Does Krishna Consciousness Have A Lot Of Associated Difficulties

“That which in the beginning may be just like poison but at the end is just like nectar and which awakens one to self-realization is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.37)

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यत् तद् अग्रे विषम् इव
परिणामे ’मृतोपमम्
तत् सुखं सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तम्
आत्म-बुद्धि-प्रसाद-जम्

yat tad agre viṣam iva
pariṇāme ’mṛtopamam
tat sukhaṁ sāttvikaṁ proktam
ātma-buddhi-prasāda-jam

Friend1: I have a particular area to where I want to direct today’s conversation, but let’s begin with a verse from the Bhagavad-gita.

Friend2: Sure. Which one?

Friend1: Where it says that something in the beginning feels like poison but in the end tastes like nectar.

Friend2: Oh. Yeah, that’s related to the mode of goodness, I believe. Makes sense if you think about it.

Friend1: Something like the saying, “No pain, no gain.”

Friend2: Exactly. You may not like what you have to go through right now, but be patient. The end will be worth it. The mode of ignorance is the opposite.

Friend1: Which would be something like getting drunk. I saw some t-shirt that had a joke about how drinking borrows from tomorrow to have fun today.

Friend2: Haha, that’s pretty good.

Friend1: Anyway, the basic principle is easy to understand. If you want something valuable, you have to tolerate some difficulty.

Friend2: Sure, but the material world is full of difficulty everywhere. You could be doing nothing, just sleeping, and get attacked for seemingly no reason.

Friend1: Does the poison/nectar duality apply to Krishna consciousness, as well?

Friend2: What do you mean, exactly? Is there pain in the beginning and pleasure in the end?

Friend1: Yes. Another reason I am asking is because of an experience I had recently.

Friend2: Which was?

Friend1: Travelling to attend a rock concert. A band I have seen many times. We arrived at the arena with plenty of time to spare, but then there was major difficulty.

Friend2: Couldn’t find parking?

Friend1: That’s the thing. There were places to park. The issue was the traffic. It was like the surrounding area wasn’t equipped to handle the number of people that would fit in the arena.

Friend2: What was the end result?

Friend1: We parked very far from the venue, maybe a mile away, after surviving the traffic. Then we had to walk through the cold rain to reach the entrance.

Friend2: Did you make the show on time?

Friend1: Yes, maybe by half an hour.

Friend2: Everything worked out, then.

Friend1: The thing is there was so much trouble just to experience a few hours of pleasure. Does bhakti have anything equivalent? Is there difficulty for getting a drop of nectar?

Friend2: There may be even more difficulty. Look at Prahlada Maharaja. His father tried to kill him for practicing devotion to Vishnu, who is God the person. Dhruva Maharaja had to meditate for a long time in a forest before getting a face-to-face meeting with God.

Friend1: Okay, so wouldn’t that deter people from taking up the bhakti path?

Friend2: The difference is that the nectar is transcendental. It is the param drishtva, or superior experience, described by Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita.

विषया विनिवर्तन्ते
निराहारस्य देहिनः
रस-वर्जं रसो ’प्य् अस्य
परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते

viṣayā vinivartante
nirāhārasya dehinaḥ
rasa-varjaṁ raso ’py asya
paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

“The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.59)

Friend1: Still, wouldn’t people be scared away by the trouble endured?

Friend2: You’re already experiencing so much trouble. And for what? A few moments of happiness? Not worth it, if you ask me. Might as well steer everything in Krishna’s direction. Another amazing thing occurs. The experiences that were previously difficult become easily tolerated. Something like a runner having no problem completing a mile when previously they were huffing and puffing. That is why training is necessary, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. Advance through numerical strength, such as with the routine of daily chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Difficulties too much to take,

Just for concert journey to make.

And all for only hours a few?

Better in future not to go through.

Already with everywhere experiencing pain,

Some nectar with also poison stain.

