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JKYog e-Magazine, Issue No. 65
January, 2015
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The Importance of Daily Spiritual Sadhana
Most
people today realize the importance of taking out some time every day
for physical workout. Even out of most hectic schedules, people
manage to allocate some time every day for yoga, walks, or the
gym. People today have become aware of the need for exercising the
body. Given our sedentary lifestyles, if we don't set aside some time
for physical workout, we will have to pay a heavy price in the form of
diseases like obesity, diabetes, etc.
That is all about maintaining our physical health, but what about
our mental and spiritual health? All day long, we spend time in
the worldly environment where the world pulls us in love and hatred,
hankering, lamentation, tension, anxiety, and stress. We seldom realize
that the worldly environment gradually takes a toll on us and impacts
our wellbeing. We must do something to keep our mind in good
health. This is akin to the physical workout we do to maintain our
body.
Therefore, you must do something on a daily basis to shut
the world out, so that you have just one focus and that is to purify the
mind. Now, how will the mind be purified? After all, to
purify the mind, we must fix it on an object of meditation that is
pure. But the material realm is dominated by the three modes of
nature - sattva, rajas and tamas (goodness,
passion and ignorance) and is hence impure. Therefore, if the
object of meditation is from the material realm, it cannot purify the
mind.
We will have to go beyond the material realm, in the
divine realm of God - His Names, Forms, Virtues, Abodes, Pastimes, and
Saints. If we fix our mind anywhere in this area, it will become
pure. This is what Shree Krishna instructed Arjun in the Bhagavad
Gita:
"I am divine. If you fix your mind on me, it will rise above the three modes of Maya."
If you take out time every day to fill your mind with thoughts of
devotion, surrender, and love to God, it can be called your personal
practice of spiritual sadhana. Just like by exercising for 1 hr in
a day you reap the benefits of good health all through the day,
similarly by practicing spiritual sadhana for some time in a day, you
will reap the benefits of a spiritual consciousness throughout the day.
Shree Krishna also says in the Bhagavad Gita that we must do sadhana in
isolation. Understand this through an example. If you take milk
and put it in water, milk and water become one. But if you wish the milk
to remain separate from water, you can convert it into yogurt and then
churn it to extract butter. Once milk becomes butter it can challenge
the water, "I will sit on your head and float, you cannot mix into me,
as I am no longer milk." Similarly, separate from the world - away
from television, people, etc., you can convert your mind into butter
and then challenge the water, "you cannot do anything to me." While
doing spiritual sadhana, the position or asan does not really matter,
however it is advised to keep your back erect so that you don't feel
lazy. Sit in any comfortable position and take your mind away from
the world and attach it to God. The focus will come with
practice, but what is important is that we make this sadhana a part of
our daily routine. We all appreciate the importance of doing daily
spiritual sadhana, but the biggest challenge lies in putting it into
practice.
Can we in the year 2015 resolve firmly to dedicate sometime every day for spiritual sadhana?
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If you take out time every day to fill your mind with thoughts of
devotion, surrender, and love to God, it can be called your personal
practice of spiritual sadhana. Just like by exercising for one
hour in a day you reap the benefits of good health all through the day,
similarly by practicing spiritual sadhana for some time in a day, you
will reap the benefits of a spiritual consciousness throughout the
day.
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Spiritual Sadhana: Make it Your Top Priority
Practicing
spiritual sadhana is just as important as exercising every day.
But we all know how much people struggle to stick to their exercise
regimens. A sudden bout of inspiration to become fit and healthy
is followed by a few days of excited visits to the gym and then both
the energy and inspiration plummet. People experience the
same with spiritual sadhana, they practice it for a few days and then
start finding excuses about how difficult it is for them to find
time. Lack of time is undoubtedly the biggest excuse quoted by
everyone. Office
hours, household chores, social commitments, etc. are so high on
priority on our daily to-do lists that it's almost impossible to
squeeze in even a few minutes for sadhana. Most of us in such a
scenario would simply leave the matter to God's grace, "We will do
sadhana when God will grace us". But the fact of the matter is that
we don't need God's grace here. He has already graced us with a human
form and an opportunity to associate with a Guru and do satsang.
All that is left to be done now is that we grace ourselves with some
time to do sadhana.
God has given us 24 hours, now we need to
utilize a portion of those 24 hours for the elevation of our own soul.
For the sake of the body we run around 24 hrs. a day. This body
has no value when the soul departs, it is worthy of being devoured by
jackals and vultures. For the sake of that body we have 24 hours
but for the elevation of our own soul we find it difficult to take out
time. So the truth is that any person who says that he/she
doesn't have time to do sadhana is judging wrongly. It is not
that we don't have time; we have simply not made spiritual sadhana a
priority in our lives. When we will decide that spirituality is a top
priority in life, we will automatically take out time.
