Discover Your Super Soul

Spiritualize the mind

Purushottam Nitai Das August 3, 2013

Our mind gets clogged because we stuff it with unproductive substance. We have the very famous GIGO principle – Garbage in Garbage Out. What goes inside will eventually come out. If we expose a computer to a virus prone program then eventually the computer will start malfunctioning. Similarly, if we infest our mind with hazardous impressions then eventually our life will be in a mess. A disturbed and agitated mind brings chaos to personal and professional life. Whatever we see, hear or speak gets permanently stored in our mind. Our mind is the storehouse of all past, present and future experiences. If one is too much prone to watch vulgar or violent movies or remains in association of those who are pessimists then sooner or later one’s mind gets dominated by vulgar, violent or pessimistic thoughts. So it is imperative that we feed our mind with right ingredients – positive and healthy thoughts.

But subduing mind is indeed a Herculean task. Arjuna, the mighty warrior, who had the strength to conquer the whole world, expresses his inability to tame the mind. Krishna agrees with Arjuna that controlling mind is indeed very difficult but also assures Arjuna that it is not impossible. With practice and detachment we can gradually win our mind. “Lord Sri Krishna said: O mighty-armed son of Kunti, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and by detachment”. (Bhagavad – Gita 6.35)

Detachment & Practice

Whenever our mind wanders we need to bring it back. The exercise would be tiring and sometimes we may even fail. But if we persevere then gradually we would be able to restrain our mind to a great extent. A jockey, while controlling his horse, neither applies too much force nor gives excessive freedom to the horse. We too will have to slowly restrain and restrict our mind. But all these efforts will go in vain if the mind does not get any positive engagements to focus on. We may apply force and bring back our mind but after bringing back we need to provide some object on which mind can focus. As we all know that we cannot empty the mind. So the only way to effectively subdue the mind is by focusing it on something positive.

Our mind focuses on those objects where it assumes that it will get pleasure. So, once we provide a higher taste to the mind then automatically it will start focusing on the object where it derives maximum pleasure. Transcendental pleasure is the highest of all the pleasures. And the practice of Krishna consciousness will open the gateway of transcendental pleasure. Hearing and chanting the names of Krishna is the most effective way to get detached from wrong thoughts and get attached to devotional thoughts.

We also need to regularly scan our mind to diagnose if there are any impurities still clogging our mind. And simultaneously we need to meticulously refrain our mind from getting allured by materialistic thoughts. The success will not happen overnight. We need to diligently endeavor for detachment from sense gratification and attachment to devotional life.

In spite of 2 heart attacks….he transformed the lives of millions

Purushottam Nitai Das August 2, 2013

Exam is essential for a student. It tests his sincerity as well as preparedness. In our devotional journey we too are examined by Krishna. On our way, we may encounter few hurdles; the hurdles are just a test put for us by Krishna to check our commitment and eagerness for devotional life. Sometimes the hurdle may appear to be like a vast ocean but if we remain firm and continue practicing Krishna Consciousness with enthusiasm then the ocean will become a small puddle of water for us.

Krishna provides a glimpse of his mercy through the life of his pure devotees. Srila Prabhupada’s life is an example for us to learn this principle. His spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, had instructed him to go to the west and preach Krishna Consciousness to the western people. At that time he was just 26 years old. Throughout his life he struggled hard to preach Krishna Consciousness in India but within his heart he always wanted to fulfill the wish of his spiritual master. After a lot of struggle he got an opportunity to travel to the west on a cargo ship. By this time he was about 70 years old but his zest to preach Krishna consciousness in the west was still there. He was having just Rs. 40, no assurance of permanent place to stay, no close relatives to take care, no guarantee of food. He had with him the priceless position – a trunk load of spiritual books. On the ship he suffered from seasickness, dizziness and loss of appetite. And then he suffered 2 massive heart attacks, the third one would have killed him. But his resolve never waned. On the night of the 2^ndheart attack he saw Krishna in his dream. Krishna was rowing the boat and assured him not to worry because he will take care of him. And henceforth the journey passed peacefully.

Srila Prabhupada transformed the lives of millions of people all over the world.

· During a short span of 12 years he opened 108 temples all over the world.

· He wrote and translated around 80 books which include translation of 60 volumes of classic Vedic literatures.

· He established ISKCON which has today more than 600 centres all over the world.

· He founded BBT (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) which is today the world’s largest publisher of book on Vaisnava philosophy.