With bhakti path seemingly the same,

But transcendental worth to the gain.

Five Areas Of Potential Auspiciousness For The Human Being

“The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.42)

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इन्द्रियाणि पराण्य् आहुर्
इन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः
मनसस् तु परा बुद्धिर्
यो बुद्धेः परतस् तु सः

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur
indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ
manasas tu parā buddhir
yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ

It is an evolution of sorts, but not in the way commonly speculated. It is an achievement, for sure, but not the final destination. It arrived perhaps after a long period of time, up to millions of years, as long as the existence of the creation, even, but the past is the past.

Athato brahma-jijnasa. The time is now. It couldn’t happen before. Nature prevented it. No longer the case, so make the most of this amazing opportunity. It is already known that the human body type has the potential to bring enhanced living in various aspects.

1. Intelligence

There is always some, no matter the body type. Otherwise, living beings wouldn’t be able to do anything. No one teaches the horse how to gallop. The tiger and the lion know what it can eat and what it can’t. Birds fly south for the winter and bears hibernate.

The initial cause is intelligence, which always follows the individual, but in the human birth there is the highest potential. The animals could never create a smartphone or run a metropolitan train system that handles millions of travelers each day. The bird knows where to fly, but it cannot explain the scientific principles behind air travel.

2. Knowledge

You can’t teach a dog new tricks, but you can teach specific things at the beginning. The new dog has the potential to learn, but to only a certain extent. Learning is based on knowledge gathering. Use the senses to pick up information and then store everything in a knowledgebase. When the time comes, reference that information to make decisions.

We know that the human being has enhanced ability in this area for no other reason than it can store knowledge outside of the body. It knows how to read, so at the most basic level there are books to protect that knowledge from getting lost or misplaced. There is memory, for sure, and also different devices used to quickly recall important information.

3. Rational thought

There is the concept of animal instincts. Working off the senses, only. Do whatever the impulses say, at the precise moment they trigger. Don’t pay any attention to past experiences. In other words, don’t apply intelligence and don’t tap into the knowledgebase.

The human being can act rationally. Though the senses say to eat another slice of pizza, knowledge gathered from past experience says that doing so will lead to negative consequences in the future. Though the impulse is to punch that rude person at the store, upon rational review the decision is to walk away, to not get worked up over a trivial issue.

4. Contemplation

I just heard an interesting lecture delivered by a teacher who says their tradition of instruction dates back to the beginning of the creation. The knowledge is the same today as it was in the past, since there was a descending process of exchange, known as parampara. They tell the audience that every person is spirit soul at the core, and that spirit can never be killed.

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतो ’यं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

“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)

Though the lecture lasts for upwards of an hour, I can think about what I heard for the next few days. This is contemplation; thought extended beyond the initial period of knowledge gathering. The animals lack this ability, and in some cases it is a positive. Depression and anxiety can be difficult to remove when contemplation on the negative continues. On the other side, thinking about higher topics meant for self-improvement can only be a good thing.

5. Deliberate action

Another word is consciousness. Acting consciously or intentionally. Not an accident. Not a mistake committed while the focus was elsewhere. Not merely the result of following instincts, the human being has the potential to act deliberately, with a specific intention in mind.

The best deliberate action is Krishna consciousness. If thoughts are going to be applied, if there will be contemplation prior to action, steer everything towards pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Connect with Him in what is known as yoga. This is the true boon of the human existence. All the past mistakes can be cleared up in a single second, as Goswami Tulsidas says, by chanting the holy names.

बिगरी जनम अनेक की सुधरै अबहीं आजु |
होहि राम को नाम जपु तुलसी तजि कुसमाजु ||

bigarī janama aneka kī sudharai abahīṃ āju |
hohi rāma ko nāma japu tulasī taji kusamāju ||

“The many past births you spoiled can be rectified right now, today, if you start chanting Shri Rama’s holy name and renounce bad association, says Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 22)

Use intelligence, rational thought, and contemplation to make the proper decision. Take deliberate action to meet the best end, paramartha, for the individual, spirit soul. That end is possible for every single living thing, but the human birth brings the best chance for success, saphala.

