Ancient Indian Civilization

Dealing with bullying Gurus We all rightfully look to our devotee community to be a safe place, a retreat into relationships that support, encourage, and challenge us. The family of Krishna comes to worship together and live life together as we work for the mission of the Prabhupad—to spread the message of Lord Chaitanya and welcome conditioned souls. We find grace, forgiveness, and hope. However, not all of us experience such a utopia. What happens when we are betrayed by the very devotee community whom we trust? We become deeply wounded, jaded, and confused. This is true when in any family abuse goes unchecked. Perpetrators in the devotee community hide behind spirituality and can blindside us. These perpetrators can even be preachers and managers in the community. They are actually representatives of Hiranyakashipu, trying to inflict pain upon innocent devotees like Prahalad. How do we deal with these spiritual bullies? I have identified four bu...

Don't steal away the credit. It is customary for many saints in India to start their discourse by offering prayers to their Guru and considering their abilities to do something good as an empowerment from the Guru. However, sometimes this ritual of offering prayers to Guru looses its substance and preachers start personally feeding on the praises, respect and favors of the disciples, followers etc. This is alas a very sorry situation not only for the followers but also for the preacher. What he considers as a part of his seva to Guru and sadhana becomes a part of his sense gratification and degradation. It was a part of tradition in the traditional Gurukulas that Brahmacharies would go and beg alms and whatever they get , they would deposit it to their Guru and lived happily on whatever Guru gave to them. They never personally cooked anything for themselves and put efforts to maintain themselves independently. Similarly, a sadhaka even when he preaches he does the gyan ...

Tomara charana, Loilu sarana Tomara charana, Loilu sarana means complete dissolution of ego and identifying oneself as the servant of Krishna alone and no other identity and being completely desireless and see the service of Charan as his only occupation. Now this service of charan is different from a person taking sharan of various ministers and persons in high post and then trying to dominate over other persons by dint of their relationship with ministers and taking undue advantage of people at his level or lower levels. In taking sharana of supreme Ishwar, this doesn’t happens like this. Because, he is personally present in each of his part and parcel and offending any of his part and parcels is directly affecting the relationship with Krishna. There is a verse in Bhagwatam quoted by Kapila Muni—- Some people do lot of worship of me in temple but outside the temple they deceive and kill their own brothers, then I am not pleased with them. Actually, these mi...

Tomara Kinkora Ami Relationship between master and servant is of very intimate nature in context of bhartiya culture. Servant is kept under complete care of svami and swami takes care of his sevaak as his own body part. There are code of ethics and nitis about how to deal with servants. Isavasyam idddam sarvam . Everything is property of Krishna and therefore when something is given as our property, it is a gift from Krishna. Actually relationship with Krishna is of very intimate nature. There are also verses in Bhagwatam telling that those who are protected by Krishna can’t be offended even by ferocious animals, diseases as well as powerful dacoits what to say of others. Such is the strong shield and security one receives on identifying himself as Kinkora ami. Servants are never humiliated for their low status by a dharmic swamis and if by chance swami humilitates a servant due to his low status, he becomes implicated in karma by higher powers. Krishna is the creato...

True renunciation vs Falgu Vairagya -Alienation from family and artificial detachment In the path of devotional service to Krishna,  the goal is to realize one's eternal position and identity as a speck at the lotus feet of the supreme Lord Krishna. However, there are attempts to artificially discard one's all temporary identities as son, husband, citizen etc and just affirm one's eternal identity of being the servant of the God. Sometimes in order to affirm this identity, a person resorts to escapist mindset and artificially leaves his family members and takes to robes of sadhu or takes to living in a matha away from the family. Some times it is also said by such persons that meeting with one's family members and spending time with them is harmful for one's spiritual practice as it reinforces one's identification with temporary designations. However, one thing is sure that there is a difference between affection and entanglement. Affection is a state...