the true

mahak · November 30, 2007

Siksa guru means one who does not deviate from the science of bhakti. Thus, I have concluded that a particular godbrother of mine is not deviating from the science of Srila Vyasadeva as taught by our spiritual master, Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. I offer him my humble obiesancies and reprint a wonderful study of this bhakti yoga, hare krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

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THE SCIENCE OF RELATIONSHIPS

by Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti

Spiritual life is the science of wonderful relationships based on love.

One of our main problems in this world is that we scarcely have good and loving relationships. This is also why we seek liberation from material existence and try to attain a higher truth. We desire real love and happiness.

We are born into a world where relationships are not based on respect. Man is merely a number, customer or object of enjoyment.

Children don’t listen to their parents, and parents only respect them insofar as career and success can be expected. Hardly anyone cares for the elders. Females enjoy attention only while they are sexually attractive. Leaders don’t respect their constituents. The government does not care for the citizens and the police is established mainly for protecting the valuables of the rich from all those who have nothing.

But we still try to understand the love that may connect us from soul to soul.

In the Vedas, spiritual relationship is called nitya-sambandha, eternal relationship. This eternal relationship can be likened to the concept that we are still our mother’s son, long after she has passed away from this world. We feel that a kind of constancy exists, though in our previous lives, we have had many different mothers and other types of relationships. Whatever happens to us in this world is not eternal. Just like George Harrison sings: All things Must Pass.

While searching for a relationship with the eternal world, we cannot avoid asking what the origin of our consciousness and individuality is? Without receiving an answer, we cannot really understand what takes place around us.

If there exists only one piece of something, then its value is unique. Every being is unique and irreplaceable. Just like the tiny blue Mauritius stamp worth three million dollars.

But still there is a problem. In our selfishness, we too easily imagine that others have no real value. In this way we also discredit our own value, gradually losing our self-esteem. If there is no one to say thank you to, life gets frozen around us. At this time, our mind pursues crooked ways; we complain about the entire creation and at last we flee into self-annihilation.

We don’t notice the great treasure of our life, because we have never been taught to respect life and to respect others.

It is imperative to make up for this deficiency, otherwise we miss the great chance of human life. Denying ourselves this opportunity is just as easy as pushing a glass off a table. This is why the Vedas say that the human form of life is meant for finding the truth.

I believe searching for truth is the most wonderful opportunity in this world for us. Searching for truth and living up to it transforms the whole world into a great celebration.

One wishes to present oneself as an optimist, oftentimes saying that everything is very good, everything is fantastic, everything will be a success. The Bhagavad Gita, however calls our attention to the fact that our world is temporary and full of suffering (duhkhalayam asasvatam). Maybe today we should say: Keep smiling, tomorrow will be worse than today. How can we call it a great celebration, just searching for the truth?

When we get connected with the eternal reality, we no longer have any reason to complain about the fragile relationships of the world. We no longer lament for the body which is merely ever-changing matter. I am not the body; I am an eternally living, blissful spirit. Together with my brothers and sisters, I am connected with the Absolute Bliss, Sri Krsna.

If someone is sick, I sit by his bedside, saying: You will be all right. Just chant the Holy Name! Even if you have to leave this body, chant God’s holy name and everything will be perfect. This is a fact. Think of God in the moment of death, and you will gain all values of life.

At another time I may be bedridden and someone else will tell me to chant the Holy Names and remember Lord Krsna! So he gives me encouragement. Sometimes we help, sometimes we are helped; both are wonderful. What could be wrong with this? To comfort someone, to fill them with enthusiasm, to offer healing – what could be wrong in our feeling that we are all brothers?

But we can do more than just comfort each other; we can do a lot together. We can celebrate, we can have prasadam (food offered to God) together. We can play music, we can see a play or we can build a temple, we can meditate, we can give good ideas to each other on how to act properly in this world. If we have a common goal, if we are able to cooperate, we will be very happy.

We are young now, but we will get old. Why is it a problem? Do we want to stop the wheels of time form turning, to become a baby again, to creep back into the womb, to get absorbed? Let us accept the world as it is. Let us accept our karma.

