Exercising Freedom

“We often pray to Radharani because She is the pleasure potency of Krishna. The very word ‘Krishna’ means all-attractive, but Radharani is so great that She attracts Krishna. If Krishna is always attractive to everyone, and Radharani is attractive to Krishna, how can we imagine the position of Shrimati Radharani?” (Shrila Prabhupada, Elevation to Krishna Consciousness, Ch 5)

What is the purpose to our existence? Why must we continually suffer, day after day, with so many troubles? Even when there is happiness found in the steadiness of creature comforts, there is the constant fear that everything will be taken away. When things are lost, the past worries are validated and the overall enjoyment going forward is suddenly hampered as well. Therefore if we are miserable both when we have things and when we don’t, when will there be a peaceful condition? The philosophy of the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, is that the many living entities, the autonomous beings roaming this and many other lands, have an existence to provide pleasure to the fountainhead of all energies, the Supreme Lord, who is known as Krishna because of His all-attractiveness. As attractive as Krishna is, those who make use of their constitutional position to always act in His service become even more attractive, for they are capable of catching the Lord’s eye.

The total number of living entities is impossible to count, or even fathom. Just think of all the different bugs and insects that appear on a summer night to come and disrupt your barbecue or your peaceful conversation in the backyard. Then think of all the ants and worms resting within the ground. Every life form that has autonomous movement, birth, death, growth, decay, etc. has a spirit soul inside. Therefore such entities are referred to as life forms, and though their specific outward functions may vary, they are all linked to the Supreme Lord. Even if we pay them no attention, it doesn’t mean that such beings are not related to God. For instance, the broker feverishly making trades on the floor of the stock exchange is not really concerned with the outside world. The fact that there are millions of children attending school at the same time trying to get an education does not appear on the passionate worker’s radar. Yet, just because we don’t contemplate certain things doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. No matter the level of intelligence or the body type assumed, every form of life is attached to the Supreme Lord.

Vedic information reveals that the spirit soul is the essence of identity. While the outer coverings may have different appearances, the properties of spirit do not change. We are all one, as we are all the same, fighting for one cause. When we walk into a room and see people dressed differently, the outfits mask the fact that every person is inherently the same. One person may be overweight, while another is skinny, but deep down they have a heart that keeps beating to maintain their life force. The Vedic angle of vision extends this perspective to all spheres of life. The eyes of the scriptures can see both the microscopic and the gigantic. The texts have the written sense perceptions and thoughts of great sages of the past, who documented both the activities and teachings of the Supreme Person when He was kind enough to present them to a notable personality. Thus simply by taking shelter of these great works, studying them under someone who knows the meanings behind the different verses, one can acquire a flawless vision.

In the absence of this instruction, we will require a lifetime’s worth of experiences just to learn that everyone is the same. It is seen that in closed communities where there is not much diversity, ignorance of other cultures and races is rampant. The practice of racism is sternly rebuked, but it is merely a viewpoint based on ignorance. A person who sees with the weakest eyes, a vision so impure that it can barely detect anything noticeable, thinks that one particular race is superior to another. Through enough exposure, sobriety of thought, and accumulation of sense perceptions, however, a better angle of vision can be acquired.

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

In this area the Vedas have already done the work for us. Simply by accepting its wisdom through what is known as the descending process of knowledge acquisition, we can begin to see things clearly immediately. The first instruction taught to students of the Vedic tradition is aham brahmasmi, which means “I am Brahman.” Brahman as a concept is very important because it immediately explains the equality shared between every type of life. The dog, cat, dog-eater, cow, learned sage, business tycoon, and even the ant are the same in quality. That quality is that they are Brahman, or pure spirit. Without attaining realization of Brahman, the most extended outlook reached by the mind will remain limited.

What do we mean by this? Take the common practice of nationalism. One who is born in a particular land becomes proud of their nation and the people that live in it. But we know that we had no control over the circumstances of our birth. We had so little control that we can’t even remember emerging from the womb of our mother. We only know that we were born in a particular place because of what people tell us. From this we see that there is every chance of being born in some other land. If we maintain our identity from our country of origin, the identity is one that could easily change.

Another way to understand the same concept is to pretend that we’re preparing our favorite dish. In this example, let’s say we’re making homemade pizza. For the pizza to come out right, we need a nice oven, one that can evenly distribute the heat necessary for the dough to cook and the cheese to melt. Is there a difference between the pizza cooked in the oven in the upstairs kitchen and the one baked in the downstairs kitchen? What if both ovens are identical? Would we ever refer to one pizza as being a downstairs pizza and the other as an upstairs pizza?

Obviously the quality of the oven and the resulting outcome are what matter, not necessarily the geographic location of where the baking took place. Similarly, it is the makeup of the spirit soul that counts; and the Vedas tell us that every instance of life is considered Brahman, or pure spirit. The question remains, “What does this gain us? What if I do know Brahman? What then am I supposed to do with that information?” Aside from being able to view everything properly, the realization of Brahman is meant to serve as a launching pad to another stage of realization, one that is in line with the constitutional position of the spirit soul.

“One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 18.54)

Lord Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gita that one who reaches the brahma-bhutah platform, the stage of understanding the individual’s true position as pure spirit, no longer hankers and laments. In that peaceful condition they take up bhakti, or devotion to God. If I know that I am pure spirit and not the temporary manifestation of matter surrounding my soul, I will be in a better position to judge everyone else and handle what life has to offer. The peace, tranquility, and evenness of emotion under pressure that I was so desperately seeking come through learning about Brahman and the equality of every individual spiritual fragment.

Activity does not stop here, however. The real business of the spirit soul is to please God. At this point the cogent question may be raised, “If we are supposed to serve God, why are we put into different bodies that are forced to suffer the effects of material nature? Why do we even have to undergo self-realization? Can’t God just remove our obstacles and let us serve Him?” Since the constitutional position of the soul is to be a loving servant of God, for that position to really make a difference, to take on its potency, there must be freedom in the exercise of service. The exaggerated viewpoint is to take God as being the supreme scientist and the living entities as sort of cloned creatures, “mini-frankensteins” if you will, resulting from an experiment that went awry. The intent of the scientist was to make autonomous entities that would act in the interests of the creator, but the experiment went horribly wrong.

