this is happening all around us...

Sometimes I think we are too cloistered from the real world like a world inside another world. We have our gadgets, car, home, insurance, etc. We get information sanitized by vested interests. Our education system is rigged towards science. So like this, the real world which is operating on its’ own terms is not visible or at best tainted to our understanding.

As I was taking a break and casually looking out through the window, I saw a small tiny bird mercilessly following an insect and slowly devouring it. Yet the insect is trying to get away. At that point, if you think about it, a soul just left an insect body to take another one. This all happened in one or two seconds tops. So yes death and birth is happening ubiquitously and yet we are not in-tune to see this part of reality. But somehow when a human or when a person we know dies, we suddenly feel the surge of loss or feel how this world is temporary etc.

Factually speaking, it is happening every second all around us. Unfortunately, we are just too preoccupied with our own thoughts about success and failure and joy and fear. This reminds me of a verse from the Bhagavatam;

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ
mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ
bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ
padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām

For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murāri, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf’s hoof-print. Their goal is paraṁ padam, Vaikuṇṭha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step. 

- SB 10.14.58

Certainly, the insect took its dangerous step and perished. I pray that when my dangerous step arrives, that I am able to focus my internal mind at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord Murari!

Hare Krishna

Seeking Benefit

We all seek some sort of benefit or favor. There are two distinct ways.

One way is solely by using our physical strength, mental acumen. intelligence quotient, money, resources, relationships and networks. In this, there is no trace of Krishna.

The other way is primarily taking instructions from Krishna (through shastra and guru) and accordingly use our strength and intelligence.

I think both are mutually exclusive. It is a matter of choice and depending on the way, our benefits are substantive or marginal.

Hare Krishna.

Mental strength – how to?

We can be mentally strong in this world only if we are neutral (not hating or liking) to the idea of enterprise, success and opulence from this world. Instead, we work hard but happy with whatever Krishna provides because of our work.

This is the only way for mental toughness – to work hard and be detached (vairagya) while simultaneously content with Krishna's provision proportionate to our work.

Hare Krishna

Prabhupada was a master who never stopped learning

Srila Prabhupada was a deeply compassionate soul where he put his life to spread the message of Krishna. He did that till the very end without stopping or slowing down. He still woke up in the dead of night to translate Srimad Bhagavatam as a service to his guru even when he was in his last days on earth. But such determination and durability in preaching is possible only if we know when to be fast and furious and when to slow down. When to pat the person in the back and give a moral instruction on material grounds and when to give a deep philosophical exposé. It requires intelligence with compassion.

At times, Prabhupada did not speak to his guests but letting his tape recorder speak instead. Sometimes, he just played the harmonium and sang bhajan and in that way preached and sometimes he was fast and furious like the lion going for its kill. Srila Prabhupada was a master of preaching who never stopped learning from his disciples and the environment around him. Otherwise, how else can we explain the impact an old Calcutta man had on the hearts' of misguided youth of America. We have to learn from him, take lessons from the memories given by his disciples and try to humbly follow.

But one thing is for sure, if Prabhupada showed anything, he showed us blind following or blind talking about Krishna will not change the heart of the person listening. He used his intelligence and presented Krishna philosophically, critically, musically, jovially, silently, cynically etc fitting the person, time and circumstance. He did whatever it took to bring the person into the fold!

To do this, requires for us to understand our own capacity (strengths and weaknesses) and depending on our capacity, we assess the environment around us and accordingly present. This takes time because we will make many mistakes, not being hard on our self or feeling discouraged, we should continue to learn from our mistakes and other's as well and gradually cultivate the art of being a good judge of time, person and circumstance. When we are in-tune with our self and surrounding, we will have the confidence to navigate the turf. Having said all this, it is our duty to be a devotee of integrity, practice what we preach and not compromise on the principles of bhakti as given in the Bhagavad Gita. When we are aligned internally and externally, always practicing the art of shelter to Krishna, our effort to present Krishna will never go in vain!