· He introduced Rath Yatra in the western countries. Today in more than 100 major cities of the world Rath Yatra festival is celebrated including London, New York, Washington, Moscow, Los Angles, Durban, Dhaka and in several cities of India.

· He began BTG (Back To Godhead) magazine in 1944 which is now published in several languages all over the world.

· Srila Prabhupada’s commentary on Bhagavad – Gita has sold more than 3 crore copies and also have been translated into around 87 languages.

Krishna through the life of Srila Prabhupada has shown that obstacles in the life of a devotee may come but if one is sincere and serious then Krishna personally takes charge of the life of the devotee. So when next time we come across any hurdle then we should not get bogged down by it but instead we should endeavour hard to get over it. And we know that Krishna is always there to help us!

A man is known by the company he keeps

Purushottam Nitai Das August 1, 2013

Association is infectious. It is rightly said – a man is known by the company he keeps. People resort to substance abuse or become alcoholic only because of bad association. So we need to be extremely careful while choosing our companions. We should seek company of those whose life is an emblem of purity and virtue. Such noble souls can easily transform our lives. Narada Muni was the son of a maid servant in his earlier life. But once he got a rare opportunity to associate with the sages for few months. And those few months of association developed in him deep love for Lord thus making him one of the most celebrated devotees of the Lord. It is said sanghe shakti Kaliyuge – in Kaliyuga strength lies in association. And the best association in this world is that of the devotees. “The value of a moment’s association with the devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which are for those who are meant for death”. (S.B. 1.18.13)

We should grab any opportunity to associate with the devotees. Srila Prabhupada built several Iskcon temples all over the world so that devotees can congregate together to discuss Krishna katha, perform kirtan and eat Krishna prasadam. In such congregations each devotee gets inspiration from each other. Association equips us with sufficient strength to successfully face any challenges.

Art of Harnessing the Mind Power – a seminar by Iskcon Kolkata

Purushottam Nitai Das July 29, 2013

A cool, calm, composed and controlled mind is everyone’s desire but most of us fail to harness the true potential of our mind. Many of us constantly get agitated by the unwarranted dictum of our mind which makes our life chaotic. People mostly commit suicide not because of any physical reason but only because of mental miseries.

Understanding the necessity of the time Iskcon has been conducting various workshops and seminars all over the world educating people as how to channelize the mind’s true potential and helping them to lead a healthy and happy life. One of the senior sannyasis of Iskcon, HH Radhanath Swami, is being frequently invited by leading multinational companies like Google, Microsoft, HSBC Bank, Apple, universities like Oxford, IIT, MIT, Standford to speak of these important subject matters. He was recently invited to address the British Parliamentarians. As part of this initiative Iskcon Kolkata organized a seminar on the topic Art of Harnessing Mind Power on 27^th& 28^th July. It was attended by many working professionals. The speaker was Sankirtan Anand Das, a senior monk at Iskcon Kolkata.

Unravel Mind’s true potential

Purushottam Nitai Das July 27, 2013

A piece of paper may lie entire day in the sun without getting affected. But if we divert all the rays of the sun through a magnifying glass on a particular spot of the paper then the paper after sometime starts burning. This is the power of being focused. Our mind too has the potential to ignite our life. And this can happen if we utilize our mind to its full potential.

It is verily said – our mind can be our best friend when controlled and can also be our fiercest enemy when it is uncontrolled. As a human being we are far more superior to non humans. And one of the primary reasons is that we humans have the ability to utilize our mind for our own benefits. Animals basically work as per their instincts without bothering (or thinking) about pros and cons. But as humans we have the divine gift of harnessing the power of mind to its full potential.

But unfortunately most of us fail to capture the tremendous potential of our mind and thus get destined to lead a below par life. Many people struggle with life because of their uncontrolled mind. A drunkard or a smoker or even a criminal knows what is right and wrong but still they indulge in such nefarious acts. The reason is their inability to say ‘no’ to the demands of their unchaste mind. If we have a cool, calm, composed and controlled mind then in spite of provoking situations or circumstances we will not panic. We will not just remain undisturbed in trying circumstances but can convert those challenging situations to our own advantage.

A controlled mind is everyone’s desire but it’s not easy to achieve. Arjuna, the powerful warrior, admitted it to Krishna when he said that it is easy to control the wind than to control the mind (Bhagavad – Gita 6.34). We have seen people going berserk because of their disturbed mind.

