“When the mind is joined with a particular sense, it immediately becomes manifest in a certain way. For instance, when there is anger in the mind, the tongue vibrates so many maledictions. Similarly, when the mind’s anger is expressed through the hand, there is fighting. When it is expressed through the leg, there is kicking. There are so many ways in which the subtle activities of the mind are expressed through the various senses. The mind of a person in Krishna consciousness also acts in a similar way. The tongue chants Hare Krishna, the maha-mantra, the hands are raised in ecstasy, and the legs dance in Krishna consciousness.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.29.63 Purport)

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It was a tough day yesterday. All that practice. All that preparation. An entire summer’s worth of dedication, sacrifice, and anticipation. Only to have everything go down the tube. It is like I am back to the beginning, lumped in with the rest of them. To make matters worse, I might have to visit an urgent care clinic. My right hand is throbbing. I am almost too embarrassed to admit what happened. According to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the entire sequence of events, from beginning to end, from action to consequence, is due to the workings of the mind. There is the potential to purify the same mind, such that the change will be reflected across various activities. Those activities belong to the category of bhakti-yoga, or Krishna consciousness.

In this hypothetical situation, I have been training in a particular sport. I purchased an expensive machine at the beginning of the summer, to be used outdoors. I have a reliable and inexpensive field of play, which is as nearby as my backdoor. I can walk to the place. It is part of the gated community.

The machine assists in my training. I get extra help from advanced technology, in the abundance of instructional material available online. Everything that I never learned while growing up, due to lack of access, is now ready to be consumed. I can finally align with the fundamentals. I no longer have to rely on watching the professionals and trying to imitate their movements.

I train every single day. In the scorching heat. When I am tired. When I am full of energy. I feel as if I am making sufficient progress. At the end comes the test. I enter an informal competition with someone close to me. They are within my family. We choose the exact same field of play, the one I have been training on.

There is only one problem. I lose; badly, at that. I perform terribly. I am so frustrated that at one point I strike my closed fist against a cement wall. Bad idea. I am in a lot of pain. I try not to show it. My ego is more bruised than anything. I want to cry. Life is not fair. It would have been better to have not tried at all. What good did my preparation do?

In this case, the exact field of play or the game of participation is not that important. This is because the principle extends to the entire field of play that is the material world. Shri Krishna reveals in Bhagavad-gita that there is always this combination, of field and knower. The knower is the constant. The field is always changing.

श्रीभगवानुवाच
इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते
एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहु: क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विद:

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya
kṣetram ity abhidhīyate
etad yo vetti taṁ prāhuḥ
kṣetra-jña iti tad-vidaḥ

“The Blessed Lord then said: This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field.” (Bhagavad-gita, 13.2)

I am the knower inside of my field of play. I am the local knower inside of the local field. That combination of knower and field can then choose to move to different external fields, such as the hospital, the courtroom, the office building, the single-family home, and maybe even the battlefield. The movements to the different fields can extend across multiple lifetimes, and this explains the varieties in species and living conditions that we witness.

The human form of body brings the opportunity for purification. The same mind which leads to different activities across different fields of play can be purified. The result of that purification can be seen in similar activities in the fields of play, but the intent is different. There is an attempt to reach a higher standard of living. There is the potential to even transcend the fields, such that purified activities reflect the purified mind.

1. Chanting the maha-mantra

“It is sound. Yes, the words are Sanskrit in origin. No, I am not a native speaker. I am trying my best. There is something to this formula, you must admit. Just try it for a while: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. I try to chant this mantra on a set of beads every day, for a set number of repetitions. You could say it is like going to a gym and doing your workout, but the difference here is that I will never give it up; at least not voluntarily. I find that this is the best use of my time. I feel transported to a different realm.”

2. Raising hands in ecstasy

“It is spontaneous. No one had to tell me. As soon as I see the deities, I feel the need to express my happiness. I am always happy to see them. Sometimes, I feel ashamed, over my recent transgressions, my lapses in judgment, and my unforced errors. Nevertheless, I always return. If you can’t bring your problems to the highest authority figure in the universe, then who can you really trust? This looks like stone or a painting, but there is something more. I can stare for hours in a row. I sometimes feel inspired to write down my appreciations. Those will never end, in fact, since the object of attention is endless in their glories. Their gunas are ananta.”

3. Dancing in Krishna consciousness

“It is great exercise, I will admit. I am a little shy around others, but eventually I feel comfortable enough to join in. The songs are welcoming. The music is uplifting. I think the object of worship is pleased to see our happiness. Why would they be mean, petty, and vindictive? What purpose would that serve? The misers are the weak ones, who cannot hold their tolerance. The Almighty is the most tolerant. I know that He is always ready to welcome back His children, at any time, should they be wise enough to make the turn, to ask for assistance.”

ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि
मयि सन्न्यस्य मत्-पराः
अनन्येनैव योगेन
मां ध्यायन्त उपासते
तेषाम् अहं समुद्धर्ता
मृत्यु-संसार-सागरात्
भवामि न चिरात् पार्थ
मय्य् आवेशित-चेतसाम्

ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi
mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ
ananyenaiva yogena
māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate
teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā
mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt
bhavāmi na cirāt pārtha
mayy āveśita-cetasām

“For one who worships Me, giving up all his activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, who has fixed his mind upon Me, O son of Pritha, for him I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 12.6-7)

In Closing:

Seems as if forever bound,
This blessed activity found.

Corralled wanderings of the mind,
By instruction serious and kind.

In this new endeavor to reflect,
Deity like friend never to reject.

In mantra time blissfully passing,
As if playing field itself surpassing.

Categories: the three

Tags: dailyprompt, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, yoga