From Stress to Hope to Bliss

 From Stress to Hope to Bliss

I don't know how others do it who do not have Krishna. Oh, I give all respect to other paths, but this is not an interfaith post, it is a post about Krishna Consciousness. 

When I am feeling down, I think upon Krishna, and I feel better, plus more attached to Him. When I am feeling disappointed that my kids did not do yada yada, I remember Krishna [and pray for them too], also increasing attached feelings to Krishna. When I feel old and can't do what I use to, and until you have this happen you may not fully understand, but then I focus on Krishna, and such relief comes over me.  When I feel stuck in the boonies with electric outages etc, yet don't want to move to a city, I think of Krishna's transcendental form, trust Him to take charge, and I get hope. 

Some therapist's and Metaphysicist's instruct that such pain comes from attachment to a specific outcome, or person doing yada yada, therefore just let go, and you will feel good again. This is true, to a point. Certainly there can be issues we carry around that we do not need to, but have become attached to or accustomed to carrying on our shoulders. We may need to mentally shake ourselves to notice them, then let them go. But what of others? How does one let go of their child who is in trouble? (Mine's not, just giving an example). Or their mother who has Cancer etc? (Again, not my current situation). It feels selfish to give up in such cases.  

So I wondered, maybe there is another way. As I increased thoughts of Krishna, automatically increased was attachment for Him, and automatically decreased was the level of worry over loved ones, or specific problems.  Let us also remember that Srila Prabhupada said many generations both past and future benefit from us being a devotee. Therefore, it is not like we are ignoring them, we are actually giving them some help. Simultaneously, not to go the other extreme of totally ignoring them when we could have done something, as I've seen that too. But this is not the main topic of this post. Simply, it can be added to everything else here for hope.

I also offer prayer and/or quantum touch [similar to reiki] for them when practical to do so, but that is optional. Do always make sure to end everything with attaching and connecting to Krishna more and more. This is not just talk. I can FEEL it. Anyone can. 

And if the stress is too high, or you are just too tired, or nervous, or etc, simply gaze at a painting of Krishna and get lost in this. Ahhhhh  Please know, part of this is about not fighting the process which is assisted by relaxing at least a little. 

Since we live in this world, problems are something we can't fully escape and will intermittently have to go through over and over. That's fine, because spiritual relief from it is real! Before we make it to Krishnaloka, while living in this material world, we will be influenced by mayadevi or our karma. 'Stuff' will come our way;  whether we like or dislike it, does not give any influence over it happening. However, there is an out. Srila Prabhupada explained, the only real freedom is to make a choice: Do we want to serve maya? Or do we want to serve Krishna? This is our real freedom of choice. It's so easy to choose Krishna, and it can start merely by looking upon His transcendental form and appreciating this wonderful form. His body is not material like ours, it is fully spiritual. Take shelter of Him, relish paintings of Him.

Each time we take the mind off worries, including big ones for as long as possible, and place Krishna within the mind, in our thoughts or view, in our hearts, how sweet He looks, how incense swirls around the deity, how His hair is dark and curly, notice His garland, etc - we will feel more free. It works for everyone.

Do you have a loved one with a heart condition? Or any Health issue of any type at all? By all means get them all the medical help of any sort possible! Next but only if up to it, say a short prayer for them. Then pray for yourself / put Krishna in your minds-eye. His form, His pastimes, His written name, whatever works for you. Allow all else to fall away as you connect yourself to Him. That is yoga, to yoke up or connect to God/Krishna. And it is tangible! 

Getting kicked out of your apartment? Work intelligently to either cause that problem to cease, or find a new one fast BUT if possible also pray it to Krishna's lotus feet. Then, especially take time out for you and picture or look at dear, beautiful Lord Krishna, how you may serve Him by offering a flower, arotika, etc - notice how you feel some happiness again.  

Lost your job? Do everything within your power to get a new one, try to hold no ill-will against anyone who you suspect or know caused you to loose your job - or at least put them out of your mind and do not waste life airs thinking about them, thus karmically entangling you with them. NOW it is time to place peaceful paintings of Krishna within your vision, putting full focus on these! 

How does one place pictures of God/Krishna within their mind? I've been trying to explain it as I go. To simplify: Just look at some of His pictures, that is the start of Him now in your mind. Or remember some pic's you have seen in the past, again, instantly, He is in your mind. 

