GITA COACHING

CURE FOR LAZINESS

2012-05-25T23:32:00.001+01:00

Cure for laziness is inspiration.
If we are inspired to do something then we will not be lazy about it.
We will want to do it now, or as soon as possible.

HOW TO GET ALL THE OPULENCE OF THE WORLD?

2012-05-24T23:38:00.001+01:00

Whoever acquires the brahminical qualifications -- whose only wealth is good behavior, who is grateful and who takes shelter of experienced persons -- gets all the opulence of the world.

SB 4.21.44
http://vedabase.net/sb/4/21/44/en1

SPIRITUAL GARDENER

2012-05-23T16:17:00.000+01:00

Today during my Skype coaching session with a devotee from Croatia, I have discovered what do I want to BE and DO in my life. I realized I want to be a Spiritual Gardener.

So what does it mean?

Briefly, Spiritual Gardener is someone who first of all cultivates the garden of his own heart. He plants the right seeds, waters them nicely, and also takes out all the unwanted weeds.

He also helps others to do the same.

Srila Prabhupada writes in the Srimad-Bhagavatam Purport:

The conditional changes of the living entity are explained in the Caitanya-caritamrta in the instructions given to Srila Rupa Gosvami by Lord Sri Caitanya:

"The living entities all over the universes are enjoying the effects of the respective fruitive results of their own work, life after life.

Out of all of them, some may be influenced by the association of pure devotees and thus get the chance to execute devotional service by attainment of taste.

This taste is the seed of devotional service, and one who is fortunate enough to have received such a seed is advised to sow it in the core of his heart.

As one cultivates a seed by pouring water to fructify it, the seed of devotional service sown in the heart of the devotee may be cultured by pouring water in the form of hearing and chanting of the holy name and pastimes of the Lord.

The creeper of devotional service, so nourished, gradually grows, and the devotee, acting as a gardener, goes on pouring the water of constant hearing and chanting.

The creeper of devotional service gradually grows so high that it passes through the entire material universe and enters into the spiritual sky, growing still higher and higher until it reaches the planet Goloka Vrndavana.

The devotee-gardener is in touch with the abode of the Lord even from the material plane by dint of performing devotional service to the Lord simply by hearing and chanting.

As a creeper takes shelter of another, stronger tree, similarly the creeper of devotional service, nourished by the devotee, takes shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord and thus becomes fixed.

When the creeper is fixed, then the fruit of the creeper comes into existence, and the gardener who nourished it is able to enjoy this fruit of love, and his life becomes successful."

SB 3.2.6 Purport

AN AMAZING RESOURCE WEBSITE

2012-05-23T16:05:00.002+01:00

Welcome to Radha.name

http://www.radha.name/

On radha.name you find transcendental knowledge for your self-realization and spiritual life as found in the teachings of Lord Krishna.

Visitors of radha.name have access to the huge treasure of ancient Indian knowledge. You can download more than 8,000 books and articles from previous acaryas and contemporary spiritual teachers. You can view and download more than 40.000 pictures of holy places, Hare Krishna temples, Deities, and Indian art in more than 700 galleries.

The link section contains about 3000 links divided into 40 categories of Vedic and Hare Krishna related subjects.

HELPING OUR YOUTH SUCCEED

2012-05-23T15:57:00.002+01:00

Sarah Newton is a Youth Expert, Teen Coach and a Teenologist.

Visit her new project:
http://www.facebook.com/TalentedTeens

Order her new book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00850VRLS/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_alp_U4jVpb18HJA3A

Visit her website:

http://www.sarahnewton.com/

Read her blog:

http://sarahnewton.com/c/blog/

SOUND FOR SUCCESS

2012-05-23T02:37:00.000+01:00

Powerful coaching verse and purport:
http://vedabase.net/sb/3/26/32/en1

THE MEANING OF OM (AUM)

2012-05-23T02:06:00.000+01:00

The Gosvamis therefore declare that pranava (omkara) is the complete representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they have analyzed omkara in terms of its alphabetical constituents as follows:

a-karenocyate krsnah
sarva-lokaika-nayakah
u-karenocyate radha
ma-karo jiva-vacakah

Omkara is a combination of the letters a, u and m.

