From The Rooftops

“While the ladies of the capital of Hastinapura were greeting Him and talking in this way, the Lord, smiling, accepted their good greetings, and casting the grace of His glance over them, He departed from the city.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.10.31)

Lord Krishna, the benefactor of the Pandavas, their best well-wisher who stayed with them through thick and thin and looked out for their interests, was on His way back to His home in Dvaraka. Though the Supreme Personality of Godhead appearing on earth in the guise of an ordinary living entity, Shri Krishna voluntarily accepted the roles of king, friend, chariot driver, lover, husband, son and many others. As He started back for the city of Dvaraka, the women in Hastinapura, the capital city for the Pandavas headed by their eldest brother Yudhishthira, started going over Krishna’s features and praising His various activities. The Lord, hearing these words from afar, acknowledged them with a smiling glance as He left.

That response wasn’t necessary, but towards Krishna there is never any wasted effort. We may praise someone that we adore without them knowing about it, but that affection won’t reach their ears, nor can it affect their behavior. At most, it will increase our attachment to them, but the acknowledgment from the beneficiary is lacking because of the defects in their abilities. Not that they are misers or ungrateful, but each spirit soul is limited in its capacity. Consciousness is the most powerful gift bestowed to the living creature, and since it is developed best in the human species, the lower animals are considered inferior.

Nevertheless, consciousness for the individual is localized. I have no idea what someone else is thinking unless they tell me. Still, I can’t follow their experiences or know the many thoughts that arrive in their mind at every second that form the foundation of philosophical debate. All of my senses are limited in what they can do. I can eat, but only when something is presented before me and it goes through the chain of digestion. I can see, but only what my eyes are able to make out in the circumstances of the time. If there is no lighting, I can’t see anything. I can touch, but only that which is in close proximity.

Similarly, I can only hear that which is in audible range. With the help of radio and cell phone technology, I can perhaps hear more, but these require external devices. With the Supreme Lord, His consciousness pervades the entire space. He is simultaneously conscious of every single living creature’s thoughts and desires, and He remembers the thoughts of the same beings from their previous lives. The concept of reincarnation seems like a mystical idea of the east which gives solace and comfort to those who don’t understand life and death, but it doesn’t have to be thought of only within the context of past and future lives. Rather, the time continuum always acts within the present body and yet our identity doesn’t change. Today, this very moment will soon become a past life and the time you wake up tomorrow can be considered a future life. Your memory will not be so great going forward, but the Supreme Consciousness will not forget anything.

It, therefore, shouldn’t surprise us that though Krishna was not in the immediate vicinity of the women of Hastinapura who were standing on the rooftops, He could still hear their kind words and acknowledge them. What’s even nicer is that the talking wasn’t intentionally directed at Krishna. The women were just talking amongst themselves about how sacred the various plots of land were that Krishna roamed. First there was Mathura, where He appeared from the womb of Mother Devaki. Then there was Vrindavana, where He played as a small child to the foster parents Nanda Maharaja and mother Yashoda.

The ladies talking also addressed some of the interactions Krishna had with females. They said that His company was so invigorating that the damsels of Vrajabhumi were known to faint just by thinking of it. Imagine that. It’s understandable if you’re in ecstasy when in the direct company of something attractive, but Krishna was so charming that just by thinking of Him these women would be overwhelmed by the blissful emotions.

Then there were the many wives that Krishna had. As atmarama, Krishna is completely self-satisfied. He does not require any external aid for His happiness. Yet the exalted souls cannot live without the Lord, and if they should so desire His company as their husband, why would Krishna not grant that request? In bhakti-yoga, the sincerity of the emotion is what matters most, not the external standing. This was proven when Krishna married the sixteen thousand princesses that were previously held captive by the king Bhaumasura.

After defeating the king, Krishna released the princesses. He could have sent them back to their homes, but then no one would have married them. Who would be there to protect them afterwards? Also, they desired to have Krishna, their rescuer, as their husband. Thus the Lord obliged and treated them wonderfully, buying them gifts regularly and making them feel like they were in control of the relationship. The person whom meditational yogis and mental speculators are trying to understand and see for but one second can be commanded by those who are surrendered to Him in thought, word and deed.

The women on the rooftops in Hastinapura were feeling the separation already, even though Krishna had not yet left. They understood His divine nature and how His company is the prime benefit to having an existence. The sweetheart son of Yashoda delighted at their talks and made sure that they knew He heard them. What else could one ask for? If someone you love knows that you love them and is pleased, that recognition is all you need to keep offering your love going forward. Impediments and struggles are part of life, but the vision of the smiling face of the darling of Vrindavana makes the difficulties worth it.

In bhakti, thinking about God is as good as being with Him. Therefore it wasn’t required that Krishna remain in Hastinapura indefinitely. The five Pandava brothers, cousins to Krishna, had led a life of hardship, with their own family attempting to kill them on various occasions. It was due to Krishna’s grace that the brothers survived and eventually triumphed. Arjuna especially was close with Krishna, for the Lord had acted as His chariot driver during the famous battle of Kurukshetra. Yet Krishna did not stay with the brothers forever. He had duties He wanted to tend to in Dvaraka, where His queens, sons and grandsons awaited His return.

Irrespective of His physical location, Krishna can remain in the mind through regular recitation of the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. The same talking started by the women on the rooftops can take place in the congregation of assembled devotees. That association of saintly people is one of the greatest boons in life, for the features of the Supreme Personality can be discussed. Through discussion comes the painting of mental pictures, which can then be conjured up at any moment. “All glories to the assembled devotees” is a common refrain in temples dedicated to Krishna to acknowledge the benefit that comes from association with people who love Krishna.

Through the interaction with devotees proper knowledge can be acquired. Intelligence is only worth having if it can bring you to a better place. You can score high on an IQ test that measures your ability to change shapes and do math problems in a short amount of time, but if you’re still mired in a life devoted to sense gratification, your intelligence is going to waste. It’s sort of like working hard to earn so much money and then going home and burning all the cash. Real intelligence is intended for understanding the features of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and then becoming more and more convinced that service to Him is the only worthwhile engagement. The women in Hastinapura did not have degrees from prestigious universities, but since they were pure of heart and since their talks were borne of spontaneous affection for the hero of the Yadu dynasty, their intelligence was perfect and utilized properly.

