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Archive for the 'Monday Morning Greetings' Category

Monday Morning Greetings 2022 #45 – Rules: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

November 7th, 2022

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.

Monday Morning Greetings 2022 #44 – When New York Turned into Vrindavan

October 31st, 2022

I got an exceptional amount of feedback from my last entry “Windows to the Material World”. My point about the deleterious effect of modern media seemed to have struck a chord. Here’s one impassioned reply:

 

“And the second thing about the devices… it is so incredibly true. We had a computer but my husband got so sick of the kids being addicted to it that he smashed it to pieces 🤣 and honestly, it was the best feeling ever. We are so glad it’s gone. Now my kids don’t watch anything and it’s SO much better for them. You can just see the difference.”

 

But my computer is still not working, so this is again typed on my iPhone, and I will have to include a reprint. Although I will also again include a journal entry from almost twenty years ago, it is still quite relevant to the subject we have been discussing concerning the ill effect of modern technology. It’s my journal entry from August 14, 2003 when I was in New York during the mass power blackout:

 

When New York Turned into Vrindavan

August 14, 2003
New York City

When I was a young child, not more than six years of age, my father would occasionally show up at my door at bedtime, poke his head in, and ask in a fatherly manner, “Where was Moses when the lights went out?” Whether I responded reasonably—“In the dark!”—or remained silent in protest, the result was the same: I was soon in the dark. And no matter how much my desire to stay up late was foiled, deep down I enjoyed the affectionate exchange with my dad.

 

Affectionate exchanges are life. Without them, the heart closes and the soul dries; neurosis consumes us. Therefore, the perfect place is Vrindavan: an anti-psychotic world where everything moves for the purpose of selfless intense affection, called rasa.

 

In contrast, New York is devoid of rasa. Here, the selfless loving spirit is overwhelmed by the vain pursuit of wealth, fame, and sex appeal. Even those intelligent enough to escape this frenzied passion are certain to be distracted from meaningful relationships by the lure of the lonely world of computers, the busy chatter of cell phones, or the insanity of multimedia. How unfortunate to mistake such loneliness for real community?

 

Today I sat peacefully on the Upper East Side as the plug of passion was pulled in New York and much of the Northeast—something to do with a malfunction on the Northern Grid. Factually, however, the Northern Grid is a glitch on normal life. I thus celebrated today as the day when non-electricity was restored to the world. With great relief, I observed:

 

A peaceful and quiet environment

With people sitting on their stoops

Talking to their neighbors

Helping one another

Sharing meaningful relationships

Manifesting community Enjoying real life as

New York turned into Vrindavan

 

A final thought: Today’s power outage ironically blossomed with rasa—just as the “lights off” of my childhood incongruously flourished with affection.

 

 

Monday Morning Greetings 2022 #43 – Windows to the Material World

October 24th, 2022

My computer crashed for the third time in six months. I have noticed that every time that happens my japa meditation flourishes. We cannot underestimate the potency of modern technology to distract us. In the 1960s there was a famous social scientist named Marshall McLuhan who wrote The Medium is the Massage. He said that every communication medium has its own particular effect beyond the content you watch or hear through it. I can see that clearly. I notice that some of the devotees who are deepest into their internal spiritual life don’t use personal computers—although their secretaries may have one. Every week I read Satsvarūpa Mahārāja’s journal. I see how absorbed he is in hearing about Krishna. I know he doesn’t use a computer. I especially hold in high esteem for their internal spiritual life two friends, Sacinandana Swami and Partha Sarathi Goswami. They don’t have personal computers. Here in Vrindavana, two of the deepest sādhakas that I know are Jamuna Jivana das and Mother Srimati. They don’t have personal computers. I know several devotees who use their personal computers effectively for preaching and organizing Krishna consciousness who seem to maintain very deep spiritual lives without being distracted, but that seems increasingly rare.

 

Because I am dictating this on my iPhone it may not have the same standard of clarity that my writing usually has, but I think I’ve gotten across that modern technology can be distracting in spiritual life, and we have to be cautious of that fact.

 

For this week’s entry I’m choosing an entry that goes back to even before I started Monday Morning Greetings—something I wrote almost twenty years ago on the same subject called “Windows to the Material World”. I hope that you enjoy it, ironically, through the facility of social media—but sādhu beware!

