Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Faith Makes the IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE – A TRUE Story of God’s Biggest Blessing by Swami Mukundanand

Faith Makes the IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE – A TRUE Story of God’s Biggest Blessing by Swami Mukundanand


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dUDyzPdbfI Main Points:

1. 0:01–0:21 — The greatest divine blessing is finding a guru and connecting through sraddha (faith), but true benefit comes only by surrendering the intellect before the guru’s wisdom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dUDyzPdbfI&t=1 2. 0:24–2:36 — The story of Rishi Gautam and his disciple Satyakam illustrates this: through devoted service to his guru, Satyakam unknowingly fulfills the task and receives divine knowledge from Indra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dUDyzPdbfI&t=24 3. 2:53–4:14 — Just as a patient must trust the doctor’s prescription without overthinking, a disciple must follow the guru’s instructions to be cured of spiritual ignorance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dUDyzPdbfI&t=173 4. 4:32–4:46 — The Svetasvatara Upanisad declares that full faith in God and guru reveals the essence of all scriptures through divine grace. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dUDyzPdbfI&t=272 5. 4:51–7:29 — The tale of Shankaracharya’s disciple Sanat, who was illiterate but full of faith, shows how surrender leads to miraculous transformation — walking on water and speaking fluent Sanskrit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dUDyzPdbfI&t=291 6. 7:31–8:19 — The intellect is eternally afflicted by avidya (ignorance), and cannot cure itself; surrender is the only way to transcend its limitations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dUDyzPdbfI&t=451 7. 8:32–10:25 — A humorous story of a cowherd boy reveals how even prolonged thinking can be flawed when guided by a defective intellect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dUDyzPdbfI&t=512 8. 10:27–12:28 — Patanjali outlines five defects of the intellect: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesa (hatred), and abhinivesa (fear of death). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dUDyzPdbfI&t=627 9. 12:29–13:16 — Just as one hires a lawyer to navigate legal complexities, one must rely on a guru to guide through spiritual intricacies beyond intellectual grasp. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dUDyzPdbfI&t=749 10. 13:30–15:01 — A disciple tries to accompany his guru to Golok but lets curiosity override surrender, falls back to earth — a cautionary tale underscoring the need to surrender intellect and follow sadhana. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dUDyzPdbfI&t=810 Full Text:

0:01 One of the biggest of the divine 0:04 blessings is finding a guru and getting 0:08 connected with that guru through shradha 0:10 faith. But we receive benefit from 0:15 the guru only by submitting our 0:19 intellect before his higher 0:21 understanding. The Vedas relayed the 0:24 story of Rishi Gautam and his exemplary 0:28 disciple Satya. 0:31 Gurudev called his students over and 0:35 explained the problem. The cows of the 0:38 ashram were in distress and they needed 0:41 to be tended to by taking them to a far 0:44 away grassland. Only Satyakam was willing 0:50 for this arduous and challenging guru seva 0:56 Gautam said my child 0:59 take good care of them as your service 1:03 to your guru when you find that their 1:07 number has grown from 400 to a thousand 1:11 bring them back. Satyakam did his seva 1:16 dutifully 1:18 and he tended to the cows with so much 1:21 of love as a devotional offering at the 1:24 feet of his guru. 1:27 The number of the cows kept on 1:29 increasing until it reached a thousand. 1:33 But he was so immersed in his seva he 1:36 didn't even realize the number had been 1:40 reached. 1:41 The king of the celestials, Indra, came 1:44 over and said, "Satykam, 1:47 do you know that your guru's instruction 1:51 has been fulfilled by you?" 1:55 On his inspiration, they started 1:58 returning to the guru ashram. It was a 4 2:02 day journey involving four night halts. 2:06 And at each halt Indra instructed 2:10 knowledge of one of the Vedas to 2:13 Satyakam. 