Preparing for learning Bagvad gita.

Hare Krishna balakrishnan mechakkat,

Hope you are well and happy in Krishna consciousness. We concluded the last Krishna Connect newsletter with Krishna saying to Arjuna:

"Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me, and at the same time you should continue your prescribed duty and fight. With your mind and activities always fixed on Me, and everything engaged in Me, you will attain to Me without any doubt." (Bhagavad Gita 8.7)

Krishna does not suggest anything impractical

So Krishna is not advising Arjuna to simply remember Him and give up his occupation. No. Krishna never suggests anything impractical. In this material world, in order to maintain the body, one has to work.

Human society is divided into four divisions of social order: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisyaand sudra. The brahmana class, or intelligent class, is working in one way, theksatriya class or administrative class is working in another way and the mercantile class and laborers are all tending to their specific duties.

In human society, whether one is a laborer, merchant, warrior, administrator or farmer, or even if one belongs to the highest class and is a literary man, a scientist or a theologian, he has to work in order to maintain his existence.

Krishna advises Arjuna not to give up his occupation

Krishna, therefore tells Arjuna that he need not give up his occupation, but while he is engaged in his occupation, he should remember Krishna. If he doesn't practice remembering Krishna when he is struggling for existence, then it will not be possible for him to remember Krishna at the time of death.

Lord Caitanya also advises this. He says that one should practice remembering the Lord by chanting the names of the Lord always. The names of the Lord and the Lord are nondifferent. So Lord Krishna's instruction to Arjuna to "remember Me" and Lord Caitanya's injunction to always "chant the names of Lord Krishna" are the same instruction. There is no difference, because Krishna and Krishna's name are nondifferent.

Remembering Krishna while working

Therefore we have to practice remembering Krishna always, twenty-four hours a day, by chanting His names and moulding our life's activities in such a way that we can remember Him always.

How is this possible? The acharyas give the following example. If a married woman is attached to another man, or if a man has an attachment for a women other than his wife, then the attachment is to be considered very strong. One with such an attachment is always thinking of the loved one. The wife who is thinking of her lover is always thinking of meeting him, even while she is carrying out her household chores. In fact she carries out her household work even more carefully so her husband will not suspect her attachment.

In the same way as the married woman who is attached to another man is remembering her lover constantly but she is still carrying out her duties in her husband's house, we should constantly remember the supreme lover, Sri Krishna, and at the same time perform our material duties very nicely.

A strong sense of love is required here. If we have a strong sense of love for the Supreme Lord then we can discharge our duty and at the same time remember Him. But we have to develop that sense of love for Krishna.

Arjuna, for instance, was always thinking of Krishna; he was the constant companion of Krishna, and at the same time he was a warrior. Krishna did not advise Arjuna to go to the forest and meditate. When Lord Krishna explained the meditational yoga system to Arjuna he says that the practice of this system is not possible for him.

"Arjuna said, O Madhusudana, the system of yoga which you have summarized appears impracticle and unendurable to me. For the mind is restless and unsteady." (Bhagavad Gita 6.33)

The best yogi

However, Krishna replies to Arjuna, encouraging him:

"Of all yogis, he who abides in Me with great faith, worshipping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimatily united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all." (Bhagavad Gita 6.47)

So one who is always thinking of the Supreme Lord, Krishna, is the greatest yogi, the supermost jnani and the greatest devotee at the same time. 

Krishna goes on to tell Arjuna that, as a ksatriya, he can not give up fighting, but that if he fights remembering Krishna, then he will be able to remember Krishna at the time of  death. However to do this one must be completely surrendered to Krishna in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.

We actually work with our mind and intelligence, not with our body.  So if our intelligence and mind is always engaged in the thoughts of the Supreme Lord, Krishna then naturally the senses are also engaged in His service.

