To Recognize That The Past Is Prologue

“A person in Krishna consciousness certainly sees Lord Krishna everywhere, and he sees everything in Krishna. Such a person may appear to see all separate manifestations of the material nature, but in each and every instance he is conscious of Krishna, knowing that everything is the manifestation of Krishna's energy. Nothing can exist without Krishna, and Krishna is the Lord of everything—this is the basic principle of Krishna consciousness.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 6.30 Purport)

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The emphasis from the acharya is that this life is preparation for the next. There will be an afterlife. It is real. Though we cannot directly communicate with someone who has recently departed, the same was true prior to their arrival.

It is an interesting idea to consider. We lament greatly at the forced separation from loved ones. The actual cause is kala, which is the Sanskrit word for time. The same word applies to death. Kala is debilitating. It is devouring. It is the most formidable foe, as it has yet to meet defeat, at least within its area of jurisdiction.

I am sad that I will one day finally submit to the final blow of kala, but why not an equal level of sadness for the near-infinite amount of recorded history prior to my arrival? A year prior to my birth, my parents were in this world. My older siblings were, as well. They got along just fine. They did not know me. I was not even a thought to anyone.

Shastra reveals that I was someplace. As confirmed by Shri Krishna in Bhagavad-gita, never was there a time that I did not exist. The same applies to others, both visible and beyond the range of perception.

न त्व् एवाहं जातु नासं
न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः
न चैव न भविष्यामः
सर्वे वयम् अतः परम्

na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ
na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ
na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ
sarve vayam ataḥ param

“Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.12)

Contemplating this truth of the spiritual science might lead to lamentation resembling the following:

“I can’t believe I screwed up. That is the cause for my birth in this world, as I’ve been made aware. I was not fully conscious of the Almighty during the last trip on the merry-go-round. The rotation stopped for a second, and then I jumped right back on the ride. It is so sad that we have to keep spinning on this wheel of reincarnation, with no end in sight.”

The optimistic viewpoint sees the past lives as a prologue to a wonderful story of success. Overcoming obstacles, persevering through difficulties, emerging victorious at the end. Finally climbing that mountain, everything in the past was worth it. Without those struggles, the achievement of liberation would not taste nearly as sweet.

Also from Bhagavad-gita we learn that for a person who always sees Krishna everywhere, He is never lost to them. Neither is that person ever forgotten by the Almighty, whose eyes are in every corner and every space.

This does not mean the self-realized soul has a kind of morphed vision that no longer sees distinctions. They still correctly identify planes, trains, automobiles, rivers, oceans, mountains, clouds, sunshine, and the like. They can identify different individuals by name and also interact according to the species with whom they are surrounded.

The distinction is that there is an additional layer of perception. They see the influence of Shri Krishna, the all-attractive one. They know that each individual has God inside of them. The consciousness that carries awareness of the presence may not have manifested yet, but the Divine is there all the same.

In Closing:

So wonderful is He,
And everywhere to see.

Even inside of me,
And that tall standing tree.

The past so much to lament,
That wasted the time went.

But now on path to liberation winning,
Where no more reincarnation spinning.

Like Pausing Live Television

“The unsuccessful yogi, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.41)

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प्राप्य पुण्य-कृतां लोकान्
उषित्वा शाश्वतीः समाः
शुचीनां श्रीमतां गेहे
योग-भ्रष्टो ऽभिजायते

prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān
uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe
yoga-bhraṣṭo ‘bhijāyate

Though today a fixture of living in an industrialized part of the world, the invention of television is a marvel of technology. Similar to what we view with our own eyes, we can watch something taking place hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Everything delivered on a device with a screen.

We are no longer required to take a seat in an auditorium to watch the next showing of a theatrical performance. We do not need to purchase an expensive ticket for a seat at the championship game in the professional sport. Television is so nice that these sports leagues can run an entire season without a single person in attendance at the arenas.

Introduced in the last two decades or so is the ability to shift time and place. Previously, the user needed tapes and an elaborate system to record what was playing on the television. They would then have to rewind the tape and playback at a later time.

With the dawn of the digital age, recording and viewing can take place practically anywhere and at any time. I can watch previous recordings on any internet-connected device. I don’t need tapes. My bulky machine that recorded everything in my home has been replaced by a cloud service. In other words, the same hard drives, but managed by a third party, who makes everything accessible over the internet.

If an unexpected emergency should arise, I can pause what I am watching. If it is live programming, the action continues in real life. That football will not stay suspended in the air, awaiting my return to resume. But in my universe, in the reality that I create, everything stops. I do not lose progress. I can go back to the broadcast at any time.

This helps explain the concept of the unsuccessful yogi, as described in Bhagavad-gita. The premise is the promise of liberation. Any person who thinks of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at the time of death achieves an end to the cycle of birth and death.

अन्त-काले च माम् एव
स्मरन् मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्
यः प्रयाति स मद्-भावं
याति नास्त्य् अत्र संशयः

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)

There are no exceptions. There is no fine-print. There are no special qualifications. The promise follows exactly as it reads. Remember Krishna alone at the end and you will never have to return to the land of birth and death.

