Discover Your Super Soul

Worldly Problems Spiritual Solutions/A seminar at IIT Kharagpur by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj

Purushottam Nitai Das October 17, 2012

“Suicide rates are increasing at an alarming rate today. Suicide rates are higher between the age group of 15 – 29. Peer pressure, high academic expectations, job anxiety etc. have been the major reasons for suicide. However, today the situation is so deplorable that young students are ending their life for trivial reasons – an IIT student committed suicide because he was not able to secure admission to the branch of his own choice. Human life is precious, but the youths are getting so overwhelmed by the precarious conditions that they do not hesitate to do the unthinkable.”

The opening speech by Prof. Kanchan Chaudhary, an IIT Kharagpur Professor, echoed the sentiments of several people all over the world.

The occasion was the seminar organized by IIT KGP on the topic “Wordly Problems, Spiritual Solutions”. The honourable speaker on the occasion was H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj. He is a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada and travels throughout the world spreading the timeless Vedic wisdom.

The program began at 6:30 p.m. in the S.N. Bose auditorium of IIT KGP on 6^th Oct. The auditorium was completely packed with IIT Professors, IIT students and with other staff members of the institute.

H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj said that if we want to understand the problems of this world then we should get into the root of it. To analyse the root cause of the problems we need to understand – Nature of the Material World, Nature of the soul, Why do the souls (we) come to this material world? & What is our relationship with God, Krishna? We are all parts and parcel of the Supreme Lord but due to our desire to enjoy separately from the Lord we are sent to this material world. For e.g. spark is nothing but fire but when it gets separated from fire and falls on ash then it becomes just like ash. Similarly we are sac – cid – ananda i.e. eternal, blissful and full of knowledge but since we get separated from the Lord, we fall into this material world and we start identifying ourselves with matter. This is the root cause of all sufferings in this world.

H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj further said that our salvation lies in re-establishing our relationship with the Lord. The spark can regain its fiery quality only when it reunites with fire. We can eliminate all our worldly problems and regain our blissful constitutional position if we again re-establish our forgotten relationship with the Lord. And doing this is very easy. H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj then explained that “love” is the inherent quality of a soul. Love unites and hatred separates. So if we want to get united with the Lord then we have to offer our love to Him. Love means action and if we really want to express our love then we need to work for the pleasure of the lord. This is called bhakti.

Such a profound philosophy touched the hearts of every soul who were present in the hall.

After the talk, an unending Questions & Answers session began. Everyone present had something to ask from the speaker. However lack of time compelled the organizers to stop the Q&A session in the middle.

Prof. Kanchan Chaudhari thanked H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj for sparing his time for this program. He further said that the speaker’s spiritual solution for the worldly problems were both practical and powerful. He expressed the need for organizing such thought provoking seminars on a regular basis.

At the end there was a melodious kirtan of Hare Krishna Mahamntra led by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj. Everyone joyfully participated in the kirtan.

Bhagavad – gita stall was put up outside the auditorium. All the 50 Bhagavad – gita’s were distributed within few minutes. Everyone was eager to imbibe and apply the timeless principles of this great literature in their own lives.

Finally everyone relished the Dinner Prasad.

Krishna is individual and we are individuals

Purushottam Nitai Das October 16, 2012

Many people have misconception that after performing certain type of meditation he/she can become God by merging into God. However none of the revealed scriptures support this argument. In fact we are always individual and we will always remain so.

Nowhere in Bhagavad – gita it is said that Arjuna wanted to merge with Lord Krishna. Bhagavad – gita clearly says that the Supreme Lord is individual and the living entities are individuals.

“Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be” (Bhagavad – Gita 2.12)

Srila Prabhupada explains: “The Lord says clearly that He Himself, Arjuna and all the kings who are assembled on the battlefield are eternally individual beings and that the Lord is eternally the maintainer of the individual living entities both in their conditioned and in their liberated situations. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the supreme individual person, and Arjuna, the Lord’s eternal associate, and all the kings assembled there are individual eternal persons. It is not that they did not exist as individuals in the past, and it is not that they will not remain eternal persons. Their individuality existed in the past, and their individuality will continue in the future without interruption. Therefore, there is no cause for lamentation for anyone.”

