The Umbrella Solution

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

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At some point during the journey through life, the sober human being looks for a higher purpose. “What am I doing here? Is my existence worth anything? I want to make a meaningful impact on society. I want to make a difference.” Unfortunately, a difference doesn’t necessarily mean a positive result. Despots and cruel dictators of the past have certainly made a difference. They made an impact on their society, instilling fear and dread in the hearts of the innocent. To make a positive difference is the desired objective, and so it would make sense to tackle a problem that everyone faces. The Bhagavad-gita jumps right to that problem, and the solution offered is quite straightforward.

Some people are poor. They don’t have enough money. They don’t have a car, a mobile telephone, a television set, or enough funds to take a vacation. They squeeze by on the modest income they have. They have no peace since they don’t know if they will make ends meet going forward. I can try a myriad of solutions to help them, and even if I’m successful, there are still others with problems. The rich are also suffering, though I may not see it. Though they have a fancy car and a luxurious house, it doesn’t mean that they don’t hanker. It doesn’t mean that they are free of lamentation. Whether a poor person laments or a rich person, the pain from that lamentation is the same. Therefore my drive to end poverty doesn’t solve all the problems of the world.

Some people are diseased. They get hit by a terrible illness, one that might have affected someone in my family as well. Therefore I take to promoting awareness for this disease. I educate others about the number of people affected each year and what steps can be taken for prevention. Again, this issue is not all-encompassing. Not everyone will have the disease I am focused on. Moreover, others suffer from a different disease. They too know of a loved one who died from that illness; so they think their disease of focus is more important. There is no way to reconcile the difference, since each person is entitled to their opinion.

The ecology of the earth is being harmed. Drilling for oil, dumping out toxic waste, factory smoke and automobile emissions in the air - these are not good things. I thus take it as my duty to fix the environment. I will educate others on how to live a simple life, how to conserve. In the present age of heightened fruitive activity through industrialization and increased avenues for sense gratification, it will be difficult to get anyone to listen to me with attention. The notable champions of such causes presently in the public eye don’t follow the recommendations they give; they are often the greatest polluters.

In the odd chance that I succeed in cleaning up the environment, there are still the aforementioned issues relating to poverty and disease. This is the defect with any cause; one solution will not solve all other problems. To make a real difference, it would make sense to look for the root cause to all problems. In the Bhagavad-gita, we learn that birth is that cause. From birth come old age, disease and death.

“When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes, he can become free from birth, death, old age and their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in this life.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 14.20)

The soul is pure. It is transcendental to birth and death. Sort of how my identity is not determined by the uniform I wear, the soul does not come into existence at the time of birth. It is also not annihilated at the time of death. Upon birth a body composed of the three modes of material nature covers the soul. From that interaction with nature, all the problems of life follow. Even if there is repeated success, there is the impending death to consider. At death the cycle repeats, for birth is assured for one who dies.

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

A subsequent birth is guaranteed for all who die, with one exception. One who knows the transcendental nature of the appearance and disappearance of the Supreme Lord does not take birth again. Confirmation of this knowledge’s presence comes from the consciousness at the time of death. One who thinks of the Supreme Lord, knowing that He never takes birth or dies, does not have to assume a material covering again. They instead get transported to the spiritual realm, where body and soul are identical. In that realm there is full variety in activity, and there are no problems to solve, as the play does not have to stop. Time exists in that realm, but it has no influence. It does not diminish the bliss of interaction with God.

Knowing the nature of God and remembering it while quitting the body is the umbrella solution, so it would make sense to try to give this solution to as many as possible. Knowing God in full is very difficult, but the Bhagavad-gita provides help. One should have attachment to God in His original, personal form of Krishna and take up devotion to Him. In that devotion they will know Him in full, free from doubt.

“Now hear, O son of Pritha [Arjuna], how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 7.1)

To have attachment to Krishna one should know about Him. Therefore a good way to help others is to teach them about Krishna. There is so much to explain as well, as God’s glories are limitless. Someone may not want to hear philosophy or the praise of a supreme being. In that case they can simply hear the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The holy name is identical with the person Krishna, and with enough chanting and hearing one will learn the Lord’s true nature. Armed with that knowledge, they will finally put an end to birth, the cause of all problems.

In Closing:

Some with onset of disease to struggle,

Others with lack of funds to grapple.

 

Aid to them you’d like to give,

So that without problems they’ll live.

 

From one or the other must choose,

Thus one group to win, the other to lose.

 

When end of birth and death the solution,

Everything fixed, from sadness to pollution.

 

The nature of the Supreme Lord know,

Have attachment and towards Him go.

Giving The Best Cure

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

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Vedic literature is unimaginably voluminous, with the works devoted to bhakti being in noticeable abundance. Bhakti is devotion, and so you can find many lifetimes’ worth of books, poems, songs, dramas, and commentaries to sift through. The authors, languages and specific subject matters may vary, but the philosophy is always the same: devotion. Love of God is the height of an existence, and through these works the saints of the bhakti tradition try to get that point across, being as emphatic as possible. The question may arise as to why so much literature is necessary. The answer comes in knowing the nature of the cure that devotion offers.

