In Every Village

“Entering at night the city ruled by Ravana, which is very difficult to approach, and searching inside every palace, I shall find the daughter of Janaka.” (Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.47)

rāvaṇasya purīṃ rātrau praviśya sudurāsadām |

vicinvan bhavanaṃ sarvaṃ drakśyāmi janakātmajām

Shri Hanuman, the most faithful, dependable, kind, trustworthy and perseverant servant of the Supreme Lord, herein makes a pact with himself about his future course of action. Having decided on a proper plan, where he will enter the city of the ogres during the dark of night, when no one else will be able to see him, Hanuman declares his belief and determination in accomplishing the task handed to him, that of meeting the princess of Videha, the daughter of King Janaka, Sita Devi, who was suffering greatly at the time due to separation from her beloved, Shri Rama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Hanuman boldly asserts that he will enter every dwelling inside of the enemy city of Lanka to look for Sita. Should he fail to find Janaki in one palace, two, or three, he will not be deterred in any way. Not until he meets Sita, allays her fears, informs her of Rama’s ardent desire to see to her rescue, and hands her the sacred ring belonging to Rama entrusted to him will Hanuman rest in the least bit. Through this unmatched exhibition of dedication and mental fortitude, Hanuman establishes himself as the greatest role model, the hero of all heroes, an undying object of worship and adoration.

Why exactly did Hanuman have to sneak into a city in the dead of night and look inside palaces for a princess? The city in question was named Lanka, and it was inhabited by a race of demons known as Rakshasas. Rakshasas sound like mythological creatures, but they are simply a human-like species prone to nefarious behavior. Their most noteworthy behavioral characteristic is their penchant for meat eating; and not of the ordinary variety either. Certain animals are carnivores, while others are herbivores, and within each species there are specific foods of taste. In the human community, there are individuals who enjoy the taste of animal flesh; thus they will take to eating beef, chicken, fish, etc. Yet these Rakshasas were famous for being man-eaters. They were the worst type of cannibals, for the human beings they would kill were the most exalted sages, embodiments of innocence. A child is considered innocent because it doesn’t know any better; so it is incapable of having ill motives and committing sin. For adults, there is motive, desire, competition, cheating, lying, duplicity, and a host of other practices employed to gain the acquired objective. Nevertheless, one class of individuals, the sages, or rishis, renounces all desire and attachment for worldly gain. Their only wish is to please the Supreme Lord. In order to accomplish their objective, they often seek refuge in the quiet surroundings of the forest.

In the Treta Yuga, the second time period of creation, such an austere and isolated life was possible, as there were minimal requirements to maintain a living. In the modern age, so many obligations are placed upon the average citizen in the form of taxes, insurance, appliance and automobile purchases, and home heating oil and gas. For one who lives in the forest, the bare essentials are provided for without much endeavor. Food can be found in the fruits that fall on their own from the numerous trees and from the roots that are readily available in the earth. Clothing is provided by simple rags, which can be cleaned daily by the river banks. Even shelter can be found quickly in neighboring caves or by erecting a thatched hut. With a simplified lifestyle, there is more time for higher thinking, contemplation on the Supreme Absolute Truth. Generally, mankind has some vague idea about God. This immature concept then brings them to worshiping the Lord out of inquisitiveness, the desire for knowledge, the alleviation of distress, or the procurement of some reward. These initial steps taken towards the Supreme Lord are done so without much knowledge of His fixed position and full feature set. As such, the method of worship employed by those given to meditation and those seeking solitude for their religious practice is of the impersonal variety, wherein one thinks about God but doesn’t necessarily know who or what they are focusing the mind on.

“O best among the Bharatas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.16)

So how do we find out the full feature set found exclusively in the Supreme Lord? Is there even a way to gather this information? The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, were initially passed down through an aural tradition, with the first set of information implanted into the heart of the first created living entity, Lord Brahma. That information was subsequently passed down to Brahma’s descendants, which include all life forms on earth. When the written word was required, the Vedas made their way into book form. The authority and superiority of the Vedas are only enhanced by the format in which they are transmitted. The original Vedas only consist of hymns, short prayers that succinctly and completely describe the Absolute Truth as being an entity with an ever-existing, transcendental, blissful and knowledgeable form. The hymns are the best way to connect with this Personality because they directly speak to His glorious features. The names of the Lord, of which the most complete is Krishna, which means all-attractive, are included in these hymns, thus there is no need for any other type of religious reference tool.

As further time elapsed from the beginning of creation, more detail was required to keep the unsteady mind of the human being focused on the task at hand, that of becoming Krishna conscious. One who is fully cognizant of the Lord’s features, His supreme nature, and His position as the best friend of the living entities does not, upon exiting their body, take birth in the phenomenal world again. Rather, they return immediately to the spiritual sky, where the association of the primary object of thought, the entity that the human being was trying to think about at all times, is found and is never to be lost again. The Puranas, or accounts of historical incidents pertaining to God and His various pastimes, came into being as a supplement to the Vedas. The only purpose of the Puranas is to enhance one’s attachment to God, i.e. to increase Krishna consciousness.

The sages residing in the forests during the Treta Yuga were doubly benefitted because not only could they seek refuge in quiet surroundings to practice their sacrifices and austerity, but they were also gifted with the darshana of the Supreme Lord. God created this world after all, so He is more than free to make appearances in it every now and then. Since He is self-satisfied, or atmarama, there is no driving force to Krishna’s appearances and disappearances other than His ultimate, undisputed, uninhibited and fully-fixed property of free will. On the surface, the appearance of Lord Rama, the sight for the sore eyes of the sages in the forest, seemed to be caused by the harassment endured by the saintly class at the hands of the Rakshasas.

On the one side you have the humble rishis looking for perfection in spiritual life, and on the other you have the lowest among mankind, those who steadily drift further and further away from the original source of knowledge, heat, and light: Shri Krishna. With a life already dedicated to meat eating, wine drinking, and illicit sex, the Rakshasas living in Lanka had no reason to bother the kind sages who renounced everything in favor of forest life. But sinful life is considered detrimental for a reason. Not only does it fail to bring any tangible benefit, but sinful behavior also further shrouds one in ignorance. Because of their lack of knowledge, the Rakshasas were deluded into thinking that the sages were their enemies, as religious life is always the greatest threat to the sinful.

It is certainly interesting to note the difference in behavior between those who are in knowledge and those who aren’t. For one who is connected with the ultimate source of information, the Supreme Lord and His scriptures, the Vedas, there is nothing that can convince them otherwise of their belief system. This means that a devotee, a bhakta of Krishna, will remain steadfast on the path towards eternal spiritual life, devotional service, without any deviation. Regardless of what others may say, good or bad, in favor or against, the devotee continues his practice. Even if one hundred percent of the world’s population were to go against the regulative principles of freedom that constitute bhakti, the devotee would still continue their practice.

The demon, however, is so unconvinced of the validity of their sinful way of life, one that fails to bring any lasting pleasure, that if they simply hear a competing philosophy, one which derides the practice of attachment to sense gratification, they will immediately feel threatened. Evidence of this fact is seen today in the behavior of those who are offended at the very mention of the word “God” in public. “How dare you impose your religion on me?” Those wanting to pray in public or thank God for His benedictions certainly aren’t imposing any belief system on anyone else. Yet the miscreants feel threatened at the mere mention of spirituality. This further proves that they are not confident of their mentally concocted systems of maintenance which call for lying, cheating and stealing to gain whatever you need or desire.

