26: Pursuit of Satisfaction

CHAPTER 5, TEXT 24: One whose happiness is within, who is active and rejoices within, and whose aim is inward is actually the perfect mystic. He is liberated in the Supreme, and ultimately he attains the Supreme.

McMurdo Station, Antarctica

About a year ago, I watched a documentary about a scientist who shares what it's like to live in Antarctica for one full year.

The sun does not even rise for six months, and it is nighttime for three months straight.

Three months of darkness.

Instead of being appalled, I was captivated. Fascinated.

I was possessed with a deep desire to not only visit Antarctica, but to "winter over." I wanted to experience three months of total darkness. Never mind that during that time one rarely ever leaves the meager Motel 6-like accommodations, people get disoriented, people are at higher risks of depression and there are little to no fresh food choices.

I wanted to... turn inward.

Be with myself.

Just me.

Maybe because at the time I watched this documentary my energy was so splayed OUT (especially at work) that I was desperate to gather myself IN.

Of course, what I really wanted in my irrational desire to spend a year in Antarctica was to relish a self-satisfaction and happiness within. To be in touch with my own soul's capacity to be satisfied and even happy without any external stimulation. I wanted to experience, for once, what it would be like to let go of any and all activities and just be with me.

Prabhupad  poses a question in response to this verse: "Unless one is able to relish happiness from within, how can one retire from the external engagements meant for deriving superficial happiness?" This is an interesting wake-up call, because I could've flown all the way to Antarctica but if I had never truly allowed myself to relish happiness from within, I may have gone crazy without "external engagements." Without a more purposeful connection to Krishna, I would just be substituting out intense activities I was doing here in New York City for intense activities at McMurdo Station.

So it's not about where I am. Happiness is about being in touch with the soul. A quality of the soul is atmarama - or self-satisfaction. That self-satisfied nature gets so covered over, though, with all of these empty pursuits for happiness.

If we would slow down enough, though, we would see that we are all capable of being happy and satisfied at every moment, because that is the nature of the soul. Prabhupad writes, "A liberated person enjoys happiness by factual experience. He can, therefore, sit silently at any place and enjoy the activities of life from within. Such a liberated person no longer desires external material happiness." Spiritual happiness is accessible at any moment in any place. Maybe that is what I've been craving for the past year, the sense that happiness is not dependent on an external circumstance, but my own connection to God.

Now that the Coronavirus quarantine is in full effect, I don't have to go all the way to Antarctica to gather myself in. The whole WORLD has shifted into "wintering-over-in-Antarctica" mode. All external engagements are cancelled. No more potentially empty, shallow pursuits for happiness.

Just be here now.

Be satisfied.

We'll see, it's all a grand experiment.

And I must confess, I'm glad that I can eat fresh oranges, take walks, and see the sun rise every morning.

Full purport for Chapter 5, Text 24 by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad here: 
https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/5/24/

25: Window to the Soul

CHAPTER 5, TEXT 18: The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].

The eyes are the windows to the soul.

Then with our eyes and with our own soul, let's look into the eyes of those beings who Krishna mentions in this verse (for  a dog-eater I put a picture of a criminal, which is a modern equivalent of an outcaste).

gentle brahmana

cow

dog

elephant

outcaste

Regardless of body, the soul shines forth. Go ahead, look again at the criminal, look past the tattoos and into his eyes - you can see, the soul is there.

To acknowledge the spirit soul that resides within all beings - not only human beings - is the foundation of any true knowledge.

America's founding credo is: "All men are created equal." Krishna is emphasizing, though, that that equality is based upon the equality of the soul, not the body.

So this would include that all men and women are created equal.

All races are created equal.

The eyes.

The eyes have it.

But other living beings also have eyes. Prabhupad writes: "A Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not make any distinction between species or castes [social standing]." So if we do not make a distinction between species, how about dogs? Dogs are mentioned in this verse as having a soul. Dogs are capable of love and affection, and any dog lover would agree most emphatically with Krishna that yes, dogs have souls.

So any cat lover (my sister included) would make the same proclamation: cats have souls.

So then what about OTHER animals??

To acknowledge the soul within all living beings is revolutionary consciousness.