Let’s run through some common problems that plague us and some of the corresponding solutions. Then we’ll study the behavior subsequent to finding such solutions. In our first problem, we have thinning hair. Not like it was during childhood, suddenly in adulthood the hair on the head starts to thin out. You don’t know what to do. Though it’s rude to comment on such things, others are now ceasing from holding back. They make remarks to you. It makes you feel so bad. You wish there was a way to fix the situation. You don’t even care about your appearance so much. You just want people to stop making comments.

In reading articles online and talking to various friends, you try a host of solutions. One of them seems to make a difference: mustard oil. The plain old oil that they sell in the Indian stores applied to your head a few times a week has suddenly made a noticeable difference. You can’t believe your good fortune. You wonder why nobody else knows about this. Why is such a simple solution, which has the potential to work for a lot of people, not being employed by every single person? Why aren’t all young adults put on this therapy as a precautionary measure? In finding this solution, you are not shy in sharing it with others.

In another scenario you notice that you’re overweight. You’ve been this way for some time, but it took you a while to realize it. One day you were lean and trim, fit enough to play sports for hours at a time. You therefore ate whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. Then, due to other responsibilities, you stopped playing that sport so much. You didn’t change your eating habits in accordance; therefore your weight spiked. You think it’ll be easy to get back into shape, but you’re finding it particularly difficult. You can’t control what you eat.

So many solutions cross your mind from perusing the internet, but you end up starving yourself in all of them. Then a friend gives you a simple solution. He tells you to maintain your current food intake, but just divide up the portions throughout the day. You give this a shot, and what you notice is that you are slowly able to start eating less. You feel a burn throughout your body, and with a couple of other tweaks like exercise and not going out to eat so much, you end up losing a lot of weight. But it all started with controlling the portion size for your meals. You decide that you can’t keep this to yourself; you have to inform everyone you know who is struggling with weight gain.

In another scenario you’re having trouble studying. You have trouble getting out of bed each morning, since you know you will have a lot of work ahead of you. You do so many other things in the morning first, and by the time you’re finished you have no energy left to study. Then a friend gives you some advice. She says to study first thing in the morning. Get it out of the way; leisure time later on will be your reward. You give it a shot, and what ends up happening is that you gather so much momentum from the start of the day that you’re able to study for a long time. You keep away distractions. In this way, with a simple tweak you completely changed your productivity. Now you want to share this solution with so many others who are grappling with procrastination.

In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna states that one who knows the transcendental nature of His appearance and disappearance does not take birth again. The last part references the travels of the soul, wherein there is another birth after death. This concept shouldn’t be that difficult to understand. Birth and death are merely arbitrary demarcations based on the shifting of the external covering. It’s sort of like the division between night and day or the days on the calendar. Nothing has really changed; merely the passage of time. Yet we use these divisions to better organize our journey through life. They help in studying history as well.

So if we’re going to share information on how to solve thinning hair or weight gain or difficulty in studying, why wouldn’t we share information that will stop birth? Isn’t that more important than anything else? Birth is the cause of all the problems we see now. There must be death following a birth, which means that there must be disease. Disease is what leads to death. Even in the case of an accident, there is the unfortunate occurrence, which can be considered a defect in conduct, which is sort of like a disease.

Knowing of the nature of Krishna’s appearance and disappearance cures birth, which thus stops death. Therefore the saints of the bhakti tradition try to describe Krishna to as many people as possible. As Krishna is God, the detail behind the abstract, there is no end to His glories. This means that one will never finish in describing Him. This is a good problem to have, as it brings activity to the state of liberation. Not that the end of birth means the end of activity; devotional service is always vibrant. One who has got life can participate in bhakti, whose most pleasurable activity is contemplating and describing the glories of the beloved.

Krishna can only be known through the instruction of these saints, who kindly keep the line of disciplic succession going by passing on information about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That information says that Krishna’s appearance and disappearance are not like ours. He never takes birth, in fact. He never dies, either. His body and soul are identical. His form is eternal, blissful and knowledgeable. He is the cause of all causes, the original person, the oldest living entity, and non-different from His energies. Those appearances and disappearances feature a multitude of activities, which further enlighten the otherwise bewildered soul into the true nature of Krishna. Knowing His nature means the end of birth, which is the cure worth giving to any and all.

In Closing:

Problem lately tackling the mind,

Happy when the solution to find.

 

With others then to share,

Since of their welfare to care.

 

Cause of all problems is birth,

Death, disease caused by this first.

 

No rebirth when Krishna’s nature knowing,

Transcendental are His comings and goings.

Healing The Healthy

“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)

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Do you want to go through life sad and depressed? How about wandering aimlessly in search of that one thing that will give you lasting happiness? Do you ever see others who seem to have no problem getting out of bed, while you struggle to find a purpose to your existence? These are the problems facing the healthy, those who are not stricken by a disease immediately attacking their physical form. The “immediately” qualifier is necessary since everyone is on the verge of death. Kalah, death as it is known in Sanskrit, is thus far undefeated. Whether you have the will to win, whether you’re ready to take it on the chin, or whether you don’t want to be the loser since the winner takes it all, it won’t matter. Death will defeat you.