Let
us look at how we spend our time through a popular management tool
called the Action Priority Matrix (or Time Management
Matrix). This tool uses 4 quadrants to determine the tasks
you need to do and then deciding what should be made a priority.
According to the tool, there are some issues in our life that are both urgent and important like an unplanned business meeting (See quadrant 1). Then there are some things that need not be done urgently but they are important.
Some common examples are exercising, reading books, and spiritual
sadhana (See quadrant 2). Then there are activities that are urgent but not really important like a phone call or somebody dropping by, etc. (See quadrant 3). Finally there are activities that are neither important nor urgent,
they are simple time wasters and should be immediately
eliminated. Examples are net surfing, watching T.V, gossiping,
etc. (See quadrant 4).
This tool can be used to organize your
priorities on an everyday basis. Make a list of all the things you do
in a day and on the basis of priority put them in their respective
quadrants. Now calculate the total time you are spending in each
of the quadrants. You will realize that you may be spending
maximum part of your day in quadrant 1, 3 or 4. This means you are
foregoing things that will ultimately matter to you, things that are
important but don't seem urgent. You are so busy dealing with
urgent or unimportant issues that you have no time for spiritual
sadhana.
Stephen Covey in his book 'First Things First'
popularized this concept of 'Time Management Matrix' and emphasized
that if people want to lead fulfilling lives in the long-term, they
must invest more time in quadrant 2. People must look at ways to
expand quadrant 2, so that they can achieve their long-term goals and
do things that really matter. And what is our long-term goal?
Our
goal is to purify our mind and attain the goal of God-realization. And
we will attain that goal by making spiritual sadhana a top priority in
our lives. We may feel spending some time exclusively with God
is not urgent, but remember, it is certainly the most important.
Irrespective of the other urgent issues in life which will come and go,
take out at least 1 hour every day for spiritual sadhana.
Without wasting any more time, firmly resolve that in the year 2015 you
will make spiritual sadhana your top priority.
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Swamiji
is now in Singapore, for a series of talks on 'The Art of Mind
Management' and 'Wellness for Life'. The first day of the program was a
huge success as it witnessed a turnout of nearly 250 people. As always,
Swamiji mesmerized the audience with his enlightening talk and deep
insights. See pictures
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JKYog Satsangs - An Essential Boost to Your Spirituality
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Next time you see a flock of birds flying overhead
in V formation, think of satsang. When these birds
migrate, flying hundreds of miles in a short
timespan, they fly in the tail wind of the bird in
front of them to make their energy and effort less or
their progress more along the journey. Without
that tailwind they would tire sooner and be
able to fly shorter distance.
Similarly, we can only increase our spiritual wealth
and progress through association with a saint. Just
like the bird's tail wind, we can make great strides
through this association.
JKYog satsangs are not just a navigation tool along
life's journey, but are a regular essential staple
for nourishing the soul and nurturing its spiritual
growth. Immersing ourselves in beautiful
soul-enriching kirtan purifies our hearts and deepens
our relationship with God and Guru.
JKYog Satsangs are regularly held in satsang centers
in the US and around the world. At satsang, in
addition to kirtan, participants listen and discuss a
video lecture by Swamiji, and end the session with
aarti and prasadam.
"The
beautiful kirtans warm all our hearts. Attending
satsang gives me a sense of inner peace and nourishes
me inside" - Tripti Dhamankar, Dallas, TX.
To find a satsang center near you, visit jkyog.org or info@jkyog.org
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| Dallas Center |
| LA Center
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| NC Center |
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JKYog and Radha Krishna Temple Volunteers Rally Community Support for Local Homeless Children
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As a part of the Little Hands Big Hearts collection drive, JKYog and
Radha Krishna Temple volunteers endeavored over the past two months,
reaching out to the local community in the spirit of selfless
service. Businesses, individuals, and families across the DFW
metroplex have come together in collecting a truckload of essential
children's items.
Little
Hands Big Hearts has engaged the JKYog and Radha Krishna Temple's youth
group. It provided the young volunteers an up-close opportunity to
comprehend the plight of homeless children, and a hands-on learning
experience in helping them, as well as inspiring others to open their
hearts.
Youth
visited Captain Hope's Kids, interviewed
the Executive Director, and had a
great experience in helping other kids in need. Please click here to see the video sharing their experience posted on the Radha Krishna Temple blog.