In Closing:

Not for endless lament,

For higher purpose meant.

That to this body type sent,

Past much wasted time spent.

But correcting the process now,

Through holy names how.

Use of human birth the best,

To know Bhagavan the test.

The Four Components To Animal Life

“It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 14.4)

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सर्व-योनिषु कौन्तेय
मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः
तासां ब्रह्म महद् योनिर्
अहं बीज-प्रदः पिता

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir
ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

1. Eating

Fuel. Sustenance. The growth of cells. The vitality of the different aspects of the body. Plant life takes nourishment from the sun and water, which through nature’s way arrive on their own. The animals are different in that they can move to some degree to take care of this vital necessity.

From Shrimad Bhagavatam we learn that the most basic law of nature was described thousands of years ago. Known prior to that, even, but documented in written form in ancient times:  the food chain.

अहस्तानि सहस्तानाम्
अपदानि चतुष्-पदाम्
फल्गूनि तत्र महतां
जीवो जीवस्य जीवनम्

ahastāni sahastānām
apadāni catuṣ-padām
phalgūni tatra mahatāṁ
jīvo jīvasya jīvanam

“Those who are devoid of hands are prey for those who have hands; those devoid of legs are prey for the four-legged. The weak are the subsistence of the strong, and the general rule holds that one living being is food for another.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.13.47)

The principle is that one living entity is the food for another. In the jungle the law is kill or be killed. Every animal has to eat. Even the omnivores live off other living things, namely plants. No one can say that their survival is absent the influence of life.

2. Sleeping

There has to be a period of rest. The animal can only stay awake and work for so long. It is tiring to hunt for food, to set up shelter, to care for family members, and whatever else occupies the entire day. Some species sleep for months at a time, while others can survive on very little rest. Some stay awake at night, while others retire during that time.

3. Mating

This is how the population continues. Future generations come to be due to the mating propensity. One animal connecting with another. It is an instinct; nothing has to be taught. The desire is always there, though it may not manifest immediately after birth. It is something like an itching sensation, and with animals there is little concern over developing relationships or allegiances to this particular partner or that.

4. Defending

This is also described as fearing. The animal is conscious enough to know that there is danger. Others will attack. Especially if living in the jungle, there is the potential for danger throughout the day. Therefore, defense is necessary.

One option is to use gifts provided by nature. Hands, legs, eyes, and ears. The nose to sniff out potential intruders. The nails to defend against predators. The belly to store food and move to a safer place for an extended period of time.

…

The reason the four basic components of animal life get mentioned so often by acharyas of the Vedic tradition is that human life at the outset is not much different. The nature of eating may be slightly advanced, specifically with the application of discrimination. I can choose to forego animal flesh, if so desired. I may only eat salads and fruits. Perhaps I have a liking for pizza and pasta. Whatever the actual habit, the taste of eating is the same as in the animal, though we may not be aware.

Sleeping takes place on a wide range of surfaces, from the hard ground to the electronically programmed luxury mattress. There may be issues with sleep, due to anxiety, poor digestion, distractions and the like. But once asleep the experience is really no different than what the animals go through.

Mating and defending are also similar. The human being can go to greater lengths, applying more intelligence in these areas, but the tendencies are the same. Enjoy sex life and protect what you have. Since there is enhanced intelligence, maybe these factors are under control more, as scientific studies and personal experience say that uncontrolled eating and sex life lead to problems.

The human being should rise above the animal activities, though. Otherwise, there is no point to the birth. The purusha in the form of a nara is considered auspicious. That spiritual spark manifesting as a person could accept a host of different body types; up to 8,400,000 in fact.

