Always In Stock

“The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.” (Shri Ishopanishad Invocation)

If your knowledge of food is based only on walking into a store and picking up the materials necessary for cooking, you may overlook the fact that land, water, sunlight and careful attention are required for those food ingredients to be produced. The same principle applies when eating out at a restaurant, as the finished dish received on the plate is the result of someone mixing the ingredients together in the kitchen. Due to the blindness in extensive vision, the fear of scarcity can arise, wherein one thinks that there aren’t enough precious resources available in this world to keep everyone alive. But from the properties of the creator, we learn that there can never be such a thing as scarcity in this or any other world.

Who is the creator? How do we know that someone created this world and how can we know their properties? As we can’t tell what’s going on three thousand miles away unless someone tells us or beams a video feed from a satellite, our knowledge gathering abilities are limited. Rather than insist on direct perception for every kind of information transfer, a superior method is to just hear from authority sources. As the most inconceivable topic is the creation of the earth and the person who is responsible for it, the best way to accept that information is also through hearing. Hence the oldest scriptural tradition in the world is known as the shrutis, or that which is heard. Passed on through an oral tradition since the beginning of time, the Vedas, which have more recently been documented in written word, reveal the genesis of the creation and, more importantly, the properties of the creator.

Why is it important to know both? Well, for starters we can already tell that there was a creation. The end result proves that fact. How that creation came into being is more important, because that gives us the intelligence behind the creating actions and the ideal use of the playing field that we call earth. If a series of chemicals just collided to create this universe, why can’t someone take the same chemicals and make their own planet, filled with diverse species like trees, birds, beasts, and human beings? What is to stop those same chemicals from dissipating and thus causing colossal destruction?

Just as within every living being there is an intelligent force known as the spirit soul, the movements of the entire creation, which are too many to fully understand, take place under the direction of intelligent spirit. The shrutis apply many names to that intelligent entity, with the most descriptive being Krishna. Krishna means all-attractive, so the original creator has every desirable feature imaginable. His creative potency falls under the categories of His strength, wealth and knowledge. From His strength He can make this and many other planets that are still less powerful than He is. From His wealth He can generate the necessary ingredients for creation. The entire land of the earth, which includes its component seeds, belongs to Krishna, so He is thus the greatest land owner.

Krishna’s knowledge is partially passed on to those who manage the material creation and those looking to flourish in it. It is through His indirect energies, His proxies, that this creation comes into being. Lord Brahma, the creator of mankind, populates the earth at the direction of Krishna, and from the same Krishna Brahma gets the necessary information for surviving within the complex nature governed by fruitive activity and the corresponding reactions, or what is better known as the system of karma.

Krishna’s direction in the shrutis is akin to an instruction manual, or better yet, a software development kit. An SDK lets you know which functions you can call on a specific platform, thereby giving you information on how to make the best use of the tools that you have. The SDK is purposefully missing an end-goal, however, so the developer is free to make any type of program they wish, including those which are useless and have no appeal to anyone.

The shrutis provide information on how to use the material elements for one’s advantage. That advantage is from the perspective of spirit and not matter. The difference between the two is that spirit is eternal, unchangeable, and immutable. Spirit transcends both birth and death and the bounds of space and time. Matter, on the other hand, is limited by these factors. Without knowledge of the shrutis, without hearing the information on how to make the best use of the material elements around us, the bewildered spirit soul will wrongly identify with that matter and thereby remain in illusion.

Identifying with something that doesn’t represent our identity is always a losing proposition. The body is the matter we interact with in the closest proximity, so it forms the obvious basis for false identification. The direction of scripture starts by emphatically declaring that the living being is not their body. At the same time, the material elements are required to keep the spirit within the temporary covering known as the body. The field is not shunned entirely, as through interaction with material elements the proper end can be reached.

Not surprisingly, that end is devotion to the origin of life and matter, Lord Krishna. As He is all-attractive, devotion to Him proves to be most beneficial. Yet even in the absence of the pursuit of devotional service, whatever is required for sustenance in life is provided by Krishna. The earth, with its many fields that hold trees and grass, can provide for man’s needs. The minerals and jewels naturally resting within the mountains provide the opulence, the water from the rain the nourishment for the crops, and the sunlight the warmth from the cold.

Scarcity is only an issue when there is complete ignorance of the shrutis and the person who instituted them. The attitude is akin to walking into the kitchen and saying that there is nothing to eat. “Mom, we’re out of food. What are we going to do? I don’t want to starve.” The problem is that there is a full supply of food. Grains, vegetables, water, and juices line the shelves of the refrigerator, but since the petulant child doesn’t see any finished items on the table, they think there is scarcity. If they simply went into the fridge and prepared the items they wanted they could see that there is plenty to eat.

In a similar manner, this earth contains the seeds to grow endless crops. It is said that the relatively small land mass of the United States grows enough food to feed the entire world every year. This means that from a very short section of earth enough food can be grown so that no one would ever starve. Thus where is the question of scarcity? Shri Krishna provides His innumerable spirit souls all they need to survive. If they don’t take the time to make use of those gifts, what can be done? Spirit is never bereft of its ability to choose. The unbreakable affinity for free will explains the natural yearning for freedom within systems of government and the constant migration of people from areas of oppression to those lands where there are few restrictions on liberty.

Knowing the properties of the creator, that He is all-attractive and extremely benevolent, helps in taking up devotional service with firm faith, love and determination. If you don’t believe in a particular path’s effectiveness, why will you stick to it? If there are reservations about accepting the ultimate path of bhakti-yoga, or love and devotion to God as the primary occupation in life, then the same conclusion can still be reached by studying the nature around us. Those things that we really do need are readily available. Land is not scarce and neither is water. Maybe in certain areas there is famine because of mismanagement in leadership, but the items themselves are not lacking. On the other hand, those things that we really don’t need, like expensive meats, jewelry and high end appliances, are not very abundant. They cost more to procure, serving as nature’s way of reminding us of what is important in life.

“Just as within the earth are found every kind of seed and within the sky live all the stars, Tulsidas knows that Shri Rama’s holy name is the reservoir of all dharma.” (Dohavali, 29)

Just as the earth is ready to produce bountiful resources to serve the needs of a limitless number of people, the holy name, the most powerful tool of bhakti-yoga, can save countless souls looking for an eternal engagement that provides undying happiness. As there is variety in the desires of the different sparks of spirit roaming this and many other lands, there are multiple paths leading to spiritual enlightenment. To find which one is best, we can apply the same screening test used for determining which material items are worth possessing. Those tools of transcendentalism that are the most expensive, which are the most difficult to accept and more restrictive in terms of entry, are the ones we don’t need. This means that suffering through strict austerity, sitting in difficult yoga postures for hours on end, and becoming a high scholar of Vedanta through philosophical speculation are not the best ways to find the Absolute Truth.

The aforementioned pursuits are difficult and limit the number of people that can be accepted. Bhakti-yoga, on the other hand, is the easiest to implement and can be perfected by any person, regardless of age or level of intelligence. The quintessential act of bhakti is the chanting of the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. Within the names of Krishna and Rama can be found the limitless blissful features and transcendental pastimes of the Lord. The holy names sequenced in the maha-mantra can be sung, recited on a set of japa beads, or simply repeated within the mind over and over. It is the travelling field of bliss, ready to produce the ingredients necessary for feeding the mind starved of spiritual association. From divine association in bhakti-yoga the precocious developer makes the best use of the SDK that is the shrutis by writing an application that turns everything in this world into an object of value. Whether living in opulence or squalor, heat or cold, light or darkness, the spiritually infused devotee finds Krishna’s association, which is never out of stock.

In Closing:

From SDK tools of language take,

So that custom applications can make.

 

Whatever thing you want you can do,

No direction given, choice up to you.

 

Same way the earth with its many seeds,

Grow food so that hunger to be appeased.

 

To think there is scarcity is mistake,

From nature’s gifts resources create.

 

With Krishna how can scarcity exist?

Chant His names, from foolishness desist.

Dissertation

“The Vedic process does not involve research work. In mundane scholarship, we have to show our academic learning by some research, but the Vedic process is different. In the Vedic process the research work is already done; it is complete, and it is simply handed down by disciplic succession from teacher to student.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Elevation to Krishna Consciousness, Chapter 1)

To be considered an outstanding philosopher, you have to come up with a new theory or postulate that is not currently in the field. This is what “outstanding” means after all, for if you simply copy what other people are saying how would you distinguish yourself? In the field of self-realization, however, the more appreciated scholars are those who best soak in and describe what they have learned from their predecessors. While the philosopher has to present groundbreaking research or prove a brand new theory that has been painstakingly concocted and tested, the sincere student of a bona fide guru, or spiritual master, just has to show that he has learned from his guru and not deviated from his teachings. Since the subject matter is fully encompassing, there is nothing that needs to be added on, subtracted, shaped, molded, or interpreted. Whoever is fortunate enough to meet such a philosopher – a sincere student who keeps the chain of information transfer rolling on schedule – will be benefitted in every way.

“The word muni means one who can agitate his mind in various ways for mental speculation without coming to a factual conclusion. It is said that every muni has a different angle of vision, and unless a muni differs from other munis, he cannot be called a muni in the strict sense of the term.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 2.56 Purport)

In material science, wherein the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, is either fully ignored or wholly rejected as being just a myth concocted by the less intelligent, the starting point of information is nothing. That’s correct; without establishing a base of knowledge rooted in information of how God created the earth and why He did so, man will start with a blank slate. Therefore the first scientist must put forth theories based entirely on personal observation. To the sober man, this will immediately cause some light bulbs of thought to turn on within the mind. “The first person on earth knew nothing then? They didn’t know what the sun was, how to eat, why there should be sleep, how to maintain the body, etc.? How could they even survive then? How could they live life and avoid danger?”

Living in ignorance is possible, otherwise animals, insects and fish couldn’t survive. Based on the atheist theory, the first generation of mankind would have had to have made observations of the world around them and then steadily built upon that foundation. Yet, based on how we treat our own children, we know that this method is flawed. From the very beginning of life, the young child starts the discovery process. They play throughout the day and find things they have never seen before. Little by little they add on to their knowledgebase.

Would a sane parent allow their child to continue discovering in this way, perpetually? Would they say, “Okay, son, you just go on discovering and noting down your observations. Pretty soon you’ll figure out how to live.” We send children to school to learn higher information, to be instructed on concepts and given tools that will allow them to grow into mature, self-sufficient adults. In a similar manner, the Supreme Lord, the fountainhead of everything, didn’t just leave us residents of the material world without an intellectual support system. He gave us the Vedas, the original scriptures for mankind, which provide guidelines and recommendations on how to make the most out of life. The keepers of the faith were the original spiritual masters, who passed on the same instruction through the hearing process. In this way papers, books and pencils weren’t even required. Simply by hearing one could acquire perfect knowledge.

