Brunswick North Carolina
I have received a nice study course on the Bhagavad-Gita and japa mala beads. I have been chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa on rosary beads. I enjoy chanting and I chant every day. Chanting definitely connects me to the eternal source of enlightenment and bliss. This source is Krishna. Krishna is the supreme personality of Godhead.
The essence and total foundation of all religion is to be found in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness uplifts humanity and generations, true peace for everyone that becomes a part of it.
If a person walks with Krishna, that person will never experience anxiety or turmoil. The inner peace that results from worshiping Krishna is spirituality at its highest point. Vegetarianism is the natural outgrowth of a genuine and humane spirituality. Killing innocent animals can never be justified. Gambling, gossiping, speaking profanity, eating meat or doing alcohol/cigarettes/drugs can never be justified. Things which impede and slow down spiritual realization should be avoided in all situations. In this age of Kali (Age of Quarrel and Confusion), a practicing Hare Krishna has the good fortune of being able to help deliver peace to the world. The overall love of Krishna embraces a beautiful philosophy that allows a person to see beyond the concept of separation. All of the violence, wars, hate, racism, etc. can be traced to a person’s detachment from their spiritual source (Krishna). I definitely know that Krishna consciousness is the true spiritual path because of the pure happiness that I have received by chanting the maha-mantra.
In our current civilization, from very early in life, we are taught that the homeless, the sanitation worker, the unemployed, or the poor are to be avoided. The average worker is not to be associated with but the rich or famous are to be admired and sought after. From movie stars and politicians we seek autographs. But who is the greatest?
The Bhagavad-gita, the “Bible” of India, states in chapter 5, verse 18: “The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog eater” (or outcast, or homeless).
How can this be? Really…a dog? This understanding requires some explaining.
The reason all beings are viewed the same by the learned sage or person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is because bodily dress makes no difference. Paramatma, or Kṛṣṇa, is present in both the homeless and a cat. They are simply products of the different modes of nature. The cat is an individual soul whereas the Supersoul, Paramatma or God exists in everyone. Basically the cat and the movie star are the same.
A human being does have a distinct advantage over a lesser animal because he has the ability to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and escape the modes of nature all together. So how does one become Kṛṣṇa conscious?
One must first approach a bona fide spiritual master and ask for guidance. He will teach you to chant the Maha-mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. He will ask you to observe the four regulative principles of no meat eating, no gambling, no illicit sex and no intoxication. Lastly, he will show you the wonderful literature Srila Prabhupada left for us. This process will perfect your life by making you a devotee of the Lord.
In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Kṛṣṇa, on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, tells Arjuna “For one who has taken birth death is certain and for one who is dead birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty you should not lament.”
BG 2.27
The Lord says for one who takes birth death is certain and for the dead birth is certain. Among those who embrace reincarnation, there is some philosopher4s that say once the entity obtains the human form of life one cannot be degraded to the animal species. Their argument is that evolution is forward so being degraded would be against the laws of nature. They reason that there would be no inducement for the entity to step down to a lower stage even if it could do so. They conclude that regardless of how we live we will always have the privilege and luxury of embodying the human form of life.
Bhagavad-gita is one of the foremost authorities on the science of reincarnation. The Supreme Authority, Sri Kṛṣṇa, is the composer. Sri Kṛṣṇa states, “The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas.” (BG 15.8). In this verse the entity is described as iśvarah – the lord of the body. The entity is described as carrying his different conceptions, mental thoughts or plans, to another body. Depending upon those conceptions one can either elevate or degrade the body he embodies.
The next verse states, “The living entity, thus taking on another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, tongue, nose, and sense of touch which are grouped about the mind.” (15.9) Depending on how one elevates or degrades his consciousness he obtains a particular body fitting that mentality. If one adulterates his consciousness with the qualities of animals, nature will provide an animal body so he has better facilities to enjoy his animalistic propensities. As stated earlier, the entity is called iśvaram – the lord of his own body which means the entity alone is responsible for his elevation or degradation.
“The foolish cannot understand how a living entity can quit his body not can hey understand what sort of body he enjoys under the spell of the modes of nature. But one whose eyes are trained in knowledge can see all this clearly.” (15.10) Kṛṣṇa says jňāna cakşuşah, one who has the eyes of knowledge, they can see all this. The vimūdha, foolish persons, cannot understand. The philosophers who pride themselves on the philosophical speculations lack the eyes of knowledge. We enjoy a particular body under the spell of the modes of nature, namely sattva guna (goodness), raja guna (passion) and tamo guna (ignorance). One who cultivat4es the qualities of a particular mode obtains a suitable body in which to express those qualities.
