Seek Positives

See Positives In Every Situation By Radhanath Swami Posted on May 01, 2015 at 07:16 pm Comments 23 | 3060 Views Radhanath Swami exhorts us to take the route of bhakti to Self-realisation If we objectively look at the world today — study newspapers, magazines, statistics — there is really a lot to be depressed about: the pollution, the way people treat each other with so much rudeness, selfishness, and so much egotism. There is a lot of evil in this world, a lot of darkness and cruelty, too. There is terrorism. There is crime. There are so many terrible diseases. There is so much poverty. There are earthquakes. There are droughts. There are floods. There are massive forest fires. There is a lot to be depressed about if you look at the world as it is. Now, how does an ostrich deal with crises? When the lion comes to eat the ostrich, the ostrich runs, and when he sees the lion coming up behind him, he digs a hole in the ground and puts his head in the ground. He thinks, ‘Now I am safe.’ And the rabbit? When the fox is coming to eat the rabbit, he closes his eyes and he just forgets the fox is there. But the fact is the lion is about to eat the ostrich and the fox is about to eat the rabbit. Closing your eyes or putting your head in a hole in the ground is not going to change situations. So people in the world today, either they just do not want to hear about the problems of the world, or they just dig their hole in the ground in the form of television or some sports event. ‘Whatever… just forget it all.’ Television is very popular. Sporting events are very popular. Usually, people take those things so seriously because they just want to forget the perplexities, the complexities and the frustrations of life. It is a way of sticking your head in the ground or closing your eyes. Arjuna, when faced with severe perplexity, could not close his eyes or stick his head in the ground. He had to face the reality as it was, and he became severely depressed. If a clinical psychologist were to read the Bhagwad Gita, and read the symptoms of Arjuna, he would say, “This man really needs some medications.” Arjuna was shaking. His bow fell from his hand and his dark complexion turned white. His mouth dried up and tears were brimming in his eyes. He was in a hopeless state. He was depressed. Then he decided, “Krishna, I am not going to stay on this battlefield. I am not going to face this crisis. I am going to the mountains. Better I just renounce everything and negate the problems altogether. Then I will be at peace.” But negation of the negative is not the best solution. What does Krishna teach Arjuna in the Bhagwad Gita? He taught him bhakti. What is bhakti? Bhakti encompasses the elements of jnana or knowledge and vairagya or detachment. Krishna told Arjuna, “Do not be depressed. Do not just artificially close your eyes and escape the problems of life. Do not run away and negate them. See the positive opportunity that you have in this situation and work accordingly.” That is the teaching of the Bhagwad Gita. Do your work for the welfare of others in a spirit of compassion with complete consciousness of your relationship with God. That is what the Bhagwad Gita is all about.

