JKY e-Magazine, Issue No. 4                       October 2009

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In This Issue
Gems of Wisdom - Shree Maharajji
Stay Connected
Upcoming Events
Current News
Trivia Time
"Goal of Life" - Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj
"Secrets of Spiritual Sadhana" - Swami Mukundananda
Annual Sadhana Program
Jagadguru Kripalu Yog
Ask Swamiji
Gems of Wisdom
Shree Maharajji

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If someone becomes disillusioned with the world, and learning from the experience, turns towards God, consider it as a great fortune.
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Worldly desires are the basis for sorrow in life. Satisfaction of these desires leads to greed (for more) and failure to satisfy leads to frustration and anger.
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The most important thing is, that even in adverse situations, a devotee should not feel disheartened.  He must have full confidence and faith in the gracious kindness of the Divine beloved of his soul, Radha Krishna and Guru. He should use all the available time in remembrance and try to increase love and longing for them.
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One should be as desperate to reach God as a drowning human is desperate for air.
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Do not think your life to be yours. Consider it to belong to your Sharanya (the one to whom you have surrendered). Always think of serving him every minute of your life.
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Following the instructions of the spiritual master and faithful remembrance of him is the only form of servitude which a disciple has to do.
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Faith is the foundation of surrender, and selfless service is the evidence of surrender.
Stay Connected

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November, 2009

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Upcoming Events

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Swamiji's Orissa Tour

Oct 20th
Shri Ram Chandra Bhanj Medical College
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Oct 21st - Oct 30th
Cuttack
 
Nov 5th - Nov 19th
Sambalpur
 
Nov 22nd - Dec 6th
Bhavanipatna
 
Dec 10th - Dec 24th
Brahmapur
Quick Links



 Current News

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Shree Maharajji's 87th birthday was celebrated on Sharad Poornima, 3rd October. The devotees gathered in Mangarh, celebrated it with full zeal and enthusiasm. Subsequently, they celebrated Maharajji's Chatti (6th day of birth) and then Barau (12th day of birth).

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Sharad Poornima is that Divine night whe
n Shree Radha Krishna revealed the supreme Bliss of 'Maharaas' to uncountable Gopis in Vrindaban about 5,000 years ago. It is the full moon night which falls in October every year. This particular day is very precious in our lives because our beloved Shree Maharajji appeared in the world on that night, in 1922 in Mangarh. This is the most important celebration at JKP Bhakti Dham, Mangarh. The ashram overflows with devotees who come from across India and the world to participate in the festivities.

A Helping Hand

The Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat undertakes many philanthropic activities as part of the mission. Mass feeding programs for villagers, medical aid, bicycles for the physically handicapped and blood donation camps were some of the charitable activities conducted during the Sharad Poornima week. Shree Maharajji also donated a large quantity of clothes and utensils to the poor and needy.

Dining Hall

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A massive Dining Hall is under construction close to the existing Sadhana hall in Mangarh.  It will have a seating capacity of more than 2000 people, with all modern facilities.

Diwali at Mangarh

Hundreds of devotees  from across the world gathered with great joy and enthusiasm to celebrate the auspicious festival of Diwali with Shree Maharajji in the Divine land of Mangarh.  A special fireworks  display was arranged for the occasion and was the highlight amongst all the evening festivities.
Trivia Time

Learn exciting facts and concepts about Hinduism, Yog, ancient Indian history, philosophy, eminent saints and wise men with our new section, 'Trivia Time.'
 
Yog
 
The 'Hatha Yog Pradeepika' states that Yog Asans originated from God Shiv Himself, and His first student was Goddess Parvati. It also states that there are 8,400,000 Asans, corresponding to each species of life. Of these, about 200 have been included in the Hatha Yog Pradeepika, which was written about two millennium ago.   However, even amongst these, sages and Yogis have selected only a handful of Asans that are sufficient and can be easily practiced by us humans!

Another amazing fact about Yog is that, by practising asans (and pranayam), one can alter his/her body parameters like heart rate, breathing rhythm, body temperature, hormone generation, blood flow and other vital systems without much movement of the body!

Normally, we would have to exercise or take medication to attain such results.
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The Editor
Jagadguru Kripalu Yog

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New Delhi - 110008
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Welcome to the
 Jagadguru Kripalu Yog e-Magazine
Goal of Life
by Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj

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Every destination has two ways. One is the right way and the other is the wrong way. If one knows the right way, then no matter how far the goal is, the destination will be reached one day. On the other hand, if the wrong path is chosen, then no matter how far or near the goal is, disappointment is certain.
 
