The Way To Happiness

“Lust is actually the product of the mode of passion, and in the absence of satisfaction of lust, the same desire transforms into anger on the platform of ignorance.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.31.29 Purport)

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Which path is better? Try to satisfy every desire that you have. Every time that you want to eat, go for it. Every time you feel a little sleepy, lay down. Or should you impose some restriction? Have days set aside for austerity. Build up your tolerance to difficult situations. When you get angry, instead of acting on it, wait for it to subside. The way to make the proper assessment is to see which path brings progress towards the higher modes of life.

Three modes of nature govern behavior in the material world. To be material means to have one or some combination of these three modes. Goodness, passion and ignorance. We can think of them like three primary colors, which are the basis for all other colors. All bodies in this world consist of the three modes. Based on the type of body we get, we are more prone to certain behavior.

As an example, we see that people with a specific body coming from a specific region are better suited to play basketball. Not that other body types can’t play the game, but the skills required are found in greater abundance in a specific race. The same goes for long-distance running, swimming, gymnastics and so forth. The modes of nature dictate the potential for how well a particular body will do in a specific activity.

There is behavior to consider as well. Though the body type makes a person more prone to specific behaviors, in the end everything is a choice. As a child, I don’t know any better. I will eat pizza and ice cream for every meal if I can. I will grab every candy bar near the magazine rack in the supermarket. Unless someone tells me differently, my behavior will be similar to the animal.

The desire to enjoy the senses is known as lust. The Sanskrit word is kama, and it also translates to “desire.” This lust is part of the mode of passion. Typically, every human being falls into this mode at some point. The educational system in industrialized nations is concerned solely with the mode of passion. That is the basis for the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” They are really asking, “How do you want to satisfy your lust, which is rooted in the mode of passion, when you are mature enough to act on it independently?”

Kama is a dangerous game, however. When lust is not satisfied, it turns into anger. Anger is part of the mode of ignorance, the one that dominates the animal community. When we look back on someone’s life, we don’t necessarily praise them for how well they ate. We don’t say, “You know, they got to eat doughnuts for breakfast. They went out to a buffet restaurant every night. They had so many partners in sex, even in old age.”

If we do praise someone, it is based on how well they controlled their lust. Restriction on sense gratification is not only what makes a person praiseworthy, but it leads to happiness as well. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that the activity which seems like poison in the beginning and nectar in the end is in the mode of goodness.

yat tad agre viṣam iva

pariṇāme 'mṛtopamam

tat sukhaṁ sāttvikaṁ proktam

ātma-buddhi-prasāda-jam

“That which in the beginning may be just like poison but at the end is just like nectar and which awakens one to self-realization is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.37)

We see examples of this in our own life. Studying is poison. So is waking up every morning to go to work. But completing the degree with outstanding marks is nectar. So is the paycheck used to pay for the house, the car, food, and objects of enjoyment. Lust itself is the drive to take something that looks like nectar now, but turns into poison later on.

The mode of goodness is the way to happiness. It is restriction on the senses for the purpose of advancing in consciousness. Those who follow the mode of goodness enjoy in the heavenly planets after death. They get rewarded for their pious behavior. Everyone wants the way they live to pay dividends in the end. The best reward comes from controlling lust.

tatra sattvaṁ nirmalatvāt

prakāśakam anāmayam

sukha-saṅgena badhnāti

jñāna-saṅgena cānagha

“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)

Though the mode of goodness brings happiness, a person can get conditioned by it; spoiled in a sense. The mode of goodness is the platform from which a person can reach the height of an existence: pure goodness. This is known by such terms as Krishna consciousness, the taste of devotion, devotional service, and full surrender to the Divine. Pure goodness is above the three modes. It is like charging your entire body with the spiritual energy. Amazing things can happen when the material nature loses its influence. The yogis in devotion are an example of this, showing that the beginning of the march towards transcendence is the control of lust.

In Closing:

In mode of goodness desire steady,

For pure devotion platform ready.

 

Like the yogis practicing bhakti,

Example of real happiness to see.

 

Animals always senses gratifying,

Humans meant not for satisfying.

 

Like poison at first and then nectar to turn,

Control kama, from God real happiness earn.

The One Percent

“Grant me that I not die within any residence or outside any residence, during the daytime or at night, nor on the ground or in the sky. Grant me that my death not be brought by any being other than those created by you, nor by any weapon, nor by any human being or animal.” (Hiranyakashipu speaking to Lord Brahma, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.3.36)

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nāntar bahir divā naktam

anyasmād api cāyudhaiḥ

na bhūmau nāmbare mṛtyur

na narair na mṛgair api

“Give me liberty or give me death” are the famous words of Patrick Henry, one of the rebels in the Revolutionary War, which led to the founding of the United States of America. His were words of sacrifice, indicating detachment from the present life. Typically, the desire is the opposite: give me as much as possible so that I will stay alive.

For instance, we ask for good health.

“If I eat well, from now on I won’t have any problems. My cholesterol will be lowered. My blood sugar will be okay. Exercise is important in this. By maintaining good habits I will be able to live for a long time.”

We also ask for a good financial situation.

“If I have a job, I know that I’ll be able to survive. I don’t need much money, but a steady income is required. Then I can purchase a car, a home, furniture, clothes and other things necessary to carry life on.”

When we have so many things, we ask for protection.

“I need insurance for my smartphone. The same for my car, but that is required by law. My house is so expensive. What if something happens to it by accident? I need homeowner’s insurance. I need an alarm system. I’d like to extend the warranty on my television set.”

A king a long time ago asked for it all. After enduring tremendous austerities voluntarily, he asked for the boon of immortality. Unfortunately, the benefactor didn’t have that boon for himself. It wasn’t available to give away. Though Lord Brahma lives for billions of years, eventually that time passes. As an example, at this very moment so many billions of years have passed. Though that is a very long time, right now it is meaningless. Whatever is destined to happen right now will occur; the past experience is just that, the past.

This king was named Hiranyakashipu. This is a compound Sanskrit word, consisting of the terms “gold” and “soft cushion.” You get some nice gold and a good place to rest and you think you are set. There is nothing more to do. Hiranyakashipu wanted to live forever in comfort, but Brahma denied him. The king then thought he could outsmart the very nature under which he lived.

Hiranyakashipu asked for boons that would seemingly give him immortality. He wanted immunity from man and animals. He wanted that no weapon could kill him. He desired to be safe from death during both day and night. He wanted it so that he couldn’t be killed outside or in. He thought he had all the bases covered. In fact, he pretty much did. He was 99 percent safe.

Ah, but God needs just one percent to overpower 99 percent. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada says that the material world, despite all its opulence, is filled with only zeroes. If you have one zero or one hundred, the value is the same: nothing. But as soon as you add a one digit to the beginning, the zeroes become valuable. Then the more zeroes you have, the more valuable your number. The association of the Supreme Lord is the one digit in this scenario. Prabhupada’s view is also supported by Goswami Tulsidas.

nāma rāma ko amka hai saba sādhana haim sūna |

amka ga_em kachu hātha nahim amka rahem dasa gūna ||

“Shri Rama’s holy name is like a numeral, and all religious practices are like zero. When the numeral is not there, zero means nothing. But when it is present, the resultant value increases tenfold.” (Dohavali, 10)

Despite 99 percent protection, Hiranyakashipu had zero. This was because he lacked devotion to God the person. More so than just lacking it, he was adamantly against it. He saw that devotion in his son Prahlada and could not tolerate it. Therefore despite Prahlada being so small and helpless, Hiranyakashipu tried to kill him. Nothing worked, since Prahlada had the one percent with him.

