Posts
I have never posted a news article here in the blog, but tonite i came across this AP story on the internet. It is a simple story, but so telling about the values (or lack of them) of our so-called civilization. It reveals the soul-less nature of secular society.
Associated Press July 27
Dateline: LONDON
HEADLINE: British police slaughter Sacred Bull
Officials drag away protesters, take sick animal from Hindu monastery
A sacred bull seized from a Hindu monastery in Wales because he tested positive for tuberculosis has been slaughtered, officials said Friday.
The plight of Shambo the bull had attracted international attention since his diagnosis this spring and prompted an Internet campaign by the Skanda Vale monastery to save him. Hindus revere cattle and said killing the bull would violate their religious rights.
More than 100 devout Hindus and their supporters prayed and chanted outside the bull’s paddock throughout Thursday, but animal health officials and police led Shambo from the monastery to a trailer at around 7:30 p.m. A Webcam site, dubbed Moo Tube, which the monastery set up to show the flower-garlanded bull in his paddock, broadcast images of an empty,
hay-lined shrine.
“I can confirm he has been put down,” said a spokesman for the Welsh Assembly, the regional government. The spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government policy, did not specify how Shambo was killed.
Swami Suryananda, one of Shambo’s caretakers, said officials had “committed the most violent and ignorant act of desecration of our temple and destroyed an innocent life.”
“The perpetrators of this act will suffer the consequences of their actions for generations to come,” he said.
'Bye, Shambo'
A veterinary official and police officers had come for Shambo on Thursday morning, but left after monks would not let them past the gates of the remote monastery, about 230 miles west of London. They returned hours later with a warrant, which they posted to the door.
About 20 police officers later entered the temple, wading through a crowd of more than 100 supporters who had gathered in front of the bull’s paddock to pray and chant.
They cut a chain securing the gates, dragged away some of the worshippers who refused to leave, and loaded the bull into a trailer.
Police officers flanking the trailer removed their helmets, and some worshippers called out “Bye, Shambo” as the bull was driven away.
Authorities said no one was hurt and there were no arrests.
“It’s bad, but I don’t blame the police because they were friendly and they did their duty,” said one of the protesters, Verena Blum.
Secularists back decision
Regulations stipulate that cattle suspected of carrying bovine tuberculosis be slaughtered; the disease can be spread to other cattle, to deer and in rare cases to humans.
Hindus took the government to court to prevent Shambo’s slaughter. The monastery argued that it could keep Shambo isolated to prevent the TB spreading, or that it could take the bull to India. The monastery said authorities had refused both options.
Last week, a Welsh judge ordered local authorities to reconsider their decision to kill the bull. But the Court of Appeal in London reversed that decision Monday, ruling that killing him would be justified to prevent the disease’s spread.
Some people in Britain supported the bull’s seizure. Keith Porteous Wood, director of the National Secular Society, claimed Shambo’s supporters were “putting religious dogma before the welfare of the community.”
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Observations from the Big Apple
Usually there is something in particular i want to express that inspires me to make an entry into this blog. Today there is nothing in particular, but i want to remain habituated writing at least once a week.
This week i'm alone in New York City, staying at the apartment of my paternal uncle who is now 90 and lives in Florida. He has been there for past 25-30 years in Florida. He just kept this apartment for very brief visits to NYC, usually once a year. I arrived last week from Chicago, flying here with all my luggage (from India) and the keys to this apartment. I had never been here before. I wasn't even sure if my uncle had given me the correct set of keys because he has dementia now and his memory is not what it used to be. I imagined a situation where i would not be able to get in and would need to find a hotel to spend the night. The average hotel room costs $500 per nite in this part of New York. Naturally i was nervous.
On the plane coming here, i prayed to Hanuman. Hanuman is a most extraordinary transcendental personality. In India, i think he is more widely worshipped than anyone, including Lord Sri Krishna, Lord Siva and even Ganesh. The Hanuman Chalisa is a very famous poem/prayer that is sung and recited by millions. And his murti, usually carved as a relief and painted in bright orange, is seen everywhere in India, even in Vrindavan dham, inside Siva temples, outside Krishna temples and in many of his own temples. Anyway, by his mercy, the keys worked, and i got in.
The apartment location is excellent, being just 100 meters from Central Park, between 97th and 100th St. Anyone who knows New York, knows that Central Park is like a city in itself. Miles and miles of greenery, lakes, playgrounds, fields, theatres, zoos and even restaurants. Yesterday was a hot sunny summer day, and i walked for 3 hours thru the Park. I heard more than half a dozen languages being spoken by various people walking by me: Arabic, Spanish, French, Russian, Hindi, Chinese, just to name those languages i could recognize. New York is the most international of all cities. Unfortunately, there is no unity amongst the diversity. Despite being the home of the United Nations, there is nothing united about people here. Everyone is isolated, either alone, or in small social circles. Everyone is under the misconception that they are the enjoyer of the world. No one actually cares about anyone else, except in their own small selfish spheres. This creates a most unharmonious and unattractive scene, at least to my eyes. I felt more alone walking in that crowd of thousands of persons enjoying the sunny day than when i'm sitting by myself in the apartment.
