Planet ISKCON

Resolutions are like a pod of seeds. They’ll grow.

It’s still not too late for a New Year’s resolution. You can do it. Whatever it is, rallying your determination now can make all the difference to the rest of the year.

For those of us walking the spiritual path, January is a great time for looking at the year ahead and fixing our determination to reach a target. Yes, even the spiritual life has targets, and spiritually-motivated development of mental strength is an essential prerequisite. Visualising your goal comes first, then verbalising it as an affirmation. A determined resolution is known as a sankalpa, and expressed as a verbal commitment becomes a vrata.

It’s much easier to reach any goal when you have friends who share the same path, and especially when one of them gives you encouragement and occasional guidance. Such a person can be a patha-pradipika guru for you, someone who ‘keeps the path illuminated.’

A coach is someone who helps you reach your goals, often in sport. He or she will listen carefully as you describe what sort of physique you wish to have, the level of stamina you want, and the lap times you’d like to reach. The coach will then suggest exercises and a fitness regime that will suit you. In spiritual life it’s just the same. We all need someone who’ll listen to the goals we’d like to reach and offer us guidance to get there.

You may already have such a person in your life, or you may be looking for one. Finding one, trusting them, and being honest when you don’t make your chosen target is a key element in keeping your resolutions and becoming an improved version of yourself.

 

 

Vaisnava dasa: How can you say that,” asked the surprised barber. “I am here, I am a barber and I just worked on you!” “No!” the customer exclaimed. “Barbers don’t exist because if they did there would be no people with long dirty hair and untrimmed beards like that man outside.” “Ah, but barbers do exists! What happens is people don’t come to me.”

“Tulsi shared how the Bhagavad Gita continues to serve as an inspiration in her life, and how grateful she is to the people of Hawaii for allowing her to continue to serve in Congress,” said a statement from her office.

Titiksava Karunika Das: So I'm sitting there on the planter box watching all this and at this point I get up and yell at this guy "Hey don't be pushing my friend"! So the guy looks at me then looks at Dhruva and says "I know how to deal with you punks", pulls out a small hand gun and points it right at my chest and pulls the trigger. Bham!

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami: When Srila Prabhupada visited Hawaii, he had to deal with controversial persons who claimed to be his followers and yet who denounced the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Prabhupada wanted to encourage everyone to go on chanting Hare Krsna, yet at the same time he wanted to clearly establish that his sincere follower works within ISKCON. The questions and answers after his lectures in Hawaii often dealt with these matters.

Kunja Bihari Devi Dasi: Although they speak about universal love and brotherhood, the non-theistic moralists, like their immoral brothers, are unable to appreciate others as anything more than dull matter. Their perception is limited to the external body, and the relationships they form with others are similarly skin- deep—shallow, short-lived, and ultimately prone towards exploitation. Since they identify themselves as temporary matter, there is no reason for them to perform truly selfless acts.

By Gour Govinda Swami

“Krishna is My life. Now My life has gone out. I cannot see Krishna, I cannot find Krishna.” He cried piteously when Haridas Thakur disappeared. “Krishna is so merciful. He gave Me the association of such a dear devotee who was always with Krishna. But now he disappeared, so I cannot feel the presence of Krishna who is My life. I am without life, I am without life.” That is how one should cry. Continue reading "After the Disappearance of Sri Guru
→ Dandavats"

By Gour Govinda Swami

Still, after the disappearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, a black period was there. Who fulfilled Mahaprabhu’s prediction? Bhaktivinode Thakur started. Because India was blindly following the West, he thought that the books and teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu should be presented in English‚ and that this science should be taught in the Western world. Continue reading "After the Disappearance of Sri Guru – Part Two: The Dark Period
→ Dandavats"

Krishna - kshetra Swami: At the end of one of lectures Srila Prabhupada asked for questions. One middle-aged man - apparently a Christian - stood up and said, "I am afraid there is no religiosity present here whatsoever!" Srila Prabhupada responded immediately, with a look of genuine concern, "Oh, you are afraid?" Continue reading "“Oh, you are afraid?”
→ Dandavats"

Tirtho Banerjee: Sindoor can cause local irritation and skin toxicity, says N. M. Khanna, an ex-Central Drug Research Institute scientist. The nature of sindoor or kumkum can change with exposure to the environment over time and this can result in blisters, itching, rashes, pigmentation and, at times, serious dermatological disorders.

