The Kali Yuga series No 5.

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THANKSGIVING DAY CLASS Given by Varsana Maharaja

THURS NOV 28 2013

The class is paraphrased below, entitled: “A Series of Losses”

SB 11.3.7

“Thus the conditioned living entity is forced to experience repeated birth and death. Impelled by the reactions of his own activities, he helplessly wanders from one inauspicious situation to another, suffering from the moment of creation until the time of cosmic annihilation. “

 

“A Series of Losses”

This verse helps us contemplate Thanksgiving Day. It actually sums up the nature of material existence!

Life in this material existence is a series of losses.

Birth means we lose the shelter of the womb, which, although a different type of suffering, has been our first shelter in the material world.

A child grows up and goes to school, where he loses the option of playing all day.

Eventually, a person grows up and gets a job, thus losing more of his/her freedom.

The person often marries or gets ordained, losing their choice of certain options.

When old age comes up, one often eventually loses their independence.

If one becomes ill, they’ve lost their health.

And when you die, you lose it all!

These are just the common losses suffered by everyone.  Many suffer other, more serious losses, such as loss of innocence through abuse, or loss of a loving relationship through betrayal. There is loss of security through abandonment.  There are many other types of losses.

But if a person doesn’t heal from such losses, this can lead to a deeper loss: the loss of hope!  Such inevitable pain may lead to bitterness, where the heart can become cold, hard and closed.

But we have a choice. Whatever choice we make as a result of severe loss can change our lives for the better and turn us toward Krsna and all that He has to offer, or we can turn towards a life of blaming, hatred and resentment, and shame.

We can choose to take responsibility for the reaction to our losses, or we can rationalize them, and blame others for them.

We can listen to the gentle voice within that encourages us to take the responsibility and to learn the lesson, whatever that is.

Not that we musn’t  mourn or grieve the losses.  Even great, saintly souls like Bhisma grieved after the Battle of Kuruksetra. But there is a difference in a great soul’s grieving and mourning a loss, and a materialist’s grieving.  The great soul does NOT IDENTIFY with the grief and loss.  Their tears serve to wash away the illusion of false security, and expose the bitter truth of our brokenness..

Ultimately, we choose to either be resentful, or have gratitude.

Even the mundane hero , Abraham Lincoln, created this holy day of Thanksgiving to give gratitude in the midst of the most troubling time in America’s history – the civil war, when everything was torn apart.  He declared, “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens”.

Our challenge when we suffer a loss is to see the essence beneath the surface.  What is the lesson?  What is Krsna trying to impart to me?

Life on Earth has a beginning and an end, but in between, each and every one of us has a choice what to do with it. Every loss, every closing chapter, opens another chapter in our lives.

There is a big difference between being grateful FOR the injustices, which is very difficult if not impossible at times, but rather let’s be grateful IN the injustices, and choose to learn from them.  Injustices will come, so be grateful in them  and learn the lesson.

Lord Indra learned his hard lesson after Krsna stopped the worship of Indra for the Govardhana Puja worship.  Indra finally admitted, “Krsna, you are my maintainer, my well-wisher, my best friend. Thank you.”

Sunday 22 December is our last day for 2013.

We reopen Tuesday 21st January 2014.

Have a fantastic summer break!

His Grace Bhurijana Prabhu SB 1.11.32

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Part 2 of Lokanatha Swami's wonderful Japa Seminar in Mauritius. Email subscribers please click the blue link above to hear the audio.

