09 backtogodhead sept 2014 english

8/10/2019 09 Backtogodhead Sept 2014 English

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SEPTEMBER2014BACK TOGODHEAD 1


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BACK TOGODHEAD SEPTEMBER20142


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Founded 1944. Vol. 11 No. 9 September 2014

C O N T E N T S

6A WORLD OF CHEATERS AND THE CHEATED

22

34EDITORIAL

10DONT COMPROMISE YOUR PRINCIPLES

30EVERYTOWNANDVILLAGE

33VAIAVACALENDAR

4LETTERS

24

WISDOM NUGGETS FROM

BHAGAVAD-GT

Visit us at www.backtogodhead.in

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23POEM

BACK TO

GODHEAD

OURPURPOSES

To help all people discern reality from illusion, spirit from matter, the eternal from the temporary.

To expose the faults of materialism. To offer guidance in the Vedic techniques of spiritual life. To preserve and spread the Vedic culture. To celebrate the chanting of the holy names of Godas taught by Lord r Caitanya Mahprabhu To help every living being remember and serve rKa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

FEATURES

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THREE MINDSETS

IN THE LAP OF MOTHER NATURE

WHEN OUR FAILURE IS A SUCCESS

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FOUNDER

(under the direction of His Divine Gracer rmad Bhaktisiddhnta SarasvatPrabhupda) His Divine Grace A. C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda -Founder-crya of The InternationalSociety for Krishna Consciousness

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L E T T E R S

Assisted Death

What are your views on euthanasia?Vikram

Our reply (by Caitanya CaraaDsa):According to the Vedic philoso-phy, we have to live in this body for aparticular period of time. And in thatperiod, there is a certain amount ofkarma (reactions in the form of happi-ness and distress) that we have toendure. If we try to avoid them prema-turely by destroying the body, we gainfurther karma. Why? Because we have

destroyed the body that was entrustedto us by God it is as good as suicide.Whoever assists the patient in hisdeath a doctor, friend, or a relative that person also incurs karma.

The Vedic understanding is toallow nature to follow its course. Thismeans that we dont accelerate ourdeath by taking substances that killour body, which is now known as

medically assisted suicide. Nor do weover-endeavor to prolong our life byputting artificial support systems fora very long time. If the doctorsdeclare that the body is dysfunc-tional, or it cannot survive without asupport system, then extending thepersons life on that support systemis not recommended. If the soul isdestined to go to the next body, why

stay attached?There is, however, one form of

voluntarily accepted death men-tioned in the scriptures, which mightseem like euthanasia but is different.It is called prya-vrata. Prya-vratameans a person decides to fast todeath. This is the religious method ofdeparting from the body. You maycall it suicide or you may call it

euthanasia. But when a person feelsthat he has no more desire to live, hetakes up an austere life and enters

into a state of religious or devotionaltrance through meditation. He thenshuts himself off from the world andgives up the body.

The important thing here is thatthe person does not take any artifi-cial substances to reduce his bodilypain. He does not violate any laws ofnature that invite karmic reactions.Fasting is a sacred activity, and

usually people fast on Ekdas andother auspicious days. But when onesees that the body is no longercapable of functioning properly, hedecides to fast until death, not totorture the body, but to quit thebody in a dignified manner.

The practice of bhakti-yogaencourages one to absorb the mindin Ka, which enables one to

transcend all bodily pain and achievepurification of the heart. Of course,we understand how much pain aterminally ill patient has to undergountil he or she dies, and we dontwish to be hard-hearted by sentenc-ing people to suffering. But senti-mental or quick-fix solutions toavoid suffering may well end up inmaking the suffering worse. Coura-

geously facing lifes challenges byabsorption in Ka has muchgreater salvific benefits for thatperson, and it offers tremendousinspiration to others.

Closing Curtains while EatingWhy do we keep curtains or doors ofthe altar closed when we offer foodto the Lord or when we are taking


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prasda in front of altar?R. M. Pujari

Our reply (by His Holiness

Romapda Swami Mahrja):According to Bhakti-rasmta-

sindhu, it is an offense to offer theDeity food that has been seen byanimals or uninitiated persons. Inaddition, others should not directlysee the bhogaprior to its beingoffered to the Deity because wemay lustfully consider enjoying thatwhich is meant for Ka, even

within our minds, and thus commitan offense. There is the story ofMdhavendra Pur, a great devo-tee, who felt he committed a greatoffense by desiring to taste thesweet rice before it was offered toGopintha, the Deity at Remua inOrissa.

rla Prabhupda taught us thatwe cover the tray of not-yet-

offered food preparations from thekitchen to the altar with a cloth,and we offer bhogawith the altarcurtain (or door) closed to thepublic. Sometimes a half-curtain isutilized for this purpose, such thatthe Deity can be seen but theunoffered food items cannot beseen until the offering is completed.

The act of our eating is not a

clean activity; thus we cleanse thearea fully wherever eating hastaken place after eating, and we donot eat in front of the deity.

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Bhagavad-gt 1.13-14, London, July 14, 1973F O U N D E R S L E C T U R E

(c)

Dinod

ia

Photo

Library


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Cheaters Cheated

tata akh ca bherya ca

paavnaka-gomukh

sahasaivbhyahanyanta

sa abdas tumulo bhavat

tata vetair hayair yukte

mahati syandane sthitau

mdhava pava caiva

divyau akhau pradadhmatu

[Bhagavad-gt 1.13-14]

Translation: After that, the

conchshells, bugles, trumpets,

drums and horns were all of asudden sounded, and the com-

bined sound was tumultuous. On

the other side, both Lord Ka

and Arjuna, stationed on a great

chariot drawn by white horses,

sounded their transcendental

conchshells.

So these are various types of

musical instruments like bugles,

drums, kettledrums, as they use in

modern days. Those instruments

are no longer in use. By musical

instruments, the soldiers are keptalive so they can fight nicely. Sa

abdas tumulo bhavat: When

simultaneously all the instruments

were sounded, it become tumultu-

ous.

As you see in some pictures,

Ka is driving four white horses.

Ka is transcendental. Nryaa

paro vyaktt. Kas body,

Kas activities, everything ofKa, are transcendental. They

are divyam,not of this material

world. In the catu-loki

Bhgavatam (2.9.33-36) it is said,

aham evsam evgre: Before this

material creation, I was existing.