By "an insignificant soul"

A colleague, Andrew, began to have headaches at the end of January. It took about 3 weeks to discover that he had a brain tumour and needed urgent surgery. Andrew's father died of cancer and had spent a year travelling the world because he had feared that he never wanted to be like his father who had always put off enjoying life until later because it was not meant to be. Andrew had a successful operation and within days was at home recovering. However, the tumour was malignant. Andrew was devastated but determined to fight. On Tuesday 18 April Andrew's stepfather phoned the office and explained that Andrew had been in a semi-coma for a few days and his condition was critical. He suggested that colleagues visit to say goodbye. Everyone was devastated by this news. My manager intended to go immediately, I agreed to go with him because I felt helpless sitting at my desk worrying about him. It was awful seeing a body that was unrecognisable as a person I had associated with him for many years. Andrew had a huge bandage on his head. His eyes were struggling to focus. He had a tracheotomy in his throat so he could not speak and a massive bandage on his right hand to stop him from pulling his drips out. The left hand side of his body was paralysed. It was a terrible sight but I put this aside and spoke to Andrew as I would have done if he was healthy. As I went to leave and said goodbye to him, he raised his right hand to wave bye to me. Andrew's mother was amazed, this was the first time he had done this since going into a coma. I felt really pleased that he was aware that I had been with him. Continue reading "Who am I? Nobody!
→ Dandavats"

The post Daily Darshan: January 12,2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Preaching program in Kiev (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If, by good fortune, one who has fallen into the ocean of material existence renders service to the pure devotees of the Supreme Lord, who are freed from all material desires, the Lord will deliver him, out of His causeless mercy. Simply by rendering service to the spiritual master and other advanced devotees, one surely receives the mercy of the Lord. It is a well-known fact that the Lord is more mercifully inclined toward those who consider themselves devotees of His devotees than those who claim to be His direct devotees. (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada’s commentary on SB 11.17.44)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/R9VchK

By Candrabhaga Devi Dasi

On December 20, 2016 an international group of around 35 devotees (12 matajis, rest prabhus) left Sri Mayapur Dham from Srila Prabhupada's Bhajan Kutir for a seven day, 80 km padayatra to Katwa tirtha. Katwa is the place where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had taken sannyasa. Along the way the yatra passed other tirthas including Nrsimhapalli where Lord Nrsimhadeva had washed His nails after the battle with Hiranyakasipu. Krsnapada the ox, on his first walk out of Mayapur lead the party through Krishnanagar, Baluka, Kanainagar, Navadvip, Srirampur, Kalikatala, Agradvip, and on to Katwa. Thanks to HG Hrimati mataji who entrusted him and the rath cart which became home to Nitai Pada Kamala, Gaura Nitai who reside at the Bhajan Kutir in Mayapur. Continue reading "Srila Prabhupada Sankirtan Padayatra Iskcon 50: Mayapur to Katwa
→ Dandavats"

Who is Srila Prabhuada, no one knows? But certainly an empowered and loving spiritual master, father and grand father for his sincere followers. Somehow or the other, i have been lucky to have gotten his mercy. It is up to me to accept it or reject it.

A memory:

I was traveling. I intended to come to Europe to do street clowning with my girlfriend. In New York City, we met a sankirtan devotee who gave us a book and a record, Radha Krishna Album. And when we heard this music, I remember thinking that there is nothing I want to do besides find out what this means and meet the people who are singing this music. So we went to England. That was in March of '77. So it was only four months later that the devotees said Srila Prabhupada is coming, and we all considered it a wonderful miracle that somehow or other we were actually going to be able to meet him. Many of the older devotees were pained to see him in that condition; but to me, it was the first time I saw him and he was so incredibly attractive. He was glowing like the sun, just so beautiful like the ripened fruit of tapasya.

