Ocean of Material Problems

Our life in this material world is full of problems. It is likened to an ocean of suffering. But if we engage ourselves in devotional service to Krishna, especially by constantly chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra (hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare / hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare), this ocean of misery is reduced to the size of a calf's hoofprint filled with water. We can step over it with little effort.

Taking Your Karma With You

There is a saying, "You can go to Bengal but you will take your karma with you". We can't escape our karma, our destiny caused by our past actions, by leaving one place for another. The best course for us is to act in Krishna Consciousness, or bhakti-yoga, especially by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra: HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE/ HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE; at all times and in all places. Bhakti-yoga destroys past karma and bestows spiritual happiness.

Our Net Worth

The material assets that we possess such as houses and bank accounts are all titled to our material body. We leave all these behind at the time of death. The only permanent asset that we can own is accumulated bhakti or devotional service to Krishna.

Hare Krishna Maha-mantra

To become gradually freed from slavery to the material senses, dedicate your time at hand to chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

We Should Avoid Criticizing Devotees

While cultivating the practice of spiritual life in Krishna consciousness, we should not have a habit of criticizing other devotees of the Lord. A devotee may have some defects, but he/she will be gradually reformed by the process of bhakti-yoga (devotional service to Krishna). It is not our business to criticize, and it will in fact hamper our own progress. There are 10 offenses in chanting the holy name of the Lord, and the 1st offense is to vilify a devotee who has dedicated his life to propagating the holy name of the Lord.

Material Progress is External.

The essential purpose of human life is to advance in Krishna consciousness. Material progress is external. Of course, that's a truism, because external is one synonym of material. In many parts of the world we see that there is a lot of material prosperity. Nice houses, apartment buildings, office buildings, shopping malls, hotels, cars, airplanes, etc., etc., are features of material advancement, but such advancement is superficial. If a person does not have any Krishna consciousness then his/her life is futile. Material posessions are temporary, whereas advancement in Krishna consciousness is permanent. If a person makes 10% advancement in Krishna consciousness in this life, then in his/her next life he/she will begin from 10%. All the while such a person enjoys an increasingly enlightened state of existence. In this life or after many lives, when one reaches 100% progress in Krishna consciousness, then the next life is in Goloka Vrindavan where there is no more repeated birth and death.

You're the person I've been waiting for...

Everybody is looking for happiness in a relationship. Man and woman; parent and child; friend and friend; etc. But sometimes these relationships are a source of misery instead of being a source of happiness. And since everything in this material world is temporary, the relationships are temporary. As it is said, "till death do us part". If we want a relationship that will bring us unending happiness, not even interrupted by death, that can only be found in a relationship with Krishna. We can immediately begin this relationship by taking up devotional service to Him. As we continue to pass our life in His service we can ever-increasingly experience His presence in our lives. But to actually attain Him we will have to be patient because Krishna is definately not a cheap thing. The best thing in all existence is worth waiting for and that best thing is Krishna.

:)

Black, white, yellow, or red; fall in love with Krishna before you're dead.

The Onslaught of Kali Yuga

So we can see that as the kali-yuga (era of quarrel and hypocrisy) progresses, the standard of religiosity and morality as set by the Vedas as well as other traditions is under full attack. Various agendas that are contrary to vedic principles are widely promoted and supported even by leaders of great nations. On the path of the search for truth one finds, in addition to hypocrisy, new brands of atheistic so called spirituality. All of this was anticipated in the Srimad Bhagavatam (1.1.10):  "O learned one, in this iron age of kali men have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed."  Considering the circumstances  we should accept the advice also given to citizens of kali-yuga. From the Brhan-naradiya Puraṇa (38.126)  "In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way"  And from the Kali-santarana Upanisad  in  Krishna Yajur Veda: "The sixteen names of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra: hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare, hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare destroy all the inauspiciousness of the kali-yuga. This is the conclusion of all the Vedas."

Body is Temporary; Soul is Eternal.

Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, false ego, spirit soul, Supersoul. The first eight are the total ingredients of our material body. We are all individual spirit souls separate from yet within our respective individual material bodies. As spirit souls we are not material and cannot be seen by material eyes or any material instruments. We are the conscious entity within the material body. The Supersoul, God, is with the spirit soul in the heart. There is one God and there are an unlimited number of individual spirit souls called jivas (in the original Sanskrit language). Although God is with us in our hearts, He is always free, whereas we are in material bondage. It is possible for us to be freed from this bondage and transferred to the superior nature, the Kingdom of God. We will remain individual persons but with an eternal body composed of the spiritual nature. The path to this freedom is called bhakti-yoga or devotional service to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.