90: Divine Qualities

Creative Expression: Hand Lettering

I chose to highlight a selection of divine qualities from Chapter 16, Verses 1-3:

Full text here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/16/1-3/

86: I Am Here

Creative Expression: Found Short Story/Pem (fiction)

This post is in the format of a Found Short Story/Poem; the words in italics are words taken directly from the verse and/or purport. The words in standard font are my own words. 

CHAPTER 7, TEXT 9 

Alone on a Saturday night in the city, a woman sits upon her velvet couch with a book in her hands. She used to fold her palms on Saturday nights like these to talk to God, but the years of silence in return ate away at her palms and she stopped folding them. 

The silence has eaten away at her neck and shoulders and now her face and her tongue. The silence of her apartment squeezes her chest like a vice. Years of chatter with coworkers, years of business proposals with clients, years of laughter at sitcoms on Netflix.

But the silence keeps growing.

No one speaks to her. She speaks to no one. 

Tonight she stares into space. Tonight gravity pulls at her bones. Tonight - away from the subway, away from her office, away from her clients - raw yearning eats away at her gut. She is surrounded by people above, below, and on all sides, and yet she is alone, 

alone, 

alone.

Where are you? she asks into space. She hears a clock tick in the kitchen. 

The woman sips her tea. She flips open the book a man in the subway sold to her - The Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

She pushes the pages through her fingers, the pages flipping by in a cool whisper. She stops the page, somewhere in Chapter 7. 

I am the original fragrance of the earth, the text says. 

Like a whisper in her ear. 

Everything in the material world 

has a certain flavor 

or fragrance, 

as the flavor 

and fragrance 

in a flower, 

or in the earth, 

in water, 

in fire, 

in air.

The uncontaminated flavor,

the original flavor, 

which permeates everything, 

is Kṛṣṇa.

The woman tastes the tea that lingers on the roof of her mouth. Rose. Jasmine. Something else. 

Rose. 

Jasmine. 

I am

Fragrance

in a flower

The whispers fill the air around her like so many hummingbirds. The silence. The silence that had been gnawing at her body for so many years dissipates in the gusts of whispers from the book on her lap. 

I am 

here. 

I am the original flavor, the fragrance in a flower. 

I am here in your tea.  

I am the life of all that lives. 

I am here in your heart. 

Your pulse thrums in your veins, your throat. That is Me. 

I am here. 

The woman, tingling, closes the book, the palms of her hands closing around the front and back cover. She stares at her lap. She notes that her palms are folded, and the book lay between them. 

85: The Rising Sun of Faith

Creative Expression: Personal Narrative

When I was 12 years old, I developed a chronic and painful physical condition. 

Three years later at the age of 15, I Googled symptoms. I saw that there was a high chance that my condition was cancer. (Note to self: never Google symptoms.) 

Six months to a year to live. 

My mind went numb. At fifteen, I had planned to travel to literally every single country in the world, establish schools, produce albums, write books, etc. etc. But when I read this potential death sentence, all of those plans imploded in my brain. 

I walked around in a daze for weeks. Food tasted like sawdust. I didn't talk to anyone - I didn't want the pity of friends, the worry of my parents, the skepticism or interrogation or healing suggestions from adults.

What I wanted was solace. I wanted peace. I wanted to know my purpose in this short life, where I would go when I died, and if I would even go anywhere. 

Who was I?

On our bookshelf at home sat this large book, which had been given as a gift: 

Regardless of this being a "children's book," all the illuminations are taken directly from The Bhagavad-gita As It Is, translations by Bhaktivedanta Swami. One would think scripture is reserved only for scholars or adults, but this book defied that notion. 

One day, I read this illumination: 

Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be. (2.12)

These words rung within my being as the truest words I had ever heard in my entire life. My body filled with the solace and peace I had been yearning for. I remember sitting there and gazing at this illumination, gazing at Krishna's beautiful face, the ornate lettering, the drawings. I felt illuminated from within.

At the time of my greatest need, I felt as though someone had reached out to hold me in warm, gentle hands. 

My physical condition lasted for many painful years, and even with many doctors and tests, we never figured out what it was. One day, the symptoms began to fade and they never returned. 

What has remained with me until this day, 18 years later, is the unshakeable faith that I am an eternal spirit soul. Whether I die tomorrow in a car accident, ten years from now from cancer, or fifty years from now from an old and broken body, my soul will go on. The souls of my loved ones will always go on. Our souls shall exist forever.  

Now, there are 700 verses in this ancient scripture, and maybe I don't understand or have faith in them all. 

But I have faith in this one. No one and nothing can take away my faith in this verse, not even death. 

Like the sun that is rising over the horizon of the ocean that starts out just as a little dot of bright orange, as time goes on that dot becomes a slice, and the slice becomes a semicircle, and on and on until the sun is rising in brilliant rays that light up the world. 

This is how I feel about my faith in only one verse of the Bhagavad-gita. 

The light of faith from one verse has been lighting up the other verses in this text, lighting up other texts in the bhakti tradition, lighting up the words and teachings of spiritual teachers in my own tradition, lighting up the teachers and scriptures and traditions of other spiritual paths of the world, and ultimately 

lighting up my own heart and mind to love and serve God and God's devotees. 

Just one verse. 

So I am grateful to my painful condition for coming into my life at such a young age. I am grateful for Google's morbid (and inaccurate!) diagnosis. 

I am grateful for the book, Illuminations from the Bhagavad-gita, by Kim and Chris Murray, for granting me the most priceless diamond of my existence: faith in my eternal soul. 

(A link for the book: https://www.amazon.com/Illuminations-Bhagavad-Gita-Kim-Waters/dp/1886069212/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2XJYOEGEPCZ9O&dchild=1&keywords=illuminations+from+the+bhagavad+gita&qid=1608771223&sprefix=illuminations+from+the+bh%2Caps%2C308&sr=8-1)

84: True Worship

CHAPTER 18, TEXT 70: And I declare that he who studies this sacred conversation of ours worships Me by his intelligence.

I just Googled "worship" and here's an image that pops up:

I've been to a few Christian services, rock concert style, and sung at the top of my lungs. I've also attended Buddhist prayers, Catholic mass, Vaishnava congregational singing (kirtan), and bowing in the Islamic call to prayer (azaan). Each ritual and service has touched my soul in a special way. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the verb worship means to "show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites." 

But in this verse of the Gita, Krishna is declaring to Arjuna that by studying this sacred conversation, one "worships" Him with one's intelligence. There is no requirement here for a religious rite.  

So then what IS worship? 

The word "worship" is derived from the Old English weorthscipe, which means "worthiness, acknowledgment of worth" (see worth, -ship)" (Oxford Dictionary). Fascinating, no? The core of worship is to acknowledge worth. 

As in, I value spirit, I value God as more valuable than any diamond of this world and so I'll acknowledge His worth in any way I know how: bells and incense and rock concerts. 

The essence of all of these expressions, though, is to acknowledge God's / the Divine's worth. In this verse, Krishna is saying that if we engage our intelligence in understanding with our hearts this conversation, we are acknowledging His worth. 