On the king’s last attempt, the one percent showed its face to the king in just the way that he deserved. It was death personified, in the fierce form of a half-man/half-lion. Hiranyakashipu indeed got killed, despite his immunity from so many different situations. This form of God, known as Narasimha, did not violate any of the boons given by Brahma. The king was killed at dusk, on the lap of the Lord, who used His nails. Narasimhadeva is neither a man nor an animal. The nails are not a weapon. The king was killed on Narasimhadeva’s lap, which is neither the air nor the land. The 99 percent protection proved useless, as it always does when it is lacking the “one” thing that matters: devotion to God.

In Closing:

Zeroes you can have so many,

But without other digit value not any.

 

To Hiranyakashipu’s boons compared,

Who thought that from death would be spared.

 

But the one in Supreme Lord coming,

And king’s protection nothing becoming.

 

Prahlada the son with devotion believing,

And so the Divine favor receiving.

Digging To Something Better

“In the desert there is no water, but the mirage suggests that there is such a thing as water. In the material world there is no water, there is no happiness, but the real water of actual happiness is there in the spiritual world.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Introduction)

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Ultimately, bhakti-yoga is about finding happiness. Though it is equated with faith or religion by those who don’t know the scientific background to it, it has nothing to do with fear or escaping unpleasant conditions. Bhakti deals with love and the yoga aspect addresses the spirit soul, which identifies each one of us. As all are looking for happiness in some form or another, bhakti-yoga becomes an easy choice, one that delivers on the promise.

Advertising gives a good insight into the pulse of society. The different kinds of programming on television each have their specific kinds of advertisers. For instance, if watching sports, you’re likely to see car commercials. This latest car is driving through winding roads along a hillside. It boasts of many new features. The idea is that you, the viewer, will be happy only if you purchase this new car. Get rid of the stale and outdated model you’re currently driving. Upgrade and be happy.

Another commercial is for beer. Hang out with your friends and drink the best tasting adult beverage with them. You don’t want to be alone, do you? You don’t want to be a boring stiff. You want some adventure in your life and you want your friends to think that you’re a hip dude, someone with the times. So drink this beer and you won’t have any problems.

Turn on the television on a weekend morning and you’ll run into the infomercial. These are extended advertising segments, filling up timeslots that are normally reserved for programming like news, sports, cartoons, music and the like. What are these infomercials selling? Most commonly the product relates to weight loss. Purchase this new supplement and you’ll lose weight fast. Buy this exercise machine and in very little time you’ll look great. You’ll shed that holiday weight that you’ve been meaning to address. Your pants will fit again and people will marvel at how good you look.

Of course these advertisements continue to air only because of patronage. People keep buying these things. The advertisers are not dumb; they go to where the money is. All of this means that people are willing to try different things to become happy. Children will play video games for hours on end. Stressed adult workers will go to exotic destinations for vacation. People will read books about how to improve their lives.

Observing from a distance, the person practicing bhakti-yoga makes the following plea:

“You’re searching for happiness. That can’t be denied. You’re trying so many different things. Why not give bhakti-yoga a chance? The process and the result are quite straightforward. Surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Krishna, and be given full protection. Not that you’ll never die. Not that you’ll never grow old. Those are bound to happen through nature, starting at the time of birth. Instead, you’ll get happiness. You’ll get protection in the form of a secure future, where you’ll continue to have the chance to serve Krishna, which is your innate desire to begin with.

“If you don’t want to accept Krishna as God, you can worship His expansion of the Supersoul residing within the heart. If that is too difficult for you, at least respect the impersonal Brahman, which is the sum collection of all sparks of spirit. Your present religious affiliation does not preclude you from practicing bhakti. Nothing can, in fact, since you’re only trying to find happiness. Wouldn’t the people who care about you want you to be as happy as possible?”

Indeed, we know that pursuits in material life don’t lead to lasting happiness. They can’t for the very reason that death takes place. Bhakti-yoga addresses both the present and the future. In the present the identification gets adjusted to where the individual realizes that they are spirit soul, part and parcel of God. The future gets fixed too, as the cycle of birth and death ends for the God conscious soul.

anta-kāle ca mām eva
smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ
yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

“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)

Rebirth guarantees a renewed search for lasting happiness. Bhakti-yoga is the culmination of all attempts at finding that happiness, and so it makes sense that rebirth would come to an end. In this process, the past gets addressed as well. All the mistakes that were made, all the regrettable acts, all the good times that are sorely missed, they get purified through achieving the ultimate reward of God’s association. The past becomes an instrument in that success, and so every negative gets transformed into a positive.

The individual is seeking happiness. This cannot be denied. Why not give bhakti-yoga a try? Why not chant the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare? It seems too easy for sure. It seems that our important responsibilities will get neglected, and therefore we’ll suffer. It seems like devotion to God is something better left for the end of life.

Though that end is guaranteed, its time of arrival is unknown. Therefore today could be the end of life. Those responsibilities will not mean a thing while we are quitting our body, but our consciousness certainly will. Therefore better to find bhakti-yoga today, where happiness will come automatically through the surrendering process.

In Closing:

In this world person every one and each,

Some kind of happiness they seek.

 

Everything tried despite,

Yet to reach living’s height.

 

Why not then bhakti-yoga take,

And the consciousness reshape?

 

That something better finally to come,

Even before death, have reservations none.

Just One More Hill To Climb

“You are a spirit soul, and unless you come to the spiritual platform you will never be satisfied by any sense gratification. You'll simply go on hankering after pleasure, but you will find no satisfaction.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Journey of Self-Discovery, 3.2)

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If you want to succeed in something, talk to those who have already succeeded. This only makes sense, but the odds are not in our favor. Failing is a lot easier. It doesn’t require any effort. Indeed, if you simply quit, you’ve automatically succeeded at failing. As success is hard, typically there are more failures around to offer advice. And their advice will not be encouraging. They will tell you to quit. Therefore it is more beneficial to take counsel from someone who has succeeded against all odds, who knows the pitfalls and how to persevere to overcome the struggle.

We can take the same concept and apply it to spiritual life. There are those who have succeeded in bypassing material sense gratification. At first hearing, this sounds like maybe the successful were the ones who didn’t have much.

“Oh, they were poor, so they decided to take to religion. They didn’t have much to enjoy so they clung to their guns and God. They had no hope, so the offer of spiritual life gave them a way out of a life spent in misery.”

But again this line of thinking comes from the unsuccessful. Those who have never tasted the true fruit of an existence can never understand the mentality of one who has. The real fruit is not sense pleasure, which the animals already get. They eat, sleep, mate and defend. If we do the same thing as them, how is our life any different? What has the human birth gotten us? Indeed, the human being in this analysis is less evolved; it has less enjoyment in the same categories. The animal doesn’t worry about mortgage payments. It doesn’t need a Xanax when going for a long journey. It doesn’t get panic attacks.

