Monday, September 4, 2023

Live With Shree Krishna Every Moment – Work, Life, Stress… How to Remember God? | Swami Mukundananda

Live With Shree Krishna Every Moment – Work, Life, Stress… How to Remember God? | Swami Mukundananda

Ishavasya Upanishad Episode 16 Explained

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws

Main Text

*Main Points*


1. The Danger of Forgetfulness: Maya’s Grip Awaits
2. Only Constant Remembrance Protects from Temptations
3. Two Domains: Divine and Material—Balancing Both
4. Unshakable, Childlike Faith as the Foundation
5. Story of the Boy and the Umbrella: Faith in Action
6. Faith in Names, Forms, Pastimes—Accepting the Material World with Tact
7. Saints Practice Karma Yog: Immersed in God, Unaffected by Insults
8. Service for a Cause: True Spirituality Is Indifferent to Praise or Blame
9. Lessons in Generosity and Detachment from Other Cultures
10. Facing the World: Tact, Politeness, and Speaking Truth Kindly
11. Train the Mind: Karma Yog Links Work and Devotion
12. Religion Means to Relink—Keep God in Mind Every Moment
13. The Attachment Analogy: Mother to Child, Cow to Calf
14. Hanuman’s Secret: Calamity Is Only When God Is Forgotten
15. Bring God Everywhere—Temple to Daily Life
16. Practice the Presence: Story of the Monk and Daily Remembrance
17. Progress in Sadhana Is Gradual—Like Building a Bridge
18. Self-Check: Emotional Growth as the Barometer of Spiritual Success
19. Feedback Comes from Within—Monitor Your Anger, Reactions, Mood
20. Love God, Handle the World—This Is True Karma Yoga

Full Text

1

0:00

The moment you forget your lord,

0:04

the world of maya is there to engulf

0:07

you. And the generals of maya are kaam,

0:11

krodh, lobh, anger, greed, desire, they

0:16

are all there to push you. If you want

0:19

to save yourself, don't forget your lord

0:23

for even a moment.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=0

 

2

0:23

 

So how will you do

0:26

that?

0:50

There are 2 Areas of Life: Divine vs Material

1:00

The divine area

1:03

and the material area. How to Develop Unshakable Faith in God.

In the divine

1:07

area,

1:09

keep growing your love. Keep growing

1:12

your faith.

1:14

Make it a childlike faith.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=23

 

3

1:18

Once there was a five-year drought in a

1:22

village.

1:24

So the villagers decided that the

1:26

Thakurani was 15 kilometers away, if we go and

1:31

beseech her, all of us,

1:34

she will definitely reciprocate and

1:36

cause the rain to come.

1:40

All the villagers gathered and started

1:42

going. One little boy brought an

1:46

umbrella along. Parents, the others

1:49

said, "Why are you bringing the umbrella

1:51

along?"

1:53

He said because we are going to pray for

1:55

the rain. So if we pray, will the

1:58

Thakurani not reciprocate? He had his

2:01

childlike faith.

2:04

And on the way back the rain started. He

2:06

was the only one carrying the umbrella.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=78

 

4

2:10

So in the spiritual realm what we need

2:13

is that faith in the names of God, in the

2:18

forms of God, in the pastimes of God, in

2:23

His virtues

2:25

in his Abode, in the guru,

2:30

childlike faith and in the world you

2:34

need tact, you need to accept the world

2:39

for what it is.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=130

 

5

2:39

 

How Saints Truly Practice Karma Yog

2:41

Saints also come in this world and the

2:45

world is unable to disturb them.

2:48

One saint had taken up a charitable

2:52

cause. Now for the sake of the cause, he

2:56

needed money.

2:59

Kabir ji says,

3:05

"Let me die, but never ask anybody for

3:09

my own sake."

3:18

But asking for a spiritual cause, I will

3:22

never feel embarrassed.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=159

6

3:25

I greatly appreciate the culture in

3:28

Christians of America

3:32

where children take great pride

3:36

in gathering for a cause.

3:39

They are encouraged.

3:41

In fact, this thing we need to learn

3:46

from the Christian culture. Anybody who

3:49

associates with any church without

3:52

asking they take out 10%.

3:55

The nature of giving

3:58

and that matter we Hindus are way way

4:03

behind.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=205

7

4:06

One person in North Carolina, his seva,

4:11

what he used to do, he would gather

4:15

funds

4:17

and send them to India for charitable

4:20

causes. So he would just go around

4:23

asking, asking, asking. Now this was the

4:26

year 2011. You know, since then the

4:30

value of the dollar has reduced to half.

4:32

So he met me and said, swami ji, the average

4:35

American gives $5,000 charity in a year.

4:41

So I said how much does the average

4:44

Indian give? He said the average Indian

4:47

gives $250 a year. So nevertheless this

4:51

saint he went asking and when he asked

4:57

somebody that person spat on him.

5:01

The saint said, "Thank you. That was for

5:04

me. And what about for the poor children, do you

5:06

have anything?

