Three Times Vishnu Outsmarted The Demons

“In this way, by Lord Narayana's sweet words and by the expansion of His superior illusion, the demon became bewildered, and he actually forgot the power of Lord Shiva and his benediction. He was thus very easily persuaded to put his hand on his own head. As soon as the demon did that, his head cracked, as if struck by thunder, and he immediately died.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 33)

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1. Meeting Vrikasura

Who can be more glorious than Lord Shiva, whose very name means auspiciousness? Who can be more kind and compassionate than Mahadeva, who sets forth the means of liberation for countless generations into the future through his narration of the glories of Shri Rama? Where else can you find a larger ocean of mercy than from Parvati’s husband, who is so easily pleased by his worshipers that he is known by the name of Ashutosha?

One time a demon named Vrikasura was contemplating to whom to approach for a benediction. He happened to run into Narada Muni and received the advice that Lord Shiva would be best. Narada understood the asura’s ways, that the motives were not pure.

Vrikasura eventually sacrificed to such an extent that he met Mahadeva personally. He requested and received the odd benediction of being able to kill someone simply by touching their head. To show his miserly ways, Vrikasura then proceeded to chase after Lord Shiva, hoping to touch the head and take Parvati as his wife.

Though Mahadeva is fully capable of destroying the entire universe at the appropriate time, in this instance it was Vishnu who put an end to the madness. He took the form of a brahmachari [celibate student monk] and tricked Vrikasura into touching his own head. The demon immediately died, showing the truth to the words of Mahadeva, who is immeasurably kind towards those who worship him, even if it might cause issues in the future.

2. Breaking the armor of Hiranyakashipu

The leader of the Daityas famously received ninety-nine percent immortality. He tried to construct the impossible through individual pieces. Like a giant fortress built through various shapes and tiles laid out on the ground, even after what he considered to be proper arrangement there was still one hole. Hardly anyone could see it, but Vishnu’s eyes are everywhere.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead took the avatara of a half-man/half-lion named Narasimha. He manifest through a pillar that was just struck by the fist of Hiranyakashipu. That leader of the Daityas was frustrated by his son Prahlada, who seemed to have this mystic ability that made him invincible. The child was only five years old and he had not approached any of the demigods to receive such an ability.

The appearance of Narasimha maintained the boons of protection Brahma had previously offered. In other words, Hiranyakashipu’s ninety-nine percent immortality was standing tall. It was the one percent that Vishnu exploited. He outsmarted that demon and gave to him the handsome reward he richly deserved, for having persecuted the innocent Prahlada for so long.

3. Killing Ravana

This was another case of a demon rising to power on the strength of the favor of Mahadeva. Ravana similarly had almost full immortality. He created the armor through listing off the various kinds of beings found in this world. He wanted protection against any and all of them. Wish granted.

The problem is he forgot to mention human beings. Ravana figured that if no demigod could kill him, what would any mortal be able to accomplish? He forgot to consider that the Supreme Lord is everywhere and anywhere. He can take an avatara of a human being, if so desired.

Vishnu did just that, appearing as the eldest son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. Through a series of events immortalized in the Ramayana poem, Shri Rama eventually made His way to Lanka and defeated Ravana in a fair fight. The boons of protection were still intact, but Rama found a way around them.

A person hearing of such encounters may become upset with Vishnu. They think it is unfair what went down and they lodge a complaint:

“Shouldn’t God play fair? Of course He is smarter than Hiranyakashipu and Ravana. Of course He has more potency. What was the sport in such meetings? He simply flexed His muscles and defeated people who didn’t really stand a chance.”

An appropriate response lays the blame at the feet of the asuras. It was their behavior that caused the problem. If they knew that God existed, why challenge Him? If I know that a wall is too high for me to scale, who is to blame when I eventually fall off it? If I try to climb over, going against sound judgment and reason, ignoring the warnings of friends and well-wishers, is my subsequent defeat the fault of the wall?

In one sense such demons are the most fortunate. They get the Supreme Lord to reveal a glimpse of His amazing potency, in dramatic fashion. They are fully conscious of Vishnu at the time of death, and so they are guaranteed liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

In Closing:

Thinking nature’s laws to trick,
But really like wall of brick.

