The message of True Love

By Yamuna Sundari dasi
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ISKCON volunteers in Wyndham

Love is the inner need of every individual, be it a human, an animal or a plant. The conclusive result of an experiment performed by Dr Masaru Emoto on rice and water was that loving words led to happy reactions of the substance, while hate and unkind emotions resulted in the substance deteriorating its quality. Many similar experiments performed on seeds and plants have given similar outputs. This brings out a very significant principle—the importance of love in the sustenance of creation.

Pure love is defined as a situation of ever-increasing bliss, that which is uninterrupted by any events, and unmotivated by vested interests. In most situations of current times, we can perceive that relationships between friends, family or partners are flickering and triggered by external situations. They can break on silly events or arguments, they dissolve on circumstances beyond control like death or disease, or are dominated by selfish interests. Such situations or turnarounds in life can be heart-breaking, disappointing and painful.

The next question which arises is then who is worthy of our love? The simple answer is God. Pure love blooms when offered towards God because that leads to ultimately loving our fellow beings, our society, nature and creation. When the living entity is driven by external stimulus or ignorance, one fails to understand the connection between the individual living being and the Supreme living being, and this missing link leads to the emptiness and voidness in life.

We all have a natural tendency to love and serve, but because we do not know God, Krishna, we are depositing that inclination in a fallacious place. If however, we are able to fathom the greatness of God and His creation and thereby repose our loving spirit appropriately, then the result is fruitful and perfect. A verse from famous ancient texts of wisdom, Srimad Bhagavatam, 1.2.8 state: “The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.”

The best process to attain success in realising the Absolute Truth and perfecting our relationship with Him is to regularly hear the sacred texts and chant the divine names—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

The Bhagavad-gita, which is often regarded as a book for extremists or a book leading to conflicts, in reality teaches the art of conflict management and overcoming extreme situations in life, thereby enabling one in becoming a successful life strategist. This book essentially teaches wisdom and the true message of love. It reveals God’s heart and His love for the creation, humanity and all beings.

Let’s therefore try to clear the apparent misunderstandings surrounding the Bhagavad-gita:

Bhagavad-gita leads to confrontation: A common misconception is that having a Bhagavad-Gita at home would lead to arguments due to its battlefield setting. However, being spoken on the battlefield, it illustrates poignantly that teachings of this sacred book apply to every individual who is struggling to fight and stand strong amidst the internal and external chaos of existence.

God seen as a destroyer: Lord Krishna exhibiting His universal form in Chapter 11 of the book and favouring bloodshed is only a first step in understanding the underlying principles surrounding them. Death is the stepping-stone to eternal life and destructiveness depicted by the Universal form is only a way to re-direct our mind and senses to the original and beautiful form of the Lord, which is all merciful, full of knowledge and bliss.

A book only for monks: The Bhagavad-gita is a book spoken to Arjuna, who was a dynamic military man, a householder and standing on the battlefield facing practical problems and seeking a sincere solution. Many of us will find ourselves in such a state often where we have to deal with frailty, vulnerability, scepticism and bewilderment, and at that moment the instructions of the Gita would be our benefactor and support, just like they were for Arjuna 5000 years ago.

A famous philosopher Rudolph Steiner has written, “In order to approach a creation as sublime as the Bhagavad-Gita with full understanding, it is necessary to attune our soul to it.” Just as to understand the ‘Theory of Gravity’ we hear it from Isaac Newton, similarly in order to appreciate and value the true meaning of this divine book, we need to hear it from a self-realised and unbiased lover of God, Krishna. A prime example of a great devotee of the Lord is Srila Prabhupada, the founder of International Society for Krishna Consciousness, whose translation and commentary on the Bhagavad-gita has become the most widely read edition and has the immense potency to purify the hearts and consciousness of its readers.

Another prominent and powerful way to awaken and give out the message of love is by transcendentally supporting the community in these trying times of pandemic through distribution of pure vegetarian meals. ISKCON volunteers in Wyndham have successfully distributed more than hundreds of plates of delicious feasts every Sunday evening, thereby making a positive effect in the lives of many.

If you or someone you know is in need of free meals in these difficult times, kindly contact 0450516572

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