This Life and the Next

“Tulsidas says that those who love Shri Rama’s holy name, view Rama as their only abode, and have full trust in Rama’s name find auspiciousness, well-being and fortunes in both this world and the next simply by remembering that name.” (Dohavali, 39)

rāma nāma rati rāma gati rāma nāma bisvāsa |
sumirata subha mangala kusala duhum̐ disi tulasīdāsa ||

This is a simplified, yet perfect presentation of the process for attaining well-being in both this life and the next. The soul does not cease to be at any point in time. Even when the body is slain, the soul remains alive; a fact we are so nicely reminded of by Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the Bhagavad-gita, the Song of God delivered on the battlefield of Kurukshetra some five thousand years ago. Here a celebrated poet named Tulsidas is glorifying the holy name of Rama, which represents the same Krishna and is a non-different form of Godhead which is equally as worshipable as the original. The formula given applies specifically to chanting the holy name and the benefits that come from remembrance of that name. As the soul has two destinations that can be chosen, one present and one future, so the benefits derived from bhakti, or devotional service, apply to every circumstance the individual may find.

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

The gist of the recommendation provided here is that one should invest love and faith in the name of Rama, which is the address for the Personality of Godhead that references His incarnation as Lord Ramachandra, the jewel of the Raghu dynasty, a warrior prince who rid the world of one of the most powerful evil forces ever seen. Just as in modern times there are certain men who are the most wanted and whose capture or death brings elation and a sense of comfort to the innocent, during the Treta Yuga there was one particular person who was terrorizing the innocent and simultaneously amassing an awe-inspiring level of power. To do away with this fiend, the Supreme Person Himself, after being petitioned by the saintly class in the heavenly planets, descended to earth in what appeared to be the form of an ordinary human being.

From the behavior of His associates, we can understand that Rama was actually not an ordinary man. One person especially, His wife Sita Devi, exhibited all the qualities of a devotee, or one who follows the prescriptions provided above by Tulsidas. What to speak of following any system, exalted figures like Sita Devi, who is eternally the goddess of fortune and the mother of the creation, set the standard for devotional life, showing others how to remain always in a blissful state of mind through adhering to religious principles. During one moment in Sita’s life, where it appeared that she might be separated from her beloved husband, she gave us a hint into Rama’s nature and the benefits of worshiping Him.

To set the wheels in motion for the demise of Ravana, the world’s most wanted man, Rama needed an excuse to leave His kingdom of Ayodhya and entrap the demon in a situation that would call for his slaying. First, there was Rama’s exile from His kingdom of Ayodhya. Maharaja Dasharatha, the city’s king and Rama’s father, told Rama that He was not going to be the next king as planned and ordered his beloved son to leave the kingdom and not return for fourteen years. These painful requests actually came from the king’s youngest wife, Kaikeyi, who was jealous that her son Bharata was being passed over for the throne. To ensure that there would not be any interference in her son’s newly ordered coronation, Kaikeyi insisted that Rama leave the kingdom and renounce all ties to the royal army for the next fourteen years.

Rama, wanting to protect Sita from the dangers of the forest, insisted that she remain in the kingdom and wait for Him to return. But Sita did not know any other behavior except devotion to her husband. She had pure and ecstatic love, or rati, for Rama. She took complete shelter in Him and His name. She also had full faith in His ability to protect her. She could have kept these three feelings hidden from her husband and the rest of the world as well, but faced with an emergency, she was left with no choice but to fight for her beloved’s association. In her pleas, she revealed just how strong her love for Rama was.

To support her opinion that Rama should take her with Him to the forest, Sita referenced the many rules governing the behavior of wives given in the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India. In short, the Vedic version is that the human form of body is the most auspicious because it provides the best opportunity for becoming purely God conscious by the time death arrives. At the time of death, the state of being of the living entity is measured, and depending on the nature of the consciousness a specific new body type is created. If one thinks of God at the time of death, which is most likely to happen when in a human form, reincarnation ceases and the supreme destination of the spiritual sky is attained.

The wife can play a pivotal role in ensuring that this consciousness is established. Sex life or any strong urge brought on by the senses cannot be regulated in other forms of body. The animal has no idea why it should restrict its sense urges, therefore it does whatever it wants to. The human being has a more developed consciousness, so it can understand that satisfying the senses means taking shelter of material forces. What the mind takes shelter of is what consciousness will revolve around, thereby leading to the next destination. As sex life is so difficult to control, the marriage institution allows for a regulated version of it, with the wife serving as a support system to enable further progress on the march towards spiritual freedom for the husband.

In addition to mentioning the duties of a wife, in her speech Sita referenced the opinions of brahmanas, or priests, about her marriage to Rama. Sita told Rama that His company would be auspicious for her even in the afterlife, for the brahmanas had previously said that the wife religiously wedded to the husband shares in his fate in the afterlife. For this reason she wanted Rama to take her, as He was the only source of her happiness. Remaining in a kingdom without her beloved, her shelter, the person she had full faith in, was akin to becoming poverty stricken. In the end, Rama would be left with no choice but to take her.

Rama’s outward excuse for going after Ravana would come when the demon king would forcibly take Sita back to his island kingdom of Lanka and try to win her over. The opulence of the royal kingdom of Ayodhya couldn’t entice Sita to give up the cherished shelter that is Rama’s company, so obviously Ravana couldn’t either. Though she was in a troublesome situation, Sita continued to meditate on her husband by regularly chanting His name. Despite not having personal contact with her beloved, Sita maintained a steady link in consciousness, thereby practicing perfect yoga. Eventually she would be rescued and reunited with Rama, and the two are forever in each other’s company in the spiritual sky.

If we have deep love and attachment to something worldly, the benefits derived will not continue into the afterlife. If we love our car, dog, senses, or so many other things that are not God, there is no chance of that dedication benefitting us after the body is destroyed. Whatever we take full shelter of and put our faith into will determine what we think about the most. Therefore taking shelter in worldly objects will alter the consciousness to the point that the thoughts will remain on material association at the time of death. The type of body received is commensurate with the consciousness while quitting the body, and since there is variety in thought, so many different body types and natures can be granted to the spirit soul. Though in one sense there is variety in the body types awarded, there really is just a “yes” or “no” choice, an up or down vote. Do we want to go up to the spiritual sky or remain down in the material planets?

“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, Bg. 8.16)

An intermediary option is to take to dry renunciation, giving up attachment to everything. Starve the senses of satisfaction and abide strictly by the restrictions imposed by spiritual life. Avoid having any “fun” and remain focused on the duties given to you. Wait for happiness to come after death, through either promotion to a heavenly material realm or merging into a spiritual light devoid of material contamination. Such practices will certainly benefit us in the afterlife, as the promises of the Vedas are not hollow, but this model is very difficult to follow because the mind craves satisfaction. Lord Krishna is always in ananda, and since we are part and parcel of Him, our inclination is towards bliss as well. Therefore if there is no satisfaction in the current land, it will be difficult to adopt a process that promises to provide satisfaction later on, after death.

As we saw with Sita Devi, however, surrender unto Rama and His name is beneficial in both directions. Lovingly chanting the names of the Lord, as they are found in sacred formulas like the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, is an indication of a strong desire to be with the person being addressed. The name of Rama recited constantly in a mood of love says that we love the Lord like no other and that we take His happiness to be our only desire in life.

Lord Rama must also be the only abode. The place we call home is our safest place; it’s where we are most comfortable. We relax at home and enjoy the association of our friends and family. If the mind makes its most peaceful home at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, which are always acting for the Lord’s pleasure and taking part in His innumerable pastimes, the consciousness will always remain in a safe asylum. We can never recapture the feelings we had while growing up in our childhood home, but we can experience something even better by resting the mind comfortably in Rama.

To adopt any process in earnest, there must be faith. If we don’t believe in a particular task, if we don’t think that it will come out successful, the level of enthusiasm during the execution of the task will be unsteady. Therefore the lack of faith itself will be the cause of failure, the nonattainment of the stated objective. Having faith that regularly chanting the Lord’s name will give us the association of the only person we need to be with will be enough to secure success.

Tulsidas’ simple formula brings auspiciousness, well-being and good fortunes in both the current life and the next. If the mind constantly resides in the eternal city, the place where Shri Rama and His beloved associates enact their wonderful pastimes, how can there ever be inauspiciousness? How can there be a lasting distressful condition for one who has faith in the power of Rama to deliver them? How can there not be well-being for one who has love for the Supreme Lord?

Just as consciousness is the key in shaping our future destination, it is the determining factor of our current state of being as well. This fact is lost on those who lack God consciousness. The Darwinists have their theory of the survival of the fittest, but without understanding consciousness, fitness can never be properly measured. Ravana thought he was the fittest because of his massive kingdom and immense opulence. Since he lacked love for Shri Rama and His holy name, however, he would lose everything. Even his life on earth was hellish, as he was constantly worried about others attacking him and taking away his ill-gotten fortunes.

On the other hand, Sita Devi, whose consciousness was always tied to her husband Rama, was the fittest living entity roaming the world. Even when faced with circumstances that most of us would consider horrible, she remained in a pleasurable internal state by remembering her Lord. Thus remembering the name of Rama brought auspiciousness, good fortunes and well-being to her. The promises made by Tulsidas are not exaggerated, for countless devotees have proven that the name of the Lord is non-different from Him. If we want well-being in both directions, in the present life and the next, the holy name is our only safe shelter.

In Closing:

At time of death quitting soul decision does make,

To remain in material world or God’s company to take.

Consciousness does behavior in one’s life affect,

Which then chooses what type of shelter to erect.

Our safest place is in our cherished home,

With friends and family we don’t feel alone.

Bhaktas do regularly chant Shri Rama’s holy name,

Brings memories of His numerous acts and unending fame.

One option is to enjoy sensual pursuits right now,

Pay the price later on and to maya again bow.

Another is to take pain in life and then wait,

For the afterlife, reach the promised heaven’s gate.

In dry renunciation there is no pleasure,

But devotion to Rama proves to be endless treasure.

This fact was known to Sita Devi, Rama’s wife,

Who made devotion to her husband her life.

Found auspiciousness through both peril and delight,

Through her devotion was Ravana unable to strike.

Follow Tulsidas and in Rama have love and faith,

For bliss today and tomorrow no longer we’ll wait.

Youthful Exuberance

“Without training or education, one can automatically participate in bhakti-yoga. Even a small child can clap at kirtana. Therefore Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has proclaimed bhakti-yoga the only system practical for this age.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Path of Perfection, Ch 7)

One of the wonderful things about being a kid is that you just don’t know any better half the time. This is the reason children are viewed as being innocent, non-threatening. Random people will go up to young children they have never met before and make smiley faces and strange noises at them, knowing that the children will not find this behavior odd in the slightest. Yet, when that same youngster grows up, others will look the other way when they come, not wanting to make eye contact. “Keep to yourself” is the motto when living the fast-paced life in a crammed city. The exuberance in children does, however, bring the ability for caretakers to put talents to good use, to direct energy along the proper channels. When pointed in the direction of the reservoir of all energy, the enthusiasm of the child can pay large dividends in the future.

How does a child go from playing the entire day to sitting inside of a classroom and taking instruction for several hours at a stretch? For starters, the youngster may not know what school is or for how long they will be enrolled. Just imagine as an adult enrolling in a degree program that won’t complete until twelve years. Obviously, not many people would voluntarily attend, for the task would seem too daunting. Yet this is precisely what children face as they enter school, and since they don’t know what twelve years means, they aren’t as hesitant to start.

Educating their children is a good idea for the parents because it ensures that their children will be ready for adulthood, capable of earning for themselves. During the period of childlike innocence, the human being is both willing and sometimes even enthusiastic to do things adults dread. Something as simple as going outside to pick up the mail every day is eagerly anticipated, and to the adult having the children so excited to do something they’d rather not do is refreshing. “Ah, the simple days; when you’re excited to do things you try to avoid later on in life.”

Ask a child to help you around the kitchen, and they are more than happy to pitch in, for this allows them to imitate the behavior of the adults, the authority figures. “Oh, if only I could be old enough to do adult things right now. I hate that I have to go to sleep before everyone else and miss out on all the fun.” Give the children adult tasks, and they will take it as a sign of you passing something important over to them.

For adults, not only are regular chores dreaded, but so is anything particularly serious. Nothing is more grave than spirituality, issues pertaining to the soul and what happens to it after death. Why worry about such topics that are so difficult to comprehend when you can enjoy your life right now? Why worry about death if it’s going to happen regardless? This has been the age old issue facing mankind, the hesitancy to take the plunge into spiritual life. Others that are immersed in worship of God are seen as fanatics or sentimentalists trying to fill a void in their lives.