 

Windows to the Material World

May 27, 2004

I just finished assembling my journals into book form for a final edit. Fortunately, I finished the work before my computer crashed. I knew it was on the blink, but I dreaded the day when it needed to be sent for repair. Leaving the shop on my way home, however, I felt a surprising relief, a sense of liberation. Even though I use the computer mostly for my writing and correspondence, it felt as if some shackle of illusion had been lifted.

 

I vaguely remember a popular book from my college days called The Medium is the Massage by Marshall McLuhan. His point was that the medium in which one receives information has a greater influence than the message it conveys. I recall him describing television as a cold medium because one generally learns passively from it. In contrast, he described the press as a hot medium because we have to activate our intellect in order to assimilate what we’ve read. McLuhan concluded that cold mediums, like television, make one lazy and dull the intelligence, while hot mediums have the opposite effect, regardless of the content one receives from either.

 

I am convinced that, like television, the medium of the computer also has insidious effects because it subtly injects one with the need for incessant distraction—an especially menacing prospect for those on a spiritual path where the mind needs to be calmed to touch one’s essence.

 

I lived in Vrindavana for 20 years without even a phone. I didn’t die of boredom; instead, I remained absorbed in scripture, nama (meditation on God’s names), and sevā (service). To be peaceful now, I require the world at my doorstep with the click of a button, even while living in Vrindavana. Something is wrong.

 

According to the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, God sits within our heart to observe and advise us in the form of the Paramātmā, the Supersoul. It describes this by the analogy of two birds in a tree: one bird is eating the fruits of happiness and distress, while the other is watching, waiting for his friend to turn to him. The observant bird is compared to the Supersoul and the engrossed bird is compared to the individual living entity. The idea is that as long as we are externally absorbed in the chatter of the mind, we cannot hear the voice of God in the heart directing us.

 

Riding home, unshackled from my computer, it suddenly hit me how the medium of mass communication so strongly allures us to the platform of the mind, and how the effect is so pervasive that we usually mistake our bondage for normal life. I felt cheated of my innocence, a life unfettered by the unremitting dialogue of the mind that affords one the quietude to turn toward the Lord in the heart. Sadly we have been drawn in droves to the life of the engrossed bird. Perhaps it is more like lemmings to the sea.

 

Just to the right of the foot of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s (my guru’s) bed in Vrindavana hang two beautiful paintings: one of Krishna and the cowherd boys returning home from the forest of Vrindavana, the other of Radha and Krishna by the bank of the Yamuna under a kadamba tree. Śrīla Prabhupāda called such paintings of Krishna “windows to the spiritual world.” In my early Vrindavana days, I would gaze at these masterpieces during japa and think of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s “windows” analogy. It made so much sense. Today I thought of another “windows” analogy, and unfortunately, it made just as much sense: Computers are the windows to the material world.

 

Monday Morning Greetings 2022 #42 – Messenger of God

October 17th, 2022

Help Wanted: Messenger needed to deliver confidential message to pacify the anxiety of My dearest family members and friends, especially My girlfriends residing in Vrindavan, who are near dead from the snake bite of separation from Me. Must have ministerial and communication skills, be very dear to Me, highly educated in śāstra, and extremely intelligent. Only close associates need apply. Those interested contact Śrī Krishna, Palace of Rukmiṇī, New Dvārakā.

 

Just having some fun here. I just finished studying and teaching the pastime of Uddhava visiting Vrindavan. I was intrigued by the character of Śrī Uddhava and why Śrī Krishna chose him to execute two of the most challenging tasks: to deliver a message from Him to pacify the gopīs, headed by Śrī Radha, and to witness, understand, and disseminate the glories of the gopīs’ topmost devotion.

 

Let’s analyze below the qualities of Śrī Uddhava that made him ideal for task at hand as expressed in the first verse of the story:[1]

 

vṛṣṇīnāṁ pravaro mantrī (The best counselor of the Vṛṣṇi dynasty)

 

The gopīs were in a most highly intense emotional state. Anything in reference to Krishna could easily set them off into an even deeper emotional state. One trying to pacify them would need the most highly developed emotional intelligence and the most profound skill in counseling to understand their mind and to know exactly what to say to them.

