Waves of Devotion

Dhanurdhara Swami September 9th, 2024

Sometimes my Monday Morning Greetings is inspired by a question that I was asked recently in class, such as one from last Sunday which sparked a discussion about envy and the path of devotion:

“Is there envy in the spiritual world?”

Of course, although there is the facsimile of jealousy in the drama of Radha and Krishna, all rasa (loving exchanges) in the spiritual world are born purely out of ecstatic love. Therefore nothing that happens there can be born of envy or hate. That, however, is not our story in this world.

“O scion of Bharata, O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, bewildered by dualities arisen from desire and hate.”

“…The illusory energy is manifested in the duality of desire and hate. Due to desire and hate, the ignorant person wants to become one with the Supreme Lord and envies Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead…” Bhagavad-gītā 7.27, verse and purport

There you have it, the foundation of the material world in a nutshell. We come to this world out of ego desiring superiority and thus we naturally hate or envy those who threaten that self-conception. We may think that as decent people this no longer refers to us, but before making that assessment we should at least reflect just how much the disease of envy is inherent within us once we have accepted a material body. Consider the following.

At the end of one’s life, in consideration of our past deeds and our present desires, God decides through his supporting agencies the appropriate body that will give us the best opportunity to evolve in consciousness in our next life, mostly by frustrating the desire to enjoy and control which the present body has afforded us. This identification with the material body is facilitated by the element of false ego which delimits our consciousness or awareness so that we fully relate to the specific body which we have received. In other words, our material identity is based on the false ego, which is primarily characterized by the desire for superiority, and thus our present body and its attachments are naturally imbued with the duality of desire and hate!

It should now be clear from this current exposition why the path of devotional surrender, or pure service, is the most direct and powerful process of liberation from material entanglement. Serving God and consciously cultivating the true ego as His servant is completely antithetical to the false ego, the cause of the bodily concept and its dualities.

In fact, the path of bhakti is so antithetical to the false ego, and its consequent dualities of desire and hate, that in the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.2), it is proclaimed that this book is for the devotees (satām) who are completely free from hate, (nirmatsarāṇām). Therefore even religious activity that offers reward for one’s sacrifice (which includes most of the Vedas) is adamantly rejected in the Bhāgavatam because it is also still infused with the dualities of desire and envy.

Does this mean that devotees are automatically free from envy? Obviously, not.

What it does mean is that the path of devotion is not for one with material aspirations connected to the false ego. Rather, its practice and goal is pure devotion:

“One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.” Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11

And it means our exemplars are devotees like the Six Goswamis:

“…They are just like the ocean of love of God, and they are popular both with the gentle and with the ruffians, because they are not envious of anyone…” (emphasis mine) Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 1

And that was our brief discussion on envy and the path of devotion.

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Dhanurdhara Swami September 2nd, 2024

A Commentary on the Lakota Code of Ethics[1]

Recently Madhavananda dasa shared with me the Lakota Code of Ethics. Evidently, he saw some depth in it. I did also. The Code expertly provides the basic principles of behavior of this native North American native tribe. More than the clarity and force of its presentation, what struck me is how it demonstrates the universality of truth. We say truth is veda, which means knowledge, but we don’t limit truth to just what is found within a book, no matter how comprehensive the presentation. Truth is embodied in the world. It exists eternally and independently of human creation. A book just encapsulates it and communicates it appropriately to its intended audience. Throughout the ages, and even occasionally in modernity, great thinkers have seen and realized aspects of that truth and have communicated it according to the language and frame of reference of the people of their time.

After looking at the Lakota Code, I could write an article on each item listed, but that is far beyond a Monday Morning post. Therefore, I will briefly comment on the first one and then just list the rest. The main thrust of this entry, therefore, is to use the Lakota Code to show the universality of truth, which should become evident when you read it.

Lakota Code of Ethics

1. Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often. The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.

Commentary:

Rise with the sun to pray: According to Vedic calculations, the twenty-four-hour day is precisely divided into thirty muhūrtās, or forty-eight minute periods that reflect the different effects that different parts of the day have on one’s consciousness. The early morning around sunrise, especially the brahma-muhūrtā, the forty-eight minutes before sunrise, have by far the greatest impact on the mind for peace and concentration. Serious spiritual practitioners make good use of those hours to deepen their spiritual life.