Hare Krishna

What happens when someone genuinely seeks God?

One who seeks God genuinely...

has to seek out a bona fide spiritual master and, under him, learn what Krsna consciousness is. The spiritual master can drive away all nescience, as the sun drives away darkness. Even though a person may be in full knowledge that he is not this body but is transcendental to the body, he still may not be able to discriminate between the soul and the Supersoul. However, he can know everything well if he cares to take shelter of the perfect, bona fide Krsna conscious spiritual master. One can know God and one's relationship with God only when one actually meets a representative of God. 
- Purport by Srila Prabhupada, Bhagavad Gita 5.16

Once the genuine seeker understands his or her relationship with God from a bonafide guru, the seeker will engage in Bhakti/seva to Krishna or God. As as result of bhakti or seva to Krishna, the following will happen;


For one who worships Me, giving up all his activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, who has fixed his mind upon Me, O son of Prtha, for him I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.
- Bhagavad Gita 12.6-7

The story of Dhruva Maharaj illustrates these two points nicely!

Hare Krishna

Anyone qualified can realize the Supreme Truth - what is the qualification?

In my last post I alluded little bit to other religions and scriptures. I also spoke about Bhagavata Puranam. The reason Bhagavata puranam and the Vedic scriptures are considered supreme than other paths or religions is because it was once (not anymore) taught by pure Brahmana devotees of the Lord whose only business was self-control and glorification of the Lord.

The Supreme Lord who is otherwise inconceivable becomes conceivable to these great Vaishnava brahmanas. So with realization, these great brahaman devotees establish truth and ethical and moral principles for common man to follow. The following qualities characterize a brahmana and only to such elevated souls Krishna reveals Himself from within their hearts thus bridging the gap between the visible and invisible.

Brahmanas are always situated in the sattva guna. They possess qualities of;

1. śama - equal mindedness or mind control
2. dama - sense control or restraint
3. satya - truthfulness
4. anugraha - mercy
5. tapasya - penance
6. titikṣā - tolerance
7. anubhava - personally realize the Lord 

Therefore, this is not a sectarian ideology. Anyone trained in these qualities can realize the supreme truth and is considered a brahmana. It is not an entitlement or birthright. 

The Vedas are My eternal transcendental sound incarnation. Therefore the Vedas are śabda-brahma. In this world, the brāhmaṇas thoroughly study all the Vedas, and because they assimilate the Vedic conclusions, they are also to be considered the Vedas personified. The brāhmaṇas are situated in the supreme transcendental mode of nature — sattva-guṇa. Because of this, they are fixed in mind control [śama], sense control [dama], and truthfulness [satya]. They describe the Vedas in their original sense, and out of mercy [anugraha] they preach the purpose of the Vedas to all conditioned souls. They practice penance [tapasya] and tolerance [titikṣā], and they realize the position of the living entity and the Supreme Lord [anubhava]. These are the eight qualifications of the brāhmaṇas. Therefore among all living entities, no one is superior to the brāhmaṇas. - SB 5.5.24

Hare Krishna

The untainted classical literature

In the Old Testament, there is the tale of Moses meeting God and God speaks through the burning bush etc. There are other stories of God speaking to Abraham or Jesus meeting God on a hill etc. However, neither the Bible nor the Koran describes the God of Abraham. We are only left with our own imagination.

In the middle ages, great painters especially Michelangelo paints God as an old man with a white beard implying God is ravaged by time yet God by definition cannot possibly be under time but above it. The same is true for Moses or Jesus or Mohammed. There is no description of how they look. When we are left with a faceless God, we are bound to speculate and invariably our speculation will result in an impersonal entity because it is impossible to imagine a God who has form and yet omnipotent. Whatever form we may think of, it will look human and thus not omnipotent. Besides it does not help if the first and second commandments of the Abrahamic religions denounces worshiping form or image. As a result of all of this, the Abrahamic tradition of religion is very human centric (anthropocentric) putting human survival and values above all with salvation as the pinnacle of human existence. They go one step more and argue that only their way is the way heralding the modern age of struggle of religious superiority.