So the relatively healthy are those who are not on the immediate verge of death due to an illness. Still, they have their problems. They are not always happy. They do not know how best to use the healthy life with which they are blessed. The only answer comes from the Vaishnava saints, who live eternally to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since they have got the describing spirit, wherein they always increase the praises of the Supreme Lord and His consorts in some way, they have actually got life. And like a fire that can spark other flames, these servants can pass on the same eternal life to anyone, provided they are ready to accept the cure.

You’ve likely heard the pitch from the telethons and radiothons that occur annually in support of a particular health issue. They usually go something like this:

“Thanks to your kind donations over the years, we’ve made a lot of progress in the fight against such and such disease. Only a few short years ago, being diagnosed with this disease meant a death sentence. Now this is not the case. So many people are surviving now. The five and ten year cure rates are much higher. But there is still a lot of work to be done. With your help hopefully one day we can totally wipe out this disease.”

Indeed, such work is rooted in great compassion. Many of the promoters have been affected by the disease themselves. They saw others close to them suffer so much and eventually die. Therefore they tried in some little way to help out. They have compassion for others who are suffering.

Of course there is competition in this area. Man does not die from a single disease alone. There are many diseases, and so there are many causes competing for support from the sympathetic public. Who is to say which disease is more important? If my loved one passed on from a particular illness, I will consider that to be the most important. But then someone else was affected by another disease, so they have a different opinion.

But what about the people who are healthy? What about the people who get cured? What should they do with their life? The common answer is “live it to their heart’s content. Be happy every day. Be thankful for God’s blessings.” Indeed, this is valid, but how does one stay happy? How do they make their heart content? The Vaishnava saint says that the only way is through bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. This is not sentiment. This fact is validated through personal practice and thousands of years of tangible evidence, both within the bhakti realm and outside of it.

Outside the realm we see the evidence of so many people from the past who succeeded materially. They got enough money, enough food, and enough association with the opposite sex. Still, they weren’t happy. So someone struggling so hard to reach a destination that others already know isn’t the summit to an existence isn’t a very wise choice.

Within the realm of bhakti we have the saintly characters themselves, who were always blissful in devotion. Their transcendental radiance spread throughout, like a bright light to dissipate the darkness of night. They showed their devotion in acts of kindness, in the compassionate treatment of other living entities, and in the sharing of eternal wisdom from sacred texts like the Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam.

Everyone needs something to do. The healthy person has more time on their hands, with no disease to worry over immediately. Therefore they need more things to do. The urgency is greater to find a lifetime engagement. Devotional service provides that. It allows one to praise someone else all the time. The features of the adored object are inexhaustible and inestimable in greatness. This is a blessing for the worshiper rather than a curse. It means that at any time and at any place one can glorify God. They can record their glorifications to keep progress and to also pass on valuable information to others. And to fill the air with a good aura, they can always chant the holy names, which is the elixir for the distressed mind looking for meaning to a healthy life: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

There is no loss in taking to devotion. One might fear that by following bhakti-yoga other causes will get ignored, but actually the percentage of the population that will take up devotion in earnest is very small. There is no shortage of scientists looking for cures, and comparatively speaking the number of people soliciting for help in curing diseases is very large. To the larger point, the cure offered by the Vaishnava saint is much more valuable, and it is applicable to both the healthy and the sick. Death will arrive for all, and the consciousness at that most important moment determines the type of life one will find next. The cure of bhakti gives a life of devotion in the subsequent birth, which means more and more bliss in serving the Almighty. No other cure gives such a benediction.

In Closing:

Unfortunate are the sick,

When this disease to lick?

 

Society members asked to give pause,

And in generosity to support the cause.

 

But what then for the healthy?

For problems not solved even when wealthy.

 

The Vaishnava giving the cure for all,

Happiness when holy names to call.

 

Solution for finding life’s real meaning,

Eternally with devotional light beaming.

Natural Inspiration

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.14)

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“You’re not really sick, man. It’s all in your head. You’re not really cold or hot, either. You should be able to get over this. Just tell yourself that there’s no pain. Then you can fight through it.” Perhaps we’ve heard this advice from one of our friends. Seems a little silly when you have a fever, a runny nose, and a nagging cough. It’s hard to take stock in these words when it’s below the freezing point outside and we can see our breath as we walk to our car. It’s especially difficult to understand this when we are feeling fatigued, when we desperately want to take some rest.

“I can’t function without my morning coffee. Until I have my first cup, I won’t be truly awake.” We know that this is a common sentiment based on how much coffee is sold in convenience stores in the morning. The mind thinks that it can’t do this or that without a specific chemical, but the “mind over matter” concept does have some truth to it. Not that fatigue is part of our imagination, but there are ways to get through it. And these ways don’t have to involve chemical stimulants. Both personal experience and the Bhagavad-gita confirm this.

