Let us remember what our Guru has taught us?

Jagadguru Shri Kripaluji Maharaj

He himself had taught us to practice the presence of God and Guru with us at all times. In concurrence with his teachings, let us remain steadfast in the conviction that, although we cannot see him with our material eyes, he continues to stay in our midst, noting our every thought and action, and showering his grace as we strive to walk the path he revealed to us. 

     We should strongly reaffirm our resolve to implement his every Instruction for purifying our hearts and for pushing forward his mission. This is the most befitting way of showing our respect to him

     What they have given to humankind during their stay in our world can never be sufficiently eulogized in words; the whole planet shall remain indebted to them for their gift of Love. We offer our respectful obeisances unto our Spiritual Master Jagadguru Shri Kripaluji Maharaj, who has opened our eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.

Happy Guru Poornima!

How to handle work pressure and practice devotion?

Question by a Sadhak :  I am working with a finance firm. My dilemma is my job asks for too much of sales pressure and by the time I go home, my head is filled with the hardships of my work. I am not able to do sadhana because of that. I had read in one of your message that enthusiasm is very necessary for sadhana. Because of my work, I am not able to do anything and nirasha, or disappointment, is covering me completely. I am feeling very helpless. Not able to remember Maharajji, not able to go and meet him.

Answer by Swami Mukundanandaji : There are two ways of remembering God and Guru. The first way is to sit down and meditate on Them. The second way is to work with this consciousness, “I am doing this work for their pleasure.” The second may be more difficult, but it takes us to a higher level of Divine love. This is because it develops the spirit of service, or seva.

Even though your present job may be burdensome, you can easily do the second kind of remembrance. Whatever you earn from your job, use a portion of it to serve the mission of your Gurudev. In this way, by offering the fruits of your work to God, after having met your basic needs, you will develop the consciousness that you are working for His pleasure. You will then not look at your work as separate from your devotion, but as an integral part of it.

This is the Karmyog of the Bhagavad Geeta:

yatkaroṣhi yadaśhnāsi yajjuhoṣhi dadāsi yat |

yattpasyasi kaunteya tatkuruṣhva madarpaṇaṁ ||

“Arjun! Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever austerities you perform, and whatever you give away, do it as an offering to Me.”

Along with working in this spirit, whenever you find the time, you should also practice the first kind of remembrance. Whenever you can spare the time, simply sit and think of Them. This will help you block out worldly consciousness from your mind and strengthen your devotional sentiment. So, do go and spend some days a year with your Gurudev as well, whenever your yearly schedule permits.

You may be thinking that if you did not have to work at all, then you could have spent all your time in devotion. However, there are two kinds of vairagya, or detachment. The first kind is when you find the world as painful and burdensome, and want to run away from it. Shree Krishna calls it rajasic detachment (detachment in the mode of passion):

duḥkhamityeva yatkarma kāyakleśhabhayātyajet |

sa kṛitvā rājasaṁ tyāgaṁ naiva tyāgaphalaṁ labhet ||

“Giving up one’s work, thinking it to burdensome and painful, is to be considered rajasic detachment, which it does not lead to divine fruits.”

The second kind of detachment is where you continue working, while giving up attachment to the results. In other words, you practice to become equanimous in pain and pleasure, success and failure, hardship and luxury, favourable and unfavourable situations. Shree Krishna calls this sattvic detachment (detachment in the mode of goodness):

kāryamityeva yatkarma niyataṁ kṛiyaterjuna |

saṅg tyaktvā phalaṁ chaiva sa tyāgaḥ sātviko mataḥ ||

“Performing one’s work, simply because it is to be performed, while giving up attachment to the fruits, is sattvic detachment.”

Hence, the proper path for spiritual progress is to practice devotion along with our prescribed work, even though it may be painful and burdensome. When our detachment develops to such an extent that we no longer find our work burdensome, no matter how difficult it may be, on then should we consider giving up work, and performing devotion full time. However, this step of karma sanyas is taken only under the guidance of the Guru. The vast majority of the people will have to do karmyog, where they continue doing their work, but make their consciousness divine.

While doing karmyog, you can remember God and Guru in other ways as well. Practice to feel Their presence with you. Think that They are with you and are watching you. Make Them your witness in every activity that you perform. This will help you keep your mind in the Divine realm, while you do your worldly duties with your body.

How to decide which God to worship?

Question by a Sadhak to H.H.Swami Mukundanandaji : There was a Ram temple in our house; I was in the habit of hearing the Tulsi Ramayan, and meditating on the form of Lord Ram.  But after marriage, in my in-laws’ house, I began reading the Durga Saptaśhati and observing Navrātras.  When I heard the Bhāgavat saptāha, I liked the leelas of Shree Krishna.  How should I decide which God to worship?