 

kṛṣṇasya dayitaḥ sakhā (The beloved friend of Krishna)

 

Uddhava was the dearest devotee of Krishna in Dvārakā and thus held a position of great status. The pride of any devotee in their own devotion, however, no matter how advanced they were, would be crushed to dust in comparison to the topmost devotion of the gopīs. Anyone carrying this task would therefore require the deepest love for Krishna to not be overcome with some form of envy. What better candidate to deliver a message to the gopīs than the beloved friend of Krishna?

 

The message was also extremely confidential, which means not easily understood outside of the frame of reference of one’s own heart and mind. Krishna could therefore only share this missive with someone so close—a beloved friend—with whom He could trust to share His heart.

 

śiṣyo bṛhaspateḥ sākṣād (Direct disciple of Bṛhaspati)

 

Uddhava was a direct disciple of Bṛhaspati, the guru of the demigods. He was therefore learned in practically all subjects of knowledge. Although he was being sent to Vrindavan to learn about the prema of the gopīs, only one with such vast knowledge in śāstra would have the frame of reference to identify and appreciate their topmost ecstasies and not be confused by them.[2]

 

uddhavo buddhi-sattamaḥ (Having the highest quality intelligence)

 

When Uddhava returned from Dvārakā he was able to successfully share what he experienced with Śrī Krishna, Lord Balarama, and some of the elders of Dvārakā such as King Ugrasena and Vasudeva. Only one with the highest quality of realization and intelligence would be able to successfully conceptualize and express such deep ideas.

 

These four qualities allow Śrī Uddhava to successfully pacify the gopīs and to understand and communicate their glories. They also serve another purpose. They help demonstrate the exalted love of the gopīs. If the topmost devotee of Krishna outside of Vrindavan, the chief counselor, and the most intelligent and learned person of Dvārakā is so humbled by the devotion of the gopīs that he prayed to be grass in Vrindavan so the dust of their feet may fall on him, we can only imagine the glory of their rūḍha-bhāva, the very height of devotion.

 

My prayer: I am not the most intelligent nor the most learned, and certainly not the most beloved friend of Krishna, but I am the humble servant of Śrīla Prabhupāda. By his mercy, may I carry His sweet message of devotion to all!

 

 

 


[1] śrī-śuka uvāca
vṛṣṇīnāṁ pravaro mantrī
kṛṣṇasya dayitaḥ sakhā
śiṣyo bṛhaspateḥ sākṣād
uddhavo buddhi-sattamaḥ

Synonyms

śrīśukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; vṛṣṇīnām — of the Vṛṣṇis; pravaraḥ — the best; mantrī — adviser; kṛṣṇasya — of Kṛṣṇa; dayitaḥ — beloved; sakhā — friend; śiṣyaḥ — disciple; bṛhaspateḥ — of Bṛhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods; sākṣāt — directly; uddhavaḥ — Uddhava; buddhi — having intelligence; sattamaḥ — of the highest quality.

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The supremely intelligent Uddhava was the best counselor of the Vṛṣṇi dynasty, a beloved friend of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and a direct disciple of Bṛhaspati.

 

[2] Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was the most learned scholar in South India. When he saw Śrī Caitanya faint in the Jagannath temple he had his servants take Him to his house to recover. Although Śrī Caitanya was in a catatonic state, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was able, by his vast knowledge, to know that Śrī Caitanya was not suffering from a physical ailment but rather was in a state of ecstasy.

Monday Morning Greetings 2022 #41 – The Hare Krishna Movement and the Lord of the Flies

October 10th, 2022

Lord of the Flies is an acclaimed novel written by William Golding in 1954 about a group of young boys stranded on a deserted island who revert to savagery and primitive ritualistic behavior. One of the boys, named Ralph, assumes the role of ruler of the other young and confused boys and gets carried away with his power, and from this the term “Lord of the Flies” acquired an idiomatic meaning indicating a leader ruling peers with an inflated self-perception of their own status and dominion. I have also heard the term used to describe the early days of ISKCON, especially after Śrīla Prabhupāda left this world, when sincere young men, most less than ten years in the movement, assumed immense positions of authority over their peers, not only as spiritual masters, but as ācāryas, the institutional and spiritual heads of large zonal areas covering many countries.