The Rakshasas couldn’t stand the sages performing rituals in favor of the enjoyer of all sacrifice, Yajneshvara [Krishna], so they decided to attack. The demons would wait until the dead of night when the sages couldn’t properly recognize them for who they were. The ogres would also strike at the opportune moments, just when a sacrifice was about to be performed. Taking to different shapes at will, the demons would pounce when the rishis were most vulnerable. Not surprisingly, the rishis were helpless, as they didn’t want to waste their accumulated spiritual merits on cursing the Rakshasas in retaliation. Fortunately, Shri Rama, the warrior prince incarnation of God, came to the rescue to save the sages. He and His younger brother Lakshmana dispatched thousands of demons to the abode of Yamaraja, the god of death. Seeing his army depleted, the Rakshasa king, Ravana, decided to retaliate by hatching up a plot to take Rama’s wife Sita Devi.

With the plot successfully executed, Sita remained a captive on Ravana’s island kingdom of Lanka. What Ravana didn’t know was that Rama had subsequently joined forces with the monkey-king Sugriva living in the Kishkindha forest. The king’s chief emissary and servant was Shri Hanuman, who was capable of singlehandedly destroying Ravana and his entire clan. Hanuman’s assigned mission was more basic: find Sita. Since the daughter of King Janaka would be in a precarious situation and hesitant to trust others, Rama gave Hanuman His ring to present to Sita. In this way the mother of the universe, the goddess of fortune, would be convinced that Hanuman, who was in the form of a monkey, was indeed fighting for the good guys.

Hanuman, after assuming a massive form, leapt his way across the ocean, swatting aside all opposing elements along the way. Through this feat alone Hanuman became worthy of adoration and praise, but his business was only beginning. Now that he had reached the outskirts of Lanka, Hanuman had to figure out a way to enter the enemy territory unnoticed. In the above referenced passage from the Ramayana, we see that Hanuman has decided on a plan of action. He will first mask his original form by becoming very small in stature and then creep into the city during the nighttime, just as the Rakshasas had behaved when attacking the sages. Hanuman would be coming in peace, though, performing a mission that would make him famous for all of time. In his thoughts, Hanuman vows to search every palace in Lanka, which itself was no easy task, as the city was gorgeously decked and immensely opulent. Through his hard work and perseverance, Hanuman would successfully find Sita, temporarily allay her fears, and then return the information of her whereabouts to Rama. Eventually, all-devouring death in the form of Shri Rama and His monkey army would come to destroy Ravana’s kingdom and end his life. Sita would be safely rescued, and all would end well.

In the present day and age known as the Kali Yuga, the circumstances for practicing spiritual life are a little different, as they are less favorable. The opportunities for taking to renounced life or contemplating on the Supreme Lord by meeting Him in person aren’t widely available. Yoga, meditation, and study of the scriptures are beneficial activities in leading one towards the ultimate platform of Krishna consciousness, but these engagements are considered inferior due to the difficulty in practicing them perfectly. For example, one who lives in a big city or even a suburb may be able to practice yoga for an hour a day, but what will be done with the rest of the time? Studying scriptures is also helpful, but how will the information acquired be used? The sages living in the forest were performing devotional service twenty four hours a day, even while sleeping.

For those of us faced with the impediments brought on by the age of Kali, the religion of love, bhakti-yoga, can still be practiced anywhere and at any time by simply chanting the glorious maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. Lord Chaitanya, the preacher incarnation of Krishna who appeared in Mayapura some five hundred years ago, specifically empowered this mantra to deliver all the fallen souls of this age. Not only did He put the principles in place for how bhakti should be practiced, but He also took assertive action in bringing this spiritual potion to the people of the world. In days past, the sages would set up ashramas that others could visit to find spiritual enlightenment. But for the tough tasks, Rama sent Hanuman to go and bring spiritual elixir in the form of information about Him and His paraphernalia to those who were outwardly suffering due to separation from Him. In the modern age, the brahmanas, or the highest class of learned priests, are either not very well respected or are themselves not on the highest platform of devotional consciousness. Therefore it is up to the humble saints, the devotees at heart, to take to outwardly preaching if they can.

Hanuman infiltrated the enemy territory in the dead of night to deliver the message of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and in a similar way, the preachers of the gospel of devotional service kindly canvass from village to village, inducing others to take up the chanting process. Who could be against chanting God’s names? After all, people are already accustomed to singing various pop songs in their head. During the holiday season, Christmas carolers are generally treated very well, and all they do is go around from house to house singing different songs about Jesus and Christmas. So in this light, how can those asking others to regularly chant God’s name every day of the year be treated with disdain?

Just as the Rakshasas were clouded in ignorance by their sinful way of life, so those who are unaware of the highest objective of human life and staunchly set in their ways will not take too well to the preaching efforts inaugurated by Shri Gaurahari. But just as Hanuman vowed to search every single palace in Lanka until he found Sita, the humble devotees vow to do their best to spread the most powerful weapon of knowledge, the holy name of God, to every village and every corner of the world. There are millions of individuals in the world who are suffering from separation from the Lord, and they are just waiting to hear news of His activities and pastimes. The names of Krishna and Rama are complete in that they automatically bring the Lord’s forms, pastimes and activities with them. Even Shri Hanuman today engages in chanting the glories of Sita, Rama and Lakshmana as his most pleasurable activity. Those who take to the sublime engagement of bhakti-yoga and kindly teach others about the glories of spiritual life are worthy of the highest praise and adoration. They follow not only the calling of Lord Chaitanya, but also the example set by Shri Hanuman, whose glories and fame know no end.

Mental Speculation

“No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality and pastimes of Shri Krishna through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.” (Padma Purana)

For those surrendered souls fortunate enough to have the association of a bona fide spiritual master and the good sense to take instruction from him, one of the restrictions imposed in the beginning stages - the point in time where the new student takes to studying the differences between spirit and matter and regularly practicing the devotional principles instilled - relates to mental speculation. The Vedas identify the four most sinful activities, the places where the dark age of Kali can safely reside, to be meat eating, intoxication, illicit sex and gambling, as these behaviors bring about the sharpest divergence in consciousness, and subsequently the strongest deviation of the service mentality, to those souls wandering aimlessly in search of a proper object of worship, one who accepts the entreaties, pleas and services of the loving entity without any reservation, one who is incapable of feeling smothered by too much affection. Mental speculation is mentioned by the guru in the list of activities to avoid, as it is usually coupled with gambling. At first glance, this seems like a strange restriction because how can one stop the speculating tendencies of the mind without turning into a robot? But in reality, mental speculation is a very simple concept to understand, and its harmful effects are quite evident to those who know the ultimate conclusion in life.

Can there be a final conclusion, one that trumps all others? This is actually the determining factor in assessing whether a particular spiritual tradition following the original Vedas is bona fide or not. All the celebrated acharyas, the teachers of Vedic wisdom in ages past and present, subscribe to an ultimate conclusion, one that describes the relationship between individual spirit and Supreme Spirit. Religion can involve blind sentiment towards a particular object of worship, but when the mood of service is authorized and practiced properly, there is an inherent relationship that can be concretely defined which drives all activity. When this link is identified properly, the behavioral practices of the individual can then continue in full confidence, without any trepidation over wasted effort or fruitlessness of action.

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the divine preacher and most notable incarnation of Godhead to appear in recent times, very nicely preached the ultimate conclusion, the highest truth in life, through the chanting of the holy names of the Lord, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. More than just a mantra for the Hindus, this kindest of prayers, the only callout to God that is devoid of any personal motive and any desire for temporary results, is open to everyone to chant, as Krishna and Rama are names that describe the attributes of all-attractiveness and ability to provide transcendental pleasure found exclusively within the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If the existence of God is to be accepted, then the eternality, blissfulness and full knowledge of His form must also be acknowledged. Without form, pastimes, qualities and names, a worshipable entity cannot be considered an object. Indeed, anything that lacks any or all of these features and subsequently turns into an object of worship will fail to provide a worthwhile benefit to the worshiper, sincere or otherwise.

