of Lord Krsna, and even 5,000 years ago, when the state of Kali-yuga was not advanced, Arjuna said that he did not think that this system was practical. Arjuna had so many great qualifications, including royal birth and sufficient leisure. He was a great warrior and had a long duration of life. He was also extremely intelligent. Still he thought that it was not possible for himself to follow this system of yoga. And, as it is confirmed in all sastras or scriptures, this system is not possible for any ordinary man in this present age. Those who are imitating this system in so-called schools and yoga societies, although complacent, are certainly worthless as far as spiritual advancement is concerned. They are completely missing the desired goal—Krsna. This can be proved by the test which applies equally to all philosophies and all religions—simply, how is one developing love of God. Actually that love is within all of us, but it is covered by material contamination. It is the job of any philosophy or religion to revive it.
Always Thinking Of Krsna
Love of God practically expressed is service. Any philosophy or religion which does not lead one to this end is simply bluffing, and any system that leads one to this end is first class. Yoga means to link up, and religion comes from two Latin words, re-legio, which means to bind back. Krsna in the 31st verse says that the end is achieved by one who “remains always in Me in all circumstances.” That is the goal of all yoga or true religion, and that means that the consciousness is completely submerged in Krsna. That is love. How do I know when I am in love with some girl? Simple. I cannot get her out of my mind. Similarly, when we are in love with Krsna, we think of Him always. We cannot be without Him for a minute.
The gopis complained that the creator of the universe, Lord Brahma, was not very intelligent, for the eyes which he designed sometimes blinked, and for that instant Krsna was lost to their view. That is real love. Krsna says that for such a person “I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.”
In the 37th and 38th verses, Arjuna wants to know about the condition of one who starts on the transcendental path and is deviated for one reason or another before reaching the goal. Does he not become bereft of material enjoyment and spiritual advancement both? Does not he lose his chance for material happiness and at the same time fail to reach the goal of spiritual success? Arjuna is still not awake to the full import of Krsna’s teaching that one who thinks of Krsna is immediately on the transcendental platform. Thus Krsna reassures Arjuna that evil never comes to the man seeking transcendental advancement. Even if he is unsuccessful in one life, in the next he will certainly pick it up at the same point. Material education or learning must be left with the gross body. And it must be totally completed in one lifetime. Unless I complete my doctorate in this life, then in my next I have to start all over again—all those years of study are wasted. But spiritual knowledge is not like that because it is eternal, and therefore I can take it with me in my eternal condition as spirit soul, and when I take another body, that spiritual knowledge is again displayed from the same point. If I have become 25% Krsna conscious in this life, in my next I will begin at 26%. So nothing can ever be lost on the eternal plane. Krsna stated in the 40th verse of the Second Chapter that “even a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” It will be further explained in the 30th verse of the Ninth Chapter that a person who has determined to become Krsna conscious is under the protection of Krsna’s internal energy already, even before the perfectional stage is reached. Therefore even though it takes many births to complete the process, one who has once taken to this process of Krsna consciousness is guaranteed completion or perfection and the attainment of the Supreme Goal. Krsna says: “A yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances, be a yogi. And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.” In case there is any doubt left in Arjuna’s mind, Krsna states in the concluding verse of the chapter that the perfection of yoga is devotional service, transcendental loving service. Yoga means to link up, and Krsna says that he is most intimately united with Me who worships in transcendental loving service. The culmination of all kinds of yoga practices is bhakti-yoga, or love of Krsna. Unless and until one comes to that point, he is not in complete knowledge, and his path is unfinished. Therefore Hare Krsna is the yoga for this age because, like the benediction moon, it is spreading transcendental love of Krsna, the end of all yoga systems.
Prasadam—Spiritual Food
The taking of prasadam, spiritual foodstuffs, by the devotee and the distribution of such foodstuffs to the public is an extremely important part of Krsna consciousness. The directions for eating come from the scripture Bhagavad-gita, as translated in disciplic succession by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, says in the Ninth Chapter of the Gita: “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I accept it.” (Bg. 9.26) Accepting this offer by the Supreme Lord, the devotee of Krsna follows a pure diet; he eats only food that is first offered to Krsna, who is present in His incarnation as the Deity on the altar. According to this verse in Bhagavad-gita, God actually eats foodstuffs which are offered to Him by His devotee. Since Krsna has an eternal, blissful body with inconceivable potencies, He is able to eat the offered food simply by hearing the prayers offered by the devotee. (The prayers are offered to the spiritual master, who in turn offers the food to Krsna personally.) Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is absolute, therefore anything directly associated with Him, such as His name, His fame, His devotee, and also foodstuffs offered to and accepted by Him, becomes nondifferent from Krsna Himself. Anyone who takes remnants of prasadam offered to the 1,ord engages in yoga or the process of linking up with God. The proof of these assertions is that anyone who regularly takes prasadam will find himself gaining in spiritual strength.
As to what kinds of food are accepted by the Supreme Lord, that information is also available in the Gita. It is stated in the Gita commentary of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, “If one wishes to engage in devotional service to the Supreme, in order to be purified and reach the goal of life—loving service to God—then one should find out what the Lord desires of him. One who loves Krsna will give Him whatever He wants. But he should avoid offering anything which is undesirable or unasked for. Thus meat, fish and eggs should not be offered to Krsna. If He desired such things as an offering, the Lord would have said so; but instead He clearly requests that a leaf, fruit, flowers and water be given to Him.
And He says of this offering, ‘I will accept it.’ Therefore we should understand that He will not accept meat, fish and eggs. Vegetables, grains, fruits, milk and water are the proper foods for human beings, as is here prescribed by Lord Krsna Himself. Whatever else we may eat cannot be offered to Him, since He will not accept it.” One may question, “Why is there a need to feed the Supreme Lord at all? Is He so much in need of food that He has to take offerings from His devotees?” God has no need. He is independent and self-satisfied. It is only out of love for His devotee that He is pleased to accept any offering made to Him. The example is given of a father who accepts a piece of food from his little son. The father is actually the provider of the son’s food, and he has no need to accept the food from his son, but if out of affection his son offers him something to taste, then the father is very, very pleased. That is the way Krsna is pleased by His devotees. Prasadam is simply the loving exchange between the Lord and His devotee. Anyone who takes advantage of this easy method of yoga can benefit more in a minute than he could by years and years of exercises or impersonal meditation.
The sum and substance of the Krsna consciousness philosophy is to distribute prasadam, to perform sankirtana—glorification of God by dancing and singing the maha-mantra, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—and to hear the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita. The students of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are dedicated to serving all living entities through the worldwide dissemination of this joyful transcendental message.
The Great Watering of the Soul
The Great Watering of the Soul
by Hayagriva dasa Adhikari (ISKCON—New Vrndavana)
The person who is in full Krsna consciousness knows nothing but Krsna. Whatever he perceives sensuously, mentally, intellectually, emotionally, or psychically is the Absolute Himself, for his consciousness is steeped in knowledge of the Absolute. One so situated in consciousness of the Divine is neither in want nor afraid of anything. He neither desires heavenly planets nor flees hellish ones. He is with Krsna, and so he thinks that every place is as good as the forests of Vrndavana where Krsna eternally sports. In fact, wherever he remains is Vrndavana, just as wherever there are atoms there is the Paramatma, the Supersoul. The Supersoul lives in the hearts of all beings, and yet He is not subjected to their pleasures and pains. In the same way, a person in Krsna consciousness is always transcendental to the modes of material nature. But in this age of Kali, this Iron Age, an age of spiritual drought, of thunder without rain, persons who are in full Krsna consciousness are very rare. Today, there are three billion people on this one planet, and yet out of all these millions and millions it is very difficult to find one person who is actually Krsna conscious or even peaceful. It is very seldom that we find one who is peaceful, for without being established in Krsna consciousness it is not possible to be peaceful.
Love Given Freely
Seeing the pitiable condition of men in the present day, the compassionate Lord Caitanya, who embodies the Absolute Truth and His internal pleasure potency, freely distributes the means whereby man can be established in Krsna consciousness. He is giving a free and easy access to this consciousness: love of Godhead. But because it is being given freely and because it is so easy, people are reluctant to take it. His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati used to say that if you take langera mangoes, which are the best quality mangoes in India, very costly and very sweet, and go from door to door to distribute them freely, people will ask, “Why has this man brought these mangoes? Why is he giving them away? There must be some motive behind it.” In this way they will be suspicious and reluctant to accept them. In the same way Lord Caitanya is distributing Krsna prema, pure love for Krsna, which is priceless and very sweet. Yet most people’s reactions tend to be skeptical. They say, “Oh he’s simply chanting Hare Krsna. What’s there to that? This must be for the foolish who cannot cogitate or speculate or meditate or hyperventilate. Surely this is meant for the feeble-minded.” But in Bhagavad-gita Krsna says, “Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth. “ (Bg. 7.3) Therefore the seed of Krsna consciousness is a very precious seed, very rare and very valuable. Out of over eight million species of life, only one species here and there has the spiritual fortune to realize the position of the Absolute. Krsna says, “I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My eternal creative potency—maya. And so the deluded world knows Me not who am unborn and infallible.” (Bg. 7.25)
Release From Samsara
With a little vision we can quickly see that the mass of living entities are wandering aimlessly in these millions of species of life. Lord Krsna proclaims, “All living entities are born into delusion overcome by the dualities of desire and hate.” (Bg. 7.27) Desire and hate delude the soul into thinking that he is this body and that he can gratify the sensual desires of this body. However, the human life is unique in that it offers an opportunity to the conditioned soul to hurdle himself out of the wheel of samsara, the wheel of birth and death. The spiritual master helps the conditioned soul just as a track coach helps a runner jump hurdles. He gives so many instructions, so many rules and regulations just to train the conditioned soul to become godly. The instructions may appear superstitious or superfluous to the conditioned soul due to his limited range of vision, yet when he is hurdled out of his conditioning he can see how they helped him. The human being is intended to be trained to be godly. Actually he is part and parcel of God, but due to material contamination he has forgotten. In India, for thousands of years, various methods have been utilized by which the soul’s memory can be awakened to the soul’s divinity. Lord Caitanya enjoins that the fortunate person with some spiritual assets due to past deeds will seek the association of a pure devotee who knows the methods of awakening and will instruct the conditioned soul in Krsna consciousness. The seed of Krsna consciousness is received by the mercy of the guru or the spiritual master and by the mercy of Krsna. This mercy is combined: by the grace of Krsna, the soul gets guru, and by the grace of guru, the soul gets Krsna.
“When will the day come when I will be established at last in Krsna consciousness?” This is an urge felt deep in the soul of all entities. Krsna and guru survey all beings, and when they will the God consciousness of the individual jiva will develop and fructify. All creatures have spiritual eyes within themselves, but these eyes are closed. By the will and mercy of the spiritual master and Krsna they can be opened in a twinkling. They are opened by sabda, the transcendental sound incarnation of the Supreme Lord, which pierces the material coverings of all living entities, vibrates into their souls and opens their sleeping spiritual eyes. It is called mantra, which means “mind releasing,” for it releases the mind from its material shackles. Krsna says, “I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness.” (Bg. 15.15) Krsna is the Supersoul within all, and as soon as He sees that one is sincerely seeking the answers to important spiritual questions, then he sends a bona fide guru to deliver the mantra and teach the jiva the process of surrender.
Watering The Seed
The seed of Krsna consciousness is within the heart of all living entities, and it is delivered by Krsna and the spiritual master. What is the duty of one who has the seeds of a very beautiful flower? His duty is not to lock them up in a vault or in a bank, but to sow them in the ground. The seed of Krsna consciousness is not sown in the earth, but in the heart, within the self. And once the seed is sown it must be nourished by a little water. That watering process is known as sravanam kirtanam, namely hearing the transcendental words of guru and Krsna and chanting the mantra. If the seed is watered in this way, then it will surely grow. One should never stop watering this plant but should nourish it continually, for if one stops watering any plant it will cease to bear fruit and will die. Even if one is highly elevated in Krsna consciousness he cannot stop this process. Therefore it is recommended that one chant the holy names and read the words of Krsna both morning and evening so that the soul’s precious plant will not dry up. Maya, forgetfulness, delusion, are so strong that as soon as they see the opportunity, they will say, “Ah, let’s send a drought. Now he will surely dry up.” Therefore the watering should always be there so that the plant will always grow.
Ordinarily there is a limit to the growth of all plants. A plant or vine will reach a certain height or breadth or length and then stop. But the plant of Krsna consciousness grows in such a way that it does not rest on any part of this universe. The creepers and branches of this holy plant never lie dormant, never take shelter, never stop within this material world, for this plant is not satisfied with any facility afforded by any planet in any part of this material universe. If it is constantly watered, its branches will extend beyond sensuality, fruitive action and mental speculation and will pierce the covering of the material universe and burst into the effulgent light of the spiritual sky. In that realm it will pass beyond the self-luminous spheres of opulence, beyond the glorious planets of the salvationists, beyond the galactic potentates, blue, regal Narayanas, on up, up, up to the ultimate huge whorl of lotus that is the planet of Vrndavana. Then the plant will enter that lotus planet and seek shelter under the lotus feet of Krsna, and it is there that it will stop to drink the nectar flowing from that Supreme Person, and having drunk that nectar it will issue forth redolent flowers of love, multifarious flowers, eternal flowers, and they will shower the three worlds with their fragrance and petals, and their stamens will pollinate the worlds of men, and their seeds will spread to all corners, and in countless planets new flowers will spring up, and they too, nourished by the waters of the holy name, will foliate that universal path to the nectarean feet of Krsna.