In the Vedas also it is said, eko

nryaa st: Before creation,

only Nryaa was there.

So Kas position is alwaystranscendental. He is not any

creation of this material world. But

because He comes just like a

human being and acts also just like

human being, those who are less

intelligent think of Ka as ordi-

nary human being.Avajnanti m

mh (Gt9.11). Mh

means asses, or less intelligent

By His Divine Grace

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupdaFounder-cryaof The International Society for Krishna Consciousness

F O U N D E R S L E C T U R E

If we are not serious about getting the real thing,we will end up getting what we deserve a cheap thing.

A WORLDOF


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class of men. They cannot under-stand Kas position. Kasposition is always transcendental.

A Transcendental Process

The process of bhakti is alsotranscendental. It is activity inrelationship with Ka. Thereforeit is not material.M ca yovyabhicrea bhakti-yogenasevate/ sa gun samattyaitnbrahma-bhyya kalpate (Gt14.26). And thus to understandKa, you need follow a transcen-dental process, which is bhakti-yoga. Therefore Ka says,bhakty mm abhijnti(Gt18.55). We just need to under-stand these simple facts: Ka istranscendental, Kas name istranscendental, Kas form istranscendental, sac-cid-nanda-vigraha. vara parama kasac-cid-nanda-vigraha (Brahma-sahit5.1). Kas body is notlike ours. Our body is asat, acitandnirnanda, just the opposite. Asatmeans temporary it will notexist eternally. But Kas body iseternal. And it is cit, full of knowl-edge.

The less intelligent class of mencannot understand Ka. There-fore stra says, ata r-ka-nmdi na bhaved grhyamindriyai (Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu1.2.234). These indriya,or thematerial senses, cannot speculateto understand the Supreme Per-sonality of Godhead. Such effortsare rama eva hi kevalam, or simplylaboring, wasting time. Kashould be understood as Kasays. He can explain Himself.

Nobody can explain perfectly

because our senses are imperfect.We are deficient by four kinds offaults: we commit mistakes; we areillusioned; we have imperfectsenses; we have cheating propen-

sity. Scientists may try to explainby using the terms, Probably,Maybe, and so on. That meansimperfect knowledge. Still, theywant to teach. This is cheating.Knowledge must be perfect. Thenyou can teach others.

Are you getting cheated?So our process is to receive the

perfect knowledge from the per-

But people want to be cheated.Vacita-vacaka-sampradya: thewhole world is full of cheaters andcheated. Because we want to becheated, there are so many cheat-

ers. They dont want the realthing. Here is the real thing,Bhagavad-gt, the Supreme Per-sonality of Godhead speakingpersonally about Himself. Whyshould we interpret? Does it meanthat the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, the supreme authority,left something unexplained to beinterpreted later on by somerascals? No. But the rascals dare;they interpret. That is cheating.That is another fault. There arearound 650 editions of Bhagavad-gt simply cheating. The au-thors are big, big scholars notscholars, they are all rascals. Theycheat. They pose themselves asscholars and people want to becheated, so they take their words.Such people cannot understandKa because they take theshelter of the cheaters. Thereforethey are cheated.

My is very strong. She alwaysdictates so that we may getcheated: Why you are takingKa as the Supreme Personalityof Godhead? He is ordinary man.You can be also equal with Ka.You also become God. You be-come also incarnation. This isgoing on. And people flock therebecause they want to be cheated.They will not accept what Kasays. Ka says, sarva-dharmnparityajya mm eka araam:Only take to Ka conscious-ness (Gt 18.66). Anything that is

not approved by the Supreme Lord

fect source and distribute it. Wedont manufacture knowledge.Therefore we are presentingBhagavad-gtas it is. TheBhagavad-gt is already perfect.Why shall I interpret with my

imperfect senses? This is cheating.

Vacita-

vacaka-

sampradya:

the whole

world is full ofcheaters and

cheated.

Because we

want to be

cheated, there

are so manycheaters.


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Ka is not dharma. Dharma tuskd bhagavat-pratam(Bhgavatam 6.3.19). A humanbeing or a demigod or even a veryexalted person cannot manufac-

ture dharma. That is not possible.Real dharma is given by the Su-preme Personality of Godhead,Ka, and that real dharma isstated in the Bhagavad-gt. Sarva-dharmn parityajya mm ekaaraa vraja: Just surrenderunto me. Surrender to Ka andfollow His instruction, and your lifewill be perfect. Because you followthe perfect instruction, thereforeyou are also perfect. It is a simpleprocess. To become perfect, wehave to follow the perfect instruc-tion.

Accept the Perfect InstructionIn the Bhagavad-gt, you will

find the perfect instruction. And ifwe take it as it is and follow it,then we become perfect. Tobecome perfect is not very difficultjob. But because we dont want tobecome perfect, because we wantto be cheated, we do not becomeperfect. This is the difficulty. Sowe should know from the verybeginning that Ka is transcen-dental. And all His activities, theyare all transcendental. When Kawas just three months old, Hekilled the rkasPtan. Anordinary three-month old childcannot kill such a giant demon.When Ka was six or seven yearsold, He lifted the Govardhana Hill.If Ka can float big, big giganticplanets in the air just like cottonswab floating, is it very difficult for

Him to lift a mountain with His

hand, with His finger? That is not atall difficult for Ka. But those whowant to be cheated, they dontbelieve these stories when Kashows His transcendental strength.

They will call such stories mythol-ogy, as if Vysadeva wrote thisrmad-Bhgavatam to put beforethese rascals some imaginarythings. Just see how they want tobe cheated. Why should such anexalted personality like Vysadevapresent something imaginary?Therefore sometimes these cheatedpeople deny that Vysadeva wrote

the rmad-Bhgavatam.But the realcryas, like akarcrya,Rmnujcrya, Madhvcrya, andCaitanya Mahprabhu, do not saythese stories are mythology. They

accept them as they are. So wehave to follow these mahjanas,orgreat authorities. If we dont wantto be cheated, then we should takeKa as He is presenting Himselfand as it is confirmed by thecryas.Then our knowledge isperfect.

Thank you very much. HareKa.


