krsnasays-blog

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BFF - Best Friends Forever

When you need shelter, where do you go?

When you need someone to fall back on, who do you turn to?

Who do you think has your good at heart and you can trust completely?

Can you think of anyone from this world who fits the bill? Very doubtful …in this ocean of misery, Krsna is our only place of shelter. He is our best friend forever!

In the 1oth chapter, Arjuna accepts and declares Krsna as Param Brahma (the supreme personality of Godhead), Param dham (the ultimate abode for security, protection and hope), Param pavitram (purest), purusam (a person) who is sasvatam (reciprocates eternally), divyam (transcendental), adidevam (origin of demi gods), ajam (unborn), vibhum (greatest).

Just like the sun, Krsna is always present. It may appear to be rising and setting but factually, it is not moving. Similarly, Krsna is always there for us, sometimes we may perceive Him, sometimes we don’t.  His birth is His transfer from heart to heart.

Understanding Krsna is not a matter of intelligence. It is revealed by the grace of Krsna. Thus Arjuna asks Krsna to reveal His opulence because he wants to understand Krsna from Krsna Himself.  Arjun, on behalf of all of us, asks Krsna how we can see Him. And the answer to that is that Krsna can only be attracted by devotional service. (Here, even in the midst of personal turmoil, Arjuna shows compassion for all living beings and asks Krsna questions that will help us in our path to Krsna consciousness. It is easy to show compassion when all is well in life but to show compassion in the middle of personal agony is hallmark of high consciousness.)

Hanuman is a shining example of greed for service. He never left any service for others, he would want to serve Rama exclusively. Once he was not given any service. On discovering this fact, he allocated a unique service for himself, snapping his fingers when Rama yawns. For that he followed Rama around everywhere, including his bedroom at night. Because Rama could yawn at any time. Such was his greed to serve Rama. Greed for seva translates into love for Krsna. The more we serve Him, the more love we develop for Him.

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Prosperity of Consciousness

Krsna says one category of people who come to Him is those in distress. This is called reactive bhakti…where we wait for some misfortune to fall on us before seeking Krsna’s shelter. The others, more intelligent class of people do not wait for the arrival of misfortune before taking shelter. This is called proactive bhakti. Why wait to take up spiritual life seriously? Especially when Krsna has made it so easy for us, the inhabitants of Kali yug – only hear and chant. Anyone and everyone can take up the process with effective results. Such is the process.

However, hearing and chanting need attention and discipline. It is not a government job – do at your will; as and when you please. Once you take up bhakti, do it with all your enthusiasm and consistency. At whatever level of consciousness you may be, you will find yourself elevated, rung by rung till you reach the topmost level. Just like online games, with constant practice, we can develop expertise in climbing the rungs of bhakti.

Here are the five levels of consciousness. Find your level and then move up.

A toddler is constantly putting things in his mouth. Thus level 1 of consciousness is centred on grasping food, constantly thinking of what to eat next. This is known as Annamayakosh.

Little children constantly want to grab things that catch their attention. They need to physically hold things. Similarly, at level 2, a person wants to grab everything for himself – wealth, property, possessions. There is extreme anxiety and insecurity of losing those possessions. Their reason for existence is the material belongings. This is known as Pranamayakosh.

The mindset of a young adult is such that his emotions need to be constantly engaged. His mind is constantly absorbed with the objects of his desire and he lives at an emotional level; a life based on intense feelings. So at level 3, the consciousness level is based on fulfilling emotional needs; known as Manmayakosh.

When middle age arrives, we seek out knowledge. We read, network, share experiences and look for intellectual stimulation. This is the time when awareness increases, consciousness increases. This consciousness is based on intellect, known as Gyanmayakosh.

The final level is awareness at level of atma. Here we grab love, not the one desired by the mind but that which is centred on the atma and paramatma. This is referred to as Ananyacheta. For gopis of Vrndavan, this was the consciousness they lived in; Krsna was always in their heart.

  Chaitanya Mahaprabhu defines the standard of love for Krsna. He says condensed love for Krsna is when no personal miseries or obstacles can come in the way of performing bhakti. Think about it…how often do we give up our sadhana when faced with a crisis in life. How easily our faith is shaken up at the first sign of trouble in life. How easy it is chase prosperity of matter instead of prosperity of consciousness.