So this growth is enabled by the sabda, the sound incarnation which is the life force of the soul. It is the chanting of the holy names of Krsna that enables the plant of the soul to penetrate the tenfold coverings of this universe and enter into Viraja, the causal ocean. Attainment of this causal ocean is called sama, which is the Buddhist’s philosophical perfection. This is the realm of nirvana, the extinction of all material existence. Beyond this causal ocean is the Brahmaloka, the paravyoma, which is the spiritual sky, and the plant of Krsna consciousness, penetrating there, passes all Vaikuntha planets en route to the lotus feet of Krsna. His feet are the soul’s shelter. We have all seen ordinary plants grow and grow and grow, and then, when they reach some shelter, suddenly branch out, expand and bear fruit. In this way, once the plant of Krsna consciousness captures Krsna’s lotus feet, it takes shelter, saying, “Now I have finished my journey. Let me flourish here. Let me expand here and issue joyous leaves and flowers.” It is there that the soul is satisfied, for it is there that he enjoys Krsna’s association. It is only when he attains the feet of Krsna that he will rest.
How It Grows
If one pursues the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra and reads or hears the transcendental words of Krsna, the plant of his soul will surely grow and reach Krsna’s lotus feet and relish them. It is not that Krsna is far, far away and we cannot enjoy Him until passing beyond the ten coverings of the material universe, the causal ocean, the brahmajyoti and all the Vaikuntha planets. No. Actually we can relish Krsna on the journey itself. Otherwise, how did the Gosvamis manage to enjoy their devotional life? They were living beneath different trees every night and eating just a few dry scraps of bread, and sometimes they weren’t even eating that. And yet they were all joyfully engaged twenty-four hours in Krsna consciousness, sometimes dancing and chanting and sometimes reading and writing. Eating, sleeping, defending and mating were of no concern to them. So this is spiritual life. When one is actually elevated in spiritual life, he sees all material things as insignificant. It is said that a man in Krsna consciousness sees all the possessions of men as mere garbage in the street, all women as his mother, and all living entities as his very self. It is also said that he sees all the manifold material universes to be of no more significance than rainwater contained in the hoofprint of a cow. This is because one in Krsna consciousness is beyond the material conception of the body. He has realized aham brahmasmi. “I am not this body, I am spirit soul.” Krsna says, “Those with the vision of eternity can see that the soul is transcendental, eternal and beyond the modes of nature. In spite of his contact with the material body, O Arjuna, he is neither doing anything nor is he entangled. The sky, on account of its subtle nature, does not mix with anything, although all-pervading. So the soul situated in Brahman vision does not mix with the body though situated in that body. As the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness.” (Bg. 13.31–33)
Pleasure Of The Soul
If the soul in Krsna consciousness has no material activity, then what does he do? He is simply engaged in watering the plant that is in his heart. Krsna says, “Those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible. They are always engaged in chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination. Offering homage unto Me, they worship Me with devotion.” (Bg. 9.13–14) Once one has the lotus feet of Krsna indelibly imprinted in his soul, once the eye of the soul has seen His feet and the ears of the soul have heard His voice and the nostrils of the soul have smelled His fragrance and the tongue of the soul has tasted the nectar of His names and the hands of the soul have touched His transcendental body, then all material engagements cease and Krsna becomes his all in all. It is at this point that the soul understands that Krsna is the supreme pleasure principle and that the pleasures of the soul can be obtained through Him only. Under illusion we think that we are enjoying material nature, but what kind of enjoyment is there? It is temporary; it is fraught with danger; it is incomplete. When one becomes elevated in Krsna consciousness, then he forgets all these material engagements.
Anyone can come to this stage by the chanting of the holy names of Krsna. The word “Krsna” means all-attractive, and when this word vibrates off the tongue, the sleeping soul is jolted wide awake. The word “Hare” refers to the energy of the all-attractive Krsna. It is by Mother Hare, Srimati Radharani, the energy of Krsna, that we attain Krsna Himself. This is the force that propels the sleeping soul out of the entanglement of material nature. The word “Rama” means enjoyer. When this word vibrates off the tongue, one actually participates in enjoyment which is beyond human conception and is eternal. Together, in the combination called the mahamantra, chanted by the great saint Srila Haridas Thakur, “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,” they elevate the soul to the highest ecstasy of love for Krsna. Lord Caitanya, in His Siksastaka, spoke of the powers of Hari-kirtana or chanting the names of Krsna, the mahamantra, in this way:
The sound of Krsna’s names is ever triumphant,
Polishing bright the mirror of the mind,
Restoring the heart, quenching the great fire
Of worldly life and freely scattering
The moonbeams that nourish the pure lily
Of devotion. As we chant His names, we wake
The bride of knowledge and inspire the sea
Of bliss to toss its nectar to all shores
And bathe all souls with love for the Supreme.
O tell me, Lord, when will that time come?
When will my eyes stream tears, my voice tremble,
My skin bristle with ecstatic joy,
My heart swell with bliss to chant
Thy names?
Give me the wealth of love for Thee, O Lord.
O give it to me! Make me Thy servant,
And as wages give me only love for Thee!
This reciprocal love with Krsna, as expressed by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is the highest expression of spiritual consciousness. The life of Caitanya was devoted to Hari-kirtana, the celebration of Krsna by chanting His names, and He recommended this method for all men as the most efficient way for the watering of the soul in this dry age. Then let us sound the thunder of kirtana drums and send torrents of His names showering on the heads of all. The thunder rattles our windowpanes now! Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Varnasrama-dharma
Varnasrama-dharma
by Satsvarupa dasa Adhikari
(ISKCON-Boston)
The followers of the supreme will as taught by Lord Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita are generally called Hindus. This word Hindu, which has only come from recent times, is a name given by Mohammedans to those followers of the varnasrama-dharma who used to gather at the Indus River in India. “Indus” became “Hindus” by mispronunciation, so “Hindu” is an empty designation. The religion of the four social orders and four spiritual orders created by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna, as revealed in Bhagavad-gita (Bg. 4.13), is properly named varnasrama-dharma. Basically, the four orders of social life called varna are scientifically arranged for the material progress of society, and the four spiritual orders called asrama are designed for natural progress in self-realization. Both the varna and asrama systems are interrelated; each is dependent on the other. The purpose of this plan, created by the Lord Himself, is to accelerate the transcendental qualities of the individual so that he may gradually realize his spiritual identification and act in order to get free from the material bondage of conditional life. It is a system by which the civilized human being can successfully perform the human mission, which is to be distinguished from the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending.
Spiritual, Peaceful Life
The varna system of four castes—brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra—is perfectly organized in material terms in order to allow people to live peacefully and pursue spiritual life while engaged in their regular occupation. In every society there is always a class interested in business and agriculture. According to the Eighteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, the vaisyas’ duties are “farming, cattle raising, and business.” The sudra class does the labor or serves the other classes. The ksatriyas are the administrators and protectors or policemen. “Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity and leadership are the qualities of work for the ksatriyas.” (Bg. 18.43) The brahmanas constitute the intelligent class and offer spiritual knowledge and guidance to the people. Whether or not one accepts the names brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra, there is naturally in every society an intelligent class interested in spiritual understanding and philosophy, a class interested in administration and ruling over others, a class interested in economic development, business and moneymaking, and another class of men who are not intelligent or martial spirited and have no capacity for economic development but who can simply serve others for their own bread. This system has been extant from time immemorial, and it will continue through time immemorial. There is no power which can stop it.
Due to India’s dependency on foreigners and those who are non-varnasrama, that country is now witnessing the degradation of the caste and order system in the form of the heredity caste system. Because the varnasrama system is created by God, it will always exist, either in degraded form or in original; it cannot be extinguished. It is like the sun, a creation of God. Either covered by clouds or in a clear sky, the sun will exist. When the varnasrama system becomes degraded, it appears as the hereditary caste system. The four natural orders are still there, but there is no actual regulation for cooperation between the communities. According to the original system in the Bhagavad-gita, caste is determined not by birth but by qualities. The Vedic literature is perfectly clear on this point. Lord Krsna Himself used the phrase brahma-bandhu, meaning “relative of a brahmana,” to describe a person who happens to take birth in the family of a brahmana but is not qualified as a brahmana. This was the case with Asvatthama, as described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.7.36). He was a brahmana’s son, but he killed the five sleeping sons of Draupadi, and therefore Krsna said that he should be called a brahma-bandhu. As the judgeship is a post for the qualified man, so also the post of a brahmana is attainable by qualification only. By birth alone one cannot become a high court judge, but a qualified person, regardless of birth, is eligible for the post. Similarly, any man who attains the qualities of a brahmana but is born in a lower caste family must be recognized as a factual brahmana. There is an example in the Chandogya Upanisad of a student boy who approached a guru for instruction. The guru asked the boy his family name. On enquiry from his mother, the boy was told. “I do not know. I was a servant girl in my youth and worked in many places. I do not know who was your father.” The boy related this exactly to the sage, and the sage declared: “None but a brahmana could speak as truthfully as this,” and the boy was thereby accepted as a brahmana because of his acting like a brahmana. Similarly, in Hari-bhakti-vilasa, which is the standard literature for regulative behavior in devotional service, it is stated: “As bell metal can be transformed into gold by the proper chemical process, similarly by the bona fide process of initiation any human being can be transformed into a twice-born brahmana.”
Need For Brahmanas
It is the Vedic ideal that everyone is trained according to his particular qualities and inclinations. It is necessary in every society that there especially be guides, qualified men whose work is not to put bricks together or anything else, but to simply guide with real intelligence, while the others do work according to their desires. Where there is such guidance, working becomes happy. Krsna is the author of the orders, and thus the existence of a guiding class is eternal and natural—but training is needed. In the democratic society, education makes no provision to train brahmanas for the role of guides. Although the need for such brahmanas is clear, there is no educational institution to train proper brahmanas.
The present Society for Krishna Consciousness is unique in supplying training for boys who are spiritually inclined. Under a bona fide spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, they are being trained in a higher science. Those intellectual persons who have the brahminical qualifications are being restrained as students—they don’t eat meat or take part in intoxication, gambling or illicit sex life. In this way they are becoming an intellectual, purified class. It is said that a true brahmana can sanctify all society. In the conception of the four orders as parts situated on the universal form of the Supreme Lord, the brahmanas are said to be the head, the ksatriyas the arms, the vaisyas the waist and the sudras the legs. Just as in our own body, for proper maintenance we require all parts; we cannot say that we do not need the head. We need everything. If there is a body without a head, it is a dead body. Similarly, if there is not a brahmana or intellectual, spiritual part in the society, it is a dead society. If someone is working to understand the Supreme Lord, he is a brahmana. Why should he be called for military action? The arm of the body is needed also. Some military arrangement should be there—but not the brahmana. W here there is no arrangement for protection of brahmanas, that society is headless and brainless—dead. And there is no peace in such a society.
Present Degradation
Due to the lack of training of people in the present age and to their practice of the vices of illicit sex, meat eating and intoxication, Lord Caitanya declared that kalau sudra-sambhava—in the age of Kali everyone is a sudra. The Vedic ceremony called Garbhadhana—in which the man and wife make vows before having sex and declare that they are coming together to have sex in order to produce a Krsna conscious child—is no longer observed. And so widespread are illicit connections that no one can know for certain whether he is born of a brahmana or someone else. With the extinguishing of the original varnas and asramas, the entire world has become deplorable, being governed by unwanted men who have no training in religion, politics or social order. In the institution of varnasrama there are regular training principles for the different classes of men. Just as now we need engineers and doctors and there are places for properly training them in scientific institutions, so the social orders, the intelligent class, the ruling class, etc., can be properly trained up. This was actually the case in early Vedic times. The duties are described, and the training must be there. With no training, one cannot claim that simply because he is born in a brahmana or ksatriya family, even though he may act as a sudra, he is therefore a brahmana or ksatriya. Such claims have degraded the system and thrown it into chaos, with no peace or prosperity. The result is that there are sudras everywhere; where there should be a ksatriya in the presidential palace and leading the army on the battlefield, there are men who are untrained and unintelligent who are less than sudras. When there is no provision for training the natural orders, we find that the leadership is ineffective and corrupt. In the Vedic system, because there was proper education, the society was peaceful and so structured that all people were able to develop Krsna consciousness. That is real human society, where the entire society is making progress toward spiritual realization. Krsna advises in Bhagavad-gita that one stay in his own work:
It is better to be engaged in one’s own occupation, even if imperfectly performed, than to accept another’s occupation, even if perfectly done. Prescribed duties, according to one’s nature, are never affected by sinful reactions. (Bg. 18.47)
Working according to his nature, for the purpose of serving the Lord, one can attain perfection by that work, no matter how abominable or pleasant it may appear. One should prosecute his work, even if there is some difficulty in it. Of course, even if a man steadfastly performs his work, but does not serve God by his labor, he is doomed by that very steadfast but godless work. The absolute meaning to all work is that one offers the fruits of his work to Krsna. This art of working in devotional service can be learned, and that is why the brahmanas are there.