When the authority of the Vedas is denied, man must methodically add to their knowledgebase that originally started from nothing. Therefore, as each new person comes along, they must come up with new theories to describe the nature that is so difficult to explain. In this respect man has made tremendous advancement, or so he thinks. By noticing the sun’s rising and setting at periodic intervals and the life cycles of the various species, so much information has been gathered. As this knowledge is accumulated, it is passed on and taught to young students who are shielded from the high wisdom that is the Vedas.

Since the original knowledgebase is itself insufficient, or at least incomplete, future scientists must do research work and prove their theories that add new points of information. Since the human being, due to the limitations on the gathering of sense perceptions and the short duration of life, can hardly witness anything significant in one lifetime, the opportunities for new research work are endless. One person cannot possibly see all that there is to see, for they couldn’t live long enough to properly take everything in. Indeed, as soon as there is birth, automatically so much of past history is missed out on. Furthermore, even if we were given a guided tour of the universe, there is no way we could remember everything that we saw or even properly understand how everything works. This defect in man indicates that he is inferior to the superior person, the supreme person in charge of creating the nature that He is not even interested in.

“And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities, and although I am everywhere, still My Self is the very source of creation.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.5)

In the field of science, if one wants to become a PhD, a doctor of philosophy, they have to come up with a new theory or idea, research it for years on end, and then come up with a doctoral thesis, or dissertation, that proves their theory. This work is then presented before a panel of scientists, who review the theories and grill the scientist presenting them. The presentation required to get a PhD carries with it tremendous pressure, more than a person could imagine. If the research work presented isn’t unique, if it doesn’t further advance the particular field of science, if it doesn’t show that new ideas and theories have been thought about and validated, the doctorate cannot be granted.

With Vedic science, however, the starting point is completely different. Though the Vedas and their different branches don’t take up volumes and volumes of journals that line the library bookshelves, the knowledge necessary for fulfilling life’s mission is presented in full detail and without ambiguity. As brevity is the soul of wit, the greatest poet of them all, Shri Krishna, has nicely condensed brilliant philosophical points and recommendations into short, concise verses that can be sung, remembered and implemented in everyday life. The Vedas are so brilliant that they explain why material science exists in the first place. Every theory of life, every religion to have ever come into existence, and every type of idea that will ever be born in the future is explained in the Vedas, for its knowledgebase is complete.

“…Due to the great variety of desires and natures among human beings, there are many different theistic philosophies of life, which are handed down through tradition, custom and disciplic succession. There are other teachers who directly support atheistic viewpoints.” (Lord Krishna, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 11.14.8)

How can we make these claims if the human mind is limited in its ability to think? If someone gives you the proper tools that allow you to make full use of your brain power, then surely you can understand a lot more than you did before you received those tools. Since the starting point of Vedic instruction is information that remains far above the theories concocted by the scientists and material enjoyers, the result is supreme enlightenment. Students of the Vedic tradition are taught that they are spirit soul, aham brahmasmi. From this it can be understood that the body is just a temporary covering, a sort of outfit conducive for play on a field that is temporary in nature. To try to understand the field and use knowledge to exploit both it and the people residing on it is a faulty endeavor, for the outfit must be given up after a certain amount of time elapses. Despite the best efforts made at prolonging the duration of play, an end point must arrive. Even Lord Brahma, the first created living entity and the person charged with populating the material realm, must quit his body, though he lives for billions of years.

If the outfit is temporary and the field not meant to be exploited, what is the point to human life? Why are there even varieties in species? Why is there a field? The spirit soul, the essence of individuality, has full freedom in its choice of association and pursuit for enjoyment. Just as no two individuals are exactly the same in their tastes, no two spirit souls will follow the exact same path for enjoyment. Though there is full freedom, the exercise of it generally follows one of two paths. One roadmap lines up with the soul’s constitutional position, while the other does not. Therefore one path is eternal in its manifestation and the enjoyments that result, while the other brings numerous, temporary endeavors resulting in flickering happiness. Since we know that the outfits assumed in the material realm must be renounced at some point, it’s obvious that life on earth represents the latter choice, the one that doesn’t correspond with the soul’s constitutional position.

The very desire to reject Vedic wisdom and accumulate a knowledgebase formed exclusively off of sense perception is itself indicative of the choice made towards following the improper path, the one leading to inferior happiness. At its core, the soul is a lover of God, who is its life partner. When the freedom of association chooses in favor of God, there are no defects in anything, including knowledge. When the choice is made in the other direction, cycles of birth, old age, disease and death result. Imperfect knowledge that needs to be continuously compiled, researched and proven is required. Celebrations over temporary increases in the duration of life and the ability to enjoy occur, while in reality no further progress is made towards fulfilling life’s ultimate mission.

If the right choice is to act in God’s interests and love Him to the hearts’ content, then the real mission in life becomes obvious: use the advanced brain power of the human body to figure out how to reenter divine service. If one loses their driver’s license through revocation or gets kicked out of a school they were attending, the subsequent rehabilitation process is aimed at getting their prior privileges reinstated. Driving still takes place and the school remains in session even if we are not participating. Similarly, the divine pastimes of the Supreme Lord take place constantly in the various universes. To reenter these wonderful engagements, to get reinstated into our natural position, all that is required is a sincere desire to do so.

This is easier said than done, however. Concomitant with birth in the material realm is association with ignorance that envelops the otherwise knowledgeable soul. The proper path in the human form of body, therefore, is to slowly but surely dissipate this nescience and return to the original position of desiring to be with Krishna. The more knowledge that is acquired in this regard, the better the chances of being committed to the eternal path of devotional service, or bhakti-yoga. Instead of accepting new research work and showing how you have further advanced the cause of material science, it is more beneficial to simply accept a spiritual teacher, one who has already chosen in favor of service to Krishna.

To earn the doctorate, the research work must be compiled, presented and substantiated. On the spiritual side, however, to earn reentry into Krishna’s pastimes, one simply has to show what they have learned from their spiritual master. The original knowledgebase is perfect, so what could a paltry living entity contribute anyway? This doesn’t mean that the student acts like a robot and repeats everything verbatim without understanding the concepts. Though repeating word for word what the spiritual master has said is beneficial, when the student explains the same concepts in their own voice, showing how they have assimilated the information into their own journey through life, the true indication of enlightenment is given. Furthermore, through this outpouring of sublime wisdom countless other people can be rescued from the ocean of nescience and taken back to the imperishable land, the home of the Supreme Godhead, the fountainhead of all energies.

Another factor to consider is that as more time elapses from the start of creation, mankind’s brainpower and adherence to spiritual principles diminish. The field work in spiritual science has already been completed, by those who were much smarter than we are and who lived a life more conducive to contemplation on the Supreme Absolute Truth. The hustle and bustle of city life, the constant struggle to maintain one’s family and bare necessities, greatly inhibits the ability to accept spiritual wisdom and forge a change in consciousness. Nevertheless, simply accepting the foremost recommendation of the acharyas, the regular chanting of, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, is enough to shift our desires to the spiritual world. At the time of death, the governing body headed by Shri Krishna Himself will see that since our consciousness is fully fixed on God, we obviously took the words of the spiritual master to heart, that we didn’t get distracted by the temptation to supersede the guru’s authority or show that we are smarter than him. Krishna’s welcoming arms reward those who accept without reservation what has been handed down to them.

Shooting in the Dark

“…when it is not possible to understand even the material things which we daily see with our eyes, what can we say of the spiritual world and Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead? He is the supreme spiritual form, and it is not possible to understand Him by our limited senses.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Krishna Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System, Ch 2)

It’s our turn to go. The outcome of the game hinges on this next toss. We’re confident, however, because our dart throwing skills are superexcellent. The favorite in any matchup always has the upper hand, because even when things don’t go his way, he doesn’t panic. He has won so many times in the past that he has full faith and confidence in his ability to deliver the goods. He knows that his game plan and skill level are enough to overcome even the toughest opposition on most days. Keeping this in mind, we pick up the dart and prepare to toss it. Just then the lights in the room go out. The rules say that we must continue, even in the absence of light. So what will the result of our throw be? We may come close to the target, but we have no way of knowing if we actually found the mark. Moreover, there is every possibility of missing the target by a wide margin, even striking a nearby onlooker with the sharp object flying from our hand.

When it comes to completely understanding its surrounding nature, the human being is totally in the dark, even when the sun is shining bright in the sky. The very need to have an external lighting source is enough to prove that the human being is limited in his capabilities. Thus when mentally concocted theories about the Supreme Absolute Truth, the origin of life, are posited in spite of this great limitation on intelligence and observation, the results similarly miss the mark by a long shot. But through utilizing a different approach, the intelligence level that is our destiny can be reached very quickly. Not only can the necessary knowledge come to us without much strain, but we can also put it to good use.

Since we have a limited ability to understand the nature around us, when theories about mysteries like the origin of the universe are presented as solid and undeniable facts, the harmful effects that result are too many to count. The stray dart may poke a few onlookers or maybe cause the player to lose the game, but an incorrect theory about something as important as the origin of life can lead others down the wrong path, trapping them in a maze that is difficult to escape from. For starters, the conclusions about creation reached on simple perception generally focus on man’s paltry abilities. Nature is assigned the title of creating agent, which randomly collided a series of chemicals to create the wonderful life around us. “If even nature operates on randomness, i.e. a lack of intelligence, then surely the human being, through enough research, can figure out how to control everything.” With the theories rooted in sense perception man takes himself to be God.

“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.13)

Several key factors are overlooked in this conclusion. For starters, the human being is completely helpless in its infancy. If there is even one second spent during one’s lifetime in a state of total dependence, how can any person claim to be God? How can the title of “Supreme Controller” ever be up for grabs if we know that death is guaranteed? Ah, but here is the issue. The silly scientist deluded by flawed sense perception believes that through enough advancement in medicine and technology, death itself will one day be a thing of the past. Even if this hope is accepted, there is still the issue of old age to contend with. We know that once a human being reaches an advanced age, the vital functions start to diminish in ability, and the body itself starts to breakdown. If man could live forever, why would he want to reside in an aged body? While the duration of life can be extended, nothing has even remotely been discovered that will maintain the body in a permanent and functioning state. The human being is incapable of stopping even the change from the childhood body, so what could ever be done to prevent the full onset of old age?

Based on mental speculation borne of basic observations, which are very limited in scope when we think of the incomprehensible length of time the world has existed, other theories also crop up, such as the effect man has on the weather. Again, based on the limitation in understanding the nature around us, making such a bold assertion and claiming it to be irrefutable science is quite silly. In fact, the followers of such theories don’t even say that they have proven their contention of man’s effect on the climate through any scientific experiment. Science involves both observation and experiment. The hypothesis that humankind has altered the basic climate of the earth is there, but there has yet to be a full experiment performed to test the theory. In reality, based on the limitations of age and death, it is impossible to run a full scale test, as the controls have to be tightly monitored and the length of the experiment must be on par with the age of the earth.

