We all get angry to some degree over things from time to time, so it's something everyone has to deal with.
This request for help about it was posted in my public quest book on connect, so I feel sure the devotee who posted it wouldn't mind if I put it here, along with my reply, since it's public anyway.
Tigers and their cubs, cats and their kittens....... Us in the hands of Krishna.
~
Hare Krishna!
Hw is ur devotional service goin on , Mataji?
Nw from past 2 to 3months i am not able to control my anger. Its going beyond my control and i don't no what do. I make up my mind everyday to control myself but its in vein. I am hurting my family and hurting my self also. Please guide me
ABHISHEK
~ ~ ~
Dear Abhishek,
Anger comes from attachment. When you don't really understand, realize, that Krishna is in control of everything, then you get attached to things, and when they aren't the way you want them to be, you get angry.
I don't get angry because I understand that "not a blade of grass moves without the will of the Supreme".
So, nothing can make you angry when you see that. Well, we might feel some emotion, that is only natural as long as you are not a pure devotee, you might become affected a little, but as far as anger that is "out of control" you only need to realize that Krishna is directing all things. Every single thing. He is in charge, He is very very powerful and things are always going according to His plans.
Try to read some of the sections of scripture that relate to this. Try to meditate on this all the time. Think to yourself when something occurs that makes you angry "well, see here, this is Krishna arranging this to occur in my life"....... In the life of a devotee, it is always Krishna, guiding you and purifying you and accomplishing His plans through and for you.
Krishna only wants the best for us, so there is nothing to be angry about.
There is a devotee on connect who used for his profile photo a picture of a mother Tiger carrying her baby kitten in her mouth. You know how cats do that? They pick up their young cubs by the scruff of the neck and carry them to safety that way, and remove them from danger.
So, we are the kittens (or cubs) in the mouth of "mother tiger" - Krishna.
So, being angry is like the little kitten fighting and hissing as mother tiger carries it to safety. Of course interestingly enough, if you pick a baby tiger cub up by it's scruff that way, it cannot act angry or hiss, it becomes helpless. As humans, Krishna gives us free will, so we are able to be angry and hiss even though He is doing things for our benefit. But if we understand it's Him, and He is only protecting us, and purifying us, and guiding us, then we will be less angry.
Nice to hear from you again.
Hare Krishna,
Navasi
*
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
We Are All Dying For What We Believe In
One of the first times I talked to Steve, he said something about how you have to admire the terrorists just for being willing to die for what they believe.
I didn't agree with him, and though I didn't mention it that time, the next time I saw him it was still on my mind.
"I don't admire the terrorists for being willing to die for what they believe. I can't admire them for being willing to die for what they believe, since what they believe is not admirable" I said. "Furthermore, there are people here, even in this town, who are willing to die for what they believe every single day. The policeman who gets up and goes out, every day, he could die that day, for what he believes, the military too" I told him.
That was a long time ago, and the one thing we did agree on is that to really live, you have to be willing to die for what you believe in.
He mentioned it recently again "well, you have to be willing to die for what you believe in"........ I think I laughed at this point, since it was something that didn't frighten me or upset me anymore. It's been on my mind a lot recently though.
The reason I've been thinking about it so much is because, really, every single one of us is dying for what we believe in. Some people might not realize that, but it's true.
Even a person who has "no belief", that is a belief in itself.
Every day we live, everything we do, is one day of our life, used and gone, and one day closer to dying. Whatever it is that we believe in and live for, that is what we are busy dying for.
Sometimes it is obvious, like with a policeman on duty, for example. Other times, it could go un-noticed. Regardless, in living, we are dying. Living for what we believe, no matter what that is, is actually dying for what we believe.
We Are All Dying For What We Believe In
Being aware of that at least gives us the chance to identify those beliefs are realize that we are in fact dying for them.
*Steve is false name used to protect the privacy of the individual in this conversation.
*
I didn't agree with him, and though I didn't mention it that time, the next time I saw him it was still on my mind.
"I don't admire the terrorists for being willing to die for what they believe. I can't admire them for being willing to die for what they believe, since what they believe is not admirable" I said. "Furthermore, there are people here, even in this town, who are willing to die for what they believe every single day. The policeman who gets up and goes out, every day, he could die that day, for what he believes, the military too" I told him.
That was a long time ago, and the one thing we did agree on is that to really live, you have to be willing to die for what you believe in.
He mentioned it recently again "well, you have to be willing to die for what you believe in"........ I think I laughed at this point, since it was something that didn't frighten me or upset me anymore. It's been on my mind a lot recently though.