A great devotee of Lord Krsna, the boy Prahlada Maharaja, told his school fellows: “What is required is that we change our consciousness from what we are now thinking—that I am the supreme enjoyer, lord of all I survey—and instead become the loving servants of the actual enjoyer, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna.” This transcendental loving service, a change of consciousness, can be perfectly completed under proper guidance while working at one’s occupational duty. According to Lord Caitanya, everyone must surrender to Krsna. As the varna orders are natural because they are created by God, so they have meaning only when they are utilized for devotional service unto God.
The Asrama
The spiritual impetus in training is asrama. The asrama system is arranged in four stages of life in order for one to reach spiritual perfection. The first stage is brahmacarya. Brahmacarya means student life or education with the spiritual master. According to the asrama system, at five years of age a boy goes to live at the guru-kula, or the place of the guru. There, in order to understand spiritual life, all students serve as menial servants of the guru. This way is advised by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita (4.34): “Just try to know the truth by approaching a self-realized spiritual master with all submission and with inquiries and render service unto him. Such a learned spiritual master initiates knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” By performing this service unto a pure devotee, the brahmacari is making direct service contact with God. Because such pure devotees or spiritual masters have as their only business to spread Krsna consciousness and devotional service, to come in contact with them is like an iron rod’s coming in contact with fire—the rod eventually acts like fire itself. Lord Caitanya taught that we should become a servant of the servant of the servant 100 times removed—the more faith in the chain of disciplic succession, the better is the service unto Krsna Himself. The brahmacari is trained to be celibate and temperate and to follow the scriptural injunctions for purification of consciousness. Many great personalities from the Vedic literatures, such as Sankara, Narada, the Kumaras, Bhisma, and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, remained unmarried brahmacaris throughout life and devoted their full time to the cause of Krsna. Moreover, one must enter brahmacari training, even if he is to be later married, so that he can learn the principles of restraint. Spiritual life has as its goal the cessation of the round of birth and death in this material world and transferral to the eternal, blissful spiritual world. According to Bhagavad-gita, we are wandering through thousands of species of life, always forgetting Krsna, thinking that we are God, the enjoyer, the center, the Lord. So there is no way out of this material condition except hearing from a spiritual master what our actual position is: that we are eternal parts and parcels of God. Then we must act accordingly. This practice of brahmacarya inculcates in one the desire for Krsna because it restrains the sensual propensities which are the cause of our bondage to the material world.
Sex life, being the apex of pleasure in the material world, is therefore the number one reason for our staying in bondage. Nowadays so many so-called yogis and rsis have come with their teachings, but they are actually enjoyers of the world in the name of yoga, as their teaching does not demand that one practice brahmacarya. Sex indulgence is not recommended in any standard process of yoga meditation or devotional service. Spiritual life means that I am trying to show God my love for Him, not that I am trying to increase my sex enjoyment.
Essential Training
Among other things, the brahmacari is required to restrict his sleep. He is expected to rise one and a half hours before sunrise in order to take advantage of the early hours which are said to be the most auspicious for spiritual development. In Srimad-Bhagavatam, the habits of a brahmacari are described: “The brahmacari must rise early in the morning, and after placing himself, he should chant the holy name” (Bhaktivedanta Purports, Bhag. 3.21.45). It is further described that the brahmacari’s body and face should give off a luster:
His body shone most brilliantly; though engaged in austere penance, he was not emaciated because the Lord had cast His affectionate glance at him and he had quaffed with his ears the nectar flowing from the moonlike words of the Lord.
It is the sign of one observing celibacy or brahmacarya that his face has this luster. If he lives otherwise, the lust will come out from the face and the body; if one is a drunkard or sex monger, it will come out. Brahmacari training is the basis for all other orders as basic training in spiritual life. Whether he goes on to become married and eventually retire from married life, or whether he goes directly to the renounced order or sannyasa, the practice of brahmacarya will save him from the pit of entanglement. It fixes him positively in the Absolute Truth.
When the spiritual master understands the qualities of a student, then he decides how he should work, whether as brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra. Thus the student goes into any occupation or spiritual order implanted with the seed of devotional service and the ability to control his senses over the four animal propensities.
Married Life
The second asrama order is called grhastha, the married family man. Grhastha does not mean married life for indulgence in sex and family affairs. Grhastha is a bona fide spiritual order. There is another word in Sanskrit, grhamedhi, which is a description of married life without spiritual goals. Such marriage, in which one uses contraceptive methods in order to enjoy sex life, raises children that come like cats and dogs, and devotees one’s occupational income and energy for elevating the material standard of his family, is a waste of human life. Sex is there, like eating, and there is no bar to Krsna consciousness for a married man. If one feels some disturbance in living single, he can get married. Many of the great authorities in the science of God, like Lord Brahma, Prahlada Maharaja, Bhaktivinode Thakur and His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, were family men. Marriage in the spiritual order is for the purpose of living peacefully and having children in Krsna consciousness. Like the varna, the asrama orders are natural and based on principles of human life in terms of the whole span of life; the goal of asrama is not sense gratification, but liberation from the material condition and attainment of the highest goal. The first part of life, brahmacarya, is utilized for development of character and spiritual qualities. Then around age twenty-five, if he has the desire to be married, he may, as the next natural part of life, accept a wife and beget children. But one should not beget children like cats and dogs. A child should be begotten who can perform duties for God, otherwise there is no need to marry and no need of children. The parents should see to it that the child born of them must not enter the womb of a mother again. The child should be trained for being liberated in that life.
Asrama teaches that human life is especially meant for being completely devoted to the Lord. Among the duties and responsibilities of the householder is that he takes care of the other spiritual orders. By occupation, the vaisyas produce food for everyone; by spiritual order, the householders feed the others, as far as possible. Also, according to the example of the great devotee Rupa Gosvami, a householder should give at least fifty per cent of his income for propagation of Krsna consciousness, twenty-five per cent for his household upkeep, and twenty-five per cent set aside for emergencies. The grhastha lives as a householder, prosecuting Krsna consciousness with every endeavor.
Let us say that a man lives one hundred years. The first twenty-five years he is student. The years from twenty-five to fifty are good for producing children and so may be spent in householder life. Then after fifty years of age the man is expected to retire and leave his household affairs in the hands of his oldest son. This stage is called vanaprastha. He retires and with his wife travels to holy places. Then gradually he leaves his wife in the care of the older children. It is not that the wife is left deserted on the road. According to Vedic civilization the woman is never independent. She is in the hands of her father until she is handed over in marriage, and then she becomes the charge of her husband. When the sons are grown up and it is time for the husband to take sannyasa, he leaves his wife in the charge of his elder sons.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam narrates the history of Kardama Muni, a great yogi householder who lived at the dawn of creation and who strictly followed the scriptural injunction by leaving his home to take the renounced life of a wandering sannyasi. His case was most exceptional because after long austerities and practice of yoga, Kardama Muni and his wife Devahuti had been blessed to have born unto them the incarnation of God known as Kapila Deva, who taught the famous Sankhya philosophy to the world. Kardama Muni’s exalted position was that God Himself was in his home, as his son. And still, Kardama Muni left his home in strict observance of the injunction that one must spend his last days away from home and without family connection in pursuit of spiritual life. Kapila Deva encouraged His father not to deviate from the scriptures, and He assured him that as Supreme Lord He would always be with his father, residing in his heart. Thus Kardama Muni left his wife in the charge of his son Kapila and became a wandering sannyasi totally dependent on Krsna for his food and lodging.
The Renounced Order
Due to the contamination of the present Kali age, Lord Caitanya advised that no one should take sannyasa but that everyone should chant the holy names, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Justifying the wisdom of Lord Caitanya’s prohibition of sannyasa is a phenomenon in India involving the cheaters and the cheated. It is known that a certain class of women feel that it is auspicious to have sex with a sadhu (holy man) and have a child by him. Women gather at holy places where sannyasis are known to go for the purpose of seducing them. This practice has become known, and a class of low-bred sensualists have taken to dressing themselves in the saffron robes of sannyasis and going to those places for the purpose of being seduced by women. Thus the cheaters meet the cheated. Of course, if anyone can actually follow the rules of sannyasa then he must take the renounced order.
Sannyasa is required so that the materially engrossed householder can get out of his mundane occupations before the time of death. The bona fide sannyasi who has received information from authorized scriptural sources and from a spiritual master in disciplic succession must not be merely self-satisfied in that knowledge because he is needed by society at large to go and preach to the people and inject them with the immediacy of eternal spiritual values. If the sannyasi does not teach the common men of their spiritual nature, then they will have wasted the human form of life. It is possible, by direct surrender to God, to be factually sannyasa or renounced, even while living at home with wife and children. But the existence of the sannyasi in the renounced order, either as a missionary with a large following, or as a wandering hermit, will culminate in the highest form of human being, the paramahamsa, or intimate pure devotee of Krsna, who is without envy and always fixed in ecstatic absorption of love of God.
The four orders and castes of varnasrama-dharma are meant to perfect human society. The four orders become distinct where there is enlightenment. Such spiritual life is actually the most democratic because God accepts as wonderful whoever surrenders to Him. By the material standard the rich are great. But in spiritual life the most advanced person serves all others and brings them to Krsna consciousness. In Krsna consciousness the most advanced person gives up everything, whereas in material life the most advanced is greedy, vicious and dangerous to mankind at large. The real democracy we need is democracy of spiritual consciousness—the understanding that all belongs to God and every living being is Krsna’s beloved creature. Any man who takes up devotional service is to be respected regardless of his position; and at the same time, whatever qualities he displays in terms of work he can use for Krsna.
Devotional Service: Elevation Over Illusion
Devotional Service: Elevation Over Illusion
by Bhagavan dasa Adhikari (ISKCON-Detroit)
This Krsna consciousness movement is meant to bring about the purification of human consciousness. The human form of life is a rare opportunity which we have now attained out of so many varieties of life. Therefore the opportunity afforded by this human form must be cultured and protected like a rare gem. If it is not, we will lose it by force of the laws of nature and again be subject to birth and death, perhaps in some other species of life. This is confirmed by Lord Sri Krsna in Bhagavad-gita.
As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones. (Bg. 2.22)
The culturing process is like this. All of us, when we are born, are born with impure consciousness. That is to say, we have no understanding of who we are. The modern civilization of today adds a great boost to this ignorance by offering people material knowledge (avidya) and leaving them devoid of the spiritual education needed for the highest advancement of human consciousness. The outcome is that most people go through their lives entirely ignorant of who they are. They are content to think in terms of temporary bodily designations—“I am a parent,” “I am a child,” “I am a teacher,” “I am a well-off or not so well-off businessman,” “I am a hippie,” etc. These are temporary identities because the pure living entity, the eternal spirit soul residing within the bodily shell, is devoid of such labels. In other words these are all relative truths depending on conditions of time and space which, if varied, would produce for us new designations. For instance, because one happens to be born into a Jewish or Christian family he is called a Jew or a Christian, but if this person were separated from his parents and adopted by others he might be called something else. This is material relativity, and thinking in these terms binds the living entity to the relative cycle of birth and death.
In Krsna consciousness we are being taught by our spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, not to think along these relative, temporary lines but to seek out the Absolute Truth, that truth which does not depend upon any material consideration. This is called self-realization—to realize that which is our real nature. Those people who engage their consciousness in this way have begun to cultivate the resources of human consciousness.
In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear. (Bg. 2.40)
All of us have had countless births in the past, and if we are not careful we will have countless births in the future. Therefore, the goal is to break free from the miseries of birth and death, which are concomitant factors of material life, by regaining our eternal spiritual status as servants of the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. That is the perfection of human life. Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya has instructed that this attitude of rendering loving service to the Lord is the real eternal activity of the living entity. Through this process of devotional service one transcends the material platform of relative truth and becomes situated in absolute knowledge. Just as academic knowledge qualifies a person to attain a position in society, so when one understands the Absolute Truth, he becomes qualified to enter Krsna’s society, the spiritual kingdom which lies beyond the realm of the material universes.
True knowledge means to realize who we are in relation to Krsna. We must know our eternal identity; academic qualifications will not be helpful.
And when you have thus learned the truth, you will know that all living beings are My parts and parcels—and they are in Me and are Mine. (Bg. 4.35)
Therefore the cultivation of human life is to engage in all activities with the consciousness that “I am Krsna’s eternal servant.” Just as the parts of the body serve the stomach and thus become nourished and healthy, so, since we are parts and parcels of the transcendental body of Krsna, our eternal function is to render pleasing devotional service to Him and also to those who are His unalloyed, surrendered devotees. Krsna is so sublime that He actually gets more pleasure when He sees His pure devotees, the bona fide spiritual masters, being served, than when someone tries to approach Him directly. In the Adi Purana this is stated by Lord Krsna to Arjuna: “My dear Partha, one who claims to be My devotee is not so. Only a person who claims to be the devotee of My devotee is actually My devotee.” Therefore, our eternal position is one of servitorship. In the material world everyone serves only in order to get some temporary fruits which are all taken away at the time of death, but for those who accept their spiritual identity as servants of the Lord and His pure devotees, Lord Krsna says:
That is the way of the spiritual and godly life, after attaining which a man is not bewildered. Being so situated, even at the hour of death, one can enter into the kingdom of God. (Bg. 2.72)
To end the problems of material life does not mean to try to make this world an eternal paradise, but to reinstate ourselves in devotional service to the Lord, instead of devotional service to this material nature. This can be accomplished by anyone through the simple method of chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The chanting is a prayer to the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna to engage us in His transcendental loving service. We say loving service because Krsna is the perfect master who reciprocates with His servants by taking away all inauspicious things from the mind.
