How Is It Possible For A Warrior To Stay Dear To Krishna

“He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anxiety, who is steady in happiness and distress, is very dear to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 12.15)

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Friend1: Let’s talk about the qualities of a devotee.

Friend2: Kavi. That is one I like.

Friend1: That means “poetic,” right?

Friend2: Or learned. Someone was asking me about that the other day.

Friend1: About what? How a devotee can be a kavi?

Friend2: They wanted to know how a person practicing bhakti can automatically become eloquent. What if they are a scientist, who just does research all the time? What if they are not skilled at composition? How do they become that way through practicing devotional service?

Friend1: What was your response?

Friend2: I didn’t say anything. Time ran out.

Friend1: What would have been your response?

Friend2: Oh, that’s easy. Goswami Tulsidas addresses this in the beginning of his Ramacharitamanasa. There is Sarasvati Devi, the goddess of learning. To this day people in India pray to her for success in their studies.

Friend1: Quintessential demigod worship.

Friend2: So Tulsidas says that when Sarasvati is called to an area and finds out that the help she’s giving is not for glorifying Hari, or God, she becomes disappointed. When it is for bhakti, she becomes happy that her blessings will be used for the right purpose.

Friend1: It is help from above. That is how a bhakta becomes kavi.

Friend2: Exactly. It’s interesting if you think about it. The Supreme Lord helps you to glorify Him. He sees the effort, and from there He guarantees success.

Friend1: That’s really nice. I know there are other qualities, too. Kind, gentle, compassionate, intelligent, and the like. And devotees can be found in any body or occupation.

Friend2: Yeah, what you do for a living doesn’t matter. Every individual is a spirit soul, part and parcel of God. The qualities of the body are only temporary and they don’t determine whether a person can become a devotee or not.

Friend1: Alright, I’m glad you said that. Let’s talk specifically about the kshatriya. The warrior/administrator, and not just in the inherited sense.

Friend2: A kshatriya by quality.

Friend1: You can find those everywhere. There are heroic people in every society. There are those who are willing to risk their lives to protect the innocent.

Friend2: Absolutely. We owe them so much.

Friend1: Here is a contradiction I came upon. In one verse in the Bhagavad-gita, Shri Krishna says that someone who does not put others into difficulty is dear to Him.

Friend2: Makes sense. You shouldn’t bother people unnecessarily. This includes killing innocent animals. Every soul is going through the same struggles; they are travelling through the evolutionary chain of bodies that ideally culminates in bhava, or spontaneous ecstasy in devotion to God the person.

Friend1: If we take this verse literally, doesn’t it mean that a kshatriya can never be dear to Krishna?

Friend2: Umm, you realize that this was spoken to Arjuna, the quintessential kshatriya? No one is more dear to Bhagavan than Arjuna, the great bow-warrior and leader of the Pandava army in the Bharata War.

Friend1: Of course I know that. Arjuna was the direct recipient of the words from Krishna. But doesn’t a kshatriya put others into difficulty? Didn’t Arjuna fight in the war and win it? Didn’t he cause injury to the other side?

Friend2: This is very easy to explain. The literal definition of kshatriya is “one who protects against injury.” Arjuna’s fighting was for protection. The Kauravas, the opposing side, had put others into difficulty. Duryodhana was the embodiment of the inverse of the quality found in the verse you mentioned.

Friend1: Meaning that he always put others into difficulty.

Friend2: He tried to kill Bhima by feeding him a poison cake and then dropping him in a large body of water. He tried to burn the Pandavas to the ground by intentionally making a flammable house for them to live in. He took their land. He tried to get Durvasa Muni to curse them in the forest. You can’t really find much worse than Duryodhana.

Friend1: But there is still the issue of difficulty. Don’t warriors cause harm to others?