Hindu Concept Of Creation

The Hindu Concept of Creation By Gyan Rajhans Posted on Yesterday at 08:25 pm Comments 2 | 115 Views There are quite a few differences in the Vedic and Puranic scriptures in the explanations about the origin of the universe. But the ultimate conclusion about creation is the same. Science estimates the universe to be 10 - 20 billion years old. American astrophysicist, Dr. Carl Sagan notes “The Hindu religion is the only one of the world’s great faiths dedicated to the idea that the cosmos itself undergoes an immense infinite number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion where the time scales correspond to those of modern scientific cosmology. A millennium before Europeans were willing to divest themselves of the biblical idea that the world was a few thousand years old, the Hindu were thinking of billions.” First the Vedas, mainly the Yajurveda says that all threads come off the spider, as little sparks come out of the fire, so all the senses, all the worlds, all the gods, all beings issue forth from the Self. The Yajurveda also says, “This universe is a tree eternally existing, its root aloft, its branches spread below, the pure root of the tree is Brahman, the immortal, in whom the three worlds have there been, whom none can transcend, who is verily the Self." The Yajurveda further says, “God who in the mystery of His vision and power transforms His white radiance in many coloured creations from whom all things come and into whom all return." The Yajurveda goes on, "Without beginning, thou art, beyond time, beyond space. Thou art He from whom sprang the three worlds”. The Vedanta philosophy says, “The universe exists in an endless cycle of creation, preservation, and destruction. There is no absolute end to the world; neither is there a duality of God and world, but a unity”. The modern scientists believe in the “big bang theory” of creation. Dissolution of the universe is the same process working in reverse. This cycle of changes may keep on repeating known as the pulsating universe theory. In the Upanishads, the story of the cycle of creation is very close to the picture drawn by the modern scientist. They say, “In the beginning there was Brahman and nothing else. There was no matter or energy, no space or time, and no natural laws. Brahman was nirgun (it had no attributes), so it could not be perceived. Brahman expanded and matter and food were born. From matter arose life and mind, the five elements and the world. All these got into a state of intense activity and change. The result was the universe”. Then, Brahman retired to His dormant Self, this is called Sarga (or primary creation). Sarga was followed by Visarga (secondary creation). It proceeds according to the laws laid down. This is what would be referred to as evolution. Since Brahman pervaded everything, and its creative powers came into play as changes followed one another, new names and forms are being brought out. Then at some stage, under the same set of laws, the dissolution of the universe takes place. Matter and energy, space and time, and all the elements of life merge again with Brahman. This whole cycle is called Kalpa. In due course, Kalpa follows Kalpa and everything repeats itself. Here, one discovers a new unity which was not seen before. The old Kalpa and the new pulsating universe theories are clearly one and the same. The words of Adishankara sum up the entire teachings of the Upanishads as: Brahman is the reality, the world is unreal, and the Atman is Brahman itself. Unreal means anything which is not eternal but is transient, which has a limited life - long or short. Hindus believe that the universe is without beginning (Anadi) and without end (Anant). It is the inherent nature of the universe to evolve, devolve, and revolve eternally in cycles of creation, dissolution and recreation. Thus, in Hindu religion there is no such thing as the initial creation. The creation is eternal and proceeds in cycles. Whenever the words ‘beginning’ and ‘end’ are used in Hindu scriptures, they simply mean the beginning and end of a particular cycle. According to the Manu Smriti, each cycle of creation is divided into four Yugas (ages of the world). Satyuga (the golden age), Tretayuga (silver age), Dwaparyuga (copper age), Kaliyuga (iron age). Each cycle of creation begins with Satyuga, evolves through Tretayuga and Dwaparyuga and ends with Kaliyuga. Satyuga is the age of bliss and virtue, as the human intellect is very powerful and able to grasp and obey the spiritual laws underlying the operation of the universe. The spiritual knowledge diminishes and universal chaos increases as the creation evolves from the Satyuga to the Kaliyuga. The total duration of one cycle of the four Yugas is 12000 divine years or 4.32 million human years and is called Mahayuga. One thousand Mahayugas comprise one Kalpa. At the end of one Kalpa, the universe is dissolved by Pralaya (meaning cosmic dissolute or natural disaster). It must be noted that the cosmic dissolute, apparent death and destruction at the end of Kalpa is not a permanent destruction. Cosmic dissolute is a link between the end of one Kalpa and the beginning of the next one, in an endless process of cyclic creation. We are currently in Kaliyuga, which began around 3100 BCE. The Hindu notion of time is cyclic and is different from the Western notion of time, which is unidirectional implying a one time beginning.

Insignificant work

Harih om, sharing this beautiful story originally posted on Hindu Human Rights website: :) 

___________
When in order to reach Lanka, Shri Rama was getting a bridge built over the Indian Ocean, millions of members of the monkey army were gathering large stones and mountains for the construction. When the monkeys were busy constructing the bridge, a little squirrel busied itself in carrying small pebbles to the site of construction. It would run and carry small pebbles in its mouth and empty them at the place where huge stones were being assembled. The squirrel’s small size wasnot a deterrent to its devotion. A band of monkeys noticed this unusual behavior and tossed the squirrel out in an act of mockery.

Their apparent cruelty turned out to be an act of blessing, a blessing seldom secured by even the greatest of gods, for the squirrel landed straight into the hands of the Bhagavan Himself. [What a beautiful lesson this is. When the world tosses us out, the Ishvara’s ever-protecting hands are always ready to save us.]

The ever-merciful Rama asked the squirrel, “What is it that you were trying to accomplish, my child?” The meek creature humbly replied, “Bhagavan, I am very small in size and I cannot carry big rocks, but I was very eager to contribute to your cause and was therefore carrying these small pebbles in my mouth. I did not want to lose this opportunity to serve you and so I tried performing service in a manner that befits my size, strength, and abilities.”,Listening to this,

Shri Rama remarked, “Blessed be the little squirrel. She is doing her work to the best of her ability. Therefore, she is quite as great as the greatest of you. Never despise those that are not as strong as you. What truly matters is not the strength one has, but the love and devotion with which one works.” Then he gently stroked the squirrel on the back, and it is believed that the marks of Rama’s three fingers are still seen on the Indian squirrel’s back.
http://www.hinduhumanrights.info/devotion-of-the-squirrel/

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Don't find faults

Don't Find Faults In Others.
(Please read this story - it can save you from lot of troubles!)