The battle for religious superiority and bigotry has seen many wars in the crusades, internal schisms, and institutional abuse. Therefore, we have to question all this and ask if this is worth it? Unless there is a tangible and verifiable description of God and His pastimes, it is not possible to not fight on the grounds of moral self-righteousness. The ego is that powerful. Hence right in the beginning the Srimad Bhagavatam sets the standard -anyone with a trace of envy cannot and will not appreciate this great literature for this book is for the purest of souls.

In it we find such descriptive explanations about God, the concept of Godhead, His devotees, and ultimately salvation for the human spirit - pure love. Certainly no book east or west can compare to the supreme descriptions in the Bhagavatam. It is like the shining sun in the sky, any doubt about the position of God, His creation and the purpose of life that may arise in our heart at once can be quelled in the pages of the Bhagavatam. If one truly desires freedom from all suffering, one has to give up all material religions and take up to the study of the amalam puranam (the untainted classical literature).

kṛṣṇe sva-dhāmopagate
dharma-jñānādibhiḥ saha
kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām eṣa
purāṇārko ’dhunoditaḥ

This Bhāgavata Purāṇa is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the Age of Kali shall get light from this Purāṇa.

- SB 1.3.43

Hare Krishna

Being negative doesn't help anyone

A snake penetrated into a carpentry workshop.  As it slipped, it passed over a saw and got slightly wounded. Suddenly, it turned and bit the saw, and biting the saw, the snake seriously got wounded in its mouth!

Then not understanding what was happening and thinking that the saw was attacking "him," it decided to roll around the saw to suffocate it with all its body by squeezing it with all its strength, but it ended up being killed by the saw!

Similarly our snake-like mind where has a tendency to find-fault with others and hurt them. But actually, like the snake we get hurt. Sometimes it is better to ignore situations, ignore people, ignore their behavior, and their words. Sometimes it is better not to react so as not to suffer consequences that can sometimes be deadly or harmful.

The food we eat, has to be digested and then thrown out of body in 24 hours, else we will fall ill.

The water we drink, gets in our body and is thrown out in 4 hours, else we will fall ill.

The air we breathe, has to be thrown out in 1 minute, else we will die.

Negative emotions like hatred, anger, jealousy, insecurity, we hold in our body for days, months and years. If these negative emotions are not thrown out regularly it comes out as psycho-somatic diseases.

The best way to remove these negative emotions is to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra regularly.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare|
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare||

Hare Krishna

Love for God's sake

Many times Srila Prabhupada says that in this world love is but lust. Below are a few examples;

Lust is only the perverted reflection of the love of God which is natural for every living entity. But if one is educated in Krishna consciousness from the very beginning, that natural love of God cannot deteriorate into lust. - BG 3.41 Purport

If we become attached to this narration, we will experience the bliss of spiritual love and thus reject the perverted reflection of that love, which is called lust. - SB 10.33.39

This material life is simply based on lust; we want to enjoy this world, and we love this material world because we want to gratify our senses. This lust is a perverted reflection of our love of God. - On the Way to Krishna, Ch. 5

Here we love -- a man loves a woman, or a woman loves a man -- but there is frustration. After some time they are divorced, because their love is a perverted reflection. There is no real love in this world. It is simply lust. - Journey of Self-Discovery, Ch. 4

On the surface, it sounds like we should not love anyone since it is lust anyways and that we should just try to love Krishna or if we see two people who say they are in love we discredit or discourage them or the idea of love in this world. We can, as devotees, also become cold and without feelings towards one another in the name of love vs lust and justify our cold-hardheartedness towards others' with these verses. If we do this then we are doing a disservice to Srila Prabhupada.

We hear so much about love and compassion and sometimes we can get into a frame of mental rigidity in the name of following guru and shastra and miss the point. So let us examine these verses little carefully.

