Can Demigod Worship Be Considered Service To A Vaishnava

“Lord Shiva told the goddess Durga, ‘My dear Devi, although the Vedas recommend worship of demigods, the worship of Lord Vishnu is topmost. However, above the worship of Lord Vishnu is the rendering of service to Vaishnavas, who are related to Lord Vishnu.’” (Padma Purana)

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Friend1: Service to Narayana is different.

Friend2: From what?

Friend1: Service to anyone else.

Friend2: And everyone is serving in some capacity.

Friend1: That is the meaning of dharma at the individual level.

Friend2: Yes.

Friend1: Narayana is the source of all naras, or men. That is why service to Him is unique.

Friend2: He is God the person. Vishnu is another name. Krishna is the same. So is Rama. The idea is that you’re going to the source, not wasting time in other paths, which bring only temporary benefits.

Friend1: I’ve heard it said that there is something superior to service to Narayana.

Friend2: You have? Who said it?

Friend1: Lord Shiva.

Friend2: I know where you are going with this.

Friend1: That service to the devotee of Narayana is even better.

Friend2: Yes.

Friend1: Is that true?

Friend2: Mahadeva doesn’t lie.

Friend1: Isn’t that convenient, though?

Friend2: How so?

Friend1: A person claims to be a servant of Narayana. They relay this quote from Lord Shiva. That is a convenient way to get others to serve them. “Look at me. I am directly engaged in the service of God. If you serve me then you will be engaged in the highest work there is.”

Friend2: There is always the possibility of being cheated by cheaters. The genuine servant never thinks this way of their service. They always think that others are serving better. It is usually someone else, like a disciple, who understands the close relationship the genuine representative has with Narayana.

Friend1: Okay, I get it. What about the Lord Shiva angle, though?

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: We know that many people worship him. Some of the most famous asuras in history were great devotees of Mahadeva.

Friend2: And asuras are atheists, so how can that be allowed to happen, is what you want to ask?

Friend1: Not even that. Aren’t such people engaged in the highest worship there is. Mahadeva is considered the greatest Vaishnava. These people are serving Mahadeva.

Friend2: I see what you are getting at. The thing is, these people aren’t really serving.

Friend1: How so? They perform worship. They offer the appropriate items. They sit in meditation. They undergo austerity.

Friend2: It is more of a business transaction. They want something from Lord Shiva. Once they get it, they forget about him until the next time they need something.

Friend1: They are not really devotees, then?

Friend2: To some people, but not in truth. You go to the local store as long as they continue to stock the products you want. Once something goes wrong, you’re likely to go somewhere else. The servant of Narayana is not like this. They stay in the bhakti path no matter what. They view bad fortune as a chance to reclaim their thoughts, which may have gone astray. They view good fortune as a blessing to continue in the path with peace of mind.

Friend1: What about other demigods? Ganesha gets first honor in every Vedic ceremony. Parvati is so powerful. Many other demigods are there, too. Are they not servants of Narayana?

Friend2: They are. They are always associated with Him. Still, there are dual functions. In the material world they give out benedictions to worshipers. Like I said before, this isn’t exactly service. It’s more like payment. Service of the Vaishnava is helping them with their mission. The primary mission of the demigods is to glorify Narayana. Anyone helping the demigods do that is engaged in the highest service. The spiritual master is like a demigod on earth, representing God in the human form, spreading His glories to everyone. Service of the bona fide spiritual master pleases Narayana so much. Worshiping a demigod for temporary benefits does not please Him as much. It’s as simple as that.

Friend1: I see. I can imagine people arguing this point endlessly.

Friend2: Of course. “How can you say that my god is lesser than your god.” Obviously, that’s not what we are saying. It’s a giant family in the spiritual kingdom. If worship of the devas were superior then folks like Hiranyakashipu and Ravana wouldn’t have met undesirable ends. They would have been lauded for their service.

In Closing:

Teaching to goddess wife delivered,

That highest worship considered.

When to servant of Vishnu directed,

Not like business where something expected.

Since Shiva as greatest Vaishnava known,

What about worship from asuras shown?

Not service in real, since interests competing,

Why God as time their influence defeating.