Genuine spirituality, however, is more of a science than just a discipline based on sentiment. In spirituality there are law codes, rules and regulations that, when followed, bring about a palatable future condition, just as with every other aspect of life. The principle behind the schooling given to children illustrates this. The parent genuinely understands the need for providing an education to their child. This assertion within the mind can be thought of as a regulative principle, a law to guide behavior. Even in the opposite mentality, which calls for rebelling against every single authority figure and their laws, there is an edict created. If one person says to read a specific book and another says to avoid reading it, both people are actually making assertions. If I listen to the person who says to not listen to anyone, I’m essentially following their recommendation on how to live my life, i.e. I’m following a regulative principle.

A bona fide system of spirituality is one which passes on regulative practices that are applicable in every time period and for every single person. In this respect, no system can be more inclusive than bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. At the heart of bhakti is attaching one’s loving sentiments to the proper recipient. Since in every other area of life our offering of service is checked to some degree, we can take it to mean that the objects of our service have defects. For instance, once your child grows up into an adult, how can you continue to love them? It’s difficult once they become self-sufficient to continue to be able to give them a helping hand. The same holds true with our friends and paramours, for exactly how much can we really do for somebody else without them getting annoyed and asking us to stop?

With the Supreme Lord, however, there is never a need to stop offering service. Lest we think we must live in a church or stare at a picture all day, the most potent method of worship involves sound vibrations and their production. Since God has everything, what can we really offer Him anyway? Time is the most important thing available to sacrifice, so by regularly reciting the sacred formula, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, the offering of love can flow without obstruction.

In the beginning, this chanting routine is a chore, as how many of us are accustomed to repeating the same sequence of words over and over again for hours at a time? Plus, spiritual life has the air of seriousness to it, so delving into something so important is difficult in the beginning. To make things easier, teachers can take advantage of the youthful exuberance found in children. If a child is so anxious to run outside and pick up the mail, just imagine how happy they’ll be to regularly recite the names of the Lord, which are so powerful that they are non-different from Him. God is the most attractive person, so He is addressed by the Sanskrit word “Krishna”. There is also tremendous pleasure received through the Lord’s association; hence He is also addressed as “Rama”.

Isn’t this forcing something upon children against their will? Shouldn’t the childhood years be spent in enjoyment, for such happiness will not be present when the pressures of adulthood start to kick in? Since education is already an imposition, however, why not give a spiritual awakening as well? The habits formed during childhood stay with the person throughout their life. This is visibly evident in the behavior of spoiled children turned adults. If you give a child whatever they want, whenever they want it, they will have a very difficult time adjusting to adulthood. They will expect everything to be handed to them, and when this doesn’t happen, they won’t know what to do.

Why the recitation of the maha-mantra specifically over other religious practices? Chanting is an isolated practice that maintains a deep and unique connection between the individual and their object of service. In other chores assigned to children, the enthusiasm for the task may wane over time, as the tangible benefits don’t last very long. With chanting, the individual transcends even the need for praying for material rewards, which is the tendency for every human being to do. Repeating the holy names of the Lord through a routine keeps the sound vibrations of the beloved Almighty within the consciousness.

It is this consciousness that we are really trying to change, not only in children, but in every single person. The human form of body is the most auspicious because of the potential it carries for development of consciousness. The other forms of life don’t have this potential. The dog may be more than enthusiastic to fetch the ball thrown by its owner, but if you try to get it to chant the holy names of the Lord, it will not be able to. On the other hand, the enthusiastic child will take their chore of chanting as an early admittance into adulthood, especially if the adult is already following such practices. Just imagine if we chanted the maha-mantra every day and our children saw and asked if they could follow. “I don’t know, this is a very important activity, reserved for adults, are you sure you can handle it?” The child will take this as a challenge, as a way to prove to the adults that they can handle important tasks.

And the reward for such encouragement? There comes a point in adulthood where memories from childhood are evoked and the past experiences longed for. “If only I could have fun doing those same things again.” Just imagine if the chanting routine were part of those childhood memories; a person could then go back in time every day by worshiping their beloved Lord. There could be no greater gift to give to our dependents than these memories. In adulthood it is very difficult to be encouraged to do anything new, for as they say, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But if the old dog already keeps the names of Krishna and Rama on their tongue, the same stubbornness will be there, except it will be beneficial. The old devotee accustomed to his regulative principles will be very difficult to move off of the devotional path. Therefore simply through his behavior he serves as a role model for others.

Connecting with Krishna is never without reward, even when done without full knowledge of the beauty of bhakti-yoga and its supreme standing over all other types of religiosity. Indeed, every system of maintenance that is bona fide is meant to bring one eventually to the platform of bhakti. After all, what condition could be better than remaining firmly tied to the sweet and beautiful Krishna within the consciousness at every second? Shouldn’t every single practice we undertake be aimed at achieving this goal? By using the enthusiasm found within children to perform even routine work for their benefit, the playroom that was previously filled with toys and youngsters running about will one day be transformed into a spiritual asylum, a place where talks of Krishna continue and glorification of His names, forms and pastimes permeates the air.

In the childhood years, there is cajoling and persuading to be allowed to do adult activities. “Dad, can I go out and get the mail today? Mom, can I help you with cooking dinner tonight?” Now, just imagine if after being exposed to krishna-bhakti, devotion to the Personality of Godhead, the requests turn into, “Dad, can I sing that Krishna song with you? Mom, can I offer the arati tonight?” Adhering to spiritual life and taking it as the most important priority can be very difficult, but the path is made easier when others are around who are following it. What’s more, if the people engaged in bhakti-yoga are enthusiastic about it, the benefits to the onlookers are augmented.

Add to the equation that if the people enthusiastically dedicated to serving Krishna are, according to the standard definition, not naturally prone towards accepting devotional life, the sight of their devotion is awe-inspiring and totally humbling. As an example, seeing a yacht or a giant cruise boat sailing across the ocean isn’t very noteworthy. After all, such ships are made to travel through water comfortably, without any problems. If, however, a small boat is seen traversing the same difficult waters, the appreciation of the onlookers is increased. “Look at that person; they are manning the boat all by themselves. They’re taking a great risk by using that small boat, but what else do they have? They have their dedication and perseverance. If they can ride in a small boat to reach the other side of the ocean, who am I to complain about my problems in life?”

Now, just imagine if you saw an even smaller boat travelling across the ocean.  Not only is this boat smaller, it is holding a gigantic bar made of iron. For starters, the sight would be considered an illusion, for how could a boat like that float with such a heavy weight on board? Indeed, the iron bars are used to make anchors, which, when dropped to the surface underneath the water, ensure that the boat doesn’t move. All of a sudden this boat is now traveling with the heaviest anchor as one of the passengers. This amazing sight is similar to what we see when young children are fully engaged in bhakti-yoga and mad after God. The sight is inspiring and humbling at the same time. The young devoted child doesn’t know about imminent death, reincarnation, the heartache resulting from broken relationships, or the monotony of repeating days. Rather, they simply love Krishna and chanting His names. If they can follow bhakti with such enthusiasm, then surely the instructing adult can as well. In this way the child becomes the father of man, inspiring him to reach new heights.

In Closing:

Children given to always play,

Follow that behavior for whole day.

For parents routine tasks are a chore,

But kids like adult work, don’t find them a bore.

Therefore give to them the routine of chanting,

With Krishna’s names seeds of devotion planting.

Nothing special in seeing travelling cruise or large boat.

But amazing for small vessel carrying heavy iron to float.

Watching other devotees helps in spiritual progression,

Difficult is material life and the goal of liberation.

Through practice in bhakti, child becomes father of man,

Teaches him that reach Krishna’s realm he can.

Standing Out

“(Hanuman did not see Sita) who (in Lanka) was like a crescent moon having its outline blurred, like a streak of gold covered by dust, like an injury left by an arrow (a scar), or like a series of clouds broken up by the wind.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 5.26)

avyaktarekhāmiva candrarekhāṃ |
pāmsupradigdhāmiva hemarekhām |
kśataprarūḍhāmiva bāṇarekhāṃ |
vāyuprabhinnāmiva megharekśām ||

To find success In his search for Sita Shri Hanuman would have to go by certain features as clues. He had not met the divine princess up until this time, and to properly identify her he had to go off of her qualities described to him and also her presumed current state of mind. Having met the lord of his life breath, Shri Rama, Hanuman knew that anyone who would ever be separated from His company would be in a troublesome situation. If a lover is forced to leave the side of their beloved, it is natural for them to feel distressed. When the mind is constantly focused on one object, on meeting this object’s needs and putting a smile on its face, and then that object of affection is suddenly removed from the vision, the living being will have nothing to do but lament. Bearing this in mind, Hanuman knew what signs to look for. He was searching for the most beautiful princess in the world, whose irradiant beauty and grace were now somewhat covered up by her tremendous grief.

Wouldn’t this be a difficult task? For starters, how many of us are always happy? What area could we travel through where we’d find everyone either completely miserable or fully satisfied? In Hanuman’s case, the job was made easier by the fact that the women residing in the location he was searching were well-dressed and enjoying the pleasures of home life. The land where Sita had been taken was called Lanka, and it was the capital of the vilest Rakshasa community of the world. A Rakshasa is a sort of human-like species that is more prone to sinful activity than ordinary human beings. A sin is anything that goes against the law codes of shastra, or scripture. These edicts are not put into place to punish or to make others suffer, but rather to ensure that everyone can live together peacefully, remain happy, and continue on a steady march towards a purified consciousness. When the mind is fixed on the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead at the time of death, the cycle of birth and death immediately ceases.

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.6)

We get more than one life to live? Just as the measurement of our lifetime gets divided up into smaller units such as days, weeks, months, and years to make things easier to analyze, the infinite duration of the soul’s existence is grouped into units of time based on its residence in various body types. To make this easier to understand, let’s say that we didn’t even know what a “day” was. We consider a day to have passed when we wake up each morning, but this is an entirely relative delineation, for what if we stayed awake the entire night? Does not a day pass then? Even the calendar is subjective, for it operates on the movement of the sun, which means that any person could take any point in time and use that as their starting point instead of the regular calendar days. Just as not every person lives for only one day, the soul does not remain in a specific body type forever. The soul’s qualities of knowledge, eternality and bliss are always present; it’s just that in the conditioned state of being awareness of these features remains lost. Through instruction from the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India and the original set of law codes to be followed by the human society, steps can be taken that allow the soul to break free of the cycle of birth and death and thus achieve a spiritual body that is permanent in its existence.

The relevance of sin shouldn’t be too difficult to understand. The rules of the highway are meant to ensure the safety of all drivers. Running through a stop sign or a red light is considered sinful because it goes against the established law codes and it leads to a negative condition. If one person runs a red light, the crossing traffic that has a green light is immediately put into danger. Adherence to the rules, or piety, is followed for a purpose. Similarly, the restrictions on illicit sex life, gambling, intoxication and meat eating are present to allow the consciousness of the individual to fully develop. When dissociated from the Supreme Person, the entity most of the world refers to as God, the individual consciousness is left to seek out sense pleasures, which constantly suggest the breaking of the laws of regulated spiritual life. Just as running the red light has negative consequences, so does the flaunting of the laws of God.

The most obvious detriment to sinful activity is the fuel it adds to reincarnation. With material desires driven by lust, anger and greed, the soul remains tied to material bodies, i.e. forms which are temporary in their existence. When something is temporary, it automatically becomes the cause of lamentation. This may be a little difficult to understand, but if we review the cycles of different experiences undergone in life, we’ll see that this is entirely true. For instance, when a new child is born there is great celebration, elation and expectation. The child’s early years are especially enjoyed by the parents. The child is the final piece of the puzzle to family life, which acts as a support system ensuring that comfort and security are always there.

“For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 2.27)

Life in a particular form of body is not permanent, however. Though the soul remains in existence forever, its temporary coverings do not. Therefore the elation that comes with birth is automatically coupled with the sadness that comes at death. When there is birth, there must be death. When there is the creation of something temporary, there must be the sadness that results from its destruction. In this way material desires are ultimately the source of misery and thus should be avoided. By following the principles of spiritual life passed down by the Vedas and their followers, one doesn’t even need to know the ins and outs of matter and the illusory component of material nature. Just following the instructions keeps one on the straightened path.

The Rakshasas so flaunted the principles of dharma that they took their sinful way of life to be the right way. This is akin to thinking that stopping at a red light is sinful and that going through it is pious. In their community the Rakshasas especially enjoyed eating human flesh and drinking wine. Why was Hanuman traversing through such an area, especially considering that he is today famously known as Lord Rama’s greatest devotee? Rama is an incarnation of Godhead who roamed the earth many thousands of years ago in the guise of a warrior prince. When His wife Sita Devi was taken away from Him behind His back, He enlisted the help of a band of Vanaras, or human-like monkeys, residing in the forest of Kishkindha.

Sita had been taken to Lanka, where the leader of the Rakshasas, Ravana, tried his best to win her over. But just as Rama was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Sita was an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, Vishnu’s wife in the spiritual world. Hence she never desires to even look at any man except her husband. Hanuman was the most capable of the Vanaras in so many different categories of ability, with his most outstanding feature being his eagerness to please Rama. He was fully committed to finding Sita, handing to her Rama’s ring, and returning the information of her whereabouts to Rama and the monkeys back in Kishkindha.

