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Monday Morning Greetings 2025 #46 – More Than Meets the Eye

November 10th, 2025

I found the 16th chapter of the Antya-līlā of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmta very intriguing.

 

The last eight chapters (14-20) describe Śrī Caitanya’s intense feelings of separation from the Lord at the end of His life. He is repeatedly described there as lapita— one who talks like a crazy man. We are told that His transcendental madness is so mysterious and deep that:

 

“Even though one is very advanced and learned, he cannot understand it.” Antya-līlā 14.5

 

The reason I found chapter 16 so intriguing was because within these last chapters, which exclusively describe the Lord’s transcendental madness, this chapter focuses on the glories of mahā-prasādam. My immediate reaction, “that’s an interesting subject, but why here?”

 

This post is my attempt to explain why.

 

After Śrī Caitanya tastes and then distributes Jagannātha mahā-prasādam to His confidential associates, He comments:

 

“These ingredients, such as sugar, camphor, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, butter, spices and licorice, are all material. Everyone has tasted these material substances before.”

 

“However,” the Lord continued, “in these ingredients there are extraordinary tastes and uncommon fragrances. Just taste them and see the difference in the experience.

 

“Apart from the taste, even the fragrance pleases the mind and makes one forget any other sweetness besides its own.” Antya-līlā 16.108-111

 

Let’s unpack what the Lord is saying here.

 

When foodstuffs are offered to the Lord and then accepted by His devotee as prasādam, the experience, even the sensual one, mystically far exceeds in relish and inner satisfaction the tasting of those same ingredients as bhoga, food not offered to the Lord.

 

The potency of devotional items to invoke a sensual and emotional experience far beyond what those same material ingredients can normally arouse holds true with any sense experience in relation to God.

 

For example, the apparently ordinary syllables of mantra can please the ear far beyond what any mundane poetry or musical composition can offer, or the vision of the Deity or a picture of the Lord can be experienced as far more beautiful that any sculpture or painting an artist can create.

 

Although in general such experiences depend upon one’s purity and devotion, by the mercy of Śrī Krishna most sincere devotees regardless of their level of devotion are occasionally blessed with such experiences to encourage their faith.

 

How exactly does this happen?

 

The śāstras reveal that when something is spiritualized by offering it to God, and approached with the right devotion, we imperceptibly start experiencing objects of devotion through internal spiritual senses. In other words, we are perceiving the same thing but experiencing it through a totally different apparatus and in a totally different way.

 

I love how this this phenomenon is so clearly described in Bhad-bhāgavatāmta.

 

“You should not consider devotional service merely an activity of the body, senses, and mind. It is in fact the eternal absolute reality, manifesting itself as the most intense ecstasy, beyond the material modes.”

 

Commentary: “ […] pure bhakti is never approached by material senses. Even though hearing is done with the ears, chanting with the tongue, remembering with the mind, and praying and other activities with the limbs of the body, these activities are not material; they are spiritual activities that can be performed only by a devotee’s awakened spiritual senses.” Bhad-bhāgavatāmta 2.3.133

 

Now back to my initial quandary—how does this extensive discussion of mahā-prasādam fit into the later chapters of the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmta describing Śrī Caitanya’s extremely intense ecstasy? This is what I theorize:

 

We are warned repeatedly in the later chapters that we can’t judge Śrī Caitanya’s transcendental madness by logic or scholarship. Although such emotions may look exactly like intense anxiety and erotic longing, they are factually a spiritual reality born out of prema-bhakti and thus beyond the modes of nature. In other words, it is so important to understand that there is more than meets the eye when engaging with and trying to understand spiritual phenomena. And what better way to be introduced to this fundamental principle than Śrī Caitanya’s explanation of the inexplicable glories of mahā-prasādam?

 

Monday Morning Greetings 2025 #45 – A Sannyāsi Walks onto a Train and Meets a Girl

November 3rd, 2025

A Sannyāsi Walks onto a Train and Meets a Girl[1]

 

I can’t remember the exact train or time, but I do remember the girl. It was about two months ago on a crowded train from Washington, D.C. to New York. I got on early to get a window seat and, I hoped, sit by myself, and began to work. A few minutes before the train was about to leave, I saw a girl in her early twenties struggling to drag her suitcase down the aisle. She was visibly exhausted and stopped when she got to my seat. Some good Samaritans helped her load her luggage onto the upper rack, and she plopped down in the seat next to me. Seeing her condition, I guessed she didn’t have enough energy to go further. Otherwise why would she choose to sit down next to a fellow in robes and tilaka? Once she had slumped down into the chair, she searched her handbag for a snack. It was as if she needed to eat something just to get enough energy to survive her ordeal. Then she made a phone call. “I made it, Mom,” I heard her say. “I’m OK.” Well, there goes my privacy, I thought, and went back to my work.

