Four Things Bhagavad-gita Helps Me Cope With

“Sin will overcome us if we slay such aggressors. Therefore it is not proper for us to kill the sons of Dhritarashtra and our friends. What should we gain, O Krishna, husband of the goddess of fortune, and how could we be happy by killing our own kinsmen?” (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 1.36)

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पापम् एवाश्रयेद् अस्मान्
हत्वैतान् आततायिनः
तस्मान् नार्हा वयं हन्तुं
धार्तराष्ट्रान् स-बान्धवान्
स्व-जनं हि कथं हत्वा
सुखिनः स्याम माधव

pāpam evāśrayed asmān
hatvaitān ātatāyinaḥ
tasmān nārhā vayaṁ hantuṁ
dhārtarāṣṭrān sa-bāndhavān
sva-janaṁ hi kathaṁ hatvā
sukhinaḥ syāma mādhava

A friend is down on their luck. They are in a difficult situation of the mind; one from which they can’t seem to escape. The sadness and despair carries forward into every moment of the day. They are wondering as to the point of it all. Why go on when the end is guaranteed? Why proceed when others have left this world?

Looking for advice, you recommend the Bhagavad-gita. An authorized translation and commentary of the original Sanskrit work, the words spoken between guru and disciple provide guidance, assurance and clarity for any person seeking the positive direction.

1. Success

This would be a strange thing to have to cope with. After all, the self-help titles in the bookstore relate to success. How to be positive. How to win in the face of adversity. Implied is the truth that failure is the more common scenario. It is easier, for sure. Just don’t try. Don’t even make an attempt and you will surely fail.

But success is not everything. Time continues. After I win the championship, I need something to do. I may have won every big case in my law firm, but when the time comes to retire, those successes will not help me to deal with the transition to a different kind of life.

In the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna is worried over success. War is an uncertain business. No matter how skilled you are, no matter how many people you have on your side, a few surgical strikes from the opponents and you are significantly wounded.

Arjuna knew that success would mean taking over the kingdom, but of what value was that? He was renounced in spirit, though officially in the kshatriya occupation. His duty was to protect the innocent from injury. He was the best in the world at it, and yet he was bewildered.

2. Failure

Shri Krishna favored moving forward. This was the advice specific to that time, but in the more general sense it is the idea of carrying out prescribed duties with a renounced spirit. At the foundation is attachment to Krishna Himself, who is the founder of righteous principles, dharma.

What if Arjuna should fail? What if he is no longer the best at shooting arrows from a bow? What if the side of adharma, the Kauravas, should win? What if moving forward brings lethal punishment?

यदृच्छया चोपपन्नं
स्वर्ग-द्वारम् अपावृतम्
सुखिनः क्षत्रियाः पार्थ
लभन्ते युद्धम् ईदृशम्

yadṛcchayā copapannaṁ
svarga-dvāram apāvṛtam
sukhinaḥ kṣatriyāḥ pārtha
labhante yuddham īdṛśam

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

Krishna gives the assurance that as long as the prescribed duties are carried out, there is always an auspicious destination. Kshatriyas generally welcome such combat, because it guarantees heaven on both sides. With success, there is the protection against injury; which is in line with duty.

With failure, there is immediate ascension to heaven. The ultimate sacrifice bringing an appropriate reward. This means that even if we fail in our efforts, we are not entirely doomed. As long as Shri Krishna is pleased, then the result is always the same.

3. Life

I am in this body right now. I took birth at some time in the past. I will have to exit eventually. What do I do now? How should I spend my time? Binge-watch television shows? Drink one intoxicating beverage after another? Work long hours at the office until I am into old age?

Bhagavad-gita gives the advice of prescribed duties. There are generally four divisions for the proper functioning and maintenance of society. Arjuna was in the second division, the royal administrators. It was his duty to fight and without expectation of reward.

The spiritual master in that case was Shri Krishna, and in our situation the representative of Krishna gives guidance on how to proceed. He details the prescribed duties, if we are unable to discern ourselves.

Even if we are already stuck in a previously chosen occupation, there is no need to abandon everything. Working with the renounced spirit, while attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, will lead to the same destination as officially renouncing material life and begging for a living, spreading the science of self-realization in the travels.

4. Death

Bhagavad-gita is ideally suited for dealing with this situation. Someone has passed on. They were with me mere moments ago. Now they have departed, forever. I will never speak to them again. They can no longer communicate with me.

It is a sobering reality, since I am headed for the same destination. So is everyone else around me. What will happen to us? Does the existence cease?