Lord Krishna admits that controlling mind is not easy but assures Arjuna that it is possible to do so through practice and detachment (Bhagavad Gita 6.35). We should detach ourselves from the activities which pollutes and disturbs our mind. And we should engage ourselves in those activities which detoxifies our mind like chanting the holy name of the God like the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. Once we gain control over our mind then we can lead a very happy, successful and meaningful life.

Let us not be the killer

Purushottam Nitai Das June 4, 2013

Scriptures compare human body to a boat which should be used to cross over the ocean of material existence. Facilities given to the human bodies are like favourable breezes and scriptures and saintly people are like expert boatmen. All these help the boat to ply smoothly in the ocean of material existence. If we are not utilizing these facilities then we are categorized as atma – ha, killer of the soul. And the killer of the soul has to live in abject misery always. So, let us not waste these precious opportunity which has been bestowed upon us in the form of a human body. We should utilize each and every moment of our life for self realization.

Justice for others but mercy for me!

Purushottam Nitai Das April 23, 2013

Can any one of us very confidently say that we have never done anything wrong in our lives? We haven’t behaved in a shoddy or disrespectful way with others? The interesting aspect of our life is that we tend to forget something wrong which we do to others but always remember what others have done to us. We always vie for a person’s blood who misbehaved with us, spoke to us arrogantly or did not show any respect to us. The sight of that person agitates us, their success pains us. We always pray that god should do justice with me and punish our insulters severely. However if we have done something wrong to others then we always hope that god will be merciful and will surely forgive us. Is it not a double standard? If we seek forgiveness for our mistakes from God then should we also not desire forgiveness for others? It would not be better if we ourselves forgive that person who tried to hurt us.

Forgiveness is a great virtue which we should always nurture. History is inundated with the stories of people who are revered today because they had the heart to forgive others. Hiranyakashipu tried all means to savagely kill his 5 year old son Prahlad but Prahlad begged to Lord Nrsimhadeva to forgive his father, Lord Rama was always ready to forgive Ravana, Lord Nityanand Prabhu forgave Jagai and Madhai although they humiliated him and injured him, Hardias Thakura were beaten at 22 market places but throughout his ordeal Haridas Thakura begged the Lord to forgive those who were tormenting him, Jesus Christ begged for forgiveness for those who were crucifying him. Carrying grudge towards others is like carrying a burning charcoal in our hand. It burns us always and increases our suffering. Forgiveness reflects our magnanimity, it also purifies our heart. Once we forgive others then our heart experiences a deep serenity. This is why in Bhagavad Gita 16.3; forgiveness is categorized as one of the divine qualities. So, let us try to follow the footsteps of these great souls and try our best to forgive those who once brought pain in our life.

REVIEW OF THE BOOK: THE GITA FOR DAILY ENRICHMENT

Purushottam Nitai Das April 13, 2013

“Realizing that we are not suspended in the uncertainty of uncaring chance, but are enveloped in the certainty of unfailing love is life’s greatest discovery”: Chaitanya Charan Das reminds us in his newly published book The Gita for Daily Enrichment. The book has been released recently.

365 short and crispy articles adorn the book. An article a day for 365 days for a reader to meditate upon. Several meditational books flood the market but this is the first book which offers thought for daily mediation based on a verse from the Bhagavad – Gita.

An electronics engineer by profession, the author has been an ISKCON monk for last fifteen years. The creative and pragmatic presentation of the message of the Gita with several contemporary examples reflects his profound and insightful understanding of this great literature. Each verse of the Gita is explained very succinctly, intelligently and interestingly. The language is lucid and style is contemporary. It nudges the reader to think, reflect and then act.

Today the importance of Gita has not waned, as the skeptics want us to believe. The present day society is marred with several perplexities – relationships are in tatters, insecurity looms large, fear of future and failure keeps us always in anxiety. Today neither the inflation nor the temperature is increasing at a higher rate than the suicide and drug consumption rate. During these troubled times we need wisdom of Gita to skilfully confront any challenge.

The book empowers the reader with spiritual intelligence to take the right decision. The author prods the reader to understand the importance of human life. He strongly argues that the human life is not just meant for seeking material pleasure but is to strive for eternal spiritual pleasure. The daily nuggets explain about the higher dimensions of life. The author constantly reminds the reader to rise from the intellectual level to spiritual level and to engage in practical devotional service to Krishna if they seriously want to relish the spiritual nectar.

