Battlefield Bhajans

[suchandra]

Could be that this can be gradually called, turning something material into something spiritual, "I go to so many bases and everywhere I go in northern Iraq, these books are there.” I laughed and said “well Krsna is making all these arrangements, I am just trying to take advantage of these opportunities that He has created.”

 

"In the battlefield, janādhipāḥ, they are not ordinary men. Now in the battlefield the poor mercenaries, they go to give their life, whereas the janādhipāḥ, the leaders of the people, they sit down very comfortably. They do not go to the battlefield. They simply give order in writing, and the poor mercenaries, paid soldiers, they are paid for giving their life. Money is so sweet that one is prepared to give his life for money. Such men are sent to the war field. And the janādhipāḥ, they are after also money, but they carefully avoid the battlefield. Minister of Defense, perhaps he has never seen a battlefield, Minister of Defense. Formerly it was not like that."

 

Bhagavad-gītā 2.12

by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Hyderabad, December 12, 1976

 

 

Battlefield Bhajans Vol. 16

 

August 1st, 2008 by Partha-sarathi dasa

Battlefield Bhajans Vol 16

 

Dedicated to Srila Prabhupada, who by his mercy is allowing me to assist him in some way

 

Last Mangala Arati

The ashram is officaly closed. Because we have to make room for our replacments, I had to move in with another senior leader in my unit. Before I moved I asked my detachment sergeant, if I could have one more day to do a last morning program. I sent out the invitations, and in the morning of the program, I set up a book table and made a small fest. I woke up extra early and woke the Lords, and started chanting my rounds. When I opened the doors at 4:00 am, almost thirty soldiers were waiting to come in. It was very sweet, in the middle of the morning program, the generator went out, so all the lights went out. I had a few tea lamps and lit about six of them around the ashram. For the next thirty minutes we all concentrated on getting the most out of this important program. Many of the guests were first time visitors and although most will not become devotees, they felt it was important to pay respects to Their Lordships. One boy said, I will never become a devotee of Krishna, but your God, protected us for fifteen months and even those that died, they died focus on God. So for that, I am very grateful to Them.

“In the Varäha Puräëa there is a statement praising the seeing of the Deity of Çré Kåñëa in the temple. A devotee says there, “My dear Vasundharä, any person who goes to Våndävana and sees the Deity of Govindadeva is free from the courthouse of Yamaräja and is allowed to enter into the highest planetary system, in which reside the demigods.” This means that even an ordinary person who goes to Våndävana out of inquisitiveness and by chance sees the temple, especially that of Govindadeva, even if he is not elevated to the spiritual kingdom, is still assured promotion to the higher planetary systems. This means that simply by visiting the Deity of Govinda in Våndävana one becomes highly elevated in pious life.” NOD

jaya jaya jaya deva deva deva

tribhuvana-maìgala-divya-nämadheya

jaya jaya jaya deva kåñna deva

çravaëa-mano-nayanämåtävatära

“All glory, glory, glory, Lord, all glory unto Thee,

Who with Thy Holy Name bless all three worlds and set them free!

All glory, glory, glory unto Thee, O Kåñëadev,

Whose nectar floods our ears and eyes and hearts in endless waves!”( Kåñëa-karëämåta 108)

A book a day keeps Maya away

My health is slowly improving, so I decided to go out on books. I went to my usual spots and no one was really out. Probably because the temperature was 120 degrees. So I went to the airport and indoors to the internet cafe. The man that works the desk is a regular at my programs, so he had no objection to my setting up a book table. As we sat and talked about Krsna and the purpose of life; one civilian came up to me and sat down. He was telling me how he bought a book from the devotees in 1973. And how at that time he thought devotees were strange. So he never read the book. He was asking me how long I have been there in Iraq. I told him fourteen months and ten days. He started laughing, and said ” man, then your responsible for all these books all over the place. I go to so many bases and everywhere I go in northern Iraq, these books are there.” I laughed and said “well Krsna is making all these arrangements, I am just trying to take advantage of these opportunities that He has created.” He asked me to sum up this philosophy is two sentences Ok, abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear. He got up and left with out saying a word. About three hours later he came back and placed a large donation on the table and picked up five books. I asked what happen, he said ” I left thinking this is all stupid, surrender what is that. This guy is brainwashed. But as the day went on I could not get what you said out of my head. I was sitting in my room and I thought, this doesn’t seem so bad actually, abandon religion, and love God with all your heart. ” So here he was, standing before me and I felt there is no reason to talk anymore. Srila Prabhupada’s books spoke to him, there was nothing more to say. We exchanged emails and off he went and I packed up to go to my room and take rest. I received an email from him yesterday, it just said two words; Thank You!