Of those who have succeeded in spiritual life, there are so many that tasted more than their share of sense gratification early on. We see evidence of the limits to the material way of life around us everywhere. Why are the rock n roll singers taking to drugs? Why are famous celebrities committing suicide? Why is anyone getting divorced after having struggled for so long to forge a relationship?

Material pursuits are like climbing a mountain. You’re trying to get to the top. Therefore you’ll do whatever it takes to get there. You’ll sacrifice your time. You’ll put aside enjoyment with friends and family. You’ll spend long hours at the office. You’ll eat, sleep and think success. The goal is to reach the top, where all the enjoyment is.

But take it from those who have already reached the pinnacle of achievement that there isn’t much there. For this reason the ones on the top still look for more. They don’t settle. Thus there is the struggle in reaching the top, and then there is anxiety once the goal is attained. Difficulty is the constant. This example shows that there is more to life. You can climb that last hill, but there will be another one to mount. The cycle continues, without end.

That is until one tastes the true fruit an existence has to offer. Divine love, or bhakti, is that fruit. Bhakti is not like kama. It is not something that lasts for a little bit and then goes away. It is not based on the reciprocation received either. We can tell someone that we love them, but that sentiment is based on how they make us feel. If they cease to provide us happiness, our love quickly goes away.

Bhakti is for life; not only this one, but every successive one as well. Those who have succeeded in spiritual life understand this. They try to tell others about the same secret. They advise us to not wait for practical experience of the limitations of material sense gratification. Rather than waste so much time to see that the top of the mountain isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, they ask that we take to spiritual life right away, while we have our wits about us. Whether we’re young, old, married, single, have many years in front of us or are knocking on death’s door, we can find the fruit of an existence through chanting the holy names of God: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The evidence is there. Bhakti brings eternal life, a constant engagement. The worry over finding life’s direction vanishes. No more is it a chore to find something to do. No more is it a struggle to find meaning to life. Krishna is God, the Supreme Lord in His full manifestation. Bhakti-yoga brings connection to Him, and so it is no wonder that the person finding that connection never wants to let it go, knowing that it will bring them more and more happiness as the days pass.

In Closing:

Just one more hill to climb,

That elusive happiness to be mine.

 

Not the case sadly,

To crave again badly.

 

The search on and on to go,

Real transcendence never to know.

 

Testimony from successful take,

And learn how fruitful this life to make.

 

With bhakti-yoga senses engage,

Eternal life at divine love’s stage.

Which Bias To Take

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

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“I don’t like too much editorializing in my news coverage. Just give me the facts. Don’t have a bias, please. I don’t want your opinion on what happened in Washington. I don’t want to hear why certain politicians are bad. I don’t want to hear your stance on a particular issue. Keep these things to yourself at least during the news portion of your coverage. If I want opinions, I will go to the editorial page. There at least your bias is clear. Then I can judge things accordingly.”

This sentiment is popular enough to warrant a separate section for opinion in newspapers and on news websites. In dissecting the matter further, however, we see that there is no such thing as objective journalism. The concept cannot exist for the mere fact that billions of events take place on a daily basis. Even if the focus is limited to the realm of politics, sports, weather, current events, health and lifestyle, there is too much going on every day to report on. Therefore bias exists in the very choice of the stories themselves.

For instance, today we see a story on a new technological gadget. There are already so many gadgets in the marketplace. The company releasing the gadget obviously wants their product covered in the news. The person reporting on the release will be favorable or unfavorable to it. Depending on their opinion, they will choose to highlight certain features and omit others. The same goes for the latest hot-button issue in the nation’s capital. There is filtering, especially in news segments that are limited by time. The journalist votes as well. They have an idea on how government should act. Therefore they will choose which arguments to present and which ones to mask. Indeed, they may be so steeped in their position that they don’t even cover the other side of the story.

News is a business after all. Their business is presentation, which is no different than what the salesman does with their business plan or product presentation. If you’re getting a pitch from a salesman, you know they are biased. You know that they want you to invest in their idea. The same holds true for the news, as they often have the action line set up going in. They then choose those stories which fit their action line. “Never let facts get in the way of a good story,” is how the famous saying goes. If the journalist has an agenda to uphold, facts aren’t always helpful.

As there is bias in all presentation, the question then becomes whose bias to choose. Which person has the ideas that are the best to follow? An easy way to judge is to see which bias benefits the most people. The news anchorperson in favor of pushing a certain health product obviously has a limited scope of interest. Their organization may have the manufacturing company as a sponsor, and therefore promoting that particular product helps their bottom line. The self-help guru wants to sell books. The politician wants to get elected and stay in office so that they can distribute the hard-earned money of the tax-payers to citizens who will then vote for them. Even the religious leader has an interest; they want others to join their institution.

The saints of the bhakti tradition can also be thrown into the discussion, for they have a bias as well. Their goal is to make everyone happy. That’s easy for any person to say, but how do we test the claim? Well, how is it that one becomes happy? Is it through earning a lot of money? Is it through marrying the person of their dreams? Is it through raising a family? Is it through playing a particular sport on a professional level? Is it through enjoying succulent food dishes and intoxicants?

In studying those who have experienced such things, we see that the achievements themselves don’t bring lasting happiness. The romance quickly fades in a marriage if focus is lacking. The children eventually leave the home. Food and drink cause so much pain, first physically and then mentally. Gambling and sports are in the mode of passion, which leads to a neutral result. The memory of the championship victory is quickly erased when the next season starts. The same goes for the devastating defeat.

“The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kunti, and because of this one is bound to material fruitive activities.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 14.7)

The saints of the bhakti tradition say that everyone is happiest when serving God. Not that one necessarily has to join a particular institution, becoming a sworn defender to it. Not that one has to always chastise others who are not loving God for their sinful ways. Service to God is known as bhakti-yoga, and it has nine basic implementations. Any or all suffice for bhakti, which is also known as divine love.

The saints of the bhakti tradition say that all varieties of love and affection are derived from the natural desire to love God. In simpler terms, bhakti is at everyone’s core, but in the present circumstances most don’t know it. Therefore they try to love everything else, all the while not knowing that their desire to love stems from their inherent link to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is seen that even the hardest heart can be melted by the pet dog in the home. There is no other reason to get a pet other than to offer love. That same affection is meant for God, and when it is offered to Him the love naturally extends to others, even to so-called enemies.

The saints of the bhakti tradition do not want money. They believe so much in the happiness that devotional service brings that they dedicate all of their efforts towards getting others to practice it. This sometimes means even giving up everything for others. The famous bhakti saints of the past lived on practically nothing. They voluntarily became homeless, jobless, and penniless in order to strengthen their religious practice and help others in the process.

It’s difficult to be envious of someone who lives underneath a tree and wears torn rags for clothing. It’s hard to have hatred for someone who has not a penny to their name. It’s difficult to find fault with someone who has no desire for money, fame, women, or enjoyment. The heart then completely melts when seeing the dedication these saints show in helping others to find bhakti-yoga.

