Tattva - See inside out

Saintly Connections

2012-01-21T17:09:00.001Z

One of our monks recently made a transition back into the ‘real world’. After some years of monastic discipline he felt it was time to adopt a new lifestyle based around family, career and worldly responsibility. He recently went for an interview. It was his big break. Frustrated, he came back and complained “in this world it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know.” No prizes for guessing he didn't get the job! We’ve seen it before - even if one is incompetent, unreliable, temperamental, and all-in-all quite a weak candidate, they may still get the job if they have the right connections. Those who have achieved a sense of competence or recognition in their field can often make up for someone else’s shortcomings.

You may be interested to know that there is a transcendental version of this corrupt system. In our endeavours for spiritual purity, the blessings of saintly personalities can make up for our individual deficiencies and failings. The Catholics have their bishops, the Muslims have their imams, the Hindus have their gurus, and the Jews have their rabbis. We look to the saintly for inspiration, encouragement and recommendation. Based on their intimate connection with God, we trust in their ability to petition Him on our behalf. Through humble words and acts we directly or indirectly implore them - "put in a good word for me." While many are suspicious of investing their faith in fallible humans, others may simply feel their own conviction and endeavours are sufficient. However, the good wishes, blessings and encouragement of the saintly are vital. Just as many lenses within a telescope bring an object within sight, similarly, the more spiritualists we can serve and please the closer our cherished goal will be.

But who is a true saint? The Bhagavad-gita explains that such persons are not stereotyped. They may have an institutional position, or maybe not. They may be recognised by many people and famed in spiritual circles, or maybe not. They may be erudite, scholarly and philosophically astute, or maybe not. They may be renounced, austere and free from worldly responsibility, or maybe not. The one essential quality of the truly saintly person is their enthusiastic, dedicated and unwavering conviction to selflessly serve. They exist to give happiness to others. It is these great souls who we should seek to please, for their spiritual prowess can overflow onto us, and their good wishes can attract divine attention.

Free Book Download

2012-01-11T17:12:00.002Z

We have compiled the Bhagavad-gita Acronyms Summary into a small booklet. You can download the booklet by clicking here (left click, and then save the file). Copies are also available at Bhaktivedanta Manor. I hope you will find it of some use.

Introduction to the booklet

Eminent scholars, scientists and philosophers have recognised the profound wisdom that the Bhagavad-gita offers. Gandhi once commented, “When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-gita and find a verse to comfort me. I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day.”

What follows is a humble attempt to bring together some insights in the form of a short overview of the Bhagavad-gita. My aim is not to draw out every single philosophical point, but rather to highlight key concepts in each chapter. Hopefully this overview will assist readers in understanding the flow, context and practical application of these timeless spiritual teachings. It may also assist teachers of the Bhagavad-gita in their attempts to share this wisdom with others.

This small booklet is based on the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, translated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. His translation has revolutionised modern thinking, and each purport elucidates the incredibly profound life lessons that Lord Krishna imparts to Arjuna. I hope this humble attempt to share some of that wisdom will inspire the reader to study Srila Prabhupada’s full translation which can answer every question, remove every doubt, and ultimately bring one face-to-face with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Above all, I undertook this exercise for my own spiritual growth, praying that someday I will genuinely live by these teachings.

Sutapa das

Learning to be natural

2012-01-06T07:41:00.001Z

A friend recently came to our early morning spiritual programme at the temple. At 4.30am every day, about fifty individuals from all walks of life come together for their daily spiritual workout - four hours of personal meditation, heartfelt singing, philosophical contemplation, and prayers of gratitude. While our guest appreciated the energy and the enthusiasm of every individual, they struggled with the structure and organisation of the programme; singing the same songs, chanting the same mantra, at the same time, while dancing in the same formations, and bowing down at the set intervals… seven days a week, 365 days a year! You could call it a holy boot camp! Shouldn’t spirituality be a little more spontaneous and natural? Why have such an instituted and rigid programme? Where is the room for personal expression and individuality? Why not allow one’s spiritual journey to take a natural course according to inspiration?

An initial regiment of basic learning is required in order to achieve the proficiency which facilitates natural expression. Let’s say you sit down at a keyboard to express your deepest feelings. Without some basic musical training (which can be extremely tedious and monotonous) one will struggle to express themselves in that medium. Say you wanted to communicate your deepest feelings in a letter, but you never learnt grammar, sentence formation, spelling or vocabulary – how would you communicate those inner feelings? So it’s not a contradiction to say that one must practice (often methodically and mechanically) to achieve naturalness.

Our spirituality is completely natural, spontaneous and personal. However, certain processes and patterns of behavior help uncover that dormant consciousness. Great spiritualists have documented and outlined a sensible process of devotional practice that culminates in divine love. Scientific, calculated procedure (in Sanskrit, sadhana-bhakti) leads to mystical individual spontaneity (in Sanskrit, raganuga-bhakti). Thus, while practices, traditions and rituals may seem like a spiritual boot camp, we can rest assured that such practice is leading one to pure spiritual individuality.

Personal resolutions... Global revolutions...

2011-12-29T20:49:00.002Z

It’s been a one-month break from computers, emails, skype conferences and the e-world at large. I'm not complaining. Taking full advantage of the festive season, our trio of monks travelled to towns up and down the country, with the aim of sharing spiritual wisdom in the form of thousands of books; ancient writings which are food for thought in a fast paced world. Our approximate route: London - Norwich - Lincoln - Newcastle - Sunderland - Durham - Middlesbrough - Sheffield - Nottingham - Derby - Leicester - London (and a lot of smaller towns in between!) One evening, as we drove over the River Tyne and advanced toward Newcastle City Centre, the enormity of modern civilisation dawned on me; a complex web of flashing lights, billboards, rushing cars, tall buildings and amusement facilities. It made me wonder whether the few hundred books in our car boot would change anything in this bustling city. Was the five-hour journey from London even worth it? Would we do anything of significance while we were here?

I like to see myself as someone who is efficient and effective. The thoughts troubled me, but I nevertheless continued with enthusiasm. One morning, however, a reflection offered me some perspective. This endeavor to share wisdom with the world is largely about my own transformation. Extending our hands and reaching out to others is an opportunity to develop compassion, tolerance, empathy, and sincerity. Only after developing such qualities can I think of significantly changing the world, or touching someone else's life. I contemplate my motivations while delivering my message. Is it to establish my supremacy? Is it to expand my fame and influence? Is it to cover up my own sense of insecurity? How many deliver their message out of a true sense of concern and love for another? That is what is ultimately required. Spirituality travels from heart to heart.

A famous Christian leader once reminisced about his desire to change the entire world. After years of hard work he gave up, and instead shifted his focus to changing his country. Even that proved difficult, so he reverted to changing his town. When that failed, he thought he would at least try to change his family. Surprise surprise, they weren't having any of it! In his old age he realised his fatal mistake. "First and foremost I should have changed myself. Inspired by the transformation within me, maybe my family would have changed. With their help I could have changed the town, and then we could have done something for our country. Who knows, maybe that could have led to global change!" It’s interesting how much we think of changing the world, but how little we contemplate the transformation of ourselves. The global revolution begins with a personal resolution. As Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world".

Blind eye

2011-11-20T22:27:00.001Z

I’ve just returned from a two week tour of Bangladesh. Crowned the happiest nation in the world by social researchers at LSE, one can sense the contentment that comes from simple living and high thinking. However, on a second-class overnight train from Chittagong to Dhaka I was confronted with the flip side of the story. A constant stream of desperate beggars petitioned passengers to lend a hand – they were frail, hungry and completely at the mercy of others. As we pulled into the dingy station, the platform was lined with a row of homeless bodies, struggling to catch some rest on the smelly stone cold floor. Past the ticket counters a leper boy perched on the shoulders of his blind friend investigated the trash cans for any useful scraps that may help them get through the day. It was a sorry sight.

Here we come face-to-face with acute poverty - graphic reminders that you don’t see every day in London. It was heart-wrenching, and it definitely made me think. As I studied the reactions of many people around me however, I couldn’t help but feel they were cold and uninterested. It could be that after years of daily exposure one becomes desensitized and emotionally indifferent to the struggles of others. It could just be practical measures – after all, who has the capability to give every beggar a dime, or even the time to politely decline? Either way, it would seem wrong to completely ignore the torment, suffering, pain and desperation that is a daily reality for millions of people worldwide. When you see that, your own life problems don’t really seem very significant anymore.

In my youth, I always found it uncomfortable and awkward to witness images of suffering. Change the channel, skip the newspaper article, or close your eyes – out of sight out of mind. Nevertheless, hard as I tried, I couldn’t seem to forget. Some of it was compassion, but a lot of it was guilt. I had everything while other kids had next to nothing. I’m sure these striking images left a deep impression that perhaps propelled me into a life of renunciation and spiritual welfare work, where I felt I could do my little bit to help the world. Seeing the desperately needy people on this trip rekindled those same emotions and reminded me of my deeper calling. The life of a spiritualist is a life of giving, a life of compassion, and a life of sacrifice for the upliftment of others. Selfless service in consciousness of God, is the essence of spirituality. We find ourselves by forgetting about ourselves. Turning a blind eye to the pain of others is not really an option.

Google vs God

2011-11-08T21:10:00.002Z

Think of someone you go to when you need help... someone who is always available... someone who has all the answers... someone who never gets angry or frustrated. Yes, I’m sure you’ve guessed it... Google! Those of you who were thinking of God are just old fashioned and out-of-touch! Google now logs 2 billion searches everyday, which translates to around 300 million users. According to internet trends, the term "Google" is searched for more than the terms "God", "Jesus", "Allah", "Buddha", "Christianity", "Islam", "Buddhism" and "Judaism" combined. There is now a “Church of Google,” and they even have a list of commandments that they follow!

Unfortunately, the reality is that Google does fall short in key areas. The popular search engine provides access to a storehouse of information, collected through the study and research of millions of people. However, even the combination of a million human brains will struggle to grasp transcendental realities beyond the experience of the mind and senses. Google has the ability to answer a multitude of questions and queries, but when it comes to establishing a personal, loving and meaningful relationship with its users, the search engine falls short. Google may have backed up its servers and arranged emergency power supplies, but it is definitely not eternal, immortal or omnipresent; we have all experienced the volatility of modern technology. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Google fan, but it clearly fails in key areas of God’s job description.

While technology undoubtedly enhances aspects of our lives, solves certain problems and brings a sense of security, it cannot replace the deep yearning for spiritual connection. The discoveries and innovations of modern science are undoubtedly praiseworthy and notable. However, the notion that such advancements have replaced the need for spirituality is not only erroneous, but frankly a little arrogant and bigheaded. As spiritual beings, our number one priority is to reawaken our true sense of self awareness, inner happiness and relationship with God. To the extent that technology aids us in our personal spiritual journey, and simultaneously helps us to communicate such knowledge to the world, to that extent we gratefully accept its utility. Otherwise, we are quite happy to do without.

Religious War

2011-10-19T20:56:00.000+01:00

Recent world events have compounded apprehensions about the social implications of religious belief. While governments grapple with the problem of terrorism, the growing opposition to religion becomes strikingly apparent. As a traveling monk, I am often drawn into heated debates over the link between religion and war. To complicate matters further, the revered conversation of Bhagavad-gita is spoken at the onset of a fratricidal war, and Krishna is seemingly the one inciting Arjuna to fight! Does the Vedic tradition promote bloodshed and violence? Do spiritualists in this line secretly believe that war, hostility and the killing of innocent people is necessary for 'religious revolution'?

In ancient Vedic scriptures we find the famous aphorism, ahimsyat sarva bhutanam – “one should not commit violence to any living being.” Since nonviolence is a cardinal principle of the spiritualist they are urged to refrain from causing harm to even animals or plants. However, non-violence can mean different things in different situations. As a guardian of the people, the warrior Arjuna was required to take responsibility for the upkeep of law and order in society. In this case, his non-violence had to be expressed through confrontational means. Such strong action is neither taken whimsically, nor for the sake of material gain, and never with a mood of hatred or envy. It was the last resort, and even when the battle commenced, it was fought between consenting parties who followed strict moral and ethical codes of conduct. Before drawing any parallels between the Battle of Kuruksetra and modern warfare, one must look into the historical, moral and social context of each circumstance.

History shows that violence has touched every part of the world, independent of the theological beliefs of people. In fact the most destructive wars, were fought for secular, political, economic, or ideological reasons. Religion is not the cause of conflict – on the contrary, it is the very neglect of genuine spirituality that causes war, violence and unrest in this world. Societies of genuine spiritualists hold great reverence for life. Qualities of respect, contentment, humility and tolerance are the cornerstones of their spirituality. Saints who have delivered the Bhagavad-gita to the modern world have affirmed that the real revolution in society is to transform people’s hearts through selflessness and love. The real revolution is a revolution of consciousness. In conclusion, to solve the problem of violence the answer is not to reject spirituality, but rather to restore, reform and revive it in its true nature and spirit.

The Inside Story

2011-10-07T12:16:00.003+01:00

Are power-hungry underground groups like the Illuminati plotting to rule mankind by establishing the New World Order? Was 9-11 an Al-Qaeda terrorist attack, or did the Bush administration help orchestrate the entire incident to justify military policy in the Middle East? Half a century ago, did the US government cover up a UFO landing and alien interaction at Roswell, New Mexico? Was the Aids virus created by the KGB as a means to reduce world population? Was Shakespeare, English language's greatest writer, really responsible for the body of works that bear his name, or were they actually authored by other people? We could go on, but suffice it to say that the modern world is riddled with conspiracy theories which seem to multiply by the day. As the plot thickens, how do we know what to believe? Will our painstaking research lead to any concrete conclusions?

Who knows, the theories themselves could even be part of a bigger conspiracy to confuse people and make us doubt everything! On the other hand, even if they are true, what can we do to change the state of affairs? If the higher echelons of society are directing the future of the world in smoke-filled rooms, it’s unlikely that our whistle-blowing will be taken that seriously. Having said that, there is an argument for the necessity of critical thinking in a world which we could label "the cheaters and the cheated."

There is, however, one conspiracy that we can all be sure of. It’s a conspiracy a little closer to home, and a conspiracy which has been going on since our first breath in this world. The Bhagavad-gita explains that the uncontrolled mind, the lower nature within, is conspiring against us on a moment-to-moment basis. Tempting and distracting us while simultaneously posing as a friend, our lower nature, which you can identify as the ‘devilish voice within,’ is actually conspiring to divert us from the most progressive, pragmatic and fulfilling path in life. Krishna explains that only through spiritual acumen and unbreakable determination can we transform that lower nature, and bring the mind under control such that it becomes our best friend. This brings true freedom, where one is guided by intelligence instead of instinct. The project to conquer the mind requires focus, tenacity, perseverance and incredible drive. It’s a lifetime’s mission, and we need to utilize all the time we have. This is the inside story, the story of the enemy within, the story of the conspirator that we may well have forgotten about.

Tattva - See Inside Out

2011-10-03T18:09:00.002+01:00

In the late 60's, after NASA had completed a series of groundbreaking space adventures, they interviewed different people to guage their reaction to the events. When they reached a grave-looking monk he shocked the reporter with a radically different perspective. He was saddened by the direction of modern civilization, and wasn’t overly excited by the recent astro-travel. When quizzed why, he responded "now man is diverting his attention further and further outside for answers, for purpose, for happiness - but actually we have to explore deeper and deeper within."

In the modern materialistic climate, our vision, analysis and interaction with the world can be on a very superficial level. Despite this all-pervading influence, many philosophers, theologians, scientists and great thinkers have discussed and debated with a view to understanding the world in a more profound way. The ancient sages of the East were no different. In the body of literatures known as the Vedas, they documented a spiritual understanding of the self, the universe and our deeper purpose in the journey of life. This became known as ‘tattva’ - essential truths and principles which underpin universal reality. Knowledge of this tattva can help one to excel physically, emotionally, socially, and most importantly, spiritually.

This blog is a humble attempt to discuss elements of this tattva. The posts are diverse and cover topics ranging from religion to relationships, science to sociology, leadership to lifestyle management. We hope they will be 'food for thought' in a world that (consciously or unconsciously) is yearning for fresh perspectives and newer pardigms.

Inner peace... Outer peace...

2011-09-17T14:16:00.002+01:00

I scanned the BBC website yesterday. Unfortunately, some things never change. The top 15 headlines were riddled with global issues and tribulations; conflict and corruption in the political arena, instability and exploitation in the economic world, intolerance and loneliness in our communities, and immorality and baseness in personal dealings. Our attempts at creating world peace seem ineffective, short-lived, and all-in-all quite futile. By now, most of us can safely agree that political treaties and media campaigns can only go so far in solving a global trend that is becoming quite worrying.

At the prestigious IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) they were experiencing a recurring trend of students who would commit suicide by hanging themselves from dormitory fans. After an emergency meeting to address the issue, they proposed their solution – “take the fans out of the rooms, and introduce air conditioning units instead!” While it may sound crazy, such an approach portrays the failure of modern philanthropists, social workers and political leaders. Though having good intentions, they fail to address root of the problem, and instead simply make solutions that address the immediate symptoms.

When someone falls sick we intuitively follow a train of thought. First we observe the symptoms, then we discern the root cause, and finally we administer an appropriate remedy. The Bhagavad-gita offers a fresh perspective on world peace - only when there is inner peace can there be world peace. While people are experiencing a vacuum within, they will invariably exploit the external world to fill that void. While there is conflict and agitation within, people will recreate that in their relationships and communities. All the political, economic and social problems of the world are essentially caused by neglect and disregard of spiritual values. The Bhagavad-gita explains the qualities of a spiritually fulfilled person: non-envious, friendly to all beings, free from false ego, equal in happiness and distress, always tolerant, satisfied and self-controlled (Bhagavad-gita 12.13-14). Such people will create the biggest changes in the quest for world peace.

Grateful or Great Fool?

2011-09-13T16:20:00.004+01:00

Before the philosophical discourse at our temple every morning, we sing a celebrated song entitled “Jaya Radha Madhava.” Written by a legendry God-intoxicated saint, it depicts the extraordinary activities, loving relationships, and serene landscape of the spiritual world. Today, the significance of that divine meditation struck me. Every morning we have an opportunity to realign ourselves. We reestablish our ultimate goal, our cherished aspiration. We remember why we are doing what we are doing. In that meditation we can put life’s situations in perspective - the things that agitate our mind and clutter our consciousness don’t seem so important anymore. It reminds me of an upbeat spiritual mentor who used to laugh and exclaim “don’t take the illusion too seriously!”

On a daily basis we are challenged in a variety of ways. Unpredictable dealings with others, the irrationality of our own ‘inner voice’, and the reversals of Mother Nature are all disappointments which can end up consuming our consciousness and sapping our enthusiasm. Such contemplation, however, is likened to a rocking chair. While it gives us something to do, it doesn’t really get us anywhere. Instead, we should let go and move on. In the context of our treasured goal, the troubles and inconveniences fall into insignificance.