We’ve heard of the mother who can suddenly lift a car to save her baby. Again, this seems a little ridiculous, but there have certainly been times in our lives where we did amazing things when suddenly called into action. The first time we opened our new smartphone or tablet we likely played with it for hours. Despite staying awake into hours we normally would be tired, we remained active, charged by the enthusiasm. Just hearing some good news can do the same. If someone informs us of something that gets us excited, we suddenly don’t feel the outside conditions so much. We may be extremely tired in the morning, but if we’re afraid of missing our train to work, we’re able to wake up.

Devotion to the Supreme Lord brings this capability all the time. Serving God in a loving way is known by many terms, with bhakti-yoga being one of them. Bhakti-yoga is the discipline of uniting the individual soul with the Supreme Lord through love especially. This love cannot be checked and it is not motivated. What we normally consider love lacks both of these features. Love of anyone else is checked by at least the time factor. Love is also motivated by the reciprocation we hope to receive.

When you remove the motivation and the impediments, you get something that makes you happy all the time. You are able to get that warm feeling inside at any moment, during even times of trouble. One person who is always in bhakti-yoga is Arjuna. One time, through divine arrangement, he shows ignorance so that the Supreme Lord can offer sound words of advice. Arjuna’s questioning of Krishna is also bhakti-yoga, as it is an act of love. Krishna then addresses Arjuna by so many different names, with Gudakesha being one of them.

“Gudaka means sleep, and one who conquers sleep is called gudakesha. Sleep also means ignorance. So Arjuna conquered both sleep and ignorance because of his friendship with Krishna. As a great devotee of Krishna, he could not forget Krishna even for a moment, because that is the nature of a devotee. Either in waking or in sleep, a devotee of the Lord can never be free from thinking of Krishna's name, form, quality and pastimes.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 1.24 Purport)

Gudakesha means that Arjuna is the conqueror of sleep. He doesn’t have to sleep if he doesn’t want to. Not that he’s trying to win a contest, he simply forgets about it since he is engaged in devotional service. His primary means of service is courageously fighting against enemy forces on a battlefield. Arjuna serves as the lead warrior for a particular side in the greatest war in history. To fight valiantly requires one to be alert. Those trained in the military are not shown how to sleep long hours throughout the day. Instead, they are trained to go off little sleep, for that toughens them up for the difficult situations they will face.

War is indeed difficult, but it is the devotion which allows those like Arjuna to conquer sleep. In one of the many instructions offered to Arjuna, Krishna says that happiness and distress come and go like the winter and summer seasons. The recipient feels them due to sense perception only. Krishna does not say that the happiness and distress are fake. He does not say that one should pretend that they don’t exist. He advises Arjuna to tolerate them without being disturbed. This means “carry out your duty despite the outside conditions.”

This is another way of describing how devotional service is unmotivated and uninterrupted. The happiness of a temporary victory should not dampen one’s enthusiasm to serve God going forward. The same goes for a devastating defeat. Arjuna would indeed face both of these, and though he accepted both, he did not let them disturb his fixed concentration on following Krishna’s orders.

Hearing about Krishna, who is the personal aspect of God, the origin to the material creation, the spiritual world, the concept of an all-powerful being, and the highest philosophy presented in scriptural texts, brings a natural high. One can hear of Him by simply chanting His names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.” Hearing and chanting are the foundation of devotional service, and they bring such joy that the devoted soul is no longer disturbed by outside influences. They can easily stay away from meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex, since these are not necessary to make it through life. The child goes through the early part of life just fine without these things, so why should there be addictions to them in adult life?

And what if the chemicals are not around on a specific day? What if there is a strike of workers that leads to a shortage of coffee? What if there is no beer at the local supermarket? What if there is no money to purchase expensive meats? The human being can survive just fine without these things, and that survival is made much easier when there is the natural high of devotion. Arjuna experiences it all the time, and through hearing what he heard, so can we.

In Closing:

Heat and cold conditions to find,

Matter only, make strong the mind.

 

Information from Bhagavad-gita received,

That such states only from senses perceived.

 

Consider how when joyous news heard,

Conquering fatigue into action spurred.

 

By chemicals not in work inspired,

For devotion all that Arjuna requires.

Taking the Antidote

“Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.19)

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In the Bhagavad-gita it is stated clearly why the jiva soul is cast into various species that bring so much pain. These species are described as lower, which refers to the place on the ladder of success in consciousness. On the lower rungs there is increased forgetfulness of God, and because of that there is increased misery. On the higher rungs there is increased remembrance of God, which brings all good things. When that remembrance occurs at the time of death, there is no more rebirth.

“And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.5)

The language is quite clear. Whether one accepts the statements or not is a different story. Perhaps there is a sectarian boundary that prevents one from even hearing the ancient Sanskrit text that summarizes and perfectly explains the original spiritual discipline for all of man, the dharma of the individual soul. Perhaps one thinks in terms of “my God” versus “your God,” and thus doesn’t want to hear about the transmigration of the soul, the three modes of material nature, the reason that anger is harmful, the pitfall of aversion and attachment, and the source of both material and spiritual worlds.

