I was checking for a document on my computer and came across a letter I wrote to a devotee who had recently come back to devotional service.

Over the years he had his ups and downs and wrote me out of concern that this pattern might continue. He feared that he might leave devotional service again.

You might say, “Well I haven’t fallen away from Krishna consciousness, so how does this letter relate to me?” I think we all constantly battle internally with falling away from Krishna consciousness. So I think this letter is relevant to everyone.

I have never chosen a personal letter for my newsletter, so I was a bit hesitant to do so. But when asking permission to use it, I received this reply, “It was one of the best preaching letters I ever received and I read it many times. It helped me to stay on course.” So my doubts were removed.

I trust you will find it useful, perhaps even extremely helpful – or maybe even a bit life-changing.

May you always think of Krishna,

Mahatma das
————————

Dear Prabhu,

You can become Krishna conscious despite what happened in the past or whatever obstacles you face at present. The key is your belief that this is possible, your intention to succeed, and your dependence on Krishna’s mercy. I see that you want this, but you are concerned, based on past history and your nature, that it might not be possible or that you may fall away from Krishna consciousness again. You can do it, but without that belief when you have difficulty, you could easily think, “See, I really do have insurmountable problems.” In this way you’ll be the one keeping yourself from achieving your goals. As it is said, “Those who think they will fail are always the ones who do.”

Embrace a negative thought right now. Really get into it. For example, think of someone who did something to hurt you or think of something else that really bothers you. How do you feel? Thoughts carry energy. Do you feel the weight of those negative thoughts? Climbing the stairway to Krishna consciousness is certainly difficult when carrying this extra weight. The truth is: climbing the stairway to anywhere carrying this weight is difficult.

Now think of something positive. You might think of something in Krishna consciousness that enlivens you – a service you love to do, a nectar verse, a sweet kirtan, a devotee you love. How do you feel now? Don’t you feel energized, enthused, and even lighter? Positive thoughts are like a turbo engine under your feet pushing you towards Krishna. This is the kind of support you need to complete your journey back to Godhead.

So you can either support yourself or make it difficult on yourself, but you must be conscious of your thoughts to do this. The problem is that there is a subtle aspect to the thought process that we are not always aware of. These are our beliefs, and like conscious thoughts, they also empower us or weigh us down.

We all have some beliefs we are not aware of. So how can you identify them? One way is to look at your activities and ask, “What would someone have to believe to act this way?” Since it’s difficult to be objective with ourselves, you might want to start by identifying beliefs of others by asking, “What would he or she have to believe to be doing this?” For example, what belief would cause a family man to be gone from home so much that he is no longer an integral part of his family? It could be the belief that his business is more important than his family, making money is more important than his family, or that you have to accomplish a lot to be fulfilled or to be successful. But if you talk to him he’ll likely say the reason he is working this hard is for his family.

If he just changed his belief to, “My family is more important than my work,” what would happen? He would do everything in his power to make sure he is home as much as possible. Maybe he’d take another job, or maybe he would take another position in the company. Whatever it might be, if his beliefs about the importance of spending time with his family change, he will be home more.

When something keeps repeating itself in your life, it’s usually because of a belief or internal problem you have either not acknowledged or have not dealt with. For example, if you continually see others’ faults, it’s usually not because of their faults but because of your need to find fault. If you fail, it could be because of a belief that you are not good enough or smart enough to succeed. It could even mean you are afraid of success. If you act and think as you always have, you’ll get the same results. So if you are aware of these habits, beliefs, anarthas, etc., you can work on them, change them, and replace them with empowering beliefs. Everything changes when you change yourself. Thus most of our external problems are not really where the problem lies; they are only symptoms (external manifestations) of internal problems.

So it’s important for you to identify any beliefs you have that might be undermining your very attempts to be Krishna conscious. Again, ask yourself, “What would someone have to believe to act as I am acting?”

Beliefs are like people telling you something. If devotees kept telling you that you really can’t be Krishna conscious because you are weak, highly conditioned, too attracted to maya, bound to fall again sooner or later, etc., you’d obviously have a difficult, if not impossible time, becoming a good devotee. This is exactly what beliefs do: they speak to us. (This is, of course, good news if the beliefs are positive and empowering.) So it’s easy to see how beliefs are self-fulfilling.

Past sins and material activities, although exerting an influence on you, are not the supreme indicators of how Krishna conscious you can be. It is ultimately your intention, eagerness, and hope, backed with an equal amount of devotional practices (and perhaps some other practical steps) that are pivotal. Of course, always be conscious that success is never attained by your efforts alone. Still, if you show Krishna you want Him above everything else, He’ll be there to help you. And if He helps you, success is guaranteed.

The belief that you can become Krishna conscious despite whatever has happened to you in the past is validated by our philosophy. However, unless you believe this, you won’t give 100% to your sadhana. It is said that if you think you’ll succeed, or if you think you’ll fail, you are probably right. Since you just won’t try that hard to be Krishna conscious if you have doubts you can achieve it, the answer to your dilemma lies in your faith that you can become Krishna conscious despite your faults, past conditioning and past mistakes. In other words, the process works if you work the process.

