I Am Doubtful That Chanting Is Enough

“For self-realization, the people in Satya-yuga, living a lifetime of a hundred thousand years, were able to perform prolonged meditation. And in Treta-yuga, when the duration of life was ten thousand years, self-realization was attained by performance of great sacrifice. And in the Dvapara-yuga, when the duration of life was one thousand years, self-realization was attained by worship of the Lord. But in the Kali-yuga, the maximum duration of life being one hundred years only and that combined with various difficulties, the recommended process of self-realization is that of hearing and chanting of the holy name, fame, and pastimes of the Lord.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.1.21 Purport)

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Friend1: How can chanting be enough?

Friend2: Enough for what?

Friend1: You know what I mean. Liberation from the cycle of birth and death. In the first age of the creation, in terms of population of the creatures, austerity was enough. People could meditate for a long time.

Friend2: The average duration of life was extended, by comparison, also. Today we think it remarkable that someone has reached the century mark, but in Satya Yuga you were just getting started at that point.

Friend1: In the second age, known oddly enough as Treta, you had the ability to conduct elaborate yajnas. These are religious sacrifices.

Friend2: Think of it in terms of a grand scale. Not simply the corner of a tiny room in the house. Not using only a spare bedroom to set up an altar that you visit a few times a day.

Friend1: Where we light incense and offer some prayers. That is actually doing a lot in modern times.

Friend2: You are a special person if you even approach the Almighty. Anyway, in Treta-yuga these yajnas were so amazing that the quantity of ghee poured into the fires would be astonishing, by today’s standard.

Friend1: In Dvapara-yuga, the next age, you have elaborate deity worship. Archanam, in Sanskrit.

Friend2: The temple is everything within that configuration. It is the center of the universe. A way to visit God, while otherwise estranged from Him, due to lack of understanding.

Friend1: Because He is always close by, within the heart.

ईश्वरः सर्व-भूतानां
हृद्-देशे ऽर्जुन तिष्ठति
भ्रामयन् सर्व-भूतानि
यन्त्रारूढानि मायया

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
hṛd-deśe ‘rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.61)

Friend2: Today, many of the temples are dilapidated. They are barely hanging on. A few worship ceremonies a day and that’s it. No one receives an education while visiting.

Friend1: That is provided they are even allowed to enter. In the present age, you have harinama. Simply say the name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the preferred method.

Friend2: The acharyas explain that any of the methods is equally as effective in any of the ages, but that certain time periods warrant exclusive preference. This is because of the general conditions of the world.

Friend1: Adherence to dharma. If we considered allegiance to religious principles as a table with four legs, in Kali-yuga dharma is left standing on only one leg.

Friend2: That is why harinama is everything. I believe that was your original question.

Friend1: It seems too easy to me; that is all I am saying. I feel like I should be doing more. I hear and repeat the holy names in various ways throughout the day. I listen to recorded songs, i.e. other people chanting. Then I have my routine in japa, repeating the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Friend2: What is the problem, then?

Friend1: How can that be sufficient? That is my doubt. I feel as though I am distracted throughout the day. Daily life is so difficult that I barely have time to breathe. One person after another, bothering me, pestering me. Everyone wants something. I have no peace.

Friend2: That sounds about right.

Friend1: How am I supposed to remember Krishna? Under so much pressure, it is easy to forget Him.

Friend2: That is why every potency is within the name. Bhagavan understands the difficulty of life in Kali-yuga. He maintains an open-door. He is not restricted for someone because they are living in an inauspicious time. Devotional service, bhakti-yoga, is unmotivated and uninterrupted. The conditions of the material world cannot dictate whether I have the opportunity to succeed in this precious human birth. I will always have a way towards salvation, and thankfully I have come into the knowledge of the holy name and the potency it carries.

In Closing:

With Kali’s conditions tough,
Harinama vow enough.

Chanting creating sound,
In which all potency found.

So that near to Him still,
Days with devotion to fill.

Seeming simplistic as such,
But in the process trust.

