Realize You’re Living In The Golden Years

“In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana, Vishnu tells Shiva that in the age of Kali, men full of anxieties of various kinds can vainly labor in fruitive activity and philosophical speculations, but when they are engaged in devotional service, the result is sure and certain, and there is no loss of energy.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.18.12 Purport)

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People don’t live for one hundred thousand years. They can’t go into the forest and meditate for so long that an anthill forms around them, unbeknownst to them. They can’t perform elaborate religious sacrifices, wherein the quantity of clarified butter offered would fill hundreds of warehouses of today’s large retail chains. People can’t perform deity worship on even an adequate level, where the deity is treated like it has indeed descended from the Vaikuntha realm.

In this age of Kali, dharma is down to one leg. Dharma is the essential characteristic of something, and when you take that one thing that persists throughout time and the various changes to matter, dharma becomes the eternal engagement. The soul is what counts most, and it has an essential characteristic. Through false identifications and ignorance that essential characteristic appears to be lost. Therefore sometimes the Supreme descends Himself to personally help the fallen recover their true identity.

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam

imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ

sa kāleneha mahatā

yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.2)

The essential characteristic of the spirit soul is to serve. The corresponding object of service is the Supreme Spirit. Thus dharma for me and you is service to God. The same dharma is there for the birds, trees, and aquatics as well, but it is not possible for them to follow religious principles. Dharma is also a system of virtue, since it helps to regain and maintain the essential characteristic within.

In the times in which we currently live, dharma stands on only one leg, a wobbly one at that. Evidence of the fact is all around. Who would have ever thought that a person would base their identity on sexual preference? It is like looking in the mirror and declaring that my preference for eating pizza is what defines my existence. The animals follow their instincts for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. They don’t know any better, so they don’t even have a form of identification. Any person who bases their identity off animal instincts is fully under the cloud of ignorance.

How do we return to better times? How do we find the golden years, where everything is good? It obviously can’t be found today, right? There is strife everywhere. In industrialized nations even the average poor person has a house, a car, a mobile telephone and a flat-screen television. Yet the sole focus is on eliminating this kind of poverty. The pursuit is akin to ridding the world of down. Down is a position relative to something else, namely up. Poverty is similarly relative. It is determined by opulence. The only way to eliminate the losers is to get rid of the winners. Even then there is no happiness.

It might be comforting to know that the golden years are right now. When the consciousness gets changed for the better, any situation is like living in the best moment. In ages past the road to self-realization required difficult things like meditation, sacrifice and elaborate deity worship. These things cannot be replicated today, though their effectiveness is the same. The process recommended for the present age known as Kali is the chanting of the holy names.

This chanting is most effective in this age. Therefore we live in a time where a simple sound vibration is so powerful that it restores the three broken legs of dharma. Just by hearing “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare” the lost occupation gets reclaimed. The eternal engagement of sanatana-dharma becomes the way of life.

The person who reinstates the golden age is golden in complexion Himself. He is known as Gauranga. He is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the most munificent avatara of the Supreme, as proclaimed by the venerable Rupa Gosvami. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu delivers the fallen souls by freely distributing krishna-prema, or love for God. He empowers others to follow in His line. To this day they continue to follow His lead. They increase the luster of the golden age, where chanting can be done effectively in any situation, by any person. Not everyone may be allowed in temples where God the person is worshiped. Not everyone is equipped to meditate in yoga positions, retreating to a desolate place. Not everyone can worship in a formal setting on a regular basis.

Yet any person can chant the holy names. This means that any person can find liberation very easily in this age. Though the process is easy, accepting the path is not. If it were, then everyone would be engaged in devotional service to God. Nonetheless, the lack of mass acceptance is no impediment. The golden age is truly that since the effort in devotional service pays off. The success of the devotee is guaranteed by the Lord Himself, who is identical to devotion to Him.

In Closing:

Hardly real religion to see,

Dharma losing legs three.

 

Standing today on only one,

Still age can become a golden one.

 

Made Mahaprabhu’s mercy through,

Krishna-prema given to me and you.

 

His followers working unceasing,

Luster of the golden age increasing.

Special Delivery

“The Lord delivered the fallen souls in some places by meeting them directly, in other places by empowering a pure devotee, and in still other places by appearing before someone Himself.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Antya 2.4)

If there’s a fire in the kitchen, you need the extinguisher to save the day. If you’re feeling hungry, you need food in front of you to change the situation. If you can’t figure out how to spell a certain word, you need a dictionary on hand, either an online version or the book form, to settle your doubts. It is not surprising, therefore, that when there are questions as to the purpose to our existence, inquiries into why people die and why we must separate from our loved ones, there is a natural turn towards the heavens. We ask God to solve our problems, and since we don’t see Him, we think that we are left in the dark. But through the life of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu know that the Lord works in many ways to deliver the fallen souls and that we are never alone in our struggle for existence.

Lord Chaitanya was a holy savior whose presence was isolated to the area today known as India. This identified range was with respect to His physical presence, though we know that today His names and glories are chanted around the world. This is all due to the tireless efforts of His followers, who accepted His teachings either directly or through the mouths of His devotees. A single man can have such a lasting influence, as we know that famous businesses of today were once started in meager settings by a few passionate individuals. If the owner does things right, his company survives after his passing, and so with Lord Chaitanya, since the preaching method was flawless, His followers ensured that the message of divine love would continue to be propagated going forward.

It seems like it would be easy to break the tradition. Indeed, with Lord Chaitanya, who rose to prominence in the 15th century in Bengal, the immediate followers sometimes diverged, shaping His teachings to mean something else. Nevertheless, as long as there is one moon, the entire night sky can be lit up. Famous acharyas in His line revived the sankirtana movement and kept it going. As the revival came about long after Lord Chaitanya’s passing, we see one way in which God delivers people: His message.

The words are more powerful than the physical presence. This isn’t so with the fire extinguisher or the food to feed our stomach. These are aspects of material life, so without physical contact there is no benefit. God is the Supreme Spirit, so His influence is absolute. The name of God and God Himself are not different. There is no specific name, but there are thousands of names assigned by those who love Him. The purpose is to find ways to address, mechanisms for remembering and honoring Him throughout the day. Thinking of God is known as Krishna consciousness, and the practice is the equivalent of being with God.

His instructions are found in many sacred texts. In the Vedic tradition, the Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam are considered the literary jewels because they contain Krishna’s instructions and pastimes. If you like philosophy, consult Krishna’s teachings offered to a hesitant warrior named Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. If you’re a little more inquisitive, find out how the same Krishna creates this and innumerable other universes with a single exhalation and then absorbs them back into His transcendental body with a single inhalation. If you don’t like philosophy at all, listen to how Krishna as a young child stole butter from the neighbors in Vrindavana. Hear about how He delivered His parents Devaki and Vasudeva from the evil king Kamsa, how He thwarted the attacks of wicked creatures in Vrindavana, and how He delighted all of His devotees with His childish play.

