Three Factors At Play In Rama's Alliance With Sugriva

“Simply by the persuasive words of a messenger who is this qualified, all of the objectives of a king, in whose service the messenger is engaged, are achieved.” (Lord Rama speaking to Lakshmana about Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 3.35)

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एवं गुणगणैर्युक्ता यस्य स्युः कार्यसाधकाः।
तस्य सिध्यन्ति सर्वाऽर्था दूतवाक्यप्रचोदिताः।।

evaṃ guṇagaṇairyuktā yasya syuḥ kāryasādhakāḥ।
tasya sidhyanti sarvā'rthā dūtavākyapracoditāḥ ।।

1. Can play within the rules

The less intelligent use it as a source of criticism. They think they have found a defect, a small crevice to allow entry into a world of endless derision. They can nullify the entire concept of Divinity and thereby disenfranchise millions of worshipers. Sort of like telling a child that Santa Claus isn’t real, if they can prove Shri Rama to be mortal, human, and error-prone, they will take much delight.

The basis for their argument is the acceptance of forest-dwellers as an army. Rama was wandering through the woods, serving out a fourteen-year exile period. He was not allowed to bring the capable soldiers from Ayodhya. He was not allowed to return home and reclaim what was rightfully His. If Rama did so, the father’s word would be ruined. Dasharatha had promised Queen Kaikeyi any two boons of her choosing, and unfortunately her wicked desires directly affected Rama, His wife Sita Devi, and His younger brother Lakshmana.

The derisive remarks go something like this:

“This is the God that you worship? Look at Him. He made friends with monkeys. They are not even civilized. Do they wear clothes? Look at their leader, Sugriva. He got into a bitter feud with his brother, Vali. They were ready to kill one another. Then Sugriva took Vali’s wife, after Rama helped by literally stabbing the brother in the back. I would think God would find a higher caliber group of helpers.”

This episode from the Ramayana exhibits the dexterity, shrewdness and intelligence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He can play within the rules to accomplish His goals. He does not require outside assistance. He could have marched to Lanka on His own, but He simultaneously brings glory to those who wish to serve Him.

2. What goes around comes around

Rama required an army because of a grievous wrong committed by the king of Lanka. The man-eating ogre named Ravana had taken Sita away in secret. Though he boasted of his fighting prowess, he was too afraid to take on Rama in battle. The advisors warned him against such folly.

As Ravana had committed the unlawful act of taking another man’s wife, so the monkeys would invade the territory of Lanka and help Rama correct the wrong. Monkeys are known for stealing; they do not respect private property rights. In many places around the world the locals train monkeys in the art of theft. This is to take advantage of the vulnerability of tourists.

Rama’s friends were expert at invading. They knew how to ravage through an area, as well. Hanuman would later destroy the entirety of Lanka in a fire. Ravana lit the original flame, trying to embarrass the messenger. Hanuman used his burning tail as a weapon against the wrongdoers.

3. Inherent nature is not a disqualifying factor

It is in the monkey’s nature to be uncivilized. They are prone to stealing and not much can be done to change the nature. This does not mean that someone is unqualified to serve the Almighty. They can use their tendencies for good, through directing the activities to devotional service.

In a similar manner, having taken birth in a fallen age, growing up attracted to and attached to unprofitable behavior [anartha], I have very little qualification compared to saintly people. Yet Shri Rama is so kind that He maintains my eligibility, no matter how much I have fallen. At a bare minimum, I at least have the ability to speak, to repeat sacred sound vibrations, as a kind of offering of love and devotion: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

With urgency to act,
Despite not ability exact.

Where properly composing,
My flaws everywhere exposing.

But maintained eligibility still,
So now my days to fill.

With glorification of Rama so,
Who friends even in monkeys to know.

I Am Sick Of Following The News

“Sometimes political leaders of a particular party are also advertised by newspaper propaganda, and by such a method of glorification an insignificant man becomes an important man - within no time. But such propaganda by false glorification of an unqualified person cannot bring about any good, either for the particular man or for the society. There may be some temporary reactions to such propaganda, but there are no permanent effects. Therefore such activities are a waste of time. The actual object of glorification is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has created everything manifested before us.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.2.14 Purport)

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Friend1: I have been reading the news lately.