When these theories created from shooting in the dark face healthy skepticism from others, the proponents don’t shy away. Instead, they go on the attack, calling the opponents all sorts of names. The religious followers are viewed as fanatics following mythological traditions, and the scientists who genuinely oppose the propounded theories are considered bribed, bought and paid for by large companies who stand to lose the most should the other side prevail. The theories are just one aspect of the misdirection. Saying that chemicals randomly collided and created the universe is one thing, but when these ideas are presented as scientific facts and taught to young students, the intention is to alter behavior. Religion is prohibited from being taught in schools, but a person’s ultimate philosophy on life, their primary conclusion that guides their behavior, is their real religion. In this sense the theories about man-made global warming and the “big bang” causing the earth’s creation can be considered religions in their own right, theistic traditions that both fully depend on faith, even though their presentations hide the fact. These are actually the worst kinds of religions, because they are forced upon others. If the government were to mandate that a specific religious tradition be taught in the schools, there would be outrage from parents. But when another conclusion is presented as secular, there is not as much opposition, though the influence on behavior is there all the same.

“O Arjuna, I control heat, the rain and the drought. I am immortality, and I am also death personified. Both being and nonbeing are in Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 9.19)

In the theories developed only off of sense perception, the common trait shared is the absence of an intelligent creator, a God. Without a God, the title of “Supreme Controller” goes up for grabs. Hence the aim of life becomes quite straightforward: enjoy as much as you want, try to accumulate as many possessions as possible, and do this before death arrives at your doorstep. Without an acknowledged Supreme Lord, man takes to worshiping other men who exhibit extraordinary qualities in various fruitive ventures. But with impending death these abilities will soon vanish, so the worshipable figures themselves are flawed.

The limitations on fully understanding the visible world don’t just bewilder people into following blanket atheism. In many spiritual traditions, the form and personality of God are denied. In the Vedic tradition, a prevalent theory that has emerged is that God is impersonal. Those who follow this line of thinking are referred to as Mayavadis, which is a Sanskrit word that describes those who subscribe to the final conclusion that everything is maya. Spirit, or that which transcends matter, is known as Brahman, and that which is not Brahman is known as maya. The Vedas accurately point out that Brahman is the origin of everything in this world, including the temporary manifestations of matter that we see. But the life forms, the individuals residing within the different body types, are above the temporary nature. Spirit exists prior to birth and after death. Therefore the ignorance that drives activity is due solely to a false identification. The individual spirit soul is Brahman, but without understanding these key concepts, every person by default identifies with matter, or maya.

Because these rules apply to every single life form, the tendency is to think that even if there is a God, He must accept a body composed of maya when He comes to earth. If God is also compelled to fall under maya’s sway, He cannot really be superior to the living entity. Hence the Mayavada theory takes the individual spiritual entity, who is part and parcel of Brahman, to ultimately be equal to God. If man is equal to God but doesn’t know it yet, there is less of a reason to worship the Supreme Lord. If anything, the aim becomes to one day eliminate all interaction with the outside world and thus remain insulated from the effects of material nature.

Yet this again misses the mark. Simple perception and logic are not able to bring us to the proper conclusion. Even still, hope is not lost. There is a way to learn about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His blissful nature, His position transcendental to matter, and His fixed role as the best friend of everyone. The key is to admit one’s lack of knowledge and approach someone who does know God. For maya to exist, it must be created. And if it comes to be through the hand of a divine figure, then certainly that person must be immune to its effects. From humbly approaching a bona fide guru, a spiritual master who has learned about God through their own submission to a guru, we hear that the Supreme Lord has an ever blissful form, and that from Him emanate the various energies. We are Brahman, but God is Parabrahman. Maya can only affect the marginal potency of the Lord, meaning that the spiritual energy and its source can never be deluded by maya.

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 4.34)

Material nature is inhibiting only under a mindset driven by an improper identification. When the spirit souls realize that they are not matter and that they are eternally linked to God, whose original form is so attractive that it is addressed as Krishna, the negative influences of maya go away. Under this proper mentality, which is known as Krishna consciousness, every tool around us can be used to further our purpose of remaining forever linked to God in thoughts, words and deeds. The Vedic seers, the pure devotees who kindly teach those who are humble enough to not challenge every single word presented outright, show that loving God is man’s only business. As spirit continues in its existence long after the body composed of matter is renounced, so the devotional efforts of the pure soul continue in life after life, should the choice to do so remain.

“That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 4.3)

The issue may be raised about the harm in subscribing to blind faith. We know that our sense perceptions are limited, so shouldn’t this apply to everyone else? If a guru tells us something, how do we know that what they are saying is true? To understand God at a level sufficient to alter consciousness and subsequently behavior, we don’t need to renounce our healthy skepticism or our discrimination. These two tools can help us immensely in becoming more firmly convinced of the existence of God and His wonderful personal form. But supreme knowledge itself is incapable of being uncovered through experiment; it can only come from the person who is the target of all pious activity. The Supreme Lord, in His wonderful form, first imparted the imperishable science of real yoga, the linking in consciousness of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul, at the beginning of creation to the first living entity entering the cosmos. That first person then subsequently passed down the same knowledge, unadulterated, to future generations. In this way a disciplic succession was created, where conclusions were simply passed down rather than being discovered.

If there is ever a break in the chain of knowledge transfer, the Supreme Lord either personally descends to earth to reinstitute the system or He sends an authorized figure to do the same. In this way approaching a spiritual master that follows a disciplic succession descending from Krishna is more like going to the right school and following authorized instruction than blindly following an unqualified leader. The prescriptions of the prominent Vaishnava teachers of today is that we regularly chant, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, and abstain from the activities that have the most harmful effect on consciousness: meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex.

From a quick glance at these recommendations we see that there is no harm in at least trying them out. The Vaishnavas don’t ask anyone to give up their current livelihood or remain forever renounced from activity. There is no requirement that one take up strenuous study or work hard to acquire every possession possible. The only entry fee into the land of undying and supreme wisdom is humility, the acknowledgment that man is limited and that there is a God managing everything. When the submission is done in earnest and the bona fide procedures followed with a little faith and dedication, Shri Krishna will gradually reveal Himself to the devotee. This is the only way to understand God. Any other method is like shooting in the dark. Depending on what is being projected, the effects of the guesswork can be quite harmful. But when the holy names of the Lord are recited with full faith and undying love, the only result is a surcharge in spiritual consciousness, a level of energy that never runs out. The pure devotee ascends to the spiritual sky after death, where they retain a transcendental body perfectly fit for executing their service to the Personality of Godhead in a mood of love and devotion.

Hoard Mentality

“If a bag of rice is placed in a public place, birds will come to eat a few grains and go away. A human being, however, will take away the whole bag. He will eat all his stomach can hold and then try to keep the rest in storage.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Nectar of Instruction, 2 Purport)

Comparisons to the animal community are a favorite tool of the Vaishnava preacher, he who understands the equality shared across every form of life, large and small, due to their identities being part and parcel of Brahman, or pure spirit. The human being is unique because he can understand this equality and the cause for the variety in species. Therefore anytime he acts in a way that is worse than an animal, there is cause for concern, as the behavior indicates that the higher potential for knowledge is not being tapped. Only until the purpose of human life is achieved, that one goal exclusively assigned to the most intelligent species, can there be any question of superiority or evolution in terms of fitness.

The theory of evolution, although having some complexities, basically asserts that the fittest group within a certain species bands together and then creates offspring who are then superior in nature. As more and more fit groups follow this tact, the species themselves evolve into something more advanced. This is how it is believed the human being evolved from its roots as a monkey species. Aside from the fact that it is impossible for a monkey to create a human being or any other type of non-monkey species, there is the glaring flaw related to fitness. Just how does a scientist observe whether one group within a particular species is fitter or not? Does not every living being die at some point? If there were a fitter group amongst human beings, wouldn’t they be immortal and not subject to death?

The Vaishnava, the devotee of Lord Vishnu, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, understands that the only true measure of fitness is the development of consciousness. Since everything comes from God, janmady asya yatah, only when the mind is completely filled with loving thoughts devoted to the Supreme Lord, His persona, His paraphernalia, and how to constantly serve Him can there be any question of purification of consciousness. In the absence of this elevation in thought processes, all species, human or otherwise, are on an equal footing. One group may sleep on the floor, while another has a mattress with adjustable settings for each side, but the act of sleeping is still the same. One species may eat garbage, while another enjoys gourmet food on a regular basis, but the supply of nutrients going to the body is the same in either case.

In the absence of a fully developed consciousness, there is no question of fitness. Generally, the indicator used to determine whether a group within a species is superior or not is their level of enjoyment and their duration of life. The fish that lives longer than another fish is deemed superior. But according to the Vedic model, a life devoted to eating, sleeping, mating and defending has no scales of ascending stature. Time is also not a factor, as the spirit soul, the essence of life, exists perpetually. The lifespan is simply a measurement of time, a value that varies from living entity to living entity. If one being lives for one hundred years and another for five, if they both fail to properly develop their consciousness, the effects of their life’s experiences are the same. The soul never dies, so even if there is early exit from a particular form, the soul is immediately granted a new residence to continue its activities.

The human being is considered the most advanced form of body because of the potential for understanding God, the origin of both spirit and matter. In the absence of this pursuit, athato brahma jijnasa – which means “Now is the time for inquiring about Brahman, or the Supreme Truth” – the human being is actually inferior to the animals in many ways. A wonderful example often referenced by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to illustrate this point is the differences in behavior between animals and human beings when it comes to procuring food. If a bag of rice is dropped in the middle of the street, the animal species, such as the birds, will only take what it needs to satisfy its hunger and then move on. It will not hoard the rice for itself or keep it in stock to be sold later on.

The inquisitive person at this point may ask, “Well, doesn’t that show that the bird is stupid? If you find a bunch of rice, you can turn it into a commodity, a way to sustain your livelihood. Wouldn’t an intelligent person grab all the rice and either carefully eat away at it or sell the surplus for a profit?” This is indeed what the human being would be inclined to do. Pick up the rice before someone else grabs it, as competition for earning a profit is very fierce in the human society. Since there is greater opulence and enhanced levels of enjoyment in eating, sleeping and mating, the human being is more alert to defending his property, as he feels he has a lot to protect. By grabbing as much rice as possible, a person thinks they get further protection against hunger and destitution.

But the more intelligent person would ask, “Where do the birds and other animals get their food from? They don’t have a government managing their affairs, redistributing wealth and providing for the poor. They don’t open businesses and try to earn a profit selling goods and services. If the bird doesn’t hoard the surplus rice that is found on the street, does it die later on for want of food? Does the surplus of rice found in the street represent its only chance at survival?” These questions indicate a sober mindset, a mentality which has advanced past the base animal instincts. We learn from Vedic scriptures like the Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam that Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His original form, supplies everything to everyone. The animal kingdom is populated with living entities as well, spirit souls that are Brahman at the core. Hence they too are intimately related to Krishna.