  And with constant remembrance of Krsna, He assures us He will take us back to the spiritual world where the temporary sukha of material world is replaced with eternal anand of spiritual world.

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What’s on Your Mind?

Arjuna asks Krsna the million dollar question. How to conquer death? The most amazing thing is that although we see people dying around us all the time, we feel somehow, we will not be affected by death. But we identify with our body so strongly that fear of death is constantly on our mind.

So Arjuna’s questions were not his but what all of us need to know; what is it that we should do at the time of death, the time when we change our body. The body that belongs to us is not really ours to begin with, we are not the master, only tenants; paying rent in the form of food, oxygen and water.

Krsna tells him what to do at time of death so that we can leave the cycle of birth and death and attain Him. The simple truth, He says, is that the one who remembers Him at the last moment can change his destiny and reach Him.

The key word here is remembrance. Remembrance of Krsna is what differentiates humans from animals. But sadly, we are so much in love with the pleasures of material world that we fail to maximize our human potential; the potential to go back home to Krsna. We fail to remember Krsna, we fail to do what we were meant to do as humans. We remain at the level of pigs and mules and pigeons.

But if you do remember Krsna, then remember Him in a way that pleases Him. One way of doing so is chanting. Chanting is simply a method of remembering God. It helps to chant in a conducive, devotional  environment. Chanting becomes difficult if we are in the middle of a Kurukshetra like atmosphere. If home becomes a war zone, bhakti becomes unsustainable.

He further says – Mam eva… remember only me…not me and your child; me and your spouse; or me and your worldly treasures! Only me. Krsna demands complete loyalty. He emphasizes on this point – remember only me – reflecting His strong desire to somehow connect with us.

But this needs practice, repeatedly. An athlete takes part in a 100 m dash. But to perform his best in the race lasting only 10 seconds, he dedicates his life practicing for that run. That’s what we need to put into practice.  A lifetime of rehearsal. If we practice remembering Krsna all through life, we can succeed in the last 10 seconds during death.

Na astisamsayah – do not doubt this fact – is His reassurance to us. When a cat holds her kitten in her mouth, the kitten has nothing to fear. But when the cat holds a rat in her mouth, the rat experiences mortal fear. Be assured that His devotee has nothing to fear at the time of death if he remembers Krsna during his lifetime.      

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Stuck in Spider's Web?

Ever seen an insect trapped in a spider’s web? The more it tries to free itself, the more entangled it gets. Or a man stuck in a quicksand? The more he struggles, the deeper and faster he sinks.

The material world is like a web or quicksand. Once you are trapped in it, it’s difficult to get out of it. With every action, we create a reaction which traps us deeper and further into the web.

The atma is spiritual. Activities via the material body cause bondage and that bondage is Karma.

The actions and reactions of Karma take us through life like a ferrous wheel; sometimes up and sometimes down. Sometimes nauseating, sometimes thrilling! And it never stops. If you want to get out of the ferrous wheel, we need to modify our actions such that there is zero reaction.

Neither the insect nor the man can free oneself from the web or quicksand by itself…they need outside help. Someone to come and extricate them from their plight!

But once you take shelter of Krsna, he sends help to pluck you out of the complicated web. 

[krsnasays-blog]

Who needs God?

  Who needs God?

  Krsna knew that in kali yug, people would wonder about this; do we really need God.  And He took it upon Himself to clarify matters first hand in Bhagavad Gita.

  He talks about 4 categories of people who do not need Him and 4 categories who do.

  Four types of people who come to Krsna:

Those who are distressed

99% of us fall in this category. We turn towards God when unable to deal with the complexities of life, when we need the warm embrace of comfort. And God provides that comfort. Whether it’s a broken heart or a broken arm, a push in career or bank balance, He is our last ray of hope. When the calamity, passes so does our need for Krsna!

  So although problems in life carry us into Krsna’s arms, with resolution of the problems should we then say good bye to Krsna? If we forget Krsna in rollicking times, let us only pray for more problems in life…

  Kunti prayed to Krsna for continuous distress so she could be in continuous remembrance of Krsna and get purified. Although we may not want that for ourselves, the important message is to keep permanent remembrance of Krsna whether in distress or not.