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S T R A C A K U

(c)

Dinodia

Pho

to

Library


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S T R A C A K U

Dont CompromiseYour Principles

Always do what is right. It will gratify half ofmankind and astound the other. Ma rk Twain

by Mahtm Dsa

The first thing rlaPrabhupda explained to a

friend of mine in theirthree-hour meeting on how to runhis business was this: Dontcompromise your principles.

rla Prabhupda often said, Inever compromised my principles.If I compromised I could haveattracted more people, but then Iwould have given them a watereddown product that would have

neither been genuine nor pure. Iwas not prepared to compromisemy principles even if no one joinedmy mission.

The truth is that many peoplejoined his mission; and they joinedprecisely because he did notcompromise his principles!

My friend recounts that whenhis industry was going through

difficult times, his companycontinued to prosper and grow. He

attributes his success to religiouslyfollowing dharmic (higher order)principles. His companymaintained higher principles ofintegrity and morality than hiscompetitors. The result is that hiscompany continues to be a leaderin an industry where many havegone out of business.

The core principles of a

company are both the foundationsupon which the company is builtand the reason it exists. If theseprinciples are not service, integrityand dharmic based, the companycannot last. No company overtwo-hundred years old whose onlymotive was profit exists today.

There once were two sadhuswho lived by the sea in an area in

which many ships requiredguidance to safely navigate to the

shore. The sadhus regularly helpedthese ships steer their way to landthrough difficult waters.Sometimes they were called torescue people whose boatscapsized.

The work of the sadhusattracted the attention of the localpeople. Eventually a group ofsupporters and volunteers

constructed a building on thebeach to better facilitate thesadhus and their work. Thebuilding provided shelter from thesun and rain, and served thetravelers and seamen who neededrest or medical attention after theirlong and sometimes strenuousjourneys.

However, boats did not travel in


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this area all year long. Plus, whenthe seas were calm ships couldeasily navigate to shore withouthelp. So the sadhus and theirvolunteer help had much free time.

To enjoy their time together, thevolunteers created recreationalfacilities in the building. Now theycould play games, watch movies,and socialize in a comfortableplace when there were nostranded ships to assist.

Emphasis slowly andimperceptibly started shifting toenjoying time together ratherthan helping others. As thishappened, the saving of shipsand travelers was being seenmore as an infringement on theirenjoyment than their raison deetre. After all, this workbrought in many unsavorycharacters that dirtied the placewith sand, mud, and water. Aswell, some of these fellowscould be a real nuisance to takecare of, and unpleasant to havearound. Plus, this took awayfrom their time to socialize. Amood of reluctance andinconvenience evenresentment over having tocater to these travelers wasstarting to replace their originalmission of service.

In due course of time, longafter the sadhus passed on, thework of saving ships andfacilitating travelers wasforgotten and the buildingtransformed into a full scalerecreational facility. Few peoplewere now even aware of theoriginal purpose of the building.

Two sadhus however, who were

completely frustrated that theoriginal mission had been lost,decided to set off for another area,live on the beach, and continuethe work and mission of the

founding sadhus.Guess what eventually

happened? The very same thinghappened again. The mission waslost in time and a few frustratedpeople left the organization to dothe work for which it was originally

intended. And over time thepurpose of that organization wasalso lost. Duryodhana of theMahbhrata is a good example of

a highly capable leader who,

although understanding dharma,was willing to forget core principlesto fulfill selfish ends. As a result helost everything.

Rvaa of the Rmyaa was

another example. He alsounderstood dharma, but waswilling to compromise principlesbecause of his attraction to St,the wife of Lord Rma. Bykidnapping St he set himself on acourse of destruction.

When we step beyond thebounds of dharma (core principles)in an attempt to create success,we leave our circle of purpose and

protection. Just as St, the wife of


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Rma, was given protection withina safe circle drawn by her brother-in-law Lakmaa, we will remainsafe as long as we act within thecircle of dharma.

I witnessed extremelysuccessful projects beingterminated when rla Prabhupdabecame aware that core principleswere either being violated or wereabout to be violated. One timerla Prabhupda pulled out thedirector of one of his mostsuccessful projects, a move thatresulted in significantly reducingexternal results for the time being.He did this because the leadersattitudes violated a core principleupon which Prabhupda based hismission. He didnt want successat the cost of violating dharma. Hewas absolutely confident thatgreater results would ultimately beachieved by remaining true to theprinciples upon which theorganization was founded.

The relationship between higherorder principles or practices andobtaining specific desired resultswas not always apparent to rlaPrabhupdas managers. Thus,occasionally a strategy thatPrabhupda employed wasquestioned by managers whodidnt see how those higher orderprinciples or practices wouldproduce desired results.Prabhupda explained that if whatyou are doing is dharmic, if it ispleasing God, you will achievesuccess beyond what seemspossible. The success comes byGods blessings.

He used to quote the Vedic

verse, yasmin tue jagat tuam: If

God is satisfied, then the wholeworld is satisfied. If you pourwater on the root, then it isautomatically distributed to everypart of the tree. God is the root.

Divine principles have their ownlogic. An example of this is theprinciple of building wealththrough giving in charity. Thosewho understand this principle

impoverished countries. Give andyou shall receive.

I personally witnessed howPrabhupda never compromisedhis principles, even in the

beginning of his mission whenthere was little apparent success.From the days of struggle andpoverty to the days of massivesuccess, he was always the sameperson, someone dedicated to hiscore principles.

How Prabhupda taught hisorganization to run was exactlyhow he lived his life.

Quotes

One who does good is neverovercome by evil.

Bhagavad-gita 6.40

Just like milk. We may addmore and more water to it forcheating the customer, but in theend it will cease to be any longermilk. Better to boil the milk veryvigorously and make it thick andsweet. That is the best process.

rla Prabhupda

One relative may be rejected tosave the family, and one familymay be given up to save a village.A single village may be sacrificedto save the state, and the wholeworld should be renounced tosave ones soul.

Cakya Paita

Mahtm Dsa, a disciple ofrla Prabhupda, joined ISKCONin 1969. He is well known inISKCON for his music and semi-nars. Visit his website:

www.mahatmawisdom.com

know that benevolence is thefoundation of financial success forany individual or company. Wealthis given to those who give. In fact,Prabhupda said that Americaspreeminent position in the worldwas achieved because of the

financial support they had given to

If God is

satisfied,

then the

whole world

is satisfied.