If you currently offer your love to others, there is still no harm in worshiping Krishna. For instance, if your time is spent giving love to your children by protecting them, hearing about Krishna and praising His activities that took place as a child in Vrindavana will only make you a better parent. If you’re faithful to a life partner through a committed relationship, hearing of how Krishna was devoted to His queens in Dvaraka will only purify your heart and make you a more loving person. Krishna is the source of everything, so worship of Him brings benefits that spread to the various trees and branches that have sprung up from the root of existence. The women in Hastinapura were not renounced ascetics, but they didn’t need to be to find happiness. Keeping the Lord in the mind at all times, we can forge ahead in whatever position we find ourselves in.

In Closing:

One last glimpse of Him the ladies sought,

In process of His glories they talked.

 

Greatness of gopis no one could know,

Universal form to mother Yashoda shown.

 

Of Krishna’s greatness they were well aware,

So upon His departure at Him they did stare.

 

Most fortunate were Krishna’s wives,

His company gives pleasure to the eyes.

 

Krishna could hear the talking going on,

Responded with smile while moving along.

Diwali 2009

“After giving Vibhishana the power to rule the Rakshasa population of Lanka for the duration of one kalpa, Lord Ramachandra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, placed Sita Devi on an airplane decorated with flowers and then got on the plane Himself. The period for His living in the forest having ended, the Lord returned to Ayodhya, accompanied by Hanuman, Sugriva and His brother Lakshmana.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 9.10.32)

Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is one of the most popular and well known Hindu holidays. It is completely spiritual in nature, but due to the effects of Kali Yuga, it is often celebrated in a secular manner today. Diwali marks the celebration of a few different religious occasions, with the primary one being the return of Lord Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita Devi to the kingdom of Ayodhya.

God comes to earth from time to time to enact pastimes and give protection to His devotees. Aside from simply providing them protection, He gives them a chance to personally serve Him through various rasas, or transcendental mellows. Most people look to God as the Supreme Master, a controller who has full command over the entire creation and all its beings. This is certainly the case, but God doesn’t necessarily prefer this type of worship, for it is not on the level of pure love. The love a parent shows to their child is on a pure level, because the parent doesn’t expect anything from the child, nor do they fear them. Parents serve their children without any personal motives. Since God is the Supreme Father, He also prefers to be loved in this manner. For the pure devotees, He comes to earth so that they can serve Him as His parent, friend, well-wisher, and so on.

In the Vedic tradition, there is only one God and His name is Krishna. God has many forms and expansions, with Lord Vishnu being one of the primary ones. Lord Vishnu has ten primary incarnations that appear on earth, and Lord Rama was one such incarnation appearing during the Treta Yuga. There are four divisions of society based on a person’s quality and work. God usually appears in the second division, known as the kshatriyas. Society requires a certain class of people who are capable of providing protection by fighting miscreants and other nefarious characters. This duty falls on the kshatriyas. Aside from serving as the military, they double as administrators by serving as kings and heads of government. Lord Rama appeared in a dynasty of very pious kings known as the Iksvakus. Having a calm and peaceful nature, Rama was loved and adored by all. His distinguishing quality was that He never did anything for Himself. The Vedas describe God as being atmarama. Atma refers to the mind or soul. The soul is often referred to as the “self” since that is what identifies us. Our gross material body is given up at the time of death, but the soul never dies nor does it take birth. Atamrama means one who is self-satisfied. God is in need of nothing.

“To describe a man as an incarnation of God, or Narayana, and at the same time present him as poverty-stricken is contradictory, and it is the greatest offense. The Mayavadi philosophers, engaged in the missionary work of spoiling the Vedic culture by preaching that everyone is God, describe a poverty-stricken man as daridra-Narayana, or ‘poor Narayana.’ Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu never accepted such foolish and unauthorized ideas.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 12.35)

Narayana is another name for Lord Vishnu. The daridra-Narayana conception is actually humorous in a sense. God is the original creator and everything in this world is moving according to His direction. How can He be poor? Lord Narayana is served by Lakshmiji, the goddess of fortune. God is the energetic and His pleasure potencies in the form of the various Lakshmis represent His energy. Worship of Goddess Lakshmi is very common amongst Hindus seeking wealth and good fortune, but Lakshmi’s only business is to serve Narayana, so based on this fact, God is the most fortunate and wealthy. Even though He is in need of nothing, the Lord kindly comes to earth from time to time to please His devotees.  At the same time of Lord Rama’s advent, Lakshmiji also kindly appeared on earth in the form of Sita Devi. Sita and Rama were married in a very elaborate ceremony in the kingdom of Maharaja Janaka of Mithila.

Both Sita and Rama were very much loved and adored in Ayodhya, as were Rama’s other three brothers. Sadly, both Rama and Sita would have to undergo many hardships throughout their life. Rama was exiled to the forest for fourteen years by His father and both Sita and Lakshmana, Rama’s younger brother, insisted on coming along. While in the forest, Sita would be kidnapped by the evil Rakshasa demon Ravana. Rama and Lakshmana would then enlist the help of a monkey king named Sugriva. Hanuman was Sugriva’s chief warrior, and he performed many great feats including helping Rama and the Vanara army march to Ravana’s kingdom of Lanka. After many days of fighting, Rama finally killed Ravana and rescued Sita.

Diwali marks the anniversary of when the group triumphantly returned to Ayodhya. Not only did Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita return, but they also brought along the chief Vanaras, including Hanuman. One of the regulative principles of devotional service is archanam, or deity worship. The deity is the physical representation of God, so it is considered as good as God Himself. Devotees worship the deity daily by presenting various items as offerings. One of the items is a lamp fueled by ghee. Around the world, people celebrate the Christmas holiday by decorating their house with many lights. It puts everyone is a festive mood. The mindset is the same regarding deity worship. The lamp represents the key component of an arati ceremony. It is a way to greet the deity, thanking the Lord for appearing in His archa form.

The citizens of Ayodhya had the good fortune of being able to personally offer such lamps to Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and the others returning with them. They loved Rama very much and they were greatly saddened to see Him exiled from the kingdom. His return marked the happiest day of their lives. For this reason, they went to great lengths to celebrate. On Diwali, we remember this great occasion, the homecoming of God.

Chief of Staff

“In some of the palaces He (Krishna) was found consulting with ministers like Uddhava and others on important matters of business.”  (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 14)

In modern day politics, pollsters and campaign advisors play a pivotal role in determining the fate of a candidate. Winning or losing an election can hinge on the quality of a candidate’s trusted aide and their ability to sway the electorate in their favor.

