the world i know: June 2009

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Will You Be There ?

"He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs."

a line from a song I learned as a kid and have actually begun to realize daily. As I learned about the Death of two big superstars in today's world, Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, a sense of awe and reverence for the vows I've taken arose.

Vaisnavas are naturally unhappy when they see others unhappy, and in order to direct the general populace to substantial happiness, may risk their own lives even to the point of dying.

Not that I can claim Vaisnava status, but when we come in contact with the knowledge of the spiritual world and all its varieties, its only natural to want to share it with others. The world is definitely saddened by people who entertained them for decades; I'm saddened that they weren't introduced to this knowledge to help them achieve deeper peace at the end. This material world has a way of disillusioning us and if we're attentive, we can get out of its grips and proceed to the eternal abode- not religious sentiment, but a place with actual existence that can be experienced in this life without waiting for death or afterlife. The deeper question is who is willing to do such a service of enlightening a world of people who truly believe that matter can make them happy? I pray to learn from the example of our dear teacher Srila Prabhupada and his sincere students of how to tolerate many inconveniences and give Krsna consciousness to people. Such acts are done out of a deeper sense of love and not of fanatic fear of uncertainty due to attachment to the bodily conception of life.

I must admit it's not easy to try to uplift someone. I experience on a daily basis that people will take to spirituality and use it for their own benefit; their God given right to do so. To associate with the saintly and get their blessings is the most wonderful thing but often when such people are put in testing situations... .

We all love a good party, but what happens when the life of the party, the host, or some other figure is in trouble? We leave them hanging. Very few brave men will try to pull someone out of their ruts; especially someone who may have been in a more elevated position than they. In risking oneself to rescue another, real love develops- a deeper gratitude than can ever be experienced. As the saying goes, we know who our friends are in the time of need.

I'll take the liberty to be sentimental, since I'm only a wee lad on the path of self realization, and post a song that inspired me to be a monk. A song by the King of pop. May he be awarded better privileges in his next life.

There's A Place InYour Heart
And I Know That It Is Love
And This Place Could Be Much
Brighter Than Tomorrow
And If You Really Try
You'll Find There's No Need To Cry
In This Place You'll Feel
There's No Hurt Or Sorrow

There Are Ways To Get There
If You Care Enough For The Living
Make A Little Space
Make A Better Place...Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough For The Living
Make A Better Place For You And For Me

If You Want To Know Why
There's A Love That Cannot Lie
Love Is Strong It Only Cares For
Joyful Giving
If We Try We Shall See
In This Bliss We Cannot Feel
Fear Or Dread
We Stop Existing AndStart Living
Then It Feels That Always
Love's Enough For Us Growing
So Make A Better World
Make A Better World...
Heal The World
And The Dream We WereConceived In
Will Reveal A Joyful Face
And The World We Once Believed In
Will Shine Again In Grace
Then Why Do We Keep Strangling Life
Wound This Earth Crucify Its Soul
Though It's Plain To See
This World Is Heavenly
Be God's Glow
We Could Fly So High
Let Our Spirits Never Die
In My HeartI Feel You Are All
My Brothers
Create A World With No Fear
Together We'll Cry Happy Tears
See The Nations Turn
Their Swords Into Plowshares
We Could Really Get There If You Cared Enough For The Living
Make A Little SpaceTo Make A Better Place...

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

BACK TO THE START

I took a walk with a friend yesterday through Point Pleasant Park and while talking to him, I had an interesting realisation about the Spiritual path. He is a very intelligent young man and has been searching for spiritual guidance for some time now, so his questions are quite deep and well thought out. Krsna consciousness gets exciting for me when people genuinely want to understand the subject matter. As I answered each question step by step, more and more questions came up and so the conversation got a little lively. But then I noticed that some of the same questions re-emerged so I suggested to him that in order to grasp the conversation more deeply, he should explain to me what we had just discussed.

For a new person learning our philosophy and associating with monks on a daily basis, this culture can be overloading and due to our instant gratification nature, this is just the place to be- each question answered without a long wait.

However, our teacher His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami has informed us that Krsna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind- cram it in there and get a grade point, heaven or hell. Krsna consciousness is practical action in the foreground of spiritual life. This knowledge has to be digested just as one meal has to be digested before another meal is taken.

Back to my realisation.

When I first came in contact with this philosophy, My goal was to read as much as possible and catch up with those monks I lived with, especially those who were my age, or who were junior to me. I thought if i just read these books immediately, I would fit in and not be seen as a newbie.

It worked to some extend as far as theoretically, but over the years I have learned to go back and read slowly, in small segments, in order to grasp the subject matter- Krsna, the supreme person, my eternal friend. Quality learning is what Krsna conscious training offers and anyone in the world, regardless of cast or creed should take advantage of Srila Prabhupada's books and there find deep treasures, especially that nectar for which we're always anxious. (HOLLYWOOD)