Do not make your residence in this temporary material world. The prospect of ‘renunciation’ may bring in us a cold, hard, almost scary feeling. We fear that we will have to give up something dear to us – something warm, cozy and reassuring. And further we are supposed to accept such deprivation as a virtue. No wonder that renunciation is not popular. However, Gita wisdom introduces us to a dramatically different renunciation: devotional renunciation. The Bhagavad-gita (12.12: tyagac chantir anantaram) glorifies such renunciation by declaring its fruit to be unbreakable, unending peace. To understand this, let’s consider the analogy of addiction. For addicts, the object of their addiction is desirable and essential. They feel that giving up their addiction is a deprivation. We know that it is actually emancipation; they will become free from their dependency on something that is both unessential and undesirable. Often people become addicted due to some unfulfilled emotional needs. Unless they can meet those needs maturely, they won’t find sobriety palatable. But when their needs are met, then they will realize for themselves how renunciation of the addiction is emancipating. Gita wisdom explains that we are souls and our desire to possess, control and enjoy matter is like an addiction. We do have some basic material necessities, but usually our desire for matter far exceeds those necessities. The hangover of our addiction to matter is the suffering of material existence with its threefold miseries and the cycle of birth and death. Despite these miseries, we don’t want to renounce our material attachments. Because by loving matter and material things, we are trying to address our longing for love. Gita wisdom offers us the path of bhakti-yoga that fulfills this longing by directing it towards Krishna. When we love Krishna and relish fulfillment thereof, we realize that renunciation is not deprivation but emancipation. Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12 Text 12 śreyo hi jñānam abhyāsāj jñānād dhyānaṁ viśiṣyate dhyānāt karma-phala-tyāgas tyāgāc chāntir anantaram “Lord Krishna Said: If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.” There are two kinds of devotional services: the way of regulated principles, and the way of full attachment in love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For those who are actually not able to follow the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is better to cultivate knowledge because by knowledge one can be able to understand his real position. Gradually knowledge will develop to the point of meditation. By meditation one can be able to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by a gradual process. There are processes which make one understand that one himself is the Supreme, and that sort of meditation is preferred if one is unable to engage in devotional service.If one is not able to meditate in such a way, then there are prescribed duties, as enjoined in the Vedic literature, for the brāhmaṇas, vaiśyas, and śūdras, which we shall find in a later chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. But in all cases, one should give up the result or fruits of labor; this means to employ the result of karma for some good cause. In summary, to reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the highest goal, there are two processes: one process is by gradual development, and the other process is direct. Devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the direct method, and the other method involves renouncing the fruits of ones activities. Then one can come to the stage of knowledge, then to the stage of meditation, then to the stage of understanding the Supersoul, and then to the stage of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One may either take the step by step process or the direct path. The direct process is not possible for everyone; therefore the indirect process is also good. It is, however, to be understood that the indirect process is not recommended for Arjuna because he is already at the stage of loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord. It is for others who are not at this state; for them the gradual process of renunciation, knowledge, meditation and realization of the Supersoul and Brahman should be followed. But as far as Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, it is the direct method that is stressed. Everyone is advised to take to the direct method and surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. If after years of chanting we still have no taste then we have some problem, either with hearing the Holy name or with our level of surrender. Get yourself drowned in ocean of Chanting of Mahamantra, instead of money & wealth. When we understand our relationship with God then we all will be happy. It is an essential factor for establishing peace in the world. Joy can only be experienced when we offer our love to Krishna. Please accept my humble obeisances All glories to Srila Gurudeva ... All glories to Srila Prabhupada ... Always think of the Lotus Feet of Lord Krishna and you will find no difficulties in executing the tasks allotted to you by Krishna. As you clap your hands in praise for success, similarly clap your hands in Sankirtan movement of Holy Names. Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krishna, which is feared by fear personified. — Srimad Bhagavatam, 01.01.15. Chant these names with love and you will feel the ecstasy: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare ... हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे || हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे|| Hare Krishna ... Jay Jagannath ... ~~ Bhakta Sanjay https://facebook/groups/harekrishnaharerama/
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 01:02:51 +0000
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