Certainly, love in this world is lust if not properly applied. Love becomes lust 'primarily' if we love someone to satisfy me (my senses only). The key word is 'primarily'. However, if we love someone in such a way that it 'primarily' pleases Krishna and then that pleasing of Krishna pleases me, then that is not lust but a path towards pure love. In other words, to the degree we love someone to primarily please Krishna versus pleasing myself, then that love becomes pure.

Bhakti yoga or Krishna consciousness is actually all about loving God and loving all living beings so to say love in this world aka lust is predominant is correct but the solution is not "not to love" but purify our love from loving for my sake to loving others' for Krishna's sake.

When we see everyone as part and parcel of Krishna, and in that mood we love someone and serve that someone, then such love and service centered around Krishna will actually nourish us internally and help us traverse the path towards God quicker.

Hare Krishna

this body is but a bio-chemical machine

We always hear how the body is like a car and the soul its driver. In fact,there is a verse in the Gita that reflects this idea

The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy. – BG 18.61

I was reading a book on medical resuscitation and how they bring the dead back to life. The book, in one part, talks about the human body. Below is the excerpt;

The human body is an incredibly complex machine composed of different components, each with a specific role that enables this machine to function. Like all machines, the body needs fuel to produce energy, which it uses to sustain its biological activities, also known as metabolism. This fuel comes in the form of the foods we eat, but the food alone does not sustain us. Once consumed, these raw products must be burned and converted into energy. This combustion process requires a constant supply of oxygen, the same an engine needs a mixture of oxygen and fuel to combust. The fuel in the engine is supplied through a gas tank while the oxygen is injected through vents and in both cases, when they meet, combustion takes place. This creates the energy that enables the other components, such as the wheels, power steering, and lights, to function, but the combustion process also produces waste products. In a car, the waste products are pushed out the through the exhaust system; in the body the gastrointestinal track functions like the gas tank, taking in food that comes from the stomach, while oxygen is supplied through the lungs acting as massive vents. This entire process in both the car and our body is stimulated by the intake of oxygen. Thus, like a car,if our activity revs up as we run, we need far higher levels of oxygen in order to burn more fuel and keeps the cells and organs working .- By Dr. Sam Parnia, M.D. from the book Erasing Death, page 37-38

The author (lead of the AWARE study) categorically explains how the body is but a machine. The next natural question is - who drives the machine (the body), we get the answer in the Bhagavad Gita –the soul.

Hare Krishna

This is a simple method

Krishna Consciousness is a simple method. All you have to do is bow down before Krishna with faith and say, ‘My Lord Krishna, I was forgetful of You for so long, for so many lives. Now I have come to my consciousness; please accept me.’ That’s all. If one simply learns this technique and sincerely surrenders himself to the Lord, his path is immediately open.

- Science of Self-Realization, Chapter 7

Hare Krishna

Evolution

Evolution of living beings from low to high;

1. Dull matter like stone
2. Aquatics
3. Plants
4. Insects
5. Birds
6. Animals
7. Human Beings
8. Ghosts (ghosts are higher not because of higher consciousness but because they are powerful in that they are not limited by a gross body)
9. Gandharvas
10. Siddhas
11. Kinnaras
12. Asuras
13. Gods (administrative authorities of this universe)
14. Indra (King of all Gods)
15. Direct Sons of Brahma like King Daksha
16. Lord Siva (since He was born from Brahma in this universe)
17. Lord Brahma
18. Supreme Being Narayana
19. Devotee Brahmanas (since the Supreme Being Narayana is inclined to the Brahmanas)

SB 5.5.21-22

Instant connections

“In physics class I learned how sound waves propagate into our ear. It was mind-blowing. Those waves create emotions that make us happy, that get us pumped up”

This is a quote from a student from a polytechnic college in the US doing research on helping endangered species using sound. His comment about sound creating emotions may sound correct to the untrained ear but actually sound in itself does not create emotions. If that were so, a dead body also has ears and if you play music to a dead man, he will not express any emotions. So why is that sound only creates emotions in a living person?

