THE REAL INTEREST

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THE REAL INTEREST

via Gita Coaching by akrura@gmail.com on 9/29/10

The real interest of the living entity is to get out of the nescience that causes him to endure repeated birth and death.

The only remedy is to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead through His representative.

Unless one renders devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, one cannot possibly become completely detached from this material world, nor can he possibly manifest real knowledge.

SB 4.29.36

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Being reunited with the beloved Lord

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Being reunited with the beloved Lord

via Jyoti Pahuja's Facebook Notes by Jyoti Pahuja on 9/28/10

For a spiritual seeker death is not the end, rather it's a beginning of entrance into a realm of eternity, knowledge and bliss. For a materialist, death is simply the end of everything he or she identifies with. Therefore a God lover doesn't mind getting old or nearing death, because he knows that as the body is coming closer to death, the soul is getting closer to the eternal spiritual youthful form. So it is better to die before you die.

In a typical Hindu marriage, the bride cries as she leaves her parents' house. This is because of her familial attachments and the uncertain future waiting to unfold at her husband's home. But if a long courtship precedes her wedding, she silently celebrates the parting from her loved ones. Similarly a devotee constantly associating with Krsna through service and remembrance fills his life with serenity and bliss and easily turns from worldly attachments. Then when the inevitable death approaches, he is excited to be reunited with his beloved Lord.

- HH Radhanath Swami

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Divine Intervention

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Divine Intervention

via KKS Blog by noreply@blogger.com (Hina) on 9/29/10

How can we face things alone? Alone in the world. Alone…it's like no one can be alone. But, one who is with Krsna is never alone, and when we are in a relationship with Krsna, then we are not alone at all! When we are actively trying to please Krsna – then we are never alone, because Krsna is reciprocating. It's not just we are working and working and working so hard in devotional service, and just hopefully there will be a reward at the end. A whole life you have to slave and slave and slave – day and night for Krsna. Get up at an impossible time. Live a real austere lifestyle, and then if you do it very well – then at the end of your life, you get the reward;

"Welcome, you can now return to the spiritual world"

No, that is not Krishna Consciousness. In Krishna Consciousness there is a reciprocation now – there is a reward now, and there is a reward at the end - both simultaneously. Krsna is reciprocating with us now! If you didn't know yet, Krsna is actually with us all the time! And Krsna is actually making arrangements in our life. Oh yes, in different ways.

Have you also had these kind of experiences where Krsna is clearly interfering – some divine intervention. I think sometimes everyone has it. When you open up a book and it just opens up on a page, and the topic that it describes is just what you were talking about 10 minutes ago. And it is just right there – look at that -those things happen!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 31st August 2010)

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The Spiritual Master Has Different Roles

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The Spiritual Master Has Different Roles

via KKS Blog by noreply@blogger.com (aatish) on 9/29/10

transcribed by Yamuna Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Croatia, September 2010)

Spiritual master is having different roles.

One role is that he is the representative of Krsna.

He is receiving our service and our worship on behalf of Krsna.

We have to treat Him like that, the representative of Krsna - as good as Krsna.

The Spiritual master is representing the whole parampara.

So he is representing all the previous acaryas.

The Spiritual master takes charge of our life...

I was reading an offering of one of Srila Prabhupada's disciples named Koushalia. She become involved in Krsna Consciousness when she was sixteen years old. She was a hippy girl from the sixties. She was only sixteen years old, but she liked to take LSD. During the initiation Prabhupada asked her not only for the four regulative principles, He also asked her:
"What is the fifth regulative principle?"
And then he said: "No LSD!!!"
Then Prabhupad told her:
"You always looked in life for the smooth ocean; you always looked for the comfortable situation where life will be easier. But there is no such thing!
Sometimes the ocean is smooth but sometimes the ocean gets rough. That is the nature of ocean. There is no such thing as always having a smooth ocean.
But you don't have to worry because you have a very good captain! the captain will take you across!"

The Spiritual master is the captain of the boat of transcendental knowledge who will take us across this ocean of material existence.

