Recently, I was thinking about why there is so much hate around right now. Especially here at the moment in Germany, where either you hate the refugees, you hate the ones who hate the refugees or you hate the politicians responsible for the utter chaos…

In the material world, hate and envy dance a very macabre dance.

The American hates the Russian. The Japanese hate the Chinese. The French hate the English. The Dutch hate the Germans.

The Muslims hate the Christians. Christians hate the Jews.

Even in our Gaudiya Vaishnava family, hate is very much present.

ISKCON hates the Gaudiya Math (vice versa). The Gaudiyas hate the Babajis (often vice versa too).

It is like a never-ending story where finally nobody will win.

In my daily life, I always observe my behavior and I too fall sometimes victim to feelings of hate or strong aversion. I really don´t like it and I know that it stems from my battle with my unwanted desires and my unwanted habits.
Srila Rupa Goswami called this fighting stage ANARTHA-NIVRITTI.

As devotees of Krishna, as sadhakas of the bhakti tradition, we should actually be on the path of love, ideally. LOL.

But how often do we act upon our “lesser natures” only to regret such foolish “outbursts”.

During such moments of inner turmoil, it is very necessary to be conscious. Conscious of who we are and in relationship to whom. It is like a thermometer. We can clearly observe our bad behavior and when we are conscious of our real nature, we can nicely act upon this.

The moment we give in to the lower modes of nature, we realize that we are not soul-conscious.

Now, how to lay a very strong foundation to such good consciousness?

Easy. Get up early in the morning and practice the bhajan you are supposed to do. Try to chant a lot of rounds of the maha-mantra. Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami once said: “Not getting up early means no spiritual life”.

Believe me, I know this for a fact. I am school-teacher, full-time. Not always am I able to wake up very early in the morning and of course, I am full of material desires which overwhelm the desire to do bhajan.

But when we get up early and do bhajan nicely, we realize that the day runs smoothly and there is no scope for hate, envy or anger. It gives us the power to be conscious and to recognize that actually, Krishna is there in every living being.
We can´t claim to love Krishna but at the same time hate that crazy guy who annoyed me on the road. We can´t claim to love Krishna and hate other living beings.

This morning, a voice inside me told me to read what Srila Kapiladeva says about bhakti in the 3rd Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam.
It inspired me very very much and if everyone who I mentioned in the beginning of this blog (including me) would read this section, there would be no need for ANY kind of hate.

Srila Kapiladeva teaches (commentary by Srila Vishvanatha Chakravartipad):

|| 3.29.16 ||

mad-dhiṣṇya-darśana-sparśa-
pūjā-stuty-abhivandanaiḥ
bhūteṣu mad-bhāvanayā
sattvenāsaṅgamena ca

The mind should become purified by offering obeisances to, praying to, worshipping, touching and seeing my deity forms, by thinking of my presence in all beings, and by giving up bad association with determination.

One should give up bad association (asaṅgamena) with determination (sattvena).

|| 3.29.17 ||

mahatāṁ bahu-mānena
dīnānām anukampayā
maitryā caivātma-tulyeṣu
yamena niyamena ca
The mind should become purified by greatly respecting the great devotees, showing compassion to the unfortunate, being friendly to one’s equals, and by following yama and niyama of aṣṭāṅga-yoga.

|| 3.29.18 ||

ādhyātmikānuśravaṇān
nāma-saṅkīrtanāc ca me
ārjavenārya-saṅgena
nirahaṅkriyayā tathā

The mind should become purified by continually hearing about the good and bad qualities of the antaḥkaraṇa, by chanting my names, by sincere association with great devotees without pride.

The mind should become purified by continually hearing about the good and bad qualities of the antaḥkaraṇa. To perform bhakti using the antaḥkaraṇa, one must hear about its good and bad qualities. Understanding one has bad qualities like pride, one can conquer those bad qualities by worship of great devotees. The devotees should engage in such a practice.

|| 3.29.19 ||

mad-dharmaṇo guṇair etaiḥ
parisaṁśuddha āśayaḥ
puruṣasyāñjasābhyeti
śruta-mātra-guṇaṁ hi mām

Being purified by the above methods, the mind of a person engaged in serving me quickly attains the perfect form of bhakti, consisting of actions such as hearing my qualities, which is non-different from attaining me.

The mind of a person who performs activities of hearing and chanting about me (mad-dharmaṇaḥ), purified by these methods, approaches the perfection of bhakti-yoga represented by hearing about my qualities, which is the same as attaining me.

|| 3.29.20 ||

yathā vāta-ratho ghrāṇam
āvṛṅkte gandha āśayāt
evaṁ yoga-rataṁ ceta
ātmānam avikāri yat

Just as the fragrance is carried to the nose from its source by the wind, the mind is carried to the Supreme Lord by bhakti-yoga.

An example of attaining without endeavor is given. The fragrance, carried by the air, goes to the nose from the source of smell (āśayāt). Similarly the heart engaged in bhakti-yoga, goes to Paramātmā (ātmānam). Just as wind takes the fragrance in a lotus goes to the nose, all the aṅgas of bhakti make the heart which is fixed in bhakti-yoga (yoga-ratam) attain the Lord.

|| 3.29.21 ||

ahaṁ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
bhūtātmāvasthitaḥ sadā
tam avajñāya māṁ martyaḥ
kurute ‘rcā-viḍambanam

I, the soul of all beings, am always situated in all beings. He who disrespects me in all beings performs false worship of my deity form.