Four Ways To Put A Positive Spin On Atheism

“Hiranyakashipu murmured to himself, ‘Lord Vishnu, who possesses great mystic power, has made this plan to kill me, but what is the use of such an attempt? Who can fight with me?’ Thinking like this and taking up his club, Hiranyakashipu attacked the Lord like an elephant.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.8.23)

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In this hypothetical situation you are a true believer. You are wholly dedicated to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan as He is described in Vedic literature, which provides the most complete information about the Divine. It is impossible to close the book forever on God, since with the infinite continuation of time His glories increase more and more. The Vedas can be considered something like the complete dictionary to the pocket dictionaries that are other spiritual traditions.

You love Bhagavan and serve Him on a regular basis. To the outsider the practice goes by the name “bhakti-yoga,” which is devotional service. To you there is no forced procedure or end-goal. Love and devotion to God is your way of life. You can’t live without it, just as a fish can’t survive when taken out of water.

“O Rama, You should know that just as fish cannot survive when taken out of water, neither Sita nor I can live without You for even a moment.” (Lakshmana speaking to Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 53.31)

The problem here is that your child has developed into an atheist. For years they weren’t much impressed by your devotional activities. Now that they have matured a little, they have decided that God doesn’t exist. Everything came from nothing and will go back to nothing, is what they tell you.

It feels as if someone has dealt a stiff blow to the stomach. You want everyone, including close family members, to worship Bhagavan with the same devotion. In fact, you hope that they surpass your level, since you know that will please the Almighty even more.

What to do? Based on Vedic teachings, there are ways to put a positive spin on the situation. There are signs of God’s amazing potency in all aspects of life, including flawed philosophies.

1. Atheists just don’t know what to call the origin

The closest matching word for atheist in Sanskrit is asura. This is a negation of the word that describes a person with good qualities, whose goodness is based on their belief in God. The sura may not be perfect at practicing. They may make terrible mistakes from time to time, but at the core they are not against the Almighty.

Studying with an optimistic eye, we know that the asura still believes in an origin. They don’t assume that the past doesn’t exist. Only a person who has completely lost their mind would claim that. The past can be as recent as two seconds ago. No one would claim that two seconds ago didn’t happen.

In this respect the asuras just don’t know what to call the origin. There is something from which everything has come. It must be intelligent, as well, for we know that smartphones don’t get produced through random explosions. Nature, a single cell, nothing- whatever the origin of choice for the atheist, they are just unclear on who God is.

2. Atheism is a negative response to the temporary nature of the world

Temporary and miserable. Shri Krishna uses these terms to describe a material existence. Temporary in that everything must be destroyed at some point. Miserable because who wants to see things destroyed, being totally helpless in the process.

Atheism is a kind of response to the ways of the world. Bad things happen to good people. Everyone dies eventually. There is so much misery experienced. This must mean that there is no God.

This mindset is positive in the sense that it proves the amazing potency of the illusion that is maya. Ignorance is intentional in a material existence, and it is facilitated by God Himself. He is the source of both intelligence and forgetfulness.

“I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.15)

The story goes that the souls populating the material world were originally with Bhagavan in the spiritual world. They made a chance choice to opt for enjoying without Him, which led to the fall to the land of birth and death. Reincarnation is fueled by forgetfulness, for which Krishna kindly obliges.

3. Atheism can be corrected with intelligence, authority and experience

Time continues to operate. It is not that whatever we see now will remain forever. There was a time when I didn’t know how to walk. I didn’t know how to read. At that point someone could have cursed my existence. “The poor child will never learn. They are doomed. They will struggle in life.”

Atheism can be corrected with proper education and training. That is the whole point to the human birth, in fact. Athato brahma-jijnasa is for the human being. “Now is the time for inquiring about Brahman, the spiritual energy.” Atheism focuses on maya, or the inhibiting material nature. Brahman is above birth and death and other dichotomies.

If the person in ignorance has the good fortune of meeting a bona fide teacher of the spiritual science, things can change rather quickly. Intelligence is reawakened, and further sharpening occurs through the experience in practicing spiritual life. This is the path the saints have travelled; they never become enlightened by a sudden touch or random occurrence. There is always some training involved, and the atheists have yet to meet the right teacher or actively take part in the culture that will do them the most good.

4. Some of the greatest atheists praised God with their antagonism

If the atheism is taken to the extreme, where there is constant focus in negativity on Bhagavan, then it is a kind of Krishna consciousness. Well-known and powerful atheists like Ravana and Hiranyakashipu actually gave Bhagavan the highest praise with their antagonism. They reached the heights of material living and showed to everyone that there was neither peace nor happiness as a result. Meanwhile, people much worse off in terms of material capacity were able to bring them down, without any malice.

