Seeker 2: You will not believe another incident that
happened in Noida that is purely based out of instinct or something that even I
could not comprehend it had happened!
Seeker 2: After that photo and blog post on the spot (People
of the Street), I was walking alone towards my PG.
Seeker 2: I noticed another young lady with very small baby
in her arms within 100 meters, having nothing to eat except a small half Parle G
biscuit packet. And she looked at me, it was almost almost 10 on the night.
Seeker 2: I don’t know what happened to me that time.
Seeker 2: I just emptied the purse, didn’t even know how
much money was inside, just gave it to her and walked away. Then casually
walked to the nearby ATM withdrew something and went back to my accommodation.
I couldn’t believe what I was doing and realised it only after I went back to
the PG!
Seeker 2: I don’t think anyone will believe it but I know
you will believe it because you are my best friend!
Seeker 2: You know one thing, just like law of conservation
of energy, total quantity of natural resources also remains constant. It’s only
improper distribution that is the cause of all problems in this world. If only
everyone realises what they need and not want more than that there will be no
beggars in this world. So, you get the explanation on what you asked and why people
want to blame Krishna for their own nonsense?
Seeker 2: This is a big science and just one Upanishad so
small that it contains only 18 verses explains everything so clearly. It is
called Sri Isopanishad that gives solutions to poverty and unequal distribution
of wealth in this world. This is considered to be one of the smallest
upanishads but considered most important.
Seeker 2: People are losing out on the real knowledge and living
a life like this not knowing what they are doing.
Seeker 2: But I hope you are getting?
Seeker 1: What?
Seeker 2: Yes
Seeker 1: Yep
Seeker 1: Hmm. No now bothers about this at current era /
time.
Seeker 2: Path of destruction is inevitable.
Seeker 1: Yes, it’s already known to everyone! But what made
you to do that…were you hypnotized/ you felt to give her whatever you have…Was
she expecting that from you?
Seeker 2: No, I was not hypnotized or anything. Already I
couldn’t give anything to the lady and the baby in that photo. I was staying
alone, so many things were going on in my mind that time…was listening in
full volume as I was walking, the most favourite songs from pink Floyd (On the turning away from
the album A momentary lapse of reason came back to haunt again – the song that
gives goosebumps and teleports me every time I listen to it! depicting similar
situation – This same song haunted me at 2 in the night just 4 months earlier!
(Interpretations
to Post 40: Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam – Do check this!)
Seeker 2: I came from the temple after an amazing divine,
you can say ecstatic experience…I was walking the entire distance up and down about
4.5 kms one way. The pathway was very lonely at that time of the night…it was
just an instant reaction without any explanation.
Seeker 2: The small baby and mother I saw earlier…they were
sleeping peaceful in a rugged blanket…it was February, really cold, if I placed
the money there, I thought someone will take it. So, I really felt disappointed
and went away…
Seeker 2: immediately within 100 meters I noticed another in
much worse condition and just did that I didn’t know that I did!
Seeker 1: Hmm.
Seeker 2: When seeing so many people committing suicide
these days, are their conditions any worse than these people? That’s the
problem with us because of too much material attachment! I thought whatever I had
could be able to sustain them for considerable days because of their minimalistic
needs and Krishna will surely save them by His own means!
Seeker 2: Coming back to your statement: “If really
special mercy is provided by Lord Krishna there won’t be any beggars in this
world!” …
Seeker 2: How do you know they are happy or not by being a
beggar? Actually, none of us are happy in this material world because all of us
are faced with birth, death, old age and disease that is not in our control! If
you ask me this question, I would say that it’s all just being satisfied with
the self in any situation!
Seeker 1: Hmm this is unexpected thought!
Seeker 2: Hmm. I have been with them, spoken with them. Actually,
they look much peaceful than the biggest anxious businessmen or any people who
consider themselves affluent! I have observed them in their sleep. Their face
looks more serene and less worried than people like us who constantly worry
about our families and their future! Yes, People with no homes and no people to
call themselves as friends or relatives. No means of earning for any livelihood!