 

Sadhana:

Japa: this bout with my health has given me a chance to really focus on my japa. As HH Guru Prasada wrote to me an email “Krsna is looking for quality, as quality means the desire to please Krsna. Quantity indicates a desire to use every moment in Krsna’s service, and quality means that every thought, word and deed should be a special offering to Him.” In my new room, I have a roomate, so when I rise in the morning, I am very quiet and sit down and chant all my rounds, and this is helping me concentrate on hearing the mantra

Seva: The Lord is allowing me to keep up a nice standard, ofcourse I see areas I can improve it and am looking forward to being home, so I can offer fresh flowers and some sweets. The amazing thing about the Lord is he engages everyone in His service. Here it is common for people to come by with some fruit or some juice.

Reading: Cc: Wow that is all I can say. Lord Caitanya broke open the store house of love of God and Nityananda is distributing it. The Cc is giving so much inspiration. I pray that I will one day taste the nectar contained within the pages.

Sankritan: Books, Books, Books!!!!

BG: 15

Iso: 5

TLC: 1

BTG: 5

NOI:1

NOD: 1

 

We are now at two weeks left! But still the war on maya goes on. We are constantly fighting with our material desires, and we are asking for the blessings of all the vaisnava’s that my material contaminations be destroyed and I can move forward in my devtional service to the Lord.

Your servant in Srila Prabhupada’s mission,

Partha-sarathi dasa

ISKCON Iraq

[bija]

It is really inspiring to read this, thx. If I had the good fortune to meet this devotee, I would ask him one thing. "How do we cultivate such faith?"

 

The glories of Sri Nityananda and Sri Gauranga are unlimited, in that they offer love within the soul, maybe that is where prabhu gleans such determination?

[Pankaja_Dasa]

Very nice,

[Bart Happel]

 

 

Formerly it was not like that

 

I will never become a devotee of Krishna, but your God, protected us for fifteen months and even those that died, they died focus on God.

 

”This means that even an ordinary person who goes to Våndävana out of inquisitiveness and by chance sees the temple, especially that of Govindadeva, even if he is not elevated to the spiritual kingdom, is still assured promotion to the higher planetary systems. This means that simply by visiting the Deity of Govinda in Våndävana one becomes highly elevated in pious life.”

 

I was sitting in my room and I thought, this doesn’t seem so bad actually, abandon religion, and love God with all your heart.

 

Ok, abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

 

” I left thinking this is all stupid, surrender what is that. This guy is brainwashed. But as the day went on I could not get what you said out of my head. I was sitting in my room and I thought, this doesn’t seem so bad actually, abandon religion, and love God with all your heart. ”

 

 

If God is your religion, then what are you afraid of?

[bija]

Hi Bart, reading Canto Seven of Srimad Bhagavatam at the moment. There is many beautiful prayers by Prahlada Maharaja, the boy saint. He offered prayers to the ferocious Lord Nrsimhadeva, after Lord Nrsimhadeva destroyed Prahlada's proud demon father. The Lord was in transcendental rage and, Prahlada pacified him with affection.

 

Prahlada had no fear of the demon father, who was ready at every moment to kill his son out of envy. Prahlada had faith that the Lord of his heart would protect him in all circumstances. The demon scoffed at this, as if it was nonsense, and that scoffing was his eventual demise.

 

 

Here is one verse I have read this morning:

 

 

SB7.10.29

 

TEXT 29

etad vapus te bhagavan

dhyāyataḥ paramātmanaḥ

sarvato goptṛ santrāsān

mṛtyor api jighāṁsataḥ

 

 

SYNONYMS

etat—this; vapuḥ—body; te—Your; bhagavan—O Supreme Personality of Godhead; dhyāyataḥ—those who meditate upon; parama-ātmanaḥ—of the Supreme Person; sarvataḥ—from everywhere; goptṛ—the protector; santrāsāt—from all kinds of fear; mṛtyoḥ api—even from fear of death; jighāṁsataḥ—if one is envied by an enemy.