Shri Krishna addresses this topic almost immediately in the discussion with Arjuna. The spirit soul is eternal in its existence. The self-realized person is not bewildered by the changes to the body, which is different from the soul.

देहिनो ऽस्मिन् यथा देहे
कौमारं यौवनं जरा
तथा देहान्तर-प्राप्तिर्
धीरस् तत्र न मुह्यति

dehino ‘smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati

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

I can lament. I can rejoice. I can be indifferent. Regardless of how I view death, it will take place. I will also continue to live, in some capacity, in some place. Arjuna stared kala, eternal time, right in the face. He emerged victorious due to the support of Shri Krishna and His timeless words of wisdom.

In Closing:

Tragic loss having to cope,
Feeling like there’s no hope.

Worthwhile even to try,
Destined for death, so why?

Same on victory’s side spinning,
Of what avail after kingdom winning?

Bhagavad-gita with these issues and more,
The purpose and what living meant for.

Can You Explain The Ones And Zeroes Thing About Bhakti

“Shri Rama’s holy name is like a numeral, and all religious practices are like zero. When the numeral is not there, zero means nothing. But when it is present, the resultant value increases tenfold.” (Dohavali, 10)

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नाम राम को अंक है सब साधन हैं सून |
अंक ग_एँ कछु हाथ नहिं अंक रहें दस गून ||

nāma rāma ko aṃka hai saba sādhana haiṃ sūna |
aṃka ga_em̐ kachu hātha nahiṃ aṃka raheṃ dasa gūna ||

Friend1: I have heard His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explain this concept. Not that he is lacking anything in the presentation. He is about as expert as you can get in presenting the timeless Vedanta philosophy to the modern age.

Friend2: Where people are hung up on smartphones. Where they research vital information by going to chat rooms and online forums instead of reading books. Shrila Prabhupada is still able to cut through the noise.

Friend1: Without even being perfect at English; at least when speaking extemporaneously. Goes to show you how much passion and interest matter.

Friend2: It’s the connection in yoga. The sentiment is genuine. He has a direct audience with Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so naturally he will be able to successfully present complex topics in a way that you and I can understand.

Friend1: One of those philosophical truths is this concept of ones and zeroes. Something to the effect that if you have a lot of ones, in terms of the digit, then the numerical value isn’t great. As soon as you add some zeroes then the value increases exponentially.

Friend2: You have it the other way around, I think. The person starts out with zeroes. We think that they are something.

Friend1: Okay, can you explain further? How can stuff be worthless? For instance, great wealth. Is that a zero?

Friend2: Think in terms of the four desirables in a material existence.

Friend1: Dharma, artha, kama and moksha?

Friend2: Those are the four rewards of living. The desirables are in terms of within the material life itself. Good parentage, sumptuous wealth, sufficient beauty and good education.

Friend1: Okay. Let’s go with that. Those are zeroes in terms of value?

Friend2: If I am lacking God consciousness. Think about it. It is something like winning the lottery in a dream. You feel great. All of your worries now gone. No more stressing over money. No more standing at the bus station in the freezing cold, waiting to arrive at the office for a hard day at work.

Friend1: It would be great.

Friend2: Good parentage is something to be proud over. I can tell others and they might respect me more. If I graduated from an Ivy League university, people will take notice. I might not even have to go job searching. The large companies will recruit me before I enter the workforce.

Friend1: That’s true.

Friend2: They are zeroes due to the temporary nature of an existence, how it is an illusion. There is also the issue of ahankara.

Friend1: False ego?

Friend2: After receiving those four desirables I get puffed up as a result. I think to protect those features first. Spiritual life becomes an afterthought. I am even more of a zero here, because I have fallen into a state of near-atheism, where I completely forget the Almighty.

Friend1: What is the relation to the ones, then?

Friend2: That is when you add Krishna consciousness. Goswami Tulsidas presents the same truth in the Dohavali, when speaking of Shri Rama and religious practices. The holy name is like the non-zero digits. You add that to the zeroes and you suddenly have something of value. Now your good parentage means something. You can rescue the family of ancestors through your service to Vishnu, like with Prahlada. Your good education helps in both understanding the science of self-realization and explaining it to others. Your beauty is used to attract people towards the Divine life. Wealth is spent for lavishly worshiping God in opulence, as He is seen in the Vaikuntha realm.

In Closing:

With abundance to unfold,
But like many zeroes to hold.

Since connection lacking,
No spiritual backing.

But holy name just adding,
Like ones to the value padding.

