In2-MeC

Helsinki, Finland
5 November 2004

The ksudra-brahmanda
(microcosmic universe of the human body)
as described in Srimad-Bhagavatam 7. 12. 25-30

khe khani vayau nisvasams
tejahsu-smanam atmavan
apsv asrk-slesma-puyani
ksitau sesam yathodbhavam

A sober, self-realized person who has full knowledge should merge the various parts of the body in their original sources. The holes in the body are caused by the sky, the process of breathing is caused by the air, the heat of the body is caused by fire, and semen, blood and
mucus are caused by water. The hard substances, like skin, muscle and bone, are caused by earth. In this way all the constituents of the body are caused by various elements, and they should be merged again into those elements.

vacam agnau savaktavyam
indre silpam karav api
padani gatya vayasi
ratyopastham prajapatau

mrtyau payum visargam ca
yatha-sthanam vinirdiset
diksu srotram sa-nadena
sparsenadhyatmani tvacam

rupani caksusa rajan
jyotisy abhinivesayet
apsu pracetasa jihvam
ghreyair ghranam ksitau nyaset

Thereafter, the object of speech, along with the sense of speech [the tongue], should be bestowed upon fire. Craftsmanship and the two hands should be given to the demigod Indra. The power of movement and the legs should be given to Lord Visnu. Sensual pleasure, along with the genitals, should be bestowed upon Prajapati. The rectum, with the power of evacuation, should be bestowed, in its proper place, unto Mrtyu. The aural instrument, along with sound vibration, should be given to the deities presiding over the directions. The instrument of touch, along with the sense objects of touch, should be given to Vayu. Form, with the power of sight, should be bestowed upon the sun. The tongue, along with the demigod Varuna, should be bestowed upon water, and the power of smell, along with the two Asvini-kumara demigods, should be bestowed upon the earth.

mano manorathais candre
buddhim bodhyaih kavau pare
kamaany adhyatmana rudre
yad-aham mamata-kriya
sattvena cittam ksetra jne
gunair vaikarikam pare

apsu ksitim apo jyotisy
ado vayau nabhasy amum
kutasthe tac ca mahati
tad avyakte 'ksare ca tat

The mind, along with all material desires, should be merged in the moon demigod. All the subject matters of intelligence, along with the intelligence itself, should be placed in Lord Brahma. False ego, which is under the influence of the material modes of nature and which induces one to think, "I am this body, and everything connected with this body is mine," should be merged, along with material activities, in Rudra, the predominating deity of false ego. Material consciousness, along with the goal of thought, should be merged in the individual living being, and the demigods acting under the modes of material nature should be merged, along with the perverted living being, into the Supreme Being. The earth should be merged in water, water in the brightness of the sun, this brightness into the air, the air into the sky, the sky into the false ego, the false ego into the total material energy, the total material energy into the unmanifested ingredients [the pradhana feature of the material energy], and at last the ingredient feature of material manifestation into the Supersoul.

 

Deva-sarga (the creation of demigods)
includes eight kinds of entities
as described in Bhag. 3. 10. 28-29

deva-sargas casta-vidho
vibudhah pitaro 'surah
gandharvapsa rasah siddha
yaksa-raksamsi caranah

bhuta-preta-pisacas ca
vidyadhrah kinnaradayah
dasaite vidurakhyatah
sargas te visva-srk-krtah

The creation of the demigods is of eight varieties: (1) the demigods, (2) the forefathers, (3) the asuras, or demons, (4) the Gandharvas and Apsaras, or angels, (5) the Yaksas and Raksasas, (6) the Siddhas, Caranas and Vidyadharas, (7) the Bhutas, Pretas and Pisacas, and (8) the superhuman beings, celestial singers, etc. All are created by Brahma, the creator of the universe.

The perverted conception (vaikarika) of the living entity exists under the spell of the modes of material nature. The universal demigods are manifest within those modes and thus are present and active even within the gross and subtle embodiment of the individual living being. When we say "the demigods" their counterparts in opposition, the demons, are also included. Hence the personified forces of good and evil wage their cosmic struggles with one another within the body and mind of every person in this world.

The local cosmos of an individual's body and mind, and the greater cosmos of the virat , are features of Lord Krsna's Visvarupa, His universal form. This means that each of us is always with Krsna, whether we be "good" or "bad" or "inbetween. " Good and bad are relavent to the modes of material nature ( sattva-guna , tamo-guna and rajo-guna ). From Krsna's standpoint we are neither good nor bad, but are His eternal parts and parcels, pure spirit souls and perfect, though tiny, samples of His transcendental essence.

However, we can only take comfort in this, our true non-material identity, if we strive to be Krsna conscious. If we sluggishly stick to material consciousness, then we must accept the consequence of that choice. We must accept the perverted conception of identity, described above by Srimad-Bhagavatam , and we must accept all the miseries that follow that perverted conception in the flow of time.

Being Krsna conscious means not to wait for some future apocalypse of divine intervention in the greater universe. It means to act now in terms of our own local universe of the body and mind. We should evoke the Lord's presence in our life. We should chant: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. As Krsna makes His presence known to us, the effects of our long association with the material modes diminishes to zero. At that zero-point of material influence on consciousness, there is no more doubt that everything in existence is really only the all-blissful Sri Krsna and His divine energy.