But let us understand what karma is, and what reincarnation is. Voltaire said: There is nothing strange about being reborn, if we consider how special it is to be born just once. Unfortunately, the common man does not know too much about the nature of the soul; he does not feel that every man and every animal is our brother. Human beings are great experts in killing, but they hardly care about how to mould their relationships with others. If things continue this way, we will have even greater problems in the future, and our culture will be destroyed.

But it is possible to live in a different way.

By becoming elevated from the mode of ignorance and passion to the mode of goodness, our relationships will become auspicious. But it is practically impossible to attain the platform of goodness without any deeper experience. It is accessible only if we have some spiritual experience, if we turn to God. This is accomplished by chanting the Holy Names, performing Mahamantra meditation and rendering loving service to God through bhakti yoga. In my experience, transcendental love cannot be achieved by any other approach. I am not saying that this is the only way, but it works; it is successful and joyous.

On the platform of goodness we will be able to form sincere relationships and make our existence a positive, useful experience. We must stop causing trouble to others, starting with our spouses, children, brothers, and sisters. In our society even close relatives and friends oftentimes quarrel.

In Vedic culture, siblings respect each other very much. The day of sibling-worship is an important family celebration. At such times sisters give a small gift to their brothers. They tie some colored thread on their wrists, asking for their protection by God’s blessing. The brother does his best for his sister, especially in protecting her. If a female is not married but has a brother, she can be sure there is someone to take care of her. The young man will not leave the house; he will not marry until his sister is wed, and until he is convinced that she is in good hands. This is not a theory; it is still like this today.

If you try to attain a beautiful relationship with God, begin by trying to have good relationships with everyone. If you want to see Him, try to live so that He wants to see you. If you treat those around you as a good brother or sister, you can see God in them, too. This is the culture of spiritual progress. Since we have never been taught in this way, we have to learn it right now. Many people don’t respect even their mother. The mother sits at home and weeps while her son takes drugs in the park. What kind of relationship is this? From Vedic literature and relationship with devotees we will learn how to establish good connections with the people around us. Let us learn what we should do to understand what love is. Every relationship is important.

How nice it is if we chant and dance together for Krsna! How nice if we share our house with others and no one has to fight with others! Everyone can smile and feel at home. Problems begin only when someone feels he has to leave. The reason so many people become alienated from the spiritual community is because there they cannot be in illusion, and because we don’t let anyone remain a prisoner of the material world.

We long for the company of sincere people who want to fight against illusion, who want to be true friends of others. This does not mean the family has to be given up, since we can lead a real spiritual life within the framework of a family, though we also need a transcendental relationship.

We need a relationship with Ishta-dev, the Lord of our heart. Searching for a relationship is essentially about finding a relationship with Him. Who is my Lord in this world? Whom do I want to obey? Whom should I worship? Whose happiness will be my happiness? Without the Lord of our heart we feel lonely even if there is a crowd around us. We cannot live happily without God, since we need Him.

In the material world I try to be my own lord and I also would like to rule over you. And you think in the same way. This is how constant quarrels and wars pervade our lives.

According to the science of devotion, if you have no master, you are like a stray dog. This sounds heavy, but the scriptures speak this way.

Many dogs are wandering in the street and no one cares for them. If your eyes meet, they come wagging their tails and looking at us as if asking: Do you want to be my master? We quickly slip away and the dog hangs his head sadly: No one needs me.

If we have no master, if we do not find the Lord of our heart for whom we are really important, then we may be intelligent and rich but still we are lonely, wandering around in the world without inner peace.

Now modern psychology challenges us: Do you preach lack of self-reliance? Do you want me to remain weak, not to have self-esteem? Would you deprive me of my individuality?

My reply is that I would never do that. But the level of your consciousness is revealed in how you choose your lord and master. You are qualified by how you choose a companion, how you rear your children and how you serve higher ideals. In our philosophy the development of an individual depends on what he respects, what idea he follows.

The ideals are brought by those who represent them. When we respect the guru, we will not adore him as an individual, but as substance, as a safe contribution to our life. This love is ultimately meant for our Supreme Lord and Master. Maybe we have a personal teacher who is a temple president or a sannyasi, but we can have several instructing spiritual masters, siksa gurus, and we can love them all. If Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is your master, the Lord of your heart, then each and every guru can become your master.

