An age of lazy, misguided and disturbed populace

We are living in an age where the Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.1.10 is ever true. More and more, people high and low are lazy, misguided and constantly disturbed externally or internally. People are either ritualistically positioned in their religious system or people are interested in spaced-out spiritualism.

Ritualism and religion are akin to each other today. People identify religion based on the ritual they perform. It is no more about God, knowing God, serving God and loving God. It is purely about the external aspects of religion that is its rituals.

As for so-called spirituality goes, people are only interested to deal with mundane problems such as stress. In other words, spiritualism has become a space-out technique in the name of yoga or meditation to effectively deal with mundane problems. When there is no problem, there is no necessity to space-out, hence spirituality is used only on a need-to-use basis.

In this superficial civilization of morality, and ethics, to introduce a deeper culture of ethics as enunciated in the Bhagavad Gita or Bhagavatam is practically impossible. This condition only will get worse as time passes. Hence, this place truly is not a place for a gentleman or gentlewoman. This tendency to take the non-physical side of life frivolously (due to laziness) is the bane of modern education and civilization. There will be nobody to blame but our self when our time runs out.

To cultivate faith on a Supreme Transcendent Being requires hard work, determination and will power, qualities we find in the corporate world and not so much in a forum to find God. Hence, today there is so much mistrust, doubt, cynicism, and utter disdain towards genuine seekers. However, without being discouraged one must continue with determination on this path for by practicing the art of shelter unto the Transcendent Lord amidst dualities, eventually though, one will seek the favor of the Lord for that is his or her rightful claim!

Hare Krishna

One must always be connected to the Spiritual Master

In ISKCON, there are all varieties of devotees from neophytes to madhyama to uttama. It is important to associate with highly elevated souls at the same time careful in not finding fault with not so sincere souls who may be in a position of authority as well. 

Because in our heart, there is a tendency to find fault, that tendency is flared up when we see a factual discrepancy in the behavior of devotees. We will use it as a justification to criticize ISKCON and its authority. This does not mean we just have a blind eye to misdeeds. We have to report it to the concerned authorities and take shelter of Guru and Gauranga. In other words, good or bad we should practice the art of taking shelter unto Krishna amongst the dualities of this world even if it is in a devotional environment such as a temple because after-all ISKCON is also within this material world of duality and hence anytime anyone can fall victim to maya. 

We should not leave the institution just because we have a sour experience with local congregation or temple authorities. Humility,patience and shastric insights can alleviate some of the pain but by taking shelter of Krishna we can try to resolve unresolved conflicts within our self. 

Srila Prabhupada in one of his purports writes even if we find not so pure devotees, still we must stick to the Krishna Conscious Society.

Even if one thinks that there are many pseudo devotees or nondevotees in the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society, still one should stick to the Society; if one thinks the Society’s members are not pure devotees, one can keep direct company with the spiritual master, and if there is any doubt, one should consult the spiritual master. However, unless one follows the spiritual master’s instructions concerning the regulative principles and chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord, one cannot become a pure devotee. 

- Purport by Srila Prabhupada CC Madhya Lila 19.157

Hare Krishna

An elephant to the rescue

People say animals do not have soul, or feelings or the ability to think. This video proves otherwise.

Anyone with an ounce of intelligence will understand that animals of all species have desire, intelligence, mind and feelings (thus consciousness) to emote at times of happiness or despair. It is just that the emotions fit the body of that living being. Animals have the same rights as humans to live out their lives per their life style habits. In my opinion, humans who support animal slaughter have feelings less than an animal since they cannot appreciate the consciousness (thinking, feeling and desiring) of the animal.

In this video, two elephants are trying hard to prevent the baby elephant from dying. You can see that they show urgency which means they understand the elephant is drowning and will die if we do not save it immediately (like any human). Since elephants are evolved beings, their consciousness is evolved to the point they can understand when someone is drowning. Then they use their intelligence and mental capacity to save the drowning elephant.

Hare Krishna

The Inverted tree

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is said that there is an imperishable banyan tree that has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas. The branches of this tree extend downward and upward, nourished by the three modes of material nature. The twigs are the objects of the senses. This tree also has roots going down, and these are bound to the fruitive actions of human society.

BG 15.1-2

Hare Krishna

Purity imparts purity

Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita says that for a soul to accept Him as the Supreme Being requires millions of life times of sojourn in this material creation. In this long sojourn, if a soul is fortunate to meet a bonafide spiritual master, then that soul embarks on the journey back home back to Godhead. 

In one lecture, Srila Prabhupada spoke about this potential jiva. Prabhupada said that it is not only that the spiritual master has to be bonfide but also the disciple has to be bonafide. By that he meant the disciple should be willing to accept the gift the spiritual master is bestowing. So it is natural to be curious to want to know who will accept this gift and who will not? or rather what is the qualification to accept the gift of the spiritual master?

I was reading the purport to CC Madhya lila 19.152, in there we get a clue. Below is the short excerpt.

Those with a background of pious life are eligible to receive life’s supreme benefit, and to bestow this benefit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead sends His representative to impart His mercy. endowed with the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master distributes the mercy to those who are elevated and pious. 

Here in this purport, Prabhupada qualifies a potential candidate of mercy is one who has a pious background, those who are elevated souls. To say this the other way, those who have whole-heartedly accepted the gift from guru (guru-prasāda), we can say are actually the pious souls. They must have performed sadhana in their previous lives to accept this gift in this life. I also want to distinguish mundane piety (in the name of dharma, artha, kama) from piety being referred here. Mundane piety leads to mundane prosperity (not certainly Krishna). Pious means one who has performed practical service to fulfill their constitutional positional as a servant of God. 

So yes, Krishna consciousness is certainly not for everyone. Only those with a pious background, those who are elevated will be able to fully accept guru-prasāda and make tangible strides on the path of ananya bhakti towards Krishna - the primeval and original living Being!

Hare Krishna

The elusive minute

When will that minute come? I am waiting eons of life times for that minute. Irony of time, indeed!



Hare Krishna