Naturally, the serious person takes it upon themselves to set up a lifestyle whereby they remember Krishna as much as possible. This is both easy to implement and rewarding throughout, since Krishna is all-attractive. It is not as if you are torturing yourself with only the hope and a prayer of a better life in the future. Devotional service, bhakti-yoga, is the better life.

We might have a new concern. What if everything doesn’t complete successfully? What if you remember Krishna for ten years in a row, but in the eleventh year you get distracted by outside forces. This vulnerability is always there. It is quite easy to get caught up in the temporary, losing sight of the long-term goal.

Krishna has a response. The yogi gets to pick up where they left off. In the next life, they will get circumstances conducive to devotional practice. Perhaps it is the type of family they live in. Maybe they are in a rich aristocracy that views the Supreme Lord as something of an order supplier, so there is regular worship. Perhaps the parents are scholarly in nature, well-read in Vedic literature such as Ramayana and Mahabharata.

The resumption is more precise than the television technology. The internet connection could break to the point that when you press to “un-pause” the feed returns to live. You have missed out on what you wanted to watch. Krishna’s memory is perfect. He retains everything about our previous lives, and so the promise is true in every way.

The better option is not to rely on the future. Take Krishna’s assurance at face value, but don’t wait until the end. Act like today is the most important day of your life, where you will connect with the Almighty in an unbreakable link: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Assigning to today,
That most important day.

Where Krishna to keep in mind,
In every situation to find.

So that not on future to rely,
Where again in yoga to try.

Promise made that if at the end,
Consciousness well beyond to extend.

Cleaning Out My Closet

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.22)

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वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय
नवानि गृह्णाति नरो ऽपराणि
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्य्
अन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही

vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro ‘parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny
anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī

A friend recently purchased a new home. As a result, they sold the existing one they lived in. As complicated as the buying and selling processes were, nothing compares to the daunting task of cleaning out a home that you’ve lived in for years. This friend makes the following remarks after a day of emptying just one of the rooms:

“Let me tell you something. Going through my closet was amazing. Some stuff has been sitting there for ten years; I kid you not. So many shirts and pants that I completely forgot about. It was like going shopping. Forget buying anything new. Everything was sitting there for me.”

A common experience from everyday life such as this provides a deeper understanding of the more complex subject of birth and death and the unclear picture of the existence moving forward. Time is infinite in both directions, beginning and end. Whatever we consider to be the start of creation, understand that there was time prior to that.

Travel all the way to the end, to the moment of universal devastation, as effected by Mahadeva. Realize that time will not cease. Something will occur afterwards. Shri Krishna confirms in Bhagavad-gita, that again and again this world comes to be, populated with living beings.

भूत-ग्रामः स एवायं
भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते
रात्र्य्-आगमे ऽवशः पार्थ
प्रभवत्य् अहर्-आगमे

bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ
bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate
rātry-āgame ‘vaśaḥ pārtha
prabhavaty ahar-āgame

“Again and again the day comes, and this host of beings is active; and again the night falls, O Partha, and they are helplessly dissolved.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.19)

Returning to the present, the experience within life at this precise moment in time, we should know that the existence will continue after death. The comparison is to changing clothes. Like putting on something new out of the closet and taking off what you were wearing.

Birth and death are like the complete change of clothes. The time in between is like going through the day, where we may spill something on the shirt while eating lunch. Perhaps the clothes wear out over time. Regardless of what occurs, the clothes do not define us.

Others may identify us that way. They ask for our racial identity, as if the facial and skin characteristics have any bearing on who we truly are. They may offer respect if we are in a high occupation like judge or doctor. They may look at us derisively if we are a common worker, such as a truck driver or coal miner.

External viewpoint does not make a difference. Every living thing is a spark of spirit. Atma is rooted in Paramatma. There are two souls inside of every person. One is the individual and the other is someone else, who is the same identity spread throughout the creation.

God and myself. We are together. He is inside of you, as well. No matter where I travel, that relationship will not break. I may be unaware, such as during the traumatic experience of birth. I may need someone to remind me, such as through the chance meeting with the spiritual master.

If birth and death are like changing clothes, I can shift my attention towards a higher objective. Make the most of the living experience. Find true bliss and happiness right now. Work in such a way that I won’t be subject to the ebbs and flows of the changes brought on through transmigration.

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यम्
एवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर् जन्म
नैति माम् एति सो ऽर्जुन

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ‘rjuna

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

Anyone who knows the transcendental nature of the birth and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not have to take birth again. Janma ceases for them. They achieve liberation. They no longer become vulnerable to the distinctions based on body, which is separate from spirit. They achieve liberation and continue forward in the blissful life of devotion: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Choosing what to wear,
In closet to find in there.

Like going shopping through,
Shirts, pants and coats too.

So this body accepting,
Until at end rejecting.

Focus proper on Krishna instead,
And towards liberation be led.

Never A Rebirth

“Every living entity is wandering within the universe, subjected to the law of karma and transmigrating from one body to another and from one planet to another. Therefore the whole Vedic process is meant to save the wandering living entities from the clutches of maya - birth, death, disease and old age. This means stopping the cycle of birth and death. This cycle can be stopped only if one worships Krishna.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 3.181 Purport)

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Imagine this situation. You’re enjoying. The engagement was planned beforehand. You knew it would bring you pleasure, and the reality met the potential. It’s such a great experience you wonder why you don’t have it more often. Perhaps in the future you can plan it again.

