We should be have a clear plan of development

What are we doing as individuals? Where are we going? And what are we doing here for Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission?

Devotees are most important, then with inspiration, hard-work and determination the movement will spread and go forward.

(H.H. Sivarama Swami - Sabbatical 2004 Darshan)

Sufferings of the people in Kali yuga

There are sufferings from internal diseases, separation from those near and dear, and anxieties for maintaining the status quo.

(SB 1.16.19 - Purport)

Take precautions against symptoms of Kali

The symptoms of Kali are:

(1) illicit connection with women, (2) indulgence in meat-eating, (3) intoxication and (4) taking pleasure in gambling. The age of Kali literally means the age of quarrel, and the abovementioned four symptoms in human society are the root causes for all kinds of quarrel.

In the rainy season, rain is predestined, and yet people take precautions to protect themselves i.e. they take an umbrella.

(SB 1.16.10 - Purport)

Real ksatriyas rejoice at chance to fight

A perfect ksatriya king is always jubilant as soon as he gets a chance to fight, just as a sportsman is eager when there is a chance for a sporting match.

(SB 1.16.10 - Purport)

Life is too short: Hear what is worth hearing

Any topic, however pleasant, is not worth hearing if it is devoid of its relation to Krsna.

(SB 1.16.6 - Purport)

Lord provides service through agency of His devotees

We daily chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra - asking the Lord "please engage me in your service".

The Lord naturally reciprocates with our daily request through the agency of His devotees. Therefore, wherever possible, we should not deny/reject this mercy - else the Lord will just withdraw it.

If service comes our way - we should do our very best to grab hold of it and do it well.

When times are tough

• We need to well-behaved and try not to aggravate the situation (although this is very hard).
• We should see it as an opportunity to grow.
• We should see Krsna as a blacksmith - He lights us up and beats us to tranform our iron-like hearts to gold, but this takes time, alot of beating and many changes on our part.

(H.H. Sacinandana Swami)

Vedic approach to Relationships

1. Approach -> initial attraction
2. Get to know -> likes/dislikes/doing service together
3. Question -> can it/does it work?
4. Commitment -> take responsibility to serve each other
5. Intimacy -> only here is there any closeness

Unfortunately - Western culture goes from (1) straight to (5), then when they do get to know each other (2) they realise it is not going to work by which point it is too late - the heart is broken.

(H.H. Sacinandana Swami)

Homosexuality & KC

Srila Bhakti Tirtha Swami writes about this at some length in his "Spiritual Warrior II - Transforming Lust into Love" book. Refer to Chapter 1, entitled "Sex and the Leadership Crisis" for more details. Below are some essential quotes which really helped me understand the subject:

• "Another manifestation of misdirected sexuality in modern society is the growing number of homosexual and bisexual people all over the world. We might wonder why this occuring. Of course, we should not be homophobic, nor should we condemn anyone. Everyone is looking for love."
  
• "From a spiritual perspective, another explanation for homosexuality or bisexuality lies in reincarnation. Those who are not properly integrated in one life can find themselves in the next life with a male consciousness in a female body, or vice versa."
  
• "In many cases, if a person has demonstrated excessive masculine or feminine energy in one life, or strong hatred for one sex or ther other, these patterns will persist in the next life - even in a body of the opposite gender. This can encourage a homosexual lifestyle."
  
• "There is nothing wrong with having affection for someone of the same gender. However, the difficulties arise when this affection seeks sexual expression. Sex means that the partners are ready to care for what is produced from their union. What naturally results from a sexual relationship is the birth of a child. Any other use of sexuality is unnatural and entails negative consequences."

Lessons from Bharata (Lord Rama's brother)

Whilst Lord Rama was in exile, Bharata faithfully overlooked the kingdom of Ayodhya. He ensured that this service was done properly and so by Rama's mercy, Ayodhya flourished. He always kept Lord Rama's wooden shoes on the throne to remind him of his service.