Friend2: Uh oh.

Friend1: I know you warned me, but I couldn’t resist.

Friend2: Which place exactly were you frequenting? You are who you associate with, I hope you understand.

Friend1: Interestingly enough, I have come to the conclusion that the majority of the news is fake. Doesn’t matter which political party they favor, they put out nonsense. They remind me of the Rakshasas of Lanka.

Friend2: In what way?

Friend1: Well, those man-eating ogres described in the Ramayana had special abilities. Sort of like black magic, though everything was due to a curse. We could spend hours discussing that fact alone.

Friend2: Which one?

Friend1: That to take a form that consumes endless animal and human flesh, is constantly intoxicated, and can change shapes at will is actually a curse, not a blessing.

Friend2: Absolutely. I’m sure most people today would be thrilled to find such a situation, not knowing the degradation in terms of consciousness.

Friend1: One of the tricks of the Rakshasas was to create a false image. Sort of like a projector pointing at a screen, they could display a scene in the sky during a battle with someone else.

Friend2: Apparition might be the closest English word equivalent.

Friend1: These were fake images. They were meant to dispirit the other side. The image would show someone being killed, like a leader. The idea was that the other side should stop fighting; all hope was lost.

Friend2: It is an interesting tactic, for sure.

Friend1: That is what I see in the mainstream news. Then the supposed “alternative” media is no better. They simply react off of what the first side says.

Friend2: Point and counterpoint.

Friend1: I am sick of all of them, since they fail to provide any valuable information. I have been following individuals now; people who I deem credible.

Friend2: Okay, and how is that going?

Friend1: Well, I am regretting it only in the sense that I am learning secrets about leaders and people in high places that I wish I didn’t know.

Friend2: Such as?

Friend1: It is like they are actors in a murder mystery. Some of the secrets are too ridiculous to believe, but they are being relayed by an insider.

Friend2: A whistleblower.

Friend1: Yes, that is the word of the day. I am just disgusted by the whole thing. It seems the entire apparatus in charge of protecting the people is corrupt. No one in government is honest. If they are, they will soon change their ways or be dragged out of the political arena.

Friend2: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada describes how in the vox populi system the government leaders simply take all of the money for themselves. I didn’t really understand that at first.

Friend1: Why not?

Friend2: Because if you look at the expenditures, nothing really goes to the politicians. What I have learned, however, is that money does make its way back.

Friend1: Through campaign contributions?

Friend2: That is the obvious way, but the subtle way is through paying their family members. Let’s say I am the president of a country. My son makes all of these deals with foreign countries, who want to invest. They otherwise wouldn’t be allowed, but through my son they get help.

Friend1: Okay.

Friend2: Then my son gives me half of the money he earns from the foreign countries.

Friend1: Right. Money laundering.

Friend2: That is basically how all of government works. Worst case, a retiring politician simply becomes a paid lobbyist and finds insane wealth thereafter.

Friend1: I am complaining today for these very reasons. I am disgusted by the entire situation.

Friend2: Good. Your focus should be on spiritual life and breaking the cycle of birth and death. Stay away from the cheaters. Don’t be like them.

Friend1: Is there no way to fix the system?

Friend2: You are one person. What are you going to be able to accomplish? Unless you want to pretend to be corrupt for many years, play the game, and then clean up everything once you get into office. That is a huge risk to take.

Friend1: True.

Friend2: Better to spend your time glorifying the Supreme Lord. He is responsible for everything that we have. We can glorify Him daily, during every hour of the day, and thus avoid the toggling pendulum of praise and criticism found elsewhere.

In Closing:

Harsh words or praise to sound,
Only toggling pendulum found.

Where everyone corrupt,
How one person to disrupt?

Better with transcendence stay,
Praise, glorify and pray.

Effort for Krishna never a waste,
By cheaters or frauds not erased.