 

The train was only five minutes or so out of the station when the girl asked me if I was a monk. We talked, and I heard her sad story.

 

She was a successful, athletic, gifted college student who had even managed to maintain her devout Catholicism in school, when she was ravaged by a severe case of chronic Lyme disease. She almost died twice, but her devoted parents stood by her side and nursed her to life. After a long bout fighting the disease, she finally had enough energy, barely, to go by train and visit her boyfriend in Albany. He was also a pious Catholic from New England, and he had the character and devotion to stay with her. I don’t remember the details, but she suffered hell and was still suffering. Only her faith in God carried her through her trials with even a glimmer of hope and purpose. I encouraged her faith, which she said not many people did, and offered a few words of wisdom from what I learned from my revered teacher. She was grateful and took my card. Yesterday I received a letter from her. I thought what she wrote would be meaningful for our Monday Morning Greeting audience.

 

Hello,

 

This is Grace, from the Amtrak train, back in early May. I’m so sorry about the long delay in messaging. I have been meaning to write but keep getting distracted. (One of the many things I’m working on :).

 

I wanted to keep in touch and tell you how much our conversation meant to me. I think you were right when you said God sat us together for a reason. As I mentioned on the train, I have been very sick with Lyme disease for many years now. It has tested me in many ways, but this experience has made me stronger both mentally and spiritually. It was such a blessing to talk to someone else who had an understanding of something greater. Many friends tell me they have no idea what to say to me, and many doctors similarly tell me they don’t know what to do for me. I know God has all the answers and can heal me. Still, I have prayed so hard for God to let me meet someone “who knows more than I do.” I definitely feel that prayer was answered by sitting next to you. It was amazing how little we discussed the details of the illness, yet I felt so many of my questions were answered.

 

It felt like a holiday having a conversation that lacked “small talk” and as I like to call it, “interviewing dialogue.” You seemed aware of my stress and physical ailment without me needing to explain it. I cannot tell you how happy and understood that made me feel. This may sound really silly, but I’m usually the “you” in conversations. Picking up on signs such as stress, mood, state, all while listening to the person. Receiving that sort of attention and understanding back was a true blessing I will always cherish.

 

Since our train ride, I’ve been focusing more on getting off medications and healing naturally. It is difficult. It takes a lot of persistence and prayer, but I know it’s what I’m supposed to do.

 

I’ve been finding a lot of answers through Ayurvedic medicine. It just kind of makes sense to me, if you know what I mean. I love all the warming spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, turmeric, and others. I’ve been cooking more often and supplementing with many herbs and vitamins. I’ll often read about natural healing methods and great herbs, later to find it’s often used in Ayurvedic healing. I’m just trusting in God that what I find is what I’m supposed to do.

 

Lastly, I wanted to ask a few questions. You mentioned meditating and prayer to me. At risk of sounding cliché or stereotyping, does your meditation focus on breathing? Such as in yoga? Do you do yoga? I know there are different types. I’m finding my greatest struggle is the breathing. I’m having an incredibly hard time with it. I get tightness, headaches, stomach aches, etc. A lot of people talk about the breathing, but I haven’t found anything helpful yet. I’m not sure if you have any advice. However, if you have any input at all, I’d to hear it. I feel my inability to truly breathe may be inhibiting my healing process.

 

Lastly, I wanted to tell you again how happy I am to have met you. You opened up my mind to many new ideas as well as confirmed many of my own beliefs. It was so good to talk about God with another person. Thank you so much for the prayers. I feel my body getting stronger and know that God is working.

 

Please do not take the delay in this email as a lack of interest. I’ve written and edited it so many times and finally told myself enough is enough. I would love to hear back from you whenever you’re free. I’ll definitely do my best to reply much, much sooner. I hope you are doing well, and I’ll keep you in my prayers as well.

 

Thanks so much,

Grace

 

That’s about it. I am just happy that I can share with others what I learned in my studies and life and meet such good people as Grace. I also wanted to ask my audience to pray for her. Grace is a sincere soul who wants God and wouldn’t mind good health to serve Him. Thanks for listening.

 

 

_____________________________________

[1] This month uncharacteristically I haven’t been able to find time to write. In addition to my Kārttika vrata of chanting, I give nearly fifteen classes a week and many people visit me. For this week I therefore am posting this reprint from almost ten years ago from July 25, 2016. It is one of my all-time favorites.

