Is Indra Really In Charge Of Thunder And Lightning

“As the director of different kinds of clouds, Indra called for the samvartaka. This cloud is invited when there is a need to devastate the whole cosmic manifestation. The samvartaka was ordered by Indra to go over Vrindavana and inundate the whole area with an extensive flood.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 25)

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Friend1: I know the debate between personalism and impersonalism when it comes to understanding the origin of everything, the Almighty, the Absolute Truth, God, if you will.

Friend2: Dvaita and advaita. Dualism and non-dualism. In some traditions that are rooted in the Vedas the terms are saguna and nirguna.

Friend1: With attributes and without attributes.

Friend2: Right. Basically, the version of God that you can see and the one that you can’t. Which one do you think is the original? That determines your ultimate conclusion, or vada. That’s why impersonalism is often referred to as Mayavada.

Friend1: Because the ultimate conclusion is that everything is maya.

Friend2: Including the saguna forms, i.e. the incarnations that appear in this world and others.

Friend1: I see. It’s not the main topic for today, but I’ve always wondered why there is so much confusion.

Friend2: As in why is there disagreement between the different schools?

Friend1: Exactly. Krishna explains everything pretty clearly in the Bhagavad-gita. Arjuna directly asks the question, which path of worship is better. Krishna doesn’t discount either one. He says the nirguna form is much harder to concentrate on. Saguna is better. Moreover, since a person is speaking the Bhagavad-gita, namely Shri Krishna, God is obviously not impersonal.

Friend2: I completely agree with you. There are some great comparisons to help explain. One is that illusion or shadows can only exist when there is some object that is real. If everything is maya, then something real must exist. The impersonal has to be based on the personal.

Friend1: I love that.

Friend2: Another comparison is to check-writing. You put down the monetary value in numeral form in one section. Just to prevent cheating, you also write out the word version of the same value. It’s much more difficult to alter that value.

Friend1: So nirguna is like the numeral? You can draw a simple line and turn a one into a seven or a zero into an eight.

Friend2: Yeah and the saguna is there to remove any doubt. Mayavada is popular because it’s so easy to cheat. You can just tell yourself that you are God and that everyone else is God.

Friend1: The old, “I’m okay, you’re okay,” philosophy.

Friend2: Yeah. Saguna is more difficult to accept, since there must be an acknowledged supreme being who is then to be worshiped.

Friend1: Okay, so there is personalism in God, but my question today relates to the world that we live in.

Friend2: Alright. What about it?

Friend1: Okay, I get that the spirit soul is different from the body. The difference between matter and spirit is consciousness. Even the tree has some consciousness, though it is greatly covered up due to the material elements that constitute the body.

Friend2: And you want to know if these elements are truly lacking life?

Friend1: I know that various deities are in charge of different aspects of the material creation. Even the earth is a goddess, Bhumi Devi. I think the best example to use for today’s discussion is Indra Deva.

Friend2: The king of the devas, or demigods.

Friend1: Yes. He is known for controlling the rain. He uses the thunderbolt as his weapon.

Friend2: And you want to know if he is real or just part of some mythological story meant to help people understand higher concepts?

Friend1: More or less. Listen, man has flown above the clouds. They didn’t find any demigods there. So much progress has been made in studying lightning. The famous Benjamin Franklin proposed the kite experiment to test whether lightning was indeed just electricity. The results were positive.

Friend2: Don’t forget that many religious people were upset at the ensuing invention: the lightning rod. There were leaders who said that God’s creation shouldn’t be messed with and that trying to control lightning was going against His wishes.

Friend1: One of the most ridiculous arguments ever proposed, I must say. I loved Franklin’s response. If the lightning rod were sinful, then so are the roof and the umbrella. After all, rain comes from God just like lightning does. Is it going against God’s wishes to seek shelter from the rain?

Friend2: Exactly. So let me guess. Your argument is that because of scientific research, we can say with certainty that the concept of demigods is a myth.

Friend1: You’re taking it to the extreme. I just want to know how there is personalism to the material elements. How do we know that there is a Vayu who controls the wind? How do we know that there is indeed a sun-god?

Friend2: Just because you discover something doesn’t mean you know its origins or the reason behind its properties.

Friend1: What do you mean?

Friend2: We’ve discovered that lightning is electricity. Great. But why does it strike? Okay, so there are certain parameters, other events in nature that combine to create the conditions where lightning may appear. But why do those events coordinate in such a way? Lightning is not randomly created, so why would it be randomly dispersed?

Friend1: So the basis of the counterargument is the lack of randomness with objects that have intelligence?

Friend2: Which objects of nature don’t have intelligence? We know that in a particular time of year there will be thunderstorms. That cannot be denied.

Friend1: Yes. There is one going on right now, as we speak. In a few hours it will be bright and sunny again.

