As Buddha is mentioned in the Bhagavatam does it prove that it was written after the time of Buddha?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From: ANIL V UMESH

In Srimad Bhagavatam Lord Buddha is mentioned as one of the Avataras of Lord Krishna. Atheists took this as an opportunity to point out that mentioning  of Lord Buddha in the holy scripture  clearly establish that Srimad Bhagavatam was written not during Bhagwan Vyasa's time five thousand years ago but later during A.D ie. medieval times. Please  clear the doubt.
To hear the answer podcast, please click here

 

Many gurus
→ KKS Blog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 28 April 2013, Radhadesh, Belgium, Vyasa Puja, Questions and answers)

GBCRelationships that are of a deep nature between vaishnavas, that are affecting one’s entire spiritual life and that have a binding effect on one’s spiritual life – such relationships can develop into diksha or siksha-guru type of relationships.

There’s incidental siksha - maybe some senior vaishnava gives some instruction. We have faith in it, take it, but for the rest, it doesn’t affect our life.

Those relationships that have a deep, lasting effect on our lives, such relationships can go on eternally after this life, whether diksha or siksha. Therefore, one can have many gurus. Once we arrive in the spiritual world, we may find that there are many gurus who have somewhere along the line, been part of our lives and we remain indebted to them, eternally so. The indebtedness is never paid off!

 

 

Japa Is Your Main Sadhana
→ Japa Group


Japa is your main
sadhana, and you do
it early in the morning.
Sometimes you are tired,
and you don’t chant so well.
But you keep on trying and
don’t fail to do your quota.
The same for writing.
I make a daily report
on how I’m chanting
my rounds. Tell the
truth and don’t tell
it worse than it is.
All the mantras are
completed quickly in
your mind, and you
strive to pay attention.
I trust in the importance
and potency of harinama
and treat myself for
first aid when it
hurts itself in
poor performance. I am
not on the disabled
list.

From Bhajan Kutir #457
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Japa Is Your Main Sadhana
→ Japa Group


Japa is your main
sadhana, and you do
it early in the morning.
Sometimes you are tired,
and you don’t chant so well.
But you keep on trying and
don’t fail to do your quota.
The same for writing.
I make a daily report
on how I’m chanting
my rounds. Tell the
truth and don’t tell
it worse than it is.
All the mantras are
completed quickly in
your mind, and you
strive to pay attention.
I trust in the importance
and potency of harinama
and treat myself for
first aid when it
hurts itself in
poor performance. I am
not on the disabled
list.

From Bhajan Kutir #457
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

BECOME A MOST TRUSTED ADVISOR
→ Gita Coaching

BECOME A MOST
TRUSTED ADVISOR
By Akrura dasa
akrura@gmail.com


TABLE OF CONTENTS

A NEW ROLE

HOW TO BECOME A TRUSTED ADVISOR FOR LIFE?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SHOW TO PEOPLE?

WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT YOU?

IT'S OUR ORIGINAL NATURE – THAT'S WHY WE WANT IT

HOW CAN PEOPLE GET CONFIDENCE THAT THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL?

APPENDIX

CONTACT


The central theme of this little e-book is not meant only for some people. It is universal. It is applicable to many roles and many professions in life – to any business, to sales, if you are a preacher, if you are a teacher, counselor or coach, mentor or a consultant. It can be applied practically in every profession.

A NEW ROLE

What is this ebook about? It is about your new role, or a new perception of your role in various areas of your life. This is the summary: Whatever you do, position yourself in the hearts and minds of the people you serve, lead, teach, as the most Trusted Advisor for life. There is a term "life coach". I have changed it into "lifetime coach", a coach for the whole life. Similarly, Trusted Advisor for the whole life is your new role, a role that is very much needed in human society.

Becoming a Trusted Advisor means becoming a trusted authority. It means becoming a leader, a guide. Someone who knows how to help. There are many people who teach success principles. But there are very few people who can help you particularly for your situation in a very precise way, in how to use the universal principles of success and apply them to your situation. This is the kind of sincere and skilled trusted authority we want to become in any life role.

If you are a manager in a company, if you are a teacher in a school, if you are a parent, if you are a financial adviser, in any occupation you position yourself as the most trusted authority.

What does it mean? It means that people are convinced that you have their best interest at heart. They know that you wish all the best for them, and also for their families, friends, relatives, etc..

For example, if you are selling Srila Prabhupada's books and you show people four books, and they say, "I will take only one." And you can say, "Take your time, take one book. It's ok. But there is much more in these other books. So you are basically losing if you don't take all of them. You are losing an opportunity to gain a treasure of knowledge."  In this way, you don't want them to miss the other things you have that can benefit them.

You have these wonderful transcendental books. You have knowledge how to apply these books, how they can benefit from them. And they will benefit if they communicate with you more often. People are silently begging to be led. And you can become their guide. It's a great service opportunity.

HOW TO BECOME A TRUSTED ADVISOR FOR LIFE?

Here I will give you some ideas. The first step is to show them that you understand them. You understand how they feel. You understand what they think. You empathize. And how do you do this? How they will know that you understand them? You put into words something that they feel for a long time, but they are not able to articulate. They are not able to clearly define what it is. They feel something is wrong? They feel something is missing. They feel something doesn't work. And if you are able to put this into words and to express how they feel, they will see that you understand them. They will think, "He gets it. He exactly understands how I feel."

If they feel understood, they will trust you. Because if you understand them, you can help them.

Do not be shy to strongly recommend what you think and feel is the best for them. It may be your friend, your client, your child, or your parent. People are silently begging to be led. And you should lead them. Because you are a devotee. You know more than most people about the essence of life, about many things. People don't even know how to go to the toilet properly. Devotees have a system how to go to the toilet as a civilized human being, as a gentleman. It is very scientific and hygienic. It's very healthy. After using that system you fell better.

What to speak of other things – how to eat, how to rest, how to think, how to act.

People need leadership. They need guidance. You have a full right to recommend what you think is best for them. Don't be shy! They need you. If you don't guide these people, somebody else will. And usually where they will lead them?

andha yathandhair upaniyamanas
SB 7.5.31

Blind men lead other blind man into a ditch, into a hole.