2:15 When the disciple reached his guru he 2:18 said Maharaj I have fulfilled your 2:21 instruction 2:22 sage Gautam his face beaming said my 2:27 child I can see the glow on your face. 2:32 You have become a knower of vedic 2:36 knowledge. 2:37 This is a prime example of the benefit 2:42 of surrendering your intellect before 2:45 the guru. Let's read about it from my 2:48 latest book spiritual secrets from 2:51 Hinduism. 2:53 Once we find a god realized guru, we must 2:57 then diligently adhere to his 3:00 instructions. 3:02 This is just as when we are sick, we go 3:05 to a doctor. We explain our symptoms to 3:08 the doctor. Beyond that, we do not use 3:13 our intellect. We trust his expertise. 3:19 The doctor diagnoses our problem and 3:23 tells us the remedy. 3:26 Take this medicine 3:28 two tablespoons three times a day for 1 3:32 month and you will be cured. 3:35 We follow the doctor's instructions and 3:38 get well. Now suppose we used our 3:42 intellect. 3:44 The doctor has told me to take a little 3:48 medicine every day for one month. 3:52 Let me take it all today so that I will 3:55 get cured in one day itself. 3:59 If we were to do this, the doctor would 4:02 not be able to treat us. Similarly, the 4:06 guru can only cure us from the disease 4:11 of ignorance if we follow his 4:14 instructions. 4:16 The Svetasvatara Upanisad states 4:32 For those who have implicit and complete 4:36 faith in God and their guru, the purpose 4:42 of all the Vedic scriptures gets revealed 4:46 in the heart by divine grace. 4:51 The inspiring story of Shankara 4:55 Charaya's disciple 4:57 is very relishable 5:00 amongst his legendary students, Hastāmalak, Tōtakāchārya 5:05 5:08 Mandana Mishra, who was Sureshwarāchārya,  5:11 There has also been one illiterate 5:15 disciple called Sananda 5:18 He could not understand any of the 5:20 scriptural teachings but had implicit 5:24 faith in guru Shankaracharya 5:28 and he would dutifully engage in seva. 5:32 When gurdev taught Brahm vidya he would sit 5:37 and just keep staring at his guru's face 5:41 without understanding a syllable. 5:45 One day it was time for the class. The 5:49 other disciples said to Shankaracharya 5:52 please begin Gurudv. 5:55 He said Sananda is not here as yet 5:58 let's wait. They said Gurudv he doesn't 6:02 even understand what difference will it 6:05 make. 6:07 Shankaracharya said he listens with great 6:10 faith. 6:12 He called out Sananda. 6:16 His disciple was on the other side of 6:19 the river washing Guru Dev's clothes. 6:22 When Sananda heard Shankaracharya calling his 6:26 name, immediately with all his devotion, 6:30 he felt the need to come over to him. 6:34 Without thinking, he started walking on 6:37 the water. And the story goes wherever 6:41 he placed his feet lotus flowers bloomed 6:46 from below making it possible for him to 6:50 walk across. He reached and did a prostrate obeisance  6:54 and the stuti praises for gurudev 7:00 that emanated from his mouth were in 7:03 sophisticated 7:04 parishkrit sanskrit. 7:07 amazing all the other disciples. 7:11 Since then he became known as Padma Pad 7:16 the one under whose path the Padma 7:20 (lotuses) had blossomed and he became one 7:24 of the four major disciples of Adi 7:29 Shankaracharya  7:31 The takeaway for all of us is the need 7:34 to surrender the intellect. 7:38 And why so? 7:40 Our intellect is affected since eternity 7:45 by a disease. 7:47 What is that? Avidya or ignorance. 7:53 “Because a person who has been covered by ignorance since time immemorial is not capable of effecting his own self-realization, there must be some other personality who is in factual knowledge of the Absolute Truth and can impart this knowledge to him”. (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.22.10) 8:03 Vedvyas says that the Avidya is “anadi” since 8:08 eternity. 8:10 You cannot remove it by the power of 8:14 your own intellect 8:16 because the intellect is the one 8:19 affected by the ignorance. 8:22 Just like if you wish to lift yourself 8:25 up from the ground by holding your boot 8:28 straps, it will not be possible. 8:32 The interesting story is told of one cowherd 8:35 boy, a gopal 8:38 who would everyday milk his cow, which 8:41 was the Gujarati Gir cow having long 8:45 horns. And this particular cow's horns 8:48 were inclined towards each other. 