Kṛṣṇa says, “When one dies in the mode of goodness he attains to the pure higher planets. When one dies in the mode of passion he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities and when one dies in the mode of ignorance he takes birth in the animal kingdom.” (14. 14-15) In these verses Kṛṣṇa discusses the particular types of bodies one enjoys under the spell of the modes of nature. One who dies in ignorance is degraded to the animal kingdom.
“…The mode of ignorance causes the delusion of all living entitles. The result of this mode is madness, indolence and sleep which bind the conditioned soul.” (14.8) A man in the mode of ignorance sleeps more tan required, he is lazy, in madness he neglects cultivating spiritual knowledge and because one is deluded in this mode he cannot understand what is what. If one dies under the spell of tamo guna the injunction of the Supreme Lord is that he will be degraded.
Srila Prabhupada has a good analogy in this regard. He compared our bodies to apartments. The spirit soul resides in this apartment. Nature provides many apartments and according to our propensity we must accept one. We are all spiritual entities and under natures direction we are changing material bodies.
Depending on our past activities we are awarded or degraded with a particular type of body. Let’s say you refuse to go to your apartment; the decision is no longer yours, it is not a matter of inducement. It depends on the money (good karma) you have accumulated which decides the quality of your apartment. So the question is … do you have enough money (good karma) to continue to pay the accommodations of the human form of life.
Jňāna cakşuşah – one whose eyes are trained in knowledge cannot be fooled by the philosopher’s speculations. This “one a human, always a human” is dangerously misleading. Sri Kṛṣṇa is the fountain head of all knowledge. By taking knowledge from His bona fide representative one is sure not to be misled with “theories” or “perhaps” or “maybes.” When one gains scientific knowledge and can see what is what, knowing there is potential danger of being degraded, they will act sanely and seriously take to cultivating the transcendental qualities.
Like children everywhere, when I was a young boy I often stated with great frustration, “It’s not fair.” As a child I had a very limited understanding of fairness and justice. And now as an adult I still find myself complaining about the seeming unfairness of different things. Judging simply by appearances, life seems grossly unfair. But with spiritual insight and instructions we come to understand that it is perfectly fair and there is perfect justice.
In the past when I had thoughts to do something wrong I would say to myself, “Who’s going to know? There is no witness so I will not be punished.” This reasoning leads to much suffering. The scripture tells us that Krsna is always within us witnessing every action, word and thought. Nothing is hidden. God does not interfere with our choices. But He warns us that there is law. Whether we believe in it and accept it or not, divine law is never frustrated. This is the law of karma, the law governing activities. It is perfect and inescapable. We r3eap what we sow but since the consequences of actions are not always immediate, foolish men think there is no God and no justice.
The major misconception is that the consequences of our actions (rewards or punishments) must come in this lifetime. It is not always so. Judging the fairness of events in the context of one lifetime is like trying to judge the fairness of events observed in a single day without knowing what happened in the days before. We see a man evicted from his house, his wife leaves him the same day and when he gets to work that day he is fired. We would conclude that he was a victim and life was treating him unfairly. Later, we find out he had not paid the rest in several months spending his money on alcohol and prostitutes, he had beaten his wife for the past two weeks and several days before being fired he had stolen a large sum of money from the boss’ safe. He was not a victim. He was getting what he deserved.
Many ask, “Where is the justice when a man is convicted and sentenced for a crime he did not commit?” We have to look at the bigger picture. We have been assuming and shedding physical bodies for a long, loin time. And somewhere, at some time, that man did something that warranted the circumstances he is now facing.
Some people ask, “If there is reincarnation, why don’t we remember?” I personally feel this is an example of the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. It is painful enough for me to remember the transgressions I have committed in this lifetime. I would not want the burden of remembering those from previous lifetimes. In the Bhagavad-gita, Kṛṣṇa states, “I am sitting in everyone’s heart. From Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.”
Also, it would be difficult to know the suffering we have created for ourselves and others as well as the consequences we are facing. We would be overwhelmed. There is much we do not remember and this is the mercy of Kṛṣṇa.
