#Mindcontrol

 

Arjuna says in Bhagavad Gita 6.34:  “The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind”.

 

The growing tendency amongst humans is to keep the body fit and increase bodily comfort. But the bigger question is, has that been able to bring permanent peace and happiness in life?  There is still hankering for doing more and more for the body, and when those needs are not getting fulfilled the mind is getting terribly frustrated and disturbed.  There is too much talk of Gut health, having best of nutrition food but what is being done to keep the mind in control? The more luxurious cars and facilities we are having the more restless the mind is?

 

Krsna says in Bhagwat Gita: Uncontrolled mind is our worst enemy

 

Symptoms of uncontrolled mind

• Intense lust  when unfulfilled takes the form of uncontrolled anger
• Negative emotions getting triggered
• Relationship issues, at times serious fights
• Aimless life-total bewilderment –no clue of where we are heading in life
• Loss of focus and concentration
• Usual headaches, trouble sleeping ,constant anxiety and fear 

 

Change your consciousness!!

Cultivate the practice of directing thoughts through meditation and prayers. Mind goes after interesting things not after important things.  If mind is like child we have to be like mother, mother puts son back to studies. Basically, we are doing absolutely nothing to sharpen our intelligence by studying about being mindfulness. To turn off your mind from something, you have to turn on something else: Sound has a power to change your mood. When we hear nice music, our mood is lifted and Mantra has a mood alter effect on us which ultimately reduces our anxiety. 

 

We need to be matured enough to reject mind's immoral proposals

Tips to control mind

• Associate with quality people, as they say” Never develop a friendship with a man who is not better than yourself”
• Practice Mantra meditation- Mantras clean your aura , uplift your mood and gives you peace
• Control your food habits: Avoid street food and eating spicy stuff outside, regulate your sleep
• Control your screen time- Detach mind from social media/ TV, Worldly ineffective/useless news
• Practice mind controlling yoga positions mainly: Pranayam
• Read scriptures like Bhagavad Gita, Sri Ram charit manas and Srimad Bhagwatam, because they reveal the truth of life and you can derive the meaning of life from such a wisdom books

 

Benefits of controlled mind

• Increased focus and concentration
• Total control over emotions
• Our mind becomes filled with transcendental knowledge which brings peace to the heart
• We understand the purpose of our existence and find solutions of a lot queries
• We get rid of negative emotions such as hate, hankering, and lamentation
• We are more calm in adverse situations and able to tolerate insults, distress coming our way
• We commit fewer mistakes and try to respect others equally and create no enemies
• A strong mind will be satisfied in every situations and fall less victim to forces of lust, anger, pride and greed.

 Too much shopping for the body but what about shopping for knowledge and wisdom?  Strengthen your mind as well.

Internalizing the Naam

 

Remember the hit film song, you would hear ten times and then it will play on your mind for a long long time, until the better song released.  Internalizing the hari nam is same phenomenon. The continuous chanting/singing habit of chanting the mantra is Internalizing the mantra process. 

Spiritual seekers are told to chant certain amount of rounds in the "beginning"but many get stuck to the routine and don't internalize-digest and make integral part of life. Internalizing chanting requires you to chant for hours (definitely not one or two hours japa) and then it is digested and imprinted on your soul. Just like a song you hear and then you singing it without even the proper music. 

The cave japa:   The new sadhaka is often told to read about the charitra of past great devotees but intially it is like "yes old saints chanted for long hours" and then it is forgotten. People think devotees of yesteryear did extra chanting that doesn't mean it is applicable to us. Hang on !! Goloka is not a cake walk. The sadhaka having all the comforts of life- chanting in AC room , with a milton water bottle alongside and smart watch, Paneer sabzi and the sadhaka tolerating heat and cold in the jungle cave, without any proper facilities- Huge difference!!  the tapasvi sadhu chanting in cave-no comparison. 

One of my favorite nam nistha saint went to jungle,full of fierce animals and snakes, without the arrangement of proper food chanted for years to internalize the naam. Are you understanding the huge difference of japa along with struggle of existence, problems of life and death and AC room Japa?? Can you imagine the intensity of japa? a serious call to god in a jungle cave and daily AC room japa? we cannot even expect "anubhuti-reciprocation" from god with that? 