But even when the statements are accepted, there is still the curiosity to investigate further into history. “When did I first come here? I understand now that reincarnation continues for as long as I am not purely God conscious, but when did my impure consciousness begin? When did I separate from God? When did I first fall to the material world? Did I come directly from the Lord’s company in the spiritual realm? Did I simply expand from His transcendental body and then make the choice at random, like the flipping of the coin?”

When rushed to the emergency room with an ailment, there is little time for the responders to delve into the cause. They may ask what had happened. Nevertheless, the emphasis is on treatment to eliminate the problem. If there is a heart attack, the doctors and nurses must figure out how to get the heart running again. Never mind what caused the cardiac arrest. So many things could have happened. Perhaps it was a sudden shock or maybe it was years of unhealthy eating. When the treatment is available, however, there is no hesitation in applying it.

For the disease of reincarnation afflicting the spirit soul, who travels through so many different bodies spanning millions of years, Shri Krishna provides the cure in the Bhagavad-gita. He says to think of Him. Thinking of Him is difficult, so there are recommended practices, regulations and guidelines. He says to offer all the results of work to Him. He says that by acting this way, we will automatically come to Him.

“Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 9.34)

To prevent the disease from coming back, it is surely helpful to figure out what caused it in the first place. With the fall to the material world, the “why” is actually already provided. We know that there was forgetfulness. The urge to trace the history is for deciphering the “when.” Relating this to the disease of the body analogy, it would be like learning that one’s appendicitis was caused by eating certain kinds of bagels. These bagels were consumed on a regular basis, so the patient would have no issue accepting the root cause diagnosis. But then if they spent so much effort in trying to remember when they ate the bagels, it wouldn’t be such a worthy use of time. If the “why” is already known, then “when” usually isn’t so important.

In the spiritual sense, the “when” of forgetting God can never truly be known. This is because full knowledge is only available to God. The Bhagavad-gita is spoken by Shri Krishna to a liberated soul named Arjuna. This means that Arjuna, though temporarily distraught and forgetful of the real principles of religion, is actually never forgetful of Krishna. He simply plays the role of disciple on one occasion in order to teach future generations of man the timeless principles of yoga, which is linking the individual soul with the Supreme Soul.

“The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!” (Bg. 4.5)

Arjuna learns that he has lived so many previous lives, but whereas Krishna can remember those lives, Arjuna cannot. If even the liberated soul who is Krishna’s constant companion in so many manifest pastimes on earth does not have perfect knowledge of history, who are the individual spirit souls, who are currently not in Krishna’s company, to gather perfect knowledge of either their own history or anyone else’s?

Consciousness is adjusted in the right direction through chanting the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.” This accounts for thinking of Krishna. It is also a sacrifice of time and energy. It is a kind of work as well. How the fruits of labor are ultimately used determines the nature of that labor. If I work hard simply to be able to drink adult beverages and eat meat all the time, my work enables my forgetfulness of God.

On the other hand, if I work to support my devotional life, which begins and ends with chanting the holy names, then the work is spiritual in nature. Though externally it may appear to be material, by supporting the devotional culture the work is actually a sacrifice for the Supreme Lord. Enough sacrifice, over enough time, brings the desired pure consciousness at the time of death, which is the ultimate solution to the miseries of life.

In Closing:

Leaving God, falling from grace,

My history back let me trace.

 

Though solution from Gita I know,

Still towards finding complete account I go.

 

To Krishna than Arjuna none is more dear,

And yet even to him such history not clear.

 

Solution there, emergency treatment take,

Chant holy names, disease of forgetfulness forsake.

Merging Into Transcendence

“The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges entirely into transcendence.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.23)

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Question: How can I continue to work in the material world and remain unattached? I don’t know how my knowledge of God will increase if I have to continue to work for a living. How am I supposed to find transcendence if I have all of this other stuff to do?

Developing Krishna consciousness, which is the original consciousness, is not easy for one who is conditioned. By definition, one who takes birth in the material world is considered conditioned. They operate under the rules imposed by the higher nature. There are hurricanes, earthquakes, diseases, military conflicts, and depression to contend with. The spirit soul is by nature free, so these things aren’t natural for it. When they are present, the same pure spirit soul is considered conditioned. To break out of the conditioned state and reach a liberated one is not impossible, though it may take some time.

Consider the following hypothetical scenario:

“My left eye is so blurry. It seems to be okay during the day, when I have my contact lenses on, but at night when I take them off it’s almost impossible to see. This is even with my eyeglasses on. I basically have to watch television with one eye. In the morning it seems to be okay, but if I use the computer for a little while, suddenly the eye gets blurry very quickly. When I’m wearing contact lenses, I can see okay.

“But lately even with the contact lenses on it’s been difficult to see. It feels like the lenses are losing their moisture very quickly. Something is definitely wrong. I tried going a few days without contacts, and the blurriness remained. Finally, I went to see an eye doctor. Right away they gave their diagnosis. I have ‘dry eye.’ Through so many years of contact lens wear and having spent so many hours in front of the computer, my eye has developed a problem. It is not getting enough moisture. The doctor has told me to stop wearing contact lenses immediately and to take these prescription eye drops twice a day. Then he’ll monitor the situation again after some time has passed.”

