Remember This, Words of Wisdom Sri Ramakrishna

Kali-Yuga, The Age We Are Now Living In

I suppose every generation has said there has never been one such as this. I would agree and say every era is unique and has its particular qualities and characteristics.
As one who has been in this earthly body for close to seven decades I do notice certain things about this 21th century that are unlike others I have witnessed.

They are in no particular order:
A marked increase in murders, mass murders, and  terrorism.
An increasing preoccupation by the masses on being entertained and having every desire, whether good or bad, satiated.
Materialism and having "things" no matter what the cost or consequences.
The acceptance of abortion, pornography and pretty much any kind of sexual activity between two consenting people.
A scorn for religions that have a definite standard or code of conduct. I am not referring here to certain Christian and Jewish faiths that have changed to fit a society's changing(debased) mores.
This last  one may seem minor but it isn't. A lack of civility, manners,couth, decorum and appropriate behavior by the populace.
There are more but you get the picture as they say. I list the above with a certain degree of sadness because I lived through a time when the above wasn't either a part of our society or so prevalent.

When I was a Christian we were taught that these were simply symptoms of the end of the age. The age before the return of Jesus Christ when He would come and rule over this earth. The problem with this belief was that people have been saying this for centuries, since shortly after Jesus was resurrected.
I have now come to believe what the Vedic Scriptures describe as the Age of Kali-Yuga.
Below is a brief description of this age taken from the excellent Krishna.com website.

"Kali-yuga, the Age of Quarrel, is a period of time lasting 432,000 years and characterized by hypocrisy, degradation, and an overall rise in vice. It is the last and worst of the four great ages (Satya-, Treta-, Dwapara-, and Kali-yugas) mentioned in ancient Vedic literature. We're now living in a Kali-yuga that began around five thousand years ago."

Bellow is given the solution to avoiding the consequences and influence of this age:

"The sole redeeming feature of Kali-yuga is that anyone can be released from degradation and anxiety simply by chanting God's names. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Krishna Himself in disguise during Kali-yuga, encouraged everyone to chant the Hare Krishna mantra. Many scriptures recommend this chant as the most direct route to genuine happiness and enlightenment in the Age of Kali."

Another Prayer

"Thou art the father, mother, husband and son. Thou art the dear friend, relative and teacher, and

 the goal of the universe. I am Thine own, Thy servant and attendant; Thou art my only refuge. I

have taken shelter in thee, and verily, O Lord, does my burden rest wholly on Thee."

From Universal Prayers by Swami Yatiswarananda

Words of Wisdom From Sri Ramakrishna

                                                It takes work and dedication.

Two Prayers From the Vedas

Two prayers from the Vedas. Taken from the book Universal Prayers by Swami Yatiswarananda.

"Whatever sins have been committed by me, by thought, word or deed, may the supreme Lord,

the source of strength, wisdom and purity, forgive me and cleanse me of them all."


"Salutations to the God who is in the fire, who is in the water, who has pervaded the whole

universe, who is in the plants, and who is in the trees."

A Prayer

My Lord, this is my sincere prayer to Thee: I do not care for comfort of body, nor for long life, nor

for enjoyments so much hankered after by all. I do not want even the knowledge of the Self, nor

anything else even for a single moment if they are not in Thy association and in Thy service. Let

 all these then break into a hundred shreds and be destroyed.

From Universal Prayers by Swami Yatiswarananda

Real Character is Deep, Not Superficial

It is not about what you own or what you wear, it's about your devotion to Krishna(God) and what's in your heart and how you treat others.

Don't Forget This

Who Krishna (God) Is

           
                 From The Bhagavad-Gita, an endless fountain of wisdom and inspiration.

What Has Happened To Spirituality in Europe and America?

Swami Yatiswarananda on what has happened to spirituality in Europe and America. What he says is more relevant today than it was when it was first spoken many decades ago.

"When I see the huge churches and cathedrals in Europe(and America), I ask myself: What happened to the spirituality of the country? Europe was once full of monks and nuns. It  produced great religious movements, monastic orders, great saints.
What happened to the spirituality accumulated through the ages? It has all been converted into brick and paint. The spectacular achievements of science and technology, art and politics, have drawn heavily on the spiritual reserves of Europe. For the last two or three hundred years spiritual life has been neglected.
Material life, physical enjoyment, has become the primary concern of the people.
Nothing more has been contributed to the original fund of spirituality. Other powers have risen in place of spiritual power."

The Swami then goes on to say World Wars and chaos are the fruit of this spiritual departure.
I couldn't agree with him more that material life and the unceasing quest for enjoyment and wanting to be entertained has been detrimental to personal spirituality.
I would also add that in America we have increasingly adopted a kind of feel good "spirituality" that is shallow, hollow and borne from man's ego.

Sanskrit Prayer

O Lord, Thou art my Mother, Thou art my Father,

Thou art my relative and my friend,

Thou art my learning and my wealth,

Thou art indeed my all.

