Daily case studies of living in the three internal houses My personal experiences and observations in the monastery may illustrate the principle of three houses and Home State better:
Sense gratification (Pleasure seeker) I sat in a meditative pose, while enjoying samosas and Jalebis in my mind.
I was famished and had already been awake…
Three abodes in our inner world
A friend of mine who owns homes in Zurich, Los Angeles, and Mumbai once told me that his "real" home was in Mumbai, where he felt a sense of shelter and belonging. In the same manner, in our inner world also, we could reside at any one of the…
While it's common to analyse external events and people using our minds, it's also important to examine the state of our own mind. Instead of being fully identified with our thoughts, we can practice stepping back and cultivating awareness. Through slow breathing and fostering positive emotions like gratitude, we can expand our heart space and…
The sage imparted his wisdom, saying, "We all face the same set of worries and problems, which are like a handful of salt. The difference between us lies in our hearts. Is it small like a cup of water, or is it large and benevolent like a beautiful lake? If you live with a scarcity…
“For the self there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” - Bhagavad Gita (2.20)
As I looked down at my fully drenched…
Just as we have a physical home in the material world, we also have a home in our inner world. When our heart beats with healthy emotions and a sense of 'all's well', we can experience inner peace even amidst external chaos. This safe space of our heart is our real home in our internal…
“That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world.” – Bhagavad Gita (15.6)
Imagine being forced to enter a deadly, lonely forest all alone. The eerie and foreboding darkness sends shivers down your spine as wolves howl…
“When a devotee drinks water or any other liquid, he immediately remembers Krishna. For a devotee there is no difficulty in awakening Krishna consciousness twenty- four hours a day.” - Srila Prabhupada (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya lila, 8.274)
Returning to Krishna helps us find shelter. When we confess our failures or report our success and genuinely…
“Recollection, absorption, meditation, constant remembrance and trance are the five items of progressive krsna-smarana. At first remembrance of Krishna may be interrupted at intervals, but later remembrance proceeds uninterrupted.” – Srila Prabhupada (Nectar of Instruction, Verse 8)
This step helps us view God as a person, a sentient being who listens and waits for us.…
“Simply our prayer should be, My dear Krishna, please remind me to always chant Your Holy Name, please do not put me into forgetfulness. You are sitting within me as Supersoul, so you can put me into forgetfulness or into remembering You. So please do not put me into forgetfulness. Please always remind me to…
“Don’t feel yourself to be alone because Krishna is always with you. Krishna is always with every living entity as supersoul, and to His devotees especially He talks and gives instructions how to attain the perfectional stage of meeting Him. So don’t feel alone. Always chant whenever possible, read our books, and there will be…
“We are persons and Krishna is a person, and our relationship with Krishna He leaves open as a voluntary agreement. That voluntary attitude – Yes, Krishna, I shall gladly cooperate whatever you say – that ready willingness to obey is only possible if there is love. Forcing will not make me agree. But if there…