The Two Events Marking Krishna's Time In This World

“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

1. The arrival from the womb of mother Devaki

Things were not going so well for the couple. They were placed in prison, against their will. The commanding authority was a blood relation. King Kamsa was Devaki’s cousin-brother. With family members like that, who needs enemies?

Devaki and Vasudeva had not been married long, either. This was supposedly their honeymoon period. Left to live in fear, uncertain over the future, the subsequent arrival of children made matters worse.

With each birth, Kamsa decided to commit abortion in the visible fashion. Exhibiting the killing that occurs in plain sight, he threw the infants against a stone slab. This was not done for fun. He did not have a sickness that required brutal torture in order to feel satisfied.

Rather, there was intense paranoia and fear. A voice from the sky had previously warned Kamsa that Devaki’s eighth son would be his demise. The end of life. The forced exit from this world. No more king of Mathura. No more enjoying. No more predictable future.

Rather than accept a fate that everyone shares in some manner, Kamsa tried his best to nullify. He figured the best way would be to keep Devaki and Vasudeva in check. Under close observation, any warnings signs would be dealt with immediately. Sort of like keeping a home security system to alert in case of a breach, the king felt he had every angle covered.

Except the Supreme Personality of Godhead can outsmart anyone. God can lay waste to the most carefully thought-out plans. He fulfilled destiny, confirming the words from the voice in the sky. Devaki gave birth to Krishna, who soon revealed His four-handed form of Narayana to the loving parents.

This was the beginning of many great things to come. Soon would follow the end of Kamsa, the defeat of many asura-leaders around the world, the rescue of thousands of princesses in distress, the delivery of the sacred Bhagavad-gita, and the victory of the Pandava family over the forces of evil ruling the world.

2. The disappearance during the demise of the Yadu dynasty

There is the saying that all is well that ends well. If your time comes to an end in an agreeable manner, then there is nothing to regret. No reason to hold a grudge or worry about what might have been. The past is forgotten, as the present is peaceful and full of joy.

With Krishna’s disappearance from this world, things certainly did not end well. The entire Yadu dynasty was destroyed. They basically killed one another. A fratricidal war, brought on by a curse, the wise ones were able to escape. Krishna and Balarama departed for the spiritual world at their own choosing. Krishna left one last set of valuable advice, delivered to His cousin named Uddhava.

Though we see a beginning and an end, we should know that the period of observation for the Supreme Lord is not limited. He was aware of everything taking place prior to the janma in Mathura. He knew of the voice from the sky. It was His decision to descend as an avatara, after hearing the plea from Lord Brahma and Bhumi Devi, who took the form of a cow.

In a similar manner, Krishna is always present in this world, despite having departed after the inundation of Dvaraka and the travel back to Vaikuntha. He notices everything that I do; both the good and the bad. He witnesses every single action through His plenary expansion of Paramatma, which is Supersoul.

Krishna always retains full and complete knowledge, and so He has the best plans for helping me to escape illusion. I learn to connect with Him in the yoga process through the training provided by the acharya, who strongly recommends chanting the holy names as both a beginning and an end: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Both the beginning and end,
Prayers His way to send.

Since always can hear,
And to my heart dear.

Not limited by events so,
Birth and then later to go.

So that devotion my life to call,
With principles acharyas to install.

Can God Really See Everything

“Everywhere are His hands and legs, His eyes and faces, and He hears everything. In this way the Supersoul exists.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 13.14)

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सर्वतः पाणि-पादं तत्
सर्वतो ऽक्षि-शिरो-मुखम्
सर्वतः श्रुतिमल् लोके
सर्वम् आवृत्य तिष्ठति

sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat
sarvato ‘kṣi-śiro-mukham
sarvataḥ śrutimal loke
sarvam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati

“Throughout the ages criminals have always had their go-to arguments in terms of defense. If someone presses them on their illegal activity, they have a few tricks that they rely upon. The classic one is forgetfulness. If asked under oath about something they know they did wrong, they can reply that they simply cannot recall. This way they aren’t technically lying, or at least lack of memory is almost impossible to prove.

