Waves of Devotion

Dhanurdhara Swami September 25th, 2023

I was always struck by the famous quote of Saint Augustine about humility: “If you ask me what the essential thing in the religion and discipline of Jesus Christ is, I shall reply: first, humility; second, humility; and third, humility.” Although Saint Augustine is talking within the context of his own faith, his insight is universal and certainly applicable to the essence of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism. Therefore, if I was asked the same question that Saint Augustine was asked but in reference to my own tradition, I would also certainly give a similar answer. Below is my own creative analysis of humility! humility! humility! from a Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava perspective:

First Humility

According to Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism, spiritual life begins with humility. The living entity is nitya baddha, conditioned since time immemorial. That means their spiritual self is covered by a conceit—that I know what is best for my life, and it’s to selfishly control and enjoy. The problem is that simply based on our own authority, the pursuance of this misdirected ideal has failed us again and again, for happiness is not in seeking superiority, but in submitting to and serving God and others. After limitless births of directing oneself with such a miserable result, the fortunate soul may finally admit defeat and search for guidance. That recognition—that to be fulfilled I must submit to an authority and truth higher than my own—is the seed of humility and the emblem of character.

Second Humility

According to the school of bhakti, this initial expression of humility attracts the attention of God, who arranges for us guidance in the form of sādhu-saṅga, saintly people, which ultimately leads one to commit fully to serving the truth by surrendering to one who has realized the truth. Such surrender is the foundation of humility because it is not just acknowledging a truth higher than one’s own authority, but making a full commitment to follow it, especially by the process of initiation, which is a solemn vow of full dedication to the teachings of a qualified mentor.

Third Humility

This development of humility, however, does not end with initiation. Nurturing devotion means continually deepening one’s humility, because advancing on the path of devotion means putting the Absolute Truth more and more in the center one’s life and oneself more and more at the periphery as His servant. As humility is integral to devotion, this path of progressive devotion and deepening humility naturally culminates at its height in dainya, utter humility, a devotional mood of extreme meekness and spiritual desperation and despair,[1] which is non-different from prema-bhakti, the height of divine love.

Humility! Humility! Humility! Let me end with humility by offering another quote by Saint Augustine on humility. Please ponder it deeply:

“Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending.”

[1] The idea here is that as devotion deepens the greatness and sweetness of God is increasingly realized which progressively humbles one to the point of increasing feelings of unworthiness for His grace. The despair and desperation one feel are just manifestations of love for God and thus the highest sentiments of devotion and counterintuitively the greatest joy.

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Dhanurdhara Swami September 18th, 2023

I’ve exposed myself before as an “alien”,[1] a person who grew up revering asphalt and stickball,[2] never went camping, and hates country walks. Still, by Śrīla Prabhupāda’s grace, I aspire for the forest of Vrindavan and the planet of the cows. I also honor “earthmen”, people who not only commune with nature and love country walks but can live off the land. If there is any failure of the modern-day Hare Krishna movement, it’s that despite Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings of “simple living and high thinking”, almost all of us, his followers that is, are stuck in the city or suburbs conditioned by a false sense of opulence based on technology and could never see Goloka Vrindavan as the spiritual world if it didn’t have 5G. Seriously!

Where did this rant come from?! A friend sent me a short video interview with a pious young Christian named Titus. He lives without running water and electricity on his own sustainable farm on a strictly plant-based diet. He works hard all day, and if he has spare time, he reads the Bible and an occasional history book. He seems peaceful and fulfilled. The quality and especially integrity of his life hit me because it reinforced in me many of the things I needed to hear again that Śrīla Prabhupāda stressed about simple living, especially that most of our material problems are self-created by the way we choose to live and that few people today, if any, have a relatively peaceful life.

Just think of the struggles the average family is facing today. Have you recently checked the price of gas, which affects the price of everything, or gone shopping for groceries? Our purchasing power has been rapidly decreasing to the extent that those entering the workforce today are the first generation in America whose economic prospects are worse than their parents. Even the most basic things such as owning one’s home, getting married and raising a family, and retiring at a reasonable age have suddenly become a challenge, even a dream. What’s even more stressful is that the fate of our sustenance is increasingly dependent on people who care little about our plight in life. That strain, Śrīla Prabhupāda warns us, over dependence on such people’s mercy,[3] is one of the root causes of disease. I could go on and on with the madness of modern life, as those who hold power and “know best” are increasingly intruding on our privacy and subverting our values. My main point, however, is that Titus had a solution for such oppression, as did Śrīla Prabhupāda—simple living and high thinking.