Five Ways To Help People

“For one who explains the supreme secret to the devotees, devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.68)

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य इदं परमं गुह्यं
मद्-भक्तेष्व् अभिधास्यति
भक्तिं मयि परां कृत्वा
माम् एवैष्यत्य् असंशयः

ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ
mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati
bhaktiṁ mayi parāṁ kṛtvā
mām evaiṣyaty asaṁśayaḥ

Like sitting in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, everyone hopes to eventually pass through the doors and meet with someone else. Though in the office setting the wait time might reach a maximum of a few hours, with the entirety of life the stay within the present body lasts one hundred years, if you are lucky.

Even still, that body is always changing. From boyhood to youth to old age - constant change. Snapshot images capture the physical appearance of the body at a moment in time, but know that it is always changing. This is why people require haircuts on a frequent basis. More infrequent are changes to lifestyle due to certain milestones in age being reached.

In supposing that we were to last one hundred years in the great waiting room, there has to be a way to pass the time. Someone who acknowledges impending and inevitable death instead of ignoring it might decide to help others. They take it as their mission to make a positive difference, so that they can look back on the life concluded and not have regrets.

1. Educate them

“I would not be where I am today without someone teaching me. I have heard the stories of people in small towns attending a single school their entire lives. There was one teacher who instructed all of the students, regardless of age.

“Some people learn at home. The mother or father instructs them. Perhaps the older siblings get called to duty. Regardless of who it is or how many there are, the instructors are amazing. To me, they are doing God’s work. They assume a role of authority in order to help others. Teaching is the noblest profession out there.”

2. Feed them

“We have so much food in this part of the world that people casually toss aside the excess. The regular garbage collection in the neighborhood features enough food to feed entire populations in different parts of the world.

“Those people are not so lucky. Perhaps they have a tyrannical government, whose first priority was to eliminate the wealthy from society. Now there is no incentive to produce, thereby leading to scarcity in goods and services. The leaders have plenty for themselves, but the common man is begging and starving.

“In this way, to feed those who are in need is noble. I do not think anyone would object to this kind of behavior. Though we are all destined to die, there is no harm in keeping others alive, in maintaining their good health. Let them live a full and happy life, albeit a temporary one, just as it is for the rest of us.”

3. Heal them

“I have earned so much money as a doctor. I came to this country specifically to practice this profession. In this part of the world doctors get paid very well. They are respected in society. Maybe that is changing with the times, as today the medical community is driven more by politics than proper treatment and honest dealings with patients.

“I remember where I came from. It was a humble beginning. The people do not have much, but they are good. They are religious in nature and they are not duplicitous. They perhaps lack the resources to pay for top of the line medical treatment, so I will do my best. I plan on setting up a free clinic in my hometown. I will not charge anyone. I will do my best to heal the sick, to uplift the community that means so much to me.”

4. Entertain them

“These people are in a war zone. They face imminent death on a daily basis. They are neither elderly nor infirmed. They are quite young, and many have families back home. They have decided to make the ultimate sacrifice in defending the country from foreign attack.

“The least I can do for them is entertain. Everyone needs that in life. You can’t be working from morning until night. You need a way to relax, and I am glad there are people willing to fulfill that role. I will always be mindful of the diversity of the audience, how not everyone is of the same political persuasion or income level. I am here to entertain specifically, not to talk down to the audience or accuse them of horrible behavior without knowing any of them individually.”

5. Enlighten them

The number will eventually get called for every person in the waiting room, but what happens on the other side? Who exactly is the meeting with? To where does a person go after death? Why did they take birth in the first place? Who controls the entire system? Is there anyone in charge, at the helm observing and overseeing?

Bhagavad-gita gives a brief explanation, but one that is complete at the same time. This information is intended for every person who takes birth. Not until there is the second birth with the association of the spiritual master does the official knowledge transfer take place, but everyone who is born has the right to access such information.

Those who pass it on are very dear to the origin of the knowledge. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the best well-wishing friend of every living entity. In terms of merciful affection, He does not distinguish between high or low, man or woman, or even human and non-human.

