Life Not As We Know It

Back in the July 7th edition of the NY Times an article appeared called Scientists Urge A Search For Life Not As We know It by Carl Zimmer. A report published by the National Research Council explained that scientists are looking around the planetary system, and even on our own planet, for “weird life.” Surely, they surmise, there must be life forms that can function in bodies and environments totally different then our own.

I can safely say that I’ve encountered weird life. It’s no big secret. They’re on the news every night. The activities of these weird life forms appear as headlines screaming at us from tabloids and televisions. And as we listen, shaking our heads in disbelief, we’re hard pressed to understand how some of these creatures think and how they reach the decisions they make and how they do the things they do. They certainly have to be aliens because their actions defy human reason, logic, and compassion.

Even rats can exhibit more human kindness than humans. This is revealed in an article from July 10th entitled Rat To Rat, Kindness Takes Hold. Researchers trained rats to pull levers to supply food to other rats. The experiment was started with three rats in adjacent cages trained to be providers of food, and they were never rewarded for their behavior by the researchers. After a time one of the rats was replaced and the behavior was learned by the new rat from the remaining two. Eventually all the original rats were replaced, but the training to be providers was transmitted to the new guys on the block.

As human beings, harassed by the forces of the kaliyuga, we are being untrained in kindness, especially toward those not of our own tribe and species. Instead, we are being reconditioned to be unkind, greedy and totally self centered. Why is it that rats can learn to cooperate and help one another, but not the life forms who inhabit the White House or the board rooms of big corporations?

Another article, from July 24 entitled Smart Curious Ticklish, Rats, explains that rats and human beings have a lot in common. Rats, like human parents, like to tickle their little ones. Rats, like many humans, are “sociable, curious, and love to be touched.” When threatened with a shock, and the shock doesn’t come, rats, like some humans, are observed to breathe a sign of relief. And yes, they even anticipate enjoying sex, (as one researcher says “it’s not simply instinctual for them”). And get this - rats can distinguish between good and bad sex. (How the researchers have figured this out one may never know.) Another thing: “”One study showed that rats accustomed to good times tend to be optimists, while those reared in unstable conditions become pessimists.” Rats are also very adaptable. Rats raised in the lab and then released into the wild did just fine. And one final observation - rats, unlike humans, don’t lie. Really. That’s because they immediately express their likes and dislikes through their bodies and actions.

But getting back to the article from the first paragraph, this search is nothing new. For thousands of years, sages have been in search For Life Not As We Know It. And the good news is that it’s available without having to search on other planets. Another way to put it would be “A Search For Intelligence Not As We Know It.” We all have seen where the usual type of “intelligence” can lead us. The living entities who thrive everywhere – in the earth, water, fire; on all planets and in different shapes and sizes – all use their specific types of intelligence to gain control over their environments as much as possible, and desperately try to emerge as the lords of all they survey. They squabble, they claw, they growl, they roar, they bite, they gouge, they shriek, they swarm, they sting; all to protect their territories or their mates.

For the most part, humans use their intelligence in the same ways animals use theirs. It comes down to four propensities: we all eat, sleep, mate, and defend. And often enough it seems many animals have an edge over us on one or more counts. It’s a jungle whether the creatures are running on four legs or driving on four wheels. So the trick is to search for an Intelligence Not As We Know It, but rather the sublime, Transcendent Intelligence; the Supreme Intelligence; the All Knowing Intelligence, by whose grace we can extract ourselves from the multiple layers of material bondage which entangle us. The National Research Council’s report concludes that it would be a shame to encounter intelligent life and fail to recognize it..