Pray alone: For meditation we need a time and place reserved exclusively for Krishna where we sit alone separated from all of life’s other responsibilities. That place is called our āsana, literally a seat for exclusive concentration. When the mind becomes focused, āsana becomes upāsanā, which literally means “to sit near (upa).” This conventionally implies worshiping, or serving, as one must be present near the object of worship, not just physically, but in the mind. Without that type of regulation by which our worship can be exclusive and one-pointed, our mind will be divided between the object of worship and our responsibilities and attachments. Yoga or meditation will not take place.

Pray Often: To get true realization our thoughts need not only be concentrated and without interruption, but also prolonged. “Practice becomes firmly established when it has been cultivated uninterruptedly and with devotion over a prolonged period of time.” Yoga-sūtras 1.14

The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak: “Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Viṣṇu, such sinful persons may attract the attention of the Supreme Lord, who therefore considers, ‘Because this man has chanted My holy name, My duty is to give him protection.’” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.2.10

2. Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance.

3. Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.

4. Treat the guests in your home with much consideration. Serve them the best food, give them the best bed and treat them with respect and honor.

5. Do not take what is not yours whether from a person, a community, the wilderness or from a culture. It was not earned nor given. It is not yours.

6. Respect all things that are placed upon this earth — whether it be people or plants.

7. Honor other people’s thoughts, wishes and words. Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them. Allow each person the right to personal expression.

8. Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative energy that you put out into the universe will multiply when it returns to you.

9. All persons make mistakes. And all mistakes can be forgiven.

10. Bad thoughts cause illness of the mind, body and spirit. Practice optimism.

11. Nature is not for us; it is a part of us. It is part of your worldly family.

12. Children are the seeds of our future. Plant love in their hearts and water them with wisdom and life’s lessons. When they are grown, give them space to grow.

13. Avoid hurting the hearts of others. The poison of your pain will return to you.

14. Be truthful at all times. Honesty is the test of one’s will within this universe.

15. Keep yourself balanced. Your Mental self, Spiritual self, Emotional self, and Physical self — all need to be strong, pure and healthy. Work out the body to strengthen the mind. Grow rich in spirit to cure emotional ails.

16. Make conscious decisions as to who you will be and how you will react. Be responsible for your own actions.

17. Respect the privacy and personal space of others. Do not touch the personal property of others—especially sacred and religious objects. This is forbidden.

18. Be true to yourself first. You cannot nurture and help others if you cannot nurture and help yourself first.

19. Respect others’ religious beliefs. Do not force your belief on others.

20. Share your good fortune with others.

[1] Reprinted, rewritten and edited from September 23, 2019. I am thinking that regularly, not more than once month I will include a reprint from not less than six years ago. There is some good stuff and after 2018 they have not yet been fully edited and refined.

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Dhanurdhara Swami August 27th, 2024

Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to you!

You requested your disciples to write their realizations. I do that by writing one article every week. In November my realization was about your glories. Please accept this short article as my homage this year:

What Made Prabhupāda Prabhupāda

It was the late seventies, early eighties—I can’t remember the exact date, but it was soon after Śrīla Prabhupāda left this world. I was given the service of inviting some of the senior Vaiṣṇavas in Vṛndāvana who knew Śrīla Prabhupāda to his disappearance festival. I first approached Śrīla Bhaktivedanta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja, as Śrīla Prabhupāda lived in his ashram after taking sannyāsa. He was at first somewhat reluctant to speak, but I prodded him by asking him to describe the qualities he saw in Śrīla Prabhupāda when he lived at his ashram as a humble mendicant that indicated who he would become later as a world ācārya. He thought about my inquiry deeply and then began to explain two qualities that he saw in Śrīla Prabhupāda: his boldness and his ability to relate to others.[1]

Recently, when reflecting on that exchange, I began to ponder what I thought was the prime quality in Śrīla Prabhupāda that perhaps indicated what made him Prabhupāda, the person who succeeded above all others to bring the holy name of Krishna around the world. I thought of his many attributes and came up with one—his depth of realization. When I thought about this quality, I had in mind Śrīla Prabhupāda’s definition of realization that struck me when I first read the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