Through Lord Chaitanya’s life and pastimes, we receive yet another wonderful scripture to consult: the Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita. This work is the nectar of the activities of Lord Chaitanya, who is the same Krishna but in the guise of a humble preacher. He has no possessions, no earnings, and no steady home. He is like a homeless person who relies solely on the grace of God for His sustenance. He travels extensively to beg others to simply chant the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. He lives in the renounced order to make sure that His message carries the most weight. No sane person can find a flaw in Lord Chaitanya because no one is equal to Him based on societal stature alone. The constant practice of bhakti-yoga puts Him in the superior position with respect to activities.

Naturally, since He is God Himself, the pious souls enjoyed Lord Chaitanya’s company, but this isn’t the only way that God can deliver people. It is said that sometimes Lord Chaitanya met with people and other times He sent His representative. And in some cases Lord Chaitanya would even meet someone personally and reveal that He was God. This was not to support His position or make others worship Him. Rather, this was to convince others that the message of divine love was true, and by perceiving God through a direct vision the affected people would believe strongly in the message.

Can we see God today? Are His representatives available to save us? Devotees who follow Lord Chaitanya’s example of humility and fearless preaching are around today, and thanks to their influence we have the sacred maha-mantra available to us. There is also a lifetime’s worth of literature available from His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Read his books, chant the holy names, worship the deity in the temple, offer service to those who serve Krishna, and in this way never feel alone. As Lord Chaitanya proved, Krishna will come to deliver the fallen souls in one way or another, but one must be ready to accept that favor.

In Closing:

For doubts over existence to mend,

His representative Chaitanya would send.

 

As sannyasi He was offered many a humble seat,

So sometimes personally with others He’d meet.

 

On other occasions His identity as God to show,

So that bhakti’s authenticity they would know.

 

Though aimlessly through the world you may roam,

Know that never do you have to be alone.

 

Chant the holy names and Vedic literature read,

Supreme Lord to deliver all of your needs.

Glass Half Empty

“Even where there are hundreds of good qualities, a critic does not consider them. Rather, he attempts by some trick to point out a fault in those attributes.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Antya 8.81)

Are you a “glass half full” or “glass half empty” kind of person? When you see a glass that has half part liquid and half part air, which way do you lean? What is your perception? With the critic, even if in mathematical terms the majority of the container is liquid, they will point out the empty portion and lament the situation. If the glass can be blamed for the perceived deficiency then all sorts of criticism will be leveled. Never mind the good qualities, just the bad will be pointed out. This is a misguided use of the verbal capabilities of the living spirit, who in the human form has the potential to acquire the highest intelligence. With that sharp brain an endless amount of words can be strung together to offer praise to the person whose divine qualities are impossible to fully enumerate.

Think about it for a second. In whichever field of endeavor you are interested, the person at the top has some type of flaw. For instance, in the sports world, there are athletes who are considered the “greatest of all time”. Yet there are still dissenters who will disagree with the claim. They will point to flaws, deficiencies in the athletes in question. The boundaries are not limited to the field of play either. If it should be discovered that a famous athlete has been excessively unfaithful to his wife, he will be ridiculed in public. He will lose his lofty status, and his personal shortcomings will be used to attack his standing in the sport.

Nothing is easier than criticizing. You can be sitting on a park bench and watching people go by and find endless things to criticize. “Oh look at that person walking their dog. Why do they even have a dog? Are they that lonely? They worship a dog instead of God? They’re too low to attract the companionship of the opposite sex? And why are they bringing that dog towards me? Can’t they just leave me and everyone else alone?”

Even a saintly man can be criticized for no reason. A long time back Lord Chaitanya was criticized by someone for eating too much. The Lord was in the renounced order of life, which meant that nothing He did was for sense gratification. A sannyasi gives up connection to family and home, and voluntarily takes up the life of a mendicant. There are several purposes fulfilled with this. Detachment automatically develops, as the true aim of life is to think of God at the time of death. This thinking leads to the highest end in the afterlife.

A sannyasi is also free to travel, which means that he can disseminate Vedic wisdom to a large number of people. Since he has no possessions, he doesn’t have to worry about ego. Materially speaking, everyone is superior to the sannyasi, so there is no question of jealousy. Ah, that is with the exception of those who are competitors in spiritual life. The competitor who is unsure of their standing will look for ways to criticize another sannyasi’s behavior. Lord Chaitanya always limited His eating, not taking too much food and not seeking out areas where He knew He could get food without a problem.

Since He was God Himself, others had a spontaneous love for Him. And what can we really offer God anyway, as He has everything? Using Mahaprabhu’s sannyasa position to their advantage, devotees would often give so many nice food preparations to Lord Chaitanya to eat. Is God so rude as to refuse such offerings made with love? If we visit someone’s home and they keep giving us palatable food to eat, will we not feel bad saying ‘no’? Thus sometimes Lord Chaitanya would eat a lot just to satisfy His devotees.

A person named Ramachandra Puri once criticized Him because of this eating, and Lord Chaitanya’s associates did not like this. Lord Chaitanya was full of good qualities. He spread the glories of bhakti-yoga throughout India, and in due course of time that divine influence would extend to the entire world. He was kind, sweet, respectful, and never committed sin. Even His apparent overeating on occasion was an indication of His unmatched kindness. Yet the critic, who is so insecure of their own abilities and practices, will always find some kind of fault, even with God.

The behavior is a symptom of a tainted consciousness, one which is still materially attached, falsely thinking the self to be the only enjoyer. When operating under a pure ego, the individual knows that they are a servant of God and that the faults in others are but a result of the influence of the material energy. The true paramahamsa extracts the divine influence even in areas where it is apparently absent. The devotee finds millions of ways to praise God and His children, and thus the tendency to criticize gets reversed, pointed in the right direction.

How to bring about that transformation? Lord Chaitanya, the person unfairly criticized on that one occasion, showed the way, as He constantly chanted the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. This one prayer offers praise perfectly to God and His energy, which represents the height of the devotional attitude in full humility.

Even if the devotee should offer criticism, it is done with the right purpose. Every person’s birthright is to love God without motivation and without interruption, and so if the mind is leading us down the wrong path, if someone rightly points out our flaws and then offers viable solutions, the criticism is actually a kind of praising of the devotional spirit. To denounce the mindsets of “I” and “Mine” is to praise the attitude of full surrender, which is known as sharanagati. There is real bliss with this attitude, and through the example of Lord Chaitanya we are shown just how to reach that platform of surrender.

In Closing:

Though water there is plenty,

Critic sees glass half empty.

 

Despite perfect balance of sweet and salt,

Critic always to find some kind of fault.

 

Lord Chaitanya criticized once for what He ate,

Consumed devotional offerings, plate after plate.

 

Tendency to criticize can be turned around,

By producing and hearing transcendental sound.

 

In devotional attitude find always something to praise,

Innumerable glories of Lord who with devotees always stays.