While all of this is going on, your friend says to you, “Hey, wouldn’t it be great to never have to do this again?” Confused, you ask them what they are talking about. They repeat the same question. Again, you want more clarity. They say that it would be wonderful to never have to experience the human birth again. No more learning how to crawl, walk and talk. No more going to school for twelve years. No more worrying about how to put food on the table to support the family.

As strange as it seems, this is actually the stated goal in the philosophy known as Vedanta. Indeed, the word itself means “the end of all knowledge.” Veda is knowledge and anta means “end.” Philosophically, it is the conclusion of conclusions. Human life exclusively features rational thought, the ability to act intelligently. The way of increasing intelligence is to ask questions. When you get the answers, process them, juxtapose them with answers to previous questions, and then store the resultant information. Keep asking questions until your knowledge base builds sufficiently.

Vedanta is for when you reach the end of the questions. There is no higher topic than death. After death there is birth, and then after birth there is death. The events go together in a chain or a cycle known as samsara. This is continuous suffering, as the individual within that cycle is not meant for either event.

The introductory truth of Vedanta philosophy reveals the reason why. The individual is spirit soul, aham brahmasmi. You and I are spirit. We are not the physical appearance displayed by the mirror. We are not the expensive clothes we were given as gifts for Christmas. We are not the sports car we use to drive around town. We are not even the house in which we live.

The body is something like the house for the spirit soul. When the time for occupancy is up, the spirit soul must go somewhere else. From Vedanta philosophy we learn that the ultimate goal is to escape from ever having to take up residence in a temporary house again.

The reason this is the goal is that there is something better to be experienced. We get a taste of it through following the recommendations of Vedanta philosophy. Be detached from work. Work in such a way that your attachment gradually decreases. The wise person should see the folly in repeating the same activity every day, going through the grind not so affectionately known as “the rat race.”

As a spirit soul, I have a higher destiny to fulfill. There is a different nature to which I inherently belong. That is the spiritual nature, and the pathway towards reentering it is jnana and vairagya. Only the human being can acquire true knowledge. Only the rationally thinking individual can voluntarily implement restriction. Both are done for the purpose of advancement.

The foolish path is to try to make a temporary solution to troubles. After all, no matter how physically fit we make the body, eventually there will be death. No matter how much material enjoyment there is today, one day it will all be left behind. Vedanta is for shaping the next destination, for determining the direction of the flight we are compelled to board.

Activity in the material world is known as karma. Each action has a reaction. There is always surrender, but the object receiving the dedication varies. Worship of any person or entity not the Supreme Personality of Godhead results in rebirth. This is true even for a person who goes to the planet of Lord Brahma. Brahma is the original creature, and he lives for a very long time. Yet even on his planet there is rebirth.

ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ

punar āvartino 'rjuna

mām upetya tu kaunteya

punar janma na vidyate

 

“From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.16)

Those going to Krishna’s planet don’t have to take birth again. Krishna is above even Vedanta philosophy. One who gets His favor does not require jnana or vairagya. They don’t necessarily need to know the difference between matter and spirit. This makes the boon of rebirth open to every single person, man or woman, adult or child.

The individual should seek Krishna’s favor for more than just an end to rebirth. There is endless activity in Krishna’s land. Everything is fresh and new, and the work done brings results that continue to give benefits. The work in bhakti-yoga, devotional service, never goes for naught. It has permanent progress, even when practiced in the material world. It purifies consciousness through connection with the Supreme Consciousness. Thus every problem gets solved through the Divine’s association. Just as He never takes birth, so too the souls surrendered to Him never have to accept a material body again.

In Closing:

Though happy are me and you,

Again all of this worth it to do?

 

Bigger picture, birth to take,

And struggle through life to make.

 

Vedanta revealing liberation’s goal,

No longer under maya’s hold.

 

Only going to Krishna’s planet when,

Liberated devotion, coming back never again.

Taking A Whip Count

“The child cries to have the moon from the mother, and the mother gives the child a mirror to satisfy the crying and disturbing child with the reflection of the moon. Similarly, the crying child of the Lord is given over to the reflection, the material world, to lord it over as karmi and to give this up in frustration to become one with the Lord. Both these stages are dreaming illusions only. There is no necessity of tracing out the history of when the living entity desired this. But the fact is that as soon as he desired it, he was put under the control of atma-maya by the direction of the Lord.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.9.1 Purport)

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A child is known to ask questions. They are discovering the world, after all. They will ask question after question, and if they are genuinely inquisitive they will remember the answers they get from the adults. The loving parent is more than happy to oblige, but sometimes the questions are difficult to answer. For example, what should the response be to, “Why are we here?”

This is the mystery to life itself. The child hasn’t even seen that much. Yet they want to know something that philosophers and great minds for thousands of years have pondered. Fortunately, Vedic philosophy does provide an answer. It doesn’t solve the mystery of time and space, which are both infinite, but there is at least something to chew on. The answer goes something like this:

“We are here because we wanted to be. This land is known as material. You, I and every other living thing are spiritual at the core. The land is material because each living thing gets covered up by things that don’t represent us. These things are composed of five different elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether.

