“Although the sun is situated far away from the other planets, its rays sustain and maintain them all. Indeed, the sun diffuses its heat and light all over the universe. Similarly, the supreme sun, Govinda, diffuses His heat and light everywhere in the form of His different potencies. The sun’s heat and light are nondifferent from the sun. In the same way, the unlimited potencies of Govinda are nondifferent from Govinda Himself. Therefore the all-pervasive Brahman is the all-pervasive Govinda.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 2.16 Purport)

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1. In every place I go

“I was walking around the neighborhood the other day. I couldn’t help but think of the Supreme Lord and the amazing work He has done in coordinating and arranging nature. I realize that the acharyas classify these trees as sinful, because they lack fruits, but they are beautiful, nonetheless.

“I thought about Him while travelling on the train, with the many trees that passed by. I remembered the all-attractive one when I visited the temple, seeing His archa-vigraha on the altar, beautifully adorned and faithfully worshiped.”

2. In every condition I find

“I am like everyone else. I am nothing special. When I find difficulty, I certainly think of the Supreme Lord. I recall His avatara adventures, how people would sometimes do harm to Him, how they would cheat and cause trouble. This remembrance relieves some of the pressure on me, as I feel more worthy being part of a club of misery.

“I also remember Him when good things happen. If money suddenly falls my way, as if raining down from the heavens, I know that it is a benediction from the goddess of fortune. She is offering me wealth so that I can more easily worship her husband, who is the source of men, Narayana.”

3. In everything I do

“Don’t tell anyone, but I try to remember God in everything that I do. I am imperfect and will remain so. I make mistakes. I regret past decisions and surely there will be more things I am not proud of in the future.

“Regardless, I never give up the link. I am like the clothes being tumbled in the dryer. This material world is tossing me around, in this direction and that, bruising various parts of my subtle and gross bodies, but I will never give up remembering the Supreme Lord, who is compassion personified.”

…

The destiny for the mature human being is death. Hence, there is no other fear; every concern consolidates into one. Shri Rama explains this in the Ramayana, within the context of a person trying to avoid responsibility, in hopes that they can prolong the inevitable, unaware of what lies next.

यथा फलानां पक्वानां नान्यत्र पतनाद्भयम्।
एवं नरस्य जातस्य नान्यत्र मरणाद्भयम्।।

yathā phalānāṃ pakvānāṃ nānyatra patanādbhayam।
evaṃ narasya jātasya nānyatra maraṇādbhayam।।

“As a ripe fruit has no other fear than to fall, so a man who is born has no other fear than death.” (Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 105.17)

While death is unavoidable, a subsequent birth does not necessarily have to take place. This is the ideal destiny, which can be shaped through explicit behavior. The soul is different from the body. Purusha and prakriti are not necessarily combined.

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय
नवानि गृह्णाति नरो ऽपराणि
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्य्
अन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही

vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro ‘parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny
anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.22)

It is more like the soul accepts a covering, which has an inhibiting influence. The mature human being has dominion over the animal community, so the tendency is to think the opposite, that we have unlimited independence, only checked possibly by other living entities.

Consciousness of the Almighty stops rebirth. Consciousness of the Almighty is neither difficult to attain nor impossible to implement. Simply follow the ways described above. Perceive Him everywhere, in the same way that we know the presence of the sun based on the heat and light emitted.

शरीरं यद् अवाप्नोति
यच् चाप्य् उत्क्रामतीश्वरः
गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति
वायुर् गन्धान् इवाशयात्

śarīraṁ yad avāpnoti
yac cāpy utkrāmatīśvaraḥ
gṛhītvaitāni saṁyāti
vāyur gandhān ivāśayāt

“The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.8)

The more a person keeps this consciousness, the more they are likely to avoid rebirth. The consciousness will carry forward, like the air carrying aromas. The next birth will be a spiritual one, completing the evolutionary cycle, culminating in perfection of existence and a return to Godhead.

In Closing:

Passing by many a tree,
Remembering when each to see.

Also when difficulty found,
Or when in fortune abound.

Such that always to stay,
In whichever direction’s way.

Made that spiritual life giving,
When with this consciousness living.

Categories: the three

Tags: god, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, religion, spirituality