Prabhupad writes: "The brāhmaṇa and the outcaste may be different from the social point of view, or a dog, a cow and an elephant may be different from the point of view of species, but these differences of body are meaningless from the viewpoint of a learned transcendentalist." Of course there are material differences between all of the pictured living beings in this post - these pictures offer barely give a glimpse into the diversity of bodies of living beings on this planet. But if we scroll through and really take time to look into their eyes, we can feel something tingle in our mind and our soul, a sense of recognition: a soul is here.

Even in a fish.

On the deepest level, those differences of body become truly become meaningless.

In fact, "The bodies are material productions of different modes of material nature, but the soul and the Supersoul within the body are of the same spiritual quality." At the core, we are all eternal spirit souls who have a relationship with God and each other. In this sense, our equality "is due to [our] relationship to the Supreme, for the Supreme Lord, by His plenary portion as Paramātmā, is present in everyone’s heart." This means that within the heart of each and every living being - from the President of the United States to the goldfish - God is there, witnessing every action and accompanying us at every moment.

If we can imbibe this "true knowledge" and disregard the social differences and the differences of species, how should we behave towards other living beings?

The first word that comes to me is respect.

For differences of species, maybe I do not give dogs and turtles the right to vote, or make a spider my companion, but if God is within every living being, surely I can offer respect. I can respect the gift of life within every living being and not take it away for my pleasure or convenience. That's a start.

For living beings with social differences, such as human beings, sometimes this is the hardest. I get caught up in the differences - the eye color, the hair color, the face shape, the body shape, the culture, the language, the dress, etc. Compared to how I may sympathize with and respect a sweet dog, it may be almost easier to categorize a human of a different race and culture as "other" and thus "bad" or "inferior" and refuse to offer my respect. So on the basis of recognizing and respecting another's soul and not just their body is the way that a learned transcendentalist behaves.

Ultimately, "the Lord is equally kind to everyone because He treats every living being as a friend yet maintains Himself as Paramātmā regardless of the circumstances of the living entities." At the core, the Lord is a friend to all. He treats everyone equally, regardless of social standing or species. We are all spirit souls.

True knowledge means to see with this equal vision. I've touched on living beings with eyes in this blog post, but there are billions of living beings that do not have discernible or sympathetic eyes, such as sea sponges and trees. But let's start with eyes. Let's look into the window of another being's soul, let's look into their eyes, and acknowledge that the soul is there, God is there.

True wisdom begins there.

Full purport for Chapter 5, Text 18 by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/5/18/

24: The Ultimate Motivation

CHAPTER 4, TEXT 12: The steadily devoted soul attains unadulterated peace because he offers the result of all activities to Me; whereas a person who is not in union with the Divine, who is greedy for the fruits of his labor, becomes entangled.

There are four levels of motivation for any activity (Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Chaitanya Sikshamrita):

Love
Duty
Profit
Fear

Here's an example:

Going to work -

Love: I love teaching. I love my students. I love my subject matter.
Duty: My job is to teach. I'm responsible for these kids' education.
Profit: I'm here for the money (even though it ain't much) and for paid summers off.
Fear: If I don't go to work to teach, I will lose my paycheck, I'll lose my home, I'll go hungry, I'll lose my WiFi...

Any of this sound familiar?

For the most part, humans operate out of Profit and Fear. Sometimes we level up to Duty, maybe even to Love. But mostly, we're either in it for the money/rewards or we're terrified of what will happen if we don't do our job/do the needful.

That's just life, right?

In fact, one could say, hey, what's the problem with doing something for the money? Krishna knows this is how human beings operate, that's why He makes the declaration in this verse that to be greedy for the fruits of one's labor makes a person becomes entangled.

Now we see that entanglement is the problem.

When we're entangled, we're not free.

And the soul wants freedom.

Most of all, the soul wants freedom to love.

At the end of the day, when we look at the four kinds of motivation, let's all admit that if we could, we'd do everything out of love. I love my job, I love my family, I love my car, I love throwing out the trash...

But we're not there.

So the Bhagavad-gita emphasizes doing things at least out of Duty, because that's one step away from Love.

But let's all admit where we're really hanging out: Profit and Fear.

And so Krishna is so wondrous, so amazing, that He says that if we just remember Him and offer our endeavors to Him, even if it's out of Profit or Fear, He is pleased. After all, everything belongs to Him and He is everything: "All that exists is a product of Krsna's energy, and Krsna is all good." We can't go wrong if we keep Krishna in our hearts.