  Wanting relief from distress is not bad, but forgetting Krsna thereafter is inexcusable.

  Those looking for wealth

  Wealth is addicting, it is an intoxicant. It can either be respected as Krsna’s property and utilized appropriately or it can be misused for self enjoyment.

  Dhruva, a small boy, desired a kingdom bigger than that of Brahma. But once he pleased Krsna to fulfill that desire, that very desire was no longer present. The desire was lost in the process of purification.

  It is not wrong to desire wealth from Krsna but misusing that wealth and forgetting Krsna is. Wealth should be used in service of Krsna.

  Those who are inquisitive

  People need answers, especially when a near and dear one dies. One is curious about what happens after death or what the purpose of life is.

  Sadly, the questions serve to provide only intellectual titillation and knowledge is not implemented in life.

  Asking questions is not wrong; it is the purpose that is. Seeking answers to seek Krsna is perfectly acceptable.

  Those seeking knowledge

There are some rare people who approach Krsna knowing that He is God and wanting to surrender to Him. These are the best kind of people, though rare. How many of us go to Krsna wanting Krsna? This is a rare breed of people!

  However, according to Krsna, whichever category you may belong to, everyone who seeks Him is a magnanimous soul. Magnanimous because at least they have come to Him! Once they come, it is highly possible that they will forget the original reason for coming and eventually surrender in bhakti. Thus the reason for coming to Krsna is immaterial; what matters is maintaining the continuous connection with Krsna.

  We can gauge our standard of devotion by measuring the quality of our desires – whether our desires are favourable or unfavourable for devotion to Krsna. There should not be any OTHER desire that leads us away from Krsna.

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Where is Krsna?

Have you seen Krsna? No? Then in these verses, Krsna tells us how we can see Him everyday, everywhere.

  Krsna is all-pervasive by His diverse material and spiritual energies.

Like the sun that can be experienced through sunlight, Krsna can be perceived through His energies.

  1. He is present in the taste of pure water. No one likes to drink sea water, because the pure taste of water is mixed with salt. Attraction for water depends on the purity of the taste, and this pure taste is one of the energies of the Lord.

He is in the pure taste of water after nirjala fasting…

  2. Pranava, or the omkara transcendental sound in the beginning of every Vedic hymn, is also the sound of Krsna. Omkara is the sound representation of Krsna.

  Omkara comprises 3 syllables – AUM – A signifies Krsna, the beginning of everything, U signifies His omnipresent energy and M represents the spiritual master. AUM is also present in the mahamantra where Krsna is the Supreme Personality, Hare is His energy and Rama represents Balarama the spiritual master.

He is in your words as well as the holy name that you chant…

  3 Everything in the material world has a certain flavor or fragrance; there is fragrance in a flower, or in the earth, in water, in fire, in air, etc. The uncontaminated flavor, the original flavor, which permeates everything, is Krsna.

He is in the sweet smelling flower that you smell…

  4. Krsna says He can be felt in the warmth of fire. Without fire we cannot run factories, we cannot cook, etc., and that fire is Krsna. The heat in the fire is Krsna. According to Vedic medicine, indigestion is due to a low temperature in the stomach. So even for digestion fire or Krsna is needed.

He is present in your digestive abilities and your very life itself…

5. In fact every ability that we have is also Krsna. If we have achieved anything, that achievement is Krsna. The doubts we have about our abilities are because we doubt Krsna. To have faith means that Krsna can do anything through me.

He is in your ability, intelligence and strength…

"O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man. 

I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics. 

O son of Pritha, know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men. 

I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O lord of the Bharatas [Arjuna]."

[krsnasays-blog]

I fear therefore I am

Is there anyone who has no fears in life?

We are afraid of falling sick, afraid of losing loved ones, afraid of being unloved, afraid of cockroaches, afraid of the future. From trivial issues to those of utmost importance, our fears rule our life.

How would it feel to be free of all these paralyzing fears? And breathe freely, the pure oxygen of relief as against the asthmatic pollution of fear? If the very thought can be so liberating, what if we could make it happen?