The soul seated inside the body is the actual sentient receiver of the sound (not the ear). The soul gives life to the body. This soul influenced heavily by the modes of nature (there are three - goodness, passion, ignorance) uses the mind and body to satisfy its desires. Because of the soul's willingness to be influenced by material nature, the soul desires things connected to this world otherwise typically the soul's desires' are non-material.

The sound enters the ears and the signals are processed by the brain. The influenced soul activates the device called mind which is like the software. The mind reacts to the sound either favorably or unfavorably and sends the signals back to the hardware - the brain. The soul is the user (beneficiary) of the software and hardware.

The brain, influenced by the mind, releases chemicals according to the signals from the mind resulting in a positive or negative sensual feeling. Finally, these feelings are expressed as emotions through the face and or other gestures. All of this happens instantly as if there is no gap in time between the time you hear the music to the time you emote.

All of this mechanistic process is even possible because the Supersoul (Krishna) activates the tiny soul (just as the soul activates the body) to interact with material nature (three modes) , mind and body. As a result, the soul can continue its illusion of enjoyment in this world perpetually in different bodies!

The three modes, mind and and body is provided by Krishna to the soul and the soul is an amsa or a tiny separated expansion of Krishna. The soul is so tiny that on its own the soul cannot do anything so the Supersoul has to assist the soul to enjoy. What type of mind and body the soul gets and its interaction with the modes depends on the karma of the soul. Like this, Krishna forever in time continuously churns out different bodies and scenarios for the soul to enjoy!

Nothing is accidental or whimsical. Krishna is so perfect and precise that this material nature is a seamless process. Pretty deep if you ask me!

Hare Krishna

guru sadhu and shastra cannot be monopolized

Couple of posts earlier, I wrote about guru, sadhu and shastra as the springboard to understand Ashokshaja - the One who is inconceivable. This system of guru, sadhu and shastra is not institutionalized or monopoly of one religion or sect. For example, ISKCON follows guru, sadhu and shastra and it seems like guru, sadhu and shastra is part of an institution called ISKCON but ISKCON was setup to spread the word of Krishna and create opportunities for devotees to come together to interact with Krishna but certainly it was not set up to monopolize or institutionalize the concept of guru, sadhu and shastra.

Any person who is sincerely seeking the truth, must accept the authority of guru, sadhu and shastra regardless of institutional set up and proceed in the selfless service of Adhokshaja. The Lord is impartial and equal to all beings and no one claim ownership or special favor save and except beings who love Him for because when we express selfless love towards Adhokshaja (another name for Krishna), then He reciprocates in-kind!

Hare Krishna

Enthusiasm for Krishna

When somethings give pleasure to our mind and senses we become excited or in other words enthusiastic about that something. For example, if a particular food tastes (tongue) good in a particular restaurant then we are enthusiastic to go to the restaurant. If by watching (eyes) a movie, i am happy, then that excites me. So like this in this world, things that excite us is that which gives pleasure to the mind and senses. However, enthusiasm to know, hear and serve Krishna cannot be defined in the same manner.

Enthusiasm for Krishna may not always be pleasurable to the mind and senses. So we cannot use the same mindset towards enthusiasm when it comes to Krishna. When Srila Rupa Goswami talks about utsahan (enthusiasm) as a key ingredient to progress in Krishna Consciousness, we cannot use our worldly enthusiasm as a compass to assess our progress because the worldly enthusiasm is sensual.

Enthusiasm in Krishna is different in that it is based on our long-term well-being (shreyas) especially when we are in the beginning stages of bhakti. We become excited in Krishna or enthusiastic to serve Krishna thinking this will help me transcend the miseries of this world and so we act like it is an investment. This may sound mercantile in the beginning but such attitude is helpful to live a pious and humble life. Such piety and humility then will till the field of our heart favorably so the seed of bhakti grows. Then as the seed becomes a plant, enthusiasm to serve Krishna becomes a matter of increasing our loving exchanges with Krishna. .