This analogy can’t apply to Krishna, though. The living entities are His fragmental sparks, and they do have independence in their actions, but we are never capable of becoming stronger than Krishna, nor can we ever meet with total destruction. Based on the exercise of freedom, we are placed under the care of a specific energy. In the material land, the governing agent is maya, or illusion. In this respect our deference to maya is completely by choice, similar to how when a person plays a video game they agree to subject themselves to the rules and the obstacles that must be faced. The enjoyment in maya’s realm is short-lived, for gains acquired in a body that is destined for destruction cannot last forever.

On the other hand, when freedom is exercised in favor of serving Krishna, the ruling agent becomes the spiritual energy, which is under the direct purview of the Lord. This is why devotional service, or bhakti-yoga, is considered the eternal engagement of the soul. Why would we want to live under the dictates of an energy that is not even autonomous in its own right? Material nature works under Krishna’s direction, but in an impersonal way. On the other hand, the spiritual energy is directly guided by Krishna; therefore it is always superior.

The constitutional position, by definition, brings great pleasure to the spirit soul. If Krishna were to force us to remain in the spiritual world with Him against our will, what pleasure would there be for Him? How would He gain satisfaction from exercising His domineering power over everyone? If you are God, you don’t need anything to validate Your supremacy or position of power. Rather, time is spent only in enjoying, having fun if you will. If you see pictures of Krishna, He is always happy. He is the very essence of ananda, or bliss. If He needs to punish someone, He’ll expand into a non-different form or He’ll order one of His energies acting under His direction to take care of the task, but Krishna Himself is always in full pleasure.

What is the source of Krishna’s pleasure? The Vedas describe the Lord as being atmarama, so He is in need of nothing. Though He is self-satisfied, the association of one particular person gives Him so much pleasure that He can’t even imagine how wonderful that person is. Shrimati Radharani, the eternal consort of Lord Krishna, is the topmost servant, the expansion of spiritual energy that never deviates from their constitutional position. She is so exalted that she enthralls Krishna at every second, showing what it means to take to bhakti and remain deferent to the reason for our existence.

The rebellious spirit in us may raise some objections at this point. “I never asked to be created for Krishna’s pleasure. Why do I have to engage in something I don’t want to do?” The fact is that the serving principle is active within every single form of life. When service to Krishna is neglected, other entities and objects will be given favor. Since none of these target beneficiaries are all-attractive, the serving propensity will not bring the results that it should. Simply through following the example of Shrimati Radharani, honoring her, worshiping her, and asking her to bestow bhakti upon us, our real position can slowly and surely be reawakened.

To honor both Radha and Krishna, the sincere spiritualist seeking accompanying transcendental enlightenment regularly chants, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, and thinks of their beloved divine pair standing together, always in each other’s company. Radharani is so nice that she doesn’t keep Krishna for herself. Rather, she is always looking for people to recommend to Krishna, for Him to spread His personal mercy upon even more sincere souls. Radha is not stingy in this regard. She would take the entire world back to the spiritual land in a second, provided that this was the desire of everyone. The purpose to our existence is to try to love Krishna just as much as Radha does. Though that is not possible, by remembering her sweet behavior and her undying devotion to Krishna, our reinstatement in the eternal pastimes of the Lord can take place very soon, giving us the boon of our existence and the ability to understand transcendental subject matters.

In Closing:

From Radharani’s devotion one thing is clear,

That to Shri Krishna, no one is more dear.

Expansion of the Lord’s energy is she,

Keeping Him happy, acts as His pleasure potency.

Spirit souls wandering the universe,

Are found in many species that are diverse.

Yet essence of identity is the soul,

At its core, lover of God is its role.

Follow the example of Krishna’s treasure,

Up to her standard of devotion yourself measure.

You will always fail in this regard, for she is the best,

From Her ability to love, Radha stands above the rest.

Though she is the Lord’s beloved and always by His side,

The glories of humble devotees in Krishna does she confide.

Therefore Their names do we go on chanting,

Fruit of existence for us is awaiting.

Jnana and Vairagya

“Actually, the cultivation of knowledge or renunciation, which are favorable for achieving a footing in Krishna consciousness, may be accepted in the beginning, but ultimately they may also come to be rejected, for devotional service is dependent on nothing other than the sentiment or desire for such service.” (Shrila Prabhupada, The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 14)

For serious students of Vedic philosophy, jnana and vairagya are two terms that come up quite often. Jnana refers to knowledge and vairagya refers to renunciation or detachment. These are two pillars of spiritual life; one who acquires renunciation and knowledge becomes eligible to take the next critical step: developing love for God. Though knowledge and renunciation certainly are important, they are not prerequisites for devotion. This means that pure love for God, Krishna-prema, which is the highest transcendental achievement, is not dependent on anything besides the sentiment coming from the devotee. There is one group of people in particular who serve as a great example to illustrate this point.

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

Jnana and vairagya certainly boost our chances of realizing God. The Vedas tell us that those who keep their mind fixed on the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord at the time of death never have to take birth again. God does have hands, feet, and a face, but these body parts are transcendental in nature. They are not limited in any respect. God is everything, but everything is not God. For example, our hand is part of our body; hence it can be taken to be the same as the body. However, if the hand is removed, it becomes useless and can no longer be considered part of the body. Therefore our real identity comes from the spiritual spark inside of us. The body is just a covering, a temporary dress that is eventually discarded.

With God, there is no difference between His body and soul. Everything personally related to the Lord is spiritual; therefore anyone can focus on any aspect of His transcendental body, which is eternal and full of bliss and knowledge, and achieve perfection in life. Why is it important to think of God at the time of death? Many of us are familiar with the concept of a person’s life flashing before their eyes at the time of death. This isn’t just some myth or an idea concocted from the experiences of a few select people. Rather, it is a scientific fact, for the time of death is the greatest moment of panic in one’s life. Naturally at this critical stage, one’s life experiences flash before their eyes. In the famous Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna instructs Arjuna that this replaying of one’s life’s events is known as their consciousness at the time of death. Whatever one focuses on at this critical time determines the type of body they receive in the next life.

