I'm fascinated by my recent discovery of Lord Jesus' teachings to his disciples in his "Sermon on the Mount", Matthew 5. Why? Because having grown up in Krishna consciousness I've never really ventured outside of my bubble of safety, trying to figure out the teachings of other religions, including Christianity.

And as I read the "Sermon on the Mount" I couldn't help but think of the similarities in our Krishna conscious teachings, which got me thinking that Lord Jesus Christ was preaching Krishna consciousness, according to time, place and circumstance.

So this morning I began doing some comparisons between that sermon, and what our Krishna conscious perspective might be. Here is what I'm finding...

Lord Jesus Christ: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5.3)

Queen Kunti: My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted. One who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot approach You with sincere feeling. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.8.26)

I've been raised to believe that the nature of the soul is to be united with God, Krishna, in the spiritual world, which is eternal, blissful, and full of knowledge. It is said that when Krishna loves you, He fulfills your material desires, like a father who tries to please his child. And when Krishna really loves you, He takes away your material distractions, knowing what is best for you, so it becomes easier for you to again turn your attachments towards Him, and ultimately come back to His abode.

Lord Jesus Christ: Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5.4)

Queen Kunti: I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.25)

Queen Kunti was a great devotee of Krishna who endured many calamities. Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport to this verse:

"Generally the distressed, the needy, the intelligent and the inquisitive, who have performed some pious activities, worship or begin to worship the Lord. Others, who are thriving on misdeeds only, regardless of status, cannot approach the Supreme due to being misled by the illusory energy. Therefore, for a pious person, if there is some calamity there is no other alternative than to take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. Constantly remembering the lotus feet of the Lord means preparing for liberation from birth and death. Therefore, even though there are so-called calamities, they are welcome because they give us an opportunity to remember the Lord, which means liberation.

One who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord, which are accepted as the most suitable boat for crossing the ocean of nescience, can achieve liberation as easily as one leaps over the holes made by the hoofs of a calf. Such persons are meant to reside in the abode of the Lord, and they have nothing to do with a place where there is danger in every step.

This material world is certified by the Lord in the Bhagavad-gita as a dangerous place full of calamities. Less intelligent persons prepare plans to adjust to those calamities without knowing that the nature of this place is itself full of calamities. They have no information of the abode of the Lord, which is full of bliss and without trace of calamity. The duty of the sane person, therefore, is to be undisturbed by worldly calamities, which are sure to happen in all circumstances. Suffering all sorts of unavoidable misfortunes, one should make progress in spiritual realization because that is the mission of human life. The spirit soul is transcendental to all material calamities; therefore, the so-called calamities are called false. A man may see a tiger swallowing him in a dream, and he may cry for this calamity. Actually there is no tiger and there is no suffering; it is simply a case of dreams. In the same way, all calamities of life are said to be dreams. If someone is lucky enough to get in contact with the Lord by devotional service, it is all gain. Contact with the Lord by any one of the nine devotional services is always a forward step on the path going back to Godhead."

Lord Jesus Christ: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5.5)

Lord Brahma: My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.14.8)

Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport to this verse:

"Srila Sridhara Svami explains in his commentary that just as a legitimate son has to simply remain alive to gain an inheritance from his father, one who simply remains alive in Krishna consciousness, following the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga, automatically becomes eligible to receive the mercy of the Personality of Godhead. In other words, he will be promoted to the kingdom of God.

The word su-samikshamana indicates that a devotee earnestly awaits the mercy of the Supreme Lord even while suffering the painful effects of previous sinful activities. Lord Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-gita that a devotee who fully surrenders unto Him is no longer liable to suffer the reactions of his previous karma. However, because in his mind a devotee may still maintain the remnants of his previous sinful mentality, the Lord removes the last vestiges of the enjoying spirit by giving His devotee punishments that may sometimes resemble sinful reactions. The purpose of the entire creation of God is to rectify the living entity's tendency to enjoy without the Lord, and therefore the particular punishment given for a sinful activity is specifically designed to curtail the mentality that produced the activity. Although a devotee has surrendered to the Lord's devotional service, until he is completely perfect in Krishna consciousness he may maintain a slight inclination to enjoy the false happiness of this world. The Lord therefore creates a particular situation to eradicate this remaining enjoying spirit. This unhappiness suffered by a sincere devotee is not technically a karmic reaction; it is rather the Lord's special mercy for inducing His devotee to completely let go of the material world and return home, back to Godhead.

A sincere devotee earnestly desires to go back to the Lord's abode. Therefore he willingly accepts the Lord's merciful punishment and continues offering respects and obeisances to the Lord with his heart, words and body. Such a bona fide servant of the Lord, considering all hardship a small price to pay for gaining the personal association of the Lord, certainly becomes a legitimate son of God, as indicated here by the words daya-bhak. Just as one cannot approach the sun without becoming fire, one cannot approach the supreme pure, Lord Krishna, without undergoing a rigid purificatory process, which may appear like suffering but which is in fact a curative treatment administered by the personal hand of the Lord."

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Wow. I could spend a month or more just meditating on the above paragraphs. The next time someone asks me why "bad things happen to good people," here is an answer.

What are your thoughts on the above? Please let me know by leaving a "comment" at the bottom of this blog post.