Where attempting to scale,
And then miserably to fail.

Ever upon the structure to blame,
For pain and resulting shame?

Asuras better should have known,
But blessed by avatara shown.

Was It Fair For Ajamila To Be Saved

“While suffering at the time of death, Ajamila chanted the holy name of the Lord, and although the chanting was directed toward his son, he nevertheless returned home, back to Godhead. Therefore if one faithfully and inoffensively chants the holy name of the Lord, where is the doubt that he will return to Godhead?” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 6.2.49)

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म्रियमाणो हरेर् नाम
गृणन् पुत्रोपचारितम्
अजामिलो ’प्य् अगाद् धाम
किम् उत श्रद्धया गृणन्

mriyamāṇo harer nāma
gṛṇan putropacāritam
ajāmilo ’py agād dhāma
kim uta śraddhayā gṛṇan

“I think there are many reasons to be fond of the story of Ajamila, as described in Bhagavata Purana. In the modern day, who is there that cannot relate to the predicament? In that ancient time there was one Ajamila, who fell victim to the ways of lust and trying to satisfy it. Today, practically every person is Ajamila. The degradation in allegiance to dharma is so deep that barely anyone stands a chance at reaching salvation in a single lifetime.

“We know what saved Ajamila: the name of Narayana. He happened to give this name to his son. Therefore, at the time of death Ajamila called out to the one he was most fond of: his son. He wasn’t calling out to the Narayana of Vaikuntha. Nevertheless, it was the messengers from that realm who arrived. The Vishnudutas intercepted the Yamadutas. The soul was slated to go to the land free of anxieties. Ajamila was not to face punishment in the court of Yama, the god of death.

“I was thinking that while the story is nice and gives hope to the rest of us, what about to the people who don’t fall into sinful life? The ones who follow dharma strictly. They don’t associate with prostitutes and they worship Narayana faithfully. They call out to the real Narayana, the husband of Lakshmi, at the time of death. Isn’t it unfair to them that a sinner would have the same opportunity at liberation?”

The entire affair highlights the importance and potency of the holy name of Hari. There is no difference between God and the sound vibration used to address Him. It is for this reason that the Vaishnava acharya recommends chanting the holy names, especially in this fallen age of Kali, as the primary means of rescue: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Another issue to consider is that despite our ability to decipher based on external circumstances, the burden of the final judgment does not fall upon us. The Yamadutas were surprised that the Vishnudutas intercepted them. Despite their complaints, there was nothing that could be done. Ajamila was going to be saved.

In the same way, a person we may consider to be a sinner or lowly or degraded in terms of consciousness could have done or said something in the past that greatly pleased the Supreme Lord. Bhagavan may even decide to take such a person back to the spiritual world on an auspicious day, such as the appearance anniversary of Mahadeva, the great god.

Whether we think it is fair or not, the outcome is not in our control. If accidentally saying the name of Narayana at the time of death can rescue a person, why should I not constantly chant such a name? Why should I not glorify Ajamila rather than be envious or consider him a competitor? Why should I not be awe-inspired at the extension of causeless mercy showered upon the world by Narayana, who cares not about a person’s past, but only to where they are going and what is in their heart today?

In Closing:

As with Ajamila seen,
The slate wiped clean.

Past sinful life though,
Straight to Vaikuntha to go.

Vishnu that determination making,
Of who to where at what time taking.

If even by saying accidentally so,
Impetus now for me to go.

Three Things I Learned From My Father

“Maharaja Parikshit, the grandson of the Pandavas, was from his very childhood a great devotee of the Lord. Even while playing with dolls, he used to worship Lord Krishna by imitating the worship of the family Deity.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.3.15)

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स वै भागवतो राजा
पाण्डवेयो महा-रथः
बाल-क्रीडनकैः क्रीडन्
कृष्ण-क्रीडां य आददे

sa vai bhāgavato rājā
pāṇḍaveyo mahā-rathaḥ
bāla-krīḍanakaiḥ krīḍan
kṛṣṇa-krīḍāṁ ya ādade

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada would often instruct first-time parents that the best way to pass on the tradition of sanatana-dharma, of ensuring that the dependents new to this world fulfill the destiny of never taking birth again, is to simply set a good example.