“In a material existence, the coverings to spirit constantly change. This is how time operates. Nothing remains fixed. This property of the material world cannot be changed. It is intended to be this way. When a person wants to imitate God, they get sent here. When they no longer want to imitate, they get to return to His shelter. Therefore we are here right now because at some point in the past we were envious of the Almighty. We don’t know when it happened, but as long as we keep that envy we stay here.”

There is much more nuance and detail to this explanation. The lengthy Shrimad Bhagavatam should be consulted for more information. Indeed, the Bhagavatam is only one work of many in Vedic literature. It is not that the Vedas are the only religion having legitimacy, but they do provide the most information. Every religion describes the same God, but some offer more information about Him than others.

If you are a nice, kind and respectful person, when you first hear this you may be flabbergasted. “Did I really want to imitate God? I can’t believe that. I respect Him so much. I have believed in Him since childhood. I can’t imagine that we all rebelled in that way.” It’s sad, but a truth nonetheless.

The validity of a truth is not dependent on the acceptance of others. For instance, if I tell you that I saw the sun in the sky during the day, that is evidence enough to establish the fact. You can ask others for confirmation, just for your own satisfaction, but that testimony still doesn’t make what I said any more true. In the same way, the truth of the living entity spinning on the wheel of reincarnation due to rebelling against the Supreme Lord is fact enough based on the authority of Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who describes such matters in the Bhagavad-gita.

tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān

saṁsāreṣu narādhamān

kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān

āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu

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

Still, for our own peace of mind, we can get further confirmation elsewhere. Just look around. Take a tally of how many people actually worship the Supreme Lord in earnest. In the House of Representatives in the United States legislature, there is a post known as the Whip. Their job is to go around to each representative in the party and see how they will vote on a particular piece of legislation. This task is known as taking a whip count. It gives the leaders of the parties a better idea of whether or not to bring a piece of legislation to the floor of the House for a vote.

If you took a whip count of people who actually serve God with thought, word and deed, you would be resigned to the fact that everyone is doomed. Doomed here means stuck in the perpetual cycle of birth and death, which features acceptance and rejection of so many things in between. Therefore the proof is already before us. There is no need to make a detailed study of history. The present corroborates the past.

The truth presented by the Vedas is not meant to depress anyone. In fact, it is a great blessing for a person to even hear this truth, for so many go their entire lives without coming across it. Knowledge of this single truth is the key to happiness and peace of mind. Simply change the way you live. Keep working. There is no need to abandon that. Just change who is the primary beneficiary. Work for the Supreme Lord’s pleasure first.

The way to do this is know more about Him. The Vedas describe Him as all-attractive; hence the name Krishna. How lucky are we? The person we’re meant to serve is actually attractive in every aspect. This makes the service rewarding. His features are inexhaustible. That means if I serve Him today, I won’t get bored with that service after a few months. If I’m serving properly, my enthusiasm will only increase with time. This gradual rise is what purifies the consciousness. It is that consciousness which determines the next birth.

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ

tyajaty ante kalevaram

taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya

sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.6)

The change in consciousness is known as bhakti-yoga, or Krishna consciousness. The person who is fortunate enough to be in bhakti considers it to be a new life. Indeed, there is the symbolic entry into the new life known as diksha, or initiation. The first birth comes from the parents and the second from the spiritual guide, the guru. The guru has changed their consciousness long back, and they are kind enough to now help others to change theirs. The shift is worth it, as soon the “here” will be in the company of the Supreme Lord, who is joined by those who serve Him with love.

In Closing:

If legislation on House floor to mount,

Party whip first taking a count.

 

To see how many votes are there,

For chance of passage to become aware.

 

If poll of devotion to Krishna done the same,

Then seeing proof of how to this world we came.

 

Just a simple tweak to turn things around,

When in bhakti-yoga feet on solid ground.

Some Day You’ll Need Our Help My Friend

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.6)

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ

tyajaty ante kalevaram

taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya

sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ

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It’s the doubt raised by students ever since there has been school.

“When are we going to need to know this stuff? I don’t see adults tackling these questions. They probably don’t remember any of this. Why, then, are you teaching it to us? Why do we have to spend hours at home studying this? How is it important enough for you to spend so much time teaching it to us?”

In many cases, it is not the subject matter exactly that will be needed later on, but rather the techniques used in understanding it. For instance, to solve word problems in mathematics requires patience and thoroughness. You have to think about what is being asked, gather the facts, and then develop a plan for reaching a solution. The routine for reaching a solution is known as an algorithm. Life is about problem solving. No matter the occupation in adulthood, there will be problems. If they are not solved properly, the problems linger and multiply.

The Bhagavad-gita, the ancient Vedic text that translates to “the song of God,” has many details that would appear to be irrelevant to the person struggling through a material existence. We learn that in the spiritual world there is no need for electricity. The naturally effulgent body of the Supreme Lord accounts for the lighting. His body is brighter than anything we know, even the sun.