Friend2: It’s not harm. It’s the just reward. It’s actually mercy. If I get punished for doing something wrong, there is benefit to me in the future. It also gives a clear understanding to society that such behavior will not be tolerated. Just look at Arjuna’s behavior. He was on the side of good and yet he was still hesitant to proceed. He was thinking like you are, that there was no need to cause difficulty for the other side. Krishna cleared his doubts. When on the side of dharma, there is no sin incurred. It’s almost like you are not acting. You are merely an instrument for the Divine will, and so you always stay dear to the person whose opinion matters most.

In Closing:

Never to others in difficulty or strain,

He a preferred position to gain.

 

Looking good in Supreme Lord’s eyes,

But what for warrior who in battle tries?

 

Harm the name of the game,

Through destruction honor to gain.

 

In dharma, works for Krishna does He,

Benefitting all, of sinful reaction free.

My Success Is Not Determined By Who Wins Elections

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of 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.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.14)

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Friend1: I know you don’t like to talk about this.

Friend2: What?

Friend1: Politics.

Friend2: Then why are you bringing it up?

Friend1: Because it was a topic for discussion at a recent satsanga, where there was chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Friend2: Because other people discussed it, now I have to weigh in, too?

Friend1: Come on, just this one time.

Friend2: What do you want to know? Is there any spiritual angle at all, or is this just trying to guess how I voted?

Friend1: People are upset. The election didn’t go their way. People are literally crying.

Friend2: Yes. I’ve seen.

Friend1: What is your take on that?

Friend2: What should be my take?

Friend1: Happy? Sad? Disappointed?

Friend2: Bewildered would be more like it. You’re crying over something that doesn’t make much of a difference. Plus, the tide keeps turning. Just look at history.

Friend1: I knew I could get you to open up. What do you mean about the difference?

Friend2: You should know everything I’m about to say. This shouldn’t be news to you.

Friend1: Okay.

Friend2: You understand that in the mid-term elections it is almost a rule that the party of the sitting president does poorly.

Friend1: You mean his party loses seats in the Congress.

Friend2: Exactly. Look at 2014, 2010, 2006, 1994, 1986, 1982. I can go back even further if you like.

Friend1: Wow, that is interesting. Why does that happen?

Friend2: Oh man, that is so easy to answer. Because people aren’t happy either way. Today you are crying over the election outcome, but in two years you will likely be happy with the change. In another two years you’ll be sad again.

Friend1: And we should tolerate these changes, like the winter and summer seasons.

Friend2: Exactly. Glad you found a way to bring in the Bhagavad-gita. Shri Krishna says these changes, the tide of happiness and sadness, arise from sense perception only. One should learn to tolerate them. In one sense, it’s no different than being sad that your team lost the World Series. Next year there will be another baseball season, and soon the memory of the past seasons will vanish.

Friend1: Okay, but can you explain further about the mid-term election phenomena?

Friend2: People elect a new president. They expect certain things. When things don’t go their way, they revolt in the next election. They blame the party in power for everything that is wrong. Since these “revolts” happen so often, we can deduce that people are not happy either way.

Friend1: I see.

Friend2: Moreover, democracy is so designed that people are guaranteed to be upset.

Friend1: How so?

Friend2: You have to look at these candidates like lawyers. They are simply arguing the side that supports them. The side is an amalgamation of interests. You don’t have to get too technical, either. You can think of it as one side liking pizza and the other liking ice cream. You hire the person you think will best represent your interest, to argue it in the public arena.

Friend1: Are you saying that character doesn’t matter?

Friend2: Success in democracy is determined by swaying public opinion, by winning votes. The more slimy the candidate, the better they are at representing your position and demonizing the other side, the more likely they are to win. In this style of government, the ability to lie and fool is rewarded. After winning a case, do people complain about how sleazy the lawyer was? Do they lament the different things that were said in the courtroom?

Friend1: No. They are just happy to have won.

Friend2: It’s the same way in politics. You’re crying today because a person you think is a monster just got elected and will run the country, but that person is simply playing a role. They are representing a group of different interests. In due course, the other side, with their competing interests, will go back in power. It’s like a swinging pendulum.