After infiltrating Lanka, Hanuman scoured through the streets in a form that went unnoticed by others. He saw all sorts of beautiful women engaged in different activities. The common trait shared by all of them was happiness through association with their beloveds. They were all enjoying the company of their Rakshasa husbands in some way or another. Hanuman thus understood that he had yet to find Sita. There was no way she would be enjoying with anyone else. Plus, none of these women could classify as the most beautiful in the world, nor were they capable of fully enchanting Shri Rama’s mind. Just as Sita always thinks of Rama, the Lord always thinks of her happiness and welfare.

In the above referenced verse from the Ramayana, we get a few more details of Sita’s distinguishing features at the time, clues that Hanuman could use to identify her. It is said that Sita shone like a crescent moon that had a blurred outline. Lord Rama, having a dark complexion, was often compared to the dark raincloud, and since Sita was fair-skinned, she was often compared to lightning, that which is white in color. Lakshmana, Rama’s younger brother, was sometimes described in the same way. When Rama and Lakshmana would walk together in the forest, the onlookers would compare the scene to a dark raincloud coupled with streaks of lightning walking through. In this respect, the comparison to the crescent moon is very appropriate. The moon shines bright in the sky and is noticed very easily because of the contrast to the darkness of night. Similarly, Hanuman was in a region ruled by the mode of ignorance, the level of material activity which has the least deference to piety. Sita would be the moon that stood out in the dark city of Lanka, but her brightness wouldn’t be complete, as her sadness due to separation from Rama would blur her outline.

Sita’s appearance in Lanka would also be like that of a scar on the body. If we get mosquito bites in the summertime or get a prominent injury on the body that leaves a scar, the marks are distinguishable. If someone were to see us, they would immediately ask what had happened. “How did you get that injury? Are you okay?” Comparing Sita’s presence in Lanka to a scar is very appropriate because she would certainly stand out. Hanuman knew that none of the women he had seen thus far could be the princess of Videha, Rama’s beloved, because their features weren’t noteworthy. Sita would also be a wound that ultimately would prove fatal to all the sinful residents of Lanka, and especially Ravana. Though Rama would later march to the city with the Vanaras and do away with the Rakshasas, Sita would actually be the real cause of Ravana’s demise. If he had not unlawfully taken her away from her religiously wedded husband, none of the resulting destruction would have taken place.

Sita would also appear like a streak of a series of clouds that had been swept away by the wind. When there are lots of clouds in the sky, it is difficult to distinguish which ones are which. On an overcast day, it doesn’t even appear as if there are many clouds in the sky; just one giant streak of covering to shield the sunlight. When the clouds part, however, due to the force of the wind, some streaks are left, allowing certain areas of the sky to be noticed. Sita could be recognized in the same way in Lanka.

These clues helped Hanuman continue ahead, for he was not happy to have not found Sita yet. He knew she wouldn’t be in a good condition, but since she was Rama’s wife, Hanuman was very eager to meet her. When it comes to achieving perfection in consciousness, just the mere desire to seek out God and His pleasure is enough to secure liberation. What then to speak of those who actually follow through on their desires and make bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, their way of life? With a sincere desire to serve comes the helping hand of God. Without the hankering to connect with pure spirit, adherence to dharma and the accumulation of spiritual knowledge can only take us so far.

In this respect the solution to life’s problems is very simple. Just chant, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare” as often as possible and hear about the glories of divine figures like Shri Hanuman and Sita Devi. Just as Sita’s presence was distinct in the thick cloud of darkness that was Lanka, Hanuman and his acts always remain resplendent and superior to the activities of any mundane figure or hero. Whoever is fortunate enough to hear of Hanuman and honor him just once will have the seed of devotional service planted within them. When that seed, which is anxiously awaiting growth into a full blown tree, is regularly watered through devotional acts such as hearing, chanting and remembering, the return to the spiritual world is guaranteed.

In Closing:

Hanuman was desperate to meet her soon,

Sita, who looked like the indistinct crescent moon.

Natural brilliance hidden by her sadness,

Like dust covering streak of gold and its brilliance.

Injury from an arrow leaves on the body a scar,

Sita looked similar, though Hanuman not found her thus far.

In Lanka, strong were the forces of darkness,

Residents mistook their sin for righteousness.

Thus Sita, wife of Rama, would certainly stand out,

Her location, to please his lord, Hanuman must find out.

Discover her he would, ultimately to find victory,

Etched his place in the Ramayana, heartwarming story.

That Hanuman in his search for Sita we remember,

Consciousness thus saved from maya’s forces that blur.

Fruit of happiness in following piety in mood of bhakti,

Live happily thinking of Shri Rama and Sita Devi.

The Amazing Soul

“The fact that the atomic soul is within the body of a gigantic animal, in the body of a gigantic banyan tree, and also in the microbic germs, millions and billions of which occupy only an inch of space, is certainly very amazing.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 2.29 Purport)

A soul is inside of the largest animal, inside of a banyan tree, in the tiny little germs that we try to avoid, and in so many other areas of space. Who would ever think it? The same spark that is responsible for the amazing capabilities of the human being – his unique ability to do math, science, reading and political analysis without any hesitation – is so tiny that it can fit into an area of space that is impossible to measure. Knowledge of the properties of the soul is meant to further a purpose, not just to be marveled at. Indeed, only the human being can realize the amazing soul and study its properties. More amazing than its ability to fit into the oddest areas is the soul’s natural penchant for loving service. When offered to the right purpose, flowers of devotion blossom within and leave a peaceful and pleasant condition that lasts permanently.

“Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.29)

First of all, how do we know that the soul exists inside of animals and nonhuman species? Don’t many religious traditions deny the existence of souls inside of animals? Aside from taking the information from authority, we can use outward perception. We know that human beings move, develop, and leave byproducts for as long as they are alive. When death occurs, the life is deemed over, but the material elements often remain as they were prior to the person’s death. The same hands, legs and face are there, but they cease to do anything. It’s as if someone took the force of life out of the body.

Animals and plants have similar behavior. In fact, many animals are so human-like that theories are posited that the human being evolved from them. There is the same eating, sleeping, mating, defending and the stopping of vital functions once death occurs. Rather than turn a blind eye to these similarities, the wise person realizes that the same spark of life found within the human being must be present in other species as well. Otherwise, how could they move on their own? There is no computer operating the movements of an ant, telling it to crawl into the tiniest of spaces and follow the other members of their community. There is no computer telling the dog when to bark and when to go running outside. Even if there are commands made in these areas, it is still up to the dog to decide when and where to act.

If the soul is so amazing, why would it ever choose to remain in an inferior species? Ah, but are these species inferior? Who is making that judgment and why? The gigantic animal is very powerful and feared. Who is going to take on the elephant, which is so large that no one can move it? Who is going to mess with the lion, the king of the jungle? Wouldn’t everyone love to be feared, or at least respected? The bird can fly on its own without any external fuel source or a pilot. It doesn’t have to worry about mortgage payments, marriage, raising the national debt limit, or losing weight. Rather, the bird simply eats when it needs to and flies to wherever the climatic conditions are ideal.

Even the plants and germs have unique abilities. Some trees can live for thousands of years, while the germs can go undetected. The fly is so elusive that no one can catch it, as it buzzes around wherever it needs to go. Lest we think that these species are universally held in low esteem, just see how many human beings try to imitate their behavior. The tiger eats the flesh of other animals through killing, and similarly many human beings range the forests to shoot wild game. The trees stand naked for extended periods of time, and so the human being tries to dance with little or no clothes on for pleasure. The birds soar through the beautiful sky, and the human being desires to fly in airplanes and rocket ships that go into outer space.

Though these abilities of lower importance are present in animals, there is no need for human beings to artificially imitate them. The same soul that is present in the lower species is there in the human being. So, the question that must be asked is why the human form exists in the first place? Why not stay in a body that can allow us to fly all over the place? Mental speculation in this area will lead to theory after theory, with no one winning the debate because of the tenuous standing of the conclusions.

Rather, the best way to understand such complexities is to go to the proper authority sources. Again, there are likely many figures claiming to be authorized teachers in this area, so we can apply a few filters to weed out the pretenders. Now, wouldn’t it make sense to approach someone who already knows the information about the soul and its ability to transcend the human form of body? Wouldn’t it be wise to approach someone who has confidential information about the soul, its properties, the reason for its residence in different species and where its ideal home should be? This is where the Vedas stand out; they are the only spiritual tradition that provides as much information as possible to allow for the sober human being to make an informed decision as to their direction in life.

The Vedas also happen to be the oldest scriptural works in history. There is no coincidence in this area, as spirituality is meant for all classes of men spanning every single period of historical time. The requirement for sobriety is there because in the absence of rational thought, the human being is no different than the animal. Sanatana-dharma, or the eternal occupational duty of the soul, can never change, but in lower forms of life there is no expectation that the soul retain its cognizance of its obligations. This is similar to how we don’t expect children to work or have the correct viewpoint on important issues. There is a voting age restriction precisely for this reason. Not until maturity is reached can the human being be taken seriously in his opinions and thoughts.

Man’s curiosity is fully accounted for in the Vedas. The Vedas are full of nuance and complexities, with so many different branches of information. The root of the tree is Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the same God that everyone either worships, ignores, or denies exists. Since Vedic wisdom sprouts from Krishna, there is a variety of information presented, fruits of wisdom that can be used to further different purposes. Since the soul transcends every type of outward manifestation, however, it is a complete entity, one whose satisfaction can result in favorable conditions in any circumstance.

Vedic wisdom is summarized and presented in a beautiful song format in the Bhagavad-gita, which was delivered on the battlefield of Kurukshetra some five thousand years ago. In this wonderful work, Lord Krishna is the teacher and Arjuna the student. Sanjaya, the servant of the king Dhritarashtra, was the broadcaster, giving play by play of everything that was going down. The backdrop was a battlefield that was to see the war to end all wars, but the subject matter covered the full spectrum of philosophy and rational thought.

Right off the bat, Krishna started by describing the properties of the soul. This indicates that for any real discussion on the meaning of life to take place, familiarity with the soul’s constitutional position, its eternality, its inability to be killed, and its travels through different forms must be present. Otherwise, there will only be speculation about the place of the human being within the grander scheme. With speculation, there can never come an assertive conclusion that can be confidently followed. On the other hand, accepting Krishna’s information wholeheartedly not only removes hesitation, but it ensures that the proper path can be followed, one that has passed the necessary quality control tests.

“Arjuna said: I have heard Your instruction on confidential spiritual matters which You have so kindly delivered unto me, and my illusion is now dispelled.” (Bhagavad-gita, 11.1)

Okay, so why the different species? The soul is autonomous and blissful, but based on its desires it can be placed into different homes. Think of it as the soul wanting to travel to vacation spots. Not every person chooses the same destination for a vacation. Based on their desires and past experiences they will choose to relax at specific places each year. Similarly, the soul looking to imitate God lives in different bodies from life to life, experiencing material existence and swinging back and forth on the pendulum of acceptance and rejection.

When the amazing soul has tasted sufficient animal delights, it gets the best life in the human form of body. The reasons for this classification should be quite obvious. The human form allows for cognizance of the soul’s presence to emerge and thus also for a more tangible path in life to be followed. If the human being simply imitates the animals then he has not made any progression. On the other hand, if he takes to understanding God, studying His scriptures, chanting His names, worshiping His deity, immersing Himself in a life full of transcendental service that goes on uninterrupted and unmotivated, he tastes the sweet fruit of his existence. If not for transcendental love, what need is there to even be? Why should we exist if not for finding supreme pleasure that never dries out?

That sublime life is found only through bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. Just as Krishna is the root of all knowledge, devotion to Him is the root of all service. Every other type of engagement is a derivative of devotional service, with the target beneficiaries narrowing in scope and having but a partial reflection of Krishna’s transcendental energies. If devotion to Krishna is taken as the topmost engagement, the ray of spiritual sunshine remains bright within the heart, the temporary residence of the spirit soul. When basking in the soothing light of Krishna’s association, no amount of separation, temporary loss, frustration, or dejection can bring the devoted soul down from the transcendental plane of consciousness.

Even the information about the soul is meant to further the cause of devotion to Krishna. If we know that the soul can exist within any type of body, we will try to find out what leads to those shifts. In the Gita, Krishna reveals that whatever state of being one remembers at the time of death, that state they will attain without fail. This means that if we remember Krishna while quitting the body, we will get His association in the next life. Since He lives in the spiritual world, the departing soul gets a spiritual body, one with abilities more amazing than those of every body type combined. The Krishna consciousness needed at the time of death can only come from practicing devotion during one’s time on earth. The sober person accepting the authorized information directly descending from Krishna dedicates their time to bhakti-yoga, and especially to its quintessential act, the constant recitation of the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”.