This movement is not in conflict with any religious belief. Our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, is simply teaching us how to immerse ourselves in God consciousness, Krsna consciousness, twenty-four hours a day, not just to serve God once a week or to think, “Oh yes, God exists.” Srila Prabhupada is teaching us to meditate on Krsna’s name, form, pastimes and devotees, even in the sleeping state. That is the process of bhakti-yoga or Krsna consciousness, the sublime method for cultivating real human consciousness.
Everyone desires to enjoy a complete life of happiness, but most people are misled in this quest by thinking that the body is the target for satisfaction. Actually, however, the body by itself has no qualification to satisfy our desires, but is instead a collapsible trap that ultimately ends in death. The original desire for a joyful life does not come from the body but from the spirit soul, the eternal living entity within the body. Having contacted this material body, we have made a false association which is manifested in the belief that we are the lump of flesh that we see in the mirror. The materialist feels that he can get satisfaction by gratifying the different urges which come from his senses. The intelligent man, however, soon realizes that bodily sense desires are often misleading. The young child will say, “Oh, that flickering substance looks very nice. I think I shall enjoy it.” But upon placing his hand in the fire he quickly learns that his senses are not to be trusted. In our conditioned state of existence, we think that our only satisfaction lies on the material platform, and we are constantly fooled in this way. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada states in Sri Isopanisad: “Foolish human beings who are grossly absorbed in the culture of avidya (ignorant material activities) do not mind this cruel process, but being enamored of the beauty of the illusory energy, they do the same things over repeatedly, not learning any lesson from the law of nature.”
Material Suffering
The conditioned living entity constantly places himself in the fire of material sense gratification. This means that everyone who is thinking, “I am this body,” is burning with the fire of passion and lust to control, own and manipulate this dull material world. Such illusioned souls try frantically to find some love in this temporary form, and the ultimate end is destruction. The Supreme Personality of Godhead states that they certainly lead a life of sin, “for a person delighting only in the senses lives in vain.” (Bg. 3.16) In his purports to Srimad-Bhagavatam Srila Prabhupada explains this further:
Excessive eating, excessive sense gratification, artificial standards of living, and depending too much on others’ mercy kill the very vitality of human energy, and thus man’s duration of life is shortened. (Bhag. 1.1.10, purport)
Everyone, no matter what his position in life—whether he be a successful businessman, president, dictator, or a low-grade drunk on the street—suffers in material life. Everyone is forced by the laws of nature to accept death, everyone is forced to accept disease, and everyone is forced to accept old age and birth. This is the real problem of existence. It is not enough to simply think, “How much can I make today at my job? How much sex life can I enjoy? How much food do I need?”
How is it that everyone desires an eternal life of happiness but that the body does not at all permit this? It is because bodily existence is not our real existence. The problem is that the conditioned living entity tries to make the body something which it is not. This body is not the reservoir of all pleasure. When one desires water he must go to a source where there is sufficient water stored up, but in the illusioned state of existence, when one desires pleasure he runs to bodily sense gratification and thus dies of spiritual thirst. An intelligent person who wants the real nectar of existence does not turn to bodily sense pleasure because the body is the reservoir of our misery. The body is simply made of dull, unconscious elements, which are no different from the elements that make up the wood on the floor or the elements that are in dirt. Certainly no one would jump on the floor and embrace it and say, “Oh, I love you.” But we try to embrace this body, saying, “Oh, I love you,” when that is not what we really desire to contact. Even science tells us that the body, if taken apart and divided into its main constituents, would be worth only $1.75 on the market. We cannot carry on a conversation with that little bottle of elements. In other words, we are not actually attracted to the material shell of the body but to the life force within the body which makes the entire machinery active. If this is not so, then why is no one attracted to a corpse?
The cause of all disturbance and havoc in the world is this false identification with the body. This misidentification can be immediate, in which case the conditioned soul thinks, “I am this form of flesh and bones,” or it can be extended, in which case one thinks, “I am this country,” “I am this race,” “I am this husband-wife relationship,” “I am this business firm,” etc. All this is false identification. Actually we are none of these things. To say that we are Americans or Indians is false. We are pure spirit souls, parts and parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, and our true identity, our true existence, is that we are His eternal servitors. One’s identity in material life is designated by the service that one renders, but everyone’s real service is simply to surrender everything to the Supreme Lord, and when we exist in that state of consciousness, Krsna consciousness, we become fully satisfied.
O best of the Kuru dynasty, without sacrifice one can never live happily on this planet or in this life. What then of the next? (Bg. 4.31)
It makes no difference what one’s material designations are—the point is that with one’s working energy one should please the Supreme Lord. When man’s interest is in temporary bodily designations, how can he expect to have a united cooperative planet? We are busy trying to think of ways to maintain and increase the false prestige of bodily labels while with equal skill we are forgetting where everyone’s personality came from to begin with.
It is important for those who have taken the human form of life to realize that all living entities have the absolute identity of being eternal servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To serve the Lord means to serve the Lord’s unalloyed devotees. That is the real method of spiritual life. In our wretched conditioned state, how can we know for sure what Krsna desires from us unless we go to one who knows perfectly well what will please the Lord? So we should scrutinizingly search out one who has no other business than to please the Personality of Godhead. Krsna Himself states this in Bhagavad-gita:
Just try to learn the truth by approaching the spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth. (Bg. 4.34)
When one finds such a pure devotee, all material opulences, fame, possessions, etc., become insignificant compared to a moment’s association with him. The pure devotee of the Lord has the power to lift one to the platform of transcendental loving service to the Lord and thereby alleviate the fears, anxieties and burdens of illusory material existence. Just as the sun draws moisture from a contaminated place and purifies it, so the pure devotee purifies our material consciousness by showing us how to serve Krsna and thereby perfect our lives. The power of this association is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam by the sages of Naimisaranya:
O Suta Gosvami, the great sages who have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord can at once sanctify others who may come in contact with them, while the water of the Ganges can do so only after prolonged use. (Bhag. 1.1.15)
If we desire to attain this purified consciousness, we must understand our spiritual nature. This is not possible if we associate with people who are simply interested in sense gratification. If we always associate with people who are thinking, “I am this body, and my main business of life is sense gratification,” then we will also come to think in the same way: “I am this body, and my main occupation is sense gratification. I have nothing to do in this life but enjoy myself.” Association is so strong in affecting one’s consciousness that even if one does not engage in the exact activities that someone else does, just by associating with him one acquires his mode of consciousness. For example, one may know people who try to elevate their consciousness through chemicals. He himself may not use them, but if he has close association with people who do, then it is certain that his consciousness will be affected and that he will begin to think and act like them. The idea, then, is to always remain in a purified state of consciousness through close spiritual association. That very association has been made easily accessible in this age through the chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. These holy names of the Lord have been praised by Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu as follows:
O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction upon the living beings, and therefore You have hundreds and millions of names like Krsna, Govinda, etc. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies, and there are no hard and fast rules for chanting these holy names. O my Lord, You have so kindly made approach to You easy by Your holy name, but unfortunate as I am, I have no attraction for them. (Siksastakam, 1)
Krsna has so mercifully given us His holy name to take shelter of, and when a conditioned soul hears the chanting from the lips of the Lord’s pure devotee he can be inspired to render devotional service to the Lord and thereby free himself from all material misery.
For All Humanity
This vibration is not just meant for boys with shaved heads and girls who wear saris. It is meant for all humanity. Everyone is looking for an object which will make him eternally happy, eternally satisfied. But that object can nowhere be found in the temporary material world. To satisfy ourselves, therefore, we must go beyond the limiting range of material phenomena and try to connect with the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna, who is the eternal reservoir of bliss and knowledge. That connection is made by chanting the maha-mantra, Hare Krsna. One must become convinced that there is no happiness anywhere in the material world. A person may say that he is happy, but what has he actually accomplished? We must say, “My dear sir, now you say that you have been very successful in life. You’ve raised a nice family, you’ve had a nice job, you’ve had nice sex life, you’ve had nice food on your plate and a nice roof over your head, and you’ve also done some charity work. Now just tell us who you are and where you are going at the time of your death.” A person in material consciousness cannot answer this question. Because he has not cultured spiritual knowledge, such a person is forced by the laws of nature to fall back into the samsaric existence of birth and death.
The Krsna consciousness movement is meant for culturing spiritual knowledge in order to become qualified for release from the bondage of the material world—to go back to Godhead, back home, back to the spiritual realm. Sri Isopanisad states:
One should know perfectly well about the Personality of Godhead and His transcendental name, as well as the temporary material creation with its temporary demigods, men and animals. When one knows these he surpasses death, and the ephemeral cosmic creation with it, and in the eternal kingdom of God he enjoys his eternal life of bliss and knowledge. (Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 14)
One may be content to think, “What am I going to eat now? Where am I going to sleep? How will I defend myself in case of difficulty?” But what a waste of consciousness that is Our materialistic society has simply increased the quality of our eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Thus it has increased the fire of our material consciousness, which always burns with the desire to enjoy illusion. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke. “In this human form of life, the body is not meant for sense gratification like the animals.” All animals also eat, sleep, mate and defend, and to use our human intellect simply to increase the quality of these functions is no credit to human consciousness. Human life is meant for controlling sense gratification in order to move on to spiritual realization.
When there are ample earthly flats to lie on, then what is the necessity of cots and beds? When one can use his own arms, what is the necessity of a pillow? When one can use the palms of his hands, then what is the necessity of varieties of utensils? When there is ample covering, or the skins of trees, then what is the necessity of clothing? (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2.3.4)
So the more we increase the degree of our sense gratification, the less we advance in spiritual progress. This does not mean that in snowy winter weather one should wear leaves. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, a great Vaisnava acarya, once said, “Man’s glory is in common sense.” So the idea is to keep material sense gratification to the minimum and be satisfied with only the bare necessities for bodily maintenance.
Life’s desires must not be directed towards sense gratification. One should desire only for a healthy life or for self-preservation because the life of a human being is meant for inquiry into the Absolute Truth, and nothing more should be desired from one’s occupational service. (Bhag. 1.2.10)
If one’s mind is surcharged with material considerations regarding eating, sleeping, mating and defending—the animal propensities—then certainly one does not need the human form of life, which is meant for higher level activities. Therefore Krsna says, “sada tad-bhava-bhavitah: A person gets his next life according to whatever he is absorbed in thinking.” This lifetime is meant for qualifying ourselves for our next body. If we simply live like animals in suits and ties, then Krsna, seated as the Supersoul in everyone’s heart, will understand our real desires, and in our next birth we may be born into a lower species of life and there continue our search for happiness in the material world. The worm in the stool is very content. He enjoys himself nicely eating stools. The dogs are happy hoarding their bones. But we are not worms or dogs. We have the human form of life, and we are meant to elevate our consciousness from the bodily concept of life to the ultimate stage of understanding fully the questions of spiritual life: “Who am I? Why am I here? How did I get here? Where am I going at the time of death?”
What Is This Life
We must ask the materialist, “Do you think that life is simply this spark of one hundred years? If it so happens that I get called in the army and killed, or run over by a car, is everything finished? Is that all there is to life—a little bit of sense pleasure, a few showers, a few meals and some nice clothes? Do you think that that’s all there is to life?” No. Life is meant for a complete understanding of our eternal nature and our eternal relationship with God. That is the completeness of human life. His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada states:
The living beings are parts and parcels of the Complete Whole (Krsna), and as long as the parts and parcels are detached from the Complete Whole, the illusory representation of completeness is not enough to bring the desired result. The completeness of human life can only be realized when the human form of life is engaged in the service of the Complete Whole.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is teaching people the spiritual knowledge of man’s eternal relation with the Supreme Lord, and we can see by the results of his Krsna consciousness movement that a divine population is in the making. Otherwise how could his disciples so quickly stop their meat-eating, illicit sex life, gambling and intoxication, and be so content simply chanting the holy name of Krsna and serving His pure devotee?
To care for one’s child by putting nice clothes on his body and giving him nice foodstuffs and a place to sleep is not enough. If that is all that we give our children, they will never know the real aim of life, and they will always be frustrated and misled. We can see this happening in high schools and on college campuses throughout the world. Why are young people rebelling so strongly and turning to violence, intoxicants and uncontrolled sex life? It is due to the frustration caused by material consciousness. Therefore we are taking care in our Krsna conscious society to culture love of God. That should be the only occupation of the parent, teacher, politician or anyone else who is in a position to lead or instruct. The responsible members of society must learn how to see everything in its relation with the Supreme Lord through the medium of devotional service, the eternal function of all spirit souls.
Krsna consciousness is a purifying movement meant to bring forth what is already present within us but is covered over by lust.
