We are watched every moment, the universe is highly personal-many personalities running/monitoring the show.

Posted by dinesh

We are watched every moment. How do we act in the public when we are
watched by many people around? We think many many times before even
uttering a word. We meticulously act in front of the public. Atleast
some cultured decent men think what to do and what not do in the
public,let alone the uncultured two legged animals.

But we tend to forget that we are watched every moment by the Supreme
Lord within and without&there are many times where we are in illusion
thinking that we are acting independently&we can do whatever we like
whimsically. Those that are acting according to the instructions of
the Spiritual Master are saved while others who are on their own are
through a free ride,where they experience horror sometimes(actually
many times :)),a feeling of pleasure other times which last a few
moments.

This Universe is highly personal. There are many many thousands of
personalities designated to carry out the order of the Supreme Lord to
keep everything in place in the Universe. These
agents are called devatas or the celestial beings who help in carrying
out the instructions of the Supreme Lord to create,maintain&destroy
the material Universe.

We are responsible for our good&bad actions. We are only accountable
for our actions,no one else. The situation,the place we live,the
helpers for us in the particular situation,the birth,the
siblings,Everything is provided to us by calculating our desires,our
past actions but only to the extent we deserve. So our situation is to
be accepted without complaining too much of the destiny,because it's
only something we created and what we deserve. If we desire,we have
the choice to change it to whatever we like to do but within the scope
of destiny. We have little control over the karmic
Reactions resulting from our past actions. If there's good karma from
the past we feel so happy&think that it is because of my own good
work,while in nightmares,we see the bad karma to be something fallen
on us from the sky. Actually we are the ones who did such bad actions
as well.

Atleast when we are acting in Krishna consciousness(akarma-actions for
which there are no reactions that binds us one2material world) now,we
dont create further karma to enjoy(minimal here) or suffer(predominant
here)

The Supreme Lord facilitates the conditioned souls with necessary
things that give them an illusion for them to see themselves as
God&enjoyer of all that pervades.

Lord Sri Krishna says, For My devotees who are always thinking of
Me,who sees Me in everything&everything in Me,I am never lost nor will
they ever be lost to Me-BG

So Krsna gives us the choice to Love Him&get to Him in His own abode
or rebel against Him in an illusory way in this material
world&suffer.Choice is exclusively ours.I've seen many people saying
if I were to be so devoted,then that time will come when God
desires.Why not apply the same thing for eating also?

--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com

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Vaisnava Ettiquette - Part 1

Posted by dinesh

Vaisnava Ettiquette - Part 1

1. Preaching accompanied with Vaishnava etiquette: We have to push forward this movement, and we may get caught up in the activities of pushing, and forget about Vaishnava etiquette. However, there is an exchange between Srila Sanatana Goswami and Haridas Thakura in which Srila Sanatana Goswami praises Haridas: (Cc Antya 4.102-3)
apane acara keha na kare pracara pracara karena keha na karena acara
"Some behave very well but do not preach the cult of Krishna consciousness, whereas others preach but do not behave properly."
acara pracara namera karaha dui karya tumi sarva guru tumi jagatera arya
"You simultaneously perform both activities in relation to the Holy Name by your personal behavior and by your preaching. Therefore you are the most advanced devotee in the world."

2. Basics must always be stressed: The basic activities are listed by Srila Rupa Goswami in Nectar of Instruction (see BCS's transcript). "Practicing Vaishnava etiquette means always acting in the mode of goodness, which is a stepping-stone to the transcendental plane. The mode of goodness is conducive to self-realization, whereas ignorance and passion are not. Therefore, how one applies the principles of Vaishnava etiquette reflects whether a devotee is Krishna conscious or not: i.e., is he humble? Conscientious? Well-mannered? Disciplined? cultured? Sensitive? Someone who is actually a devotee will be known by how much he displays the good qualities."

3. One major component in Vaishnava etiquette, humility: One of the main parts of Vaishnava etiquette is humility. It is considered so important that Lord Krishna lists it as the first part of knowledge in Bhagavad-Gita (amanitvam). Some quotes from Srila Prabhupada: To Patita Uddharan (12/12/74) "So we all have to cooperate amongst ourselves, otherwise what will people think if we ourselves fight with one another? A devotee is always ideal in behavior." SP Letter to Gargamuni 2/5/69 "Your humble repentance is just like a Vaishnava student, so I thank you very much for this humbleness. Lord Chaitanya taught us to be humbler that the grass on the street and more tolerant that the tree. So these symptoms are Vaishnava symptoms." *** SP Letter to Dindayal 2/2/70 "Krishna is so very merciful to those who are very humble in their attitude engaged in service of the Lord. Lord Chaitanya advised, therefore, one should be humbler than the straw and more tolerant than the tree and thus be seriously engaged in glorifying the Lord. This world is very awful. Anyone is ready to create some disturbance; especially they are very much apt to disturb Krishna Consciousness persons because that is the way of demoniac life. So, in order to protect us from all dangerous elements, we have to chant the Hare Krishna Mantra regularly being humbler than the straw and more tolerant than the tree. Then Krishna, Who is Dina-Dayal, will bestow His Mercy upon us." *** SP Letter to 8/18/70 Upendra "You are good for everything but your attitude to remain good for nothing is very nice. A Vaishnava is always humble and meek, and he is never puffed-up, even he has got the highest qualities of demigods."

