Creating a Culture of Pure Chanting

via Gita Coaching by akrura@gmail.com on 10/25/10

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"Krishna is attracted to a humble heart, not a heart filled with pride. To suspend thoughts of our daily dramas while chanting is a challenge, but it's required. The more we can simplify our lives and center our activities on Krishna, the easier it is to put aside plan-making and worry while chanting. Krishna will reveal Himself more and more, and we will see how He is our maintainer and protector."

"...if we want to become good at something, then we must find people who are already good at it."

"I've found that focused, attentive chanting benefits all my other activities. I can be more present and attuned to my environment and feel Krishna's presence more acutely than before."

By Arcana Siddhi devi dasi

Creating a Culture of Pure Chanting

SMART QUESTION COACHING

via Gita Coaching by akrura@gmail.com on 10/22/10

Smart Question Coaching Resources

7 P's Personal Performance Process

These performance questions catch your blind spots, keep you on track and improve your habits. Become more focused, clear, creative, purposeful, aware and balanced.

There is magic in taking time to ask yourself the right questions that will pop out the right answers for you. At least monthly, if not weekly, spend about an hour and answer all of these questions. Be brutally honest with yourself. Once you have answered the questions, create a list of action steps for your next week or month. Do this process regularly and watch your life change.

Patterns, processes, procrastination, habits:
Where can I be more efficient in my life?
What 5 things have I been procrastinating?
What are my time wasters?
What excuses keep me stuck?

Problems, past, pain:
Where am I vulnerable?
Where do I hold myself back?
What am I afraid of?
What stresses me?
For what problems must I ask for solutions?

Perceptions and perspectives of myself and others:
What are the needs/desires of my boss or partner or family?
What is God's agenda for me?
What contacts or friends do I want to develop more?
What negative or limiting thoughts keep jumping into my mind?
What key choices am I ready to make?

Prosperity:
How can I create another or larger or easier income stream?
In what areas do I want to receive more learning?
How can I be more productive and effective?
Where are some opportunities for me to give?

Principles and values:
What 3 areas in my life do I want to recommit to?
Where do I need to clarify my stand or position?
What deeds or actions need my forgiveness or acceptance?
What can I do to increase balance in my life?
What value is most important for me to express now?

Purpose, potential, passion, power, possibilities, path:
What are my deepest heart-felt desires, dreams and visions?
Where are my life purpose and goals unclear?
How can I experience a greater sense of meaning in life?
What new ideas are teasing me these days

Peace of mind, play, pleasure, pamper:
When do I feel greatest happiness in my life?
What can I do to have more fun in all areas of my life?
How can I get more stillness, solitude and peace in my life?

When you have completed the answers and the resulting action steps, ask yourself, "What am I missing? Is there anything else?" Use questions often. The subconscious mind is always answering. We must only practice asking and then listening.

www.smartquestion.com

SMART QUESTION COACHING

From: Dr Satish Gosain (Sri Krishna Hari Das)

*Hare Krishna* !**

*The wood-cutter and the axe*

Once upon a time a strong wood-cutter asked a timber merchant for a job. The
timber merchant was happy to oblige. The pay was good and so were the
work-conditions. Therefore, the wood-cutter was determined to do his best.

The timber merchant presented the wood-cutter with an axe and showed him
where to work. The first day, the wood-cutter brought eighteen trees.

"Congratulations !" the boss said. "Go on working like that."

Motivated by the boss's words, the wood-cutter tried harder the next day,
but he could cut down only fifteen trees. The third day he tried even
harder but cut down only ten trees. Day after day, he brought fewer and
fewer trees.

"I must be losing my strength," the wood-cutter thought. He went to the
timber merchant and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was
going on.

"When was the last time you sharpened your axe ?" the timber merchant asked.

"Sharpened ? I have had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been busy trying
to cut trees," said the wood-cutter.

*Moral of this story*

Our lives are like that. We sometimes become so busy that we do not have
time to sharpen our axe. In today's world, it seems that everyone is busier
but unhappier than ever. Why is that ?

Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp ?

There is nothing wrong with activity and hard work, but Krishna does not want
us to become so busy that we neglect what is truly important in life, such
as taking time to pray and to read the scripture. We all need time to
relax, to think and chant, to learn and grow.

If we do not take time to sharpen our axe, we will become dull and lose our
effectiveness. So start today. The only way you can do your job
moreeffectively and add
a lot of value to it is by chanting the holy names of the Supreme God.

Krishna has time to listen, but do you have time to pray ?

*Questions for your own introspection*

*and necessary action*

01) What practical steps are you taking to sharpen your own axe (head
and heart) on daily basis ?

02) What are your valuable realizations after you have adopted the
above measures ?

03) How did this story contribute to your own life ? Could you kindly
give me your valuable feedback, please ?

04) Could you kindly pass on this instructive story to others, if you
are benefitted please ?

*Source* : Page 15 and 16 from the book "Tales of wisdom" of the
Vaishnava Seva Kendra, Belgaum, India.

*
*

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Chant Hare Krishna and Be Happy...

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
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Instructive story for spiritual upliftment -- The wood-cutter and the axe.

beyond what we can perceive

via KKS Blog by noreply@blogger.com (aatish) on 10/28/10

When we are here in the Holy Dham we can not perceive… there is a mystical aspect to Krishna's mercy which goes beyond what we can perceive;
One example is Arjuna - Arjuna at the end of the battle of Kuruksetra was asked by Krishna to take his bow Gandhiva and get down from the chariot - and just as he got down from the chariot, right in front of his eyes the chariot caught on fire!
Arjuna was shocked: 'The invincible chariot, the chariot I got from Agni - how can this chariot burn…Krishna!
Krishna , how can this chariot burn, this is impossible!
This chariot, how can it be consumed by fire, it has even survived brahmastras! Even brahmastras couldn't touch this chariot and now it's burning by fire, how can this be?!
How can it be?!"
Krishna said: 'Oh my Dear Arjuna, throughout the battlefield of Kuruksetra all this time I was protecting this chariot.
It was not by the strength of the chariot that it didn't burn.
It was by my protection"
Arjuna never knew that and all along there was Krishna 's protection - so undoubtedly there is Krishna's mercy beyond what we can see!


(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 27th October 2010, Vrndavana)

beyond what we can perceive

The City of Nine Gates-Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.5.12]