That can be increased as you allow yourself to, as the saying goes, "Get into it." :)  We may have old habits of remaining attached to a problem, or brain pathways of years may go toward the negative. It will take some undoing though that is not so difficult this way. Just relax, and if relaxing is hard, simply tell your mind that you can always return to thinking of it later [because the mind is often worried it can not do so, therefore this helps it get calm], but for right now you are going to think of Krishna. If necessary, tell the mind to shut up, sit down, and be quiet. LOL  Or however you wish. Anyway, consciously allow yourself to go deeper, to become more absorbed in thoughts of details in His picture. But even if you can't, doing just the basics of gazing at artwork of His sublime transcendental form is all you really need to do!  He is nondifferent from His 100% spiritual form. 

You can visualize Him because after all, He is real and not some made-up visualization. His form etc can be found in ancient scriptures traceable all the way back to the Original speaker. Anyway, then notice stress lifts, feel hope return, even feel some happiness, bliss, and especially feel you are now more a part of Krishna's eternal family as His servant. Isn't that the way you rather live? :) I know I would. 

Issues will come and go because we are living in the material world. This is not where we belong. We think it is, or are use to being here. However, we came from KrishnaLoka therefore we are foreigners here. That is why we die. Like a fish out of water can not breathe, or someone from another planet coming here may not be able to live under our sun etc, similarly we can only temporarily live here because we are foreigners.

And one way to remind us of that we are foreigners are the various odd issues, unexpected problems, and etc, that arise during this most difficult of all 4 yugas, kali yuga, in which we took birth. As we get these reminders, let us use them to think upon Lord Krishna. Of course, think upon Him at any time. Just also, during problematic times we may forget. Simultaneously, during good times we may also forget. Let us practice to always remember Krishna.

Whenever I speak of doing something creative I have to be careful not to be misunderstood, and that has happened. So, our creativity must stay within the bounds and instructions of Srila Prabhupada, make sure there is nothing in it that's sahajiya. It is certainly ok to appreciate what the deity is wearing or similar details on such a picture, since we do that in life. And it's ok to visualize Krishna's pastimes, as Prabhupada was asked a similar question (Can we think of pastimes when we chant? and he said yes, details here.) Now, It is NOT ok to think we have entered into His pastimes, or hugging Him, etc. We are not yet that advanced and are jumping the gun, therefore it would be offensive. But it is ok to worship Krishna in the mind. Simply, everything needs to stay in the mood of awe and reverence.

One Can Worship Krishna Within The Mind - Prabhupada

Maya's job is to pull us down again, thus problems will arise. However, now that we know what to do, it's our job to do it correctly, as correctly brings bliss. And it is so simple. Keep it simple. Think of Krishna or gaze at His picture, allow yourself to become attached to His paintings [Prabhupada said they are windows into the Spiritual Sky!]. 

Problems or stress can hit any time of day or night, as can the way you feel. Therefore most likely, your chanting is done at another time. But if you want, you can add calling aloud to Him: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare; Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. 

You can envision the written mantra in different colors, different font, etc as you chant it aloud. Get creative, get into it :), get relief, and go BTG (Back To Godhead). 

Technically more than one way has been suggested, tho they are all simple. When experiencing high stress, select the shortest or easiest one for you as an individual.  Medium level stress can involve 1 more of the ideas, if you want. Less stress? Add prayer or healing for the individual, again if you wish. No stress? Do any of them, it's sweet! :)  They all work, you merely need to grant them time and sincere effort. Get calm, get centered. Don't do anything else. This is what you're doing should you decide to do so. It's fun, it's blissful!

     RELATED: 

Gallery Of Holy Names Blissfulness, 

What Happened To Srila Prabhupada? - Ever wonder what his passing from this world was like?

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What Happened To SP?

I have been trying to start this particular post for a long time, but always back down. Why? It's complicated to take it out of notes, plus other issues. Tonight I begin, but it is not going to be easy, nor completed right away. Matter of fact, I will likely be working on it even if I start another post in the future. You have been warned ha.  

What on earth is the topic? Well, the short answer is, Prabhupada's passing from this world. But there is much more to it than that. So we may have to back up a bit, and get there naturally. 

In my early days as a devotee, we all talked of topics that were very philosophical and spiritual. One of mine, and of others, was if Prabhupada would suffer when it came his turn to leave this world. 

Yes, I heard others ask this same question. On one recording Prabhupada replied, [from memory] "Why not?" The devotee replied [from memory], "Because you are a pure devotee, therefore many believe you should not suffer."  But Prabhupada said otherwise. IMHO he was taking the humble position.

Fastforward some years and Prabhupada left his body. I never knew if he did or did not suffer. I hated the thought, so would not let my mind go there. Not out of denial, I simply did not have the answer therefore didn't feel it worth it to think about that which was impossible to get an answer to. 