A-karenocyate krsnah: the letter a (a-kara) refers to Krsna, who is sarva-lokaika-nayakah, the master of all living entities and planets, material and spiritual. Nayaka means "leader." He is the supreme leader (nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13)).

The letter u (u-kara) indicates Srimati Radharani, the pleasure potency of Krsna, and m (ma-kara) indicates the living entities (jivas).

Thus om is the complete combination of Krsna, His potency and His eternal servitors. In other words, omkara represents Krsna, His name, fame, pastimes, entourage, expansions, devotees, potencies and everything else pertaining to Him.

Cc Adi 7.128 Purport
http://vedabase.net/cc/adi/7/128/en1

WHEN TO PRAY?

2012-05-22T18:10:00.001+01:00

One devotee sent me this story:

Once there was a sea captain who in his retirement skippered a boat taking day-trippers to Shetland Islands. On one trip, the boat was full of young people.

They laughed at the old captain when they saw him say a prayer before sailing out, because the day was fine and the sea was calm.

However they weren't long at sea when a storm suddenly blew up and the boat began to pitch violently. The terrified passengers came to the captain and asked him to join them in prayer.

But he replied, "I say my prayers when it's calm. When it's rough I attend to my ship."

If we cannot and will not seek God in quiet moments of our lives, we are not likely to find Him when trouble strikes. We are more likely to panic. But if we have learnt to seek Him and trust Him in quiet moments, then certainly we will find Him when the going gets rough.

POWERS DERIVED FROM THE SUPREME SOURCE

2012-05-22T18:07:00.000+01:00

Great warrior Arjuna said:
"I have the very same Gandiva bow, the same arrows, the same chariot drawn by the same horses, and I use them as the same Arjuna to whom all the kings offered their due respects. But in the absence of Lord Krsna, all of them, at a moment's notice, have become null and void. It is exactly like offering clarified butter on ashes, accumulating money with a magic wand or sowing seeds on barren land." SB 1.15.21

Srila Prabhupada explains:
"One should not be puffed up by borrowed plumes. All energies and powers are derived from the supreme source, Lord Krsna, and they act as long as He desires and cease to function as soon as He withdraws. All electrical energies are received from the powerhouse, and as soon as the powerhouse stops supplying energy, the bulbs are of no use. In a moment's time such energies can be generated or withdrawn by the supreme will of the Lord. Material civilization without the blessing of the Lord is child's play only. As long as the parents allow the child to play, it is all right. As soon as the parents withdraw, the child has to stop. Human civilization and all activities thereof must be dovetailed with the supreme blessing of the Lord, and without this blessing all advancement of human civilization is like decoration on a dead body. It is said here that a dead civilization and its activities are something like clarified butter on ashes, the accumulation of money by a magic wand and the sowing of seeds in a barren land."

This is a clear distinction between modern success philosophies and devotee's understanding of success and empowerment.

GITA KIRTAN BAND LIVE IN SKOPJE

2012-05-20T18:34:00.001+01:00

Gita Kirtan Band performed live at the Gurmanfest (international food festival) in Skopje, Macedonia, on Sunday, 20 May 2012. Macedonia is a country where Alexander the Great and Mother Teresa were born.

Members of the band are Bhaktin Sita, aspiring disciple of Indradyumna Swami, and Akrura dasa.
The concert took place just on the side of the main square in Skopje, on the bank of the river Vardar.
Devotees had their own booth with cooking classes and free prasadam distribution.

