Peace Is Ready For The Taking

“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.29)

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bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

How long do we have to stay bewildered? Day after day, trying different things but actually repeating the same boring activities, one after another - where is it leading? Is it supposed to go somewhere? It must, since we have intelligence. We use that intelligence to make strategic decisions in both the short and long terms. What about the longest term, that spans the beginning of life until the end? Is there a strategy for capturing permanent peace?

Imagine this scenario. You have millions of dollars in the bank. It doesn’t necessarily matter how it got there. Perhaps it was inherited. Maybe it was earned through success in business. Perhaps you were one of the lucky few to have won the lottery. Regardless, you shouldn’t have to worry about the necessities of life going forward. You have more than enough money stowed away to live comfortably.

Now imagine that you wake up one day and suddenly forget about the money. You’re in a panic over how to satisfy the bills. You need a steady income to stay afloat. To get a steady income, you need a good job. In this way the responsibilities gradually turn into a mountain that seems insurmountable. There is no peace, since there is no chance to sit back and be free of worries.

In this hypothetical situation, peace is actually there the entire time. It’s available for the taking. It’s not hard to find, and neither is it expensive to purchase. Life doesn’t have to be painful. The key to solving the problems is remembrance. Just remember what you have in the bank. Don’t forget it.

In the same way, every living entity has a connection to Bhagavan, which is one of many words to describe the Supreme Lord. The name Bhagavan says that God has all opulences. Included among these is aishvarya, or wealth. He is the wealthiest person. It makes sense, since God is the origin of everything. He has the original and lifetime deed on every single property that exists.

Since we are connected to the richest person, we have no reason to fear. We don’t even need to specifically ask Him to shower some of that wealth upon us. Rather, the friendship alone establishes safety and security. In the Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavan reveals the peace formula. One aspect to that formula is knowing that He is the best friend of every living thing.

Bhagavan is also the original proprietor of everything and the ultimate enjoyer of all religious rituals and sacrifices. A person who knows these three things no longer feels the misery of a material existence. They find that peace which previously was elusive.

Paradise and peace go together. If there is no peace, then there cannot be happiness. Since peace is so easily found, it means that paradise isn’t that far away. Real paradise is as near as the mind itself, which can stay connected to the Divine through yoga. To help control the mind, there are physical exercises, such as chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The argument will be made that this is simply dogmatic insistence, that sentimental allegiance is at play. Why would others be willing to accept such a formula when they have their own religious tradition they have inherited? The three components to the aforementioned peace formula are not sectarian, as there is acknowledgment of an original person. The exact name or spiritual tradition used to understand isn’t so important. The relevant details are that peace comes through His association. Since He is all-pervading, or Vishnu, peace is ready for the taking for every person who is suffering.

In Closing:

Like rich person trouble to find,

Since wealth forgotten to mind.

 

Peace at any time available there,

But far away since remaining unaware.

 

Same with the Supreme Lord applying,

No need for separate endeavor trying.

 

For every living entity acting as friend the best,

Know His high standing and with peace be blessed.

Buddhi-yoga Ecstasy

“When one is above the directions of the Vedic ritualistic injunctions for attaining different allurements and is fully absorbed in transcendental thought, which means thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in devotional service, one is in the position called buddhi-yoga, or samadhi, ecstasy.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.4.20 Purport)

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You would be surprised to know that the highest platform of living is not determined by material objects. In Vedic philosophy there are indeed the concepts of heaven and heavenly enjoyment. The heavenly region is a planetary system, where there are different standards of living. Just like in the earthly realm there is the concept of upward mobility, which is determined by economic success, there are different ways to enjoy in heaven.

trai-vidyā māṁ soma-pāḥ pūta-pāpā

yajñair iṣṭvā svar-gatiṁ prārthayante

te puṇyam āsādya surendra-lokam

aśnanti divyān divi deva-bhogān

“Those who study the Vedas and drink the soma juice, seeking the heavenly planets, worship Me indirectly. They take birth on the planet of Indra, where they enjoy godly delights.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.20)

The four kinds of enjoyment in material life are eating, sleeping, mating and defending. If I’m eating oatmeal and porridge every day, I might envy the person who eats eggs benedict and steak and potatoes. If my only beverage is water, the person who drinks expensive wine may think they have it better.

The same comparison is there in sleeping, where the expensive mattress with a firmness set electronically is superior to the sheet laid on the bare ground. Once a person reaches the heavenly realm, the enjoyment gets enhanced to a level unimaginable.

How do you get to heaven? Be pious. Be a good person. Don’t lie. Don’t steal. Follow prescribed rules and regulations, which might include rituals done for the satisfaction of higher authorities. In Sanskrit these authorities are known as devas. The English equivalent is demigod, because the devas all work for a single authority, who is thus the highest person.

The wise person, who has buddhi, or real intelligence, understands that the highest platform of living is not necessarily in the heavenly realm. The reason is that the residence is not permanent. It’s like buying time on a card that allows you to play at an arcade. Once your card runs out of time, you have to do something to refill it. In the same way, once the pious credits you’ve amassed expire, you have to leave heaven and go back to earth.

