Is There Anything Similar To The Ten Commandments In Vedic Culture

“The ten offenses against the holy name are as follows: (1) to blaspheme a devotee of the Lord, (2) to consider the Lord and the demigods to be on the same level or to think that there are many gods, (3) to neglect the orders of the spiritual master, (4) to minimize the authority of scriptures (Vedas), (5) to interpret the holy name of God, (6) to commit sins on the strength of chanting, (7) to instruct the glories of the Lord's name to the unfaithful, (8) to compare the chanting of the holy name with material piety, (9) to be inattentive while chanting the holy name, and (10) to be attached to material things in spite of chanting the holy name.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 7.73 Purport)

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Friend1: I got a chuckle while riding the subway the other day.

Friend2: Underground train into the city?

Friend1: Yes.

Friend2: What happened? People get into a fight? A tight squeeze in order to fit the passengers inside? A foul order emanating from a particular person sprawled out across the bench?

Friend1: Those things do occur quite frequently, but I don’t find any of them laughter-inducing. Correction; the jamming together and twisting the body like a pretzel to fit is quite amusing, but only after the fact.

Friend2: Just imagine, people in other countries have it worse. There are the internet videos showing the station officials pushing people inside to get them to fit.

Friend1: Or the ones hanging off the sides. That seems dangerous to me.

Friend2: So, what happened on this ride?

Friend1: There was an announcement. These are pre-recorded and I guess the conductor chooses which ones to play over the loudspeaker. Most of the time they are related to some present condition. For instance, if the train is particularly crowded, the announcement will advise passengers to remove their backpacks before getting on, in order to make more room.

Friend2: Does anyone listen?

Friend1: Of course not. Not a single person. Anyway, this announcement struck me as amusing. It was a reminder to not attack an employee of the train system.

Friend2: Ha, what?

Friend1: Exactly. As if anyone needed a reminder that it is illegal to physically assault another person.

Friend2: That must mean it occurs frequently. At least often enough to warrant an announcement.

Friend1: I couldn’t help but think of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Friend2: How is that? Because of ugra-karma and how the stress turns people violent?

Friend1: No, I was remembering something he says about the Ten Commandments. You know, of the religious nature.

Friend2: What about them?

Friend1: How they shouldn’t be considered to be the highest instruction. One should understand them in terms of time and circumstance. Specifically, the people of the time must have been degraded in behavior and consciousness.

Friend2: Why is that?

Friend1: Because they needed a list written down telling them to not kill and to not steal. A cultured person obviously avoids those things. They don’t need a sacred list of rules engraved on a stone as a reminder.

Friend2: You know, that is a very good point.

Friend1: It’s the same with this train announcement. What must be going on every day? Are people that far gone in terms of behavior that they require warnings against attacking train officials?

Friend2: It must be.

Friend1: It got me to thinking. Is there anything equivalent to the Ten Commandments in Vedic culture?

Friend2: Certainly not a single list with the same subject matter; at least that I am aware of. There are tons of rules and regulations. Think Manu-samhita. So many procedures to follow on this day and that.

Friend1: Okay, but that’s of the material variety. I understand that. If you want to meet a particular personal objective, you have to follow the rules of the game. What about in the bhakti path? Are there any rules?

Friend2: You get the ten offenses to the chanting of the holy name. I believe the origin of that list is the Padma Purana.

Friend1: What are some of the offenses?

Friend2: Being inattentive while chanting. Considering the holy name to be like a magic potion to bring material rewards. Committing sin on the strength of bhakti.

Friend1: Most of those seem pretty obvious to me.

Friend2: You’re right. It’s a helpful reminder, but pure devotion is always beyond the limits of motivation, interest and time. These lists help to bring purification more quickly. They help to raise the level of consciousness so that when there is chanting of the holy names, the Supreme Lord will always be close by: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Train announcement to hear,
That to officials coming near.

And to strike with force,
Such illegal of course.

Something commandments like,
Where based on conditions of life.

Bhakti always something higher,
Sins burned in devotional fire.

