Stop the Crazy Mind !!!

How many births must we pass before a dramatic fundamental hits home? The essence of maya is deception. Can we really accept that? Troubled by our mind, harassed by our senses, we allow the illusory energy to dupe us.

Here's the common scenario:

"I'm so tired of battling my mind's agitation. Maybe if I just surrender somewhat to the dictations, the reaction won't be so bad.

"When I peer out at the world through my senses, though I know I'm probably seeing topsy turvy, still, the dedicated slaves of the material energy—those folks completely in maya—seem more peaceful.

"They don't have to fight the agitations; they've surrendered, in blissful ignorance. Even though I have access to superior knowledge, I wonder how long can I resist."

Don't judge a book by its cover, or a car by its color. Turn the pages of material existence, lift up its hood, the bonnet—you'll find a pathetic mess.

For a bhakti practitioner, agitations stand out in high contrast, as a black spot does on a white cloth, or a black cloud in a clear blue sky. Therefore they can seem so intimidating to a spiritual practitioner.

For those unfortunate souls lost in the illusory energy, however, the whole of life—all of the cloth, all of the sky—is a 100% agitation. You see, any semblance of peace is at best uneasy, tenuous, and laced with anxiety.

In other words, there are no lasting, significant patches of blue to break up the thick covering of storm clouds covering the entire sky.

"Both the lowest of fools and he who is transcendental to all intelligence enjoy happiness, whereas persons between them suffer the material pangs." (S. bhag. 3.7.17)

HH Devamrta Swami

Modes of Nature

It is so easy to be enthusiastic about a project in the beginning .... but to act on this enthusiasm takes a certain type of personal strength in order to shake of the thick layers of the mode of ignorance that envelope us like a seemingly warm and cosy blanket but which is really slowly suffocating us in the form of lack of progress and moving forward.

Karma anyone?

Disgusting ....

Anyone think there maybe a slight connection between world wars and civil wars and family wars, and neighbour wars and the most scariest of them all ... inside your own mind wars ... and the totally unnecessary killing of millions of animals worldwide?

Just a thought ....

Mind your own business !

In life there are three businesses:

1) My Business

2) God's Business

3) Your Business


I cannot control number 2 - that will go on regardless of what I think or say....

And I cannot really control number 3 either - even though I would like to ...

So really what I need to do in order to be happy and at peace is concentrate on number 1.


You see it is not what the problem is in life that matters it is how I approach it.

Every 'problem' is an opportunity to grow and seek out a personal challenge.

However what tends to happen is that we think by controlling number 3 we will sort out our problems.

BIG MISTAKE !

I cannot change someone no matter how hard I may try or get upset.

I can only act in the right way myself.

One way of doing this is to recognise how I might have contributed to the problem.

Hard to believe I know but as they say it takes two to tango.

What could I have done differently?

How could I have helped clear some channels of communication?

What qualities do I see in the other person which I refuse to see in myself?

So the solution with our problems starts with us.

Are you ready for a closer inspection?

Holding onto hot coal

When we hold onto hot coal it hurts ... really bad ... and yet we keep holding on ... really tightly sometimes too ... and our hand hurts so much and still we keep holding on.

Sounds silly doesn't it?

Who holds onto hot coal?

Not me I hear you cry!

Actually you do ... 

Whenever you hold a grudge, form a pre-judgement, cannot let go of the past - you are holding onto hot coal and only hurting yourself.

We imagine we will 'get even' with the other person and we consume our thoughts with revenge and exacting supreme justice upon them.

But the only person who is getting hurt is you  ....  you who is holding onto the hot coal.

Let it go!

It does not matter who said what, did what, does not do what.

Don't self inflict pain upon yourself.

It is just not worth it.

Letting go of the hot coal does not mean we forget what someone did to us.

We remember what they did but we don't allow ourself to be locked in the past and be consumed by it ... thus causing more pain by dwelling on the nature of the hot coal in our hand.

Krsna is the Absolute Truth.

He sees what each of us does as the Supersoul in our hearts.

Krsna also knows who is the real victim and where justice needs to be meted.

Our life is not just starting from year dot when we came out of our mothers wombs.

We have been around for a long time - and carried a lot of hot coals and likewise caused a lot of hot coals to be carried in our name too.

So just let it go.

How do you know this particular hot coal is not one which had your name on it in a previous life coming back to you  - neatly arranged by Krsna - and hand delivered in the guise of karma?

Or hot coal again sent by Krsna for you to gain greater humility and tolerance and labelled as that special mercy called 'Krsna Karma' & coming to us after we take formal initiation and think we are through with all hot coals .....??

So you see it is really just not worth it.

Don't allow this hot coal to burn up any tender bhakti saplings sown in your heart.

Don't allow this hot coal to destroy relationships with those around you - as we all wonder why you are torturing yourself and cannot just 'drop' the hot coal  - as you just keep holding it tighter and closer to you.

