Material Problems and

Spiritual Solutions

 He who discards

scriptural injunctions
and acts according
to his own whims
attains neither
perfection, nor
happiness, nor the
supreme
destination. [BG
16.23]

The Logic of Geeta 16.23

If one doesnt follow the authority (scripture) then

one does as one likes (accepting and rejecting).
Whose to say what we really like when our
perception of reality is vitiated by 4 defects:
imperfect senses, prone to illusion, commits
mistakes, and cheating propensity
Because of defects we cannot reach perfection,
nor become happy, nor achieve the Supreme
Destination.
We require descending mercy: God, Scripture,
Spiritual Mater, and Saintly persons

Understanding the Real Problems

of Life
Real problems are problems for every

specie.
A real problem has the following criteria:
1) It is common to all
2) Nobody wants it
3) Nobody can avoid it

Death
In that diseased condition the

dying persons eyes bulge due

to the pressure of air from
within, and his glands become
congested with mucus. He has
difficulty breathing, and there
is a rattling sound within his
throatthus he dies most
pathetically. SB 3.30.16-18

Old Age

This frightful situation cannot be

remedied by any person in this
material world. My lord, it is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead
as eternal time [kla] that has
approached us all Despite your
unwillingness to die and your
desire to live even at the cost of
honor and prestige, your miserly
body will certainly dwindle and
deteriorate like an old garment.
SB 1.13.19 & 25

Disease
We may cure one

disease for
sometime, but we
cant eradicate
disease.

Birth

Birth is an extremely painful

experience for the living
entity. For 9 long months,
human fetus lies crapped
within the darkness of the
womb, scorched by
mothers gastric fire. Hungry
worms in the abdominal
cavity torment the child.
Child passes urine and
stool in the same pack.
Such is the misery of birth.

Perception of the Evil of the Four

Problems of Life
Lord Krishna says in the Gita that it is very

important for every sane human being to

[perceive] the evil of birth, death, old age,
and disease
Unless there is perception of these evils
we go on trying to enjoy the material world
unconscious of our precarious situation.

The Three-Fold Miseries

Some argue: The problems of birth, old

age, disease, and death come only once

in a while. We can just ignore them and
enjoy life for the remaining time.
However, at every moment we are
suffering due to a least one of the
following three-fold miseries:
Adhyatamika-Klesha
Adhibhautika-Klesha
Adhidaivika-Klesha

Adhyatmika-Klesha: Miseries
caused by ones own mind and body
Body and mind give rise
to innumerable problems
In year 2000, in America,
19 million youths were
suffering from mental
illness; everyday 1200
youths were attempting
to commit suicide and
1/10th of them were
sucessful.

Adhibhautika-Klesha: Miseries
Caused by Other Living Beings
Even if ones body

and mind are healthy,

other living being, i.e.
enemy, boss,
collegue, relative,
family member,
terrorist, bed bug,
mosquito, etc., is sure
to bring some misery.

Adhidaivika-Klesha: Miseries
Causes by Nature
December 26, 2004

Tsunami: killed about

150,000 people in 1
day and left millions
homeless in 9
countries
2008 Cyclone:
43,000 and still
counting

The Need to Approach God

The need for spiritual knowledge, i.e. a spiritual

solution to the real problems of life, is to first
understand that we are all searching after
happiness at every moment in our lives.
If theres a creator to the creation, then what
logically follows is that the creator knows for
what purpose the material world exist and
therefore, the best solution can be offering by
such a creator only.
Spiritual solution means that offered by God,
Krishna.

One thing is for sure: Were Not God!

Can we confidently say I get what I want and I

dont get what I dont want?
Although the performer of fruitive activities
desires perpetual happiness, it is clearly
observed that materialistic workers are often
unhappy and only occasionally satisfied, thus
proving that they are not independent or in
control of their destiny. When a person is always
under the superior control of another, how can
he expect any valuable results from his own
fruitive actions? SB 11.10.17

Were Definitely Not in Control

If a person could really control his destiny, why

would he create problems for himself?
Napoleon Bonaparte
Chris Reeves
Rockefeller
Mohammed Ali
Even the greatest of the great personalities have
to deal with the problems of life. Therefore, real
human life is to inquire how to stop the problems
of life.

Cover Up is Not a Solution

All the advancement is science and

technology are orientated for eliminating

or reducing the problems of life and
increasing the comfort of life.
Despite all efforts, suffering appears to be
increasing and happiness ever receding
like a mirage in a dessert.
Scientific advancement means Newer
and more ingenious ways to cover up the
reality.

The False Glare of Advance Society

Thanks to science, we have more

sophisticated technological gadgetsiphone, ipod, lap-top, airplanes, etc.-give a

superficial covering of comfort and
advancement in life.
Beyond the razzle-dazzle, the problems of
life still persist, i.e. birth, death, disease,
and old age and thus people are not any
happier.

Perplexities of Material Life

A materialistic person,
thinking himself very
advanced in intelligence,
continually acts for economic
development. But again and
again, as enunciated in the
Vedas, he is frustrated by
material activities, either in
this life or in the next. Indeed,
the results one obtains are
inevitably the opposite of
those one desires. SB 7.7.41

Solution Today-Problems Tomorrow

Many scientific inventions have apparently

increased the comfort of man, but they

have given rise to secondary problems.
What is solution today is the cause of the
problem tomorrow.
Examples:
1) Automobiles
2) Cell Phones
3) Fast Food/Restaurant Industry

Real Solution Requires A Change

in Consciousness
[One] cannot

solve a problem
with the same
consciousness that
created it.-Albert
Einstein

No Such Things as Material

Solution to Material Problems

Science gives only patch up solution to cover up

problems, but does not help solve the problems.
Despite technological growth, man has not
become happier because the problems created by
technology cause further complications nor has
technology solve the real problems of life.
Modern educated men are purchasing the
attractive comforts of materialistic life at the
expense of ignoring knowledge of the soul and
God. Such a life with no proper direction will only
make one more miserable now and in the future.

