“O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.27)

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यत् करोषि यद् अश्नासि
यज् जुहोषि ददासि यत्
यत् तपस्यसि कौन्तेय
तत् कुरुष्व मद्-अर्पणम्

yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi
yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam

1. They don’t start on time

“Listen, I am grateful to have them. I am glad they are around. At least there is someone else in this world who is interested in bhakti-yoga. In the beginning, I am so excited to be attending something like a local chapter of a book club. The focus is on Bhagavad-gita, and particularly the translation and commentary of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

“That enthusiasm quickly dissipates. This is upon arrival. It is a regular occurrence. You see, the people running the program are not exactly punctual. They are always late. Chronically so, as if they have no regard for other people’s time and sacrifice.

“You know how you get that dirty feeling when dealing with a used car salesman? I get similar vibes from these people, but worse. It is like they look down upon the rest of us. We should be grateful, you see, that they are blessing us with their presence. This benediction bestowed upon us more than makes up for their tardiness. This is the justification subtly thrown upon us.

“I am rather sick of it. If you people are not going to start the program on time, then don’t have one. I would rather stay home. You people pretend to be brahmanas, but you are not even up to the first level, which is honesty.”

2. The guest speakers are total fakes

“The guests who come and lecture are quite bad. I am open-minded going in. I am rooting for them. I want them to succeed. It is just the level of arrogance is too much to take. They are not in possession of common sense, either. Sometimes, they will bring a translator along. You can imagine how annoying that is. Every two sentences, the speaker has to stop in order for the translator to repeat the message in a different language. This is just absurd. Who actually thought this is a good idea?

“Except, they don’t really care what other people think. It is like they are delivering these lectures for their friends. The other members in the high positions within the institution. Like faculty at a college, thinking the students are beneath them. It ruins the entire experience for me.”

3. There are too many Indian people

“I am not a racist. I promise you that. But tell me why only people of a certain ethnicity are in attendance? It was not always this way. The preaching was targeted towards the local people in the beginning. I feel completely out of place. I do not speak their language. I am not from that part of the world. I just want to learn about bhakti-yoga without feeling like an infiltrator to some ethnic program.”

4. The food is too spicy

“One of the appeals to the local program is the food distributed at the end. It is known as prasadam. This translates to the mercy of God. They prepare the food like you would in a normal kitchen, but the preparation has an accompanying offering. They are asking God to eat. They are giving instead of taking. It is really nice, and it is one of the ways bhakti-yoga stands out from other implementations of spirituality.

“The thing is, the food is way too spicy. The oils used are not good, either. Why should we be risking our health in trying to honor what is left over by the Supreme Personality of Godhead? That seems like a dangerous proposal to me.”

5. They ban anyone who questions suspicious activity

“I have witnessed so many nefarious dealings. It is like the establishment is run by a criminal gang. I know better than to say anything. If you blow the whistle, they will ban you, immediately. You will be cut off from other devotees. You will have nowhere else to go. Right now, it is wiser to simply turn the other way, pretending as if nothing bad is happening. That is, until you become a direct victim of their criminal behavior. Then what will you do?”

…

The material world is full of variety. This means that what one person likes, another person may abhor. I enjoy waking up in the morning, completing my routine tasks as soon as possible. This removes any pressing obligations later on in the day. It should at least bring relief from the daily pressures.

Another person likes to relax in the morning. They prefer to have the pressure gradually mount. Only under a feeling of urgency will they feel the impetus to get work accomplished. Their preference is in stark contrast to mine. If we are both negotiating a specific time of the day to meet, these preferences will clash.

It only makes sense, then, that if I am dealing with the general public to practice devotion to the Supreme Lord on a regular basis, I will find many aspects not to my liking. If dislikes start to mount, the scales might tip in the direction of removal. I will avoid the situation rather than tolerate everything that I consider bad. It will be asat-sanga, and sat-tyaga.

Whatever the difficulties faced, one simple solution is to go my own way. I am not dependent on external factors in devotional service. Since God is everywhere, He is inside of me. As Prahlada Maharaja explained, God is the source of strength in every person. The wise are able to notice this and alter their outlook on life appropriately.

श्री-प्रह्राद उवाच
न केवलं मे भवतश् च राजन्
स वै बलं बलिनां चापरेषाम्
परे ’वरे ’मी स्थिर-जङ्गमा ये
ब्रह्मादयो येन वशं प्रणीताः

śrī-prahrāda uvāca
na kevalaṁ me bhavataś ca rājan
sa vai balaṁ balināṁ cāpareṣām
pare ’vare ’mī sthira-jaṅgamā ye
brahmādayo yena vaśaṁ praṇītāḥ

“Prahlada Maharaja said: My dear King, the source of my strength, of which you are asking, is also the source of yours. Indeed, the original source of all kinds of strength is one. He is not only your strength or mine, but the only strength for everyone. Without Him, no one can get any strength. Whether moving or not moving, superior or inferior, everyone, including Lord Brahma, is controlled by the strength of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.8.7)

If the food is not to my liking, I can prepare and offer my own food. If there are too many attendees of a specific ethnic background, no one is stopping me from inviting others to my own program. I can start the program on time, end it on time, and continue in a steady routine, such that the numerical strength will build.

“There is no difference between the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself. As such, the holy name is as perfect as the Lord Himself in fullness, purity and eternity. The holy name is no material sound vibration, nor has it any material contamination.” (Padma Purana quoted from The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 13)

I may feel that the general conditions of my environment are inauspicious, that everyone around is only interested in useless pursuits, that they are constantly envious of their friends and neighbors, including their own children, but that does not prevent access to the eternal engagement known as sanatana-dharma. As recommended to Arjuna, I can take everything that I do and direct it as a humble offering before the lotus feet of the one who guided that chariot on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

In Closing:

After Arjuna confusion confided,
To teacher who chariot guided.

Recommended for path to take,
That all work as offering make.

The obstacles penetrating through,
The negative and obstructions too.

Such that success in hands my own,
When devotion exclusively shown.

Categories: the five

Tags: bhakti, corruption, dailyprompt, life, poem, poems, poetry