Not Of This World

“The kissing of the Lord, either by His wives or His young girl friends who aspired to have the Lord as their fiancé, is not of any mundane perverted quality. Had such things been mundane, a liberated soul like Shukadeva would not have taken the trouble to relish them, nor would Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu have been inclined to participate in those subjects after renouncing worldly life.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.10.28 Purport)

If you’re on a diet or if you’re bedridden with an illness, will you want to hear about how others are enjoying themselves? Especially if they are eating nice food and going out here and there, the stories will make you long for the day that you can get out of your depressed condition and resume the pursuit of happiness. If you take the same concept and apply it to the exalted rishis of the Vedic tradition, you’ll see that they had no interest in hearing about the loving affairs of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from the perspective of normal amorous relations. These respected personalities were fully renounced from material life, so what would they have to gain from hearing about a boy kissing a girl or a husband kissing his wife? Rather, when these activities are enacted by the Supreme Person they take on a spiritual nature and thus enthrall the hearts of the liberated souls.

Why do the rishis renounce material life? Typically, renunciation is done to fix a broken condition. For instance, if I have an injury to my arm or foot, I will refrain from using those body parts until they are healed. If I have overeaten on a particular day, I will try to take it easy with food intake the next day. If I have worked too hard on a particular day, I will try to rest in the immediate aftermath. In this way restraint helps to avoid activities which caused some type of harm or which further exacerbate an existing ailment.

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

In the larger scheme, contact with material nature has an inhibiting influence on the development of consciousness. The steady stream of thoughts doesn’t begin with the time of birth nor does it cease at the time of death. Try to stop thinking for even a second. You can’t do it. The mind has been working nonstop since you can remember and it will continue to act going forward. Purifying those thoughts, targeting them in the proper direction, can only lead to benefits. Thoughts are formed off of experiences, so if I adopt the right set of activities, my mind will have sweet nectar on which to contemplate while it continues to operate.

So why the mode of renunciation specifically? Why do famous spiritualists give up home and family to live as mendicants? The initial reason is to give up thoughts relating to illusion. We are illusioned by something if we take it to be something that it is not, sort of like a mirage in the desert. It’s so hot that we want to drink some water, so when we see the mirage we think it’s an oasis. But it’s really just the heat waves rising from the surface of the ground. If we anticipate drinking so much water while approaching this image, we will obviously be affected by illusion.

The illusion engulfing the spirit soul at the time of birth relates to identity. My hands, legs and other bodily features had to develop over time, yet somehow I always take my identification off of them. The abilities of these features also serve as the foundation of my self-esteem. If I can do complex math equations and write intricate computer programs, I will think that I am very smart. If I can hit a baseball very far or run a marathon I will think that my physical abilities are better than average. While these attributes are certainly noteworthy, they don’t relate to the real identity of the individual. The bodily features are aspects of matter, which can only act when directed by the superior force of spirit.

To better understand spirit and its purpose is the real justification for renunciation. As long as I am deluded by false concepts, my steady immersion in a world full of duality will not help to develop my consciousness. What is so bad about having an attachment to family? What is wrong with remaining in the world instead of renouncing it? As long as the mind’s progress is halted, the human being remains no different than the animal. We don’t think the animal to be a superior species, do we? Yet in the life of material sense gratification they are more efficient. In terms of a machine they require less energy and specific conditions to meet their sense demands, whereas the human being has to suffer through so much mental turmoil to enjoy what are the equivalent of morsels of stale food thrown in the trash.

Just as money is the mother’s milk of politics, so sex life fuels the forces of illusion. Attraction to the opposite sex is borne strictly off of bodily features, which we know don’t form the identity of the individual. Indeed, with the passage of time, those same attractive features will cease to be appealing, a fact known to the observer at the time of infatuation. Nevertheless, sex life and the lack of control within it form the largest impediment towards spiritual enlightenment. Therefore in the renounced order the number one requirement is to abstain from any kind of sexual relations.

Famous personalities like Shukadeva Goswami and Lord Chaitanya renounced material life and lived like mendicants. They had no ties whatsoever to sex life, yet the subject matter they relished the most dealt with a young boy kissing young girls and a young prince happily enjoying the company of His many wives. How can this be? Did these saints miss material life and all that it has to offer? Did they want to think about sex life just for the fun of it?

On the contrary, the subject matter they enjoyed had nothing to do with ordinary sexual affairs. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the origin of both spirit and matter, and so His actions are the very embodiment of truth. There is no illusion in His direct dealings, so when one hears about His pastimes through authorized sources, even interactions which outwardly appear material have a positive influence on the consciousness. For instance, under the influence of illusion, hearing about sexual affairs leads the mind to contemplate illicit connection with women. On the other hand, hearing about the same subject matter in relation to Krishna’s dealings keeps the mind focused on thoughts of the all-attractive Shyamasundara, who will do anything to please those who are fully surrendered to Him.

Krishna’s many girlfriends in the town of Vrindavana are considered the topmost yogis. Though they didn’t outwardly renounce the world, mentally they were totally given over to Krishna. Since they loved Him so much, the Lord would give them whatever they wanted. If they desired to dance with Him individually, Krishna would expand Himself into many forms just so that each gopi could feel the pleasure they desired. If 16,000 princesses were rescued by Krishna and desired to have Him as their husband, Krishna would oblige. Why would He let the mundane rules of society get in the way of divine love? In fact, the established law codes of dharma are meant for creating conditions where eventually the mind always thinks of Krishna. One who has already reached the highest platform of thought isn’t required to follow the ordinary rules and regulations, though they make every effort to for setting a good example.

Those who are not renounced from material attachment will often try to hear about Krishna’s intimate pastimes with the gopis. But since they are not fit for understanding, they will be guided by illusion and consider Krishna to be one of them. Either that or they will consider Krishna’s example to be a license to follow the same behavior in their own lives. Yet from the joy felt by Shukadeva Gosvami and Lord Chaitanya we know that Krishna’s intimate pastimes are meant for the ears of the liberated souls, those who have no desire for material association. Lord Chaitanya was Krishna Himself in the form of a preacher, so He set the example to follow in bhakti. He spread the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, throughout the world and declared the sacred Shrimad Bhagavatam to be the crown jewel of Vedic literature.

Not meant for the passers by interested in steamy details, the intimate pastimes of Shri Krishna are safely placed in the tenth canto of the Bhagavatam, with the first nine cantos describing Krishna’s position as the Supreme Lord. From the words of this sacred work and the quality of the people who take it to be their life and soul we can understand just how wonderful Krishna’s pastimes are and how everything He does is for the benefit of the devotees.

In Closing:

When Krishna and His beloved Radha meet,

Their happiness and affectionate dealings so sweet.

 

Mode of renunciation the Vaishnava saints choose,

The paths of karma, jnana and yoga they eschew.

 

For sannyasi, controlling sex desire is key,

A woman alone he should not even see.

 

Then why about Krishna and gopis would they like to hear?

Did not rise of illicit desires Chaitanya fear?

 

Not like ordinary affairs, from hearing kama does perish,

Thus liberated souls Krishna’s pastimes they cherish.