And how bad is it anyway? I try to reflect on the many gifts I have received in this life - the repeated opportunities, the kind people, the spiritual knowledge, the solid support of a community. All the ingredients for spiritual success are there, and all it requires now is determined practice. As the famous saying goes - “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth!” (you can tell the age of a horse by looking at its teeth). The lesson is that when offered a wonderful gift, it would be unwise to nit-pick and find faults. Instead, one would do well to gratefully accept it with two hands and make the most of it. The sanskrit word for gratitude is “krta-jna” – literally meaning “to know what has been done for you.” The ungrateful person who lacks such a vision may instead be called a great fool.

Soul Mates

2011-08-28T09:33:00.005+01:00

We all need friends. On the journey of life there are twists and turns, ditches and dead ends, obstacles and opposition. But as John Lennon sang "I get by with a little help from my friends." Those who embark on the spiritual journey are brave indeed. They strive for purity in a world of degradation, they embrace simplicity amongst rampant materialism, and they cultivate selflessness in an atmosphere charged with exploitation. Anyone who goes against the grain in such a bold way will be faced with temptations, doubts, ridicule and moments of weakness. Without the encouragement, support and good advice of spiritual friends how can one continue? It would be a case of one small loner trying to hold off a tidal wave! Unfortunately, there are sincere spiritual practitioners who have given up on their spiritual friendships. Many have frankly told me that they found more integrity, morality, kindness, and love in their previous relationships with family and friends. They hoped that their friendships in spiritual circles would be deeper, warmer and more loving. Regrettably, they never really experienced that. Why would 'material' relationships seem more intimate and close than friendships amongst spiritualists?

Firstly, in the material world the standard bar is "every man for himself." Anyone who rises a little above that stands out as a great friend. In spiritual circles, however, the standard bar is "selflessness, humility and tolerance." Thus, it’s easy to see the faults in others, constantly measuring how much they fall short of the standard, all the while forgetting that they are amazing souls striving for an amazing standard. Our expectations of others on the path may be too high, and thus we feel frustrated, let down and cheated when we observe their character. Patience is essential since spiritual friendships are formed over time. We are all ‘works in progress’ and therefore we cannot utopia amongst even sincere seekers of the truth.

Secondly, spiritual friendships force us to grow beyond our own pride, anger, lust and envy. When we are with spiritualists we are constantly reminded of how much we are personally falling short. Feelings of guilt and failure can make us leave our spiritual friendships. Instead, we opt for the easier option of relationships where we cover these things up, brush them under the carpet, and not really give them a second thought. Spiritual friends are like a mirror helping us to see what we are really like. Instead of being scared and disappointed by what we see, we should feel empowered to know where we need to improve and how we can advance on our spiritual journey.

Thirdly, spiritualists also have personalities. Even amongst those who follow one path, there are a multitude of different approaches and moods. After all, the spiritual world is full of variety. It may take some time, but with sincere desire, determination and discrimination, one will be able to find good spiritual friends to connect deeply with. Spiritual friendship is based around an eternal truth, an eternal world, and an eternal connection. No matter how intimate the relationships of this world may seem, they will always be circumstantial and time-bound. Real soul mates have to connect on the level of the soul.

Centre of Attention

2011-08-07T17:21:00.002+01:00

As a traveling monk you have to keep your philosophical boxing gloves at the ready. Recently, someone quite bluntly told me they had serious issues with Krishna’s personality! I was slightly taken aback, but tried to dig a little deeper. “First God creates us for His enjoyment” they exclaimed, “Then, when we decide to leave Him, He sends us to the material world to cyclically suffer disease, old age and death. After repeated disappointment and frustration we are forced to surrender, at which time we resume our position as an eternal slave in God’s life of pleasure.” Interestingly, they then referred me to a famous Bhagavad-gita verse. There, Krishna implores Arjuna "Engage your mind in always thinking of ME, become MY devotee, offer obeisances to ME and worship ME. Being completely absorbed in ME, surely you will come to ME." There were some serious doubts here - the person had painted a picture of God as an attention-seeking ego-maniac!

I could have given a philosophical rebuttal, but instead I tried to take them on a journey to the spiritual world. As the sun rises, Krishna wakes up, frolics with the villagers, and plays a few cheeky tricks on his parents which gives them great delight. While the cows happily run around in the luscious pasturing grounds, Krishna has wrestling fights with His cowherd friends, drawing emotions of laughter, joy and loving competition. Today Krishna loses and the penalty is to carry his friend all the way home on His shoulders. Returning home later than normal, His mother is waiting in eager anticipation. Externally she rebukes him for not being on time to eat, but internally her heart is jumping for joy at the sight of her charming son. With overflowing motherly love she feeds Him a sumptuous meal till He is completely full. As everyone tucks into bed, Krishna sneaks out to the forest for a secret rendezvous with the cowherd maidens. They excitedly leave their homes and husbands, readying themselves for the amorous pastimes in the dark night. This is the moment they have been waiting for all day. After hours of intimate association, they quietly return in the early morning hours as if they had never left. As the sun rises for another day, nobody suspects anything.

Clearly, the pastimes of love in the spiritual world are bringing ecstatic pleasure to everyone involved. The nature of a loving relationship is that each side tries to please the other with no expectation of return. Their happiness is in giving happiness to others. A further twist in the tale is the fact that God actually wants to quit His occupation! The cooperation of lover and beloved in the spiritual world doesn’t simply bring equal happiness to both parties. Interestingly, it is said that the devotees of Krishna actually experience more happiness than Him! Thus, Krishna comes to this world as Sri Caitanya - God in the form of His own devotee. Feeling an intense desire to experience this happiness, He wanders the land relishing the transcendental taste of devotion to Krishna in a state of intoxicated love of God. Reentering the spiritual dimension is about elevating oneself to an ecstatic life of pure consciousness where the heart is being melted by transcendental emotions at every step. It’s not at all a dull one-sided affair.

Ambassador of Goodwill

2011-07-23T20:43:00.003+01:00

Life in this world is very calculative. Before we give something we calculate what we’ll get back. Before we take a risk we calculate what we could lose. Before we invest in a relationship we calculate what benefits it will bring us. Before we extend ourselves for someone else we calculate how worthy they are of our help. While such an approach seems sensible in a world where efficiency, effectiveness and practicality are the buzzwords, in the realms of spirituality it falls short. The spiritualist has the quality of magnanimity – ‘big hearted.’ As an ambassador of goodwill, the spiritualist is always looking for opportunities to benefit even the ‘undeserving’ souls. The great saint Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur prayed for the boon that he would “always desire the greatest good for even his worst enemy.”

Saintly persons like Srila Prabhupada were incredibly practical people. They formed institutions to broadcast the spiritual message; they dealt with finance, government laws, resolved conflicts and mediated relationships. Interestingly however, they never became calculative ‘managers’ who just made the evenhanded decisions based on what was fair and reasonable. Since their consciousness was always firmly anchored in the spiritual world, they carried the greatest asset possible - the overflowing spirit of goodwill. Here is a nice poem from Mother Teresa as a further reflection on this point:

Do It Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may cheat you;
Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Can of worms

2011-07-07T16:07:00.005+01:00

I recently met an old friend who told me the master plan for his spiritual journey. While his current 70-hour-a-week city job ensures his steady ascent up the corporate ladder, unfortunately it leaves him zero time for anything else. His plan? “I'll pay off the mortgage in 10 years time, build up enough financial security so I can retire, by that time my kids will have settled down and married, I’ll still be in good health, and thus being freed from all worldly distractions, I'll be able to fully immerse myself in spirituality.” It sounds good on paper, but I do have serious doubts. While the externals of lifestyle undoubtedly need attention and reengineering, I'm not sure that putting one's spirituality 'on hold' in anticipation of the 'perfect situation' is the wisest choice. As the American poet Longfellow said "trust no future, however pleasant!"

Once, Srila Prabhupada was being driven to a public engagement. As they hit a series of roadworks, the traffic slowly built up. Within minutes all the vehicles were at a complete standstill. As they peered outside the windscreen, a huge road sign read "temporary inconvenience, permanent improvements." Srila Prabhupada laughed at the sign and exclaimed "this material world means temporary improvements, permanent inconvenience!" He went on to explain how life in this world is like a can of worms – once we open it up, it’s impossible to keep things under our control. In the course of making our life plans so many things can go wrong and do go wrong.

The external reorganization of our life and the internal cleansing of our consciousness need not be mutually exclusive activities. Like train tracks, they can coexist side-by-side. As we progressively reengineer our lifestyle, we can simultaneously intensify our spirituality. Realistically, will life ever be free of those unexpected distractions? Cars break down, family feuds need to be mediated, homes demand improvement, friends need advice and attention, health problems slow us down and work demands drain our 'free time'. Amidst the complexities of this world, the only practical solution is to create a sacred space within. Serious spiritualists make quality time for spiritual meditation and introspection on a daily basis no matter how busy they are. They guard those hours with their life. Sacrificing that sacred time in pursuance of a utopian ideal is a risky strategy.

Access Denied

2011-06-09T07:57:00.003+01:00

Although I had heard of the Bhagavad-gita since childhood, I never really felt impelled to read it. I considered that religious study was for old people, and that such literature would have little or no relevance to my life. Over the years, however, I became more and more curious to understand the world in a more profound way, and my interest in spirituality grew significantly. One morning, when a good friend randomly handed me the Bhagavad-gita in an Economics class, it struck me as a mystical occurrence. I was an inquisitive 16 year-old, keen to learn more, and maybe this book was the key that would open up many doors of understanding. Holding that sacred text in my hand, I had an overwhelming feeling that it would change my life forever. The thought of accessing universal knowledge beyond time and space was exciting. What secrets awaited me in this transcendental conversation?

I rushed home, went to my room, locked the door, and eagerly prepared myself to begin reading. In great anticipation, I was ready to be blown away. After reading a few pages, however, I received a severe reality check! I found the language complex and the concepts too difficult to grasp. I struggled to connect with the text and understand its application in my life. I was only four pages into this book and I was already completely baffled. I didn’t consider it an anti-climax however, and neither was I frustrated. I maintained the conviction that the Bhagavad-gita had something amazing to offer me, but accepted that I would have to explore it with greater effort and scrutiny.

Thankfully, that’s what I did. I asked many questions, attended different seminars, and conversed with experienced practitioners of the tradition. I learned that access to spiritual wisdom in its greatest depth requires more than just personal reading. Books like the Bhagavad-gita are better understood when discussed, debated and imbibed with the input of realised teachers. Many years later, the Bhagavad-gita remains an amazing source of inspiration and insight for me. I can resonate with Mahatma Gandhi who once said, “When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to the Bhagavad-gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it everyday.”

A.W.O.L

2011-06-03T08:40:00.003+01:00

A young investment banker recently approached me. Frustrated with the corporate climate, demanding lifestyle, and the stresses and strains of worldly responsibility, he was seriously considering giving it all up. Such cases are not uncommon. In numerous passages of the Bhagavad-gita even Arjuna proposes he leave the battlefield and retire into the contemplative, secluded life of a hermit. Would such renunciation be wise? Is it possible to work in this dog-eat-dog world and simultaneously maintain your spirituality? Can one connect to the higher reality via their worldly profession? The Bhagavad-gita offers the “3R” formula, which gives a succinct but comprehensive checklist on how to spiritualize your daily work.

Righteous – Firstly, one must endeavor to engage in righteous work. Certain occupations and livelihoods are based on exploitation, violence, dishonesty, and generally cause harm and disruption in the world. Such work is neither progressive for the individual or for society at large. While every type of work in today’s world is covered by some fault or imperfection, as far as possible the spiritualist endeavors to pursue a career which promotes harmony, upliftment, kindness and compassion.

Results – Secondly, our work in this world will yield certain 'fruits'. Such fruits come in the form of monetary remuneration, knowledge, expertise, skills and influence in a particular field. While such fruits help us to survive in the world, providing the necessities of food, clothing and shelter, a certain portion should be reserved for a spiritual cause. By offering charitable contributions towards the spiritual upliftment of others, one develops the qualities of detachment, selflessness and compassion which are the very hallmarks of a spiritualist.

Remembrance – Thirdly, one should attempt to cultivate an active spiritual consciousness while at work. When a famous king, also renowned as a deep spiritualist, was asked by some sages how he managed to think of the worldly and the spiritual simultaneously, he answered by inviting them over for lunch. Hanging above each dinner plate was a huge sword on a thin piece of string. The sages were reluctant to sit down, but after some reassuring words from the king they agreed and proceeded to quickly finish their meal. Later, the king inquired whether they had eaten sufficiently and also digested the food, to which they replied “yes”. He then asked them what they were thinking of while eating – “the swords!” they replied. “My life is like this” the king replied, “I perform my daily tasks with attention and care, but in the back of my mind, I am constantly remembering the ultimate purpose – in this way I can contemplate the worldly and spiritual simultaneously”.

Split personality

2011-05-12T08:57:00.002+01:00

Many of us on the spiritual path lead double lives. Carefully avoiding the image of a scripture-bashing religious nerd, we often end up hiding our spirituality and even compromising our principles just to fit into the crowd. Initially, people may appreciate the added spiritual dimension to life, but when one's interest grows, commitment deepens and priorities begin to change, that’s when the alarm bells start to ring. Parents are happy with the morality and principles that the practice of spirituality brings, but later they fear you may become too detached from the world, lose your drive for success and renounce your duties towards the family. Friends think it’s cool and funky to ’think deeper’, but later they complain that you’ve changed and how your company no longer stimulates them. How do we balance our spiritual journey with our worldly relationships? Is it possible to maintain one's principles without becoming a social outcaste?

In the second chapter of the Bhagavad-gita Krishna explains that “what is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage.” Once, when asked what the purport of this statement was, Srila Prabhupada replied “they think you are crazy and you think they are crazy!” Materialists look at spiritualists and pity what they see as a conservative life of self denial and childish fairytale. Spiritualists look at materialists and lament their illusory pursuits for pleasure, foreseeing the frustration that comes from seeking substance in the shadow. Everyone has their own take on life. I guess the most important thing for a spiritualist is to come to terms with who they really are. There comes a point when you realize that life is too short to put up false pretenses and masks. If you’re not comfortable with yourself, we can't really expect anyone else to be.

Interestingly, as a spiritualist matures, he is not only unaffected by the skepticism of others, but by his conviction and enthusiasm he can often inspire and transform those very same people. On a deeper level, we realize we have lots in common with others. Everyone, despite their desires, aspirations and goals in life are all actually looking for the same things – peace, love, achievement, relationships, security etc. The only difference is that we are all looking in different places. In this way, a spiritualist need not see himself as a black sheep, standing out like a sore thumb in society. Rather they can be likened to a drop of red ink thrown into a pool of water – by boldly taking the plunge and confidently expressing themselves, they will colorfully enrich the lives of everyone around them.

Politically correct

2011-04-27T18:40:00.003+01:00

Last week my parents handed me my polling card for an upcoming local election. I do, however, have a confession to make. In the last 10 years I have failed to cast a single vote in any government election. That may alarm you, but it is the truth, and a phenomenon which is becoming extremely widespread. As elections approach, politicians may intensify their campaigns to win over public opinion, but people are becoming more and more indifferent. Many feel that the link between their vote and public policy is tenuous at best. Furthermore, the link between public policy and their own sense of wellbeing is even vaguer. Voting, many may consider, is simply not worth the effort.

When Mahatma Gandhi visited England for the “Round Table Discussions”, his British hosts gave him an impressive tour of London — Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Whitehall, etc. At the end, they asked him “So, Gandhiji, what do you think of Western civilization?” Gandhi replied, “I think it would be a good idea!” In other words, it was not simply social and economic infrastructure that made one cultured and guranteed wellbeing and prosperity for all. The real measure of a civilization is the character of the people and the ethos and aspirations of the society. In Vedic culture, the governors of society were guided by saints and sages who were uninvolved in matters of power, prestige and profit, and thus fully free to give unbiased advice for the benefit of all. There was respect and reverence for these spiritual guides, and their words of wisdom were considered invaluable in the universal quest for happiness and peace. Unfortunately, the modern political world seems starved of such spiritual direction. Scandals, irregularity and hypocrisy are rife, invariably causing suspicion and frustration amongst the electorate.

Having said that, I am definitely not advocating political apathy. Politics and government is an extremely influential area which significantly impacts the world we live in. If we want to promote spirituality within society, significant change will have to come from political circles. While government candidates often express some kind of God consciousness, observers often see this as no more than political choreography in the quest for votes. Something more substantial is needed. While trends towards secularism seem powerful, there is a simultaneous recognition in the corporate, educational and political world of the need for genuine spirituality free from the stains of dogmatism and sectarianism. Let’s hope that politicians will embrace the opportunity to consult genuine spiritualists who can inject some substantial wisdom into the equation. Undoubtedly, this would be the politically correct thing to do.

Window Shopping?

2011-04-16T21:05:00.001+01:00

Stephen Covey, Dale Carnegie, Eckhart Tolle, Depak Chopra, Anthony Robbins... the list of self development gurus of the age is endless. These insightful thinkers have shaped today’s world of organizations and relationships, offering a wholesome alternative to the mechanistic trends of consumerism. Recently, while reading some self-help literature, the perspectives stressing positivity and selflessness definitely resonated with me, bearing striking resemblance to eastern worldviews. It’s clear in my mind that different philosophers and teachers all share common core principles of spirituality regardless of civilization or culture.

One doubt, however, did come to mind. I wonder whether such approaches to life are simply an adjustment of the mind. While offering insights which lead to a progressive, peaceful and happy life, I am unsure as to how much such self-development books actually equip and train one to genuinely imbibe this positive approach. Can a deep sense of selflessness and kindness towards the universe manifest on the level of the intellect? Can we force ourselves to forgive others? Can we make a determination to remain equipoised in the midst of the most provoking situations? Maybe such changes in our instinctive emotional response come from a deeper transformation of consciousness. The 64 million dollar question is how we achieve such a change. After all, we don’t want to be window shoppers who are captivated by the products, but have no power to purchase them.

Ancient wisdom literatures describe the product and simultaneously offer the paycheck. While describing the character, qualities and persona of a perfect spiritualist, books like the Bhagavad-gita also equip one with the spiritual tools and technology to achieve such an elevated conscious state. It offers information, as well as transformation. While we may doubt that ancient practices of meditation and yoga can actually bring about tangible changes in ones approach to life, the practical experience of dedicated spiritualists indicate something quite different. Since the calculated procedure outlined by great teachers awakens the spontaneous purity within, the Bhagavad-gita proposes that we need not learn something new, but rather invoke what is already within.

In the race... but not a rat...

2011-04-03T16:13:00.003+01:00

The competitive spirit pervades the world we live in. Students fiercely compete to clinch university placements and graduate positions. Colleagues deviously compete to intercept each other in the ascent up the corporate ladder. Neighbors become engrossed in ‘keeping up with the Joneses’. Believe it or not, even aspiring spiritualists can end up competing with each other in the quest for distinction, fame and adoration. As the founder of McDonalds once quipped “If any of my competitors were drowning, I’d stick a hose in their mouth!” In a world which impels one to pursue grand success, it’s no wonder that rates of stress, anxiety and depression are also soaring. The pressure to demonstrate a successful life through eye-opening achievements is immense.