The unknown reasons of tasteless japa:   The sadhakas are often seen struggling with no taste to chant, no intention of increasing rounds, not feeling cheerful even after chanting for decades, those sadhakas then seek pleasure in lower modes of material nature. The story goes like this, the Mahant of one ashram after chanting for fourty years didnt get any spiritual results. He then started crying and decided to meet an Acharya, the Acharya told him, there is lot of unaccounted funds coming to your ashram , that is not helping you, leave this ashram and work in fields somewhere and keep chanting while working and then he got the results. 

The elevated Gaudiya I met told me remarkable incidence in Vrindavan, he said" I chanted 2 lakh nam jap of hare krsna mantra daily and still was not getting results, then I prayed to Giriraj the Goverdhan while doing parikrama and then the sacred mountain Govardhan gave me the intelligence"There is still a material tendency to enjoy sense gratification inside". It meant restricting the diet. Soon after that I reduced my diet"-The gaudiya saint said". So right from food, association of pure devotees who have got taste for chanting such kind of  intelligence is required to be self realized? 

The domain of Siddhas: Anarth nivritti is domain of siddhas. Though, in the elevant canto of Srimat Bhagwatam , for controlling the maya one is told to take shelter, training and superior guidance from the Guru. But the access to siddhas is one big issue for sadhaka.  Then remains the ultimate option of continuously meeting naam nistha saints and inquiring to them about "how to internalise the naam". Book reading, hearing lectures is one slow way but direct sanga , face to face inquiry flows mercy from the heart of siddhas to the sadhaka. The most important thing is the dust of lotus feet of such an exalted vaishnava will change life.

Siddhas know the deep secretes to elevate on the path of devotion, they can tell you something what you cant even imagine.  Serving the projects of your spiritual master and following their mission "seriously" will attract mercy as well.

The place matters: I heard these stories of how few shaivites felt after chanting near the divine mountain Kailash, the vibrations, the mercy, the pleasure , the waves Kailasha was sending is an out of the world experience !!  For vaishnavas, the glorious association of Govardhan, the banks of Yamuna and Ganga and all most all places of pilgrimages in India are divine but for those who are in villages the Goshala remains the top option, remember !! Backtogodhead demands a serious endeavor.

Best tips for depression

 

 Problem Definition

Series of Negative events pulls us into depression. It might come through financial crisis, betrayals, break ups, career issues and health issues of ours and near dear ones. So far these are top reasons,apparently. In my counselling career, I met people who had depression since childhood. Credit for childhood depression goes to parents for not properly raising kids or training them. Training them for what? to be mentally strong. No, you cannot turn introverts into extroverts vice versa, this is due to past conditioning or Karma the soul carries from previous births.

Now, what is Karma? A child born to rich parents, diseased child or healthy and successful child, why so much disparity? people work hard to be rich, all do not get that success? This is Karma. One accidents, mishaps can change things upside down, that is karma, today you are good tomorrow? someone is deciding it- Karma??

Solution:

Many find it difficult to find right therapist, counselor or psychiatrist. I had to call my physician friends and ask, who is the best man in town, but medicines didn't help me as much as the other things did. How can the void of love & care be filled with medicines? Following tried and tested things I would suggest :

Being social-

1. Meeting people, online chats, morning walks, joining a club, attending concerts, plays and watching dramas helps.

2. Working on your creative side- be it playing instruments, gardening, painting, trekking, learning new skills does help

Controlling thought process:

Negative thought process can be replaced by positive thoughts and that either comes from hearing wise, well informed people or from motivating books. Personally, I found Sadhguru and Radhanath swami very inspiring and talking sense when it comes to depression. Reading autobiographies and spiritual books helped me lot to be mindful. 

Exercises:

Yoga, morning walks, breathing exercises and the best I found is travelling, well travelling to holy places, riverside, near mountains gave me immense peace.