Answer by H.H.Swami Mukundanandaji :  Although Ram, Durga, Krishna are all different forms of the one Supreme Lord, yet it is advisable to focus your devotion on a single form.  There is a Hindi saying:

eka sādhe saba sadhe, saba sādhe saba jāya

 “If you focus all your attention on a single activity, you will succeed in it.  But if you try to succeed in multifarious things at the same time, you will fail in all of them.”  With the same logic, if you try to love all the forms of God, you will end up loving none.  But if you devote your mind to one form, you will develop love for all of them.  So you must choose one form to worship, which is called “Iṣhṭa Dev”, or the devotee’s chosen form of God for devotion.

Now the question you have asked is about how to choose your Iṣhṭa Dev.  In deciding this, you must consider which form of God is attractive to the mind.  If your Iṣhṭa Dev has a beautiful form, you will find it much easier to meditate on Him.  Also, if your Iṣhṭa Dev has wonderful pastimes, it will be very helpful in your devotion.  To turn your mind towards God, leelas also play an important role.  By hearing and chanting those leelas, devotees increase their love for God.  From both these view points, devotion to Shree Ram and Shree Krishna is both sweet and easy.  Hence, They are also the most popular Iṣhṭa Devs in India.  Their sweet pastimes are lovingly sung and remembered in temples and houses in every part of the country.

Amongst Them, Shree Krishna manifests four special nectars, above and beyond any other Avatar of God:

Exceptionally attractive form (His famous three-fold bending form with a flute on His lips).

1. Amazing sweetness of His flute that attracts even Lord Shankar.
2. The sweetest childhood pastimes that enchant the minds of devotees.
3. Leelas displaying the greatness of love, which reveal how God forgets His Almightiness because of the love of His devotees.
4. For all these reasons, I would highly recommend that you make Shree Krishna and His Divine Consort, Shree Radha Rani, as your Iṣhṭa Dev.  However, if you decide to choose any other forms of God, that is also fine.

How can I insulate my mood from fluctuations based on the behavior of others?

Question by a Sadhak

When anyone criticizes me or gets annoyed with me, it disturbs me to no end; so much so, that sometimes the whole day is spent in brooding. How can I insulate my mood from fluctuations based on the behavior of others?

Answer by H.H.Swami Mukundanandaji

The solution is to develop a better understanding of the world, based on scriptural knowledge. The Vedas say that this material energy, Maya, consists of three guṇas: sattva guṇa, or the mode of goodness, rajo guṇa, or the mode of passion, and tamo guṇa, or the mode of ignorance.

Everyone’s mind too is made from Maya, and so the three modes of Maya exist in the mind as well. Depending upon the environment and where we focus our thoughts, one of the guṇas becomes prominent and our mind takes on that quality. If sattva guṇa dominates, one becomes peaceful, contented, generous, kind, helpful and serene. When rajo guṇa gains prominence, one becomes passionate, agitated, ambitious, envious of others success, and desirous for sense pleasures. When tamo guṇa becomes prominent, one is overcome by sleep, laziness, hatred, anger, resentment, violence, and doubt.

For example, let us suppose you are sitting in your library, engaged in study. There is no worldly disturbance, and your mind has become sāttvic. After finishing your study, you sit in your drawing room and switch on the television. Seeing all the imagery makes your mind rājasic, and increases your hankering for sense pleasures. While you are watching your favorite channel, your family member comes and changes the channel to her liking. This disturbance causes tamo guṇa to develop in your mind, and you are filled with anger. In this way, the mind sways between the three guṇas, and takes on the corresponding qualities.

This fluctuation takes place constantly in everyone’s minds, altering their thoughts amongst the three modes. When two people’s guṇas are divergent, their ideas, interests, desires and tastes also become divergent, and that causes strife. This strife exists everywhere, between husband-wife, father-son, brother-sister, friend-companion, and so on. Congruence can happen only when two people have the same guṇas. However, since everyone’s guṇas are fluctuating, it is unreasonable to expect that the other person’s guṇas will constantly match ours.

The reason for our anxiety is that we have unreasonable expectations. We want others to always think in the same manner as we do. And when this does not happen, we get disturbed. Instead if we could realize that invariably people will have views differing from ours, and this is very natural due to the three modes of material nature, we will not be disturbed when they oppose us or criticize us.

So by increasing our understanding of the world, we can insulate ourselves from the fluctuating moods of others.

