“Tulsi knows, has heard, and has understood that Shri Rama is an ocean of mercy because He made jewels and gold expensive, while keeping the most important things like water and grains inexpensive.”  (Dohavali, 149)

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तुलसी जाने सुनि समुझि कृपासिंधु रघुराज।
महँगे मनि कंचन किए सौंधे जग जल नाज ॥

tulasī jāne suni samujhi kṛpāsiṃdhu raghurāja।
maha~ge mani kaṃcana kie sauṃdhe jaga jala nāja ॥

1. Payment for a mantra

“I have found the best guru. The mantra he gave to me is great. I feel so calm and peaceful while chanting. I can’t repeat the mantra to you, though. You have to visit the guru first. It is not that difficult. Just make a donation and he will be happy to welcome you into the group.”

2. Cruise-ship sanga

“Did you hear the news? Such and such swami will be going on a cruise. This is the only chance to meet him personally this year. Are you going to go? I know cruises are expensive, but think of how much fun it will be. There will not be any recordings made of the proceedings. You have to be there to experience the bliss. Trust me, this is not something you want to miss.”

3. VIP-only public appearances

“Oh man, we saw the guru last night. It was such an amazing experience. They are hardly in public anymore. They don’t speak to outsiders, but this was a special occasion. I only knew because someone told me. There was no announcement made beforehand. The guru does not like it if too many people show up.”

4. Clueless as to the whereabouts of their book

“Did you like that guru who lectured here last night? Their book is so great. I have one of the rare copies. I think it is out of print by now. I have no idea how you would get a copy. I have tried asking the guru, and he is clueless on the matter. He has his own copy that he reads from. That is why I am so careful with the book that I own.”

5. Intentionally limited edition print

“I pre-ordered mine. I know this book series is rather expensive, but you better hurry if you want a copy. There will only be a certain number printed. It is on the best quality paper. This is a collection of verses and commentaries that our guru has been working on for years. He wants this work to be special, and so it won’t be available for bulk order or mass distribution.”

…

Goswami Tulsidas explains that he knows in truth that Shri Rama is an ocean of mercy, kripasindhu, precisely because of the difference in price between well-known commodities. Their relative abundance or lack thereof is an accompanying factor, as well. We can use this same difference to filter out spiritual leaders who may not have the best intentions for us.

The difference is in the price of grains and water as opposed to jewels and gold. There is a need for water and grains. The same need is not there with gold and jewels. A person can go an entire lifetime without ever seeing a golden necklace and be just fine. They might not even know what they are missing.

Water and grains are always around. They are relatively abundant, in most cases. This is the arrangement of nature. It is mercy on the part of Bhagavan. If the opposite were the case, there would be chaos and havoc. We already see the madness resulting from even the hint of a shortage in the supply of home essentials like toilet paper and rice.

Shri Rama has made it so that what we actually need will not be expensive. The same principle extends to the practice of spiritual life. The grains and water which are relatively inexpensive can be used in worship. Offered in the proper mood, with loving devotion, the origin of everything will gladly accept.

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं
यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति
तद् अहं भक्त्य्-उपहृतम्
अश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.26)

If Rama is pleased, then what else is there to worry over? Is there any other person whose satisfaction is at a higher priority? Can anyone do more for me than Rama? Can anyone provide greater protection than the one who lifted the heavy bow of Shiva to win the hand of Sita in marriage?

It may be that devotional service, bhakti-yoga, is relatively inexpensive as opposed to top-flight yoga schools situated in scenic mountains, strict renunciation associated with brahmavada, and working to produce fruits in karma that are targeted for charity. But what about the availability? How will others come to know of the process?

Genuine saintly people fill the gap. It is due to their merciful nature that they try to make the processes of devotional service, such as hearing and chanting, as widely available as possible. Since the commodity itself is not that expensive, the only issue is in replication and propagation.

There are various mechanisms to spread the message. A guru might author a single work that is then taught to disciples, who then teach the same to others. They might use what Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura refers to as the brihad-mridanga, which is publication. Write down the principles and explain them in a manner suited to the time and circumstance.

Someone like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is so kind that if He finds a single page in a sacred text that might alleviate the distress of a devotee, He will take that page with Him. Mahaprabhu will travel to the destination and personally deliver the written word.

सेइ पुरातन पत्र आग्रह करिऽ निल
रामदासे देखाइया दुःख खण्डाइल

sei purātana patra āgraha kari’ nila
rāmadāse dekhāiyā duḥkha khaṇḍāila

“Indeed, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu eagerly tore this page from the Kurma Purana, although the book was very old, and He later showed it to Ramadasa Vipra, whose unhappiness was mitigated.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 1.119)

At the same time, bhakti-yoga is not some cheap parlor trick. The Vedas and Puranas should not be shared with just anyone. The deity and its worship have the highest value, but the saintly person still attempts to bring as many others into the discipline as possible, to at least speak in a general way to gauge if there is any interest.

They know that the malaise of mankind is due to forgetfulness of God, and in order to remember, others must know what God looks like, where He lives, how He interacts with others, and so forth. To spread this message to those who are sincerely interested is to be fixed in bhakti and to be assured of returning to the transcendental nature.

य इदं परमं गुह्यं
मद्-भक्तेष्व् अभिधास्यति
भक्तिं मयि परां कृत्वा
माम् एवैष्यत्य् असंशयः

ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ
mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati
bhaktiṁ mayi parāṁ kṛtvā
mām evaiṣyaty asaṁśayaḥ

“For one who explains the supreme secret to the devotees, devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.68)

The saintly person tries to extend their influence into the future, in the same way that water and grains were widely available one hundred years ago, one thousand years ago, and as far back as we can remember. Since the saintly person is so devoted to the husband of Sita, they are themselves an ocean of mercy and a symbol of sacrifice.

In Closing:

Hoping in future to extend,
Their explanations to send.

Since at condition of man horrified,
So Shri Rama sufficiently glorified.

And to show others the way,
How in transcendence to stay.

The supply in this case not limited,
Like an ocean of mercy unlimited.

Categories: the five

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