Now that I mentioned a hole I want to give you a nice example. A person who needs to build something, or to fix something, they go to a shop and buy a drill. But actually they don't want a drill. They want a hole. They don't care about that machine, they care about the result. They care about what the machine can do for them.

Similarly, you can have great ideas and strategies, and great advice, but in order to be a trusted authority, you have to be able to show them how they will benefit from what you suggest, and what results they will get. So you focus on always adding a special value to them. You clearly show to them that they matter. They are important to you. And you want them to get good results.

This is called "you-attitude". It's about you, not about me. I am not giving you good advice because it will benefit me. I am giving it because it will benefit you. If you focus on adding value to people's lives, you will become very attractive, and people will develop a greater interest in your products and services.  

For example, if you are selling incence and you are an intelligent salesman, if you are an intelligent Trusted Advisor, you will always educate your clients about the benefits of burning incence.

Now, if you want to sell incence to me, it will be very difficult to do. Because incence suffocates me. And even if you explain to me 108 benefits, it will no be enough to convince me. You may say, "This is maha incence. If you inhale you will make spiritual advancement. You might even see Krsna if you inhale all the smoke of the one maha incence. You might fall in ecstasy. And your family members will be purified. Your neighbors will be purified. You will have so many benefits by burning incence."

Still I will not be convinced because it suffocates me. So you have to offer me some other product. If you would want to sell me a good acoustic guitar, I'd be really interested, because this is something I can use.

The point is that if you offer what people are interested in, they will listen to you. If you offer them what they need, they will listen to you. And try to verbalize it and present it in a very, very attractive way.

I tried to do something attractive on my blog to inspire people to read The Science Of Self Realization book. You may see it here (ctrl+click to follow link):
http://www.gitacoaching.blogspot.pt/2012/09/the-rest-of-your-life.html
The picture is very easy to understand and to motivate you to change, and I connected it to my product and offered it to my readers. I am 100% convinced about the value of my product, because this book brought me to spiritual life. I have faith in that book. And I believe it can change people's lives. Some people will probably read it, so I also offered my email in case they have questions. I set it up so they only have to click on my email. They don't have to type it. There is an email link option on the blog.

Make it easy for them to accept what you offer. If you want to become a Trusted Advisor make it easy for them to accept things from you.

People need solutions, not just strategies. If you respect their intelligence, you will explain why your product or service is good for them, and how it will make a difference in their lives, how it will transform their lives.

We are not into a business of preaching, we are into transforming people's lives. We want these transcendental books to fully help people to change their lives, to benefit them.

Most salespeople, businesspeople, and people in general, they fall in love with their product, or their skill, or their profession. You may be in love with your products and services but you should also fall in love with your clients. What does the word "client" mean? It doesn't only mean a customer, one who buys. "Client" means, according to Webster dictionary, one who is under the care and protection of the other. That's why I am using that word. It is a nice word. There is a similar word – ward, one who is under someone's protection.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SHOW TO PEOPLE?

You want to take them on a journey to the future – how their life will change if they take advantage of your services and products; how it will be better, richer, fuller, more exciting, more pleasant, full of happiness. Describe it so nicely that they can feel it, because all buying decisions are emotional. Whether you are selling an idea or a cake people neet to get inspired to buy it, or to accept it if you offer it to them.

Just like I was eating fruits from one devotee's garden. They are naturally produced. It was such a wonderful experience because usually do not get such natural fruits. It was so wonderful to taste prasadam, the real plums.

If you have such a nice product you can promote it intelligently. People want you to show them, not only tell them.  Sometimes when they sell fruits they say, "Ok, taste it! If you like it, buy it. If you don't like it, don't buy it." You have to show so that people experience it.

For example, if you want to convince people to chant Hare Krsna, you should first be the one who is benefiting from chanting. You can tell them, "If you chant Hare Krsna you will become as happy and as peaceful as me. Problems will not disturb you." You show them a practical example of how they can benefit from what you offer.

WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT YOU?

They should feel that you are their greatest fan. In the neigborhood of one devotee in Portugal you can find the greatest fans of the local football club. Your clients should feel that you are their greatest fan. You care about them so much. You want to benefit them. You want to help them become happy. You want to help them to release their potential, to become smart. To take these books, like Bhagavad-gita, and become super-wise, super-intelligent.

Srila Prabhupada is even teaching us how to become lazy intelligent. High-court judge is only sitting and has a highest salary. What does it mean to be lazy intelligent? It means you think deeply. You are very wise and sober. You think carefully before making decisions. It also means that with the least effort you get the biggest results. Why lift something heavy, when you can use the lever? With a lever it is much easier to lift it. Let's say something fell under the huge, heavy box. Intelligent person will use the lever. If you can achieve something with less energy, that's intelligent.

There is no limit how much we can learn about how to improve our life and the lives of others.

There is another thing about people and their psychology.  They don't know what they want. You have to tell them what is good for them to want. This is where you become a leader. You tell them, "You should want this." Why? Because it will benefit you. Because it's good for you. Then show them how it is good, why it is good, how it has benefitted others, how it has benefitted you. You lead people to a good destination.

Steven jobs, the founder of Apple, said he always felt he's leading a revolution. This is what we need. Maybe you are a peaceful person, you are quiet. I was like that. Sometimes it was very hard to get a word out of my mouth, before I got Prabhupada's books.  When I read them I thought that I have to start speaking more.

Even if I can't speak. Even if I lose my voice, I can distribute books. I can write a big sign that says CHANT HARE KRSNA, and show it to people. The message is so important that I have to give up all shyness. I have to give up my introverted nature. My dreaming mentality. I have to get out of my mind. The message is more important than my conditioned nature.

In the beginning people were walking out of my lectures. The lectures were slow and boring. Sometimes people were crying. It was too heavy. People were laughing until stomach hurt. Because it was too funny. But over time I got a balance between scaring people, making them cry, and making them laugh. So I made many mistakes in the beginning. But I had a desire to give the message. And you can do the same.