Eventually the intelligent man realizes that he does not get away with anything because he is endlessly caught in a diseased condition of material entanglement constantly creating more and more karma as a result of fruitive action. Kṛṣṇa allows us to continue like this as long as we want. But if we want out, He also offers a way. By canting His names and studying Kṛṣṇa consciousness we can attain the knowledge that will liberate us from this cyclic existence in this material prison.
“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains my eternal abode, O Arjuna.: (B.G. 4.9)
Knowing that whatever circumstances I am experiencing or facing are the result of my own karma I need not lament. I experience my karma without complaining knowing that nothing happens by chance and God’s divine law is perfect and unavoidable.
One time there was a hairy sage who had a benediction that he would live until every hair fell off his body. However, only one hair would fall off every then thousand years. So the village people said, “Let us build you a small hut so that you can live in it.” The sage immediately replied, “Why? I am only here temporarily!”
Of all commodities, time is the most valuable. The great politician Pandita Canakya said, “Even one moment of time cannot be returned even if one is prepared to pay millions of dollars.” Time can be neither bought nor sold; it is irreplaceable and, therefore, priceless. The Lord Himself is the creator and provider of time and this is described by Lord Brahma in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.5.21): “The Lord who is the controller of all energies, thus creates, by His own potency, eternal time, the fate of all living entities, and their particular nature, for which they were created, and he again merges them independently.”
Every living material being is allocated a certain amount of time. This time period begins with birth and ends at the moment of death. If we waste the time we are given in this life we will have the opportunity to take birth again. This is explained in Bhagavad-gita (2.27): “One who has taken birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.”
However, there is no guarantee that one will take birth in the human form of life: there are 8, 400,000 different types of bodies such as human, beast, bird, aquatic and plant. Due to our mentality at the time of death, we may receive the body of an animal in our next life. This is explained In Bhagavad-gita (15.9): “The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, eye, tongue, nose and sense of touch, which are grouped about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects.”
Fortunately, one can break this repeated succession of births and deaths by utilizing this valuable time to understand the Lord Himself. Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa says: “One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna,” Bhagavad-gita (4.9).
Our time is meant to be spent in God realization, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When one is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or devotional service, he will automatically realize the value of time. Even whilst in the material world, if one utilizes his time engaged in devotional service he will become free of any material entanglement: “One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once, transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman,” Bhagavad-gita (14.25).
Time is not to be ‘spent’ making as much money as one can. No amount of wealth can bring about liberation from the material world. We cannot buy our way into the Kingdom of God. At the time of death, all wealth is simply left behind. Time is neither to be spent money making, nor is it to be used in trying to gratify the senses. Sense gratification only brings about bondage to this material world. The more time one spends striving to please the senses, the more one becomes entangled by the chains of material nature. One who is attached to sense gratification creates obstacles on the path of God realization. This is stated in Bhagavad-gita (3.34): “There are principles to regulate attachment and aversion pertaining to the sense and their objects. One should not come under the control of such attachment and aversions because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization.”
Our time is not to be merely spent eating, sleeping, mating, and defending; this is no more than animal life. Time should be used in developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Time engaged in mundane activities is simply wasted. One may think, “Oh, I don’t have time to spend in God consciousness.” This sort of attitude should be considered nonproductive. Unless one can free himself from such ignorance, he will take birth again and again and consequently will be subject to the miseries of the material world.
Therefore, one who is intelligent will utilize his time developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Only by such development will one truly appreciate and realize the “Price of Time.”
Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita, “To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give understanding by which they can some to Me.” BG 10.10
In his purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada states, “A person may have a bona fide spiritual master and may be attached to a spiritual organization, but still, if he is not intelligent enough to make progress, then Krishna from within gives him instructions so that he may ultimately come to Him without difficulty.”
I take this purport as an example of my life. I was fortunate enough to first encounter devotees in the late 60’s. I was even blessed to have met Srila Prabhupada and hear him speak on or than one occasion. However, due to my foolishness and stubborn independent streak, I never stuck around Srila Prabhupada’s movement or the devotees or long. I always left, looking for an adventure.
Eventually once, I settled down. I was serving Lord Krishna to the best of my abilities. I established programs, preached, etc. I was blessed with initiation from my Guru-Maharaja. But once again, my foolishness and stubbornness took me away from Srila Prabhupada’s movement. In leaving, I offended many devotees and disappointed them. They had a lot of faith in me, and I disappointed that faith in departing from Srila Prabhupada’s movement without a word.