Once there was a king who distributed food to the brahmana's.
One day, as he was giving out food to the priests, an eagle flew above holding a dead snake in his claws. Out of the mouth of the dead snake fell a drop of poison into the food that the king was distributing.

No one knew or saw that this had happened, so the king continued distributing the food.

The Brahmin who accidentally got the poisoned food from king died, and the king was feeling very sad about it.

One of the servants of Yamaraja (God of death) who has the service to distribute karma to the living beings has a problem. When this incident with the king and the poisoned food happened, however, he did not know who to give the karma to.

After all, it was not the eagle's fault that it carried the dead snake in its claws (since this was its food), nor was it the dead's snake fault, nor was it the king's fault because he did not know that the poison fell into the food.

However one day, few other brahmanas entered the kingdom in order to meet the king.

A lady was sitting next to the road and they asked her: "Do you know where the king's palace is and how we can get there?"

She said: "Yes," and pointed at the right direction. "But, be very careful," she said, "The king is known to kill brahmanas!"

The moment she said that and criticized the king un-rightfully, that moment the servant of Yamaraja has decided. He gave her the karma of killing the death brahmana!

Moral of the story:
If you criticize anyone and you are right about their deeds, you get half of their bad karma.
But, if you criticize someone and you are not right about their deeds, then you get 100% of their karma.

This story can inspire us to be careful about what we think or say about other people surrounding us.

Words

// WORDS \\\ Words are like seeds of a plant or flower. Once you speak it, they take root and grow and produce fruits of the same kind. You can't speak words of defecation and failure and expect to love in victory. When you speak negative words you allow the enemy to defeat you first in your mind, then it gives birth to what you believe by speaking it. That's why it is important that you have a vision if victory in your mind. Some people always say negative things over their life. They always cutting themselves with their own words, and doesn't realize it that their own words allow the enemy to slowly steal their confidence and slowly steal their self esteem. Don't use your mouth for the wrong purpose, if you do, then you are putting your self in the enemy territory. The key to victory is to use the obstacles as opportunity for advancement. The struggle you are facing has the ability to ascent to a new level. There are tremendous power on words. JAI SHRI KRISHNA.

Why did Lord Rama abandon Sita Devi

Why did Lord Rama  
Question: In the Ramayana, when Sita was wrongly accused by a washerman, why did Lord Rama banish her?

Answer: Firstly, Lord Rama never banished mother Sita. Sita

Banishment implied being evicted out of the kingdom into the forest without any arrangements for food, clothing or shelter.

That was what happened to Lord Rama when he was banished by his step-mother, Kaikeyi.

But Lord Rama asked Lakshmana to escort Sita to the hermitage of the sage Valmiki, where the venerable sage received her with a respectful aarti (worship) and the elderly lady-hermits lovingly cared for her.

As the hermitage was in thekingdomofLord Ramaand under his protection, it’s entirely incorrect to say that the Lord banished Sita, for the Lord indirectly arranged for her food, clothing, shelter and care.

Now we may ask: why did the Lord sent Sita out of his own palace into the hermitage?

To understand the answer, we need to appreciate the values held sacred by the Vedic culture that the Ramayana demonstrates.

The Vedic culture considers all relationships and all positions as opportunities for sacred service, service to God and to all his children.

When Lord Rama heard the accusations being leveled against his consort, this situation constituted an ethical crisis.

In an ethical crisis, one has two choices, both moral, unlike in a moral crisis, when one has two choices, one moral and the other, immoral.

To resolve an ethical crisis, one needs profound wisdom to recognize the higher moral principle and adjust the lower moral principle accordingly. So, through this incident,

Lord Rama, who was God incarnate playing the role of an ideal human being, taught us how to wisely resolve ethical crises.

As an ideal husband, the Lord was duty-bound to protect his wife.

But as the ideal king, he was also duty-bound to exemplify and teach his citizens, whom he loved like his own children, the path to spiritual advancement.

Ordinarily, people are very attached materially to spouse, children, house, wealth.

So, the king is duty-bound to demonstrate to his citizens the principle of detachment so that they become inspired toward detachment and thus make spiritual advancement.

That’s why Lord Rama considered his duty as an ideal king more important than as the ideal husband and so sacrificed his love for his wife for the sake of his love for his children (citizens). But he didn’t abandon his duty as a husband; he thoughtfully did that duty by transferring Sita from his direct care in the palace to his indirect care in the hermitage.