It is best to look at what you need to do to be Krishna conscious, not look at the reasons you think you can’t be Krishna conscious. It is better to look at where you want to go rather than the problems that are holding you back. Those problems become validated the more you focus on them. I don’t believe any of the reasons you expressed will prevent you from moving ahead and becoming steady if that is what you really want and you focus on and work to achieve this. Sincerely regret your mistakes, rectify yourself, and ask for mercy. The past doesn’t equal the future, but it can overpower you if you allow yourself to be controlled by it.

If you feel that you have obstacles that will prevent you from being Krishna conscious, it’s best not to look at them as obstacles, but see them as excuses. I am not saying you don’t have obstacles; I am saying you shouldn’t use them as excuses for not being Krishna conscious. Your nature might pose particular challenges, but it doesn’t mean that has to stop you. It only can stop you when you use it as an excuse. If some past anarthas assert especially negative influences on you, you just need to develop better strategies to deal with them. If you really want to be Krishna conscious, you will somehow find a way to get around, over, or under your obstacles. But you will never allow them to act as your excuses.

You want results, not excuses why you don’t get results.

I see that you are dealing with another potentially negative force: guilt. Too much guilt can be debilitating. When someone did something wrong, Srila Prabhupada didn’t only expect them to feel bad and apologize, he wanted them to take action to correct their mistake. There is a difference between guilt and regret. Regret leads to rectification whereas too much guilt normally causes a person to beat themselves up, which in turn just keeps them down.

What’s most important here is to acknowledge that you chose to fall down (no one makes that choice for you no matter who you want to blame), and you choose to stand up. And this choice is going on at every moment on the most subtle level.

Forgiving yourself is obviously an issue for you. Look at it this way: Krishna wants you to come back to Him, and if you don’t forgive yourself, you’re making that trip back to Him a more difficult – and thus slower – journey. Krishna is waiting for you to come back, so don’t make Him wait longer than necessary. Krishna forgives you, and if He forgives you, certainly you can forgive yourself. (If it’s good enough for Him, it’s good enough for you.) In addition, if you are thinking, “I am so low and so bad, I don’t deserve Krishna’s mercy,” when the mercy comes you won’t take it because, after all, you don’t deserve it. But mercy wouldn’t be mercy if you fully deserved it. You may not deserve it, but you need it. And Mahaprabhu shows His mercy to those who need it most. Let Him know how much you need it.

It’s also possible that a lack of self-forgiveness stems from a kind of self-sabotaging, a self-hatred mechanism within. To me this equates to the idea of being envious of one’s self as taught in the Bhagavad-gita and Isopansisad. Why would we do anything to hurt ourselves unless we lack self-respect and self-love? If you love yourself, forgive yourself. Prabhupada said the highest service is to save yourself, but why would you try for that if you have little respect or love for yourself?

We all want respect, but we often don’t even give it to ourselves. If you want respect, respect yourself. If you want love, love yourself. Don’t depend on others to give it to you. It’s the same with encouragement. If you want encouragement, encourage yourself. Otherwise you could become a respect and encouragement junkie, seeking this everywhere but from yourself. The problem this causes is obvious.

Also, celebrate your successes, both from the past and present. You became a devotee, you chanted Hare Krishna, you did service. That is a success. The fact that you came back to Krishna consciousness despite your fallen condition is a success. If you focus on your failures, you’ll feel like a failure. And if you feel like a failure, you’ll simply be expecting the day to come when you again fail in Krishna consciousness.

Focus on your goals. Focus on where you want to go, not on the places you fear you might go. Then make a plan to get there. And here’s a bit of advice that seems almost counterintuitive, but it can help you tremendously: shoot for goals you think are impossible to achieve. Don’t just shoot for chanting sixteen rounds: make an effort to chant better rounds than you could ever imagine. Don’t just do service: think of how to do it better than you ever thought possible. Then mercy will pour down on you, and you will experience the affection of guru and Krishna and the power of bhakti. And that will give you great hope that you are going to make it. Actually, it will show you that you are making it right now.

You mention you doubt your sincerity. When Prabhupada was asked how to be sincere, he simply said, “By being sincere.” Your current level of sincerity is dependent on only one thing: being sincere. And who’s in charge of the amount of sincerity you manifest? You are. So your concern should be to become sincere, not whether or not you are sincere. The latter concern is not productive.

You say sensuality can be problematic for you. What situations or environments do you put yourself in that make you more prone to fall into your particular mode of sense gratification? It’s best to arrange your life to avoid these situations as far as possible. Environment is often more powerful than willpower. Don’t make things difficult on yourself.

I have given you a lot of food for thought. As you apply these principles you will see positive changes. The bottom line is this: our minds are like a field, and whatever we plant in that field will grow. Plant negative discouraging thoughts, and you will most certainly be a negative and discouraged person; and that is a recipe for disaster. Perhaps you think the mind has a mind of its own, so to speak, and you can’t just plant the right thought seeds. But Srila Prabhupada teaches us that the central point of any yoga practice is to control the mind. So if you don’t plant positive thoughts, who will?

Your past can’t be changed. But you can change your thoughts right now, and that will change your future.

Your servant,

Mahatma das

Exercise

I would like you to create a new empowering habit. For thirty days only think positive thoughts. If, for example, you think, “Oh I can’t do that” or “That’s going to be horrible,” change your thoughts to something like, “I can do that by Krishna’s mercy” or “That’s going to be a wonderful challenge for me from which I will learn and grow.”