So no matter what activity I do, from cooking a meal to putting gas in the car to managing a business, when I keep Krishna in my heart He elevates all of my activities. Prabhupad writes: "Activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are on the absolute plane; they are transcendental and have no material effect. One is therefore filled with peace in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This makes sense, for if an action does not entangle us further, we're free, and if we're free, we're at peace.

Prabhupad then writes the beautiful, beautiful secret of Krishna consciousness: "[the] realization that there is no existence besides Kṛṣṇa is the platform of peace and fearlessness." Whether I'm motivated to act out of Love, Duty, Profit, or Fear, if I can choose this one little shift in consciousness - everything belongs to Krishna, let me keep Him in mind, let me offer my action to Him - then I am free. I am at peace. What's more, to remember Krishna is in and of itself an act of Love.

I was in the middle of writing this post while cooking dinner. I was excited to make a delicious soup for myself and my husband. But then I remembered this principle. So before we ate, I offered the soup to Krishna with a little more attention. Just a little.

I felt peace.

And a tinge, just a glimmer, of Love.

Full purport for Chapter 5, Text 12 by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/5/12/

23: Changing the World

CHAPTER 5, TEXT 2: The Personality of Godhead replied: The renunciation of work and work in devotion are both good for liberation. But, of the two, work in devotional service is better than renunciation of work.

All over the world -

Flights grounded.

Factories closed.

Vehicle traffic has been reduced to a trickle.

From the very beginning of this coronavirus pandemic, I have been consumed with curiosity: does this cessation of human activity have a positive impact on our environment? Is the air cleaner? Water clearer?

There are some facts to indicate that yes, there has been a change:

Measurements of nitrogen dioxide pollution in China

An image of clear water in Venice canals

But there is always a caveat in any report that there is a positive environmental impact because humans are retreating: the change is temporary.

Very temporary.

In fact, it has been shown in the past that when there have been shutdowns as a result of outbreaks or even economic depressions (and thus a slowing of production and transportation), there is always a rebound, and the pollution gets even worse than before - often called "revenge pollution."

Sure, it's admirable to step back and pause and let go of all of these unnecessary activities, like going to sports games, shopping for a summer dress, or vacations to Mexico (I'm charged with all of these!). But staying at home and watching Netflix/reading/cooking/snacking/sleeping/taking walks/Zoom conferencing with friends-coworkers-classmates can only go on for so long. The video above seems to romanticize all of these empty cities and roadways of the world and kind of sigh in disappointment that China is reemerging to go back to work.

But humans must work. At some point, humans must emerge, and we shall emerge with a vengeance, because after all, we need to make a living AND make up for lost time.

So just because human beings on an unprecedented global scale are retreating indoors does not mean that the world will change at all after this crisis. Srila Prabhupad writes in this purport that, "Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, mere renunciation of fruitive activities does not actually purify the heart of a conditioned soul." This means that renouncing activities does not have long-lasting effects. The key phrase here is to "purify the heart" - the world has become so polluted because our hearts have become polluted. An example is of a thief who has gone to sleep - sure, he's not committing crimes while asleep so everything seems fine. But once he wakes up, because he has not purified his heart of the stealing mentality, he'll simply steal again.

That said, Krishna does emphasize in this verse that "the renunciation of work... is good for liberation." The purpose of renunciation of work is to stop the frenetic engagement in enjoyment and suffering in the material world. In this sense, we can experience "liberation." I can certainly attest for myself during this time of "lockdown" here in New York City (the epicenter of the coronavirus in the United States), that I experience a beautiful, quiet space to reflect upon my life, like sitting upon the shore of a silent, still lake.

Without reflecting upon the bigger meaning and purpose of life, though, ceasing work is useless. Prabhupad quotes verses from the Srimad Bhagavatam (5.5.4-6), and one line says, "One is considered to be a failure in life as long as he makes no inquiry about his real identity." Fascinating, no? The material perception of failure is very external: one became a drug addict, or a nobody, or a corrupt wealth businessman, or a prison convict. We certainly wouldn't consider a Harvard graduate, Nobel Prize winner, New York Times bestselling author, or director of worldwide charities a failure. But this verse is saying here that they're ALL failures - from the drug addict to the Nobel Prize winner - if they have not made any inquiry into their real identity as a spirit soul.

