THIS BLOG HAS MOVED

Hi all,

I am moving this blog to a new address. I would appreciate it if you could make this one little change to your bookmarks 🙂

The new address is http://bloggingupthedrainpipe.blogspot.com

It’s just one word that is different. I will no longer be using wordpress and will not be updating this blog. All the old posts from this wordpress blog have been moved to the new blogspot page. I would hate to lose you and would miss your comments on my posts so please update the URL and visit my new page! See you there 🙂

Prayer request for Shell

Shell said:

I’m asking for prayers of reconciliation for myself and the love of my life. she is my best friend and I hope one day for her to be my wife. But recently we had been arguing andI broke her trust. I know this seems silly but she was the one person who loved me and I love her. Please bring us back together again, let our foundation be strong and loving please let me get the apartment that is affordable I want to create a home for my family including her. I love her and I want her in my life forever.
Thank you

Gopinath, you out of everyone surely know the pain that love can bring. Shell has been feeling some grief and if it is in your will, please reconcile him with his dear friend. Be the guidance and forgiveness between them, if this is your desire. Everything happens according to your divine will and if there is something better in their future, then so be it. But please, Krishna, give them the strength to get through this and be their guidance.

Prayer Request for Chandra Rao

Chandra Rao said:

PRAYER REQUEST FOR MY MOM
MEERA S, my mom is very ill at the nursing home completely bed ridden with third massive stroke and Partial paralysis on the right side, she cannot speak please pray for my mom

Krishna, please hear our prayers for Meera. Gopinath, please help her feel better and help her family through this difficult time. Stay close to them and give them all strength and guidance to get through this. Krishna, it has been a long time since this comment was posted but I hope and pray that things are better now. Please bless Meera and look after her and her family.

Prayer Request for Mira

Mira said:

Hello

since March this year ..i became illusioned and distracted from Krishna consciousness. As a result i was always disatisfied with something or the other. I had a very important exam in june which i failed and was very disheartened.I tried to do everything to stay positive.Tried to figure things out as so many things were not going my way. I thought a lot about everything and as a result had a mental disorder . I was not able to relax and
concentrate on my studies anymore ……then yesterday i dnt knw how i came through your blog and had tears in my eyes when i read ur posts as if Krishna is telling me to believe tht he is with me
I am having the same exam again from 24th..please pray that i get Krishna’s love and success in exams this time 

I am sorry to hear about how difficult things have been for you. I would suggest that when you have time, perhaps you could consider seeing a doctor about your mental state. You could talk to me privately if you like – I might be able to assist you with mental disorders since I suffer from it myself. I wish you all the best for your exams. I know that sometimes it is difficult to concentrate but in moments like those, remind yourself of the end goal. What do you want out of this? Why do you want to pass the exam? To get the certificate perhaps, so you can get a good job? Think about the goal and think about how good and proud of yourself you will be once you accomplish it. Nothing comes easy. Dedicate your efforts to Krishna and do everything that you do for Krishna, even if that means studying for him to make him happy 🙂 I wish you all the best!

Dear Gopinath, please help your devotee feel close to you once again. Like children sometimes we wander away from you but you never fail to find us again and you are always waiting nearby with open arms. Please help Mira do well in her exams and please be close to her. Let her feel your presence and fill her life with your love. You never forget especially those who have thought of you in their lives and thus we know that you will never forget us. Plant the seed of devotion in Mira’s heart and give her the knowledge that she needs to pass these exams. Give her the wisdom that she needs to succeed in life. Be her guide and may her faith in you grow with every passing day. Please help her find her balance and help her to concentrate on the things that are important in life. Fill her heart with acceptance and gratefulness and especially with love and faith in you.

Prayer Request for Hari Krishnan

Hari Krishnan said:

I am amazed by the prayer requests over here. I am praying for all of them sincerely.

I am 23 year old guy trying to attend interview for the designation – Software Developer next week. Recently i learnt in Bhagavad Gita that designations are illusions in material world that drives away from Lord Krishna.

