Friday the 13th, Black Cats, Mr. Tek and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Yesterday was Friday the 13th.  It was also the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.  So when a black cat crossed our path to school in the morning, I wasn't worried.  I was actually kind of happy, to tell you the truth, that I could now tell people that "A black cat crossed my path on Friday the 13th."  It is liberated souls like Bhaktisiddhanta, who is the guru of my grand guru and instructing guru Srila Prabhupada, that has removed much the fear I used to have about life and the mishaps and miseries of the material world.  There are so many things that can go wrong that people are paranoid.  In India, if a cat crosses a person's path, people find another path to take.  I just chant loudly, "Hare Krishna," and go on.  There is something to omens, that can't be denied.  They are mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam and other vedic texts.  They are simply signs about what may be up ahead.  There are good omens and bad omens.  Unfortunately, in places like India and other developing countries, people over-extrapolate on them and give them more power than they deserve.  They are not curses in and of themselves, but rather warnings of possible danger or sometimes they reflect something that will indeed happen or already has.  In such cases, you just have to prepare your consciousness to deal with them.  I don't go out looking for omens but I do keep my eyes open for them.  In the ancient vedas, written in the language of Sanskrit, the science of omens is referred to as niscita.  

Nothing bad happened to us yesterday except Radha and I got into a little argument when I said to her,"A black cat crossed our path, don't you get a kick out of that?"  She made a face and said "That's a weird question, Dad."  In the morning she is traditionally not in the best of moods.  I, on the other hand, although not in the greatest of moods either, try to make the best of it and often act friendly and talk a lot.  This tends to annoy the hell out of her.  Later that afternoon, she was extra nice to me.

In my Topics of Math yesterday, my professor Mr. Tek, said something that didn't sound right to me involving.  I asked him to clarify it and a fellow student got angry at me.  "You're just wasting all of out time," she said.  "Great, another woman is annoyed at me this morning," I thought.  Anyway, I found her to be rude but as I was about to say something back to her my instructor interrupted in my defense.  "Some people are critical thinkers, like my friend Greg here," he said.  "If he disagrees with something he might even challenge the teacher.  That is all right because we discuss and we both learn.  That is the way to get a real education.  Other people are robots.  They have a degree but they don't have a education.  They just come to get technical training to get a degree to make money.  But if you ask them a question that requires thinking they can't answer.  You know why?" he said, scanning the class with a dramatic pause.  "Because they know nothing.  They have killed the inquiring spirit within them by self-censorship."  As the words came out of his mouth I was happy.  Friday the 13th was not a bad day after all.  When I looked toward the female student who made the comment, however, she didn't hear a word the professor said because she was complaining to another student about me as he talked.  I'm not doing so well in that class early on but for some reason the professor likes me.

I notice there are a lot of not-so-bright people in Topics of Math as compared to my classes in International Relations or American Government.  That's probably because Topics in Math is a class people generally take to avoid Math.  I think I should have taken some other Math class because I can barely understand what Professor Tek is attempting to teach half the time.  I do like him a lot, though.  The other day he said, "Now I will show you a shortcut which I call Mr. Tek's shortcut.  If you follow it you will enjoy it very much," he said with a wry smile on his face.    But if you don't...WATCH OUT!  You might fail the class."  Another time he said, "It would be nice if all my students already knew everything but then again, I might be out a job. But I don't worry because I have back-up.  I will not tell you what it is but don't worry.  It could be very lucrative."

I think I have to rededicate myself to better study habits to pull this semester out of the hat. I'm just kind of wading through school these days as the six classes are thinning me out.  I've got to get more serious.  I am trying to go to UF next semester so I have to make sure I maintain my grades.

If I do get into UF next semester it will be great.  First of all, I'll get to take classes that I think I will like again.  Secondly, I plan to walk to and from class everyday if possible.  A half-hour each way will guarantee me at least one hour per day.  I will be able to eat Krishna Lunch also, although sometimes it is kind of heavy for a 44-year-old body.  Govinda told me yesterday that you can ask for the vegan option with the subji if you want.  Sour cream tastes good and everything but I can't see myself eating that heavy stuff every day.

I fasted until noon for Bhatisiddhanta, but then ate some crappy Dominoes Pizza from the cafeteria.  It tasted horrible.  I wasn't prepared as I rushed out of the house late this morning without packing a lunch.  There was no Krishna lunch to save me and my ulcer problems don't permit me to fast very long.  There were long lines everywhere except for the pizza.  I have to confess I ate out two more times yesterday as well.  My daughter and I went to Chop Stix after school, and then I took Glani out for a Valentine's Day dinner at Top in the evening.  Govinda met us there later.  I suffered a little indigestion.  

After dinner, I met Radha, Vrn, Kesi and Kavi at the movies for "Coraline," an old-fashioned stop-motion animation film by Timothy Burton.  It was actually very entertaining.  Vrn stayed overnight and told me she is officially moving to New York city to stay with her sister in the summer or fall and go to school there.  I'm going to miss her bright personality.  I'm sure Radha will visit her in the big city  a lot, though.

I didn't get to walk or chant much yesterday, although I was able to tell Govinda some stories about Bhaktisiddhanta.  On Thursday, I received an email from some faction of the Gaudiya Math.  I think it was from the Narayana Maharaja camp.  I'm an ISKCON man but sectarian. I liked the collection of questions and answers by Bhaktisiddhanta it contained.   Bhaktisiddhanta sounds heavy in the article.  He was scholarly and brilliant. Prabhupada said that his guru often used the "chopping technique," which made pandits afraid to debate him.  I feel a strong connection to him as my spiritual great-grandfather.  I have copied the article below for anyone interested in reading:

By what means can we gain the courage for self-surrender?

by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada

Question 1: Is it proper to endeavour for personal happiness while neglecting devotional service?