Friend1: Are you saying that elections have no impact? What about wars and the like? What about poverty? What about certain people getting kicked out of the country?

Friend2: I think I’ve reached my limit on this topic. You should know something very important. The real issue for the living entity in the human body is escaping the duality of birth and death and everything that comes in between. Devotional service, bhakti-yoga, is the soul’s dharma, its essential characteristic.

Friend1: Right.

Friend2: And success in bhakti-yoga is not determined by who wins elections. That is the plain truth. In fact, success is not hinged upon anything except the sincerity of the worshiper. The Supreme Lord helps them. In no other endeavor is this true. Devotional service in its pure form is unmotivated and uninterrupted. You can have consciousness of God the person irrespective of which party holds office. Prahlada Maharaja lived under the greatest tyranny, with the full force of the government directly attacking him repeatedly. His devotion not only continued, it thrived. His bhakti grew stronger and stronger. Why can’t we do the same? Why are we going to cry over election results? We should be upset that we still take notice of such unimportant things. We should cry that we have been given the blessing of the holy name and yet still don’t appreciate its potency.

In Closing:

To move on from result trying,

But after election can’t help crying.

 

A new leader, like crazy and mad,

Over potential future of nation sad.

 

But like changing seasons coming and going,

Due to sense perception the wise knowing.

 

Like Prahlada who in devotion’s path stayed,

Success mine in bhakti by elections not made.

Five People Who Might Turn Against You If You Take Up Bhakti

“When Indra understood that the sacrifice offered by the cowherd men in Vrindavana was stopped by Krishna, he became angry, and he vented his anger upon the inhabitants of Vrindavana, who were headed by Nanda Maharaja, although Indra knew perfectly well that Krishna was personally protecting them.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 25)

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You live in a free country. The freedom of expression, to say what you want without causing or inciting physical harm, is enshrined in the nation’s founding documents. Yet your experience over the last few months says otherwise. You put up a sign in your yard in support of a particular candidate for president. Several times that sign has been vandalized. You haven’t wished harm on anyone. You simply stated your preference. Apparently that choice cannot be tolerated by others.

This is just in the realm of politics, but the same resistance, if not greater, is there when you take up devotional service, bhakti-yoga. It is at the soul’s core. Sanatana-dharma is about the essential characteristic of the essence of identity. You and I are spirit at the core. So are the animals. The truth applies to everything that is living.

There is opposition because the world which we inhabit at present has conditions suited for adharma. The basis of its creation is antagonism towards God. Therefore it is only natural to get resistance when following dharma, when trying to escape from the material realm. Some might be surprised to learn just how wide the range of possible sources of opposition is.

1. Father

Obviously, anything is possible in the material world. That is the byproduct of freedom. We know that we shouldn’t put our hand in fire. We know that drinking and driving is a bad combination. We know that politicians tend to lie, and so investing full faith in them will likely lead to disappointment. Yet these things happen anyway, and the cause is freedom.

This means that in theory any person is a candidate to raise opposition to our bhakti. Fortunately, we have historical examples to review as well. Your own father can turn against you. That’s what happened to Prahlada Maharaja. Usually the play of children is not taken too seriously. Let them enjoy. They will grow out of whatever they are interested in anyway.

Prahlada liked bhakti-yoga. He liked it so much that he taught it to his classmates during recess. Though the son of a king, Prahlada was not interested in learning about how to preside over a kingdom. He did not want to go through life dividing people as friends and enemies. He knew that the love for God rests within everyone.

The father did not approve. Hiranyakashipu not only objected to Prahlada’s devotion, but he tried to stop it with physical force. More than just prevention, the father tried to kill the boy outright. Imagine your own father turning on you that way. Prahlada was so merciful that he did not hold a grudge. After the Supreme Lord Himself arrived as Narasimhadeva and did away with Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada still asked for clemency for his demoniac father.