Sounds extreme, but the fact is that happiness and suffering come and go, come and go endlessly, and no matter which way we look at it, we're still stuck on the same merry-go-round of pain and pleasure, pain and pleasure.

This time of renunciation of work should not be romanticized. It is a special time to reflect inward; atatho brahma jijnasa - the time to inquire to about my true spiritual identity and purpose is now. This is real knowledge and true success.

That said, knowledge is not enough. Like the thief who eventually wakes up, I need to purify my heart and then act upon that purified knowledge. Prabhupad writes, "Jñāna (or knowledge that one is not this material body but spirit soul) is not sufficient for liberation. One has to act in the status of spirit soul, otherwise there is no escape from material bondage." In this way, the two must go hand in hand - knowledge and action. Only then can there be real change in the world.

Sure enough, the canals in Venice will become polluted again, the nitrogen dioxide pollution levels in China will rise again, and the whole machinery of this world will kick back into high, furious gear.

And the global temperature will continue to rise, and the Amazon rainforest will continue to be burned down, and the islands of plastic waste in the ocean will continue to expand.

But I have this precious opportunity right now, within my grasp, to purify my heart, find my purpose, to be able to go out into the world again to live with restraint and love. That is the greatest change I can make in the world.

Full purport for Chapter 5, Text 2 by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/5/2/

22: Open Heart Surgery

CHAPTER 4, TEXT 34: Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.

My husband works at a hospital as a chaplain, or a spiritual caregiver; the other day, he mentioned how one of the patients he has been visiting for a year and a half, Paul (pseudonym), received news that he will be receiving a heart transplant. Finally.

Paul was on the road to death but is now being given the opportunity to leave the hospital to continue living his life as a wonderful husband and father of two boys.

When I heard this, several thoughts passed through my mind: 1) someone had just died unexpectedly - someone young - who had been willing to donate their organs, 2) that person's heart was going to be cut out of his/her chest, 3) Paul's current heart was going to be cut out of his chest, 4) the other person's heart was going to be placed in Paul's chest. This sounds rather gory and graphic, but really, think about it. An old heart for a new heart.

And then my mind went to 5) who is the person who would complete this surgery?

???

A heart transplant surgery seems to be the equivalent of a modern miracle, and I have not the slightest idea how one would even begin to go about such a task. What I know for sure, though, is that the surgeon who will perform this "miracle" has studied for years and years and years and has practiced medicine in a residency with other advanced surgeons for years and years and years.

Similarly, spiritual life is a complex science that requires daily, challenging application.

How does one respond to the sudden loss of a loved one?

How does one respond to betrayal?

Humiliation?

Failure?

How does one respond to crisis? Hardship? Suffering?

Being able to respond with integrity in each of these situations is as complex and intense as conducting heart surgery. If mastery of a material science, such as medicine, requires years and years of study and supervised practice, why would mastery of spiritual life be any different?

Srila Prabhupad writes in his purport to this verse that mental speculation, dry arguments, independent study of books of knowledge, and/or manufacturing one's own process do not lead to spiritual realization or progress. Imagine if a surgeon simply studied books of medicine, or theorized about the function of the heart, or maybe even invented his own heart surgery transplant procedure - this would be ludicrous! Dangerous! Similarly, spiritual life is meant to be be studied and practiced under the supervision of those who know much more than we do. Spiritual life is meant to come from an authorized source with an authorized practice.

Deciding to approach a teacher for guidance is a great hallmark of material AND spiritual progress, and the mood to do so is laid out here: 1) inquire submissively, and 2) render service.

Inquiry does not always mean asking questions - true inquiry means to be vulnerable and to open the heart to truth.

Rendering service to a teacher demonstrates that "yes, I am ready to receive the truth from you and put these principles into practice." Service shows sincerity.

With these two elements, submissive inquiry and sincere service, the teacher is satisfied, and when a teacher is satisfied, blessings flow. Sometimes I wonder how certain people can go through life with such resilience, blossoming and glowing with growth on the spiritual path even when faced with so many hardships. Prabhupad writes, "Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life." So, this is their secret: satisfying the spiritual teacher through inquiry and service. In fact, "Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective."  This shows that the student must be responsible for preparing his or her heart to receive the truth, like having fertile ground for the seed of devotion to unfurl.