Circus Comes to Town

“Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was God Himself according to the indication of the revealed scriptures, but He played the part of a devotee. People who knew Him to be God addressed Him as God, but He used to block His ears with His hands and chant the name of Lord Vishnu. He strongly protested against being called God, although undoubtedly He was God Himself. The Lord behaves so to warn us against unscrupulous men who take pleasure in being addressed as God.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.2.16 Purport)

Circus rolls into town, bringing its many attractions. You have the acrobats, lion-tamers, and entertainers with freakish strength. Then there is the lead clown, the head of the show, who can do things more amazing than anyone else. Now just imagine if such a person were to claim to be God in the flesh. “I am an incarnation of the Supreme Lord. My purpose is such and such. As proof of my divinity watch me do things that are amazing.” The innocent members of society sucked into this racket will be damaged severely, for the recommendations on how to live life handed down by the leaders are what actually count. Every single one of us is God in the sense that we are pure spirit and in minute control over our future fortunes, but since when did being tiny gods equate to being the Supreme Lord Himself? A little show of magic does not one God make, for the breadth and scope of the creation, with its intricacies and innumerable functions carried out at the largest magnitude, remind us that a little advancement in mysticism doesn’t compare to the supreme powers of the greatest mystic, Yogeshvara. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, an authentic version of God appearing on earth, stood out from the pack of charlatans by never claiming to be God. He utterly refused to be treated as such, for His message was more important than His standing.

And what was that message? In the Vedic tradition, the Supreme Lord is described by thousands of names, which each reference a specific transcendental activity or feature. The term “God” is too vague to give any pleasure to the worshiper, who is inherently searching after ananda, or bliss. As variety is the mother of enjoyment, the less abstract the vision we have of something, the more enjoyable the potential interaction. The dharma of the spirit soul, which is the essence of identity, is to serve, for this provides the individual the most lasting satisfaction. The service propensity is seen in every type of activity, even those driven by ignorance. If we have a lamp burning inside of the home, even if we put a shade on top, the light emitted is still seen to some degree. With the spirit soul, even the complete inverse of the loving service propensity, anger and rage, at least indicate that the soul’s dharma is present. As light can be reflected in any direction, based on the bodily makeup and the inherent qualities it brings, the living entity can exhibit their service propensity in a variety of ways.

Ideal enjoyment comes from interaction. Spiritual life follows the same pattern; it is not meant to create any artificial desire within the living being. Rather, the same propensities that already exist are purified through identifying the proper beneficiary. In a discipline driven by sentiment, dedication to the particular spiritual figure may be present, but unless there is some philosophy attached, the discipline will not be attractive to a large mass of people. Even if many people do claim to follow the identified personality, their allegiance will be in name only, for the majority of the activities followed will be dedicated to someone or something else.

To address these deficiencies, the Vedas provide the highest philosophy on life, as much information as can be consumed by the sober mind. Right away we see that there is a requirement before spiritual understanding can be awakened. The person intoxicated by excessive drinking or the burning rage of the fever of material existence will not have the patience or wherewithal to understand even the first rule of spiritual life, that we are not our bodies. “I am not my body? Then what the heck am I?” The bewildered spirit soul sees differences amongst species based on outward features and resulting behaviors. How can a cow and a pig be the same, for they follow completely different models of action? How is a human being the same as a dog? Moreover, how can the wise human being who is inclined towards piety ever be compared to the low-life who lives perpetually in sin?

“That knowledge by which one undivided spiritual nature is seen in all existences, undivided in the divided, is knowledge in the mode of goodness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.20)

Accepting the angle of vision based on intelligence requires sobriety from the start, for without a clear head, how can we understand anything? Can we perform well on exams if we are tired or focused on something completely different? Can we operate a motor vehicle well while intoxicated? These are areas where the need for sobriety is readily acknowledged, but somehow with spiritual life the requirement that one be free of anxieties and attachments borne of bodily relations is a little difficult to accept. The reward for avoiding the most harmful sinful activities, such as intoxication and meat eating, is that one can study the patterns of behavior of the different species and have a better chance of realizing that all life forms are equal.

At the heart of the living being is the spirit soul, which is so tiny in size that it is impossible to measure its dimensions. We cannot even directly perceive its presence. The soul can only be noticed by the outward symptoms of a living being. Just the fact that there is a difference between a living being and a dead one underscores the importance of the soul. Death is the exiting of the soul from the body and birth is the entry into a new form. The soul is thereby the essence of life, the spark of action, for every species. If the soul has the same importance in whichever form it occupies, it means that there is no difference from one soul to another.

These cogent facts are revealed in the Vedas, whose most concise and complete treatise is the Bhagavad-gita. One who studies this work, learning it under the verbal or written direction of a spiritual master who understands the meanings to the different verses, will be able to see that all life forms are equal, that spirit has natural tendencies that are acted upon across all body types. From the understanding of spirit, from familiarity with the philosophy of the Vedic teachings, one is better situated to take up devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The abstract picture of God is made clearer through both the study and practice of devotional principles. The preliminary understanding that life forms are equal gives one the vision of Brahman, or the all-pervading light of the Absolute Truth. Knowing Brahman is similar to knowing the sunshine and how it dissipates heat and light everywhere. Through further study the same Brahman is understood to be localized in the form of the Supersoul, which resides in the heart of the living being adjacent to the individual soul, or atma.

Bhagavan paints the whole picture. Bhagavan is the most complete understanding of God, as it is inclusive of both Brahman and the Supersoul. It is not that one spiritual tradition worships a specific God who is different from the God of another tradition. Those who think this way are immature in their understanding of the science of self-realization. Yes, spirituality is a science, for it has law codes that are impossible to violate. Just as when you drop an object from the hand, it will fall to the ground because of the laws of gravity, the laws of spirituality apply to every instance, regardless of whether the particular actors are aware that they are being guided by a higher force.

Bhagavan has spiritual attributes, with beauty, knowledge, wealth, strength, fame and renunciation seen to the fullest degree. Since these features are supremely wonderful, Bhagavan is known as Krishna, the all-attractive youth holding a flute in His hands and wearing a peacock feather in His hair. Lord Krishna is the complete representation of Godhead; therefore every other form or expansion comes from Him. The identical forms are referred to as avataras, or those who descend. Even Krishna is sometimes referred to as an avatara, for He comes to earth every now and then from the spiritual world to give people a glimpse of His transcendental features.

The ability of God to incarnate has created a slight problem in the present age of darkness known as the Kali Yuga. Though the specific incarnations and their features are described in the shastras, or scriptures, still many people in the past thousand years or so have claimed to be incarnations of God. Lord Krishna’s most famous avatara is Lord Rama, the handsome warrior prince of the Treta Yuga who defeated the Rakshasa Ravana in a fight using bows and arrows. In many Vedic traditions just Rama is worshiped along with His wife Sita Devi, younger brother Lakshmana and dedicated and courageous servant Hanuman. Bhagavan is wonderful in this way, as He allows devotees to follow their favored mood of devotion to taste the fruit of existence. It is not that one must worship Krishna and no one else. Bhagavan has different manifestations to provide varieties of transcendental pleasure.

Even the atheists worship God in some way, though their interaction is not direct. With indirect worship come inferior results. The consequence of worshiping matter is that you remain tied to something nonpermanent. If I love my high school so much that I decide I never want to graduate, obviously the decision is not very intelligent. The school has a purpose to fulfill, namely that of providing an education. Once that education is received, the student moves past the class and onto their next venture. If the class is enjoyed so much that one avoids their occupational duties in favor of following their allegiance to something that is constitutionally temporary, they will not be making the best use of their intelligence.