2. Brother

One of the more interesting characters of the epic Sanskrit poem known as the Ramayana is Vibhishana. At first glance, he is a turncoat. He is the original Benedict Arnold. He turned against his own brother, Ravana, in favor of the opposition, which was led by Shri Rama. Rama is the same Narasimhadeva, God the person who has been worshiped by saintly characters like Prahlada since the beginning of time.

Yet it was actually Ravana who turned against Vibhishana. The two lived in Lanka. Though they were both Rakshasas, which is an ogre-like species, Vibhishana was pious and Ravana not. Ravana committed the horrible sin of taking another man’s wife without putting up a fair fight. Vibhishana could not tolerate this act. It was the brother who went against Vibhishana; not the other way around.

3. People of other religions

Sure, if you take up bhakti-yoga and chant the holy names while living in a certain country, it may not be that big a deal. People are used to hearing the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. They are familiar with the concept of God being a person, though they may be swayed in a different direction by the many cheating gurus and fake saints appearing on television.

But if you are from a different spiritual tradition by birth, when you take up bhakti-yoga those from other faiths might come against you.

“Why are you worshiping some idol? You are the greatest sinner. Don’t be fooled by this other religion. Repent now and be saved from eternal damnation.”

Of course none of these arguments are logical. You follow the Bhagavad-gita, which describes the difference between matter and spirit. It explains the travels of the conditioned soul, and it reveals with great clarity the afterlife. There is no sectarianism mentioned. What is wrong with worshiping someone that other religions profess to believe in? Why should people have a problem with you giving up eating meat, gambling, drinking, and illicit sex? Shouldn’t they be happy that you are on the virtuous path?

4. The king of heaven

The suras and the asuras. Good against evil. The struggle has been going on since the beginning of time. If you take up bhakti-yoga, you are on the side of good. That means others who are on the same side should be supportive, no? Ah, but the suras in body-type still have some material qualities. This means they are susceptible to jealousy, spite, and rage.

Case in point the first Govardhana Puja. The people of Vrindavana skipped the annual worship of Indra in favor of the hill. This was done at the insistence of Krishna. The king of heaven became so angry that he sent a torrential downpour to the area. He basically became an attempted mass murderer. The same king of heaven who received so much worship in the past turned into the greatest enemy of the innocent people.

5. Son

One of Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s favorite stories relates to Sakshi-Gopala, a particular deity worshiped in India. This is God as the witness, in His cowherd form. The short version of the story is that an elderly brahmana was on a tour of India, visiting various temples. A younger brahmana, or priestly man, was helping him. The elder was so pleased that he promised to give away his daughter in marriage to the younger brahmana. The younger brahmana asked that the promise be made in front of Gopala, the deity in the temple. And so the deal was done.

On returning home, the elder brahmana’s son learned about the promise. He didn’t like it. He advised the father to simply say that he didn’t remember making such a promise. This is the way of lying without actually getting caught. It is a trick known to lawyers and politicians. If they have done something wrong and get asked about it later on, they simply say, “I do not recall.” They have no shame in using this response to question after question.

The son in this case was a great obstacle to the father’s devotional service. The Gopala deity ended up coming to the rescue. He travelled with the younger brahmana and bore witness to the original pact.

In each case bhakti triumphed. The road to the spiritual kingdom is not easy. There are many obstacles along the way, some coming from unexpected sources. But as Krishna told Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gita, there is no reason to fear. He will give full protection.

In Closing:

In bhakti practice’s course,

Opposition from unlikely a source.

 

With Vibhishana a Rakshasa brother,

For Prahlada a father like no other.

 

Sakshi-gopala saving from the son,

Loyalty discount from Indra none.

 

In each case outcome as expected,

Devotees by Krishna protected.

Are We All Just Instruments Of The Divine Will

“Therefore get up and prepare to fight. After conquering your enemies you will enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasachin, can be but an instrument in the fight.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.33)

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Friend1: I am not the doer.