That said, inquiry should not be combative or forceful or speculative, and service should not be rendered to just anyone. This makes the soil of the heart rocky, dry, and acidic. Inquiry needs to be humble and thoughtful, and service rendered should be carefully done within one's means. Prabhupad writes, "In this verse, both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned." Striking this sincere and mature balance of inquiry and service is all a part of our own "spiritual residency."

* 

Ultimately, you could say that the spiritual path is about replacing our old and diseased and failing material heart with a fresh and healthy and vibrant spiritual heart. We are in the process of our own heart surgery - and we are the surgeons. This is what's at stake - our hearts. Our lives.

In order to undergo such a precarious transformation, we need to take shelter of knowledge that is far beyond our own understanding. We need to be guided by those whose hands are much more capable and experienced than ours.

And when the hardships come, because they will come, we can respond with that spiritual heart, the glowing, vibrant heart that is resilient beyond anything in this world.

Image by Jakobbelbin Tattoo Artist

Full purport by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad for Chapter 4, Verse 34 here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/4/34/

21: In God's Hands

CHAPTER 4, TEXT 22: He who is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady in both success and failure, is never entangled, although performing actions.

Panic buying: the action of buying large quantities of a particular product or commodity due to sudden fears of a forthcoming shortage or price increase (dictionary.com). 

Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, there is a massive wave of panic buying. I hear reports from friends and families that grocery shelves are empty, which is a little concerning because if my mother-in-law needs to buy food now, she's unsure where to turn. This fear of a possible shortage of food or a price increase is sweeping the nation, but the thing is...

...there's no disruption to the supply chain.

In fact, food and household necessities (including toilet paper!) are being produced and distributed at normal levels. In the article "Could You Buy a Little Less, Please?", Victoria Bekiempis writes, "In fact, the virus currently poses little threat to the integrity of the US food supply. It is panic-buying itself that is causing the real disruption" (theguardian.com). The facts show that the integrity of the food supply is being maintained, but the waves of fear are what is making this an even more unnecessary of a challenge for everyone, including my 73-year-old mother-in-law.

I am sure "panic buying" has existed in some form or other since time immemorial because fear has existed within all living beings since time immemorial. Thus, Krishna is addressing this fear, this impulse to hoard and collect for a possible future calamity, by describing a person who is fearless and trusting in the way of the world: "He... is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord." Prabhupad elucidates this phrase when he writes, "[This person] neither begs nor borrows, but he labors honestly as far as is in his power, and is satisfied with whatever is obtained by his own honest labor."

For an American, these statements seem quite radical. According to the American Dream, wealth, fame, and  power are within every single person's reach if one is just willing to work hard enough. To achieve this Dream, this nation is built upon borrowing - credit cards and loans - and working beyond one's power - 60 and 70 hour workweeks. The concept of being satisfied with what one gains "of its own accord" seems almost foreign.

There is a time to go with the flow and there is a time to create your own flow. Americans usually create their own flow. And I admire this, truly! I myself am in LOTS of student loan debt and have worked my fair share of 60-70 hour workweeks. I don't regret a single decision. That said, now that I'm 33, I'm slowing down. I'm realizing that maybe, I've overendeavored. I want to work more steadily, I want to stop borrowing. I want to be... satisfied.

I realize that overendeavor, at the core, is actually fear. Fear of not having enough money (work for that paycheck!), fear of becoming a nobody (get that degree! work that job!), fear of going hungry (buy all the pasta sauce!), fear of being unclean (buy all the toilet paper!), and on an on. 

But if fear is our driving motivation, we will never be truly satisfied, at peace, or happy. The very reason I borrow so much money and work so hard and stockpile food is to be satisfied. So if that is my goal, then my motivation needs to come not from fear, but from trust.

I need to trust that if I do my best and remain "steady both in success and in failure," then I have already achieved my goal of satisfaction and peace. In fact, "These signs are visible when one is fully in transcendental knowledge." We can actually visibly identify people who are satisfied and at peace, people who trust.

Those people accept the reality of this world, that calamities and heat and cold and success and failure will always come and always go, so they remain steady in the transcendental knowledge, the truth that no matter what happens, we're always in God's hands.

