The Extremism in branding the Gita as “Extremist”

The Bhagavad-gita recently shot back to fame. And it was encouraging to see the modern man discussing the subtleties of the Gita. From students in college cafeterias to panel discussions on some television news channels to columns in popular newspapers in the country, most Indians were a part of this never-before hype that the Gita has generated in recent times. Queerly enough, the sudden interest was sparked by an attempt in Siberia to brand the Bhagavad-gita as “extremist literature” and ban its publication, possession and distribution throughout the nation. The list of literature already branded such includes the likes of “Mein Kampf” by Adolf Hitler. Needless to add, there were many protagonists on both sides of the fray each trying to stake his claim to the truth.

To set things straight, I decided to refer to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary for a definition of the word “extremist.” I got two entries viz.

1. the quality or state of being extreme

2. advocacy of extreme measures or views.

Both these definitions are not on a positive note. “Being extreme” refers to someone who in an unbalanced manner, is always prone to choose extreme solutions for problems. Who would want a person like that around? Sometimes, we ourselves could have unknowingly reflected that quality yet we would not willingly and conscientiously choose the company of such a person. Such a person would be driven by negativity and would be a quick, often rash decision-maker. When one sees positivity around one does not lean towards swift solutions; rather one wants to take advantage of that hope and take a decision that has more chances of prolonging that positivity, and when we want to take a decision like that we need to think more. A person working and thinking on these lines is a symbol of hope. Thus, we would rather have around someone who is rationally inclined and positively oriented in life than an “extreme” person.

Is Krishna an extreme person?

Time and again, the pages of Gita pronounce boldly the concept of equanimity. The Gita is spoken by Lord Krishna in the setting of an ancient equivalent of a modern world war. Anyone would proclaim that this is certainly not a place to maintain equanimity; after all a war calls for rapid action not assertive declarations. But what is a greater challenge to accept than this? To be equipoised in a place of peace is possible and often accomplished by us but if someone could achieve this in the  midst of a battle-field that would be something praiseworthy. Krishna wants Arjuna to do that. Krishna wants us to learn that. This is extremely valuable instruction for us. This could be the place where the Gita really does get extreme—in its expectations from the readers that they rise to a high level of tolerance of what life has to offer to them. Whatever life may offer to us, if we can remain undisturbed that would really be something worthwhile to achieve. Also, it is worthwhile to mention that a war is not always fought on the field, it is also fought on the planning board of the generals where decisions have to be taken not in a fit of rage but in the calmness of contemplation; equanimity could be a very desirable asset by this consideration.

Does Krishna advocate extreme measures or views?

Krishna is approached by Arjuna to get guidance and so Krishna does get into the role of someone who suggests solutions. Philosophically, he tries to present the truth at different levels of understanding. Sometimes advising on the platform of reward, sometimes on the level of duty and sometimes on the level of devotion to the supreme, Krishna does speak about different ways in which Arjuna could solve the dilemma he is facing. On a practical front, Krishna wants Arjuna to fight the war. Is that something wrong? Considering that Arjuna is from a warrior clan, it is expected from him to wage a war against anyone who wishes to disturb the smooth functioning of mankind’s journey towards salvation. Someone could brand violence (an unavoidable component of war) as an “extreme measure.” Is performing a surgery not violence on the patient? Yet anyone who has ever undergone a surgery, heaves a sigh of relief much to the pleasure of the surgeon who has, from one perspective, subjected his patient to violence. Here, we come to another understanding of violence – “necessary violence” and “unnecessary violence.” A surgery could be categorized as “necessary violence”—something that frees the patient from relentless pain and an armed assault on a well-meaning citizen could be categorized as “unnecessary violence”—something that causes the citizen relentless pain. One could go a step further and add that not performing a surgery when it is necessary could be indeed categorized as “unnecessary violence.” Coming back to the original question, could advocacy of war then be termed as “advocacy of extreme measures or views?” To someone who is unaware of the events that led to the mega-battle of Kurukshetra, the answer to this question could be in the affirmative just as much as someone, unaware of the severity of a patient’s disease, witnesses a patient undergoing a surgery and has a chance to call it “advocacy of extreme measures or views.” However, someone who understands the urgency of the situation(s) would not be so quick and harsh at his opinions and would take the time to consider the applicability of measures of “necessary violence.”