Answer: Never. Endeavours for personal happiness are non-devotional (abhakti). A person who always remains busy with his own happiness and freedom, leaving aside service to Hari, guru and Vaisnavas, will never be the recipient of any service from others, despite his desire for it. Instead, he will be neglected and disliked by all. On the other hand, millions upon millions of people, and even Mahaprabhu Himself, will be ready to serve that person who disregards his own happiness and comfort, yet remains continuously engaged in service to Sri Guru and Krsna with his body, mind and words.

Question 2: With what attitude should we chant the name of Sri Bhagavan?

Answer: Suddha bhaktas (pure devotees) never call out to Bhagavan to destroy their own sin, to accumulate piety or attain the heavenly planets, or to dispel a famine, epidemic, disturbance of the peace, revolution or disease. Nor do they call out to Him to attain objects for their enjoyment, such as wealth and a kingdom. The very names of Sri Bhagavan directly indicate the Supreme Controller (Paramesvara) Himself. If we attempt to engage that Supreme Lord in accomplishing any act for our personal sense enjoyment, it means that we are trying to appoint Him, our most worshipful object, as our servant. This is a great offence.

Therefore, unless we call out to Bhagavan for the sake of serving Him, our calling Him will go in vain. Jesus Christ has said, “Do not take God’s Name in vain.”* But this does not imply that we are not to call out to Him continuously – while sleeping, dreaming, eating, during times of recreation – and at any time and in any place. If we call out to Bhagavan with a desire to serve Him, then our call will not go in vain; indeed it is our sole obligation. However, if we merely imitate the process of genuinely calling to Him by soliciting Him to fulfil our personal desires then our effort will be in vain. That the name of Bhagavan should not be taken in vain means that one should not call His name with a desire to attain dharma (religiosity), artha (material prosperity), kama(selfish gratification) or moksa (liberation); rather, the sole reason one should continuously call to Him is to serve Him.

_____________________
* “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain” is the third of the Ten Commandments established by Moses and propounded by Jesus Christ. (The Bible, Exodus 20.7)

Question 3: What is the difference between the soul, the mind and the body?

Answer: Scripture has delineated the distinctive differences between the soul, the mind and the body, and has given the subtle analysis of them as a spiritual spark, a shadow of spirit, and inert matter, respectively. The soul is the owner of the two other substances – namely the body and mind. The body and mind belong to the soul, and in turn the soul belongs to the Supersoul. The soul has two coverings: one is the subtle covering called the mind and the other is the gross covering called the body.

The external material body is the aggregate of the five gross elements, while the internal body, or mental body, is that which drives the external body. Through its connection with the mind, the soul, in its confined state, is bound with incompatible possessions in the form of the physical body. The soul is in a dormant state at present, so it is not aware of service to the Supersoul. Seeing that the soul, their owner, is asleep, these two subordinate workers, the mind and body, fulfil their own narrow-minded interests instead of fulfilling the interest of their proprietor.

The mind’s nature is to waver, but the soul is unchanging and eternal. The function of the mind is to enjoy and to renounce while the function of the soul is to serve Sri Bhagavan. The mind can comprehend objects that have up to three dimensions; it has no capacity to understand objects of the fourth dimension because they are beyond sense perception. Through worldly knowledge and experience one cannot comprehend the Supreme Absolute Truth, Sri Bhagavan, who is beyond the scope of material senses.

Question 4: How, then, will I become acquainted with such transcendental subject matters?

Answer: Just as a messenger brings news of one’s relatives who live in a distant land, a transcendental messenger bears transcendental news. Whoever does not become the recipient of his transcendental message is understood to be extremely unfortunate, for that transcendental messenger will certainly deliver his message to anyone who is truly eager for it.

Question 5: How will we recognize a messenger from Vaikuntha and the authenticity of his message?

Answer: If our prayers become sincere and honest, then by the mercy of Bhagavan, who is omniscient, everything will be revealed to us. A student can recognize an erudite scholar only with the help of another erudite scholar. Sri Bhagavan, who resides in our heart, will help us in every aspect of our life. We only have to depend on Him exclusively.

If we want to acquire knowledge of some entity there are two means by which we can do so. The first means is through knowledge and experience pertaining to this world. But in the case of transcendental entities the experience and knowledge of this world are to be considered incomplete. Thus the second means is to exclusively surrender one’s self to that great personality who has descended from the same realm as that transcendental entity. By hearing from him we can gain an understanding of that entity.

Question 6: Material knowledge and experience are our sole resource. How can rejecting them help us surrender to a supra-mundane being?

Answer: One cannot progress successfully if he fears the process of surrender, thinking it to be difficult. If we want to know the Absolute Truth, we will need immense spiritual strength of heart. We cannot learn the art of swimming if we fear the mere sight of water. The process of surrender is not a very difficult matter; rather, for the soul it is easy and natural. Whatever is opposed to surrender is unnatural for the soul and painful.

Question 7: By what means can we gain the courage to surrender our very self?

Answer: We have to hear hari-katha from a bona fide representative of Bhagavan. When we listen to him speak, we must shut out all of our worldly experience, knowledge, and flawed logic. As we continue to hear the transcendentally powerful and valorous narrations of Bhagavan from a livingsadhu, unwanted obstructions (anarthas) like weak-heartedness will gradually be removed. At that time unprecedented courage will enter our heart and selfless surrender, the natural propensity of the soul, will be fully awakened. In such a surrendered heart the self-manifesting Absolute Truth of the transcendental realm will reveal Himself. This is the only way we can know the Absolute Truth, for it is impossible by any other means to know that truth which is free from any trace of deceit.

Translated from Srila Prabhupadera Upadesamrta Questions re-numbered for this on-line presentation Posted by the Rays of The Harmonist team