The mere fact that a person can think that they might live forever or remain in a position of power in perpetuity pays the highest compliment to the illusory energy that is originally sourced in Shri Krishna. In other words, God’s intelligence is so great that He can fool otherwise intelligent beings into thinking the silliest things. They praise His abilities with their ignorance, and with the time factor there is always the chance to turn in the proper direction, even if it takes many lifetimes.

In Closing:

Question of death not even raising,

Bhagavan through this way praising.

Hiranyakashipu and other atheists like,

Brought down even with terrible might.

For close ones and others a positive spin,

That not yet meeting with guru to win.

Always the chance with movement of time,

That enlightenment one day to shine.

Letting Me Win Every Day

“He who is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady both in success and failure, is never entangled, although performing actions.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.22)

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Friend1: Material life is difficult; there is no doubt about it.

Friend2: Some people get a rush from the struggle. If they are not in the game, so to speak, they don’t know what to do.

Friend1: Sure, but there is still pressure. Nothing is ever settled. Even if you find the home of your dreams, there is constant concern over maintenance. You could lose your job at any moment. Illness can strike.

Friend2: Yes, I agree with your overall assessment.

Friend1: Here is the issue to discuss. I know that sometimes followers of bhakti-yoga get criticized for taking the easy way out.

Friend2: Easy? After many births and deaths does a person take a true interest in spiritual life. The easy way is to follow the pack; do as everyone else is doing.

“Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.3)

Friend1: You and I both know that, but to others the easy way out is to disengage. Don’t gamble. Don’t eat meat. Don’t drink. Spend the entire day chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Friend2: Indeed, the process looks easy. Just be devoted to God the person. Show it for real. Then everything will be okay. But just see how difficult the decision is to make. If it were so easy, everyone would be following.

Friend1: What about that Teddy Roosevelt quote, though?

Friend2: Which one?

Friend1: The one about how it is the man in the arena who counts. They get dust on their face. It is not the person on the sidelines, the critic, who counts. They are cold and timid souls, who know neither victory nor defeat.

Friend2: That is a good quote, but it’s applicable to the devotees entirely. Like I said, the easy way out is to go for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. The animals follow this route without conscious thought. They don’t deliberate. That’s why it’s called animal instincts.

Friend1: Okay, but let’s say you have a fulltime devotee. Perhaps someone who is living in the temple.

Friend2: Consciousness is what matters. You don’t have to belong to a specific institution to be engaged in service of Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Friend1: Okay, but I’m going with the example where there isn’t work, employment, what have you. Let’s say this person is in India somewhere, living in a cave. Basically, there is no formal job to go to.

Friend2: Alright.

Friend1: Isn’t that person out of the arena? Aren’t they walking away from victory and loss? Aren’t they one of the timid souls?

Friend2: It totally depends on the mindset. If you are following bhakti-yoga as such simply to escape from the material world, then sure. It is not a winning proposition. Remember, Arjuna had a similar struggle.

Friend1: Ah, that’s right. He wanted to quit the army before the war.

Friend2: And he made up so many excuses as to why that was the righteous choice. It was really escaping responsibility. Krishna urged him to continue forward, to fight while maintaining the devotional spirit.

Friend1: And don’t be concerned with gain or loss. Be steady in both.

Friend2: Exactly. Another thing to consider is that in bhakti-yoga you are a winner every single day. There is no loss or diminution in this path. It protects from the greatest type of fear.

“In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.40)

Friend1: What about the not having a job thing?

Friend2: There is a job. There is work throughout the day. Chanting is work. So is reading and writing, worshiping the deity, preparing prasadam, and so forth. Just telling another person about Krishna consciousness takes so much courage. Such brave souls are rewarded, as they are very dear to Krishna.

In Closing:

To Krishna becoming most dear,

When discussing without fear.

Chanting, cleaning or reading,

Official employment not needing.

Not path of the easy by any stretch,

Otherwise many in that way set.

Winning daily from Krishna’s grace,

Energy again from smiling face.

If Impersonalism Is So Bad Why Is The Option There To Begin With

“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)

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Friend1: Impersonalism. Mayavada. Voidism. Variations of the same theme - I know that they are bad.

Friend2: Why the classification in the negative?

Friend1: A missed opportunity. Not as much enjoyment. The ceiling with that path is brahmananda, or the joy of merging with the impersonal spiritual energy known as Brahman.

Friend2: There is something beyond, something greater?

Friend1: Sharanagati. Full surrender in devotion. Surrender here means service, and service means two distinct individuals, at the least.