This company which i m attending interview is near ISKCON Temple..I want to get selected in this company for the sake of supreme personality of Godhead – Lord Krishna. This is my ultimate happiness to do devotional service to the Lord. I am unemployed right now. I m trying to study hard for the interview. Hope Lord Krishna helps me to gain lot of Hard Work, will power and curiosity to learn things quickly. I wanted to feel confident about my knowledge in programming and answer all questions in interview successfully.

I want to get selected in this company in the will of Lord Krishna.
Please do pray for me..

Will Dedicate the fruitive results to the Lord,
Hari krishnan.

First off, I am so sorry for getting back to your comment after such a long time. Your interview date has passed by now but I hope it went well. I don’t know what your current status is but I pray that Krishna will pave the way for you to build a good stable career that will help you to provide for yourself and your family. Krishna sees your desire to be close to him and his places of worship. No matter where you are, I pray that Krishna will always make his presence felt in your life. Let Krishna steer your chariot the way he steered Arjuna’s and let him guide you always. I pray that Krishna will help you find a good job and that he will help you develop deeper faith in him. Krishna says in the Gita:

“To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”  BG 10.10

So remain devoted and try to spend some time with him. He will surely fulfil his promise and give you the understanding you need.

Forgiving Those Who Wrong You

This morning, I remembered the story of Jagai and Madai. To give you a quick summary, Jagai and Madai were two brothers who possessed qualities that were not admirable – drinking alcohol, disrespectful, thieves, etc. On one occasion, they physically assaulted Nityananda, which angered Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Chaitanya was ready to end their lives as he was very angered by this. Jagai and Madai repented and sought his forgiveness, and Chaitanya said he would spare their lives if his devotee Nityananda forgave them.

So what do we learn from this?

We learn two things:

1. The importance of forgiveness

Many of us often hold things in our hearts against those who have wronged us. I am guilty of it as well. I forgive people and I don’t hold a grudge against them, but at the same time, I begin to avoid spending time with them. If I care about the person deeply, I will try to mend the relationship, otherwise I let it fade. But by not forgiving others, we fill our hearts with unnecessary feelings that just occupy space and cause us grief. By being forgiving, we exhibit the qualities of devotees. We exhibit compassion and understanding, and these qualities are pleasing to Krishna. As in the case of Jagai and Madai, by forgiving others, we may also prevent them from suffering further. Imagine for a minute that you are the offender and you have done something to anger your best friend. If your friend chooses not to forgive you, you suffer a lot, don’t you? You feel hurt and upset and are filled with regret for making a mistake. In this way, forgiveness mends those who are wrong and those who are wronged. Forgiveness needs to be practiced. It is most certainly not easy but it is absolutely freeing. We must learn to forgive because after all, Krishna forgives us, doesn’t he? Why shouldn’t we forgive others, then?

Forgiveness is a virtue of the weak, and an ornament of the strong. Forgiveness subdues (all) in this world; what is there that forgiveness cannot achieve? What can a wicked person do unto him who carries the sabre of forgiveness in his hand?     (From the Mahabharata, Udyoga Parva Section XXXIII, Translated by Sri Kisari Mohan Ganguli). [Taken from Wikipedia]

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.    Matthew, 6.14-15

Needless to say, if someone is continuing to wrong you without truly repenting or feeling sorry for it, there is no reason for you to tolerate it. Simply let it slide and free yourself from the clutches of this person.

2. The authority God gives devotees

This incident of Jagai and Madai shows that as devotees, Krishna has given us certain authorities. Krishna is the ruler of this universe. He doesn’t need permission to take away someone’s life, yet he left the decision up to his devotee Nityananda. Even during the Mahabharat war, Krishna agreed to be Arjuna’s chariot driver. Again, giving his devotee the power to make decisions. Krishna steers the reins and guides the devotee’s from within, as he promises in the Gita:

“To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”    BG 10.10

I always find this incredibly amazing to think about. It fascinates me how the Creator of everything that exists sometimes follows the instructions of his devotees! It’s a lot like the way parents sometimes follow the orders of their children out of love. They don’t have to do it, yet they do because of the love that is shared. This is exactly why Krishna sometimes agrees to carry out the loving requests of his devotees. Isn’t he just the sweetest?