I found Titus’s video tempting, yet personally challenging. Tempting because it seems so attractive to trade our attachments for a relatively worry-free life, and challenging because even as a renunciate I am not sure I could live that way. Have I already been too spoiled by the impressions in my heart of an attraction for a life of technology and comforts? Are we all doomed to a life of endless complexity, anxiety, nine-to-five slavery, and oppression just for a few trinkets of technology? Introducing Titus, the consummate earthman:[4]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir3eJ1t13fk

[1] I have used the phrase “aliens and earthmen” this way before. It comes from my Godbrother, Varsana Maharaja, who has dedicated himself to developing New Vrindavan and has a unique communion with nature, animals, and the land. He described to me two classes of devotees: earthmen—those who commune with the land, and aliens—those who have little relationship or attraction with nature. I should note that at the time he shared those phrases with me, perhaps thirty years ago, the masculine gender in plural referred to all people. Probably, if he coined phrase today it would be earth people.

[2] I grew up in Brooklyn and was conditioned to the joys of the city. I never went camping and loved stickball. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stickball_(street_game). Here is an article I wrote about my feelings towards country walks.  https://wavesofdevotion.com/2017/07/17/now/

[3] “[…] By keeping regular habits and eating simple food, any man can maintain his health. Overeating, over–sense-gratification, overdependence on another’s mercy, and artificial standards of living sap the very vitality of human energy. Therefore, the duration of life is shortened.” (Bhag. 1.1.10)

[4] The video of Titus was by Peter Santenello. I like his work. I previously used him when I wrote an article about Lakewood, a city of Hasidic Jews in New Jersey. Here is another video by him on simple living: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LEoW81mUXU

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Dhanurdhara Swami September 11th, 2023

Without understanding what something is, do we really perceive it? All the senses of an animal are functional, with some more acute in perception than ours, but if you gave a monkey a computer, would they know what it is? And if not, are they truly perceiving it? It seems obvious from this example that the complete perception of an object entails expanding our awareness of what it is, and therefore the ultimate purpose of knowledge is the expansion of awareness or perception. But why would that be important?

It’s important because of the causal relationship between such heightened perception and contentment. In other words, a deeper meaning or knowledge of reality elevates our consciousness and happiness. If that were not the case, or there wasn’t such a relationship, then why do we help someone in distress by helping them see their situation more clearly or with deeper meaning? The principle that knowledge enhances our perception of reality and consequently our contentment is certainly true from a theistic standpoint where reality is ultimately connected with God, and when used according to its logos (purpose) brings us closer to His nature and joy. What else could be the purpose of a creation by an omnibenevolent being?

That logos of everything in Sanskrit is called the Vedas, or śāstra. The idea is that from “oṁ”, the sound from which the whole universe manifests, simultaneously the Vedas, the meaning and utility of everything, is also manifest. In other words, śāstra shows how everything is directly or indirectly related to the purpose of creation, which is the elevation of consciousness, including such variegated subjects as health, social philosophy, and metaphysics. For Vaiṣṇavas, the best representation of Vedic knowledge to elevate one to the platform of meaning beyond a limited or superficial understanding is the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

A classic example of this principle of enhancing one’s perception and contentment through knowledge is the story of Vidura, who was insulted, threatened with violence, and ultimately thrown out of the kingdom by his evil nephew. While most people would perceive such an incident as being victimized and develop enmity towards his oppressor, Vidura, who was already educated beyond a superficial perception, could observe reality at the level of meaning. He saw that in addition to the fact that his nephew was evil, he was unknowingly serving as an agent of God and delivering to him an important message—that at his advanced age it was time to leave the palace intrigue, go on pilgrimage, and dedicate himself fully to the service of Sri Krishna.

I have a choice. In fact, we all have the same choice. We can remain in this world with a limited vision of reality and intensely suffer its dualities, or we can follow and apply a tradition of wisdom and expand our consciousness to the level of meaning and contentment. With the increasing insanity of the modern world, is that not more urgent than ever?

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Dhanurdhara Swami September 4th, 2023

Due to facilitating the Bhakti Immersion in Colombia this week,I was unable to finish a Monday Morning Greeting. I am republishing this one in honor of Janmastami.

Can God Be Blue?

July 31, 2017

That’s simple. God can be anything He wants. If there were any other reason that God was blue, then He wouldn’t be God, because if a reason or cause external to one’s own will dictates one’s nature, then one would not be fully independent, which is one of the basic criteria for being Supreme. So, the only reason why God is blue, if He is indeed blue, is because it is part of His intrinsic nature. So, the real questions in relation to the nature of God’s color should first be whether there is a God, is He a person, and whether that person is Krishna?