The Bhagavad-gita offers a unique perspective – the idea of detached work, technically referred to as karma-yoga. The wisdom of the Gita posits that we are not the only factor in our success or failure. In reality, there are higher universal laws and factors beyond our control which are simultaneously contributing to our fortunes. Thus, in times of success one cannot take the full credit, and in failure one is not deemed the sole culprit. The first attitude nullifies tendencies of arrogance and complacency, and the former attitude guards against feelings of despondency and self-pity. Real Success, the Gita states, is demonstrated by determined, dutiful and conscientious endeavor. For the spiritualist, more important than output and external results, is the sincerity of purpose, motivation and devotion with which one works.

One may develop the notion that lack of focus on goals and outputs can easily lead to lethargy, laziness or indifference. A true karma-yogi however, can stand on the cutting edge of material competence and spiritual acumen simultaneously. When one invests complete attention in making the best endeavour, and when such attention is not diverted by the externals of success, failure and worldly opinion, it’s a no-brainer that the output will naturally be improved. As Henry David Thoreau once said, “what lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within us, out into the world, miracles happen.”

Life changing moments

2011-03-25T18:30:00.002Z

A recent funeral service for one of our dedicated devotees really made me think. The heartfelt appreciation, inspirational life-example, and wonderful memories created a deep impression within me. As I walked around the crematorium seeing the different messages commemorating loved ones who had passed on, I felt my life slowly coming back into perspective. Being face-to-face with death forces you to think out of the box. Such moments of insight remind us of what really matters, where we have to focus our attention, and how pressing problems and issues are insignificant in the bigger scheme of life.

But how long does it last? Unfortunately, within days we seem to get covered over again, settling back into old routines, bad habits and the same deep-rooted struggles. It’s so hard to change. It reminds me of intermittent windscreen wipers. The drops slowly gather on windscreen, but with one wipe all the rain is removed and everything becomes crystal clear. Within a few moments, however, the rain drops again build up and blind our vision. Without another wipe, the driver is susceptible to going seriously off course. Wouldn’t it be great if we would wipe just once, the rain would stop, the sun would come out and we could cruise on without further distraction. Unfortunately, life is not as simple as that.

While flashes of inspiration and insight are undoubtedly essential to our ongoing spiritual growth, they have to tempered with dedication, perseverance and regulated endeavor. Such experiences should lead to tangible changes in our life, changes which need to be sustained until they become habitual and second nature. In this way, each experience contributes to the gradual evolution of our spiritual personality. In this way, we see that great spiritualists may not be products of overnight miracles, but rather gradual and step-by-step transformation.

In times of need...

2011-03-12T21:19:00.004Z

The devastating tsunami in Japan is yet another reminder of the unpredictable might of Mother Nature. Immediate estimates report nearly 2000 deaths and 300,000 homeless. Thousands of troops are also being mobilized in the area to minimize further chaos. We all react differently to such stories of suffering. Some try to shut it out and avoid thinking about it too much – out of sight, out of mind. Some will see it, but remain unmoved. After years of devastating news headlines, they become desensitized to such disasters. Some may watch the scenes and begin counting their lucky stars. Their personal issues are put into perspective and such news helps them develop the attitude of gratitude. Some will see the acute suffering of others and compare that to their own comfortable and cozy life. The subsequent feelings of guilt and shame impel them to offer help in some way, shape or form.

Vedic scriptures, however, describe the true spiritualist as para-dukha-dukhi – one who feels others’ sufferings to be his own. Think about how naturally we act to mitigate our own pains and problems – an instinctive reaction that doesn’t require a second thought. The spiritualist acts just as naturally solve the problems of everyone around him. Natural disasters like the tsunami in Japan remind the spiritualist of the dire need for spiritual wisdom in the world. All maladies in the world can be traced back to a severe lack of genuine spirituality.

Thus, to share wisdom with others is the very cornerstone of our spiritual movement. Our hope is that as many people as possible can understand and integrate these teachings into their daily life. It is not that we have a master-plan to expand our influence, usurp the upper echelons of society, and then manipulate and exploit economic and political positions for the purpose of world domination. We are simply interested in offering spiritual solutions to material problems - solutions which will actually make a difference. Thus, to work selflessly for the upliftment of others is the very hallmark of a spiritualist. We can find ourself by forgetting about ourself.

The ‘Real’ World

2011-02-24T18:22:00.001Z

The Vedic scriptures offer a variety of enchanting accounts describing the nature of the metaphysical world. In that realm, every step is a dance, every word is a song, every action is motivated by pure love, and the atmosphere is infused with ever-increasing transcendental happiness. Sounds good... maybe too good. Of course, skeptics may posit that such ideas are embraced by escapists desperately seeking solace from the immediate aches and pains of life. Could such descriptions be ethereal concepts formulated to distract us from the ‘real’ world? Are they simply fairytale accounts which constitute nothing more than childish, naïve, wishful thinking?

Once, when asked whether the guru knows everything, Srila Prabhupada replied to the affirmative. The reporter proceeded to quiz the swami on the number of windows in the Empire State Building. Srila Prabhupada gravely looked back at the reporter and countered – “how many drops of water in a mirage?” Amidst constant change, can we identify anything to be really real? Although not illusory, nobody can deny the temporality of this world. For this reason, Vedic scriptures describe this physical world as unreal - although it can be perceived by our human senses, it is constantly changing and has no endurance in the context of eternity.

The Bhagavad-gita offers a revolutionary worldview, stating that far from the spiritual world being a distraction, the actuality is that the material physical world is a distraction. To live in reality means to be fully conscious and aware of one’s identity, purpose and true home. As spiritual beings, we are not residents of London, Leicester or Leeds, but rather residents of the spiritual world. No doubt, one must attend to the immediate demands, pressures and responsibilities of life, lest we become dysfunctional non-entities in this world. However, one would do well to avoid becoming overly engrossed and captivated by the changing fashions, constant conflicts and temporal affairs of worldly life. As a wise spiritualist once quipped “don’t take the illusion too seriously!”

Tolerate happiness?

2011-02-14T19:04:00.003Z

As our Air India Flight 002 descended on Heathrow airport, the pilot welcomed us to London, announced the local time, and finally revealed the weather was ‘overcast’. Surprise surprise! A verse from Bhagavad-gita came to mind, comparing feelings of happiness and distress to the constant changes of season. Just as winter comes and goes, reappearing the following year, the fluctuations of happiness and distress are just as temporary, meaning one should tolerate them and remain equipoised. I paused to think... the spiritualist has to tolerate happiness. That sounds strange. OK, you tolerate insult and criticism, reversals in the world, misfortunes of life – but why would you have to tolerate happiness? Is that feeling of happiness not the very essence of our existence?

On my recent trip to India I went to purchase some cloth for the monks back home. I came across one wholesaler and asked the cost for 60 metres of cloth, at which the shopkeeper assertively replied “5000 rupees.” My internal calculator immediately began crunching the numbers and I realized he was asking for something in the region of £70. That’s dirt cheap I thought! It would probably cost triple that price in London! I was about to dive into my pocket and enthusiastically seal the deal when I remembered the golden rule of shopping in India – the actual price is usually around half the price they quote initially. As I haggled and debated, threatening to take my custom elsewhere, the shopkeeper relented and came down to 3000 rupees. Good deal! Although the first price seemed amazing, there was room for much better.

Similarly, as one takes to the path of spirituality, various forms of material happiness and pleasure entice one on the way. Such temptations, in the form of fame, adoration, material opulence and feelings of superiority, can attract our attention and indulge our minds. However, one must tolerate such allurements, sincerely striving on for the real fruits of spirituality, knowing such temporal delights to be miniscule in comparison to the spiritual happiness derived from the development of pure consciousness. Whilst our intrinsic nature is to be fully happy, that happiness is spiritual happiness. Forms of material happiness which present themselves in front of us must be tolerated, lest we grab the shadow and miss the substance.

Bhagavad-gita in A.C.R.O.N.Y.M

2011-01-27T13:53:00.002Z

Eminent scholars, scientists and philosophers have recognised the profound wisdom and insight that the Bhagavad-gita offers. Henry David Thoreau once commented, “In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita, in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and insignificant.”

What follows is a humble attempt to present a chapter-by-chapter acronym overview of the Bhagavad-gita. My aim was not to draw out every single philosophical point, but rather to highlight key concepts in each chapter. Hopefully this overview will assist readers in understanding the flow, context and practical application of these timeless spiritual teachings. This ancient conversation is one of the most logical and comprehensive philosophical presentations I have ever come across, and I would encourage readers to invest some time in scrutinizing the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, translated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

This overview may also assist teachers of the Bhagavad-gita in their attempts to share this wisdom with others. Above all, I undertook this exercise for my own spiritual development with the sincere hope that someday I will genuinely live these teachings.

The overview can be accessed at:

http://sutapamonk.blogspot.com/p/bhagavad-gita.html

The Dancing God

2011-01-13T12:33:00.003Z

Frederick Nietzsche is famous for his audacious proclamation “God is Dead”. Interestingly, the German philosopher did say something further, albeit in jest. Walter Kaufman translates Nietzsche’s quip - “I should believe only in a God who understood how to dance.” Clearly, the philosopher had a particular picture of God in his mind’s eye. Nowadays I use the word ‘God’ with great caution, not knowing exactly what kind images it conjures up. As one philosopher noted, “if God had a house on earth, people would probably break his windows.”

Maybe Nietzsche thought of God as a ruthless judge; the grim old man who sits on a high chair and hurls down thunderbolts every time someone deviates. Maybe he thought of God as an ego-maniac; the attention seeker who needs to be at the centre of everything, harboring a deep fear that someone somewhere is having a good time without him. Maybe he thought of God as an emotionless and irrelevant energy, disinterested in the people and devoid of reciprocal relationships. Maybe he thought of God as a mythological creation of the power hungry elite, used to keep the masses in line and maintain the status quo.

Ancient Sanskrit texts describe Krishna as “Raso vai sah” – the very embodiment of affectionate relationships, loving relish, and transcendental sweetness. I was just in Vrindavana, the place which is famous for its sacred spots where Krishna danced with His most confidential devotees in the dead of the night. Now I am in Mayapur, West Bengal, the ancient town where Krishna advented himself 500 years ago as Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya was renowned as nataraja, the “great dancer” who loudly chanted and danced through the streets in spontaneous unbounded spiritual love. The extraordinary revelation is that God is a person who is full of color, character and bliss. He knows how to have a good time, and is much more interested in relishing the sweetness of love, than the regulated worship of those who approach Him in awe and reverence.

pic above: Caitanya and his brother Nityananda dance in spiritual happiness

Spirit + Ritual = Spiritual

2011-01-06T10:45:00.001Z

Some 4,000 miles away from London, I am currently in the ancient and holy town of Vrindavana. Krishna, the speaker of Bhagavad-gita, roamed these lands over 5000 years ago. From the external point of view there seems to be widespread poverty and decrepit infrastructure, but from the spiritual point of view this town is thriving. Crowds of pilgrims, bustling temples, lavish worship and constant devotional chanting fills the air at all hours. I was, however, challenged with a thought-provoking inquiry. Why spend so much money on flowers, dresses and golden ornaments for elaborate temple worship? Wouldn’t God be happier if we spent that money on helping the poverty stricken? Is God pleased when we offer Him sumptuous feasts while thousands of malnutritioned individuals lie on the temple doorstep? Are we satisfied in building huge ornate marble temples while orphaned children suffer in makeshift shanty towns? Have we become so interested in our own spiritual wellbeing that we’ve lost touch with the ‘real’ world?

Religious worship is aimed at reviving our dormant relationship with the Divine. These acts of worship are not simply token deeds, but thoughtful activities meant to invoke a sense of awareness and personal relationship with God. While we are impersonal and insensitive toward the Divine, it is very difficult to be personal and sensitive toward the multitude of living beings around us. Scriptures do state that one who simply performs ritual worship, but does not work to alleviate the sufferings of others is a neophyte and elementary practitioner. However, that does not deem ritual worship void. Performed in the proper spirit, such rituals invoke a deep spiritual vision, where one becomes sensitive to everything in the universe, seeing different creations as part of the Divine. On that level, the spiritualist feels the sufferings of others as his own suffering, and dedicates his life for their upliftment.

The ultimate welfare work is to reconnect people back to their spiritual nature. It is this disconnect which is the root problem in our modern civilisation. A spiritually ‘connected’ individual can effectively benefit humanity by simultaneously serving the needs of the body, mind and soul. We may serve others without seeing any need for a God in the picture, but such efforts may not be as comprehensive and lasting as we would like. Time, energy and resource spent in strengthening our personal connection with the Divine will ultimately benefit the entire world in a very tangible and practical way.

Rolling Stones

2010-12-24T20:10:00.001Z

This month has been an interesting one to say the least. While I’ve been ‘off the grid’ with regards to the e-world, I’ve been very much ‘on the grid’ in terms of the real world. Along with my good friends Sundara and Vicaru, we embarked on a month-long project to share the ancient wisdom literature of the Vedas with as many people as possible. The rough route - London - Norwich - Birmingham - Manchester - Sheffield - Nottingham - Leicester - Northampton - London. We clocked around 1600 miles in just over 3 weeks (that’s the distance to Moscow, Russia!)

Although the temperatures were cold (-10 at one point), the wonderful experiences and interactions with different individuals warmed my heart. The purpose was to share wisdom with others, but at the end of each day I felt as though it was me who was learning so much from them! Even though many of them had not read into the Vedas, their insights, personalities and ways of living were so reminiscent of those teachings. The opportunity to travel to far-flung places and meet so many interesting individuals from diverse backgrounds is undoubtedly a priceless one.

One of the best perks of being a monk is this freedom to “keep the wheels turning”. In fact, ancient scriptures enjoin it as the duty of renunciates to keep traveling, lest they become attached and entangled in temporal situations. To this day, itinerants in India are careful not to even sleep under the same tree for two nights in a row. We come into this world empty, we leave empty, and in the middle we must be cautious to remain unattached. This world, after all, is just like an airport transit lounge... and baggage restrictions are extremely strict.

Speaking of airports, on Tuesday I fly to India for a month of reflection, introspection and spiritual retreat. The travels continue. As they say, a rolling stone gathers no moss...

Humble Pie

2010-11-06T20:41:00.002Z

“Sorry” is a feared word. It’s extremely difficult to utter, but tremendously powerful when we do. In a recent disagreement with someone I reflected on my attitude and approach. Even if I was right, was it progressive to just fight my corner and maintain my doggedness? Sometimes, to take the humble position, to say sorry and accept the arguments of someone else, to concede despite being convinced that you’re right, has an incredible effect.

On a personal level it can create a sense of detachment within you which feels surprisingly liberating. You can move on in life without having the issue constantly haunt your consciousness. On a relationship level it can do wonders to improve the depth of your interaction with others. You demonstrate that you care more about the person than the issue, which ultimately builds love and trust in your relationships. And ironically, even with regards to the issue itself, it takes the whole interaction to a more spiritual level. “Opposing parties” begin to appreciate that you’re not simply out to defeat them but that you are actually interested in the wellbeing of all involved – this removes ego and pride from the situation, and brings clarity of thought.

To take the humble position and say sorry is not some mindless reaction opposed to rationale and intelligence. By taking that position you allow yourself to grow from a situation rather than stagnating and frustrating yourself which will ultimately lead to degradation of your own consciousness. No doubt, there are situations when we have to stand up and maintain our resolve that “this is wrong”. But on balance, we tend to gravitate to this position more often than not, saving the humbling times for when we are outright wrong. Maybe taking the humble position and saying sorry is becoming a lost art.

Soft, cozy beds

2010-11-01T19:56:00.001Z

My alarm went off at 3.45am this morning. It was cold… I was tired… and I had a hard decision to make. Luckily there are no soft cozy beds in our monastery, just simple mats on floors. I finally decided to jump out of my sleeping bag and scramble into the shower. As usual, I felt fine 20 minutes later. Bad habits, they say, are just like soft cozy beds - very easy to get into, but extremely difficult to get out of. Good habits, on the other hand, are extremely difficult to form but very easy to lose.

This month is all about developing good habits. In the ancient spiritual culture of the Vedas, this period around October/November was earmarked as a particularly powerful and sacred time. Any spiritual activity performed in this “month of Kartik” renders extra benefit and reward. Just as Christmas sales coax old customers back and simultaneously attract new buyers to jump on board, this month could also be entitled a ‘spiritual sale’. Practitioners make vows to immerse themselves and make extra commitments in their spiritual endeavours. It’s a month in which we break out of the routine, and try to do something extra.

Modern self help gurus talk about the “30 day trial”. This is the idea that if you change something in your life, and continue it through for 30 days, it actually becomes a habit. The ancient sages also had this insight. Maybe it’s not just about what we can spiritually obtain from this month, but rather the changes we can make this month that will carry us forward for the next year. As humans, change is something we don’t always handle very well. Slowly but surely, however, we have to chip away at all those bad habits and develop saintly character, culture and lifestyle. Spiritual practice then becomes easy and natural.

Food for the Soul

2010-10-12T21:51:00.003+01:00

I find that eating alone offers a great opportunity to reflect. The Bhagavad-gita proclaims it to be an extremely sacred activity when conducted with due care, attention and spiritual consciousness. While I relished a nicely cooked meal recently a wonderful analogy came to mind. It depicts the path of the Bhagavad-gita as more than a simple gamble of faith, but rather a highly practical spiritual science. The analogy offered a means to reflect on my own spiritual progress. How do I know I am moving forward? What are the measures? What should we be experiencing?

When we sit down to eat at the end of a hard day’s work, we can observe certain experiences which may be personal but nevertheless extremely real.

The initial feeling is one of pleasure. A well cooked meal gives an immediate sense of enjoyment to the palate.
Secondly, we feel nourishment and revitalization of the body with each bite.
Finally, our hunger completely subsides, and a disinterest and detachment from whatever food preparations may be on offer becomes highly apparent

In the same way the hungry spiritualist should feel three main things as he applies himself to the spiritual process with determination, enthusiasm and patience:

Firstly, there should be an immediate sense of pleasure, quite different to anything experienced in the mundane realm. The spiritualist feels a sudden relief from anxiety and worry.
Secondly, there should be nourishment of the soul which comes in the form of a direct experience of God. One sees amazing opportunity and meaning everywhere, and his life becomes infused with hope, seeing divine arrangements behind everything.
Finally, one will experience a growing disinterest and detachment towards the temporary material goals that people sacrifice and strive for. Although material desires may flow into their mind they remain unaffected, convinced that there is something beyond that.

Bon appétit!

Motherly Love

2010-09-20T19:25:00.003+01:00

It’s easy to take mothers for granted. Some researchers recently followed around one such mother for a week in an attempt to estimate the monetary value of her ‘motherly love’. She took the kids to school, so they calculated how much a taxi driver would cost. She cooked the breakfast, lunch and dinner so they approximated the wage bill of a cook. The mother also played the role of a cleaner, psychologist, accountant and nurse to name but a few. They calculated the overtime the mother put in, and how she would often go on for years without any time off (every family holiday she was fully on-call). After crunching the numbers, they concluded that to employ such a mother would set you back in the region of £150,000 a year!

