supersoul - Blog - ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT2024-03-28T09:33:27Zhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/supersoulHow seeing the Lord in this world brings perfection of lifehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/how-seeing-the-lord-in-this-world-brings-perfection-of-life2022-03-03T06:52:57.000Z2022-03-03T06:52:57.000ZVraja Vilasinihttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/VrajaVilasini<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10166459253,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10166459253,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="426" alt="10166459253?profile=RESIZE_584x" /></a></p><p> </p><p>From a very young age I knew that this life that I was living was not all that there was. I started searching to find what the perfection of life is. I was told that it was wealth, a big house or an expensive car, but with each step towards success, I was less and less happy. </p><p>Then I met some devotees who introduced our family to Krishna. I quickly forgot that all of these items were even on my bucket list. Instead, I was encouraged to search for ways to see Krishna in the world. Overwhelmingly, I realized that I had it all wrong. No amount of sense enjoyment can make us happy and we cannot really enjoy anything without Krishna. He is the light of the sun, moon, and fire and without these, we cannot see this material world. To search for Him in this world started to become my daily pleasure.</p><p> </p><p>Naturally, I wanted to learn more about my relationship with Krishna and that search for knowledge led me to understand that there is not just this body. In each body there are two souls, one is the soul belonging to me, that I take with me to my next body after I shed this one. The other is Krishna who I carry in my heart as the Supersoul and He is present in the body of each living entity. It made me feel very blessed to know that while I can see Krishna in the world, I can also know that he is within me.</p><p> </p><p>To learn more, I needed help from a pure devotee, so I asked my friend Kisori for some guidance. She explained that it was wonderful that I understood that Krishna is within us all; we also have a relationship that is special.</p><p> </p><p>Together we discussed that material nature, such as this world, can change from moment to moment. We have all seen this but don’t really think too much about it unless we leave a place and return later to see the development. We can become quite distressed when we see this happen.</p><p> </p><p>The individual soul is within us, or me in this discussion, and it never changes. When we are either happy or sad, this is because of events that come about from us identifying with nature, such as the changes, such as when we recognize the development or destruction of a place we may call home. Wanting to enjoy this nature, creates a connection with our soul. Remembering there is a second soul within, this is the Supersoul or Krishna, is never caught up in nature like we are, and to know this brings liberation.</p><p> </p><p>What could I do to always see Krishna and to come to know and love Him more deeply? Kisori had some wisdom around this question too. She explained that we as living entities enjoy the three modes of material nature. Because of this, we come to meet with both good and evil. Because we are influenced by these desires, we return in the body of a man, a dog, or a hog and this is due to our association with the modes of nature.</p><p> </p><p>How can we get through this? If I am searching for ways to see Krishna in this world, I really don’t want to be in the body of a hog! I learned that we must rise through the modes and come to be situated in the transcendental position.</p><p> </p><p>In most cases, we are trapped in the mode of ignorance and due to this, we suffer from material pains, never happy with anything. The next step up would be to be in the mode of passion, which is when we have short-term happiness, so we keep searching for more to fulfill us. Finally, we hope to rise to the mode of goodness, or long-term happiness, being in Krishna consciousness. While we will generally all be in a mixture of these modes, we aim to rise through them towards Krishna. To help with the mode of goodness, we can always remember Krishna in everything we do and see.</p><p> </p><p>Everything so far made sense, but how do we move through transmigration? Kisori shared with me some lessons from the Bhagavad Gita around exactly this. I understood that my soul (individual) and the Supersoul (Krishna) will always stay the same and only our outer shell or body will change.</p><p> </p><p>At the time of death, what we are thinking of, our consciousness will help us to move to our next body. If we think of dogs and hogs like the ignorant, this will be our next outer body. If we think of godly things we will return as a demigod. But if we can think of Krishna and be in Krishna consciousness at the time of death, we will go to the spiritual world, with Krishna. We, the soul is eternal, the body is not. This struggle for existence is called karsati.</p><p>This made me realize that I want to see more of Krishna in the world, to always remember Him, to love Him and to serve Him in loving devotional service, and one day, to go back to our Lord. The more we work towards Krishna, the more he will let us come to Him.