Bekiempis, Victoria. “'Could You Buy a Little Less, Please?': Panic-Buying Disrupts Food Distribution.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 23 Mar. 2020, www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/23/us-coronavirus-panic-buying-food.

Full purport by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad for Chapter 4, Text 22: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/4/22/

20: The Disease and The Cure

CHAPTER 4, TEXT 10: Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me – and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me.

Attachment, fear, and anger - these are all experiences that keep us from truly loving another person.

We can all admit that human beings are very attached to the body, and having physical health and beauty is a baseline for enjoying anything. Think about it - can we truly enjoy a day at the beach if we're covered in itchy, weepy sores? We need physical health to enjoy. Or can we feel fully confident in ourselves on our wedding day if our face is covered in red, pus-filled acne? We need physical beauty to enjoy.

As human beings, we're very attached to enjoying through the body and maintaining the body, but paradoxically we also understand that it's "perishable, full of ignorance, and completely miserable" - we've all had the equivalent experience of weepy sores and angry acne. So while we're attached to the body, we're also repulsed by it. If this is what it means to be a person - to be embodied and miserable - then there is no way that God is a person with an actual body. In fact, we "cannot even imagine that there is a transcendental body which is imperishable, full of knowledge, and eternally blissful." It's simply beyond our imagination! Thus, the attachment to the body and the conception that God cannot be a person (with a body) prevents us from truly loving God. After all, love must be exchanged between persons.

Therein lies our problem: love must be exchanged between persons. Prabhupad writes that "the conception of retaining the personality after liberation from matter frightens [materialistic people]". When I read this, naturally I considered myself a materialistic person and I wondered, Why? Why would retaining my personality after death / in heaven / in liberation frighten me so deeply?

And I reflected - I'm afraid to love.

Love is frightening.

When love is exchanged with another person, there is every possibility that I will be torn up and destroyed. Either the other person is indifferent to me (agonizing), betrays me (heart-shattering), or simply dies (total desolation). From the perspective of fear, love looks like a lose-lose situation that only ends with pain. Thus fear keeps us from pursuing or exchanging love with each other and especially with the Lord.

As for anger keeping us from loving God, sometimes all of this consideration about attachment and fear and personhood and liberation is just too much. There are so many religions and sects and doctrines and scriptures that some people just throw their hands in the air and scream from lack of understanding and frustration. Thus, "Being embarrassed by so many theories and by contradictions of various types of philosophical speculation, [people] become disgusted or angry and foolishly conclude that there is no supreme cause and that everything is ultimately void." This seems to be the only conclusion that such frustrated people can reach - throw it all out. Throw out all of the religions and doctrines and scriptures. I'm sure we can all relate with the experience of wanting to reach a very lofty goal, but the path to get there is sometimes so difficult, or so complex, or so painful, that in disgust we blame the lofty goal and discount it as not being worth it anyway. Similarly, the most worthy, loftiest goal - to give and receive pure love - is a path fraught with so many difficulties, complexities, and pain, that sometimes it's just too much. Throw in the towel.

But all of these people, those that are mired in attachment, fear, and anger, "are in a diseased condition of life." These people are not "out there." These people are right here, these people are US. WE are diseased. Surely we can identify with experiencing attachment, fear, and anger on the spiritual path to attain the highest destiny of our soul, to love and be loved. But that goal is so lofty, so high, that often we stumble and fall into a diseased condition.

But Krishna says that when we are freed of attachment, fear, and anger, we can attain love of God. In fact, He gives us hope by saying that "many, many persons in the past" engaged in the process of purifying their hearts to exchange love with Him. There is hope!

How do we get free of these stages of material consciousness? Srila Prabhupad writes, "One has to take complete shelter of the Lord, guided by the bona fide spiritual master, and follow the disciplines and regulative principles of devotional life." This is the path: take shelter of God and a teacher, and follow regulative principles. If we do so with sincerity, we can be safeguarded against the disease of attachment, fear, and anger and open our hearts to our highest destiny.

Full purport by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/4/10/

19: Many Paths, One Goal

CHAPTER 4, TEXT 7: Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion – at that time I descend Myself.

Bethlehem - Jesus Christ.

Mecca, Saudia Arabia - Prophet Muhammad.