As soon as Rama returned, Bharata offering Lord Rama His wooden shoes, stood before Rama with folded hands. Rama immediately embraced Bharata with both arms, bathing Him with the tears in eyes, for a long time.

Lesson: we should perform our service with this mood of pleasing the Lord and when the Lord, by His own sweet will, so desires to reveal Himself, our mood should be that of humility and gratitude. Srila Prabhupada said "act in such a way that God wants to see you."

Afterwards Rama sat at the feet of His spiritual master, Vasistha, when Bharata came before Him and requested "My dear elder brother, please immeditely install Youself upon the royal throne without further delay."

Lesson: under the guidance of a spiritual master, we should immediately install Lord Rama on a jeweled throne in our heart.

(excerpts and inspiration from "Ramayana - The story of Lord Rama" by His Holiness Bhakti Vikasa Swami)

You have to fly your own plane at death

When flying an airplane, one cannot take care of other planes. Everyone has to take care of his own plane, and if there is any danger, no other plane can help another in that condition. Similarly, at the end of life, when one has to go back home, back to Godhead, everyone has to take care of himself without help rendered by another. The help is, however, offered on the ground before flying in space. Similarly, the spiritual master, the father, the mother, the relatives, the husband and others can all render help during one's lifetime, but while crossing the sea one has to take care of himself and utilize the instructions formerly received.

(SB 1.15.50 - Purport)

Lord's departure is like setting of Sun

The setting of the sun does not mean the end of the sun. It means that the sun is out of our sight. Similarly, the end of the mission of the Lord on a particular planet or universe only means that He is out of our sight.

(SB 1.15.33 - Purport)

Doubts of duality due to misidentification with body

Doubts of duality begin from the misconception of the material body, which is accepted as the self by less intelligent persons. The most foolish part of our ignorance is our identifying this material body with the self. Everything in relation with the body is ignorantly accepted as our own. Doubts due to misconceptions of "myself" and "mine" — in other words, "my body," "my relatives," "my property," "my wife," "my children," "my wealth," "my country," "my community," and hundreds and thousands of similar illusory contemplations — cause bewilderment for the conditioned soul.

(SB 1.15.31 - Purport)

Seeing the naked forms of our material desires

Material desires in the mind are the trash of material contamination. By such contamination, the living being is faced with so many compatible and incompatible things that discourage the very existence of spiritual identity. Birth after birth the conditioned soul is entrapped with so many pleasing and displeasing elements, which are all false and temporary. They accumulate due to our reactions to material desires, but when we get in touch with the transcendental Lord in His variegated energies by devotional service, the naked forms of all material desires become manifest, and the intelligence of the living being is pacified in its true color.

(SB 1.15.29 - Purport)

Good or bad action?

An action is thus judged by the Lord's pleasure or displeasure. There is no room for personal whims; we must always be guided by the pleasure of the Lord.

(SB 1.15.24 - Purport)

Disobediance of Lord's established rules causes war

Not a blade of grass moves without the will of the Lord. Whenever, therefore, there is disobedience of the established rules enacted by the Lord, there is war between men and nations. The surest way to the path of peace, therefore, is dovetailing everything to the established rule of the Lord. The established rule is that whatever we do, whatever we eat, whatever we sacrifice or whatever we give in charity must be done to the full satisfaction of the Lord.

(SB 1.15.24 - Purport)

Feed children, elderly, brahmanas, the hungry and then oneself

It is the duty of a householder to feed first of all the children, the old members of the family, the brahmanas and the invalids. Besides that, an ideal householder is required to thrice call for any unknown hungry man to come and dine before he himself goes to take his meals.

(SB 1.14.43 - Purport)

Contact between man and woman

The higher-caste men, namely the brahmanas and ksatriyas, could accept a woman of the vaisya or the sudra community, but a man from the lower castes could not contact a woman of the higher caste.

A woman approaching a man for contact should never be refused, but at the same time the discretion as above mentioned may also be considered.