Seeker 1: Oh…
Seeker 1: Yes, I have been with many of them, spent time
with them, talked to them to know more about them, got them food, sat with them
to make sure they have it, while they share their lives and why they have come
to the state. Many have been cheated robbed snatched of their belongings and no
place to stay or go back. Almost all are genuine cases!
Seeker 2: I could clearly observe by talking to them
thinking they are also human beings like one of us! Just a small breakfast for
25 rupees is enough to earn their blessings for life.
Seeker 2: I don’t mention all these to anyone they would
brand me as crazy…That is the nature of this world. So, I am keeping it to
myself because Krishna is watching everything. I am not doing anything to gain
any punya or merit or something only because we are indebted to nature for
being born as a human being, who has the consciousness to achieve higher
purpose to life – go beyond birth death old age and disease.
Seeker 2: The higher ideals of life cannot be thought of or
put into practice without any expectations or rewards unless it is willed by
Krishna on us. That’s why it’s important to be persistent in practice because
only through that opportunities come in life to satisfy Krishna and it is these
very simple and basic things alone that can satisfy Him, not extravagant
display of wealth in the name of putting up shows for devotion.
Seeker 2: He is just satisfied with simple offerings of
flower fruit leaf of water with devotion though He has provided us the entire
universe for us. People
of the Street: This was in Noida returning back from Iskcon temple to PG around
9.30 at night then and there I took the picture and posted into the blog from
the mobile.
Seeker 2: How many people got the actual meaning of that
message? I don’t know and I can’t care about it because almost everyone is on
the grand path to self-destruction!
Seeker 2: I will tell you one incident to show the
resilience of such people that we can’t even think about it. One such person I
met at the Chennai Central very recently when I have to wait there my train for
nearly 3 to 4 hours. Bought some breakfast on my insistence because he was
sitting next to me. He was so determined that he didn’t even want to ask! Came to know these people have amazing
persistence to tolerate hunger without showing it openly!
Seeker 2: Can just survive with just drinking water for periods
that is beyond our tolerance level before someone can get them some solid food!
Seeker 2: I was really stunned as he was saying that and I
also could observe it!
Seeker 2: Just this stanza from Srimad Bhagavatham came to
my mind as I was looking at him:
Seeker 2: “My dear King, a self-satisfied person can
be happy even with only drinking water. However, one who is driven by the
senses, especially by the tongue and genitals, must accept the position of a
household dog to satisfy his senses.” – Srimad Bhagavatham 7.15.18
Seeker 2: Sought his blessings having seen in person such a
person I have never seen like this before and was wondering how this statement from
Srimad Bhagavatham is practically possible in this world and in this age!
Seeker 2: So realised everything mentioned in Srimad
Bhagavatham is practically possible and eternally true!
Seeker 1: Wow great! Really man…That’s too much!
Seeker 1: It was amazing. This is really unbelievable.
Seeker 2: Yes indeed! He was simply sitting in one place for
hours not getting bored at all.
Seeker 1: They do not feel hunger?
Seeker 2: Came from a nearby village. Don’t know. He was
simply sitting, hasn’t eaten anything since previous evening didn’t even brushed
his teeth asked me for toothpaste around 11 in the morning and we started
talking! He didn’t have any money and so he could not go out anywhere and was
saying he will be waiting till 10 in the night when someone will come and see
him.
Seeker 2: Was just having one plastic water bottle and no
other belongings!
Seeker 1: Who can come and see him?
Seeker 2: Was wondering there are people in the world like
this and no one to bother ☹
Seeker 1: Hmm that’s strange, friend!
Seeker 2: He Was trying to claim some money from that person
who was supposed to come and see him. He wasn’t sure whether he will come!
Seeker 1: Hmmm
Seeker 1: Then what next?
Seeker 2: No mobile phone nothing to communicate!!!
Seeker 1: How anyone would know where he is? Even if they
come, can they find him?
Seeker 2: Go to the railway station or bus stand and you
will see and you will have the first-hand experience of these kind of people
only if you have the inclination to talk to them!
Seeker 1: Yeah true…Do you think most of them are in
blissful state without money and having just water 💦? What
did you do to that person?