IT'S OUR ORIGINAL NATURE – THAT'S WHY WE WANT IT

I will now tell you what I think you feel. Maybe you are not aware that you feel this. Maybe you neglect the feeling when it comes. Maybe you are afraid to admit it and confront it. But it's there. Why? Because it is your original nature. So what is it?

It is described in the Introduction to the Bhagavad-gita: http://vedabase.com/en/bg/introduction

Sanatana-dharma. It means your eternal quality, your eternal occupation, your eternal nature. What is your nature? You want to serve. You want to love. You want to give. You want to contribute. This is the essence of your nature. So if you don't do this in a big way, in a maximal way, you cannot be happy. There will be always something lacking. This is my diagnose why we are not happy. We are not fulfiling our full potential.

Confront the next sentence boldly. This is what I think you feel, consciously or unconsciously:

"I WANT TO DO SOMETHING ON THIS PLANET!"

I want to make a difference. I want to make a contribution. I want to add value to people's lives – to my freinds, to my colleagues, to people I meet on the street, to my family. The secret of happiness is giving. But people with material consciousness, think that the secret of happiness is getting something for yourself. So become a go-giver. Go and give something. When you wake up in the morning the first question you can ask is "How can I give today?"

If you add value to people's lives, God will inspire them to reciprocate. Even if you don't charge. I am telling you this from my experience. I never ask people for money. But they give me. Because Krsna inspires them. I don't even think about it.

When I was in Argentina last year, I wanted to help devotees to make more money. Because many devotees are stuglling financially. I really wanted to help them to learn how to think about money, how to save money, and how to get more money, so they can chant Hare Krsna peacefully and preach and serve, without being in anxiety about money. So I did a seminar.

I gave them some spiritual and professional strategies, ideas and examples about laksmi, or money. This was the most attended course on my South American tour. Why? Because devotees need this knowledge and they struggle financially. And what happened at the end? I got so much money. They gave me many donations. Krsna is my witness that I didn't think even for a second if I would get any donations. It was a free course. When you help others make money, Krsna gives you money. Krsna inspires people to give you money. That commitment to others' success is your secret of success.

HOW CAN PEOPLE GET CONFIDENCE THAT THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL?

You can help them achieve small victories. If you come to me ask me to tach you how to play harmonium, I show you one melody and you say, "I can never play like that." If I am a good teacher, I will show you a more simple melody that is easy for you to play right now. And you say, "I can do that!" Thus you gain confidence that you can play harmonium. Then the next time we do a more complex melody.

You show them how they can do it. You believe in them. You believe in their potential. And your belief in them gives them strength. Gradually, they start to believe in themselves. They start to believe that Krsna is the ability in us. And that God helps those who help themsleves.  So they try and they have some small victory, then another small victory.

As a Trusted Advisor, you always help people succeed in various ways. You are a great positive force in their lives by acting as an instrument in Lord's hands. When you genuinely care about people, you will get guidance both from within and from without how to do it so people will benefit from your service. And you are always ready to learn how to do it better and better and better.

End

APPENDIX
PRACTICAL Q&A ABOUT BEING A TRUSTED ADVISOR
Question: You said we should give our services without expecting anything in return. I am a lawyer. How does it apply to me? When I get clients and do my job for them, does it mean I should not charge them?
Akrura dasa: If you are a professional you have to charge, but you as a professional should have this meditation – you are focusing on helping your client succeed. You don't think about money. You think about adding value. If you become a Trusted Advisor, you can even raise your fees. One way you can charge is to make it risk-free. It means there will be no risk for your client. It means if the client is not satsfied you give the money back, or you don't even take money if they don't get results. Recently I coached a devotee and we had three sessions. I gave him ideas and tasks to work on in order to improve in certain area, but he found a therapy that is more helpful. So he wanted to stop with coaching and pay me something for my time, to give a donation for the three sessions. I said, "No, I accept reciprocation when you get results. I don't accept it only for my time." Maybe in your particular profession it does not make much sense, but try to understand the principle behind it. The principle is that the benefit of your client is your top priority. This is your high-class attitude. This is Spiritual Business Intelligence (SBI). Spiritual principles make a huge difference in business. They build trust and a long-term success. Therefore spiritual knowledge is superior even to business knowledge, because it goes deeper into a psychology of success.
Question: As a lawyer, I deal with lots of people. Often they don't accept what I think is best for them. So I must do what they think is best for them. What to do about it?
A: If you explain to them all the benefits of doing it the way you suggest, if you are convinced, and if you have some examples to show, then they will be more convinced. In most situations in life we have to convince people. If they are able to understand the benefits themselves, that is better. Otherwise you have to educate them.
Question: It is not only a question of convincing people by words but also the way you relate. Sometimes people do not buy a book, still I listen to them, I make friends with them. The mentality behind it is very inspiring and they feel comfortable and happy. They can exppress themselves and their difficulties to me. So it is not a question of always convincing them by words, but mostly by your example. What do you think about it?
A: This is a very important point. You start a relationship with someone, and it's long term. You are not there just to sell-and-runaway, just to sell only one time. You are right - if you meet them and you are nice to them, and you want to benefit them, they will feel it. They will remember this encounter with you. And even if they don't buy a book now, when they meet you next time, or see another devotee with books on the street, they might take them, because they were inspired by your kindness. So whether you gain something material or not you always gain something spiritual. You gain their trust. And you want to build a long-term relationship. You want to serve them and benefit them their whole life. And this is a very important success principle: long-term vision. You will always try to convince but you are not attached to the result. This a spiritual success principle from the Bhagavad-gita: don't be attached to results. Be a little detached. Respect their free will. It's between themselves and themselves and between themselves and God what decisions they will make. But you are always adding value, always investing. You are a Trusted Advisor.

*****
Akrura dasa
Akrura dasa is a Spiritual Life Coach, speaker, seminar leader, writer, and musician. He travels around the world teaching success principles of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is and performing spiritual music.

CONTACT
Thank you for reading this ebook. I hope it will enhance your success and happiness. If you have any questions or comments, email me on:
akrura@gmail.com
And be sure to visit our Gita Coaching blog, full of resources for your success:
http://gitacoaching.blogspot.com

It has audio, video, music, interviews, stories, photos, events info, and quick tips.