Why Should We Take On More Responsibility In Devotional Service

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

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तस्मात् त्वम् उत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व
जित्वा शत्रून् भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम्
मयैवैते निहताः पूर्वम् एव
निमित्त-मात्रं भव सव्य-साचिन्

tasmāt tvam uttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva
jitvā śatrūn bhuṅkṣva rājyaṁ samṛddham
mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva
nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin

Friend1: Do I do everything or is it Krishna?

Friend2: You are, of course, familiar with the Bhagavad-gita verse about the doer.

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि
गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः
अहङ्कार-विमूढात्मा
कर्ताहम् इति मन्यते

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate

“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.27)

Friend1: I was setting you up. Then why did Arjuna even proceed to fight in the battlefield? If he is not the doer, what is the point to action?

Friend2: Provide some context.

Friend1: The Bhagavad-gita conversation. Krishna and Arjuna seated on the chariot in the middle of the battlefield. They are the central figures to this sacred text, which is something like a transcript of a conversation that took place some five thousand years ago.

Friend2: Sung in beautiful verses of the Sanskrit language. Preserved for eternity in the epic work of Vyasadeva known as the Mahabharata.

Friend1: Krishna is the charioteer at the moment. Arjuna is the leading bow-warrior for one side in the conflict. Krishna shifts to the role of guru. This is not unfamiliar to Him, as He is the adi-guru.

Friend2: The original spiritual master.

Friend1: Arjuna becomes the disciple. At one point Krishna says that the living entity is not the doer. Material nature is the one who first gives sanction. Then the results manifest.

Friend2: Correct. This is to highlight how little control we have over outcomes.

Friend1: Yes, but the entire premise of the situation is outcomes. Arjuna is concerned over what will happen. He is afraid of winning, more or less.

Friend2: Just see how kind Krishna is. Everything is already arranged. The Pandavas will emerge victorious, but most of the assembled fighters will perish. Time, material nature, the master coordinator – whatever term you want to use will be responsible.

Friend1: Arjuna can be just an instrument. I get that. Why should he take any responsibility, at all? If the outcome is already known, arranged by Krishna, what is the point to action?

Friend2: Become an instrument and receive the credit.

Friend1: What if I don’t want the credit?

Friend2: What is it that you want, then?

Friend1: In Arjuna’s case I guess a stable position in the kingdom. Peace and prosperity. Everybody living.

Friend2: That was not going to happen. You couldn’t maintain that forever, anyway. Better to be on the side of good, perform your duty, follow dharma, and let everything get sorted out naturally.

Friend1: I understand that Arjuna was serving Shri Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That seems like a heavy responsibility to me. War is dangerous. Why would someone take that risk?

Friend2: Again, the outcomes are already set. The more responsibility you take in service, the more pleased Krishna becomes. Not that you should become overburdened, but find what you are good at and stick to it. At the very least you can chant the holy names in a fixed routine and introduce others to the same blissful process: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

If outcomes already set,
What for service to get?

And great risk to take,
When future living at stake.

Chance as instrument afforded,
As blessed servant rewarded.

From more responsibility assuming,
And steadiness in bhakti resuming.

Four Things That Sap The Vitality Of Human Energy

“In Kali-yuga, the duration of life is shortened not so much because of insufficient food but because of irregular habits. By keeping regular habits and eating simple food, any man can maintain his health. Overeating, over-sense gratification, overdependence on another's mercy, and artificial standards of living sap the very vitality of human energy. Therefore the duration of life is shortened.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.1.10 Purport)

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Put it in the title of your post. It’s an easy way to increase traffic to your website. People are looking for solutions, after all. The four pitfalls mentioned by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are not rare occurrences.

They are all too familiar; symptoms of this dark age of quarrel and hypocrisy. Try to correct the situation, and then dovetail the increased energy with the highest objective of the living being, purushartha.

1. Overeating

“I did it again last night. When will I learn? I always find excuses. This time we had several people staying at the house. I ordered extra so that everyone would have enough slices to eat. The pizza pie. My go-to. Obviously, my favorite food since childhood.