Friend2: We know the science to these different events, but we don’t know anything about things pertaining to intelligence. You don’t have to necessarily believe in the concept of demigods fully, but you can’t deny that there is intelligence in the universe. That’s what an Indra is. He is the intelligent being behind a certain aspect of nature.

Friend1: But why can’t we see him?

Friend2: There are reasons for that. The lack of direct vision doesn’t invalidate the concept. The same Krishna who spoke the spotless wisdom that is the Bhagavad-gita saw Indra one time in Vrindavana. That incident is recorded in the Bhagavata Purana for future generations to consult.

Friend1: You mean the time he sent that devastating rainstorm to wipe out the residents of Vrindavana?

Friend2: Yes. The people didn’t think that it was a random occurrence. They were simple villagers, but they weren’t foolish enough to think that there is no meaning to the workings of nature. The other lesson is that as powerful as the demigods are, they can’t overcome those who are protected directly by the Supreme Lord. Krishna used a hill of all things to make an umbrella. That saved the people. Indra then apologized. We may not be able to see him today, but the effects are there all the same. Such miseries fall in the adhidaivika category. Even insurance policies mention these: acts of God.

Friend1: They are really acts of demigods.

Friend2: Exactly. And so the personal God, the Supreme Lord, Bhagavan - He can offer protection against even a great collection of material elements attacking at one time. All the more reason to take up devotional service through always chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Flying in sky the clouds behind,

Man there no demigods to find.

Indra and others then a myth,

Symbolic concept for spirits to lift?

Seen or not, intelligence in rainfall,

Through randomness never to fall.

Indra’s wrath Vrindavana saw directly,

Krishna thwarted with hill lifted deftly.

Five Ways To Know That Krishna Is Sama Darshi

“An old woman in Vrindavana, present at the time of Krishna’s pastimes, once stated in surprise: ‘How wonderful it is that Krishna, who owns the hearts of all the young girls of Brajabhumi, can nicely speak the language of Brajabhumi with the gopis, while in Sanskrit He speaks with the demigods, and in the language of the animals He can even speak with the cows and buffalo! Similarly, in the language of the Kashmere Province, and with the parrots and other birds, as well as in most common languages, Krishna is so expressive!’” (The Nectar Of Devotion, Ch 21)

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It’s an indication of advancement in spiritual life. When covered by the ignorance of maya, there is one distinction after another, vishesha. So many differences, continuing through the passage of time. Through knowledge gathered by experience and also accepted from others, slowly the distinctions diminish and there is some sameness seen.

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste] .” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.18)

The wise person reaches the stage where the equality of vision is the only way they see. They know that the distinctions are due to matter only. There really is no difference between the cow and the elephant. The human being is just like the dog. It has an animating spark inside, covered by a certain kind of body. The quality of that spark is the same in all living things.

This high platform of understanding is certainly difficult to reach, but not impossible. The vision is inherent to living itself, as the quality is passed on from the origin of spirit. He, too, sees with an equal vision. The notable difference is that He never falls into ignorance. Never does He lack this vision, and proof is there in the expansion known as the Supersoul. The Supersoul in the personal form sometimes descends to this world and others, exhibiting the equality of vision through words and deeds.

1. The sun

The Vedas say that one way to know God is through the creation. Take everything that exists. The objects don’t have to be physically collected; just contemplating the aggregate is enough for this exercise. Now that you have everything, know that God is the origin; He is the source. Everything emanates from Him.

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.8)

One of those objects is the sun. It is the epitome of sama-darshi. It looks upon everything equally. It does not consider that a certain area has received too much sunlight lately. It doesn’t redistribute its wealth, which is in the form of heat and light. The sun is there for everyone. Too much exposure causes damage to the body, and too little is harmful as well, but the sun is not to blame in either case.

2. Water

This is one of the gross elements in a material existence, and like the sun it is vital for sustaining life. Water is a physical substance, so it has certain properties. It reacts in certain ways when combined with other substances. The reactions are so predictable that there is a science based on the study, which is rooted in observation and experiment. That science has laws that are never broken. As water comes from God, this is further evidence of His equal vision. The water that He creates does not discriminate.

3. Food

Water and sunlight combine to produce food, which is necessary to keep life going. Food may be abundant in certain areas and scarce in others, but again the object itself does not play favorites. It does not consider that since a rich person has plenty available it won’t react the same way. The pizza has the same taste regardless of the person eating it.

4. Sounds of the Vedas

The Sanskrit word Veda means “knowledge,” and the Vedas are a collection of scriptural works containing the most essential knowledge for both surviving and thriving going forward. Rewards in the present lifetime are referred to as svartha, and those manifesting in the afterlife are paramartha. Bhakti is the highest reward since it brings pleasure, happiness, joy, excitement, and satisfaction in any condition. A devotee could be living in the hellish region and still be happy since they have some kind of association with God the person.