Lumbini, Nepal - Lord Buddha.

Mathura, India - Lord Krishna.

These are all holy birth places of the leaders of major religions of the world. There are more, of course. To discount any one of these leaders is to discount the existence of a spiritual path that has been followed by millions upon millions of people throughout history.

Sure, the Bhagavad-gita was spoken by Krishna to Arjuna 5,000 years ago in India. But Srila Prabhupad writes that "It is not a fact that the Lord appears only on Indian soil. He can manifest Himself anywhere and everywhere, and whenever He desires to appear." This means that there are genuine spiritual paths that originate in all parts of the world and if one follows the path of that religion with sincerity and devotion, then the soul will become elevated in truth.

What's more, the Prophet Muhammad never, ever claimed to be God; he was a teacher. Jesus is considered the son of God but also God. Lord Buddha and Lord Krishna are considered to be God manifest. Which one of these is legitimate?

They're all legitimate. Prabhupad writes, "Sometimes He descends personally, and sometimes He sends His bona fide representative in the form of His son, or servant, or Himself in some disguised form." Ultimately, the form that God or His representative takes is secondary to the purpose and goal of descending to the earth: "to lead people to God consciousness and obedience to the principles of religion."

This verse and purport speaks to me on a very personal level, because I derive inspiration from several religions, and I am delighted to share a few of these snapshots with you.

Both sides of my family, my mother's side and father's side, have been devoted Catholics for generations. Indeed, when my husband and I attend mass on Christmas and Easter, I feel as though the rituals and songs and prayers resonate in my bones and speak to me in an ancient way. When I taught Religion for grades 6-8 at a private Catholic school for two years, I delved into the understanding and experience of this religion in a very deep way. The songs, saints, prayers, and practices continue to inspire and nourish me.



I have been listening to modern Christian music for fifteen years now, and the intimacy and depth and honesty of the lyrics always bring me to a greater level of sincerity to connect to God. Certain songs bring me to tears. I often listen to songs on repeat for sometimes hours at a time in meditation.



Over the years, I have turned to the names of Allah whenever I feel lost and uncertain. I am moved by the mood that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-wise, and all-compassionate. He knows everything. And if such a loving God is so in control, there is nothing to fear.



The other day, I randomly picked up a Bible, opened up to a random page, and began to read a book of the Bible that I had heard of before but had never really read or studied - Ecclesiastes, which belongs to the Old Testament, The Torah. I read the entire book in one sitting (the first time in my life), entranced, utterly shaken and moved by the power of the wisdom of the book.



And of course, this recording of Srila Prabhupad singing the Hare Krishna mantra has been the soundtrack of my heart and life. I would consider that if I left this world while this track was playing, I would be utterly at peace.


These are just a few snapshots of how I have received spiritual nourishment from various religious traditions over the years. If one has even a drop of sincerity in one's heart, one can see that the mood and devotion of these traditions is real and true. God is so merciful. He comes in whatever way He can be understood by the people in that time and place. He does not demand that we all follow Him in only one way. We follow the Lord how our heart calls us.

The essence of each bona fide religion is the same, though: reawaken the love in your heart by abiding by the principles of truth.

Krishna reassures us here that He descends whenever and wherever there is a need to bring us back to the righteous path, the path of truth and love. Thank you, my Lord. Thank you.


A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's purport to verse 7 of Chapter 4: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/4/7/

18: From Lust to Love and Back Again

CHAPTER 3, TEXT 37: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.

For me, the word "enemy" brings to mind Hitler, Osama bin Laden, and murderers in prison. Pushed a little further, an "enemy" is war, slavery, global warming, plastic straws, sweatshops, and cocaine. These all-devouring "enemies" tear at our souls and have us question the very definition of what it means to be a human being - Hitler destroyed millions and cocaine continues to destroy millions. How could this happen? How could we let this happen?

Why?

Krishna is telling us here that the enemy is not outside, the enemy is inside.

The sinful enemy of this world is lust.

Lust only.

What a striking declaration. Now, lust is described as all-devouring, sinful, and an enemy. That definitely brings to mind characteristics that I would assign to Hitler, war, and cocaine. But what is so profound about this verse that underneath lust is the most profound nature of the soul: love.

Srila Prabhupad elaborates: "When a living entity comes in contact with the material creation, his eternal love for Kṛṣṇa [God] is transformed into lust, in association with the mode of passion" (162). This means that the line between lust and love is much thinner than we could ever imagine.

Prabhupad continues: "Or, in other words, the sense of love of God becomes transformed into lust, as milk in contact with sour tamarind is transformed into yogurt." Both milk and yogurt come from the cow, and are composed of the same substance. But when the sour tamarind of the mode of passion comes in contact with the milk of love, the milk transforms into a completely distinct substance with a different taste, texture, and chemical properties. Yogurt is milk, and yet it is not. Lust is love, and yet is not.

Lust has such power to destroy and devour the soul because it is the reflection of the deepest prerogative of the soul: to love.

What's more, the intrinsic propensity of the soul is to serve. But once again, when the soul comes in contact with the mode of passion, "the service attitude is transformed into the propensity for sense enjoyment" (163). Service means that I am caring for another, concerning myself with the needs and wants of another, and in its highest expression I serve God and others in complete selflessness. But in this material world, that propensity turns inward: I want to serve myself. I want to serve my own senses and desires and goals. I become the center. Ultimately, love transforms into lust, and the path of lust is destructive and filled with endless pain.

The only hope is that maybe, one day, the soul becomes "completely baffled by prolonged lustful activities, [and] the living entities begin to inquire about their real position." Indeed, too much war, too much global warming, too much cocaine, too many plastic straws, and we can hopefully become baffled. Hopefully, we get sick of the pain and the suffering and yearn for meaning. Athatho brahma-jijnasa - one should inquire into the absolute truth (163). Hopefully, we inquire about our real position, which is to serve and to love. 

There is hope. Much like how beneath the disgusting mask of a monster lies a beautiful maiden, so beneath the mask of lust lies love. In this sense, we can actually feel compassion for ourselves, whenever lust begins to consume our hearts, for we can simply notice that our propensity to love is simply being misplaced. The process of Krishna consciousness is about learning how to offer our love in the right place. Ultimately, "lust and wrath, when they are employed in Krsna consciousness, become our friends instead of our enemies."

If lust is the greatest enemy of the world, then if lust is employed in Krishna consciousness to awaken the love dormant within the heart of each and every living being, then that lust and love have the greatest potential to transform the world. 

P.S. The purport of this verse given by Srila Prabhupad is brilliant; you're encouraged to check it out here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/

17: Repression vs. Expression

CHAPTER 3, TEXT 33: Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish?

The phrase nigrahaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati is translated as "What can repression accomplish?" This is a rhetorical question, because if this question is asked to any sane, intelligent person, the response would most likely be:

"A headache."

"Frustration."

"Nothing."

Repression is simply not a healthy way to live life and it accomplishes nothing. Krishna mentions that we're all conditioned by this world, "even a man of knowledge," so there's no point in denying reality and repressing one's nature and one's desires.

A very straightforward example of this is eating. The human body (and all living bodies on the planet) is built to eat and digest food. Sometimes the pursuit for not only food but delicious food is a major source of anxiety and turmoil for the living being.

So how about... not eating? After all, food is entangling - all that money! all those calories! all that time to prepare it!

But asking "How about we just stop eating?" is about as productive of a question as "What can repression accomplish?" Repressing our need to eat leads to headache, frustration, and absolutely nothing.

We need to eat. We need to sleep. We need a place to live. We need work. We need money and a livelihood. We need human connection. We need to be understood.

In this regard, Krishna advises that we do our duties and simply keep Him in our hearts with devotion. Prabhupad writes, "Kṛṣṇa consciousness helps one to get out of the material entanglement, even though one may be engaged in his prescribed duties in terms of material existence (159). This approach to spiritual life is very practical. Do your prescribed duties - do the needful - and remain conscious of Krishna. Anyone can do this. This path is open to the entire world at all times.

In practical terms, this means that I can take the food that I was already going to eat and simply offer it to Krishna first with a little love. That food then transforms my mind and even my body. This is beyond repression - this is expression of love. 

Pressing Play

Hello! I am excited to say that with God's grace I completed my creative writing project on schedule and am now returning to writing and reflecting on the Bhagavad-Gita for my 100 Day Project.

Thank you for your patience, I look forward to continuing this journey with you.