“In whatever condition one quits his present body, in his next life he will attain to that state of being without fail." (Lord Krishna, Bg. 8.6)

In more simple terms, a person’s lifestyle determines their “deathstyle”. Therefore, the secret to achieving success in life is to cram as many spiritual activities into one’s lifetime as possible. This is not easy, especially since we are accustomed to acting in the interests of the senses. The senses guide us where to go and how to act. Spiritual life means acting in the interests of the master of all senses, Hrishikesha, or God. In order to help us concentrate on spiritual life, the acquisition of knowledge and the practice of renunciation are recommended. The two can go hand-in-hand, for after acquiring the proper knowledge of the soul and its constitutional position in this world, it becomes easier to detach from things which are detrimental to the future well-being of the soul. The reverse situation can also be true, where one practices penance and austerity with the aim of clearing the mind, thus allowing one’s thoughts to focus on the acquisition of knowledge.

Renunciation and knowledge are actually helpful in achieving success in any activity, not just spiritual endeavors. For example, if a person wants to have a good job as an adult, they must do well in school in their youth. Performing well in school requires the understanding of math, science, reading, and writing. Since it is the inherent nature of the child to desire to play all day, there are several tricks that parents and even students use to help focus on studies. One of the greatest tools is the reward. Taking an example from our own personal experiences in our youth, we would make sure to always do our homework as soon as we got home from school. School is no picnic for children; students are essentially locked up in a prison type environment for eight plus hours in the day. As soon as they get home, children want to play or watch television. We were no different in this regard, yet we came up with a nice system to help ensure that our homework was done. We had no affinity for school work, but to keep school pressures to a minimum, we would do our homework as soon as we got home. We essentially made a deal with ourself: “If you do your homework right when you come home, then you can watch television for the rest of the day. This way you can just sit back and relax later on.”

Now watching television certainly isn’t a productive activity. The point of going to school is not to be able to come home and sit on the couch in front of the television. However, this reward of watching television proved to be an invaluable tool in our academic maturation. This simple trick enabled us to focus on our schoolwork and not fall behind. As a result, we more or less received very high marks in school throughout our youth. In a similar manner, the Vedas also offer various enticements to help the aspiring transcendentalist acquire knowledge and renunciation. There is a section of the Vedas known as karma-kanda, wherein various sacrifices and penances are recommended. The rewards for the performance of such sacrifices can involve ascension to the heavenly planets or general good health. Obviously God is not too concerned with material benedictions, for the material world is temporary and full of miseries. At the same time, He knows that detachment and knowledge are not easy things to acquire, so He sort of tricks us into going after these paltry rewards. It is similar to how a parent will offer candy as a way to get their child to take medicine. The goal is to take medicine, not to eat candy, but the parent needs to be a little clever in their approach.

By performing various rituals and adhering to certain fasting periods, we can make great progress in our spiritual pursuits. At the same time though, the highest religious practice, bhakti-yoga, is not dependent on knowledge or renunciation. Jnana and vairagya certainly do make it easier to come to the platform of bhakti, or love, but this devotion to God is not dependent on anything except the sentiments found in a person’s heart. Moreover, a perfect devotee of God automatically acquires all required knowledge and detachment without separately endeavoring for it. An example of this was seen with the gopis of Vrindavana.

God is one, but He takes unlimited forms based on time, circumstance, and a person’s penchant for offering service. Though there are limitless forms, as many as there are waves in the ocean, there is still an original form from which all others emanate. That form is Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Due to His causeless mercy, the Lord appeared on this earth some five thousand years ago. Though He performed many pastimes in several different cities during His one hundred plus years on this planet, His most pleasurable pastimes occurred in His youth in Vrindavana. Krishna grew up as the foster son of a cowherd family, thus His duties as a child included tending to the cows and taking them out to the pasturing ground. In those times, the women of the town would also engage in tending to cows. Vedic culture stresses great importance on the cow and its protection. A cow is seen as a form of wealth because if a person has a small piece of land and a few cows, all of their economic problems are solved. They don’t require a Federal Reserve Chairman, a Ways and Means Committee, or a politician promising to bring them jobs. Simply by protecting this great animal, the cow, all needs can be taken care of.

The milkmaids and cowherd girls were known as gopis, and they were especially enchanted by Lord Krishna. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Krishna’s most recent incarnation to appear on earth, emphasized devotion to Krishna in the mood of the gopis. At first glance, this seems a little strange. After all, the Vedas often mention that women are less intelligent in areas of material knowledge. For this reason, traditionally they weren’t given a formal education. This was certainly the case with the gopis; they were all young girls who were married and worked at home, taking care of the family and the cows. Yet these gopis had intelligence that far exceeded that of today’s academic scholars and self-appointed pundits.

The gopis always thought of Krishna, no matter the time or place. Though they were married, their hearts belonged to the Lord. In this way, they were completely detached from the material world and all its governing rules and regulations. They also had the highest knowledge. A great example of this was seen when they would discuss amongst themselves about Krishna’s playing of His flute. When Lord Krishna would play His illustrious flute, anyone who would hear the sound would immediately become mesmerized. All the signs of devotion to God would be visible on their bodies, such as the hair standing on end, devastation, increased heart rate, and tears in the eyes. When Krishna would play His flute, the gopis would talk about how the whole world was benefitted by hearing such a sound, and how the flute itself was benefitted. They wouldn’t limit their knowledge to the localized aspect of the flute. They would delve further into the matter by thinking about the bamboo tree from which the flute was made. They would also think about the neighboring flowers, dirt, and lake by the tree which produced the wood, which produced the flute, which had the special benediction of touching the lips of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

This sort of thinking is reserved for the most intelligent class. The greatest economists often discuss the idea of mutual cooperation and the “invisible hand” that helps so many people from disjointed areas around the world produce wonderful products. The gopis took this theory one step further by identifying who this invisible hand belongs to: Krishna. In the Vedic tradition, devotees who are on the highest level of understanding are called paramahamsas. Hamsa refers to a swan. It isn’t a coincidence that intelligent devotees are compared to swans. A swan has the unique ability to take a mixture of milk and water and only extract the milk portion, while leaving the water portion unaffected. In a similar manner, the greatest devotees are the greatest [param] swans because they extract all the good elements from life.

Lord Krishna is the supreme pure, so anyone who sees Krishna in everything is one who sees clearly. This was certainly the case with the gopis. They didn’t outwardly accept or reject anything; rather they studied everything in terms of its relation to Krishna. They saw Krishna in everything, so their vision was always clear. This mindset is reserved for the most intelligent class, those who have acquired jnana. Even today, many great scholars who possess knowledge and renunciation are still blinded by the light emanating from the transcendental body of the Supreme Lord. Hence they take the Absolute Truth to be formless. Essentially, they act in just the opposite way of the gopis, i.e. they try to remove Krishna from everything.

