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Bhakti Yoga-Devotional Service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna

Bhakti Yoga-Devotional Service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna
Gopis performing Devotional Service to the Lordships Sri Sri Radha Krishna

TOO MUCH ENDEAVOR

 
 

Sent to you by dinesh via Google Reader:

 
 

via Gita Coaching by akrura@gmail.com on 14/04/11

By Sacinandana Swami

Preserve your spiritual status - avoid stress.

In the name of service, we often overburden ourselves with impossible schedules, high expectations from ourselves and others and big projects and goals. Sometimes we end up stressed out and frustrated. We have lost the Higher connection.

At that time, our happy Krishna conscious mood leaves us, our spiritual practice might become compromised, and instead of gratitude, we feel burned out, bitter or anxious.

Of course, there is something like "healthy stress," an excitement which brings out the best in us, but here we are addressing unhealthy stress that brings about distress. This stress should be avoided. It harms us.

Here is a letter by Srila Prabhupada that will guide you further:

Krishna Consciousness means we should always be satisfied and happy. Not that we try to do some impossible work, become overburdened, and then because we are unhappy by so much trouble we lose enthusiasm altogether and give up all hope. No. Too much endeavor should be avoided. By all means we must preserve our spiritual status. That is the point. Not that we are mad after big buildings, many devotees, life-members, and this and that. No. These are only ways to engage the devotees so they may apply the principles of devotional living to some kind of work for practical realization of these principles. It is not the result of the work we want. If we only sincerely preach to one person a day, that is sufficient. Never mind big, big programs. So my request to you is that you do not be bothered by these things.... Krishna does not like to see his sincere devotee suffer or become frustrated or depressed. He will not stand by idly in such a case. Krishna has some plan for you. Always think in that way, and very soon he will provide everything to your heart's desire.
(Letter to Tejiyas, 19 December 1972)

Srila Prabhupada reminds us here that preserving our spiritual status is our primary project. The many engagements we have are really meant to help us realize our devotional principles. By bringing these principles out into the open field of practical life and engagement, we are supposed to understand them in a deeper way, not lose them. Spiritual life always comes first, in the middle and at the end.

What can we do from our side?

Again and again contemplate: what is this visible world? Who am I really? Who is Krishna and what is my relationship with Him? These questions will help us to get back on track, in case we get lost.

 
 

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Duty of a Vaisnava

 
 

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via Jyoti Pahuja's Facebook Notes by Jyoti Pahuja on 11/04/11

There are many fortunate persons all over the world, and many unfortunate persons also. So those who are fortunate, they're taking to this Krsna consciousness, this ideal life, hopeful life, pleasant life, blissful life, life of knowledge. They're taking to it. But it is the duty of Vaisnava to go door to door to make them fortunate. Although they are unfortunate, but you have to go door to door to make them fortunate. That is your duty.

  

 

 [Srimad-Bhagavatam lecture in New York, 21 July 1971]

  

 

Suppose a man accidentally comes in contact with our society and gives some service willingly or unwillingly, that is the beginning of his fortunate life. We go from door to door canvassing people to join Krsna Consciousness movement means that we are trying to make them fortunate.

[Letter to Tosana Krsna, 13 November 13, 1968]


 
 

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Practice and Study

 
 

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via Jyoti Pahuja's Facebook Notes by Jyoti Pahuja on 11/04/11

 Upendra: What was the secret of speaking nicely on the philosophy of Krsna consciousness?

Srila Prabhupada: Speaking or anything, all depends on practice and study. I remember when I was first called for speaking by one of my senior Godbrothers. I felt very much hesitating because I was not practiced to speak. Later on, by speaking and hearing or reading, I got experience and now we can speak 45 minutes, 50 minutes or 1 hour at a stretch. So you have to read our books very nicely and gather thoughts, and then you can speak for hours without any difficulty. It requires practice. So read your books carefully. Especially Nectar of Devotion, now published, and practice speaking. It will be alright.


 
 

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Serious Residents

 
 

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via kksblog.com by Aatish on 10/04/11

Transcribed by Annie
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, March 2011, Melbourne)

We are residents of Kaliyuga. We are inclined towards sin, inclined to cut corners, inclined to be slack, inclined to sense gratification, inclined to cheat, inclined towards dishonesty, to say "Oh! It's too difficult!' inclined to make endless excuses to escape. We have to be serious.


 
 

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Ambitions of Krsna Conscious Persons

 
 

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via Jyoti Pahuja's Facebook Notes by Jyoti Pahuja on 17/04/11

 

  • Krsna is variety. There are varieties of Krsna's manifestation. Krsna is there. Krsna personally is there. At the same time, Krsna, energy, they are varieties. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Krsna is one, but His energies are multi-different energies. So you can take shelter of different energies or Krsna directly. The best thing is to take shelter of Krsna directly. That is intelligence. Therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66].

  • But we prefer to take shelter of Krsna's energy. That is also external energy, this material nature. So Krsna has given us chance. You can work hard in this material energy, but that will not help you. Therefore, those who are devotees, they also take shelter of Krsna's energy. That is internal energy, not external energy. Internal. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. Daivim prakrtim means internal energy.
  • Just like you cannot avoid government control. That is not possible. Either you are in jail life or you are in free life, you are always under government control. Similarly, either we remain in the material world or we remain in the spiritual world, we are controlled by Krsna. There is no escape. You cannot do that. But if you remain controlled by the spiritual energy, by directly being controlled by Krsna, not by His energy, or by His internal energy, then you will be happy. That is the ambition of persons who are in Krsna consciousness.

 >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974


 
 

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