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All
our opulence, possessions and glory will be left behind when we embark
on our final procession in life, to the cremation ground.
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"The material energy, Maya, is a power of God. Only when we surrender to Him, by His Grace will we be able to cross over it." (Bhagavad Geeta).
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Alexander
had asked that his hands be kept out of the coffin when he died, to
teach others that even he could not take anything with him.
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The practice we need to do is to keep removing the mind from the world and attaching it to God. Slowly, the naturality will come.
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When
you experience reversals in the world, see it as a form of Grace, which
is making you detached from the world, and pushing you to God.
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Even
one gem of Divine knowledge has the power of transforming our lives, if
we ponder over it deeply, believe it totally, and implement it.
These
tweets were sent by Swamiji from his Twitter account, to remind us of
the eternal spiritual principles, as taught by Jagadguru Shree
Kripaluji Maharaj.
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Announcements
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Current News
New JKYog and Bal-Mukund Center!
Children's Classes, Yoga Classes, and Satsang
JKYog is pleased to announce the inauguration of a new Bal-Mukund center for children and a weekly satsang center in Valley Ranch/Irving, Texas.
View More Photos
View Details
Bal-Mukund is looking for teachers/volunteers. If interested, please contact:
info@bal-mukund.org
Bal-Mukund
got a chance to showcase its books at a winter carnival in Delhi on Dec
26th, 2010. It received a huge response from children and adults.
Throughout the day, from 10.30 am to 4.30 pm, Bal-Mukund stall got a
constant stream of visitors wanting to have a look at the books and
CDs. "The books are very tasty" is what one of the young visitors remarked!
View Photos
Jan 1st, 2011 was celebrated as Bhakti Diwas at the Cuttack ashram. Sadhana continued throughout the day with keertans, pravachan, parikrama, aarti, and lots of devotion in the Divine presence of Swamiji.
On Jan 2nd, devotees had an opportunity to have the darshan of Lord Jagannath in His dham at Puri, Orissa. The
large procession of devotees was led by Swamiji and was joined by many
other enthusiastic devotees from Cuttack and other centers of Orissa.
View Program Photos
Swamji visited some more centers of Orissa in his next tour of five days from Jan 7th to 12th,
2011. Apart from a grand satsang at already well established
Berhampur and Parla Khemundi ashrams, Swamiji inaugurated two brand new
ashrams in the nearby villages of Bishwanathpur and Kottur. A
picnic was also organized in Kottur, where devotees had a fun filled
time with Swamiji. The Bal-Mukund children from the centers
showcased their talent. There was nagar parikrama to
welcome him and in Parla Khemundi, local artists escorted Swamiji, with
various dances like lion dance, fire dance etc, to the ashram.
View Tour Photos
Swamiji
delivered a captivating lecture series on the topic "Narad Bhakti
Darshan", at the Cuttack ashram from Jan 14th to 19th. Hundreds of devotees attended the lecture everyday.
Jan
14th is a very significant day for the devotees of Jagadguru Shree
Kripaluji Maharaj, because on this particular day our beloved Shree
Maharajji was proclaimed the supreme Jagadguru of this age. This historical event took place in 1957. This day is celebrated as Jagadguru Diwas by all his followers across the world with great enthusiasm and devotion by singing the glories of our Gurudev.
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Trivia Time
Celestial Gods and Goddesses
Lord Surya Narayan
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. Sun is the source of life, light, and energy. The whole universe is based on the process of photosynthesis which takes place due to the presence of the Sun. Sunlight is a rich source of Vitamin-D. Time is calculated based on the passage of the sun across the sky. Surya Narayan is a form of God who resides in the Sun. Surya Narayan forms the major god of the Navgraha (nine planets). He is also the god of light and is also remembered for the brilliance and light in one's life. The Gayatri Mantra is also associated with Lord Surya Narayan. The
early morning prayer dedicated to Lord Surya Narayan is a part of the
daily ritual in India. Surya Namaskar in yoga, is an example of this
worship. The Surya Namaskar is a set of yogic exercises that devotees perform at sun rise in order to salute the Sun. There are many temples dedicated to Lord Surya Narayan in India as well as other cultures across the world.