Friend2: Quoting from the Bhagavad-gita again?

Friend1: Yes. [Bg 3.27]

Friend2: The three modes of material nature take care of everything. We make the choice to act, but the sanction to the results must be there first.

Friend1: You love using the example of getting up in the morning.

Friend2: Thank you for paying attention. Yes. We each make the decision to get up in the morning. But the result is not guaranteed to manifest for everyone. This proves that there is something else going on, a higher force that must cooperate with our choices.

Friend1: I received an interesting question on this account.

Friend2: Before you proceed, I just want to say that ahankara plays an important role here. Due to false ego, we think that we are ultimately responsible for everything.

Friend1: Okay, that is good that you mentioned that. We’re talking about mistakenly attributing the results of action to personal effort. There is the opposite side as well.

Friend2: What is that?

Friend1: That everything is due to God. It is the Divine will. He has already determined how everything will end up.

Friend2: That is true.

Friend1: And the corresponding verse in the Bhagavad-gita would be the one where Krishna advises Arjuna to simply act as an instrument.

Friend2: Right. Arjuna has seen the vision of all the people assembled for the war entering into Krishna’s mouths. Basically, everyone is slated to die; except for a few people, the Pandavas included.

Friend1: Yes, and so by proceeding in the war, Arjuna would get the credit for something that was already destined to happen.

Friend2: It doesn’t violate that other verse. Arjuna is still not the doer.

Friend1: Okay, but what about the other option, then? Why should Arjuna fight if the outcome was already determined? What was the harm in putting down the weapons and retreating to the forest?

Friend2: Karma. Dharma. Future reaction and duty. It was Arjuna’s prescribed duty to fight and protect religious principles. By giving up, he would bring negative karma upon himself. Yes, yes, I know he is a liberated soul, but for instruction’s sake that is the reasoning.

Friend1: Okay, so that is basically the question I received. Why should any of us act if destiny is already set?

Friend2: Yes, that is a good question. It is pretty common. Outcomes are already determined, but we still have a choice. We can act or not act. We can do right or do wrong. The choices determine where we will end up in the future.

Friend1: But God has already made destiny.

Friend2: He has, but only He knows what it is. Everyone is going to die. There is no doubt about that. That is as far as our vision goes. We don’t know anything beyond. We don’t know where people end up in the future. Dharma is for getting the right future. Right here means beneficial.

Friend1: And what does beneficial mean?

Friend2: In terms of the spirit soul, its ideal position. Following dharma brings proper karma in the sense of coming closer to the constitutional position of servant of the Supreme Lord. Arjuna’s circumstance was unique because by acting as Krishna’s instrument, he was actually following bhakti. There is no karma with bhakti. The future consequence is continued bhakti. Wherever you go, you get to stay devoted to God. It doesn’t even matter what type of body you get, which planet you reside on, or who is there with you. You always see the all-attractive one through consciousness, and so you are always happy.

In Closing:

Not every result from action to get,

Flawed when of doer’s mindset.

 

Destiny, the Divine to have a hand,

But impetus for work how to understand?

 

Why not everything up to Him leaving,

From pressures of decisions relieving?

 

For future condition, bhakti work of karma free,

Through consciousness Krishna always to see.

Five Words Used In The Bhagavad-gita That Prove God Is A Person

“Vedic knowledge is not a question of research. Our research work is imperfect because we are researching things with imperfect senses. We have to accept perfect knowledge which comes down, as is stated in Bhagavad-gita, by the parampara disciplic succession. We have to receive knowledge from the proper source in disciplic succession beginning with the supreme spiritual master, the Lord Himself, and handed down to a succession of spiritual masters.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Introduction)

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Fact or fiction? Historical epic or work produced by author of great imagination? Literal instruction or symbolic, hidden meaning? These are the dichotomies presented through the reviews of the Bhagavad-gita, an ancient Sanskrit work nestled inside of a much larger text known as the Mahabharata.

