Separation With Attachment

“Blessed indeed are the great souls, the greatly fortunate sages who have given up all sins, conquered the mind, and for whom there is neither pleasure nor aversion.” (Sita Devi, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 26.49)

dhanyāḥ khalu mahātmāno munayastyaktakilbiṣāḥ ||
jitātmano mahābhāgā yeṣāṃ na staḥ priyāpriye |

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“So you’re telling me that I have to first change my way of life, everything that I do on a regular basis, how I think, how I eat, how I talk, where I go, etc.? Then only after doing that I can know the Supreme Lord a lot better? I will be of sounder mind and body; ‘sober’ as you call it. Then from there the goal is to reach a point where I feel so much pain in separation from the same person I’m trying to know? That doesn’t make any sense. I’m getting to know Him so that I can miss Him? Isn’t everybody already separated from Him? If what you’re saying is true, shouldn’t they feel happy right now, then?”

It does seem paradoxical that on the highest platform of the devotional consciousness one feels tremendous separation pain from their object of affection. The saying “tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all” has some applicability here. The difference is that there is never a real loss once there is love for the person to whom we are intimately tied since time immemorial. The separation anxiety is more a longing, and the conditions are purposefully manipulated to increase the pleasure of the devotee.

Based on physical proximity, there is never any separation. From the ancient science of devotion, as taught at the beginning of the creation and then passed on through a bona fide chain of disciplic succession, we learn that the living entities come to the earth when they have even the slightest hint of envy of God. Long story short, we are here because we want to be here. We don’t know God because we don’t want to know Him. Just as the drunkard is always intoxicated because they want to be, even though it might be bad for them, we remain forgetful of the origin of matter and spirit because we think we will be better situated that way.

Thus the whole point to any religion is to remove that envy and regain the association of the only perfect being. The pursuit in competition with the author of everything good in this world is destined to fail since all living entities are imperfect. To ere is human, which means even the most advanced species in the material world commits mistakes. Man also has imperfect senses, becomes easily illusioned, and cheats from time to time. As God is not imperfect at all, so many of the names used to address Him are negations of other terms. He is known as Achyuta since He never falls down. He is described as anadi since He has no beginning. He is Ajita since no one has ever conquered Him. He is Aja since He is unborn.

As long as a body is living, there is the spiritual force inside. It is the residence of that force that determines life or death. We know someone is dead when the living force has left them. Someone can be on the verge of death, but if they are still alive, it means that the soul is still present. In the same way, no matter how low one has sunk due to their envy, God is always with them. He lives within everyone’s heart as the Supersoul.

“I am the Self, O Gudakesha, seated in the hearts of all creatures. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.20)

Thus the separation is only in terms of consciousness. When one is not conscious of God, their separation is in detachment. It’s like walking around looking for money when you’re holding it in your left hand. Or like frantically searching for your car keys when they are in your pocket the whole time. This separation in consciousness leads only to negative outcomes. This is not done on purpose by God; it is the result based on the constitutional position of both parties. The living entity is meant to serve and God is meant to accept that service. Any other orientation does not work.

For the devotee, the separation is in attachment. This is always good since the chance for forgetting God is virtually eliminated. The separation may seem to be painful, but it is actually enjoyable. The person separated in attachment from God even envies others who are not in that attachment. They think, “At least that person doesn’t know what it feels like to be without the true love of their life. At least they don’t have to worry so much if they are serving properly. At least they don’t count the minutes and hours until the next time they get to see their beloved Lord of their life breath.”

In the above referenced verse from the Ramayana, Sita says that the renounced sages, of great intelligence, who are highly fortunate, are blessed since they have abandoned attachment and aversion. One of the steps towards regaining the constitutional devotional consciousness is giving up attachment and aversion. This only make sense, for what are we really attached to? In Sanskrit the objects of attachment in the material world are described as maya, which means “that which is not.” The goal is to be attached to “that which is,” or God.

There is no reason to have an attachment to anything which is not directly God. There is also no reason to have an aversion to anything, as aversion is just the opposite of attachment. In either case one is affected by another object. The renounced sages are not affected, and so they are in a superior position. However, Sita subtly reveals that their position is not the most superior. This is because they don’t yet feel the pain of separation from Rama, who is Sita’s husband. Rama is the personal God, the detail behind the abstract. He is an incarnation of Vishnu, who is an expansion of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Vedas go into great detail about all three, but in summary any of them equates to the concept we have of a supreme controller, a divine being.

In pure devotion, the separation happens automatically through God’s intervention. Whereas in the separation in detachment, the Supreme Lord remains a neutral observer in His role as the Supersoul, in separation in attachment He takes an active role. This means that He shows more love towards the devotee. More love from the all-compassionate Lord means a better situation. Sita’s longing showed that she could never forget Rama. In the same way Rama never forgets her, and the fearless servant Shri Hanuman never forgets either of them.

In Closing:

With knowledge of Him be inundated,

So that eventually to be separated.

 

Illogical seems this path,

Why hope for painful aftermath?

 

In bhakti separation in attachment,

Unlike forgetting God, with detachment.

 

From Sita Devi supreme devotion see,

And how never without love she can be.

 

Hanuman of God thinking in way the same,

Ecstasy from hearing only the name.

