Prakashanand Saraswati on Preparing for the Millennium
Swami Prakashanand Saraswati teaches that every soul is born with a destiny shaped by past karmas that determine physical circumstances like wealth, hardships, and major life events. Regardless of what one experiences in life, the mind remains in one’s control. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati teaches that instead of being consumed by worries about the future, one should focus on devotion to Radha and Krishn. He states that the anxieties of the material world will always exist, but true peace comes from surrendering to divine love.
According to Swami Prakashanand Saraswati:
Whenever a soul takes birth, at that particular time, his whole life’s destiny regarding physical matters is organized according to his past good and bad karmas. He undergoes the consequences of his past good and bad karmas. Physical matters are destined, like an accident or a good business or no business, rich or poor – but not your mental state. You can be thinking of God anytime, in any situation, or you can be worried at any time or in any situation.
Suppose you are sitting in this hall in front of Radha Rani in Barsana Dham, and I am sitting here in front of you and yet still you may think, “What’s going to happen after a few months when January 1st, 2000 comes? Will the world collapse? What will I do? I don’t know what to do.” You can think this kind of thing.
Suppose all the computers fail, then what may happen? If you are flying there might be a collision, if your bank balance is a billion, you might become a beggar, or if you just have a few hundred dollars, it might be multiplied by a few thousand dollars. But the sky can’t collapse, the earth cannot be uplifted. So, what is to worry? I don’t understand this kind of worry.
We have our own mind. We can use our mind the way we want. But you must know that physical things are destined, but spiritual things are always in our hands. How much patience, consolence, faith and dedication we have, it is in our hands.
One may die worrying, or one may die thinking “Radhey, Radhey, Radhey”. Suppose there are two people destined to die on a particular day. One was worrying, “What is going to happen?” and he died. The other person was thinking “Radhey, Radhey, Radhey” and he died. At the last moment of your life according to your state of mind you get a similar birth instantly.
The one who died worrying, puzzled, prejudiced, when he is reborn, he will be reborn in a lower species or in such a place or family where there is not much spiritual guidance. The second one who died thinking of Radha Rani, when he is reborn, he will be reborn in such a family from where he can start his own devotion. As if he was going somewhere, he stopped for a while, had a cup of tea, and started the same journey without a break. The other person was also going on a journey, but he just took a diversion and got lost for a long time.
So, the question is what kind of mentality we have before death. There is a very simple saying in the Gita,
“यंयंवापिस्मन्भावंत्यजत्यन्तेकलेवरम्।
तंमतेवैतिकौन्तेयसदातद्भावभावितः॥” (Gita 8/6)
“Whatever is the consciousness of mind before death, the same thing is reflected in your next lifetime.” So it is best to change your mind instead of changing your physical things. It is better to prepare to be more devotional every moment before death comes. That’s the preparation you have to do.
Forget about January 1, 2000. Who knows who is going to die when? You may die in a year, in 2 years or 10 years or 20 years or even in a few weeks. You do not know when you are going to die; you have to be prepared every moment to have wholehearted devotion to Radha and Krishn. That’s the preparation one has to do – wholeheartedly doing your devotions. That’s all a devotee, or anyone who wants a better rebirth or more experience of Krishn love in this lifetime has to do, prepare himself by doing more devotions all the time.
Conclusion
Swami Prakashanand Saraswati emphasizes that the state of consciousness before death shapes one’s next birth. Those lost in worldly fears may be reborn in unfavorable circumstances, while those immersed in Radha and Krishn’s devotion continue their spiritual journey unhindered. Rather than fearing the unknown, one must prepare by deepening their divine love every moment. True readiness lies not in worrying about worldly changes but in surrendering to the eternal path of devotion, as taught by Swami Prakashanand Saraswati.