When you inhale say ‘Ra’ in your mind. When you exhale say ‘dhey’ in your mind. And remember Radha.
My Guru
Bhakti Yog Rasavatar Jagadguruttam Sri Kripalu Ji Maharaj
Friday, March 25, 2011
Jagadguruttam Uvacaha --- 1
When you inhale say ‘Ra’ in your mind. When you exhale say ‘dhey’ in your mind. And remember Radha.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
The Dancing God!
Namaste,
God is eternal. He is never born and never dies. However, from time to time he appears and disappears in a human form for a particular purpose.
One such appearance of the Lord took place more than 5000 years ago in the form of Lord Krishna.
Shyam Sundar, Laddoo Gopal, Govardhana GiriDhari, Gopal, Govind, Rannchhor, Kanha, Muralidhar, Madhusudhan, Dwarika Dhish, Yashoda Nandan, Nand Lala etc are just few of his various beautiful names.
Love was his nature. He shared love. He gave love. He showered love. He accepted and received love.
Pure love of a devotee could pull him like a magnet. Even those who were practising Yogic austerities could not get his attention. People with an awakened Kundalini did not interest him. Love, love, love, pure selfless innocent love is what made him interested in a person. Tears of pure love were enough to pull him.
He filled everyone with awe by his sweet and nectarine divine past times.
As a baby, he killed the female demon Putna. As a growing up child, he killed the multi hooded serpent Kaliya.
He lifted an entire mountain range on the little finger of his hand for days together to provide shelter to his village folks.
Once as a child, he opened his mouth and showed the entire universe to his foster mother inside his mouth.
He(along with his elder brother Balaram)stole butter from many houses and played pranks on many people.
He was the life of his village. The Gopis used to deliberately wait for him to come and steal butter from their homes.
He mesmerized everyone by playing "out of this world" music on his flute.
He did the blissful dance of pure love with all the Gopis and Radha on a full moon night. It was heaven on Earth. It was the zenith of bliss.
At a very young age he killed his evil uncle Kansa and made his subjects free of his evil reign.
He answered Rukmini's prayers by marrying her.
He protected Draupadi when she was being disrobed in the King's court.
He ran out of his palace to greet a childhood friend. At that time Krishna was a king and this friend from his childhood, Sudama was a pauper. Krishna did not hesitate in the least. He hugged Sudama and washed his feet out of love.
He gave the priceless wisdom of Bhagavad Gita and showed his infinite cosmic form to his friend Arjun on a battlefield.
One Krishna, infinite stories.
Krishna is an ocean who can never be exhausted no matter how much we talk about him and his divine past times.
On this Krishna Janamashtami, I pray that Krishna consciousness may awaken within all of us.
All glories to Radha. All glories to Rukmini. All glories to Krishna.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare
Jai Jai Sri Radhe!
Servant of Radha Rani
God is eternal. He is never born and never dies. However, from time to time he appears and disappears in a human form for a particular purpose.
One such appearance of the Lord took place more than 5000 years ago in the form of Lord Krishna.
Shyam Sundar, Laddoo Gopal, Govardhana GiriDhari, Gopal, Govind, Rannchhor, Kanha, Muralidhar, Madhusudhan, Dwarika Dhish, Yashoda Nandan, Nand Lala etc are just few of his various beautiful names.
Love was his nature. He shared love. He gave love. He showered love. He accepted and received love.
Pure love of a devotee could pull him like a magnet. Even those who were practising Yogic austerities could not get his attention. People with an awakened Kundalini did not interest him. Love, love, love, pure selfless innocent love is what made him interested in a person. Tears of pure love were enough to pull him.
He filled everyone with awe by his sweet and nectarine divine past times.
As a baby, he killed the female demon Putna. As a growing up child, he killed the multi hooded serpent Kaliya.
He lifted an entire mountain range on the little finger of his hand for days together to provide shelter to his village folks.
Once as a child, he opened his mouth and showed the entire universe to his foster mother inside his mouth.
He(along with his elder brother Balaram)stole butter from many houses and played pranks on many people.
He was the life of his village. The Gopis used to deliberately wait for him to come and steal butter from their homes.
He mesmerized everyone by playing "out of this world" music on his flute.
He did the blissful dance of pure love with all the Gopis and Radha on a full moon night. It was heaven on Earth. It was the zenith of bliss.