The idea is that they will learn through watching. Children will try to imitate whatever it is the parents do, and this can also be a negative. If the father is prone to excessive alcohol consumption, the child may very well take up that unhealthy habit in the future.

The flip side is the opportunity for the most positive upbringing, wherein without hearing any direct instruction the child becomes inclined towards worship, understanding the importance of spiritual matters based solely on the authority of the father.

1. Timely worship

“I’m sure this is true of all children, but I thought a lot of the things my parents did was weird. It didn’t make sense, as many of the other children I knew at the time had a totally different family life. They were of different spiritual faiths, and so maybe that was the reason.

“Anyway, one thing I noticed early on is that my father would take a bath in a timely manner. In the morning of each day, not long after arising from bed. He was probably taking a shower, but we referred to it as a bath since that was the extent of our experience at the time. We children considered bathing to be a chore, and we resisted every time it was compelled.

“After showering, my father would approach an altar area that my mother had set up in the home. He still had the towel draped around his waist. In a reverent mood, he would light a few sticks of incense and wave them in front of different pictures that were assembled. Those pictures were obviously of various gods of our tradition, but I had no clear picture.

“Pretty soon thereafter, surely at the amusement of my parents, I started to do the same thing. I remember my mother was worried since she thought I might start a fire from not knowing how to light the incense sticks. Others might have found it funny that I suddenly developed an interest in being clean.

“The routine did not last a long time, but I certainly stuck to it for consecutive days. I viewed it as important because of my dad. Now that I am an adult, I never miss the opportunity. I am so fixed in my routine that I might forget from where I first learned the practice. I am so proud to have come upon this way of living, but in truth I learned it from someone else: my dad.”

2. That Shri Hanuman is the best

“My father was never the type to instruct with lectures or extended conversation. He was quiet in that sense, though he certainly engaged in meaningful dialogue with his friends. Maybe it was just with me, but there were few words spoken. Only if I directly asked him something or if he had to correct the many wrongs that a small child is known for committing.

“In his dedication to worship, I got the strong sense of respect and love for Shri Hanuman. My dad was always fond of that hero from the Ramayana, who is known as the greatest devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the avatara of Shri Rama, the warrior prince of Ayodhya.

“To give you an idea of the level of allegiance, when my father developed severe brain issues later in life, he could not remember basic facts like the year, the president of the country, or what he was doing a mere five minutes ago. But he could still recite the entire Hanuman Chalisa. He still sat down for timely worship, every Tuesday evening. That made a lasting impression on me.”

3. That kirtana music can be great

“One time we were taking a long road trip. My parents were with me, and I was driving. Not really sure how to entertain them, I played a CD of kirtana music in the car. This thing played for an entire hour and no one really said anything. I was quite fond of the music because of the glorification of Shri Krishna and such.

“A few minutes after we arrived at our destination, one of the hosts asked my father how the trip was. My dad said it was fine, but that everything was made better by the music that we heard in the car. He had this huge smile across his face. My brother later told me that our father had always had this affinity for glorification, especially the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”

…

Actually, any person who learns even a single lesson that advances the state of the consciousness, wherein they become closer to God and understanding the difference between matter and spirit, is greatly fortunate. Shrimad Bhagavatam describes the case of Maharaja Parikshit and his affinity for worship of the family deity since the time of childhood.

Shrila Prabhupada explains that even in the case of misfortune and lacking proper guidance during childhood, there is still every chance for elevation. He cites the example of Narada Muni and how that great traveler of the three worlds was the son of a maidservant in his previous birth. Through meeting saintly people everything changed, and thankfully the entire universe is still benefiting from that encounter.

In Closing:

Everything to me gave,
My future wellbeing to save.

But not through words spoken,
Or large gift token.

Just from the example set,
Idea of spiritual life to get.

That all glories in Hanuman found,
And sacred the holy name sound.