The same principle applies to the largest scale that is the material creation; so any allegiance offered to objects of earth, water, fire, air and ether will bring bitter disappointment in the end, for nothing in the material creation remains manifest forever, not even the sun. The taste relished through such interaction is automatically checked. This also explains why the bogus avataras can never be taken seriously, for their chicanery is exposed through the magic they show which aims to manipulate the material nature in favor of providing temporary enjoyment. The real avataras show people how to worship God perpetually, even into the afterlife. In addition, the transcendental features are not checked in the real incarnations of Godhead. Lord Rama defeated 14,000 attacking Rakshasas all by Himself, and He had a bridge built to Lanka that was made of floating stones. Lord Krishna lifted a massive hill and held it up over His head for seven consecutive days to save the wonderful people of Vrindavana from a massive flood instigated by Lord Indra.

What’s ironic is that even after exhibiting such unmatched feats of strength, Krishna and Rama never openly claimed to be God. People who knew them intimately understood their divine nature, but the Supreme Lord will never pound His chest and demand that others worship Him. The highest interaction possible for any living being is a rasa, or transcendental mellow, which operates on love. For there to be love, the interaction between the participants must be voluntary. Forcing someone to worship God, scaring them with a threat of eternal damnation in a lake of fire or killing them if they don’t show allegiance, doesn’t represent godly activity whatsoever. The material creation exists to house those souls who are not desirous of transcendental association, so there is full freedom in the exercise of activity.

Lord Chaitanya was Krishna Himself appearing on earth some five hundred years ago to teach the highest truths of spiritual life in the easiest possible way to understand. In days past, the intelligent class of men sought the shelter of the pristine wilderness, for the surroundings were more conducive to tapasya and yajna, or penance and sacrifice. Through penance one becomes detached from the senses and through sacrifice one remains connected to God. Therefore these two practices were an integral part of the sincere spiritualist’s regimen. In the modern age, however, such practices are almost impossible to adhere to. As evidence of this fact, just try to tell someone that drinking alcohol and eating meat are harmful. They will look at you like you’re crazy. Yet in times past, those who did indulge in these behaviors were considered the strange ones.

Just because sinful behavior is more rampant at any given time doesn’t mean that Krishna’s mercy is somehow made more difficult to acquire. As the circumstances become less favorable for transcendental enlightenment, the Supreme Lord redoubles His efforts towards reclaiming His lost sons and daughters. Lord Chaitanya preached the science of self-realization, the ultimate philosophy of achintya-bhedabheda-tattva, by chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, openly in public. Krishna and Rama are the holy names, and Hare is the energy of God. “O my dearest Supreme Lord who is known as both Krishna and Rama. O the energy of the Lord. Allow me to be forever engaged in the Lord’s service without any motive for personal sense gratification. Allow me to continually love God without fail.”

This was the mantra propagated by Lord Chaitanya, who wasn’t met with universal adulation right away. The mantra He revealed was known in the scriptures, but many were hesitant to share it with others so openly. The maha-mantra’s unique message is precisely what makes it so appealing and effective, for it reveals God’s names to everyone in a way that doesn’t violate the rules of spiritual life. With most mantras, expert recitation is required to receive the full benefit. The mantras also aren’t passed on to just anyone. The spiritual master is charged with the safekeeping, holding onto the sound vibrations and waiting to share them with someone who is sincere in their desire to learn about God.

Lord Chaitanya became the spiritual master of the world by kindly offering Krishna-prema, or love of God, to anyone who was willing to accept it. Even if they weren’t, they at least got to hear the holy names vibrated through Lord Chaitanya’s chanting or the preaching efforts of His many associates. Intimate friends knew Lord Chaitanya to be Krishna Himself, but whenever anyone who would worship Him in this way, the Lord would cover His ears. He did not like to be called God by anyone, for that was not the purpose of His mission. His behavior stands in stark contrast to the pretender incarnations who show off some mystic ability and then claim to be God in front of as many people as are gullible enough to believe them.

The message broadcast by the spiritual personality is what matters. Even Lord Krishna hid His divine nature from the residents of Vrindavana, who are considered the greatest lovers of God. The dedication to bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, is the desired result, and not a blind allegiance to a particular personality. The shastras tell us who the incarnations are, so we needn’t be puzzled over the issue. Lord Chaitanya was so kind that He didn’t even care if you worshiped Him or not. Worshiping Him, however, is supremely auspicious, because He and His spiritual brother Nityananda Prabhu remove offenses in the chanting of the holy name. They give love for Godhead even if we are unwilling to accept it. Those who regularly hear of the activities of Lord Chaitanya, the dearest son of Shachimata and Jagannatha Mishra, can’t help but be won over by His divine grace. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the ocean of mercy, and His transcendental features can only be found in Krishna Himself, who is the reservoir of pleasure.

In Closing:

When addressed as the Supreme Lord ears would He close,

To others divinity not liking to disclose.

Worship Krishna with love was His message,

But addressed Him as God some took the privilege.

Lord Chaitanya was an incarnation that was real,

The divine presence in His activities you could feel.

Study the message of preacher, that’s what really counts,

See if guidance removes mind’s pain that steadily mounts.

Remember Nitai-Gaura and have offenses removed,

From resulting love for Krishna their divinity proved.

Say Krishna

“Say Krishna, think of Krishna, and chant Krishna-nama. Krishna is your father, mother, life and all. Krishna has come for your sake to deliver you all. Surrender to Him, do not anything that is wrong.” (Chant of Haridasa Thakura and Nityananda Prabhu, Chaitanya Bhagavata, Madhya, 3.83-84)

One cannot imagine how sinful Jagai and Madhai were. It is said that Yamaraja, the demigod in charge of delivering justice to the just departed souls, could not count the number of sins committed by these two men. There wasn’t enough paper available to write down all of their offenses. Since they were such a plague on society, their fate in the afterlife couldn’t even be determined right away. Though they were born to brahmanas, or men of the priestly class, they barely resembled human beings in their behavior. Yet two fearless preachers, on the order of a higher authority, came and delivered them, keeping the holy name around them the whole time by loudly chanting it. To those who take shelter of the holy name, even the wickedest attempts put forth by the strongest enemies of religion will feel no more of a nuisance than a cotton suave touching the body or a mink glove rubbing up and down against the back.

Who were Jagai and Madhai? More importantly, how and why were they saved? What does it mean to be “saved” anyway? Aren’t we all in the same boat of material existence, forced to endure temporary bouts of happiness and sadness? You get up every day, do what you have to do to ensure you have enough money, and then come home and relax. If you follow this pattern long enough, one day you won’t have to work anymore. Then you wait for inevitable death to come and take everything away. There are gradations of good and bad work, but since we start and end in the same places, can we really say that anyone lives a different life?

Though the spirit soul living in a dog’s body is equal to the spirit soul residing in a human being, the nature of activities is different. A dog has different tendencies than a human being. Also, the dog has more limitations. It cannot study quantum physics, speak eloquently, or even cook an elaborate meal. The human being, though equal in spiritual constitution to the dog, has these capabilities and many more. In this way we know that souls can end up in different places and thereby have different types of enjoyment.