4. Vaishnava Behavior is Inspiring for Everyone
SP Letter to Janardan (1/21/68) Humbleness is appreciated
SP Letter to Shivananda (9/14/68) "This Krishna consciousness movement through music, philosophy, spiritual culture, and personal behavior culminating in ideal character of the devotees. All these heavenly contributions combined together will certainly bring about a major change in the life of Western people."
SP Letter to Batu Gopal (2/1/75)
"You are right. We must all become ideal in character and then people will become very impressed with such purity. A devotee is faultless — he has no flaws."

- HH Bhakti Charu Swami (Vaisnava Etiquette Seminar)

Courtesy : http://gloriouskrishna.blogspot.com/2011/12/vaisnava-ettiquette-part-1.html
--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com

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The Iron Age of Addiction, Knowledge - Sankhya, Bhakti Yoga

Posted by dinesh

In this iron age,people are also iron hearted. One's ability to make the most of sense enjoyment is considered advanced civilization now. Truth is looked down upon,but Word jugglery which covers the truth is appreciated.Religious principles are considered obselete&only meant for old timers. What a pity? No one knows what is good for their own self. All have become mad men addicted to the abominable Habits of nasty lust,greed,pride,envy,anger,madness. These habits have

brought only self-destruction and destruction to those around all the time in the past,present and in future as well. This is an age of addiction. We are getting addicted to unwanted things even without our knowledge.

The same activities dancing,singing,sporting which when performed in clubs would otherwise bind us in the cycle of birth&death would liberate us when performed in front of Krishna in His temple for His pleasure. What's the difficulty? The result is twofold.We revive our lost Love for God. Other thing is We get released from the clutches of material energy simultaneously without even endeavoring for it separately.

The senses are like venomous serpents which need a better engagement like a snake charmer charming the snakes. The charm of the bluish boy standing on the banks of the river Yamuna alone can keep the senses intoxicated&free from the poison of the iron age.

It's actually the same material elements transformed into poison because of the enviousness of snake. The same material elements transformed to different ones by the consciousness of the living entity. Food is converted to blood in the process of digestion, the body of a man automatically converts his blood to semen by his thinking of a woman, a mother her blood to milk to feed the baby. All this is acintya-inconceivable. The nails, hair that are growing are also inconceivable to us.

In the actual sense,we are simply observers and only choice makers with what is provided to us by nature. Even the evacuation which is our normal day to day activity is controlled by a demigod.

" Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment"- BG # 3.5

(Purport to BG#13.3 begins)

"One who studies the subject matter of the field of activity and the knower of the field very minutely, in terms of this Bhagavad-gītā, can attain to knowledge.

The Lord says, "I am the knower of the field of activities in every individual body." The individual may be the knower of his own body, but he is not in knowledge of other bodies. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present as the Supersoul in all bodies, knows everything about all bodies. He knows all the different bodies of all the various species of life. A citizen may know everything about his patch of land, but the king knows not only his palace but all the properties possessed by the individual citizens. Similarly, one may be the proprietor of the body individually, but the Supreme Lord is the proprietor of all bodies. The king is the original proprietor of the kingdom, and the citizen is the secondary proprietor. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is the supreme proprietor of all bodies.

The body consists of the senses. The Supreme Lord is Hṛṣīkeśa, Which means "the controller of the senses." He is the original controller of the senses, just as the king is the original controller of all the activities of the state; the citizens are secondary controllers. The Lord says, "I am also the knower." This means that He is the superknower; the individual soul knows only his particular body. In the Vedic literature, it is stated as follows:

kṣetrāṇi hi śarīrāṇi

bījaḿ cāpi śubhāśubhe

tāni vetti sa yogātmā

tataḥ kṣetra-jña ucyate

This body is called the kṣetra, and within it dwells the owner of the body and the Supreme Lord, who knows both the body and the owner of the body. Therefore He is called the knower of all fields. The distinction between the field of activities, the knower of activities, and the supreme knower of activities is described as follows. Perfect knowledge of the constitution of the body, the constitution of the individual soul, and the constitution of the Supersoul is known in terms of Vedic literature as jñāna. That is the opinion of Kṛṣṇa. To understand both the soul and the Supersoul as one yet distinct is knowledge. One who does not understand the field of activity and the knower of activity is not in perfect knowledge. One has to understand the position of prakṛti (nature), puruṣa (the enjoyer of nature) and īśvara (the knower who dominates or controls nature and the individual soul). One should not confuse the three in their different capacities. One should not confuse the painter, the painting and the easel. This material world, which is the field of activities, is nature, and the enjoyer of nature is the living entity, and above them both is the supreme controller, the Personality of Godhead. It is stated in the Vedic language (in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 1.12), bhoktā bhogyaḿ preritāraḿ ca matvā/ sarvaḿ proktaḿ tri vidham-brahmam etat. There are three Brahman conceptions: prakṛti is Brahman as the field of activities, and the jīva (individual soul) is also Brahman and is trying to control material nature, and the controller of both of them is also Brahman, but He is the factual controller" (Purport to BG#13.3 ends)