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.8)

Even if one is blinded by the incorrect assertion that Krishna is just a Hindu deity, it is still a rational viewpoint to take God to be the source of everything, including those things supplied by nature. Even under the atheistic model that follows the evolution theory, there is a supreme authority: nature, the force responsible for the so-called advancement in the species. The sun rises and sets at regular and predictable intervals, and the seasons come at the same time each year. In fact, nature’s scheduled tasks are so predictable and taken for granted that if there are any changes witnessed, any anomalies that can’t be understood, man somehow thinks he is responsible for them. If he can somehow get the “peons” to stop driving their cars and start recycling, then the weather will change.

But nature operates under intelligence, as does any machine made of material elements. The body is like a finely tuned automobile. Though it is a terrific specimen, it would be useless without a driver. Moreover, just like the car, the body was carefully designed by a spiritual spark, a life force. Just as the automobile and the body of a human being are created and maintained by the intelligence of spirit, so the nature that provides everything to us is controlled by a living force. The animal kingdom gets all the food they need and the shelter required to sustain their lives. A bird may not be very intelligent, but it knows enough to fly south for the winter and return when the weather gets warmer. It knows to fly away at the last second when a car is approaching. It also knows where to get food and how much to eat. If such abilities and tendencies are present in the bird, why would they be absent in the human being, whom it is widely agreed is a superior species?

The true benefit of the intelligence given to human beings is not the ability to hoard more and more resources that are well-provided by nature. The human being doesn’t need to take the entire bag of rice to stay alive, as there is enough intelligence within the brain to figure out how to procure food when it is needed. But because of the hoarding mentality, the greedy mindset urged on by fears of losing everything, the human society is artificially put into scarcity. Some of the poorest nations in the world are ones that have the most fertile land available for growing food. The greedy mentality, especially when it infiltrates the governing bodies, those whose duty it is to apply the law equally and fairly, brings about levels of suffering not seen even in the animal community. With basic property rights and the ability to keep and enjoy the fruits of labor, a society can flourish in terms of material wealth. Indeed, it is seen that in developed countries the level of opulence is so great that even the poor are well-equipped with food, clothing, shelter, automobiles, air conditioning, and many other items of enjoyment.

So how do we avoid the hoard mentality? We know that if we don’t pick up the stray rice on the street, someone else will in a second. Anyone who has ever left a defective television set or old furniture by their curb to be thrown out knows how quickly someone else will come to take it. The items are picked up so swiftly that it leaves the homeowner wondering whether or not their house is under constant surveillance. When you’re driving in an urban environment, there is no room for being kind to other cars and allowing them to enter spaces that you intend to enter. If you follow the unselfish mentality in these situations, you will not get anywhere, as car after car will jam the spaces you want to enter. These are the issues facing the human society lacking God consciousness. Therefore only when the origin of all property is sought out, understood, and then served will the proper mindset be achieved. This level of thought and practice will bring about the proper development of consciousness, allowing the boon of the human form of body to be fully utilized.

The human being has the opportunity to perform austerity, or tapasya. This is especially necessary in the early stages of life, when there is no attention paid to the need for regulation and restriction. The animal kingdom will have unregulated sex life and eating based on whatever nature provides. The human being, whose mission it is to develop consciousness, can only advance by transcending the animal instincts. In the early stages of life, if one learns to avoid meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex, they will always be sober in thought. A man who is sober, or dhira, is more apt to understand the truths of life espoused by the Vedas. The first Vedic instruction given is that we are not our body; spirit does not change while the body does. Just as the body of a youth transforms drastically when they reach adulthood and then eventually again when old age is reached, the body is completely changed at the time of death. Only a self-realized man, one who is fully sober through practice of regulation of the senses, can understand this.

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.13)

After we understand that we are spirit and not the body, we have to understand what the properties of spirit are. What activities should a spirit soul take up and why? From further study, we learn that the soul is part and parcel of Krishna, or God. Hence the individual is meant to always remain in the Lord’s company, at least in consciousness. The material bodies of the living entities are situated in foreign lands; they are not meant to be permanent homes. The consciousness of the individual at the time of death determines the next stop in the train of reincarnation. When thoughts are focused on God at this most important time, a spiritual body is awarded for the next life. And unlike the duration spent in a material form, the lifespan of a spiritual body cannot be properly measured. Just as Krishna remains forever in the spiritual sky, so do His liberated associates who have chosen against life in the material world. Mother Nature provides the necessities to her residents, and Krishna similarly gives His devotees whatever they require to remain steadily connected with Him.

So how do we change our consciousness? In this day and age the recommended practice is the chanting of the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. There is no scarcity with this mantra; it is available to every single person to be utilized as often as they please. Chanting it over and over again can only benefit us and also those whose lives we touch. When there is pure Krishna consciousness, there is no desire to usurp another’s property and no fear that we will be destitute should we not give full attention to artha, or economic development. From simultaneous dedication to tapasya, the living entity learns to survive only on what it needs to maintain the vital force within the body; hence there is no question of excess. As a result, sobriety can be maintained and the proper course of action in any situation, including one where the animalistic tendencies are most prone to emerge, can be easily deciphered.

The Good and The Bad

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.14)

One of the central tenets of Vedic philosophy that is so nicely pointed out by Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the Bhagavad-gita, the Song of God which contains truths of life not found in any other poem or scriptural text, is that both good and bad, the temporary gains and setbacks encountered in life, are on an equal level. The plight of the spirit soul is what counts, for the spiritual spark is the basis of identity within every form of life. Favorable and unfavorable circumstances are not always the same, thereby introducing duality. The soul is meant for a state beyond subjective judgment, one where there is only Truth. No amount of scientific research, sense pleasure, or renunciation alone can extract the highest truth, only pure love and devotion dedicated to the entity that is never bewildered by duality.

So what exactly do we mean by both good and bad being equal? After all, isn’t everyone seeking a better condition, one free of pain and misery? Indeed, the highest spiritual realm is known as Vaikuntha because it is free of anxieties. The proprietor of Vaikuntha is the Supreme Lord in His various Vishnu forms, as He is all-pervading, ever-opulent and full of spiritual attributes. God is a universal figure who is not limited in scope and whose mercy is not restricted to any particular region or spiritual tradition. While the stubborn sentimentalists and sectarians will claim that anyone who doesn’t believe in their “God” is destined to suffer eternal damnation, the link between the individual soul and the Supreme Soul can never be broken, only forgotten in terms of consciousness. This is the predicament currently facing the living entities roaming the earth, the jiva souls tossed around in the clothes dryer of material existence that is set to the “reincarnation” cycle.

While the jivas endure cycles of birth and death, the Supreme Lord does not. Hence He has an unchanging spiritual form and also a home which bears the same properties of eternality, bliss and knowledge found in His body. Under the vague conception of God, the Lord may be seen as an angry person, an old man, or someone who severely punishes those who don’t surrender unto Him fully. In reality, just forgetting God leads to all other troubles encountered. Remembrance of the Lord, on the other hand, brings about favorable circumstances in any condition. So just based on this definition we see how the dualities present themselves. Good and bad in the absence of God consciousness cannot be considered permanent or anything worthwhile.

To take a simple example that illustrates these points, let’s review the workings of the rain in the spring season. As a person ages, winter becomes more unpleasant. Children prefer the winter season because of the snowstorms and the time off from school. In addition, the Christmas holiday also occurs in the wintertime, so this means new gifts coming in and loads of fun for the children. But the cold chill of the winter and the havoc caused by snow are not pleasant in the least bit for adults. For the elderly, the cold weather can become too much to bear; hence the mass migration to warmer climates by those who are retired from working.

The spring season is a welcome time for obvious reasons; it signals the end of the winter, the long awaited departure of the cold and the unpleasant weather. But with the spring comes the rain, which is not universally adored. Surely the plants, grass, trees and farmers enjoy the rain and the nourishment it provides, but rain disrupts outdoor events and travel. People travelling to baseball games, or even those playing outdoor sports, have to deal with inclement weather and the possibility of cancellations. Motorists must maneuver through increased traffic due to the rain and also the hazardous road conditions created by puddles and decreased visibility.

In this way we see that one person may loathe the rain while another may delight in it. Additionally, the falling rain means that the sun will likely not be out in the sky, leading to a darker mood and dreariness of mind. But has the rain purposefully done anything, good or bad? Are not the clouds equally disposed towards all they shower their rain upon? The rain itself does not change in properties, just the circumstances of the affected individuals. Depending on what one’s occupation is and what goal they are trying to achieve, they will view the rain, which is wholly neutral, favorably or unfavorably. Thus we see that good and bad are completely relative, dependent on the position of the affected individual. Moreover, we can’t really make a moral judgment as to which viewpoint is correct. Can we blame the motorist stuck in traffic because of the rainstorm for getting angry? Can we honestly say that the farmer elated by the rainfall is in the wrong?

The same principles apply in the area of scientific advancement. Due to the increased potential for intelligence, the human being can study the nature around it, understand their own mortality, and also take the necessary steps to stop death. This is correct; only in the human form of body can death be stopped permanently. The pathway towards achieving this wonderful feat is known to the Vedas and their followers, and among them only a select few will take the necessary steps to make the dream a reality. Lord Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gita that anyone who knows Him, how He never takes birth or dies, and how He has a fully transcendental form never has to go through the cycle of birth and death upon quitting the body. Krishna also states that out of many thousands of men, only a few will endeavor to understand Him and the eternal nature of the soul. And then out of these few, an even smaller number will actually achieve perfection in their pursuit of transcendental knowledge.

“Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.3)

Though the chances for achieving liberation are slim, the opportunity is nevertheless there. Man must be humble enough to accept the proper information as it descends from authority. Everyone comes up with their own theories crafted through personal experience and scientific research, but the truths of the Vedas have accounted for the activities of many thousands of men spread across many thousands of years. Moreover, the truths and postulates presented are not mentally concocted, but rather instituted by the Supreme Lord, Shri Krishna, who is undying and existing since time immemorial. As such, the Vedic prescriptions, which ultimately call for full surrender to God, have passed all quality control tests. They do not require any more field research or logical proofs to be accepted. One who follows the system of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master is sure to reap all the rewards that are promised by Shri Krishna.

On the other hand, the discoveries unearthed by scientists and their research, while surely laudable and amazing in their own right, can only bring about conditions that fall under the scope of duality. The automobile, airplane, television and a host of other technological advancements are seen as modern marvels, but since they fail to further a purification of consciousness, they are fraught with negative reactions. The automobile brings an increased risk of death. The airplane allows for travelling far distances in short periods of time, but then there are all sorts of other issues to deal with, such as airport security delays, costly fares and inconveniences caused by other travellers. The television and other gadgets have led to increased lethargy and laziness. Today there is a widely accepted “obesity epidemic”, wherein the population is viewed as not exercising enough. Also, because of the ability to travel lengthy distances in short amounts of time, families are often spread far apart and workers travel hundreds of miles in a week to earn a living. With the increased responsibility required to maintain the advanced lifestyle, there is little to no time for contemplating the highest truths of life. Religion is seen as a rubber stamp business, where a few perfunctory rituals are considered good enough to provide insulation from a hellish future condition.