“Well, I have noticed that there is a new line of defense gaining in popularity. If you are caught red-handed, on surveillance camera footage, doing something like stuffing a ballot box in the middle of the night when counting votes for an important election, you simply continue to deny. You say that it wasn’t you on the video. Or that everything you were doing was completely normal.

“After a few weeks of denial, you later switch to saying the other side has no evidence, that their claims have been debunked. Repeat this enough times and the side accusing you gets intimidated into silence. They get tired of trying to convince others of the guilt. Everyone knows exactly what happened, but people are too afraid to speak the truth.

“This brings me to the idea of God and an omnipresent witness. Does He actually see everything? Doesn’t it seem like the criminals get away with their behavior? They get rewarded with high posts in government. They suppress dissent. They implement widespread censorship of incriminating evidence through control over big and powerful technology companies.

“How are we to believe that God is actually in control? Maybe He doesn’t really witness everything. Is that a possibility?”

Bhagavad-gita provides the truth. To begin, God the person is generally not interested in what goes on in the material world. It is run by His inferior energy, after all. He creates the many universes through effortless breathing, while lying down in rest; hence the vision of Narayana sleeping on Ananta Shesha Naga while being massaged by Lakshmi Devi.

In all His glory, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so kind and compassionate that He accompanies each individual in their fall to these temporary worlds. He is inside of everyone. No place lacks His presence. That tree falling in the forest does make a sound, since at the very least Narayana is there to hear it.

This feature is known as a plenary expansion. It is invisible. Just as we cannot perceive our identity as spirit soul through blunt instruments, so the presence of Narayana within the heart will not show up on an image taken by a medical machine.

This plenary expansion is known as Paramatma, or Supersoul. There is another vital function. Paramatma is the ultimate sanctioning authority. Two people want to jump. They crouch down and then thrust upward. One person reaches the ceiling in the room, and the other is not even close. The difference is due to nature in the perceived sense, but there is the subtle factor of Supersoul. He decides what will occur and what will not.

This means that the criminal activity we witness in plain sight is allowed by Paramatma. So is the subsequent adjudication or lack thereof in the courts. If there is no correction within our lifetime of experience, be certain that the future will settle any unresolved issues. This is the way of karma, or action and reaction. No one has enough money to pay off or bypass this unconquerable force of nature.

Paramatma also witnesses my acts in devotion. Every time I light a lamp and offer it with faith and love in front of the deity, Narayana takes note. Every time I call out to Him for help, to rescue me from this place of duplicity and ignorance, He hears.

समाश्रिता ये पदपल्लवप्लवं
महत्पदं पुण्ययशो मुरारे:
भवाम्बुधिर्वत्सपदं परं पदं
पदं पदं यद् विपदां न तेषाम्

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ
mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ
bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ
padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām

“For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Mukunda or the giver of mukti, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf’s hoofprint. Param padam, or the place where there are no material miseries, or Vaikuntha, is his goal, not the place where there is danger in every step of life.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.14.58)

This type of devotion carries an exception. Paramatma remains steady, but Narayana Himself decides to intervene. He is ultimately in charge. He can do whatever He pleases with His many energies. Those under His shelter find the vast ocean of nescience to shrink to the size of a footprint left by a calf.

In Closing:

Narayana omnipresent is He,
As Supersoul everything to see.

My desperate prayer to hear,
Responding with vision clear.

For the purpose real,
And illusion to heal.

Karma over the rest accounting,
Devotion for nescience surmounting.

Two Instances Where I Was Ready To Toss Everything

“Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.34)

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मन्-मना भव मद्-भक्तो
मद्-याजी मां नमस्कुरु
माम् एवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवम्
आत्मानं मत्-परायणः

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam
ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ

1. The elliptical squeaking

“Because of the situation of the world, and the madness the people have wholeheartedly accepted from liars and cheaters in high offices, working out at a gym is not really an option. We have one nearby. I have access to it. But the rules are that you must wear a face-covering the entire time. In other words, these so-called health experts are trying to kill people.

