Author Archives: Chaitanya Charan das

Till what point should we tolerate?
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Answer Podcast

Transription in Hindi
प्रश्न: सहनशीलता की हद कैसे तय करें?

उत्तर: जो गीता अर्जुन को सहन करने की शिक्षा देती है (गीता २.१४ – ताम् तितिक्षस्व भारत), वही गीता अर्जुन को युद्ध के लिए भी प्रेरित करती है (गीता ११.३३ – तस्मात त्वम उत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व)। श्रीकृष्ण ने कौरवों के अत्याचारों को सहने के लिए अर्जुन को गीता नहीं सुनाई। सहिष्णुता एक गुण है, किन्तु सर्वोच्च गुण नहीं है। सर्वोच्च गुण है धर्म का पालन करना और धर्म की परिणति अंततः भक्ति में होती है। भक्ति का अभ्यास करने के लिए, सहनशीलता का गुण होना आवश्यक है, किन्तु यदि परिस्थितियाँ हमारी भक्ति में बाधा बनें, तो ऐसी परिस्थितियों को सहन करने का अर्थ होगा अपनी सेवा को बंद करना। हमें यह समझना आवश्यक है कि सहिष्णुता का उद्देश्य है सेवा। सहिष्णुता का अर्थ है छोटी-छोटी बातों को छोटा ही रखना ताकि हम अपने मुख्य उद्देश्य पर ध्यान केंद्रित कर सकें। यदि सहिष्णुता के कारण मुख्य उद्देश्य की प्राप्ति में बाधा पड़ने लगे तो यह सहिष्णुता नहीं नपुंसकता कही जाएगी। और भगवद्गीता नपुंसकता की सिफारिश नहीं करती।

उदाहरणार्थ, श्रील भक्तिसिद्धान्त सरस्वती ठाकुर (श्रील प्रभुपाद के आध्यात्मिक गुरु) कहा करते थे कि यदि हम कृष्ण-कथा के लिए लोगों को आमंत्रित करते हैं और कोई नहीं आए, तो हमें दीवारों को कथा सुनानी चाहिए। आरम्भ में जब श्रील प्रभुपाद भारत में कृष्णभक्ति का प्रसार करने का प्रयास कर रहे थे, तब लोगों ने दिलचस्पी नहीं दिखाई, किन्तु श्रील प्रभुपाद ने दीवारों को कथा नहीं सुनाई। उन्होंने अथक प्रयास किए। वे अमरिका आए और अमरिका में ऐसे लोगों से सम्पर्क किया जो आध्यात्म के प्रति गंभीर थे। वे ऐसे लोगों को भारत लाए और अंततः भारत में लोगों ने प्रभुपाद को गंभीरता से लिया। प्रभुपाद कह सकते थे, “अरे, मैं चालीस साल से भक्ति के प्रचार का प्रयास कर रहा हूँ, कोई मुझे गंभीरता से नहीं ले रहा है, मुझे सहन करना चाहिए”। उन्होंने ऐसा नहीं कहा। उनका उद्देश्य श्रीकृष्ण की सेवा करना था और इसके लिए उन्हें अनेक कठिनाइयों का सामना करना पड़ा। उदाहरणार्थ, आरम्भिक दिनों में जब वे कक्षाऐं प्रस्तुत कर रहे थे, तो लोग कभी-कभी अजीब व्यवहार करते थे। अचानक ही प्रश्न पूछ बैठते। नशे की हालत में उल्टा-सीधा बोलने लगते। किन्तु श्रील प्रभुपाद ने वह सब सहन किया। जब प्रभुपाद, बटलर, पैनसिल्वेनिया में गोपाल और सैली अग्रवाल के साथ रह रहे थे, उस समय उनका भोजन उसी फ्रिज में रखा था, जहाँ अग्रवाल दम्पत्ति माँस रखते थे। अग्रवाल दम्पत्ति समझते थे कि ऐसा करना उचित नहीं है, किन्तु उनके पास कोई अन्य फ्रिज नहीं था। इसके लिए उन्होंने श्रील प्रभुपाद से क्षमा भी माँगी। श्रील प्रभुपाद ने स्थिति को समझा और हँसते-हँसते इसे सहन किया।