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Krishna tells us of ways to recognize a self-realized person. He teaches us that those who do not hate illumination, attachment or detachment, or long for them when they do not see them, being beyond material reaction to the three modes of material nature. He knows that the modes are there, being in action. They see a stone and a piece of gold as the same. They can abandon fruitive activities. He has transcended the modes of material nature.</p><p> </p><p>My lesson from this is that everything in the material world is due to Krishna. He has shown us that He is with us at every step of the way. He leaves signs so that we can always recognize Him in material nature, giving us hope, letting us always remember Him. In this way, I can work toward the mode of goodness, one day hoping to become self-realized and transmigrate back to the perfection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>Spiritual Funk Rock Band Supersoul Releases New EP “Rukmini’s Ecstasy”https://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/spiritual-funk-rock-band-supersoul-releases-new-ep-rukmini-s-ecst2021-10-12T12:16:14.000Z2021-10-12T12:16:14.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><div><strong><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9669119500,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9669119500?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="500" /></strong></div>
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<div><strong>By Madhava Smullen<br /><br /></strong></div>
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<p>It’s not always easy to find rock music that tackles spiritual themes, much less Krishna conscious ones. But Australian alternative funk rock band Supersoul does just that, wrapping deep philosophical concepts in funky rhythm sections, soaring harmonies and ripping guitar solos.</p>
<p>Hailing from ISKCON New Govardhana in Murwillumbah, the band consists of four devotees, all family men – singer and guitarist Deva Gaura Hari Das, bass guitarist Laksmivan Das, rhythm guitarist Svetadvip Das, and drummer Yadunandana Das. Starting out in 2016 as “Transcendance,” they released a four-song EP in 2017, changing their name to Supersoul later that year. </p>
<p>Their first EP as Supersoul, entitled “He Can Dance,” was released in September 2020, while follow-up “Rukmini’s Ecstasy” has arrived almost exactly a year later, on September 15th 2021. The cover art, used with permission, features renowned ISKCON artist Puskara Dasa’s painting of Rukmini Devi, Lord Krishna’s eternal consort and Queen in Dwarka.</p>
<p>Inspiration for the EP and its title song came from reading the scriptures. Deva Gaura Hari was struck by the pastime, recounted in Locana Dasa Thakura’s book Chaitanya Mangala, where Rukmini tells Krishna that He can’t understand how devastated in spiritual separation His devotees are when He is away from them. “Only Radharani understands this ecstacy,” Rukmini says. The book then goes on to explain how Krishna appears as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to experience the love of His devotees, and particular Radharani, in separation from Him.</p>
<p>“When we started jamming on this mellow song together, I found myself singing about this pastime,” Deva Gaura Hari says. “Its melancholy mood seemed to suit the song.”</p>
<p>“She was welcoming her Lord / But down her cheeks her tears they flowed,” the song begins. “She said only Radha knows how our hearts break when you go / Rukmini’s ecstasy / He could see / He thought I’ve got to know this love / The sweetest thing in existence / I’ll come to earth with golden dress / To taste her mood / her sentiment.”</p>
<p>“We all loved the song, and so we agreed to call the EP Rukmini’s Ecstasy,” Deva Gaura Hari says.<br /> <br /> <strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://iskconnews.org/spiritual-funk-rock-band-supersoul-releases-new-ep-rukminis-ecstasy,8028/">https://iskconnews.org/spiritual-funk-rock-band-supersoul-releases-new-ep-rukminis-ecstasy,8028/</a></p>
</div></div>The Supersoul is in everybody’s heart by Praghosa dashttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/the-supersoul-is-in-everybody-s-heart2021-06-17T12:10:00.000Z2021-06-17T12:10:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><center>
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<p>TEXT 14</p>
<p>yaḥ samutpatitaṁ deha<br /> ākāśān manyum ulbaṇam<br /> ātma-jijñāsayā yacchet<br /> sa guṇān ativartate</p>
<p>SYNONYMS</p>
<p>yaḥ—anyone who; samutpatitam—suddenly awakened; dehe—in the body; ākāśāt—from the sky; manyum—anger; ulbaṇam—powerful; ātma-jijñāsayā—by inquiry into spiritual realization or self-realization; yacchet—subdues; saḥ—that person; guṇān—the modes of material nature; ativartate—transcends.</p>
<p>TRANSLATION</p>
<p>One who inquires into self-realization and thus subdues his powerful anger—which awakens suddenly in the body as if falling from the sky—transcends the influence of the modes of material nature.</p>
<p>PURPORT</p>
<p>When one becomes angry, he forgets himself and his situation, but if one is able to consider his situation by knowledge, one transcends the influence of the modes of material nature. One is always a servant of lusty desires, anger, greed, illusion, envy and so forth, but if one obtains sufficient strength in spiritual advancement, one can control them. One who obtains such control will always be transcendentally situated, untouched by the modes of material nature. This is only possible when one fully engages in the service of the Lord. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (14.26):</p>