Inside this flat, it's a bit bizarre. The furnishings are from the 40's, 50's and 60's. Most of the furniture, i believe, came from my grandmother. It looks frozen in time. And despite that for over 25 years no one has lived here for more than a week at a time, and the appliances are all at least 30-40 years old, everything-- the lights, the shower, the stove, the fridge, the piano and even two vintage '60s television sets-- works. Fortunately, i ordered a broadband connection before i arrived and was able to install the router my first nite here. So i don't feel any burden, like i'm in a time warp. My plan here is to clean and prepare the apartment to be rented. That includes giving away, selling or throwing out just about everything here. It's a lifetime of collected stuff. So it will take me some time to go thru everything. Then i need to get the kitchen and bathroom repainted, wood floors cleaned and refinished. And with the help of a broker, find a tenant.
Perhaps while i am here, i will go to 26 Second Ave. to see the storefront where Srila Prabhupada started Iskcon. It's too bad that mood of Prabhupada and his first disciples could not be frozen in time, and be preserved for the benefit of humanity. It is preserved in Prabhupada's classes, and it's those early 1966 NY lectures that i most enjoy listening to on the MP3s. Hearing Prabhupada's enthusiasm and compassion giving his first classes in America is most enlivening. It's such a contrast from what became of Iskcon in later years. In fact, for me, those early NYC classes are all that is left of the real Iskcon.
This week i'm alone in New York City, staying at the apartment of my paternal uncle who is now 90 and lives in Florida. He has been there for past 25-30 years in Florida. He just kept this apartment for very brief visits to NYC, usually once a year. I arrived last week from Chicago, flying here with all my luggage (from India) and the keys to this apartment. I had never been here before. I wasn't even sure if my uncle had given me the correct set of keys because he has dementia now and his memory is not what it used to be. I imagined a situation where i would not be able to get in and would need to find a hotel to spend the night. The average hotel room costs $500 per nite in this part of New York. Naturally i was nervous.
On the plane coming here, i prayed to Hanuman. Hanuman is a most extraordinary transcendental personality. In India, i think he is more widely worshipped than anyone, including Lord Sri Krishna, Lord Siva and even Ganesh. The Hanuman Chalisa is a very famous poem/prayer that is sung and recited by millions. And his murti, usually carved as a relief and painted in bright orange, is seen everywhere in India, even in Vrindavan dham, inside Siva temples, outside Krishna temples and in many of his own temples. Anyway, by his mercy, the keys worked, and i got in.
The apartment location is excellent, being just 100 meters from Central Park, between 97th and 100th St. Anyone who knows New York, knows that Central Park is like a city in itself. Miles and miles of greenery, lakes, playgrounds, fields, theatres, zoos and even restaurants. Yesterday was a hot sunny summer day, and i walked for 3 hours thru the Park. I heard more than half a dozen languages being spoken by various people walking by me: Arabic, Spanish, French, Russian, Hindi, Chinese, just to name those languages i could recognize. New York is the most international of all cities. Unfortunately, there is no unity amongst the diversity. Despite being the home of the United Nations, there is nothing united about people here. Everyone is isolated, either alone, or in small social circles. Everyone is under the misconception that they are the enjoyer of the world. No one actually cares about anyone else, except in their own small selfish spheres. This creates a most unharmonious and unattractive scene, at least to my eyes. I felt more alone walking in that crowd of thousands of persons enjoying the sunny day than when i'm sitting by myself in the apartment.
Inside this flat, it's a bit bizarre. The furnishings are from the 40's, 50's and 60's. Most of the furniture, i believe, came from my grandmother. It looks frozen in time. And despite that for over 25 years no one has lived here for more than a week at a time, and the appliances are all at least 30-40 years old, everything-- the lights, the shower, the stove, the fridge, the piano and even two vintage '60s television sets-- works. Fortunately, i ordered a broadband connection before i arrived and was able to install the router my first nite here. So i don't feel any burden, like i'm in a time warp. My plan here is to clean and prepare the apartment to be rented. That includes giving away, selling or throwing out just about everything here. It's a lifetime of collected stuff. So it will take me some time to go thru everything. Then i need to get the kitchen and bathroom repainted, wood floors cleaned and refinished. And with the help of a broker, find a tenant.