अतः सहिष्णुता का अर्थ है कि हम छोटी-छोटी बातों के कारण अपने मुख्य उद्देश्य अर्थात श्रीकृष्ण की सेवा से विचलित न हों। इसके विपरीत यदि सहिष्णुता हमारे मुख्य उद्देश्य के मार्ग में बाधा बनने लगे तो हमें बदलाव का प्रयास करना चाहिए।

मोटे तौर पर कहें तो जब भी हमारे जीवन में कोई कठिन परिस्थिति आती है तो हमारे पास तीन विकल्प होते हैं: (क) हम स्वयं को […]

Demystifying Reincarnation is now available as an ebook
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After the positive response to the physical book and the request of many readers for a digital version, we have now made the ebook now available at the following links:

 

Demystifying reincarnation ebook on amazon.in

Demystifying reincarnation ebook on amazon.com

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If we don’t understand much on studying scripture, how can we inspire ourselves to study?
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Answer Podcast

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Understanding consciousness and its four levels – Jagruti, Svapna, Sushupti and Turya
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[Sunday feast class at ISKCON, Denver, USA]

Podcast

Podcast Summary

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From Love Universal to Bhakti Confidential – Gaudiya Vaishnavism Glories 3 – PEAR acronym for becoming a rasika
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[Chaitanya Charitamrita class on Madhya 8.70 at ISKCON, Denver, USA]

Podcast

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Podcast Summary

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Meeting with HH Gopal Krishna Maharaj – Learning to sense the contemporary pulse
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While I was in Delhi, I had the fortune of meeting HH Gopal Krishna Maharaj. Though he had returned from a tour of the West just the previous day and was exhausted, he kindly agreed to meet me at his quarters at the Radha Partha Sarthi temple.

I gave him a copy of my latest book Demystifying Reincarnation. After glancing through it and appreciating its detailed table of contents, Maharaj mentioned an earlier book of mine:10 Leadership Sutras from Bhagavad-gita. About a year ago, he had called me, saying that he was scheduled to give a talk in China on spiritual principles for corporate leaders. He had got my Leadership Sutras book and wanted to know whether I had any additional teaching aids with it. Honored and humbled by his request, I had sent him my Powerpoint presentations on the book.

During our meeting, Maharaj told me that he had gone through my book and had found it good. He added that it was a bit too analytical – for a busy businessman, it didn’t give any immediate carry-home points. I admitted that limitation, adding that it was not easy to convey the Bhagavad-gita’s philosophy in bullet points that would be intelligible and appealing to new people.

Accepting the point, Maharaj suggested that we needed a book explaining how the Gita can help people deal with practical problems such as stress, depression, addiction, job loss and relationship breakup. He said that such a book, which could be titled something like “The Bhagavad-gita applied for daily living” would become a hit. I found Maharaj’s suggestion so superb that I started wondering why till now no one in our movement, and why I myself, hadn’t thought of a book like this.

I have often found inspiring Maharaj’s keen awareness of the contemporary pulse and the opportunities it presents for spiritual outreach. About a decade ago, when the recession had bedeviled the global economy, Maharaj had suggested that I write a book about how the economic meltdown was ultimately caused by greed. Accordingly, I had written the pocket book “Recession – Adversity or Opportunity?” delineating a three-point solution: Simplify, Clarify and Purify. Maharaj had liked that book, written the foreword for it and had even gifted it to the Prime Minister and the President of India. He had also gifted it to the President of Mauritius, who too had appreciated it and had even written a review for it. That book had become by far my best-selling book till date, and I felt that the book on Gita applied, again suggested by Maharaj, would do equally well. I thanked him for the brilliant idea and promised to work on it as soon as possible.

When I mentioned to Maharaj that I had been writing about the practical application of the Gita at gitadaily.com daily for nearly six years now, he was intrigued. He glanced through the Gita-daily app on my phone, appreciated the articles, especially their titles, and asked me to subscribe him by email.