Only a pure devotee of Krishna can completely understand this knowledge which differentiates the material elements-jadam from the Spirit-cetanam,conscious entity,which is to be knowable.

This is why Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that the Sankhya philosophy is already contained in Bhakti Yoga and only the less intelligent class of men make a distinction between Sankhya-yoga and Bhakti-yoga.

--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com

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One who sees the activities performed by the body to be that of material nature & who sees self does nothing, actually sees BG#13.30

Posted by dinesh

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 13.30

prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi

kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ

yaḥ paśyati tathātmānam

akartāraḿ sa paśyati

SYNONYMS

prakṛtyā — by material nature; eva — certainly; ca — also; karmāṇi — activities; kriyamāṇāni — being performed; sarvaśaḥ — in all respects; yaḥ — anyone who; paśyati — sees;tathā — also; ātmānam — himself; akartāram — the nondoer; saḥ — he; paśyati — sees perfectly.

TRANSLATION

One who can see that all activities are performed by the body, which is created of material nature, and sees that the self does nothing, actually sees.

PURPORT

This body is made by material nature under the direction of the Supersoul, and whatever activities are going on in respect to one's body are not his doing. Whatever one is supposed to do, either for happiness or for distress, one is forced to do because of the bodily constitution. The self, however, is outside all these bodily activities. This body is given according to one's past desires. To fulfill desires, one is given the body, with which he acts accordingly. Practically speaking, the body is a machine, designed by the Supreme Lord, to fulfill desires. Because of desires, one is put into difficult circumstances to suffer or to enjoy. This transcendental vision of the living entity, when developed, makes one separate from bodily activities. One who has such a vision is an actual seer.

--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com

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Chant Hare Krishna in any situation! Holy names are our only shelter!

Posted by dinesh

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ranjani Gopika <shyamkrishna108@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:42:52 +0530
Subject:
To: dinesh mahesh <dineshkrishna108@gmail.com>

The medicine to stop death is chant Hare Krishna
Golden moon Gaura chander has come,tells all the jivas to wake up wake up
chant Hare Krishna.
How long you will sleep on the lap of the witch called maya.Caitanya
Mahaprabhu said i came just to pick you up.
Except myself who is your friend.I brought you the medicine for treating
maya.Which destroys maya.Completely wipes out maya.
Its called Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.Take it Take it very
submissively.Bhakti vinod thakur says that he falls at the feet of Caitanya
Mahaprabhu.He himself begging for the mercy,give me the holy name.Anyway
the conclusion is chant Hare Krishna.Dont be afraid of anything.Even if you
are afraid chant Hare Krishna.Actually there is onething devotee should
have fear,maya.Dont think i have conquered over maya.Now i am free from
maya.As soon as someone thinks like that means that they are already
captured by maya.Always chant Hare Krishna.Whether we are in a materially
happy situation or materially distress situation chant Hare Krishna.If you
get lots of money chant Hare Krishna.If you dont have any money chant Hare
Krishna.If you have more money and you lose it then what should you do
chant Hare Krishna.If you are very healthy jump up and down in kirtan
chanting Hare Krishna.If you are not healthy well you can atleast raise
your hands and chant Hare Krishna shaking your fingers.There is no loss you
wont lose anything.Full gain.All these advertisers advertise if you invest
in these policy you gain more.All cheaters,rascals.They all advertising
that you get benefit,but they are simply taking your money.This is the only
guaranteed program where no one will cheat you and you will get full
benefit.Sometimes people complaint even i came to ISKCON someone mistreated
me.May be.Anyway chant Hare Krishna.Someone may be mistreated you,after all
its kali yuga and we are all products of kali yuga.We cant expect everyone
chanting Hare Krishna to change over night from being a raakshasah to being
a pure devotee.But you have the opportunity to chant Hare Krishna.Wherever
you go whatever you do in this world someone is going to mistreat you.But
not everyone is going to ask you to chant Hare Krishna.So what is the
conclusion of this lecture chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare and distribute Srila
Prabhupadas books and read Srila Prabhupadas books and follow what is in
Srila Prabhupadas books.Hare Krishna. ---- From the Lecture
given byHis Holiness Bhakti Vikasa Swami