I recall when I was a congregational member in the UK , I took a walk in the countryside with an antique dealer friend , he owned a antique shop down from my father’s television shop that I managed . As we walked in the countryside, he stooped down to a bunch of flowers and grabbed them out the ground, and with no thoughts of anything divine about them , immediately smelled them with great pleasure. Because I had become familiar with the Vedas, his actions seemed a little repulsive . It seemed a selfish act of self-indulgence, an act of thievery , an artificial Lordship over nature . He did not recognise or show any appreciation or recognition of how the flowers had come about in the great creation of nature. There were no thoughts of offering them back to the creator in acknowledgement of His glorious creation. Just snatch and smell . A similar incident occurred recently when I witnessed a musician playing music enjoying his talents for his own glory and pleasure, it appeared a very self-centred consciousness , with no recognition how he had gotten such talent , but instead simply bathing in self glory. Everything is granted, and we must know it , and we must know how to use the gift of life . If human life is used as Krishna recommends in Bhagavad Gita , then the greatest of gifts are realised .The greatest gifts are to establish a loving relationship with Divinity and to escape the confinement of temporary happiness. Birth , death, old age, and disease should be realised and rejected .
The glorious originator of all things must be recognised, and some offering of appreciation should be made . That’s how the highest cultures work , the Vedas brings us in-depth knowledge of different types of sacrifices along with their purposes. Without doing a life of sacrifice that is directed by Divinity , one misses out on a potential for greater and greater sharing that takes one to directly associate with Krishna and His family, lovers and friends. Learning to do offerings and sharing in the delights of the highest spiritual consciousness can be easily achieved when directed by the Gaudia Vaisnava acaryas, particularly in current times . In spiritual sacrifices and spiritual life, everything is a sacrifice for the sake of others, and sacrifices are ultimately directed to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supreme Goddess of fortune , Srimati Radharani . In Goloka Vrndavana , Their ecstatic bliss is relished in full , as every type of pure loving exchange take place among the pure devotees .The whole of the spiritual kingdoms, including nature and creatures, add to and participate in increasing the loving sacrifices.
The Vedas indicates, in material life , everything is on loan , even the material senses , the senses are owned by Divinity , they have been granted to every being accordingly. However, the original owner of the senses , Divinity, should be granted offerings . We can also enjoy, we enjoy our senses in their purest forms through Divinities senses , which is where our perfection is found .
The Srimad Bhagavatam and the Smritis of the Goswami’s of Vrndavana bring us knowledge of the outstanding love and appreciation of the residents of Vrndavana and where it takes them , and those who learn about them .
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