Then everything with proper connection,
And even opulences for God’s direction.

Four Things Desirable In This Material World

“Shrila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura explains in this regard that the very word harih means ‘one who takes away.’ If one connects himself with Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord takes away all his miseries, and in the beginning the Lord also superficially appears to take away all his material possessions, reputation, education and beauty.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 8.19.32 Purport)

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His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada provides the list. No need to speculate. No need to ponder endlessly into the day and night about what should be desired. In terms of material life, there are four primary beneficial conditions or situations. These are desirables, but they sometimes become impediments towards the highest goal of realizing the self.

1. Good parentage

In times past, if you ran into a stranger on the road, you might ask some basic details about their background. Biographical data that today gets loaded into someone’s profile, be it online or in a customer relationship management system.

“What is your name? What do you do for a living? Where are you from? Who are your parents?”

That last question isn’t asked as much today, as the population of the world is so dispersed that getting an answer might not really help anyone. If you have come to this country from a distant one, how will I know who your parents are even if you tell me?

Nevertheless, this is a kind of desirable. I would rather be from a good family than a bad one. A family known in society for something significant, on the positive side. A family that has made a difference.

If I have bad parentage, then it might be assumed that I would continue in the line. For instance, Prahlada Maharaja appeared in the Daitya race. His ancestors were pretty bad people. They were known for harassing the innocent. Prahlada’s ancestry was nothing to boast about.

2. Sumptuous wealth

There is the old saying that an empty sack cannot stand up straight. If you are poor and destitute, how can you be expected to exhibit righteous behavior? How will you be a good citizen, however that is defined, if you are struggling on a daily basis to maintain an existence?

If I have sumptuous wealth, then the expectation is that one of the greater concerns in life will be absent. I won’t have to worry about money. This means that I don’t have to get a job if I don’t want to. I am taken care of. Stress-free.

I might be able to enjoy in ways that others cannot. Private airplane travel. A driver for that expensive car. Partying into the late hours. Eating at five-star restaurants.

3. Sufficient education

If you are going to spend time amongst the wealthy, you don’t want to be out of place during conversations. In order to understand societal, political, religious and economic issues, there has to be sufficient education.

Moreover, this could be one of the questions posed by that person you are meeting for the first time:

“Where did you study? What school did you go to? What was the primary field of study?”

4. Good beauty

An attractive female enters the room. No matter her situation, married or not, she will draw attention. This can give her confidence when dealing with society, at large. Who doesn’t want to look beautiful? Sometimes there is nothing that can be done. Either the higher forces have granted this wonderful benediction or they have not.

…

A risk pointed out by Shrila Prabhupada is that a person can become puffed up with these benedictions. This might cause them to forget the real purpose of life: becoming God conscious.

After all, these rewards will not remain forever. The soul lives on. It will take birth again, and the next time around the parentage may not be as good. Education will have to start over, and there is no guarantee of sufficient wealth.

Better to make this the final birth. One name for the Almighty is Hari. This references a person who takes away. For the devoted souls, sometimes He removes their opulences as a favor to them, to prevent the vulnerability to an inflated ego. I may not like it when Hari intervenes in this way, but He is much kinder than I could ever imagine.

In Closing:

In good family taking birth,
With sufficiently high net worth.

Where education not lacking,
And others from beauty tracking.

But possible also to distract,
Maya’s allure to attract.

So Hari sometimes taking away,
For my benefit His final say.

Four Things Parampara Reveals To Me Which I Have Not Personally Witnessed

“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)

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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

Parampara is the disciplic succession. Something like tradition continuing within the family. For instance, one generation of a population takes to worshiping a hill they consider to be sacred. It is named Govardhana, as it is dear to the cows, who enjoy roaming on the area and eating the grass. That hill also has ties to the respected Shri Hanuman, one of the heroes from the Ramayana time period.

The people worship this hill with great joy and pomp; it is not a secret affair. The person leading the way, Shri Krishna, advises that the tradition should continue annually. Therefore, even to the present day there is the Govardhana Puja observed in the area known as Vrindavana.

A current resident has no experience of the original event. They may not even be sure as to the reason for the worship, but they follow nonetheless. Parampara has passed the tradition on, and in the same way many important aspects of an existence come to light through this connection.

1. Past lives

Who hasn’t speculated on this topic at some time?

“Have I lived before? If so, where? When? How many past lives, exactly? Was it always in a human form? In my dreams I am flying through the air. It feels natural to me; like I know how to do it. Does this mean that I was once a bird?”