Seeker 2: Definitely not in a blissful state by his appearance!
I got him lunch and tea and was with him till the time for my train. What else
I can do?
Seeker 2: And he blessed me. That’s why I love to travel alone. Otherwise I couldn’t do these things. Krishna is so kind to me. To give these opportunities and also to take it.!
Seeker 1: I feel one missing with context though I can understand
that you are contented within yourself! Isn’t it true??
Seeker 1: Inner controller?? Do you know what it is?? Can
you tell if you don’t mind ?? Soul awaken in oneself – means being conscious??
Seeker 2: It’s like starting to tell you everything all over
again 😦
Seeker 2: It’s like earning money and being fully involved
in that area and its related ways and also being overly involved in spiritual
consciousness and awareness 😊 both are totally disconnected ways like
parallel lines that do not converge! It’s only cheating oneself if one thinks
both can be accomplished together!
Seeker 2: Read this again what Shri Krishna has to say on
this if you didn’t read it
Seeker 2: “The Personality of Godhead said: If I
especially favor someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then the
relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him. In this way
he suffers one distress after another. When he becomes frustrated in his
attempts to make money and instead befriends My devotees, I bestow My special
mercy upon him. A person who has thus become sober fully realizes the Absolute
as the highest truth, the most subtle and perfect manifestation of spirit, the
transcendental existence without end. In this way realizing that the Supreme
Truth is the foundation of his own existence, he is freed from the cycle of
material life.” – Srimad Bhagavatham 10.88.8 – 10
Seeker 2: This is what is the higher purpose of life – Not
very anxious to earn lot of money and maintain it for our temporary material
existence which we are going to lose everything at the point of death! It’s
only the spiritual aspects and assets that is gained in this human life that is
going to keep up in good stead for this life and the life after…
Seeker 2: If you are unable to get this aspect that means
you are covered by illusion but I know you are able to understand this aspect
because I am sure you are aware of these concepts since we have discussed these
things quite a lot over the years!
Seeker 2: This is not some materialistic sciences like
physics chemistry etc., this is metaphysical and can be realised only through
practical experiences.
Seeker 2: No matter how much one speaks about it, explains
it, writes about it, the listener or the reader just can’t get to it because
it’s self-experience and one has to realise it!
Seeker 2: That’s why people like Shankaracharya Ramanujacharya
are Shankaracharya Ramanujacharya are and we are we! Sanyasis voluntarily
renounce everything for higher purpose.
Seeker 1: Why do you think that way?
Seeker 2: We can only experience their awareness and be awed
by it but not so easy to get to that level as we are, because we are struggling
with basic aspects of everyday life!
Seeker 1: Why Krishna has to do it? Is it right way of doing
it? If really special mercy is provided by Lord Krishna there won’t be any
beggars in this world!
Seeker 2: If you are questioning like this, this is only
because your mind is so much tuned to the external world and not something that
is inside you. This is lower level of awareness!
Seeker 1: Good point – I need your inputs here to take that into
my mind. Do you believe mind is yours? Mind does not belong to either body or
so called Atma right?
Seeker 2: Nothing is ours!!! This is the main and
the most important point!!! Not knowing this properly is the root cause of
all the problems.
Seeker 1: Exactly!
Seeker 1: Tell me one thing how Atma gets associated with
mind?? What are the pre-conditions that takes into consideration before it gets
associated with mind?? We discussed about it earlier too does Atma has mind or
not? Do you know the answer for it? Can you tell this here briefly? Agree mind
is like a monkey it does all sorts of monkey activities even though you have
human mind. So far, I believe Atma will a temporary mind for about a month /
year after it departs body then gets into cycle of finding another mind before
getting associated with Body… I’m still not sure about what happens to
paramatma after Atma leaves body?
Seeker 2: I don’t know any answers on my own. I get answers
only from the most authentic source, The Srimad Bhagavatham and Bhagavad Gita. They
have the answers to all questions and this is mentioned in these literatures
itself and that is the only fact. It’s really a gradual spiritual evolution
process.