“The problem is that I don’t stop eating. People are amazed when I tell them how many slices I can put down. Once you get to the third or fourth one, it is like the body asks for more. Afterwards, I feel regret. There is more fatigue than I can describe. I have a difficult time doing anything.”

2. Over sense-gratification

“When I was younger, my mother would randomly yell at me if she thought I was doing too much of something. For instance, if she saw that I was seated on the couch for hours at a time watching sports on television, she would get upset. The admonishment was the same, ‘Too much of anything is not good.’

“In adult life I see evidence of that. Too much drinking. Too much time spent at the casino. Collecting a large amount of clothes and shoes. In whatever way the senses become satisfied, going over the limit creates fatigue to the point that the same person might swear off the activity completely, like I have so many times.”

3. Overdependence on another’s mercy

“There was a recent study that showed the younger generation more open to the ideas of communism and socialism. One of the reasons given is that there is fear in trying to make it on your own. Success is not guaranteed. At least with the other side there is someone saying they will take care of everything.

“The thing is, I never had the same concerns. Actually, I was worried, but that never drew me to take the full assistance of others. That fear became the impetus to work, to make it in the real world. I was mentioning this to someone and they said that the conditions in the previous generation were different.

“Most parents didn’t provide everything. There wasn’t the option to sit around and binge-watch television shows off a streaming service. There were no smartphones to become addicted to. Children had the inherent understanding that when they transitioned into adulthood they were going to get added responsibilities.”

4. Artificial standards of living

“I am fascinated by how people spend their time. I know someone who is constantly upgrading their tech gadgets. Not only purchasing the latest devices to hit the market, but fixing issues with the ones that they already own. Upgrading to the latest operating system. Modifying the hardware underneath. Bigger and better.

“To me it seems that people spend so much time just trying to maintain their lifestyle. If we didn’t have all of this stuff, life would be much simpler. We would have more time on our hands and more energy.”

…

The extra time matches well with the increased intelligence of the human being. The time is best utilized for contemplating higher subjects, such as life and death. Pondering questions such as why am I here. Where was I before? Why do I have to die? How best should the time in this life be spent?

Rather than rely on speculation and endless argument and debate, there is firm research data available in the form of Vedic literature. Understand both the philosophical and the practical evidence behind the need for taking up spiritual life. In the process, free up your time and increase your energy. Become truly happy through the highest engagement, one that matches the qualities of the individual, who is spirit soul.

In Closing:

After that pizza pie ordered,
On bursting stomach bordered.

Since one slice after another taking,
Excuses in mind making.

Overindulgence energy to deplete,
So important work not to complete.

Of spiritual side should be aware,
Focusing on future destination where.

Isn’t The Concept Of Avyakta-Murtina Paradoxical

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

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मया ततम् इदं सर्वं
जगद् अव्यक्त-मूर्तिना
मत्-स्थानि सर्व-भूतानि
न चाहं तेष्व् अवस्थितः

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ
jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni
na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ

“The archa-vigraha. The chief resident of the temple. The house of worship designated for that specific purpose. Congregate with like-minded, interested observers and followers. Set aside some time on a periodic basis, perhaps once a week, to worship.

“No need to meditate with your eyes closed. No contemplating nothingness. No falling asleep. A specific direction. Targeted prayers. Features to remove doubts. The vigraha, which is like a body, is for the purpose of worship, archanam.

“Not that the Supreme Lord has become stone. He is not limited in size or shape. The statue can fall from the altar, but God never falls down; He is achyuta. The deity is a manifestation of His mercy. He is so kind to me that He allows me to understand Him to some degree. He offers assistance in the process, knowing full well that devotion will rescue me from the tumult, chaos, despair and uncertainty which surrounds me.

“In a verse of the Bhagavad-gita , Shri Krishna refers to the avyakta-murtina. The generally accepted translation is ‘impersonal form.’ If you dig deeper, we have the same concept of a murti. It is a kind of body. The deity in the temple is a murti, for example. A distinct object. A specific place which can be identified through the sense of sight.