Contact between man and woman is natural, but that also must be carried out under regulative principles so that social consecration may not be disturbed or unwanted worthless population be increased for the unrest of the world.

(SB 1.14.42 - Purport)

Cow protection + brahminical culture = prosperity

Without cow protection and cultivation of the brahminical qualities in human society, no human civilization can prosper at any length.

(SB 1.14.34 - Purport)

Lord's family size just highlights His Supremacy

Lord Krsna married 16,108 wives, and each of them had ten sons. Therefore 16,108 x 10 161,080 sons. They all grew up, and each of them had as many sons as their father, and the whole aggregate was something near 1,610,800 family members of the Lord.

It is not astonishing that the Lord maintained a visible family consisting of so many members.

(SB 1.14.31 - Purport)

One can only apporach Krsna by Balarama's grace

Baladeva acts as the spiritual master of all devotees, and by His causeless mercy the fallen souls are delivered. Sri Baladeva appeared as Sri Nityananda Prabhu during the advent of Lord Caitanya and the great Lord Nityananda Prabhu exhibited His causeless mercy by delivering a pair of extremely fallen souls, namely Jagai and Madhai.

By His divine grace only one can approach the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna.

(SB 1.14.28-29 - Purport)

Inauspicious signs for men

When a man's left eyes, arms and thighs all quiver constantly, one must know that something is going to happen which is undesirable.

(SB 1.14.11 - Purport)

Threefold miseries can be overcome by surrender

Man-made material science cannot do anything to counteract the threefold miseries.

They can simply be overcome by one who surrenders fully in devotion under the lotus feet of the Lord.

(SB 1.14.10 - Purport)

Success is sanctioned by the Lord

Prosperity earned by one's personal endeavor also depends on the mercy of the Lord. Personal labor must be there in addition to the Lord's benediction, but without the Lord's benediction no one is successful simply by personal labor.

God's sanction is the immediate cause for all happenings, good or bad. Any successful man should feel grateful to the Lord for all he has achieved.

(SB 1.14.9 - Purport)

Material world is a cloudlike illusion

It is a fact that the material world is a great illusion because everything appears to be a tangible reality but at the next moment evaporates like the dashing foam of the sea or a cloud in the sky.

Similarly, the Absolute Truth, which is compared to the sky, remains eternally, and the temporary cloudlike illusion comes and goes away. Foolish living beings are attracted by the temporary cloud, but intelligent men are more concerned with the eternal sky with all its variegatedness.

(SB 1.13.29 - Purport)

Foolish want to make impermanent, permanent

The body is born, it develops, stays, creates other bodies, dwindles and then vanishes. But foolish men want to make a permanent settlement of the perishable body and think that their estate, children, society, country, etc., will give them protection.

They forget their permanent identity and become foolishly active for impermanent occupations, forgetting altogether their prime duty.

(SB 1.13.22 - Purport)

Supreme Lord is only protection

No friend, no children, no father, no brother, no state and no one else can protect a person who is not protected by the Supreme Lord. One should, therefore, seek the protection of the Supreme Lord, for the human form of life is meant for seeking that protection.

(SB 1.13.21 - Purport)

Science has no answers to stop old-age and death

There is no superior power which can check the cruel hands of death.
Even in the days of so-called scientific advancement of knowledge, there is no remedial measure either for old age or for death.

Wherever there is the influence of eternal time, there is this set of tribulations, namely birth, disease, old age and death, and all of them are invincible.

(SB 1.13.19 - Purport)

Valuable human life wasted on temporary family affairs

Our duration of life is measured.

Such valuable time, especially for the human being, should be cautiously spent because even a second passed away imperceptibly cannot be replaced, even in exchange for thousands of golden coins amassed by hard labor. Every second of human life is meant for making an ultimate solution to the problems of life, i.e. repetition of birth and death and revolving in the cycle of 8,400,000 different species of life.

The material body, which is subject to birth and death, diseases and old age, is the cause of all sufferings of the living being.

