A paradigm shift: Are you open to change?

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a paradigm shift as an important change that happens when the usual way of thinking about or doing something is replaced by a new and different way. Our conditioned response to life is I am this body, everything is mine to enjoy, I am the center of the universe, I control everything around me and I can manipulate anything for my own benefit. That material response is based on the bodily concept of life. We know this body, we know our breath and we try to meditate on nothing but just empty space. Our consciousness is so covered up by the conditioning of lifetimes of roaming in different bodies in this material world that it seems like it would take a Herculean effort to realize the first lesson of our sacred scripture the Bhagavad Gita. The first lesson given by Lord Sri Krishna is that we are not this body, we are an eternal soul. But to actually realize that and live with that knowledge in our daily life seems out of reach. An internal paradigm shift is required in our thinking along with the practice of clearing that conditioning and realizing what is underneath and within this body. What is that something that leaves the body when we call a body dead? What is it that gives an ant the intelligence to find that crumb of food? First we have to realize we are not this body and then to realize we are parts and parcels of Krishna. And taking it a step forward then, that we are eternal maidservants of Srimati Radharani. This knowledge was given to us by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Krishna showed us the path that we must surrender to him in a loving mood but He didn’t show us the process of how to do it. As Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krishna comes again in the mood of Srimati Radharani to show us how to practice devotion. How to develop that loving mood of service.

What is the paradigm shift? How is this shift going to happen? How is it that some of us have been practicing and doing our bhajan for so many years and we just cannot get past this bodily consciousness?

In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna mentions in the second chapter the process of attachment which is called asakti, which develops into lust for material things, and when we are not able to attain those things, anger develops. After anger develops, delusion arises, bewilderment of our memory and intelligence is lost. Which is then the cause of our fall down. Bhagavad Gita 2.62 says

dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ
saṅgas teṣūpajāyate
saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ
kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.

krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ
sammohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ
smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo
buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati

From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool.

Source: https://www.vedabase.com/en/bg/2

This attachment to material things is therefore the cause of our fall down. We keep in this circle of wanting to get rid of the material desires but it seems impossible because it is impossible. Desires have to be transformed. They cannot be eradicated. Instead, our constant contemplation, or cintan, is on these unlimited material desires. These desires are like the waves in the ocean that never end. If we think we will take a bath in the ocean when the waves stop, then we can forget about it. We will have to take a bath along with these waves. If we think we will do proper bhajan when our life is quieter, when we are done with responsibilities and our material desires will be gone, we can forget about that.

Attachment, or cintan, is the same but the paradigm shift is the shift from material attachment to eternal spiritual attachment. If we think of Jad Vastu or material objects we get material consciousness, but if we think of citta Vastu or spiritual eternal objects we get spiritual consciousness. If I contemplate on Radha Krishna, I develop attachment to Them, I develop lust that I must attain Them, and I develop love for Them, anuraag. The anger that arises in a devotee’s heart is due to all the obstacles in his path. With these obstacles he feels detached to those material objects and people in his life. His material intelligence gets destroyed. In the above sloka 2.63 the word praṇaśyati means all material desires get destroyed when we think of Krishna, and vice versa all spiritual desires get destroyed when we think of material things. So the process is the same, just a shift in our consciousness.

If only the the soul could realize that the process given for Kaliyuga is so easy, but we are so unfortunate we have no inclination or the slightest desire to cross this material ocean of birth and death. Knowingly we drink the poison of material desires even when we have been given the nectar of the holy names. Overall the yoga processes defined in Bhagavad Gita by Lord Krishna, bhakti yoga is the easiest of all over Jnana (path of knowledge) and karma (path of working for the Lord). In Bhagavad Gita 9.30 He says

api cet su-durācāro
bhajate mām ananya-bhāk
sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ
samyag vyavasito hi saḥ

Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination.

In Kaliyuga any offenses made by the mind are not even considered as an offense whereas in previous yugas if one even commits a sinful act by thinking it was considered an offense. Krishna is so kind. Here He says that if a person has the resolve to attain Krishna bhakti then even if in the process he commits some mistakes he is considered a saint. There is no sin big enough that we can do, that one single holy name cannot eradicate. Then further in Bhagavad Gita 9.31 He says

kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā
śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati
kaunteya pratijānīhi
na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati

He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.

Krishna promises that He will quickly make the sinful person righteous. And boldly claims that His devotees never perish. We just have to surrender, and the rest Krishna does all the work. He gives us the intelligence when we come under His shelter. He gives us the power to discriminate right from wrong. Buddhi yoga is that yoga of intelligence that can only be received from God. Here in Bhagavad Gita 10. 10 He says

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te

To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

Krishna says here those who are constantly devoted to serving me with love. How can we express love ? By giving Them some room in our heart. Yet we are unable to do so. He just wants us to live for Him. He does not want so many things from us. There is no need to leave our home, work or families just to include Krishna in our life. Objects in the material world are not the cause of bondage but attachment to those objects is the cause of bondage. We have our homes but know that it is Krishna’s home. We eat food but first we offer to Krishna. Know that your family sons, daughters, spouses are the property of Krishna and that you are taking care of them.

A devotee may think he has committed so many sins, how can he possibly engage in bhakti yoga? But Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita 18.66

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

He very mercifully takes away all our sins. But we must fully surrender from our heart. From the outside one need not show anything but from within one must be fully surrendered. His feelings, bhava must be fully in the surrendered mood. Krishna says “then I will take you to My abode”.

Bhagavad Gita 18.62

tam eva śaraṇaṁ gaccha
sarva-bhāvena bhārata
tat-prasādāt parāṁ śāntiṁ
sthānaṁ prāpsyasi śāśvatam

O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him utterly. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode.

One can see at every step we need the shelter of the Lord. We cannot do this by ourselves. All we need to do is within our heart of hearts surrender everything we have by body, mind and words. Krishna says He sits within our heart and helps us. He gives us His causeless mercy. Bhagavad Gita 10.11 & 18.58 Krishna says

teṣām evānukampārtham
aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho
jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā

To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.

mac-cittaḥ sarva-durgāṇi
mat-prasādāt tariṣyasi
atha cet tvam ahaṅkārān
na śroṣyasi vinaṅkṣyasi

If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.

Source: https://www.vedabase.com/en/bg

If we live for this world we will be lost, but if we live for Krishna there is eternal happiness. We just have to rid ourselves of this ‘I’ and ‘mine’ concept and change it to ‘you ‘and ‘yours’, then our bhakti path will be easy. Sentiment in everyday life causes ignorance. We start thinking he said, she said, etc. and fall into a trap of Maya, the illusory energy of the Lord.

Minute to minute our meditation should be I am not this body, I never was and I never will be. My relationship to Krishna is eternal, was always eternal, will always be eternal. Radharani is mine and I am Radharani’s eternal maidservant. Nothing Belongs to me. Everything belongs to Krishna. I am just working on behalf of Krishna. If we can preoccupy our consciousness with these feelings by practice, then Guru & Krishna will grace us with Their causeless mercy. Krishna invites everyone to come to Him. He says to do abhyasa, meaning practice. Then practice makes perfect!!!

This practice of clearing the consciousness given by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is very easily achieved by the practice of chanting of the holy names. It cleanses the mirror of the heart so we can realize the truth.

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam

Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛiṣhṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Krishna expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.

We have not realized any of this, but wanted to share these excerpts from various katha.

So chant incessantly and make a paradigm shift in your consciousness!!

Here are this week’s tunes.