In the beginning we may find chanting to be very bitter

A patient suffering from jaundice is advised to take sugarcane juice daily by the doctor. Due to the disease of jaundice the patient finds the sugarcane juice very bitter and feels like giving up. However having faith in the doctor that the sugarcane juice is hastening his recovery he patiently keeps on having it daily though in the beginning he practically does not realize that the sugarcane juice is hastening his recovery. As he continues to have the juice and his disease vanishes he starts relishing the taste of the sugarcane juice. Thus he realizes that the sugarcane juice is extremely sweet but he was not able to relish it before because of his disease.

Similarly we should have faith in the words of our guru and acharyas and continue to chant the Holy Names of Nityananda, Gauranga and the Hare Krishna Mahamantra with patience. The greatest disease is our desire for material enjoyment and the greatest medicine is chanting of Nityananda, Gauranga and the Hare Krishna Mahamantra daily. In the beginning we may find chanting to be very bitter but having faith in the words of our acharyas and guru we should continue chanting with patience knowing that the medicinal effect is taking place though in the beginning we don't realize it practically. As the disease of desire for material enjoyment vanishes we start relishing the Holy Names and with a higher taste of the Holy Names the lower taste of sense gratification is lost. The Holy Names are always sweet but it is the disease that is not allowing us to relish the Holy Names in the beginning which is realized later on as the disease is vanished and one relishes the Holy Names.

we must serve the people through loving service to God.

It is not a matter of my personal opinion. It is a fact that just as we water the tree by watering it's roots, not by watering it's leaves and branches, in a similar way if we want to serve mankind, we must serve the people through loving service to God. The service that God has requested is that we deliver His suffering children back to their original home in the spiritual sky. If we simply serve the outer covering of the self, without serving the self within, we are not doing real service. Such service is only superficial, like blowing on a boil for temporary relief without removing it for permanent relief.

If your friend's son has run away from home, he desperately wants his son to return. If you see that boy on the street and you give him some money so he can get something to eat, but you do not return him to his father, have you served his father by feeding that boy? No. You have the given the boy the facility to remain a little longer away from home. So if you really want to serve God, you must bring his lost children back to Him. Then your service to man will be real service to God. Otherwise, your service to man, although apparently good, will actually be a disservice.

Vedic society is a fully rounded society in which all aspects of life are covered. A Vedic government makes sure that everyone is well fed, well clothed, and well housed and that everyone is happily employed according to their psycho-physical nature. This system of management is known as the varnashram system. And, most importantly in a Vedic society everyone is given full education and practical training how to utilize the human form of life for going back to home, back to Godhead. In such a situation, serving mankind by liberating them from the cycle of birth and death is the best service to God. By this one stroke all sufferings arising from birth, death, old age, and disease are immediately mitigated.

So I hope that you will understand that the science of how to give permanent relief to all the souls entangled in the cycle of birth and death is not rubbish.

By Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Are we allowed to lead sinful life in Kali-yuga ?

Question : As per our Vedas, we have satiyuga, tretayuga, dwapar yuga, and ;kaliyuga, and as compared to other yuga, a person is least religious in kaliyuga and commits lots of sin. but when the arrangement has been made by God for these yuga, then why human being are responsible for committing sins.

Answer :

Kali-yuga is the age of deterioration. In this tricky age , most of the Vedas are supposed to be lost . And aggressive anti-Vedic religions will challenge Sanatana Dharma . As predicted, we have already lost almost 90% of the Vedas . And aggressive "Mlecha" ( meat eater) religions like Islam and Christianity are threatening Sanatana Dharma .

However, Bhagavan Sri Krishna had advised His Bhaktas well in advance ( through Srimad Bhagavatam and the teaching of His avatars like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) that although Kaliyuga is difficult , it will then be much easier for Bhaktas to attain God realization just by Nama-sankirtan . Whatever benefits obtained by *Tapas* ( penance) in the previous yugas cane be easily obtained by Nama-japa in kali-yuga. modern scriptures like Narayaneeyam ( which has the stamp of approval by Bhagavan) clearly states that , it is desirable for a Bhakta to take birth in Kali-yuga, since it is very easy for him then to attain Bhagavan by simple Nama-japa .

What is important is a person's freewill . He has two options . One is the easy option to enjoy sinful life as a beef eater (Mlecha) like most others . The other option is to follow Bhagavan's advice by remaining connected to Him by performing Nama-japa and leading a Krishna oriented life . Kali-yuga is not an excuse but a God given opportunity to be utilized .

Please chant :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare ,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare !!!

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya !!!

Why we go to Temples ?

A conversation between Guru and disciple.

Disciple : Why should we go to the temple to worship or pray ? Since Bhagavan is every where, why can't we do it at home or where ever we are?

Guru: Air is distributed everywhere. But when you use a fan, more air will circulate in a small area. That is why we use hand held fans and electric fans. Fire is with in a log of wood. But only when they are subjected to friction, fire emerges from that. Likewise, when so many powerful *Manthraas* are chanted and so many rituals are performed, the divine presence becomes more significant and the positive energy and vibration from the chanting, rituals and dhoopa, deepa gandham becomes many fold in a temple. Also it is a place to meet other like minded devotees and will lead to more Satsang .