So, whether it is smooth or whether it is rough - whatever maybe, we have that relationship with our spiritual master.

It is said that the relationship with spiritual master should also be personal.

He is not only the official representative of the Parampara of Krsna, he is not only the external manifestation of the Supersoul, but he is also our friend!
He is our friend!
Friendship means someone we can trust.
That is important - that we can trust our spiritual master – because then we can take shelter.
Otherwise we always smile. And whenever the spiritual master comes and asks:
"How are you?"
You say:
"Very nice, very nice."

But the truth of the matter is that we are struggling! Truth of the matter is: that is not so easy. Because it is not so easy therefore we must trust and we must take shelter. We must be honest.
Srila Prabhupada will also write his letters and write:
"My dear spiritual sons and daughters"
So, in one sense there is a parental relationship.
The spiritual master is like our father.

Father is always favourable, no matter what children do.

We should understand that the Spiritual master is always favourable.

transcribed by Yamuna Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Croatia, September 2010)

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The Spiritual Master Can Act In Different Ways

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The Spiritual Master Can Act In Different Ways

via KKS Blog by noreply@blogger.com (aatish) on 9/29/10

transcribed by Yamuna Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Croatia, September 2010)

In Bhagavatam there is the reference to three types of personalities. It is Srila Visnavath Chakravati Thakur whose commentary is making this point.
He is saying that just as the bird is taking care of it's young, the bird is flying up and down. It's really busy feeding the little birds- some spiritual masters are like that. They constantly feed their disciples.

Then there is the other spiritual master who is like the fish. A fish has very big eyes, as you noticed. So, that fish is watching, protecting and watching. And that is the second type of spiritual master.
The third type of spiritual master is like a turtle. She lays the eggs on the beach, digs them in the sand and the sun does the rest. But the turtle is always meditating on the well being of the eggs and the young.

So the spiritual master will act in all three ways...

Sometimes the spiritual master will be like a bird and will shower us with the mercy and attention.

Other times there's no bird flying and there is nothing coming, but then we know that the spiritual master is still there in our life. He is our authority, and we know and we ask Him when we make the change in our life of some significance- and He blesses us. So in this way we are under the supervision and under His protection.

And then of course:
"I have not heard from my spiritual master for three months.
I think I have problem in the relationship with my Spiritual master!"

"He does not answer my email! I am totally broken…"

No, He is still meditating, He is always meditating.

Sometimes the relationship will be like that because the spiritual master is just one person and there are more disciples.

transcribed by Yamuna Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Croatia, September 2010)

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If one is less strong, the other cant keep him in the sky(Birds)

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(title unknown)

via .: Prabhupada Letters :. Anthology by letters on 9/20/10

1968 September 20: "Just like a flock of birds - although very intimately related, everyone of them has to fly in the sky by individual strength. If one is less strong, the other cannot keep him in the sky. That is the law of nature."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

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Krishna accepts the service equally

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(title unknown)

via .: Prabhupada Letters :. Anthology by letters on 9/21/10

1970 September 21: "Be fully engaged in Krishna's service. It does not matter what engagement; Krishna accepts equally the service of a little calf and that of Srimati Radharani. So always be very much appreciative of each other's service."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

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Wakefulness, Dreaming, Deep Sleep

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Wakefulness, Dreaming, Deep Sleep

via KKS Blog by noreply@blogger.com (aatish) on 9/23/10

(Quotes from the lecture this morning at Cape Town 23rd September 2010)

Kadamba Kanana Swami:

"In our present state many of us are not fully awake and therefore while walking around awake we are still dreaming, like in the middle of the night, you go to the bathroom after waking up from a big dream, and you are still half dreaming while you are walking - and then you go back to bed and you continue to dream where you left off" ...

More Quotes from the Lecture

"Thinking, feeling and willing are the functions of the soul which are temporarily taken over by the mind while we are in the conditioned state."

"Devotional service is touching the soul - it is in devotional service that the soul actually becomes enlivened and therefore devotional service goes very deep"

"Whatever pleasure we are experiencing in devotional service touches us on a very deep level, it is very difficult to walk away from Krishna - it doesn't quite work!"

