Supreme Sculpture

Krsna is the sculpture and we are being molded.

At first we feel like a dark cold stone, no life, no happiness….

And the constant ‘chipping’ hurts us.

We despair and cannot see a positive end to it all.

But as Rupa Goswami says in NOI – we have to have faith, confidence and enthusiasm.

Trust that the sculpture knows what he is doing

We cannot see the sculpture’s vision but he knows what a beautiful work of art he is creating with his constant chipping away - sometimes little chips and sometimes large chunks .. it really hurts!

But as we learn to tolerate the chips (the tests) we gradually surrender our false ego and allow the Supreme Sculpture to mold the beautiful masterpieces that we  – pure spirit souls – are …. 

The Wise Lesson of the Sat-Nav - Be a Sheep !

So normally, we hear the words: "Don't be a sheep!" 

Makes sense, as otherwise we could just be "another face in the crowd."

Be a sheep. 

So why the reversal? 

Because to be inspired by others is natural...to have a role model....a hero or heroine....someone we look up to...some we aspire to be like. 

The question is: who is it for you? 

Your parents?
A close friend? 
The latest fashionable personality in the media - here today and gone tomorrow?
A famous personality that made great achievements in the history of the world? 

Look back on each day as it ends....

Who did we talk about? 

Who did we read about? 

Who did we listen to?

Who did we spend time with? 

Who was on our minds? 

Who influenced the decisions we made? What was the result? Did we make meaningful progress? 

Who did we trust? 

Who brought out the best in us? 

Who brought out the worst in us?

Who helped us grow? 

The timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita says:

sańgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ

And Srila Prabhupada explains this statement of Lord Krishna's:

"In Bhagavad-gita (2.62) it is stated, sangat sanjayate kamah: one's desires and ambitions develop according to the company one keeps. It is often said that a man is known by his company, and if an ordinary man associates with devotees, he will certainly develop his dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness." ~ The Nectar of Instruction, Srila Prabhupada's purport to verse 4.

Life's a journey - where are we going? 

That's where our trusty Sat-Nav comes in !! :D 

What does the Sat-Nav do? 

Cue - cheesy Sat-Nav voice:

"Turn right here"
"Take the third exit"
"You have now reached your final destination." 

Without our Sat-Nav, we are lost as to how to get to where we want to. 

In the Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.31, the saintly child prince Prahlad Maharaj says: 

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiḿ hi viṣṇuḿ

In other words, those who get distracted by superficial pursuits and goals, forget that the real goal of life is to go back home, back to Godhead and engage in the service of Lord Vishnu (Krishna).

So today I share: The Lesson of the Wise Sat-Nav - Be a sheep.

How to be a sheep? 

Shravanam - hear

If we don't listen to the Sat-Nav: 

* ATTENTIVELY

* WITH ABSORPTION 

* AND COMPLETE UNDIVIDED FOCUS

....we miss the turning and end up somewhere we don't want to be.

As we get in our cars each day, the destination of true success and happiness is certainly reached by hearing attentively from the spiritual Sat-Nav association around us:

** The Hare Krishna maha mantra

** Srila Prabhupada - who speaks through his books and classes

** Spiritual teachers  - our gurus

** Spiritual friends, who also eagerly want to get to that forgotten destination of the heart. 

Be the right kind of sheep.... follow truly inspiring personalities, and go baaaaaaaaa-ck to Godhead :D

The real seer of the truth

Who is it that looks out of your eyes?

I mean who is it that is looking out of your face?

It can't be the eyes.

If you remove the eyes from their socket and put them on a shelf can they see anything?

No ...

So who is it that is looking out of the eyes socket?

Have a think for a while.

Meditate on that for a while

Who is it?

That is you my dear friend.

YOU - the Soul - a part of God.

Remove the arm and the consciousness still remains

Remove the lung and the consciousness till remains

That viewer through the eye sockets still remains

Who is this silent witness?

That is you ...

The real you

The soul you


Take a few minutes and meditate on that my dear friend

Meditation on Krishna

Here is a short meditation on Krsna which I wrote for one of my counsellee meetings:

Imagine water trickling  - softly - over a low river bed

There are some shiny stones visible in the clear water

As you move your eyes up you see a foot - it is pink underneath and grey/blue on top

The nails are shiny, clear and cut short

There is a sweet smell - indescribable - emanating from this foot

As your eyes move up you see a slender leg - grey/blue and so soft - like cotton wool

Slowly your eyes move up and you see that this person is wearing a yellow dhoti on his lower part of the body.