At a very young age he killed his evil uncle Kansa and made his subjects free of his evil reign.
He answered Rukmini's prayers by marrying her.
He protected Draupadi when she was being disrobed in the King's court.
He ran out of his palace to greet a childhood friend. At that time Krishna was a king and this friend from his childhood, Sudama was a pauper. Krishna did not hesitate in the least. He hugged Sudama and washed his feet out of love.
He gave the priceless wisdom of Bhagavad Gita and showed his infinite cosmic form to his friend Arjun on a battlefield.
One Krishna, infinite stories.
Krishna is an ocean who can never be exhausted no matter how much we talk about him and his divine past times.
On this Krishna Janamashtami, I pray that Krishna consciousness may awaken within all of us.
All glories to Radha. All glories to Rukmini. All glories to Krishna.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare
Jai Jai Sri Radhe!
Servant of Radha Rani
Monday, August 9, 2010
Do we hear the mother's cry?
Namaste,
This time I choose a topic that is very important for the protection and preservation of the Vedic culture of Bharat(India).
Vedic culture is the oldest, most peaceful and nature friendly culture on this planet.
The Vedic culture has long been supported by some strong pillars. One of the most important pillars of Sanatana Dharma(Vedic hindu culture) is the holy COW. In fact some would go to the extent of saying that the holy COW is at the very center or core of Hinduism. And I guess I am not debating it. The importance of cows in the Vedic culture cannot be stressed upon enough.
The Hindu scriptures revere the cow as the mother. "She" is to be treated with utmost respect, love and gratitude. However, it is really sad that most of us are not adhering to this instruction of the rishis and sages of yore.
Today animals are being brutally killed to satisfy our taste buds. They are being killed mercilessly to extract leather and make shoes, bags, belts, wallets, jackets etc out of it. Neither things made of leather nor eating meat is at all necessary for human life. And yet, leather items and meat are sold and bought in large quantities.
I am writing this article for animal protection. And specifically for the protection of cows.
Severed head of several cows
Cows are being brutally killed
The humble and sacred Mother Cow is being cruelly butchered and killed in various parts of Bharat(India) and all over the world. This breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes. This is the land where Lord Krishna is worshiped by billions. One of the many names of Lord Krishna happens to be Gopal i.e the one who protects and sustains the holy cow. If Krishna, who was God in a human avatar, loved and respected the cows then how do we have the audacity to disrespect and kill cows!
Gopala(Lord Krishna) with cows
All the sacred deities reside within the holy Cow
The 33 billion devis and devatas(33 billion aspects of God and deities) are believed to reside within Mother Cow. Killing such a sacred being is an act of sin.
On a more physical level, cows were the financial backbone of Bharat. Bharat was indeed the Golden bird(the richest civilization). It was all because of the holy cow. The farms and fields were full of abundant crops because the highly effective cow dung manure was used for farming unlike the harmful chemical fertilizers used today. There was no dearth of food.
Cow's milk was obtained in plenty and further products were derived from it e.g yogurt, ghee(clarified butter) and butter. These products were not only good for health but were also used for Vedic rituals(ghee). They created further economic abundance in the society.
Not only are cow dung and cow's milk full of benefits, but even cow's urine is very valuable.
"gavyam pavitram ca rasayanam ca pathyam ca hrdyam balam buddhi syata
aayuh pradam rakt vikar hari tridosh hridrog vishapaham syata"
Meaning: Cow urine panchgavya is great elixir, proper diet, pleasing to heart, giver of mental and physical strength, enhances longevity. It balances bile, mucous and airs. Remover of heart diseases and effect of poison.
1.Cow urine has amazing germicidal power to kill varieties of germs. All germ generated diseases are thus destroyed.
2.According to Ayurveda the cause of all diseases is the imbalance in three faults (tri-dosas) i.e. mucous, bile and air. Cow urine balances the tri-dosas, thus diseases are cured.
3.Cow urine corrects functioning of liver. So, liver makes healthy pure blood. It gives disease resistance power to the body.
4.There are some micronutrients in our body, which give life strength. These micronutrients are flushed out through urine. Therefore gradually ageing steps in our body. Cow urine has all elements, which compensate for deficiency of nutrients in our body, which are required for healthy life. Thus Cow urine stops ageing process. So it is called an elixir and also life giving.