 

Monday Morning Greetings 2025 #44 – On Criticism II

October 27th, 2025

On Criticism II[1]

 

What constitutes constructive criticism, and when do we overstep its line?

 

Before defining that line, it is first necessary to explain what criticism is, why it is so difficult to avoid, and why these are such critical questions to answer for one on the spiritual path.

 

Criticism, or being overly critical, occurs when the envy in our heart is expressed. That propensity is difficult to transcend as we are born into this world overcome with desire and hate (envy).[2] Criticism born of envy is therefore antithetical to the very foundation of yoga, or any spiritual path, which upholds ahiṁsā or non-violence. I like how that principle is expressed here:

 

“The shadow of resentment keeps our spiritual light from shining through, never allowing us to fully experience who we are.”[3]

 

The question now emerges: How do we reconcile that sentiment with the obvious need and duty to correct the mistakes of others and expose injustice? Those on the spiritual path can criticize when it is one’s duty to correct, when in position to achieve a constructive result, and if it is done with compassion, not hate.

 

For example, in the Bhagavad-gītā, the first words Śrī Krishna speaks to Arjuna are, “You are a pretender and a fool, for the wise man laments neither for the living nor the dead.”[4] Krishna is taking the role of a teacher who must correct his student to help him overcome ignorance and transcend the ego. Krishna’s criticism is the right action. It is His duty as a teacher. Most importantly, Krishna is criticizing Arjuna through genuine affection for His devotee and friend.

 

In other words, it is not enough to criticize another simply because of a mistake made. We must be vigilant that our criticism is not just an excuse to enjoy a sense of superiority, or that it is born from hate. Such mal-intent creates a cloud of ignorance that covers the soul. If we can be somewhat introspective, we will realize that our criticism of others usually indicates more about ourselves than it does about anyone else. At least that has been my own experience.

 

I once did an exercise called “A Complaint Free World.”[5] The exercise involves keeping a band on one’s wrist and moving it to the other wrist every time one criticizes another person. The exercise posits that if one can avoid criticism completely and keep the band on one wrist, without changing it for three weeks, then the habit of avoiding unnecessary criticism will be established. It was tough. Every time I wanted to criticize someone, I immediately became aware that not only was I engaging with a negative thought, but I could clearly recognize how often my desire was rarely a product of duty, but mostly to satisfy my ego and sense of superiority.

 

The role of the critic, however, has its proper function, for unless there are people who can point out and correct the faults of others, individual or societal development will be stunted. Ultimately, being critical is only effective for those who have the duty to point out another’s faults and, most importantly, the character and compassion to do so. William Penn said it best:

 

“They have a Right to censure, that have a Heart to help: The rest is Cruelty, not Justice.”

 


[1] On Criticism I was one of my early Monday Morning Greetings: https://wavesofdevotion.com/2016/10/10/on-criticism/

I also shortly wrote On Criticism II. I reviewed it for this article and substantially rewrote it here.

[2] This last sentence is paraphrased from Bhagavad-gītā 7.27.

[3] Reference unavailable for this anonymous quotation.

[4] Gītā 2.11

[5] https://web.archive.org/web/20201019071404/http://www.willbowen.com/complaintfree/

Monday Morning Greetings 2025 #43 – What I Learned from Bhakta Herman and the Prostitute

October 20th, 2025

What I Learned from Bhakta Herman and the Prostitute[1]

 

You’re a monk. Are you really going to talk about a prostitute?

 

It’s there in the Uddhava-gīta in the Eleventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam where Śrī Krishna relates to Uddhava the description of the avadhūta brāhmaṇa’s twenty-eight gurus in nature. The prostitute’s experience of waiting all night for a suitor who never came was so frustrating that she renounced the world to exclusively take shelter of the Supreme Lord. From her the avadhūta brāhmaṇa learned that all material hope leads to misery.

 

Each of the twenty-eight gurus in nature, from the sun and the wind to the python and prostitute, taught different lessons. But each instance reaffirms a common point, that a detached and objective study of the world will reveal the same teachings as would a spiritual master, saintly people, or the scriptures.

 

I have had many experiences where I could see in the world what I learned from my teachers. One of the strongest came from observing a very humble devotee twenty-five years ago. His name was Bhakta Herman. Below is a substantially edited version of that encounter which was originally written when I met him.

 

 

Today I learned a very important lesson from Bhakta Herman.

 

As I was leaving the ISKCON temple in Vrindavan this morning an older brahmacāri came up to me to present a garland from some of the South African lady disciples of Partha-Sarathi Prabhu who were standing nearby. I was intrigued by this brahmacāri, who introduced himself as Bhakta Herman.