Human life is distinguished by the potential for connecting with the Almighty. Divine life is often misunderstood as merely religion, which is something like blind faith or sentiment. Learn why there are different species. Study the differences between animal life and human life. Acknowledge the harsh reality of death and strive to make the time spent in the human form completely worthwhile.

To help in this pursuit shastra descends from high above, flowing through a chain of realized teachers. This is the greatest mercy of the Divine, as He hopes that the human form is the last stop in a train of migration, commonly referred to as reincarnation. Become fully conscious of God the person even before death and be assured of liberation, where the distinctions between material and spiritual, animal and human, male and female, night and day and other such conditions in duality cease to exist.

In Closing:

Tendencies similar to me,

In animal community to see.

Like for defense the need,

And desire the belly to feed.

At night taking rest,

For sex urge the quest.

Human birth for something more intended,

God understanding through teachers descended.

Three Ways To Know That Vedic Culture Is More Than A Religion

“The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikshvaku.” (Bhagavad-gita, 4.1)

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श्री-भगवान् उवाच
इमं विवस्वते योगं
प्रोक्तवान् अहम् अव्ययम्
विवस्वान् मनवे प्राह
मनुर् इक्ष्वाकवे ’ब्रवीत्

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha
manur ikṣvākave ’bravīt

Vedic culture does not fall into any “ism.” Though the terms Hinduism and Vaishnavism are used in identification, for distinguishing those practicing a specific timeless art from those who aren’t, at the origin is a way of life. Sanatana-dharma is a culture that encompasses every aspect of living, from birth to death, youth to old age, female to male, laborer to wise scholar.

Studying how the culture is different from commonly subscribed to faiths helps to get a clearer understanding.

1. Not one book

This group has their particular text. They hold it in the highest esteem. Though perhaps today the language is different, with many translations coming since the time of the original publication, there is strong reliance for guidance, wisdom, and understanding.

Vedic culture does not have one book. A person could surely study Bhagavad-gita for an entire lifetime and have a sufficient foundation for making life sapaha [successful], for reaching the highest objective of a living person, purushartha.

Yet the same could be accomplished holding on to the Shrimad Bhagavatam. The Vishnu Purana covers a similar subject matter. The Ramayana appears to be different, but in fact the principles are identical; only presented in another way.

The reason for the many books is that the Almighty Himself is not limited to a single manifestation. If He were, then that would disqualify Him from Divine status. As infinite as time itself are the glories of the Supreme Person, who is addressed as Bhagavan because of His amazing attributes, exhibited in varying degrees based on the time and circumstance.

2. Not one founder

It would make sense that the single book of importance has an associated founder. Often described as a prophet, this person appeared in the world at a specific time to deliver the fallen. Followers subsequent to that time refer to that person as the “savior.” They are everything. Their word is final.

With santana-dharma, there is the system of parampara. Many people appearing in a chain of disciplic succession, with each link just as capable as the adjacent one, either forward or backward. The exact language spoken may not be the same. The focus may be on a specific aspect of the science of self-realization, but the objective is always one.

The person to bring the realization to others is known as guru. This is the spiritual master. In the Bhagavad-gita they are described as a tattva-darshi, or someone who has realized the truth.

तद् विद्धि प्रणिपातेन
परिप्रश्नेन सेवया
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं
ज्ञानिनस् तत्त्व-दर्शिनः

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

“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)

The guru hopes to train the disciple in such a way that the chain continues. This means that I have the potential to enter into the greatest association, despite my many faults. The living beings are Divine inside, but they are always different from the origin in this important way. He never has to realize anything, where we have the vulnerability to illusion in a world of birth and death.

3. Not one time period

It could be argued that those in Vedic culture follow the one Krishna and His most important teachings collected together in what is known as the Bhagavad-gita. Hence one founder and one book, with the time period being the battle of Kurukshetra some five thousand years ago.

