Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Reality of life
There was once a frog that lived in a lake. One day in the morning the frog left the water and he found a 50-cent coin. He exclaimed, "I am rich! Iam rich! I have 50 cents! In the whole world which other frog has asmuch money as I do." Have you ever seen a frog with money? He was probably the richest frog in the whole world. He had 50 cents. One day he was sitting on top of his 50-cent coin and he was bloating withpride. " Ah! Ah! I have it! I am rich! So now, let me do something for my fellow frogs. Let me uplift all my fellow frogs! I will be known as great leader of the frogs. People will praise me. I will be the king of frogs, and I must do something for them."
He thought of the most important problems the frogs were facing, "Every morning the elephant comes here and bathes in the lake and he disturbs the frogs. I will not tolerate this anymore! Now I am rich! The richest frog in the world will not tolerate this injustice from the elephant!" Just then the king's elephant was being brought down by his mahout. So the frog confronted the elephant turned his head to see who was making this noise. The frog cried out, "Elephant! Stop!It's me! It's me! The richest frog in the world! Stop!" But theelephant did not hear the frog. Then the frog jumped from his 50-centcoin before the elephant to stop him from going to the lake. But he wasso small that the elephant stepped on him, and the richest frog in theworld was killed.
Purport: This story was told by Srila Bhakti Siddanta Saraswati Thakur, to illustrate how a person can become very proud of a little material opulence and in his pride, he can lose perspective of the reality of life.
Please Chant:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Hare Krishna
He thought of the most important problems the frogs were facing, "Every morning the elephant comes here and bathes in the lake and he disturbs the frogs. I will not tolerate this anymore! Now I am rich! The richest frog in the world will not tolerate this injustice from the elephant!" Just then the king's elephant was being brought down by his mahout. So the frog confronted the elephant turned his head to see who was making this noise. The frog cried out, "Elephant! Stop!It's me! It's me! The richest frog in the world! Stop!" But theelephant did not hear the frog. Then the frog jumped from his 50-centcoin before the elephant to stop him from going to the lake. But he wasso small that the elephant stepped on him, and the richest frog in theworld was killed.
Purport: This story was told by Srila Bhakti Siddanta Saraswati Thakur, to illustrate how a person can become very proud of a little material opulence and in his pride, he can lose perspective of the reality of life.
Please Chant:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Hare Krishna
God - definition
Generally people say, "God is great." But they do not know how great He is. God's greatness is indicated perfectly by the name "Krishna." If you want a perfect definition of the word "God," then it is Krishna, because the word Krishna means "all-attractive." Unless one is all-attractive, how can He be God, the greatest? If one is great, he must be attractive. For example, John D. Rockefeller and Henry Ford were considered great men because they were very rich, and their great wealth made them attractive. So wealth is one feature of attraction. Therefore God must be the most wealthy person. Beauty is another attractive feature—so God must be the most beautiful person. Many people, when they see a picture of Krishna, are convinced they have never seen such a beautiful person, although He's a little blackish. Similarly, Krishna fully possesses the attractive opulences of strength, wisdom, fame, and renunciation. And because these six opulences of infinite wealth, beauty, strength, wisdom, fame, and renunciation make Him all-attractive, God is known by the name "Krishna." With these transcendental opulences He can attract the richest person, the most beautiful person, the strongest person, the wisest person, the most famous person, and the most renounced person. Such infinite attractive features are impossible for us to understand through mental speculation based on sense perception, and so Krishna is also known as Adhoksaja.
Srila Prabhupada's book: Dharma: The way of Transcendence
Srila Prabhupada's book: Dharma: The way of Transcendence
Friday, March 13, 2009
para-upakara - greatest welfare act!
The person in this picture who is handing the book to another person is my father-in-law. I am very happy and proud to have such esteemed company. He has taken his time and efforts to preach and distribute the cream of all knowledge to people.
In this picture, he is handing out Srila Prabhupada book to a fellow worker. In this particular incident, he not only distributes the book but also requests the person to say out loud the Hare Krishna mahamantra and also gave him the mantra to chant. He has re-established the connection between this soul and Krishna. Haribol!!!
This act of charity is the highest and the most compassionate act in all of mankind. I am happy and most fortunate to have his association. I would like to add a few words about him. Although my association with him is short, he comes across as a person who cares, and loves all beings. This sentiment is very rare. He has a way with people and can persuade people to like him. This, of course, as you can see, he is using it to his best advantage. My wish is he uses his God given talents and natural compassion to all living beings in distributing Prabhupada’s books to one and all.
Krishna Himself says in the Bhagavad Gita about a person who engages in such a benevolent act.
For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me. There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.
- BG 18-68-69
Lord Chaitanya explains a similar ideology
bharata-bhumite haila manushya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara
One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.” (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 9.41).
The paro-upakar or the benefit activity Mahaprabhu is talking about is the distribution of Krishna Consciousness and this is exactly what my father-in-law is doing. All glories to him and his benevolence. He is surely dear to Krishna, Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada.
Please continue with your service. My obeisances unto you.
Hare Krishna.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Krishna Science - all inclusive!
Physical sciences, sociology, anthropology, literature, design, economics, military, sports, space travel, religion, politics etc etc is all intended towards one high ideal - for man to live a peaceful, happy and fulfilling life sensually, intellectually, spiritually and as a community (local, national or international).
To this high end, to improve man’s quality of life we have so many variety of departments in the name of pure and pseudo science. While technology, innovation and unearthing of history has vastly improved in the past 100 years, still we seem to face more issues ranging from the environment to moral to disease.
