Can you explain the ladder of abstraction through practical examples?

Can you explain how the ladder of abstraction is used in scripture? Answer? Yes. The ladder of abstraction basically means that there are specifics which are details of specific incidents and that they lie at the bottom of the ladder and at the top of the ladder lie universals, such as what is the principle, what is the lesson drawn from it, what can we learn from it.

So the Bhagavatam constantly has its narrative going up and down the ladder of abstraction. So for example, if I consider a section of Srimad Bhagavatam that I was reading and speaking on recently, this is the killing of the demon Putana. So this is 10th canto, 6th chapter.

Now if you look at the incident itself, when the Vrajvasis come and the most of the chapter is the narrative of how Putana attacked and how Krishna sucked her breast and sucked her life air and how the Vrajvasis were wonderstruck, they chanted protective mantras for Krishna's protection. All that is described and then after that, when they burn the body of Putana, an auspicious aroma comes out of it. So for example, this is text 33, text 33.

It is the narration that is going on. So that is at the bottom of the ladder of abstraction. Now if we move, so text 33 says that, Kalevaram Parashubhis, Chitva Tatteva Jaukasa Durekshitva Vasho Nyaddha Dahan Kaastha Veshtitam When they burned the body and threw it away and covered it with wood, but then, Dayamanasya Dehasya Dhumascha Guru Saurabha Uttita Krishna Nirbhukta Sapadyahat Paapmanah So when the body was burned, actually it gave out a very auspicious fragrance, like the fragrance of agaru.

And why did it happen? Because Krishna had sucked her breast. Now we may say, what has Krishna sucking the breast got to do with the dead body giving fragrance? Then the subsequent verse talks about the miraculous purifying potency of Krishna. So then, Putana, next is 6.35 and 6.36 Putana Loka Balaghi Rakshasi Rudhirashana Igham Syapi Haraye Stannam Dattvaapi Sadgatim So Putana, although she had demonic intention, and she had demonic disposition, still, because Krishna sucked her breast, that contact with Krishna gave her auspiciousness.

Then what to speak of? Then what to speak of the cows or the mothers who offered their breast lovingly to Krishna and who had a loving intention and a loving disposition both. And similarly what to speak of the cows? That will come in the next verse. And then before that, it is described that Krishna is such a person who is worshipped even by those who are worshipped by people in the world.

That the Shiva and Brahma who are worshipped by people in the world, they worship Krishna. So therefore, what is the great auspicious destination for someone who has been thus worshipped? So here what is happening is, the principle that is drawn from this narrative, that, oh, Krishna is so purifying, that is at the top of the ladder of abstraction. Now we could say that it would extend this further.

A similar example comes in the Ajamil pastime, where it is said that Ajamil chanted once and became purified. Then what to speak of us is, if we chant consciously and lifelong the holy names of Krishna, we surely will be purified. So here what is happening? The point being conveyed is that every one of us can also benefit from the purification potency of Krishna if we just seek to become purified.

So the stress in this verse or in this section is from the bottom of the ladder of abstraction, where a specific incident involving Krishna touching Putana, or Krishna sucking the breast milk of Putana, or Ajamil chanting the holy name of Krishna, from there we go to the top of the ladder of abstraction, talk about the potency of Krishna bhakti, and then we come down the ladder of abstraction to our side. So at the bottom of the ladder of abstraction will be, on our side will be how that particular pastime applies to us, or the lesson from that pastime applies to us. That is, we all can become purified by chanting the holy names.

So in general, we all, consciously or subconsciously, use this ladder of abstraction in our study of scripture. So to put it in a more analytical framework, we could say there are three stages in it. What does this particular incident, this particular rule, this particular practice, mean in its original context? Then, what is the time that is at the bottom of the ladder of abstraction in history? Then we climb up the top of the ladder of abstraction, wherein, what is the time-independent principle that is conveyed through this incident, that is, at the top of the ladder of abstraction? And then, how does that time-independent principle apply in today's context? That is, down the ladder of abstraction on our side.

So we could say history, ancient historical incidents, are like there's a mountain between us and them. They're so far away from us, the cultural context is so different. So how do we transcend that mountain? How do we connect with those pastimes? It is through the ladder of abstraction.

We hear those incidents as specific details, try to understand what did the specific principle mean in that context. Then we move it up to the top. What is the time-independent principle? And how does the time-independent principle apply in today's world in our life? So if we are, say, drawing lessons from our life, so if something terrible happened to me, I met with an accident which stopped me from traveling.

And my life as a traveler, which has seemed to have ended. Then, at that time, I discovered that I could do online outreach, where even without traveling, I could just speak, even if nobody was hearing, directly, but still they could hear later. So now this incident, the point is that the specific details about how I started online outreach is not relevant for everyone.

But the time-independent principle of that is that even if one particular form of service to Krishna is parted, some other service can always be done. And the time-independent principle, how do we apply it, how each of us applies in our life, that will be up to the reader to think and apply. So this is how we can understand the ladder of abstraction.

Thank you.