That’s fine and dandy, but we don’t live in the spiritual world right now. We already have electricity. During the nighttime we can turn on lights, and during the daytime we have the sun. Who cares about the spiritual world, then? The Bhagavad-gita also says that the living being is not their body. The embodied soul continually passes through changes in that body, from boyhood to youth and to old age. At the time of death, the soul similarly passes into another body.

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.13)

Again, to the living person, what use does this knowledge serve? We are living right now. We should worry about death when the time approaches. Ah, but that is the catch! In the material world nothing is fixed. Death can come at any moment. Another relevant fact revealed in the Bhagavad-gita is that the consciousness at the time of death determines the type of body in the next birth. The consciousness proceeds in a manner similar to how the air carries aromas.

śarīraṁ yad avāpnoti

yac cāpy utkrāmatīśvaraḥ

gṛhītvaitāni saṁyāti

vāyur gandhān ivāśayāt

“The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.8)

Every person has consciousness. This is the primary symptom of a living thing. Dull matter lacks consciousness. Every person is an individual covered by a material body. Everyone is influenced by time and karma [fruitive activity]. Therefore the facts of the Bhagavad-gita have relevance across the full spectrum of the population. Even if a person is disinterested in learning such topics, eventually the truths will become applicable to their situation. It is like the teacher telling the student, “One day you’ll need this stuff. You may not appreciate what I am teaching you now, but someday you’ll be glad that I taught this to you.”

Since ages past the message of the Bhagavad-gita has been carried by benevolent souls looking to rescue the distressed, the bewildered, and the confused. Narada Muni is one of the more famous carriers. He is the spiritual master to Valmiki, who authored the epic Ramayana. He is the guru to Vyasadeva, who compiled the majority of Vedic literature. The disciple may not always be receptive at the beginning. Irrespective the reception, the aid offered by the representatives of God is always relevant. Some time may have to pass before the importance of the instructions is realized, but those instructions are always needed; they are lifesaving.

The spirit soul continues to live on. Nothing can destroy it. Death applies to the body only. When we say the knowledge of the Bhagavad-gita is lifesaving, the meaning is that future births in a material body can be spared. The individual doesn’t have to swing between like and hate forever. They don’t have to remain in the dark about their true identity. They can receive the highest wisdom right now, today, provided they are sincere in their willingness to understand. If they are sincere, then the self-effulgent Krishna sends help in the way of a spiritual master, who delivers the flawless, pristine, and evergreen message of Godhead.

In Closing:

Though right value in it now not seen,

Know that Gita’s philosophy is evergreen.

 

Like with mathematics process learning from,

So that proficiency in bigger problems some.

 

Truth of spirit soul and body’s changing,

Relevance from young to old ranging.

 

With sincerity just be genuine at the start,

Then guru to you from Vaikuntha to depart.

When The Honor Stops

“This material world is just like smoke, and the spiritual world is just like a blazing fire. The innumerable living entities are prone to fall down to the material world from the spiritual world when influenced by illusory energy, and it is also possible for the living entity to become liberated again when by cultivation of real knowledge he becomes completely freed from the contamination of the material world.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 32)

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Vedic philosophy has an interesting take on why we are all here. It shouldn’t remain a forever unanswered mystery. Nor should it be left to the speculation of the flawed mind, which is a subtle element of the material nature. The same mind at one point validated our decision to indulge in intoxicants, to forgo schoolwork in favor of video games, and to give our lives over to someone who would later fail us.

The answer to the question of “why are we here” is that we fell from the company of the Supreme Lord. We were with Him at some point. The situation at a point in time does not stay fixed. There is always a beginning to a beginning and an end to an end. We were with God but then we desired something else. “How can that happen,” is the next logical question. If you’re with the one entity who is attractive in every way, how can a hint of envy creep in? It doesn’t seem possible.

One way to understand is to look at the honored person. The example can come from any aspect of life. There is the Academy Award winner. There is the champion of the big race. There is the celebrated statesman. They may do so much good for the community, taking advantage of their fame and notoriety. They are loved and adored by so many. They receive so many honors and accolades from various societies and groups.

But does that standing in society bring immunity from potential damage to the reputation in the future? Actually, we know of so many famous people who have fallen. The public isn’t very forgiving, either. They feel betrayed. It’s as if they never knew that the person they honored was fallible like everyone else. It’s as if they expected perfection out of an imperfect human being.

In the same way, to be with the Supreme Lord is the highest honor. It is the greatest accomplishment to always be in His service. Yet the accomplishment says nothing about future action. There is always free will. Independence means having the option to choose wrongly. If there wasn’t the option to turn away from the Supreme Lord, then every living entity would be like a controlled robot. In effect they wouldn’t be a true living being.