This is explained in this sloka in Thanthra samucchayam :

Sarvathragosi bhagavan kila yadyapithwa-

maavaahayaami hi yathha vyajanena vaayum

goodho yathaiva dahano mathhanaad upaithi-

hyavaahithopihithat hhaatvamupaisich aaryaamÂ

It must be remembered that , Bhagavan Sri Krishna , Sri Rama , Arjuna, Parashurama , Adi Shankara and many other Rishis have installed Temples equipped with specific Manthraas and Rituals . These temples are abodes of Bhagavan whose live presence is a reality being daily experienced by numerous Bhaktas .

This is the last one of the nine types of Bhaktha Prahlada described to his father Hiranyakashipu and this is the final stage of bhakthi. When the surrender to Bhagavan is complete, Prahlada says, devotee becomes a jeevan muktha and when the "prarabdha karmaas" (karmaas accumulated from the previous janmaas) get exhausted, the body just falls and Jeevathma merges with Bhagavan.

Aathmanivedanam or self surrender happens in two stages: one is the initial stage without the intense feeling (Bhava-hina aathmanivedanam) and one with intense feeling of separation from Bhagavan which is called Bhava-yuktha Aathmanivedanam. The second type is described in Gita by Bhagavaan :

mac-citta mad-gata-prana
bodhayantah parasparam
kathayantas ca mam nityam
tusyanti ca ramanti ca

"Those whose minds are absorbed in Me and whose lives are wholeheartedly devoted to My service, derive great satisfaction and bliss from constantly enlightening one another about My tattva and performing kirtana of My name, form, qualities and pastimes.

tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te

Here, Krishna is saying : "Those whose minds and lives are devoted to Me and who always meditate on Me, always speak about Me and derive satisfaction in Me alone. Their minds feel relaxation and comfort only by thinking about Me, and they are constantly desirous of perpetual union with Me. I bestow upon such bhaktas buddhi-yoga, transcendental intelligence and knowledge by which they can attain Me." (Prabhupada' s translation)

We Create Our Life

Always wait for something good and it happens,because whatsoever happens,we create.In fact,we create it;we sow the seeds.But we sow the seeds unconsciously,that's why we think that some accident has happened.Accidents never happen,nothing is ever accidental.It is a cosmos,it is not a chaos.
Everything is absolutely based on a fundamental ultimate law: nothing ever goes wrong.Yes,sometimes it looks to us as if it has gone wrong,because we were expecting something else.Thats a problem we do one thing,we sow one seed and we expect something else.We sow the seeds of one kind of flower and we expect some other kind of flower,so when the flowers come we are frustrated.But flowers come through the seeds,not our wishes.
So remember: We constantly create our world.There are people who are constantly afraid that something wrong is going to happen,and then it happens! And when it happens,they are proved right.They have made it happen People who are afraid will always find situations in which fear grips them.People who are loving will always find situations where love blooms.Because this existence goes on giving you that which you project.
Life is our project.We are our life's creators.God has created man,but as freedom.So there is an essential freedom inside;now it is up to you to choose what you would like to happen to you in life and then you will see that it starts happening.One thing is linked with another,one thing leads to another,and slowly you have taken a certain route;then all other alternatives are dropped.
When a child is born,all the alternatives are open;he is utterly free.He can be a musician,poet,wrestler,a politician,he can be anything ... an Adolf Hitler,a Gautama Buddha;anything is possible.But sooner or later choices start coming and he starts moving in a certain direction.Then that direction remains his world.So always remember: whatsoever has happened to you,you have been the cause of it.Sometimes it hurts that you are the cause of all the misery that has happened to you;you feel sad.But there is no need to feel sad,because through it,you come to an understanding,and then things need not happen the same way again to you.
And the second thing to remember is: For every hurt or happiness always feel thankful,because sometimes pain is needed for growth and pleasure is not needed.So whatsoever happens,make it an opportunity to grow.Use that opportunity as a springboard for something higher.A friend dies,there is pain,there is anguish and misery,but use that opportunity.Meditate on death.Your friend's death has reminded you of a very significant phenomenon that death is there.Don't arrange your life without taking note of death.Maybe existence has given you a message to get ready: the friend is gone,you will be gone one day,so prepare for death! Life is a small affair;a 70-year affair in which one-third will be gone in sleep,another one-third will be gone in earning bread and butter,another one-third in other stupidities... Nothing much is left! It is not a big thing,it is a very small phenomenon;compared to death it is nothing.Death is eternity.


The Madmans Guide To Enlightenment,

We Should Not Blame God for Our Mistake

God has created us in such a way that do not ever have to fall into this material world. Our real nature is to always happily remain in the service of God. Our defect is that instead of remaining our natural God-created selves we sometimes foolish try to defy God's preeminence, positioning ourselves as God instead. God does not send us here to this material world. We sometimes send ourselves here out of a foolish desire to live in a world where we can be God.

Another defect we have is that instead of owning up to our mistake we sometimes try to blame God for our mistake of defying Him. Can the criminal blame the government for his becoming a criminal? No. It is his fault. When the police come to arrest him, can he claim that he is not guilty, that they should arrest the government for his crimes instead of arresting him? Such a thing would be ludicrous. So why are we so foolishly trying to pin the blame on God for our own nonsense? This is not very appropriate.

We can be happy even in this world, if we will always remember the Lord. He is giving us all facility to do so. Those who are actually intelligent take advantage of the instructions contained in the Bhagavad-gita and mold their lives in such a way that they can always, at every second, remember their beloved Lord, Sri Krishna and thus taste the sweetest happiness at every minute.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari