I am Insignificant .......

Srila Prabhupad " ..... There is one temple commander & he thinks he is very important "

Conflict ..... Good or Bad?

it is natural that when two or more people are working together .There are Conflicts

Severe disagreements & this leads to a lot of misunderstanding , strain , stress in the relationship between team members. The team can be of simply friends, wife & husband, teams in company or in parliaments etc.

There will be conflicts due to personalism

everyone is a person so everyone shall have a different approach , idea ,feelings, emotions

Recently in my team we were having conflicts & i found that it served to improve our relationship

Conflict in its Own is not good or BAD! but what we do out of it?

how we look at it ?

How we try resolve it is the Great Question ?

If we depart just because of petty differences we would simply screw the whole project

But if we take this as an opportunity to understand each other , to understand each others needs

, each others concerns, each others limitations we shall be able to work Happily

& with mutual respect,understanding & love thus adding to the health of the Project .

So i see this as an OPPORTUNITY to understand each other & respect each other

& resolve this conflict by Putting Higher principle of Krishna Consciousness & Service to guru & Vaishnavas before us & try to Love each other with ALL their FAULTS.

This is what it means to co-operate

if we had same like mindedness we would be just ONE.

But because we have differences we have to Co-operate & become ONE in purpose , in Aim , in Goal

Prabhupad said, "You will show your LOVE to me by how much you cooperate with each other"

This higher principle if kept before us then all conflicts can be resolved

thus we TOO resolved the conflict aroused in my team......................................

http://vrajendrakumardas.blogspot.com/2009/09/co-operation-what-does-it-actually-mean.html

http://vrajendrakumardas.blogspot.com/2009/09/sincerity-of-purpose.html

yardstick for spiritual advancement

The following is a transcription of end of a lecture(Q & A)

given in 1994 by HH Radhanath Swami in Pune yatra

He answers

what is the yardstick for spiritual advancement ?

how to understand the difference between imitation & following in the footsteps of previous acarayas ?

what is EGO & how to destroy it ?

---- entusiasm & patience is sign of surrender

enthusiasm --

Krishna i am going to fulfill you desire

i am going to do according to your desire

i am going to fulfill you desire

i am going to chant

i am going to serve devotees & gurudev according to ur desire

i am going to live a pure life according to ur desire

i am going to associate with devotees acc to ur desire

patience -- if it takes one millions birth or one day i am going to continue ON

you see ur problem is ur devo service is conditional & fruitive

you want something for ur self too much

bcos u want that

Krishna is putting you in poisiton of suffering & doubt to purge that from you

just try to make devotees happy

just try to make others happy

just try to please Krishna & chant the holy name putting aside ur own

conception of spiritual advancement

your spiritual advancement is determined by the yardstick is

how selfless you become & how detached from ur own EGO

that is the yardstick of ur advancement

not how many names of god u r chanting everyday ?

not what position u have as far as been a sanyasi or president or senior person

that is nothing to do with spiritual advancement

ur dedication ur willing to put urself as servant

ur willingness to be patient & continue on & endeavour under all circumstances

Krishna wants u to come to that stage

& therefore he will not give u real happiness unless u understand that thats what i need !

to please krsna

i am doing this to please Krishna

please Krishna u get his mercy

& generally what happens is a devotee at certain level of KCON

is not ready to make that choice then that devotee has to fall down for sometime

in complete bewilderment untill he learns that i have to give up this EGO

i have to just be the servant of the servant & try to please krishna with FAITH

at every level of KCON there will be test & impediments meant to improve our quality

of conciousness

& u have reached to certain stage of KCON development thaht Krishna wants u to let go ur ego

& certain material expectation in the name of spiritual life

he wants u let go

& what does it mean to let go

Krishna i am not doing this for my enjoyment

i have faith in previousacaryas & sastras

that if i just continue on in ur living service u r going to give me

whatever i need so i am going to continue

i am not going to complain

if ur given the right instruction coming fomr sadhu sastra

u have nothing to worry abt

all u have to do is follow with humility

how to protect from imitating ?