Impossible To Forget

“Blessed indeed are the great souls, the greatly fortunate sages who have given up all sins, conquered the mind, and for whom there is neither pleasure nor aversion.” (Sita Devi, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 26.49)

dhanyāḥ khalu mahātmāno munayastyaktakilbiṣāḥ ||
jitātmano mahābhāgā yeṣāṃ na staḥ priyāpriye |

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As devotion is at the very core of an existence, it is difficult to explain how it is practiced in the constitutional position. As words in a language are defined by other words, so various aspects and behaviors in this world can be used to explain the constitutional position of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are some paradoxes as well. For instance, the pleasure from devotional service increases when there is separation from the object of interest. Sort of like the “absence makes the heart grow fonder” concept, when there is an intense longing for the association of the all-attractive Supreme Lord, the ecstasy is considered the highest. This is the mood of Sita Devi shown here in this verse from the Ramayana.

Here is another paradox to consider. The person feeling the ecstasy of intense separation from their beloved Lord considers themselves to be the most inferior. They think that every other person in the world is better situated. They have a kind of transcendental envy of others who are not feeling the same separation pain. Sort of like how the adult envies the young child for their innocence and ignorance of the ways of the world, the pure devotee thinks that the materialist is better situated, for they are not subject to the intense pain of separation that occurs for the devotee who always keeps the Supreme Lord in mind.

Here Sita Devi says that those sages who are completely dispassionate are much more fortunate. Imagine if you could get rid of all your worries. Every anxiety that we currently have relates to some attachment. We are attached to our job. We are attached to our school. We are attached to our family members. Those attachments bring obligations. Obligations bring pressure, which brings worry. I have to wake up at a certain time tomorrow morning so that I can make it to my son’s soccer game. I have to study up on the latest technology so that I can do what I have to do at work. “This task is very important, so I can’t make any mistakes.”

With these pressures I am now more prone to sinful behavior. In order to relieve the tension, I take to drinking at night. I don’t have time to cook for myself, so I go out to eat a lot. Since I’m not cooking, and since my mind is focused on meeting my obligations, I’ll eat anything and everything. I’ll lie sometimes if I have to. And there is certainly no focus on the higher aspects of life, such as where my life is going. There is no time to ponder over why I am here and where I will go after death.

So the ascetic who renounces everything seems to find a better situation. They have no attachments. They are not averse to anything, either. They live a renounced life. Since they have less pressures, they can focus on avoiding sinful behavior. Therefore their sins eventually vanish. They are able to stay focused in renunciation because they have conquered the mind. The mind can take away the discrimination of even the most controlled person. To conquer the mind is like trying to control the wind, which seems impossible.

“As a boat on the water is swept away by a strong wind, even one of the senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man's intelligence.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.67)

It is noteworthy that the materialist doesn’t really envy the ascetic. They may marvel at how someone could live like that, but they don’t really think that the ascetic is in a better position. No job. No family. No home even. Who would think that is the superior lifestyle? It is meant for someone who is truly special. Sita, however, says that the sage is in the better position. This is because they don’t feel the pain of separation from Shri Rama. They don’t know what it’s like to be shut out from offering Him service directly.

Rama is the Supreme Lord in His incarnation as a warrior prince. An incarnation of Godhead has all transcendental attributes. This means that the face is not an ordinary one. Neither are the actions and relationships. Sita is the eternal consort of the Supreme Lord. She is always with Him, if not physically then at least in spirit. She cannot live any other way.

During their earthly pastimes, Sita serves the role of wife to Rama. Since she is at the highest level of devotion, Sita feels the ecstasy of separation from Rama from time to time. In separation, she is unable to serve Him directly. Here she is in a foreign territory, held against her will. The evil king of Lanka wants her for himself. He wants her to be his chief queen, though everyone knows that she is Rama’s beloved. Brute force may help one to become very wealthy and eventually conquer the world, but it can never win over the mind of a devoted soul like Sita.

From this verse we also learn that the dispassionate sage, a great soul who is very fortunate as well, has a higher platform to reach. This is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita by the same Rama in His form of Shri Krishna. There He says that the person who is Brahman realized is well situated to take up devotional service. To be Brahman realized means to have no attachments or aversions. It means to see the spiritual equality of all beings. The Brahman realized soul has no hankerings and no lamentations.

From Sita’s time on earth we get an example of a Brahman realized person who then went to a higher platform, one that brought attachments and longings. That soul was King Janaka of Mithila. Known throughout the world for his dispassion, he one day found a baby in the ground while ploughing that field for a sacrifice. He immediately held affection for her, so much so that he one day drew up the contest of contests to find her a suitable husband. That baby was Sita, and that husband was Shri Rama. And just as Janaka had affection for Sita, she would love Rama without motivation and without interruption, following the example of her sage-like father.

In Closing:

Devotional consciousness to bring change,

Envy of the non-devoted, an attitude strange.

 

Since without attachments to go,

Pain of separation not to know.

 

But actually devotee in the highest stage,

The goal for even the renounced sage.

 

Sita, of Janaka most beloved daughter,

Love for Rama, to follow example of father.

Everywhere Are His Eyes

“Generally there will be affection for that which is visible. And for that which is not visible there is no affection. The ungrateful are capable of destroying their affection in this way, but not Rama.” (Sita Devi, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 26.43)

dṛśyamāne bhavetprītiḥ sauhṛdaṃ nāstyapaśyataḥ ||
nāśayanti kṛtaghnāstu na rāmo nāśayiṣyati |

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It is said that man inherits four defects at the time of birth. He has a tendency to cheat. Knowing full well his inability to rule everything, there is always some insecurity. This fear manifests in cheating to some level. Man commits mistakes; he is not perfect. He is also easily illusioned; things and people are always tricking him. That pizza pie on display in the store looks so tempting, but in fact eating the whole thing will lead to discomfort later on. Still, casting aside all the previous bad memories, the person goes ahead and orders the whole pie for himself.