“I see souls here; I see souls there; I see souls everywhere.” Because of the amazing ability of individual sparks of spirit to fly into different forms of body, we are never alone in our journey through life. The sparks come from the original fire that is Shri Krishna, so drifting too far away from the comforting light of the Truth is never beneficial. If in the advanced human form the mind can become convinced of the need for returning back home, back to Godhead, that reward will surely be granted. The Supreme Soul is never limited in His exhibition of powers. When He should choose to act on behalf of the devoted soul, nothing can stop His forces. Shri Krishna is there for whoever wants to be with Him; that choice just needs to be made known.

In Closing:

Spirit soul is completely amazing,

In so many species its presence sparkling.

Can take this information from authority,

Or can see by observing life attentively.

Regardless, information must be put to use,

Otherwise just mental effort producing no fruit.

Soul’s properties learned from Shri Krishna’s talk,

In Bhagavad-gita, outline for spiritual path did He chalk.

A lover of God is soul meant to be,

From material attachment it can be set free.

Follow the divine path, yoga in bhakti,

Liberated soul shows all that individual can be.

Soul’s most amazing feature is loving ability,

Find ideal match with Krishna, chant His name with sincerity.

My Only Wish

“Tulsidas humbly asks to have trust in Rama, to take strength in Rama, and to have complete faith in Rama’s holy name, the remembrance of which brings auspiciousness, well-being and fortunes.” (Dohavali, 38)

rāma bharoso rāma bala rāma nāma bisvāsa |
sumirata subha mangala kusala māngata tulasīdāsa ||

Goswami Tulsidas is such a famous poet, his works are so widely sung, honored, read and studied, that his works pique the interests of the full spectrum of philosophers, scholars and religionists. Some have their own ultimate conclusions about spirituality – their primary guiding force in life, that one wish which when fulfilled will ideally bring them peace of mind and tranquility – so they try to attach themselves to the famous Vaishnava poet, who is best known for his devotion to Rama. Others will try to cut him down, as he is the “top dog” when it comes to popularity and influence in bhakti literature. If his works can be discredited, or his doctrine shown to be invalid, then hopefully others will stop reading his books and singing his songs. But despite the external viewpoints, Tulsidas’ doctrine, his foremost desire, or underlying philosophy, remains quite simple and straightforward. In this very nice verse from his Dohavali, the poet makes his cherished wish perfectly clear, leaving no room for doubt as to his intentions or the primary influence to his devotional efforts.

How can the poet’s teachings be interpreted otherwise? The Vedas, which are the original spiritual tradition of India dating back since time immemorial, provide different roadmaps towards ultimate salvation, the emancipation of the soul. Though religions today are often associated with dogmas, sectarian principles and sentimentalist traditions, the process of genuine self-realization can be described in scientific terms. Therefore the original Vedas never touch on different factions, for the concept of “religion” is not even mentioned. At the heart of self-realization is dharma, or an occupational duty. Since this duty never changes, it is known as sanatana, which means “that which has no beginning and no end”. At its root, dharma is an essential characteristic, so it can apply to different areas of endeavor. For instance, a doctor’s dharma is his ability to heal the sick. Therefore, whatever steps he needs to take to ensure that he can maintain this characteristic also becomes his dharma. This is how the term “dharma” can also be used to describe occupational duties, which can then be codified into law codes, regulations or recommended rituals.

Though there are different characteristics depending on specific desire, time and circumstance, there is one trait that trumps all others. At the heart of individuality is the spirit soul, the atma. Irrespective of body type, if life is present, there must be spirit. If there is an instance of life, there must be a soul residing within the living body form. Depending on the type of encasing assumed, different external characteristics result. For instance, tigers are prone towards eating other animals, while cows can survive on just eating grass. These features are specific to the outer covering and not related to the soul in any way.

Irrespective of the form assumed, the soul’s primary characteristic remains that of a lover of God. This is a law of spiritual science that transcends religious systems and dogmatic traditions. Just as the laws of gravity operate equally on all objects, even if people don’t believe in them, the properties of the soul remain intact even if not a single person is cognizant of them. The system of religion, or regulative practice, that recharges the soul’s most dominant characteristic, that makes the spiritual loving propensity take over the particular life form, thus becomes the highest dharma, or that occupational duty which cannot ever change in effectiveness.

For the human being to reach the point of reawakening their essential characteristic, some effort and conviction are required. At the time of birth identification is taken solely from the particular body accepted and the relationship it has to parents, friends and relatives. Just as it takes education to be able to read, write, and do arithmetic, it takes training under a bona fide spiritual guide to become familiar with the laws of spiritual science and then put them to good use.

“The steadily devoted soul attains unadulterated peace because he offers the result of all activities to Me; whereas a person who is not in union with the Divine, who is greedy for the fruits of his labor, becomes entangled.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.12)

Though the specific practices implemented from a spiritual education can be many, the Vedas place them into three primary groups. One method is to follow fruitive activity and sacrifice the results to the object of worship, the Supreme Lord. The individual soul’s ultimate characteristic is to be a lover of God, and God’s position is to be loved. He too is spirit, but the quantitative presence of His features is much larger. He is the big soul, or Supersoul, while we are individual souls. In karma-yoga, the results of actions that normally benefit the body of the individual soul are sacrificed for the benefit of the Supreme Lord. Detachment steadily increases and the worker ideally realizes that their business is to serve God and no one else.

Another pathway towards attaining one’s dharma is jnana-yoga, wherein the individual learns about the different manifestations of matter and the properties of spirit. This discipline basically abstracts every type of activity. For instance, if we see one person playing baseball and another person playing soccer, we can abstract their activities into one category: playing sports. If we were to remove the nuance from every activity of the conditioned entities, we would learn that all material behavior is driven by an illusory energy known as maya. Maya is the agent that envelops the soul in delusion, keeping the foremost characteristic of the soul in a dormant state. The aim of jnana-yoga is to break through the illusion by understanding what is matter and what is spirit. As a result, the position of the Supreme Lord can be better understood.

Though there is another category of activity generally thrown into the mix, it is actually a combination of karma-yoga and jnana-yoga. Mystic meditation involves austerity and also concentration on the Absolute Truth. By remaining in particular sitting postures for long hours at a time and blocking out the influence of the senses, the soul coupled with the body can do many wonderful things. The ideal aim is still to break free of the conditioned mindset adopted at the time of birth.

The third pathway is actually the culmination of every other system of maintenance. Bhakti-yoga is all-inclusive, as yoga is meant to result in pure love for God. For those who are already on the platform of pure love for Godhead, there is no need to explicitly practice any other type of yoga. Goswami Tulsidas was a proponent of bhakti-yoga, as he was practicing it all the time. What’s so wonderful about loving God is that when you act out your love, you don’t even consider that you are doing yoga. Since it is the dharma of the soul to be a lover of God, when activities are driven by this characteristic, there is no consideration given to the type of engagement adopted or the meaning behind it. In the spiritual world, where the influence of maya is absent, there is no such thing as bhakti, karma, or jnana. Everyone loves God, so there is no divergent behavior that can introduce distinctions. Darkness is there when light is absent, but if we had constant full illumination, we could never properly understand darkness. Similarly, when there is only love for God, there is no consideration given to self-realization, matter, or spirit.

One of the favorite activities of the bhaktas, or devotees, is kirtana, which means “to glorify”. Kirtana can be performed by singing and chanting and also by writing. Tulsidas especially loved to write poems and songs about his beloved Lord Rama. The Vedas reveal that the Supreme Absolute Truth, the person most of us refer to as God, is a divine entity with spiritual forms, including an original one. Depending on the exact Vaishnava tradition followed, the original form of Godhead is taken to be Vishnu, Krishna, or Rama. Despite which one is taken as original, Lord Rama is a celebrated form of Godhead, who is loved and adored by millions. Since the incarnation, or personal expansion, is non-different from the person it expanded from, it can be worshiped just the same. Tulsidas doesn’t look at anyone as God except Shri Rama, as that is the example set by Hanuman, one of Rama’s dearest friends who had the wonderful opportunity to take up service to the Lord directly in His company many thousands of years ago.

In his glorification, Tulsidas touches on many subjects, as one of the byproducts of practicing bhakti properly is that you gain full knowledge of other systems of religion. Any occupational duty that is not rooted in love for God will be based on a personal desire of the practicing individual. Yet even the conditioned souls, those who are not aware of their true dharma, have their wishes granted by the forces of nature, which are instituted by the Supreme Lord. This means that our current body was shaped based on the reactions of our past work, which was driven by our desires.

Tulsidas knows that the Lord grants the wishes of those who have no desire to serve Him. If even the people driven by desires in karma, or fruitive activity, get the benefits or punishments that are due them, we can just imagine how much more seriously the desires of the devotees are taken. Tulsidas was very famous during his time, as his Ramacharitamanasa poem was regularly recited throughout India. The original accounts of Lord Rama’s life and pastimes are found in the Ramayana, which was written by Maharishi Valmiki during the Treta Yuga, the second time period of creation. As we now live in the Kali Yuga, the fourth and final age, much time has passed since the original Sanskrit poem of Valmiki was crafted. Tulsidas therefore decided that to benefit both himself and the society around him, he would sing the glories of Shri Rama in a language that was easier to understand, one especially applying to those who didn’t know Sanskrit. The purpose of kirtana is to glorify, and the result is that more people learn about God and devotion to Him.

Just based off the time and effort he expended in writing and spreading the glories of Rama, Tulsidas was deserving of whatever he wanted. The poet was well aware of this, as every species gets the type of body that is commensurate with their actions. In the above referenced verse from the Dohavali, Tulsidas makes his desires well known, leaving no room for interpretation or misunderstanding. Those claiming that the poet was an impersonalist focused on studying Brahman are discredited by this verse, as are those who try to portray Tulsidas as anything but a pure lover of God. Through these three requests, the poet not only reveals his most confidential desires, but he also shows us the power of the holy name and the person it addresses.

Tulsidas asks not for eternal fame, wealth, a permanent home in the spiritual sky, freedom from the pangs of material existence, or even supreme knowledge. He asks to have reliance on the Lord. Depending on the dharma adopted, different people or objects will be relied upon. For instance, the athlete relies on the food he eats, the exercise machines he uses to train, and the person training him. The politician relies most on the votes of the public, for without popular support he cannot maintain his identity as a sitting political officeholder. The wife relies on the husband, the husband on the employer, the employer on the consumer, the consumer on the government, and so on. Everyone is relying on someone, as service is the spark of every activity. In spite of this reliance accepted in so many different ventures, Tulsidas asks to only hold on to Shri Rama as his giver of life.

The poet also asks that Shri Rama be his strength. Again, depending on the body type, different objects serve as fuel. The strength for the tiger is the animal flesh that it eats. For the teacher, his strength is the knowledge he acquires, for without it he couldn’t teach others. The source of strength is what sustains us, so by asking that Rama, through His name, be his only strength, Tulsidas doesn’t want to ever consider anything else as being the source of his existence, his reason for living. He wants that if he has to live, the source of his life breath, what gets him out of bed every morning, should be Rama and His name.

“But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 4.40)

The poet also asks to have full faith in the name of Rama. Having faith in someone means that you trust them to deliver what they promise. Since Rama will be his reliance and his strength, Tulsidas wants that he have firm faith in his surrendering to God. Full surrender actually cannot happen without faith, for if we have doubts, the level of satisfaction received and the benedictions provided by the bhakti process will be checked. Indeed, the level of the resulting satisfaction is linearly related to the degree of surrender accepted by the devotee. Having faith in Rama’s name is also a very nice gesture on the worshiper’s part, as it shows that the promises made by the Lord and the prescriptions presented by both Him and His followers are accepted without reservation.

Though he didn’t need to add this part, Tulsidas mentions just why anyone would want the three things he has asked for. Remembering the name of Rama brings all auspiciousness, well-being and fortunes. Those who regularly recite the holy names of the Lord, such as those found in the sacred maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, are never losers. How can someone who is in contact with the Supreme Soul, the person to whom the individual soul is naturally attached, ever be bereft of anything? The poor man is he who has no knowledge of the holy name and the benefits it brings to those who recite it.

The holy name of Rama transcends the boundaries of thought and endeavor because it is a direct representation of the Supreme Lord. We may chant the name of our beloved or the name of a particular object, but doing so will not bring us their association. But since God is absolute, His name is as powerful as His personal presence. This secret was well known to Tulsidas, and since he was deserving of so much, he made sure to ask his beloved Rama for the only worthwhile benediction. Just as the poet’s wish was to only have reliance on the holy name, our wish is to only have faith, reliance and strength in the poet’s wonderful works, for through them the power of bhakti and the benevolence of its beneficiary are revealed.

In Closing:

For three simple things are all he is asking,

Tulsidas the poet, Rama he is beseeching,

To have faith in the Lord’s holy name and in Rama trust,

Have strength in Rama, who makes even the weak robust.

Poet so popular that his influence so strong,

That others present theories of him that are wrong.

His real take on life is given for all to see,

Divine love is real business, of bhakti he is trustee.

