What kind of conversations do you have daily?
Are they meaningful?
Are they satisfying to you?
Do you choose what will you speak about with people or you just go along?
How can you use your ears and mouth in such a way as to derive maximum benefit for your and others' personal development, spiritual advancement and overall welfare?
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Monday, February 28, 2011
SPARK AND FIRE
Originally the soul comes from God.
Just as a spark comes from fire, and when the spark falls down it appears to be extinguished, the spark of soul originally comes from the spiritual world to the material world.
In the material world he falls down into three different conditions, which are called the modes of nature.
When a spark of fire falls on dry grass, the fiery quality continues; when the spark falls on the ground, it cannot display its fiery manifestation unless the ground is favorably situated; and when the spark falls on water, it becomes extinguished.
As such, we find three kinds of living conditions.
One living entity is completely forgetful of his spiritual nature; another is almost forgetful but still has an instinct of spiritual nature; and another is completely in search of spiritual perfection.
There is a bona fide method for the attainment of spiritual perfection by the spiritual spark of soul, and if he is properly guided then he is very easily sent back home, back to Godhead, wherefrom he originally fell.
***
The real nature of our identity with the Supreme is described in the Vedic literature with the analogy of the sparks and the fire.
The sparks of a fire have the same quality as the fire, yet they are different in quantity.
But when the small spark leaves the fire and falls down in water, its fiery quality is lost.
Similarly, when the infinitesimal soul leaves the association of the Lord and contacts the mode of ignorance, his spiritual quality becomes almost extinct.
When a spark falls on the land instead of in the water, then the spark retains some heat.
Similarly, when the living entity is in the quality of passion, there is some hope that he can revive his Krsna consciousness.
And if the spark drops onto dry grass, it can ignite another fire and regain all its fiery qualities.
Similarly, a person who is in the mode of goodness can take full advantage of spiritual association and easily revive his Krsna consciousness.
Therefore one has to come to the platform of goodness in this material world.
- Srila Prabhupada
Just as a spark comes from fire, and when the spark falls down it appears to be extinguished, the spark of soul originally comes from the spiritual world to the material world.
In the material world he falls down into three different conditions, which are called the modes of nature.
When a spark of fire falls on dry grass, the fiery quality continues; when the spark falls on the ground, it cannot display its fiery manifestation unless the ground is favorably situated; and when the spark falls on water, it becomes extinguished.
As such, we find three kinds of living conditions.
One living entity is completely forgetful of his spiritual nature; another is almost forgetful but still has an instinct of spiritual nature; and another is completely in search of spiritual perfection.
There is a bona fide method for the attainment of spiritual perfection by the spiritual spark of soul, and if he is properly guided then he is very easily sent back home, back to Godhead, wherefrom he originally fell.
***
The real nature of our identity with the Supreme is described in the Vedic literature with the analogy of the sparks and the fire.
The sparks of a fire have the same quality as the fire, yet they are different in quantity.
But when the small spark leaves the fire and falls down in water, its fiery quality is lost.
Similarly, when the infinitesimal soul leaves the association of the Lord and contacts the mode of ignorance, his spiritual quality becomes almost extinct.
When a spark falls on the land instead of in the water, then the spark retains some heat.
Similarly, when the living entity is in the quality of passion, there is some hope that he can revive his Krsna consciousness.
And if the spark drops onto dry grass, it can ignite another fire and regain all its fiery qualities.
Similarly, a person who is in the mode of goodness can take full advantage of spiritual association and easily revive his Krsna consciousness.
Therefore one has to come to the platform of goodness in this material world.
- Srila Prabhupada
Thursday, February 24, 2011
WHY CHANT HARE KRISHNA?
by Jayadvaita Swami
from Back to Godhead, May-June 1994
Here’s a page full of reasons. I’ll spare you the footnotes, but each reason is fully upheld by evidence from Vedic writings likeBhagavad-gita, the Upanisads, and the Puranas.
1. Chanting Hare Krishna awakens love of God.
2. Chanting Hare Krishna brings liberation as a side benefit along the way.
3. When you chant Hare Krishna, you automatically develop knowledge and detachment.
4. Chanting Hare Krishna gets you out of the endless cycle of birth and death.
5. It is the most effective means of self-realization in the present Age of Quarrel. Nothing else works nearly as well.
6. Chanting Hare Krishna cleanses the heart of all illusions and misunderstandings.
7. By chanting Hare Krishna, you become free from all anxieties.
8. Chanting Hare Krishna brings you to self-realization—and shows you how to act as a self-realized soul.
9. It keeps you ever mindful of Krishna, the reservoir of pleasure.
10. There are no hard and fast rules for chanting. You can chant anywhere, any time, under any circumstances.
11. Krishna Himself is fully present in the transcendental sound of His name. And the more you chant, the more you realize it.