Lord Chaitanya asked sincere souls who were after spiritual enlightenment to follow the mood of devotion of the gopis. He practiced what He preached, for He always explained everything in terms of Krishna. This is really the only way to explain anything. We can watch the nightly news on television or read the latest paper and see the latest headlines, which are all portrayed as being new and fresh, when in reality they are simply the same stories recycled in a different form. On the surface, it seems as though Lord Chaitanya followed a similar model by explaining everything in terms of Krishna. But since He explained everything this way, His explanations were the only ones worth hearing. His discussions focused on God, so one can repeatedly derive great pleasure from hearing these explanations over and over again.

The lesson here is that jnana and vairagya are certainly important, but we should still keep in mind that there is an additional step that needs to be taken in order to achieve transcendental perfection. If we always keep the gopis in our mind, especially Lord Krishna’s beloved Shrimati Radharani, there is no doubt that we will be able to remember the Lord’s lotus feet at the time of death.

Madana Mohana Mohini

“The symbol of devotional service in the highest degree is Radharani. Krishna is called Madana-mohana, which means that He is so attractive that He can defeat the attraction of thousands of Cupids. But Radharani is still more attractive, for She can even attract Krishna. Therefore devotees call Her Madana-mohana-mohini-the attractor of the attractor of Cupid.” (Shrila Prabhupada, The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 1)

When learning about a new spiritual discipline, people often immediately look to the restrictions to gauge whether a particular faith is suitable to them or not. “Okay, so what am I allowed to do and what can’t I do?” For serious followers of the Vedic tradition, those who want to be brahmanas, or the highest class of people, the first requirement is that one should abstain from the four pillars of sinful life: meat eating, gambling, intoxication, and illicit sex. These restrictions alone may seem too difficult to abide by, so the inquisitive spiritualist may get turned off from the Vedas immediately. Regardless, every spiritual discipline is aimed at providing some type of personal benefit. In this way religion can be thought of as a self-help system. Of all the different ways of helping the self, there is one that stands head and shoulders above all others. This discipline, known as devotional service, is topmost because not only does it help the soul, but it even attracts God.

What types of spiritual disciplines are there besides devotional service? We are all familiar with the concept of religion, but that is more of a faith, something we can subscribe to one day and then renounce the next. Spirituality is the more accurate term to describe the discipline involving one’s attempt to reconnect with spirit. Why is spirit important? Spirit is the basis of our identity, the guiding force for all our actions. In the conditioned state, we neglect the interests of the spirit, caring only for the demands of the gross body. One day we’ll be interested in doing well in school, while the next we are focused on landing a good job. Once those issues are taken care of, we shift our attention to areas of sense gratification. “I want to lose weight; I want a better car; I want to marry a beautiful wife, etc.”

These issues are all certainly important, but they deal exclusively with matter. Even the interactions between men and women are considered material affairs because the focus remains on the bodily features of the other person. That is how attraction works after all. Spirituality is something which transcends all of these concerns. Spirituality helps us reconnect not only with our own spirit, but with the source of all spirit: God. The Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in existence, state that spirituality really means dharma, or one’s occupational duty. This duty applies to every single person, regardless of their age, gender, nationality, or race. This duty is also eternal because it relates to the soul, which itself is eternal.

How do we practice this occupational duty? Moreover, what does this duty entail? Dharma means abiding by a set of rules and regulations aimed at keeping us connected with the soul’s eternal companion, Paramatma, or God. While our individual soul is the driving force of all our actions, the Supersoul [Paramatma] is the driving force of the workings of nature. This Supersoul is an expansion of the original soul of the universe, Lord Krishna, or God. The Supersoul is so wonderful because it resides within the heart of every living entity. We can think of the Paramatma as a sort of neutral witness which is responsible for all activity, and yet still aloof from everything.

Dharma is the set of guidelines which keeps us acting in the interests of God. In this way, it is a much more complete definition for spirituality than is religion. The present problem, however, is that most of us are unaware of the presence of the Supersoul, and even of our own soul. So how do we rekindle this awareness? This is where yoga comes in. Yoga can be translated to mean plus or addition; it is the practice which aims to reconnect the soul with the Supersoul. Yoga is really the term to use when describing activity which has spirituality as its focus.

How do we practice yoga? There are generally four kinds of yogas. One type involves the performance of work, or fruitive activity. Known as karma-yoga, this discipline involves performing specific activities and then giving the results over to God. Another type is jnana-yoga, which is the linking of the soul with the Supersoul through the acquisition of knowledge – reading books, understanding the difference between matter and spirit, and realizing that every living entity is equal. A third kind of yoga is known either as dhyana or hatha. This yoga is what most of us are familiar with – awkward sitting postures, intense breathing exercises, and deep meditation. For this yoga to be practiced correctly, one must focus the mind on Lord Vishnu, the four-armed expansion of Lord Krishna. Vishnu is the all-pervading aspect of God, as evidenced by His residence in the heart of every living entity.

When a person takes up any of these three yoga systems and performs the related exercises properly, they can most certainly realize the presence of God, either in His feature as impersonal Brahman or the Supersoul. Another thing these yogas have in common is that they help the individual in some way. This should make sense because why would someone take up yoga if it didn’t provide some personal benefit? After all, self-interest is the driving force behind all of our activities. Yet there is a fourth type of yoga which not only helps the practitioner, but even goes one step further by attracting God. This wonderful system, known as bhakti-yoga [devotional service], gives pleasure to the soul and also to the source of the soul: Lord Krishna.

How does this work exactly? What does bhakti involve? To find the answers to these questions, we need only look to the greatest bhakti-yogini, Shrimati Radharani. Who is Radharani? The Vedas, being the original scriptures, tell us that God is God for everyone. This means that one’s religious beliefs are not important. Whether one believes in God or not, or whether they call Him by a specific name is not really important. God is always God, and His love is available for every single person. Since the term “God” is a little vague, the Vedas kindly expand on the term. They tell us that God has an original form, from which all other forms of the divine emanate. This original form is known as Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This description is a little more accurate than the term “God”. Krishna is supreme because there is no one else above Him. He is a personality in that He is purusha, or spirit. He has thoughts, activities, likes, and dislikes. He is not a mortal person like us, but He is nevertheless a separate entity with His own intelligence guiding His activities. He is the source of Godhead, which means that God can take many forms. This doesn’t mean there are many Gods, but rather many different forms of the original Lord. These forms exist for the purposes of carrying out specific activities and also to attract different kinds of devotees. Some people are attracted by God’s opulence, so they choose to worship Him in a reverential manner. To allow such people to serve Him, the Lord expands Himself into Lord Vishnu, who has four arms, immense beauty and opulence, and lives with the goddess of fortune, Lakshmi Devi.