APPRECIATION - REASON FOR SPIRITUAL DOWNFALL

We like to be appreciated by others. This is a major reason for a person's downfall spiritually. We should try to become a good person, rather than expecting others to appreciate us even though we might have ill-feelings for others. When someone criticizes or scolds us, we start feeling bad. We get angry and annoyed with that person and we sometimes turn hostile towards that person. We harbor hatred and negative feelings for others. This kind of feeling is very harmful for us.

If we continuously remember people or incidents that increase negative feelings inside us, then we are causing harm to ourselves by dirtying our mind. Our aim should be practice the art of continuously remembering God and Guru, who are pure and Divine personalities. This alone will cleanse our heart and mind. In our lives, we have developed a one-sided attitude where we only like to be appreciated and not criticized.

SURRENDER TO A GOD REALIZED SAINT

We should first faithfully surrender to a Guru (a God-realized Saint whom we have chosen to be our Spiritual Master). We should wholeheartedly follow His every instruction and teaching. This is the true beginning of Sadhana or spiritual practice. By surrendering ourselves to a Guru, we begin our spiritual journey.

In the material world, we gain knowledge by trusting the words of people with a higher intellect. Let us suppose that a person without any knowledge of law visits an advocate. The advocate teaches him how to tackle questions in a court to escape penalties. If the person does exactly as told by his advocate, he might win the case. We see that by having faith in the advocate's words, the person overcomes his challenges.

Similarly, when we are sick, we completely trust a doctor for our treatment without having any knowledge of medicine. We follow his instructions with full faith to get well. If we take medicine according to our wish, then it could be harmful to us. Even at school, we follow the words of people with a higher intellect (teachers), and complete our education.

We have to apply the same principle in the spiritual realm also. First, we have to search for a true Saint. Till we find a true Saint (God-realized Saint) we have to keep searching for Him. Once we find and accept such a Guru, we must stop searching and visiting other Saints. We have to surrender our mind to that Guru and do exactly as He instructs, without any questions or arguments. This is true or complete surrender - surrender of the mind.

ONLY GOD AND GURU ARE OUR OWN

None of your worldly relatives will inspire you to move towards God. They all have their own selfish motives. It is only your Guru, who will show you the right path and guide you. He will make you realize that you are someone beyond this body. You are a soul, and you had innumerable mothers, fathers, sons and spouses, in your past endless lifetimes. You were born in all the 8.4 million species of life countless times and you surrendered to everyone for getting happiness. But all deceived you. How could have they given you happiness? They were all beggars themselves! 

HOW TO RECOGNIZE A RASIK SAINT

Vaag Gadgada Dravat Yasya Chitah Rudtyabhikshanah Kvachicha|

Vilaja Udgaayati Nrutyate Cha Muhrvatichyutto Bhuvanaha Punaati |

- (Bhagavatam. 11/14/24)

It has been stated in the Bhagavatam that a True Rasik Saint who has already attained Divine Love and Divine Vision of His Beloved Shri Krishn, whose heart is always filled in Krishn Love, when he chants the name or sings the songs of Krishn leelas and virtues, his voice changes due to Divine excitement. The Rasik saint experiences the intensity of God's love and also the warmth of his own emotions.

Many times a Rasik Saint enters into Bhao. (Bhao is the ecstatic state where the Loving Devotee experiences mixed feelings of meeting and seperation). In Bhao, he yearns and cries to get God's vision and laughs in happiness when he receives it." These expressions are called sattvic bhao or the Divine expressions.

The feelings of love of the Rasik Saint deepens and he feels the close personal association of God and in this excitement, he sings and dances, but his physical consciousness remains fully absorbed in Bhao. Shri Krishn says that such a Rasik Saint, who is ever absorbed in My love, purifies the world with His Divine Love Consciousness and gratifies the surroundings with His presence."

It is such a Rasik Saint, who has already attained God's Love and Divine Vision and who has even scriptural knowledge, if we accept Him as our Guru and surrender to His Lotus feet, we can attain Krishn Love with His Grace.

THANKS TO GURU AND GOD

We, the Sadhaks (devotees) should always keep in mind that whatever good we are doing is all due to the grace of the Guru and God. Otherwise, we have been bound by maya, awfully attached to the wordly possessions, absolutely worthless, having hideous ideas, full of dirt and filth from time immemorial.

If we are able to do something good, if a tear trickles from our eyes for God, if we have some good word and noble feeling for the Guru, we must conclude that it is all due to the Guru's grace.

If he had not given us the spiritual knowledge, if he had not bestowed his love upon us, how could we be inclined to go good things in life? So, do not ever give credit to yourself. It will only give rise to egoism. Egoism takes away humility. Once humility is gone the castle of bhakti or devotion will come crashing down. Life will be filled with vices in no time. So, if you have done some noble deeds, YOU MUST BE THANKFUL TO THE GURU with whose grace alone you are able to do such things. This will save you from the vice of egoism.

