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JKYog
e-Magazine, Issue No. 75
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Editor's Message
Dear Readers,
In this edition of our magazine, our theme is 'How Can We Attain True Happiness in the Age of Kaliyug.' In the first article, we explore the knowledge which will lead to true happiness in
this age. Further, from Maharajji's lecture, we will understand that
how we should control the mind with the intellect. We will also
share with you news updates and glimpses of recently concluded 2016
Fresno Retreat with Swamiji. To help with weight loss, we
introduce you to some asans. Finally, don't miss our BM contributions
and bhog recipe.
Best Wishes,
Editor's Desk
editor@jkyog.org
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जग सुख झूठा है मना, हरि में ही सुख अपना |
jaga sukha jhooṭhā hai manā
hari meṅ hī sukha apanā
The
pleasures of this world are false (being both fleeting and
limited). The pleasure which we are seeking (which is both
infinite and eternal) is to be found in Shyamsundar alone.
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How Can We Attain True Happiness in the Age of Kaliyug
 The Śhrīmad Bhagavatam begins with great sages asking Sutji Maharaj, "What is the ultimate good fortune and how is it attained?" Before
Sutji Maharaj could begin answering, the Sages asked again, "The age of
Kaliyug is approaching. People in this age will have a weak
memory and limited intellect. Please give us that knowledge which will
lead to true happiness but at the same time, it must be possible for the
souls of Kaliyug to practice. Sutji Maharaj answered, "Listen
carefully! The souls in Kaliyug should practice devotion to Shree
Krishna, do it continuously and selflessly." These are the three
conditions for attaining the goal of true happiness as stated in the
Śhrīmad Bhāgavatam. Let's discuss the first point in more
detail. We do practice devotion to Shree Krishna but alongside, we
also do devotion of other devas, humans and even spirits and
ancestors! That is not correct. Devotion to Shree Krishna must be
focused, selfless, eternal and ceaseless. These are the
conditions. Parikshit asked in Śhrīmad Bhāgavatam (1.19.38), "I
have only seven days before I die. What can I do to attain my goal
in such a short time? There are so many paths to follow, what should I
do?" Sukhdev Paramahans replied (2.1.5), "Do three things.
First, listen to a God-realized Saint's lecture." If you listen
to random pundits you will get lost. They have incomplete
knowledge and they will mislead you. They will ask you to do so
many japas, march around on pilgrimages, do so many pujas, read so many books and so on. This is what the entire world is doing - devotion with the senses. They
teach doing devotion with the senses and that does not transform the
mind. Even if you practice devotion for four hours but do not shed any
tears in longing for God; then you are just cheating your own soul! So,
listen to a God-realized Saint who will give you true knowledge. Next is kirtans
(chanting) which we all do. Everyone can be seen chanting but
there is one big mistake that we all make. We chant the names of
God with our senses but forget to meditate on him. Remembrance of
God comes first, even before you say the names of God. Remembering
is so important that even if you don't say Ram or Shyam even once, you
can still attain God if your mind is attached to him. God does not
see the devotion of the senses, he sees the devotion of the mind. Brahmaji
states the three kinds of devotion in Bhāgavatam (2.2.36):
Hearing, Chanting and Remembering. Veda Vyas says that even
hearing and chanting are external, just do one thing - remember
God. But then you will wonder, "We have never seen God. How do we remember Him?" You
don't need to see God to remember him. God is so merciful that He
will accept whatever form we make up in our minds. Aghasura
attained God's abode when God killed him. Parikshit asked, "How
did such a demon attain God's abode? He was going to eat Shree
Krishna's friends." Sukhdev explained, "When a form of God made
in man's material mind can lead to God-realization, will the one in
whose mouth God Himself entered not attain God's abode?" So make
any form of God in your mind that you like and God will accept it as his
own and give you the Divine results. When God will finally appear
in front of you, he will come in his original form and not your
imagined one. So don't worry, just make any form as you like. Shree
Kripaluji Maharaj says we should just meditate on the form of God in
the mind, at all times and places. There is no need to bathe and
wash each time. Meditate even in the latrine and bathroom!
