Meditations on Transcendence

  The Dialectic of Life and the Absolute — A Hegelian Reflection Life begins with a question: what is the goal of life , and ends by discovering that the goal was always life itself . The inspiration of life arises not from the external world but from the Absolute that underlies it. The motivation of life collapses when tied to outcomes, but rises again through karma yoga without phala . Hegel teaches that Spirit evolves through contradictions; Krishna teaches that transcendence is important . Thus the individual moves from the finite to the infinite, from self-will to serve the Absolute with the skills given . The first stage is lower consciousness , trapped in narrow perception. The second confronts the recognition that consciousness can con you when it clings to the empirical. The third is the breakthrough: evolution toward Krishna consciousness — the broadbased consciousness . Here the self aligns with svakarmana , discovering freedom in duty and duty as freedom. ...

Beyond the Modes: Journey to True Nectar The spiritual journey requires understanding the subtle layers of the self: ego, intention, feelings, thoughts, and actions. Krishna consciousness teaches that these layers, when purified, lead one beyond the material modes of nature (gunas) into the realm of true nectar—divine bliss. **Ego (Ahamkara):** In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says, "The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another, as the air carries aromas" (Bhagavad Gita 15.8). This indicates the pervasive influence of the ego. The first step in spiritualizing the ego is to recognize that we are not the doers. Ahamkara, the false ego, is the identification with the body and mind. To transcend this, we must see ourselves as eternal servants of Krishna, dissolving the false ego into our true identity as souls. **Intention (Sankalpa):** Krishna advises, "Abandon all varieties of dharma and just surrender unto Me. I s...