 

I am not writing this to place blame on anybody. Mostly, I am reflecting on my own immaturity as a young devotee who was, at the age of 28, thrust into a position of authority and prestige way above my pay grade as the head of a relatively prestigious educational institution, the ISKCON school in Vrindavan. The sign above my office, placed by the previous principal, an elderly and distinguished Indian gentleman, read “Prādhān Ācārya”—the Hindi nomenclature for principal. “Ācārya” means guru and “Prādhān” means the chief. The sign above my door thus literally read, “Chief Ācārya” or “Chief Guru”. What a joke! I am glad most ISKCON devotees at the time, who were mostly foreigners, couldn’t read Hindi. Was that not, in a sense, Lord of the Flies?

 

Śrīla Prabhupāda recognized the quandary of trying to establish a spiritual institution, which is still corporate, by placing young and uneducated men in positions of authority. In that regard, he described his predicament and offered a Bengali proverb to illustrate his dilemma: “Sometimes my god-brothers criticized me, but there is one thing that they were correct about—I gave very young men sannyāsa, but what could I do? ‘When there are no large trees in the forest the castor oil tree looks big.’” In other words, his preaching movement required a social structure with a class of people holding spiritual authority to move forward, which in his lineage meant the renounced or sannyāsa order. But, as there were no elders, all he had to choose from were inexperienced men in their early twenties. What could he do? But was the sannyāsa order at the time in ISKCON not in a sense Lord of the Flies?

 

Two young men were barely past twenty when Śrīla Prabhupāda gave them sannyāsa.[1] They immediately began to travel to South India to defeat all opposing views to Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism, their lineage, as they thought was their duty as sannyāsi spiritual leaders. They first met Pejavara Swami, the most distinguished and learned Madhva sannyāsa and guru. They immediately challenged him: “What are three aspects of the Absolute Truth?” It was the most rudimentary question, but not for them. The saintly Pejavara Swami didn’t get angry. He was just amused and smiled at these immature children in the guise of sannyāsis trying to sincerely serve their guru. It’s astounding how much we were Lord of the Flies.

 

Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, a saintly god-brother known for his clarity of thought and sharp wit, years ago summed up the challenges of ISKCON in its budding days:

 

“The problem with ISKCON in the early days was that Śrīla Prabhupāda was the only adult!”

 

The behaviors of the early devotees were not savage, but there is something to be learned from Golding’s cautionary tale. Still, there were significant problems caused at least in part by lack of maturity. So, I look back and lament. But I also feel hope for a more grounded and realistic understanding of who I am. I am also seeing how much devotees have matured, and hopefully so have I. I pray for more years so that I can now relish the depth and sweetness of true Vaiṣṇava relationships free from the Lord of the Flies.

 

 


[1] This was told to me over thirty years ago by one of those men. As I haven’t had to time to get his permission to use the story and confirm the details, I have kept their names anonymous.

 

 

Monday Morning Greetings 2022 #40 – Home at Last!

October 3rd, 2022

It’s still a mess! Construction on my place in Govardhan was just finished two days ago. Groups of people are already arriving. I’m just not settled here yet. If there is one thing that is certain. I have less the illusion of control here than anyplace else. How can that not be? Śrī Radha is the queen of Vrindavan!

 

Why do I come here?

 

I come here for one reason only. My service here is to help pilgrims enter the holy place. The experience of Krishna, the deep faith that comes when God touches your heart is more profound in Vrindavan than any place else.

 

But my main service is to have that experience myself. You must have something before you can give it. And that experience comes in association with the saintly.

 

If I think about it, however, I mostly come to Vrindavan not because I am qualified to mine the jewels of devotion here—jewels not just buried here, but present in every speck of dust and every flower that blooms—but because there are devotees that stay and visit here that are qualified to do so. They have entered the holy land in a mood of service and can thus scratch beyond its external covering to strongly feel a deep and very real connection to Krishna. I hanker for their audience.

 

I think most of us can admit that we are not pious. We just have to look at our birth and the many unwholesome influences we had growing up through our teens. There is one reason only we are here—the mercy of Śrīla Prabhupāda. He created our piety by giving us a mission of service and sacrifice and thus the lens to enter and see the land of selflessness.