8:52 The cowherd boy would eye the gap 8:54 between the two horns and the top of the 8:57 cow's head and ponder, "Can my head fit 9:01 into the gap." 9:04 One year went by, finally the curiosity 9:08 got the better of him. He said, "Let me 9:11 try it out." He held the cow's horns and 9:15 managed to push his head in, but it 9:19 startled the bovine who lifted her head, 9:24 thereby raising his feet above the 9:26 ground, and he now felt threatened that 9:31 this was a situation of death by 9:33 hanging. To reduce the pressure on his 9:36 neck, he grabbed the cow's neck which 9:39 startled the creature further and it 9:41 started lifting its back feet moving in 9:45 alarm. The villagers came running, grabbed 9:49 the cow, extracted the poor fellow and 9:53 said, "My dear man, 10:06 Did you not think before putting your 10:09 head there? He said who says I did not 10:13 think? I thought for one year and then 10:16 did it. But the thinking itself had its 10:21 faults because it was an activity of the 10:25 defective intellect. 10:27 Likewise the Vedas say that no matter 10:31 how intelligent you may feel you are 10:34 your intellect suffers from five defects 10:39 Patanjali calls them panch-klesh 10:44 What are these? avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesa (hatred), and abhinivesa (fear of death). 10:49 Avidya is the ignorance by virtue of 10:52 which we have forgotten that we are the 10:54 soul and we are thinking I am the body 10:57 mind intellect 11:00 Asmita is the pride 11:03 whether we realize it or not the defect 11:07 of the false ego exists in the material 11:12 conditioned state in all of us and then 11:17 Rag attachment to the worldly things. 11:20 Dwesh, 11:22 hatred, resentment for something that 11:26 has hurt our self-interest and abhinivesh 11:30 the fear of death. 11:35 even though we know that we are eternal. 11:40 An old man 11:43 has been badly injured and is terribly 11:48 sick in the hospital, cannot visit the 11:50 restroom, has a bedpan on the bed, 11:53 cannot eat, has a tube going in the 11:55 mouth, the leg is suspended from the 11:58 ceiling. Such a man also says, "Doctor, 12:02 I hope I will not die. Please save me. 12:06 Arey baba, do take care of your body. But 12:10 why so much of anxiety? The whole 12:12 machinery is spoiled. If you were to go, 12:16 God would send you back with a new 12:18 machine. 12:19 But the clinging to the body results in 12:24 the fear of death. Another defect of the 12:28 Intellect, 12:29 the Vedas say. 12:32 the idea of making a guru is going 12:35 beyond your intellect 12:38 Just like in case you need to find a 12:41 case in court, you get an advocate 12:45 because you are unfamiliar with law. The 12:49 advocate understands the matter and 12:52 instructs you accordingly. If you need 12:55 to go for a testimonial in the witness 12:58 box, you stand up and do as the advocate 13:02 does. 13:03 The other side’s advocate tries his best 13:08 to get some statement out of you to 13:11 exploit, but you stick to the 13:14 instructions 13:16 and get the edge in the case. 13:20 Likewise in the spiritual realm as well 13:23 there are so many things our intellect 13:26 cannot comprehend at present 13:30 one 13:31 maverick disciple 13:34 used to be often disobedient. 13:37 His guru had grown old. The disciple 13:40 said gurudev 13:42 you will attain maha samadhi any day. 13:45 What will happen? 13:48 Gurudev said my child do your sadhna daily. 13:52 My grace will be upon you. 13:55 Gurudev 13:56 the singhasan (throne) will come from Golok for you. 14:01 Can I latch on to it and accompany you? 14:04 What loss will there be of yours? 14:10 Now the singhasan came the guru sat on it 14:14 to go to the abode of God and enter 14:16 the nitya leela, the disciple also held on singhasan, they 14:21 were crossing the lokas Bhu, Bhuvar, Swarga, Mahar, Jana, Tapa, Satya  14:27 but in between the disciple’s intellect 14:30 started getting the better he said 14:34 uh this place we going to Go-lok are 14:37 there cows there ? . 14:40 Yes. 14:41 Gurudev are the cows black or white in 14:45 Color, beta they are both 14:48 gurudev how big are these cows 14:52 beta when you reach there you'll find 14:54 out there maybe they are perfect now he 14:58 released the singhasan and back he returned 15:01 to the earth plane so the scriptures are 15:05 telling us 15:07 15:14 Surrender your intellect to the guru 15:19 Learn the sadhana, Follow the instructions 15:23 and progress on the spiritual path.


