Why Are We Placed In This World If We Have To Eventually Leave It

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.22)

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वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय
नवानि गृह्णाति नरो ऽपराणि
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्य्
अन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही

vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro ‘parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny
anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī

Friend1: The passing of someone close to you is not easy to deal with.

Friend2: What is it, exactly? Just the loss itself? You are sorry for what they went through? The tragedy of the situation?

Friend1: Everything and more. To me, it’s the weirdest thing that we will never be able to talk to them again. No contact whatsoever.

Friend2: They have moved on to another place. As Shri Krishna discusses in Bhagavad-gita, it is like taking off garments and putting on a new set.

Friend1: That is comforting to know. I am relieved that they are okay, as a person. Nothing can kill the soul. We should remember that every single day:

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

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

“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.20)

Friend2: It has to be remembered. It has to be lived.

Friend1: How do you live that, though? The other thing I have trouble dealing with is the fact that someone was here for so long, affected my life, and then suddenly left. It doesn’t have to be someone I met personally, either. It could be a person on the radio who hosted a show for over thirty years.

Friend2: An attachment develops.

Friend1: Now I will never hear from them again. What kind of sick game is this? Why did they even come into my life if they had to one day leave?

Friend2: This is a harsh reality that every person has to face.

Friend1: What are the answers? God is just mean? He takes pleasure in this morbid series of events?

Friend2: I think you know the answer.

Friend1: It is difficult to stay calm and rational during times like these.

Friend2: Since the soul cannot be destroyed, since the individual continues to move on to someplace else, there must be a reason for the recognition of the pattern.

Friend1: What do you mean?

Friend2: Only the human being can conduct the review which you just did. Only the human being laments in this way, thinking of the permanent severing of the relationship. Contrary to what you might believe, this unique ability in the human being is not for the purpose of torture.

Friend1: Then what is it for?

Friend2: For understanding the urgency associated with the human birth. We will be compelled to move on. The people we know today, one day we will never have contact with them again. The same applies to their attachment to us.

Friend1: Yes, and so that is torture.

Friend2: The human experience is for a higher purpose. Understand God. Find eternal living. The soul is already indestructible, but find a way to live with a body-spirit combination that is not subject to death.

Friend1: Is that possible?

Friend2: Shri Krishna says it is. God the person is our lone permanent connection. He is within everyone through the expansion known as Supersoul. I can always find a best friend in God. He never abandons the individual.

Friend1: Okay, but say that I find God and know Him within this lifetime, won’t I forget everything at the time of death? Don’t I lose my previous identity?

Friend2: You don’t lose the connection. That is the meaning of yoga, which is tied to consciousness. Purify the consciousness in the human birth. That is the primary objective. Help others to do the same. Leave a lasting impression with your temporary association. Work in such a way that others will be liberated, that they will no longer fall into the land of birth and death, which is full of misery and despair.

In Closing:

Hopeless feeling now,
To move forward how.

Forever they left,
Of their association bereft.

Like cruel and sick game,
Why ever to this world came?

Blessed for this pattern to see,
Eternal friend inside of me.

Four Questions Without A Rational Explanation

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego - altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.4)

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भूमिर् आपो ऽनलो वायुः
खं मनो बुद्धिर् एव च
अहङ्कार इतीयं मे
भिन्ना प्रकृतिर् अष्टधा

bhūmir āpo ‘nalo vāyuḥ
khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

1. How did the sun just emerge one day and remain where it is for seemingly all of eternity?

“Seriously, think about it. I know we take it for granted. On a cold winter’s day, the bright, shining sun is a welcome sight. Though there is ice everywhere, though the forecast for tomorrow calls for more snow, though the chill of the wind cannot be tolerated for more than a few seconds, at least the sun is out.

“We need the sun. It is vital to our existence. We rely upon it, but where did it come from? I would like a rational explanation. Anything resembling would suffice. For instance, we know that life itself is a miracle. A brand new person entering this world. I might find the explanation of childbirth irrational at first, but then I can witness something similar later on. As a woman, I might get to experience it firsthand.