That is worship. 

It's so easy to reject scripture as arcane, irrelevant, and a source of dogma and strife within this world. These conclusions usually come, though, from either ignoring, misconstruing, or blindly following the teachings of scripture. 

But if one would just apply one's divine power of discernment to any scripture of the world, we would experience the priceless worth that these scriptures provide to elevate the soul to become pure and learn how to love. 

At the core, worship is not a ritual or a religious rite. Worship is to acknowledge the greatest worth of God, the priceless diamond we are all searching for in our heart of hearts. 

Full text here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/18/70/

80: Freedom to Choose

CHAPTER 18, TEXT 60: Under illusion you are now declining to act according to My direction. But, compelled by the work born of your own nature, you will act all the same, O son of Kuntī.

In the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita Arjuna had a meltdown: faced with the prospect of killing his friends and family in the battle of Kurukshetra, he trembled, fell to his knees, and dropped his bow. He offered many reasons to his friend Lord Krishna to not fight in the battle of Kurukshetra. Objectively, his reasons were solid. Convincing. 

But if Arjuna was in so much emotional distress and his arguments were so solid, then why didn't he just walk away? I mean, it would've made sense.   

Nevertheless, something seemed to have nagged at Arjuna that his experience and perspective were not complete. 

So he asked his friend, Krishna, for guidance.

In response, Krishna spoke the entire Bhagavad-gita with the direction that yes, Arjuna should fight. 

As you can imagine, Arjuna's overwhelming desire to not fight and Krishna's strong urging to fight are at odds. Here, Krishna circles back to His friend's dilemma, stating with simple logic that he can either fight in this battle according to His (God's) direction or... he will "act all the same." 

Basically, Arjuna is bound to fight. The real question is under what energy will he be acting from - material or spiritual? 

This is a question for all of us. 

We're all bound to eat, sleep, and work in this world. Maybe our nature is to be a car mechanic, teacher, small business owner, a CEO, and usually our nature calls us to be a spouse - husband or wife - and parents - a father or mother. We're going to do these things, there's no escaping. "Escaping" implies that, well, I'm under the control or directive of something else. 

Prabhupad emphasizes that the nature of the soul is to be subordinate. He writes, "If one refuses to act under the direction of the Supreme Lord, then he is compelled to act by the modes in which he is situated." Note here how Prabhupad says "under the direction" and "compelled" - either way, the soul is not fully independent. 

Not fully independent. We still have some independence - we have our precious, priceless free will. 

We can choose which energy to be under - God's directive or the material creation's directive. One gives us greater freedom, one gives us greater bondage. The modes of nature are always binding us. Prabhupad writes that, "Everyone is under the spell of a particular combination of the modes of nature and is acting in that way." In America we value freedom to such a high degree, but Prabhupad is stating here that everyone is under the spell of the modes of nature. True freedom is an illusion as long as we're entangled in this world. 

Choosing spirit, though, opens the gateway to the deepest freedom. But to choose spirit is sometimes really, really hard. For Arjuna to choose to fight under Krishna's directive, instead of being roped in and moved around by his nature and the modes, is hard. It means that Arjuna needs to actually use the faculty of his free will to follow God's directive. If he doesn't follow God's directive, then he becomes a victim of circumstance - oh, well I was born with a certain nature, or my brothers forced me to fight, or I couldn't help myself. Arjuna thus becomes a victim of material nature, out of touch with his divine capacity to choose. 

But if Arjuna chooses to fight based on Krishna's directive, a difficult but conscious decision, he is no longer governed by his nature, or the circumstances of his family, or his emotions or mind. He is no longer a victim. Although Arjuna is still governed (by Krishna) he made a choice to be governed by divine will. Prabhupad writes, "But anyone who voluntarily engages himself under the direction of the Supreme Lord becomes glorious." The key word here is "voluntarily" - forcing oneself or being forced to be engaged under the direction of God means that the soul is not fully expressed. God may give His directions, but unless we accept those directions with our heart and soul, then we might as well be under material nature. But if we can access that free will, the gates of glory open wide - the glory of freedom, the glory of love. 

Full purport here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/18/60/

71: The Function of the Soul

CHAPTER 16, TEXT 21: There are three gates leading to this hell – lust, anger and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.

One evening many years ago, I was traveling on a bus. The driver of the bus, an elderly, spiritual man, was having a conversation with another traveler, and I eavesdropped on their conversation. 

The man asked, "What is the function of the soul?"

The traveler was silent. My ears perked up and I leaned in to hear the man answer his own question:

"To desire. The function of the soul is to desire," 

Those simple words rang with an eternal truth, and they have echoed in my mind in the many years since. Interesting, no? I can still remember the deep blue evening light, the headlights from oncoming vehicles, the silhouettes of spiky trees as they rushed by. Those words anchor me to that time and space: The function of the soul is to desire. 

I have seen this eternal truth play out in my life and in the world.

When the soul is in touch with material energy, that eternal propensity to desire transforms into lust. Trying to satisfy the soul's eternal, spiritual desires with temporary, material things is a recipe for frustration, drama, and pain. I speak from experience, here, and I'm sure anyone reading this post would say the same. 

In this verse of the Gita, Krishna is saying that there are three gates leading to hell - lust, anger, and greed. Prabhupad emphasizes, though, that lust is the origin: "One tries to satisfy his lust, and when he cannot, anger and greed arise." Note that Prabhupad writes that one "tries" to satisfy lust, but he "cannot" - it is simply impossible to satisfy lust, like trying to put out a raging fire by feeding it logs soaked with gasoline. It is eventual that one will get to the point of anger and an even more inflamed greed. In verse 12 of this chapter, Krishna describes that an ungodly person is "bound by a network of hundreds of thousands of desires" which is not an exaggeration. Hundreds of thousands of desires may even be an understatement. Those desires lead to the degradation of the soul, as Krishna says in this verse. 

Why? Where does lust come from, this raging fire of desire?

The soul. 

The function of the soul is to desire. 

To quench this fire of desire IS impossible, because to do so would snuff out our very existence. 

The key, then, is to understand that this nature to desire something and someone, always, is divine. Originally, the soul desires to love and be loved, and ultimately to love God and be loved by God. 

The whole process of bhakti yoga is about taking those tendencies of the soul offering them to Krishna. In this way the soul is not degraded, but uplifted.  

Desire Krishna. Desire to serve, desire to connect, desire to love. 

Full purport here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/16/21/

62: Illuminating Presence

CHAPTER 13, TEXT 34: O son of Bharata, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness.

So simple. 

So sublime. 

The sun is one, and yet it illuminates and animates the whole earth. A symptom that the sun exists is that we see light. 

Krishna says in this verse that similarly, the tiny spark of the soul illuminates the body. A symptom that the soul exists is that we experience consciousness. Prabhupad writes, "Thus consciousness is the proof of the presence of the soul, as sunshine or light is the proof of the presence of the sun." One may ask how  consciousness is "proof" of the presence of the soul - why are there no other ways to prove the presence of the soul - say a microscope? Of some kind of energy meter...? 