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The Editor
Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog
XVII/3305, 1st Floor,
Ranjit Nagar,
Near PUSA,
New Delhi - 110008
India
7405 Stoney Point Dr Plano, TX 75025 USA
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Welcome to the
Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog
e-Magazine
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How to recognize a true Saint
by Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj 
Continuing from the last edition....
Our history is filled with instances of people misbehaving with a Mahapurush, and being cursed in return. For example, the four brothers Sanat, Sanandan, Sanak, and Sanatan, who are known as Shaunakadik Paramahans and considered as the top most Mahapurushas, cursed Jai and Vijay to turn into demons. Jai and Vijay were also Mahapurushas, but due to a small mistake, had to turn into demons. An ordinary person always fears of being cursed by a saint. If a Mahapurush can curse great personalities like Jai and Vijay, then what chance does a normal individual have? Does a Mahapurush bless or curse a person with reason or without a cause? No, it is not so.
A genuine Saint neither gives false blessings nor does he curse anyone.They follow the principle, "nindā stuti ubhay sam". It means that they treat criticism and praise alike, so there is no question of cursing anyone. Moreover, the Mahapurush knows that an individual soul is ignorant and is bound to commit transgressions.
na kaśhchinnāparādhyati
"As long as a soul is under the clutches of Maya, it cannot remain without committing sins." That means that before God-realization, the soul will only commit sins. A true Saint knows this fact. So, how can he possibly be angry with anyone? Saint Haridas was beaten up by burglars so badly that he was bleeding heavily. But, Saint Haridas prayed to God saying, "O God! They are ignorant. They are not at fault. If you love me, then please accept my prayer and purify their minds." Just imagine, in spite of such a painful condition, the Saint has a kindhearted nature! If someone says that there is historical evidence of Saints cursing people, what does it mean? It denotes that there is a deeper meaning behind these acts. It was done for the benefit of that individual or as a message to human kind, and not to harm anyone or that person.
In the same manner, a Mahapurush does not give blessings to anyone. These days, so-called saints put their hands on people's heads and narrate long prayers of worldly blessings to cheat people. It is just ignorance and foolishness. But, it is true that a Mahapurush
wishes only the welfare of the entire universe, as he has become
complete in himself and does not desire anything for his selfish needs.
In recognizing a Mahapurush, the strongest evidence is that by seeing him and associating with him, our mind begins to get naturally attached to God. Nevertheless, the extent to which the mind gets attached to God differs from person to person. When
you keep needles in front of a magnet, the ones which are made of pure
iron get attracted to the magnet faster compared to the impure ones. Similarly, purer the heart of a person, faster is the degree of attraction towards a Saint.
This
is the reason why in history, some souls surrendered immediately by
just looking at the Saint, and attained the Divine Bliss of God. Others had a lesser level of surrender, and some people just abused the Saint. Yet, the one who abuses the Saint will also be elevated spiritually, as he hears about God from him. And when the mind is detached from the world, the knowledge given by the Mahapurush will bear fruit and lead him to the correct path.
Another direct advantage is that a Mahapurush can solve practical difficulties and clear doubts faced by a devotee while practicing sadhana, or devotion. It cannot be solved by a theoretical scholar Instead,
mere theoretical learning without practical realization creates more
confusion and increases doubts in a devotee's mind.
Furthermore, if there are doubts in the mind, one cannot practice devotion properly. Thus, only a Mahapurush
who has attained God and has thorough knowledge of scriptures can
remove the doubts of a devotee, which arise on the spiritual path. This is because the Mahapurush himself has undergone and experienced these difficulties and situations earlier.
Another
direct evidence of a genuine Saint is that his heart is full of Divine
Love which sometimes manifests outside in the form of ashta saatvik bhav, or Divine Love emotions.
Ved Vyas ji says:
evaṁvrataḥ svaprīyanāmakīrtyā jātānurāgo drutāchitta uchchaiḥ
hasatyatho roditi rauti gāyatyunmādavan nṛityati lokabāhyaḥ (Bhaagavat 11.2.40)
staṁbhaḥ svedo'tha romāńchaḥ svarabhedo'tha vepathuḥ (Bhakti Rasaamrit Sindhu)
In remembrance of his Beloved, a Mahapurush
becomes motionless like a tree, perspires abundantly, the hair on his
body stand erect, his voice chokes, his body trembles, the color of his
skin changes, he sheds tears and becomes unconscious. These are the eight signs of Divine ecstasy. By seeing these emotions, one can predict the profound depth of Divine Love in the heart of a Mahapurush.