The setting of the book is pretty straightforward: a battlefield where a teacher instructs a student. The two are related as cousins, and in the beginning the teacher is actually the chariot driver. The student is a warrior, set to embark upon a dangerous, yet predictable road. He knows in all likelihood that his side will win. That is his concern. How will he live with himself after the death and destruction? Is control over a kingdom worth the price of harm to the other side, which has some friends and family in it?

In Vedic culture, the proper way to understand is to approach parampara. Like a flowing stream that has a source, the timeless wisdom of Vedanta descends from the highest authority down a chain of worthy teachers, who become enlightened in the process.

Any other way of knowledge gathering is flawed. This applies to reading the Bhagavad-gita as well. Since it is available to anyone to pick up and peruse, it is not surprising that many mal-interpretations exist. One of those says that the speaker is not real, and neither are the events described. Everything is meant to be understood symbolically. Another mental speculation concludes that Krishna, the speaker and purported Supreme Personality of Godhead, is actually just an elevated soul, a manifestation of the spiritual energy known as Brahman. Everyone has the potential to be in the same position.

In addition to consulting parampara that traces back to Arjuna himself, there are several key words used in the Bhagavad-gita that prove that God is a distinct personality. The words alone refute the bogus speculations into Krishna’s nature.

1. Mam

This word means “me” or “unto me.” It is used throughout the work. Krishna is referring to Himself many times, and not merely to His position as Arjuna’s charioteer. The word is used in the most important verse, where Arjuna is advised to abandon all varieties of religion and simply surrender.

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.66)

Krishna will protect against all sinful reaction. So many different duties there are. So many objectives. Just put service to God the person at the forefront. Don’t worry about the consequences. The Supreme Lord will protect. If Krishna were not God He would not have used the word mam.

2. Mayi

This is another version of the same word. It means “unto me.” Arjuna is advised to fix his thoughts on Krishna. If the instruction were to worship an attribute-less light, the word mayi would not have been used. If someone else were God, Krishna would happily admit it. If the guru one day becomes the Supreme through meditation and renunciation, then Arjuna’s charioteer would have advised him to seek out any such person and aim for that objective.

3. Tvam

This word means “you” or “you are.” It is used many times by Arjuna. The teachings were enough. The profundities start flowing from the beginning. Krishna told Arjuna that the soul is different from the body. There really is no such thing as death. What we know to be the end of life is simply the final change of the body for a certain period of time. In actuality, that body is always changing, like a person putting on new clothes and taking off old ones.

“You are the supreme primal objective; You are the best in all the universes; You are inexhaustible, and You are the oldest; You are the maintainer of religion, the eternal Personality of Godhead.” (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.18)

Not everyone has the patience to hear. It takes time to understand the truths that Krishna presented. There is insistence on visual evidence. To satisfy such doubters, Krishna showed the universal form to Arjuna. In reply, Arjuna offered wonderful praise. He repeatedly used the word tvam. That directly implies a personality. Arjuna did not say, “it is great,” or, “it is amazing.” The “you” referenced is Krishna.

4. Bhagavan

Many of the verses have this word in the first line. Krishna’s name means “all-attractive.” Arjuna used other names like Janardana, Govinda, and Hrishikesha to address his dear friend and cousin. These names have different meanings, but they refer to the same person. The Bhagavan word is significant; it indicates that Krishna has all opulences in full and simultaneously. Bhagavan is more specific than Brahman. It has a broader definition than even Paramatma, which is the Supersoul residing within the heart. Paramatma is an expansion of God, while Bhagavan is God Himself.

5. Uvacha

This word means “said” or “spoke.” Where is the complication? If someone else were God, if the Divine were ultimately without form and substance, Krishna easily could have called a voice from the sky to speak to Arjuna. Indeed, there have been many instances in recorded history where such voices have appeared.