Moreover, traces of heavenly enjoyment can be found everywhere. The person who sleeps comfortably on a plush mattress experiences a kind of heaven. The same is true for anyone who has a life-threatening situation and somehow lives through it.

The highest platform of living is reached through consciousness. This means that you don’t have to worry about going to heaven. You don’t have to worry about getting moksha, or liberation, after experiencing the rewards of dharma, artha, and kama, which are religiosity, economic development and sense gratification respectively.

If you miss a ritual relating to sense gratification, it’s not the end of the world. Things will be okay. After all, the animals get their share of enjoyment and distress. They don’t know anything about religion. They never perform sacrifices. They don’t even know what dharma is.

In the same way, good and bad come through the course of karma and the passage of time. The proper objective for the living being is to advance in consciousness. Through meditation they can prepare for taking up an eternal engagement, one that matches the advanced consciousness. Meditation begins on the person who is not controlled by anyone else. That is the answer to the question of, “ Who is God?” He is the one person who is not controlled by any other controller.  He is Parameshvara, to stand above all ishvaras.

After properly meditating on Him, the individual is ready to serve Him. This service is known as bhakti-yoga, which is synonymous with buddhi-yoga, as the most intelligent person acts in a way that maintains a connection between the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. The occupation of bhakti-yoga continues forever. It creates a situation far superior to heaven, and it does so without relying on external objects. Rather, through even a simple life a person feels like they are extremely blessed, having the wealth of the Supreme Lord’s association. The meditation in this day and age starts and continues with the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

For the highest platform to achieve,

Not dependent on objects to receive.

 

Of life in heaven can already tell,

And some experiences also like hell.

 

Of missing a ritual no need to fear,

Since through mind to Lord become dear.

 

Even in simple life bliss to be found,

Bhakti-yoga bringing joy abound.

Checkpoints In Yoga

“Factually, bhakti-yoga is the ultimate goal, but to analyze bhakti-yoga minutely one has to understand these other yogas. The yogi who is progressive is therefore on the true path of eternal good fortune. One who sticks to a particular point and does not make further progress is called by that particular name: karma-yogi, jnana-yogi or dhyana-yogi, raja-yogi, hatha-yogi, etc.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 6.47 Purport)

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Question: Why are there so many different yogas? Are they all the same? Do not all paths lead to the same destination?

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada says that real yoga is bhakti-yoga. This is due to the nature of the two objects being joined. The literal definition of yoga is “union.” It refers to the linking of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul. Each side has its respective properties, and when one is aware of them it is easy to see how bhakti-yoga is the only valid definition. The prefix “bhakti” is applied only for the understanding of the individual soul who is temporarily in a state of ignorance due to mixing with conditioned life.

The other prefixes represent checkpoints, progress markers if you will. If running a marathon, it’s nice to know how far along you are. The goal is the same: to reach the end. The participant has to run 26.2 miles to complete the race. It doesn’t really matter if you’ve run one mile or ten. In both cases the race is still incomplete. At the same time, anyone who is making progress is still considered a valid participant. I am still taking part in the race, even if I have not finished.

Another comparison is to look at the different belts awarded in martial arts. Black belt is the highest, but it is not the point at which the student starts. The goal is to be expert in defending using the particular art in question. The person with a lower belt is just as much a participant as one with the black belt. Yet the black belt represents perfection; the distinctions still serve a purpose.

The individual soul is unbreakable. There is something called shatterproof glass. There is the bulletproof vest. These things are highly resistant to blows and thus it seems like they can’t be destroyed. Still, anything that is part of the material creation is subject to destruction. The lone exception is the spirit soul. What we see at death is simply the passing of the individual, who is soul. They can never be destroyed.

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin

nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ

ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo

na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

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

The travels through the various species, the coming together of the elements in the creation, their maintenance and eventual dissolution - these are managed by a higher soul. This soul is singular, but it exists in every single living thing. The individual soul is different; its influence is limited to the local sphere. Therefore I can’t tell what you are thinking and you can’t tell what I’m thinking. Perhaps through past experiences we can guess. Maybe through advancement in mysticism, I can enter your mind and get a peek. But I can never be inside of every single mind. Only the Supersoul can do this.

Yoga is the meeting of these two amazing entities. Both are similar in quality in that they cannot be destroyed. They are both knowledgeable and blissful as well. Aside from one being localized and one all-pervading, the other notable distinction is in the quantitative value of the inherent qualities. The Supreme Soul is always full of knowledge, while the individual can sometimes have its knowledge covered up. The same goes for blissfulness.

Due to this potential for being covered up, we see the different yogas in material life. Mind you, to even take up yoga in earnest is rare. The material nature has such a strong influence that the default mindset is to live like the animal. Eat, drink and be merry – the actual meaning to this phrase is “live like the animal, where you perpetually remain in the dark about your true nature.”

When we analyze yoga minutely, we get the different prefixes. At the beginning, there is karma-yoga. This is trying to unite with the Supreme Soul through work. Basically, you do things to maintain the body, but you don’t get attached to the results. We can think of it like going to work every day but not worrying so much about how much money is earned. Instead of focusing your mind on what things you will buy with your money, you’re more concerned about advancing in consciousness.

