How to become Immortal?

We human beings are generally called mortal beings as every person on this earth is born one day & shall leave this earth in future after living here for certain years. This cycle of birth & death is a perpetual phenomenon of all the earthly beings since time immemorial. There is no person on this earth who is born to live forever on this earth. So the death of a person born on this earth is a certainty. But can we become Immortal? Can we achieve a state in which death is not possible?

Let's first understand something about this body of ours. Our body is made of nature's five gross elements which are Earth, Fire, Water, Air & Ether. There are other subtle elements of nature called Mind (including the senses), Ego & Intellect. Our human body is made up of five above mentioned Gross elements & other subtle elements of nature. Our true nature is that we are the "Immortal Soul" who sits within this nature born body. This Soul is different from this body of ours. Now the difference is only in the perception & belief of ours, whether we consider our self to be this "Body" or the "Soul" within this body. If we believe our self to be a "Body" then we shall die one day as death of a body is certain. But if we believe our self to be a "Soul" then death of an Immortal thing is not possible. So just have a firm belief that you are that Immortal Soul. Then there shall be no death for you & then you shall live even after the death of this body. Below is what the Bhagwat Gita says about this aspect.

As per 'Bhagwat Gita', one who is born, shall die one day & whosoever shall die, shall be reborn again certainly, though the embodied Soul in this body is Immortal. As per 'Bhagwat Gita-Chapter Two Verse - 23', Immortal Soul cannot be cut with any weapon, fire cannot burn it, it is impervious to water & it cannot drench it & neither air can dry this Soul. As Soul is beyond this visible nature elements of Fire, Water, Air, Earth etc. so these nature elements cannot cause any damage to the Immortal Soul.

"nainam chindanti shastrani
nainam dahati pavakah
na chainam kledayanty apo
na sosayati marutah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 23)
"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: The Soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, can never be burned by fire, can never be moistened by water & can never be dried by the wind."
"acchedyo ’yam adahyo ’yam
akledyo ’sosya eva cha
nityah sarva-gatah sthanur
achalo ’yam sanatanah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 24)
"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: This individual Soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. The Soul is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same."
If a person becomes firm in that belief only that Soul inside his body is Immortal, then too he attains immortality as then that person goes beyond the visible nature elements which has formed this visible body of ours.

Now what is immortality? This Soul of ours wears this body made of nature elements. After karmic cycle, depending on the Karmas of our previous life, Soul drops this body at death & takes on another body based on the Karmas of our present life. Again we do Karmas in our next birth & that becomes the basis of our further next birth for this Soul. So this cycle of wearing different bodies goes on for this Soul.

We all feel pleasure & pain in one's life, so can't it be possible that we can avoid this pain that we feel in our body. As per 'Bhagwat Gita-Chapter Eighteen Verse - 55', when we go to a perpetual divine life, which is beyond this nature, which forms this body then that life is beyond all this pain & is a blissful life. To attain that we have to establish our self in our Soul. For that we need to have a firm faith that we are that Immortal Soul & not this perishable body. As God is the Supreme Soul from whom all these Souls have emanated, so worshipping him constantly & believing oneself to be a part of that immortal Soul, one shall attain to a blissful life which is beyond the pain & suffering.

"bhaktya mam abhijanati
yavan yas chasmi tattvatah
tato mam tattvato jnatva
visate tad-anantaram" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 55)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the Kingdom of God."
"sarva-karmany api sada
kurvano mad-vyapasrayah
mat-prasadad avapnoti
sasvatam padam avyayam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 56)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Though engaged in all kinds of activities, My pure devotee, under My protection, reaches the Eternal and Imperishable abode by My grace."

So let's change our thinking & have belief that we are that Immortal Soul & not this perishable body. Once we do that then we shall be free from the cycle of birth & death & then we shall become immortal. Then we shall live permanently on a Godly planet where there is no death & life is permanent. When we believe in our Soul nature then we shall have belief in that Supreme God also who is the Lord of all the Souls. He is also called the Super Soul having all the almighty powers & Infinite Bliss. Let's pray to that Super Soul who shall bestow us with Immortality & Supreme Bliss.