These saints are biased for sure, and their favor is for the Supreme Lord, who is within everyone’s heart as the Supersoul. Only with bhakti-yoga does that supreme soul become visible, revealing its transcendental features to be contemplated on, remembered, worshiped and served. Only in bhakti-yoga does such a form have accompanying names which can be sung and glorified without end: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Bias in news I don’t like,

Keep your opinions out of my sight.

 

Just describe the events straight,

Your opinion for the editorial page wait.

 

But in truth with bias all to live,

Filtering facts the news they give.

 

Issue then of which bias to take,

Which interest happy all to make?

 

Bhakti saints bias for God maintain,

Know that devotion life’s highest gain.

 

In full humility transcendental light to spread,

For real benefit choose their bias instead.

The Enemy Within

“The Blessed Lord said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world.” (Bhagavad-gita, 3.37)

It’s that time of the year again; time to visit your friends. They live far enough away that you have to take a plane to reach them. It’s a short flight, so you’re not that worried. Delays are common in air travel these days, but all in all there shouldn’t be a problem. Oh, but there are many things you will notice this time around, making you wonder what the purpose to our existence is. Why are we here, and why do we think that certain things will make us happy when they really won’t?

To board a commercial aircraft, you have to go through airport security screening. If you’re carrying a laptop computer, take it out of its bag. It must be by itself on the screening conveyor belt. Also, if you’re wearing shoes, take them off. And why wouldn’t you be wearing shoes? So of course you’ll have shoes to take off. Make sure nothing is in your pockets. Take out that wallet, cell phone, and keys. Anything that will set off the metal detector must be off of your person.

Mind you, you have to do all of this with other people around. Others have planes to catch as well, and they don’t want to miss them. They have to go through the same routine, so you have this pressure of time added on. After you’re done following these rules, you have to step into the scanning area and stand with your arms above your head. Then you wait nervously to see if the screening people want to talk to you further. You’re relieved when they waive you through, allowing you to grab all of your stuff from the screening belt.

This is only one part of the process. Now you have to board the plane. This flight doesn’t have assigned seats, but does have assigned boarding groups. You get up to the designated area and make sure that you are in the right line. Then you board. You have to place your larger carry-on item in one of the overhead bins. Then the smaller carry-on, like your laptop, can fit underneath the seat in front of you. You’re in one of the earlier boarding groups, so you’re able to find bin space without a problem. You get to your seat just fine, and watch everyone else board.

This is where things get interesting. You’re safe with your luggage, but now people are scrambling to find bin space for their bags. Sadly, the people in the last boarding group don’t have any space left for them. They have to check their bags with the flight crew, which means that they will have to wait longer to retrieve their bags when the flight lands. They have done nothing wrong. They are equally entitled to carry on their luggage, but due to the shortage of space, which is caused by the crowded flight, which is caused by the cheaper, more competitive fare, they are shut out from something they expected.

The sober person understands that none of these rules and regulations are ideal. You’re just one person who wants to take a flight to see their friends. Someone else wants to travel for business, and another for vacation. Why can’t all of them board the same flight together without any problems? Why should they have to go through such a hassle to get on the plane and then compete with one another for storage space?

“While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.62)

In the Bhagavad-gita, it is said that lust is the all-devouring enemy of this world. When it is not controlled, it leads to anger, greed, resentment and all sorts of other unpleasant feelings. It is this lust which is the root cause of the living entity’s descent to the material world, the land we presently inhabit. In the material world, resources are limited, which means that one person’s desire to enjoy will collide with another’s. The conflicts occur all the time, and though they shouldn’t, they continue on due to lust.

In the flight example, there is no reason for the competition, but it naturally occurs due to the propensity for cheating and the lording over resources. For instance, one person may bring more than two carry-on items. They may decide to fill up the entire overhead bin space with their luggage. This is discourteous to the other passengers, but they are simply trying to enjoy. In their mind, no one should object.

Then there are the miscreant characters who will use the flight as a means for terrorizing and stealing. Thus they will take dangerous items onto the plane. If not for these characters, there would be no need for security screening prior to the flight. Heightened security standards arose after problems were encountered. With each new problem, new prohibitive regulations are imposed.

The entire material creation is full of such issues, with many prohibitions imposed by the higher authorities. There is the mistaken notion that if somehow everyone were provided a modest amount of sense gratification, everyone would be happy. Yet we see this is not true, as lust creates dissatisfaction even in those who are considered materially well-off.

Yoga is the only real solution, and though there are many kinds, the culmination of all yoga practice is bhakti, which is divine love. Love God first, develop the divine consciousness, and then see how your life is positively affected. In pure bhakti-yoga, the personal God is approached not for money, material success, or the alleviation of distress. The connection itself is the source of pleasure, and with that connection the material creation becomes easier to deal with.

“The Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purification of one's existence, cultivation of spiritual knowledge, charity, self-control, performance of sacrifice, study of the Vedas, austerity and simplicity; nonviolence, truthfulness, freedom from anger; renunciation, tranquility, aversion to faultfinding, compassion and freedom from covetousness; gentleness, modesty and steady determination; vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, freedom from envy and the passion for honor—these transcendental qualities, O son of Bharata, belong to godly men endowed with divine nature.” (Bg. 16.1-3)

The yogi in devotion develops the divine qualities, which automatically makes him an upstanding citizen of the state. The tendency for lust is born of illusion, seeing the material energy for one’s personal enjoyment instead of God’s. In bhakti-yoga, the illusion is destroyed, as all energy is understood to be sourced in God. His property is then utilized for His pleasure, with the working potential of the living entity offered in sacrifice through activities like chanting, hearing, remembering and worshiping.

Bhakti-yoga brings the purification of all activity. Rather than compete with our fellow man over resources, the devotees compete over who can serve God the best. There are no winners and losers in this regard, as sincerity is the determining factor in the receiver’s pleasure. One of His opulences is complete wealth, so there is nothing of value anyone can offer to Him. As Krishna, He is all-attractive, so He receives pleasure through the company of His devotees who are attracted to Him. Nevertheless, the competitive fire in devotion has a purifying effect, as the desire for service only increases, keeping one securely away from the fever of material existence, which is fueled by lust.

In Closing:

An airplane should be easy to board,

No need for fight over where luggage stored.

 

But we see that there is heightened security,

For in man’s behavior no uniformity.

 

Competition rooted in lust,

Then others we don’t trust.

 

Know that Krishna is this world’s source,

Yoga in devotion the wiser course.

Pushing The Rock

“Fruitive work, in which almost all people in general are engaged, is always painful either in the beginning or at the end. It can be fruitful only when made subservient to the devotional service of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita also it is confirmed that the result of such fruitive work may be offered for the service of the Lord, otherwise it leads to material bondage.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.5.12 Purport)

You’ve got a giant rock that you need to push up a hill. Knowing the specific objective being furthered is not that important, as the task is daunting enough. This rock is rather heavy, and it requires both physical effort and mental fortitude to get it to roll all the way to the top of the steep hill, fighting the laws of gravity in the process. The physical effort is easy to recognize, but the test on the mind comes from the fact that there is every chance that while progressing forward the rock will fall all the way back down, thereby erasing whatever progress you have made. While the effort is being expended, there is dedication to an activity that seems constructive, so in this sense there is no worry over being influenced by outside allures. At the same time, once the rock makes it to the top, you are again left with free time. In addition, the rock may roll back down at any time, which would then require a repeat of the activity. Though it seems like every kind of activity would follow the same pattern, it doesn’t have to. The results of work dovetailed with service to the person who created both the rock and the entire material creation can never be erased.