“What about the sun? Can anyone produce something similar? A small, globe-like object that radiates heat and light. The space heater does not count. That requires an external source of energy. In fact, everything traces back to the sun, if you think about it.”

2. How did the plants and flowers emerge where they did?

“One of the appeals of buying your own house is the ability to garden. You can set up a specific area in the backyard or maybe even the balcony. It is not that difficult; you don’t need an elaborate setup. We are not talking about a commercial farm here.

“There is a visual cause-and-effect with a personal garden, but think about large tracts of land. Think about places that already have an abundance of plant-life, without human intervention. How did those places begin? Who planted the beautiful flowers that emerge every season? We know that the origin is a seed, but who placed those seeds in that exact location?”

3. How do the clouds know to pick up water and return it to the earth?

“Some trees live for thousands of years. They stay in the same place, tolerating the severe weather conditions. They cannot speak, so there is no other choice. Some trees lose their leaves during the fall season and blossom anew during the subsequent spring.

“The sun is the basis for life, but you also need water. There is no human intervention in many of these areas, so it is up to nature to feed the plants. The water arrives from the clouds. These miracles of nature draw water in from the oceans and then return the same to the earth at a later time. At least that is the explanation.

“But who is programming the clouds? Is there a remote control? There must be some intelligence. A cloud couldn’t very well take birth on its own. How does it know what to do? How does it measure the amount of water to consume and then later release?”

4. How does the earth stay in orbit?

“Scientists explain how earth is just the right distance away from the sun. Any further or closer and life on earth would be totally different. Certain beings wouldn’t be able to survive. The climate would be drastically altered. This explains why there is scarcity of life on other planets, at least as far as can be discerned.

“Who placed the earth in its orbit? How is the large collection of elements able to remain together and not break apart? The gravitational force makes it difficult to keep objects suspended over the ground, but why does not the same apply to the earth as a whole?”

…

Upon reading Vedic literature and accepting the truths based on sound reasoning and logic, a person still might be too embarrassed to share what they have learned with others. They have certain reservations, related specifically to some of the descriptions.

“Who is going to believe that there is a talking monkey who can leap over oceans and carry a mountain in his hands? Who is going to worship a blue-complexioned figure that has four hands and is wonderfully adorned? An elephant-god, someone with poison stuck in his throat, a crow teaching an eagle about all topics life and death. I think it is a tough sell.”

The truth is that so much of life is irrational and without proper explanation. No amount of sophistication has been able to reach a firm understanding of the origin of vital aspects of nature. Neither will continued research and experiment reach a satisfactory conclusion.

If we do believe in an origin to everything, a Supreme Being, then everything else makes sense. Of course He could arrange it so that the planets remain in orbit. He is the source of the material nature, after all. He explains that such a nature consists of eight elements: five gross and three subtle.

He explains everything, in fact, to the greatest extent possible based on our ability to understand. The human mind has the limitations of time and space; we cannot properly fathom infinity in these two factors.

Fortunately, a basic understanding is enough. God is a person and He is the source of the material and spiritual energies. Those He empowers can do the wonderful things described in shastra, and the most amazing of all is the continued connection to Him in consciousness, despite the conditions in an ever-changing material world.

In Closing:

Understanding from shastra attained,
But how to others explained?

Since mystical and beyond belief,
But acknowledged when God as chief.

If everything creating already,
Then easy earth in orbit steady.

And powers in those by Him blessed,
Krishna explained fully the rest.

Helping To Dress The Deity

“In the childhood form, wearing nice jewelry and clothing, He plays in the dirt and His limbs become full of dust. With child-like speech, Rama plays with all the brothers and children.” (Dohavali, 117)

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बाल बिभू।सन बसन बर धूरि धूसरित अंग |
बालकेलि रघुबर करत बाल बन्धु सब सन्ग ||

bāla bibhū।sana basana bara dhūri dhūsarita aṃga |
bālakeli raghubara karata bāla bandhu saba sanga ||

If we sit down and truly contemplate the subject, a rational person would have to conclude that God is beyond their thinking ability. In every category of classification, the Almighty is greater than the greatest.

