Legitimate Inquiry

It is the very nature of a human being to be inquisitive, humans are know as rational beings, this rationality  makes a human being become inquisitive and distinguish between good and bad. This rational behavior is not found in the animals of any other species on this Earth. This inquisitive nature of human being is God gifted and should be used very responsibly. The Vedas which are the oldest scriptures to be found in human society mention that this human form of life is very unique owing to its higher intelligence, than that of animals. It is mentioned that out of   8,400,000 species of life forms in the entire universe human species are 400,000 in number. Out of these 400,000 species most of them are uncivilized.

So looking at the statistics above, this feature of being inquisitive is very rare. The question here is how should this rare gift of being inquisitive be used ? Today this inquisitiveness is used in exploring the earth or in trying to gossip about people.Certainly, this feature is only available in human form of life, so there has to be some special significance attached with it. Though animals are inquisitive , their intelligence to inquire is limited to only four topics namely eating, sleeping, mating and defending. These are the four things which are common in humans and animals. Animals and humans both are inquisitive to find suitable food stuff to eat, a comfortable place to sleep , a partner to mate and ways to defend themselves from enemies. So we can say that these four objects are by default awarded to any living entity. Animals eat, we also eat may be in a better way, Animals sleep we also sleep in a nice apartment,  animals have sex life we also have sex life and animals defend from enemies , so do we. The basic activity is the same, but we humans do it in a more sophisticated way.  But the only difference between animal species and human species is, the concept of religion, which exists in human society. It is due to our advanced intelligence and power of inquiry that in every country on earth, human beings follow and practice some religion.

Some believe religion to be some hypothetical , impractical method which is a solace to weak hearted people, and others follow their religion with determination  to best of their capabilities. Leaving aside the debate on this topic , it is important to understand, whether you believe in religion or not, but this concept still exists. Irrespective of whether a person believes in God or not, one must understand that all of us suffer from miseries of this material world namely birth, death , old age and disease. Everyone on the face of this earth whether a human being or an animal has to go through these four stages. Lord Krsna explains in Bhagavad Gita that these four phenomenon, are the real problems of a living entity.



janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi-                                          
duùkha-doñänudarçanam [ B.g. 13.9]


"the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease"

Vedic literature inform us that, besides these four problems, living entities are always attacked by threefold miseries in this material world ädhyätmika, ädhibhautika, ädhidaivika.  Adhyatmika means pertaining to mind and body, many times we feel some ailments in  the body and sometimes the mind is not in good order, we have some pains in the body  etc. Adhibhautika is miseries inflicted by other living entities, like mosquitoes,flies, other animals, or other enemies in the human society etc. Adhidaivika, means miseries inflicted by providence, like too much snow, hurricanes, earthquakes, no rain or more rain etc. Vedas explain that every living entity is becoming afflicted by all or any of these miseries all the time. We have accepted these as normal occurrence and do not bother to think to much about it, since we are not able to find a solution using our methods for these miseries, we have left the pursuit thinking it to be natures way, just like the grapes were sour for the fox who could not reach them. But from the great sages of antiquity and the Vedas, we understand that this is not our natural position. Constitutionally a living entity is anandamaya,  means a living entity is eternally looking for pleasure, this explains the fact that nobody in this world is looking for misery, every living entity performs any activity  in order to derive some pleasure from it. But it often happens that though we try to derive pleasure from everything , many times these threefold miseries are inflicted upon us even if we do not want them. We accept them as normal and find solace by looking at other people who are suffering from similar miseries.

These miseries are present even in the animal kingdom, but they do not have the advanced intelligence to inquire into the cause of these miseries, but we the humans, can do so.  The point here is the best use of our intelligence and inquisitive nature is to inquire , that "I do not want any miseries, they why and who is forcing these miseries onto me?" , Why am I sometimes punished for things I did not do wrong? Who am I? Where have I come from ? What is the purpose of this life? .  Vedas call these inquires to be the purpose of human life, scriptures mention that unless a human being does not inquire into these questions, he or she is not better than an animal, since the basic inquiries about eating , sleeping, mating and defending are there in animals also. Bhagavad Gita is one such book of knowledge which explains these causes scientifically, provided they are understood from an  appropriate person who knows the truth, Lord Krsna advices Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita to approach a bonafide  spiritual

tad viddhi praëipätena
paripraçnena sevayä
upadekñyanti te jïänaà
jïäninas tattva-darçinaù [ B.g. 4.34]


"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth."


It is very unfortunate in this Age of Kali which is said to be a ocean of faults, there is so much misunderstanding and misconception in the minds of the people,  that due to these misconceptions, many people are not very much inclined to asking these basic questions about life. Trapped in numerous anxieties and controversies people loose this great opportunity of human life to make a solution to the real problems of life namely, birth, death , old age and disease. If we are able to transcend them the there will be no miseries. Therefore it is imperative for every sane person to make an effort in this precious human form of life to understand one's position, with a neutral mind ,keeping one's opinions aside for sometime and with a sincere heart try to find out a bona fide spiritual master who can answer these important questions.

