Five Questions The Sadhu Is Equipped To Answer In Our First Meeting

“The value of a moment's association with a devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which is for those who are meant for death.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.18.13)

Download this episode (right click and save)

तुलयाम लवेनापि
न स्वर्गं नापुनर्-भवम्
भगवत्-सङ्गि-सङ्गस्य
मर्त्यानां किम् उताशिषः

tulayāma lavenāpi
na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam
bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya
martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ

Just a single moment; that time spent is more valuable than the most expensive automobile you can think of. More worth it than courtside seats to the big game. Better than that cruise-ship vacation or that exotic travel destination. More important than having enough money to retire safely for the rest of the time on this earth.

The meeting with the saintly person, bhagavata, carries the potential for resolving life’s most difficult issues. Not information used to pass a trivia contest, but the really pressing problems, which have baffled mankind for centuries. Those questions which stimulate endless speculation, which other leaders might shrug their shoulders at, the person connected to the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no fear in speaking with the weight of authority to support them.

1. If God exists, why can’t we see Him?

This is the natural progression after acknowledging existence. Any person can say anything. The person on the street can answer the question of existence in the affirmative. There are competing viewpoints, but people generally lean towards the side of belief.

If we can agree that there is a God, then where is He? Wouldn’t sight settle doubts? Wouldn’t a direct vision provide the best confirmation? Why keep everyone in the dark, so to speak?

The answer is that the Supreme Lord is all-around. He accomplishes omnipresence through a feature known as Paramatma. This translates to Supersoul, and it is a kind of expansion of the original person. Undivided, though seemingly distributed in parts. One identity, but present in innumerable instances.

The key factor is discernment. Being able to detect the presence; not necessarily asking for a special vision. Just as spectacles help to sharpen the available ability in sight, the saintly person gives hints, clues, and processes where moving forward the proper vision arrives.

The bhagavata sees the person they serve, Bhagavan, at every moment. They respect His presence inside of the temple and also outside. They are not hallucinating and neither are they in some imaginary land. They can see God, and they can help others to similarly remove the darkness of illusion.

2. Why do bad things happen to people?

This is one of the stronger arguments from the atheist side. We are supposed to acknowledge God’s presence. We are supposed to worship. He is the all-good, all-loving, Divine being. If that is the case, how could there be tragedy? Why is one person born with a silver spoon in their mouth and another relegated to a life of poverty?

The simple answer is karma. This is one of the operating principles of a material existence. The individual is spirit soul, jiva, and they come in contact with matter, prakriti. Kala, which is time, acts on that spirit-matter combination.

Activity, or karma, determines the nature of time’s influence. This is action and reaction. Karma is something as simple as turning left while driving and ending up another road. It is also as complicated as the chance meeting with the person who ends up being the spouse, spending many years together in marriage.

Karma can span many lifetimes. The comparison is to air and how it carries aromas. My conception of life right now can determine the state of being I experience in the next birth. This is karma influencing consciousness, which is the proof of an existence.

शरीरं यद् अवाप्नोति
यच् चाप्य् उत्क्रामतीश्वरः
गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति
वायुर् गन्धान् इवाशयात्

śarīraṁ yad avāpnoti
yac cāpy utkrāmatīśvaraḥ
gṛhītvaitāni saṁyāti
vāyur gandhān ivāśayāt

“The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.8)

3. Where was I before this birth?

As there is karma to influence life in the future, so there was action in the past that determined the circumstances of the present birth. The saintly person accepts the information on faith in the beginning, but they receive further confirmation of the principles through consultation with shastra and also personal experience.

Vedic literature passes forward countless tales of people experiencing several lifetimes, going from low to high and high to low. Rich in one life and poor in the next. Maybe a prominent king at first, but then a deer later on.

4. Where will I go after death?

Jiva lives on. It cannot be killed. It never takes birth. This means that I will always be somewhere, no matter the point in time, when viewed for analysis purposes. Karma and consciousness combine to influence my fate. The safest position is to be conscious of the Supreme Lord while quitting the body. At anta-kale, I would then attain a state similar to His.

अन्त-काले च माम् एव
स्मरन् मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्
यः प्रयाति स मद्-भावं
याति नास्त्य् अत्र संशयः

anta-kāle ca mām eva
smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ
yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

“And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.5)

5. Why are there so many religions?

Okay, so the saintly person has answered the toughest questions I could throw at them. I am satisfied with the responses. This Vedic literature seems quite interesting. I am ready to learn more. I am eager to make advancement.

But before we move on, I want to know why there are competing religions. Why aren’t the other faiths able to answer these questions? I would think that jiva, prakriti, kala, and karma have nothing to do with a person’s professed faith. Every religion could teach the same information and we wouldn’t have issues.

The explanation is that there are different capacities for learning depending on the time and circumstance. Not everyone is ready for the full explanation of an existence. Not every person will be receptive to accepting such information.

Yet since God is omnipresent, He never forsakes anyone who is desirous of knowing Him. He always gives them a way to advance, to move closer to their original, constitutional position, which is inseparable and endearing association.

In Closing:

Coming their way by chance,
Now my knowledge to enhance.

With toughest questions to pose,
Seeing what saintly one knows.

Surprised with explanations produced,
To timeless principles introduced.

That always living and ready to go,
My eternal nature to know.

Four Complex Areas Of Science Covered In Vedic Literature

“The fifth incarnation, named Lord Kapila, is foremost among perfected beings. He gave an exposition of the creative elements and metaphysics to Asuri Brahmana, for in course of time this knowledge had been lost.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.3.10)

Download this episode (right click and save)

पञ्चमः कपिलो नाम
सिद्धेशः काल-विप्लुतम्
प्रोवाचासुरये साङ्ख्यं
तत्त्व-ग्राम-विनिर्णयम्

pañcamaḥ kapilo nāma
siddheśaḥ kāla-viplutam
provācāsuraye sāṅkhyaṁ
tattva-grāma-vinirṇayam

The disciplines can be so complex that a single honorary achievement is insufficient for recognition. Rising to the level of PhD is only the beginning. Use that as a launching pad for conducting meaningful and exhaustive research, enough to further the cause of knowledge and understanding. Progress is the objective; always moving further along, revising and extending previous findings.

Several hundred people of the highest academic stature, researching for up to fifty years still barely scratches the surface. The universe is so complex that science continues to make new discoveries. These aspects of nature were already in place, such as with gravity. Sir Isaac Newton simply found a way to describe and understand something that had been in effect since before anyone can remember.

As the general opinion is that science and religion clash, any mention of God or a higher power signifies a departure from the empirical way of observation and experiment. This is where the Vedic culture stands unique. It describes so many complex aspects of nature in its original texts, which have no accurate date of inception. This is because the works are as timeless as the person they glorify.

1. Biology

Travel around the world. Take a boat if you have to. Record your observations of the seas, the plant life, the birds, the mammals, and other species. Categorize as best as you can, discerning patterns and similarities. From there develop some sort of hierarchy to help others understand.

Whereas the results of such an undertaking are never perfect, Vedic literature explains biology very succinctly and accurately. Start with three types of ingredients. They are of different natures. The modes of goodness, passion and ignorance form the building blocks of the material world.

Those ingredients can be put into different combinations and proportions. Sort of like the child given play-dough, the result is up to 8,400,000 species. The Vedas go one step further in accurately classifying what a species is. The modes of nature combine to create what are body types. The modes themselves cannot do anything. They are matter, after all, which is dull and lifeless.

Jiva souls inhabit the body types, and for a fixed duration of time. That is to say the lease on the residence is not permanent. The same jiva can live as a tree for one lifetime and as a fish in another. This jumping from species to species is known as the transmigration of the soul, or reincarnation.

2. The phenomena of heat and light

The Vedas use these properties as a correlation to dharma. Heat and light are the two features that must be present for there to be fire. Without heat and light you cannot have fire. Therefore, heat and light are the dharma of fire. For water it would be the property of wetness or liquid. Even when observing ice, there is still the liquid property, though in a different state.

The source of heat and light is the sun and the source of the sun is the Supreme Lord. That is one way to understand God, from a scientific point of view. That which fuels the entire creation is different from that creation. It is an individual and external force.

3. The origins of thunder and lightning

This was of particular interest during the eighteenth century in both America and Europe, when experiments in electricity were taking off. Was lightning any different? Was it simply another manifestation of the same energy that pervades the entire creation?

4. Metaphysics

This is done through the incarnation known as Kapila. He teaches the genuine form of sankhya, which not only identifies the different elements that constitute nature, but explains how they work together. Kapila is the son of Devahuti. Although a superior in that relationship, the mother still considers Kapila to be the foremost authority on that great science.