Are We Jealous Of The Tree

“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.19)

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बहूनां जन्मनाम् अन्ते
ज्ञानवान् मां प्रपद्यते
वासुदेवः सर्वम् इति
स महात्मा सु-दुर्लभः

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

“This topic came up recently with the passing of a well-known broadcaster. Amidst the heaps of praise, there was also significant lamentation. One source is the age at which this person left the world. People consider the death to be tragic because others are known to live ten or twenty years longer.

“This person had their faculties still with them. They were at the top of their field. It was just that a debilitating disease crept up and took them from this world way too soon. There is speculation that if the person had changed this or that about their lifestyle, maybe they would have lived longer.

“I was wondering about the perspective from shastra. Is there anything relating to longevity? Is it a tragedy if a person lives for say fifty years instead of seventy? Is that considered bad karma or something?”

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada reveals that it is not necessarily how long you live but what you actually accomplish in the time that you are here. The ideal example in this regard is Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Though He is identical with the Supreme Lord, in Mahaprabhu’s earthly pastimes there was the normal interaction with others. There was attachment formed and the common sadness that comes with separation. Mahaprabhu was not here for even fifty years, and one might consider it a great tragedy that He left the world so soon.

In truth, those years He was here were filled with bliss and joy. They were so instructive to society as a whole that the legacy lives on to this day. Mahaprabhu is still teaching the vital message of chanting the holy names of Hari as a way of life: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

By comparison, the tree lives for a long time. It can stay in one place for thousands of years. Does any rational person long to take birth in such a form? Is their life’s ambition to be sent straight to the body of a tree in the next life, so that they can flex their muscles in the ability to outlast the living entities around them?

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्
ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च
तस्माद् अपरिहार्ये ऽर्थे
न त्वं शोचितुम् अर्हसि

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur
dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca
tasmād aparihārye ‘rthe
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi

“For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.27)

Shri Krishna confirms in Bhagavad-gita that as soon as you take birth, you are already dying. The end is inevitable. Whether you last for fifty years or one hundred, the outcome is the same. Once the individual reaches the end, what is the point in lamenting over the past, which cannot be changed?

By comparison, there is a unique opportunity with this human birth in particular. It is said that after many such cycles of appearance and disappearance does the individual soul come to a proper understanding of the Almighty in His all-attractive form of Krishna. Such a realized soul is rare.

The time is now. This is our opportunity. Let us make the most of being alive at this very moment. No one knows for sure how many days they have left in this rollercoaster ride of existence. The soul will move on after death, and through knowing Krishna we can influence the nature of the next birth. Namely, we can guarantee it will be in the spiritual world, which is free of birth and death.

In Closing:

Mahaprabhu showing the way,
Though not many years to stay.

Lamenting that so soon gone,
But why the past to dwell upon?

Instead the impact consider,
How through sound to deliver.

That many the truth to see,
And from illusion to free.

Five Things A Person Might Have Grown Up Without

“Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.5)

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अपरेयम् इतस् त्व् अन्यां
प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्
जीव-भूतां महा-बाहो
ययेदं धार्यते जगत्

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ
prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām
jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho
yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat

Through the ages the nature of living changes, as particularly evidenced by the last one hundred years or so. While there is rapid advancement in areas affecting daily life, one thing certainly does not change. Each generation has their lamentation and concern regarding the future. They were accustomed to growing up a certain way and they see that the next generation has it a lot easier.

1. Television

“In my day, we didn’t have television. I am serious. There was not this large appliance in the house that everyone sat around throughout the day. We had the radio. We would receive vital information that way. Newspapers and published works. We considered books to be a luxury. The library was the favorite place for people seeking knowledge.

“The arrival of a new book brought tremendous excitement. Especially if the subject matter was foreign to us, it was like opening up a whole new world. We could immediately travel to a different place, see how other people lived, and possibly learn a thing or two from them.

“Most importantly, we never felt deprived. We were not bored during the daytime. Children played outside after school. We were active. There wasn’t a public campaign against childhood obesity. We had so much fun throughout the year. In the winter it was throwing snowballs and shoveling the driveways of the neighbors. In the summer it was pretending to be baseball players we heard about on the radio or saw live at the stadium.”

