We are not the Owners
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Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Mathajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.
Today I had received a message from a devotee about how verse 4.11.13 from Srimad Bhagavatam taught her how to welcome people. Our heartfelt thanks to that mathaji for sharing that message. Indeed this verse is one of the favourite verse of our spiritual master HDG Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj. When Dhruva Maharaj came to know that his brother was killed by one of the Yakshas, he started killing all of them. When his grandfather Svayambhuva Manu saw this, he advised Dhruva Maharaj to give up his anger and not to punish all the Yakshas just because one among them had killed his brother. In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 4.11.13 he says,
titikshayaa karunayaa / maitryaa caakhila-jantushu
samatvena ca sarvaatmaa / bhagavaan sampraseedati
samatvena ca sarvaatmaa / bhagavaan sampraseedati
"The Lord is very satisfied with His devotee when the devotee greets other people with tolerance, mercy, friendship and equality."
When some one comes to our house, we should greet them properly. Even if we don't know or have the suitable paraphernalia for welcoming them, we should atleast smile. We don't loose anything by simply smiling at others. In fact smile is a small curve which can straighten out so many things in life. But what stops us from smiling ? Gurudev says that 'Attached person never smiles whereas detached person moves freely with everyone." Indeed this attachment to our home/family/ relationship/ place is what is stopping us from greeting others as mentioned in the above verse. Kunti Maharani while offering prayers to Krishna says in Srimad Bhagavatam - "janmaishvarya shruta shribir / edhamaana madah pumaan". When there is progressive increase of name, fame, wealth beauty etc, there is a danger of falling into pitfall of pride. We start thinking that we are the owners and everything belongs to us and are under our control. Pride intoxicates us so much that it makes us forget our original constituitonal position and we start thinking that we are the owner and controller of everything. In that condition when we meet other living entities, we try to turn them down and ill-treat them. In this regard I came across the following story about King Akbar. Being the ruler of Bharatvarsha and always being flattered by his ministers, Akbar became very proud and bit arrogant. Birbal was minister in Akbar's court and he was also a great devotee of Lord. As a well-wisher of Akbar, he wanted to teach him a lesson. So he disguised himself as a sadhu and dressed in torn clothes, he was lying in Akbar's garden. When Akbar saw him he thought how come his guards could allow this to happen in his garden and he walked over to that Sadhu and prodded him with the tip of his embroidered slipper.
"Here, fellow!" he cried. "What are you doing here? Get up and go away at once!"
That Sadhu opened his eyes. Then he sat up slowly. "Huzoor," he said in a sleepy voice. "Is this your garden, then?"
"Yes!" cried the Emperor. "This garden those rose bushes, the fountain beyond that, the courtyard, the palace, this fort, this empire, it all belongs to me!"
Slowly that Sadhu stood up. "And the river, Huzoor? And the city? And this country?"
Slowly that Sadhu stood up. "And the river, Huzoor? And the city? And this country?"
"Yes, yes, it's all mine", said the emperor. "Now get out!"
"Ah", said the Sadhu. "And before you, Huzoor. Who did the garden and fort and city belong to then?"
"My father, of course", said the emperor. In spite of his irritation, he was beginning to get interested in the Sadhu's questions. He loved philosophical discussions and he could tell, from his manner of speaking, that the Sadhu was a learned man.
"And who was here before him?" the Sadhu asked quietly.
"His father, my father's father, as you know."
"Ah", said the Sadhu. So this garden, those rose bushes, the palace and the fort all this has only belonged to you for your lifetime. Before that they belonged to your father, am I right? And after yours time they will belong to your son, and then to his son?
"Yes", said the Emperor Akbar wonderingly.
"So each one stays here for a time and then goes on his ways?"
"Yes."
"Like a dharmashala? " the Sadhu asked. "No one owns a dharmashala. Or the shade of a tree on the side of a road. We stop and rest for a while and then go on. And someone has always been there before us and someone will always come after we have gone. Is that not so?"
"It is", Emperor Akbar quietly.
"So your garden, your palace, your fort, your empire... these are only places you will stay in for a time, for the span of your lifetime. When you die, they will no longer belong to you. You will go, leaving them in the possession of someone else, just as your father did and his father before him."
Emperor Akbar nodded. "The whole world is a dharmashala" , he said slowly, thinking very hard. "In which we mortals rest awhile. That's what you are telling me, isn't it? Nothing on this earth can ever belong to a single person, because each person is only passing through the earth and must die one day?"
The Sadhu nodded solemnly. Then, bowing to the ground, he removed his white beard and saffron turban and his voice changed. "Jahanpanah, forgive me!" he said, in his normal voice. "It was my way of asking you to think about..."
Akbar realised his mistake and thanked Birbal (who was disguised as the sadhu), for helping him to understand the truths of life.
ishavarah paramahkrsna - Krishna is the Owner of this whole creation and He alone is the Supreme controller. We are all nothing. We are never the owners. In one of his lectures to verse 2.13 of Bhagavad Gita - 'dehinosmin yathaa dehe", Srila Prabhupada very nicely says thatthis body in which our soul is currently residing is like a rented apartment. In rented apartment tenants can never claim that they are the owners. Tenants temporarily reside in rented apartment for stipulated time as specified by the owner. Similarly we also stay in this body/house/family/ community/ city only on a temporary basis and for the time alloted by the Supreme Owner Krishna. As a tenant we need to abide by the laws of the owner. So what is there to be proud of ?
Our stay is temporary everywhere. But during that temporary period how we use this body/house/family/ community/ city in service of Lord determines the time it will take to go back to our permanent residence in Goloka Vrindavan. If the Lord finds that we are using body/house/family/ community/ city properly in His service, He might either extend the lease so that we continue to stay there and serve Him or bestow us direct service in Vrindavan. It is completely dependent upon His will. We all struggle/toil and moil so much to get permamnent residency in other countries in this world. So how much care we should actually take to get permanent residency in spiritual world ? Instead of ill-treating other living entities, we should atleast smile at other living entites without any discrimination. When we decorate our lives with these good ornaments like mercy, tolerance, friendship and equality, the Lord is very pleased. But the real test comes during unfavourable circumstances, when other living entities ill-treat us, how should we react ? To speak and write about tolerance is simple. But to practise it is the greatest challenge. By the grace of Lord Krishna, if we remember how much Guru and Krishna had been mercifully tolerating us all these life-times, then we would be able to over-look other's behaviour and re-direct our focus on path of devotional service.
Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sudarshana devi dasi.
Sudarshana devi dasi.
Chant,
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama
Hare Hare
and be happy.
Comments
The last point is nice. If we simply appreciate how much Guru and Krsna are tolerating, then we can also find the strength to tolerate the little things for ourselves.