Lord Chaitanya’s ultimate conclusion, which has always existed but not always been widely understood, is known as achintya-bhedabheda-tattva, which means “simultaneously and inconceivably one with and different”. The individual souls, the spiritual sparks assuming temporary bodies in the phenomenal world and eternal spiritual bodies in the imperishable sky, are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, who is full of form. At the same time, there is a difference in quantitative powers, as the infinitesimally small sparks can never match the Supreme Lord’s abilities and attributes in the areas of beauty, wealth, strength, fame, knowledge and renunciation. Indeed, only Krishna, the Supreme Lord, is fully conscious of every event occurring past, present and future of every living entity. We may be conscious of our current life’s affairs, but the memories are erased at the time of death. For God, there are never any limitations; hence He always remains Supreme.

“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!” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.5)

From knowledge of the ultimate conclusion comes an ideal relationship, one which establishes the inferior entities in their constitutional position. Since we are the same as God in quality, we are meant to always be linked with Him. At the same time, since we are subordinate, we are also meant to be the pleasing entity, the one that offers service. This mood of service is best practiced when it is not cajoled, forced or instigated out of fear. Just as the mother offers her child pure love without any external motive, the individual souls are naturally inclined towards loving their Supreme Lord, who always remains with them even if the individual loses its purified consciousness and its corresponding storehouse of knowledge.

In the conditioned state, where knowledge of the ultimate conclusion remains far, far away, the individual needs a set of regulative activities, engagements which will help reestablish the broken link with the Supreme Spirit. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s method of chanting Hare Krishna not only serves as the best way to teach the achintya-bhedabheda-tattva conclusion, but it is also the quintessential activity of the discipline that keeps one in perfect yoga with God. Yoga, which is the addition of two entities in consciousness, can be practiced in different ways, such as through the acquisition of knowledge, fruitive activity with detachment, and deep meditation and gymnastics exercises. But all of these forms of yoga are meant to culminate in bhakti, or pure love. Hence the discipline of bhakti-yoga remains the foremost occupation for man, the activity that keeps the relationship derived from the ultimate conclusion always in an active state.

Any other conclusion reached and any other behavior adopted can be deemed invalid, subordinate, and one based off mental speculation. It is for this reason that the guru, or spiritual master, who is a Vaishnava at heart, sternly warns his disciple of the dangers of mental speculation. If one is not in knowledge of their inherent link to the Supreme Spirit, they will take to worshiping other entities and objects, including their own senses. To justify their unauthorized behavior, they will then concoct their own theories and ideas as to what the ultimate conclusion is. Indeed, in the absence of spirituality, there is not even the acknowledgement of a more powerful entity and the need to form a relationship with Him. While in many spiritual disciplines the acknowledgement of a superior spiritual entity is present, the identification of an eternal relationship, one that properly describes the eternal nature of the soul and its position of being transcendental to temporary material dresses and material nature itself, remains absent. Hence the activities adopted and results that follow are often no different from what is seen with those who are wholly attached to the interests of the temporary body in full defiance and ignorance of the natural laws of spiritual science as so kindly passed down by the Vedas.

One way to understand the dangers of mental speculation is to picture a dark room full of observers. For some reason or another, there is no light in this room, so everyone must fend for themselves and slowly and carefully make their way around and try to figure out what to do. One individual may put his hand on a particular object and guess as to what it is. “Oh, this must be a lamp. It has a slim neck and a large oval at the top, so it is probably of the halogen variety. I bet you this is one of those black lamps that effuses tremendous light.” Another person may come up to the same object and guess that it is a standing electric fan. “You can feel that the neck isn’t even that long and that the top cylinder has quite a large radius. This must be one of those standing fans that oscillates.” Both individuals posit their opinions, and due to the lack of light, there is no concrete evidence to base the assertions on, nor can a final conclusion be reached.

Another analogy which accurately conveys the paltriness of the knowledge acquired through simple sense perception comes to us courtesy of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Let’s say we have a frog stuck in a well being visited by another frog. If the visitor frog were to approach the frog living in the well his whole life, he would have a very difficult time accurately describing the size of the Pacific Ocean, a massive body of water that he has personally seen. The frog in the well would ask, “Is the ocean two times the size of this well? Twenty times the size? How big is it compared to this well?” Obviously the frog in the well has a very limited scope of vision, as he can only understand concepts by comparing them to things he has seen. The human being in infancy goes through a discovery process that ideally continues all the way up until death. Yet we know that the earth is massive in size and that human beings have inhabited the land for millions of years. As such, it is impossible for anyone to personally observe all there is to see in just one lifetime.

Through mental speculation devoid of authorized information, conclusions are reached which have no basis in proper knowledge. The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, describe events that are seemingly of the paranormal, with young children lifting up gigantic hills, flying monkeys battling demons that can take on different shapes at will, and seemingly ordinary individuals killing off thousands of soldiers with just one bow-and-arrow set. To those who only take shelter of their perceived observations gathered in the current life, there is no way to properly understand the statements of the Vedas pertaining to the activities of Lord Krishna, His incarnations and His devotees. Indeed, the mental speculators will posit theories that Krishna is simply a mythological character and that His instructions represent symbolism more than anything else. “There was never really a battlefield of Kurukshetra. The field described in the Bhagavad-gita represents one aspect, Krishna another, and Arjuna yet another symbolic representation.” They will say that the roaming through the forests by Lord Rama, a celebrated warrior prince incarnation of Krishna, His wife Sita Devi and younger brother Lakshmana was also symbolic, a representation of the three energies associated with the Absolute Truth. The speculators would rather come up with convoluted theories than actually accept the authority of the sages who took so much time compiling these wonderful works.

There is certainly symbolism to be found in the sportive exploits of the original Divine Being, but this doesn’t invalidate the authenticity of the actions. Life always imitates art, so it is not surprising that Krishna would exhibit behaviors that seemingly fall into patterns and can thus provide endless lessons. As the creator of everything in this world, including art, psychology and the like, Krishna is keenly aware of the importance of His activities and how the descriptions of His amazing exhibitions of strength and knowledge can be applied to effect positive change in all different facets of life. Nevertheless, the celebrated and highly exalted Vedic authors, like Maharishi Valmiki and Vyasadeva, had no time to waste on conjuring up images and concocting mythology. The bona fides of these sages were proved through their behavior and their impeccable and unmatched ability to describe the teachings and pastimes of the Lord in the most beautiful poetry form written in the most complex of languages, Sanskrit.

So how do we avoid mental speculation? Do we have to turn into robots who never think for themselves? Revisiting the dark room example, we can think of bhakti-yoga as being the process that allows an individual to have an ever-burning torchlight of knowledge, one that shines light on every aspect of the visible world. Only the sincere devotee can shed light on everything within one room and every sphere of material space. Instead of turning into robots who cease to think critically, the devotee is able to make full use of the massive potential for cognitive thought found within the brain. Evidence of this high scholarship and supreme ability to describe is found in the collected works and documented activities of the greatest Vaishnavas, those who follow in the line of the gopis of Vrindavana, the dear lovers of Shri Krishna.