BECOME A MOST TRUSTED ADVISOR
→ GITA COACHING

BECOME A MOST
TRUSTED ADVISOR
By Akrura dasa
akrura@gmail.com


TABLE OF CONTENTS

A NEW ROLE

HOW TO BECOME A TRUSTED ADVISOR FOR LIFE?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SHOW TO PEOPLE?

WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT YOU?

IT'S OUR ORIGINAL NATURE – THAT'S WHY WE WANT IT

HOW CAN PEOPLE GET CONFIDENCE THAT THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL?

APPENDIX

CONTACT


The central theme of this little e-book is not meant only for some people. It is universal. It is applicable to many roles and many professions in life – to any business, to sales, if you are a preacher, if you are a teacher, counselor or coach, mentor or a consultant. It can be applied practically in every profession.

A NEW ROLE

What is this ebook about? It is about your new role, or a new perception of your role in various areas of your life. This is the summary: Whatever you do, position yourself in the hearts and minds of the people you serve, lead, teach, as the most Trusted Advisor for life. There is a term "life coach". I have changed it into "lifetime coach", a coach for the whole life. Similarly, Trusted Advisor for the whole life is your new role, a role that is very much needed in human society.

Becoming a Trusted Advisor means becoming a trusted authority. It means becoming a leader, a guide. Someone who knows how to help. There are many people who teach success principles. But there are very few people who can help you particularly for your situation in a very precise way, in how to use the universal principles of success and apply them to your situation. This is the kind of sincere and skilled trusted authority we want to become in any life role.

If you are a manager in a company, if you are a teacher in a school, if you are a parent, if you are a financial adviser, in any occupation you position yourself as the most trusted authority.

What does it mean? It means that people are convinced that you have their best interest at heart. They know that you wish all the best for them, and also for their families, friends, relatives, etc..

For example, if you are selling Srila Prabhupada's books and you show people four books, and they say, "I will take only one." And you can say, "Take your time, take one book. It's ok. But there is much more in these other books. So you are basically losing if you don't take all of them. You are losing an opportunity to gain a treasure of knowledge."  In this way, you don't want them to miss the other things you have that can benefit them.

You have these wonderful transcendental books. You have knowledge how to apply these books, how they can benefit from them. And they will benefit if they communicate with you more often. People are silently begging to be led. And you can become their guide. It's a great service opportunity.

HOW TO BECOME A TRUSTED ADVISOR FOR LIFE?

Here I will give you some ideas. The first step is to show them that you understand them. You understand how they feel. You understand what they think. You empathize. And how do you do this? How they will know that you understand them? You put into words something that they feel for a long time, but they are not able to articulate. They are not able to clearly define what it is. They feel something is wrong? They feel something is missing. They feel something doesn't work. And if you are able to put this into words and to express how they feel, they will see that you understand them. They will think, "He gets it. He exactly understands how I feel."

If they feel understood, they will trust you. Because if you understand them, you can help them.

Do not be shy to strongly recommend what you think and feel is the best for them. It may be your friend, your client, your child, or your parent. People are silently begging to be led. And you should lead them. Because you are a devotee. You know more than most people about the essence of life, about many things. People don't even know how to go to the toilet properly. Devotees have a system how to go to the toilet as a civilized human being, as a gentleman. It is very scientific and hygienic. It's very healthy. After using that system you fell better.

What to speak of other things – how to eat, how to rest, how to think, how to act.

People need leadership. They need guidance. You have a full right to recommend what you think is best for them. Don't be shy! They need you. If you don't guide these people, somebody else will. And usually where they will lead them?

andha yathandhair upaniyamanas
SB 7.5.31

Blind men lead other blind man into a ditch, into a hole.

Now that I mentioned a hole I want to give you a nice example. A person who needs to build something, or to fix something, they go to a shop and buy a drill. But actually they don't want a drill. They want a hole. They don't care about that machine, they care about the result. They care about what the machine can do for them.

Similarly, you can have great ideas and strategies, and great advice, but in order to be a trusted authority, you have to be able to show them how they will benefit from what you suggest, and what results they will get. So you focus on always adding a special value to them. You clearly show to them that they matter. They are important to you. And you want them to get good results.

This is called "you-attitude". It's about you, not about me. I am not giving you good advice because it will benefit me. I am giving it because it will benefit you. If you focus on adding value to people's lives, you will become very attractive, and people will develop a greater interest in your products and services.  

For example, if you are selling incence and you are an intelligent salesman, if you are an intelligent Trusted Advisor, you will always educate your clients about the benefits of burning incence.

Now, if you want to sell incence to me, it will be very difficult to do. Because incence suffocates me. And even if you explain to me 108 benefits, it will no be enough to convince me. You may say, "This is maha incence. If you inhale you will make spiritual advancement. You might even see Krsna if you inhale all the smoke of the one maha incence. You might fall in ecstasy. And your family members will be purified. Your neighbors will be purified. You will have so many benefits by burning incence."

Still I will not be convinced because it suffocates me. So you have to offer me some other product. If you would want to sell me a good acoustic guitar, I'd be really interested, because this is something I can use.

The point is that if you offer what people are interested in, they will listen to you. If you offer them what they need, they will listen to you. And try to verbalize it and present it in a very, very attractive way.

I tried to do something attractive on my blog to inspire people to read The Science Of Self Realization book. You may see it here (ctrl+click to follow link):
http://www.gitacoaching.blogspot.pt/2012/09/the-rest-of-your-life.html
The picture is very easy to understand and to motivate you to change, and I connected it to my product and offered it to my readers. I am 100% convinced about the value of my product, because this book brought me to spiritual life. I have faith in that book. And I believe it can change people's lives. Some people will probably read it, so I also offered my email in case they have questions. I set it up so they only have to click on my email. They don't have to type it. There is an email link option on the blog.

Make it easy for them to accept what you offer. If you want to become a Trusted Advisor make it easy for them to accept things from you.

People need solutions, not just strategies. If you respect their intelligence, you will explain why your product or service is good for them, and how it will make a difference in their lives, how it will transform their lives.

We are not into a business of preaching, we are into transforming people's lives. We want these transcendental books to fully help people to change their lives, to benefit them.