As the fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, similarly the living entity is covered by different degrees of lust. (Bg. 3.38)
Just as a mango becomes sweet upon maturing, so by changing from the immature concept of “I am this body” to the clear consciousness of “I am part and parcel of Krsna,” we reconnect ourselves with Krsna and display the all-blissful nature of the spirit soul. The conditioned soul attempts pleasure through bodily connection, but the devotee connects with Krsna through devotion and thus experiences divine pleasure.
One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God. (Bg. 18.55)
Everyone desires to have their bit of paradise on this temporary planet where everything is destined to be destroyed, but it is only when one recognizes a superior eternal nature or existence that he can experience the state of atmarama—self-satisfaction. Of those who have attained this atmarama state by breaking free of material lust, the highest are those who take to the devotional service of the Lord. Such was the case for Sukadeva Gosvami, who from the time of his birth was fixed in impersonal Brahman realization (the realization of knowing oneself to be spiritual energy) and was transcendental to all mundane sex desire and lust. He recounted to Maharaja Pariksit:
O saintly King, I was certainly situated perfectly in transcendence, yet I was still attracted by the delineation of the pastimes of the Lord, who is described by enlightened verses. (Bhag. 1.2.19)
Krsna confirms the potency of this knowledge:
One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna. (Bg. 4.9)
His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada states:
There is no difference between the kingdom of God and the devotional service of the Lord. Since both of them are on the absolute plane, to be engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord is to have attained the spiritual kingdom. (Bg. 2.72, purport)
Therefore the result of this sankirtana movement of chanting Hare Krsna is that people are actually exhibiting symptoms of transcending the shackles of material sense experience and are beginning to manifest love of God. They have smiling faces, they dance and sing in the streets, and sometimes they cry, moved by the beauty of the Lord and His pure devotees. These are bona fide symptoms of spiritual ecstasy, and they are within everyone; it is simply a matter of freeing the spirit soul from the encagement of false ego (bodily sense enjoyment). It is like lifting the shade and allowing the sun to enter.
One cannot have a loving relationship with anything impersonal. It is not possible be happy in this way, any more than it possible to find satisfaction by conversing with the air or the floor, because there is no reciprocation. To love, one must have a personal relationship. To know Krsna, the Absolute Truth, one must reestablish one’s personal relationship with Him. One must be devoid of all self-motivation and sense gratification. That is called devotional service, Krsna consciousness, the purification of human consciousness.
Everything in Krsna consciousness is spiritually pure. Our Krsna conscious marriages are an example. It is not that we get married on the basis of romance, dating, or living with someone for a while. It is a symptom of this degraded age that simply because they have lived together, eaten under the same roof and had sex life together, a boy and girl will consider themselves married. This is the consciousness that attracts people today. Even in so-called “legal” marriages, where is the firm conviction that husband and wife together should seek out the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, with the intention to render transcendental loving service to Him and His pure devotees? What other way is there to create a spiritual society where people are not like cats and dogs? A Krsna conscious marriage is meant to teach people how to love Krsna, how to perfect one’s life by serving Him instead of just taking from Him.
Everything animate and inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one must not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong. (Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1)
When one recognizes Krsna’s supremacy, he automatically pleases everyone because Krsna is the root of everyone’s existence.
It is just a matter of whether or not one wants to agree. But to whom else can we surrender? Certainly it is not enough to place faith in our families. To depend on family life for pleasure is illusory because family members will all succumb to death at some time, and then all that will remain will be sentimental memories. Krsna conscious family life is not simply to surrender to that limited consciousness—“Oh, what would I do without you?”—but to surrender to Krsna—“Krsna, what would I do without You?” That is purified consciousness. It is not, “My dear baby, how nicely I will enjoy you and pamper you,” but instead, “How I will try to teach you nicely to serve Krsna and His pure devotees.” That is the platform on which there is no material attachment. Pure love is manifested when one soul enlightens another regarding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of all pleasure. When Sukadeva Gosvami was approached by the sages of Naimisaranya for advice for the fallen people of this age, he replied:
O sages, I have been justly questioned by you. Your questions are relevant to the public welfare because they are in relation with Krsna. Only this type of question can please the self completely. (Bhag. 1.2.5)
To say that we are unattached does not mean that we display no love, but that we are free from the entanglement of bodily relationships and are attached instead to relating with all living entities as spirit souls. Knowledge that all men are eternal parts and parcels of the Lord is the only plane on which full satisfaction can be found because the eternal function, the eternal engagement, of the spirit soul is the mood of transcendental loving service to Krsna.
If we do not give people the knowledge that the devotional service of the Lord and His pure devotees is the highest perfectional stage of life, we keep them in bondage to this material existence of eternal birth and death. Because death is against everyone’s personal self-interest, and because material activities simply bring one closer to death, the entire population of the world is frustrated and anxious, having missed the center of enjoyment. Therefore the Krsna consciousness movement is the prime benediction for all humanity because it teaches people how to live together peacefully and develop love of God. Only by developing love of God can we become free from the clutches of birth and death, and therefore nothing else is perfection but pure love of Krsna and His unalloyed devotees.
The devotees of the Krsna consciousness movement are simply trying to spread this sublime message all over the earth. Observe how people everywhere—in America, Japan, Australia, Canada and Europe—are taking to this life style and taking off the shackles of material existence. Not only adults but children also are participating in this movement. Our Krsna conscious children live in our farm commune, New Vrndavana, in the mountains of West Virginia, where they learn this knowledge of Krsna consciousness, and by the time they are twelve they are out preaching to people in a purified state of understanding. They are not attracted to the material world because they see it for what it is. Because they are given a full opportunity to taste the nectarean pleasure of spiritual life in Krsna consciousness, they are free from bondage to material sense gratification. What is there in the material world that can offer eternal pleasure? Nothing! Real pleasure comes from Krsna. That is transcendental knowledge, and that is our birthright as parts and parcels of Krsna.
We must simply accept what is already ours—spiritual bliss in the service of Krsna. By taking to this Krsna conscious way of life one can satisfy all one’s desires. When one becomes Krsna conscious he loses all fears and anxieties and becomes fixed in eternal happiness.
One may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on doing work in that way because that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. There is no alternative to this way for man. (Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 2)
We ask you to try and understand this sankirtana movement. It is not necessary that you live in the temple and shave your head, but come and learn. Give up the false spiritual teachers who are saying that you are God, that there is no God, that God is a chemical, or that God is this universal manifestation. Watch this movement—it is so sublime. Why shouldn’t everyone dance in the street? Why not get up and raise your arms? Why not dance in ecstasy? To lose all inhibitions does not mean to prance around naked. It means to act in the knowledge that we are the eternal servants of Krsna. That is the message of this sankirtana movement, and that is the message that is overflooding the world with love of God. And, if you want, it can overflood you.
Back to Godhead Magazine #41, 197?
ISKCON Centers Around the World
ISKCON Centers Around the World
Amsterdam Holland Frissenstein 292, Bijlermeer
Atlanta Georgia 24 13th St. 30309
Baltimore Maryland 1300 N. Calvert St. 21202
Berkeley California 2710 Durant Ave. 94704
Bombay India 74 Marine Drive
Boston Massachusetts 40 N. Beacon St. 02134
Boulder Colorado 623 Concord St. 80302
Buffalo New York 130–132 Bidwell Parkway 14222
Calcutta India 37/1 Hindustan Rd. Ballyganj
Chicago Illinois 2210 N. Halstead 60614
Columbus Ohio 318 E. 20th Ave. 43201
Dallas Texas 5108 Mission St.
Delhi India 3514 Netaji Subash Marg
Detroit Michigan 8311 E. Jefferson 48214
Gainesville Florida 1915 NW Second Ave.
Hamburg W. Germany 2000 Hamburg 6, Bartelstr. 65
Hamilton Canada 122 Charlton Ave. W., Ontario
Hong Kong China c/o Warren Weinstein, American Express Union House No. 609
Honolulu Hawaii 2016 McKinley St. 96822
Houston Texas 406 Gray St. 77002
Laguna Beach California 130 Woodland Drive 92651
London England 7 Bury Pl., Bloomsbury,W.C.1
Los Angeles California 3764 Watseka Ave. 90034
Maui Hawaii P.O. Box 537
Miami Florida 2851 N.W. 159th St., 33054
Montreal Canada 3720 Park Ave., Quebec
New Orleans Louisiana 7827 Spruce St. 70118
New Vrndavana W. Virginia RD 3, Moundsville 26041
New York City New York 439 Henry St., Bklyn 11231
Paris France c/o Fein, 8 Rue Lacage, 14e
Philadelphia Pennsylvania 641 E. Chelton Ave. 19144
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 4514 Plummer St. 15201
Portland Oregon 2325 E. Burnside St. 97214
Salt Lake City Utah 774 E. 8th St., So. Salt Lake City
San Diego California 3689 Park Blvd. 92103
San Francisco California 455 Valencia St. 94103
San Jose California 397 South 11th St. 95112
Santa Barbara California 613 E. Victoria St. 93103
Seattle Washington 5516 Roosevelt Way NE 98105
Singapore China 80 Stevens Road, Singapore-10
St. Louis Missouri 4544 Laclede Ave. 63108
Suva Fiji Islands 44 Baniwai Rd.
Sydney Australia 118 Oxford St., Paddington
Tallahassee Florida 412 W. Jefferson Ave., Apt. 303 32301
Tokyo Japan 3211 Minami Asakawa-cho Hachioji-shi 193
Toronto Canada 187 E. Gerrard, Toronto 225
Trinidad West Indies 2 Cipero St., San Fernando
Tucson Arizona 132 Santa Rita
Vancouver Canada 260 Raymur St., No. 305, B.C.
Washington D.C. 2015 Q Street NW 20008
If you are interested in becoming a member of ISKCON, write to ISKCON New York for further information.
Amateur and professional photographers who would like to offer photographs of Krsna conscious activities for inclusion in Back to Godhead are invited to send them to ISKCON Press, 32 Tiffany Pl., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11231. Hare Krsna.
We Are All Eternal Servitors of Krsna
We Are All Eternal Servitors of Krsna
A Lecture Given At Conway Hall, London,
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Today's subject matter is our relationship with God. That is self-realization. The sankirtana movement is the easiest process for self-realization because it cleanses the heart. Our misunderstanding of our identity is due to the dust covering the mirror of the mind. In a mirror which is covered with dust one cannot see himself. But if it is very clear, then one can see himself. So meditation is a process for cleansing the heart. Meditation means to try to understand one’s relationship with the Supreme.
With everything with which we come in contact there is a relationship. Because I am now sitting on this cushion, the relationship is that I shall sit and the cushion will hold me. You have relationships. You are Englishmen or Indians, so there is a relationship with your society, with your family, with your friends. So what is our relationship with God?
If you ask everyone, very few people will be able to explain their relationship with God. They say, “What is God? God is dead. I don’t believe in God, not to speak of a relationship.” Because these dirty things are covering their hearts, they cannot see. We have a relationship with everything—why do we not try to understand our relationship with God? Is that very intelligent? No. That is ignorance. All the creatures in this material world are covered by the three modes of material nature. Therefore they cannot see God. They cannot understand God, nor do they try to understand Him. But God is there. In England in the morning there is mist, so you cannot see the sun behind the fog. But does this mean that there is no sun?
You cannot see it because your eyes are covered. But if you send a telegram to another part of the world, they will say, “Yes, the sun is here. We can see it. It is very dazzling, full of light.” So when you deny the existence of God or you cannot ascertain your relationship with God, that means that you are lacking in knowledge. It is not that there is no God. We are lacking. The sun is not covered. The sun cannot be covered. The fog or the cloud or the mist does not have the power to cover the sun. How big the sun is! It is so many times bigger than this earth. And the clouds can cover at most ten or twenty or a hundred miles. So how can the clouds cover the sun? No. The clouds cannot cover the sun. They cover your eyes. When an enemy comes and a rabbit cannot defend himself, the rabbit closes his eyes and thinks, “My enemy is now gone.” Similarly, we are covered by the external energy of God and are thinking, “God is dead.”
The Lord has three kinds of energies. In thc Visnu Purana there are descriptions of the energy of the Supreme Lord. And in the Vedas also, in the Upanisads, there are descriptions of the energies of the Supreme Lord. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. Sakti means energy. The Lord has multi energies. The Vedas say, “God has nothing to do.” We have to work because we have no other means to exist—we have to eat, we wish to enjoy this, that—but why should God work? God does not have to work. Then how can we say that God created this universe? Is it not work? No. Then how did it happen? His multifarious energies are so strong that they are acting naturally and are full of knowledge. W e can see how a flower blooms and grows and systematically displays multi-colors: one side a little spot, another side a little spot, white on one side, more white on the other side. The butterfly also exhibits such artistic symmetry. So this is all being painted, but in such a perfect way and so swiftly that we cannot see how. We cannot understand how it is being done, but it is being done by the energy of the Lord.
Hare Krsna Cleanses The Heart
It is due to a lack of knowledge that people say that God is dead, that there is no God, and that we have no relationship with God. These thoughts have been compared to the thoughts of a man haunted by a ghost. Just as a haunted man speaks all nonsense, similarly when we become covered by the illusory energy of God, we say that God is dead. But this is not a fact. Therefore, we need this chanting process to cleanse our heart. Take to this simple process of chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. In that way, in your family life, in your club, in your home, on the road—everywhere—chant Hare Krsna, and this darkness covering your heart, covering your real position, will be removed. Then you’ll understand your real constitutional position.