5.Cow urine contains many minerals especially Copper, gold salts, etc. It compensates for bodily mineral deficiency. Presence of gold salts protects body against diseases.
6.Mental tension hurts nervous system. Cow urine is called medhya and hradya, which means it, gives strength to brain and heart. Thus cow urine protects heart and brain from damages caused by mental tension and protects these organs from disorders and diseases.
7.Excessive use of any medicine leaves some residue in our body. This residue causes diseases. Cow urine destroys the poisonous effects of residues and makes body disease free.
8.Electric currents (rays) which are present in the environment keep our body healthy. These rays in form of extremely small currents enter our body through Copper in our body. We get Copper from cow urine. To attract these electric waves is quality of Copper. Thus we become healthy.
9.By acting against the voice of soul (immoral & sinful action), the heart and mind become narrow minded. Due to this the functioning of body is effected and causes diseases. Cow urine provides mode of goodness(Satwic mind). Thus helps us to perform correct activities by mind. Thus protects from diseases.
10.In scriptures some diseases are said to be due to sinful actions performed in previous lives which we have to bear. Ganga resides in cow urine. Ganga is destroyer of sins, thus cow urine destroys such previous sins and so diseases are cured.
11.By regularly taking cow urine before sickness, we get so much immunity that any attack of diseases is repulsed.
12.Cow urine being miraculous poison destroyer, destroys the disease caused by poison (Toxin). Extremely dangerous chemicals are purified by cow urine. Cow urine provides immunity power by increasing resistance power against diseases in human body. It is anti toxin.
13."Sarve rogaah hi mandagnau" All diseases begin with mandagni (Low fire i.e. digestive capacity). If fire is strong, diseases won't occur. Cow urine keeps the fire strong.
Hence, in spiritual as well as physical terms the holy cow needs to be protected. That is the only way to make Bharat peaceful and prosperous again.
It may not be possible for all of us to keep a cow at home. However, we can certainly do a few things to encourage the protection and well being of cows.
1) Start consuming cow's milk instead of Cola drinks, alcoholic beverages, tea and coffee.
2) Feed the cows on the street if possible so that they don't end up eating plastic bags and other garbage to satiate their hunger at the cost of their well being.
3) Donate some money every month or at least once every quarter to a Goshala(a place where cows are kept and cared for) to maintain at least one cow. Those of us who can afford more than that should not hesitate to do so in the least.
4) Those of us who have houses big enough to keep one or more than one cow at home should immediately do that. I am not talking about the hybrid American cows. I am talking about the Indian cows.
5) Stop eating meat as soon as we can and request(humbly and lovingly) our friends and family members to do the same(without being too pushy of course).
6) Try to avoid the usage of leather as much as possible.
Let us take the initiative to protect animals, especially the holy cow. Let us not wait for the government to do something.
We need to build and encourage Goshalas
Sacred Mother Cow
I pray to God that COW, the holy mother is protected. May this land of Bharat prosper once again with the blessings of the holy cow. May Bharat share that prosperity with the whole world. May I get a chance to serve cows. I offer my humble pranams at the feet of Gou Mata(Mother Cow).
Jai Jai Sri Radhe!
Servant of Radha Rani
This time I choose a topic that is very important for the protection and preservation of the Vedic culture of Bharat(India).
Vedic culture is the oldest, most peaceful and nature friendly culture on this planet.
The Vedic culture has long been supported by some strong pillars. One of the most important pillars of Sanatana Dharma(Vedic hindu culture) is the holy COW. In fact some would go to the extent of saying that the holy COW is at the very center or core of Hinduism. And I guess I am not debating it. The importance of cows in the Vedic culture cannot be stressed upon enough.
The Hindu scriptures revere the cow as the mother. "She" is to be treated with utmost respect, love and gratitude. However, it is really sad that most of us are not adhering to this instruction of the rishis and sages of yore.
Today animals are being brutally killed to satisfy our taste buds. They are being killed mercilessly to extract leather and make shoes, bags, belts, wallets, jackets etc out of it. Neither things made of leather nor eating meat is at all necessary for human life. And yet, leather items and meat are sold and bought in large quantities.
I am writing this article for animal protection. And specifically for the protection of cows.