…

The Supreme Lord explains the origins of the different energies in many places in Vedic literature. In Shrimad Bhagavatam He tells Lord Brahma, the creator working with the three modes of nature to generate the species, that nothing existed before Him. Lord Vishnu is the beginning and also without a beginning. He is the source of the material nature. He is the powerful giving rise to the power.

अहं सर्वस्य प्रभवो
मत्तः सर्वं प्रवर्तते
इति मत्वा भजन्ते मां
बुधा भाव-समन्विताः

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matvā bhajante māṁ
budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.8)

More important than explaining complex principles of science is understanding where they fit into the larger picture. What does knowing the properties of thunder and lightning really do for me, in the long run? Perhaps I can avoid a painful strike from the clouds, but that is a rare occurrence in the first place. I can use heat and light to stay warm in the winter, but is that really the purpose of an existence? Isn’t there more to living than basic survival, which cannot remain forever?

In Bhagavad-gita the Supreme Lord explains that the purpose of life is to serve Him, to abandon all other forms of living, which are known as dharma. The essential characteristic of the individual is to serve, and the ideal object of service is God. From the proper outlet of service all requisite knowledge descends. The meaning is that if you know Vishnu then you know everything necessary for survival and beyond. Unlike the association with the material world, the devotion of the devotee never perishes.

In Closing:

Not on blind faith relying,
Vedas for full explanation trying.

That science later found,
But first carried in sound.

Kapila for sankhya explaining,
How elements in body attaining.

More important than knowledge to read,
With understanding of Supreme to proceed.

Why Is Bhagavata-Sanga So Important

“The value of a moment's association with a devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which is for those who are meant for death.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.18.13)

Download this episode (right click and save)

तुलयाम लवेनापि
न स्वर्गं नापुनर्-भवम्
भगवत्-सङ्गि-सङ्गस्य
मर्त्यानां किम् उताशिषः

tulayāma lavenāpi
na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam
bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya
martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ

“I am really feeling the separation at the moment. I am in the category you would describe as fortunate, given the present conditions within the world. I still have a job. No dent to the monthly income. Though there are harsh restrictions relating to movement out in public, I have not been affected. I go outside just as much as I used to, though many of the establishments are now closed, some for good.

“But I really miss one thing: meeting with other devotees. The virtual kathas are okay, but you don’t feel the same magic for some reason. I guess it would be the difference between sitting in a classroom and learning a difficult subject matter at your own pace, while at home.

“I could never put it into words, but I know the association was beneficial to me. Even in instances when I didn’t want to attend, where I was annoyed at the lack of quality in the speaker, in being troubled by the lousy weather, I could tell a few days later that there was a benefit to me.

“Shastra confirms this, that even a moment’s association with a devotee is priceless. Could you further explain the importance? What is so special about meeting such a person?”

The simplest explanation is that you will never come across the valuable, lifesaving information any other way. We have the potential to meet so many people. In childhood, it is mostly elders. We automatically imitate them. If they are sitting in front of the computer working, we want to do the same.

If they drive us around town, we wonder when we will be allowed to do the same. While we are strapped into a car-seat, they are free to roam about. While we are compelled to go to school, it seems like they have all the freedom in the world.

In adulthood, there are colleagues at the office. Perhaps they are enduring similar struggles in how to maintain peace and happiness at home, while steadily progressing along the career path, however that is defined.

We can meet so many people who influence us, both directly and subtly, but no one compares to the dedicated servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are known as bhagavata due to the link to Bhagavan, which is one way to describe God.

As His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada says, the person bhagavata is as important as the book bhagavata, which is also known as Shrimad Bhagavatam. In that sacred text we find references to the importance of associating with devotees.

Meeting for even a moment, as if by chance, can dramatically change the way of life for the better. Ratnakara had fallen into the worst kind of business: highway robbery. He met Narada Muni for a few moments and eventually turned into the celebrated poet named Valmiki.

Vyasadeva had the greatest catalog of literature to his name to feel proud over. He was instead depressed, feeling empty that none of his works had hit the mark. He met the spiritual master, the same Narada Muni, and everything changed for the better.

Those suffering in the material world, not only in this lifetime but through countless previous ones, find hope and light through the teachings of sanatana-dharma. There is the potential to give up unfulfilling habits like meat-eating and intoxication. The purification in behavior translates to a clearer consciousness.