Limitations of this article

This is a very deep subject. Libraries of books have been written about the nature of God. How can I possibly do justice to such a vast subject in such a short article? I think what is possible here is to give a solid outline supporting the reasonableness that there is God, who is a person, and whose name is Krishna.

Criteria for ascertaining whether God exists

The main criteria by which atheists have argued against the existence of God, especially in the twentieth century, and which greatly informs their reasoning to this day, is called the verification principle—a premise that states that no one should believe a proposition unless it can be proved to them rationally by logic or empirically by sense perception.

At first glance, this seems reasonable, but in reality this principle falls far short of how we actually reason about things in the world. There are many things that people reasonably accept as true that can’t be verified by such criteria (including, ironically, the verification principle itself). Even what we call proven scientific facts, such as the existence of protons or neutrons, are not personally verifiable by us, but are accepted on faith in the experts whom we trust on such matters.

Atheists themselves cannot abide by the verification principle when arguing against the existence of God, and certainly not when professing a theory for the cause of this world. So when you get down specifically to establishing the existence of God on the rational platform, the argument comes down to which theory of the world makes the best sense of it, not to absolute verification.

Arguments for the existence of God

It seems that the proposition that there is a God makes better sense of the world than the theory that everything happened randomly by chance. For example, if one wakes up in the winter and sees a snowman, by the evidence at hand it seems to make far more sense that a person made it than that snow randomly blowing around caused it, even though there may not be a way to absolutely verify it. In a similar way, the evidence of the complex and continued regularity of the world points far more to a transcendent creator than a haphazard coalescing of molecules by chance, by the simple fact that even if one of the constant variables at basis of creation swayed by one in a million, the world as we know it would not exist.

There are many other powerful and reasonable arguments for the existence of God. Here are a few of my favorites:

The only beings that have intrinsic moral values are subjects, beings who can undergo experience and who have values, concerns, and other mental states. If you deny that there is subjecthood at the foundations of the universe, you also deny that moral obligation is a fundamental feature of reality. In other words, if you believe human rights are a reality, it makes much more sense that God exists than that He doesn’t. If everything is just a product of matter coalescing by chance, it is ultimately inconsistent to believe in transcendent moral values, even such values as aversion to child abuse or racial genocide.

Lastly, it is more reasonable to believe that something comes from something than that something comes from nothing. This same simple logic is also presented succinctly in one of the prominent verses of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad:

“How can what is existent be born from what is non-existent? On the contrary, in the beginning this world was simply what is existent—one only without a second.” (Patrick Olivelle’s translation—Chapter 6, Book 2.)

I could go on and on, also discussing the reasons against God’s existence, but it is certainly reasonable and even compelling that God does exist.

Is God a person?

Srila Prabhupada addressed this point effectively and tersely: “God does not have the defect of impersonality.”

The brilliant answer by the respected Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga to the question of whether God is person also sufficiently satisfies this inquiry. His response: “God is not less than a person.”

Ascribing form and personality to God doesn’t limit Him. Denying that He has attributes, including personality, does. It is certainly reasonable that if there is a God that He is not less than us, and thus also a person.

Is that person Krishna?

If God is a person, then the highest manifestation of that personhood, as with all personhood, is not majesty and power, but an all-loving personality. Srila Prabhupada uses a simple analogy to demonstrate this principle in relation to the Divine. Just as when a high-court judge checks his intimate self to appropriately reciprocate with those approaching him reverentially, but sheds his grandeur to reveal his full or intimate self at home, similarly the fullest manifestation of God is when He is home in Vrindavan as a cowherd, where the complete sweetness of personality can blossom as a child, friend, or lover unfettered by the demands of reverence, not when God displays His full power as the creator, Narayana. Therefore Sri Rupa Gosvami, at the beginning of the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, his seminal book on Krishna bhakti, introduces Krishna as akhila-rasāmṛta-mūrti, the fullest embodiment of the sweetness of all relationships.

Position covers personality, and thus it is reasonable that if God is a person, His fullest expression of being would not be shackled by a display of position and opulence.

Again the scope of these short Monday Morning Greetings limit a thorough exposition of this subject, but I coined a phrase that I think sums up the reasonability of God’s fullest personal manifestation being sweet and modest like Krishna:

“Krishna is God with His guard down.” Sounds reasonable to me.

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Dhanurdhara Swami August 28th, 2023

Agency means the ability to initiate and control actions and thoughts. Various schools of Indian thought have various views on this.[1] The Bhagavad-gītā seems to say that the soul has no agency:

“The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.” (Bg. 3.27)

But how can that be? If we have no ability to initiate and control action, then what is the meaning of the law of karma? How can we then be held responsible for that which we have absolutely no ability to initiate?