To give some credit to those who have raised a ruckus over the Gita, I would put it like this—it is mentioned about the Lord that He is extremely concerned about the sad state of His children who, in separation from Him are burning in the wild forest-fire of the material existence. In this context, since the words of the Gita are the words of the extremely concerned Lord, it could be, to that extent, called extreme. This is the closest that the Gita gets to extremism.

Stopping Extremism

The world is at it again. At least some are. And there are signs that slowly the others are catching up.

Some time back, the Hungarian government led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban has started a new church law taking effect from Jan 1, 2012 that could strip the followers of Hinduism in Hungary of their status as a “recognized church.” Only 14 churches have been granted status by the present government. The church law has been harshly criticized by human rights advocates, policy experts and opposition groups, who see it as another attempt by the government to ensure political control over many institutions earlier considered at least nominally independent.

Now, it is the Russian government that is up in arms against the Hare Krishnas. The state prosecutor’s office has initiated proceedings against the Russian edition of Bhagavad-gita on charges of “religious extremism.” The prosecutor’s office requested the court to include the book in the Federal List of Extremist Materials along with Hitler’s Mein Kampf and other literatures illegal in Russia, and to ban its printing, possession, and distribution. This move has been initiated by the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB) and the Russian Orthodox Church. You can get more details at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita_trial_in_Russia

Anyone who has ever beenfitted from the Gita’s teachings should immediately help those affected. Please visit http://www.petitions24.com/gita and register your vote against this extremist measure. You will recieve an email from the website asking you to confirm your vote. Your vote is complete and registered only when you click on this link. The case starts on Dec 19. We need to work before that.

Is Knowledge Born?

December 6 2011 is GitA Jayanti – the day on which Bhagavad-gitA was spoken by Lord Krishna to Arjuna around 5000 years ago. Many will celebrate the occassion throughout the world. The word “jayanti” is used specifically to indicate birth of an incarnation of the supreme Lord. Thus, a thought comes to my mind – can spiritual knowldege be born on some specific day?

The common understanding is that creation of some knowledge is time-bound. For instance, there were no personal computers in the first half of the past century and so knowledge related to personal computers has come into being during a specific period of the later part of the last century. Some recent developments in the field of technology viz. the “Blu-ray” disc etc. were also invented some years back and so one can attribute the beginning years of this century to the these recent “births” of knowldege related to these technologies.

When we talk of the knowldege in the Bhagavad-gitA, we speak of something else.

In the Bhagavad-gitA, just at the beginning of the 4th chapter, Lord Krishna changes the track of His talk and starts off another topic by Himself. To the uninformed, this seems like a sudden twist in His talk. Previously, His talk had been more or less a response to various questions from Arjuna’s side. At this point, however, Krishna continues speaking by Himself, not needing a question or a comment from Arjuna’s side to stimulate Him.

He mentions in 4.1

imam vivasvate yogam
proktavAn aham avyayam
vivasvAn manave prAha
manur ikshvAkave ‘bravit

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Shri Krishna, said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, VivasvAn, and VivasvAn instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to IkshvAku.

Imagine a scenario when two friends are together and one of the them is undergoing a deep crisis in his life. He is undergoing a trauma that he has never seen or experienced before. His intelligence has come to a halt and all his valor is put to rest. In such a situation, when the other friend starts speaking kind words of advice, what would one expect about the nature of the advice? Would one expect that the kind-hearted friend rattles off some high-sounding philosophy or would one expect that the friend speaks something very personal and timely?

I would expect a friend who would speak something that is necessary for the occassion–something that will help me face the situation in my life without falling a prey to it–something very personal and something very timely.

Arjuna was indeed recieving such help when he confided in his friend Krishna. He was receieveing personal and tailor-made help.