The Food:

So when I was depressed I found out, I have to increase serotonin the chemical inside my brain to feel good or happy. Bananas, spinach, dry fruits, apricot, soya milk, you can google as well :)

Mantra Meditation:

Is a practice that helps to uplift the mind, open your heart and bring inner peace. The powerful, divine sound of mantras resonate with our inner chakras and remove the negative energies as well as Karma. Hearing mantras and singing it along spreads more positive energy around us. All you have to do is hear mantra of your choice, find which one suits you, I have suggested hare krsna mantra to many and it has helped them so far. Cuts you bad Karma.

Why Yoga is important for devotees

Till 2017 May, I was one of those who thought walking is good enough exercise and it keeps your body fit.  Whenever I would have health related issues to get the problem aside I would quickly see a doctor, very much a normal practice, isn’t it? Many times I would buy medicines I can say “over- the -counter drugs” to cure small health issues.  Thanks to my life style and policy of just walk is enough I became overweight. I would get tired quickly after walking for some time.  Just by offering dandvat in temple I would start breathing heavily for some time. Still, I didn’t think I need any exercise I would think I am singing Kirtans that means I am doing some kind of breathing exercise. When you have a typical life style and work of sitting on a computer, you are bound to have stomach related issues such as indigestion and at times diseases such as piles.

My Mechanism to these issues was just ask a friend or parents any ayurveda medicine or quickly fix an appointment with my homeopathy doctor. This was going from years.  One day I woke up early morning,  was not well still continued my morning chanting. During Chanting all I was doing was thinking about how I can cure my health issues. Then I thought I am thinking of my illness while chanting and not hearing the mantra properly, this should be stopped, and this was going on every time I had health issues.  I spoke with my friend Rathi ji , He said I go every morning for jogging you can join me.  I joined him and I came to know I can hardly run.  My subtle mind was focused on fitness and was searching for permanent solution and thanks to krsna another friend introduced me to a young yoga teacher.  

If this had to be bollywood film story I would have written “Interval” after above written paragraph. Though that was a “Kahani me twist” moment for me. If I had been a film director I would have shown how then I started doing yoga, I would have taken shots of me doing different postures and then shots of sad face before yoga and a happy face after Yoga. But that’s not my aim, here I am a neophyte devotee trying to be self realized soul, who reads in Bhagwat Geeta about controlling mind and about detachment met a person who without being Krsna conscious was a detached and a controlled yogi. How difficult it is even for devotees to be safe from the onslaughts of lust, greed and anger and then you meet a person who doesn’t know bhagwat geeta talks of detachment.  

By practicing yoga from many years the man of late 20’s my yoga teacher told me, “I love being alone, and I don’t feel like getting married”. I am observing him from past six months; he is a thorough gentleman, always helping others, not into smartphones and internet things. Not active on a social media. And this he tells this is an effect of practicing yoga. Being a krsna conscious man I did give him bhagwat gita and bead bag to chant. But I did also tell him “I have seen many bramhcharis who practice devotional service for years break their vows and get married. His ashram is not my issue but what amazed me is his “Avastha” -state of mind by practicing yoga.

Now when I started reading books about yoga I came to know, walking is not an exercise, running and brisk walk is. Pranayam is recommended for those who are in bramchari ashram. It not only controls mind but also helps in continuing bramhcharya. For neophytes who cannot control senses pranayam is recommended in scriptures. In the 4^th canto of Bhagwatam Narad ji recommends pranayam to Dhruva.  

Narad uvach: After sitting on your seat, practice the three kinds of breathing exercises, and thus gradually control the life air, the mind and the senses. Completely free yourself from all material contamination, and with great patience begin to meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Now just have a look at what the Supreme personality of a Godhead Lord Kapil dev says in 3^rd canto of Srimad Bhagvatam:

One must observe silence, acquire steadiness by practicing different yogic postures, control the breathing of the vital air, withdraw the senses from sense objects and thus concentrate the mind on the heart.

After controlling one’s mind and sitting postures, one should spread a seat in a secluded and sanctified place sit there in an easy posture, keeping the body erect, and practice breath control.

The yogī should clear the passage of vital air by breathing in the following manner: first he should inhale very deeply, then hold the breath in, and finally exhale. Or, reversing the process, the yogi can first exhale, then hold the breath outside, and finally inhale. This is done so that the mind may become steady and free from external disturbances.

