Remembering Our Eternal Relationship with God

JKYog Team -
Remembering Our Eternal Relationship with God

From the Editor’s Desk

Human beings are spiritual entities at their core, eternally connected to their Creator, God. However, caught in the humdrum of life, they lose sight of this divine bond and turn away from God. The timeless teachings of the Vedas and the lives of saints remind us that the path back to God begins with self-awareness, humility, and a sincere longing to restore this eternal relationship.

Inspired by the Vedic Wisdom (i.e., tattva jnana) taught by Shree Swami Mukundananda ji, this issue of JKYog’s e-Journal Samarpan explores the reasons we have turned away from God, the consequences of this separation, and practical ways to reconnect with God. This teaching is exemplified through the life story of Thirumangai Alvar, one of the twelve revered Alvars in the Shree Vaishnav tradition.

Vedic Wisdom & Application

Theme of the Month

Remembering Our Eternal Relationship with God

Reflection Questions

  • Why Have We Turned Our Backs to God?
  • What are the Consequences of Turning Away from God?
  • How can We Constantly Remember Our Eternal Relationship with God?

Spiritual seekers have heard that they are the fragments of the all-powerful God and therefore, as eternal and divine, yet they have turned their backs to God (i.e., become vimukh). This disconnection leads to a lack of inner peace and a feeling of emptiness that cannot be fulfilled by worldly achievements.

Why Have We Turned Our Backs to God?

We have turned away from God primarily due to ignorance, attachment to the material world, and the influence of Maya (i.e., God’s illusive energy). For example, those familiar with the Ramayana know that when Manthara persuaded Kaikeyi to think about her son Bharat’s future, her attachment led her to ask King Dashrath for the boons that resulted in Lord Shree Ram being sent to exile for 14 years. This action ultimately caused suffering and separation from righteousness.

Similarly, modern examples show how material pursuits like excessive focus on career success or wealth can cloud one’s judgment and keep individuals away from spiritual growth. The Lord Shree Krishna beautifully explains to Arjun in the Bhagavad Gita:

भिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभि: सर्वमिदं जगत् |
मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्य: परमव्ययम् || 13||

tribhir guna-mayair bhavair ebhih sarvam idam jagat
mohitam nabhijanati mamebhyah param avyayam

Deluded by the three modes of Maya, people in this world are unable to know Me, the imperishable and eternal. (BG 7.13)

He explains that material souls are enveloped by the three material gunas or modes, i.e., tamas (ignorance), rajas (passion), and satya (goodness). Maya tricks souls into chasing the temporary but immediately accessible pleasures of the body and mind. The resulting misery and suffering may eventually encourage souls to turn toward God (i.e., become sanmukh) in desperation. However, turning toward God does not mean that souls will be able to resist Maya’s lures. At the start of one’s spiritual journey, most material souls volte-face to material pleasures when their immediate misery ends.

Wealthy Couple Turns Their Backs to God Oblivious of Their Eternal Relationship with Him

Souls vacillate between devotion and worldly pleasures due to a lack of conviction in divine knowledge of the scriptures and immediate access to temporary pleasures of life.

1.    Ignorance of Our True Nature: Ignorance lies at the root of our disconnection from God. Just as a cloud obscures the sunlight, our forgetfulness of our true identity veils our connection with God. The Bhagavad Gita beautifully illustrates that when Arjun was overcome by despair on the battlefield, he forgot his duty and divine identity until the Lord Shree Krishna reminded him of his eternal nature as a soul.

We too, identify solely with our body and mind, chasing external validation and pleasures while neglecting our spiritual essence. We mistakenly identify ourselves as the body and mind, believing our happiness depends on external circumstances. This ignorance veils the truth that we are eternal souls, divine fragments of God. The lack of awareness of this fundamental truth keeps us trapped in worldly matters, leading us to prioritize fleeting pleasures over our spiritual treasures.

2.    Material Attachments: The allure of material success, wealth, public recognition, and sensory pleasures diverts our focus away from the divine. The Bhagavad Gita describes how the mind, consumed by desires, creates a false sense of fulfillment in worldly possessions and achievements due to immediate access and relatively less effort compared to what is needed for fulfillment in the spiritual world. Worldly attachment breeds dependency on external factors for happiness, making it difficult to turn inward and connect with God. Over time, these attachments bind us in cycles of craving and dissatisfaction, further estranging us from our spiritual purpose.

3.    Ego and Pride: The human tendency to rely on one’s abilities and possessions fosters an illusion of independence from God/Guru. Ego and pride create a barrier, making it challenging to acknowledge our dependence on the Divine. This arrogance blinds us to God’s role as the ultimate source of all power and success. By believing we can control everything, we lose the humility necessary for surrendering to God/Guru and embracing our eternal relationship with Him.

What are the Consequences of Turning Away from God?

