Recently in March Category

Shared from Shree Kripaluji Maharaj blog

Beautiful bhajans and inspiring discourses with Swami Nikhilanand, based on the teachings of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj

Topics:
Sat. March 2: What is more important, Religion or Science?
Sun. March 3: Can science prove the existence of God?
Mon. March 4: Why are there so many forms of God?
Tue. March 5: Why are there so many paths to God?
Wed. March 6: Are all religions the same? What makes Hinduism great?
Thurs. March 7: Why are there so many sects and sampradayas within Hinduism?
Fri. March 8: What does Hinduism say is the ultimate aim of human life?

Dates & Times:
Sat & Sun, March 2nd & 3rd: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Mon - Fri, March 4th - 8th: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Venue:
Garg Residence
801 Madre Street
Pasadena California 91107
(626) 319 2064

The exciting news for March 2013 is that Swami Nikhilanand, pracharak of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, is coming to Long Beach, Canoga Park and Studio City, California in March 2013 for some beautiful lecture and kirtan series'.

Mangarh, March 7, 2012: Largest Ever Cataract Camp Held at Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya - by Sushree Janeshwari Devi of JKP India

Lines of elderly villagers, following one another closely with hands on each other's shoulders, saying, "Radhey Radhey" in unison, were about to become some of the 756 successful cataract surgery patients during a 3-day eye camp.

The semi-annual Cataract Surgery Camp was held on March 5-7, 2012, in Bhakti Dham, Mangarh, India. The camp was conducted during the Holi Sadhana program attended by 3,000 devotees from different parts of the world. Dozens of visiting devotees were happily volunteering alongside the hospital staff during their 12-hour-long shifts in the Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalya (eye hospital). They participated in such tasks as feeding patients, filing medical charts, folding linens and sterilizing medical equipment.

Jointly sponsored by Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, Bhakti Dham, Mangarh and Tilganga Eye Center, Kathmandu, Nepal, this free camp was the largest held in the three years since the camps began. During the camp, all patients received free cataract surgeries, prescription medications, follow-up care and dark glasses to wear during their recovery.

Chief surgeon, Dr. Govinda Paudyal, who traveled from Kathmandu with a team of six medical professionals, performed a record 247 surgeries in one day during the camp. "I would like to do this camp four times a year," he said. "We have never advertised this camp because the news travels by word-of-mouth. If we did, we would not be able to handle the number of patients who would show up for free surgeries," he added.

"There was another miracle story during this camp," said K. S. Rathod, a full-time volunteer at the hospital. "At the last camp, a 13-year-old girl's vision was restored after being told by doctors elsewhere that she would never see again. And today, a 10-year-old girl, who was also told by her doctors that her vision could not be corrected, was successfully operated on," he continued.

The cataract camps are one of the many charitable activities conducted by Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat. On March 13th, 2,200 widows of Vrindaban were fed at Prem Mandir in Vrindaban, and parcels of essential items for daily living, such as cooking vessels, clothing and bedding, were given free to everyone.

Related articles

• Success story at Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Hospitals - Ajay Kumar walks again after 6 years (shree-kripaluji-maharaj.blogspot.com)
• Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Education students rally on education, environment, alcohol addiction, dowry and other village issues (shree-kripaluji-maharaj.blogspot.com)
• A simple smile: JKP's Christmas present to poor patients of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Hospitals (shree-kripaluji-maharaj.blogspot.com)

Gita Chapter 1, Part 6 - by Swami Nikhilanand, disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj and sanyasi teacher at JKP Radha Madhav Dham

So far we have learned that the qualification for studying the Gita is to have faith in Shree Krishn, and to be surrendered to a God realized Saint. Only through the Saint's explanation can we understand the true meaning of the Gita.