If you pour

water on the

root, then it isautomatically

distributed to

every part of

the tree. God

is the root.


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C O V E R S T O R YC O V E R

S T O R Y


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God is our supreme father,and one of His energies,nature, is our mother. Amother nourishes her child withthe milk from her body, and she

also sees to the overalldevelopment of her child byimparting proper culture andeducation. Similarly MotherNature cares for her innumerable

Left: Now, our next

program will be to organizefarming land to set anexample to the world how

people can be peaceful,happy, and free from allanxieties simply bychanting the Hare Kamah-mantra and living anhonorable life in Kaconsciousness. (Letter,

October 19, 1975)

Above: All the living

entities within the universeare conducted by the Vedicdirections, as a bull isdirected by the rope attachedto its nose. No one canviolate the rules laid down inthe Vedic literatures. To thechief person, who hascontributed the Vedas, weoffer our respect! (rmad-

Bhgavatam 3.15.8)

Top: Kas navel resembles a lotus, He

is garlanded with lotuses, and His eyes arealso compared to the petals of a lotus(lola-candraka-lasad-vanamlya-Vam).So if we simply think of only this oneverse, which describes Kas body withreference to the lotus, we can meditate ourwhole life on how beautiful Ka is, howwise Ka is, and how Ka manifestsHis creation. This is meditationthinking of Ka. (Teachings of Queen

Kunt, Chapter 5)


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children by providing grains, fruits,flowers, and medicinal herbs, and sheshowers her motherly affection on us bygiving invaluable lessons, guiding us onthe journey of life.

During one rainy season, I got anopportunity to stay at a small villagenamed Galtare, 120 km north ofMumbai. Ive had some attraction forrural life since childhood, and uponspending some time in the countryside, Icould understand why rla Prabhupda

Above: Cow dung dried in the sunshine iskept in stock for utilizing as fuel in the villages.They get wheat and other cereals produced

from the field. There is milk and vegetables,

and the fuel is cow dung, and thus they areindependent in every village. There are handweavers for the cloth. And the country oil-mill(consisting of a bull walking in circle roundtwo big grinding stones, attached with yoke)grinds the oil seeds into oil. The whole idea isthat . . . the less we are anxious formaintaining our body and soul together, themore we become favorable for advancing inKa consciousness. (Letter, June 14, 1968)

Top: We find that in Bhagavad-gtLord Ka advises go-rakya, the

protection of cows. This is essentialbecause if cows are cared for properly

they will surely supply sufficient milk.We have practical experience inAmerica that in our various ISKCON

farms we are giving proper protection tothe cows and receiving more thanenough milk. In other farms the cows donot deliver as much milk as in our

farms; because our cows know very wellthat we are not going to kill them, theyare happy, and they give ample milk.(rmad-Bhgavatam 9.15.25, Purport)

Right: When there isa river, one can takedrinking water, washhis clothes, bathe and

so on, for that waterwill serve allpurposes. Similarly,if one worships theSupreme Personalityof Godhead, Ka,all his goals will beachieved. (Caitanya-caritmta, di-ll14.66, Purport)


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Right: Human beings neednot eat animals. There are

ample food grains, milk,fruit, and vegetables so thatthe human beings as well as

the animals can eatsumptuously and to their

hearts content. If all livingbeings are satisfied with food

and shelter and obey theprescribed rules, there cannot

be any disturbance betweenone living being and another.(rmad- Bhgavatam 1.4.12,

Purport)

quoted the English poet Cowper:

"God made the country, and man-made the town." I could see how thematerialistic civilization prevalent incities makes us godless. In the city,not seeing the hand of God in anyaspect of life becomes natural. It isso easy to believe that industry andthe Internet fulfill our needs.Packaged foods give us the sensethat machines have manufactured

them. Life goes on uninterruptedeven if no rain falls for many years.But in the village, one can experienceGod closely. There life is absolutelydependent on agriculture, whichdepends on rain, and rain dependson God.

When were close to nature, theintoxication of the materialistic wayof life gradually starts fading away. In

Above: "Stick to your own placeand grow your food. There is noquestion of transport. A littletransport is required, the bullockcart. Ka was being carried on a bullock cart. There is no useof petrol. Simply use the bull. They are already there. Utilizethem." (Morning Walk, Rome, May 25, 1974) "They are simplymisusing their advancement, and they are satisfied when theyhave got a motorcar instead of bullock cart. Thats all. Theythink, Now I am advanced. We had bullock carts, and now wehave got motorcars with three hundred thousand parts. Andevery part will give me trouble. And that is advancement."(Morning Walk, October 13, 1972, Los Angeles)


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my experience, the knowledge enunciated inBhagavad-gt,rmad-Bhgavatam, and rlaPrabhupdas purports becomes clearer.

The chirping of the birds, the symphony ofthe running stream, the mooing of the cows,

and the sound of the swift breeze provideinexplicable happiness to the ears. Seeing theunlimited blue sky above, the thousands ofstars at night, the giant mountains, the stretchof the green fields below swaying in the wind,and the love of a mother cow for her little calf

Right: When the flame in a lamp burns the wickimproperly, the lamp is blackened, but when the

lamp is filled with ghee and is burning properly,there is bright illumination. Similarly, when the

mind is absorbed in material sense gratification,it causes suffering, and when detached from

material sense gratification, it brings about theoriginal brightness of Ka consciousness.

(rmad-Bhgavatam 5.11.8)


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Above: "We have to follow. If we follow the footprints ofgreat personalities, then there is no danger. Mahjano yena

gata sa panth. Just like in the villages there is a track. Onewho follows that track is not lost. Similarly, if we follow the

track of the mahjana on which a great personality hastraversedthen well not fall." (Lecture on rmad-

Bhgavatam 7.9.10, Montreal, July 9, 1968)

is total perfection for the eyes. Themystical aroma of the soil, the scent ofclear pollution-free air, the smell offreshly bloomed flowers, and thefragrance of cow dung deeply purifythe sense of smell. The joy of touchingsoil, cows, green plants, and clear riverwater seems to reach even our souls.And the taste of fresh fruits,vegetables, grains, water, and pure cowmilk impels us to think how the artificialways of modern life give us untaintedmiseries in the name of happiness.