“I bought one of the exercise machines for myself and placed it in the basement in the home. A big investment, but what other option do I have? I hate maintaining things. I know the typical life cycle for these purchases. You have the excitement and anticipation in the beginning. You make all of these plans to use it. You can’t wait.

“Then, as time goes by the use becomes more infrequent. Pretty soon, it is simply another piece of furniture, sitting in the room and collecting dust. I am intent to not let that happen, so I have been exercising on it frequently.

“Well, recently the machine started squeaking. Nothing too loud, but it is still annoying. Someone came over to take a look. They actually took the entire machine apart. They went through so many tests, but no luck. The machine still squeaks.

“I was ready to toss the thing. I was making plans on a replacement. Purchase a better machine and have someone else buy this one. As a last resort, I called another repair specialist. They looked at the machine and immediately made a recommendation. They asked that I wipe down the two bars on the bottom. The connected pedals glide on its surface during use, back and forth.

“This seemed too simple a solution. I tried it, and of course it worked. No more squeaking. Who would have thought? I was ready to sell the thing and buy a new one. Goes to show you that sometimes the simplest option is the correct one.”

2. The program not installing

“I do not like rebooting my computer at home. I know people recommend staying up to date, to install patches for the operating system and the like, but from my experience these updates have not helped me much. I realize that in corporate environments there is no choice; you have to stay up to date in order to meet compliance regulations. You won’t get certified without this. Of course, voting machines seem to be the exception. You can have everything wrong with them, but local governments still use them (probably to cheat).

“Well, my home computer accidentally rebooted the other day. The battery inadvertently came out, which meant that I had to start up from the ‘off’ position the next time I used it. My fears were warranted. Suddenly, every program was taking forever to open. It didn’t matter which one. It was like something was blocking the execution.

“I tried every possible solution. Nothing was working. I even disabled so many services that automatically run. Finally, I rebooted the computer. Well, the slowness stopped. I could open every program again without issue. But suddenly, one of the main programs wasn’t working. I tried uninstalling, but then the subsequent install failed. The associated error message was not helpful.

“At a loss, I was prepared to buy a new computer. This one has been used for almost a decade. Think about that. Who says that you have to keep upgrading technology in order to keep up? I was distraught that I had to finally part with my favorite device. Moving everything over to a new machine is a painstaking task, as well.

“As a last resort, I decided to re-enable the services I had previously disabled. I then rebooted the machine. Voila! The problem application was now working. Everything was up and running. No issues. A crisis averted, and through a simple solution.”

…

The experience from these two encounters can correlate to the life experience itself, in the desperate search for lasting happiness. A new home won’t do it. Finding a life partner will only bring more responsibilities and difficulties. Moving to a new location brings a temporary halt to the sadness and despair.

Yet it is in the nature of the material world to find misery. It is a temporary place, after all. Though it remains manifest for billions of years, our stay in each instance of life, known as a birth, is small by comparison.

Bhagavad-gita provides the answer. It is a simple solution. Think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Krishna. Offer obeisances to Him and worship Him. This can be either informal or formal. Doing both is even more helpful, as the establishment of the temple provides valuable assistance and inspiration in terms of association with like-minded individuals.

The key is the mind, which is the conduit to consciousness. With the proper consciousness I can live happily at any place and at any time. The liberation which I assumed is only reserved for the afterlife can be mine today, right now. If I simply renounce bad association and chant the holy names, the words of Bhagavad-gita will ring true: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Ready that computer to toss,
Tried everything now at a loss.

After rebooting suddenly slow,
That program never on to go.

But luckily solution came through,
A simple way now back to new.

Same with life for lasting meaning to come,
Just think of Krishna and devotee become.

Can You Explain How I Am Supposed To View An Enemy As A Friend

“When the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased with the living entity because of his devotional service, one becomes a pandita and does not make distinctions between enemies, friends and himself. Intelligently, he then thinks, ‘Every one of us is an eternal servant of God, and therefore we are not different from one another.’” (Prahlada Maharaja, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.12)

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स यदानुव्रतः पुंसां
पशु-बुद्धिर् विभिद्यते
अन्य एष तथान्यो ’हम्
इति भेद-गतासती

sa yadānuvrataḥ puṁsāṁ
paśu-buddhir vibhidyate
anya eṣa tathānyo ’ham
iti bheda-gatāsatī

Friend1: Listen, I love the philosophical discussions as much as the next guy. Some of the word-jugglery is amazing.