VIDEO: HOLY NAME

HOLY NAME

CHANT THE NAME AND WALK WITH ME
NAME'S THE LIGHT THAT MAKES ME SEE
ON THIS PATH MY SOUL NAME LEADS
WITH THE JOY MY HEART NAME FILLS

I NEED THE NAME MORE THAN BREATH
NAME'S MY HOPE IN NAME I LIVE
SADHUS CHANT THE NAME FOR LONG
CHANT AND NAME WILL MAKE YOU STRONG

HOLY NAME, GLORIOUS ONE
HOLY NAME, LIVE IN MY HEART
NOW AND FOREVER, CHANT HOLY NAME
SPREAD LORD KRSNA'S HOLY FAME

HARE KRSNA

SUCCESS INTELLIGENCE

2012-05-18T14:41:00.000+01:00

Success Intelligence is your ability to discover, understand and apply the timeless success principles that govern success since the beginning of creation.

Success Intelligence is your ability to see and do what is in your best self-interest and avoid what is not.

Success Intelligence is your skill to clarify what you want, set specific goals, make plans for achieving them, and take dynamic action.

Success Intelligence helps you determine your highest priorities.

Success Intelligence is your skill to organize and execute around your highest priorities.

Success Intelligence is your ability to choose what you think, feel and desire every single day.

Success Intelligence is your power to choose wise responses to anything that happens in your life, especially if it is unpleasant.

SOMETIMES I ALSO GET COACHING

2012-05-18T14:33:00.002+01:00

Today I had a session with a devotee who is a new life coach.
It was helpful to share my goals and plans and to review what I have done so far this year.
When I discuss things from my life with a coach it gives me clarity and sometimes new insights.
It is not just a friendly chat. It is a structured conversation focused on my goals and plans.
I shared my Personal Mission Statement and Gita Coaching Mission Statement and made some small improvements on both of them.
We discussed how I can improve my internal dialogue, and the conclusion was that I get up 3:30 am every morning and meditate on my mission statements more often during the day.
There were few more issues that came up and will be discussed in our next session.
It is helpful to explore and reflect with a coach about what I do and why I do it and how I do it.
The coach listened carefully and asked me relevant questions.
It helped me think and see more clearly and plan better action.
This may sound like not a big thing but actually it is very valuable to me.
I am convinced about the value of coaching because it helps me.
That's one of the reasons why I coach devotees and others.

WIN-WIN POEM

2012-05-16T18:13:00.000+01:00

Sometimes
Win for me is
To let YOU win
Because
I love you

GITA COACHING INTERVIEW IN SKOPJE

2012-05-16T06:21:00.003+01:00

GITA COACHING INTERVIEW IN SKOPJE, MACEDONIA, ABOUT THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF GITA COACHING - Q&A WITH AKRURA DASA

Question: What are your plans for this year?

Akrura dasa: To discover and apply more and more success principles and tools from Srila Prabhupada's teachings. To continue learning from the professional experts, sharpening my coaching skills so I can serve devotees and potential devotees better. To give classes and interactive courses, both in ISKCON and public. Many yoga studios seem to be interested in both kirtan and success training, which we can provide. And to assist the success of many devotees in one-to-one sessions.

Q: What countries have you visited so far and which ones will you visit this year?

A: So far this year I have served devotees in England, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, and Bulgaria. Planning to visit Serbia, Croatia, Germany, Australia, and maybe South Africa. Since 1983, I have taught Krsna consciousness and coached devotees in 29 countries worldwide. I plan to visit South America after September (not sure which countries yet, maybe Brasil and Mexico, among others). There may be some other shorter visits.

Q: Is the interest in Gita Coaching growing or decreasing, since you started in year 2000?

A: It is growing, slowly but surely. There is a clear need so I believe it will grow even more. I can see devotees coming forward to become Gita Coaches. Actually it is already happening. Since 2000, I have visited 25 countries and coached over 600 devotees in nearly 2000 sessions.

Q: What is unique about Gita Coaching? What it offers that other life coaches and success teachers don't?

A: It is a clear spiritual dimension of life, spiritual perspective and spiritual intelligence. It is fast and clear connection with Krsna (God), reservoir of all success. We go deeper and higher and further. Success teachers speak about spirituality but it is not always clear and even it is not always spiritual. Often it's just a little goodness. Or it is impersonal: we are all one, we are God, etc. In teaching for the past 25 years, my impression is that people need devotees now more than ever. They cry to be led. They need someone who really cares, whom they can trust, who will not exploit them, who guides by example, and who knows where he or she is going.