In the previous verse, Krishna compares the soul to the sky - how the sky mixes with everything and at the same time is aloof and is never contaminated. The purport reads, "Similarly, the living entity, even though situated in varieties of bodies, is aloof from them due to his subtle nature. Therefore it is impossible to see with the material eyes how the living entity is in contact with this body and how he is out of it after the destruction of the body. No one in science can ascertain this" (13.33). The very nature of the soul is subtle and immeasurable to some kind of microscope or energy meter. Trying to manufacture some method to directly perceive the soul is pointless. As Prabhupad mentions here, "no one in science can ascertain" the soul or how or when it moves and functions. The soul itself is subtle. 

But we can perceive the soul through the symptoms of the soul, and the most obvious symptom is consciousness. We don't need fancy instruments or fancy scientific calculations to perceive the soul. The logic is simple: "When the soul is present in the body, there is consciousness all over the body, and as soon as the soul has passed from the body there is no more consciousness. 

"This can be easily understood by any intelligent man." 

Yes! The key word here is "easily" - this is easily understood! How is someone who has died referenced?

"She left us."

"He is gone."

"She is no longer with us."

Or maybe someone in grief, weeping at the bedside crying out, "Where are you?"

In all these situations, the body is right there. How is he or she "gone" or "no longer with us" and why would one say, "where are you?" if we can touch and see the body? 

The soul has gone, the soul is no longer with us, we are asking where the soul is. The soul is what illuminated the body with consciousness, like the sun illuminating the earth. "Therefore consciousness is not a product of the combinations of matter. It is the symptom of the living entity."

The living entity is not a product of matter - the soul is of a spiritual, divine nature. 

So simple. 

So sublime. 

The most reassuring part is that over and over again in the Gita and in other Vedic scriptures the soul is described as "eternal" and "undying", so when the soul "leaves" the body it's not like the soul is snuffed out like a candle, forever extinguished into oblivion. (This is a common belief of atheists.)

No. The soul leaves the body and moves on to another body. I mean, if the soul is eternal (and not just snuffed out) and it's not ready to go to heaven or back to God, what else would the soul do? The soul has a journey. Each body is a portion of the soul's journey.

I hope I can use this time wisely while my soul is in this current body. 

I hope to cultivate love and cleanse my heart, and seek God. 

I hope to live a life of purpose with each day, no matter how simple. 

And when the day comes when the lights go out forever on this life in this body and my soul travels on to my next destination, I hope the journey will take me ever closer to love and to God. 

Full purport here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/13/34/

58: False Ego vs. Real Ego

Brace yourselves, this is a long chunk of text, but these five verses are traditionally grouped together. These verses are straight fire, each word and phrase a gem with potential to transform our lives. That said, for this post I will be focusing on what I have bolded and underlined.  

TEXTS 8-12: Humility; pridelessness; nonviolence; tolerance; simplicity; approaching a bona fide spiritual master; cleanliness; steadiness; self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification; absence of false ego; the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; detachment; freedom from entanglement with children, wife, home and the rest; even-mindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me; aspiring to live in a solitary place; detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization; and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth – all these I declare to be knowledge, and besides this whatever there may be is ignorance.

Everyone is searching for belonging - in fact, it is considered a human need. 

Kendra Cherry writes, "The need to belong, also often referred to as belongingness, refers to a human emotional need to affiliate with and be accepted by members of a group" (verywellmind.com). Belongingness is essential to living a healthy life as a human being, and according to this definition, belonging has two aspects - 

1) being affiliated with a group and 

2) being accepted by members of that group. 

How does one go about belonging with a group? 

Identifying with a group. 

If I'm affiliated with the National Association of Teachers of English (NATE), to be accepted by that group usually means that I AM a teacher of English to be accepted. I mean, I can't really think of a person who would belong to that organization who wasn't a teacher of English. Maybe an administrator? A fanboy/fangirl....? 

I can identify with so many roles and experiences in this material world, from being a teacher of English and attending a NATE conference, being an overeater and attending Overeaters Anonymous, being a gurukuli and attending a Kulimela... our identities are pretty limitless. 

But those identities are constantly changing. They're temporary. 

Thus, our sense of belonging is changing. Our belonging is temporary. 

Deep down, we all crave for an eternal belonging, a group of people to be affiliated with and accepted by that never changes. But if we want to belong in an eternal way, we must uncover our eternal identity. 

The most clear cut translation of identity is ego. Contrary to popular understanding, ego is not negative (or positive). Ego simply means "identity." 

Ego is often mistranslated to mean prideful, self-absorbed, and big-headed because that person has a false identity, or a false ego. Prabhupad writes that the preliminary understanding is that "False ego means accepting this body as oneself." This is the biggest mistake - my body is "me." 

The image that comes to mind is of a self-absorbed body builder and I tend to think, "That man (or woman) has a big ego," But really what I mean is "That man is so absorbed in his (or her) body that he thinks that he IS his body and that is pretty distasteful." After all, there's something off-putting about seeing a man or woman strut his or her muscular body around with a smug look. 

He or she knows that they're attractive and cool and strong - but all of those attributes belong to the body. 

What about the self? 

Is that body builder attractive and cool and strong on the inside? Maybe. Maybe not. We just don't know, because the body is not a reflection of true identity. 

There is such a thing as a real ego. Prabhupad writes, "When one understands that he is not his body and is spirit soul, he comes to his real ego. Ego is there." This means that our true identity is a spirit soul - this is our real, authentic ego. This is the highest sense of self. Of course, "False ego is condemned, but not real ego." False ego is condemned because the body is matter that is always changing. 

That same bodybuilder will get old and lose all attractiveness, coolness, and strength. This is no foundation upon which to build an authentic existence. Placing one's sense of self in the eternal spirit soul is the doorway to peace and freedom. In fact, "When the sense of self is applied to reality, that is real ego." Our reality is not this ever-changing body. Our reality is the spirit soul. 

One may say that the solution to all ego is to just claim that we should have no ego at all and merge into nothingness. Prabhupad writes that "There are some philosophers who say we should give up our ego, but we cannot give up our ego, because ego means identity." If we attempt to give up our ego, this means we would have no identity, no sense of self. 

But if we have no sense of self or identity, we cannot belong. 

Belonging is a core human need, and one could argue is a core soul need. Belonging is a foundation for many other needs of the soul such as Significance, Connection/Love, and Contribution (resus.com.au). These are needs. 

Needs are needs. 

This means if they're not met in a healthy way, one will attempt to get them met in an unhealthy way - throwing tantrums (Significance), forcing others to follow my rules (Connection/Love), and others forced to follow harsh rules makes a Contribution.

Trying to get these needs met by identifying with the body only leads to frustration and heartbreak. On the other hand, meeting these needs by identifying with the soul leads to the love and contribution and belonging that we all hunger for. 

