The Sage Page / Vol. 2 Episodes 483 - 489
Srimad Bhagavatam / Canto 3 / Chapter 15 / Texts 1 - 33 / July 12 - 18, 2021
Last week we began Chapter 15 “Description of the Kingdom of God” wherein Brahma describes to the Devas how his sons, the four Kumaras, went to the gates of the spiritual world (Vaikuntha - no anxiety), were barred entrance by the gatekeepers. Here are a few points to take away.
The qualifications & disqualifications for entry into Vaikuntha (both geographically as well as in one’s consciousness).
Disqualification - text 3.15.23
The inclination to hear topics unworthy of hearing, which bewilder one’s intelligence and lead to the darkest regions of ignorance.
Qualification - text 3.15.25
Feelings of ecstasy due to strong attraction to hearing discussions of the Lord.
(Ep. 486)
Anger is the younger brother of desire.
- text 3.15.31
Anu means to follow. Kama-anuja means one who follows kama (desire). Just as a younger brother follows the elder brother, anger follows desire. If we can learn to control our desires we can learn to control anger. (Ep. 486)The Verse We Wear Around Our Necks
tṛṇād api su-nīcena
taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
“One who is more humble than a blade of grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.” From the Śikṣāṣṭaka Prayers of Śrī Caitanya
The mantras composed of God's names are powerfully transformative, but our ability to receive that potency depends on our disposition. (Ep. 486)
The Fundamental Principle of Vaikuntha...
or the Spiritual World, is that everyone operates in harmony with Vishnu (or Krishna) in the center, just as the leaves of a tree are all centered around the root. There are no separate agendas there, rather everyone serves the one Divine center. The same principle applies to the individual - when the mind is out of harmony with the soul, we experience inner discord - anxiety, fear, boredom, depression, etc. As you become more spiritual you become aware of discordance within. The practice of Bhakti-yoga is a way of bringing the body and mind into harmony with the true self, the soul. (Ep. 487)We’re either grateful or we're entitled.
Gratitude leads to spiritual awakening.
Tukaram Das
(Ep. 489)