“Avyakta can mean ‘unseen’ or ‘unmanifest.’ I understand how the two terms taken together can refer to the impersonal form, but how can you see something that is by definition unseen? If I refer to something as a murti, does that not mean it has form? Are not the two terms contradictory?”

The avyakta here is in terms of man’s ability to perceive. When God stands before Arjuna as Shri Krishna, the identification is easy. Even the atheists, the deniers, at least acknowledge that someone is seated on the chariot next to the leading bow-warrior for the Pandavas. They may vehemently deny the Divinity of Krishna, but they are not foolish enough to say that no one is there offering instruction.

अवजानन्ति मां मूढा
मानुषीं तनुम् आश्रितम्
परं भावम् अजानन्तो
मम भूत-महेश्वरम्

avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mama bhūta-maheśvaram

“Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.11)

Avyakta-murtina is Krishna dispersed throughout the creation. Not that He has to stretch Himself into a painful position, that He becomes divided or lessened to a degree. The unmanifest is simply a way to understand Him. It is also worshipable in the same way as the murti in the temple.

The distinction is in the increased difficulty. It is easier for me to understand God through a picture of a person with features than it is to appreciate Him by conceiving of the entire universe as an abstract. After all, we deal with distinctions, vishesha, on a daily basis.

Currently, I am sitting at a desk in the office. That office is located in a particular city. The train takes people to and from. I return home to another city. There are other buildings, and the roads are wider. The ocean separates my land from those of others. Above the surface of the earth is the sky, and beyond that is outer space, with many other planets, including the amazing sun.

But who actually contemplates in that way? At least on a regular basis, as a form of meditation, the practice is rare. The avyakta-murtina is a factual concept, but one difficult to notice. Especially for someone who is embodied, duality is associated with every aspect of living.

Therefore, the recommendation is to worship the personal form. When repeating a prayer in the form of a mantra, direct it towards someone that you know has transcendental features: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Not easily perceptible the impersonal,
But supposedly identical to the personal.

Krishna all-pervading is He,
Even when not able to see.

The temple murti so kind,
Because distinguishable features to find.

So that in illusion no more,
Lifting out of ignorance for.

Four Instances Of Symbolism From Krishna-Lila

“All the sons of Dhritarashtra along with their allied kings, and Bhishma, Drona and Karna, and all our soldiers are rushing into Your mouths, their heads smashed by Your fearful teeth. I see that some are being crushed between Your teeth as well.” (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.26-27)

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अमी च त्वां धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्राः
सर्वे सहैवावनि-पाल-सङ्घैः
भीष्मो द्रोणः सूत-पुत्रस् तथासौ
सहास्मदीयैर् अपि योध-मुख्यैः
वक्त्राणि ते त्वरमाणा विशन्ति
दंष्ट्रा-करालानि भयानकानि
केचिद् विलग्ना दशनान्तरेषु
सन्दृश्यन्ते चूर्णितैर् उत्तमाङ्गैः

amī ca tvāṁ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putrāḥ
sarve sahaivāvani-pāla-saṅghaiḥ
bhīṣmo droṇaḥ sūta-putras tathāsau
sahāsmadīyair api yodha-mukhyaiḥ
vaktrāṇi te tvaramāṇā viśanti
daṁṣṭrā-karālāni bhayānakāni
kecid vilagnā daśanāntareṣu
sandṛśyante cūrṇitair uttamāṅgaiḥ

Effortless. Easy. Lack of constant attention. Almost accidental, but specifically timed. The exhaling breath the cause of the emergence. The inhaling breath responsible for destruction. Repeating again and again, almost to the cadence of the ticking of the clock hanging on the wall.

These are reflections on the image of Lord Vishnu lying down to rest. He creates the universes and destroys them without the slightest exhaustion. This most amazing work is carried out almost involuntarily.

This is one explanation of the process of creation. Provided by the Vedas, the information descends through a chain of responsible teachers. They may add their personal realizations along the way, but they do not distort the truth.