While living in the countryside, Itried to visualize rla Prabhupdaspriceless teachings. And I reaped

satisfaction of the soul and enhanced


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22/34


There are three mindsets in this world: saskti,viktiandprakti.Sasktiis the mindset whereyou keep your needs aside and focus on othersneeds. Viktiis the mindset where your needs take

prominence to the extent of even crushing othersneeds. This is called competition. And prakti is themindset that is convertible into either sasktiorvikti. In the Rmyaa, Ayodhy represents saskti,Lak represents vikti,and Kikindh representsprakti.

When we love things and use people, leading to

the mindset of use and throw, we are following the

culture of Lak. The law of coercing teaches one

that what is mine is mine, and what is yours is also

mine.The law of sharing acts as a bridge across waters

of frustration around the island of pride and

loneliness, opening up the route to the mainland

garden of love. When we follow the law of sharing,

Three Mindsets

V E D I C O B S E R V E R

V E D I C

O B S E R V E R

by ubha Vilsa Dsa

we are following the culture of Ayodhy.

Today these three mindsets have become three

value systems and therefore three lifestyles. The

greatest hunger today is not the hunger of the belly,

but the hunger of the heart. Today's education systeminforms us, but we need a system that transforms us.

An uneducated heart competes, a half-educated heart

cooperates, but an enlightened heart serves. From

self-satisfaction comes contentment and from

contentment comes the desire to serve.

All of us are in the category of prakti. When wetilt towards vikti,we create a Lak atmosphere inthe world. But when we tilt towards saskti, wecreate an Ayodhy atmosphere.

ubha Vilsa Dsa is a motivational speaker and aspiritual lifestyle coach. He is also the author of thesix-volume series Ramayana The Game of Life(Book 1). His email: [email protected]

(c)

DinodiaP

hoto

Library


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P O E T R YP O E T R Y


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S P I R I T U A L S C I E N T I S T

(c)

Dinodia

Photo

Library


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1. Within every adversity is an

opportunity the universe is a

university

The Bhagavad-gtbegins with

the famed warrior Arjuna about to

participate in a war that will annihi-

late his entire clan. Thinking about

the upcoming fratricide, he suffers

an emotional breakdown. He

attempts earnestly to reason his

way out, but emotion trumps

reason in the inner battle. In

despair, he turns to Ka: Help!

Ka, by His presence and

presentation, lifts Arjuna out of

both the outer and the inner

battlefields. The supreme teacher

takes His student to magnificent

summits of wisdom that the world

has rarely scaled before or after.

When they return to the battle-

field at the end of the Gt,

Arjuna is intellectually illumined,

spiritually strengthened and

emotionally enlivened.

By thus transforming a battle-

field into a classroom, Ka

demonstrates that He can utilize

every circumstance as a setting

for education. And the wisdom

he has provided through the Gt

can enable us to similarly redefine

the various battle-like situations

that confront us in our daily life.

If we accept Ka as our teacher

by meditating on the Gt,he will

use the unlikeliest of settings to

impart the most unforgettable of

lessons. And our life-journey will

transform into an adventure in

ever-increasing wisdom.

In fact, Gtwisdom explains

that the world we live in is an

arena for our spiritual evolution.

The universe is essentially a univer-

sity. Every moment is an opportu-

nity to grow in wisdom and love.

2. Be concerned, not dis-

turbed, by change the real you

is indestructible

The world around us is subject

to constant change, change that is

often unstoppable, uncontrollable

and unpredictable. Such change

makes us stressed and worried; we

naturally look for something

unchanging for security. The

Bhagavad-gtexplains that such

an unchanging reality lies within

us. We ourselves are at our core

souls, spiritual beings who are

indestructible (2.13). None of the

weapons that can destroy our

body and other material things can

even scratch the spiritual soul

(2.22). No external change, how-

ever threatening or devastating it

may seem, can harm our essence.

Understanding this fills us with a

profound peace that equips us to

respond maturely to external

changes.

As we live and act in the world,

we do need to be concerned about

external changes. Due concern

about them helps us to think

calmly and respond intelligently.

But if we become unduly excited,

then our consciousness gets

caught up in externals and we get

attached to them. Thereafter,

when things start going wrong, our

attachments dont let us with-

draw our consciousness from

external things and so we suffer.

To the extent we rejoice when

external things go right, to that

extent we will be forced to

lament when those things go

wrong.

Thats why the Gt(2.15)

recommends that we avoid

becoming disproportionately

delighted by pleasure or dejected

by pain, and thus keep growing

spiritually amidst external

changes.

3. Spirituality is the culmina-

tion of science become a

spiritual scientist

Science progresses by first

assuming on faith that nature

has an underlying order and then

seeking to discover that order.

S P I R I T U A L S C I E N T I S T

To the extent

we rejoice when

external things go

right, to that ex-

tent we will be

forced to lament

when those

things go wrong.We should

avoid becoming

disproportion-

ately delighted by

pleasure or de-

jected by pain.


26/34


Newton discovered gravity not

merely by observing the falling

fruit, but by his faith that a rational

order in nature had caused the

fruit to fall. Noted physicist Paul

Davies acknowledges, Even the

most atheistic scientist accepts as

an act of faith the existence of a

law-like order in nature.

Gtwisdom takes this scientific

faith to its next level by pointing to

the person behind the order. Many

eminent scientists hold such an

inference to be not just reasonable

but essential. Why? Because the

more science fathoms the laws of

nature, the more their intricacy

and inter-relationship insists that

they couldnt have come by

chance. Reputed Indian mathema-

tician Srinivasa Ramanujan put it

well, An equation for me has no

meaning, unless it represents a

thought of God. That God who

governs nature, the Bhagavad-gt

(9.10) reveals, is Ka.

Acknowledging the divine brings

meaning not just to the natural

order, but also to human affairs.

The Gt (15.15) indicates that the

same God who oversees insentient

matter also guides our conscious-

ness towards its ultimate unfold-

ing.

To facilitate our spiritual evolu-

tion, the Gtoffers a time-hon-

ored methodology of yoga that

offers enterprising spiritual scien-

tists experiential perception of

higher spiritual realities. Just as

science confirms its theories

through experiments, spirituality

confirms its tenets through experi-

ences.

Discovering the order that

encompasses all of existence

matter and consciousness is the

culmination of science.

4. Dont let desires become

parasites be restrained to

avoid becoming drained

Our desires can energize us,

but if they are not regulated they

act like parasites and exhaust us.