12. All other Vedic mantras are included in the chanting of Hare Krishna. So just by chanting this mantra, you get the benefit of all others.
13. Chanting Hare Krishna purifies not only you but every living entity around you. Whoever hears the chanting gets spiritual benefit.
14. A person who chants Hare Krishna develops all good qualities.
15. You can chant Hare Krishna softly for personal meditation or loudly with your family or friends. Both ways work.
16. Srila Prabhupada chanted Hare Krishna, and so did great souls in the past. So why not you?
17. It’s free. Chanting Hare Krishna never costs you money.
18. Chanting Hare Krishna brings the highest states of ecstasy.
19. There are no previous qualifications needed for chanting Hare Krishna. Young or old, anyone can chant—from any race, any religion, or any country of the world.
20. Even if you don’t understand the language of the mantra, it works anyway.
21. Chanting Hare Krishna brings relief from all miseries.
22. Chanting Hare Krishna is easy. When the best way is also the easiest, why make life hard for yourself?
23. Chanting Hare Krishna invokes spiritual peace—for you and for those around you.
24. When you chant Hare Krishna, Krishna Himself becomes pleased.
25. When you chant Hare Krishna, Krishna dances on your tongue.
26. By chanting Hare Krishna you can return to Krishna’s world, the eternal abode of full happiness and knowledge.
27. Chanting Hare Krishna frees you from the reactions of all past karma. Chanting Krishna’s name even once, purely and sincerely, can free you from the reactions of more karma than you could possibly incur.
28. Chanting Hare Krishna counteracts the sinful atmosphere of Kali-yuga, the present Age of Hypocrisy and Quarrel.
29. By chanting Hare Krishna you can relish at every step the full nectar that’s the real thirst of the soul.
30. The more you chant Hare Krishna, the better it gets.
31. If you look through all the Vedic scriptures, you’ll find nothing higher than the chanting of Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
from Back to Godhead, May-June 1994
Here’s a page full of reasons. I’ll spare you the footnotes, but each reason is fully upheld by evidence from Vedic writings likeBhagavad-gita, the Upanisads, and the Puranas.
1. Chanting Hare Krishna awakens love of God.
2. Chanting Hare Krishna brings liberation as a side benefit along the way.
3. When you chant Hare Krishna, you automatically develop knowledge and detachment.
4. Chanting Hare Krishna gets you out of the endless cycle of birth and death.
5. It is the most effective means of self-realization in the present Age of Quarrel. Nothing else works nearly as well.
6. Chanting Hare Krishna cleanses the heart of all illusions and misunderstandings.
7. By chanting Hare Krishna, you become free from all anxieties.
8. Chanting Hare Krishna brings you to self-realization—and shows you how to act as a self-realized soul.
9. It keeps you ever mindful of Krishna, the reservoir of pleasure.
10. There are no hard and fast rules for chanting. You can chant anywhere, any time, under any circumstances.
11. Krishna Himself is fully present in the transcendental sound of His name. And the more you chant, the more you realize it.
12. All other Vedic mantras are included in the chanting of Hare Krishna. So just by chanting this mantra, you get the benefit of all others.
13. Chanting Hare Krishna purifies not only you but every living entity around you. Whoever hears the chanting gets spiritual benefit.
14. A person who chants Hare Krishna develops all good qualities.
15. You can chant Hare Krishna softly for personal meditation or loudly with your family or friends. Both ways work.
16. Srila Prabhupada chanted Hare Krishna, and so did great souls in the past. So why not you?
17. It’s free. Chanting Hare Krishna never costs you money.
18. Chanting Hare Krishna brings the highest states of ecstasy.
19. There are no previous qualifications needed for chanting Hare Krishna. Young or old, anyone can chant—from any race, any religion, or any country of the world.