Answer Podcast

This is the first of three very important discussions. If you attend all three you will get a complete introduction to Indian philosophy, especially Śrī Caitanya’s school: Bhedābheda Vedānta. There are three essential subjects in Śrī Caitanya’s teachings. The first is sambandha, your relationship to reality. The second is abhideya, how to realize that relationship. And the third is prayojana, the result of realizing it. Your Relationship to Reality (Sambandha-jñāna) Today we will discuss sambandha, your relationship to existence. Existence has three main components. The first is ātman, consciousness. The second is prakṛti,  the objects we are conscious of. The third is īśvara, the origin and foundation of both. We will explain each one. Consciousness (Ātman) It’s difficult to know what really exists. Sometimes we think things exist, but then we wake up and realize we were just dreaming. Who knows if we will “wake up” again and find out that even now we are just dreaming? Sometimes we think something is real, only to find that it disappears and becomes unreal. I once had a car parked in front of my house, and one day I woke up and it wasn’t there anymore. It was stolen and ceased to exist for me. I once had the body of a seven year old boy, but that also no longer exists. One thing we know for sure is that we exist. But what are we? It’s hard to know for sure, everything we think we are keeps changing. First I thought I was a little boy. Then I thought I was a baseball player. Then I thought I was a teenage musician. Then I thought I was a monk in a temple. Now I think I am a husband and father. Which one am I? It is confusing. But if we look carefully into ourselves we can find one thing that is always there. “I.” I am a boy. I am a baseball player. I am a musician. I am a father. “I” is in all these ideas. What is this “I”? It is consciousness. One thing we can say for sure is that we are consciousness. Consciousness is like light. If there is no light you cannot perceive any objects in the room, but when there is light you become aware of everything. Consciousness is the “light” that shines on things, enabling us to perceive ourselves and the world around us. But consciousness is a very special kind of light. An ordinary light is not aware of what it shines on; it simply reveals objects to others. Consciousness is a light that is aware of what it shines on; it reveals objects to itself. Many religions call consciousness the “soul.” In Sanskrit we call it ātman. It is your true self – who you really are. Meditate carefully on your own consciousness and you’ll begin to realize that you are always conscious of things from a particular point of view. If you and I look at the same picture, we  both become aware of the picture, but from different angles. It’s more than a physical viewing angle, we have different emotional and intellectual angles as well. What does this reveal about consciousness? It shows that consciousness is always subjective and individually distinct. Individuality is not a problem, it is part of the beauty naturally inherent in consciousness itself.[1] Objects of Consciousness (Prakṛti) We know that we exist and we know that other things exist, too. Look at a tree, for example, and you will realize, “I exist and the tree exists.” The “I” that really exists is not a temporary identity with a certain age, gender, nationality, and so on. It is the true “I” – consciousness. Similarly, the tree that really exists is not what it seems to be on the surface. Think carefully about the tree. If you look at it long enough sometimes it will have green leaves, sometimes red, sometimes none at all, and sometimes it is covered in flowers! If we observe it long enough it will disappear, or change into dirt. The tree exists, but not always in the same form. This is very different from consciousness. Consciousness always exists in the same form, but the objects we experience with our consciousness always change their form.[2] We cannot have a permanent relationship with any object, because, like the main character in Hinotori, we are eternal and everything we encounter is temporary. We deeply desire a real and permanent relationship, however.  Where can we find it? Is there something real and permanent behind all the temporary things everywhere around us? Behind all the changing forms are eight primordial elements. A tree is not really a tree. It is really a temporary permutation of these eight elements: solids, liquids, energies, gasses, space, emotion, intellect and self-centeredness.[3] These elements are eternal, but they aren’t personal. We can’t have a satisfying relationship with them, and we also can’t interact with them in their eternal form. We can only interact with their temporary permutations. But where do these eight elements come from? This leads us to the third aspect of reality: īśvara - the origin of everything. The Foundation (Īśvara) We are confused about who we are. Since our consciousness can be put into confusion, it’s not logical to say that it is the ultimate source of itself. There must be things more powerful than our consciousness, and our consciousness must have a source. The elements that form the objects we are conscious of also must have a source. We know they don’t come from us – because we can’t perfectly control or understand them. What entity is the source of both consciousness and the objects of consciousness? Although we rationally know that such an entity must exist, it’s impossible to intellectually comprehend what that entity is – since it’s beyond perception and objects of perception. We can avail ourselves of statements made by those who have realized this entity.[4] If we meditate carefully on such things with all our hearts and minds, we can realize that this entity must be completely outside our limitations, self-causing, and perfectly able to satisfy our need for a real, permanent loving relationship – the entity must be All-Attractive. That is what the word “Krishna” means. But to fully comprehend and realize our permanent relationship to Krishna requires a trans-intellectual process. That process is the topic of the entire next discussion.