Jai Sri Krishna

Emotions of a Devotee

It's good to have knowledge of God. It's good to have all the knowledge of Vedas, Puranas & all other religious texts but if there is no Devotion to God, then all this knowledge is of no use. Here below is a small story which shows that just having the knowledge of God is of little meaning, if one is not having Devotion to the God.

"Once upon a time there was a Devotee of Lord Krishna. That Devotee once came across a very Learned man who knew about all the knowledge of Vedas, Puranas & all other religious texts. That Devotee of Lord Krishna was holding a copy of the Bhagwat Gita in his hand, and his eyes were full of tears. The Learned man thought that the Devotee was weeping & having the tears in his eyes, as he is unable to understand some of the teachings of the Bhagwat Gita. He came to the Devotee and told him that he need not weep as now he has come to help him. Now if he likes he can narrate each shaloka of each chapter of Bhagwat Gita to him, if he finds it difficult to understand the Bhagwat Gita.

To this counsel of Learned man, the Devotee of Lord Krishna responded, “Sir, I am not crying because I cannot read & understand Bhagwat Gita but tears are coming into my eyes as I see the Lord Krishna right in front of me. I see Lord Krishna on every page of Bhagwat Gita. Every page I turn to, I see Arjuna’s chariot. I see Arjuna’s charioteer, Lord Krishna. These are my emotions towards Lord Krishna which are coming out as tears in my eyes. At hearing this, the Learned man came to understand that Devotion to God is superior to having just the knowledge of God."

Lord Krishna is also the Lord of Love. He is love infinite. If you shall love Him, then He too shall shower His unconditional love upon you. "Gopis of Vrindavan" fell in deep love with Lord Krishna. Though Lord Krishna is almighty, all powerful God & everyone prays to Him but "Gopis of Vrindavan", including "Radha Rani" fell in deep Love with Lord Krishna & in their case there was a burning desire in their mind to meet Him. In their case too tears of emotions used to come in their eyes due to their Love for Lord Krishna.

So let's also love Lord Krishna like the above mentioned Devotee & like the "Gopis of Vrindavan". If you shall love God a little bit then He shall love you ten folds, as God is hungry of love & devotion only.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which tells that Lord Krishna too loves His devotees & always fulfills their desires & always protect them:

"ananya-cetah satatam
yo mam smarati nityasah
tasyaham sulabhah partha
nitya-yuktasya yoginah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 14)

"Lord Sri Krishna says: Whosoever, always & constantly remembers Me with undivided mind; by that person, I am easy to obtain, O Arjuna, because of his constant engagement in the devotional service to Me."

"samo ’ham sarva-bhutesu
na me dvesyo ’sti na priyah
ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya
mayi te tesu chapy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 29)

"Sri Krishna said: I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all beings. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is very dear to Me, and I am also very dear to him."

"ananyas cintayanto mam
ye janah paryupasate
tesham nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said: But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have."

So let's have full devotion towards Lord Krishna. As per the "Bhagwat Puran":

"Once the mind of a person is full of surrender to the lotus feet of Lord Krishna & the mind is full of hankering after Lord's qualities, then that person shall never encounter Yamarâja (Lord of death) and his superintendents, or even in one's dreams meet his servants carrying the ropes to bind, because doing such Devotional service to Lord Krishna is the right atonement for all sins."

Jai Sri Krishna

Attachment & Gautama Buddha

Nature of our mind is so that it gets attached to some object, place or person badly. In such a state our mind is swayed by the emotions than the intellect. We always think of that object, place or person & without it, our life seems impossible.

"Gautama Buddha" was born a Prince but he left his kingdom, family etc. in search of the truth. In the "Jataka Stories" there are many accounts of Gautama Buddha's previous lives in which he was born among humans, as well as, animals kingdom. Here below is a story from Jataka's in which Gautama Buddha teaches that too much attachment in life is not good.