The Bhagavad-gt(16.2122)

indicates that such desires that

impel us to self-defeating actions

fall into three broad categories:

lust, anger and greed. Lust and

greed often fuel our desires for the

many worldly objects that enter

our vision and imagination, be they

glitzy forms or gaudy products.

These desires are innumerable and

endless, and most of them are

unrealistic that cannot be fulfilled.

Consequently, a conscious or

subconscious irritation builds up

within us. When this irritation

becomes intolerable, we succumb

Lust, anger and greed the three parasites in the mind.


27/34


to anger, which perverts us into

becoming sulky (mentally angry) or

snappy (verbally angry) or even

beastly (physically angry). In this

way, lust, greed and anger cumula-

tively divert our focus away from

the main goals of our life, both

material and spiritual. The resulting

inattentiveness makes us falter and

blunder during the course of our

life. As our plans misfire and

backfire, and nothing seems to be

working, we get mentally ex-

hausted and exasperated. Just as

parasites drain their host, so do

such desires drain us.

Thats why it is prudent to be

restrained. Being restrained doesnt

mean sentencing ourselves to a life

of dry denial; it simply means

choosing our desires judiciously

and not letting the world foist

desires on us. By introspection we

can shortlist those of our desires

that grow from our core; that

reflect our aspirations and talents;

that propel us towards self-actual-

ization.

5. Look at the mind before you

look with the mind

When a normally cordial friend

snaps at us for no reason, we

understand sympathetically,

Thats due to a bad mood. We

then ascribe their irritability to their

moody mind, thereby separating

their mind from them.

Differentiating between the

mind with its moods and the

person is something that we do

not just with others but also with

ourselves. However, with ourselves

we usually do it after the event to

rationalize it: I spoke like that

because I was in a foul mood. If

instead we could catch our bad

moods beforehand, we could

avoid much trouble.

Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gt

(14.22) urges us to first observe our

emotions and then decide whether

to act on them. This essentially

involves looking at the mind instead

of looking with the mind.

Looking with the mind means

identifying ourselves with the

mood of the mind and acting on it.

It means using the mind as our

spectacles and letting its color

tinge our vision.

Looking at the mind means

looking first at the specs it

means becoming aware of our

feelings and evaluating: Are these

my authentic emotions coming

from my core values and central

concerns? Or are these just pass-

ing fancies, kneejerk reactions to

extraneous events, hormonal

rushes that have little to do with

the essential me?

By becoming introspective, we

can become selective about which

emotions we act on and thus

become much more constructively

productive.

Caitanya Caraa Dsa is the

associate-editor of Back to

Godhead (US and Indian editions).

To subscribe for his daily

Bhagavad-gt reflections, please

subscribe for Gitadaily on his

website, thespiritualscientist.com.

His Holiness Jayapatka

Swami has translated

and commented upon

Vrindavane Bhajan, an

early work of rla

Prabhupda thatsignalled his purpose

and mission in thisworld. An audio CD of

these poems will be

launched during

Janmam 2014,and the money from the sales will go towards the building of

the Temple of Vedic Planetarium in Mayapur.


28/34


M Y E X P E R I E N C E


29/34


Anyone who comes to ISKCON

temples is immediately exposed tothe chanting of the Hare Ka

mah-mantra.And those who are convinced

about the philosophy of Ka

consciousness soon take up the practice of

chanting Hare Ka a fixed number of

times daily. If you have been practicing this

mantra meditation for some time now, you

must have realized how difficult it is to keep

the mind fixed and focused on the holy

name.To improve the quality of our chanting,

we need to make it the most important

priority of our life. One reason many

devotees are unable to make this change

could be due to the fear of failure. Chanting

Hare Ka can be the most humbling

experience, especially if we make it the

most important goal of our life. Ka is

inaccessible to the conditioned souls; those

who are not qualified do not get access to

When ourWhen ourWhen ourWhen ourWhen ourFailureFailureFailureFailureFailure isisisisisaaaaa SuccessSuccessSuccessSuccessSuccess

Where you turn to

when you fail indevotional servicedecides the result.

by Vraja Bihr Dsa

M Y E X P E R I E N C E


30/34


Kas intimate association. He

reserves the right of not being

exposed to the conditioned souls.

Thus chanting can expose us to

our own disqualifications; chanting

can reveal to us that we are far

away from Ka.

This realization can be a painful

experience. To avoid this

realization, we may prefer to

believe that chanting is one of the

many things to be done in

devotional service. If we profess

that chanting is the most

important activity, immediately we

are exposed to the painful reality

of our own poor chanting. It seems

hypocritical that on the one hand

we declare chanting to be most

sacred, but on the other hand, our

actions are contrary to the reality

we preach about. The more we

glorify the holy names, the more

we have to face the stark truth of

our own inadequacies of chanting.

And this revelation is painful

because we want to feel a sense of

self-worth and success in our

spiritual lives. Hence we avoid

discussing the importance of good

chanting, because these

discussions only confirm to us our

abject failure in our vow of

chanting.

The beauty of Ka conscious

process, however, lies in

experiencing this failure. If we can

truly feel that I am a failure in

chanting, that feeling is a success.

If we can feel lowly and

inadequate, that is an excellent

platform to experience the sweet

taste of Ka. It is fifty percent

success; the other fifty percent is

experienced when we turn to

Ka for help. Therefore to feel a

failure and then turn to Ka in

our career as a chanter of Hare

Ka is spiritual success.

This is important because we

attract Kas mercy only when

we humbly surrender to Ka. If

we have a high estimation about

ourselves, how can we humbly beg

Ka for mercy?

Many times we tell other

devotees how fallen we are but

these expressions could be more

out of social etiquette rather than

heart-felt conviction. At such

times, humility, the most important

element in the life of a chanter,

remains only a theoretical

understanding. It is onlyjna,or

theoretical knowledge, and rarely

does it translate into vijana, or

practical realization.

Making chanting our number

one priority offers us a rare chance

to convert this knowledge into

realization. When we have a noble

aspiration to chant well, we will try

hard to achieve it. Certainly, we

may fail initially but good chanting

is not some yogic technique that

we could acquire by some tips or

acronyms to improve chanting.

Most likely we may fall short of the

standard.