 

I therefore begin my stay here by the audience of those souls who have given their life to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

 

I visited Kadamba Kanana Swami yesterday evening. I was told I could visit him after he returns at 4:30 PM. I not sure from where he was returning from, but he was leading a parikrama for most of the day. When I opened the door, I was quite shocked. Instead of visiting an energy depleted dying man, I met an energetic and effulgent person sitting upright with full energy eagerly waiting for my visit. How can a person with a hundred tumors in one’s lungs, and that is just the number in one organ, still be alive let alone be firing on all cylinders? His realizations were simple, but deep, because they were said with realization and conviction. In other words, he meant it: “I am ready to go or stay. It is all in the hands Krishna. Why should I care?”

 

I spent two evenings with Jayadvaita Swami. A devotee thinks of others before oneself. He is here for Kadamba Kanana Swami. He will be with him to the end. His vision of life and service is always very succinctly and clearly expressed. It was honor to hear his thoughts.

 

I was invited for lunch with Bhurijan Prabhu. Among other things we talked about how to go deeper in vraja-bhakti following in the footsteps of Śrīla Prabhupāda. He stressed two things: deep understanding of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta and service to His mission. The jewels of realizations were flowing. I leave his room a wealthier person.

 

I have been here a few days, but now I have some hope of being able to truly enter this most sacred of holy lands. I leave this morning for Govardhan parikrama. Vrindavan becomes alive through the smiles of the saints, sādhus, and simple vrajavāsīs I meet along the way whose humble smiles radiate their inner contentment. Home at last!

 

Monday Morning Greetings 2022 #39 – Breaking the Circle of Bondage Covering the Soul by the Practice of Devotion

September 26th, 2022

I want to explain through a visual example the concept of material bondage and how the process of bhakti frees one from it:

 

Before sharing that visual, it is necessary to first explain the goal of bhakti and the obstacle to attaining it.

 

The objective of bhakti is prīti or love, experiencing the energy of devotion that is shared between two people in a natural loving relationship, specifically, in this case, the soul’s relationship with God. In other words, just as any two people in a natural relationship have an inherent loving feeling towards each other, for example a mother and child or even a cow and its calf, similarly we have a spontaneous natural loving feeling towards God. The goal of the path of devotion is to awaken that feeling in us, which is the highest happiness and the goal of life.

 

The main obstacle to awakening such love is the false ego, the desire to be the enjoyer, accrue control for that purpose, and as a result to ultimately bask in the sense that, “I am superior to others.” Although this cloud of egoism is insignificant compared to the infinite power of God’s love, it can still cover us from an experience of our relationship with Krishna, just as a small umbrella can block one from the all-powerful rays of the sun.

 

The visual of our bondage is therefore the soul completely encircled by the cloud of ignorance preventing the all-powerful sun of Krishna’s love from touching our hearts.

 

Devoid of the warmth of God’s love that awakens our relationship with Him, which is our true purpose and existential happiness, we have remained dissatisfied in life since time immemorial until coming to what should have been an obvious point—that both the fulfillment of our selfish desires and the authority of our own opinions have been useless in achieving happiness, and we should therefore seek for something better. That acknowledgment of and search for an authority higher than our own faulty convictions is called humility, which creates a small opening in the cloud of the false ego that has engulfed our soul. God, seeing a clear pathway to our soul, answers our prayers by sending us sādhu-saṅga, a guide who can teach us how to further widen the path to our soul by removing the false ego, deepening our humility and helping us feel the rays of God’s love and our relationship with Him. Most importantly, by hearing from such souls about Sri Krishna we become attracted to Him and dedicated to fully serving Him, which is utter humility, the complete antithesis of the false ego and pure love itself.

 

We stand now in this world as unfortunate souls covered to one degree or another by the cloud of material consciousness and suffering from our disconnection from Krishna and therefore from our true selves as His devotee. We are now also fortunate souls, for we are humble seekers, those who have opened a clearing in those clouds of ignorance giving us the opportunity to experience God’s love. May we all continue to take shelter of the Vaiṣṇavas, mine the depths of our humility, and bask in the soothing light of Krishna’s love and our relationship with Him!

 

 

Monday Morning Greetings 2022 #38 – Kudos to Karma (Yoga)

September 19th, 2022

Kudos to Karma (Yoga)[1]

A Nor’easter slams your town and dumps a ton of snow, and your basement floods. You are knee-deep in ice water, draining it out. It dawns on you how deep a hole this will put in your pocket—thousands of hard-earned dollars. It sounds like hell. What would you be thinking at the time? I was impressed with my friend’s reaction.

