Jahnu
2020-02-21 22:57:48 UTC
On Fri, 21 Feb 2020 09:09:09 -0000 (UTC), Beyond the Known
of a similar denomination and in this way experience a sense of
identity. Our identity can only be established in terms of the
relationships we form with other living entities. The inherent problem
of the modern world is that our identities are being defined in terms
of our bodies and minds. We live in a culture where our identity is
established by the flesh we belong to, but as that flesh - the body-
changes at every moment our identity changes along with it, and
therefore people do not actually know who they really are.
They cannot fix their identity. They don't have an anchor in life - a
foundation that does not change. Someone might say, I have my name,
that doesn't change, so I'll just hang on to that. And indeed, people
do just that. But if you think about it, what kind of an identity is
it to be Joe Smith or even Lord Blitherblather?
IOW, besides their name and family, people do not have a constant in
their lives, which brings us to another factor of life, and that is
that everyone needs a constant in their lives, a value or a standard
that does not change. The modern notion, that knowledge develops and
evolves as we gather more and more information (which funny enough
keeps proving the current ideas wrong), and that we evolved from
amoebas, which, after the universe popped out of a point, somehow
crawled out of the primordial soup, grew legs and learned to talk, is
simply bogus. It is actually a proposal so ridiculous and laughable
and an insult to the intelligence that it is a great wonder the idea
sets the standard in the modern world.
The real truth is that the truth does not change. Either something is
or isn't the truth. Take reincarnation for instance. It is not a
matter of whether or not we believe in it. Either reincarnation is a
fact or it isn't a fact, regardless of what you or I believe in. It is
not that all of the sudden it becomes true because someone found out
about it or starts to believe in it - like the scientific "discovery"
of planets. The planets existed before the scientists came along.
They existed without anyone's knowledge - they were simply unseen by
our meager, limited sense perception. So it is not knowledge that
evolved. It was there all the time. We just couldn't see it. That is
the truth. If is true now, it was also true before, and it will also
remain true in the future. Only such truth is knowledge worth
pursuing. Relative knowledge may have its use for making technology
and consumer gadgets, but it is useless when it comes to solving the
existential mysteries of life.
There is only one factor, one platform that all living entities can
unite around, and that is the Supreme factor. Actually that is the
only platform of faith upon which everyone can get together and work
in a corporative spirit. As long as we do not act on the same platform
of faith there will continue to be conflict of interests and egos
clashing together. If, however, we can believe that we are all parts
of the same whole - Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead -
then, in that case, we can also believe and understand that we are all
brothers and sisters coming from the same father, the same origin -
Krishna.
Anything else will be tribal oriented. It's funny how people of
different great nations like the US or Russia think they are
sophisticated and don't fancy themselves to be just another tribe
bullying others or squabbling with them for area and resources.
There is nothing less tribal, mentality wise, about the Disney
company, the White House or the Pentagon, than some tribes in the
remote jungles of Africa or Asia. As long as this type of narrow,
ego-centric mentality prevails, whether it be in Swahili land or in
Wall Street, there will be constant competition between individuals or
groups of individuals of who can gratify their minds and senses in the
most refined or extravagant manner. How can such a primitive, tribal
oriented mentality bring all beings together in harmony? As Krishna
says in the Bhagavad Gita, how can there be happiness without peace?
There has to be a common platform for everyone to act on, but clearly
the modern society and culture does not provide people with such a
common platform. They may call it the global culture, but the only
thing global about it is that now everyone can happily drink Coca Cola
together. Regardless of the enlightenment of the information age the
'global' culture still churns out the same old tribal clones, except
that now they are dressed in suits and carry cell phones. That's
called advancement....
But it doesn't matter how fancy or recent your cell phone model is, or
how powerful your notebook is, or how many cylinders your car have, or
how advanced you otherwise consider yourself in learning and prestige,
you are still not happy and satisfied, and there are still no
conceptions and ideas offered by any of the great institutions of the
global culture that can make your life meaningful and satisfied; none
that work, anyway, or are being practiced.
There is a lot of talk about finding oneself, and getting together in
peace and harmony, and saving the this and the that; in fact nowadays
it has been made into a whole industry to spill your heart out on TV,
but no one seems able yet to have come up with a solution to the
problem of how to counteract the miseries of the material world.
One can of course also choose to just forget about the existential
questions of life, and stop wondering why he is suffering, and just
get on in life. What's the problem, right? But what's the meaning of
forgetting about death and becoming a dull consumer whose only aim in
life is to acquire brand-name items defined by the culture he happens
to belong to? It is especially useless seen in the light of the fact
that no one in existence ever became happy and satisfied by becoming
successful in material life - no matter how much he tried. And who can
say that it hasn't been tried?