difference between imitating & following in the footsteps of previous acaryas

in other words we should behave according to the instruction of guru & krishna

we are doing this for purification

we r not doing this for prestige or adoration or fame

imitator wants adoration as a fruit for devo service

a sincere devotee wants service to please the lord please the vaishnavas & he wants

purification

& that means even if u get no adoration even if u r condemned or blasphemed for what u do u accept that as all part of the purification

for imitator cannot withstand

u have to examine what r ur motives in KCON

do u want to serve , please , purify

or want material benefits

u have constantly examine these motives & check this ego when it appears in our heart

& just be SIMPLE

KCon is simple for simple & complicated for the complicated

they are so many devotees who are blissfully serving while others are in doubts & suffering

& they are doing exactly the same thing

one has a simple approach

other has complicated

how to have a simple approach

-- just hear submissively

& follow with faith

u cannot figure out ur own spiritual advancement

all u can do is serve Krishna

Ego create doubt??

-- ego has ulterior motives

& it wants to justify it ulterior motives

& faith comes from submissively hearing

they is no other way to gain true faith just as sun dispels darkness

if we are hearing submissively

then we r allowing the light if krishnas mercy to illuminate our heart to dispel our doubts

but we have EGO then we are not allowing to dispel our doubts

we have our own conceptions we have our own ideas opinions

we have our own ways

& what guru & krishna says & that matches with mine then i accept it

& if it doesnot then i have to question it whats in it for me

that ego is breeding ground for doubt

whay bcos u r preventing the light of faith entering into ur heart

ego blocks KRISHNAS mercy

ego kicks krishna out

where there is no KRISHNA there is DARKness

darkness means doubt

humility allows krishna IN

ego closes the door & keep everything in darkness

it breeds DOUBT bcos it prevents KRISHNAS mercy to come in

trnad api sunicena ....

in that humility if one chants the holy name our heart are ready to recieve the blessings

of the holy name

to the degree we have that humility our heart is open for the message of bhagavatam to dispel our doubts

Spiritual master is one who with great humility is serving the lord & previous acaryas like a delivery man giving message without adulteration thru life & teachings

Srila Prabhupad said read his books

all ur doubts will be displed u will have clear vision

you will understand what is what !!!

One Drop of mercy

e dhana, yaubana, putra, parijana

ithe ki āche paratīti re

kamala-dala-jala, jīvana ṭalamala

bhajahū hari-pada nīti re

What assurance of real happiness is there in all of one's wealth, youthfulness, sons, and family members? This life is tottering like a drop of water on a lotus petal; therefore you should always serve and worship the divine feet of Lord Hari.

Abstract from 10.20.10 purport

""" The poet Vidyäpati said that in the society of friends, family, children, wife and so on, there is certainly some pleasure, but that pleasure is compared to a drop of water in the desert. Everyone is hankering after happiness, just as in the desert everyone is hankering after water. If in the desert there is a drop of water, the water is there, of course, but the benefit from that drop of water is very insignificant. In our materialistic way of life, we are hankering after an ocean of happiness, but in the form of society, friends and mundane love we are getting no more than a drop of water. Our satisfaction is never achieved, as the small rivulets, lakes and ponds are never filled with water in the dry season."""

The material pleasure is simply a drop in a desert, never satisfying

We are looking for ocean of Happiness but what we get is a drop of false pleasure.

This is the nature of drop of pleasure in this material world.

As we read the prayers & songs of pure devotees we find that a devotee is praying for "a drop of mercy"

One may wonder if we are looking for ocean of mercy why ask just one drop of it !??

Lord Caitanya after seeing the great learned ex-mayavadi Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya & Ramananda Ray playing like little boys in the water says in CC madya 14.84

paṇḍita, gambhīra, duńhe — prāmāṇika jana

bāla-cāñcalya kare, karāha varjana

"Tell the Bhaṭṭācārya and Rāmānanda Rāya to stop their childish play because they are both learned scholars and very grave and great personalities."