Wisdom From Swami Vivekananda

"When I Asked God for Strength He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face
When I Asked God for Brain & Brawn He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to Solve
 When I Asked God for Happiness He Showed Me Some Unhappy People
When I Asked God for Wealth He Showed Me How to Work Hard
When I Asked God for Favors He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard
When I Asked God for Peace He Showed Me How to Help Others
God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted
He Gave Me Everything I Needed."

Your Spiritual Life and Growth

If I had to choose a few must have books, other than the sacred texts, Meditation and Spiritual Life by Swami Yatiswarananda is the book that would be near the top of my list.
Calling it a primer on how to achieve Self (and God)- Realization does not describe entirely what it is all about. This book covers all aspects of achieving and living a God connected life. Incredibly engrossing and readable, this book is filled with relevant anecdotes and reminisces that make it so interesting.
Swami Yatiswarananda was a member of the Ramakrishna Order.
As an aside, there is plenty of instruction and information that can be beneficial to Christians and those of other faiths.
Here are a few quotes from this great book:


"Unless a person starts regarding himself as the soul, the self separate from body and mind, he has not even begun his spiritual life."


"Our spiritual teachers tell us that divine Grace comes in the form of self-effort, spiritual yearning and striving."


An example of this that Swami gives: "Jesus taught a dynamic spiritual life, a life of intense struggle and effort. This was the life lived by the great Christian mystics."


"People who are highly egotistic will find spiritual life very difficult. They mistake their own lower impulses for something very grand and follow them. They do not pause to listen to the "still small voice" of conscience within them."


"Once you accept the spiritual ideal you must make it shine in all it's attitudes and relationships."


If you are truly serious about a REAL, and I mean real, all encompassing spiritual life, then buy this book. In the past I have been guilty of saying I wanted this in my spiritual life but I wasn't willing to do the WORK. It takes work and commitment, a willingness to let your quest be the focal point of your life. Don't fool yourself by saying you want it and then just go on with life as usual. Again, don't kid yourself. But, here is the reality, your connection with the Divine is more satisfying, substantive and lasting then any momentary pleasure you will find in relationships or activities.


I have read countless books over the decades on, for a lack of a better word, "spirituality," this


is the one to have.

A Prayer(Mantra) For Everything

The poignant prayer in this mantra is for peace everywhere in the universe. The prayer is for every thing in the universe, space, earth, water, vegetation, all learned people, all gods and even peace be free from harm and be conducive for peace. As a final part of the mantra, the person chanting the mantra, requests the Lord to grant him or her that peace also.(taken from The Ramakrishna Math).

"Unto The Heaven Be Peace,
 Unto The Sky And The Earth Be Peace.
 Peace Be Unto The Water,
 Unto The Herbs And Trees Be Peace.
 Unto All The Gods Be Peace,
Unto Brahma And Unto All Be Peace.
 And May We Realise That Peace.
 Om Peace Peace Peace."

Who Should Read The Bhagavad-Gita?

Vedanta and Holistic Health: Lessons from the Bhagavad Gītā

In an age when we are flooded with health and wellness news, often with an agenda to make money, here is established and timeless wisdom on having physical as well as mental health. This article was written by Basant K. Gupta.

Vedanta and Holistic Health: Lessons from the Bhagavad Gītā

The Sanskrit term for health is swastha which has two roots: sva means “self” or “soul” and sthā means “to stand firmly”. Thus, a healthy person is one who dwells in the Self. Ancient wisdom states that in order to have a healthy body, one’s mind needs to develop soul-consciousness and move away from body consciousness. The concept of soul as an eternal and indestructible entity is beautifully described in Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gītā:
 

Weapons cannot cut it, fire cannot burn it, water cannot make it wet, and the wind cannot make it dry. (Bhagavad Gītā 2.23)

The verse emphasizes the fact that ātman is eternal, indestructible, all-pervading, changeless, immovable, and primeval.

Legend has it that when Alexander the Great came to India he met a yogi sitting underneath a tree in deep meditation. Alexander asked the yogi to accompany him to Greece saying, “I will give you everything you ask for. My people would love to meet you!” The yogi quietly answered, “I need nothing, and I am happy where I am!” This was the first time that anyone had turned down Alexander’s request. Unable to control his rage, he thundered, “I am the great king Alexander. If you will not listen to me, I shall cut you into pieces!” Unperturbed, the yogi answered. “You cannot kill me! You can only kill my body, as I am the soul which dwells within the body!” Alexander realized his mistake and beat a hasty retreat unable to subdue an unarmed mystic.
 