To be honest, however, that doesn’t tell you the full story. The quality of the job is what really stands out. The service of a mother is quite unmotivated and practically uninterrupted. They don’t really stipulate any expectation in return for their services, and are delighted when offered the opportunity to go beyond the call of duty. What to speak of receiving benefits, even when the child acts in irrational and ungrateful ways, the mother happily continues to serve. Their service unfailingly goes on day after day, and even when the child becomes a grown adult the outpouring of motherly love doesn’t subside.

In the same way, the ancient scriptures tell us how our actions towards God and all living beings should be completey devoid of selfish intent. By offering our lives in service, completely unmotivated and uninterrupted, we discover an amazing satisfaction and fulfilment which otherwise remains elusive. While this may be hard to conceptualise, the living example of millions of magnanimous mothers give us an insight into what selflessness really is. Our teacher, Srila Prabhupada, explained how the love between mother and child is the purest form of love found in this world. How wonderful if we could take that spirit, foster a mood of gratitude, and share that same spirit with the entire world.

Disclaimer: I am sure many fathers fit the descriptions above as well :)

Further Apart...

2010-08-28T16:35:00.003+01:00

We drive a hundred miles away to see a friend, but often neglect to even greet our neighbours every morning. In the tube everyone is buried in a newspaper or plugged into an mp3, glancing occasionally at the reflection of someone in the window but quickly turning away before the eyes meet. The person sitting 5 metres away from me just sent me a message via email – what to say, I guess he didn’t want to disturb me! You even have to be careful about smiling or saying hello to someone on the street, unless of course you want to be perceived as an eccentric character.

For my university degree I wrote a thesis entitled “The Individual in the Information Age”. While researching the perspectives of different social scientists one theme repeatedly came up – ‘the world is becoming smaller and smaller, but people are growing further and further apart.’ That made a lot of sense. Communication technologies mean we have a effectively created a global village within which people are more connected than ever before. Yet, the depth of our relationships has been lost. What is the quantity and quality of face-to-face interaction in our modern world?

Relationships produce the highest feelings of happiness and contentment within us. Existence devoid of relationships will never be fulfilling. The Bhagavad-gita explains the perfection of life lies in our ability to establish genuine loving relationships – not only with God, but with all living beings. Great saints would travel the world simply to meet people, armed with an amazing ability to relate to everyone, regardless of caste, colour or creed. They saw beyond the body and mind, and were able to connect on a spiritual level. Developing such relationships may make the biggest change in our life and our feelings of wellbeing.

All your eggs in one basket...

2010-05-04T21:33:00.004+01:00

Many people choose to reserve judgement when it comes to the cosmic questions of life. Does God exist? Is life a one-shot game or is there more after death? Different religions, different theories, and different directives – it can all be a bit confusing. There is a notion that it’s dangerous to put ‘all your eggs in one basket’ by making a firm decision to follow a certain spiritual path. “Maybe I should keep all the options open and focus on being a good person” one may think. Spread the bet.

Interestingly we are all ultimately forced to make a choice. You may reserve judgement on God, but you still decide to live in the world in a certain way, and underpinning your lifestyle choices are certain worldviews. Everyone places their faith in something, even if they don’t believe in God. So we may be afraid of the repercussions of making the wrong decision, but we’ll have to make a decision anyway. By making a choice not to do one thing, you necessarily make a decision to do something else.

In my experience, the problem may not be that we have too many differing options, but rather that we are simply too lazy (or disinterested) to investigate the matter. I was recently walking down Oxford Street when I saw a man come out of the travelagents with about 20 holiday brochures. I’m sure he’s not planning 20 holidays, but rather wants to invest his yearly £1000 budget wisely – after all, it’s a lot money and there is a lot at stake! However, it seems that when it comes to questions of the ultimate destination we want the answer to just jump out at us without any kind of personal endeavour. Rather than allowing worldly trends to sweep us into the default path of life, we may do well to make even a passing investigation into classical literatures like the Bhagavad-gita, which give profound insights into the perennial mysteries of our existence. A little research goes a long way.

Trapped in the web

2010-04-22T18:35:00.001+01:00

Mankind has seen incredible progress in science and technology in the last few centuries. From bullock carts to Concorde planes, from pigeon messengers to Blackberry phones, from palm leaves to laptop computers, from herbal medicines to IC Units, and from swords and spears to atom bombs and guided missiles. But has it really liberated us, or have we become even more enmeshed in a web of complexity?

Lose your mobile phone or experience a hard disk failure on your laptop, and life grinds to a standstill. It’s as if you’re cut off from reality and it becomes quite difficult to continue functioning as a normal human being! The latest standstill in international flights has underlined this phenomenon. Gadgets, inventions and modern technologies have become such an integrated part of daily life that we can’t live without them!

We may try to conquer nature through technological discovery, feeling a sense of victory as we transcend the boundaries of time and space and make unthinkable things achievable. This often leads to a kind of atheistic outlook where man sees himself as the master of all he surveys. “Acts of God” like the recent volcanic ash, however, remind us that although we may try to become masters of nature, we are not actually in control. We may try to become free of natures laws through technology, but then we become subservient and dependent upon that same technology. And ultimately, it is clear that nature reigns supreme after all and we are forced to comply with her workings. It’s a humbling experience to realise that there is a higher power.

News of the World

2010-04-19T18:45:00.002+01:00

Stepping onto a late-evening central line train I saw a familiar sight – old newspapers lying around everywhere. Nobody wanted a second look. The world is constantly changing, new information surfaces, and what we heard yesterday (or even earlier today) no longer stimulates the mind. We need new revelations to hold our attention. Even bestselling novels can only be read a few times at most. Spiritual literature, on the other hand, seems timeless. I recently met someone who had read the Bhagavad-gita over thirty times... cover-to-cover!

Depth of spirituality may not necessarily come from acquiring more and more information or discovering esoteric truths that the layman may be unaware of. Rather, it is about realizing and internalizing essential truths deep within ones heart and consciousness. Spiritual wisdom can be read again and again, since it speaks to you differently at different times in your life. As we connect our life experiences to the ancient insights of great sages we find that the divine guidance is relevant in all times, places, and circumstances. Those divine words are not repetitive or hackneyed, but are full of eternal significance.

Practically everyone enjoys a juicy mango. Although they cyclically arrive with the sun, year after year, the sweet and relishable taste neither disappears nor diminishes. Rumor has it that they taste even better with ice-cream! Spiritual knowledge is just like that sweet mango – it is pleasing to the soul no matter how many times you have heard it before. Furthermore, that knowledge becomes even more relishable when not just read, but discussed, debated and imbibed with the input of genuine spiritualists.

Yoga is Balance

2010-04-13T19:55:00.001+01:00

Think of yoga and it conjures up images uncomfortable breathing patterns and awkward postures which test your balance. With a 6ft 5 body, balance has always been a problem! Of course, most people understand that yoga is more than a health regime. It is actually the process by which we spiritualize our entire being and harmonize it with God. However, this type of internal transformation via yoga also requires a certain kind of balance – a balanced attitude and character. A good attitude and approach to spirituality can help overcome all obstacles that worldly life may pose.

This ideal attitude must incorporate many different elements. One must be incredibly enthusiastic and greedy to advance in ones spiritual realization, but at the same time one must exhibit great patience. One must exude confidence and determination, but simultaneously remain meek and humble. One must open the heart in ones spiritual relationships, but also be thick-skinned in challenging times and embody steadiness. The spiritualist must selflessly engage with the world and its people, yet at the same time remain safe within his own sacred space of consciousness.

Often, it is the unbalanced approach which either stagnates ones growth or renders ones growth unsustainable. We may add many floors to a skyscraper building and many will marvel at its magnificence. However, if the foundations do not simultaneously grow deeper, then the building will simply become more and more susceptible to falling down. We must keep the balance.

Home Game

2010-04-05T18:22:00.002+01:00

I never understood home advantage. You’re playing against the same players, using the same ball, running on the same grass, and trying to score in the same-sized goalposts. What’s the difference? Well, the familiar environment and encouraging crowd have a huge effect. Every football pundit will tell you – when you play at home, even before you step onto the pitch it’s as if your one goal up. No doubt, any team will grab the opportunity to play at home.

Spirituality is also easier when you have home advantage. ‘Home’ consists of the right habits, the right diet, the right atmosphere and the right company. To become fully selfless, humble, tolerant and completely dedicated to pleasing God is a difficult task. However, that huge internal transformation can come about when we diligently (and seemingly mechanically) make all the small external changes. Sometimes we brush off these small details of spirituality as insignificant and unimportant in the bigger picture. However, these details are there for a reason. They are the small steps that help lead to the big change of heart we are all searching for.

How clean is our environment? How regulated are we in habits of eating and sleeping? How careful are we about the tone and content of our speech? Pure action leads to pure mind which leads to pure consciousness. Gradually the spiritualist readjusts his life little-by-little. In this way, he rests in a sacred space of consciousness, a temple of peace... the spiritual ‘home ground’ where it’s easier to remember who you are and what your purpose really is.

Conservative or Liberal?

2010-03-20T08:59:00.003Z

From a layman’s point of view, the Vedic culture may seem to delineate quite conservative social boundaries for women. Some may call this restriction, oppression, even subjugation, but one could also see it as a symbol of respect. The woman plays one of the most important roles in society. They are giving birth to and nurturing the future generation. These children will be tomorrow’s leaders, and the wellbeing and prosperity of society rests upon them. It’s no small task – for the woman or the child.

When the president attends a social function he is surrounded by numerous security staff and bodyguards. This is not because he is regarded as incapable, irresponsible, or weak. It is in fact, quite the opposite. The protection is a sign of the reverence and appreciation that society holds for his position and responsibility. The president readily accepts such arrangements, knowing them to be for his personal protection and simultaneously favorable for the execution of his duties. The Vedic culture unhesitatingly gave the same status to women.

Whenever any culture is analyzed it is imperative that we understand the goal behind it. If you see a shopper at Tesco's dressed in a spacesuit it may well raise a few eyebrows. However, if you go to a NASA space station and see a similarly dressed person stepping into a shuttle you won’t blink an eyelid. Why? In the second scenario, the culture, the goal and how they link together is extremely clear. Life’s ultimate goal is to understand we are all spirit souls – man or woman, black or white, its all inconsequential. The culture of the Vedas aims to create a peaceful, progressive and supportive environment within which everyone has a golden opportunity to strive towards this spiritual understanding. Although the psycho-physical traits of our bodies are undoubtedly temporary, to acknowledge and address them is extremely important in everyone's spiritual journey.

Decisions... Decisions...

2010-03-17T17:02:00.001Z

Ever been in a dilemma? Making decisions can be a painstaking process. In the first chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna makes the decision not to fight the battle. His line of thinking is as follows. He fears that if he kills elders, the family tradition will be vanquished. This will cause a rise in irreligion and in particular a neglectful attitude towards the protection of women. The subsequent promiscuity will result in ‘unplanned’ children being born into unstable family situations without proper care and support. These children will unfortunately create disturbances in society, which will perpetuate the situation and gradually lead to social degredation and mayhem. When I read that I thought ‘wow!’ I don’t think I've ever considered the ramifications of any life-decision that deeply and thoroughly!

Arjuna doesn’t simply think about what will happen in his time, but what will happen for thousands of years after he is gone. He doesn’t simply think abut how it will affect the happiness of his own family, but considers the ramifications for the entire society. He doesn’t simply think about the economic and social ramifications of his decision, but considers the spiritual ramifications on himself and others. Arjuna was definitely a deep thinker.

This is the incredible consideration that goes into the decisions of a spiritualist. They don’t act in a whimsical and self-centred way. Decisions are taken with great consideration and reflection. As the poet Dunn once said – no man is a social island. All of our actions and decisions affect others. The spiritualist knows the art of making the right life decisions so as to have the most positive impact on the world, as well as his own progressive spiritual journey. Decision-making requires great clarity, and such clarity comes from discussion and contemplation. As the French moralist Joubert remarked, “It’s better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it”

Absolute Knowledge

2010-03-10T09:46:00.006Z

Life is hectic. I like to read spiritual literature on a daily basis but quite often it’s just not possible. In the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna uses a number of metaphors to describe the power of transcendental knowledge (jnana).

Jnana-agni – “The fire of knowledge”. The Vedic literatures explain how we enter this world with a karmic ‘bank balance’. Day-to-day experiences are not just random occurrences or karmic reactions disposed by an insensitive God who wants His subjects to suffer. Rather, the purpose of karma is educational. You could call it cosmic sensitivity training. Experiences and events are meant to teach us a better way to live and interact with the world. If one accrues this knowledge by reading books, and imbibes such knowledge within themselves, then such karma is not required. Thus, knowledge is described as the fire which can burn up all of one's karmic reactions.

Jnana-plava – “The boat of knowledge.” The world we are living in is compared to an ocean. We may go for a dip in the water now and again, but eventually we need to return to our natural habitat. Salt water and dangerous creatures make things a little uncomfortable. Similarly, although there is undoubtedly some pleasure in this world, nobody can escape the harsh realities. There are distresses caused by one’s own body & mind, distresses caused by other living beings and distresses caused by nature. Spiritual knowledge is the boat which protects one from the sufferings of this oceanic world and simultaneously carries one across to the spiritual realm where unending and ever-increasing happiness is found.

Jnana-dipena – “The lamp of knowledge.” Walking in the dark is quite dangerous. You struggle to reach your desired destination and in the process you get a few painful knocks. The lamp of knowledge acts to warn us of the possible obstacles and impediments that we may come across in our spiritual endeavours. Amidst so many wordly demands, the lamp of knowledge also keeps our consciousness awake to the ultimate goal of life, ensuring we reach the correct destination at the end of our sojourn in this world.

Jnana-asina – “The sword of knowledge.” Leave your garden unattended for a year and many weeds will manifest. The longer you neglect them, the harder they are to uproot, and after a while you may just decide to give up. Similarly, the garden of spirituality will have its fair share of weeds in the form of doubts. Am I missing out on something? Have I made the right decisions? Will I be able to continue on this path for the rest of my life? Leave those doubts unattended and they become quite deep-rooted. Thus, knowledge is compared to a sword which cuts the doubts, and helps one remain determined and fixed on the spiritual journey.

Multi-Level Spirituality

2010-02-24T21:43:00.004Z

People commonly misunderstand Hinduism to be a polytheistic tradition. This became quite apparent when I recently facilitated a discussion at Leicester University entitled ‘Misconceptions of Hinduism’. Ironically, the word Hindu is itself a misnomer. It’s not mentioned anywhere in the Bhagavad-gita (the principle scripture for Hindu’s) or any other Vedic scripture for that matter. For conventional usage (vyavaharika) we may employ the term, but in the ultimate sense (paramarthika) followers of the Bhagavad-gita would not use such an identifier.

Back to the subject of God, the Vedic path was actually a strictly monotheistic tradition but one could say it was also poly-cultural. Throughout the teachings of Bhagavad-gita, numerous passages affirm Krishna to be the one Supreme God, known by different names in different world religions. Interestingly, however, the Vedic teachers were aware that the majority of people would not simply be searching for that one God in life, but would also have many other ‘not-so-spiritual’ desires during their sojourn in this world. Thus, different types of worship were recommended so that they could step onto the ‘spiritual ladder’ while simultaneously pursuing their material aspirations. For example, different scriptures recommend worship of nature and worship of different ‘demigods’ to attain fame and fortune. The master plan was that gradually they would come to a more focused and pure sense of spirituality, completely divorcing themselves from worldly pursuits. Ultimately, they would come to the point of worshipping the one Supreme God.

Thus, although strictly monotheistic, the Vedic tradition did recommended different types of worship. Unfortunately, people nowadays misinterpret all such worship to be on an equal level, asserting quite erroneously that all paths lead to the same destination. On the other extreme, many become confused and frustrated by seeing so many so-called contradictions and conflicting recommendations of worship. Thus, only when one is able to understand the various scriptures and their different injunctions in context of the entire body of knowledge, will one appreciate the ingenuity of the multi-level spirituality offered in the Vedic path.

Idols?

2010-02-21T15:57:00.003Z

The shrine at our temple is undoubtedly the main attraction. In dialogues with those from Judeo-Christian or Islamic backgrounds, I regularly encounter some uneasiness as to how God can appear in a ‘material’ form – idols made by the hands of man. It appears limiting, imaginary and almost childish – to treat God like a play-doll by dressing Him, feeding Him and putting Him to bed at night. Can God truly reveal His divine self through material elements? Can a factual and deep relationship with God be established via such rituals?

While many see the material world as completely separate from the supreme spirit, the ancient Vedic tradition defines God as the source of everything material and spiritual (janmadya asya yatah). Even physical elements have an intimate relationship with God. The cause is present in the effect. Thus, God’s imminence in the material world may be brought to the surface when material objects, such as marble, metal or wood, are directly engaged as vehicles of worship according to authorised prescriptions. God, after all, is the complete whole and can simultaneously manifest Himself in everything within and everything beyond our experience. To say He cannot appear in a certain way would be to place a limitation on the supreme.

I often tear a piece of paper in front of people. Nobody blinks an eyelid. I then request them to produce a £20 note from their wallet and do the same. Understandably there is significant reservation. Although made of the same substance, one has been empowered by a higher authority to carry significant added value. Thus, not only do we approach it with great respect, but also receive tangible benefit by recognising its value. Similarly we can offer our worship to God through authorised physical media in the form of Deities. These forms are not simply representations or icons, but actual manifestations of the divine personality, and one who enters a transcendental exchange with Them can directly perceive that.

Emotional Rollercoaster

2010-02-17T17:04:00.002Z

It’s amazing how we often allow minor things to determine our state of happiness or distress. Life can be a real emotional rollercoaster. You can have a great morning, but by the evening the world looks completely different. Each and every interaction, incident, comment, expectation and frustration seems to significantly alter our sense of wellbeing.

I guess some are more sensitive than others, but we all experience this to some degree. The ancient scriptures explain that one who is in such a state of emotional flux is basically in maya, or illusion. Maya literally means “that which is not”. So how do we deal with the fleeting emotions?

Well, half the game is simply to ignore the mind and all the momentary concoctions that it comes up with. We learn that we can’t always take ourselves too seriously. The other half is to strengthen the intelligence and try to see the world through philosophical glasses. The rational and sagacious approach helps to keep things in perspective. But the ultimate winner is to become spiritually self-realised. At that time, one realises the temporary nature of the mind, the body, its interactions and the events of this world. In the context of the souls eternity, one is no longer affected by the hub of emotions generated by the temporary ‘vehicles’ we are driving. The Bhagavad-gita likens the self-realised person’s consciousness to a colossal ocean which is constantly being filled by various streams and rivers, but always remains calm, balanced and never overflows.

Can’t live with them... Can’t live without them...