Another
hands-on service opportunity is scheduled for February 7th, when
volunteers will be taking all donations to Captain Hope Kids, to unload
and sort.
Little
Hands Big Hearts has been a great way to make a positive contribution
to the local community, and bring hope to those in need.
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In store donations at India Bazaar
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Volunteers gather donations
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Facepaint for donations to LHBH
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UNIQUE HISTORY of the RADHA KRISHNA TEMPLE SITE
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The grounds under the temple site have their own unique history.
| Aerial view |
Up till now, the temple site has never
been developed. In the recent hundreds of years it has either been
wooded or most recently served as farm land. Going much
further back in time, about 100 million years ago, during the Cretaceous
Period, this country was divided by the Western Interior Seaway, during
some of the Cretaceous Period called the Skull Creek Seaway. The
seaway covered the entire state of Texas including all the states above
it all the way up into Canada.
| Temple fossil
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Therefore,
temple site was a sea bed at one time over 90 million years ago.
During the excavation and grading phase of construction numerous sea
fossils have been discovered. Most of the fossils we have found
are sea shells that are over 90 million years old.
The
first few feet of ground underneath the temple site are composed of
limestone which is quite dense. Below that is very dense blue
shale rock. Shree Krishna has already made for us quite a solid
foundation for the temple!
How
beautiful and auspicious it is to know that this site has been destined
to remain a virgin piece of land awaiting for Shree Radha Krishna to
dwell there!
At
the ground breaking ceremony, the one minute rain shower of Shree
Krishna's blessings magically came down precisely at the moment that
Swamiji placed the shovel in the ground for the first time. All
who witnessed this were awestruck!
| Construction site |
While
the physical underground infrastructure is now in place for the temple,
we need to continue to build our support with the community we serve.
We would greatly appreciate your continued support as we proceed forward
with construction. Please help us build the temple one brick at a
time - you can sponsor any number of bricks - click here today for details and help us manifest this divine temple for Shree Radha Krishna.
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Do Not Seek Worldly Things from God
by Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj
Whether
it is a sage, an ascetic, a yogi, a Saint or even God, everyone has to
leave the world at the appointed time. The world may say that
so-and-so died of heart attack, or cancer, but the fact is that his time
to die had arrived.
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Even
God does not stay a moment longer than the scheduled period of his
descension. Then how can anyone else stay beyond his appointed
time? You may have heard of an incident in Ayodhya in this
context. Yamraj came to Lord Ram to tell him that the period of
his descension was over. When Yamraj comes to God and the Saints,
he places his head at their feet and says, "I have come to inform you
that the period of Your descension is complete. You may choose to
stay or leave. I am merely fulfilling my duty." He cannot
force them to leave as he does for others. Yet, the supremely
independent Ram did not stay a moment longer than his planned 11,000
years. At the exact time, to the second, he left the world.
And this is true for every descension of God, and every Saint, whether
it be Tulsidas, Surdas, Meera,or Kabir. Seeing that even God, who
is the lawmaker himself, does not violate this rule, then why should the
Saints, who are his servants break the law?
There
is an incident about Ramakrishna Paramhans. He developed throat
cancer. Everyone knew that the Saint's death was imminent.
He was famous in Kolkata and all over Bengal as a Saint who had
transformed many lives. So, people went to him and said, "You have
attained perfection. To rid yourself of cancer is child's play
for you. Just ask God to cure you, and your cancer will
disappear." Ramakrishna Paramhans replied strictly, "Should I
divert my mind from God to worrying about cancer? And how can I
ask God to do such dirty work for me? I have loved God only with
the desire to serve him. I cannot engage in such pettiness and ask
for his help just for the sake of this wretched body. Moreover,
even if I am cured, I will still have to leave my body at the appointed
time."
So,
Ramakrishna Paramhans said, "Everyone has to leave at the scheduled
time. I have no objection to this hole in my throat. This
body has nine holes anyway - the eyes, nose, ears, mouth, etc. So
what if there is one more! It would be very wrong to bother the
divine Mother over it." Thus, asking God for worldly favours is
the greatest folly. This should not be done even after becoming a
devotee. It is said in Bhagavat:
yatpṛithvyāṁ vṛīhiyavaṁ hiraṇyaṁ paśhavaḥ striyaḥ
nālamekasya paryāpt tasmāttṛiṣhṇāṁ parityajet
"Even if one is
given the wealth of infinite universes, his desires, cravings and
longings will not reduce in the least."
tṛiṣhṇā tu taruṇāyate
(Hitopadesh)
"When
you try to satisfy desires, they grow stronger." Thus, worldly
opulence, no matter how great, cannot provide true happiness. So,
it is foolish to desire worldly objects. But, to ask for them from
God is even greater foolishness. Devotion, which is practiced
with the aim of attainment of material desires, has many dangers.