The gopis, though ordinary cowherd women who were seemingly uneducated, always thought about Krishna during their time on earth, irrespective of where He was and what He was doing. As such, they understood full well the properties of the sun, clouds, grass, trees, cows, milk, food, etc. Every aspect of life was seen through the magnifying glass of pure bhakti. The gopis thus had a perfect understanding of every aspect of creation.

Lord Chaitanya, being a combined incarnation of Lord Krishna and Shrimati Radharani, the best of the gopis, similarly could explain everything in terms of Krishna. As the most learned scholar of His time, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu could present a perfect argument in favor of one position and then in the next minute provide a counterargument that completely debunked the previous viewpoint. Indeed, He could provide limitless arguments relating to the same subject matter because He knew that everything emanated from Krishna. Knowing the proper conclusion, His primary business in life was to explain everything in terms of its relationship to God. Therefore His explanations, teachings and recommended practices were always perfect in every way. Rather than guessing at what a certain aspect of life represented, Lord Chaitanya could go on and on explaining its beautiful nature and true utility in terms of its relationship to bhakti.

Lord Chaitanya’s followers took the bhakti-yoga ball and ran with it. The volumes of literature produced by the bhaktas, or devotees of God, is unmatched in their brilliance, cogency and timelessness. The nightly newscasts can be forgotten the subsequent day, as the information presented loses its relevance rather quickly. While newspapers turn into birdcage liner a few days after they are printed, the works of Vaishnavas like Shrila Rupa Goswami, Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Shrila Prabhupada never lose their relevancy. Could we ever imagine writing a book or poem that is studied, worshiped and honored on a regular basis by people living several hundred years into the future? Yet the devotees beaming with the torchlight of transcendental knowledge do precisely that, as they don’t waste any time putting forth temporary, mundane and unauthorized speculations pertaining to the world and the nature of spirit. They have no reason to indulge in mental speculation because they have full faith and confidence in the transcendental words emanating from the lotus mouth of Lord Krishna.

When the proper conclusion is understood and truly realized, the resulting behavior can never deviate from the flawless conclusion that is sharanagati, or ultimate surrender unto God in devotion. Just as the working aspects of life become purified through the proper identification of the only beneficiary who is universally a candidate for love and respect, the thoughts of the pure devotee also attain a state beyond delusion, thus leaving the door open for endless explanation and expounding on the Absolute Truth and His limitless scope. Lord Chaitanya blazed the trail to be followed by those interested in realizing the full potential of the brainpower kindly offered us by Krishna. By honoring that path and its creator, the mind can always be fully engrossed in the sublime pleasure that is Krishna consciousness.

Pulling Rank

“Therefore, reducing my own form to a small size, I will enter Lanka at night for accomplishing Raghava’s task.” (Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.46)

tadahaṃ svena rūpeṇa rajanyāṃ hrasvatāṃ gataḥ ।

laṅkāmabhipatiṣyāmi rāghavasyārthasiddhaye

“Do you know who I am?”, is the question angrily posed by the righteously indignant blowhards who are too full of themselves to ever endure even the slightest bit of maltreatment or disrespect directed their way. Rather than accept the good and bad points of life like everyone else, the elite, those thinking themselves to be of a higher stock than the rest of the so-called peons of the world, will quickly pull rank by pointing out their high social standing, even though it is a temporary one, to get out of unpleasant situations. This behavior is, not surprisingly, quite common, as who wouldn’t be proud of their lofty position? But those with the highest level of intelligence understand that real pleasure in life can only come through service to the only entity truly deserving of it. High and low positions are merely vehicles for service, menial or otherwise. Whether one is in a lofty position or of an insignificant stature, the desire to serve is still present. Only when the dedicated activity is offered to the most worthy entity is the proper attitude maintained. When in such a purified state, the individual becomes willing to do anything, including deprecate their natural strength, fame, position and beauty, in order to get the task done.

What’s wrong with being proud of a respectable position? Shouldn’t a government leader, king, or office-boss be treated differently than others? Doesn’t the respect shown them allow for a peaceful coexistence? Those in important positions are certainly worthy of respect, but does this mean that one should be falsely puffed up by their standing? After all, isn’t everyone’s starting point the same upon exit from the womb? The infant child is wholly incapable of doing anything, except maybe crying. Relying on the parents and guardians for everything, the ignorant child, who possesses a level of intelligence that is inferior to that of many animals, must get an education and follow the proper path, enduring many of life’s ups and downs before reaching a respectable position. Even within an office or government infrastructure, those in the position of power have to earn their way to the top. A President or Prime Minister usually starts out as a mayor, state government representative, or governor before ascending to the highest post in the system. When a person goes from being a governor to president overnight, does anything about their character change? Do they put their pants on in a different way after becoming the leader of a community?

The constitutional makeup of the promoted individual doesn’t change, and neither does their source of individuality. Though the presence of the spiritual spark, the essence of life, may be imperceptible to the human eye, the signs of life are visible in outward symptoms. “I think, therefore I am”, is a valid statement, but going one step further, “A body has a spirit soul inside; therefore it is alive”, is an even more accurate and complete statement. Such a conclusion, though capable of being deduced by the sober individual, isn’t originally concocted by any ordinary brain. Rather, the concept of aham brahmasmi, or “I am a spirit soul”, descends from the Vedas, the original scriptural tradition of the world. Religion is not merely about following rules, regulations, edicts, and putting on strange outfits. Such practices aid in attaining the final goal, but the essence of spirituality is the service offered to the original Divine Being. The loving inclination is ingrained in spirit; hence it is not a tendency that needs to be taught. Through the principles of religion, the natural loving propensity lying dormant within the heart is aroused. Those who awaken the fiery passion for spiritual love thus secure for themselves the greatest freedom, the only true version of liberty. In that purified state, everyone else is viewed equally, and the bodies of the entities are taken for what they are: temporary and ignorance-inducing coverings.

The spirit soul is the basis of individuality in every form of life; therefore any position of power, stature, or respect is simply a temporary manifestation borne of the qualities of a body which is destined for destruction. If a puffed up individual gets maltreated at a restaurant or other public place and then asks, “Do you know who I am?”, an acceptable and valid response is, “Yes, you are a spirit soul just like me and every other form of life.” If the elitist retorts with, “No, I am the president of such and such country”, a counter-response can be, “Yes, but were you the president when you were born? Will you continue to be the president forever? Will not your body eventually become food for a crow? As such, how are you any different than anyone else, and why should you get preferential treatment in this instance?”

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste] .” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.18)

Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, reveals in the Bhagavad-gita - the most concise and complete treatise on spirituality, which is free of any defects, including sentimentalism, sectarianism and blind fanaticism - that the learned man, the pandita, views all forms of life equally. Whether the object of interest is a brahmana, one of the priestly class, or a cow, the pandita does not change his viewpoint. This doesn’t necessarily mean the specific treatment offered is the same. For instance, we would not go up to a tiger and pet it thinking that it is equal to human beings in behavioral tendencies. Rather, the equal vision, sama-darshinah, is applied towards understanding and seeing the spirit soul within the tiger. Therefore, the pandita, the learned man, knows that there is no reason to feel superior or inferior to anyone else, nor is there a need to unnecessary kill any other form of life. Maltreatment and offensive words offered by others is actually a great blessing, as it keeps one humble and knowledgeable of their fixed, eternal position.

Besides being the basis for identity in all forms of life, including those residing outside the phenomenal world, individual spirit also has intrinsic properties, natural proclivities, which, when let loose, lead to the highest gain. After all, everyone takes to activity to reach some positive condition. Even the altruist and do-gooders are only looking for personal pleasure through their charitable efforts. The key, however, is to find the one entity whose satisfaction will rain down showers of bliss and happiness on all forms of life. Such an individual would have to be the best friend of every living entity in order to deliver universally applicable results. Fortunately, this is the exact position held by the esteemed Divine Creator, the origin of all life, the most loveable and blissful person, who never knows any diminution in any of His abilities, large or small. Only His satisfaction, brought about through humble, kind, uninterrupted and unmotivated service, can benefit all of humanity.