This is a deep and debated philosophical concept in the Indian philosophical tradition far beyond the scope of my posts. I am therefore not going to pretend to have exhaustively argued my own position that there is agency in the soul, but it is obvious that that is what Śrīla Prabhupāda taught. We therefore understand a deeper meaning to the above verse—to the extent we are acting against our constitutional nature as devotees of God is the extent to which we have surrendered our agency and are forced to act helplessly by the modes of material nature. In other words, one can compromise one’s agency by how one associates with the modes of nature, but it is not that the soul has no agency.

I am going to do something in this Monday Morning Greetings that I have never done before: print another person’s article. The article was sent to me by a close friend during a personal discussion with him. I thought it was so relevant to what I wanted to write, and it was penned with such clarity and force that I decided to make an exception and share it here. The article was written by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta’s disciple, Professor Sanyal, who was his English editor, but just as renowned for his devotion. Above, I wrote just a few words to introduce the concept of agency. I will say a few more words below to introduce the article and explain briefly its relevance to our discussion:

The article explains how although we cannot know God by our own initiative alone, we do have the agency to cultivate the will and humility to depend on His grace, to allow God to do the rest and act through us. I won’t go further. I will allow Professor Sanyal to elucidate the subject further. I think you will enjoy it.

“We must stop and reflect on the cause of our perpetual and utter failure. If we do so sincerely we make the real discovery with Kant that we cannot know the Truth by means of our present faculties. But we need not, therefore give up the quest as hopeless. We are to question again and then we shall get the true answer. That answer will be that the Absolute Truth for Whom our souls hanker is not a dead thing or relations of dead and limited things or thoughts but something Who is akin to ourselves. He is something that is living or self-conscious. He is also Spirit like our souls. The next question that will arise in our minds will be, why cannot we see Him? The answer will be, ‘Because He does not show Himself to us.’ If we ask again, ‘Why does He not appear to us?’ We shall be told that He is so because we do not seek for Him. We never seek for the Truth but always seek for the half-truth. That is the disease. The real Truth Himself comes to us the very instant we seek for Him. And we seek for Him only when and as soon as we really understand His nature. This is the vicious circle. At present we have no real idea of the Truth and so whenever we seek for anything that thing is necessary untruth. Then at last the conviction dawns on our understanding that the whole process hitherto pursued requires to be reversed and we begin to understand the mystic words of the scriptures. ‘Give up once for all the empiric quest for the Truth and wait for Him to take the initiative. You cannot go up to Him. When you try to go up to anything of your choice you go away from it. So you must submit to be enlightened. He has the power and the will of making Himself known to you.’

“At this stage one naturally asks, ‘Shall I then sit idly and do nothing?’ And now Truth answers in a definite manner, ‘No, let your mind and body do what appears to them to be their proper functions but you yourself stand apart and do not identify yourself with them, but wait for communications from Me. Rely wholly on Me and I shall guide you to the goal which is Myself.’ Thus faith is kindled in the doubting heart and we are in a position to profit by the instructions of the good preceptor whom Śrī Krsna sends to us the moment we really seek to be enlightened in perfect humility. Then we are also able to understand the words of the good preceptor as being identical with the words of the scriptures. Being now convinced of the real ability of the good preceptor to guide us on the path of the Absolute we take hold of his hand that is ever extended to us and submit to be led without hesitation and much questioning at first. As we gradually learn to walk in the path of service our vision slowly clears up and we see The Truth for ourselves. Then only we understand what it really is.”

Yes, we are forced to act helplessly, but if we are humble enough to muster the will and humility to beg for His Grace, then we do have the agency to change ourselves and even change the world. That was the teachings of Śrī Caitanya and what Śrīla Prabhupāda taught us.

[1] Free Will, Agency, and Selfhood in Indian Philosophy, Matthew Dasti and Edwin Bryant, Oxford University Press

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Dhanurdhara Swami August 21st, 2023

It rains every few days—mostly in the night—just enough to keep the weather pleasant and temperate. Govardhan has become so verdant you practically can’t even see the hill behind its foliage. Although there are plenty of pilgrims packing the path, it is not a loud-blaring-festival time of year and barely a soul comes to my door. I’m here alone. It keeps my stay sacred—an ideal time to chant the holy name!