 

He was in his early sixties, not much taller than five-feet tall, and somewhat disabled in both feet. Although he could walk without a cane, he shuffled his feet carefully like a person blistered on both feet after parikramā. His disability, however, was obviously permanent, either congenital, or due to serious accident or disease. His jaws were also constantly gnawing, either from pain or a nervous disorder. I couldn’t help noticing his strong Brooklyn accent, which also was slurred by a serious speech disorder. He therefore spoke in an almost childish and squeaky tone. I began a conversation with him and he revealed himself to be a humble and likeable devotee.

 

“Where are you from, prabhu?”

 

“I stay six munts of da year in Burkly, and six munts in Vrindavan.”

 

“What do you do?”

 

“I mop flawz and wash pots.”

 

His service was so menial that I felt embarrassed to have asked him about it. From the positive tone of his response, however, I could sense he wasn’t bothered at all by my question. I thus continued.

 

“Where were you born?”

 

“Coney Island in Brooklyn. Ya know where dhat iz?”

 

“Coney Island! Hey, I’m from Cropsey Avenue less than fifteen minutes away.”

 

“Yeah. Dats just ovah da bridge.” A rapport was developing.

 

I began to recall fond memories of almost forty years past, even before I was six years old, when my grandmother would occasionally take me there. Coney Island had one of the most prominent amusement parks in the world, but even as young child I could sense that Coney Island, like all old amusement parks, was a nice place to visit but was in the poorest of neighborhoods. I could therefore understand that Herman was from the humblest of backgrounds. I continued our pleasant exchange.

 

“How do you like Krishna consciousness, Herman?”

 

His face lit up. “I don’t know why, but I git such necktuh. Such necktuh comes. All of a suddin, necktuh!” With each “necktuh” his heart became lighter and his face became brighter.

 

I could see Bhakta Herman was experiencing something wonderful and that although his service was menial, it didn’t bother him at all. That encounter with him really made a strong impression on me.

 

Bhakta Herman had very few, if any, material assets, which seemed to make him very dependent on God. This enabled him to approach God with real feeling. He could thus feel great joy from the humblest service.

 

From observing Bhakta Herman I learned the relationship between bhakti and an absence of false prestige. And it was the exact same lesson that my divine master, Śrīla Prabhupāda, was lecturing on repeatedly. For example, he often spoke on Queen Kunti’s prayers.

 

“My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached but only by those who are materially exhausted. One who is on the path of [material progress], trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot approach You with sincere feeling.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.26)

 

 

Remembering Bhakta Herman also reaffirmed what I was studying just this morning in a commentary by Śrī Jīva describing the general principle learned from the avadhūta brāhmaṇa’s twenty-eight gurus in nature:

 

“…gurv-anusaraṇe pravartaka ity arthaḥ: the knowledge acquired by one’s own perception and intelligence leads one to appreciate the value of the representative of Lord Krishna.” (Bhāgavatam 11.7.20, purport)

 

And today my memory of observing Bhakta Herman certainly did.

 

And that’s what I learned from Bhakta Herman and the prostitute!

 

 


[1] This Monday Morning Greetings is not a reprint but is based on an article I wrote twenty-five years ago https://wavesofdevotion.com/2000/11/30/vrindaban-an-intelligent-person-expert/.

 

Monday Morning Greetings 2025 #42 – Bhakti, Bhakti Everywhere But Not a Drop to Drink

October 13th, 2025

Bhakti, Bhakti Everywhere But Not a Drop to Drink[1]

 

The practice of bhakti is very simple, but very qualified people can find the path of bhakti challenging. Simple, but challenging. It’s a paradox. Let’s try to resolve it.

 

What does it mean that bhakti is simple?

 

It means anyone in any circumstance can take to bhakti. It has no material qualification. For example, you don’t even have to be born yet.

 

Not even born yet!

 

The Bhāgavatam was originally spoken in four verses. The last verse explains abhidheya-jñāna, the means to realize the absolute truth. One of the significant phrases in that verse, which is relevant to our discussion, is sarvatra sarvadā (anywhere and everywhere), which means that Krishna consciousness is universally applicable. The Bhaktivedanta purport to that verse focuses on offering example after example of how one can take up the path of bhakti in every conceivable material situation, even when one is unborn. Śrī Prahlāda heard the Bhāgavatam in the womb of his mother from Śrī Nārada and was born a great saint!

 

Back to our quandary. If bhakti is so universally applicable, why do so many, even those aristocratic, educated and even yogically disciplined, find the path of bhakti difficult to take up and execute?