In the Vedic tradition this Divine Being is given thousands of names, each of which speaks to His specific abilities in various areas. One name, Krishna, references the Lord’s all-attractive nature. Since Krishna is capable of enchanting the hearts and minds of all forms of life, He naturally becomes the ideal object of worship. How does one go about offering their service to Shri Krishna? The easiest way is to simply remain in His association. In the visible world, company is best had through personal contact, having the object of interest in one’s close proximity. A second option is to have verbal or written communication, such as through phone, letters, or email. The Supreme Lord, being the all-powerful Absolute Truth, can grant His association to anyone simply through thoughts. If one focuses their mind on Krishna by meditating on His transcendental form or remembering His sublime activities, which are too numerous to count, the Lord’s association is immediately granted. Even meditating on the Absolute Truth is a way of gaining association, though only to the impersonal feature. Yet one aspect of God is so powerful that it automatically arouses loving feelings and association of both His manifested and unmanifested aspects, along with His activities and features. This aspect is the name of the Lord, a sound vibration which is so powerful that it is even greater than the Person it addresses.

The name, which is found in sacred chants like the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, is so sublime that it collectively carries the names, forms, qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Person it represents. Goswami Tulsidas notes that the unmanifested form which is meditated on within the mind by great yogis and devotees and the visibly manifested form of the deity which is worshiped by divine lovers are like the top and bottom of a jewelry box, with the holy name being the jewel that is protected inside. Whether one wants to worship the deity or simply sit in meditation all day, the pleasures derived can be greatly increased by keeping the name of the Lord on the tip of the tongue and firmly establishing the sound vibration that results from recitation of that name within the mind’s ear. When we hear an audible sound, naturally the vibration will enter the ears through the external holes. But when we think to ourselves, the same sounds are heard, except from within. When the name of God is chanted out loud, the sound vibrations travel to the insides of the ears of the chanter and whoever else is within audible range. But even if direct chanting isn’t performed, if the name is recited within the mind, the same benefit is there to the individual.

For the exalted souls, those who are not haughty in the least bit, there is absolutely no attachment to the body, even though they possess an outward dress that remains completely spiritual. Matter is only viewed as temporary and debilitating when it further clouds the natural intelligence of the pure spirit soul. When one is firmly fixed in their rightful position as eternal servant of God, the material elements become servants of the service offered by the bhakta, or devotee. Bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, is the natural occupation of every form of life. In order for this divine engagement to be taken up by a conditioned soul, the aid of material elements is required. Indeed, once the outward elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether, and the subtle elements of mind, intelligence and ego are employed towards seeking the pleasure of the master of the senses, Hrishikesha, they become immediately spiritualized. Since the devotee knows no other business except bhakti, their entire body beams with spirituality. Such is the case with Shri Hanuman, the faithful servant of Lord Rama who is endowed with every beneficial and noteworthy characteristic that can be enumerated.

Several thousands of years back, the master of all senses, the one entity who is intimately attached with every essence of spirituality, kindly descended to earth in a form visible to everyone, though not every person would see this individual for who He was, a divine incarnation of Krishna. Roaming the earth in the guise of a warrior prince named Rama, the Supreme Lord allowed the exalted spirit souls inhabiting earth at the time the chance to offer direct service to Him. There were many noteworthy personalities who made the most of this opportunity by dedicating their lives to Rama’s happiness, but none is more celebrated today than Hanuman, a Vanara who happened to be engaged in the service of the monkey-king Sugriva at the time of Rama’s sojourn through the holy land of Bharatavarsha.

Rama not only gives others a chance to see a non-different, blissful and transcendental form of God, but He also creates situations that allow others to offer sincere service. A guru, or spiritual master, is unique in his ability to both impart spiritual instruction to others and create opportunities for service. It is seen that exalted gurus are sometimes driven around in fancy cars and waited on hand and foot by servants. For those gurus who are bona fide, those following in the line descending from the original spiritual master, Shri Lakshmana, the younger brother of Lord Rama and an incarnation of Ananta Shesha Naga, such service offered to their lotus feet doesn’t take away from their stature or purity of thought in any way. Indeed, such treatment allows the shelterable, those needing rescue from the pitfalls of material existence, a chance to offer their services to the Supreme Lord through a proxy. The guru, by accepting service and providing instruction, proves to be the most inclusive welfare worker, as he doesn’t just provide theoretical postulates that need to be contemplated on. Practical knowledge, or vijnana, that is exhibited by the guru’s daily business is more important, as it leads to changes in behavior. A shift in habits brings a purification of consciousness, which by itself is enough to grant the conditioned soul liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Shri Rama, as the origin of knowledge and religious practice aimed at understanding Him, similarly created many wonderful opportunities for those eager to offer their service. One such opportunity involved the finding of the exalted princess of Videha, Sita Devi. Sita is Rama’s wife for all of time, and while on earth she had been taken away by a Rakshasa demon named Ravana. Sugriva’s task, which would be ultimately turned over to Hanuman, was to find Sita’s whereabouts and return the information to Rama. Hanuman, as the most capable Vanara of Sugriva’s army, made the brave voyage across the ocean to Lanka via the aerial path. Just leaping across the ocean was enough to land Hanuman in the annals of history as one of the most dedicated servants, spiritual or otherwise. Still, setting foot on the outskirts of Lanka was only half the battle. He still needed a way to get into the town and find Sita.

The wrinkle in the equation was the mighty force of the Rakshasas. These were no ordinary demons; they were elitists who had no justifiable reason to think themselves better than anyone else. They lived a life of depravity, though they thought themselves to be religious. Though they regularly took to killing innocent sages and eating their flesh, the Rakshasas would also perform religious functions aimed at procuring material benefits. Though they were always intoxicated off of wine, they considered themselves the most cultured due to their gold palaces and fancy living arrangements. Hanuman was actually deserving of the highest respect from others because of his stature as Rama’s servant and his ability to teach others about the meaning of life. Yet from the passage quoted above, we see that despite his standing he was more than willing to take on a diminutive form to accomplish Rama’s task.

In this situation, a puffed up individual might be tempted to think along these lines: “I just crossed the ocean in one jump. I fought off several demons and didn’t even break a sweat. I can kill all of these Rakshasas in an instant, such is my power. What need do I have to hide my beautiful form? These demons can learn a thing or two just by looking at me.” Indeed, Hanuman is exquisitely beautiful. Any day that we have the opportunity to see Hanuman, recite his name, or even think about him we should consider ourselves fortunate. If one were to dedicate their whole life to simply glorifying Hanuman, chanting his name, and thinking of his transcendental activities, it would be a life well spent.

Nevertheless, Hanuman, in all his glory, had no attachment to any of his features. Rather, he looked at all of his qualities as instruments for service to Rama. One of his many abilities allowed him to change sizes and shapes. Through harnessing his mystic powers, Hanuman could become very small in an instant. The small form is what he would choose for his entry into Lanka. An individual driven by false ego, being clouded by their ignorance brought on by fame and adulation, would scoff at the idea of becoming small. They would consider it beneath them. But the only thing shameful to Hanuman would have been to quit or see Rama’s mission fail. His dedication to God is his greatest quality, one that cannot be praised enough.

