The coach and fans wish well for the players on their team. They hope that each person fits their assigned role perfectly. There are the scorers. They are expected to deliver the goals. They have the skill necessary to put pucks past the goaltender and into the net. They get the majority of the ice time because of their skill. If they are not scoring, they are not doing their job.
Then there are the checkers. They are expected to shut down the opposition, especially their best scorers. A good night for the checkers is one where their opponents don’t outscore them. The special players are those who can both check and score. The coach loves these players because they can be used in so many different situations. If the score dictates that defense is required, the two-way forward is sent to a lower line so that they can boost its defensive responsibility. The goalie is expected to stop pucks. They can help a little bit on dump ins in the defensive zone, but that is just an added bonus. If they can’t stop the puck, they will not have a job for long.
The example of a hockey team has crossover significance in helping us to understand how interests are always limited. The parents are the well-wishers of their children first. Not that they dislike other children, but their focus is always on what their sons and daughters are doing. They are proud when their son scores high on an examination, especially if they are at the head of the class. They aren’t necessarily so thrilled when another child does well.
In the job market, one candidate looks to beat out the others. As shown in the reality television show, The Apprentice, if the job goes to someone else, there is disappointment. In this sense the well-wishing is at the personal level. If the candidate really wished well for the other candidates, they wouldn’t be disappointed upon hearing that the job didn’t go to them. They would be genuinely happy for the other person.
Such are the ways of the material world, for one person’s gain is often another person’s loss. My victory comes at the expense of your defeat. To the wise person, this sobering reality should give pause for thought. It should trigger a search into the higher truths of life:
Why must we compete in such a way? Why should we limit our interest? Is there any person who is a well-wisher of all? How can that be possible if everyone competes for resources?
Indeed, there is an eternal well-wisher for all. His affection extends to every single living entity. He does not maintain a narrow vision. He does not wish well for the humans and forget about the cows. He wants every person to be eternally happy. He also knows that for every living entity, the source of that happiness is the same: yoga.
Not that the cows should practice gymnastics or that the person who is completely inflexible should attend an exercise course, real yoga is the linking of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul. “The one and only Supreme Soul” is one way to describe this eternal well-wisher. The individual soul resides within one body at a time, whereas the Supreme Soul resides simultaneously within everyone. This ability makes this soul supreme. It is different from the individual.
That supreme soul is in the cat, the dog, the hunter, the priest, the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker. That supreme soul is in the man and the woman. Therefore yoga is open for everyone. Since yoga can occur for any person, it is possible to be a well-wisher for all. If I wish that everyone finds yoga, it means that I wish the best for everyone. In this way we see that the Supreme Soul can pass on His trait of universal well-wishing to others. In fact, those inheriting this attribute begin to wish well for the Supreme Soul, something which is wholly unnecessary since He possesses everything. Nevertheless, the sentiment is there, and it is very much appreciated.
“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.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.40)
To facilitate bhakti-yoga practice in the hectic modern age, where competition is fierce, the Supreme Soul has given us sound vibrations that directly represent Him. Chanting and hearing these vibrations is a way to practice bhakti-yoga and it is more fruitful than any other kind of yoga practice. It is available to even the animals, who have the ears to hear the wonderful names found in mantras like, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”
In Closing:
Wish well only for my favorite team,
Fine if opponent falls apart at the seam.
Compete hard to get the coveted job,
Unhappy when others my post to rob.
This rule of material life only one can breach,
He who lives inside living entity every and each.
By chanting and hearing His presence feel,
Then become ever well-wisher for real.
“The Supreme Lord, Purushottama, or Shri Krishna, is the maintainer of all, in both the transcendental and material worlds. He is the life and friend of all because there is eternally natural affection and love between the living entities and the Lord. He is the one friend and well-wisher for all, and He is one without a second. The Lord maintains all the living entities everywhere by His six transcendental opulences, for which He is known as bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.9.22 Purport)
In Vrindavana there is no need to ask this question. The residents there are constitutionally in the mood of bhakti, or divine love. They are so devoted to God that all they think of is service. It makes sense that Tulasi Devi would be prominent in this land. She works alongside Paurnamasi, the divine energy of the Lord, to manipulate situations in such a way that the enjoyment of both Krishna and His dearmost servants is enhanced.
The deer and other forest animals show their affection for Krishna by always running to Him. They follow Him as He traverses the sacred land playing with His friends. These friends show affection in their playful pastimes. Sometimes there is wrestling, sometimes there is joke-making, and sometimes there is a meal shared. The parents love Krishna with the desire to protect and feed Him. The cowherd women enjoy with Krishna in more intimate ways, but in all respects there is affection shown.
