I Want It Now

“Having made up his mind thus, that heroic monkey, Hanuman, eager to see Vaidehi, wished for the sun to set.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.48)

iti saṃcintya hanumān sūryasyāstamayaṃ kapiḥ |

ācakāṃkśe tato vīro vaidehyā draśanotusakaḥ

One who knows the Truth and His nature will do anything and everything in their power to see to the successful end of a task performed for His benefit. Despite their eagerness to get started on their march towards success, they will still wait for the appropriate time and place. Such patience only further enhances the bliss that is felt upon the meeting of the objective, the accomplishment of the task kindly provided by the master of all masters, the most benevolent, munificent, sweet and pleasurable of all entities. Those who are in ignorance of the Truth, however, will not wait for the opportune moment, giving no concern to the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of the time. Driven by their insatiable appetite for sense pleasure, those not knowing the ultimate purpose in life will do whatever it takes, at any cost and at any time, to get what they want, though what they desire certainly will not benefit them in the long run. The seeker of sense gratification who casts aside the rules of morality and propriety wants every worldly possession and enjoyment right now, and they don’t care how they get them. Through their impatience and servitude towards objects of illusion, such nefarious characters seal their doom. The knower, on the other hand, earns himself eternal fame, glory, and most important of all, undying association with the Truth. Such was the case with Shri Hanuman.

The Truth we speak of is known by different names in different circles. He is described as the Absolute Truth because He is beyond duality. In the world that we live in and know, all truths are relative and subject to the vision of the performer and the scope of the actions being undertaken. For instance, kindness and politeness are considered good behavioral traits, as they are beneficial towards maintaining a peaceful and harmonious coexistence with our fellow man. Yet these two qualities are not absolute in their power; there are times when kindness not only is uncalled for, but it is actually detrimental to achieving the desired condition. Piety and sin are generally assigned from the scriptural traditions of a particular group of individuals, but they really relate to activities that lead to positive and negative future conditions. Moreover, they correspond with the scope of the activities at hand. For instance, if we are to build a house, the proper way to erect the beams and align the framework would be considered pious activity. Any planning and construction work that would go against the established guidelines, i.e. those things that would lead to a faulty and dangerous housing structure, would then be considered sinful activity.

Kindness is typically equated with piety because of its relation to the nature of the Absolute Truth. We are all one in quality, as we are all the same, so there is no reason to be visceral in our dealings with others. If anything, we should have the highest compassion and love for our fellow man, for each of us is struggling with the same issues. Even the wealthiest of moguls, he who has every amenity available at his fingertips, must cope with the demands of the mind at every waking hour. Due to the mind’s influences, which emerge through hankering and lamenting, every individual, irrespective of their social standing and level of material opulence, has to endure trials and tribulations. In this respect, there is no justification for being unkind to others simply out of anger, jealousy or greed.

Nevertheless, in some instances kindness turns into a sin. The most obvious example relates to parents and their children. Let’s say that we see our young child opening the cabinet underneath the kitchen sink and reaching for a bottle of cleaner or some other container holding hazardous liquids. These cleaning agents are considered pious, i.e. beneficial, when used for their specific purpose. If we put cleaner on Formica or on a hardwood floor, the objective of a clean countertop or floor is eventually met. Yet just because the cleaner is beneficial in one area doesn’t mean that it becomes universally applicable. Indeed, if such toxins are ingested by the human being, the result could be sickness or even death.

If the parent watching the child were to think, “I am dedicated to kindness. I will not yell at the child or tell them that what they are doing is wrong, for this will hurt their feelings”, such a mindset would be foolish. Indeed, in this situation just the opposite of kindness is required. The parent must sternly rebuke the child for even thinking of touching such a dangerous item. The child must know beyond a shadow of a doubt that touching hazardous materials is strictly forbidden. Even some kindness mixed into the teaching won’t help. “O son or daughter, please don’t touch this poisonous material. It would not be good for you if you did.” The more the message is couched in kind words, the less effective it will be. In the business world, project managers and bosses give hard deadlines in order to motivate workers to get the job done on time. If the leaders of projects would say, “Oh, go ahead and finish that whenever you like. It’s no big deal”, no work would ever get accomplished. Kindness is beneficial in most dealings, but in the case of giving instruction and signaling emergency situations, kindness can be thrown right out the window, as it can become the most harmful of traits.

The Absolute Truth is one who is beyond duality. In Him are found all wonderful qualities to the fullest degree, characteristics which are always beneficial. Indeed, such an individual is the object of all dharma, or righteousness. Just as kindness is helpful in certain situations, if we took the sum total of all areas where pious and sinful activities have relevance, we’d see that they all exist to please this original Divine Being. Due to His status as being the object of all dharma, or religiosity, He is known as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In some circles He is described as God, an authority figure of whom the living entities inhabiting the material world have a vague understanding. According to the Vedas, the original law codes and scriptures instituted by the Truth, God has more descriptive names which speak to His innumerable auspicious features. Since His greatest attribute is that of attractiveness, His most accurate and pleasure-giving name is Krishna. Hence Lord Krishna, the original form of the Absolute Truth, who resides in the spiritual world, is taken to be the most deserving entity of worship, the Supreme Personality who is full of form.

When one dedicates their life to simply serving Krishna, or the Truth, knowledge, renunciation and the ability to act properly in all situations are automatically acquired. The discipline that seeks to keep one always connected with Krishna is known as bhagavata-dharma, or the system of religion that has as its object of pleasure Bhagavan, or the Supreme Truth who is the most fortunate due to His immeasurable and simultaneously existing qualities of beauty, wealth, strength, fame, renunciation and wisdom. Any other discipline, theistic or otherwise, that fails to please Bhagavan will be riddled with defects. The intensity of the detriments secured by such systems corresponds directly with the degree of deviation from the proper object of worship. For instance, below Krishna there are highly exalted living entities known as devatas, or demigods. They are worshiped and adored by millions around the world due to their extraordinary powers, their long durations of life, and their kind natures. Yet the demigods are not God, so the discipline that seeks to please them may be categorized as dharma, but not bhagavata-dharma, or devotional service. Since the demigods are closely associated with Krishna, as they are His dear servants responsible for distributing rewards to those deluded by material opulence, the detriments received by their worshipers aren’t as severe as they are for others.

“According to one’s existence under the various modes of nature, one evolves a particular kind of faith. The living being is said to be of a particular faith according to the modes he has acquired.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 17.3)

Life outside of Krishna’s association is managed by three distinct modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. Those who worship the demigods and wish for ascension to the heavenly realm in the afterlife are in the mode of goodness. Those who are simply after sense gratification secured through regulated fruitive activity are in the mode of passion. Sometimes they worship the demigods as well, or even the Supreme Lord in His formless feature, but this is only to secure objects of use in the phenomenal world. Those in the mode of ignorance are wholly unaware of the temporary nature of life and the blissful makeup of the Supreme Lord and service to Him. They take directly to sense gratification without any concern for social conventions, the rights of others, and the laws of karma. Indeed, sometimes it is seen that the ignorant take to demigod worship as well or even worship of ghosts, yet they use the rewards granted to them for nefarious purposes.

One of the most famous characters in the mode of ignorance was Ravana, the Rakshasa king of Lanka during the Treta Yuga. A Rakshasa is a human-like species that is expert at black magic and prone to meat eating, illicit sex and excessive intoxication. The Rakshasas don’t just eat any ordinary meat either; they enjoy human flesh as their first class cuisine. Ravana, though mostly in the mode of ignorance, also delved into the mode of passion from time to time. He worshiped several exalted devatas who granted him tremendous powers, such as invincibility in battle against human beings and the ability to terrorize others. But since he was a Rakshasa given to sinful behavior, Ravana used these boons to harass the innocent and put the entire world into an unending mood of fear and panic.