Friend2: What are you talking about?

Friend1: Stuff like, “Good and bad are actually the same.”

Friend2: In what context?

Friend1: From the spiritual perspective. That is something you learn early on in the science of self-realization.

Friend2: It is true, though.

Friend1: Which, of course, seems ridiculous. If I stub my toe on the sofa downstairs, how is that good? If the sun rises tomorrow and warms up the otherwise frigid nature, I should be overjoyed.

Friend2: Okay, but the injured toe might lead to a positive development in the home.

Friend1: How so?

Friend2: Because if you are injured, then you can stay inside and give your wonderful association to the wife and children.

Friend1: What about the sunshine?

Friend2: It decreases the visibility of a driver on the road, who thus cannot see the exit sign up ahead. They miss the turn and then become late to an important appointment.

Friend1: Okay, but that is only a temporary setback.

Friend2: Exactly! That is how good and bad are the same. Temporary.

Friend1: Alright, good job there. I have to hand it to you. Now work your magic on one of Prahlada Maharaja’s teachings. He says that a pandita no longer makes distinctions between friends and enemies.

Friend2: Does that not make sense to you?

Friend1: Come on! How will that make sense? If one person brazenly steals an election, out in the open, colluding with the media powers and higher-ups in both major political parties, they are obviously a criminal. The subsequent genocide they employ against political opponents is pure evil. There is nothing friendly about them.

Friend2: Well, you have to give an instance of a friend in order to properly compare.

Friend1: Take the same situation. You have a law enforcement official or an honest politician, as rare as that is. Someone who will put the spotlight on the criminal activity. Someone who is not afraid of being smeared, who is not intimidated by the nonsense arguments put forth, such as:

“You have no evidence. That claim has been widely debunked. You are a crackpot-conspiracy theorist.”

Friend2: Okay, so you have your enemies and your friends. You would get broad acceptance of the identifications you have made.

Friend1: Prahlada says that both are equal. At least to the pandita, the wise person, there is no distinction.

Friend2: And you have trouble understanding that?

Friend1: It is obvious to me that one is an enemy of the people and the other a hero.

Friend2: The reason is that both sides are serving God.

Friend1: I’m sorry, but God represents truth. He is not deceit, cheating, lying and the like.

Friend2: Oh, I beg to differ. When it comes to cheating, no one is better than God.

द्यूतं छलयताम् अस्मि
तेजस् तेजस्विनाम् अहम्
जयो ऽस्मि व्यवसायो ऽस्मि
सत्त्वं सत्त्ववताम् अहम्

dyūtaṁ chalayatām asmi
tejas tejasvinām aham
jayo ‘smi vyavasāyo ‘smi
sattvaṁ sattvavatām aham

“I am also the gambling of cheats, and of the splendid I am the splendor. I am victory, I am adventure, and I am the strength of the strong.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.36)

Friend1: Then what are we teaching our children? What is the point of any person being honest?

Friend2: Listen, good qualities are beneficial in the long-run. They certainly bring us closer to God. At the same time, every person is serving God. The person stealing thinks that there will be no repercussions.

Friend1: That they can get away with the crime; because they believe there is no God.

Friend2: Which is one of the greatest compliments you can offer to the Almighty. You are essentially praising His illusory energy of maya.

“O Narayana, I exhibit intelligence in so many areas, but where there is an abundance of evidence to prove your existence, I willfully ignore it. You have fooled me so greatly that I even think that you do not exist.”

Friend1: They are serving God in that sense; I get it. But how are they not an enemy?

Friend2: Because they are still connected to Narayana, who is the source of men. I owe them some level of respect. They have Supersoul inside. They are part and parcel of God. That is how someone like Prahlada views others. It is a difficult standard to reach or even understand, but one that makes sense when there is information of the complete picture.