As most of us find out through experience, the strongest emotions in life come from romantic love. These emotions are natural, for no one has to teach a man and a woman to be attracted to one another. This type of emotion can also be directed at God. Since it is the highest emotion in the material world, it also represents the topmost emotional exchange in relation to spiritual life. Those who view God in a romantic way, an entity which provides the most pleasure to the soul, can worship the Lord in His original form as Krishna.

The word “Krishna” means all-attractive. Lord Krishna is so kind that He comes to earth in every millennium to annihilate miscreants and enact pastimes for the pleasure of His devotees. When Krishna comes to earth, He brings His spiritual home to this world, along with all His associates. The area of land known as Vrindavana is where Krishna enacted His childhood pastimes when He appeared on earth some five thousand years ago. This same place, Vrindavana, exists in the spiritual world, and it is where Krishna lives eternally. He never leaves Vrindavana. Even if He has to go somewhere else, He always keeps His original form in Vrindavana.

Great sages documented the activities which Krishna performed in Vrindavana five thousand years ago. From these descriptions, we get an idea of what the Lord looks like. He is described as Shyamasundara, meaning a beautiful person with the complexion of a dark rain cloud. He is eternally youthful, so His beauty never diminishes. The great sages tried their best to describe God’s greatness, so as a result, the Vedic texts are quite voluminous. A great way to accurately describe something is to use comparison. In this regard, the sages used Cupid as a way to describe Krishna’s attractiveness. Most of us are familiar with the concept of Cupid, a god of love who is attractive in his own right and can also induce others to become attracted to other people. In the Vedic tradition, Cupid is known as the demigod Madana, or Kamadeva. Kama is sense gratification and deva means a demigod. A demigod has extraordinary powers and is godlike, but is still not equally as potent as God. Madana is the authority on love, sex, and general sense gratification. Lord Krishna is so attractive that His attraction exceeds that of Madana, hence one of His names is Madana-mohana. Mohana means an enchanter, thus Krishna is an enchanter of Madana.

These descriptions give us an idea of Krishna’s greatness and His attractiveness. Shrimati Radharani is Krishna’s eternal consort, the eternal pleasure potency of the Lord. More than just a wife or girlfriend, Radha gives Krishna the greatest pleasure. She is a pure devotee, meaning she only practices devotional service, or bhakti-yoga. What’s even more amazing is that she has no idea what bhakti-yoga is, or at least she pays it no attention. Her devotion is pure and spontaneous, so she has no desire for liberation or the practice of any religion. She is always thinking about Krishna and how to make Him happy. The reason she is the perfect devotee is that not only does she always think about Krishna, but Krishna always thinks about her. As attractive as Krishna is, Radharani is so beautiful that she even attracts Krishna. Hence she is also known by the name of Madana-mohana-mohini.

Why is this important? While we are jumping from different kinds of yoga and even different religious faiths, the key to perfection lies right in front of us in the form of Radha-Krishna. They are considered one entity, and are worshiped together in temples around the world. Radha-Krishna is the meeting of the energetic, Krishna, and the energy, Radha. We need only look to their example to see how to achieve perfection in life. Krishna is so nice that He can accept unlimited numbers of devotees and enjoy with them in any manner they choose. Radha is also extremely kind in that she is more than happy to recommend devotees to Krishna. This is yet another reason for her attractiveness; she is the most unselfish person in the world.

The best reason to take up devotional service is that it will attract Krishna. Who could imagine such a thing? You’re practicing religion and you’re attracting the mind of the Supreme Lord at the same time! The key ingredient in devotional service is love. The sentiment must be genuine. As long as the desire is to please the Supreme Lord, He will make sure that success will be achieved. Any person can practice bhakti-yoga by regularly chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. This sacred formula is the greatest prayer because it is a kind petition to Radha-Krishna to allow us to engage in their service for eternity. This chanting is the topmost occupation for the soul, the purification of all religious practice.

Endorsement

“The vibration of My transcendental flute attracts the three worlds, but My ears are enchanted by the sweet words of Shrimati Radharani.” (Lord Krishna, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 4.244)

A great way of judging a person’s character is by analyzing who they hang around with and who their friends are. Analyzing the makeup of a person’s friend circle gives insight from two different angles. First, it tells us what kind of person someone deems as friend-worthy, meaning who they voluntarily choose to spend their time with. There are many activities we can take up in our free time, so naturally we derive more enjoyment when there are people to share our experiences with. This is where friends come into play. By understanding who a person is friends with, we also get insight into what kinds of people choose to be friends with said person. For example, if a famous or well-respected person is friends with another person, it must mean that the well-respected person thinks highly enough of their friend to openly declare their friendship to others. This is how political endorsements work; i.e. a politician hoping to attract more voters by getting the endorsement, which is a type of friendship, of an established political figure. Respectable people carry great clout, so if they vouch for someone else, it goes a long way towards establishing the recipient’s reputation. We can apply this same principle towards God to gain a better understanding of His transcendental qualities.

“I told him that my wife assumes that everybody is her friend until they prove differently. While such an assumption maximizes the number of friends that she will have, it also maximizes her chances of being betrayed. Unlike my wife, my assumption is everyone is my enemy until they prove they’re a friend. That assumption minimizes my number of friends but minimizes the chances of betrayal.” (Dr. Walter E. Williams, Do People Care)

With so many people in the world, it’s difficult to make an accurate judgment into the nature and quality of a person. As a result, it is also harder to accurately classify people without knowing their true nature. By the same token, it is also difficult for others to know our characteristics. Economist, professor, and author Walter E. Williams often tells a funny story in this regard. When he was studying economics at UCLA, Williams met the famous economist Armen Alchian and asked him a series of questions. Williams said that his wife felt that every person automatically viewed her as their friend, while Williams believed that every person automatically thought of him as a suspect. Which of the two viewpoints was correct? Alchian replied with a question, "Williams, have you considered a third alternative, namely, that people don’t give a damn about you one way or another?"