Yet Krishna wanted to make a point–He was not just serving a temporary purpose to help His dear friend, He was also making a statement for all time to come that He is with those who are with dharma. (The Sanskrit word “dharma” is sometimes taken to mean religion or righteousness/ morality but there is no English equivalent for it. The world literally means something that upholds or supports the universal law and order. Within this understanding is included various acts or rituals, the philosophy of life, practical recommendations for living our lives by the philosophy and everything else that supports the concept. Thus, far from being some kind of a theoretical cultural hegemony, it is a very dynamic concept.) To prove His point, Lord Krishna mentions in the verse under discussion that He has given this knowledge to the Sun God VivasvAn at the beginning of creation. Lord Krishna thus wants to help Arjuna (and anyone else who reads the GitA) understand that the knowledge that He is giving to Arjuna is timeless knowldege, not born at a particular moment for a solving a particular need or a purpose. It is not a narrow-minded, time-serving strategy to help one’s own friend but a universal principle from the beginning of creation to help one and all.

Then, is Krishna being an insensitive friend in that He is just dishing out to His needy friend something that He had already spoken to someone else? No. Certainly not. Krishna speaks the same principles that He had spoken to VivasvAn but the application of that principle is specifically for Arjuna as per His individual need and interest. Throughout the GitA, there are instances where Krishna speaks endearingly to Arjuna, never forgetting that this is being spoken to His dearmost friend (ref GitA 4.3, 6.40, 9.1, 10.1, 11.47, 11.52, 18.64, 18.65)

There is an English expression – the best of both worlds. I think, the GitA fits into the understanding of this phrase the best. It is simultaneously eternal knowledge that forms the basis of life and also a very personal set of motivational guidelines to His dear friend Arjuna given to Him when he needed them the most.

Thus, the GitA Jayanti that we celebrate on a particular day does not indicate the birth of this knowledge. Rather, it indicates that the eternal and foundational spiritual  knowledge has been applied one more time to help a needy friend on this particular day. The day then signifies the softheartedness of the supreme Lord rather than indicating that He serves temporary purposes.

The Resting Place of Everything

We hear that God is the supreme resting place of all that be. Sometimes, this could get difficult for us to understand. How can everything be within Him? Our finite intelligence is unable to fathom this. It is almost inconceivable to understand how the whole material creation can rest in a person.

Lord Krishna mentions an interesting example in the Bhagavad-gItA (9.6)

yathAkAsha-sthito nityam
vAyuH sarvatra go-mahAn
tathA sarvANi bhUtAni
mat-sthAnity upadhAraya

Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, all created beings rest in Me.

For us, the sky is unlimitedand there is no extent to it. It pervades in all directions and everything that we can rest our eyes upon falls within its expanse. Within that sky, the wind that is blowing is the greatest manifestation. Air in the form of wind can blow in all directions unrestricted. Sometimes, it even takes the violent form of a cyclone or a typhoon and simple ravages everything in its path. The world has seen plenty of such incidents in the recent past. Even though the wind posseses such phenomenal power, it nevertheless is contained within the sky. Wind can never go beyond the sky.

Also, as the wind is freely moving around, it has no influence over the sky. The sky remains what it is and provides facility for wind to move around.

Similarly, the Lord contains everything within Himself and sustains it with His inconceivable power. Yet, nothing that He sustains can touch Him. He remains forever free from any type of contamination. Even though the support (the Lord) supports the supported (the creation), they are without contact with each other in that the supported cannot affect the support. The Lord is free from any kind of attachment to the ever changing transitory creations of the material world; He remains all-spiritual always. Yet the Lord (support) completely supports the supported. Without the Lord, the creation cannot exist.

This is the understanding that the Bhagavad-gItA gives of the relationship between the Lord and His creation.

Contact With the Supreme

Today is the age of communication. We want to stay in touch with so many people–friends, family members, relatives, workplaces contacts… Whew…The list goes on. Contact with some gives us happiness and with some we hope it could have been better. Amidst all these experiences, what if we could contact the supreme? At least, this contact would always be full of bliss and positivity. But, how would we do that?