A good parent is one who doesn’t spoil their children. Tough love is considered beneficial behavior on the part of the guardian because by constantly allowing their child’s sense demands to be met, there will eventually come for the child an unfavorable future situation that it won’t know how to handle. Tapasya, or austerity, of any kind is required for success in every venture. Even in the world of rock and roll, which is known for its hedonism and wild partying, there is strict adherence to the austerities of sobriety and the regulation of practice and rehearsal when albums are being recorded and when live performances are made. For those living in the material world, tapasya in terms of restriction on uncontrolled sense gratification is a requirement for sobriety and clear thinking. If a parent were to give the child whatever toy they wanted every time they asked for one, the child would become spoiled. When they would get the new toy, they would toss it aside soon after and then start crying again to receive something new. Eventually, the child will have to turn into an adult, and the parents won’t be around to meet all of their sense demands. The hard reality of life is that every sense demand cannot possibly be met. For the spoiled child who turns into an adult, life becomes very painful, as money is not appreciated and frustration in endeavors becomes quite common and unmanageable.

Ravana, being ruled by his passions, suffered from many of the same problems encountered by the spoiled child turned adult. Through his boons, Ravana was able to amass a powerful army that protected an exquisitely opulent kingdom. Having defeated so many powerful kings, Ravana had hundreds of beautiful princesses serving at his will. There was no shortage of wine, women, and flesh in Ravana’s kingdom of Lanka. The atheist, or those who have no conception of an Absolute Truth deserving of worship, would have us believe that such a life is one of luxury. Every sinful activity is available without restriction, so what problems could there be?

But just as the spoiled child loses his sobriety and rational thought due to his incessant desire for objects he can’t get, Ravana made the fatal mistake of chasing after the one woman he couldn’t have. Moreover, this beautiful and chaste lady, the princess of Videha, was not possible for anyone to intimately associate with except for her dear husband, Lord Rama. Krishna is considered the best name for the Supreme Lord, but Rama is a close second, as it speaks to the Absolute Truth’s ability to provide transcendental pleasure to His sincere devotees. Rama describes the Truth’s features, and it is also a name tagged to a non-different form of the Lord who appeared on this earth in the Treta Yuga during Ravana’s time.

Ravana, knowing that Sita was off limits, had his mind set on having her regardless. He would not rest until he had Sita by his side. By the very laws governing the universe, it is impossible for Sita, who is an eternally existing figure, the goddess of fortune residing in the spiritual sky, to be with any other man except Rama, or Narayana of the spiritual world. Therefore, Ravana, though knowing he couldn’t have Sita, nevertheless threw caution to the wind and set about hatching a nefarious plot to take her. He would succeed in bringing her back to his island of Lanka, but his progress would permanently halt there. Simple brute force is not enough to win over the beloved wife of the Supreme Lord, a woman who is kind enough to grant all fortunes to those who desire to use their opulence for the pleasure of the Supreme Loveable Object.

To find Sita, Rama enlisted the help of the Vanaras, or monkeys, residing in the forest of Kishkindha. Rama, being the Supreme Lord Himself, certainly didn’t need anyone’s aid, but these Vanaras, especially Shri Hanuman, were very eager to offer their service. Just as Ravana was anxious to commit the sinful act of taking Sita, the Vanaras and Hanuman were filled with anticipation and excitement over the prospect of serving Rama to His satisfaction. Hanuman, being the most powerful and courageous of the Vanara warriors, managed to make his way to Lanka by leaping across the ocean. All by himself on enemy territory, Hanuman gave the next plan of action some careful thought. After due deliberation, he decided on assuming a diminutive form, one that would not be detected by the Rakshasas of Lanka but would still enable him to observe the insides of the various palaces. This way he could find Sita and relay information to her about Rama and His desire to rescue her.

In the above referenced passage from the Ramayana, we see just how eager Hanuman is to meet Sita. Having decided to enter Lanka at night, Hanuman is anxiously awaiting the sunset. If we juxtapose the two powerful individuals, Ravana and Hanuman, and their desires relating to Sita, we see that one entity, the sinful lord of the Rakshasas, was guided strictly off of his own ignorance as it pertains to the laws of society and what acts are considered pious and what aren’t. In this way, driven by his uncontrolled desires for sense gratification, Ravana chose the wrong time, the wrong place, and the wrong person with whom to associate. Since his desired objective was sinful, he had no patience in the matter nor any understanding of what was proper and improper. Therefore, though he was able to take Sita away, his heinous act would ultimately lead to his destruction.

Hanuman, on the other hand, was completely in line with dharma. Serving the lotus feet of Shri Rama is the greatest activity, pious or otherwise, one could ever take up. As wonderful as meeting Rama was, Hanuman was more eager to meet Sita, for she is the beloved wife of the life of Hanuman, Shri Rama. In this way Hanuman would have been justified in losing his patience and taking to some irrational activity while outside of Lanka. After all, who among us wouldn’t be eager to meet the most beautiful woman in the world, a lady who is always in line with dharma and loves the brahmanas, the priestly class of men, with all her heart and soul?

But since Hanuman was on the righteous path, he was able to think clearly and wait for the opportune moment. The eagerness was there, but that didn’t cloud his judgment or cognitive thought. Indeed, Hanuman would successfully infiltrate Lanka, find Sita, temporarily allay her fears, return to Rama in Kishkindha, and then take part in the successful defeat of Ravana and the Rakshasas of Lanka, a battle which was led by Rama, Lakshmana and the monkeys fighting on behalf of Sugriva.

Hanuman is the most glorious of devotees. There is no way to properly measure his eagerness to serve the Lord. His love for Sita, Rama and Lakshmana is so great that he must expand his personal features to accommodate these loving sentiments. Not for one second does Hanuman deviate from the practice of bhagavata-dharma. Indeed, since he is the perfect bhakta, or devotee, it can’t be said that Hanuman ever associates with any other type of activity. He is not after any alleviation from distress, material opulence, knowledge of the Absolute, or adherence to a particular faith. Rather, he is simply a lover of God, through and through. From his kind nature and knowledge of the Truth, he is able to take the appropriate actions at just the right time to see the successful completion of any task assigned him. He is never driven by lust, greed, or the desire for meeting a personal objective. Just as his eagerness to see Sita and bring her good news knows no bounds, so his glory, fame and supreme stature can never be accurately quantified nor do they ever suffer diminution. Hanuman is forever eager to serve the Supreme Lord, and God, in turn, is always eager to see to Hanuman’s welfare.

You Own It

“Real independence is to be reinstated in the service of the Lord. Anyone who goes to the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka Vrindavana planet is freely offering his service to the Lord. That is complete independence.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.9.35 Purport)

There is a beauty in actually owning something, especially those items procured through hard work, determination and resolve. Though a famous song says, “the best things in life are free”, when something is purchased through hard earned money, it is assigned a higher value by the owner. Those items gifted to us can be more easily discarded since there was no emotional investment or attachment to begin with. On the other hand, those objects we pay for bring a burden of responsibility, a need to at least get our money’s worth by making a proper utilization of the investment. For the individual stuck in the endless mire of material existence known as samsara, salvation can be easily granted by the Supreme Divine Being. But superior to just being given blanket rescue from all our troubles is earning our way out of misery and into the light of true freedom, for this will secure the most blissful feeling. The Supreme Lord, as the best friend of every living entity, could attempt to compel others to love Him, but in the resulting situation there would be no happiness and no claim to ownership of salvation on the jiva’s part. For these reasons the path of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, remains the only roadmap that provides a lasting benefit, one that can be wholly owned and appreciated by the person who earned it.