With a pure mind, I can finally see clearly. I am able to understand the world around me and my role in it. I know that death is not the end and that birth was not the origin. The soul continues to live, and through dedicated acts in devotion I have the ability to direct the next birth towards the spiritual world, which translates to liberation.

These achievements and more would not be possible without bhagavata-sanga. It is a chain, of sorts, where one person accepts the information and then passes it forward. We only have the potential today because of those who came before us, and so we are forever indebted to them.

In Closing:

So many past mistakes regretted,
But now to parampara indebted.

Because bringing rescue to me,
Finally now clearly can see.

In absence no other way,
With reincarnation to stay.

That association most value to give,
So that in bliss eternally to live.

How To Find Sadhu-Sanga When The Government Prohibits It

“The value of a moment's association with a devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which is for those who are meant for death.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.18.13)

Download this episode (right click and save)

तुलयाम लवेनापि
न स्वर्गं नापुनर्-भवम्
भगवत्-सङ्गि-सङ्गस्य
मर्त्यानां किम् उताशिषः

tulayāma lavenāpi
na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam
bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya
martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ

Friend1: I must say, at this point I am practically fuming.

Friend2: Why is that?

Friend1: The situation of the world.

Friend2: In relation to the disease and the associated effects?

Friend1: Right now we are well beyond the impact of the disease. We reached absurdity a while back and have flown past. In terms of television programming, that shark was jumped many weeks ago.

Friend2: I take it you don’t think the reaction has been warranted.

Friend1: Absolutely not. Disease is serious. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada nicely revealed that to me. The four miseries of an existence.

Friend2: Birth, old age, disease and death.

Friend1: Which is so eye-opening. Who would ever consider birth to be a misery? But it most certainly is. We cannot avoid old age. Seriously, there is nothing we can do about it.

Friend2: One of the influences of time.

Friend1: No one wants to talk about death, but I thought for sure that the world understood both the presence and the impact of disease. They are acting today like no one was ever diseased prior to the current year.

Friend2: They seemed shocked that people carry disease, as well.

Friend1: Asymptomatically. It’s considered a “case” now. Are you kidding me? We have so many diseases already within us; I mean that is common sense. I guess that is why I am so fumed. I didn’t realize so many people lacked common sense.

Friend2: What can you do? There are so many factors working together to create this craziness.

Friend1: I think what really set me off is hearing from people living in temples, people who distribute the timeless wisdom of Bhagavad-gita professionally, so to speak.

Friend2: You mean they are itinerant preachers?

Friend1: Or at least they conduct their services in public. They invite others.

Friend2: What have they been saying?

Friend1: Oh, they are more than happy with the present situation. They love not having to meet with people. They wish this could continue even longer.

Friend2: There is some truth to that, no? Isolation forcing reprioritization. More time to focus. Why would you be upset?

Friend1: For many reasons. Number one, if you are living in a temple and happy that people are barred from entry, then why should I give you money? Why is your house of worship any different from mine, then? I and others work for a living. No one gives us donations. I could live-stream my worship ceremonies on a daily basis. Would that make me eligible for massive donations?

Friend2: I see.

Friend1: More importantly, these are supposed to be saintly people. They are supposed to be an ocean of mercy. How can they be happy that there is forced denial of sadhu-sanga? I have actually read shastra. I am well-aware of the countless mentions of the benefit of receiving the dust of the lotus feet of a devotee.

Friend2: A moment’s association with a Vaishnava can turn your life around forever, and for the better.

Friend1: How are we supposed to receive that association now? I know my fellow man is not perfect, but I truly enjoyed chanting the holy names together with them: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. I don’t care about the risks.

Friend2: Which are always there. You were just as much at risk a year ago, two years ago, ten years ago, and so on.

Friend1: It is such an insult to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, too. As if He didn’t realize the presence of disease? The acharyas were so ignorant that they didn’t realize wearing a mask suddenly protects you from disease? This is absurd. In every condition sadhu-sanga is beneficial. There are no exceptions. There is no mention in Hari-bhakti-vilasa that a person should wear a mask while worshiping the deity, and that book is as thorough as you can get with the rules.

Friend2: Yes, and you have that story of Sanatana Gosvami not wanting Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to touch him, due to the skin disease. Mahaprabhu rightly said that the Vaishnava’s body now belongs to Krishna. We understand this in the same way as honoring prasadam.