Yet in that discussion with the disciple Arjuna, Krishna explains that the same science was taught at the beginning of the creation, to the sun-god. That was the beginning of the disciplic succession, specific to this universe. The number of realms cannot be properly counted, as the material nature originates in Shri Krishna. His energy is as infinite as He is.

Someone who was not fortunate enough to hear Bhagavad-gita during Krishna’s time still had a chance at liberation. Because of parampara, the highest wisdom was available previous to Krishna’s time on earth, and it continues to be around today. The acharyas help to spread the influence, to bring others into the light, so that they can live their lives in the proper way, always remaining conscious of the best well-wishing friend of every living entity. They prove that God can come to life, so to speak, even right now, in the very location where someone resides. The magic occurs through the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

From me never to hear,

That only one path clear.

That reading this book a must,

And that in others not to trust.

Sanatana-dharma always to shine,

Backwards and forwards in time.

Bhagavad-gita or Shrimad Bhagavatam prefer,

To parampara’s advice refer.

Five Questions To Get A Rundown On The Vaishnava Tradition

“A Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist or Christian is in all circumstances a servant of someone. The particular type of faith professed is not sanatana-dharma. Sanatana-dharma is the constant companion of the living being, the unifier of all religions. Sanatana-dharma is the rendering of service.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Easy Journey To Other Planets, Ch 1)

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1. What religion do you belong to?

I would never refer to it as a religion, as the common use of the term does not apply to sanatana-dharma, which is the real definition of spiritual life. That way of living can only be one, though because of time and circumstance it may manifest in a variety of ways. Some people receive only a rudimentary understanding, as due to their situation this is all they are able to digest at the time.

Others get a more complete explanation, where they learn that the living entity is a spirit soul at the core. That soul is sanatana in its existence, and so are the corresponding properties, dharma. Sanatana-dharma is the eternal way of living for bringing the intrinsic properties of selfless and devotional service to life at the highest level.

2. Who do you worship?

The spirit soul is one spark of the spiritual energy, an amsha coming from a source. That origin is the person worshiped, and He is understood in three distinct ways. Brahman is the formless Absolute, viewed as a kind of singular energy pervading the entire space. Every living thing is also Brahman, as they are an aspect of this energy.

Paramatma is the plenary expansion of the Divine residing within. Thus every person has God inside of them. They are not Him necessarily, but they are like Him and with Him always. Bhagavan is the complete manifestation, commonly described as the Personality of Godhead. He is not limited to a single visual, but He goes by names like Krishna, Rama, and Narasimha.

The more generic term, which closely matches to what others may know of the Almighty, is Ishvara. I worship the same person that everyone else does. He is the same person whose existence is denied by the atheists. Everyone is connected to Him in some way, and as they surrender they are rewarded accordingly.

ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते
तांस् तथैव भजाम्य् अहम्
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते
मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

“All of them-as they surrender unto Me - I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pritha.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.11)

3. What is your faith?

Faith, known as shraddha in Sanskrit, is a central aspect to the tradition, but sanatana-dharma is an entire culture. It covers every aspect of living, from morning until night, from childhood until old age, from single life to married with children.

A rational human being does not say they have faith in gravity. They do not say that they believe in the sun or that they are afraid of nature. In the same way, the person following principles of sanatana-dharma has a firm understanding of their nature as spirit soul. They strive for the vision of the humble sage, who observes with an equal eye.

विद्या-विनय-सम्पन्ने
ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि
शुनि चैव श्व-पाके च
पण्डिताः सम-दर्शिनः

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

“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)

They know that God is the Supreme Soul, similar in quality to the individuals residing in various bodies but also vastly different due to a lack of vulnerability to illusion. Followers of sanatana-dharma have faith that staying connected to Bhagavan through a mood of devotion, known as bhakti, will produce the proper outcome. Even if the hellish realm is the next destination, there is no fear because the lotus feet of the all-attractive one will remain on the consciousness.