That person who just won the track and field competition to be declared, “Fastest Man in the World”? God could easily outrun them. That group of astronauts that made it into outer space, after the lengthy time in training and the significant resources invested in the travelling vessel? The Almighty could take a single leap and reach the moon if He wanted to.

This explains why a single image depicting an incident from Bhagavad-gita is well-known to followers of the Vedic tradition. It is the virata-rupa, which roughly translates to “universal-form.” The story begins as a conversation between charioteer and warrior. The relationship then transitions to guru and disciple. Soon enough, the disciple learns the true identity of the teacher, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Arjuna asks for the visual evidence, though He already has sufficient faith. He requests Krishna to show the virata-rupa so that future generations consulting the recorded transcript of the conversation will not have doubts.

मन्यसे यदि तच् छक्यं
मया द्रष्टुम् इति प्रभो
योगेश्वर ततो मे त्वं
दर्शयात्मानम् अव्ययम्

manyase yadi tac chakyaṁ
mayā draṣṭum iti prabho
yogeśvara tato me tvaṁ
darśayātmānam avyayam

“If You think that I am able to behold Your cosmic form, O my Lord, O master of all mystic power, then kindly show me that universal self.” (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.4)

Arjuna sees everything within a single image. Both three-dimensional and with a time element, Krishna reveals something which is awe-inspiring to the less intelligent, but rather insignificant to those who know Him well.

This universal form does put a person in a bind. After searching for, finding, and understanding the origin of everything, to an extent, they wish to serve. They want to do something for Him, as they are thankful for everything He has done for them.

“Please let me serve you. You are the greatest. You have been my friend for so long, but I kept ignoring you. Now things have changed. I don’t want to help anyone else first. You are my top priority.”

One option is to purchase nice clothes for someone we care about. They may not need it. They may be content with what they have, but they still appreciate the gesture. They feel happy wearing the gifted items, as there is a connection in affection.

How will a person dress the Supreme Lord? He is the entire universe and more. The virata-rupa image is only displayed to the extent that a person can understand. Infinite time and space are beyond our comprehension. There is always a beginning to a beginning and an end to an end. Reach the limits of space and know that there is more to go.

Since He is compassion personified, God facilitates such desires in pure devotion. One example is the childhood period of Shri Rama in the city of Ayodhya. Goswami Tulsidas describes that even though Rama plays in the dirt with the other children in the community, the parents dress Him nicely. Rama wears the best ornaments and always beams an effulgence that is unique to Him.

When placed on His transcendental body, the ornaments benefit instead of the other way around. They increase in value, as well as the parents through their devotion. This fact alone proves the Divinity of Rama, who is beloved to this day.

I should not be depressed at the awesome nature of the Supreme Lord. Just because He is larger than the largest does not mean He will keep me out of my preferred outpouring of affection. If I want to cook for Him, I can do so on a daily basis. The deity is real, authorized through the instructions of the guru, who follows parampara. If the devotion is strong and the person most qualified, they can even receive God as a dependent, as was the case with Mother Kausalya.

In Closing:

With those ornaments resplendent,
To Kausalya a dependent.

Shri Rama under her care,
Of Divinity not aware.

Since devotion so strong,
Received that for which longed.

Because Supreme Lord kindest so,
Many ways His glories to know.

Happy Everyday

“In the childhood form, wearing nice jewelry and clothing, He plays in the dirt and His limbs become full of dust. With child-like speech, Rama plays with all the brothers and children.” (Dohavali, 117)

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बाल बिभू।सन बसन बर धूरि धूसरित अंग |
बालकेलि रघुबर करत बाल बन्धु सब सन्ग ||

bāla bibhū।sana basana bara dhūri dhūsarita aṃga |
bālakeli raghubara karata bāla bandhu saba sanga ||

“If using the normal world as a reference point, there really is just one time of year. I understand that arbitrary markers don’t mean much, that there are pockets of people around the world who operate differently. We can find many communities that have their own traditions, and these places may not be prominently featured on popular television and film.

