Is It Possible To Achieve Heaven

“O Partha, happy are the kshatriyas to whom such fighting opportunities come unsought, opening for them the doors of the heavenly planets.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.32)

Download this episode (right click and save)

Friend1: I was listening to the radio the other day.

Friend2: News?

Friend1: Talk.

Friend2: Okay.

Friend1: It’s a pretty decent show in that the host gets you thinking about things. I like that radio appeals to the intellect, versus images and how they appeal to emotion.

Friend2: That is so true. It explains why a certain kind of talk radio never succeeds. You can easily spread hate and misinformation through images, but if you have to substantiate such positions through spoken word, where people can only hear, then it is more difficult.

Friend1: You might be correct about that.

Friend2: This is why the Vedas are known as the shrutis. The highest wisdom is passed down in an aural tradition at first. Don’t even get to the written word, which is basically the same thing. Hear from an authority figure, remember, and then pass on to others.

Friend1: I’ve heard it said that people used to remember better back in the day.

Friend2: You mean the capacity for memorization was enhanced in ancient times, when man was supposedly a Neanderthal, who didn’t know anything except grunting?

Friend1: Haha, yes.

Friend2: Well, you’ve heard the saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention”?

Friend1: Yes.

Friend2: If there is no written word, think of how valuable memory becomes. People could memorize precisely because they had to. You don’t have to trust just the Vedas and people like Vyasadeva. It is said that Homer, the Greek poet, used to recite his lengthy works from memory.

Friend1: I remember learning that.

Friend2: So it’s the same concept. If you have a smartphone with you wherever you go, when will you get the chance to practice using your memory?

Friend1: True.

Friend2: Anyway, what did you hear on this radio program?

Friend1: Oh, okay. I thought this was interesting. Somehow the host got into the subject of religion. Well, not religion so much but more like the meaning of life. It was an interesting discussion, as the host revealed that he certainly believes in God, especially because of the amazing complexity found in this world.

Friend2: Any sane person would admit that. The “I don’t believe in imaginary people” argument is a silly excuse to avoid the awesome responsibility of being able to shape your afterlife.

Friend1: At the end of the segment the host said something about achieving heaven. When he gets back from commercial break, he immediately corrects himself. You can tell that people started hounding him. He said something like, “Of course I know that you can’t achieve heaven. Only faith gets you there. Good works will not do it.”

Friend2: Ah, so he got pressured by followers of a particular religion?

Friend1: Yes.

Friend2: Interesting.

Friend1: I definitely want your take on this.

Friend2: On what?

Friend1: About achieving heaven versus getting there through faith.

Friend2: Come on. This is an easy one. You really have to ask me?

Friend1: Because it will provide a good knowledgebase to consult if ever this argument should arise in the future.

Friend2: First of all, this has nothing to do with me. The knowledgebase is the Bhagavad-gita. You can argue that I have my book and you have yours, but no other book in the world gives information like mine.

Friend1: The true identity of the individual, the travels of the soul, the inferior nature of matter, reincarnation, past and future lives, the different kinds of worlds, consciousness, the dangers of succumbing to lust.

Friend2: And so on and so on. This isn’t even my book. Bhagavad-gita is for everyone. Anyway, so you get information about heaven and hell from Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He says that every planet from Brahma’s on down is part of the material world. That is to say they could all be called martya-loka.

Friend1: The planet of death.

Friend2: Paired with death is birth. Birth and death mean rebirth. Rebirth only happens in the material world. Whether death occurs after a day or billions of years makes no difference; the nature is the same. Heaven is thus simply a place where death occurs after a longer period of time.

Friend1: With enhanced material enjoyment.

Friend2: And hell is the opposite. More suffering. You already get experiences of both while living on earth.

Friend1: Okay but what about achieving the two places?

Friend2: Are you kidding me? Will faith get you to Chicago? If I have strong faith that I want to change my location from Los Angeles to Chicago, will I automatically reach my destination?

Friend1: Of course not.

Friend2: Action is required. You have to move. These are works. It is absurd to say that you can’t achieve Chicago.

Friend1: Right, but how do I guarantee achieving heaven? Isn’t there an element of faith involved?

