“The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.1.6)

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एतावान् साङ्ख्य-योगाभ्यां
स्व-धर्म-परिनिष्ठया
जन्म-लाभः परः पुंसाम्
अन्ते नारायण-स्मृतिः

etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyāṁ
sva-dharma-pariniṣṭhayā
janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām
ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ

1. Witnessing cruelty towards others

“I just can’t take it. I have to witness it directly, it seems. There is nothing I can do about the situation, either. I do not have proper authority over others. It is their responsibility, and they are derelict. I could never imagine being so cruel to others, especially innocent dependents. It makes me wonder why we are even here.”

2. Unexpectedly the focus of envy

“Literally, I can’t talk about anything with anyone. If I mention the car I drive, they have to bring up their own situation. A story from work? A triumph in finances? A victory over adversity? Nope. No one wants to hear it. If anything, they become more envious of me. Is this how life should work? Are we not supposed to wish others well?”

3. Feeling a lack of appreciation

“Doesn’t it seem like the more you do for someone, the less they appreciate you? They forget so quickly. You slip up just once and they are upset with you for a long time. Do they not understand the struggle involved in the sacrifice? I am supposed to live only to serve their needs? These people are the worst.”

4. Feeling a lack of direction in life

“I feel totally lost. Why are we even here? We remain for a short amount of time. What does it matter if others are impressed? They are equally as flawed. Why should their opinion matter? Just who exactly are we looking to please, ultimately? Everything is a giant waste of time, it seems.”

5. The loss of a loved one

“I get it that this stuff happens. It is part of life. As soon as someone appears, they are set to one day disappear. But still, the pain of loss is difficult. I miss the departed so much. Their presence alone provided so much comfort. I wish there was a way to be sure that they are now okay. That would alleviate a lot of my concerns.”

…

The recommendation from shastra is to fix up this life such that there will no longer be a vulnerability to suffering. The same shastra reveals the ultimate cause of suffering. Birth is where everything begins. The parents and extended family may rejoice at the arrival of the newborn, but the wise person understands that with every developmental milestone, with every occasion to rejoice, there will be an equal amount of pain, suffering, and hardship. The two sides, pleasure and pain, fluctuate in the manner of the changing seasons.

मात्रा-स्पर्शास् तु कौन्तेय
शीतोष्ण-सुख-दुःख-दाः
आगमापायिनो ऽनित्यास्
तांस् तितिक्षस्व भारत

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ‘nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.14)

The human birth is something like a reclamation project. Rehab from beginning to end, such that the cause of misery will finally be eliminated. The one way to judge success, to earn the passing grade, is to measure the consciousness at the time of death. We are the student in this regard, so it is someone else providing the assessment.

यं यं वापि स्मरन् भावं
त्यजत्य् अन्ते कलेवरम्
तं तम् एवैति कौन्तेय
सदा तद्-भाव-भावितः

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.6)

Shastra says that we should remember Narayana. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We should remember Narayana at the end, no matter from which place we began. To whichever pursuit we assigned highest importance, in whichever direction we chose, for whichever temporary goal we assigned top priority, everything should culminate in remembrance of Narayana.

We see from the above referenced hypothetical situations that even with the best intentions there is so much interference. Goswami Tulsidas appropriately refers to this world as shoka-dhama. There is only grief. Especially if you have made remembering Narayana your ultimate aim in life, the lopsided allegiance towards illusion, maya, found in this world will only serve to discourage the otherwise enthusiastic devotee.

तब लगि कुसल न जीव कहुँ सपनेहुँ मन बिश्राम
जब लगि भजत न राम कहुँ सोकधाम तजि काम

taba lagi kusala na jīva kahum̐ sapanehum̐ mana biśrāma
jaba lagi bhajata na rāma kahum̐ sokadhāma taji kāma

“For as long as there is not devotion to Shri Rama and the release of material desires, which are like an abode of grief, the living being should not expect to find welfare and peace of mind, even in a dream.” (Dohavali, 131)

Narayana is everything, and shastra would not recommend remembering Narayana were it not possible. If we see others behaving cruelly, we can remember the all-forgiving nature of Narayana. He accepted the unexpected kick to the chest from Bhrigu Muni. There was no retribution. There was no anger.

If we find ourselves the victim of envy, we can use that situation to avoid applying the same to others. Envy is inevitable in this world, but His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that the envy should be without malice. We should not interfere with the progress of others, but should rather take inspiration from them. Moreover, God the person is not envious of anyone.

समो ऽहं सर्व-भूतेषु
न मे द्वेष्यो ऽस्ति न प्रियः
ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या
मयि ते तेषु चाप्य् अहम्

samo ‘haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
na me dveṣyo ‘sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
mayi te teṣu cāpy aham

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.29)

The general mood of society in the material world is miserliness. Follow the way of the kripana. Take as much as possible. Make friendships along the lines of personal interest. What can this person offer me? How will this association benefit me? Therefore, lack of appreciation is understandable. We take so much from nature, but how much do we appreciate the respective elements, such as sunlight, rain, wind, and the earth? To remember Narayana is to appreciate the source of men. He is the source of everything, in fact.

Remembering Narayana is the one direction in life. It is the universal corrective measure. I can chant. I can read. I can hear. I can associate with others who are trying to remember Narayana. Whether I am in karma, in yoga, or simply following my occupational duty [sva-dharma], I can still try to remember Narayana as my highest objective.

If I am feeling the pain of separation from a loved one, such as a departed parent, I should know that Narayana has universal access. He is inside of everyone. He always accompanies the living being. He remembers every birth from the past. He knows the future, as well. By remembering Him, I know that wherever the departed landed, the Supreme Lord is with them.

In Closing:

Properly to understand,
That wherever to land.

The departed not alone,
As the best friend known.

Narayana with them to stay,
Smriti the only way.

At the beginning and middle too,
Until the final moments through.

Categories: the five

Tags: dailyprompt, life, narayana, poem, poems, poetry