これは三つ重要な話合いの最初のものです。すべての三つに出席し、あなたはインド哲学への完全な導入を取得します, 特にŚrī Caitanyaの分科: Bhedābheda Vedānta。 Śrī Caitanyaの教えにある三つ本質的な話題があります。最初はSambhandha, 「実在にあなたの関係」。第二はAbhideya, 「その関係をどのように実現するか」。第三はPrayojana、「それを実現したの結果」。 実在にあなたの関係 (Sambandha-jñāna) 今日はSambandhaについて説明します、実在にあなたの関係」。 実在は三つの成分があります。最初はātman、「意識」まったは「人心地」。第二はprakṛti、「知覚の対象」。第三はīśvara、「両方の本元」。 それぞれを説明します。 意識 (Ātman) 本当の存在をしることは難しいことです。時々私たちはここに存在しているとおもっているけど、目がさめると夢だったんだと悟ります。もしまためざめて今でさえわたしたちは夢を見てるんだということをだれがしってるんでしょう？　時々私たちはこれは本当だと思っています。それをみつけるのは唯一、それがなくなってしまったら本当じゃなくなります。わたしは一度自分の家の前に車を止めていました。ある日目が覚めると なくなってたんです。盗まれたんです。私にとって存在しない物になりました。わたしは７歳の男の子の体だったときがありましたが、それも、もう存在していません。 一つたしかなことは私たちは存在しているということです でも私たちは何なんでしょう？ 正確なことをしるのは難しいです。すべてが変わり続けていると考えてる。最初、私は子供だと思っていた。そして私は野球の選手だと思ってた。私は若いミュージシャン、私はお寺のお坊さん、そして今は私はお父さんで旦那さんだとおもってる。どれが私なんでしょうか？困惑します。でももし注意深くみつめれば　いつもそこに’私’ということが見つけられます。 私は少年。私は野球の選手。私はミュージシャン。私はお父さん。’私’というのがすべてのアイデアです。この’私’とは何ですか？ それは意識です。１つ確かに言えるのは。私たちは意識だということです。 意識というのは明かりのようです。もし明かりがないと部屋の中の物がなにもみえないです。でも明かりがついたらすべてが明確になります。意識は、私たちの世界や自分で明確にすることを可能にし、物事をかがやかせる明かりです。 でも意識はとても特殊な明かりです。普通の明かりは何が照らされてるか気づかない。ただ物をほかに現すだけです。意識は何が照らされているか知って明かりです。自分で物を現せるものです。 いろんな宗教が意識は魂(“soul”)だと言ってます。Sanskritでこれはātmaとよんでます。真実のあなたー本当のあなたです。 自分の意識を注意深く瞑想してみてください。自分の意識を注意深く瞑想してみてください。あなたはいつも物事の見方の意識だということを悟り始めるでしょう。もしあなたと私が同じ写真をみて２人とも写真に気づきました。でも違った見解で！！外見的な見解よりも違った感情や理知的な観点から見て！！ なにが意識を明らかにするんでしょうか？意識はいつも主観的で個人的に全く別の物だとみせてます。個人性は問題ないです。自然に生まれつき意識にある美しさの一つです・[1] 意識の対象(Prakṛti) わたしたちも存在してるし他の人も存在してるということをしってます。木を見てください。例をとって言うとわたしも木も存在してるということを悟るでしょう。本当に存在している私は一時的な個性でわなく、年齢、性、何人などにとらわれない私です。本当の私ー意識です。同様に本当に存在している木は表面に現れている物ではありません。 注意深く木のことを思ってみてください。もし長い期間みていたら　時々青い葉っぱがあります、時々赤い葉っぱ、はっぱが何もないときもあります。花で満開になってるときもあります。観察し続けたらなくなってたり、土に変わってるかもしれません。 木は存在してるけどいつもおなじすがたではありません。これは意識と全く違う点です。意識はいつも同じ姿で存在しています。でも私たちの意識で体験する対象(この体）はいつもそれらの姿に変化します。[2] だから、私たちはどんな対象とも永久な関係をもつことはできません。なぜならちょうど主な特徴のある火の鳥のように私たちは永遠です。そしてわたしたちにすべて。おこってくることは一時期です。どんなに深く真実や永遠の関係を望んだとしても、どこでみつけることができるんでしょう？私たちにおこってくるすべての一時的なことの背後に真実や永遠なことがあるんでしょうか？ すべて変化していく体には８つの基本的な要素があります。木は本当は木ではありません。本当は一時的にこれら８つの要素（地、水、火、風、空白、心、知性、偽の自我）で成り立っています。[3] これらの要素は永遠です。でもそれらは人格をもっていません。私たちは物質と関係をもつことで満足を得られません。そして物質の永遠な様相とも交流することができません。ただそれらの一時的変化したものとふれあうことができます。でもこの８つの要素はどこから来たんでしょう？このことは３つめの真実の本義īśvara（すべての根源）に導いてくれます。 両方の本元 (Īśvara) 私たちは一体誰なんだと困惑しています。意識が困惑状況にあるのにその意識が究極的な根源だというのは理屈にあってません。私たちの意識よりもっと強力なものがあるはずです。そして私たちの意識の源があるはずです。 意識も源があるはずです。体の対象の要素は私たちからできてないことは知ってます。なぜなら私たちが要素を完全に支配したり、理解することができないからです。 どんな生命が物質と精神の両方の源なんでしょう？合理的にこのような生命体が存在していることを知っています。その生命が何か？認識の対象と認識を超えているので、知的に理解することは不可能です。 ですから悟った生命によってつくられた言葉が　役に立つのです。[4] もしこのような書物を注意深く心から瞑想したなら、この生命は完全に自分たちの限界を超えていて自分たちの源だということを悟ることができるでしょう。そして私たち自身に必要なことを完全に満足させることができ、永遠な愛の関係をあたえることができるということも悟ることができます。その生命体はすべてを魅了するお方に違いありません。それがクリシュナという言葉の意味なんです。 でもそのことを完全に理解し、クリシュナとの永遠の愛の関係を悟ることは超越した知的な方法が必要です。その方法のトピックについてはつぎの討論になります。