“The Lord comes to this material world through the agency of His internal potency, and similarly, when a devotee or associate of the Lord descends to this material world, he does so through the action of the spiritual energy. Any pastime conducted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is an arrangement by yogamaya, not mahamaya. Therefore it is to be understood that when Jaya and Vijaya descended to this material world, they came because there was something to be done for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise it is a fact that no one falls from Vaikuntha.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.1.35 Purport)

There is the example of the gatekeepers in Vaikuntha. Named Jaya and Vijaya, due to a transgression they committed they were cursed to take birth as demoniac living entities in the material world. Still, they received a special benediction. Their demoniac behavior would end at the hands of the Supreme Lord. While in the earthly realm they would get liberation through being God’s adversary. Even though they made a mistake, they technically didn’t fall from the spiritual world. Their appearance as demons was for fulfilling a higher purpose set by Lord Vishnu.

So are we eternally liberated souls who have made our way here through Vishnu’s will? If so, does that mean everyone is liberated, considering that everyone fell from the association of Godhead?

In the case of Jaya and Vijaya, though they were sent away from Vaikuntha through Vishnu’s will, they still had freedom in action. They were not compelled to act in a certain way. The living entity always has a choice, and when they choose wisely they get the blessings of the Supreme Lord. Only He knows the actual position of each person, such as where they were previously and where they will be going in the future. The great souls like Hanuman get the benediction of God’s mercy and they continue to act in devotion afterwards. Since there is always a choice, that continued devotion makes them even further endeared to the beloved Lord of the universe.

In Closing:

A remarkable person honor to get,

Not meaning that in position forever set.

 

When behaving badly so,

Quickly their reputation to go.

 

Residence in Vaikuntha highest honor to call,

But with independence chance again to fall.

 

Whether eternally liberated only Vishnu to know,

Promised that from bhakti towards His realm to go.

Only Consciousness Will I Save

“The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.8)

śarīraṁ yad avāpnoti

yac cāpy utkrāmatīśvaraḥ

gṛhītvaitāni saṁyāti

vāyur gandhān ivāśayāt

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“I love my job. I get to work on something new every day. Sure, things don’t always function properly right away. Each morning I’m greeted by an email inbox full of complaints about different bugs, aspects of my programs malfunctioning. Still, these applications are mine. I build them. The job is not easy, but it’s a lot of fun. The day goes by quickly. Since I’m in the field of technology, things are always changing. I’m never bored.”

“I love my car. I’ve had it for so long. I’m one of those handy people. Unless it’s a major repair, I do the maintenance myself. If you take care of your car, it will take care of you. I’ve had this longer than most people keep a car. Why buy a new one when the one I’ve got treats me so well? It runs almost like new. I could never imagine driving another one.”

“I love this restaurant near my home. We go there as a family at least once a week. When I was younger, it was almost like a local hangout. There’s two sections to it: one for quick orders and another for fancier dining. They have a bar area too, so sometimes I go there to watch a game with my friends. I can’t imagine living without this place. The food is great, the people are wonderful, and I’ve had so many special moments there. If I ever have to move, I’d miss this place the most.”

“I love my friends and family. I think most people do. It’s only natural. They care for me so much. I never have to ask. My friends are sometimes jealous, but then so am I. If I tell them about something good happening to me, they’re not as happy as when I fail at something. Still, I don’t care. It’s the support. It’s the association. What wonderful gifts I have in life.”

To the individual in each of these situations the object of attention is very important. Life is a difficult journey, after all. Especially once reaching adulthood, there is the issue of direction. Where is my life going? What should I be doing? What is the objective of living? How do I avoid repeating the same activities day after day? It is no wonder that people take to intoxication to forget their troubles. Who wants to think about everything ending at some point? Why not keep your mind occupied on something else?

From Vedic philosophy we learn that there is no reason to fear. The wise person takes the situation at hand and assesses the options. Basically, the more informed you are, the better off you will be. What does it mean to be informed? In the spiritual science the first instruction is on the distinction between body and spirit. I am spirit soul. My body does not identify me. Even modern science has done research into this. They say that the cells in the body get completely replaced after a certain number of years. Yet the individual remains the same. This is one example of how reincarnation works.

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.13)

The Bhagavad-gita says that after death, we get another body. The whole things shifts at one time, instead of a gradual change. Also, the subtle elements move on. In addition to the body that we can see, there are elements inside that we can’t. These are mind, intelligence and ego. The different tendencies in the human being are due to the subtle body carrying over from the previous life. We see that someone is naturally intelligent, while someone else is not. We see that some are inclined towards athletics, while others are interested in philosophy.

The subtle elements determine consciousness. The symptom of a living being is consciousness. Since we are spirit and not matter, we exist perpetually. The soul can never be killed. Through aggression a person can try to remove another person from the world. No matter how hard they try, the worst they can do is force the living being to exit their body and take a new one at the time of the next birth.

vedāvināśinaṁ nityaṁ

ya enam ajam avyayam

kathaṁ sa puruṣaḥ pārtha

kaṁ ghātayati hanti kam

“O Partha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, unborn, eternal and immutable, kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.21)

Since spirit lives on, so does consciousness. The consciousness carries over from birth to birth. Shri Krishna compares the transfer to the air carrying aromas. A person is cooking something downstairs in the kitchen, but through the power of air the aroma reaches all the way upstairs to the bedroom. If there’s enough food cooking, the air can carry outside as well. Think of the smell of a pizza parlor or an establishment that cooks fried food.

