How Do You Guarantee Someone Else’s Consciousness

“One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod.” (Rishabhadeva, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 5.5.18)

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Friend1: Okay, so anyone who is familiar with the Shrimad Bhagavatam knows about the crucial piece of advice given to parents.

Friend2: Which one? From the Dhruva story, about how to approach Vishnu for fulfilling desires instead of anyone else? From the Prahlada story, about describing the science of self-realization to the child in the womb in hopes that they end up a devotee?

Friend1: I’m talking about the advice on the purpose. That is to say the idea behind having children.

Friend2: Okay.

Friend1: Where it says that a person should not become a mother or father unless they can release their dependents from the cycle of birth and death.

Friend2: There are a few other roles mentioned also, I believe. Guru.

Friend1: Spiritual master.

Friend2: The general idea is clear. If you are in a position of authority, where you have people dependent on you, there is a higher purpose to fulfill. For the teacher, it’s not just teaching ABCD and mathematics. For the parent it is not just ensuring that the child gets into a good college and subsequently earns a lot of money in the industry of their choice.

Friend1: In fact, those things may not work out at all. The child may not be materially well off in adulthood. The student may be the worst in their class.

Friend2: And they can still be liberated. That is the meaning of causeless, Divine mercy. It is available to everyone. Material conditions are not a determining factor, though they can play a role in helping or hindering.

Friend1: Here’s the thing. I learned from the Bhagavad-gita that consciousness is the key.

Friend2: The key to what?

Friend1: Liberation. The nature of the consciousness at the time of death determines the type of existence in the subsequent life.

Friend2: “Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.6)

Friend1: Yes, exactly.

Friend2: Do you not understand that? Is there some confusion?

Friend1: None at all. It is an important teaching because it puts everything else into perspective. You can be completely renounced, living in a temple and constantly chanting the holy names, but still not attain liberation.

Friend2: Right. Your consciousness might be elsewhere. Detached on the outside, attached on the inside.

Friend1: Or you could be living in a congested city, full of traffic, with people generally in the mode of ignorance, and still be saintly in quality. Not only do you think of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, while quitting the body, but the thoughts are dedicated to Him throughout every moment of living.

Friend2: As you said, consciousness is the key.

Friend1: Okay, so then why the burden on the parents?

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: If I’m supposed to make sure my children are liberated from birth and death, it means that I have to ensure that they have the proper consciousness while quitting the body. That is what counts most.

Friend2: For sure.

Friend1: But consciousness is a choice. I can’t guarantee what you or anyone else will be thinking at a particular moment in time.

Friend2: Well, it’s a choice for you, too. Does that mean others can’t help you along?

Friend1: They can definitely help me, but they are not fully responsible. They don’t guarantee that I will be spiritually realized at the most critical moment of leaving the body.

Friend2: Well, they actually can. I know there is always a choice, but there is this special mercy for those who follow the bhakti path. They are actually liberated from the beginning.

Friend1: How does that work?

Friend2: Because a sincere effort is enough. They may not succeed in one lifetime, but they are on the path. The people who helped put them there get some of the credit, too. That is the meaning behind that teaching. Help to put your dependents on the right path. You can’t guarantee to where they will fly once leaving the nest, but you do have control over the foundation. Don’t become a parent unless you can create that foundation. Otherwise, your children are not reaching their full potential.

Friend1: Oh, I see.

Friend2: The same with the guru. They can’t force their disciples to think a certain way, but with training, with enough guidance, hopefully everything will turn out okay. Just a little association with the Divine, through the sounds that represent Him, the deity forms in the temple, and the teachings He presents in works like the Bhagavad-gita, can go a long way.

In Closing:

Leader, guru or father,

Or even demigod or mother.

That role only accepting,

When fate of dependents protecting.

That no more rebirth to see,

From clutches of kama to free.

Since only on pure consciousness getting,

Meaning that proper foundation setting.