“[…] he must realize the subject so nicely that he can present the matter for the particular circumstance in a suitable manner. The original purpose of the text must
be maintained. No obscure meaning should be screwed out of it, yet it should be presented in an interesting manner for the understanding of the audience. This is called realization.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.4.1)

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission in the West was challenging. He had to explain to those who came mostly from a drug infused and sex crazed hippie culture the very high theological conception of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Krishna, in addition to a supportive culture of dharma and discipline. To effectively communicate those teachings in a suitable manner to such an audience without compromising the principles and conceptions of those teachings indeed required a very deep realization of the subject. Otherwise, how was Śrīla Prabhupāda able to make such a tradition and philosophy so alluring to those who recently came from a culture so antithetical to the Vaiṣṇava way of life?

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s unique ability in this regard was highlighted for me in my early days of Krishna consciousness in an unexpected way. Eleven days after Śrīla Prabhupāda left this world, his commemoration festival was held. To honor the Indian system of spiritual hierarchy, the most senior Vaiṣṇava in attendance was given the distinction of presiding over the assembly. He was from a very high class brāhmaṇa family, a life-long celibate, the third person to receive tridaṇḍi sannyāsa from Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta, and one of the most renowned preachers in the Gauḍīya Maṭha. He was especially lauded for going to the West years before Śrīla Prabhupāda to bring back to India two German converts to Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism. Obviously, Śrīla Prabhupāda far surpassed him and that seemed to bother him and was reflected in his inaugural talk: “I could have done what Swamiji had done, but I didn’t have the mentality to preach to the hippies.”

I could see that many were upset by his remarks, as they appeared to be minimizing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s greatest accomplishment. Initially I was also upset, but then I saw that he was in fact complimenting Śrīla Prabhupāda even though he didn’t mean to, for what was that mentality to preach to the hippies—it was the deepest realization of Krishna consciousness that allowed Śrīla Prabhupāda to effectively communicate the teachings of Śrī Caitanya to those with little frame of reference to assimilate it.

I thus think that, among his many qualities, his depth of realization and consequent ability to communicate was especially significant in making Śrīla Prabhupāda who he was. What do you think made Prabhupāda Prabhupāda?”

Humbly in your service,

Dhanurdhara Swami

[1] He described Śrīla Prabhupāda’s boldness by describing two drama’s Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote: One was a spoof on the very popular Ramakrishna Mission in Hindi called the Murga [Chicken] Mission because although a Hindu mission, they weren’t vegetarians, and the other a satire on the Gauḍīya Maṭha after it splintered where the main character was called Bhojane Vilāsa [the pastime of material enjoyment] Mahārāja. I don’t remember the title. Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja also described to me a very heavy letter that Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote to the President of India. When he described to me Śrīla Prabhupāda’s ability to relate he described to me how when a senior person came Śrīla Prabhupāda was the most respectful, when a peer came he was most collegial, and when a junior came he was very affectionate.”

• Srila Prabhupada , Vyasa-puja
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Dhanurdhara Swami August 26th, 2024

Suffering is when we either don’t have what we are attached to (hankering), or we lose that which we are attached to (lamenting). Therefore, the greatest suffering is death where our present life ends, and everything connected with it is taken away. Death, however, is the illusion of non-existence. Our greatest problem therefore doesn’t exist. Death and all material problems are thus ultimately perceptual and not actual.

All spiritual processes therefore deal with raising one’s awareness or perception with an understanding that the higher the level of our perception (the more we are free from illusion), the higher our contentment. We will discuss a few of those processes here.

Yoga: The purpose of yoga is to bring the mind to sattva, which literally means the nature of being or reality. The mind is a lens or mirror which in sattva, or its true nature, is not distorted or stained by frivolous thoughts. This is accomplished by meditation, or the focus on a single thought or object, which quells the other thoughts distorting the mirror of the mind and brings it to a higher level of perception and contentment.

Dharma: At any moment we are faced with a myriad of choices. Dharma is the science of correct or righteous action, the option we choose which elevates the mind to a higher level of perception and contentment.

Karma: Karma is God’s law that provides a destiny to give us realizations that elevate us to a higher level of perception and contentment. Reality is like an intricate crossword puzzle and realizations are the pieces of that puzzle. Karma gives us those realizations that help us fill in the picture of the ultimate truth.

