Perceive Everything in Truth and Reality

 ‘Avidya’ means ignorance, and this is the greatest disease on earth. Just as disease has its  symptoms,  ignorance has its symptoms: lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride and envy. And these things are filling our minds and filling our hearts because the disease of ignorance is covering the natural healthy condition of our self. So the process of self realization is to simply heal that diseased condition and come back to our natural original state–love of God. Love of all living beings is inherent within us. It is our original consciousness. By chanting the names of God, by avoiding those activities which further perpetuate this ignorance,  we are naturally healed.
If we have the disease of the body, the first thing the doctor will do is to give us the medicine that heals the disease; he will also tell us to refrain from those activities which further aggravate the disease. Similarly, for the disease of ignorance, the medicines are,
1. associating with saintly persons
2. performing puja with proper understanding of what we are doing and why we are doing
3. philosophical reflection on the real goal of life
4. and especially the chanting of God’s names.
And to cure ourselves from the disease of ignorance, we have to refrain ourselves from sinful activities.  There are four pillars of sinful life: intoxication, illicit sex, gambling and meat-eating. They destroy the qualities of truthfulness, cleanliness, self-control and mercy respectively.
In this way, by curing ourselves of ignorance, we literally awaken the original consciousness within us. And when we are purified, we can perceive everything in truth and reality.

Attracting Grace

For the treasure of divine love to awaken in our hearts,  to overcome the ahankar, the false ego, and to free ourselves from the shackles of endless selfish desires and fears, it’s only possible through grace. Why? Because there are powers beyond our intelligence, beyond our physical strength, beyond our will power that we are up against within this material manifestation.

This grace cannot be attained simply by our efforts. We could memorize entire scriptures, we could eat one grain of rice a day, we could sleep 5 min a day, we could build enormous temples, we could feed 1 million people, we could chant a billion names of God, but that doesn’t necessarily attract grace.

But when we are sincere, serious, humble and  are eager to serve the Supreme Lord and all living beings through Him, with no ulterior motives, then Krishna is eager; Srimati Radharani, the feminine potency, the source of all grace, is eager to deliver us.

You cannot digest food if you have no hunger. This is the principle of Ayurveda. Digestion is the key to good health and you can’t digest unless you are hungry. So similarly grace is everywhere. Grace is all-pervading, just like the sunlight is all-pervading, but we have become so habituated to live in dark places. In order to digest and assimilate that grace we have to be hungry for it. We are beggars for grace. We understand the need for grace.

- Radhanath Swami

SMILE with Krishna - Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18 Summary

Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 18 - Summary

S - Summary of Karma-yoga (Verses 1-18)

M - Modes of Nature (Verses 19 -40)

I - Ideal worker (Verses 41-55)

L- Love of God (Verses 56-66)

E - End Result (Verses 67-78)

What is Renunciation?

- Using our returns to serve (getting into the habit of giving) in the service of the Lord and the mission.

- Giving up ones likes and dislikes (I don't like this work&  I like that work because it is simpler is not renunciation)

- Change ones attitude (although the senses & body demand and we make all endeavors to achieve that, but the ultimate deciding factor is Paramatma. So we should write our plans in pencil and give God the eraser because everything is in God's hand)

- The lord is beyond all our desires, endeavors, body and soul so we should remember we are not the doer 

The Modes of Nature

Renunciation 

Mode of Goodness: doing the work in a sense of detachment.

Mode of Passion: giving up work due to the trouble caused due to work, family; 

Mode of Ignorance: giving up work out of illusion;

Determination

Mode of Goodness: determination for the right cause - serving God, devotees, people, society (never give up)

Mode of Passion:determined to get their desires fulfilled

Mode of Ignorance: determined by doing nothing - success in life depends on dreams - so they just sleep

Happiness

Goodness: poison in the beginning but nectar in the end (faithful to wife and family, stop bad habits, quitting things harmful to health, chanting) - no pain no gain

Passion: nectar in the beginning and ends with poison (sensual indulgence but leads to health issues, broken families)

Ignorance: poison in beginning and end (laziness)

How to be ideal worker?

1. Know who you are i.e your Varna

2. Minimize the malpractice/fault on the work you have to do - be regretful 

3. Use the results to serve Krishna

4. Always Chant the holy name which will purify us of the reactions of the things we hate to do

5. Be yourself and stop comparing and have the desire to want what others have

How to understand God?

- God can only be understood by devotion and not by analysis (only when you love Krishna, He is revealed)

What is surrender?

- I'm helpless Krishna and there are factors beyond my control

- To do all that is favorable to my spiritual practice and not do all that which is not favorable

We can understand God's will through Guru. How to identify Guru?

- It is not based on blind faith or mundane following. A balance of scriptural knowledge, worldly experience and connection to Krishna within the heart - He is Guru.

Who is dearest to Krishna?