In the Bhagavad-gita(6.28), Lord Krishna answers this question,

yunjann evam sadAtmAnam
yogi vigata-kalmashah
sukhena brahma-samsparsham
atyantam sukham ashnute

“Thus the self-controlled yogi, constantly engaged in yoga practice, becomes free from all material contamination and achieves the highest stage of perfect happiness in transcendental loving service to the Lord.“

 

This verse is interesting because it presents the concept of contacting the supreme in a very radically different way. It mentions that by serving the Lord, we can stay in  touch with Him.

When we serve the supreme Lord in any of the nine prescribed ways viz. hearing, chanting, remembering, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him, we are in constant touch with Him – which translates into we are constantly undergoing purification, no matter what we have been and even what we are in the present.

Is not this hopeful?

On another note – think about it – when you began reading about contacting different people at the beginning of this post, what came to your mind?  Maybe you thought of meeting people or talking to them on phone. Some of you who are tech-savvy might have thought of staying in touch with people through Facebook or some similar social networking sites.

In the present verse, Lord Krishna says that a yogi (aspiring spiritualist) contacts the supreme through constant loving service to Him. Isn’t this a wonderfully different way of contacting someone we want to? As per the present verse, we do not need to go and touch someone physically to contact the supreme. Does this not simplify things so much?

Since we are talking about contact between an aspiring spiritualist and the supreme Lord, we will discuss with the help of an example. Think of two substances – one pure and another impure. When they come in touch with each other, what is the result? Is the resultant substance pure or impure?

To make matters easy, let me give you something practical – imagine two containers of water – one with pure water and one with contaminated water and then you mix them both. What will  be the resultant mixture like? Will it be pure or will it be impure?

Think about it.

I would say – it depends on the quantity. If the pure water is more in quantity than impure water then the resultant mixture will be more or less called pure (with some impurity within it) and if the impure water is more in quantity as compared to pure water then the resultant mixture would be called impure largely (with some traces of pure water within it).

Now consider this – what happens when the impure devotee (who still is not pure in his motives and aspirations) contacts the all-pure Lord?

Does this result also depend of quantity?

The supreme Lord is the source of all purity. Whatever purity exists in this world is only a small fraction of His purity. Whatever may be the level of impurity of the aspirant, when such a person comes in contact with the supreme Lord, he is bound to get purified. There is no chance that some impure people will stay impure even when in touch with the supreme. Whoever one is, whatever may be the background, when someone touches the supreme Lord, such a person is bound to get purified.

Is not this amazingly simple?

There is no need to change your place. Wherever you are, start serving the Lord in some way that appeals to you and you are in contact with the supreme. The benefits are in plenty too.

Are you ready for this then?

A launch-pad for intelligent decision-making

In my last post, I discussed about the principle of satisfaction. In my present post, I discuss the principle of satisfaction from a different perspective.

An exam is fast approaching and depending on your particular stream of interest, you are frantically trying to cram all kinds of formulae/ equations/ facts and figures/ histories etc. into your brain and it really seems that this technique works—all the different details are really aligning themselves properly in your head. When asked your brain does supply you the expected bit of information from your memory. At the critical hour, when the question paper reaches your hands, all that you had read is at your disposal. You can mercifully still remember all that you had gone through during your preparations. As you begin answering the questions, you realize that nothing fruitful comes out of the whole collection of data that remains locked up inside you. It appears like a huge pile of information that has stocked up in your brain and there is nothing worthwhile you could do with it. The whole thing seems more like goods in an attic rather than in a shop.

Modern times have made us a witness to this kind of a phenomenon recurringly. We know so much but we cannot choose so much. We have seen so much but we have not learnt so much. We have heard so much but we are not wise so much. I am becoming knowledgeable but not intelligent. All the information within is only worth so much space rather than to help me arrive somewhere or even towards somewhere. So many times, textbooks have appeared to me to be mere compilations of pieces of information from all over without any substance in it to help me grow. What is missing in this overpowering hailstorm of information?