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjP5Smzt

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Two very dogmatic assumptions of science: (1) life comes from matter, (2) there is no life after death (everything is matter)

These two dogmatic theories are the fundamental assumptions to modern day science. The two theories can be summed up in one word "materialism". Modern science reduces all matter to materialism that consciousness is but a by-product of chemical reactions in the brain and as Richard Dawkins puts it humans are "lumbering robots".

Leaders in science and general scientific community is avidly pushing this singular agenda that life is but a combination of chemicals and the ultimate goal is to push on our species. Because there is no separation between science and state, the Government is enacting universal policies based on scientific materialism. Therefore on a subtle subconscious level, our lifestyle is designed on principles of materialism. People lack any moral compass and behave in ways that has nothing to do with genuine spiritual values. This materialism has also impacted world religions and hence global terrorism/wars.

So if we can rationally and logically prove the above two scientific assumptions as dogmatic, then we can grab the attention of people to other genuine spiritual concepts. Till then, impacting the bigger population of spiritual values is not going to be easy.

Hare Krishna

Conversation.

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On 8th Dec. Sunday New Vrindavan was covered by Snow Read more ›

The lounge reopens Tuesday 21st January 2014.

We hope you had a fantastic summer break!

Recently I posted a quote by my Gurudeva, Śrīmad Dhanurdhara Swāmī, to a Facebook Page I maintain on his behalf. The quote is: “Argumentative logic is part of the ego of trying to establish oneself to be superior. Once you get into that mood you can never understand God. There is no way you can realize the Absolute Truth without becoming the humble servant of the Absolute Truth.”

The post generated a lot of attention and a few comments displaying a dissenting opinion and an enduring appreciation for the apparent value of argumentative logic. It was my honor that Gurudev asked me to reply to the comments, suggesting I base my reply on the 74th and 75th sūtras of Śrī Nārada Bhakti Sūtra.

Here is the reply I made:

वादो नावलम्ब्यः ॥७४॥ बाहुल्यावकाशत्वादनियतत्वाच्च ॥७५॥
vādo nāvalambyaḥ (74) bahulyāvakāśatvād aniyatatvāc ca (75)

“Do not depend upon logic and argument. They lead to endless debate, and no clear conclusion.” 

What should we do with our intellect, if not argue and debate? Sūtra 76 explains:

भक्तिशास्त्राणि मननीयानि तद्बोधककर्माणि करणीयानि ॥७६॥
bhakti-śāstrāṇi mananīyāni tad-bodhaka-karmaṇi karaṇīyāni (76)

“Respectfully apply your mind to the Bhakti Śāstras, and perform acts which empower you to comprehend them.”

We can justify our argumentativeness by saying that it is “for Krishna.” But in fact we are not supposed to be argumentative, period. We are supposed to apply our minds (manas) in a respectful, receptive spirit (mananīyāni) to the bhakti-śāstras, presided over by Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

“Preaching” does not involve argument, either. It involves respectfully and affectionately explaining the bhakti-śāstra to others. “Tad-bodhaka” (intellectual comprehension of bhakti) arises not from argumentative “preaching” but by affectionate and respectful mutual engagement in “tad-bodhaka-karmani” (the deeds and conduct which facilitates comprehension of bhakti).