भोक्तारं यज्ञ-तपसां
सर्व-लोक-महेश्वरम्
सुहृदं सर्व-भूतानां
ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिम् ऋच्छति

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.29)

A valuable way I can spend my time in this birth is to hear the teachings and assimilate the culture whereby I can always remain connected to Krishna in consciousness. If I pass on the wisdom to others, to those who are willing to hear, then I have helped another life. That can create a chain effect, whereby countless souls are liberated from the cycle of birth and death through the association of the one whose names are many and full of potency: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

In large waiting room sitting,
Forced eventually quitting.

This life to which grew fond,
So how best to dwell upon?

Perhaps a helping hand giving,
Treatment to turn ill into living.

But to pass on Gita wisdom the best,
One shining moon to brighten the rest.

Five Regrettable Periods From My Past That I Now Celebrate

“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 ||

Hearing the promise from Goswami Tulsidas, it almost seems too good to be true. I just have to do two things and not only will I be happy right now, but so many past lives get purified? That does not make a lot of sense, although I am intrigued.

People always tell me that you cannot return to the past. What is gone is gone. No turning back. At the recent death of a family member, we started looking through old photo albums. I found many pictures of my childhood, to which I look back fondly. It was a simpler time, and everyone was happy in the home that we lived.

Yet the person who just departed was a primary component of that life. This means that we physically can never return to that situation; a member is missing. They will never be here again. They have moved on to the spiritual world. They have left the body behind. Therefore, this idea of correcting past lives is a little difficult to accept.

When we have such doubts, we can review a few regrettable time periods from our own life. These are mini-births, in a sense. We were of the same identity, but in a different kind of body. We know for a fact that the experiences took place, because we remember them. Due to the advice of Tulsidas, we now have a favorable opinion of those experiences, but for an entirely different reason than one might suspect.

1. Those nights of drinking

“We had nothing better to do. Seriously, we were bored. It was a kind of staging period. Nearing the end of our college years, coasting through the end of the final semester, we were simply waiting to graduate. We knew that we would each go our separate ways, likely to never have the same closeness again.

“We decided to pass the time by drinking. Night after night. I am not sure if we were alcoholics, but we consumed way more than we should have. It was an obvious manifestation of depression. There were temporary thrills followed by deep regret in the morning. Our health was deteriorating, as well

“I now look back to that time fondly. It is because I know that was not a sustainable way of life. It takes many people an entire lifetime to realize the same, but I learned much more quickly. That period of time was vital to my subsequent enlightenment, though I am obviously still learning.”

2. Those years of playing sports

“This occurred in adult life, after establishing a career. There comes a time when you seek more. Going to work and coming home gets boring after you do it for many years in a row. Especially if you are at the same job, you start to go crazy.

“I could not decide what ‘more’ I needed, so I tried different things. For a while, I played in various recreational sports leagues. These were on the weeknights, with other adults. I must say, it was a terrible experience. For starters, I did not care much for the competitive aspect. It was more fun playing the same games in a leisurely environment with my friends.

“As soon as I gave up on these leagues, I was much happier. You could say I wasted my time in those years, but I look back on them fondly, now. I learned exactly what I did not want. Knowledge is power.”

3. Those endless hours of television viewing

“It is the most reliable friend, if you think about it. If your buddy just got married and no longer has time for you, no problem. If it is snowing outside and you can’t go anywhere, at least you have a fallback. Feeling bored on a Friday night and want to relax for the weekend? Make it a goal to finish an entire season of a television show.

“I did this a lot during my youth, and I must say that it never brought me any sort of meaningful happiness. It was just a way to pass the time. I found that I was much more depressed, after the fact. This was important to go through, as I later learned the power of hearing and connecting to others through books. I found the right kind of books, too, and I have never looked back.”

4. Those road-trips to nowhere

“At least it was something to look forward to. Plan a trip for the weekend. Mark out a block of time months in advance in order to get a change of scenery. I travelled so much that I accumulated loyalty reward points with the airlines. I was getting free flights, left and right.