Fear means doubts; doubts about what could happen next, which in turn leads to absence of peace; absence of peace results in darkness all around so you cannot see things clearly; which is why you feel fear.

In relationships, we doubt our loved ones. Needless to say, we always doubt ourselves, our confidence, our ability. We doubt God, the environment around us, intentions of others. Lots and lots of doubts! Doubts cause darkness and the inability to see things clearly. When we don’t see things clearly, we are afraid. Afraid of what the future holds – joy or misery? Afraid of the uncertainties…afraid of not being in control!

The strange part about human nature is our topsy-turvy intelligence. It guides us towards apparently important decisions in life but it makes itself scarce when it comes to our eternal well being.

If we could only use our intelligence to dispel the darkness in our life and turn towards light, then all our fears would vanish. Light means to see things clearly, to be able to see reality, as it is, to not blow things out of proportion.

If we switch on the flood lights, what is the possibility of being engulfed with darkness? When darkness is dispelled what is the possibility of being afraid? To lose our fears we have to simply turn towards light.

So when we turn towards Krsna, we switch on the power. Absence of Krsna from our life means we are in darkness. Krsna consciousness is the light that dispels darkness.

Complete knowledge comes from knowing about the phenomenal world, the spirit behind it and the source of both of them. When the cause of all causes becomes known, then nothing remains unknown. And when nothing is unknown, there is no fear.     

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Mind Your Mind

Here’s a description from Bhagavad - gita about the qualities of the human mind, some dos and donts and some tips to handle the restless, obstinate, strong and turbulent mind.

Practical Solutions:

We see people based on our own attitudes not on what they really are. Therefore working on our own attitude is preferable and advisable.

Learn to make the most of what you have because happiness is only a matter of a shift in mindset. Don’t keep searching for what was never meant for you.

Mind appears powerful. In reality it is only conditioned. The conditioning may have occurred during childhood but it keeps us tied through life. We just need to pull out of that conditioning and set free to do things to our potential.

We like to diagnose and advise/criticize even before hearing out the opposite person. Maximum pleasure is derived by correcting others and fault finding. Gives us a sense of high.

 Ask yourself these 3 questions before you embark on criticism again.

1.       Do I have the right motive to criticize?

2.       Do I have the authority?

3.       IS this the right time and place?

Some tips to control the mad elephant of a mind.

1. By Practice. Habits, learnings, discipline – all come through practice. Practice means hard work. It takes hard work to pull out the mind from distractions and focus on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. With practice, we have to make it happen all day long, day in and day out. Just pulling the beads is not enough, also pull your mind along – back to the beads and to the holy name. It is an inside out process; remove the dirt occupying the mind space and fill it with positive vibrations and Krsna consciousness.

The practice is a lifelong effort. If we have not focused on Krsna during our life, it wont happen at the time of death.

2. By detachment. Detach from that what takes us away from Krsna. Not detaching from life, but attaching to Krsna, accepting Krsna. Krsna comes, if we follow protocol. Detachment is cleansing the unwanted furniture present in the mind. Get it out, it is of no use. Holding on to it means no space for Krsna. Like a kite, a mind has to be grounded before it can fly high.

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I Belong to Kali Yuga…

Kali yuga is infamous for many negatives; mostly pertaining to the quality of human beings.

Let’s see what Bhagavad Gita says about us…

Kali yug means

Alpa ayush  - a shorter life span compared to other yugas

Yuga                        Life span in years

Satya Yug              1,00,000

Tretya Yug             10,000

Dwapar Yug           1,000

Kali Yug                 100 or less

  The reason for the shorter life span is simple. When we do not lead a disciplined life, we give in easily to sense gratification - the direct result of this is a shorter life span.  

Manda – Laziness in spiritual life

We, the people in kali yug have no inclination towards spiritual practices. When it comes to movies, there is full enthusiasm, but spiritual practice? No thank you.

Sumanda Matayo – Less intelligence

We consider ourself highly intelligent and love to share our wisdom nonstop with others. But the truth is that this just displays are lowly intelligence.

Manda Bhagya – Less fortunate

We are also unfortunate in a way that we are just unwilling to let go of our vices and conditionings that have pervaded our lives.