 

“You know, initially I was disturbed, but then I thought of my studies of the Gītā and how to apply it: I have family, so it is my duty to fix the house, and my duty ultimately means what God wants me to do. So instead of being frustrated, I was grateful to do my duty and serve God.”

 

My friend is a philosophy professor and studied the Bhagavad-gītā with me over twenty years ago. It has remained the foundation of his life. I was impressed with his realization. Instead of the normal “kvetching” when things go wrong, he shifted his thoughts to the glory of connecting our “worldly” life to God’s will through dharma, which is, simply put, doing what God wants from us in any situation. Overcoming selfishness and seeing God’s will is the foundation of any spiritual path. As we continued to discuss, he opined how karma-yoga, the essence of the Gītā, was often too minimized in a devotee’s life. “After all,” he said, “Krishna asked Arjuna to fight.”

 

As we continued our discussion, my friend shared with me some of his ideas on karma-yoga, based on his study of the Gītā, and on how he applies those teachings personally to his own life as a family man working in the world. I found his realizations insightful, and especially relevant to most people who, like him, work and live in the world. I don’t have to tell my audience how difficult it is to re-orient one’s consciousness to the soul in today’s world, a world that often forces us to adopt the mode of being the controller just to survive. A summary of our discussion:

 

  1. Basic Foundation of karma-yoga
    1. Karma-yoga is based on what the Gītā calls buddhi-yoga, which is the practice of conceptual re-adjustment, changing our thinking from material to spiritual.
    2. Two aspects of conceptual re-adjustment:
      1. To transform one’s motivation from selfishness to the desire for purification/liberation and especially to the service of God.
      2. A conscious effort to re-conceive of oneself as the pure soul, and not the body that is enmeshed in various material designations or identifications.Although one must act within material designation to perform dharma—“I am a mother, a father, a husband, a wife, a guru, a leader, and so on”—one still tries to remember in a deep way that one is playing a role, so to speak.)
  2. The Components of karma-yoga
    1. One should try to live according to dharma, since dharma (doing your duties properly) is the basis for karma-yoga.
    2. While performing one’s dharma (work, family responsibilities, chores, etc.) one should try to be conscious that one’s dharma is service to God and do it conscientiously in that spirit.Ramanuja often remarks that the laws of religion are God’s commands. As such, performing one’s duty is obeying God’s law and can be done lovingly and gratefully.
    3. Serving others—whether family members, co-workers, or members of one’s community or society—can be infused by the consciousness that they are in fact parts of God, and one can (and should) respect and love them as such.
    4. One should try to constantly remember we are the self and as such are a) not constituted of prakṛti (matter), and b) completely dependent on God for everything we do, down to the smallest bodily movements.Ramanuja further notes that, as the world is ensouled by the paramātmā, the world is the body of God and should be seen in that way.)
  3. Daily Mindfulness of the Above
    1. Some kind of early morning prayer, study, and contemplation time to provide focus and alignment for the day.
    2. Centering prayer at various parts of the day, including reading select verses from scripture and reciting key prayers and/or mantras to help one be mindful along the lines mentioned in the last section.This is hard to do unless one designates certain times to take a break from work to do this for ten or fifteen minutes, at least once a day.
  4. Other supportive practices
    1. Regular retreats to concentrate, focus, and absorb one in devotion.
    2. Following a liturgical calendar, in this case, the Vaishnava calendar, in a serious way.[2] This means looking at the year in a spiritually and reformative way rather than seeing one’s week and month in terms of family and social obligations. By following such a calendar dutifully, one’s faith is renewed and the year and consciousness is geared toward devotional transformation. For us, it means observing Ekadasi, the appearance and disappearance of saints, holy days like Jhulana-yātrā,[3] and special months like Kartik and Sravana (and so on).

 

On the path of bhakti we have a rich spiritual tradition to transform our consciousness, including deep practices of devotion and a commitment to a spiritual mission that is our primary spiritual focus. People often ask how to juxtapose that spiritual tradition practically within their modern day-to-day life in the home and workplace. Srila Prabhupada was very concerned about that and often recommended a lifestyle based on developing spiritual communities more conducive to spiritual life. Nonetheless, by family circumstance and present economic situations, most people and adherents to the bhakti tradition still remain in modern-day work and family situations, which are not inherently born to support spirituality. They ask what to do to help spiritualize their situations. I thus am offering kudos to karma (yoga).