“Those trips are much more infrequent nowadays. Not that changing scenery is not good for you, but I am more satisfied in the self. I found something that feels like an adventure every day. Something new and exciting, though connected to a single person.”

5. That sole focus on earning money

“I must say, that got boring really fast. It was almost like a game. Pick up a side job. Look for a way to earn passive income. Change jobs every three years. Move from company to company. Climb the ladder of success.

“One day I realized that even if I had all the money in the world, I had nothing to do with it. I could not eat it for satisfaction. I could not even tell my friends, as they would surely become envious. What good was it doing me? I understand that we need money to live, but it should never become the sole focus.”

…

The past births I spoiled become glorious when they lead me to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The same applies for the different time periods I regret within this lifetime. If I am fortunate to find the holy name of Rama and today renounce bad association, then everything has ended well.

I am no longer stuck in the past. I have a vibrant, exciting, and bright future to look forward to. I can always be by the side of the one who is worshiped by Hanuman, who is served in devotion by Sita Devi, who is protected by Lakshmana, and who is glorified by Valmiki and Tulsidas.

In Closing:

Focused on money to earn,
Or on which road to turn.

Maybe in sport playing,
Or what television displaying.

Time in various ways spent,
The past quickly it went.

But all for good since today I’ve found,
To Sita-Rama eternally bound.

Is There A Way To Correct The Past

“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 ||

“In a recent reminiscing session, where the family reviewed old photo albums, I was struck by one particular thing. I saw many pictures of myself where I could not remember the scene. Now granted, the pictures are from decades ago, some from when I was very young.

“In other pictures, I was visibly unhappy. I remember the particular period of time in my life, and I am glad to be done with it. I do not look back at those moments fondly. Rather, today I am in much better shape. I feel as if everything occurring right now matters; forget the past.

“Yet those pictures represent moments in time. None of us thought back then that we were living in something outdated. We did not think that the picture we just took would look faded and strange years later. Rather, the present was everything, as it is now.

“While it seems as if I am rambling incoherently in vain search of a meaningful thought, what I am getting at is that we waste so much time in this human existence. We have years and years which we wish we could have over. Take a mulligan. Get a do-over.

“The problem is that no one can recapture the past. It is impossible to move back in time. What can be done to alleviate the heartache over missed opportunities? How do we correct regrets we may have? Is there even a way?”

Not surprisingly, all roads lead to the Almighty. For pressing issues such as these, He has an answer. We may not understand the solution provided, but the shortcoming is due to our ignorance and lack of assimilation within the Divine culture itself. Even that ignorance can be corrected, as time goes by.

Goswami Tulsidas says that everything from the past can be corrected immediately. We don’t have to wait until tomorrow. We don’t have to rely solely on a promise of a better life, one that we cannot experience until after this one is over.

That curtain is closed at the moment, and there is no peaking allowed. The general idea of religion is that it involves another world as the destination. The place of origination is our current predicament. This lifetime. This body. This existence, from birth until death.

We look to God for answers, and we typically hear of a better life in heaven. Be good today so that tomorrow will be better. Think about the long-term impact, paramartha, in the way of eternal living, as the current time period is but a blip on the vast timeline of creation.

The promise from Tulsidas is that we can correct the problems of the past today; right now. Simply chant the holy name of Rama and renounce bad association. This is a rather simple and straightforward formula that any person can implement. It does not require an advanced degree nor admission into a prestigious university.

We do not require tons of money to begin the rehabilitation. The people around us may be unfavorable, pratikula, to the path. Even they won’t be able to stop us, as we can simply ignore their influence. Maintain a respectable attitude, exchange pleasantries, but not become affected by their actions that they themselves will one day regret.

I can chant the name of Rama in the morning, soon after waking up. I can hear the name in the car while driving to work. I can do so later on in the day, as well. The more I chant this name, the further I will approach the person who it represents.

The more I know of Him, the more I appreciate Him. I begin to understand His causeless and endless mercy. I realize why exalted personalities like Shri Hanuman and Mahadeva are solely devoted to Him, who is the husband of Sita Devi, the goddess of fortune. Soon enough, these people are my main association. I develop an allegiance to them that can never be broken, and the many regrettable incidents from the past become glorified and sacred, as they led me to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.