Seeker 2: The mind is so much conditioned and obstinate
because of our life experiences that it gets carried away by all the
accumulated nonsense that it actually refuses to take in the actual truth. That is not your problem because of all the
assumption you are saying is based mostly on your readings and understandings
from that and from your own life experiences!
Seeker 2: I will come back to the same favourite statement
from Srimad Bhagavatham that we keep discussing and talking and how much that
is applicable for normal person like us living in conditioned family life. Check
this statement again…
Seeker 2: “The brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata said: My dear
King, although you are not at all experienced, you are trying to speak like a
very experienced man. Consequently, you cannot be considered an experienced
person. An experienced person does not speak the way you are speaking about the
relationship between a master and a servant or about material pains and
pleasures. These are simply external activities. Any advanced, experienced man,
considering the Absolute Truth, does not talk in this way.” – Srimad Bhagavatham
5.11.1
Seeker 1: Hahaha…yes, you got it 👍 This
is our favourite quote ever! 😃
Seeker 2: What you are speaking and your mindset is also
approximately very similar unfortunately, but that can be eradicated only
through right knowledge and dedicated to learning that knowledge and living a
life that way!
Seeker 2: I tell you one more thing that is mentioned at the
end of all the teachings to King Rahugana on this knowledge, how difficult it
is to pursue it, but how rewarding it is in the end…
Seeker 2: “Having summarized the teachings of Jaḍa
Bharata, Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King Parīkṣit, the path indicated by Jaḍa
Bharata is like the path followed by Garuḍa, the carrier of the Lord, and
ordinary kings are just like flies. Flies cannot follow the path of Garuḍa, and
to date none of the great kings and victorious leaders could follow this path
of devotional service, not even mentally.” – Srimad Bhagavatham
5.14.42.
Even
including the antagonist and mischief mongrel living dead beings.
You
believe this world gives equal opportunities to everyone,
Even
though those “everyone” only satisfies “everyone” in the
category of “everyone”!
You
live for everyone’s well-being,
Even
though those “everyone” lives for their own well-being.
You
want to remain in a life of the one percent category,
Though everyone around you cannot go beyond the ninety nine percent category.
Ninety
nine percent do not want to know the reason for their existence,
One
percent can’t make them understand the reason no matter what!
Ninety nine percent spend time their life for naught,
One
percent knows what is to be sought.
Ninety
nine percent are indulgent,
One
percent are diligent, vigilant and valiant!
Ninety
nine percent are slave of the senses,
One
percent are master of the senses.
Ninety
nine percent are any way my way and only my way mentality,
One percent are my way different way and for everyone’s way mentality.
Ninety
nine percent seeks excuses in every situation,
One
percent sees opportunity even in an adversity.
Ninety nine percent does one hundred things but only one thing may be sensible,
One percent does only one thing but that is one hundred times beneficial to everyone.
Ninety
nine percent are self-centred and selfish,
One
percent are self-conscious and believe in the self.
Ninety
nine percent are in the herd mentality,
One
percent are in the lone warrior mentality.
Ninety
nine percent do not go beyond the status quo,
One
percent changes the status quo.
Ninety
nine percent acts grossly,
One
percent acts subtly.
Ninety
nine percent cannot understand the one percent at all,
One percent understand everything about the mentality of ninety nine percent!
Ninety
nine percent are pretenders,
One
percent are masters!
Ninety
nine percent are grossly materialistic,
One
percent are very realistic!
Ninety nine percent live for the momentary satisfaction that results in only material advancement and sense satisfaction,
One
percent utilises every moment as a means of progress towards spiritual
advancement and self-realisation.
One
percent sustains the ninety nine percent,
Ninety nine percent try to consume the one percent!
…so ninety nine percent is the actual minority,
One
percent is the real majority!
Corollaries
of:
“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” – Bhagavad Gita – 15.7
“The endeavouring transcendentalist, who is situated in self-realization, can see all this clearly. But those who are not situated in self-realization cannot see what is taking place, though they may try to.” – Bhagavad Gita – 15.11
“Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.” – Bhagavad Gita 7.15
“An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.” – Bhagavad Gita 5.22
“Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor. The lifetime of such an envious householder is passed at night either in sleeping or in sex indulgence, and in the daytime either in making money or maintaining family members” – Srimad Bhagavatham 2.1.2 – 3.