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

As soon as there is birth there must be death. Not that the end of life has to happen right away; just that at some point in the future, there will come a time that the new blood that joined the earth must depart and again accept a new destination. The localized instance of acceptance and rejection is but one example of the many aspects of life that follow the same pattern. You complete a task at work only to have more jobs to do afterwards. You work hard during the week and relax on the weekend, only to have to do it all over again the following week. If you know while you’re performing a specific activity that eventually you’ll have to repeat it again many times in the future, how can that not dent your motivation? If I’m pushing a rock up a hill and I know it will eventually roll back down, what is the point?

Rather than endlessly speculate as to a permanent solution, one can tap into the vast storehouse of knowledge that is the Vedas, whose most concise and complete treatise is the Bhagavad-gita, a song sung on a battlefield some five thousand years ago. The repetitive cycle of action and reaction that we see is known as karma, or fruitive activity. More specifically, the type of engagement where we do something for a specific reward only to have that enjoyment remain manifest for a short time falls into a mode of work known as passion.

“The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kunti, and because of this one is bound to material fruitive activities.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 14.7)

Fortunately, the speaker of the Gita reveals that the mode of passion isn’t the only way to act. There are ways to fix things so that you’re not left repeating the same behavior all the time without making any progress. There are also the modes of ignorance and goodness, which have their own respective activities. Fruitive activity in the mode of passion is accepted by the human being by default, thus there is no instruction needed in this area. You sow the seeds that you planted so that you can taste the resulting fruits, all the while being pricked by the thorns on the growing tree. You push the rock up the hill so that it gets to its intended destination, all the while laboriously exerting yourself and not getting too much satisfaction afterwards.

The mode of ignorance can be likened to being at the top of the hill and just pushing the rock back down for no rhyme or reason. What we would call stupid, or overtly sinful, behavior falls squarely in the mode of ignorance. It reaps no tangible benefit, and it takes the worker to a position much worse off from where they started.

The mode of goodness can be likened to a knowledge gathering task, where the component pieces of existence are seen in the proper light. In the mode of goodness the rock is pushed up the hill without desire for personal gain. It is done more out of protocol, knowing that it should be done. Whether the rock makes it up all the way or falls back down is of no concern to the person in goodness, because they understand everything in the proper context.

“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, Bg. 14.20)

The speaker of the Gita reveals that even the mode of goodness is binding, for the results of action are still manifest. If there are visible results to action, those results must disappear as well. Whether I want that outcome or not is not important in the mode of goodness, but nevertheless the temporary reward does come about, causing the worker to become accustomed to the short-lived happiness. There is an answer, however. Follow the mode of pure goodness, which transcends the bounds of time and space. This mode brings permanent progress, which corresponds directly with the inherent properties of the individual.

In the mode of goodness, which is accepted on the basis of authority and not just whimsically created, the living entity learns that they are an individual fragment of spirit, sort of like a spark from a fire. Since there is no quantitative comparison between the different sparks, every life form is equal. The enjoyment resulting from fruitive activity is not meant for the spark, but rather for its outer covering. Since this covering can vary in makeup, having different combinations of the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance, there is more than one outlet for enjoyment. Some sparks enjoy eating stool and rolling around in filth, while others require fine wine and expensive living establishments. In either case, the sparks are equal in their constitution, and thus there is really no difference between their situations.

Things get interesting when the living being learns about his real properties, the makeup of the individual sparks. At the core there is a dharma, or essential characteristic, which exists eternally. In some cases that dharma may be covered up, but it is there nonetheless. If we place a shade over a lamp and thereby make the room darker, the actual flame from the lamp has not lessened in intensity; only the external vision of the observer has changed. Just because a spiritual spark may be in the form of an ant or cow doesn’t mean that the dharma of the soul is absent.

This dharma is the inclination to serve. The predominance of this characteristic cannot be denied because every person, even one steeped in the mode of ignorance, has a penchant to serve. When the proper beneficiary is identified, the results of that service are permanent and bring bliss and knowledge - three features which line up with the soul’s properties.

How do we find that proper beneficiary? How can we trust that the results are what they are purported to be? In the beginning there must be some faith extended, but this shouldn’t be that difficult to do. We trust so many people right now, even those who we know lie to get to where they are. Politicians are routinely lambasted, criticized and yelled at for their duplicitous ways, yet they are still entrusted with the most important matters of government. Extending faith to the proper authority figures of the Vedic tradition does not cost us much in the beginning, and the results are so wonderful that the people who follow the prescriptions spend the rest of their lives glorifying both the originator of the supreme wisdom and the people who passed it on.

Who is the origin of this system? What is the system and where do we go to learn about it? Not surprisingly, the same person who revealed to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra about the three modes of nature is the object of service for every spark of spirit. He is the ideal beneficiary for action because He is the only entity capable of accepting every offering. He can never be smothered with love, nor can the sweet fruit He returns in the form of His association ever go bad or diminish in taste.

This person is none other than Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not a mythical character or tribal hero turned God, Krishna is the real deal. His supreme standing as the most fortunate person is supported by the benefits that come from following devotion to Him in the discipline known as bhakti-yoga. From regularly chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, not only is time well spent in an act of pure goodness, but real progress is made in terms of development of consciousness.

Why would we want to develop consciousness? In education, smaller steps are taken to fulfill a larger goal. For instance, learning the alphabet through reading and writing exercises is quite silly for someone who already knows how to read and write. Yet the activities are taken up by students so that their knowledge will be shaped to the point that they will no longer need to follow the same exercises. One works at the jobsite to have enough money to pay the bills, and one exercises so that their body will remain healthy. Thus we see that education and work lead to more permanent benefits all the time.

Consciousness is the most powerful force belonging to the living being. This is true because a purified consciousness can result in a favorable condition anywhere, regardless of success or failure. The person connected with Shri Krishna in thought, word and deed doesn’t even need to push the rock up the hill. If for Krishna they should happen to take on the arduous task, they will think about the Lord the entire time. This means that if the rock should roll back down the hill again, at least the time was spent in pure bliss.

In fruitive activity there is pain in both the beginning and end. As an example, at the start one thinks of how difficult it will be to push the rock up the hill. At completion there is the worry of the effort going to waste by the rock rolling back down. Moreover, the next time a rock needs to be pushed up a hill, the previous arduous effort will be remembered, making it even more difficult to take up the task. As another example, computer programmers often write complex routines and applications to be used in the business world. If perchance they should have to revisit that code later on, after much time has passed, it is not surprising for them to marvel at how complicated the code is. “How did I ever write this? I can’t imagine creating this from scratch again.” This means that the effort was difficult in the beginning and throughout. Since the fruits are temporary and also the cause of bondage in the form of fear, there is pain in the end too.