Prabhupad emphasizes, "In the Vedic literature (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.4.10) it is said, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: I am Brahman, I am spirit. This “I am,” the sense of self, also exists in the liberated stage of self-realization. This sense of “I am” is ego, but when the sense of “I am” is applied to this false body it is false ego." In this aphorism, aham means "I am" and that "I am" is eternal - as Prabhupad says here, this sense of self exists even in the liberated stage. When we shed this material body and return to God, we will still exist in spirit - aham brahmasmi. But this sense of identity applied to this body is so ephemeral, the identities ever-changing, rolling by like so many coats we put on and discard.

Ultimately, those souls in the spiritual world is the group to be affiliated with and accepted by. The spiritual world is a place where there is an eternal exchange of love, connection, growth, and contribution. That is where we eternally belong. 

Full purport here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/13/8-12/

57: Fight or Flight or...?

CHAPTER 13, TEXTS 1-2: Arjuna said: O my dear Kṛṣṇa, I wish to know about prakṛti [nature], puruṣa [the enjoyer], and the field and the knower of the field, and of knowledge and the object of knowledge. The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: This body, O son of Kuntī, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field.

Animals live in fear. 

Always. 

Think about it - for the most part, animals/aquatics/insects/etc. are eaten alive. If they are not eaten alive, they are always in fear of being eaten alive. Imagine that. You are still alive and conscious, and another animal is eating your body. 

Maybe this sounds graphic, but this is just the reality of the material world. 

Human beings are animals too, you know. 

Maybe we don't live in fear of being eaten alive (other than those villains in Indiana Jones movies) but our fear manifests in two basic ways:

Fight

or

Flight. 

Either ramp up the adrenaline and start arguing/kicking/screaming/punching or

Turn away from the conflict/problem/situation as soon as possible and run away as far as possible. 

Fight or flight. So often we operate in these two modes of existence. Fear manifests in countless ways in our physical, and emotional lives, often plaguing our mental health. 

But there is a third option: 

Observe. 

Don't fight. Don't take flight. 

Just be. Watch. Observe. 

In his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey writes how between stimulus and response, there is a space. Living a conscious, effective, and inspiring life sometimes boils down to a simple process: widening that space. Acting from that space. 

Instead of reacting out of fear - fighting it out or running away - stop, pause, and consider the situation. Make a decision from a place of clear knowledge and presence. 

Conscious life and indeed spiritual life begins when we realize that we *can* make a choice and not operate from some automatic fear reaction. Making conscious choices is waking up to the most powerful function of the soul - free will. 

Making choices begins with understanding that we each have a body, and within that body is a soul. In this verse of the Gita, Arjuna is inquiring about the field (ksetram) and the knower of the field (ksetra-jna). Prabhupad writes how the body is the field of activity for the conditioned soul, and "the person, who should not identify himself with the body, is called kṣetra-jña, the knower of the field." 

This is the crux of the matter: the understanding that I - the soul - am the witness. Prabhupad writes how even a child can understand that the body goes through so many changes, but the person inside of the body does not change. The soul is the witness. 

Here in this verse, it's clear that there is a difference between the body (the field) and the soul (the knower of the field). Prabhupad emphasizes that "The owner is distinctly ksetra-jna." The field may be destroyed, but the knower of the field continues to exist. There is no need to fear. 

Being a little removed from all the drama of life alleviates fear, because I understand that all the pain and horror and death is happening within the field, not to me, the soul, the knower of the field. 

Our greatest challenge of fear will come for us all one day: death. We probably wont be eaten alive, but we will definitely die - whether that is tomorrow or fifty years from now.

Do I fight against death? Do I run away from it and numb myself? 

Or do I observe?

That's my choice. 

Making this choice is the beginning of conscious living. 

Full purport here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/13/1-2/

54: A Convenient, Joyful Process

CHAPTER 12, TEXT 5: For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.

This verse of the Gita underscores the fact that one who tries to understand God in His impersonal feature is duhkham - he is miserable. 

Meditating in silence and stillness on nothing / formless light / power is actually miserable. 

A key word of this verse is deha-vadbhih, which means "those who are embodied." To try and meditate upon a formless light when we ourselves are embodied is almost impossible. 

According to the Gita, we are all an eternal spirit soul, but we are housed within a material body. When the body dies, the eternal soul moves on to another body; "The individual soul is embodied since time immemorial." The soul has been traversing from body to body to body in a neverending ferris wheel in the cycle of samsara, the cycle of birth and death in this world. Thus "it is very difficult for him to simply theoretically understand that he is not the body." This shows that theoretical understanding does not go very far. Since I am housed within a material body, naturally I identify with this body, no matter how much philosophy I read and agree with. 

I tend to believe that this body IS me. 

I can't see my soul. But I can see and feel and touch my body, so my body must be who "I" am. Prabhupad emphasizes that it is difficult for us to even understand theoretically that we are not the body - indeed, I understand somewhat theoretically that I am not the body, but that theory is hard to apply in practical, everyday life. I am typing these words with my fingers, I am seeing through these eyes, I am willing my body to move. 

I mean, the willing and the moving of my body is so seamless that I must be my body, right? 

And everyone else's body must be them, right?

Bhakti yoga does not demand that one should stubbornly refuse all connection to the body. In fact, there is the understanding that we all have an eternal form, a svarupa, in the spiritual world. 

What's more, God also has an eternal form, but he is also represented in an embodied form in this material world. Prabhupad writes, "The bhakti-yogī accepts the Deity of Kṛṣṇa as worshipable because there is some bodily conception fixed in the mind, which can thus be applied." This is so beautiful. God is meeting us where we're at; He knows that since we have been embodied since time immemorial, we're going to identify with our bodies and identify others as their bodies. 

Including God! 

We're going to believe that God in His material body IS Him. 

So presto - God gives us deity worship in order to apply our bodily conception of life. Through deity worship, we may all approach God easily and joyfully. By "[God's] incarnation as arcā-vigraha He can accept the services of the devotee, just to make it convenient for the man in conditioned life." Amazing  how Prabhupad uses the word "convenient" here. Not only is this process joyful, it is convenient. Deity worship is not meant to be miserable, like meditating on an impersonal void. In fact, for "the personalist, without any risk, trouble or difficulty, [he] approaches the Supreme Personality directly." So although this verses emphasizes the misery of attempting impersonal meditation, within the purport Prabhupad offers a solution that is simple, convenient, and direct. 

Personally, I find that when I visit the deity form of the Lord within a temple, my heart opens like a flower and love flows in my heart. I can bow down with my body, I can dance with my body, I can drink in God's form with my eyes. 

Way more accessible than sitting in silent and, well, miserable meditation. (Hey, Krishna Himself says it's miserable!) 

I'm an embodied soul, what can I say? I tend to believe that others are their bodies, including God. Ever since I was a little girl, when I would gaze up at the deity form of God, I simply understood, "This is God. God is looking at me." This process is so easy even a child can exchange love with God. This is bhakti yoga. 

Full purport here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/12/5/

44: All Souls Are Created Equal

CHAPTER 9, TEXT 32: O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaiśyas [merchants] and śūdras [workers] – can attain the supreme destination.

Let's be honest. If the CEO of any company made this statement today (substituting out "Me" for God, of course), he or she would probably be fired and his or her career and standing in society would come crashing down in smoldering ruins. 

Why? 