Let’s say that we have a book we want to sell. A physical book will cost money to produce, as printing, binding and shipping costs are incurred with each sale. For the producer and the promoter, giving the book away for free is certainly an option, one where all the costs for production are soaked up. On the other hand, the same book can be sold for a nominal fee. Under this model the distribution won’t be as high, as the introduction of price will filter out many more prospective readers. The two scenarios, one where the book is given away for free and the other where the book is sold for a price, result in a variation in cost and profit and also a difference in behavior for the recipients. The free book may sit around in the house for years and years without being opened. There was no initial investment made by the buyer; he didn’t have to work difficult hours at his job in order to afford the book, nor did he ever have to make a choice between purchasing and not purchasing. The free book was accepted because there was no covenant established between the seller and the buyer; no obligation was incurred through the exchange.

One who pays for the book, however, will be much more inclined to read it, as there was some investment made, even if the cost was nominal. Another way to understand the same point is to see what results when a particular television program or series is explicitly purchased versus it coming on television without any extra effort. The major professional sports leagues all have contracts with various networks to have the important games each season broadcast across the country on national television. In addition, each local franchise has their own agreements with specific channels in the local market. If a person living in New York is a fan of the sports franchise in Los Angeles and owns a basic television subscription package, the only way for them to see their favorite team play is if the New York team happens to play the Los Angeles team or if the Los Angeles game is televised nationally. Both cases are very rare, as east coast teams don’t play west coast teams very often, and games are seldom aired on national television for a specific team until the playoffs.

Due to advancements in modern technology and the abundance of television channels, a fan living in an out-of-market city can now watch all of their favorite team’s games by purchasing a specific sports subscription package with their cable or satellite provider. As such, instead of maybe seeing five or six regular season games with their normal programming subscription, the fan can now watch every game. What’s interesting to note is that as soon as the premium package is purchased, an immediate obligation is created. Now that money has been spent, which is no small amount either, the buyer will want to make good use of their investment by watching as many games as possible. Not only are their favorite team’s games now shown all the time, but so is every game played in the entire league of the sport in question. Before the package was purchased, maybe certain games would be glossed over and not cared about. Even if the favorite team was on television, if they weren’t having a good season or if the game didn’t matter that much, the fan wouldn’t watch it. But now in the mind of the viewer every game has to be watched in order to justify the purchase.

In the realm of spirituality, the search for salvation is likely the most common reason for people turning towards God. They want an end to the misery that is born of endless desires, feelings which constantly rush in like the waves of a river pouring into an ocean. The Supreme Lord, the only eternal entity who is never capable of falling into the pit of material existence, could easily save the fallen soul looking for rescue, but salvation in the true sense of the word is a little more complicated than simply becoming absolved of sins and being transported to a heavenly realm. The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, define each infinitesimally small spirit soul wandering through the various universes in ever-changing bodies as a jiva. The Supreme Soul, or God, is described as Brahman, or Parabrahman. The phenomenal world, or matter, is described as maya, or that which is not Brahman.

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

The term “jiva” has meaning that can be properly understood once the properties of Parabrahman and His energies are considered. God’s internal energy expands into other spiritual entities, fragmental parts that are similar in quality to the original storehouse of energy. The Supreme Lord is often compared to the giant sun, with His internal energy manifestations representing different rays of the original solar powerhouse. Maya is an illusory force, one that is considered God’s separated energy. Though every force created by the Supreme Spirit is part of Him, because maya is considered separated, it is not worshipable. As a correlation, the hands and feet are part and parcel of the body, but in order to feed ourselves food must be supplied to the stomach. If we offer food to our feet, nothing will happen for the body, as the nutrients in the food will never enter the internal system of the body. In a similar manner, one can offer worship to maya all they want, but there will not be any tangible benefit derived. Everything is in God, but He is not directly inside of every object. The blade of grass is part of the definition of God, but we cannot pick up some grass and say that we hold God in our hands.

The jivas are considered the marginal energy. Qualitatively they are the same as the internal energy, but they are considered marginal because they have a choice as to which energy to associate with, internal or external. The strictly internal expansions are non-different from the Lord. Hence the various incarnations of the Supreme Spirit, such as Vishnu, Rama and Narasimha, are equally as worshipable as the original Lord, who is known as Krishna in the Vedic tradition, the all-attractive and beautiful Shyamasundara. The jivas are always marginal, as that is their makeup. If one makes the proper choice and remains forever in the company of Krishna, they can be considered eternally liberated, but the option for separation is always there even when not exercised.

A valid concern may be raised as to why the Supreme Spirit, if He is so powerful, doesn’t just keep the jivas in His company, regardless of the choices they make. Maya is transient after all, for the world we live in constantly goes through cycles of creation and destruction. One who becomes attached to something nonpermanent will surely suffer heartache and misery. Knowing this to be the case, Krishna could just keep the jivas always by His side and shield them from the misery that results from association with maya.

Yet just as Krishna is ever independent and full of energy, so the jivas have free will and independence, though in a minute quantity, in their exercise of activity. The most potent emotion in the perverted reflection that is the material world is love, or the voluntary offering of service to other entities. Similarly, in the spiritual world, Krishna-prema, or deep love and affection brought on by total surrender, or sharanagati, is the highest emotion and most potent spiritual force. For love to be considered valid, it must exist at peak levels in both parties, and the relationship that results must be voluntarily entered into. If the jivas were forced to love Krishna, the sanctity of the resulting relationship would be tainted.

Moreover, when love is forced, the receiver doesn’t properly appreciate the services rendered, similar to how the person being offered something for free later tosses the gift aside. Yet when love for God is developed through the steady practice of bhakti-yoga, whose quintessential activity is the chanting of the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, the loving service is appreciated fully on both ends. The path to salvation is kindly provided by Krishna in His wonderful discourse on philosophy, religion and the meaning of life known as the Bhagavad-gita. In this concise yet complete treatise on Vedic philosophy, Krishna states that anyone who thinks of Him at the time of death will immediately return to the spiritual land, the eternal abode of the Personality of Godhead. One who goes there never has to leave.

To guarantee that these thoughts occur at the end of life, a shift in consciousness is required. A new way to think can’t be found at the drop of a hat. Our primary thoughts and desires can only be altered through a shift in behavior. Therefore the recommended practices of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, which revolve around hearing and chanting, result in a gradual shift in consciousness, a state of mind where all thoughts during the day are focused on Krishna and His satisfaction. Such a religious practice is much more potent than a simple pledge of faith or periodic visit to a house of worship. Any tool that can help further purify consciousness should be accepted, and anything which keeps us from thinking of Krishna in a loving way should be rejected.

The spiritual masters, the acharyas who have kept the bhakti tradition alive for so many years, regularly practiced the devotional formula and saw tremendous success. One who actually makes the necessary effort will feel satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. Though Krishna resides in the spiritual world, He kindly accompanies the jiva from life to life by also residing within their heart as the Supersoul. As such, the relationship forged with the Supreme Spirit can be considered special and unique to each individual, as even the transcendental mellows, or rasas, can vary from person to person. The commonality in all the relationships with Krishna is the ownership, the purchasing of the Lord’s association and affection through selfless acts of transcendental love.

“…the word pavarga signifies our struggle for existence and our meeting with defeat, exhaustion, bondage, fearfulness and, at last, death. Apavarga means that which can nullify all of these material conditions. Krishna is said to be the giver of apavarga, the path of liberation.” (Shrila Prabhupada, The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 59)

The Vedas equate salvation to receiving apavarga, or the removal of defeat, exhaustion, fear, bondage and death. Though Krishna can specifically take away each of these unwanted elements, they are carefully rooted out one by one through steady practice of bhakti. In one sense, Krishna is the doer of all activities and the distributor of every result, but the Divine actions can’t be instigated unless and until there is a sincere desire to associate with the Lord. If we simply call out for salvation but at the same time remain wholly fixed on material association, giving our life and soul to maya’s allures, there is no purpose for Krishna’s intervention. This type of plea is similar to calling a repair man to fix a broken appliance, not paying them after the work is done, and then following the same pattern of behavior that led to the problem in the first place.

