“Vasudeva took the opportunity of Kamsa’s benevolence and informed him that his atheistic activities were also due to this misconception of life—namely taking the material body to be the self. When Vasudeva talked with Kamsa in such an illuminating way, Kamsa became very pleased, and his guilt for killing his nephews subdued. With the permission of his sister Devaki and brother-in-law Vasudeva, he returned to his home with a relieved mind.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 4)

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“I am sure you have come across that which I am about to describe. I heard it recently, not for the first time, but the experience elicited some anger inside of me. The conversation begins with people describing differences of opinion. Let’s say that it is political. The call is for everyone to come together. Lower the temperature. Cool down the rhetoric. Stop being so negative, all the time. At the end of the day, everyone wants the best for people. We should all admit this. Political differences should not lead to violence.

“That is so not true, but that is the justification the people use during such conversations. They will then do something really strange. They will reference a political figure with whom they strongly disagree. They then say that they still pray for that person. It is because their book tells them to. They are being loyal to their faith. Their religion recommends that they pray for everyone, and so they are indeed praying for me and you, as well. We could be loathed, hated, despised, and vilified, otherwise. Never mind, as they will still pray for us.

“Only because their book tells them to. They rely on this book to settle debates on gender identity, the proper configuration of marriage, and a host of other issues. This really bothers me. Do these people not have any common sense? They need to rely on a book to figure out things which should be obvious? Are they not tacitly admitting to a complete lack of intelligence? Does their book not at least provide justification for why others should be prayed for? You know, like you should pray for everyone because of a specific reason instead of just because you read it in a book.”

The truth is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead already wishes well for everyone. If this were not the case, then some people are in a lot of trouble. They would have to be doomed for a long period of time. Moreover, the lingering resentment from the person supposedly above everyone else would indicate a defect. The defect would invalidate the very concept of a Supreme Being, showing that no one can be above pettiness, anger, greed, and the like.

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)

There is a reason that the Supreme Lord wishes well for everyone. The material world is like this extended and expansive dream. We slept for over ten hours last night. We had multiple dreams. The experiences were intense. They were across different settings. There was a range of characters. We woke up just now, and everything is back to normal.

Imagine if that dream took place across thousands of lifetimes. The end result is always the same. Everything gets wiped away. Before you arrive, no one knows that you exist. After you leave, it is like you were never here. The memories people have and the impact you left – that is the only evidence of your time spent in this world.

Based on the actions in that extended dream, living beings move up, regress, or remain in the same place. The movements correspond to the modes of nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance. It would make sense to try to improve, to make progress, but even sattva-guna is binding. God does not interfere in work belonging to the modes of nature.

ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसा:
जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसा:

ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā
madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ
jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā
adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ

“Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 14.18)

With respect to the wicked, they get cast into demoniac species. If they are really bad, they spend many lifetimes in such inauspicious conditions. We see many vile creatures around us. They are frightening to look at. They scatter as soon as the light shines on them. We should understand that the wicked have this in their destiny, that they will maintain such a population of creatures well into the future.

तान् अहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्
संसारेषु नराधमान्
क्षिपाम्य् अजस्रम् अशुभान्
आसुरीष्व् एव योनिषु

tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān
saṁsāreṣu narādhamān
kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān
āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu

“Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.19)

As far as praying for those we do not like, there is the example of the married couple, Devaki and Vasudeva. They were held against their will, in a prison, by Devaki’s cousin-brother. They had to witness the evil Kamsa take their newborn children and kill them. One after another, the babies were thrown against stone. It was cruel, mean-spirited, and the worst crime committed against the most innocent.

We see that the husband and wife still forgave Kamsa as soon as there was the slightest sign of remorse. This was moments after the most recent child happened to escape the punishment of Kamsa. The parents who had already lost so many children did not maintain animosity. They did not hold a grudge. They understood the science behind the wicked behavior.

It is not surprising that the Supreme Personality of Godhead would later appear directly as the son to such wonderful devotees. While He is generally neutral, He takes a special stance with those who are friendly to Him. Vasudeva and Devaki may have suffered, they may have had to endure the worst torture, but Krishna appeared as their son, and His activities and appearance are divine in nature.

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यम्
एवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर् जन्म
नैति माम् एति सो ऽर्जुन

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ‘rjuna

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.9)

In Closing:

Praying deeply for you,
Not because book told me to.

Due to inherent link inside,
That Vishnu in all to reside.

Whether living high or low,
Whether in heaven or hell to go.

Forgiveness in those parents profound,
So Hari as child soon found.

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Tags: dailyprompt, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, prayer, religion