At this point in time, we have

to turn to Ka and beg Him to

help us chant well. The more we

endeavor sincerely, the more well

be exposed to our own poor

chanting. At this point, we would

be humbled. As Bhrijana Prabhu

says in his book Japa,humiliation

would come before humility.

Therefore let us make chanting

our number one goal. Never mind

the failure, for we shall fail

forward! Without this pure

ambition, our lives are hollow.

Good chanting is the best ideal to

strive for; it is our connection to

Ka. This sincerity will lead to

humility, and it is humility that

eventually gives us a higher taste in

the process of bhakti-yoga.

An important point to note: it is

important that our sense of failure

must compel us to turn to Ka,

and only then we can experience

the sweetness. Otherwise, a sense

of failure by itself leads to

despondency. If we can remember

Ka as we fail, that failure is the

ultimate success.

Vraja Bihr Dsa holds a post-

graduate degree in International

Finance and an MBA from Mumbai

University. He serves as a resident

monk at ISKCON Chowpatty in

Mumbai and is an active teacher of

bhakti-yoga. You can read his daily

reflections on

www.yogaformodernage.com

We attract Kas mercy only when we

humbly surrender to Ka. If we have a high

estimation about ourselves, how can we

humbly beg Ka for mercy?


31/34


Spreading Kas Messageduring World Cup Football

According to book distributor Prantha Dsa,

ISKCON devotees distributed approximately 8,000 ofrla Prabhupdas books in Portuguese, Spanish andEnglish all over the country during the World Cup thatwas held in Brazil recently. Large groups of harinma-sakrtanaparties traveled to all major cities whereWorld Cup games were held.

As the saying goes, Football is the mostimportant thing amongst things that dont have anyimportance, says r Ka Mrti. It is niceentertainment, but its not going to change anyones

life. For the devotees, however, the World Cup waslife-changing, because it was a unique opportunity tobroadcast Lord Kas names to huge numbers ofpeople from all over the world in one place at onetime. And that is the biggest victory in this WorldCup, for us, and for Brazil, says r Ka Mrti.

ISKCON Devotee BecomesChaplain to Harrow Mayor

London, England: Ajay Maru, the first Gujarati Mayor

of Harrow, selected rutidharma Dsa as the Mayor

EVERY TOWN & VILLAGE

darkness for the viewing eye, which is another partialexpansion of the sun. Similarly, material false ego, aparticular product of the Absolute Truth made visibleby the Absolute Truth, obstructs the individual soul,another partial expansion of the Absolute Truth, fromrealizing the Absolute Truth.

When the cloud originally produced from the sun istorn apart, the eye can see the actual form of the sun.Similarly, when the spirit soul comes out of his materialcovering of false ego by inquiring into the transcenden-tal science, he regains his original spiritual awareness.

Just as the sun can burn away the clouds thatprevent one from seeing it, the Supreme Lord (and Healone) can remove the false ego that prevents onefrom seeing Him. There are some creatures, however,like owls, which are averse to seeing the sun. In thesame way, those who are not interested in spiritualknowledge will never receive the privilege of seeing theLord.

ymnanda Dsa

of the London Borough of Harrow. rutidharma is thepresident of ISKCONs Bhaktivedanta Manor nearLondon, and this is the second time he will be servingas chaplain to a Mayor of Harrow.

The Truth Behind ....

(Continued from page 34)

...


32/34



33/34


CENTRES IN INDIAFounder-crya:His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivendanta Swami Prabhupada

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness

ANDHRA PRADESH: Hanumkonda(08712) 77399;Hyderabad(040) 2474-4969/ [email protected], Nellore0861-2314577, 9215536589/

[email protected]; Secunderabad(040) 780-5232; Tirupati(0877) 2231760/ [email protected]; Vijayawada(08645) 272513/ [email protected]; Vishakhapatnam(0891) 5537625/[email protected]; Warangal(08712) 426182; ASSAM:Cachar(03842) 34615; Guwahati(0361) 254-5963/[email protected]; BIHAR: Patna(0612)687637/ [email protected]; CHHATISGARH:Raipur(0771) 5037555, 9893276985/ [email protected]; DELHI: New Delhi(011)26288816/[email protected]; New Delhi25222851,55136200. GUJARAT: Ahmedabad(079) 26861945/[email protected], Baroda(0265) 231-0630/ [email protected]; Dwarka(02892)34606; Surat(0261) 2765891/ [email protected]; VallabhVidyanagar(02692) 230796; JAMMU & KASHMIR:Jammu(0191) 2582306; Katra(01991) 233047;Udhampur(01992) 270298; KARNATAKA: Bangalore(080) 23471956/ [email protected]; Bangalore(080) 23565708, 9844234108/ [email protected]; Belgaum(0831) 243-6267; Mangalore(0824) 2423326, 9844325616; KERALA:Thiruvananthapuram(0471) 2328197/ [email protected] PRADESH: Indore(0731) 4972665; Ujjain0734-235000/ [email protected]; MAHARASHTRA:Kaundanyapur, Amravati07225202805, 09423127845/[email protected]; Beed(02442) 231799/[email protected]; Chowpatty, Mumbai(022)23665500/ [email protected]; Juhu, Mumbai(022) 26206860/ [email protected]; Kharghar, NaviMumbai9820039911/ [email protected]; MiraRoad, Thane(022) 28454667, 9223183023/[email protected] ; Nagpur(0712) 6994730,937015638/ [email protected]; Nasik(0253)6450005/ 9623701409/ 9767953860; Pandharpur(02186)267242, 9423335991/ [email protected];

Pune(020) 41033222/ [email protected];Solapur9371178393; MANIPUR:Imphal(0385) 2455693,[email protected]

; Moirang795133;

ORISSA:Angul09437052142/ [email protected](0674) 255-3517/ [email protected]; Brahmapur(0680) 2485720;Brahmapur(0680) 2116100, 9437179400/[email protected]; Jagatsinghpur(06724)238112/ [email protected]; Puri(06752) 231440;PUNJAB-HARYANA: Amritsar(0183) 2540177;Chandigarh(0172) 2601590/[email protected];Kurukshetra(01744) 234806; Ludhiana(0161) 2770600,9815940005/ [email protected]. RAJASTHAN:Bharatpur(05644) 22044; Jaipur(0141) 2782765,2781860/ [email protected]; TAMIL NADU:Chennai