In Bhagavad – Gita 18.65 Lord Krishna says, “Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend”:- (Bhagavad – Gita 18.65)

The plurality of the individual soul and of the Lord is an eternal fact which is confirmed by all the revealed scriptures.

100% return guaranteed

Purushottam Nitai Das October 11, 2012

When the share market has an upward swing the investors joyfully celebrate and when the market crashes the investors miserably laments. No investment can guarantee 100% return in this world. Even the most promising company itself does not have secure future then how can it guarantee a secure return. During the recent recession banking giants like Lehman brothers, Merril Lynch etc. collapsed. Insecurity and fear accompany our every endeavour.

However there is something to cheer about. Timeless Vedic wisdom informs us about an investment opportunity where 100% return is guaranteed. The process of investing in it is also very easy – no paper work, no ID proof and no threat of being duped.

One just need to invest some time and can be assured of high returns.

Arjuna invested his time in developing friendship with Krishna and in return Krishna removed all the hurdles from his life and made him victorious. Similarly we should invest our time in developing friendship with Krishna. It’s very easy to do. We just need to dovetail our activities as per Krishna’s advice. And Krishna assures us, “In this endeavour there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear” (Bhagavad – Gita 2.40)

In this endeavour 3 things are guaranteed

1. Whatever you invest, you will get it back with a higher rate of return.

2. Protection from greatest type of danger.

3. The return is not only limited to this life time but will also benefit you in next life time.

So why not be a smart investor and invest our little time in remembering the lord by chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. It will make our present as well as our future secure and blissful.

Why not ‘Why’?

Purushottam Nitai Das October 9, 2012

How should I increase my fortune?
How should I pass the exam?
How to impress my boss?
How the earth moves around the sun?
How beautiful the weather is today.

The list is endless. Throughout the day and throughout our lives we are either busy understanding as “How things work in this world” and “How can it be utilized to fulfill the mundane requirements of our life”.

Do we ever bother to ask ‘Why’?

Why should I earn money?
Why am I working?
Why someone in this world is born rich and someone as poor?
Why earth moves round this sun?
Why do we grow old?
Why do we die?
Why relationship of this world is so fragile and temporary?
Why our life is temporary and not permanent in this world?

Unless we try to seek answers to these questions we will fail to do any justice to ourselves. Such inquiry is called Athato brahma – jijnasa. Let us not utilize our human intelligence in solving the problems of ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithun – eating, sleeping, defending and mating. Animals can do it better than us and that too without much struggle.

Let us utilize our human intelligence for some meaningful purpose. So let us begin by asking “Why” first and then seek answer for “How”. For e.g. let us inquire, “Why everything in this world is temporary?” Once we find answer to this question then we should ask “How to transfer ourselves from this temporary realm to the eternal world?”

Don’t live but -> Leave

Purushottam Nitai Das October 5, 2012

He seemed to be perplexed and in anxiety. He was looking out of the window confusedand was very carefully reading all the station names. When I enquired about the reason for his restlessness he said – “I am new to Kolkata. I have to reach this particular address at around 10 a.m. And I am not aware as how to reach there.” Other passengers in the metro -train were bit relaxed, not in much anxiety.

Like the passenger in the metro we are also uncertain about our destination. So, we too keep on searching different means to live peacefully and blissfully.

We are in constant predicament because we are alien to this world. Once we come to this world we struggle even for our basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter. We are here in constant anxiety and are always fearful because we are unaware about our future. We do not belong to this world. This is not our original home. We are not meant to “live” in this world but we should immediately “leave” this world.

“Leaving” does not mean committing suicide. It means changing our consciousness. When our consciousness is fixed in Krishna then fear, anxiety, grief, lamentation, hankering and restlessness withers away. Srila Prabahupada says, “The world is miserable for the materially infected person, but for a devotee the entire world is as good as Vaikuntha, or the spiritual sky.” Abhayam, fearlessness, is possible only when we take the shelter of Krishna.

