A Devotee's Search for Happiness | ABC Class 2

A Devotee's Search for Happiness | ABC Class 2 | Vraja Bihari Das

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Vraja Bihari Das

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 30

@Prbo08 7 күн бұрын

Thank you Prabhu for such a wonderful series. 🙏🏻

@RasaPurnimaDeviDasi 2 ай бұрын

❤You can't chose Krishna, because maya is very strong...but you can come back to Krishna ❤ ❤❤ ....went straight in the heart...Thanku Prabhuji

@rohinishetty9281 2 ай бұрын

Moving from activity centred Bhakti to affection centred Bhakti . This session was very hope giving ! Thanks for sharing Radhanath swami maharaja’s pastime “patram,Pushpam…… Toyam” Thank you . Hare Krishna

@aani1560 2 ай бұрын

Hare Krishna prabhuji. From the bottom of my heart i feel so grateful to you. You exactly address the prblms which i m facing constantly in bhakti. This insight and this type of prblms which devotees face are not much addressed or discussed by anyone, I feel only you r the one who discusses these prblms Everybody tells be intense in practice, if you will not be intense maya will catch you which is definitely true so now i have developed so much fear that if i will slow down or feel satisfied,happy with my endeavors then i will not grow and not do much, become complacent. So many times i feel that i should compare myself with other devotees who are doing more services, if i will do this then i will try to bring more improvement in me. Actually this is frustrating but then so many devotees tell that we need to reach the highest standard. I want to follow what you say but becoz of my fears not able to do it. I have faith in ur realizations but not faith in myself i think if i will feel satisfied with my endeavor and not compare my self with senior devotees who are doing much more service to Srila Prabhupada then why krsna will look at me why Srila Prabhupada will be pleased with me. I just wish more devotees like Hg Radheshyaam prji, Hg Amarendra prabhuji, Hg Gauranga Darshan Prji also should talk about this.

@sarojt685 2 ай бұрын

'Love and not just happiness' was an eye opener..And that feeling of love is far greater than feeling of happiness..Thank you

@rajathkumard4971 2 ай бұрын

When you have some genuine questions to Krishna and you keep asking him while praying to him, then Krishna blesses you with HG Vrajabihari prabhuji and his association through his amazing classes . Very grateful to Krishna and Srila Prabhupad and Venugopal prabhu🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻😍😍😍

@janardhanagauraharidas9597 2 ай бұрын

Harekrishna Dandavat pranam prabhuji.

@shriradhakrishnadisha5552 2 ай бұрын

HareKrishna Prabhuji Dandwat Pranaam 🙏🏻 Jaya Srila Prabhupada.. Jaya Sri Guru Gauranga 🙌🏻😊 Thankyou for making us feel loved by Krishna, teaching simple yet profound offering of our little love & sewa to the Lord with right attitude 🙏🏻.. Thankyou Prabhuji for giving this insight in such a lucid manner.. blessed!! 🙏🏻 We cannot repay you in any way..🙇🏻‍♀️🌸

@jagan5834 2 ай бұрын

Profound. Thanks pravuji for such practicality. Ram Ram 🙏

@krishnadas8703 2 ай бұрын

Jai Srila Prabhupad

@prodipdey6853 2 ай бұрын

Very wonderful fact provuji.

@mehtabkbkiim8056 2 ай бұрын

Hari Bol! What a surprise! For the last 15 years I have been reading and hearing Srila Prabhupada through lectures, but I couldn't grasp the essence, that Your Grace has provided. Thanks Prabhu ji, I feel blessed by connecting with you. A request, is this lecture available in scribed form? I

@vrajabiharid 2 ай бұрын

Hare Krishna, Not yet transcribed…

@jagdishhmy 2 ай бұрын

Hare Krishna Prabhuji. Dandvat Pranam. Thank you so so much for this class. I am humbled to hear the statement that "You cannot give Krishna what you don't have!". Also being in space of inadequacy and love. There are so many pearls in this lecture which will be preserved and will be revisited again and again.