“Now listen to the knowledge of yoga whereby one works without fruitive result. When you act by such intelligence you can free yourself from the bondage of works.” Bhagavad Gita 2:39

“I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible.” Bhagavad Gita 7:25

“One who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything. He is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” Bhagavad Gita 18:54

London Bridge Is Falling Down, My Fair Lady

Don’t we just delight in books and movies wherein destruction wreaks havoc in one form or other, be it by nuclear bombs, disease, twisters, volcanic eruptions, giant creatures or alien invaders. If you do, then you’ll love The World Without Us, authored by Alan Weisman. Reviewed by Janet Maslin in The Arts section of the August 13th NYT, the book is a “what if” account of what would happen to the world if mankind would suddenly disappear.

How long would our cities and achievements last without us around to maintain them? Early on, Weisman describes the disintegration of an ordinary house - damage by water, by wind, by birds and animals. How everything rots and crumbles - the walls, the floors, the windows, the pipes, the roof. It’ll take about 500 years for it all to break down. It looks like he goes through the same thing with New York City (he thinks streets would collapse into the cavernous subway system in as quickly as 20 years).

The book, of course, is also about what we’ve done to the world. How much time would it take for the earth to replenish itself without our constant tampering? What will happen to the vast mounds of garbage we’ve dumped into the ocean, including all that plastic? The air we’ve polluted? The climate? The various species we’ve brought to near extinction? The war zones and nuclear reactors?

Weisman, however, does not touch upon accounts of ancient times which reveal cultures that understood the earth’s natural rhythms. The earth was perceived as a living entity. The wind, the fire, the rivers, the oceans are all personified. All to be honored since, as agents of the Supreme Lord, they supply our needs

Weisman, a veteran journalist, traveled around the world to interview people and check out various sites first hand. His research seems pretty thorough. The World Without Us is sprinkled with all sorts of tidbits of facts and figures. But the thing is, with or without human manipulation, this material world is constantly changing. The book’s most important theme, however, should give us pause. What are we humans struggling so hard to achieve? Why have our appetites run amok, leaving the environment in such turmoil? Is it preventable? What type of legacy will we leave for future generations?

I leave you with a story: Once there was a sage who lived by the banks of the Ganges River. The sage spent much of his time in meditation and he understood the difference between that which is ‘sat’ (eternal) and that which is ‘asat’ (temporary). Now he was destined to live until all the hairs on his body fell off. He is described as a ‘hairy’ sage. And only a single hair fell off during a life time of Brahma (which is millions upon millions of years). So this sage was going to live for an awfully long time. One day he was asked, “Why don’t you build yourself a nice home?” The sage replied, “Why should I bother? I’m only here temporarily.”

“Physical nature is known to be endlessly mutable. The universe is the cosmic form of the Lord, and I (Krishna) am that Lord represented as the Supersoul, dwelling in the heart of every embodied being.” Bhagavad Gita 8:4

“In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being satisfied by the performance of yajna (sacrifice), supply all necessities to man. But he who enjoys these gifts without offering them to the demigods in return is certainly a thief.” Bhagavad Gita 3:12

Summertime Blues Or The Winter Of Our Discontent

It’s Summer: Isn’t Anyone at Work by Lisa Belkin (NYT - August 9th) chronicles the author’s struggles to interview people and to write an article about the lack of motivation to do any work during the sweltering summer heat. During the summer more people seek diversions through online games or they call in sick on hot days. Another obstacle to getting anything done is that the youngsters are on summer break and the adults have to spend more time in tending to them and organizing activities for them.

But do you think people would take longer breaks or vacations? No way. They’re afraid to take anything too long because their boss might realize that they are not indispensable, or they might miss something important. So people are at the office more, and they might pretend to be busy, but they actually do less work.

It’s either a juggling act or a melt down. We’ve been juggling like there’s no tomorrow and our limbs are getting weak and we’ll soon conk out like some old junker that’s been on the road much too long. Actually, in the article, there’s an illustration of a guy with an ice cream cone as a dunce cap and it looks like his face (or his entire being) is slowly melting, forming a puddle on the floor. Is this the new everyman? People are just stressed to the max. I keep hearing that people want to retire early, that they can’t take it much longer. As a matter of fact, I'm hoping I can finish this piece before I melt away myself. But it’s no use. They say there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues.

“The nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” Bhagavad Gita 2:14

For "Honor"

It struck me like a sad little song. The article was only a measly paragraph, giving the bare facts, not saying much about the victim nor her killers. Maybe any more would have been just too much to bear. The piece, on page 6 of the July 27 NY Times, told of an ‘honor killing.” The culprit was a 70 year old grandmother of 16. I guess she thought she was doing right by her family. It was a Sikh family living in London, and grandma had arranged the murder of her daughter-in-law “because she was having an affair and wanted a divorce.” The victim, Surjit Athwal, was 27 and had been married for 11 years.

We periodically hear about these killings in the news. They probably happen more often than reported. Usually the killer is thinking that they are simply acting as God’s agent in the sordid affair, whether to punish a wayward family member or a suicide bomber against the infidels or the blowing up of an abortion clinic. I’m sure that in a court of law one of them somewhere has brought up the point that the sectarian state has no jurisdiction over them in the matter because they are doing God’s bidding.

But, in the Bible, God declares “Vengeance is Mine.” That means He wants to take care of it. And God has certainly had lots of practice. He’s been killing off people (the good, the bad and the ugly) since time immemorial. But we foolishly think that God is inept, that He can’t handle it or that He’s too busy with other things and that maybe He’ll forget. So we think, “I have to take care of it -why bother God? And I’ll get brownie points and it will look good on my resume when I get to heaven. I’ll have bragging rights.” This mindset only shows that one has very little faith. God is very capable of dispatching sinners and miscreants in His own way and in His own time.

Anyway, in this age, if He were to kill the sinners, He’d have to kill us all. So in this age, God has wisely developed an alternative plan. He’s appeared in the form of His Holy Name. The weapon of the Name is very subtle. Like an expert physician removing a cancerous tumor, the Name can destroy the miscreant mentality without killing the physical body. So yes, God wants assistants; not, however, to kill, but to spread love and mercy through the Holy Name. Like the Beatles sang: “take a sad song (the plight of the conditioned soul) and make it better.” It is written in the ancient texts: “In the age of quarrel and pretense (that’s this age – the kaliyuga) chant the Holy Name, chant the Holy Name, chant the Holy Name. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.”

So to any would-be avenger reading this: don’t worry your pretty little head. God is on top of it. No one is going to get away with anything.

“The Blessed Lord said: Time I am, destroyer of the worlds. I have come to engage all people.” Gita 11:32

The Horror!!!

People, we’re all being manipulated. It’s like right out of some horror movie. Our minds are controlled. Our bodies no longer belong to us. We are incapable of acting in our own self interest. We’re like the proverbial lemmings heading for the cliff.

In her article “In Parasite Survival, Ploys To Get Help From A Host,” (NY Times, June 26) Natalie Angier states that parasites are “an evolutionary force to be reckoned with, a source of nearly bottomless cunning and breath taking bio-inventiveness.” A chilling description of an alien foe worthy of stalking the pages of the best science fiction thriller.

Yes, it’s a sad fact. We, us humans, are not the only intelligent creature capable of making strategies and plans. But since the parasite doesn’t live very long, it needs to think and act quickly and effectively. There are numerous examples of a parasite growing in one bug or animal and then directing that being into the jaws of another where the parasite can continue to grow and thrive.

Case in point: One parasitic worm growing in a pill bug needs that bug to be eaten by a bird. A rational pill bug hides away in the day time only to come out at night. But the parasitic worm is working on that pill bug, eating away at its intelligence. Gradually, it begins to manipulate the bug to the point where that worm-infected bug defies all natural pill bug instincts and reasoning, and comes out in the day time to be devoured by a bird. Hint: parasitic worm equals lust.