Why The Heavy Reliance On Analogies To Explain Vedic Concepts

“First a child is shown the branches of a tree, and then he is shown the moon through the branches. This is called shakha-chandra-nyaya. The idea is that first one must be given a simpler example. Then the more difficult background is explained.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 21.30 Purport)

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Friend1: I receive this question every now and then from people. In reading books by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada there are so many analogies used.

Friend2: Well, to be technically correct here, the analogies are in the Vedas themselves. The genuine acharya does not invent anything. They simply take the baton and pass it on.

Friend1: Another analogy!

Friend2: Just for you [eye wink]. It’s membership in a team. The founder is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. The Vedas are like the instruction manual for living. I know what you are going to say, that some people can figure out how to install an air conditioner without reading the instructions. The analogy is not perfect, but it will suffice.

Friend1: That mankind cannot figure out everything on their own. Perhaps a great deal. Maybe they can discover enough to live a full life, whatever that means.

Friend2: But to make the existence saphala, truly successful, they need help from high above. This is because time and space are beyond the understanding of the mind, which is limited due to being material.

Friend1: Anyway, people ask about the analogies. Why the heavy reliance? Why are they used so much?

Friend2: That is how we understand things. It’s found even in the Bhagavad-gita, where Shri Krishna compares changing bodies to putting on and taking off clothes.

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.22)

The Sanskrit words commonly used when making such comparisons are yatha, tatha, and iva.

Friend1: That is a good way to explain reincarnation. It demystifies everything.

Friend2: An easier way to understand is seeing the changes that already take place. From boyhood to youth, to old age, and so forth.

Friend1: The so forth is death. The individual within does not die. It continues on to another existence.

Friend2: You will be pleased to know that the Vedas use an analogy to explain why analogies are used.

Friend1: Haha, really?

Friend2: The Sanskrit is shakha-chandra-nyaya. Understanding the moon through the branches on the trees.

Friend1: What does that mean?

Friend2: The potency, distance and size of the moon are better appreciated when viewed in comparison to other objects. You know how children sometimes think the moon is following them?

Friend1: Yes, when you are driving on the road.

Friend2: A child might think they can grab it, too. They’re not sure how far away the moon is.

Friend1: Right.

Friend2: If you view the same moon through branches on a tree, you get a much better idea. Learn the branches first; then understand the moon in context. The material world is the same way. There are so many similarities to the spiritual world. It makes sense because the material world is like a perverted reflection.

Friend1: Isn’t there an analogy to explain that, as well?

Friend2: Yes. The inverted tree. You can find one by looking at the image in a pond. That means the reflection. The tree is inverted because at the root is the spiritual world, the abode of the Supreme Lord and His eternal associates. The branches that go down are the different aspects of the material world. You can jump from place to place. You can spend a significant amount of time, like a monkey swinging on a tree, forgetting that there is even a root at the top.

Friend1: Interesting.

Friend2: Just further evidence of the merciful nature of Shri Krishna. He uses every tool available to rescue us from the sad fate of repeated birth and death. He provides analogies to demystify complicated topics. He arrives as the deity to give an idea of what spiritual attributes are. He sends the guru to rescue us from suffering, for we are like stranded in a vast ocean without a boat. That guru gives the holy names so that we no longer feel separated from our best friend, who looks out for us more than anyone else: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

At moon child gazing with eyes,

But not understanding its size.

So first shown branches of tree,

Then in background farther to see.

Same way for God and topics complicated,

Analogies for principles demonstrated.

As Deity Lord most merciful to come,

Benefited by understanding even some.

The Three Degrees Of Enmity

“According to the law of karma, a man takes his birth in a high family, or becomes rich, or very well educated, or very beautiful because of good work in the past. The demoniac thinks that all these things are accidental and due to the strength of his personal ability. He does not sense any arrangement behind all the varieties of people, beauty, and education. Anyone who comes into competition with such a demoniac man is his enemy. There are many demoniac people, and each is enemy to the others. This enmity becomes more and more deep-between persons, then between families, then between societies, and at last between nations.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 16.16 Purport)

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The failure to recognize the existence of a higher authority, the highest in fact, who manages everything in the manifest and unmanifest worlds, leads to problems in more than just the afterlife. The root of every difficulty, every misery, is this ignorance.