“Bear with me. When speaking of the industrialized world, you have Christmas. Another popular faith has an important holiday around the same time, so this has gradually morphed into the term, ‘Holiday Season.’ Whether you observe or not, people tend to be happier. They have something to look forward to. There is a day or series of days which become important. The government officially recognizes the occasion with the closing of offices and so forth.

“Compare and contrast with the Vedic tradition. You have so many holidays. Perhaps the family you are born into follows four or five important observances throughout the year, but you could actually commemorate something almost every day, if you wanted.

“Does that not take away from the uniqueness? If every day is a vacation, doesn’t it mean that no days are? Do you see what I mean? A holiday is something special, which means distinct from other days. If you have a holiday all the time, then it is no longer special.”

If browsing the greeting card aisle in the local supermarket, the arrangement of cards is based on the occasion. If you are purchasing a card to celebrate Valentine’s Day, for instance, you don’t want to accidentally pick one for a birthday. The error would be immediately obvious. The message itself would say, “Happy Birthday,” instead of, “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

The Sanskrit term relevant to this discussion is nityotsava. If developing a matching greeting card, the message might say, “Happy Everyday.” We always have something to celebrate. The festivities are continuous; no break.

This is because nityotsava is tied to the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is said that Anantadeva laments not having enough resources to accomplish his preferred task. Anantadeva is something like the first expansion of the Almighty; He is always in the mood of service. His name refers to his seemingly unlimited number of hoods in the form of a transcendental serpent.

Anantadeva uses those hoods to glorify God. It would be as if a popular recording artist has the most amplifiers to use at a rock concert. Maybe they have a playlist that does not end. They have enough songs in their catalog to continue the concert for weeks and months.

Even with this ability and engagement, Anantadeva feels like he is shortchanging the Almighty. He would like to have a greater opportunity for glorification. More hoods. More time. More wonderful verses strung together in song, to match Bhagavan’s name of Uttamashloka.

For the jiva souls wandering through the material world, we can find something each and every day to celebrate about the Supreme Lord. For instance, we can look to the childhood play of the avatara of Vishnu known as Shri Rama.

In the Dohavali of Goswami Tulsidas, we learn how the mother nicely dresses Rama, who then goes out and plays in the dirt. This is not an elaborate description, but the meditation can continue for years and years. Just see how kind the Supreme Lord is. He is greater than the entire universe and more, but if a devotee should desire to dress Him, He plays the role of a small child.

Where there is a will, Shri Rama finds a way. He fulfills the desires in pure devotion by creating endless opportunities for service. Nityotsava is an opportunity for recurring and renewing bliss, bringing peace, love and joy in a place otherwise filled with sadness and despair. Happy Everyday can begin and conclude with the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

As holiday today,
Towards celebration way.

Because glories of Rama found,
And together we will sound.

Most happiness to us bringing,
When His holy names singing.

Tomorrow to repeat the same,
Rising sun our blessed gain.

Five Things To Celebrate From Shri Rama's Childhood Years

“In the childhood form, wearing nice jewelry and clothing, He plays in the dirt and His limbs become full of dust. With child-like speech, Rama plays with all the brothers and children.” (Dohavali, 117)

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बाल बिभू।सन बसन बर धूरि धूसरित अंग |
बालकेलि रघुबर करत बाल बन्धु सब सन्ग ||

bāla bibhū।sana basana bara dhūri dhūsarita aṃga |
bālakeli raghubara karata bāla bandhu saba sanga ||

It is the dead of winter. The sun barely comes out. It is so cold that you dread stepping outside, even if it is only for a few minutes. You have to take out the trash on the regular collection days for the neighborhood. You have to walk to the mailbox to pick up whatever the postal carrier has delivered. You have to step in the car and drive to the local supermarket to get essential items for the home.

Combine everything together and it feels like there is nothing to celebrate or be happy over. In the bhakti culture there is the relevant Sanskrit word: nityotsava. This translates to a continuous celebration. It is devotional life, after all. The devotion has a target: the personal God.

He is both the oldest person and without a beginning. He is here at the moment and He will remain so forever into the future. He appears and disappears from this planet in His personal form, and at the same time He has fixed residence in the Vaikuntha planetary system.