Unlike previous times, today’s governments are primarily democracies, or some of form of them. The United States is a democratic republic, where representatives, elected by popular vote, run the country. Members of the House of Representatives are up for election every two years, the President every four years, and Senators every six years. Obviously, the way to win an election is to get more votes than your opponent. Campaigns today invest full faith and trust in advisors who conduct numerous focus groups and polls to get a pulse of the voting population and how they stand on various issues. The information gathered is then used in shaping the message of the candidate, which in turn determines the strategy for the targeted advertising campaign. In essence, the campaign advisors serve as the guru for the campaign.

Dick Morris was one such example of an effective campaign advisor. A pollster and strategist who worked for both Republicans and Democrats, Morris was hired by President Clinton in 1995 to help him recover from a disastrous midterm election in 1994. After two years in office, Clinton, a Democrat, lost control of both houses of Congress to the opposition party, the Republicans. He needed help in shaping his image and boosting his poll numbers. Morris immediately went to work, crafting a strategy that included year-round negative advertising directed towards the Republicans, along with policy changes involving the adoption of many Republican ideas. Clinton was up for reelection in 1996, so he wanted to make sure his popularity increased just in time for the vote. Late in 96, Clinton signed the Welfare Reform bill pushed by Republicans. This was much to the chagrin of Democrats, who opposed the legislation, but Morris thought it would be very beneficial for the upcoming election. The gamble paid off as Clinton easily won reelection, in large part due to the efforts of Morris.

While these advisors are definitely helpful in garnering votes, they fall short in actually helping a leader govern properly. According to Vedic philosophy, one shouldn’t be a king, a spiritual master, or parent unless they can deliver their dependents from the repeated cycle of birth and death. The Vedas tell us that we don’t actually get one life, but as many as we choose until we realize that our true happiness lies in God’s spiritual kingdom. It is thus the duty of the king or leader of a country to provide protection to his people and to impart on them this spiritual knowledge. The political arena is filled with career politicians and advisors. Mostly lawyers by trade, their expertise lies in being able to bend and shape the laws to the limit, almost to cheat in a sense. The most successful lawyers are the ones that can cheat the best. While cheating may be okay when practicing law, it proves very harmful when governing a country. A ruler should be the most upstanding citizen, completely dedicated to dharma, or religiosity. Presidents are role models since they spend so much time in the public eye. Every newspaper around the world chronicles the day to day activities of presidents. They cannot utter a word without it appearing in a newspaper or on television. For a ruler to govern properly, he requires the help of a spiritual guide, someone who knows right and wrong and the proper course of action under any and all circumstances.

"A king is not alone. He first has his spiritual master, the supreme guide. Then come his ministers, kingdom, his fortifications, his treasury, his system of law and order, and his friends or allies. If these seven are properly maintained, the king is happy. (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 6.14.17 Purport)

The Vedas declare that society should be divided up into four groups based on the qualities naturally found in people. We see that certain people are more pious than others, while some are more brave and courageous than others. We also see that certain people are more apt to be good businessmen, while others are better suited for performing difficult manual labor. These are all qualities found in people, so the scriptures tell us to have a society where these four divisions function fully and equally. The highest division is the brahmana, or priestly class. Brahmanas dedicate their lives to studying religion and imparting that knowledge to others. A bona fide brahmana is one who is a devotee of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These devotees are the only people fit to advise the kshatriyas, the administrative class. All the great kings of the past had brahmanas in their court that served as their advisors. Advice given by the priests was always followed by the kings. One of the most famous royal dynasties was the Ikshvaku, which had the venerable sage Vashishta as its royal priest. There were many other famous brahmanas as well, who were all respected by the royal order. Since their only business is to serve God, their knowledge is perfect. A king or a president isn’t required to know all the ins and outs of governmental affairs or public policy. They simply require the counsel of these pious men who can solve all their problems. If a leader follows the proper course of action, the rest of the citizens will follow, and there will be peace and prosperity.

If a king doesn’t have a proper advisor, chaos ensues. We see this situation in place today. Our leaders today are constantly on television decrying the profits earned by businessmen, while they themselves are millionaires. They pit one group of people against another, declaring that over half the population is racist or bigoted. This sort of ignorance trickles down and eventually pervades society. What you are left with is a country where each person is suspect of one another.

Those who are God conscious should preach the message of peace and love found in the ancient scriptures of India, especially those found in the Shrimad Bhagavatam. All the information on how to properly run a government and make people happy is found in this book. For those not interested in reading, God has been kind enough to summarize all Vedic knowledge into one short phrase, the maha-mantra: “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”.

Sixteen simple words represent our path to peace and prosperity. The best advice any president can be given is to always chant this mantra with faith and reverence, and all the world’s problems will soon disappear.

Making It Work

“The relationship between husband and wife is firmly established when the wife is faithful and the husband sincere. Then even if the wife, being weaker, is unable to execute devotional service with her husband, if she is chaste and sincere she shares half of her husband’s activities.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 6.19.18 Purport)

Along with releasing countless books each year, many famous marriage counselors appear on various television talk shows offering their services on how to fix problems in relationships. Each “expert” has their own specific theory on how to make a marriage work, but herein Prabhupada provides the definitive guide for all married couples to follow. Any advice or conclusion that deviates from these principles will inevitably lead to unhappiness and failure in a marriage.

The modern day definition of marriage is quite skewed from its original purpose. In most of the world today, men and women are free to intermingle. Even in the most traditional of countries such as India, many men and women are taking to dating before getting married. Indian marriages aren’t always of the arranged variety anymore. The concept of boyfriend and girlfriend is steadily engrained in the Western culture. Young children, even as young as twelve and thirteen years old, take to dating. As they get older and their relationships mature, it is usually the women who want to get married and have a secure lifestyle, while the men dread the idea of being tied down. Eventually, the institution of marriage is entered into as a mere formality, more of a legal definition than anything else. Many couples today even cohabitate for many years before getting married as a way of safeguarding any potential problems that might arise later on. Since these relationships are all based on the need for companionship and the satisfaction of sex desires, they tend to deteriorate after marriage. As the saying goes “Familiarity breeds contempt”, so the lifelong commitment of staying true to one person who you see day in and day out, leads people to have disagreements. These disagreements lead to anger, resentment and even hatred. The situation gets so bad that many relationships dissolve through the divorce process. In essence, the marriage ends up being nothing more than a piece of paper issued by the government.