Spiritual Solution is the

God Approach to Life

Although there are many remedies by which to get

out of miserable life, any such remedies in the
material world are more miserable than the miseries
themselves. Therefore I think that the only remedy is
to engage in Your service. Kindly instruct me in such
service. SB 7.9.17

Perceiving the Master of the

Universal Government
Did everything start from

a big bang or

big brain?
When asked how the universe began,
people simply murmur, big bang.
Whenever there is big bang due to some
bomb blast, you can be sure of two things:
Somebody created the explosion
The explosion caused damage and
destruction

The 4 Aspects of Creation

In any type of creation, four aspects are

always considered:
Creator (painting/painter; design/designer;
creation/creator)
Form (Every creation has a specific design
that makes it unique)
Ingredients (Different elements/ingredients
are required for any creation)
Purpose (The impetus behind every
creation)

Has a creator, ingredients,

a form and a purpose

Has a creator, ingredients, a

form and a purpose

Has No Creator
No Form
No Ingredients
No Purpose

Big Brain vs. Big Bang

Big Bang Theory: Everything comes from a

point (singularity) of infinite temperature, infinite
density, infinitesimal size that is physically
indescribable, mathematically unverifiable, and
beyond all conceptions of time and space. After
the explosion, in the course of billions of year,
everything randomly comes together in perfect
order by chance.
It should be emphasized that no theory of the
origin of the solar system has as yet won
general acceptance. All involve highly
improbable assumptions.-Encyclopedia of
Britannica

Faith: A Foundational Necessity

Krishna instructs

in Geeta 17.3: The living

entity is composed of faith.
Faith is a foundational necessity in order to
progress in any field of knowledge either
material or spiritual.
Knowledge of whom to place ones faith
can be known by buddhi, discrimination or
reason.
Faith in God and the scriptures he
manifest is necessary for gaining solution
to the problems of life.

Empirically Appreciating the

Presence of Superior
Intelligence in the Universe
It can easily be seen that
everything is working under the
control of a superior brain. The
arrangements in nature are
perfectly ordered, not completely
random, indicating the careful
planning of a scientific and
engineering brain.

Govt of Country/ Universal Govt

HOME MINISTRY
(LAW AND
ORDER)

Laws of Nature: As you

Sow so shall you reap

Govt of Country/ Universal Govt

Supplying Medicines
for diseases

Ayurvedic Herbs
supplied naturally

Govt Country/ Universal Govt

Powerhouse

Sun and Moon

Govt of Country/ Universal Govt

Finance Ministry

Gold, Diamonds, Silver

Pearls

Gods Pharmacy

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye The

pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the
human eye...and YES science now shows that
carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function
of the eyes.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right

hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower
cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on
the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know
that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neurontransmitters for brain function.

Eggplant, Avocadoes and Pears target the health and

function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look
just like these organs. Today's research shows that when
a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones,
sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical
cancers. And how profound is this? .... It takes exactly 9
months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened
fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical
constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods
(modern science has only studied and named about 141
of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they

grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and
increase the numbers of Sperm cells to overcome
male sterility.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The

heart is red and has four chambers. All of the
research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart
and blood food.

What is the Caused of Suffering

Just as a criminal breaks the law and is subject to punishment,

similarly the foolish living entity who tries to enjoy separate from
God and the regulations outline in scriptures are punished by
nature.

The Goodness in Suffering

The symptom of suffering is good because it gives us an

opportunity to look for the root cause. When our bodily system
is disturbed, it gets heated up showing fever, bitterness in
tongue, restlessness of mind, and body so we can take
immediate remedial action. The symptoms of suffering are
thus good because it indicates Im doing something wrong and
need to find a solution.

Returning to Harmony

Despite our prolonged endeavors for happiness, suffering persists

Because we are in a foreign atmosphere. A fish out of water with
comforts and luxuries can never enjoy, nor can a man feel as safe
and comfortable high up in the airplane or in the midst of the vast
Atlantic Ocean as much as he feels on land.

Returning to Harmony
The Soul is in a foreign
atmosphere in the material
world and is, therefore,
suffering accordingly.
Happiness comes by reHarmonizing ones life in
a way conducive for
returning to the original
spiritual atmosphere.

Geeta: The Art of Living

We have to learn the

art of living in harmony
with Gods teachings.
Then we can become
happy even while being
in this world and can
eventually be
reinstated in our
original position in the
spiritual world.

The Transcendental Manual

Just as a particular

machine comes with an

instruction manual that
show us how to use that
particular instrument, Gita
teaches us about the
purpose of life, creation,
the material bodies and
mind, right and wrong
actions, etc., like a
transcendental manual.

Simple Steps for Harmonizing Our

Lives with God and Nature
Developing attachment to the relationship

with the message of Gita, the messenger of

Gita (Guru/sadhu) and the object of Gita
(Krishna).
Chant the holy names of the Lord everyday:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Thank the Lord before eating your food.

Make a program

for performing activities

that are in line with the principles of God
Consciousness.

Thank You Very Much

Chant:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

And Your Life Will Be Sublime