What Is So Great About Being Advanced

“One time, that wicked king of the Daityas saw his son of lotus-like face and beautiful eyes, surrounded by women, having returned from the home of the guru. In his hand, that boy was holding a slate which had the mark of a chakra at the top and the name of Krishna written with great adoration.” (Narasimha Purana, 41.35-36)

Download this episode (right click and save)

तं पद्मवक्त्रं दैत्येन्द्रः कदाचित् स्त्रीवृतः खलः
बालं गुरुगृहायातं ददर्श स्वायतेक्षणम्
गृहीत्वा तु करे पुत्रं पट्टिका या सुशोभना
मूर्ध्नि चक्राङ्किता पट्टी कृष्णनामाङ्कितादरात्

taṃ padmavaktraṃ daityendraḥ kadācit strīvṛtaḥ khalaḥ
bālaṃ gurugṛhāyātaṃ dadarśa svāyatekṣaṇam
gṛhītvā tu kare putraṃ paṭṭikā yā suśobhanā
mūrdhni cakrāṅkitā paṭṭī kṛṣṇanāmāṅkitādarāt

“I hear this quite often, in general conversation. There is a particular word used for emphasis. That word is ‘advanced.’ The conversation sounds something like the following:

‘O Prabhu, did you meet such and such swami? They are so advanced. That devotee over there has been serving the temple for decades. They are so advanced. That one person can give class on Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam without any prior preparation. You can choose a shloka at random and they will go on and on, for hours, without missing a beat. It is like spontaneous nectar flowing to the ears. They are so advanced.’

“Listen. I am not against praising people. I think people in this world could stand to be a little nicer. There is nothing wrong with striving for a kinder, gentler society. We could use a little more appreciation, a little more love, and a little less hate. It couldn’t hurt to acknowledge the sacrifices that others make for our benefit. There is nothing lost in the process. We are turning more uncivil by the day, if you ask me, and part of that has to do with exploitation. Just take and take, but never give back in return.

“But have you ever thought about what being advanced actually means? Tell me, why is it a good thing? What is to be gained? In what exactly are we advancing? Yoga? In controlling the senses? In understanding the science of self-realization, sanatana-dharma? Okay, advancement might equate to a more respected position. You might get hired to chair the faculty department of certain studies at a prestigious university. You might get your travel expenses comped when you visit places across the world. You will be the keynote speaker at that annual conference. If you speak there often enough, one day they will bestow the lifetime achievement award upon you.

“But what does it all really mean? Why is being advanced a good thing? Why are we praising someone for being advanced while ignoring everyone else? Is not everyone equal under the eyes of the Lord? Is there not that teaching about the wise person seeing the dog and the elephant as the same? Where does that fit in?”

विद्या-विनय-सम्पन्ने
ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि
शुनि चैव श्व-पाके च
पण्डिताः सम-दर्शिनः

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.18)

Let us move away from the subject matter, for a moment. Take the same principle, but apply it elsewhere. What does advanced mean in the area of teaching, for instance? What does an advanced professor look like, as compared to the one only starting out? We could say advanced equates to experience, but that is not always the case. The advanced person has figured out the terrain. They are aware of the common pitfalls. They know how to handle different situations.

The different situations that require expertise in handling are the difficult situations. That is where the advancement really pays dividends. The expert professor can handle the calm, peaceful, and obedient student. They can also deal with the challenging students, who pose difficult questions. They can stay calm while teaching a classroom full of bright, intellectually gifted students. They can stay true to the curriculum while handling those who might not be as bright, who require more effort to rise to a higher standard.

Another benefit to being advanced is that you can stay in the occupation. You are fixed in it. It is not easy to get you to quit. Your expertise is not necessarily tied to remuneration, compensation, or reciprocal benefit. You are an expert because you know the landscape. You are advanced, and so you cannot be easily triggered by something which tries to interfere with your work.

Another way to consider the benefit to being advanced is to analyze the opposite situation. What is the harm in not being advanced? What are the symptoms of not having a firm grasp of the basic principles of the science of self-realization? There is one Sanskrit word in particular that describes the opposite of advanced. That word is ajitendriyah.

We can attempt to deconstruct this compound Sanskrit word, taking each term individually. We can also look to a specific individual and their behavior. Let’s see how they behaved when dealing with a five-year old child, for instance. How did they react to the child, who also happened to be their son, showing an interest that was counter to the mood of the community? How did the father respond to seeing the son’s innocent affection displayed in words written on a slate?

स इत्थं निर्जितककुबेकराड् विषयान् प्रियान्
यथोपजोषं भुञ्जानो नातृप्यदजितेन्द्रिय:

sa itthaṁ nirjita-kakub
eka-rāḍ viṣayān priyān
yathopajoṣaṁ bhuñjāno
nātṛpyad ajitendriyaḥ

“In spite of achieving the power to control in all directions and in spite of enjoying all types of dear sense gratification as much as possible, Hiranyakashipu was dissatisfied because instead of controlling his senses he remained their servant.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.4.19)

Hiranyakashipu was triggered by the allegiance shown by Prahlada. He was triggered by the name of Krishna written in reverence on a slate. He was triggered by the symbol of the chakra decorating the top of the same slate. He was upset when Prahlada first paid obeisance to Lord Vishnu, prior to answering a question about what he learned in school that day.

This is typical behavior for the ajitendriyah individual. They have been conquered by the senses. This is the opposite of an advanced position precisely because the senses are part of the material energy, which is inferior. The individual can always assert control. It may seem difficult. As Arjuna describes, trying to control the mind is like trying to control the wind. Still, self-control can be implemented.

चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण
प्रमाथि बलवद् दृढम्
तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये
वायोर् इव सु-दुष्करम्

cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa
pramāthi balavad dṛḍham
tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye
vāyor iva su-duṣkaram

“For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krishna, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind.” (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.34)

Prahlada was advanced, and that meant he was not afraid of others interfering with his allegiance. Prahlada was advanced due to knowledge. He was advanced in applying that knowledge in a practical manner. Prahlada could express devotion to Vishnu even while in the presence of someone who hated Vishnu. Prahlada could express this devotion while knowing that the other person could choose to impose physical harm as retaliation. Prahlada was the most advanced, in fact, and the world continues to benefit from his advanced position.

In Closing:

Blessed for fearlessly showing,
From glories of Vishnu knowing.

To that father inimical who,
Cruel and wicked too.

But head on Prahlada facing,
Beautifully chakra on slate placing.

And with devotion the name to write,
In meditation most beautiful sight.