This is actually a brilliant point because most of us don’t really care one way or the other about strangers. Maybe some physical feature will sway our opinion one direction, but this is a superficial opinion which doesn’t really hold any weight. In order to have a strong opinion, a gut feeling about something, we need to delve deeper into the issue. To this end, when judging people that we don’t know much about, we often look to see who they spend their time with, and as importantly, who decides to spend time with them. For example, we may see an ordinary book on the bookshelf at the local bookstore and simply pass by it. This is our natural apathy or equanimity showing itself. However, if we see that a famous person has written the foreword to the book, we are more likely to buy the book or at least open it up to see what it’s about.

Why is this true? Say that we have a favorite talk show host, actor, or other celebrity figure. If we see that such and such a person has written an introduction to someone else’s book, it essentially means they are endorsing it and inviting others to buy the book. If we respect person A, we are likely to respect anyone that person A considers a friend. Many of the jobs in the private sector are obtained this way. Hiring a new employee means bringing a new person into the family. People spend a lot of time at work, so naturally there is a comfort zone that gradually develops over time. Coworkers become used to each other, so it is not an easy thing to bring in a new person. For this reason, many companies like to hire people based on referrals and endorsements. “Yes, this person is a great employee, so if they are recommending this other person, we should certainly hire them.” One employee vouches for another, so an inherent trust is established.

Why are all these facts relevant? The one person who we should know the most about, but probably don’t, is the Supreme Lord, or God. God is great. Most of us know this fact but we’re not really sure what it means. Sure, He created this whole universe and makes sure that we have enough rain, food, shelter, clothing, etc., but does this really tell us anything about the man behind the greatness? Is He even a man? Does He have a form? Does He have a name, or does He just prefer to go by the term “God”?

The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, try to provide answers to many of these intriguing questions. The Vedas declare that God is indeed a person, purusha, and that He is male. The term purusha can also mean male because purusha is the dominator of prakriti. Purusha is the enjoyer, or spirit, and prakriti is the enjoyed, or matter. Vedic information also states that God has unlimited forms, ananta-rupam, but that His original form is Shyamasundara, Lord Shri Krishna. Since He has unlimited forms, God has unlimited names which describe His various qualities and activities. The name Krishna means all-attractive. Shyamasundara means a beautiful person who has the complexion of a dark rain cloud.

The Vedas are very nice in this regard. They clue us in about many of the unknown questions we have about God and what He’s capable of. This is all well and good, but as we see in real life, it’s beneficial to have others vouch for a person’s character. Most of us don’t ever remember seeing God face to face, so we have to go off the authority of the scriptures. But there is another way of understanding the Supreme Lord. We can simply look to see who His friends are. By judging the character of God’s friends, we can gain better insight into how He works.

So who are some of God’s friends? The Vedas tell us that His first friend is Shrimati Radharani. She is Krishna’s best friend, and since she gives Him more pleasure than anyone else, she is known as the Lord’s pleasure potency, hladini-shakti. Technically, Radharani is not Krishna’s wife, for the marriage relationship could never accurately describe the intimate feelings they have for each other. Radha and Krishna are always together in the spiritual world, but when needed, they come down to earth and enact the same pastimes for the benefit of mankind. Some five thousand years ago, the divine couple roamed this earth and enacted many wonderful pastimes in Vrindavana.

“Shrimati Radharani’s twenty-five chief transcendental qualities are: (1) She is very sweet. (2) She is always freshly youthful. (3) Her eyes are restless. (4) She smiles brightly. (5) She has beautiful, auspicious lines. (6) She makes Krishna happy with Her bodily aroma. (7) She is very expert in singing. (8) Her speech is charming. (9) She is very expert in joking and speaking pleasantly. (10) She is very humble and meek. (11) She is always full of mercy. (12) She is cunning. (13) She is expert in executing Her duties. (14) She is shy. (15) She is always respectful. (16) She is always calm. (17) She is always grave. (18) She is expert in enjoying life. (19) She is situated at the topmost level of ecstatic love. (20) She is the reservoir of loving affairs in Gokula. (21) She is the most famous of submissive devotees. (22) She is very affectionate to elderly people. (23) She is very submissive to the love of Her friends. (24) She is the chief gopi. (25) She always keeps Krishna under Her control. In short, She possesses unlimited transcendental qualities, just as Lord Krishna does.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 23.87-91)

If we consult the authorized Vedic texts like the Shrimad Bhagavatam, Brahmavaivarta Purana, and other works written by the great devotees of Krishna, we can gain a better understanding of Radha’s character. Upon consulting these works one will quickly realize that Radha’s character is top notch. She is kind, sweet, humble, beautiful, etc. The Chaitanya Charitamrita lists her primary divine qualities. She is a top notch chef, for Lord Krishna enjoys her cooking more than anyone else’s. She is shy, a wonderful daughter, has perfect knowledge of the scriptures, and is always concerned about the welfare of others. So in this regard we see that she is the topmost person. In Vrindavana her appearance day is celebrated with more fanfare than even Lord Krishna’s is. Many devotees view her as being greater than God since she is His perfect servant. Not only does she love God purely and without motive, but she is also completely unselfish, not wanting to hog Krishna for herself. She is the one who recommends devotees to Krishna. If she sees that someone is pure and interested in rekindling their relationship with the Supreme Lord, she puts in a good word with Krishna. Knowing these facts, how could anyone not love her? The Vedas tell us that Radharani is the origin of all the goddesses of fortune, meaning that Goddess Lakshmi, and Sita Devi, the wife of Lord Rama, are expansions of Radha. Sita Devi, who similarly possesses all great qualities, is the same Radharani.

Just by knowing that Radha views Krishna as the supreme object of pleasure is reason enough for us to take to Krishna’s service. But as we all know, people have different tastes. We tend to like those people who are similar to us in nature. These are the people we choose to be friends with. For example, if we are open and honest and like to be sociable, it makes sense that others who possess similar traits would attract us. By the same token, those who are shy and reserved and never want to offend others will naturally look to be friends with those who also possess these qualities.