So yes the definition of enthusiasm on the worldly platform and Krishna are not the same and spiritual enthusiasm begins for ensuring our long-term well-being and when we cross that stage enthusiasm from our heart will be to increase our love for Krishna.

Hare Krishna.

Work hard and be free from stress

Householders engage with family and job and this can lead to stress and even depression. Bhagavad Gita recommends working in such way that we do not get consumed by our work but at the same time work hard.

Krishna speaks;

You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty. Perform your duty equipoised, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga. If a sincere person tries to control the active senses by the mind and begins karma-yoga [in Kṛṣṇa consciousness] without attachment, he is by far superior.

Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed; otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage. 

He who is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady in both success and failure, is never entangled, although performing actions. The steadily devoted soul attains unadulterated peace because he offers the result of all activities to Me; whereas a person who is not in union with the Divine, who is greedy for the fruits of his labor, becomes entangled.

Surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.

Ref. BG 2.47-48, 3.9, 4.22, 5.12, 3.30

Hare Krishna

Faith of a different kind

Faith means to believe as we do not have a direct experience of the subject in question.  Faith is the beginning of Krishna Consciousness philosophy because we do not have direct experience or perception of Krishna.  Therefore, we put faith in scripture (shastra) revealed by great saints and great saints (sadhu). This is the process.

It is unlike other religions or processes because in other religions/paths, faith means direct faith upon God. God from our material position is not accessible, henceforth, such direct faith upon God will be at best sentimental for the entire life of the believer. Such sentimental faith is not a good idea since it will succumb to material temptations and will be without deeper realizations. Such sentimentalist will invariably live a material life with a dogmatic belief of a God or supernatural being. Such faith is dogma and not recommended.

Therefore, the process of putting faith in the intermediary/pure via medium is more objective and experiential and deepens our realizations. So although we are in the business of faith like other paths and religions,  still our faith is based on direct perception (not sentimental) of the pure via medium (Guru, Sadhu and Shastra) and using them as a springboard we try to experience the Transcendent Lord. When we have a direct experience, at the juncture faith becomes a fact!

Hare Krishna

Humility implies perfect submission

In my previous post I spoke about the broad principal of preaching that somehow or other one should try to connect a soul to Krishna, all other considerations or rules are secondary. Sometimes, we may speak bluntly or sometimes we flatter.  Taken from an excerpt from HH Satsvarupa Goswami's book 'With Srila Prabhupada 1966-69; Srila Prabhupada writes that We can induce someone to take to Krsna consciousness, and that may sometimes include flattering that person's false ego.

Once OBL Kapoor (godbrother of Prabhupada) was interviewed and he recalled his memory of Prabhupada when Prabhupada was still a householder. Prabhupada said 'I know the method to spread the movement in English speaking countries' and he continued by reciting - trnad api sunicena taror iva sahisnuna, amanina manadena kirtaniya sada hari.

So while Rupa Goswami's instruction of somehow or other one must induce one to Krishna, the method according to Prabhupada is to take a humble position just as Lord Nityananda did in His earthly lila. Below is an excerpt from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Takur that capture this idea;

A chanter of Hari-kirtana is necessarily the uncompromising enemy of worldliness and hypocrisy. It is his constant function to dispel all misconceptions by preaching the truth in its most unambiguous form, without any consideration of person, place, or time. The form to be adopted is that which is least likely to be misunderstood. It is his bounden duty to clearly and frankly oppose any person who tries to deceive and harm himself and others by misrepresenting the truth, whether due to malice or genuine misunderstanding. 

This will be possible if the chanter of kirtana is always prepared to submit to being trodden upon by thoughtless people, if such discomfort will enable him to benefit his persecutors by chanting of the truth in the most unambiguous manner. 

If he is unwilling or afraid of considerations of self-respect or personal discomfort to chant kirtana under all circumstances, he is unfit to be a preacher of the absolute truth. 