If you do this, you will have the force of the engine of positive thoughts under your feet instead of the burdensome (and sometimes overwhelming) weight of negative thoughts on your head.

If you do this for thirty days, you will become incredibly positive and will accomplish much more in Krishna consciousness. If you blow it, start over because you have to do it for thirty days in a row to develop the positive mindset, that will make positive thinking habitual.

In addition, isolate actions you would like to change and ask, “What belief causes me to act this way?” Once you isolate the belief, ask, “What would be a better, more empowering belief, a belief that would change this behavior?”

As mentioned in the letter, the mind is like a field. It will grow whatever seed you place in it. You can plant a fruit tree or a poisonous bush, and the earth will grow either of them. So you might as well plant the right thoughts in your mind and reap the positive results they produce.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=10558

Radhadyuti Devi Dasi: On the occasion of ISKCON 50th anniversary celebration, IDVM-India (ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry) launched Sri Govind Gau Gram Prachar Yatra to spread the Holy Name and glories of mother cow in the villages on the inspiration of H.H. RP Bhakti Raghava Swami Maharaj (IDVM-India minister). On the occasion the ministry plans to reach out atleast 108 villages and offer that endeavour at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada.
On 16thJuly, 2016, the Sri Govind Gau Gram Prachar Yatra devotees reached the small village of PuttamrajuKandrika (PR Kandrika), the 92nd village. It happens to be a sleepy village of about 110 houses, located almost 150 km north of Chennai. It has been lovingly adopted by the famous Indian Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. The main occupation of the villagers is based on growing red chillies, lemon and paddy.
Sri Sachin Tendulkar was inspired to adopt this village after a long conversation with the joint collector, Rekha Rani whom he had met on a flight. He has already spent almost 40 million rupees towards the village development with the government adding an equal amount.
On the day when the Yatra devotees reached the village, they were very happily received by the village panchayat head, who welcomed devotees with tea and coffee which was ungrudgingly replaced by warm milk and jaggery upon devotees’ request.
The devotees proceeded for Nagar Sankirtan after the village head’s permission. The Holy Name reached all the 110 houses. Enthusiasm filled the whole village, with the Holy Name enchanting children and adults equally.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=29859

On Sunday, 17th July, London witnessed its 48th Rathayatra festival in the heart of Central London. Their Lordships, Lord Jagannath, Lady Subhadra and Lord Baladev from ISKCON-London were carried in three beautifully decorated wooden chariots. In celebration of ISKCON’s 50th anniversary the chariots also carried the “ISKCON 50” logo.

The journey commenced from Hyde Park corner. The chariots bearing the bedecked deities were pulled by hand in a joyous procession of exultant devotees with much euphoric chanting, mesmeric swaying and dancing. The Divinities were carried with all the attendant pomp and circumstances along some of London's most famous spots, including Park Lane, The Ritz, Piccadilly Circus, and Nelson's Column.

Devotees from all parts of the UK came to celebrate what is heralded as one of UK’s biggest Rathayatra festivals. They were joined by many sanyasis including Atmanivedana Swami, Bhakti Rasamrita Swami, Janananda Goswami, Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mahavishnu Swami, Prabhodananda Sarasvati Swami, and scores of senior Srila Prabhupada’s disciples from across Europe.

The 50th Anniversary logo on Jagannath's chariot

The colourful pageant culminated at the city's iconic Trafalgar Square. The square was bustling with activity as it greeted the magnificent chariots of Their Lordships. Chanting and music filled the air with a festive atmosphere. On the main stage bhajans were led by Ananda Monet, Jahnavi Harrison, Gopibhava devi dasi and disciples of Srila Prabhupada.  The onlookers were entertained by a beautiful Odissi dance performance by Avatari devi. Stalls for yoga, mantra meditation, spiritual literature, and face painting stalls were also set up as part of the festivities.

The story is told that as a boy in Kolkata, Srila Prabhupada longed to have a cart of his own to perform his personal Rathayatra.  He asked his father Gour Mohan to have one made for him. But it would cost too much to make. Srila Prabhupada left the carpenter’s shop in tears – his dream unfulfilled. Returning home, they were accosted by a sympathetic old woman who asked the lad why he was crying. Gour Mohan explained that the boy wanted a Rathayatra cart but they could not afford it. “Oh! I have a cart,” said the woman. She then sold her cart to Gour Mohan. Srila Prabhupada was ecstatic. With great enthusiasm he planned all the festival programmes. Under the able leadership of his sister Bhavatarini, he got his friends to help him with the celebrations. He also convinced mothers in the neighbourhood to cook special meals for distribution. (This incident was narrated by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami in his well-researched work, “Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita”.)

The 50th Anniversary booth

In a very important way the festival was also a reverential tribute and thanksgiving to Srila Prabhupada who brought this - his favourite - community event to the West. There was a special 50th stall with an exhibition storyboard tracing the history of ISKCON from the appearance of Lord Krishna and Srimati Radharani some 5000 years ago, arrival of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu 500 years ago and the advent of the Hare Krishna movement in the west 50 years ago. Of particular interest to the devotees and onlookers alike were the information panel showcasing the achievements in the last 50 years, bookmarks, 50th magazines, and activities intended to raise awareness and stimulate interest in the movement amongst the public.