We already know that every soul makes constant effort to attain happiness. Even though the tasks are different, the aim of performing all actions is one - HAPPINESS. So in this world, there are different paths and religions to attain happiness.
 
There are 11 religions active in the modern world - Sanatan vedic (Hinduism), Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Islam, Christianity, Judiasm, Taoism, Confucianism and Shinto. We can classify all these religions in two -
  • The religion of the mortal body - Materialism
  • The religion of the soul - Spirituality
According to materialists, the creation, development and destruction of the world are according to the rules of nature and not by the rules of God. They say that everybody wants happiness and by the fulfilment of every material desire, one can be happy. They believe that we are not eternal souls but mortal bodies, and by the fulfilment of the material senses one can be happy. The sense of seeing, hear, smell, touch, taste are five senses of our body. With the help of these senses we make use of this world. So, according to the materialists the means of happiness in this material world is this corporeal body.

On the other hand, according to spirituality, we are eternal souls and not this physical body. This body is destroyable and is made up of five structural elements (water, air, fire, ether and earth) whereas, the soul ('I') is spiritual, eternal, and is an eternal part of God. Bliss is the other name of God and being a part of "Him", we naturally desire for happiness-

raso vai saḥ

Now which way to choose?
 
This is a very difficult question for an individual to answer. Every religion claims to be perfect in its own ways. The answer to this can be explained in the following way:
 
We have two entities - the soul and the physical body. It is true that we will achieve our goal of attaining supreme bliss only by surrendering to God, and that the soul needs God. Similarly, we have to realize that this body requires the material world because this body is made up of five elements and this world is also comprised of these five elements.

No spiritualist can oppose a materialist, and no materialist can oppose a spiritualist. It is only with the help of this material body that devotional practice (Sadhana) is made possible and without God realization, mental afflictions, i.e. material desires, anger, jealousy, ego, etc. will never go away and we cannot have peace and happiness. Therefore, with the point of view of keeping our body healthy we have to do devotion. We have to keep our body healthy with the idea of serving and worshipping God. Shri Krishna says in Bhagwad Geeta: "O Arjun, keep remembering me in your mind and go to war."  If we don't provide the necessary proteins, minerals, vitamins and all the required nutrients to our body, we will surely fall sick and instead of remembering God we will only remember pain and misery.
 
To summarize, we could say that we have to follow spirituality along with materialism. This can be explained with the help of example: 

A nurse takes care of thousands of children in a hospital over her lifetime. She feeds and cleans them, gives them medicine, etc. She performs these tasks as part of her duty and not because she is attached to them. Her love and attachment are mostly for her children and family. She does not love the babies in the hospital as much as she does her own. The sickness of her own child brings her anxiety and pain. She will do everything possible to bring her own child back to normal health at the earliest.

But if  a child falls sick in the hospital, the nurse will tend to it immediately and perform her duties well. Her reaction to the sickness will be quite normal and not emotional. She is not emotionally attached to the sick child.  In the same way, we have to perform our material duties without any attachment for sake of duty and not being bothered of the loss or profit. This is called as Karm-yog.

man hari meṁ tan jagat meṁ, karmyog tehi jān |
tan hari meṁ man jagat meṁ, yah mahān ajñān ||

Attaching our mind to this material world and worshipping God with our body and material senses is a sign of great foolishness.
 
Hence, both materialism and spirituality are necessary for us because we are spiritual by nature - soul and we have this material body. We need this material world for existence. Now we have to understand that who is God? How can we realize and attain Him? Because the supreme bliss that we are searching for can be achieved only by attaining Him. If we do not realize God in this human form, then this will be our greatest mistake and we will have to suffer the endless pain of life and death of 8.4 million forms of life. However, we do not need to worry about attaining God. He is easily attainable. We will understand this science in the coming topics.

Secrets of Spiritual Sadhana
by Swami Mukundananda

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Continuing from the last month...
 
This is the next line of "Sadhana Karu Pyare" series.
 
tan se man se dhan se guru kī, karahu sevā pyāre
 
Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj has explained in his self composed series "Sadhana Karu Pyare" that every individual wants to attain Divine selfless love of Shree Krishna. He says "Dear souls! Do Sadhana (devotion). By practising devotion your aim of attaining Divine Love of God will be fulfilled." We are already aware that in the spiritual realm, there is a necessity for a true saint (Guru or spiritual master). Only a Guru can take care of our self-interests. We have a lot to gain from our Guru. First of all, we have to gain knowledge -

guru binu hoy ki jñān

With our human and material intellect it is impossible to understand God. Even if the most intelligent  person tries to attain God through his intellect, it will not be possible. This is because spiritual knowledge is Divine and beyond our material senses, whereas our mind is material or Mayic in nature. With this material mind and intellect we can only understand material concepts.

