Sunday, October 28, 2007
Story 47 – Story of Destroying Indra’s pride – 10
When the gopas took refuge in Krishna, he understood that the thunderstorm, rain etc. was the actions of Indra. Krishna decided solve this by being immersed in Brahman and also to teach people like Indra who are protectors of the world yet egoistic.
Explanation
Each and every person in the world irrespective of whether he is a jeevan muktha or an ajnaani has a kartavya or duty. It is upon an individual to decide as to whether he is affected by the actions of the Ego or not. But none in the world have the choice of whether or not to do actions.
The Lord proclaims in Bhagavad Gita thus:
Na hi kaschit kshanamapi jaathu thistathi akarmakrit
Kaaryathe hi avashah karma sarvah prakrithijair gunaih
Not even for a moment can a person be without doing actions. All people are bound to do actions depending on their innate tendencies.
Though we don’t have the choice of whether or not to do actions, yet we have the choice of whether we are ever blissful irrespective of the actions or not. A person who has offered all actions unto the Lord and thereby is a mere witness to the activities of the Ego is ever unaffected by the action and its fruit. Such a person is thereby ever blissful because sorrow is when we are affected by the actions of the Ego. As long as I am doing an action, I will be affected by the fruit of the action. As long as the doer of Ego is there, the enjoyer will also be there. Depending on the fruit, I will be happy or sad. It is but the nature of the world that at all times we don’t get the fruit that we expect. When we get the expected fruit, we become happy. When we don’t get the expected fruit, we become sad. Thus as a result of the doership of Ego, we are whirled between happiness and sorrow depending on the fruits of our actions.
But a devotee will know that everything in the world is done by the Lord. It is the Lord who is the in-dwelling Self and the controller of everything in the world. He will know that he is a mere instrument at the hands of the Lord. Such a person will thereby be doing actions as an offering to the Lord. Thus he is ever unaffected by the actions and their fruits. This is termed in Vedanta as saakshi bhaava or the attitude of witness-hood. The devotee and the jnaani are ever a witness to their actions. In the case of a bhaktha, he is unaffected because it is the Lord who is the doer and controller of all actions. In the case of a jnaani, he is unaffected because it is the Ego who is the doer of all actions whereas the jnaani is ever the saakshi or witness of the activities of the Ego. Thus both the bhaktha and the jnaani are unaffected by activities in the world though none of them stay away from actions. It is for this reason that even the greatest of jnaanis and avatars have to do actions in the world. Lord Krishna wasn’t spared; so wasn’t Lord Rama as well. Thus whoever be it, a person who is in the world will be made to do actions. We have to do that action which we are supposed to do but always with an attitude of offering so that we are unaffected by the action.
It is the duty of Indra and other devatas to protect the world and its people. Instead we find Indra getting egoistic. When we get egoistic about our actions and thereby go against the will of the Lord, the Lord will be forced to destroy the Ego in us. This is seen through the various natural calamities like Tsunami, earth quakes etc. The US government was so egoistic about its own power, security etc. and it didn’t even require a natural calamity to destroy it – few terrorists were enough to destroy it through what is now very popular as 911. Thus a wise person instead of choosing the actions would be choosing to have the attitude of being unaffected by the action thereby doing the action that he is bestowed with even as an actor does the role that he is portraying.
We will continue with as to what happens when we go against our duties thereby getting egoistic in the next day.
Let us all try to always offer actions unto the Lord so that we are ever unaffected by the actions and their fruits; thus being ever blissful as the witness of all actions and having our minds ever immersed in the ultimate reality of Lord.
When the various Gods forget the ultimate reality of Lord thereby thinking that they are Ishwara, they will be forced to realize the reality by the Lord. On the other hand those who are devoted to the Lord and surrender to the Lord like gopas, they will be always protected by the Lord. It is the duty of the Lord to protect such devotees who have totally surrendered to the Lord.
Explanation
Even as we have to do our duties in the world which are the activities endowed for our role in the world, Bhagavatham is here speaking about the duty of the Lord. If we as the people of the world have duties in the world, the Lord who is the controller-creator of the world also has duties.
