Fond memories of the cremation ground

I have fond memories of HariNam sankirtan around the swarga dwara cremation ground in Jagganath Puri, fresh deliveries for the fires every few minutes. The familes would often not chant as they watched their relatives being burned, I was going around the area in a circle visiting different groups, mainly to chant for the benefit of the still living relatives and then of course the deceased would have brought them there and this got the benefit, they would often join in and chant. Dogs and cows would sit in the fire arena to keep warm by the fires. The only problem was coming away smelling like being at a human barbecue.
With televison and internet and familes often being so dispursed in their own individual preoccupation. It often takes something like a funeral to bring them all together concentrating in sobreity on the same moment. A perfect time to engage them in a sweet mellow Kirtan.
Jai Sankirtan ki Jaya.

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Ups and Downs

When we feel happy we should know distress is coming, and when we fell distressed then we should know happiness is coming. Despite the external situations we should always stay fixed on thinking of Krishna at every moment. Hare Krishna!

Liverpool Festival

Festival on March 18th 2007

Highest Knowledge

One may have a valuable jewel but unless one is intelligent, he will not realise the value, similarley, Bhagavad Gita is availalable all over but only the intelligent person will take
advantage of this King of Knowledge,

Brahman Realisation

Krishna explains in Bhagavad Gita that “One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.”

This is exactly the same as the instruction given to us by Lord Caitanya, Kirtaniyah sada Hari, “Chant the Holy Name of the Lord constantly”.
Bhagavad Gita was not spoken in Kali yuga but we find the Lords statements always reach the exact same conclusion, Complete absobtion in devotional service to the lord at every moment, how is that possible? Very Very simply by begginning to hear and chant the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra and Gaura Nitais Holy Names at all times and in all places, aloud, or mentally, on beads or singing, when one practices this constant remembrance then that will take ones consciousness beyoned mental and intellectual and to the spiritual platform, the platform of Brahman. The platform of trance, seeing Krishna everywhere and all living beings as spirit souls regardless of material bodily situations.

Let us all start chanting now, and whenever we forget the Holy Name due to distraction, bring the mind back, as Krishna says in the Sixth chapter of Bhagavada Gita

“From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the self.”

Polloution

There is so much polloution in this age, we hear people protesting about it every day, but few people protest the subtle polloution that is affecting our consciousness. We absorb 1% of anyones association we are with, so we are in an age of global communication, global association, if we are in Gouranga consciousness we will naturally add positivity to the global environment.

The Psycho Cinema

Just as when we are in a cinema we find oursleves believing that the charcters are real. We feel ourselves moved by the storyline, sometimes afraid, sometimes laughing and empathising with the characters in different ways.

We don’t have to believe that the film is real, but we decide or choose  to ‘buy into’ the fictional story and characters for some enjoyment. The cinema is dark and this encourages your attention onto the film and helps you forget about yourself and your surroundings, the sound is very loud and from all sides, all of these capture our focus more and sometimes the film ends and we forget what time it is or where we are!

This is just the same as our mind, the mind is presenting ideas plans and demands, and due to a forgetfulness of our true identity we have decided or chosen to ‘buy into’ the minds suggestions, taking them as being real and important. We do not have to be moved by the minds ideas,

just as a sober film goer never becomes afraid in the horror movie, they are aware it is a film only. A sober sage never becomes disturbed by the minds demands, knowing himself and the mind to be completely different, not paying any importance to the mental suggestions.

The Workings Of The Mind Explained…

The mind has three stages, thinking, feeling and willing.  When we contemplate something we can enjoy with our senses then the thinking stage begins, after thinking for a while we move onto feeling, we feel what it would be like, then that takes us a stage further onto willing, which is where the subtle influences manifest into  physical activities. If we remain in absorbtion on the Great Mantra Hare Krishna and Gouranga then we never need progress past thinking, just as Bhagavad gita states in the second chapter

“A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires—that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still—can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires”.

Love or Lust?

In this world the concept of love between a girl and a boy is generally based on mutual sense gratification, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” as the saying goes. Then when the other person no longer makes us feel good we go elsewhere.   I love you because you make me feel good and i like the way you like me so much! Is this really love? Although appearing to be love, this mood is really lust. To sum it up in a nut shell. Love is giving and lust is taking.

The vedas give very precise understandings of love.  Real love means moving right away from any personal gain and only acting for the pleasure of the beloved with no desire for any personal benefits. That consciousness is our original nature as selfless loving souls. Due to desire for personal gain, fame, distinction and  adoration our natural love has transformed into lust.

Through spiritual activities we can easily turn that lust back into love. happy valentines day!