When there is an increase in knowledge and renunciation, jnana-yoga has been reached. Here you study the aforementioned qualities of the two kinds of soul and you get further detached from the animal way of life. You’re living spiritually and trying to think spiritually also. You’re doing this for the same purpose: uniting with the Supreme Soul.

When you increase your meditation by physical means, you’re in ashtanga-yoga. Here you are doing specific exercises to eliminate the influence of the body. You’re not killing yourself. You’re practicing a subtle technique that allows you to maintain your body but also eliminate its influence in degrading your consciousness. The exercise system of yoga generally practiced today is rooted in ashtanga-yoga, but since the goal is not the Supersoul it is not part of this progressive system.

Bhakti-yoga is the culminating stage. The notable distinction here is the recognition of God the person. The Supersoul is but an expansion of the original Personality of Godhead. The sign of the presence of bhakti-yoga is the absence of the conditions in the preceding steps. For example, there is no desire to specifically advance through renouncing the fruits to action. There is no focus on an objective to increase in knowledge or remove the effects of the material body.

Pure bhakti-yoga is unmotivated and uninterrupted. When looking at the example of Shrimati Radharani, we see that God Himself is incapable of stopping the love and affection flowing from the pure devotee. Bhakti-yoga can be attempted right at the outset, and based on the impurities present, one is considered to be at a specific checkpoint. The goal is always the same, even if the person practicing yoga is not aware of it.

In Closing:

Yoga for connecting with the one,

For progression through many paths done.

 

But representing just a checkpoint is each,

Turning to bhakti when destination to reach.

 

Devotion yoga’s definition true,

To be with God meant are me and you.

 

So strong that Supreme Lord can’t repay,

In purity Radharani showing the way.

Single-User Mode

“Everyone in the fourteen worlds meditates upon Him, and all the denizens of Vaikuntha sing of His qualities and pastimes.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 5.222)

caudda-bhuvane yāṅra sabe kare dhyāna

vaikuṇṭhādi-pure yāṅra līlā-guṇa gāna

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One of the limbs of the eightfold system of yoga is dhyana. Ashtanga is the system, and the dhyana within it is meditation. Yoga is the linking of the individual soul with the Supreme Lord. Think of it like God’s children uniting with God. The concepts of souls and sparks of spirit are not sectarian; therefore yoga is a more accurate term for what we generally refer to as religion. Yoga is not based on anyone’s faith. Yoga is part of the spiritual science, based on laws that cannot be broken.

As the goal of yoga is to link the individual with the Supreme, the practice of it is not limited to any specific methodology. This means that dhyana can be practiced outside of ashtanga. Bhakti is both a kind of yoga and the achievement resulting from the perfection of explicit yoga practice. Bhakti-yoga can also have dhyana. There can be karma and jnana as well, which are work and knowledge respectively.

The teachers of bhakti-yoga in the modern age recommend the chanting of the holy names. They say that within the name of the Lord is the potency of the Lord. The name is identical to Him. In fact, the more you can say these names, the better off you will be. Even if you achieve perfection in bhakti-yoga, you will not want to stop saying the names. The best way to say them is through a mantra, with the most famous one being the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Chanting this mantra in a regulated way is a kind of dhyana. The individual must concentrate to make the practice fruitful. Dhyana is necessary due to the default condition of a restless mind. In the Bhagavad-gita, Shri Krishna says that all souls in this world are His fragmental parts. Not that they break up and then unite back into one, but they are like miniature expansions of Him. Though He expands into fragments, God remains completely whole. This defies the laws of the material nature, which say that everything in life is part of a singular energy. The material laws make life a zero sum game. The spiritual is beyond this; it is infinite.

mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke

jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ

manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi

prakṛti-sthāni karṣati

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

Despite being His fragmental parts, these souls are struggling in the material world. Krishna says this is due to the six senses, which include the mind. The mind can be our friend as well as our enemy. When we are worried about something, it is the mind which gives us pain. Everything else could be fine around us. Just from thinking we become ill. Dhyana is a way to control the mind, and the best thing to concentrate on is God Himself. The more you know about Him, the more fruitful your meditation will be. The name is so powerful that simply hearing it is as effective as putting yourself in seclusion and trying to concentrate. Because of this potency, the representatives of Krishna recommend that we chant as much as possible; in a regulated way just in case.

To help us understand the benefit, we can look to database technology. In the modern age where sensitive information is stored on computers, the database plays a vital role. If you lose a database, you could lose your entire business. A bank, for example, can’t afford to lose its data. The information is just too important. Therefore so many safeguards are in place. Backups, mirrors, standbys - there are many options to ensure both high availability and data integrity.

If there are any vital changes that need to be made, such as with settings, the database administrator has a handy option available. It is called “single-user mode.” When applying an important update, you often need to make sure no one else is accessing the database. This way no data is being inserted, updated or deleted. The problem is that you yourself have changes to make. You need to maintain access for yourself while restricting everyone else. By putting the database in single-user mode, no one else can even access the system. You can do the necessary maintenance and then revert back to multi-user mode when you are ready.