That association can be created through something as simple as sound: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Though this sound is produced through a language known as Sanskrit, the effects are neither limited nor restricted. The sound of Krishna brings Krishna to any person who produces it. The sounds of the Vedas are there to bring the highest reward to any person. It is purifying for every soul, regardless of the body type they are in. Those Vedas are non-different from God Himself.

5. His dealings in Vrindavana

As mentioned before sometimes the Divine in the physical form descends to this world and others. In the original, all-attractive transcendental body of Shri Krishna, God spends a significant amount of time in the land of Vrindavana. What is special about this place is that only devotees live there. In other areas sometimes there are adversaries, worthy opponents who clash with God as part of a real-life drama intended to teach many lessons simultaneously.

In Vrindavana the living beings are not all the same externally. There are parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends [both male and female]. There are peacocks, parrots, bees, deer, and cows. The tie that binds everyone together is the love for Shri Krishna, who reciprocates by giving endless opportunities for service.

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.29)

He is sama-darshi to the countless spirit souls travelling through the cycle of birth and death. He is inside of both the sinner and the saint. The nature of the experience corresponds directly to the degree to which God’s presence is acknowledge and appreciated.

In Vrindavana everyone is a devotee, and so they are considered a friend to Krishna. He applies the equal vision to them as well, since the devotion is pure. It is said that the sweeper in the temple is as dear to Krishna as the travelling preacher. The idea is that whatever situation a person finds themselves in, whatever qualities they have, they should take advantage of the opportunity for bhakti-yoga, devotional service, and make their life perfect.

In Closing:

Cat, dog, parrot, cow and bee,

In material world distinctions to see.

But actually same on the inside,

Since spirit soul to preside.

Equality of vision proof from the sun,

Water and food discriminating none.

Shri Krishna in Vrindavana dealing,

With love towards all living beings.

Five Reasons Success In Bhakti Can’t Be Dependent On Knowledge

“Everyone is eligible for the supreme destination. In the Shrimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that even the lowest, who are called chandalas (dog-eaters), can be elevated by association with a pure devotee. Therefore devotional service and guidance of a pure devotee are so strong that there is no discrimination between the lower and higher classes of men; anyone can take to it. The most simple man taking shelter of the pure devotee can be purified by proper guidance.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 9.32 Purport)

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The Bhagavad-gita. It is found within the larger Mahabharata. The four Vedas. The eighteen Puranas. The Ramayana. The list goes on. Vedic literature doesn’t have an equivalent of the Bible because there is no final word on the Absolute. The Vedas continue to expand since they sing of the gunas, or transcendental qualities, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

That highest person is for everyone. It is not a matter of faith. His position can be explained in scientific terms, in the best possible way to help us understand. We need convincing, after all. Some of us need a lot. There are so many engagements available in a material existence, which continuously spins, like a wheel that brings temporary suffering and enjoyment.

Despite so much knowledge available, the pathway to liberation, to escaping the cycle of birth and death for good, is not dependent on any specific factor. Knowledge is known as jnana in Sanskrit. This word is often paired with vairagya, which means “renunciation.” These are two important factors exclusively available to the human being, aiding them in their hopefully progressive march towards enlightenment.

Bhakti-yoga is the original way of life, and in a material existence it initially gets tagged as a kind of spiritual practice. Its superiority is proved in many ways, with one of them being the lack of a requirement of knowledge.

1. It would mean the soul is bound to a material quality

The individual suffers and enjoys, starting with the time of birth and ending with death, only to have the cycle repeat again in the next life. Though the experience is real, the effects are not. This is because the individual is spirit soul, significantly distinct from the body, which is composed of material elements, both gross and subtle.

The body can be destroyed. The force is inflicted either from other living entities or from within. There are so many miseries which must be endured. The negative influence is rooted in kala, which is time. Kala can only be fought off for so long, with the eventual onset of old age, followed by disease and death.

“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.20)

The soul cannot be destroyed; simply not possible. The soul has distinct properties, with knowledge among them. Jnana in a material existence is a way to remove the inhibiting influence of the body to the point that the knowledge within the soul emerges. Nevertheless, the level that a specific material element is present has no bearing on the soul. If knowledge were a strict requirement for success in bhakti, then the soul would be dependent on the body, which it is not.

2. Who is to say what is knowledge?

What exactly is jnana? Is it giving the correct answers in a trivia contest? Is it successfully passing an examination in school? Is it knowing how to operate a complicated machine, like a computer?

The Vedas are compared to a tree that has many branches. Those branches represent different departments of knowledge. There is a branch for the military science. There is a section for good administration. There is knowledge for maintaining good health. Basically, consider every goal that a person might desire, and then know that there exists a way to achieve that goal. The pathway is a kind of knowledge.

As bhakti is inherent to the soul, every individual has the potential for success. Familiarity with a specific branch of knowledge is not a relevant factor.