Śāstra: Our mind is composed of two types of thoughts—kliṣṭa-vṛtti, bad or troubling thoughts and akliṣṭa-vṛtti, good or untroubling thoughts. Bad thoughts are attachments to those things degrading to our consciousness (lying, lust and so on), and aversion to those things that are elevating for consciousness (simplicity and sexual restraint and so on). Good thoughts are just the opposite—attachment to elevating thoughts and aversion to degrading ones. A good and peaceful mind is therefore one with elevated awareness due to a predominance of good thoughts. But how do we change the mind? We change the mind by good ideas which come from the śāstra. If śāstra is presented properly, it will inspire us to contemplate the benefit of good thoughts and then see the world through them. If this is done repeatedly, those thoughts become firmly embedded in our mind as akliṣṭa-vṛtti and we no longer see the world skewed by our selfish desires.

Bhakti: The first glory of chanting the holy name is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ, it cleans the mirror of the mind.

One time a student was visiting me for a retreat in Colombia. It was a very challenging time in her life. She said she would just come to my class and that was it. Somehow, she decided to sit just for a few minutes for Jaya Jagannath’s class on the Yoga-sūtras which was directly after mine. It was so engaging that she stayed for the whole thing. Directly after class she came to see me and with fervor expressed her realization after hearing the morning classes, especially the Yoga-sūtras, reflecting on her own challenges, “It’s the mind!”

Conclusion, our problems are perceptual and not actual!

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Dhanurdhara Swami August 19th, 2024

I was recently asked, “When something happens to a devotee, is it karma or krishna-lila?” My response:

First, the question is phrased wrong. If something happens to a devotee, the cause can be Krishna, but it’s not krishna-lila, a pleasure pastime of God. The question is therefore better asked “Is it karma or Krishna?” Good question.

In the Brahma-saṁhitā we read:

“All fruitive actions and their reactions (karmāṇi) for a person engaged in devotional service (bhakti-bhājām) are destroyed (nirdahati).”

Well, there you have it. It’s Krishna. But wait a second! Why then do devotees get astrological readings, which chart one’s destiny, and which work reasonably well? Even at Śrīla Prabhupāda’s birth, it was predicted that he would open many temples at an advanced age. So, is it karma? How can it be?

When one surrenders to Krishna, one’s purification comes directly under His supervision. But as our karma is specifically Krishna’s law geared to purify us and bring us closer to God, especially if one responds appropriately to one’s fate, why then should Krishna not allow our fate to unfold? In other words, although a person engaged in devotional service is no longer directly under the law of karma, Krishna still sanctions our destiny to continue because our karma is uniquely geared to purify us. That’s certainly true, but if one’s karma is under Krishna’s direct control, can Krishna change our karma?

Yes. The purpose of “bad” karma is not to punish us, but to purify us. So if by spiritual education and the practice of devotion we are learning the lessons karma meant to give us, certainly Krishna can interfere and reduce our “bad” karma. But does he have to? Not necessarily, for a devotee sees everything as coming from Krishna and therefore is focused not on destiny (what comes to one), but how one reacts (one’s free will). Every situation, for a devotee, is therefore a unique opportunity to serve God. Do not the most challenging situations often offer the most opportunity to serve God, even if to set an example for others? Also, if we deserve to have our “bad” karma reduced, God doesn’t have to change what happens to us. By studying the Bhāgavatam and applying it in one’s life, one has already reduced the suffering caused by the events in our life by enabling one to see and digest things from a higher platform of understanding.

Is it karma or Krishna for a devotee? It is both. For even if one surrenders to Krishna, our destiny or karma has been designed by Krishna to move the world around us to bring us closer to Him. Would not our compassionate Lord still sanction our destiny, His own law, to continue to serve us to the extent we need lessons in life to purify our hearts?

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Dhanurdhara Swami August 12th, 2024

Peterhof and Donald Trump Today I will share two thoughts from my recent visit to Moscow:

Peterhof and Donald Trump

Peterhof is a series of stunning palaces and gardens located in St. Petersburg envisioned, commissioned and supervised by Peter the Great. Perhaps the greatest technological achievement of Peterhof, and one that especially impressed me while visiting, was the sixty-four exquisite and awe-inspiring fountains. What struck me about them is that they are driven entirely without the use of pumps, but just from the pressure collected in reservoirs from natural springs in the upper part of the property. It’s really something to see. Now what does this have to do with Donald Trump?