The dhyana that accompanies regulated chanting of the holy names can be likened to the single-user mode. There is necessary maintenance done, as outside of bhakti-yoga the mind never finds peace. Without peace there cannot be happiness. Peace is found through knowing three things. One is that Krishna is the enjoyer of all sacrifices. The second is that Krishna is the proprietor of all the planets. The third is that Krishna is the ultimate well-wishing friend of every living thing.

To hear of these things is rare enough, but to remember them after being heard is difficult. Therefore the dhyana in bhakti is a way to keep this in the mind, to maintain peace even when back in the real world, working to sustain life. The soul is not meant for the material world, and through enough proper maintenance it can find its way out, back to home, back to Godhead.

In Closing:

When system update to do,

To get exclusive access for you.

 

This way integrity not to violate,

Later returning to multi-user state.

 

Dhyana in same way can be thought,

From concentration enlightenment brought.

 

Path from this miserable world out,

Think of God distractions without.

Maintaining In Any Situation

“The present age is characterized by a bitter struggle for a life of short duration. People are not serious about self-realization even by simple, practical means, and what to speak of this difficult yoga system, which regulates the mode of living, the manner of sitting, selection of place, and detachment of the mind from material engagements.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 6.33 Purport)

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada recommends against the path of meditational yoga. It’s not because the path is not bona fide. The swami is perfectly aware of the path’s effectiveness, as it is described by Shri Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad-gita, the song of God. The Supreme Personality of Godhead would never present a system intended for connecting with Him if it weren’t legitimate.

Shrila Prabhupada, and any wise Vaishnava for that matter, recommends something else for the present age. The reason is that the conditions for practicing meditational yoga are not practical. We can think of it like pushing farming for people living in an urban area. We tell them that the only way to eat naturally is to grow your own food. To make sure that you eat only pure ingredients, you should be responsible for the food from start to finish.

The recommendation is certainly good. Who would choose to eat chemicals and preservatives over fresh food? If one is living in a rural area and has the opportunity to farm, then certainly it is a viable option. The recommendation works if it is for some of the people, but if it is for everyone then it is not practical. If it were the only way to reach the intended goal, then so many would automatically be shut out; the door would be closed for them.

Similarly, meditational yoga is effective, but if it were the only route to transcendence then practically no one in the modern age would reach success. The conditions are quite strict. There must be peace and quiet; hence the age-old practice of retreating to the mountains and finding a cave. There must be no sex life at all; hence the concept of the sadhu, who is like a wanderer by choice and profession for the purpose of solidifying renunciation. The concentration on the Supreme Lord must be maintained; it is not meant to exist for only a few minutes each day.

The Vaishnava recommends the path of bhakti-yoga. There is still linking to the Supreme Soul, who is found in every heart. There is still purification from the body complex, wherein the individual gradually corrects the erroneous conclusion that identification comes from the body alone.

The foundation of bhakti practice in this age is the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Connect with God through sound. Think of Him always. Be conscious of Him; hence the translation for bhakti-yoga as “Krishna consciousness.”

The issue may be raised that the conditions in bhakti-yoga are not permanent either. Just as sitting in a yoga posture throughout the day is nearly impossible to do in the modern age, the same applies to chanting the holy names. There has to be work. There is focus on other things throughout the day. How is bhakti-yoga any more effective than meditational yoga?

The difference is in consciousness. Bhakti-yoga is love and devotion to God. Love is not dependent on any outside factor. The chanting of the holy names is done to increase consciousness of the Supreme Lord. That consciousness is maintained through other practices throughout the day as well. In the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna says that He is the enjoyer of all sacrifices and the beneficiary of all austerities. Working is a kind of austerity, and the results can be sacrificed for a higher purpose. Thus even while working one can be practicing bhakti-yoga.

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.29)

Another name for Krishna is Vishnu. This name means “all-pervading.” Vishnu is also a specific personality, an expansion from the original Godhead. Vishnu’s role in this material world is maintainer, though He is the origin as well. Bhakti-yoga is identical to Vishnu, which means that the practice automatically maintains. Vishnu stays in any condition, even peril. In the Mahabharata we get the incident of Draupadi and her sari. She was in a seemingly helpless situation. About to be disrobed and shown naked in front of so many, in full surrender she calls out to Krishna. Her bhakti-yoga is maintained even in dire circumstances. Krishna fulfills His promise to maintain His devotees by expanding Draupadi’s sari to such a length that the fiends get tired of trying to remove it.

All other kinds of yoga are meant to culminate in bhakti anyway. They have some selfishness to them. Bhakti is truly selfless. Working for God is karma-yoga. Studying for Him is jnana-yoga. The eightfold mysticism is ashtanga-yoga. Any of these can be practiced, but only when the selfish desires go away does the process become pure and qualify as bhakti. The benevolent Vaishnava saints recommend taking the bhakti path right away, as it is the only one that is supported directly by the Supreme Lord, who maintains on the grandest scale.

In Closing:

Meditational yoga of Gita’s fame,

Yet in this age difficult to maintain.

 

How then the Supreme Lord to see?

Prohibited, why is He punishing me?

 

Path of bhakti-yoga in this age to preside,

Maintained by Vishnu who in heart to reside.

 

Like with Draupadi’s sari to extend,

Success of the devotee always to defend.