Material souls enveloped in the three modes, i.e., Tamas (i.e., ignorance), Rajas (i.e., passion), and Satva (i.e., goodness), identify with their body and the sources of sensual pleasure. Their consciousness has turned away from God and toward Maya in search of insatiable temporary pleasures. The consequences of turning away from God are:

1.    Spiritual Amnesia: Forgetting our divine relationship with God results in a sense of emptiness and purposelessness. This manifests as stress, anxiety, and discontent despite external achievements.

2.    Cycle of Birth and Death: Turning away from God binds us in the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, as explained in Bhagavad Gita (Verse 9.3).

3.    Lack of Inner Peace: A disconnect from God/Guru distances us from the source of true peace and bliss. The mind becomes restless, seeks fulfillment in transient pleasures, and experiences dissatisfaction from all kinds of material pursuits.

4.    Suffering in Relationships: Without aligning our love and relationships with the Divine, human connections often become conditional and fragile, leading to disappointment.

People Experience Misery in Life Having Turned Away from God

How Can We Constantly Remember Our Eternal Relationship with God?

Let us ask different people around the world randomly what they aspire for in life. They may opt for either (1) material enjoyment (i.e., bhukti), (2) escape from worldly miseries (i.e., mukti), or (3) divine love through seva (i.e., bhakti). Enlightened spiritual practitioners aspire bhakti in remembrance of their eternal relationship with God.

Life stories of saints like Meerabai, Soordas, Tukaram, Narsi Mehta, etc. teach us how their relationship with God and remembrance of Him was as natural as breathing. Their unshakable faith and devotion to God sustained them through personal trials and inspired generations of devotees. The biographies of these saints remind us of our eternal relationship with God (see Swamiji’s book Nourish Your Soul: Inspirations from and Lives of Great Saints for these inspirational stories of Saints).

However, spiritually destitute people who prioritize material pleasures as a means of achieving a comfortable and extravagant life are knocked down by Maya Shakti. It is then that they feel inclined to turn toward God, forgetting Saint Kabir’s words that if we remembered God during happy times, there would be no tough times. A very popular doha or couplet by Saint Kabirdas states:

दुख में सुमिरन सब करे, सुख में करे न कोय। जो सुख में सुमिरन करे, दुख काहे को होय।।

Dukh Mein Simran Sab Kare, Sukh Mein Kare Na Koye
Jo Sukh Mein Simran Kare, Tau Dukh Kahe Ko Hoye

In anguish everyone prays to Him, in joy does none
To One who prays in happiness, how can sorrow come?

If we remember that challenges are not signs of abandonment by the Divine but rather reminders of our dependence on Him. Just as a child instinctively reaches out to a parent in times of distress, the soul, too, is naturally inclined to seek refuge in God/Guru during adversity. Scriptures and saints emphasize that hardships are a test of faith, designed to purify the heart and strengthen our trust in the Divine plan.

God is Our Eternal Protector and Guide

God/Guru remains our eternal protector and guide. Remembering that we are divine fragments of God, we can find solace in the truth that He is always with us, orchestrating every event for our ultimate spiritual growth. Difficulties, then, are not punishments but divine interventions meant to redirect our focus toward Him.

The life story and journey of Thirumangai Alvar, one of the twelve revered Alvars in the Shree Vaishnav tradition, discovered his eternal relationship with God through divine grace, spiritual awakening, and transformative devotion. His life story, narrated by Swamiji at the 2024 Dallas Retreat, exemplifies how even the most materially engrossed individuals can reconnect with their eternal bond with the Divine. Here's how this transformation unfolded:

Thirumangai Alvar was initially a powerful chieftain and a warrior, deeply engrossed in worldly pursuits. His pride in his strength, wealth, and influence kept him distant from realizing his spiritual nature. His intense attachment to material success and sensual pleasures blinded him to the deeper purpose of life.

God often intervenes in the lives of His devotees to awaken their dormant spirituality. In Thirumangai’s case, the turning point came when his worldly pride led him into financial ruin and a crisis of identity. This was when he incurred heavy debts while trying to keep his promise to his wife, Kumudavalli, by fulfilling her request to feed a thousand Vaishnavas every day – her condition for marriage.

Thirumangai’s transformation began when he encountered Lord Vishnu Himself in the guise of a Brahmin. The Lord cleverly orchestrated events to humble Thirumangai and make him realize the futility of material wealth. In one instance, Thirumangai tried to rob the Brahmin (i.e., God in disguise), only to be confronted with profound truths about the soul’s relationship with God. Lord Vishnu revealed His divine form and imparted the sacred ashtakshara mantra ("Om Namo Narayanaya") to him. This mantra acted as the key to unlocking his spiritual wisdom and helped him remember his eternal bond with God.

After this divine encounter, Thirumangai Alvar renounced all worldly attachments including his wife. He dedicated himself entirely to serving Lord Vishnu. Through intense devotion, he began to see God not as a distant entity but as his eternal companion and beloved master.