"In olden times there was a Potter and he had a wife and family to support. In their nearby place, lay a great natural lake & next to that lake was a great river. When there were rains & there was much water, river and lake used to merge into one; but when the water was low, river and lake used to be apart. Water born fish and tortoises know by their own instinct, when in the year there shall be rain and when there shall be a drought. At one time, the fish and tortoises which lived in that lake knew that there would be a drought; and as at that time lake & river were one water, they swam out of the lake into the deep river. But there was one Tortoise that would not leave the lake & go into the deep river. He said, "As I was born in this lake, and because I have grown up here, and here is my parental home, so I cannot leave this lake. That Tortoise lived in that lake only"

Then the hot season came & all the water of the lake dried up. That Tortoise dug a hole in the lake and buried himself, just in the place where the Potter used to come to fetch the clay for making the clay pots. One day the Potter came to get some clay & he started digging the dry lake with a big spade. His spade cracked the tortoise' shell & turned him out on the ground as though he were a large piece of clay. In the pain & agony the Tortoise thought, "Here I am, dying, all because I was too fond of my home in the lake & never wanted to leave it!. As I was born in the lake & I lived here in the clay but now the same lake & clay are going to take my life. If I would have thought properly & have went with the other in the deep river, I would not have gone through this pain & agony."

So he went on and on, talking to the Potter, till he died. The Potter picked him up, and collecting all the villagers addressed them thus: "Look at this Tortoise. When the other fish and tortoises went into the great river, he was too fond of his parental home to go with them, and buried himself in the place where I get my clay. Then as I was digging for clay, I broke his shell with my big spade, and turned him out on the ground in the belief that he was a large lump of clay. Then the Tortoise called to his mind what he had done, lamented his fate and expired. So you see he came to his end because he was too fond of & deeply attached to his home. Take care not to be like this tortoise. Don't say to yourselves, 'I have money, home, I have a son, I have a daughter, I have numbers of men and maids for my service, I have precious gold'; do not cling to these things with craving and desire. Simply do not get attached to anything very much that you cannot leave it.

**** In the above story Potter was Gautama Buddha himself in his one of the previous births & the Tortoise was his disciple Ānanda in that birth."

Too much attachment to anything is also called Infatuation & it is the cause of most sorrows. Infatuation is something that we get attached to some object, place or person very badly. We are always thinking of that & without that thing, our life seems impossible. Due to such Infatuation our mind always wanders about that & forgets other important things in life.

We too find our self in such situations many times. Say you have very lovely children & you love them very much. You always think of them & little separation of them from you worries you a lot. But say one day your son gets admission to some foreign university & he has to leave you for quite many years. You find yourself so much attached to him that your mind gets troubled at just thinking that he shall go away to such a faraway land & you shall not be able to meet him. Similar thing happens when your daughter gets married. So in all such cases if your mind is attached to them greatly, great shall be the pain to the mind during separation from them.
Same applies to other material things like your home, car, money etc. So if your mind is attached to these things greatly, so great shall be the pain to your mind during its separation.

Bhagwat Gita also teaches us to live in this world like that without getting attached to anything or any being. Just like a drop of water on Lotus, where though it is there on it but it is not attached to it.

"brahmany adhaya karmani
sangam tyaktva karoti yah
lipyate na sa papena
padma-patram ivambhasa" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Five verse 10)

"Sri Krishna said: One who performs his duty without any Attachment, surrendering all the results unto the God, is unaffected by sinful action, as the Lotus leaf is untouched by water."

So we should not attach our mind greatly to any material thing, place or human being, as one day we shall have to leave these or these shall go away from us. On that day, if you have great attachment to these, you shall feel great pain, otherwise it shall be a normal life for you. So let us not allow our mind to be INFATUATED by any thing, which can lead us to sorrow.

Jai Sri Krishna

Just Cling to God

Just see the left picture here. In the picture the digit one may be raised to a figure of any value by just adding zeros to the one; but just remove that one from the beginning, zeroes by themselves have no value of itself. Similarly God is that one in the picture & we all are that zeroes in the picture.We all have no value unless until we cling to God; as all men, women & all things get their value from their connection with God only. So long as you shall cling to God, Who is the value-giving figure behind this whole world, and do all your work for Him, you shall gain more and more thereby; on the contrary, if you shall overlook God and add to your work many grand achievements, all done for your own glorification, you shall gain nothing much from there.