20. Even if you don’t understand the language of the mantra, it works anyway.
21. Chanting Hare Krishna brings relief from all miseries.
22. Chanting Hare Krishna is easy. When the best way is also the easiest, why make life hard for yourself?
23. Chanting Hare Krishna invokes spiritual peace—for you and for those around you.
24. When you chant Hare Krishna, Krishna Himself becomes pleased.
25. When you chant Hare Krishna, Krishna dances on your tongue.
26. By chanting Hare Krishna you can return to Krishna’s world, the eternal abode of full happiness and knowledge.
27. Chanting Hare Krishna frees you from the reactions of all past karma. Chanting Krishna’s name even once, purely and sincerely, can free you from the reactions of more karma than you could possibly incur.
28. Chanting Hare Krishna counteracts the sinful atmosphere of Kali-yuga, the present Age of Hypocrisy and Quarrel.
29. By chanting Hare Krishna you can relish at every step the full nectar that’s the real thirst of the soul.
30. The more you chant Hare Krishna, the better it gets.
31. If you look through all the Vedic scriptures, you’ll find nothing higher than the chanting of Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
THE SCIENCE OF THE MIND
One who is not connected with the Supreme [in Krsna consciousness] can have neither transcendental intelligence nor a steady mind, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?
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.
Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence [Krsna consciousness] and thus -- by spiritual strength -- conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.
When one's intelligence, mind, faith and refuge are all fixed in the Supreme, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation.
One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.
For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.
From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the self.
Bhagavad-gita
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.
Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence [Krsna consciousness] and thus -- by spiritual strength -- conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.
When one's intelligence, mind, faith and refuge are all fixed in the Supreme, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation.
One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.
For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.
From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the self.
Bhagavad-gita
Thursday, February 17, 2011
HOW TO BE BEAUTIFUL?
Different personalities become beautiful by possessing different qualities.
Canakya Pandita says that the cuckoo bird, although very black, is beautiful because of its sweet voice.
Similarly, a woman becomes beautiful by her chastity and faithfulness to her husband, and an ugly person becomes beautiful when he becomes a learned scholar.
In the same way, brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras become beautiful by their qualities.
Brahmanas are beautiful when they are forgiving, ksatriyas when they are heroic and never retreat from fighting, vaisyas when they enrich cultural activities and protect cows, and sudras when they are faithful in the discharge of duties pleasing to their masters.
Thus everyone becomes beautiful by his special qualities.
And the special quality of the brahmana, as described here, is forgiveness.
***
The duty of a brahmana is to culture the quality of forgiveness, which is illuminating like the sun. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is pleased with those who are forgiving.
Srimad Bhagavatam 9.15.40
Canakya Pandita says that the cuckoo bird, although very black, is beautiful because of its sweet voice.
Similarly, a woman becomes beautiful by her chastity and faithfulness to her husband, and an ugly person becomes beautiful when he becomes a learned scholar.
In the same way, brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras become beautiful by their qualities.
Brahmanas are beautiful when they are forgiving, ksatriyas when they are heroic and never retreat from fighting, vaisyas when they enrich cultural activities and protect cows, and sudras when they are faithful in the discharge of duties pleasing to their masters.
Thus everyone becomes beautiful by his special qualities.
And the special quality of the brahmana, as described here, is forgiveness.
***
The duty of a brahmana is to culture the quality of forgiveness, which is illuminating like the sun. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is pleased with those who are forgiving.
Srimad Bhagavatam 9.15.40
AN IDEAL HUSBAND AND WIFE
An ideal husband and wife are generally called Laksmi-Narayana to compare them to the Lord and the goddess of fortune, for it is significant that Laksmi-Narayana are forever happy as husband and wife.
A wife should always remain satisfied with her husband, and a husband should always remain satisfied with his wife.
In the Canakya-sloka, the moral instructions of Canakya Pandita, it is said that if a husband and wife are always satisfied with one another, then the goddess of fortune automatically comes.
In other words, where there is no disagreement between husband and wife, all material opulence is present, and good children are born.
Generally, according to Vedic civilization, the wife is trained to be satisfied in all conditions, and the husband, according to Vedic instruction, is required to please the wife with sufficient food, ornaments and clothing.
Then, if they are satisfied with their mutual dealings, good children are born.
In this way the entire world can become peaceful, but unfortunately in this age of Kali there are no ideal husbands and wives; therefore unwanted children are produced, and there is no peace and prosperity in the present-day world.
Srimad Bhagavatam 4.1.6 Purport
A wife should always remain satisfied with her husband, and a husband should always remain satisfied with his wife.
In the Canakya-sloka, the moral instructions of Canakya Pandita, it is said that if a husband and wife are always satisfied with one another, then the goddess of fortune automatically comes.