Most salespeople, businesspeople, and people in general, they fall in love with their product, or their skill, or their profession. You may be in love with your products and services but you should also fall in love with your clients. What does the word "client" mean? It doesn't only mean a customer, one who buys. "Client" means, according to Webster dictionary, one who is under the care and protection of the other. That's why I am using that word. It is a nice word. There is a similar word – ward, one who is under someone's protection.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SHOW TO PEOPLE?

You want to take them on a journey to the future – how their life will change if they take advantage of your services and products; how it will be better, richer, fuller, more exciting, more pleasant, full of happiness. Describe it so nicely that they can feel it, because all buying decisions are emotional. Whether you are selling an idea or a cake people neet to get inspired to buy it, or to accept it if you offer it to them.

Just like I was eating fruits from one devotee's garden. They are naturally produced. It was such a wonderful experience because usually do not get such natural fruits. It was so wonderful to taste prasadam, the real plums.

If you have such a nice product you can promote it intelligently. People want you to show them, not only tell them.  Sometimes when they sell fruits they say, "Ok, taste it! If you like it, buy it. If you don't like it, don't buy it." You have to show so that people experience it.

For example, if you want to convince people to chant Hare Krsna, you should first be the one who is benefiting from chanting. You can tell them, "If you chant Hare Krsna you will become as happy and as peaceful as me. Problems will not disturb you." You show them a practical example of how they can benefit from what you offer.

WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT YOU?

They should feel that you are their greatest fan. In the neigborhood of one devotee in Portugal you can find the greatest fans of the local football club. Your clients should feel that you are their greatest fan. You care about them so much. You want to benefit them. You want to help them become happy. You want to help them to release their potential, to become smart. To take these books, like Bhagavad-gita, and become super-wise, super-intelligent.

Srila Prabhupada is even teaching us how to become lazy intelligent. High-court judge is only sitting and has a highest salary. What does it mean to be lazy intelligent? It means you think deeply. You are very wise and sober. You think carefully before making decisions. It also means that with the least effort you get the biggest results. Why lift something heavy, when you can use the lever? With a lever it is much easier to lift it. Let's say something fell under the huge, heavy box. Intelligent person will use the lever. If you can achieve something with less energy, that's intelligent.

There is no limit how much we can learn about how to improve our life and the lives of others.

There is another thing about people and their psychology.  They don't know what they want. You have to tell them what is good for them to want. This is where you become a leader. You tell them, "You should want this." Why? Because it will benefit you. Because it's good for you. Then show them how it is good, why it is good, how it has benefitted others, how it has benefitted you. You lead people to a good destination.

Steven jobs, the founder of Apple, said he always felt he's leading a revolution. This is what we need. Maybe you are a peaceful person, you are quiet. I was like that. Sometimes it was very hard to get a word out of my mouth, before I got Prabhupada's books.  When I read them I thought that I have to start speaking more.

Even if I can't speak. Even if I lose my voice, I can distribute books. I can write a big sign that says CHANT HARE KRSNA, and show it to people. The message is so important that I have to give up all shyness. I have to give up my introverted nature. My dreaming mentality. I have to get out of my mind. The message is more important than my conditioned nature.

In the beginning people were walking out of my lectures. The lectures were slow and boring. Sometimes people were crying. It was too heavy. People were laughing until stomach hurt. Because it was too funny. But over time I got a balance between scaring people, making them cry, and making them laugh. So I made many mistakes in the beginning. But I had a desire to give the message. And you can do the same.

IT'S OUR ORIGINAL NATURE – THAT'S WHY WE WANT IT

I will now tell you what I think you feel. Maybe you are not aware that you feel this. Maybe you neglect the feeling when it comes. Maybe you are afraid to admit it and confront it. But it's there. Why? Because it is your original nature. So what is it?

It is described in the Introduction to the Bhagavad-gita: http://vedabase.com/en/bg/introduction

Sanatana-dharma. It means your eternal quality, your eternal occupation, your eternal nature. What is your nature? You want to serve. You want to love. You want to give. You want to contribute. This is the essence of your nature. So if you don't do this in a big way, in a maximal way, you cannot be happy. There will be always something lacking. This is my diagnose why we are not happy. We are not fulfiling our full potential.

Confront the next sentence boldly. This is what I think you feel, consciously or unconsciously:

"I WANT TO DO SOMETHING ON THIS PLANET!"

I want to make a difference. I want to make a contribution. I want to add value to people's lives – to my freinds, to my colleagues, to people I meet on the street, to my family. The secret of happiness is giving. But people with material consciousness, think that the secret of happiness is getting something for yourself. So become a go-giver. Go and give something. When you wake up in the morning the first question you can ask is "How can I give today?"

If you add value to people's lives, God will inspire them to reciprocate. Even if you don't charge. I am telling you this from my experience. I never ask people for money. But they give me. Because Krsna inspires them. I don't even think about it.

When I was in Argentina last year, I wanted to help devotees to make more money. Because many devotees are stuglling financially. I really wanted to help them to learn how to think about money, how to save money, and how to get more money, so they can chant Hare Krsna peacefully and preach and serve, without being in anxiety about money. So I did a seminar.

I gave them some spiritual and professional strategies, ideas and examples about laksmi, or money. This was the most attended course on my South American tour. Why? Because devotees need this knowledge and they struggle financially. And what happened at the end? I got so much money. They gave me many donations. Krsna is my witness that I didn't think even for a second if I would get any donations. It was a free course. When you help others make money, Krsna gives you money. Krsna inspires people to give you money. That commitment to others' success is your secret of success.

HOW CAN PEOPLE GET CONFIDENCE THAT THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL?

You can help them achieve small victories. If you come to me ask me to tach you how to play harmonium, I show you one melody and you say, "I can never play like that." If I am a good teacher, I will show you a more simple melody that is easy for you to play right now. And you say, "I can do that!" Thus you gain confidence that you can play harmonium. Then the next time we do a more complex melody.

You show them how they can do it. You believe in them. You believe in their potential. And your belief in them gives them strength. Gradually, they start to believe in themselves. They start to believe that Krsna is the ability in us. And that God helps those who help themsleves.  So they try and they have some small victory, then another small victory.

