By Karnamrita dasa
The world we live in speaks to us loudly, boldly, in no uncertain terms, according to our interest or necessity. What we want from life we notice and pursue. Other things we rarely notice due to lack of awareness. Krishna tells us (BG 4.11) that He reciprocates with our approach to Him (whatever we think He is), and He gives us the faith to pursue our conceptions (BG 7/21). Or as the Bible says: âAsk and it will be given. Seek and ye shall find.â This principle said another way is the reason materialists have no time for spiritual inquiry, and pure devotees no interest in the so-called charms of the world. âWhat is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage.â (BG 2/69)
Everyone is ultimately, though ignorantly and indirectly, searching for Krishna through their pursuit to become happy. Our desires and attachments define us materially, fueling our material interest and keeping us in the world. Our mind is expert at dangling the proverbial carrot of possible future enjoyment before our nose. What we want is just up ahead. We only have to work a bit harder, and then after we obtain our heartâs desire, there is this other thing which needs to be obtained or accomplished to make our life even better. And so we go birth after birth, in search of the holy grail of fulfillment and lasting happiness.
As those aspiring to be on the spiritual path, we are recommended to keep death or the temporary nature of âlifeâ always in our mind. Not in morbid or depressed sense, but as an impetus for our spiritual endeavor to achieve the true positive platform of our loving relationship to Krishna.
Sometimes it is said that âbeauty is only âskin deepââ. One meaning of this expression is that we are attracted to the outward beauty of the body without understanding its’ inner components and that it covers the soul or the true beauty within. When the inside of the body—âblood and gutsâ—becomes visible, the soul remembers that the person or creature is not their body.
While driving to and from work, I canât help but notice the fate of many creatures who meet their end by contacting the march of so-called progress. The modern day âpredatorsâ called automobiles create âroad killâ by the side or in the middle of the road. A squished body is plainly visible for all to see, bright with red blood for emphasis, in various stages of decomposition. In the countryside sometimes they are called even more to my attention by other creatures—the worldâs sanitation department—like vultures or crows who have been given the assignment by Krishna to consume dead bodies.
People become âshocked and awedâ by this naked form of matter, especially if a most dear relative is seen in parts after a ghastly accident. In our society when the mechanical arrangements of the body are on bloody display, traumatized people often need some kind of counseling to deal with this stark reality usually hidden from our sight (interest). Of course the real philosophy to help people deal with death and dyingâand the realization of the ugliness of the components of the body separated from the soul–is contained in Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic texts.
Unfortunately, other than with devotee therapists, they are not used in most counseling offices. If they are consulted, people can use this knowledge to see the body for what it is—a temporary covering for the eternal soul. Then they will have a different relationship with âroad killâ. They and we can come to see it as a positive demonstration that we are all, ânot our bodyâ. Along with saying âyukâ and feeling sorry for this poor creatureâs untimely death, we can be inspired that Krishna has so kindly and graphically demonstrated that the soul is what is attractive in the body.
The body when the soul leaves is just material elements that decompose, and become physically disgusting. Material bodies and things are âhere today, and gone tomorrowâ, while the soul is eternal, and what is really valuable. For the devotees, Krishna kindly teaches us this basic fact in our everyday life. There are many reminders which are plainly visible, but only properly understood to those on a spiritual path. (BG 15/10-11)
I know that in the assembly of learned devotees there is no new “revelations” here. However, my blogs are my not so humble attempt to share my journey with you. Whatever I notice in life that I find useful I try to share. One of the points of this blog is to remind us all that within every experience or thing that we observe, there is a lesson. Depending on our consciousness we will be able to receive different levels of messages. The materialist will be just grossed out by roadkill or ignore it, while a transcendentalist will question if there is anything to learn from this. “What does this mean?”, rather than walking aimlessly through life. And at different stages of our devotional life we will notice things that we didn’t before—that have been right in front of us for years.
Although it is said that the human body (compared to other species) is a good boat for crossing the material ocean, it is very gross and inferior to the soul. Both sides are there to remember. We can be grateful for the facilities of a human body, while taking reminders from life (or death) about its’ shortcomings, and becoming convinced that the real solution to life’s problems is spiritual attainment by absorbing ourself in service (seva) to Krishna and his holy name.