Friend1: Which is food sanctified by being offered to the Supreme Lord. This is sanatana-dharma 101. I am quite frustrated. What are we supposed to do? These demoniac leaders are winning. They have always despised genuine religion, and now they have found a way to stamp it out. All with the public’s approval. Totally pathetic, if you ask me.

Friend2: The acharyas always foresee the dangers that we never thought of. They create mechanisms so that sadhu-sanga can continue. We can always worship, even in these troubled times. Remember, the sages during the Treta Yuga went to the Dandaka forest to find relief, to be free of distractions. Even there they were attacked.

Friend1: By the man-eating night-rangers from Lanka. It wasn’t until Shri Rama arrived that they found some relief.

Friend2: So keep the same Shri Rama close by. Stay connected to the saintly leaders of the past, who have maintained their presence through recorded instruction. We can and will get through this. There is danger at every moment in this world, but to the surrendered souls the vast ocean of suffering shrinks dramatically in size.

In Closing:

Demons their true nature showing,
When sages to Dandaka forest going.

That not even there to find peace,
From attacks desperate for relief.

That only when Shri Rama to arrive,
And away the Rakshasas to drive.

Same with today’s perilous state,
Worship alone and for protection await.

Five Interests Developed Through Association

“The value of a moment's association with a devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which is for those who are meant for death.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.18.13)

Download this episode (right click and save)

तुलयाम लवेनापि
न स्वर्गं नापुनर्-भवम्
भगवत्-सङ्गि-सङ्गस्य
मर्त्यानां किम् उताशिषः

tulayāma lavenāpi
na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam
bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya
martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ

1. Fireworks

“There was a period of time during my childhood where I was completely into them. Bottle rockets. Firecrackers. A whole bunch of others that I forget the names to. The use was prominent around the fourth of July, the celebration of independence in America.

“Looking back, the interest was entirely due to others. The people around me were excited to light the fireworks, so I naturally followed suit. Since then, the practice has been made illegal in our state, and I lost attention rather quickly. I probably never had that much interest to begin with, but it is interesting to look back.”

2. Collecting cards

“For a few years there in childhood, this was everything! You have to remember that the internet was not prominent in those times. I think there were a few services available, but that was only if you had a personal computer. Even that market wasn’t booming yet. One of the televisions in our home was black and white; to give you an idea.

“We learned of professional athletes through these trading cards. You would purchase a pack or two at the supermarket, and inevitably you would come upon duplicates. That’s where the trading came in. Find a friend and make a deal. Try to complete a set or load up on the players that you liked.

“These cards had some value at the time, especially if you had the player’s very first card produced. That related to their first year playing, i.e. rookie season. Today, I don’t think there is much interest. I still have the cards somewhere in a vault, but I haven’t looked at them in years.”

3. Watching television

“We watched some crazy stuff as children. It was considered a special treat to view something that was generally prohibited. I tended to stay away from those, but then meeting other children at parties and family get-togethers, you pick up tendencies. We were almost excited to be able to watch certain programs, even though looking back there wasn’t much interest in the content. It was more about doing something that went against the rules imposed by the parents.”

4. Apparel brands

“This is generally related to attendance at school. Shirts and pants for boys. Dresses for girls. Pretty simple. In private institutions, they have a specific uniform to wear. Eliminates a lot of the guesswork. But there was that age when peers started wearing specific brands.

“A collared shirt with a small imprint of a person playing polo. Another shirt with large letters to boldly proclaim the company of origin. Pants that were intentionally torn in places. Shoes that looked a certain way. After a while, I couldn’t help it. I wanted to be like everyone else. Take an interest in something you didn’t care about previously. Collect to the point of exhaustion; later moving on to something else.”

5. Devotional service

The recommendation from shastra is sadhu-sanga. Associate with people who are on the path of liberation, mukti, not caring about the ups and downs of the temporary and miserable world, which gets created at a point in time and is then destined for destruction.

Sadhu-sanga is ideal because there is the same potential to influence. I see someone who has chosen a different way of life. They appear to be quite happy and content always chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. When they speak, their words are so full of wisdom that I wish I could hit a pause button on the presentation and take notes.

When such persons influence me to follow a similar path, the interest I develop is for life. There is living proof of this principle. People take up devotional service and they never give it up. Utsaha, the enthusiasm in the endeavor only increases with time. There is no such thing as exhaustion.