Once upon a time, a swan and an owl began to argue. The Swan said "This is day time." The owl said "No, it is night now." The owl started to mock at the swan. He said "I can prove that this night." The owl took the swan to a jungle where many owls lived in a cave. The owl said to his fellow mates, "What kind of a living being is this? He says that it is day time." Listening to this, all the owls started laughing and said "This swan has gone mad. Let us beat him up."  The scared swan flew far from cave and soon left the owls behind. Later, the swan started to wonder why the owls felt it was night time. It realized that the problem was with the owl's vision and not the external environment. In reality, it was day time but the owls felt it was night time.
 
In the same way, our senses, mind and intellect are material in nature and can only understand material subjects. In the spiritual realm, our material intellect will not help. Therefore, we cannot understand God with our material mind. Hence, we can gain spiritual knowledge only through a Guru.

tadviddhi praṇipātena paripraśhnen sevaya

One should faithfully surrender to a Guru and learn the secrets of devotion from him by asking him devotional questions. One should question a Guru with keen interest, curiosity, humility and piety, not with the intention of challenging him or his intellect.
 
'Pranipat' means complete surrender of the mind, to have full faith in the words of a saint and to obey him. 'Pariprashnen' means to learn the secrets of devotion from him by asking him devotional questions. So the spiritual master, i.e. Guru will help you understand and impart the knowledge of God. 'Sevaya' means to serve Guru in order to please him.

upadekṣhyanti te jñānam jñāninas tatvadarśhinaḥ

Only a Guru can help you attain Divine knowledge. This is due to the fact that he has practically realized God and at the same time, possesses theoretical knowledge.
 
Shree Krishna says, along with gaining knowledge of God from a true Saint (Guru), we must aim to please our Guru. How to please a Guru? It can only be done by doing his seva or by serving him. Seva means to serve our Guru (and God) without any expectation of self gratification. This devotional service is done with the sole aim of pleasing God and Guru. Hence, this spiritual knowledge that we have to gain from a Guru is beyond our material intellect and grasp.
 
This is not comparable to the study of worldly subjects. For example, we are aware of entrance exams for the school of medicine or engineering. We seek admission in a college; pay the fees and attain full knowledge of that course or subject. This is not the case in the spiritual realm.

śhraddhāvān labhate jñānam

In the spiritual world, it is only by the grace of Guru that we will attain  knowledge, not solely by our own efforts. So, in order to receive his grace we will have to serve him. What is the meaning of seva? Seva means to continuously feel that one has no capability of serving the Lord. Secondly, doing seva with complete surrender of the mind and increasing the feeling of 'giving' and not 'receiving'. Lastly, we should not have any pride of having served him or having done a lot of seva. Now, only a God-realized Saint can perform this type of seva, whose heart has been completely purified. Those who are under the influence of Maya cannot have this kind of servitude.  So God says: "In the preliminary stages, you will not get seva of God but you will get the opportunity to serve a Guru. If you serve your Guru to the best of your capabilities, you will then receive the seva of God."

Now how will we perform this kind of Guru seva? There are various grades and classes of seva. General seva in the ashram, or personal service to Guru etc. Practically, there are three forms of seva: physical, monetary and mental. Consciousness of surrender, faithful and constant remembrance of one's Guru is called seva of the mind.
 
The best form of seva is done with the complete involvement of the mind. To constantly think about how to give pleasure to our Guru is true seva. This thought should be firm in our mind. How will we reach that stage? One can say, "We are not able to attach our mind." This leads us to the next (lower) level - seva done with our physical body. To give comfort to the lotus feet of our Gurudev, cleaning, cooking, washing, etc. Now one can say that "Swamiji, I work in an office so I cannot afford to spend my time at the ashram. How can I serve my Guru?" This category of devotees can do seva through wealth. Most of us have full time employment and tend to work 10-12 hours a day. We should dedicate this work to our Guru. After retaining enough to run the house, we must surrender the fruits of this labour to him. This is the third class of seva.
 
In the starting stages, one should start with the third class of seva and reach the top most class of seva (service with full involvement of the mind). That means when we start doing sincere seva through wealth, then we will automatically get a feeling of serving with our body.
 
