Here is how one can get real independence spiritually!
While India celebrates the Independence Day on Thursday, Sri Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa Prabhu of Hare Krishna Movement raisess an important issue of how one can get real independence spiritually. He simplifies the process and suggests the spiritual route to attain real independence
By Sri Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa Prabhu
Hyderabad:
We all like independence. We do not like to be influenced or controlled by anyone else. Ideally, we want full freedom to do what we want to do. We wish to spend the whole day enjoying nature, waterfalls, forestry, sports, watching Cinema, or TV, or engaging in social Media. Children want to play all day and enjoy themselves! Similarly, we do not even want interruptions in between! In fact, we become angry if our enjoyment or desires are interrupted or obstructed.
Bhagavad-Gita recognises this independence
Vedic literatures recognise this independence of every person, in fact, every living entity. Every person has independence and exercises one’s freewill the way one wants.
Arjuna wanted to escape from war and spend the rest of his time in the forest living a beggar’s life. He has cited many reasons to Krishna for his decision. But, Krishna didn’t agree with Arjuna. He gives the remedies for all Arjuna’s apprehensions and shows the path for perfection.
Krishna leaves the decision to Arjuna
After explaining many yoga systems of expanding one’s consciousness, Krishna finally leaves the decision to Arjuna by saying:
iti te jñānam ākhyātaṁ
guhyād guhyataraṁ mayā
vimṛśyaitad aśeṣeṇa
yathecchasi tathā kuru
“Thus I have explained to you the most confidential of all knowledge. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.” (BG 18.63)
It is the most striking aspect of Bhagavad-Gita: Even Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, respects the independence of the human being, Arjuna! We sometimes get a picture of God as an authoritarian, but we can see Krishna leaving the decision to Arjuna recognising his constitutional right of independence!
By design, everyone is a servant!
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, “Jivera Svarupa Hai Nitya Krishna Dasa“, means that the original position of every living entity is to be a servant of Krishna. This is the key understanding to regain real independence. Superficially, one may think that he is the master of all that he surveys. A family man thinks himself the master of the house. A Municipal councilor thinks of himself/herself as the master of his ward. Ultimately, the prime minister thinks of himself as the master of the country. But, in actuality, they are all serving someone! The man serves his family. The municipal councilor serves his ward. A PM serves his countrymen. During elections, he/she will request the voters to give one more opportunity to serve them! Everyone is a servant, but they THINK that they are masters and controllers.
All living entities in this world are always busy serving someone! If there is no one to serve, then they keep some pet animals like dogs or a cat and serve them with heart and love. So, if one anyway has to serve someone, why not serve Lord Krishna, who is the supreme proprietor and the friend of all!
Simple process for service
Srila Prabhupada, the Founder of the worldwide Hare Krishna Movement, gave a simple formula for serving Krishna regularly. This process is to simply chant the Holy Names of Krishna and hear submissively:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
By doing this Japa Meditation, we can be in touch with Krishna directly and be free from all material anxieties. By His mercy, one attains complete freedom from all material bondages and miseries and thus gains real independence.
Chant Hare Krishna & Be happy!
(Author is the President, Hare Krishna Movement, Hyderabad, and Regional President, Akshaya Patra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh)