Mother Sita, understanding the heart of her Lord, gracefully accepted her part in his sacrifice. Unfortunately, all of us, for whose sake he did this glorious sacrifice, fail to appreciate him.

God Gives Advice Through Other People

“The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray.”
Chapter 9. The Most Confidential Knowledge
TEXT 1
sri-bhagavan uvaca
idam tu te guhyatamam
pravaksyamy anasuyave
jnanam vijnana-sahitam
yaj jnatva moksyase 'subhat

SYNONYMS

sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; idam--this; tu--but; te--unto you; guhya-tamam--the most confidential; pravaksyami--I am speaking; anasuyave--to the nonenvious; jnanam--knowledge; vijnana--realized knowledge; sahitam--with; yat--which; jnatva--knowing; moksyase--be released; asubhat--from this miserable material existence.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Lord said: My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you this most secret wisdom, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence.
PURPORT

As a devotee hears more and more about the Supreme Lord, he becomes enlightened. This hearing process is recommended in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: "The messages of the Supreme Lord are full of potencies, and these potencies can be realized if topics regarding the Supreme Godhead are discussed amongst devotees. This cannot be achieved by the association of mental speculators or academic scholars, for it is realized knowledge."
The devotees are constantly engaged in the Supreme Lord's service. The Lord understands the mentality and sincerity of a particular living entity who is engaged in Krsna consciousness and gives him the intelligence to understand the science of Krsna in the association of the devotees.

Discussion of Krsna is very potent, and if a fortunate person has such association and tries to assimilate the knowledge, then he will surely make advancement toward spiritual realization.

Lord Krsna, in order to encourage Arjuna to higher and higher elevation in His potent service, describes in this Ninth Chapter matters more confidential than any He has already disclosed.
The very beginning of Bhagavad-gita, the First Chapter, is more or less an introduction to the rest of the book; and in the Second and Third chapters, the spiritual knowledge described is called confidential.

Topics discussed in the Seventh and Eighth chapters are specifically related to devotional service, and because they bring enlightenment in Krsna consciousness, they are called more confidential. But the matters which are described in the Ninth Chapter deal with unalloyed, pure devotion. Therefore this is called the most confidential.

One who is situated in the most confidential knowledge of Krsna is naturally transcendental; he therefore has no material pangs, although he is in the material world. In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu it is said that although one who has a sincere desire to render loving service to the Supreme Lord is situated in the conditional state of material existence, he is to be considered liberated. Similarly, we shall find in the Bhagavad-gita, Tenth Chapter, that anyone who is engaged in that way is a liberated person.

Now this first verse has specific significance. Knowledge (idam jnanam) refers to pure devotional service, which consists of nine different activities: hearing, chanting, remembering, serving, worshiping, praying, obeying, maintaining friendship and surrendering everything. By the practice of these nine elements of devotional service one is elevated to spiritual consciousness, Krsna consciousness.

At the time when one's heart is cleared of the material contamination, one can understand this science of Krsna.

Simply to understand that a living entity is not material is not sufficient. That may be the beginning of spiritual realization but one should recognize the difference between activities of the body and spiritual activities by which one understands that he is not the body.

In the Seventh Chapter we have already discussed the opulent potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His different energies, the inferior and superior natures, and all this material manifestation. Now in Chapters Nine and Ten the glories of the Lord will be delineated.

The Sanskrit word anasuyave in this verse is also very significant. Generally the commentators, even if they are highly scholarly, are all envious of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Even the most erudite scholars write on Bhagavad-gita very inaccurately. Because they are envious of Krsna, their commentaries are useless. The commentaries given by devotees of the Lord are bona fide.

No one can explain Bhagavad-gita, or give perfect knowledge of Krsna if he is envious. One who criticizes the character of Krsna without knowing Him is a fool. So such commentaries should be very carefully avoided.

For one who understands that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the pure and transcendental Personality, these chapters will be very beneficial.

God speaks to you through friends and family, particularly if they are believers.  “The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray”.

We all have blind spots. You have things in your life that you’re never going to see that need to be corrected, so God puts people around you to tell you the truth. Everybody needs somebody in their life who loves them enough to tell them the truth.

Do you have anybody like that in your life?
Do you have godly friends who don’t just tell you what you want to hear but love you enough to level with you and say, “You know what?

You’re blowing it right now. You’re making a big mistake. You’re full of pride. You’re going the wrong direction”?