I had never experienced anyone who was exuding so much love. I was astonished. I had an interesting experience that while he was giving this first lecture, I was sitting back in a corner where I could see him but so many devotees around. But I had the strange feeling that while Prabhupada was speaking, he was looking directly at me and speaking to me. It was as if he had sat down in front of me and said, "My dear child, this is why you've been suffering in the material world and now it's time for you to go back home, back to Krishna. Come with me and I'll take you home." I felt pretty silly due to my big false ego thinking that I had received special attention.

So after the lecture when I went out into the hallway, I overheard some devotee speaking that "Oh, I had this strange experience that Prabhupada was looking straight at me and speaking directly to me." And then I heard another group of people speaking, and at least three or four different groups of devotees mentioned like this. I was stunned, "What kind of person is this?" It was also interesting while I was in this lecture, I had a unique feeling that Prabhupada was looking straight into my soul, that he was looking at my essential self and not at the person who I had previously thought I was, but looking through all the layers of my conditioning to see my true self, that I was an eternal spiritual living entity, a servant of Krishna. And that he would hold this realization of me so strongly, it felt as if that could bring me out of all those layers of conditioning to the point where I can also realize who I am. So because I was a latecomer and in one way felt unfortunate that I was only able to see Prabhupada in his very last days, in another way I felt like I received a wonderful benediction.

by Gopimata Devi

Hare Krishna

Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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The post Gita 11.43 Our response on coming to know others’ greatness is shaped by our relationship with them appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2009, Melbourne, Australia, Lecture)

There is one thing I want to say about charity – vaisnava charity is not about giving donations here and there because when a vaisnava gets charitable, he does not just give some of his wealth, a vaisnava gives himself. This is the greatest charity, when we give ourselves.

This is how it works in devotional service, vaisnava generosity goes beyond the logic; it goes beyond calculation; it goes beyond the limits and somehow or other Krsna helps…

Of course, there is such a thing as over endeavour. Over endeavour is when we begin to sacrifice our essential spiritual practices like chanting, rising early and reading. When we are so busy with service that we have no time for reading and chanting, then it is time to say, “No, Prabhu! It is not possible.”
We have to chant and we have to read. If we do so much service that we cannot chant and cannot read, then it is useless. Useless! We are shooting ourselves in the foot. This is over endeavour!

Otherwise, this vaisnava generosity is a very beautiful thing where a vaisnava goes out of his way to please another vaisnava or anyone else and preaching is also based on this principle of generosity.
When I first went to a Sunday feast, those were the days! There were fifteen preparations and every preparation was far out. And it was for free which was amazing. It really was overwhelming that they gave all that for free. It was extraordinary. It really did impress me.

So, we can only conquer people by our generosity. It is the only way. Krsna can attract anyone but if we can be of any help in attracting someone to Krsna consciousness, then it is only through generosity; if we extend ourselves then we will conquer and touch people’s hearts.

Plants perceive the world without eyes, ears or brains. Understanding how can teach us a lot about them, and potentially a lot about us as well.

VIP Tour in Sacred India Gallery, Australia (2 min video)
Rita Saffioti MLA Member for West Swan in the Western Australian Parl...

On Thursday 5^th January 2017, ISKCON-London and Bhaktivedanta Manor, co-hosted the UK film premiere of The Joy of Devotion at the Camden Centre in central London to a large and enthusiastic turnout of approximately 300 leaders, community members and those who have recently taken an interest in the ISKCON movement, as well as those who participated in the film.

Recipe - Til ki chikki (7 min video)
Sesame Seeds (Til)
Sugar (Sakkar)
Cardamom (Elaichi) Powder
Watch it here: ...