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended: ceto-darpana-marjanam. Marjanam means cleanse, and darpanam means mirror. The heart is a mirror. It is like a camera. Just as a camera takes all kinds of pictures of days and nights, so also our heart takes pictures and keeps them in an unconscious state. Psychologists know this. The heart takes so many pictures, and therefore it becomes covered. We do not know when it has begun, but it is a fact that because there is material contact, our real identity is covered. Therefore ceto-darpana-marjanam: one has to cleanse his heart. There are different processes to cleanse the heart—the jnana process, the yoga process, the meditation process, pious activities. Karma also cleanses the heart. If one acts very piously, his heart will gradually be cleansed. But although these processes are recommended for cleansing the heart, in this age they are all difficult. To follow the path of philosophical knowledge one must become a very learned scholar, one must read so many books, one must go to learned professors and scholars and speculate. One must search out a person who has seen the light. So these are all philosophical processes. Meditation is also a recommended process. One should question, “What am I?” Just consider: Am I this body? No. Am I this finger? No, this is my finger. If you contemplate your leg, you will see, “Oh, this is my leg.” Similarly, you will find everything to be “mine.” And where is that “I”? Everything is mine, but where is that “I”? When one is searching for that “I,” that is meditation. Real meditation means concentrating all the senses in that way. But that meditation process is very difficult. One must control the senses. The senses are dragging one outward, and one has to bring them inward for introspection. Therefore there are eight processes in the yoga system. The first is controlling the senses by regulative principles. Then sitting postures—that will help to concentrate the mind. If one sits leaning over, that will not help; if one sits up straight, that will help. Then controlling the breathing, then meditation, then samadhi. But today these are very, very difficult processes. No one can immediately perform them. The so-called yoga processes are fragmental—only the sitting postures and a few breathing exercises are practiced. But that cannot bring one to the perfectional stage. The actual yoga process, although a recommended Vedic process, is very difficult in this age. Similarly one can try to get knowledge by the speculative philosophical process: “This is Brahman, this is not Brahman, so what is Brahman? What is spirit soul?” Such empiric philosophical discussion is also recommended, but it is useless in this age.
Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu—not only Caitanya Mahaprabhu but also the Vedic literature—says, harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam/ kalau nasly eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. Kalau means in this age. Nasty eva, nasty eva, nasty eva—three times nasty eva. Eva means certainly, and nasty means not. “Certainly not, certainly not, certainly not.” What is that certainly not? One cannot realize oneself by karma. That is the first certainly not. One cannot realize oneself by jnana. That is the second certainly not. One cannot realize oneself by yoga. Certainly not. Kalau. Kalau means in this age. Kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. In this age one certainly cannot achieve success by any of these three methods. Then what is the recommended process? Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam. Simply chant the Hare Krsna mantra. Kevalam means only. Simply chant Hare Krsna. It is the easiest and most sublime process. This is recommended, practical and authorized. So take it. Accept it in any condition of life. Chant. There is no expenditure, there is no loss. We are not chanting a secret. No. It is open. And by chanting you will cleanse your heart.
The Blazing Fire Of Problems
In this material world no one wants misery, but it comes. Unexpectedly, like a forest fire that starts without anyone’s striking a match, it comes. No one wants a war, but war is fought. No one wants famine, but famine comes. No one wants pestilence, but it comes. No one wants fighting, but there is fighting. No one wants misunderstanding, but there is. Why? This is like a blazing fire in the forest. And it cannot be extinguished by fire engines. This blazing fire of problems cannot be extinguished by our so-called advancement of knowledge. No. That is not possible. Just as one cannot extinguish a forest fire by sending a fire engine or by bringing some water, similarly the problems of our life cannot be solved by material processes.
There are many examples. Prahlada Maharaja says, “My dear Lord, the father and mother are not actually the protectors of the children.” The father and mother take care of their children; that is their duty. But they are not the ultimate protectors. When nature’s law calls the child, the father and mother cannot protect him. Therefore although generally it is considered a fact that the father and mother are the protectors of the child, actually it is not a fact. If someone is drowning in the ocean and he thinks he has a very nice seat, will that protect him? No. Still he may drown. A nice airplane is flying in the sky, everyone is safe, but all of a sudden it crashes. Nothing material can protect us. Suppose someone is diseased. He may engage a good physician who gives good medicine, but that will not guarantee that he will live. Then what is the ultimate guarantee? Prahlada Maharaja says, “My dear Lord, if You neglect someone, nothing can protect him.”
This is our practical experience. We can invent so many methods to solve the problems presented by the laws of material nature, but they are not sufficient. They will never solve all the problems, nor will they give actual relief. This is the fact. Therefore Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita, “Maya, this external energy, is very, very strong. No one can surpass it. It is almost impossible.” Then how can one get free from this material nature? Krsna says, “Simply by surrendering unto Me one can get relief from the onslaught of material nature.” That is a fact. So we have to cleanse the heart to learn what is our relationship with God.
Krsna And We Are Eternal
In the Katha Upanisad it is stated, nityo nityanam, cetanas cetananam. The Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead. or the Absolute Truth, is eternal. God is eternal, and we are also eternal. But the Vedas indicate that He is the supreme living creature. He is not dead. If He is not living, how is this world working? In Bhagavad-gita Krsna says, “Under My supervision things are going on.” In the Bible also it is said, “God created.” That is a fact. Not that at one time there was a chunk and then this happened and then that. No. The Vedas tell us the actual facts, but we have to open our eyes to see. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. That is the process of cleansing our hearts. When we cleanse our hearts, then we will be able to understand what Krsna and the Vedas say. We need to be purified. If a man is suffering from jaundice and you give him a piece of sugar candy, he will say that it is very bitter. But is sugar candy bitter? No, it is very sweet. And the medicine for jaundice is that sugar. Modern science prescribes this, and it is prescribed in the Vedic literature also. So if we take a great quantity of this sugar candy, then we will be relieved from jaundice. And when there is relief, then one says, “Oh, this is very sweet.” So the modern jaundice of a godless civilization can be cured by this chanting of Hare Krsna. In the beginning it may appear bitter, but when one advances, then he will see how pleasing it is.
“I Am A Servant Of God”
As soon as one understands his identity, his relationship with God, then immediately he becomes happy. We are so full of miseries because we have identified ourselves with the material world. Therefore we are unhappy. Anxieties and fearfulness are due to our misidentifying with the material world. The other day I was explaining that one who identifies with this bag of bones and skin is like an animal. So by chanting Hare Krsna this misunderstanding will be cleansed. Cleansing of the heart means that one will understand that he does not belong to this material world. Aham brahmasmi: I am spirit soul. As long as one identifies oneself with England, with India, or with America, this is ignorance. Today you are an Englishman because you were born in England, but in your next life you may not take your birth in England; it may be in China or Russia or some other country. Or you may not get this human form of body. Today you are a nationalist, you are a very great follower of your country, but tomorrow if you stay in your country you may be a cow being taken to the slaughterhouse.
So we have to thoroughly know our identity. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that the actual identity of every living creature is that he is the eternal servant of God. If one thinks like that—“I am no one else’s servant: my business is to serve God.”—then he is liberated. His heart is immediately cleansed, and he is liberated. And after one has reached that, then all one’s cares and anxieties in this world are over because one knows, “I am a servant of God. God will give me protection. Why should I worry about anything?” It is just like a child. A child knows that his mother and father will take care of him. He is free. If he should go to touch fire, his mother will take care of him: “Oh, my dear child, don’t touch.” The mother is always looking after him. So why don’t you put your trust in God? Actually, you are under the protection of God.
God Is Supplying
People go to church and say, “God, give us our daily bread.” Actually, if He did not give it to us, we would not be able to live. That is a fact. The Vedas also say that the one Supreme Personality supplies all the necessities of every other living creature. God is supplying food for everyone. We human beings have our economic problem, but what economic problem is there in societies other than human society? The bird society has no economic problem. The beasts have no economic problem. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and out of that, human society is very, very small. So they have created problems—what to eat, where to sleep, how to mate, how to defend. These are a problem to us, but the majority of creatures—the aquatics, the fish, the plants, the insects, the birds, the beasts, and the many millions upon millions of other living creatures—do not have such a problem. They are also living creatures. Don’t think that they are different from us. It is not true that we human beings are the only living creatures and that all others are dead. No. And who is providing their food and shelter? It is God. The plants and animals are not going to the office. They are not going to the university to get technological education to earn money. So how are they eating? God is supplying. The elephant eats hundreds of pounds of food. Who is supplying? Are you making arrangements for the elephant? There are millions of elephants. Who is supplying?
So the process of acknowledging that God is supplying is better than thinking, “God is dead. Why should we go to church and pray to God for bread’” In Bhagavad-gita it is said, “Four kinds of people come to Krsna: the distressed, those who are in need of money, the wise and the inquisitive.” One who is inquisitive, one who is wise, one who is distressed and one who is in need of money—these four classes of men approach God. “My dear God, I am very hungry. Give me my daily bread.” That’s nice. Those who approach God in this way are recommended as sukrtina. Sukrtina means pious. They are pious. Although they are asking for money, for food, they are considered pious because they are approaching God. And others are just the opposite. They are duskrtina, impious. Krti means very meritorious, but the word duskrti indicates that their energy is being misused to create havoc. Just like the man who invented atomic weapons. He has a brain, but it has been misused. He has created something which is dreadful. Create something which will insure that man will no longer have to die. What is the use of creating something so that millions of people will immediately die? They will die today or tomorrow or after a hundred years. So what have the scientists done? Create something so that man will not die immediately, so that there will be no more disease, so that there will be no more old age. Then you will have done something. But the duskrtinas never go to God. They never try to understand God. Therefore their energy is misdirected.
The Duty Of Human Beings
The gross materialists who ignore their relationship with God are described in Bhagavad-gita as mudhas. Mudha means ass, donkey. Those who are working very, very hard to earn money are compared to the donkey. They will eat the same four chapaties daily, but they are unnecessarily working to earn thousands of dollars. And others are described as naradhama. Naradhama means the lowest of mankind. The human form of life is meant for God realization. It is the right of man to try to realize God. One who understands Brahman, God, is a brahmana, not others. So that is the duty of this human form of life. In every human society there is some system which is called religion and by which one may try to understand God. It doesn’t matter whether it is the Christian religion, the Mohammedan religion, or the Hindu religion. It doesn’t matter. The system is to understand God and our relationship with Him. That’s all. This is the duty of the human beings, and if this duty is ignored in human society, then it is animal society. Animals have no power to understand what is God and their relationship with God. Their only interests are eating, sleeping, mating and defending. If we are only concerned with these things, then what are we? We are animals. Therefore Bhagavad-gita says that those who ignore this opportunity are the “lowest of mankind.” They got this human form of life after evolving through 8,400,000 births and yet did not utilize it for God realization but simply for the animal propensities Therefore they are naradhama, the lowest of mankind. And there are other persons who are very proud of their knowledge. But what is that knowledge? “There is no God. I am God.” Their actual knowledge has been taken away by maya. If they are God, then how have they become dog? There are so many arguments against them, but they simply defy God. Atheism. Because they have taken to the process of atheism, their actual knowledge is stolen away. Actual knowledge means to know what is God and our relationship with God. If one does not know this, then it is to be understood that his knowledge has been taken away by maya.
One And Different
So in this way, if we try to understand our relationship with God, there are ways and means. There are books, and there is knowledge, so why not take advantage of them? Everyone should take advantage of this knowledge. Try to understand that in Bhagavad-gita and other Vedas, everywhere, it is said God is great and that although we are qualitatively one with God, we are minute. The ocean and the minute particle of water have the same quality, but the quantity of salt in the drop of water and the quantity of salt in the ocean are different. They are qualitatively one but quantitatively different. Similarly, God is all-powerful, and we have some power. God creates everything, and we can create a small machine to fly, just like the small machines with which children play. But God can create millions of planets flying in the air. That is the qualification of God. You cannot create any planets. Even if you can create a planet, what is the benefit of that? There are millions of planets created by God. But you also have the creative power. God has power, and you have power. But His is so great that you cannot compare to it. If you say, “I am God,” that is foolishness. You can claim that you are God, but what acts have you performed so extraordinary that you can claim that you are God? This is ignorance. The knowledge of one who thinks himself God has been taken away by the spell of maya. So our relationship is that God is great and we are minute. In Bhagavad-gita Krsna clearly says, “All living entities are My parts and parcels. Qualitatively they are one with Me, but quantitatively they are different.” So we are simultaneously one with and different from God. That is our relationship. We are one because we have the same qualities as God. But if we study ourselves minutely we will find that although we have some great qualities, God has them all in greater quantities.
Join With The Supreme Lord
We cannot have anything which is not in God. That is not possible. Therefore in the Vedanta-sutras it is said that everything that we have is also found in God. It is emanating from God. So our relationship is that because we are small, because we are minute, we are the eternal servitors of God. In this material world also, in ordinary behavior, we see that a man goes to serve another man because the other man is greater than him and can pay him a nice salary. So naturally the conclusion is that if we are small, our duty is to serve God. We have no other business. We are all different parts and parcels of the original entity.
