“And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.5)

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अन्त-काले च माम् एव
स्मरन् मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्
यः प्रयाति स मद्-भावं
याति नास्त्य् अत्र संशयः

anta-kāle ca mām eva
smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ
yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

The final goal is what matters. The most important examination is at the time of death. Anta kale. The end will take place. The conclusion is part of destiny. There is no permanent suspension of the sentence. That death was guaranteed as soon as there was birth.

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्
ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च
तस्माद् अपरिहार्ये ऽर्थे
न त्वं शोचितुम् अर्हसि

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur
dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca
tasmād aparihārye ‘rthe
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi

“For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.27)

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada recommends Krishna consciousness. One way or another, we have to be conscious of Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is our primary business in this world.

As the state of being at the end is what matters most, the exact means is not as important. There are a variety of ways to be conscious of Krishna. In the same way there is variety in the work people do, in the stages of life, in the places they call home, in the manner in which they pass the time, there can be various ways in which we follow through on the recommendation to always remember.

मन्-मना भव मद्-भक्तो
मद्-याजी मां नमस्कुरु
माम् एवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवम्
आत्मानं मत्-परायणः

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam
ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ

“Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.34)

1. Reading a book

“My favorite activity is reading books. I am particularly drawn to lila-centric content. These are the Divine pastimes of the Supreme Lord. I would rather hear about Him stealing butter as a child than explaining high philosophy to elevated scholars and renounced mendicants.

“I would much rather hear the story of Krishna lifting Govardhana hill than be quizzed on the intricacies of Vedanta philosophy. Perhaps you can criticize me for my gaps in knowledge, for not being the perfect brahmana, but that is fine with me.”

2. Visiting a temple

“My favorite activity is gazing at the archa-vigraha. The murti in the temple. You hear people offer this feedback, that they feel a sense of calm and peace when inside of a temple. They wish they could maintain the same feeling in outside settings, in their daily life.

“I don’t need to go that far. I would rather make a routine out of visiting the temple. Let me be there on a regular basis. Let me bring an offering and then take my place amongst the people, whether in a crammed area or a sparsely populated room.”

3. Contemplating the beauty of the universe

“My favorite activity is reflecting on the universe itself. The intricacies. The nuances. The detail and the abstract. I recently watched a documentary on the evolution of photo review in sports. It started with horse-racing, apparently. They used still photographs to determine the winner of close races. Hence the term ‘photo finish.’

“It is like man gained new insight into the world through studying still images. But that is simply a viewpoint. More amazing is the person who created the universe itself. As we live within that universe, there are endless opportunities to extend appreciation and gratitude.”

4. Remember saints who keep the tradition going

“My favorite activity is serving saintly people. They keep the tradition going. They are not afraid to be identified as such, as members of a disciplic succession. They are true symbols of sacrifice. They represent God on earth. If you want to know the kindness and compassion of the Supreme Lord, spend some time with genuine saints.”

5. Simply by saying a name

“My favorite activity is chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. From hearing a name only one time I feel enlivened. It is like I am otherwise devoid of life. I feel a connection through the name. I feel as if I have gained access to another world. I want to stay with that name for as long as I can.”

In Closing:

From that name saying,
Another world displaying.

Like access with key granting,
Given through simply chanting.

Mantras by guru empowered,
Transcendental nectar showered.

Accustomed to contemplation,
On beauty of nature demonstration.

Categories: the five

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