The Danger of Learning Gita on One's Own

Learning from a true Saint also saves us from one dangerous pitfall: the pride of knowingness. If someone studies the Gita on his own, he is bound to develop a pride in his knowledge. It is human nature to want to be appreciated, so it is a common human fault to want to show our knowledge to others to gain their respect and admiration. However, the development of such vanity is the opposite of what happens when someone has truly understood the spiritual teachings of the Gita. (The previous article explained in detail that no matter how great a scholar a person is, they cannot read and understand the Gita philosophy correctly unless they are already God realized.)

Our pride of "knowing" actually takes us farther from God, instead of closer. The more humble we are, the closer we come to God. The more proud we are, the farther we are from God. When we are humble, we feel that we belong to God and we depend on him totally. This is surrender, and this type of surrender is the essence of the Gita. When we have pride in anything, then due to the pride, we feel that we are great, which means that we are not depending on God. In other words, the more pride we feel, the less surrendered we are. That means that someone who studies the Gita on his own and develops a pride of his learning is now farther from God than before he had studied the Gita. Ironically, even though he studied the Gita, which teaches surrender, he ended up being less surrendered by the end of his study.

True Spiritual Knowledge Leads to Humbleness

It means that, to the extent someone has imbibed the knowledge of Gita, they will become equally humble. More knowledge means more humbleness. More pride means the presence of ignorance. So it means that a learned scholar who studies the Gita on his own and ends up with more pride, has increased his ignorance, not his knowledge.

The only way to avoid this is to learn the Gita or any Hindu scripture from a God realized Saint. The Saint, while imparting the knowledge, will also ensure the humbleness of his students and will not give knowledge to an unqualified person.

It is also important to keep in mind that we don't get anything simply by hearing, reciting or memorizing the Gita. The teachings of the Gita have to be understood and practiced every day in one's life. Only then will the knowledge of the Gita take root in our heart and only then will we realize the benefit of Krishn's teachings. In other words, the theory must be put into practice. For this too we need the guidance of the Saint. It is only by practicing the teachings of the Gita under the guidance of a Saint that we develop true humbleness and surrender to Krishn.

The Qualification to Know Gita: Be Like Arjun

Also please consider that if we were truly qualified to hear Krishn's teachings, then we would immediately get God realized by listening to them, in the same way that Arjun did. So if we do not get God realized when we study the Gita, it means we have not understood it yet. Anyone can study the Gita, whether they are a Sanskrit scholar or an illiterate person. However, the true Gita gyani is the one who, having learned the philosophy of the Gita, becomes humble, surrenders to Shree Krishn and becomes God realized.

Having understood the qualification for studying the Gita, we are now ready to start learning the main topics of the first chapter of the Gita, starting with the very first verse. But, please keep in mind that whatever I am sharing with you in this series is not my own interpretation of the Gita. I have not learned the Gita on my own. I am simply doing my best to explain in English what Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj has already taught the world through his speeches and books in Hindi.

Summary:

Trying to study any Hindu scripture, including the Gita, on one's own leads to a dangerous pitfall: the development of the pride of knowingness. However, the presence of such pride is a sure sign of ignorance. In order to learn the philosophy of the Gita without developing our vanity, it must be learned from a true Saint.

Note: The entire Bhagavad Gita series by Swami Nikhilanand will continue, once or twice a week, for more than a year and will be an incredible study aid in learning the deepest aspects of Bhagavad Gita from one of the most profound and prolific speakers of Bhagavad Gita in the English speaking world today. 

Related articles.

• Gita - Chapter 1, Part 2 (How Old Is the Gita? God Reveals the Knowledge of Sanatan Dharm) (swaminikhilanand.com)
• Gita - Chapter 1, Part 3 by Swami Nikhilanand, disciple of Jagadguru Kripaluji Maharaj (swaminikhilanand.com)
• Gita - Chapter 1, Part 4 (Right Way to Acquire Knowledge, Qualification to Know Gita..) (swaminikhilanand.com)

Gita - Chapter 1, Part 5 - by Swami Nikhilanand, disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj and sanyasi teacher at JKP Radha Madhav Dham

The Second Qualification for Learning the Gita

In my previous entry, I explained that only a person who has faith in Shree Krishn is qualified to study the Gita. There is one more important qualification. In verse 34 of chapter 4, it says that the knowledge of the Gita cannot be acquired without first surrendering to a God realized Saint. Only with his help and guidance could the true meaning of the Gita be understood. This verse says that we must fully surrender (pranipat) to such a Saint who is both learned in the scriptures (gyaninah) and who has attained God (tattva darshinah). We should humbly and sincerely ask him questions (pariprashn) in order to clear our doubts and clarify the teachings of the Gita. We should also serve him (sevaya). Then he will impart the knowledge of the Gita to us (updekchyanti te gyanam).