Divine love easily brings apavarga, but the pure devotees desire much more than salvation. They want Krishna’s association at all times, irrespective of circumstance and place. Maharishi Valmiki accurately notes that the devotees of Lord Rama, a personal expansion of Shri Krishna, see the Lord everywhere holding His illustrious bow and arrow. Even though the bhakta follows all the rules and regulations of spiritual life and adheres to the perfunctory rituals aimed at advancing consciousness, there is still no end-goal or desire for personal reward. Salvation is actually just the beginning, as once ownership of Krishna’s association is acquired, the joys felt from seeing His beautiful face and hearing the sound of His wonderful flute only elicit even more transcendental activity, engagements which never fail to bring tremendous pleasure.

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.

Long and Short Game

“Actual greatness, however, is not one-sided. One who is actually great can become greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Teachings of Queen Kunti, Ch 13)

Not only has man created the massive airplane at great expense to transport large groups of individuals across long distances, but he is also keenly interested in personal flying machines, wherein just one individual can travel through the air like a bird, similar to how the fictional television series The Jetsons depicted an advanced age of space travel. The most recent popular invention involves a singular, short flight duration with a machine connected to a body of water via a tube to propel the thrilled traveler into the air across very short distances. Though the invention gets great attention because it is seen as progress in terms of technology and enjoyment, in order to be considered truly amazing a skill must be great in all areas, large and small. The human being already travelled through and survived in the tiniest of spaces when it was in the womb. Now, if such an amazing feat as that could be repeated in a scientific experiment, the achievement would be something to behold.

Obviously bringing up the notion of womb-travel will be met with some skepticism. “Are you crazy? How are you going to move within a tiny a space as that? You would die instantly, as your body cannot squeeze into such a small area.” These concerns shed light on an interesting fact about the body and the source of identity for the individual. Surely an adult-aged human being has difficulty getting through small spaces, but at some point in the life of the same person they were able to move about and survive in the tiniest of bodies. The embryo inside the womb is a living force, as it has growth and maintenance just like the mature human being. Consciousness may not be all that developed, but this deficiency is present in the infant and we don’t hold that against them. Through the miracle of life, the identity of the individual remains intact irrespective of body type. Indeed, even if one is to lose an arm or a leg, their life force doesn’t stop; they can still carry on. Rick Allen, the famous drummer for the rock band Def Leppard, lost an arm in a car accident and yet somehow maintained his identity as an expert drummer.

The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, accurately note that the spirit soul is the basis for identity in all forms of life. This includes not only human beings, but ants, reptiles, plants, trees, birds, and all other species. The exterior features may vary, but the essence of individuality, the spirit soul, is the same. Though it may be difficult to imagine that a cat or a dog has a soul, just by observing the outward symptoms, such as the autonomous nature of speech, thought and movement, one can very easily identify the difference between a living form and a dead one. The presence of the soul, the spiritual spark which is full of eternality, bliss and knowledge, gives the indication of life. Once the soul exits a particular body, the life form becomes dead and useless. The body immediately starts to decay, and in the case of warm-blooded animals, the internal fire also stops burning.

“If we divide the tip of a hair into one hundred parts and then take one part and divide this into another one hundred parts, that ten-thousandth part is the dimension of the living entity. This is the verdict of the chief Vedic mantras.” (Panchadashi-chitra-dipa, 81)

The soul is infinitesimally small, so much so that no blunt instrument can measure its size or perceive of its presence. The soul’s properties are only perceptible through outward symptoms, and its dimensions only understood through statements found in authorized scriptures. Judging by the fact that a body as small as a tiny ant has a soul in it, we see that spirit is indeed amazing. The human being cannot fit into the body of an ant and survive, but the spirit soul, through the laws of nature governed by the higher spiritual authorities, can travel into any type of body. The exact nature of the outer covering is determined by one’s work and mental quality, karma and guna. Though the tendency for popular theistic traditions is to focus on the negative aspects of material life and the sinful engagements that result through contact with matter, the spirit soul has active engagements that it is well-suited for. When these activities are adopted, not only are the effects of the present body transcended, but the future fortunes are taken care of as well.

One who is ignorant of the properties of the soul, its inherent nature, and its ideal complementary target of service will be enamored by the workings of the phenomenal world. The undertakings of the scientists in the fields of space travel and machine generation reveal the deficiencies of material enjoyment. Though the airplane is a marvelous invention, there is much strain and effort required in successfully getting one to fly with passengers in it. Moreover, the bird already knows how to travel through the air without a problem. Aside from the pursuit of technological advancement, there is also the desire to enjoy the senses to the fullest degree, with the most potent form of enjoyment coming from sex life. Yet the monkeys and the dogs already enjoy sex without any problems, as they don’t have to worry about courting members of the opposite sex and getting them to consent to relations. Instead, the lower animal species simply go up to whoever they like and enjoy their business. They have insatiable appetites for sex, so they can continue on and on without any of the after-effects and worries.

Aside from the fact that animals can already do many of the activities the inquisitive human being is trying to imitate, there is the issue with one-sidedness of purpose. Space travel and the overindulgence in sex life represent the excess of achievement, the extreme positive end of the scope of activity. But in order to be considered great, one must be able to show excellence in both extremes. The airplane is very large and can accommodate many passengers, but have the scientists created anything that can transport an individual within the tiniest of bodies? As His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada so nicely notes in his Teachings of Queen Kunti, a truly remarkable individual is one who can become greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest in their particular area of interest. The space travel of the spirit soul within the womb is only one example of becoming smaller than the smallest, but we can also understand the importance of showing excellence in both ends of ability by studying other endeavors with which we are familiar.

In the world of sports, there is always great anticipation, talk and speculation about who will win the next particular big game or the upcoming championship trophy. Even with all the talk and analysis, the matchups on paper never seem to correspond with the way the events actually turn out. Often times the truly great players and teams, those who are deemed superior, will lose in a close game to a competitor deemed inferior. In tennis, the anointed better player will say, “I can’t believe I lost to such and such a player. He is not very good.” The comparisons usually focus on the ability to do certain things extraordinary well, similar to the greater than the greatest comparison. The favorite player will be able to serve at high speeds and hit the ball very hard, while the inferior player will be deficient in these areas. But victory in any game boils down to winning specific aspects, with success in tennis furthered by putting the ball into play longer in each point than your opponent. As such, there are many different ways to win. A player who doesn’t hit the ball very hard but can play terrific defense and employ a variety of shots will be very successful. Indeed, this matches up with the historical data, as the greatest players of the past were those who could not only serve very hard and run very fast, but could also come to the net and play short shots.

Greatness in tennis or any other sport involves skill at every aspect. In the game of golf, Tiger Woods and past legends don’t just drive the ball far off the tee; they are good at the short game too. If we have one player who can hit his driver over 300 yards, but then it takes him three or four putts on the green to put the ball into the cup, he will certainly not be a very good player. Another player who can hit the ball maybe 200 yards, but then is great at the short game might be very successful. You can’t just be great in one area, fail in the overall endeavor and then expect to be praised for your abilities.

The scientists responsible for enabling travel to the moon and outer space have made a great achievement by allowing an individual to travel far distances and maintain the life force within the body. But at the same time, an honest person would have to concede that an equally as great achievement would be to remain exactly where one is and be completely steady of mind. One who can enjoy to the fullest, that is maintain a steady and positive outlook within their consciousness, without ever having to engage in sex life, travel on an airplane, or even eat nice food should be equally as lauded. There are many yogis who meet these requirements, as through their mystic practices they can perform amazing feats like exiting their body, travelling through subtle space, and remaining fixed in their sitting posture for an extended period of time. They can become lighter than the lightest and even hold their breath for hours on end.