Chanting—the lens or mirror of the mind is cleansed, and what do you see? You see and feel the real you, the devotee of Krishna. A mirror is also held up to the false ego. Sure, that enables you to distinguish it from the soul, but you also see that false-self parading around as if those temporary material designations of body, birth, and position are you. How embarrassing! More painful is looking back and realizing how much folly was done in the name of illusion—the mistakes made, and the harm caused. Should I continue to go deeper and obliterate the rest of my extraneous attachments and ultimately come to point of seeing my envy of God? Chanting—the lens or mirror of the mind is cleansed, and what do you see? The agony and ecstasy.

But there is no duality on the path of bhakti, because both the joys and struggles in devotional practice are born from devotion. If we can lament and feel the pain of separation from Śrī Krishna, like a child crying for his mother, as Śrīla Prabhupāda instructed, isn’t that pain of separation our highest devotion and thus joy at the same time?

Some Other Thoughts on Chanting

The holy name is a person, and people only reveal themselves in love. The first principle of love is to give attention to another. If our taste for chanting is waning, it’s because we haven’t given the holy name enough attention and He hasn’t revealed His presence and love, which is the taste of chanting. If we keep anyone a stranger by neglecting them, why would they reveal themselves, and how will we ever taste what that person may have to offer us in a relationship?

A sādhu visited and gave some advice: “If we keep the body absolutely still while chanting, even while sitting in a chair, and concentrate on pronouncing every syllable very carefully, in four round intervals at a time,[1] then with a little effort we will become absorbed in the name, and God will reveal Himself quickly, even to a neophyte. The principle is that, when sitting, the mind’s focus naturally flows to where the body is moving, and when we keep the body totally still the focus will more easily gravitate to where directed—in the case of chanting, the tongue and the ears. Sure, the mind may still wander, but without the body grabbing the consciousness, the focus on chanting will intensify.” The sādhu’s experience mirrored my own, which was reaffirming, but the real glory of Vrindavan is that at any moment a sādhu may walk in the door.

The Yoga Sutras say that when chanting a mantra we must dwell on its meaning. Makes sense. How can you be attentive to chanting a mantra if you remain oblivious to its meaning?

It is still very early morning here in Govardhan. I am laying back on my recliner chair, shirtless under a fan, enjoying the pleasant night breezes coming through my open door and window. My computer rests on my lap. I just finished this week’s Greetings, and now I will begin my chanting—and like all relationships, it’s a work in progress.

[1] I asked the sādhu why four rounds at a time. He said that that was usually the amount he experienced that most people could muster up the determination to focus. He said the break may be just for a moment to stretch, change position, or sip water, and then refocus the mind on chanting. It is not a hard and fast rule.

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Dhanurdhara Swami August 14th, 2023

Do you?

On Śrī Nārada’s quest to find the topmost recipient of Śrī Krishna’s mercy, he is eventually directed by Lord Indra to see Lord Brahmā, and for good reason. Brahmā’s quantity and quality of service to Śrī Krishna is unfathomable. He acts as the secondary creator of this universe, is the dispenser of karma and appoints, empowers, and supervises all the demigods in the service of the Lord. Most importantly, on his planet, he facilitates the highest level of ritual worship in the universe for the Supreme Lord in the form of the many armed Mahāpuruṣa who resides there. When Śrī Nārada hears of the glories of Lord Brahmā from Lord Indra, he enthusiastically rushes to Lord Brahmā’s planet to see for himself. He is more than impressed with what he sees and profusely glorifies Lord Brahmā. Lord Brahmā, as a devotee, however, neither wants, accepts, nor even believes such laurels and thus counters Indra’s claims that having such a powerful position, even in the Lord’s service, is a sign of Śrī Krishna’s mercy:

“By the power of Krishna’s maya, I am always deluded by various conceits. I think myself the controller, grandfather, and spiritual master of the universe. Proud of my birth from Krishna’s lotus navel, I think myself a great ascetic, His great worshipper […]” (Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.2.60)

He further disses the conception that his power and position is an example of Krishna’s mercy by expressing his fears:

“[…] I live in terror of the all-devouring end of time. All I want for myself is liberation.” (Br.Bhag. 1.2.62)

In his purport, Gopīparāṇadhana Dāsa sums up Lord Brahmā’s reaction:

“According to Brahmā, being the Lord of all creatures in the universe is not the sign of Krishna’s favor. On the contrary, it is the cause of great trouble. His worldly responsibilities fill him with false pride and expose him to all kinds of anxiety.”