 

Die Before Dying

Just as there is life, there is death. Someone or something takes birth, grows, stays for some time, deteriorates, and then dies. Another name for birth is death. You cannot have one without the other, meaning that when someone is born, someone will soon die (as most species do not live very long);
and when someone dies, someone is soon born. Everyone and everything in its normal state wants to live as long as possible—eternally. Eternality, however, is not associated with matter, but is a spiritual affair. Death to matter and to our material bodies is inevitable, but if we master the science of dying before dying, we will connect with that which is eternal—our soul and its home in the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

My mother, who is deceased, often used to say, "Give me my flowers while I can still see them. " As I child, I thought of it as strange, but as an adult, I thought of it as a sign of wisdom. My mother understood the body to be transient and she celebrated life—"the now," realizing one must show their love and affection for life at every moment. Our life or the lives of others will be taken away in the near future. If one lives with proper preparation and detachment, one will master the science of dying before dying so as to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

When we die before dying, we put first things first. The activities that nourish our souls and help us detach from the illusion and confusion of material culture are our priorities. Since we know that life is meant to prepare for a glorious death, we can live each day as if it is our last. Therefore, there is no time to waste on irrelevant, superfluous activities. Even when we must give time to somewhat superficial things, it must be done in a way that enhances or strengthens the primary, significant involvements. If one lives with proper
preparation and detachment, one will master the science of dying before dying so as to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

There are so many offenses that can be made in devotional services. It is these offenses which are our greatest enemy. Devotional service is extremely potent, but offenses can stagnate our spiritual growth very seriously and can ever destroy the devotional creeper. Offenses are activities that try to redirect our consciousness back to previous sinful life or which serve as barriers to our unfoldment. Offenses are like a town courier who delivers an urgent message designed to distract the individual from his or her relevant
and important activities. When one stops making offenses, one will live with proper preparation and detachment. One will master the science of dying before dying so as to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

So many people have cheated, disappointed, lied, manipulated, and even abused us. When we reflect on the experience, it is as if we relive it again. Such experiences have definitely shaped us in various ways. Many of
these abusers and cheaters have traumatized us. In some cases, they have scarred us for life. The normal position is for the hurt or abused to seek revenge and severely punish the offender. It is easier to do but will not fully resolve the problem. What is important is for forgiveness to be the major means of addressing such problems. If one lives with proper preparation and detachment, one will master the science of dying before dying so as to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

Most people have special friends they would like to meet, places they would like to visit, and experiences they would like to have. When we meet, know, or associate with important people, it makes us more important, at least in the eyes of others. When we can travel to many exciting places, life seems to be more adventurous. Most important, when we can have many exciting experiences, life seems more meaningful. We are all pleasure seekers and are always eager to experience pleasure. But the true spiritualist does
not get overwhelmed by these concerns for he understands the temporary and even illusory nature of the world. If one lives with proper preparation and detachment, one will master the science of dying before dying so as to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

Sometimes we are so busy doing things and even doing things for those we love that we don't have time to be with them, show them, or tell them how much we love them. Sometimes others are so busy doing things and doing things for us that they also have no time to be with us, show us, or tell us how much they love us. However, if we truly understand how this life is a preparation for death, we will always have time to give and receive love.

When someone dies, much of the sadness usually comes from a lack of sufficient closure in the relationships. There is something we wanted to tell them or do with them, and there is something they wanted to tell us or
do with us. Each party has a tendency to procrastinate on or minimize the important opportunities and moments. Especially when a person lives solely for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, or when he or she is captured by a very strong false ego, there is a tendency to miss opportunities to be fully present. The person misses the chance to say or do what will best honor other people's highest needs as well as blocks the chance for others to honor his or her needs.

Quality association is most important. Where there is quality association, one is always either learning something or teaching something. Such association is based on being with those who also are determined to end the cycle of birth, disease, old age, and death. With quality association, one understands that just as there is life, there is death. So one acts with the knowledge that life is for self-realization, and that death, which is inevitable for matter and the material body, is not associated with the soul. We must die to live! That comes as we accept the inevitability of destruction and elimination of all matter. We can then honor the deaths that have happened and those that are manifesting, knowing that they can prepare the way for eternal life.

The true spiritualist profoundly appreciates my mother's statement,"Give me my flowers while I can see them. " For once the body is gone, the soul departs for its new encounter; therefore, it is important to say and do whatever is best for all now! Where we have made offenses, we must stop them and ask for forgiveness now! While we have people to meet, places to visit, and experiences to have, we must put first things first, understanding the differences between what is temporary and what is eternal now! We must allow every day of our lives to represent healthy closure now! When we live for love, this is most natural because all of our associations will be quality associations in which we share our compassion, determination, and realizations, and receive the same from others.

This is the technology of how to celebrate life now and live with proper preparation and detachment, so that one will master the science of dying before dying so as to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual
world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

I am that lowly beggar who is desperately trying to die before dying.

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