Krishna states here that women, merchants, and workers are of lower birth. 

This implies that men and, let's say, world leaders, are of a higher birth. 

Note the term "birth", which implies that if someone is born a certain way, there is nothing that can be done about it - no amount of surgeries or education degrees or work experience can change the manner in which one is born. A woman is a woman. A worker is a worker. One could argue that this kind of reasoning breeds discrimination and permits persecution and abuse in the name of religion. 

This verse (and others) are often cited as quite controversial, verses and commentaries that sometimes break people's faith in the Bhagavad-gita, the path of bhakti, and maybe even spiritual life. 

Americans hold equality of all to be a very sacred principle, and this Gita verse seems to violate that principle. Within a founding document of the United States of America, Thomas Jefferson penned these famous words in the Declaration of Independence, "All men are created equal." I am certainly a benefactor of America's pursuit of equality - as a woman living in 2020, I could literally do anything and everything I truly wanted to do, including go to college, buy land, or even become the President. What's more, America has inspired many other countries of the world to pursue equality for all. 

Of course, Jefferson is now criticized as a white man of privilege who had slaves and excluded women from this famous statement. On a material level, Jefferson (and most of the other founding fathers) was a hypocrite. 

So now we still have a problem - even people who espouse liberty, equality, and justice for all don't actually live those principles. 

Let's return to the drawing board then, and see where we have gone amiss in our interpretation of this Gita verse. Here is the problem: the phrase "lower birth" is all that is focused on. The truth is that this verse is stating something closer to what Jefferson himself meant in the deepest way: we are all truly created equal. 

No material designation, whether that is a body or an occupation, can keep us from our divine nature and our divine purpose in this world. Prabhupad writes, "It is clearly declared here by the Supreme Lord that in devotional service there is no distinction between the lower and higher classes of people." All that would be focused on if the CEO made this statement would be that he had classified women and workers as a lower birth, but not the essence of the verse, which is that anyone can participate in spiritual life, regardless of birth and class. 

The bigger thing to accept, then, is that there *are* classes of men and women in this world. This is the reality. There have always been classes in society, there always will be classes in society. This is just the nature of the material world. Prabhupad continues, "In the material conception of life there are such divisions, but for a person engaged in transcendental devotional service to the Lord there are not." This distinction is crucial. If we are engaged in transcendental service, these divisions become irrelevant. But if one switches into a material conception of life, then yes, suddenly these distinctions and classes of birth become important, almost overpowering. 

For example, men and women have separate competitions in the Olympics. This is understandable, considering the obvious physiological differences between a man's body and a woman's body.

But - men and women also have separate competitions for chess. 

Chess? 

How can this be? 

Being good at chess is a strong indicator of a high IQ (thechessworld.com), so if there is a separate championship for women, this means that on average, even the intellects of men outperform the intellects of women. This is simply the reality. Being stronger and also more intelligent is a sign of a "higher birth." 

But Krishna is saying here that none of those considerations of lower and higher birth matter when it comes to love and devotion.  

Prabhupad emphasizes, "[D]evotional service and the guidance of a pure devotee are so strong that there is no discrimination between the lower and higher classes of men; anyone can take to it." This is true equality. We all hunger to be treated as equals in life and in love. This is why the founding fathers laid down equality as a principle for the United States to be built upon - our soul hungers to be recognized for who we are, not just for some material condition. But the Declaration of Independence is a material document. 

The Gita is spiritual document. Contrary to how this verse is misinterpreted, the Gita is meant to lift us out of these cages of designations that trap us into discrimination, hatred, and persecution. Krishna is saying here that actually, none of these designations matter when there is love and devotion to God.  

More important than the reality that there are higher and lower births in this world is the reality that we are all spirit souls and all spirit souls are equal. When I operate from that level, I see the truth that I am just as eligible as any man, as any world leader, as anyone more beautiful or more intelligent or wealthier than me. I am a spirit soul, capable of offering my love and my heart to God with purity and devotion. That is within my power, that is within the power of every human being on this planet, that is an inalienable right within each and every one of us. No one can take away the right to love. I believe that this divine truth is what the founding fathers of America were aiming for when they wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. This is the truth that God himself is emphasizing in the Gita. 

So I'll just accept right now that as a woman, according to the Gita, I've been born into a "lower birth." 

Yep. Last I checked, I still love myself. I'm just accepting the reality of my birth. 

Being born a woman does not stop me from learning to love. I am a spirit soul, capable of opening my heart to God and attaining the "highest perfection of life." 

I trust that that is the message of the Gita, that is the message of Srila Prabhupad, that is the message of any genuine spiritual path. 

Full purport here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/9/32/

38: The Giver and Taker of Life

CHAPTER 8, TEXT 27: Although the devotees know these two paths, O Arjuna, they are never bewildered. Therefore be always fixed in devotion.

Context: Krishna is explaining to Arjuna the very specific times when one dies - that timing will determine if one leaves this material world or must again be reborn. These are the "two paths" discussed in this verse. 

Conclusion: Choosing when to die is near impossible. 

Not impossible, but near impossible. 

Yogis in bygone ages could control this process. Prabhupad writes in the purport to 8.23: "If the yogī is perfect he can select the time and situation for leaving this material world. But if he is not so expert his success depends on his accidentally passing away at a certain suitable time". Note the use of the phrase, "But if he is not so expert..." I would venture to say that  99.99% of the world is "not so expert" on yogic principles and how and when to choose to die. In fact, for a yogi to be expert, it still means that s/he must cooperate and petition with the presiding deities of time, such as fire, light, day and the fortnight of the moon (8.25, purport) and these deities are the ones "who make arrangements for the passage of the soul." So even in an ideal situation where a yogi is perfect, s/he is ultimately still not the one to make his/her final arrangements to leave this world. 

In Islam, God possesses two names that have been giving me solace regarding the giving of life and the taking of life: 

Al-Mu'min - The Giver of Life and 

Al Mumit - The Taker of Life. 

Even when there are "presiding deities" over the various elements of time, God is ultimately in control of all (maha-purusha). He is the one who gives life, and he also takes life. Often the giving of life is seen as good and the taking of life as bad. But when we see that God is the creator of all good (An-Nafi) then we can understand that whether one is given life or taken from life, all is as it should be. There is divine purpose behind everything. 

After all, one could die in a car accident on the way home from school. 

One could contract cancer in his/her 30s and die within six months. 

One could live until 91 with a sharp mind and sound health and feel melancholy, wondering when life will just be over. 

I know personal examples of each and every one of these scenarios - the first is my aunt, the second a dear friend, the third the grandmother of my husband. I am sure we could all consider the lives and deaths of people in our own lives - people who died too soon, people whose life seemed to be prolonged beyond comprehension. 

We just

don't

know. 

Wondering when our own death will come can be very frightening. And to truly realize that we have practically zero control over when that will happen is very, very frightening. Prabhupad writes in the purport to this verse that "[The devotee] should know that concern over either of these two paths is troublesome." Basically, concern over whether one's path is to leave this material world or one's path is to stay here is a recipe for useless distress. We have so little control over our fate if we're going to play the game of petitioning the deities of time and following the rules and regulations to become a "perfect" yogi. 

