Conscience - even if it pains
With the help from each and everyone, we will make progress. Let us conquer land here in this crazy world, soul by soul, consciousness by consciousness. Let us be compromised with the truth. Let us respect the faith of everyone, as long as they do not harm others. Truth is love, and one has to produce more love; love for God and all His creation; love and gratefulness to Mother Earth; love for the animals; goodness and compassion for the defenceless. It just takes conscience, which actually does not even pain anymore.
Principles of the Sri Ishopanisad
Nationalism is one result of ignorance that often appears in different parts of the world. If we realise that the world is only a mass of material, amongst others, floating in an unlimited space; it is comparable to specks of dust floating in the air. Such masses of material are totally equipped to float in space, due to the fact that God has so kindly made the universe complete in itself. Astronauts in their space ships may be so proud of society’s accomplishments; but do they take into account the Supreme guide driving these great space ships called planets?
Say NO to television
Television is so dangerous due to the easy access that it has to all the population and by its method of appealing to the lowest instincts of the conditioned soul with its sensual and violent images and its gossipy nature.
It is a perfect instrument of manipulation on the part of political leaders who are unscrupulous and without spiritual vision. And due to this, all the problems of the so-called "civilization of the current age" are going day by day from bad to worse.
Although it is undeniable that the same technology can be used also to watch those things that support the development of the consciousness; still it is obvious that the contamination is greater than the potential benefits.
Where can we find refuge?
Are you looking for material happiness?
In this material world there are many places of entertainment: clubs, theatres, sports halls, etc, where people gather for some reason that they value. But what there is there is the consumerism of the market place, raw competition, and the many means of cheating and being cheated that the world has to offer. Over and over again we find there is no refuge for the heart. And the television is still worse. Soap operas only show sensuality, frustration, mundane things; again no refuge. In one’s house is found the atmosphere of competition, lies, promiscuity, and so many other elements such as intoxication, violence, laziness; and again no refuge for the sensitive heart. In schools and universities there is so much contamination. Modern education only teaches the need to earn money to enjoy life to the maximum; that life is a casual accident, missing any superior meaning. Again, no refuge.
How we can recognize false teachers and prophets
The false teachings of materialism that are promoted in modern schools and universities and in the media, are very dangerous and have discouraged and made a majority of humanity more materialistic. Consumerism is dedicated to making the system wealthier, but without consciousness and sensitivity for individuals. And the great necessity, the great desire of the people to leave this completely disagreeable situation is taken advantage of by unscrupulous people with hidden agendas. Really they do not teach the complete truth because God is that which maintains everything. If not even we maintain ourselves how can we say that there is no one above us? Mother nature is above us, and if it is not God, we should be grateful to those good ones who are generous to us. Since we all have a gigantic false ego
Mystic Powers – A real goal?
There are people who after having acquired some powers perform cheap shows for financial gain, or to gain followers; burying themselves under the earth, or such like. But if we are really interested in achieving perfection in life, we should not deviate or enjoy such cheap tricks, which even materialistic science has achieved with its fascination for technology. We have heard of yogis who are teaching people to levitate and fly, but this can easily be compared with aeroplanes that transport people from continent to continent. There are yogis who have dominated the limitations imposed by water, or who can enter into the earth, or move things from distant places; but, in comparison, modern technology has created tunnels through mountains, submarines in the oceans, and many other marvellous things. Both technology and yogic powers are both entirely material in their activities, though different in form.
How to find a spiritual master
In order to find a spiritual master; the principal requirement is to desire to find him. This means that one should have the disposition to eliminate the errors made in life and accept the virtues that bring one to spiritual perfection. The process of finding a spiritual master is explained in the Vedic scriptures; we start with a prayer asking that the Supreme Lord guide us towards the master that will teach us how to come to Him. The original spiritual master is in our heart; he is the Supersoul, Paramatma. He is the internal voice or the guardian angel. He knows everything and is always our protector, instructing us on our path towards the Light. When we desire to have a spiritual master, we request assistance from Paramatma, so that He will give us intelligence and show us the road to Him.
The 26 qualities of a devotee
Dear friend, below we present to you the 26 identified qualities of a true devotee of the Lord. One who always seeks for the truth and does no harm to others is definitely on the correct path. The Vedas do not permit prejudices or sectarian views; they have been revealed to mankind to guide us towards the perfection of life. Do not fear to give up the forbidden activities you have been participating in until now; there is no loss in renouncing these. What is the perfection of human life? This is the question for spiritual advancement through one’s evolution of consciousness.