Not surprisingly, Hanuman would go on to successfully find Sita, and rough up the Rakshasas a little bit in the process. Then returning with Rama, Lakshmana, and Sugriva’s army, Hanuman would play a vital role in the defeat of Ravana and the Rakshasas. To this day, he is one of the most widely worshiped divine figures in the world. He is the most humble of warriors, and not surprisingly, one of the most powerful as well. Where there is Hanuman, there is always victory in devotional service. Where the presence of the name of the Lord is strong, there is no chance of ignorance, hypocrisy, pomposity, or false identification. One who always adopts the mood of humility, courage, and perseverance exhibited by Shri Hanuman will always be in the good graces of the Lord, the most merciful and deserving of worshipable figures.

No Labels

“Such [material] distinctions are visible in the lives of everyone, even the animals, but those who are pure devotees are freed from these false distinctions. Since these distinctions are absent in Your devotees, they cannot possibly be present in You.” (King Yudhishthira praising Krishna, Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 19)

“Because you were so nice to me, I’m going to put in a prayer to your God.” Statements in jest like these indicate the prevalence of the mindset which thinks in terms of “my God” and “my religion”, which is especially common amongst those who are unaware of the intrinsic properties of spirit and the undying nature of the divine energy, the sole impetus for all seen and unseen action. But those whose eyes have been trained by steady practice in the one discipline that seeks universal truths and worships a leader who is equally disposed towards all forms of life transcend all labels and false identifications. Therefore they become the ideal welfare workers, the most benevolent teachers who can bring anyone out of the doldrums of chaos, despair, tumult, heartache and the like. The beautiful properties of these knowers of the truth are actually inherited from their master, an entity who is Himself free of ties to any specific organization, geographic location, or language tradition. Indeed, due to His magnanimous nature, this Supreme Person is worthy of worship from every single entity.

“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend Myself.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.7)

Not surprisingly, the person we speak of is God. In the Vedic tradition, He is known as Krishna, or one who is all-attractive. He kindly descends to earth whenever there are disturbances in the discharge of law codes, or dharma. The skeptic will argue that Krishna is simply a specific region’s theistic leader, an object of worship established off of sentiment and a tradition rooted in mythology. But if we get past all the prejudices rooted in ignorance, we’ll see that the truths espoused by the bluish divine figure found in the Bhagavad-gita surpass those contained in any other book, spiritual or otherwise. Moreover, Krishna’s universal candidacy for friendship and worship is substantiated by the tangible results achieved by those who follow His instructions, the most important of which calls for one to simply surrender unto God and be delivered from all sinful reaction.

Surrender doesn’t only involve a formal ritual or an allegiance of faith. Nor does it require that one don a specific dress and be addressed by a particular name. Perfunctory rules and regulations can help in the surrendering process, but the real benefit of turning one’s life and emotions over to Krishna is the altering of consciousness. True allegiance and dedication to God can be observed through outward symptoms, which indicate a drastic shift in the thought processes. When one remains below the full surrender platform, the loving emotions deeply ingrained within the soul get directed to other areas and objects. The nature of the surrender is the same except there is a drastic divergence in the quality of the objects of worship and the results that follow.

Since contaminated love focuses attention on entities which are not worthy of the full loving potential of the soul, the results derived are checked, or at least limited in some way, thereby keeping the consciousness in a clouded state, which then leads to concepts such as “my religion” and “my God”. A truly surrendered soul, one who is armed with the highest knowledge, understands that since spirituality describes the properties of the soul and its relationship to the Supreme Lord, it cannot be sectarian in any way. The laws of gravity don’t apply differently based on the belief system of the falling person or object. Similarly, the laws of nature, which are governed by the higher authorities installed by Shri Krishna Himself, do not act differently based on a person’s geographic location or scriptural tradition.

The assigned designations that are based on all sorts of attributes only come from those who have failed to reach the platform of complete surrender. Race, ethnicity, gender and age are some of the more common points of interest around which discrimination is formed. Today, much effort is taken to eradicate the practices of labeling individuals based on their outward features and behavior, but none of the methods employed fully succeed because the true identity of the individual is never revealed. For instance, a white person may be taught to avoid discriminating against a black person, but if neither group is educated on their true identity, that of a spirit soul, they will always label themselves according to the color of their skin, which is an attribute of the body that is not constant from person to person. The spirit soul can never be destroyed, cut up, burned, dried, or altered in any way. At the time of death, the current outer covering of the soul is discarded in favor of a new one. One who is Indian in this life can very well become American or Chinese in the next life. After all, the only differences in these designations are countries of origin and attributes specific to the outer covering.

“Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 2.17)

While the tendency may be to artificially shun labels, real success is found when the only label that applies universally is adopted. Instead of the “my God” and “my religion” mindsets, one who takes their identity from the properties of their identifiable aspect, the spirit soul, will be able to maintain peace and calm knowing that they are not attached to or affected with temporary changes. Bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, is the pathway that leads to accepting in earnest the only label that actually fits. Just as our identity comes from the spirit soul within, our natural engagement is to behave in accordance with the intrinsic properties of our identifiable aspect. Spirit is not only eternal, knowledgeable and blissful, but it is also naturally inclined towards service, or divine love. In the constitutional state, the loving object is properly identified as God, whose most potent incarnation pervading the material world in the current age is His name. Therefore the simplest and most effective method of bhakti, one that allows the potential for service bottled up inside the conditioned soul to be released with full vim and vigor, is the chanting of the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”.

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste] .” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 5.18)

The humble sages, those who have accepted the proper label of eternal servant of God, see all forms of life equally. They see a dog, a dog eater, a brahmana, a cow, and an elephant as being the same. The exact nature of the interaction may not be the same with each case, but the underlying vision is applied equally. The devoted soul understands that the outer covering of a living entity is simply a manifestation of Krishna’s external energy, so it is of the same nature in any form of life, as spirit souls are expansions of Krishna’s internal energy that have a marginal position, one that allows for a choice between association with Krishna or delusion under the dictates of material nature. The humble sages see with a purified vision, so they are the most respected members of society, teachers that others can learn from in their struggles through life.

The behavior and vision of the sages who have adopted the proper label reveal the terrific properties of their object of worship. If a human being can ascend to the platform where they view everyone equally, then the Supreme Lord must bear the same properties. This was the point raised by King Yudhishthira during a meeting he once had with Lord Krishna. The Supreme Lord descended to earth in His personal form during the Dvapara Yuga and took part in many diplomatic affairs involving the Pandavas, who were five sons to Krishna’s aunt, Kunti Devi. Yudhishthira was the eldest of the brothers and he was well-known for his dedication to piety and virtue. Whenever he would see Krishna, he would properly praise and worship Him. Through his behavior, Yudhishthira provided great insight about Krishna’s nature to the people of the time and to future generations as well.

Yudhishthira once properly noted that Lord Krishna is just like the sun in His equanimity. The sun touches all sorts of objects, both pure and impure, during each day when it spreads its light across the massive universe. Despite what it touches, the sun remains the same in quality, unaffected by the interaction with external objects. Lord Krishna is the same way, in that as the Supreme Lord, He has no favorites. His mercy is always open for anyone. The option to surrender and be delivered of all sinful reaction is not a promise applicable exclusively to Indians, brahmanas, the Pandavas, and men. Just as the sun’s rays are available to everyone to utilize, Krishna’s promise for protection and the sublime pleasure He provides His associates engaged in bhakti-yoga apply to all forms of life.