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य
ग्लानिर् भवति भारत
अभ्युत्थानम् अधर्मस्य
तदात्मानं सृजाम्य् अहम्

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend Myself.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.7)

Because of these limitless features, it is possible to have nityotsava only with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You could target a specific period in time, even, such as with the childhood years for the avatara known as Shri Rama.

1. His birth

The annual occasion is known as Rama Navami. A specific date in the lunar calendar, typically falling in the month of April, those who understand the superior standing of Vishnu in comparison to other gods make sure to participate in this celebration.

There is the time travel to the original moment. Though we can trace back the event to some thousands of years ago, we should know that there are limitless universes. Somewhere the same Shri Rama is appearing from the womb of Mother Kausalya at this very moment.

He was the savior for King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, who was without an heir to the throne for a long time. The king finally received a son, four at one time, at an advanced age. The timing did not take away from the joy, as they say the best things come to those who wait.

2. His childhood play

Goswami Tulsidas describes how baby Rama would play. The mothers would dress up their children nicely, who would then play amongst one another. It seems counterintuitive to go to such great effort only to see the children play in the dirt.

Yet the child is a gift from God. No amount of effort in love is wasted on them. Shri Rama is the most special child a parent could receive, and so the elders derived limitless joy in that interaction. They took great delight from hearing His child-like speech.

3. His closeness with Lakshmana

Another cause for celebration is the closeness with Lakshmana. He was born as one of twin boys to Queen Sumitra. Vishnu does not arrive in this world in the typical way. As explained in Bhagavad-gita, the janma and karma are divyam, or Divine in nature.

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यम्
एवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर् जन्म
नैति माम् एति सो ऽर्जुन

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ‘rjuna

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.9)

Dasharatha conducted a special yajna for the purpose of having a son. The remnants of the sacrifice were given to the three queens: Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi. A full half-portion went to Kausalya, and so her son Rama is considered Vishnu Himself. The other half was divided amongst the two remaining queens, and so Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna are considered partial incarnations of Vishnu.

From the time of birth, the boys basically paired off. This was in terms of association. Lakshmana could not eat or sleep without Rama. He would always stay close by. He was loyal to the highest degree imaginable. There is a reason that to this day those two brothers are typically worshiped together.

4. His slaying of Tataka

When Vishnu arrives He can stay in one place for years if He so chooses. He still finds a way to help the suras in some way. These are the demigods, who reside in the heavenly region. Sometimes the forces of evil in this world gain so much in strength that the demigods ask for Vishnu’s direct intervention. This is opposed to nature taking its course through the great devouring agent known as time.

Vishvamitra Muni once paid a visit to Ayodhya. He wanted to take Rama with him back to the forest area. There were some bad characters causing a lot of trouble. Vishvamitra knew that only Rama could provide adequate defense. Dasharatha was mortified at the thought, but following sound advice he decided to agree to the request.

Of course Lakshmana accompanied the group, and one of Rama’s first tasks was to slay a female Rakshasa by the name of Tataka. She could appear and disappear at will, and so an ordinary fighter wouldn’t suffice. Though young at the time, Rama could locate enemies through sound. The work was easy for Him.

5. His defense of Vishvamitra’s ashrama

The real reason for the request from Vishvamitra was to allow the completion of a specific vrata. Vishvamitra had a yajna that kept getting spoiled by attacking Rakshasas. They were so dastardly that they would wait until the last moment, on purpose, to throw blood and pus on the sacrificial fire.

With Rama now guarding the ashrama, there was no reason to worry. Though Maricha and Subahu predictably attacked again, they were sent away through Rama’s arrows. That single event can be celebrated every single day, but it can also be placed on a garland of memories from what would be considered the most successful childhood period the world has ever seen.

In Closing:

Most successful childhood ever seen,
Defending yajna though barely a teen.

Rakshasas driving away,
When in that ashrama to stay.

To father giving delight,
Sun of solar dynasty bright.

Shri Rama of that era profound,
Days with joyful pastimes abound.