As a Trusted Advisor, you always help people succeed in various ways. You are a great positive force in their lives by acting as an instrument in Lord's hands. When you genuinely care about people, you will get guidance both from within and from without how to do it so people will benefit from your service. And you are always ready to learn how to do it better and better and better.

End

APPENDIX
PRACTICAL Q&A ABOUT BEING A TRUSTED ADVISOR
Question: You said we should give our services without expecting anything in return. I am a lawyer. How does it apply to me? When I get clients and do my job for them, does it mean I should not charge them?
Akrura dasa: If you are a professional you have to charge, but you as a professional should have this meditation – you are focusing on helping your client succeed. You don't think about money. You think about adding value. If you become a Trusted Advisor, you can even raise your fees. One way you can charge is to make it risk-free. It means there will be no risk for your client. It means if the client is not satsfied you give the money back, or you don't even take money if they don't get results. Recently I coached a devotee and we had three sessions. I gave him ideas and tasks to work on in order to improve in certain area, but he found a therapy that is more helpful. So he wanted to stop with coaching and pay me something for my time, to give a donation for the three sessions. I said, "No, I accept reciprocation when you get results. I don't accept it only for my time." Maybe in your particular profession it does not make much sense, but try to understand the principle behind it. The principle is that the benefit of your client is your top priority. This is your high-class attitude. This is Spiritual Business Intelligence (SBI). Spiritual principles make a huge difference in business. They build trust and a long-term success. Therefore spiritual knowledge is superior even to business knowledge, because it goes deeper into a psychology of success.
Question: As a lawyer, I deal with lots of people. Often they don't accept what I think is best for them. So I must do what they think is best for them. What to do about it?
A: If you explain to them all the benefits of doing it the way you suggest, if you are convinced, and if you have some examples to show, then they will be more convinced. In most situations in life we have to convince people. If they are able to understand the benefits themselves, that is better. Otherwise you have to educate them.
Question: It is not only a question of convincing people by words but also the way you relate. Sometimes people do not buy a book, still I listen to them, I make friends with them. The mentality behind it is very inspiring and they feel comfortable and happy. They can exppress themselves and their difficulties to me. So it is not a question of always convincing them by words, but mostly by your example. What do you think about it?
A: This is a very important point. You start a relationship with someone, and it's long term. You are not there just to sell-and-runaway, just to sell only one time. You are right - if you meet them and you are nice to them, and you want to benefit them, they will feel it. They will remember this encounter with you. And even if they don't buy a book now, when they meet you next time, or see another devotee with books on the street, they might take them, because they were inspired by your kindness. So whether you gain something material or not you always gain something spiritual. You gain their trust. And you want to build a long-term relationship. You want to serve them and benefit them their whole life. And this is a very important success principle: long-term vision. You will always try to convince but you are not attached to the result. This a spiritual success principle from the Bhagavad-gita: don't be attached to results. Be a little detached. Respect their free will. It's between themselves and themselves and between themselves and God what decisions they will make. But you are always adding value, always investing. You are a Trusted Advisor.

*****
Akrura dasa
Akrura dasa is a Spiritual Life Coach, speaker, seminar leader, writer, and musician. He travels around the world teaching success principles of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is and performing spiritual music.

CONTACT
Thank you for reading this ebook. I hope it will enhance your success and happiness. If you have any questions or comments, email me on:
akrura@gmail.com
And be sure to visit our Gita Coaching blog, full of resources for your success:
http://gitacoaching.blogspot.com

It has audio, video, music, interviews, stories, photos, events info, and quick tips.

Sunday, July 14th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Expand the Vision

Toronto, Ontario

One of my ashram chums, I guess you could say, Harakumar, conveyed that the series of islands where our Festival of India is held was a space for healing for the Huron Tribe (Nation) long ago. I can see that. With all that the organizers do to erect a weekend sacredness I’m willing to say that it is imperative to maintain the integrity and initial intent of the place. You have this karma free food, you have mantras, teaching circles, yoga, activities for engaging the kids, there is “wellness” all around you.

One attractive feature on Centre Island, the actual location of the Festival of India is a Sunday morning yagya (sacrifice). Two of our awesome monks, Hayagriva and Maha Mantra, received their 2nd initiations before the sacred fire that represents the tongue of Vishnu. They became awarded with brahmin duties. Before they received their sacred threads, I spoke from the view of chapter 8 from Bhagavad Gita. I want them to become brahmins who would embrace a very inclusive perception of what is Divine. In other words, I emphasize the point that as a brahmin priest, you do not see God only in a temple as verse 22 indicates, “Although He is present in His own abode, He is all pervading and everything is situated within Him.” Quoting our guru, Srila Prabhupada, he had this to say, “By His spiritual and material energies, He is present everywhere, both in the material and the spiritual universes.”

If we attempt to limit our vision on the Absolute and place Him in a box, then we check our spiritual progress. We want to expand our vision, if anything.

14 KM

Sunday, July 14th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Expand the Vision

Toronto, Ontario

One of my ashram chums, I guess you could say, Harakumar, conveyed that the series of islands where our Festival of India is held was a space for healing for the Huron Tribe (Nation) long ago. I can see that. With all that the organizers do to erect a weekend sacredness I’m willing to say that it is imperative to maintain the integrity and initial intent of the place. You have this karma free food, you have mantras, teaching circles, yoga, activities for engaging the kids, there is “wellness” all around you.

One attractive feature on Centre Island, the actual location of the Festival of India is a Sunday morning yagya (sacrifice). Two of our awesome monks, Hayagriva and Maha Mantra, received their 2nd initiations before the sacred fire that represents the tongue of Vishnu. They became awarded with brahmin duties. Before they received their sacred threads, I spoke from the view of chapter 8 from Bhagavad Gita. I want them to become brahmins who would embrace a very inclusive perception of what is Divine. In other words, I emphasize the point that as a brahmin priest, you do not see God only in a temple as verse 22 indicates, “Although He is present in His own abode, He is all pervading and everything is situated within Him.” Quoting our guru, Srila Prabhupada, he had this to say, “By His spiritual and material energies, He is present everywhere, both in the material and the spiritual universes.”