<p>māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa<br /> bhakti-yogena sevate<br /> sa guṇān samatītyaitān<br /> brahma-bhūyāḥ</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">“One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the spiritual platform.” By engaging one in devotional service, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement keeps one always transcendental to anger, greed, lust, envy and so forth. One must perform devotional service because otherwise one will become victimized by the modes of material nature.<br /><br /><strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=52195">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=52195</a></p>
</center></center></div>Krishna as Supersoul- our friend within by Giriraj dasahttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/krishna-as-supersoul-our-friend-within-by-giriraj-dasa2021-05-22T10:00:00.000Z2021-05-22T10:00:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8955573066,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="450" alt="8955573066?profile=RESIZE_584x" /></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">As aspiring devotees, many a times, we feel alone, sometimes even helpless. We, however, forget that Krishna as Supersoul is always with us. Due to our ignorance and dull consciousness we may not be able to see Krishna’s hand in our journey towards Him but He is very much with us. We may not be able to appreciate and value how Krishna, as Supersoul sitting in our heart, is inspiring us to progress towards Him at every stage in our Krishna consciousness journey. Supersoul plays a very important role in the journey of a devotee. Let us find out how we can connect with Supersoul and hear his voice and advice directly.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Srimad Bhagavatam says</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">harir deha-bhṛtām ātmā svayaṁ prakṛtir īśvaraḥ<br /> tat-pāda-mūlaṁ śaraṇaṁ yataḥ kṣemo nṛṇām iha</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Śrī Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the Supersoul and guide of all living entities who have accepted material bodies within this world. He is the supreme controller of all material activities in material nature. He is also our best friend, and everyone should take shelter at His lotus feet. In doing so, one’s life will be auspicious.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">(SB 4.29.50)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Krishna is very close!</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">In Bhagavad-gītā (18.61) it is said, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati: “The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna.” The living entity is within the body, and the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is also there. He is called antaryāmī and caitya-guru. As Lord Krishna states in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), He is controlling everything:</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo<br /> mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">(SB 4.29.50p)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Should I take directions from Supersoul?</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Everything is being directed by the Supersoul within the body; therefore the better part of valor is to take His direction and be happy. To take His directions, one needs to be a devotee, and this is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (10.10):</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam<br /> dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">(SB 4.29.50p)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Paramatma is our ‘old’ friend</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">In His Paramatma feature, Krishna is the old friend of everyone. According to Vedic injunction, Krishna is sitting with the living entity side by side. According to the çruti-mantra (dvä suparëä sayujä sakhäyäù), the Lord is sitting within the heart of every living entity as suhåt, the best friend. The Lord is always eager to have the living entity come home, back to Godhead. Sitting with the living entity as witness, the Lord gives him all chances to enjoy himself materially, but whenever there is an opportunity, the Lord gives good counsel and advises the living entity to abandon trying to become happy through material adjustment and instead turn his face toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead and surrender unto Him.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">(SB 4.28.51p)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Can I start talking with Supersoul right now!</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">The Lord is the Supersoul seated in everyone’s heart, and He acts as the caitya-guru, the spiritual master within. However, He gives direct instructions only to the advanced, pure devotees.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">(SB 4.28.41p)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">I knew there would be some catch!