The reason I've been thinking about it so much is because, really, every single one of us is dying for what we believe in. Some people might not realize that, but it's true.
Even a person who has "no belief", that is a belief in itself.
Every day we live, everything we do, is one day of our life, used and gone, and one day closer to dying. Whatever it is that we believe in and live for, that is what we are busy dying for.
Sometimes it is obvious, like with a policeman on duty, for example. Other times, it could go un-noticed. Regardless, in living, we are dying. Living for what we believe, no matter what that is, is actually dying for what we believe.
We Are All Dying For What We Believe In
Being aware of that at least gives us the chance to identify those beliefs are realize that we are in fact dying for them.
*Steve is false name used to protect the privacy of the individual in this conversation.
*
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Chanting & Spiritual Realization
Dear ~
That's very good that you will read Srimad Bhagavatam from the beginning now. As you know, that is the way it has to be read in order to be understood.
It's also necessary to chant the maha mantra in order to understand it, even while reading it from the beginning. Like we were discussing before, we cannot understand Krishna with our minds. It is not possible. It is Him, revealing Himself to us that allows us to understand spiritual topics (which are Krishna).
So, even reading the Srimad Bhagavatam, it becomes essential for you to chant serious japa in order for the words you read and the meaning behind them to become understood in truth, and on the level of your soul (i.e. realized, which is different from mental comprehension, very, very different). These seem like mysteries I know, or maybe not to you. So many people think that they can read and understand scripture with only their minds, simply by acquiring words, but it is not possible.
There are many who have acquired all the words and can quote them well, but the realization of their meaning, it's not there, and so confusion continues.
That's why the chanting is so very essential.
I know you said you are trying, and you see that your mind tricks you. I am writing this as an encouragement, to continue to make the serious effort, and to remind you of the importance. Our minds do trick us, that is the business of the mind and the senses, to trick us from actually becoming closer to Krishna. Maya Devi, she is there, and uses our weakness, our weak minds and senses, to keep us distracted and away from Krishna. That is her service to Him.
So, the way to get control of our minds, that happens by chanting. We engage our minds in the service of the Lord, and Hrisikesha (Krishna, controller of the senses) then controls them, rather than Maya devi. There are many ways to engage the senses and mind in the service of the Lord, of course, and you are aware of that.
However, in this age, the most potent form is chanting the maha mantra. The more you do that, the more control you will have over your mind, and then your intelligence will direct you (with Krishna's direction).
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
You can (and I do) pray always for help with this. Pray to Lord Chaitanya, to please help you chant the maha mantra seriously.
I hope you are doing well today (by that I mean spiritually, since that is what matters most)
Hare Krishna.
Navasi
*
That's very good that you will read Srimad Bhagavatam from the beginning now. As you know, that is the way it has to be read in order to be understood.
It's also necessary to chant the maha mantra in order to understand it, even while reading it from the beginning. Like we were discussing before, we cannot understand Krishna with our minds. It is not possible. It is Him, revealing Himself to us that allows us to understand spiritual topics (which are Krishna).
So, even reading the Srimad Bhagavatam, it becomes essential for you to chant serious japa in order for the words you read and the meaning behind them to become understood in truth, and on the level of your soul (i.e. realized, which is different from mental comprehension, very, very different). These seem like mysteries I know, or maybe not to you. So many people think that they can read and understand scripture with only their minds, simply by acquiring words, but it is not possible.
There are many who have acquired all the words and can quote them well, but the realization of their meaning, it's not there, and so confusion continues.
That's why the chanting is so very essential.
I know you said you are trying, and you see that your mind tricks you. I am writing this as an encouragement, to continue to make the serious effort, and to remind you of the importance. Our minds do trick us, that is the business of the mind and the senses, to trick us from actually becoming closer to Krishna. Maya Devi, she is there, and uses our weakness, our weak minds and senses, to keep us distracted and away from Krishna. That is her service to Him.
So, the way to get control of our minds, that happens by chanting. We engage our minds in the service of the Lord, and Hrisikesha (Krishna, controller of the senses) then controls them, rather than Maya devi. There are many ways to engage the senses and mind in the service of the Lord, of course, and you are aware of that.
However, in this age, the most potent form is chanting the maha mantra. The more you do that, the more control you will have over your mind, and then your intelligence will direct you (with Krishna's direction).
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
You can (and I do) pray always for help with this. Pray to Lord Chaitanya, to please help you chant the maha mantra seriously.