Constantly think of God. Just as you love your mother, father, and
children everywhere and at all times! In your free time, shed tears and
increase your eagerness to meet God. Don't ask Him for
anything. If you must ask, ask only for His Love and His
Vision. Nothing else! Such practice will purify the
mind. Then the Guru will make our mind divine and give us that
divine love and God realization. This disease of maya - lust,
anger, greed, attachment, the three gunas, etc. - will all end. We
will attain God's abode, a divine body and His divine knowledge and
most importantly - divine bliss forever.
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Control the Mind with the Intellect
The mind is merely a servant of the
intellect. It simply does what the intellect tells it to do. We must
learn to control the mind with the intellect that God has given to us. 
Even a little child controls his mind with his intellect. When he goes to school and sees hot jalebis
(an Indian sweet) being made in a sweet shop on the way, his mouth
starts watering. He wishes to eat the sweets, but has no money with him.
He thinks to himself, "Go ahead! Steal the jalebis." Then he thinks,
"No, No! If I am caught, I will get a beating.
Just keep going to school." The child looks longingly at the jalebis,
and yet keeps walking. What has he done? He has controlled his mind. The
mind could have instructed the hand, "Hey! Pick up the jalebis, but it could not order the hand against the decision of the intellect.
All
day long, you do many tasks against the desires of your mind - as a
mere act, a show or drama. You welcome someone who comes to your house,
though from within, you don't desire to receive him. It can be said that
ninety nine percent of your works are done merely because you have to,
and not because you want to. Since the mind is your servant, it does
what the intellect instructs it to do; it cannot revolt against the
intellect. This intellect is a great power that God has given us, and we
must use it to control the mind. But we accept defeat before the urges
of the mind. We do what the mind wishes, instead of following the orders
of our intellect. We must make the intellect govern the mind, and not
allow the mind to govern the intellect.
Now let's talk about the
intellect. In every lifetime, our faulty intellect has prevented us
from associating with saints. Our pride comes in between and we think,
"I am a B.A.; I am an M.A.; I have a Ph.D. My hair did not turn white in
the hot Sun; it has turned grey
from a long life of experience. How can I blindly accept Tulsidas and
Soordas as saints?" Our intellect always questioned the actions of
saints, "Why does he wear these clothes? Why does he sit like
this? Why does he stand like this? Why does he talk like this?" We
always did the same in all the lifetimes. We even criticized God,
then why would we spare the saints?
The scriptures, God and the saints unanimously state that when God bestows his Grace, He takes away our material possessions.
taṁbhraṁśhayāmi sampadbhyo yasya chechchhāmyanugraham yasyāhamanugṛihyāmi hariṣhyetaddhana śhanaiḥ (Shrimad Bhagavatam 10.27.16) But,
we do not accept this truth. We think, "This cannot be. The one whom
God graces becomes a billionaire. If he is childless, God gives him a
child. If he doesn't have a mother, God provides him with a mother. If
he is fatherless, God gives him a legal guardian." In other words, our
personal philosophy is that when God or the saints grace us, they give
us worldly possessions. But, the statement of God and the saints is the
opposite of this. So, conflict arises between our intellect and God's
words. The intellect says, "I don't accept this point. The Vedas and
Bhagavatam may say it, but I cannot agree." There is not one among you
who would say on receiving an insult, "This is good for me." On becoming
ill, losing wealth or on the death of loved one, who would say, "This
is the grace of God." Does anyone of you have the courage to say this? Your faulty intellect does not
allow you to associate with the Saint. It clashes with the principles of
the scriptures, God and the saints. So, then how are we associating
with the Saints? Association means accepting their words fully from
within. If the Guru scolds you, how m any of you feel, "Look at the
grace I have received today. My guru has personally scolded me." Sit by
yourself and reflect on this. What is the state of your intellect? You
do not feel fortunate on being scolded by your guru; on the contrary,
your mood gets spoilt. You may not say this on his face, but from within
you become extremely annoyed. "He scolded me in front of everyone. I
would not have minded if he had scolded me in private." How dear respect
is to you! You desire respect despite the fact that you are a slave of
lust, anger, greed, attachment and ignorance. Yet, you are not prepared
to be reproached for these even by your guru. This is the condition of
your intellect!