Power of Yoga
Having attained knowledge of the soul, the question naturally arises: how does one attain soul-realization? Indian scriptures tell us that this can be achieved by the regular practice of yoga. According to the Gītā, yoga has four definitions. The first one says that yoga is “equanimity of mind” — samatvam yoga ucyate. According to the second, yoga is “excellence in action” – “yogaḥ karmasu kaushalam.”  The third definition states that yoga is the union of ātman with paramātman. Finally, the fourth definition says that yoga severs a seeker’s union with sorrow. In other words, yoga practice uplifts the seeker to a higher state of joy and happiness. There is a beautiful verse in the Gītā which describes this aptly:
 
Let it be known that the severance of union with sorrow is known by the name of yoga. This yoga should be practiced resolutely with perseverance, without any mental reservation or doubts. (Bhagavad Gītā 6: 23)

In the joyous state of yoga, one is situated in boundless spiritual happiness, and enjoys oneself through transcendental senses. Once in such a position, one is never perturbed, even in the midst of the greatest difficulty. This indeed is true freedom from all the miseries arising from material contact.

Chaitanya Mahāprabhu describes this aptly: “God is like the brilliant light, and māyā is like total darkness. Just as darkness does not have the power to subdue light, similarly māyā can never overcome God”. The Gītā reveals that the nature of God is divine bliss, while the consequence of māyā is misery. Thus, one who attains the divine bliss of God can never be overcome again by the misery of māyā.
 
Life of Moderation
The Gītā further recommends that a life of moderation, discipline and self-control has to be pursued to attain holistic health. The following verse aptly describes this truth:
 
He who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping, working, and recreation can mitigate all material pains by practicing the Yoga. (Bhagavad Gītā 6: 17)

Sri Kṛṣṇa declares that those who are moderate, restrained and regulated are eligible to practice yoga, which is the union of the soul with God. The opposite of Yoga is bhoga, which means engagement in sensual pleasures. Pursuit of bhoga eventually results in roga (disease). The same instruction was repeated by Gautama Buddha, when he recommended the golden middle path between severe asceticism and sensual indulgence.
 
Healthy Diet
The Gītā emphasizes the need for a healthy and balanced diet for the well-being of the individual. Three verses relate to Ayurveda—“the science of long life” tell us about the influence of the kind of foods we eat on our overall physical and mental health as well as our happiness.
 

Persons of sattvic nature prefer foods that promote long life, vitality, strength, good health, happiness and contentment; foods which are juicy, succulent, nourishing and pleasing to the heart. (Bhagavad Gītā 17: 8)

For a healthy mind, it is essential to have a healthy body. It is important for a seeker to consume the right kind of foods to have inner and outer vitality. These foods are described in this verse with the words “āyuh sattva”, meaning “which promote longevity”. They provide good health, strength, joy, and satisfaction. Such foods are juicy, smooth in texture, tasteful, and beneficial. These include milk, yogurt, cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables, and other vegetarian foods.

Hence, a vegetarian diet is considered conducive to the spiritual life. This view has been shared by a number of well-known philosophers in history, including Albert Einstein who wrote: “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”

Foods that are very bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and spicy are dear to those in the rajasic mode”. Such foods cause grief, misery and disease. (Bhagavad Gītā 17: 9)

Rajasic foods are highly bitter, sour, spicy, hot, pungent, acidic, etc. Such foods cause pain, indigestion, ill health and disease. Persons in the mode of passion find such foods palatable, but those in the mode of goodness avoid them.
 
Foods that are stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten and impure are dear to those in the mode of ignorance. (Bhagavad Gītā 17: 10)

Cooked foods that have remained for more than one yam (three hours) are classified as tamasic. Foods that are impure, have bad taste, or possess foul smells come in the same category. Impure foods also include all kinds of meat products. Foods that are stale, insipid, tasteless, and intoxicating such as meat, fish, eggs, wine, alcohol, tobacco, opium, etc. are the foods of choice for those situated in tamas gūṇ.
 
Power of Truth
The Gītā further tells us that what we speak is vitally important for our well-being and holistic health. The following verse is very significant:
 
Speech that is truthful, pleasing, inoffensive, and beneficial, and which does not cause distress; and regular recitation of the Vedic scriptures- these are declared as austerity of speech. (Bhagavad Gītā 17:15)

The ancient text Manu Smṛti says: “Speak the truth in such a way that it is pleasing to others. Do not speak the truth in a manner harmful to others. Never speak untruth, though it may be pleasant. This is the eternal path of morality and dharma.”
 
Purity of Thoughts
Apart from the importance of spoken words for our well–being, the purity of our thoughts is also linked to our holistic health. In fact, the Gītā says that regular practice of yoga leads to internal purity. The following verse appropriately describes the same:

Serenity of thought, gentleness, silence, self-restraint, and purity of purpose- all these are declared as austerity of the mind. (Bhagavad Gītā 17: 16)

The austerities of the mind mentioned in this verse are serenity of the mind, goodness to other, external and internal silence, restraining one’s mind to stay focused on Self-realization, and purity of purpose. These austerities of mind are in sattva gūṇa, or the mode of goodness.