Friend2: With impersonalism there aren’t two individuals?

Friend1: Just one; the conditioned soul seeking liberation. Impersonal itself means lacking personality. It is something like appreciating the sunshine without acknowledging the sun.

Friend2: Why do you need another individual, though?

Friend1: That is in the nature of the soul, its dharma.

Friend2: Is impersonalism any different from materialism?

Friend1: Materialism is like worshiping God from behind. Everyone is connected in some way; just the nature of the connection determines the type of living.

Friend2: So even the atheists are enjoying?

Friend1: Temporarily, and with misery mixed in. Brahmananda is not materialism, but it is similar in a sense. It is the negation of material life. Sharanagati is something different entirely. It is above attachment and aversion, love and hate. It has nothing to do with any kind of manifest world. It is going directly to the source and experiencing His association to the fullest.

Friend2: Great explanations today.

Friend1: Alright, here is my question. I understand the negative opinion of impersonalism. I get it. But if it’s so bad, why is it there to begin with? Why present it as an option?

Friend2: You mean in terms of spiritual life? Like, why is it one of the things taught? Why not just reveal that God is a person and skip the fuss about the Brahman energy?

Friend1: Exactly.

Friend2: Everyone has a choice. You could ask the same questions about material nature itself. Birth and death, old age and disease - why go through these things? Why suffer so much? Don’t even make material life an option.

Friend1: Listen, I understand the purpose of that. There is something called free will. If everyone were forced into bhakti [devotion], then it wouldn’t be true love. It has to be exercised voluntarily.

Friend2: Okay, so you can think of impersonalism as one of the options for life outside of bhakti. There is still variety in material life; that cannot be denied. Not everyone is in the same occupation. Not every person is at the same level of understanding. Impersonalism is like one of the steps. It is very difficult to understand God in truth, as the person He is.

“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)

Friend1: Okay, but does impersonalism help at all? Isn’t it like spiritual suicide, this idea of merging?

Friend2: It doesn’t have to be. Arjuna essentially asks the same question in the Bhagavad-gita. He wants to know which path is better. Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, responds that impersonalism is more difficult, especially for someone who is embodied. The path of personalism is preferred.

Friend1: Right, but He doesn’t discount the first option altogether.

Friend2: No, because every person has their own path to the end. If you can see past the distinction between matter and spirit, that is a significant step forward. Do not downplay that. Brahmananda is still considered liberation. If you think that is it, that there is no God, that Krishna is merely a Brahman-realized soul, then you get into trouble.

Friend1: I see. You can still advance further.

Friend2: For sure. In fact, the brahma-bhuta soul is ideally situated to take up devotional service.

“One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.54)

You could say that the regulative principles practiced even in the beginning stages of bhakti are a way to come to the Brahman platform, as there is a negation of the material consideration which we acquire at the time of birth. Remember, advanced devotees even appreciate their past life in materialism.

Friend1: Why is that?

Friend2: Because it taught them what not to do. It was a bitter experience that they never want to return to. They have found a higher taste, which makes them appreciate having left behind the other options of both spiritual and material life.

In Closing:

Remembering past experience bitter,

And how today consciousness fitter.

Something worthwhile after pain,

Advantage from human birth to gain.

Impersonalism of many paths just one,

Flawed when beyond thinking none.

Because to God the person chance,

Even the liberated to enhance.

I Believe You’re The Devil’s Child

“This boy Prahlada is the killer of my brother, for he has given up his family to engage in the devotional service of the enemy, Lord Vishnu, like a menial servant.” (Hiranyakashipu, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.35)

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Friend1: You ever meet someone whose values are totally out of whack?

Friend2: That’s saying a lot right there. What exactly do you mean?

Friend1: Where it seems like they are on another planet. What is right to you is wrong for them, and vice versa.

Friend2: On important issues or something trivial like how much sleep to get and which stores to patronize?

Friend1: Something as basic as protecting innocent life. Protecting property. Not stealing from other people. They have the values inverted. Do whatever it takes to enjoy the senses.

Friend2: Oh, for sure. That’s what happens when the mode of passion takes control.

Friend1: So you’re saying this isn’t inherited? It’s something caused by interaction with nature?

Friend2: It could be inherited from the parents. Gunas cover the individual at the time of birth, and a lot of times you can predict the kind of material qualities based on the mindset of the parents. It’s not a guarantee, though.

Friend1: Yeah, because the doctor’s son is not assured of becoming a licensed doctor.