Fast forward a month…

“The problem still isn’t getting better. I have good days and bad, but I still have trouble seeing out of my left eye. Do you know how annoying it is to have only one functioning eye? I’ve been taking the drops, but there are no discernible results. The eye doctor says that my vision is improving and that I should give it a little more time. What other choice do I have?”

Fast forward another month…

“Wow, I can finally see again. I don’t know what happened. Maybe it was a gradual change, though it seemed like a long period of no progress followed by a sudden cure. My left eye is very clear now. I don’t even need to wear my glasses most of the time now. I can see just fine. I guess I just needed to allow the prescription drops to work their magic. I am so happy right now.”

For one who follows the path of transcendental knowledge, when remaining steady eventually the work merges into transcendence. This is what Shri Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita. Krishna is God, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is Bhagavan, which is the complete realization of God. The invisible man in the sky who may or may not look old and punish the sinners is a vague concept. The spiritual energy that pervades the manifest world is also an incomplete realization. The localized spirit soul that is superior to the individual spirit soul within each body is also an incomplete realization. These features are subordinate to Bhagavan, who is the complete whole.

Transcendence is the opposite of conditioned life. When your work merges into transcendence, it means that you are no longer materially affected by what you do. If I repeatedly sing a certain song all day long there are material consequences. My mind could eventually get sick of the song. I might neglect my other duties. I could develop an attachment to the words. Therefore the content of the song suddenly becomes important. If it’s about chasing women at all costs, I will be more driven towards something that is the opposite of transcendence.

On the other hand, if I always chant, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,” I’m doing the same kind of work but getting an entirely different result. The name of Krishna is the same as Krishna. The name Rama addresses the same Krishna, but describes Him in a slightly different way. The name “Hare” also refers to Krishna but more specifically to His devoted energy potency, who though remaining a separate personality is still considered the same as Krishna because of the shared interest.

Chanting the aforementioned mantra is part of work in bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. Bhakti-yoga is itself transcendence, but in the beginning one may still be attached to the material modes of nature. These are the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. In ignorance I do stupid things without thinking and don’t get any benefit as a result. Think of the tennis player who smashes their racket in frustration. This is a stupid act because the racket is an inanimate object that is not culpable in the poor performance of the player. In passion I work hard to get a temporary result that doesn’t give me lasting satisfaction. Think of the team that wins the championship and then gets asked about the next season during the trophy presentation. They spent all this time working to reach the pinnacle of success for the season, and in an instant all of that is forgotten. They are right back where they started. Thus a neutral position is reached.

In goodness, I follow mundane principles of piety and religion in order to find a more comfortable position in life. I do things because they are considered “good for me,” though I don’t really know why. I worship God, or some kind of heavenly figure. I follow the rules and regulations of spiritual life. I understand that I am a spirit soul, part of the non-differentiated energy known as Brahman. Still, in my comfortable life in piety I am quite attached. I like where I am and where I am going.

“O sinless one, the mode of goodness, being purer than the others, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode develop knowledge, but they become conditioned by the concept of happiness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 14.6)

One who is unattached to these three modes is attached to Krishna. They could be in a hellish place and still worship the Supreme Lord. They could be engaged in fruitive activity, where it looks like they are working for a temporary result, but still thinking of their beloved Krishna all the time. They could be studying the Vedas, the original books of knowledge, and becoming familiar with the principles of jnana and vairagya, knowledge and renunciation, and still be thinking of Krishna the whole time.

In the beginning stages of practicing bhakti-yoga, one likely isn’t situated in transcendental knowledge. This knowledge is difficult to absorb because it’s so different from anything else that is taught. And still, through enough dedication, knowledge will come. And when there is no attachment to the three modes accompanying this realization of transcendental knowledge, the work performed merges entirely into transcendence.

In the beginning stages it didn’t seem like this, but just as the eye took some time to heal, the formula of chanting and hearing the holy names and following bhakti-yoga in general eventually yields the best result. To merge into transcendence means to transcend the dualities of the material nature, which makes us think that one person is our friend and another our enemy. It makes us think that one kind of job is better than another and that birth in a particular situation is superior to birth in another. In transcendence, the Supreme Lord’s unmistakable presence is seen everywhere, and since He is all-attractive, seeing Him all the time brings the most pleasure to the individual spirit soul.

In Closing:

No progress in treatment to feel,

Still blurry, my eye not to heal.

 

Finally can see, no longer afraid.

Because on treatment path I stayed.

 

Transcendence to work the same way,

Work merges when holy names to say.

 

Effects of material nature no more,

Mind only charm of Krishna to adore.

The Perplexities of Life

“A pure devotee of the Lord like Brahma and persons in his disciplic succession are always unhappy to see the perplexities of the conditioned souls, who are suffering the onslaughts of the threefold miseries which pertain to the body and mind, to the disturbances of material nature, and to many other such material disadvantages.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.9.8 Purport)

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“It’s strange if I think about it. When I was younger, I was under constant pressure. I had this nagging fear that I would be left back in each grade in school. I always wondered how I would handle such failure. Because of this fear I made sure to work hard. I studied in a timely fashion and finished all of my homework as soon as I came home from school every day. If I had a paper or a project due, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was like this nagging problem that followed me wherever I went.