I am not much of a tourist. But my hosts were enthusiastic to show me the city, so I took the opportunity to broaden my perspective by some sight-seeing. I thought that might be something that could inspire my writing. Besides appreciating the splendor of Peterhof, I naturally looked at things through the eyes of the Bhāgavatam. In this case, I particularly recalled the monarchal rule in the Bhāgavatam where the king had the pedigree, training and power to be the proper leader. I didn’t know much about Peter the Great. But I saw the expertise and beauty of St. Petersburg, most of which was accomplished in his lifetime in what was previously mostly a swampy area. I assumed that here was someone who did the work and had the qualities to rule, although now there is some controversy about how noble he was. Anyway, walking through Peterhof and seeing its grandeur, and attributing that to a noble leader, I thought of Donald Trump in comparison, and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris also, and all the other clowns posing as world leaders today in contrast with the noble kings of the past, at least as they are found in the Bhāgavatam. The Bhāgavatam (SB 2.3.19) says in very strong language that we shouldn’t be surprised that democracy can often produce the kind of leaders we see today:

“Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the deliverer from evils.”

Sure, monarchy can produce tyranny, and democracy can provide guardrails against that, but something about the brilliance of this place, inspired by a king, made me hanker for rāma-rājya!, leadership that is competent with impeccable moral qualities.

The Danger of Luxury

I returned today from Russia. The trip was wonderful. Jagadish and I were treated as royalty. A few days ago, we went to St. Petersburg, a city of unparalleled beauty. Our sponsor sent us first class train tickets for the four-hour bullet train. You can’t imagine its luxury. She also owns an apartment exclusively for distinguished guests, and that is where we stayed. I think that facility was better than a five-star hotel. Evidently, our host owns a company and is very generous, but her focus seems to be devotion, which naturally means she thinks of others before herself. Although she seems to have the means for comfort, she even traversed the quite austere Vraja-maṇḍala parikramā fourteen times. Anyway, we certainly enjoyed our stay and in some ways the facility made it easy for us to put our energy into our service there. I also started to observe that if one is not careful, one can be conditioned and attached to a higher standard of material facility. It made me consider if this standard of living, so far beyond my means, could grow on me with a creeping sense attachment, and I began to reflect to what extent luxury in general was really happiness. My thoughts:

The key to happiness is internal satisfaction, not what you have, as long as your needs are met.

I wondered how much I will be conditioned by this standard and what would happen if I don’t get it next time I am traveling. I usually travel in coach or economy; will I experience a discontentment that I never had before? In other words, does being conditioned to a standard way above one’s needs counterintuitively create in the long run less contentment and happiness?

The pleasure which comes from the satisfaction of a material desire can be very vibrant, but it is very limited because it is so short in duration.

Even if I could afford that standard again, the satisfaction of one desire immediately impels another desire, so that type of happiness also ends in some form of dissatisfaction anyway.

Next year, I have already been promised the same facilities and pray I use them in the proper mood. I see deep down, however, that I can’t wait until I get to ride that luxury coach again. It was so much fun. Will I accept it with some sense of detachment, or have I been spoiled? Such is the nature of luxury beyond needs. If one is not thoughtful it can certainly lead to more discontentment and thus unhappiness. Don’t forget, the rich and famous are often the most miserable. Hare Krishna!

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Dhanurdhara Swami August 5th, 2024

Bhakti is the path of radical humility:

“One who thinks himself lower than grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor but is always prepared to give respect to others, can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.” Śikṣāṣṭakam 3

Although bhakti in many senses is easy in the sense that it is available for anyone without any material prerequisite, its application is still difficult because of its spiritual demands, specifically in the matters of humility and tolerance, as expressed in a Bengali saying about the path of Śrī Caitanya:

“I was attracted to the mission of Śrī Caitanya. It looked so inviting, but then I read the third verse of the Śikṣāṣṭakam.”[1]

But does humility on the path of bhakti have to be so extreme? It depends on what frame of reference you have when you make that consideration. From the standpoint of this world where each soul is embodied due to false ego and naturally strives for superiority and control, such levels of tolerance and humility as described by Śrī Caitanya certainly seem extraordinary.  If however we gauge such humility from the platform of the soul, which attains its fullness in unalloyed service to God, then such deep humility is just the natural condition of the soul. This becomes evident when we look at humility from the perspective of the two natural opulence’s of the soul—pure knowledge (awareness) and pure love (devotion).