Don't You Need Some Kind Of Exception To Succeed In Spiritual Life

“But those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My transcendental form – to them I carry what they lack and preserve what they have.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.22)

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अनन्याश् चिन्तयन्तो मां
ये जनाः पर्युपासते
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां
योग-क्षेमं वहाम्य् अहम्

ananyāś cintayanto māṁ
ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ
yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham

Friend1: I think I found another flaw in the Mayavada philosophy.

Friend2: That you can’t have an impersonal energy unless there is a personal as the basis?

Friend1: I already knew that one. It’s true, if you think about it.

Friend2: Has to be.

Friend1: I guess I am along the same topic. There is this exception, which I guess the Mayavadis don’t like.

Friend2: Exception to what?

Friend1: To everything that we otherwise agree upon. For instance, they say that everything in this world is maya. Except for Brahman, of course.

Friend2: Which is the spiritual energy. We are in a dream-like experience. When we wake up, nothing from the dream remains; it dissipates like a riven cloud.

Friend1: We are on the same page, with the exception of the avataras of the Supreme Lord. He is not maya when He appears. His body and spirit are of the same nature; there is no distinction for Him.

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

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

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

Friend2: Exactly. An exception to the rule.

Friend1: Well, I thought of something else. If you don’t believe in the personal side of God, what is your end goal?

Friend2: If you are a spiritualist, I guess it would be to merge into the Brahman energy.

Friend1: Precisely, and that goal is difficult to obtain.

Friend2: Especially for one who is embodied.

क्लेशो ऽधिकतरस् तेषाम्
अव्यक्तासक्त-चेतसाम्
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर् दुःखं
देहवद्भिर् अवाप्यते

kleśo ‘dhikataras teṣām
avyaktāsakta-cetasām
avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ
dehavadbhir avāpyate

“For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 12.5)

Friend1: In order to cancel the “embodied” classification, you need to follow strict rules and regulations.

Friend2: I believe the Mayavadis require the sannyasa ashrama at a minimum. If you are not fully renounced, you don’t have a prayer (no pun intended).

Friend1: This is where they run into trouble, if you ask me. You need to be entirely focused on Brahman in order to merge. The renounced order of life is like the admission step when entering college. The thing is, you still need to function as a human being.

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: Eat, sleep, defend, moving around. You have to worry about the future. There is daily life.

Friend2: Of course.

Friend1: And in that style of living there is every chance of forgetting Brahman. If I happen to step on a rock that cuts my foot, the pain will distract me from Brahman. If I don’t get enough food to eat, the hunger will eat away at me (no pun intended).

Friend2: This is why Goswami Tulsidas puts such a person in the list of those who are constantly worrying. At the very least, you have a difficult time sleeping at night since you are worried about maintaining your vairagya.

Friend1: They don’t believe in exceptions, either, since they don’t think there is anyone to save them.

Friend2: No personal God. Instead, I am God and so are you. We are all God.

Friend1: If we were on a daytime talk show, it would be “God for everyone.”

Friend2: Shri Krishna explains that attaining perfection along the impersonal path is difficult.

Friend1: You need that exception. That is the flaw with Mayavada. In bhakti-yoga, you can equally be as distracted. You have to take care of your kids. You have to cook dinner.

Friend2: If you are Arjuna, you have to fight valiantly in a “war of the worlds” scenario, against the best fighters.

Friend1: The difference is that Krishna will offer assistance.

Friend2: He brings to the devotees what they lack and preserves what they have.

In Closing:

Perfect concentration lacking,
Maya my efforts attacking.

So that perfect not to stay,
But in ignorance no other way.

Thus exception of some kind needed,
There when in bhakti proceeded.

Krishna Himself the control taking,
And successful my efforts making.