Parampara in the Vedic tradition reveals the secret of an eternal existence. I have always lived. Choose any point in the vast timeline of creation. Know that I was around in some capacity. I can’t remember. It seems difficult to believe, as travelling infinitely into the past will make a person’s head spin.

For evidence, there are the exceptional cases of where memory does carry over. Narada Muni gives testimony of his previous birth. Bharata Maharaja is able to remember his time as a pious king and how he fell from the transcendental position due to attachment to a deer.

More importantly, there is the word of Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He explains to Arjuna, the disciple on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, that both of them have existed before. The distinction is that Arjuna cannot remember the past lives. Krishna can, and His word is sufficient for establishing the truth.

2. Past great personalities

There is a common “ice-breaker” game played with team members newly formed. A way to get insight into how someone else thinks, ask them to answer the following question:

“If you could meet a single historical personality, who would it be? Choose anyone that we know or don’t know. You get to have dinner with them.”

The game is interesting because you can’t actually go back in time. You only know of someone based on the accounts passed on by others. With parampara we learn of amazing personalities like the Pandava brothers, Bhishmadeva, King Janaka, Shri Hanuman, and Prahlada Maharaja. The list is almost endless, and in many cases the association is through the direct words spoken. A lasting impression to save future generations from the sadness and despair of a material existence.

3. The end of creation

Krishna gives some hints in the Bhagavad-gita. At the end of Brahma’s life there is the total dissolution. He is the creator and he lives for one hundred years. But just one day of Brahma is equivalent to billions of years for us. There is a smaller dissolution that takes place at the end of one of those days.

This is something like the end of creation, Armageddon. Markandeya Rishi once got to witness this event. He saw that the only person remaining was a small boy, lying on a banyan leaf, without a care in the world. This was the same Krishna advising and protecting the Pandavas.

4. The creation itself

It is an endless cycle. Time is infinite in both directions. What goes up must come down. That which is destroyed gets created again. Modern science has their theories. Big bangs. Chemicals colliding. A single cell leading to the amazing variety and intelligence we see around us.

From parampara we get the concept of a cause of all causes. That is one way to understand God. Creation takes place through His influence alone. He does the work effortlessly. He then gives exalted personalities like Brahma the chance to build, to use the ingredients already available to make a kind of city of the universe. A master planner, but one requiring a superior coordinator.

This vision from shastra saves much valuable time. I no longer have to speculate. I get experience from the past, for events and people I did not personally witness; at least not in my memory. Through intelligence and further instruction I deduce that the same will occur moving forward.

What I can control is my destination. To where I will end up in the future, after this lifetime ends. To steer the ship to the best destination, I try to remain connected to Krishna and His parampara. I stay in the devotional mindset through chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

The creation itself seeing,
And fear of dissolution freeing.

From past heroes to hear,
Like sitting next to them near.

From parampara benefit getting,
Like feet in time travel setting.

Through them future also shown,
That best interest for Krishna alone.

Three Areas Of Hard Labor In Mental Speculation

“Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the primeval Lord Govinda. Ishvarah paramah krishnah sach-chid-ananda-vigrahah anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 7.3 Purport)

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His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada glorifies shastra, revealed scripture, by highlighting the truth that just one shloka can complete billions of years of hard labor in mental speculation.

A shloka is a verse, a series of words, a couplet in the Sanskrit language. Shastra is composed of shlokas. Not that there is a governing body which must first give the stamp of approval. Shastra descending through the ages is unchanged. No one can trace the origin of Vedic literature with any degree of certainty, and the number of volumes is not fixed.

In keeping with the tradition, a person can add their own thoughts, recollections and experiences. They can glorify Bhagavan in their own way, and that can become shastra, as well. Examples in this line are the known published works of saints from the medieval period in India. Some of those are composed in the native languages of the time, such as Bengali and Hindi, which have Sanskrit as the highest ancestor.

1. Who built this train system?

“Isn’t it amazing how everything just comes together? So many travelers on a given day. Thousands upon thousands. They know exactly where to go. They expect to reach the desired destination at a specific point in time. For the most part, their expectations are met.

“The truth is, this underground train system did not exist a few hundred years ago. The same plot of land. The same area. The same desire to sustain life in the population. But the people travelled differently. I would imagine that in a bygone era having just a single train line would have made a significant impact.

“How did this all come together? Who was the designer? I know it didn’t occur randomly. How did they dig into the ground? How did they create sufficient space for travel? How did they know the effort would be successful and sustainable for many years to come?