“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.7)

The variety in residences for the spirit soul is due to karma, or fruitive work. Since work and its pile of reactions are rooted in desire, we can say that every living entity essentially gets what they want. The soul wanting limitless sex life, which requires minimal effort to secure, would have a difficult time in the human body. The opposite sex is not wooed so easily, and if it is, the enjoyment isn’t as great. “The chase is better than the catch”, as they say, which means that part of the thrill of conjugal relations in the human species is getting the corresponding party to let down their guard and take an interest in you romantically.

If you wish to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, the human body is again not the most suitable. A hog will eat anything placed in front of it, and other animals eat carcasses and flesh. In this way their diets aren’t difficult to maintain; they can ingest whatever they want. The human being, on the other hand, is so conscious of its food intake that it regularly goes on diets, trying to better its health and overall appearance. If we want to eat to our hearts’ content, why would we want to remain in a species that is so conscious of weight loss?

What is the human birth for then? What is that desire of the spirit soul that grants it residence in the most advanced form of body in terms of intelligence capacity? At its core the soul is a lover of God. If you would rather call Him something else, by all means do so, but this still doesn’t change the constitutional position of the soul. Even if there is outward denial of the existence of a higher authority figure, the penchant to love will remain the same. The difference will be that the love will be directed towards the wrong places. By “wrong” we mean that which doesn’t match up with the soul’s reservoir of love. As an example, parental affection is meant to be directed to our children. If the same potential affection were to be directed towards a car or piece of wood, obviously we wouldn’t be making the best use of our energy. The mother produces milk from her breast only when the child is there to want it; otherwise the love in the form of milk stays empty.

The spirit soul, when denying or ignoring the presence of God, doesn’t necessarily run dry in its potential for service. Rather, that same penchant brings the individual into other engagements, which are not properly suited for accepting the love meant for God. Drug addiction, overeating, indulgence in illicit sex, and excessive gambling give indications of a loving spirit gone awry. Though these are the most egregious examples, in fact any love that is not offered to God or not based on that inherent love for the Supreme Lord is misdirected. Not only is that affection meant for God, but the other objects and entities are also incapable of accepting an endless amount of service.

You can take pretty much any example of offered service to see that there are limitations. The exuberant worker can at best work overtime hours to show their boss that they are committed to the operation. Despite the most heartfelt enthusiasm, the number of available hours to work in a given week is capped. Moreover, the boss’ ability to compensate the loving employee is limited by the amount of profit produced by the venture. In romantic love, there is the possibility of smothering your significant other, making them feel uncomfortable due to too many affectionate gestures.

God, on the other hand, can never be smothered. As if to correspond with this property, the spirit soul has no limit to its ability to love the Supreme Lord. Only in the human species can the inquiry even be made into the Absolute Truth, the one person who is beyond the dualities of life and death, light and darkness, heat and cold, etc. When convinced of the need for worshiping God, the spirit soul in the human species can follow the proper methods of service, activities which gradually reduce the fever of material existence, which results from a constant struggle for acquiring gains, a battle rooted in competition against our fellow man.

Even in the human species there are gradations of birth, different circumstances that one can be born into. The brahmana, or priestly class, is considered the best birth because, by culture, the newborn is ingrained with the values and traditions geared for understanding God and voluntarily accepting service to Him. It isn’t that anyone can be forced into pouring their love in the proper channels. There may be cajoling in the beginning stages, but with aggressive persuasion eventually the reservoir will get capped; so strong is the desire of the living entity. Force does not constitute love, and neither does it give pleasure to the receiver.

Around five hundred years ago in India, a special person took birth, someone who would deliver the fallen souls of the time. Different from the previous incarnations of God, who slayed miscreants by using arrows and gave pleasure to the devotees with their fighting abilities, this manifestation of the Supreme Lord would take the guise of a humble preacher, one who seemingly had no fighting prowess. His mission would be the same, though He would go about it in a different way. Instead of killing the enemies, He would destroy their sinful desires causing their fall from grace. His mercy would extend to those eagerly looking for transcendental happiness, those not born into good circumstances, and also those who were considered the vilest creatures.

To show that His mission was real, Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the most merciful incarnation of Godhead, dispatched two of His most dear friends to deliver a pair of drunkards, veritable plagues on society, Jagai and Madhai. Though Mahaprabhu’s divine nature is hinted at in the Shrimad Bhagavatam, which is the crown jewel of Vedic literature, one needn’t immediately accept His position as Krishna to be benefitted. Just by regularly hearing about Him and His kind mercy, even the hardest heart will be softened.

Jagai and Madhai were brothers born in a brahmana family, but they exhibited the worst traits. This shows that one doesn’t automatically acquire a high status by their birth; a fact which is just common sense. Anyone who says otherwise is simply parroting words taught to them or trying to unfairly acquire fame when they don’t deserve it. We may respect someone for who their parents are, but unless they exhibit praiseworthy qualities, how can we look to them for guidance? The brahmanas are meant to be the brains of society. Not everyone will know how a government should run, what is sin and what isn’t, and what the meaning of life is; nor do they need to. If a few brahmanas are present and not afraid to teach, then everyone can learn the knowledge necessary for making advancement towards pure God consciousness.

Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakura were Lord Chaitanya’s trusted associates, beloved by all. As part of their daily routine, they went around village to village, house to house, asking people to chant the names of Shri Hari, who is the Supreme Lord. God is bestowed thousands of names in the Vedic tradition because of His unlimited attributes and features. These names give pleasure to the devotees who chant them. “Haribol” is a call to chant the names of Hari, for in the present age of darkness, the holy name is the singular vehicle for deliverance.

Of the names for God found in the Vedas, Krishna is considered the topmost, as it best describes the Lord’s position. He is all-attractive, which means that every single person is naturally drawn to Him. The atheists are enamored by Krishna’s separated energy expansion of material nature, while the devotees are attracted to His original form holding a flute in the hands and wearing a peacock feather in the hair. Krishna’s smile is so beautiful that the sober person who looks at it will instantly lose their pride accumulated over many lifetimes. Just one pure recitation of Krishna’s name catches Hari’s attention. He will then make sure that such a person eventually becomes God conscious and gains release from a temporary realm full of miseries.

Nityananda and Haridasa wanted others to say Krishna’s name purely, for this was the mission they were carrying out for Mahaprabhu. Jagai and Madhai seemed like they would never agree to chanting, nor would they even remain peaceful while being preached to. Who likes to be told what to do anyway? If someone on the street comes up to us selling something, the natural reaction is to brush them aside, pretend like they’re not even there. “Stop bothering me man; just leave me alone.” Jagai and Madhai took unfriendliness to an extreme. They would attack innocent people for no reason.

While on the way to deliver the two brothers, Nityananda and Haridasa chanted out loud that Krishna had come to save everyone. They boldly asserted that everyone should chant the holy name of the Lord, taking it as the mother, father and life. In one sense they were asking for trouble, as they knew that if Jagai and Madhai heard this, they would not be happy. Sure enough, the brothers would be so incensed that Nityananda Prabhu would get injured, being cut on the head from an object hurled at him by Madhai. When Mahaprabhu heard about this, He immediately came on the scene and was ready to kill Madhai. Nityananda then stepped in and asked the Lord to be merciful and not harm him. Seeing this amazing affection, both brothers became devotees. They agreed to stop their sinful ways and always chant the names of Krishna.