Gita Mahatmya : From Introduction to Bhagavad Gita As it is : On ocassion of Gita Jayanti

Today is Gita Jayanti !!! It was today  5000 years ago Bhagavad Gita
was spoken by Lord Krsna to Arjuna at Kuruk Shetra. Granthraj ( King
of Scriptures) Bhagavad Gita ki Jaya!!!!!!



gita sastram idam punyam
yah pathet prayatah puman
visnoh padam avapnoti
bhaya sokadi varjitah

One who, with a regulated mind, recites with devotion this Bhagavad-gita scripture which is the bestower of all virtue, will attain to the holy abode of Lord Visnu, which is always free from the mundane qualities based on fear and lamentation.
(Gītā-māhātmya 1)

gītādhyāyana-śīlasya
prāṇāyama-parasya ca
naiva santi hi pāpāni
pūrva-janma-kṛtāni ca
"If one reads Bhagavad-gītā very sincerely and with all seriousness,
then by the grace of the Lord the reactions of his past misdeeds will
not act upon him." (Gītā-māhātmya 2) The Lord says very loudly in the
last portion of Bhagavad-gītā (18.66):
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaḿ śaraṇaḿ vraja
ahaḿ tvāḿ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
"Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall
deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear." Thus the Lord
takes all responsibility for one who surrenders unto Him, and He
indemnifies such a person against all reactions of sins.
(Gītā-māhātmya 2)

maline mocanaḿ puḿsāḿ
jala-snānaḿ dine dine
sakṛd gītāmṛta-snānaḿ
saḿsāra-mala-nāśanam
"One may cleanse himself daily by taking a bath in water, but if one
takes a bath even once in the sacred Ganges water of Bhagavad-gītā,
for him the dirt of material life is altogether vanquished."
 (Gītā-māhātmya 3)

gītā su-gītā kartavyā
kim anyaiḥ śāstra-vistaraiḥ
yā svayaḿ padmanābhasya
mukha-padmād viniḥsṛtā

Because Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only
attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad-gītā. In the present
age, people are so absorbed in mundane activities that it is not
possible for them to read all the Vedic literatures. But this is not
necessary. This one book, Bhagavad-gītā, will suffice, because it is
the essence of all Vedic literatures and especially because it is
spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
(Gītā-māhātmya 4)

As it is said:
bhāratāmṛta-sarvasvaḿ
viṣṇu-vaktrād viniḥsṛtam
gītā-gańgodakaḿ pītvā
punar janma na vidyate

"One who drinks the water of the Ganges attains salvation, so what to
speak of one who drinks the nectar of Bhagavad-gītā? Bhagavad-gītā is
the essential nectar of the Mahābhārata, and it is spoken by Lord
Kṛṣṇa Himself, the original Viṣṇu." (Gītā-māhātmya 5) Bhagavad-gītā
comes from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the
Ganges is said to emanate from the lotus feet of the Lord. Of course,
there is no difference between the mouth and the feet of the Supreme
Lord, but from an impartial study we can appreciate that Bhagavad-gītā
is even more important than the water of the Ganges.
(Gītā-māhātmya 5)

sarvopaniṣado gāvo
dogdhā gopāla-nandanaḥ
pārtho vatsaḥ su-dhīr bhoktā
dugdhaḿ gītāmṛtaḿ mahat

"This Gītopaniṣad, Bhagavad-gītā, the essence of all the Upaniṣads, is
just like a cow, and Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is famous as a cowherd boy, is
milking this cow. Arjuna is just like a calf, and learned scholars and
pure devotees are to drink the nectarean milk of Bhagavad-gītā."
 (Gītā-māhātmya 6)

ekaḿ śāstraḿ devakī-putra-gītam
eko devo devakī-putra eva
eko mantras tasya nāmāni yāni
karmāpy ekaḿ tasya devasya sevā
(Gītā-māhātmya 7)


In this present day, people are very much eager to have one scripture,
one God, one religion, and one occupation. Therefore, ekaḿ śāstraḿ
devakī-putra-gītam: let there be one scripture only, one common
scripture for the whole world — Bhagavad-gītā. Eko devo devakī-putra
eva: let there be one God for the whole world — Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Eko mantras
tasya nāmāni: and one hymn, one mantra, one prayer — the chanting of
His name: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma,
Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Karmāpy ekaḿ tasya devasya sevā: and
let there be one work only — the service of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.




.

Art of Working

karmaëy evädhikäras te

mä phaleñu kadäcana

mä karma-phala-hetur bhür

mä te saìgo 'stv akarmaëi [ B.g. 2.47]

"You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty".