5:09

This is spirituality, that nothing is

5:13

able to disturb him.

5:16

He has got his mind in God and he's

5:21

going about doing his works.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=246

8

5:21

How to Live in the World and Still Love God.

So how do

5:25

you do your works? You need tact.

5:29

Learn tact from Voltaire.

5:33

Although Voltaire was a gross materialist,

5:37

he was one of the Renaissance

5:41

writers, artists of France.

5:45

So at a time in the 18th century when

5:48

France and England were right at the top

5:52

of the world and they were great arch

5:55

enemies. Voltaire went to

5:59

London and seeing this guy, he was the

6:03

most famous French man of his time.

6:09

The Britishers were so annoyed, the

6:12

English men. They said, "We need to

6:15

punish him." He was hearing them all

6:18

discussing that we need to punish you.

6:21

We need to punish you.

6:23

He said, "Englishmen, is it not

6:26

sufficient punishment that I am not an

6:29

English man but I am a French man?" They

6:33

said, "Yeah, you have already been

6:34

punished. You're a French man."

6:38

He defused the situation by his tact.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=321

9

6:42

Learn to tactfully deal with the world.

6:46

You are a man of the world. Learn the

6:49

ways of the world and handle the world

6:53

without any attachment.

6:56

So speak palatably.

7:07

Speak the truth but speak the truth

7:10

palatably.

7:12

Don't speak the truth that is

7:14

unpalatable and hurtful to others. You

7:18

don't call the blind man अंधा but you call

7:22

the blind man Surdas.

7:25

You call the blind man pragya-chakshu.

7:29

It then becomes an honor. That is why

7:32

the English language has changed from

7:34

the days we were in school. Now from

7:37

being handicapped, people are called

7:41

differently-abled.

7:44

What a beautiful word.

7:46

7:48

So people who are intelligent,

7:53

they know how to speak words that

7:57

please,

7:58

words that are effective, words that are

8:02

progressive, words that are

8:04

enlightening.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=402

10

8:04

 

Train Your Mind to Remember Krishna Always

8:06

That is what this mantra is telling us

8:09

that handle the world and at the same

8:13

time “sambhuti”,

8:17

keep your love for God

8:20

and keep your love for God alone.

8:26

This is karma yog. Actually the word

8:30

religion from Latin it comes re+legion

8:35

means re-link, reconnect with God. We have

8:39

got disconnected with God, to establish that

8:42

connection is religion and that is what

8:45

is karma yoga. Yoga means union

8:50

and that union will come with the mind.

8:53

So when you keep your mind in God,

8:57

you are now practicing religion,

9:01

you are now a yogi with the mind in God

9:05

and doing your worldly works.

9:09

So the verse is saying that keep your

9:12

mind in God for each moment. If

9:17

the mind comes away from God, it'll go

9:20

to the world.

9:22

So keep the attachment in God

9:28

just like a mother.

9:31

She may be working all day long but the

9:35

attachment is in the little one. I hope

9:38

my child is not crying. I hope my child

9:41

is okay.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=484

11

9:41

 

Kabir ji said take inspiration

9:45

from the cow. If you think you are

9:48

attached to your children, the cow is

9:51

many times more attached.

9:55

So the cow when it's taken to graze, it

9:58

leaves its little calf but keeps on

10:01

thinking of it. Cow’s “chitt” is in the calf.

10:05

And even while grazing, the thoughts,

10:08

whatever level of thoughts a cow can

10:10

have, emotions are there.

10:14

Sometimes they grow so deep that the

10:18

grass falls off from its mouth and then

10:22

while it is returning

10:24

the cow coming close to the cow shed the

10:30

gow shala, it breaks into a run and

10:33

starts mooing to meet its little one.

10:37

So the mind's attachment remains in the

10:40

calf and it is going about its works.

10:46

So Saint Kabir says

11:00

cow never forgets its child. You should never

11:04

forget your Lord.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=581

12

11:07

The moment you forget your Lord,

11:11

the world of Maya is there to engulf

11:14

you. And the generals of Maya

11:18

are kaam, kordh, lobh, anger, greed,

11:24

desire,

11:26

they are all there to push you. If you

11:30

want to save yourself, yoke your mind to

11:34

God.

11:35

That is why Hanuman ji says

11:45

there is only one calamity & that is

11:49

when you forget God. That is why Narad ji in his

11:53

Bhakti Darshan says don't forget your lord for even

11:58

a moment.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=667

13

12:01

So how will you do that?

12:04

The practice of karm yog. When you come to the temple, charge up your spiritual

12:12

batteries and your consciousness.

12:15

And when you walk out of the temple,

12:18

take your Lord along with you. He is

12:21

with me. He is my witness.

12:25

He is my protector. He is enjoyer of the

12:29

fruits of my actions.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=721

14

12:29

 

Practicing the Presence of God Daily

12:33

So keep God with you wherever you go,

12:37

whatever you do.

12:39

This is the practice of the presence of

12:43

God.