Look In And Look Everywhere

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

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham

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Unfathomable are the depths to which the deniers of the divine presence will sink to try to support their claims. They will say that everything happened by accident, that there is no way to prove that God exists. They will say that pain, suffering and misery show that if there is a supreme deity, He is not very kind. He must be mean and spiteful if such things occur.

Some of their doubts seem to have more validity than others. For example, for many years the consensus of opinion was that the earth was flat. It has since been accepted that the earth is round. Then there was the issue of looking to the sky. “Tell your story to the man upstairs. He will hear you.” Thunder and lightning were thought to be the revenge of God, brought to punish the sinners. A soon to be famous printer in Philadelphia in the eighteenth century devised a test, whereby he was able to prove that lightning was nothing more than electricity. He then devised a system to help protect buildings against lightning strikes. Yet even this was met with opposition, as if it were an act of defiance against the great punisher in the sky.

Man continued in this path, inventing the airplane and the spaceship. These pierced the clouds in the sky and showed what was beyond. They didn’t find anyone. There was no large hand to greet them. There was no old man waiting to punish their deviant behavior. To the deniers, this meant that God was indeed a myth, created by those who are against fun. “The weak look to some invisible figure to solve their problems, while the strong take fate into their own hands.”

This is a belief anyway, but the Vedas give the actual understanding. The Supreme Lord isn’t so petty a person that He stands on guard from afar, waiting to torture His children. He isn’t only accessible via the aerial path, either. He is not situated miles and miles away, though He can live anywhere He chooses.

The Supreme Deity is resting within every heart. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, where the Personality of Godhead speaks the confidential philosophy known as the science of self-realization. It is the king of education, the secret of all secrets. It is the perfection of all religion, and those who practice it do so joyfully.

rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ
pavitram idam uttamam
pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ
su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam

“This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.2)

To do something joyfully means to act without fear. You are compelled to do something when you are afraid, and so there can be little joy in that case. The perfection of religion is pleasing because there is knowledge that the Supreme Deity is all around. There is also knowledge of God’s true nature; which includes compassion, kindness, protection and empathy.

He rests within every heart as the Supersoul. The individual is a soul at the core; jivatma. The Supreme Lord is paramatma, which is similar to the jivatma but also significantly different. I cannot enter into someone else and know what they are experiencing. That other person also has the same limitation. Paramatma, on the other hand, is the same. It is like a single person watching so many different camera angles at the same time.

Though distributed everywhere, Paramatma is undivided. Simultaneously, there is the Personality of Godhead Himself residing in His spiritual home. God is inside of us and also all around us. He is within every atom. He is within the earth, the water, the fire, the air and the ether. Not a blade of grass moves without His sanction, and so He is in every single law of nature. Those laws that the less intelligent use to try to deny the existence of God actually have their origin in Him. Only intelligence could create such intelligence. The laws of nature are so perfect that they can be counted on, time and time again, without fail.

As God is within every heart, He is there for both the sinner and the pious man. He is there for the law-abiding citizen and the criminal. He hears both their prayers and their curses. He sees when a person looks up and also when they look down. He realizes their strong attachments and their aversions. Yet within the heart He stands by as a neutral observer. He is a witness to activities, but He does not directly influence them.

He is not incapable in this area. He can influence, but He does so only when asked.

How can He be asked if the person inside doesn’t even know that He exists? How can He help if every desire is for something that will further increase that forgetfulness of Him?

Indeed, He fulfills desires through the functions of material nature, but in that space the rewards are finite. Only one person fills the vacant position in that new company. Only one person is crowned the champion at the end of the season, despite many vying for it.

As God is all around, the request for His personal intervention in the matter of advancing in spiritual life is always granted. There is no race to the finish here, as everyone can enjoy His company. The easiest way to make the call is to always chant the Lord’s holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The meaning to this mantra is different from what we would typically associate with religious life. This mantra asks God to come and be with the person and to allow service to take place. This mantra asks the energy of God for help in executing that service, in a mood that is pure, free of outside motives. The man who is both behind the sky and within the heart listens to this request, and the more times it is made, the more pure the person asking for it becomes, the quicker the divine mercy appears, giving a life of happiness beyond anything previously expected.

In Closing:

Not necessary to look in the sky,

Or beyond the clouds to fly.

 

Supreme Lord found heart within,

For both pious man and one of sin.

 

Within law of material nature each,

So not necessary for long to reach.

 

Humble call with holy names make,

And advantage of His association take.

Yoga With Determination

“The yoga practitioner should be determined and should patiently prosecute the practice without deviation. One should be sure of success at the end and pursue this course with great perseverance, not becoming discouraged if there is any delay in the attainment of success. Success is sure for the rigid practitioner.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 6.24 Purport)

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Question: “What if I don’t see success in practicing bhakti-yoga? Chanting the maha-mantra every day [Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare] for a fixed number of rounds is good at giving me some peace of mind, but afterwards I’m still attacked by my old nemesis: material desires. What should I do if I feel that I am not making progress?”

Those who teach bhakti-yoga, including the original preceptor Himself, Shri Krishna, say that the yogi should have determination. The idea is that if the yoga is practiced under the proper conditions, which help to eliminate desires of the material kind, then success is guaranteed. This is explained both in theory and also by example, such as with the story involving a sparrow and Garuda.