Friend2: How do you know that the train will go to where it says it will? How do you know that the plane will land in Chicago? There has to be faith. When you get to the desired destination, you rely on faith to validate the location.

Friend1: What do you mean?

Friend2: Just because the city signs say Chicago doesn’t mean that you are in the right place. There is some faith there, as well.

Friend1: It’s work only, then? That is how you get to heaven?

Friend2: It’s the reward for pious deeds. In one sense you don’t even have to believe in God. Just do the right things and the destination is automatically achieved. Krishna implies this when discussing fighting in a war. He reminds Arjuna that by fighting valiantly, the doors to heaven will be opened. Even if there is a loss, by fighting under the principles of dharma a person achieves heaven.

Friend1: What about faith, then? Is religion a waste of time if you can just do good works to get to heaven?

Friend2: Spiritual heaven is different. The only way to get there is consciousness. Actually, the other destinations are through consciousness, also, but that is influenced by work. Whatever state of being one has at the time of death, that state they achieve in the next life [Bg 8.6].

Friend1: Religion is for changing consciousness, then?

Friend2: For loving God. That’s it. Nothing else. The rules, regulations, attire, books read, words spoken - everything is for changing consciousness from material to spiritual. It may take a while for the change to manifest, but the goal is unchanged. You can certainly achieve the spiritual land of Vaikuntha, where reincarnation stops, through changing consciousness. If you want to give credit to faith, then have it for the spiritual teacher and the person they represent. Faith actually means something. It’s not just certification from an established institution. It is not just showing up at a specific place on a regular basis. Genuine faith is part of consciousness, which influences every aspect of life.

In Closing:

Heaven through works to achieve,

Or simply from faith to believe?

When boarding the plane,

Reaching destinations the same?

Some work required,

Not only belief inspired.

Better for spiritual heaven to claim,

From consciousness through holy name.

If The Deity Is Krishna Then Why Feel Pains Of Separation

“The holy name of Krishna is nondifferent from Krishna, and one who attempts to spread the holy names throughout the world is beloved of Him.” (Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, Ch 1)

Download this episode (right click and save)

Friend1: Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Friend2: The golden avatara.

Friend1: Whose identity is hidden. Kept confidential, known to a select few.

Friend2: More important to show the example, that the ideal life is bhakti-yoga, devotional service.

Friend1: No need to necessarily proclaim to the whole world that you are a combined incarnation of Radha-Krishna.

Friend2: Appearing in the form of a brahmana, inducing people to chant the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Friend1: Starting from the beginning of life. As a child crying until someone would say the name of Hari.

Friend2: Haribol!

Friend1: Mahaprabhu especially showed signs of separation.

Friend2: The feelings. This is the mood of Radharani. I believe the Sanskrit term is vipralambha. There is a unique kind of emotion. It’s like feeling the blues, but the transcendental variety.

Friend1: And it is not negative.

Friend2: Right. It’s not like crying after your best friend has moved to another city. It’s not like missing your parents after being dropped off at school for the first time. It’s this intense separation anxiety that is actually blissful deep down.

Friend1: Shri Chaitanya is searching after Krishna, at least in the manifest pastimes.

Friend2: He is not proclaiming to everyone that, “I have found God and my work is finished.” In fact, the effort is never complete. That is the meaning to spiritual; always expanding.

Friend1: Here is an obvious question, at least to me.

Friend2: Okay.

Friend1: We are taught that the holy names are non-different from the Supreme Lord.

Friend2: Yes, but this is very difficult to realize. Emphasis placed on repetition. Numerical strength. Repeat the maha-mantra on a daily basis, as routine. Of course forced action, monotonous repeated behavior, is not bhakti, but the routine hopefully brings the individual to a point where they will feel spontaneous love.

Friend1: Let’s say that we have reached that destination. There is bhava. No need to try anymore.

Friend2: Okay.

Friend1: If the holy name is non-different from Krishna, why feel any pain at all?

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: There is no separation. I have the name of Krishna. I have the name of Rama. That means that the Almighty is always with me. Actually, we don’t have to go that far. Take the example of the deity. This is the merciful incarnation, the Supreme Lord appearing within supposedly material elements.