It was Krishna the person who spoke to Arjuna. The word uvacha proves it. It is found throughout the Bhagavad-gita. It is one of the things that makes the book unique to all others in the world. Other sacred texts describe aspects of spiritual life. They say that the Supreme exists. In the Bhagavad-gita the Supreme Lord speaks directly to someone, a worthy recipient who kept the chain of disciplic succession going, continuing to this day.

In Closing:

Since Bhagavad-gita anyone can read,

Many mal-interpretations indeed.

 

That Krishna a real person is not,

Or that just elevation to Brahman He got.

 

Proof of His personal nature abound,

Through use of words in book itself found.

 

Mam, tvam, Bhagavan and uvacha too,

Show that Krishna Supreme Lord true.

Five Ways Krishna Sees Everything

“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 the material energy.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.61)

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The Supreme Lord is a person. He has features, which are all transcendental. Several of those features are compared to the lotus flower. He has lotus-like feet and lotus-like hands. Since His navel is like a lotus, He is known as Padnamabha. Since His eyes are like lotus petals, He is known as Aravindaksha.

In addition to being lotus-like, those eyes are amazing. They are not limited like the human eyes. One of the defects in man is imperfect senses. Even with “perfect” vision, we can’t see through walls. Without the aid of binoculars, it is not possible to see something miles away. God is not limited in this way; He actually sees everything.

1. He has vision of past, present and future

What we see in front of us is actually changing. Even the inanimate object gathers dust. The picture is not always the same. The image in the mirror is shifting at every moment; we only notice the difference when viewing snapshots taken with a considerable gap of time in between.

“O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.26)

In the Bhagavad-gita, Shri Krishna reveals that He knows the past, present and future of everything. As Bhagavan, He is time itself. Kala is the great devourer, ultimately destroying everything. That is destiny, or the future, but God is also the past. He knows everything that has happened, every life that every person has lived. The individual souls do not have this ability to remember, as was reminded to Arjuna.

“The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!” (Bhagavad-gita, 4.5)

2. His eyes are not of the material world

As mentioned above, every aspect to the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is spiritual. There is no difference between spirit and matter for Him. We assume a body consisting of gross and subtle material elements when falling from the spiritual world, but since Bhagavan is Achyuta, He never falls down. He is never in maya, or illusion. His eyes are thus amazing, beyond comprehension.

3. His devotees are everywhere

A newspaper editor is interested in a story. He sends a reporter or two to cover it. They come back with information. Then stories are written for the upcoming edition. The Supreme Lord is similar in that He has servants dispersed all over. One example is Narada Muni, who travels the three worlds. He is a triloka-sanchari, having the special benediction to be able to go to any place at any time. If God wanted to take the day off, He could still see everything just by the reports of His servants.

4. All beings spring from Him

We are similar to God in qualitative makeup. Just like Him, we are eternal, blissful and knowledgeable. The Sanskrit word is amsha, which means “expansion” or “part.” We are His fragmental parts, and due to association with the material energy, we are struggling.

“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.7)

We are different from God in the quantitative assessment of spirit. He is great spirit, while we are ordinary spirit. Still, there is always a link. This means that whatever we see, He also sees. We are an extension of Him.

5. He is inside of everyone as the Supersoul

A tree falls in an empty forest. If no one is around to hear it, does it produce a sound? The question is flawed because the Supersoul is actually everywhere. He is within the tree itself. This is God’s personal expansion; hidden from the vision, but there nonetheless. It also has form, four-hands known as Narayana and Vishnu.

The Supersoul is the all-pervading witness. This means that God is not very far. In this feature, the Supreme Lord does not interfere with choices. He simply observes what is going on. He gives sanction to decisions, but He does not interfere with independence. Since He is in everyone’s heart, He automatically sees everything that is going on. Perfect vision is just one aspect to the amazing nature of God the person, who is known as Krishna due to His all-attractiveness.

In Closing:

Tree falling when no one around,

So does it produce a sound?

