Let Perception Be Their Guide

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.13)

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देहिनो ऽस्मिन् यथा देहे
कौमारं यौवनं जरा
तथा देहान्तर-प्राप्तिर्
धीरस् तत्र न मुह्यति

dehino ‘smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati

The volume is overwhelming, with too many entries in the pot. There is one affiliation after the next. The messages have different messengers, different covers and titles to the books, and different places of worship. Even the timings are a little different. One group says to bow down at least five times a day. Another is fine with attendance once a week, where everyone can see you and mark you down on the attendance sheet. Another group says to maintain a constant thought, in a kind of change of consciousness. Be steady in a connection, in what is known as yoga.

मन्-मना भव मद्-भक्तो
मद्-याजी मां नमस्कुरु
माम् एवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवम्
आत्मानं मत्-परायणः

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam
ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ

“Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.34)

How to go about deciding? Which one should I choose? How to make sense out of the variety? How to find something that appeals to the sensibilities of the individual? It should be common sense, should it not? Is not the person being approached the highest being of all? Would that not mean He has appeal to every individual, every circumstance, every period of time, and every inclination?

With the science of self-realization, as presented by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and those who follow in the line of the Vaishnava, there is no need to get stressed out over the variety that exists in the arena of ideas. It should be ideas, after all. It should not be dogmatic insistence. Faith is an integral aspect of the eventual transformation, but there should be reasoning and deliberation, as well. One of the central books to this presentation is Bhagavad-gita, which concludes with a choice. The person on the receiving end of the instruction, the one being “preached to,” if you will, should think the matter over. He should then proceed accordingly.

इति ते ज्ञानम् आख्यातं
गुह्याद् गुह्यतरं मया
विमृश्यैतद् अशेषेण
यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु

iti te jñānam ākhyātaṁ
guhyād guhyataraṁ mayā
vimṛśyaitad aśeṣeṇa
yathecchasi tathā kuru

“Thus I have explained to you the most confidential of all knowledge. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad­-gita, 18.63)

There happens to be an approach that avoids sifting through the pictures and visible instances of worship. Simply perceive the world around you. This is an easy way to wake up, to get out of ignorance. A single inquiry starts a dialogue around identity, the concept of non-identity, change, and the purpose for action. In other words, the system which drives activity, interest, ambition, and the like can be configured to meet the best possible outcome. In Sanskrit, this concept is known as purushartha, or the highest interest of the individual.

“Purushartha (‘the goal of life’) generally refers to religion, economic development, satisfaction of the senses and, finally, liberation. However, above these four kinds of purusharthas, love of Godhead stands supreme. It is called parama-purushartha (the supreme goal of life) or purushartha-shiromani (the most exalted of all purusharthas). Lord Krishna is worshiped by regulative devotional service, but the highest perfection of devotional service is spontaneous love of Godhead.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Antya 7.24)

Begin the perception by looking around. Ask a simple question. Why is everything changing? See that tree standing tall in the backyard? A month back it was entirely bare. You could see what was behind it. You could see the automobiles whizzing past on the road. Today, there is some greenery. There are leaves coming in. The vision is halfway obstructed. In a few weeks, the transformation will be complete. The branches will be fully covered. The vision of the road in the background will be fully blocked.

Then, of course, those leaves will fall. That is the guaranteed fate. This same transformation takes place across all instances of life, if we are sober enough to notice. I have also changed. I am no longer that person roaming around as a child, carefree and innocent. In a few years, I will have a difficult time doing routine things like climbing the stairs and carrying items in my hands.

यथा फलानां पक्वानां नान्यत्र पतनाद्भयम्
एवं नरस्य जातस्य नान्यत्र मरणाद्भयम्

yathā phalānāṃ pakvānāṃ nānyatra patanādbhayam
evaṃ narasya jātasya nānyatra maraṇādbhayam

“As a ripe fruit has no other fear than to fall, so a man who is born has no other fear than death.” (Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 105.17)

The next question to ask relates to the ability to perceive. Why am I able to see those changes taking place? It is like I am a witness. I could be called to the stand at any time, in a courtroom where the issue of change is placed before a jury. I could support the idea of change, saying that I saw the leaves grow and then fall. I saw everything with my own eyes. I am changing. The world outside me is changing. And yet, I am still the same. I know that I am of a single identity based on my steady presence, in seeing my own body transform.

Okay, I am the witness. But who am I? Why am I able to witness? Why is there change? Where was I before I can remember having the ability to perceive? Where will I be in the future? What is my place in this world? Just how long will these changes continue? Why is my transformation similar to what takes place on the outside, within the natural world?

Rather than look for religion, in the strict definition, we can search for a tradition which gives answers. The one which has an explanation, which has an idea as to the reason, the cause of all action, and the ultimate goal – that should be something I at least take a look at. There is no harm in making the approach. I can simultaneously find my way out of the greatest fear.

नेहाभिक्रम-नाशो ऽस्ति
प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते
स्व्-अल्पम् अप्य् अस्य धर्मस्य
त्रायते महतो भयात्

nehābhikrama-nāśo ‘sti
pratyavāyo na vidyate
sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya
trāyate mahato bhayāt

“In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.40)

In Closing:

Obstacle of ignorance to clear,
And simultaneously out of fear.

If the right inquiry to make,
View of external world to take.

That changing the entire time,
Where in the future to find?

The factor of identity true,
Gita with answers too.