It is silk and soft to touch

There is a red cloth belt tied around the waist - with a flute tucked into it.

The flute is made of bamboo wood

You see this man is bare chested - his chest broad and strong yet youthful.

On his chest is a necklace with a valuable jewel

Around his neck and hanging to his waist is a fragrant flower garland - white - with bees sweetly droning around it

His neck has markings on it in 3 places

His face is revealed ... 

You see his lotus like eyes - they are broad and clear - with a reddish tinge

His nose is small like a button

His lips are red and smiling at you

His hair is soft, shiny and hangs in curls around his shoulders

He has shark shaped earrings

In his hair is a peacock feather - slightly fluttering in the gentle breeze

This is Krishna

The supreme personality of godhead

From him- this person you see in front of you - emanates planets and universes

From him - the man in front of you - all demigods bow and take instructions

This man is time personified

This man knows past, present and future

This man has entered into every universe, living entity, atom and .... your heart.

This man sitting in front of you now is your supreme goal both in this life and after your dead

How well do YOU know this man?

Envy

I don't like what I see

I feel all twisted up inside

Why her?

Why is she getting all the attention?

Don't you know what she is like?

Did you know she does not get on with her in laws?

She has issues with her own brother you know?

To the world is a 'lady' to my heart she is a demon.

Oh why her?

Why can't people see what I see?

Why can't people see through my vision?

I know the truth.

I know what she is really like.

She is not sincere

She does not care really

You don't know what she did 5 years ago ... if I told you than you would be shocked.

But still she gets the recognition.

She gets the praise?

Why her?



And ....






Why not me?










ENVY






STAMP IT OUT BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!

Keep your false ego at the door please!

How can we truly care for someone?

It seems that some relationships are just based on shallow expectations - you agree with everything I say and I will like you.

All it takes is one 'constructive criticism' and the foundations of your whole relationship come toppling down.

Srila Prabhupada explains how the Guru can be cutting with his words as this wakes up the disciple from ignorance.

We all need to accept this type of advice - or have a friend whom we trust to give this sort of advice.

It is not good enough to just follow the 'cutting' words of the Guru and than fall apart when your peers or seniors try to advise you.

Our false ego's should be left outside the association of devotees if we truly want to learn and grow within their association. 

Krsna is always speaking to us - through the Guru, through the devotees, through sastras, even through nature and other people around us.

We simple have to be open to His different ways of speaking.

And the first step in doing this is to keep the false ego at bay.

Woohoo it's pay day!! Or not? :S

So here is a snippet of my weekly timesheet in my current position as a healthcare professional (Pharmacy Technician). 

I fill it in eagerly every week ! 

Why? Because without it, all the hours I put in at work bear no fruit. 

How will I pay my rent? 

How will I put food on the table? 

How will I afford my shopping sprees? :D 

Generally, I work 7.5 hours a day, 9am-515pm 37.5 hours a week. And at the end of each week, my manager signs me off, having seen me work these hours. 

And that is how I get paid. 

Similarly I was thinking - when I fill out my sadhana chart - I have to be honest and open every day, about:

How many rounds have I chanted?

What time did I wake up?

What time did I go to sleep?

How much time have I spent reading Srila Prabhupada's books?

How much time have I spent hearing Srila Prabhupada's classes?

How much time have I spent doing services?

How much time have I spent attending KC programmes and classes?

I can't cheat myself or others, just like can't cheat my manager. He is at work and he sees what I am up to. 

Similarly, the Supersoul is there 24/7 and His empowered devotees - the spiritual master and the Vaishnavas also see me - my spiritual practices, external actions and more importantly sense my internal moods, motivations and intentions. 

The Sadhana Chart is my spiritual timesheet as my ultimate occupation is that: I am an eternal servant of Krishna. 

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 20.108

jīvera 'svarūpa' haya — kṛṣṇera 'nitya-dāsa'

"It is the living entity's constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." 

If I do not go to work and hand a blank timesheet to my manager, and I cry, "Why did I not get paid this week???" - I have no one to blame but myself. 

No pain, no gain. 

We get out of anything what we put into it. 

Enthusiastically performing my spiritual practices - externally and internally, is how I can access the wages of mercy from Krishna and His devotees. 

Therefore The Sadhana Chart is not a formality, or just a "tick-box" exercise. It is my open and honest offering of love: "Dearest guru, Krishna and Vaishnavas. Here is my sadhana chart for your pleasure. For the good activities I say: Just see what I have done by your mercy...and for my shortcomings...please forgive me and help me to become a better servant."