3. Arjuna couldn’t remember his past lives

Success in bhakti isn’t relegated to a theoretical exercise. There are the principles, for sure. There are the recommendations coming from the spiritual guide, the guru. He follows in a chain of disciplic succession. The chain is bona fide when the origin is God Himself. Otherwise at some point there was mental speculation, which means flawed knowledge.

There are devotees from the past who have succeeded in bhakti. We know this because they were very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Krishna. One of them is Arjuna, who was the direct recipient of the spotless wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita.

“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)

Arjuna temporarily went into doubt so as to start the wonderful question and answer session that followed. Though Arjuna succeeded in bhakti, he was declared to be deficient in a key area of knowledge: memory. Krishna said that Arjuna was always His associate. They had appeared together in the world in previous ages. Krishna could remember those times, but Arjuna could not. This means that Arjuna lacked perfect knowledge, and yet we know he succeeded in bhakti.

4. Children can be liberated

It’s been a long day at the office. The commute in the morning was brutal. The darn F train was out of service, again. People are starting to curse at the governor. Last week the same train completely turned off while it was in between stations. People were stranded in total darkness, without air conditioning, for over an hour. It’s like the worst nightmare coming true.

On this particular day, you just want to go home and relax. You want to take off this shirt and tie and slip into a t-shirt and shorts. Then you will sit down and watch Sesame Street. You’ve recorded it the last few days and you don’t want to fall too behind.

Obviously, the last part would never happen. Adults don’t watch television programming reserved for children. Yet at some point they probably did watch those shows. Children have different interests precisely because they are at a different level of maturity. Maturity in this regard directly correlates with knowledge. Simply put, adults typically have more knowledge than children. The degree of difference can be stark.

Yet we know that children can be liberated. They can practice bhakti-yoga, and achieve perfection. The best example is Prahlada Maharaja, whose exploits when he was just five years old are described in great detail in works like the Shrimad Bhagavatam. He was a special case, in that he did have great knowledge passed on to him by the guru Narada.

Bhakti is transcendental love, after all. Even though children may not know how to read on an advanced level, they can love. Their belief in God is natural; cynicism arrives later in life. Their potential for succeeding in pleasing the Supreme Lord is another indication that knowledge is not a strict requirement.

5. Even lower classes can be liberated

Shri Krishna specifically mentions women, merchants, and laborers as having the potential to achieve success in the path of true yoga. The statement is intentional since in a material existence there is so much competition, and thus pity for those who are seemingly at a lower stage.

As a class based on material quality, guna, and work, karma, the brahmanas are at the top. The very word means someone who knows Brahman, which is the impersonal spiritual energy. The bona fide brahmana is equipped to guide the rest of society. They may even recommend fruitive activity, done with detachment, as a way to advance. Sometimes a person is not ready to hear the entire spiritual science; it may be too much to grasp at the time.

Yet bhakti-yoga is not dependent on occupation. During the time period the Bhagavad-gita was spoken women didn’t have a traditional job. They didn’t attend school. They learned everything through home life, from family tradition. Merchants tend to be focused on earning a profit and laborers on doing their jobs properly. In these roles there usually isn’t knowledge of Brahman. Nevertheless, success is possible, as pure love for God is the only requirement.

Additionally, just because someone is knowledgeable doesn’t mean they are a good person. They could use their knowledge to try to fool innocent people. They may even twist the words of the Vedas to try to show that everyone is God or that God is ultimately impersonal. Jnana and vairagya are certainly helpful in making progress in spiritual life, but true success, which is marked by the presence of pure bhakti, is never dependent on external factors.

In Closing:

Child with reading ability none,

Still towards Supreme can come.

Workers laboring hard in the field,

Merchants focusing on profit’s yield.

Women managing at home to stay,

Towards Krishna each can find a way.

Knowledge surely giving force ascendant,

But pure love not on anything dependent.

The Five Kinds Of Liberation

“Pure devotees reject the five kinds of liberation; indeed, for them liberation is very insignificant because they see it as hellish.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 9.267)

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It’s the fourth and hopefully last reward of living. Upon attaining it, the previous three are negated. No more searching for profit from endeavor, artha. No more adhering to strict rules and regulations in order to stay on the righteous path, dharma. And no more risking rebirth through material attachment in sense gratification, kama.

Moksha, or liberation, is the end to the cycle of birth and death. Time is infinite in both directions and the living spirit always has some independence, which means that it is entirely possible to choose to go in a different direction after the fact. Moksha is not having to suffer under the laws of the material world, where birth and death are required by rule, forced upon the living entity, who is otherwise helpless.

Moksha also means “to release,” and so when let free from the burdens of reincarnation there is a specific kind of enjoyment. That experience is known as mukti, and there are five kinds. The pure devotee is so amazing that they don’t even seek liberation, though that may be a motivating factor in the beginning.

1. Salokya

It should be stated that achieving mukti is not easy in the slightest. The human birth is a reward received after many births and deaths. Then within that population a person has to be fortunate enough to want to know more, to endeavor for perfection in living. The default mentality does not seek mukti; the chase for sense gratification mimics the behavior of the animals.

“Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.3)

Potential objects of attachment are everywhere, and as long as there is the slightest attachment rebirth is guaranteed. Liberation is based on consciousness, particularly that measured at the time of death. When there are no material desires, which the true spiritual seekers aim for, then rebirth stops.

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.6)

Salokya is one of the kinds of liberation available after becoming free from the cycle of birth and death and material desires. This kind of mukti brings residence on a planet where the Supreme Personality of Godhead resides. He is the original purusha, or person, and He is also ananta, or unlimited. He can live in many places simultaneously. He is within every space in the material world through the expansion of Supersoul, but this liberation refers to places where God stays in a personal, complete form.

2. Samipya

In this liberation a person becomes God’s associate. They follow Him wherever He goes. They are always by His side, in some place in the spiritual world.

3. Sarupya

One distinction between the material world and the spiritual world is the issue of dual-identity. At present I identify with the body, but actually that is just a covering. The spirit inside is what animates the body. After liberation there is no such distinction. The individual gets a spiritual body, which means that their identity is taken as a whole, meaning even from the rupa, or form.

“In sarupya liberation the bodily features of the devotee are exactly like those of the Supreme Person but for two or three symptoms found exclusively on the transcendental body of the Lord. Shrivatsa, for example, the hair on the chest of the Lord, particularly distinguishes Him from His devotees.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.29.13 Purport)

In sarupya mukti the individual gets a form just like God’s. In the Vaikuntha realm there are planets where the Supreme Lord resides in a beautiful, four-handed form. The other residents get an almost identical form. With this liberation you are basically just like God, with the shrivatsa a distinguishing factor; only God has this mark.

4. Sarshti

In this liberation a person attains opulences just like the Supreme Lord. One name for Him is Bhagavan, which means a person who possesses all fortunes. He has beauty, wealth, strength, fame, wisdom and renunciation simultaneously, and to the fullest degree. The person who has attained liberation has a chance to get some or all of the same opulences.

5. Sayujya

This is merging into the effulgence of the Lord. That energy at the collective level is known as Brahman. In the Bhagavad-gita Shri Krishna describes how the living entities are Brahman. They are already part of this energy, but in the conditioned state they don’t realize it. As a result they go through the cycle of birth and death.

Sayujya is the liberation where the living entities escape from the illusion of maya and enter into the Brahman effulgence. The distinction with this kind of mukti is the loss of identity. There is no chance for interaction or activity. It is a kind of stateless existence.

“Vibhishana obtained Lanka, Sugriva became king, and Hanuman and Jatayu also received wonderful rewards, but the fallen Tulsidas only wants love for Shri Rama’s holy name.” (Dohavali, 34)

As mentioned before, devotees don’t seek any of these kinds of mukti. They simply want to serve. As Goswami Tulsidas so wonderfully states in his Dohavali, the lone desire is to have attachment to God, and more specifically to the holy name. With that attachment even residence in the hellish region is acceptable, for there will always be the opportunity for continued devotion. But until such a high platform is reached, the dangling carrot of mukti helps to bring urgency for escaping the clutches of a material existence.

In Closing:

Fourth reward of life known,

Surpassing rest, standing alone.

Liberation in five ways defined,

No more birth and death to find.

On God’s planet or with form the same,

Companion, opulences or merging to gain.

Devotee never any such accepting,

Save bhakti all else rejecting.

Five Examples Of Happiness And Sadness Arriving Without Endeavor

“Prahlada Maharaja continued: My dear friends born of demoniac families, the happiness perceived with reference to the sense objects by contact with the body can be obtained in any form of life, according to one's past fruitive activities. Such happiness is automatically obtained without endeavor, just as we obtain distress.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.6.3)

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The evolutionary chain. Jumping from one form to another. The science of self-realization, rooted in the Vedas, gives the proper understanding of this mysterious concept. It is not the bodies which effect a change. They are composed of matter, after all, which is dull and lifeless. Matter in this sense is spread into different categories, or elements, some of which are subtle and some of which are gross.

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego - altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.4)

It is the soul which travels from one body type to another. That is the real meaning to evolution, and those body types correspond to species. The human birth is considered the most auspicious, but not for any of the reasons that immediately come to mind. In fact, lacking one key ingredient the experience in the human birth is quite similar to what occurs in other species.

The living being is spirit soul, and part of their constitution is blissfulness, ananda. In every species there is the search for happiness, to match the soul’s blissful nature. Prahlada Maharaja, an expert teacher in the spiritual science at a very young age, once told his classmates that there is no reason to separately endeavor for happiness. Neither should there be great effort made to prevent the counterpart, distress. Both arrive on their own.

1. Hunger and satisfaction

You ate to your satisfaction the night before. In fact, you probably went over the line. The wife cooked so much and you didn’t want anything to go to waste. You ate whatever she put on the table. She’s been getting on you about gaining some weight. She doesn’t like that you are thin.