Upadrutah – Disturbed or depressed

Who do you know today who is not disturbed or depressed? Psychologists say that even dogs get depressed in human company!

Now for the good news. Although we may exhibit these qualities, we have been given the easiest way to reaching back to Godhead. We need not do thousands of years of tapasya like Vishwamitra. We need not perform elaborate sacrifices or deity worship. All we need to do is chant the holy name of God and voila, we can get the same results.

It is said that everyone wants to take birth in kali yuga because it offers the easiest way back to Krsna!

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A Beautiful Mind

Peace…peace of mind, peace at home, peace in the world - sounds like an impossible dream!

We all have the same dream, but no one knows how to attain it! World wars, family feuds, internal battles of mind are what we have learnt to live with.

Yet, Srila Prabhupada talks of peace, a peace formula straight from the Bhagavad Gita which is -

If you want peace, you have to change your consciousness to Krsna consciousness.

Krsna’s formula can bring peace into your life. Are you ready for it?

LEVEL 1 - Peace of Mind

The biggest enemy of peace of mind is desire to enjoy exclusively, at the cost of others. Duryodhan’s happiness was in making the Pandavas miserable. In kali-yug, there is the same tendency to derive joy by making others miserable. My joy is dependent on how miserable others are.

This mindset stems from an environment of limited resources but unlimited desires. Here, cooperation takes a back seat and competition takes over all aspects of life.  But sadly, the more I want, the more frustration comes my way.

Now at this point if we change our consciousness into Krsna consciousness, what happens?

In Krsna consciousness, we put our faith in Krsna, satisfy Krsna, love Krsna. Our source of joy, love and satisfaction all comes by taking His shelter; when He is satisfied then we are satisfied. Where we don’t want to enjoy, we want Krsna to enjoy; then there is no competition but cooperation. Where there is cooperation there is peace.

Pandavas were exemplary devotees of Krsna and survived every ordeal only through their faith in Krsna.

From self absorption that causes frustration, there are 5 steps to absorption of Krsna that leads to peace of mind.

A mind of ignorance. This mind will not allow you to understand the right from wrong and if at all it does, it will still do wrong.

A mind of agitation and passion. Like a skin itch, an agitated mind causes more agitation. You give it more, it wants more. Yeh dil maange more!

With more desires of mind, our inner Parmatma is in overworked mode in evaluating those desires. He gets no peace in an agitated mind. No wonder He prefers to live in the devotee’s heart which is free of agitations…

A distracted mind. A distracted mind is like a mad elephant, powerful and restless; out of control. It oscillates between passion and goodness.

A mind of laya. This mind makes an attempt to think of Krsna, but there is a lack of attraction for Krsna. It needs sadhana, so that it can develop a taste for Krsna.

A mind absorbed in Krsna. This mind is a result of following a spiritual practice as told to us by our guru. By following his words faithfully, our mind advances to a state of absorption and bliss. Spiritual life is based on faith.

Thus level 1 is peace of mind that can be attained by practicing spiritual life absorbed in Krsna for His pleasure alone.

LEVEL 2 - Community Peace

Universal brotherhood is not possible unless there is a universal father. Accepting Krsna as universal father automatically guarantees peace amongst mankind.

Krsna is Sarva Loka Maheshvaram; Supreme being of all worlds. And therefore everything is under His control; everything belongs to Him.

Aham Mameti – Me and Mine is the root of all communal disharmony.

When nothing is mine, nothing is yours, what are we fighting for? Why fight for property and inheritance, why run after possessions if nothing is mine?

Change your consciousness into Krsna consciousness and experience communal peace because everything belongs to Krsna.

  LEVEL 3 - Universal Peace

Suhrdam Sarva Bhutanam – Krsna is not only the supreme enjoyer and controller, He is also an intimate well wisher. He is more than a bandhu or a sakha, He is Suhrd – one who always does best for you, protects you, and watches out for your interests at all times under all circumstances, unconditionally.

With development of Krsna consciousness, we understand that God is not a concept but a reality, He is not somewhere up there but with us, not an indifferent energy but a loving well wisher…the bye-product of attachment to Krsna is universal peace.

(Bhagavad Gita Chap 5 verse 27-29)

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Wake up

The ear is the most important organ for learning what is to be done and what is not to be done for our ultimate benefit.