It is indeed ignorance, since only a foolish person would consider the vast variety in circumstances surrounding birth to be due to randomness or worse, their personal effort. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada describes this mentality as demoniac.

Such a person thinks that the wealthy home they were born into was due to their own effort. If only others had tried as hard. Good fortune, personal beauty, and enhanced ability in business are also due solely to what the individual possesses. Karma does not exist, though in truth it explains everything.

A person is free to do as they wish, so acceptance of the higher power is not a strict requirement for living. However, from this ignorance enmity quickly develops, and like a small fire lit in a densely wooded forest, the resulting blaze is difficult to contain.

1. Between persons

The enmity starts from competition. If I have beauty, I will be envious of someone who possesses a similar level. I must bring them down, find ways to explain why they are the same as me. Otherwise, I would have to acknowledge that my beauty is due to forces of nature over which I have no control. My entire worldview would be turned upside down.

The easier choice is to go with enmity. Hold grudges. Create vendettas. “This person is my enemy. That person is my friend. I like this person. I hate that one.” Going through life in this way it is easy to create individual rivalries with many people, as beauty is not the only opulence found in the material world. If someone drives a better car, owns a larger home, has a more beautiful spouse, or has a higher annual salary then they are a target for my wrath.

2. Between families

A feud between individuals can quickly spread to the entire family. My father has several brothers. They are also family, but for some reason there is a rivalry. I want my father’s family to be better off materially than my uncles and cousins. If they advance further, then I will be envious. Something simple like not calling often enough can cause the relationships to deteriorate.

3. Between societies

People of a certain ethnicity live in a certain kind of neighborhood. Another kind of people live in the opposite conditions. Thus a rivalry is born. Before even getting to know someone, just based on their appearance, I make the determination of friend or foe. Not every person of a specific skin color has the same personality, but in this case the competitive attitude has gotten hold of my better judgment.

4. Between nations

The local news has only bad things to say about this other country. The people live in poverty. They are unclean. They don’t treat minorities very well. They are always attacking other nations. They live in fear of foreigners.

The people of that country resent the blind judgment made against them. They hold similar prejudices against outsiders. In this way it is easy for nations to fight amongst themselves. Not recognizing the power of the Divine, the controlling hand of time, the inevitability of death, only the present circumstances take precedence.

The solution is straightforward. The more people are truly God conscious, the less enmity there will be. What need is there to be jealous of someone who received good fortune in this life as a result of pious deeds in a previous one? What need is there to look down at someone struggling today when it is known that tomorrow the situation could reverse?

Rather, the wise person appreciates the blessed opportunity of a human birth, which represents the best chance to go back home, back to Godhead. In that spiritual land even something resembling envy is positive, as it creates further impetus to serve the all-attractive one, whose company is like enjoying nectar whose sweetness continues to increase, without any limit.

In Closing:

By my effort this situation got,

Acknowledging higher authority not.

Envy found within family one,

Understanding of others none.

Then to societies to extend,

And nations in war to defend.

But human fortunate and blessed,

Emphasis on spiritual stressed.

Why Is There So Much Difficulty Within Family Life

“The Blessed Lord said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.37)

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Friend1: Do you know people who don’t like their parents?

Friend2: Of course.

Friend1: It always bothers me a little.

Friend2: Why? Upset that parents would not do their jobs properly?

Friend1: No, because in my thinking it takes a lot to dislike someone that close to you.

Friend2: You mean by transgressions and the like? I take it that the parents would have to commit serious mistakes in order to elicit those feelings from you?

Friend1: Crimes, probably. There is always some appreciation there, anyway. Life is so difficult. Who is perfect among us? To err is human, after all. I can’t simply ignore that truth and take part in a blame-game.

Friend2: From the Vedic perspective there are the four principal defects. Committing mistakes. Imperfect senses. Easily illusioned.

