SOUL 🎨N FIRE | #052 BEFORE YOU CREATE, MEDITATE

Sep 29, 2020

Before society went from insane to 5150.

Circa 2019, Te Whanganui a Tara, Aotearoa.

Welcome to this issue of SOUL ON FIRE

Namaste, Kimora.

In this issue I have not included a podcast because I have been away for the past week on a trip. I am editing a vlog about it which I will share soon.

Enjoy this issue’s content and let me know in a reply what you thought.

ŚB 6.4.49-50

स वै यदा महादेवो मम वीर्योपबृंहित: ।
मेने खिलमिवात्मानमुद्यत: स्वर्गकर्मणि ॥ ४९ ॥
अथ मेऽभिहितो देवस्तपोऽतप्यत दारुणम् ।
नव विश्वसृजो युष्मान् येनादावसृजद्विभु: ॥ ५० ॥

sa vai yadā mahādevo
mama vīryopabṛṁhitaḥ
mene khilam ivātmānam
udyataḥ svarga-karmaṇi

atha me ’bhihito devas
tapo ’tapyata dāruṇam
nava viśva-sṛjo yuṣmān
yenādāv asṛjad vibhuḥ

Synonyms

saḥ — that Lord Brahmā; vai — indeed; yadā — when; mahā-devaḥ — the chief of all the demigods; mama — My; vīrya-upabṛṁhitaḥ — being increased by the potency; mene — thought; khilam — incapable; iva — as if; ātmānam — himself; udyataḥ — attempting; svarga-karmaṇi — in the creation of the universal affairs; atha — at that time; me — by Me; abhihitaḥ — advised; devaḥ — that Lord Brahmā; tapaḥ — austerity; atapyata — performed; dāruṇam — extremely difficult; nava — nine; viśva-sṛjaḥ — important personalities to create the universe; yuṣmān — all of you; yena — by whom; ādau — in the beginning; asṛjat — created; vibhuḥ — the great.

Translation

When the chief lord of the universe, Lord Brahmā [Svayambhū], having been inspired by My energy, was attempting to create, he thought himself incapable. Therefore I gave him advice, and in accordance with My instructions he underwent extremely difficult austerities. Because of these austerities, the great Lord Brahmā was able to create nine personalities, including you, to help him in the functions of creation.

Purport

Nothing is possible without tapasya. Lord Brahmā, however, was empowered to create this entire universe because of his austerities. The more we engage in austerities, the more we become powerful by the grace of the Lord. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva advised His sons, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed: “One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one’s heart is purified.” (Bhāg. 5.5.1) In our material existence, we are impure, and therefore we cannot do anything wonderful, but if we purify our existence by tapasya, we can do wonderful things by the grace of the Lord. Therefore tapasya is very important, as stressed in this verse.

Muchu’s reflection

I was trying to decide whether to do something creative or read last night and somehow I chose to read. This verse spoke to me. Four headed Brahma knew creative projects such as creating the universe required guidance, so he went into a deep meditation. Krsna revealed to him what he had to do - austerity Prabhupada says in the purport “In our material existence, we are impure, and therefore we cannot do anything wonderful, but if we purify our existence by tapasya, we can do wonderful things by the grace of the Lord.”

So the take away for me is to listen first, then create. In te reo the word whakarango means to listen deeply or engage the senses in gathering information. That’s what the creator of the universe did so I’m gonna do it too from now on.

“Before you create, meditate”

Muchu108.com

A nice way to start your day. Diego is a gentleman and a scholar who makes poetry and meditations. If you haven't already, watch the interview I did with him here.