This means your intellect is not associating with
the saint. Once it surrenders, the mind will follow automatically. So,
you must attach the intellect to the instructions
of the guru, and upon receiving them, be overwhelmed with gratitude.
You should realize his grace in his every instruction. Not when he
praises you; when he criticizes you, insults you, scolds you, or reveals
your faults, you should feel overjoyed from within. If you can think in
this manner, it means that you are surrendering the intellect, and now
your destination is certain. When this golden day arrives, your work
will be done. Until you accept this from within, you are only fooling
yourself by thinking that you are surrendered to God and the guru.
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Fresno Retreat with Swamiji
The
Retreat at Fresno was a highly motivating and a wonderful spiritual
experience for everyone. Devotees enjoyed singing the sweet name of
Radhey Govind, with arms outstretched and hearts filled with
devotion. They had a blast chanting the Lord's name and meditating
in the midst of nature, surrounded by lush greenery and accompanied by
peacocks! Everyone indulged in a variety of soul-nourishing activities
for the whole family, including a joyful Ram Navmi celebration, an
entertaining Bhajan and Dance Competition, enlightening Q&A sessions
with Swamiji, and Parikrama and guided meditation by Swamiji.
This is what the devotees had to say:
Swami
ji is so peaceful and energetic which made all lectures interesting. I
will follow the examples given in the lectures to help in daily
activities. It was also cool how swami ji answered most of the questions
and how he interacted with everybody.
Lipika Chatur, CA
Swamiji reminded me the purpose of human life and taught me how to do Roopa Dhyan.
Pritha Rao, Illinois
Swamiji
successfully completed his enlightening discourses on the topic,
"Shrimad Bhagavat Mahapuran" at Richmond Hill, NY, which was a
tremendous success. Click here for photos and videos of the program.
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 Celebrate Yoga & Holistic Health
A whole day filled with hands-on and interactive opportunities in over 10,000 sq.ft. venue!
Saturday, June 18th 2016
Venue: Comfort Inn & Suites, 700 Central Parkway East
Plano, TX 75074Follow us at DallasYogaFest.org for details |
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June 11th to 17th
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Middletown, CT
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June 19th to 24th
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Bridgewater, NJ
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June 21st to July 1st
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Burtonsville, MD
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July 7th to 13th
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Cary, NC
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July 15th to 17th
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Retreat - Wyomissi
ng, PA
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July 23rd to 29th
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Plano, TX
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July 30th to Aug 5th
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Glen Allen, VA
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August 6th to 12th
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Kansas, KS
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For details, click here
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Our
hectic lifestyle and workloads do not let us live in a healthy way. The
craving for junk food and stress filled environment gives us an
unhealthy body. The risk of diseases and ill health increases with the
fat accumulation in our body. A fitness routine and a good diet
will help to reduce these risks. Yoga asanas for weight loss is
an effective method by which one can reduce weight, control the body
and mind. Losing weight and staying in shape will also build
self-esteem and reduce the stress levels. Here are some yoga poses
that you can try at home for weight loss.
Procedure:
Lie flat on your back with both your leg together and touch the
outer sides of the thighs with your palms, i.e. Simple Supine
Pose. Keep your toes together and place the palms lightly on the
thighs. While inhaling (Radhey), slowly raise your legs, arms, trunk,
and head off the floor. Without any strain, balance your body on
the buttocks and fix the eyes on the toes. In the final position, ensure
that your head, hands, and toes stay at the same level, with both the
legs and arms locked. Remain in this pose for 15-20 seconds with
normal breathing. While exhaling (Krishna), slowly return to the
base position by lowering the head, body, and legs to the floor and the
hands on the thighs. Repeat this asan twice. Lastly, come to
Shavasan and relax.
Pada Sanchalanasan (Cycling)
Procedure:
Lie
flat on your back with both your legs together and touch the outer
sides of the thighs with your palms, i.e. Simple Supine Pose.