Thirumangai Alvar expressed his deep longing and love for the Lord in Divya Prabandham, a collection of Tamil devotional hymns. These verses reveal his realization of his eternal relationship with God. His hymns are filled with humility, gratitude, and the longing to serve God selflessly.

Thirumangai Alvar traveled extensively to various Vishnu temples, singing hymns that highlighted the soul’s eternal connection with the Divine. He emphasized that the path to rediscovering this relationship is through surrender, devotion, and service to God. 

We too can remember our eternal relationship with God during tough times by realizing the following takeaways from Thirumangai Alvar’s life:

  • No matter how far one has strayed from God, divine grace can awaken spiritual awareness and reignite the soul’s relationship with God.
  • Recognizing one’s limitations and surrendering one’s pride (i.e., humility) opens the heart to divine love.
  • Devotion in any form, is a powerful means to realize our eternal bond with God.
  • The sacred mantra given by the Lord reminded Thirumangai of his divine nature and acted as a constant connection to God. We too, can chant any mantra that touches the heart and helps to strengthen this connection.

Thirumangai Alvar’s journey serves as a testament to the transformative power of God’s grace and the gift of devotion to help us realize our eternal relationship with the Divine. If souls are fortunate enough to meet and receive guidance from a true Guru, they may gain the knowledge that will gradually veer them in the right direction.

By turning toward God/Guru with love and surrender, we rekindle our forgotten relationship and experience inner bliss. As Swamiji says, “The soul’s eternal longing can only be fulfilled by reconnecting with God, who is its true source of joy.”

Knowing the Goal of Life is the Beginning of the Spiritual Journey

Call to Action for Personal Growth

Watch the video presented below and (1) note all the different spiritual practices that will help you to remember your eternal relationship with God/Guru, and (2) Create a plan for i

mplementing these practices consistently to reconnect with God/Guru.

Swamiji's Profound Message from Spiritual Secrets from Hinduism: Essence of the Vedic Scriptures

Gems of Wisdom from Swamiji

Here are a few YouTube video titles with related links and books where Swamiji has described our eternal relationship with God.

Hold Your Breath! Check out Upcoming Events

We are very excited to share details regarding the upcoming Mahashivratri Mahotsav at the Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas, the official U.S. Headquarters of JKYog.   

Mahashivratri Mahotsav

Offer Your Soul in Service of God

Lord Shiv is amongst the most elevated of all Vaishnavas and Mahashivratri is a festival dedicated in His honor and worship.  

Participate in a grand 5-day Mahashivratri Mahotsav at the Radha Krishna Temple. It is a golden opportunity to increase devotion and connect the mind to the divine realm. Savor the bliss of many amazing activities including:

  • Divine Darshan of the 20' Lord Shiv
  • Family & Community Workshop to create 1008 Shivlings
  • Samuhik Shivji Pooja
  • Divine Rudrabhishek
  • Awe-inspiring Cultural Program
  • Devotional Chants & Kirtans
  • Shivratri Special Sunday Satsang
  • Breath-taking Jhankis
  • Midnight Aarti
  • Special Vrat-Thali & Live Dosa Counter

Do not miss this wonderful opportunity!

Dates: February 22 to 26, 2025

Location: Radha Krishna Temple, 1450 N Watters Rd, Allen, TX 75013

Details: https://www.radhakrishnatemple.net/event/mahashivratri

 

Swami Mukundananda ji Offering Flowers to Gopeshwar Mahadev

JKYog Transforming Communities

As tiny fragments of the energy of God, we are constitutionally geared toward serving someone. Since endless lifetimes, we have become accustomed to serving our own selfish needs and desires and those of our loved ones. When we start to think about serving God and Guru, the process of inner transformation begins.

JKYog and Swamiji present devotees and volunteers with innumerable opportunities to engage in seva or service. Through seva, the Guru helps us to develop detachment from the material world, cultivate attachment to God, practice humility, develop the attitude of servitude, detach from the outcomes of seva, and eventually proffer total surrender to God. As the beautiful sentiments in the lines of Shree Maharajji’s kirtan say:

नित सेवा मांगू श्यामा श्याम तेरी, ना भुक्ति नाहीं मुक्ति मांगू मैं।

बाढ़ें भक्ति निष्काम नित मेरी, ना भुक्ति नाहीं मुक्ति मांगू मैं॥

Nita seva mangun shyama shyam teri, na bhukti nahin mukti mangaun main

Barhai bhakti nishkam nita meri, na bhukti nahin mukti mangaun main

O Shyama-Shyam! I desire your eternal service, neither bhukti (material pleasures), nor mukti (liberation). Let my unselfish devotion to you ever increase. I desire neither material pleasures nor liberation.

Selfless seva is the path toward the goal of attaining God.

We invite you to volunteer with JKYog to deepen your spiritual practice and associate with like-minded people. Check out the wonderful opportunities to serve God and fill your heart with inspiration. No matter what your interest or skill, there is something for you!

Details: https://www.jkyog.org/volunteer

Offer Your Soul in Service of God