Here is the statement of Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, from Mahābhārata, Vana-Parva 313.117, quoted by the great logician Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī after he was impressed deeply by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

तर्को ऽप्रतिष्ठः श्रुतयो विभिन्ना नासाव् ऋषिर् यस्य मतं न भिन्नम्।
धर्मस्य तत्त्वं निहितं गुहायां महाजनो येन गतः स पन्थाः॥

tarko ‘pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā
nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataḿ na bhinnam
dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guhāyāḿ
mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ

“The many, many contradictory statements in Śruti (scripture) cannot be rectified by argument, nor is one even thought of as a scholar unless he exaggerates his own differences of opinion. The essential truth exists only with the hearts of great souls, and we should walk upon the path they have chalked out.”

Argument only leads to exaggeration of our differences, it does not lead to clear, unified conclusions. It does not grant vision of the essence of truth. The real path to truth is not traversed by debate, argument and logic – it is traversed by love.

Here is the statement of Śrī Rūpa Goswāmī . In Bhakti-Rasāmṛta Sindhu 1.2.113 he enumerates the 12th – 14th principle practices of sādhana-bhakti:

शिष्याननुबन्दधित्वादि त्रयं यथा सप्तमे
न शिष्याननुबाध्नीत ग्रन्थान्नैवभ्यसेद्बहुन्।
न वाख्यामुपयुज्ञित नारम्भानारभेत क्वचित्॥

śiṣyān anubanddhitvādi trayam yathā saptame:
na śiṣyan anubādhnīta granthān naivabhyased bahūn.
na vākhyām upayuñjita nārambhān ārabhet kvacit.

“About the three principles beginning with not being attached to having disciples, the seventh canto says: ’Never, ever make a big effort to attract disciples, explain many books, or get involved in debates.’”

As the 76th śloka of Nārada Bhakti Sūtra pointed out, it is not that we should be dumb, silly, or voluntarily stupid. We should apply our intellects fully to the bhakti-śāstra in a receptive and respectful mood. It is the absence of the receptive and respectful mood that makes a debate a “debate” and an argument an “argument.” It is what separates “argument” from kīrtan, and “debate” from kathā.

Our valuable time should be engaged in something that will actually make us happy: Krishna-kīrtan and Krishna-kathā. That is why the next sutra in Nārada Bhakti Sūtra says:

(77) सुखदुःखेच्छालाभादित्यक्ते काले प्रतीक्षमाणे क्षणार्धमपि व्यर्थं न नेयम्।
sukha-duḥkhecchā-lābhādi-tyakte kāle pratīkṣamāṇe kṣaṇārdham api vyarthaṁ na neyam

“Thus, give up the desires regarding loss and gain, and at each and every moment, never waste half an instant in something useless.”

Nārada-bhakti-sūtra is telling us that argument and debate (and their accouterments) only lead to material gain and loss. We should give them all up and focus all our energy on spending each and every moment engaged in truly profitable pursuits – the pursuit of genuine spiritual love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Krishna.

The only subject to be considered carefully is contained within the three words of this mantra:

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे। हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे॥

1967 December 16: "I have given you a business idea and once you are successful in this you will get money more than your expectation and you can spend it for Krishna's service."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1967 December 16: "My dictaphone is a little out of order and as soon as I get it back my work on Srimad-Bhagavatam will begin. At present, I cannot sleep more than three hours at night, and one hour in day. So if I keep fit, I think I shall have ample time to work."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1974 December 16: "I am very happy to hear of the large number of new devotees you are recruiting. That is the real fruit of our preaching work, when people come and join and help us to spread this Krsna Consciousness movement."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 December 16: "The difficulty is our GBC men are falling victim to maya. Today I trust this GBC and tomorrow he will fall down. So whatever we may resolve it will not be very useful."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 December 16: "Our actual credit is that we are simply repeating Bhagavad-gita As It Is without changing it, altering it or adding any mundane opinion. We simply repeat what previous acaryas have said and that is our merit. Therefore it is being accepted all over the world."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

Gala Night Closing Kirtan with HH Kadamba Kanana Swami – 2013

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