“When the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased with the living entity because of his devotional service, one becomes a pandita and does not make distinctions between enemies, friends and himself. Intelligently, he then thinks, ‘Every one of us is an eternal servant of God, and therefore we are not different from one another.’” (Prahlada Maharaja, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.12)

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स यदानुव्रतः पुंसां
पशु-बुद्धिर् विभिद्यते
अन्य एष तथान्यो ’हम्
इति भेद-गतासती

sa yadānuvrataḥ puṁsāṁ
paśu-buddhir vibhidyate
anya eṣa tathānyo ’ham
iti bheda-gatāsatī

On the auspicious occasion of Gaura Purnima, which is the day on the lunar calendar marking the appearance of the most munificent incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we honor and remember Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. We particularly marvel at His ability to penetrate through deep divisions based on artificial distinctions in order to unite everyone in the transcendental light, in taking shelter under the umbrella that is direct connection with Shri Hari.

Prahlada Maharaja makes an astounding assertion within Shrimad Bhagavatam. He says that there is really no such thing as friends and enemies. At least not in the eyes of the wise. For the person who actually sees, who can discern the spiritual essence in manifest living beings, everyone is a servant to the Supreme Lord in one way or another.

If we extend the logic all the way through, the claim is that even the atheist is with God. There is no such thing as an atheist, in the manner that it is typically understood. If everyone is a servant of the Almighty, it means that the atheist has their own way of offering that service.

Namely, they align with the shadow portion, if comparing the effulgence of God to sunlight. The shadow is not different from the sunlight; it is merely a different way of perceiving the presence of the sunlight. The shadow portion of the Divine is the material energy, which we know through our standing within the material world.

A friend is someone who has shared interests. They offer assistance. They wish me well. The enemy could be someone who does not fit into any of these categories. Perhaps they wish me harm. If I am unknown to them, they are not forthcoming with assistance.

This is actually my point of view, however. I consider them to be an enemy, but they may not know who I am. I have this antagonistic concern, but the corresponding party has no knowledge of it. I have artificially drawn this line between friend and foe.

We take this same tendency and apply it across the entire range of activities within the human society. There are divisions based on gender, race, ethnicity, age, language, religion, and country of origin. Wherever you turn, there is turmoil due to these divisions. Even sitting in attendance at a sporting event can turn into a dangerous proposal, should you happen to be wearing the wrong colored shirt.

It is within such a landscape that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu operated. He was not deterred. He was not depressed to the point of inaction. He did not desist from the mission of uniting everyone under a single banner, of worshiping God in a mood of love.

His way to cut through the divisions was to use both philosophy and sentiment applied to sound. He presented the spotless philosophy known as achintya-bhedabheda-tattva. This was not a concoction. It was not something He invented. Rather, Mahaprabhu simply introduced a way of explaining the eternal truth of the relationship between the individual and the Divine.

Mahaprabhu put that philosophy on display through the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. If a person cannot understand philosophy, they can chant this mantra. If they claim to be of a different religion, they can still chant this mantra. The sounds do not violate any oath of exclusivity. The sounds are different forms of address for the same Almighty that everyone already follows in all respects.

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)

As divisions emerge across the entirety of the human society, so the same can be found even within the practice of a single religion or tradition of spirituality. The individual supposedly loses access if they are a child, a woman, a laborer, a chaser of money, or a sense gratifier. It is said that another individual has a better opportunity based on their ancestors, on the pedigree tied to the parents, or the place of the world in which they live.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu shows the way towards liberation for every person. He reveals the actual meaning of equality, that every individual is spirit soul at the core, part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As such, it is the birthright of every individual to be released from the sufferings of a material existence, which has its faults manifesting in the many dualities in illusion, which can only be dispelled with transcendental association.

In Closing:

Dear this friend of mine,
That enemy drawing the line.

Land of birth to prevent,
But that one from rules exempt.

A woman lowly and base,
He sense gratification to chase.

Chaitanya uniting us all,
To Hari in service to call.

Categories: feature, gaura purnima, holiday

Tags: chaitanya, feature, gaura purnima, holiday, poem, poems, poetry