 

Śrīla Prabhupāda explains the resolution:

 

“The process is simple, but the application is difficult.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.2, purport)

 

Simple? Who cannot bow down, chant Hare Krishna, hear the Lord’s glories or just see the deities? From the material perspective it is therefore simple.

 

Difficult? The most difficult thing to do is to apply ourselves to things we don’t like to do, even if they are simple tasks. We have come to this world to enjoy and control. Who truly wants to relinquish control and bow their head to God and his devotees in complete humility and supplication?

 

But that’s what pure love or devotion means. It’s complete surrender to the needs and desire of the worthy object of your affection. It’s analogous to a mother’s care for her child. Caring for a child is a service so simple that any woman anywhere in the world, regardless of education or social status, can perform that task. It’s the most difficult sacrifice, however, for even the most materially qualified person, if she lacks a selfless and loving heart.

 

And bhakti is like that. It is so simple that anyone with humility and devotion can perform the practices of devotion. But it can be the greatest challenge for one who doesn’t have a heart of selflessness and service, even the most accomplished yogi or learned scholar.

 

So that’s the paradox, it’s so accessible, but such a challenge for the egocentric. For them:

 

Bhakti, bhakti everywhere, but not a drop to drink!

 

 


[1] A paradox is “a seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated may prove to be well-founded or true. Perhaps the most famous one is “water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink.” Seems contradictory, but with a little investigation we find out that the person making the statement is in the ocean. So the title is a parody on that paradox as a segue to explain how bhakti is very easy and accessible, but still one can miss it. By the way, the quotation is from Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and the speaker is stranded in the middle of the ocean.

 

Monday Morning Greetings 2025 #41 – Have I become a Sahajiyā?

October 6th, 2025

Usually, a few drops on the head and then quickly in and out. But the weather is so warm and the water so ambrosial. Ah! Wading in Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Suddenly a thought comes:

 

This is liquid rādhā-prema. Who am I to wade in her waters? I offer a prayer and then quickly get out. Another thought comes.

 

Have I become a sahajiyā?

 

The word sahajiyā comes from the root words saha (easy) and ja (born). Sahajiyā thus refers to one whose actions and emotions mimic advanced devotion. In other words, they are artificially or easily born, without the requisite qualification or sacrifice. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s spiritual master, strongly condemned those who prematurely imitate advanced devotion (rāgānugā-bhakti). A tract he authored titled Prākta-rasa Śata-dūṣaī” (One Hundred Condemnations of Material Rasa) best expresses his view. Two excerpts:

 

“If transcendental attachment has not yet developed within the heart, a devotee is never said to have attained the stage of ecstatic bhāva. The followers of spontaneous devotion (rāgānugas) never say that neophyte students of devotion (sādhakas) have experienced the awakening of bhāva.” (Prākta-rasa Śata-dūṣaī, Verse 8)

 

Rūpānugās (followers of Rūpa) never eliminate the systematic path of bhakti. One should not climb a tree, grab the fruits and pull them off by force.” (Prākṛta-rasa-śata-dūṣaṇī, verse 57)

 

Naturally Śrīla Prabhupāda followed his spiritual master and condemned imitators. Here’s his view specifically concerning bathing in Rādhā-kuṇḍa:

 

“Has he taken order from Guru Maharaja that ‘I am going to jump over Rādhā-kuṇḍa’? … Why should he desire like that? … There is no harm, but they should understand what is Rādhā-kuṇḍa and how to deal with Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī showed how to live in Rādhā-kuṇḍa … He can take bath in the Rādhā-kuṇḍa. First of all, do this like Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī.” (August 16, 1976 — Room Conversation, Bombay)

 

But in his books, he said the opposite:

 

“Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī recommends that even if one cannot live permanently on the banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, he should at least take a bath in the lake as many times as possible. This is a most important item in the execution of devotional service. (Nectar of Instruction Verse 11, purport)

 

Which is it?

 

I bathe there. Am I following Śrīla Prabhupāda or not?

 

I try to follow both. I can neither neglect that it is the most important item in devotional service recommended by Śrīla Rupa Goswami endorsed in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purports, nor neglect Śrīla Prabhupāda’s warning. It is the most sacred and important item of devotional service. We are not qualified to take advantage of it. I thus bathe in this mood:

 

Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa is liquid rādhā-prema and my body is beyond noxious. I have no qualification to touch her waters, but because Śrīla Rupa Goswami ordered us to bathe, only by his mercy, and in the most reverent mood, I humbly touch her waters.

 

Am I a sahajiyā?

 

Yes, if I wade carelessly in her waters with a sense of entitlement and enjoyment.

 

No, If I can enter with the humblest intent.

