Transcendental Nectar of Sadhu-Sanga

by

Sushen Krishna Das, Ph.D.

Bhaktivedanta Institute

 www.mahaprabhu.net/harmonizer 

jaga.suresh@gmail.com

Mob: +91-9748906907

This is our response to this message in the e-group.

Dear Dr. S. K. Maulik, MD, Ph.D.:

We appreciate very much your thoughtful and scientific inquiry about the difference between bird and human capacity. This is the question that every human being must inquire. If the higher inquiry is not there then that individual is regarded as good as animal. This is confirmed in Srimad Bhagavatam10.84.13

yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke

sva-dhih kalatradishu bhauma ijya-dhih

yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij

janeshv abhijneshu sa eva go-kharah

TRANSLATION : One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks an earthen image or the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of pilgrimage as merely the water there, but who never identifies himself with, feels kinship with, worships or even visits those who are wise in spiritual truth -- such a person is no better than a cow or an ass.

For an evolutionist there may not be any difference between a human and an animal. For evolutionist both a human and an animal are nothing but a combination of some chemicals. However, even a child can understand that there is a significant difference between a human and an animal. Actually all the actions of the animal are based on feelings. Animals don’t have the capacity for advanced thoughts such as God and soul (self inquiry – who am I?). Animals can inquire only about eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This we can easily observe in any of the animals and birds. However, in every civilization of mankind we find some concept of God and religion. This is because human thoughts are much advanced than that of animal. This is also stated in Hitopadesha:

ahaara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca

samanyam etat pasubhih naranam

dharmo hi tesam adhiko viseso

dharmena hina pasubhih samanah

TRANSLATION: Eating, sleeping, mating and feeling afraid are features common between man and animal. The former has religion as an extra distinguishing factor, bereft of which he is nothing but an animal.

Animals always see everything as the object of their enjoyment. They are totally intoxicated with sense enjoyment. Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaja says, “If I am given some wine or some poison, then I shall become beside myself. I shall see things in a distorted way. I will be unable to recognize my sister or mother, and actuated by animal nature, I will see everything as an object for my enjoyment.” In the Laws of Manu, we find:

jalaja nava laksani

sthavara laksa vimsati

krmayo rudra-sankhyakah

paksinam dasa laksanam

trimsal laksani pasavah

catur laksani manusah

TRANSLATION: There are 900,000 kinds of aquatics, 2,000,000 kinds of trees and plants, 1,100,000 kinds of insects and reptiles, 1,000,000 kinds of birds, 3,000,000 kinds of four-legged beasts, and 400,000 kinds of human species.

This classification in Vedic science is not simply based on bodies; rather it is based on consciousness. We can see that it is stated here that there are 400,000 kinds of human species. Vedic science even classifies humans on the basis of their consciousness. There are souls who have human form but they have no higher thought than that of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. They are to be considered as good as animals according to Vedic science. An advanced human being is he who has advance thoughts.

The advanced thinking capacity make a human being feel the necessity of schools, hospitals, courts, etc. Trees, birds and animals can’t even think of such things. Trees, birds and animals can’t invent theories such as quantum mechanicals, homeopathy, gravity, etc. One poor chicken is being slaughtered in front of another similarly poor chicken and it has no capacity to think that its turn is also coming. In fact the poor chicken keeps on happily eating the grains provided by the butcher who will soon make arrangement for its slaughter. They are thus completely ignorant about reality. This shows the major difference between beasts and human.

Similarly, there are those human beings who are seeing repeatedly that everyday many are dying in front of themselves, but still do not think about their real purpose of human life. In fact they are happily engaged whole life merely in the search after so called pleasures in this dangerous material world. Thus they are also to be considered as good as ignorant animals. This is also explained by Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in the purport of Srimad Bhagavatam 7.2.57. “Yamaraja asked Maharaja Yudhishthira, "What is the most wonderful thing within this world?" Maharaja Yudhishthira replied (Mahabharata, Vana-parva 313.116):

ahany ahani bhutani

gacchantiha yamalayam

seshah sthavaram icchanti

kim ascaryam atah param

Hundreds and thousands of living entities meet death at every moment, but a foolish living being nonetheless thinks himself deathless and does not prepare for death. This is the most wonderful thing in this world. Everyone has to die because everyone is fully under the control of material nature, yet everyone thinks that he is independent, that whatever he likes he can do, that he will never meet death but live forever, and so on. So called scientists are making various plans by which living entities in the future can live forever, but while they are thus pursuing such scientific knowledge, Yamaraja, in due course of time, will take them away from their business of so called research.”

However, Maharaja Parikshit is showing us by his own example the real attitude of an intelligent human being who is moving towards a certain death. In Srimad Bhagavatam 1.19.37 he is asking to Srila Sukadeva Gosvami that:

atah pricchami samsiddhim

yoginam paramam gurum

purushasyeha yat karyam

mriyamanasya sarvatha

TRANSLATION: You are the spiritual master of great saints and devotees. I am therefore begging you to show the way of perfection for all persons, and especially for one who is about to die.

Srila Sukadeva Gosvami replied in Srimad Bhagavatam 2.1.1

sri-suka uvaca

variyan esha te prasnah

krito loka-hitam nripa

atmavit-sammatah pumsam

srotavyadishu yah parah

TRANSLATION: Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: My dear King, your question is glorious because it is very beneficial to all kinds of people. The answer to this question is the prime subject matter for hearing, and it is approved by all transcendentalists.

Thus teachings of Srimad Bhagavatam should be understood under a bonafide spiritual master (Sri Guru) by one and all who are intelligent enough to realize that we are moving towards death and what should we do to achieve our real goal of human form of life.

 

Thanking you.

Sincerely,

Sushen Krishna das 

 

“in my search for the secret of life, I ended up with atoms and electrons which have no life at all. Somewhere along line, life has run out through my fingers. So, in my old age, I am now retracing my steps ...”

 

- Szent-Györgyi (The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1937)