The post Daily Darshan: 11 Jan, 2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Indians and Bhagavad Gita Make The History. Wherever Lord Krishna and Arjuna are present, Victory is there!
As if leading Microsoft (Mr. Sundar Pichai), Google (Mr. Satya Nadella), Mastercard (Mr. Ajaypal Banga) and many others Giant companies is not enough, Indians are leading in each and every field in US. This year has been a significant benchmark for success of Indians in American Politics as well. American Politics impacts the entire world in the most unique and powerful way. In the recent elections in the United States, history was made. A fivefold growth of prominent politicians of Indo-American origin has been observed and more have won lesser significant posts such as mayor, school board, county council etc.

To celebrate this success, Silicon Valley-based venture capitalist and philanthropist M. R. Rangaswami came with a brilliant concept - Indiaspora Inauguration gala. Diaspora means - the dispersion of any people from their original homeland. Indiaspora - is a congregation of Indians in the United States. The Indiaspora Inauguration gala is a bipartisan event to celebrate the success and significance of the Indian-American community, to welcome in the new administration and strengthen relationships with existing administration! A successful press conference preceded the gala. TV Asia, Diya News, India Bazaar, India West and many other prominent media channels attended it.

Congressman Joe Crowley, a former Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus, in his address to the Indiaspora gala, said this kind of success is phenomenal. Congressman Ami Bera, a third-time elect, addressed saying “What is remarkable that in one generation our community has done so much.” Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard lighted the first candle at the gala, followed by all other dignitaries. Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii has been the very first person to take the oath on a Gita in the United States in January 2009. Gabbard is the first ever Hindu to be elected to the US Congress. Her appreciation for Bhagavad Gita is a noteworthy topic across the internet.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/YgCKLu

Bhaktivedanta Research Center Participates in International Open Access Week.
BRC was pleased to have the opportunity to participate in Open Access Week this year from the 24-30 of October. Open Access Week is an event whose purpose is to bring awareness to the potential applications and benefits of Open Access to scholarship and research throughout the world. BRC’s participation is in line with our commitment to preservation and dissemination, Offering our digitized material freely to the public domain. The Open Access Movement supports the idea that research should be freely accessible online, at no cost to anyone.This free exchange of ideas facilitates more rapid advances in research of many kinds. In only seven days, BRC scanned 2681 pages from 15 rare books and uploaded them, a truly amazing feat made possible to the dedication and commitment of our Head Librarian, Angelo Pugliese (Acyuta Dasa,) and L2C2 Technologies Consultant, Indranil Das Gupta.

Saturday Night Harinama in London (2 min video)
(London 7th January, 2017)
Giridhari Prabhu leading an ecstatic kirtan in ...

Beautiful Sri Radharaman.
Srila Prabhupada: O my merciful Lord Caitanya, may the nectarean Ganges waters of Your transcendental activities flow on the surface of my desertlike tongue. Beautifying these waters are the lotus flowers of singing, dancing and loud chanting of Krsna’s holy name, which are the pleasure abodes of unalloyed devotees. These devotees are compared to swans, ducks and bees. The river’s flowing produces a melodious sound that gladdens their ears. Cc Adi 2.2 text

Prabhupada said, “What’s done is done. You tell him that he should come back.”
Sukhada: An Indian life member who was a nurse was explaining to Srila Prabhupada how she had a nice life, a life in the mode of goodness.
Prabhupada told her that the material world was like a boil and that blowing on a boil won’t get rid of it. It needs to be lanced.
Similarly, we need to get out of this material world by lancing our material desires and by chanting Hare Krishna.
Prabhupada was very heavy but very expert at preaching.
As Prabhupada was leaving he stopped in front of Malati and asked her, “How is Shyamasundar?”
Malati said, “Oh, Prabhupada, he is having difficulty. He’s gone off and is doing different things.”
She was in anxiety, and Prabhupada was surprised and very concerned, almost hurt.
Prabhupada said, “He is engaged in so much monkey business. What’s done is done. Tell him he should come back.”
Three times Prabhupada said to her, “What’s done is done. You tell him that he should come back.”
I felt Prabhupada’s overwhelming sense of compassion in how he was really concerned about his devotees and how he wanted them to be happy and comfortable in spiritual life.
On the way back from visiting the holy places in Vrindavan, the women’s bus broke down.
We weren’t concerned. We were feeling very protected. But later we heard that Srila Prabhupada was worried about us.
He kept asking, “Where are the women? Where are the women?”
Prabhupada didn’t go to sleep until we returned.
Prabhupada also said that he was worried that the women would not be protected after he left the planet.
I thought it was significant how Prabhupada was so concerned and worried about the fate of the women when he was gone. It touched my heart.
Once an Indian gentleman waited for the right time and then gave Prabhupada a large donation.
Prabhupada thanked him, then got out his keys, opened his drawer, put the donation inside the drawer, locked the drawer, and went on with what he had been doing.
It impressed me that part of spirituality is taking care of everything in a practical way. Prabhupada was careful with money.
—Sukhada
.
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Excerpt from “Memories-Anecdotes of a Modern-Day Saint”
by Siddhanta das

Discipleship.
Varsana Swami: The efforts, austerities, and practices involved with the acceptance as a disciple do not end with initiation. Rather they begin, in a formal sense, at that point. Whatever outer challenges or inner demons we have, will be overcome by Krishna’s grace for those who persevere in their vows. It is only those who quit who will suffer defeat.
Even as the connection and dependency between the words “disciple” and “discipline” are obvious, some devotees tend to be more attentive to the fruits than the root. Disconnected from her root, the bhakti-lata will wither. However much we may balk or resist the concept, it is discipline that forms the soul of vaidhi-bhakti and reveals the heart of raganuga-bhakti in due course of time.

Discipline applies to four levels of spiritual development, each successively deeper and subtler: body, mind, words, and emotions. Herein lies the comparison of the outcome of a disciple’s life in contrast to the undisciplined one.

Disciplined life Undisciplined life
Character development Controlled and enslaved by emotions
Choosing the right course, though it may be challenging Going with the easy, convenient, and comfortable route
Setting priorities Following moods
Practicing selflessness Pursuing selfishness
Service attitude Enjoying propensity
Seeking solutions Making excuses
Driven from within Influenced from without
Walking the talk Lip service alone
Overcoming obstacles Procrastinating or quitting
Satisfied with necessities Addicted to niceties
Focused on the goal Whining along the way
Yearning to hear the master say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Content with the approval of worldly souls
Approaching the dawn of suddha-nama Lingering in the shadows of nama-abhasa
Honoring the rules and regulations which award and protect our freedom Whimsical freedom which means spiritual bondage
Committed relationships Uncommitted partners
Fixed on the long-term goal, graduating from the school of material life Distracted by diplomas awarded by worldly institutions
Firm in commitment Swayed by feelings
Awakening of spiritual sentiments Lingering of mundane feelings
Fixed in the self Drifting with circumstance
The hope which looks upward Despair which turns downward
Faith which leads forward Prevailing uncertainty due to circumstantial influences
The humility worthy of a servant of Krishna, acknowledges that discipline alone is inadequate to elevate us substantially in spiritual life. Rather, discipline attracts grace and protects it in its tender growth as it reaches for the sky and blossoms into love of God.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/N1Y2Yr

Hare Krishna Kirtan by Titiksava Karunika Das (6 min video)
By chanting Krishna’s Holy Name, one cleanses all the dust from the mirror of one’s consciousness.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/cra6Eb

Ayurveda The Science of Life - About Curd (8 min video)
by Dr NanaSaheb Memane.
Srila Prabhupada: Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised His disciples never to eat palatable food, never to talk about village topics and never to read ordinary novels, poems and newspapers. One may ask, “How is it that in the modern age these Europeans and Americans of the Krsna consciousness movement do not take interest in newspapers?” Newspapers are very popular in the West. Each day the papers are published in three or four editions, and they are all selling. However, these American boys and girls who have come to Krsna consciousness have stopped reading newspapers. They do not know what is happening from day to day, and it does not matter. All of this is a waste of time. It is better that they read literatures like Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. Why waste one’s valuable time? >>> Ref. VedaBase => TLK Vs 12
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/wkLaao

