Budapest, Hungary
Conditioned souls have been entangled in the material world – the land of birth, death, old age and disease – for a period of time scripture calls, “without beginning.”
In the Gita Krishna says that the material world is like a gigantic Banyan tree and that we are utterly lost in it’s midst. To escape, He says, one must “chop” down this massive tree with the weapon of detachment.
At first, chopping down this tree may sound like an impossible task as the Banyan, according to Krishna, is so vast that one lost in it cannot even ascertain where it begins or ends or even where its foundation is.
However, Krishna says that one can cut the tree with the weapon of detachment and the Srimad-Bhagavatam also give us this detail about how to complete the job: “With sword in hand, intelligent men cut through the binding knots of reactionary work [karma] by remembering the Personality of Godhead. Therefore, who will not pay attention to His message?” (SB 1.2.15)
In other words, one who hears, chants and remembers the Lord wields the powerful weapon that chops down the Banyan tree of material life.
Therefore, bhakti yogis embrace whatever effort it takes to daily keep their hearing and chanting vows.
Om Tat Sat
With gratitude and affection,
Vaisesika Dasa
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