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.