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his book was inspired by some questions contained in a short paragraph, which my 1st grandson David-jivan Bernal, wrote to me when he was about to graduate from High School. Desiring to be a particular kind of grandfather, his inquire, “Hit the button”, so to speak. This book will provide many of answers he is seeking.
Moreover, reading this introduction, you will know my agenda in regards to this book. This book will also apply to any human being on this Planet Earth; it is not just for my son Jagajivan, and David or my other grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. This book,
IT IS FOR EVERYONE.
The book has only the first 25 chapters of Jaiva-dharma; there will be 15 more chapters, which are for those who have mastered the first 25. At this time, I am not qualified to read or study them 15 chapters, and I do not know at this time if I will be able to present them, if I do become qualified.
Let us look at what sparked me into writing this book.
My oldest grand some wrote the following in an email in the month of December 2010,
“Dear Gandpa!
“I am at a spiritual crossroads of sorts at the moment, as I am becoming a man; I find it challenging to formulate into words the wonders of our universe. I would love to hear any advice you have on finding one’s true self and discovering true meaning”.
All the answers, the truths, the knowledge, and the experiences of others is out there and available to all. It could take a lifetime to obtain, discover, and correlate all “that is out there” so that my grandson could find out for himself, the advice he is seeking. The book that I am writing will only finish when I take my last breath in this life. Until then, I write this book not just for my grandson; but also, for anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation, and with similar needs.
I am of the opinion that I cannot teach knowledge which I do not possess. I cannot advice anything which I myself have not taken the same advice. I cannot give anyone anything that I do not possess nor can I advise any one to do something which I have not done myself. My grandson is a man after my own heart. The statement he made is no different than what I could have also written to my grandfather, or to anyone else, when I was 17 years old. However, I never had the opportunity to ever know my grandfathers for they both died when my father was 6 years old and my mother was still in the womb. The fact of this matter is that there was no person on earth which I felt I could confide in; in this regard.
In the due course of time, I found the answers which would satisfy my inquiry as my grandson has stated himself. Therefore, this book is a recap, so to speak, of the answers, and advice I once sought, and which my grandson is now looking for. In addition, I am sure that there are numerous other young women and men on this planet Earth, who have likewise sentiments. In this book I will mention, present, and document various subject matters, which are only the tip of many icebergs, so to speak. Each of these would require many books to explain, and present in complete form and detail.
Sometime in the first quarter of the year 2012, I am personally going to conduct a very scientific experiment which is absolutely spiritual in nature. This book will explain the reasons, and the impetus for doing so. Once I proceed with this personal journey of sorts, I cannot guarantee if I will continue to write more on the various subjects, which I will present in this book. However, If I am successful in this last endeavor in this life time, it is possible that I will no longer write any more. Moreover, it is possible that I will. That decision will not be made by me. That is how I understand it to be. If you are a careful and thoughtful reader and have a little bit of a detective spirit in you, it is possible to understand fully what I have just written.
I am getting closer every day to death. I need to finish this first book for the benefit of my children, and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and any young man or women in this world. These books will as briefly as possible, and at the same time as informative as possible; allow you to understand my last personal endeavor in this life. Especially for my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; I have a sense that I desire for them to understand the final years of my life on this planet Earth.
I will simply be practicing one piece of advice, which I have already given to all my children and grandchildren; and to many other people that I have had the opportunity to do likewise.
“The decisions you make at every moment in time will mould your destiny”
This is my personal agenda. I am consciously, proactively, and deliberately molding my destiny to what I specifically desire it to be. Yes! I can tell you what that is.
I simply desire to love with all my heart and mind, and to be a servant, of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna; anywhere, anytime, and unconditionally. On this website you will find an essay by the title “The meaning of words”. There I referenced something I learned while I lived in Vrindavan in the 1990’s. According to rhetoricians, a meaningful word has three types of energies, which give three types of meanings to it.
Sahitya darpana 2.2,
“The meaning of a word is of three types–direct, implied and suggested”.
The meaning which comes to the mind just immediately upon hearing the word is called the direct or primary meaning. This meaning is due to the power of the word. Sometimes, however, the primary meaning is not the suitable meaning, because it does not convey the complete sense of the speaker or writer. When this happens, one can look to a secondary or third meaning.
The word may have a secondary or implied meaning. This implied meaning is certainly related with the direct one, but it is of different nature.
I used my grandson’s statement, to illustrate how I rewrote my grandsons’ statement. As it stands, this statement lacks specifics. In the meaning of words, I used a Vedic scriptural reference regarding the meaning of words to interpret his statement.
“The meaning of a word is of three types–direct, implied and suggested”.
My grandson’s (David’s) statement was heave on implied, and suggested meanings. Therefore, I thought that it would be appropriate to include the rewritten statement here. The rewritten statement contains in a concise manner, the subject matter of this book. My agenda is not to order, or demand that you accept what I am writing. David stated a circumstance he is experiencing. Therefore, he asked me for any advice, information, and knowledge that I have in my possession, which could aid him, resolve his circumstance.
Sometimes when one discovers something, which one feels it is personally valuable and magnificent; due to joy and enthusiasm, one develops a desire to share the discovery with others. Well, you may not have this nature; but I do. David’s statement hit that button in me, which allowed me to feel comfortable in sharing with him the results of my quest to discover that which he is searching for now. My grandson is a man after my own heart, so to speak.
Once I wrote to David and gave some advice.
“A person who learns from ones’ own experiences is a fool. A person who learns from the experiences of others is wise”.
Hence, my agenda is to give advice, share information, share knowledge, and make comments and suggestions; regarding the subject matters which are contained in this book.
David’s statement rewritten as I interpreted
“I am going through the period of time in my life in which I am maturing into an adult; I am not a naive young boy anymore. I have come to a point in my life were, to some degree, I have concerns regarding religion, the soul, God, and church. Due to my limited abilities and resources; I find it difficult to express in systematic terms and concepts, the awe and astonishment that I have for the marvelous and sometime puzzling contents of intergalactic space, the earth, its inhabitants, all created things, and especially the human race. I am enthusiastically open to receiving any opinions, information, and knowledge you have so that upon examination I can reach conclusions regarding the factual, real, and eternal, nature of: The individuality of my soul, the Supreme Lord, the purpose and inter-relationships of everything that exists; In other words; Absolute and Eternal truths”.