“Lazy human beings with paltry intelligence and a short duration of life pass the night sleeping and the day performing activities that are for naught” – Srimad Bhagavatham – 1.16.9.
On this day of Guru Poornima let’s attempt to develop those exemplary qualities that the Gurus in the days of yore taught and lived that way and also wanted us to earnestly develop those qualities’:
Instead of fault-finding with others and trying to
rectify them, identifying our own faults and finding remedy to that.
Accepting everyone (and everything) as they are
(even if we find faults by our own bench-marking).
Understanding other’s opinion and thoughts by
thinking in their angle by stepping into their shoes and not coming to hasty
conclusions based on our own thought processes and experiences.
Learning to discard whatever that needs to be
discarded.
Learning not to expect anything from others.
Accomplish whatever tasks we do with a peace of
mind with no expectation of reward.
Leaving the habit of not proving our intelligence
to others.
Leaving the habit of expecting others to accept
whatever we do and to accept whatever be our opinions during talks, discussions,
debates etc.
Leaving the habit of comparing ourselves with
others.
Trying and learning to keep the mind calm under
all circumstances.
Trying to understand the difference between our
basic needs/wants to what we need to actually accomplish in our life (Simple
living, High thinking).
Coming to an understanding that being in real
happiness doesn’t have to be related to our materialistic accomplishments and
materialistic position in life.
Since we are human beings (by classification of species in animal kingdom 😊) and in the mode of passion, it’s quite unreasonable to be expected to be adhere to all the above 12 guidelines.
“The demigods, qualified by the superexcellent quality of the mode of goodness, are situated in the heavenly planets, whereas the human beings, because of their nature in the mode of passion, live on the earth in company with their subordinates.” – Srimad Bhagavatham 3.6.28.
” All ordinary transactions and dealings became polluted with cheating, even between friends. And in familial affairs, there was always misunderstanding between fathers, mothers and sons, between well-wishers, and between brothers. Even between husband and wife there was always strain and quarrel. – A conditioned living being is endowed with four principles of malpractice, namely errors, insanity, inability and cheating. These are signs of imperfection, and out of the four the propensity to cheat others is most prominent. And this cheating practice is there in the conditioned souls because the conditioned souls are primarily in the material world imbued with an unnatural desire to lord it over the material world. ” – Srimad Bhagavatham 1.14.4 + Purport.
If we sincerely attempt to choose 7 or 8 favourites from the above guidelines and try to imbibe it, our life will become simple, peaceful and we will be in a state of mental equilibrium under all circumstances.
Inspired by the grand old lady of Tamil poetry Avvaiyaar (Tamil: ஔவையார்; literally means ‘Respectable Woman’) and her classic treatise Moodhurai (மூதுரை) , where the opposite characteristics are beautifully poetically expressed in two consecutive stanzas, I am writing this post on similar lines to my earlier post titled Unknown and this post is titled Mundane!
The intention to depict opposites is because everything is relative and hence opposites are inevitable in this world and may be taken relative to one’s position based on the observer and the observed, perceiver and the perceived.
For example, a person fallen on the ground will not have to fall down further because he is already fallen! but a person standing on the ground or a person sitting at an elevated position can experience a fall 😊.
The purpose of this post is to depict the dual states of being in knowledge and being in ignorance.
Ignorance
is not bliss in all circumstances!
Fire
causes a burn to a little child irrespective of whether the child knows the
characteristics of the fire or not.
Water drowns a person irrespective of whether the person is aware of this fact or not because that has got to do with the chemical composition and physical properties of the person and the water and it will act according to it.
Poison acts on the person irrespective of whether the person knows its side effects or not and whether he has consumed it voluntarily or not.
Medicine acts on the person irrespective of whether the person has the knowledge of its potency or not and whether it is has the propensity or cure or whether it causes adverse side effects.
It is the nature of substances to act according to its composition and properties.