“I enjoyed the summer vacations precisely because of the relief in pressure they brought. No more assignments due. No more worry over passing the grade. I could just sit at home and relax. These summers were okay until I got a little older. Though I thought life would be easy after completing school, it wasn’t. It only became more difficult. The pressures were there constantly instead of just during the school year.

“When I finally got a job, I thought it would be smooth sailing. A steady paycheck, some responsibility, and the ability to buy things that I wanted - who could ask for more? And yet the pressures continued. I thought I would be happy in the association of a member of the opposite sex. I enjoyed time spent with such people, but I noticed that the more time I spent with them, the more in anxiety I became. I thought friendship would be nice as well, but as familiarity increased, so did the arguments. If I failed to agree with a single opinion or just one time didn’t feel like doing what the friend wanted to do, an argument would arise. In thinking back, I was probably happier before venturing into these territories. And yet going in I thought I would find so much happiness.”

Indeed, these are the perplexities of life. We think we solve one problem, but in fact another one arises immediately. This holds true for both our own journey through life and the journeys of others. The miseries are due to the forces of nature, the influence of other living entities, and the effect of the body and mind. The Vaishnava knows that these miseries are always there, so the remedies they provide are a little different.

How so?

A Vaishnava is a devotee of God in His personal form. Vishnu is the name of the object of devotion, and this object isn’t a personality assigned worshipable status only out of sentiment. There is a Supreme Controller; otherwise there wouldn’t be intelligence to the workings of the universe. Since we are able to decipher patterns and then predict events, it means we have intelligence. Since we had no hand in creating ourselves, there was a higher force that is more intelligent. The foolish choose to ignore the existence of this higher force because they purportedly can’t see it. The slightly envious try to gain the favor of this higher force in order to improve their own condition.

The truly non-envious worship such a force without any personal motive. They only want to continue to worship, which in their case is in the mood of love. Hence they get the adjective “pure” attached to their devotion. Part of this pure devotion is helping others. This help is not intended to keep one baffled by the perplexities of life. Instead, one is helped in overcoming them. This help is in the form of offering the tools to practice the same devotion. And in that devotion one understands the perplexities a little better.

One way I can help someone is to give them an air conditioner. Especially if the affected party is stuck in a building without cooling, in the summer months an air conditioner would really help. So I go to the store, buy a unit, install it in the home, and then leave feeling satisfied. I helped someone else. But did I really? Because they have a comfortable climate in the room now, have all their problems in life suddenly vanished?

The air conditioner is a small example, but take something more significant, like curing a disease. If someone is stricken with a deadly disease, and I help them to beat it, surely I’m doing something worthwhile, no? But again, the perplexities of life will continue. Some disease will crop up again. Moreover, in the healthy condition the living entity needs worthwhile activity. Otherwise the miseries from the mind will crop up, making the healthy condition just as hellish as the diseased one.

The Vaishnava is unhappy to see this constant misery, so they try their best to give the most glorious activity, bhakti-yoga. This is a way of life, not just a once a week profession of faith done to maintain an institution. In its English form, bhakti-yoga can be taken to mean Krishna consciousness. Krishna is the name for God that means all-attractive. Consciousness means constant awareness. Bhakti-yoga can thus also mean “always seeing God.” And since God is all-attractive, wouldn’t seeing Him all the time be really great?

Seeing the all-attractive God would be better than seeing an enemy. It would be better than seeing the constant miseries from the past. It would be better than worrying over the future misfortunes that are bound to come no matter what. It would be better than arguing with a friend over a trivial issue. It would be better than working so hard to get enough food to eat. It would be better than trying to drink yourself into oblivion because you have nothing better to do.

The Vaishnava knows that God consciousness is better than all such things. It is above the perplexities of life because it is spiritual. The only perplexity that remains is how from just chanting a specific mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,” the all-attractive supreme power’s presence is granted, thereby automatically changing consciousness.

This consciousness is the most precious gift, because it carries over from lifetime to lifetime. It continues into the future, unlike the temporary goals we strive for today. With superior longevity, this consciousness is the most valuable asset, and so the Vaishnava tries to create it in as many people as possible. It is the original consciousness, so keeping it isn’t that difficult once we’re reminded of where to get it.

In Closing:

Pain from others, disease, and the weather,

Without God keep digging for something better.

 

Original consciousness Vaishnava helps us to find,

Solves perplexities, including pain of body and mind.

 

With daily all-attractive God seeing,

Vibrant in activity always being.

 

All problems previously never were solved,

To practice bhakti-yoga now I have resolved.