When we start doing seva with our body, the mind will gradually be attached in God and Guru. With the attachment of mind, complete surrender (mind and intellect) will automatically follow.
 
A Guru will never measure how much seva you have done. He will judge you based on your seva bhavana (feeling of servitude). Supposing one does seva of wealth. The importance of his contribution depends on his capacity or ability.  One rupee of a poor man could be more valuable than 1 lakh rupees from rich person.
 
Here is an interesting piece of history. When the Hindu Banaras University in Kashi was being constructed, the names of the donors were displayed on a board. Amongst them was the name of a 'Rickshaw' puller who donated 75 paise. Everybody asked why his name was put on the board as he had donated such a small amount. It was told that the 75 paise were equal to 5 days of his income and hence it had a lot of significance, as it was a great sacrifice for him.
 
What seva we do is not a matter of importance, rather how much feeling of servitude and surrender we have towards a Guru is important. So, we have to reach the state of complete surrender one day.

Kabir ji said:
 
prem piyālā jo piye śhīśh dakṣhiṇā dey |
lobhī śhīśh na de sake nām prem kā ley ||


The one who wishes to drink the sweet nectar of Divine Love will have to pay the price with his head and surrender it to a Guru. The one who is attached to the material world and is greedy will not able to do such a seva. God will not consider devotion that is done at the physical level. Even if we visit a place of worship everyday and donate some money, God will not consider it has pure devotion since the mind is hardly involved.
 
When Hanuman ji met Vibhishan in Lanka, Vibhishan asked "I have been chanting the name of 'Ram' for a long time, yet He has not bestowed His grace upon me." Hanuman ji replied "You chanted the name of Ram many times but never served Him. You never had feeling of servitude that is why you have not yet received His Grace." Hence, by serving our Guru with a deep feeling of servitude and by pleasing him, we can receive his grace in the form of knowledge about God, Soul and Maya.
 
Some people think that devotion alone is a more effective way to improve devotional experiences than seva. So, ignoring seva, they stick to devotion, but actually it is the seva which enhances devotional experiences.
 
Seva is synonymous with surrender. Normally every faithful disciple renders all the three types of services to his Guru according to his means and to the extent of his surrender. His amount of seva becomes the degree of grace which he receives from his Guru. This grace purifies his heart and improves his devotional experiences. Thus, seva (not devotion by itself) becomes the cause of spiritual progress.
 
Hence, a faithful servant is called a disciple and he receives the grace of his Guru according to the intensity of his faithfulness and the amount of his service. Selfless seva followed by devotion ensures Divine Love, and willingly following the wish or order of one's Guru is called seva.
Annual Sadhana Program

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Mangarh village in Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, India, is the appearance place of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj.


The sadhana program is conducted for one month. It starts on 'Vijaydashami' day or 'Dusshera', which usually arrives in October. Thousands of devotees pour in from all over the world to drown themselves in a completely devotional and spiritual environment, filled with Divine nectar showered by Shree Maharajji's Grace and presence.
 
This intensive devotional program is an exceptional opportunity to experience higher states of Radha Krishna love. During these precious weeks, Shree Maharajji constantly Graces souls with his Divine association, his unparalleled knowledge and his Divine chantings of the names of Radha Krishna. Fortunate devotees who have attended these sadhana programs feel the enhanced closeness of their beloved Radha Krishna and an increased longing for their Divine vision and Love.
 
Throughout the sadhana program, ecstatic chanting sessions are scheduled in the satsang hall from early morning till late in the evening. Shree Maharajji educates sadhaks about the leelas of Radha Krishna and expounds the deepest devotional theory and practical aspects of devotion through his Divine discourses. Devotees also have the golden chance to do seva (devotional service) in the ashram during the sadhana program.
 
Magnificent celebrations are organized for the auspicious occasions of Sharad Poornima, Diwali and Govardhan Puja. On these festival days huge crowds of thousands of devotees throng the enormous campus to dance, chant and drown in the love of Shyama Shyam and Shree Maharajji.
 
Generous donations of clothing, utensils and blankets are distributed to the needy villagers with the Blessings of Shree Maharajji, who is renowned for his kindness and compassion. Many other charitable activities are also undertaken by the mission.
 
Attending the sadhana program in Mangarh is a priceless Divine gift. It is an opportunity of countless lifetimes to fully immerse oneself in continuous devotion and service. Having Shree Maharajji's satsang for an extended period of time elevates the consciousness of the devotees and establishes their mind in Radha Krishn love.
 