The scientists perform feats which are seen as very great, while the yogis can do things which are seen as very small, but the common result shared by both groups is that their consciousnesses are somewhat altered. The yogi performs some mystical feat and feels very proud inside, as it took great effort to be able to acquire and master their skill. Similarly, the scientist feels tremendous satisfaction being able to say that they did something no one else has ever done before. Ah, but have they? One individual in particular has certainly done all these things before. Not only can one person create, maintain and destroy on the grandest of scales, but even His tiny fragmental sparks can perform similar feats. The scientist is proud of space travel, but the birds and insects already fly through the air without any need for jet fuel. The yogi is proud of becoming very light and being able to travel outside of their body, but the infinitesimally small spiritual spark, the individual atma, is the greatest space traveler in history. The soul, as the only natural acrobat, jumps from one body type to another through the laws of karma.

In this way we see that trying to become greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest are both unnecessary pursuits, as others have already performed similar feats without any strenuous endeavor. Bhagavan, the entity most of us refer to as God, reluctantly created the phenomenal world out of the polluted desire of a set of individual souls who wanted to imitate the inconceivable potencies of the Supreme Spirit. Since only God can be God, there needed to be a replica, or shadow-copy, of the original spiritual realm in order for such faulty desires to be acted upon. Hence the visible world was created, and since time immemorial it has served as the playing field for those keenly interested in paltry achievements. Bhagavan is so kind that He continues to reveal tiny bits of information about the infinitely complex workings of the universe so as to whet the appetite of the scientists who have no interest in understanding the nature of the soul, its properties and the true mission in life.

For those who are interested in a higher taste, one that far surpasses that which comes from mundane scientific or physical advancement, the system of dharma, or religiosity, is always there. The skeptic will argue that dharma cannot be universal because there are so many different religions in existence, each having their own deity and method of worship. There are different religious systems in the world, but the properties of the soul are nevertheless universal. We may have differences in body types, but the soul, the essence of life, is always the same in quality. There is no such thing as an Indian soul or an American soul.

When man is very sinful, when he is overly committed to harmful activities like meat eating and intoxication, the specific incarnation of the time, or spiritual leader who rises to prominence in a particular geographical area, will come and institute a streamlined set of rules which consist mostly of don’ts. “Don’t kill anything; don’t dishonor your parents; don’t covet your neighbor’s wife”, etc. These restrictions have helped countless individuals escape from the pangs of hellish life. Yet beyond just the restrictions and the blind sentiment that is often recommended, there is a set of positive activities which the spirit soul is naturally inclined towards performing. These activities are not sectarian in any way, and they appeal to all walks of men and women due to the singularity of purpose, that of connecting with Bhagavan.

The Vedic scriptures, the ancient set of law codes emanating from India, describe these constitutional activities as bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. Dharma represents an essential characteristic, a property that never leaves the soul. As such, any and all law codes and recommendations aimed at reestablishing the essential characteristic also constitute dharma. The restrictions on sinful activities are only one aspect of religiosity, while the positive engagements of bhakti-yoga complete the picture. The quintessential act of devotion to God is the chanting of His names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”.

The ability to chant this mantra with full feeling and attachment is what separates the human being from any other species. The animal can travel through small spaces and live for very long periods of time without eating, but it has no ability to understand dharma or the properties of the soul. The human being, when he becomes sober through kind submission to a bona fide spiritual master, a pure devotee of God who has dedicated all of their life’s actions to Him, can understand the efficacy of devotional service and the universal appeal and worthiness of service to Lord Krishna. The skeptic, atheist, and blind sentimentalist will argue that Krishna is simply a sectarian figure, a specific viewpoint of God crafted by the Hindus. But Krishna is actually a Sanskrit word which means “all-attractive”. More than just an order-giver or a grand creator, God is the most attractive person in all the universes. Attraction to Him is never fatal, at least not for the aspect of life that counts. Love for Krishna brings eternal residence in the spiritual sky. Bhakti can be considered the religion of love, the system of spirituality aimed at bringing an eternal life and removing the painful existence arising from contact with material nature. How could any honest transcendentalist and theist ever be against loving God?

For love to truly manifest, it must bring about a change in consciousness. Simply swearing allegiance to a particular spiritual figure and attending functions once a week is not enough to indicate a drastic shift in thought. We can say that we love someone but then dedicate all of our actions to something or someone else and thereby invalidate our initial profession of faith. Bhakti is a full-time engagement, one that always keeps the pure lover, the spirit soul, in touch with its most pleasurable object, Krishna. Though bhakti can be attempted on other worldly objects and elevated figures, it is meant exclusively for Lord Vishnu, which is another name for Krishna. When bhakti, or pure love, is attached to any entity that is not God, the results will, not surprisingly, keep one further away from liberation. We may be firmly attached to a specific politician, but when they lose or fall down from their post, the worshipers are left to search out another object of interest. Similarly, worshiping a particular spiritual leader can at best bring the dear servant in the company of the worshiped individual. Yet if the object of worship is incapable of providing supreme pleasure, if he is not a true representative of the Supreme Person, the worshiper will eventually have no choice but to divert their attention elsewhere.

Vishnu-bhakti, as the topmost form of transcendental love, is free of any defects. Not only is the object of worship ever worthy of the love and adoration of the countless spiritual entities residing in all the different worlds, but He never falls down either; hence one of His names is Achyuta. Worship of God in pure love is the true business of mankind. By following the regulative principles of freedom enjoined in the shastras, anyone, regardless of their country of origin, the language they speak, and the spiritual traditions they are accustomed to, can gain emancipation within this very life. Eternal freedom is found in the spiritual sky, where the company of the Personality of Godhead is enjoyed for all of time.

The embryo survives within the womb without a machine. The bird flies without needing refined petroleum, and the ant moves around without any need for yoga practice. In the same manner, the bhakta, without any aid of advanced technology or mystical exercise, can always remain connected with the Supreme Spirit while in any type of body. As such, the pure devotee can be considered greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest, a property which initially belongs to Shri Krishna, who as God is capable of doing anything. By remaining firmly attached to the lotus feet of the bhaktas, the humble soul can learn how to similarly transcend the effects of nature, which are constantly enticing the individual to take to any engagement except divine love. The Supreme Lord, as the greatest of all time, tells nature what to do. Therefore when one is sincere in their desire to be with God, nature, operating at the behest of Krishna, will work in their favor.

Careful What You Wish

“It is my thinking that not even the wind can pass through here unnoticed. Certainly there is nothing here that is unknown to the mighty Rakshasas.” (Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.44)

vāyurapyatra nājñātaścarediti matirmama |

na hyastyaviditaṃ kiṃcidrākśasānāṃ balīyasām

As the saying goes, “Careful what you wish; you just might get it”, the thief who acquires his possessions through ill-gotten means gets more than what he bargained for through the incessant worry of getting caught that follows. Even the most harmless of entities, such as the wind, causes great trepidation to the miscreant who has achieved the passionate end he was so desperately seeking. Buried deep in the consciousness is the knowledge of propriety, right and wrong, and the basic standards of decency. Knowing that he did something terribly wrong, the grievous offender to the natural laws of society always remains on edge, fearing punishment at the hands of authority figures. When the time for judgment arrives, their power, wealth, fame and strength come crashing down to a halt, with no one else around to whom the finger of blame can be pointed. Such was the case with a famous demon-king who made the tragic mistake of trying to have another man’s wife.