The food was prepared nicely and it tasted good, so you indulged. You felt the satisfaction that comes with eating. You didn’t have to labor too much to get this feeling. It is there in other species, as well, though the fare may be different. The tiger preys on other animals, the early bird looks for the worm, and the rabbit is content eating spinach. Despite the variety in species, the feeling of satisfaction from eating is more or less the same.

Then you wake up the next morning, having sworn the previous night to take it easy going forward. The problem is that hunger has returned. How is this possible? You ate so much in the last meal. The body does not take that into consideration. The stomach is now empty and expecting more food. The longer in the day you go without eating, the more intense the feeling of hunger gets. Once again, there was no need to endeavor for this experience; it arrived as if on a schedule.

2. Sleepiness and wakefulness

There is a big game on television. It’s important to you, which is what counts. It’s a playoff game. If your team loses, they are eliminated. If they win, they fight on to the next round. This is the reason you watch sports, for the real-life drama.

The problem is that your body wants to sleep. The drowsiness is so intense that you zone out every few seconds. Despite the best efforts to remain awake, you can’t. You are compelled to sleep. Record the game and watch it in the morning. Hopefully none of your friends will spoil the outcome before then.

On the other side is wakefulness. It’s the middle of the afternoon. You want to sleep. You figure rest will do you some good. The problem is you are wide awake. The body is ready to continue working. You never asked for this experience. You didn’t make a separate endeavor to feel either one: sleepiness or wakefulness.

3. Noise and silence

There is a car alarm blaring outside. It’s coming from the neighbor’s driveway. Obviously, they are out somewhere. Who knows what triggered the alarm. Sometimes a few raindrops is all it takes. The problem is you want the alarm to stop. The noise is very annoying. You want peace and quiet.

On another day it’s too quiet at night. You are accustomed to having the fan on while falling asleep. Without any white noise, you’re keeping awake when you don’t want to. When will some noise come to rescue you?

4. Fear and relief

I’m so afraid of failing that examination tomorrow. I should have nothing to worry about. I have studied plenty. I did well in school this year. Everything comes down to the final, however. Not until I actually pass the test will I feel any relief.

Later on I see that I have passed the test. The relief is wonderful. I just want to lay in bed and do nothing. No more worrying. Of course, I know that’s not true. Pretty soon something else will be a cause of concern. I will worry about the outcome and only get relief when things are settled.

5. Birth and death

No one asked me where I wanted to take birth. They didn’t let me choose my parents or my country of origin. It just happened. Here I am. No use complaining about it now. In fact, every kind of happiness and distress already mentioned begins with the event of birth.

Death is inevitable. It’s a moment of great sadness for those who are left behind. They no longer have the association of the departed. This event was guaranteed as soon as there was birth. Nothing could be done to prevent it.

“For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.27)

Prahlada Maharaja wasn’t trying to kill anyone’s buzz. He wasn’t trying to get his classmates to become depressed in a period of their lives where there is general happiness and a carefree attitude. Rather, the knowledge of the arrival of happiness and distress without endeavor is meant to make a person more dhira, or sober. Knowledge is a platform from which a person can reach new heights.

These heights relate to the consciousness, and it is the potential to fully purify that consciousness which makes the human birth the most auspicious. Prahlada was special; he had that consciousness from the moment of birth. He heard from the spiritual master while within the womb, and he remembered everything after taking birth.

He tried to impart the same wisdom to his classmates, who were sons of demons, or Daityas. Prahlada’s father was the best of the Daityas, and unfortunately he was the most steadfast against Prahlada’s recommended way of life. The great happiness that the father enjoyed through ruling the world ended suddenly and tragically at the hands of the Supreme Lord. Prahlada, on the other hand, maintained real happiness throughout life, during both the ups and downs that a material existence brings. This was because he had devotion to God, which brings something to last well beyond the temporary material existence.

In Closing:

Prahlada to his classmates telling,

That from birth duality foretelling.

How happiness and sadness to come,

As if on their own, with endeavor none.

Like at night from fatigue rest to take,

And in day staying wide awake.

From bhakti something much better to get,

In supreme bliss the consciousness set.

How Can You Say That Krishna Doesn’t Care About What Happens In The Material World

“O Dhananjaya, all this work cannot bind Me. I am ever detached, seated as though neutral.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.9)

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Friend1: When first becoming familiar with Vedic teachings, and more specifically those descending from the chain of teachers in the bhakti tradition, one of the things that immediately struck me was the equality of piety and sin.

Friend2: What do you mean by equality?

Friend1: That they are more or less the same.

Friend2: What are you trying to say, that killing someone is no big deal? Helping a poor person get back on their feet is meaningless?

Friend1: I know what you are trying to do. I will explain, if you want.

Friend2: Please do.

Friend1: I had the same doubts when I first learned of the secret. And I consider it a secret since it’s not something openly told to every person.