“The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust, which veils the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.” Bhagavad Gita 3:40

Not Buying It

"Not Buying It" is an article from NY Times House & Home section of June 21 reported by Steven Kurutz. It’s about a new movement which has cropped up during the last decade in New York, and perhaps a few other cities, which rejects the consumeristic life style of buying the things we normally need and want. These folks merely live off the fat of the land; that is, off what other people or supermarkets or companies throw out.

The Hubbards (Harland & Anna) lived in that mood, residing on their small piece of land, known as Payne Hollow, away from the maddening crowd, on the banks of the Ohio River in Northern Kentucky by the Indiana border. In 1951, in their early 50’s, they built a home made from local stones and wood, and whatever they could scavenge. Harland said the river often supplied them with what they needed. They lived by a bend in the river and all sorts of boxes and things would naturally wash ashore at that point. The Hubbards passed away in their late 80's. One commentator wrote, “They lived the life that Thoreau wrote about but only lived for a short time.”

In the Vedic literatures we have the more sever example of renunciation in the “python” sadhus - monks laying on the ground in the forest, simply living off of whatever fruits and leaves fell around them. And it was said, some of them were rather chubby. We even hear about sadhus, up to the present day, residing in caves by the Himalayan mountains, wearing little or nothing, and nourishing themselves mainly on water and sun light, and living to be hundreds of years old.

The “sadhus” of NYC eat food found in the dumpsters behind supermarkets or bakeries, wear thrown away clothes, read literature and listen to CD’s retrieved from the trash, furnish their “caves” with items found on the street. The article says that “ some hold themselves to rigorous standards.” They are committed to not buying anything, or at least very little. These good souls are certainly focused and determined in their life style. They call themselves freegans and their philosophy is freeganism (a few web sites are devoted to the cause); surely a play on Reagan and Reaganism, which was the guiding beacon for the rising greed of the 80’s. That greed has since grown into a relentless force (a force more insidious than terrorism itself) with disastrous effects that are becoming more visible all over our social, political, and environmental landscapes. The freegans try to be the total opposite. Their commitment to their cause is a source of inspiration and at the same time puts me to shame. I need to have that type of commitment in my Krishna Consciousness, and that type of vision that our actions can and will change the world.

Of course, the advantage of practicing freeganism in NYC is the quantity and quality of the trash (in NYC the average is 6.1 pounds per person per day compared to 4.5 pounds nationwide – totaling 245 million tons a year for the country). And there are tricks of the trade (i.e. freegans check out college areas like NYU and Columbia at the end of the school year as students depart). They feel that their lifestyle will reduce the impact on the environment. They also believe in making a statement of noncompliance, since “the production and transport of every product contributes to economic and social injustice.” Most freegans are young, with a few middle aged folks who actually left comfortable jobs in the corporate world. Some freegans admit they still work, but they all must have some source of income because the caves in New York are not cheap.

I wonder how many freegans a place like New York can comfortably support. Right now there’s a mood of cooperation and camaraderie; people helping lift things out of the dumpster for each other, having feasts of free food together, even freely giving away things to one another. But what happens if they are successful and their numbers grow to a 1000 or 10,000? Will they form tribes and mark out zones for themselves in an effort to protect areas which include choice dumpsters and streets where the wealthy live? Such are the pitfalls of idealism.

“Attraction and repulsion for sense objects are felt by the embodied beings, but one should not fall under the control of the senses and sense objects because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self realization.” Gita 3:34

“There are three gates leading to hell – lust, anger and greed. Every sane man should give them up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.” Gita 16:21

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For many years Sankirtana Das was involved in writing and performing devotional dramas, touring to temples, colleges and Off B’way. Today he continues to travel widely offering multicultural storytelling programs and workshops for schools, colleges, museums, churches and special events. He is a 2005 recipient of a WV Artist Fellowship Award. Also see his site at http://www.sacredvoices.com/


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Appreciations:


Sankirtana Das is my storytelling guru." Sacinandana Swami

"The success of RCC 2000 was in no small part due to your marvelous workshop sessions." Dave Pomeroy, Religious Communications Congress 2000

