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THE LESSON LEARNT BY THE AVADHUTA BRAHMANA

The various phases of one’s material life, beginning with birth and culminating in death, are all properties of the body and do not affect the soul, just as the apparent waxing and waning of the moon does not affect the moon itself. Such changes are enforced by the imperceptible movements of time. From the moon he had learned how the material body undergoes growth and dwindling.

The Theme - Phases of Life.) How the material body undergoes growth and dwindling.

SB 11.7.49

THE PHASES OF LIFE We all have taken birth and after that when we grew up and the age for schooling was perfect we were admitted to some school in nursery, after that we graduated to higher grades like kinder garden and then finally primary section. Now we are in the secondary section. Then after some time we may graduate from school and attend college. Soon after we might finish that too and get higher honours or post graduation and finally end up in some work place. So this gradual phase of a students life.

When he is in kinder garden he is happy to graduate to first standard. For e.g. we see our little kids who are very happy to tell us that this year onwards they will attend the first standard. So they feel happy, for sometime only. Soon they come to the fourth standard and again feel happy that they will graduate to the secondary section from next year. This is again a phase in his life. After graduating to the secondary section things go along until you are in the senior secondary where one is waiting that when will the time come for you to be free, attending college and feel that “ I too have arrived.” But the fact is that one who has been through this phase of life will always say that school was always better. Invariably, one feels a bit of freedom by graduating from school and mingling with new friends in college, but all is temporary just for a few years or even less than that. You soon realize how secure and comfortable you were in school with your teachers you then ridiculed or

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post graduation and finally end up in some work place. So this gradual phase of a

When he is in kinder garden he is happy to graduate to first standard. For e.g. When he is in kinder garden he is happy to graduate to first standard. For e.g.

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lovingly made fun of. But life by then has moved on.

So similarly the body undergoes six changes: birth, growth, maintenance, production of by-products, dwindling and death. Similarly, the moon appears to grow, diminish and finally disappear. Since moonlight is a lunar reflection of sunlight, it is understood that the moon itself does not grow or diminish; rather, we perceive the reflection of the moon in various phases. Similarly, the eternal soul is not born, nor does it die, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gétä (2.20): na jäyate mriyate vä kadäcit. We perceive the reflection of the soul in the form of the gross material body and the subtle mind, which undergo various material changes.According to Çréla Çrédhara Svämé, the sun is a fiery planet and the moon is a watery planet. This is also confirmed by Çréla Jéva Gosvämé and further illustrates the ignorance of modern science about the actual nature of the moon planet.

SLOKA RECITATION

Let us learn a sloka from the Bhagavad Gita which teaches us something about the above theme. Before teaching the present verse, the teacher should begin the class by chanting all the verses of the 24 Gurus with the children all together. Chant the 5th verse of the 24 Gurus again. Tell the children we will learn the eleventh verse and also understand it. Learn the fifth verse. (The teacher recites the sloka line by line and makes the children repeat and memorize the sloka)

dehino ‘smin yathä dehekaumäraà yauvanaà jarätathä dehäntara-präptirdhéras tatra na muhyati

SYNONYMSdehinaù—of the embodied; asmin—in this; yathä—as; dehe—in the body; kaumäram—boyhood; yauvanam—youth; jarä—old age; tathä—similarly; deha-antara—of transference of the body; präptiù—achievement; dhéraù—the sober; tatra—thereupon; na—never; muhyati—is deluded.

TRANSLATIONAs the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.

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LESSONS FROM GURU – TEN CAT

Inevitability of Transformations for body

Strive to Escape Janma, Mrtyu, Jara, Vyadhi

Where is he Now?

Composing or decomposing

Foolishness in Avoiding death

You can’T conquer death with money

STORIES

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STORY 1 - OF YAMARAJA AND THE PARROT {INEVITABILITY OF TRANSFORMATIONS FOR BODY}

The parrot sits on the back of Garuda and he takes him to Kailas Mountain in a moment. As soon as they reach there they see Yamaraj. The parrot begins to panic. Garuda comes forward and asks Yamaraj that why he was after the parrot’s life and why is he scaring the parrot so much. Yamaraj replied, “I was surprised when I saw the parrot in that forest because, he was supposed to die in Kailas Mountain after a few minutes. I was thinking how will he reach there so fast. Now I know that death is inevitable and if you are destined to die then no one can protect you.” From this story we realize that each of us have to inevitably undergo the six transformations of birth, growth, maintenance, production of by-products, dwindling and death.

One day a parrot saw Yamaraj staring at it very intently. The parrot thought

that Yamaraj had come to take him to his abode. This thought itself scared the parrot till its bones. The parrot started frantically running here and there. It ran off to the very end of the forest and

turned back to see that Yamaraj was just behind it. Now the parrot was very scared. It called for his elder brother

Garuda, the king of birds. Garuda immediately comes and asks the parrot, “What’s wrong”. The parrot tells him his difficulty. Garuda tells him not to worry and that in a moment he will take him to a very far place where no one can catch him.

ran off to the very end of the forest and

Garuda, the king of birds. Garuda

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There was a king called Shuddhodan and he had a son called Siddhartha. Before the prince was born, an astrologer

told the king that this boy would either be a saintly king or a great religious teacher. The king wanted Siddhartha to continue

ruling the kingdom after him and did not want him to take up renounced life. The king did not want him to see the ghastliness of birth, death, old age and disease. He kept him protected in the palace and only kept beautiful people around him. But one day when he was twenty-nine years old, the prince developed a desire to travel around the kingdom and told his driver to take his chariot around.