So if you shall put God first in life before anything then your horizon of thinking shall go on expanding to infinity. By having such thinking & devotion to God, you shall be able to understand the God better. As everything in this world has originated from that single source called God only so to keep Him prime & then make your life secondary to God, shall make everything valuable in life.

So you should first gain God in life, and then gain wealth; but do not try to do the contrary. If, after acquiring spirituality & turning your mind towards the God, you lead a worldly life, you will never lose your peace of mind.

Just when you go to a new city, you first secure a comfortable room for your rest at night, and after keeping your luggage there, you feel free to go about the city for sightseeing. Otherwise you may have to suffer much in the darkness of night to get a place for your rest. Similarly, after securing your eternal resting place in God, you can fearlessly move about doing your daily work. Otherwise, when the dark and dreadful night of death shall come, one shall have to encounter great difficulties and sufferings.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita also explaining that God is supreme:

"mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sutre mani-gana iva" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 7)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, there is nothing else besides Me in this world. Like clusters of yarn-beads formed by knots on a thread, all this world is threaded on me.

"yac chapi sarva-bhutanam
bijam tad aham arjuna
na tad asti vina yat syan
maya bhutam characharam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 39)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being—moving or nonmoving—that can exist without Me."

So let's Cling to God & have faith in God. Let God come first always before any other thing in our life. As God is supreme & controls everything, so in this world everything has meaning because of God only. Let's all pray to that supreme, divine, all powerful God only. In this way God shall deliver us from all the miseries of life & shall protect us always in life.

Jai Sri Krishna

Let's Shed Our Ego

Ego is nothing but to feel oneself more important than others, to feel different & superior to others. Such a feeling of finding oneself different from others is nothing but the ignorance & such an illusion is called ego. We all are part & parcel of the Omnipresent Soul & that one same soul is present in all of us. So if we are able to realize that soul within all of us then we cannot find ourselves different from others.

"Ego is nothing but identification of oneself with their body than Soul."

Under the influence of ego a human being forgets the truth about God & thinks his/her identity to be different than others. Once a person knows this knowledge of God, then the delusion of "Maya" disappears & that person shed his / her ego to become one with God again.

Human beings generally crave for Name, Fame, Pleasures of life etc. which satisfies one's ego & these are the Idols in one's life which a person adores very much. But these Idols do not do any good to one self as it obscures one's real 'Soul nature', which is divine with unlimited powers & is always blissful. Such craving for Name, Fame & Sense pleasures drowns one's self respect & obscures the divine being from our sight. These worthless temptations destroy one's reputation & always give delusion by which a person is not able to know his Divine Self.

Below is a verse of Bhagwat Gita which tells how an egoistic person behaves:

"ahankaram balam darpam
kamam krodham cha samsritah
mam atma-para-dehesu
pradvisanto ’bhyasuyakah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Sixteen verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Bewildered by false ego, strength, pride, lust and anger, these egoistic people become envious of the Supreme Lord, who is situated in their own bodies and in the bodies of others, and blaspheme against the real religion."

Below is a verse of Bhagwat Gita which tells how surrendering one's ego one can achieve the God:

"tam eva saranam gaccha
sarva-bhavena bharata
tat-prasadat param shantim
sthanam prapsyasi sasvatam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 62)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, surrender your ego fully unto the God. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode."

As a rope that is burnt retains its shape intact, but has become all ashes, so that nothing can be bound with it; similarly, the person who feels one with everyone & is devoted to God, retains only the form of his egoism, but not has any idea of vanity (Ahamkâra).

So Let's shed our ego & not be egoistic, as it shall not do any good to one self. Let's surrender our ego in the Divine feet of the God & adore Him only so that He can give us a blissful life.

Jai Sri Krishna