A devotee is never lonely. He has no time to feel alone. And if he still feels like this, what can he do? He can go into the street and invite people, since the world is full of people who don’t know where to go. They frequent movies, bars and casinos, ever hopelessly looking for someone who will sincerely say: I love you.

If you feel lonely, do something for others. Sometimes people complain: I am poor, no one loves me, no one cares for me. Then I ask: Don’t you think there are others in an even worse situation? They always reply: Yes, I know. Then I only inquire: Why do you complain? Go and help them because if you help, you will find you also get all kinds of assistance.

This is the secret of love. You have to give what you wish to get. It is so simple. If you long for love, give love. If you say there is no love within you, ask your guru, and he will give you more than you can bear. If you want knowledge, then give knowledge to others. If you want friends, be a friend to others.

But we still have some problems. We are a bit slow-witted since in the mode of passion and ignorance we can only theoretically appreciate this information. The point is, we have to live our life in a different way. It is the Hare Krsna Mahamantra that helps us through this change. Chant this mantra, and many wonderful and mystic things will happen to you; you will get all the strength you may require. Goodness itself comes to save you.

If it is cold, then we will find protection in a warm room. If we are hungry, a great plateful of food will mean shelter. If we look for a real friend and guide, the Holy Names of the Mahamantra and Krsna’s devotees will give total support.

We are not much interested in people for whom spiritual life is only a pleasant way of spending their time. Of course we love them; we are glad that they chant the Hare Krsna mantra and eat prasadam.

We are looking for the association of those devotees who assume responsibility for helping others, who are willing to become spiritual leaders. They are not terrified of performing the responsible job of a human being. They are not proud, but they are ready to give the greatest treasure to others. Krsna’s Holy Name is so powerful, it can transform everyone into a spiritual maser. A modest devotee will understand this. The real spiritual master is everyone’s servant. A servant of the servants of the servants, and he is happy if he can serve others.

If a dangerous disease is devastating a country, doctors are summoned to heal the sick. If the uncertainty of basic human values causes suffering, brahmanas need to be summoned to give spiritual knowledge to humankind. My Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupada, dedicated his life to this.

Brahmanas constitute the backbone of society. This is why they are praised in the Vedas. We all must become qualified servants of mankind. But in order to become a brahmana, we have to learn a few very important points. We have to learn to chant the mantra from the core of our heart, we have to live in a regulated way, avoiding all undesirable activity.

Murali_Mohan_das · November 30, 2007

So sweet and heart-felt!!

mahak · December 1, 2007

not to mention "so simple and sublime". All glories to the vaisnava. The flashlight in the closet.

Vigraha · December 2, 2007

"so simple and sublime". All glories to the vaisnava. .

suchandra · December 2, 2007

So sweet and heart-felt!!

Looks like an advocate who really looks into issues with great detail. :deal:

<center>A guide for all who care about spiritual community life

by Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti</center>

<center>Aspects of Human relationships</center>

<center>Administrative Considerations</center>

<center>Aspects of spiritual practice and integrity</center>

Please consider for the future

mahak · December 2, 2007

All glories to the DISCIPLES of Srila Prabhupada. Nothing has been held back, nothing is broken. When we understand what is belief and faith as pertaining to vaisnavism, the mirror breaks and reality is seen. Then we no longer bother with the simplistic and temporary faith and belief, and enter the world of Srimati Sraddha, who is none other than Radharani, the keeper of our Bhij. Sraddha has no definition in the material terms, just as "realization" has nothing to do with belief.

The title of this topic is "the true". It is beyond dialogue or personality cult. If a fool yells "fire", and then we notice the rise in temperature, smoke, and a flash of light, we know that the fool is giving "the true". The True is true because it is true, not bound by the one repeating. This is actually the initiation given by Srila Iswara Puri to Lord Chaitanya. There is no true beyond yuga dharma, the whole true is contained in the holy name.

Such nice clear references to understanding the dynamics of Srila Prabhupadas movement. Thanx for posting. Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa