Color - A Poem
"I look in the mirror / And I see this body / With this color / That I am supposed / To give up identifying with / But somehow, / I can’t seem to see / Beyond the brown."
How about some humility? How about admitting that we are not the supreme controllers, at least as of now? How about admitting that we don’t yet fully understand the mysteries of the universe.
In the news, some of the talking heads are saying it’s “a few bad apples” and others warn of a more systemic problem. Is it individuals on the police force or the institution itself? Will new laws, like no “chokeholds” etc, mean anything at all?
Should we join the protests? Should we speak out against a government that oppresses black men and women and attacks those wishing to publicly object to such racism? As devotees, should we protest at all? Is meddling in politics the business of Vaishnavas? Yet if we decline, are we not part of the apathy that perpetuates such injustice?
"Anger has been flaring, / Voices have been blaring, / To identify who's black, who's white, / And who happens to be right?"
An important lesson for us spirit souls: neither materially binding activities nor an artificial cessation of activity is what will bring ultimate joy to the soul.
Can we together try to inspire each other to live in a better way, a different way? Can we try to create a change born out of the pain of this suffering?
Over the years, abilities were developed, achievements came and accolades were received, but with it has surfaced a mentality that is calculative, complicated and corrupted. How can I turn back the clock?
We the living entities always have two options. One option is to take shelter of Krishna. And the other option is to take shelter of Krishna’s illusory energy i.e. maya. If we are not with Krishna, then by default we are with maya.
If we try to control the material energy in an attempt to enjoy material happiness and avoid material distress, one thing is certain: we will be defeated.
Though we need to make judgments when holding people accountable, we needn’t become judgmental.
"Who is going to come looking for you when you get into a tough spot? Who has permission to ask you questions about your moral boundaries? Who in your life has permission to tell you that it’s time to take a break before you crash?"
"Standing in queue / Desperately buying toilet paper to wipe away their anxiety / The fear of the uncertain and the unknown / Sticks to them with industrial strength glue"
According to the New York Times, “National lockdowns and social distancing measures are drying up work and incomes and are likely to disrupt agricultural production and supply routes—leaving millions to worry how they will get enough to eat.”
We’ve seemingly lost our freedom. But when ‘freedom’ means that everything is so available that we become complacent, what’s the benefit? If ‘restriction’ generates an appreciation and gratitude of what we’ve taken for granted all these years, where’s the loss?
"Your merry rides have been thwarted, / Your house has been fenced, / Amazing you are, O mind, / You still don’t wish to be cleansed..."
Altruism is defined as having a disinterested and selfless concern for the wellbeing of others. The Bhagavad Gita 16.1-3 describes the same, daya bhutesv aloluptvam or being without greed and having mercy towards others. Putting this concern into action not only aids those in difficulty but also eases your own.
" At my best of times, at my worst of times / I have always turned to and received the comfort and reassurance / of Mother Nature."
“Let us not squander this hour of our pain” (Rilke)
Conspiracy theories abound: COVID-19, G5, the New World Order, and, of course, the deep state. I remember a time when life was simpler. There was only one conspiracy in town: Maya, the illusionary energy.
In these unprecedented times, we encourage devotees to share their thoughts, poems, and prayers via ISKCON News' special Covid-19 section. The first offering comes from our GBC Minister of Communications, Anuttama dasa, who lives in Washington DC.
He never found a conspiracy theory he didn't like. Valisudana - not his real name - craves hearing how malevolent groups hatch secret, unlawful, harmful plans for evil, destructive purposes.
A deep fear about losing family and friends… but are we as worried about how we relate to them while their alive?
These days, by a reversal of fortune, we are the ones that are locked in like zoo animals, while they are the ones that can roam free. Good for them. They have deserved some break after all the millennia of mistreatment and abuse they had to suffer by our hands.