 At night we sleep peacefully, unaware that someone might be coming to chop off our head. However, our sense of hearing is acute, even in the sleeping state. If someone cries out, "Wake up! Wake up! Someone is coming to kill you!" we can be saved.

Although we are in the sleeping condition, our ear does not sleep, and it helps us to rise out of ignorance. If we hear from the right person—the spiritual master—and from the Vedic scriptures, we can awaken to our original, constitutional position as eternal servants of Krsna. The first prescription is shravana, hearing about Krsna. If we simply hear about Krsna, we will automatically wake up. The injunction of the Vedas is uttiñöhata jägrata präpya varän nibodhata: "Wake up! Get up! Understand the great benediction you have in this human form of life. Now utilize it and get free from the clutches of the material modes of nature."

In the Bhagavad-gitä (7.14) Krsna explains how to do this:

daivé hy eñä guëa-mayé, mama mäyä duratyayä

mäm eva ye prapadyante, mäyäm etäà taranti te

"This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered to Me can easily cross beyond it." Surrender to Krsna and be Krsna conscious. In the human form of life, that is our only business.

Excerpt from - A second chance by Srila Prabhupada

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Checklist for a Man of Wisdom

A man of wisdom is known as a samadarshi.

ü  A samadarshi has knowledge. Real knowledge. He does not consider himself to be better than others. In every entity he sees the presence of atma as well as Parmatma.  And he sees them all with equal vision.

Thus a man of knowledge has not only knowledge but also a fall out of that knowledge, i.e. humility.

ü  Krsna is omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowledgeable). If we know that he is both, all powerful and all knowledgeable, we should have no reason to doubt His master plan. Why is it that we want to use His all power but to execute the plans made from our intelligence? Why not His power to execute His plans since He knows best?

A man of wisdom sees equality in every situation in life.  Behind every misery, he sees a larger plan that was orchestrated to bring him closer to God. Instead of lamenting over his sorrows, he is thankful for them as they are stepping stones to God. Those who do not comprehend this larger plan, believe that God is planning to destroy them.

Thus, a samadarshi sees all situations as potential plans of Krsna to bring Him closer.

ü  A samadarshi understands perfectly what happiness is…and what it is not; where happiness is and where it is not. Therefore a samadarshi knows that pleasure connecting to his sensory organs is short lasting; it has a beginning and an end. These pleasures remain at the superficial level of the mind, unable to reach the depth of the heart.

A man of wisdom knows that happiness is found only in two places – spiritual world, and imagination; not in sensory gratification.

Armed with appropriate knowledge of atma, parmatma and the sources of happiness, a man of wisdom heads towards liberation. Liberation is not freedom from worldly problems and diseases but freedom from wrong mentality and misconceptions about life.

Krsna gives this opportunity for liberation to each and every one. Krsna is impartial, situated within every living entity, whether a pig or a hard core criminal. He does not discriminate.  

He is impartial like the sky; allowing birds to fly at their will. He is like a judge; delivering His judgment based on our actions and not based on His likes or dislikes. He is a strict and loving father, ready to chide or reward as the situation demands.

As Parmatma within us, he waits patiently for wisdom to dawn upon us…

[krsnasays-blog]

3 Steps to Popularity

Is there anyone who doesn’t want to love and to be loved? To appreciate and be appreciated?

Bhagavad Gita tells us how to satisfy mankind’s biggest desire – how to be valued by one and all!

These 3 principles can help us simplify our life:

Vishudhatma or a purified intelligence. A pure intelligence is like a sharp axe with the ability to cut a tree…a sharp intelligence can discriminate the obstacles that come in our life.

  How to purify intelligence? By studying the shastras or scriptures.

       2. Vijitatma or a pure mind. An impure, unreliable mind is eager to connect with material objects at the cost of disconnecting with Krsna. In order to prepare ourself to fight with maya, we should fortify ourself with spiritual practices or sadhana. The mahamantra is a potent protection against maya.

How to purify mind? By sadhana

      3. Jitendriyana or pure actions and senses. Our senses may behave like wild horses, running amok. They have to be controlled and directed in the right direction. Too much control can lead to rebel so what is needed is not strict austerities but gentle and guided engagement.