Perhaps while i am here, i will go to 26 Second Ave. to see the storefront where Srila Prabhupada started Iskcon. It's too bad that mood of Prabhupada and his first disciples could not be frozen in time, and be preserved for the benefit of humanity. It is preserved in Prabhupada's classes, and it's those early 1966 NY lectures that i most enjoy listening to on the MP3s. Hearing Prabhupada's enthusiasm and compassion giving his first classes in America is most enlivening. It's such a contrast from what became of Iskcon in later years. In fact, for me, those early NYC classes are all that is left of the real Iskcon.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Old Age is for Real
Tonight is my last nite in Chicago. I spent two weeks here, focused on a visit with my father who is now 94. I guess Krishna wanted me to see first hand the desolation of old age. So many times, Srila Prabhupada told us about the anomolies of material life, referring specifically to birth, death, disease and old age. Sometimes i thought, "why is Prabhupada repeating this theme so often?" And we also read in Bhagavad-gita: "Time I am, destroyer of all worlds." When i first read those words in Bhagavad-gita many years ago, i wondered why Krishna chose to speak of himself as a destroyer rather than as a creator. Isn't time a creative force more than a destructive one? It was my sentimental rose-colored vision of reality that wanted this material world to be a perfect place so i could continue to see myself as an enjoyer here. But that vision is gradually maturing, and as it does, i'm seeing reality more clearly. Those rose-colored glasses don't work anymore.
On a cosmic scale, time is a great mystery. It destroys planets and universes in due course, and in our time frame, it destroys a person's energy, his self conceptions and his life span. With my father i have seen first hand how time can unravel a man. Just a few years ago he was driving, playing a violin, trying to enjoy his life like everyone else. Now he sits all day in one chair, speaking to himself, clearly bewildered and lost, although physically he is healthy for his age, and mentally as sharp as a tack. So what is gone? it's the hope, the vitality, the sense of purpose. Old age brings helplessness, weakness and discouragement. It is a rude awakening that nature does not suffer fools easily. It is a complete disillusionment in all noble and worthy pursuits of this world. In short, it is shock.
Old age is the approach of death, the fear of annihilation and the loss of control. It is a punishment for a life without introspection or deep faith in anything sublime. Time is the destroyer. I have seen it firsthand in the person of my father. I pray to Krishna that he is kind to my father and gives him a smooth transition to his next life, hopefully the life of a devotee. This is my sincere prayer for him. And i pray for myself that i can learn something from this life lesson, and from all the efforts Srila Prabhupada made to educate and enlighten me about material life, so i don't repeat the same mistakes, again and again and again.
On a cosmic scale, time is a great mystery. It destroys planets and universes in due course, and in our time frame, it destroys a person's energy, his self conceptions and his life span. With my father i have seen first hand how time can unravel a man. Just a few years ago he was driving, playing a violin, trying to enjoy his life like everyone else. Now he sits all day in one chair, speaking to himself, clearly bewildered and lost, although physically he is healthy for his age, and mentally as sharp as a tack. So what is gone? it's the hope, the vitality, the sense of purpose. Old age brings helplessness, weakness and discouragement. It is a rude awakening that nature does not suffer fools easily. It is a complete disillusionment in all noble and worthy pursuits of this world. In short, it is shock.
Old age is the approach of death, the fear of annihilation and the loss of control. It is a punishment for a life without introspection or deep faith in anything sublime. Time is the destroyer. I have seen it firsthand in the person of my father. I pray to Krishna that he is kind to my father and gives him a smooth transition to his next life, hopefully the life of a devotee. This is my sincere prayer for him. And i pray for myself that i can learn something from this life lesson, and from all the efforts Srila Prabhupada made to educate and enlighten me about material life, so i don't repeat the same mistakes, again and again and again.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Darshan
My trip to Chicago is now winding down; tomorrow is my last day here. This morning i visited the Sri Sri Kishore Kishori ISKCON Temple which is located on the North Side of Chicago. I first joined Iskcon 37 years ago in the Chicago winter, when the devotees there were renting a tiny unheated, frozen storefront. I stayed for only one weekend; the conditions were so austere, i was invited to move to the temple in Detroit were things were more organized and there was some heating. I returned to the Chicago temple in 1973 (which by then had moved to a former YMCA in Evanston). At that time the beautiful white marble deities, Kishore and Kishori, had just been shipped from the murti walla in Jaipur to Chicago, but had not yet been installed.
Every time i visit Chicago, i try to go at least once to the temple for darshan. By the grace of the Lord, this morning i had the chance. Krishna (Kishore) looked especially beautiful to me, with an enchanting smile and graceful figure. How mystical he is: the transcendental Lord appears before us in a material form so that we whose senses are now material, can see him, be seen by him, and benefit from that exchange. It is reality, not idolotry, and anyone whose heart is open can appreciate this.
The Deities also remind us of another dimension beyond the three dimensional mental/intellectual/emotional world we live in. It is the
fourth dimension of service, acceptance and love, devoid of dualities.
Although they don't seem to move, they possess the ability to move us thru their presence. This is another remarkable feature of the supreme truth
who resolves all contradictions and solves all problems without any
apparent effort. Sri Sr Kishore Kishori ki jaya!!!