The Bhagavad-gita again comes to our rescue. Verse 2.65 says,

prasAde sarva-duhkhAnAm

hAnir asyopajAyate

prasanna-cetaso hy Ashu

buddhih paryavatishThate

“For one thus satisfied [in Krishna consciousness], the threefold miseries of material existence exist no longer; in such satisfied consciousness, one’s intelligence is soon well established.”

Lord Krishna mentions in this verse that satisfaction is very important for someone to have a well-established intelligence. For discussion sake, we could fairly define intelligence as an ability in us that helps us differentiate right from wrong, good from bad, useful from useless etc. Without this ability to distinguish chaff from grain, our efforts to advance further would all be useless. We would just be accumulating more and more knowledge and yet without the ability to discriminate the essential from the non-essential, it would all be energy ill-spent.

As per the present verse under discussion, satisfaction acts like a launch-pad for a well-established intelligence. When one is satisfied with what life has to offer, he experiences a kind of a joy—not much of the exuberant or expressive type but a more internal type. Troubles no longer affect such a person  and pains do not touch such a person. Do you know someone who has a relationship issue and is just not able to be a pleasant gentleman during his day at the office? In spite of all that he has, such a person is seen as very irritable and prone to arguments. Lack of a healthy relationship shakes the very foundation of one’s life sometimes. On the other hand, when one experiences a healthy and stable relationship with someone, within that reciprocation is hidden the strength to overcome all the obstacles that life has to offer to you. History had shown how men (and women) have gone to great lengths just to please/ protect someone they loved and cared for. Conversely in absence of any such loved one, intelligent wizards sometimes have become desperados.

A relationship with God is one such relationship that is worthy of being sought. When one experiences reciprocation from the Lord, because of the very nature of unchallenged eternity of this kind of a reciprocation, a devotee becomes increasingly joyous in the company of his ever well-wisher. Such a person is empowered to encounter and surpass all obstacles that may come his way. Nothing deters him because nothing is worthy of deterring him from meeting the Supreme Lord.

In such a condition, all that he has within is put to use and wonderful things result. Knowledge put to use in a constructive way could constitute another definition of intelligence. Are the unintelligent not knowledgeable? I would disagree. They are knowledgeable. Yet, they do not know which part of the vast amount of knowledge that they posses is worth applying in their lives and which part is worth rejecting. An intelligent man is characterized by his wisdom. He can separate the needless from the needful. In another situation the needful and needless may interchange their positions. A wise man will still be correct in his choice.

But all this requires satisfaction. No wonder that in the world around people are increasingly knowledgeable and less intelligent. Small kids will tell you about things you do not know but ask them about which is a better choice in a certain situation and he will be speechless.

Pursuing the path of God offers us a chance to experience the highest levels of satisfaction. Without satisfaction, our facts and figures will stop at merely being information. But we want more that that—we want to be intelligent. To be intelligent, we need a good launch pad. And satisfaction is the key.

Experiencing Satisfaction

All of us are looking for pleasure. The more we get it, the more we want it. Seems that no matter how much we get there is always some more that we could do with. For eg. the eyes are always searching for someone or something beautiful to look at; we have had many experiences in the past of this but the eyes want more. The ears are always looking for something sweet to hear; many have praised us before and we could have found satisfaction but the ears want more. Similarly, the other senses are also waiting to get more and more.

Where will this end? Where will this thirst for more lead us to?

In the Bhagavad-gita (17.16), Lord Shri Krishna says:

manah-prasAdah saumyatvam
maunam Atma-vinigrahah
bhAva-samshuddhir ity etat
tapo mAnasam ucyate

“And satisfaction, simplicity, gravity, self-control and purification of one’s existence are the austerities of the mind.“

Interestingly, Lord Krishna speaks about the austerities of the mind and cites satisfaction as one of those in the present verse. We would think that satisfaction would be a quality of the senses—if the ears get satisfied the job is done, if the eyes are satisfied then I am saved. Here there is a surprise.

Krishna links the quality of satisfaction to the mind rather than to the immediate seekers—the senses. This is important for all of us to note if we desire satisfaction in our lives.

Mohandas Gandhi said “The world has enough for everyone’s needs but not enough for one man’s greed.” We have contemporary examples in the form of Hitler, Stalin etc. and examples of Ravana etc from days of yore.