While going around Siddhartha saw a bent and wrinkled man, hobbling by with a stick. He felt stunned. He

then spied on a verandah upon a man lying in bed and groaning in agony. He felt pain in his heart as never before. But when he saw a corpse borne on a stretcher and surrounded by weeping people, he became almost mad with curiosity. A wandering monk was passing

by. Siddhartha eagerly approached him and pleaded for an explanation. He asked, “What have I seen? Why do

such things happen?” The holy man replied that he had just witnessed old age, disease and death. He explained that everyone born in this world meets these three things in this world sometimes in this life. This opened his eyes to the reality of life and he began his search for the truth. Eventually he became known as Gautam Buddha and became a great religious teacher.

STORY 2 - GAUTAM BUDDHA {STRIVE TO ESCAPE JANMA, MRTYU, JARA, VYADHI}

nine years old, the prince developed a

be a saintly king or a great stretcher and surrounded by weeping people, he became

told the king that this boy would either

While going around Siddhartha saw

Ambarish prabhu met Prabhupada for the first time in Dallas. He flew there to meet him and was very nervous.

He went into Prabhupada’s room and offered obeisances. Prabhupada said in a grave tone “So you are Henry Ford’s

great grandson?” I replied, “Yes”.Prabhupada said “Where is he now?”He immediately put him on the spiritual platform and made him think about the difference between body and soul.

STORY 3 - AMBARISH PRABHU AND PRABHUPADA FIRST MEETING

{WHERE IS HE NOW?}

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STORY 4{COMPOSING OR DECOMPOSING}

Once a very rich lady asked a singer to perform a private concert for her. He sang many songs and she complimented him appreciating some songs. She asked him who composed

those songs. He said Beethowen. She then asked him “Is he still composing?” The singer instantly replied, “He is not composing, he is decomposing”.

Prabhupada tells a story where a man came to know that he was going to die in a few days. He wanted to somehow avoid Yamaraj. He thought that Yamaraj was a nice person and will not like to

touch dirty things. Thinking like this he covered himself with stool thinking that now Yamaraj will not touch him due to the abominable smell emitting from him

STORY 5{FOOLISHNESS IN AVOIDING DEATH}

Prabhupada tells a story where a man touch dirty things. Thinking like this he

STORY 6{COMPOSING OR DECOMPOSING}

When Walt Disney was dying he was scared and asked the scientists to find a machine, which would bring back a dead

person to life. Some scientists promised him this and took one million dollars for their research. In the meanwhile, he died. They preserved his body in a huge ice cabinet. In the meanwhile, the relatives of Walt Disney started feeling that if the scientists were

able to actually find a machine, which could revive him, and then they would be in trouble. In order to protect their interests they paid the scientists a huge amount to put off the ice cabinet. Ultimately the scientists made a huge amount of money for just putting on and putting off the ice cabinet. And finally Walt Disney could not get his life back. You can never conquer death no matter which way you try.

for their research. In the meanwhile,

Video of womb to tomb

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HOW IS IT RELEVANT IN MY LIFE? The existence of Birth, Death, Old age and Disease, indicate to us that we should live our lives not in vainly searching for external happiness but in trying to achieve a situation where we don’t have to face these six changes. How we lead our lives determines our consciousness at the time of death. Let us examine what some people said at the time of their death, which reflects their consciousness throughout their lives.

LAST WORDS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE – YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS AT DEATH DETERMINES THAT WHILE YOU WERE LIVING -

1. Dr. Samuel Johnson, English writer – cried out in his deathbed – “Live well!” – he found these 2 words in English to express his philosophy of life.

2. Lord Byron – said, “I must sleep now!”

3. Jesus Christ – “Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke, 23/46) – he was very clear that his life was meant for serving God

and after death he returned back to God.

4. St. Francis of Assissi - “I have done what I had to do in serving Christ. Now you find your way.”

5. Napolean Bonaparte, French emperor – he cried out the name of his wife “Josephine, Josephine”.

6. English Admiral, Horatio Nelson – while dying wounded on the battlefield of Trafagular – he thought of his duty – he said “Thank God, I have done my duty.”

7. Sir Walter Raleigh, English writer – was sentenced to death – while lying on the beheading block, the executioner asked him to kneel with his head towards the east. He said “No matter how the head lies provided the heart is in the right direction.”

8. Nathen Hale, a fiery American freedom fighter, who was sentenced to death by hanging – said with the noose around his neck, “Alas! That I have only one life to lose for my country.”

9. Beethoven, the deaf composer – “I shall hear in the heavens.”

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10. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, etc freedom fighters for India – while they were to be hanged to death – they came walking into the gallows chanting the slokas from Bhagavad Gita and with the words of Krishna in their mouth, they gave up their bodies for their nation.

11. Mahatma Gandhi – chanted “Hey Rama” even after being shot by a gun.

12. Parikshit Maharaj – when the snake bird came to bite him, he was rapt in meditation and remembrance of the Lord and left his body as such.

13. Katvanga Maharaj – he was told by the demigods that he had only one moment to live before death arrives. He used that one moment to remember God

and achieved perfection.

14. Gajendra – the king of elephants who was caught by the crocodile – tried all his means to escape and finally realized that he was going to die. He took full shelter of the Lord and offered prayers and was saved from death by the Lord.

15. Ajamila – the brahmana who became allured by a prostitute and became a rascal – while dying chanted the name of his son Narayana and got the benefit of chanting the Lord’s name and attaining perfection.

16. Srila Prabhupada – Kuch iccha nahi – Not even a blade of grass can grow without the sanction of the Lord.

17. Srila Haridas Thakur – chanted “Sri Krishna Caitanya” looking at the lotus face of Lord Caitanya.

So if one carefully reads the above mentioned one can figure out that the common factor among all of them is that what all of them said at the time of death actually reflected what they all did all throughout their life. So it is important for us to practice Krishna consciousness seriously throughout our life which is practice for our final examination i.e. death.

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