Friend2: That is with respect to training, but it extends to the qualifications, as well. You have the case where the father wants the son to play sports, but the son is more interested in science and reading.

Friend1: There you go. Aside from the parents, the mode of passion has other sources?

Friend2: The interaction with nature is enough. A person in the mode of passion is focused on achieving a temporary goal. To that end they come up with their own rules and regulations. These could be contrary to prevailing morals.

Friend1: Like with the thief?

Friend2: There you go. Perfect example. I like to reference the Rakshasas described in Vedic literature. They were also known as nishacharas, which means “night-rangers.” To them, the nighttime was auspicious. Attacking unsuspecting and innocent priests was considered dharma, or righteous. Coming out in the open and behaving in a nonviolent manner was adharma.

Friend1: Interesting.

Friend2: There is the famous case of Hiranyakashipu. He had things so backwards that he thought his son Prahlada was the worst person ever.

Friend1: That really is amazing, considering that Prahlada is the model citizen.

Friend2: Absolutely. Any parent would be blessed to have such a child. It’s the reason why expectant parents to this day try to absorb as much Hari-katha as possible. They hope that the child will emerge from the womb Krishna conscious, which automatically means they possess all good qualities.

Friend1: Because Prahlada heard from Narada Muni while in the womb. He remembered everything at the time of birth.

Friend2: An extraordinary case, but still an attainable goal for anyone. Hiranyakashipu’s values were inverted, so he thought that the spontaneous devotion to Vishnu found in the boy was a very bad sign. He essentially thought Prahlada was the devil’s child.

Friend1: Even though Hiranyakashipu himself was devil-like.

Friend2: Yes, a Daitya by birth and qualities. The king was against real dharma, which is always one. He took God to be the sworn enemy. At least he acknowledged that Vishnu exists, but the attention was in the negative way.

Friend1: And someone in the positive direction was considered a great enemy, even though he was the son.

Friend2: So the king tried to kill Prahlada in so many ways, but good prevailed over evil. One lesson to take is that even people that are close to you can turn into an enemy. If they are against God and see that you are for Him, they will not like it. The inverse doesn’t hold true. Prahlada did not consider the father to be an enemy. The devotees are peaceful and respectful. Hiranyakashipu was something like the devil’s brother, and Prahlada still sought forgiveness for him from Narasimhadeva, the incarnation of Vishnu who finally rid the world of that evil king.

In Closing:

Through lust mind perverted,

Creating values inverted.

As devil saint-like son taking,

Efforts to kill him making.

Hiranyakashipu, feared world around,

By Narasimha finally brought to ground.

Prahlada with no enmity thought,

Forgiveness for evil father sought.

Four Times When I Can See God

“O son of Kunti [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.8)

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You’re on a mini-road trip. It’s not cross-country, but it spans several states. This means that you get a view of different places, from the most urban to the most rural. As you are cruising along the highway, a billboard catches your eye. It says, “After death, you will meet God,” with the word “will” in italics. Then there is a phone number below.

The message is pretty obvious. Be afraid of your actions. Don’t think that you will get away with sin. If you are interested in correcting the situation, contact the people represented by the phone number. There will come a judgment, and you don’t want to risk being punished.

Transitioning to Vedic culture, the concept of judgment carries over, but not necessarily the same meeting with the Divine. There is a god of justice, known as Yamaraja, who gives the judgment as to where the next birth will take place. At the same time, God can be seen in a variety of other situations.

1. The sun rising

You’ve had a tough night in bed. Sleep didn’t come easy. Too much caffeine the day before. You are swearing off that poisonous substance going forward. You can tell just how little you slept by the fact that the sunlight coming through the window surprises you.

It marks the beginning of a new day, and to those with an enhanced perception it is a way to see God. He is the light of the sun. He is the essence of so many objects and people. He is the life of the living, which means that just seeing another person is a way to get a glimpse of God. Many people have this experience when welcoming a new child into the world.

2. Drinking water

With the Divine, the interaction is not limited to sight. This means that we can see God through other senses. The taste of water is an example. Enjoy the cool and refreshing beverage, and immediately become conscious of the author of all things.

3. Death

This is where the billboard requires a slight correction. The atheist goes a long time denying the existence of a higher power. They speculate as to the origin of things, as to what gave intelligence to the amazing creation.

Despite their refusal to acknowledge, at the time of death they must submit. Death is also time, and it is a direct representation of God. It is His feature that devours everything material. Since every person dies, God is seen by everyone.