Friend2: Saguna. The accurate depiction helps to give an idea of what spiritual attributes mean, that God indeed has a form.

Friend1: I get that, but I know if the worship is done properly the deity is non-different from Krishna. That is to say even if I haven’t perfected chanting the holy names, I can find God in the temple.

Friend2: For sure. That is a preliminary stage. The wise person knows that Krishna is all-around. He is not limited in residence to a specific place.

Friend1: Or places even. There are thousands of temples around the world. People keep deities within the home. At the higher stages of consciousness we see God everywhere, including in every living species.

Friend2: Because everyone has Supersoul inside them.

Friend1: Mahaprabhu is teaching vipralambha-seva and at the same time visiting temples and showing symptoms of ecstasy during times of darshana.

Friend2: Sure. The vision is that important. See with the eyes of love.

Friend1: Okay, but I don’t get the separation angle. Why is the search continuing? You have found Krishna. He is there in the deity. He is there in the holy names.

Friend2: Right, so take that as another sign of mercy. Mahaprabhu is the most advanced and yet He won’t show it. He will display the opposite, that He still feels the need to search. The same for the Gosvamis of Vrindavana. They never said they found God. They worship in the temple and chant the holy names to show that these are ways to stay connected, especially in consciousness.

Friend1: I get that.

Friend2: Moreover, if you have found Krishna through these practices, then wouldn’t you want to hold on to Him?

Friend1: What do you mean?

Friend2: If you say that God is close by through the sound of His holy names and then you don’t regularly chant those names, it means that you haven’t really realized the non-difference.

Friend1: Hmm. Never thought of it that way, but I guess you are right.

Friend2: Yeah, so if you really believe, if you really understand, then you will always worship the deity. You will always chant the holy names. I’m trying to say that if you find God in truth, then you will take up more service. Like the case with Shri Hanuman, where meeting Rama was actually the beginning of more work; it wasn’t the end.

In Closing:

After years of prayers to send,

Realization not the end.

That non-different is He,

In that beautiful deity to see.

Mahaprabhu vipralambha displaying,

And urging for holy names saying.

Separation for others showing,

Search to benefit them knowing.

Three Ways That Sense Perception Is Limited

“Man's knowledge should be developed to explore the technology which deals with the difference between a living man and a dead man, a living body and a dead body. That spiritual knowledge was taught by Krishna in the beginning of Bhagavad-gita. Arjuna was talking to Krishna as a friend. Of course, whatever he was saying was right, but it was right only to a certain point. Beyond that point there are other subject matters of knowledge, which are called adhokshaja because our direct perception of material knowledge fails to approach them.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Krishna, the Reservoir of Pleasure)

Download this episode (right click and save)

“Science is the way. It has already debunked so many long-held beliefs, myths and legends of the past. You can’t blame the people. We call those times primitive for a reason. There wasn’t superior information available. The people didn’t know better, nor did they have a way to validate what was fed to them through tradition and religious leaders.

But now there is science. Sure, it hasn’t answered every question, but just see the progress made. And that progress continues. Nothing can stop it. Eventually, everything necessary to be known will be known.”

There is no denying the influence of science and technology in modern day life, but has it made man more enlightened? What about peace? Is the average person today more at peace than say someone living two or three hundred years ago?

As real science is based on observation and experiment, there is one flaw that cannot be overcome. It is a limitation, which provides another way to understand the Almighty.

1. Can’t see beyond the clouds

It’s a cloudy day outside. I wanted to play golf, but it looks like it won’t be much fun. Try hitting a ball stuck in a puddle in the grass. One time I took three swings and the ball didn’t budge. Very frustrating. I know that there is sun in the background, but there is no way to see it at the moment. Using special technology, I can get images of the sun taken from the other side, but still no direct line of sight.

2. Can’t hear perfectly

I was so excited to go to this concert. I’m not a big fan of the outdoor stadium, but it’s summertime so what can be done? It is my favorite band, and at least for one night I can forget my troubles. The issue here is that my seats are relatively far away from the stage. The discomfort from the distance is mitigated somewhat by the large screens in the background.

There is an issue I notice shortly after the concert begins. When the drummer hits the symbols, the sound doesn’t reach me until a little later. I can see the strike with my own eyes, but the sound is delayed. This is very annoying. The same applies for the singer. The lip movement is not in sync with the sound reaching me.

I recall something similar when playing baseball during my youth. In the outfield I would have to judge the trajectory of a fly ball without hearing the sound immediately. That is to say it took a split second or two for the sound to reach me after the batter struck the ball. I’ve been told that the cause is distance. The vision is immediate, while the sound needs time to travel.

3. Can’t smell something in another house

You are baking blueberry muffins. The aroma is wonderful. It has created a pleasant atmosphere in the home. The only problem is that I cannot share in the joy. I am in a different home, not closely located. The range of perception for smell is limited, as was the case in the previous examples.

Indeed, the range of perception for all senses carries the same limitation. There are some ways to get around the fact, such as recorded observations flowing through time and space. There is camera technology and the like, but the limitation is always there. That is to say one person cannot perceive anything and everything.

This is another way to understand God. One of His names is Adhokshaja, which means “beyond the measurement of blunt instruments.” As instruments are used to document what the senses perceive, God has features that no instrument can properly read. His measurements are beyond our understanding. He is simultaneously greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest. He is close by and also far away. He is with form and also without.

This understanding is significant, as it shows that science will never be able to reach God. It is simply not possible due to the limitations with sense perception. A person may be able to extend the capabilities, but nothing to reach infinity. Observation and experiment can only operate on what is witnessed, and the Supreme Lord is above and beyond the greatest witnessing capacity.

The effort to reach Him is not without hope. Though He is so difficult to perceive, there is the method of the descending process of knowledge. Consult someone who represents Him and learn more. Begin to find a way to connect. This is known as yoga, which is beyond the senses. A true yogi has managed to surpass the limitations of the material body instead of working within that realm. They become spiritual in the process and realize the greatness of Adhokshaja.

In Closing:

Can’t see beyond the cloud,

Sound over travel coming loud.

From distant image cooking to tell,

But not perceived that blueberry smell.

Limitations in this way found,

Preventing understanding sound.

With Divine way only through descending,

From yogi the spiritual vision lending.

How To Make Vedic Teachings Relatable To All Audiences

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.13)

Download this episode (right click and save)

Friend1: Athato brahma-jijnasa. Now is the time for inquiring into Brahman.

Friend2: The non-differentiated spiritual energy.

Friend1: What would be the differentiated version?

Friend2: It’s a vision, actually. Nothing changes the factual situation; all is the same on the ground, so to speak. It’s like when we say the sun is out. The sun is always there. Simply the cloud cover is absent at that particular moment.

Friend1: What is this vision, then?

Friend2: Where you see distinctions, vishesha. You see the spiritual energy, but in a divided way. You think that the human being has a different kind of soul than the animal. You think life is lacking in places where it is found in abundance.

Friend1: A kind of ignorance, then.

Friend2: You could say that. Brahman unifies everything. When I understand Brahman I know that I am no different from you. I quickly lose the great sympathy I have for people less materially prosperous than myself. I no longer feel envious of the person who supposedly has everything. I am consciously aware of how living in a material body is like being in a bubble, as Shri Hanuman describes.

“Whom are you lamenting for when you yourself are pitiable? Why do you pity the poor when you yourself have now been made poor? While in this body that is like a bubble, how can anyone look at anyone else as being worthy of lamentation?” (Hanuman speaking to Tara, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 21.3)

Friend1: The human life is meant for this purpose. The athato word implies that the moment has arrived. A sense of urgency. Previously, the opportunity may not have been there.

Friend2: There was an existence in the past. We didn’t just come from nowhere. In a different kind of body, like that of a plant or fish, there was little chance to become Brahman realized. The material elements covering the spotless spirit soul were too inhibiting.

Friend1: Okay, this is a good foundation for the question today. The human birth supposedly brings more auspicious material elements to cover the soul. Specifically, the subtle element of intelligence has a higher potential.

Friend2: Yes.

Friend1: The thing is, in the beginning there is only potential. The infant cannot learn about Brahman. They cannot even communicate with words.

Friend2: Only crying and smiling.

Friend1: Then there is childhood. Again, more learning of the basics. They likely won’t understand what is Brahman.

Friend2: Right.

Friend1: Yet the teachers of the truth, tattva, travel to different venues to discuss the very need for realizing Brahman, the spiritual energy, and more.

Friend2: They are merciful in that way. They are not obligated to share what they have learned, to accept the challenges of those who are against God and the concept of service to Him.

Friend1: The audience is not uniform, however. Different age groups, which means people in different stages of life. How to adjust the message so that everyone benefits from hearing?

Friend2: Well, there is nothing to really adjust. The truth is the truth. You can teach “two plus two equals four” to any person.

Friend1: If you want to go the math comparison route, there is also algebra. The student in first grade can learn two plus two, but not algebra.

Friend2: Correct.

Friend1: Then? What benefit will a young audience member get from hearing about Brahman?

Friend2: And if you tailor the message to them, by describing heartwarming and amazing stories relating to the Supreme Brahman, Shri Krishna, then the more mature audience members may not get what they are looking for.

Friend1: Exactly. You see the issue, then.

Friend2: Well, I see why you think it’s an issue. In reality, the same teachings will benefit everyone. Take an important verse from the Bhagavad-gita, where Krishna describes the changing body. This is applicable to every person. The one in boyhood will see that the body is destined to change; there is a glimpse of the future. They may try to validate the facts by observation. The elderly man on the verge of death learns that there will be something going forward, that the soul will not die.

Friend1: That is true. I remember seeing the famous changing bodies painting when I was a youth. I could understand it mostly, and I especially remember seeing how a person gets shorter when they get older.

Friend2: See. There you go.

Friend1: That image stuck with me my whole life, even though I only glanced at it briefly.

Friend2: Vedic teachings are like describing so many such images. The three modes of nature. The four varnas. The four ashramas. The three sources of misery. The different kinds of devotional service. The obstacles placed in the path of devotees. How to call for help. How to have firm belief in the guru and the person they represent, the Supreme Lord. These teachings are really for everyone. Even if you can’t understand everything immediately, there is a benefit to hearing. The process is a kind of yajna, or sacrifice, for which the enjoyer, Yajneshvara, the Lord of sacrifice, takes pleasure.

In Closing:

Vedas with variety in concept,

Some simple, others complex.

How for all audiences to fit,

Where not losing interest to sit?

Truths with power their own,

Benefit from hearing alone.

Adult confident of future to be,

Child curious for validation to see.

Isn’t There A Risk In Following Krishna’s Exemplary Acts

“Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.21)

Download this episode (right click and save)

Friend1: People follow what a great man does.

Friend2: They are a leader for a reason. They lead people.

Friend1: Therefore it is helpful if they are pious. Then they set a good example.

Friend2: In Hindi the saying is dekha dekhi. Copycatting. Imitating.

Friend1: This stresses the teaching that if a great man should somehow take up bhakti-yoga, devotional service, so many people automatically benefit.

Friend2: They will witness the example. “Oh, such and such person understands the difference between body and spirit. They are not simply after sense gratification. Rather than show off what kind of home they live in or how many automobiles they own, they display a genuine spirit of renunciation. The way of life is with a purpose. They want to serve God, who they claim to be a person.”

Friend1: I would think it is something like broadcasting the message on a radio signal as opposed to approaching so many people individually.

Friend2: In America they refer to the President having the bully pulpit. The idea is that the head of the executive branch is a co-equal member of the government. They are not any more powerful than the legislature.

Friend1: Which is the way the founders of the nation wanted it, to avoid tyranny.

Friend2: Yes, and so where the President really has influence is in their ability to reach people with a message. A senator can give a speech but not nearly as many people will listen as compared to when the President speaks.

Friend1: Okay, so obviously I am setting the table here. Shri Krishna is the object of worship. He is the person behind the curtain. He is the detail to the abstract.

Friend2: God the person. Distinguishable features. Greatness that can be understood to a degree, but not fully. Features that cannot be measured, Adhokshaja, but still perceived, saguna.

Friend1: He is the greatest of persons. This means that the most people know of the example He sets.

Friend2: For sure. There are countless books describing Him. This makes sense since the glories of God are endless. There is no final word, precisely because more continues to be written about Him.

Friend1: Alright, so couldn’t we say that there is danger in following some of Krishna’s acts?

Friend2: Well, there is a reference in the Nectar of Devotion where Uddhava praises Krishna for showing proper etiquette. Despite controlling the controllers of the universe, Krishna takes orders from Ugrasena, the father of His uncle Kamsa. Despite owning the three worlds, the Supreme Lord begs a little land from the ocean. Despite being the most intelligent person, He consults the cousin and advisor Uddhava on matters of governance and foreign affairs.

Friend1: Yes, that is during the period of adulthood. It is a good example to set, for sure. I know that Krishna is the ideal husband with each queen in Dvaraka, as well. He performs prescribed duties on a daily basis. He arises early to chant the gayatri mantra. He gives in charity. He receives guests properly.

Friend2: Then? What is the issue?

Friend1: You know what I am talking about. It’s the stuff that takes place in Vrindavana, during childhood.

Friend2: You mean stealing butter from the neighbors? That is endearing behavior, and with a child there is no sin associated. You couldn’t influence a child to steal in that way anyway. The nature automatically kicks in. Naughtiness is either there or not.

Friend1: Come on, you are well aware of what I am referencing.

Friend2: How He lifted Govardhana Hill to save the people from devastating rain? I agree that we shouldn’t imitate that, but there is no issue. No one I know is capable of lifting a massive hill and holding it aloft for seven straight days.

Friend1: The dealings with the gopis, the cowherd women. Krishna meets with them in the middle of the night. These are intimate dealings so I don’t want to describe further.

Friend2: Right, but there are sufficient warnings provided. It is inherently understood to not try this at home, so to speak.

Friend1: Okay, but Krishna is the greatest leader. The world follows the example He sets.

Friend2: But He is not setting an example here. There is a reason the descriptions are found in the tenth canto of the Shrimad Bhagavatam. Spend a significant amount of time, nine cantos in fact, to understand the position of the Supreme Lord. Learn the different elements of nature, how they operate with time, how the living entity becomes subject to the influence of the shadow copy of the spiritual world, how God creates, how He maintains, how He appears in His creation, etc. Need I go on?

Friend1: No, I understand what you are saying. The problem is so many people don’t take the time. They head straight to the tenth canto and read those descriptions. Even easier is to just look at a painting. See Krishna dancing with young girls and get the wrong idea.

Friend2: That is the fault of the present age of Kali. We are in degraded conditions today, no doubt. That is why certain works of Vedic literature were never openly discussed with people. There were requirements for entry into a temple. This was to prevent misunderstanding. If you are driven by the senses, and thus intoxicated by the influence of illusion, you will not be able to properly understand God. It takes purification. That is why there is an entire discipline of study. It may take many lifetimes even. Then you will come to understand that even the dancing with the gopis is exemplary. It is Krishna showing how much He loves His pure devotees and how no restriction or prohibition in the material world can affect Him.

In Closing:

Great leader responsibility to take,

That with actions example to make.

So when in bhakti path benefits abound,

To many coming the transcendental sound.

But what about Krishna in the night,

With girls dancing under moon’s light?

Provided only after much explanation,

Understood only after sober deliberation.

Vyasa Puja 2018

“Ajamila repented his negligence in performing his duty to his wife, father, and mother. It is the duty of grown-up children to render service to their aged parents. This practice should be reintroduced into present society. Otherwise, what is the use of family life? Proper family life means that the husband should be protective, the wife chaste, and the children grateful to their father and mother. Children should think, ‘My father and mother gave me so much service. When I was unable to walk, they carried me. When I was unable to eat, they fed me. They gave me an education. They gave me life.’ A bona fide son thinks of ways to render service to his father and mother.” (Shrila Prabhupada, A Second Chance, Ch 17)

Download this episode (right click and save)

A wise person remembers the deeds done in their favor, on their behalf from others. The tendency is to do the opposite. Quickly forget the beneficial and instead focus on the negative. Hold a grudge. Maintain a vendetta. Keep the memories of the bad alive for a long period of time. On the occasion of Vyasa Puja the individual who has been rescued from the futile path of pursuing material sense gratification at all costs remembers and honors the person who made the change possible.

