“It is the duty of a mendicant (parivrajakacharya) to experience all varieties of God’s creation by traveling alone through all forests, hills, towns, villages, etc., to gain faith in God and strength of mind as well as to enlighten the inhabitants with the message of God. A sannyasi is duty-bound to take all these risks without fear, and the most typical sannyasi of the present age is Lord Chaitanya, who traveled in the same manner through the central Indian jungles, enlightening even the tigers, bears, snakes, deer, elephants and many other jungle animals.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.6.13 Purport)

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1. Calamity

“We are in the worst situation right now. Bombs are literally bursting everywhere. The nighttime sky features a constant fireworks show, except this is not for the purposes of entertainment. One sovereign land is trying to usurp another. Attack and counterattack. Aggression and defense.

“How can we even plan for the future when tomorrow is not guaranteed? How can we find peace of mind when there is not even a place to call home? Where we stayed yesterday has since turned to rubble. The same destiny awaits our present and future destinations.”

2. Widespread disinterest

“Religion? Really? Come on, man! That is stuff from the stone ages. You can’t blame the people. They didn’t know any better. They made up all these stories about controlling deities. They literally thought lightning strikes were warnings from the heavens. They took it as mercy from the Almighty when people got caught up in these natural disasters.

“We know better now. We have superior information today. Science and technology took us above the clouds and beyond. We found no celestials. We see no controllers. Give up on the fairytales and fantasy. God is no different than Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny.”

3. Gradual descension into the grossest form of animal living

“Have you taken a look at society recently? I swear it seems that every public figure is constantly lying, and knowingly at that. Gaslighting at its finest. I would not be surprised if all of them are having sex with children or at least supporting others who do.

“They are trying to introduce the same into schools. Never mind that a child is fortunate to make it out of the womb, and all the needles they are subjected to after the fact. The schools are basically war zones. Innocence is gone. Society is so degraded that you can barely recognize hints of human civilization within it.”

4. General mockery of austerity

“Dude, why are you torturing yourself? Just stop it! Live a little. Enjoy what life has to offer. No one is going to reward you for the suffering. You are not going to magically get transported to a better place after death. If you want to smoke that cigarette, go for it. Finish off that six pack. Roll those loaded dice. You speak of austerity as if it is some principle of yoga, but yoga is exercise. Like what they do in those classrooms. The sun salutation. Downward facing dog. You know what I mean.”

5. False promises for future innovation

“You just wait. In a few years people will be living on other planets. They will set up stations. Life will be so much better. No more problems. No more fighting. No more contention over finite resources. It will be science which brings us the innovation; not God.”

…

It is under such conditions that the sadhu operates. They somehow manage to cut through the ignorance. They turn the inauspicious into auspicious. They find success even against the lowest odds. Where everyone would be expected to turn away, somehow the sadhu manages to convince at least a few to ponder the issue of transcendence.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada gives the example of Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who travelled extensively in the official renounced order, sannyasa. This better facilitated the message of the bhagavata, of understanding the true meaning to eternal living, which is dharma.

The widened distribution is beneficial to both sides. The sadhu increases their own faith in the principles of spiritual life. Not that they were necessarily doubters before, but through the difficulties they feel the support of the Divine even more.

Then there are the recipients, who are suffering through one kind of ignorance after another. There is no hope to adjust the situation through means outside of spiritual life. Someone who generally cares takes the risk of offering instruction. Even the Supreme Lord appreciates such gestures, as He once remarked to the daughter of King Janaka.

मम स्नेहाच्च सौहार्दादिदमुक्तंत्वयाऽनघे
परितुष्टोऽस्म्यहं सीते न ह्यनिष्टोऽनुशिष्यते

mama snehācca sauhārdādidamuktaṃtvayā’naghe
parituṣṭo’smyahaṃ sīte na hyaniṣṭo’nuśiṣyate

“Certainly all these words were spoken by you due to your kind-heartedness and affection for Me. I am very pleased with you, O Sita, for indeed one does not offer instructions and advice to another without caring for them.” (Lord Rama speaking to Sita Devi, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 10.20)

The sadhu is so wise that they can tailor the message to the specific type of calamity or madness. For instance, there is the book entitled Easy Journey to Other Planets. This addresses the fervent desire to discover the infinitely expanded outer space.

Whether I am full of desires, want to advance to a better situation in the afterlife, think there is no God, or have no desires at all, bhagavata-dharma is the best for me. In the manner that Shri Krishna presented the right philosophy approaching all angles of argument in His discussion with the bow-warrior named Arjuna, so the sadhu can rescue me from the darkest regions of nescience.

In Closing:

Sadhu through ignorance to cut,
Rather than remain in a hut.

To travel here and there,
Enlightening everywhere.

With piercing words profound,
Reasoned and logically sound.

Despite my specific calamity facing,
Priorities towards Divine life placing.

Categories: the five

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