Paths towards salvation Vedas do give many,

But bhakti is complete, equal it does not have any.

Follow full faith in Rama’s name, in it have no doubt,

From reciting it, Rama’s qualities in mind do sprout.

The holy name brings fortune and auspiciousness,

Well-being too, relief from constant sadness.

To bhakti principles give full compliance,

And in Rama’s holy name have full reliance.

Healing Pacification

“When the Lord was on the lap of His mother, He would at once stop crying as soon as the ladies surrounding Him chanted the holy names and clapped their hands. This peculiar incident was observed by the neighbors with awe and veneration.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, Introduction)

Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Krishna Himself in the humble guise of a sannyasi, a mendicant who seemingly has no other source of sustenance than the bhiksha, or alms, offered by the householders, throughout His life revealed how both He and Lord Krishna, the selfsame person, can be pleased. When you are God, it is impossible to completely hide your features and divine personality. Therefore, when the good Lord advents, His features are discernable from the time of appearance to the time of disappearance. As Lord Chaitanya’s primary mission was to preach the glories of Shri Krishna as found in the Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam, His preaching efforts started from His childhood. Normally we wouldn’t think of a child as capable of cajoling others into finding enlightenment, but through something as simple as crying, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu replicated the Vaikuntha atmosphere in a second.

What is Vaikuntha? An area free of anxiety is the definition of the word, but the proper noun specifically refers to the spiritual land inhabited by the personal form of the Lord. God is one, but depending on how His mercy is viewed and utilized, the understanding from the target individual’s perspective can vary. At the very bottom of the ladder of understanding, there is no direct perception of God. Rather, the results of spiritual action are taken to be the causes themselves. For instance, we’ll see the sun rising and setting and the clouds pouring rain down onto land and take such forces to be the beginning and end. Or worse, we’ll think that we can manipulate these gifts of nature to increase our own position. Once a satisfactory ascendency is reached, we’ll declare ourselves to be supreme.

This practice is akin to a child accumulating allowance money provided by the parents and then claiming to be wealthier than others. How can there be superiority when there is full reliance on objects that we are not responsible for? The child’s mindset is clouded; their understanding of things is based on how the energies of the parents are reflected in their lives. Similarly, the grossly foolish individual lacking any tangible information about God takes the reflection of the Lord’s energies manifesting in the workings of nature to be the causes themselves, which can then hopefully be manipulated by the persons affected.

On a slightly higher platform, the individual starts to understand that the outcome of events is out of their control. We may want to play outside today or have a picnic in the park, but if the weather doesn’t cooperate, no amount of human effort can change the reality. Therefore there is full reliance on movements that cannot be control. As more sobriety in thought is introduced, the existence of God is realized. “There must be a higher power who understands the complexities of life. He must know what is good for everyone and what everyone should be doing.”

Again, this understanding comes from how the reflection of God’s potencies are realized. In this understanding there is no knowledge of the Personality of Godhead, nor what He looks like, nor what His relationship to the living entities is. With the Vedas, the authorized scriptural tradition emanating from India, there is much more evidence provided about God and His energies. In the Vedas the potency of the Supreme Spirit is reflected almost completely, without any degradation in signal. If we relay a specific network connection across many hops, there will be a delay and an increased chance of packet loss. This is why if we’re connecting to a website hosted across the globe, there is increased latency in the connection.

Similarly, with every diffusion of spiritual energy there is a loss in information clarity. This doesn’t point to a defect in the originator, but rather in the receiver. With Vedic wisdom, which has been passed down by notable souls through their teachings and sense perceptions documented in sacred texts, as much information about God that the human being can comprehend is available. We learn that in His original form, God is a personality just like us, except that His features have a brilliance that is incomprehensible. He is the richest, wisest, most famous, strongest, most beautiful and the most renounced. Since He possesses these features simultaneously, He is known as Bhagavan. Since He is all-attractive, he is also known as Krishna.

Krishna resides in Goloka Vrindavana, which is part of the Vaikuntha planetary system. Along with Krishna, there are His immediate Vishnu expansions, which are non-different from the Lord. These different manifestations reside in the uppermost planetary system along with exalted liberated associates, whose only desire is to interact personally with the Lord. In Vaikuntha all speech is transmitted in song and all movement in dance. What need is there for inhibition? When conveying thoughts and ideas, poetry put into music is the best way to communicate effectively. As brevity is the soul of wit, the shortest amount of words used to relay an idea or emotion, the better the effect the message will have. Similarly, if there is reckless abandon in emotion, no feelings of being trapped, the body will want to dance. What better place to show off your stuff than in the spiritual land free of the miseries borne of material contact?

In Vaikuntha, the dancing and singing are done for God’s pleasure. As the root cause of the creation, if Krishna is pleased then so are the different branches He nourishes. As we are part and parcel of that tree of existence, by pleasing Krishna we find pleasure ourselves. This fact can only be known to those who accept the most complete reflection of Krishna’s potencies. To remove the cloud of nescience and show how to properly align the rays of spiritual light shining down upon us, the Lord sends His authorized representatives to come and instruct the masses. In the most special circumstances, He comes Himself.

“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)

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s advent was one of those special occasions. In previous eras, Krishna came to deal with miscreants and evil elements. The saintly class of men will always be around in society, though their level of prominence may vary. Even if the saints are well represented, there will always be evil elements looking to diminish their influence. If the saintly class faces too much harassment, Krishna comes to the scene to do away with the inhibitors. By providing such protection, the principles of real religion are maintained.

Lord Chaitanya was a little different in this regard, as He didn’t come to specifically punish anyone. Rather, His mission was to reveal to everyone how to best please Krishna, which would simultaneously give them pleasure. Ironically enough, He started this preaching from the time of His birth. Appearing in Navadvipa some five hundred years ago, Lord Chaitanya was known as Nimai in His youth. When a child is born, there is extra attention given, especially from the caretakers, relatives, and friends of the parents. Nimai’s birth was no different in this regard. Everyone loved to gaze at His wonderful beauty, for His golden complexion was enchanting.

While there is the benefit of seeing a new child and admiring their innocence, there is also the nuisance of having to deal with their crying. There is no asking a child what they want or why they are distressed. Rather, it is up to the caretakers to decipher the cause of the child’s distress based on outward symptoms. Taking full advantage of this system, Mahaprabhu would purposefully cry on cue, at just the right times. The elderly women obviously did not like to hear Him cry, so they tried all sorts of methods to pacify Him. Finally, after enough trial and error, they figured out that the boy would only stop crying as soon as He heard the names of Hari sung.

The word hari can mean “lion”, “monkey”, or “one who removes distresses”. It is one of Krishna’s most famous names because of His ability to remove distresses from His devotees. Lord Chaitanya and His associates, like His elder spiritual brother Lord Nityananda, would make the exclamation, “Haribol”, famous through their preaching. This simple expression begs others to chant the names of Hari, just as the mothers caring for young Nimai did.

Lord Chaitanya is so merciful that even if we are not inclined to say “Hari”, he will find a way for us to repeat it nonetheless. In this way there is no questioning His benevolence or His divine nature as Shri Krishna Himself. It should be noted that Lord Chaitanya did not preach Vedanta philosophy, meditational yoga, or how to become successful in fruitive activity with detachment. God can eventually be reached through these avenues, but the roads are very difficult, full of distractions in addition to being very long. As God is the supreme sunshine, His mercy is distributed to all. Therefore the method of self-realization that can be accepted by the most number of people is the one that most directly corresponds with the Lord, the one that represents the most complete reflection of the spiritual energy.

Since chanting the sacred maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, is open to the most number of people to take up, it is the most potent religious practice. The maha-mantra is Krishna Himself; therefore Lord Chaitanya especially preached on the strength of it, begging others to recite the names of Krishna, who is the same Hari. That an infant can be pacified by hearing the names of the Lord is unique, especially considering that a typical human birth means that there was, at some point in the past, an aversion to divine love, or bhakti-yoga. It takes much cajoling to get our children to clean their room, do their homework, or go to sleep on time. Just imagine, then, how much effort is required to get them to have any sincerity in religious life. And here was a young child who would only stop crying when He heard others following a religious practice.

For His behavior, for His characteristics, for His ability to be pleased only by hearing Krishna’s names, Lord Chaitanya garnered respect right from the time of His birth. He would go on to spread the glories of Krishna-kirtana throughout India. The best way to honor Him is to regularly chant Krishna’s names in the same way that the residents of Navadvipa did in His youth. Lord Chaitanya begs everyone to find their constitutional position as servant of God. He sheds tears of sadness seeing the condition of the fallen souls in the Kali Yuga, and He bursts with affection when He sees anyone sincerely singing the glories of the beloved Hari.

The same environment that was found in Mahaprabhu’s youth can be created anywhere in the world. The temple exists for this very purpose. See the deity, sing a few songs, eat Krishna prasadam, and then always remember God and His glories. Indeed, everything in the temple is prasadam, or the Lord’s mercy, but the food offered to the deity and sanctified through His spiritual glance is the prasadam that is pleasing to the tongue. The sounds of Krishna’s name being melodiously sung are palatable to the ears, and the deity’s beautiful form is the reward for the eyes. The devotee fully immersed in bhakti is for Mahaprabhu’s delight, and since He is Krishna Himself, His pleasure will lead to our benefit as well.

In Closing:

Mahaprabhu grabs attention when He cries,

To make everyone chant names of Krishna He tries.

Started preaching from the time of His birth,

Most benevolent form of God to descend to earth.

To follow full devotion in bhakti we are hesitant,

To abandon attachment to vice we are reluctant.

In age of Kali, many concessions are made,

In march towards salvation we are given aid.

From preachers like Shri Shri Nimai and Nitai,

Who saved even worst sinners like Jagai and Madhai.

By chanting names of Hari, Mahaprabhu is pleased,

Cures ailments of one who is materially diseased.

Lord Chaitanya preached real religion from start to finish,

Stayed true to His mission, never did His efforts diminish.

We can honor Him by following bhakti ecstatically,

Residence in Vaikuntha we’ll earn automatically.

Measure of Devotion

“(Hanuman did not see Sita) who was aggrieved over the separation from her husband, whose throat was choked up with tears, whose neck was adorned with the most valuable golden jewelry, who had lovely eyelashes, who had a sweet voice, and was like a peahen dancing in the forest (when with her husband). (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 5.25)

uṣṇārditām sānusṛtāsrakaṇṭhīm |
purā varārhottamaniṣkakaṇṭhīm |
sujātapakśmāmabhiraktakaṇṭhīm |
vane’pranṛttāmiva nīlakaṇṭhīm ||

Just hearing of Sita Devi’s intense anguish resulting from separation from her dear Lord – the master of the devotees, the most powerful entity known in the world, the person whom yogis, ascetics, fruitive workers and sense enjoyers are searching after, Lord Rama – is enough to put a pleasantly situated mind into a similarly distressful condition. Who gains pleasure from seeing others suffer? One would have to be rather miserly and cruel-hearted to enjoy watching others in pain. With Sita Devi, however, just hearing of her torments becomes a source of great strength, a humbling vision to keep the wayward spirit soul bewildered by the temporary ups and downs of material life moving forward in the progressive march towards eternal freedom, the kind that allows for free range of movement without any harmful side effects. Anyone who remembers Sita, her qualities, and the pain she felt from being separated from Rama will always have a place waiting for them in the spiritual sky once their present life is over.

“Since he was childless, and due to affection for me, he placed me on his lap and said, ‘This is my child.’ Thus he developed feelings of love and affection for me.” (Sita Devi speaking to Anasuya, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 118.30)

Who is Sita? Why was her suffering any more important than anyone else’s? In her appearance on earth, Sita was a princess, the eldest daughter of King Janaka of Mithila. The pious ruler found her one day while ploughing a field, so she was technically his adopted daughter. Though Janaka was known as videha for having transcended the effects of the senses, he felt a thrill throughout his body on that fateful day when he found his first daughter. The atmarama spiritualist can be likened to a person whose hunger has been satisfied after eating nicely. If a succulent dish is placed in front of a hungry man, he will enjoy the meal both before and during. Right before eating there is the anticipation, with the taste buds starting to water. Then during eating is when the potential for enjoyment gets realized. Afterwards, however, if the same dish is presented again, the reaction of the target individual will not be the same. This time he is full, so there is no desire to eat again. Regardless of the nature of the dish, even if it is the same exact composition having an identical appearance, the eater cannot be influenced to indulge.

For transcendentalists on the brahma-bhutah platform, there is no hankering or lamenting. There is no excitement over the temporary gains and losses encountered by every person. Since Janaka felt such exhilaration upon finding a small baby girl in the field, we can understand that she must have been someone above the three modes of nature, a divine figure capable of thrilling anyone who thinks of her in the proper mood just once. Janaka was enjoying the bliss of brahmananda, but the feelings of elation felt when gaining Sita as a daughter far surpassed any happiness that comes from the absence of material suffering.