Eventually, I landed myself in trouble and was sent to prison. Over the last seven years I tried many different spiritual paths but none of them brought me happiness or fulfillment. I lamented my leaving the only thing that had ever brought me happiness, fulfillment and acceptance: Lord Krishna and the shelter of Srila Prabhupada and my Guru-Maharaja.
I swallowed my pride and went crawling back to the devotees by writing our beloved Candrasekhara dasa Prabhu. I learned the real meaning of “vaisnavebhyo namo namah.” The devotee is full of compassion for the fallen souls.
This movement is a movement of compassion for the fallen souls, such as me. But when Lord Krishna desires your service He will place you in a situation where, if you are smart, you have no choice but to serve Him. Lord Krishna has knocked me off my pedestal, where I was totally covered by material illusion, and erroneously thought that “I am this material body and this material world is mine, meant for my enjoyment and pleasure. It’s mine to possess, control and enjoy without limits.”
Lord Krishna has shown me that this just isn’t the truth, no matter how much my independent self may want it to be. We are not these material bodies. This material world is not ours, it is God’s. And He alone has the ability to control it and the unquestionable right to enjoy it. I have learned, the hard way, that when we try to usurp Lord Krishna’s position of proprietor, controller and enjoyer, we simply end up trapped in the perplexities of the material world, and oh, how I can tell you that this is most certainly true.
Once this happens, we cannot escape by our own strength. A man bound hand and foot cannot free himself. He must call on someone whose hands are fee and ask for help.
I have learned the hard way that the only way we can call for help is by surrendering to Lord Krishna and Srila Prabhupada, taking shelter of the devotees, chanting the Maha- mantra and reading and studying Srila Prabhupada’s books.
Following this process, our illusion will drop off and our true, happy eternal spiritual consciousness will revive. We will find ourselves returning to our original natural position as servants of the Lord and ultimately the Lord reveals Himself to us when we enthusiastically practice our devotional activities and sincerely chant the Maha-mantra – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
So chant, practice and never leave the shelter of Lord Krishna, Srila Prabhupada and the devotees. This is true rehabilitation, true redemption. In this way, your life will become happy and sublime. Resist the urge to be independent and foolish. Be wise, practice and chant. Hare Krishna!
nama vinu kali-kale nāhi ara dharm sarva-mantra-sāra nāma ei sastra-marma
Śri Caitanya-caritāmŗta Ādi-lilā, Ch. 7 Text 74
“In this age of Kali there is no religious principle other than the chanting of the holy name, which is the essence of all Vedic hymns. This is the purport of all scriptures.”
Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu
I am often amazed at the vast quantities of hope and joy that the message of the Vedas has brought into my life from so many different angles when it seems as though we are living in a world of turmoil where hope and joy should be the exceptions rather than the rule.
The political reality of the world is that mankind is being oppressed and harassed by an elite few. The environment is also suffering from years of cruel abuse that mother earth has been subjected to. Society is generally disinterested in making changes to their lives which would result in changes to the world’s consciousness and a brighter outlook for all. These situations are understandable as they are well documented and explained in the ancient Sanskrit books of knowledge known as the Vedas.
In the twelfth canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srila Vyāsadeva, has given many accurate predictions about he types of conditions that mankind faces in this current age which is known as Kali-yuga.
“When there is a predominance of cheating, lying, sloth, sleepiness, violence, depression, lamentation, bewilderment, fear and poverty, that is the age of Kali, the age of the mode of ignorance…Cities will be dominated by thieves…Political leaders will virtually consume the citizens…Businessmen will engage in petty commerce an earn their money by cheating…In the age of Kali people’s minds will always be agitated…They will become emaciated by famine and taxation…and will always be disturbed by fear of drought. They will lack adequate food, clothing and drink…In Kali-yuga men will develop hatred for each other even over a few coins.”
Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.3.30-41
“The demoniac person thinks so much wealth do I have today and I will gain more according to my schemes. So much is mine now and it will increase in the future more and more. He is my enemy and I have killed him and my other enemies will also be killed. I am the lord of everything. I am the enjoyer. I am perfect, powerful and happy. I am the richest man surrounded by aristocratic relatives. There is none so powerful and happy as I am.”
Bhagavad-gita 16.13-15
With this type of perverted mentality these wicked rulers have no qualms about the suffering they cause to their fellow man.
“Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done…They say that the world is unreal, with no foundation, no God in control…Following such conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world.”
Bhagavad-gita 16.7-9
So now you may be asking yourself, “Is this guy nuts? First he says how much hope and joy are in the Vedas and then he quotes descriptions of hopelessness and sorrow.” This is only true until one realizes the fallacy of the illusions of these demoniac rulers and learns of other Vedic truths which entirely allay the fear and sadness which may seem immanent in light of the above quotes on Kali-yuga and demoniac traits.
Once a person gains a broader understanding of Vedic teachings one can do as a photographer does in the dark room when he changes a negative into a positive. The demoniac wrongfully and foolishly believe that there is “no God in control.” When a wise man examines the insanity of such a position he can plainly see that all of the illusions, the “negatives” of the demoniac, are quickly and completely changed into “positives” by the realization of the fact that GOD IS IN CONTROL and, that He is not only in control, He is also currently present on this earth as His Holy Name. He has come, as He always does, to provide shelter to His devotees.
In the Bhagavad-gita, Kṛṣṇa tells us, “Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practices and a predominant rise of irreligion – at that time I descend Myself to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as the reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear millennium after millennium.”
Bhagavad-gita 4.7-8
So this is where my hope and joy spring from – the fact that Kṛṣṇa (God) IS HERE, NOW, as His holy name and, as He always does, He will deliver His devotees and destroy the demoniac.
Kṛṣṇa has unlimited qualities, but of all His qualities, the one that stands supreme is the protection of His devotees. Thus, knowing that in Kali-yuga there would be such a vast rise of irreligion and that the conditions of the age would subjugate His devotees to such dire consequences, He descended as Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu to establish the proper religious principle of this age: the chanting of His holy name. This chanting ensures His presence and the Bhagavad-gita tells us that, “Wherever there is Kṛṣṇa…there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power and morality.” (B.G. 18.78)
The Bhagavad-gita also tells us that, “All purposes served by a small well can at once be served by a giant reservoir of water. Similarly, all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them.” (B.G. 2.46)
The verse that opened this essay tells us that in this age of ignorance, “there is no religious principle other than the chanting of the holy name.” So, in this age, this chanting serves all the purposes of the Vedas, which are destined to link one with God.
With these added insights into the Vedic truths in mind, one should be able to see why it is that I am so full of hope and joy, even amidst the conditions of Kali-yuga.
“The holy name is capable of dissolving sins and removing impediments. The name embalms sufferings and diminishes the detriments that are so characteristic of Kali-yuga. The scriptures declare that chanting is the highest spiritual activity. The holy name is omnipotent and benedicts the chanter with unimaginable good fortune. Its very nature is that it elevates one to experience divine bliss.
Lord Caitanya in Preme Vivarta, Ch. 20
Here Lord Caitanya has confirmed the basis for both my hope and my joy. The sufferings and detriments of Kali-yuga are overcome by the holy names. It simultaneously elevates one to experience divine bliss. Aah…the hope! Aah…the joy! Kṛṣṇa is so kind! “The holy name drives away all distresses, sufferings, distressful conditions and inauspicious situations.” (Brhan-nāradiya Purāna)
So, all the inauspicious situations and their resultant distress and sufferings will be driven away by the name.
There is also good reason not to concern ourselves with the demoniac rulers: “I see that Kali-yuga is like a black poisonous snake with a gaping mouth and fangs. But please be unperturbed dear devotees and listen with faith. Once the holy name of the Lord is being chanted, it is like igniting a forest fire that will burn to ashes the poisonous snakes within the forest.”
Skanda Purāna
This text instructs us to be unperturbed (hopeful) because Kṛṣṇa has descended and established the chanting of His holy name which will undoubtedly annihilate the miscreant rulers (poisonous snakes).
“In this dark age of Kali-yuga, sincere devotees of the Supreme Lord should leave aside all other means for liberation and take full shelter of the Holy Name. This is their real responsibility and duty. There is unlimited bliss in chanting the different names of Kṛṣṇa: Hari, Kesava, Govinda, Vasudeva and Jaganmaya. For one who chants constantly with unflinching faith, he remains unaffected by the reverses of Kali-yuga, because his heart has become purified by chanting.”
Brhan-nāradiya Purāna
Again, this passage assures us of both joy in chanting and confirms our reasons for hope, even in this age of ignorance. In fact, the wise devotee is especially pleased to take birth in Kali-yuga.
