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A shallow understanding

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, June 2011)

We find that sometimes philosophers are bringing up the point that:

"How can there be a God? Who is the creator of the material world?"

And they speak out against the designed argument that there is an intelligent design behind this world! For example, a philosopher like Yeung would speak out against this and would say:

"How can it be when there are imperfections in this world. Floods, earthquakes and so on It shows that it's not going on perfectly".

A somewhat shallow understanding. Not understanding that first of all, the whole material world is not going on by Krishna's desire. Not at all! It is not going by Krishna's desire, it is Krishna's design! But it is going on in response to the desires of the living beings of the conditioned souls, and it's a perfect response to those desire less of the conditioned souls. Sometimes frustrating the desires, and sometimes fulfilling the desire, and that's the design. But it is not Krishna's desires. Krishna's doesn't desire the whole material world! And still He comes into the material world to tolerate it!

The material world is just a bit too much, and therefore this is not going on by Krishna's desires but our desires! We are the ones who provide the fuel for the spinning of the planets. It's us….it's our desire to enjoy this material energy, that keeps it going and not Krishna's desire! It's Krishna's will and energy that keeps everything going but it's not his desire!

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The wisdom of Bhisma Dev Part 1

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, June 2011)

Bhisma Dev was deep in his wisdom. He deeply understood the nature of the material world. Therefore Bhisma Dev was not attached. He was not attached to royal opulence. Bhisma Dev would say things like:

"I have been purchased by the wealth of Duryodhana".

That was not a fact. Others maybe – yes. Others may have joined him because Duryodhana made them offers. This whole battle of Kuruksetra had different warriors who would take sides, and not only out of ideological reasons. No, there were often times when those who came first and proposed good offers:

"I'll give you all this?"

"Okay, I'm on your side!"

A lot was simply based on monetary gain, and Bhisma referred to himself like that. The fact of the matter was that Bhisma was not interested in material enjoyment, and he proved that with his vow. Previously his name was 'Devavratha', which was given to him by birth. The name 'Bhisma' was given to him by a celestial voice, at the time when he made that vow to never get married. Devavratha, the great vowed that impossible vow of celibacy. When he made that vow, the demigods showered flowers upon him, and there was a celestial voice calling out:

"Bhisma – the terrible vow! He's taking the terrible vow!"

So one cannot take that terrible vow, and simultaneously on another level be inclined towards enjoying the material energy, because then celibacy becomes impossible! One must give up the enjoying propensity. One must thoroughly give it up, if one actually wants to give up sex life, because otherwise, many types of enjoying mentality locks us in a train of emotions and thoughts, in the train of thinking feeling and willing, which will ultimately end in the final station called 'sex'. And the train halts here and all passengers are meant to leave the train and:

"Don't forget to take your belongings and get off here!"

That is the nature of the mind!

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The wisdom of Bhisma Dev Part 2

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, June 2011)

We saw how easily Bhisma Dev gave up the royal throne, just because of that fisherman! That ruthless, jealous, cold blooded, bargaining fisherman who wanted his son on the throne.

Bhisma Dev said:

"Okay, no problem".

It wasn't even like:

"Well, you know……….well this is very painful, what you are asking here".

No, there was nothing in his heart like that. It wasn't painful for him to give up the throne. And that was not just a throne, since that was like unlimited opulence….inconceivable opulence. But he was not interested. Therefore, Bhisma Dev was thoroughly free from the enjoying propensities. He was thoroughly free from the material energy, and had no desire to be in this world.

Whilst he was here, he was simply serving Krishna. That was his meditation. Not only was Bhisma not just desiring to be in this world and enjoy the material energy, Bhisma Dev was also not desiring to get out of this material world. He also did not think about liberation as his meditation!

One mood is the mood to enjoy, and the other mood is:

"Oh god, this world is too much! It's just a world of frustration; it's a world of pain; it's a world of suffering; it's a world of misery. We got to get out of here, if we can do anything to get out of here, and out of this world!"

That meditation was also not Bhisma Dev's daily or constant meditation. His meditation simply was:

"Let me serve Krishna!"

So that is vaisnava. Bhisma Dev was beyond karma and beyond jñānī. He was on the level of:

'sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam', [Cc. Madhya 19.170].

As mentioned in the 'Pancaratras', he was only interested in satisfying the senses of Krishna!

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Will Krishna hear my prayers?

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, June 2011)

Only a proud man thinks that he can approach the Supreme Lord directly. A humble person understands:

"Who am I? Contaminated as I am with all the vices of the world – lust, greed, anger and envy. All these qualities are in me. Who am I to go before the Supreme Lord? Therefore I will serve His devotees who are very pure and fully dedicated to His pleasure. If they pray for me to the Lord, then surely the Lord will bestow His blessings upon me! Will He hear my prayer? I don't know. Maybe if He hears it, then will He answer it with what I have done?"

And everyone for himself knows the truth about himself – yes he knows, since we all know about our shortcomings! Therefore, it is quite natural to turn to the devotees of the Lord(who give their life in service to the Lord) and then please these devotees, somehow or other. And if we please them somehow or other, then surely they will, pray, they will invoke the blessing of the Lord!

The Lord will say:

"Oh they pleased My devotees, so nicely!"

Then the Lord will certainly give me His blessings! So this is the way to really get the blessings of the Lord by serving His devotees!

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The whole essence of spiritual life!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Stockholm, June 2011)

Sometimes it is said that in the initial stages of faith of when there is the initial phase – that we are travelling but the journey goes uphill. But we are appreciating the association of the devotees and we are with the devotees, but the path is still going uphill. We are still struggling so much with our senses and our mind, and then we may get some knowledge in the association of the devotees. But it says:

'balavan indiya-gramo vidvamsam api karsati', (S.B 9.19.17).

Even if we have knowledge, then we will still struggle, since that's how strong the senses are. So the struggle continues and then we look for the purification, 'atmendriya-priti' the removal of the stumbling blocks in the heart. By fixing ourselves in the regulated process of devotional service:

'vihārasya yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu' ( B.G 6.17).

A regulated process of devotional service will be purified and still uphill! It's still uphill and the process of 'anartha-nivrttih', the stumbling blocks from the heart will be removed, and it's since it's still a uphill struggle…..struggle, until we get to the peak of the hill, and on the peak of the hill is the stage of 'nistha'.

The stage of 'nistha' is the stage where material desires have diminished somewhat and spiritual attraction has become strong. In 'nistha' one has strong faith – firm faith, and not the weak faith, that one initially has. In 'nistha' one has strong conviction. In that stage one says:

"I'm going to put all my energy and all my endeavours simply in following whatever Krishna desires. Whatever way Krishna has given towards happiness, that's my way, and no other way".

And all other ideas and all other desires in 'nistha' one can let them go! Before it was difficult to let them go and it was a struggle, since these desires come and harass us on the path and make it a struggle, but in 'nistha' we can let them go! It maybe that some material desires are lurking on the horizon, but they are not so strong anymore!

After 'nistha' the path becomes easy. It is now gently sloping down and it's not such a struggle anymore, because it is then that spiritual life really begins, with experiencing great taste, happiness and absorption becomes the whole essence of spiritual life!

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