2010-02-09T18:23:00.003Z

Our relationships in this world are riddled with complexities. Differences of opinion, misunderstandings, false expectations, breach of trust and lack of respect to name but a few. How many times were you frustrated, angered or saddened by somebody else’s behaviour today? How many times have you dreamt of flying away to a far-away place, thousands of miles away from everyone and everything? How many times have you just ended up withdrawing yourself from a difficult situation and hiding away in your own safe emotional space?

Living and interacting with others is extremely troublesome. This may well be the reason why significant numbers of spiritual seekers find great solace in the idea of ‘oneness’ – the notion that the perfection of life is to merge into the universal energy where there is no individuality or variety. No more relationships, no more conflicts, no more problems. But can we really live without relationships?

The Bhagavad-gita explains how relationships infused with pure selflessness are actually the most profound expressions of spirituality. As we learn to live in a more and more selfless way, we will find our relationships become more and more pleasing. We must develop our vision to see others as spiritual entities, beyond the temporary conditionings they are affected by. Until we reach that pure platform there will inevitably be friction, and one must exercise restraint. As our great teacher Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur once commented:

"When faults in others misguide and delude you - have patience, introspect and find faults in yourself. Know that others cannot harm you unless you harm yourself."

Doctor Who?

2010-01-31T15:32:00.003Z

“Why don’t you get a job?” – that was the immediate question an elderly Indian man in Loughborough asked me last week as I hurried through the town centre clad in my saffron robes. I could sense a feeling of disapproval mixed with amazement, but I tried to empathise with him instead of becoming defensive. Anyone from an Indian background will know about the family pressures to graduate and become a doctor, accountant, or at the very least settled in some professional career. After all, the prestige of the family rests upon it.

The Bhagavad-gita explains how every civilisation functions around four powers: labour, economic, military and intellectual. Although divisions and classes have become synonymous with discrimination and exploitation, practically every society exists with such classification in one form or another. In reality, an organized society needs different people to do different things. If they interact in appreciation and cooperation then society will flourish, but if there is competition, exploitation and criticism then there will be chaos.

No doubt, every society needs doctors, lawyers and accountants. However, a healthy society also needs spiritual teachers - people who will sacrifice their time, energy and personal comfort, to remind people that in the midst of their worldly duties and responsibilities, there is a deeper purpose that shouldn't be neglected. That is also a valid and important contribution to society. All occupations have a unique function and importance, and a mature person can recognize and appreciate that. And ultimately, the real success of life is when we develop the spiritual understanding that all the roles and occupations we are currently playing are temporary and insignificant, and our real identity is a spiritual one. In the words of Shakespeare “All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts”

Disaster Zone

2010-01-25T09:37:00.002Z

The catastrophic earthquake in Haiti has dominated our thoughts. I recently came across some statistics which got me thinking about global disasters. Disraeli once said that there were three kinds of lies in this world - lies, damned lies and statistics! I agree in many cases, but I was satisfied by the integrity of this source and the relevance of the figures so I'll go ahead and post them anyway. We are 25 days into 2010 and so far this year...

- 74,000 people have committed suicide
- 505,000 people have died from cancer
- 84,000 people have died in a road accident
- 42,000 mothers have died while giving birth
- 210,000 people have died of hunger

(www.worldometers.info, Realtime Statistics Project)

If we broaden our vision (beyond simply what the media decides to cover as the 'issue of the day') we may find that we are actually living in one huge disaster zone. When they asked Srila Prabhupada why the death rate was so high in India, he replied with the greatest of clarity - "the death rate is the same everywhere - 100%." Nobody makes it out of this world alive.

The Haiti disaster reminds us of the cruel realities of this world and the pain of seeing people suffer... maybe that's something we can reflect upon everyday.

The Haiti disaster impels us to come out of our comfort zone, make some sacrifice (time, money, resources) and help others... maybe that's a sentiment we can consider cultivating everyday.

The whole world is an emergency zone. The Vedic scriptures define a real spiritualist - one who is unable to tolerate the sufferings of others. We pray the victims of the Haiti earthquake find peace. We also the pray the millions of other suffering souls in this world will find the same.

The brighter side of life...

2010-01-23T20:32:00.001Z

If you ever meet a Hare Krishna devotee on the street you may want to brace yourself. It’s likely that within the first 5 minutes of conversation topics such as suffering, old age, disease and the futility of material enjoyment will surface. I was once giving a Sunday lecture at the temple and could see some uncomfortable faces when I started speaking about the reality of death. I guess they had come along with their kids for a casual afternoon at the temple. They probably weren’t expecting some guy to start talking about such deep and serious matters. It all may seem a little pessimistic, especially if that’s all you hear before you decide to leave. Surely there must be a brighter side to life.

When it comes to the harsh realities of life we try not to turn a blind eye. Flick through the newspaper, turn on the TV, click onto the web and the stories speak for themselves. I always found it amazing how we can see such suffering and then just kind of put it to the back of our mind and get on with life without a second thought. How can it be pessimistic to talk about what is actually happening in front of our eyes? These things are real, and the spiritualist faces them head on, without having any fear or inhibition.

Someone once said, a pessimist sees problems in every opportunity, whereas an optimist sees opportunities in every problem. The spiritualist doesn’t have to dodge and ignore the acute sufferings of this world out of fear that it will launch him into some depressive state. Why? Because in the midst of all the problems that we face in this world, the spiritualist is seeing an amazing opportunity. Through enthusiastic and determined spiritual practice one can actually elevate the consciousness to a level where they are living and functioning in this world, but experiencing something far beyond. One can achieve lasting peace, happiness and real fulfillment – but only on the spiritual plane. Thus, a spiritualist could be described as simultaneously an optimist and a pessimist; pessimistic about the opportunities for happiness in this world, but optimistic about the power of spirituality to awaken the deeper happiness within.

Progress not Perfection...

2009-12-28T20:27:00.004Z

Winston Churchill once made an interesting statement. “Success” he said, “is the ability to go from failure to failure without any loss of enthusiasm.” Success may not lie in being perfect, but in determinedly endeavoring to move closer towards perfection. Thomas Edison was reputed to have never become discouraged in his attempts to invent the light bulb. Rather, he deemed every one of his failed attempts as a success – “Now I have discovered one more way that doesn’t work”.

It’s rare that we wake up one day and suddenly reach the perfection we always desired. More realistically, it will take a lifetime of struggle and incremental improvement. That journey, however, is joyful all the way when we learn to celebrate progress not perfection. Even in positions of leadership, we have to keep in mind peoples best efforts to improve and view their performance in that context. Where there is progress, perfection is only a matter of time.

In our spiritual endeavors there is also no shortage of failure. After analyzing our hearts and spiritual character many of us can safely conclude that we are definitely ‘works in progress.’ We hear accounts of spiritual practitioners who were completely selfless and pure in heart. Every one of their actions seems so perfect yet so natural at the same time. How do we relate to such perfect examples? Maybe a good measure is to compare with ourselves rather than comparing with others. Where was I one year ago and where am I now? Drawing inspiration and encouragement from the good example of others is essential, but we also have to understand that we are on our own spiritual journeys, experiencing our own individual difficulties and dealing with our own special obstacles. I am trying to focus on how to progress on that journey, more than lamenting about how short I fall from perfection.

The secret is out

2009-11-30T13:51:00.005Z

The true glory of any civilization and culture lies not only in the majestic set up, elegant accomplishments and refined customs but indeed in the form of deep wisdom which it offers the world. The ancient teachings of the Vedas remained unknown to the mass of people for centuries. Contemporary teachers, however, began racking their brains as to how the whole world could benefit from these timeless words of wisdom. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada made this his life meditation.

One of his most amazing achievements was to translate and publish these scriptures in hundreds of different languages. Ancient classics like Bhagavad-gita have illuminated, inspired and changed peoples lives all over the world. They truly penetrate the heart and present fresh perspectives towards life.

'Veda: Secrets from the East' is the latest publication by the Bhativedanta Book Trust. It is an anthology of conversations, articles and transcribed lectures which show the amazing relevance of ancient wisdom in modern times. Pick up a copy by emailing me, alternatively hang around your local town centre over the next month and you may well bump into a traveling monk distributing them! I'm off in 15 minutes for a one-month tour of the country. My travel plan: Norwich, Ipswich, Bury, Cambridge, Leicester, Nottingham, Northapmton, Derby, Loughborough and many more... (blog may be a bit quiet :)

An amazing sacrifice...

2009-11-24T21:16:00.002Z

Think of anyone who achieved anything wonderful in this world – they invariably made a significant sacrifice. Fame, power, wealth and followers are often the goals of people who seek to achieve something great in this world. To establish genuine spirituality which withstands the tests of time within a materialistic society requires sacrifice which is motivated by something completely different. In his final days, Srila Prabhupada revealed the secret – “I have no other motive, I am only planning how people can become happy.”

This week, we had the great fortune of hearing the stories, reflections and profound insights of four of the original six devotees who established the Hare Krishna movement in London some 40 years ago. As they spoke, one could sense a deep gratitude for their beloved spiritual teacher, Srila Prabhupada. Having spent barely a year with him, feeling great inspiration, love and gratitude in their hearts, they traveled to London in 1969 with practically nothing – young spiritual searchers coming to the one of the most important cities in the world to spread the teachings of Bhagavad-gita.

As their deep gratitude for Srila Prabhupada fueled their selfless sacrifice and service to humanity, I feel that this week of inspiration has deepened my gratitude towards them, which will hopefully translate into an increased commitment and sacrifice on my part. Hearing about the amazing dedication of these rare souls has definitely prompted me to do some soul-searching in terms of what humble contribution I can make in this life. This is ultimately how a spiritual movement is developing and growing. Where there is gratitude there is selfless sacrifice, and where this genuine sacrifice manifests, it become an object of gratitude for the future generations which fuels their selfless sacrifice. Gratitude and sacrifice...

Sage of the Steady Mind

2009-11-21T20:24:00.004Z

Remember sitting your GCSE exams? The anxiety and worry was probably quite uncomfortable. Of course, if you look back now, you realize it wasn’t as life-determining as you probably thought. I remember losing in a county badminton final when I was 13 – I couldn’t bear to show my face for weeks. Worries and anxieties arise because we take things out of perspective. As we grow up, our understanding of life and the world expands. As our understanding expands, we are able to react to everyday occurrences in a much more appropriate manner – being able to see them in perspective of wider reality.

However, it’s not just about growing up in terms of years, but also about growing up spiritually. The Bhagavad-gita talks of a concept known as sastra-caksus – ‘seeing the world through the eyes of scripture.’ As we refer to the ancient wisdom and insights of the scriptures, we find that our understanding of reality expands even further, beyond the limitations of space and time as we know it. One becomes aware of the greater reality beyond this world. When the spiritualist is thus aware of the ‘bigger picture’ there is an amazing immunity to all types of worry and anxiety.

Krishna explains this in the Bhagavad-gita: “One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst all miseries or elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger is called a sage of the steady mind.” Interestingly, when it comes to other people’s worries, troubles and anxieties, it’s not that a spiritualist sees them as trivial and unimportant. Rather, he tries to equip those people to see life in a broader way, helping them to put things in perspective for themselves.

If everything is matter... nothing really matters!

2009-11-13T13:51:00.002Z

Quite some years ago, whilst studying at university, I had an interesting exchange with a member of the ‘Stop the War’ coalition. After informing me in-depth of all the atrocities and daily fatalities in the Middle East, I questioned him about the after life. “What do you think happens after death?” He was taken aback by the question, and after quite some thought he replied that man was simply a complex biological machine that decomposed back into the earth after death.

If there is nothing but physical machines and biological matter then who is to say what is right or wrong? Even more worrying, who would really care to follow what was right or wrong? If everything is matter, then nothing (in the ultimate sense) really matters! I doubt whether such mechanistic worlviews help to solve the world's problems. Needless to say, all of this conflicts with our natural feelings and intuitions in life. There are morals, there are good acts to perform, and conscious beings are definitely more than just chemicals. Thus, discussions about a moral framework within which human beings interact, must necessarily take account of metaphysical realities – the spiritual dimension of life.

For something to be good, it means the consequences must be good. And to know all the consequences, one must have basic knowledge of the identity and purpose of living beings. Wisdom traditions across the world from East to West, explain fundamental aspects about the individual, God, and the universe around us. Without reference to such higher dimensional truths, moral relativism will reign supreme, and peace, harmony and genuine respect in society will remain elusive.

Divine Conversations

2009-11-05T18:16:00.003Z

I am in Leicester this week. The town centre is definitely a hub of religious activity. I walk past a Muslim group setting up a book table with a bold banner declaring "Islam is the only acceptable path to God". The smartly dressed pair of Mormon preachers walk past me offering a smile - their approach seems a little less direct. A few middle-aged Christian ladies stand by the clock tower singing the glories of Jesus accompanied by tambourines and bells. As I drive back to our temple, I see streams of Sikhs flowing into the gurudwara, and finally come across the Muslim faithful bowing in surrender to their Lord. I pause to watch them pray... prayer is an interesting phenomenon.

One person I recently spoke to just couldn't understand the concept of petitonary prayer - coming before God and asking for something. As God is omniscient, every decision that He makes He makes in light of all of the facts; there cannot arise any new information that God failed to take into account that might cause Him to revise His decision. God, then, should never change His mind. So what’s the point of praying? Requests for divine intervention seem to be futile; whatever God is going to do He will do, whatever He is not He will not.

It’s important to avoid reducing God to an omniscient bureaucrat who simply does business with souls according to His assessment of their desires. There is personality and feeling in these divine conversations, and prayer plays a significant part in awakening the emotions of both the divine and the subject. Recently, I have been reflecting how prayer is also a lot to do with ourselves. As I write down thoughts on this blog it helps me make sense of life. Similarly, contemplative prayers help us to organize the jumbled-up mind which often plays host to a multitude of competing emotions, desires and goals in life. Prayer reminds us what it is that we really want – something that may get lost and forgotten in the madness of life. Thus, prayer may well be seen as the steering wheel for life, not just the spare tyre we call upon in an emergency.

It Could be You

2009-10-29T19:43:00.001Z

“I know I’m a sinner, but make me a winner!” I guess most people have had a little gamble on the national lottery. In the US, legal gambling totals more than 25 billion dollars a year. If you include undocumented wagers it could double or even triple that. Practitioners in our tradition follow certain restrictions which help them in their spiritual development. One such recommendation is to refrain from gambling. Many people I meet are often confused by that. Why is it so bad? Surely, a little flutter here and there can’t be harmful?

We all know the famous saying; money is the root of all evil. There are now over 1 million compulsive gamblers in the US. For some, when it comes to gambling, enough is never enough, and the risk of greed and insatiable desires is uncomfortably high. When money is at stake, perfectly respectable citizens seem to have a spell cast over them. In Las Vegas, the nurses at one local hospital began to bet on how long critically ill patients would live for. Some became so anxious about the bets, that they actually switched off life support machines. One nurse in particular, who styled herself, 'the angel of Death,' allegedly turned off equipment on at least six critically ill patients. Since the advent of gambling, per capital crime in the Atlantic City area has tripled. Unfortunately, the ill effects of gambling on society and the individual are well-documented.

There is also a deeper reason why spiritualists avoid gambling. When one gambles, a certain mentality is cultivated – the mentality of minimum work, maximum gain. A more responsible citizen understands the principle of duty – equal work, equal gain. However, the mentality of the spiritualist is in another dimension completely. They are cultivating the mentality of maximum service, with no desire for any personal gain or reward. Why? Because to selflessly serve is the most rewarding and satisfying experience in life.

Bring out the Best

2009-10-25T21:26:00.003Z

A prominent disciple of A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (founder of the modern day Hare Krishna movement) was once asked what the most amazing quality in his spiritual master was. “One thing stood above everything else” he quickly replied. “Prabhupada was able to go beyond all the problems, difficulties and issues that someone had in their life, and would find a spark of spiritual enthusiasm and sincerity”. As he continued you could sense a deep feeling of gratitude “But that’s not all. He would then take that spark, fan it, and make it into a huge fire that consumed all the negative things in that persons character”. When I heard that, it summed up spiritual leadership for me.

I once heard a leadership guru who exclaimed “catch your people doing something good – catch them doing something right!” It’s easy to point out mistakes, inadequacies and deficiencies in people – there are plenty of them (and we probably have quite a few ourselves). But how often do we see the good, and consciously vocalize and appreciate that? I was reflecting how to criticize and point out mistakes is so easy – it’s so natural that we don’t even have to think about it. However, when it comes to appreciation we have to think very hard, plan exactly what we will say, and then muster up enough courage to glorify that person!

This doesn’t mean a spiritual leader lives with his head in the clouds, turning a blind eye to all the problems that need to be addressed. Rather, it’s about building relationships with people and putting things in perspective by developing a wholesome understanding of their character. The Bhagavad-gita explains how every soul is invested with certain unique qualities – as we bring out these qualities in others, we will see the qualities within ourselves also manifest. Bring out the best in others, and Krishna brings out the best in you.

IQ, EQ, SQ

2009-10-17T20:26:00.002+01:00

IQ (Intelligence Quotient) tests are famous for assessing our logical, mathematical and linguistic skills. We all wish we were in that top bracket of Mensa elite who have an IQ in excess of 140 – unfortunately only 0.5% of the population make it! One who has developed intelligence has a great capacity to receive information, process it and analyse it. They are able to think in an abstract way, and also learn significant lessons from experience. However, research has shown that intelligence is not sufficient. The most intelligent people are not always the most successful and happy people in the world. Interestingly, they aren’t necessarily the people that change the world either (although some of them have).

Psychologists and neuroscientists are increasingly talking about the need for Emotional Quotient (EQ). According to them, EQ is a basic requirement for successful utilization of IQ. Those with high EQ’s are able to effectively handle their own emotions, and simultaneously interact and relate with others successfully. Animals and humans have a tendency to act irrationally when certain emotions arise in their consciousness. In times of stress, anger and anxiety, intelligence is difficult to access. Thus, EQ deals with the human side of life and how we effectively function in the environments surrounding us.

To some extent computers have the power of IQ. One could argue that animals have the power of IQ and EQ. So what sets humans apart? This is where the notion of SQ comes in – Spiritual Quotient. IQ and EQ help us in our present situations, but SQ is all about transformation. The spiritualist has the power to question on a deeper level – who am I, what are my needs, what goals should I be pursuing, and what will really make me happy. They may seem like simple questions, but if we analyse ourselves, how many times are we busily engaged in pursuing things without really questioning whether they are necessary, fulfilling and really adding value? Our lives are often centered around asking the question ‘how’, but SQ is all about asking the question ‘why’.

Design Your Destiny

2009-10-12T19:56:00.004+01:00

Recently I was observing commuters on the London Underground all reading the daily tabloid. I noticed several people eagerly flick to the horoscopes to discover their fortunes for the week. The idea that there are higher forces governing our fate in this world is definitely a captivating one, but in reality what is actually affecting us? Is it the stars and the planetary movements? Maybe the cosmic ‘gods’ are crafting the roller-coaster journey through life? Could it ultimately be the will of a Supreme Person? More importantly, what power do we have to design our own destiny?