In Chapter Six, the Gītā says, “Elevate yourself through the power of your mind, and do not degrade yourself; for the mind can be the friend but also the enemy of the Self.” It is a matter of fact that one’s state of mind determines the state of one’s consciousness. Each thought we dwell upon has consequences. Thought by thought, we forge our destiny. It is important to realize that we harm ourselves with every negative thought that we harbour in our mind. At the same time, we uplift ourselves with every positive thought that we dwell upon. So, we must cultivate our mind with rich and noble thoughts, while weeding out the negative and debilitating ones. If we allow resentful, hateful, unforgiving, and critical thoughts to reside in our mind, they will have a debilitating effect on our personality. Love brings love, and hate brings hate. For this reason, switching the mind from negative emotions and making it dwell upon positive sentiments is considered a vital requirement for our holistic health and spiritual well-being.

Who Is Krishna?

The following is from Krishna.com and it does a great job explaining who Krishna is. To many Westerners, Krishna is some kind of "Hindu deity" or other such foreign thing.
As you will read, Krishna is universal, he is for all of us.


Krishna is a name of the original, unique Supreme Person, the source of all that exists. God has many names, and each describes a different aspect of His personality. Allah, Vishnu, Jehovah, and God refer to His greatness and His role as creator, maintainer of the universe, and Lord of all. The name Krishna—"the all-attractive one"—indicates the unequaled charm and beauty of the Supreme Person, as He appears to His most dear devotees.


Krishna appears as other forms of God—avatars—to create and maintain the universe, while He simultaneously enjoys loving relationships with His countless associates in the spiritual world. He visits this material world from time to time to free His devotees from material existence and to vanquish the wicked. He performs superhuman pastimes—lifting mountains, swallowing forest fires, and killing numerous extraordinarily powerful demons—as easily as a child playing with toys.

Krishna talks about Himself in the Bhagavad-gita, explaining how anyone can know Him through Krishna consciousness, bhakti-yoga. The Srimad-Bhagavatam further describes Krishna's uncommon and fascinating personality and activities in its Tenth Canto.


Krishna is the source of brahman, the all-pervading spiritual energy which includes everything and everyone. We are all one with Krishna, in the sense that we are all parts of the supreme whole. He is also present in every atom, as well as in the hearts of all living things as Paramatma, the Supersoul. But ultimately, Krishna is Bhagavan, the Supreme Person who possesses all opulences—wealth, strength, fame, knowledge, beauty, and detachment—to the fullest degree.
Realization of Krishna progresses in three stages; first comes an understanding of His all-pervading brahman feature, then one realizes His presence within one's self and others as Paramatma, and finally one comes to appreciate Krishna as He is, as Bhagavan, the all-attractive Supreme Person, the ultimate cause of all causes, the source of all of us and of being itself.


The greatest personalities of ancient times, such as Narada, Asita, Devala, Vyasadeva—who compiled the Vedas—and Arjuna, to whom Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita, all accept Krishna to be the Supreme Person, the Absolute Truth, the ultimate source of all energies, and the One ultimately responsible for the creation, maintenance, and annihilation of everything in the material world.

Sayamarani dasi and Her Bhakti Artwork

For decades Sayamarani dasi has been creating incredibly beautiful artwork as it pertains to Krishna and everything related.
Go to her site below and read her biography and view these masterpieces. They are truly otherworldly as well as devotional and inspiring.
http://bhaktiart.net/

Why Study The Bhagavad Gita, pt.1

An interesting article from ISKCON Desire Tree about why we should study The Bhagavad Gita:

"The Bhagavad Gita enlightens and lightens our life-journey:

Suppose we are struggling to walk on a dark road while carrying a heavy burden. If the streetlights turn on, we won’t stumble or go off-track. And if we see that most of our baggage is unnecessary, we will put it aside and walk much easier.

The Bhagavad-gita can similarly ease our life-journey. When things go wrong, our path ahead may appear dark. No path may seem to lead to anything good, as happened to Arjuna at the Gita’s start (1.30). Though he had been standing heroically, bow aloft, ready to fight, distress so burdened him that he put aside his bow and sat down, unable to fight. Such a blinded and burdened Arjuna sought solace in the Gita. And its enlightening and lightening potency is evident in its conclusion (18.73): Arjuna’s illusion was destroyed and his composure, restored.

What is this knowledge that so dramatically transformed Arjuna?

The Gita explains that we all are souls, parts of Krishna(God). Whatever happens in life, our eternal function is to serve him. When we strive to live this knowledge, our service attitude acts like a flashlight that illumines our next step. And if we keep taking one step at a time, eventually things become clearer. Thus, understanding our identity and purpose enlightens us – it lights our inner world, removing the darkness of confusion.