2. Who built this city?

“It is amazing how many people live in this city. Millions, they say. In a small area, with high-rise buildings to accommodate residential and office space. Sufficient food to sustain life. Ports of entry for importing and exporting vital necessities. An air travel system for expedited entry and exit.

“Did someone plan this entire thing? I’m sure this city wasn’t always like this. There was the time prior to electricity. Skyscrapers are a modern invention; at least I think they are. What are the origins of this city? Has it always been this densely populated?”

3. Who built this universe?

If we go back in time, if we consult the history books, we can probably get an idea on the first two questions. Builders in the modern day can provide some insight on what goes into planning a city or an elaborate train system. Then the same was likely the process in the past.

What about the entire universe? The same factor of time must apply. That is to say there had to be a time when things weren’t as they are today. There must be an origin to the planet earth. Who or what placed this massive body of land in a specific area of space, at a specific distance away from the sun? Who created the concept of seasons? Why are the other planets different?

In this way there can be millions of years spent in mental labor. Shrila Prabhupada says that from a single verse in scripture we can save all of that valuable time. Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is sarva-karana-karanam. He is the cause of all causes.

In fact, this is one way to understand God. Explain the concept to someone who is unfamiliar. Perhaps a child inquiring into the religious practices of the elders. One way they can know is to understand the concept of an origin. A beginning to a beginning. Climb up the ladder of ancestry and the person at the top will be Shri Krishna, the ever-youthful and all-attractive one.

In Closing:

One after another the train,
Daily relying on the same.

Intricate web the paths spanned,
Who this amazing city planned?

Same inquiry to universe apply,
Many years of effort to try.

Whereas from one shastra verse getting,
Firm idea of origin setting.

How Could A Dynasty Fall Under Krishna's Watch

“Bhumi assumed the shape of a cow and presented herself before Lord Brahma with tears in her eyes. She was bereaved and was weeping just to invoke the Lord's compassion. She related the calamitous position of the earth, and after hearing this, Lord Brahma became much aggrieved, and he at once started for the ocean of milk, where Lord Vishnu resides.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 1)

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Friend1: We know that Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears in this world from time to time.

Friend2: Whenever there is a decline in adherence to religious principles, dharma. A corresponding rise in irreligion, adharma.

Friend1: To give protection to the saintly people, sadhu. To give the proper punishment to the miscreants.

Friend2: The avatara, referring to someone who descends from the spiritual world.

Friend1: Since the time is fixed, the avatara appears and disappears. Coming and going. Blessing the eyes with the vision of a transcendental form. Remaining for some time. Performing pastimes. Providing endless content to fill pages of Puranas and other recorded recollections published in a beautiful poetic style in a Sanskrit-type language.

Friend2: Another instance of Bhagavan’s causeless mercy. He doesn’t have to do any of that. He could leave us here to suffer. It is our choice, after all, but He tries to help us make the right decision in favor of dharma.

Friend1: Here is one thing to ponder. There is the avatara of Shri Krishna. That experience is well-documented in works like Mahabharata and Shrimad Bhagavatam. Aside from the amazing teachings and heartwarming lila, there is the tragic end.

Friend2: You mean with the arrow of the hunter hitting the sole?

Friend1: Not even that. The destruction of the Yadu dynasty. This is the family in which Krishna appears. They should be happy. They should be always victorious. Instead, at the end everyone turns against one another.

Friend2: That is when Krishna knows it is time to leave. The work has been done. The burden on the earth is lessened. She is the one who petitioned Vishnu directly. In the beginning Bhumi Devi visits the spiritual world in the form of a cow and describes the inauspicious conditions.

Friend1: You have to ask how something like that can happen. Krishna is there. Why the defeat? He was on Arjuna’s side and so the Pandavas emerged victorious in the Bharata War. No asura sent by Kamsa could harm the cowherd boys in Gokula. A jealous Indra could not wash away the residents of Vrindavana. Krishna and Govardhana Hill saved them.

Friend2: Right.

Friend1: Where was the same protection for the Yadus?

Friend2: What do you think the answer is?

Friend1: Krishna chose not to protect them.

Friend2: Exactly. He is the ultimate cause and effect. We make the choice to act, but material nature, prakriti, must give sanction for the result to manifest. This is for something as large and complex as a war and also something as simple as deciding to speak a word.

Friend1: Why couldn’t the Yadus leave peacefully, though? Why did that fratricidal conflict have to take place during Krishna’s time?

Friend2: He had technically left the scene. He sung the Uddhava-gita and then left the world. He knew what was coming and warned those who should be notified.