Yet sometimes I did wonder, and for me I guess I just held on to the belief that anyone who loved Krishna so deeply, served God/Krsna so much, even left his country where he could have lived out his golden years in more comfort than to come to a foreign country where he did not know the lifestyle so well - that Krishna would spare him.   

For decade this was just a hope, dare I say my speculation. Until one day I read a fb post from someone who was actually there at the passing of Srila Prabhupada! I wondered why such news had not been shared, therefore I share it here. Written some years ago, excerpts and / or paraphrased in part cuz technically I have not asked his permission to repost but I feel it is ok to paraphrase or repeat a story, especially since it was on a public forum; also for simplicity and ease for reading.

That devotee was in Vrindavana right before, and during, the passing of Srila Prabhupada. By now most of us have seen the pictures of the many devotees gathered around Prabhupada's bedside, chanting, as he was getting ready to leave. He joined in.

Suddenly Srila Prabhupada began to show unusual or unexpected symptoms. They were actually ashta sattvika bhava - the eight ecstasies of Love of God! Some of these unique, ecstatic symptoms were rolling from one side to the other, arms flailing, arching, roaring - next, stunned and immovable -  body trembled, every limb would shake. Tears flowing from his eyes, etc! Reminds me of what I read of Lord Chaitanya.

I might add more when I can, but my point? If ever you wondered if Srila Prabhupada is a pure devotee and should you follow this path - now you have more evidence!

 

There can always be more about Prabhupada, but something came my way about a devotee I wish to share. First, to clarify, I do not recommend avoiding doctors, medicine, or therapy. It is bonafide to accept those, there is even Ayurveda coming from Krishna Himself, as well as Prabhupada accepted certain treatments. Simultaneously I respect this devotees choice, admittedly I am not that advanced. But it sure is nectar with a fantastic result!   

       "SRILA PRABHUPADA APPEARS BEFORE US!!" 

One day—on the **appearance day of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, Rati devi dasi came into my room and said to me:

“I have cancer. I must undergo surgery immediately. But Harikeśa wants me to drive a caravan from Germany to Poland. He also told me that I should not care about this useless body.”

Because of this, she did not take therapy. She did not undergo surgery in time. Instead, she went to Poland to reach the festival.

Only two months later, her illness had reached a terminal stage.

I was speaking with her on the phone almost daily. When she finally passed away, I received some photographs and heard a few accounts of her last hours—but I was never certain what had truly happened.

It has now been more than twenty years since her departure, and I have often wondered what became of her.

Recently, after the departure of another young matajī, I again began to ask Śrīla Prabhupāda—especially during these last days—about the destiny of such souls.

And then, today—just one hour ago—like a miracle, I received a phone call from Vṛndāvana.

Without any prompting, the devotee on the phone said:

“I want to tell you how Rati left her body—what really happened.”

I was stunned.

After twenty-five years, someone calls me from Vṛndāvana to tell me how Rati Devī passed away.

This is what he said:

During her final hours, two matajīs were with her. Rati wished to listen to Śrīla Prabhupāda singing on a tape recorder. While Śrīla Prabhupāda was singing, Rati peacefully left her body.

But then Śrīla Prabhupāda appeared.

The matajīs said that he appeared in the form of a hologram, and he addressed them with these words:

“IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE THIS WORLD THE SAME WAY THAT SHE DOES, JUST DO THE SAME!”

Just listen to the singing of Śrīla Prabhupāda and he will come to save you, no matter what…

No matter what.......

Śrīla Prabhupāda answered my question within 24 hours and in doing so, he also saved me.

ALL GLORIES! ALL GLORIES!

ALL GLORIES TO ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA!

Some years back a godbrother, Goursundarsa dasa, a Prabhupada disciple from the earliest days, left his body. His wife told that he said he was seeing the VishnuDutta's coming to get him! I thought I did not read that right so looked for her comment on fb and could not find it. So I messaged her and asked. She said yes, it was true. She also told me it was on a video of a talk she gave at the Alachua Fl temple shortly after his passing. Because of it's length I do not put it here. But felt that was worth a mention since it helps us see that even those of us born in kali yuga have a shot at going back to Godhead as long as we follow Srila Prabhupaeda.

NEXT: The following is a site filled with memories of many devotees throughout the world, some with surreal experience, some with different, but all, impressive. I write it instead of just posting the link quickly, because it now comes up as a site that is not safe. Thing is, the devotee who owned the site has passed away, he is not here to update the software or whatever, but he is also not here to take anything from you, which he never would in the first place. He wouldn't even take donations! Anyhow, I go to the site regularly and have never had a problem. The rest is up to you. Here is the link to devotee experiences and memories of Srila Prabhupada.