How do we experience satisfaction then? Ravana had plenty; he had his hands full with much more than any other king could imagine. Imagine a city of gold complete with elaborate town-planning and flourishing gardens etc. Yet, he desired more. The senses, it seems, are indefatigable in their demands. What should be done then?

We can instead of trying to famish the senses, direct them to a higher engagement—a purer standard of enjoyment. How does this solve our problem, one may ask? Are we not just delaying the problem but continuing to supply the same demands that have made the mind insatiable in the first place?

The answer is—since we are not going against the nature of the senses viz. to enjoy, the senses are better situated. In an artificial condition of depriving them of what they are seeking will not be a good strategy in the long run. Any parent who has demanding kids can understand this principle. If you deny the kids what they want, they only create trouble for you. If you give them something that they want, you seem to please them but they do not get good habits which is also not good for them in the long run. A mature parent gives them something that will help them grow while enjoying something that they naturally covet.

Let me cite a story from my childhood.

In my early teens, I wanted a bicycle of my own. The world beckoned me with its vast arrangement of roads, lanes, by-lanes etc. As I requested my father to provide me a bicycle, he informed me that I would have to build my own. This startled me. What did this mean? Was he taking me out of school and sending me to some factory where I would be a part of the child labor building bicycles? I was uncomfortable with the very thought. Maybe, I thought I should be just content with walking my way around the town.

He clarified. He would provide me with a bicycle-builidng kit. It would have all the spare-parts necessary along with an instruction sheet, manual etc. I would have to refer to the instruction sheet and check the parts provided and assemble my own bicycle. With this clarification, my initial fear vanished but there was some apprehension about the whole concept of building my own bicycle. I was wondering about how it would come out. Maybe my bicycle would not be so safe at high speeds since I was unskilled, to say the least, in assembling my own cycle. I had never heard of anyone else amongst my friends who also had been advised similarly to build their own vehicle for exploring the world.

Yet things really took place that way. After three days of some labor and a few scratches on my hand, I had my own bicycle built by my own hard efforts. And it worked well for my needs.

Some explorations of my hometown with my friends and I quickly realized that my friends would use their vehicles carelessly. The paint on most of them had worn off at several spots and there were bruises all over. I checked my own bike and it was better than everyone else’s. Very soon, my father’s logic behind making me build my own explorer dawned upon me. Because I had built it myself, I had been aware of the pains it took me to assemble the whole kit. In the light of this, I had unconsciously taken great care to protect it from any kind of damage; after all I was the one who had built it. If I would have been gifted a standard bicycle from the shop, it would have been an easy deal for me. I would have probably neglected to care for my bicycle.

I am quoting this story here to help us understand the concept of a higher engagement. If I would have been given a bicycle like anyone else, I would have used it carelessly and very soon demanded another one. Probably I would have just stopped using the damaged bike and got fed up of riding a bicycle itself. If my father would have denied me a bicycle, I would have thrown tantrums and made it difficult for myself all the more. My father negating these two possibilities gave me a bike as per my demands but also purified me of my probable carelessness in the process. My desire to have my own bike was fulfileld but my mind grew in the process. I would compare this with the concept of “higher engagement” as mentioned by me earlier.

Similarly, when we engage our ever-demanding senses in a purer form of engagement viz. service to the Lord, they still get the objects that they desire but in a non-conforming as well as a non-confrontational way. The senses continue to get their feed. Meanwhile, the mind experiences satisfaction. And all this happens in a very natural way.

Anticipating Janmashtami

The whole world will celebrate the appearance of Lord Krishna very soon. This festival is called Shri Krishna Janmashtami. One may ask – why does the Lord come here to the material world? What is the need? What for? What do I have to do with this festival?

To answer these questions, let us visit Bhagavad-gita 4.9.

janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattavatah
tyaktvA deham punar janma
naiti mAm eti so ‘rjuna

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.

This is interesting information about Krishna’s appearance that He gives to us.