In bhakti there is transcendental pleasure at every step. If one is hesitant to chant Hare Krishna on a set of japa beads every day, meditating can still be constructive, as it keeps the individual automatically away from harmful activities like intoxication, meat eating, illicit sex and gambling. The more one chants the easier it becomes to repeat in the future. Krishna is the reservoir of all pleasure, the most attractive entity in the world. Staying connected with Him through consciousness only brings enhanced delights with each repeat effort, making the individual more and more eager to serve Him and think of Him.

“For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murari, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoof-print. Their goal is param padam, Vaikuntha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.14.58)

As an added bonus, a reward that seems trivial to those already immersed in bhakti, at the end of life the worker dedicated to Krishna does not have to see a repeat existence in the material world. The cycle of birth and death stops for the Krishna conscious soul, granting the reward known as mukti, or liberation. Since Krishna grants this liberation, He is also known as Mukunda, or one who gives mukti. As fruitive activity involving things like pushing a heavy rock up a hill is difficult to abandon, the material existence is likened to a vast ocean that is nearly impossible to cross over. For those who find the mode of pure goodness, however, that same ocean turns into the size of a pool of water filling a calf’s hoof-print. The consciousness connected to the divine has no more anxieties relating to past, present and future, for it resides in Vaikuntha, the place free of anxieties.

In Closing:

Worked so hard to push that rock up the hill,

Physical and mental effort have your fill.

Pushing heavy rock against gravity hard,

Mind worried over failure with each passing yard.

Victory tempered when you reach hill’s top,

For what if heavy rock should suddenly drop?

In this cycle does all activity follow,

Win or lose in misery you will wallow.

Devotion to Krishna though is not the same,

In purifying consciousness there is steady gain.

Sudden Money

“In the material world, You are creating, maintaining and dissolving the whole manifestation by interaction of three qualities, namely goodness, passion and ignorance. You are not implicated by the activities of those material qualities because Your supreme knowledge is never overcome, as is the case with the individual living entity.” (Akrura speaking to Lord Krishna, Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 47)

Activities that we would consider “normal” - those functions which serve to maintain our well-being, both mental and physical – have consequences to them. That is the nature of this world. Even if we think that all the consequences are favorable, there will be aspects to them that are unpleasant. The nature of karma is that every action has a commensurate reaction, though the fruits of such work may not manifest immediately, nor will they remain visible for too long a time. With the Supreme Lord, however, activities are free of consequences. Though the various modes of nature emanate from Him, He is unaffected by their creation, maintenance, and dissolution. Understanding this one fact can help alleviate our worries and free us of the bonds that we never intended to be subject to.

What are the modes of nature? In Vedic terminology, every action that leads to the future development of the outer covering of the soul can be tagged to a particular mode. Just as there are different keys in a musical overture, there are different levels, or platforms, of activity. The spirit soul residing within the body is the basis for identity, but the presence of the soul is not perceptible to the naked eye. Rather, in order to identify life, we must go off of outward symptoms. What we can see is the gross body of the living entities. When this body is functioning on its own, it is understood that there is life. This life-force is driven by the soul, something which remains intact for all of eternity. The body is actually changing every second, though we only tend to notice the changes at periodic intervals, such as days, months, or years. Often times if we are consistently in the presence of our own body or someone else’s, even drastic changes that occur over long periods of time go unnoticed. It is not until we see photographs - snapshots in time - of particular bodies that we start to notice the changes.

“By acting in the mode of goodness, one becomes purified. Works done in the mode of passion result in distress, and actions performed in the mode of ignorance result in foolishness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 14.16)

Material nature, which is driven by activity, is the root cause for the constant changes to the body. The activities of nature can be divided into three categories: goodness, passion, and ignorance. The mode of goodness leads to the acquisition of knowledge and a beneficial future condition, passion leads to a neutral state, and ignorance leads to degradation. Since these are all modes of nature, the ascribed benefits and side effects apply only to the outward dress of the soul, the body. The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, state that the aim of human life is to inquire about the Absolute Truth, Brahman. The spirit soul residing within the body is Brahman, and since every person is the same in spiritual quality, everyone can be considered Brahman. The human form of life represents the best chance to get to know Brahman and then use that sublime knowledge to break free of the forces of material nature. Nature can only act upon us through our choice; if we decide to transcend the modes of nature, we won’t have to worry about future consequences and reactions.

What makes the human form of body more auspicious than others? Since it is generally known that the followers of the Vedic tradition believe in reincarnation, the common resulting stereotype is that rebirth equates to a person being reborn as a cockroach, cat, dog, or cow in the next life if they are sinful in their current one. This degradation of species can most certainly occur, but this situation only represents the pessimistic aspect of reincarnation. The optimistic view, which often goes neglected, acknowledges that the individual souls have already passed their time in many subordinate species, culminating with their current bodies as humans. Therefore, there must be a purpose to this evolution of body types, the transmigration of the soul. The Vedas tell us that there is indeed a method behind the madness of the giant cause-and-effect system known as karma. The Vedanta-sutras, arguably the most famous treatise on Vedanta philosophy, begin by stating that “Now is the time for inquiring about Brahman”, athato-brahma-jijnasa. The “now” in this statement is very important. The animal species lives completely in the mode of ignorance, so they have no ability to ask about God, birth, death, or the characteristics of the soul.

As human beings, we have a choice as to which mode of nature we want to associate with. Activities in the mode of goodness lead to the understanding of Brahman and the soul’s constitutional position. Activities in the mode of passion lead to a neutral state, wherein one performs hard work simply for sense gratification. Since this enjoyment is available even to the animal species, there is nothing really gained. Those in the mode of passion eventually end up right where they started from. In this sense, it can be correctly asserted that the mode of passion leads to distress, as there is much effort put into gaining a neutral position. Activities in the mode of ignorance lead to degradation, a state where one gradually loses their intelligence. If we remain in the mode of ignorance by taking to activities such as constant intoxication, oversleeping, and unnecessary killing, we will most certainly receive a body composed completely of ignorance in the next life.

All three of these modes deal with cause and effect, action and reaction. This is how nature works. For every action, there are many seen and unseen reactions that are both intended and unintended. For this reason, the governing force of this world is known as maya, or that which is not. Maya uses her illusory forces to fool us into taking to activities which don’t benefit us in the end. By default, most human beings take to the mode of passion. We have specific fruits in mind that we want, so we take the necessary actions to acquire them. Yet desire for sense enjoyment can never be satisfied, so the satisfaction derived from the acquired fruits is short-lived. Moreover, this enjoyment isn’t secured so easily. There are many unintended side effects as well; results that further bind us to the cycle of birth and death. The mode of goodness is considered the best because it leads to intelligence. Once we acquire knowledge of the soul, however, we are required to transcend the mode of goodness and take to serving the one entity who is above the laws of nature.

To understand who this person is and why we should devote ourselves to Him, we need to first understand the folly of taking shelter of activities that belong to any of the three modes of nature. Since passionate activity is most prevalent, it can be the focus of this quick study. The essence of the mode of passion is family life, which is maintained through work. We go to work during the day so that we can have enough money to pay the bills at home. There are bills relating to the rent, mortgage, heating oil, electricity, water, food, gas, insurance, and so many other things. In addition, we have a family to maintain, intimate associates who require time, attention, and money. After all the work has been completed and the bills have been paid, there is scant time for enjoyment. Once this enjoyment is over, the entire cycle repeats itself. In this way, we are essentially working very hard and not seeing much of a return.