A fact that gets lost in the enjoyment of the new “advancements” is that a hellish condition is already simultaneously created. So in this sense the scientific research brings both good and bad, with the overall effect being negative when juxtaposed with the mission in life, that of becoming God conscious by the time of death. Another factor to consider is that the scientist engaging in research must eventually die, leaving behind all of their work. Yet someone who doesn’t take to scientific research, who simply engages the senses all day in eating, sleeping, mating and defending, also dies. So what is the difference between the two individuals? The scientist has used their intelligence towards furthering the cause of sense gratification, while the non-scientist has made no use of their intelligence, but rather fully engaged their senses in satisfying the demands of the body, a shell which must eventually be discarded.

Considering these facts, it would be safe to assume that a process that aims to stop death would have to be superior to both mental speculation through scientific research and gross material association through activities like gambling, meat eating, illicit sex and intoxication. The process for stopping death is nicely provided by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita, and it is explained more thoroughly through accounts of historical incidents found in the Puranas, the most important of which is the Bhagavata Purana, or Shrimad Bhagavatam. This wonderful work is considered the crown jewel of Vedic literature, as it not only contains further instructions from Krishna and His followers but also has descriptions of the blissful pastimes performed by the Lord in the holy land of Vrindavana some five thousand years ago. Anyone who truly knows Krishna will not have to take birth again, which means that they won’t have to die again either.

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 4.9)

As part and parcel of Krishna, the soul is also eternal in its constitutional makeup. We never really die, but the terms “birth” and “death” are used to refer to the outer covering of the soul. With Krishna, there is no difference between any of His energies. The spiritual and material energies are the same for Him. There is no difference between Krishna’s body and Krishna’s soul. For us living entities, however, there is a distinction between the body and the soul, as the jiva is the marginal potency of the Supreme Spirit. The marginal designation comes from the jiva’s ability to exercise a choice in association. When the desire is to enjoy the senses, a material body is accepted and a corresponding residence is found, a place where dualities exist.

Once the jiva chooses the spiritual energy for association, however, release from the material realm is granted. In order to make this choice be known, one must be sober and have a fully developed consciousness. Consciousness exists to keep the jiva attached to Krishna in every thought, word and deed. Only in the human form of life can consciousness fully develop. We can go up to a dog and speak to them about the truths found in the Bhagavad-gita and the need for worshiping God, but they will not understand what we are saying. The limitations borne of their body don’t allow for an advanced consciousness. The human body is the only material form that has this potential; hence it becomes vitally important not to waste the opportunity of a human birth. Good parents don’t let their children play throughout childhood, for this will not make the most of their potential for acquiring knowledge. The saying, “it is a shame that youth is wasted on the young”, references the fact that young children have lots of energy. They can wake up early in the morning, play throughout the day, and still have a full tank of energy at night. It is for this reason that young children are sent to school for long hours during their youth; so that they can make the most of their enthusiasm.

Viewing the human birth in the same light, we see that it is critically important to ensure that the proper education is received in one’s lifetime. This education involves learning about the soul, the differences between matter and spirit, the relationship everyone has to God, and the need for serving Him. A fully developed consciousness is achieved when there is pure love and devotion to Krishna. Any other type of consciousness – even when formed after much scientific research, mental exercise, performance of austerity, donation in charity, or meditational yoga- will not bring about full liberation. The soul’s position is to be a lover of God, through and through. Pure love means having no other desires, no opportunities for being lost in the ocean of duality, where each wave carries a different, temporary condition.

So how do we love Krishna? Can we force it? How do we know that we won’t be wasting our time? The scientist and the gross materialist both die, but doesn’t the devotee also perish at the end of life? Obviously there must be an element of faith in the beginning stages of any endeavor. Even the words of the scientist are accepted on faith, as are the prescriptions put forth by the self-help gurus on television peddling their latest book. The prescriptions of the Vedas can be accepted on faith in the beginning, but through regular chanting of, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, the proof to the claims made by the acharyas, those spiritual leaders who lead by example, is found. Krishna consciousness can be developed within one’s lifetime, thus giving the soul a glimpse into what is in store in the bright future of the afterlife. The scientists and gross materialists give us both good and bad in terms of results, but only the purification of consciousness through bhakti brings about the most favorable condition, Krishna’s association.

Amazing Discoveries

“The creation itself is evidence of the consciousness of the Supreme. Everyone can appreciate the cosmic manifestation and how nicely it is working. The sun and moon rise exactly on time, without deviating even one ten-thousandth of a second, and the seasons change in the same way, bringing with them fruits and flowers.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Teachings of Queen Kunti, Ch 17)

With the rapidly advancing age of technology, new software programs, gadgets and devices flood the market every second. For the non-tech savy, figuring out how to use these new programs and devices can be very difficult. Microsoft, one of the world’s software giants, has an entire department dedicated to providing continuing education on how to use their different software tools. It takes years and years of training, both in the classroom and on the job, to become familiar with all the ins and outs of the various development environments and coding languages, not to mention mastering the actual tools that make them function properly. Those who are able to learn these technologies are given complimentary and even playful titles such as “genius”, “geek” and “MVP”. While these honors are well-deserved, what might get overlooked is that someone had to create the devices mastered and ensure that they function properly. Moreover, if it takes geniuses to figure out how to make use of the end product, just imagine how much intelligence was required on the part of the creator. Unfortunately, these finer points are also ignored when dealing with systems of the most complex scale, such as the creation, nature, and life and death. Because of this oversight, the true meaning of life remains safely tucked away within the recesses of the heart, only to be discovered by the rare individuals who are trained to see things properly.

“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.19)

In the Bhagavad-gita, arguably the single most appreciated, read and studied religious scripture in history, Lord Krishna, the speaker, founder and expert of Vedanta philosophy, or the final conclusion of all knowledge, states that it takes many lifetimes for an individual to finally understand who is behind the amazing creation we call the world. This statement carries the inherent implication that life continues after death and that the individual also existed prior to his current birth. These concepts, which are not merely dogmas of the Vedic tradition, speak to the eternality of spirit, the endlessly mutable nature of matter, and the purpose to our existence. When information pertaining to these subjects is not taken from authority figures such as Krishna and His spiritual descendants infused with intelligence, man remains in the dark and unappreciative of the true meaning behind life. He also fails to learn who the ultimate object of worship and pleasure should be.

Because it functions in identifiable patterns, the whole cosmic manifestation can be greatly appreciated and studied. The sun rises and sets at regular intervals, and the seasons come along at set times during the year. Man has studied nature for so long and become so familiar with its predictable events that he thinks he can alter the weather through driving certain types of automobiles and by recycling paper and aluminum products. But more important than the actual results seen in the external world is the cause Himself, the instigator of all action, the person who instituted this mysterious system known as nature. Where there is a lack of spiritual consciousness, the creator remains unappreciated, and the results are mistakenly viewed as the initial cause and effect. As a result of this flawed understanding, those who can correctly identify a small subsection of the workings of nature are hailed and regarded as geniuses, while the Person who instituted the plan to begin with gets completely ignored.

This behavior is especially seen whenever there is a new scientific discovery made or a new mathematical formula posited. As an example, we know that gravity is a force that applies equally to all objects. Irrespective of our belief system, if we drop an object out of our hands, it will fall to the ground. A long time ago, no one knew what this force was and how it was applied. Eventually scientists came along and discovered that not only will all objects fall, but they will drop at the exact same rate, irrespective of mass. This goes against our initial inclinations, as a rock will surely fall to the ground much more quickly than will a piece of paper. But when wind resistance is removed, i.e. when a vacuum is present, both objects will fall at exactly the same rate of speed. The person who discovered gravity and its properties is rightfully hailed as a genius, someone who has a high level of intelligence.

Similarly, those who develop mathematical theorems and physics laws that predict the workings of nature are also celebrated and well-respected throughout society. But a fact that might get overlooked is that the laws of gravity existed long before anyone discovered them. Thousands of years before the celebrated scientists even appeared on this earth, gravity was operating on all objects. In fact, the laws of science have always applied; thus they are not dependent on anyone’s discovery. One person may be an expert on all the ins and outs of a word processing program, knowing how to align paragraphs properly, adjust fonts, and change page sizes without much endeavor, but these capabilities are always present within the program, irrespective of the end users’ awareness of them.

The scientists will say that there is no proof that any single individual created nature and all of its workings. “At best, there maybe was a giant random collision of chemicals that created the wonders we see around us.” But this line of thinking doesn’t pass the smell test. Where in life have we seen any wondrous occurrence, object or independently operating intelligent machinery come into existence without the aid of human effort, or paurusham? One man may be a genius at writing computer programs and developing hardware devices, but without the initial injection from spirit, the hand of a living being, these devices would never stand a chance at functioning properly. The sun rises and sets at regular intervals, and somehow it just does this on its own? The sun has continued to beam heat and light across millions of miles since the beginning of time, and somehow it was created through a series of chemicals exploding? There is no way for man to gain a true appreciation for the sun because he is not capable of creating anything that can burn at even a fraction of the same scope.

The Vedas, the authoritative scriptures of India, kindly fill in the missing details. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, an individual with the highest intelligence, created this entire cosmos, with all of its intricate functions and workings. Discovering how nature operates is a neat exercise, but at the time of death, these functions will continue, while the body, including the brain, will be discarded. Realizing that an original person, one who is undying and ever existing, created the universe represents advancement from those who champion their intelligence acquired from understanding the workings of the nature created by the original person, but an even higher ascension in consciousness is achieved when the purpose behind the creation and the actions of its creator are understood.

The behavior exhibited by those who exclusively study the results of spiritual action actually provides great insight into the original cause of creation. When so much stress and endeavor is taken to only study the results and celebrate those who are able to understand a small portion of the workings of nature, the focus remains far away from the original person. In essence, man creates their own gods by worshiping the people that can study, manipulate and discourse about matter and its intricate workings. Indeed, for as long as the influence of the original person is neglected, the sun will continue to rise and plants will continue to grow to provide sustenance.

“When, however, one is enlightened with the knowledge by which nescience is destroyed, then his knowledge reveals everything, as the sun lights up everything in the daytime.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 5.16)

The wise understand that the creator should be given precedence in thought and worship. Not only is the original person amazing for having put the sun into a fixed position, but His reason for doing so only further enhances His stature. The essence of life is the soul, or atma. This tiny fragment of pure spirit exists at all times. This shouldn’t be that difficult to understand, as we existed in the tiniest of spaces within the womb of our mother prior to our birth. Though our consciousness wasn’t fully developed at that time, it would be silly to say that we didn’t exist. Proponents of the right to have an abortion have conjured up this idea that the fetus within the womb of the mother is an unviable tissue mass, but deep down they know that’s not the case. Frantic searches for contraceptives and abortion clinics would never be undertaken to deal with something as inconsequential as an unviable tissue mass. Matter cannot do anything on its own; without a spiritual injection matter is dull and lifeless.