The yogīs who practice such breathing exercises are very soon freed from all mental disturbances, just as gold, when put into fire and fanned with air, becomes free from all impurities.

By practicing the process of prāṇāyāma, one can eradicate the contamination of his physiological condition, and by concentrating the mind one can become free from all sinful activities.

By restraining the senses one can free himself from material association, and by meditating on the Supreme Personality of Godhead one can become free from the three modes of material attachment.

When the mind is perfectly purified by this practice of yoga, one should concentrate on the tip of the nose with half-closed eyes and see the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

…….. Such is an importance of breathing exercise that a non krsna conscious person becomes free from vices what if a Krsna conscious person does it?

Why should a devotee do it?

Devotee is eating food and buying products which are not 100% pure. Pesticides are heavily poured on vegetables to raise their production which means all are likely to fall ill or go hospital? Already there are increasing immune disorders in kaliyuga, thousands of death occurred recently due to proliferation of Swine flue. People are likely to have blood pressure, Sugar and heart related problems once they cross their prime thanks to Kaliyugi life style.  Yoga is preventive therapy; it helps you in preventing diseases. 

Daily practice of pranayam boosts immune system. All are allergic to something in kaliyuga, different types of pranayam help in battling allergies. When you live in a damp weather, you are bound to have bone diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and rheumatism. Especially those who travel often to western countries should practice asanas/postures which improve blood circulation and immune system.

What to talk of curing diseases and being fit, I was shocked to know how yoga helps in having beautiful voice. As a singer of Hare Krsna mantra I see the difference.

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Spiritual coaching

A solider fights organized and a known battle. Many times, solider knows the strength, size and the plan of his country’s enemy. Be it the war of land, air or marine, the military establishment trains a soldier in his field of expertise. Can you send an untrained solider on a battle field? Rigorous training is required to achieve the desire victory?

Sports stars have their gym trainer and a team of coaches who prepare them for earning medals. Film stars who have earned name, fame and money? They have their personal fitness trainer, dietician and the directors who prepare them for a role, what it brings to them? A short lived name, fame and money you can say which brings about temporary happiness!! Everything becomes invalid as the time progresses.

A sport star and a film star in order to get success in life put so much effort but why we don’t see those who are religious are less inclined towards training and coaching? A devotional pleasure is much more sublime and higher as compared to anything else.

A soldier’s example was given to prove one point. A soldier knows his enemy but some of those who are new on the path of devotion don’t. That which disturbs the progress of a devotee is the anarthas he carries within. Lust, greed, anger, hatred, envy and false ego these are hidden enemies of a human being since his existence. Everybody knows it? Then why we in news papers invariably see crimes happening due to influence of these hidden enemies? If a solider is given training to fight a war, devotees also require massive training to win a war against Maya. Lust, greed, anger these are the main tendencies of Kaliyuga and fierce weapon of maya which is literally harassing every individual who is not Krsna conscious. The mode of passion and ignorance makes us do sins after sins and we have no control over it. Only one way is prescribed to fight this degradation of a soul - Spiritual Coaching.

When?

1. If there is intense desire in you to improve your behaviour
2. If you have decided that you are not going to be the devotee of your senses
3. If you have decided that you want to achieve transcendental qualities such as humility
4. If you have decided that you want to cross the stage of anartha nivrutti
5. If you have decided you want to improve your sadhana
6. Then it is time for you to search for a spiritual coach

Who?

• Somebody who is totally attached to Krsna and fully krsna conscious- self-realized soul

How we know if a coach is fully Krsna conscious? Well, he will not waste time when you meet him and immediately he will glorify the devotional service and bring on the topics of Krsna and his devotees. Yes, pure devotees whenever they get opportunity to speak,they start speaking about Krsna, Gita, Bhagwatam, Ramayan, Krsna’s qualities and about krsna’s beloved Vrindavan.