Anyone who shares this message of the Gita to others, sponsoring Gita etc., (Krishna loves to be glorified because he knows that the message of the Gita will benefit others)

End Result:

1. Moving from my will to God's will: Gita began by saying that I want to do things my way and at the end Arjuna says that I will do what You want (God knows that is best for us more than we know what is good for us)

2. Spiritual joy

3. Opulence, victory, power and morality

[From a lecture by HG Gaur Gopal Prabhu at ISKCON Chowpatty on Jan 14, 2013 on Bhagavad Gita Ch 18]

Spiritual Culture - Common Factor for all Asramas

Śrīla Vyāsadeva was a householder, yet his residential place is called an āśrama. An āśrama is a place where spiritual culture is always foremost. It does not matter whether the place belongs to a householder or a mendicant. The whole varṇāśrama system is so designed that each and every status of life is called an āśrama. This means that spiritual culture is the common factor for all. The brahmacārīs, the gṛhasthas, the vānaprasthas and the sannyāsīs all belong to the same mission of life, namely, realization of the Supreme. Therefore none of them are less important as far as spiritual culture is concerned. The difference is a matter of formality on the strength of renunciation. The sannyāsīs are held in high estimation on the strength of practical renunciation.

[Srimad Bhagavatam Purport 1.7.2]

Srila Prabhupada's Assurance

"Do not be disturbed. There is no cause for anxiety. You are doing your best to serve Krishna, that is very much appreciated, so do not lose enthusiasm out of frustration, that will spoil everything. Krishna Consciousness means we should always be satisfied and happy, not that we must work something impossible, becoming overburdened, and then because we are unhappy by so much trouble we lose enthusiasm altogether and give up all hope. No, if too much endeavour is there, that is to be avoided. By all means we must preserve our spiritual status, that is the point, not that we are mad after big buildings, many devotees, life-members, this, that—no, these are only ways to engage the devotees so that they may apply the principles of devotional living to some kind of work for practical realization of these principles. It is not the result of the work we want. If only one person daily, if we sincerely preach to such one person in a day, that is sufficient, never mind big, big programmes. So my request to you is that you do not be bothered by these things, and I have instructed Tamala Krishna and Syamasundara to send you men, so they will do it, rest assured. Krishna does not like to see His sincere devotee suffer or become frustrated or depressed. He will not stand idly by in any such case, so do not fear on that account. Krishna has got some plan for you, always think in that way, and very soon He will provide everything to your heart's desire."


Srila Prabhupada letter to Tejyas, Dec. 19, 1972

Srila Prabhupada is my compassion. I am often heartless and cold. He reminds me what it means to be a Vaisnava

A person in Krsna consciousness, a devotee of the Lord, is always compassionate. He is

not satisfied that only he himself is a devotee, but he tries to distribute the knowledge of

devotional service to everyone. There are many devotees of the Lord who faced many

risks in distributing the devotional service of the Lord to people in general. That should

be done.

SB 3.21.31

Take time to offer a Lamp in Kartik Month

(Sri Radha Damodarji at Sri Vrindavan)

Just as there is no yuga equal to Satya-yuga, no scripture equal to the Vedas, and no place of pilgrimage equal to the Ganges, so there is no month equal to Kartika. Even unserious persons who execute devotional service according to the regulative principles during the month of Karttika, and within the jurisdiction of Mathura (or Vrindavana) in India, are very easily awarded the Lord's personal service". During the Kartika month millions of devotees worship Damodara Krishna with ghee lamps and devotional bhajans, glorifying His playful childhood pastime of stealing yogurt. (H.H. Mahanidhi Swami)

. 

 "When one offers a lamp during the month of Karttika, his sins in many thousands and millions of births perish in half an eye blink."

"Please hear the glories of offering a lamp during pleasing to Lord Kesava. O King of brahmanas, a person who offers a lamp in this way will not take birth again in this world."

"By offering a lamp during the month of Karttika one attains a pious result ten million times greater than the result obtained by bathing at Kuruksetra during a solar eclipse or by bathing in the river Narmada during a lunar eclipse."

"O Tiger among sages! For a person who thus offers a lamp burning with ghee or sesame oil, what is the use of performing an asvasmedha-yajia? "

"Even if there are no mantras, no pious deeds, and no purity, everything becomes perfect when a person offers a lamp during the month of Karttika."

"A person who during the month of Karttika offers a lamp to Lord Kesava has already performed all yajnas and bathing in all holy rivers. "

"The ancestors say: When someone in our family pleases Lord Kesava by offering to Him a lamp during the month of Karttika, then, by the mercy of the Lord who holds the Sudarsana-cakra in His Hand, we will all attain liberation."

"By offering a lamp during the month of Karttika one burns away a collection of sins as big as Mount Meru or Mount Mandara. Of this there is no doubt."

"A person who offers a lamp during the month of Karttika attains a result that cannot be obtained with even a hundred yajnas or a hundred pilgrimages."

"Even a person addicted to all sins and averse to all pious deeds who somehow offer a lamp during Karttika becomes purified. Of this there is no doubt."