Gopinath acarya in the Caitanya Caritamrita explains the nature of this "Drop of Mercy"

meru-mandara-parvata ḍubāya yathā tathā

ei dui — gaṇḍa-śaila, ihāra kā kathā

"A drop from the ocean of Your mercy can drown great mountains like Sumeru and Mandara. Since these two gentlemen are little hills by comparison, it is no wonder that they are being drowned in the ocean of Your mercy."

http://vedabase.net/cc/madhya/14/84/en

Conclusion:

So a drop of mercy is enough to make us happy.

& so i pray this following prayer to my Gurumaharaj.

Song Name: Gurudeva Krpa Bindu Diya

Official Name: Bhajana Lalasa Song 11

Author: Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Book Name: Saranagati

Language: Bengali

(1)

gurudev!

kṛpā-bindu diyā, koro' ei dāse,

tṛṇāpekhā ati hīna

sakala sahane, bala diyā koro',

nija-māne spṛhā-hīna

(2)

sakale sammāna korite śakati,

deho' nātha! jathājatha

tabe to' gāibo, hari-nāma-sukhe,

aparādha ha 'be hata

(3)

kabe heno kṛpā, labhiyā e jana,

kṛtārtha hoibe, nātha!

śakti-buddhi-hīna, āmi ati dīna,

koro' more ātma-sātha

(4)

jogyatā-vicāre, kichu nāhi pāi,

tomāra karuṇā-sāra

karuṇā nā hoile, kāndiyā kāndiyā,

prāṇa nā rākhibo āra

1) Gurudeva, give to this servant just one drop of mercy. I am lower than a blade of grass. Give me all help. Give me strength. Let me be as you are, without desires or aspirations.

2) I offer you all respects, for thus I may have the energy to know you correctly. Then, by chanting the holy name in great ecstasy, all my offenses will cease.

3) When will such mercy fall to this one who is weak and devoid of intelligence? Allow me to be with you.

4) If you examine me, you will find no qualities. Your mercy is all that I am made of. If you are not merciful unto me, I can only weep, and I will not be able to maintain my life.

Obstacles in the path of bhakti are servants of Lord

I was hearing one lecture on gaur lila By HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj

The story was of taking sanyas by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu

After sanyas he stayed in the house of Adavaita Acarya .Then he decided he should go to Puri at once. But devotees told him that presently there are conflicts & war taking place between nations so please go after peace is established

from Caitanya Mangal

++++To this the Supreme Lord, Sri Caitanya, replied, “Let there be danger of any magnitude, I will certainly go, this I say to you.” Sri Advaita Äcärya understood Sri Caitanya’s mind and knew no one could dissuade Him from it. Palms joined, Sri Advaita began to speak, “Who can dare to obstruct your path?

All so-called impediments and dangers are simply your order carriers.

No one possesses the power to stop you. You have resolved to travel to Néläcala, and so your journey will be a source of great joy and You may leave at Your own sweet will.” +++++

Maharaj said " Advaita Acaraya said that the obstacles are servants of the Lord .And these obstacles have come to purify us from our conditionings ,they have come to make us more surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord . A devotee accepts them & takes shelter of the Supreme Lord .In this was he advances"

So obstacles are actually to purify us & not put us down

lets face them by taking shelter of the lord

lets pray to Lord with much intensity same as Gajendra had prayed when he was caught in the teeths of the crocodile.

Our Prayer should be THAT intense.

One devotee said "if we donot pass on the present obstacles the same one will keep on coming "

better take shelter of Krishna & he shall pick us up

Srila Bhakti vinod thakur said "Obstacles are great source of ecstasies to him"

The following prayer by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur explains

how to pray to the Lord ? & what to pray to the Lord ?