Was Arjun surrendered to a Guru? Yes, in fact, he accepted Shree Krishn as his Guru when he said, 'shishyasteham shadhi mam tvaam prapannam' (chapter 2, verse 7). He said, "Krishn, please instruct me. I am your surrendered disciple." However, it is Krishn's rule that no one can surrender directly to Him (God). The procedure is that we must come to God through a Guru. He even sent the greatest gyani of that time, Uddhao, to the Gopis of Braj to be Graced with Divine love. In other words, He didn't Grace Uddhao directly, He sent him to the Gopis to make them his Guru. Then the Gopis Graced him with Krishn's Divine love.

That being so, why did Krishn allow Arjun to surrender directly to Him? In this case, since Krishn was physically present, Arjun had the choice: instead of saying, "Krishn, You are God. Please instruct me." He said, "Krishn, You are my Guru. Please instruct me." So, Krishn had to instruct him as a Guru instructs his surrendered disciple. If Arjun had said, "Krishn, You are God. Please instruct me." Then Shree Krishn would have said, "Go to a Guru. I cannot help you directly, as I am God."

Can We Make Krishn Our Guru?

Does this mean that we can accept Shree Krishn as our Guru, and thus become qualified to study the Gita? No, that is not possible for us, since He is not present before us in a physical form that we can see and relate to. We need a Guru who is physically present on the earth planet, whom we can serve and of whom we can ask questions.

What is the role of the Guru? The Guru is like a chemistry professor who instructs his students in the area of his expertise. The professor not only has a theoretical understanding of the subject, but has researched it, performed experiments, and had a practical experience of it. So, his knowledge is not only theoretical, it has been elevated to a practical, experiential level. Similarly, a true Guru must not only have a complete theoretical knowledge of the Hindu scriptures, but, more importantly, a practical experience of God.

Surrendering to the Guru to Receive Knowledge

If we have found such a Guru, then we could become qualified to study the philosophy of the Gita. The first thing we would have to do is to surrender to that Guru. Surrender? What does surrender have to do with acquiring knowledge? It has everything to do with it. In fact, the chemistry students must also surrender to their professor in order to learn. They surrender their intellect, or they join their intellect to the intellect of their professor. They allow him to guide them through the journey of acquiring this advanced knowledge of chemistry. They even take some things on faith, because at their elementary level of understanding, they have not experienced any of the things he is teaching them. So, they learn the theory and take it on faith, until such a time when they can experience it for themselves. That experience is the proof of the theory, which they had accepted on faith. It is important to note that without faith in the teacher, the theory cannot be learned, and without learning the theory, experience cannot be gained. Thus, faith is the gateway to gaining knowledge, and eventually proof or experience.

The same is true for acquiring spiritual knowledge and experience. We must have faith in (be surrendered to) the Guru. The true Saint can make us understand the philosophy of the Gita, but only if we humbly surrender our intellect to him. Initially, we have to accept what he is saying on faith; then, when we practice accordingly, we will receive the experience. So, in the spiritual field as well, faith and surrender are the gateway to knowledge and experience.

Please keep in mind that he can only impart that knowledge to us if we surrender to him. Otherwise, whether they are chemistry students, or students of the philosophy of the Gita, if they doubt every little thing their teacher tells them, they will never be able to learn the advanced material being taught in that course, nor will they ever gain the practical experience of that subject. They should question, but question humbly, in an effort to understand - not question in an effort to challenge the teacher or show one's own learning. There is one more way that the Guru helps his students in their quest for knowledge. This will be the topic of the next part of this series.