Q: What about here in Macedonia?

A: I love Macedonia, and especially the devotees here. They are so warm and friendly. Of course, as everywhere, people here have their specific conditioning, but I am inspired by their sincere efforts and enthusiasm for chanting. People here really need devotees to support and guide them, so our devotees here need to get trained or train themselves to be skilled teachers and guides and caring well-wishers of people. This is where Gita Coachign can help. We will also do some media and other public programs. There is so many possibilities.

Q: How do you envision the future of Gita Coaching?

A: I like that question very much! Thank you for asking. I think it will become more and more relevant for ISKCON development and impact in the society. It will be used to help leaders and managers be more effective individually and as teams, help preachers build bridges for people so Krsna consciousness becomes natural next step in their lives, then help caregivers, counselors, servant leaders, and spiritual guides be more effective in one-to-one and group encounters and thus provide better service to devotees, and above all, help all devotees, both leaders and led, be more happy and more productive.

Q: Is your Gita Coaching blog helpful to your service?

A: Oh yes, it is! More and more. Whatever I post goes also to planetiskcon.com and some other websites which have many more readers. We started in 2007 and have over 76,000 views so far, and over 1,500 blog posts. Few times a month I get emails from people who have been reading it for some time (sometimes long time) who show appreciation, ask questions or seek guidance or coaching. For a long time, top three countries that read it the most are USA, India and UK. Now Spain has taken the third place instead of UK. USA is always on the top. I like that it is read in countries I never visited, like Russia, Australia, Canada and Singapore. Gita Coaching blog is a reflection of my courses and classes and my personal coaching sessions. One devotee once said something like: "I want to get on a top of a skyscraper and announce to everyone to read the Gita Coaching blog." That was very encouraging to hear.

Q: What is most exciting for you in Gita Coaching?

A: That moment when devotees I coach have a shift, when they decide to take responsibility and move forward. God helps those who help themselves. My job is to help you connect more strongly with Krsna via serious chanting and reading and become inspired to do something wonderful for Krsna, for Prabhupada, and for the world. And my job is to help you become inspired to practice and preach Krsna consciousness far and wide. This I believe will make you most happy. It is nice to contribute to devotees success in any way I can, but it is most exciting when mummy's boys and girls become spiritual heroes.

HOW DO YOU REACT AND HOW YOU COULD REACT?

2012-05-16T05:05:00.000+01:00

It is a fact of life that between stimulus and response there is a space.
Between what happens to us and our reaction there is a space, there is an opportunity to choose our response.
What hurts us the most in any unpleasant situation is not that situation but our response to it.
Animals do not have that space.They respond automatically. Humans have that space. They can use that space to grow and preserve their inner peace.
Here is good news:
We can always choose how we respond to situations and people based on the wisdom of Bhagavad-gita As It Is.
How can we do that? One simple way is to ask:
What would Bhagavad-gita say about this?
If you know the Gita this question can connect you right there right away with the wisdom of the Gita and help you make better choices.
And it will make a huge difference in the quality of your life.

LOVING YOURSELF

2012-05-16T02:30:00.002+01:00

Many success and New Age gurus speak about "loving yourself". This is what Srila Prabhupada says about it:

If you do not know what you are, then how you can love yourself?

- Room Conversation with Father Tanner and other guests -- July 11, 1973, London

So, then ultimately it comes that you love yourself. And you love yourself, but the self is the part and parcel of the Supreme Self. Therefore you love yourself because you love the Supreme Self. So therefore, atmanam mat-parayanah. Actually, everyone has got the loving propensity because he loves Krsna. That is natural. So Krsna says that simply by following this process, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji. Mam evaisyasi, you are trying to find out the supreme loveable object. So mam evaisyasi, come and let us live, loving one another. This is the goal of life.