Brahmā is wealthier and more powerful than Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and all the wealthy people of this world combined, and—it goes without saying—infinitely wiser and more devotional. But still, as Brahmā described above, the powerful all have one thing in common. To the extent that they became deluded by their various material designations based on their powerful position, and consequently increase their pride and identification with the temporary material body, is the degree to which they live in terror of losing it all at death. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam describes the mechanics of such illusion and suffering:

“Material life begins with turning away from God, which means turning away from our imperishable selves because what we are is in relationship to God, His Servant. God fulfills this desire not to be His devotee, by reflecting our consciousness on a particular body and simultaneously covering us with the illusion that we are the enjoyer and controller. Naturally, from this illusory and flickering designation arises duality and fear.”[1]

Don’t we see this play out every day with the abject misery of the rich and famous who become immersed in various conceits and thus live in confusion, anxiety, and fear? And don’t we see it every day in our lives to the extent that we want to enjoy and control rather than be God’s servant?

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam thus advises:

“Persons who are actually intelligent and philosophically inclined should endeavor only for that purposeful end[2] which is not obtainable even by wandering from the topmost planet [Brahmāloka] down to the lowest planet [Pātāla]. As far as happiness derived from sense enjoyment is concerned, it can be obtained automatically in course of time, just as in course of time we obtain miseries even though we do not desire them.” (Bhag. 1.5.18)

So, who wants to be a billionaire?

[1] I took liberty to substantially paraphrase SB 11.2.37. The original verse:  https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/11/2/37/

[2] The purposeful end is going back to Godhead. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purport explains why this, and not intense material endeavor, should be our goal: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/5/18/

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Dhanurdhara Swami August 7th, 2023

I am enjoying Akincana Krishna das’s class, “Smaraṇaṁ: Meditations on Śaraṇāgati”, one of the four main song books that the great Vaiṣṇava ācārya Śrīla Bhaktivinoda composed. Akincana teaches the songs of “Śaraṇāgati” for memorization and prayer.[1] Included in the class are simple classical mnemonic devices that, in my experience, enable one to memorize the songs in a fraction of what it would normally take, and techniques for deeply meditating on them. Besides the memorization and prayer, what intrigues me most in studying “Śaraṇāgati” is the way in which Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, in verse after verse, uncompromisingly presents the concept of Śaraṇāgati (surrender), such as is expressed in today’s title, which is from the third verse from last week’s song:

“Slay me or protect me as You wish, You are the master of Your eternal servant.”

What I was wondering, which will be the substance of today’s discussion, is how people coming to the path of bhakti today, who are generally influenced in their upbringing with a post-modern mind, which tends to psychologically react negatively to authority, what to speak of the idea that there is a truth that we must fully acquiesce or surrender to, can properly understand this concept of Śaraṇāgati. Śaraṇāgati also has all the trappings, at least externally, of a codependent relationship, the mood to totally reject one’s own needs and to plan one’s entire life around pleasing another.[2] What I want to try to do in this post is to, in a simple and brief way, explain the concept of Śaraṇāgati, and in doing so save it, so to speak, from the filter of the post-modern mind and any sense that the concept of surrender is akin to a psychological aberration such as codependence. Here’s my attempt.

I think the key to freeing Śaraṇāgati from such burdensome thoughts is to understand the feelings of surrender as the symptom and cause of love, which is a more universally accepted and appreciated principle than surrender. One way to define love is finding your happiness in the happiness of another without any motive or expectation of return. Śrīla Prabhupāda taught us that the best example of this in the material world is a mother’s love for her child. Isn’t such love where the mother selflessly gears her life around the needs of her child one of the most beautiful things in this world to see, what to speak of to have in one’s life? The point is when there is true love, whether it is in servitude, friendship, parental, or conjugal love, there is sacrifice that invokes beautiful and laudable feelings of selflessness and surrender.

My argument here is that when we accept love as the highest principle in this world, and when a symptom of that love is selfless surrender, then why should we deny such love and the symptoms of love in relation to its ultimate source, the realm of the divine? The Taittirīya Upaniṣad thus declares, “raso vai saḥ,” that the divine is the highest exchange of love, which means that in perfection we are meant to share in the highest love, which is accompanied by the highest sentiments of totally giving oneself to another—the perfect other, the Supreme Lord, one who can perfectly reciprocate our love. I am thus looking forward to Akincana’s next class where again we will study, meditate, and aspire for the sentiments of Śaraṇāgati:

“While sitting up or lying down, I will constantly meditate on your lotus feet. Whenever you call, I will immediately run to you and dance in rapture.” (bosiyā śuiyā, tomāra caraṇa)

(Goptṛtve-Varaṇa – song 3, verse 4)

[1] Those interested in Akincana Krishna’s next online seminar on “Śaraṇāgati” may contact him at [email protected].