Srila Prabhupada disciple Stritama devi dasi who managed the stall on the day shared her experience in these words: ”The 50th Anniversary of ISKCON was celebrated at London Rathayatra, with a picture display of all the accomplishments and the 50th anniversary colour magazine. Passers-by were amazed by what has been established by ISKCON and were more than happy to take the souvenir magazine home. Many asked me how many years I have been with ISKCON and I was honoured to tell them 41. The que for the free feast also saw the beautiful display. All in all, it was a great success and I was happy to have been of some service.”

Visitors also enjoyed a free delicious vegetarian feast prepared at Bhaktivedanta Manor. Over 20,000 plates of this wholesome meal were distributed. The festival ended with an energetic kirtan rendered by the Hare Krishna Festival devotees.

Source:http://iskconnews.org/jagannath-brings-in-a-splash-of-spiritual-culture-to-london-on-iskcon-50th,5707/

In the 21st century more and more emphasis is being placed on the protection of animals, the reduction of violence towards animals, changes in the consumption of animals as food for humanity and the understanding that animals are sentient beings possessing feelings and emotions.

In fact the rights of our animal brothers and sisters are being discussed and debated within society as never before. 

The new booklet, “Do We Care? Australia’s First Home for Cow Protection”, is an offering written by Mukunda Goswami and Mandira Mani Dasi and an important contribution to this worldwide change of consciousness toward animals.

In this beautifully photographed publication the authors have presented clear and easily understandable arguments for the protection and utilization of cows and bulls in the context of the world today. 

The authors highlight that it is possible for individuals as well as communities to live in harmony with cows, thus reducing the destructive reactions that violence towards these gentle creatures has negatively impacted on the world for so long. 

The benefits of living in loving harmony with cows are sympathetically presented in this publication in various ways. That New Govardhana Farming Community is truly Australia’s first home for cow protection is evident in the photographs of its contented cows.

Within this Vedic Vaishnava community the reason for protection of the cow, as explained by the authors, is simple, the most important being: the cow is considered to be one of our mothers because she gives us her milk and thus nurtures our health and wellbeing.

No feeling person would injure or kill their mother. The Vedas teach that to take milk from the cow and then kill her is the same as killing one’s mother. Similarly, the bull is considered like a father because he traditionally helps in the tilling of fields and thus is to be respected.

At the New Govardhana Farming Community no cow, bull or calf is slaughtered. The community has set in place innovative ways to work with cows and bulls and engage their God-given strength in the service of others under humane and loving conditions. 

Interesting facts are presented regarding the benefits of affectionate interaction with cows, milk production, the utilization of dung and urine, which is valuable as fertilizer, compost, some medicines, cleaning products, biogas and fuel.

The authors give an empathic and convincing argument for the protection of cows, wherein they argue that the protection of cows is a most important component for protecting the earth.

This booklet is a little treasure to be distributed far and wide to the broader public as it offers a solution to many of the world’s problems, exemplified by the current efforts of the New Govardhana Farming Community.

Source:http://iskconnews.org/do-we-care-australias-first-home-for-cow-protection,5709/

Colombia is joining the ISKCON 50 celebrations, which are taking place all around the world. Srila Prabhupada came to the United States in 1966 with the mission of delivering the most valuable possession to the Western culture. Srila Prabhupada eventually came to inspire a whole generation. A generation full of youth, full of vigor, full of hope, full of new ideas; these persons became the ISKCON that Srila Prabhupada envisioned.

50 years later, sitting under the same tree, Srila Prabhupada's followers from around the world gathered in New York to celebrate with chanting, dancing and eating prasadam.

In the same spirit, the Colombian devotees want to join in on this spiritual vibration and association of those who share the spiritual inspiration from his divine grace.

This celebration will be from the 6th to 12th of September in the city of Cali, Colombia. 

During this week we will have different programs and activities in which both the devotees and the general public can participate. 

A group of Colombian devotees.

On Thursday, September 8th there will be an ISKCON 50 celebration at Centro Cultural De Cali.

On Friday, September 9th there will be a Radhastami Festival in the Temple of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai - La Buitrera.

On Saturday, September 10th there will be a special, large-scale public event entitled as  'DISCOVERING INDIA - INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL' will be held at Parque del Ingenio in Cali.

On Sunday, September 11th there will be a picnic and a Harinam at the Pance River. 

On Monday, September 12th, there will be a farewell lunch and Kirtan Workshop by famous kirtaniya Madhava Das and his companions. The event will take place at the Sri Sri Gaura Nitai Temple - La Buitrera in Cali, Colombia.

Source:http://iskconnews.org/50th-anniversary-celebration-at-iskcon-colombia,5710/

Sri Gopala Bhatta Goswami (the son of a Vyenkata Bhatta, a Sri Vaisnava brahmana) appeared in Sri Rangam, South India. Lord Caitanya once stayed four months in his home, and con­verted the family to Gaudiya Vaisnavism. A mere boy at this time, Gopala personally served the Lord.

Gopala Bhatta came to Vrndavana and became a dear friend of Sri Rupa and Sanatana Goswamis. He did bhajana in Vrndavana for forty-five years, mostly at Radha-kunda.