Just as we existed before our present consciousness was fully developed, we will continue to exist in the future, as nothing can be done to eliminate spirit. What nature does have an influence over, however, is the future destination of the tiny spiritual fragment. The development of consciousness determines one’s future fortunes. If we are wholly attached to the phenomenal world and its amazing workings, our association remains fixed for the future. If a person loves science, they get to continue their scientific pursuits, life after life. Lest we think the scientist will ever run out of things to study and discover, not even a tiny fragment of the full knowledgebase about nature has even been identified, let alone understood. Indeed, the main difference between the original creator and the tiny fragmental sparks is that the sparks can never possess the same level of intelligence and potency to create as the creator; having complete knowledge is simply impossible for one who is lacking it. The relationship between the two entities, the creator and those roaming the creation, can be described as simultaneously one with and different. The creator also has independence and freedom of activity and association, but none of His behavioral tendencies are checked in any way. The tiny fragments have free will, but they are constantly tossed around by the workings of nature, the system whose effects they are so interested in understanding.

“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, Bg. 15.8)

If we prefer a particular lifestyle, we get to continue it even after we die. In this way the laws of nature are very kind, because when our current outer covering gets old and starts to become useless, a new one is provided. Our desires are tied to our consciousness, which is shaped by our activities. One who remains wholly dedicated to unregulated sex life will obviously have desires relating to sexual activity on the mind at the time of death. Therefore in the next life they will be given even greater license for sex through the body of a monkey or a dog. One who is very intelligent and seeks higher knowledge at every turn will be given the body of a scientist in the next life.

But the truly fortunate never have to take birth again after their present life completes. Lest we think there is an exception to the rule of consciousness being the determining factor, those who put an end to the cycle of reincarnation also develop a consciousness, but the nature of their attachment is different. Rather than being enamored with the unexplainable workings of the surrounding world, the pure hearted saints take to worshiping, honoring and always thinking about the original creator, the person who kindly allows all of his sons and daughters to remain separated from Him for as long as they wish.

The key factor in determining our future abode is desire. When the soul’s sincere desire, which is measured by the consciousness at the time of death, is to be in constant association with the Supreme Spirit, the person who eternally exists within the same form and hence the same type of land, a spiritual body is immediately granted and liberation is achieved. But since nature is so wondrous and man is given so many outlets for his service mentality, it is not very easy to even acknowledge the presence of the original creator. Surely there are many allegiances of faith to a Divine Being, who is most commonly referred to as God, but the focus of attention still remains far away from the divine realm. I may claim to be religious and attend functions and rituals associated with spiritual life, but unless my fervent desire is to serve that entity who I have acknowledged as the creator, my consciousness will not advance to any mature level.

“Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 4.6)

To ascend to the topmost stage of spiritual enlightenment, we need the aid of someone who knows the Truth, one who has learned it from someone who descends from the line of instruction originating with that Supreme Being. Though He creates matter and the world it governs, the Creator still makes appearances in His grand creation every now and then. Though when He comes He sometimes annihilates miscreants, this business can actually be taken care of by the ordinary workings of nature. His true purpose in descending to earth is to rescue the fallen souls looking for a real source of pleasure. The Creator also institutes the ideal principles of religion, a set of law codes aimed at actually purifying consciousness, not just giving individuals a sectarian view of spirituality that doesn’t provide any tangible benefit.

Irrespective of time, place, circumstance, language and country of origin, the discipline of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, always remains the topmost form of spiritual practice. Just as the laws of gravity existed long before anyone discovered them, bhakti has always been the supreme discipline, spiritual or otherwise, for mankind. Those who are fortunate enough to realize this never let go of that sublime engagement, whose quintessential activity is the chanting of the holy names of the original creator, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”.

The scientists who make amazing discoveries are honored when people read their books, hear stories about them, and make the best use of the information presented. In a similar manner, the Supreme Person, who is known as Krishna in His original form due to His all-attractive nature, can be honored and respected by regularly chanting His names, reading about His sportive exploits and making the best use of the information He reveals in texts like the Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam. Though matter and nature on a whole expand from the original person, worshiping and honoring these aspects of the Divine doesn’t constitute personal association. Matter is meant for those who want to be removed from God’s presence and spend all their time enjoying by themselves. Spirit, on the other hand, is reserved for those who want a higher taste and a more in-depth understanding and appreciation of the man behind the mask, the entity who is single-handedly responsible for creating the numerous wonders of the world which are studied by so many.

Though Krishna has many personal aspects, His name is considered the jewel, the most valuable possession to those wanting to remain purified in consciousness. The holy name automatically evokes memories of the Lord’s pastimes, qualities, features and other names. Bhakti can be practiced simply by chanting the names of the Lord in a mood of pure love, without any motivation for material advancement or acquisition of mundane knowledge. The jivas, the living entities who are considered in a marginal position that is between the internal energy of spirit and the external energy of matter, always have a choice. They can choose to build their mental muscles by becoming experts in fields that study the nature that seemingly functions independently, or they can remain in the company of the man who created everything. The benefit of understanding the Creator is that the nature of pure spirit can  be discovered, thus causing the same inquisitive soul to lose their desire to exploit matter and its workings. This level of detachment is not dry in any way, and it leads to the highest benefit. The name of Krishna carries all of these wonderful properties, so by regularly chanting and honoring it, the true wonders of the Supreme Spirit and the endless supply of spiritual love that He is ready to offer can be appreciated and enjoyed for the rest of eternity.

Long and Short Game

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Everyday Miracles

“My beautiful dark friend Krishna is far more liberal than the cloud which can fill up the great ocean with water. Without disturbing the cultivator with rain during the day, the cloud brings liberal rain at night just to satisfy him. And yet when the cultivator wakes up in the morning, he considers that it has not rained enough. Similarly, the Lord fulfills the desire of everyone according to his position, and yet one who is not in Krishna consciousness considers all the gifts of the Lord to be less than his desire.” (Sudama Vipra thinking about Krishna, Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 26)

The workings of the spiritual hands of Shri Krishna can be witnessed in every sphere of life, even though the influence and power of the distributor of all effects material and spiritual often go neglected. In addition to breeding contempt, familiarity brings about complacency and unwarranted expectation. Taking the everyday wonders of life for granted, the individual is left searching for miracles, paranormal events which may give evidence to the existence of a higher power. Yet these miracles, which can easily occur through the Divine Will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are not required in the least bit, for there are other truly miraculous workings of the universe that take place at regular intervals. One who has a trained eye not only sees and appreciates these events, but they also recognize them as being part of God’s supreme, unending and causeless mercy. Because they are armed with transcendental awareness, the normal workings of the universe bring these individuals possessing a purified vision more pleasure than any seemingly miraculous event brings wonder and amazement to the conditioned eye.

The sun rising every day is taken for granted, as is the falling of the rain. Sudama Vipra, the childhood friend of Shri Krishna, the Supreme Lord, very nicely points out that even though the raincloud showers nourishing water on the field during the middle of the night without bothering anyone, the farmer still wakes up the next day and thinks that it hasn’t rained enough. The cloud in this scenario is very liberal and generous, donating its time and effort so that life may be maintained on the earth. After establishing the cloud to be a kind worker involved in a thankless task, Sudama Vipra points out that Krishna is even more liberal than the cloud, for the rain is only one small representation of the Lord’s immense potency. Everything in this world, including the movement of the sun, the weather, the placement of the various species and the growth of plants, is due to Krishna’s influence. Therefore there is a miracle seen at every corner of existence, with wonderful events constantly taking place that provide further evidence to the Divine’s existence and influence.

Those conditioned by material life and the influence of the senses will not be able to see things properly. Rather than acknowledge the Creator, the original Divine Being who may be addressed by different names in different traditions but still nevertheless exists, the curious mind will try to study the inner workings of inert matter and how various species interact with it. To further their pursuit, the inquisitive souls lacking God consciousness are given full facility to explore the workings of nature, a chase which brings temporary gains that stimulate the mind. Rather than study the man who created the sun, the mind driven by an undeveloped consciousness will look to understand the properties of the sunrays and what molecules are contained within. After increasing their knowledge on the matter, they will then look to harness the energy coming from the sunlight for the advancement of their personal delights, even though the heat of the sun is itself the greatest comfort, the sustainer of life.

Being further illusioned by their discoveries into the workings of external nature, the same individual drifts further and further away from understanding God. When asked about the existence of a higher power, there will be great skepticism, as the dedicated scientist sees no evidence of the Lord’s influence anywhere. After all, the sunshine and earthly elements are entirely composed of various molecules, so unless one can show great ability at manipulating and creating these elements, they can’t be deemed a superior entity. One who knows how to build a spaceship or an airplane is a powerful figure, not the species which already knows how to fly using the body it was given by nature. Members of the animal kingdom can do many things that human beings can’t do, yet no one would ever say that they are more adept or more intelligent than humans are. But when a human being, after much study and physical effort, can replicate a tiny feature naturally exercised by an unintelligent animal, they are praised as having made tremendous progress in the evolution towards a better life.

Only in the human form of body can intelligence be used to appreciate the true miracles of the surrounding nature that take place every single day. Those who believe the universe and all its species came into existence due to a collision of chemicals have no way of reproducing the same purported reactions using the same set of elements. The chemical explosion theory of creation also doesn’t explain the origin of the chemicals. From where did the elements required for collision come? By taking matter to be the supreme worshipable object, the atheist leaves no tangible base of authority to guide man’s conduct. Without a central authority figure, any and all activity becomes acceptable, as long as it doesn’t prove immediately detrimental to the individual making the judgment. Piety can never be universal under this model because wherefrom would anyone get their authority to tell others how to live? Yet the scientists make precisely these types of assessments by confidently asserting that there is no God. But if we used their own mentally concocted model of creation, these genius deliberators would have to be considered mere collections of chemicals anyway, so why should we believe anything they say? While the spiritualist is rejected by the scientist as being a believer in something that can’t be proven, the rational thinker will rightfully consider the scientist to be a sycophant of their senses and the observations drawn from them, perceptions which, by definition, will be faulty many times over, as to ere is human.

Aside from using the authority of the Vedas or any other set of scriptures to realize the intelligent design behind the creation, we can also take the non-randomness of many of nature’s workings. For instance, the sun rises and sets at regular intervals wherever one lives. The calendar year is another regular measurement that points to the predictable movement of the various planets around the sun. The seasons, which are set weather patterns, also show intelligence, as during certain times of the year the average temperatures are guaranteed to be hotter or colder than normal. The wise person will attribute the intelligence of nature to its creator: God. One deluded by ignorance and led astray by the inner workings of material science, a discipline which has historically had drastic shifts in conclusions, will be left to look for other miracles as evidence of God’s existence.