“The really qualified and intelligent scholar who applies his knowledge by proper behavior and who relishes the essence of the scriptures, appreciate Kali-yuga because it is only in this yuga that one attains the highest perfection simply by chanting the holy name.”
Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.36
So my friend, one need not concern himself with the seemingly terrible developments in this world. Just take shelter of the holy name and experience transcendental bliss. Of course, this chanting should be done with utmost faith in the efficacy of the holy name.
The phenomenal importance of this faith in the holy name and the chanting process was confirmed by Lord Caitanya during a conversation that took place in Kasi Masra’s house. Krsnadāsa humbly inquired from Lord Caitanya with folded hands, “Dear Lord, I have one other clarification to be made which I place before Your lotus feet. After having heard the wonderful glories of the holy name, I wonder why chanting does not give everyone the same result.” The Lord replied, “Sraddha (faith) is the root of everyone’s spiritual life. Some persons do not get the result of chanting due to their lack of faith. The holy name is the Supreme Lord Himself, residing in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul and He offers success in chanting proportionate to one’s faith. Persons who do not have sufficient faith in the holy name or the chanting process cannot have spiritual progress.”
Prema Vivarta, Ch. 20
So, chant with faith and you will attain spiritual progress which will lead to both heartfelt hope and boundless joy. Both of which are rightfully yours. Such faithful, hopeful, joyous chanting of the holy name will also result in two of Kṛṣṇa’s greatest rewards.
Krsna-mantra haite habe samsāra-mocana
Krsna-nāma haite pabe Krsnera carana
“Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa one can obtain freedom from material existence. Indeed, simply by chanting Kṛṣṇa’s name one will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord.”
So, I ask you to join me in chanting the holy joyful, holy hopeful holy name.
The 100 sons of Dhrtarastra (the Kurus) wanted to murder Emperor Yudhistira and his four brothers (the Pandavas) so that one of the Kurus could be the emperor. The Kurus tried, and failed, in six ways to murder the Pandavas. One of the Kurus, Duhsasana, devised a plot to steal the emperor’s throne by cheating Emperor Yudhistira in a dice game. The ksatriyas are allowed to gamble against one another.
The last bet of the gambling match was that if the Pandavas won the bet then they would regain everything they had lost in the game, but if they lost they would go into exile in the forest for thirteen years. In the thirteenth year they would not live in the forest but would live incognito. If they were identified they would suffer exile for another thirteen years.
Although there was cheating in the dice game, Emperor Yudhisthira accepted that he lost the bet. The Pandavas went into exile accompanied by their mother, Queen Kunti Devi (Sri Krishna’s paternal aunt).
While in exile, Queen Kunti and the Pandavas ate whatever fruits, roots, berries, plants, and vegetables they could find and sometimes they ate a dangerous animal they killed. Daily, they would each gather whatever edibles they could find, put it all together and divide it amongst each other. However, they did not equally divide it.
They gave extras portions to the second eldest Pandava, Bhima, because he needed it for this bodily maintenance. Bhima was so big and powerful just like an elephant. Sometimes he would walk through the forest carrying Queen Kunti on his head, one of his brothers on each of his broad shoulders, and one of his brothers under each of his powerful arms.
Following Ekadasi in the forest was very difficult for Bhima because sometimes no food could be found that devotees are allowed to eat. Kṛṣṇa conceded to Bhima that if once a year the Pandavas followed an Ekadasi by fasting from all food, and not even drinking water then this would make-up for breaking any Ekadasi during the previous year, giving the benefit of following all the other Ekadasis even if they were not otherwise observed.
This Ekadasi is now called Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi (nir = not and jala = water) and it usually occurs during the end of May or the beginning of June. Following Ekadasi is one of the ten basic practices of devotional service. Srila Prabhupada writes in The Nectar of Devotion that a person cannot even be considered to be a devotee without following the ten basic practices of devotional service.
It is necessary to fast from beans and grains on every Ekadasi. If one inadvertently does not follow an Ekadasi it can be rectified by following the full fast, including all food and water, on Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi.
Today is the 4th of July. Today we wake to fight for our independence, not to celebrate our freedom as a nation, but to fight for our right to worship our spiritual masters, Lord Caitanya and Nityananda Prabhu.
In all the prison of this nation and the entire world, we fight for our right to cant the Hare Kṛṣṇa maha mantra as our life and soul. We fight for the right to have and use sacred mala japa beads and to keep them in sacred bead bags, as Srila Prabhupada asked us to do.