- Lecture, Bhagavad-gita 9.34 -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm)

He is the proprietor of my self. He is Superself. Just like I love this body. Why? Because I am the spirit self, or soul is within this body. Therefore just like I love this apartment. Why? Because I live here. Similarly, I love this body because I am spirit soul, I am living within this body. Therefore I try to protect it. Real love is to myself. So naturally, if you love yourself, then this self is the part and parcel of the Superself. Therefore you love indirectly the Superself.

- Lecture, Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968

So you are loving yourself. Then why you are loving yourself? What is the source of yourself? Visnu, Krsna. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. So ultimately I love God. But there are so many impediments. I have forgotten. I am thinking sometimes to love my body, my mind, like that. But real love is because I am spirit soul, therefore I love myself. And why I love myself? Because it is part and parcel of Visnu. Therefore ultimately you love Visnu. But we have forgotten it. In relationship with Visnu we have learned to love...

- Lecture, Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.2 -- Vrndavana, December 3, 1975

What is matter? Matter is another manifestation of God's energy. Just like if you love yourself, your body, then naturally you love your finger, the part of the body. Therefore God is the supreme whole. If you love God, then you can understand that I have to love everybody.

- Discussion with Guests -- December 23, 1969, Boston

Just like every one of us we love our body. Or I love your body. But what is the reason? The reason is because the spirit soul is there. Nobody loves a body, either his own body or other's body, when it is dead. Therefore the conclusion is that each, every one of us, we love our body because I, the spirit soul, is there. Therefore the conclusion is that I love myself, or yourself, the spirit soul. Then the next question will be "Then why one should love the spirit soul?" The spirit soul is loved because it is part and parcel of Krsna. Therefore ultimate goal is Krsna. We do not know that. Therefore we sometimes love the body or sometimes love the mind or sometimes love the soul or in this way, but the ultimate aim is to love Krsna. That is our natural instinct.

- Lecture, Bhagavad-gita 4.11 -- Geneva, June 1, 1974

Now, as servant of God, I may have many activities. But my identity is that I am eternal servant of God. This is our identity. So if I love myself, because I am eternal servant of God, therefore, if I actually I love myself, I must always engage myself in the service of the Lord. This is love.

- Room Conversation with Father Tanner and other guests -- July 11, 1973, London

So we must know, if I actually love myself, first of all I know what I am. If I know, then I can properly love myself. If I do not know what I am if I think that "I am this body," oh, this conception the dog has also. He's also thinking, "I am this body." To keep this body in fitness, to eat nicely, to sleep nicely, this consciousness is there in cats and dogs. So therefore, as spirit soul, as human being, first of all you know that "Whether I am this body or something else?"

- Room Conversation with Father Tanner and other guests -- July 11, 1973, London

So actually I am keeping my body fit, nice, just to live within this body. Therefore actually I do not love this body, I love myself. And to keep myself in a nice position, I love this room or this house. My main business is to get me, as I am, comfortable. Not that it is my business to keep this house neat and clean only. No. No, my business is to keep myself fit. So actually I love my soul. Then if you analyze, studying your soul, what is the constitution, you'll find the soul is part and parcel of God. Then you come to the platform that you love the soul because you love God. The ultimate issue is God. As you love this body because you love the soul, similarly you love the soul because you love God.

- Room Conversation with British Man -- August 31, 1973, London

SUCCESS GURU MEETS AN INDIAN GURU

2012-05-16T01:30:00.001+01:00

Robert Holden, British author of "Success Intelligence" speaks about having a darsan with an Indian guru. You will like it. It's funny. Guru asked him 3 questions ...

GITA COACHING WAYS

2012-05-15T23:54:00.002+01:00

By creating a safe and non-judgmental environment, and by making small interventions, like asking a question or giving feedback, we can make a big difference in people's lives.

Keeping quiet when people are emotional, listening and being there for them, and simply caring sincerely, can have profound positive effects on people's minds and hearts.

Gita Coaching helps devotees raise their awareness, clearly define their goals, remove interference, and release their God-given potential.

Gita Coaching helps you develop your Success Intelligence (SQ).