MY service.
Kadamba Kanana Swami: Our favourite song which we chant so happily, “Sarīra abidyā-jāl, joḍendriya tāhe kāl, jīve phele viṣaya-sāgore, tā’ra madhye jihwā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati,” translates to, “The senses are a network leading to death and of all the senses the tongue is the most voracious to control…” It sounds quite intense actually but by the mercy of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, by engaging the tongue in transcendental activities of glorifying Krsna and tasting Krsna prasad, suddenly everything changes – our whole destiny changes. Thus it is the tongue which changes our destiny!
A big ship, heavy with so many tons of steel, is moving along and changing direction by means of a tiny piece of metal called the rudder. In the same way, the tongue can change the destiny of our entire existence so somehow we must engage that tongue and if we engage the tongue in connection with Krsna then very quickly we become attached to Krsna. This is the nature of Krsna consciousness, paraḿ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (Bhagavad-gita 2.59), that we will develop a higher taste. One cannot serve Krsna without developing attachment.

In the beginning when we start, we may find things a bit austere but after a while we think, “This is my service and I am not going to stop my service. This is my connection to Krsna!” In Krsna consciousness there is philosophy but the actual connection to Krsna is by service – whatever little thing we do. After some time, one becomes possessive about it, “It is MY service.” We become protective of our service because attachment develops. This is the nature of devotional service that attachment to Krsna naturally develops therefore, Krsna consciousness is not difficult to follow!

Management vs Theology – a new challenge.
Kripamoya Das: Any human endeavor requires good management. Any organization of a certain size – and some say over 150 members – requires a different system of management from that of its beginnings. But when good management dominates theology, and spiritual vitality, and moderates religious practice, and we choose a religious leader on the basis of how good a manager he is, then the very purposes for which the organization was founded are threatened. This year is the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s challenge to the Church of his day. He thought it needed reform and he wrote his suggestions as a list. A contemporary list of suggested reforms for bishops of the Church of England, all 95 of them, has been published and makes interesting reading. It’s a long piece, but it can be ‘translated’ for the organization or movement of your choice.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/Y4Rx3X

Sharne Mataji- A loving tribute!
From The GBC Ministry for Cow Protection:
It is with great sadness that we have been informed that yesterday Sharne mataji left this world while in Sri Vrndavana Dham on a mission to serve.Her example was a real asset to our movement and her departure from this world is indeed a great loss for us. Like many vaishnavas her services were unknown to many but certainaly very known to Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.I used to see her every time I visited the Goshala in Sri Mayapur, she was always very blissful, free from criticism, and free from personal gain.Many good qualities for a Vaishnava.
The GBC ministry for cow protection and agriculture offer our obeisances to her departure in the holy Dham to the shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Krsna,

All glories to her sincere devotional service, and her service attitute.

Your servant,

Kalakantha das

From Vrindavan Street Cow Seva

Street Cow Seva – Monday 9 January

A dear member of our Street Seva Team, SHARNE Teudt from Australia, on the auspicious day of Ekadashi, left her body in Vrindavan Holy Dham. We can’t explain how wonderful soul she is, and how we are honored to get her association.

She came here from Mayapur to serve the cows and to treat the sick ones using homeopathy.

Her life was completely dedicated to loving Krsna ‘s cows. We are really missing her but we trust that Radharani has accepted her in eternal service of Krsna’s cows in Goloka.Thank you Sharne your life and selfless service Are an inspiration to all of us.

Love Krsna’s cows ( she always signed off with this phrase )Love u…All Blessing to you.