The Pain of Disease

“The material pains are birth, death, old age and disease. Even if I am a rich man, a beautiful man, an educated man, born in an aristocratic family, etc., I still cannot avoid death, old age, and disease.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Krishna, The Reservoir of Pleasure)

Without a consciousness focused on the Supreme Spirit, who is the origin of both matter and spirit, the mind will be drawn to dichotomies in condition. And from there develop anger, resentment, envy, and a host of other negative emotions. These emotions then lead to activism to address the apparent imbalances, and so the living entity is further thrown into illusion. With a little applied thought, however, instigated by the teachings of the acharyas, who know the equality shared amongst all sparks of spirit, the illusion can be dispelled. In that higher state of consciousness, the true pitiable condition of all living entities devoid of God consciousness is seen.

A classic example of the illusion is the apparent difference in condition between the rich man and the poor man. The rich man has it all. He’s got the house, the car, the high income, and the ability to get whatever he wants. He’s not suffering in any way, right? If he suffers, such as through addiction to alcohol or gambling, it is his own doing. He deserves the punishment he gets because he is unwisely utilizing the precious gift of opulence that life handed to him.

On the other side, the poor man is struggling. He’s not sure about the future. He doesn’t know if he’ll have a job tomorrow, and with that uncertainty he’s not sure he can pay for the apartment that he lives in. What if a calamity befalls him, such as a health issue? How is he going to pay the bills? He doesn’t have it easy like the rich man. He can’t just buy his way out of trouble. He lives in poverty, and so future generations springing from him will also bear the burden of a life of financial uncertainty.

This doesn’t seem fair. Why should one person be rich and another poor? Something must be done to address the inequity. Why should greed win out? Does the rich person really need all of those cars? Just one car donated to a person in need can do so much. Does the rich person need all of their money for themselves? If they donated some of that wealth to pay for the medical bills of the poor, we could prevent so many tragic deaths. Therefore let us try to fix the inequities. Let’s end poverty altogether.

What’s immediately forgotten in this push is that actions have reactions. There are consequences to the way someone behaves, and those consequences manifest in life conditions. You can’t completely attribute a person’s good financial fortune to luck, and by the same token you can’t say that someone is completely unlucky to fall into poverty. Statistics in America at least show that illicit sex is the primary contributing factor to remaining in poverty. Simply graduating high school and waiting until you are married to have children greatly reduces your risk of being poor. Along the same lines, being responsible with family life, working hard, developing a product or service that other people like, and putting in the necessary effort to get the word out about your work will do wonders for improving your economic condition. The wealthy companies of the world are primarily those which sell products and services that appeal to the masses. The more people who will buy what you are selling, the wealthier you will be.

Even if you are wealthy, does this mean that your problems end? Take a look at some common reactions to action and test for yourself whether or not they apply universally. If I place my hand into a fire, will it not burn? Does the fire care if I have a lot of money? Does the fire react differently based on my income? The miseries of material life affect all; they do not discriminate. A person may own a lavish home, but a hurricane can wipe it out within hours. A disease can strike any person, and the pain of that disease is the same regardless of one’s disposition. One may say that the rich man has a better chance of getting medical treatment, but treatment itself is not guaranteed to remove the disease. You can have the best medical treatment in the world, but sometimes nothing can save you.

If the pain of disease can strike any person, shouldn’t the focus be on stopping disease altogether? Shouldn’t I try to figure out who I am and why I contract disease? The Vedic seers focus on spirit, which is above the dualities of the material nature. The material nature creates temporary conditions like rich and poor, healthy and diseased, happy and sad, etc. The spirit soul is above these conditions, and through the help of the gifts of material nature, the individual who is that soul can remain above the material conditions as well.

Birth, old age, disease and death will strike everyone, regardless of country of origin, age, gender, or religion. In the Bhagavad-gita, the focus is on how to become free of these miseries. It is said that one who knows the nature of Shri Krishna, and how He appears and disappears transcendentally, never has to take birth again. Without rebirth, there is no chance for experiencing the miseries of material life.

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

And who is Krishna? He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the same God vaguely known by others. He is all-attractive; so His features are described in more detail in the Vedas, which include the sacred work called the Bhagavad-gita. The saints who follow the conclusion of the Gita, which is surrender to Krishna in a mood of love, remain above the illusion caused by contact with material nature. They also teach others how to reach the same elevated status.

Their teaching applies to rich and poor alike. The pizza pie fresh out of the oven is the same for every person, so the rich person doesn’t really have an advantage here. They essentially eat the same food, though they may dine at a fancier restaurant. The taste is the same regardless, so there is really no distinction in grades of material enjoyment.

Real life is Krishna consciousness, which is known as bhakti-rasa. In bhakti, or devotion, there is a rasa, or taste. Anyone who is without this taste is considered poor, and so the devotees of Krishna accept the thankless task of distributing this nectar to anyone who is willing to accept it. The cost for this most valuable gift is sincerity, which any person can offer, provided they are wise enough.

In Closing:

No one insulated from material pain,

Disease hurts for rich and poor the same.

 

Actions never without consequence,

Dichotomies in condition thus make sense.

 

If material condition from birth to all applies,

Would not escaping rebirth be more wise?

 

This is the conclusion the Vedas make,

Liberation to all who devotion to Krishna take.