On the other hand, love for God will increase our love for others. After all, if I know that I am naturally affectionate towards God, I will eventually realize that others have the same affection. They may not know it, so I will try my best to make them aware. And yet the exercise of my affection is not dependent on others. Whether one person listens to me or one million, in glorifying God I am not stopped. Even if facing the strongest opposition, at the very least I can recite to myself the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
“Brahma, who is only an assistant in the modes of creation, wanted to remain in his actual position as an instrument of the Lord instead of becoming puffed up by the false prestige of thinking himself the creator. That is the way of becoming dear to the Supreme Lord and receiving His benediction. Foolish men want to take credit for all creations made by them, but intelligent persons know very well that not a blade of grass can move without the will of the Lord; thus all the credit for wonderful creations must go to Him.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.9.23 Purport)
“I accept this honor with great happiness, but I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my parents. They are everything to me. Without their influence, I would not be where I am today. They sacrificed so much for my career. They could have easily said ‘No’ many times. I know they couldn’t afford so many things that I asked for, but they made the sacrifice so that I would be happy. And now that I am in a high position, I know that they deserve the credit. I would be nothing without them.”
Who would you think has the greatest ability? Someone who is very wealthy? Someone who is very beautiful? Someone who lives for a long time? In Vedic philosophy the greatest person in the material sense is Lord Brahma. To put it plainly, he is the creator. He makes everything. Before him there were no creatures on the earth. Before him there was no earth. No rivers, lakes, ponds, mountains, hills, forests, farms, cows, or human beings - all of that required the hand of a creator. Upon first look, we might be tempted to think that the person we are describing is God. After all, if Brahma created everything, why is he not given full divine status?
We tend to thank God when there is some material success for ourselves, but actually we can thank God every day for everything that we have. We can think: “Thank you Lord for giving me food every day to eat. I know that You employ Lord Brahma for populating this earth, and because of that kindness food can grow here. With food I am able to eat. Thank You for the sun also. I feel so good when it is a sunny day. I wish I could spend every day in a room that is brightened by the sunlight. Thank You for my friends and family. I don’t really care how I spend my time with them, it’s just nice to have them around. Most importantly, thank You for this life, for with it I can study You, think about You, and serve You. Lord Brahma serves You in such a great way. I am not as great as him, not even close. From his example I learn that You are the person most worthy of service. No matter what happens to me, I will always remember You and think of how You are responsible for everything. To keep You in my mind, I will always chant Your holy names, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”
“The literal meaning of the word guru is ‘heavy’ - heavy with knowledge and authority, because his knowledge and authority come from Krishna. You cannot utilize the guru for satisfying your whims.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Journey of Self-Discovery, Ch 2.2)
“I have the option of getting my own phone and using that. I already have a personal cellphone. I pay a monthly fee for it, though I hardly use it. I can upgrade that phone and keep the same phone number. Ah, but which plan should I get? These phone plans are very expensive. Some are cheaper, but the service isn’t as good. I do a lot of reading on my phone. I know this sounds odd, but the screen size is perfect. I’ve read books that were thousands of pages long without a problem. While reading if I see something I like, I quickly take a screenshot and then save it. This way all the passages I find to be important are saved with convenience.
“I can’t decide what to do. This is starting to bug me now. I don’t want to make the wrong decision. It’s all I think about. The conundrum is very heavy in my brain; it is weighing me down. I’d rather a decision just be made so that I can continue with my life. In an objective analysis, right now everything is okay, and I generally don’t buy a lot of things. Thus when I do buy something that will replace my existing setup, I don’t want to make the wrong decision.”
“Guru” is a colloquial term as well. You can have a romance guru, a computer guru, and a yoga guru. In each realm, the guru refers to a teacher who is an expert. They give guidance to those who request it. The real guru, in the classical Sanskrit definition, is a spiritual master. The spiritual trumps everything else. The spiritual is superior to the material. Actually, if you understand the spiritual you will understand the material also. It doesn’t work the other way around. Thus the various gurus mentioned here aren’t really masters of a whole lot. That which they are purportedly expert in isn’t very heavy in the grand scheme of things.
Death is automatic for one who has taken birth. The guru knows this as well. Why should we fret over something that is destined to happen? Why not worry over where the next birth will be? We worry about if we will be happy or not purchasing a specific phone, but in either case we will continue on. What about the next life in general? Why not worry over finding the best place to spend the next lifetime?
Birth, death, old age, disease, the changing of bodies, the future residence of the spirit soul, the nature of God, the ways to address Him, how to maintain His association – these issues are very heavy and impossible to grasp for the individual who is limited by their own life experiences. Only in ignorance would one think that the smartphone purchase warrants so much mental strain. Due to the unwarranted mental taxation, the more important issues are too heavy to grasp; their weight is so great that immediately the individual drops the information when it is presented to them.
The guru keeps all of this information with him all the time. Since he carries this strength of knowledge he is the heaviest. The spiritual master is so kind that they will gladly train others in how to accept this knowledge so that they can become heavy themselves. In cases of exalted devotees like Shri Hanuman, the strength is there immediately. One time Hanuman was able to pick up an injured Lakshmana from the battlefield, while the fiendish Ravana could not. Lakshmana is the younger brother of Lord Rama, an incarnation of God. Lakshmana is non-different from the origin of the spiritual master. Though Ravana had tremendous physical strength, he could not support the incredible weight of Lakshmana. As a devoted servant of Rama, Hanuman had no trouble carrying the beloved Lakshmana.