Pure Awareness—when one attains transcendental knowledge, one is free of ignorance and can clearly perceive the truth. Such awareness of reality is called advayam-jñāna, non-dual consciousness. Advayam-jñāna means that one sees nothing as outside of God, the Supreme consciousness, and that one is simply an infinitesimal spark within God meant for His service. This is a vision which is certainly awe-inspiring and devotional. I remember thirty years ago traveling in the Himalayas. Before that I always somehow had the image of the Himalayas as being just a tall vertical mountain. I was so stunned to see the scope of not just a tall mountain, but of many vast, tall mountain ranges, that I stopped the bus party I was leading just to go outside to gaze and be humbled by the vastness of the Himalayan mountains. I remember being overcome with the sweet feeling of insignificance and reverence, which I coined as “happy small”, the definition I use now to explain humility. So just imagine the pure awareness of realizing God’s immanence, which is infinitely grander. Would not that state of pure awareness, the natural condition of the soul, invoke in one extreme humility and devotion?

Pure devotion: Love means that the happiness of the object of one’s love becomes one’s own happiness. In a sense, in true love we surrender our agency to the wishes of another. The greater the love, the more we become controlled by the object of our love. It’s the humblest position where our lives are ruled fully in love by the needs and pleasure of another. I suppose, especially, most mothers have realized this. But the highest form of love is universal love, where we love God and thus in a sense everything. The utter humility of this position is nicely described in a video conversation with ŚrīlaB. R. Sridhara Maharaja, where he describes the moment of enlightenment when out of intense devotion one’s consciousness is imbued with what he defines as transcendental knowledge (divya-jñāna). He describes a radical shift of consciousness, from seeing oneself as the subject having everything as the object of one’s will, to viewing oneself as the object of God’s will who is the real subject. He then dramatically describes how the soul is “captured,” in that it moves exclusively out of pure love. In other words, in pure devotion one’s false authority is completely relinquished by means of full surrender to the lotus feet of the Lord, which is the position of utter humility.

Thinking in this way, perhaps such humility is not so radical. After all, Śrī Caitanya, the most munificent avatar, is calling everyone to embrace it:

“Raising my hands, I declare, “’Everyone please hear me! String this verse [Śikṣāṣṭakam 3] on the thread of the holy name and wear it on your neck for continuous remembrance.” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 17.32)

[1] Sometimes I remember a quote but can’t locate it and have to paraphrase it. If any readers find the exact quote please send it to me.

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Dhanurdhara Swami July 29th, 2024

Jayadvaita Swami would confidently throw down the gauntlet to his audience: “What could be more important than self-realization?!” The question-and-answer booth at the New York Ratha-yātrā was surrounded by intelligent and inquisitive New Yorkers. Some took up his dare, yet no one could meet his challenge.

When I watched those exchanges, I immediately thought about the time Śrīla Prabhupāda highlighted the importance of self-realization, but in a different way. Śrīla Prabhupāda was asked to explain the difference between a human being and an animal. I loved his reply: “A human being can ask the question ‘why am I suffering?’” Śrīla Prabhupāda was raising the same challenge that is found in Jayadvaita’s inquiry, but we need to dig deeper to understand how.

The question “why am I suffering” implies another important question: “what did I do wrong?” Suffering or pain is not necessarily a bad thing if we look at the issue philosophically. For example, if you did not suffer when accidentally resting your hand on a hot stove, you might not lift it off the stove and therefore could be seriously injured or even die. Suffering or pain, similarly, inspires one to seek the cause of one’s suffering and fully eradicate our problem at its root. But an intelligent person does not stop with the question “what did I do wrong?” There are deeper levels to the inquiry.

As soon as we ask, “what did I do wrong?” another question naturally arises: “what should I be doing?” But one more question must be asked.

The question “what should I be doing?” naturally inspires an intelligent person to inquire about his nature: “What I am made of and what am I made for?” For unless you realize the answer to that inquiry, how you can know what to do? For example, Ayurveda describes disease as a “crime against nature.” When there is suffering in the body, to answer the question of what went wrong and what should be done about it, we need to discover the natural condition that we violated, which is the ultimate cause of our woes.