If even the worst men can be delivered by the power of the holy name transmitted through an empowered human being, just imagine how many other people can. Lest we think we don’t need to be delivered, for as long as there is aversion to divine love, there is every chance of rebirth. Would you want to take birth and have to go to school again? Would you want another life of constant repetition, where nothing brings permanent happiness? Maybe some would, but the sober individual recognizes the pattern of material life and looks for a way out.

Chanting of the holy names is best done through recitation of Mahaprabhu’s favorite mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. Recite this sacred formula as often as you want. To keep a routine going, it is best to chant this mantra daily on a set of japa beads, but the sequence of words can also be sung in countless melodies. Even while travelling through this world full of danger, one can keep the holy name with them, chanting it fearlessly as Nityananda and Haridasa did. The two saved countless individuals, including even the most fallen. There should be no doubting then that, if we approach the same saints and ask them to instill in us Krishna-prema, or love for God, they will kindly oblige. Mahaprabhu’s mercy continues to be bestowed upon humanity today through His extended family of associates and their branches of disciplic succession. Indeed, the popularity of the Hare Krishna mantra is due entirely to them. The best way to repay the kindness shown to us is to regularly say “Krishna” and say it with love.

In Closing:

Jagai and Madhai, their influence on society did steadily mount,

Yamaraja, god of death, their sinful reactions couldn’t count.

Yet salvation not available to only highest class,

Can even come for those who in behavior are crass.

Lord Chaitanya specifically came to deliver all,

With sounds of the holy name heard from devotee’s call.

His friends Nityananda and Haridasa bhakti did spread,

Not even the influence of the vilest men did they dread.

From sounding Krishna’s name sinners did they hope to save,

Facing Madhai and Jagai, Nityananda did remain brave.

Cut on the head from pot of Madhai, blood from Nityananda did spill,

Mahaprabhu then arrived on the scene, culprits wanting to kill.

Nityananda stepped in and Mahaprabhu did he mollify,

Brothers then agreed to give up sin, holy names would they glorify.

The mercy of Mahaprabhu has the greatest reach,

Through His friends how to purely love God does He teach.

Knowledge Means Power

“The Lord had some talks with the Moulana and his companions, and the Lord convinced the Moulana that in the Koran also there are descriptions of Bhagavata-dharma and Krishna. All the Pathans were converted to His cult of devotional service.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, Introduction)

That a preacher should meet with difficulty in his efforts is not surprising. The easiest way to remain liked is to keep quiet and thus avoid offending anyone. With this behavior no one will think that you are bothering them or trying to convert them to a new way of life. As strange as it may seem, this passive approach doesn’t always correlate to kindness. If we see someone doing something wrong, something that can hurt both them and the people they influence, the kind approach is to try to correct them. If we’re driving on a highway and see someone asking for a ride, depending on the time and circumstance, there is every chance of just passing that person by. “Oh, they are a stranger. Maybe they are on drugs, or maybe they are trying to steal someone’s car. I better just ignore them.” If we recognize the person as a friend or family member, however, we’ll immediately pull over and see what is going on. The Vaishnava preacher, the humble devotee of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, views every distressed person as being in his extended family. Therefore they won’t discriminate when distributing the mercy of hari-kirtana, the chanting of the holy names. This attitude was exhibited to its finest by Lord Chaitanya.

That a follower of a religious tradition would try to preach the message of their specific gospel is not surprising. The aim of spirituality is to inject life into the otherwise dull and lifeless existence focused on association with matter. What does this mean exactly? Imagine a life revolved around performing compulsory work during the day to maintain a living establishment for the nighttime. When the day is over, the worker is so tired that all they can do is sit in front of the television and try to forget about the fact that they have to go to work again the following day, repeating the same cycle. This is just one day, but imagine repeating the pattern over and over again for upwards of thirty years. Even the most enthusiastic material enjoyer would start to become bewildered after a while. “What is the point to all of this? Why am I even alive? Why do I have to follow the same path every single day?”

The human being can make these considerations, for the other species are fine with simply searching for their food, enjoying their shelter, mating with whoever is around, and defending their territory from predators. The human being intrinsically knows that there should be more to life, something to give a spark to their existence. Full enthusiasm was once there before, during the childhood years. At the same time, we know that children are less mature than adults, and thereby less intelligent as well. How can less knowledge equate to more enthusiasm and happiness? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, agree that maturity should bring an increased vigor for activity. Knowledge means power, no? The ability to handle different situations should lead to more enjoyment, for frustration is rooted in ignorance. But after becoming educated and finding a way to earn a living, how do we find that enthusiasm for life that keeps us going far beyond the basic enjoyments of sense pleasures?

“The Blessed Lord then said: This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field.” (Bhagavad-gita, 13.2)

In the Vedic tradition, and also in many other systems of spirituality around the world, the second birth is considered more important. The first birth is the biological one, the emergence of the infant from the womb of the mother. Entrance into the field of activity starts here, sort of like running onto the field to play a big game. Without entry, there can only be potential for action. Just as while we are sleeping we can only think about what we’re going to do in the future, while in the womb the spirit soul only has the potential for acting.

Once on the field, however, we have to know where to go, what to do, and how to remain safe. For this the parents and guardians are there, taking care of our every need. Once the body develops to the point that the human being can roam around the field on its own without too much supervision, there is a need for a second birth, one that relates to accepting supreme wisdom and gaining entry into a system of maintenance aimed at furthering the highest purpose.

And what exactly is that purpose? Once on a field of play, the aim is to have fun. On the soccer field, the young children play around and chase a ball to have a good time. In American football, you do things like hit your opponent, and pass and kick a ball. Without the second birth, the human being naturally assumes that his business in life is to follow a similar tact; just eat, drink and be merry. Do just enough work so that you can enjoy yourself by playing and seeing all that the world has to offer.

Why would this be a bad thing? For starters, this pursuit isn’t guaranteed to be pleasant. Others have an equal right to be on the field and “enjoy” everything it has to offer. When the ambitions collide, someone has to be the loser. In every tournament in sport, there is just one champion who emerges, which automatically means that the other entrants will end up being losers. In the field of activity that is the material world, not even victory lasts forever, thus ensuring that everyone turns out to be a loser in the end.

Then there is the issue of peace of mind. Though the human being is on the field, he doesn’t know why he was put there or when he’ll have to leave. Therefore constant worry results over the potential to lose everything, to no longer have the ability to run around and enjoy oneself. Even if there is money in the bank and no worries financially, the mental struggle to find something to do is there. Once that outlet for action is found, the cycle of ambition, work and reward follows. When there is work taken up to further a purpose, the fear of failure and the failure itself can again cause mental anguish.

The Vedas reveal that the purpose of life is not to simply run around the field and pretend like nothing is wrong. The spirit soul is the identifiable aspect within every life form. The soul has inherent properties, with its foremost characteristic, or dharma, being its inclination to serve. Therefore even when playing on the field, the greatest source of happiness comes from helping others, finding ways to act in the interests of someone else. Even the wealthiest moguls end up forming large charitable organizations, for they don’t know what to do with their money.