Straighten your arms and place them by the sides of the body, with the
palms flat on the floor. Slowly fold the legs and raising the them
into the air, begin cycling, making perfect vertical circles with both
the feet-one by one. Inhale (Radhey) when you straighten the leg;
exhale (Krishna) when you flex the knee and bring your thigh closer to
the chest. Repeat 20 times clockwise and counterclockwise.
Finally, come to Shavasan and relax.
Contraindications:
- Those with a recent history of an abdominal operation, or back problems should not do this asan.
- As
it creates tremendous pressure in the stomach, it should not be
practiced by the patients with the heart ailments and blood pressure.
- Also, women at second or third trimester of pregnancy should not attempt this pose.
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JKYog Presents
Bal-Mukund
Personality Development Classes for Children
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SANSKRITHI '16 - The Cultural Extravaganza
 SANSKRITHI
'16 - The Cultural Extravaganza was a grand success. Bal
Mukund kids performed "Unity in Diversity" in the Sanskrithi Cultural
Extravaganza. They represented the diverse cultures of the different
states of India including Kashmir, Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West
Bengal, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and more. It was choreographed
by Malhar group. Sanskrithi echoed with the melodious voice of talented
singers in the group and Solo singing contestant. Children also
participated in the solo and Group dance. Click here for photos.
Frisco Bal-Mukund Varshik Utsav 2016
Congratulations to Frisco Bal-Mukund on completing the year 2015-2016 s uccessfully,
and for instilling nobleness in the young minds of the community. The
Varshik Utsav included breathtaking musical plays on the life of Mother
Anasuya, birth of Lord Dattatreya, Shree Ram Darbar, Lord Hanuman's
devotion to Lord Ram, and awe-inspiring stories
from Mahabharat. They displayed their Hindi conversation skills in a
very engaging Hindi skit. Kids also presented soulful bhajans and
demonstrated many yogasans and pranayam with ease! Click here for photos.
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Preparation Time:
- Mixing and Rolling Time: 20 minutes
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Rising Time: 2.5 hours
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Baking Time: 40-50 minutes
Servings: 2 loafs approximately 9x5 inches
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast (less than a ¼-ounce package)
- 13/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon warm water (105-115° F)
- cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
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- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
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¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh jalapeno, including seeds
and ribs, plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh jalapeno, without seeds and
ribs (from 3 medium total)
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5 ounces coarsely grated extra-sharp vegetarian Cheddar cheese
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1 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
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2 9x5 inch loaf pans or a baking tray with aluminum foil
Method:
- Stir together yeast and 1 tablespoon warm water in a small bowl; let mixture stand for about 5 minutes
- Mix
together flour, salt, oil, yeast mixture, and remaining 13/4 cups warm
water in bowl of mixer at low speed until a soft dough forms. Increase
speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes more. Add jalapeno, Cheddar, and
Parmigiano-Reggiano and mix until combined
- Scrape
dough down side of bowl (all around) into center, then sprinkle lightly
with flour. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth)
until doubled in bulk, 2 to 2½ hours
- Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and gently form into a roughly I l - by 8-inch rectangle with floured hands
- Divide dough into half to make 2 loafs
- Fold each dough in thirds (like a letter) pressing along seam of each fold to seal
- Put
dough, seam side down, in 2 oiled 9- by 5-inch loaf pan or place it on a
baking pan with foil. Make sure to oil the foil so that it does
not stick to it
- Cover pan with same clean kitchen towel and leave dough for 15 minutes
- Pull oven rack in middle position, preheat oven to 400° F
- Bake
until bread is golden and sounds hollow when tapped on bottom,
approximately 40-50 minutes (depends on oven). Keep checking
- Run a knife around edge of pan 10 loosen loaf, then remove from pan to test for doneness
- Return bread (not in pan) to oven and turn on its side, then bake for 10 more minutes until crust is crisp.
- Cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour
Please Note:
You can substitute the all-purpose flour entirely with whole-wheat to make the bread healthier.
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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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Copyright © Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog 2016. All rights reserved. Reserved.
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