 

 


[1] Original published on April 2, 2018.

[2] A liturgical calendar is a calendar of the communal or public worship of a spiritual tradition based on its beliefs and customs.

[3] Jhulana-yātrā commemorates the pastime of Radha and Krishna swinging in the summer months. In the temples of Radha and Krishna a beautiful swing is decorated, and the deities of Radha and Krishna are placed in it in the evening. For five days the devotees are invited to visit the temple and swing the deities. It is a good example of a liturgical activity listed in a Vaishnava calendar that helps one look at one’s year in a spiritual way.

 

Monday Morning Greetings 2022 #37 – Is Honesty the Best Policy?

September 12th, 2022

Is Honesty the Best Policy?

 

Of course. Without integrity—matching one’s words and actions with one’s values—how can one make advancement on any spiritual path? And outright lying is a terrible sin:

 

“There is nothing more sinful than untruthfulness. Because of this, mother earth once said, ‘I can bear any heavy thing except a person who is a liar.’” (Bhag. 8.20.4)

 

So yes, honesty is the best policy, but not always. Commentators on the Yoga-sūtras make it clear that as all other yamas (regulations) are subservient to ahimsa, truth must never result in violence, which means not only avoiding the obvious, such as telling a killer where his victim is, but avoiding any kind of truth that harms any creature anytime and anywhere. It is sometimes a fine line gauging when truthfulness should be tempered with the pre-eminence of ahimsa. In my opinion, the challenges of balancing the two is best illustrated in the character of Krishna’s father, Vasudeva.

 

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we are introduced to Vasudeva’s diplomacy in a very difficult situation. Kaṁsa, Vasudeva’s very powerful demonic brother-in-law, held his wife’s hair in his left hand while holding a sword over her throat with his right hand. Kaṁsa was ready to kill her after finding out by an ākāśa-vāṇī (an unembodied voice) that her eighth child would be his death. Kaṁsa was much more physically powerful than Vasudeva, so he had to resort to various forms of diplomacy to try to save his wife, beginning with sama, flattery. Although Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the speaker of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, had accurately described Kaṁsa—the man who was willing to kill a woman, who is his sister, on the day of her wedding—as the most sinful, envious person, who was the dirt of his dynasty, Vasudeva, externally smiling, addressed that same Kaṁsa as the shining light of his dynasty who great heroes praised. He didn’t believe a word of what he said. Obviously, honesty is not always the best policy, especially when trying to save your wife from death. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains the principle:

 

“Sometimes one must act duplicitously in a dangerous position, as Vasudeva did to save his wife. The material world is complicated, and to execute one’s duties, one cannot avoid adopting such diplomacy.” (Bhag. 10.1.53, Purport)

 

Vasudeva eventually saved his wife, at least for the moment, by promising to hand over his children as soon as they were born. Due to Vasudeva’s reputation and how strongly the paramount importance of truthfulness was impressed in their society-at-large by the nature of their culture, it wasn’t surprising that Kaṁsa believed that such a man of character as Vasudeva would never deviate from his words. In fact, Vasudeva indeed handed over his children. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam describes his worry in not doing so and thus breaking his promise:

 

“Vasudeva was very much disturbed by fear of becoming a liar by breaking his promise. Thus with great pain he delivered his first born son […] into the hand of Kaṁsa […] What is painful for saintly persons who strictly adhere to the truth?” (Bhag. 10.0.57-58)

 

Keeping his word was not the only reason Vasudeva handed over his children to Kaṁsa.[1] In fact, when Sri Krishna, the eighth child Krishna was born, he didn’t hand Krishna over to Kaṁsa as promised, but instead snuck Krishna out of the prison where he and his wife had been incarcerated to bring Him to Vrindavan under the shelter of Yaśodā and Nanda. What is significant, however, is that even in such a situation where truthfulness did not serve ahimsa, the thought of breaking his word and promise stilled weighed on Vasudeva.