Friend1: And cheating. It is the natural urge. I understand. I recognize these in myself and also in other people.

Friend2: Not everyone is so forgiving.

Friend1: Here is the thing I have noticed. Discord within family is the common condition. The son hates the father. The brother is bitter towards the sister. The wife constantly yells at the husband.

Friend2: For sure. You get much worse, also, where violence is involved.

Friend1: I don’t understand any of it. These are people automatically on your side, so to speak. You don’t have to win their favor through some service. There is no need for reciprocation of good deeds, since the love is there from the beginning.

Friend2: You know I always joke that in this world there is only one rule: everybody hates everybody.

Friend1: Okay, but why? What is the cause?

Friend2: Look at world wars. Study the problems between nations.

Friend1: Trade imbalance. Desire for more land. Feeling insulted over not being invited to a meeting. The leaders not liking each other.

Friend2: There you go. It’s the same thing at the community level. In the most granular analysis, the family is a community. It is the anatomical unit of society. You put many families together and you get a community. Many communities is a state, many states a nation, and so forth.

Friend1: With countries there isn’t a family relationship, though. Why does it seem that we treat strangers better than people we have known since birth?

Friend2: The cause is always the same. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gita by Shri Krishna, after getting the question from Arjuna.

Friend1: Is that the verse about the all-devouring enemy?

Friend2: Yes. Kama and krodha. Lust turned into wrath. Break down the terms further. Lust is material desire. Wanting something relating to the body. The hankering doesn’t have to be great at first. It could be something as simple as wanting to get to work on time. There is the desire for the traffic lights to go your way.

Friend1: All green.

Friend2: No congestion on the roads, either. Once something goes wrong, when the lust is unsatisfied, you could get wrath.

Friend1: Anger at other drivers. Being upset over your bad fortune. Blaming other people for the troubles.

Friend2: There you go. Lust and wrath combine together to metaphorically devour you. There should be peace. There should be understanding that other drivers are also on the road, with an equal right to reach their desired destination. There should be acknowledgment that the red lights actually keep you safe, that they maintain a steady and orderly flow of cars and trucks so that every person gets their chance to proceed.

Friend1: In the family it’s the same, then?

Friend2: Sure. Children fight over inheritance, over affection from the parents. Parents get spoiled by their children in old age, demanding this thing or that. They think, “I did so much for them when they were young, so it is time to return the favor.”

Friend1: People argue over rooms in the house, too.

Friend2: It is my turn to get the big one. That old car should be passed on to me, since I need one. I paid so much for repairs, so I deserve special treatment within the family. The list goes on.

Friend1: What is the solution? Krishna consciousness?

Friend2: It is a sort of meditation and mediation simultaneously. At the very least you can sit and listen to the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Friend1: What if people are not willing?

Friend2: You should take the remedy, first. Keep yourself sane and fit before trying to rescue others. Bring that example of peace, deliberation, and proper vision to the family and community at large.

Friend1: Alright, I will try. It’s not easy.

Friend2: Desire cannot be eliminated altogether. Better to purify it. Send it in a different direction, towards the interests of the Supreme Lord. See the example of His beloved eternal consort, Shrimati Radharani. In the spiritual land of Vrindavana she has troubles within the family. So do the other gopis, but their only interest is seeing the pleasure of the all-attractive one. They can survive in any condition, even the distressing state of separation, through their meditation and remembrance.

In Closing:

Though in family life not thriving,

Through meditation surviving.

Remembering too His beautiful face,

Next meeting troubles to erase.

Due to uncontrolled kama so,

Though understanding should know.

But ways of the world, to nations extending,

Better guard bhakti life defending.

What About The Idea Of Experiencing The Bad To Appreciate The Good

“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.28)

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Friend1: You know what the key ingredient is to a sweet?

Friend2: Umm, sugar?

Friend1: See, that is the obvious answer.

Friend2: Is it a trick question?

Friend1: Sort of. I heard it explained once and then it totally made sense to me.