If we attempt to limit our vision on the Absolute and place Him in a box, then we check our spiritual progress. We want to expand our vision, if anything.

14 KM

Planting Marigolds for Radha Kalachandji
→ TKG Academy

The students of Mother Rasakeli and Mother Savitri’s classes, Pre-k through 2nd grades, learned how to plant marigolds this week. Instructed by Shalagram Prabhu, Kalachandji Community Garden organizer, the students learned how to make a string grid to allow proper spacing for the plants. They also learned how separate the plants and how deep they should go into the soil.

marigolds

The best part of the instruction for the kids? Discovering the large, wriggling worms in the earth and how beneficial they are to plant and soil health.

Breakfast With His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami In Arusha, Tanzania
Bhakti Charu Swami

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS Founder-Ācārya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda  Breakfast Dialogue Between His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami & Arun In Arusha, Tanzania His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Kṛṣṇa comes in Dvāpara Yuga, not in every Dvāpara Yuga. Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. You see Kṛṣṇa is not an avatāra, […]

Saturday, July 13th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Drumming It Up

Toronto, Ontario

When it’s humid and hot out the mrdanga drums don’t always play so well, especially the large side of the drum. It could end up being very slack. The djembe are, however, more hail and hardy, so I asked one of our resident monks to fetch my own, just in case the Bengali mrdanga drums are not up to snuff and are too few and far between.

My concern for music was to provide for the Festival of Chariots, this is kirtan, totally outdoors. And sound did bounce off the high rise walls quite successfully as the temple domed chariots rolled down Yonge Street. My voice was microphoned, drums played in perfect time. I couldn’t resist using an old tune from the 70’s sung by an African American, Dinanath.

In their royal ride, the deities of Krishna, his brother Balarama, and sister, Subadra, as usual, made a strong presence, each lavishly adorned on their respective chariot. Unique about this day is the walking that all the comers are obliged to take on Yonge Street as they yank simultaneously on thick ropes attached to one chariot.

Once reaching Queen’s Quay, the waterfront street, the procession culminates to merge with Festival of India held on Centre Island which is just a piece of heaven. Wish you were all here.

13 KM

Saturday, July 13th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Drumming It Up

Toronto, Ontario

When it’s humid and hot out the mrdanga drums don’t always play so well, especially the large side of the drum. It could end up being very slack. The djembe are, however, more hail and hardy, so I asked one of our resident monks to fetch my own, just in case the Bengali mrdanga drums are not up to snuff and are too few and far between.

My concern for music was to provide for the Festival of Chariots, this is kirtan, totally outdoors. And sound did bounce off the high rise walls quite successfully as the temple domed chariots rolled down Yonge Street. My voice was microphoned, drums played in perfect time. I couldn’t resist using an old tune from the 70’s sung by an African American, Dinanath.

In their royal ride, the deities of Krishna, his brother Balarama, and sister, Subadra, as usual, made a strong presence, each lavishly adorned on their respective chariot. Unique about this day is the walking that all the comers are obliged to take on Yonge Street as they yank simultaneously on thick ropes attached to one chariot.

Once reaching Queen’s Quay, the waterfront street, the procession culminates to merge with Festival of India held on Centre Island which is just a piece of heaven. Wish you were all here.

13 KM

Friday, July 12th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Good Sweet

Toronto, Ontario

The Saskatoon berries in the neighbourhood have begun to dry up but the mulberries are just in full swing as far as ripeness is concerned. Apurva has discovered this most amazing organic dish that grows on trees of which there are many in a 1 km radius of our temple ashram. I was also surprised by the find of the plentiful number of them.

In this same early day trek I also lead Apurva to a patch of lamb’s quarters, a really delicious wild leafy green vegetable. It took little effort to harvest these guys to be used in a preparation, most likely, something called kitchory, as an offering to Krishna.

The whole day was laden with sweetness even after the discovery walk at 10 AM, a 12 hour kirtan chanting session commenced with mantra expert Dravida inaugurating it. It was total mercy that I was scheduled to begin the event. Throughout the coming hours many honey combed voices sounded out the name Krishna. Leading singers came from all over the place, including the US, Africa and Europe. The kirtan is an actual warm up for the next day, the annual Ratha Yatra. This time it’s the 41st in Toronto. It seems to grow in numbers each year, let’s see what happens tomorrow.

When I was a kid, I remember watching Jackie Gleason on TV and using his signature line, “How sweet it is” as the kirtan came to a close at 10 PM with a full house of arms in a surrendered pose. For those who were there, it was indeed, sweet – sweet like thick maple syrup.

9 KM

Friday, July 12th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Good Sweet

Toronto, Ontario

The Saskatoon berries in the neighbourhood have begun to dry up but the mulberries are just in full swing as far as ripeness is concerned. Apurva has discovered this most amazing organic dish that grows on trees of which there are many in a 1 km radius of our temple ashram. I was also surprised by the find of the plentiful number of them.

In this same early day trek I also lead Apurva to a patch of lamb’s quarters, a really delicious wild leafy green vegetable. It took little effort to harvest these guys to be used in a preparation, most likely, something called kitchory, as an offering to Krishna.

The whole day was laden with sweetness even after the discovery walk at 10 AM, a 12 hour kirtan chanting session commenced with mantra expert Dravida inaugurating it. It was total mercy that I was scheduled to begin the event. Throughout the coming hours many honey combed voices sounded out the name Krishna. Leading singers came from all over the place, including the US, Africa and Europe. The kirtan is an actual warm up for the next day, the annual Ratha Yatra. This time it’s the 41st in Toronto. It seems to grow in numbers each year, let’s see what happens tomorrow.

When I was a kid, I remember watching Jackie Gleason on TV and using his signature line, “How sweet it is” as the kirtan came to a close at 10 PM with a full house of arms in a surrendered pose. For those who were there, it was indeed, sweet – sweet like thick maple syrup.

9 KM

Down With Affluenza? ECOV’s Got the Cure
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

ECOV Logo  Affluenza

 

Down With Affluenza? ECOV’s Got the Cure.

by Madhava Smullen

Contrary to what advertisers would have us believe, stuff doesn’t make us happy. In fact, it could be just the opposite.