Humans are no exception in this regard, having constituted of five gross material elements in various proportions, each having its own properties and the three subtle elements mind, intelligence and false ego governed by the combination of three modes of material nature – goodness, passion and ignorance.
Thus we (mind) are helplessly acting because of the functions of these gross and subtle elements in material creation.
It is to understand this fact that we mundane, needs to transcend beyond the modes of material nature. We are not mundane in the real sense because we have a mind and an intelligence that can discriminate but since everything is governed by the modes of material nature in this material universe and we are also part and parcel of it, we are in the cycle.
Akrura
during his mission to Hastinapura emphasises this fact to King Dhritharashtra
through this beautiful advice:
“In this world no one has any permanent relationship with anyone else, O King. We cannot stay forever even with our own body, what to speak of our wife, children and the rest. Every creature is born alone and dies alone, and alone one experiences the just rewards of his good and evil deeds.” – Srimad Bhagavatham – 10.49.20 – 21.
The accumulation of our good and evil deeds since time immemorial and also the deeds in our present life determines the ever-transforming combination of the three mode of material nature that is responsible for the unique mental composition of each one of us and that drives our way of life in the present and the next destination after death! It’s only by the endeavour to being in the mode of goodness and by finally transcending even this material mode of goodness to a transcendental mode of goodness or Suddha-Sattva, there is an escape from this material existence.
Before
going to the aspects of mundane, first, due respects to the grand old lady of
Tamil poetry Avvaiyaar as to how she brings in the pair of opposite nature of
people in this world:
“It is beneficial to see people
of good character,
It is beneficial to listen to
their words,
It is beneficial to talk about
their lives and
It is beneficial to have them as
friends.”
The opposite has been written with such a minimalistic effort and choice of words and can be noticed just by visually observing the arrangements of alphabets between the two stanzas, even without knowing the language! This is reflected even in the translation!
Mundane
is the Jivatma (due to its externally looking nature and perceiving through
imperfect senses)
Mundane
is the activated (by the Paramaathma, Antaryaama, Indwelling or Supersoul)
Mundane
is the eternal servant (either to senses (during material existence) or to the
supreme lord (after liberation))
Mundane
cannot realise that unknown
Mundane
speculates using the imperfect knowledge of material sciences
Mundane
cannot attain the unknown
Mundane
drives itself using the material senses
Mundane
identifies with the body
Mundane
identifies with the senses
Mundane
identifies with the mind
Mundane
identifies with the intellect
Mundane
identifies with the intelligence
Mundane
identifies with the ego
Mundane
is being in a state of forgetting the original identity
Mundane
is being bound by feelings and actions
Mundane
is being materialistic
Mundane
is being in a tendency to dominate material nature
Mundane
is being in a state of inequilibrium
Mundane
is being bound by the modes of material nature
Mundane
is being superficial
Mundane
is being predictable to circumstances and situations
Mundane
is being known
Mundane is
being slave of the senses
Mundane is
being in the concept of “I” and “Mine”
Mundane is
being conditioned
Mundane is
being in a bodily state of existence
Mundane is
being in a state of lamentation due to failed desires
Mundane is
being afraid of death
Mundane is
being considering oneself as a “doer”
Mundane is
being in a sense of proprietorship
Mundane is
being in a state of sense gratification
Mundane is
being in a state of forgetfulness
Mundane is
being in illusion
But…
Mundane
is to be overcome
Mundane
is to become self-realized
Mundane
is to realise the pangs of four-fold misery – birth, death, old age and disease
Mundane
is to attain the Unknown
Mundane
is to realise it is only spiritual knowledge that is factual and eternal, all
else is temporary and nescience
Mundane
is to realise the tricks of speculators, jugglers and pseudo-mystics and not to
fall into their trap
Mundane
is to listen to the inner voice by shutting out the external noises
Mundane
is to engage in solitary pursuits to purify body mind and intellect
Mundane
is to thoroughly understand the transient nature of material existence
Mundane
is to slowly get detested detached from this transient world through knowledge
of revealed spiritual literatures from a spiritual master (alive or not alive
taking the master by heart)
Mundane
is to learn to tolerate bodily and mental pain inflicted through the three
sources 1. Adhyatmik 2. Adhibhautik 3. Adhidaivik. (miseries inflicted by the
body and mind itself, those inflicted by other living entities, and natural
disturbances)
Mundane
is to realise the futility of senseless exploitation of mother nature and learn