12:45

There was one monk in England in the

12:49

12th century called Lawrence.

12:52

He was a monk in a little monastery.

12:57

He used to maintain a diary and he

13:00

passed away. When he passed away, the

13:02

diary fell in the hands of people. They

13:05

read it and they said, "Oh my god,

13:08

words of such wisdom."

13:11

He was later recognized.

13:14

His remains were taken out from there

13:17

and put in the most important place in

13:19

England.

13:22

And the book was published, practice of

13:25

the presence of God.

13:27

He says out there exactly the same

13:29

thing. He says, "If I was a preacher,

13:33

I would preach nothing but the practice

13:37

of the presence of God."

13:39

So when you practice the presence of

13:42

God,

13:43

you are practicing to yoke your mind in

13:47

God and using your tact your intellect,

13:54

your social finesse.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=749

15

14:03

Now the goal is to have your mind

14:07

constantly in God.

14:11

As we discussed, it should not come off

14:14

off even for a moment. But reaching

14:18

there will be a journey.

14:22

People practice it for a little while

14:25

and when they forget God, they say, "Oh

14:27

my god, this is so difficult."

14:30

So I tried and I was not able to do it.

14:33

My mind came away. So remember progress

14:37

will always be one little delta at a

14:41

time.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=843

16

14:41

 

A very interesting tale is of the

14:45

connection between the US and Canada. In

14:49

the 19th century, animosity was rampant

14:53

between the two great neighbors.

14:56

It was decided to bring the countries

14:59

and their peoples together. We must

15:02

build a bridge over the Niagara.

15:06

So a place was chosen. But the problem

15:10

was that the water speed was so rapid

15:16

and the turbulence of the river it was

15:18

an impossible engineering feat. So

15:22

finally

15:24

one engineer called Theodore Hewlett in

15:29

the year 1846

15:32

he hit upon an idea.

15:35

He said let us throw a rope across.

15:40

But how do you throw a rope across such

15:43

a huge river?

15:45

So he organized a kite flying

15:48

competition from both sides.

15:52

and said, "Whoever can drop their kite

15:54

on the other side will win."

15:58

Finally,

16:00

after a few months, Homan Walsh from the

16:04

Canadian side, he managed to drop his

16:07

kite on the American side.

16:10

And then what they did was they started

16:12

pulling the thread and to it they tied a

16:16

heavier thread. And to that they tied a

16:19

heavier thread. To that they tied a tiny

16:22

rope and then a bigger rope. And finally

16:26

they had a half inch diameter rope

16:29

across. And the announcement was made.

16:32

Today we have connected America and

16:36

Canada with a half inch cord. So slowly

16:41

they made it bigger and bigger and

16:44

finally the bridge was constructed which

16:48

exists till today. This progress

16:51

happened slowly.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=881

17

16:51

 

The Way to Measure Your Spiritual Progress.

So remember you will

16:55

also progress in your sadhana slowly but

17:00

a sadhak

17:02

should keep this awareness.

17:05

Am I progressing?

17:08

Am I growing in my tolerance, in my

17:11

wisdom, in my emotional stability?

17:16

How am I doing as a sadhak?

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=1011

18

17:19

Look at this smart kid, high school kid.

17:23

He wanted a summer assignment.

17:27

So he went to the paid phone at the mall

17:33

and he rang up a number and said, "Sir,

17:38

you had a vacancy for an office boy.

17:42

Is it still available? Can I apply for

17:44

it?"

17:47

The person on the other side said that

17:50

we employed a boy one week ago. So very

17:54

sorry. There is no vacancy now. He

17:58

said sir it's possible the boy is not

18:01

doing well and the job may fall again.

18:04

How is the boy doing?

18:07

So the voice came that the boy is doing

18:10

absolutely fine and we still have no

18:13

vacancies. He put the phone down and he

18:16

said yippee.

18:19

The shopkeeper said, "Look, your job is

18:23

taken by someone and that person is

18:25

doing well. So why are you celebrating?"

18:28

He said, "I am the boy who's been

18:30

engaged.

18:32

I was just checking how are they

18:34

thinking I'm doing."

18:38

So the feedback loop now in this case it

18:41

is your own feedback, your own self

18:46

Awareness.

https://youtu.be/xUY1ZXZXkws&t=1039

19

18:47

The effort you are putting in you don't

18:50

need to go and ask Gurudev please tell me

18:53

now where have I reached ?

18:56

You judge for yourself, has your anger

18:59

Reduced ?

19:00

are you feeling less hurt nowadays ?

19:04

are you having less mood swings ?

19:07

If all these things are happening, it

19:10

means that you are progressing.

19:13

The अंतह करण (the mind) is getting cleansed.

19:16

So what a beautiful verse this is. Love

19:19

God and handle the world. This is the

19:22

karm yoga

19:24

That Gita teaches, that Sri Kripalu ji maharaj taught us.


Standby link (in case youtube link does not work): Live With Shree Krishna Every Moment – Work, Life, Stress… How to Remember God Swami Mukundananda.mp4