The common thought process is that if I just had enough money, all of my problems would go away. Who among us hasn’t dreamed of what we would do if we won the lottery? It’s actually not uncommon for lottery winners to go broke soon after collecting their payout. There are even organizations such as the Sudden Money Institute that try to help people deal with such sudden changes to their financial disposition. Let’s play out the lottery winning scenario to see if acquiring wealth would actually benefit us. Say that we won the lottery tomorrow and got paid millions of dollars. The first thing we would do is pay off the mortgage. We’d pay off any and all debts that we have. Then we’d probably want to buy a nice car and maybe a bigger home. Now we have to worry about insurance for the new car and furniture for the new house. We’d probably also quit our job since we have no reason to work for a living. Now we have to figure out what to do with our time. There are probably loads of other material possessions we would want to purchase as well.

Now that we have all these new possessions, including a new car and home, and no job, what would we do with our time? Would our worries be over? Quite the contrary, our worries would actually increase. With each new fruitive venture, we have introduced a new tie to the material world. We can think of it as being tied down to the ground. With new wealth and fame come additional ropes binding us to the floor. Each rope is not only tied around our gross body, but our mind as well. In this way, we go from a somewhat peaceful condition, where we are working honestly for a living and trying to enjoy a paltry salary, to a disposition where we never have any peace due to all the newly introduced ties to material life.

This predicament speaks to the illusory aspect of nature. The wealthiest businessmen in the world are often the most stressed out individuals. Desire will always act on the brain, regardless of the size of the person’s bank account. When desire is frustrated, there will naturally be disappointment and worry. A poor person may worry about how to secure food for dinner that night, while a wealthy man may be concerned about the next big merger, but the effects on the body and psyche are the same.

According to Vedic information, the aim of life is to break free of all bonds; a release that can only be granted when the future development of the material body ceases. Though for the living entities every action has a reaction, there is one person who is above karma. We may be tempted to think that this person must have refrained from all activity and thus liberated themself from action and reaction. On the contrary, this person performs activities on the grandest scale, a level we couldn’t possibly understand. He has been performing this activity since the beginning of time, and yet He still remains unaffected from it. This person is Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

It would make sense that the creator of nature would be free from its effects. This entire material creation was borne of Krishna, who kindly cloned a replica of the spiritual realm to allow the wayward spirit souls to come and play. The playing involves any material activity, those actions performed in ignorance of the soul’s intimate relation to the Divine. Just as our identity comes from the spirit soul residing within, Krishna’s identity is tied to His supremely powerful soul. The Lord’s soul and our soul are the same in quality, but vastly different in the quantitative aspect. For Krishna, there is no difference between body and soul; He is completely transcendental. For the individual spirit soul, there is a chance of associating with maya, an association that leads to the assumption of a temporary material dress.

Since the two souls are so similar, there is an inherent relationship. The natural condition of the subordinate soul is to always be in the company of the commanding soul. In this condition, the subordinate entity takes on a nature similar to that of the commander and thus becomes liberated. In the materially conditioned state, the individual becomes forgetful of its natural disposition, and thus takes to activities of an inferior nature. Since activities in the modes of nature bind one to the material world, the ignorance that envelops the soul remains intact.

The picture seems quite gloomy, but if we understand that Krishna is above the cause-and-effect of karma, we can find the key that unlocks the door to the spiritual world. Since Krishna never assumes a material body, and never takes to activities which lead to the development of one, it makes sense that anyone who associates with the Lord would similarly be affected. Acts of love and devotion dedicated to Krishna transcend karma. One can only be bound to nature when they are embodied in terms of consciousness. This means that if the enjoyment we seek has at its root forgetfulness of Krishna, we will most certainly have to deal with effects, both good and bad. By the same token, if our activities are rooted in pleasing Krishna, there can never be any effects, for there is no desire to become bound up to the perpetual cycle of birth and death. Devotees fall under the jurisdiction of a divine energy known as yogamaya, a spellbinding force that remains above the effects of material nature.

So what constitute activities that please Krishna? The collective actions belong to the discipline known as bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. Though Krishna is never embodied or affected by activities, He still possesses a transcendental body. Descriptions of this body are found in the sacred texts such as the Ramayana and Shrimad Bhagavatam. We simply have to hear from these great works and keep our minds fixed on the Lord’s transcendental form. Just as the Lord’s form is free of maya, so are His names. Thus by chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, we can similarly be benefitted.

Activities in devotional service are considered to be in the mode of pure goodness, or that which transcends the three modes of nature. Krishna is the creator, maintainer, and the destroyer. Though He performs all of these functions, He is not bound to the laws of nature. In a similar manner, if we remain in constant association with the Supreme Person through acts which purify our consciousness, we too can remain free from the effects of nature, staying aloof from a realm that was specifically tailored to meet the demands of those who wanted to forget God. If we eliminate the root cause of our descent to the material world, we most certainly will not have to remain here.

The Seeds of Pollution

“Those who drink through aural reception, fully filled with the nectarean message of Lord Krishna, the beloved of the devotees, purify the polluted aim of life known as material enjoyment and thus go back to Godhead, to the lotus feet of Him.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.2.37)

While the advent of modern technology has brought about a generally higher standard of living, some unintended side effects have also come about. These effects are both unexpected and unwanted, with many of them labeled under the category of pollution. This pollution involves both the external, as in the contamination of air and water, and the internal, as in the muddying of mind and intelligence. The followers of the divine engagement, bhakti-yoga, proclaim that simply by dedicating all of one’s activities towards the satisfaction of the Supreme, every problem imaginable can be solved. Naturally, one would assume that this issue of pollution would be one of the issues eradicated, but the exact nature of its elimination remains unclear. Ironically enough, we can look to the example of driving a car to see how one can go about performing their everyday activities and still remain uncontaminated, or pollution-free, and spiritually advanced at the same time.

In days past, advanced transportation consisted of horse-and-buggy and water transport such as boats and ships. The first major breakthrough came with the railroad, followed by the automobile. Today the automobile is the quickest way to get around for most people, especially those residing in industrialized nations. The exact nature of the driving can vary from country to country. For example, a driver in India and a driver in America are faced with completely different challenges. A driver in India must deal with pedestrians, animals, bicyclists, and cars all on a very narrow road with little or no adherence to traffic laws from others. In America, the driving is a little more controlled, at least on the highways. This controlled condition allows for cars to travel at much faster average speeds. On major highways, it is quite common for a car to be travelling over 70 mph.

Since a car can travel at such a fast speed, learning how to drive one can be a daunting task. In America, the eligible age for receiving a driver’s license varies from state to state, but it is usually around fifteen or sixteen years of age. Since a car can turn into a dangerous weapon if not controlled properly, student drivers are required to go through hours and hours of training, both in the classroom and out. Eventually a road test is taken, where the prospective licensee demonstrates their driving abilities to a certified examiner. Still, the receiving of a license doesn’t initially affect the attention paid during driving. New drivers tend to be attentive, keeping both hands on the wheel, paying close attention to their speed, and monitoring the cars around them. When they are behind the wheel, they are conscious of their driving and nothing else. They may not even want to look anywhere else or talk to anyone while they are driving.