The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, give us a completely different definition of the marriage system. We are all spirit souls at our core, but we have somehow or other been placed in this material world, forced to repeatedly accept new bodies after giving up our current ones. This is all due to karma, or our desires. The strongest desire in the material world is for kama, or sense gratification, and more specifically, sex desire. God is very kind and fair, and if we desire to have sex, he facilitates that desire by allowing us to take birth in the material world. Since sex desire is so strong, He put in place a system whereby man can control it. This system is known as marriage. As soon as a boy reaches the age of puberty, if he has a desire for family life, he is to be married immediately with a suitable girl. In this way, sex life is allowed, but in a regulated manner, only with one’s wife. There is no chasing after the love of your life, or wooing women that you fall in love with it. Marriages are arranged by parents, who compare the qualities of their children, their ancestral backgrounds, and their astrological charts.

If sex desire is curbed, people can focus clearly on the real mission of life, service to Krishna, or God. If one is sincere in their service, then after this life, they no longer have to take birth in this material world.

“That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.6)

The husband and wife should perform this service together if possible, by rising early in the morning and performing puja of the deity, and chanting the Lord’s name. By preparing nice foodstuffs to be offered to the Lord, and partaking of the prasadam, husbands and wives can become completely purified, and free of all sins. However, it is not always possible for both husband and wife to be purely God conscious. Not to worry though, as the Vedas declare that the husband and wife share equally in each other’s spiritual merits. So it is only required that one person be purely Krishna conscious. It is then the duty of the other person to make sure that this service is performed peacefully and regularly. In this way, the spiritual success of both parties is guaranteed.

There are two notable examples in this regard. Goswami Tulsidas, the great saint and poet, was married and very attached to his wife in his younger days. She once left home to visit her parents without telling Tulsidas. He couldn’t bear the separation so he travelled through a storm just to see her. She couldn’t believe the extraordinary steps he took, so she chastised him for not having the same devotion to Lord Rama. From that point on, he took to the renounced order of life, known as sannyasa. The world was better off for it since Tulsidas went on to author such classics as the Ramacharitamanasa and Hanuman Chalisa.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada had similar problems in his married life. His wife angered him so much that he also left home and took to sannyasa. It was only after retiring from family life that Prabhupada was really able to focus all his efforts on spreading Krishna conscious all over the world, especially in the Western speaking countries. He eventually founded the modern day Hare Krishna movement and also went on to author many books. In both these situations, we see that the wives weren’t perfectly Krishna conscious, yet they achieved the highest result in life since their husbands were pure souls.

To have a successful marriage today, one need only follow the examples set forth in Vedas. Lord Rama and His wife Sita had the perfect marriage, as did Savitri and Satyavana, and also Lord Shiva and Parvati. The Shrimad-Bhagavatam, Mahabharata, and Ramayana detail examples of great marriages that we can all learn from. Above anything else, the best relationship one can have is with Krishna. Regardless of one’s position in life, whether in a marriage, living with a boyfriend or girlfriend, or even living alone, following the system of devotional service is the only means of achieving true happiness. If one can have a pure loving relationship with Krishna, then all other relationships will be benefitted.

Archanam

“Whenever one develops faith in Me — in My form as the Deity or in other bona fide manifestations — one should worship Me in that form. I certainly exist both within all created beings and also separately in My original form, since I am the Supreme Soul of all.” (Lord Krishna, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 11.27.48)

The famous movie Cast Away is remembered for many distinct scenes, with one of them being the interaction between the character portrayed by Tom Hanks and his imaginary friend Wilson, who was a volleyball.

The movie’s plot focused on the plight of a worker for a parcel delivery service whose plane crashes, leaving him stranded alone on a deserted island for several years. With no one to talk to, Tom Hanks’ character makes an imaginary friend for himself out of a volleyball found in one of the plane’s packages. After drawing a face on one side of the ball, Hanks names it Wilson and starts talking to it regularly from then on out. Though an inanimate object, Wilson helps Hanks keep his sanity by allowing him to alleviate the pains felt from loneliness.

In the Vedic tradition, one of the processes of devotional service is archanam, or offering prayers and worshiping the deity. Devotional service is also known as bhakti yoga, but it bears no similarity to the modern day definition of yoga. Yoga actually means connecting one’s mind with the Supreme Lord. Breathing exercises and sitting postures were initially invented to help those who are too overly attached to the senses to break free from them. Since this system also had many beneficial side effects relating to health, it gradually morphed into a secular exercise. Bhakti yoga is the highest form of yoga, and it involves nine distinct processes as outlined by Prahlada Maharaja, a great devotee of Lord Krishna. Deity worship is a practice aimed at increasing one’s devotion to God. Krishna has many many different forms and expansions. God is unlimited and omnipresent, so it’s not surprising to know that He can take any form He wishes to.

The archa-vigraha form, or the deity, is usually made out of wood or stone. Still, one shouldn’t consider the deity to be material in any way. Because the raw material of wood or stone is used for serving the Lord and creating an authorized form of His body, the deity is completely spiritual in nature and non-different from the Lord. In the famous movie The Ten Commandments, there is a scene where the followers of Moses decide to worship a golden calf as God for no apparent reason. Moses is very angered by this, and strictly decries the practice of idol worship. One shouldn’t mistake this type of idol worship with archanam. The deity is an authorized form of Krishna and not something concocted by man. In the Shrimad Bhagavatam, the Lord Himself instructs His good friend Uddhava on the proper way to take care of a deity. It is the Lord’s mercy upon us since He is not always physically present before us in His original form.

There are a great many examples of historical incidences relating to deity worship documented in the Vedic literatures. One such incident involves Lord Rama, the incarnation of Lord Krishna who appeared as a kshatriya king during the Treta Yuga. Lord Rama was strictly devoted to dharma and treated all His citizens equally, and for this reason He enjoyed universal love and adoration from the people of Ayodhya. There was one brahmana, or priest, who was so devoted to Rama that he wouldn’t take his meals without first seeing the Lord. Darshana, or having a vision of the divine, is another spiritual practice. By seeing the Lord, our eyes and mind become purified. This particular brahmana wanted to remember Rama before eating, for God is the source of all our food and sustenance. A problem occurred however, in that part of His kingly duties required Lord Rama to travel to other kingdoms from time to time. The brahmana was so strict that he fasted on these occasions. He thought it to be a great offense to take food without first thinking of God. In this way, he taught future generations a great lesson. While it is nice to ask God to give us food and provide us our daily bread, it is an even higher form of worship to think of Him before we eat, and to offer all food that we prepare to Him first. Lord Rama heard about the fasting of the brahamana and became very disturbed. The Lord never wants His devotees to suffer unnecessarily. So to alleviate the situation, He had His younger brother Lakshmana install a statue of Himself in the brahmana’s home. In this way, the brahmana would never have to starve again. This deity actually existed in Rama’s family before His birth. It has been gradually passed down from generation to generation and according to the authority of great acharyas, this deity is still in existence in India in the town of Mantralayam, and it is worshiped daily.