In Closing:

Past mistakes glorified,
Since today purified.

By association I’ve found,
Approaching through sound.

Tulsidas formula accepting,
And the unwanted rejecting.

So that Sita and Rama always here,
To their associates feeling near.

What Else Are People Supposed To Do

“Day after day countless living entities in this world go to the kingdom of death. Still, those who remain aspire for a permanent situation here. What could be more amazing than this?” (Maharaja Yudhishthira speaking to Yamaraja, Mahabharata, Vana-parva, 313.116)

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अहन्य् अहनि भूतानि
गच्छन्तीह यमालयम्
शेषाः स्थावरम् इच्छन्ति
किम् आश्चर्यम् अतः परम्

ahany ahani bhūtāni
gacchantīha yamālayam
śeṣāḥ sthāvaram icchanti
kim āścaryam ataḥ param

“When looking back on the life of someone recently departed, I notice that so much of the time involved survival. In youth, they were busy learning. Advancing through the grades in school, hoping for a bright future. Admission into a good college, followed by a rewarding career. This is the basic success track, the foundation for starting a family and so forth.

“At least that is how it is in the modern day. In the past, people would get married first. They didn’t have time to think about advancement, which was not guaranteed. You had people supporting a family of six and more on a basic job. Less amenities, but also less requirements to maintain a simple living.

“If so much time is spent on survival, and we know that survival is not guaranteed, isn’t everything a waste of time? I know that Maharaja Yudhishthira mentions how he thinks the most amazing thing is people trying to find a permanent situation in a world where they have visibly witnessed the departure of people coming before them.

“At the same time, what else are people supposed to do? They are living right now. They are in the moment. Are they supposed to sit around and wait until the end? Should they spend their days in the depths of depression, knowing that everyone around them will soon be gone forever? I don’t see any alternative to at least trying to make the short stay in this world worthwhile.”

Despite being temporary and destined for destruction, shastra tags the human birth as most auspicious. That means I have the greatest benefit in being born a human, with its accompanying abilities to think rationally, to reason, to contemplate the future, to have a say in the final outcome. The advanced potential for intelligence is not a curse.

Rather, to be born as something like a Rakshasa is inauspicious. A form where you only concentrate on sense gratification, on living in the moment, on enjoying eating, sleeping, and mating – that is terribly harmful in the long-term.

This is because everything will end. The sole focus on sense gratification will have meant nothing once the departure takes place. Whether I ate an entire pizza pie for dinner last week or I survived on a juice diet will not matter once the body is left behind. The body is not me; it is not who I am.

नात्य्-अश्नतस् ऽतु योगो ऽस्ति
न चैकान्तम् अनश्नतः
न चाति-स्वप्न-शीलस्य
जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन

nāty-aśnatas ‘tu yogo ‘sti
na caikāntam anaśnataḥ
na cāti-svapna-śīlasya
jāgrato naiva cārjuna

“There is no possibility of one's becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much, or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.16)

Shri Krishna explains that the transcendentalist places limits on eating and sleeping. They don’t go in either extreme. They are satisfied with sleeping as much as is required to stay alert throughout the day. They eat as much as necessary to keep body and soul together, albeit temporarily.

The routine maintenance, the activities which bear resemblance to interest in the permanent, should accompany genuine spiritual life. The chance for spiritual life is the real boon of the human birth. I can ask the difficult questions. I can study the past. I can accept input from those who have come before me. I can pass on the same wisdom to future generations.

For the life lived in dharma, every moment from the recently concluded lifetime is worthwhile. Those years in school helped to form a foundation of education necessary for assimilating the culture of sanatana-dharma. That house I worked so hard to build was used to worship the Almighty on a daily basis, in a routine that gathered numerical strength.

Those relationships I formed helped me to see the amazing animating spark inside of every living being. Others helped to further strengthen my resolve along the path of righteousness. If it wasn’t for the strong criticism and bitter experiences, akin to the fire to warn the hand against danger, I may never have found the correct path in life.