Standby link (in case youtube link does not work) Faith Makes the IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE – A TRUE Story of God’s Biggest Blessing Swami Mukundananda.mp4

#1 Happiness Mistake Humans Do – Shree Krishna’s ONLY Way to Divine Bliss by Swami Mukundanand

#1 Happiness Mistake Humans Do – Shree Krishna’s ONLY Way to Divine Bliss by Swami Mukundanand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UH1AcYXDg Main Points: 1. 0:00–0:29: When senses are subdued and virtues like compassion and patience arise, one begins to taste sattvic happiness, as described in both the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UH1AcYXDg&t=0 2. 0:38–0:48: The video introduces Chapter 6 of the Gita — Dhyan Yog — with chanting, translation, and commentary by Swami Mukundananda. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UH1AcYXDg&t=38 3. 1:16–1:37: A self-controlled yogi, united with God, becomes free from material contamination and attains perfect happiness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UH1AcYXDg&t=76 4. 1:42–2:55: Swamiji explains the three modes of happiness: tamasic (from ignorance, anger, intoxication), rajasic (from sensory pleasures), and sattvic (from inner virtue and peace). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UH1AcYXDg&t=102 5. 3:06–3:28: Even devotees can fall prey to tamasic pleasures; addiction becomes their life’s goal, showing the pull of lower happiness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UH1AcYXDg&t=186 6. 3:30–4:36: Most people chase rajasic happiness — sensory and romantic — but it lacks true fulfillment and leaves one restless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UH1AcYXDg&t=210 7. 4:41–5:32: Sattvic happiness arises when desires fade and the mind becomes calm; this is the joy experienced by the jnani (knower of the self). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UH1AcYXDg&t=281 8. 5:54–6:52: The jnani’s path begins with “Brahma is me,” evolves through “Aham Brahmasmi,” and culminates in deep meditation and silence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UH1AcYXDg&t=354 9. 7:03–8:06: In nirvikalp samadhi, ego dissolves and the triad of knower, knowledge, and known vanishes — yet traces of maya remain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UH1AcYXDg&t=423 10. 8:11–9:12: The jnani experiences immense bliss of the soul, but only through true yoga and union with God does one attain Brahma-sparsa — the infinite bliss of divine contact. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UH1AcYXDg&t=491 Full Text
Intro 0:00 When the senses have become subdued, the 0:03 mind has got a little relaxed from the 0:05 passions 0:07 and some extent of virtue has started 0:10 developing kindness, compassion, 0:13 empathy, sympathy, caring, patience, 0:17 tolerance. So now a little bit of joy 0:21 starts coming. That's the sattvic 0:23 happiness. Bhagwan Gita and the Bhagwat 0:26 both are saying and that sattvic 0:29 happiness is also what the Gyani gets. 0:38 Bhagavat Gita Chapter 6 Dhyan Yog the 0:42 Yoga of meditation shloka chanting is 0:45 followed by translation and commentary 0:48 by Swami Mukundanandanda Though 0:51 [Music] Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 Sloka 28 Chanting 1:00 yogi 1:04 [Music] Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 Sloka 28 Translation 1:16 the self-controlled yogi 1:19 Thus uniting the self with God becomes 1:24 free from material contamination 1:28 and being in constant touch with the 1:31 supreme 1:32 achieves the highest state of perfect 1:37 happiness. Bhagavad Gita 6.28 Commentary by Swami Mukundananda 1:42 There are different levels of happiness 1:45 in the world. 1:47 [Music] 2:01 There is one tamasic happiness the 2:04 happiness you get from the mode of 2:07 ignorance. 2:09 So examples of it is the happiness you 2:12 get from narcotics. 2:16 Dum maro dum 2:18 the happiness you get from intoxicants 2:22 the happiness you get from anger 2:26 now you question Swami G there's 2:28 happiness and anger there's so much 2:30 happiness 2:32 people say you know he was troubling me 2:34 he had created hell for me I was so fed 2:37 up I taught him such a lesson he will 2:41 remember all his life 2:45 so That pent up anger was vented. It 2:49 gave a sense of relief. Ah 2:52 that is also happiness. It is tamasic 2:55 happiness. 