Note: The entire Bhagavad Gita series by Swami Nikhilanand will continue, once or twice a week, for more than a year and will be an incredible study aid in learning the deepest aspects of Bhagavad Gita from one of the most profound and prolific speakers of Bhagavad Gita in the English speaking world today.Related articles

Related articles

• Gita Chapter 1 - Part 1 by Swami Nikhilanand (swaminikhilanand.com)
• Gita - Chapter 1, Part 2 (How Old Is the Gita? God Reveals the Knowledge of Sanatan Dharm) (swaminikhilanand.com)
• Gita - Chapter 1, Part 3 by Swami Nikhilanand, disciple of Jagadguru Kripaluji Maharaj (swaminikhilanand.com)
• Gita - Chapter 1, Part 4 (Right Way to Acquire Knowledge, Qualification to Know Gita..) (swaminikhilanand.com)

Latest article by Vyasar Ganesan. Vyasar was born in Derry, New Hampshire, and raised in Austin. His mother is from near Delhi, and his father comes from southern India. He currently is a senior at Allegheny College, working on a senior project in creative nonfiction. Vyasar is a blogger for Radha Madhav Dham, the main US ashram of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj.



Pittsburgh, PA 3/19/2012, 3:48 PM

It's sunny in Pittsburgh today. The sun is unseasonably bright, not just for March, but for spring even. Light is coming in through the windows, the screen door - even through the cracks in the blinds and the spaces between the frames. At this house, this where place I am, I'm surrounded by light in the daytime, and it feels amazing.

During the night before, there was nothing but darkness, deep and black. It seems that as warm and bright as it could get in the day, the nighttime was magnified in gloom just as much. I could hear the near-feral cats outside, yowling and howling at the moon, passing cars, whatever. There were dark shapes in my room, bits and pieces of shadows that flit past my pillow. The joy of the sun vanishes in the pale terror of the moon.

This is identical, in almost every way, to the yug we live in today. Maharajji never fails to remind us that if we want to become God-realized, the time for it is running out. We do not know when our next human life will be, our next chance at finding our beloved Radha and Krishn. Kaliyug is the last and shortest in the cycle of the yugas, where we have the least amount of time to follow the guidance of our Guru. To make matters worse, kaliyug is the age of materialism, the time when it feels better to perform selfish or evil actions than it does to promote virtuous ones. If you've ever had the feeling that things used to be better when you were younger, or that people are worse now, or the state of affairs is deteriorating, you don't know how right you are, nor how far we have to fall.

Whatever happiness we get out of this world is fleeting. That's the lesson of the shining days and fearsome nights. But when we seek happiness in the Divine, in the power of God, we find that the feeling stays. We are blessed with the teachings and love of our Guru, the only one who is capable of leading us to the light of truth. The lesson we need to learn, the understanding we need to get, is not to pray for the day to be eternal, but for the faith that one day, when we find God, the day will be eternal.

Related articles

• Applying to Grad Schools - by Vyasar (swaminikhilanand.com)
• Vyasar on Prem Mandir, Vrindavan (swaminikhilanand.com)
• "England and India" Presentation by Vyasar Ganesan (Sun, January 6 2012, Radha Madhav Dham) (swaminikhilanand.com)

Gita - Chapter 1, Part 4  - by Swami Nikhilanand, disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj and sanyasi teacher at JKP Radha Madhav Dham

So far I have explained in gist what the Gita is, what its origins are, and how we can have confidence that the Gita available today is an authentic account of the conversation that took place between Krishn and Arjun on the battlefield of Kurukchetra more than 5,000 years ago. Now I'll discuss the qualification for receiving the knowledge of the Gita. 