In this regard, Prabhupad states that, "A devotee of the Supreme Lord should not worry whether he will depart by arrangement or by accident." This means that there is nothing to fear. We do not need to manipulate material energy and perform austerities to ensure our soul's fate. 

If God is the Giver of Life and the Taker of Life, then doesn't it make sense to go to Him, directly? Not to prolong or shorten this material life, but to find purpose and love within the life we live in this very moment. Prabhupad writes, "The best way to be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to be always dovetailed in His service, and this will make one’s path to the spiritual kingdom safe, certain and direct." The word "safe" is very significant here. The goal of becoming a "perfect yogi" and trying to control the departure of leaving one's body is in fact to be safe - safe from the misery and pain of this material world. But true safety is taking shelter in the source of all safety - Lord Krishna. By practically engaging in His service with our hearts and bodies, one actually becomes the "perfect yogi." The perfect yogi is actually the devotee, and "the devotee is not disturbed by these descriptions [of the destination of the soul after death], because he knows that his passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service." There is nothing to fear. 

When I approach Krishna in a mood of loving service and surrender, I can trust that whenever God prolongs my life or whenever God takes my life, all is good and I am safe within His arms.  

Full purport by Bhaktivedanta Swami here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/8/27/

37: Conceiving the Inconceivable

CHAPTER 8, TEXT 9: One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person. He is luminous like the sun, and He is transcendental, beyond this material nature.

The name for God in Islam is "Allah," which means "The Great One." In Islam, God is never depicted with a form or in any way that could be construed as a material interpretation, for God is beyond our material conception.  

In this verse of the Gita, this understanding is confirmed - God is beyond material conception. At the same time, God is also stated as a person who has a form (rupam). The fact that God is beyond material conception while also having a form is inconceivable - acintya. After all, isn't the fact that one has a form MAKE one conceivable?? Prabhupad writes, "The word acintya (“inconceivable”) is very significant in this connection. God’s energy is beyond our conception, beyond our thinking jurisdiction, and is therefore called inconceivable (acintya)." I appreciate Prabhupad's phrase here, our "thinking jurisdiction," because we all have a kind of arena from which we can think and conceive. After all, human beings have been inquiring about and questioning God since the beginning of our existence. Healthy exploration, questioning, and even doubt is all a sign of intelligence on the spiritual path. At the same time, it is also a sign of intelligence to realize that there are some things that are beyond our understanding, beyond our "thinking jurisdiction." 

Indeed, Prabhupad continues to say that "We cannot comprehend even this material world, which is insignificant compared to the spiritual world – so how can we comprehend what is beyond? Acintya means that which is beyond this material world, that which our argument, logic and philosophical speculation cannot touch, that which is inconceivable." Even this material world is such a mystery. Although much can be puzzled out, and the sciences are dedicated to understanding how this material world functions, still, we may understand how a thing functions but not why. 

For example, we now understand how a rainbow is created, with the reflection of light upon suspended water droplets in the air. But we do not know why rainbows are created. What is the purpose of a rainbow?

That is something that logic and philosophical speculation cannot touch.  

My sense is that scientists can conclude that there is no God because they see that there is no mystery to the mathematical laws that govern the universe; they can conceive of and wrap their minds around things that previously seemed so mysterious, like a rainbow, or lightning, or the human heart. Thus there is no "mysterious God" controlling all.  

Or, scientists can conclude that there must be a God because the laws and calculations that govern the universe are so wondrous, so inconceivable that there must be a higher intelligence at work. They reason that all the laws are actually in service of a higher and more mysterious purpose and person. Aristotle once wrote that "Mathematics is the alphabet in which God has written the universe," which means that behind all miracles is an architect who plays by the mathematical rules he has created.

What's more, there is a purpose - a why - behind every aspect of creation.   

Possessing a higher intelligence means accepting that there is a higher intelligence at work. 

This is not blind following, but an understanding that there are some things that are simply beyond my conception. After all, God is the Great One, He cannot be conceived of with an ordinary mind and an ordinary intelligence. 

If He was, then how Great would He be? 

And yet, if we are to actually love God in a practical way, then He must have a form. Prabhupad writes, "One cannot meditate on something impersonal or void. That is very difficult. The process of thinking of Kṛṣṇa, however, is very easy and is factually stated herein. First of all, the Lord is puruṣa, a person – we think of the person Rāma and the person Kṛṣṇa." Just like we meditate on the people we love, this is the same for God. Although it's an aspect of God, meditating on an inconceivable void can be very difficult in terms of cultivating love. Meditating on the face of the Lord actually awakens love in the heart. And it's so easy, as Prabhupad states.  

Yes, God is The Great One - Allah - who I imagine to be this brilliant and wondrous God who is luminous like the sun (aditya-varnam) as described in this verse. 

God is not limited, though, to only being inconceivable. 

If God is unlimited, then he can also be perceived, even with our limited eyes and senses. So yes, He is The Great One, and He is also the Beautiful One with Skin as Dark as a Raincloud - Shyamasundar. 

Personally, I visit Krishna temples and love to absorb myself in the beauty of Krishna's form in His sacred deity. His form touches my heart and soul, giving rise to a kind of unique and beautiful affection, adoration, and a desire to serve.

In this way, God becomes real and luminous like the sun within my own heart. 

Full purport by Bhaktivedanta Swami here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/8/9

36: From Subtle to Gross

CHAPTER 8, TEXT 3: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called adhyātma, the self. Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies of the living entities is called karma, or fruitive activities.

(note: I use the pronoun "he" for simplicity's sake in this post)

Although there are over 340 recognized breeds of dog (livescience.com) there is factually only one species: canis familiaris (scientificamerican). 

But according to Vedic understanding, these "breeds" of dogs are actually different species. Material science defines a species as a group of organisms that can biologically reproduce with one another (nature.com), but Vedic understanding declares that a species is defined by the composition of its consciousness according to the three modes of material nature, satva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance). The aphorism "from subtle to gross" is pertinent in this regard, for consciousness shapes physical reality. 

It is well known that certain breeds of dogs have particular personalities. For example, "Boxers are upbeat and playful... They take the jobs of watchdog and family guardian seriously and will meet threats fearlessly" (akc.org). In the picture below, note the sharp ears perked up, almost reflecting this watchful nature (total speculation on my part!). 

Contrast this with the nature of a golden retriever, which is "even-tempered, intelligent and affectionate. Golden retrievers are playful, yet gentle with children, and they tend to get along well with other pets and strangers" (hillspet.com). Note that the golden retriever's ears are soft and floppy and actually cannot perk up, which seem to reflect a kind of softness and gentility (again, total speculation). 

Do individual boxers and golden retrievers deviate from this commonly experienced norm of personality? Absolutely. At the same time, we can generalize that these particular breeds of dogs produce a particular personality, or consciousness. 