"Sankirtana Das is a gold mine for anyone digging in the storytelling field. In addition, he is well equipped to provide the necessary tools for any prospector of tales. He has been my storytelling coach over the past ten years and has helped me tremendously. I have attended his workshops and have received private instruction as well. He offers a mix of humor, honest constructive criticism and knowledge of the art of storytelling. I enthusiastically recommend his services for anyone interested in developing their storytelling and writing skills." Kripamaya Das, Musician/Storyteller, West Virginia

"Although I’ve been writing and periodically telling stories for years, Sankirtana’s expert guidance has taken my creative abilities to a whole other level. His mentorship has been invaluable.Over two decades of performing, writing, and teaching have given Sankirtana the insight a master has of his subject, inside out and outside in. He recently helped this attached writer to learn to edit her work from an initially wordy and heavy script into an effective and fast moving tale that sacrificed none of the emotional content. What a difference this process has made in my ability to communicate in a compact and effective manner. THANK-YOU SANKIRTANA SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!" Harinam DD, Storyteller/Writer, Flordia

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"I received many positive comments from the leadership team and others who attended your workshop." Jeff Lacaria, Conference Council On Ministeries, United Methodist Church, WV

The Awkward Years

In the Science Section of the New York Times of April 24 an article appeared entitled Treating The Awkward Years, describing a slew of physical and emotional issues which may beset kids during their adolescent years, ranging generally from ages 10 to 19. There’s even a new field specializing in adolescent medicine dealing with anything from shyness to sexual activities to eating disorders to pimples. During those years kids are “mystified and embarrassed by their changing bodies.”

The article’s main point, however, was the inadequate number of doctors who are trained and willing to treat this age group (sound familiar?) – about 40 million youths. One doctor described them as “they’re not big children and they’re not little adults.” Not many doctors want to deal with them because they take up a lot more office time and are more challenging than the "cute little kids." And the doctors don’t make any more money off the teenagers than they do in treating the younger kids. 75 % of pediatricians surveyed said they didn’t really want more patients from the adolescent group.

Prabhupada explains how there are three different stages in the first part of life ( from ages 1-5, 6-10, and 11 –16) and how a parent should relate to each of those age groups. Of course, this all has to be done in love and with the self-control and wisdom of a sage. At one point in the 1970’s and 80’s the prevailing philosophy in society was to let kids do what they wanted (on book distribution at O’Hare Airport in the 70’s I even met a scholar who was very adamant about this point). One comedian joked about this saying – “When I was a kid I had to do what my parents wanted and now that I’m a parent I’m told to do what my kids want. When do I get to do what I want???"

Some doctors are heeding the call and actually taking the time to listen to and talk with their teenage patients to develop trust and confidentiality. One doctor observes, "Adolescents are incredibly thoughtful, creative and absolutely challenging. They get when you're insincere really quickly." We may think we're teaching them, but in actuality, Krishna is using them to teach us. I think the trick is to have the ability to appreciate them and learn from the kids themselves; to learn who we are; to learn to make the endeavor but to be detached from the results; to learn tolerance and patience; and to not be afraid to see our own imperfections and shortcomings. That's why it's so scary being a parent or a teacher.

As we journey through the diverse stages of life, we grapple (sometimes desperately) with the various problems and issues of our minds, emotions and bodies. When we’re five years old we have a particular set of problems, and when we’re 15 and 45 and 65 we encounter different issues and problems, usually each one more perplexing then the next. And in the end we see that our lives have been consumed with all these intermediate or transitional problems, but never really understanding and addressing the root source of the problems. We need help in crossing this dangerous terrain to not be bewildered by the many changes our bodies go through, otherwise we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. When we understand that Krishna is sending that help in many shapes and forms then our precarious journey will take on a wonderous new meaning.

“As the embodied soul continually passes in this body from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” Bhagavad Gita 2:13