Continuing sadhu-sanga is vital, as it reinforces a choice that is otherwise anathema to the rest of the world. Shrimad Bhagavatam confirms that even a moment’s association with a pure devotee has a value beyond measure. The devotee shows me the way, and the only way I can repay them is to continue in the path and try to be an example of inspiration for others, for bringing real and lasting happiness to the world.

In Closing:

For real happiness bringing,
Holy names singing.

From sadhu-sanga learned,
Greatest benefit earned.

Because never to relinquish,
None this inspiration can extinguish.

Where always something new in store,
Learning of Shri Hari more and more.

Where Is Your Evidence That God Is Nice

“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)

Download this episode (right click and save)

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

“I think the avataras of Vishnu represent boundless compassion. Karuna that is flowing like an ocean. Beyond what words can capture. Something to be felt, a deep soul-stirring experience bursting from the written pages. Attention stealing images resulting from the sounds produced, the shabda-brahamn.

“As Shri Krishna, the Supreme Lord helps the couple in distress in Mathura. He gives transcendental bliss, ananda, to the residents of Vrindavana. He is the life and soul, the prana-natha, of the cowherd damsels of Vraja. He is the lifter of Govardhana Hill and a leader in reinstituting proper religion, dharma, which can be practiced by every class and gender.

“As Narasimha, Vishnu rescues the innocent child named Prahlada. He defeats the greatest villain, the best of the asuras, with minimal effort, in an amazing form thought to never exist. As Rama, the same Personality of Godhead defends the sages dedicated to Him in worship from the nocturnal attacks of wicked night-rangers.

“What about to people who feel they haven’t been protected? Horrible tragedies endured. Endless pain and suffering. A genuine yearning for relief. Desperate for assistance from above. A higher power to come and save them. Knocking on the door, but no one seems to be home.

“How do we convince such people that God is indeed nice? What reason will they have to believe, considering that not everything has gone as well for them in life?”

The situation for the sages in the Dandaka forest weren’t going so well, either. They had to petition Shri Rama directly because of the overwhelming disaster that quickly emerged. The brahmanas were being eaten away by the Rakshasas, and it looked like no one was there to protect them.

Prahlada had untold suffering in Hiranyakashipu’s kingdom. Not a single friend in sight. No well-wishers. The peers in school were actually on an inferior level. Prahlada became their teacher instead of their friend.

Vasudeva and Devaki had to suffer for a long time at the hands of Kamsa in Mathura. If analyzing at an arbitrarily chosen point in time, you would have to say that there was no God. How could He allow innocent babies to be thrown against stone, with the specific intent of abortion? How could He sanction the suffering of the blameless Devaki in this way, as she had done nothing wrong?

There is ample evidence of Vishnu’s kindness in the conclusion to these historical tales. He protected. He defended. He delivered justice, proving that dharma always wins in the final act. His kindness extended to the very ability to interact. This was a gift from above that gave tremendous joy to the participants.

While even the demigods were afraid of the angry Narasimhadeva, Prahlada was not. While baby Krishna handed death in response to lethal force applied by the asuras sent by Kamsa, the people of Vrindavana thought of Yashoda’s child as a dependent, as someone who needed to be protected.

While Rama taught the greatest lesson in righteousness to the wicked Ravana of Lanka, the people of Ayodhya welcomed back their beloved prince with a historic display of welcoming lights, giving birth to the annual tradition of Diwali.

Aside from the personal interactions, there is the presence of Supersoul. The Supreme Lord is always with me. In this feature, which is an expansion, He is the all-pervading witness. He sanctions the choice to act in a certain way, but He does not interfere in the decision-making process.

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)

The very ability to denounce God, to call Him mean, to reach the extent of denying His existence, is evidence of His causeless mercy. As they follow Him, so Vishnu rewards accordingly. If there is a desire to forget, to fall victim to the illusion that is maya, to spin on the wheel of repeated birth and death, God allows.

Thus in every corner of an existence we see the mercy and kindness. Those who worship directly, who believe in and serve the personal side of the Divine, receive the reward of continued association. They also know Him to a greater degree, recognizing His influence in every aspect of living, confident that He will always deliver the fair and just outcome.

In Closing:

Giving outcome just and fair,
Always at right time there.

The devotees in this way seeing,
Lord Vishnu, Supreme Divine being.