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 ||

“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)

While we cannot revisit the past and change events that already occurred, Goswami Tulsidas explains that we can correct the mistakes we have made. Everything washes away in an instant, if we stay attached to the holy name of the Lord and renounce bad association. Whatever I did to help find and sustain that connection in consciousness was worthwhile and also worth celebrating from the concluded life: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

When a spiritual consciousness demonstrating,
Then just concluded life worth celebrating.

Successful the now departed,
Used potential from which started.

For the Supreme Lord to find,
And to always keep in mind.

Even past mistakes now corrected,
Since towards Vaikuntha directed.

Don't We Need Miracles To Strengthen Our Faith

“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)

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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

Friend1: I think the hardest sell for spiritual life, in general, is the lack of perception outside of the bounds of ordinary life.

Friend2: What do you mean by “ordinary life”?

Friend1: From birth to death. From the time we start having memories until the time nature forces us to leave this world.

Friend2: Okay, but you do realize that there are a few years of perception of which we have no memory?

Friend1: Yes, I acknowledge that. Especially the time in the womb, we have to take it on faith. Today, sometimes people record the birth process on video. That is sufficient evidence of the event occurring.

Friend2: Right, but still no direct perception. Actually, you perceived everything but don’t remember any of it. The video recording could be faked. The parents could be lying to you. Maybe you just magically appeared to them one day.

Friend1: I get it that you are being cute, so let’s keep it simple. After someone dies, we have no way of talking to them. There is no phone number to dial. We can try to shake the dead body, but there will not be a response. That person has departed.

Friend2: For another life. Like taking off clothes and putting on new ones. The soul never dies. When we see birth, we should understand that a soul previously departed has entered the stage again.

Friend1: There is no visual or audio confirmation of that truth, though. I am not saying I doubt it, but wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to make contact? Wouldn’t that strengthen the faith of the followers?

Friend2: Some advanced yogis are able to do just that. They can tap into another world and find out where the soul has gone. Sometimes the departed appears to a loved one or disciple in a dream. They speak directly.

Friend1: Okay, that is what I am thinking. Why can’t that happen for everyone?

Friend2: What would you gain from the meeting? The departed is still gone. You cannot bring them back to life, as you knew them.

Friend1: It would confirm my religious practices. I would know that I am on the right track.

Friend2: I just explained that some people are able to do what you are asking. Why is that not enough?

Friend1: I am not sure I am describing the dilemma properly. For instance, Arjuna saw the virata-rupa directly. Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, showed it to Him.

Friend2: That was part of their conversation that became known as Bhagavad-gita.

Friend1: If I saw something like that, I would rest easier. It would be an indication that I am not relying on a hope and a prayer.

Friend2: You want some type of miracle to occur in life, something out of the ordinary, to strengthen your dedication.

Friend1: Exactly. I’ll take anything. Even a voice from the sky speaking to me, such as with Kamsa.

Friend2: You are overlooking something important here.

Friend1: What is that?

Friend2: If these miracles, as we will describe them, already occurred for other people, what is the difference?

Friend1: I’m not sure I understand.

Friend2: If my mom hears from the Supreme Lord in a dream and then later tells me about it, isn’t that sufficient? That is one of the miracles you are asking about. Well, these have occurred countless times throughout history.

Friend1: That would strengthen the faith of the person directly affected, but not necessarily me.

Friend2: It should, though. Arjuna saw the virata-rupa. His interaction is recorded in history. When you access that information, the authority of the parampara gives weight to the message. You can take it on faith. The same with the basic principles passed down by the acharyas. They had the faith you are looking for, and they had firm belief, as well. With the hearing process, someone else’s experience is good enough to be my own, in the sense of capturing evidence.

In Closing:

Someone else to see,
That real is He.

Virata-rupa further where,
Evidence of everything there.

Why myself then to doubt?
With proof not left without.

From authority of others taking,
Understood that Vedas not faking.