The very duty of the Lord is well proclaimed in Gita thus:
Paritraanaaya saadhunaam vinaashaaya cha dushkrithaam
Dharma samsthaapanaarthaaya sambhavai yuge yuge
In order to protect the saints, destroy evil and uphold Dharma I take birth again and again.
If we really analyze the word Dharma, there is only one Dharma for all people in the world. The Dharma is realization of our own nature of non-dual Lord; that Lord who alone exists as the substratum of the illusory world. Thus the Lord has only two duties to do – one is to protect the devotees and second is to destroy the evil people. Both ways the people are lead to the goal of realization. For the devotees it is through the nice way whereas for the evil people it is through the hard and forced way. Thus Bhagavatham says that those who forget the ultimate reality of Lord will be forced by the Lord to realize their nature of Lord. But those who are devoted to the Lord by total and complete surrender unto the Lord, they will always be protected by the Lord. It is the very duty of the Lord to protect his devotees. It is for this reason that at the end of Gita the Lord says to renounce all dharma and seek him. Even as we are bound to do our duties, the Lord is also bound to protect his devotees.
Thus if we become real devotees of the Lord by total and complete surrender unto the Lord at all times, we will always be protected by the Lord. The Lord will then see to it that we are without any problems and obstacles; also that finally we realize our own nature of Lord as that is the ultimate goal of life.
In order for us to be protected and guided in the right direction by the Lord through all sorrows and troubles, we have to develop pure devotion towards the Lord. This is done through offering all actions unto the Lord, remembering the Lord at all times as the ultimate reality behind the illusory world and completely surrendering to the Lord. If we are able to develop this easy and simple devotion towards the Lord, the Lord will take care of our needs. Whether we are in a good situation or bad situation, the Lord will thus be always there to protect and guide us. Even if we do bad karmas; even if we forget to do our sadhanas; even if we do nishiddha karmas (forbidden karmas), the Lord will protect us if we are really devoted to the Lord.
The gopas had pure devotion towards the Lord and hence it was the Lord’s duty to protect them when Indra became angry with them. We will see as to how the Lord protected the gopas in the next day.
Let us all try to be real devotees of the Lord by remembering the Lord at all times, offering all actions unto the Lord and completely surrendering to the Lord so that the Lord protects us through all troubles and makes us realize our very nature of eternal bliss.
Explanation
Each and every person in the world irrespective of whether he is a jeevan muktha or an ajnaani has a kartavya or duty. It is upon an individual to decide as to whether he is affected by the actions of the Ego or not. But none in the world have the choice of whether or not to do actions.
The Lord proclaims in Bhagavad Gita thus:
Na hi kaschit kshanamapi jaathu thistathi akarmakrit
Kaaryathe hi avashah karma sarvah prakrithijair gunaih
Not even for a moment can a person be without doing actions. All people are bound to do actions depending on their innate tendencies.
Though we don’t have the choice of whether or not to do actions, yet we have the choice of whether we are ever blissful irrespective of the actions or not. A person who has offered all actions unto the Lord and thereby is a mere witness to the activities of the Ego is ever unaffected by the action and its fruit. Such a person is thereby ever blissful because sorrow is when we are affected by the actions of the Ego. As long as I am doing an action, I will be affected by the fruit of the action. As long as the doer of Ego is there, the enjoyer will also be there. Depending on the fruit, I will be happy or sad. It is but the nature of the world that at all times we don’t get the fruit that we expect. When we get the expected fruit, we become happy. When we don’t get the expected fruit, we become sad. Thus as a result of the doership of Ego, we are whirled between happiness and sorrow depending on the fruits of our actions.
But a devotee will know that everything in the world is done by the Lord. It is the Lord who is the in-dwelling Self and the controller of everything in the world. He will know that he is a mere instrument at the hands of the Lord. Such a person will thereby be doing actions as an offering to the Lord. Thus he is ever unaffected by the actions and their fruits. This is termed in Vedanta as saakshi bhaava or the attitude of witness-hood. The devotee and the jnaani are ever a witness to their actions. In the case of a bhaktha, he is unaffected because it is the Lord who is the doer and controller of all actions. In the case of a jnaani, he is unaffected because it is the Ego who is the doer of all actions whereas the jnaani is ever the saakshi or witness of the activities of the Ego. Thus both the bhaktha and the jnaani are unaffected by activities in the world though none of them stay away from actions. It is for this reason that even the greatest of jnaanis and avatars have to do actions in the world. Lord Krishna wasn’t spared; so wasn’t Lord Rama as well. Thus whoever be it, a person who is in the world will be made to do actions. We have to do that action which we are supposed to do but always with an attitude of offering so that we are unaffected by the action.