        The above mentioned verse is one of the most famous verses in Bhagavad Gita, although many know this verse and probably might have recited and heard them many times, very few of us are able to take it to heart and follow it as it is. The verse here is directing us on the art of working, in chapter 2 of Bhagavad Gita Lord Krsna gives Arjuna a prelude to Art of Working. Technically it is called “Karma yoga”, yoga means connection to God and karma means our fruitive activities. In general every living being is working for some results, if a person is working day and night at a factory he is doing so to get money or get a high position etc. So every one practically is motivated to work based on the results he or she may derive after that. But from what we understand in this verse what Krsna is saying looks to be exactly contradictory at the first glance. 

       As per the Vedic knowledge the mentality to enjoy the fruits of our actions is one of the causes of our sufferings in this material world. When the results are favorable we enjoy and when the results are unfavorable we become morose. So either we perform good work or bad work we will have to enjoy or suffer its results if we do them on our on accord or in other words if we work for our sense gratifications. Some may think so what is wrong in that, that is a obvious law of action and reaction, so if we abstain from doing any impious work we will not have to suffer, and we should therefore engage in pious activities only so we will get good results. Undoubtedly it is always recommended to perform pious activities, like charity, sacrifice etc, these are virtuous deeds indeed, but what Lord Krsna is pointing here is how to transcend both good and bad work so that we will not have to either suffer or enjoy any reactions of either work.

      Again a question may arise as to what is the need for that , if I transcend both good and bad work, then it is ok that I will not be suffering , but what about enjoyment, then how will I be happy? So isn't it better to perform pious acts and enjoy their results? As per the Vedic literature, this material world is compared to a forest fire, in a forest nobody goes to set fire, but still due to friction between trees in the forest, fire is ignited, Similarly in this material world though we may resolve only to perform pious activities and hence reap the good fruits and enjoy we may have unknowingly committed some sin against some other living entity, this material world is so designed that it is not possible to be saved from sinful activities. An illustration of this is that while walking though we may not want to kill any ants we  unknowingly kill them, for which we will be accounted for and face the reactions for that. So it is practically impossible to only perform pious activities and be always happy in this world. Then the next question is, Is there a way out? The above verse and many other such verses from Bhagavad Gita is the answer to our question.

      The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna  instructs us in this verse that , we as living entities are eternal loving servants of God and hence it is in our  duty and best interest to work for him. He indicates that we have the right to perform our duties as per our natures, but we are not entitled to the results, and again he tells us that because we are not entitled for the results we should not stop working. Since our motivation to perform any action or work is the anticipation of some benefit from that work, one may ask if I am not entitled to the results then what is the use of working? Elsewhere in Bhagavad Gita Lord Krsna says that without working one cannot even maintain one's own material body so one has to work anyhow. So it is better to work for Krsna or God as his instruments and be free from the reactions of work and remain peaceful and happy. One crude example in this connection could be that if we perform some work in the office on our own accord we will be responsible for its success or failure, but if we work on behalf of our supervisor or Manager, the success or failure is the responsibility of the superior or Manager. Similarly if we work as instruments of Krsna, All perfect Lord promises us to free us from all the reactions which will in turn make us happy and peaceful.

    So the point here is that though we are not entitled to the results of the work, we should not stop performing our prescribed duties and we should perform them for the satisfaction of the Supreme without considering our personal success or failure , this is called yoga, or connection with the supreme.

yoga-sthaù kuru karmäëi

saìgaà tyaktvä dhanaïjaya

siddhy-asiddhyoù samo bhütvä

samatvaà yoga ucyate [ B.g. 2.48]

"Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga."

In the third and fourth chapter Lord Krsna explains the process of fruitive work or karma by devotional service or bhakti. There are nice processes of devotional service, which starts with hearing and chanting about God, and the best method in this age of Kali is to chant the holy names of God, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hara Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. 

It should not be misunderstood that since Lord Krsna says that we are not entitled to the results we will be left starving and we will have to just work and get nothing in return etc, No that is not the case. As mentioned in the verse above Krsna says that we should not falsely think that the results that I am getting are solely due to my work and nobody else's and hence I should only enjoy the results. It is mentioned in the eighteenth chapter of Bhagavad Gita that there are five causes for the accomplishment of all action the five causes are as follows 

"adhiñöhänaà tathä kartä

karaëaà ca påthag-vidham

vividhäç ca påthak ceñöä

daivaà caivätra païcamam" [ B.g. 18.14] 

"The place of action [the body], the performer, the various senses, the many different kinds of endeavor, and ultimately the Supersoul—these are the five factors of action."