The Vedas announce, Atato-brahma-jijnasa; human life is a gift from God to enable us to search and find the truth. But this is not necessarily easy due the internal battle between good and evil. There is always the possibility of abandoning common sense and respect for others in order to favour oneself, often in spite of the suffering of others.
The following qualities help each of us to perfect ourselves, and as much as one can cultivate them the better person one will be; indeed those persons who possess these qualities are our eternal inspiration.
Balsam for the soul
Quotes from Srila B.A Paramadvaiti Swami
"Do not impose your opinions; better express your wisdom."
"Do not demand respect; instead, you should earn it through your own example."
"You cannot doubt God only because there are some things that you cannot understand."
"Behind each suffering, there is something to learn."
"Faith is an eye that guides us towards the Supreme Lord."
cigarette addiction
My friend, to smoke is a big trap and you have become a victim of it, and you will need lots of endeavor to get rid of if. Perhaps you tried already several times and even promised, nevertheless you feel dejected, weak and ashamed; and at the same time you play as if you would be the strong one, the brave one, the rebellious one, the American cowboy that finally shows the boast braveness of killing himself with that stupid bad habit.
Maha-mantra meditation
To chant the Holy Names of the Lord is not just an act of belief and hope, but also a scientific act to come in contact with, and automatically get connected to, the Absolute Being. It is through this connection that one becomes purified; it is not simply a question of faith. When there is a contact between two substances, the superior substance has always influence on the inferior, and through this contact, the inferior substance will assimilate the characteristics of the superior. This means that when we chant the Holy Names of the Lord, we will by the contact assimilate the characteristics of the Absolute Truth, and these characteristics are pure. In other words, to chant the Holy Names of the Lord means to associate directly with Him. And when one associates with God, one acquires divine characteristics; and when one is completely purified, one becomes an associate to the Supreme Lord.
The benefits of celebacy
It is seen in this world of promiscuity, that people are very anxious to enjoy sex life without taking into consideration the consequences of their actions. Celibate life is a beautiful tradition that comes from the great sages of former eras. They say that the sexual force is an immense ability that God has given to everyone. It is much more than a reproductive force, since it has the potential to bring another little person to be a servant of God. However, the consciousness of lust brings people to snub this mystic spiritual potential and makes them think only in terms of the moment of enjoyment that the sex act can give for the body. And if sex life brings suffering to another person, then it is harmful for life, especially spiritual life. To have sexual relations without the desire to advance spiritually, without the desire to make an offering to God, steals a great quantity of spiritual and physical energy. All those who have sexual encounters without a higher purpose confirm that afterwards they feel fallen, defeated, with an empty heart. This is because they undervalue the mystery of life and do not accept that the sexual energy has a very elevated purpose.
Frictions in the family
To have a husband, a wife, parents or children, must be considered to be a great mercy in this world, and to take care of them in a proper way is a normal request, something very natural. One should not expect this to be something simple, though, because to love is to suffer. If I love someone and she becomes ill, I too will be affected; therefore loving and suffering are synonyms.
Controlling the mind
If we live in a world of lies, we feel no satisfaction, we feel only defrauded. Controlling the mind means to occupy it in the service of God. Only in this way, will we feel true satisfaction. And if we feel this satisfaction, we are going to pursue practicing control. Controlling the mind is not a luxury; it is something essential. One needs intelligence to control the mind. Intelligence needs memory in order to be able to assimilate the propositions of the mind in accordance with previous experiences. Memory turns to the subconscious, and the result of turning to the subconscious is to take good decisions from God, because it is only God who allows us to remember and understand things. We are all dependent on Him.
the death of a loved one
When a loved one leaves, it is a very painful moment because one feels so secure with the people that one associates with. One feels that they are going to live forever and suddenly they see that this loved one is only a dead body, which causes problems because the corpse must be cremated or buried. This is a painful thing for the family of the dead person. In this moment, wisdom should come to your heart and you should realize that he never was a material body. He is a soul that is no longer in this body and according to his karma, he will take another body. It is a moment of reflection because when loved ones leave, they leave us a great lesson: that those that we love are not their bodies. Their essence, their spirit, is now on the path towards the infinite. And the moment of death is something very serious, we have to think that we must place ourselves at the disposal of God because our life is very short.