"The Gita" wisdom further explains that we just have to play the part of the part, and the whole will take care of the whole. We don’t have to worry about things that are not in our control; Krishna(God) will take care of them. Being freed from the crippling burden of trying to take care of things beyond our control, we can focus energetically on the things in our control.

Thus, we all can enlighten and lighten our life-journey by studying The Bhagavad Gita."

On God,the Real Purpose of This Life and Yoga

The following is an introduction George Harrison wrote for the book Krsna by Swami Prabhupada. What he writes of below are ancient and universal truths as revealed in the Vedic scriptures (The Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bagavatam).
When you begin to read and study these texts you will find answers and direction to your life that are obtainable nowhere else.
Sorry for the small print on this post.


"Everybody is looking for KRISHNA(God).
Some don't realize that they are, but they are.
KRISHNA is GOD, the Source of all that exists, the Cause of all that is, was, or ever will be.
As GOD is unlimited HE has many Names.
Allah-Buddha-Jehova-Rama: All are KRISHNA, all are ONE.

God is not abstract; He has both the impersonal and the personal aspects to His personality which is SUPREME, ETERNAL, BLISSFUL, and full of KNOWLEDGE. As a single drop of water has the same qualities as an ocean of water, so has our consciousness the qualities of GOD'S consciousness... but through our identification and attachment with material energy (physical body, sense pleasures, material possessions, ego, etc.) our true TRANSCENDENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS has been polluted, and like a dirty mirror it is unable to reflet a pure image.
With many lives our association with the TEMPORARY has grown. This impermanent body, a bag of bones and flesh, is mistaken for our true self, and we have accepted this temporary condition to be final.
Through all ages, great SAINTS have remained as living proof that this non-temporary, permanent state of GOD CONSCIOUSNESS can be revived in all living Souls. Each soul is potentially divine. Krsna says in Bhagavad Gita: "Steady in the Self, being freed from all material contamination, the yogi achieves the highest perfetional stage of happiness in touch with the Supreme Consciousness." (VI,28)
YOGA (a scientific method for GOD (SELF) realization) is the process by which we puirify our consciousness, stop further pollution, and arrive at the state of Perfection, full KNOWLEDGE, full BLISS.
If there's a God, I want to see Him. It's pointless to believe in something without proof, and Krishna Consciousness and meditation are methods where you can actually obtain GOD preception. You can actually see God, and Hear Him, play with Him. It might sound crazy, but He is actually there, actually with you.

There are many yogic Paths--Raja, Jnana, Hatha, Kriya, Karma, Bhakti--which are all acclaimed by the MASTERS of each method.

SWAMI BHAKTIVEDANTA is as his title says, a BHAKTI Yogi following the path of DEVOTION. By serving GOD through each thought, word, and DEED, and by chanting HIS Holy Names, the devotee quickly develops God-consciousness. By chanting

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama

I request that you take advantage of this book KRSNA, and enter into its understanding."

If Jesus Is the Only Way, Is Krishna(God) Consciousness Invalid?

The following  is from an article found on Krishna.com.
To go to the heart of what it is about it asks this question, is faith in Jesus and belief in what He said in conflict with Vedic scriptures like The Bhagavad Gita and The Srimad-Bhagavatam?
This article is most interesting and informative.


"God the Father is one. There's only one Supreme Absolute Truth. He is known by many names, and He makes Himself approachable in many ways, to many people. Sometimes He personally shows Himself, sometimes He appears as supernatural phenomena (as a burning bush, for one example), and sometimes He shows himself through the words and deeds of a trusted representative.
In the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna says, "Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth." (4.34).
The Absolute Truth is the Supreme Person, God the Father. He has unlimited names according to His sublime qualities. Jesus' statement confirms Krishna's teaching; the Father is pleased we approach Him through His son, or trusted representative.
God is eternal, infinite, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-merciful, and the reservoir of all love. All living entities are His inseparable parts, and He is the supreme conscious being amongst all conscious beings. He expands Himself into unlimited forms, avatars, in each of the innumerable material universes, to make Himself knowable and available to all.
God also has unlimited representatives—His devotees—who work on His behalf to give knowledge and love of God to everyone in the material world. Jesus was the perfect guru, showing by example how to love and serve God. For us to be able to love God, we have to learn about Him from someone who knows—God's trusted representative—and to have as much faith in his representative as we have in God Himself.
Following God's words in scripture is the same as following God Himself. The same holds true for following God's representative. Jesus also said, "I and the Father are one," meaning that although there is a distinction between God and His representative, to respect, obey, and surrender to God's representative is the same as surrendering to God. As God is one, guru is also one. There may be many persons teaching God consciousness, but if their message is God's message, they are one in purpose.
Claiming that Jesus is God's only son—His one and only representative ever—is to put severe limitations on God's power and mercy. All living beings everywhere are His sons—He is the Lord of everyone—though some are more conscious of this than others. The belief that God, the Supreme Person, can only beget a single son—when countless persons throughout history have begotten multiple sons and God is greater than man in every way—is not supported in the Vedic tradition."

Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.2.34, purport: "The Lord, therefore, comes to propagate the message of the kingdom of God, either personally as an incarnation or through His bona fide representative as the good son of God."

Srimad-Bhagavatam, 11.1.5, purport: "Every living being is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, as stated in the Bhagavad-gita. . . Every living entity is originally a son of God, yet to execute His pastimes the Lord selects certain highly qualified living entities whom He allows to take birth as His personal relatives."

The Six Pillars of Faith

Imagine a world where everyone lived the following:

The 6 Pillars of Krishna Consciousness (Sanatana-Dharma)

1. Truthfulness
2. Mercy
3. Austerity
4. Cleanliness
5. Charity
6. Spiritual Education

 ( Bhagavad-Gita 16.1-3)
Take a few moments and read the passages from the Bhagavad-Gita shown above.

Highly recommended--The Holy Geeta with Commentary by Swami Chinmayananda is one of the best commentaries on The Bhagavad Gita I have ever read. Available on Amazon and other book sites. I really can't praise this version enough.

The Most Important Sacred Texts and Why They Are

The following is an excerpt from Krishna.com--explained here is why these are the essential writings.
Immerse yourself in these writings each and every day.

"Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam: These sacred texts are designated even by the Vedic scriptures themselves as the most important, essential revelations. They directly describe the nature, energy and person of God, who is both the immanent (as Vishnu) and transcendent (as Krishna) source of everything, the cause of all causes, of both the impersonal and personal manifestations. Bhagavad-gita ("God's Song") is the words spoken BY God, and Srimad-Bhagavatam ("Divine Revelation") is the words ABOUT God, spoken by the representatives of God."

Hare Krishna!

Why You Should Chant the Hare Krishna Mantra

In Vedic scripture we find the first mention of  what is now known as the Hare Krishna mantra.

So, what are the benefits of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra?

Here are some listed as provided by His Divine Grace Swami Prabhupada;

 "We have practical experience that any person who is chanting the holy names of Krishna (Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare) in course of time feels some transcendental pleasure and very quickly becomes purified of all material contamination."

In the Bhagavad-gita Krishna explains, "One who is not in transcendental consciousness can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?" 

So, by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra  we can control our mind, instead of the mind controlling us.

Also:

 Srila Prabhupada stresses, "The holy name is so spiritually potent that simply by chanting the holy name one can be freed from the reactions to all sinful activity."

Now, read even more reasons why chanting the Mantra is such a great thing to do. The following was written by Jayadvaita Swami for Back To Godhead magazine in 2006.

• Chanting Hare Krishna awakens love of God.
• Chanting Hare Krishna brings liberation as a side benefit along the way.
• When you chant Hare Krishna, you automatically develop knowledge and detachment.
• Chanting Hare Krishna gets you out of the endless cycle of birth and death.
• Chanting Hare Krishna cleanses the heart of all illusions and misunderstandings.
• By chanting Hare Krishna, you become free from all anxieties.
• Chanting Hare Krishna brings you to self-realization—and shows you how to act as a self-realized soul.
• It keeps you ever mindful of Krishna, the reservoir of pleasure.
• There are no hard and fast rules for chanting. You can chant anywhere, any time, under any circumstances.
• Krishna Himself is fully present in the transcendental sound of His name. And the more you chant, the more you realize it.
• Chanting Hare Krishna purifies not only you but every living entity around you. Whoever hears the chanting gets spiritual benefit.
• A person who chants Hare Krishna develops all good qualities.
• You can chant Hare Krishna softly for personal meditation or loudly with your family or friends. Both ways work.
• Chanting Hare Krishna can bring you to the highest states of ecstasy.
• There are no previous qualifications needed for chanting Hare Krishna. Young or old, anyone can chant—from any race, any religion, or any country of the world.
• Even if you don’t understand the language of the mantra, it works anyway.
• Chanting Hare Krishna brings relief from all miseries.
• Chanting Hare Krishna is easy. When the best way is also the easiest, why make life hard for yourself?
• Chanting Hare Krishna invokes spiritual peace—for you and for those around you.
• When you chant Hare Krishna, Krishna Himself becomes pleased.
• By chanting Hare Krishna you can return to Krishna’s world, the eternal abode of full happiness and knowledge.
• Chanting Hare Krishna frees you from the reactions of all past karma. Chanting Krishna’s name even once, purely and sincerely, can free you from the reactions of more karma than you could possibly incur.
• Chanting Hare Krishna counteracts the sinful atmosphere of Kali-yuga, the present Age of Hypocrisy and Quarrel.
• The more you chant Hare Krishna, the better it gets.
• If you look through all the Vedic scriptures, you’ll find nothing higher than the chanting of Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

To close, get yourself some some Japa beads and find true peace and contentment.

