How to make life fresh

Soul on Fire
31

Greetings

Welcome to this issue of Soul on Fire.

I am grateful for the life I am leading and the way Krishna helps me throughout my day.
I had an experience this week where I was walking along the street minding someone else’s business and I felt I was being distracted from my course of Krishna consciousness so I called Krsna up by putting my finger in my ear and saying “Krishna I am on my way home and I am lost, please guide me in the right direction” I heard the voice of my intelligence which is also the supersoul and followed the instruction. The distraction was lust but I will use this technique for other distracting things also. Next time you’re tempted to let yourself be distracted from your goal you could try this technique. If you don’t practice the Bhakti tradition you can call upon the God of your understanding.

I also feel stoked to have to have gone out on book distribution. I don’t usually go out but when I do I have such an amazing experience.
Most of my friends outside the Bhakti community feel uncomfortable when approached by the people distributing books on the street. To them I say don’t worry about them, they have a job to do and sometimes can’t help coming off pushy. Actually they are trying their best to share Bhakti and it’s a tough gig out there. Next time you see one of them offer them an orange juice. You might make a friend. Or at least you will have done something different to your automatic way of being which is always good for your own growth.

This weeks Knowledge drop is Krishnas advice on focus in spiritual life.

Bhagavad Gita 2:41

Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.​

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada

A strong faith that by Krsna consciousness one will be elevated to the highest perfection of life is called vyavasayatmikaintelligence. The Caitanya-caritamrta(Madhya 22.62) states:

‘sraddha’-sabde – visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya
krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya

Faith means unflinching trust in something sublime. When one is engaged in the duties of Krsna consciousness, he need not act in relationship to the material world with obligations to family traditions, humanity or nationality. Fruitive activities are the engagements of one’s reactions from past good or bad deeds. When one is awake in Krsna consciousness, he need no longer endeavor for good results in his activities. When one is situated in Krsna consciousness, all activities are on the absolute plane, for they are no longer subject to dualities like good and bad. The highest perfection of Krsna consciousness is renunciation of the material conception of life. This state is automatically achieved by progressive Krsna consciousness.

The resolute purpose of a person in Krsna consciousness is based on knowledge. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhah: a person in Krsna consciousness is the rare good soul who knows perfectly that Vasudeva, or Krsna, is the root of all manifested causes. As by watering the root of a tree one automatically distributes water to the leaves and branches, so by acting in Krsna consciousness one can render the highest service to everyone – namely self, family, society, country, humanity, etc. If Krsna is satisfied by one’s actions, then everyone will be satisfied.

Service in Krsna consciousness is, however, best practiced under the able guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Krsna, who knows the nature of the student and who can guide him to act in Krsna consciousness. As such, to be well versed in Krsna consciousness one has to act firmly and obey the representative of Krsna, and one should accept the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master as one’s mission in life. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura instructs us, in his famous prayers for the spiritual master, as follows:

yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado
yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ’pi
dhyayan stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

“By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Krsna consciousness. I should, therefore, meditate and pray for his mercy three times a day, and offer my respectful obeisances unto him, my spiritual master.”

The whole process, however, depends on perfect knowledge of the soul beyond the conception of the body – not theoretically but practically, when there is no longer a chance for sense gratification manifested in fruitive activities. One who is not firmly fixed in mind is diverted by various types of fruitive acts.

Above: An illustration about distraction.
Often while I meditate I am torn between social life, creative projects and the task at hand. The best thing is to wake early enough so that there is no pressing things to do at that time. I see it as an excursion to the spiritual world because that’s what it feels like. The early morning hours spent meditating are so powerful it’s a wonder I don’t take advantage of it everyday.

Follow my Instagram if you don’t want to miss any of my comics.

No vlog this week because technology is being mean to me.
Also I won’t be able to make one next week either as I’ll be doing my first block course with Praxis at a Marae.