He points out that his birth and activities are transcendental–beyond ordinary considerations and mundane laws. Then he points out that one who understands this truly (tattvatah) does not take birth in this material world again.

There are millions who are suffering abjectly in the world today. Today, suffering is visible all around. Some countries are suffering as a whole; if not the whole country, some individual states in a country are suffering and sometimes if not a country and if not an entire state, definitely some individuals are suffering from a multitude of problems. Who is there who does not hope to get free from the problems of this world?

Philosophers are searching for solutions in the pages of different books. Yogis are searching for solutions in their own hearts. Capitalists are searching for solutions in money. Communists are searching for solutions in the people power that they control. But, where is the solution really?

Krishna points out a simple solution. One may feel that I know about Krishna’s appearance and activities. He appeared around 5000 years back in Mathura. He did this and He did that. He was a kind friend to the PAndavas and unfavorable to the Kauravas. This long list of information about Krishna’s life is sufficient for me to solve my problems.

Is this repertoire of His activities enough to solve all problems of life? It is pretty easy then to solve my problems.

It seems easy but it is not so easy.

We need to understand these truths tattvatah (in reality). Understanding in reality about Krishna is not easy. If His birth and activities are divya(beyond ordinary considerations), how will ordinary people like ouselves understand them tattvatah?

In  the Bhagavad-gita 18.55, Lord Krishna uses a similar phrase. He says

bhaktyA mAm abhijAnAti
yAvAn yas cAsmi tattvatah
tato mAm tattvato jnAtvA
vishate tad-anantaram

One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.

Here the clue is given. One can understand Krishna tattvatah (as He is) only by the process of devotional service. Devotional service implies trying to serve Him with love as a basis. Love would require the service to be favorable and without any hidden agenda. It is interesting that Krishna again uses the word tattvatah. This is what He wants from us. He wants us to render pure, unmotivated, ininterrupted devotional service to Him. He is content with that. He does not expect us to be great scholars and austere yogis and rich entrepreneurs and poor beggars.

With love for him, all these will add up to qualify us for His mercy and without love, all these will impede our progress towards Him.

In one sense then, the solution to all our problems is really very simple–to develop true love for Krishna. The struggle however, really starts here.

But there is hope. On someone’s birthday, the person is more merciful than on other days. On the upcoming Janmashtami, this will also apply to Lord Krishna. If we are eager, we may get some drops of His mercy then.

Now the question changes–will we at least try?

Tackling Corruption

Today’s times aren’t good.

Everyone is in the “grabbing” mentality. If anything is good, it is definitely meant for me alone.

There is so much news floating around about the ill-effects of corruption–about how so many are already behind the bars and about how so many are threatened by the ongoing stir in India against corruption. Still, there does not seem to be any noticeable change in people’s hearts. There are agitations around the country and people assembling in large numbers. Still, corruption is not declining. It is as if corruption is almost in our blood.

I will tell you why i think like this. Last week, I was visiting a holy place with a couple of people and we were waiting in a queue to get darshan of the Supreme Lord. As we were waiting, I noticed a lot of people breaking the queue and whizzing past–totally disregarding their brethren who were also patiently waiting to get some mercy. This got me thinking. Did not these people understand that this was not the place to break rules? In fact, no place is a worthy place to break rules. Yet, we might accept a few places here and there. However, in a place of worship to the Lord, one expects higher standards from people. I felt that these people either did not understand what they were supposed to do in a temple or it is was just routine for them to break the queues. They had broken queues while waiting for railway tickets; they had broken queues when waiting for a reservation in a restaurant. It was just normal for these people to break queues. What could they do? For them, a queue was meant to be broken. Corruption had set in on them even before they had realised it.

What could be the problem?

Lets visit Bhagavad-gita 2.58. Here Lord Krishna presents an analogy of a tortoise. He mentions that a serious spiritualist prevents himself from getting corrupt by avoiding activities that could be detrimental for his spiritual advancement. In the next verse viz. 2.59, Krishna explains that a person can very happily give his lower, degrading propensities, not merely by abstaining from degrading activities but by acquiring a higher taste in spiritual life.