In this manner, by associating with a Saint for some time and by considering these signs, a Mahapurush can be recognized. However,
we cannot be certain that we can recognize a true Saint, as it is said
in the scriptures that with full faith and by the Grace of a Mahapurush only, one can recognize him. It is impossible to recognize him with the material intellect. By misunderstanding just one act of a Mahapurush, a soul could commit spiritual transgression leading to its downfall.
Thus, with faith and by the Grace of God and His associates, one can recognize a true Saint. And, once you find a Mahapurush, you should do complete surrender to him in every possible way. One should unite the mind and intellect with that of a Mahapurush. Just by doing so, we will be able to attain our goal of Divine Bliss. At the same time, we will go beyond Maya forever and relish the unlimited Bliss.
In this way, with the Grace of a Mahapurush our spiritual journey begins and during sadhana, or devotion, the Guru protects the devotee at every step. And in the end, once the heart is purified, he bestows Divine Love causelessly. According to the rules of spiritual realm, God does not have the right to bestow Divine Love directly to a soul. That is the reason why the descension of God, Ved Vyas strictly declared that there is no personality higher than the Guru.
nāsti tatvam guruḥ param
In this way, guru tattva, or entity called the Guru, is highly respected and is non-different from the Ultimate Entity. One
cannot express the greatness of the glories of such causelessly
gracious and merciful personality, even in endless lifetimes.
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Secrets of Spiritual Sadhana
by Swami Mukundananda
Continuing with the previous two lines of 'Sadhana Karu Pyare'....
shvās jab khīṁcho to 'rā' kahu manahiṁ man te pyāre
śhvās chhoṛo to kahahu 'dhe' dhyān bhī karu pyāre
In the spiritual realm, there is a Divine aspect to be considered. Everything there is related to God. Shree Kripaluji Maharaj says: hari ko nām rp gun, harijan nitya nivās | sabai ek hari rp haiṁ, sab meṁ sab ko vās || ( Bhakti Shatak) Shree Krishna, His Names, Forms, Qualities, Abodes, and His Associates, are all one because they all reside within each other. God can see, listen, and smell with the help of His eyes alone. He can perform every task without the sense organs. In the same way, God Himself is present in His name with all His Divine powers. This name is not separate from God Himself, rather they are one. In the material world, a person and his name are two separate entities. The name Water and the entity water are two separate objects. By chanting the word "Water", you will not be able to quench your thirst. Similarly, the flower Rose, and its name Rose are two different things. However, this differentiation does not exist in the spiritual realm. God is not different from His name. He resides in His name. Thus, when you chant 'Hare Krishna', Shree Krishna is personally present in His name and in the sound itself. If
we realize this with complete faith, we will experience special Bliss
on chanting His name, and would be overwhelmed with happiness. If
Shree Krishna tells us that He will reveal Himself and meet His
devotees at midnight at a certain place, a crowd of devotees will
definitely gather with excitement. Even atheists, who are uncertain that there is God or not, will go there, simply to check it out. This proves that everyone is eager to meet God and see Him; the degree of faith in Him may be more or less. Now God says that He resides fully in His name as well, so we should be equally eager to chant and hear His Name. Why don't we realize the importance of God's name? This is because we do not have complete faith that God has seated Himself in His name. If we accept this, we will be exhilarated while reciting His name. Our voice will choke with love for Him. Lord Shankar ji says: rakārādini nāmāni śhṛiṇvato mama pārvati | manaḥ prasannatāṁyati rāma nāmābhiśhaṅkayā || "O Parvati! The moment I hear 'Ra', I am overwhelmed with love, thinking thatthe next letter the person will say is 'Ma', (he will say Ram) even though his intention might be to say 'Ravan'. But, I am overjoyed by hearing the word 'Ra'." A Mahapurush
realizes the fact that God is personally present in His name and
therefore, always experiences and relishes Divine Bliss at all times. Thus, all Saints and Shree Kripaluji Maharaj tell us to chant God's Divine names with complete faith and love. He also instructs that we should not chant God's name using a mala, orgarland of beads. This process is for beginners. We should progress in the spiritual path. What is the meaning of chanting our beloved's name by counting numbers or beads? If we love Him, then we should remember His name everywhere and continuously. We should remember God's Divine name with a feeling of love and affection. Saint Kabir ji said: śhvās śhvās sumiran karo, yah upāy baṛo nīk | "Take the name of God with every breath." Shree Kripaluji Maharaj also says that when you inhale, say 'Ra' and when you exhale say 'dhe'. Also, meditate upon the personal form of God. You can also chant any other name of your choice, like 'Radhey Shyam', 'Sita Ram', and so on. But, you must practice to chant the name of God with every breath. This is called as ajapaa jaap. There is no need for a mala, orgarland of beads. You can silently chant the name, and nobody will come to know that you are remembering God. According to the philosophy, our spiritual practice and devotion must be hidden. This increases our devotion and its progress will also be hidden. Nobody can question as to why we breathe. Everybody breathes. What we do while breathing is a personal matter. Thus, Shree Kripaluji Maharaj advises all the devotees to pay attention to these two lines.