Friend2: The answer is not sugar? How is it a sweet, then?

Friend1: Surely you need the sweet taste. That is the whole point. But what really makes the item stand out is salt.

Friend2: Yeah?

Friend1: Keep an eye on it going forward. When eating something like rasmalai, notice the presence of salt. I found out with the cookies that I make. On those occasions when I put in a little more salt, I get rave reviews afterwards.

Friend2: These are cookies made for other people?

Friend1: Prasadam. Offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Hopefully with love and devotion, but I could never make that claim about myself. I don’t really know how to cook anything. I just put stuff together as a way to increase my devotion, to give myself another routine to follow.

Friend2: Some people might interpret that incorrectly, that you are haphazard in your effort.

Friend1: I know. The idea is that I am not so interested in the reception. Whether the cookies are good or not, as long as they are edible. The devotional practice is the important aspect to me.

Friend2: I get it.

Friend1: Anyway, that salty-sweet contradiction, the alternating tastes, got me thinking about bhakti life in general.

Friend2: Okay.

Friend1: I’ve noticed that if I have a particularly tough few days, I tend to appreciate devotional service more.

Friend2: Define “tough few days.”

Friend1: Too much stress at work. Worry about the future. Bad association. Dealing with people that are not like-minded.

Friend2: In essence, a few days where bhakti might not take up the majority of your day.

Friend1: You could say that. It’s not intentional. I have to earn a living, after all.

Friend2: I’m not being accusatory. Just trying to properly characterize the issue.

Friend1: It’s something like having found an oasis in a desert. You’re so thirsty, and then you really appreciate the water. Otherwise, the feeling might not be the same.

Friend2: I know in The Nectar of Devotion by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada there is something similar mentioned. In Sanskrit it is said that the happiness after a long period of suffering is more intense than if that suffering were absent.

Friend1: There you go. Similar to what I was describing.

Friend2: Makes sense. It’s the contrast.

Friend1: Here is the question. Does this not make the case for engaging in sinful life? If I want to really enjoy the association of the Divine, is it not better that I forget Him for a while?

Friend2: Are you serious with this?

Friend1: Play along. What if someone were to make that argument?

Friend2: For starters, there is no guarantee that you would return.

Friend1: What do you mean?

Friend2: If you want to intentionally forget Krishna, which is the cause of birth in the material world and the subsequent spinning on the wheel of suffering in the first place, who is to say that you will one day find bhakti again? Perhaps you will stay lost, changing from one body to another. Maybe you will get an animal birth in the next life and miss the chance for understanding Brahman, the spiritual energy. Maybe you will develop an asura-type mentality, where you get cast into lower births repeatedly.

Friend1: Okay, but what is a few lifetimes in the grand scheme? If the taste at the end is so much greater, perhaps it is worth the risk.

Friend2: The second argument is that you already have forgotten. It is said that a person only comes to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in a devotional mood, ready to practice real yoga, after having exhausted all sinful reactions, papam.

Friend1: Oh.

Friend2: The idea is that you already have forgotten for so long. I have, as well. Don’t forget anymore. The taste of devotion will be sweet enough. In spiritual life, there are no limitations. This means that the sweetness can only increase. This is seen in the spiritual land of Vrindavana. Radharani and others only increase their love for Krishna as each day goes by. There is no limit, so better to stay on the safe side, under the shelter of the all-attractive one.

In Closing:

After defeat many a time,

Finally that mountain to climb.

Victory that much sweeter tasting,

After for so long chasing.

Not the same with bhakti to win,

Why not first for a while to sin?

Idea that already much time spent,

For final birth into this life sent.