Every time i visit Chicago, i try to go at least once to the temple for darshan. By the grace of the Lord, this morning i had the chance. Krishna (Kishore) looked especially beautiful to me, with an enchanting smile and graceful figure. How mystical he is: the transcendental Lord appears before us in a material form so that we whose senses are now material, can see him, be seen by him, and benefit from that exchange. It is reality, not idolotry, and anyone whose heart is open can appreciate this.
The Deities also remind us of another dimension beyond the three dimensional mental/intellectual/emotional world we live in. It is the
fourth dimension of service, acceptance and love, devoid of dualities.
Although they don't seem to move, they possess the ability to move us thru their presence. This is another remarkable feature of the supreme truth
who resolves all contradictions and solves all problems without any
apparent effort. Sri Sr Kishore Kishori ki jaya!!!
Monday, July 9, 2007
Denial & Maya
When we were young, in our 20's, we heard and read the reality of this material world from the writings and classes of our beloved spiritual master, om visnupada paramahamsa A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He kept reminding us that although we were then young, one day, "you will be an old man, like me." Of course, Prabhupada was never an "old man." He was a transcendental personality playing the role of an ordinary or extraordinary human being. But he was never in the bodily concept of life. Just to teach us the truth of this material world, as temporary and miserable, he repeated his message again and again, and often he humbly referred to himself as an "old man."
Now that i'm visiting with my father i'm seeing first hand how old age punishes the conditioned jiva soul. Now i can more deeply appreciate the trouble Prabhupada took to educate us when we were young and feeling almost invincible. I'm already deep into middle age, and i no longer feel invincible or immortal, but still in some ways the harsh realities remain theoretical. But visiting with my father, there is no denial of the misery and futility of material life when it reaches a certain age. Fruit is first unripe, then it becomes sweet for a short time and then it starts to rot. That's life here.
It appears that we go thru life in various stages of denial. We deny our mortality. We deny our helplessness. We deny our dependency on others, on nature herself and on God. In all stages of life: unripe, sweet and rotten, we are in denial.
"Denial" is one of the main themes of material life. We can change our consciousness and we can change our reality but only if we stop our denial. Denial is maya's weapon. As His potency, she is controlled by Krishna, and we are controlled by her. She keeps us in illusion by engaging us, partly with the tactic of denial.
The only sure way to cross over maya's control is to accept the shelter of the pure vaisnavas and Krishna. We can use fancy language and speculate
all day, but maya has weapons that we are helpless against. She uses her weapons to control us. No escape from her prison without the vaisnava's and Krishna's blessings.
Krishna is ready to use the weapon of his divine attractiveness to neutralize the weapons of maya that keep us under her control. But only when we become akincina, free from material attachments, including our attachment to denial.
Now that i'm visiting with my father i'm seeing first hand how old age punishes the conditioned jiva soul. Now i can more deeply appreciate the trouble Prabhupada took to educate us when we were young and feeling almost invincible. I'm already deep into middle age, and i no longer feel invincible or immortal, but still in some ways the harsh realities remain theoretical. But visiting with my father, there is no denial of the misery and futility of material life when it reaches a certain age. Fruit is first unripe, then it becomes sweet for a short time and then it starts to rot. That's life here.
It appears that we go thru life in various stages of denial. We deny our mortality. We deny our helplessness. We deny our dependency on others, on nature herself and on God. In all stages of life: unripe, sweet and rotten, we are in denial.
"Denial" is one of the main themes of material life. We can change our consciousness and we can change our reality but only if we stop our denial. Denial is maya's weapon. As His potency, she is controlled by Krishna, and we are controlled by her. She keeps us in illusion by engaging us, partly with the tactic of denial.
The only sure way to cross over maya's control is to accept the shelter of the pure vaisnavas and Krishna. We can use fancy language and speculate
all day, but maya has weapons that we are helpless against. She uses her weapons to control us. No escape from her prison without the vaisnava's and Krishna's blessings.
Krishna is ready to use the weapon of his divine attractiveness to neutralize the weapons of maya that keep us under her control. But only when we become akincina, free from material attachments, including our attachment to denial.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Faith & Emotions
I'm still in Chicago, visiting my father who turned 94 today. Physically and mentally he is in excellent shape for someone who has been thru 94 years of kali yuga. But emotionally, he is a poor wreck because he is not a devotee and he is hopeless and helpless at this stage of his life.
We who aspire to be devotees put a lot of emphasis on knowledge, and rightly so. Without knowledge and discrimination we cannot make progress on the journey back to Godhead. This confidential knowledge is one of the matchless gifts of the mahajan great souls, including our own worshipable spiritual master, om visnupada paramahamsa A.C. Bhaktivedenta Swami Prabhupada.