“In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.8)

Ironically enough, even when the Supreme Lord does descend to earth and perform such miracles, the miscreants still won’t believe it. What to speak of those who take the accounts of such historical events to be mythology, there are many who personally witness these awesome exhibitions of strength and knowledge and still don’t believe in the performer’s superiority. Lord Krishna, the original Personality of Godhead, the all-blissful master of the universe, kindly descends to earth in every millennium during the Dvapara Yuga, the third time period of creation. Since we currently live in the last yuga, Kali, the accounts of the most recently completed Dvapara Yuga are contained in various books like the Mahabharata and Shrimad Bhagavatam. The compiler of these works, Vyasadeva, wrote so much literature about Krishna and His expansions that the dull-headed fools of today posit theories that Vyasadeva did not exist. Not only do they take the accounts of events contained within these works to be mythology, but they take Vyasadeva himself to be a mythical character, one who couldn’t possibly have written so many wonderful Sanskrit poems.

Evidence of Vyasadeva’s existence is not only proven by the splendid nature of the works he compiled, but also by the seemingly miraculous efforts of his followers. In recent times, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, an acharya following in the line of disciplic succession descending from Vyasadeva, authored a similarly ridiculous amount of literature, most of which was compiled after the swami had reached seventy years of age. Fortunately for humanity, the swami’s daily activities, lectures and conversations were recorded and preserved on distributable media. Therefore, no sane man can legitimately claim that Prabhupada didn’t write all of the books that he did in such a short amount of time. Surely the miscreants would have liked to believe that Shrila Prabhupada was also a mythical character who couldn’t have compiled such transcendentally sound and bliss-evoking literature over so few years, but due to the preponderance of evidence available, such claims can never hold any water.

“The Trinavarta demon who took baby Krishna on his shoulder went high in the sky, but the baby assumed such a weight that suddenly he could not go any further, and he had to stop his whirlwind activities. Baby Krishna made Himself heavy and began to weigh down the demon.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 7)

Prabhupada’s amazing effort validates the existence of Vyasadeva and the ability of any individual, provided they are pure enough at heart, to write volumes and volumes of work describing Krishna and devotion to Him, which is known as bhakti. The Shrimad Bhagavatam, the crown jewel of Vedic literature, especially details Krishna’s seemingly miraculous feats. As a small child living in the town of Vrindavana, He battled and defeated many of the most powerful demons the world had ever seen. As a small infant, He was hoisted into the sky by a demon named Trinavarta, who was trying to kill Krishna by trapping Him in a tornado. Though in an infant’s body, Krishna killed the demon and managed to land safely back on the ground. Krishna similarly subdued a powerful and venomous snake named Kaliya and lifted a gigantic hill and held it above His head for seven consecutive days to protect the residents of Vrindavana from the onslaught of rain triggered by an envious Lord Indra from the heavenly planets.

These events prove Krishna’s divine nature and also bring great pleasure to the devotees, those sincere souls who need no further evidence of Krishna’s existence. Sudama Vipra, a poor brahmana, once went to visit Krishna while He was ruling as the king of Dvaraka. Sudama’s wife asked him to visit Krishna to seek some benediction from Him. The two friends, Sudama and Krishna, attended the same gurukula, or school of the spiritual master, in their youth, so Sudama felt a little ashamed to ask the Lord for any personal benediction, but due to his wife’s persuasion he went anyway. After reluctantly offering a small quantity of chipped rice to Krishna, Sudama returned home. While walking back home after leaving the royal palace, Sudama couldn’t help but think of the Lord’s merciful nature and His great kindness. Upon approaching his home, he saw that his house had been converted into an opulent palace, full of every amenity possible. Sudama, knowing that only Krishna could have done this, felt supremely grateful and awe-stricken at the fact that simply by offering a little chipped rice to the one person who is need of nothing such a benediction could be received.

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

Though Krishna already gives us so much in the form of food, family, friends, shelter and the ability to hear His names and pastimes, it is the nature of the individual entities residing on earth to neglect this mercy, or at least to not appreciate it to the fullest. The rain provided by the cloud created by Krishna gives sustenance to the farmer, but he is always thinking that he needs more and more to maintain his livelihood. Meanwhile, if one offers something as simple as fruit or water to Krishna, the whole world becomes satisfied. The man who has everything and is served by the goddess of fortune herself accepts any small offering made out of love and devotion. Through this behavior Krishna automatically becomes the most magnanimous, kind-hearted, merciful and generous of all entities. These qualities only further support His unwavering position as the Supreme Lord for all of humanity.

Goswami Tulsidas, a celebrated poet and devotee of God, makes a similar observation to prove God’s existence. Tulsidas says that Rama, who is another form of Krishna, is certainly God because all the necessities in life are relatively inexpensive and highly abundant, while all the things we don’t need are expensive and rare to find. This is quite a brilliant observation because generally the reverse viewpoint is adopted. Those items which are rare and not readily found are considered valuable and thus become expensive, whereas abundant items are deemed worthless enough to throw away at times. Things like water, grains, fruits and milk are actually necessary to sustain life, to maintain the vital force within the body. Whenever these items become expensive, man has to suffer. Indeed, due to the large natural abundance of life’s necessities, we see that shortages can only occur wherever the influence of the demon class is strong. Otherwise, even the animal community has no problem securing basic necessities, which are readily provided by the Supreme Lord.

Expensive items such as gold, jewelry, and more recently things like heavy machinery and fancy electronic gadgets, are not necessary for maintaining life. Krishna has kindly made these items more expensive and less in supply than water, milk and grains for our benefit. From the observations of Tulsidas and Sudama Vipra, we see that the indications of God’s existence and kind nature are endless. One simply has to clear their vision through steady practice of bhakti to be able to see and appreciate all of these miracles of nature. Of all of God’s energies, benedictions and direct exhibitions of strength and power, there is no greater miracle than the potency packed into the transcendental sound vibration that represents His original and complete feature. The name of God, when recited regularly and without any ulterior motive, brings one directly into the presence of the Supreme Spirit. The same cannot be said of the recitation of the name of any other object, spiritual or material. By chanting “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, one can produce God right in front of them and enjoy His association. The name brings all the forms, pastimes and qualities of the Divine, and since there is no charge for chanting mantras that call out to Krishna, there is no financial limitation placed on the ability to see God and appreciate His mercy. By taking to bhakti as a way of life, Krishna’s miracles are seen, appreciated and enjoyed every single day.

Penumbra

“Our point is that you would rather study the insignificant grass than the God who has created everything. If you could understand Him, then automatically you would understand the grass.” (Shrila Prabhupada speaking to a physics professor, Journey of Self-Discovery, Ch 1.1)

Religious life has the stigma of being overly simplistic and narrow in vision. “You study God, a set of law codes, and historical incidents, all of which are intended to make us feel guilty for the way that we live.” While this may be the viewpoint of those who are unfamiliar with spiritual knowledge, the reality is quite different. The oldest scriptures in the world are known as the Vedas, which mean knowledge. This knowledge is not limited like other forms of knowledge, therefore those who take to studying the Vedas automatically acquire knowledge of how the universe operates. In this way, Vedic wisdom is complete, or purna, for it discusses the origin of all knowledge, the Supreme Lord.

The desire to acquire knowledge for its own sake is not uncommon. The newspaper is built around this concept. Young students are often chastised for their lack of attention to current events, with their attraction to playing video games, going to parties, and watching television taking precedence over the acquisition of knowledge. With the advent of the technological age, there has come an added push to get youngsters to take to reading in lieu of other activities. To boost the appeal of books, reading is portrayed as a fun and productive activity. ”Learn for the sake of learning, for your knowledge will expand to new horizons.” The newspaper is seen as a great resource for acquiring knowledge. A typical newspaper has different sections tailored to different people’s interests. Some reach for the sports section right away, while others are intrigued by the latest events around the world. Some even take a liking to entertainment and gossip news.

Reading the newspaper is seen as a high class activity. This has been the case for many years. Reading books and studying advanced philosophy are also viewed in the same light. The mind is always working, even when we are asleep. Therefore a person’s inquisitiveness knows no bounds. To feed their appetite for knowledge, a person may take to reading many different books which span a variety of subjects. Academics especially take a great interest simply in the pursuit of knowledge. Many years back, a noted physics professor met with the famous founder of the Hare Krishna movement, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. During their conversation, the professor noted how he derived enjoyment simply from learning about things like grass and how it grows. His opinion was that just learning about science and physics was enough to bring great pleasure to the mind. The swami countered with the idea that studying God and the individual’s relationship to Him would actually provide perfect knowledge on all subjects, including the properties of grass.

“All purposes that are served by the small pond can at once be served by the great reservoirs of water. Similarly, all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.46)

Studying various departments of material affairs is certainly good at providing insight into how different aspects of nature work, but wouldn’t it be better to try to understand the creator of matter? If we understand why things were created and what purpose they are intended to serve, wouldn’t we gain the highest understanding possible? Moreover, wouldn’t this knowledge allow us to understand the purpose behind other things? When we take to studying material affairs, without acknowledging their creator, God, it is akin to walking around the perimeter of a house. If we go to visit a person’s home and only remain on the outside, we don’t really learn anything about that person. We don’t know how they live, what they look like, what their likes and dislikes are. Instead, we only gain knowledge of what color their house is, what plants they like, and how well they take care of their yard. It is similar to studying shadows created by the sun, without actually acquiring any knowledge of the sun itself.

To help us understand this issue a little more clearly, let us take the example of grass. Scientists will study grass from the material point of view, meaning they will focus on the physical appearance of the grass and the interaction of various molecules. Seeing something grow from a set of tiny seeds into a full-fledged lawn is certainly a thing of beauty, something to marvel at. Using microscopes, scientific equations, and other instruments, one can gain a better understanding of how grass grows and what it takes to keep it alive. One will quickly realize that grass needs sunlight, fertile soil, and regular feeding in the form of water to remain alive and growing. Moreover, scientific experiments will lead to the conclusion that the grass will stop growing in the winter months, but then continue again when spring comes along.

While this level of understanding is certainly nice, let’s study the same grass from the spiritualist’s point of view. How do we do this? In the Vedic paradigm, the topmost spiritualist is referred to as a bhakta, or devotee. A devotee is one who lives their life always thinking of God. This mindset is known as God consciousness. More specifically, this is known as bhakti-yoga, or the linking of the individual soul with the Supersoul, or God. What is the Supersoul? The Vedas tell us that there is only one God for all of mankind. Though He has many different names and forms, His original and most attractive form is that of Lord Shri Krishna. Krishna is also known as Bhagavan, meaning one who possesses all fortunes. While Krishna is God’s original form, not everyone will take directly to worshiping Him. Those who do are known as bhaktas.

