Vulnerable yet Almighty!

When we define God with precision, we can be labeled fanatics because in precision there is no doubt or haziness. Although God is infinite still He can be precisely explained as if He is finite and because finite is a material quality, materialistic religionists negate finiteness. In that negation, they are but left with infiniteness. Because infiniteness is beyond human conception, God who is infinite is also beyond human conception and as a result a question can be raised as to how can one be precise about God who is infinite and beyond human conception?  So modern day religion simply operates on the platform of belief. For a simple minded person this is ok but today we live in a world of gadgetry, experience and doubt. In other words without direct evidence to something transcendent, religion is seen as primitive and less intelligible. 

The only way to reverse the primitive attitude towards religion is to portray God in a precise manner. To portray God as someone who is actively part of our daily life and that disobeying His laws can cause unintended consequences. A sense of realism can be injected into the psyche of modern man when God is shown as someone who is real, and tangible. All of this can happen when God is defined with precision, that He is blackish blue in color with a peacock feather. He never gets old always sixteen. He has many friends, girlfriends, parents, has pets etc etc He likes things offered to Him when it is fresh and clean. He does not like when people criticize, find fault and fight with each other. In this way God can be defined precisely. When people see God as one of them, they will take Him seriously. 

As far as my limited knowledge goes, only Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam explains God in a precise and detailed manner. I do not think there is any scripture in this world that defines God as precisely as these two books do. This was one simple reason I myself adopted a spiritual way of life. Because when God is portrayed precisely, He becomes endearing to our hearts. 

Who can resist such a vulnerable yet Almighty God?!

Hare Krishna

What smart people do?

What smart people do?

1. They make smart decisions - they do not engage in self-destructive behavior
2. They learn from their mistakes - they do not continue to enjoy in this world despite experiencing and seeing misery all around
3. They don’t have all the answers - they do not pretend to be self-righteous. They are humble and constantly seek the truth.
4. They surround themselves with smart people - they seek the truth by surrounding themselves with elevated souls such as pure devotees of the Lord and revealed scriptures and make decisions accordingly
5. They are resourceful. - they always chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra
6. They can reason - they always introspect from life incidences through reason, logic and guidance from a higher authority
7. They don’t follow fads - they do not engage in modern day fashionable vices like eating meat, consuming alcohol, gambling and illicit sex
8. They don’t live beyond their means - they follow simple living and high thinking i.e. material minimalist

Hare Krishna

Facebook or Facelessbook?

I am not a big fan of social networking. It is something like empty calories except these are empty likes and friends. Empty calories give us a head rush and hence we feel good for a short time but because it is empty it does not really nourish us physically and hence we crave for more. Similarly empty likes and friends on facebook, twitter etc give us a rush of being liked and important for a short while but because it is virtual inside a computer screen, there is really no bond or connection with the person.

It is simply another form of consumerism where we advertise our self (self-image) in the best possible manner and hope to impress others. We are consuming our own flaring ego. The bottom line is social media cannot satisfy us as it is impersonal and artificial.

Real likes and friends have to be made in the real world with real people as there will be no rehearsals in what you will say, no photoshopping of the self, no grammar corrections, and editing…it will be with the real me with all my bells and whistles. When we bond with an individual in this real manner, we will feel satisfied. I guess I am old fashioned! Real friendship is with real people not virtual avatars!

I consider Krishna as my best friend! Krishna in chapter five of Bhagavad Gita says that among the friends we have in a real way (not virtual) Krishna says I am the best of all friends. The common adage “friend in need is a friend in deed” is so true to Krishna. We may have our best friend, wife or companion. But these relationships are unreliable in the sense they cannot always be with you at the time of need. But Krishna who is seated within our heart says “I am always with you and you just have to turn your face towards me and call out my name in time of need. I will be the swift deliverer from all your problems”. Who can be a better friend than that?

The video although does not talk about Krishna does describe how the social aspects of human beings have evolved and transformed, showing how we have regressed from a social standpoint and how the more we “connect” online, the less actual human interactions we have, making us actually fairly unsocial, In other words, impersonal and artificial!

Hare Krishna

We say - They say

We say: God created this world for our enjoyment. Otherwise, God will not create this material world.

They say: If this world is created for our enjoyment, then why are there so many problems in this world?

We say: There are so many problems today because  we all want to be masters. If in an office, everyone is the CEO, will there be order? Similarly in the material world, everyone wants to be the master and enjoy here, hence there is disagreement between people leading to quarrel and fight from individual level to global level.

They say: Why then is there disease, old age and death if God created this world for our enjoyment?

We say: Because our original position is spirit souls (atma) and our real home is in Vaikunta or spiritual world, the only way we will realize this truth is when there is temporariness built within this material world. That temporariness will eventually lead to frustration thus provoking the individual atma to seek for a permanent position - that is - Vaikunta. That provoking factor is old age, disease and death.

Hare Krishna