 

Question flawed since everywhere is He,

Supreme Lord, as Supersoul to see.

 

Past, present and future knowing,

With every living entity going.

 

Means that my bhakti also note to take,

The surrendered souls never to forsake.

Five Ways Saints And Sinners Cause Trouble

“The value of a moment's association with a devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which is for those who are meant for death.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.18.13)

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Good and evil. They are perpetually at odds. It’s like man has this choice to make. It’s always there. One is the path of light, goodness, strength, and happiness. The other is darkness, sadness, misery, chaos and despair.

The two are found in a human being, sometimes toggling. Those people who exhibit the qualities then have an effect on others. In Vedic culture there is emphasis on sadhu-sanga. A similar term is satsanga. Basically, be associated with the truth. Be around saintly people. The sinners will do you no good. According to the analysis of the wise, poetic, and eloquent Goswami Tulsidas, both groups cause distress.

1. Violating property

One way to tell a sinner is to see the stark difference between how they treat others and how they want to be treated. They like to have their property protected. If they have an expensive car, they prefer that no one steals it. They don’t want that car to get damaged. If they work hard to earn money, they are not interested in being forced to give most of it away in the form of high taxes.

Yet the sinner has no problem when these violations occur to others. Indeed, the sinner may even play an active role in the violation. One example from Vedic history is the king of Lanka, Ravana. He had many beautiful queens in his kingdom. He was feared throughout the world for his strength. He wouldn’t be too happy if his property was violated, yet without scruples he secretly took the wife of Shri Rama, failing to challenge to a fair fight.

2. Violating life

This is the other component to good government. In the modern age of democratic-style rule, there are so many debates as to what the government should and should not do. At the foundation is the protection of life and property. This is simply the extension of the natural right of the individual. Each person protects their life and their property, and so government is the collective right of a community of individuals.

“They say that this world is unreal, that there is no foundation and that there is no God in control. It is produced of sex desire, and has no cause other than lust.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.8)

The sinners appreciate continued living. In fact, they don’t really believe in the afterlife. They think the body is everything. According to their understanding, after death everything is finished. Due to this attitude borne of ignorance, they are more prone to violating life. Better somebody else gets hurt than them. Better to take whatever you want right now.

3. Their very presence

Tulsidas shares the realization that sinners cause distress by their very presence. You just need to have one around. That is enough to want them to go away. They are constantly annoying you. They can’t leave other people alone, though they insist that no one bother them.

4. Confirming how deplorable material life is

This is the area where the saints cause distress. One definition to the Sanskrit word sadhu is “one who cuts.” They speak frankly, as they have learned the highest truths from their own spiritual master, another sadhu. The saint reveals to me that material life is terrible. It is not fit for a gentleman.

Visual evidence of the truth is everywhere. Friends remain so for as long as an interest is met. The one time you don’t do what they want, they never talk to you again. Family can even turn against you. People chase after fame and money, but after getting it they are still not happy. The deficiencies are due to the fact that material life is not at the core of the individual, who is spirit soul. Spiritual life is where real happiness is found.

5. Through their absence

The saints cause distress by their absence. They are so wonderful to have around. In addition to accurately identifying the flawed nature of material life, they reveal the boundless glory and joy that come from spiritual life. They teach us that God can be found through something simple as sound: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The saint’s presence is so comforting. Even though they may not be physically strong, they lead by example. This kind of saint is known as an acharya, and such a person is fearless in their treading the path of righteousness. They are a symbol of sacrifice, and when their association is missing great distress results. Foreseeing the condition, they try to alleviate that pain by saying that the association will continue through the following of instruction, vani, the heart of which is devotion to God the person.

In Closing:

Sinner and saint in duality two,

Distress coming from both of them too.

 

Hellish life for innocent making,

Against rules property taking.

 

Sinner by their presence alone,

Truth of material life by saint is known.

 

When disappearing most pain of all,

Sadhu asks that instructions recall.