They do not know at all how to solve the problems of life, but become engrossed in temporary family affairs.

This is called illusion.

(SB 1.13.17 - Purport)

Dont speak truth just to hurt others

According to Niti-sastra (civic laws) one should not speak an unpalatable truth to cause distress to others. Distress comes upon us in its own way by the laws of nature, so one should not aggravate it by propaganda.

(SB 1.13.13 - Purport)

Qualification of Pure devotee

The real qualification of a pure devotee is to become rapt in the thought of Krsna favorably.

(SB 1.13.11 - Purport)

Visiting holy dhamas means taking instruction from pure devotees

The holy places all over the earth are meant for purifying the polluted consciousness of the human being by an atmosphere surcharged with the presence of the Lord's unalloyed devotees. If anyone visits a holy place, he must search out the pure devotees residing in such holy places, take lessons from them, try to apply such instructions in practical life and thus gradually prepare oneself for the ultimate salvation, going back to Godhead.

To go to some holy place of pilgrimage does not mean only to take a bath in the Ganges or Yamuna or to visit the temples situated in those places.

(SB 1.13.10 - Purport)

How to receive guests at home

King Yudhistira was expert in reception also, even in the case of his family members. Vidura was well received by all the family members by exchange of embraces and obeisances. After that, bathing and arrangements for a sumptuous dinner were made, and then he was given sufficient rest. After finishing his rest, he was offered a comfortable place to sit, and then the King began to talk about all happenings, both family and otherwise.

(SB 1.13.7 - Purport)

Disciple serves guru who is addicted to Krsna

The disciple is only bound to serve the guru as long as the guru is addicted to Krsna. Even if the guru is tainted by some conditioning, if Krsna is visible through them, then they should be served sincerely.

The disciple should only be concerned with Krsna - not sentimentally attached to the 'celebrity' of the guru. Therefore, even if the guru falls, then the disciple should simply be concerned with Krsna and never lose sight of this. In such a state one can again take shelter of a guru through whom Krsna is visible again.

The honus of understanding the symptoms of what it means 'to be addicted to Krsna' is on the disciple. These symptoms are defined and should always be seen in the guru. In this way, the guru will take the disciple Back Home, Back to Godhead. The disciple also has to be suitably qualified to be able to recognise these symptoms of purity in the guru - it takes one to know one.

Association & friendship creates unity & enthusiam

Association & friendship are the key for our emotional support and philosophical guidance.

If these two are firmly established, then it creates a spirit of unity amongst peers and enthusiasm in spiritual life.

This in turn increases one's ability to give/receive emotional support and impart/absorb philosophical guidance.

In this way, it creates a snowball effect - wherein anyone who comes close enough is automatically drawn in, and made an asset of the system i.e. enthusiastic association is contagious in spiritual life.

Parents should give an impression of Lord from childhood & create child's fortune by desire

Srila Jiva Gosvami remarks in this connection that every child, if given an impression of the Lord from his very childhood, certainly becomes a great devotee of the Lord like Maharaja Parikshit. One may not be as fortunate as Maharaja Parikshit to have the opportunity to see the Lord in the womb of his mother, but even if he is not so fortunate, he can be made so if the parents of the child desire him to be so.

(SB 1.12.30 - Purport)

Professional Bhagavatam Saptaha is a caricature

There is a sort of imitation of this reciting and hearing of Srimad-Bhagavatam by professional men, and their foolish audience thinks that they will get free from the clutches of material attachment and attain the life of fearlessness. Such imitative hearing of Srimad-Bhagavatam is a caricature only.

(SB 1.12.28 - Purport)

Everyone fears extending the prison sentence

This material world is fearfulness. Its prisoners are always fearful as within a prison house. In the prison house no one can violate the jail rules and regulations, and violating the rules means another term for extension of prison life. Similarly, we in this material existence are always fearful. This fearfulness is called anxiety. Everyone in the material life, in all species and varieties of life, is full of anxieties, either by breaking or without breaking the laws of nature.