</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Unless you are a devotee, unless you are constantly engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, He will not speak to you. He speaks, but you cannot hear. You have no ears to hear Him. That is not possible. Krishna is speaking. Just like Krishna is speaking in the Bhagavad-gita, sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja [Bg. 18.66]. It is open speaking, but who is hearing? Nobody is hearing. Nobody is hearing. They have got their own conception of life.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 6th Nov, 1973, Delhi)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So what chance I have?</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">When a living entity desires to serve the Lord in transcendental loving service, the Lord helps the devotee in so many ways as the caitya-guru, or the spiritual master within, and thus the devotee can perform many wonderful activities beyond material estimation. By the mercy of the Lord even a layman can compose prayers of the highest spiritual perfection. Such spiritual perfection is not limited by material qualifications but is developed by dint of one’s sincere endeavor to render transcendental service. Voluntary endeavor is the only qualification for spiritual perfection.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">(SB 3.9.38p)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">We begin by taking shelter of a bona fide guru</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">A person in full Krishna consciousness acts by the dictation of Krishna. In the beginning of Krishna consciousness, dictation is received through the transparent medium of the spiritual master. When one is sufficiently trained and acts in submissive faith and love for Krishna under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master, the dovetailing process becomes more firm and accurate. This stage of devotional service by the devotee in Krishna consciousness is the most perfect stage of the yoga system. At this stage, Krishna, or the Supersoul, dictates from within, while from without the devotee is helped by the spiritual master, who is the bona fide representative of Krishna. From within He helps the devotee as caitya, for He is seated within the heart of everyone. Understanding that God is seated within everyone’s heart is not, however, sufficient. One has to be acquainted with God from both within and without, and one must take dictation from within and without to act in Krishna consciousness.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">(SB 3.15.45p)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">(We all have experienced when we are sitting with a bona-fide spiritual master or a devotee coming in proper disciplic succession, how the questions within our heart are automatically answered or explained by the such speaker, there is a solid connection via supersoul)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">It’s a gradual process, coinciding with our purification level</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">In the beginning, when a devotee is serious and sincere, the Lord gives him directions from within to approach a bona fide spiritual master. When one is trained by the spiritual master according to the regulative principles of devotional service and is situated on the platform of spontaneous attachment for the Lord (räga-bhakti), the Lord also gives instructions from within. Teñäà satata-yuktänäà bhajatäà préti-pürvakam [Bg. 10.10]. This distinct advantage is obtained by a liberated soul.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">(SB 4.28.41p)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Supersoul manifests outside to help us!</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">One who is sincere and pure gets an opportunity to consult with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Paramatma feature sitting within everyone’s heart. The Paramatma is always the caitya-guru, the spiritual master within, and He comes before one externally as the instructor and initiator spiritual master. The Lord can reside within the heart, and He can also come out before a person and give him instructions. Thus the spiritual master is not different from the Supersoul sitting within the heart.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">(SB 4.8.52p)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Why does Supersoul need to manifests outside?</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">jéve säkñät nähi täte guru caittya-rüpe<br /> çikñä-guru haya kåñëa-mahänta-svarüpe</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Since one cannot visually experience the presence of the Supersoul, He appears before us as a liberated devotee. Such a spiritual master is none other than Krishna Himself.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">It is not possible for a conditioned soul to directly meet Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but if one becomes a sincere devotee and seriously engages in devotional service, Lord Krishna sends an instructing spiritual master to show him favor and invoke his dormant propensity for serving the Supreme. The preceptor appears before the external senses of the fortunate conditioned soul, and at the same time the devotee is guided from within by the caittya-guru, Krishna, who is seated as the spiritual master within the heart of the living entity.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">(CC Adi 1.58+p)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">(So we should not only see our spiritual master as manifestation of Krishna but also our shiksha guru and senior counselors, from whom we are taking shiksha, as being direct representative of Krishna. Krishna has personally sent them to help us.)