By Shyam Nityanand Das
Here, I present a debate between two schools of thought, viz., solipsism and theism. Please forgive me for the stereotyping.
Solipsism
There are fanatics in every church and even among atheists. Do not judge them, do not hook your mind in interactions with them, and do not be attached to winning your arguments with them. This is what you need to understand: do not resist anything, do not judge anything and do not be attached to anything, not even to what I am saying.
Theism
But fanatics can be challenged and should be challenged, for two reasons:
(i) Fanatics, whether on the right or the left, cause schisms and tear lives of individuals and societies apart. The problem is they are unable to harmonise seemingly contradictory statements of recognised authorities like guru, sadhu and shastra.
(ii) Debate, for its own sake, if done with benign intentions and with reference to recognised authorities, can help us remove our own doubts and articulate our views.
What you are advising is wrong. I want to resist Maya, judge myself and become attached to Krishna. This is the true nature of the soul. No one can stop it. Peace is temporary. Only equilibrium is the stated condition of constantly giving up material designations, purging our inherent defects and remembering Krishna.
Solipsism
You want to resist Maya because you are attached to her now. Stop thinking in the future. There is no future. All the time in your life is happening now. Do not judge yourself because you are judging your past and there is nothing you can do about it. Better yet observe what you are doing now and see if it is right at this very moment. If you want to be attached to Krishna, do it now by ceasing resistance.
Theism
We do not live in the present. Actually, we cannot live in the present. That endeavour is futile. It leads to a temporary state of voidism, which seems like peace and bliss, due to forgetfulness of our own miserable material existence; in other words, existence without the cognizance of Krishna. However, we have to discard such a state to attend to our bodily needs. Again, we are forced to think about the past and the future.
We should follow in the footsteps of the gopis, who are always judging themselves unworthy and unqualified to serve Krishna. They are always thinking about their past interactions with Krishna and expecting future interactions with Him. That is natural most natural state of existence. That is permanent peace and bliss. Only difference with the embodied souls is that we are in relation with Maya (which leads to misery) and they are in relation with Krishna (which leads to bliss).
So, our only hope is: kabe habe sei din amar (when will that day be mine or when shall I also think about Krishna)?
Attempt at voidism, perceiving reality as a momentary phenomenon is an obstacle.
Solipsism
May I humbly suggest you something? Krishna Himself says everything is temporary! In chapter 2, 14th to 16th slokas, Krishna says:
mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ‘nityās
tāḿs titikṣasva bhārata
(Translation: O son of Kunti, the non-permanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.)
yaḿ hi na vyathayanty ete
puruṣaḿ puruṣarṣabha
sama-duḥkha-sukhaḿ dhīraḿ
so ‘mṛtatvāya kalpate
(Translation: O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation.)
nāsato vidyate bhāvo
nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ
ubhayor api dṛṣṭo ‘ntas
tv anayos tattva-darśibhiḥ
(Translation: Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent [the material body] there is no endurance and of the eternal [the soul] there is no change. This they have concluded by studying the nature of both.)
Theism
In the first sloka, Krishna is saying that happiness and distress are like seasons and we should try to tolerate them. Yes I agree. Krishna is indeed saying that happiness and distress are temporary. But we actually experience happiness and distress. They are produced by the mind and the body, but experienced by the soul. Experience is the product of consciousness, the property of the soul. A dead body cannot experience happiness or distress.
If the soul really experiences these states, how is it possible to tolerate them? It may be impossible, totally unrealistic on the bodily platform. So, we are forced to laugh and cry according to our situation. But one who is on the spiritual platform, in the direct cognizance of Krishna, for him, these experiences become insignificant because he is experiencing something of incomparable intensity, the form of Krishna, together with His associates, engaged in beautiful pastimes.