The weekly magazines are full of colorful reports on the successful
people, the celebrities, who enjoy their senses to the max, but who
are all having so many problems with broken relationships, drugs,
suicide, etc. - in fact, the same problems that everyone else has. You
can worry about not being able to pay your monthly rent of 10.000
dollars or you can worry about not being able to pay 300 dollars, but
the worry is the same. If you are worrying about 10.000 dollars
instead of 300 dollars you have just upgraded your miseries and
worries.
You can improve the material qualities of life such as wealth and
prestige, but the basic experience of suffering and enjoyment is the
same for everyone regardless of their material status in life. You
can't say that a rich man in a high-rise apartment in Manhattan eating
his bloody steak with silver cutlery is enjoying his meal more than a
Bengali farmer eating puffed rice from a leaf plate with his fingers.
The eating process is exactly the same. Or when you sleep, do you then
care or even notice if you are lying on a box spring mattress in
Beverly Hills or on a straw matt in a mud hut?
The only solution to the problems of finding our identity and finding
that which we can place our faith in is to accept divinely inspired
knowledge descending from Krishna, and which furthermore has been
recorded and transcribed in the Vedas, the most comprehensive body of
knowledge known to mankind. The essence of that great body of
knowledge has been delivered and made accessible to the people of this
modern, fallen age by Srila Prabhupada, who comes in the ancient
disciplic succession from Krishna Himself. Anything else is mere
speculation. So there is faith based on speculation, and faith based
on fact. The process of Krishna consciousness is faith based on facts.
Just try it out. Simply chant the Hare Krisna mantra and your life
will be sublime. It's guaranteed.
Krishna says:
My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to
you this most confidential knowledge and realization, knowing which
you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence. (Bg. 9.1)
This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all
secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct
perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of
religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed. (Bg. 9.2)
http://www.touchtalent.com//artist/118705/jahnu-das
https://www.youtube.com/user/jahnudvip?feature=watch
https://www.quora.com/profile/Jahnu-Das
Human beings are completely dependent upon one another for survival.
This is visible everywhere in nature. Even down to the cells in your
body.
It is all dependent upon relationship.
Everyone is seeking a common factor in life they can share with othersThis is visible everywhere in nature. Even down to the cells in your
body.
It is all dependent upon relationship.
of a similar denomination and in this way experience a sense of
identity. Our identity can only be established in terms of the
relationships we form with other living entities. The inherent problem
of the modern world is that our identities are being defined in terms
of our bodies and minds. We live in a culture where our identity is
established by the flesh we belong to, but as that flesh - the body-
changes at every moment our identity changes along with it, and
therefore people do not actually know who they really are.
They cannot fix their identity. They don't have an anchor in life - a
foundation that does not change. Someone might say, I have my name,
that doesn't change, so I'll just hang on to that. And indeed, people
do just that. But if you think about it, what kind of an identity is
it to be Joe Smith or even Lord Blitherblather?
IOW, besides their name and family, people do not have a constant in
their lives, which brings us to another factor of life, and that is
that everyone needs a constant in their lives, a value or a standard
that does not change. The modern notion, that knowledge develops and
evolves as we gather more and more information (which funny enough
keeps proving the current ideas wrong), and that we evolved from
amoebas, which, after the universe popped out of a point, somehow
crawled out of the primordial soup, grew legs and learned to talk, is
simply bogus. It is actually a proposal so ridiculous and laughable
and an insult to the intelligence that it is a great wonder the idea
sets the standard in the modern world.
The real truth is that the truth does not change. Either something is
or isn't the truth. Take reincarnation for instance. It is not a
matter of whether or not we believe in it. Either reincarnation is a
fact or it isn't a fact, regardless of what you or I believe in. It is
not that all of the sudden it becomes true because someone found out
about it or starts to believe in it - like the scientific "discovery"
of planets. The planets existed before the scientists came along.
They existed without anyone's knowledge - they were simply unseen by
our meager, limited sense perception. So it is not knowledge that
evolved. It was there all the time. We just couldn't see it. That is
the truth. If is true now, it was also true before, and it will also
remain true in the future. Only such truth is knowledge worth
pursuing. Relative knowledge may have its use for making technology
and consumer gadgets, but it is useless when it comes to solving the
existential mysteries of life.