"The living being is eternally a resident of the spiritual world but when the living being comes into this material world one becomes covered but by the process of devotional service his original consciousness becomes awakened."

"The consciousness has become covered by Krishna's illusory energy and we have forgotten Krishna"

"The benefit of devotional service is never lost"

"The only thing that is meaningful in our life is devotional service"

"At the end of our life, there are so many things that we have done and so many experiences, feelings - they have no meaning if they are not related to Krishna -nothing that we do, even if you take care of your mother and driving her up and down!"

"Our real progress is whatever we do for Krishna, gradually as we awaken we become aware of it:
' Yes , this is the only real thing that I am doing with my life'"
"We must invest in whatever is needed for Krishna"

"Wherever we may be in life in terms of an ashram, one chooses one that is comfortable and then one must engage in devotional service with great force and great vigour and with great input!"

"Sooner or later we all get to the same point where we say only Krishna and nothing for me - All for Him and nothing for me"

"When we think that something in the material energy is good, then we are drawn to the material energy"

"Krishna may repeatedly send us inspirations to surrender but then if we ignore it then..Krishna will help us forget:
'Ok you go and enjoy'
so then He will give us forgetfulness of Himself. Yes so, Krishna gives us rememberance and forgetfulness."

"Forgetfulness, He does not give with pleasure, it's painful for Him, He gives it with reluctance but 'what can He do?
He has gave us independence and if we want to misuse it, what can He do?:
'Then go do it'"

"no dad I have to do it, I'm not going to finish my education, I'm going"
"don't do it son, one day you will need it, listen to your father"
"yeah yeah yeah…old man, here we go again, the same old song, heard it so many times…yeah yeah yeah yea yeah, thank you"
Then we go and And then ten years don the line you then think after we have suffered in the material world and you think that:
'maybe the old man wasn't as crazy as I thought he was, may be he had a point after all, I have to admit it but maybe he did"

"Adolescent rebellion, not hearing good advice!"

"Krishna helps us forget…but not completely, while living in happiness in forgetfulness of Krishna,He makes arrangements for us to remember again"

"One of his (Hayagriva's) final words, before he gave up his body was:
'I wish I had only taken more advantage of what Prabhupada gave'"

"In our present state many of us are not fully awake and therefore while walking around awake we are still dreaming, like in the middle of the night, you go to the bathroom after waking up from a big dream, and you are still half dreaming while you are walking and then you go back to bed and you continue to dream where you left off"

"We are still dreaming, We are walking around like sleep walkers, we are still in maya – we've heard about Krishna, we like Krishna, we know Krishna is the Supreme Lord but we're still in maya at the same time… dreaming state."

"Krishna makes arrangements for our forgetfulness and our rememberance, so it is personal not just impersonal energies"

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Cape Town 23rd September 2010)

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Miss The Boat ?

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Miss The Boat ?

via KKS Blog by noreply@blogger.com (aatish) on 9/22/10

If we are not careful then we miss the boat, it doesn't feel good to miss the boat… "Not at all!"
I have been once on an island and there was suddenly overnight, an army came in and got mobilized and there were tanks everywhere, guys dug into manholes and it really looked like:
"It is now time to get out of here!!!"
But there was no way to get out of there, there was no transport.
So most people just gave up, but there were a few people and I was amongst them and said now "We're going"
And we paid a local to take us through a path, a forest path and then walked right through the jungle! Something like thirty kilometres to the other side of the island!
Then there , there were lots of stranded people at the ports and there were boats and there were some tickets available for the boat still - but they were going for crazy prices!
"I paid the money!"
I paid the money and I was on the boat - and there were others who didn't want to pay the money and the others who first didn't want to walk through the jungle and then the ones that didn't want to pay the money. Those who were misers and didn't pay the money, they didn't get on the boat and we were waving at them as they were standing on the shore!!!

So in another words don't think that we are going to get it cheap, Krishna Consciousness. Don't think we are going to get it for nothing!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami , September 2010, Pretoria)

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Atheist Can Have Perfect Morals?