Superficially it may appear that the activities of our senses remain the same performing devotional service to our activities in sense gratification, however the consciousness is changed. The Bhagavad Gita teaches us how we can absorb our minds and intelligence in the thought of Krishna. Such absorbtion will enable one to transfer himself to the kingdom of the Lord. If the mind is engaged in Krishna's service, then the senses are automatically engaged in His service. This is the art, and this is also the secret of Bhagavad Gita: total absorbtion in the thought of Sri Krishna.

Try to advance spiritually

Modern man has struggled very hard to reach the moon, but he has not tried very hard to elevate himself spiritually. If one has fifty years of life ahead of him, he should engage that brief time in cultivating this practice of remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The easiest way

The easiest way to remember Krishna is hearing Bhagavad Gita from the realized person, this will turn one's thoughts to the Supreme Being. This will lead toremembering the Supreme Lord, and will enable one, upon leaving the body, to attain a spiritual body which is just fit for association with Krishna in the spiritual world. Krishna says:

"By practicing this remembering, without being deviated, thinking ever of the Supreme Godhead, one is sure to achieve the planet of the Divine, the Supreme Personality, O son of Kunti." (Bhagavad Gita 8.8)

This is not a very difficult process. However, one must learn it from an experienced person, from one who is already in the practice. The mind is always flying to this and that, but one must always practice concentrating the mind on the form of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna or on the sound of His name.

Controlling the restless mind

The mind is naturally restless, going hither and thither, but it can rest in the sound vibration of Krishna. One must thus meditate on the Supreme Person; and thus attain Him. The ways and the means for ultimate realization, ultimate attainment, are stated in the Bhagavad Gita, and the doors of this knowledge are open for everyone. No one is barred out. Everyone can approach Krishna by thinking of Him, for hearing and thinking of Him is possible for everyone.

Even human beings in the lower statuses of life can attain the Supreme. One does not need highly developed intelligence. The point is that anyone who accepts the principle of bhakti-yoga and accepts the Supreme Lord as the summum bonum of life, as the highest target, the ultimate goal, can approach the Lord in the spiritual sky. If one adopts the principles enunciated in Bhagavad Gita, he can make his life perfect and make a perfect solution to all the problems of life which arise out of the transient nature of material existence. This is the sum and substance of the entire Bhagavad Gita.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Bhagavad Gita is a transcendental literature which one should read very carefully. It is capable of saving one from all fear.

"In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear." (Bg. 2.40) If one readsBhagavad Gita sincerely and seriously, then all of the reactions of his past misdeeds will not react upon him. In the last portion of Bhagavad Gita, Lord Sri Krishna proclaims:

"Give up all varieties of religiousness, and just surrender unto Me; and in return I shall protect you from all sinful reactions. Therefore, you have nothing to fear." (Bg. 18.66) Thus the Lord takes all responsibility for one who surrenders unto Him, and He indemnifies all the reactions of sin.

We are very busy... Reading Gita is enough...

One cleanses himself daily by taking a bath in water, but one who takes his bath only once in the sacred Ganges water of the Bhagavad Gita cleanses away all the dirt of material life. Because Bhagavad Gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad Gita. 

In the present age, mankind is so absorbed with mundane activities that it is not possible to read all of the Vedic literatures. But this is not necessary. This one book,Bhagavad-gita, will suffice because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Bhagavad Gita -- More important than the Ganges river

It is said that one who drinks the water of the Ganges certainly gets salvation, but what to speak of one who drinks the waters of Bhagavad Gita? Gita is the very nectar of the Mahabharata spoken by Visnu Himself, for Lord Krishna is the original Visnu. It is nectar emanating from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the Ganges is said to be emanating from the lotus feet of the Lord. Of course there is no difference between the mouth and the feet of the Supreme Lord, but in our position we can appreciate that the Bhagavad Gita is even more important than the Ganges.