According to a study of Commerce Department data cited in the Wall Street Journal, U.S. consumers are set to spend $1.2 trillion in 2011 on non-essential goods including pleasure boats, jewelry, booze, gambling and candy. Yet 121 million people around the world, and 18 million in the U.S., suffer from depression, and suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide in the last forty-five years.

Meanwhile, we are polluting the planet, causing climate change and loss of biodiversity, and leaving our children a toxic legacy. And despite our addiction to spending, even the economy is collapsing.

So what’s the alternative? Members of ECOV (Earth, Cows, Opportunity, and Villages), a cow protection organization set in the ISKCON Community of New Vrindaban, West Virginia, believe they have an effective one. It’s an agrarian lifestyle in harmony with nature, animals and the earth, that focuses on simple living and high thinking.

This approach is based on the Vedic culture of ancient India—in which the cow and bull were the very backbone of society, and treated as part of the family. In fact, the cow was deeply respected as the mother of mankind, and the bull as its father. For just as a child is fed with its mother’s milk, the cow feeds human society her milk; and just as the father earns for his children, the bull tills the ground to produce food grains.

These ideas were exemplified in India, yet practiced all over the world to some degree until modern times. Even in the U.S., as recently as the 1950s, a person’s flock and grains was his life.

ECOV Adviser Varshana Swami, who has dedicated much of his life to the pursuit of simple living and high thinking, recalls the exact time in his childhood when it all went wrong.

“As a kid in the late 1950s, I used to visit my grandfather’s farm in New York State regularly,” he says. “It was in such a backwoods town that the tractor hadn’t completely taken over yet, and they were still using animal power for agriculture. Then the tractor came to the village. First, it killed the social life by replacing all the villagers who would come together for the planting and the harvest. Then, its presence caused overproduction to the point that the government stepped in and started paying the farmers to stop growing crops. It literally put an end to agriculture.”

Of course, the tractor can have its uses and Varshana Swami doesn’t think it needs to be completely prohibited—as long as it doesn’t replace the ox. However for him, the tractor’s arrival is a symbol for modern humanity’s consumer addiction, which destroys the natural prosperity and spiritual advancement that past generations enjoyed.

Searching for a word to describe this affliction, he came across the term ‘affluenza’ in the dictionary. Its definition? “Extreme materialism which is the impetus for accumulating wealth and for over consumption of goods; also, feelings of guilt and isolation from the dysfunctional pursuit of wealth and goods.” The dictionary even adds that “its antidote is simple living.”

“Affluenza creates an unsustainable addiction to economic growth and plundering, which upsets the natural order of things,” explains Varshana Swami. “Let’s continue to use the tractor as an example. It’s born by plundering economies for iron ore, which is smelted in factories that pollute the environment. Then forests of sandalwood trees, which are traditionally used for sacrifices, are annihilated to plant rubber trees for the tires. Next, you need petroleum, the life blood of the earth, which spews polluting hydrocarbons into the atmosphere. Finally, the tractor is used to spread chemical fertilizers, which are made from the same ingredients as explosives, and which kill the soil.”

These fertilizers create vegetables and fruit that look big and lush, but lack taste and nutritional value. What to speak of so-called ‘organic fertilizer’—blood meal and bone meal made of crushed bones and blood from cow slaughterhouses that render even our ‘certified organic’ foods non-vegetarian.

Thus under the influence of affluenza and petroleum dependency, we kill our mother the cow and eliminate our father the ox from his place in the field. “If the father of society is unemployed, how can there be any question of prosperity in the family?” says Varshana Swami. “And so our modern disease of affluenza promises wealth but brings scarcity, exploitation, and plundering of the earth’s very life support systems.”

This is in stark contrast to the ancient system of agriculture—working with the cow, the ox, and the land in a simple way that fosters community, loving relationships, learning skills, and spiritual introspection. This natural order is a synergistic system of bounty, prosperity, and devotion.

“My guru, Srila Prabhupada, who encouraged his followers to establish farm communities based on these principles, defined true wealth as cows, land and grains,” Varshana Swami says. “And in ancient Vedic culture, the cow represents the earth, who in turn is also considered our revered mother. In fact, the ancient text Srimad-Bhagavatam explains that the earth is God’s consort, and an expansion of Radharani, the female aspect of Divinity.” On a practical level, the cow produces milk, the miracle substance which, the Srimad-Bhagavatam explains, is not only vastly versatile and nutritious but also the only food which develops the finer tissues of the human brain, enabling one to understand the subtleties of spiritual dynamics, relationships and truth.

Meanwhile the ox is an even more valuable creature. In Vedic culture, he represents Dharma, or the natural order of things, and since he pulls the plow, he is also the symbol for agriculture. Both his and the cow’s urine has medicinal and insecticidal properties, while their dung is the only way Varshana Swami knows of to revive soils which have been killed by chemical fertilizers.

Yet the prime reason why protecting the ox is more relevant now than ever before, is that as the tiller of the soil he’s our alternative to chemical and petroleum dependency—the lubricant that oils the consumer machine, and facilitates our addiction to non-essential stuff and our aversion to the simple life that will actually make us happy and content.

“The fragile industrial systems we’ve created for ourselves are going to fail,” concludes Varshana Swami. “We don’t know if it’s going to be sooner or later, sudden or gradual—but they are unsustainable, unnatural, and they will fail. That’s why I see reinstating the ox in his rightful position in our society as an extremely urgent mission.”

ECOV invites all to help it with this mission, either by supporting it financially or by lending help in working the land and taking care of its herd of cows and oxen. Experiencing this simple life is the only way to cure ourselves of affluenza and find true happiness—despite what advertisers would prefer us to believe.

Mission Statement: ECOV (Earth, Cows, Opportunities & Villages) is dedicated to cow protection, sustainable agriculture, self-sufficiency and simple living — all centered around loving service to Sri Krishna, as envisioned by the ISKCON New Vrindaban Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

For more info, visit ECOV’s website.

For regular updates, we also invite you to “like” ECOV’s Facebook page.