Yet, there is danger still. Lord Krishna mentions a critical point ahead in 2.60. He mentions that even a highly intellectual person, advanced in spiritual understanding can fall prey to the allurements that present themselves on the path to higher goals. He mentions that the senses are very impetuous and can sometimes drag even the most clever spiritualist.

Just like a boat is toppled by strong winds, even the mind of an advanced yogi is shaken sometimes by gusty winds of temptation.

Then, what do you do?

Well, Lord Krishna helps us by mentioning the solution in verse 2.61. He says – “One who restrains his senses, keeping them under full control, and fixes his consciousness upon Me, is known as a man of steady intelligence.“

Here the crux is on the phrase ” (one who) fixes his consciousness upon Me.” This has not been mentioned before. Till now, control of the senses mentioned was based on the individual’s strength viz. refraining from hazardous activities, trying to develop attraction for pure activities etc. For the first time, Krishna mentions that real success is assured when someone takes shelter of Him. Until then, we remain vulnerable. It is only the Lord’s mercy which is truly capable of assuring us complete success. Without it, however much we try to advance we remain exposed to the dangers of failure.

I am bringing this up today because an entire nation today is trying to fight corruption. The one thing missing is dependence on the mercy of the Lord. They are trying to fight this deep-rooted evil on their own. Success is possible. Maybe a short-lived one. I am not talking of a short-lived success when i talk of success. Success means permanent success. For that we will have to take shelter of the Lord. The Lord’s advice is available in the from of the Bhagavad-gita.

That is where the solution is. Let us then begin trying for a permanent solution rather than a short-lived one. For that we need to take seriously Krishna’s advice mentioned in the Gita.

Stealing from the Lord?

No. I am not referring to the recent stock-taking at Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy temple in India. I am talking of the need for stock-taking by everyone of us—of our own hearts, that is.

How much do we accept the existence of the Lord in our day-to-day lives? We may term ourselves theists in the normal sense of the term—we believe in the existence of God. The real question is—do we really live this belief?

While most of humanity today, in the absence of proper understanding of reality and being gullible to the bloated claims of scientists, is going more and more in the direction of atheism, a few are still sane enough to be on the side of theism. I am calling out to this group in this post.

Let me ask you—what do we mean by the word “intuition?” I would call it as an instinctive feeling that I know something but without any rational basis to it. We feel this so many times. We visit some place for the first time and it nevertheless seems familiar. They call this feeling déjà vu. There is some situation that needs to be taken care of and we think of some plan without any logical explanation. When asked or confronted, we do not have the means of explaining it and yet we just know that the solution is going to work and it really does work! Where does this understanding come from? Who is helping us?

Speaking strictly from a scientific perspective, there is no explanation for this. One that I propose is that when we accept the paramAtmA (the expansion of the Lord) in our hearts(ref. Bhagavad-gita 15.15), then it becomes easy and comprehensible. When I listen to the voice of the paramAtmA, I get directions which I term “intuition.”

Similarly, what we call as “instinct” is also guidance from the same paramAtmA. When a baby is born, what pulls it towards the mother’s chest for food? How does the baby know? The baby birds start chirping and looking forward to the mother for food as soon as the eggs are hatched? Who teaches them this? When the mother bird brings some worms etc. the chirping intensifies to attract the attention of the mother and when the mother leaves for another catch, the chirping subsides. Who teaches the child birds all this?

However, since modern understanding does not accept the spirit soul (what to speak of God), how will it ever reconcile these observable phenomena so common in the 21st century? We do not know and neither can we account for this behavior by using modern reductionistic science. When everything becomes just a collection of atoms and molecules, then things instead of becoming clear actually end up becoming vague.

Thus, there is philosophical atheism and there is psychological atheism. Philosophical atheism is just not believing in the existence of God. Psychological atheism would be living a life based on that belief. We may be identifying with some group of followers of God and yet may very well believe in the atheistic explanations of the working of the world provided to us by the modern scientists.

Let us then avoid not only philosophical atheism but psychological atheism too. If we do not do this, we could be guilty of stealing from the Lord credit that is due to Him. And we do not want to do that.