Gita Coaching sees potential in you and your inherent ability and that creates favorable conditions for high performance in any area of life, especially devotional service.

It is not a linear process. It's different aspects emerge in sometimes fluid and unpredictable ways. People are not machines, neither the coach is.

Gita coaching enables you to maximize your spiritual advancement, devotional service, and happiness in Krsna consciousness in a way you feel inspired to proceed.

CHANT ANYWAY!

2012-05-15T21:02:00.002+01:00

Your mind is wondering all over the universe and to the past and future while you chant.

Chant anyway!

You are not able to concentrate on Krsna's names while you chant.

Chant anyway!

You have no taste for chanting.

Chant anyway!

You are making offences in chanting.

Chant anyway!

You are not praying to Krsna to help you chant better.

Chant anyway!

You often chant late at night.

Chant anyway!

So WHY? Why should you chant despite all the above obstacles?

This is why:

There is no vow like chanting the holy name, no knowledge superior to it, no meditation which comes anywhere near it, and it gives the highest result.

No penance is equal to it, and nothing is as potent or powerful as the holy name.

Chanting is the greatest act of piety and the supreme refuge.

Even the words of the Vedas do not possess sufficient power to describe its magnitude.

Chanting is the highest path to liberation, peace and eternal life.

It's the pinnacle of devotion, the heart's joyous proclivity and attraction and the best form of remembrance of the Supreme Lord.

The holy name has appeared solely for the benefit of the living entities as their lord and master, their supreme worshipful object and their spiritual guide and mentor.

Whoever continuously chants Lord Krishna's holy name, even in his sleep, can easily realize that the name is a direct manifestation of Krishna Himself, in spite of the influences of Kali-yuga.

- Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Saranagati (quoted from Adi-purana)

LOSER CONFIDENCE

2012-05-13T10:05:00.000+01:00

It is easy to be confident when you are successful or when you are winning.

Can you be confident when you are failing or losing?

Can you have faith in Krsna and yourself as a spirit soul when nothing seem to work?

S.E.L.F. HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP COURSE IN D.C. THIS SUMMER!

2012-05-11T06:25:00.001+01:00

Two Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE’s) from Dasi-Ziyad Family Institute present a rare opportunity to explore in interactive, fun ways what it means to prepare for a healthy marriage by becoming more mature and competent. You can be a part of their unique and powerful Healthy Relationship Training. Only a limited number of openings are available.

More info here:
http://dasiziyadfamilyinstitute.org/2012/05/self-healthy-relationship-course-in-d-c-this-summer/

About facilitators:
http://dasiziyadfamilyinstitute.org/our-mission/about-us/

Krsnanandini dasi is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. Her husband Tariq is a wonderful man. I met them at ISKCON's Gita Nagari Farm in USA few years ago.

GET PEOPLE TO SEE THE VALUE IN WHAT YOU DO

2012-05-11T00:12:00.002+01:00

You can have the best service or product in the world, but if people don’t understand how it’ll benefit them, you might as well be selling dust.

Never assume people understand your service and benefits.

You must spell things out.

Make all your implicit benefits explicit.

Work at building value.

One of the best ways to build value is to figure out the great benefits surrounding your service.

How much will people lose if they don’t take advantage of your services and products?

How much they will benefit if they do?

Figure out all the differences and parade them.

It is not about self-glorification. It is about offering service and creating service opportunities.

WHAT IS YOUR LEARNING STYLE?

2012-05-10T15:30:00.000+01:00

Download free PDF assesment here:

http://media.briantracy.com/downloads/pdf/WhatsYourLearningStyle.pdf

TEST VIDEO MESSAGE

2012-05-10T15:15:00.002+01:00

Please forgive my ignorance, but this is my first video that I recorded on my laptop's built-in webcam and uploaded here.
It seem to work well. I hope volume is loud enough.

ARE YOU BUSY?

2012-05-09T02:21:00.003+01:00

It’s not enough to be busy.
Birds are also busy.
What are you busy with?
Is it worth it?
Will it help you attain the goal of life?
Will it help you come closer to Krsna?