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Wow! can we understand it via some example?</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Just like we work in some big establishment, and if we can satisfy our immediate boss, that is the satisfaction of the whole company. You haven’t got to see whether all the members of the company have become satisfied. Simply the immediate boss under which you are working, if he is satisfied, then you know the company is satisfied because he will submit the report of his work.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Similarly, Krishna is very kind. He is helping you in different ways. He is within your heart. Krishna is within your heart. Antaryämé. Caitya-guru. And is presenting Himself as spiritual master both ways, externally, internally. He is trying to help you. And when you are actually taking the advantage of that help, and if you are engaged with love and affection in the transcendental service of the Lord, then you can talk with God from within. God is within you. You haven’t got to find out God in so many places. Anywhere you can sit down. But if you are sincere, if you are actually wanting to offer your service to the Lord—teñäà satata-yuktänäà bhajatäà préti-pürvakam, dadämi buddhi-yogaà tam [Bg. 10.10]—He will give you intelligence. Simply we have to become sincere servitor.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So it doesn’t matter whether one is householder or a brahmacäré or sannyäsé. He has to become first of all sincere servitor of the Lord. Then everything is complete. The Lord is within you. He will give you all knowledge, all enlightenment, all dictation, and He will make your life progressive.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">(Srila Prabhupada lecture, 14th May 1969, Columbus)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">I hope and pray that by reading the above we all can develop more faith to understand how Krishna is sitting within us as Supersoul and, more importantly, we can appreciate how He is actively thinking about each one of us. Krishna loves each one of us and for those who are sincere, Krishna directly facilitates all arrangements so that they can come back to Him. For showering such love and personal care, what should be our feelings towards Krishna?</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">And what should be our feelings and attitude towards those great souls, whom Krishna has made His instrument of compassion and sent them to guide us in our spiritual journey. They are His direct representatives. Krishna Himself is helping every one of us internally as well as externally. Srila Prabhupada explains that there is no difference between internal instructor and external instructor. Can I work on my consciousness to see them non-different?</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Simply by accepting and acknowledging our spiritual master, shiksha guru & senior counselor as an external manifestation of Krishna, by valuing their association and contribution in our life, by following their instructions, we can attract further mercy of Krishna and make very rapid progress in Krishna consciousness. Then one day soon it may be our turn to start receiving direct instructions from someone very special within us, the enchanter of hearts, Sri Krishna.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=65194">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=65194</a></p></div>Australian Funk Rock Band Supersoul Releases Inspiring EP “He Can Dance”https://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/australian-funk-rock-band-supersoul-releases-inspiring-ep-he-can-2020-09-27T09:18:05.000Z2020-09-27T09:18:05.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><strong><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7973942287,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="500" alt="7973942287?profile=RESIZE_584x" />By Madhava Smullen </strong></p>
<p>As soon as you press play on the title track of Supersoul’s new EP “He Can Dance,” and hear the irresistibly catchy melody, funky rhythms, brass, and smooth harmonies, you’re likely to find that you yourself, and possibly your whole family, can do nothing but dance.</p>
<p>But the head-nodding grooves and immaculate radio-ready production aren’t all there is to discover – the lyrics quickly reveal something different, and deeper, than most.</p>
<p>“Lost in a desert, the world of names / Searching for pleasure, but only finding heat haze / My oasis, an illusion,” the vocalist intones. And listeners may feel a thrill of intrigue when he sings, “I would only believe in a God who could dance.”</p>
<p>Hailing from ISKCON New Govardhana in Murwillumbah, Australia, Supersoul consists of four devotees, all family men – singer and guitarist Deva Gaura Hari Das, bass guitarist Laksmivan Das, rhythm guitarist Svetadvip Das, and drummer Yadunandana Das. Starting out in 2016 as “Transcendance,” the band released a four-song EP in 2017, changing its name to Supersoul later that year. <br /> <br /> <strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://iskconnews.org/australian-funk-rock-band-supersoul-releases-inspiring-ep-he-can-dance,7510/">https://iskconnews.org/australian-funk-rock-band-supersoul-releases-inspiring-ep-he-can-dance,7510/</a></p></div>