 

Different Vaiṣṇavas may reconcile those instructions in different ways. I respect that. But one thing is sure. Rādhā-kuṇḍa is the most exalted place in the universe and must be approached with the utmost humility. If we don’t, indeed we are sahajiyās!

 

 

Monday Morning Greetings 2025 #40 – The Black Swan (Not the Movie)

September 29th, 2025

The Black Swan (Not the Movie)[1]

 

I bought a book in the airport: 50 Philosophy Classics from the 50 Classic Series by Tom Butler-Bowdon. My idea was to skim through the summaries of the fifty classics to see if I could recognize a truth that was conceptualized and expressed in an especially inspiring way.

 

I liked that each classic had an “in a nutshell” summary that enabled me to judge which ones I thought worth reading, sometimes to affirm their conceptions and sometimes to critique them.

 

For example, “Nicomachean Ethics” by Aristotle seemed interesting: “Happiness comes from what we have rationally decided is good for us over the longer term. Happiness is not pleasure, but a by-product of a meaningful life.”

 

I found the idea of materialism expressed in “The Ego Trick” by Julian Baggini quite unappealing and not worth reading: “The brain and body provide us with a strong and continuous sense of self, which gives us freedom to create who we are.”

 

What I did gain while briefly going through the book was more faith in my own tradition. The Vedas teach that knowledge of this world is manifest simultaneously with its creation. It is then channeled and preserved through various lineages of wisdom teachers. To be connected in this way gives one a basic standard to gauge the validity of any philosophical treatise or school. I will try to demonstrate that by analyzing just one of the classics in the book, The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

 

The title of the book and Taleb’s philosophical message come from a particular historical phenomenon that he read about. Until a black swan was sighted by early explorers in Western Australia, people not only assumed that swans were white, but they were, in fact, even defined in that way. From this event Taleb developed an entire theory of events and causality. He postulated that things that happen against all expectations, which he named “black swans”, had an extreme and important impact on history and one’s life. These include anything from the unexpected spread of great ideas and powerful religions to dynamic historical events that no one foresaw, such as the rise of Hitler or the spread of the Internet. Accepting this fact of randomness as it applies to the world and one’s life rather than a strictly causal or linear perspective, he concluded, is the first step in succeeding in the world. Here is how 50 Classics sums up “in a nutshell” the import of The Black Swan:

 

“We want to make the world an orderly place, but the frequency of truly unexpected events should tell us that we really don’t know what causes things.”

 

Taleb therefore concludes, “black swan logic ‘makes what you don’t know far more relevant that what you do know’, because it is the unexpected that shapes our lives.”

 

Now a brief analysis of The Black Swan from the perspective of Vedic teachings, starting with the part of Taleb’s teaching that I found reasonably congruent with what you would find in the Vedas — the obvious weakness we can recognize in conditioned human psychology.

 

Taleb saw that we desire to impose order and control in the world beyond our capacity to do so. Living in that way makes one fearful and frustrated. In other words, to hope to see the world as linear and predictable, and in accord with the way we want it to be, is a recipe for disaster. I think Taleb got this right. Unless we temper our hope for a world that conforms to our desires, we will always live in uncertainty and disappointment. And we will be sorely unprepared for the unpredictable.

 

While I think Taleb’s insight is important, Vedic perspective gives much more depth. While the world is certainly beyond our control, he is wrong when he says that the world moves haphazardly and without meaning. The Vedic perspective teaches us that unexpected events, while far beyond our control, do not happen randomly. They are the result of the law of karma. They come to teach us important lessons essential to elevating us to a higher level of realization. I like how Rumi put it:

 

“When God is digging a ditch to throw us in, he is actually making a well to quench our thirst.”

 

And that was my takeaway from flipping through 50 Philosophy Classics from the 50 Classic Series by Tom Butler-Bowdon. Connection to traditions of true wisdom, and certainly the Bhagavat philosophy, gives us the tool of understanding to put into context all philosophical speculations, and certainly The Black Swan (not the movie).

 

 


[1] When I review Monday Morning Greetings from many years ago, I can see how much my writing has improved as has the quality of the editing. Occasionally I will rewrite and edit old Monday Morning Greetings in a way that even those who have read them before will find them almost new. This one is from March 2, 2020.

 

Monday Morning Greetings 2025 #39 – Guruship and the Death of Bhakti

September 22nd, 2025

Maybe the title is too heavy, but there is a point there.

 

Material consciousness means to think of oneself as the center of the world and thus as the controller and enjoyer. Devotion means the opposite, to move away from that imagined center to instead become the humble servant of God. In this regard, here’s how Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī describes the essence of bhakti in his treatise titled Bhakti-sandarbha.