But more than knowledge, more than logic, the greatest gift our spiritual preceptors have given us is the faith they showed us and the emotional strength that was the byproduct of their faith. At the end of the day, it's emotions that rule. And emotions are guided by faith. It is this unseen and unspoken power of faith that gives us the emotional strength to have hope and to feel inspiration, to aspire for a closer and more intimate connection with the saints, and for the determination to become a genuine devotee, not just an imitation or materialistic follower of the 3rd class.
We who aspire to be devotees put a lot of emphasis on knowledge, and rightly so. Without knowledge and discrimination we cannot make progress on the journey back to Godhead. This confidential knowledge is one of the matchless gifts of the mahajan great souls, including our own worshipable spiritual master, om visnupada paramahamsa A.C. Bhaktivedenta Swami Prabhupada.
But more than knowledge, more than logic, the greatest gift our spiritual preceptors have given us is the faith they showed us and the emotional strength that was the byproduct of their faith. At the end of the day, it's emotions that rule. And emotions are guided by faith. It is this unseen and unspoken power of faith that gives us the emotional strength to have hope and to feel inspiration, to aspire for a closer and more intimate connection with the saints, and for the determination to become a genuine devotee, not just an imitation or materialistic follower of the 3rd class.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
"Independence Day"
I'm writing today from a hotel just outside of Chicago where i'm visiting relatives. Yesterday was a day of travel from UK to the States. If anyone thinks this material world is nice, they should have seen all the police with machine guns standing around Heathrow Airport yesterday. I was lucky to fly out. All flights from Terminal 4 were cancelled for 6-24 hours due to a scare. While i was waiting for my flight on Air India in Terminal 3, all the unlucky passengers in Terminal 4 (BA, KLM) had to evacuate the terminal in a rainstorm and lose their flight connections. Many had to spend overnite in London because of a "suspicious" package that turned out to be harmless. Nice place, indeed, this material world.
Today is the 4th of July, celebrated as Independence Day in the USA. This so-called misconception of "independence" is not freedom, but is ironically, the cause of our bondage. How's that? Because we are never independent of nature's laws, which are God's laws. Everyone is under their rule. But due to our desire to compete with God, we imitate our "independence" in various ways. This is another good example of how imitation has no real value.
As defined, our independence is only an imitation of reality. Real independence means to take shelter and surrender to God, Lord Sri Krishna. That will free us from all our existential fears and karmic reactions. aham tvam sarva papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah
(Bhagavad gita 18.66)
How can we be "independent" when we are tied to the certainty of death which comes with the material body? No science, no ideology, no political system and no so-called progress can free us. Only Krishna, the giver of liberation to his devotees, can. But we don't want to pay the price for his mercy, which is to accept Him as the Master and Enjoyer, and accept ourselves as humble servant of his servant. Better to rein in hell, than serve in heaven. That's our independence.
Today is the 4th of July, celebrated as Independence Day in the USA. This so-called misconception of "independence" is not freedom, but is ironically, the cause of our bondage. How's that? Because we are never independent of nature's laws, which are God's laws. Everyone is under their rule. But due to our desire to compete with God, we imitate our "independence" in various ways. This is another good example of how imitation has no real value.
As defined, our independence is only an imitation of reality. Real independence means to take shelter and surrender to God, Lord Sri Krishna. That will free us from all our existential fears and karmic reactions. aham tvam sarva papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah
(Bhagavad gita 18.66)
How can we be "independent" when we are tied to the certainty of death which comes with the material body? No science, no ideology, no political system and no so-called progress can free us. Only Krishna, the giver of liberation to his devotees, can. But we don't want to pay the price for his mercy, which is to accept Him as the Master and Enjoyer, and accept ourselves as humble servant of his servant. Better to rein in hell, than serve in heaven. That's our independence.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Questions by a Young Devotee
Srila Prabhupada answers some questions in a letter to his disciple, Aniruddha prabhu. Aniruddha was a nice devotee who first joined Prabhupada on the West Coast of the US in 1967. I first met him in L.A. in 1972, then 25 years later in Honolulu. Recently Aniruddha passed away in Hawaii. This letter was written by Prabhupada when Aniruddha was still a new devotee. Although email had not been invented and Prabhupada needed to dictate or write and send each letter personally, he never failed to respond to his disciples, and to enlighten them with his pure vision. This is just one symptom of a great devotee.
Regarding your questions: Your first question, "Are great sages put under yogamaya or maya? Also are all the eternally liberated souls under yogamaya?"
Yogamaya means the mercy of the Supreme Lord which connects a devotee in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and mahamaya means the external potency of the Lord which puts a conditioned soul into illusion that he will be happy by material adjustment. So great sages who are impersonalists are also under the spell of mahamaya, because a conditioned soul in the material world wants to improve his material position as exalted as possible, and the concept of becoming one with the Supreme Lord is the greatest illusion for them. Because it is a fact that nobody can be equal or greater than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such, anyone desiring to become one with the Supreme means that he is still in the trap of maya.
