Waves of Devotion

Only the Ignorant Have Enemies[1]

“In former times there were many ignorant fools like you who did not conquer the six enemies that steal away the wealth of the body. These fools were very proud thinking, ‘I have conquered all enemies in all ten directions.’ But if a person is victorious over the six enemies and is equipoised toward all living entities, for him there are no enemies. Enemies are merely imagined by one in ignorance.” (Bhāgavatam 7.8.10, emphasis mine)

These are the words of the young saintly Prahlada to his powerful demonic father, Hiranyakasipu. When I read this verse today, I was particularly struck by the last line. It claims rather emphatically that enemies are envisaged, not real. I pondered the point. How can that be? People have enemies all the time. After some time, a resolution came.

We generally think of the term enemy as a person who hates us, but the term here has a broader meaning. It refers to anyone who opposes our goal. That became clear when I checked Srila Prabhupada’s English translation of the Sanskrit word for enemy, paraḥ, which is also glossed as “opposing elements.”

The resolution was thus clear. If an enemy means one who opposes our aim and the aim of life is self-realization, then we have no enemies, because by the law of karma everything that comes to us, even the enmity of others, is meant to bring us closer to God. To see another as enemy, opposing our welfare, is thus imagined only in ignorance. Here are some examples to make this clear:

Vidura was harshly insulted and unceremoniously banished from the palace by its ruler, his evil-minded nephew, Duryodhana. He was deeply hurt. Rather than see Duryodhana as the enemy, however, Vidura saw within his nephew’s cruelty the hand of God giving him a message. Advanced in years, he was being advised to renounce home and leave for pilgrimage. Being saintly and wise, Vidura understood that despite the hate in people’s hearts, ultimately there are no enemies, including his nephew. He knew that everyone, good or bad, is carrying a message from God for our own spiritual development.

When Maharaja Pariksit was informed that a bull had been beaten by a low-class rogue, he immediately left his palace to find and punish the culprit. When he found the stricken bull barely left standing on one leg, he inquired who had beaten him. To his surprise, the bull refused to identify the perpetrator. By the bull’s answer, or lack thereof, Maharaja Pariksit recognized the bull’s identity and declared, “You are dharma!” He understood the bull’s position, for the foundation of dharma is to see God’s hand in everything, and the height of that vision is to view not even one’s oppressor as one’s enemy.

This same point was made to me about twenty-five years ago in a very personal way during a casual visit with my friend Bhurijana Prabhu in Vrindavan. He knew that for the sake of cooperation and loyalty, those in institutions sometimes have to tolerate people who abuse their authority due to immaturity. Knowing my situation, he suspected that I may have had a cause to be resentful and wanted to try something that perhaps could be helpful for me. He asked me to visualize the face of the person with whom I felt I had cause to be most angry and express my feelings toward him. He even egged me on to rouse my anger. After a few minutes, he told me to replace that person’s face in my mind with my own. My feelings subsided, and I got the message. Only the ignorant have enemies, for by the law of karma, we are ultimately the cause of the enmity that is coming toward us.

An unusual thought suddenly came to my mind: this concept is probably most succinctly expressed by Pogo, the namesake of a famous comic strip that I read in the ’60s. I will leave you to ponder his famous words:

“We have met the enemy and he is us.”

[1] Originally published November 19, 2018.

Yamuna devi had affection for Akincana Krishna das since hearing him sing a kirtan in a rāga he learned in Mayapur at her home at Śaraṇāgati farm when the youth bus tour visited there. Therefore, years later, when he went to greet her in the MVT on her visit to Vrindavan, the first thing she said to him was, “You have a great opportunity to serve the holy name as long as you don’t become a performer!” She apparently noticed a trend in ISKCON that concerned her, and in a very motherly and affectionate way, she was cautioning him based on her wealth of experience with Śrīla Prabhupāda, to vigilantly try to chant prema kirtan. In other words, the kirtan singer should be exclusively focused on the glorification of Sri Krishna rather than their own aggrandizement.

Pradyumna das, who was Śrīla Prabhupāda’s personal Sanskrit editor, shared with me a very similar perspective. He would occasionally visit my room at the Bhakti Center and, inevitably in our casual discussions, share insights based on śāstric wisdom that I would remember for the rest of my life. One time he was reflecting on the type of wild kirtans he would occasionally see on the internet and, in contrast, described the sober style of kirtan he observed in his time serving Śrīla Prabhupāda and on his frequent visits with Śrīla Prabhupāda’s godbrothers. He then shared an interesting analysis on the first words of the third verse of the Śikṣāṣṭakam, where one is instructed to chant the holy name humbler than a blade of grass. I believe his analysis was from a commentary by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. He explained that although each blade of grass contributes to a pleasing over-all effect in a well-kept lawn, no blade of grass stands out individually and says, “Hey, look at me!” In a similar way, all those who participate in prema kirtan should be in the mood of contributing equally to the over-all spiritual and musical effect of the kirtan and no one, not even the kirtan leader, like a blade of grass in a lawn, should try to stand out individually.