Only after the final sanction of the Supreme Soul any action is accomplished and the results for that action will depend on the sanction of the Supreme Person and our past activities. It is a common occurrence that every one must have experienced, many times it so happens that although we may have planned everything very neatly and precisely the results are not satisfactory or even worse and sometimes even though we do not plan perfectly we still get exceptional results. So again many may ask then if everything depends on God then why should I work, let God decide and give me the results, to answer this very question Krsna says 

mä karma-phala-hetur bhür

mä te saìgo 'stv akarmaëi [ B.g. 2.47]

"Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty"

 Sadly, in today's world it is often seen that people misinterpret the texts in Bhagavad Gita to suit their own purpose or understanding. When Lord Krsna asks us to work for him and do not worry about the results, people do not accept this part of Bhagavad Gita thinking it to be too much of a demand from God. If one studies the instructions from a bonafide source and tries to understand Bhagavad Gita As it is, without his or her own interpretation, one will definitely benefit from the instructions of Lord Krsna and will be peaceful. Just like Arjuna did not want to fight the Battle of Kurukshetra for he was thinking in terms of his own happiness and distress, but after listening to Bhagavad Gita from Krsna, he decided to work as an instrument of Krsna and says 

arjuna uväca

nañöo mohaù småtir labdhä

tvat-prasädän mayäcyuta

sthito 'smi gata-sandehaù

kariñye vacanaà tava [ B.g. 18.73]

"Arjuna said: My dear Kåñëa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions."