On pilgrimage he obtained twelve Salagrama silas. Later, the Damodara sila manifested Himself as the beautiful Radha Ramana Deity. Since 1542, Radha Ramana has been worshiped with pure devotion following precise sastric rituals.

http://www.ramaiswami.com/gopal-bhatta-goswami-2/

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." - Marianne Williamson

I remember the way I felt the first time I heard this, "Wow, that's totally applicable to me and everyone I know!" Years later, I've realized it's not only beautiful and inspirational but more importantly, it's a call to action for all of us. Krsna has given all of us unique abilities and talents and it is our service to culture, nourish them and offer it back in His service. om tat sat. :D

Source:http://theaspiringchanter.blogspot.in/2012/12/my-inspiration-for-today.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/mYGAg+(kirtaniyah+sada+hari)

Life can be miserable. Either it’s miserable for us at certain times, or we watch the misery of others and our hearts are broken. How do we not get overwhelmed by it all?

Knowledge and action. And knowledge comes first. There are many sources of our miseries but there are three main categories – nature, others, and our own mind.

Nature shows her brute force and has us all scrambling. It’s a power we need to respect, and generally don’t. She is an agent of collective karma, and will also bring misery if we don’t protect, support, and give back to her. Earth, water, fire, air, and ether – move in the own time, and in their own way and keep us fully occupied in our efforts to conquer them.

Others – our interactions with other living creatures is another source of misery in the world. Oh, how we hurt each other on so many levels, big and small. When we have been hurt enough and our trust is depleted, we close ourselves off from the world, and that brings another kind of pain. The ego is easily bruised and offended and we waste much time licking our wounds and feeling sorry for ourselves.

Our mind – the mighty mind, is the third source of misery. It is quick to the march and relentless in its berating of ourselves and others. It has a strong and loud voice. It’s perhaps the hardest of all the miseries to deal with, for we can’t walk away from it and it is not easily turned off.

So what to do? How to respond to these forces in our lives that are ever present?

Bring your own weather – Remember we have, in our original essential self, complete knowledge, happiness, and the touch of eternity. We do indeed live forever, and our life here is a small, very small, chapter of that.  So, while remembering that, we can rise above it all and smile, love, care, give, and live with compassion and patience. Live with less and give more.

Bring your umbrella – miseries are real as long as we live, so be prepared. A strong daily japa meditation practice is essential for coping with the mind and others. Living as green as you can restores nature.

Move to a better climate – life is simply about choice, desire and choice. Our choice. Take a good look at how you live everyday and make changes. We all know the things we are doing that need to stop, and the things we are not doing that need to start.  Any day is the right day to begin that process.

The Gita is an excellent resource book on knowledge and action, and how to make it to the end of this life in one piece. Get your copy today and begin the change – your mind, others, and nature herself will thank you for it!

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/weathering-the-weather/

The Bhagavad Gita is a scripture that is over 5000 years old and its knowledge and wisdom is still as relevant today as it was when it was first spoken. It is revered as the highest authority, as it is one of the only scriptures that is spoken by God himself. So who better to explain who we are than our eternal father, the Supreme Personality of Godhead! From my last post, we concluded that we are the soul and not the body, but where does the mind and intelligence fit in? Are we not the thoughts and feeling in our mind? Lord Krishna further elaborates and explains in Bhagvad Gita chapter 3 text 42 the following. 

The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence. (BG 3.42)

Srila Prabhupada Says: Just because something is invisible doesn't mean we can’t know it exists. The subtle body of mind, intelligence, and ego is also invisible to you, but you know that the subtle body is there. We have two kinds of bodies: a gross body of earth, water, fire, air, and ether, and a subtle body of mind, intelligence, and ego. You can see the body of earth, water, and so on, but can you see the subtle body? Can you see the mind? Can you see the intelligence? Yet everyone knows you have a mind and I have a mind....Anyway, you accept that the subtle body exists even though you cannot see it. That is my point. Similarly, the soul exists even though you cannot see it. The soul is covered by the subtle and the gross bodies. What is known as death is the annihilation of the gross body. The subtle body remains and carries the soul to a place where he can again grow another material body just suitable for fulfilling the desires of his mind.

Source:http://www.harekrishnayoga.com/2013/02/the-subtle-body.html

You may not realise it, but we are always serving. Serving our mind, our body our boss, our society our family, the laws of our country, our government by paying tax. Everything we do is in service. 

So serving God, should come very naturally. As the third step in bhakti yoga, after acquiring faith and the association of devotees, one can be introduced to devotional service. When we come before god, often we ask God for material benefits  "Dear God please let me pass this exam, please let me win the lottery!". We start bargaining with God, "I'll come to the temple every day if you grant my wish", or "I'll donate this much money if you fulfil this desire". It becomes a business like relationship rather than a relationship of love. However devotional service is selfless and we ask Krishna, "Dear Krishna, What can I do for you?" and not "what can you do for me?".

One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.[BG.18.55]

Nine Processes of Devotional Service

1. Hearing (sravanam)

2. Chanting (kirtanam)

3. Remembering (visnu smaranam)

4. Serving the Lord's Lotus Feet (pada sevanam)

5. Deity-worship (arcanam)

6. Praying (vandanam)

7. Executing orders (dasyam)

8. Serving as a friend (sakhyam)

9. Complete surrender (atma nivedanam)

Prahlada Maharaja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Visnu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words). These nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Krsna through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge. [Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.23-24]

Source:http://www.harekrishnayoga.com/2013/04/devotional-service.html

The epic Ramayana, the great heroic story of King Rama, returns again and again to the point of keeping one’s word – even though doing so seems to bring pain and heartbreak.