Every day during Kārttika, in the late afternoon, Madhava das would lead a very meditative and melodic kirtan in the MVT gardens. One day afterwards, at the MVT restaurant, two prominent yoga teachers that I knew from New York who attended his kirtan that day came over to the table where Madhava was sitting to convey appreciation for his kirtan and to express how different it was from the kirtans they would normally hear at their yoga studios. I was with them. I was struck not only by how Madhava described what prema kirtan means and why it is different, but also by his own experience of what such kirtan feels like in a very visual way. He described the holy name like a fire in his mouth coming spontaneously from his heart.

I think it is necessary to clarify here that when I am using the term “prema kirtan” I am not necessarily claiming that the kirtan leader has reached the highest stage of chanting termed śuddha nāma. I am only indicating that he or she is practicing and chanting at the level of pure devotional service, which means the conscious effort to chant only for the pleasure Krishna without any motive.

Let me finish this short post about prema kirtan by clarifying something about śuddha nāma, chanting at the highest level of consciousness where the pure (śuddha) name of Krishna manifests. But wait a second! If the name is non-different from Krishna, how can one quantify its purity, that one name that is Krishna is better than another name that is Krishna? Let me share my own insight to resolve this quandary.

The full being of any person, which is one’s loving nature as a bosom friend, a loving child, or a passionate lover, is only revealed in a mutual loving relationship. Without such a relationship, although one may be standing before another person, very little of oneself is revealed. One remains a stranger. In the same way, the full being of Krishna, who is a person, is only fully manifest in His holy name (śuddha nāma) to one who chants purely and remains a stranger to one whose chanting is offensive (nāma-aparādha).

How fortunate we are that Śrīla Prabhupāda brought the pure holy name to the west and inspired his followers in prema kirtan. May we humbly follow in his footsteps and chant the holy name purely for the pleasure of Sri Krishna!

I always wanted to write an article called “The Mind of God”. It was inspired over thirty years ago by reading the story of the passing away of Bhīṣmadeva. The story begins directly after the battle of Kurukṣetra where Yudhiṣṭhira, the king of the victorious army and the grandson of Bhīṣma, is surveying the carnage of a fratricidal war fought to enthrone him as the emperor of the world. Even though he fought to protect his immediate family from an attempted genocide, much of his family lie dead before him on the other side. He feels responsible and becomes extremely distressed. A deep existential doubt arises: “My life has been sinless. Why do such calamities even strike such virtuous persons?”

Yudhiṣṭhira naturally begins an earnest inquiry to resolve his quandary. Not even Śrīla Vyāsa, the author of the Vedas, nor Śrī Krishna Himself could satisfy his doubts. How could that be? Isn’t Krishna, the Supreme Lord, all-knowing? The commentators reconcile the quandary by revealing Śrī Krishna’s mind: “I can answer his doubts but let him approach his grandfather to establish him as the greatest spiritual authority.” The mind of God is revealed, “I have an ardent desire to glorify my devotees!”

After reading the story of Bhīṣmadeva, I have always been intrigued by this concept of the mind of God, but now I understand something a bit deeper—how this concept is one of the keys to being transformed by hearing Krishna-līlā. Śrīla Prabhupada said we advance by appreciation, but appreciation for what? It’s the mind of those who are exalted, not only of Krishna, but especially of His devotees, for when we appreciate the inner qualities of someone, those qualities naturally come to our own heart.

For example, recently I have been reading the story of Uddhava visiting Vrindavan. Krishna takes Śrī Uddhava, his gentle (saumya), fully devoted (ekāntinam), and dearmost (preṣṭham) friend (bhaktam) by the hand (gṛhītvā pāṇinā) and asks him to go to Vrindavan to deliver a message to give pleasure to His parents and relieve the gopīs suffering in separation. One of the greatest inspirations to invoke heightened devotion (rasa) for one whose relationship with Krishna is as a servant (dāsya-rasa) is carrying out Krishna’s orders.[1] Reading this section, I therefore tried to look beyond just the visual of Krishna affectionately taking His servant by the hand. I began to meditate more on Uddhava’s mind by deeply praying to understand what Uddhava was thinking and feeling when the Lord of his life lovingly grasped his hand to call him for such an intimate and confidential service. And, just as importantly, I tried to feel more deeply what was on Krishna’s mind when He reached out to clasp Uddhava’s hand, for more than anything else it’s the heart and mind of God that draws us to Him in devotion.