But some of us, on the bodily platform, like trees and other plants also tolerate happiness and distress, without getting disturbed. Does the second sloka mean that they will be liberated? Not at all. Liberation does not mean cessation of experience, otherwise, plants may have been the best candidate for the ultimate state. So, the great yogis and dhyanis, who have withdrawn their senses from the phenomenal world, also cannot be considered candidates for liberation. The plants do not get disturbed because of their lack of senses like eye, ear, nose, tongue, hand, leg, genital, anus, etc. (dormant consciousness) and yogis because of non-use of senses. Indeed, the latter are fit candidates to be reborn as trees in the next life. Hence, Krishna s statement can only mean to indicate those in the spiritual platform who are steady because all their senses are engaged in the service of Krishna and his associates.
Does the third sloka support your argument? On the contrary, it clearly distinguishes between matter and spirit. Matter can neither created nor destroyed, but it can be changed from one form to another, like earth, water, fire, air, ether or idea; but spirit is eternal or changeless. Does it mean that the soul is beyond any experience? No, the soul experiences the body (made up of the different forms of matter) in transition, but while the body is changing, the soul remains the same. Its size, shape, age, colour and all other attributes remain the same, i.e., its identity remains that of an associate of Krishna. Therefore, the eternal attributes of the soul are spiritual, not material. If there is no attribute of the soul and by implication that of the Supersoul, then what do the seers of the truth (rsis) study?
Please read the commentaries of the Vaishnava acharyas like Yamunacharya, Ramanujacharya, Vedanta Desika, Madhvacharya, Jaya Tirtha, Sridhara Svami, Vallabhacharya, Purusottama Acharya, Keshava Kashmiri Bhatta, Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura, Baladeva Vidyabhusana, Bhaktivinoda Thakura and A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on these three slokas.
Solipsism
I mean really, Bhagavad Gita has all the answers. But I am fascinated by a sloka, which has answered all my questions.
oḿ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaḿ
pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate
pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya
pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate
(Translation: The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.)
Theism
I know the mantra. It is very nice. How does it answer all your questions?
Solipsism
You know it by memory. That is good. But now meditate on it deeply. And do not judge it by considering it nice. Stop identifying with your mind. Stay still one second and observe your mind. With practice, you can spend 3 seconds observing, then you will actually meditate.
Theism
Kindly clarify if I should meditate on the sound of the mantra or its meaning.
Solipsism
Observe.
Theism
Whom?
Solipsism
Observe your mind and realise the space that you create when you observe your mind. In that space you are you, not your ego, not your mind.
Theism
Okay.
Solipsism
You are smart. Read beyond what has been indoctrinated to you, there are truths in every spiritual path, but every path is unique and personal. It does not work when you follow a prepackaged, predigested truth and deny the rest. You are the Soul and the Eternal. The rest is temporary.
Theism
I am not the mind. So, I am not smart. Everything is coming and going. Only I exist without any ego.
Solipsism
So, the real spiritual master, always points to the truth. He or she will never tell you that you have to do this or that, otherwise you are doomed. He will point, not command because he knows you are also the Soul.
Theism
Yes, there is nothing to doing or not doing; after all, everything is temporary.
Solipsism
Perform your role in this world, being unattached to the fruits of your action.
Theism
Yes, the fruit does not matter. Everything is temporary. Only I matter.
Solipsism
I mean that I am not in a position to tell you what to do. I am only telling you my position at this moment. So, do not take any prepackaged truth as absolute. It is always flawed.
Theism
Obviously, you cannot tell anything except your position at present. Nobody can, unless he accepts testimony (recognized authority). It is endless because my opinion at every moment is my opinion at present and the moments are endless as time is endless. There can be no truth if we accept the doctrine of momentariness. It is called solipsism in modern philosophy.
According to this philosophy, knowledge of anything outside one’s own mind is unsure. The external world and other minds cannot be known, and might not exist outside the mind. As such it is the only epistemological position that, by its own postulate, is both irrefutable and indefensible. That means there is no way any argument can be falsified, according to solipsism, because everything is a creation of the mind, and ceases to exist the next moment.
