THE SPEAKING TREETry, Try Again For A Fine BalanceRavi M GuptaOne of the greatest struggles of our lives is in achieving balance. We find ourselves being constantly torn between family, friends, workplace and our desires. According to the American Psychological Association, two-thirds of Americans are likely to seek help for stress. The National Institute of Mental Health says that one out of every four adult Americans suffers from adiagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Indian stress leve
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Here are few quotes from Bhagwata Gita KRISHNA SAYS IN CH:7 SH:28"THOSE MEN OF VIRTOUS DEEDS WHOSE SINS HAVE COME TO AN END,WHO ARE FREED FROM DUALITY AND ILLUSION AND STEADFAST INVOWS,WORSHIP ME."KRISHNA SAYS IN CH:7 SH:49"THE FOOLISH THINK OF ME,THE UNMANIFEST,AS HAVING COME TO MANIFESTATION,NOT REALIZING MY,IMMUTABLE AND PEERLESS NATURE."AND KRISHNA SAYS IN CH:7 SH:3"AMONG THOUSANDS OF MEN, ONE PERSON STRIVES FOR PERFECTION;EVEN AMONG THOSE SUCESSFUL STRIVERS,ONLY ONE PERSON ATTAINS ME."
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Posted by Chitra Datta on December 23, 2009 at 11:22am
Pure Devotion Vs Mixed Devotion!"When Srila Prabhupada was sick, he said, 'Don't pray to Krishna that I should stay here, pray that if it pleases Krishna, if it is His desire that I stay, then please allow the spiritual master to be healthy.'The devotee has no demand on Krishna.. If Krishna wants something to happen, the devotee accepts that.Within Krishna's desires, if Krishna has different options, if it's all the same to Krishna, then the devotee may express that he likes this particular thin
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“Basically the problems that we are facing in the world today, when we look in the newspapers, we can sum it all up into one common denominator – IGNORANCE! The prejudice, misunderstanding, the lack of mercy, the lack of responsibility to ecology, to the world, the lack of honesty amongst leaders, lack of personal satisfaction, lack of love, are all due to Ignorance.So what is the anecdote for ignorance? KNOWLEDGE! Knowledge is the actual cure for ignorance. It’s like if you have darkness, what
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Posted by KASHYAPI DASS on December 22, 2009 at 4:11pm
Those who have vision, they see and they say, arya-vijna-vakya nahi dosa catustaya—the words of the mahajanas, sadhus, are free from the four defects. Why don’t you put unflinching faith in their words? You say, “I must think about it first. I must deliberate on what they say. If I am convinced then I will apply it.” - This is all duplicity, crookedness, lack of faith! You are not prepared to admit that you have four defects. Your senses are defective, how can you see? You think, “I am the seer.
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Posted by KASHYAPI DASS on December 22, 2009 at 3:57pm
You say, “Oh! we have been cheated so many times. Now we won’t put faith in anyone. No sadhus are there. We don’t see any sadhu.”Can you see a sadhu? Do you have the vision to see a sadhu? You are a conditioned soul. You have defective vision. How can you see a sadhu? You have developed this motto, “Seeing is believing.” You say, “ If I see, then I will believe. Can you show me? Can you show me the Lord? Then I will believe.”But you are not prepared to admit that you are blind. You have no visio
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His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, PrabhupadaSrila Prabhupada is the Founder and Acarya (Spiritual Authority) of The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, more commonly known as the Hare Krishna Movement on account of our practice of chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra :Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.Srila Prabhupada, as he is affectionately addressed by his friends and disciples established the Hare K
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By Bhakti Purusottama SwamiHare Krishna.Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.This is to update on the services that you could offer to Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu and His devotees at the holy dham Sri Mayapur for this year Gaura Purnima festival 2010. For the devotees sponsoring for sevas now, we will be offering 108 tulasi leaves archana to Lord Nrsimhadeva on 1st Jan 2010 ( New years’ day), praying for their spiritual welfare. As of now, all the days GBCs and Sanysas
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After four years HH Giriraj Swami visited South Africa. He has been doing several programs and attended the annual Ratha Yatra at Lenasia, Johannessburg. From the 11th to the 15th December he had a Japa retreat with about 140 devotees. Together with Her Grace Mother Arcana Siddhi an extremely well appreciated workshop was expertly facilitated.