It starts with Rama’s father, the ruling King, being bound to a promise which results in the exile of his son Rama.

Rama, of course, honors his father’s word and leaves for the forest – even though the whole kingdom beseeches him to not do so. Bharat, Rama’s youngest brother was asked to rule in his stead. He refused to be called “King”. Instead he placed Rama’s shoes on the throne, and took a vow to live a life of austerity until Rama’s return. Which he did.

Our character is expressed in how we keep our word as much as the actual activity itself. Even in small things we need to be careful. We may say to our daughter, “I’ll be home at 6pm to read with you,” and we arrive home at 7. We may still read together, but if repeatedly done the hidden message she receives is that she is not so important; other people or activities come before her. Her level of trust diminishes.

Giving our word is a strong stance. Making a promise is a deep commitment, and taking a vow is serious. We shouldn’t take them unless we are sure we can keep them. A commitment extracts a price and we are bound to it. When we honor it we are protected, and we grow wise and deep within the lines we have drawn for ourselves. When we don’t we are blown about like a riven cloud, subjected to the whims of our mind and senses.

If one is in danger, then one can break his promise or go back on his word. Even Krishna did that on the battlefield when Arjuna was in danger of being vanquished. He told both parties he would not take up arms, but he did on one occasion, being driven by love for his devotee. Later He told Arjuna to ‘Declare it boldly, my devotee will never perish” (Gita, 9:31). Krishna thought someone may not trust Him after he broke His promise on the battlefield. Yet He wanted to make sure His statement was taken seriously. So he had Arjuna make the declaration since Arjuna was famous as a man of his word.

Keeping our word is the scaffolding upon which we build relationships. It is the bank account of trust into which we make deposits. It is our saving grace when times are dark and difficult – holding ourselves to our commitment is the light that will see us through. Give words, promises, and vows wisely and sparingly, and honor them carefully. It is what will be remembered about you when all else is long gone.

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/keeping-our-word/

There are lessons to be learned from all sources. In the Bhagavad-gita Krishna uses the humble tortoise to illustrate sense control: “One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness.”

Here are some other lessons we can learn from a tortoise:

1. Slow and steady

Yesterday is gone and we yet don’t have tomorrow. We only have today and really only this moment. I like to call this “everyday eternal.” As the mind pulls us to the past of what was, or the future of what could be, our daily practice of focused Krishna meditation brings us to the now. If we do that steadily every day, with the patience and determination of a slow and steady tortoise, then as our external life moves along it’s destined path towards old age and death, our transcendental life will move towards it’s destination – experiencing the complete and ultimate expression of love.

2. Withdraw

When life gets too much – withdraw. As the tortoise pulls in it’s limbs when in danger, pull yourself back into a quiet space when you feel overwhelmed.  Even better, practice retreating everyday to that most precious internal space of connecting with Krishna – whether through chanting, or singing, or reading about Him. Don’t wait until life is too stressful to do it – treat yourself to the benefits of withdrawing daily, and you will feel the difference.

3. Carry our Home

A turtle carries his home on his back. As the saying goes, “home is where the heart is.” What are you carrying in your heart?  Welcome Krishna into your heart space –  with Him there you will find it easy to keep a happy, open, generous, forgiving, and letting go heart.

4. Be Lean-able

In the Srimad-Bhagavatam story of Krishna’s incarnation as Kurma, the tortoise’s back provided the support needed to hold up a mountain. Be strong for others. Let them lean on you when they need to. To be strong in body and mind is a gift. Share it willingly and be a supporting part in another’s success. We truly become our best when we are helping others serve Krishna – and that’s the secret of pleasing Krishna as well.

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/4-lessons-from-the-tortoise/

Karma marks upon my skin

like a story growing old

Like the rings to count on a felled tree

I am lined and scarred

Memories from the cuts and bruises

on the outside me

The one that hits against the earth

and wind and fire and others.

Karma marks upon my heart

of things I want but don’t get

and things I get but don’t desire

The  marks on a heart broken by pain

stretched by sadness, lost in loneliness.

The marks on a bursting heart of happiness

that has everything and

yet still feels dissatisfied.

Karma marks upon my life

Remind me of where I’ve been and where I am

Like marks upon the prison wall

I am counting the days

To when I shall walk out a free man

From this earth and body

Which is sometimes heaven

But mostly hell

Karma marks upon my skin

Speak to me your words of wisdom

Push me to the right shelter

So the work of pain bears the sweet fruits

of transcendence.

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/karma-marks/

There was a great storm today

 the shyam blue clouds gathered

 and soon drenched all

 even the ocean

 who needs no rain

 but rain it did

 upon the waves

 the Vedas say

 this is love

 pure love, Krishna’s love

 it doesn’t decide

 who needs it or not

 the cloudburst will open

 upon us all

 soak it in

 it’s water the body is most made of

 and love no less.

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/love-like-rain/

Every morning at 7.45am, before breakfast, we have a philosophy class.  It’s such a delight to sit together, read ancient wisdom books, and discuss.  Henry David Thoreau said it well – “In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonical philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita, in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seems puny and trivial.”

On Mondays, we listen to a recorded class by Srila Prabhupada (there are over 2,000) and afterwards reflect on what parts of the lecture stood out for each of us.