I hope you are doing well today (by that I mean spiritually, since that is what matters most)
Hare Krishna.
Navasi
*
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Softly Chanting, Krishna's Name
Softly, I'm chanting, Krishna's name.
I think to myself: "this morning I am approaching Krishna softly".
I haven't tried to chant softly, it's only that it's coming out this way. Softly, chanting. I am approaching Krishna in a soft, gentle way this morning.
There are so many moods. Here, in this morning, in my relationship with Krishna, I am approaching Him softly, gently; submissive, peaceful, quiet. Krishna allows me to approach Him through His holy name.
It's very cold, this early morning hour. I step outside and look up at the sky. Bright, the moon is just past full and washes the landscape in a quiet sea of soft colors; grays, and very pale blues. The trees, bare this time of year, like sentinels, standing guard, always, standing.
Somewhere, far away, there are dogs howling. I hear them, thinking: "they cannot chant, they can only cry". Across the street, and all around me, people in their houses, sleeping. They could chant, their mouths could make the sound, unlike the dogs, but they don't want to.
Quietly, softly, I am approaching Krishna, in service, to His holy name. Chanting, softly.
This is the gift.
This is the treasure.
This is the miracle.
This is the wonder.
This is the beauty.
This is the mystery.
This chanting of Krishna's name. This early-morning blessing. This maha-mantra, these words, this sound incarnation of Krishna.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
We are so fortunate.
*
Monday, January 12, 2009
"I Can Do All Things......"
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me"
I read that just now on a cross-stitch kit in a needlework catalog I was looking at.
I remember my Grandmother used to say this, all the time, only in a slightly different way:
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".
Reading it this morning, as I feel overwhelmed by the tasks that I am faced with about the future, this is a strong and helpful reminder.
This came up just last month, in fact. I had a project that I had to accomplish, and I saw no possible way to get it started, what to speak of completed. It really seemed impossible.
I had to do it, and I saw no way I could, so I asked Krishna to please help me do it. Almost, literally to move me, do it "for me", "through me". I was asking this way, for His help, and then, suddenly, I was just able to do the whole thing.
It had seemed so impossible and I felt entirely helpless to accomplish it, any of it. So, I asked for help this way, and truly, it was like magic. I just did it, I got through all of it, easily, effortlessly. I felt entirely guided through it all, as if it was not even me doing it really. My hands moved, my body did things, my mind thought things, but I was not alone at all, it was not "me" who did it. It didn't even feel like a chore and I experienced none of the indecisiveness that I often do with projects of that kind.
I find it hard to ask Krishna for help that way, or to remember to ask for help, or to feel it's alright to ask for help (to that degree) with these day-to-day realities of life.
Sometimes though, there is no other way, and though I don't want to "bother" Krishna with my problems, it seems that He is ever-willing and ready to help.
It's hard to find the balance between "What can God do for me" and "What can I do for God".
It's personal. A relationship. Krishna is God, yes, but He is also our dear-most friend and well-wisher.
He is the strength in everything. The force, the power, the knowledge, the ability.
So, now, I'm asking for His help, and knowing that I can only do things with His help.
All Things. Whatever things I need to do.
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
Hare Krishna.
I read that just now on a cross-stitch kit in a needlework catalog I was looking at.
I remember my Grandmother used to say this, all the time, only in a slightly different way:
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".
Reading it this morning, as I feel overwhelmed by the tasks that I am faced with about the future, this is a strong and helpful reminder.
This came up just last month, in fact. I had a project that I had to accomplish, and I saw no possible way to get it started, what to speak of completed. It really seemed impossible.
I had to do it, and I saw no way I could, so I asked Krishna to please help me do it. Almost, literally to move me, do it "for me", "through me". I was asking this way, for His help, and then, suddenly, I was just able to do the whole thing.
It had seemed so impossible and I felt entirely helpless to accomplish it, any of it. So, I asked for help this way, and truly, it was like magic. I just did it, I got through all of it, easily, effortlessly. I felt entirely guided through it all, as if it was not even me doing it really. My hands moved, my body did things, my mind thought things, but I was not alone at all, it was not "me" who did it. It didn't even feel like a chore and I experienced none of the indecisiveness that I often do with projects of that kind.
I find it hard to ask Krishna for help that way, or to remember to ask for help, or to feel it's alright to ask for help (to that degree) with these day-to-day realities of life.
Sometimes though, there is no other way, and though I don't want to "bother" Krishna with my problems, it seems that He is ever-willing and ready to help.