The things we typically consider to be so important don’t come with us after death. The computer program, despite requiring intelligence and time to make, does not carry over. The same goes for the car, the house, and even the association of friends and family. Consciousness comes along, so the wise try to shape the best consciousness while living.

What is the best consciousness? Is there a way to judge? Consciousness determines the nature of the next birth. It also plays an important role in the way the present life is lived. If the consciousness is right, a person can be happy in any situation. Through mental speculation, a philosopher will say that the secret of life is love. Love others as much as you can. Don’t ruin your life through hate.

The best consciousness does come through love. The key is to find the real kind of love, one that is free of impediments. Find someone you can love for lifetime after lifetime. Find someone who will always accept your service, no matter how much you offer. Find someone who will appreciate even the smallest effort. Find someone who will provide for you no matter what.

That someone already rests within us. He is the Supreme Lord. He is known as Krishna since He is all-attractive. He appreciates every effort made towards connecting with Him. He shows this by living inside of us as the Supersoul. Even though we have forgotten Him, He does not hold the transgression against us. He provides for us in every species, in every lifetime. The material elements sustain life, and they are not the property of any person or governing body. A person may plant the flag of their nation on a particular piece of land, but the earth was there before. No one can say they own the sun, the moon, the ocean or the air.

Consciousness of Krishna is the best because it remains lifetime after lifetime. As the individual spirit lives forever, so does the Supreme Lord. He can be served forever. People have made a test of this service, known as bhakti-yoga, and found that the pleasure only increases with time. Rather than getting bored and moving on to something else, the devotees keep thinking of more ways to serve and please the Lord. He reciprocates by remaining in their consciousness.

At the time of death, the yogi who has reached the pinnacle of consciousness has a seamless transfer to the next destination, where that devotion will thrive and flourish even more. The one thing that the individual saves, the consciousness, is the most valuable possession, something that can prevent the cycle of birth and death in a temporary world from continuing.

In Closing:

My computer program working on,

Beauty of possessions to dwell upon.

 

Relations and of friends so fond,

Yet none to accompany to the beyond.

 

Like aromas carrying through the air,

Into next life, consciousness to be there.

 

So of Shri Krishna, the best person make,

Devotional life into eternity with you take.

Keeping a Backup

“The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.8)

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śarīraṁ yad avāpnoti

yac cāpy utkrāmatīśvaraḥ

gṛhītvaitāni saṁyāti

vāyur gandhān ivāśayāt

Your computer’s acting a little strange. Suddenly certain programs won’t open. No matter how many times you click the icon for it, nothing happens. The Wi-Fi signal drops out intermittently. You check the task manager and it shows that the CPU is running very high. But there aren’t many programs open. One of the simplest ways to fix any problem is to restart the machine. Reboot and the problems will go away. You try this option.

Big mistake. Now the computer won’t even log in. You try rebooting and again the same problem. You are really in trouble, you think. You bring it to a computer expert. They say that your hard drive is messed up. “What about all my data,” you ask. “Well, you backed everything up, right,” is their response.

An entire industry is burgeoning to address this very issue. If you don’t back up your data, you can lose it in a second. Just because the device works properly every day for years, in one moment it can stop functioning. There is the manual backup that can be triggered whenever desired. There is also the automatic backup. Better still is to have both automatic and offsite backups. This way if something goes terribly wrong, you won’t lose all your data.

What about in spiritual life? Let’s say a person takes an interest in it to deal with the most pressing issue: death.

“What will happen when I die? Where will I go? Where was I before this present birth? Perhaps the answer will solve the first question too.”

Vedic philosophy sheds some light. The fundamental truth of the genuine science of spirituality is that the living entity is not their body. There is a separation between body and individual. This is counterintuitive. The hand belongs to us. So does the leg. The eyes and ears are part of who we are; or so we are led to believe. In fact, the various body parts can go away and our identity remains unchanged. This is true because we are spirit at the core.

The body is a collection of elements, both gross and subtle. The gross elements are earth, water, fire, air and ether. These elements dissociate from the individual as soon as death arrives. We go somewhere after quitting the body, and nothing of the gross variety comes with us. Today, we don’t have any remnants from our previous existence. And there certainly was a previous existence, as the soul remains alive throughout the time continuum and beyond.

na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ

na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ

na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ

sarve vayam ataḥ param

“Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.12)

The subtle elements of the body are mind, intelligence and ego. These do come with us to the future life. In the Bhagavad-gita, the travel is compared to how the air carries aromas. Someone can be cooking barbecue a few houses down, but while seated in our living room with the window open we know what’s going on because of the smell. The gap in distance is made up through the travel of the aroma.

In the same way, wherever the soul ends up in the next life, the consciousness follows. This explains the tendencies found in the infant. Some babies cry a lot. Some are naturally friendly, while others are shy. Some learn how to crawl quickly, while for others it takes a longer time. These qualities are derived from the previous existence. There is karma, or fruitive action, which brings consequences that mature at some point in time. There is also the consciousness that follows, which is shaped from past activities.