My go to source for all things Krishna and related (worship materials, clothes, CD's,books, etc., etc.) is www.krishnastore.com 

The following is a great song by George Harrison, a Krishna devotee, that describes so well why chanting is the way to God. It's called, Awaiting On You All, copy and paste the link below.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgfsYlkMKwU 

Simplify--Simple Living, High Thinking

Ah,to simplify,the new buzz word,the bumper sticker,the popular subject of articles in a variety
of glossy mags. 

To simplify means more than just cleaning off your desk or getting rid of accumulated "stuff".

When you truly simplify it effects every aspect of your life: 

this includes something as seemingly innocuous as what and how much you eat,
how you spend your time,what you buy and don't buy,

where and how you live, what you do with your body.

There are more aspects to simplifying which will be discussed in future posts as well as the ones

I've mentioned above.

Those desiring true peace and contentment must begin the process 

of simplifying.There is no other way to go about it.

Consider the following in regards to simplifying:
At the start of the day do you feel that the majority of your waking hours are already

committed to doing something or being somewhere? I am including your "days off" here also.
Could you take a job tomorrow that was more to your liking but paying 5 or 10,000 dollars less a year?
When was the last time you spent more than two hours in the woods or a park?
When was the last time you were in an area that was quiet,
meaning free from phones,televisions and radios?
Are you overweight,fat?
Do you drink too much alcohol?
Do you eat too much?
Do you eat denatured,unnatural foods?
Do you take what they call recreational drugs,most notable of which is marijuana?
How much time do you spend in front of the television or computer during the course of a day?
Are you preoccupied with watching professional sports?
How often do you read a book.
Do you exercise,if so,how much,how often?
Believe it or not the way to true peace and contentment has a lot to do with the questions

I just asked.

You will see this as the days pass.

If you haven't already, please take a moment and read 'What This Site Is All About' located
at the top right of the title page

What Most Who Follow Krishna Believe

The basic Krishna beliefs can be summarized as follows:

1. By sincerely cultivating true spiritual science, we can be free from anxiety

 and come to a state of pure, unending, blissful consciousness in this lifetime.

2. We are not our bodies but eternal, spirit souls, parts and parcels of God (Krishna).

 As such, we are all brothers, and Krishna is ultimately our common father. 

We accept the process of transmigration of the soul (reincarnation).

3. Krishna is eternal, all-knowing, omnipresent, all-powerful, and all-attractive. 

He is the seed-giving father of all living beings, and
He is the sustaining energy of the entire cosmic creation.

He is the same God as The Father Allah, Buddha and Jehovah.

4. The Absolute Truth is contained in the Vedas, the oldest scriptures in the world. 

The essence of the Vedas is found in the Bhagavad-gita, a literal record of Krishna's words.

5. One can learn the Vedic knowledge from a genuine spiritual master -- 

one who has no selfish motives and whose mind is firmly fixed on Krishna.

6. Before one eats, one offers to the Lord (Krishna) the food that sustains all humans; then Krishna 

becomes the offering and purifies the offered.

7. One performs all actions as offerings to Krishna and does nothing for one's own sense gratification.

8. The recommended means for achieving the mature stage of love of God in this age of Kali,

 or quarrel, is to chant the holy names of the Lord. 

he easiest method for most people is to chant the Hare Krishna mantra: 

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama 

A Way To Live No Matter What Your Faith

The Twenty-Six Qualities of a Devotee

These qualities of a devotee, twenty-six in number, are listed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: 1.kind to everyone, 2.does not quarrel with anyone, 3.fixed in the Absolute Truth, 4.equal to everyone, 5.faultless, 6.charitable, 7.mild, 8.clean, 9.simple, without material possession, 10.benevolent, 11.peaceful, 12.completely attached to Krsna, 13.has no material hankering, 14.meek, 15.steady, 16.self-controlled, 17.does not eat more than required, 18.sane, 19.respectful, 20.humble, 21.grave, 22.compassionate, 23.friendly, 24.poetic, 25.silent, 26.expert

Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna's incarnation in Kali Yuga in the mood of a perfect devotee  The Lord is satisfied by the development of the transcendental qualities of the living entities and not by artificial performance of sacrifices and mystic yoga. In other words, unless one is fully qualified to become a pure devotee of the Lord, one cannot expect to be liberated from material entanglement. 1. KIND TO EVERYONE
The devotee is merciful because he is the well-wishing friend of all living entities. He is not only favorably inclined to the human society but also to plants and animals. He treats all living entities in such a way that they can ultimately become free from material bondage and go back home, back to Godhead. 2. HUMBLE, DOES NOT QUARREL WITH ANYONE
To be humble means that one is not hankering to be worshiped by others. Humility should not be artificial but honest, deep, and natural. It will develop when the conditioned soul admits its wrong attitude towards Krsna and prays to Him for forgiveness and to be allowed to always engage in His devotional service. 3.TRUTHFUL, FIXED IN THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH
The primary truthfulness for a disciple to keep his vow of following the regulative principles and chanting 16 rounds of japa every day. Also, a devotee should not perform any illegal activities and he should always act in Krsna's interest and not in his own in order to remain fixed in the absolute truth. 4.EQUAL TO EVERYONE
A devotee sees the soul and the Supersoul in everyone's heart and treats every living entity according to its position and in a way that is most beneficial for its spiritual progress. 5.FAULTLESS
A devotee, who in words, deeds, and mind is always surrendered to Krsna and who executes Krsna's desire to the best of his ability is considered to be faultless. 6.CHARITABLE
A devotee is charitable because he knows that love for Krsna is the best, and he distributes it without selfish motives. His charity has no limits, just like the happiness someone experiences who got the gift of Krsna consciousness. 7.MILD
A devotee avoids illusory, materialistic happiness, and thus is spared from the suffering which is bound to it. He always remains peaceful, because he is satisfied within Krsna consciousness. 8.CLEAN, PURE
The Krsna conscious movement is meant for purifying the world in a revolutionary way-by hygienic external principles as well as by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra which purifies the heart. 9.SIMPLE, WITHOUT MATERIAL POSSESSION
The highest realization is to see everything as Krsna's property. The sincere devotee is not only satisfied to see everything as Krsna's property, but also to engage everything in a proper way in Krsna's service. 10.BENEVOLENT
Since Krsna-consciousness effects the heart of every living entity, the welfare work of a devotee is not restricted to a specific race, species, etc., but for the benefit of all living entities. 11.PEACEFUL
To be peaceful does not mean to physically maintain idyllic peace but to experience real peace in one's relationship with Krsna. Only someone who has realized that there is nothing beyond Krsna can achieve real peace and fearlessness. 12.COMPLETELY ATTACHED TO KRSNA
Devotion to Krsna is neither sentimental nor whimsical but authorized and scientific. By practicing devotional service we can learn to surrender properly. Complete surrender to Krsna is the goal of every devotee because he wants to become free from material desires in order to serve Krsna more and more. Complete surrender to Krsna is the most important of all qualities to be developed. 13.DESIRELESS
When one is fully engaged in devotional service, one realizes that all one's desires are satisfied. Thus one does not have any material desire anymore. One only desires to serve guru and Krsna. 14.INDIFFERENCE TOWARDS MATERIAL POSSESSIONS
A devotee may use things in Krsna's service but he does not become attached to or dependent on them. He may serve Krsna with millions of dollars by opening temples, printing books, etc. However, he is also satisfied when he does not have any material assets and then simply chants Hare Krsna. 15.STEADY, FIXED
The realizations of a devotee should be so profound that his dedication to his spiritual master and Krsna cannot be influenced anymore by various temptations, suffering or opposing philosophies. 16.SELF-CONTROLLED
There are six bad qualities, namely lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and envy. A pure devotee controls these bad qualities by engaging in Krsna's service. These qualities cannot be left behind in an artificial way by can be easily counteracted with transcendental knowledge and transcendental taste arising from one's devotional service. 17.DOES NOT EAT MORE THAN REQUIRED
Lord Krsna explains in the Bhagavad-gita that a yogi does not eat too much nor too little. This means practically exactly as much as he can easily digest. According to Ayurveda, one's stomach should be filled with 1/2 food, 1/4 water, and 1/4 air. 18.SANE
A devotee is never intoxicated by material enjoyment. He reduces his requirements to a minimum and offers his whole life to Krsna. In this way he is completely balanced. 19.RESPECTFUL
A devotee offers respect to others without expecting anything in return. He respects everyone as part of Krsna and treats them accordingly. 20.HAS NO MATERIAL HANKERING
A devotee is not attracted by material possessions which help us to gain a prestigious position. He sees everything attractive in this world as a reflection of Krsna, the all-attractive cause of all causes. 21.GRAVE
Although we lead a happy life in Krsna consciousness, we are always conscious that the material existence can be finished at any time and that the way back home, back to Godhead is not cheap. To be grave means that the devotee is constantly thinking of Krsna and the ultimate goal of life. 22.COMPASSIONATE
The essence of compassion is the distribution of transcendental knowledge. The basis of it are Srila Prabhupada's books and the force behind it is our purity. 23.FRIENDLY
A devotee is friendly because he leads everyone to Krsna, who is the best friend of all living entities. 24.POETIC
A devotee is even poetic if he is not literarily active because he is able to connect everything with Krsna's transcendental nature. 25.SILENT
Silence means that one only speaks about Krsna and not about material topics. 26.EXPERT
The essence of the expertise of a devotee is that he can do anything for Krsna. The best expertise is to surrender to Krsna

Up and Running, For Good!

Back again---for good.


Look for regular posts on Lord Krishna, Swami Prabhupada, The Bhagavad Gita and Bhakti-yoga.