1. Somebody who is well-qualified and expert in all shashtras
2. Somebody who is man of his word- follows what he says and not a “Mithya-chari” (fake)
3. Somebody who loves chanting the name of lord
4. Somebody who is lovable -just not a dry philosopher & full of love & enthusiasm
5. Somebody who is from the proper disciplic succession or a sampraday

Result of spiritual coaching? : The association of self realized soul makes your life less difficult and more peaceful. In the fifth chapter of Bhagwat Geeta Krsna says” A self realized soul receives unlimited happiness, he enjoys the pleasure within”. For those who want to have ecstatic, calm and a peaceful happy life, Spiritual coaching is the best way. Remember- A devotional pleasure is much more sublime and higher as compared to anything else.

The untold story of Rani Ratnavati

King Akbar had photographs of three great devotees in his altar, Swami Sri Haridas- the great devotee of krsna-Guru of Tansen, second Saint shri Vitthal nath  and third one- the Queen of Amer-Rani Ratnavati- the Queen who left her opulence, family and everything for Krsna.

Devotees might come in your life as your servant, friend or as a son, one should always respect them as their mere presence can change your destiny. Those who are the servant of supreme personality of godhead Krsna, are worthy of love and respect.  The queen of Amer ( Rajsthan), the daughter in law of King Prithviraj Chouhan was thus blessed by her servant with the gift of love of Krsna.

Dasi of Rani Ratnavati was initiated by great guru-Vitthalnath ji, this dasi personally served the Queen. Vaishnavas are blessed with divine qualities and so was this vaishnavi, she would keep quiet and chant all the time “Hey Nandanandan, Hey Raghunandan, hey Murali Manohar, these names of krsna, purified the Queen. Queen at times had tears in her eyes to hear these names from dasi. 

An advance vaishanava continuously exhibits symptoms of ecstatic love.  Dasi would sometimes cry profusely thinking of krsna, sometimes she would laugh loudly, this took the Queen by surprise. One fine day when the dasi was showing ecstatic symptoms of love for Krsna, the Queen touched her hand. The mere touch of a dasi electrified the Queen and then she asked “Who is this Nanda Nandan? Why you cry for him? Why you love him so much, why you call him all the time? Is there anything wrong with you? Should I call a doctor for you? The dasi said” Oh dear Rani, your doctors can not cure my disease".

Rani said” Even king Akbar consults our doctors, why can’t they fix your problem? To which the dasi said” Oh dear Queen, this disease of separation from Krsna, which can’t be cured by any doctor. I did not know that I will get this disease by loving Krsna. I don’t want to give you my pain. Queen forced her to tell about Krsna, Dasi said” This disease is caused by hearing about him, so please don’t hear about him. This is contagious disease caused merely by hearing about him”. When I went to Vrindavan I got it from there. Queen forced her to tell and said” oh dasi, I can afford this disease as I am the Queen I can get medicine on it easily”.  Dasi started smiling and said” This katha of krsna won’t allow you to be Queen anymore; you will incessantly cry like me, I am your dasi I can tolerate it but you are soft hearted Queen and it will be difficult for you to tolerate this disease of separation”.

After testing Rani Ratnavati, dasi said” You will have to walk on fire bed, are you ready? You will have to leave your opulence; if you can leave it then I can tell you about Nanda nandan”, you better enjoy your kingdom and opulence”. Rani said” I can do anything to hear about your krsna. Dasi then told each and every katha of Krsna to the Queen and then she was like never before. Rani took her dasi as a guru and said "You won’t serve me anymore, now you will tell me about Krsna", and thus days and nights passed, Rani Ratnavati kept hearing about Krsna from her dasi. Pain of separation grew in her heart and she felt she cannot live without Krsna and she must see her beloved Krsna once. Ultimately, she became the cryer and was desperate for Krsna. Rani would sit at the lotus feet of her dasi who was an exalted devotee and now her Guru. At times Rani allowed her to sit her on her throne.