On the other hand, a humble devotee who may not be a great sage, but simply by his implicit acceptance of the Lotus Feet of the Lord as the goal of his life means that he is under the protection of yogamaya. I think this will clear the idea.
Your next question, "Is there a difference between Arjuna's body and his soul, and how does this apply to all Krishna's eternally liberated souls described in the scriptures. Is Arjuna always the same in his appearances with Krishna or is a new soul taking his body each time?"
Yes, there is difference. Therefore he forgets his past activities. Just like we forget ourselves while dreaming because our subtle body acts at that time differently from the gross body. Similarly, by changing this body or transmigrating from one body to another, we forget all the activities of our previous body. The associates of the Lord, even though they have a different body, or even though they forget the activities of their past body, still they are associates of the Lord. These explanations are given in the Bhagavad-gita as it is.
Your next question, "Is a pure devotee eternally liberated and if so is he at any time a conditioned soul? We are eternally conditioned, but as soon as we surrender to Krishna do we then become eternally liberated? When Lord Christ appeared he seemed to be conditioned in his growth. Was he a specific incarnation or a conditioned soul who became liberated?"
You are not eternally conditioned. You are eternally liberated but since we have become conditioned on account of our desire to enjoy materialistic way of life, from time immemorial, therefore it appears that we are eternally conditioned. Because we cannot trace out the history or the date when we became conditioned, therefore it is technically called eternally conditioned. Otherwise the living entity is not actually conditioned.
A living entity is always pure. But he is prone to be attracted by material enjoyment and as soon as he agrees to place himself in material enjoyment, he becomes conditioned, but that is not permanent. Therefore a living entity is called on the marginal state, sometimes this side, sometimes that side.
These are very intelligent questions. And I am very glad that you are putting such intelligent questions and trying to understand it. It is very good. But best thing is that one should know he is in conditioned life and try to cure it. When a man is in diseased condition he should try to get out of diseased condition without harassing his brain when the disease has begun. But it is to be understood that the disease is not our constant companion, it is temporary.
So the best thing is to cure the disease, and not waste our time to find out the date when it began. Forgetfulness of Krishna is the disease, so let us keep ourselves always in Krishna Consciousness, and get out of the disease, that is healthy life. Yes, Lord Jesus was jivatattva. He is not Visnu tattva. When a jiva tattva becomes specifically empowered by the Lord, he is called saktyavesa avatara. Lord Buddha and Lord Jesus Christ were in this group of saktyavesa avatara.. But they were not in conditioned state when they appeared; they came to teach here.
Regarding your questions: Your first question, "Are great sages put under yogamaya or maya? Also are all the eternally liberated souls under yogamaya?"
Yogamaya means the mercy of the Supreme Lord which connects a devotee in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and mahamaya means the external potency of the Lord which puts a conditioned soul into illusion that he will be happy by material adjustment. So great sages who are impersonalists are also under the spell of mahamaya, because a conditioned soul in the material world wants to improve his material position as exalted as possible, and the concept of becoming one with the Supreme Lord is the greatest illusion for them. Because it is a fact that nobody can be equal or greater than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such, anyone desiring to become one with the Supreme means that he is still in the trap of maya.
On the other hand, a humble devotee who may not be a great sage, but simply by his implicit acceptance of the Lotus Feet of the Lord as the goal of his life means that he is under the protection of yogamaya. I think this will clear the idea.
Your next question, "Is there a difference between Arjuna's body and his soul, and how does this apply to all Krishna's eternally liberated souls described in the scriptures. Is Arjuna always the same in his appearances with Krishna or is a new soul taking his body each time?"
Yes, there is difference. Therefore he forgets his past activities. Just like we forget ourselves while dreaming because our subtle body acts at that time differently from the gross body. Similarly, by changing this body or transmigrating from one body to another, we forget all the activities of our previous body. The associates of the Lord, even though they have a different body, or even though they forget the activities of their past body, still they are associates of the Lord. These explanations are given in the Bhagavad-gita as it is.
Your next question, "Is a pure devotee eternally liberated and if so is he at any time a conditioned soul? We are eternally conditioned, but as soon as we surrender to Krishna do we then become eternally liberated? When Lord Christ appeared he seemed to be conditioned in his growth. Was he a specific incarnation or a conditioned soul who became liberated?"
You are not eternally conditioned. You are eternally liberated but since we have become conditioned on account of our desire to enjoy materialistic way of life, from time immemorial, therefore it appears that we are eternally conditioned. Because we cannot trace out the history or the date when we became conditioned, therefore it is technically called eternally conditioned. Otherwise the living entity is not actually conditioned.
A living entity is always pure. But he is prone to be attracted by material enjoyment and as soon as he agrees to place himself in material enjoyment, he becomes conditioned, but that is not permanent. Therefore a living entity is called on the marginal state, sometimes this side, sometimes that side.