 

 

 

TRANSLATION

My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are the Supreme Soul. If one meditates upon Your transcendental body, You naturally protect him from all sources of fear, even the imminent danger of death.

 

PURPORT

Everyone is sure to die, for no one is excused from the hands of death, which is but a feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham). When one becomes a devotee, however, he is not destined to die according to a limited duration of life. Everyone has a limited duration of life, but a devotee’s lifetime can be extended by the mercy of the Supreme Lord, who is able to nullify the results of one’s karma. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājāṁ [Bs. 5.54]. This is the statement of Brahma-saṁhitā (5.54). A devotee is not under the laws of karma. Therefore even a devotee’s scheduled death can be avoided by the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord. God protects the devotee even from the extreme danger of death.

 

http://causelessmercy.com/SB7.10.2.htm

[Bart Happel]

Exactly! you shouldn't be afraid to 'die'. Of course, there is no free ticket to die (e.g., the way suicide terrorists die), but don't be afraid to die! When you want to live, you will live, and when you want to die you will probably die. What's the problem?

[bija]

:)Well I guess we will find out...in our final days, if we have time to ponder it. The way I see it, now is the time to cultivate spiritual life and prepare.

 

I watched one interesting video of Raam Daas called 'Fierce Grace', it is on google video. Raam Daas had a major stroke, and he reflects in the video on the moment he thought he was dying. He says he was surprised, being the big guru everyone thinks he is, that he did not think of God. Instead he just was stunned and absorbed in the pipes on the roof of the ceiling, as he lay motionless.

 

His humility, derived from this realization, is quite profound.

 

I feel often in this life, death is not thought about much, when infact it is very near. Being in a warzone or some other very threatening environment must bring some very deep realization. And from the above soldiers situation, I can see great benefit in the faith he has established. I can't imagine to be honest.

[Bart Happel]

 

... I can't imagine to be honest.

Why not?

[suchandra]

 

Exactly! you shouldn't be afraid to 'die'. Of course, there is no free ticket to die (e.g., the way suicide terrorists die), but don't be afraid to die! When you want to live, you will live, and when you want to die you will probably die. What's the problem?

Let's say you're a soldier in Iraq but you're being paid to fight and kill people for getting the oil, treasures of the soil. Then you definetly should be very afraid to die! What happens after death that all your huge pile of karma is dished up, starting from every little insect you killed by unconsciously stepping on it up to the point of consciously ignoring to go into the merit of the case for what reason you are actually killing people. Deliberate neglect of getting the details for what cause you're killing as mercenary leads to the opposite reverse karmic reactions of forcibly being killed in future lifetimes without any obvious reason.

Without going into detail, but as soon we activate karma, especially in this already sinful age of kali-yuga, we have to take so many births again. And what will be the situation of further making spiritual avancement is in the air, unsettled, unsure. Of such an insecure future any sane man should be afraid of.

 

 

So na te viduḥ svartha-gatiṁ hi visnum duraśaya ye bahir-artha-maninaḥ [SB 7.5.31]. And people, the blind leaders, are teaching everyone that “This is your interest: You eat whatever you like, you drink as much as you like, you go on gambling.” If such leader is there, there is no restriction of eating. If such swamiji comes, that “No, no, you can eat everything,” “Oh, a good swami.” And “This swamiji is very conservative.” Just like Allen Ginsberg told me, “Swamiji, you are very conservative.” Because I restrict. But he does not know that actual benefit will be derived when you are actually conservative. Otherwise you are going by the waves of maya. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura therefore said, miche mayar bose, jaccho bhese’, Khaccho habuḍubu bhai: “You are being washed away by the waves of maya, material energy, illusion. Why you are putting yourself in such dangerous condition, sometimes being drowned, sometimes up, trying to…?” This is struggle for existence. The only remedy, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura says, jiva krsna-das, e bisvas, korle to’ ar duhkho nai: “If you accept this principle, that ‘I am eternal servant of Krishna,’ then you become immediately saved from this washing away by the waves of maya.”

 

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.16.10

by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Los Angeles, January 7, 1974

 

 

[bija]

That's a good question Bart:)!