The body of devotee is purely transcendental; it cannot be restricted to material positions and relations like servant, friend, father or mother. In the absence of dasi, Rani would continuously chant hari nam, weep and beg Krsna for his darshan. Engaged in astyam seva- continuous service of Krsna, she saw dreams of her playing Raas with Krsna. Krsna started appearing in her dreams and in the deity form Krsna would accept her service. Advised by Dasi, Rani started serving sadhus for more advancement in her Bhaav. Rani started serving and feeding saints, in fact she created separate ashram for sadhus and eventually her glories reached to Vrindavan and sadhus from Vrindavan came to see such an exalted devotee. Dasi stopped her from mixing with sadhus as she was Queen and was not allowed to go out but Rani started dancing with sadhus in Hari Kirtan as she saw Krsna himself was dancing with these Vrindavan sadhus. Dasi warned her of consequences and the news broke out that the Queen of Amer Rani Ratnavati is dancing madly in ecstatic love of Krsna with sadhus of Vrindavan. The ministers of King conspired against Queen and did not like Queen dancing. Non devotees plotted against Queen and made stories against her that reached to the King.

Venom was spread against her and ministers told the king, that Queen is breaking the principles of religion. Prem Sing the son of Queen became a vaishnava in her association and started chanting hari nam, this instigated King further and When the king saw his son with Tilaka and mala in his hand, he took his sword to Kill his own son and said” I will kill him and his mother” But people somehow stopped him. Things got worse when King saw his wife in totally detached avatar; the Queen had shaved her head and wore dress of sadhvi. As Queen was popular among the masses due to her devotion towards Krsna, ministers told King not to kill her directly. Ministers suggested the king to bring man-eater lion and let the lion eat the Queen. Soon King sent lion into her palace and As lion entered in her palace, dasi shouted, “Oh Queen, lion, lion has entered” to which the fearless Rani Ratnavati said” Oh Lord Narsinh has come” seeing her bhaav, Krsna took the form of Lord Narsinh & appeared in front of her, Those ministers who were watching it thinking Queen would be killed through window saw Rani ratnavati worshipping Lord Narsinh and Lord Narsinh had tears in his eyes to see the love and service Rani Ratnavati. Lord Narsinh blessed her dasi too.

Then Lord Narsinh attacked ministers and killed all those who had plotted against Queen, Lord then kicked the throne of King, the king Madhav Singh fell down, The lord did not kill him as he was husband of Queen, he just slapped him and disappeared. Maan Singh the brother in law of Queen-the commander in chief of King Akbar and Madhav singh fell down at the lotus feet of Rani Ratnavati and  asked for forgiveness. 

(Vitthal nath ji was  the son of Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya (Pushti Sampraday) as per Chaitanya Charitamrit, Vitthal nath  ji lived in Mathura and served Gopal ji now known as Srinath ji -in Nathdwara Rajasthan. The disciples of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu namley Srila Rupa Goswami and Srila Sanatana Goswami would often meet Vitthal nath ji and lived with him for months  in Mathura worshipping  Srinath ji.) 

The stories of Vrindavan

Just back from Vrindavan…what a feeling! It’s a very cool and calm feeling that I am carrying in my heart ever since I came back. Vrindvan is a spiritual wine you would love to drink again and again.It has completely intoxicated me, I feel so satisfied, happy, cheerful, sacred and ecstatic inside. While I was there I did not know what I am going to get out of this tour, I was visiting temples, doing Parikrama’s, chanting and praying everyday but I did not have this feeling there which I am having right now.

Yamuna Devi:

Of the all the evenings of my life, the best evening I ever had, was the one I spent on Keshighat. It is such a great feeling to be at this place. Watching YamunaDevi is like watching goddess, you don’t understand what is happening with you when you look at Yamuna devi - the pap-nashini (Washer of all sins).

You feel like watching Yamuna Devi for a long long time and you remember all the leela’s that Krishna performed near this most pious river. The sister of the god of death Yamuna Devi removes the fear of the death. Yamuna Devi was first to touch the lotus feet of Krishna and bath in Yamuna Devi does help you to understand Vrindavan and Krishna.

Vrinda Kund: Vrinda devi temple is the temple of Tulasi maharani situated nearNandgaon. The atmosphere around this temple is mesmerizing there is absolutely nothing except trees near the temple; it’s a zero crowd place, all you will see around the temple is fields, birds and peace that billions of dollars can’t buy. The only voice you get to hear is the humming of birds 24/7….unbelievably cool and calm place.

