66: Reality Always Wins

CHAPTER 15, TEXT 5: Those who are free from false prestige, illusion and false association, who understand the eternal, who are done with material lust, who are freed from the dualities of happiness and distress, and who, unbewildered, know how to surrender unto the Supreme Person attain to that eternal kingdom.

Scientists are the usual go-to people to find out the data, the facts, the reality of this world. Scientists break down the functions of the body, calculate the patterns of weather, and discover new ways to combine elements. They rely on cold hard facts to conduct experiments, and they use the scientific method to ensure that their process is legitimate. 

Scientists are who we, as a human society, rely upon to make sense of the world. 

So much of the Gita, though, emphasizes that human society cannot distinguish reality from illusion. This verse of the Gita uses the words "false", "illusion", and "being free" and "unbewildered" multiple times. Material scientists are minimized as a source for understanding reality; if we want to understand reality, we must approach a spiritual teacher, we must approach scripture to understand what is false and how to be free. 

A basic principle of reality that human beings cannot seem to grasp is that we will all die. All of us. Every single one of us. Believing that we shall live forever, we build a life thinking it will last forever and thus feel a sense of pride in self, family, and country. Prabhupad writes, "Pride is due to illusion, for although one comes here, stays for a brief time and then goes away, he has the foolish notion that he is the lord of the world." The phrase here "lord of the world" is significant - even men and women who are leaders of great countries or have vast amounts of wealth will die one day and be forgotten in the sands of time. What to speak of all of us non-royal, non-wealthy, non-talented little people down here - you know, 99.999% of the world. We will all just vanish into thin air when death claims us. BUT STILL - even us little people believe we are lords of the world. 

Even us. 

This is illusion. 

But because we believe we're lords of the world, "[T]hus [we] makes all things complicated, and [we are] always in trouble. The whole world moves under this impression." For example, modern human society invents complicated machines to speed up the process of doing laundry, cooking, and transportation. But then we create so many other problems, namely air pollution, landfills, and waterway contamination. In this way we're always in trouble - one material solution creates a hundred problems. 

Ultimately, "People are considering the land, this earth, to belong to human society, and they have divided the land under the false impression that they are the proprietors. One has to get out of this false notion that human society is the proprietor of this world." Prabhupad says the word "false" twice here - false means that the understanding is incorrect and not based on reality. In this world we operate under this principle, that human society is the pinnacle of existence, and that we own all the land and animals and plants on the planet. But how is that? How do humans have the absolute say? Prabhupad asserts that we must "get out" of this false notion. We are not the proprietors of anyone. 

Prabhupad writes that "One has to cultivate knowledge of what is actually his own and what is actually not his own." So then what IS our own? Do I even own anything? Honestly, after reading this verse and purport, I'm not even sure. Is it possible for a spirit soul to own anything? Well, I guess I own my choices. That's the only reality I can be sure of. 

"When one has an understanding of things as they are, he becomes free from all dual conceptions such as happiness and distress, pleasure and pain." The goal of scientists is to solve the world's problems, to increase happiness and decrease distress, to increase pleasure and decrease pain. But the goal of the transcendentalist is to rise above these dualities, understanding that they will ebb and flow like the tide for eternity. This is reality. 

Full purport here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/15/5/

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/