The fourth defect is imperfect senses. We can’t perceive everything. We have no idea what is going on in the room next to us unless someone tells us. We don’t know what our son or daughter is thinking at this moment. Since they are full of life, we know that they are indeed thinking something. We can’t even remember our own perceptions. “What did I eat for breakfast a year ago today? How did that verse from the Bhagavad-gita go that I was supposed to memorize for my weekly class?”

With imperfect senses we rely on sight alone for observation and emotion. Sita Devi here references one of the results of that reliance. There is the general tendency to have affection only for that which is seen. If I see my dog, I think about it. If I see my parents, I remember all the sacrifices they made for me while growing up. If I see my friends on a daily basis, I try to do good for them. Once the objects are no longer within sight, however, the affection diminishes. The more ungrateful a person is, the easier it is for them to lose their affection in this cause-and-effect circle. One person has His eyes everywhere, however, so He is never ungrateful in this way.

The “what have you done for me lately” saying is another way to describe the same tendency. We ask our friends for favors. This is only natural. If you can’t ask your friend to lend you some support every now and then, who can you ask? So our best friend picks us up from the airport. They run to the house when we have forgotten something. They look up something online when we are in an emergency situation. They come to pick us up when our car has stalled out and we are stranded on the side of the road.

Ah, but that one time that they fail to grant us a favor, we get upset. The many past sacrifices are no longer visible. They are distant memories only. What is perceivable in the present is their failure. Indeed, another issue is that by coming through for us so many times in the past our friend raised the level of expectation in us. We just assume that they will always get the job done. We don’t think that they may not like bailing us out all the time. We don’t consider their feelings as much. It becomes “what have you done for me lately” instead of “thank you for all that you have done for me in the past.”

This attitude may or may not apply to us completely. It depends on how ungrateful we are. All of us have imperfect senses, so there is no way to always remember everything that someone has done for us. Sole reliance on sight isn’t the right way to go all the time, but it is indeed a habit. The husband of Sita was not ungrateful in the least. He remembered every single good deed done for His benefit. Goswami Tulsidas makes particular mention of this quality in Rama. The poet remembers how Rama gave so many wonderful benedictions to those who did only a single good deed for Him. In contrast, others quickly forget a host of benedictions offered to them, ungrateful souls that they are.

Sita knows Rama’s nature. Here she is in a very difficult situation. Female ogres surround her and threaten to eat her up. They regularly ate all kinds of flesh, so these weren’t empty threats. The king of the land, Ravana, wanted Sita for his chief wife. She refused him completely, over and over again. Therefore the king resorted to threats of abuse. He ordered his grim-visaged female attendants to harass the innocent Sita until she caved.

Sita is here addressing those ogres. She is letting them, and the world for that matter, know that though man is generally only affectionate towards that which can be seen, in Rama there is no such defect. This is because Rama is the Supreme, the personality behind the concept of an attributeless energy of truth. Only a personality can remember. Only an individual can be without ungratefulness and have full affection for both the seen and the unseen.

Technically, there is nothing unseen by Rama. His eyes are everywhere, though He has no eyes. This is how the Upanishads describe Him. There is no limit to the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Lord. He is described as nirguna since no material quality could ever be attached to Him, as there is duality in every quality that we encounter. There is grateful and ungrateful. There is happy and unhappy. The Absolute Truth is above duality.

At the same time, Rama is saguna. He has spiritual attributes which are visible to man with imperfect senses. There is no difference between the nirguna and saguna; just the latter helps to give an idea of what “attributeless” really means. Rama is supremely grateful. He remembers everything done for Him and does not let sight play a role in determining His disposition.

He has eyes, but they are not material. The range of perception in His eyes is not limited. He can see millions of miles away. He can see the microscopic and the macroscopic. Moreover, He remembers all that He sees. He always remembers the boundless affection that Sita has for Him. He remembers every devotional act of the sincere spiritual seekers. He remembers a single utterance of His name made in innocence by even a young child who has yet to fully understand the dualities of the material world.

Indeed, there is none more grateful than Rama, and so it is not surprising that the people of the world who are the most pious are forever devoted to Him. The ogres in Lanka could not understand Sita’s nature, and so they harassed her and tried to get her to move her attention away from Rama. They also couldn’t understand Hanuman, who was secretly perched on a tree at the time watching what went down. As Rama is grateful, Hanuman and Sita never stop loving Him. As such, anyone who follows the devotional path is assured of remaining in the good graces of the Supreme Lord, whose transcendental eyes see everything.

In Closing:

Stuck at work, can’t get free,

Can you do a favor for me?

 

All thanks to them now to give,

But in future forgetful to live.

 

Not the case with Sita’s husband indeed,

To remember forever just a single deed.

 

His eyes anywhere and everywhere to go,

As most grateful of all devotee’s know.

Never A Bad Time

“Shame on me, who am uncivilized, unchaste, and living a sinful life, for I continue to protect my life for even a moment without Him.” (Sita Devi, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 26.7)

dhiṅmāmanāryāmasatīṃ yāhaṃ tena vinā kṛtā |
muhūrtamapi rakṣāmi jīvitaṃ pāpajīvitā ||

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One of the offenses to chanting the holy name is to equate the process with any ritual mentioned in the Vedas that is meant for material upliftment. To understand this better, we can look to the raising of a child. You would never equate waking up early to feed your child with some sort of health habit. Love for someone else is not for your personal betterment. Acts in love are done out of love; selflessly, with no personal motivation. Therefore love can never be wrong, can it?  Sita’s words above confirm this.

One person goes to school, starts a business, and then becomes extremely wealthy. Another person also finds material success, but in a way of their own. They don’t pray to God for anything. Therefore they think that God is for the “bitter clingers,” those who were previously unsuccessful in life. Or they think that perhaps He is for those who don’t know any better. “These fools think that if they speak to an invisible man in the sky that all their problems will vanish. They need to get out and work instead. They need to give up their make-believe.”