The Mangarh sadhana program leaves an unforgettable mark of love and devotion in the heart of sincere devotees.

Jagadguru Kripalu Yog

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Jagadguru Kripalu Yog (JKY) is an unparalleled system of Yog that integrates the physical techniques (for healthy body) with devotion and meditation (for cleansing the mind). It focuses on the mind and is based on the five sciences from the ancient heritage of India - Yog Asans, Pranayam, Subtle Body relaxation, Meditation and Science of  Proper  Diet.
 
Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, the Supreme Jagadguru of this age, explains that the attainment of a healthy mind in a healthy body requires a synthesis of material and spiritual knowledge. The body, which is made from the five material elements and sustained by what we eat and drink, has to be kept in good shape with the help of material science. Moreover, the mind must be cleansed and elevated through spiritual science.

However, in the name of "Yoga", merely asanas, or physical exercises, are being taught. There is no doubt that exercises are helpful, but without emphasis on the purification of the mind, their effectiveness in curing physical diseases is limited, and mental diseases remain ignored and untouched.
 
Jagadguru Kripalu Yog incorporates both material and spiritual knowledge for the complete physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual health of humankind.  It is based upon the timeless wisdom of the Vedic scriptures. The techniques of Jagadguru Kripalu Yog are not something new; they have been practiced by 'true' yogis in India for centuries.  They are the authentic scriptural form of the various techniques - Yogasans, Pranayam, Dhyan (Meditation), Subtle-body Meditation, Divine Love, and Healthy Diet - all in one place.  For anyone desiring to learn the holistic science of healthy living, sincere practice of these techniques will definitely bring about well-being from within.
 
A healthy body and a composed mind are the building blocks for attaining our goal in this life.  Without their support, life itself becomes a painful experience.  No matter how successful we are in our field of work, if the body is ailing and the mind is disturbed, we will remain unhappy.  Hence, our most valuable possession is not our wealth, but our own body and mind. The old adage states: "Health is wealth".  Realizing the truth in this statement, an intelligent person should spend time and effort to learn the science of healthy living for physical and mental wellbeing.
 
Sincere and regular practice of all the five arms of Jagadguru Kripalu Yog is the best method of attaining  inner peace and tranquility. We would be covering each aspect of JKY in future editions of the e-Magazine.
Ask Swamiji

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Question: How can we inflame our aspiration to traverse the path to God-realization?

Answer:
 
One of the most important virtues that will stand you in good stead as you move ahead towards God, is the intensity of your aspiration.  A strong aspiration will help you cut through the greatest hindrances as a knife cuts through butter.  However, if your aspiration is weak, then every little obstacle will appear like a mountain to you.  So, you must endeavour not to remain luke warm, but to keep the desire for spiritual attainment burning brightly.  It is on this basis that the Bible says: "Be either hot or cold; if you are luke warm I spit you out."

How can you inflame your aspiration for God? This requires chintan, or contemplation. Repeatedly contemplate upon the Divine knowledge of the scriptures, and the knowledge you have heard from the lotus mouth of your Guru and the Saints.  Usually seekers feel great inspiration when they attend the lecture series, but once it is over, they find their enthusiasm declining.  The reason is that while hearing the lectures, the knowledge remains fresh in their intellect.  But due to lack of revision of it, the knowledge starts evaporating, causing the dip in the enthusiasm.  In order to fix it in the mind, you must repeatedly contemplate in it. Such chintan will strengthen your decision: "God alone is mine." A strong decision will be your asset to further steps


The Vedas describe a powerful formula for progressing quickly on the path:

Sa yat kaamo bhavati tatkratur bhavati,
yat kratur bhavati tat karma kurute,
yat karma kurute tadabhi nishpadyate

"The stronger your decision that God alone is mine, the more intense will be your desire to meet Him.  And the more intense your desire, the deeper will be your resolve to do the things that take you closer to Him.  The deeper your resolve, the harder you will try.  The harder you try, the more Grace you will attract, and the closer you will come to Him."

So, appreciate the importance of a strong aspiration on the spiritual path, and endeavour to ignite it within yourself.  Do your sadhana on a daily basis.  Read "Prem Ras Siddhant" regularly, watch the lecture DVDs you have procured, and keep revising the tattvagyan with your intellect.

Note:

Swamiji answers selected questions related to Yog, Spirituality and Philosophy every month on our e-Magazine. If you have a question on any of these topics, please email editor@jkyog.org
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