(SB 1.12.28 - Purport)

Take even a curse as opportunity to serve

He [Pariksit] could have avoided the effect of such a curse [by Shringhi] by the grace of the Lord.

Rather, he made the best use of a bad bargain.

For seven days continuously he heard Srimad-Bhagavatam.

(SB 1.12.27 - Purport)

Associate with Lord by following His instructions

Foolish people do not know that association is the cause of acquiring qualities. Association with fire makes an object hot, even in the material sense. Therefore, association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead makes one qualified like the Lord.

To follow the instructions of the Lord is to associate with the Lord.

(SB 1.12.24 - Purport)

Chase up and deal with problems quickly

One should be a lamb at home and a lion in the chase. The lion never fails in the chase of an animal; similarly, the head of the state should never fail in chasing an enemy.

(SB 1.12.22 - Purport)

Work Hard - Pray Harder

Work as though everything depends on you.
Pray as though everything depends on God.

Christian Saying

Real Genetic-engineering for peace & prosperity

The samskaras of the school of sanatana-dharma (man's eternal engagement) are highly suitable for creating an atmosphere for taking advantage of good stellar influences, and therefore garbhadhana-samskara, or the first seedling purificatory process prescribed for the higher castes, is the beginning of all pious acts to receive a good pious and intelligent class of men in human society. There will be peace and prosperity in the world due to good and sane population only; there is hell and disturbance only because of the unwanted, insane populace addicted to sex indulgence.

(SB 1.12.12 - Purport)

Astrological science is useful

Astronomical calculations of stellar influences upon a living being are not suppositions, but are factual, as confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Every living being is controlled by the laws of nature at every minute, just as a citizen is controlled by the influence of the state.

Our actions are judged by the higher authorities, the agents of the Lord, and thus we are awarded bodies according to our activities. The law of nature is so subtle that every part of our body is influenced by the respective stars, and a living being obtains his working body to fulfill his terms of imprisonment by the manipulation of such astronomical influence. A man's destiny is therefore ascertained by the birthtime constellation of stars, and a factual horoscope is made by a learned astrologer. It is a great science, and misuse of a science does not make it useless.

(SB 1.12.12 - Purport)

Why we need a Deity

He [the Lord] accepts the form of arca-vigraha (worshipable Deity) just to accept service from His different incapable devotees. By the mercy of the arca-vigraha, the form of the Lord in material elements, the devotees who are in the material world can easily approach the Lord, although He is not conceivable by the material senses.

(SB 1.12.9 - Purport)

Confidence and Arrogance in service

Confidence - thoroughly doing a service to the best of one's ability, with enthusiasm, thought & planning.

Arrogance - thinking that we are the only person that can do it.

Living entity prays in womb

Death generally involves remaining in trance for seven months. A living being, according to his own action, is allowed to enter into the womb of a mother by the vehicle of a father's semen, and thus he develops his desired body. This is the law of birth in specific bodies according to one's past actions. When he is awake from trance, he feels the inconvenience of being confined within the womb, and thus he wants to come out of it and sometimes fortunately prays to the Lord for such liberation.

(SB 1.12.7 - Purport)

What we are all really hungry for

The whole material world is full of hungry living beings. The hunger is not for good food, shelter or sense gratification. The hunger is for the spiritual atmosphere. Due to ignorance only they think that the world is dissatisfied because there is not sufficient food, shelter, defense and objects of sense gratification. This is called illusion.

But the foolish leaders cannot see that even the people who are most sumptuously materially satisfied are still hungry. And what is their hunger and poverty? This hunger is actually for spiritual food, spiritual shelter, spiritual defense and spiritual sense gratification.

(SB 1.12.6 - Purport)

We are always a servant

Being illusioned by the conditions of the external energy, one falsely thinks himself to be the served, but actually he is not served; he is servant of the senses like lust, desire, anger, avarice, pride, madness and intolerance.