4. What is the name of your God?

Too many names to count, and He is the same God that everyone else knows to some degree. Krishna says that He is all-attractive. Rama says that He holds transcendental pleasure to the fullest extent. Hare describes how He has a feminine side, as well, which is like His energy that provides pleasure. Vishnu means that He is all-pervading and Narayana says that He is the source of all naras, or human beings.

5. Are people condemned to hell if they don’t believe?

Birth in the material world is itself a kind of punishment. Though the root cause is always desire, something like intentionally forgetting that the film playing on the screen is a scripted performance, the outcome is not necessarily preferred.

The reason is that the miserable and temporary nature of this world is not the desired condition. I would rather stay somewhere that I can enjoy forever. I would rather not quit the rupa, or form, that I accepted at some point. These conditions are forced upon me by a nature described as material.

Residence in the hellish realm is a form of punishment for a life of sinful behavior, papa, but even ascending to heaven is not the final destination. Anything material means that there is an end, such as with Lord Brahma, the creator, living for billions of years.

Anyone who is not conscious of the spiritual side of life while quitting the body has to return to the planet of birth and death, mrityu-loka. Thus the importance of culture versus blind faith comes into play. Live your life in such a way that you are always conscious of God the person. This is also known as Vaishnava culture, which is a further refined definition of sanatana-dharma.

आ-ब्रह्म-भुवनाल् लोकाः
पुनर् आवर्तिनो ’र्जुन
माम् उपेत्य तु कौन्तेय
पुनर् जन्म न विद्यते

ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ
punar āvartino ’rjuna
mām upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate

“From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.16)

Do bhajana of Vishnu, who is God the person. Pious behavior will be an automatic byproduct. Kindness, compassion, perseverance, fortitude, intelligence and all other good qualities will emerge, and they will be used in the proper direction, for achieving the most auspicious end to life. The devotees of the Supreme Lord never return to this world after quitting the body.

In Closing:

A spot in His realm to earn,

The liberated never to return.

Because conscious of Him to stay,

Real benefit’s only way.

Not like a religion on faith relying,

Where just for afterlife trying.

Sanatana-dharma describing for all,

Way to reverse original fall.

How Can You Say That Vedic Literature Has No Final Chapter

"In time, great scientists may be able to count all the atoms of the universe, all the stars and planets in the sky, and all the particles of snow, but who among them can count the unlimited transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? He descends on the surface of the globe for the benefit of all living entities." (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.14.7)

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गुणात्मनस् ते ’पि गुणान् विमातुं
हितावतीऋनस्य क ईशिरे ’स्य
कालेन यैर् वा विमिताः सु-कल्पैर्
भू-पांशवः खे मिहिका द्यु-भासः

guṇātmanas te ’pi guṇān vimātuṁ
hitāvatīṛnasya ka īśire ’sya
kālena yair vā vimitāḥ su-kalpair
bhū-pāṁśavaḥ khe mihikā dyu-bhāsaḥ

Friend1: I like the idea that sanatana-dharma is not limited to a single book.

Friend2: Which goes by the term “Hinduism” in common conversation.

Friend1: Yes, but I will not use that. Might as well be accurate when discussing with like-minded individuals.

Friend2: We couldn’t be called “thumpers” of any kind since there are many different books. God is one. The objective is one. The nature of the connection to Him is singular. There is only one original destination. One way towards understanding the Absolute Truth.

Friend1: And yet still variety, almost infinitely so.

Friend2: Unity in diversity. We see diversity everywhere already. Know that every person is actually connected, part of a singular energy. This is described as undivided in the divided, the vision in the mode of goodness.

सर्व-भूतेषु येनैकं
भावम् अव्ययम् ईक्षते
अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु
तज् ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्त्विकम्

sarva-bhūteṣu yenaikaṁ
bhāvam avyayam īkṣate
avibhaktaṁ vibhakteṣu
taj jñānaṁ viddhi sāttvikam

“That knowledge by which one undivided spiritual nature is seen in all existences, undivided in the divided, is knowledge in the mode of goodness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.20)

Friend1: We do tend to emphasize one or two books, at least in our discussions.