Within both the boxer and the golden retriever is a pure, imperishable soul, called the adhyatma, as mentioned in this verse of the Gita. This pure soul is definitely not a dog according to his eternal nature. But that soul has identified with material nature, and then according to the laws of nature, he is given a body to reflect that consciousness - in this case, a particular kind of dog. Prabhupad writes, "When the living entity is in material consciousness, he has to take on various bodies in the material world. That is called karma, or varied creation by the force of material consciousness." I find the phrase "varied creation by force of material consciousness" intriguing in this regard, because it means that all the varied material creation springs from consciousness, and this is "by force." The aphorism "from subtle to gross" offers a clear understanding that whatever one thinks or desires becomes manifest by force. 

Modern science has officially described 1.6 million species of life (biodiversidad.gob.mx) although there are estimates up to 8.7 million (livescience.com); ancient Vedic understanding states that there are 8.4 million species of life. The relatively close correlation between modern estimations and ancient statements is fascinating. But while modern science simply offers material calculations, Srila Prabhupad offers the reason for all of these millions of species of life: "According to his [the soul's] identification with material or spiritual nature, he receives a material or spiritual body. In material nature he may take a body from any of the 8,400,000 species of life, but in spiritual nature he has only one body." The three modes of material nature, goodness (satva), passion (rajas), and ignorance (tamas), combine in 8,400,000 ways in order to manifest the various material bodies that we see (Padma Purana). 

This principle applies to all species of life, and Prabhupad writes that "In material nature he [the soul] is manifested sometimes as a man, demigod, animal, beast, bird, etc., according to his karma." Karma in this context means one's "work" or "actions" so according to what one has willed into reality by force of material consciousness, one is given a body that corresponds.  

For example, for one to be born in the body of a dog, the overall ratio of satva, rajas, and tamas is balanced for this species of life, let's assume for demonstration's sake 40% satva, 40% rajas, and 20% tamas.   

Proportionately the boxer may have a smidgen more rajas because its nature is to be upbeat and protective, while the golden retriever may have a smidgen more satva because its nature is to be affectionate and gentle.

What is most important to understand is not that we aim to take on the body that has the highest ratio of satva. We are not meant to have even the tiniest tinge of ANY of the modes of nature in our true self. Living in the body of a boxer or a golden retriever is temporary and is not an eternal existence or identity. Prabhupad states clearly that we either identify with a material nature - and thus spring forth 8,400,000 species of life in conjunction with the modes of nature - or we identify with our spiritual nature.

In our original spiritual nature, we have only one body. This means that our pure, imperishable, joyful soul - the adhyatma - is shining forth and manifests in a tangible body, free of any tinges of the modes of nature. 

Ultimately, we choose: material identity or spiritual identity. 

If the aphorism "from subtle to gross" holds true, how do I purify my subtle consciousness to truly achieve purity of mind and ultimately body? Prabhupad writes, "The Supreme Lord is the purest of the pure. Therefore anyone who is constantly Kṛṣṇa conscious is also the purest of the pure" (8.5). Krishna consciousness means remembering (smaranam) Krishna, especially by chanting the holy name. Chanting of the holy name is emphasized by Srila Prabhupad repeatedly as a way to connect with our original, joyful, pure nature by connecting to the source of all purity and love:

Hare Krishna

Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna

Hare Hare

Hare Rama

Hare Rama

Rama Rama

Hare Hare 

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/8/3/

Sources: 

https://www.livescience.com/8420-incredible-explosion-dog-breeds.html#:~:text=Now%2C%20there%20are%20about%20340,currently%20recognizes%20only%20167%20breeds.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/different-dog-breeds-same-species/#:~:text=But%20among%20dogs%2C%20which%20are,a%20single%20species%2C%20Canis%20familiaris.

https://www.biodiversidad.gob.mx/v_ingles/species/howmany_species.html

https://www.nature.com/scitable/definition/species-312/#:~:text=species,nature%20and%20produce%20fertile%20offspring.

33: Cultivating the Connection

CHAPTER 7, TEXT 8: O son of Kuntī, I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable oṁ in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.

From personal experience, a broken heart from betrayed love is probably the most excruciating pain I've ever endured.

Also from personal experience, a whole heart to give and receive love with another human being is probably the most joy I've ever known.

Love is pain.

Love is joy.

See the problem here??

We all want love, but love could be our downfall OR our salvation. So what is love?

Love, at its core, is an exchange between two people. Brene Brown, a Ph.D. researcher on shame and connection, writes, "Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people..."  (https://brenebrown.com/definitions/). This means that love is not an object to be given or an object to give away. And if love cannot be given or taken away, then that must mean that love eternally resides within the heart of each and every one of us. Essentially, love is a connection that is either cultivated or neglected.

Bhakti is the love that exists between God (Bhagavan) and the spirit soul (bhakta) - that love is not given to us, nor can it be given away. The propensity to love and serve God is intrinsic to our very nature. Bhakti is either dormant (and neglected) or active. What's more, "We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be seen and known" (Brene Brown, https://brenebrown.com/definitions/). Bhagavan in His most sweet and vulnerable form is when he goes by the personal name of Krishna. (An equivalent would be like calling President Obama by his first name, Barack.)

Calling God by His "first name" - Krishna - is very intimate. By saying the name Krishna, we are invoking God's most vulnerable and powerful self, and Krishna is allowing Himself to be seen and known.

So what does this all have to do with this Chapter 7, Verse 8 of the Bhagavad-gita?? What does being hardwired to love, being scared to love, and using God's personal name have to do with Krishna sharing that He is, say, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras?

Prabhupad writes, "Because the impersonalists are very much afraid of addressing the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa by His innumerable names, they prefer to vibrate the transcendental sound oṁ-kāra." The key word in this sentence is "afraid." The very reason why people become impersonalists and refute the existence of a personal God who has a form and a name is because they're afraid... of love.

We all know how painful love can be, and so impersonalists have simply chosen to not cultivate that connection of love with God the person. After all, a broken heart on the scale of loving God could be cataclysmic!

Still, there's a secret: "But [the impersonalists] do not realize that oṁ-kāra is the sound representation of Kṛṣṇa."

There's no escape ;)

Krishna says in this verse that He is the om-kara, so for those who are afraid to connect to God in a loving relationship, He still makes Himself accessible through an impersonal sound. Prabhupad writes, "The Supreme Lord can be preliminarily perceived by His different energies, and in this way He is realized impersonally." When loving God seems too far away, too scary, too impossible, then we can start here, in this preliminary way: experiencing His energies. They're all representations of Krishna Himself that we can experience right now, in this moment.

A glass of New York City tap water (which is famous for being drawn from natural springs) sits on my desk; I just took a sip. That clean taste is Krishna.

The morning sunlight shines with brilliance upon light brown bricks of the apartment building outside my window. That light is Krishna.

Sitting here at my desk, I just vibrated the syllable om. That syllable is Krishna.

Right now I can hear the clock tick. That sound vibrating through ether is Krishna.

I move my fingers across this keyboard and look upon this screen. The ability to do so is Krishna.

Right here, right now, I can experience God, if only I have the vision. No need to fear any kind of personal relationship or connection that could end in a broken heart, because maybe - if I'm honest - I'm scared and a little intimidated to really love God. So Krishna says here: Just experience the original and purest lights, sounds, smells, tastes, and movements of this world and You will know me.  