@vrajabiharid 2 ай бұрын

🙏🏼😊

@harekrishnaarindam 2 ай бұрын

*Summary:* 1. **Seek Love, Not Pleasure:** Shift your focus from expecting stimulation to cultivating love for Krishna through devotional practices. ( Sutra to remember: “Bhakti gives love, not thrills.”) 2. **Be Mindful:** Stay present during activities like chanting and hearing, and pause between tasks to offer your actions to Krishna. -- (Sutra: “Pause, offer, connect.”) 3. **Balance Action and Emotion:** Combine devotional service with emotional connection to Krishna, ensuring your activities are heartfelt, not mechanical. (Sutra: “Do less, love more.”) 4. **Redefine Humility and Surrender:** Humility means authenticity, not sadness. Surrender involves offering your heart, not just performing disliked tasks. (Sutra: “Be real, feel Krishna.”) 5. **Embrace Challenges:** Use struggles as opportunities to return to Krishna with sincerity, knowing that love grows through dependence on Him. (Sutra: “Fall, rise, surrender.”) (just a Sutra to remember the above 5 points: “Love Mindfully, Balance Humility, Surrender Challenges.”) These steps emphasize affection-centered devotion for a fulfilling spiritual journey. --- ### **Introduction:** 1. **Purpose of the Class:** - Aimed at understanding how devotees find happiness in their spiritual journey. - Builds on the initial ISKCON class "Search for Happiness" and adapts it for devotees who have started practicing Krishna Consciousness. 2. **Two Types of Happiness:** - **Material Happiness:** Based on sense gratification and stimulation of the senses and mind (e.g., movies, food, sports victories). - **Spiritual Happiness:** A deeper, subtler experience of satisfaction rooted in lovingly remembering Krishna. --- ### **Key Concepts:** #### **Misconceptions About Happiness:** 1. **Material Impressions:** - From childhood, we are conditioned to associate happiness with material pleasures and stimulation. - These impressions (samskaras) create deep-rooted desires for sense gratification. 2. **Misunderstanding Krishna Consciousness:** - We often subconsciously expect Krishna Consciousness to provide the same type of stimulation as material activities. - This leads to frustration when spiritual practices do not give immediate pleasure. --- #### **Difference Between Material and Spiritual Happiness:** 1. **Material Happiness:** - Temporary and tied to external stimuli. - Provides stimulation but is shallow and fleeting. 2. **Spiritual Happiness:** - Rooted in love and satisfaction. - Unlike material pleasure, it is about cultivating a relationship with Krishna, which is fulfilling but not always “pleasurable” in the material sense. --- ### **Key Messages:** 1. **The Goal of Krishna Consciousness:** - Not to experience material-like stimulation but to develop love for Krishna (*Krishna-prema*). - Chanting and other devotional activities are meant to nurture this love. 2. **Challenges in Transition:** - Devotees struggle when they expect stimulation from devotional practices. - Devotees often feel bored or burdened by practices like chanting because they are driven by these unmet expectations. --- ### **Practical Guidance:** #### **Moving from Activity-Centered to Affection-Centered Devotion:** 1. **Activity-Centered Bhakti:** - Focuses on completing tasks (e.g., finishing 16 rounds, attending temple programs). - Can feel mechanical and lead to burnout if devoid of affection. 2. **Affection-Centered Bhakti:** - Focuses on building a loving relationship with Krishna. - Emphasizes mindfulness, intention, and emotional connection in every devotional act. --- #### **Cultivating Affection in Bhakti:** 1. **Mindfulness in Devotion:** - Be present in activities like chanting and hearing. - Pause between tasks to offer your actions to Krishna and connect with Him emotionally. 2. **Investing Emotions:** - While performing devotional activities, reflect on your relationship with Krishna. - Offer your thoughts, feelings, and even struggles to Krishna. 3. **Journaling:** - Writing prayers or reflections can help you connect with Krishna on a personal level. --- ### **Overcoming Common Struggles:** #### **Existential and Psychological Crises:** 1. **Existential Crisis:** - Occurs when a devotee outwardly practices bhakti but behaves materially when provoked. - Solution: Regularly remind yourself that bhakti is about love, not just external perfection. 2. **Psychological Crisis:** - Feeling hypocritical due to a lack of emotional connection in bhakti. - Solution: Focus on cultivating love and affection rather than just completing tasks. --- #### **Misconceptions to Avoid:** 1. **Humility ≠ Sadness:** - True humility is being authentic and offering what you have to Krishna. - It is not about feeling inadequate or depressed. 2. **Surrender ≠ Doing What You Dislike:** - Surrender means offering your heart to Krishna and doing what aligns with your nature. --- ### **Practical Tips for Daily Devotion:** 1. **Pause Between Activities:** - Take moments to reflect and offer your actions to Krishna. - Example: After completing a task, say, “Krishna, I offer this to You.” 2. **Be Present and Reflective:** - Focus on the present moment and how it connects to Krishna. - Avoid making devotional service a checklist of tasks to complete. 3. **Balance Service and Emotion:** - While fulfilling your responsibilities, ensure that you nurture emotional connection with Krishna. --- ### **Conclusion:** 1. **Bhakti as a Loving Relationship:** - Krishna Consciousness guarantees love, not material happiness. - Love is deeper and more fulfilling than material pleasure but requires surrender and mindfulness. 2. **Shift Focus from Control to Surrender:** - Instead of controlling everything in your life, focus on offering your life to Krishna. - Love grows naturally when you let go of rigid expectations and connect with Krishna. 3. **Devotees’ Resilience:** - Challenges and suffering are part of spiritual growth. - The joy of bhakti lies in feeling loved by Krishna, even amid difficulties. ---

@vrajabiharid 2 ай бұрын

Thank you very much!

@kalpanakulkarni7347 2 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for summarizing the class putting on paper the clarity of thoughts that Prabhuji spoke in the class. Hare Krishna 🙏

@RasaPurnimaDeviDasi 2 ай бұрын

🎉

@atharvsupekar7186 2 ай бұрын

Hare Krishna Prabhu Why you stopped the GLAD series It was so nourishing Please restart it

@vrajabiharid 2 ай бұрын

It will resume from December

@arungaud_02 2 ай бұрын

DONT... Love, pray, follow, chant, offer to krishna by quiting your resposibility... DO all these things along with perfoming your responsibilty... then krishna will love you ineffablly ! 💖💖💖💖💖

@vrajabiharid 2 ай бұрын

Correct!