The author is fundamentally acquainted with the subject and he knows his audience well. The book does not quote the verse or its translation verbatim but instead it tries to focus on the applicability of each verse in the present context. Sincere practitioners, genuine seekers, academic – scholars, young and old, men and women, all will find something to contemplate upon. The reputed Hinduism author Steven Rosen phrases the appeal of this book succinctly: “Chaitanya Charan das unlocks many of the mysteries of the Bhagavad-gita, allowing contemporary readers access to an otherwise often impenetrable scripture.”

Overall the 365 articles inspire the reader to embark on a spiritual path. One develops deep appreciation for Gita and also feels closer to Krishna, the ultimate object of one’s meditation. In total, there are 365 good reasons to purchase the book.

The book is available on Amazon as a kindle edition. The hard copy of the book can also be ordered from the author’s site www.thespiritualscientist.comand from amazon.com.

(Purushottam Kumar is a member of congregation at ISKCON Kolkata. He works in Tech Mahindra, Kolkata.)

We will never die

Purushottam Nitai Das April 11, 2013

Upset over the exam result, a student commits suicide. A man was facing acute economic hardships so he decided to end his life along with his wife and children. Many such incidents we regularly read in newspapers or hear about it. Sometime people get so overwhelmed by their situations and circumstances that they feel by ending their life all their miseries will cease to exist.

But this is not going to happen because we are souls and so our life will never end i.e. we are never going to die. This is confirmed in Bhagavad – Gita 2.13:– As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death.

Human life is a gift of God, so committing suicide is a sin. So, if someone ends his life on his own then he is in fact aggravating his miseries and not reducing it. Our past karma will always accompany us.

The problems which we are facing now are because of something wrong which we have done in the past. Let us try to face the challenges which life offers us with positive mindset and not get too much disturbed by it. In fact in this world we cannot expect “no miseries”. Bhagavad – Gita 2.14 provides an approach to deal with challenges “O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed”

2 crore thirsty humans!

Purushottam Nitai Das March 31, 2013

Around 12000 villages of Maharashtra and about 4000 villages of Gujarat are reeling under severe drought which has affected the lives of more than 2 crore people. Is it a natural disaster or manmade disaster?

Our intense greed for self aggrandizement has resulted in massive exploitation of nature. Trees are rampantly cut to pave the way for industrialization, chemical fertilizers are being excessively used to increase the crop yield, industrial wastes are being dumped in the rivers, ground water is getting depleted, water pollution, air pollution, soil erosion, desertification have become the norm.

Unfortunately today instead of accepting our mistake we are just trying to artificially ward off the crisis. Lots have been written and spoken regarding the misuse of water during Holi festival. True, seeing the plight of the millions of people who are suffering for want of water we should explore all means to prevent the wastage of water. But why those words of wisdom should only be reserved for the Holi festival. The liquor industry, the soft drink industries are known to use thousands of liters of water daily. But why nothing is said, written or discussed about such massive misuse of water. Our exploitative mentality and insatiable desires are the root cause of the calamity which we are facing today.

In fact Srimad – Bhagavatam has already predicted the fate of the people of Kali – yuga: – “In the age of Kali, people’s minds will always be agitated. They will become emaciated by famine and taxation, my dear King, and will always be disturbed by fear of drought. They will lack adequate clothing, food and drink, will be unable to properly rest or bathe themselves: – Srimad Bhagavatam (12.3.39 – 40)”.

Nature is our mother, she sustains us. All our basic necessities are provided by her for free – food grains, air and water are (or were) available in abundance. We have neither invented these vital substances which give us life nor do we manufacture it. If we do not respect Mother Nature then we will have to pay a heavy price for it. The present crisis which we are facing is not a natural crisis but a man made crisis. As it is verily said there is enough for man’s need but not enough for man’s greed.

Bhagavad – Gita recommends that leading a God centered life (Bhagavad – Gita 3.14) is the only way to ensure that there is proper and regular supply of rain and food grains. Adopting artificial means to deal with droughts may temporarily solve the problem but unless we get into the root of it such disasters will knock us down constantly. Choice is ours; if we are really serious about leading a happy life then we need to orchestrate our lives as per the injunctions of Vedic scriptures.

Spiritualize the mind

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In spite of 2 heart attacks….he transformed the lives of millions

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A man is known by the company he keeps

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Art of Harnessing the Mind Power – a seminar by Iskcon Kolkata

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Unravel Mind’s true potential

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Let us not be the killer

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Justice for others but mercy for me!

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REVIEW OF THE BOOK: THE GITA FOR DAILY ENRICHMENT

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We will never die

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2 crore thirsty humans!

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