Madhavendra Puri Dasa

Tutor: HH Yadunandana Swami Topic: Preaching/Theological Application Essay Question: 1. Write a short articlefor a magazine called Alternative Lifestyles. The article should be based on the Isopanisad. Try to accurately represent the Vaishnava Siddhanta, presenting balanced understanding that will be relevant and accessible to the readers. Date: 29/11/2010

Madhavendra Puri Dasa

Wealth and Poverty

Sri Isopanisad

In different lifestyles we see different judgments of what wealth is and what is of the true value of life. In the same light, we look at what poverty is and how these aspects affect us. I want to look at these values through an alternative opinion, based on Srila Prabhupadas commentary of Sri Isopanisad, hoping to draw a certain view on what wealth and poverty become in the light of material and spiritual values. I hope to draw into the aspect of spiritual value over material value and the value of spiritual relationship over the latter.

In the first mantra of Sri Isopanisad we learn that we are only supposed to accept what is set aside as our quota and that everything is owned by the Lord, God. In Srila Prabhupadas purport, there is an example of a dwelling. We labour for material things but our labour does not give us proprietorship over the objects we engage in that labour. If a man owns a dwelling and we exploit his resources in our employment, we cannot then claim to own the dwelling. In the light of this mantra, we can conclude that we are not the proprietors of this creation but are simply working within what God owns. We do not own anything here. Going back to the Invocation Mantra, we have an understanding that God and His energies are all complete in themselves. Depending on our amount of spiritual realization, we understand this completeness in different ways (which is explained in the purport). Srila Prabhupada further emphasises in this purport that material life is somewhat like an illusion, because we are acting outside the will of God. Acting on the material plane, we are not acting in line with our complete situation. Srila Prabhupada uses the analogy of the hand acting independent of the body. The purport ends giving the notion that we must act in service to the Complete Whole in order to be rightly situated, not in service of the temporary material world. In the fifteenth mantra, the speaker of the original text begs the Lord to remove His impersonal effulgence. This impersonal Brahman effulgence is considered spiritual but it lacks a personal aspect, thus the speaker is begging for its removal. In the purport is explained different relationships one can have with the Lord in His personal feature (Bhagavan). It also explains that the Lord does not personally have anything to do with this material world. It further states that to see the real face of the Lord, one must have this Brahman effulgence removed. -129 November 2010

Madhavendra Puri Dasa

Wealth and Poverty

Sri Isopanisad

It seems, in the light of Sri Isopanisad that material wealth cannot be viewed as real wealth. Therefore one possessing a vast amount of material wealth without spiritual wealth would be seen as poverty stricken, from the higher perspective. The spiritual is favoured over the material, in its permanence but Sri Isopanisad seems to conclude that the personal relationship with the Supreme Lord is the highest wealth, He being the Complete Whole and being able to interact with us all. Therefore, a loving relationship is a superior wealth to default spiritual realization, and spiritual realization is superior to temporary material wealth, which is not really ours to own in life or in death.

-229 November 2010

Madhavendra Puri Dasa

Wealth and Poverty

Sri Isopanisad

Bibliography
Prabhupada, A. B. (2003). Nectar of Devotion, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. Internation Publication: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Prabhupada, A. B. (2003). Nectar of Instruction, Upadesamrta. Internation Publication: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Prabhupada, A. B. (2003). Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. Internation Publication: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Prabhupada, A. B. (2003). Sri Isopanisad. International Publicaiont: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Prabhupada, A. B. (2003). Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavat Purana). Internation Publication: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Prabhupada, A. B. (2006). Bhagavad-gita As It Is. International Publication: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

-329 November 2010