How to purify senses? By keeping them engaged in seva; work in pure devotion.

  Thus shastra, sadhana and seva, help us get purified while we are on the path of Krsna consciousness. Just as leaves and branches are part of a tree, we become parts of Krsna.

When we advance towards purity of mind, body and intellect, we make some realizations. We realize that we are not the doer of our actions. The more we realize this fact, the less credit we want to take.

The person who wants to take credit is called a special fool by Krsna.

A fool looks into a well and finds the moon fallen into it. He tries many ways to pull the moon out and finally he uses a rope to pull it out. As he pulls the rope he falls backwards on the ground. As he looks up he sees the moon in the sky. He is thrilled with himself and takes credit for putting the moon back in the sky. This is what Krsna calls, a special fool. 

[krsnasays-blog]

5 Secrets of Spiritual Growth

1.     Remember – Nothing is mine

We are reminded constantly of this by sayings like – we came empty handed and will go empty handed. Or, We came with clenched fists and we will leave with open palms.

Easier said than done! It is very difficult to actually practice that nothing is mine. We cling with all our might to money, our possessions, our relationships…but if we remember that all this is not mine, it can reduce our greed, envy, pride and arrogance.

2.     Nothing is mine because I’ve not made it  

This is an extension of nothing is mine. Nothing is mine because I’ve not made it.

A scientist told God that he was able to make a human in the lab. God asked for a live demo. The scientist said let’s take some mud and went on to list a few ingredients. God interrupted him and said – hello, please make your own mud, don’t use mine…

We have not made anything – people, trees, the sun, water…not even our success or failure is ours. We cannot take credit for what is not ours.

3.     Everything belongs to God

Srila Prabhupada considered himself a postman; acting on behalf of God, delivering His message. Credit should be given where it belongs…and everything belongs to Krsna.

4.     Things of the world are put under my care

Since everything is Krsna’s property, we are only caretakers. Because we are caretakers, we have no right to abuse what does not belong to us. The body we have also belongs to Krsna and we have no right to abuse it. The Vaisnav tilak is symbolic of the fact that this body belongs to Krsna and I have to take utmost care of it. Krsna Consciousness is thus a non abusive philosophy. It encourages us to show sensitivity towards each and every being.

Today, the popular culture is to love things and use people whereas sensitivity demands that we love people and use things.

5.     Whatever we have been given should be used in service of Krsna

Instead of using everything for our enjoyment, we can use our wealth, intelligence, sense organs, in service of Krsna. This is real renunciation. We need to reduce our selfishness and learn to be selfless, putting others’ needs before us.

[krsnasays-blog]

How am I?

We normally go to a doctor when we are ill; and the question topmost on our mind is  - How am I? How long will it take for me to get well again? We do not go to a doctor to ask him – how are you?

The same logic applies for the spiritual master. We must go to a guru to know – how am I? Why am I suffering? How can I be happy and growing in spiritual life?

A spiritual master is equipped to give us all these answers and more because he is a tatvadarshi – one who lives a life based on truth. He is a self-realized soul. 

A young boy having lost one arm, approached a karate teacher to learn karate. The master taught him only one step. The boy perfected that step and then the master sent him for a competition where he was pitted against world’s best players. Baffled, he questioned his master the wisdom of competing with only one arm and one step. Unruffled, the master advised him to attack his opponent with that solo step that he had taught. The student followed the instructions and lo and behold, the unthinkable happened! He overpowered his opponent with that one step he knew.

How did that happen? The master explained that the counter attack for that step required the opponent to hold his left arm. Since his student did not have a left arm, his opponent did not know how to react.

Like this master, a spiritual master knows our weakness and strength. He can turn our weakness into strength and lead us to the spiritual world. He is the one who can nullify our sinful reactions of karma.   

True that we are all born  ignorant, with no inclination to tax our minds about the purpose of human birth or knowing about our real self. Happy to take life as it comes without giving it much thought. Content to live a life of a sophisticated animal.

We are also in a state of confusion. Too many scriptures, too many opinions…so we stop trying at all. Add to this our doubting nature. How do we know what the spiritual master says is true and will work for me?