[2] There is a difference between codependence and pure love, especially love of God. In pure love one is fully focused on the object of one’s love for their pleasure, whereas in codependence one’s life is focused on the object of adoration, but mixed with motive born of one’s own attachments and fears.

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Dhanurdhara Swami July 31st, 2023

Last week I wrote about the sādhus who never stop walking. Last Tuesday I again walked halfway around Govardhan starting at 5:00 PM. With the heat and humidity, I sweated so much that when I returned from parikrama, although I drank almost a liter of water before bed, I didn’t get up once all night. I was dehydrated and exhausted. Yet these elderly, raggedy, worn old men walk two or three times a day around the whole hill, even now in the hot, humid rainy season! Are they over doing it? In what mode is their austerity? Could it possibly be ignorance?

“And those penances and austerities which are performed foolishly by means of obstinate self-torture, or to destroy or injure others, are said to be in the mode of ignorance.” (Bg. 17.19)

Of course, they mean no harm to others, but doesn’t it seem almost a kind of self-torture? Is it great devotion or over endeavor? Before having this discussion, let us introduce a short outline (my own) describing what is austerity, especially in the line of devotion.

The seven principles of tapasya

1. We are not the body, but we identify with and experience the pains and pleasures of the body due to the false ego, the desire to be the enjoyer and controller.
2. The general purpose of life is mokṣa (liberation), to become free from this false identification so we can live in the true self, the soul.
3. By extraneous sensual indulgence, one’s absorption in and identification with the body increases, which naturally exacerbates the pains and pleasures of the body.
4. As this is a temporary world full of suffering and “a pinch of suffering is felt more than a ton of pleasure”,[1] sensual indulgence meant for pleasure that increases our bodily identification almost counterintuitively increases our suffering exponentially.
5. In contrast, when one undergoes tapasya, voluntary discomfort for a spiritual objective,[2] one naturally abstracts oneself from absorption in the body and consequently minimizes suffering.
6. Vaiṣṇavas do not perform austerity for austerity’s sake, as it negates the heart and emotions that are required for cultivating and experiencing devotion. However, as some tapasya is still necessary for a Vaiṣṇava to help them transcend the material condition and to serve Śrī Krishna with greater focus, a Vaiṣṇava willingly accepts the bodily and mental inconveniences that arise naturally during a simple and fully dedicated devotional life.
7. A simple definition of tapasya (for Vaiṣṇavas): “Despite the irrational impulses of the mind and body, one engages fully in one’s devotional service.”[3]

Now back to our walking Vaiṣṇava sādhus. How do we characterize their tapasya? Of course, according to the Bhagavad-gītā, austerity can be mixed with passion if done for some reward, or even done in ignorance if done harshly and with ill motive. It’s hard for me, however, to envision some material benefit for what they are doing. This is what I do know:

For a Vaiṣṇava, circumambulation of the Deity is one of the sixty-four items of devotional service, especially when chanting God’s names constantly. Parikrama forces one physically and even mentally to place God or Śrī Girirāja in the center of one’s existence and to move to the periphery. The very nature of this activity thus puts one in a good place to beg Śrī Krishna for mercy and is therefore devotional and humbling at its core.

India is also tapa bhūmi, the land of tapasya. Despite the onslaught of materialism in the last century, there are still, to this day, true tapasvīs who have been born here who have zero interest in this world, like these sādhus. It seems so, otherwise, why would they spend their whole life walking around a sacred hill chanting God’s name? And it is certainly not a fruitive endeavor, for as soon as they meet their vow for the day, they must begin anew the following day!

If indeed, by one’s karma, one is inclined for renunciation, why not use it in the service of Krishna by throwing oneself fully into service in that way without any other material concern? Such renunciation in service to Krishna is certainly in our line. Look at the instructions of Śrī Caitanya to Śrī Raghunātha about renunciation and how pleased the Lord was that he dedicated himself to God to such an extent that he practically gave up eating and sleeping. Are not the walking sādhus just following in his footsteps? But what does this have to do with us?

Yes, there are rare souls who, by dint of their spiritual evolution, are qualified to completely renounce the world for the purpose of dedicating themselves to Śrī Krishna. Although such a life is noteworthy, it is not necessary on the path of devotion, for the essence of bhakti is dedication and not renunciation. In other words, devotion is giving oneself fully to Krishna, not physically renouncing the world. In the name of devotion, however, we cannot negate the value of tapasya, for it helps us transcend the bodily concept of life, which facilitates a fuller absorption in Krishna. We should therefore be careful not to fall prey to a Western complex (as opposed to simple) lifestyle that is geared to avoiding bodily discomfort or tapasya at any cost. Nor should we shy away from the challenges and inconveniences that may come in dedicated devotional service[4] or the special opportunities to perform tapasya offered in our lineage to increase our devotion, such as fasting on days like Ekādaśī.