Great post suchandra!

[Bart Happel]

Dear Suchandra,

 

I don’t have any experience on the battlefield, and I don’t intend to become a paid mercenary for any government. However, many young people (soldiers) find themselves in this predicament. Since they can’t change their current situation, what should one say to them?

 

Many religions are based on fear. But what exactly is there to be afraid of? Physical death is part of an irrelevant material illusion. And, as I understand it, spiritual death is impossible. So, fear of death seems to be just another example of being involved with material reality. Moreover, we may not even have a choice (free will) in our material world. The only willful choice there may be, is to become conscious of God.

 

I’m just trying to see this myself, so please correct me if I’m wrong here, or if I do not understand you correctly.

 

Kind regards,

 

Bart

[yogesh]

 

Dear Suchandra,

 

I don’t have any experience on the battlefield, and I don’t intend to become a paid mercenary for any government. However, many young people (soldiers) find themselves in this predicament. Since they can’t change their current situation, what should one say to them?

 

Many religions are based on fear. But what exactly is there to be afraid of? Physical death is part of an irrelevant material illusion. And, as I understand it, spiritual death is impossible. So, fear of death seems to be just another example of being involved with material reality. Moreover, we may not even have a choice (free will) in our material world. The only willful choice there may be, is to become conscious of God.

 

I’m just trying to see this myself, so please correct me if I’m wrong here, or if I do not understand you correctly.

 

Kind regards,

 

Bart

 

Krsna Clearly states in Bhagavad Gita 2.25

 

avyakto 'yam acintyo' yam

avikaryo 'yam ucyate

tasmad evam viditvainam

nanusocitum arhasi

TRANSLATION: It is said that the Soul

is invisible, inconceivable, and unchangeable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body

 

Further Verse 2.26

 

atha cainam nitya-jatam

nityam va manyase mrtam

tathapi tvam maha-baho

nainam socitum arhasi

TRANSLATION: If However, you think that the soul is perpetually born and always dies, still you have no reasons to lament, o mighty armed.

 

So I just want to say Bart nice realization you have about the soul.

 

Also w.r.g to free will very nicely put.

 

We only have 2 choice one is to become God Conciouss / Krsna Concious the other is (putting it harshly) not give a damn and become a hedonist fully under the control of Maya.

 

Hare Krsna/Krishna

 

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

[suchandra]

 

Dear Suchandra,

 

I don’t have any experience on the battlefield, and I don’t intend to become a paid mercenary for any government. However, many young people (soldiers) find themselves in this predicament. Since they can’t change their current situation, what should one say to them?

 

Many religions are based on fear. But what exactly is there to be afraid of? Physical death is part of an irrelevant material illusion. And, as I understand it, spiritual death is impossible. So, fear of death seems to be just another example of being involved with material reality. Moreover, we may not even have a choice (free will) in our material world. The only willful choice there may be, is to become conscious of God.

 

I’m just trying to see this myself, so please correct me if I’m wrong here, or if I do not understand you correctly.

 

Kind regards,

 

Bart

No, you're not wrong, when talking about the future opposite reverse reaction of our present material activities it is just the way the material world is made. Just like someone neglects personal hygiene and gets an infection, action and opposite reverse reaction, this isn't something based on fear, to awe someone, but just how things work in this world. Every desire, ambition we develop has future implications, whitout making a valuation. A famous Vaishnava once remarked we have to study for what people are actually praying for. For example present humanity struggles/operates to full capacity with money and hard labour. So for what people are actually praying for, what are they actually desiring, how they would like to live? Now we see so many living entities like birds who enjoy full freedom, not going to work, free food, free habitation, free air tickets even no passport check when entering another country. So long humanity is struggling hard for material advancement, we seem to stay behind what animals have. Not to mention the pleasures and amenities of life of the insects. The Vedas say, each and every species experiences the duration of life as 100 years.

We might see it like that that soldiers have no other choice but have only this option to earn their money on a battlefield. But what is the cause?

 

Prabhupada: They are accumulated so much sinful load that must be killed. That is sure.…the massacre. That will take place.

Harikesa: The sinless people will survive?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Devotee (3): Who is that?

 

Morning Walk Conversation

with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

June 16, 1975, Honolulu

http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/750616mw.hon.htm