Family life can be complicated. Along the same lines of remembering and forgetting, a child may not forgive the mistakes made by the parents. After all, human beings have defects. They cheat, they commit mistakes, they have imperfect senses, and they can be illusioned without much effort. In raising a child, despite the best efforts of an honest nature, the children grow up to be spiteful of the shortcomings, of what they missed.

On the other side is gratefulness. A child remembers that they were once helpless. As an adult they feel the pain and suffering of their own dependents, doing the best they can to take away distresses. “Let that pain come to me, God, instead of them. I will be able to tolerate.” This is a common prayer, and so the wise person considers that their own parents must have behaved similarly.

This is an impetus for appreciation, and the kind that never vanishes. That is to say once I begin to appreciate what my parents did for me during youth, I will always have cause to maintain that appreciation. Despite whatever negative may have occurred afterwards, the initial service was there. Even if one or both parents happened to be absent during the critical years, at least they provided the spark of life. I didn’t enter this world through random collisions or the lack of intelligence.

If a child is grateful to the parents, imagine what the disciple feels towards the spiritual master. In Vedic culture there is the identification of two births. The first is obvious; from the parents, coming through the womb, entering this world. Every living person undergoes this birth.

The second is with approaching a spiritual master for taking an education in the science that explains both the noumenal and phenomenal worlds. That instruction has a purpose. It must alter behavior to some degree; otherwise the guru’s words are like those coming from a college professor distributed to an audience not ready to understand.

Like the good parents, the guru teaches out of love. There is nothing in it for them. They are not after fame, though they may become recognized throughout the world for having truly saved lives. They are not after money, though appreciative disciples may ensure after the fact that the guru is never without food, clothing and shelter. They are not after a high post, though the Supreme Lord is so grateful that He gives to the representative a position higher than his own, like with Shri Hanuman.

On the occasion of Vyasa Puja the disciple honors the guru in a more formal way than they do otherwise on a daily basis. They pledge again their dedication to follow the instructions, which culminate in the total immersion in devotional bliss, attained through service of some kind directed towards God the person, whose attributes, features, names and appearances are described in detail and with great clarity by the guru, who is a representative of Vyasadeva, the literary incarnation of Shri Krishna.

In Closing:

Different from every other day,

Appreciation in more formal way.

For the guru and what they’ve done,

Through whose favor Vaikuntha won.

Something to the parents resembling,

Grateful child that love remembering.

Stressing bhakti without relenting,

Authority of Vyasa representing.

Krishna Janmashtami 2018

“Once Mother Yashoda addressed one of her friends in this way: ‘Nanda Maharaj, the leader of the cowherdsmen, worshiped Lord Vishnu along with me, and as a result of this worshiping Krishna has been saved from the clutches of Putana and other demons. The twin arjuna trees were, of course, broken due to a strong wind, and although Krishna appeared to have lifted Govardhan Hill along with Balarama, I think that Nanda Maharaj actually held the mountain. Otherwise how could it have been possible for a little boy to lift such a great hill?’” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 43)

Download this episode (right click and save)

Child worship is a real thing. It doesn’t seem that way to the parents. It is not like they are visiting a house designated for that purpose. There are no regular prayers offered or prostrations in obeisance to high commands. There are no enumerated sacrifices or professions of faith. There is no fear of condemnation for violating certain laws.

Nevertheless, the consciousness of the parents is focused on a specific person. There is service, offered without motive and without interruption. Even in the most difficult times, when the person served is not cooperating in the least, there is still the same attention to duty. No one had to teach this to the parents. It is called instinct. The love is natural and spontaneous.

Mother Yashoda in Vrindavana offered service in this mood, with a notable distinction. Her son happened to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Shri Krishna is the visible manifestation, the detail behind the abstract, whose appearance in this world is annually celebrated on the occasion on Janmashtami. He could appear as Yashoda’s son because the innermost desires of the devotees eventually get fulfilled.