A screw which is connected with a machine is valuable because it is working with the whole machine. And if the screw is taken away from the machine, or if it is faulty, it is worthless. My finger is worth millions of dollars as long as it is attached to this body and is serving the body. And if it is cut off from this body, then what is it worth’? Nothing. Similarly, our relationship is that we are very small particles of God; therefore our duty is to dovetail our energies with Him and cooperate with Him. That is our relationship. Otherwise we are worthless. We are cut off. When the finger becomes useless the doctor says, “Oh, amputate this finger. Otherwise the body will be poisoned.” Similarly, when we become godless we are cut off from our relationship with God and suffer in this material world. If we try to join again with the Supreme Lord, then our relationship is revived.
Knowledge of the Absolute, Part 7
Knowledge of the Absolute, Part 7
by Kirtanananda Maharaja
[Editor’s note: This is the seventh of a series of eighteen essays on the chapters of Bhagavad-gita.]
The Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita marks the beginning of the second great division of this work. In the first six chapters Sri Krsna has elaborately described the distinction between matter and spirit and the difference between the living entity and dead matter. And He has also described many yoga systems which are for elevating the living entity from material consciousness to spiritual consciousness. At the end of the Sixth Chapter it has been clearly stated that the steady concentration of the mind on Krsna, or in other words Krsna consciousness, is the ultimate end of all yoga. Only by concentrating one’s mind upon Sri Krsna can one know the Absolute Truth completely. Moreover, impersonal Brahman and localized Paramatma have been declared to be partial representations of the Supreme Person Krsna. The different types of yoga are merely steppingstones to the path of bhakti-yoga or Krsna consciousness. One who takes directly to Krsna consciousness is called an intelligent man, for by practice of Krsna consciousness one can know everything in full, namely the Absolute Truth, the living entities, material nature and their manifestations with paraphernalia.
It Is Not A Cheap Thing
In the Seventh through the Twelfth chapters Krsna gives an elaborate description of the Supreme Personality Himself, His nature and manifestations. Here in the Seventh Chapter, the nature of Krsna is fully described as being full of all opulences. How He manifests such opulences is also described in this chapter. The first three verses serve as a preface. “Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.” (7.3) It is not an easy thing to become Krsna conscious, nor is it a cheap thing. The stake is full knowledge or perfection, and Lord Jesus said, “Few there be that find it.” In the very first verse here Krsna lays down the qualification: “By practicing yoga in full consciousness with mind attached to Me …” It is almost exactly the same thought found in the 47th verse of the previous chapter. “And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.” Therefore, only by hearing of Krsna from Krsna Himself or from the pure devotee who repeats only what Krsna has said, can one understand the science of Krsna. That is the secret of Krsna consciousness which was also explained in the Fourth Chapter when the Lord told Arjuna that He had originally spoken this science of Krsna consciousness to the sun-god Vivasvan, who had spoken it to his son, and to his son, etc. And so it was coming down in disciplic succession, but somehow or other it was broken. This indicates that someone made a change. As soon as one interprets or puts his intellect between the message of Krsna and the transmission, the message immediately becomes material.
He Is The Source Of Everything
Krsna repeats here in the Seventh Chapter: “I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal and noumenal, knowing which there remains nothing further to be known.” Krsna is the source of both phenomenal and noumenal knowledge. When one knows Krsna, he knows everything spiritual and material, for one knows Krsna with all of His variegated energies. When the cause of all causes becomes known, then everything knowable becomes known, and nothing remains unknown. That is the verdict of the Vedas. Again it is said that no one can know Krsna as He is by the blunt material senses; He reveals Himself to the devotees, being pleased with them for their transcendental loving service unto Him.
Arjuna is an intimate friend and devotee of Krsna, and Krsna is here explaining in detail His own nature. As already stated, Krsna is full of all energies, variegated energies, and in the fourth and fifth verses these energies are divided into two great categories, the superior and inferior. “Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intelligence and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.” Those are the inferior energies. “Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine which are all living entities who are struggling with material inferior nature.” Here it is clearly stated that the living entities are part of the Lord’s superior energy. They are not part of the inferior energy, which is manifested in so many inert forms; it is clearly stated that they are the energy, not the energetic. Krsna maintains that He is the energetic, and therefore the living entity, the energy, is always controlled by the Supreme eternally.
Philosophers who somehow think that the living entity somehow becomes God after liberation simply do not understand. Energies never become the energetic but are always controlled. The living entity, however powerful he may be, is still controlled by the supreme controller, Krsna, under the agency of His superior or inferior energy. This concept is confirmed in the seventh verse, where Krsna says, “There is no truth superior to Ale. Everything rests upon Me as pearls are strung on a thread.” Again in the Ninth Chapter, Krsna says, “This material nature is working under My direction. The whole cosmic order is under Me. By My will it is manifested again and again, and by My will it is annihilated at the end.” So this seventh verse is very important. Krsna makes absolute claim to being the Absolute Person, and of course this is affirmed in so many other scriptures. For instance, the Brahma-samhita says that the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is Lord Krsna, who is the primal Lord, the reservoir of all pleasures, Govinda, the eternal form of complete bliss and knowledge.
The impersonalists are convinced on the strength of the Svetasvatara Upanisad that the supreme absolute transcendence has no material form and is free from all material contaminations, and one who can know Him also becomes transcendental, and those who do not know Him suffer the miseries of the material world.” The impersonalists take it that the word arupam, “no material form,” means that the Supreme Absolute is impersonal. But that is not logical. Because A is not B does not mean that A is C. Rather, what is indicated here is that the transcendental form of sac-cid-ananda, or eternity, bliss and knowledge, as described in the Brahma-samhita, is not material. The same Upanisad substantiates this as follows: “I know that Supreme Personality of Godhead who is transcendental to all conceptions of darkness. Only he who knows Him can transcend the bonds of birth and death.” There is no way of liberation other than this knowledge of that Supreme Person. There is no truth superior to that Supreme Person because He is the supermost. He is smaller than the smallest, and He is greater than the greatest. He illumines the transcendental sky. As a tree spreads its roots, He spreads His extensive energies. Krsna’s form may not be material, but there can be no doubt that He has form. If Krsna has no form, how can His energies have form? The energy can never supersede the energetic. So it is the conclusion of these verses that the Supreme Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna.
He Is All-Pervasive
In the eighth to the twelfth verses, Krsna describes how He is manifested within everything. “I am the taste of water,” He says, “the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable Om and the sound in ether. I am the strength of the strong, and I am sex life. I am the life of all that lives. All states of being, be they of goodness, passion or ignorance, are manifested by My energy. I am in one sense everything, but I am independent. I am not under the modes of this material nature.” The Lord is thus explaining how He is all-pervasive by dint of His diverse energies, material and spiritual. As the demigod in the sun is a person and is perceived by his all-pervading energy, the sunshine, similarly the Lord, although in His eternal abode, is perceived by His all-pervading diffuse energies. Krsna consciousness means to become aware that earth, water, fire—the active principles in all chemicals, all material elements—are due to Krsna only. The duration of man’s life is also due to Krsna. By the grace of Krsna man can prolong his life or diminish it. Krsna is the active principle in every sphere. The conclusion, as stated in the twelfth verse, is that all states of being, whether of goodness, passion or ignorance, are manifested by Krsna’s energy. “I am in one sense everything, but I am independent. I am not under the modes of this material nature.” Here the word nirguna is used. Nirguna means not to be under the control of material nature, or to be without material contamination. It is sometimes translated to mean without material form, but here Krsna asserts that He is manifesting this material nature yet He is independent. “They are in Me, but I am not in them.” These gunas of goodness, passion and ignorance are emanating from Krsna, but they do not affect Him. That is one of the special characteristics of Bhagavan or the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The thirteenth verse says, “Deluded by the three gunas, goodness, passion and ignorance, the whole world does not know Me, for I am above the gunas and am inexhaustible.” Krsna is never deluded. As stated in the Second Chapter, He remembers everything past, present and future. That is again stated in the twenty-sixth verse of this chapter. “I know everything which has happened in the past, or that is happening in the present, or of all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities, but Me no one knows.” Because Krsna is never deluded, He is never under the control of the deluding energy. The fourteenth verse says, “This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome, but those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” As stated at the outset, Krsna consciousness is open to the surrendered soul, to the devotee and friend of Krsna, but for others it is very difficult.
Four Classes Of Atheists
As explained in the succeeding verses, there are four classes of men who will never surrender to the lotus feet of Krsna; similarly, there are four classes of men who do surrender. The four classes of men who refuse to surrender to Krsna, as explained in the fifteenth verse, are the grossly foolish, the lowest among mankind, those whose knowledge is stolen by illusion and those who partake of the atheistic nature of demons. The grossly foolish are called mudhas or asses, for they are simply like hardworking beasts of burden. They try to accumulate some enjoyment by working hard, but they know neither the source of enjoyment nor the source of misery. The example used is that of the ass who, in India at least, works very hard for the washerman. The ass does not know for whom he is working; he simply remains satisfied with a little hay. He sleeps under the fear of being beaten and satisfies his sex appetite at the risk of being kicked by the obliging party. The ass sometimes sings poetry and philosophy, but this braying only disturbs others. This is the position of the foolish fruitive worker who does not know the meaning of work, karma, nor that work is meant for sacrifice, yajna. He is simply working very hard night and day to relieve himself from some self-imposed duties; he has no time to hear of the science of Krsna. It is a strange paradox that to the grossly foolish mudhas, material gains which are so perishable are their sole objective. They are never disillusioned when they receive so little, and they spend sleepless days and nights in search of so-called material success, tolerating ulcers and indigestion, putting up with food and water that is hardly fit for the animals, serving every temporal master under the sun. But for the Supreme Master, they have no time. The stool-eating swine does not care for sweetmeats made of sugar and ghee, and similarly the foolish worker chews the chewed of mammon and leaves the succulence of Krsna consciousness.
The Lowest Of Mankind
The second class of miscreants is called the “lowest of mankind.” Out of 8,400,000 species of life, 400,000 are said to be human, but of these 400,000 most are uncivilized. Civilized means to be regulated in matters of social, political and religious life, and perfect regulation is exemplified in the system of varnasrama-dharma. The purpose of varnasrama-dharma is simply that society is so regulated that maximum facilities are given to each individual so that he may pursue his eternal course back to Godhead. To that end every society needs a head: brahmanas. It needs arms for defense: ksatriyas. It needs an abdomen for sustenance (vaisyas) and legs for movement (sudras). All head or all feet is equally bad, but a society, nicely divided on the basis of qualification, not birth, is a society in which everyone can revive his lost consciousness or his eternal relationship with the Supreme Truth, Krsna.
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
The civilized human form of life is meant for reviving this lost consciousness or invoking this dormant love of God that is within all of us. And if the opportunity is lost, then life is wasted, and a person who wastes his valuable time is called naradhama, or lowest of mankind. By the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, one can reawaken his Krsna consciousness simply by submissively hearing the message and activities of the Supreme Lord Krsna as contained in such great literatures as this Bhagavad-gita. Even naradhamas or the lowest of human beings can be delivered by this submissive hearing process, by simply chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Unfortunately they do not even listen to these transcendental vibrations, let alone surrender unto the will of the Supreme Lord. Therefore the naradhamas fully neglect the prime duty of the human being.
The next class of miscreants are those whose erudite knowledge has been nullified by the influence of illusory material energy. In mundane circles these are called very learned men, great philosophers, poets, PhD’s, scientists, philanthropists, utopians, etc., but because of impure desires, the illusory energy of Krsna misguides them, and therefore they disobey the Supreme Lord. A truly learned man has been described as one who sees all women as his mother, the property of others as so much refuse in the street and himself in all beings. And according to Krsna’s statement in the Gita, “A learned man is he who sees on equal terms the learned brahmana, the dog, the cow, the elephant, and the dog-eater.” But when the whole population becomes naradhama and when they thereby neglect the purpose of self-realization, their education has no such vision. What is circulated under the name of education is actually void of all eternal potency by the powerful illusory energy. Most intellectuals are more interested in the creature than in the creator, and ultimately their knowledge is frustrated because they are seeking for everything in the wrong place.
The Gita clearly states in many places that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that there is none equal to or greater than Him. He is said to be the father of Brahma, and He claims to be the father of all living entities. He declares Himself to be the ground of impersonal Brahman, and He states that Paramatma or the Supersoul resides in every living entity by His expansion. In short, He is the fountainhead of everything, and everyone is advised to surrender unto Him. That is the ultimate conclusion of Bhagavad-gita: “Simply surrender unto Me.” But despite all these clear statements, those whose knowledge has been nullified by the influence of illusory energy consider Him merely another human being. They do not know that this human form of life is designed after the eternal and transcendental feature of the Supreme Lord. As the Bible says, “Man is made in the image and likeness of God.” All the unauthorized interpretations of the Gita by this class of so-called learned scholars who are outside the purview of the parampara system, the disciplic succession of devotees, are so many stumbling blocks in the path of spiritual understanding.