Friend2: Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam.

Friend1: The Song of God and the spotless Purana, or set of ancient stories, describing God.

Friend2: Either book is fine. You could hold on to the Ramayana, too, and you would be set.

Friend1: What do you mean by that? “Set” refers to okay, sufficient, and the like?

Friend2: You would be on the right path. The works describe God the person. Not that there is sole reliance on faith. No reason to be blind about it. The works, originally passed on in sound through the Sanskrit language, which is spoken amongst the devas [gods], give ample justification for the devotional path.

Friend1: Bhakti.

Friend2: Learn who God is. Learn about the nature around us. Learn your relationship to Him. Understand how the association can never be broken; only forgotten.

Friend1: As it is now.

Friend2: Which defines the state of conditioned life. Spinning on the wheel of suffering, samsara-chakra. Forgetfulness is the spark to start the engine of karma, which is fruitive activity that is tied directly to reincarnation.

Friend1: Great conversation thus far, but I want to shift gears to a specific aspect of Vedic literature.

Friend2: Sure.

Friend1: I hear you sometimes say that not only is there not reliance on a single book, but that Vedic literature continues to expand.

Friend2: Absolutely. The Vedas are identical with God. One aspect to our understanding of Him is knowing that He is infinite. This includes His glories. There is no final chapter on the book that describes Him.

Friend1: Okay, but when we’re talking books, we know of beginning and end.

Friend2: But He is the beginning, middle and end of everything.

सर्गाणाम् आदिर् अन्तश् च
मध्यं चैवाहम् अर्जुन
अध्यात्म-विद्या विद्यानां
वादः प्रवदताम् अहम्

sargāṇām ādir antaś ca
madhyaṁ caivāham arjuna
adhyātma-vidyā vidyānāṁ
vādaḥ pravadatām aham

“Of all creations I am the beginning and the end and also the middle, O Arjuna. Of all sciences I am the spiritual science of the Self, and among logicians I am the conclusive truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.32)

Friend1: You just said there is no end.

Friend2: The final stage, as we understand it. Bhagavan speaks our language. This is to help us understand Him. In truth, we can never get a grasp on infinity. Reverse or forward. Small or large. Short and tall. We can think in terms of relative differences, but infinity in any of these areas is too much.

Friend1: Okay, but if you tell someone that there is no final chapter to the Vedas, they will get confused. They will have a difficult time understanding.

Friend2: Just study Anantadeva.

Friend1: The serpent bed upon whom Lord Vishnu lies in rest? The Divine entity responsible for what we refer to as gravity?

Friend2: Yes. He has an unlimited number of hoods. With each one He is glorifying the Supreme Lord. He has been doing this since before anyone can remember. He will continue well beyond the life of Lord Brahma, who lives for billions of years. This is how we know that Vedic literature can never have a cap on the number of books. The books are nothing more than recorded glorifications, and the eternally existing devotees continue to glorify Him, turning time, kala, into an auspicious, well-wishing friend.

In Closing:

Time not enemy to me,

Since allowing to see.

With each new day,

The holy names to say.

With love and attention so,

For attraction to grow.

Like Anantadeva who very well knows,

Vedas with never a chapter to close.

The Three Sanskrit Terms Defining The Spirit Soul

“Bhagavad-gita also confirms that when the Lord appears He appears as He is by His internal potency. He is not contaminated by the material energy because He is the Lord of material energy. In the Vedic literature we find that His whole embodiment is spiritual. He has His eternal form called sach-chid-ananda-vigraha.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 13.15 Purport)

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As a set of literature, the Vedas are unique because they go beyond basic faith. Not just one book, nor one specific person of interest, and neither a single institution, the aim is to connect with the origin of everything. Understand His position, the different ways He manifests, and His energies.

