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…
“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…
“Our only business is to love God, not to ask God for our necessities.” – Srila Prabhupada If we live in quadrant 3, Krishna will guide us to quadrant 4. If we predominantly live in quadrant 1 or 2, we’d find Bhakti Yoga practises hackneyed. Our spiritual life would be dull and unexciting. Or worse,…
“Because we are Krishna’s children, we have a very intimate relationship with Krishna and since we have given Him up and we have forgotten Him, therefore we are suffering.” – Srila Prabhupada (December 11, 1974, Bombay, lecture on Shrimad Bhagavatam 3.25.43) As you manage your busy schedules and fulfil your various responsibilities, you also remember…
“Being attracted by external opulence, the non-devotee always forgets his intimate relationship with Krishna. Such a person does not like the idea of becoming Krishna conscious.” – Srila Prabhupada (Purport to Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya, 12.184) The four quadrants of a relationship with God Now, let us merge both figures 1 and 2. You have four…
“Religion means to know God and to love him.” – Srila Prabhupada An exercise will help you discover where you stand in your relationship with Krishna/God: Open your mind’s eye. Now visualize a screen/board and draw a vertical line - the line of struggle. (Figure 1). The space on the left of the line denotes ‘No…
“For man, the mind is the cause of bondage and the mind is the cause of liberation. Mind absorbed in sense objects is the cause of bondage, and the mind detached from the sense objects is the cause of liberation.” – Amrita-Bindu Upanishad (Mantra 2) I was now ready for tracking yoga, writing, and hearing Srila…
“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” - Bhagavad Gita (15.7) Habits unknown to us I wanly said I have no habits as if I had resigned myself to being inadequate and unable to…