In this way, Krishna is allowing His most powerful self to be known through these energies. Maybe He's not so vulnerable - like using his personal name of Krishna - but that's okay. In this way, Krishna is emphasizing that all pathways to experiencing, knowing, and loving God are valid. Prabhupad points out, "Practically speaking, there is no conflict between personalism and impersonalism. One who knows God knows that the impersonal conception and personal conception are simultaneously present in everything and that there is no contradiction." In this way, the spiritual journey is meant to be understandable and accessible to all.

Right now.

Right here.

Bhakti is meant to be cultivated through the simple medium of appreciation. Just appreciating the glass of water, the sunlight, and sound, our heart grows and softens. We begin to understand that God is not vaulted off in some inaccessible cloud in the sky looking down on us. He is infused within every moment and every movement of our lives, if we only have the vision to see.

"When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in."
Kristin Armstrong

Full purport by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/7/8/

28: Healthy Soul

CHAPTER 6, TEXT 16: There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogī, O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.

How fascinating that an ancient scripture that is meant for realization of the divine - a seemingly ethereal and otherworldly endeavor - is giving advice straight out of the family doctor's list of guidelines.

Don't eat too much.

Don't eat too little.

Don't sleep too much.

Don't sleep too little.

Moderation, moderation, moderation.

So practical. So simple. Deep down, we all know that these guidelines are essential for a healthy body, even a healthy mind.

But a healthy soul?

Krishna says that "there is  no possibility of one's becoming a yogi" if one does not learn these practical steps of moderation.

Eating and sleeping are primary functions of what it means to even be alive, no matter what species. But human beings have elevated eating and sleeping to be some of the most pleasurable experiences of existence.

No other animal cooks its food. Other animals eat their food raw (no oven! no stovetop!) and as is (no salt! no spices!). Human beings love to eat, and often, we eat too much. Prabhupad writes, "Too much eating means eating more than is required to keep the body and soul together." Other than the family doctor advising a patient to eat in moderation to keep body and soul together for health reasons, why is overeating considered unfavorable for becoming a yogi?

Because eating beyond one's need is really about enjoying for oneself. Satisfying myself. I'M the center.

But becoming a yogi is about putting God in the center.

Learning to love is about putting others in the center.

Now, to enjoy food and enjoy life is a need - the soul is naturally pleasure-seeking, ananda mayo bhyasat (Vedanta Sutra). Deprivation will only backfire - I'm sure we've all had the equivalent experience of going on a diet or juice cleanse or whatever and then bingeing on potato chips when it's over. This pendulum swing of indulgence-deprivation actually just keeps the focus on US, we're still in the center. Whether I'm enjoying or suffering, the focus is still on me, and that defeats the goal of yoga and the goal of love.

Indeed, even when one eats to keep body and soul together, still we can keep Krishna in the center of this activity by offering all the food we eat to Him first.

Here Krishna, You enjoy first. You're the center.

Once You're satisfied, THEN I'll enjoy.

Learning to eat just enough and learning to let God enjoy first is the key to keeping a healthy soul.

Full purport for Chapter 6, Text 16 by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/6/16/

27: From Enemy to Friend

CHAPTER 6, TEXT 6: For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.

Even in America, Land of the Free, everyone has a boss.

That boss may be my manager. Or professor. My parents. Maybe my husband, or wife. Maybe my boss is simply time, which tells me when to wake up and go to sleep. Or maybe my boss is my stomach, because I need to eat. There will always be someone "superior" giving me orders, whether I like it or not.

Prabhupad writes, "The constitutional position of the living entity is to carry out the order of the superior." So in this sense, there is no getting around having a boss and carrying out the orders of that boss - it is our very nature to serve.

Freedom does not mean having no boss and no one to answer to.

Freedom means I get to choose my boss.

Have you ever had a bad boss? I have. I remember dreading waking up in the morning because I had to go to work. No matter that I liked my coworkers and even the work itself. The negative, doubtful, nitpicky, over-controlling, and discouraging attitude of my boss cast a shadow over my work and life. But I was bound to serve my superior, whether I liked him/her or not.

In this analogy, the mind is not the highest boss, like the CEO or company owner, but it's the manager. The function of the mind is to accept and reject.

What do I like? What do I dislike?

What comes to me  is the image of a child who rejects broccoli with screams of disgust and accepts ice cream with screams of delight.

That's the mind.

That's our manager.

Great.

In this verse, Krishna says that the mind can be either the greatest friend or the greatest enemy, and without self-control the mind is the greatest enemy: "One who cannot control his mind lives always with the greatest enemy, and thus his life and its mission are spoiled." I need to become the boss of my mind, or my mind will take over my life and spoil it.

The good news is that my mind is only the manager, not the CEO.

The CEO is the intelligence. This means that my intelligence is capable of controlling my mind. I need to use my intelligence to control my impulses to accept and reject. Ultimately, though, "As long as one’s mind remains an unconquered enemy, one has to serve the dictations of lust, anger, avarice, illusion, etc." This is like living with a bad boss, day in and day out, a manager who is doubtful, nitpicky, temperamental, and negative. Living under the tyranny of lust, anger, hatred, and more is a life of hell.

The greatest choice to make in order to transform the mind from an enemy to a friend is to control it - to learn self-control, self-discipline, and self-knowledge. This is what it means to conquer the mind. A powerful and practical way to ways to cultivate self-discipline is to delay gratification. Viktor Frankl writes, "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." This is about expanding our free will and our ability to control our choices and ultimately our minds.

Delay, don't deny.

Delay the ice cream.

Delay the new clothes.

Delay the new gadget.

Delay the hurtful words.

Just the process of delaying is an act of self-control. We increase the size of that space between stimulus and response. And in the process of delaying, in that window of time, I can use my intelligence to accept what is healthy for me (the "broccoli") and reject what is unhealthy for me (the "ice cream").

Cultivating self-control makes the mind one's friend. Interestingly, the word "friend" comes from "Indo-European root meaning ‘to love’, shared by free" (britannica.com). To love is the root of both friend and free - which is the underlying message of this verse by Krishna. Our mind is our friend when we are free, and freedom is the very core of what it means to love.

We cannot love if we are not free.

So ultimately, if we conquer our minds, this does not mean that we are "free" of any superior. Our intelligence is the CEO of our company, but there's still the company owner - and the owner is Paramatma - the Lord in our heart.

Our owner is quiet, unobtrusive. He never raises his voice, so in the racket that our mind gives when it's our enemy, it's hard to hear him. But when we quiet down and control the mind, we can hear the Supersoul. He knows what's best. In this regard, "When the mind is conquered, one voluntarily agrees to abide by the dictation of the Personality of Godhead, who is situated within the heart of everyone as Paramātmā." If I can learn to control my mind, make it my friend, I can hear the quiet, beautiful voice of the Lord in my heart. Carrying out the orders of such a superior can only lead to peace, love, and true freedom. He is my truest friend.

Full purport for Chapter 6, Text 6 by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/6/6/

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/