There is a popular English idiom: “The face is the index of the mind”. If you think about it, a person normally sees beyond another’s actions and gestures to understand what they mean in terms of their thinking, so I assume when reading Krishna’s pastimes, one is also intuitively seeing the mind of Krishna and His devotees. My realization, however, is that it is helpful when hearing Krishna-līlā to give even deeper thought to what God (Krishna) and His devotees are thinking, for the sweetest glories of Śrī Krishna and the most relishable jewels of devotion in His devotees are hidden within their minds.

Although I never wrote a full book about the mind of God, I’m glad that after thirty years I finally got around to writing about it, even though it is just a short post. Why did I wait so long? The mind of God—what an intriguing subject!

[1] One of the anubhavas (actions of devotion), one of the five components of heighten devotion (rasa), for dāsya-rasa (devotion in servitude) is awaiting the order of one’s master. This is described in the second wave of the western division of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.

Rules: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly[1]

September 18, 2017

Niyamāgraha is a Sanskrit word that means either too little or too much affinity for the rules, both of which are impediments to bhakti. It is important for an aspirant on the path of bhakti to properly understand the purpose and application of these principles.

The purpose of rules

Setting and following sound rules helps one to be governed by good judgment rather than impulse. The purpose of the rules in bhakti is simple: to facilitate the remembrance of Krishna, which is the mechanism on the path of bhakti for transformation. For example, when a devotee enters the temple, he or she must bow down. Why? We are basically egocentric. Our tendency is to lack awareness and consideration for others. Bowing down before the deity is meant to increase our awareness of God and our humble position as His servant.

Impediment One: Too little affinity for the rules

One is averse to rules because rules represent authority, a governance of life that limits our prospects for conforming the world to suit our attachments. To resist following rules just for self-centered purposes is obviously antithetical to spiritual development, especially when such guidelines are meant to uplift us. Similarly, to have too little affinity for the rules of bhakti out of this sense of rebellion, or even just laziness, is an impediment to bhakti, for the rules of bhakti, as mentioned above, are meant to help us remember Krishna. Those who fall prey to or justify such folly only wallow in the impulses of their minds rather than awaken consciousness of God. Great souls thus strictly follow the rules of devotion. A good example of such firm adherence, for instance, can be found in the lives of the Six Gosvamis of Vrindavan:

“Who could list the unlimited transcendental attributes of Raghunātha? His strict regulative principles were exactly like lines on a stone.” (Cc. Antya 6.309)

Impediment Two: Too much affinity for the rules

We follow rules not just for the rules themselves, but for their purpose, which in bhakti is to enhance devotion. It is thus an impediment for the bhakta to rigidly stick to a rule in neglect of the general principle for which that rule was made. For example, on Ekadasi Vaishnavas would traditionally fast, usually not taking even a drop of water. The purpose was to reduce bodily needs and increase devotion, but if such fasting causes one to feel too weak to serve and remember Krishna, then one’s inflexibility in observance is against the intent of fasting and thus an impediment to bhakti.

As it is an impediment to have affinity for rules outlining practices beyond our capability, it is also an impediment to have strict affinity for rules applicable to a particular stage of devotion that one has already passed. For example, there is an advanced stage of devotion called rāgānugā-bhakti, where one’s devotion is better aided by acting spontaneously in devotion rather than blindly following the dictates of a specific rule meant for those without such devotion. For instance, while it is a devotional principle to not lie down in the temple before the deity, such a rule may be an impediment for one advanced in a particular type of devotion. Srila Prabhupada describes such a case:

“Sometimes it is found that a pure devotee lies down in the temple of the Lord in order to serve Him as a confidential friend. Such friendly behavior of a devotee may be accepted as rāgānugā, or spontaneous. Although according to regulative principles, no one can lie down in the temple of the Supreme Personality of Godhead this spontaneous love of Godhead my be grouped under devotional service in friendship.” (NOD 97)

Although those more advanced are cautioned not to be rigid about guidelines no longer applicable to their situation, Srila Prabhupada cautions all his disciples about the pitfall of too much affinity for the rules:

“The teacher (ācārya) has to consider time, candidate and country. He must avoid the principle of niyamāgraha—that is, he should not try to perform the impossible. What is possible in one country may not be possible in another… The essence of devotional service must be taken into consideration, and not the outward paraphernalia. … It is not necessary that the rules and regulations followed in India be exactly the same as those in Europe, America and other Western countries.” (Cc. Madhya 23.105, purport)

Too much or too little? How can we know? Srila Prabhupada was once asked a similar question in terms of distinguishing between a principle (rules that have to be followed in all circumstances) and details (rules that apply circumstantially). I think generally most tend to err on the side of too little, but I love his simple answer: “It takes a little intelligence.”

Yes, if we are thoughtful and sincere, we will mostly get it right.

[1] Just received my computer back but not in enough time to finish this week’s Monday Morning Greetings. Please enjoy this old post from September 18, 2017. I am so much looking forward to writing new posts beginning next week. Monday Morning Greetings and sharing new realizations is very much my life.