SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 14 Text 18
urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti stha
adho gacchanti tamasah

urdhvam--upwards; gacchanti--go; sattva-sthah--those situated in the mode of goodness; madhye--in the middle; tisthanti--dwell; rajasah--those situated in the mode of passion; jaghanya--of abominable; guna--quality; vrtti-sthah--whose occupation; adhah--down; gacchanti--go; tamasah--persons in the mode of ignorance.

TRANSLATION

Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the abominable mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.

JOURNAL:

I was sitting in my normal spot this morning chanting my japa and watching the grey squirrels running around collecting food when I saw a junkie stumble out onto the boat dock and fall into the river. He was caught between a boat and the peer and as I watched it became obvious that he didn't have the strength to get out. So, I packed up my pictures and made my way down to where he was.

When I arrived he was hanging on to the dock, his head above water and his eyes closed. "Let's get you out of the river", I said, and he opened his eyes and held out his hand, so I pulled him out of the water. All he could say, over and over, was, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

We are all God's children. Why was I there? To meditate. Did I care about the world? Absolutely not. And yet I opened my eyes at the right time and saw my brother in need.

We must see all as Krishna's or some of us will surly parish. Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport; The word tamasah is very significant here. Tamasah indicates those who stay continuously in the mode of ignorance without rising to a higher mode. Their future is very dark. There is an opportunity for men in the modes of ignorance and passion to be elevated to the mode of goodness, and that system is called Krsna consciousness.

God have mercy on us, sinners that we are.