Both the skeptic and the honest critic at this point may raise an issue about surrender to other theistic figures. “Why just surrender to Krishna? Don’t all religions prescribe the same method of full and complete relinquishing of ego and interest?” Actually, every area of endeavor, spiritual or otherwise, inherently asks their supporters to surrender. The politician running for office asks for the surrender of time and money from the constituents, the author selling his book the same from his customers, and the paramour the sacrifice of emotion from the lover. Yet none of these worshiped entities is capable of providing full protection because they are themselves limited in their abilities. The only entities save the Supreme Lord capable of bringing about anything tangible to their dependents are the devotees and spiritual masters who dedicate their lives to teaching others about Krishna either through precept or example. But even under this scenario, the guru doesn’t take the tribute offered to him for his personal benefit. Instead, he acts as a via-medium, accepting the worship offered to him as being intended for Shri Krishna.

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 18.66)

When Krishna promises deliverance from all sinful reaction for the surrendered soul, His position of neutrality does not break in any way. As the all-pervading spiritual sun, God is always shining His mercy down on everyone. The difference with the surrendered soul is that they know how to accept the mercy and make good use of it. The distinction between a soul surrendered unto God and one wholly dedicated to a worldly object or entity is in the nature of consciousness. A sinful reaction is a negative consequence to a particular activity. We can think of these consequences as pollution, necessary punishment for activities which were otherwise intended to bring about positive results. Student loan debt is a great example of this principle. Borrowing money to pay for school brings about the favorable result of attending college and earning a degree that will hopefully further advance one’s career. The sinful reaction, or negative consequence, is the debt that is incurred, a bill that must eventually be paid off. Student loan forgiveness equates to eliminating the negative reaction to the original activity. One is delivered from their sinful reaction resulting from borrowing money to pay for college when the balance due on their loan is eliminated prior to repayment.

In the larger picture, all activities of the mundane variety, those that seek temporary sense pleasures, automatically have built-in sinful reactions, negative consequences that may go unnoticed but still bring about very unpalatable results. In any fruitive engagement, one where surrender to some object or entity of the temporary world is required, the most harmful sinful reaction is that of further separation from Krishna, the ultimate reservoir of pleasure, in consciousness. This is considered the most severe negative consequence because separation from Krishna equates to being removed from the soul’s life partner, its complementary loveable object. There can be no worse reaction to an activity than to have further separation from the only object we are meant to associate with eternally.

Krishna promises deliverance from sinful reaction, and the actual rescue doesn’t even have to be carried out by the Lord directly. Surrender is coupled with devotional service, or the engagement that does not carry any negative reaction due to the constant association one maintains with Krishna. If consciousness is always tied to the Supreme Lord, there can never be any separation from Him, i.e. the root cause of all sinful reaction gets removed. It is for this reason that King Yudhishthira, knowing all the specific codes of conduct enjoined in the shastras, takes shelter of Krishna and no one else. He understands that Krishna is equally favorable to all and that linking one’s consciousness to Him brings about only palatable results in life.

The labels adopted based on our political beliefs, our favorite activities, our countries of origin, and our religious traditions are all relinquished at the time of death. If we think of the labels in terms of adhesives attached to the body, at the time of death, the labels themselves peel off, as the body is either burned or buried. But the designation of “I am a spirit soul, an eternal servant of Krishna” does not ever go away. Indeed, this property is always present in the soul, and one who is conscious of it never has to fall victim to any flawed identification.

Religious Garbs

“If I stay here embodied in my natural form, I will surely be killed, and the mission of my Lord [Rama] will be harmed.” (Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.45)

ihāhaṃ yadi tiṣṭhāmi svena rūpeṇa saṃvṛtaḥ ।

vināśamupayāsyāmi bharturarthaśca hīyate

Head dresses, shaved heads, intricate gear put around the arms and neck, turbans, etc., constitute the various religious garbs assumed by followers of the popular spiritual traditions around the world. To the common person and those unfamiliar with these traditions such dresses appear strange. “What is the purpose to them? Is religion about making yourself look like a weirdo? Is that what pleases God?” By studying the selfless nature of one of the most courageous fighters in history, we get a glimpse into the reason why the different forms are assumed by the truly devoted, those whose only business in life is to meet the objectives of the Supreme Person in the spiritual sky, the topmost personality whose orders, while tough to adhere to, bring about the highest gain.

Human life is considered the best opportunity for the cultivation of knowledge that is beyond duality, information pertaining to the nature of spirit and its constitutional position. In other species the opportunity for advancing in consciousness is missing. In the animal kingdom there is only concern over finding food, shelter, sex life and adequate defense. Knowledge of eventual death is lacking, as is information about the workings of the current environment. For instance, a fish doesn’t even know that it is wet, nor does it understand that if it eats too much food at one time it will die. One may be tempted to think that life in heaven, the place filled with enhanced levels of enjoyment resulting from pious deeds performed during one’s lifetime on earth, would bring wonderful opportunities for service to the supreme loveable object. Heaven is considered either the final destination or at least close to it, so why wouldn’t residence there be considered the greatest boon?

“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)

As Goswami Tulsidas so nicely notes, it’s heard that on the heavenly planets the emotional intoxication resulting from enjoyment is so great that the residents become forgetful of their impending death. A human being may live upwards of one hundred years, but a heavenly figure can remain fixed in their position of opulence for thousands, if not millions, of years. No matter the duration, short or long, both a beginning and an end are still present. Because of this limitation, the lifestyle corresponding to residence there must be considered subordinate to the way of life enjoyed by those residing eternally in a spiritual form while engaged in the most sublime activity, that of pure devotional service unto Krishna, the original form of Godhead. Krishna, who is also known as Bhagavan, is the best name for the original Divine Being because it describes His all-attractive nature. Sex life may attract a certain class of individuals for a certain period of time, as might gambling, but in the end, the taste of enjoyment starts to dull; hence the need for different conjugal partners and new wagers.

Since Krishna is complete in His attractiveness, the taste relished from direct service offered at His lotus feet only increases with time. It is the nature of the spirit soul to be a lover of God, so the more the jivatma, the individual spiritual entity capable of residing in the material world, takes to devotional service, the more they come into contact with their inner, true self. The more we stay true to our nature, the more ecstasy, or bhava, we will derive from our activities.

The animals, the residents of the heavenly realm, and even those suffering in the hellish lands are all too distracted with sense urges and punishments to understand and appreciate Krishna’s blissful nature. Only in the human form of body, where there is an opportunity to perform acts of charity, sacrifice, penance, and most importantly, devotion, can the knowledge necessary to break free of the cycle of birth and death be acquired. All the material planets, from the highest one down to the lowest, are places where life in a particular form begins, remains for some time, and then ultimately ends. Though the soul never takes birth or dies, its occupancy in any form of material body has a growth cycle. When one understands Krishna, or God, completely, the repetitious cycle, which is the root cause of misery, discontinues permanently.

For those awarded the wonderful opportunity to think cognitively, any process that can be adopted to aid one’s understanding of their true, imperishable nature should be adopted, and any engagement which leads to the further clouding of the purified consciousness should be given up. The residents of the heavenly realm have no opportunity for direct service to Krishna because they are enjoying the fruits of their past labor. On the other side, the animals are either ascending their way through the various species and hopefully marching towards a human birth, or they are being punished for their previous misdeeds driven by attraction to sense demands. Animal life is considered a punishment only for those who are seriously interested in the highest gain, that of returning to a spiritual land that never perishes. But for the gross materialist, one who is ardently against any type of spiritual injunction, animal life is actually superior to human life. The animal enjoys eating, intoxication, and sex life just as much as, or if not more than, a human being, minus all the worry. The animal is unconcerned with election results, the price of gasoline, the environment, or losing its lover to another. In this sense, the spiritually unconscious human being lives a hellish form of animal life, one where hankering and lamenting continue perpetually up until the time of death.