What is wrong with having material desires? Can a desire be of any other kind?

We can think of it in terms of wanting things for oneself versus seeking the happiness of someone else. The mother who works hard in the kitchen to prepare a nice meal for herself has a different desire than the mother who works just as hard to feed her child. The work is the same in both instances, but the results of that work are to be used differently.

A material desire brings work that yields something for the benefit of the material covering of the individual. The soul is what identifies us. We each survived within the womb in the beginning. We can’t fit into a tiny space like that now. We can’t even fathom living like that for upwards of nine months. But it is a fact that we survived it previously. It was made possible by the eternal existence of the soul, which remains active at all times. When we think we can no longer see it, it has simply gone somewhere else. In the womb the soul is hard to see, but we mark its presence by the development of the fetus.

Elimination of material desires means stopping work that yields a result only for the temporary body. Think of it like working for the welfare of the soul instead. It is like building a home in which the soul will remain happiest, where the changes influenced by time will not be present.

Since in yoga there are recommended practices and attainable goals, we see that desire is still present. The call for determination and perseverance immediately implies desire. So desire never gets eliminated; simply its nature changes. In spiritual desire, one’s work yields results that help the soul. When the soul is rescued, other souls can be rescued as well.

The preliminary result of real yoga practice is the gradual changing of the nature of desire from material to spiritual. But what if we don’t see a change? What if we’re not successful in concentrating on the Supersoul within, who is an expansion of the Supreme Lord? What if we can’t understand that we are different from the Supersoul, that we are meant to have union with Him in a relationship of love? What if we’re having difficulty fostering devotion to the Supersoul?

The recommendation is to continue on. Have determination. Be confident that you will see the result. Like a disease that suddenly disappears completely after a long period of treatment, the all-devouring enemy known as lust, or material desire, will vanish in a person who stays the course in yoga, whose purpose is to unite the individual with their eternal occupation, devotion to the Supreme Lord.

To help us understand that determination, there is the example of the sparrow and the ocean. Once a sparrow was laying her eggs on the banks of the ocean, when the waves suddenly rose up and took the eggs. The sparrow asked for the eggs back, but the ocean refused. The sparrow then threatened to dry up the ocean; a vow for which she was mocked. She continued anyway, pecking away at the vast ocean little by little.

What seemed like folly ended up pleasing Garuda, who is the bird-carrier of God in His personal form of Lord Vishnu. Garuda then came to the rescue of the sparrow, demanding the eggs from the ocean. Thus through strong determination, to the point of ridiculousness, the sparrow succeeded in her goal.

The person practicing bhakti-yoga will similarly seem ridiculous to others.

“How can you give up eating meat? Where will you get your protein? No drinking, either? Life will be no fun, then. You’re giving up illicit sex; whatever that means? And then no gambling also? You are taking away everything enjoyable in life. You are punishing yourself for no reason. God gave us this one human life to be enjoyed to the fullest. You’re going to regret your decision later on.”

Yet if there is the same determination as the sparrow, someone like Garuda will come to help. In his Upadeshamrita, Rupa Gosvami validates this, saying that determination while following the regulative principles is guaranteed to yield the desired result in the end for the devotee.

“The process of bhakti-yoga can be executed successfully with full-hearted enthusiasm, perseverance, and determination by following the prescribed duties in the association of devotees and by engaging completely in activities of goodness.” (Upadeshamrita, 3)

The difficulty is that the desired objective is a change in consciousness, which is impossible to see. You can’t see someone else’s mind. You can’t tell how they think by only looking at their forehead. You get some indication of consciousness through activities, but in the end it is the individual who will have to judge. Only they can tell if material desires have left and been replaced by an undying will to serve the Supreme Lord Krishna and see a bright smile on His face. The mercy of God is such that the determination alone will bring success, as there is great potency in the help provided by Garuda and others who are devoted to the same Lord in thought, word and deed.

In Closing:

Sparrow her eggs wanting back,

Pecking slowly at ocean her attack.

 

Though seemingly ridiculously fought,

Determination the attention of Garuda caught.

 

Yogi advised to have will the same,

To be steadfast in chanting holy name.

 

Success from consciousness to tell,

Transformed desire victory to spell.

Avoiding Death

“Superficially it may be seen that a yogi is attacked by a deathblow, but by the grace of the Lord he can overcome many such attacks for the service of the Lord. As the Lord exists by His own independent prowess, by the grace of the Lord the devotees also exist for His service.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.18.15 Purport)

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Hiranyakashipu thought that his son was an advanced yogi. Otherwise, what could explain his amazing ability to cheat death? Who has ever heard of a young child not dying after being thrown in a pit of snakes? What human being could survive being thrown off of a high mountaintop? What young child doesn’t succumb to death after ingesting poison? No, Prahlada must have been a yogi. There was no other way. Or perhaps he propitiated some higher power, who then granted him this ability. This is how the king thought, and since he couldn’t see the Supersoul within Prahlada or even himself, he thought wrong.