Today on parikrama I passed a group of about ten of the walking sādhus. It seems they stop at a particular tea stall for a few minutes to sit and drink water. I stopped and watched them carefully. One saw me and gracefully put his left hand over his heart, slowly bowing his head ever so slightly to offer respects. I saw another gently smile in loving exchange with another. Although they were tired, I could feel their bhava, their mood of devotion. I understood that what was externally a chore, was certainly a joy for them, so much so, that in another seven or eight hours they would be in the exact same place on their second time around! I humbly bow to the sādhus who never stop walking.

Conclusion: We cannot imitate the walking sādhus, but we should certainly follow in their footsteps:

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

[1] Not sure where I read this quote.

[2] It is important to understand that hardship that is forced upon one may not necessarily detach oneself from the body. Tapasya is voluntary, so it has spiritual objective, and it is this internal objective along with the self-imposed bodily inconvenience that is purifying.

[3] This definition is from the BBT translation of the 10^th Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I cannot find the reference off hand, but it is from a commentary after the Bhaktivedanta Purports that struck me when I read it many years ago.

[4] I am not minimizing the great tapasya that naturally comes from those who dedicate themselves to spreading the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and strictly follow the bhakti sādhana that they were given.

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Dhanurdhara Swami July 24th, 2023

I believe that’s the title of a book by Satsvarūpa dāsa Goswami aptly describing its contents—free writing—a process of writing where, without a specific preconceived idea of a subject to write about, one just lets one’s pen fly. It’s been so busy a week, so let me “just write”.

A disciple proudly shared with me that they have been my student since their teens, more than twenty-five years ago. I thought, “But are you chanting your rounds?” I thought of the story of the boatman, who rowed all night, but forgot to pull up the anchor and despite all that effort remained in the same place. Pulling up the anchor is a metaphor for letting go of our extraneous attachments and taking full shelter of the will of Śrī Guru and Śrī Krishna. If you don’t, you stay in the same place no matter how long you have been a devotee. I challenged myself. “Fifty years and how far have you advanced?” Time to let go, fully surrender and, through attachment for the holy name, enter the realm of real devotion. That’s why I am here.

Well, that’s it for “just write”. What happened?  A “Greetings” theme just came a few hours ago, so when I sat down again this afternoon for another writing session, rather than “just write” I felt compelled to carefully write about what just happened and share my realization about it.

I was walking out from my ashram to the parikrama path to go visit a friend down the road for lunch. When I reached the parikrama road, I saw a group of very worn, bare-chested sādhus wearing just their simple white loin cloth limping past. One very old sādhu, back bent forward, had his left arm on a friend’s shoulder in front him to brace his rickety knees from the shock every time one of his feet hit the pavement. Another was using a crutch-like cane, the kind supported by one’s whole forearm. All of them had layer after layer of dirty white cloth wrapped around their feet to ease the pain of their worn-down raw feet repeatedly hitting the ground. It was painful to watch. I had heard of these devotees before. They are here under the midday sun because they practically never stop walking, going around twice, some even three times a day! A friend of mine once asked one of them why they perform such arduous austerities. No matter how many times he asked, and no matter in whatever way he phrased the question, the answer was same: “I’m so sinful! I’m so sinful!” My friend carefully listened to the old sādhu’s voice. He had no doubt it was the crying of the soul tired of being engaged by bodily demands and calling for Krishna in separation.

The next morning while chanting I thought of that sādhu. I felt I could do so much more in my devotional practices if, like that sādhu, I also got more tired of my bodily demands and regretted more deeply my separation from Krishna. I self-reflected at least enough to sincerely call out in my mind, “I’m so sinful” and continued chanting. The mood was right, contrition and begging for the holy name.

I also took the sādhu’s example of devotional punishment.[1] I went around Govardhan yesterday during the day when I was free. It was humid. It was tough. It was blissful. I was inspired:

tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ

śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam

“One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one’s heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.” (Bhag. 5.1.1)[2]

Just write. A nice exercise. I pray it worked.

[1] One doesn’t perform austerities to torture the body. Next week, I think I will analyze the concept of tapasya to explain why the austerities of the walking sādhus of Govardhan are enlightening and not in ignorance as described in the Bhagavad-gītā:

“And those penances and austerities which are performed foolishly by means of obstinate self-torture, or to destroy or injure others, are said to be in the mode of ignorance.” (17.19)

[2] If you have time, I suggest you read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purport on the above verse: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/5/5/1/

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