This foolishness is rooted in nearsightedness. Not necessarily in reading the letters on an eye exam, but more so with respect to time and cause and effect. In the short term, the latter group sees that material success comes without worship. But in fact past generations living in the same area were indeed more religious. They prayed all the time. The settlers to that land in question actually came there so that they would have freedom of worship. They left superior material conditions behind in favor of destitution, poverty, and isolation. They made this choice due simply to their desire to worship as they saw fit. Their efforts paved the way for the material success of the future generations.

When one is a little religiously inclined, they become familiar with different rituals aimed at achieving different results. If I want a healthy family, I do this certain worship designated for a specific time and place. If I want my child to enter adulthood with the proper consciousness, when they reach the appropriate age I will arrange for a priest to come to the house and do a specific ceremony. When someone in the family passes on, I follow specific guidelines for mourning. This is to show proper respect to both the departed and the Supreme Lord.

In the Vedic tradition there are so many such rituals. Every type of person is assigned some kind of religious practice. Even if you are a drunkard who can’t see clearly enough to avoid violence against innocent creatures, you get some rituals slated for your advancement in consciousness. That is the ultimate goal, after all, though it may not be revealed in the beginning. The first grade teacher doesn’t tell the students why they will need to know the alphabet. The teacher doesn’t go into great detail about how mathematics will be put to use all the time in adulthood. The children just accept the instruction, with the ultimate benefit coming later on.

So too the performers of the different religious rituals eventually work their way up towards full God consciousness; at least this is the case ideally. This consciousness is very difficult to instill in the beginning, for the living entity exiting the womb starts the discovery process immediately. They find so many things and then study them. They try this thing and that; whatever is appealing. They then constantly accept and reject these things, hoping to find that one thing that they will never have to reject; an acceptance which will bring real transcendence.

The innocent child doesn’t know any better, so if they are given real transcendence right away, they may mistakenly discount it as unimportant. They may assign something else a higher priority. Therefore the rituals help to gradually build the consciousness to the point that it can see things clearly. In this respect, the various rituals have appropriate times and circumstances. There are also times of impurity. For example, when a new child is born or when a family member passes on, the affected parties are considered impure. Therefore doing standard rituals is prohibited. The family should not do any kind of worship to procure material gain. We can think of it like not wanting to say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.19)

The ultimate objective is very difficult to achieve, and it can take many lifetimes. Once real God consciousness is there, the stipulations for time and circumstance vanish. This makes sense if we think about it. Is it ever a bad time to love someone? Is it inappropriate to think favorably of someone else? These actions can be harmful if the person in our mind is someone we should forget. The Supreme Lord, however, is the reservoir of all transcendental goodness. Therefore it is never wrong to think about Him. Indeed, it is an offense to ever equate thinking of Him in a mood of love with any ritual mentioned in the Vedas for material gain.

Doing so is an offense because real love for God is unmotivated and uninterrupted. Those who genuinely love Him never stop thinking of Him. And although they think of Him all the time, they feel like they are not worshiping Him enough. They feel as if they are the worst person in the world since they manage to continue living when He is not in their presence. This is the sentiment of Sita Devi referenced here from the Ramayana.

Sita is Hare, or the energy of God. She can never not think of her beloved husband, Shri Rama. Rama is the Supreme Lord in the spiritual form of a warrior prince who roamed this earth during the ancient time period of the Treta Yuga. Though His lotus feet graced this earth so long ago, He continues to live on here through His names, forms, attributes and pastimes. He is always roaming a land somewhere, as there are innumerable universes in existence. Thus one can always think of Rama, wherever they are.

It is never an offense to worship Rama in love. This worship is known as bhakti-yoga, and it can take place anywhere. Here Sita Devi gives an example of bhakti-yoga practiced amidst enemies. She does not have a priest in the vicinity. She does not have an altar on which to direct various prayers. She does not even have a new dress to wear to the occasion of worship. Indeed, she is not even really praying. She is simply remembering her dear husband. She is thinking of how in comparison to her He is so great. She considers herself so low for not being a good enough wife. She feels bad for putting Him into distress, for He is presently looking for her. She had gone missing in the Dandaka forest after the fiendish king of Lanka stole her away in secret.

Even in lamentation one can worship the Supreme Lord. Even in circumstances that “try men’s souls,” one can remember the beloved husband of Sita. Not only is it not an offense to think in such a way, but it is a sign of a pure consciousness, one that no longer needs to rely on the rituals targeted for this benefit or that. Saying the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,” is an act of divine love. Therefore it is an offense to ever equate this chanting with any ritualistic process. As God is omnipresent, eternally existing, and ever benevolent, He can accept worship from any person, at any time, and at any place.

In Closing:

Offense against the holy name to make,

When to ritualistic process to equate.

 

Divine love fit for any time anywhere,

For gain or loss in devotee not a care.

 

Even amidst ogres of visages grim,

She thought of Rama, always devoted to Him.

 

Most humble Sita Devi even in circumstances sad,

Showed that for bhakti never a time bad.

Am I Doing Enough

“Shame on me, who am uncivilized, unchaste, and living a sinful life, for I continue to protect my life for even a moment without Him.” (Sita Devi, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 26.7)

dhiṅmāmanāryāmasatīṃ yāhaṃ tena vinā kṛtā |
muhūrtamapi rakṣāmi jīvitaṃ pāpajīvitā ||

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One person goes to church every Sunday. They make the sacrifice because they think it is good for them. They skip the football pregame shows on television and the chance to sleep in on a day off. They instead visit their specific house of worship with their family. Another person swears allegiance to a specific religious organization. They get married through that institution and though they may not explicitly practice very often, they consider themselves to be God-fearing. Another person refuses to associate with any group that is considered cult-like, for they are a free spirit. They find out for themselves who the Supreme Lord is. They either read famous books or mentally speculate as to the cause of this creation.