Deceived By The Deity

“Then I, resembling a cloud and having molten-golden earrings, made my way into Vishvamitra’s ashrama, for I was very proud of my strength due to the boon given to me by Lord Brahma. As soon as I entered, Rama quickly noticed me and raised His weapon. Though He saw me, Rama strung His bow without any fear.” (Maricha speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 38.16-17)

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ततोऽहं मेघसङ्काशस्तप्तकाञ्चनकुण्डलः।
बली दत्तवरोदर्पादाजगाम तदाश्रमम्।।
तेन दृष्टः प्रविष्टोऽहं सहसैवोद्यतायुधः।
मां तु दृष्ट्वा धनुस्सज्यमसम्भ्रान्तश्चकार सः।।

tato’haṃ meghasaṅkāśastaptakāñcanakuṇḍalaḥ।
balī dattavarodarpādājagāma tadāśramam।।
tena dṛṣṭaḥ praviṣṭo’haṃ sahasaivodyatāyudhaḥ।
māṃ tu dṛṣṭvā dhanussajyamasambhrāntaścakāra saḥ।।

“I know this question probably comes up often, but it warrants repeated discussion and explanation. The objections are entirely from the point of view of an outsider. To someone raised within the culture, the practice is entirely normal.

“I guess you could compare it to vegetarianism versus meat-eating. If I grow up in a land that protects cows and tries to avoid intentional harm to animals to the greatest extent possible, then the opposite will seem odd and out of place. Someone who enters the area and wants to kill the cows will be seen as the oddball. They will be labeled ‘meat-eater.’

“In the opposite situation, everyone else is eating meat. They kill cows regularly, without mercy. They go after the calves, as well, after extracting enough milk through the love shown by the mother, the cow. The person who enters this scene and abstains from the practice will be the odd one out.

“If we transition to the practice of deity worship, it entirely makes sense to me. The Supreme Lord is anything and everything. Everywhere are His eyes. He is responsible for the material and spiritual worlds. He is not absent from any place.

“The deity is something like a reminder of Him, for people who have forgotten. And we sure do forget; it is easy to. The statue is there so that I can remember, so that I can concentrate and organize my devotional efforts. I can worship in a systematic way in order to gradually purify myself.

“The outsider might not agree with the practice. They think that I am making up false gods to worship. I am directing my attention to an idol. There is no way God could be statue, resin, brass or what have you. They might even call me satanic. What would your response be?”

To those who are strongly against God, the deity will not make sense. They will view it as another object over which they can assert dominance and control. The deity will not fight back, after all. It will not raise an objection. Therefore, how can any sane or rational person view it in high esteem? How could an intelligent person bow down before and conduct celebrations on specific days throughout the year?

An incident from the Ramayana history illustrates how the ignorance extends to direct interactions with the Almighty. In this case the atheist-like Rakshasas from Lanka were accustomed to getting what they wanted. They would obstruct the religious sacrifices of sages living in the forest-areas.

The attacks took place at night. The intruders arrived undetected. They targeted the fires, right as everything was about to complete successfully. The Rakshasas felt no remorse; there was no shame in deploying deception to get their way.

Vishvamitra Muni finally had enough. He went toward civilization and asked for help. He specifically wanted the youth named Rama to accompany him. This was the eldest son of King Dasharatha. Rama was a warrior in training, but Vishvamitra knew there was something special about Him.

Later on, Maricha tried to attack again. He noticed Rama standing guard but wasn’t deterred. Rama barely had any signs of manhood on His face. Like the deity in the temple, how was there anything special to this person? How was a youth with a bow and arrow set going to do anything to defend against a powerful night-ranging ogre who could change shapes at will?

Not only did Rama step up to action, but He did so without hesitation. The arrow Rama released threw Maricha back some eight hundred miles. Maricha’s tag-team partner wasn’t spared; he lost his life. God was there next to Vishvamitra, in a way the less-intelligent could not detect.

And so the same potency can be found within the deity, through the authorized method of worship. The chief resident in the temple will always remain just a statue to the atheist. Even if they should attack, that is all the object will be. To the devotees, the person standing on the altar represents their life and soul, in the same way that He protected the pious Vishvamitra.

In Closing:

To demon a youth projecting,
But that yajna perfectly protecting.

After Maricha drawing near,
Receiving picture clear.

With Deity in temple the same,
Who glorified through holy name.

A statue inanimate to be,
But to wise Supreme Lord is He.