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Atheist Can Have Perfect Morals?

via KKS Blog by noreply@blogger.com (aatish) on 9/22/10

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, University Talk, South Africa)

Kadamba Kanana Swami: It is not easy to avoid cheating because to avoid cheating you must have great modern strength and where will you get that when you are bombarded:
"Come one, just do it , come on don't be square!
Come on come one - come on!"
So how are we going to avoid it? So for moral strength you will have to take up spiritual practices otherwise you can't have moral strength.
If you regularly chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra as we are regularly doing, then you can rise above cheating, otherwise no…it won't work.
Ok, any questions, comments

Student: That 's a very big generalisation because an atheist can have perfect morals and do really well without any spiritual practices.

Kadamba Kanana Swami: Oh you think so?

Student: I think so

KadambaKanana Swami: Well let's get into it…

...According to the Vedic scripture they say that the problems in this world for all living beings is that they are having some fundamental defects on the mental plane and the fundamental defect is that everyone is under attack of lust, greed, anger, madness illusion and envy. So these are explained as influences that attack the mind – and everyone is struggling with that –everyone: atheist, religionists, I don't care who, everyone.
Who is free from lust greed or anger.
Lust I'm talking about , notwhen you're in love with your girlfriend – lust that makes people attracted to other's wives… all kinds of things: lust, when the lust becomes excessive. So a percentage of of society is suffering from excessive lust, a percentage of society is suffering from excessive greed…anger. We have courses on anger management – envy , these are fundamental problems which can not be overcome simply by humanism.
Atheism at it's most moral platform is humanism- like where we try to be perfectly moral at the same time, but humanism alone can not save us from these inner weaknesses that we are fighting.
So that's where these spiritual process can help us more to rise above these inner weaknesses.
So I'm not like trying to attack.. I myself am a man who is trying to rise above these enemies, I'm not saying that I am the angel but I have found that I battle with these things and nothing seems to work and just great ideas… what do I have as an atheist, at best I have great ideas from great philosophers, that the best I can have, I don't have any other way.
How do I rise, how do you rise above the primitive drifts that are just pushing us – spiritual process is the only thing you can do.

Student: Or you could identify with things, like you could identify yourself in two parts, you have yourself a consciousness which you could identify as spirituality and you have your form as ahuman as the ego, and you have all these characteristics and traits that form part of your ego in nature, and by acknowledging and identifyingthese traits you have taken a step further to being enlightened, so just because you don't believe in a higher form or god or soul..as an atheist that is, you can still identify with that and be spiritual at the same time.

KadambaKanana Swami: Yeah but that 's ok. Let's say we have certain qualities that we connect that to spiritualism, selflessness, doing good for others, tolerance, honesty and all these kind of moral qualities and one can identify with them…but one is stillattacked by lust, it is strong – you may be a moral married man and when you get attracted to the secretary, you get attracted to the secretary , what can you do?

Student: Is that wrong?

KadambaKanana Swami: Well, it will hurt your family a lot..
Student: If you act on that impulse…

Kadamba Kanana Swami: If you act on that impulse, and maybe you won't, but maybe you will – because the mind is willing, the flesh is weak..you get a little to close, a spark comes in and it gets out of hand.
Again, I'm not condemning just acknowledging that we are human and we are not strong – and that's why looking at it: an atheist can do his best, a noble person can certainly try to be very moral but:
"Boy , will it be hard to keep it up for a lifetime"
A lifetime is a long time and too never ever let it all hang down, if it's deep inside and you have to fight and fight and fight what's deep inside is very hard.
I know a little bit. In my own life, for one thing, I am a sanyassi, which means I have a lifetime vow of celibacy - so when you go for something like that, well then you realise now the pressure is on – the pressure is on and you start to realise if you would do such a thing only on the strength of self control, moral conviction… on strength of moral conviction I go for self control that is very difficult to maintain over time –
One really has to do it on strength of a higher inspiration - and what will that be:maybe that I will place my life I n the service of mankind, that does give some strength, that does give some inspiration but even that leaves something empty, some emptiness.
So how long can one live with emptiness, so ultimately you will have to fill it with something…maybe the love for a woman: great , "our lovvve"
but then most of these loving relationships turn into something really more down on the ground, that is love but it is not the all overwhelming everything love from the fairy tales – it's a pact, you know. It's an agreement. It's hard to be fulfilled in life.
And only when you are fulfilled can you be truly moral, you can be perfectly moral. So in an atheistic way it is not that easy to find fulfillment, one will remain an empty seeker, looking here and there, found some happiness here for a while, then found somewhere else, somewhere else and somewhere else.
Only a spiritualist can find a resting point, where he can stay.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, University talk, South Africa)