From the discipline that descends from the rishis of India of ancient times, we learn that the true measure of religiosity is consciousness. In simpler terms, how often are you thinking of God? More specifically, how often are you actually thinking about His interests as opposed to what He does for you? If you get a good grade in school, you may thank the Lord for your good fortune. If you’re in trouble and you look to the heavens in distress, you may think that is religious as well. But how often do you actually contemplate His features? How often do you remember His pastimes, His disposition, His ability to transcend material dualities, and His supreme benevolence upon all creatures, large and small?

The latter is considered legitimate consciousness of God, where each of the former aspects may eventually lead up to the ideal destination. The ancient science of the relationship to the Supreme was originally spoken at the beginning of the creation. This is the “beginning” for our understanding, for the shrewd mind picks up on the fact that time is infinite in both directions. We say there is a beginning, but there is always a beginning to that. There is always an after to any result as well. Human beings are baffled by infinity, which is one way to know that we can never be God. The Supreme Lord is the beginning of all beginnings and the end of all ends. One of the names for the science that describes Him is Vedanta, which means the end of knowledge. It is the conclusion to all theorems, postulates, and ideas for how things work.

“That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.3)

That ancient science of the relationship to the Supreme also goes by the name “yoga.” To distinguish it from any exercise system concocted in the modern world, it can also be called “bhakti-yoga.” Bhakti-yoga is God consciousness. It is always thinking of God in a mood of love. Love does not mean always asking for things that we want. Love means offering. It means sharing and sacrificing. Therefore it shouldn’t surprise us that one of the principal methods of practicing bhakti-yoga is the sacrifice of chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

There is no need to be scared off by these Sanskrit words, as they are merely beautiful descriptions of the Supreme Lord and His attributes. “Krishna” says that He is all-attractive. And who can deny that? This world has attractiveness in rivers, ponds, lakes, forests and flowers. Why, then, should attractiveness be absent in the author to all these things? “Rama” says that the Supreme Lord is full of transcendental pleasure which can be shared with those willing to accept it. The participants in the playful pastimes of pleasure are known as the Lord’s energy, or Hara. “Hare” references this energy, of which there is a singular personality who excels in pleasing the Lord. She is the speaker of the above referenced verse from the Ramayana.

The saints of the bhakti-yoga tradition recommend chanting the aforementioned holy names of God on a set of japa beads as part of a daily practice, or sadhana. Depending on the exact tradition followed, the recommendation may vary slightly, but His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his disciples say to chant the maha-mantra at least sixteen rounds a day. This means saying the mantra one hundred and eight times multiplied by sixteen. This is quite a formidable standard to maintain. To help in the effectiveness of the chanting and the focus necessary to stay true to the vow, sincere seekers of the Truth are advised to give up meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex.

One who follows these regulations has sufficiently established the baseline standard recommended by the saints of the bhakti-yoga tradition. Does that mean everything stops there? Does the person suddenly become perfect in all ways? Do they never have to do anything else? Actually, it is quite natural for one to wonder if they are doing enough.

“I chant sixteen rounds a day, but is that all? Should I not be associating with other saintly people? I try my best to get out to visit these people when they gather together in homes and temples, but it is hard with my hectic schedule. I have a job to go to and a sadhana to keep up. I feel like I’m not doing enough. What can I do to be a better devotee? What can I do to be more in the favor of the Supreme Lord?”

One way to answer this question is to look to those who are always in God’s favor. Those who are loved by Him so much that the love cannot be measured can give us an idea of what it takes to feel satisfied in devotion. Of course, it is a trick question, as shown by Sita Devi. Here she laments her situation by speaking on her poor qualities. In truth, she is the greatest devotee. She is the Hare addressed in the maha-mantra. She is the original goddess of fortune, sometimes manifesting as Radha to Krishna and Lakshmi to Narayana. Whatever her external manifestation, she is always purely God conscious. She thinks of no one but her beloved Lord. She doesn’t need to explicitly practice any yoga. There is only one way for her to live: devotion.

Does she think that she is superior? Does she think that since she only thinks of her beloved husband Rama that she is the greatest devotee in the world? Actually, she thinks that she is unchaste, uncivilized and living a sinful life. She is none of these things, but her sentiment is genuine. She thinks these things because she has managed to live after being separated from Rama for a moment.

If God is great and full of attributes to which we are all attracted, and I consider myself pure in consciousness of Him, how is it that I can survive in His absence for a single second? I lament when my favorite sports team loses a big game. I get sad when someone says something mean to me. I am upset when my desires are frustrated. And yet these things aren’t close in comparison to a second’s loss of association of the beloved Personality of Godhead. If I am such a great devotee, how is it that I can continue to live when not personally in His company?

Sita’s attitude is very nice, and it reveals a secret to success in devotion. The more inadequate one feels in their devotional practices, the more advanced they are. Sita is always with Rama, for His name alone is enough to qualify for association. He is always in her mind and she in His. Here she is in difficult circumstances, kept in a foreign land against her will. She is unable to rub Rama’s lotus feet, make Him smile with her gentle behavior, and enjoy with Him the springtime blossoming of flowers. She feels that she shouldn’t be alive after having been separated from Him, but actually Rama never stops thinking of her. He will come to rescue her, and so the same fate awaits the devoted souls who always look for ways to increase their consciousness of God.