For the human being wishing to take advantage of their unique circumstances, the first lesson to understand is that they are not their body. Aham brahmasmi is the Vedic aphorism which means “I am Brahman”. Brahman can be thought of as the luster of the all-pervasive, immeasurably large, transcendental body of the Supreme Lord. Brahman is Truth, but in an unmanifested form; it is not readily perceptible to the living entity; hence it is considered impersonal. The Supreme Lord is not impersonal, as it takes great intelligence to conjure up the systems of karma and the workings of nature. Since every spiritual spark is equally a part of Brahman, every living entity is the same in constitutional makeup. Moreover, Brahman has nothing to do with outer dress or species. Therefore our real nature is that of spirit. Yet since the spiritual spark is impossible to see with the conditioned eye, training and practice are required for the purification of vision.

For those students serious about shedding their false bodily designations adopted at the time of birth, adherence to rules and regulations can be quite helpful. A foundational aspect of virtually all pursuits in spiritual life is the religious garb, a uniform or dress that helps keep the individual soul humble and grounded. The actual nature of the garb may vary, but the purpose is always the same, that of working towards release from attachment to the body which is always changing. In the Vedic tradition, young students training under the direction of the spiritual master, or guru, are known as brahmacharis, and they assume a very simple garb. When they are initiated by their guru, the students shave their heads, save for a small tuft of hair, and don simple robes. The justification for the shaved head is actually quite easy to understand. Hairstyles, makeup, fancy clothes, expensive sneakers and the like are all aimed at enhancing one’s appeal towards members of the opposite sex. The desire to appear attractive is certainly natural and not something that necessarily needs to be criticized, but for the brahmachari, there is strict adherence to celibacy. Sex life is available in the animal species after all, so it is not something unique for humans, nor is it something that requires training. Only in the human form of life, where there are standards of civility and decency, is sex life difficult. This is actually a blessing from the Lord. If our present destiny was to engage in unregulated conjugal relations, God would have put us in the body of an animal.

The shaved head and simple robe afford the brahmachari more time to focus on their studies, which involve understanding their position as Brahman and their relationship to Krishna as His dear servant. If the student, upon completion of their studies, should decide to marry, then certainly growing hair is allowed, but the primary focus always remains the same. Habits formed during childhood go a long way towards developing the behavior of the adult, so if a young student is taught to live a simple lifestyle dedicated to always chanting the glories of the Lord, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, they will likely keep such traditions even in the face of unexpected opposition found later on in life. The most serious transcendentalists, the sannyasis, are completely renounced, so they maintain the simple garb throughout their life.

The robes and the tilaka mark on the forehead also indicate to others that such an individual is a Vaishnava, or a servant of Lord Vishnu, which is another name for Krishna. We identify a police officer by the appearance of their car and the uniform they wear, so we can similarly identify a serious spiritualist by his attire. The simple garb shows dedication to spiritual life and renouncement from material pleasures. Those seeking knowledge of the Absolute can thus more easily identify who they should approach and who they shouldn’t for guidance. At the same time, the dress is only one aspect of spiritual life. A cheater, one who has no interest in advancing in consciousness but every interest in exploiting the innocent, loving sentiments of others, can very easily don an ascetic’s garb and lead others down the path to hell. The key to the garb, however, is to further decrease attachment to worldly life and increase attachment to God. When one is engaged in the Lord’s business, they have no attachment to what they wear; they choose whatever attire is suitable for the moment and appropriate for serving the cause. This attitude and its validity were illustrated very nicely by Shri Hanuman, the faithful servant of Lord Rama.

If we could describe Hanuman in one word, it would be “beautiful”. He is beaming with beauty in every respect. Every word that comes out of his mouth is wonderful; his every activity brings tremendous bliss to not only Rama, but also the millions of devotees who learn of them through the scriptures like the Ramayana. Hanuman’s kindness is beautiful, as his concern over the well-being of Rama, His family members, and all His adherents. Therefore it is not surprising that in the famous Ramayana poem penned by Maharishi Valmiki, the section dealing specifically with Hanuman’s pastimes is known as the Sundara-kanda, or the book of beauty.

Though Hanuman is all-beautiful, he has no attachment to his outward dress and appearance. Roaming the earth in the form of a monkey, one would think that Hanuman would be precluded from taking to spiritual life and serving the Supreme Lord. As mentioned before, the human birth represents the best opportunity for the jiva soul to find liberation, or an end to reincarnation, but this doesn’t mean that the exhibition of the potency of spirit is limited to the human form. Regardless of the outward dress, the constitutional makeup of the spirit soul remains the same. If one chants the holy name of the Lord, he is automatically deemed worthy of worship, despite his caste, gender, or species. Goswami Tulsidas accurately notes that devotion to Shri Rama’s feet has led to the liberation of countless souls who were in forms that appeared wretched to others; therefore devotion is the only thing that matters. Just as the trees lining the path to the imperishable spiritual sky become worshipable due to their association with God, those born in a materially designated lower caste become objects of worship through chanting the name of Rama, as this brings them in the direct company of the Supreme Lord.

Lord Rama is another form of Krishna, Bhagavan in the guise of a human being of the warrior class. To allow for personal service to be offered to Him, Rama created various scenarios where He required the help of others. Hanuman was given the task of finding Rama’s beautiful wife, Sita Devi. The princess had been taken by the Rakshasa demon Ravana, and nobody knew where she was. Gathering the necessary intelligence from helpful individuals, Hanuman was able to learn that Sita was being held captive in a far away island called Lanka. After assuming a massive form, Hanuman leapt across the expansive ocean and made his way to the outskirts of Ravana’s city. But prior to entering Lanka, Hanuman stopped to contemplate what his plan of action should be.

In the above referenced passage, we see that Hanuman is accurately noting that if he were to enter Lanka in his natural form, he would surely be spotted by the ogres, the ghoulish demons ruling over the kingdom. Destruction or failure wasn’t that big a deal to Hanuman, but it would mean that Rama’s purpose wouldn’t be served. This is all that Hanuman was concerned about. From his deliberations we see that even Hanuman’s thoughts proved to be beautiful. As a pure servant and lover of the Supreme Lord, Hanuman had no attachment to his outward features, even though they were beautiful in every way. Just looking at Hanuman once is enough to bring tremendous pleasure to the eyes. So in this sense, why should he have had to change his form to accommodate the ghastly figures sworn to a life of deviancy?

Just as the brahmachari, the student serious about understanding Brahman, discards their attachment to flowing hair and elegant garments, the topmost devotee, the lover of the original Divine Being, discards any and all attachment to vanity and personal appearance. Whatever form is required to get the job done is what the devotee will take. Eventually, Hanuman would wisely settle upon a diminutive form, one that would allow him to enter Lanka undetected. He indeed would be successful in his mission, finding Sita’s whereabouts and returning the information to Rama. All would end well, as Rama would triumphantly best Ravana in battle and rescue Sita.

From Hanuman’s example, we see that the dress is not as important as the mission and the dedication to it of the man behind the clothes. Whatever particular outward features we can assume that will help us in shifting our consciousness towards the spiritual light is what we should take on. Moreover, whatever course of action will please our spiritual master, the boatman guaranteeing us free and safe passage across the ocean of nescience, which are the most difficult waters to pass over, is what should be followed. The Vaishnava may or may not give off the appearance of opulence and strength, but through their kind acts of devotion to Krishna and benevolence to their fellow man, they prove themselves to be the most beautiful entities in the world.