I can
challenge you that you are not happy in the present set up of your
affairs. You may have in your possession your so called accumulated
material wealth, health or happiness but still you are always feeling
some insufficiency and frustration and thus you are not happy as you
ought to have been. If you do not feel like this, then you must be
either an abnormal man or a liberated saint or in gross ignorance of
lower consciousness. Should you feel yourself abnormally happy, I shall
ask you the following plain questions. They are as follows:— 1) Do you
like to die? 2) Do you like to take your birth again? 3) Do you like to
be an old man? 4) Do you like to be a diseased man? I am sure you shall
reply to all these questions by saying the only word "No.'' If you think
yourself happy then have you solved all the above problems in any way?
Have your vast resources of material knowledge helped you in solving
these seemingly common but very big problems? Do you think that you
shall ever be able to solve the above problems? If you say so, I shall
again call you in abnormal condition. Do not remain in ignorance for
your problems. The way in which you are seeking to be happy or trying to
make others happy in your manufactured ideology—is called "Maya'' or
illusion. By this you have simply been credited with creation of much
disturbances and entanglement for all concerned. That is the record of
history of the material world. Empire may come and empire may go, the
problems of life remain the same. Please therefore be cool-headed and
patiently ask within yourself if you are really happy.
Source:
Friends of Lord Krishna (FOLK)
ISKCON, Bangalore
Visit us at
www.folknet.in
I
WISH YOU AND
YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS
HAPPY
VARAMAHALAKSHMI FESTIVAL
LETS PRAY
GODESS TO GIVE
GOODLY
HEALTHAND WEALTH......
Recently I saw a survey that says:
• 40 percent of the things we worry about never happen,
• 30 percent are in the past and can't be helped,
• 12 percent concern the affairs of others
• 10 percent are about sickness--either real or imagined
• 8 percent are worth worrying about.
I would submit that even the 8 percent aren't really worth the energy of worry.
Did you know that the English word worry is derived from an
Anglo-Saxon word that means to strangle or to choke? That's easy to
believe. People do literally worry themselves to death leading to heart
disease, high blood pressure, ulcers, nervous disorders and all sorts of
other diseases. Is it worth it?
We just need to find a way to keep it from ruling our lives.
Try this:
• Analyze the situation honestly and figure out what is the worst possible thing that could happen.
• Prepare yourself mentally to accept the worst, if necessary.
• Then calmly try to improve upon the worst, which you have already agreed mentally to accept.
• You know what you have to do; it's just a matter of doing it. Without worrying.
The
point is, you can't saw sawdust. A day of worry is more exhausting than
a day of work. People get so busy worrying about yesterday or tomorrow,
they forget about today. And today is what you have to work with.
A man may
carry a burden on his head, and when he feels it to be too heavy, he
sometimes gives relief to his head by putting the burden on his
shoulder. In this way he tries to relieve himself of the burden.
However, whatever process he devises to counteract the burden does
nothing more than put the same burden from one place to another. This
does not mean that he has become freed from the strains of carrying the
burden. Similarly, human society in the name of civilization is creating
one kind of trouble to avoid another kind of trouble. We see that there
are many automobiles manufactured to carry us swiftly, but at the same
time we have created other problems like constructing so many roads,
traffic jam, air pollution and fuel shortage. The conclusion is that the
processes we manufacture to counteract or minimize our distresses do
not actually put an end to our pains. We simply place the burden from
the head to the shoulder under the name of counteraction. So first of
all, we have to know, "I am spirit soul," By such knowledge you feel
relief. When the burden is taken away you feel relieved, similarly, this
ignorance that "I am this body" is a great burden, a burden upon us. So
when you get out of this burden, then you feel relieved. You cannot
expect real comfort within this material world; it is a place for
discomfort. How you can make it a happy place? The only real way to
minimize our problems is surrender unto the Supreme Personality of
Godhead and give ourselves up to His protection. The Lord, being
all-powerful, can make arrangements to mitigate our painful life in
material existence. That is real happiness.
Ref: Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.29.33 authored by Srila Prabhupada (Founder - Acharya, ISKCON)
People do not know that they can become immortal. Immortal we are, but we have been embodied in this material body. Therefore we have to accept mortality, birth and death. This is the beginning of spiritual life. Spiritual life means how to become immortal. They come to ask me, "Sir, do you know some spiritual magic?" All for material benefit. For them spiritualist means something magic so that you can get some material benefit. If by stretching your hand you can get some little quantity of gold, then you are spiritualist: "Oh, here is a man, wonderful spiritualist. He can create gold. He can cure disease by simply Fooing (blowing air).” They want to see magic only for material benefit. Spiritual life means how to become immortal. So the yoga-siddhi is that magic. Devotee can show better magic, but they do not bother their time for yoga practice. Because he's under the care of the supreme magician, Krishna. So if there is need of magic, Krishna will show. Why he should bother? Just like a small child is dependent on his father. Father is rich man. So he says to his father, "Father, I want this." That is very costly. So he doesn't require to get the money. The father is there. He'll get the money. "All right, take it." So that is the facility for the devotees. If you can hold the hand of Hari, then you can show wonderful magic, which no magician, no yogis can display. That is the position of devotee. They do not care for practicing yoga to show some magical feats. Neither do they require it. Neither do they want it. Because devotee's position is, "Krishna, whatever You like, You can do." That's all. He has no desire.
Ref – Compilation from Srila Prabhupada’s Lectures, (Bhagavad-gita 2.15-London, August 21, 1973 & Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6-Vrindavana, October 17, 1972)
Krishna says that He provides for His devotees by giving them what they lack and preserving what they have. People are very fond of saying that God helps those who help themselves, but they do not understand that helping yourself means putting yourself under Krishna's protection. If one thinks, "Oh, I can help myself. I can protect myself," one is thinking foolishly. As long as my finger is attached to my body, it is useful, and I may spend thousands of dollars to preserve it. But if this finger is cut off, it is useless and is thrown away. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Krishna, and helping ourselves means putting ourselves in our proper position as His parts and parcels. Otherwise we are only fit to be cast away. The finger can help itself only when situated properly on the hand and working on behalf of the entire body. If the finger thinks, "I will separate myself from this body and simply help myself," that finger will be cast away and will die. As soon as we think, "I shall live independently of Krishna," that is our spiritual death, and as soon as we engage in Krishna's service, as His part and parcel, that is our spiritual life. Therefore, helping oneself means knowing one's actual position and working accordingly. It is not possible to help oneself without knowing one's position. The practice of yoga, especially bhakti-yoga in Krishna consciousness, may appear to be a very difficult job. If you are serious about understanding the goal of life, spiritual knowledge, then Krishna will help you. If anyone follows the principles with great determination, the Lord will surely help, for God helps those who help themselves.
Ref: Path of Perfection authored by Srila Prabhupada (Founder - Acharya, ISKCON)
