“Yet there is another nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.20)

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परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातन:
य: स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति

paras tasmāt tu bhāvo ’nyo
’vyakto ’vyaktāt sanātanaḥ
yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu
naśyatsu na vinaśyati

“For anyone who has taken part in a bhakti-yoga program, in the formal sense, wherein they chant with other like-minded individuals, partake of sumptuous food that is considered the mercy of God, and listen attentively to shlokas from Bhagavad-gita and the proper corresponding explanation suited to the time and circumstance, there is something blissful to the experience. There is no denying that fact.

“From my perspective, it is very different from the standard church ordeal. And I only refer to it as an ‘ordeal’ in a playful manner. The weekly visit to the church has been the subject of comedy since before anyone can remember. You have the wife usually leading the way. She gets the children dressed on a Sunday morning. Meanwhile, the husband thinks of how to get out of going. His eye is on the football games occurring later in the day. Of course, there is also the pregame show that should not be missed, along with the last-minute injury report to shape the fantasy football lineup.

“When the husband does attend church, he still tries to make a soft exit. Volunteer for some service that necessitates his absence from the pews. Again, this is a source of humor. It is like no one wants to sit there and be told how horrible they are. They do not really enjoy the experience, if they were to discuss the issue honestly. It is a far cry from the tailgating that takes place at an outdoor sporting event, wherein the attendees are so excited that they insist on arriving hours before the doors officially open.

“I guess that is my question. Why are not more people attending these bhakti-yoga programs? I am so excited anytime there is anything going on, even though there are issues I have with how the programs are run. Mainly, there is a grotesque lack of structure. At least start on time, please! Can you finish on time? Those are the basics of event management that these people cannot seem to grasp.

“I still am willing to travel far and wide to attend. But seriously, how will such programs prosper? I think every person would be interested to know who they are, why they are here, where they likely were before, and how they can shape their future destination. Be it five minutes from now, five years from today, or five thousand years into the future. I like that Bhagavad-gita covers such topics and more. You won’t find such valuable information anywhere else.”

It is certainly a puzzling trend. The wise person prepares for the future. This is the rational approach. I might be partying for my remaining days attending the university, but this does not mean that the forgetfulness of responsibility can extend forever. I eventually have to set things straight. I have to ponder the future and how it will be spent, even though none of us can really guarantee another day in this world.

Bhagavad-gita considers even a future birth to be a kind of defeat. This is because the cycle begins anew. It is like hitting refresh on the page. Another start, with another hope to flow through the phases of development. Another journey through education, with the concern and fear over maintaining a living. Another bout of hopelessness and despair upon realizing the dwindling time remaining upon reaching old age.

It is better to find an engagement which corresponds to the nature of the individual. That individual is spirit soul, and this factor can never be eliminated. It may transition, transfer to different arenas, and be more or less vibrant in the visible sense, but the soul and its properties can never be extinguished.

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतो ऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ‘yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.20)

Since Bhagavad-gita, the science of self-realization, bhakti-yoga, and sanatana-dharma in the genuine sense begin with acknowledging this issue of a lack of proper engagement and addressing ways to resolve it, there is immediately a giant clash with the prevailing manner of living. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that people following Krishna consciousness are essentially enemies to the standard of civilization of others.

That is the reason for the general lack of interest in bhakti-yoga. Sometimes there is antagonism. There is intentional interference. That obstruction might even be rooted in people who are externally religious, but in truth even that affiliation is more or less a decoration. It is like an attribute to check on a box. It is something to tell others for describing the current situation, accompanying the place of employment, the place of residence, and the basic biographical details.

Bhakti-yoga in practice goes against the idea of enjoying only for the short-term. In the grand scheme, even one hundred years is nothing. There is reason to be optimistic, though. Those who do take it seriously, who understand that connecting with the inner meaning of life goes well beyond religion, can actually find something to do which extends beyond the present lifetime. It is like they find renewing enthusiasm, hope, joy, and satisfaction.

They find this through practices that would otherwise not stand out. They read books. They listen to people they respect. They voluntarily impose a minimum standard of restriction. This is to create rules and regulations, yama and niyama, in order to better facilitate valid meditation, dhyana. They might find endless bliss in simply repeating a mantra. No matter where they are, what the popular religion of the area is, or how many people approve or disapprove, they simply want to go on chanting: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Never with misery conflate,
Eagerly for those doors to await.

Such that even early to arrive,
After hours’ long drive.

Because something meaningful found,
Joy and wisdom lasting and profound.

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Categories: questions

Tags: dailyprompt, life, poem, poems, poetry, prabhupada, religion