"Sri Moola Rama the original deity of King Ikshvaku, was given to Maharaj Dasharatha before Rama’s birth, then to Lakshmana who worshiped Them during Rama’s lifetime, who gave Them to Hanuman, who in the forest gave Them then to Bhima, and was given to Narahari Tirtha who gave to Ananda Tirtha – Madhvacharya, now risiding in the Raghavendra Tirtha Swami mutt at Mantralayam" (Salagram.net)

Deity worship is so nice that we should all take advantage of this wonderful gift from the Lord. With modern technology, beautifully crafted statues of the Lord can be found easily on the internet and in temple gift shops around the world. Sincere devotees, who regularly chant the holy names of the Lord and who abide by the four regulative principles, should install these deities in their homes and regularly worship them.

God is One

“Since everyone has a different body and mind, different types of religions are needed. But when one is situated on the spiritual platform, there are no bodily and mental differences. Consequently on the absolute platform there is oneness in religion.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 17.184 Purport)

Jesus, Allah, Buddha, Krishna…God has many different names according to different religions. People may ask one another, “Who is your God? Who do you worship?” Though God may have many different names, He is still one. There isn’t a separate God for Hindus and a separate God for Christians or those following other faiths.

Seeing all the different religions that have existed since the beginning of time, one may think that God is just a man-made creation. This is a common sentiment amongst atheists and pseudo-intellectuals. Though it might seem plausible, the actual fact is that God appears in different forms based on time and circumstance. According to Vedic philosophy, God appears personally on earth when there is a general decline in dharma, or religiosity, amongst the people.

“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend Myself.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.7)

Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has incarnated throughout history in different forms such as Lord Narasimha, Lord Rama, and even personally as Himself. His specific purpose was different each time. Lord Narasimha came to kill the evil demon Hiranyakashipu, who was tormenting his devotee son, Prahlada. Lord Rama came to kill the demon Ravana, who had disturbed the sacrifices of the brahmanas and was harassing the demigods. Lord Krishna came to deliver the husband and wife pair of Vasudeva and Devaki, who had been imprisoned by Devaki’s evil brother Kamsa. The character of each incarnation was different as well. Lord Narasimha was very ferocious and mercilessly killed Hiranyakashipu. Lord Rama was a great king who was completely devoted to dharma and righteousness. Lord Krishna was much more lenient as far as rules and regulations went, and was most merciful to His purest devotees, the gopis of Vrindavana.

God guides us based on our capacity to learn. The material world is made up of three distinct modes called gunas: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Vedic literature accounts for all these modes by having eighteen different Puranas, which are scriptures relating to ancient Vedic stories. There are six Puranas for each mode. In this way, even if a person is in the mode ignorance, someone who has no desire to learn about God, even that person has a chance to advance spiritually. For example, meat eating is prohibited for the people in the mode of goodness. However, meat eating is very difficult to give up for people living in the mode of ignorance. Thus the Puranas recommend the process of animal sacrifice for such people in the hopes that they will think of God while eating meat. The hope is that as one constantly thinks about God, His spiritual understanding will increase and that he’ll eventually give up the practice of animal sacrifice.

“Primarily, religion means to know God and to love Him. That is religion…if I profess to follow some religion but I do not know who God is or how to love Him, I am practicing a cheating religion.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Science of Self-Realization, Ch 1b)

Just because we see different forms of God with different accompanying scriptures, doesn’t mean He is a figment of our imaginations. God is very real, and we should take advantage of this human form of life to get to know and love Him. It is a common practice for people to attend church and ask God to “give us our daily bread”. While this sentiment is nice, God is already providing food to millions of animals who don’t have the capacity to worship Him. God supplies us with all of our necessities. We should strive to reach a higher platform of worship. Instead of asking from God, we should give to Him. That is true love. If we offer our daily bread, or other food that He’s been so kind to give us, then we gradually elevate ourselves to the platform of loving God. That is real religion.

"The supreme occupation, or dharma, for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self." (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.2.6)

We may see many different rituals, and different processes for spiritual advancement, but the best religion is that which teaches us to love God. In this age, Lord Chaitanya inaugurated the sankirtana movement, the congregational chanting of the holy names of God, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.” If we commit ourselves to chanting daily and following the process of devotional service, then we will surely see that God is one and that He is in everything and everyone.

Back to Basics

“One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.55)

The Bhagavad-gita is one of the most famous religious books in the world. Great scholars, religionists, and devotees have studied the Gita in great detail for thousands of years. Though only a very small chapter of a much larger book, the Mahabharata, it captures the essence of Vedic philosophy.

The eternity of the soul, what happens to us when we die, what causes are happiness and distress; all these topics are covered in the Gita, which contains great quotes such as:

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bg 2.22)

“This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.” (Lord Krishna, Bg 2.24)

To most people, such knowledge is a revelation. In American schools, religion isn’t taught. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution declares that the Congress cannot declare an official religion for all the people of the country. This has since been misinterpreted to mean that there is a “separation of church and state” which outlaws all mention of God in the public arena. Lawyers today are on a mission to eradicate religion as much as possible from the public realm, though that wasn’t the actual intention of the framers of the Constitution. Though their logic was flawed in many areas, the founding fathers were very religious people. One need only read George Washington’s first Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1789 to see just how much God was on the minds of the people.

We don’t hear about religion in the news unless it’s a story about some priest or religious leader involved in a scandal. Due to this lack of spiritual education, most people spend their entire lives unaware of the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita.

Since it is spoken by Lord Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Bhagavad-gita garners the highest respect from the devotees of Krishna. Though it contains information of the highest import, such information is actually only the beginning of spiritual understanding. The Gita’s most important message is that if we think of Krishna at the time of our death, then our soul will not return to this material world and it will stay with Krishna in the spiritual world forever.