However, in such bhakti, offence creates restriction. Offence generally stems from disrespect to the great devotees. Though such devotees are difficult to see, many exist. In order to avoid offences to them, one should pay respects to all living entities, thinking that the Lord is present in all of them. Without doing so, even worshiping the deity forms of the Lord will not give any result. Since he is the Supreme Lord, Kapila then speaks in six verses somewhat angrily, out of affection, to benefit his devotee who does not respect all beings. In these verses disrespect, disregard, hatred and criticism are forbidden. This person performs imitation worship of my deity forms (arcā-viḍambaṇam).

|| 3.29.22 ||

yo māṁ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
santam ātmānam īśvaram
hitvārcāṁ bhajate mauḍhyād
bhasmany eva juhoti saḥ

He who worships the deity while rejecting me, the Lord being present in all beings simply makes oblations into ashes (instead of fire).

Because he is the master, Kapila, to teach his devotees, scolds them. Similarly he calls the worshipper a donkey if he is attached to his land.

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

A human being who identifies this body made of three elements with his self, who considers the by-products of the body to be his kinsmen, who considers the land of birth worshipable, and who goes to the place of pilgrimage simply to take a bath rather than meet men of transcendental knowledge there, is to be considered like an ass or a cow. SB 10.84.13

Even some present day guru, seeing a trace of offence in other devotees, sometimes scolds his dear disciple who serves him well by saying “You serve me but your service is useless like ashes. You cause me only suffering.” Actually the sages never talk in this manner. It is also said:

arcāyām eva haraye pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate
na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

A devotee who faithfully engages in the worship of the Deity in the temple but does not behave properly toward other devotees or people in general is called a neophyte devotee. SB 11.2.47

Śrīdhara Svāmī explains: he does not behave well with the devotees and even with other people. Prākṛta means “new or unrefined in nature.” Now, in verse 25, it will be explained that the new, immature devotee gradually becomes the highest devotee.

|| 3.29.23 ||

dviṣataḥ para-kāye māṁ
mānino bhinna-darśinaḥ
bhūteṣu baddha-vairasya
na manaḥ śāntim ṛcchati

If a person offers respects to me but is inimical to other beings, hating other bodies, not seeing others’ suffering as equal to his own, his mind does not attain peace.

Bhinna-darśinaḥ means one who does not recognize that his own suffering is also felt the same way in others.

|| 3.29.24 ||

aham uccāvacair dravyaiḥ
kriyayotpannayānaghe
naiva tuṣye ‘rcito ‘rcāyāṁ
bhūta-grāmāvamāninaḥ

O mother! I am not pleased with the person who criticizes other beings while worshipping my deity form with rites using various materials.

Avamaninaḥ means “of one who criticizes.” One who criticizes others is worse than one who hates others because it is said:

na tathā tapyate viddhaḥ pumān bāṇais tu marma-gaiḥ
yathā tudanti marma-sthā hy asatāṁ paruṣeṣavaḥ

Sharp arrows which pierce one’s chest and reach the heart do not cause as much suffering as the arrows of harsh, insulting words spoken by materialists that become lodged within the heart. SB 11.23.3

|| 3.29.25 ||

arcādāv arcayet tāvad
īśvaraṁ māṁ sva-karma-kṛt
yāvan na veda sva-hṛdi
sarva-bhūteṣv avasthitam

When a person does not know that the Lord is situated in all beings, that person should worship me in the deity form along with prescribed duties without attachment.

|| 3.29.26 ||

ātmanaś ca parasyāpi
yaḥ karoty antarodaram
tasya bhinna-dṛśo mṛtyur
vidadhe bhayam ulbaṇam

In the form of death, I give great fear to the person who makes distinction between his own belly and the bellies of others.

For the person who differentiates between his own stomach (udaram) and others’ stomachs, I appear in the form of death. One should understand that just as one has a stomach afflicted by hunger, so other people also have stomachs afflicted with hunger. If one does not understand this, he cannot surpass fear of death.

|| 3.29.27 ||

atha māṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
bhūtātmānaṁ kṛtālayam
arhayed dāna-mānābhyāṁ
maitryābhinnena cakṣuṣā

Therefore, through charitable gifts and attention, as well as through friendly behavior and by viewing all to be alike, one should worship Me, who abide in all creatures as their very Self.

“All the starving jīvas on the earth, hearing that there is one who can satisfy their hunger, will go to him. Who will have patience like King Rantideva to feed them all?” In answer to this is said, that on the contrary (atha), they should worship those living entities with gifts as much as they can. Medini says atha can used to indicate doubt, authority, auspiciousness, with meanings of alternative, question, completeness, beginning, or totality. They should not abuse those who criticize them and try to beat them because they are hungry. They should respect them with praise, giving them greater respect than themselves. The Lord himself says:

ye brāhmaṇān mayi dhiyā kṣipato ‘rcayantas
tuṣyad-dhṛdaḥ smita-sudhokṣita-padma-vaktrāḥ
vāṇyānurāga-kalayātmajavad gṛṇantaḥ
sambodhayanty aham ivāham upāhṛtas taiḥ

Just as I am controlled by you, I am controlled by those who worship the brāhmaṇas who have offended others, who see those brāhmaṇas as non-different from me, who remain pleased in heart in spite of their harsh words, showing lotus faces moistened with sweet smiles, and who pacify them by praising them with words filled with love, just as a son praises an angry father. SB 3.16.11

They should treat them as friends, equal to themselves, without speaking and with sincerity, for the Lord, treating all beings without duplicity, situated within, does not get angry, even though people become angry at him.

____________________

 

Wonderful.