18th Teaching – The Way of Vŗşņi (Vrishni)

[setting] Krishna and Radha arrive for their morning lesson with Father and Mother. Krishna attends with a fully-developed, periorbital hematoma, or ‘black eye,’ around his right eye.

[Mother] I see that you have been fighting at school with the son of Brahmin Mahadevananda. I imagine he was harassing your dear sister, eh?

[Krishna] Yes, Mother. Sanjay was teasing and throwing dirt clods at her during recess. He was calling her nasty names and saying that her parents were heretics. I told him to stop and he would not so we got into a fight, which I did win. I made him get upon his knees and kiss Radha’s feet. All his friends were laughing and he ran home crying in shame.

Then, I took my shirt so to wipe away Radha’s tears and brought her home early. No one will ever hurt my sister. I am Kshatriya and a warrior for good.

[Father] You will not be reprimanded by us for what happened. For nothing is more distasteful and abhorrent to the God-Form than violence and aggression towards another, especially, someone as sweet and loving as Radha. I am now speaking with Sanjay’s father and he is ashamed of the behavior of his son and will deal with it so he learns a most important lesson.

But, children, Sanjay was telling the truth when he said that our School was heretical (vrishni). We are heretical, and this is our greatest strength. I imagine that Sanjay overheard his father speaking with another Brahmin about your Mother and myself without understanding that he and his friend have the deepest respect for Mother and myself.

Over the past 50,000 years, mankind developed the capacity to generate sophisticated oral and written languages suitable for the creation of an uncountable number of religious and philosophical schools. Many of the original schools are extinct, but their prodigies operate still today.

Comparative study of the tenets, rituals, and chants of the historical religions and philosophies demonstrate several common underlying schemata suggesting cross-fertilization and common human problems and existential concerns. However, the proponents of one school tend to ignore such commonalities and stress theological differences. The logical effect being that students lose the ability to remain open-minded and questioning.

Subsequently, the practitioners of our School are known by the phrase, ‘the heretical ones,’ as our students never not stop questioning and seeking a fuller understanding of the Imperishable, Unlimited, Unconditional, Eternal Source, or Brahman. The life of any Universe is immensely long, as we have much to learn, digest, and apply. We do not want to be limited by any limited vision. We seek the Unborn Itself.

A student of our School strives for the following personal qualities:

Strong ego, consciously minimizing egoism,

Understands that all truths are but half-truths and incomplete,

Realizes that people differ, inherently in essential psychology, and require different paths to the Divine,

Is open to learning about and applying the insights of other religiophilosophical schools,

Understands that Love is the Supreme Law, but Love must be guided by practical and deep Wisdom,

Takes personal credit for his or her efforts towards enlightenment, but thanks the God of his Heart and Realization for making it possible for him or her to have the skills possessed for God’s Work on earth, is never proud of any worldly accomplishment made for more than 24 hours (a personal favorite),

Remains awake to what he or she is doing in waking life so to remove unwholesome habits and create wholesome ones.

Intentionally commits no unwholesome action against another, but intentionally Works to treat others in an altruistic and wholesome manner, and lastly,

Seeks full enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.

[Mother] Krishna, Father and I are happy that you love your sister and will protect her from abuse. However, next time just take her hand and lead her to a safer place. Never fight, unless this is the only choice available. Peace is the best way, but it takes two willing to make peace. There is no need to act as a victim.