The temples of Vrindavan: There are about five thousand temples in Vrindavanamong them all the old temples stand out. There is separate story and importance attached to each temple established by seven Go-swamis who lived in Vrindavan. If you walk into the Govind dev temple you become entitle to enter in heaven, if you take the darshan of Govind dev, Madan mohan and Gopinathtemple in a day you can get the darshan of Krishna in your life time.

Sankirtan and the arti at the Krishna Balram makes you feel, how wonderful life can be at times. Devotees get mad to hear the sankirtan, they dance, they laugh, they cry during sankirtans. Never ever miss the sankirtan of Krishna Balramtemple. How many times I should thank Srila Prabhupada the great, great soul behind this lovely temple.

I was also fortunate to witness “Phool Bangla” festival of Shri Banke Biharitemple. Banke Bihari came out that day and it was quite a magnificent look Banke Bihari had that day…amazing!! Those who go to this temple once, feel like going there again and again..You take a criminal to Banke Bihari temple and he will be a devotee next day...this is not an overstatement( A businessman once went to Mathura to visit his beloved Banke Bihari, as he landed, he hired a taxi to go to Banke Bihari temple. The Businessman asked to Taxi driver" How much I have to pay till Vrindavan"? the taxi driver said" anything you want, I am your servant". The polite taxi driver brought him to the temple. The temple was about to close, the businessman, his wife and his three kids would not have made it to the temple at the rush hour. The taxi driver said" Sir, It will not be possible for you to enter in the temple with your three kids and with this huge luggage, therefore I wait here along with your kids and you come back soon". Businessman was convinced and he ran towards the temple along with his wife, when he came back,he did not find the taxi driver. He was in a state of shock !!. His kids and luggage were missing. He searched them for hours, he was down in the dumps. After while he registered a complaint against the taxi driver. He decided to return to Banke Bihari temple and pray him, as he was climbing steps of the temple, he saw the taxi driver in the temple.The businessman just jumped down at his throat and asked" Where are my kids?

The taxi driver said" I am not a taxi driver, my only job is to kidnap kids and sell them, I went to Yamuna river with your kids and there one boy held my rickshaw and said" I will not allow you to go away from here, return those kids otherwise I will make u blind", "immediately after saying this that he disappeared". "I understood that this boy is nobody else but the supreme godhead Krishna, so I returned to the temple for begging clemency". The businessman thanked thousand times to Krishna and came to know that Krishna takes care of those who enter in Vrindavan. This is a true story happened in the year 1958 ) .

This is the magic of Banke Bihari. You wish anything in Vrindavan, You ask for any help in Vrindavan, the moment anything comes in your mind Krishna will fulfill it and he will save you from all kinds of troubles as long as you stay in Vraj. You have a worry in your mind; you will get a solution immediately in the Vraj as it is not an ordinary land you are walking on, it is the place where krishna lived. Vrindavan is a gift of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to the world. He discovered the places where Krishna performed his acts like killing demons or performing ras lila

The Sadhus I met: Krishna would climb on Kadamb trees and gather all his cows, that place is called “Ter Kadamb” Ter means to call. There was this sadhubabaI met, who is staying there from past 15 years. I was amazed to see his enthusiasm and cheerfulness, the way he was speaking about Krishna. He was staying at a place where there is absolutely no medical help, no shopping malls, no daily needs shop, absolutely zero crowd and the only thing accompanied him from past 15 years is peacocks....unbelievable.

Another sadhu baba I met was during Vrindavan parikrama, whatever he told me was shocking.. he said he has no place to stay and he does not know what he is going get to eat next day. He had stayed at places like radha kund,Govardhan, Haridwar and Mayapur for months like this. These sadhus walk bare feet in 48 degree temperature and have bath at 4 am in the morning in 0 degree winter of Vrindavan without demanding anything in return fromKrishna. That throws a series of some serious questions in my mind like " What to do with those who sit in the Ac office and talk about devotion? What to do with those who throw away poor people thinking that they are presidents and trusties of some temple? What to do with those who are just interested in building big ashrams, gathering money, travel in a luxurious vehicle and increase their number of disciples.

Well finally…those who are serious about self realization and seriously want some progress in devotional life must at least go once to Vrindavan after while the truth will be close to them.

The End