यद् यद् विभूतिमत् सत्त्वं
श्रीमद् ऊर्जितम् एव वा
तत् तद् एवावगच्छ त्वं
मम तेजो-ऽंश-सम्भवम्

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ
śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā
tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ
mama tejo-‘ṁśa-sambhavam

“Know that all beautiful, glorious, and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.41)

In fact, creation represents but a spark of Vishnu’s splendor. Bhagavan is the fully opulent one. He is more than what we can conceive of as the “God” figure. Since He has the greatest artistic mind, there is tremendous symbolism to the events He carries out within the view of interested spectators.

1. The entire universe in His mouth

Periodically, the Vishnu responsible for creation descends to the mortal realm in His personal form. One instance is as Shri Krishna, the jewel of the Vrindavana farm community. The people have an inkling towards equivalence with Divinity, but they are never entirely sure.

One time mother Yashoda looks into Krishna’s mouth. He is a small child who has just been accused of eating dirt. Maintaining a watchful eye, careful not to neglect even the slightest detail, Yashoda asks to gaze into her son’s mouth.

She immediately notices the entire creation. Full of variety. Time and space without limit. How could everything fit into such a tiny space?

The symbolism to the truth is striking. God is beyond the bounds of the material energy. In the smallest visible manifestation He retains full potency. He is both greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest.

2. Govardhana Hill resting on His pinky finger

It was amazing enough that Krishna could lift a massive hill. This was in response to an emergency situation. There was a torrential downpour that threatened to wipe the townspeople away. Their animals and their sources of food would be gone in a matter of moments if something weren’t done.

Krishna decided to lift the just worshiped Govardhana Hill. This was the first such event, soon to become an annual tradition. Krishna is the founder; it was at His insistence that the father Nanda directed the people to make their offerings in a formal way.

The rain did not let up after the hill was lifted. Therefore, Krishna continued to hold it up over His head. The people came underneath for safety; the world’s largest umbrella. That hill rested on the pinky finger of Krishna’s left hand. It stayed that way for several days.

The location is not accidental. The Supreme Lord does not sweat upon lifting heavy objects. For Him, a massive hill can rest on the weakest finger of the typically non-dominant hand. Just imagine what can be held with both hands in an adult-type body.

3. Withstanding the fumes of Aghasura

As people are always challenging the concept of God and worship of Him, the attitude visibly manifested in the form of wicked characters visiting Vrindavana during Krishna’s time. The demon Aghasura was appropriately named.

He was against saintly people, sura. He was full of sin, agha. He emitted these fumes that caused Krishna’s friends to become unconscious. They were lured to the demon’s area through deception. Aghasura displayed the form of a large cave, even though he was actually a serpent. The intention was to devour Krishna and put an end to God’s presence for good.

When Krishna approached, the fumes had no effect. Just as darkness dissipates at the arrival of a bright light, so agha has no influence on the person who is above the dualities of piety and sin. Krishna saved His friends and eliminated Aghasura from the area.

4. Warriors running into Krishna’s mouth

The Bhagavad-gita is a philosophical work. The highest wisdom presented directly by God to an attentive disciple. Though not typically falling within the category, that conversation is also part of Krishna’s lila.

There is tremendous symbolism not only to the setting, time and participants of the discussion, but also with the various visions displayed during the discourse. One of those images was of many mouths. The fighters for both sides, who had assembled to commence a great war, were devoured by Krishna.

This was indeed symbolic, since it represented what would occur through the impact of time. Arjuna could retreat if he wanted, but the outcome would remain the same. If he continued on and fought, he would receive the credit for an event that was already destined to take place.

A person who appreciates irony, nuance, subtlety, contrast and dynamic flow to storytelling gets sufficient content from Vedic literature, whose ultimate purpose is to glorify the Divine. His is the greatest story, and it can be heard over and over.

In Closing:

Not symbolic alone,
By factual events shown.

But much beauty found,
On storytelling ground.

Like hill on pinky finger resting,
Demons ready His limits testing.

