“All purposes that are served by the small pond can at once be served by the great reservoirs of water. Similarly, all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.46)

Download this episode (right click and save)

यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः सम्प्लुतोदके ।
तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः ॥

yāvān artha uda-pāne
sarvataḥ samplutodake
tāvān sarveṣu vedeṣu
brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ

1. Health problems

“I can’t figure out what to do. Eat less? Eat more? Eat a lot in the morning? Wait until the end of the day? It is one struggle after another. I wish we could just survive on air. I don’t want to have to think about food. How do I figure this out? It is like a code that must be cracked. There must be a way to eat properly, without concern.”

2. Family struggle

“It just hit me one day. Even my family can turn into enemies. I never viewed them that way before. I would do anything for them. I still feel that way, but man, there is scant reciprocation. What should I do? I feel like ignoring them now. Sometimes I want to curse them out. How do I handle this properly, in a way that aligns with morality?”

3. Envy

“You see this with young children who are around the same age, living within the same family. If one child receives a toy, the other one has to get it. Otherwise, the parents are in for some trouble. The heart of the matter is envy. One child is jealous of the other.

“Well, this doesn’t really change when you get into adulthood. The difference is that the scope of applicability greatly expands. Your friends are jealous of you. If you start earning more money. If you buy a new car. If you are happy. Forget it, they will be seething inside. How do we handle this? What is the best way to live peacefully with friends, family, and neighbors?”

4. Dealing with loss

“I really miss that person. They were like the only caretaker I had. They loved me unconditionally. I will never know what that is like, because I tend to be so miserly. I get easily offended. I hold on to grudges for a long time.

“I want that person to return. I want assurance that they are okay. I want to honor their memory. But I don’t know how. I feel like an orphan, in a sense. Abandoned. Left alone. No one cares about my feelings. How do I get over this?”

5. The goal of life

“Seriously, what are we all doing here? Best case, we end up in a wheelchair, barely able to get around. That is our fate right before the ultimate end. That is if we are lucky enough to make it to old age. Given that looming image, what is the purpose to anything we are doing? Why are we even going to work? Why are we enjoying? It seems like a waste of time.”

…

Upon approaching a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a person may question the need for reading books that are considered ancient. This is based on the date of inception, if it is known. Something written thousands of years ago, preserved in the original language, Sanskrit, which is not even spoken in general conversation anymore.

What could there possibly be to gain? Even a book written fifty years ago references a world which no longer exists. People have different occupations today. There are different ways to access information. Things which you could openly discuss in the past will now get you fired, cancelled, or ostracized from society.

One way to consider Vedic literature is to see it as a reference guide for living. If we are new to home ownership, we might not be aware how to deal with simple issues of wear and tear. A door that does not close. A leak in the ceiling. A strange sound from the oven.

To figure out what to do, we might consult a reference manual. There is an index. There are chapters. The material has organization. There is a systematic presentation. If we don’t have access to such a book, we contact a trusted professional, who already understands the reference material.

Vedic literature like Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavata Purana, Mahabharata, and Ramayana have answers to practically all of life’s pressing issues. There isn’t information on how to fix the wireless router when it is down, but there is plenty of knowledge passed on about how to spend a day in a meaningful way.

The most important question of all is the purpose to my existence. Why am I here? Why do I have to die? Why did I take birth in the first place? What is the real source of my identity?

The bow warrior named Arjuna received the answers to such questions and more, in a succinct presentation, under the premise of hesitancy in how to prepare for an upcoming military conflict. Within a single decision, of whether to fight or withdraw, Arjuna and his teacher, Shri Krishna, covered many fundamental aspects of the living experience for the human being.

Vedic literature is meant for the human being. The further you delve into the subject matter, the more the dualities vanish. That is to say, someone who is deluded by the endpoints of attraction and aversion will have a difficult time understanding the higher concepts.

If we are looking more for a “do this and don’t do that” approach, there is also sufficient material to consume. But from a single work like the Ramayana, we see that the answer is not always straightforward. Sometimes a brother is dutiful and loyal. Sometimes a brother wants to kill his brother. Sometimes a brother abandons the family in favor of an opposing party.

There are associated rituals and regulations to follow for achieving temporary gains, for gradual development of self-realization. But the person who knows the purpose behind the Vedas already achieves everything necessary. Shri Krishna gives the comparison of the small pond and the large body of water.

In the same way, if we understand God the person, the face behind the abstract, the “culprit” guilty of creating the entire cosmic manifestation, then we have reached the height of knowledge. Everything necessary will flow from there. The guidebook to living will make sense, and we will have a trusted companion to assist us with making decisions which otherwise may not be so straightforward. The devotee sees the satisfaction of Krishna as their ultimate purpose, and so they remain confident during times of difficulty, should they arise.

In Closing:

Difficulty should arise,
In manner a surprise.

Confident getting through,
Because of companion who.

Trusted from authority speaking,
From ancient to modern reaching.

Like Arjuna when to hesitancy bound,
Best guide in Shri Krishna found.

Categories: the five

Tags: counselling, god, hare krishna, mental health, poem, poems, poetry, religion