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The Sacred Necklace

Diary of a Traveling Monk - Volume 11, Chapter 11 - November 21, 2010
By Indradyumna Swami
One morning in Vrindavana, I was sitting in my house chanting my rounds when my disciple Narottam Das Thakur Das came to see me. He offered his respectful obeisances and then spoke. “Guru Maharaja,” he said, “it’s been a long time since I have visited Govardhana Hill. If you don’t have any service for me today, I would like your blessings to go on Govardhana parikrama.”
“You’re free to go,” I said. “Just be back in time for the program tonight. I would go with you, but I have some important things to do.”
As he was leaving I had another thought. “Keep your eyes open,” I said. “You never know what special mercy might come your way during parikrama in Vrindavana.”
Early the next morning he burst into my room as I was chanting my rounds. “Guru Maharaja,” he said excitedly, “the most amazing thing happened to me yesterday.”
It seems that Narottam had taken a taxi to Govardhana Hill and begun his parikrama at Kusum Sarovara. He set a quick pace and reached the southern tip of the hill in a few hours. He felt tired, so he wandered into a forested area to take a short break.
Suddenly he saw a sadhu sitting and chanting on japa beads. The sadhu was thin and lean, with matted locks tied neatly on top of his head, dressed only in a loin cloth with a chadar around his shoulders. His eyes were closed, and he seemed peaceful and equipoised, absorbed in his meditation on the holy names.
Narottam went up to him. “My dear sir,” he said, “may I ask who you are?” The sadhu opened his eyes. “I am the servant of Giriraja,” he said. Narottam was attracted by the sadhu’s saintly bearing, so he sat by him and began chanting. After thirty minutes the sadhu rose and turned to Narottam. “I am on Govardhana parikrama,” he said. “Would you like to join me?”
“Yes, of course,” Narottam replied.
They soon came to Apsara Kunda, a sacred lake at the foot of Govardhana and stopped for a moment to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
“Where do you live, sir?” Narottam asked.
“I live around Govardhana,”the sadhu said. “And each night I stay in a different asrama.”
“And how do you get food?”
The sadhu smiled. “It’s never a problem,” he said. “No one goes hungry in Vrindavana. I beg from the villagers, and they always give more than I can eat. Usually I end up sharing my meals with the cows or the monkeys.”
At that moment they passed a group of pilgrims on a picnic. “Jai ho Babaji!” a man called out. “Please come take prasada with us.”
The sadhu smiled again. “You see?” he said. “Giriraja provides everything for His devotees.”
After having lunch with the other pilgrims, Narottam and the sadhu washed their hands in a nearby pond and continued walking. As they passed into an area of thick foliage, the sadhu gazed affectionately at Govardhana.
“This hill, Giri-Govardhana,” he said, “is the best devotee of Krsna. Radharani, Krsna’s beloved, once said to Her friends: ‘Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best. O my friends, this hill supplies Krsna and Balarama, as well as Their calves, cows and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities - water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers, and vegetables. In this way, the hill offers respect to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Krsna and Balarama, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant.’”
They walked only another fifty meters when the sadhu stopped. “Let me show you a special place where I sometimes go to chant,” he said.
They turned left off the parikrama path and made their way into the forest, then stopped just behind an asrama. The sadhu pointed to an opening in a rise on the ground. “Just over there is Raghava Pandit’s cave,” he said. “Raghava Pandit was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya and would do his bhajana in this cave whenever he visited Vrindavana. It is a very sacred place. Let us go there and chant at the entrance.”
While they were sitting near the cave chanting on their beads, Narottam turned to the sadhu. “Baba,” he said, “how old are you? You’re obviously not young, but you do have a youthful bearing.”
The sadhu chuckled. “I’m ninety years old,” he said.
“And do you spend much time here?” Narottam asked.
“I’ve lived here my entire life,” he said. “And I’ve done Govardhana parikrama every day since I was ten years old.”
Narottam was amazed. “That’s every day for eighty years,” he said. “How many Govardhana parikramas is that?”
“The number is not important,” the sadhu said. “When one circumambulates Govardhana Hill, the heart is purified and gradually one’s devotion for Krsna is awakened.”
Narottam thought about the sadhu’s words. Then he spoke. “My spiritual master,” he said, “is a disciple of Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who left Vrindavana at an advanced age to spread love of Krsna all over the world.”
“I know of Swami Bhaktivedanta,” the sadhu said.
“My spiritual master is helping to advance his guru’s mission,” Narottam continued. “He tells people about the glories of Vrindavana in places like Eastern Europe and Russia. Every year during the month of Kartika he takes groups of devotees on parikrama around Vraja.”
The sadhu’s eyes opened wide. “Oh that is very nice,” he said.
“And he carries a Govardhana-sila with him wherever he travels,” said Narottam.
The sadhu’s eyes opened even wider. “That really is very nice,” he said.
As they continued chanting japa, Narottam studied the sadhu and noticed he was wearing two strings of large Tulasi beads around his neck. One consisted of dark-colored beads that appeared polished through years of being worn, and there was a large silver kavaca on it. The second set of beads was smaller and newer.
Narottam suddenly had an idea. He took a deep breath. “Babaji Maharaja,” he said, “I’ve noticed you are wearing two sets of large Tulasi beads around your chest.”
He paused for a moment. “Do you think I could have one to give to my guru as a present?”
The sadhu stopped chanting and thought for several minutes. “Yes,” he said, “I can give.”
Narottam was stunned. He hadn’t expected the sadhu to give the beads.
The sadhu put his chadar on the ground and then carefully placed his japa beads on it. He then removed the newer set of beads. “I carved them myself,” he said as he dropped them into Narottam’s hands.
Narottam couldn’t believe his good fortune as he looked at the beads, but when he looked up, he noticed the older beads now hanging in plain view on the sadhu’s chest. The finely carved beads were made from knotted wood and appeared as if from another era. There was something mystical about them.
“Babaji,” Narottam said, almost pleading, “my spiritual master would be most appreciative of the older set.”
The sadhu’s eyes opened wide. He fingered the beads. “I received this set from another sadhu forty years ago,” he said. “He got them from his guru when he was a small boy, and his guru had received them from his own guru many years before that. They are more than a hundred years old.”
Narottam lost all hope.
“They have circumambulated Govardhana Hill thousands of times, bathed in Radha Kunda every day I have lived here, and are imbued with the spiritual potency of all the prayers and mantras I have chanted in my appeals to Giriraja,” said the sadhu.
Narottam nodded and returned to his chanting. Then the sadhu spoke again. “But I will be happy to give them to your guru,” he said. “Tell him to continue spreading the glories of Vrindavana wherever he goes.”
Then he took off the old Tulasi beads with the silver kavaca and carefully placed them into Narottam’s trembling hands. Narottam sat staring at the beautiful necklace, a transcendental work of art permeated with the devotion of a saintly person.
“But you must give me back the other necklace,” the sadhu said with a chuckle. “What’s a baba without beads?”
Narottam handed back the newer set and placed the older one in his bag.
“All right,” the sadhu said with a smile, “let us continue our parikrama. Giriraja-Govardhana, ki jaya!”
He stood up and began walking so quickly Narottam could hardly keep up with him. “This sadhu has so much energy,” he thought. The sadhu’s japa got louder as his pace increased, and after a while Narottam fell behind. Gradually the saintly person, intent on his daily ritual of circumambulating Govardhana, disappeared.
Narottam stopped and checked in his bag to see if the sacred beads had really been more than a dream. “Gurudeva will be so happy,” he thought.
I sat in my room spellbound, listening to Narottam’s story. He stopped talking and finally took out the beads and placed them in my hands. As I looked at them, I realized I had received a gift of unlimited mercy.
I slowly placed them around my neck and turned to Narottam. “How do they look?” I asked.
“Well, they’re quite big, Guru Maharaja,” he said. “Not what the general devotee wears.”
“Nevertheless, I must wear them,” I said. “They are a gift from a saintly person. Besides, they’re saturated with spiritual potency. I’m leaving for Brazil in a few days for a seven-week festival program. These beads will be my inspiration as I leave this holy abode of Vrindavana. I’ll be carrying Vrindavana with me.”
“Yes,” said Narottam. “The benediction was timely.”
As I studied the beads I asked Narottam what was in the kavaca. A look of embarrassment came over his face, and he blushed. “I forgot to ask,” he said.
“Huh?” I said. “You didn’t ask the sadhu what was inside the kavaca?”
“No, Guru Maharaja,” he said. “I was overwhelmed by the moment.”
“That’s all right,” I said. “It adds to the mystery of the pastime. For sure, whatever is in the kavaca is spiritually potent and precious.”
I pressed the necklace close to my chest and then went back to chanting my rounds.
“I will wear this sacred necklace for the rest of my life,” I thought, “and one day, like the sadhu, I will pass it on to another devotee who will benefit from its charm.”
My mind went back to 1972, when Srila Prabhupada kindly handed me a dhoti from his suitcase. “A gift from a Vaisnava is a very special thing,” he said. “It should be treated with all respect.”

courtsey: Subbudhi Krsna Das

Beggar's Rags

A beggar lived near the king's palace. One day he saw a proclamation posted outside the palace gate. The king was giving a great dinner. Anyone dressed in royal garments was invited to the party.