The Bhagavad Gita is just like a cow, and Lord Krishna, who is a cowherd boy, is milking this cow. The milk is the essence of the Vedas, and Arjuna is just like a calf. The wise men, the great sages and pure devotees, are to drink the nectarean milk ofBhagavad Gita.

One Scripture, One God, One Religion

In this present day, man is very eager to have one scripture, one God, one religion, and one occupation. So let there be one common scripture for the whole world--Bhagavad Gita. And let there be one God only for the whole world-Sri Krishna. And one mantra only-Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. And let there be one work only--the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Thank you for reading this newsletter. The next one will be called "The importance of the Disciplic Succession."

First exam is coming!

Following that we will be having a little exam on "Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita". So please read the newsletters carefully and if you have not read any of them please go back and read. I think you will enjoy the "exam," I hope you will look forward to it and try your best to get the highest marks!

If you would like to comment on this rather than replying to this email directly if you can please go to the Krishna.org website and post a comment on this article at:

http://krishna.org/do-i-have-to-give-up-my-occupation-to-serve-krishna/

Your servant

Madhudvisa dasa

www.Krishna.org

www.KrishnaStore.com

Krishna Connect Newsletter
4872 Topanga Canyon Blvd #247
Woodland Hills, CA  91364
USA

A PEEP IN TO 'BAGVAD GEETHA'

Madhudvisa dasa madhudvisa@krishnaconnect.com	13 Jul (2 days ago)
to me

Images are not displayed.Display images below - Always display images from madhudvisa@krishnaconnect.com