This week it was a talk from a lecture he gave in France in 1975. Here’s what struck  me –   “If we simply become aware of this fact that “I am not this body, I am spirit soul. I am living within this body,” then immediately we become liberated from this material world.  This can be understood by any sane man without any study of philosophy, simply by common sense. The simple philosophy is that the child is now possessing a small body, then he will possess a bigger body, then another fully adult body. In this way the child is there, the body is changing, that’s a fact. And the body changes so long the soul is there. Therefore, the conclusion should be the body and the soul, they are different. It is a very simple truth…”

A very simple truth – that we are not these bodies, we are a spirit soul living in the body.  How wonderful!

Prabhupada continues – “If I say to the dog that “You are not this body, you are spirit soul, you are eternal,” he has no power to understand. A human being can understand. The human has the capacity. So we are trying to educate all people, all nations of the world to understand this one verse. Na jayate mriyate va kadacin. If he simply understands this one verse, he immediately becomes liberated. And actually, human life is meant for understanding this philosophy or this truth. Then one’s life is successful.”

Just one verse.

na jayate mriyate va kadacin

nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah

ajo nityah sasvato ‘yam purano

na hanyate hanyamane sarire

“For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” Bhagavad-gita 2.20

This is our verse of the week. Post it all over the house, read it again and again, and meditate on it deeply. Memorize it. Think of it in the car, on the train, in the hospital, at the stove, in a meeting or wherever. It’s a lifeline to sanity, and ticket to another place. It’s a shelter from a stormy mind or an anxious heart. This gift of ‘a very simple truth’ in ‘just one verse’ can change our life. Take it.

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/a-very-simple-truth/

For the majority of my devotional life, Krishna has arranged it so that I’ve never had a devotional community to tap into as a regular daily function. I started off living in Wilmington, DE whereby ISKCON Philly was about an hour drive. This was the closest proximity I’ve ever lived to an active temple. Unfortunately, He made it so that I would be relocating to Maine only after attending the Sunday Feast 3-4 times.

My next situation took me to Portland or rather Cape Elizabeth, Maine. In this set up I was about 2-2.5 hours from the closest temple, ISKCON Boston. Fortunately, He connected me with a lovely devotee family up in Brunswick (Mother Hare Krsna dasi, of cow-protection/varnashrama dharma fame & her lovely children Maha & Asto), as well as, some other nice devotees sprinkled around the state. We would have programs every month or so & eventually I convinced some of the lovely Boston devotees to come up & join in on the fun. Even HH Candramauli Swami came to my home once & blessed us with his association.

Krishna also arranged that at one point I could go to the temple & stay there for 3-4 days out of the week when I did not have work or school which kept me alive spiritually. In addition to this I always had the incredible fortune of having regular e-mail & even phone contact with my beloved spiritual master, His Grace Sriman Sankarshan das Adhikari.

When I was just starting off in Krishna consciousness, I read a lot. Every night I would read for at least a good hour. I was fanatical about not ingesting any non-Krishna conscious media (music, films, books,  etc) except that which was required for my schooling. I would be listening to lectures or kirtans for hours on end while in my studio (as a painting major) & always be engaged in distributing Krishna prasad to my studio mates.

I didn’t have much association so , I made my own.

After finishing up my BFA in Maine, I decided to move down to Austin, TX in order to be in closer physical proximity to my Spiritual Master. Soon after moving down here, my Guru Maharaj’s traveling schedule began to pick up, keeping him in Austin for less & less time each year. While he’s away, we maintain regular Sunday feast programs & try to have some celebration for most major festivals as far as is practical. Yet the facility for daily association is not so great in his absence. That being the case I find myself figuratively back in the same boat I came from, little to no regular daily association.

After struggling to keep my head above water for the past five years, I somewhat spontaneously stumbled back into that habit which kept me afloat; namely the regular reading of Srila Prabhupada’s books & almost constantly hearing bhajans/kirtan or lectures. Recently, I’ve been doing online Bhakti Sastri courses through Bhaktivedanta College, as well as, attempting to read HH Bhakti Vikas Maharaj’s Ramayan & a bit of Srimad-Bhagavatam each day. Though I’m not as strict as I once was about the non-devotional media I ingest, the potency of this wonderful Vaishnava literature seems to outweigh all else & at least keeps my nose above the waves.

That brought me to the simple yet profound conclusion that:

Srila Prabhupada is fully present in his books & various recordings.

So my humble suggestion is that if you find yourself with little to no devotee association or your mind is disturbed by the various politics present within our society, simply go back to the basis of our movement, Srila Prabhupada. Absolutely no harm can come from developing a deeper relationship with Srila Prabhupada & trying our best to understand his mood, mission & what is factually pleasing to Him. After all, our spiritual life depends on this as we can’t even discern right from wrong within ISKCON without having a concrete understanding of Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Source:https://strugglingsadhaka.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/srila-prabhupada-lives-in-his-books/

Of course the dying always make us stop
those dying and those left behind
stuck in a time frozen into itself
as the everyday world disappears
and we are at once pushed into the present
and all that facing an ebbing life brings.

Life totters like a drop of water on a lotus flower
sparkling in it’s beauty while present
and then gone, in an instant
gone forever in that form it took
but not gone completely
the soul begins a new journey and we ask
where do we come from and
where do we go?
destiny is not arbitrary; we have a part to play
where we are now and what we do
makes the path ahead
who does not want to be free
from the chains of destiny that bind us
as this young man, a freedom lover,
is now bound to the hospital bed with tubes
and life keeping machines.