The beggar went on his way. He looked at the rags he was wearing and sighed. Surely only kings and their families wore royal robes, he thought. Slowly an idea crept into his mind. The audacity of it made him tremble. Would he dare?

He made his way back to the palace. He approached the guard at the gate. "Please, sire, I would like to speak to the king."

"Wait here," the guard replied. In a few minutes, he was back. "His majesty will see you," he said, and led the beggar in.

"You wish to see me?" asked the king.

"Yes, your majesty. I want so much to attend the banquet, but I have no royal robes to wear. Please, sir, if I may be so bold, may I have one of your old garments so that I, too, may come to the banquet?"

The beggar shook so hard that he could not see the faint smile that was on the king's face. "You have been wise in coming to me," the king said. He called to his son, the young prince. "Take this man to your room and array him in some of your clothes."

The prince did as he was told and soon the beggar was standing before a mirror, clothed in garments that he had never dared hope for.

"You are now eligible to attend the king's banquet tomorrow night," said the prince. "But even more important, you will never need any other clothes. These garments will last forever."

The beggar dropped to his knees. "Oh, thank you," he cried. But as he started to leave, he looked back at his pile of dirty rags on the floor. He hesitated. What if the prince was wrong? What if he would need his old clothes again. Quickly he gathered them up.

The banquet was far greater than he had ever imagined, but he could not enjoy himself as he should. He had made a small bundle of his old rags and it kept falling off his lap. The food was passed quickly and the beggar missed some of the greatest delicacies.

Time proved that the prince was right. The clothes lasted forever. Still the poor beggar grew fonder and fonder of his old rags. As time passed people seemed to forget the royal robes he was wearing. They saw only the little bundle of filthy rags that he clung to wherever he went. They even spoke of him as the old man with the rags.

One day as he lay dying, the king visited him. The beggar saw the sad look on the king's face when he looked at the small bundle of rags by the bed.

Suddenly the beggar remembered the prince's words and he realized that his bundle of rags had cost him a lifetime of true royalty. He wept bitterly at his folly. And the king wept with him.

We have been invited into a royal family -- the family of Supreme Lord Krishna. All we have to do is get unattached to our old rags (the material world). Krishna is waiting for us in His dhama - Goloka Vrindavana. So its up to us.  We can keep our old rags or else we can wear a new spiritual dress.

Hari bol.

Courtesy : Subuddhi Krsna Das , NC , USA 

Complacency

Complacency is a dangerous element in the progress of Spiritual Life.  It is very essential for a endeavoring spiritualist to always remember that the material world is not a place of comfort. It has been certified by the Creator, Lord Sri Krsna himself as dukhalayam and asasvatam,  which means it is full of misery and temporary.

mäm upetya punar janma
duùkhälayam açäçvatam
näpnuvanti mahätmänaù
saàsiddhià paramäà gatäù [ B.g. 8.15]

"After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogés in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection."

One may ask that  if the world is temporary and Miserable then why have we come here. The reason of our coming here is our desires to imitate  Lord Sri Krsna. The only purusa ,which means enjoyer is Lord Krsna and others all are his  prakriti that is they are to be enjoyed . We the ordinary living entities constitute his marginal energy who can either be under the control of His Divine energy i,e Radharani or in the control of his material energy that is Mahamaya or Durga devi. When we desire to become the Lord and try to enjoy like him we come under the control of his material energy that is maya which means " which is not" or in other words illusion and As soon as we recognize that we are not the enjoyers but are supposed to be enjoyed and surrender our propensity to lord it over the material nature we come under the control of spiritual energy which makes us feel happy and free from all anxieties.

 The practice of Spiritual life is the struggle to get out of the clutches of material energy to reach the spiritual energy of the Lord and be situated in the His eternal service as loving servants. It is very difficult for the living entity to come out of the material energy by his own. It is only by the mercy of Spiritual master and the Lord himself one can progress in the spiritual understanding. After receiving the mercy of Spiritual master and the Lord it is very important for a serious practitioner to safeguard against the falls down to material energy itself.

