Dear Prabhujis and Matajis,
Hare Krishna. Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila
Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.
This mail is in continuation of the offering on the topic "Lessons from the
Twenty-four Gurus" wherein we were meditating on the valuable lessons that were
learnt by the avadhuta brahmana from his various spiritual masters. In this mail
let us hear from avadhuta brahmana the lesson that he learnt from his next
spiritual master - Python. Interestingly the example of python occurs in another
place in Bhagvatam in the conversation between a saintly brahmana and Prahlad
Maharaj in the 7th canto 13th chapter.
The avadhuta brahmana says that just like a python does not endeavor too much
for its food and does not discriminate between tasty and tasteless food, a
saintly person also should avoid extraneous endeavor just for the sake of
satisfying the urges of the tongue and stomach. The three verses 11.8.2-4 gives
beautiful description of the same.
graasam su-mrshtam virasam / mahaantam stokam eva vaa
yadrcchayaivaa patitam / grased aajagaro 'kriyah
shayeetaahaani bhooreeni / niraahaaro 'nupakramah
yadi nopanayed graaso / mahaahir iva dishta bhuk
ojah saho bala yutam / bibhrad deham akarmakam
shayaano veeta-nidras ca / nehetendriyavaan api
"Following the example of the python, one should give up material endeavors and
accept for one's maintenance food that comes of its own accord, whether such
food be delicious or tasteless, ample or meager.
If at any time food does not come, then a saintly person should fast for many
days without making endeavor. He should understand that by God's arrangement he
must fast. Thus, following the example of the python, he should remain peaceful
and patient.
A saintly person should remain peaceful and materially inactive, maintaining his
body without much endeavor. Even though possessed of full sensual, mental and
physical strength, a saintly person should not become active for material gain
but rather should always remain alert to his actual self-interest. "
If we observe our own life and also that of everyone else, we run from pillar to
post, work so hard, even put our lives at risk, for the simple sake of
satisfying our tongue (with tasty food) and our belly (with sumptuous food). One
thing though is that how much ever we may earn, still all we require is only a
few rotis or a plate of rice to sustain the basic energy in our body. So can we
think for a moment what is all our endeavor for?
I remember once I was with my Guru Maharaj and we both were cooking prasadam
together (he was actually teaching me to cook Kichadi and Roti). He prepared
nice hot Kichadi and then I served him. It was nice and hot. Maharaj peacefully
started honoring the prasadam and commented, "Even if one is a billionaire, he
cannot get the fortune of eating nice hot prasadam every day." Then with his own
trademark smile he quipped, "What is the use of all your money, if you cannot
even eat nice hot prasadam everyday?".
The essence of his important statement is that we are all running like madmen
all day all our life but in the end we cannot even get the basic food for
maintaining our health. All the hard earned money will go to the hospitals,
doctors and medicines. One of the senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada once made
a beautiful point, "People sacrifice their health to earn so much wealth and end
up spending all that wealth to regain their health." But it will be too late by
then.
The essence of python's example has to be carefully understood. If we
misunderstand we will use this example for justifying our laziness and
complacency. That is not what the avadhuta brahmana wants us to learn from the
python. Rather we should learn from the python to:
1. Avoid over-endeavor (atyaahaara prayaasa) for material existence. Be
materially inactive and spiritually active.
2. Be satisfied with whatever food we obtain for the day by the will of the Lord
(santushtya ena kena vaa).
3. Be peaceful and patient and use all one's energy to remain alert in uplifting
oneself spiritually.
Krishna and Gurudev willing, we will meditate on the above lessons from the
python in the subsequent mails.
Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi.
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