“Demons think of everyone as a friend or enemy, but Vaishnavas say that since everyone is a servant of the Lord, everyone is on the same platform. Therefore a Vaishnava treats other living entities neither as friends nor as enemies, but instead tries to spread Krishna consciousness, teaching everyone that we are all one as servants of the Supreme Lord but are uselessly wasting our valuable lives by creating nations, communities and other groups of friends and enemies.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.12 Purport)

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1. Their ridiculous parenting

“What has this world come to? My expectations are too high, I admit. I expect the adults in society to have a little bit of common sense. Nope. They are beyond hope, if you ask me.

“What is my justification? The latest evidence was this interaction with a parent of a small child. My kid affectionately attempted to embrace this other child. It was entirely due to friendship. It is kind of nice, if you ask me. Especially considering the way the world is turning, with people bullying and fighting over trivial issues.

“Well, this parent went berserk. They stopped the hug before it started. They explained something about respecting personal space or keeping hands to yourself. Give me a freaking break. They’re kids. Experiences like that make me want to keep my child away from other people, for good.”

2. Their irrational yelling

“This is what we have to deal with at the office. I was trying to help. The project was delayed. It had nothing to do with me. People were stuck on some other issue. I heard their discussion and realized the flaw in their thinking. It might have taken them a month before they noticed the error.

“I decided to intervene. I gave a suggestion or two. Well, that led to the boss yelling at me. They didn’t even understand what I was saying. Thanks for embarrassing me in front of the entire team. Next time, I will sit back and let the whole thing burn.

3. Their taking advantage

“I have learned that the cause-and-result is the opposite of what you would expect. If I help someone with something, I figure that should buy me some gratitude. There will be grace extended, especially the next time they need something. Or if I make a mistake, they would remember the good deed and apply forgiveness.

“Nope. The more you do for someone, the more they expect. If you fail to deliver just one time, they go crazy. They start guilt-tripping you. I have learned my lesson. I will not help people anymore. I will not answer the phone when they call.”

4. Their cognitive dissonance

“This has been difficult to come to terms with. I grew up in a time when there was a semblance of civility. People could discuss issues openly and honestly. There were these things called debates, where people from opposing sides presented their arguments in a formal gathering, free of interruption or censorship.

“Today, I hear the vitriol and anger. People I know tell me how horrible a certain politician is. They can’t stand them. They hope for bad things to happen to that leader. They are supposedly so offended by what the politician says.

“Well, I send them statements from other politicians, on the opposing side. I am not really favoring or going against. I am trying to have a rational discussion. These people don’t even listen. They block me. They delete my comments. They don’t want to hear anything that goes against their preferred hatred. Tell me, how is society supposed to function when people like this are in it?”

5. Their selfishness

“No one cares about my issues. My concerns. My feelings. My experiences. They keep blabbing on and on about what happened to them. They don’t even read the room. You think I care that much? Where is my support system? I am busy solving everyone else’s problems. In my next life, I hope to have some friends that can actually relate to me. That would be nice.”

…

Whatever a person’s behavior may be, whatever beliefs they have, whatever decisions they have made, whatever offenses they may have committed, the saintly person tends to apply a different view. This is based on their unique insight into the truth, as passed down in the descending process of knowledge.

विद्या-विनय-सम्पन्ने
ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि
शुनि चैव श्व-पाके च
पण्डिताः सम-दर्शिनः

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.18)

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada reveals that according to his angle of vision, people throughout the world are good and innocent. If there are any negatives, the blame lies at the feet of the leaders, who have misled and corrupted the population.

Is this hopeful thinking? Is this too optimistic a viewpoint? Is this too forgiving? Will not the sinful take advantage of this kindness and compassion to further their plans for destruction and domination? After all, Shri Krishna Himself casts the bad characters into inauspicious bodily conditions, birth after birth.

तान् अहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्
संसारेषु नराधमान्
क्षिपाम्य् अजस्रम् अशुभान्
आसुरीष्व् एव योनिषु

tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān
saṁsāreṣu narādhamān
kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān
āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu

“Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.19)

In this regard, we have the example of Prahlada Maharaja. As a young child of five years of age, he did not create distinctions based on behavior. He applied the outlook of the humble sage. He did not have friends or enemies.

Prahlada’s father was the greatest enemy a person could imagine. Beware the beast heading the state. You know he will come back to attack again. It was easy to stalk the victims, since Prahlada was living within the community. There were repeat offenses.

Prahlada did not hold onto any of those offenses. He did not carry resentment with him into adulthood. It was like the son forgave the father, time and time again.

Except the Supreme Lord did not. Krishna broke from His general stance of neutrality in order to intervene. He literally ripped the father apart. Hiranyakashipu was an enemy; at least for that period of interaction.

ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते
तांस् तथैव भजाम्य् अहम्
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते
मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

“All of them – as they surrender unto Me – I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pritha.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.11)

This is one way to consider the saintly nature of the devotees of the Lord. We might say that they are even more merciful than God. They understand the inherent identity as spirit soul, which is the core of every individual. That soul is always following Krishna in some respect, so there is sufficient justification for extending kindness and compassion.

In Closing:

Kindness to expect,
Since in some respect.

To path of Krishna bound,
Despite demon behavior found.

So Prahlada extending grace,
Despite father trying to erase.

Narasimha arriving in that space,
A lion of terrifying face.

Categories: the five

Tags: hare krishna, life, love, poem, poems, poetry