 

“…Therefore, an intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul.” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.37

 

What can be more challenging in cultivating bhakti than to accept such a position where one is highly worshiped by many and sometimes thousands?

 

I remember the end of 1977, just after Śrīla Prabhupāda had passed away. Eleven sincere godbrothers, practically not one over thirty, most not even with eight years as a devotee, took up the mantle of guru. They all received the lavish worship worthy of an ācārya.

 

How do you think that worked out?

 

You guessed it. Most didn’t survive. How could they? Unless one is very spiritually advanced, the worship (pūjā) that is being offered to one as a guru and the distinction (pratiṣṭhā) that naturally follows are the very things one must shun if there is any hope of gaining a taste for bhakti.

 

At the time when my godbrothers took up that service, I thought they had the world. I certainly don’t envy them now. They were put, in many ways, in the most unfortunate position — attempting to follow the path of utter humility and being put on a pedestal at the same time.

 

But what to do? Although one of the principles of devotional service outlined in Bhakti-rasāmta-sindhu is not to take many followers, the commentary on the above verse also says that a sannyāsī must accept disciples to increase his lineage.[1] I was confused. Which is it? When I was asked to accept disciples, I therefore went to a senior Vaiṣṇava for advice. I placed this seeming contradiction to him for clarity. I took his advice to heart.

 

“Don’t think you are guru. Do it as a service to your guru. And be careful not to take many disciples.”

 

So that’s the key. Many must nobly take up the mantle of leadership to push on Śrī Caitanya’s mission, but one must never embrace any designation other than “I am the humble servant of Guru and Krishna.”

 

Why am I writing this? Shortly, I will be 75. Soon my disciples will celebrate Vyāsa-pūjā on my birthday. The worship will be lavish. In the midst of such pomp, it is important to remind myself, and thus others, that Vyāsa-pūjā is meant for worship of the paramparā (disciplic succession). The guru is simply representing the previous masters and redirecting that honor to them.

 

A great example of that mood:

 

“We are just sitting on the throne of our Guru Mahārāja, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda. So this pūjā, this offering, must go to him. Not to us. Our business is only to deliver it to him. So the students, who have to go through us, should give all honor and respect to our Guru Mahārāja.” (Vyāsa-pūjā address from 1982, Śrīla Bhakti-rakṣaka Śrīdhara Dev-Goswami Mahārāja)

 

The lesson is clear: if we remain simply the servant of the servant of Śrīla Prabhupāda, our service will be the life, not the death, of bhakti, whether we are doing service behind the scenes, or whether we take the center stage.

 

 


[1] The thirteenth item of devotional service as mentioned in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu does mention not to take too many followers in devotional service. It serves as a caution. Too many followers and management responsibilities can distract one from one’s devotional practices. The commentary does acknowledge, however, the sincere and necessary act of expanding the devotional lineage.

 

Monday Morning Greetings 2025 #38 – What I Learned from the Sad Story of David Seigel

September 15th, 2025

He was about five foot three inches and almost 200 pounds and that was in 10th grade! Tough karma for a young boy growing up in Brooklyn in 1964. America is perhaps more than any other country built on the superficial ideal of “I am successful.” Imagine the challenges placed on David’s psyche to find his self-worth in that setting.

 

But David tried.

 

More than anything David wanted to star for the high school basketball team. We thought he was crazy. Canarsie High School played in arguably the toughest basketball league in the country at the time. The conference even became known as the “suicide division” because it was so incredibly competitive and stacked with talent. It had produced the likes of NBA Hall of Famers Connie Hawkins, Lenny Wilkins, and Billy Cunnigham. The players were that good. But a short and heavy-set Jewish kid?

 

When we passed the outdoor public courts every day after school, we were amused to watch David by himself taking shot after shot. He was determined to make the team. The coach, however, was not amused. He cut David on the first day of tryouts. His dream was crushed!

 

We didn’t see much of David for a few months. Then one day we spotted him across the street on Seaview Avenue on our way home from school. It was a cold, miserable December day, but David was wearing only the shorts and thin jersey of the Knicks, New York’s NBA team! We quickly crossed the street to meet him. David began to ramble:

 

“Ate ‘em up! Ate ‘em up![1] Scored twenty points.” He began to describe the previous night’s game and the players he went up against and “ate up” or thoroughly outplayed. He went on and on about his exploits, “Ate ‘em up! Ate ‘em up! Twenty points!” He actually thought he was on the Knicks. David had gone mad!