Severed head of several cows
Cows are being brutally killed
The humble and sacred Mother Cow is being cruelly butchered and killed in various parts of Bharat(India) and all over the world. This breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes. This is the land where Lord Krishna is worshiped by billions. One of the many names of Lord Krishna happens to be Gopal i.e the one who protects and sustains the holy cow. If Krishna, who was God in a human avatar, loved and respected the cows then how do we have the audacity to disrespect and kill cows!
Gopala(Lord Krishna) with cows
All the sacred deities reside within the holy Cow
The 33 billion devis and devatas(33 billion aspects of God and deities) are believed to reside within Mother Cow. Killing such a sacred being is an act of sin.
On a more physical level, cows were the financial backbone of Bharat. Bharat was indeed the Golden bird(the richest civilization). It was all because of the holy cow. The farms and fields were full of abundant crops because the highly effective cow dung manure was used for farming unlike the harmful chemical fertilizers used today. There was no dearth of food.
Cow's milk was obtained in plenty and further products were derived from it e.g yogurt, ghee(clarified butter) and butter. These products were not only good for health but were also used for Vedic rituals(ghee). They created further economic abundance in the society.
Not only are cow dung and cow's milk full of benefits, but even cow's urine is very valuable.
"gavyam pavitram ca rasayanam ca pathyam ca hrdyam balam buddhi syata
aayuh pradam rakt vikar hari tridosh hridrog vishapaham syata"
Meaning: Cow urine panchgavya is great elixir, proper diet, pleasing to heart, giver of mental and physical strength, enhances longevity. It balances bile, mucous and airs. Remover of heart diseases and effect of poison.
1.Cow urine has amazing germicidal power to kill varieties of germs. All germ generated diseases are thus destroyed.
2.According to Ayurveda the cause of all diseases is the imbalance in three faults (tri-dosas) i.e. mucous, bile and air. Cow urine balances the tri-dosas, thus diseases are cured.
3.Cow urine corrects functioning of liver. So, liver makes healthy pure blood. It gives disease resistance power to the body.
4.There are some micronutrients in our body, which give life strength. These micronutrients are flushed out through urine. Therefore gradually ageing steps in our body. Cow urine has all elements, which compensate for deficiency of nutrients in our body, which are required for healthy life. Thus Cow urine stops ageing process. So it is called an elixir and also life giving.
5.Cow urine contains many minerals especially Copper, gold salts, etc. It compensates for bodily mineral deficiency. Presence of gold salts protects body against diseases.
6.Mental tension hurts nervous system. Cow urine is called medhya and hradya, which means it, gives strength to brain and heart. Thus cow urine protects heart and brain from damages caused by mental tension and protects these organs from disorders and diseases.
7.Excessive use of any medicine leaves some residue in our body. This residue causes diseases. Cow urine destroys the poisonous effects of residues and makes body disease free.
8.Electric currents (rays) which are present in the environment keep our body healthy. These rays in form of extremely small currents enter our body through Copper in our body. We get Copper from cow urine. To attract these electric waves is quality of Copper. Thus we become healthy.
9.By acting against the voice of soul (immoral & sinful action), the heart and mind become narrow minded. Due to this the functioning of body is effected and causes diseases. Cow urine provides mode of goodness(Satwic mind). Thus helps us to perform correct activities by mind. Thus protects from diseases.
10.In scriptures some diseases are said to be due to sinful actions performed in previous lives which we have to bear. Ganga resides in cow urine. Ganga is destroyer of sins, thus cow urine destroys such previous sins and so diseases are cured.
11.By regularly taking cow urine before sickness, we get so much immunity that any attack of diseases is repulsed.
12.Cow urine being miraculous poison destroyer, destroys the disease caused by poison (Toxin). Extremely dangerous chemicals are purified by cow urine. Cow urine provides immunity power by increasing resistance power against diseases in human body. It is anti toxin.
13."Sarve rogaah hi mandagnau" All diseases begin with mandagni (Low fire i.e. digestive capacity). If fire is strong, diseases won't occur. Cow urine keeps the fire strong.
Hence, in spiritual as well as physical terms the holy cow needs to be protected. That is the only way to make Bharat peaceful and prosperous again.
It may not be possible for all of us to keep a cow at home. However, we can certainly do a few things to encourage the protection and well being of cows.