Friend2: We’ve likely never heard it before.

Friend1: The idea is that there is the original sin of leaving the spiritual world.

Friend2: It’s described as a fall or descent.

Friend1: A fall from grace. The grace was the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the all-attractive Shri Krishna. In His company there is no dividing line between piety and sin. Everything is wonderful, blissful, amazing, great, what have you.

Friend2: What causes the fall?

Friend1: That is what I’m getting to. The slightest hint of desire to enjoy separate from Him results in birth in the material world. From there the dualities commence. Birth and death. Heat and cold. Happiness and sadness. Night and day.

Friend2: Man and woman. Child and adult.

Friend1: You could go on and on. Piety and sin is added to the list. Doing things the right way is pious behavior. It brings some positive result.

Friend2: If it’s positive then how can it be the same as sin?

Friend1: The result is temporary. The topmost achievement is residence in the heavenly realm. This comes after death. Sin is the opposite. At the most basic level it’s doing something the wrong way. The more you sin, the more negative consequences you accumulate. The nature is the same, however. Temporary. If you get sent to the hellish planets to suffer, eventually there is a chance at redemption.

Friend2: There you go. That’s a pretty good explanation.

Friend1: A question I often get relates to Krishna and His outlook. People take offense when I tell them that God doesn’t really care about what happens in the material world.

Friend2: Why are they offended?

Friend1: They consider it appalling. Murder, theft, rape, pain, suffering, loss, heartache. What kind of person sits back and doesn’t care about those things?

Friend2: Do you explain the nature of piety and sin to them? Do you direct them to the Bhagavad-gita, where Krishna Himself says that He sits back, as if neutral?

Friend1: I try. That’s why I brought it up today. Hoping you can explain it better.

Friend2: I’m not some genius here. I’m just referencing what is said in the open, in the famous discussion between Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

Friend1: God expands as Supersoul. I know that. He is in the heart of both the thief and the victim of the theft.

Friend2: Exactly. He is with everyone. He must be neutral; otherwise He would be implicated in the activities of everyone. He would have the greatest debt of karma imaginable. As we know, He is above karma. None of the work binds Him.

Friend1: Does He work?

Friend2: You could say that He does more work than anyone. The entire creation, maintenance, and dissolution are attributable to Him. So much is going on, and everything is due to His potency. He sits back, not being overly concerned, but nothing could occur without His intervention first.

Friend1: Why would He allow the bad things to happen, though? Are those the results of someone’s karma? The people committed sins in the past and so they have to suffer eventually.

Friend2: That is the immediate cause, for sure. A harsh reality of life, no doubt. Think about it this way. If you have a bad dream and tell me about it the next day, what will my reaction be?

Friend1: I have no idea. You’ll listen and probably think I am messed up in the head.

Friend2: I came to that conclusion a long time ago [smiles]. Seriously, though, I probably won’t care that much. I’m not going to get really upset, am I?

Friend1: No; why would you? It’s just a dream.

Friend2: And there you have it. Material existence is just like a dream. One second it’s there, the next it’s gone. The emotions are real, but nothing from the experience lasts, including the vehicle on which the travel occurs: the body. The lone reality is God Himself, and so when a person tries to reconnect Krishna breaks from His neutrality. He actively helps the person return to the spiritual world, the land free of dualities.

In Closing:

In introduction key knowledge to gain,

That piety and sin on level the same.

Since experience in life like a dream,

Temporary, though real it seems.

Reason for God’s position why,

Neutral, not intervening to try.

For devotees an exception making,

Towards right direction taking.

Four Misconceptions About God Resulting From Speculative Reasoning

“Lord Chaitanya has said that in this age no one needs to change his position, but one should give up the endeavor to understand the Absolute Truth by speculative reasoning. One should learn to become the servant of those who are in knowledge of the Supreme Lord. If one is fortunate enough to take shelter of a pure devotee, hear from him about self-realization and follow in his footsteps, he will be gradually elevated to the position of a pure devotee.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 13.26 Purport)

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Separate and equal. Simultaneous oneness and difference. This is the philosophy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a spiritual teacher from the medieval period in India whose glories and influence continue to expand to this day. Others had described the true position of the individual, who is spirit soul, in varying levels of detail, but Chaitanya descended to this world to give the final word.

The Sanskrit term for the philosophy is achintya-bhedabheda-tattva. The Vedas go beyond blind faith, acceptance of a savior for no reason other than inherited family traditions. The human birth brings the highest potential for intelligence. The idea is to use discrimination to the fullest. Bring every doubt to the table. Ask every question and spend some time considering the answers, which are provided by elevated souls who are acknowledged to be realized.

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.34)

That is the only path that brings perfection. Any other effort to understand the mysteries of life is put into the category of mental speculation. Upon agreeing to accept a disciple, the spiritual master warns against this flawed path. Mental speculation may be useful for filling airtime on television when discussing politics or sports, but for understanding the origin of everything the practice is something like guessing what paintings are hanging on the walls in a dark, unlit room.