The Right Way to Acquire Knowledge 

Every knowledge has restrictions with regard to who can learn it. This is as true in material matters as it is in spiritual matters. Before beginning a Masters degree, one must have completed his undergraduate degree in that subject. Otherwise, he will not grasp the knowledge being given by his professor at the post-graduate level, and instead of progressing in his understanding, he will only become more confused. The spiritual knowledge given by the various Hindu scriptures is also of different levels, from beginner to advanced. This is why every Hindu scripture has a specific qualification that must be met before someone can study it or learn it correctly. If an unqualified person attempts to study any scripture, then, instead of gaining clarity about the philosophy of Sanatan Dharm, he will only become more confused. 

Further, some types of knowledge can even be harmful to an unqualified person. For example, if someone learns that aspirin cures headaches, but doesn't know what the proper dosage is, he may swallow the whole bottle, assuming that if one is good, then more must be better. In other words, knowledge partially or incorrectly understood can be more harmful than no knowledge at all. In spiritual matters as well, if the teaching of a particular scripture isn't precisely and fully understood, it may be misinterpreted, and instead of helping a person on his spiritual path, his wrong understanding becomes an obstacle. This is why we must pay heed to the statements of each scripture telling what the qualifications are to study it.  

The Qualification to Study the Gita

The qualification to learn the Gita is as follows: in chapter 18, verse 67, the Gita says that one who does not have faith in Shree Krishn should not hear the Gita. When translating this shlok, Jagadguru Shankaracharya said this means if a person does not have faith that Krishn is bhagwan, he is not qualified to listen to or read the Gita. 

Did Arjun have faith that Shree Krishn is God? Certainly he did. Otherwise, when given the choice, why would he have chosen a weaponless Shree Krishn over His entire army? When both Arjun and Duryodhan went to Dwarika to ask Shree Krishn's help in the war, He gave them a choice: one could have Him on their side, but with the condition that He would not lift a weapon for the whole war; and one could have His entire army, consisting of (number of divisions, etc.). Arjun was given the first choice, and he chose Krishn over His army. Who in his right mind would make such a decision, unless he believed that Krishn was God? 

Even God Cannot Convince an Unfaithful Person

On the other hand, look at Duryodhan's reaction: he was relieved that Arjun had chosen Krishn and thought that he was extremely foolish to have not chosen His army. In other words, he had no faith in Shree Krishn. Later, when Krishn went to Duryodhan as a messenger of peace in order to avert the war, Duryodhan would not heed His advice. He insulted Krishn and tried to have Him imprisoned. Krishn even revealed His Divine almighty form before Duryodhan in an effort to influence him, but even then he did not accept Krishn's Divinity. It is amazing to think that even if God Himself comes to a person, if that person is not humble and faithful, then even God cannot help him. Then is it any wonder that Krishn chose to reveal the Gita to Arjun, instead of Duryodhan? A person must be humble to be open to the spiritual teachings, and faithful to accept them. 

Thus, we see that an unfaithful person, no matter how learned or intelligent he is, is unqualified to receive the teachings of the Gita. There is one more important qualification to learn the Gita, which I will cover in the next part of this series.

Summary:

Every knowledge has restrictions with regard to who can learn it. If an unqualified person attempts to study any scripture, then, instead of gaining clarity about the philosophy of Sanatan Dharm, he will only become more confused. Further, some types of knowledge can even be harmful to an unqualified person. So, what is the qualification to study the Gita, and what can we learn from the examples of Arjun and Duryodhan? Find out by reading the article.

Note: The entire Bhagavad Gita series by Swami Nikhilanand will continue, once or twice a week, for more than a year and will be an incredible study aid in learning the deepest aspects of Bhagavad Gita from one of the most profound and prolific speakers of Bhagavad Gita in the English speaking world today.Related articles

• Gita - Chapter 1, Part 2 (How Old Is the Gita? God Reveals the Knowledge of Sanatan Dharm) (swaminikhilanand.com)
• Gita - Chapter 1, Part 3 by Swami Nikhilanand, disciple of Jagadguru Kripaluji Maharaj (swaminikhilanand.com)
• Gita Chapter 1 - Part 1 by Swami Nikhilanand (swaminikhilanand.com)