Frustration

There are these moments in life where you feel frustrated and disillusioned. You don’t know whether to run or hide or whether you should take the bull by the horns or just let things fall where they may. Right now, this is how I feel. I’m frustrated because I have a psychological disorder that affects my life, because I have several dietary restrictions due to food intolerances, because I haven’t been unable to find a decent job.

I have been out of a job for the past few months. I’m not even keen on working for someone because of how abusive and manipulative employers can be. I feel like I’ve been through quite a lot, in the sense that my patience was really tested at my previous jobs. I don’t want to get into the details but lets say I have seen how companies can be unethical and blatantly lie to their clients, and I have had my employers be so controlling even when it came to things like taking lunch breaks and even a 2 minute break to drink water. Feeling abused and disheartened, I left my job because I felt like I was not being respected as a human being. I wouldn’t be surprised if things like this happened everywhere around the world, too. These are tough times we’re living in.

The reason for frustration, as I understand it, is when something is lacking. I mean this on a deep level, not in the sense of material desires like having the latest iPhone or the biggest house. I mean necessities like a job, security, shelter, etc. Frustration stems from this lack of security and protection. It leads to anxiety of the future because there is uncertainty and a lack of stability. While I am sitting here, feeling waves of frustration wash over me again and again, I thought I’ll have a look at what the Bhagavad Gita says in order to deal with my feeling of helplessness.

But those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My transcendental form–to them I carry what they lack and preserve what they have.      BG 9.22

Such deep consolation, knowing that Krishna will be there to assist you, by maintaining what you have and by making up for whatever it is that you lack. Everyone feels some sense of lacking in one way or another. Lack of strength, confidence, self-esteem, money, intelligence. So many other things. Let Krishna be your strength, your confidence, your pride, your wealth and your intelligence. Let him provide for you what you lack.

Anyone who prays unto Me and takes shelter from Me becomes My ward, and I protect him always from all sorts of calamities.     Lord Narasimhadeva, Narasimha Purana

This uncertainty of the future, of the state of my career, my wellbeing, my family, etc. are causing me great distress. I must remember to seek shelter of Krishna, and he will protect me from calamity.

He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.     BG 9:31

Ah, the peace that we are all looking for. Peace and promise of everlasting life.

The steadily devoted soul attains unadulterated peace because he offers the result of all activities to Me; whereas a person who is not in union with the Divine, who is greedy for the fruits of his labor, becomes entangled.     BG 5:12

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I have been praying and asking for things, asking for Krishna to get me out of this mess that I am in. Then I remembered that I must not hanker for the fruit of any activity. I must let Krishna decide the outcome, and I must offer the results of my activities to Gopinath and work for his sake. Do the best you can do and do what you must, but leave the results to Krishna.

Perform your duties to the best of your ability and offer the results to Krishna. He will preserve what you have and should be lacking anything, he will provide it for you, as he sees fit. All the while, he will protect you as he promises and he will give you peace. Frustration will rear its head again and again because it is the nature of this world. But lucky for us, Krishna is on our side. And we all know which side is going to win.

“Panditah Sama Darshina”

On a blog post of mine called, “So you don’t eat meat?” a reader commented saying someone she knows, who is a Krishna devotee, speaks badly about other religions. Here’s an excerpt of my response:

Oh, it’s not nice to talk badly about the beliefs of others. I wish your sister in law would understand. If someone spoke to her badly about Krishna, she would get offended. It only makes sense then to try and avoid offending others! The Bhagavad Gita has this nice verse on equality:

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].” – BG 5.18

In Sanskrit, the translation of a part of this verse is “panditah sama darshina” meaning the wise see with equal vision. I love this short, simple quote and often remind myself of it when I feel like I am being biased or unequal in my perception of things. Perhaps maybe in passing, you could enlighten your sister in law about this verse 

Then I was going over some of my old blog posts, thinking why don’t I write here that often anymore, thinking that I don’t have much to write about… I was checking my blog statistics and found that this is the most popular post on my blog: Miracles and Experiences in Krishna Consciousness. After reading about each of the miracles I had listed, I picked one to read. This one is about an English girl named Ananda. You can read the whole story here.