The three together, ignorance, confusion and distrust, prevents us from appreciating our spiritual self. Ignorant, confused or suspicious, we need not remain that way. We can become knowledgeable, determined and devoted…with transcendental knowledge.

Krsna says – Do not doubt me or the scriptures. Slash your doubts with the weapon of knowledge; knowledge, transcendental knowledge from a tatvadarshi spiritual master.

[krsnasays-blog]

In case of emergency…what will you do?

What do we do when life becomes difficult? Where do we turn for help and comfort? Is there anyone who can guide us to the safe shores of mental tranquility?

Let’s learn from 5 Mahajans about handling problems that come our way.

1. Brahma –

Lord Brahma was the first being to inhabit the universe. Enveloped by darkness, he was absolutely alone. In utter confusion, he felt his life was meaningless and directionless. He heard two words – ta pa (meditate; take shelter of higher power). While meditating, he heard Krsna’s flute that gave clarity to his purpose in life.

What we learn: When we are helpless and confused, dark about our direction in life, then we should concentrate on the holy name of God. He guides us to the next step.

2. Shiva –

One day out of curiosity, Parvati asked Shiva, “What do you meditate on constantly?”

His reply was that he constantly takes shelter of Lord Krsna. Shiva has a thankless job to perform. He drank the poison that was churned up during samudra manthan but he did not come to drink the nectar. His only interest is in doing service to society. He performs the role of destroyer, only in the interest of serving.

What we learn: We should be ready to do any service that is necessary even if it is not pleasing. And our focus should always be on Lord Krsna.       

3. Janak Maharaj –

He offered his daughter Sita in marriage to Lord Rama.

What we learn: Whatever resources we have are not ours. They are given to us to be used in serving Krsna – be it our wealth, intelligence, or strength. Janak teaches us not to hold on to our resources but use them for Krsna.

4. Bheeshma – His was a complicated life. Although he was in the team fighting against Krsna, he was always remembering Krsna. On a bed of arrows for many days, he did not leave his body till Krsna came to see him.

What we learn: Even in the most painful situation, we should have a consciousness like Bheesma’s; thinking of Krsna. Not cribbing about why we are made to suffer so much, but remembering God in the gravest of situations. However bad the situation maybe, it is still possible to remember God.

 5. Kapil –

Kapil was an incarnation of the supreme Lord and advocated the sankhya philosophy. There are 24 elements that make matter. The 25th element is the soul. And the 26th element is the Parmatma, creator of the soul.

His philosophy was that matter does not matter. What matters most is the spirit.

What we learn: We have come to value the wrong things in life – material.  Our mind has given value to unimportant things. What is priceless is the atma and Parmatma.

By following the examples of Brahma, Shiva, Janak, Bheeshma and Kapil, we can learn how to deal with difficulties in life. They are examples of what to do so that we may always emerge victorious and joyful, come what may.

[krsnasays-blog]

Obstacles in Krsna Consciousness

Krsna Consciousness means to align our actions with Krsna’s expectations – to always act in a way that He would want us to act; to give up things that are unfavourable for God consciousness.

Attachment. Give up those attachments which bind us to the material world and take control of our mind. We do not have to give up all attachments…only those that become an obstacle in our spiritual life.  For example, if a desire for watching TV leaves you with little time for chanting, then give up that desire.

Fear. Biggest fear we have is that of death, fear of the unknown. This comes from overly identifying with the material body, which we don’t want to give up. On the other hand, our miseries and sorrows are connected with the material body and therefore we want to be free from the body. But if we know that we have a spiritual body that is free from material miseries in a spiritual world, then we can easily give up the material body and the concomitant fear of death.

Anger. Anger comes from unfulfilled desires. Unable to deal with these frustrations, we may wish to merge with God’s energy and get rid of the negative experiences. But being void, is not the goal of life. Align your desires with that of Krsna…then you will not feel anger or frustration.   

  Thus giving up attachments that take us away from Krsna (and getting attached to Krsna), giving up fear of losing material body (and embracing the spiritual body) and giving up desires that do not match with Krsna’s desires (and desiring only Krsna’s pleasure) – this will take us closer to achieving our purpose in life of going back home, back to spiritual world.