(044) 24530921; Coimbatore(0422) 2574508/ [email protected]; [email protected]; Madurai(0452) 2746472;

Salem(0427) 2360012, 9442153427/[email protected]; Sri Rangam(0431) 433945;Vellore(0416) 2241654, 9790392143/[email protected];TRIPURA: Agartala(0381) 227053/ [email protected]; UTTARPRADESH:Allahabad(0532) 2416718/[email protected]; Ghaziabad(0120) 2824200,09310969623/ [email protected]; Jhansi (0510)2443602; Kanpur09307188117/ [email protected]; Lucknow(0522) 2636500; Noida(095120)2454912/ [email protected]; Varanasi(0542) 276422; Vrindavan(0565) 254-0021 (Guesthouse)2540022 [email protected]; UTTARANCHAL:Haridwar (01334) 260818, 261116; WEST BENGAL:Haridaspur(03215) 57856; Kolkata(033) 40403300/[email protected];

Mayapur(03472) 245239,

245240/ [email protected]; Nadia(03473)281150/ [email protected]; Siliguri09800865104/[email protected]

2 Sep:Rdham Appearance of rmat Rdhr5 Sep:Fasting for Prva Ekda, (additional completefasting till noon today on account of LordVmanadevas appearance on the next day)6 Sep:Break fast (Mumbai) 06:24 am - 10:32 am, r

Vmana Dvda Appearance of Lord Vmanadeva(fasting is done yesterday), rla Jiva Gosvmappearance7 Sep: rla Bhaktivinoda hkura appearance. Fastingtill noon.8 Sep:Ananta Caturda Vrata, rla Haridsa hkuradisappearance, Last day of the second Cturmsya month9 Sep: r Vivarpa Mahotsava, Acceptance ofsannysa by rla Prabhupda, third month ofCturmsya begins (fasting from milk for one month)15 Sep:rla Prabhupdas arrival in the USA

19 Sep:Fasting for Indr Ekda20 Sep:Break fast (Mumbai) 09:11 am - 10:30 am4 Oct:r Rmacandra Vijayotsava, r Madhvcryaappearance5 Oct:Fasting for Pku Ekda, rla RaghunthaDsa Gosvm disappearance, rla Raghuntha BhaaGosvm disappearance, rla Kadsa KavrjaGosvm disappearance6 Oct:Break fast (Mumbai) 06:30 am 10:27 am7 Oct:Last day of the third Cturmsya month8 Oct:r Ka rady Rsaytr, r Murr Guptadisappearance, Lakm Pj, fourth month of Cturmsya

begins (fast from urad dl for one month)13 Oct:rla Narottama dsa hkura disappearance

VAIAVA CALENDAR

Sep 1 Oct 15, 2014


34/34

The TThe TThe TThe TThe Truth behind Fruth behind Fruth behind Fruth behind Fruth behind False Egoalse Egoalse Egoalse Egoalse Ego

We all know how many of the worldsproblems could be solved if the warringparties could resolve their ego problem.

Caligula, Nero, Genghis Khan, Hitler, Napoleon and afew names from our Vedic history like Rvaa,Hirayakaipu and iupla are all prime examples ofotherwise successful individuals with big ego prob-lems.

Now, brace for something shocking. The

Bhagavad-gtdoes not put only these characters inthe rogues gallery of big time egoists but squarelyputs all living entities bar none in the samecategory. But surely, you may protest, I do not havean ego problem like Genghis Khan or Rvaa. I ammerely a small fry. Well, lets analyze these so-calledsmall fries and see whether they are all innocent.

Lets begin with a definition. rla Prabhupdawrites: When we are materially contaminated, we arecalled conditioned. False consciousness is exhibited

under the impression that I am a product of materialnature. This is called false ego.Thus, the bare acceptance of our material body as

our real self is the evidence of one acting under theinfluence of the false ego. If this is the false ego, thenis there a real ego? Yes. The Bhadrayaka Upaniad(1.4.10) states, aha brahmsmi:I am Brahman, I amspirit. This sense of I am also exists in the liberatedstage of self-realization. This sense of I am is ego, butwhen the sense of I am is applied to this false body, it

is called false ego. When the sense of self is applied toreality, that is real ego.

There are some philosophers who say we shouldgive up our ego, but we cannot give up our ego,because ego means identity. We ought, of course, togive up the false identification with the body.

The very first sign of the false ego trapping a livingentity is the identification of the living being withbodily relationships. This false ego associates withdifferent modes of material nature, and thus the

senses become attached to the modes of material

nature. The mind is the instrument for feeling differ-ent material experiences, but intelligence is delibera-tive and can change everything for the better. Theintelligent person, therefore, can attain salvation fromthe illusion of material existence by proper use ofintelligence. An intelligent person can detect theawkward position of material existence and thus beginto inquire as to what he is, why he is subjected todifferent kinds of miseries, and how to get rid of all

miseries, and thus, by good association, an advancedintelligent person can turn towards the better life ofself-realization.

Can Ka, or God, also have a false ego?As explained in the Bhagavad-gt(7.4), the sepa-

rated material energy of the Personality of Godhead iscovered by eight kinds of material coverings: earth,water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and false ego. Allthese are emanations from the Personality of Godheadas His external energy. These coverings are just like the

covering of clouds for the sun. The cloud is a creationof the sun, yet it actually covers the eyes so that onecannot see the sun. The sun cannot be covered by theclouds. The cloud can at utmost extend a few hun-dreds of miles in the sky, but the sun is far greater atmillions of miles. So a hundred-mile covering is notsufficient to cover millions of miles. Therefore, one ofthe various energies of the Supreme Personality ofGodhead cannot, of course, cover the Lord. But thesecoverings are created by Him to cover the eyes of the

conditioned souls who want to lord it over the materialnature. Actually the conditioned souls are covered bythe illusory creative cloud of matter, and the Lordreserves the right of not being exposed to their eyes.Because they have no eyes of transcendental vision andbecause they cannot see the Personality of Godhead,they therefore deny the existence of the Lord and thetranscendental form of the Lord.

Although a cloud is a product of the sun and isalso made visible by the sun, it nevertheless creates

E D I T O R I A L

(Continued on page 31)

09 backtogodhead sept 2014 english

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