2:57 Now are there people who run after 2:59 tamasic happiness? There are so many who 3:03 run after intoxicants. 3:06 I have got 3:08 well established devotees in the Satsang 3:11 very prestigious 3:14 and the teenage child becomes an addict 3:18 they try and put him in the rehab he 3:20 runs away from there put him in the 3:21 rehab runs away from there oh my god so 3:25 he has made the goal of his life tamasic 3:28 happiness 3:30 now beyond that is the rajasic happiness 3:34 the happiness ness we get from the 3:37 objects of the senses. 3:41 This is what the majority of humankind 3:44 is running after. The happiness of the 3:48 senses 3:50 and 4:00 There is no real satiation and still the 4:04 world is crazy after this. 4:16 If there was actual happiness in love in 4:21 worldly romance then what would have 4:24 been the situation? Without actual 4:27 happiness people are going crazy. So 4:30 this is the rajasic happiness. There is 4:33 it's bigger than tamasic 4:36 and then bigger than that is sattvic 4:39 happiness. 4:41 sattvic happiness you get when the senses 4:44 have become subdued their desires. 4:48 The mind has got a little relaxed from 4:50 the passions 4:52 and some extent of virtue has started 4:55 developing kindness, compassion, 4:58 empathy, sympathy, caring, patience, 5:02 tolerance. 5:04 So now a little bit of joy starts 5:07 coming. That's the sattvic happiness. 5:11 And that sattvic happiness is also what 5:14 the gyani gets. The gyani who makes it 5:19 the singular objective to meditate upon 5:22 the self. 5:24 The gyani says there is “advaith” there is no 5:27 separate god. I am god. So I'm 5:29 meditating on the self. 5:32 The gytani gets sattvic sukh. 5:43 The Bhagavan Gita and the Bhagwan both 5:45 are saying you get sattvic happiness from 5:49 Gyan Yog. So little bit of philosophy. 5:54 You see the Gyani sadhana goes like this. 5:58 They start off “tat tvam asi” 6:03 that Brahm is me. That Brahm is you. 6:07 He tells himself that Brahma is you. 6:12 And then he goes on meditating 6:18 and then reaches this point. Aham 6:21 brahmasmi 6:25 I am the Brahma. 6:29 Now there's a promotion in the sadhana. 6:31 So the “shravan manan nidhidhyasan” is Aham Brahmasmi 6:36 and that sadhana continues. Then this 6:38 gyani reaches the stage of brahasmi. 6:42 The aham is now going by way of Brahmasmi and 6:46 then he goes further further further 6:48 just “asmi” ! I am 6:52 and the sadhana rises even higher now 6:55 the gyani is quiet he has reached 6:59 nirvikalp samadhi 7:03 you heard the word right nirvikalp 7:05 samadhi for gyanis it's the supreme 7:09 desirable state to be achieved. 7:13 But even in the state of nirvikalp 7:16 samadhi 7:18 maya has not gone. 7:21 There are a few entities of maya that 7:24 are remaining. Through the gyan sadhana 7:27 the gyani said I'm not the body. I'm not 7:29 the mind, I'm not the intellect. 7:32 And then he said I'm not the ego as 7:35 well. So when the gyani cuts the ego now 7:39 the triputy (trichotomy) 7:43 gyata 7:45 gyey and gyan, knower, object to be known and 7:50 Knowledge, this trichotomy finished 7:52 because the ego of the knower finished 7:55 that is the stage of nirvikalp samadhi 7:59 now the gyani is situated in 8:01 self knowledge 8:03 true realized 8:06 But even in that state two entities of 8:11 maya have not gone Prakriti, Mahan. So that 8:16 gyani doesn't experience 8:20 “brahma sparsh” the bliss of God, he only 8:25 experiences the bliss of the soul and 8:28 ythe soul being a drop of the ocean, the guani gets 8:33 huge bliss. It is immensely bigger than 8:37 the tamasic happiness mode of ignorance, 8:41 rajasic mode of passion, sattvic mode of 8:44 goodness. It's even bigger than that. 8:47 The bliss of God is infinite. “यो वै भूमा तत्सुखे” (see note below) 8:54 So now Sri Krishna has said that when 8:57 somebody practices true yoga 9:02 & attaches the mind to God now the “Brahma sparsh”, 9:07 union with God and experience of that 9:12 ultimate bliss happens.  Note: “यो वै भूमा तत्सुखे” यह वाक्य छान्दोग्य उपनिषद (7.23.1) से लिया गया है, और इसका गहन अर्थ है: "That which is infinite — that alone is bliss." (yo vai bhūmā tat sukham) 🔍 भावार्थ: • भूमा का अर्थ है असीम, अनंत, अविभाज्य परमात्मा। • उपनिषद कहता है कि जो सीमित है, उसमें सुख नहीं है। • सच्चा सुख केवल उस परम सत्ता में है जो सीमाओं से परे, अखंड, और स्वरूपतः आनंदमय है

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