When others not favored thinking,
Into improper conclusion sinking.

But mercy to everyone extended,
Reward contact accordingly depended.

Five Images To Understand Shri Hanuman

“An apparently pitiable condition in devotional service may appear to be distressing to the inexperienced student, but the feelings of the devotee in this pitiable condition are considered to be ecstatic by expert devotees. For example, the subject matter of the Ramayana is sometimes considered to be pitiable and distressing to the heart, but actually that is not the fact.” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 34)

Download this episode (right click and save)

“Of all the characters worshiped within Vedic culture, Shri Hanuman is my favorite. I am not alone in this, by any stretch. He is appealing to all sorts of people. Children are drawn to the heroism. Parents wish their children would grow up to be so dedicated to God. Adults understand the trials and tribulations of the real world, and so they appreciate Hanuman’s ability to navigate through difficulty and emerge successful.

“I wish every person would get a chance to know him. There is no analogous figure in the entire universe. Even within Vedic literature you won’t find anyone like Hanuman, let alone extending to other popular faiths and traditions.

“Is there an easy way to get the idea across? A sort of introduction? People tend to be drawn to cinema and film, but I don’t think any human being could give a proper depiction of someone who is so intimately connected to the Divine. What about through images?”

1. Carrying Rama and Lakshmana

In this image we have a large by comparison monkey-like figure carrying two handsome, chivalrous, and strong warrior-youths on his shoulders. One would be surprised to learn that the character in the middle, Shri Hanuman, had only moments prior met the two warrior princes, who were the brothers Rama and Lakshmana from Ayodhya.

This single image says too much to explain in a single lifetime. There is immediate trust from the avatara of Vishnu, who is already within the heart of every person. This is the personal expansion of the Almighty, known as Supersoul. It is the all-pervading witness, typically neutral in disposition.

Rama is the Bhagavan feature; the same Supersoul but more clearly defined. He has a personal meeting with Hanuman and can immediately tell that there should be trust extended. Hanuman is a capable minister to the Vanara-king named Sugriva.

That is the purpose for the ascent on the shoulders. Hanuman will take the brothers to meet Sugriva, who is in a similarly distressed situation, separated from his wife. The alliance will benefit both sides. Rama will help Sugriva win back the kingdom in Kishkindha, and Sugriva will help Rama find His missing wife, Sita Devi.

2. Leaping over the ocean

In this image Hanuman is again of an enlarged stature. Moments prior he was unaware of the ability exhibited in the scene. He did not know that he could leap over an expansive ocean. Jambavan had to remind him.

Here we see the close relationship to the wind. Hanuman is the son of the wind-god, Vayu, and so it is not surprising that there would be swift motion through the sky. Though in a monkey body, Hanuman is beautiful due to his pure devotion. He is on a mission of service, risking life for someone else’s benefit.

3. Giving ring to Sita Devi

The leap over the ocean was to reach Lanka. This is where Sita Devi was being held against her will. Against all odds, Hanuman managed to find her, but that was only the first step. He now had to convince her to trust him in the same way that he had won over Rama and Lakshmana when meeting in the forest.

The final indication of authenticity was the ring previously given by Rama. Hanuman kept this safely with him and presented it to Sita. It had Rama’s name on it, and so it was an immediate reminder of her husband, from whom she had been separated for too long.

4. Revealing his heart

Here Shri Hanuman tears open his chest and reveals who is the most important to him. Sita and Rama are always there, accepting his service and wishing him the best. They protect him in the same way that he always looks out for their interest. This relationship is eternal. It can never be broken and the couple can never be separated from him.

5. Reading the Ramayana

While the avataras of the Supreme Lord come and go, Hanuman chooses to remain on this earth for as long as Rama’s glories continue to be told. It is said that he daily reads from the Ramayana, which is the beautiful poetical composition of Maharishi Valmiki commemorating the events and passing them forward into the future.

Though he has immeasurable strength, though he has shown his amazing intelligence on many occasions, though he has more well-wishers than can be counted, Hanuman’s greatest pleasure in life is hearing about Rama’s glories. This is the ideal way to pass an existence, and we have the greatest role model showing the way.

In Closing:

Avataras coming and going,
Gone today and tomorrow showing.

But Hanuman choosing to stay,
Behavior showing the way.

Daily from Ramayana to read,
Giving most pleasure indeed.

Despite much acclaim reaching,
This image to everyone teaching.