Friend1: Does this mean that we are not safe even in Krishna’s presence?

Friend2: It means that no one is safe in the material world. Everyone has to leave eventually. But remember, it is something like a dream. You can’t stay asleep forever. Eventually the dream dissipates. The same applies to the experience in this life. What matters most is to where we go next. Krishna’s associates always stay with Him, as was explained to Arjuna:

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)

Friend1: I’m assuming this also applies to those who are Krishna conscious; i.e. devotees who are not necessarily directly in the presence of Krishna’s avatara.

Friend2: What applies?

Friend1: The lack of protection.

Friend2: The devotion will always be protected. Not that you will remain in the same position indefinitely. Even the Pandavas returned to the spiritual world. Their notable successor, Maharaja Parikshit, famously quit his body while listening to Hari-katha for seven days on the banks of the Yamuna River. Those are all auspicious ends that give encouragement to anyone who has doubts.

In Closing:

If harboring doubt,
See how history turned out.

For Parikshit on banks hearing,
Pandavas fate to heaven steering.

In this life rising and falling,
Victor today, tomorrow as loser calling.

All something like a dream,
Known clearly when Krishna seen.

Three Things We Think Of To The Neglect Of God Consciousness

“Death does not wait for any man; it will immediately carry out its duty. Since death must take away the living entity without hesitation, it is the ultimate God realization of the atheists, who spoil their lives thinking of country, society and relatives, to the neglect of God consciousness.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.28.22 Purport)

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As much as we may try not to, worry takes over. Concern for the future. It is unknown, after all. No one can accurately predict. The experts give their estimations for the upcoming jobs report. They think the gross domestic product will increase at a certain rate.

When the actual numbers get released, there is always a difference. The jobs numbers defied expectations. The growth was less than expected. In truth, no one ever knew. The macro level was too complex and involved for anyone to get a handle on.

In the experience of life, it is the end which holds the greatest uncertainty. That undefeated factor, known as kala in Sanskrit, does not wait for any person. The staunchest denier must submit to the will of a superior force. Old age was already attacking them, but they thought they were withstanding the onslaught.

In the precious time between birth and death, my attention gets diverted elsewhere. I should be contemplating a specific subject matter. One kind of consciousness is the most auspicious, but since I have never personally met kala in its fiercest form, I neglect that important topic.

1. Country

“My people need me. Freedom is not free. Others have paid the ultimate price so that I could enjoy my way of life. The milk and honey that is produced, it is available through the protection offered by others. They sacrifice so that I can live.

“It is now my time to give. I will serve my country. I will honor the flag. I will make a meaningful contribution. Then I will be able to sleep at night, removing some of the guilt I felt up until now.”

2. Society

“Just see the suffering. I am okay. I am doing fine. I have enough food to eat. I have a warm bed to sleep in during the cold winter. I get relief from the scorching heat of summer. I have a steady job that pays me enough to enjoy life.

“The same cannot be said of everyone. They are suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. They get sidetracked by meaningless squabbles. They become more vulnerable to disease, including ailments affecting the mind. I need to make some contribution to help those who are less fortunate.”

3. Relatives

“Blood is thicker than water. I grew up with many of these people. If I can’t help them, who will? What will happen once I am gone? Who will take care of them? Let me arrange everything today so that there will not be an issue.

“But I also foresee conflict and disagreement. I know in some families that the rivalries do not end even at the death of elderly family members. Competing funeral arrangements. Silent treatment towards siblings. Forgiveness is not an option. Let me try to tackle that issue now, while I am still alive.”

…

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada says that contemplation on these topics is to the detriment of God consciousness. In other words, they are a distraction. I do not know when death will strike, but when it does it will not wait for me to settle my affairs.

In truth, nothing will ever be truly settled. There is constant change. Society can be ideal today in my eyes, but in a single generation everything can get spoiled. One bad person appearing in the family can ruin its good name. Society can turn on one another in a moment’s notice, like with what occurred at the destruction of the Yadu dynasty.

Let me take care of my God consciousness first. That will be the best example to share with the ones I care about, which includes society and relatives. If I can rescue them from the repeated cycle of birth and death, I have offered the greatest gift. If I can induce chanting of the holy names, like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did as a child with His community, I have done something worth remembering: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Kala not to wait,
Despite unsettled state.

Where affairs properly arranging,
But situation always changing.

God consciousness focus better upon.
To fully purify before I am gone.

Benefit to others will redound,
Glory of bhakti all around.