Friday, December 28th, 2018

Toronto, Ontario

A Class of Truth

At our very holy spot in the ashram, the dozen monks, plus to be and wannabe monks, sit in the cozy corner of the temple room for a Bhagavatamreading and discussion. I was asked to conduct the class today based on 10.51.50 from the story of a retired warrior, Mucukunda, who received a benediction to burn to ashes anyone who would disturb his slumber. That happened.  The notorious Kalayavana, who was chasing Krishna, was led into a cave and woke up the privileged sleeper.  I thought the verse and purport were compelling:

Translation:  The body that at first rides high on fierce elephants or chariots adorned with gold and is known by the name “king” is later, by Your invincible power of time, called “feces,” “worms,” or “ashes.”

Purport:  In the United States and other materially developed countries, dead bodies are cosmetically disposed of in a tidy, ceremonial way, but in many parts of the world old, sickly and injured people die in lonely or neglected places, where dogs and jackals consume their bodies, eventually transforming them into stool. And if one is so blessed as to be buried in a coffin, one’s body may very well be consumed by worms and other minuscule creatures.  Also, many earthly cadavers are burned and thus transformed into ashes.  In any case, death is certain, and the ultimate fate of the body is never sublime.  That is the real purport of Mucukunda’s statement here—that the body, though now called “king,” “prince,” “beauty queen,” “upper-middle class” and so on, will eventually be called “stool,” “worms” and “ashes.”

The reading above rendered the naked truth to those of us in attendance, stripping the ego to the simplest, most basic  reality.

May the Source be with you!

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