“Generally, the wealth of misers never allows them any happiness. In this life it causes their self-torment, and when they die it sends them to hell.” (Lord Krishna, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 11.23.15)

In the Shrimad Bhagavatam, the crown-jewel of Vedic literature, Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, states that for the wealthy miser, there is a hellish condition endured both in the present life and the next. In the current life, though possessing great wealth, the stingy and greedy individual is constantly worrying about what will happen to his money. “I have millions of dollars right now, but how will I maintain this? What if my business goes under? What if my investments all crash and burn? I will be left with nothing.” Money is supposedly the great panacea of security, providing a blanket of protection against destitution, which itself is seen as the worst situation. Despite the fact that in the Vedic tradition, the practices of spiritual life passed down since time immemorial on the Indian-subcontinent region, the highest class of transcendentalists, the sannyasis, take to complete renunciation, there is still a general fear of poverty by most. After all, who would want to beg for food and not have any fixed place of residence? Indeed, only the most renounced person, one who has completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of the ever-blissful, always ready to protect, all-sensing, all-hearing Supreme Lord, can completely abandon every fear and exclusively spend time travelling from place to place, chanting the holy names of the Lord, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”.

Krishna’s statement to Uddhava in the Bhagavatam is so brilliant because it goes against the natural way of thinking. The normal mindset pertaining to wealth acquisition is considered correct because it is quite prevalent. But from analytically studying the causes and effects, we see that simply acquiring wealth at the cost of hard time and work doesn’t actually bring any mental satisfaction whatsoever. If the aim of wealth acquisition is the removal of distresses, how can one who is constantly worrying about what will happen to their money be considered to be in a positive condition? Even the poverty stricken man, he who is working hard to earn an honest living, doesn’t have nearly the same worries as the rich miser, as he has nothing to lose. In this way Krishna’s assertion that miserliness resulting from great wealth leads to a hellish condition in the present life proves to be completely accurate.

“That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person, and without expectation of return, is considered to be charity in the mode of goodness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 17.20)

So what about the afterlife aspect? How does one go to hell by becoming too greedy and wealthy? The miserly attitude that results from the fear of losing one’s possessions leads to a certain type of behavior, for how many of us have strong fears and then fail to act on them? The miser’s impulse reaction to his trepidation over potential destitution is to hoard his money. As a result, he will fail to be charitable, even towards those who are ever worthy of it. In the Bhagavad-gita, the very same Lord Krishna declares that charity given to the proper recipient, at the proper time, and without any expectation of reciprocation is considered to be in the mode of goodness. Goodness, passion and ignorance govern all activities of this world, and therefore they also constitute the different body types of the numerous species. The mode of goodness is considered the best because it keeps one on the straightened path, one that follows knowledge. The mode of goodness can be thought of as the highest grade in a school system, a level of thought and activity which automatically incorporates all knowledge acquired from previous classes.

If an individual who has sufficient money fails to be charitable out of miserliness, there will be a negative reaction in the afterlife. Karma is quite fair, so if a transgression is made, there must be reactions in the future. Just as how when we fail to properly erect a specific beam in the construction of a building there will be negative consequences sometime in the future, acts of impiety eventually bear fruit, and the intensity of their unfavorable nature matches the magnitude of the original sin. If an abundance of miserliness in this life causes a failure to aid those who are worthy of charity, it stands to reason that suffering of a similar nature will be endured in the next life for the stingy man. In this way we see that Lord Krishna, who is known as Achyuta because of His infallibility, is indeed correct about miserliness leading to hell in both the present and future lives.

“Just as a tree starts to blossom during the proper season, so the doer of sinful deeds inevitably reaps the horrible fruit of their actions at the appropriate time.” (Lord Rama speaking to Khara, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 29.8)

When wealth is acquired through nefarious means, there is even greater paranoia that results. Such was the case with Ravana, the king of the Rakshasas ruling over the island of Lanka. He had everything at his disposal; beautiful women, an unending supply of the finest wine, luxurious palaces, and a kingdom strategically located. The island was so far away from any mainland that it was deemed unreachable by any worldly being. Even the celestials, the demigods in the sky in charge of the various departments of the material creation, were afraid of Ravana and his fighting prowess. Despite his abundant wealth and opulence, Ravana’s lust was not controlled. Hearing of a beautiful princess residing in the forest, Ravana decided he couldn’t live without her. There was one problem though: she was the religiously wedded wife of another man.

On the surface, this wasn’t a problem for Ravana. He was a king after all, and it wasn’t uncommon for rulers to challenge other heads of state to duels, with the winner taking ownership of the princesses and queens belonging to the defeated party. But the princess that Ravana wanted was married to the most powerful bow warrior the world had ever seen. This man, who exhibited every quality of the most powerful celestial, had previously defeated over 14,000 of Ravana’s associates singlehandedly. The one demon in Ravana’s party that happened to survive this lethal counterattack and return to Lanka then begged Ravana not to even try to fight this prince alone. Normally, Ravana would get offended by such statements, but since he wanted this princess so badly, he wasn’t concerned with his ego in relation to fighting. Instead, he devised a plan which temporarily lured the powerful warrior away from His wife, paving the way for Ravana to come in and kidnap the princess.

All went according to plan, and after bringing back the princess to Lanka, Ravana tried his best to win over her. Unfortunately, this wasn’t any ordinary princess that Ravana had taken; she was the goddess of fortune herself, Lakshmi Devi, in human form. Known as Sita Devi, the princess was more than capable of providing unlimited wealth to anyone who wanted it and intended on using it for the right purposes. Sita Devi is the wife of the Supreme Lord, Lord Rama, the pious prince of Ayodhya. Rama is non-different from the original form of Bhagavan residing in the spiritual sky. Sita is akin to the manager of all the wealth in the world, the person who manages the books in the household situated in Vaikuntha, or the spiritual realm free of anxieties. Sita, though a royal princess, loved to go to the forests and visit with sages, brahmanas who were first class devotees of Shri Rama. Instead of desiring to acquire more wealth and spend time enjoying the royal opulence of the kingdom of Ayodhya, Sita loved to bring gifts to all the brahmanas. Her husband, as the original provider for all of humanity, behaved in a similar manner. Just prior to His sojourn into the forest for fourteen years, Lord Rama, through Sita, gave away all His wealth and most valuable possessions to the brahmanas, who, according to the Vedas, are the only class of men deemed worthy of accepting charity.

Ravana could have had anything he wanted if he had humbly asked Sita for benedictions. Instead, he chose to take her away from the side of her husband and enjoy her for himself. Obviously the latter can never happen, as it is impossible for Sita to ever be with another man. After later being rescued by Rama, Sita would prove her chastity to the miscreants and doubters by surviving the test of being placed in a fire. This incident has since become an issue of controversy amongst those with a poor fund of knowledge. Those trying to discredit what they know as Hinduism will point to the incident and say that if Rama is God, the all-merciful, how could He have forced His wife to stand in a blazing fire? To those with a modicum of intelligence, Sita’s fire test actually shows the greatest mercy on the part of the Lord. As the purest woman to have ever graced this earth, Sita had the highest reputation of respect, decency, kindness, and devotion to God. Rama knew that miscreants, present and future, would always question what really happened in Lanka while Sita was held captive. To show mercy to His wife and to allow her reputation to stand above even His own, Rama created the situation which allowed Sita to voluntarily ascend a fire pit, a test which proved her chastity and devotion to Rama for all of time.

Just after the kidnap, when Sita rebuked him in Lanka, Ravana eventually realized that she wasn’t going to change her mind, so fear immediately set in. Ravana and his Rakshasas were always worried about being punished for their horrible crimes. Aside from abducting innocent princesses, the Rakshasas were also known for harassing the sages living in the forests. By harass, we mean attack during times of religious performance. By attack, we mean kill and then eat. That’s right; the Rakshasas would kill the most harmless men at the most innocent times and then eat their flesh. Therefore it’s not difficult to understand why the Rakshasas living in Lanka were constantly on edge. They knew punishment was coming their way; they just didn’t know when.