In Closing:

Daily chanting sixteen rounds,

Keeping my practices on solid ground.

 

But am I actually doing enough?

To keep sadhu association is tough.

 

As Sita considered herself low,

That she is most advanced know.

 

Devoted soul always looking for more ways,

Catching favor of Lord, with them always stays.

Gang Mentality

“Hiding himself in the Shimshupa tree, that monkey Hanuman listened to the Rakshasis frightening Sita.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 24.14)

avalīnaḥ sa nirvākyo hanumān śiṃśupādrume ||
sītāṃ saṃtarjayantīstā rāksasīraśṛṇot kapiḥ |

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There are certain truths that we know inherently. Others don’t have to convince us of them. We don’t even question them. For instance, stealing is bad. You shouldn’t take what doesn’t belong to you. This only makes sense. Would we like it if someone else took what we have? If someone came into our home and stole our computer and television, would we like it? Therefore why would we want to do that to someone else? There are many other basic truths established in the same way.

As there is some independence in the material world, any person can act in any way they choose. Not that they will always get the desired result, but they can still opt for any behavior they wish. This means some will have no problem with stealing. They will make up every excuse in the book as justification. Meanwhile, it is simply their lust or their cheating propensity which drives them to their behavior which goes against basic truths. Nevertheless, in their minds they think they are behaving righteously.

It’s difficult enough to argue with someone who is completely wrong on a basic value issue. It’s even more difficult when there is the gang mentality matched up against righteousness. If you know that stealing is wrong, but you’re in a room full of people who think the opposite, the situation is very frustrating. You can be completely sinless, full of virtues such as honesty, kindness and compassion, and the other side will still bully you until you give in to their position. This was the case a long time ago in the Ashoka grove in Lanka.

A well-wishing party had to watch as this all went down. He knew that stealing was bad. He knew that adultery was not called for. He knew that the lady situated in righteousness was correct in her stance. And yet he had to watch as grim-visaged female ogres harassed her. The pious lady was named Sita and she was already married. Her marriage was the issue at hand. The king of Lanka wanted her for himself. He knew that Sita was married to Rama, but that didn’t stop him from taking her away from Rama’s side in secret.

Sita did not budge from her position. She insulted Ravana by accurately pointing out his shortcomings. She spoke to him on the issue of basic decency, where one doesn’t force themselves upon another. She also reiterated the fact that she was a human being and thus not fit to be the wife of an ogre. Ravana was a Rakshasa, which is a species prone to man-eating. A person who eats cats and dogs is considered uncivilized in the community of meat-eaters, so we can just imagine how lacking in values a man-eater is.

Sita was right and Ravana was wrong. Ravana had to get his way, however. So he ordered his female attendants to scare Sita into submission. They surrounded her and peppered her with hypothetical scenarios and bleak futures.

“You should enjoy with Ravana while you still have your youth. Once your youth is gone, you will no longer be attractive. Rama is just a pauper. He lives in the wilderness, bereft of His kingdom. Why would you choose to be with someone so weak? Why not enjoy with Ravana, who lives in palatial mansions and has so much strength? You’re insane for not accepting his offer to become his chief queen. You will be so powerful if you accept his offer.”

Hanuman was sent by Rama to find Sita. He was watching all of this while hiding in a tree right above. Imagine seeing someone you care about being bullied in such a manner. It will trouble you greatly, will it not? The question then is why Rama would subject Hanuman to this torture. We know from the Vedas that Rama is the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead appearing on earth in an apparently human form. Sita is His eternal consort in the spiritual sky, and Hanuman is forever devoted to them both.

God works in mysterious ways indeed. For the devoted souls, every reaction to their actions is monitored by the Supreme Lord. This is a special mercy not available to the non-devoted souls. If one person wants to eat ice cream and another wants to eat pizza, why should a higher authority bother settling the dispute? In either case someone will eat. The enjoyment from such eating is temporary. Any variety of material enjoyment is temporary. The form and circumstance of the living entity facilitate the various reactions. Since the enjoyments are all temporary, they don’t catch the interest of the Supreme Lord.

The devoted souls only want one thing: continued devotion. This solves the mystery as to the situation at hand. Sita’s love for Rama increases through separation. Hanuman’s attachment for Sita increases through watching her endure a difficult situation, where her devotion is tested. Hanuman to this day constantly sings the glories of Sita and Rama. He remained hidden in that tree, just waiting to pounce on the opportunity to give life-giving news to Sita about Rama’s plan to rescue her. Later on, after Ravana was defeated and Sita freed, Hanuman wanted to exact punishment on those Rakshasis who had harassed Sita. He remembered everything he saw while perched on that tree.

Though Sita prevented Hanuman from attacking the female ogres, kindly forgiving them and once again showing her compassionate nature, Hanuman’s concern for her welfare never diminished. And she in turn remained ever affectionate towards Ramadutta, the fearless, courageous, capable, and dedicated messenger of the Supreme Lord. The gang in Lanka thought they were getting to Sita, but all they were doing was further motivating a fierce fighter like Hanuman, who on being on the side of righteousness would eventually prevail.

In Closing:

Even when you know you are right,

Difficult when gang of foes to fight.

 

Not easy on your stance to stay,

Herd pressuring you to give way.

 

Hanuman saw all of this from tree,

Harassment of Sita, who of sin was free.

 

Attachment increased in that beloved servant,

To this day supporter of them most fervent.