We fight for the right to wear a sikha and Tulasi neck beads, our sacred Vaisnava indicators. We fight of the right as second initiated devotees to wear a sacred Brahma thread. We fight for the right to have nice vegetarian foods to offer Kṛṣṇa with the hopes of someday having meals of real temple-style prasadam sent into prisons from a devotee prasadam factory.
We fight for the right to have devotees come in from outside to lead us in kirtana, give class and spiritual counsel. We fight to be recognized as an authorized religion in every prison of this world. We fight to have Kṛṣṇa conscious books, tapes, CDs, DVDs and videos to learn from.
Today we fight for our right to live!!
We are waiting and praying for all of ISKCON to say in one voice, “They will not go quietly into the night. They will not vanish and disappear into the prison system to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness in secret. They will not stop preaching and sharing the Lord’s glories. We will not allow you to call them a gang and Srila Prabhupada’s books gang related material. Inmates shall stand and fight now for themselves but for each other and all those that come after them. They are the servants of the servants of the servants of Lord Caitanya, Nityananda Prabhu and of our beloved Srila Prabhupada!”
We will stand and fight for our religions rights. This is what July 4th is all about; the freedom to worship God in whatever way our hearts lead us to and to be one nation under God – Krishna. This is what our material fathers gave their lives for – our religious freedom!
Today we fight for the rights of all Vaisnava devotees everywhere. Today we fight for our Spiritual Independence Day.
“One should be humbler than the grass and more tolerant than the tree.”” This quote comes from the Sri-Sri-Siksastaka by Lord Caitanya. This is a reminder that I tell myself daily. I have trouble with the tolerance part, so I decided to write on the subject. I learn more when I read and write about something I need to work on.
Tolerance is knowledge. Tolerance teaches us patience and forbearance. These are much needed on our spiritual journeys. The development of forbearance, patience and tolerance leads to liberation.
Those who are engaged in the advancement of spiritual knowledge will often experience much dishonor and insults from others. In prison, devotees mostly deal with the insults from other inmates and guards on a daily basis. This can be hard at times, but it is something that will make us stronger devotees. There may be impediments in making advancement in spiritual knowledge, but we must be tolerant and continue our progress with determination.
One way to tolerate the insults and dishonor is to pray. Pray that Lord Kṛṣṇa shows you how to tolerate it. Ask Him ever so humbly. Always pray in humility and love. Another way to overcome sensitivity to such nonsense talk is to just “blow it off.” Just ignore what is being said. People will get the message. Anyone who can tolerate such difficulties is eligible for liberation and their path to self-realization is assured.
There’s another part of this subject I want to write about. It is tolerating the urges of the mind and body. In The Nectar of Instruction, text one, we read, “A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind’s demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, the belly and the genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.” I want to discuss the process of learning to tolerate the urges of the mind and body. I have problems in this area too.
One must learn to control his speech. There is much power in the way we speak. We can help others with our words. We need to speak only of Lord Kṛṣṇa, not nonsense. Controlling speech is not self-imposed silence. Just speak as much as you can about Lord Kṛṣṇa. Share Him with all who will listen. Also, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa Maha-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, to help you to control your tongue. Speaking power is for glorifying the Supreme Lord.
One must also control the restless mind. To do so, one must always think of Kṛṣṇa and how to serve Him best. I am always trying to do this. For example, I have many projects that I am working on to aid in my devotional service and to keep my mind on Kṛṣṇa. This helps me to just try to fix my mind on Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.
One must control the urges of the tongue and belly. We learn to control them by eating only Kṛṣṇa prasadam at scheduled times. One should not eat out to satisfy the whims of the tongue and belly. When we observe fasting days such as Ekadasi and Janmastami, we can restrain the demands of the tongue and the belly.
One must also learn to control the urges of the genitals. They should be used only to beget a Kṛṣṇa conscious child, otherwise, they should not be used.
One who practices resisting these demands or urges is called tapasvi, or one who practices austerities. Tolerance is an austerity and a very important one.
May Lord Kṛṣṇa bless you with tolerance in all situations. Jai Sri Kṛṣṇa!
Those great souls that have realized the transcendental glory, beyond the delusions of material nature, are undisturbed by the modes of nature. I have experienced this peace many times when insulted by non-devotees. I have learned that, without having perfect peace and steadiness in the service of the Lord, it is impossible for one to realize the divine glory that resides beyond the confinement of material nature.