And this gets us back to our initial inquiry and why no one could meet Jayadvaita Swami’s challenge: “What could be more important than self-realization?” Unless one realizes one’s true nature, which is called self-realization, how can one be fully in alignment with one’s being and avoid the suffering which is simply an indication that something is wrong? And this discussion also gets us back to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s insight about the difference between a human being and animal. The inquiry into suffering, which is the specialty of a human, also leads an intelligent person, as we have progressively shown, to the most important pursuit in alleviating suffering—self-realization. So, the challenge still stands: “what can be more important than self-realization?”

athāto brahma jijñāsā

“Human life is meant for inquiry into the Absolute Truth.” (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.1)

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Dhanurdhara Swami July 22nd, 2024

As part of our Metro Mantra Sanga,[1] we hosted Hari-kirtana das for a weekend of programs to hear about his new book, Journey Into the Bhagavad Gita.[2] The programs were in an interview format. In both programs I questioned him extensively about his work. As a student of Gita and speaker and writer about its philosophy for many years myself, I was impressed with what he has accomplished—an accessible guide and rendition of the Gita imbued with his conviction of the power of its message.

I first questioned Hari-kirtana about the necessity for his Gita commentary, especially when Srila Prabhupada was already so successful in widely communicating the message of the book. He marveled at how successful Srila Prabhupada’s Gita was in attracting so many people, including himself, to fully commit to the Gita’s teachings and assist him in his mission. Yet Hari-kirtana was convinced by his years of experience as a wisdom teacher in the yoga world that many people in his western and contemporary audience needed a longer road to the Gita as an introduction to bhakti.

In the introduction to his book, Hari-kirtana clearly outlines the people he is targeting: the spiritual but not religious; those unfulfilled, wounded or abandoned by religion; those who are interested in principles of leadership and personal growth; and those who want to learn about yoga philosophy. He then describes for each what the Gita uniquely offers to those people if they can be convinced to enter the text. For example, he describes that for those disappointed with religion, “the Gita offers comprehensive answers to reasonable questions, deific opinions rather than commandments, and the voice of a patient and compassionate God who welcomes everyone.”

Hari-kirtana’s objective is to get these people to look at the world through the lens of the Gita with the confidence that they will get a profound clarity about what the world is and how to live in it. His challenge, as he sees it, is that the Gita’s philosophical worldview is so radically different from that of his contemporary western audience. He thus carefully educates his audience in the various philosophical concepts required to understand and appreciate the Gita’s worldview. Also, he helps a western contemporary audience to decipher the numerous references to people, relationships and events specific to Vedic culture that appear in the Gita.

As a writer, I appreciate a book that is focused, which means every chapter is relevant to a book’s theme, every paragraph is relevant to the chapter’s specific development of that theme, and every sentence is relevant to the paragraph’s development of the chapter. The book is exceptionally focused! Hari-kirtana credits the brilliant contribution of his wife, Elizabeth. She is a successful professional documentary film maker, expert at visual storytelling, and she gave constant critical input along his three-year journey to complete the text.

Let me finish by stating what I have gleaned as the book’s theme and briefly describe how the book is organized to develop it.

The purpose of this book is the give a western contemporary audience the tools to overcome the philosophical and cultural obstacles that challenge them to look, at least theoretically, at the world through the lens of the Gita so they may be able to experience its profound and convincing vision of reality.

Part One gives the reader the tools to become familiar with the Gita’s conceptual framework and guidance on how to follow and develop a deep sense of connection with the text.

Part Two offers a chaste rendition of the whole Gita within the limited frame of reference of his audience, who have been armed with the tools he has given them in Part One. I believe it is the first presentation of the Gita with only the Sanskrit transliteration and English verses side by side without any break in between to enable his audience to more readably get the flavor and flow of each chapter. To facilitate this experience, there is a prelude to each chapter that puts it in the context of the overall current. Each prelude gives an overview of the specific topics covered in the chapter and even highlights for the reader specific significant passages to look out for.

In Part Three Hari-kirtana provides autobiographical stories to help the reader see how by seeing through the lens of the Gita, as he did, one can much better understand and practically navigate life in the modern world. He finishes by offering exploratory tools and practical suggestions for incorporating the Gita’s teachings into one’s life.