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 Question:
I have many questions from the Puranas. Why did Shree Krishna do the Maharaas? Why did Shree Krishna leave the gopis and go to Dwarika? Why did Ram hide and kill Baali? Why does Shiv ji wear a snake around His neck and a apply ashes on His body? Why does Vishnu Bhagavan sleep on a bed made of a snake?
Answer: Let
us systematically reach such an answer to your question that will
resolve all of them simultaneously, and any future ones that may arise. There are two kinds of personalities in the world: 1. Those who have not yet attained Bliss, and are hankering for it. All of the materially bound souls fall in this category. 2. Those who are relishing perfect Divine Bliss, and have no need to look for it outside. God and the God-realized Saints fall in this category. Now look at their actions. 1. The
first class of personalities is not yet fulfilled themselves; they are
searching for Bliss. The motivation behind their every action will be
their own happiness. Even if they serve others, it will be for their happiness. 2. The second class of personalities is already experiencing Divine Bliss. They have nothing to attain, and nowhere to reach. So
either they will do nothing, or if they ever do anything, it will be
for the welfare of others - to help others attain Bliss - and not for
themselves. So the simple answer to all your questions regarding why any Avatar did anything, is that it was for the welfare of the souls. Now it is a different matter that you may not be able to understand what the welfare in that particular action was. But that should not be surprising to us! After all, how large is God's intellect and how small is ours, in comparison? Suppose a primary school student were to go to Albert Einstein and ask him how he arrived at his equation E=mc2? Einstein could question him, "Do you polar integration?" "No Sir!" "Do you know Calculus?" "I have never heard of it, Sir!" "At least do you know Algebra?" "No! All I know is how to count two plus two equal to four on my fingers." Einstein would probably say, "In that case I cannot explain my equation of the Theory of Relativity to you." "Really, you cannot explain it to me? That means your theory is wrong." If the boy were to say that, how presumptuous and inaccurate a statement that would be! Similarly, the Maharaas of Shree Krishna is in the tenth canto of the Shreemad Bhagavatam. We must begin understanding spirituality from grade one. First,
from the Bhagavad Geeta, we must understand that we are the soul and
not the body, and hence we must learn to detach ourselves from the
world. Then, start relishing Divine love from the Bhagavatam, for where the Bhagavad Geeta ends, the Bhagavatam begins. The Maharaas is in the tenth canto of the Bhagavatam, and so it is a post doctoral topic. If we want to jump straight there without having even understood that we are the body, it will be equally presumptuous. People ask me about Ram hiding and killing Baali. I ask them in return that how do they know Ram killed Baali in that manner. They say it is written in the Ramayan. I
ask them that if they believe what is written in the Ramayan to be
true, then they must also accept that Ram is God, since that is also
written in it. And if they do accept Ram as God, there can be no doubt, for Ram cannot make any mistakes. The
best way to derive benefit from the pastimes of God and the Saints
described in the Puranas is to not use the intellect in analyzing them. Simply relish them by attaching the mind. Use the intellect to understand that there is no happiness in the world, so that you can develop detachment from it.