“From the movement of the different kinds of ornaments on their bodies, they were looking still more beautiful. In this way, they all reached the house of Nanda-Yashoda and blessed the child: ‘Dear child, You live long just to protect us.’ While they were blessing child Krishna in this way, they offered a mixture of turmeric powder with oil, yogurt, milk and water. They not only sprinkled this mixture on the body of child Krishna but on all other persons who were present there.” (Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 5)
In the same way, Krishna’s birth is an appearance before our very eyes. He is actually all around us all the time. In His unmanifest form, He pervades the entire creation. The very fact that there is an existence means that Krishna is around in some capacity. He is the life of all existences. His physical appearance gives life to the devoted souls, who only want to serve Him in lifetime after lifetime.
Krishna was transported to Gokula in Vrindavana, where Nanda Maharaja was the king. His wife Yashoda was pregnant at the time, but due to the intensity of labor, she was not sure whether a girl or boy was born to her. The girl who came from her womb was transferred to Mathura in place of Krishna. The next morning, all the well-wishers came to greet the new child. The priests of the community performed all the auspicious rites, and the neighboring cowherd women dressed themselves nicely for having their first look at the child.
Krishna lives the longest too, which means that His protection is ever-lasting. A few years after His appearance, Krishna had to leave for Mathura to deal with Kamsa and handle other affairs. Though He was no longer in Vrindavana, His presence was still felt. The memories of His pastimes remained with the residents. The gopis received protection from their beloved Krishna by remembering Him.
“The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.8)
“The Supreme Lord, Purushottama, or Shri Krishna, is the maintainer of all, in both the transcendental and material worlds. He is the life and friend of all because there is eternally natural affection and love between the living entities and the Lord. He is the one friend and well-wisher for all, and He is one without a second. The Lord maintains all the living entities everywhere by His six transcendental opulences, for which He is known as bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.9.22 Purport)
In another style of government, I don’t want any interference from governing bodies. Let everyone live. If they want to earn a lot of money, so what? If they want to take drugs, whose business is it really? Let everyone do as they please, and only intervene when someone’s rights are being infringed upon. If there is fraud in a financial dealing, a thief on the loose, or an attack from a foreign enemy, then the government should step in.
Since even the most miserable person enjoys a little bit, all are indebted to the great maintainer. Only a miser would not return some of the favors sent their way. Sugriva in the Ramayana says that a true friend repays favors given to him when he has the chance. This is not a religious principle; it is common sense. If we do something nice for someone, will we not appreciate a kind gesture in return? A basic acknowledgment will suffice, but when even that is lacking, what does it say about the other person?
He maintains the material world because through life comes the opportunity for salvation. In pain, misery, chaos, despair, and ignorance, there is no chance of reuniting with the best friend of the living entities. Through being maintained, at least the opportunity is there for all, though they likely won’t take advantage until after many lifetimes. Regardless, in each lifetime the support of the great maintainer is there. From this we get one way to understand Him, which is the most valuable understanding to have.
“The Lord says, patram pushpam phalam: He is ready to accept from the devotee any kind of offering, never mind what. Even a leaf, a flower, a bit of fruit, or a little water, which are all available in every part of the world, can be offered by any person, regardless of social position, and will be accepted if offered with love.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 9.2 Purport)
In studying the science of bhakti-yoga, we learn that offering something as simple as a leaf, a flower, or water will bring tremendous benefits. The mood of the offering is what counts, as the beneficiary already has everything. Though it may seem silly to go to the store to pick up a flower to be offered on an altar, we already do similar things quite frequently. From the above mentioned hypothetical situations, objects created by others routinely serve as gifts, with others thinking nothing of it.
Flowers are created through nature’s arrangement. The seed cannot be created by any human being. You must find those flowers in nature. There is effort in planting the seed and then waiting for the flowers to bloom, but again the effort is only fruitful when other aspects of nature cooperate. Only when the soil is fertile, the weather just right, and there is ample water available can there be flowers to be used as a gift later on.
The gifts are accepted by the recipients because of the thought put in. In the same way, the offering to God is accepted wholeheartedly when the intentions are right. The Supreme Lord has everything, so what does He need from anyone? The flower is generated by Him. Water comes from Him as well. Thus in the offering process the worshiper essentially takes something that God already created and then presents it as a gift. It’s like someone going into your room, taking your favorite shirt, wrapping it up in a package, and then presenting it to you on your birthday. This would seem silly, but the same practice with God is so much appreciated.
These objects come from nature, and their proper use is in devotional service, or bhakti-yoga. The water has no other purpose except to be used in increasing the devotional consciousness of every individual. Water used for forgetting God thus does not have the same potency. In that use it cannot change consciousness for the better. On the flip side, if placed in a tiny vessel and presented before a picture representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the water becomes the purest beverage. Its taste is instantly charged with the potency of the all-powerful.