Hare Krishna balakrishnan mechakkat, I hope you are well and enjoying the newsletters. Please feel free to make any comments or ask questions on this newsletter at the following web address: http://krishnaconnect.com/dharma-sanatana-dharma/ Many people have heard of "Dharma," even the term "Sanatana Dharma" has become quite well known. But exactly what is Dharma? And what is Sanatana Dharma? I will attempt to explain in this post. I have extracted and summarized this from the introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhuapda.The Sanskrit word sanatana means "eternal" and the word dharma means "occupation." Therefore the term "Sanatana Dharma" can be taken to mean our eternal occupation. The Supreme Lord and His transcendental abode are both sanatana, eternal, as are the living entities, and the combined association of the Supreme Lord and the living entities in the sanatana abode (the spiritual world) is the perfection of human life. Krishna is very kind to the living entities because they are His sons. Krishna declares in the Bhagavad Gita that, "I am the father of all." There are many different types of living entities according to their different karma, and Krishna declares He is the father of them all. Therefore, time and time again, the Lord descends to this material world to reclaim all of these fallen, conditioned souls to call them back to the sanatana, eternal,  sky so that the sanatana living entities may regain their original eternal positions in association with the Lord. Thus Krishna comes himself in different incarnations, or He sends His confidential servants as sons or acaryas to reclaim the conditioned souls. Therefore sanatana-dharma does not refer to any sectarian process of religion. It is the eternal function of the eternal living entities in relationship with the eternal Supreme Lord. Sanatana-dharama referrs, as stated previously, to the eternal occupation of the living entity. The English word "religion" is a little different from sanatana-dharma. Religion conveys the idea of faith, and faith may change. One may have faith in a particular process, and he may change this faith and adopt another, but sanatana-dharma referrs to that activity which cannot be changed. For instance liquidity can not be taken from water, nor can heat be taken from fire. Similarly the eternal function of the eternal living entity cannot be taken from the living entity. Sanatana-dharma is eternally integral with the living entity. When we speak of sanatana-dharma, then, we must take it forgranted that it has no beginning or end. That which has neither beginning or end cannot be sectarian, for it cannot be limited by any boundaries. Yet those belonging to some sectarian faith will wrongly consider that sanatana-dharma is also sectarian, but if we go deeply into the matter and consider it in the light of modern science, it is possible for us to see that sanatana-dharma is the business of all people of the world--nay, of all the living entities of the universe. Non-sanatana religious faith may have some beginning in the annals of human history, but there is no beginning to the history of sanatana-dharma because it remains eternally with the living entities. The Bhagavad-gita states that the living entity has neither birth nor death, he is eternal and indestructable, and he continues to live after the destruction of his temporary material body. In reference to the concept of sanatana-dharma, we must try to understand the concept of religion from the Sanskrit root meaning of the word. Dharma referrs to that which is constantly existing with the particular object.  We conclude that there is heat and light along with the fire; without heat and light there is no meaning to the word fire. Similarly, we must discover the essential part of the living being, that part which is his constant companion. That constant companian is his eternal quality, and that eternal quality is his eternal religion. When Sanatana Gosvami asked Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu about the constitutional position of the living being He replied that it is the rendering of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we look at what is happening around us in the world we can easily see every living being is constantly engaged in rendering service to another living being. We can see that one friend serves another friend, the mother serves the son, the wife serves the husband, the husband serves the wife and so on. If we go on searching in this spirit, it will be seen that there is no exception in the society of living beings to the activity of service. The politician presents his manifesto for the public to convince them of his capacity for service. The voters therefore give the politician their valuable votes, thinking that he will render valuable service to society. The shopkeeper serves the customer, and the artisan serves the capitalist. The capitalist serves the family, and the family serves the state. In this way we can see that no living being is exempt from rendering service to other living beings, and therefore we can safely conclude that service is the constant companion of the living being and that the rendering of service is the eternal religion of the living being. Yet man professes to belong to a particular type of faith with reference to particular time and circumstance and thus claims to be a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or any other sect. Such designations are non-sanatana-dharma. A Hindu may change his faith to become a Muslim, or a Muslim may change his faith to become a Hindu, or a Christian may change his faith and so on. But in all circumstances the change of religious faith does not effect the eternal occupation of rendering service to others. The Hindu, Muslim or Christian in all circumstances is servant of someone. Thus, to profess a particular type of sect is not to profess one's sanatana-dharma. The rendering of service is sanatana-dharma. Factually we are related to the Supreme Lord in service. The Supreme Lord is the supreme enjoyer, and we living entities are His servitors. We are created for His enjoyment, and if we participate in that eternal enjoyment with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we become happy. We cannot become happy otherwise. It is not possible to be happy independently, just as no one part of the body can be happy without cooperating with the stomach. It is not possible for the living entity to be happy without rendering transcendental loving service unto the Supreme Lord. Therefore, to summarize, the sanatana-dharma of every living entity is the rendering of service. No matter what religion one professes to belong to, this eternal occupation of rendering service remains with the living entity. To perfect one's life one simply requires the redirection of this service. Instead of serving in the material world, he can serve Krishna, the Supreme Persoanlity of Godhead. This process, transforming one's service from persons and objects in the material world, to the service of Krishna in the spiritual world, is the art of Krishna consciosuness and as we progress in this newsletter we will discover how we can easily transform seemingly material activities into liberating transcendental activities, by performing them for the pleasure of Krishna. If you would like to comment on this rather than replying to this email directly if you can please go to the KrishnaConnect.com website and post a comment on this article at: http://krishnaconnect.com/dharma-sanatana-dharma/ Your servant Madhudvisa dasa www.KrishnaConnect.com www.KrishnaStore.com Krishna Connect Newsletter 4872 Topanga Canyon Blvd #247 Woodland Hills, CA  91364 USA

THAHVAMASI Meaning INSIDE YOU.