It's hard to find the balance between "What can God do for me" and "What can I do for God".
It's personal. A relationship. Krishna is God, yes, but He is also our dear-most friend and well-wisher.
He is the strength in everything. The force, the power, the knowledge, the ability.
So, now, I'm asking for His help, and knowing that I can only do things with His help.
All Things. Whatever things I need to do.
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
Hare Krishna.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Lord Varaha
brahmovāca
yatrodyataḥ kṣiti-taloddharaṇāya bibhrat
krauḍīḿ tanuḿ sakala-yajña-mayīm anantaḥ
antar-mahārṇava upāgatam ādi-daityaḿ
taḿ daḿṣṭrayādrim iva vajra-dharo dadāra
SYNONYMS
brahmā uvāca — Lord Brahmā said; yatra — at that time (when); udyataḥ — attempted; kṣiti-tala — the planet earth; uddharaṇāya — for the matter of lifting; bibhrat — assumed; krauḍīm — pastimes; tanum — form; sakala — total; yajña-mayīm — all-inclusive sacrifices; anantaḥ — the Unlimited; antar — within the universe; mahā-arṇave — the great Garbha Ocean; upāgatam — having arrived at; ādi — the first; daityam — demon; tam — him; daḿṣṭrayā — by the tusk; adrim — the flying mountains; iva — like; vajra-dharaḥ — the controller of the thunderbolts; dadāra — pierced.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmā said: When the unlimitedly powerful Lord assumed the form of a boar as a pastime, just to lift the planet earth, which was drowned in the great ocean of the universe called the Garbhodaka, the first demon [Hiraṇyākṣa] appeared, and the Lord pierced him with His tusk.
PURPORT
Since the beginning of creation, the demons and the demigods, or the Vaiṣṇavas, are always the two classes of living beings to dominate the planets of the universes. Lord Brahmā is the first demigod, and Hiraṇyākṣa is the first demon in this universe. Only under certain conditions do the planets float as weightless balls in the air, and as soon as these conditions are disturbed, the planets may fall down in the Garbhodaka Ocean, which covers half the universe. The other half is the spherical dome within which the innumerable planetary systems exist. The floating of the planets in the weightless air is due to the inner constitution of the globes, and the modernized drilling of the earth to exploit oil from within is a sort of disturbance by the modern demons and can result in a greatly harmful reaction to the floating condition of the earth. A similar disturbance was created formerly by the demons headed by Hiraṇyākṣa (the great exploiter of the gold rush), and the earth was detached from its weightless condition and fell down into the Garbhodaka Ocean. The Lord, as maintainer of the whole creation of the material world, therefore assumed the gigantic form of a boar with a proportionate snout and picked up the earth from within the water of Garbhodaka. Śrī Jayadeva Gosvāmī, the great Vaiṣṇava poet, sang as follows:
vasati daśana-śikhare dharaṇī tava lagnā
"O Keśava! O Supreme Lord who have assumed the form of a boar! O Lord! The planet earth rested on Your tusks, and it appeared like the moon engraved with spots."
Such is the symptom of an incarnation of the Lord. The incarnation of the Lord is not the concocted idea of fanciful men who create an incarnation out of imagination. The incarnation of the Lord appears under certain extraordinary circumstances like the above-mentioned occasion, and the incarnation performs a task which is not even imaginable by the tiny brain of mankind. The modern creators of the many cheap incarnations may take note of the factual incarnation of God as the gigantic boar with a suitable snout to carry the planet earth.
When the Lord appeared to pick up the earth, the demon of the name Hiraṇyākṣa tried to create a disturbance in the methodical functions of the Lord, and therefore he was killed by being pierced by the Lord's tusk. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the demon Hiraṇyākṣa was killed by the hand of the Lord. Therefore his version is that after being killed by the hand of the Lord, the demon was pierced by the tusk. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura confirms this version.
Srimad Bhagavatam, 2.7.1
Monday, January 5, 2009
Life Changes
My life has just changed entirely.
Of course, the moment when we see the change, is only that - when it finally becomes so obvious - we can see it.
Change itself happens all along the way. The little moments, the ever-moving, shifting current of life. The small choices of day to day living.
They are the change.
Krishna, the All-Powerful One. The force and guiding hand behind all of it, everything.
Swiftly or slowly, the changes and currents take shape, creating the form we can finally recognize and say:
My Life Has Changed.
~ Talk About Love ~
There is no greater love than Krishna.
Everything about Him, everything of His, is lovable too, just like He is.
*
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