Sita’s wonderful effect on people would continue into her adult life, as she would be married to the prince of the Raghu dynasty, Lord Rama. As an incarnation of Godhead, Shri Ramachandra similarly has a transcendentally pleasing influence on those He meets. The most beautiful woman and the most beautiful man were united in holy matrimony in Janaka’s kingdom. After returning to Rama’s home of Ayodhya, the two lived happily there for twelve years. By happily, we mean that they truly enjoyed each other’s company. During the specific time period, the Treta Yuga, adherence to dharma was quite high. The wives married in Vedic ceremonies were very respectful of their husbands, treating them as their primary deities. With Sita, this deference was at the highest level, as she even treated her three mother-in-laws as her own mother. But more than just a respectful wife, Sita was the source of the greatest pleasure for Rama. She was dedicated to her husband because she knew her company made Him happy. In this way she proved to be the kindest person in the world, as she had not a selfish bone in her body.

As with any beautiful woman, she was highly sought after prior to her marriage. Even after living with Rama for so long, the nefarious elements of the world were still captivated by her beauty to the point that they desired her. Ravana, the king of the Rakshasa community in Lanka, was especially intent on having Rama’s wife, for he had heard of her beauty from his associates. Successfully hatching a scheme to take Sita away while Rama wasn’t looking, Ravana brought the princess back to Lanka with him. Thinking that he could win her over with his opulence and sweet words, Ravana was very excited to have Sita with him.

Devotion is put to the test when there is separation. In the company of her beloved, Sita had no reason not to please Rama or think about Him at all times. But now faced with the punishment of death should she not submit, Sita’s chastity and dedication to the path of dharma would have to withstand the severest test. We know from the Vedic scriptures, including the Ramayana, the poem which gives the most details about the lives of Sita and Rama, that the princess of Videha is really a divine figure in her own right, an incarnation of the goddess of fortune, Lakshmi. Therefore by constitution Sita was dedicated to God, who had appeared in this instance on earth as Lord Rama. Hence there was no chance for Ravana to ever get Sita to agree to his proposals.

“Loving attachment for Me is entirely absorbed in Vaidehi, and loving attachment for Sita is well absorbed in Me.” (Lord Rama speaking to Lakshmana, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 1.52)

Hearing of Sita and Rama’s time spent together in Ayodhya and the forests during Rama’s exile period warms the heart. Rama especially loved the spring season, as the flowers and the sweet aroma would increase His loving feelings for His wife, and vice versa. They were always in each other’s company, and most importantly, constantly in each other’s thoughts. When Sita was separated from Rama and forced to stay in the kingdom of Lanka, this connection in consciousness would not break. If anything, it would be further solidified. Nothing could break Sita’s concentration on the thoughts, activities, qualities and pastimes of her dear husband.

Hearing of Sita’s plight while in Lanka and remembering her wonderful devotional qualities are effective ways of remaining on the straightened path. The living entities, the spirit souls roaming the earth in varieties of species, are also linked to God in consciousness. It is the very constitutional position of the essence of individuality, the spirit soul, to be a lover of God. This property is revealed in every activity, as the end goal of action is a pleasurable condition. We see that the highest pleasures, the most cherished conclusions to action, result from service, either to one’s country, community, spouse, child, employer, or any other person.

When the service is first directed at the only person worthy of accepting it, the other pieces fall into place. Those who love God purely can survive through any and all situations, as Sita Devi was case in point. Therefore the Vedic seers, the spiritual masters charged with disseminating the highest truths of life to anyone sincerely interested in hearing them, recommend that we keep our consciousness always purified and connected to the spiritual world by chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”.

Life is full of frustration because there is failure encountered at every step. Even if we succeed in our stated objectives, the pleasure derived does not last very long. If we repeat the pattern of material action enough, pretty soon the initial enthusiasm for the endeavor, the will to live, gets lost. When God and His devotees are remembered, however, the impetus for action can remain in an active state. The fire in the belly that gets the living entity out of bed in the morning and focused on the higher cause of pleasing God can remain lit.

Not even the divine workers are immune to the forces of frustration and doubt. When Sita was taken to Lanka, Rama enlisted the help of a band of forest dwellers residing in Kishkindha. Their best warrior also happened to be the one most devoted to Rama by nature. Known by the name of Hanuman, this brave emissary made his way into Lanka to find Sita and return information of her whereabouts to Rama. Though he had every divine quality in his arsenal just ready to be used, what really fueled his activity was his deep and intense love for Rama. There is no greater servant in any world than Shri Hanuman, and there is no one more dedicated to loving Sita and Rama than he.

When he first searched through Lanka’s streets, Hanuman could not find Sita. Rather, he saw every other type of man and woman. The very diversity witnessed in a big city was seen by Hanuman firsthand. He saw some women who were happy and some who were sighing in anger. Some men were beautiful in appearance, and some were hideous looking. Though he saw many things and people, he had yet to find Sita. Thus he became a little dejected, for the stated objective of the mission was not being met.

In the above referenced verse from the Ramayana, some of Sita’s primary qualities are enumerated. This is done to both contrast her from the women Hanuman had seen and serve as a source of inspiration and delight for both the reader and Hanumanji. We see that Sita was oppressed with the grief borne of separation from Rama. None of the women seen thus far could have been Sita because they didn’t show signs of suffering from lack of association with their husband. Sita’s separation pain would also be more intense than anyone else’s because of the nature of her husband. Though Sita’s suffering was a source of pain for her, remembering this level of devotion can only prove beneficial for the souls wandering in vain search of an engagement that provides lasting happiness.

Sita’s throat would also be choked with the tears incessantly flowing. Men have a difficult time dealing with a crying woman, as the intense outpouring of emotion puts the man in an awkward position. “What do I say? How should I act? Do I give her a hug? Do I tell her everything is going to be alright? How can I get her to stop crying?” When there is slight choking due to the intensity of the tears, the panic feeling in the onlooking man increases even more. With Sita, however, just hearing of her tremendous pain brings delight to the heart. No one loves Rama more than Sita does, and her tears are proof of this. Anyone who is fortunate enough to cry tears borne of separation from God should understand that they have situated themselves on a high platform of consciousness. And anyone who can regularly remember Sita’s apparently pitiful situation will similarly be benefitted in their spiritual pursuits. There is no better way to make advancement in consciousness than by being humbled by the selfless and sterling displays of devotion of those who are already in love with God.

Sita, as a princess, was accustomed to wearing a valuable golden necklace, but now that same neck would be afflicted by the tremendous outpouring of tears. This would be how Hanuman would recognize her, for if a woman wasn’t incessantly crying over separation from Rama, she couldn’t have been His wife living in Lanka. Sita also had delicate eyelashes and a beautiful voice. Her speech could melt anyone’s heart, including her husband’s. It is also said that she was like a peahen who was accustomed to roaming the forests with her mate, dancing delightfully to stir his passions. These comparisons are all made to show just how natural and untainted the love between Sita and Rama was.

Remembering Sita Devi’s qualities kept Hanuman going in his mission. He had not met the princess up to this point, but he had heard of her nature. Since she was so dear to Rama, she was very dear to Hanuman as well. We’d be hard pressed to find a more distressing situation than the one faced by Sita. Her dedication to her husband when no one was looking showed just how wonderful she is and how she is forever worthy of our worship and adoration. Those who remember her divine qualities, her heartfelt emotions exhibited when separated from Rama, and Hanuman’s eagerness to find her and allay her fears will have a much easier time getting through the rigors of life. When the mind remains focused in a divine trance of love solidified through hearing the wonderful qualities of Sita and Hanuman, there will be every chance of reaching the supreme destination.

In Closing:

In her throat there is flood of many tears,

Which raises sympathy in anyone who hears.

Will she ever see her dear husband again?

Will she again show her love for Him like a dancing peahen?

Sita, the princess of Videha, was Rama’s wife,

But she was alone in Lanka, fearing for her life.

Hanuman went to go find her, Rama’s news to bring,

But couldn’t find Sita, of sweetest voice that can sing.

He saw all sorts of men and women in Lanka,

But not she of lovely lashes, Janaka’s daughter Sita.

A golden necklace around her neck she wore,

Pain of separation from Rama she bore.

When apart from husband’s company devotion put to the test,

Sita was emblem of love for Rama, stood above all the rest.

To find a more distressing situation we would be hard pressed,

Remembering her and Hanuman, issues in life addressed.

Meeting Minutes

“People can hold meetings to glorify the Lord in their respective languages and with melodious songs, and if such performances are executed in an offenseless manner, it is certain that the participants will gradually attain spiritual perfection without having to undergo more rigorous methods.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, Introduction)

In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the Kali Yuga, man is generally unfortunate, short-lived, and always under duress. Stress does not even have to be a bad thing, for anxiety, ulcers and constant pain and worry are much bigger problems than ordinary stress. To find relief from the struggles encountered daily, one need not look further than the heavens, the upper planetary realm where the Supreme Lord and the divine figures reside. From His causeless mercy, God makes the processes most effective at allowing others to know Him also the most readily available. This is a simple principle that should never be forgotten. The more difficulty there is in a religious practice, the further it is away from the constitutional position of the soul. Since the name, forms, pastimes and glories of the Supreme Being are what the spirit souls roaming the land of earth are meant to immerse their minds in, something as simple as an assembly held to discuss these aspects can provide full enlightenment. Eternal happiness can come about as quickly as attending a meeting and hearing what is discussed.

Why are we short-lived in the Kali Yuga? What is a yuga anyway? The Vedas are the ancient scriptures of India, and rather than be taken as a sectarian treatise targeted for a select few individuals, the correct viewpoint is to understand that the Vedas are all-inclusive; they are meant to be heard and understood by every class of men, from every type of background. We know that there must have been a point in time when the earth was created, for that is how objects around us come into being. Indeed, our current body was the result of past work performed, growth and development cycles that started before we even had the ability to remember things. We know from the authority of our parents that we existed within the womb for nine months and then finally emerged into a land unknown to us.

Just as the bodies of the living entities come into existence, so the entire cosmic manifestation goes through cycles of creation and destruction. It is said that Lord Vishnu, the four-armed form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, exhales just once to create the many universes. And when He inhales, everything gets destroyed. As time and space represent the limits to our understanding, they do not apply to the Supreme Lord or to the divine energy in general. Therefore there is actually not just one creation, as that would put God’s abilities under the jurisdiction of time. Rather, this world and other worlds go through cycles of creation, millennia of manifestations if you will. Each creation has an allotted time of existence, and to further understand the conditions in society and how to cope in it, there are divisions to this one time period, which is known as a yuga, or maha-yuga.

“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, Bhagavad-gita, 9.8)

The Kali Yuga is the last of the four divisions, and it is marked by the tenuous standing of dharma. Religiosity, piety, righteousness, or occupational duties – these are the many ways to translate dharma, though the word itself relates to an essential characteristic. As time goes by, man’s fealty to dharma, the established codes of conduct passed down by the authority figures, dwindles. In the Kali Yuga, dharma stands as a table with only one leg, with the other three wiped out in favor of vice, sin and overall debauchery.

The allure of sinful activity is that it will somehow bring happiness. “Just eat a little bit more. Just have some more beer. Just cheat on your wife this one time. Just make one more wager and then you’ll be satisfied.” Obviously, these temptations aren’t so fast to go away. By giving in to them what results is a loss of peace of mind and rationale. In a society where sinful behavior is rampant, there will not be any happiness. What’s even worse is that the symptoms will not be properly understood; recognizing them will not lead to a proper identification of the problem.

That adherence to dharma should diminish over time is not that surprising. In America, deference to pious behavior in society was much higher than it is today as recently as fifty years ago. In many communities, there was rampant poverty, also much worse than it is today, but since the families were more centered on religious life, the children had morals instilled in them. Hard work, discipline, respect for life and other values remained even in the harshest of conditions. As that adherence to piety gradually diminished, however, so did man’s ability to interact with his fellow man. Hence the Kali Yuga is known for quarrels erupting over the most trivial things. Cut someone off on the highway and you could trigger a meltdown from the other driver. Wear a jersey of a sports team that someone else doesn’t like and you can get beaten up if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So, what can be done to fix the problem? The holy names of the Lord, especially those found in the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, are meant to deliver the fallen people of this age. How can these names be disseminated, and who will be willing to accept them, especially given man’s affinity for sinful life? The best way to spread the holy names is through congregational chanting, wherein groups of devoted individuals chant the sacred mantras in a call-and-response fashion. Bring the holy name to the masses and you will have a revolution in thought and behavior.

As people don’t like to be bothered in the street, another effective way to spread the glories of the Supreme Lord that everyone is inclined to worship is to hold meetings, public gatherings where discourses on Krishna philosophy, or bhakti-yoga, can take place. Krishna is the complete manifestation of the Supreme Lord. Shri Krishna is fully opulent, all-powerful, and has a transcendental sweetness that is unique. With karma, the expectation is to have a nice reward, a fruit at the end that tastes sweet. Since Krishna is the reservoir of all sweetness, there can be no tastier fruit than His constant association. The public assembly discussing Krishna’s nature, pastimes and teachings can bring that delight to a large number of people.