In Closing:

A friend with kind words to charm,
An enemy intent on harm.

How then the same viewing?
Wherefrom Prahlada reviewing.

Because both to Vishnu connected,
Even when concept of God rejected.

As belonging to same family as me,
Pandita in this way to see.

Two Kinds Of Interaction With Others

“When the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased with the living entity because of his devotional service, one becomes a pandita and does not make distinctions between enemies, friends and himself. Intelligently, he then thinks, ‘Every one of us is an eternal servant of God, and therefore we are not different from one another.’” (Prahlada Maharaja, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.12)

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स यदानुव्रतः पुंसां
पशु-बुद्धिर् विभिद्यते
अन्य एष तथान्यो ’हम्
इति भेद-गतासती

sa yadānuvrataḥ puṁsāṁ
paśu-buddhir vibhidyate
anya eṣa tathānyo ’ham
iti bheda-gatāsatī

1. People who are unfavorable to me

“I can’t stand that person. Every time I see them I want to scream. I remember the nonsense spewing from their mouth in our previous encounter. They are seriously the worst of the worst. Would you like it to be seated next to a murderer? What if someone insulted your family and caused them tremendous financial harm? Would you smile and pretend like nothing is wrong?

“No, I will not sit back and unify. I remember how this person behaved before. They are not deserving of mercy. They should be treated with the utmost contempt, day and night. I saw recently that a group of people was harassing them at the airport. It brought tears to my eyes. The people of this country are awesome.”

2. People who are favorable to me

“It doesn’t matter what this person says now. They could walk up and spit in my face. They could insult me to no end. They could punch me in the stomach, even. If they wanted money, I would give it to them.

“This is because I remember how much they supported me in the past. When I was really down, when no one else would lift a finger to make a phone call, they were right there. By my side, I gained the strength to carry on. I would have never made it without them. Therefore, I will always consider them a friend. I will never forget.”

…

These two cases represent the general interaction with others in our journey through life. We have those with whom there is no interaction, but when the neutrality breaks, the relationship will fall into one of the two above mentioned categories.

Prahlada Maharaja teaches that there should not be a distinction. Reach for a higher platform, one that is available to each of us. This seems to contradict another significant teaching in Vedic culture.

That instruction is to remain with saintly people and avoid the atheists. Sat-sanga and asat-tyaga. Sat is eternal. People who are interested in the eternal are also sat. Asat is the opposite. Focus is on only the temporary. What kind of house to buy. Where to place the furniture. Taking pictures to make others jealous. Working hard to accumulate wealth.

This is not to say any of those interests is unimportant, but the primary objective should be the eternal. This is the way towards advancement. Without sat-sanga, we have no hope. We will merge into the behavior of those around us, not knowing that there is a better way.

Prahlada’s teaching describes the mentality when reaching a higher platform of understanding. After significant association with the eternal, I should realize that friend and foe are alike. Their treatment of me does not make much of a difference in the long run.

Moreover, they are equal in the eyes of the Lord. Everyone is playing a role in service. The devotees are praising Narayana for His transcendental features. They highlight the glories in Prahlada Maharaja, who served God directly in His avatara of Narasimha.

The non-devotees are serving through the allegiance to maya. This is Narayana’s illusory energy which causes me to mistake a snake for a rope, to consider this birth the only one, and to not see the distinction between matter and spirit.

Atheism in one sense is the highest praise someone can offer to God. The followers are essentially telling Him that His energy of maya is so good at illusion that it tricks otherwise intelligent people into ignoring reality. What greater trick can anyone play?

A wise person like Prahlada appreciates every side, every angle of vision, and every viewpoint since there is always some connection to the Almighty.  Prahlada never forgets Narayana, and so He is forever set in the position of liberation.

In Closing:

Forever in that position set,
And liberation automatically to get.

Since anywhere around to see,
A devotee that person to be.

All following in one way,
Even if as atheist to say.

For higher platform reaching,
Sat-sanga teaching.