to live in harmony with all the living entities
Mundane
is to reject man-Gods or man-made Gods and understand that there is a supreme controller
who is the source of everything
Mundane
is to learn to surrender to that supreme
Mundane
is to totally understand the helplessness in the hands of material nature and
the illusory energy of the Lord
Mundane
is to learn to activate the intellect to our pursuits towards the absolute
truth through devotional service
Mundane
is to acknowledge the indwelling that is doing its designated duty and functions
in a subtle manner
Mundane
is to acknowledge that it is the indwelling that activates the consciousness to
awaken ourselves from sleep
Mundane
is to acknowledge that it is the indwelling that activates our vital organs to
perform its functions
Mundane
is to acknowledge that it is the indwelling that controls the fire of digestion
that digests four types of food stuff – Bhagavad Gita 15.14
Mundane
is to acknowledge that it is the indwelling that activates the five prana
Mundane
is to acknowledge the indwelling is unknown…no one knows how it does these
activities for our survival in the material world
Mundane
needs to understand that the process of self-realization can only start from inward
to outward.
Mundane
needs to understand the futility of material existence and want to give it up.
Mundane
needs to understand whether to transcend from this mundane existence to a
transcendental state is self-discretion…
To summarise, a mundane should realise that human life is a misery at every step, confronted with dangers due to the propensity of the soul to lord it over material nature through the deluding power of false ego, injecting the concepts of I and mine, having lured by the unsurmountable illusory potential of Maya (at least in theory) to get entangled perpetually through the attractions of opposite sex, progeny and wealth remaining in the trap of material existence, the way out of this trap is self-realization through knowledge and surrender through devotional service to the Supreme Lord.
Unknown
cannot be known by the knowledge of material sciences
Unknown
is unknown to be attained by the mundane
Unknown
is the driving force behind everything
Unknown
is unknown to the body
Unknown
is unknown to the senses
Unknown
is unknown to the mind
Unknown
is unknown to the intellect
Unknown
is unknown to the intelligence
Unknown
is unknown to the ego
Unknown
is unknown to thoughts feelings and actions
Unknown
is transcendental
Unknown
is beyond the modes of material nature
Unknown
is enigmatic
But…
Unknown
is to be known
Unknown
is supreme consciousness
Unknown
is eternal everlasting
Unknown
is to be attained
Understanding
towards that unknown is real knowledge, all else is nescience
Unknown
cannot be attained by speculation jugglery and pseudo-mysticism
Unknown
can be attained only by directing and listening to our own inner voice by shutting
out the external noises
Unknown can be obtained only by solitary pursuits and through purification of body mind and intellect by thoroughly understanding the transient nature of material existence and slowly getting detested detached through knowledge of revealed spiritual literatures from a spiritual master (alive or not alive taking the master and the matter by heart)
Unknown can be attained only through tolerance of bodily and mental pain inflicted through the three sources 1. Adhyatmik 2. Adhibhautik 3. Adhidaivik ((miseries inflicted by the body and mind itself, those inflicted by other living entities, and natural disturbances).
Unknown
can be attained only through alignment and in cooperation with mother nature
and not by senseless exploitation
Unknown
can be only realised when we understand there is a supreme controller who is
the source of everything
Unknown
can be attained only through surrender to that supreme, totally understanding
our helplessness in the hands of material nature and the illusory energy of the
Lord
We
cannot get to that unknown residing in our heart…
Only
the unknown has to be made to activate our intellect to our pursuits
towards the absolute truth by directing our mind inwards through surrender and proper
application of intelligence attained by the mercy of the Lord
Unknown
is to be understood to be already doing its designated duty and functions in a
subtle manner by dwelling in the body of every living entity
Unknown
is the one that activates the consciousness to awaken ourselves from sleep
Unknown
is the one that activates our vital organs to perform its functions
Unknown
is the one that controls the fire of digestion that digests four types of food
stuff – Bhagavad Gita 15.14
Unknown
is the own that activates the five prana
Unknown
is unknown…no one knows how it does these activities for our survival in the
material world
Unknown needs to be reached to give directions to elevate the atma to eternal bliss by making the process to start from inward to outward, while it has been the reverse all through – atma is being endowed with minute intelligence and discretion – either to align with the permanent supreme reality or trying to dominate the material nature and in the process forget its original identity and get entangled in material existence.
