The Path to unlimited happiness:Detachment, A Lesson from the Hawk

In SB 11.9 " Detachment From All that is Material" the Avadhuta Brahmin speaks at length about how one can detach oneself from all that is material so that one can endeavor towards the highest perfection of life. He begins with what he learns from the hawk.

SB 11.9.1: The saintly brahmana said: Everyone considers certain things within the material world to be most dear to him, and because of attachment to such things one eventually becomes miserable. One who understands this gives up material possessiveness and attachment and thus achieves unlimited happiness.

SB 11.9.2:Once a group of large hawks who were unable to find any prey attacked another, weaker hawk who was holding some meat. At that time, being in danger of his life, the hawk gave up his meat and experienced actual happiness. 

Purport: Incited by the modes of nature, birds become violent and kill other birds to eat them or to steal meat captured by them. Hawks, vultures and eagles are in this category. However, one should give up the envious propensity to commit violence against others and should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whereby one sees every living entity as equal to oneself. On this platform of actual happiness one does not envy anyone and thus sees no one as his enemy.

The Purport to the verse above is very instructive - it exhorts us to give up the envious propensity to commit violence to others and see every living entity equal to oneself. If I hate and berate the instruments of my karma - its because

• I do not have the humility to accept that everything that happened to me is my karma coming back to me .
• I fail to see the instrument of karma also as a soul who is part and parcel of Krishna
• I am envious of them being in a better and calmer position than me in spite of  them "harming" me
• I fail to see Krishna's will in whatever has happened in my life.

By continually remaining in such a consciousness I am actually committing violence to them in my mind and through my words and actions.Interestingly I am committing violence to myself also by wanting to hold on to such burning coals of my incorrect view of the situation and of them.

The hawk in the above verse could continue fighting for the meat in a losing battle which would eventually consume the hawk's life. However the hawk chose to give up its attachment towards the meat and thus experienced true happiness.

Similarly I can continue fighting a losing battle while holding onto such personally debilitating thought processes and never be able to grow as a devotee and also never receive the love, mercy and blessings of the persons who I think have "harmed" me. Instead I must learn from the hawk and give up the attachment to such a thought process. I must bring my consciousness to the point mentioned in the purport to the verse: "However, one should give up the envious propensity to commit violence against others and should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whereby one sees every living entity as equal to oneself. On this platform of actual happiness one does not envy anyone and thus sees no one as his enemy."

I must see that I am a servant of Krishna and my job is to serve Lord Krishna and His parts and parcels.I must accept what is happening to me as a token of the reactions I deserve. As a servant I must cultivate my relationship with Krishna through connecting with His parts and parcels. If I cannot connect with that which is KRISHNA'S how will I connect with Krishna.

The success of my devotional service depends upon the depth of my relationships with Krishna nd His devotees. Why is that? To have deep relationships based on service with devotees I will have to work on my false ego. Thus deep relationships with devotees are possible only when one is situated in the real ego- I am Krishna's servant , He is my master, they are His parts and parcels and my duty to is to serve them favorably with love.
I must respect and love the individual because they are a part of Krishna by separating the act from the person. The act was ordained by the Lord.