“Let me try yoga. I’ve tried lifting weights. It helps to continuously burn fat throughout the day, but I noticed that my flexibility decreases. For instance, the day after I do chest exercises, it is very difficult for me to put on my jacket. My arms lose something in the range of motion. Also, my body is constantly sore. I’ve heard that this is how the muscles grow. You work them to the point of exhaustion so that they get tired, and it is through atrophy that they become stronger.

“I’ve tried doing cardiovascular exercises, but I get other problems. For starters, it is kind of boring. I have to do the same thing for at least half an hour in order to feel an effect. Then I’m extremely tired afterwards. I feel weaker, not stronger. I become more prone to illness as a result. I want to try something different, and I’ve heard only good things about yoga. I’ve heard that it increases flexibility, helps with circulation, and brings an overall calmness to the body.”

Perhaps our view of yoga is like this in the modern time, but in the genuine version of it you get amazing abilities. Those abilities are known as siddhis, or perfections. Sort of like your savings bond hitting maturity after a certain amount of time, if you practice meditational yoga properly you achieve perfections. These siddhis are things most people wouldn’t believe, but they can actually occur. You can become light as a feather or heavy as a boulder. You can leave your body, travel around using only your essence, the soul, and then reenter that body. You can get anything simply by desiring it.

So it wasn’t surprising that Hiranyakashipu thought that his son was an advanced yogi. With the ability to move the soul outside of the body, one can dodge death. This comparison is used in the Shrimad Bhagavatam to describe how easily Varahadeva dodged the blow of a mace coming from His enemy. The mace is a very powerful weapon, and so to elude it is not an easy task. For the yogi it is, for the yogi can even get out of the way of death.

What Hiranyakashipu didn’t realize was that even the ability of the yogi comes from somewhere. His son Prahlada was a yogi, but not the kind the father was thinking of. Varahadeva is a beautiful incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just as in His manifest pastimes the Lord can dodge a physical weapon like a mace, His devotees can cheat whatever deadly attacks come their way. This is due to God’s grace only. He has bigger plans for His surrendered souls.

Hiranyakashipu was trying to kill his son because of the son’s devotion to God. Prahlada was only five years old. He wasn’t bothering anyone. He wasn’t launching a conspiracy to overthrow the government. He wasn’t telling the palace guards to secretly attack the father while he slept at night. He wasn’t even constantly preaching to the father about the ways of devotional service. The boy simply spoke the truth when asked. He shared his preferences. It is seen that if one reveals their preferences in supporting sports teams, eating fine dishes, drinking adult beverages, vacationing, working, playing, etc., they will not meet much opposition. As soon as the topic turns towards worship of the origin of matter and spirit, of fulfilling the destiny of the enlightened living spirit within the auspicious human body, there is resistance on the other side.

Prahlada faced the most resistance this world can offer. His own father tried to kill him in so many ways, as he was so against worship of anyone except himself. Prahlada survived the attacks because the Supreme Lord gave him the ability to do so. Hiranyakashipu couldn’t understand this, though informed so directly by Prahlada. The king would eventually have to learn the hard way, as though he had many boons protecting him from death in many different ways, he had no way of escaping the claws of the Supreme Lord in His incarnation as Narasimhadeva.

If all abilities are originally sourced in the Supreme Lord, and with one of those abilities one can temporarily get out of the way of death, why wouldn’t everyone be devoted to Him? Why take chances with anything else? Prahlada was not given this amazing ability so he could continue a life in sense gratification. Indeed, he didn’t even specifically ask for this ability. He simply thought of his beloved Supreme Lord, who is originally with a spiritual form of all-attractive attributes. That thinking alone saved him.

The devotees exist for service to the Supreme Lord, and because of this they are protected by Him. The yogi may acquire the ability to avoid death after so much practice in meditation, but with one single moment of remembering God in a pure way, the same ability comes to the devotee without a problem. Moreover, after they avoid death they continue in their devotion, which is what makes every person happiest. The fortunate are those who realize this profound truth after hearing it from the bona fide spiritual master. Prahlada was that teacher for his father, but unfortunately the father did not listen.

Prahlada’s devotion is technically known as bhakti-yoga, which is the superior form of yoga. It is well above and beyond meditational yoga, which is light years advanced over yoga as an exercise routine. Avoiding death is a trivial reward for the devotee, for the spirit soul continues to live on regardless. Death is merely the changing of the bodies, and so whatever body the protected souls find themselves in, their devotion continues and flourishes. In the body of a five year old, Prahlada taught lessons to remain valuable for as long as man remains fallible.

In Closing:

For as long as man remains fallible,

Lessons from Prahlada to remain valuable.

 

With success from in meditation to stay,

Yogi can dodge oncoming death’s way.

 

Still, ability from God only to come,

Like with Prahlada against attacks done.

 

More important how with vitality to live,

For devoted soul protection Lord always to give.

Balance In Reserve

“The temporary comforts of the body are not the goal of life, and it is due only to darkest ignorance that people become enamored of the glimmering advancement of material comforts.” (Shrila Prabhupada, The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 1)

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“Boy, I don’t know what to get them for a gift. I know that I have to bring something. I was invited to the party because I am important to them. They enjoy my company. Through all the years we’ve managed to remain friends. Since I don’t see them all the time, it’s difficult to determine what they will like. Plus, in adulthood a person can more or less purchase whatever they want. Other than high end items like a fancy car or designer purse, if there is something of interest, a person who has a steady income can purchase it.