His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami was also in attendance. The atmosphere was very surcharged with spiritual energy as every one gathered to chant at 4.30a
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New Delhi ISKCON devotees kicked off a program at Tihar Jail on December 2nd with a one-hour kirtan chant, raising inmates to their feet to dance and sing along.Jail staff were present and supportive. In his short speech Director General Shri B.K. Gupta praised ISKCON Prison Ministry’s international activities, and requested inmates to read Bhagavad-gita and chant the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra.Special Guest Ekta Chowdhury, better known as Miss India 2009, appeared as a special guest and ISKCON em
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“There are two types of spiritualists and in the Sanskrit language one is called Bhajananandi and the other is called Ghosti Anandi.Bhajananandi refers to one who personally likes to do spiritual activities, but are more reclusive and are concerned about their own salvation or liberation. Just by their being in the planet they are helping. But they don’t go about of the way to liberate other people. If someone looks them up and asks them, they’ll help them, but they more or less keep to themselv
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YOU PEOPLE ARE FORTUNATE AS YOU HAVE GOT RIGHT ASSOCIATION,MAY BE DUE TO YOUR GOOD DEEDS FROM THIS LIFE. IN BHAGWAT GITA LORD SAYS"AFTER MANY BIRTHS THE FOTUNATE SOULS UNDERSTANDS THAT EVERY THING IS VASUDEV.THERE IS NO TRUTH THAT IS HIGHER THAN ME THERE IS NOTHING EQUALS TO ME .EVERY THING RESTS ON ME AS PEARLS ARE STRUNG ON A THREAD".SO KEEP RECITING THE NAME OF THE GOD AND DON'T USE THIS PLANET AS A WATING ROOM ENJOY IN DOING YOUR WORK WITHOUT WORRING ABOUT THE RESULTS AS RESULTS ARE IN GODS
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Third main sloka Rupa Goswamis describing Raganuga Sadhan BhaktiThe external sadhanasravanot kirtanadini vaidha bhaktyuditani tuyanyangani ca tanyatra vijneyani manisibhih (BRS 1.2.296)The wise should know that shravan, kirtan or any of the other sixty-four limbs of Vaidhi bhaki are useful in the proper discharge of Raganaunga bhakti.Sri Jiva Goswami comments on this verse stating:Vaidhbhaktuyadi tan sva sva joygyaniti jneyamThe intelligent will select only those limbs of Vaidhi bhakti which are
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Posted by Eternal Muser on December 17, 2009 at 11:44pm
A conversation with my friend brought back a controversial event that took place in the state of Maharashtra, India, early this year.An eminent, award-winning author, Mr Anand Yadav wrote what he described as a well-researched novel on the great Vaishnava Saint from Maharashtra, Sant Tukaram.For those who don’t know, Sant Tukaram was fortunate to have received initiation from none other than SriKrishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself!In his book ‘Sant Surya Tukaram’, Mr Yadav allegedly wrote in a d
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“See normally people think that happiness is in the material world. And due to some religion they get some good karma, some blessings, we can get more material happiness.But Caitanya Mahaprabhu revealed that Love of Godhead is the HIGHEST HAPPINESS. It makes material happiness very dull and shallow and incomparable and just insignificant.Normally its only the great saints, who are in pure devotional service, who can get a glimpse about this pure love for Krishna and the happiness that’s connecte
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Often a new book distributor thinks that he or she needs to know manytechniques to impress the customer to make the sale. Some basic knowledge ofthe operation may be needed, but the most important ingredient of success isthe willingness to go out. Success and failures are in the hands of Lord, asrevealed by this story narrated by Gaur Kirtana Prabhu, a member of the busparty of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir, Chowpatty:Last year in December marathon, we went to an area with lots of textilemills.
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“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” ThisEnglish proverb might sound too obsolete to most of you. Going to bed at 9pm and rising at 4 am?Come on, this is ridiculous, you may say. What am I going to do so early?For those of you who can’t trust the Vedic scriptural statements supportingthis lifestyle, here is some *research information from the scientificworld: *According to the natural biological cycle,9:00 pm–11:00 pm: Your body eliminates toxic chemicals from th
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Posted by Neeraj Nama on December 16, 2009 at 8:19pm
Prabhupada's Practical Tips on Chanting
Sruti-kirti Prabhu, a disciple and former personal servant of Srila Prabhupada, recounts Prabhupada's practical instructions regard¬ing chanting rounds."It was easy to understand that Srila Prabhupada enjoyed chant¬ing japa. He always stressed the importance of chanting our 16 rounds. He once told me that as a householder, he used a simple process for completing 16 rounds that we could apply.'When I was a householder,' Srila Prabhupada said, 'I would chant
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Posted by Neeraj Nama on December 16, 2009 at 8:15pm
Shelter and Surrender
In "Arundaya-kirtana" Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that the nectar-filled names of Krsna are the sole shelter within the universe:krsna-nama-sudhd koriya pan, jurdo bhakativinoda-pran,nama bind kichu ndhiko dm, caudda-bhuvana-majheDrink the pure nectar of the holy name of Krsna and thus satisfy the soul of Bhaktivinoda. Except for the holy name there is nothing within the fourteen worlds. One must be thoroughly convinced that there is absolutely no other shelter or so
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Posted by Neeraj Nama on December 16, 2009 at 8:12pm
Eight Rules for Better Japa
The rules start with basic mechanical arrangements and end with the proper mood and meditation. Anyone who follows these eight rules will surely improve his japa and receive delightful rewards from sri-nama.1. Night before-Give up rice and eating heavy foods at night.Take simple foods such as milk and fruits. By eating a light meal you will sleep soundly, rise early without difficulty, and have full energy for attentive japa the next morning. The night before make asan
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