This condition doesn’t last, however. There comes a time in a driver’s life where they put driving in the background of their consciousness. This doesn’t mean that they start driving poorly or start paying less attention. It just means that the consciousness becomes adjusted to the rules of the road and the ins and outs of driving. In this condition, the subconscious almost takes over in a sense and handles all the issues of the road. This frees the mind to ponder other issues. A similar phenomenon can be seen with runners. Those who are unaccustomed to running long distances are always conscious of where they are going and how they are feeling. “Do I have enough energy to finish? Am I going to make it to the end?” For the advanced runner, however, there is no consciousness of these things. The body essentially starts to move on its own, similar to a sleeping state. The subconscious takes care of the running, leaving the active part of the mind free to ponder other issues.

This condition is nice because it allows a person to multitask. They are able to conduct important activities like driving and running while remaining unattached to them. This same concept can prove to be invaluable in spiritual life. For followers of the Vedic tradition, the highest dharma, or occupational duty, is known as bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. In simple terms, this can be thought of as the religion of love. Its primary activities include chanting the holy names of God, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, along with reading books about the Lord, preparing and offering nice foodstuffs to His deity, hearing discourses about Krishna, and visiting temples. Along with this positive activity, there is the requirement for abstention from the most harmful activities of intoxication, gambling, illicit sex, and meat eating.

“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, Bhagavad-gita, 9.34)

Just as with every other activity, spiritual life has an ultimate destination. The aim of bhakti-yoga is to elevate one’s consciousness to the point where they are always thinking of God in one of His transcendental forms, at all times. The Supreme Divine Entity certainly does exist, and though He can expand Himself into an all-encompassing energy, His original feature is that of Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This same Bhagavan then expands Himself into multitudes of other forms, all aimed at attracting the spiritually inclined conditioned soul. The highest consciousness is that which is constantly fixed on one of these transcendental forms in a mood of pure love.

Upon first glance at these truths there appears to be an issue. If we’re always thinking about Bhagavan, and this consciousness is also the ultimate objective, what are we supposed to do about other issues? The technological age has brought about great pollution, not only from cars and planes, but also from factories and chemical plants. If we simply focus on spiritual life all the time, won’t we be ignoring this issue of pollution? To find the solution, we simply have to look to the example of the expert driver. When a driver becomes accustomed to driving, they eventually shift their focus to other areas, all the while carrying out their duties of driving. The secret to performing bhakti-yoga properly is to put all other mundane activities and issues in the background, adhering to them in a matter of fact sort of way. Essentially the idea is to put the mind on autopilot while doing things unrelated to God consciousness, all the while keeping focused on the beautiful transcendental form of the Lord. The Vedas tell us that God’s original form is that of Lord Shri Krishna, who is so beautiful that one of His names is Shyamasundara, meaning the attractive one with a complexion of a dark rain cloud. Not only is this God’s original form, but also His most attractive one.

“The ideal yogi concentrates his attention on Krishna, who is called Shyamasundara, who is as beautifully colored as a cloud, whose lotus-like face is as effulgent as the sun, whose dress is brilliant with jewels and whose body is flower garlanded.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 6.47 Purport)

So we see that it is possible to perform our everyday activities of meeting the demands of the body while remaining committed to spiritual life. But how does this solve the issue of pollution? It takes a trained eye to see that devotional service performed in this manner actually already tackles every kind of pollution. Currently, the issues of pollution are taken on from the material point of view. “Driving is putting so much dust and poison in the air, what can we do to stop it? Can we find a new source of fuel that will not inject as many pollutants? Maybe we can raise taxes on gasoline so that people will drive less? Pollution in other areas can be tackled in a similar manner, i.e. using the power of government to force consumers to change their habits.”

The problem with these solutions is that they don’t remove the seeds of pollution. Smog and air pollution are not actually caused by the automobile, but rather the desire for kama, or sense gratification. Kama is one of the primary rewards in life, along with dharma [religiosity], artha [economic development], and moksha [ultimate liberation]. Kama is sought out through dharma and artha, both of which come about through fruitive activities, or karma. In simple terms, since we have a desire to enjoy our senses, we take the necessary actions to acquire that enjoyment. Planes, trains, and automobiles came about through a desire to enjoy material nature. We can also think of it in terms of playing a sport. In the sport of tennis, players played with wooden rackets for a very long time. Then there came a desire to enjoy tennis more by hitting the ball harder. This desire led to the development of graphite rackets, and more recently to the evolution of new types of string. Hence the game was drastically changed not due to technology, but due to the desire to enjoy the sport even more.

But this enjoyment came with consequences. Many say that tennis today isn’t as enjoyable to watch as in days past due to the extremely fast serves and heavy hitting. Players are also more prone to arm injuries today due to the violent swinging motions. The newer strings are very nice in that they allow players to swing very hard and yet still maintain control of their shots. The drawback is that for one to get this control, they must swing the racket very quickly, a motion which is quite violent for the arm. As amazing as this sounds, if the players don’t swing hard with the new strings, they will actually have less control of their shots. The drawback is that violent swinging has led to an increase in wrist and arm injuries.

These injuries, or negative side effects, can be thought of as pollution in a sense. The same principle took effect with cars. People wanted to increase their speed in travelling, so the automobile and train were developed. While this seemed like a great thing, there came unintended negative consequences such as pollution and accidents. Thousands of people die in traffic accidents each year, but this issue is just swept aside as collateral damage. Pollution, in the form of unwanted negative side effects, is seen in practically every area of increased sense gratification. Even the latest iPods, iPhones, and high-definition televisions come with their own forms of pollution.

Simply eradicating the pollution or forcing people to change their level of enjoyment won’t solve any problems. The seeds for pollution, i.e. the never-satisfied desire to enjoy the senses, will still remain. Returning to the issue of bhakti-yoga, we see that the Krishna conscious devotee automatically has these seeds removed. It doesn’t mean their activities are necessarily changed in any drastic manner. They still might drive cars, travel on airplanes, or use smart phones, but the forefront of their consciousness is different. These secondary material activities are performed as a matter of fact, with the ultimate aim being the pleasure of the Supreme Lord. In this way, one makes spiritual progress while eliminating the root cause of pollution. In reality, even the pollution itself is purified due to its utility. For example, if someone drives their car to a temple or to travel to a holy place of pilgrimage, the resulting pollution then becomes purified since it is part of bhakti-yoga. Air is only dirty if it is harmful to our achievement of the ultimate purpose. If our ultimate aim in life is to enjoy the senses, then air pollution certainly represents an impediment. However, if our ultimate aim is to satisfy Krishna, then even something like air pollution becomes tolerable if it is unintentionally generated through acts of devotion.

These concepts may seem a little hard to grasp at first, but those who have practiced bhakti-yoga for a long time can certainly attest to their validity. God consciousness is something that has to be developed; it cannot be acquired solely through intense study. We have to put in the time to see the benefits. Once these benefits are realized, one will see that the proponents of bhakti-yoga are certainly correct in their assessments of pollution and how to deal with it. By following the prescriptions of the bhaktas, we can carry out our day-to-day activities by putting the mind on autopilot, thus leaving our consciousness free to contemplate on spiritual matters.