“You know what? I’m going to get them a gift card. It will be specific to a store or restaurant that they like. This way I know they will like the gift. It will be better than giving them straight cash, for that would look like I’m paying to attend the party. The gift card is easy enough to carry. I can put it in an envelope along with the card marking the occasion. Problem solved. This will work perfectly.”

Indeed, the gift card is such a popular item for giving as a present that there is a large variety of them in supermarkets and convenience stores. You’re not really on the map as a store until you can offer gift cards that people can purchase in large quantities. Since the material is ultimately tied to the spiritual, even the gift card can teach us a valuable lesson about which is the superior path to follow in life. The gift card example shows how something that seems very difficult is so because it is not meant to be practiced by the majority of the people.

If something is not meant for everyone, it means it does not completely represent God. Regardless of one’s religious persuasion or disinclination towards it, if we are to acknowledge a supreme being, He would have to be inherently tied to everything. This means the tree, the ants, the birds, the beasts, the rivers, the oceans, the mountains, and the human beings alike would have to be related to Him. The more inclusive a specific aspect of nature is, the more closely it resembles God.

For instance, those things we actually need in life are abundantly available and inexpensive, relatively speaking. This shows God’s benevolence. The Supreme has put things into place to allow life to continue. The newborn gets the mother. Simply with the milk from the mother, the child can survive. There is no cost for this. There is no difficult procedure for acquiring this. As soon as there is life, there is a parent.

Water, milk, grains and fruits are cheaper and available in larger quantities than meat, wine, fish and eggs. This means that the former is sufficient for survival and the latter unnecessary. Knowing this helps in putting the different ways for spiritual connection into ascending priority. Those methods which are difficult to practice and have prerequisites that are rarely found must not be necessary.

Meditational yoga is the most difficult of the different paths of spiritual connection. Yoga means connection, and it always relates to the union of the individual spirit soul with the Supreme Soul, the benevolent God whose influence cannot be removed from any space. Real meditational yoga bears the fruit of a siddhi. This translates to a “perfection,” which in this context means a sort of ability.

“The highest perfection of mystic power is called kamavasayita. This is also magic, but whereas the prakamya power acts to create wonderful effects within the scope of nature, kamavasayita permits one to contradict nature - in other words, to do the impossible. Of course, one can derive great amounts of temporary happiness by achieving such yogic materialistic perfections.” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 1)

There is a fruit to any kind of work. If you build a house, the reward is a house. If you drive to a certain destination, the reward is reaching that destination. If you practice meditational yoga, you get the reward of a perfection, or siddhi. Perfections are abilities. You can become very light. You can become very heavy. You can travel outside of your body. You can get something just by wanting it.

These things seem far out to us, but from reading the Vedas and studying the behavior of some special mystics of today we can find examples of these abilities. Since the siddhis show a kind of magic, it is easy to mistake a mystic for a realized soul. Indeed, the public display of these abilities has often led to the mystics being mistakenly identified for God Himself.

But the siddhi is not different than the gift card balance, if you think about it. If you receive a gift card for your birthday, what does it really mean to you? It’s actually just a piece of plastic. It’s no different looking than a credit card or an identification badge for school or work. The gift card takes on its meaning when it is used. When the balance is transferred for purchase of specific objects, the card becomes valuable.

In the same way the siddhi is meaningless unless you can do something with it. If one person who is not a yogi can become very light by losing weight, and the mystic can do the same after intense yoga practice, what is the difference? How is one person spiritual and the other not? Has the mystic transcended birth and death, the two main problems for a spirit soul in a material existence? Has the mystic found true happiness?

In karma there is work for a fruit to be enjoyed by the senses. In jnana there is renunciation and the assimilation of high philosophy. In yoga there is the siddhi that must be used in order to have value. Bhakti-yoga is the superior discipline because it gives meaning to all other yogas, philosophies and work. It is also available to everyone. It is not restricted to only those who can practice austerity. It is not reserved solely for those who can work very hard in fruitive endeavors. It does not discriminate based on intelligence, gender, or age.

In bhakti-yoga, you can still have a siddhi. You can have millions of dollars. You can also have high knowledge. In whatever condition you find yourself, you worship God. You worship through service, which means dedicated action. The service may be something basic like chanting the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.” It may also be something very difficult like lifting a mountain with your hands and carrying it somewhere else. Since in bhakti-yoga the consciousness is fixed on pleasing the Supreme Lord, guidance from both within and without is provided on how to use whatever abilities one has. Bhakti-yoga shows even the adept mystic how to advance for real, so in all respects it is the superior form of yoga.

In Closing:

Gift card for birthday I got,

Until I spend value it has not.

 

Fruits of mystic yoga in way the same,

Ability alone not worthy of spiritual name.

 

Whether to work, study or stretch issue not,

Focus on link to supreme consciousness got.

 

When to serve Supreme Lord in love you choose,

Whether rich or poor, all abilities suitable to use.