1) Start consuming cow's milk instead of Cola drinks, alcoholic beverages, tea and coffee.
2) Feed the cows on the street if possible so that they don't end up eating plastic bags and other garbage to satiate their hunger at the cost of their well being.
3) Donate some money every month or at least once every quarter to a Goshala(a place where cows are kept and cared for) to maintain at least one cow. Those of us who can afford more than that should not hesitate to do so in the least.
4) Those of us who have houses big enough to keep one or more than one cow at home should immediately do that. I am not talking about the hybrid American cows. I am talking about the Indian cows.
5) Stop eating meat as soon as we can and request(humbly and lovingly) our friends and family members to do the same(without being too pushy of course).
6) Try to avoid the usage of leather as much as possible.
Let us take the initiative to protect animals, especially the holy cow. Let us not wait for the government to do something.
We need to build and encourage Goshalas
Sacred Mother Cow
I pray to God that COW, the holy mother is protected. May this land of Bharat prosper once again with the blessings of the holy cow. May Bharat share that prosperity with the whole world. May I get a chance to serve cows. I offer my humble pranams at the feet of Gou Mata(Mother Cow).
Jai Jai Sri Radhe!
Servant of Radha Rani
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Spirituality and Food
Namaste dear fellow children of God,
Today I want to share my thoughts on the topic, "Spirituality and Food". Someone may ask, "What has food got to do with Spirituality?". The answer is.... EVERYTHING. How? Well, thats what we will look at in this post.
What is food? Is it just something we eat? Sorry. Its much much more than that. Food is basically everything that we eat, see, hear, smell, touch, read and think.
Just imagine for one moment that you are a horse rider. What kind of a horse would you expect? A horse that is calm, tame and moves as per your instructions or a horse that is wild, untamed and goes wherever it wants without bothering about your instructions? Obviously, the one that is tame. Isn't it?
The mind can be compared to a horse here. Most of us find it difficult to keep the mind under control. Instead of being its master we usually end up being its servant. We do what the mind tells us to do. We run after whatever the mind desires without pausing or thinking whether it is worth running after.
I have experienced it several times in the past and I am sure many of you have too that even though we want to move speedily and smoothly on the path of spirituality, we end up getting stuck somewhere or the other because of the mind. We know it that anger is futile and yet we burn in its unforgiving fire inspite of our distaste for it. We know that lust is never a good idea and yet we fall into its trap every now and then. And what to say about the various fleeting desires and fancies of the mind. We have always been left with a bad taste in the mouth by blindly following them and yet we get lured by them again and again. So what is it that keeps us entrapped in the mind's whirlpool of lust, anger, greed, fear, ego etc even though we want to get away from it? FOOD. Yes its the food that we consume which makes it more and more difficult to get out of the mind's vicious circle. I hope we remember that we are not just discussing food that is eaten. We are talking about anything that the body and mind absorb through the 5 senses.
Let us begin with the grossest form of food. The food that we eat. It has been recommended by the sages of the vedic tradition since yore that alcohol and non-vegetarian food are not a good idea for anyone who is sincerely seeking God realization. Why? Because it is tamasic and rajasic food. Which means the food that increases qualities like laziness, anger, lust, fear etc. The vibration of such food is quite dense and negative. The prana or life force provided to us by such food is of a very poor quality. Other than that, food which is too spicy, too oily, too salty, too hot or even too cold is not a good idea at all.
Now let us explore the other possible forms of food which we absorb everyday. Television surely provides a lot of good stuff. However, most of us choose to absorb sights and sounds of violence, sex, scandal and fear from it. Naturally, we have indigestion because this "food" is not friendly at all. The term "Couch Potato" says it all.
Another dangerous "food outlet" that we constantly expose ourselves to is THE MIGHTY INTERNET. Even though this post will reach you through the internet and internet HAS made life simpler in several ways, many of us choose to welcome the "food" of porn, violence, gossip, chatting without an agenda and playing silly games on the internet. This increases our "indigestion".
Not to forget several other types of "food". The magazines, tabloids and advertisement hoardings that constantly throw lustful, unnecessary and luring images and information in our direction at rocket speed.