As we discussed about online outreach, I asked Maharaj […]

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Christians say Jesus is the only way – do ISKCON devotees say Prabhupada is the only way?
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Why doesn’t mainstream science accept the evidence for past-life memories?
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Answer Podcast

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From Love Universal to Bhakti Confidential – Gaudiya Vaishnavism Glories 2 – How Karma and Jnana Culminate in Bhakti
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(Chaitanya Charitamrita class on Madhya 8.28 at ISKCON, Denver, USA)

Podcast

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Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/08-17%20classes/Summary%20-%20From%20Love%20Universal%20to%20Bhakti%20Confidential%20-%20Gaudiya%20Vaishnavism%20Glories%202%20-%20How%20Karma%20and%20Jnana%20Culminate%20in%20Bhakti.mp3

 

 
Transcription of summary :

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Reincarnation and the Search for Meaning – Evidence, Explanation & Evolution
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[Talk at Vital Yoga Institute, Denver, USA]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/08-17%20classes/Reincarnation%20and%20the%20Search%20for%20Meaning%20-%20Evidence,%20Explanation%20&%20Evolution.mp3

 

 

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/08-17%20classes/Summary%20-%20Reincarnation%20and%20the%20Search%20for%20Meaning%20-%20Evidence,%20Explanation%20&%20Evolution.mp3

 

 
Transcription of summary :

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Balaram appearance day at the lotus feet of Lord Balarama
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Around the period of Balarama Jayanti, 2017, I went on a North India tour which was as much as a pilgrimage as it was an outreach tour.

Over the last few years, I have travelled more in America than in India. I wanted to correct this imbalance and, more importantly, to visit Vrindavan and seek the blessings of the dhama before embarking on my fourth tour of the US, which incidentally is the first youth-outreach focused tour.

Additionally, Rukmini Krishna Prabhu, the Temple President of Punjabi Bagh temple, had invited me there long ago. When he came to know I was coming, he competently coordinated with the various temples in Delhi for a weekend full of programs.

In a span of about forty hours, I spoke an evening class at the Dwarka temple (Appreciating Balarama’s two blessings – Bala and Rama), a youth meeting at the Punjabi Bagh temple (Understanding the mind through four animal metaphors 1 – Horse & Wolf – Hindi), the Sunday feast class at the East of Kailash temple (Increasing our willpower through restriction, redirection and reconstruction – Hindi), the Sunday feast class at the Gurgaon temple (Understanding the mind through four animal metaphors 2 – Dog & Sheep – Hindi) and the Balarama Appearance day class at the Punjabi Bagh temple (Appreciating Balarama’s position, pastime and blessing – Hindi).

In Delhi, the highlight for me was the opportunity to speak about Balaramji on his appearance day at a temple where his Deity is present – very few ISKCON temples have Balaram deities. I spoke on how Balarama serves as a link between Krishna and the Vrajavasis, acting as the Lord’s messenger to those feeling separation from him. Similarly, Balarama’s representatives, our spiritual masters, link us with Krishna, helping us make sense and find solace when life goes wrong. I also felt blessed to have the opportunity to do the Abhishek of Krishna-Balarama deities on the occasion of Balarama appearance day.

My overall Delhi-Vrindavan trip was coordinated by Radha-Damodara Prabhu who works at Sopra Steria and organized a program for his colleagues (Tap the power of thoughts, don’t be trapped by them – Hindi). He drove me to and fro from Vrindavan, and we had several good discussions on living with the distance between our principles and our practices, while also working to bridge that distance.

Over the years, I have been somewhat hesitant in speaking to Hindi audiences because I was told that my classes are too intellectual for them, and I struggle to find precise Hindi words for expressing myself. All my reading, writing and thinking of philosophy has been in English. So, whenever I speak in Hindi, I have to act as both a translator and a speaker.

Interestingly however, the feedback of devotees after my Hindi classes in Delhi revealed to me how seeming disadvantages can become advantages. Because I struggle for finding the right words in Hindi, I am forced to speak slowly, thus countering my tendency of speaking too fast that makes my English classes a strain to understand for some. […]

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How can we understand Prabhupada’s statement that there is no love in this world?
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Answer Podcast

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Kusum Sarovar meditation – Cherishing the culture rich with spiritual stimuli
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Podcast

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The mind is not the problem – the mindset is
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[Congregation program at Longmont, USA]

Podcast

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Podcast Summary

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From love universal to bhakti confidential – Gaudiya Vaishnavism glories 1 – Understanding how love culminates in bhakti
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[Chaitanya Charitamrita class on Madhya 8.1 at ISKCON, Denver, USA]

Podcast

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Podcast Summary

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When Gajendra comes to Krishna because of distress, what is the role of his previous life actions – Hindi?
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Answer Podcast

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Self-help, social help and spiritual help – understanding how they work together
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Podcast

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