The last class of miscreants are those of demonic principles. This class is openly atheistic. They sometimes maintain that the Supreme cannot descend to the material plane, but they are unable to give any valid reason why not, other than it does not conform to their reasoning patterns. Because it is their desire, Krsna remains forever veiled from them. Sri Yamunacarya says, “O My Lord, You are unknowable to persons involved with atheistic principles, despite Your uncommon features, qualities, and activities, despite Your personality being strongly confirmed by all the revealed scriptures, and despite Your being acknowledged by the famous authorities renowned for their depth of knowledge and situated in godly qualities.” Therefore, the grossly foolish, the lowest of mankind, the deluded speculators and the atheists, never surrender unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead despite all scriptural authoritative advice.
Four Kinds Of Pious Men
In verse sixteen Krsna enumerates four kinds of pious men who render devotional service unto the Supreme: they are the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive and the man in search of the Absolute Truth. These four classes of men come to the Lord to render some devotional service under different conditions, but they are not pure devotees because they have some ambition to fulfill in exchange for devotional service. Pure devotional service is without material calculation or desire for material benefit. The Nectar of Devotion puts it this way: “One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Krsna favorably without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.” But when these four kinds of persons come to the Supreme Lord for devotional service, they become completely purified by association with the pure devotee, and thus they also become pure devotees. Even a miscreant, for whom devotional service is extremely difficult due to his irregular, nonspiritual life, can also become a pure devotee if by chance he comes in contact with a pure devotee. Actually how we come to Krsna is not so important. Man may be distressed—he may have lost his wife or family, his business may have failed, some love relationship has gone haywire—and in that distress turn to the Supreme Lord. Somehow or other we get an inkling that our happiness is not to be achieved in material goals, but in the Supreme. And in that state, even though it is occasioned by a material event, we have an opportunity to associate with the Supreme Lord or with His devotee.
He Turns To Krsna
Similarly, the man who is after some material wealth sometimes performs sacrifices or follows some scriptural injunction in order to achieve some desired goal. In the Vedas, there are many prescriptions for acquiring material wealth. Certainly one’s desire at this stage is not pure, but the very fact that one has come to Krsna to ask for it means that one has a chance to associate with Krsna, and in that condition one can become enamored of the Supreme Person Himself. There is a prophetic poem in Sanskrit entitled “Govinda,” which says, “My dear friend, if you still have an inclination to enjoy material life with society, friendship and love, then please do not see the boy named Govinda who is standing in a three-curved way, smiling and skillfully playing on His flute with His lips brightened by the full-moon shine.”
One may not be very pure when he comes to Krsna, but in the association of Krsna or His devotee one becomes pure. Similarly, the man who comes to Krsna because he is inquisitive finds in Krsna his full satisfaction because Krsna can satisfy all curiosity. Krsna is all knowledge, and therefore those who are eager for knowledge can be satisfied only in Krsna. And finally the man who is actually searching after Krsna is, of course, most happy when he actually finds Krsna. Actually Krsna is everywhere, but unless we have eyes to see Krsna, we cannot see Him. The eyes that can see Krsna are the eyes that are smeared with love, and the process of cultivating love of Krsna is known as devotional service. This can be taught by the pure devotee of Krsna. It is something like the man who went searching after diamonds, and he went around the world here and there looking for diamonds, and when he returned home he found that his own backyard was full of diamonds. Krsna is everywhere, but until we are awakened to Krsna everywhere by love of Krsna, we cannot recognize Him.
Very Dear To The Lord
Therefore the seventeenth verse says, “Of these, the wise one, who is in full knowledge in union with Me through pure devotional service is the best, for I am very dear to him, and he is very dear to Me.” “All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me I consider verily to dwell in Me. Being engaged in My transcendental service, he attains Me.” Here Krsna affirms that all four categories of seekers are great souls, mahatmas. They are great not because they are tinged with material desire, but in spite of it, or, more accurately, because they have come to the right source for the fulfillment of their desire. They have come to Krsna for various reasons, but still they have come to Krsna. That means they have come to the ultimate goal for whatever reasons; therefore they are mahatmas or great souls. But the devotee in full knowledge and in constant service is considered to be very dear to the Lord because his only purpose is to serve the Lord with love and devotion. Such a devotee cannot live a second without contacting or serving the Supreme Lord. Similarly, the Lord is very fond of His devotees and cannot be separated from them. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, 9.4.57, the Lord says, “The devotees are always in My heart, and I am always in the hearts of the devotees. The devotee does not know anything beyond Me, so I cannot forget the devotee. There is a very intimate relationship between Me and the pure devotees. Pure devotees in pure knowledge are never out of spiritual touch. Therefore they are very much dear to Me.”
The Wise Surrender To Krsna
The conclusion of all this search is stated in the nineteenth verse, “ After many, many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” This is the final vision. Nirmama. Nothing is mine; everything is Krsna’s. Because everything is Krsna’s, I am also Krsna’s. Therefore let me render loving service to Krsna. Such a universal vision of the ultimate relationship of everything to Krsna precipitates one’s final surrender and ultimate union with Krsna. “But those whose minds are still distorted by material desires,” we are told in the next verse, “sometimes surrender unto demigods in order to achieve some temporary material result.” Krsna asserts that as the Supersoul within everyone’s heart, He helps to fulfill such a desire for the living entity, but Krsna does not advise that. He calls these men of small intelligence. Why? Because they desire fruits that are limited and temporary. And then He says, “Those who worship the demigods go to the various planets of the demigods, but My devotee; ultimately reach My supreme planet.” Some commentators say that one can worship anything—be it Kali, Indra or Siva or any other demigod—and will ultimately reach Krsna or the Supreme, but that is here flatly denied. If this were so, Krsna would not have called them men of small intelligence with perverted desires. He say outright: “Those who worship the demigods go to the various planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.”
Devotional service should never be confused with ritualistic worship. In the Caitanya-Caritamrta it is said that one who worships the Supreme Lord and at the same time desires material enjoyment is contradictory in his desires. Devotional service of the Supreme Lord and the worship of a demigod cannot be on the same platform because worship of a demigod is material and devotional service to the Supreme Lord is completely spiritual. Also it is clearly stated here that worship of the demigods is temporary. The results are also temporary. That means that it is completely material, for only the material world is temporary, but when one chants Hare Krsna and worships Krsna, that is spiritual. One is factually seated on the transcendental plane in one’s eternal position to the Supreme Lord Krsna. As such, he is in a position to enjoy sac-cid-ananda—eternity, knowledge, and bliss eternally. At the end of this material body such a person seated in Krsna consciousness at once attains to the highest abode of Lord Krsna, Goloka Vrndavana. That is here promised: “My devotee reaches My supreme planet.”
In the twenty-fourth verse the category of unintelligent men is expanded from those who simply worship the demigods to those who cannot conceive of the Lord with a form and personality. “Unintelligent men who know Me not think that I have assumed this form and personality. Due to their small knowledge they do not know My higher nature, which is changeless and supreme.” By philosophical speculation one may come to know something of Krsna, but due to depending on limited knowledge, on the factory of the tiny brain, one cannot know Krsna’s higher nature, which is changeless and supreme, nor can one understand Krsna as sac-cid-ananda-vigraha in His full form of eternity, knowledge and bliss. Nor can one understand how Krsna and His body are nondifferent nor how Krsna can appear age after age in His same original body. Therefore it is stated in the Brahma-samhita that the Supreme Lord cannot be understood simply by studying the Vedanta literature, but only by the mercy of the Supreme Lord or the devotee of the Supreme Lord can the Supreme Lord be understood. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that the supreme realization begins from the impersonal Brahman and then rises to the localized Supersoul, but the ultimate and last word of the Absolute Truth is the Personality of Godhead, Krsna.
Impersonalists Less Intelligent
Modern impersonalists are even less intelligent, for they do not even follow Sankaracarya, the greatest of the impersonalists, who has specifically stated that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The fact is that one cannot understand Krsna without rendering devotional service. Without developing Krsna consciousness, one cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna, or His form, His quality, His name, simply by mental speculation or by discussing Vedic literature. One must understand Him by rendering devotional service.
When one is fully engaged in Krsna consciousness, beginning with the chanting of the mahamantra Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, then only can one understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The twenty-fifth verse makes this still more clear when Krsna says, “I am never manifested to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My eternal creative potency, maya. And so the deluded world knows Me not, who am unborn and infallible.” Even when Krsna was present personally on this earth 5,000 years ago, only a few people could recognize Him to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the prayers of Kunti in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.8.18) it is said that the Lord is covered by His yoga-maya, and thus ordinary people cannot understand Him. Kunti prays, “O my Lord, You are the maintainer of the entire universe, and Your devotional service is the highest form of religious principles. Therefore I pray that you will also maintain me. Your transcendental form is covered by yoga-maya. The Brahmajyoti is the internal potency. May You kindly remove this glowing effulgence that impedes my seeing Your sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, Your eternal form of bliss and knowledge.” Similarly, Lord Brahma prays, “O Supreme Personality of Godhead, O Supersoul, O master of all mystery! Who can calculate Your potency and pastimes in this world? You are always expanding your internal potency, and therefore no one can understand You.” Learned scientists and learned scholars can examine the atomic constitution of the material world or even the planets, but still they are unable to calculate Krsna’s energy and potency, although Krsna is present before them. No one can see Krsna but the devotee. But by the grace of the devotee, one can see Krsna. The supreme devotee, Lord Caitanya, Krsna Himself, has appeared to spread this love of Krsna just to reclaim all the forgotten souls back into that loving relationship with the primal Lord, Govinda, Lord Krsna, who is not only unborn but inexhaustible, and whose form is eternal, blissful and knowledgeable.
In the concluding four verses Krsna affirms again that the only way out of the darkness is through worship of Him, by rendering transcendental loving service unto the Supreme. Only unintelligent persons worship the demigods or rely on their own mental speculation. The twenty-ninth verse says that intelligent persons “take refuge in Me in devotional service.” They are actually Brahman because they entirely know everything about transcendental activities. As explained in the thirtieth verse, “Those who know Me as the Supreme Lord, as the governing principle of the material manifestation, who know Me as the one underlying all the demigods and as the one sustaining all sacrifices, can with steadfast mind understand and know Me even at the hour of death.”
The beginning of Krsna consciousness entails association with persons who are Krsna conscious. Such association is spiritual and puts one directly in touch with the Supreme Lord, either with His form, His activities, or His words, but most especially with His name. Hearing the name of Krsna is not different from seeing Krsna. Thus by His inconceivable potencies, simply by chanting the mahamantra, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, one can personally associate with Him. When one is actually associating with Krsna, by His grace, one can understand Krsna to be the Supreme God. At the same time one comes to understand the constitutional position of the living entity and how the living entity forgets Krsna and becomes entangled in material activities. By gradual development of Krsna consciousness in good association, the living entity can understand that due to forgetfulness of Krsna he has become conditioned by the laws of material nature. He can also understand that this human form of life is an opportunity to regain Krsna consciousness and should be fully utilized to attain the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord.
New Vrndavana: The West's First Krsna Conscious Community
New Vrndavana: The West's First Krsna Conscious Community
by Hayagriva dasa Adhikari (ISKCON-New Vrndavana)
“You have New York, New England, and so many ‘New’ duplicates of European countries in the USA_why not import New Vrndavana in your country?” (Srila Prabhupada, Letter, 3/17/68)
Within the past three years communes have been popping up throughout America. They tend to sprout in the unlikeliest places, and they are conceived and nourished by the most diverse people. Practically all of them have “hippy” images and are inspired by current concern over ecology (O for a breath of—gasp!—air!) and a semi-Thoreauesque “let’s-get-back-to-the-earth-and-live-cheaply-and-simply” longing. Many of the members are just tired of “hassling” with urban culture—too many peace marches, too many drug busts—and many are just tired of their own image as underground culture freaks. Most of them inspire one another and, ironically enough, manage to superimpose their urban life-style upon the country.
The hills of West Virginia, however, are a tough and tender cradle for a different type of communal project. Although New Vrndavana is not yet three years old, it is one of the oldest and largest communes of the crop which arose in the last half of the Sixties. As fate has it, “hippy” communes sprout and die quickly—discouraged by the first winter, diversity of interests, drug and sex confusion, local inhabitants—but New Vrndavana, unique in conception and purpose, is expanding with a view to solidly establishing a genuine Vedic culture in America.
The “seed-giving father” is His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acarya of the Hare Krsna movement in the West, who conceived of New Vrndavana before coming to America from India in 1965. In his prospectus for the movement printed in 1966, Srila Prabhupada wrote that one of the five purposes of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness is: “To erect for the members, and for society at large, a holy place of transcendental pastimes dedicated to the Personality Krsna.”
Vrndavana is the forest where Lord Sri Krsna sported as a boy and is also the name of the supreme planet in which the Personality of Godhead eternally abides. New Vrndavana is an implantation in the Western world of the ideals established five thousand years ago in Vrndavana, India, by Lord Sri Krsna. The roots are ancient, but the fruits of the tree are ever new.
The integral or Utopian community is not new in American history. Indeed, it has been a most basic part of our history from the Puritan experiment at Massachusetts Bay in the 1630’s to this New Vrndavana experiment today. Despite differences of dress and circumstance, the aim of most of these communal experiences has been basically the same: to find a setting in which