Therefore, it is important to reject such evil doctrines, which do not discriminate between moral and immoral, truth and untruth, beautiful and ugly and spirit and matter. Solipsism and its manifestations thrive on two concepts:
(i) Only I exist without any ego.
(ii) Only I matter.
Both these concepts are absurd and evil. If I exist without my ego, i.e., one minus one, then nothing exists. If nothing exists, nothing matters. Is this philosophy?
Solipsism
We could spend eternity calling things this or that. I shall not try to convince you of anything. I am inviting you to silence. If you accept, it is okay; if you will not, it is also okay.
I read this. It was not easy to read, but I read it. It reminded me of Dostoyevsky, Notes from the Underground, wherein the author confesses his own hyper-selfawareness. My advice…Relax. Krishna is our Friend. There is the plane of exploitation (illusory life) and there is the plane of dedication (to Krishna consciousness, of course). So, relax, and let Krishna’s divine magic take place in your life. It is natural, and blessed.
Now, everyday bhaktas are confronted by challenging situations. Some of them may involve discussions with those who might challenge your beliefs. If one is very expert as a preacher in Krishna consciousness, it is possible to engage in discussions, not for the pleasure of it, but as a matter of duty. We are representing Sri Sri Guru Gauranga. You can find the strength by remembering the advice of Mahaprabhu…trinadapi sunicena….try to suppress pride and have compassion for others, even honor them in a way that they will realize the importance of Mahaprabhu. Remember, if you withhold “your” mercy by failing to share the wisdom that you have been blessed with, then that soul may not become as fortunate as you in this or a future birth. One can always withdraw and become a “self-contained” soul, “safe in Krishna consciousness”, but the joy of Sankirtan is DISTRIBUTION. Distribution through book distribution, distribution through giving others knowledge, distribution by sharing of the Holy Names and prasadam.
But, remember that this distribution is done as a matter of duty, on the order of one’s Sri Gurudeva, and not for personal aggrandizement or ego gratification. It is service of the Holy Name. It does not matter if you can identify matter as changing or that the soul has nothing to do with matter. It is rather the higher realization that everything is Krishna’s, and everything we have in our hand (body, mind, words, wealth, soul) can be dedicated to Krishna. The results are also Krishna’s, not ours. So, be an instrument for Lord Chaitanya. A very nice proposition…and relax. Pusta Krishna das
PS
One of the issues you brought up is whether one should meditate on the sound of the Holy Names or the meaning of the Holy Names. It is first of all important to exalt the Holy Names in your understanding to Their transcendental nature, that is, do not make the offense of thinking the chanting of the Holy Names is for mundane purposes or ritualistic. Then, when you chant the Holy Names, try to hear the sound vibration in the mood of loving service. That is best. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad reeommends one chant the Holy Name with the feeling of dependance and longing, like the child crying for its mother. Lalasmayi is the state of deep spiritual yearning for Krishna. It must not be materially contrived, but rather one proceeds with honesty in their sadhana. Srila Rupa Goswami recommends enthusiasm, determination, and patience. Patience is the faith that I am acting in accord with the directives of Guru, Shastra, and Sadhu. I will not give up due to impatience. Sometimes we hear someone say, “I have been chanting for so many years in not getting the result.” The flaw is not in the process, but rather in the attitude. We should abandon the good of being self-centric. If one is moksha-kami, desirous of liberation, or desirous of material desires, the higher gift of love for Krishna may not come immediately. Love of Krishna, Krishna consciousness places Krishna above one’s self. One is conscious of one’s beloved and forgetful of one’s self. Still, the Holy Name is the Supreme Controller. Thus, if one is without desires, full of desires, or desirous of liberation, they should still approach Krishna since He is the ultimate benefactor of all. But, the highest treasure is love of God.
It is good to discuss these concepts for our own purification and resolve. Pusta Krishna das