We enjoy unlimitedly in the spiritual world, our original home, but struggle for survival when we come to this world. So let us “leave” this world by “living” in harmony with Krishna’s wishes because he is our best well – wisher.

Dare to dry the ocean

Purushottam Nitai Das October 4, 2012

The sparrow challenged the ocean, “Return my eggs else I will dry you”. Hearing this ocean started laughing. The ocean had stolen the eggs of the sparrow and the little bird wanted her eggs badly. She was determined to get it back. And so with her tiny little peek she took a few drops of water from the ocean and threw it on the surface. She did it again and again. Everyone was amused; the ocean could not control his laughter. But nothing deterred the sparrow. She continued with her endeavour without thinking about success or failure. News spread everywhere about the resolve of an insignificant creature to dry the gigantic ocean. Finally her efforts attracted the attention of Garuda, the king of the birds and the carrier of Lord Vishnu. Garuda threatened the ocean and said, “Return her eggs immediately or else I will completely dry you now.” Seeing the huge size of Garuda, ocean became frightened and within no time retuned back the eggs of the bird.

Most of the time we get discouraged thinking that this is an impossible task for me to accomplish. We accept defeat even before giving a try. This material world is like a big ocean and we are like tiny little sparrows. We do not have the capacity to cross this ocean on our own. But if we decide to cross over this ocean of material existence and if we show our sincerity by regularly chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” then success is guaranteed. Our determination and sincerity will please the Lord as the efforts of the sparrow pleased Garuda.

Srila Prabhupada explains, “If anyone follows the principles with great determination, the Lord will surely help, for God helps those who help themselves.”

So, let us take a vow to dry the ocean of material existence and show our efforts by practicing devotional life with utmost sincerity keeping complete faith in our endeavour.

Formula to work 24hrs a day

Purushottam Nitai Das September 30, 2012

We generally begin a work with great enthusiasm but soon the enthusiasm wanes. Boredom and monotony penetrates. We fret and often regret that why did we take this task. And most often we complete the task unwillingly. We are not physically so much drained out than mentally. However Bhagavad – gita gives us a technique which can help us to perform a particular task with great enthusiasm and energy. And one can even work for 24hrs a day without even getting tired.

If we imbibe the principles of yogah karmasu kausalam (Bhagavad – gita 2.50) then we will get the ability to work enthusiastically 24hrs a day. Karmasu means activities and kausalam means expert service. If we sincerely want to perform any task by keeping Krishna in the centre then Krishna will awards us sufficient intelligence to perform the work expertly and will give extra enthusiasm to accomplish it. The six goswamis of Vrindavan who were deputed by Lord Caitanaya Mahaprabhu to propagate Krishna Consciousness slept only for 2 hours a day. They were so engrossed in Krishna Conscious activities that they considered sleep & food to be a disturbing distraction.

Mundane material activities may seem to be attractive in the beginning but becomes tasteless after some time. For example when we take up a new job then we have great hope and expectations from it but soon we get bored. But if we take up a job as our prescribed duty and do it for the pleasure of Krishna then we can do the work with lots of enthusiasm. The life of Bhaktivinoda Thakur is a guiding light for entire humanity. Bhaktivinoda Thakur was a great Vaisnava saint whose center of life was Krishna. He was a householder and worked as a magistrate. He performed his prescribed duties with utmost sincerity that everyone was pleased with him. He was able to do so because he always kept Krishna in the centre. He wrote hundreds of books, poems and songs which is still a source of inspiration for millions of Krishna devotees all over the world.

Spiritual life is so sublime that people neither get bored nor fatigued. They only get inspiration to work more and more.