We must always keep in mind that if we had not met the Guru, if he had not shown us the way, and had not given us his love and affection, we would not have inclined towards God.

On the other hand, if we have done something wrong, have been negligent in doing the right thing, or have committed some crime, we should hold ourselves responsible for that, so that we could realize our mistakes and we would not repeat them.

We should attribute our good deeds to the God's grace and the grace of the Guru and for all the wrongs that we may have done, we should hold ourselves responsible.

UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN LIFE

A soul very rarely receives a human birth, and that too, is due to God's grace. Of those who have received a human birth, even more rare are those who are true seekers of God's love. But just possessing these two is not enough to succeed spiritually unless you also have the association of a true Saint. If all three occur in the same birth, that soul's spiritual success is virtually guaranteed.

Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj says : Dear Souls ! Submit yourself to the lotus feet of Krishn. Your mother, father, sons, brothers and others, no one will help you at the time of death. You cannot achieve anything by indulging into the fields of lust, anger, greed, attachment and the egoistic activities of your willful likings. The happiness of this world is purely illusive. You cannot receive even a drop of true happiness in this world. The wealth and your youthful beauty (which you may be proud of) is transitory. It will disappear like camphor. Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj says, “ You will not receive this precious human life again and again, so surrender to Krishn immediately and restore your lost fortune.”

O my mind! Listen! This world is futile. Son, spouse, friends and all the worldly relatives are tied to each other in only self-interest. You are under the impression that your son, spouse, sister etc. really love you, and, in the same way, they all believe that you really love them. But your conscience very well knows that you like them for your own personal happiness, and thus (quite often) your behavior bears craftiness from inside. O my mind! Then why don’t you understand that they are also like you. Knowing this please turn to Radha Krishn Who are your true Divine Beloved.

SACRIFICE TO THE MERCIFUL GURUDEV

We should be ready to sacrifice ourself on our Merciful Gurudev any number of times. Listening to his divine preaching one is freed from the clasp of ignorance. Once his grace is bestowed upon us , the vicious influence of the age of Kali on us will dissipate. Once we become subservient to him, the externally powerful Maya will not be able to harm us. By touching his lotus feet with devotion we will merely be blessed with the love of Shree Krishna. Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj says that he is able to enjoy the pastimes of Shree Krishna in their varied forms through the grace of the Guru.

VIKARM

Vikarm is that where one neither performs the ritualistic actions of the Vedas, nor engages in devotion. In this category come those people who are atheistic and grossly materialistic, and who have contempt for God, the Saints and the scriptures. For those who engage in vikarm, the result of their frivolous deeds is suffering in hell. They neither go to heaven nor attain God-realization. As long as they are alive, they remain slaves of their senses, and perform irresponsible and unregulated actions.

The Bhagavad Geeta says that after death God throws them (Vikarmi) to hell, into the demoniac species of life. Generally, this vikarm is referred to as sinful activity or bad deeds, and karm is referred to as righteous activity or good deeds.

The truth is that both good and bad deeds are binding. The Vedas state that the result of good deeds is heaven, and that of bad deeds is hell. A mixture of both good and bad deeds results in rebirth on earth. Heaven may be compared to a jail with golden chains. Even upon going there, one is not outside the jailhouse of the 8,400,000 species of life. After residing there, one falls back to the earth. Hell may be compared to a jail with iron chains. Heaven and hell are places where one goes to suffer or enjoy the results of his past deeds. However, there he cannot perform fruit-yielding action that will increase his stock of good or bad deeds. Hence, both heaven and hell are to be rejected.

WHO IS GURU ????

The scriptures talks only of three entities-God, soul and maya. There isn't any scope for fourth entity. So, who is Guru in this case? Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj explains,"the jeevatma (soul) when attains Paramatma (God) becomes mahatma (Guru)." In sanskrit, "Gu" means "maya" and "ru" means "to dispel". Guru is one who dispels maya from soul. Only through such Guru soul attains God. Without Guru no soul can get Shree Krishna's Divine love. Even Shree Krishna is bound by His own law-without Guru, God cannot give soul His Divine vision or Love or anything else.

Shree Gaurang Mahaprabhu said:

भक्त पद धुरी, भक्त पद जल, भक्त भुक्त अवशिष्ट तीन महाबल ।

एही सेवा हेते कृष्ण प्रेमा होय ॥

Partake of the devotee's (Guru) foot dust, foot wash and remnant of his prasadam (food)-these three things possess spiritual power and with these, one (soul) gets Divine love of Shree Krishna.