Imagine a scale which had ‘complete free will’ on one side and ‘complete fate’ on the other. Neither would seem reasonable explanations according to our daily observations. Despite our best efforts, things don’t always work out as we would like. Leaving aside the results of our activities, even if we analyze our power to decide how we act, we seem to have limited free will. How many times have you been impelled to do something you really didn’t want to do? On the other hand, we can’t say everything is predetermined – that we are simply robotic entities playing the cog in a universal machine that moves according to its own design. Our desires and actions seem to mould our future – social scientists and psychologists have conducted various studies addressing this.

According to Bhagavad-gita, life is an interplay of fate (karma) and free will. Karmic reactions are prompted by our previous activities, evaluated under the supervision of the Supreme Person, and predicted in our life by astrological charts. According to our karmic bank balance, we are faced with certain situations in the present. Astrological movements are not deciding our fortune, but rather giving a report of how our karma will be dispensed. Of course, within every situation we have free will to decide our future situations, since karma is simply creating the context within which we exercise our free will in this life. Thus, in the ultimate sense, we all have the power to design our own destiny.

90-10 rule

2009-10-04T20:04:00.003+01:00

Tom Hanks’ famous line in ‘Forest Gump’ is quite accurate. “Life is like a box of chocolates” he said, “you never know what you’re gonna get!” Regardless of what life situations arise, however, the introspective spiritualist knows how to use them to make favorable and progressive steps in the spiritual journey. Martial techniques explain how to channel the force of the person attacking to you to gain advantage. Modern psychologists call it the 90-10 secret – 10% of life is made up by what happens to you, but 90% of life is decided by how you react. The ancient wisdom of India also gives some deep insight:

- In success, develop gratitude for those around us that made it possible
- In failure, see it as a stepping stone to better things and never lose hope
- In appreciation, develop an appreciation for those who offer kind words
- In criticism, find something constructive and relevant that you can work on
- In friendship, increase the mood of selfless service and never take others for granted
- In conflict, fight the ego and try to see from the perspective of the other

These all may seem like quite utopian reactions. It all makes sense on paper, but in the heat of the situation, things look quite different – other responses seem far more natural. However, to cultivate such disposition, means to nudge out all negativity from our consciousness. After all, negativity is like burning coal – as we hold it, ready to throw at someone else, we ourselves are burnt in the meantime.

Patience... bitter sweet...

2009-09-26T21:34:00.003+01:00

I shaved my head the other day. It’s impossible to perceive the hair growing on a moment-to-moment basis, though the growth is clearly noticeable after a few weeks. While cruising above the clouds in an aeroplane it’s difficult to appreciate just how fast you are traveling. A few hours later, as you end up on the other side of the world, things become more apparent. A tiny stream in the mountain ranges can drop away at a solid rock and it seems insignificant. However, if you return there after 100 years you may be surprised to find a huge dent.

The aspiring spiritualist must recognize the absolute necessity of patience in their practice. There may sometimes be doubts over whether any transformation is occurring, whether there is really any change of heart, but determined practice over years will surely bear fruit. According to the Bhagavad-gita, souls have passed through many chapters of existence, repeatedly seeking happiness in the wrong places and cultivating perverted worldviews. Our misdirected desires and deep-rooted conditionings will naturally take time to transform. They are like warm soft beds in the winter – easy to get into, very difficult to get out of!

The Roman writer Phadreus once remarked “patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet”. There are times when we may feel far from spiritual, but to patiently continue, knowing that spirituality is not just a momentary emotion but rather a lifetime's mission, is the advice of great teachers. The spiritual path is full of inspiration, insight and amazing fulfillment – but this is only available to those who are willing to also embrace the not-so-glamorous need for patience.

Artificial Intelligence

2009-09-19T17:06:00.005+01:00

Every living being, human or animal, performs basic bodily activities. They all eat, sleep, mate and engage in protecting their life situation in some way or another. Of course, the intelligence of man has allowed our civilized society to pursue these four fundamental activities in a more refined manner. Animals eat and sleep quite modestly, whereas man has created luxurious facilities to relish such activities. Animals may engage in the sexual act in an unmannerly way, whereas humans have innumerable social customs and subtleties which surround their union. Animals may use their claws and teeth to defend their homes, whereas man has created weapons of destruction and social arrangements like insurance policies.

However, we can’t ignore the problems. In today’s world, people have to take drugs to cure insomnia and sleeping troubles. Eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are widespread, sexually transmitted diseases and related social problems are well documented, and threats of terrorism, political instability and natural disaster thwart our sense of security. For all the intelligence we have applied to making life more pleasurable through these four fundamental activities, it actually looks like we have created problems that even animals don’t have!

Desires to derive pleasure from artificial sources create artificial problems. We try to solve such problems with artificial solutions, which ultimately seem to escalate the problems. To improve our standard of living and sense of comfort is not a sinful act to be denounced. However, it may be considered wasteful to engage all our intelligence in developing temporary arrangements to improve activities that even animals perform. According to Bhagavad-gita our intelligence is meant for finding fulfillment and happiness from activities which transcend these basic demands.

Its all in the mind

2009-09-12T17:10:00.003+01:00

Excluding extreme cases, nobody really wants to die. In addition, everyone wants to live a happy life. These innate desires within us are ultimately frustrated in this world, since death and unhappiness are inevitable realities. Taking this situation, philosophers like Ludwig Feuerbach concluded that religion could thus be explained psychologically. According to them, if one is willing to buy into religion they can escape their deepest fears and live in blissful ignorance of their mortality and suffering. Spirituality or religion, he argues, has no solid divine grounding, but rather is just a response to drives from the unconscious mind. Just believe… and you will get what you always wanted – immortality and eternal happiness.

Over the centuries, different thinkers have reduced spirituality to something designed for the weak – people who are unable to deal with the anxieties and insecurities of the ‘real world’. Philosophers like Freud built on such ideas which considered religion to be a childish delusion concocted by mankind. Atheism, on the other hand, was seen as a grown-up realism. The attractiveness of religion and the strength of its grip on the human mind was thus seen to be rooted in the psychological issues of the individual.

One may question, however, why the yearning for immortality and happiness is common to every entity in the universe? Instead of minimising our deepest and innermost desires to be simply imagination and wishful thinking, it may be worth exploring where such universal longings come from? Maybe such desires reveal to us something about our higher nature and self? The fact that we are thwarted in our attempts to fulfil such desires may also expose deficiencies in our worldviews and ways of living. Feuerbach and Freud may have done well to explore these questions first.

Another small point. While speaking of the unconscious mind pushing one to believe in an ‘imaginary God’, we should also consider how the unconscious mind may also push one to reject God. Eliminating any spiritual element to life liberates us of ultimate responsibility, frees us to believe what we want, and overall yields us full independence over our decisions and directions in life. In trying to remove God from the picture, maybe we are trying to become God ourselves - the autonomous, independent entity who is not answerable to anyone. Interesting how the human mind works.

Half a Chicken?

2009-08-31T20:54:00.004+01:00

Ancient sages tell of a farmer who became quite concerned about his chickens. Seeing them lay an abundance of eggs pleased him very much, but the fact that he had to constantly feed them was annoying. He came up with a ‘master plan’ to cut their heads off and simply keep the useful half. Needless to say, as he waited for the eggs to emerge he was quite disappointed.

Many of us on the spiritual journey may be modern versions of this farmer. Often, we accept and embrace the principles and practices of a particular spiritual path that sit comfortably with us. We have no problems with those things we enjoy and can quite straightforwardly implement into our present lifestyle. However, it’s a little more uncomfortable when we confront the aspects that challenge us and implore changes to our present ways of thinking, feeling and living. Thus, selectively mixing and matching different traditions has become quite popular and trendy.

One may argue that there is genuine spiritual wisdom in different traditions and spheres of life. We totally agree. However, the conclusion that you can take a little bit from everywhere, merge it together and come up with your own personalized philosophy in life, doesn’t sit too well. It’s almost like picking different parts of different recipes in different cook-books, and expecting a succulent cuisine to manifest after you randomly throw it all together.

Great books of wisdom like the Bhagavad-gita do not present an ultimatum of ‘all or nothing’. At the same time, it may be worth considering that the great success of these ancient books in giving people direct spiritual realization lies in the fact that they have outlined a spiritual process which is comprehensive and complete – philosophically and practically.

Digging a Little Deeper

2009-08-27T20:58:00.005+01:00

The internet is full of different conspiracy theories. It’s hard to know whether we are living in illusion or reality due to the dubious integrity of our sources of information. Joseph Goebbels, known for his work with Adolf Hitler, undoubtedly knew something about propaganda. He once commented, "You tell a lie loud enough and long enough and people will believe it."

The creation of the universe, the origin of life and the evolution of man are the central pillars of science. These scientific theories are taught as irrevocable fact in schools, colleges and universities across the world. The amazing thing is that increasing evidence is being found which directly challenges these popular notions. However, the worrying thing is that such information is usually filtered out from mainstream awareness.

According to such theories, the first human-like primates are said to have appeared about 4 million years ago. Interestingly, we find carved stone tools from the same time period, clearly indicating the presence of advanced humans with dexterous ability. Even worse for the evolutionists, we find a fully "developed" human skeleton in Italy also from that time period. Unfortunately, knowledge filters prevent such information from hitting the headlines. We are told how 2 million years ago along came Homohabilis, and he developed about 1.5 million years ago into Homoerectus. However, even for this age there are also findings of carved shells and detailed clay statues in Nampa, Idaho. The list goes on.

It seems clear from this recently documented evidence that the theory of evolution, and the dates attributed to the appearance of mankind, are on fragile ground. Before submissively accepting such theories, popular as they may be, it may be worth ‘digging a little deeper’. As Sherlock Holmes said, “Don't change the facts to fit the theory, change the theory to fit the facts.”

For more information on this subject visit the forbidden archaeology website

Zero Tolerance?

2009-08-24T11:01:00.003+01:00

Krishna’s opening words of wisdom in the Bhagavad-gita are quite fascinating. Before even discussing the intricacies of God, the soul, the universe and the nature of reality, He mentions a cardinal principle for any aspiring spiritualist. For anyone seeking inner peace and spiritual connection, Krishna explains the absolute necessity of developing unyielding tolerance.

The forces of nature, the laws of the land, and society’s trends – many such factors are beyond our control. The individuals we build relationships with are also quite unpredictable. While we seek cooperation, friendship and support from others, we may be faced with competition, criticism and enmity. Even our own body and mind torments us. Bodily illnesses as well as the numerous obstructive desires which enter our minds on a daily basis can be quite distracting. As we become engrossed in these disturbances, we lose sight of life’s bigger picture and purpose. By tolerating such things and rather investing our time and energy in our own spiritual consciousness, we fix ourselves on a more progressive path of improvement.

To tolerate does not mean to become a passive, inactive observer of reality. One may have to react to situations and instigate change, but tolerance allows one to maintain an internal peaceful equilibrium no matter how provoking the circumstances. On a deeper level, the spiritualist must come to terms with and accept life's 'disturbances' as the will of providence.

In order to achieve this tolerance, Krishna also gives the key philosophical understanding – realize that everything is temporary – the environment you live in, the individuals around you, and your own crazy thoughts and ideas. All such things simply come and go like nature’s seasons, and one should remain unaffected through spiritually inspired tolerance.

Cosmic Management

2009-08-17T20:56:00.003+01:00

Whilst studying for my degree at UCL, I was obligated to read numerous books on effective management. As I browsed some old notes an interesting quote caught my attention. "The best manager is one who manages so well that you can't even see him, and you don’t even know he is there". Krishna, the speaker of Bhagavad-gita, explains in that ancient dialogue exactly how He manages this entire cosmic manifestation. Using the analogy of a necklace, He explains how the universal affairs are actually resting upon Him, just as pearls are strung upon a thread. The thread is the essential binding factor - maintaining the necklace and simultaneously giving it form and shape. Interestingly however, the thread is not noticeable to our immediate vision.

When speaking on the subject of spirituality, no matter what the audience, certain reservations always seem to surface. The fact that people cannot see God at work, that He is not manifest in person before their eyes, seems to be a big sticking point. Show me God, and then I will believe in Him, the skeptics posit. However, even according to the management guru’s of the 21st century, God would be a pretty average manager if He was running around in front of us directing everything.

If you look at the top CEO’s in the modern business world, they setup a managerial hierarchy, and then take a back seat, allowing things to function effortlessly without their direct involvement. Instead, you’ll probably find them relaxing at the golf course with their friends. So the fact that we can’t see God creating and maintaining this universe may not be a disqualification, but rather credit to His expert management sense. He manages the material universes remotely, while spending quality time in the spiritual realm, intimately relating with His devotees.

Face Off

2009-08-07T21:52:00.002+01:00

It’s a common scene when members of different religions cross paths. The pleasant introductions and comments on the weather last for the first few minutes, but what inevitably ensues is a discussion on the subject of the Supreme. In subtle or sometimes quite blatant ways, the doubts, issues or concerns about the other person’s faith are formulated, and one or both parties warm up to get into a full-swing debate. Of course, not all religious practitioners are cereal debaters, but many of us have been in these situations, myself included.

Recently I heard a famous verse from one of our scriptures: “The supreme religion for all mankind is the process by which they can attain to the stage of loving service to God. Such service must be completely unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to satisfy the self”. What an amazing definition of religion. After reading that, a friend commented ‘what is there to actually debate about?’ Religion, its purpose, and the measure of its efficacy are all clearly elucidated in that verse.

Every religious practitioner can do some soul-searching and question their spiritual commitment. To what extent is their practice unmotivated by any material desires and uninterrupted by material affairs and events? To what extent have they developed love for God and genuine love for everyone around them? Maybe this universal measure is the greatest test of ones spirituality, much more than the philosophical arguments which are thrown around in a passionate religious debate. Instead of scrupulously analysing someone else’s spiritual practices, our time and energy may be better spent in examining our own spiritual sincerity and depth.

Stepping off the Treadmill

2009-08-03T09:13:00.002+01:00

I just returned from Germany where we had our annual youth retreat entitled ‘The Festival of Inspiration’. The location was a remote part in the West of the country where we have a temple nestled in the countryside hills. It was extremely isolated. No signal on the mobile phone and internet connections were few and far between. For the city slickers who were brought up with the sounds of cars, police sirens, TV’s, building works, and crowds of people, it was quite a culture shock. The first few days were refreshing, but thereafter I did start feeling a little out of place in such peaceful surroundings. Serenity and calmness forces one to think about life – something we may neglect in our hectic city lives.

The past century has seen incredible technological and economic advancement. Consequently, most of the developed world now lives in a high-speed culture. These are the times of fast food, multi-tasking, conveniences for everything and instantaneous global communication. As soon as people wake up, they are busily engaged in various activities.

While boarding the ferry back to London I reflected on this. As a hovercraft moves swiftly over water, only skimming the surface, our hurried lifestyles may be preventing us from deeply thinking about the decisions and directions we take in life. Despite the comforts and amenities around us, the anxiety, complexity and feelings of emptiness that many experience, cannot be denied. It seems as though city life was specifically designed to keep us busy and stop us from thinking too much. With so much focus on the externals of body and environment, are we forgetting to address the needs of the spiritual self? Stepping off the treadmill and regularly retreating to a far and distant place to get some perspective in life may not be a bad idea.

Braving the elements

2009-07-22T21:17:00.003+01:00

I was recently driving from Sheffield to Manchester and in the course of a one-hour journey experienced everything from torrential rain to brilliant sunshine, with even some spells of high winds and hail stones. To say it was a mixed bag would be an understatement. Quite honestly, I have rarely experienced a week of consistent weather in this country.

While driving I was reflecting how the life of an advancing spiritualist is comparable to the weather. Just like the brilliant sunshine, there are moments of great insight, enthusiasm and inspiration, but unexpectedly the heavens can open up, with times of disappointment and insecurity, and even spells of apathy and disinterest. The spiritualist plays the role of a doctor, offering advice and wisdom to others, but the spiritualist is also a patient experiencing his own struggles and tribulations.

With each downpour of rain, we comfort ourselves knowing that it rarely contnues for the entire day. At some point it will stop. Similarly, the spiritualist keeps his struggles in perspective, knowing they are temporary obstacles which will be eradicated with dedicated, focused spiritual practice. With each downpour of rain, we run for cover and find some shelter from the elements. Nobody wants to get wet. Similarly, the struggling spiritualist finds shelter in the ancient scriptures, the spiritual teachers, and fellow practitioners, who are all great sources of support, helping us keep all struggles in perspective. Each downpour of rain is often greatly uncomfortable for us, although we can also appreciate the weather is greatly benefitting the vegetation and plant life. Similarly, the spiritualist always reflects how the greatest struggles are also causing the greatest transformation and purification of consciousness. In this way, the struggling spiritualist learns to brave the elements… rain or shine.

Mind Control & Brainwashing

2009-07-12T07:57:00.002+01:00

The Bhagavad-gita contains numerous discussions on controlling the mind. In the context of modernity that terminology may not be so well received. Mind control is synonymous to brainwashing - something used by dangerous cults to manipulate people and prevent them from thinking for themselves. This all stems from the popular notion that we are the mind.

The Bhagavad-gita however, explains that the mind is simply a tool. We are spirit souls inhabiting material bodies, and the mind acts as an interface between the two. It’s almost like the software that allows a person to operate the hardware of a computer. To use another analogy, the bodily senses can be compared to horses, the mind to the reins, and the intelligence to the driver. The safest and most successful journey is one where the well-informed driver confidently controls the horses by expert handling of the reins.

Thus, one who is able to control the mind can experience true freedom, guided by intelligence instead of instinct. The instinct dictates one to do what feels good now, whereas the intelligence guides one to do that which will have a good effect. Thus, the whole thrust of meditation and spiritual practice is to allow the soul to make spiritually enlightened decisions in life, where the mind becomes an instrument in their implementation. In this context, far from de-humanizing and dulling the individual, mind control allows one to break free of materialistic pressures and truly exhibit their personality and individuality.

The Great Escape

2009-07-08T19:44:00.003+01:00

The world today has a long list of pressing problems: the time bomb of environmental issues, struggling economies and the credit crunch, social problems like crime, and the widespread poverty and deprivation of millions worldwide, to name but a few. In a recent conversation, somebody proposed spirituality as an escape from such realities – a comfortable retreat away from the real problems that plague our existence. As the spiritualist absorbs his thoughts in death and the afterlife, he conveniently avoids the real world surrounding him… the world that he is too lazy (or too scared) to face.

I explained how the Bhagavad-gita is not disconnected from the social context we live in. The teachings are very much geared toward creating spiritual solutions for the material problems we are faced with in the modern world, and significant portions of the text deal with prevailing social issues. When someone is sick and admitted to hospital, then help is provided from the nurses and the doctors. The nurses attend to the day-to-day comfort of the patient, while the doctors painstakingly rack their brains to perform an operation that will provide the permanent solution. After all, who wants to be in a hospital full of nurses, but devoid of doctors? The spiritualists can be likened to the doctor – those who have the broader vision and knowledge to find out the root of suffering and address that directly.