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There are No Problems

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There are No Problems

via KKS Blog by noreply@blogger.com (aatish) on 9/22/10

(KadambaKananaSwami , 17th September , Pretoria)

We worry about everything:

'What will go wrong? –what doesn't go wrong?"

"Why isn't it going wrong?"

"Can't be already three days and no problem! Nothing is wrong- There must be a problem! There must be something to be in anxiety about!"

"There must be something to disturb me"

"There must be something, there must be something I urgently need to discuss."

There must be a problem that I need counselling for, there must be - it's urgent. And if it's not here today then something is wrong"

"Can I speak to you, something is really wrong, I have no problems today!! What do I do about that?!" ...

...

Kadamba Kanana Swami: The key to success in spiritual life is not : so much fighting and fighting with our lower nature, fighting and fighting with our material desires, fighting and fighting with our senses -that's not really the issue.

That we do by regulation, by situating ourselves in a good regulated programme – then the senses and the mind come under control, by being in good association… Our focus is to put as much Krishna or as much service to Krishna as possible in a day – and if we simply do that then that will carry us to the spontatneous platform and that is what is going on.

Therefore there is no need to worry – where am I, how free am I from material desires, this and that…Don't worry about it! Just don't make time for material desires.

Just create more and more opportunities for serving Krishna and everything will come automatically. So there is no need for anxiety. Automatically..(Sanskrit) Everything will be revealed.

There is no problem at all. Automatically attachment to Krishna will come. Automatically taste will come. Automatically the desire for devotional service will increase. Automatically we will become more detached from material things and attached to Krishna.Automatically we will get more and more knowledge and deeper understanding of Krishna. Automatically.There is no need for anxiety.

All this anxiety is an old habit. We bring it from the material world. Instead of being very optimistic we always worry, we worry about everything:

'What will go wrong? –what doesn't go wrong?"
"Why isn't it going wrong?"
"Can't be already three days and no problem! Nothing is wrong- There must be a problem! There must be something to be in anxiety about!"
"There must be something to disturb me"
"There must be something, there must be something I urgently need to discuss. There must be a problem that I need counselling for, there must be -it's urgent! And if it's not here today then something is wrong"
"Can I speak to you, something is really wrong, I have no problems today!! What do I do about that?!"

In this way we are addicted to finding problems, making problems and bringing problems up for discussion instead of saying, you know:
"Forget problems, forget them!"

The best way to deal with problems is to just forget them. Don't bother with them. Let them be, let them be. Be what they are:
"We don't have time for them."

Fixing the material situation…well that may not work so let's just tolerate. If it's really that bad that we do have to do something, well do something quick and get back to serving Krishna.

Don't waste too much time with these material problems. They are not worth it. They won't bring any good result. They will never be solved, just when one is solved another one is already there so then you can talk about that and then all that you do is just talking about problems. So that we won't do.

We are optimistic, we are saying that everything is really nice, everything is really wonderful because all the blessings are there. Everything is here.

We have the Holy Name and surely it will be successful and without a doubt because the Holy name is so powerful, nothing ..Nothing can obstruct it because the Holy Name is Krishna…and what in the world can obstruct Krishna…Nothing!!!

He is Supremely powerful and the Name is non different from Him, so the Name is supremely powerful so what are we worried about:
Chant Hare Krishna and everything will be great!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami , 17th September , Pretoria)

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THE LAW OF ACCUMULATION

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THE LAW OF ACCUMULATION

via Gita Coaching by akrura@gmail.com on 9/10/10

Devotional service rendered to the Personality of Godhead never goes in vain. Since the Personality of Godhead is eternal, intelligence applied in His service or anything done in His relation is also permanent. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that such transcendental service rendered unto the Personality of Godhead accumulates birth after birth, and when the devotee is fully matured, the total service counted together makes him eligible to enter into the association of the Personality of Godhead. Such accumulation of God's service is never vanquished, but increases till fully matured. SB 1.6.24 Purport
***
Get better a little bit every single day, and your improvement will accumulate over time to make you perfect.

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4 STEPS TO IMPROVE

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4 STEPS TO IMPROVE

via Gita Coaching by akrura@gmail.com on 9/19/10

Four different steps you can take to improve the quality of your life and work:

1. You can do more of certain things.
You can do more of the things that are of greater value to you and which bring you greater rewards and satisfaction.

2. You can do less of certain things.
You can deliberately decide to reduce or discontinue activities or behaviors that are not as helpful as other activities or which can actually be hurtful to you in accomplishing the things you really want.

3. You can start to do things that you are not doing at all today.
You can make new choices, learn new skills, begin new projects or activities or change the entire focus of your work or personal life.

4. You can stop doing certain things altogether.
You can stand back and evaluate your life with new eyes. You can then make definite decisions to completely discontinue activities and behaviors that are no longer consistent with what you want and where you really want to go.

Focal Point

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JUST DO IT!

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JUST DO IT!

via Gita Coaching by akrura@gmail.com on 9/21/10

Don't complain. Don't blame.

Do what you can, with what you have, right where you are.

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BE MORE CONSCIOUS

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BE MORE CONSCIOUS

via Gita Coaching by akrura@gmail.com on 9/21/10

Start today to pay closer attention to the things you do.

Be more conscious of how you think and act.

Think about your tasks carefully before you begin.

Identify your most important tasks for a day and concentrate on them single-mindedly.

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Going beyond Material Pleasures

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Going beyond Material Pleasures

via Jyoti Pahuja's Facebook Notes by Jyoti Pahuja on 9/20/10

Call out to God desperately and seek spiritual happiness, rather than being contented with the momentary pleasures, that this world has to offer. As we unleash our passion to acquire different pleasures, the mind points out the as yet unacquired delights. And the more elusive they are, the greater the passion to possess them. The enjoyment of all things material follows the law of 'diminishing marginal returns'- with each successive pleasure derived from an object or person, the taste reduces in greater proportion. A drastic gap occurs in the expectation of pleasure, and the actual enjoyment experienced. To fill the gap then, the mind desperately urges us to spend more, buy more, and go wild. In the ensuing race for happiness, the mind's demands remain eternally unfulfilled. It's like scratching an itch- the minute relief is accompanied by a greater itch, and the more you scratch, more the itch. Repeated scratching only causes agonizing pain, and bleeding.

A fish out of water wouldn't be enticed with the best I-pod, succulent cakes or designer outfits. He's desperate to be back in water. Likewise, a soul trapped in the human body and its related complexities maybe lured by exciting relationships, attractive cinemas, and promising career growths. However the soul always hankers for more than all that this world can offer. The soul's water is the spiritual realm where he reunites with his loving Lord, and renders uninterrupted service to Him. This loving service and remembrance of God is the most natural position of freedom for the soul.

- HH Radhanath Swami

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The Whole World Is My Family

Posted by dinesh

Sent to you by dinesh via Google Reader:

The Whole World Is My Family

via KKS Blog by noreply@blogger.com (aatish) on 9/20/10

(KadambaKanana, University Programme, Sep 2010)

Happiness should not just be our happiness, when a human being becomes a little bit more mature:
"My happiness should include the happiness of everyone else."

What if I'm here in this room and just thinking of my happiness:

Put an elbow in his face!
Kick here!
And I grab the camera!
That's a good start and there's a lot that I could do!