4. Chanting the holy names

The devotees see Him before death. They get a glimpse of His image through something as simple as sound. That is why they regularly chant the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

This meeting is superior to the concept of judgment day. If you’re going to see God, might as well make it an enjoyable experience. The Sanskrit name Krishna says that God is the most attractive person. A full meeting with the original personality becomes enjoyable when in the proper mood. An adversary doesn’t get the same benefit, and in the end they are forced to acknowledge the person of God through His instrument of death.

God can be seen all around us, even if we lack eyes. There is the power of consciousness, which every living being has. Therefore no one is shut out completely from the Divine mercy. The opportunity is available, making the human birth especially valuable.

In Closing:

Billboard on highway scaring,

How you on judgment day faring?

Said that God to meet at that time,

Repent now or hell’s fire to find.

Better understanding to see Him today,

Taste of water, light of sun for new day.

Chanting holy names more complete too,

Conscious being any of senses through.

Three Benefits Of Pious Activities

“Without pious activities, if a man is in a distressed condition he becomes an agnostic, communist or something like that. Because he does not firmly believe in God, he thinks that he can adjust his distressed condition by totally disbelieving in Him.” (The Nectar Of Devotion, Ch 3)

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“Piety and sin. Why should I bother? What is the need? They are defined in books that are thousands of years old. Man has made tremendous advancements. No longer are people put on trial for not believing in God; at least not in a large portion of the world. Science has helped to debunk so many myths. What benefit is there to pious activities?”

These reservations are only natural, especially when so much work is accomplished without any attention paid to good and bad, pious and impious. There are still benefits to following what is passed on from time immemorial. The Vedic tradition is for increasing knowledge, and one aspect of knowledge is knowing what work should be done.

1. Stay away from harmful activities

In the 1990s the United States government created an initiative called Midnight Basketball. The program was targeted at high crime areas, where drugs and alcohol were a problem. The idea was that if the trouble-prone population was given a more constructive activity to engage in, they would steer clear of crime.

Pious activities have a similar benefit. By engaging in good works for the benefit of others, automatically harmful activities are avoided. Pious activities include performing ritualistic sacrifice, intended for the enjoyment of the enjoyer of sacrifices, Yajneshvara. There is also reading scriptural works and teaching them to others. In Vedic culture there are enough pious activities to keep a person busy from morning until night, from youth to old age.

2. Build up meritorious credits

The Sanskrit word is sukriti. Good things happen as a result. Whenever good fortune comes our way, we should know that it was not by accident. There were some meritorious credits accumulated through past activities. The timespan is not limited to the present lifetime, either. We may have done something good in another life, for which we are now enjoying.

Going forward, there is the reward of life in the heavenly realm. A longer duration of life. Enhanced comforts. Amazing abilities. Be pious in this lifetime and after quitting the body these are some of the enjoyments awaiting.

3. Avoid becoming an atheist

Without pious activities, it is easier to make a grossly foolish and incorrect diagnosis upon a downturn in events. If something doesn’t go my way, I am more prone to discounting the idea of God. After all, if I prayed to save the health of my family member and they ended up dying because of the illness, what good did praying do me?

“And that understanding which cannot distinguish between the religious way of life and the irreligious, between action that should be done and action that should not be done, that imperfect understanding, O son of Pritha, is in the mode of passion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.31)

In this regard pious activities help to put everything into the proper context. Working simply for personal gain, without regard for right and wrong, is in the mode of passion. To meet my objective, I will make up my own set of values, i.e. what should be done and what should not.

Consider the mindset of the thief. For them, the nighttime is auspicious. Lying and sneaking around are pious activities, while telling the truth and respecting the property of others is impious. Since real pious activities are lacking, it is much easier for them to think that there is no God, that they won’t face punishment for the crimes they have thus far gotten away with.

Falling into the mindset of atheism is a great tragedy for the human being, whose increased potential for intelligence is meant specifically for understanding the spiritual nature. The atheist is also a worshiper of God; they know only the rear portion, the shadow version, if you will. The human being is meant to understand God in full, as He is, a distinct personality to whom everyone is connected to some degree, at all times. The proper understanding brings a level of enjoyment not seen elsewhere, and never to be degraded by time and its steady onslaught.

In Closing:

Benefit from following giving,

With pious activities living.

Clear of bad behavior to stay,

Building sukriti along the way.

Atheist mentality not to find,

Steady through good and bad the mind.

Human life especially for Krishna meant,

For reformation to this world sent.