“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.14)

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दैवी ह्य् एषा गुण-मयी
मम माया दुरत्यया
माम् एव ये प्रपद्यन्ते
मायाम् एतां तरन्ति ते

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te

The tendency for saintly people is to rescue others. They are more than happy in themselves, taking pleasure from within.

One of the Sanskrit descriptions is atmarama. Translating the compound word, we have the individual soul and satisfaction. The saints of the Vaishnava tradition, belonging to a chain of descending teachers, take pleasure from the spirit soul, which is different from its surroundings.

Material life is typically spent in ignorance of this distinction. As a result, there are two…

“Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brahmanas work.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.42)

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शमो दमस् तपः शौचं
क्षान्तिर् आर्जवम् एव च
ज्ञानं विज्ञानम् आस्तिक्यं
ब्रह्म-कर्म स्वभाव-जम्

śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ
kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca
jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ
brahma-karma svabhāva-jam

1. When will the sun shine again?

“It’s been days. Cloudy. Gloomy. Rain, on and off. No one really wants to go outside during this time. In some parts of the house we leave the lights on from morning until night. Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?

“I don’t mind the rain. We need it. It is a vital part of life. But what kind of area of the world has rain consecutively for an entire week? That is ridiculous. If I don’t see the sun soon I am going to lose it.”

2…

“Just as a tree starts to blossom during the proper season, so the doer of sinful deeds inevitably reaps the horrible fruit of their actions at the appropriate time.” (Lord Rama speaking to Khara, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 29.8)

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अवश्यं लभते जन्तुः फलं पापस्य कर्मणः।
घोरं पर्यागते काले द्रुमाः पुष्पमिवार्तवम्।।

avaśyaṃ labhate jantuḥ phalaṃ pāpasya karmaṇaḥ।
ghoraṃ paryāgate kāle drumāḥ puṣpamivārtavam।।

“Is karma real? I know most people think of it in terms of placement at birth. For instance, in a metro area there is competition over high schools. Prospective students take a test. Depending on their score, they can enter one of the more prestigious high schools. The students with lower scores do not have this option; they are forced to attend an institution not as well-respected.

“We certainly notice the differences in human society. When the governments around the world institute…

“Indeed, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu eagerly tore this page from the Kurma Purana, although the book was very old, and He later showed it to Ramadasa Vipra, whose unhappiness was mitigated.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 1.119)

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सेइ पुरातन पत्र आग्रह करिऽ निल
रामदासे देखाइया दुःख खण्डाइल

sei purātana patra āgraha kari’ nila
rāmadāse dekhāiyā duḥkha khaṇḍāila

Sometimes we can judge a person based more on what they don’t do than the actions they actually take. For instance, we can see the supremely kind and munificent nature of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the golden avatara, based on the choices He had when one time meeting a lamenting brahmana named Ramadasa.

1. You aren’t living in the Treta Yuga

This vipra, an honorific which also refers to an intelligent person, was living in the mood of the Ramayana. This is a Sanskrit work composed by…

“My dear father, O great sage, I know that your feet are very soft, like a lotus flower, and that My chest is as hard as a thunderbolt. I am therefore afraid that you may have felt some pain by touching My chest with your feet. Let Me therefore touch your feet to relieve the pain you have suffered.” (Lord Vishnu, Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 34)

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It is only natural for a person to view others differently. Growing up in a single area, knowing everyone in the community, following a certain culture, when introduced to a different part of the world the way of living will seem new.

There may even be feelings of superiority, such as the “my religion is better than yours” attitude. When viewing followers of the Vedic culture in a less industrially developed…

“Whom are you lamenting for when you yourself are pitiable? Why do you pity the poor when you yourself have now been made poor? While in this body that is like a bubble, how can anyone look at anyone else as being worthy of lamentation?” (Hanuman speaking to Tara, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 21.3)

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शोच्या शोचसि कं शोच्यं दीनं दीनाऽनुकम्पसे।
कस्य कोवाऽनुशोच्योऽस्ति देहेऽस्मिन् बुद्बुदोपमे।।

śocyā śocasi kaṃ śocyaṃ dīnaṃ dīnā’nukampase।
kasya kovā’nuśocyo’sti dehe’smin budbudopame

1. He knows the difference between body and spirit

The mature human being should learn this integral principle of an existence. It explains so much. It is the foundation of education. It explains how to see properly. Otherwise, there is vulnerability to illusion. Mistaking a rope for a snake. Accepting an outcome as pleasurable when the long-term consequence is detrimental.

The most basic result of the illusion is to…

“But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.40)

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अज्ञश् चाश्रद्दधानश् च
संशयात्मा विनश्यति
नायं लोको ऽस्ति न परो
न सुखं संशयात्मनः

ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca
saṁśayātmā vinaśyati
nāyaṁ loko ‘sti na paro
na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ

It’s not a simple task. The burden of proof is on the doubting side. This might surprise observers, but with the physical evidence that is supposedly lacking on the believers’ side, the opponents must prove that if such evidence did exist that it would be sufficient to make their case.

1. Infinite perception

Computer models will not work. It may fool the people into believing a supposed pandemic is occurring or that planning commissions can somehow alter the climate of the world moving…

“Whom are you lamenting for when you yourself are pitiable? Why do you pity the poor when you yourself have now been made poor? While in this body that is like a bubble, how can anyone look at anyone else as being worthy of lamentation?” (Hanuman speaking to Tara, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 21.3)

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शोच्या शोचसि कं शोच्यं दीनं दीनाऽनुकम्पसे।
कस्य कोवाऽनुशोच्योऽस्ति देहेऽस्मिन् बुद्बुदोपमे।।

śocyā śocasi kaṃ śocyaṃ dīnaṃ dīnā’nukampase।
kasya kovā’nuśocyo’sti dehe’smin budbudopame ||

Friend1: I know that at the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna was lamenting over the potential fate for the other side.

Friend2: Explain the setting. Where are we? Who is Arjuna? What is this “other side”?

Friend1: The Bharata War, staged at Kurukshetra. Some five thousand years ago, well-documented in the Sanskrit work of epic length, the Mahabharata. Arjuna is the leading fighter for the Pandava…

“Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.” (Bhagavad-gita, 10.12-13)

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अर्जुन उवाच
परं ब्रह्म परं धाम
पवित्रं परमं भवान्
पुरुषं शाश्वतं दिव्यम्
आदि-देवम् अजं विभुम्
आहुस् त्वाम् ऋषयः सर्वे
देवर्षिर् नारदस् तथा
असितो देवलो व्यासः
स्वयं चैव ब्रवीषि मे

arjuna uvāca
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma
pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān
puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam
ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum
āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve
devarṣir nāradas tathā
asito devalo vyāsaḥ
svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me

1. Healthcare workers

“It is a global pandemic. No one knows the accurate death count or even the number of people…

“The child cries to have the moon from the mother, and the mother gives the child a mirror to satisfy the crying and disturbing child with the reflection of the moon. Similarly, the crying child of the Lord is given over to the reflection, the material world, to lord it over as karmi and to give this up in frustration to become one with the Lord. Both these stages are dreaming illusions only. There is no necessity of tracing out the history of when the living entity desired this. But the fact is that as soon as he desired it, he was put under the control of atma-maya by the direction of the Lord.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.9.1 Purport)

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His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada uses the comparison to the diseased person as a way to guide the behavior and focus…