These are very intelligent questions. And I am very glad that you are putting such intelligent questions and trying to understand it. It is very good. But best thing is that one should know he is in conditioned life and try to cure it. When a man is in diseased condition he should try to get out of diseased condition without harassing his brain when the disease has begun. But it is to be understood that the disease is not our constant companion, it is temporary.
So the best thing is to cure the disease, and not waste our time to find out the date when it began. Forgetfulness of Krishna is the disease, so let us keep ourselves always in Krishna Consciousness, and get out of the disease, that is healthy life. Yes, Lord Jesus was jivatattva. He is not Visnu tattva. When a jiva tattva becomes specifically empowered by the Lord, he is called saktyavesa avatara. Lord Buddha and Lord Jesus Christ were in this group of saktyavesa avatara.. But they were not in conditioned state when they appeared; they came to teach here.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
On the Road
Dear Reader,
I am travelling in the USA in July and August, and my blog entries may be less frequent. If you are a regular reader, i apologize for this. If you wish to comment on anything from the blog or share your own observations,
feel free to write me. Although i wrote in yesterday’s commentary that we should not complain, i have one complaint: hardly anyone makes comments on my entries.
There is a place at the bottom of each entry for you to comment. Please use it; this blog is meant for dialogue. Alternatively, if you wish to write me privately, send it to jauvana@gmail.com
I will respond to all comments/emails.
Looking forward to hearing from you and wishing you much inspiration on your inner journey.
Nitai Gaura Haribol,
jauvana
I am travelling in the USA in July and August, and my blog entries may be less frequent. If you are a regular reader, i apologize for this. If you wish to comment on anything from the blog or share your own observations,
feel free to write me. Although i wrote in yesterday’s commentary that we should not complain, i have one complaint: hardly anyone makes comments on my entries.
There is a place at the bottom of each entry for you to comment. Please use it; this blog is meant for dialogue. Alternatively, if you wish to write me privately, send it to jauvana@gmail.com
I will respond to all comments/emails.
Looking forward to hearing from you and wishing you much inspiration on your inner journey.
Nitai Gaura Haribol,
jauvana
Friday, June 29, 2007
No One Else!!!
Verse 8 of Sri Siksastakam
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the golden avatar of Lord Sri Krishna, appeared on this earth just 520 years ago, and displayed his pastimes as a devotee, one madly searching after Himself.
He instructed his disciples and followers to write hundreds of volumes of books on philosophy. But He Himself left only Eight Beautiful
Verses of Instruction.
In the blog, i’ve been exploring these 8 Divine Instructions, one by one. These verses contain the complete theory and practice of pure love for God, from the lips of Sri Krishna Caitanya, God in the role of His own devotee. Today, the final verse:
Sanskrit, Verse 8:
aslisya va pada ratam pinastu mam
adarsanan marma hatam karotu va
yatha tatha va vidadhatu lampato
mat prana nathas tu sa eva naparah
Translation & Commentary:
Krishna, You can embrace me with Your strong arms
or trample me under Your feet.
You may break my heart by disappearing from my sight.
You do whatever you like. All women belong to You.
But in agony or in ecstasy, i remain Yours.
You only are the lord of my life. No one else!!!
Sri Krishna is the divine autocrat. He is love, and love does not obey any law other than itself. Love is tied to mercy, to luck, to favor, not to justice. Krishna is independent of our efforts. He can appear, disappear, reward, punish or be indifferent to us. He can do anything at his whim. But he always acts from the position of love, because he is infinite love. He will never hurt us or destroy us with his love.
Pure love is above law and above rights. All rights reserved. Krishna’s love for us far exceeds our capacity to love him. Therefore he has all rights. We have only one right: the right to serve him. We cannot negotiate with him like a businessman. We are always looking for the fruit, the payoff, what’s in it for me? But true love offers us only sacrifice, self-forgetfulness, service. Why should we be attracted to such a proposition? We hesitate before such an extreme proposal.
If we want love that transcends life, love that takes us beyond this commercial world of win-lose, win-win, and lose-lose, then there is no alternative except to follow the path shown by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We will be happy when we realize our finite-ness in connection with the infinite. We will be joyful when we forget our self-importance and give all attention to Krishna. We will find ecstasy when we can feel exclusive devotion.
In our own journey there should be no complaint from our side. So many injustices will be seen by us, from the past and the present. We can observe them, comment on them and learn from them, but we should never take them too seriously. They are disturbances: some funny, some tragic, but merely distractions. Nothing is a catastrophe. The only disaster is our lack of love for Krishna.