And most importantly, the kind of people we hang out with. The kind of friends we choose to associate with makes a HUGE difference in our thinking and lifestyle. We have to choose our company very carefully. We are not talking about being judgmental here. Let us love all and judge none. However, we must remember to keep a safe distance from those who are not spiritual seekers. Most of us start smoking, drinking, watching porn etc because of our friends. Bad company can be like a cancer for a spiritual seeker.
We keep absorbing this everyday repeatedly from morning till night and then we complain that the mind is restless and it doesn't listen to us. Do you blame it? We feed the mind/senses with every possible type of "unhealthy food" continuously for years and then one fine day we suddenly expect the mind/senses to be fully under our control. Trying to walk on the spiritual path and exposing the mind/senses to all kinds of tamasic and rajasic inputs is like applying the accelerator and the brake of a car at the same time. The car won't move an inch. It will just create dust and noise. Let go of the brake. Then the accelerator will work with full force.
Feeding the mind/senses with lesser and lesser tamasic and rajasic inputs will make the journey smoother and faster. The mind will eventually become quieter as it will "run out of gas." The mind can then easily be trained to dwell upon holy images, sounds and thoughts.
Jai Jai Sri Radhe!
Servant of Radha Rani
Today I want to share my thoughts on the topic, "Spirituality and Food". Someone may ask, "What has food got to do with Spirituality?". The answer is.... EVERYTHING. How? Well, thats what we will look at in this post.
What is food? Is it just something we eat? Sorry. Its much much more than that. Food is basically everything that we eat, see, hear, smell, touch, read and think.
Just imagine for one moment that you are a horse rider. What kind of a horse would you expect? A horse that is calm, tame and moves as per your instructions or a horse that is wild, untamed and goes wherever it wants without bothering about your instructions? Obviously, the one that is tame. Isn't it?
The mind can be compared to a horse here. Most of us find it difficult to keep the mind under control. Instead of being its master we usually end up being its servant. We do what the mind tells us to do. We run after whatever the mind desires without pausing or thinking whether it is worth running after.
I have experienced it several times in the past and I am sure many of you have too that even though we want to move speedily and smoothly on the path of spirituality, we end up getting stuck somewhere or the other because of the mind. We know it that anger is futile and yet we burn in its unforgiving fire inspite of our distaste for it. We know that lust is never a good idea and yet we fall into its trap every now and then. And what to say about the various fleeting desires and fancies of the mind. We have always been left with a bad taste in the mouth by blindly following them and yet we get lured by them again and again. So what is it that keeps us entrapped in the mind's whirlpool of lust, anger, greed, fear, ego etc even though we want to get away from it? FOOD. Yes its the food that we consume which makes it more and more difficult to get out of the mind's vicious circle. I hope we remember that we are not just discussing food that is eaten. We are talking about anything that the body and mind absorb through the 5 senses.
Let us begin with the grossest form of food. The food that we eat. It has been recommended by the sages of the vedic tradition since yore that alcohol and non-vegetarian food are not a good idea for anyone who is sincerely seeking God realization. Why? Because it is tamasic and rajasic food. Which means the food that increases qualities like laziness, anger, lust, fear etc. The vibration of such food is quite dense and negative. The prana or life force provided to us by such food is of a very poor quality. Other than that, food which is too spicy, too oily, too salty, too hot or even too cold is not a good idea at all.
Now let us explore the other possible forms of food which we absorb everyday. Television surely provides a lot of good stuff. However, most of us choose to absorb sights and sounds of violence, sex, scandal and fear from it. Naturally, we have indigestion because this "food" is not friendly at all. The term "Couch Potato" says it all.
Another dangerous "food outlet" that we constantly expose ourselves to is THE MIGHTY INTERNET. Even though this post will reach you through the internet and internet HAS made life simpler in several ways, many of us choose to welcome the "food" of porn, violence, gossip, chatting without an agenda and playing silly games on the internet. This increases our "indigestion".
Not to forget several other types of "food". The magazines, tabloids and advertisement hoardings that constantly throw lustful, unnecessary and luring images and information in our direction at rocket speed.
And most importantly, the kind of people we hang out with. The kind of friends we choose to associate with makes a HUGE difference in our thinking and lifestyle. We have to choose our company very carefully. We are not talking about being judgmental here. Let us love all and judge none. However, we must remember to keep a safe distance from those who are not spiritual seekers. Most of us start smoking, drinking, watching porn etc because of our friends. Bad company can be like a cancer for a spiritual seeker.