 

Years later when I joined ISKCON and began to lecture, I realized that what happened to David was perfectly analogous to how we fell into illusion in this world. I would explain it something like this:

 

“We are eternal servants of God by constitution. When we desire, however, to be separate and independent controllers, a position we can’t have by our own constitution, it can only be fulfilled in illusion. Therefore, God, who fulfills the desires of the living entities, covers us by maya, or His illusory energy. Then instead of thinking ourselves to be part of God and meant for His service, we become mired in the illusion that we are our bodies meant to independently enjoy and control. There is an important principle illustrated here. When one intensely wants something that exceeds reality, it can only be fulfilled in illusion.”

 

Lecturing like thus, I inevitably thought back to my teen years and related the sad story of David Seigel.

 

But are our own stories any better? We are tiny sparks of the Divine. Somehow, we intensely wanted to be God and we have worked intensely on that since time immemorial. We became increasingly immersed in the illusion that we are our temporary body and the designations it embraces. Today we also walk down the streets of New York, or any town in the world, posting our profile on Internet, posing ourselves as the enjoyer, and announcing our exploits to the world. What a joke!

 

And that is the sad story of David Seigel and sadly our story also!

 

 


[1] “Ate ‘em up” is a slang expression used in sports, contracted from “ate them up.” When I grew up it was used to indicate that you dominated or utterly defeated the competitors.

 

Monday Morning Greetings 2025 #37 – There is no Victim Consciousness in God Consciousness

September 8th, 2025

There is no Victim Consciousness in God Consciousness[1]

 

“Victim consciousness is a stage of consciousness in which people deny personal responsibility for the things that happen in their lives. People in victim consciousness believe that the world is acting upon or against them, and they are the innocent targets of other peoples’ action or behavior.”[2]

 

Elevated God consciousness is the opposite. Here are four examples:

 

Dharma the Bull

 

King Parīkṣit was informed that a bull had been badly beaten. He immediately rushed to the scene of the crime. Although the bull knew that he was beaten by the personality of Kali, the bull refused to identify him.  He knew that ultimately without the sanction of the Lord, no one could afflict trouble upon him. He then began to explain in detail the various misconceptions about the cause of suffering and how one could use them to abnegate personal responsibility and remain ignorant of the lessons God meant for one to learn.

 

Observing the bull’s reaction, and hearing his exposition full of knowledge and philosophy, the king recognized the bull as Dharma (the personality of religion): “You are speaking according to the principle that the destination intended for the perpetrator of irreligious acts is also intended for one who identifies the perpetrator.” In other words, although it is the duty of one to protect the vulnerable from exploitation, victim consciousness is not encouraged.

 

Vidura

 

The elderly Vidura was unfairly thrown out of the kingdom by Duryodhana, his cruel nephew, whom he had served selflessly his whole life. In addition, he was harshly insulted by him. He refused, however, to play the victim. Rather, he saw that God was delivering to him an important message: it was time to retire from the intrigues of family and political life and leave for pilgrimage. An elevated soul sees destiny as the language of God.

 

Bhīmadeva

 

Although Yudhiṣṭhira led a noble and sinless life, his suffering year after year was unbearable. Even worse, nobody could satisfy his inquiry as to why he had to suffer. In frustration he inquired from his grandfather, Bhīṣmadeva, who was lying on the battlefield waiting to die. Somehow, his grandfather was able to muster up the strength to reply. Destiny, he explained, is just God’s grace offering us the gift of spiritual realization for those who respond to their fate righteously and according to appropriate guidance.

 

Socrates

 

When Socrates was unfairly condemned to die by the Greek assembly for political reasons, his wish to confront his accusers was granted. Rather than feeling persecuted, he informed them, “If you think you will harm me, you will not harm me; you will only harm yourselves.” Socrates was expressing something quite deep. The self or soul is eternal and spiritual. It therefore can only be harmed by one’s own acts of selfishness. In other words, if he was executed, the Greek Senate, who would kill him in a mood of exploitation, would be the one disadvantaged and not himself, who would respond in dignity.

 

It’s unfortunate how far the world has veered from a culture of personal responsibility and self-correction based on God consciousness.  Certainly, all forms of oppression and exploitation should be shunned and appropriately rectified. There are powerful realizations one can glean from the perspective of the downtrodden. One should be wary, however, of adopting the consciousness of victimization and conceding the power to change one’s life to external actors. Contrast this to the teachings of the Bhagavatam which educates and fully empowers one to change oneself in any circumstance.

 

“We all suffer, but to be a victim is a choice.” — Unknown

 

 


[1] This is a substantially edited reprint of Monday Morning Greetings November 18, 2019.

[2] Barry and Janae Weinhold — https://web.archive.org/web/20220122105432/https://weinholds.org/victim-consciousness/

 

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