“And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt. Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail… That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.” (Lord Krishna, Bg, 8.5-6, 15.6)

Such information is important to know, but how do we actually achieve this goal? The Gita presents theoretical knowledge, which forms the starting point of our spiritual understanding. Theoretical knowledge is referred to as jnana in Sankskrit. It forms the foundation, but to actually understand what we have learned, we need practical knowledge, known as vijnana. For example, one may read about how to fly an airplane, taking various tests and so forth, but one doesn’t truly understand what piloting involves until they actually get into the cockpit and practice flying the plane themselves. It is only then they get a real understanding of what it means to be a pilot. This same principle holds true in others areas of life. We never truly understand the difficulties our parents faced in raising us until we actually become parents ourselves.

To understand God and to know Him, we have to take to the process of devotional service. Technically known as bhakti yoga, devotional service is the process where we dovetail all our activities with Krishna, or God. If we train ourselves to always think of God during the day, learning to love Him, then surely we will think of Him at the time of death.

Hearing is one of the most important processes of devotional service. If we hear stories about Lord Krishna, then we can gradually understand who He is. We should all naturally love God simply for who He is, but the Lord is still kind enough to come to this material world from time to time and enact pastimes simply for our benefit. By reading stories about Him, we gradually develop an attachment. One can read about Lord Krishna’s pastimes over and over again and never get bored.

We can find these stories in the Puranas, written by Vyasadeva. One would be hard-pressed to find any historical personality who authored more literature than Vyasadeva. He didn’t write simply for entertainment’s sake either, for his works are all of the highest quality since they expound the meaning of the Vedas. There are eighteen major Purnanas, and each one is quite lengthy. The Bhagavata Purana, or Shrimad-Bhagavatam, is considered the highest Purana since it covers Lord Krishna’s birth and childhood pastimes in great detail.

“The Bhagavad-gita is the preliminary study of Shrimad Bhagavatam. Just like before learning any literature, one has to read the first book, ABCD. The Bhagavad-gita is the ABCD. It is just beginning of understanding of what is God. ABC. When one has passed the entrance examination, then he gets the opportunity of studying Shrimad Bhagavatam.” (Shrila Prabhupada, 730227rc.jkt)

After reading Bhagavad-gita, we should all make an effort to read the Bhagavatam and take the next step in rekindling our love for Krishna. Due to our imperfect senses, we can never truly understand God, but by reading stories about Him, as told by His great devotees, we will gradually understand Him better. By knowing and loving God, we automatically book our return flight home, back to Godhead.

Life Is Meant For Austerity

"Then raising the vessel of ghee (clarified butter) to His head, He in accordance with the ordinance began to offer oblations to the flaming fire on behalf of the mighty deity. Then, having partaken of the remaining quanity of the ghee, Rama prayed for His own welfare, and meditated on Narayana. The son of the best of men with a collected mind, and restraining His speech lay down on a kusha (grass) bed together with Vaidehi (Sita) within the graceful dwelling of Vishnu." (Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda, Sec 6)

We live in an era of great comfort and luxury. Though people may think otherwise, the standard of living in America, and throughout the world for that matter, has greatly improved over the past hundred years. The economic problem is almost non-existent, with farmers persuaded by the government to not grow food. Our leaders are more focused on tackling problems such as childhood obesity and the perceived overconsumption of goods and services by the population in general.

When travelling on commercial airplanes, one of the magazines commonly found in the seatback pocket is Sky Mall. This magazine is a shopping catalog full of gadgets and gizmos, a showcase of the latest advancements in technology. All the products in that magazine are geared towards gratifying our senses. One place where we often look for improved sense gratification is in the area of sleep. Ironically, the Vedas prescribe that one shouldn’t sleep more than six hours if possible. This is in stark contrast to the eight hours prescribed by most health experts.

“One should not sleep more than six hours daily. One who sleeps more than six hours out of twenty-four is certainly influenced by the mode of ignorance. A person in the mode of ignorance is lazy and prone to sleep a great deal. Such a person cannot perform yoga.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 6.16 Purport)

Since we spend so much time sleeping, naturally we are looking for ways to increase the quality of it. Products such as the Sleep Number Bed from Select Comfort allow couples to set different firmness levels on their mattress so that each person can spend the night in the utmost comfort. In addition, regular blankets apparently aren’t good enough for us, so we shop for luxury items such as down comforters. Water beds are another popular phenomenon in the mattress industry.

These products are no doubt very innovative and could certainly prove to be useful. However, they don’t provide us real happiness in the end. If they did, then there would be no need for new products to come out. The fact of the matter is that our real problems have nothing to do with our material comforts. According to wisdom of the Vedas, man’s material sense urges can never be satisfied. Making little adjustments here and there to our material condition only further binds us in the mode of passion.

“My dear Uddhava, a person bereft of intelligence first falsely identifies himself with the material body and mind, and when such false knowledge arises within one’s consciousness, material passion, the cause of great suffering, pervades the mind, which by nature is situated in goodness. Then the mind, contaminated by passion, becomes absorbed in making and changing many plans for material advancement. Thus, by constantly thinking of the modes of material nature, a foolish person is afflicted with unbearable material desires.” (Lord Krishna, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 11.13.9-10)

We get a new bed, but then we immediately want a better blanket. We get a new blanket, but then we immediately want new pajamas, and so on. The cycle never ends.

The Vedas tell us that this life is meant for understanding God. To understand God, one must perform austerities, known as tapasya. Tapasya is not any ordinary type of austerity, but it is geared towards releasing one from their bondage to material comforts, and thereby increasing their attachment to the spiritual world.

“Lord Rishabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one’s heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 5.5.1)

When Lord Rama was living in the kingdom of Ayodhya, His father, Maharaja Dashratha one day decided to install Him as the new king. Lord Rama was informed of this news one day before the date set for His installation. He was instructed by the brahmanas, the priestly class of men, to fast the night before the ceremony and to sleep on the floor on a bed of kusha grass. Rama was God Himself, but He willingly followed the advice of the brahmanas to set a good example for all of us. Religious rituals may seem to strange to us at first, but they all have a purpose.

Rama was the king’s eldest and most cherished son, so He was living in complete luxury. What need did he have to sleep on the floor? Yet He and His wife Sita both did so as a means of respecting God. When we receive good benedictions, it is incumbent upon us to remember that we are not the doers. All our fortunes are tied to God and to our karma. Narayana is God’s four-handed form existing in the spiritual world. Lord Rama was an incarnation of God, so He went along and worshiped Narayana, though in essence He was offering obeisances to Himself. By worshiping Narayana, the sleeping area was sanctified.