Can You Explain The Doctor Frog Comparison

“Akshaja means ‘the measurement of our senses,’ and adhokshaja means ‘that which is beyond the measurement of our senses.’” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.19.25 Purport)

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“I often hear His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada make a passing reference to Dr. Frog. Something about being stuck in a well and trying to understand the Pacific Ocean. Could you elaborate on that comparison? I don’t think I am understanding completely, though that may be my fault more than anything.”

The premise is the attempt to understand the Almighty through the scientific method. Also known as the ascending process of knowledge gathering, the idea is to pile one conclusion on top of another. Sort of like a game of stacking blocks, this tower of knowledge would be so high as to reach the sky and beyond.

One of the reasons for the attempt is the success in other areas. As an example, in the 18^th century certain people began with the conclusion that lightning is the same as electricity. They then conducted experiments to try to prove the hypothesis. Once they were certain of the truth, they then used that for further research of this amazing aspect of nature. The concept of a battery and opposing charges have their origin in the lightning theory.

If we take the bulk of recorded science thus far and maybe add to it in the future, there is the chance to one day understand the entire universe and more. This is one way of viewing God, though the scientist may not acknowledge the equivalence. Bhagavad-gita has the vision of the virata-rupa shown to Arjuna, the trusted disciple to Shri Krishna, who was the guru in that instance.

तत्रैक-स्थं जगत् कृत्स्नं
प्रविभक्तम् अनेकधा
अपश्यद् देव-देवस्य
शरीरे पाण्डवस् तदा

tatraika-sthaṁ jagat kṛtsnaṁ
pravibhaktam anekadhā
apaśyad deva-devasya
śarīre pāṇḍavas tadā

“At that time Arjuna could see in the universal form of the Lord the unlimited expansions of the universe situated in one place although divided into many, many thousands.” (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.13)

On the other side, the wise person compares this ascending process of knowledge gathering to Dr. Frog in the well. The story is that this frog has been stuck in a well his entire life. He knows nothing else but the close surroundings. A stranger one day approaches him and tries to explain the size of a large ocean, such as the Pacific or Atlantic.

The frog can only think in terms of the well. Is this ocean double the size of the well? Triple? Just exactly how big is this ocean of which the foreigner speaks? In reality, using the well as a unit of measure is ridiculous in trying to understand the size of the ocean.

In the same way, we all have a Dr. Frog-like experience in the manifest world. That which we have seen with our eyes is nothing. Even if you add in satellite imagery from outer space and the observations of others throughout the history of man, the sum collection of knowledge is like a drop of water in a bucket.

There is a name for the Almighty which references this predicament. He is known as Adhokshaja. He is beyond the measurement of blunt instruments. Place God on a scale and there is no accurate way to determine His weight. Look high into the sky and try to measure height, but know that God can expand to the size of the universe and beyond, as proven in the dwarf incarnation of Vamana.

The acharyas recommend against the Dr. Frog method. Hear as much as you can about God from shastra, but carry some humility to the endeavor. Know that we can only understand in a limited way, since God Himself is unlimited. Fortunately, even a little understanding is enough to reach perfection in this auspicious human birth.

Take whatever we acknowledge to be great and realize that God is greater. While one person may be able to defeat an entire attacking army, Bhagavan can singlehandedly repel an approaching force consisting of 14,000 of the best fighters in the world. In the form of a small child He can lift up an entire hill and hold it up with the pinky finger on His left hand.

While we require years of an upbringing in a proper environment or the equivalent in academic training to understand a new language, Shri Krishna can converse with anyone. He hears the prayers offered simultaneously throughout the world, and He is especially fond of those who are devoted to Him, who are not looking to compete but rather to bring pleasure to both Him and others following a similar occupation, which is the highest engagement: sanatana-dharma.

In Closing:

Dr. Frog in well tries,
To determine ocean’s size.

Comparing only by what is known,
Not the entire universe yet shown.

Same with the scientist so,
Despite volumes of journals to grow.

Bhagavan beyond the senses to see,
Unlimited in every opulence is He.