I mean after a little while of me behaving like that…after a little while you would all together,You would all grab me, open the window and give me a quick exit! ...

…because we are not going to tolerate it if somebody is totally obnoxious. If I start to call everybody names. How long can I do it before some guy says:
"Ok let's talk about that!"

So that's the way it is…
…One time I was here in South Africa in a programme with kids, not quite kids but boys who were about ten and I was talking about being a vegetarian. So I said being a vegetarian is a good thing, I said:
'Because the animals don't like to be killed - they won't like it if you eat them and that's why we should be vegetarian.'
I said: 'Imagine what would you do if I were to eat one of you."
They all said:
"Then we would kill You!!!!"

I was a little shocked! They were only twelve or ten, they were heavy Kids!
"Then we would kill you!"

Yeah but that's how it is in this world, we will not tolerate such kind of anti social behaviour. So there is something like group dynamics. And we are as a group and some outsider would give trouble to the group, then we are together, we would go together:
"Hey who are you?! Get out of here, this is our group!"

So this is good, this natural but why say:
"This is the BYS, our room, and next door is the SYB"

'We don't talk to those guys, forget it, backward guys, the SYB. These guys are backward. It's all about the BYS, when will they ever get it right!"
Like this we are very judgemental about other groups. Other groups are judgemental about us and we can all become judgmental;
"Those guys from the other side of the corridor, you know. They're nice guys but they are from the wrong side of the corridor!"

It this way we can think of so many things, we can make parties, so many parties. Oh, the blue party, the green party and so on, different colours , different shades, the communist, the pacifist party, the animal party, the vampire party, you name it, every party will go!
In the end we can all look at each other and condemn each other but that is crazy, because the real thing is we are one group, one big group. Why make these partitions. Why say only people from this room are ok and people from this city are ok.
We just saw the world cup, my God, the flags all over the place, you know! And everyone gets into it:
"South Africaaaa!!"

They were finished in the first round! Still got cars driving around with south African flags and all over the world like that …nationalism.
Nationalism is just foney! Borders.:

"Excuse me sir passport, passport yes?'
bribe as well, some country.
"What for?"
"No, No you can't go any further. Sorry you can't go any further here"
"Who's he!" "Who are you" "What have you got to do with this land?"
Stars and stripe and guns.
That means we are excluding people…

…Vasudaivakutumbhakam
The whole world is our family.

"The whole world is my family"
VasudaivaKutumbhakam

Isn't that a nice concept: the whole world is my family, if we could only get there.
It's difficult, the mind does not want to coopperate because the mind does tend to go:
"Oh, I'm not sure about that one"
The mind tends to do that, but if we could overcome the mind….

(KadambaKanana, University Programme, Sep 2010)

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Loving relationships, communication with devotees; Digest 331-Must Read!!!

Posted by dinesh

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ISKCON DC <ISKCON.DC@pamho.net>
Date: Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 3:15 PM
Subject: Loving relationships, communication with devotees; Digest 331
To:

Digest 331: September 12th, 2010. Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami
Maharaja
You are invited to send your questions to His Holiness Romapada Swami at
iskcondcr@gmail.com with the word "Question" included in the subject line or
submit your question at http://www.romapadaswami.com/?q=feedback/Question.

Loving relationships, communication with devotees
*************************************************

704) I would like to submit a question regarding devotee relationships. From
my personal experience I notice that while all the devotees are very
wonderfully engaged in service to Sri Guru and Gauranga in different ways,
at the same time they find themselves extremely busy, not having time to
call one-another, inquire about each other's well-being, spend time with
each other in sharing their experiences in Krishna Consciousness etc.

So this sometimes causes me to think back if it isn't true that loving
relationship is the key to our Krsna Consciousness journey.

Personally, I find it very encouraging for my devotional service and
inspiring when I try to keep in touch with all the devotee friends I have,
at least call them, or write to them generally to say Hare Krishna, thinking
they are my family. But I am now beginning to think again if what I am doing
is right. I hope I am not disturbing them by calling them to inquire their
well-being, because everyone other than me seems to be very busily engaged
in services to Guru and Krishna.