Three Defeats From The Beauty Of Shrimati Radharani

“The beauty of Shrimati Radharani is described as follows: ‘Her eyes defeat the attractive features of the eyes of the chakori bird. When one sees the face of Radharani, he immediately hates the beauty of the moon. Her bodily complexion defeats the beauty of gold. Thus, let us all look upon the transcendental beauty of Shrimati Radharani.’” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 44)

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In this world full of chaos, tumult, despair, heartache, and bad times, the only relief is the shelter of the Divine. This is known as sharanagati, surrender in full to the desires of the Supreme, the Almighty, the one who withstands the duration of time, who is the same with no distinction between body and spirit going forwards and backwards in the continuum of changes to the manifest world.

One way to get an idea of what the feeling of that surrender is like is to gaze upon the deity. In officially established places of worship like temples and homes, where there is formal worship conducted under authority, the deity is not imaginary. That is to say the features depicted in painting, stone, wood, or resin are not imagined by some creative mind. The descriptions of these features are passed down in a system of disciplic succession known as parampara.

The deity is attractive to the eyes precisely because the Almighty Himself is attractive in every way. The Sanskrit word Krishna is thus a befitting name; one among countless. Alongside Krishna is the feminine aspect of the Divine. She is the pleasure potency coming from the source of all potencies, and one name for her is Radharani.

She is just as attractive as Krishna, with an additional aspect for appreciation being her behavior. Since Krishna is the object of devotion for others, Radharani displays a feature that is not prominent in the Supreme Lord. The physical beauty is also incomparable, as it defeats so many aspects of the natural world.

1. The eyes of the chakori bird

This bird is described in Sanskrit literature coming in the Vedic tradition. The bird is known to only gaze upon the moon. As fish are devoted to the water in a constitutional way, not able to survive when taken out, so the chakori cannot look upon anything else. Out of loyalty to the beloved moon, it exhibits allegiance in exclusivity.

Thus the eyes of the chakori are beautiful, and yet that beauty is defeated by the eyes of Shrimati Radharani. This is because her object of affection is Shri Krishna. It is said that during her manifest pastimes, the daughter of Vrishabhanu would not open her eyes at first. After birth the parents thought maybe there was a problem. It was not until the child Krishna visited her home and saw her that she first opened her eyes, revealing to the world her true preference.

2. The moon

The moon has a soothing, white light, to bring brightness to an otherwise dark night. Seen in the proper conditions, the moon is extremely beautiful. It is an aspect of nature that immediately reminds a person of the higher forces at play, how man is unable to match what is already found in the world, despite every effort made.

Krishna’s eternal consort has a fair complexion. The beauty of her face defeats the moon. She is the real moon of Vrindavana, lighting up the face of the dark-complexioned Supreme Lord, who is also known as Shyamasundara.

3. Gold

At any period of time, in any part of the world, even in the sacred city of Dvaraka, gold has appeal. It is a real commodity, not like the paper currency printed by modern governments. It has value precisely because of beauty. Man has been attracted by gold since the beginning of time.

Radharani’s complexion defeats the beauty of gold. While attraction to gold may bring negative consequences, such as lying, cheating, stealing and loss of good sense, gazing at the transcendental beauty of Krishna’s consort has only a positive influence. The effort is purifying since there is association with pure devotion.

The love of that pair is not ordinary; otherwise renounced saints would not spend so much time remembering their pastimes. They would not live in Vrindavana, if not physically then at least mentally, if the love of Radha-Krishna were kama, or mundane lust.

In the same way, those who gaze upon the deity in the temple, who understand the superior attractiveness found in the Divine and His associates, who pledge to continue in worship for the foreseeable future, who make a vow to serve with dedication, honor, faith and diligence, also live in the spiritual world, where time lacks a negative influence.

In Closing:

Beautiful the chakori’s eyes,

Who on moon’s light relies.

The moon itself beautiful at night,

Contrast from darkness the light.

Also wonderful luster of gold,

But Radha more beautiful to behold.

Since with devotion to Krishna living,

Blessings in bhakti to us giving.