Krishna Consciousness is one department which explains all of the above departments in one shot. Yet no one would be interested in it simply because it is dubbed under the banner of religion (and most likely seen sectarian). Therefore it is just another view among the many. Science, philosophy, religion, sports, economics, sociology, military art, medicine, all of it can nicely be explained from a Krishna standpoint…a Vedic standpoint. The essence of Vedas is to know Krishna. Therefore if we study Vedas from that perspective, then all the mundane aspirations can be dovetailed at the spiritual level and nourish our soul - an element that has been left out by modern torch bearers of knowledge.
No matter what we do externally, if we do not dovetail it to nourish the soul, our efforts for happiness will go in wane. Krishna Consciousness deal with the body, mind, soul and supersoul and hence is the only way of life that can complete any one individual and thus make him/her happy, peaceful and fulfilling.
Please include Krishna!
Hare Krishna
To this high end, to improve man’s quality of life we have so many variety of departments in the name of pure and pseudo science. While technology, innovation and unearthing of history has vastly improved in the past 100 years, still we seem to face more issues ranging from the environment to moral to disease.
Krishna Consciousness is one department which explains all of the above departments in one shot. Yet no one would be interested in it simply because it is dubbed under the banner of religion (and most likely seen sectarian). Therefore it is just another view among the many. Science, philosophy, religion, sports, economics, sociology, military art, medicine, all of it can nicely be explained from a Krishna standpoint…a Vedic standpoint. The essence of Vedas is to know Krishna. Therefore if we study Vedas from that perspective, then all the mundane aspirations can be dovetailed at the spiritual level and nourish our soul - an element that has been left out by modern torch bearers of knowledge.
No matter what we do externally, if we do not dovetail it to nourish the soul, our efforts for happiness will go in wane. Krishna Consciousness deal with the body, mind, soul and supersoul and hence is the only way of life that can complete any one individual and thus make him/her happy, peaceful and fulfilling.
Please include Krishna!
Hare Krishna
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Death – a Vedic lifestyle
Srila Prabhupada showed us that a Vedic way of life is more consummate than its counterpart -modern urban lifestyle. Vedic lifestyle means regulated sense enjoyment versus endless enjoyment (urban lifestyle).
Death, therefore, was always discussed and part of one’s plan making from a Vedic perspective. I think it is the most natural and healthy thing to do. To think about death as a reality is actually easy on the mind when we actually face it and hence we will be well-prepared to focus on Krishna and not be bamboozled by “untimely” death. When was the last time you heard death to be timely?
If you think about it, we think about college and course of interest when we are in school. When we are in college, we think about getting a good job. When we have a job, we think about family, house, assets etc. When we obtain all of that, we think about retirement, and maintaining a healthy life. When we approach the end, we start to meditate on death as a reality. What happens at that late stage, it is something like the feeling one gets when one does not study for the exams (rather spends time playing) and on the day of the exam, we have an eerie feeling in the stomach (utter depression). A feeling of uncertainty, anxiety, unwillingness all culminating in fear. This fear is the unhealthiest way to approach death.
Vedic lifestyle keeps life simple yet real. It always reminds us that we do not belong here…in this temporary tottering platform. Rather there is an eternal place full of happiness. Modern urban lifestyle promotes the opposite sense of eternity right here…which we all know is illusion.
Srila Prabhupada took so much pain to re-introduce Vedic paradigm in an increasingly urban world/consciousness. Srila Prabhupada was our good teacher who took so much effort to teach us how to prepare for the exam and pass it. That exam is death and if we follow in his footsteps, we can pass the inevitable exam – death!
Please chant Hare Krishna and triumph over death.
For my part, I will say
Hare Krishna!
Death, therefore, was always discussed and part of one’s plan making from a Vedic perspective. I think it is the most natural and healthy thing to do. To think about death as a reality is actually easy on the mind when we actually face it and hence we will be well-prepared to focus on Krishna and not be bamboozled by “untimely” death. When was the last time you heard death to be timely?
If you think about it, we think about college and course of interest when we are in school. When we are in college, we think about getting a good job. When we have a job, we think about family, house, assets etc. When we obtain all of that, we think about retirement, and maintaining a healthy life. When we approach the end, we start to meditate on death as a reality. What happens at that late stage, it is something like the feeling one gets when one does not study for the exams (rather spends time playing) and on the day of the exam, we have an eerie feeling in the stomach (utter depression). A feeling of uncertainty, anxiety, unwillingness all culminating in fear. This fear is the unhealthiest way to approach death.
Vedic lifestyle keeps life simple yet real. It always reminds us that we do not belong here…in this temporary tottering platform. Rather there is an eternal place full of happiness. Modern urban lifestyle promotes the opposite sense of eternity right here…which we all know is illusion.
Srila Prabhupada took so much pain to re-introduce Vedic paradigm in an increasingly urban world/consciousness. Srila Prabhupada was our good teacher who took so much effort to teach us how to prepare for the exam and pass it. That exam is death and if we follow in his footsteps, we can pass the inevitable exam – death!
Please chant Hare Krishna and triumph over death.
For my part, I will say
Hare Krishna!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Unity Church presentation
On Feb 1 2009, I and my wife presented Krishna Conscious philosophy to Church members. My wife did the whole presentation (about 45-50mins). The whole event was very well recieved and all the Church members were attracted by the presentation and the books. We sold many books. We played Srila Prabhupada's chanting inside the Church and everyone heard him sing. We also (the whole church) sang at the end briefly so people get accustomed to the chanting. We made biscuits and cookies and distributed prasad. We made 9 big size posters from the Bhagavad Gita showing the concepts of the Gita visually. I think all in all they recieved the message well and understood the contents. Below are some pictures from the event and a newsletter from the Church.
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