Krishna always potency retaining,
Whole universe creating and sustaining.

Five Actions I Regret After The Fact

“Material desires, when unsatiated, generate anger, and thus the mind, eyes and chest become agitated. Therefore, one must practice to control them before one gives up this material body. One who can do this is understood to be self-realized and is thus happy in the state of self-realization.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 5.23 Purport)

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1. Firing the ball into the stands

“It was a moment of frustration. Sick and tired of running around and hitting balls off the frame. This opponent is really annoying, too. They take forever to serve the ball. We have a clock now in place because of them. It really is ridiculous.

“Anyway, the ball I fired into the stands accidentally struck a spectator. They weren’t too happy about it. No serious damage or anything, but it was entirely my fault. I lost my cool. I need to be better. I could get suspended over this.”

2. Yelling at the umpire

“Boy, did I lose it. That umpire had it coming, I tell you. He threw my pitcher out of the game for no good reason. The ball slipped out of his hand. It wasn’t an intentional move to intimidate the opposition. No warning, no nothing. Tossed without any opportunity for appeal.

“Still, I see the video replay of my argument and it isn’t pretty. My face was so red it looks like I was ready to explode. The umpire is no good, but I need to show respect for the game. There are other people watching. I want to set a better example.”

3. Admonishing a child

“It’s not their fault. They are too young to know what is going on. They are so nice to me most of the time. The kindness they show; that is true love. But I was really tired that night. I just wanted them to go to sleep.

“Other parents have it easier; at least that’s what they tell me. Put the child in a separate room, turn out the lights, and pretty soon everything is fine. Not with my child. Screaming and yelling. All occurring after dinner time, when I just want to sit and relax. Anyway, I will find ways to remain calm moving forward.”

4. Tailgating

“It wasn’t me. I was the passenger. The person driving really lost their mind. Another car was close behind them. They didn’t like being tailgated, as they were driving in accordance with the law. At an acceptable speed, passing the cars in the lane to the side. Then this jerk, the one previously tailgating us, got in front of us and my friend decided payback was in order. He chased that car for miles. Really dangerous, if you ask me. It’s not worth risking an accident in order to teach someone a lesson. Let it go.”

5. Talking back to the teacher

“We were home free. No test. No homework for the weekend. But I had to mouth off. I made an offhand comment about the teacher being lazy. He heard and decided to give everyone a test as retribution. The classmates looked straight in my direction. I deserved it. I don’t know why I found the need to be funny. Just keep quiet. That will help me in so many situations. The teacher got angry and justifiably so.”

…

The list could go on, in fact. Uncontrolled anger has a direct, visible influence. As His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains, the mind, eyes and chest become agitated. Anger leads to a loss of intelligence, which makes it easy to do something regrettable. The regret comes during a period of sobriety, when the intelligence returns to its normal level.

Intelligence is a way out. The self-realized person has control over desire, kama, which is the root cause of anger. Too many desires, too many wants. Increasing points of failure. Just one desire unmet causes frustration. One failure piled on another and there is a great vulnerability to anger.

Something simple is the solution. Chant the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Mantra meditation. Deliver the mind through dhyana, focused attention. The appropriate object of reference is Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In Closing:

In revenge mood set,
But later action to regret.

Ball into the stands flipping,
Umpire over home plate tripping.

That fast car to get behind,
But only danger to find.

Control of anger from yoga the cure,
Intelligence as backup assured.

Aren’t All Liberated Souls At The Same Risk As Jaya And Vijaya

“It is not necessary for the Vaikuntha associates of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to come to take the roles of His enemies in all the millenniums in which He appears. The ‘falldown’ of Jaya and Vijaya occurred in a particular millennium; Jaya and Vijaya do not come down in every millennium to act as demons. To think that some associates of the Lord fall down from Vaikuntha in every millennium to become demons is totally incorrect.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 5.36 Purport)

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We are familiar with the two central components of Vedic teachings. The individual is spirit soul that is infinite in its duration of existence. Meaning, it never takes birth and it never dies. There is visual confirmation, if one is trained enough to perceive. There is also the more important definitive word of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan.