Firstly, it is clear that the devotee is not yet sure where true
happiness lies - in the world, or in God? If it is in the world,
then what is the need of God? If it is in God, then what is the
need for this world? If our goal is to attain happiness, then
going to God, who is the source of unlimited bliss and asking him for
the world, which is a source of misery, evidently implies that we still
have hopes of getting unlimited happiness from the world.
When our goal itself is not right, then how can we practice devotion?
In
the material realm, ninety-nine percent of the people desire worldly
things. These desires are often fulfilled by their own prarabdh
(destiny). When material possessions are acquired by people
according to their destiny, they misunderstand it as the blessing or
grace of God. When people pray to God and wish for a material
thing, if that desire is fulfilled, people think that it was due to the
blessing they received from God. And, when they do not receive
these possessions due to their destiny, they start cursing or
criticizing God, and even think it as a sign of God's anger. This
is dangerous as it has a harmful effect. A person will be a
believer as long as he acquires worldly possessions, and when the
material desires are not fulfilled, this faith in God immediately
disappears and he can even become an atheist.
Not
even God can grant a person worldly gains, if it is not destined for
him. Whatever worldly happiness is destined for each person is
given to him according to his fate. The results of past actions
are awarded in the present life. In Ramayan, the Almighty Lord Ram
could not save his father Dashrath. In Mahabharat, Abhimanyu's
uncle was God Shree Krishna himself, his father was the great Saint,
Arjun, and the person who conducted his marriage was God Ved Vyas.
Yet, they could not save him from being killed in the battle.
Then how can God change the destiny of an ordinary person?
Lastly,
lack of worldly happiness is actually God's grace, because in this
state we remember God. Kunti also asked for this wish from God, "O
Shree Krishna! Give me sorrow and pain, so that due to the lack of
material pleasures, I can chant your glories."
God
is all-knowing and whatever he does, is for our benefit, then why do we
interfere and ask him for anything? We do not know what is best
for us. Therefore, if we always remember that God is Omniscient
and leave everything to him, then the disease of asking will never
arise.
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JKYog Presents
Bal-Mukund
Personality Development Classes for Children
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Highlights:
· Character Building Values
· Yoga & Meditations
· Bhajans, Shlokas & Prayers
· Inspiring Stories
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Showcase:
Bal-Mukund
welcomes all contributions of creative works from
children in different areas including poetry, moral
stories, art work, etc.
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Celebrations Galore at Bal-Mukund!
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The onset of the New
Year has brought with it a slew of celebrations at all our Bal-Mukund
centers! Makar Sankranti was in the air as our centers in AZ, CA, CO,
CT, NC, TX celebrated it with enthusiasm and festive fervor. All our
Bal-Mukunds were given a detailed presentation on it which
explained the what, how, and why aspects of this auspicious festival.
They learned how, this festival is celebrated in certain distinct ways
all over the country. The diversity of our Motherland reflects in all
aspects of her social, physical, cultural, and spiritual life as is
established by Makar Sankranti being celebrated as Pongal in the South,
Tilgul in Maharashtra, and Uttarayan in Gujarat.
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The
children's crafts reflected the spirit of Makar Sankranti as did the
treats they were lovingly offered and which they absolutely relished!
From kites, to rangolis, to putting creativity on paper through art
work, they explored the beauty of this festival. Though living in lands
far away from their Motherland, they continue to remain in touch with
their rich cultural roots due to the efforts of all the Bal-Mukund
coordinators. Dedicated Bal-Mukund coordinators strive hard to try and
manifest these festive gems for our younger generation to experience and
gain from.
For information on our Bal-Mukund programs worldwide, contact info@bal-mukund.org.
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1 cup whole wheat ½ cup flour 1 cup (little less than) sugar ½ tsp. baking Soda ½ tsp. baking Powder 1 big banana ½ cup walnuts ½ cup oil 1 cup milk or water 5 by 7 cake tin |
Method
Sift flour with baking soda and baking powder. Add sugar, mashed
banana, and one by one, add all the other ingredients. Mix with
wooden spoon gently. Bake in hot oven for 30 to 35 minutes
depending on oven. |
Contact us
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The Editor JKYog: XVII/3305, 1st Floor, Ranjit Nagar (Near PUSA), New Delhi - 110008, India
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7405 Stoney Point Dr, Plano TX 75025, USA
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