As I reflected later, that point of escaping reality struck me as a great irony. Of all the ‘real’ problems in the world today (problems that seem to periodically come and go with the times), the one real problem that everybody faces but nobody wants, is the problem of death. And the striking irony is that the spiritualist, who is trying to address this universal and strikingly ‘real’ problem, is being labeled the escapist. Far from being an escape from reality, it seems the spiritualist is moving closer to reality – addressing those issues that nobody really wants to touch.

Full Of It

2009-06-25T09:38:00.001+01:00

The desire for respect and recognition runs deep. They say that at the age of 20 we are extremely worried about what people think of us, by the time we reach 40 we don't really care any more, and eventually when we reach 60 we realise nobody was thinking about us anyway! In a discussion at the temple recently a senior monk was explaining how many people who spend thousands of pounds on flash sports cars are not really buying the metal and mechanics - what they are buying is the adoration, respect and stunned looks of others. It takes a lot of energy to be recognised in this world... but is it really worth it?

As we respect and appreciate others around us, we feel a satisfaction and fulfillment that is far beyond any kind of personal aggrandizement. Real happiness lies in a spirit of selflessness where we are sensitive to the needs, interests and concerns of others, and more eager to bring attention and recognition to them. Abraham Lincoln once said “its amazing what you can achieve when you don’t care for getting the credit”.

Pride blocks our intelligence and discrimination, and prevents us from uncovering our true spiritual identity. If we are ‘full of it’, there is no room for spiritual happiness to manifest within our heart. Thus, as our tree of spirituality grows, it is essential that the roots of humility go deep, and the weeds of pride are immediately removed. As humble as a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, and ready to offer all respects to others, not desiring any respect for oneself – these are the cardinal principles of spiritual life.

Boiling Point

2009-06-21T21:37:00.003+01:00

"One who is composed in a moment of anger can save themselves a hundred days of sorrow" (Chinese proverb). Anger is an emotion that most of us come face-to-face with on multiple occasions everyday. A recent survey in America revealed that over 60% of office workers have seriously contemplated physically harming their boss! In our angry moments we think, say, and do things we usually regret later. As they say, anger is one letter short of danger.

Anger comes from unrealistic expectations of reality. The Bhagavad-gita explains how we are all trying to take the Supreme position of being the ultimate controller in this world. We try to control situations, control people, and control the objects around us. When we fail, we become frustrated and angry. Everyone boils at different degrees, but one who has unrealistic expectations in life will repeatedly face the problem of anger.

All that is available at our disposal is our best efforts. Living a spiritual life means we try our best and simultaneously understand that there are factors involved beyond our control. An experienced monk once told me, "if you want to make God laugh then just tell him your plans!" Acting free of anger ensures that all actions in life are performed with the clarity of spiritual intelligence, and thus we can avoid all the physiological, emotional and societal ramifications of this destructive emotion.

The Logic of Reincarnation

2009-06-17T21:58:00.003+01:00

The notion of eternal damnation always baffled me. One shot to decide your destiny forever? What if you make a mistake? What if you get influenced by bad company? What if you die early trying to have a good time at university? I guess you could say in each of those situations you did have a choice, but the punishment still seems extremely disproportionate. In this world of unlimited distractions, temptations and allurements, every spiritual practitioner knows it’s a minefield – wouldn’t God be a bit more understanding?

It’s difficult to picture the Perfect Being, subjecting His own dear creation to extreme torture and suffering for eternity. The most incredible thing about this persecution is that it has nothing positive or progressive coming from it – He just tortures you again and again and again. Forever... it doesn’t stop. You can understand why people would be put off. Furthermore, there are so many unanswered questions and loose ends. What happens to a baby who is born and then dies without making any conscious decisions or actions: heaven or hell? What about someone who is mentally ill and cannot make rational choices: heaven or hell? If it’s a one life game, it definitely looks as though God has stacked the deck in favor of some.

The Bhagavad-gita explains that through the process of reincarnation, the spiritual being is given repeated chances to evolve his consciousness to perfection over time. Whatever good or bad the soul experiences in this world is ultimately an educational program aimed at refining his understanding about the self and the real purpose in life. In this way, the concepts of Karma & Reincarnation help one understand the unlimited compassion of the Perfect Being, in the midst of whatever life situations one may be currently experiencing.

River of Names

2009-06-14T20:16:00.007+01:00

A few days ago I unexpectedly bumped into a university friend whom I hadn’t spoken to for nearly ten years. He is getting married in two weeks and has achieved many things in his career since leaving university. In certain ways our respective paths in life turned out quite different, but in other ways I discovered that we share many of the same spiritual principles. It would definitely be interesting to have a university reunion after twenty years and see where everyone ended up. Life has its interesting twists and turns.

The ancient scriptures explain that this world is like a river of names where some strands of straw join for some time, but downstream they all separate and go their own ways. You could say the world is just like an airport transit lounge. We all come from different backgrounds, catching planes to different destinations, and in the meantime we establish relationships amongst each other. Who can deny temporal relationships of this world? Even if two people stay committed to each other for life, the inevitable reality of death will separate them. So does that mean all relationships are meaningless and simply a waste of time?

While we relate to others on a bodily level, the relationships will only endure the length of this body. We may talk of having a connection with someone after they leave, but the strength of that connection is based on how much we have related to them as a spirit soul, part of the Supreme Spirit. So in this river of names, where we take on certain roles, responsibilities, positions and personas, the real challenge is to get beyond all the superficiality and temporary designations and get to the essence of the person. We are not human beings on a spiritual journey – rather we are spiritual beings on a human journey. This human journey affords an amazing opportunity to establish spiritual relationships which last for eternity.

Boot Camp

2009-06-08T19:53:00.001+01:00

As monks we rise very early everyday, wear the standard simple uniform, chant the same prayers, follow a simple diet, maintain very few possesions… I won’t go on too much else you may be completely put off! A neutral observer may find this spiritual path much like an army regime. Where is the room for personal expression? Isn’t spirituality a natural and spontaneous affair of the heart? Surely there must be more to it than a set of mechanical operations. Is the spiritual path supposed to be like boot camp?

Imagine you sat down to write your deepest thoughts in a letter to a friend. If you didn’t go through the basics of grammar and spelling, meticulously memorize the vocabulary of the language and sit through a good number of English classes to learn about sentence formation, you probably wouldn’t be able to naturally express anything in your writing. Music composers often convey their deepest emotions through their instruments. However, the background to that is hours of painstaking and monotonous practice to learn how to actually operate that instrument.

In other words, the regime brings us to the spontinaeity. A premature exhibition of natural expression may not be the deepest and most profound spiritual realization. The consciousness must be purified, and then the self (free of any material misconceptions) can fully exhibit the original spiritual persona. So on one hand, spiritual life cannot be reduced to simply a set of mechanical operations, but on the other hand, they are very powerful processes given by great teachers to help us elevate our consciousness beyond the material.

Converting or Uncovering?

2009-06-03T21:54:00.004+01:00

(Above: A Muslim preacher at Speakers Corner, London)

Internet posting, lectures in different arenas, distributing books on the street, seminars at colleges and universities… in many different ways we are presenting this ancient spiritual tradition of the East. People sometimes wonder whether our sole purpose in life is simply to convert others to our spiritual tradition. Admittedly, religious practitioners are renowned for their zealous endeavors to convince others. It can be a little off-putting to say the least, and in many cases even bordering scary. So why the big emphasis on ‘preaching’, for want of a better word?

Knowledge brings a certain responsibility. Morally, ethically and even legally, possession of some knowledge obliges us to act in a certain way. If you are a cardiologist and someone collapses from a heart attack in the street you would be required to do something. So in certain circumstances, to withhold information would be to act immorally. Of course, this doesn’t give us the free licence to sermonise everyone we meet so we can ‘save their soul’ there and then. Neither would we want such a licence. More than converting, as monks we are concerned with uncovering. The spiritual tradition is not an artificial imposition on one’s character, but rather the awakening of the original spiritual nature that is within everyone.

The poet Dunn writes in one passage that “no man is a social island”. As we live in a social context, everybody invariably impresses their ideas, values and ideologies upon those around them, and thus in one sense everyone is preaching. We can recognize the spirituality everywhere, in all traditions. At the same time, we feel we have a powerful spiritual process that is extremely practical and relevant to the world we live in. Our duty is to present this information, and then allow people to make their own judgements on what they can and can’t do.

Moral Inconsistency

2009-05-29T10:10:00.002+01:00

Over the centuries, we have fought on many moral frontiers. Once upon a time, people thought it was OK to brutalise certain tribes and races. Some groups once propounded the philosophy that women had no souls and thus were inferior entities. In so many ways we have now overcome such ludicrous proposals and have recognised equality of humans regardless of gender, ethnic background, age or economic status.

The next moral frontier, however, concerns another species. People seem to think that because animals have a different type of body it’s justifiable to indiscriminately kill and enjoy them for our own pleasure. Brutal treatment of highly evolved mammals that experience complex emotions has become a common practice in modern society. It seems we are unable to link the cleanly packaged meat we find in fast food outlets and on supermarket shelves with the bloody and violent slaughterhouses from which they come.

We often treat our pets as well as our friends and families – we dress them, feed them, clothe them and even send them for manicures! If we go out and brutalise someone’s pet dog, the law will come crashing down on us for our inconsiderate and cruel acts. On the other hand, the vicious killing of millions of other animals is completely ignored. After playing with their pet dog someone just drives right over to the restaurant and orders a steak! This is the incredible moral inconsistency of the modern world.

A spiritualist tries to live in the most harmonious, natural, healthy and nonviolent way as possible. With World Vegetarian Week just gone, it may be worth considering our diet and the effect it has on the world, other living beings, and our own consciousness. George Bernard Shaw once commented, “While our bodies are the living graves of murdered animals, how can we expect any ideal conditions on earth?”

No Man's Land

2009-05-24T10:57:00.002+01:00

When we take to the spiritual path, we can often suffer from a lot of shame and guilt. As we take up spiritual life, with it goes high ideals and expectations in terms of thought, word and action. However, within us also remain the deep-rooted materialistic desires that we have developed over the years, many of which are opposed to spiritual ideals. Thus there is a moment-to-moment internal battle going on, a battle between what we feel impelled to do and what we know we should be doing.

We may walk away from the material world, philosophically recognizing the futility of the temporary pleasures that are on offer there. However, the spiritual world and all its fulfillment seem far away. Thus, aspiring spiritualists can find themselves stuck in a no man's land. It’s a place from which we look back at the world and materialistic life and think, 'I can't go back there', and a place from which we look ahead to spiritual life and think, 'I can't imagine I will ever get there'. So as pleasure-seeking entities, we become frustrated, neither enjoying material pleasure nor getting the higher taste of spiritual life. The ancient classic Mahabharata says that two types of people are happy: the first is the totally ignorant, and the second is the spiritually perfected. Anyone in between will feel unfulfilled to a greater or lesser degree.

However, for advancing spiritualists there is always incredible hope. They know that intense spiritual practice will purify their consciousness, free them from the bonds of selfishness, and allow them to experience the higher taste of spirituality. And sometimes, when the spiritualists do slip up, they feel guilt and shame at having failed. However, that shame and guilt does not debilitate them and stop them from advancing toward spiritual purity and bliss. To become hopeless in spiritual life is what a no man's land actually is, where one is haunted by guilt, yet cannot make progress. That is very painful to see, and it is something we should always help each other avoid.

(Special thanks to Tattvavit prabhu, one of our senior monks, who edited this post. His encouragement and inspiration has helped me continue my feeble attempts to write on the spiritual subject matter)

Learning Lessons for Life

2009-05-21T17:11:00.001+01:00

On Monday, two of our senior monks visited the pioneering ‘Krishna Avanti School’ in North West London, so I decided to tag along. It’s the first ever state-funded Hindu School in the UK, and I must say one of the most spiritually dynamic projects I have come across. Children from the age of 4 will be taught spiritual principles of tolerance, compassion, respect and devotion to God, alongside the standard national curriculum. As we met some of the young children, something amazing dawned upon me. Spirituality really requires that we become childlike again.

Children are extremely enthusiastic, inquisitive, non-duplicitous and eager to build friendships with others. When one’s heart is decorated with such qualities, divine insight and inspiration will automatically manifest. Within those children I saw amazing potential to show the world what a successful, honorable, open-minded and spiritual citizen would be like. The impressions of spirituality within the childlike consciousness run very deep. They are definitely learning lessons for life.

So what about us who are getting on in our lives (it was my 28th birthday last week :)? Well, we may not be able to physically transform into the body of a child, but if we can atleast develop the childlike approach it may serve us well. Instead of simply following society’s norms or blindly engaging in religious ritual, let us become inquisitive like the child – eager to learn more and go deeper in our understandings of spiritual philosophy, culture and practice. Instead of descending into diplomacy, politics and backbiting, let us become straightforward and non duplicitous like the child – enthusiastic to break free of our own superficialities, and also relate to others on a deeper level. Instead of shutting out others, becoming intolerant and dogmatic in our approach, let us learn to build bridges and friendships like the child – earnestly searching for unity in diversity.

Unconscious Incompetence

2009-05-17T17:38:00.002+01:00

We all make mistakes, and recently I was reflecting on being corrected by others. It’s easy to give good advice, but often very difficult to take good advice. As soon as somebody gives us feedback or criticism, the knee-jerk reaction is to defend ourselves, find fault in that person, and in some way justify how their comments are quite inaccurate and invalid. One who creates a shell around his persona, shutting the doors to good advice, will find it very difficult to overcome all the impurities in the heart. However, the spiritualist who is able to see divine instruction coming through all people, in all circumstances, is able to very quickly advance in the spiritual journey.

Last week I unnecessarily became angry at someone and wrongly accused them of something. I felt quite frustrated and disappointed with myself. Knowing the principles and qualities of a spiritualist, how could I allow myself to descend to that level? I thought I was a good natured, reasonable, noble person, but then I realized… I may be on the spiritual path, but I am definitely a ‘work in progress’.

Sometimes a pillow can look very clean, but as you strike it, clouds of dust start appearing. Similarly, as we practice spirituality with seriousness and sincerity, the gross and subtle imperfections within our own character become more and more apparent. Before we can remove the dust, the dust must surface. Thus, through observing our own character, and also being open to the observations of others, we can understand that we’re not perfect and must diligently engage in the spiritual process to become purified in character.

In psychology they talk of ‘Unconscious Incompetence’ – the idea that someone is acting improperly and is not even aware of it. One then progresses to the stage of ‘Conscious Incompetence’, where one has actually realized the problem and come to terms with it. From there, one makes a concerted effort to act in the proper way – this is known as ‘Conscious Competence’. Finally, the proper behavior becomes so ingrained in the consciousness, that one does it automatically. This perfected stage is known as ‘Unconscious Competence’.

Problem of Evil

2009-05-11T21:54:00.002+01:00

There are certain questions which always seem to pop up. In regard to the existence of God, a question that philosophers have pondered for centuries… ‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’ The Greek philosopher Epikouros, succinctly summarises the argument. Is God willing to prevent evil but not able... but then He is not Omnipotent. Is God able to prevent evil but not willing... but then He is not compassionate. Is God able and willing to prevent evil... but then why would evil exist? Maybe God is neither able nor willing... but then why call him God? So the question remains as to how suffering can coexist with the notion of a compassionate, all knowing and powerful God.

The ancient Vedas approach this dilemma by broadening our perspectives. The scriptures introduce the concepts of Reincarnation and Karma – the idea that this life is merely a chapter in our existence, and our situation is determined by activities and interactions in past lives. Our experiences in this life (both positive and negative) are meant to educate us about the nature of this world, and our true purpose here. What we experience is meant to help us uncover our real identity and yearning for spirituality, and sometimes that education may come in the form of distress and pain.

A child is often excited to touch different objects of interest, many of them quite dangerous. Once, a mother who was observing her child repeatedly trying to touch a moving fan used an ingenious technique to educate him. She turned the fan off, and when it was still moving fast enough to cause some pain, but slow enough to avoid any permanent damage, she allowed the child to put his hand in the fan and be hit. Feeling the pain, the child resolved never to do such a thing again, but simultaneously all his fingers were still intact!

Similarly, karmic pain and suffering helps to educate us without permanently damaging us – the soul (the self) is ultimately beyond the body and the mind and never becomes scarred by the misfortune of this world. These concepts are not meant to blame people for their own suffering or justify someone’s pain. They do, however, help us approach life’s challenges with a deeper perspective in mind. As one contemplates and reflects in hard times, rather than blaming others or slipping into dejection and hopelessness, one will experience amazing insight into the spiritual reality.

Distractions on the path

2009-05-07T17:51:00.003+01:00

One of our distinguished teachers explains that there are three major temptations in this world – temptations that can allure anyone at any stage of their spiritual evolution. In Sanskrit they are termed kanaka, kamini & pratistha. In English, these translate to wealth, the opposite sex, and position & prestige. All negative qualities like anger, greed, envy, criticism, pride, harshness and so on, generally have their roots in one of these desires.

A modern day spiritualist, however, will find it incredibly difficult to refrain from interacting with these three things. It is difficult even within a spiritual community, what to speak of the day-to-day world. However, when we are dealing with matters of money, interacting with the opposite sex and exercising power, influence and control over others, there must be great vigilance and caution. The moment we develop a mood of exploitation and enjoyment of these things, at that time our spirituality is lost, and we descend again into the material realm. Thus, spiritual life is like a tight rope - one must tread very carefully.

It is not that as one advances on the spiritual path, one can feel more security from these allurements. As one’s tree of spirituality grows, the roots of humility, gratitude and feeling of spiritual dependence must also grow deep, lest the tree may extend so big that it topples over. The real spiritualist is not a shooting star, but a pole star. I force myself to reflect on this again and again as I make some feeble attempt to remain on this wonderful and exciting path of spirituality.

One World One House

2009-05-04T19:45:00.002+01:00

I just returned from Amsterdam where we had a huge Hare Krishna procession for the annual Queensday festival. I’ve never seen such crowded streets in my whole life. As we weaved through the revelers, chanting the famous Hare Krishna mantra, everyone smiled, many sang along, and some enthusiastically danced with us without a care in the world. The chanting seemed to break the barriers of caste, creed or culture and penetrated their hearts on a much deeper level. As I observed our party – men, women, young, old, from all backgrounds economically, socially and politically – all chanting together in great joy, I realized that this really is the process that has the power to unite the world.

The world is desperately searching for the common ground we need for world peace and unity. The great saint Srila Prabhupada who founded this movement once walked by the United Nations building and remarked – “they call this the United Nations, but every time I come here there are more and more flags!” Without a spiritual foundation, we may at best manage some superficial unity and cooperation – but on a deeper level the division will remain.

Real peace and unity comes from seeing the spiritual equality of all beings. Such a vision destroys all racism, nationalism, ageism, sexism – even ‘species-ism’ (the idea that humans are superior to all other animals and can treat them in whatever way they want). Prabhupada was commended as “having built a house in which the whole world can live”. This house is not simply some physical building, but rather a house of profound spiritual consciousness. It’s a house which is centered around the Supreme Person, but not in a way that alienates or marginalizes any living being. It’s a house in which the chanting of the holy names is the activity which creates and sustains the spirituality. Most importantly, it’s a house open to any sincere spiritual searcher who wants to really find the essence in life.