Complacency is one of the weapons by which the material energy tries to bring the living entity under its grip. Complacency creeps into the consciousness of a living entity when everything around him is going well and every one looks happy and satisfied with him or her. When one is able to fulfill his desires easily without much effort, the modes of nature act in such a way that one starts feeling that " After all material world is not such a bad place, may be I can enjoy a little bit here". It is very easy to fall trap to such a thinking especially when everyone around us is thinking in this manner. As again and again stressed by great sages and the Lord himself  one must be aware that in this material world there is no happiness whatsoever.  The illusory happiness that we feel for a moment or two in this world is not actually happiness, but it is a lack of distress for a while. The example given here is that , in the olden days when the kings used to punish some criminal, they used to forcefully dip the criminals face in the water and keep it there for a long time, just when the criminal is about to pass out they would bring him out of the water for a short period to breathe, the criminal would consider that to be happiness, but again his face would be plunged into the water to suffer more. So in this material  world the so called happiness is the little relief from misery that is awarded to one as per once's karma , if one mistakes it to be real happiness we must understand that we are being pulled by the material energy.

The only way by which one can save one self from this agony and misery of this material world is to chant the holy names of the Lord, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, for this is the method prescribed by the scriptures for this age of Kali. Always associating with the devotees keeps the momentum and enthusiasm for spiritual life going on. Eating Prasadam and reading Scriptures  purifies one from the contamination and protects one from falling into the complacency.

kaler doña-nidhe räjann
asti hy eko mahän guëaù
kértanäd eva kåñëasya
mukta-saìgaù paraà vrajet [ S.B. 12.3.51] 

The Rope

A story is told about a mountain climber, who was also a devotee, liked to climb tall mountains for fun and to impress his friends. After years of preparation and training he felt he could handle any mountain terrain in the world, regardless of the degree of difficulty. 

During a climbing trip, with five other devotees, he decided he would make the final climb to the summit, solo, so he could get there first and claim the glory, while the others slept. After the rest of the climbing party turned-in for the night, he put on his climbing gear and headed toward the summit. As he started his climb, he was very glad there was a full moon to help him see where he was going.  Although it was foolish to climb at night, alone, he did use a rope and put in good piton protection as he climbed. With the benefit of the full moon, he made rapid progress up the mountain, in spite of the fact he was climbing at night. His confidence soared as he neared the summit, but unfortunately, thick clouds were starting to build around the mountain, and visibility was deteriorating rapidly, as a winter storm developed. In just a few minutes visibility dropped to almost zero, as heavy clouds and fog surrounded him. It was now too late to turn back, so he continued to climb up the mountain, hoping the storm would blow by quickly.  While moving along a narrow traverse, now in total darkness, he got into some “rotten rock,” and slid down the side of the ridge and over the edge of a cliff. The good news is the protection he put in held, and he was still alive after the fall; although he now found himself dangling in the air, suspended from his rope, unable to see anything around him. The bad news is, he had loosely tied his outer heavy coat across the top of his backpack while he was climbing, and he now discovered he had lost it during the fall. Slowly the cold night air from the storm began to chill him to the bone through his lightweight inner jacket. After struggling to turn himself around in a circle, and not finding anything to grab onto, in desperation he cried out, “Oh Krishna, please help me!”  Suddenly, from above he heard a strong deep voice boom out, “Cut the rope!” “What?!” As the climber listened over the wind, once again he heard a deep voice say, “Cut the rope!”  Except for the wind, silence followed, as the climber continued to hang onto the rope, while hoping to be able to grab onto something that would enable him to climb to safety. Unable to see his true situation, the climber concluded, as most people would, that hanging onto the rope was his only hope. He thought it would be stupid to cut the rope.

The following day, the rest of his climbing party discovered him frozen to death, still dangling from his rope -- only eight feet above a large out-cropping of rock. Had the climber cut the rope, he would have dropped down to a safe area, where he could have built a fire, using some of the surrounding scrub brush, and probably survived the night. 

Moral - Krishna has millions of ways of helping us and He helps the devotees every time. We are attached to this material world with a rope. Its up to us to cut it and go back to our original home.

Hari bol

Courtesy : Subuddhi Krsna Prabhu ( subuddhi@gmail.com)

The Ultimate benefit - Sreya

In many of Srila Prabhupada's lectures he exclusively explains about the two topics  sreya and preya.  He explains that sreya means the ultimate benefit  and preya means immediate profit. Just like  children want to play all day long that is preya,  but the parents know that they must go to school and learn in order to become educated, which  in the long run will be beneficial for them, so that is sreya.

In Bhagavad Gita Lord Sri Krsna talks about sreya and preya in terms of happiness, he says according to the modes of material nature acquired by a living entity  there are different kinds of happiness by which sometimes he comes to the end of all miseries

sukhaḿ tv idānīḿ tri-vidhaḿ
śṛṇu me bharatarṣabha
abhyāsād ramate yatra
duḥkhāntaḿ ca nigacchati [ B.g. 18.36]

"O best of the Bhāratas, now please hear from Me about the three kinds of happiness by which the conditioned soul enjoys, and by which he sometimes comes to the end of all distress."