God can be realized in other features as well. The Lord is kind enough to expand Himself into the Supersoul which resides in the hearts of every living entity. This Supersoul is known as the Paramatma, and those who take to yoga are trying to achieve a connection with it. The fire of existence, the essence of life, is the individual soul residing within the body. This soul is so powerful that it gives life not only to human beings, but to plants and animals as well. Wherever there is life, there is the individual soul, along with the Supersoul. Not everyone understands this concept, but those who do are known as paramahamsas. The true paramahamsa is a devotee of Krishna. If one is always thinking of Krishna, it makes sense that they will always see Him everywhere, even in the grass.

Now let’s see how the devotee views grass. Keep in mind that this angle of vision has nothing to do with material science, a periodic table of elements, or knowledge of atomic particles. This thought process is based completely on the knowledge that Krishna is everything and that He is all-pervading. A devotee looks at grass in this way: “Oh this grass is so nice. It grows from the sunlight provided by Krishna. The sun, whose name is Aditya, is simply an expansion of the Lord. This sun is so kind that it provides heat and light to every living entity in the universe. Therefore this sun, being non-different from Krishna, is an object of worship. I will worship the sun every morning by chanting the Gayatri mantra. This sun is the giver of life, so we are thankful that it allows the grass to grow. We must also thank the clouds and the rainfall it provides for allowing the grass to grow. The rain cloud, which has the same complexion as Krishna’s body, is also a gift from the Lord. Once this grass grows, it is then eaten by the wonderful cows. A cow is so nice because all it needs is a little protection and some grass to eat. After being eaten by the cow, this grass is then turned into blood, which then turns into milk. This milk sustains the life of an infant for the all-important early years of life. In fact, a young child can survive simply off the milk given by the cow.

Milk has so much utility. We can use it to produce various kinds of dishes such as paneer, yogurt, sweets, ice cream, butter, etc. All of this nice food can then be offered to Krishna in the form of His deity. The Lord states that He accepts anything offered to Him with love and devotion. The offered item needn’t be an elaborate preparation, but simply anything that the devotee can offer to the best of His ability. This offered food is then returned to the giver as prasadam, which means the Lord’s mercy. Anyone who eats this food will be spiritually benefitted for the rest of their life. In this way, we see that the wonderful grass that is given to us by Krishna plays a pivotal role in the giant puzzle known as life. This grass is a gift to us from Krishna, and we know that not even a blade of it can move without His influence.”

If we compare this mindset of the devotee versus the angle of vision of the scientist, it’s quite obvious that the devotee’s level of intelligence is higher. By studying Krishna first, a devotee not only understands grass, but also the sun, cows, food, rain, childcare, and so many other things. The same can’t be said of a scientist who ignores God’s existence. Knowing these facts, our time would be better spent pursuing knowledge that pertains to Krishna. Where can this knowledge be found? Luckily for us, the great saints of the past have compiled volumes upon volumes of written literature which describe the glories and pastimes of Krishna and His primary expansions known as avataras. We simply have to consult great books like the Bhagavad-gita, Shrimad Bhagavatam, the Ramayana, and the Puranas to make our knowledge perfect. No longer will we have to remain in the dark, traversing the penumbra of existence. Krishna is the light, and those who go to Him will be forever illuminated with transcendental knowledge.

Raja Vidya

“This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.2)

There are so many departments of knowledge in the major universities around the world. The early years of one’s educational life are spent learning the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. College represents higher education, a chance to further explore various subjects. One can get a degree in just about anything these days. The learning doesn’t stop just with undergraduate degrees, for people can get their PhD and then do even further research after that. In this way, the search for knowledge never stops. While academic pursuits are certainly a good way to occupy one’s time, the Vedas tell us that the knowledge gained from such study is flawed in nature because it only seeks to study matter, while neglecting spirit.

Probably the highest scientific discipline is aerospace engineering. Consisting of math, physics, chemistry, and even biology, this science requires a high level of intelligence to understand. In fact, there is a common expression that people use when describing the ease with which something can be done. “It’s not rocket science”, they’ll say, meaning that rocket science is considered one of the hardest things to learn. Therefore, by claiming that something isn’t rocket science, it must be the opposite of difficult, which is easy. Aerospace engineering has brought us great advancements. It has not only put man into space, but also landed him on the moon. There are now unmanned spaceships, like the Mars Rover, that travel to other planets as well. The universe is unlimited in its scope, thus man will never run out of opportunities for discovering new things in space.

Here on earth, we have seen great advancements in material science and technology as well. Man generally lives longer today than in generations past due to advancements in health care and medical treatment. People can survive on artificial organs, or even get new organs transplanted into them from other humans. There are so many vaccines that exist today that can inoculate a person from some of the more crippling diseases. These advances all came about through deep study, along with trial and error. The great pioneers studied atomic particles, matter, the human body, and many other things on their way to making their discoveries.

There appears to be no slowing down of this advancement. The last twenty years have seen a complete paradigm shift in the way people live their lives. This shift has been driven completely by technological advancements. The advent of the internet has forever changed the way information is distributed. People can now talk to millions of other people in just seconds, with little or no effort. The cellular telephone now allows us to not only talk with others in any place, but also allows us to send messages, watch television, listen to music, and even read books at any time of the day, either at work or at home.

The rapid increase in scientific discoveries has left us thinking that the best inventions are yet to come. “Someday maybe we can find a cure for cancer. Maybe we’ll even be able to live forever.” It is at this point that the limits to mankind’s study of matter make themselves visible. The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, tell us that all this material advancement isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but that it is flawed in nature. This is because all the major fields of study today focus on matter, which is an inferior energy. Without even referencing religion, one can understand that matter is subordinate to spirit. We can use our own bodies as an example. At the time of death, the body becomes useless. It starts to decay and take on a foul odor. No one wants to be around a dead body because it reminds them that someone has died. If we think about it, what is the difference between a living body and a dead one? The answer is the presence of spirit. When a spirit soul exists within the body, it has life. It is vibrant and active. This is because spirit is the engine which drives the movement of matter. Just as a car cannot operate without a driver, so the body cannot function without a spirit soul.

“This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.10)

On a grander scale, all the matter that exists in this creation cannot operate without a supreme controller. The Vedas tell us that this controller is Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krishna, being God Himself, is the complete whole. Being God means that no one can tell you what to do and that you don’t need to explain your actions to anyone. For some reason or another, God decided to take many expansions. Though there are an unlimited number of expansions, they can all be classified into one of two categories: spiritual energy or material energy. We spirit souls are originally part of the spiritual energy since we are considered to be God’s separated expansions. Krishna also takes personal expansions such as Lord Narayana, Vishnu, Rama, etc. All of God’s personal expansions are equal to Him in power. The separated expansions, the spirit souls, are qualitatively equal to God, but subordinate to Him in quantitative powers.

To better illustrate this dichotomy, we can take a quick look at how material nature works. God created this material world for the benefit of the spirit souls. All the universes consisting of the five gross elements (earth, air, water, fire, and ether) and the three subtle elements (mind, intelligence, and false ego) were created by God so as to allow the spirit souls to have a place to come and enjoy material nature. Since the material world is created at some point, it also must eventually be destroyed. Therefore it is temporary in nature, and thus it is considered part of God’s inferior energy. We spirit souls, being part and parcel of God, are originally part of the spiritual energy, but since we can come into contact with material nature, we are technically part of God’s marginal energy. It is categorized as such because we have a choice as to which energy we wish to associate with.

The Sanskrit terms for spirit and matter are purusha and prakriti. Purusha also means the dominator and prakriti means the dominated. Purusha is the male and prakriti is the female. In this regard, we living entities can be classified as purusha since we have control over nature. This control is limited in species like cats and dogs, while the human species has a much greater control over nature…or so they think. All the material scientific disciplines of today seek to study prakriti. The reason these studies are flawed in nature is because although we are purusha, there is someone who is actually our controller. That someone is God, and since He created everything in this universe, He is known as maha-purusha. From this definition, we see that God is the only real purusha, or controller/enjoyer, because He even has control over us.

Material nature is always baffling man and putting obstacles in the way of his so-called advancement. If this weren’t the case, man would have no need for scientific advancement. The desire for a higher standard of living is an outgrowth of the struggle that has existed since the beginning of time between mankind and nature. The Vedas tell us that the solution to these problems is not to engage in an intense study of matter, but rather to understand the nature of spirit.

The first aphorism of the famous Vedanta-sutras states that the human form of life is meant for inquiring about Brahman, or God. Brahman is one of God’s features; a sort of angle of vision which represents the complete whole of all matter and spirit. Essentially, everything is Brahman. The priestly class of men are known as the brahmanas because they know Brahman, meaning that they understand that all living entities are constitutionally the same. The Vedas exist precisely to allow us to study this Brahman. Not only do the Vedas inform us on who and what Brahman is, but they also tell us who is the source of Brahman.

“Brahma, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.9.33)

Vedic literature is quite vast and comprehensive, but probably the most famous and widely studied Vedic text is the Bhagavad-gita. Known as the Song of God, the Gita chronicles a discussion that took place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra some five thousand years ago between Lord Krishna and His cousin and disciple Arjuna. Prior to the commencement of a great war, Arjuna was hesitant to fight. He didn’t want to kill his family members who were fighting for the opposing party. Lord Krishna used this as an opportunity to teach Arjuna about Vedic principles. He declared to Arjuna that what He was telling him was the king of all education, or raja-vidya.

The teachings of the Gita are considered the highest knowledge because they give an in-depth analysis of the difference between matter and spirit. Krishna tells us that the soul is great and that it can never be created nor destroyed. Our bodies may be subject to birth and death, but the soul never dies. The aim of life is to take care of the soul within the body. By so doing, we will get to return to Krishna’s spiritual abode after our current life is over.

Since matter is inferior and spirit is superior, does it mean we should completely ignore matter? Many philosophers hold this view. They believe that quiet meditation and deep study of Vedanta are the means to salvation. While these are certainly ways to block out the effects of material nature, Krishna tells us that there is a much easier way to achieve perfection. Mankind’s original disposition is that of servitor of Lord Krishna. This isn’t a forced servitorship, but rather a purely loving relationship. The goal of life is to rekindle our forgotten love for God. The way to do this is to adjust our activities in such a way that we can always be thinking about God.

In this regard, matter can certainly be beneficial to us. We can use earthly elements to construct temples for the Lord. We can grow and maintain a nice garden and use it to offer flowers to the Lord. We can use our tongue to chant the holy names of the God, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, and to eat remnants of foodstuff offered to Him (prasadam). We can use advanced technology such as computers and the internet to disseminate knowledge about the spirit soul and its relationship to God. Thus we see that there are endless opportunities for service.

Devotional service to God is mankind’s eternal occupation. Since God is so nice, service to Him will bring us happiness that far exceeds the pleasure derived from academic study or technological advancement. Human life is meant for advancing the position of spirit and not matter.