Now things wouldn’t go as planned the next day and Rama’s installation would have to be postponed by fourteen years, but that didn’t make a difference. The Lord was always committed to dharma, not for His sake, but because it serves as a guide for enabling one to make spiritual progress. Tapasya properly performed under the direction of a spiritual master never goes to waste. Through good times and bad, we must always remember the Creator. God showed us the proper means of penance and it is important for us to follow His example. The most basic form of penance we can perform is to abstain from the four pillars of sinful life: meat eating, illicit sex, gambling, and intoxication. By so doing, we will always remember God and be freed from our material attachments.

Equality

“Different living entities appear in different forms of dress, but according to the instruction of the Bhagavad-gita, a learned person sees all living entities equally. Such treatment by the devotee is very much appreciated by the Supreme Lord.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.11.13 Purport)

The recent election of Barrack Obama to the presidency of the United States was regarded worldwide as a landmark occasion. American has officially been a country for over two hundred years, but this was the first time in its history that a person of color, an Africa-American, was elected as president. Many thought that this day would never come, for they viewed America as a racist country. Yet, one is left to wonder whether Obama’s election was really that groundbreaking.

Black people have not been treated very well historically in America. During the country’s founding, most blacks weren’t even treated as human beings, but rather were slaves, owned and traded as property. The founding fathers struggled very hard with the issue of slavery while adopting the Constitution, eventually tabling the issue, allowing the process to continue. Slowly but surely however, slavery would meet its end, culminating with the Civil War during the early 1860s. However, even after the abolition of slavery, blacks were still discriminated against, especially in the Southern portion of the country, where they would periodically be lynched or harassed in other ways. This treatment continued for almost one hundred years, until the Civil Rights movement of the late 1960s. Due to this history of racism, many blacks felt that the country was forever doomed and incapable of electing a black person to any meaningful position of power. The election of Obama was redemption for them, offering a glimmer of hope that maybe people no longer made judgments about others based on their ethnicity or skin color.

On the surface it appears that progress has been made, but according to the Vedic teachings, it hasn’t. The central tenet of any religion, but especially the Vedas, is that we are not our bodies. One may then ask, “Well, if we are not our bodies, then what are we?” The answer in Sanskrit is aham brahmasmi, “I am a spirit soul”. Our souls are certainly enclosed inside of our bodies, but this body is constantly changing. The body we had as a child is completely different from the one we have as adults, yet we don’t mourn for the death of our childhood. In the same manner, a wise person doesn’t lament over the death of the current body, which is nothing more than clothing that is given up at the time of death and then replaced again in our next birth.

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.22)

Since most of us aren’t taught about the soul in school, we are falsely identifying with the body. Though it may be nice that a black person has been elected president, constitutionally such a person is no different than all the others who previously held the esteemed title of President of the United States. Sure their life experiences may have all been different, some enduring more discrimination growing up than others, but that is something we all deal with. The material world means a place full of miseries, dukhalayam. Every living entity is forced to suffer the fourfold miseries of life: birth, old age, disease, and death.

The Vedas declare that anyone who identifies with the gross material body is a mudha, or an ass. An animal has little to no intelligence, and is certainly not smart enough to understand the concept of the soul and changing bodies. The human being is unique in its ability to take in this information and use it for its benefit. However, if we continue to identify ourselves as black, white, man, woman, American, etc., then our intelligence is very limited. Real progress comes when we view everyone equally, as a spirit soul part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna.

“The Blessed Lord said: He who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present, nor longs for them when they disappear; who is seated like one unconcerned, being situated beyond these material reactions of the modes of nature, who remains firm, knowing that the modes alone are active; who regards alike pleasure and pain, and looks on a clod, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is wise and holds praise and blame to be the same; who is unchanged in honor and dishonor, who treats friend and foe alike, who has abandoned all fruitive undertakings-such a man is said to have transcended the modes of nature.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 14.22)

Since most people live on the material platform, the Vedas give different directions on how material life should be governed. They state that society should be divided into four classes based off of one’s qualities. Also, the time span of one’s life should also be divided into four stages or ashramas, each progressively leading one to spiritual perfection. This system, known as varnashrama dharma, is the code for managing society with the aim of helping everyone progress spiritually. So in this system, there are material designations such as those between men and women, brahmanas, shudras, vaishyas, etc. These are all material, but one can rise above them immediately by becoming a devotee of Krishna. The bhaktas, or devotees, are above any material designation. Since they have a pure love for Krishna, they are mahajanas, or completely spiritual beings following the original principles of religion.

Many examples of this fact can be found in the Vedas. When God came to earth as the pious prince Lord Rama, He wandered through the forest for fourteen years as an exile with His wife Sita and younger brother Lakshmana. During that time, the Treta Yuga, the varnashrama dharma system was adhered to, and those living in the forest were generally viewed as lower class living entities. Basically anyone not living in a normal house, except for the brahmanas, was considered uncivilized. Early on in His travels, the Lord and His family met the Nishada chief Guha. The Nishadas were a tribe living in the forests that were generally viewed as outcastes. However, Guha showed great hospitality to Rama and His family, and for this the Lord gave Him His blessings. Guha was a pure devotee and was rewarded with the opportunity to personally offer food and hospitality to God Himself. His caste was completely meaningless, for God viewed Him very favorably.

Later on, in another incident, the Lord teamed up with the Vanara king Sugriva. Vanaras were a race of monkeys with human-like characteristics. Rama helped Sugriva regain his lost kingdom by killing his brother Vali. Sugriva was very distraught after his brother’s death, and he blamed himself for what he viewed as a horrible deed. Bewailing thus, Sugriva begged forgiveness from Rama, stating that he was just a lowly monkey with very little intelligence. Now Sugriva was a great devotee, so he was by no means unintelligent, but he was referencing a generality that existed at the time. Since they were more monkey-like than human-like, the Vanaras were especially known for their animalistic tendencies, with one of them being their penchant for getting drunk off a certain type of honey. Yet again, God overlooked these stereotypes and looked at what was in Sugriva’s heart. As pure devotees, Sugriva and his Vanara army were given the opportunity to directly serve the Lord by helping Him battle Ravana and rescue Sita. The greatest of the Vanara warriors was Hanuman, Sugriva’s chief deputy. Considered Lord Rama’s greatest devotee, Hanuman is above is all material designations. He is completely spiritual, a great soul with immense strength, able to assume any shape at will. He uses his strength only to serve the Lord and for this reason he is still celebrated today.