It is the duty of Indra and other devatas to protect the world and its people. Instead we find Indra getting egoistic. When we get egoistic about our actions and thereby go against the will of the Lord, the Lord will be forced to destroy the Ego in us. This is seen through the various natural calamities like Tsunami, earth quakes etc. The US government was so egoistic about its own power, security etc. and it didn’t even require a natural calamity to destroy it – few terrorists were enough to destroy it through what is now very popular as 911. Thus a wise person instead of choosing the actions would be choosing to have the attitude of being unaffected by the action thereby doing the action that he is bestowed with even as an actor does the role that he is portraying.
We will continue with as to what happens when we go against our duties thereby getting egoistic in the next day.
Let us all try to always offer actions unto the Lord so that we are ever unaffected by the actions and their fruits; thus being ever blissful as the witness of all actions and having our minds ever immersed in the ultimate reality of Lord.
When the various Gods forget the ultimate reality of Lord thereby thinking that they are Ishwara, they will be forced to realize the reality by the Lord. On the other hand those who are devoted to the Lord and surrender to the Lord like gopas, they will be always protected by the Lord. It is the duty of the Lord to protect such devotees who have totally surrendered to the Lord.
Explanation
Even as we have to do our duties in the world which are the activities endowed for our role in the world, Bhagavatham is here speaking about the duty of the Lord. If we as the people of the world have duties in the world, the Lord who is the controller-creator of the world also has duties.
The very duty of the Lord is well proclaimed in Gita thus:
Paritraanaaya saadhunaam vinaashaaya cha dushkrithaam
Dharma samsthaapanaarthaaya sambhavai yuge yuge
In order to protect the saints, destroy evil and uphold Dharma I take birth again and again.
If we really analyze the word Dharma, there is only one Dharma for all people in the world. The Dharma is realization of our own nature of non-dual Lord; that Lord who alone exists as the substratum of the illusory world. Thus the Lord has only two duties to do – one is to protect the devotees and second is to destroy the evil people. Both ways the people are lead to the goal of realization. For the devotees it is through the nice way whereas for the evil people it is through the hard and forced way. Thus Bhagavatham says that those who forget the ultimate reality of Lord will be forced by the Lord to realize their nature of Lord. But those who are devoted to the Lord by total and complete surrender unto the Lord, they will always be protected by the Lord. It is the very duty of the Lord to protect his devotees. It is for this reason that at the end of Gita the Lord says to renounce all dharma and seek him. Even as we are bound to do our duties, the Lord is also bound to protect his devotees.
Thus if we become real devotees of the Lord by total and complete surrender unto the Lord at all times, we will always be protected by the Lord. The Lord will then see to it that we are without any problems and obstacles; also that finally we realize our own nature of Lord as that is the ultimate goal of life.
In order for us to be protected and guided in the right direction by the Lord through all sorrows and troubles, we have to develop pure devotion towards the Lord. This is done through offering all actions unto the Lord, remembering the Lord at all times as the ultimate reality behind the illusory world and completely surrendering to the Lord. If we are able to develop this easy and simple devotion towards the Lord, the Lord will take care of our needs. Whether we are in a good situation or bad situation, the Lord will thus be always there to protect and guide us. Even if we do bad karmas; even if we forget to do our sadhanas; even if we do nishiddha karmas (forbidden karmas), the Lord will protect us if we are really devoted to the Lord.
The gopas had pure devotion towards the Lord and hence it was the Lord’s duty to protect them when Indra became angry with them. We will see as to how the Lord protected the gopas in the next day.
Let us all try to be real devotees of the Lord by remembering the Lord at all times, offering all actions unto the Lord and completely surrendering to the Lord so that the Lord protects us through all troubles and makes us realize our very nature of eternal bliss.
# posted by vedanta : 8:23 PM