Take a deep breath.

Take shelter of dear Sri Sri Radha Londonisvara and just let that hot coal fall to the ground .... where it will sizzle a little and eventually die out ....

Let the dirt rise up !

Srila Prabhupada has explained that this process is like taking a stick and swirling it in a body of water and seeing all the mud settled at the bottom coming to the top.

This is what happens when we take to this process - we stir up and dislodge (sometimes painfully due to our attachments) the dirt accumulated in the bottom of our hearts for so many lifetimes like greed, anger, pride, envy etc 

Stuff we thought we never had even is dredged up.

Keep chanting sincerely and attentively as this dirt has to come out .... Don't stop to analyse it or even enjoy it.

Let it all float up and go away and once all is clean then Krsna and Radha will come and sit on the throne of your heart.

Challenges ....

Just when you think you have overcome a 'challenge' and have it all 'figured out' ... Krsna comes along and pulls the rug out from right under you and you are back to square one again if ... you are not strong enough to apply the lessons learnt from the 'peaceful times' when philosophy is so easy to spout......

Bhagavad Gita without Krishna ?

The third paragraph to the Preface of the Bg reads as such:

“If personally I have any credit in this matter, it is only that I have tried to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any adulteration. Before my presentation of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, almost all the English editions of Bhagavad-gītā were introduced to fulfill someone's personal ambition. But our attempt, in presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, is to present the mission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.”

The key point here is that Bg was presented As It Is in order to present the ‘mission’ of Krsna.

Prabhupada wanted to get across Krsna’s instructions – unadulterated – to the world.

He did not want Krsna’s words to be sullied by personal opinion.

“Our business is to present the will of Kṛṣṇa, not that of any mundane speculator like the politician, philosopher or scientist, for they have very little knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, despite all their other knowledge.”

This is true as most of these men are not devotees of Krsna wanting to promote Krsna but are wanting to promote themselves.

In this respect they do not care to carefully scrutinize the words of Krsna in order to seek to understand what He has to say.

When Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māḿ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], etc., we, unlike the so-called scholars, do not say that Kṛṣṇa and His inner spirit are different. Kṛṣṇa is absolute, and there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's qualities, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, etc. This absolute position of Kṛṣṇa is difficult to understand for any person who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa in the system of paramparā (disciplic succession).

Prabhupada says that not only do you have to be a devotee of Krsna to understand Him but that you have to be in the parampara succession also.

Why?

Well how can we know someone if we are not favorably disposed towards them?

We will criticize, minimize or make judgments of him/her whom we do not know so well and do not seek to know.

The parampara can be compared to being favorably situated in someone’s family or friend circle.

These people will vouch for you and not interpret what you are all about but rather act as well wishers.

The difference being that in the parampara system all acknowledge that Krsna is the Supreme Lord … a fact that might not so easily rest among one’s own mundane family or friends about us !

Generally the so-called scholars, politicians, philosophers, and svāmīs, without perfect knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, try to banish or kill Kṛṣṇa when writing commentary on Bhagavad-gītā. Such unauthorized commentary upon Bhagavad-gītā is known as Māyāvāda-bhāṣya, and Lord Caitanya has warned us about these unauthorized men. Lord Caitanya clearly says that anyone who tries to understand Bhagavad-gītā from the Māyāvādī point of view will commit a great blunder. The result of such a blunder will be that the misguided student of Bhagavad-gītā will certainly be bewildered on the path of spiritual guidance and will not be able to go back to home, back to Godhead.

It seems that non-devotees of Krsna do not want Krsna in the Bg as He gets in the way of their so-called knowledge and motives.

But how can you bump off the chief protagonist of the movie and write a review?

Where would ‘The Wizard of Oz’ be without us mentioning Dorothy in the write up? Silly example I know but the point is that those who push aside Krsna in their presentation of the Bg only serve to reveal that a) they have not understand the purpose of Krsna and b) that they are not willing to accept His Supreme Position.

In the Bg it is this man called Krsna who reveals the Universal Form, this man goes onto instruct Arjuna on life and death, karma, material energy, time etc. and keeps coming back to the point that He – Krsna – is the source of everything.  That means that this man called Krsna who is the person talking to Arjuna is God.

At least if you do not accept Krsna as God than at least you can ‘interpret’ you reading of this book by theoriically accepting it as such.

Just as if I read the Bible and write a review I have to acknowled the personality called Jesus – if I do not and make him out to be a myth or an ordinary man – that would mean I am motivated in some way.

At least some basic respect for the protagonist of the Bible should be there and he should not be dismissed just as a mundane film critic will write up a rewiew about a movie and acknowledged the presnce of the ‘hero’ in the film.

If he did not mention him than that critic would not be seen as a very good critic as he has obviously missed the point .. or not even seen the movie and just wrote whatever he wanted to.