Three Things From Material Life That Don’t Fill The Void Of Bhakti

“The same friend of Mother Yashoda addressed Krishna as follows: ‘My dear Mukunda, if Mother Yashoda, the Queen of Gokula, is forced to stand on fire, but is allowed to see Your lotus face, then this fire will appear to her as the Himalayan Mountains: full of ice. In the same way, if she is allowed to stay in the ocean of nectar but is not allowed to see the lotus face of Your Grace, then even this ocean of nectar will appear to her as an ocean of arsenic poison.’ Let the anxiety of Mother Yashoda of Braja, always expecting to see the lotus face of Krishna, be glorified all over the universe!” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 43)

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It is in the nature of the soul to serve. This is the dharma corresponding to that particular entity. The nature of fire is heat and light. For water it is wetness. The idea is that the essential characteristic, the one or two features which cannot be removed without changing the nature of the object, is dharma.

Service is the dharma of the atma, but there is an objective. There is a purpose to the service, in whichever way it manifests. In the perverted form, seen in the material world, there is service offered to inanimate objects even, like an expensive purchase or a large structure. There may be service given to an inferior being, like an animal, which is not constitutionally capable of reciprocating properly or even taking full advantage of the service.

The purpose is ananda. This is bliss. True happiness. Something which transcends the ups and downs of a temporary existence. To go beyond birth and death, what every living entity seeks, from the tiny ant up to the oligarch.

From the pastimes of Shri Krishna in Gokula and Vrindavana, we see that there is no substitute for pure bhakti. Mother Yashoda exemplifies this truth, as certain extreme conditions in material life have no effect on her. If she is in an ocean of nectar, it may as well be poison if she cannot see the all-attractive face of her son. If her feet are in direct contact with fire, the feeling is like ice if she has the good fortune of gazing upon her beautiful son.

This is not an ordinary interaction. Neither the object of worship nor the attention offered are material. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and Yashoda the ideal devotee in the mood of parental affection, vatsalya-rasa. Nectar and fire are just two examples of many that show the inferior nature of material objects in providing bliss.

1. A new car

I’ve wanted this car forever. I’ve had my eye on it for a while. A major upgrade from what I’m driving now, which is a hand-me-down. There is no guarantee that it will even start on a given day. My trip to work may involve a breakdown on the side of the road. It’s time to get something better.

Yet merely a year after making the purchase the new car is forgotten. The initial appeal is gone. The many new features are taken for granted; they are not appreciated. That ananda I sought didn’t last, almost as if it were never there.

2. A new house

The one bedroom apartment was fine for a while. In fact, I loved not having to worry about maintenance. A lawn to mow? A garage to store so much junk? No, thank you. But after a while space became an issue. Everyone else has a house, so why not me?

The same result occurred. Pretty soon the new became the stale and ordinary. The taste didn’t last, and now there is more space to manage. Perhaps a bigger and better house, but who knows? Maybe that won’t do anything for me, either.

3. A vacation

Something to break away from the daily grind. The same routine, followed for an entire year. Better to try something new. Relax and forget about troubles. Find a place with good weather and plenty of attractions. The whole family will keep busy and hopefully not bother me.

The experience has two sides. In the positive, the vacation is amazing. The relaxation cannot be matched. The issue is that the stay is not permanent. Sort of like having to leave the heavenly realm after the pious credits accumulated from good deeds expire, there is a return to the previous life.

In the negative, the vacation proves to be more stressful than everyday life. Scrambling to make it to the airport on time. Worrying about every person’s individual needs. Finding decent food to eat. Adjusting to the new time zone. Illness due to the strain on the body from travel. One misery after another.

Using a scanner-like device, going from one object to another, in every direction, the same defect exists. The magic of bhakti-yoga is that the same objects can change in nature. That is to say a person who is connected in consciousness to the Divine, real yoga, can find something basic like the morning sunrise to be a stimulus for ecstasy. They take the new day as another opportunity to serve the all-attractive one, who always reciprocates through His association, which can come as easily as through sound: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Not necessary to travel around,

Ananda as easy as through sound.

Not temporary like new car so,

Or bored for bigger home to go.

Where defect in this and that,

Over time same way to react.

Shri Krishna, association the gift,

Pure bhakti my spirits to lift.