“All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when they are annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.28)

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अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत
अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव तत्र का परिदेवना

avyaktādīni bhūtāni
vyakta-madhyāni bhārata
avyakta-nidhanāny eva
tatra kā paridevanā

It is a period of intense grief. Though this moment was long ago realized, that there was an inevitability to the end, it was pushed off as long as possible. Who wants to torture themselves thinking always of the dreaded end? What motivation would there be to living when consciously aware of the guaranteed exit of the individual from this world?

At the same time, the reality of the departure is difficult to handle. That person is now gone. We cannot save them. Death is irreversible, in this instance. The mistakes we made. The misjudgments applied. The work we could have done to save them. If only we could have a few more moments with them. It is difficult to believe that this person we knew since childhood, since our very birth, is no longer with us.

How will we continue? How can we ever be happy, excited, eager, satisfied, or full of joy when we know that this person is no longer here to share in our experiences? In one sense, they were our very reason for living. We wanted to serve them. Whatever they asked for, we did. Their very presence meant everything to us.

In this time of extended despair, we can look to one specific teaching from Shri Krishna delivered to Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita. It describes our relationship to living beings. There are essentially three stages, but this is based only on the juxtaposition. Sort of how the sun is always in its position, but depending on our viewpoint we may or may not see it.

1. Unmanifest in the beginning

This is the subject we tend to overlook. We are saddened upon the departure, but what about the many years prior to ever knowing them? From recorded history we know that there were happenings in this world for the past hundreds and thousands of years. Where was this individual then? What were they doing? What was the mode of interaction?

The truth is they were unmanifest. We could not see them. If they are senior to us by birth, we don’t even know where we were during that time. How can we miss someone we forgot about for thousands of years? Why is that period of time not lamented? Why are we not saddened by the many years unknown to us?

2. Manifest in the middle

This is in the period of interaction. We consider someone to be alive when they are manifest. When we can locate them. When we can pick up a phone and call them. When we can hear their advice. When we can pepper them with questions. When we can physically embrace. When we can recognize their voice.

In the same way that others are manifest before us, we are manifest before them. That is how they know we are living. They can see us. They can call us by name. They can identify us based on external features, such as the eyes, ears, and mouth.

श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च
रसनं घ्राणम् एव च
अधिष्ठाय मनश् चायं
विषयान् उपसेवते

śrotraṁ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṁ ca
rasanaṁ ghrāṇam eva ca
adhiṣṭhāya manaś cāyaṁ
viṣayān upasevate

“The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, tongue, and nose and sense of touch, which are grouped about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.9)

3. Unmanifest at the end

This is the period of departure. After death, the living being is no longer manifest. Again, the relationship is only based on our viewpoint. The living being is actually always alive. They are the active principle within the body, in the same manner that the Supreme Lord is the active principle to the universe itself. He is like the original fire, which then dissipates throughout. In this way, the universe is something like the body of God.

एक-देश-स्थितस्याग्नेर्
ज्योत्स्ना विस्तारिणी यथा
परस्य ब्रह्मणः शक्तिस्
तथेदम् अखिलं जगत्

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner
jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā
parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis
tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

“Everything that is manifested within this cosmic world is but the energy of the Supreme Lord. As fire emanating from one place diffuses its illumination and heat all around, so the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, manifests His different energies everywhere. Indeed, the whole cosmic creation is composed of different manifestations of His energy.” (Vishnu Purana, 1.22.52)

These three stages apply to every person. It is not a secret. It is a fixture of nature. The three stages are not fixed in time. My future grandchildren, for instance, are currently in the unmanifest state. My ancestors are also in the unmanifest state, but they continue to live. There is a planet known as pitra-loka for a reason.

यान्ति देवव्रता देवान्पितॄन्यान्ति पितृव्रता:
भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम्

yānti deva-vratā devān
pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā
yānti mad-yājino ’pi mām

“Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.25)

This basic understanding of our interaction with others should at least provide some relief from the sadness. Why should we lament over something that was destined from the very beginning? Why should we be sad that someone’s existence continues, albeit outside of our purview? We have the opportunity to shape the destiny of our next unmanifest state, wherein we can potentially reach the side of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This can be accomplished through worshiping Him.

In Closing:

Association now longing for,
But what about ages before?

Prior in womb to conceive,
That vision not to receive.

Unmanifest again now to go,
But continued existence to know.

In this way with loss to cope,
Through steady worship hope.

Categories: the three

Tags: dailyprompt, god, hare krishna, life, poem, poems, poetry, religion