None of us see it all clearly. I’ve got about a dozen people in my life who have permission to get in my face and say, “I don’t care if you are the pundit od Maha Rudra Dev Mandir of — you’re blowing this. You’re wrong.

Have you ever thought about ‘this’?” If you don’t have anybody in your life who loves you enough to do that, you need to find them......

You also need to be that kind of person for someone else.

Are you a friend like that to anybody? If you just let people get away with it when you see them going in the wrong direction and you don’t say, “What are you doing?

Don’t you see what’s wrong with this?” then you have a God wants to speak through you and use you to help others grow, but it takes courage. And God wants to speak through other people to you, but it takes humility.

Some of you know somebody who is headed down the wrong path.

They’re getting involved in an affair or some kind of an addiction.
Or they’re walking away from the Lord. You can see it, and you have kept your mouth shut. You’ve used the 21st-century cop-out,
“It’s none of my business.” I am not getting involved. .....How many say that?

It is your business if you love them.

Love cares. Love says, “I love you enough to not let you do this. Don’t blow your life. I care enough about you to risk the relationship.” When you do that, God will speak through you.

“Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy”

Even gods and goddess pray to the Almighty for it. A human  body is just right for meditation which is the gateway to salvation.

Inspite of having this body we are still not contented. 

Let me end off with a kahani the elderly Pundits used to tell.

There was crow (Kowaa) he lived in the forest and was absolutely satisfied in life. Everyday was a happy day for this Crow.

But one day he saw a swan. "This swan is so white," he thought, "and I am so black. This swan must be the happiest bird in the world."

He expressed his thoughts to the swan.

"Actually," the swan replied, "I was feeling that I was the happiest bird around until I saw a parrot, which has two colors.

I now think the parrot is the happiest bird in creation."

The crow then approached the parrot. The parrot explained, "I lived a very happy life until I saw a peacock. I have only two colors, but the peacock has multiple colors."

Wow the crow replied'. The crow then visited a peacock in the zoo and saw that hundreds of people had gathered to see him.

After the people had left, the crow approached the peacock, "Dear peacock," the crow said, "you are so beautiful.

Every day thousands of people come to see you. When people see me, they immediately shoo me away.

I think you are the happiest bird on the planet."
The peacock replied, "I always thought that I was the most beautiful and happy bird on the planet.

But because of my beauty, I am entrapped in this zoo. I have examined my life and being in this the zoo.

I have realized that you Mr crow is the only bird not kept in a cage.

So for past few days I have been thinking that if I were a crow, I could happily roam everywhere."

See In every story there is a moral right so the Moral of this story is:

This is our problem too. We make unnecessary comparison with others and become sad, instead of counting our blessings from the Lord, thus leading to the vicious cycle of unhappiness.

There will always be someone who will have more or less than what we have.

So the happiest person is the satisfied person.

That is why we see that Lord Vamanadeva very categorically states in Srimad Bhagavatam

8.19.24
yadrcchayopapannena /
santushto vartate sukham
naasantushtas tribhir lokair /
ajitaatmopasaaditaih
"One should be satisfied with whatever he achieves by his previous destiny, for discontent can never bring happiness.

A person who is not self-controlled will not be happy even with possessing the three worlds."

"If happiness is the ultimate goal of life, one must be satisfied with the position in which he is placed by providence."

Kirtan:
Jai Jai Gopaala, Shyaam Gopaala Radhey Gopaala Jai Jai Gopaala
Hey Nandalala Gopee Lola Gokula Baala
Brindavana Sanchaara Pyaara

(Glory to Gopaala, Sai Gopaala, Radha's Lord; Beloved son of Nanda, joy of the Gopis, child of Gokul; Glory to the one who plays in the Brindavan.

If you are care tell then

God Gives Advice Through Other People

“The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray.”
Chapter 9. The Most Confidential Knowledge
TEXT 1
sri-bhagavan uvaca
idam tu te guhyatamam
pravaksyamy anasuyave
jnanam vijnana-sahitam
yaj jnatva moksyase 'subhat

SYNONYMS

sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; idam--this; tu--but; te--unto you; guhya-tamam--the most confidential; pravaksyami--I am speaking; anasuyave--to the nonenvious; jnanam--knowledge; vijnana--realized knowledge; sahitam--with; yat--which; jnatva--knowing; moksyase--be released; asubhat--from this miserable material existence.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Lord said: My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you this most secret wisdom, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence.
PURPORT

As a devotee hears more and more about the Supreme Lord, he becomes enlightened. This hearing process is recommended in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: "The messages of the Supreme Lord are full of potencies, and these potencies can be realized if topics regarding the Supreme Godhead are discussed amongst devotees.