We keep absorbing this everyday repeatedly from morning till night and then we complain that the mind is restless and it doesn't listen to us. Do you blame it? We feed the mind/senses with every possible type of "unhealthy food" continuously for years and then one fine day we suddenly expect the mind/senses to be fully under our control. Trying to walk on the spiritual path and exposing the mind/senses to all kinds of tamasic and rajasic inputs is like applying the accelerator and the brake of a car at the same time. The car won't move an inch. It will just create dust and noise. Let go of the brake. Then the accelerator will work with full force.
Feeding the mind/senses with lesser and lesser tamasic and rajasic inputs will make the journey smoother and faster. The mind will eventually become quieter as it will "run out of gas." The mind can then easily be trained to dwell upon holy images, sounds and thoughts.
Jai Jai Sri Radhe!
Servant of Radha Rani
Monday, January 18, 2010
Does materialistic culture really work?
Namaste,
Today we find a mad race for money going all over the world.
Lots and lots of poison are being released into the atmosphere e.g industrial smoke and plastic bags.
Thousands upon thousands of birds and animals are killed cruelly to make those chicken burgers and other non-vegetarian food items that many of us are so fond of.
We are constantly bombarded with solicitations and advertisements from all directions which brainwash us into believing that we can be happy in life if we drive expensive cars, look slim, own a big house and keep up with the latest fashion trends.
We are subtly and cunningly made to believe that it is “okay” and even “cool” to smoke, drink, party and be obsessed with how we want our bodies to look.
We are constantly exposed to violence, lust and aggressive music on television.
All the electronic items that are dumped don’t get recycled completely. Most of them make up a big part of the poisonous trash on the planet.
And by the way all this was supposed to make us “HAPPY”. Does it? Ofcourse not. Infact at the end of the day this kind of lifestyle leaves us deeply angry, frustrated, restless and full of despair.
Fortunately, we have GOOD NEWS. This materialistic way of living life which only aims at satisfying the five senses of the body at any cost is not the only option we have. We have another option. We have a choice of living life in a different way. It may not look very “attractive” to begin with. However, if adopted, this “other” lifestyle will surely give us that peace which we all long for along with a feeling of fulfillment.
Welcome to the VEDIC LIFESTYLE……..
Vedas are a vast bank of knowledge. This knowledge was gifted to the sages aeons ago at the beginning of creation for the upliftment and well being of all mankind. They are like the user manual for life.
However, it is not easy for everyone to read and understand the Vedas. There is one thing that all of us can do though. We can understand the basic values of the Vedic Culture.
1) Loving everyone irrespective of the differences.
2) Giving as much attention to the body as is needed for its healthy existence. Nothing more than that. Why? Because according to the Vedic Knowledge, we are not our bodies. We are merely using the bodies we have to live in this physical world temporarily. Hence, it makes no sense to be identified with the body or to be attached to it. The Vedas remind us to respect our bodies and take care of them however, to be detached from them at the same time.
3) Keep our desires and wants in check. This does not mean that we starve and suffocate ourselves. This simply means that we don’t get manipulated by the mind’s hundreds of desires. Whenever we “want” something, we must analyze whether we really need it. The lesser we desire, the lighter we feel.
4) Lovingly chant any name of God that we like with faith and love as much as we can during the day.
5) Refrain from killing animals. Eat a pure “sattwic” vegetarian diet which doesn’t excite the body and mind beyond what is needed. Avoid intoxication of any kind completely.
6) Use our discernment while watching tv and surfing the internet. Avoid sights, sounds and even smells of anger, lust, greed etc as much as we can.
7) Love and respect the planet and all life forms on it including plants and animals.
8) Do not compare our material possessions with those of others. Envy should be kept away. Be content and satisfied with whatever we have.
9) Try to know “who we are”. Who we really are is not our bodies or even our minds. We are sparks of God. We are waves and God is the ocean. Our real nature is pure love and bliss. We are divine beings. When we realize this, then we stop expecting happiness from things and people around us. We still use the things when needed and we still relate to people around us. However, we feel so fulfilled from within that we don’t expect happiness from anything or anyone. We focus more on serving, loving and giving rather than demanding and expecting.