Just as God has many forms and names, He also has many friends. Even if we aren’t impressed by the fact that Radha is Krishna’s best friend, we can still study the lives of some of the Lord’s other friends. Lord Rama is one of Krishna’s most famous incarnations. The handsome and pious prince of Ayodhya, Rama took on and defeated the Rakshasa demon Ravana many thousands of years ago during the Treta Yuga. Ravana had his own army of Rakshasas, but the Lord didn’t take them all on by Himself, though He easily could have. Instead, He enlisted the help of Vanaras, an elevated race of monkeys, whose lead warrior was Hanuman. In India, everyone knows who Hanuman is. He is probably the most popular divine figure, worshiped by millions. Hanuman is unbelievably strong, courageous, kind, and learned. He possesses all yogic siddhis, or perfections, so he can assume any shape at will. He can make himself unbelievably large or small.

"You are the gate-keeper of Shri Rama’s kingdom, where none may enter without your permission." (Goswami Tulsidas praising Hanuman, Hanuman Chalisa)

Hanuman is so strong that he could have defeated Ravana all by himself. But why didn’t he? Of all his characteristics, Hanuman is best known for his devotion to Lord Rama. In fact, Hanuman isn’t concerned with all of his other qualities, for he views everything in relation to how it can help him serve Rama. In this regard, we see that Hanuman is of the highest character. Goswami Tulsidas, the famous Vaishnava saint and poet, spent much time worshiping Lord Rama, but his devotion didn’t reach fruition until he approached Hanuman and took instruction from him. Returning the love shown to him, Tulsidas authored the famous Hanuman Chalisa, an ode to the great servant of Lord Rama. Those who want to worship Lord Rama are advised to first seek out Hanumanji. Similar to how Radharani recommends devotees to Lord Krishna, Hanuman enables a person to develop their love for Lord Rama in a perfect way.

“For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.30)

Radha and Hanuman are just two of the Lord’s great friends and devotees. Prahlada, Janaka, Lord Shiva, Shukadeva Goswami, and countless others are also great devotees and friends of the Lord. These people dedicate their lives to always associating with God, and at the same time, the Supreme Lord always remains with them. The lesson here is that we should most certainly try to understand God, for that is the meaning of life. The human brain allows us to take the necessary steps to understand that God is the proprietor of everything, our dearmost friend, and the ultimate reservoir of all pleasure. Understanding these three facts is the key that unlocks the door to the spiritual world.

“The worship of My devotees is better than worship of Me.” (Lord Krishna, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 11.19.21)

Getting this key isn’t easy, so in addition to trying to understand Krishna, we should also take the time to get to know His friends. God’s friends will teach us how to become an associate of the Lord. As jiva souls, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, we can never become God. The highest perfection we can achieve is becoming God’s friend. By offering our service to His well-wishers, the great devotees and spiritual masters, we can learn how to do just that. The pure devotee will give us a ringing endorsement, allowing us to rest assured that the Lord will accept us as His friend.

Radhashtami 2009

“O Radha, you are dearer to me than my life even and I am like the same to you. There has been no point of separation or difference between us. Both of us have one and the same form.” (Lord Krishna speaking to Radha just prior to their advent on earth, Brahmavaivarta Purana, Krishna-Janma Khand)

Radhashtami is the appearance day celebration of Shrimati Radharani, the eternal consort of Lord Krishna. Just as we take our spouse to be our partner for life, God has a life partner in His eternal consorts. Though He has different forms and incarnations such as Rama, Narasimha, Varaha, etc., according to the Brahmavaivarta, Vishnu, and Bhagavata Puranas, Krishna is the original form of God. Krishna’s immediate expansion and pleasure potency is Radharani, often referred to just as Radha.

Radha is known as Krishna’s pleasure potency, hladini-shakti. Krishna is the energetic and Radha is His energy, similar to the way wives are referred to as the better-half of their husbands. She is completely engrossed in thoughts of Krishna, loving Him purely and perfectly. Actually, it is not possible for one to love Krishna more than Radha does, for out of all the gopis, she is Krishna’s favorite. Just as there are various forms of Krishna, so there exist many expansions of Radha. All the great demigoddesses and the various Lakshmis are all considered to emanate from her. Radhashtami is celebrated because it marks the anniversary of when she took birth on this earth some five thousand years ago.

Just like Krishna, Radha is eternal, so she technically doesn’t take birth in the material world. For this reason, the occasion of her birth is referred to as her appearance day. According to the different Puranas, there are several versions of the story relating to the circumstances of her appearance. The reason for this is that God reenacts His pastimes on earth over and over again in the different kalpas, or creations. The general story is that Radha, Krishna, and their associates were enjoying their pastimes on the spiritual planet of Krishnaloka, when a misunderstanding arose between Radha and Krishna’s friend Shridama over Krishna’s playing with one of the gopis. As a result, Shridama cursed Radha to appear on earth and be separated from Krishna for one hundred years. This coincided with Krishna’s appearance on earth, the purpose of which was to kill the demon Kamsa and to deliver His dependents. Naturally whenever God comes to earth, He brings His closest associates with him.

Radharani appeared fifteen days after Krishna did, as the daughter of Vrishabhanu and Kirtida.

“The birth of Radharani was not from the womb of any human being. She was found by her father in the field. While father was plowing, he saw one little nice child is lying there, and he had no children, so he caught it and presented to the queen, ‘Oh, here we have got a very nice child.’ ‘How you got?’ ‘Oh, in the field.’ Just see. Radharani’s janma is like that.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Lecture, Montreal, Aug. 30, 1968)

As the tradition goes, Radha actually didn’t open her eyes for the first few days, a fact which worried her parents. They were concerned that she might be blind, so they invited the venerable Narada Muni to come and assess the situation. He was immediately taken aback after seeing Radha, for he knew she was no ordinary child. He advised Vrishabhanu not to worry and to hold an elaborate feast and invite Nanda and Yashoda, the foster-parents of Krishna. When baby Krishna came over, He crawled to Radha’s crib to look at her.  When she finally opened her eyes, Krishna was the first person she saw.

In their youth, the two enjoyed many wonderful pastimes in Vrindavana, but sadly the Lord would have to leave and finish His pastimes in Mathura and Dvaraka. Radha and the other gopis were left in Vrindavana always pining for the Lord. Such a separation may seem like a bad thing, but it actually brings about a pleasurable feeling. Worshiping the Lord in the mood of separation was the process recommended by Lord Chaitanya, for it is very blissful and arouses feelings of Krishna prema. Radhrani’s separation anxiety was very great and she even declared that no one except Sita Devi, Lord Rama’s wife, knew what she was experiencing.