Unknown
is the eternal well-wisher that gives directions only to the atma residing in
the form of a human body that thoroughly understands the futility of material
existence and want to give it up.
Human
soul is endowed with all faculties in full strength the five sense organs the
five organs of action the mind the intelligence and a highly evolved
consciousness for discrimination.
You
see the answer is already there…
Mind
is the best friend as well as the best enemy – Bhagavad Gita 6.6
To
control the mind is more difficult than controlling the wind – Bhagavad Gita 6.34
…but controlling the mind controls everything
Controlling
the two basic urges of tongue and genitals controls the mind
This
is just a hint…
Whether we continue our existence in the category of other species of life and remain in four-folds of misery (birth, death, old age, disease) or to elevate ourselves to the highest destination is our own discretion…
This
is the inference that is to be gathered from the Puranjana saga in Srimad
Bhagavatham – Canto 4 chapters 25-29.
To summarise, Human life is a misery at every step, confronted with dangers due to the propensity of the soul to lord it over material nature through the deluding power of false ego, injecting the concepts of I and mine, having lured by the unsurmountable illusory potential of Maya (at least in theory) to get entangled perpetually through the attractions of opposite sex, progeny and wealth thereby remaining in the trap of material existence perpetually.
A self-realised soul understands this and sees every difficult moment as a step to God realisation to move to next step towards the ultimate purpose of our existence.
Sage Narada describes about himself on his earlier life to Ved Vyasa: ”I don’t have any caretaker except my mother who was a maid-servant, when she had to quit the world to a snake bite when I was a mere child of 5 years, I took It as a special mercy of the Lord and decided to travel North to realise the Absolute Truth!” (How much of us can do that? That is why Narada is Narada and we are we!) – Srimad Bhagavatham 1.6.6 – 1.6.10
The supreme
Lord has a purpose for all of us depending on our pre-disposition and our
spiritual evolution continues that way. Even a small step in this direction has
a permanent effect and can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear. (Bhagavad Gita 2.40) and (Bhagavad Gita 6.40)
This special
mercy of the Lord is beautifully summarised by Srila Prabhupada:
“Confidential
devotees of the Lord see in every step a benedictory direction of the Lord.
What is considered to be an odd or difficult moment in the mundane sense is
accepted as special mercy of the Lord. Mundane prosperity is a kind of material
fever, and by the grace of the Lord the temperature of this material fever is
gradually diminished, and spiritual health is obtained step by step. Mundane people
misunderstand it.” – Srila Prabhupada purports to Srimad
Bhagavatham – 1.6.10
Notes:
Avijnaata is the main character behind the scenes in the Puranjana Saga – the Supersoul that comes in the end of the Puranjana Saga, being the observer all through, as the king Puranjana continues his material existence and becomes a woman in his next birth due to his own injunctions, and when he begins to lament for his (her) husband’s death, Avijnata makes a grand appearance and explains to Puranjana(who is a well-situated woman full of good character), the futility of what (s)he has been doing and undergoing all through. That passage alone is enough for us to awaken our dormant spiritual consciousness – Srimad Bhagavatham – Canto 4 – Chapter 28 – Puranjana becomes a woman in the next life – Slokas 51-65.
It Is also to be noted that Avijnaata (Name 483) is a name of Lord Vishnu as mentioned in Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam. The meaning is “One whom not a single person has realized fully” which is condensed to a single word as “Unknown”
Puranjana Saga can also be considered to be the explanation of concepts and is a commentary of what is mentioned in Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 15 (Verses 7-11)