2. Cable television

“When I was growing up we didn’t have cable television. It was just beginning to gain in popularity. I remember an extended family member had it hooked up in their home. They lived far away from the city, so they had no other option. The free channels could not be picked up by an antenna.

“As children, we were certainly excited whenever we visited this family member. It was great to watch baseball games, wrestling and cartoons on these extra channels, but in general everything was fine at home. We were plenty entertained with the over-the-air stations.

“In fact, this large congregation of viewers forced the networks to provide better content. Everything was family-friendly. They were catering to the needs of the customer. They were not pointing the finger at society, in general, lecturing them about their supposed flaws without ever having met them.”

3. Internet

“It is strange to think about today, but we grew up without internet. If you had a favorite recording artist, you could not just type their name into a search engine and see what they looked like. You had to purchase their music from a physical store and then see the artwork inside of the cassette or CD package. You had to find their interviews in magazines and newspapers.

“More often than not, you just waited for their music to appear on television. We had a video cassette recorder, so we tried to preserve content that way. Nevertheless, the consumption of information was vastly different than it is today.

“To be honest, there were no issues. We did not feel as if we were missing anything. As far as I could tell, people were not clamoring for something better. I noticed that they tended to retain information better. Think about it: we had to. For instance, I knew the fifty states in America and each capital. I could not quickly look it up on the internet. My ability to spell was also better than it is now.”

4. Smartphones

“This is probably one of those inventions that a lot of people wish could be undone. Eliminate it altogether. Return to a time when there was more direct social interaction. People sitting down to a meal and actually looking at one another. A safer time on the roads, with drivers less distracted.

“We did not grow up with smartphones. We had the larger cell phones, and some of them were with a fold-out keyboard. We could send text messages, which was a valuable feature. Nevertheless, these devices were strictly for communication. We were not keeping them close by throughout the day. We were not slowly going blind by looking at them from morning until night.”

5. Social media

“When I was growing up, people consumed content without commentary. If someone published an article on a particular political topic, you could read the entire thing without interference. You would then contemplate. If you had a rebuttal, you would write an official reply to the publisher. Maybe you would try to publish your own views on the subject matter.

“There was no time wasted on petty feuds. There were these forums and message boards, but I quickly realized those were not places for me. It was an insult contest. Find some nameless, faceless user and try your best to make them cry.

“We lacked social media, and I think people were a lot happier. Today, it seems like we can’t live without this method of communication, but let me assure you that we managed just fine without it. People found a way to congregate, to join forces for a common interest, and to share precious moments with friends and family.”

…

Choose any arbitrary point in the vast timeline of existence and you can find a person with a similar story. A common term used to describe them is, “old fuddy duddy.” They are old-fashioned or considered a traditionalist.

While it may be amusing to listen to the complaints of such a person, they all essentially have the same message:

“We lived in the past without a lot of what is available today. Not only did we survive, but we were happier than you people are today.”

This highlights an important truth put forward by the acharyas of the Vedic tradition. They define real progress as the advancement of the consciousness. The human birth is itself a milestone. Appearing from the womb of the mother is an achievement to be celebrated, as then begins the opportunity for inquiring into Brahman.

That inquiry hopefully leads to the second birth, the one given by the combination of spiritual master and Vedic literature; guru and shastra. The human being has the unique opportunity for this second birth, and there is no hindrance based on the circumstances of the time.

That is to say we can achieve perfection in life regardless of the timeline of progress for technology. Whether there is a smartphone around or only printed books at the local library, the goal remains the same. The philosophy is, “simple living and high thinking.”

As Krishna confirms in Bhagavad-gita, the living entities are actually part of the superior energy. They fall prey to the transformations within the inferior energy, struggling with what they think they can’t live without. In truth, it is the living entities who dominate.

Vairagya tied to the pursuit of excellence in spiritual living brings real and lasting happiness. Otherwise, every new so-called advancement is another source of bondage, a way to tie me to the cycle of birth and death. In the next life I will have to start over, hoping to get the chance at understanding transcendence.

I may have grown up without an amenity vital to the modern world, but if I have the shelter of the guru and Bhagavan, I am the most fortunate person in this world. My life is meant for service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the original author of everything great in this world. If I stay close to Him in a lifetime engagement of devotional service, I will always feel as if no one is luckier than me.

In Closing:

Since Divine shelter to see,
No one luckier than me.

The guru my prospects to save,
Timeless Vedic wisdom gave.

So that in any situation can thrive,
Even in destitution to feel alive.

Proper association through sound,
Now to eternal life bound.

Reflections On the Kindness of Bhagavan

“Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.5)

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अपरेयम् इतस् त्व् अन्यां
प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्
जीव-भूतां महा-बाहो
ययेदं धार्यते जगत्

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ
prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām
jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho
yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat

There is nothing I can do for Him. Literally, He has everything. He is known as Bhagavan, which His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada translates as, “Supreme Personality of Godhead.” There are many personalities in the universe. The Sanskrit word is purusha. This has several meanings. Purusha is a person, to distinguish from an energy. Purusha also indicates a human entity, depending on the context that is used.

Purusha is also the enjoyer. The corresponding term in this context is prakriti, or that which is enjoyed. Prakriti is one of Bhagavan’s energies. In the understanding as purusha, Bhagavan is the greatest person. Another name for Him is Purushottama. He is the topmost person.

Bhagavan is also the best enjoyer. Everyone else by comparison is prakriti. Though at the local level we are purusha, as we dominate and enjoy the material energy, in the grand scheme we are prakriti. We are meant to be enjoyed by the greatest enjoyer.

From the beautiful paintings depicting the pastimes in the forest of Vraja, we see that the Supreme Lord already has a sufficient number of companions. He enjoys with each one individually. He can accomplish this since He is unlimited. He simply expands Himself so that each damsel of Vrajabhumi experiences the interaction in a personal way.

Bhagavan expands in the unlimited sense through the feature of Paramatma. He is inside the heart of every living being. Though we have fallen to this land of birth and death, the material world, all hope is not lost. We have our greatest well-wisher close by. He is as much available to me as He is to everyone else.

To such a person, what can I really offer? I am nothing. It is like the person lowest on the organizational chart. The leader of the company takes a stroll through the corporate offices. He wants to see how the operation is going, if everyone is providing high quality service and working as hard as they should.

The employees want to make a good impression. The leader is under no such obligation. There really is nothing anyone can do for him. He has no reason to flatter anyone; they are in the subordinate position.

We are in a similar position when compared to the Supreme Lord. Though I cannot do anything for Him, He is kind enough to always be by my side. He treats me with the utmost kindness, though I tend to forget Him. Sometimes, He is the target of my wrath due to frustration.

समो ऽहं सर्व-भूतेषु
न मे द्वेष्यो ऽस्ति न प्रियः
ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या
मयि ते तेषु चाप्य् अहम्

samo ‘haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
na me dveṣyo ‘sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
mayi te teṣu cāpy aham

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.29)

Shastra supports this idea of endless compassion. In the avatara of Shri Rama, Bhagavan makes friends with lowly forest dwellers. They barely qualify as civilized beings, and the mighty Rama still accepts service from them. He does not view them with contempt. He does not think they have been cursed by the laws of nature to take birth in inauspicious forms.

Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu accurately and fearlessly declares an illiterate brahmana to be an expert on Bhagavad-gita. Though the person cannot even read, they have the proper vision through physical contact with the pages of that sacred text. They see Shri Krishna as the charioteer to the bow-warrior Arjuna. They are so moved by the compassionate nature of this relationship that they can never forget.

Though I have no qualifications, somehow the words of the acharya have descended to me. They have rescued me from the darkness of ignorance, lighting the way through proper association, the renunciation of anartha behaviors, and the gathering of numerical strength through the routine of chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

With such kindness and compassion shown to this most unworthy soul, I have no choice but to continue. If not for the hope of liberation at the end of life, then at least to repay the favor. I will try to help others in the same way, to guide them out of this world of misery and despair. The world of transcendence is without limits in emotion and ecstasy, as the self-effulgent Bhagavan is the proprietor.

In Closing:

So much already gave,
This unworthy soul to save.

