Auspicious

 

I suppose, when you look at it the way he did, that spreading the Maha Mantra is a little like planting flowers:  maybe nobody will join you, maybe nobody will say "Thank you," but the world is a little prettier just the same.

So, "Yes."

Reposted from Dandavats.com:

HH Sacinandana Swami: Krishna is very eager for the company of each and every one of us.  As I sit here in Vrindavan, I sometimes ask myself, “Does Krishna see my efforts? Does He care for such an insignificant and useless person?” I’ve seen many sincere practitioners of bhakti ask this question.

The answer is: yes, Krishna is very eager for the company of each and every one of us. The Brihad- bhagavatamrita describes this in the instance when Lord Narayana welcomes Gopa Kumar after a long journey to the Lord’s divine abode. Narayana says, “I looked down the path, observing whether or not you were coming. A long-time passed and I saw you didn’t even show interest in chanting the Holy Names. There was not a single sign that you would ever look in My direction and want to come to Me. So finally I did something. I couldn’t break my timeless laws of not interfering with the spiritual progress and desires of anyone, but I sent a great soul. I actually became your spiritual master. And then you took the mantra and started your journey. Now I’m very happy. You have come! You have come! Please, stay here with Me.”

We know that Gopa Kupar stayed for some time, but the yearning of his heart was not fully satisfied in Vaikuntha, Lord Narayana’s abode. He wanted to go to Vraja, where playful Krishna engages in sublime relationships of love with His many devotees.

After visiting other places, at some point he reaches Vrindavan. The book describes his first meeting with Krishna. In the distance, he sees Krishna coming with the cows. He hears the happy laughter and flutes of Krishna’s many friends. Krishna is surrounded by a cloud of dust raised by the cow hooves and some powerful demigods dive down to catch the dust that has touched Krishna’s lotus feet. Suddenly, Krishna becomes aware of Gopa Kumara approaching from the distance. As soon as He sees him, Krishna breaks free from the cows and cowherd boys and runs towards Gopa Kumara! Finally, He can embrace Gopa Kumar and overcome with feelings of excitement and love, He falls to the ground and muddies it with His tears of ecstasy caused by the arrival of His dear friend.

This expression of overwhelmed joy is a sign of Krishna’s character. It shows that He cares very much for everyone and is most happy about the tiniest sign of spiritual life in someone. And when a soul becomes mature and ready for meeting, Krishna is full of joy. It is described that the first meetings with Krishna or experiences of Him are very brief, feeling like a dream. The devotee doesn’t know, “Was it a dream? This was better than anything I have ever seen or experienced so far.” Then, the meetings and experiences become longer and words and embraces are exchanged. And then, the soul finally enters into the eternal pastimes.

So yes, Krishna does care.

Krishna Consciousness

 

 

That's the basic philosophy of ISKCON condensed into one image.

And it reminded me of this:

Full lyrics HERE. 

Andy Singer is on the web at (of course!) AndySinger.com.

Three Little Words

Just three words:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare

Reversals

What's it all about, Alfie?

Living in the Maha-Mantra

They say there are no atheists in foxholes, but that hasn't been my experience. My moments of loss and fear are the times I feel most alone.

I've read more religious texts than most, from all the major religions and quite a few of the minor ones, and they've helped make me a better person, but faith just isn't the protective armor for me that it seems to be for others.

This has been a rather robotic existence since I lost my mother. I'm doing all the things I've always done-- exercising, praying, eating nice meals, writing letters-- but I'm not taking any joy in them. I just do them out of habit, and out of fear that if I stop moving I'll never start again.

I'm trying very hard to live in the present. The past is gone, the future looks bleak, so if there's any time to be happy, it's right now. Still, I'm struggling.

There are people who depend upon me. I have responsibilities. I can't let them down.

Hare was the creative force, Krishna was the enjoyer of the present, Rama was all about duty. I suppose I'm tilted heavily toward Rama at the moment.

"When you feel there is an unfair burden on your shoulders, that's just the way it is sometimes." ~Forrest Gump

That quote makes me smile. I wouldn't say I have an unfair burden; people have helped me in the past, now I'm helping people in the present. That's just the way it is.

Rama, Rama…

Spectacles

"When you see my spectacles, what do you remember? You remember me, because the spectacles belong to me. Similarly, when we see anything in this world, we should remember Krishna, because everything belongs to Krishna."  ~Srila Prabhupada

Haribol

[embed]https://youtu.be/VP623hMbAIA[/embed]

If you don't have thirty minutes to spare (pity), just compare the first minute to the final minute.  (via KrishnaDrop)