This cannot be achieved by the association of mental speculators or academic scholars, for it is realized knowledge."

The devotees are constantly engaged in the Supreme Lord's service. The Lord understands the mentality and sincerity of a particular living entity who is engaged in Krsna consciousness and gives him the intelligence to understand the science of Krsna in the association of the devotees.

Discussion of Krsna is very potent, and if a fortunate person has such association and tries to assimilate the knowledge, then he will surely make advancement toward spiritual realization. Lord Krsna, in order to encourage Arjuna to higher and higher elevation in His potent service, describes in this Ninth Chapter matters more confidential than any He has already disclosed.

The very beginning of Bhagavad-gita, the First Chapter, is more or less an introduction to the rest of the book; and in the Second and Third chapters, the spiritual knowledge described is called confidential. Topics discussed in the Seventh and Eighth chapters are specifically related to devotional service, and because they bring enlightenment in Krsna consciousness, they are called more confidential. But the matters which are described in the Ninth Chapter deal with unalloyed, pure devotion.

Therefore this is called the most confidential. One who is situated in the most confidential knowledge of Krsna is naturally transcendental; he therefore has no material pangs, although he is in the material world. In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu it is said that although one who has a sincere desire to render loving service to the Supreme Lord is situated in the conditional state of material existence, he is to be considered liberated. Similarly, we shall find in the Bhagavad-gita, Tenth Chapter, that anyone who is engaged in that way is a liberated person.

Now this first verse has specific significance. Knowledge (idam jnanam) refers to pure devotional service, which consists of nine different activities: hearing, chanting, remembering, serving, worshiping, praying, obeying, maintaining friendship and surrendering everything. By the practice of these nine elements of devotional service one is elevated to spiritual consciousness, Krsna consciousness.

At the time when one's heart is cleared of the material contamination, one can understand this science of Krsna. Simply to understand that a living entity is not material is not sufficient. That may be the beginning of spiritual realization but one should recognize the difference between activities of the body and spiritual activities by which one understands that he is not the body.

In the Seventh Chapter we have already discussed the opulent potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His different energies, the inferior and superior natures, and all this material manifestation. Now in Chapters Nine and Ten the glories of the Lord will be delineated.

The Sanskrit word anasuyave in this verse is also very significant. Generally the commentators, even if they are highly scholarly, are all envious of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Even the most erudite scholars write on Bhagavad-gita very inaccurately. Because they are envious of Krsna, their commentaries are useless. The commentaries given by devotees of the Lord are bona fide.

No one can explain Bhagavad-gita, or give perfect knowledge of Krsna if he is envious. One who criticizes the character of Krsna without knowing Him is a fool. So such commentaries should be very carefully avoided.

For one who understands that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the pure and transcendental Personality, these chapters will be very beneficial.

God speaks to you through friends and family, particularly if they are believers.  “The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray”.

We all have blind spots. You have things in your life that you’re never going to see that need to be corrected, so God puts people around you to tell you the truth. Everybody needs somebody in their life who loves them enough to tell them the truth.

Do you have anybody like that in your life?

Do you have godly friends who don’t just tell you what you want to hear but love you enough to level with you and say, “You know what?

You’re blowing it right now. You’re making a big mistake. You’re full of pride. You’re going the wrong direction”?

None of us see it all clearly. I’ve got about a dozen people in my life who have permission to get in my face and say, “I don’t care if you are the pundit od Maha Rudra Dev Mandir of — you’re blowing this. You’re wrong.

Have you ever thought about ‘this’?” If you don’t have anybody in your life who loves you enough to do that, you need to find them......

You also need to be that kind of person for someone else.

Are you a friend like that to anybody? If you just let people get away with it when you see them going in the wrong direction and you don’t say, “What are you doing? Don’t you see what’s wrong with this?”

Then you have a God who wants to speak through you and use you to help others grow, but it takes courage. And God wants to speak through other people to you, but it takes humility.

Some of you know somebody who is headed down the wrong path. They’re getting involved in an affair or some kind of an addiction.

Or they’re walking away from the Lord. You can see it, and you have kept your mouth shut. You’ve used the 21st-century cop-out,

“It’s none of my business.” I am not getting involved. .....How many say that?

It is your business if you love them.

Love cares. Love says, “I love you enough to not let you do this. Don’t blow your life. I care enough about you to risk the relationship.” When you do that, God will speak through you.

“Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy”

Jai Bhagavan. ......