I read the story, felt amazed by it once again, and then found a link about Radhanath Swami’s talk at the Google headquarters. I was reading the article and after a couple of paragraphs into it, I saw that the EXACT SAME VERSE I had quoted above was mentioned in this article. I just sat there, shocked, staring at my computer screen, staring at the poster of Krishna on my wall, feeling amazed. All the events were completely random and I was amazed that somehow, I ended up finding an article that mentioned the same verse I had quoted just a few minutes ago! It kept making me feel like Krishna is still around, he’s still here, and he’s still trying to teach me. I felt like he was trying to tell me that the message of this verse is very important. It is! It is so important to treat others equally and fairly. If only more people would realize this, the world would be a better place. I can’t even begin to tell you about the tingles I felt at the back of my neck! Krishna is just amazing. Just… amazing.

Prayer Request for Saroj

An anonymous reader said:

“This is for my aunty name Saroj she is suffering right now from a chronic illness which has no cure her body flesh is slowly disappearing and from last 2 months she can’t eat anything as she dont feel like eating at all, she only drink little milk and some juice. Please Pray from Krishna for her easy departure from earth and she should not suffer anymore, Krishna should forgive her and not give her any more suffering as she is suffering from this disease for a very long time and her kids also can’t be with her at this time she is very old and they have kept nurses for her to take care of her, I feel like crying for her but I wish that she should get peace soon.”

I was very very sad to read this. I understand how you feel. It’s like you want them to be happy and become well again, but it’s not happening so you find yourself thinking that maybe it would be better if they depart. It’s a very difficult time and the feelings are very confusing.

Dear Gopinath, please bless Saroj. She has been suffering a great deal. Krishna, please stay close to her and look after her. You are the giver of life and thus, our lives are in your hands. If it is better for Saroj and if it is in your wall, call her back home to you and to your arms, where she will be with you and lovingly serve you. If it is in your will, please bless Saroj with good health and please let her condition improve. Give Saroj and her family the strength and faith to trust in you and to make it through this difficult time. You are the preserver of life and I know you are our well-wisher. You want us to be healthy and happy. Please look after Saroj, Gopinath. Forgive her for any sins she may have committed, and please engage her in loving thoughts of you. Thank you for leading the person who posted this prayer request to pray to you for her well-being. By the association of a devotee, I know that you have blessed Saroj greatly, because not everyone is fortunate enough to be around devotees. Krishna, we know that this body is one day going to perish. But we also know that only you can take away pain and suffering, like when Bhishma was lying on a bed of arrows, breathing his last, yet he did not feel any pain or discomfort because you had blessed him. In this way, bless Saroj, dear Krishna. Please take away her suffering. Gopinath, please stay close to Saroj and to her family. Thank you.

Prayer Request for Shweta

Shweta said:

“I know my prayer request is nothing infront of all these requests which I read above but please pray for me that I get a little krishna of my own in October as I am expecting now. I want to hold and love my Krishna and I will name him Krishna. I just can’t wait till he is in my arms.

Hare Krishna!”

 

Dear Shweta, your prayer request made me feel so soft and warm and fuzzy inside! Congratulations! I was so pleased to read it! Let me tell you about a true story a devotee told me some time ago. A lady was expecting and during one of her check ups, the doctor found a tumor. As the baby was growing, the tumor was also growing. Extremely worried, she sought the advice of her guru maharaj, who advised her to chant a shloka from the Mahabharat episode where Parikshit Maharaj, who was in the womb of his mother Uttara at the time, was at threat from an arrow shot by Ashwattam. In the Mahabharat, Uttara asked Krishna to protect her child and Krishna did so. So the lady we are talking about was saying these slokas and praying to Krishna. The doctors began to find that the tumor was starting to shrink! The lady had a normal healthy delivery by Krishna’s mercy 🙂

Keeping this real life incident in mind as well as the incident in the Mahabharat, I pray that Krishna will protect your child. Gopinath, please bless Shweta and give her the necessary strength to take on this responsibility you have given her, and bless her and her child abundantly with good health. May they grow stronger in their faith in you day by day, dear Gopinath, and may her child become a loving devotee, just like the mother.