The best Sanskrit equivalent for the English word “God” is Ishvara. This refers to a great controller. Someone who controls over something or someone else. God is Ishvara because the material nature works under His direction; not the other way around.

The definitions and glorifications continue in many directions precisely because an existence as we know it is multi-faceted. From every angle of vision a person can understand Ishvara; no one is shut out from knowing Him in truth.

Three specific Sanskrit terms help to better define Him. Interestingly, the same terms apply to the individual. This means that we are all like Ishvara in a way, though we may not know it.

1. Sach

We are eternal, nitya. The many eternal spiritual beings are supported by the chief eternal.

“The Upanishadic verse runs as follows: nityo nityanam chetanash chetananam. The purport is that amongst all the living entities, both conditioned and liberated, there is one supreme living personality, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who maintains them and gives them all the facility of enjoyment according to different work.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 15.17 Purport)

How can someone be considered eternal if there is the birth-death dichotomy? If there is a beginning and an end, in what we refer to as a lifetime, where is the question of eternality?

न त्व् एवाहं जातु नासं
न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः
न चैव न भविष्यामः
सर्वे वयम् अतः परम्

na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ
na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ
na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ
sarve vayam ataḥ param

“Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.12)

Ishvara in the transcendental form of Shri Krishna explains. He says that there was never a time when any of us came to be. Go back infinitely into the past. We may not know the precise location. We may not know what kind of material covering was worn, but we certainly did exist.

The same holds true moving forward. Death is merely the final changing of bodies. The eternal spiritual being moves on to a different location. The exact details are determined by a combination of consciousness and results to fruitive activity, karma.

2. Chid

Ishvara is the most knowledgeable. Without much effort He creates the many universes. The image of Vishnu lying down in rest and doing the work of the world while breathing is both accurate and symbolic. Ishvara can take any spiritual form He chooses, including a bluish figure with four hands who is opulently adorned.

The resting gives us a slight idea of how easy it is for Him to accomplish difficult tasks. He does not require blueprints. No GPS device is necessary to figure out where exactly to create. He can see into the future, as well, knowing precisely when the time for destruction is necessary.

This supreme knowledge extends to the spiritual beings. We may not believe that every person is thus equipped, but evidence is everywhere. A child knows how to suck on the breast of the mother moments after birth. Certain animals can move and gather food right away. Even those abilities earned through training and instruction are predictable beforehand. No one can program a human being with the ability to talk; it is already there since birth.

3. Ananda

The Supreme Lord is bliss personified. He is full of pleasure, all the time. In the personal form of Shri Krishna in the spiritual land of Goloka, Ishvara is always enjoying. He has no responsibilities. No one tells Him what to do. There is no concern over setting a proper example. Every day brings another opportunity to spend time with the people who love Him the most. Playing the flute He enchants everyone.

The living entities have the same bliss inside, though in conditioned life there is a covering. Sort of like putting a shade on a lamp, the intensity gets diminished to varying degrees. Bliss is tied to the loving propensity, and hate is nothing more than love inverted. Thus every activity, every desire, can be traced to ananda.

The key distinction between the sach-chid-ananda in Ishvara and the same in the living entities is that the Supreme Lord never has these properties diminished or masked. Because of these three features existing simultaneously and all the time, He is also known as Bhagavan. This Sanskrit word is superior in describing His attributes.

Meanwhile, the living entities can fall so deep into the trap of illusion that they forget the sach-chid-ananda properties that belong to them. For this reason the spiritual master arrives, sent from above, representing Bhagavan. His association and instruction trigger the much needed reawakening, to where the individual reclaims what is rightfully theirs from the start: connection with Bhagavan, yoga.

In Closing:

Right now difficult to see,

But eternality in me.

Not a time created ever,

And ceasing to be never.

Knowledge from the start already there,

And blissful tendency guiding me where.

All actually from Bhagavan coming,

Through guru aware becoming.