Power By Worship

“As you are very strong, the brother of the master of the treasury [Kuvera] and possess a great military force, why did you have to lure Rama away to come and do your wife-robbery?” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand 22.22)

śūreṇa dhanadabhrātrā balaiḥ samuditena ca |
apihya rāmaṃ kasmāddhi dāracauryaṃ tvayā kṛtam ||

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One way to know the difference between the material and the spiritual is that the material relies on others for any potency to be exercised. This is true in the obvious sense that matter is dull and lifeless without a spiritual spark and also in the subtle sense when it relates to strength and opulence devoid of a consciousness connected with the Divine. In this instance, the checkmate style question is posed to the greatest materialist, one who thought he had all the strength in the world.

In a material consciousness I don’t know about spirit. Perhaps I have never been made aware. In my youth, I was urged on in my education so that I could get a good job in adulthood. From a good job I could support a spouse and family and thus live happily ever after. As these were my priorities, whatever got in the way became a sort of enemy, something to be defeated. You defeat something by either fighting it head on or removing it from your path.

In another instance I am made aware of the spiritual science, that the soul is the vital force within everything and that life is meant to go beyond the temporary pleasures of eating and sleeping. After hearing such wisdom, I cast it aside out of ignorance. Perhaps I was already too immersed in the previous mindset of “rise in the material ranks as much as you can.” The wisdom itself became one of the aforementioned obstacles. Therefore I tried to eliminate it from my path.

But the wisdom is difficult to remove from the mind when there are others who are following it. Suffering from the fever of my pursuit, I then miss the obvious fact that seeing and hearing this wisdom should have no bearing on my material success. Whether others want to be spiritually immersed or not should not matter where I end up. But I think otherwise. There is competition for material success. Not every person can be the leader of the nation. Not every person earns the top dollars in a company. Top means the highest, and when there is a summit there is naturally so much underneath it. If everyone were at the top, there would be no such thing as a top.

Thus even without touching on the spiritual component, I notice that my success in material life is threatened by others pursuing their own success. Whereas I feverishly pursue a temporary position of prominence, the spiritualists remain to themselves. Outside of the odd fanatics belonging to organized institutions of religious life, for the most part the spiritualists are happy in their own worship space. I should have no reason to be threatened by them.

Ah, but their words can diminish my influence. If my desire is to be at the top of a specific field, that implies that others will honor me. If no one knows that I am the leader of the nation, what is the significance to the post? If I win a championship in a sport and no one watches the game or knows who I am, the joy of the victory is diminished.

The genuine spiritual seekers do not suffer from this problem. Whether others know them or not is of no concern. Those on the godly side take their happiness from their relationship to the Supreme. He is defined in one way as the source of everything. Whatever you think is good in life, He is the original cause. Even if you are mired in alcoholism and can’t live without your beer, you can still appreciate Him, for without Him that taste you enjoy wouldn’t exist.

In the above referenced verse from the Ramayana, the speaker is of the godly nature. She was recently living peacefully in the remote wilderness with her husband and His younger brother. They weren’t bothering anyone. Prior to that they hadn’t done anything to anyone, either. And yet they met this cruel fate through the jealousy of her husband’s step-mother. Still, protocol dictated that they follow the orders of the elders without opposition. The trio did not have a problem renouncing home for fourteen years since they were all righteously situated. They didn’t need opulence to survive. They had their belief in God, and more importantly, they had service to Him directly in the form of Rama.

Rama is Sita’s husband, and Sita is the speaker in this instance. Rama is also the Supreme Lord in a manifest form as a warrior prince. It is not that the attributeless supreme divine energy suddenly accepts material elements and then becomes subject to their influence. He is the source of the material nature, so He is never under its orders. In fact, the dichotomy of spiritual and material applies only to us, His innumerable children, sparks of spirit which emanate from Him. For God, there is only spirit, and that includes His transcendental forms which roam this earth from time to time.

By going to the forest and living peacefully and happily there, Rama showed that God does not require worship from anyone. If no one in the world is honoring Him, He is still in the same position. He is just as great when one person is worshiping as when the entire world is immersed in thoughts of Him. Indeed, in one sense everyone is always His devotee. It’s just that some choose to worship the external energy, which brings inferior results. Worship of the internal energy is superior, as one doesn’t even need the support of anyone else. In worship of the internal energy, what others are doing is of no concern.

Ravana was a worshiper of the external energy. He was a quintessential materialist. He knew the Vedas inside and out, supposedly. The Vedas are something like the Bible and Koran except they are much more comprehensive. They exist since time immemorial, and they are only written down when necessary for man’s remembrance. Ravana knew all the rituals and procedures of the Vedas, but he did not understand their essence. He maintained his materialistic view when executing religious rituals, and therefore he never let go of his fear and envy. He was envious of Rama. This factual emotion in him is also symbolic of the general attitude of the materialist; they are envious of God.

Ravana previously boasted to Sita of his tremendous fighting prowess and strength. He proudly mentioned his relation to Kuvera, the treasurer of the demigods. He also spoke of his military force in the kingdom of Lanka. Despite having these, he had to use trickery in taking Sita away from Rama in the forest. Never mind that Sita wasn’t bothering anyone. Never mind that Rama was part of the warrior race, so He was more than ready to fight with Ravana. The envious materialist ruling the land of Lanka inherently understood that his capabilities were limited. Therefore he had to use backhanded means to achieve his objectives.

His success was only temporary. Though he physically took Sita back to his kingdom, he could never have her. Brute force was useless in that regard. Her heart is always with Rama. The pure devotee can never be bought off with money or promises of an opulent lifestyle. They cannot be forced to give up their devotion. This indicates real strength, one that comes only from genuine spiritual life. The materialist is always helpless in their pursuits, as when they are not supported by the entire world they feel threatened. Sita, on the other hand, was attacked by the greatest materialist and still never relinquished her position in greatness.