Metro Mantra Sangha felt honored to host Hari-kirtana and discuss his contribution to our Vaisnava lineage. The audience was enthralled by his presentation and lauded his mission in the service of Srila Prabhupada to help the western contemporary audience find a new perspective: “Instead of looking at the Gita through the lens that the world offers us, look at the world through the lens that the Bhagavad Gita offers us.”

[1] https://wavesofdevotion.com/2024/06/17/metro-mantra-sanga/

[2] Hari-kirtana das’s book, Journey Into the Bhagavad Gita, is available here. For more about Hari-kirtana das, you can visit his website.

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Dhanurdhara Swami July 15th, 2024

Betrayed! [1]

Last week I wrote about expediency, but it was beyond the scope of the entry to illustrate the concept with an example. A discussion of how one responds to betrayal would be an excellent way to broach the subject of how dharma can be brushed aside to serve one’s immediate personal feelings. There seems to be no deeper hurt and stronger impetus to strike back with vengeance than when one’s trust is violated. How to deal with being betrayed? I think the story of Vidura illustrates that best.

Vidura was renowned for his good counsel. When King Dhrtārastra, his elder brother, calls upon him, Vidura strongly advises him to instruct his son Duryodhana to return the legitimate share of the kingdom, which he had illegally usurped, to his cousin Yudhiṣṭhira. He outlines in detail the ruin it would bring upon the king if this was not done. Duryodhana overhears the conversation and immediately threatens his uncle:

“Who asked him to come here, the son of a kept mistress? He is so crooked that he spies in the interest of the enemy against those on whose support he has grown up. Toss him out of the palace immediately and leave him with only his breath.” (Bhāgavatam 3.1.15)

How painful! Not only was he thrown out of the palace in his twilight years without any possessions, by a kingdom that he served so humbly and selflessly his whole life, but he was also deeply insulted. What was especially painful was that the accusations against him were partially true. Although Vidura shared the same father with Dhrtārastra, his mother was not the queen, but a maidservant. Vidura thus dropped his bow at the door and immediately left “being pierced by arrows through the ears and afflicted to the core of his heart” (Bhāgavatam 3.1.16). Yes indeed he was hurt, but how he dealt with his betrayal was exemplary.

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam describes his attitude: “He was not sorry, for he considered the acts of the external energy to be supreme.” (Bhāgavatam 3.1.16) In other words, although Duryodhana betrayed him, he understood that nothing moves without the sanction of God. He thus saw the same energy that was moving Duryodhana to offense and destruction was giving him a greater opportunity to fully engage in devotional service.

The lesson from Vidura is clear. When betrayed, don’t only look at māyā as God’s energy which is entangling the person who is hurting you. See it also as His illuminating energy moving the world for your enlightenment. If you focus on māyā externally in terms of its illusory effect on your perpetrator, your bitterness and victimhood will only increase. If you see, however, that the same māyā is acting internally in terms of helping you to grow, your bitterness will reduce and your consciousness will elevate. In his purport to this verse, Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how Vidura was able to properly observe the workings of God’s energy: “Māyā, the supreme energy of the Lord acted both internally and externally”.[2]

I was also reminded of Socrates in the matter of viewing betrayal in this way. After serving his country by virtue of his wisdom and example, the government turns on him. He is falsely accused and condemned to die. His only request is to address his judge and jury, the senate of Greece. He looks at them intently and delivers his message: “If you think you can harm me, you will not harm me, you will only harm yourself.” He thus sees his apparent betrayal in the same way as Vidura, that the worst harm to oneself is not what others do to you, but the actions one takes that distance oneself from one’s spiritual nature as a servant of God. So if you harm another with vengeance to satisfy your feeling of being wronged, it is actually the cause of your own ruin, but if you see the situation as God’s will, then it’s a blessing which brings you closer to Krishna.

“Every betrayal contains a perfect moment, a coin stamped heads and tails with salvation on the other side.” — Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible

[1] This week is a new edit of a Monday Morning Greeting originally published June 24, 2019.

[2] There are also specific philosophical terms for this phenomenon. When māyā works to further one’s devotion it is called yogamāyā, the internal potency, and when it moves to further one’s material entanglement it is called mahamāyā, the external potency.

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