Why would people be interested in attending such gatherings? It is seen that there is already the tendency to congregate. The church is the weekly gathering place for the religiously inclined, and the bars and nightclubs the places to go to for fun and enjoyment. If these places don’t fancy you, then there are the coffee shops and restaurants. Irrespective of the nature of the place, the fatigued worker looking for relaxation enjoys getting out of the house and spending some time out in public with other people.

The Vaishnava gathering, the assembly where Krishna is talked about, provides the best of all worlds. The dedication to religion found in the church is present when discussing Krishna. In fact, the interaction is quite unique, as the verses from the sacred texts like the Bhagavad-gita, Shrimad Bhagavatam and Ramayana that are discussed can be studied over and over again, day after day, with new revelations revealed along the way. The more one practices bhakti-yoga and the more they hear about Krishna, the more the covering of nescience enveloping their soul comes off. Every individual life form is fully intelligent; we just don’t notice this because of the covering of maya. Even the ant is cognizant of Krishna’s status as the Supreme Lord, but due to past karma and the resultant reactions, the ant is in a form of body not conducive to acting upon the natural love felt within the heart for God.

The friendly atmosphere of the night club is also there in the Krishna gathering, except that there is no need for darkness. For the night club experience to be enjoyed, there must be intoxication. The music is so loud and the lighting so dim that the patrons really have nothing else to do except drink. If the lights were on bright and everyone could hear each other talk, what need would there be for inebriation? With the Krishna gathering, full sobriety is a prerequisite for understanding the truths of life espoused in the sacred texts. Moreover, the congregational chanting that takes place brings bliss and happiness to those who are not distracted in mind.

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water, I will accept it.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 9.26)

The sumptuous food available in the restaurants can also be found in the Krishna gathering. Part of the typical worship program involves the offering of food to the deity of the Supreme Lord. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita that if anyone offers Krishna a leaf, flower, fruit or water, He will gladly accept it. This means that God cannot be invisible or formless. Moreover, He is a personality with arms, legs, ears and a mouth. He is different, however, in that His features are not limited. He is all-pervading and simultaneously situated in the spiritual sky of Goloka Vrindavana, so He can hear every prayer offered to Him and enjoy every tasty prasadam dish presented in a mood of love and devotion.

The offered food gets returned to the worshiper in a sanctified form, becoming prasadam, or the Lord’s mercy. This food is then distributed to the guests at the assembly. In this way there is a very simple formula for gaining enlightenment, happiness and a worthwhile occupation of free time. No matter what the person’s background, this simple formula can be followed. Chant a few mantras, listen to topics about Krishna, and eat prasadam. Who could be against this? The more these programs are done, the more they get repeated. In fact, people can follow the same formula in their homes, inviting their friends and family over for a night of Krishna-related fun. Why worship once a week when you can meditate on Krishna every day? Why just enjoy the restaurant food when you can taste Krishna’s mercy all the time? Why suffer the ill effects of intoxication when you can enjoy Krishna’s sweetness in full sobriety?

Though the sacred Vedic texts were composed in Sanskrit and its derivative languages, these gatherings need not be limited to a particular language. Across any land, amongst any group of people, the same subject matter can be discussed. This is what it means to be transcendental. Krishna is God for everyone, not just for the Hindus. Any type of food in the mode of goodness prepared even to the local style can be accepted by Krishna, for the Lord doesn’t just listen to the prayers of those residing in India. The gopis of Vrindavana always thought of Krishna when the Lord left for Mathura and Dvaraka. Were they bereft of His company? Did Krishna forget them? Did He not hear every single one of their prayers offered from many miles away? Krishna was always with them, even though physically He may have been many miles away.

Simply attending these assemblies on a regular basis can provide all perfection, without having to make any extraneous endeavor. No need to travel to the Himalayas, starve yourself for weeks on end, or quit your job and live as a mendicant. Other methods of spiritual life can certainly help, provided that the aim is genuine and authorized, but just following behavior that we are already accustomed to and prefer can bring the desired benefits. The key to the assembly, or any activity in bhakti for that matter, is the holy name. The aim of the gathering is to spread Krishna’s transcendental sound vibrations in a palatable way, in a manner that can be accepted, understood, and relished by every one of the participants. This way everyone can go home and eagerly anticipate the next meeting, the next time they will get to hear about their beloved Krishna.

In Closing:

To hear at meeting place should everyone gather,

About Him who has in His hair peacock’s feather.

The delight of Vrindavana, of Yadu’s fame,

Complete form of Godhead, Krishna is His name.

Gathering place you already prefer to go to,

Why not meet to discuss He of bluish hue?

Don’t need to quit your job or to the mountains run,

Chant Krishna’s names together and enjoy the fun.

In the present age of Kali man is unfortunate,

Forces of sin upon mankind do conglomerate.

No other way for salvation except chanting,

The holy names of the Lord, never forgetting.

Visit the Vaishnava assembly and the truth learn,

Invite people to the home and spiritual merits earn.

To the deity of Shri Krishna offer food in goodness,

Distribute prasadam, happily relish the sweetness.

A Suitable Habitat

“There are an infinite number of living beings, both moving and nonmoving, who have many different abodes, with some residing in the earth, some in the sky, and some in the water. But O helpless Tulsi, for you Shri Rama’s holy name is your only home.” (Dohavali, 37)

jala thala nabha gati amita ati aga jaga jīva aneka |
tulasī to se dīna kaham̐ rāma nāma gati eka ||

“What do you want my son? Ask for anything and I will give it to you?” Imagine being graced with such a benediction. If we met God, the Supreme Person, that individual whom we know is capable of delivering anything and protecting us from the worst fears and most distressing situations, face to face, what would we say to Him? What if somehow or other we managed to please Him through an act of charity, penance or sacrifice? What if He came and asked us to reveal to Him what we really wanted? What would our answer be? From the study of the nature around us, we have visual evidence that the answers are not always the same. Rather, they are just the opposite of uniform. There are millions of different answers, which result in placement in millions of different places. One poet in particular, however, knows that if we recite a sacred sound vibration over and over again, the result will be residence in a singular destination. Indeed, through this most comfortable of abodes, which safely houses a purified consciousness, the individual can then live in any situation and still feel like they are in their most precious home.

How do we know that different answers are given to God’s question? How do we even know that choices are made? From the ancient scriptures of India, the original authorized texts known as the Vedas and any literature which expounds upon their teachings, we learn that karma, or fruitive work and its results, manages the cause-and-effect chain with respect to action. This isn’t very difficult to understand, as we don’t even need to read books or hear from spiritual leaders to know that every action we perform has a reaction. Say, for instance, we place our hand into a fire. The resulting pain will be so sharp that the hand will involuntarily draw back. This result is guaranteed every single time that we place the hand into the fire. If we drop an object out of a window, it will immediately fall to the ground. Based on the influence of wind resistance on the object, the rate of descent may not be uniform, but the forces of gravity will operate nonetheless.

“The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.8)

Karma is just the more complete definition of the cause-and-effect system that we can visually perceive. What we can’t see with our blunt senses is covered by the authorized statements of the Vedas, who get their notable distinction from having been instituted by the Supreme Person, the original Personality of Godhead. Just as the outward actions perceived by the mature human being have both immediate and long-term consequences, the sum total of every act, both large and small, committed by every single life form, intelligent and ignorant, has results that bear fruit not only in the current life, but in future ones as well. In this way we see that the circumstances of our present birth were determined by the results of actions previously performed. The system of cause-and-effect continues perpetually, as the soul itself does not decay. Though the body may perish at the time of death, the soul continues its travels through ethereal space. Just where it ends up is determined by karma, which is unbiased and guaranteed to deliver on time.

When apprised of this information, the sober individual will ponder the question, “If karma determined how I got to where I am now, what determined my previous circumstances? What was the origin of karma?” This issue is a little difficult to get a handle on for the human being, because as conditioned souls we cannot think beyond the bounds of time and space. In fact, if we were to sit down and seriously ponder these two wonders, we would be left even more puzzled than we were at the outset. Complete knowledge is available only to the Supreme Person, who is not limited by time or space. To give us some understanding of our original position, He institutes religious systems which detail the properties of our identifiable aspect, the soul. It is said that the soul, or atma, is the same in quality as the Supreme Lord, but vastly inferior in the quantitative estimation. This means that the soul is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, but since it is not God, it can choose an inferior realm as a home. Because there is a choice in the matter, the individual souls, the jivas, are considered to be in a marginal position, for they can take shelter under either matter or spirit.

The differences between these two fortresses can be better understood by further study of the scriptures, but as a crude example we can liken the differences to what results from worshiping an inanimate object like a car instead of a person like a mother or father. The car does not have an independently functioning brain. Even if there is a computer inside that tells it what to do, it had to be programmed by another person. Since the car is just composed of material elements, offering any obeisances to it, honoring it, telling it that we love it, or basing our identity off of it doesn’t bring anything tangible to the worshiper. On the other hand, respecting and honoring our parents, who are autonomous living entities at the core, keeps us under the protection of higher authority figures, those who can teach us about the difficulties in life and how to make the most use of our time. Our parents already protected us during our infant years, so honoring them instead of inanimate objects is always a wise choice.

Taking the same example and expanding it out fully, when divorced of their relationship to the Supreme Lord all of the elements of the visible world are akin to the automobile that is worshiped. Therefore matter is considered an inferior energy, one not directly related to God. Though He can never be separated from His energies, when the living entities view something as not related to the original person, the results of their actions are not beneficial in the long run. Contact with pure spirit, on the other hand, only brings benefits.

When the marginal position is exercised in favor of association with matter, the living entities are allowed to enter the material realm in a body suitable for performing the activities they specifically desire. This is where the scenario about being asked by God what you want applies. The same question is also asked in a non-explicit way at the time of death. In each material body, which is a sort of spacesuit required for residence in a specific area, there must come a time when the life ends, when the form assumed is no longer useful. When it comes time to quit the body, the desires of the soul are again measured. Desires are indicated by the previous work performed, which was driven by previous desires.

“The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 13.22)

There are so many varieties of species in the universe because desires are never the same. One soul wants to be wealthy and powerful, so it takes birth in a family that allows for that to happen. Another person wants to fly high in the sky and have a body composed mostly of the material element of air. Therefore they are given the body of a bird, which lacks intelligence but has the facility to meet the desire of the jiva who chose against God’s association. Then there are those who desire unending sex life and intoxication. They are rewarded with the body of a dog or a monkey. In this way we see that not only are different bodies crafted according to the various desires for material association, but so are suitable homes given to each form.

This wonder of nature is not lost on Goswami Tulsidas, a wonderful writer, person, devotee, lover of God and so many other things. In the above quoted verse from his Dohavali, Tulsidas mentions that there are countless living entities, both moving and nonmoving, that have their homes on earth, in the sky and in water. Indeed, the number of living entities and corresponding homes is aneka, or not one. The Supreme Lord is considered eka, or a singular entity, but His expansions, which include the jivas, are plural. Despite the number of expansions, God still remains complete and whole; such is the wonder of the spiritual nature.

The number of creatures residing in the different realms of the material world is too many to count, but Tulsidas says that for him he only wants one home. This abode is created through the regular chanting of the holy name of Rama, which means “one who gives transcendental pleasure”. The Supreme Lord is given thousands of names in the Vedic tradition, as each one references a different feature. The same original Person also descends to earth from time to time for various purposes. In His incarnation as Lord Rama, God appeared on earth to annihilate the miscreants headed by Ravana, give protection to the residents of Ayodhya and the sages being harassed in the forests, and give pleasure to countless purified individuals, both human and animal alike.

Though Rama appeared on earth many thousands of years ago, He still remains complete. He is the person from whom the many living entities have come, and He remains forever situated in the spiritual sky. In His Vishnu forms, Rama lives in the Vaikuntha planets, and in His original form as Krishna He remains in Goloka Vrindavana, which is considered the highest of the spiritual planets. Nevertheless, just because Rama lives in the spiritual world doesn’t mean that one can’t take shelter of Him. Tulsidas and his attitude are living proof of this. Through this wonderful verse the poet wholly appreciates God’s ability to grant the jivas whatever they want, and he also makes no judgment on their desires. Whether spirit souls want to live on the earth or in the water is of no concern, for the consciousness is what really matters. By regularly reciting the holy names of the Lord, especially those found in the sacred maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, one can live anywhere and remain satisfied.

If one person lives on the land and another in the sky, are not their abodes different? If the jiva identifies with the body and their surroundings, then surely their homes have different qualities. But for someone who regularly chants the name of Rama, which directly addresses the Supreme Person and thus brings His association immediately, they can live anywhere and remain unaffected by their surroundings. If we go back to the original scenario of God approaching a person and asking them what they want, the devotee only requests that they be able to remember their beloved Lord, who is full of transcendental form and bliss. To facilitate this desire, they request that they be able to recite and glorify the holy name wherever they go. The Supreme Lord therefore agrees to their request by placing them in different circumstances favorable for the performance of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service.