10) Offer all our thoughts, words, actions and their fruits to God. This way we will be free from Karma and will be able to transcend the vicious circle of birth and death. Therefore, we will merge back with God and will not be forced to take another birth in this world which is full of suffering.
Ofcourse Vedic knowledge is too vast to be summarized in these 10 points or any number of points. However, these 10 points mentioned above should give a fair idea of what we are discussing here.
TRY IT. IT WORKS!!!!!!!!
Jai Jai Sri Radhe!
Servant of Radha Rani
Today we find a mad race for money going all over the world.
Lots and lots of poison are being released into the atmosphere e.g industrial smoke and plastic bags.
Thousands upon thousands of birds and animals are killed cruelly to make those chicken burgers and other non-vegetarian food items that many of us are so fond of.
We are constantly bombarded with solicitations and advertisements from all directions which brainwash us into believing that we can be happy in life if we drive expensive cars, look slim, own a big house and keep up with the latest fashion trends.
We are subtly and cunningly made to believe that it is “okay” and even “cool” to smoke, drink, party and be obsessed with how we want our bodies to look.
We are constantly exposed to violence, lust and aggressive music on television.
All the electronic items that are dumped don’t get recycled completely. Most of them make up a big part of the poisonous trash on the planet.
And by the way all this was supposed to make us “HAPPY”. Does it? Ofcourse not. Infact at the end of the day this kind of lifestyle leaves us deeply angry, frustrated, restless and full of despair.
Fortunately, we have GOOD NEWS. This materialistic way of living life which only aims at satisfying the five senses of the body at any cost is not the only option we have. We have another option. We have a choice of living life in a different way. It may not look very “attractive” to begin with. However, if adopted, this “other” lifestyle will surely give us that peace which we all long for along with a feeling of fulfillment.
Welcome to the VEDIC LIFESTYLE……..
Vedas are a vast bank of knowledge. This knowledge was gifted to the sages aeons ago at the beginning of creation for the upliftment and well being of all mankind. They are like the user manual for life.
However, it is not easy for everyone to read and understand the Vedas. There is one thing that all of us can do though. We can understand the basic values of the Vedic Culture.
1) Loving everyone irrespective of the differences.
2) Giving as much attention to the body as is needed for its healthy existence. Nothing more than that. Why? Because according to the Vedic Knowledge, we are not our bodies. We are merely using the bodies we have to live in this physical world temporarily. Hence, it makes no sense to be identified with the body or to be attached to it. The Vedas remind us to respect our bodies and take care of them however, to be detached from them at the same time.
3) Keep our desires and wants in check. This does not mean that we starve and suffocate ourselves. This simply means that we don’t get manipulated by the mind’s hundreds of desires. Whenever we “want” something, we must analyze whether we really need it. The lesser we desire, the lighter we feel.
4) Lovingly chant any name of God that we like with faith and love as much as we can during the day.
5) Refrain from killing animals. Eat a pure “sattwic” vegetarian diet which doesn’t excite the body and mind beyond what is needed. Avoid intoxication of any kind completely.
6) Use our discernment while watching tv and surfing the internet. Avoid sights, sounds and even smells of anger, lust, greed etc as much as we can.
7) Love and respect the planet and all life forms on it including plants and animals.
8) Do not compare our material possessions with those of others. Envy should be kept away. Be content and satisfied with whatever we have.
9) Try to know “who we are”. Who we really are is not our bodies or even our minds. We are sparks of God. We are waves and God is the ocean. Our real nature is pure love and bliss. We are divine beings. When we realize this, then we stop expecting happiness from things and people around us. We still use the things when needed and we still relate to people around us. However, we feel so fulfilled from within that we don’t expect happiness from anything or anyone. We focus more on serving, loving and giving rather than demanding and expecting.
10) Offer all our thoughts, words, actions and their fruits to God. This way we will be free from Karma and will be able to transcend the vicious circle of birth and death. Therefore, we will merge back with God and will not be forced to take another birth in this world which is full of suffering.
Ofcourse Vedic knowledge is too vast to be summarized in these 10 points or any number of points. However, these 10 points mentioned above should give a fair idea of what we are discussing here.
TRY IT. IT WORKS!!!!!!!!
Jai Jai Sri Radhe!
Servant of Radha Rani
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