adhudvisa dasa madhudvisa@krishnaconnect.com	12:51 (2 hours ago)
to me

Hare Krishna balakrishnan mechakkat, I apologize for the delay in sending this newsletter. I will attempt to send one every two days from now on. Please feel free to make any comments or ask questions at the following web address: http://krishna.org/the-spiritual-world-and-how-to-get-there/ All the newsletters so far are coming from the introduction to Bhagavad Gita As It Isby His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada which, if you do not have, you can get from here. Also I have recorded the introduction to Bhagavad Gita and if you would like to listen to it you can do that here. I am just giving some main points and a summary, there is a lot more information in the book, so please read the book also. Krishna means the highest pleasure: Krishna means the highest pleasure. We are all hankering after pleasure. We, the living entities, like Krishna, are full of consciousness, and we are looking for happiness. Krishna is perpetually happy, and if we associate with Krishna and cooperate with Him we will also become happy. Krishna descends to this material world to show His pastimes in Vrndavana, which are full of happiness. When Lord Sri Krishna was in Vrndavana, His activities with His cowherd boy friends, with the gopis, with the inhabitants of Vrndavana and with the cows were all full of happiness. The total population of Vrndavana knew nothing but Krishna. The purpose of Krishna's pastimes in Vrindavan on this planet is so we can see such wonderful pastimes of Krishna and therefore come to understand something of what life in the spiritual world, the abode of Krishna, will be like when we go there. The Spiritual World: Krishna gives a description of the eternal sky in Bhagavad Gita: "That abode of Mine is not illuminated by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. And anyone who reaches it never comes back to this material world." (Bg. 15.6) This verse gives a description of that eternal spiritual sky. We have a material conception of the sky, and we think of it in relationship to the sun, moon, stars and so on, but in this verse the Lord states that in the eternal sky there is no need for the sun nor for the moon nor fire of any kind because the spiritual sky is already illuminated by the brahmajyoti, the rays emanating from the Supreme Lord. Krishna resides eternally in His abode in the spiritual sky on a planet called Goloka, yet He can be approached from this world, and to this end He comes and manifests His real form in Vrindavan and performs wonderful pastimes there. When Krishna manifests this form, there is no need for our imagining what He looks like. To discourage such imaginative speculation, He descends and exhibits Himself as He is, as Syamasundara. Unfortunately, the less intelligent deride Him because He comes as one of us and plays with us as a human being. But because of this we should not consider that Krishna is one of us. It is by His potency that He presents Himself in His real form before us and displays His pastimes, which are prototypes of those pastimes found in His abode. In the effulgent rays of the spiritual sky there are innumerable planets floating. Thebrahmajyoti emanates from the supreme abode, Krsnaloka, and the anandamaya-cinmaya planets, which are not material, float in those rays. The Lord says, "One who can approach that spiritual sky is not required to descend again to the material sky." How to travel to the spiritual sky: In the material sky, even if we approach the highest planet (Brahmaloka), what to speak of the moon, we will find the same conditions of life, namely birth, death, disease and old age. No planet in the material universe is free from these four principles of material existence. Therefore the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita that the living entities are traveling from one planet to another, not by mechanical arrangement but by a spiritual process. No mechanical arrangement is necessary if we want interplanetary travel. Bhagavad-gita informs us how to travel to the higher planetary systems (devaloka) with a very simple formula: yanti deva-vrata devan. One need only worship the particular demigod of that particular planet and in that way go to the moon, the sun or any of the higher planetary systems. Yet Bhagavad-gita does not advise us to go to any of the planets in this material world because even if we go to Brahmaloka, the highest planet in the material world, through some sort of mechanical contrivance by maybe traveling for forty thousand years (and who would live that long?), we will still find the material inconveniences of birth, death, disease and old age. But one who wants to approach the supreme planet, Krsnaloka, or any of the other planets within the spiritual sky, will not meet with these material inconveniences. Amongst all of the planets in the spiritual sky there is one supreme planet called Goloka Vrndavana, which is the original planet and the abode of the original Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna. All of this information is given in Bhagavad-gita, and we are given through its instruction information how to leave the material world and begin a truly blissful life in the spiritual sky. Who can reach the spiritual planets? The spiritual world can be