“This type of grief was known either to Sita or to me. Compared to me, there is no one else in the three worlds whose mind is so painful. Can any woman believe in my pain after looking at me? Oh son Uddhava, what other women have faced such a type of grief? Among women, there is no one who is so badly suffering like Radha, who is suffering from separation from her Lord and is devoid of fortune and is completely grief-stricken. There is no one else among the damsels feeling more painful at heart than Radhika. In this universe the husband who happens to be the kalpavriksha (wish-fulfilling tree) was achieved by me, but I have been deprived of the same because of cruel destiny. With one look at His lotus-like feet as well as His moon-like face and His costumes, my birth and my life have become successful. With the hearing of whose name all the life airs become activated and sprout like flowers and the soul is filled with affection, the one who touched me at the time of conjugal pleasure and with that I enjoyed the glory of the three worlds. How can I forget such a lord by getting any amount of riches?” (Radharani speaking to Krishna’s friend and envoy Uddhava, Brahmavaivarta Purana, Krishna-Janma Khand)

There is no difference between God and His name.  Merely thinking of Him and reciting His name means we are in direct association with Him. In this way, there is actually never any separation between the Lord and His devotees. Devotees typically fast until noon on Radhashtami and then have discussions about Radha and Krishna. The best way to celebrate the grand pair is to always call chant their holy names found in the maha-mantra: “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. Krishna is the original name of God and Hare refers to the Lord’s energy in the form of Radha. Jai Shri Radhe!

Rising To The Challenge

“If a devotee is intelligent enough, he will make progress on the path of self-realization. If one is sincere and devoted to the activities of devotional service, the Lord gives him a chance to make progress and ultimately attain to Him.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita 10.10 Purport)

Many of us are born with an innate challenging spirit, arising from the mode of passion. We love to take on challenges and see if we can conquer them. Whether it is running a marathon, skiing down a mountain, competing in an office football pool, or even building something with our hands, we love taking on challenges and seeing if we can come out successful.

We are all part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, so all of our qualities originate from Him. The material world is a reflection of the spiritual world. Everything that exists here, exists in the spiritual world but in purified form. For example, sex life in the material world is a perverted reflection of the real love that is exchanged on the spiritual planets. The loving affairs of Radha and Krishna aren’t anything like the ordinary love affairs of men and women on this earth. It is completely pure in nature, representing the highest form of bliss. Love in the material world, as we think it to be, is actually a form of lust.

“…Just like Radha-Krishna love, Kishora-kishori, young Krishna, young Radharani. This love is pervertedly reflected in this material world which is in the name of love, but it is lust; therefore it is called perverted reflection. Lust because the, a young boy, a young girl mix together, they love together, but a slight disagreement, they separate. Why? Because that is not love. That is lust. The lust is going on in the name of love. But the reflection is from there. Therefore it is called maya.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Lecture, 690425LE.BOS)

Krishna sometimes feels in the mood to challenge enemies and fight, so He creates situations in this world where that desire can be facilitated. The challenging spirit that exists inside of us is also a skewed reflection of the spirit that exists in the spiritual world. In the material world, we all have a desire to boost our ego and self-esteem. The material world is made up of five gross elements (earth, water, fire, air, and ether) and three subtle elements (mind, intelligence, and false ego). It is referred to as false ego, because it is the nature of man to falsely think himself to be the proprietor of things. Real ego comes when realize that God is responsible for everything and that our duty is to become His servant.

We all like to think of ourselves as special and extraordinary. Taking on new challenges is our way of supporting our ego and increasing our self-respect. Exercising this challenging spirit on tasks in the material world may be very nice, but in the end it really has no lasting effects. Once we conquer a challenge, we immediately need another one to maintain our ego. The great basketball player Michael Jordan won three consecutive NBA titles and multiple Most Valuable Player awards halfway through his career. He was already considered the greatest basketball player ever, so he felt that he needed a new challenge. Retiring from basketball, he took up baseball, playing in the minor leagues for the Chicago White Sox franchise. Unable to succeed in that venture, he eventually returned to basketball where he would go on to win three more NBA titles. This shows that even when we achieve all of our goals, we are still left wanting more, for our desires never become truly satisfied. The mind is constantly working. Being in the material world means we are always hankering after something we want or lamenting over something that we don’t have.

The best use of this challenging spirit is to use it in our service to God. Serving Krishna involves following many rules and regulations in the beginning, specifically that of following the four regulative principles and chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. The four regulative principles require abstention from meat eating, gambling, intoxication, and illicit sex. For most people, these restrictions seem very hard to follow. Those growing up in America are quite accustomed to eating meat. The beef industry runs television commercials using the slogan “Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.” The quintessential American meal consists of meat and potatoes. This being the case, it is very difficult for people to suddenly give up meat eating. One doesn’t have to renounce everything in the material world in order to make spiritual advancement. Instead we can spiritualize material things by using them to further develop our Krishna consciousness. We can start by using our challenging spirit to help us refrain from prohibited activities. We can dare ourselves not to eat meat for a day, or for a week. Many of us have had bad experiences from intoxication which make us we swear that we’ll never drink again. Quitting anything cold turkey is very difficult to do. Instead of completely swearing off of it, maybe we can try avoiding intoxication for a few days or weeks. We can create intoxication-free streaks and reward ourselves after we pass certain milestones. Once we pass such challenges, we can create new goals for ourselves. In this way, we make real advancement and change our habits at the same time. Once we get in the habit of living a clean lifestyle, those habits will be very hard to break. These same techniques can be used to strengthen our chanting regimen. Slowly but surely, if we develop a nice routine, we can easily give up sinful activity and instead focus our time on devotional service.

The highest goal in life is for one to always be thinking of Krishna and have his consciousness completely dovetailed with the spiritual consciousness. This is a very difficult task and many are not successful even after many many births. Lord Krishna Himself declared in the Bhagavad-gita that one who is unsuccessful in transcendental realization in this life, picks up where he left off in his next life. In this way, our efforts in serving Krishna never go to waste. If we challenge ourselves and are sincere in our devotion, then our success is guaranteed.