Not until the light is turned on will there be certainty. Prior to that, each person’s guess is as good as the next’s. In this regard, when lacking the Divine light shone by the realized soul, speculative reasoning leads to some common misconceptions about God and man’s relationship to Him.

1. He is old

The fourfold miseries of life are birth, old age, disease and death. The concept of “old” is relative. A rock band released three albums in four years. When on tour supporting the fourth album they ask the crowd, “Do you guys want to hear some old stuff,” referencing songs from the first album. In fact, those songs are only four years old. Later on the same band plays songs that are ten years old, from their most recent album, and make no mention of the gap in time.

Aging starts from the time of birth. In one sense the birthday marks the amount of time a person has died. A seventy year old person has died seventy years; they are marching closer to inevitable death.

As old age afflicts every person that we know, surely it must be the same with God. Since He was purportedly around at the beginning of the creation, He must be the oldest person. Therefore some visible signs of aging must be there. We know that old people tend to get cranky more easily and often. Hence the imagined image of God as an old, vindictive man, with a long beard, watching disapprovingly from above.

2. He is dead

When someone leaves us, we never get to speak with them again. The only thing remaining are the memories. Perhaps some recorded sound and video, but interaction is not possible. It is one of the harshest realities of life: those most dear to us will one day be gone.

Since we can’t make a phone call to God or find His address online, it must mean that He doesn’t exist. Perhaps people conceived of Him as a way to cope with the aforementioned realities of life. It’s faith, after all. Just believe. Don’t look for evidence. Take strength from your faith. Take comfort.

But don’t try to fool me. I know He doesn’t exist. Moreover, society is succeeding in gradually diminishing His influence. It seems like He is dead now. Man is still eating. They are still enjoying. They don’t have to follow this religion or that. They don’t have to go to church. They don’t have to pray.

3. I am God

Vedic literature provides some justification for this speculative conclusion, but it is only half the truth. The terms abheda and advaita indicate the lack of duality or division. The spirit soul is one with God. The qualities are the same: eternality, bliss and knowledge.

This must mean that I am God. So are you. We are all God; we just don’t know it. One day we will become Brahman realized and merge back together. Until then, don’t worry about stuff. We should go about serving mankind. Let us serve nature. That will bring peace and prosperity. More happy people means a more pleasant experience through the cycle of birth and death. The population is like the clay pot that has shattered into pieces. Each piece equally represents the pot. One day the pieces will come back together and the pot will be whole again.

4. God gave us this life to enjoy

What kind of God would want His children to suffer? Why would He want them to limit enjoyment, especially when there is great abundance on earth? Animals are to be under the care of humans, right? What is the harm in eating them, then? There is nothing wrong with indulging in intoxicants every now and then. Without gambling what will we do to pass the time? We are here now. We believe in Him. Let us enjoy the gift of life. We will ascend to heaven in the afterlife.

As mentioned previously, without consulting authority one person’s speculation is as valid as another’s. The formula provided by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is to hear from realized souls. That determination is ultimately made at the individual level, for there are cheaters everywhere. The effect of proper hearing is that the erroneous conclusions borne of speculative reasoning are removed.

The realized souls tell us that God is nava-yauvanam, or always fresh and new. His body never ages beyond the teenage years, and even prior the aging is not of the type we know. It is something like different images being shown at different periods of time. There is no difference between spirit and body for God.

“I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.9)

Since God is all-attractive, one name for Him is Krishna. As He reveals in the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna is the life of everything that lives. He is the very definition of an existence. Thus He can never be dead. Nor is He ever born. He is present through the expansion of Supersoul, or Paramatma. He hears and sees everything. The proper consciousness is required in order to notice His presence. A person sitting in a dark, windowless room thinks that the sun doesn’t exist, but their viewpoint is flawed. Once they leave the room they can get proof.

Advaita says that we are similar to God, but that understanding is only half the truth. We are similar, but different at the same time. We are non-dual in the sense that nothing can be completely separated from God. The hand is part of my body, my existence, but my hand doesn’t represent who I am. The many sparks of the Brahman energy come from God, but they are not God directly.

“By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.4)

Krishna wants us to enjoy, as bliss is inherent to the soul’s constitutional makeup. The means of that enjoyment is known only to the realized souls. What we typically consider to be enjoyment is actually forgetfulness. Those activities are different ways to sink deeper into ignorance, which keeps Krishna far away. Real enjoyment is entering the eternal engagement that is devotional service. This involves serving both God and His servants, and the bliss only continues to expand.

In Closing:

The ignorance only to expand,

Never properly to understand.

When truth through speculation seeking,

Erroneous conclusions reaching.

Like God old since so long been around,

Or maybe dead, never to be found.

In fact always fresh and new,

Same as us, but vastly different too.