reached by one who is nirmana-moha. What does this mean? We are after designations. Someone wants to become Lord, someone wants to become the president or a rich man or a king or something else. As long as we are attached to these designations, we are attached to the body because designations belong to the body. But we are not these bodies, and realizing this is the first stage in spiritual realization. We are associated with the three modes of material nature, but we must become detached through devotional service to the Lord. If we are not attached to devotional service to the Lord, then we cannot become detached from the modes of material nature. Designations and attachments are due to our lust and desire, our wanting to lord it over the material nature. As long as we do not give up this propensity of lording it over material nature, there is no possibility of returning to the kingdom of the Supreme, the sanatana-dhama. That eternal kingdom, which is never destroyed, can be approached by one who is not bewildered by the attractions of false material enjoyments, who is situated in the service of the Supreme Lord. One so situated can easily approach that supreme abode. How can we get to the Spiritual World? Next, one may raise the question of how one goes about approaching that abode of the Supreme Lord. Information on this is given in the Eighth Chapter of Bhagavad Gita. It is said there: "Anyone who quits his body, at the end of life, remembering Me, attains immediately to My nature; and there is no doubt of this." (Bg. 8.5) One who thinks of Krishna at the time of his death goes to Krishna. One must remember the form of Krishna; if he quits his body thinking of this form, he approaches the spiritual kingdom. One who leaves this body thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead at once attains a spiritual body, as is promised in the fifth verse of the Eighth Chapter where Lord Krishna says, "He attains My nature." This life is a preparation for the next life. If we can prepare, therefore, in this life to get promotion to the kingdom of God, then surely, after quitting this material body, we will attain a spiritual body just like the Lord. Therefore at the end of life the devotees think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna. And because he is in personal touch with the Supreme Lord, he enters into the Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual sky. The Lord further adds that of this "there is no doubt." This must be believed firmly. We should not reject that which does not tally with our imagination; our attitude should be that of Arjuna: "I believe everything that You have said." Therefore when the Lord says that at the time of death whoever thinks of Him as Brahman or Paramatma or as the Personality of Godhead certainly enters into the spiritual sky, there is no doubt about it. There is no question of disbelieving it. The information on how to think of the Supreme Being at the time of death is also given in the Gita: "In whatever condition one quits his present body, in his next life he will attain to that state of being without fail." (Bg. 8.6) So we can remember Krishna at the time of death we must always engage our minds in reading the Vedic literatures like Bhagavad Gita As It Is and Srimad-Bhagavatam.Just as materialists engage their minds in reading newspapers, magazines and so many materialistic literatures, we must transfer our reading to these literatures which are given to us by Vyasadeva; in that way it will be possible for us to remember the Supreme Lord at the time of death. That is the only way suggested by the Lord, and He guarantees the result: "There is no doubt." (Bg. 8.7) "Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me, and at the same time you should continue your prescribed duty and fight. With your mind and activities always fixed on Me, and everything engaged in Me, you will attain to Me without any doubt." Thank you for reading this newsletter. I am looking forward to the next one which I think may be called "Do I have to give up my occupation to serve Krishna?" If you would like to comment on this rather than replying to this email directly if you can please go to the KrishnaConnect.com website and post a comment on this article at: http://krishna.org/the-spiritual-world-and-how-to-get-there/ Your servant

HOW DO WE LOOK INSIDE?

There will be plenty of times when you think back you might feel that you could have been different in at least some of our past occasions. when you think back it should not be with a guilt, for having committed some thing un pleasant in your life.But the feel of justice and living according to 'dharma' & 'satya' the first is my fathers name the second being my brother , that has been engraved on our minds both ideals to be kept afloat while you are doing your 'karma'. No matter where you end up but what matters is the courage with which you face all the adversities cited due to the very facts I gave most importance above in inverted comas.

You will be tested and will also be made to play with your own concious if you act sinfully. The simplest of truths is the ones we find later for boon instead of setback. Thats why all things should be taken for the verdict to change the course of history and our life in general changes for good or bad only time will tell.