 Lord Krsna Further explains that

"yat tad agre viṣam iva

pariṇāme 'mṛtopamam

tat sukhaḿ sāttvikaḿ proktam

ātma-buddhi-prasāda-jam"  [ B.g. 18.37]

"That which in the beginning may be just like poison but at the end is just like nectar and which awakens one to self-realization is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness"

In the purport Srila Prabhupada explains that

"In the pursuit of self-realization, one has to follow many rules and regulations to control the mind and the senses and to concentrate the mind on the self. All these procedures are very difficult, bitter like poison, but if one is successful in following the regulations and comes to the transcendental position, he begins to drink real nectar, and he enjoys life."

From above verses we can understand that this is an example of sreya. Ultimate good for any living entity is to engage in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, since even though in the begining it may seem to be like poison due to many rules and regulations such as giving up intoxication even upto tea, coffee, giving up meat eating even eggs, no illicit sex  and no gambling etc , still if one is seriouly interested in sreya ,i.e the ultimate benefit he must go through it.

Besides Lord Krsna affirms in the  Bhagavad Gita verse 18.37 that in the beginning it may feel like poison but at the end it is just like nectar. The quality of patience will help one in this regard to get through the early stages.

On the other hand the happiness which is derived from modes of passion is an example of preya .
viṣayendriya-saḿyogād
yat tad agre 'mṛtopamam
pariṇāme viṣam iva
tat sukhaḿ rājasaḿ smṛtam [ B.g. 18.38]

"That happiness which is derived from contact of the senses with their objects and which appears like nectar at first but poison at the end is said to be of the nature of passion."


The above mentioned verse is pointing towards preya which is immediate benefit. Lord Krsna explains that this kind of happiness is very transitory and it will taste like nectar in the beginning but will soon feel like poison at the end. These kind of activites are very commonly seen in today's modern society, actions that are carried out without thinking about the consequences for the immediate pleasure of the senses, like illicit sex, intoxication, meat eating and gambling etc. . These activities in the later years lead to mental and physical problems like, depression, impotence, diseases etc in this life and  degradation to lower species like that of animals in the next life. So this is preya which is not recommended in the Vedic scriptures.

In all the Vedic scriptures it is recommended to perform acts conducive to sreya which will lead to ultimate benefit of a living entity. By engaging oneself with patience and confidence in performing certain minor austerities and chanting the holy names of the  Lord one can achieve the highest Sreya , in this lifetime itself.  Since in this Age of Quarrel  called Kali yuga, there are innumerable faults which make self realization a very difficult task hence the process of self realization is also made very easy for people of this age. By the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu , Krsna has incarnated in his Holy names and only by chanting the holy names of the Lord i.e Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare one can achieve Love of Godhead  which is very very very rare to obtain for the best of self realized persons, and there is no other better sreya or the most ultimate benefit for a living entity other than to acquire Love of Godhead by chanting Hare Krsna.

kaler doña-nidhe räjann

asti hy eko mahän guëaù

kértanäd eva kåñëasya

mukta-saìgaù paraà vrajet

"My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mahä-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom." [ S.B. 12.3.51]

The Carpenter's Tools

Brother Hammer served as the chairman. The other members of the tool belt informed him that he must leave, because he was too noisy. But brother Hammer said, "If I have to leave this carpenter's shop, then brother Gimlet must go too. He's insignificant and makes a very small impression." (A gimlet is a small tool with a screw point, grooved shank, and a cross handle for boring holes).

 

Little brother Gimlet arose and said, "All right, but brother Screwdriver must go also. You have to turn him around and around to get anywhere with him."

 

Brother Screwdriver turned to the other tools in the belt and said, "If you wish, I will go, but brother Plane must leave too. All of his work is on the surface; there's no depth to what he does."

 

To this brother Plane leveled his terse reply, "Well, then, brother Saw will have to depart too. The changes he proposes always cut too deep."

 

Brother Saw complained, saying, "Brother Ruler will have to withdraw if I leave, for he's always measuring other folks as though he were the only one who is right."

 

Brother Ruler then surveyed the group and said, "Brother Sandpaper doesn't belong here either. He's rougher than he ought to be, and is always rubbing people the wrong way."

 

In the midst of the discussion, the Carpenter of Vrindavana walked in. He had come to perform his day's work. He put on His tool belt and went to the workbench to make a treasure box. He employed the ruler, the saw, the plane, the hammer, the gimlet, the screwdriver, the sandpaper, and all the other tools. When the day's work was over, the box was finished, and the carpenter went home. All the accusations against each of these tools were absolutely true, yet the carpenter used every one of them. No matter which tool He used, no other tool could have done the work better.

 

Moral: We are "tools" in the hands of Krishna. He knows how to use us and make us useful. Let us stop rejecting others. Krishna has a greater purpose with all of us. If we allow ourselves to be used by Krishna, the way, He wants, we too can become successful and purposeful.

 

Hari bol.

 

www.krsna-gyan.blogspot.com

http://groups.google.com/group/bhagvad-gita-awareness

 

courtesy: Subuddhi Krsna Dasa ( subuddhi@gmail.com)