Final justice would come from Lord Rama Himself, but to soften up the playing field, to gather intelligence on Sita’s whereabouts, and to give Ravana an indication of what he was in for, Shri Hanuman, Rama’s faithful servant, was sent to Lanka. After braving the obstacles placed in his aerial path while crossing the lengthy ocean, Hanuman successfully reached the outskirts of Ravana’s kingdom. But he wasn’t going to enter Lanka in haste. The specific mission entrusted to Hanuman was to find Sita, so he wanted to enter the city unnoticed, in a way where his presence wouldn’t be made known to Ravana.

In the above quoted passage from the Ramayana, we see just how intelligent Hanuman is. He knows very well the nature of the demons residing in Lanka. He accurately notes that not even the wind can go unnoticed in the city; such is the trepidation and anxiety of the inhabitants. If one who is accustomed to residing in a home with other family members suddenly has to spend a night alone, there is an understandable sense of nervousness. During that night there is constant fear that someone will attack or that some other unexpected event will occur. In these situations, it becomes difficult to sleep peacefully, and if there are any sudden movements or sounds, even those caused by the wind, the apprehension will only increase. In a similar manner, the Rakshasas in Lanka were constantly on edge, so even if an unrecognized sound were caused by the wind, they would fear that someone was coming to attack them.

What need is there to be afraid of the wind? It is actually the sustainer of life, for if the wind is properly cared for within the body, there is a prolonged life. The key to remaining healthy is not necessarily to eat a certain type of food, but rather to ensure that the wind, in the form of the life breath, is allowed to flow uninhibited within the body. By eating moderate amounts of food, we can ensure that the air within continues to flow properly, thus allowing for a healthy equilibrium between the various internals of the body. In the outer world, the wind serves the vital functions of providing breezes, moving water, and carrying different aromas. Unless a tornado was known to be arriving soon, who would ever think of being put on edge by the movements of the wind, one of the central material elements?

From their behavior we see that Ravana and his cohorts, even before being attacked by Rama, were living a hellish life. Those who go against the Lord’s wishes and cause harm to His dear associates can never have any peace. Hanuman, taking shelter of his immeasurable wisdom and ability, ultimately decided upon the proper form to assume. He would successfully make his way into Lanka, find and speak with Sita, and return to Rama. Of course, prior to leaving Lanka Hanuman had to give Ravana a taste of what was coming. Before Hanuman’s exit from Lanka, Ravana would spot Hanuman and then have him bound up, something which only happened as a result of Hanuman’s fervent respect for Lord Brahma. One of Ravana’s associates had shot a weapon that was empowered by Brahma. If Hanuman had countered the effects of the weapon, Lord Brahma would have been made out to be a liar, as his weapon wouldn’t have worked as promised. Rather than insult the self-create, Hanuman allowed the weapon to bind him. Thinking that he had caught Hanuman, Ravana set fire to the Vanara’s tail. That turned out to be a big mistake, as Hanuman later easily freed himself from the shackles and then used his burning tail to set fire to the entire city.

Ravana wished for something so strongly that he didn’t care who he insulted and what he had to do to get it. He got what he wished for, and so much more. Sita Devi, a harmless princess who never raised a weapon in her life, ended up being Ravana’s downfall. In the human form of life, there will always be demands brought on by the senses that have contacted material nature. It is the tendency of the spirit soul to seek pleasure, but when this propensity is misdirected towards worldly objects, the only result is misery, both in this life and the next. On the other hand, for those who seek pleasure through association with the likes of Hanuman, Rama and Sita, there is only happiness.

Hanuman doesn’t have an opulent kingdom to rule over nor hundreds of beautiful princess to cavort with nor the finest wine to get intoxicated on. He enjoys eternal bliss by simply remembering the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord and hearing stories about Him. Hanuman’s spiritual potency is so great that simply hearing of his exploits can bring us the same pleasure. Hanuman lives forever, for his glories know no end. Anyone who is fortunate enough to even see or recite his name just once and realize his true nature will be benefitted and insulated from any unfavorable conditions in this life and the next.

Do You See What I See?

“The Lord moves everywhere—within and without—and we simply have to make our vision clear so that we may see Him. By devotional service, we can purify our senses so that we may perceive the presence of God. Those who are less intelligent simply try to find God within, but those who are advanced in intelligence can see the Lord both within and without.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Teachings of Queen Kunti, Ch 11)

It’s Super Bowl Sunday. Everyone is gathered around the television to watch the game. There is a large group of friends and family over the house, with plenty of food and a big screen television with full high-definition and surround-sound capabilities to enhance the viewing experience. When the game starts, a big play happens right away. The underdog team, the one most of the people in the room are cheering for, runs back the opening kickoff for a touchdown. It’s pandemonium in the stadium and at home; seemingly everyone is excited. But there are a few people at the party to whom such a moment brings no joy whatsoever. Not only are they not interested in the fortunes of either team, but they can’t possibly understand why anyone would be excited over someone else carrying a football in their hands and running with it for over one hundred yards. “What are they seeing? Who cares that someone thousands of miles away just scored a touchdown?”

Similarly diametrically opposing levels of emotion are witnessed when viewing visible phenomena such as the passing of a comet. Imagine a similar scenario where a group of friends is gathered together on the roof of an apartment building with their telescopes ready. When the particular comet, one that only passes through the night sky every several hundred years or so, finally comes, the onlookers will be elated, feeling fortunate to have witnessed a modern marvel, a miracle of science. Yet to the skeptic and the disinterested observer, the movement of a tiny blip in the sky doesn’t really mean anything. “So a comet passed through the night. Big deal. What does it matter anyway? If we saw it or didn’t see it, I don’t see how our lives are affected at all?”

What could be at the root of the divergence in opinion? The act of visible perception certainly is the same in both individuals. Both sets of onlookers are viewing the exact same thing, but the reactions are still totally different. If we study a little more closely, we see that the level of consciousness is what differs between the two groups. One set has spent much time and effort contemplating, pondering over, and worrying about the big football game. When the underdog team scores on the opening kickoff, it means that their chances to win have just increased. In football, the season culminates with the Super Bowl championship, one of the most difficult trophies to win in all of sports. The opportunity to even play in a Super Bowl is rare enough. So many great players have gone their whole careers without ever winning a championship. Therefore if the team you are supporting further increases their chances of winning the big prize, you will be excited. The visible perception of the event that increased the odds of success thereby brings satisfaction to the mind.  While one observer is simply seeing a man running on a field with an oblong shaped ball, the other is seeing the chances of victory increase.

The viewing of the comet follows a similar pattern. One side, which consists of scientists and inquisitive minds, is seeing the tiny blip in the sky as a sign of the incredibly complex and wonderful nature of the universe. The sun rises and sets every day, but certain comets only come around every few hundred years. Hence those who can witness the passing of a comet are certainly highly fortunate. Yet to the skeptic and disinterested observer, there is no thought or appreciation given to the comet, as their consciousnesses are focused on other things. Therefore the same visible perceptions go unappreciated.

When it comes to spirituality, the justifications provided by the skeptics for not believing in God or not wanting to accept the authorized statements found in the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, cover the full spectrum of opinion. The one side, the secular scientists, wants tangible proof, evidence of God’s existence seen through experimental analysis. On the opposite side, the meditational yogi only perceives of the Supreme Being in an invisible form, for he looks around and doesn’t see any truth or anything that is permanent. In reality, both angles of vision are flawed, as evidence of the Lord’s presence is all around us. When one’s eyes are properly conditioned through the practice of transcendental love, the presence of the Divine Personality is witnessed, appreciated and adored at every single corner of the earth.

