Hari-kirtana is an author, mentor, and yoga teacher who shares his knowledge and experience of how the yoga wisdom tradition can guide us toward meaningful and transformative spiritual experiences.
Some thoughts about an apparent contradiction:
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Hi Reader - We might think of a Supreme Being as a distant Creator or an impersonal energy as opposed to a Divine Person who has a birthday. After all, how can a Supreme Being have a birthday when such a Being would be beginningless by definition? The wisdom texts of devotional yoga answer this question by presenting us with the idea of a Supreme Being who resolves all contradictions, including the contradiction of being eternal and having a birthday! In the case of Krishna, the speaker of the Bhagavad-gita, we find a conception of a Supreme Being with a personal form. And, although he is, in his own words, “unborn,” Krishna also says that he appears “in every millennium” by his own inner power (Bg 4.6 in case you want to look it up). The first time I heard the idea that, from time to time, God takes the initiative to personally appear on planet Earth to tell us how the world looks from his point of view, I thought, “Nope: not buying it.” But the more I thought about it, the more I came to think that a God who cares enough about us to personally show up and share his opinion about the state of the world and the best way for us to respond to it was a much higher conception of God than a God who wouldn’t. This, in my view, is the most amazing thing about Krishna: that, every once in a while, he shows up. In person. Here. On planet Earth. The anniversary of Krishna’s appearance here on Earth is celebrated every year on a day known as Janmastami – Krishna’s “birthday.” And, this year, that day is today! So, Happy Birthday to Krishna and Happy Janmashtami to everyone! Hoping all's well in your world, - Hari-k PS: Just a reminder that enrollment is open for my upcoming live online course, Journey Into the Bhagavad Gita. The course starts on September 8 (soon!) - CLICK HERE for complete information and enrollment. PPS: If you have a birthday coming up or one just past, Happy Birthday to you, too! |
Hari-kirtana das
Hari-kirtana is an author, mentor, and yoga teacher who shares his knowledge and experience of how the yoga wisdom tradition can guide us toward meaningful and transformative spiritual experiences.
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