 

So, is honesty the best policy? What do we learn from the example of Vasudeva in this regard? Although honesty is not always the best policy, to lie in the name of a higher principle is never taken cheaply. Deep impressions of truthfulness are essential for the development of a spiritual life, and if they are not strongly impressed on one it is too easy to rationalize away the many inconvenient responsibilities one must execute to uplift one in spiritual life. So, in that sense, with very rare exceptions, it is very healthy in this world of dishonesty to strongly embrace honesty as the best policy!

 

 


[1] Vasudeva knew that his eighth child was Krishna so he was also interested as his devotional service to expediate the appearance of Krishna. He had no choice but to turn over his children.

Monday Morning Greetings 2022 #36 – A Decade of Tears

September 5th, 2022

The phrase struck me. I was talking with Bhūrijana Prabhu after the passing of Śrīla Bhakti-caru Swami. We began to reflect on the fact that practically all of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s disciples have just turned near seventy when this decade began, if not before, and that it was evident that as the decade proceeds, the number of our god-siblings that leave us will exponentially increase. We shared some pain at the thought. As our discussion ended his parting comment struck me: “It will be a decade of tears.”

 

Honestly, I never felt this deep sense of upcoming loss before. Maybe it comes with age, or maybe as I mature in spiritual life my heart is softening. I am not sure. What is certain, however, is that as one is advancing in Krishna consciousness, those who sincerely represent that should be valued more and more. It’s śāstra:

 

“Śrī Caitanya asked, ‘Of all kinds of distress, what is the most painful?’

Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya replied, ‘Apart from separation from the devotee, I know of no unbearable distress.’” (Cc. Madhya-līlā 8.248)

 

True friends and well-wishers should be missed when they pass from this world. They add so much to the development and comfort of one’s life. When they are dedicated Vaiṣṇavas they add even more. They nourish the soul. Their loss to the world and our lives is incalculable.

 

I remember over twenty years ago before The Bhakti Center was secured, we used to host programs in 26 Second Avenue. You can imagine how packed it was when Śrīla Radhanath Swami visited and gave class. I invited one young Jewish lady from Brooklyn to the program whom I had been guiding for the past year. She was a budding professional comedian who even appeared several times as a guest panelist on the very popular television improvisational comedy show Whose Line is it Anyway with Drew Carey.[1] I had introduced her a few months back to Mahārāja, so she was very anxious to see him again, but at the end of the class Mahārāja was mobbed in the front of the room. She was also by nature a very self-conscious person, so she hid towards the back in a little corner where the wall suddenly veered off to the right. When Mahārāja finished giving audience, however, and began walking towards the door, he noticed her to his right. He slowly walked towards her to greet her. She immediately broke down in tears but managed to sob, “I am so fallen, but I feel such relief that people like you are traveling around the globe helping others!” Later Mahārāja shared with me how much he appreciated her sentiment of humble appreciation for devotees. We should also.

 

We may not be attracted to every senior Vaiṣṇava we meet. Some have even failed to live up to the standards we expect and disappoint us, or it may just be that we just fail to see the inspired spiritual and dedicated side of an advanced Vaiṣṇava because they are not like-minded with us. This young lady, hardly a practitioner, however, got it right. There is something very special about sincere devotees who have given their whole life to God whether we are like-minded with them or not. It will certainly a sad day when any of them leave us.

 

Even more tragic is the loss of those people who are not just more dedicated than us, but those whom we deeply relate with and who have affection for us. If we have such people in our lives, whether as friends or mentors, we should consider ourselves very fortunate. When they leave a part of our life will be missing. I do have such people in my life. Sadly, their time with us is in a sense numbered, and as these next ten years go on, more and more of them will sadly leave us.

 

It is an unfortunate phenomenon that often we most appreciate the important people in our lives after they have left us. Let us all now think of the blessings we have and are receiving from those dedicated devotees who have given their lives to uplift others for decades and who have personally touched our hearts. Let this next decade therefore not just be a decade of tears but an epoch of increased appreciation of and service to those who have carried the mission of His Divine Grace into our lives.

 

“Then Śrī Caitanya asked, ‘Out of all auspicious and beneficial activities, which is the best for the living entity?’

Rāmānanda Rāya replied, ‘The only auspicious activity is association with the devotees of Krishna.’’ (Cc. Madhya-līlā 8.251)

 

 


[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whose_Line_Is_It_Anyway%3F_(American_TV_series)

 

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