“O son of Kunti [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.8)

The skeptical scientist can be compared to the disinterested observers at the football game and comet watching gatherings. Without knowing that Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, created this and millions of other universes, the divine workings of nature go unappreciated. A devotee, one who practices bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, as a way of life, can simply taste water and understand that the enjoyment derived is a direct manifestation of Krishna. The sun, which is the sustainer of life, is another direct representation of the Supreme Spirit’s energy. Without the sun, which is self-illuminating and perpetually burning, life could not exist in any tangible way. If the sun were to burn out, life on earth would be destroyed soon after.

The skeptical scientist will say that there is no evidence that Krishna is God. Rather, the statements found in texts like the Shrimad Bhagavatam and Mahabharata are merely myths, exaggerations put into poetic form. Through skepticism one can certainly debunk any assertion or opinion. Even the scientist claiming that a particular object is composed of millions of tiny molecules can be proven wrong. After all, the scientist had to learn his techniques from another teacher. What if the teacher was wrong in their assertions? It is a well established fact that man is prone to error, as are scientists. What if the microscope being used to observe a particular object is flawed? How would the scientist even know that the microscope was properly manufactured, as there are too many instances to count of mechanical production failing?

In this way the importance of the seemingly irrefutable sense observations of the most respected scientist can be minimized. The key to accepting any type of observation, personal or otherwise, is authority. If the source of information is deemed an authority figure, one who is trustworthy, the information will be accepted and acted upon. Moreover, we put faith and trust into our own observations and tendencies over the course of time. When we step out the door of our home, we don’t know for sure if someone else is lurking around the corner to attack us. But from evidence gathered from previous experiences, we have deduced that the likelihood of such an attack is minimal. Therefore there is always trust behind the actions we take and the information we choose to accept.

Similarly, the statements of the Vedas and their supporters pertaining to Krishna’s supremacy and His divine nature can be accepted through faith in the beginning stages. Unlike the scientists who may or may not lead us astray based on the validity of their conclusions, the Vedic principles are meant to be implemented precisely to produce tangible and lasting results in every instance, with the primary benefit being the altering of consciousness. Proof of God’s existence is seen in the results that come from practicing devotion to Him.  The quintessential act of devotion is the chanting of the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”.

The skeptic will argue that repeating a sound vibration can’t possibly bring one closer to God, as people go on singing songs all the time and never advance in terms of consciousness or intelligence. While this line of thinking seems plausible enough, the authorized acharyas, those who lead by example, kindly inform us that the name of God is different from any mundane sound vibration. The holy name automatically brings an awakening of the forms, attributes and pastimes of the original Divine Being, who is personal and fully formed. This brings us to the other skeptical viewpoint pertaining to God’s existence. The meditational yogi and those who want to only conceive of the invisible aspect of the Supreme Lord don’t follow the line of the atheists and scientists, but they will reject all outward sense perceptions as being false. After all, everything in this world is temporary, including our lives. Just as the human being is created at the time of conception and destroyed at the time of death, the entire cosmos must have been created at some point. Therefore it must also be dissolved at a future point in time. In fact, the latter portion of this opinion is confirmed by Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad-gita, wherein He states that the universe constantly goes through cycles of creation and destruction under His direction.

“The whole cosmic order is under Me. By My will it is manifested again and again, and by My will it is annihilated at the end.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 9.8)

Irrespective of how the conclusion is reached, simply knowing that the outer world is temporary is not enough to understand the true nature of the Supreme Lord. One can try to meditate within on the invisible aspect of the all-pervading Supreme Spirit, antaryami, but without knowledge of the reason behind the temporary manifestations of matter and the position of the individual souls within the complex nature, the invisible aspect of the Lord will always remain just that: invisible. Goswami Tulsidas very nicely touches on these truths in his Dohavali, wherein he mocks those who simply are after the invisible aspect of the Lord, alakh. Tulsidas says that one must first understand the visible world, which is also known as maya, the unmanifested, which is known as Parabrahman, and the marginal position of the jiva, who is in between Parabrahman and maya. If we’re simply searching after the unmanifested aspect of the Absolute Truth, we will never understand what His transcendental form looks like and what our relationship to Him is.

As the marginal potency of the Supreme Spirit, the individual souls have a choice as to whether to associate with maya or Truth. Wanting to see God is a noble desire, but unless one understands who they are and why they are put on earth, they will never understand God sufficiently. The jivas, as the marginal potency, chose to separate from God at some point in time and were thus allowed to play in maya’s playground, the material world. The association with illusion, or the temporary nature, continues for as long as the desire to enjoy the fruits growing on the playing field and take part in the material pursuits that further bind one to the temporary happiness and suffering of the phenomenal world remains.

The material scientist is baffled in his attempts at understanding nature because he can’t see God’s presence anywhere, and the yogi set on meditating on the invisible aspect of the Lord misses the opportunity to truly understand God’s sublime nature as the all-attractive, best friend of every single form of life. Tulsidas says that even better than trying to separately understand maya, Brahman, and the jiva’s position in between the two, which itself is very difficult to perfect in one lifetime, is chanting the holy name of Lord Rama. Krishna and Rama are Sanskrit words which describe the Supreme Absolute Truth, who is always full of form. The name is the key because it brings about sublime understanding, information that is already stored deep within the recesses of the heart. The foremost property of the jiva soul, who is part and parcel of Krishna, is that of eternal lover of God. Therefore those who become one with their natural property and love God to the fullest are never bereft of knowledge or bliss.

When in the material world, by becoming deluded by the workings of maya the jiva’s property as the marginal potency swings the pendulum over to the side of illusion; thus causing the natural knowledgebase to be clouded. Chanting the names of God, which is the most efficacious process of bhakti, brings about a reawakening of the divine consciousness. Only one who is firmly fixed in the practice of bhakti can perceive of God’s presence at every corner of life. Through the proper consciousness not only is the Absolute Truth’s invisible aspect appreciated, but His original forms residing in the spiritual world are also worshiped and honored at all times. When statues and pictures depicting the vigrahas, or spiritual bodies, are crafted and worshiped in the material world in temples and in homes, the devotee feels even more elation. The wise-guy may think he has found a contradiction with the introduction of deity worship. “If God is everywhere, why do you need to go to a temple? If through the practice of chanting and devotion in general you are able to appreciate Krishna’s presence in every sphere of life, what is the point to seeking more bliss by seeing the deity?”

The skeptic of deity worship may seem to have a point in this situation, but a series of even more valid counter questions may be raised. “If you see God everywhere, why would you fail to appreciate His deity form? If you know of Krishna’s nature and all-pervading presence, surely you would know that the deity is His special mercy upon the conditioned souls who have a difficult time perceiving of His presence? Surely you wouldn’t scoff at those who are trying to elevate themselves to the highest platform of Krishna consciousness through the worship of the deity? You required purification yourself due to the natural conditioned state you assumed at the time of birth, so why should others be criticized for appreciating the Supreme Lord and His wonderful mercy that is the deity?”

The deity or any other aspect of the physical world can only be truly appreciated when the eyes have been properly conditioned through bhakti. The statements of any philosopher or teacher can be accepted or rejected, but true authority is established by seeing tangible results from following the recommendations given to submissive students. Chanting the names of God is the best way to see the Lord’s universal presence, including His invisible aspect. This conclusion is supported by all the Vaishnavas, whose authority is firmly established through the purification of vision achieved by the exalted devotees. If we can get excited by watching a football game and by observing the movement of a comet, why shouldn’t our experiences be enhanced when we realize that everything in this world has God as its source? Through a regulative chanting process, which evokes the most blissful of thoughts, consciousness can be cleared, and our vision, both within and without, can be spot on when observing anything.