Today, I was told that my parole that was already given to me has been reconsidered. Reconsidered means they will not be releasing me anytime soon. Smiling, I thought to myself, “Oh, I must have more work here that Kṛṣṇa would like me to do.”
Peace and freedom cannot be truly obtained by materially being released from prison. Such peace must be obtained by the mercy of the Lord. It is a peace that assures freedom from the shadowy cycle of birth and death. Some fellow told me, “Man, you are so peaceful. If I was you, I would be real blown away.” By not being conditioned by my material senses, knowing that my love and peace as well as life is in serving the Lord, I simply asked , “Why?” Why would you be moved by the works of material nature? This whole world is constantly changing. Only one who has realized this remains steady and unmoved by the rippling oceans of delusions. One must steady one’s mind, senses and intelligence. Remaining aloof from the waves of the rushing senses, or one drowns in the oceans of repeated birth and death.
The beauty of God shines from the heart of one who is undisturbed and indifferent to the conflicting illusory energy of maya. What is your freedom without devotional service to the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa? You merely reenter the network of material life seeking to gratify the senses which are the very cause of material bondage.
My work here is not yet finished. Many more souls need to hear of the glories of the Lord. This is my duty. Even in hell one who has realized the love of God remains undisturbed and steady in the service of the Lord for he does not relate to the false ego. May the love that has brought me transcendental peace also allow you to see the beauty beyond material nature. This beauty opens the door to the heart, saturating one in perfect peace.
In this material world there are some of us who are unaware of the power of sound and the profound impact is has upon our daily lives. With regard to this subject, sound is so influential that is wholly affects the processes of our thinking, feeling, and on a much deeper level our very existence. This truth, of course, can be seen practically in every activity we experience. Yes, all we have to do to see this truth is analyze only a few of our thoughts, emotions and choices. Although to more fully understand this truth in light of Vedic literatures revealed scriptures, we must hake humble inquiries at the lotus feet of Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa’s, God’s pure devotees within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
Herein, however, let us first simply evaluate how sound affects our thoughts. To do this we only have to take an elementary look at the examples found in our experience of listening to music. Indeed all of us, depending on personal disposition, have listened to songs via radio, various CD’s, and even songs we may have recorded ourselves along with others. Therefore just think for a moment, how did the music we were listening to affect out thoughts? Did any of us become happy or sad by “going” to that special place and time with a wife, husband, friend, family member, or perhaps when we were alone? Did any of us reflect, in any state of mind, upon another aspect of the past, present, or even look ahead to some type of future event? Odds are every one of us answered yes to these two simple questions. Therefore we all can clearly see how music, sound, affects our process of thinking.
Now, as for the process of feeling, what we feel is directly related to what type of thoughts we entertain. In fact, our process of thinking actually effect what we feel. Therefore our feelings may, at one time or another, be depressed as we think, say, of a departed family member or friend. Consequently, we will be inclined to feel sad, and because of this “train of thought” we may also experience other emotions such as sorrow, grief, frustration, etc.; these being manifestations of an undercurrent of pain and conflict.
As for this pain and conflict it comes from our contact with material nature. Inasmuch we must understand that our original spiritual position is to be happy, but because we are identifying with matter, a form of sound, there is always this underlying conflict. Of course, we may not always be aware of such conflict due to those times we are feeling happy. However, we must realize this is only because we are identifying with another frequency of sound.
All of these emotions, and other, are being effected by our thoughts. But here, one may ask, what about those thoughts that just “pop into our head” and effect certain feelings seemingly without any connections to music or, in a broader sense, sound? Well, we learn that nothing just comes into our minds without it being related in some way to sound, from which the ethereal existence evolves and is the medium that carries the various forms of sound into our fields of activity, the various forms of sound include, but are not limited to. Sensations of touch, taste, and sight. Indeed, everything in this entire cosmic material manifestation is related to sound, as the sacred scriptures tell us.
However, before we learn what the śāstras tell us regarding the root of sound, let us briefly look at the process of our willing so as to better understand how sound also influences us in this way, it is said that if we sow a thought, we will reap an action. This, too, can be seen practically by isolating a given activity and then asking ourselves, how did we come to do this one activity? Again, odds are what we find out is that we acted as a result of an influence rooted in sound.