In other words, where there is no disagreement between husband and wife, all material opulence is present, and good children are born.
Generally, according to Vedic civilization, the wife is trained to be satisfied in all conditions, and the husband, according to Vedic instruction, is required to please the wife with sufficient food, ornaments and clothing.
Then, if they are satisfied with their mutual dealings, good children are born.
In this way the entire world can become peaceful, but unfortunately in this age of Kali there are no ideal husbands and wives; therefore unwanted children are produced, and there is no peace and prosperity in the present-day world.
Srimad Bhagavatam 4.1.6 Purport
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
STANDARD FOR EDUCATION
A learned man treats all women except his wife as his mother, looks on others' property as garbage in the street, and treats others as he would treat his own self.
These are the symptoms of a learned person as described by Canakya Pandita.
This should be the standard for education.
Education does not mean having academic degrees only.
One should execute what he has learned in his personal life.
Srimad Bhagavatam 4.16.17 Purport
These are the symptoms of a learned person as described by Canakya Pandita.
This should be the standard for education.
Education does not mean having academic degrees only.
One should execute what he has learned in his personal life.
Srimad Bhagavatam 4.16.17 Purport
Monday, February 14, 2011
MOTIVATION
Sometimes people tell me they are not inspired to chant or to do anything else they know is beneficial. Or they say for some reason they are not able to do it.
I ask them, "Would you do it if I would give you 1,000 euro."
Many say - yes.
So for 1,000 euro, they can do it. Otherwise, they can't.
What about you?
What about 10,000 euro? Or 100,000 euro?
I ask them, "Would you do it if I would give you 1,000 euro."
Many say - yes.
So for 1,000 euro, they can do it. Otherwise, they can't.
What about you?
What about 10,000 euro? Or 100,000 euro?
Saturday, February 12, 2011
THE POWER OF GIVING
Giving is powerful. Many people will attempt to prevent you from taking, yet no one can stop you from giving as much as you wish.
Give, and you increase the value that flows through your life. Give of yourself, and you make yourself stronger.
Every time you interact with someone else, you have the opportunity to give that person some kind of value. Whether it is a thing, or a thought, a gesture or a kind word, the most powerful gifts are those that come straight from the heart.
Many will appreciate your gifts and some will not, but that is not the point. For it is the sincere act of giving, not how the gift is received, that brings value and goodness to your world.
As you give more and more, you have more to give. As the joy of giving flows out from you, new richness fills your life.
Each moment is an opportunity to engage the beautiful, loving power of giving. Give your best and you'll get even better.
- Ralph Marston
Give, and you increase the value that flows through your life. Give of yourself, and you make yourself stronger.
Every time you interact with someone else, you have the opportunity to give that person some kind of value. Whether it is a thing, or a thought, a gesture or a kind word, the most powerful gifts are those that come straight from the heart.
Many will appreciate your gifts and some will not, but that is not the point. For it is the sincere act of giving, not how the gift is received, that brings value and goodness to your world.
As you give more and more, you have more to give. As the joy of giving flows out from you, new richness fills your life.
Each moment is an opportunity to engage the beautiful, loving power of giving. Give your best and you'll get even better.
- Ralph Marston
Sunday, February 6, 2011
DEALING WITH OTHERS
... as soon as one understands how to deal with God, he'll automatically deal with other men very nicely.
Srila Prabhupada, Television Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville, Florida
Srila Prabhupada, Television Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville, Florida
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
PREACHING HAPPINESS
I recommend to most devotees that come to me for Gita Coaching to engage in some kind of preaching.
Preaching itself or connection to preaching ensure happiness because Krsna is very much pleased if we preach.
Without this, life is not as good as it can be.
And it is not hard and complicated.
It may be as simple as giving someone an invitation card or making friends with them.
Those who are convinced of or experience the great benefit of preaching, once started, never stop engaging in it.
Preaching is the highest happiness. Therefore, Krsna's best devotees do it.
Preaching transforms our lives and lives of others.
Preaching itself or connection to preaching ensure happiness because Krsna is very much pleased if we preach.
Without this, life is not as good as it can be.
And it is not hard and complicated.
It may be as simple as giving someone an invitation card or making friends with them.
Those who are convinced of or experience the great benefit of preaching, once started, never stop engaging in it.
Preaching is the highest happiness. Therefore, Krsna's best devotees do it.
Preaching transforms our lives and lives of others.
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