24 Gurus - Ocean

2009-04-26T21:23:00.003+01:00

The mind of the spiritualist is compared to a great ocean. As the ocean is deep, the contemplations and thoughts of one on the spiritual path are also deep. As the ocean is clear, the spiritualist also has great clarity in his daily decisions and judgments. As the ocean is continually being filled by rivers but never overflows, similarly, the mind is constantly bombarded with various material desires but the spiritualist remains unaffected. This is quite amazing.

The rich man is not he who has the most, but he who needs the least. We may have an abundance of possessions, good reputation amongst our social circle, nice relationships with those around us, but if our desires are endless we will never feel satisfied. In the world we live in enough is never enough. We fill the internal void, by trying to accumulate and arrange externally.

Socrates was once in Athens when he passed a shop window. He stood there gazing intently at all the different items on display. This went on for a few hours. One man who had passed by a few times finally questioned the great philosopher. "Is there something you need - something I can get you? Maybe the shoes or those clothes?" Socrates replied to him - "No, No, I am simply amazed by seeing how many things there are here that I don't need!"

So next time one of those desires pop up in the mind, we may want to consider whether to take it seriously or not.

Head and Heart

2009-04-24T21:33:00.002+01:00

Krishna's words in the Bhagavad-gita really give you an insight into what kind of Person He is. At the conclusion of the text, He plainly states to Arjuna "Now I have imparted this knowledge to you, deliberate on it fully, and then do as you wish to do". That really stood out. Far from being the fanatical God you may be expecting, Krishna really wants people to make an informed choice about life. He presents philosophy and lifestyle that can bring one to another level of consciousness... but He also knows that it can't be forced upon anyone. You won't find Krishna using any of the age-old fear tactics here.

The Bhagavad-gita is rich in philosophy. It presents the Vedic worldview in an extremely logical and rational way. As one deliberates on this presentation one may well feel intellectually convinced and satisfied. However, spirituality is also an affair of the heart - it’s about developing a deep connection with the Supreme Person so that one actually experiences what they read about. Thus, in the Vedic literatures there is also a strong call to action. Krishna implores Arjuna “do as you wish to do”. ‘Do’ being the imperative word - apply and practice the great wisdom in day-to-day life.

So the head and the heart are both important factors in spiritual life. Simply philosophizing without any spiritual practice and deep connection does not nourish and enliven us. On the other hand, ritual and practice without proper understanding and rationale can descend into sentimentalism or mechanical religion. As one great teacher said, the aspiring spiritualist needs a cool head and a soft heart.

Are you a Buddhist?

2009-04-21T12:41:00.001+01:00

On numerous occasions, while walking in public with my saffron robes, I have been questioned "are you a Buddhist?" The Buddhist way of thought and action is definitely intriguing and attractive. If we explore the philosophies, there are many parallels between Buddhism and the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita. In fact, followers of the Vedic tradition understand Krishna (the speaker of Bhagavad-gita) to have incarnated as Buddha 2500 years ago.

In the Buddhist teachings we find particular emphasis on development of saintly qualities such as nonviolence, compassion, truthfulness and so on. We find many discussions on the nature of this world, and how the root of suffering lies in the powerful material desires within our hearts. The Buddha talked of karma, reincarnation, and transcending samsara (cycle of birth and death) through mind and sense control. All such teachings are also clearly elucidated in the Bhagavad-gita.

For the practitioners of Buddhism, nirvana, or cessation of material existence is the goal. However, this is where Krishna’s teachings in the Bhagavad-gita go a little further. In the ancient text, Krishna explains that relief from distress is an intermediate stage on the path, but that spirituality also evolves into positive emotion. As Buddhism focuses on escaping this material world, the Bhagavad-gita talks of entering the spiritual world, Vaikuntha, the place of no distress. But more than that, the place where every word is a song, every step is a dance, every action is selfless, and every relationship permeated by love.

Back to the future

2009-04-18T19:10:00.001+01:00

Ancient sages flying through space... giant bird carriers that talk... monkeys jumping from one country to another... a vast ocean of milk and honey... may sound like something from the Wizard of Oz. However, these are some of the accounts you find in the ancient Vedic literature. Many respond to these sections by calling them mythology, and rather appeal to the moral and philosophical lessons found in these ancient stories. However, the authorised teachers who commentate upon the Vedic scriptures explain that these are all real entities, real objects and real events. But can we really believe that?

To determine reality simply upon what we can directly perceive is extremely irrational. Have we personally been to Mars? Have we even been to Ecuador? Have we ever seen a blue whale? If the answer is no, is the next logical step to call these things mythology and reject their existence outright? Human beings have direct contact with an extremely minute portion of the creation, and of that we can only perceive a fraction. How accurate can our judgements on the expansive universe really be?

One hundred years ago, if you told someone about blue tooth, Concorde and modern-day hospital technology, it may have sounded like fantasy and fairytale. Different generations have their own limited grasp of reality. The Vedas explain that people of the previous ages were of a different calibre - they had advanced spiritual technology and different bodily abilities. Their activities and inventions may sound quite extraordinary... but it doesn't make them any less real.

Blind faith... Blind doubt...

2009-04-14T18:10:00.001+01:00

In our modern world, we have many different terms which act as subtle put downs for practitioners of religion or spirituality. Recently someone referred to me as a 'man of faith'. I thought that was quite interesting. Factually speaking, everyone in this world has faith in something - without it you couldn't function as a progressive being. If we refuse to place our faith in a spiritual tradition, we simply repose it elsewhere.

In a recent conversation with the same person I expressed that there have been numerous archaelogical findings over the last century that are severely challenging our understanding of the history of humankind. His response? He didn't ask what the research was, who conducted it, when it was discovered, how reliable it is and how he could find out more. Rather, he categorically denied the claim, making sweeping statements that such evidence couldn't possibly exist. People are very cautious not to blindly believe in anything - but isn't such a demonstration of blind doubt just as dangerous?

The fact is, blind anything is bad. To accept or reject something are both acts that should be performed with correct intelligence and discrimination. In todays world certain theories and worldviews are accepted as irrefutable, undisputed scientific fact, whereas anything which smells of spirituality is treated with incredible suspicion and doubt from the very onset. We may be very careful not to blindy believe, but invaluable wisdom, knowledge and insight into the world may be missed due to the tendency towards blind doubt.

Looking for the right thing... in the wrong place...

2009-04-10T16:39:00.003+01:00

I met a young professional working in the city a few days ago. We got to know about each others life, and as I explained my journey into the monastic order I could see a quite intense expression on his face. It was almost as if he was psychoanalysing me! After some time he asked - "You had such great opportunities - why did you take to the life of a monk? Was it some frustration, a bad experience in the world or some lacking in your relationships? What was missing?". Of course he was very tactful, carefully avoiding any condescending tone, but I could see his genuine intrigue.

The word he used was quite interesting - frustration. Frustration arises When you never seem able to achieve what you want, but there is enough of a glimpse to keep you going . The ancient Vedic scriptures like Bhagavad-gita often use this word to describe the world we live in. In our attempts for real, lasting, deep happiness we are often frustrated.

To categorically claim there is no pleasure in this world would be a little far fetched and unreasonable. A holiday to the sunny, peaceful, exotic island we always dreamed of, the job promotion we worked so hard for, recognition for our achievements and some appreciation from others - all such things undoubtedly bring pleasure to our lives. At the same time, the suffering and pain of this world is undeniable - disease, conflict, relationship breakdown, and ultimately the duality of experiencing some concomitant bad reaction with most types of pleasure.

How then do we react to the duality of this world, the happiness and distress that seem to go hand in hand. On one hand, we can respond by simply accepting the rough with the smooth, the good with the bad. Yes, there is suffering in this world, and there's not much we can do about it. Just knuckle down, work hard and have enough free time in your life to do the things you really like. Take out life insurance, build up a healthy savings account, and just hope that too many bad things don't come your way.

The other reaction is of the person who fails to accept suffering as an inevitable reality. "My nature is to be happy, but distress is forced upon me" the person thinks. "Why is that? Why should I face suffering even though I don't want it? Is there some problem with my fundamental principles of life? Is it possible to exist free of this pain?". These are the people who explore the spiritual path - questioning whether the root of suffering is something more than simply nature's arrangement. So I guess I did take to spirituality because I was frustrated. Frustrated with accepting unnatural conditions of life, and determined to at least explore if there was some practical path to a more fulfilled life.

A man drops his keys in a dark street. He walks 100 metres down the road and under the bright street lamp frantically starts looking for them. An onlooker observes the scene and questions the man as to why he is looking here and not down the road where he actually dropped the keys. "There is no light over there" the man replies. Quite illogical. Similarly in our frantic search for happiness and pleasure, we often default to the path which seems to bring instant enjoyment, the path that everyone else seems to be taking, the path which is most accessible. But maybe deep satisfaction is to be found somewhere else - somewhere different from the well illuminated path of material prosperity.

Materialism, according to the Bhagavad-gita does not simply mean the greedy desire for more money, more possessions, more fame and so on. It is a path based on the conception that if we adjust things external to us, then we will find happiness. Who knows, maybe we are looking for the right thing... but in the wrong place... maybe happiness really lies within - a simple statement, with an extremely profound purport.

24 Gurus - The Tree

2009-04-08T19:03:00.004+01:00

In the ancient classic Srimad-Bhagavatam, we find a captivating narration between a king and a wandering holy man. Upon seeing the saintly person the king could immediately recognise his spiritual advancement and inquired as to who his teacher (guru) was. The holy man explained that his great fortune in life was to have the instruction of 24 different gurus. His guru's, however, were quite unconventional - they consisted of objects and entities that we find in the world around us.

The first guru the holy man talks of is the tree. Trees are exploited and maltreated in so many ways. Animals relieve themselves around trees, humans forge their signatures in trees and then cut them down for various purposes, numerous insects take their residence in the tree and feed off them for their sustenance. Despite all such inconvenience, the tree still indiscriminately provides cooling shelter to all, life giving fruits, fragrant flowers and essential medicinal extracts.

In this way we see the great qualities of tolerance and selfless, unmotivated service to others. Ultimately, we earn our living by what we receive, but we earn a life by what we give to others. The tolerant tree yields a wonderful example to us of how to always serve despite all obstacles and seeming lack of appreciation from others. It is this selfless service that will bring us deep satisfaction and fulfilment, and such an approach will certainly bring about a spiritual transformation in the lives of those we come in contact with.

In my opinion

2009-04-02T17:41:00.004+01:00

I recently had an email exchange with someone that went on for some time. After a few letters the person, seeming quite frustrated, demanded "tell me what YOUR views are - all your emails simply quote scriptures and teachers - don't you have any opinions of your own?"

For every subject in which we are inexperienced we seek help from a teacher. Using our discrimination and good judgement we seek out someone who is competent and knowledgeable and then faithfully study under them. Thereafter we continue with our exploration of the subject often quoting our teachers and referring back to the lessons they taught us.

The same applies for life. We can generously overrate our own experience and knowledge about life - even the insights of someone who has been in this world for 70 or 80 years may not be deep enough in and of themselves. We take help from scriptures and the saintly persons who have assimilated and understood those scriptures, and use that as a basis for our judgement. That doesn't mean we lose our personality, discrimination or personal opinion. We have a solid worldview based on the ancient wisdom, and within that framework use our intelligence to understand how to apply such principles and relate them to a modern day context. Far from being limiting such wisdom allows us to break free of common opinion, and blindly following the trends of modern society and the masses.

Whether we cite our sources or not, everybody is forming opinions and ideas based on different influences - from popstars to politicians, and from the media to our mothers. As spiritual aspirants, we follow an ancient Sanskrit principle entitled sastra caksus - seeing life through the eyes of the scriptures. We form our opinions around that.

Rising before the sun

2009-03-26T20:48:00.002Z

I am staying in Leicester for one week. My schedule has slightly changed so I am trying to rise around 3am everyday and study the scriptures till 5am. I then do my personal meditation till 7am. To begin the day by focusing on the highest principles of living and reminding myself of the ultimate purpose of existence is absolutely essential.

The morning hours are extremely precious for any spiritual aspirant. On a practical level the environment is quiet and peaceful, and also the body is refreshed after a good nights rest. Most importantly, the mind is less distracted and one will find it much easier to access the higher intelligence and consciousness. Try driving a car to central London at 8.00am in the morning and no doubt you'll get stuck in all kinds of traffic jams. Then drive the same route at 5am and it will be a straight road through.

With the rude awakening of the alarm, the body screams and the mind protests, but we learn to ignore immediate comfort and strive to diligently utilise the early hours everyday. Thus we gradually work away at all the impurities in the heart namely lust, anger, greed, envy and pride. As the dripping water wears away the rock, as the hair imperceptibly grows longer day by day, in the same way we make sure and steady progress by daily focusing on our spiritual practices, preferably rising before the sun.

My Inspiration

2009-03-19T17:54:00.001Z

Sometimes people ask me what convinced me about the spiritual path. I have to say, the philosophy made sense, the people were nice, spiritual life seemed exciting - all of this helped, but it was something else that really touched my heart. One fine day, I read the biography of Srila Prabhupada (the founder of ISKCON)... it literally brought tears to my eyes. How much could I know of God and the spiritual reality from my limited vantage point. However, in Srila Prabhupada I found incredible spiritual depth and devotion that I could relate to. I realised this was the life of an incredible person.

Srila Prabhupada was followed at every step, most hours of the day, constantly being observed and watched. Never was he found to be superficial, harsh or hypocritical. All his lectures, correspondence and conversations were recorded and disseminated. There is no trace of contradiction or inconsistency in his message. Over 30 years after his passing away, millions find inspiration in his life, understanding the extraordinary relevance and importance of the message he came with. To read of his sacrifice, his selflessness and incredible determination in giving spirituality to others truly inspired me. I felt impelled to make some humble attempt to reciprocate with that.

They say you can cheat some people for all time, and all people for sometime, but you can't cheat all people for all time. As the scriptures are said to be amalam ('spotless'), we understand the living embodiment of the scriptures to similarly be spotless in character.

As a famous vaisnava (devotee of Krishna) poet writes: he reasons ill who tells that vaisnavas die when they art living in sound - they die to live, and living they spread the holy name around.

Institutionalised

2009-03-06T18:07:00.002Z

Take a bird that has lived in a cage for a long time. You can take it to a field, open the door, let it out, but the chances are it will fly back into the cage. We see prisoners who commit suicide or re-offend simply because they cannot live life in the outside world after so many years behind the bars. With the great offer of freedom also comes a great fear and inhibition.

The Bhagavad-gita explains how living entities have become institutionalised in the material world. After our sojourn for so many lifetimes, it seems hard to break free of materialistic desires, goals and aspirations. To go against the grain and make a declaration of 'no faith' in materialism is definitely the path less traversed.

It takes great courage and strength to practice spirituality in an age where materialism is at fever pitch. For the aspiring spiritualist, temptations are endless, criticisms are abundant and obstacles are plenty. Yet with enthusiasm, patience and great determination the fruits are incredibly sweet.

Higher Dimensional Science

2009-02-24T19:50:00.003Z

In a recent discussion somebody posed an interesting question: "How can you be sure of the integrity and antiquity of the Bhagavad-gita? Could it not be a man-made scripture?"

From historical linguistics we can tell that ancient Sanskrit texts are very old. We know they are not man-made by the subtleties and nuances of the conversations and descriptions. It would be impossible to cover such large topics, in great detail over many many books, and still remain consistent and comprehensible. It just wouldn't be possible according to the capacity of the human brain.

But that still doesn't prove much. The ultimate proof is in the spiritual science the Gita outlines. There is a certain hypothesis about life, a process by which one can directly perceive such truths... and hopefully an observation where one actually experiences it. Whereas some spiritual paths seem to culminate in faith - the Gita starts with faith, and then moves onto higher dimensional science.

Rewind... Play... Fast Forward...

2009-02-18T12:47:00.000Z

The other day, I was calculating how much time I spend in the 'past'. Often we reflect on times of laughter, recognition and happiness, or lament over mistakes, lost opportunities and bad decisions. Very little of this time has anything to do with progressing our future. Its all just 'mental time'.

Then I was considering how much time I spend in the 'future'. Visions of success, fame, and respect from others, or fears over obstacles, conflicts and threats to our own comfort. Most of this time is simply hallucination, or worry over things that will probably never happen.

Then I reflected on how much I live in the present. There wasnt really much time left at all. It seems that when we feel some vacuum in our life, some lacking, then we look to the past and future as sources of comfort. All the while we fail to relish life and the wonderful experiences and interactions we are going through everyday. The self-realised souls are completely free from lamentation over the past and hankering for the future, and instead are completely satisfied in the present.

One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. - Bhagavad-gita 18.54

Religious Extremes

2009-02-13T14:24:00.005Z

We had an interesting ice breaker at SOAS last week. I asked everyone to introduce themselves and also cite a piece of wisdom that has guided their life. It was amazing to see how universal spiritual ideas and concepts are, spanning cultures across the world.

One religious extreme we often come across is the idea that there is only one way. The idea that spirituality and God consciousness can only be experienced through a certain path and practice. Seeing so many spiritually advanced people from so many diverse traditions, such ideas never made much sense. How can one tradition have a monopoly over all spirituality? God, thankfully, is not a religious fanatic.

The other extreme, however, is to see all traditions as completely identical. Proponents claim that it doesn't matter what you follow, since everyone will end up in the same place eventually. This 'new age' approach may do wonders for PR, but logically and philosophically has no foundation. We clearly see differences in terms of detailed knowledge of the spiritual reality.

The Vedas outline that there is a unity in diversity. If one is able to go beyond ritualistic, cultural and often superficial differences between religious teachings, at the very essence of each message is the same core principles. However, there is a progression of thought amongst these traditions, each with a different emphasis, and each approaching God with varying levels of intimacy.

Emotional Issues?

2009-02-07T18:31:00.006Z

You may have seen the latest ad campaign. Seeing people passionately assert and preach atheism has always baffled me. The idea that we die forever, that there is nothing more than this and that life ultimately has no spiritual value... they basically condemn themselves to complete NONEXISTENCE yet are very inspired and enthusiastic to talk about it. Maybe its just me, but it all seems a bit strange.

To logically prove or disprove God is very difficult – yet people fervently hold themselves to the atheistic viewpoint which provides no tangible benefit. This can only be out of some emotional issue and predisposition to deny God in any shape or form. No offence, but it almost seems stubborn and irrational.

Lets take out all the failings of religion. Lets forget all the hypocrisy and ritualism in the name of God. Lets forget all those fire and brimstone sermons aimed at inciting fear in the people. Lets forget our anxieties of everything that we'd 'miss out on' if God really did exist and we had to follow him. For a moment, lets just look at the world rationally as a neutral observer. Atleast as a working hypothesis, would it not be fair to assume there is some intelligence behind it?