Swamiji answers selected questions related to Yog, Spirituality and Philosophy every month on our e-Magazine.
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Bal-Mukund Showcase
Bal-Mukund
welcomes all contributions of creative works from children in different
areas including poetry, moral stories, art work, etc.
Submission Guidelines
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Bal-Mukund Contribution 
Birthday Greeting by
Bal-Mukund Plano *********
Saints of India
Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj
Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj is the fifth original Jagadguru in Indian history. He is renowned for his exquisite mastery of the Hindu scriptures. He has written thousands of bhajans that exude Vedic philosophy in general and love for God in particular. He is lovingly called "Maharajji" by his devotees.
Early Years
Maharajji
appeared in this world in 1922, on the full moon night called Sharat
Poornima. This was the night, when five thousand years ago, Lord Shree
Krishna performed His famous Raas Leela dance with the gopies. Maharajji was born in a small village called Mangarh, near Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, India.
At the age of fourteen, he left his village Mangarh to study courses from three Universities, at Kashi, Delhi and Kolkata. Due to his exceptional ability, Maharajji completed eighteen years syllabus in a short span of just two-and-a-half years. He received three degrees - Vyakaran Acharya, Sahityacharya, and Ayurved Acharya.
At
the young age of sixteen, he gave up his studies and entered the dense
forests of Chitrakoot, where he remained absorbed in intense love of
Shri Radha Krishna. His mind would remain immersed in Mahabhav, the highest state of devotion to Lord Shree Krishna. This
elevated state of Mahabhav devotion was also manifested by another
great Saint, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, about five hundred years ago.
Honored as Jagadguru
In January 1957, Maharajji was invited to give a series of lectures to the Kashi Vidvat Parishat. This was a body of 500 foremost Vedic scholars of India, each of whom was a master of one or more scriptures. Maharajji
spoke in Sanskrit for ten days, giving innumerable quotations from the
Vedas, Puranas, Mahabharat, Ramayan, Vedant, and other scriptures. He showed the wonderful unity in the teachings of the previous Jagadgurus and revealed the true path of God realization.
When
the entire body of scholars was convinced that Kripaluji Maharaj's
knowledge was deeper than the combined knowledge of all the 500
scholars put together, they honored him with the title of Jagadguru, or
the Spiritual Master of the world. The scholars of Kashi also declared
that he was Jagadguruttam, or supreme amongst Jagadgurus, and Bhaktiyog
Rasavatar, or the descension of the Bliss of Divine Love.
Devotional Literature
Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj has written many books on the philosophy of Divine love. In Prem Ras Siddhant, he has condensed the knowledge of all the scriptures and explained the simple path to attain God. He
has also written thousands of bhajans and kirtans revealing the glories
of the Names, Forms, Qualities, Pastimes and Abodes of Radha Krishna. His keertans awaken the latent love of Shree Radha Krishna in every devotee's heart. He
has also written many other priceless works like Braj Ras Madhuri,
Radha Govind Geet and Shyama Shyam Geet, that are filled with the
deepest sentiments of devotion to God.
Charitable Activities
In
addition to his primary mission of spreading love of Shree Radha
Krishna in every individual, Maharajji has also built charitable
institutions that serve the poor and needy. Hospitals
built by the mission in various towns and villages are maintained by
devotees and provide free healthcare services to all. Maharajji
continues to work ceaselessly towards his goal of spiritual and
material upliftment of souls.
This biography is selected from the book, Bal-Mukund Character Building Series-Saints of India The history of great Indian Saints who inspired people on the path towards God. A must have for all kids!
Get your collection of Bal-Mukund books TODAY!
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Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog
Paschimottan Asan
Method
Sit in dandasan and inhale deeply (Radhey). While exhaling (Shyam), bend from the waist and try to grasp the toes. Keep the elbows by the side of the calf on the floor and try to touch the knees from your forehead.
Benefits
It tones and massages the abdominal and pelvic region including pancreas, stomach, liver, adrenal gland, spleen etc. It helps alleviate disorders of the uro-genital system. It controls diabetes, menstruation troubles, colitis, kidney troubles, bronchitis and eosinophilia.
Contra-indications
People with slipped disc and sciatica should not practice this asan.
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