Battlefield Bhajans Vol. 33
Dedicated to Srila Prabhupada and my Guru Maharaja.
Mental Health Assessment
It was time for my post deployment mental health assessment. I really don't like going to this appointment. It involves me and a doctor sitting down and talking about what happened in Iraq. I walked in and the doctor greeted me. He asked me to sit down. I placed my backpack down and grabbed a seat.
He asked, "So how ya doing?"
I said, "Good, how are you?"
The doctor replied, "Good thanks."
I said, "Yes, but can you be better?
He replied, "Yes, I guess I can be."
At this point I decided to turn the tables on him. He started telling me all about his life. I asked him if he has an interest in spiritual life. He said no. I explained to him, the reason why your unhappy is because of your lack in God consciousness. As the session went on we discussed more and more about spiritual life. I reached into my bag and brought out a Bhagavad-Gita and asked him. "Have you ever seen this book?"
He said, "No, but the cover is very interesting."
I went on to explain about Arjuna being a soldier and the situation he was in. The doctor was looking on with a very intense look. He held the book and scanned through the pages as I explained the philosophy. Finally our time was up. He looked up and asked if he could have the book, I said" Yes, no problem. but most people just give a donation." He thanked me for the nice talk and gave a nice donation.
I got a call that evening, seems I have to go back to the doctor because of the "stunt" I pulled today. I walked into the office and was greeted by a serious looking man. He said, 'I'm your doctor, and you won't pull what you did yesterday on me.'
"Ok, I will take this serious." I sat down in his office and he went over my post deployment health survey. He looked surprised, and I asked "What's wrong?"
He said, "I don't understand, usually when I have to evaluate someone that has seen so many horrific situations as you; they are a mess. But you're smiling, happy, focused. How are you dealing with all this?"
Again I explained, "I'm a Hare Krsna, and by reading these ancient vedic texts and by chanting the Maha Mantra, I am able to deal with all the death I have seen." For the next twenty minutes I explained the science of Bhakti Yoga to him. I pulled out a Bhagavad Gita and a Chant and be Happy from my bag and gave them to him. I gave him my email and said I would do a reevaluation of him in a week, to see what he learned, and walked out. I looked in his window from the outside and there he was deeply absorbed in reading Srila Prabhupada's books.
Finance Brief
I had to go to a mandatory finance brief. The women walked in and commanded everyone being chaptered to move to the front. She had a very heavy personality and I of course followed her instructions. She said, "No sergeant, only chapter cases sit there."
I said, "Ma'am I am also a chapter case." She looked puzzled. The brief was long and boring I was reading verses from the Cc on my ipod.
She called us up one at a time. When I got to the desk, I looked and saw I was the very last one. She closed the door and said you're a Sergeant First Class, what are you in this room with all these privates for? I read your file, are you the Hare Krsna they are talking about?"
I said, "Yes Ma'am."
She asked, "What is your deal, why would you give up that rank to be a monk. I don't understand, my husband is trying to get promoted and here you are, young, a fast tracker and you're walking away."
I explained to her, "We all have a calling. While the military gave me many skills, this life is meant for God Consciousness. These books, are not ordinary books, they change peoples lives, they are the literary incarnation of God, and they will give you a new understanding in life."
She listened and asked many nice questions. She asked about Srila Prabhupada and expressed that she heard form others about this soldier that is becoming a monk and the books he gives to people are really powerful. She had been curious about these books. I asked her if she would want a book and she smiled and said "Oh why you have one?" I took out a Perfection of Yoga and a Bhakti book and handed them to her. She was smiling ear to ear and thanked me for the books. As I was walking to my next appointment I was thinking how kind Srila Prabhupada is. We have no ability to give out his mercy, but he is so merciful that these books distribute themselves, after all Krsna is all attractive. How can we resist Him?
After many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always subject to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Krsna consciousness is possible only for a human being. (The Avadhuta brahmana to King Yadu; SB.11.9.a9)
Partha Sarathi Das