(SB 1.12.6 - Purport)

Education is useless without Krsna

By knowing the science of Krsna, one can become the most perfect man in the world, and unless one has knowledge in this science, all qualifications and doctorate diplomas acquired by academic education are spoiled and useless.

(SB 1.12.4 - Purport)

Creative arts to attract common men

Expert players in drama, dancers, singers, speakers, etc., are required for the spiritual enlightenment of the common man.

(SB 1.11.20 - Purport)

Prasad makes a successful function

Without distribution of food, no function is complete, and that is the way of Vedic culture.

(SB 1.11.15 - Purport)

Human life meant for developing the finer senses

Perfection of human civilization is made possible by utilizing the gifts of nature in their own way.

The propensity to utilize nature's own gifts is still there, even in the heart of modern civilized man.

Human energy should be properly utilized in developing the finer senses for spiritual understanding, in which lies the solution of life. Fruits, flowers, beautiful gardens, parks and reservoirs of water with ducks and swans playing in the midst of lotus flowers, and cows giving sufficient milk and butter are essential for developing the finer tissues of the human body.

(SB 1.11.12 - Purport)

Reviving our Eternal Relationship

The human form is a chance for all to understand our eternal relation with God. Our relation with Him is eternal; it can neither be broken nor vanquished. It may be forgotten for the time being, but it can be revived also by the grace of the Lord, if we follow His injunctions, which are revealed in the scriptures.

(SB 1.11.7 - Purport)

Free from the Fear of the Unknown

We are always fearful due to our ignorance of the next problem. The whole material existence is full of problems, and thus the fear problem is always prominent. Yet all fear is vanished as soon as there is the sound of the Lord, represented by His holy name:

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

We can take advantage of these sounds and be free from all threatening problems of material existence.

(SB 1.11.3 - Purport)

Why go on pilgrimage?

Three places, namely Vrndavana, Mathura and Dvaraka, are more important than the famous planets within the universe. These places are perpetually sanctified because whenever the Lord descends on earth He displays His transcendental activities particularly in these three places. They are perpetually the holy lands of the Lord, and the inhabitants still take advantage of the holy places, even though the Lord is now out of their sight. Because devotional service in these three places is magnified, those who go there to follow the principles in terms of instructions imparted in the revealed scriptures surely achieve the same result as obtained during the presence of Lord Sri Krsna. His abode and He Himself are identical, and a pure devotee under the guidance of another experienced devotee can obtain all the results, even at present.

(SB 1.10.27)

Happiness is based on perception not circumstance

Happiness is NOT based on our circumstances, but rather by how we respond to our circumstances. It is a matter of consciousness.

(H.G. Urmila Mataji)

Stats from Mahabharata War

"A solid phalanx of 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 109,650 infantry and 65,600 cavalry is called an akshauhini."

(SB 1.8.48 - Purport)

• There were 18 such akshauhinis that fought in the Mahabharata War.
• The Kauravas had 11 such akshauhinis and the Pandavas had 7 - but the Pandavas still emerged victorious even though the odds were set against them, because they had Krishna on their side.
• Each akshauhini is made up 218,990 soldiers, which means that during the course of the 18-day war, a total of 3,941,820 soldiers fought, and if we were to take an average, some 218,990 soldiers were killed each day.
• WW1 & WW2 death tolls are 15,000,000 and 55,000,000 - astronomical in relation to the above, but much of these are civilian deaths, whereas absolutely no civilians were killed during the Mahabharata war - they fought with honour.

Welcome to my Realisations

Hare Krishna!

Welcome to my Weblog ("blog"), which I will use to relay some of the things that are both important and relevant in my life. These will feature things from what I have read, heard, discussed or even seen as part of the practice of Krishna Consciousness.

My hope in sharing these is to primarily provide a medium for me to express myself (for therapeutic effect).

Let the blogs begin....

Hari Hari.

janak