As the gross body does not continue forward, it means that any work done for its enhancement has only temporary results. Everything will get lost eventually, no matter how much maintenance is applied. The same is not true of consciousness. Especially if the consciousness is pure or almost pure, the achievement is guaranteed to remain in the future. Shri Krishna explains how this works in the Bhagavad-gita. He says that the unsuccessful yogi gets to continue from where they left off.

tatra taṁ buddhi-saṁyogaṁ

labhate paurva-dehikam

yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ

saṁsiddhau kuru-nandana

“On taking such a birth, he again revives the divine consciousness of his previous life, and he tries to make further progress in order to achieve complete success, O son of Kuru.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.43)

Real yoga purifies the consciousness. There is no need to fear a wasted effort, as whatever progress is made carries forward into the next life. This system of carrying consciousness is a kind of backup plan, one that is instituted, managed and secured by the Supreme Lord. It is a sign of His causeless mercy. The material nature, which is the shelter for those who have turned their back on God, does not offer the same security. There is no insurance plan for material enjoyment. It is not guaranteed to continue into the future.

The soul who has found the shelter of devotional service to the Lord gets their consciousness purified in the present life, and that progress is secured for the future. Bearing this in mind, only a fool would choose any path except devotion. Shri Krishna has His eyes everywhere, as He lives within every heart as the Supersoul. He witnesses everything, and He keeps a record of devotional activities securely with Him.

In Closing:

So much work on computer lost,

Not retrieved even after great cost.

 

Backup plan there to protect,

But not for everything to expect.

 

With devotional life same not to fear,

Since Lord every action to see, every chant to hear.

 

Records with Him always keeping,

Even into next life reward reaping.

The Two Bhutas

“When the living entity is encaged in the material body, he is called jiva-bhuta, and when he is free from the material body he is called brahma-bhuta.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.31.43 Purport)

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What does it mean to be a jiva? Do we remain a jiva forever? Both Sanskrit words, “jiva” means a spirit soul and “bhuta” means a living being. Isn’t this redundant? In the Bhagavad-gita we learn that spirit is vibrant, always in existence, and impossible to destroy. A spirit soul is automatically a living thing. Why, then, the need for two terms?

Jiva is actually a specification that refers to the result of a choice. All bhutas, or living beings, have a singular source. Some traditions refer to that source as God. That is the extent of their knowledge of Him. They may have some basic rules to restrict behavior available to them. Perhaps they are told to pray a certain number of times each day. Others know that to be safe in the afterlife one should believe in Him.

The spiritual science is for understanding Him more, beyond the basics. A fundamental truth of that science is that God is the source of all living things. He is the chief living being, Ishvara. From Ishvara come other smaller chiefs. These are the living entities. Evidence of our small amount of superiority is seen in how we command the body. When we tell the body to get up out of bed in the morning, it does. When we tell it to speak, words come out of the mouth.

The sparks of spirit coming from Ishvara have a basic choice in association. When they choose material life, they are known as jiva-bhutas. Is there anything besides material life? What is the nature of this kind of existence? It is called conditional for several reasons. The conditions change; nothing is permanent. There are the larger changes of birth and death, and in between there are the highs and lows of the journey through life.

The jivas live a conditional life also because they get conditioned by the material modes of nature. Goodness, passion and ignorance mix together to cover up the amazing qualities belonging to spirit. As an example, no one should fear death. They should not fear loss, either. Things come and go in a material existence, but the spirit soul remains alive throughout. It will remain alive into the future. Similarly, it was always there in the past.

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

bahūni me vyatītāni

janmāni tava cārjuna

tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi

na tvaṁ vettha parantapa

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

Conditional life means forgetfulness, of both past lives and sober truths that shouldn’t be so difficult to realize. A jiva-bhuta does not have to stay that way forever. When the living thing realizes their spiritual nature, they turn into a brahma-bhuta. Does this mean travelling to a different destination? Is there a specific ceremony in honor of the achievement? Does a ship come to beam the enlightened individual back to another planet?

Actually, the brahma-bhuta can remain exactly where they are, in the exact same body. Just the use of the material nature changes. Instead of being conditioned by the elements, the individual stays immune from them. Instead of being illusioned by nature, they learn to appreciate it. They stay steady in both happiness and sadness, heat and cold, praise and scorn. They no longer hanker or lament.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

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

Every jiva-bhuta has the potential to become a brahma-bhuta. Upon transforming, the immediate reward is immunity from subsequent birth. The next life does not have to be conditioned, and as mentioned before, the nature of the present life also gets transformed. In the modern day, where there is little time for reading or absorbing the highest knowledge in the methodical way that was standard in times past, the path to enlightenment is through a simple sound: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The awareness of Brahman, the singular spiritual energy of which we are a part, comes through associating with the original person, Ishvara in His complete feature of Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The shift has been made by countless individuals. They received practical realization of the change in nature. Life comes down to a choice. When I choose God and His association, I put myself on the path to becoming brahma-bhuta. From that platform I can take up pure devotional service, which brings the pleasure relished exclusively by the liberated souls.

In Closing:

Jiva and brahma, two bhutas there are,

Conditioned now, from liberation far.

 

But transforming through practice steady,

Brahma-bhuta for bhakti-yoga ready.

 

Immediate result a liberated state,

Not necessary for afterlife to wait.

 

Methodical not practical today,

Sound of holy names now the ideal way.