“I shall now explain the knowable, knowing which you will taste the eternal. This is beginningless, and it is subordinate to Me. It is called Brahman, the spirit, and it lies beyond the cause and effect of this material world.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 13.13)

Without a proper second birth, the human being will direct its serving propensity in all the wrong directions and thus not find any satisfaction for the soul craving it. With instruction from a guru, or spiritual master, the proper course in life can be found. And what is that exactly? The soul’s serving propensity is meant to be directed towards God, who is the creator of the playing field. Though He creates it, He has nothing to do with its operation; He is not involved in the temporary ups and downs, the losses and gains that occur regularly. Krishna is awaiting the day when the individuals tire out from their play and sincerely desire a return to the spiritual land, their original home.

How do we even know that God exists? Isn’t this theory about the meaning of life just that, a theory? How do we know that the Vedas are authorized or that we even need a second birth? Other spiritual traditions have their own God that people are meant to worship, so how can we say that any one system is superior to another? If there are so many systems, why can’t atheism be thrown into the mix and be considered legitimate? Skepticism can be used to counter even the most strongly presented fact. Even an ironclad assertion like “the sky is blue” can be weakened by ad hominem attacks, word jugglery, and the questioning of the sanity of the person making the claim.

Despite the ability to invalidate any claim, we still follow authority all the time in life. The authority is established with each person based on past history. If a person tells us something, we may initially believe them, and then if that faith ends up benefitting us, we’ll take that same person as an authority figure in the future, at least until they fail us. Similarly, by following the prescriptions of the Vedas, which are presented succinctly and perfectly in this age by Lord Chaitanya and His followers, we’ll see that religion is a pursuit universally applicable, not limited by sectarian boundaries. The facts about the soul are real and apply to every single person.

Who is Lord Chaitanya? The Vedas subscribe to the “one God” idea, but His forms are not limited. He is indeed a person, though that is a very difficult conclusion to reach through mental speculation alone. The first instruction taught to aspiring transcendentalists of the Vedic school is aham brahmasmi, which means “I am Brahman.” Brahman is pure spirit, so it has nothing to do with playing fields. Every spirit soul is Brahman; therefore their changing bodies don’t represent their true identity.

If we are not matter, then God must be the same way. If we don’t have forms, then the Supreme Absolute Truth must be formless as well, no? While there is a formless aspect to God, His original feature is that of Bhagavan, a personality who possesses spiritual attributes. The unmanifest land is full of variegatedness that is not contradictory. How someone can have blue eyes, green eyes and no eyes simultaneously cannot be understood by a living being trapped in a playing field with allures for sensual enjoyment, the kind of which is divorced of its relationship to Shri Krishna.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described by thousands of names, with Krishna considered the best because it speaks to His all-attractiveness. Lord Chaitanya is the very same Krishna descending to this earth in the guise of a devotee, showing others how to worship God. Usually the incarnations act as worshipable objects, showing others who God is and what He looks like. Lord Chaitanya’s mission was to teach others how to worship God. Not that everyone would listen or even give up their preconceived notions, Lord Chaitanya’s underlying purpose was to elevate everyone’s own understanding of God to the point that they would think of the Lord at all times.

How did He propagate His message? Through sound vibration of course. He didn’t have millions of dollars, a printing press, or a caravan to travel around the world with. He just had His feet and His voice. Regularly chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, traveling around India and dancing to the playing of mrdangas and karatalas, Lord Chaitanya infused the bhakti, or devotional, spirit into everyone He met.

Lest He be confused with a sentimentalist given to worshiping a blue deity, Lord Chaitanya was also an expert scholar. Devotional service, or bhagavata-dharma, is the highest disciplinary system for the spirit soul. Though the Vedas have many branches of knowledge, the ripest fruit on the tree is the information about Krishna and devotion to Him. Rather than present scholarly discourses reserved for only the intelligentsia, Lord Chaitanya disseminated the same information through the holy name, which was sung congregationally so as to penetrate the thick wall of nescience surrounding the consciousness conditioned to material life.

Lord Chaitanya was so intelligent and devoted that He could convert so many people towards the bhakti cult. His acts of conversion shouldn’t be confused with the idea of giving up a particular faith and jumping to another one. How can loving God be considered a faith? Moreover, what need is there to convert from one religion to another in this respect? Lord Chaitanya would even rightly convince many Muslims that their Koran had statements glorifying the Supreme Lord as a person and declaring devotional service to be the ultimate practice. Therefore Gaurahari’s only desire was that others truly follow the teachings of religion, whose instructions culminate in full, voluntary surrender, in a mood of pure love, towards the Supreme Lord.

Lord Chaitanya was a wonderful preacher who never made compromises. He didn’t just tell everyone that what they were doing was alright, that they could continue to live attached to material life and claim to be religious. Rather, if He saw grievous errors committed, He would point them out and then tell others how to correct them. If there was animal killing going on in the name of religion, Lord Chaitanya would point out the defects. Obviously this wasn’t taken well by the followers of such practices. “My father did it this way, and his father also did, and his father before him. Therefore how can what I’m doing be wrong?” Though this attitude is easy to adopt - for how can we know better than our forefathers – simply following tradition doesn’t mean that one is acting piously.

Even the monists of the Vedic tradition were taken on by Lord Chaitanya, though they had difficulty giving up their vision of the Supreme Absolute Truth as being formless. Nevertheless, Lord Chaitanya, the most merciful incarnation of Godhead, was extremely successful in His preaching efforts. He converted so many people to worshiping God instead of matter. He was kind enough to pass down that magical preaching touch to His descendants, and thus we see that Krishna is a household name around the world today, and that bhakti-yoga and its principles are followed by many.

Who could ever come away not enlightened after hearing from Lord Chaitanya and His flawless teachings? Only the hardest heart would remain steadfastly against bhakti-yoga, loving God, after being given the seed of the creeper of devotional service from a devotee following the principles themselves. Yet even in these instances there is some advancement made, though the receiver may not know it. Shri Gaurahari, the ocean of mercy, allows anyone to awaken their dormant God consciousness, even if they aren’t born into a tradition which puts an emphasis on a second birth. When the playing field is seen as a place filled with boundless opportunities for glorifying Krishna and devotion to Him, the childlike enthusiasm can remain active all the way up until death, where the loving arms of the Supreme Abode wait to embrace us.

In Closing:

For those who process of bhakti do take,

The loving arms of Supreme Lord await.

Living entity emerges onto the playing field,

Where activities different rewards they yield.

Sometimes through hard work there are winners,

Since bodies must decay all are losers.

Shri Krishna, the deity that is blue,

Of material world has nothing to do.

Second birth for the human is more important,

Learn knowledge of God always pertinent.

Lord Chaitanya, Krishna as a devotee,

Spread such information to set souls free.

Religion in real form is all the same,

Meant to bring God’s company, highest gain.

Gaurahari brought wisdom through chanting,

Krishna’s names, seeds of devotion implanting.

Most merciful of all the divine incarnations,

Gave bhakti formula to create best of conditions.