It’s a stark world we live in, merciless in it’s karmic clock
and we idle away the time thinking it will never happen to us
we are fools that live half lives
we need to wake up and sing another song
we need to let the caged bird fly
to know thyself in the quiet moments of lost love
and seek shelter within
we need to speak to the Lord in heart
and listen
for the wise are awake to the movements of the soul
and life is not lived until death has been around.

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/life-and-death/

I heard an interesting Ted Talk the other day. It was called Rewilding the World and the speaker shared what happened when wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. To the surprise of many, everything began to get better. Grasslands blossomed, trees strengthened, butterflies and bees came back, the rivers stayed their course. It turns out the the wolves were a very important part of the eco-balance needed to keep everything flourishing. One obvious impact was the ability of the wolves to keep the deer in check, both in numbers and location. This one equation alone influenced the life and landscape of the whole park.

So too in our lives. We may be drying up, dragging along, depleting ourselves in so many unseen ways because we are out of balance. What and where are our missing wolves? We tend to live safely and keep everything in the comfort zone. What wild spiritual practice can we introduce to bring our life back into balance so it can flourish in all areas?

Well, we are in luck! Kartik is here (starts tomorrow, Friday 18th) and this is the month when devotees take vows to do something (or not do something) for Krishna that is hard, challenging, and stretching for their spiritual practice. It may be that we rise early to chant extra rounds, that we give up sweets, that we come to the Temple more often, that we volunteer to serve in places and ways we usually avoid. It may be that we turn off the TV, that we promise to read 10 verses of the Gita every day, or that we share and give more that we usually do.

Kartik is a perfect time to bring some spiritual wildness into our lives. Each one of us is different and each one knows what we should do. But do something! Otherwise we may end up like this quote – “If you cover yourself with the blanket of material comforts, you will fall asleep spiritually.” Bring on the wolves – so our hearts can beat stronger, our lives can be richer, and the landscape of our consciousness can blossom with pure love for Krishna.

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/rewilding-your-spiritual-life/

Albert Einstein once said, “I think the most important question facing humanity is, ‘Is the universe a friendly place?’ This is the first and most basic question people must answer for themselves.”

“Yes”, a lover of Krishna would answer, the universe is a friendly place, because Krishna, the source of the universe, tells us in the Bhagavad-gita that he is a friend to all.

According to the Vedas, the material world (millions of universes) is a small corner of the much larger existence which is spiritual. We are part of this spiritual plane, but our corner is covered by a cloud of material energy which covers our spiritual nature and catches us in the cycle of birth and death. Therefore, from our material perspective, the universe (and our own personal life, a sort of mini-universe) can get mighty unfriendly at times as it is a cocktail of the modes of goodness, passion, and ignorance. These modes that play with our senses, minds, and false ego can influence people to act in sad, violent, angry, uncaring, and truly evil ways. We thus experience an unfriendly universe.

When life gets overwhelming–and it surely will at times–Krishna calls us to lean on him. When it’s hard to carry all that is happening around us, to try to figure it out–to be the rugged individualist who saves the day, to be a mother with young children, a middle aged man with no future, a young woman who is ready to give up–lean on Krishna.

When the mad dog of the mind won’t stop barking, when the lethargy in the heart won’t stop dragging you down, when you are feeling so lonely and alone, unworthy and unloved – remember you have a friend, a dear most friend, in Krishna.

A friend never gives up on us, no matter what we are going through or what we do. Krishna is like that. He was a friend to Arjuna on the battlefield. He helped Arjuna face his challenge, stood by him, and supported him in his fight.

We don’t have to prove ourselves to Krishna, showing HIm that we are some marvelous, great, pure, saintly person. That’s not the point. The point is to lean on Krishna, come under his shelter, accept his friendship. He will guide us as we make our way through the sojourn of this life. He gives us permission to stop worrying. He tells He will take care of us. He says, “Do not fear”.

Life is never easy. It’s a struggle as long as we are in our body. Having Krishna as a friend, makes it doable. We can make it to the end in one piece, with trust, confidence, and a joyful sense of belonging, of being loved, and being a part of something big.

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/grateful-to-lean/

What do we do with this body when we know we are not the body? How do we view this thing that we have loved and not loved, that has given us pleasure and pain, profit and loss? What do we do with our personality that we have built up around the body?

The Bhakti Sastras (wisdom books of devotion) teach that the soul is covered by the body, the soul being our real self and the body a temporary covering. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just unzip our body and material persona and fling it aside? But we can’t. Neither can our new found realizations stop the body from feeling emotions, hunger, pain and so on. It’s the same machine, affected by the same triggers, and powerful in its hold on us.

Bhakti yoga presents us the problem—we are caught in the body—and a solution…how to get out. And it is surprisingly simple. Make our body an ally on our spiritual journey. By using our body to perform devotional service a transformation happens.

Next week we will explore this topic more deeply and I will share three ways to lovingly accept who we are in this life and how, despite our imperfect body, we are perfectly equipped to achieve spiritual success.

In the meantime ask yourself—How can my material body touch, inform, or help my spiritual self?

Source:http://iskconofdc.org/this-body-or-not/