May I please request guidance in understanding how I should respond to
situations when very nice devotees say that they have been so busy in
serving Guru and Krishna that they had no time to call or write even 1 line
to other devotees in general? Of course, I am aware that devotees are very
loving and they always wish for the best spiritual well-being of
one-another in their hearts, but what about expressing the same.

Answer: Loving relationships among devotees is indeed a key aspect of
devotional life. Note that it is also *one* of our services to the spiritual
master and Krishna. Devotee interactions is not to be seen as something
apart from service to Guru and Krishna -- this understanding is essential
to healthy spiritual relationships. In other words, these loving
interactions among devotees are meant for "Krishna's pleasure". When
devotees lose sight of this understanding, very quickly the interactions
come under the modes of material nature. One may find oneself trying to
'enjoy' one's friendships in Krishna Consciousness, and the mood of
enjoyment (in the material sense) quickly spoils everything, including
loving relationships. A devotee's attention goes exclusively to pleasing
Guru and Krishna even while interacting with others. This is the only word
of caution I would like to offer regarding your observation about the
importance of devotee interactions.

Neglecting devotee relationships also means neglecting an important
component of the instructions of the spiritual master! When one habitually
gives priority to other services without investing in loving relationships,
it can be quite weakening to one's devotion. However, it is possible that
sometimes 'other' services to the spiritual master do demand much of one's
time and attention and take a higher priority. It would then be a different
variety of 'sense-gratification' to neglect those services and try to enjoy
the company of one another. The key contemplation is to examine one's own
motive for temporarily setting aside other interactions -- if it is to
attend to an important service to the mission of the spiritual master, then
other devotees should respect and support that - that would be their service
to the devotee concerned. On the other hand, it is also the nature of
material energy, particularly in Kali yuga, to keep everyone too busy
managing things rather than find time for loving interactions -- this is
indeed a prevalent disease in the society at large that has deteriorated
loving relationships between family members, neighbors and friends alike.

We must also be considerate of the reality of the complexities of modern
life which does often leave practicing devotees with very little time to
give attention to the primary activities of sadhana bhakti such as hearing
and chanting. Thus, from time to time you will find devotees juggling their
priorities, and you might face yourself in a similar situation some day, too!

Balance is the key. There is a time for all things.

In determining your own priorities, you can be assured that loving
relationships among devotees is irreplacably significant. I encourage you to
continue to warmly extend yourself and/or seek out the association of other
devotees for Krishna's pleasure -- to such extent as would not encroach into
your basic hearing, chanting and prescribed services. Do so without
expectations, but out of your love for them. Continue to treat them like
your own family, while carrying a proper spiritual conception.

When you find other devotees during a particular time frame to be too busy,
you may find it helpful to keep the above various considerations in mind. Be
understanding, and consider if and how you may be of assistance in enhancing
their service. You may serve them just by your being understanding, and
relieving them of their concerns about neglecting/hurting your feelings. You
could offer your practical assistance in any way they might need so that
they will have more time. You could consult with them about their
convenience and prearrange a fixed time for interaction.

As in all activities in devotional service, association with devotees is
also best regulated (as opposed to the pendulum of extremes). You will find
your exchanges more qualitative, focused and uplifting if they are regulated
both in terms of time and content.

If you maintain a nice mood of service, you will find the inspiration how to
respond in a manner that will both strengthen your mutual relationship as
well as increase your respective devotion to Guru and Krsna. This is, after
all, the purpose of all relationships viz. to strengthen each other's faith
and devotion to our common subject of worship.

**************************
Digests 1-330 are available with subject classification at
http://www.romapadaswami.com/?q=inquiries
Digest 1-242 are included as a PDF file at:
http://www.romapadaswami.com/Inquiries/IITA_full.pdf
Lectures: http://www.romapadaswami.com/?q=audio and http://www.caitanya.com
(username: guest password: caitanyacom)
Brief biography of His Holiness Romapada Swami:
http://www.romapadaswami.com/?q=HHRPS_bio
**************************

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--
Yours
Dinesh

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