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतो ऽयं 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)

This reveals the truth about reincarnation. The transmigration of the soul. The one person moving from place to place. Though typically understood in terms of lives and lifetimes, transmigration occurs at every second. I am no longer a child. That lifetime is over. That body will never return. And yet I am still as much vibrant today as I was many years ago.

We have the concept of reincarnation established, and there is also the mechanism to influence its direction. There is a way to find the dead-end road, so to speak. Consciousness is key. Particularly that measured while quitting the body, the influence is on the state of being in the subsequent birth.

यं यं वापि स्मरन् भावं
त्यजत्य् अन्ते कलेवरम्
तं तम् एवैति कौन्तेय
सदा तद्-भाव-भावितः

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ

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

Again, there is visual evidence. The variety in tendencies in children means that there is some factor determined from the past influencing the direction. A person is said to be a “natural” at a particular sport. They exhibit dexterity at the different movements at a young age. Another person learns to read even before getting out of diapers. They have the tendency, and no one knows for sure from where it came.

श्री-भगवान् उवाच
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि
जन्मानि तव चार्जुन
तान्य् अहं वेद सर्वाणि
न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
bahūni me vyatītāni
janmāni tava cārjuna
tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi
na tvaṁ vettha parantapa

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

Shri Krishna gives the more important confirmation of the past lives. Only He can remember them; we cannot. Memory is never a determining factor in existence. I have experienced so many incidents in my life, but sometimes I cannot recall what a friend who shared the time with me brings up. They are telling the truth; I simply have forgotten.

The person who thinks of Krishna while quitting the body attains a nature similar to His. They become sach-chid-ananda in terms of a merging of body and spirit. The dichotomy no longer applies. They turn into a beautiful, eternally existing being who gets to associate with Him. The key difference is that Krishna is always that way, whereas we have to work towards the achievement.

Vedic literature describes a historical incident involving two gatekeepers. They are brothers, Jaya and Vijaya. They make an accidental mistake. They are not malicious in their behavior. There is no intent to disrespect an important personality, but they do so anyway.

The result is a curse. The brothers must leave Vaikuntha and their posts. They will have to suffer births in horrible forms for several iterations. Man-eating ogres. Daitya demons who terrorize the innocent. There is a saving grace. The Supreme Lord Himself, the person whose gate they were previously keeping, will descend and personally offer liberation.

The issue may be raised that Vaikuntha is supposed to be the imperishable realm. In the Bhagavad-gita, Shri Krishna promises that a person who reaches His abode never leaves. How were these gatekeepers vulnerable, then? Why the vulnerability? What is the deal?

We know that the story ended well. The brothers returned to where they were previously. So many lessons were taught in the meantime. The worst among mankind could not stay in power forever. The entire episode was like a dream; nothing of lasting impact took place to the participants.

But what will happen to us? If we move to Vaikuntha, if we somehow attain liberation, is it a permanent achievement? Is Krishna not truthful in His promise? What will be our fate? If it can happen to Jaya and Vijaya, then can’t it happen to any of us?

The explanation is that no one actually falls from Vaikuntha. The supposed birth in the material world is something like a dream. A fleeting moment in time. Nothing of substance. A guaranteed return.

Moreover, the view of the transcendentalist at the highest stage of understanding is that everything is spiritual. There is no longer a distinction between the energies, material and spiritual. It is something like being aware of the dream while inside of it. I know that I will wake up, so there is nothing to be concerned over.

The paramahamsa has, in fact, woken up. They extract the spiritual essence from everything they witness. Every experience is already like Vaikuntha to them, so they are liberated prior to death, jivan-mukta. The achievement is rare, but entirely possible, and it substantiates the promise of Krishna to His devotees.

In Closing:

As home Vaikuntha calling,
But Jaya and Vijaya falling.

Mistake in etiquette when,
Births as Rakshasas then.

Not vulnerable us the same,
When after liberated through holy name?

The fall really something like dream,
Paramahamsa aware of the scene.