There is only one factor, one platform that all living entities can
unite around, and that is the Supreme factor. Actually that is the
only platform of faith upon which everyone can get together and work
in a corporative spirit. As long as we do not act on the same platform
of faith there will continue to be conflict of interests and egos
clashing together. If, however, we can believe that we are all parts
of the same whole - Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead -
then, in that case, we can also believe and understand that we are all
brothers and sisters coming from the same father, the same origin -
Krishna.
Anything else will be tribal oriented. It's funny how people of
different great nations like the US or Russia think they are
sophisticated and don't fancy themselves to be just another tribe
bullying others or squabbling with them for area and resources.
There is nothing less tribal, mentality wise, about the Disney
company, the White House or the Pentagon, than some tribes in the
remote jungles of Africa or Asia. As long as this type of narrow,
ego-centric mentality prevails, whether it be in Swahili land or in
Wall Street, there will be constant competition between individuals or
groups of individuals of who can gratify their minds and senses in the
most refined or extravagant manner. How can such a primitive, tribal
oriented mentality bring all beings together in harmony? As Krishna
says in the Bhagavad Gita, how can there be happiness without peace?
There has to be a common platform for everyone to act on, but clearly
the modern society and culture does not provide people with such a
common platform. They may call it the global culture, but the only
thing global about it is that now everyone can happily drink Coca Cola
together. Regardless of the enlightenment of the information age the
'global' culture still churns out the same old tribal clones, except
that now they are dressed in suits and carry cell phones. That's
called advancement....
But it doesn't matter how fancy or recent your cell phone model is, or
how powerful your notebook is, or how many cylinders your car have, or
how advanced you otherwise consider yourself in learning and prestige,
you are still not happy and satisfied, and there are still no
conceptions and ideas offered by any of the great institutions of the
global culture that can make your life meaningful and satisfied; none
that work, anyway, or are being practiced.
There is a lot of talk about finding oneself, and getting together in
peace and harmony, and saving the this and the that; in fact nowadays
it has been made into a whole industry to spill your heart out on TV,
but no one seems able yet to have come up with a solution to the
problem of how to counteract the miseries of the material world.
One can of course also choose to just forget about the existential
questions of life, and stop wondering why he is suffering, and just
get on in life. What's the problem, right? But what's the meaning of
forgetting about death and becoming a dull consumer whose only aim in
life is to acquire brand-name items defined by the culture he happens
to belong to? It is especially useless seen in the light of the fact
that no one in existence ever became happy and satisfied by becoming
successful in material life - no matter how much he tried. And who can
say that it hasn't been tried?
The weekly magazines are full of colorful reports on the successful
people, the celebrities, who enjoy their senses to the max, but who
are all having so many problems with broken relationships, drugs,
suicide, etc. - in fact, the same problems that everyone else has. You
can worry about not being able to pay your monthly rent of 10.000
dollars or you can worry about not being able to pay 300 dollars, but
the worry is the same. If you are worrying about 10.000 dollars
instead of 300 dollars you have just upgraded your miseries and
worries.
You can improve the material qualities of life such as wealth and
prestige, but the basic experience of suffering and enjoyment is the
same for everyone regardless of their material status in life. You
can't say that a rich man in a high-rise apartment in Manhattan eating
his bloody steak with silver cutlery is enjoying his meal more than a
Bengali farmer eating puffed rice from a leaf plate with his fingers.
The eating process is exactly the same. Or when you sleep, do you then
care or even notice if you are lying on a box spring mattress in
Beverly Hills or on a straw matt in a mud hut?
The only solution to the problems of finding our identity and finding
that which we can place our faith in is to accept divinely inspired
knowledge descending from Krishna, and which furthermore has been
recorded and transcribed in the Vedas, the most comprehensive body of
knowledge known to mankind. The essence of that great body of
knowledge has been delivered and made accessible to the people of this
modern, fallen age by Srila Prabhupada, who comes in the ancient
disciplic succession from Krishna Himself. Anything else is mere
speculation. So there is faith based on speculation, and faith based
on fact. The process of Krishna consciousness is faith based on facts.
Just try it out. Simply chant the Hare Krisna mantra and your life
will be sublime. It's guaranteed.
Krishna says:
My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to
you this most confidential knowledge and realization, knowing which
you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence. (Bg. 9.1)
This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all
secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct
perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of
religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed. (Bg. 9.2)
http://www.touchtalent.com//artist/118705/jahnu-das
https://www.youtube.com/user/jahnudvip?feature=watch
https://www.quora.com/profile/Jahnu-Das