        

The authority of the Bhagavad Gita

The second paragraph to the Preface of the Bg reads as such:

“Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is genuine, historically authorized, natural and transcendental due to its being based on Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. It is gradually becoming the most popular movement in the entire world, especially amongst the younger generation. It is becoming more and more interesting to the older generation also. Older gentlemen are becoming interested, so much so that the fathers and grandfathers of my disciples are encouraging us by becoming life members of our great society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In Los Angeles many fathers and mothers used to come to see me to express their feelings of gratitude for my leading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement throughout the entire world. Some of them said that it is greatly fortunate for the Americans that I have started the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in America. But actually the original father of this movement is Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, since it was started a very long time ago but is coming down to human society by disciplic succession. If I have any credit in this connection, it does not belong to me personally, but it is due to my eternal spiritual master, His Divine Grace Oḿ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaḿsa Parivrājakācārya 108 Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja Prabhupāda.”

From this I understand the importance of the Bg – if Srila Prabhupada can authenticate a whole spiritual movement by simply basing it on the teachings of this book.

Prabhupada says that ISKCON is:

Genuine

Historically authorized

Natural

&

Transcendental

Due to it being based on Bhagavad Gita As It Is.

This means this book is worthy of being studied and should be studied in great depth by those following the principles of ISKCON.

We should know this book inside and out as this book is the foundation and essence of our beliefs.

Prabhupada also says that the younger genertation are taking to this movement very well but that the older generation are also becoming favourable by becoming life members.

This means that we can take to this process in various ways and different degrees of surrender.

It is also stated in this paragraph that it is Lord Krsna Himself who is the original founder of the movement and that Srila Prabhupada has simply repeated the teachings of his previous teachers ending with his beloved Guru Maharaj.

Hence Srila Prabhupada writes on the front of the book – Bhagavad Gita ‘As It Is’ which means as it is coming down through the line of teachers and as it is spoken by Lord Krsna Himself.  

How Can I Clear a Clogged Heart?

Reach deep into your core being, searching, probing. How's the feel, the texture? Carefully, honestly note the lumps, indeed maybe the chunks.

Most likely we're blaming someone for something that happened in our life—or didn't happen.

You see, the blame-game, so popular though so unsatisfying, hardens areas of the heart. And loading guilt-trips on others will backfire on us in the same way. The stonelike lumps in the heart affect not only our material life but our spiritual advancement too. 

Amazingly, even devotees, though not easily admitting, burying it in the heart, aim blame at Krishna. 

"Why did He let this happen to me? Why didn't He let me have this, or that?" Even we are more direct, charging (devotionally, of course): "Why did He do this to me?"

The demons outright accuse Krishna maliciously. Consider Sishupala and Dantavakra, for example, who Narada Muni says, as infants were blaspheming Krishna even before they could talk. 

As they grew, so did the venom of their accusations against Him. Sishupala, especially ablaze after Krishna stole Rukmini from his marriage ceremony, denounced Krishna's activities as creating mass havoc in society. He consummated his last harangue by declaring Krishna a low-class, garbage-hunting bird, a crow.

Dantavakra's madness peaked after Krishna liquidated his friend Shalva. 

"Krishna, You're my cousin, and I shouldn't have to kill You. But You killed my friend Shalva, and so now, because I always pay my debts to my friends, I have to eliminate You, a boil needing surgical removal."

Our own accusations against Krishna, veiled, not demoniac, generally owe to material disappointment and frustration in bhakti. We may subtlety maintain that our material desires and conceptions weren't handled [by Krishna] the way we thought best. Or we are bewildered that, in spite of our "undeniable goodness," nevertheless bad things still came our way. "We are devotees—why did [Krishna let] material nature show us its vicious side." 

Especially: "After all the service I tried to do for Krishna, why did [He let] devotees misunderstand me?'

Accusing Krishna produces heart-stones that impede our bhakti flow. Our chanting and practical service gradually become problematic, sputtering, even flickering out, but we don't know why.

Krishna really deserves our guilt-trips?

"I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotee, even those who are devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me." (S. bhag. 9.4.63)

Krishna has neglected or maltreated His devotee? Promise me today you'll search out any such notions in your bhakti heart and vanish them. Minus these stones, our spiritual life will go so much better, when we no longer even just subconsciously or indirectly accuse Krishna of shortcomings.

"O best of the brahmanas, without saintly persons for whom I am the only destination, I do not desire to enjoy My transcendental bliss and My supreme opulences." (9.4.64)

Dissolve the lumps clogging the heart, by removing Krishna from the blame list. Never mind if you don't understand completely why some challenge targeted you in the past, or even now. Though we may never fully comprehend the whys and wherefores of a difficult passage in our life, nevertheless—winter, spring, summer, or fall— we want our service to Krishna marching on, dancing on, free of bhakti blockages. 

HH Devamrita Swami