To serve Lord Krishna properly, Lord Chaitanya recommended everyone to follow the mode of worship subscribed to by the gopis of Vrindavana. When the Lord personally came to earth around five thousand years ago, He spent His youth in Vrindavana as a cowherd boy, the son of His foster parents Nanda and Yashoda. The gopis, the cowherd girls of Vrindavana, were completely in love with Krishna, and they spent all their time thinking of Him. They weren’t high class yogis or Vedantists. They even openly declared themselves to be unintelligent, for women didn’t receive a formal education during those times. However, their pure devotion actually made them smarter than the greatest of scholars. Many of us go to God with some personal motive, either we want something or we want relief from some ailment. The gopis however just wanted to always be with Krishna, and to always love Him. This is the highest form of worship, and for this reason Krishna is eternally associated with His gopis, the greatest of them being Shrimati Radharani.

The lesson here is that if we want to make real progress as a society, then we should all become Krishna conscious. That will immediately afford us the opportunity to break free of all material designations. Though the performance of great Vedic sacrifices requires an expert brahmanas or priest, the process of devotional service is open to anyone.

“O son of Partha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth-women, vaishyas [merchants], as well as shudras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.32)

Knowing this fact, we should all take up bhakti yoga, for that is the only path taken by all the great souls.

Music To Our Ears

“When there is sound vibrated praising the transcendental pastimes of the Lord…one is forced to hear. That hearing process enters into the mind, and the practice of yoga is automatically performed.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.28.19 Purport)

We live in an age where technology is rapidly improving, with new products coming out all the time. Big screen televisions, cellular telephones, Bluetooth devices, and laptop computers are some of the products that have resulted. One of the more intriguing advancements brought on by this advancement in technology is the mp3 music file.

No less than thirty years ago, music was listened to primarily on record players. Artists released albums on large vinyl disks and consumers would then play them on large turntable style record players. Unlike the compact portable music players that exist today, these record players were quite bulky. There were no fast forward or rewind buttons; instead you would have to manually move the needle or the stylus to a different position on the record. Listening to music in the car was accomplished only by turning on the radio. There was no freedom in that, for one was forced to listen to whatever music was playing on the various radio stations. Progress occurred gradually through the years with the release of cassette tapes, which was then followed by compact discs. This smaller medium made it easier to listen to music while on the go. Compact discs even afforded us the luxury to fast forward and rewind between tracks on albums.

Fast forward to today and we now have the luxury of listening to music stored on computer files, called mp3s. Though a compressed form of music, these files are almost identical in sound quality to compact discs and they provide us much more flexibility and convenience. A large library of music is now available to us right at our fingertips wherever we go. Mp3 files can also be tagged with metadata, such as artist, track, and album names. You can even apply an album cover image to mp3 files, allowing you to browse through covers on your iPod or computer, similar to the way people used to browse through record album covers in music stores. Listening to music has never been easier, and we can even copy and share these files with our friends.

According to the Vedic teachings, technological advancement is not completely shunned, but it is generally not viewed favorably. The reason for this is that new technology binds us in the mode of passion. The material world is governed by three gunas or qualities: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Lord Krishna describes the mode of passion in this way:

“O chief of the Bharatas, when there is an increase in the mode of passion, the symptoms of great attachment, uncontrollable desire, hankering, and intense endeavor develop.” (Bhagavad-gita, 14.12)

One in the mode of passion is constantly hankering after things and is thus never satisfied. If one only focuses the mind on matters of sense gratification, then it will be very difficult to achieve spiritual advancement.

“In the mode of passion, people become greedy, and their hankering for sense enjoyment has no limit. One can see that even if one has enough money and adequate arrangement for sense gratification, there is neither happiness nor peace of mind.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 14.17 Purport)

When we get a new phone or mp3 player, immediately we are anxiously awaiting the next release, hoping that newer technology will correlate to greater happiness. With our new device, we are happy for a few days while we discover all the new features. That satisfaction doesn’t last for long however, as we eagerly await the release of the next model. Evidence of this can be seen with the iPhone produced by Apple. Considered a groundbreaking device, the iPhone is a cellular telephone, mp3 player, navigation system, and internet web browser all rolled into one device. Its popularity is immense, and its utility far reaching. However, upon its initial release, people still complained about features that it lacked, such as cut-and-paste, and MMS messaging capabilities. In answer to that, Apple recently released a newer iPhone model, which was once again met with great approval. We can be sure the euphoria will be short-lived, for people will be eagerly anticipating the next groundbreaking device. Since our material senses can never be satisfied, we end up trapped in a never ending cycle of hankering and lamenting.

Though technology can have this binding effect, if we use it for serving Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then it becomes most beneficial to us. When we dovetail material activities with devotional service to God, then our material activities become spiritualized. Mp3 technology allows us to listen to songs about Krishna much more easily now. Since we are working hard at school or at our jobs, it may be difficult to find time to chant. Mp3 players allow us to listen to Hari-Kirtana, congregational songs about Krishna, at any place and at any time. We love to listen to music while driving, so now we have the opportunity to listen to songs praising Krishna. We can even sing along if we want. Car stereos now even support mp3 CDs, which allow one to place hundreds of tracks onto one disc. The car stereo will read and display the song title, name, and album, and it even keeps track of where you left off in a track when you start your car again. Such great technology shouldn’t go to waste.

One can probably make the best use of mp3 technology by using it to listen to Krishnakatha, or discourses about Krishna. The recorded lectures of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada give us direct access to such discourses. Shrila Prabhupada was a great devotee of Lord Krishna and the founder of the modern day Hare Krishna movement. While starting the movement in the late 60s, he gave lectures daily on Krishna consciousness, and these were recorded by his disciples. All his recorded lectures, speeches, and spiritual conversations are now available on mp3 format. We should take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to have a real spiritual master give us instruction. The Vedas tell us that the hearing process is the most effective in receiving transcendental knowledge.

With the Prabhupada Mp3 Library, we can now take spiritual instruction wherever we may be. Prabhupada made the complex philosophy of Vedanta understandable to the common man. Just by hearing one lecture, our lives are greatly benefited. Listening a few minutes a day while driving, while at work, or while relaxing at home will make our lives so much better.