Oh, it’s not nice to talk badly about the beliefs of others. I wish your sister in law would understand. If someone spoke to her badly about Krishna, she would get offended. It only makes sense then to try and avoid offending others! The Bhagavad Gita has this nice verse on equality:
“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].” – BG 5.18
In Sanskrit, the translation of a part of this verse is “panditah sama darshina” meaning the wise see with equal vision. I love this short, simple quote and often remind myself of it when I feel like I am being biased or unequal in my perception of things. Perhaps maybe in passing, you could enlighten your sister in law about this verse
Then I was going over some of my old blog posts, thinking why don't I write here that often anymore, thinking that I don't have much to write about... I was checking my blog statistics and found that this is the most popular post on my blog: Miracles and Experiences in Krishna Consciousness. After reading about each of the miracles I had listed, I picked one to read. This one is about an English girl named Ananda. You can read the whole story here.
I read the story, felt amazed by it once again, and then found a link about Radhanath Swami's talk at the Google headquarters. I was reading the article and after a couple of paragraphs into it, I saw that the EXACT SAME VERSE I had quoted above was mentioned in this article. I just sat there, shocked, staring at my computer screen, staring at the poster of Krishna on my wall, feeling amazed. All the events were completely random and I was amazed that somehow, I ended up finding an article that mentioned the same verse I had quoted just a few minutes ago! It kept making me feel like Krishna is still around, he's still here, and he's still trying to teach me. I felt like he was trying to tell me that the message of this verse is very important. It is! It is so important to treat others equally and fairly. If only more people would realize this, the world would be a better place. I can't even begin to tell you about the tingles I felt at the back of my neck! Krishna is just amazing. Just... amazing.
In a society where judgement is rampant, this verse has the power to shed light, to help us see the Krishna that resides in every being ,regardless of colour,disability etc. I am truly grateful that I stumbled across these blogs. Thank you for sharing your journey.
ReplyDeleteOh Harii!!! That was incredibly amazing !!! I can imagine how you must have felt !! And just imagine our dear lord , smiling at you, totally amused at your bewildered expressions ;)
ReplyDeleteAt work, there is this girl who is a Krishna devotee, and as her home is close to Guruvayoor temple, she goes there and gets Hari's darshan all the time. I naturally like her , as I feel drawn to everyone who has even the remotest connection with Krishna :) But she also eats beef and I couldnt understand how someone who loves Govinda can do that .
But this verse proves I have no right to think like that at all! It does not mean that she loves Krishna any less..it is just her choice of food. What is important is that we as Krishna's devotees should learn to keep an open mind. So right you are.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog :)
ReplyDeleteYeah! I was just stunned!
ReplyDeleteAbout your colleague... I have read that there are some advanced devotees who don't adhere to the laws and regulations of religion. For them their devotion is at it's highest level already and the point of the regulations is to reach the highest level. If you're already there, then no need to follow them. Or something like that! I don't know - just a thought I read a long time ago.
Personally, I don't feel like it's necessary for a person to be a vegetarian in order to be close to God. Many Christians and Muslims who eat meat are also very devoted and very close to God at a personal level. At one point, even I was a non-vegetarian and used to offer my non-veg food to Krishna. The reason I did that was because I just could not bear to eat without offering to him first. It felt so unnatural to do so. Everyone is going at their own pace. Eventually I ended up becoming vegetarian, but maybe your colleague might take a little more time :)
Although, I often do wonder if people realize that they are actually eating animals. Animals that were living and breathing and giving birth to their young. Doesn't make them good or bad - eating non-veg has become a part of daily life for many. I just wonder if they realize that they're eating animals, do you know what I mean?
Exactly. Why would you want to kill some living being just so you can have it for lunch/dinner and forget it ever lived..And think of the pain it is made to go through..I have read about terrible things being done to cows , while its young calves stood watching..It is just sad.
ReplyDelete//eating non-veg has become a part of daily life for many// Thats the thing, it is simply a part of their food. I used to eat non veg too, but we didn't have it that often ,and I never really liked it . So it wasnt that hard for me to give it up. My friends wonder how I can not eat non veg. I just shrug when they ask me the reason :)
Haha, same here! A lot of people ask me how do I survive without meat. It's not that hard when you realize that you're essentially eating the flesh off of a bone! I always imagine it is like cutting off someone's arm and then chewing the flesh off, discarding the bone. Can anyone really eat meat again after realizing that? Lol
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