"O Narada, no sin exists anywhere in the three worlds that will not be purified by offering a lamp to Lord Kesava during Karttika."

"A person who offers a lamp to Lord Krishna during Karttika attains the eternal spiritual world where there is no suffering."

"As fire is present in all wood and may be extracted by friction, so piety is always present in the offering of a lamp during the month of Karttika. Of this there is no doubt."

"O King of brahmanas, when someone offers Him a lamp on the full-moon day of the month of Karttika, Lord Krishna, finding that He does not have sufficient money to repay that gift, gives Himself in exchange for that lamp."

"One who offers a steady lamp to Lord Hari during the month of Karttika enjoys pastimes in Lord Hari's splendid spiritual world."

Even one who never performs religious rituals or even the worst sinner will surely be purified by this offering. O Narada, in the three worlds there is no sin that can stand before this Kartika dipa. In fact, by presenting this dipa before Lord Vasudeva, the eternal abode can be reached without obstruction.

"All the results acquired by donating grains during pitri-paksha or by distributing water in the hot months of Jyeshtha or Ashadha are easily gained in the course of Kartika merely by reviving (relighting) a dipa offered by someone else."

All glories to beautiful Lordship Sri Sri Radha Damodarji!

All glories to Kartik Masa!

"In Kartik month, after bathing in the morning, one should worship Lord Damodara. At night, one should light brilliant lamps filled with either ghee or sesame-seed oil, and place them in these places - in the Lord's temple, around the base of tulasi plants, and in the sky. During the month of Kartika, one should eat only vegetarian foodstuffs and Bhagavan's prasad remnants. There should be incessant harinama-kirtana and smarana.The sole activity to be done during the observance of Damodara-vrata is the worship of Sri Sri Radha-Damodara." – Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura 

Forgotten to love Krishna

Krishna is Complete. Sad-aisvarya purnah. He is complete with full six opulences. He is the richest, He is the wisest, He is the most famous, He is the most strong, influential, and renounced order. Everything is complete there. Then why He is asking that patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati? He is so rich, so opulent, still He is begging that "Little flower, a little water, a little fruit, if offered to Me with devotion and love, I accept and eat it." So the real fact is that we have lost our devotion, faith, in God. So He is begging therefore that love and faith. Not your money. Because He is already opulent. What you can give Him? And what belongs to you? Nothing belongs to you. You come from the womb of your mother openhanded, and when you die you go openhanded. So what does it belong to you? Nothing belongs to you. That's a fact. Simply by illusion, you come here for some days and you think, "This is mine." That's all. This is called maya. Actually, nothing belongs to you. Everything belongs to God, or Krsna. But you claim that it belongs to you. That is your maya. Therefore here it is said, manam janad avidusah karuno vrnite. Out of His causeless mercy He begs sometimes, "Give Me this." Just like sometimes father asks his child, "My dear boy, will you kindly give me a little cake from your portion?" And if the child is very fond of her (him), immediately gives. And sometimes he refuses, "No, I shall not give it." Similarly, Krsna is full. Why He's begging? He's begging your love. That's all. Whenever Krsna wants some service from you or begs something from you, it does not mean that He is in need of it. He is not in need of it. But He is in need of your love because you have forgotten how to love God, how to love Krsna. That he is practiced(?). There is a story that some sannyasi went to a householder, because a sannyasi goes to householder for begging. They are begging also like that. They are not beggars, but they introduce as beggar so that the householder may receive and take some advantage of his knowledge. He is not beggar. So one beggar went to a householder, and the housewife said, "Oh, this beggar has come from door to door. Give him some ashes." So the sannyasi replied, "All right. Give me some ashes. Just begin your charity." Just begin your charity. So similarly, Krsna, when He wants, "Give Me a little flower, a little fruit, a little water," it does not mean that He is begging. He is just inducing me to the practice of offering everything which belongs to Krsna.  Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.11 — Montreal, August 17, 1968

Srila Prabhupada in cowherd boy mood!

One day, while Prabhupada was sitting in his room receiving his massage, he began talking and laughing. As he sat on the floor with one leg tucked under his body and one leg outstretched before him, he told the two or three devotees present how Krsna, carrying the lunch His mother had packed for Him, would go to the forest with His cowherd boyfriends, who were also carrying lunches from home. Krsna and His friends would all sit together sharing their lunch, and Krsna always had the best laddus and kachauris. Prabhupada's eyes flashed, and he rubbed his hands together, smiling. "I simply want to go to Krsnaloka, so I can have some of Krsna's laddu and kachauris. I do not have any great diversion from this. I simply want to go there so that I can enjoy eating laddus and kachauris with Krsna and the cowherd boys." Opening his eyes widely, he glanced at Devananda, who was massaging him, and at the others in the room. "Oh," he said to them, "if you will give me laddus and kachauris, then I will bless you." >>> Ref. VedaBase => SPL 7-2: Opening a Temple in Los Angeles, 1968

Daily Darshan from Sri Vrindavan - 22.10.2012