In that lovingly affectionate mood, known as vatsalya-rasa, Yashoda never considered her son to be Divine, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Even some of the more amazing things Krishna did as a child were explained away with a different cause.

1. The Putana escape due to prayers to Vishnu

Yashoda and her husband, Nanda Maharaja, were devotees of Lord Vishnu. He is the personal form of God most often referenced in the Vedic tradition. That is to say His name is prominent in Puranas, Upanishads and the original Vedas. Another name for Vishnu is Narayana, which means “the source of all men.” To consider even powerful gods like Brahma and Shiva to be equal to Narayana is a grave mistake.

“A pashandi is one who considers the great demigods such as Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana.” (Hari-bhakti-vilasa, 1.17)

The benefit of worshiping Narayana is that there is purification in the process. You might not get specifically what you ask for. Vishnu is also Hari, which means a person who takes away. For your benefit God might remove things and people from your life to whom you are strongly attached.

Such is His merciful nature that Yashoda thought Vishnu played a hand in protecting her son against a powerful witch. Named Putana, she had come to Gokula in a false guise. Pretending to be a benevolent nurse, ready to care for the jewel of the town, Putana had smeared poison on her breast, intending to feed Krishna His death.

The reverse occurred, and in the process the witch displayed her true, hideous form. The people were amazed that such a small child could survive against a gigantic witch. Yashoda offered prayers to Narayana immediately afterwards, and considered her boy’s survival to be due to His grace.

“Mother Yashoda was firmly convinced of the Vedic injunctions about the importance of cows and the holy name of Vishnu; therefore she took all shelter in the cows and the name of Vishnu just to protect her child Krishna. She recited all the holy names of Vishnu so that He might save the child.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 6)

2. The twin arjuna trees due to a strong wind

In another pastime, Shri Krishna intentionally broke a pot of yogurt in anger. Yashoda chased after Him to offer a mild form of punishment. She eventually caught Him and then bound Him to a mortar. Tied by the belly, Krishna earned the name Damodara, who is worshiped annually during the month of Kartika through a prayer known as the Damodarashtakam.

Krishna wasn’t tied for long, nor was it a particularly stern punishment. Yashoda went back to the house for a while, and when she returned she saw that the mortar had gone through two large trees. Again astonished that her boy survived, she considered the incident to be due to a strong wind. She could not believe the truth, that Krishna had dragged the mortar through the trees, to knock them down, to release the two demigods who were previously cursed to remain in those forms for a long time.

3. Govardhana Hill in the air due to Nanda Maharaja

This excuse is more wonderful to behold, since everyone saw Krishna perform the feat with their own eyes. It was a panic situation, though, so perhaps it is easier to be mistaken in the observation. The area was inundated with rain, due to the vengeance of the king of heaven, Indra. Threatened to be washed away, the people were saved by taking shelter under Govardhana Hill.

Not the side of the hill. Not in some cave, for there weren’t enough to fit the entire town, who had come to worship the hill just moments prior, all at Krishna’s direction. Not under a large tree. Not under many of the cows who were happily moving about.

Everyone got under the hill itself. This was possible because Krishna lifted it and held it aloft. The large mass of land rested on the pinky finger of Krishna’s left hand. Only a small boy at the time, the feat was possible because God retains full power, bala, in whichever form He manifests. That hill is in the same place today, and one notices that the circumference is many miles.

How could Krishna do this? Yashoda considered that it was due to Nanda Maharaja. After all, many people came to give help immediately afterwards. They used sticks in order to prop up the hill. They thought they were holding it up, when in reality it was only Krishna’s strength that was saving them from the combined forces of rain and gravity.

This attitude from the mother may be considered ignorance, but it is due to yogamaya, which is the auspicious kind of illusion. May every person be so blessed to love God at such a high level that there is true forgetfulness of His transcendental and superior position. And may He be celebrated with great pomp and ecstasy on the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami.

In Closing:

Different calamities explaining away,

Like with Putana from prayers to say.

Vishnu the one protecting all,

So Yashoda His names to call.

Not by Krishna’s mortar the trees,

Rather from a strong breeze.

Nanda that hill actually holding,

Motherly vision to pastimes unfolding.