Pada-sevanam devi dasi & the miracle of Nrsimha worship.
This amazing story is about a saint named Mataji Pada Sevanam, from Baku, Azerbaijan (Caucasus, former part of the USSR), who re-established devotional service to Lord Nrsimhadeva and changed the hearts of many devotees due to her limitless love to Krishna, fearlessness, and determination. (From a lecture by A.C. Bhagavatamrita Keshava Swami. Barnaul, Russia December 18, 2016)
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/y0yTfX

Tendecy to retaliate and Compare.
Question: 1) I have a tendency to retaliate if someone says something bad to me. I have heard in a lecture that ‘If you retaliate you may please yourself but If you do not retaliate you please Krsna’. However I am not able to practically apply it in my Life. Please suggest dome practical ways to overcome this tendency.
2) I have a tendency to compare myself with others. If I see someone in a materially better condition I feel depressed. This tendency is automatic and I am not able to overcome it. Please help me.
Romapada Swami: 1) There is no hard and fast rule as to WHEN one should act strongly when one is offended/wronged vs. simply tolerating it.
Retaliation is actually not the correct way to react to someone’s bad behavior towards us even though it is not our fault. In fact Lord Krsna instructs us in BG 2.14 that one should tolerate duality, knowing the manifestations of duality to be illusory.
There are examples from the scriptures to show us how great personalities responded/reacted to when faced with such situations.
a) Vidura went to pilgrimage without getting disturbed after being insulted by Duryodhana and did not retaliate/oppose, did not get disturbed and did not try to correct the situation. SB 1.13.9
b) Similarly, in Dvaraka Krishna was wrongly defamed and criticized by Satrajit. Krishna showed us what to do: He stood by the truth, and the truth proved Him to be faultless.
c) There are many examples of our acaryas remaining totally humble in the face of undue criticism springing from envy or ignorance. Listen to the last day of the Vrndavan Yatra to hear the description of Jayadev Goswami’s response to serve physical harm done to him by dacoits. Feeling the Lord’s protection, we can easily forgive aggressors.
The key to know what to do in different circumstances is to remain in a humble service mood. Then only will we be receivers of direct prompts from Krishna as to how to best serve him in different circumstances.
Some further scriptural references:
Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 17.27
“A devotee engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord should practice forbearance like that of a tree. Even if rebuked or chastised, he should not say anything to others to retaliate.”
b) Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 17.28
“For even if one cuts a tree, it never protests, and even if it is drying up and dying, it does not ask anyone for water.” PURPORT this practice of forbearance (taror iva sahisnuna) is very difficult, but when one actually engages in chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, the quality of forbearance automatically develops. A person advanced in spiritual consciousness through the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra need not practice to develop it separately, for a devotee develops all good qualities simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra regularly.
2) Comparison with Others: You have very honestly put forth your feelings. In the material world everyone who comes to enjoy himself or lord it over material nature is envious of others. This envy is also found in the personality of the King of heaven, Indra so what to speak of conditioned soul like us.
Since no one in this material world can tolerate another’s advancement, everyone in the material world is called matsara, envious. If somebody is in some way greater than us, we are envious. “Oh, how has he progressed so much? How come he has more than I have? I also want the same as he has or even more.” This is the disease of the material world—envy. And indirectly culminates in our being envious of the Supreme Lord, Krishna who is the source and proprietor of everything.
In Krsna consciousness, however, if someone excels another person, the devotee who is excelled thinks how fortunate the other person is to be advancing in devotional service. Such non envy is typical of Vaikuntha.
Below are some of the practical ways that may help you to avoid the situation you are facing :
1. Chanting fixed number of rounds of the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra regularly and sincerely, in a humble mood and striving to take full shelter of Krsna. Simply by chanting Hare Krsna, Lord Caitanya has said the heart will become cleansed of all the dirty things accumulated in the heart.
2. Reading/hearing from the scriptures like Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam regularly and systematically. Please refer to SB 9.11.23, SB 11.29.15 where this instruction is given.
3. Associating and serving the devotees, attending the temple programs on regular basis.