Humility implies perfect submission to the truth and no sympathy for untruth. Those who entertain any partiality for untruth are unfit to chant Hari-kirtana. Any clinging to untruth is opposed to the principle of humility born of absolute submission to the truth.

-Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur “Harmonist 26.249-50 (Apr 1929)”

Hare Krishna

somehow or other

I am not very advanced in terms of preaching but I have seen many others preach successfully. Of course, my main inspiration as always is His Divine Grace. If I have to take one fundamental value of preaching from Srila Prabhupada, it is this;

yena tena prakarena manah krsna nivesayet
sarve vidhi-nisedha syur etayor eva kinkarah

An acarya should devise a means by which people may somehow or other come to Krsna consciousness. All rules and regulations are subordinate to this principle.- BRS.1.2.4

To me, this is the founding principal upon which Prabhupada built his preaching ideas. To me this is the broadest definition (somehow or other inspire others to Krishna). Because it is so broad, no one idea or method can be delineated as gold standard. According to time and circumstances, this principal can be applied differently (albeit within the legal laws of the land).

I recall one conversation Srila Prabhupada had with his disciples in a car on his way to New Vrindavan farm where he said that he did not impose any rules in the beginning when people used to visit his storefront temple. Prabhupada then quoted the verse above and said that somehow or other he wanted the people who visited to take to Krishna. He said rules he introduced later once they had some attachment to him. I cannot recall the source but I think this is in one of Hari Sauri prabhu’s dairies.

In fact, in a lecture in December 1966 in New York (pretty much the beginning of ISKCON), Srila Prabhupada himself confirms the statement above. You can read the lecture transcript here.

This is my 2 cents on the technique to preach and I try this whenever I get chance!

Hare Krishna.

Speculative knowledge does not give peace of mind

I am not a big fan of modern astronomy because there are many views to the origin of the universe which tells me there is no definitive one. As recent as last year, before his demise, Stephen hawking and his colleague presented an alternative explanation to the origin of the universe than the popular big-bang. In it, the duo claim that eternal inflation as a theory of the big bang is not acceptable. Once the bang happened, the universe inflated at an exponential rate and that this inflation is forever happening in some regions of the universe. In other words, this phenomenon of inflation is eternal. Now, Hawking and his friend think otherwise thus nullifying the effects of big-bang theory or in other words questioning its very occurrence?

This sort of theories and opposing theories are considered advanced science and is considered evolved mature discussion. That may be, but one thing I fail to understand is how come they do not agree that they were wrong in the past that it required for them to change their position. If existing theories evolve or completely change means scientists' cannot claim monopoly over knowledge. Certainly, there is a need to look elsewhere.

Coming back to theoretical physics, one of the key factors for such variations or multitude of explanations of the universe is because the basic assumptions physicists hold to me is not scientific. I have mentioned this in another post but the basic idea is that the universe is homogeneous and looks same in all directions. These two principles when tested from earth will always give similar results although these are unverifiable truths. Here, therefore, we depart from empiricism to faith. Modern astronomy will fall on its head if these two principles are open for debate. Hence a student who enters the school of astronomy has to accept these two principles as undeniable truths (based on faith!). 

I will not be surprised, therefore, that sometime in the future we may go back to a geocentric model or we may say we never landed on the moon but another planet etc. Such speculative knowledge may please the mind but will never alleviate one from misery. The symptom of real knowledge including astrophysics, when properly heard from the correct superior source, will alleviate the listener from misery and lead him or her to peace and happiness. This is the test of real knowledge.

In Srimad Bhagavatam, we have astronomy and description of the universe. It is not speculative but definitive. Considering that Maharaj Parikshit is about to die, still Srila Sukadev Goswami was compelled to speak it means that the knowledge of the universe also provides relief from the pangs of materialism (birth and death) as creation is tied to Krishna who is praised by excellent verses - Uttamasloka!

Hare Krishna