How can we find our proper place in this world? It may not be possible, in a social sense. But if somehow or other, we can pass the exam and qualify for entering into that circle where everyone has real love for Krishna, then we shall be completely relieved of our restlessness.
mac-citta mad-gata-prana
bodhayantah parasparam
“The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are devoted to Me, they preach amongst themselves and enjoy transcendental bliss talking about Me.” (Bhagavad gita 10.9)
And Krishna gives us another hint at the end of the Gita:
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
“I shall deliver you from all disturbances, all reactions. Do not fear.” (Bhagavad gita 18.66)
We are suffering from sinful reactions, from mixing with the modes of nature for an immeasurably long time. But Krishna says: don’t worry, I can deliver you. It’s not difficult for Me.
So we should not be afraid of what appears on the surface to be a frightening and terribly painful process of surrender. Externally it looks like that, but internally it is different. In Vrindavan, nothing is what it appears to be! We must be prepared to suspend our judgement and dive into the experience. It contains the greatest sweetness, beauty and pleasure.
This great experiment is being offered to us by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. With his words and with his life, he showed us the possibility. Of course, he is not a jiva soul; he is the original Personality of Godhead, in the role of a devotee. But he came to teach us, to demonstrate for us, the path to prema. It is our eternal benefit if we can learn to follow this path, not to imitate, but to very carefully and respectfully walk in the footprints of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his followers. Sri Sri Guru & Gauranga jayate!!
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the golden avatar of Lord Sri Krishna, appeared on this earth just 520 years ago, and displayed his pastimes as a devotee, one madly searching after Himself.
He instructed his disciples and followers to write hundreds of volumes of books on philosophy. But He Himself left only Eight Beautiful
Verses of Instruction.
In the blog, i’ve been exploring these 8 Divine Instructions, one by one. These verses contain the complete theory and practice of pure love for God, from the lips of Sri Krishna Caitanya, God in the role of His own devotee. Today, the final verse:
Sanskrit, Verse 8:
aslisya va pada ratam pinastu mam
adarsanan marma hatam karotu va
yatha tatha va vidadhatu lampato
mat prana nathas tu sa eva naparah
Translation & Commentary:
Krishna, You can embrace me with Your strong arms
or trample me under Your feet.
You may break my heart by disappearing from my sight.
You do whatever you like. All women belong to You.
But in agony or in ecstasy, i remain Yours.
You only are the lord of my life. No one else!!!
Sri Krishna is the divine autocrat. He is love, and love does not obey any law other than itself. Love is tied to mercy, to luck, to favor, not to justice. Krishna is independent of our efforts. He can appear, disappear, reward, punish or be indifferent to us. He can do anything at his whim. But he always acts from the position of love, because he is infinite love. He will never hurt us or destroy us with his love.
Pure love is above law and above rights. All rights reserved. Krishna’s love for us far exceeds our capacity to love him. Therefore he has all rights. We have only one right: the right to serve him. We cannot negotiate with him like a businessman. We are always looking for the fruit, the payoff, what’s in it for me? But true love offers us only sacrifice, self-forgetfulness, service. Why should we be attracted to such a proposition? We hesitate before such an extreme proposal.
If we want love that transcends life, love that takes us beyond this commercial world of win-lose, win-win, and lose-lose, then there is no alternative except to follow the path shown by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We will be happy when we realize our finite-ness in connection with the infinite. We will be joyful when we forget our self-importance and give all attention to Krishna. We will find ecstasy when we can feel exclusive devotion.
In our own journey there should be no complaint from our side. So many injustices will be seen by us, from the past and the present. We can observe them, comment on them and learn from them, but we should never take them too seriously. They are disturbances: some funny, some tragic, but merely distractions. Nothing is a catastrophe. The only disaster is our lack of love for Krishna.
How can we find our proper place in this world? It may not be possible, in a social sense. But if somehow or other, we can pass the exam and qualify for entering into that circle where everyone has real love for Krishna, then we shall be completely relieved of our restlessness.
mac-citta mad-gata-prana
bodhayantah parasparam
“The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are devoted to Me, they preach amongst themselves and enjoy transcendental bliss talking about Me.” (Bhagavad gita 10.9)
And Krishna gives us another hint at the end of the Gita:
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
“I shall deliver you from all disturbances, all reactions. Do not fear.” (Bhagavad gita 18.66)
We are suffering from sinful reactions, from mixing with the modes of nature for an immeasurably long time. But Krishna says: don’t worry, I can deliver you. It’s not difficult for Me.
So we should not be afraid of what appears on the surface to be a frightening and terribly painful process of surrender. Externally it looks like that, but internally it is different. In Vrindavan, nothing is what it appears to be! We must be prepared to suspend our judgement and dive into the experience. It contains the greatest sweetness, beauty and pleasure.
This great experiment is being offered to us by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. With his words and with his life, he showed us the possibility. Of course, he is not a jiva soul; he is the original Personality of Godhead, in the role of a devotee. But he came to teach us, to demonstrate for us, the path to prema. It is our eternal benefit if we can learn to follow this path, not to imitate, but to very carefully and respectfully walk in the footprints of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his followers. Sri Sri Guru & Gauranga jayate!!
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