In Closing:

As God’s blessings they seek,

Spiritualist is considered weak.

 

Money instead they should go after,

Be happy now, mind not the hereafter.

 

But from Sita Devi just see,

How powerful devotee can be.

 

Her affection Ravana tried to buy,

But unshakeable since on Rama to rely.

The Defense Rests

“As you are very strong, the brother of the master of the treasury [Kuvera] and possess a great military force, why did you have to lure Rama away to come and do your wife-robbery?” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand 22.22)

śūreṇa dhanadabhrātrā balaiḥ samuditena ca |
apihya rāmaṃ kasmāddhi dāracauryaṃ tvayā kṛtam ||

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Imagine that you really need to have something done. When you ask somebody to do it and they decline, you have no choice but to use words to try to persuade them. You will present arguments in your favor. You can use the words from their response to form counterarguments. In the case of Ravana, his proposal was out of the question. Still, he persisted, and he thought his arguments were valid, worthwhile, and free of flaw. Sita Devi, the person Ravana was trying to persuade, saw right through both him and his words. In an artful rebuttal of his claims, she waited until the very end to completely expose the flaw in his case. As an expert attorney speaks no further once the opposition’s argument has been completely dismantled, Sita spoke no more after delivering the most striking blow to his presentation.

There is a famous Hollywood movie particularly known for its compelling climax that takes place in a courtroom. It appears that the defense doesn’t stand a chance, that the prosecution, with their leading witness, has defeated them. Everyone on both sides knows that the witness is somewhat responsible for the crime tagged to the accused, but without sufficient evidence, there is no way to convince the court. In the end, the upstart lead attorney for the defense figures out a major flaw in the star witness’s testimony. The attorney ends up using those words against the witness, presenting the argument so perfectly that the witness has no choice but to get angry. In his anger, he loses his composure and gives a de facto confession while on the stand.

A similar thing happened to Ravana, the king of Lanka. He wasn’t on trial, but he presented arguments nevertheless. He was trying to persuade Sita, the wife of Lord Rama, to abandon her lifelong vow of chastity and become the chief queen in Lanka. Sita was having none of it. She had no desire to be with him. She never gave even a glimmer of hope to Ravana. Today she is famously known as the most devoted wife, the beloved eternal consort of the Supreme Lord. God is one, but He appears differently at different times of the creation. Though His manifestations may have a different visible appearance to us, He is still the same individual. The same holds true for His eternal consort. Sita is the manifestation of God’s wife who appears as the beloved daughter of King Janaka.

Ravana presented many arguments in his favor. He reminded Sita that he is the brother of Kuvera, who is the treasurer of the demigods. The treasurer keeps an eye on the wealth. As the brother, Ravana had access to that fortune. When saying this to a princess, it is a way to point out that they will never have to live in poverty. Sita, though a king’s daughter and a prince’s wife, was living like an ascetic in the forest when Ravana met with her. The foolish king of Lanka mistakenly thought that Sita was poor and that her husband Rama was without fortune. He also thought that Sita cared so much about money, wealth and fame. He did not know that Sita is only interested in serving her husband. This is her choice. No one can force her to do otherwise. She is the most independent woman, and she uses that independence to behave as the most chaste wife.

Ravana also bragged to Sita about his strength and his mighty military. He thought he made a pretty compelling case for winning over any woman, let alone someone who just came from the forest. Ravana thought he rescued her from a life of destitution. In his mind, she should have jumped at the chance to be his wife.

Sita swiftly, deftly, and strategically dismantled his entire case. The above referenced verse from the Ramayana is her concluding remark to the king, who had kept her in the Ashoka grove in his kingdom. There is no answer to the rhetorical question she puts forth here. There is no excuse Ravana can come up with. There is no counter argument. Her question basically says, “So, I see you’re very proud of your strength. You’re also the brother of the master of the treasury. You also have a mighty army. I agree with these points. Kudos to you. But let me ask you something. If you have all this going for you, why did you have to lure Rama away in order to take His wife? Isn’t trickery the tactic for the weak? We know that diplomacy is beneficial for the weaker party in a conflict, and based on what you have told me, you are anything but weak. Therefore why did you have to wait until Rama was out of the picture before doing your wife-stealing?”

The arguments put forth by those against devotion to God, which is the constitutional engagement of the spirit soul, are always full of such holes. If the life of sense gratification were the summit to an existence, why then would anyone ever be miserable? Everyone eats, sleeps, mates and defends. Some do it to a greater degree than others. Some also live for longer than others. Nevertheless, each living being has some taste in eating, some form of sleeping, some experience with sexual behavior, and some inclination to defend what they have. Why, then, is there war, famine, pestilence, and death? Why is there constant angst? Why is there anger, greed, wrath, and jealousy?

It must mean that there is a higher taste. There must be more to life than sense gratification. There must be a reason the human being has more intelligence than the animals. Sita shows the reason in her lifestyle, in her mindset that cannot be altered. Whether in splendor or squalor, in sickness or in health, richer or poorer, she serves Rama. She has the luxury of His physical association, but this does not mean that others are excluded from worship. The lone requirement is the proper consciousness, which Sita had and Ravana lacked. She tried her best to set his mind right, but even defeated in his arguments Ravana would not budge. Others needn’t fall into the same trap.

In Closing:

For so long his own virtues to extol,

But in his arguments remained a gaping hole.

 

If brother of Kuvera and with army of might,

Why for taking Sita waited for Rama to be out of sight?

 

For this final argument there was no counter,

Same with atheist class daily to encounter.

 

More than sense gratification, life has higher taste,

Worship Sita and Rama and time no longer waste.