Song Name: Anadi Karama Phale

Official Name: Sri Siksastakam Song 5

Author: Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Book Name: Gitavali

Language: Bengali

LYRICS

(1)

anādi’ karama-phale, poḍi’ bhavārnava-jale,

toribāre nā dekhi upāy

e-viṣaya-halāhale, divā-niśi hiyā jwale,

mana kabhu sukha nāhi pāy

(2)

āśā-pāśa-śata-śata, kleśa deya avirata,

pravṛtti-ūrmira tāhe khelā

kāma-krodha-ādi choy, bāṭapāḍe deya bhoy,

avasāna hoilo āsi’ belā

(3)

jñāna-karma—ṭhaga dui, more pratārīya loi,

avaśeṣe phele sindhu-jale

e heno samaye, bandhu, tumi kṛṣṇa kṛpā-sindhu,

kṛpā kori’ tolo more bale

(4)

patita-kińkore dhori’, pāda-padma-dhuli kori’,

deho bhaktivinode āśroy

āmi tava nitya-dās, bhuliyā māyāra pāś,

baddha ho’ye āchi doyāmoy

TRANSLATION

1) I have fallen into the ocean of material existence as a result of my selfish activities, which are without beginning, and I see no means of deliverance from this great ocean of nescience. Day and night my heart burns from the poison of these worldly activities, and on account of this my mind never finds any satisfaction or happiness.

2) Hundreds and thousands of desires, like nooses around my neck, constantly give me misery and trouble. In that great ocean of nescience play the waves of materialistic tendency. In this world there are many thieves and rogues, of whom six are prominent; lust, anger, greed, illusion, and madness. They are causing me great fear, and in this way my life is coming to an end.

3) The two highway robbers, mental speculation and fruitive activity, have cheated me and misled me, and finally they are throwing me into the ocean of misery. At such a time as this, my dear Krsna, You are the only friend, and You are the ocean of mercy and compassion. I have no strength to get out of this ocean of nescience, so I pray to Your lotus feet that You will be kind and by Your strength uplift me from this ocean of suffering.

4) Accept this fallen servant and fix me as a particle of dust on Your lotus feet. Kindly give me shelter to this Bhaktivinoda. O most merciful Lord, actually I am Your eternal servant, but having forgotten this I have become bound up in the network of maya.

.......................Purport by HDG AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupad.......

E heno samaye bandhu, tumi krsna krpa-sindhu: "Under the circumstances, my dear Krsna, you are my only friend, and You are an ocean of mercy."

Krpa kori' tolo more bale: "I have no strength to get out of this ocean of nescience, so I pray unto Your lotus feet that by Your strength You kindly pick me up."

Patita-kinkare dhari' pada-padma-dhuli kari': "After all, I am Your eternal servant. Somehow or other I have fallen into this ocean, so kindly pick me up and fix me as one of the particles of dust at Your lotus feet."

Deho bhaktivinoda asraya: Bhaktivinoda Thakura entreats, "Kindly give me shelter at Your lotus feet."

Ami tava nitya-dasa: "I am Your eternal servant."

Bhuliya mayara pasa: "Somehow or other I forgot You, and I have now fallen into the network of maya."

Baddha ho'ye achi dayamaya: "My dear Lord, I have become entangled in this way. Kindly save me."

....................................................................................................................

So do i pray

O my Lord ! you are my only friend & I am your fallen servant

i have no strength to overcome these obstacles

Kindly pick me up & give me shelter at your lotus feet.

I have no other HOPE

Sign of Spiritual Advancement

The Sign of ones Spiritual Advancement is not in the big position one has, the real sign of advancement is how humble & tolerant one has become........ Srila Prabhupada to HH BhaktiCaru maharaj

Thought of the day, August 17, 2009

bkgoswami.com

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Humility does not mean to always be depressed. There is a difference between humility and depression... Real humility does not mean to think less of yourself, but to think of yourself less. That means - do not think of yourself so much, bad or good. Just think of yourself as a servant of Krishna and think of yourself as really tiny, one ten thousand of the tip of the hair, always dependent on the mercy of the Supreme Lord for everything. That is humility.

(From Srila Gurudeva's lecture on Rupa Goswami, New Goloka, August 2, 2009)

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