Wake UP Sleeping Soul!

Death is such an amazing lesson. Yesterday was the funeral of a dear New Vrindaban community member, Mukta Kesha Prabhu, who left his body on Good Friday last week after a sudden illness and botched operation. It was crazy emotional because Mukta Kesha was a father figure to me. He was one of the first Srila Prabhupada disciple's who took an interest in my spiritual life. He would say something like this to me everyday.

"Mata, we're gonna read the Bhagavad Gita everyday together, OK? Sound good, mata? Bhakta class for me and you. Everyday for an hour. Now don't fall asleep on me, mata. By reading the Gita everyday, reading Srila Prabhupada's purports, you will become an expert preacher. Sound good, mata? This process works. OK, now get out of here."

And sure enough. For two months, we met everyday and read the Bhagavad Gita together for one hour. I looked forward to it everyday. He'd be transcendentally furious if I was even one minute late. He would administer quizzes and tests which I never did. He kept some sort of grade sheet on his computer and I'd give him made up scores. He'd share his realizations on Prabhupada's purports and we'd get into arguments about the position and standing of women in society. His last argument was, "Mata, in Kali Yuga, women are men and men are women so it doesn't make any difference." His philosophical understanding was solid. It was obvious he had taught hundreds of new bhaktas if not thousands before me.

Mukta's service at the temple was prison ministry. He kept correspondence with something like 1600 prisoners, the most fallen souls within our society. His causeless mercy had touched the lives of so many people.

At first I thought Mukta was a little much. He used to come into the men's ashram everyday at 4am and pound on every door. "Jiv jago!," he would call out (English translation: "wake up sleeping soul!"). He was fierce and I could hear him from the adjacent hallway. During the morning program he would play a small tambourine and do the Mukta shuffle back and forth, putting weight on one leg then the other real quick-like. During group japa meditation, he would storm into the room and chant con bravo. But in no time at all these eccentricities made me love him even more.

Muktakesha was from Buffalo so immediately we had a connection. I loved him because he was rough and tough, but humble and genuine. He said what was on his mind and he said it loud and clear. But because he was all heart and was dutifully carrying out Prabhupada's mission, he was a sincere well-wisher of all of humanity. Even when he said something seemingly offensive, it would only make me shake my head and laugh.

During the ceremony I questioned if I could ever pull it together to be as focused and sincere as he was. I wondered if I too could touch so many peoples lives in such a spiritually profound way.

"As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change." -Bhagavad Gita, As It Is (2.13)

The awesome thing about Krishna consciousness is that is fully prepares one for death. The Gita gives instruction on how we can perfect our life in order to perfect our death and how we can perfect our death by perfecting our life. Srila Prabhupada says, "The body is born and is destined to be vanquished today or tomorrow; therefore the body is not as important as the soul." Our body serves only as a vehicle for the precious goods inside. In a human body, we have a unique opportunity to understand this and make proper adjustments and lifestyle changes that will help determine the nature of your next birth (could be in hell, back on earth, bacteria, grass, tree, dog, pig, man, woman, heavenly planets, impersonal Brahmajoti, spiritual sky, Goloka!). This is the ultimate in investment and long-term planning. Please take responsibility for yourself and invest in your soul.

Mukta Kesha took it upon himself to engage me in thoroughly studying the Bhagavad Gita-As It Is. The least I can do for him now is to honor his example and share his inspiration. Please repeat, "I am not this body!" But as long as I'm stuck with it, may as well maximize its potential and encourage others to do the same.