Suffering like a fish out of water

Purushottam Nitai Das September 28, 2012

Every one of us wants to be happy. In fact every moment we strive hard to achieve happiness but most often we find that in spite of achieving all what we had desired to achieve we still remain unhappy. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha i.e. eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. We being parts and parcel of the Lord we also have desire for eternity, bliss and knowledge. Every jiva be it in Svargloka, brahmaloka, bhuvarloka etc. wants to be happy. The level of happiness which one enjoys in the heavenly planets is far greater than what we enjoy on earth. On earth also there is difference in the level of enjoyment which one may experience in a western country than in India.

In spite of striving hard to achieve happiness people never get the bliss which they dream, they never feel inner satisfaction, inner fulfillment and inner joy. Why is it so? Suppose we take a fish out of water and put it in a golden jar then will the fish be happy? Definitely ‘No’. Fish is happy only in water and not out of water. Similarly we are spiritual beings and we will be happy only when we get connected to Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and return back to our original home which is the spiritual world.

The goal of my life is to lead an UnHappy life?

Purushottam Nitai Das September 26, 2012

Have you met anyone in this world who wants to fail in an exam, or want to lose his job or want to meet with an accident? Do we find anyone who boldly declares that “The goal of my life is to lead an UnHappy life”.

Have you ever wondered why everyone wants or struggles to be happy? From a beggar on the street to a business magnate, everyone makes plan to ensure a happy and fulfilling life. Even small babies who do not know anything about “Being Happy” or “Being UnHappy” want to be happy.

What is the source of this desire?

Srila Prabhupada comments, “The living entities, like the Lord, are full of consciousness, and they are after happiness.” Being happy is our natural state & this is why we always seek pleasure. And we seek pleasure because as a soul we are sac-cid-änanda i.e. eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. Radhanath Swami explains, “In the Brahma-sutra it is said ananda–mayo ‘bhyasat, which means the inherent nature of every living being is we are seeking pleasure”.

All of us want to be happy but unfortunately we do not know how to be happy. Since we are souls so we are spirit not matter. Therefore our quest for happiness should also be spiritual not material. Also real happiness is that which is unlimited, uninterrupted and uncontaminated.

Krishna is the original source of such unlimited pleasure. And if we want to bathe in this reservoir of pleasure then we will have to get connected to Krishna. If we take shelter of Govinda (one who gives pleasure to the senses) then we are guaranteed of unlimited and uninterrupted bliss.

Give spiritual sense to Senses

Purushottam Nitai Das September 25, 2012

We are completely subjugated by of our senses. Our senses drag us in different directions and like a faithful servant we follow them. Srila Prabhupada compares the material senses to a serpent. One cannot keep friendship with a venomous snake because it can kill us any time. Similarly we should never keep friendship with our senses because it can cheat us and degrade us at any time. It is very difficult to control senses. Although we may succeed in controlling it for sometime but soon we get victimized by it. Senses always seek pleasure. Eyes wants to see beautiful objects, tongue want to taste something delicious, ear wants to hear something sweet, nose wants to smell something nice and skin wants to feel pleasure. We are under the control of our senses at each and every moment.

Subjugating senses is very difficult but not impossible. Sri Caitanaya Mahaprabhu has given us a very practical but powerful solution. He asks us to subjugate our senses by spiritualizing it. Seeing the deities purify our eyes, taking prasadam offered to Krishna purifies our tongue, hearing the glories of the Lord purify our ears, smelling the flowers offered to Lord purifies our nose and offering obeisances to Lord purifies our skin.

This is the only way to control our senses. Once our senses get spiritualized we will get attached and attracted to the spiritual way of life. Once we start spiritualizing our senses by adopting the above means and utilize our mind in remembering Krishna by chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra then our whole life will get purified. And we will experience great bliss.

Worldly Problems Spiritual Solutions/A seminar at IIT Kharagpur by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj

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Krishna is individual and we are individuals

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100% return guaranteed

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Why not ‘Why’?

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Don’t live but -> Leave

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Dare to dry the ocean

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Formula to work 24hrs a day

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Suffering like a fish out of water

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The goal of my life is to lead an UnHappy life?

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Give spiritual sense to Senses

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