Those making the holy name of the Lord their home can live anywhere. While the jiva choosing in favor of matter must be granted a specific body type and a corresponding home in an area of a particular quality, the bhakta, or lover of God, is placed wherever he can benefit others by his example. Fortunately for us, Tulsidas was placed into just the right time and circumstance that allowed for a maximum benefit to not only the human population inhabiting the earth during his time but also to countless future generations. Since he took shelter of the holy name, he was able to thrive in his surroundings in medieval India, composing poetry praising Lord Rama that was so brilliant and wonderful that no literary work previous to that or since can ever even come close to it.

The Vedas, which sing the glories of Shri Rama and His dear devotees, are humbled by the wonderful works created by Tulsidas, who never had any desire to criticize others or defeat them in the arena of bhakti. He kept his home always with Shri Rama’s name, and the Lord in turn ensured that the poet’s fame and glory would continue forever and ever. Thus we see that the only suitable habitat for the jiva is the company of Shri Rama, who can be reached by regularly chanting His name. By reminding ourselves to chant on a daily basis, we too will get only one home, a shelter that will never crack even under the heaviest pressure.

In Closing:

For Tulsidas there is only one home,

Removed from this place he will always feel alone.

The shelter of Shri Rama and His holy name,

Brings one the highest happiness, the only worthy gain.

The jiva can live on earth, in the sky or in the water,

But by having Rama’s name, with matter why bother.

The jiva has a choice in his association,

Live with matter or take God’s protection.

The choice with matter leads to homes that are many,

In different body types and surroundings, joy there is not any.

But by following the formula of divine devotion,

Happiness found anywhere, regardless of commotion.

Rama places devotees into just the right place,

World honored by their work and their grace.

Immerse yourself in bhakti and live in happiness,

Erect shelter of Rama’s name, abode of goodness.

What Is Maya

“Since the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original cause of everything, the Vaishnava sees everything in relationship with Krishna, even in this material world. By such advanced knowledge, everything becomes spiritualized. In other words, everything in the material world is already spiritual, but due to our lack of knowledge we see things as material.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 32)

The first instruction taught to aspiring transcendentalists of the Vedic school is aham brahmasmi, which means “I am Brahman.” This instruction is needed at the beginning because the living entity at the time of birth associates only with its body. What else could it know anyway? An infant doesn’t know how to talk, read, move, or communicate properly with anyone. It doesn’t even know that it is going to grow up into a mature adult at some point in the future. Everything is learned through experience and explicit instruction offered by authority figures, but aham brahmasmi cannot come from experience; it must be taught in the beginning stages of self-realization, when a person is most open to learning about their real identity and their position in the world. If we are Brahman, or pure spirit, then everything else, including our bodies, must be of a different nature. That which is not Brahman is known as maya, or the illusory energy governing the material world. The rules delineating the separation between maya and Brahman are not absolute, though. In fact, the material elements are only the source of delusion for one whose consciousness is not properly situated. In the higher scheme everything is part and parcel of God, even His separated energy.

“The Supreme Lord said, The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called the self. Action pertaining to the development of these material bodies is called karma, or fruitive activities.” (Bhagavad-gita, 8.3)

After initial instruction, through further study the properties of Brahman are learned in more detail. Brahman is truth; it is not deluded by temporary gains and losses. The bodies assumed by the living entities are guaranteed to go through cycles of change, sometimes accumulating and sometimes dwindling. The spirit soul, or Brahman, transcends even death, as nothing is capable of destroying the soul. Depending on the desires fixed in the consciousness at the time of death, a new type of body is crafted for the next life. Despite the changes in outer coverings, the spirit soul’s constitutional makeup does not change.

Why is it important to know Brahman? In the absence of knowledge of our true identity, we will associate with temporary objects. The harm in such a mentality can be illustrated in a variety of ways, but we can take something as simple as a school system to see what results. School is meant to provide an education, not to be a permanent home. If, for instance, a student should take their identity from their participation in a particular school, there will eventually come a time when that identity becomes invalid. Either there will be graduation or dropout, but nevertheless the flawed identity will dissipate.

The wise person knows that their tag as “student” is just temporary, a label meant to further a larger purpose. Similarly, the human form of body is meant to act as a launching pad towards a higher, more pleasurable destination. One who identifies with their body and the different objects and relationships it accumulates will be in for a hard fall at some point in the future. Either the forces of nature will take away possessions or eventually death will come and take away their body. If I spent my whole life living a lie, I obviously didn’t make the best use of my time. Associating only with the body is akin to going through life with your eyes closed, only to have them opened at the time of death, when it is too late.

If we are not our bodies than what are we? How do we even see ourselves? Are not the eyes part of the material body as well? Understanding our identity as Brahman is very difficult, for even having the opportunity to hear of the differences between matter and spirit is considered a great blessing, something not bestowed on every living entity. The animals, insects and plants have no way of understanding Brahman, even though that is their identity as well. Through enough study, hearing and regulative practice, the realization of Brahman can come. At that time, the world will be seen as full of material elements covering pure spirit.

But just as the mentality that views everything as “mine” and belonging to “my body” is harmful, the other extreme of everything being maya and nothing being real is also detrimental. If one doesn’t advance to the next step after Brahman realization, they have every chance of being deluded into thinking that Brahman, or pure spirit, is the summit of existence. If Brahman can’t be seen, then obviously the Supreme Absolute Truth must be invisible. If everything is false, or maya, then the Supreme Truth must not exist in this world. Therefore the only option is to negate all activity, completely remove association with worldly objects and hopefully merge into the light of Truth, this invisible spiritual effulgence.

“By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 9.4)

In the extreme cases both the gross materialist and impersonalist philosopher seeing everything as maya are trying to become God, or the Supreme Controller. One side is attempting to attain that feat through accumulation of objects of maya, while the other is trying to remove maya’s influence altogether. The real position of maya, or material nature, is not a fixed one. She is an energy acting under the direction of the Supreme Lord, who is above both Brahman and the material nature. The Supreme Absolute Truth is one, but He has different energies to those who are not God. The Lord is never separate from His energies, but to understand Him to some level, we make distinctions between matter and spirit, the material world and the spiritual world.

So, is God maya or Truth? Obviously if the living entity is Brahman and not maya, then the Supreme Lord must be the same way? This is where things get a little tricky. In the Bhagavad-gita, the treatise on spirituality delivered by Lord Krishna, it is said that those who try to understand the Absolute Truth by being only devoted to the unmanifest, or all-pervading, aspect have a very difficult time, especially if they are embodied. This means that a person who is dwelling in a material form finds it almost impossible to understand what “all-pervading” means and how the Supreme Personality can be above maya. If I myself have to dissociate from maya, why shouldn’t God?

“For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 12.5)

The true fact is that God is not invisible. When He is described as all-pervading, or unmanifest, this is from the perspective of the conditioned eye. The difference between a conditioned eye and a liberated one is the ability to perceive of the Absolute Truth’s presence everywhere. The distinction can be likened to the viewing of a large number, one in the millions or billions. If the number is written down just with the numerals, it is very difficult to properly make it out. On the other hand, if commas are inserted in the proper places, the number can be read and understood instantly. The numbers are the same in both manifestations, except one is more difficult to understand.

Similarly, the unmanifested and the manifested aspects of the Supreme Absolute Truth are really the same, as the Supreme Lord is one without an equal. His presence is everywhere; it’s just that we don’t have the eyes to see Him unless we implement the proper methods of spiritual practice. Taking another example, if we seat a blind man and a man with vision in front of a painting, to the blind man the painting will be invisible. To the person with vision the painting is manifest right before them. Just because the blind man thinks that the painting is invisible doesn’t mean that the painting doesn’t exist. Similarly, just because a person takes maya to be everywhere and the Lord to be invisible doesn’t mean that maya acts on God or that the Lord cannot be seen. The terms “unmanifest” and “invisible” apply to the angle of vision used in specific cases.

What really is maya then? To understand its purpose, the marginal position of the living entity must be remembered. The Supreme Lord is the spiritual whole. His body is supremely attractive and fully transcendental; hence it is described as Krishna among many other names in the Vedic tradition. For Krishna there is no distinction between body and soul. He is completely one; for Him there is neither delusion nor contact with inhibiting matter. The living entities, we jiva souls, are also spiritual in nature, but we have a choice in association. When deciding in favor of Krishna’s company or the association of God in one of His many other non-different forms, we get a spiritual body and don’t get deluded into becoming attached to a temporary nature.

On the other hand, if we choose against Krishna’s association, we take shelter of a separated energy, which is known as material nature, or maya. Maya acts at Krishna’s command, which is influenced by the living entity’s desires. Maya is neither absolute nor autonomous. The material nature is inhibiting only for those who are deluded in consciousness. Those who use maya to further their God consciousness, however, don’t suffer any of material nature’s inhibiting effects. With this we’re essentially introducing an exception to the rules governing the differences between Brahman and maya.

While the exception seems too convenient to be taken seriously, even the impersonalist believes in exceptions to their rules. For instance, the person thinking that everything is maya and that God is invisible and formless nevertheless posits their theories in sound vibrations and written word. Words are written out on paper or placed onto internet websites, both of which are governed completely by maya. But according to the authors of these works, maya is false, a delusion, not reality. If maya is false and the words containing impersonalist philosophy are presented through the medium of maya, then the philosophy itself is maya! If the philosophy is false, or not real, why should anyone accept it?

The impersonalists obviously make an exception to their rule of everything being maya when they present their philosophy. So, in this way the idea of maya having different utilities based on the purpose of the individual is not a novel concept. God’s true position is as Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is never associated with maya, and neither are His devotees. When used to further one’s God consciousness the material elements take on a divine nature. The mahamaya turns into yogamaya when used to connect with Krishna.

As a simple example illustrating the difference, normal sound vibrations are used to convey messages and songs. If the content is related solely to the body that is temporary and destined to be renounced, then obviously there is association with maya. On the other hand, if the sound vibrations are used to address God and recite His names, such as those found in the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, there is no debilitating influence. A school is just a building after all, made of brick and mortar like any other large dwelling. In this respect the school is no different from a warehouse. But since there is education established within the rooms, the school building has significance. In a similar manner, any collection of material elements used to further one’s God consciousness ceases to be maya.

More important than understanding Brahman, the material nature, and God’s all-pervasiveness is knowing the Supreme Lord’s position as being beyond all of this. There is no better way to learn this fact than by hearing from Krishna directly and seeing Him personally. These benedictions were granted previously to many notable personalities, including Arjuna, a talented fighter. He was the recipient of the Bhagavad-gita, a work spoken by Krishna that is still celebrated, studied and honored to this day. In the Gita Krishna specifically addresses those who can’t think beyond the stringent rules of Brahman and maya.

“Unintelligent men, who know Me not, think that I have assumed this form and personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is changeless and supreme.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 7.24)

Krishna tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gita that the foolish think He has assumed His body, not knowing His real nature as changeless. If we see someone in front of us, even if they are exquisitely beautiful, we will apply whatever knowledge we have acquired to our identification method. “Vedanta philosophy tells me that we are not this body. Brahman is Truth and the material elements are maya. Therefore this person standing before me holding a flute must also be covered by maya. But boy, let me tell you, there is something unique about Him. If His flute is maya, then maya must be something wonderful. If His facial features, His lustrous hair, and the flower garland around His neck are maya, then maybe maya isn’t so bad?”

It’s very difficult to get past the strict rules that we have been taught, and it’s even harder to understand how someone could transcend them. With enough faith in the process of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, Krishna can be seen for who He is. He is never subject to maya’s influence, and His body and those belonging to His avataras, or incarnations, are not affected by the laws of material nature in any way. Similarly, the deity manifestations crafted from material elements are also spiritual. Stone and marble are standard objects of matter, but when they are used to create a worshipable figure, one that is installed in a temple or home and honored regularly and which matches the transcendental features belonging to the Supreme Lord described in the numerous Vedic texts, the material elements become spiritualized. If even marble can turn into a divine element, imagine what can happen to the humble living entity who turns their life over to God. For the paramahamsa, the supreme swan of a transcendentalist, Krishna’s influence is seen everywhere. Therefore maya cannot harm them.

In Closing:

Living entity at birth identifies with the body,

Yet this form is ever changing, not source of identity.

Sincere student of Vedas learns from the start,

That they are Brahman, a purely spiritual spark.

If we are spirit then everything else must be matter,

Known as maya, false world leaves taste that is bitter.

If everything is maya, God fits into where?

Is He invisible, on His form we cannot stare?

From Bhagavad-gita learn Truth’s real nature,

Lord has both personal and impersonal feature.

Matter is inhibiting for the ignorant,

For devotees, everything in life is pleasant.

For the elements are used for God consciousness,

To remember the Supreme Lord, bask in His pleasantness.

Use matter to make deities and transcendental sound,

Maya becomes divine, benefits will be profound.