Who previously in despair,
Of proper goal unaware.

To him shining the light,
Of eternal future bright.

So now with Bhagavan to stay,
Those before showing the way.

Four Possible Interests To Divert Attention

“The many past births you spoiled can be rectified right now, today, if you start chanting Shri Rama’s holy name and renounce bad association, says Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 22)

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बिगरी जनम अनेक की सुधरै अबहीं आजु |
होहि राम को नाम जपु तुलसी तजि कुसमाजु ||

bigarī janama aneka kī sudharai abahīṃ āju |
hohi rāma ko nāma japu tulasī taji kusamāju ||

1. What kind of house to buy

“We live in a good place right now. We put a lot of work into it, in fact. Redoing the kitchen, adding a large play area in the backyard, uprooting bushes and shrubs and replacing with something better, expanding the driveway, new flooring in the bedrooms, and so forth.

“Regardless, I want something better. It would be so cool to move into a brand new place. We can design it from the ground up. The choice is ours. That is the focus at the moment. I can’t guarantee that we will stay there forever, but for the time being this shift will make me happy.”

2. Where to place the furniture

“It isn’t necessarily an awkward room. It’s a smaller space to the side of the dining room. This is the room you go through to reach the backyard. In the summer this place will get a lot of traffic, as people like to go out onto the deck.

“The problem is we can’t decide what furniture to put inside. Is this a reading room or a lounge area? There are French doors leading in, but nothing covering the glass. It is like a semi-private room. Do we go ahead and turn it into a guest bedroom? What about a home-office? We have otherwise been using one of the upstairs bedrooms for that purpose.”

3. Taking pictures to make others jealous

“My wife has been buying decorations lately. She is arranging them in the dining room and the living room. I asked what the purpose was and she said it relates to the upcoming holiday. The problem is we don’t have many people around with whom to celebrate. It will be just us.

“She responded that the ultimate purpose is to take great pictures of the event. I don’t really care about something like that, but she said the only reason people take such pictures is to make their friends and family jealous. Share the pictures online and hopefully draw attention. I don’t understand the logic here, but I’d rather not disagree and cause myself even more trouble.”

4. Working hard to accumulate wealth

“I don’t know what the advice is in the present period of time, but it used to be that you needed to change jobs every three years. This was for the purpose of advancement. With each shift you would earn more money. A better title, too.

“It makes sense, if you think about it. If you are stuck in one place, what impetus does anyone have to promote you. You have already proven that you are willing to settle. At least if you keep moving around, a company realizes that they need to up their game in order to keep you interested, to make sure you don’t jump ship for another place.”

…

This is just a sampling of interest in what would fall into the asat category in terms of the science of self-realization. It is not that the issues are unimportant or trivial. Furniture can impact overall mood. In this world where survival is so difficult, why not chase after a higher salary?

The idea is that the primary interest should never be on the temporary. Otherwise, it is easy to fall into the trap. There are enough bits and pieces of information and discovery in this vast universe to occupy many lifetimes’ worth of attention.

Yet only in the human birth do we have the opportunity for transcendence. That is to say we can make a conscious decision to renounce the temporary and desperately seek and maintain the permanent. If we don’t want a bigger house, we don’t have to buy one. If we are fine with where we work, we can choose to stay there.

All the while, the primary motivation, what gets us out of bed each morning, is connecting with the Almighty. He is the original sat, or eternal, and we are sparks of that one eternal. We are sat in our foundation, but due to illusion we mistakenly take the asat to be permanent.

Goswami Tulsidas advises to simply repeat the holy name of the Lord. This will fix the many past births, that were otherwise spoiled. We know that to be true due to the present birth. We failed to reach perfection, so we go to try again.

Chant the holy names and renounce bad association. Stay with the eternal, work to bring others into the eternal engagement, and always maintain a safe distance in interest from that which is temporary. The transformation can then take place instantly, if we are fortunate. A single utterance of the holy names can make a world of difference: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

The many interests to divert,
To temporary focus to revert.

But entire lifetime spent,
Away the focus went.

Better the holy names to say,
And far from asat to stay.

Then even past births corrected,
Consciousness properly directed.