Don't be Tense, Get Relaxed

Tension is a very common word in our fast day to day life. In one's life everyone suffers from tension at some point or the other. Tension can be due to workplace pressures, in relationships etc. etc. Tension normally disturbs our physical and mental health. Due to tension a person fails to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism.

Common tension symptoms include irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physical reactions, such as headaches and accelerated heart beat. Otherwise tension can also cause backache, insomnia, fatigue, hypertension, eating disorder etc. Every one of us want to get out of this tension & get relaxed. Let's see how we can achieve that.

We generally compare ourselves with others. This comparison given tension to our mind as we all live in different circumstances with different capabilities. In such a unique world, comparing ourselves & our situations with others is absurdity. But if we do so, we shall get tense, as what others have may not be with us or what qualities others have, may not be with us. Do not compare yourself with others as you are unique in your own sense & others don't have those qualities what you are having. This world is such that each person in this world is unique & we should love that uniqueness of every person than comparing it with others. The art of making beautiful shoes is with a cobbler & not with you. Similarly you are the master of your own Karma (whatever job / work you do) & not anybody else. Let's respect the Karma of each person & not the results those Karma's bear. World is run by the Karma's of each person & not by the fruit's those Karmas bear. So let's be happy doing our own Karma than running after the fruit's those Karma's bear.

The other reason why our mind remains tense is that we are not satisfied with our present state. If we have something, we are not happy with it. We may not have harmonious relations with many people in our life which also gives tension. If we have a particular amount of money with us, it seems less to us & we want more of it. Same is that, we have Greed for other things & don’t know how to enjoy the one’s we are already having.

To get relaxed & be peaceful at mind, the first & foremost thing is to be satisfied with what we have at present & try to make harmonious relations with the people all around us. Once we are able to do that then we shall find that we are much better off & much peaceful.

So if we want to come out of tension then first of all we need to change our lifestyle. Other than that, we need to learn some relaxation techniques such as meditation, doing deep breathing exercises, listening to soul soothing music etc. as it relaxes one's mind. Living alone in silence without any disturbance for some time also relaxes the mind. Having a long simple walk, seeing the beauty of nature, doing some physical exercises, massaging the body can also help in reducing the tension.

Also as per teachings of "Bhagwat Gita" we need to be happy with our present state of life & should not hanker after the material desires. We need to have faith in God & should do our own duty as while doing one's own duty only, one can be happy. Do not blame God for the miseries of life, but just surrender to the will of God. Seek God's mercy & He shall give you peace of mind & happiness in life.

Jai Sri Krishna

Oh, my Lord

A devotee of Lord Krishna says to Lord:

"Oh, my Lord, fill my consciousness with bliss, ecstasy & Your love, so that ignorance flees away from my life. Only your love can dispel my past regrets & also the fear of future wrongs, whose consequence shall be sorrow & misfortune only. O Lord, I cannot wait until tomorrow to wait for your grace to happen on me, as tomorrow can be like infinite past only, when I died so many times without knowing you. I want you to fill the cup of my life, today only, with your love & devotion. I don't want to die, time & again in future, as I have done in the past. I know you shall come to my rescue & fill my Soul with your Love."

Lord Krishna tells His devotee through Bhagwat Gita:

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

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

"cetasa sarva-karmani
mayi sannyasya mat-parah
dhi-yogam upasritya
mac-cittah satatam bhava" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 57)

"Sri Krishna says: O Arjuna, In all activities just depend upon Me and work always under My protection. In such devotional service, be fully conscious of Me."

"mac-cittah sarva-durgani
mat-prasadat tarisyasi
atha cet tvam ahankaran
na srosyasi vinanksyasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 58)

"Sri Krishna says: O Arjuna, If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost."



So let's all be devotees of Lord Krishna & follow the teachings given by Him in Bhagwat Gita. By doing so God shall bestow His mercy & love upon us. Once we are under His divine mercy & love then all the ignorance shall flee away from our life. After that all the good luck, bliss & ecstasy shall come in our life.

Jai Sri Krishna

Know Your Powers

There is a very common story that once, a Lion's cub was raised among the lambs from the start of his birth. That Lion's cub when grew up, always thought himself to be a lamb only. Many times, that Lion was told about his true nature that he is the king among the animals but he always thought himself to be a lamb only. So, that Lion was an ignorant one, as he believed himself to be someone different than his true self.

In another story there was a tribal man who lived in a remote jungle area & was unaware of the modern day developments like Cars, Airplanes etc. He used to move around on his horse. One day someone gave him a modern day car having 150 horsepower (HP) engine. As he was unaware of, what was a car & how it moved, he put two horses ahead of the car & made them drive the car while he sat in the car. He was just unaware of what the car was & how powerful it was. He didn't knew that this car was having the power of 150 horses & can run at 5-10 times the speed of the horses. It was his ignorance only that he was unaware of the power of the car engine.

Similar to the above, is our situation that we are unable to see our true nature, that we are that infinite powerful soul. Potential & powers inside ourselves are infinite & if we tap those powers in our soul then we can do anything & achieve anything in our life. We all need to introspect & know that our true soul source is having infinite potential. Soul strength is the Inner Strength, Mental strength or Personal Strength which comes into action in our hard times to defeat all such negative symptoms of sadness, depression etc. in one's life. In hard times it helps in building our low esteem and loss of confidence. When we are passing through bad times, we have a feeling of self dejection & a feeling that we will not succeed in life, in all such times, our Soul Strength comes into play.

Inner Strength is basically an exploration to find our authentic self. Now how we can peep into & explore our original inner self? Here is a great book "Bhagwat Gita" which is a reservoir of all such questions. "Bhagwat Gita", time & again tells us that we have a Soul inside our human body & this Soul has infinite potential. As this Soul of ours is a spark of the Infinite all powerful, all pervasive Universal Soul, so it's powers are also limit less. This Soul present inside our human body, in fact gives strength to our mind to carry out all difficult tasks. Believing in oneself is nothing but believing in one's inner Soul. All fountains of knowledge & strength come out of this inner Soul only.

In Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 18, God himself tells that :

"jyotisam api taj jyotis
tamasah param ucyate
jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam
hridi sarvasya visthitam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, He is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is un-manifested. He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone’s heart."

So God is situated in everyone’s heart & gives strength, knowledge & guidance to every human being. So if we have faith in God, faith in our inner Soul then we shall get all the power & Inner Strength to get out of all our adversities.

So let's look inside ourselves so that we can come in touch with our real self (Soul) from where emerges all our Inner Strength. Be yourself & be proud of yourself, as your original self is part & parcel of the Universal Self (God) & with His grace you shall come out of all the adverse circumstances. So have devotion in God & it shall strengthen your mind to face all the challenges of Life.

Jai Sri Krishna

Above The Clouds Sun Is Always Shining

How often do you feel sad in life? How many times your mind gets depressed, dejected in life. We don't want to be sad in life but truth is that sadness is as much a part of our life as happiness is in our life. How good it would have been, if our mind always remains in a happy, joyful & elated state of mind. In times of difficulty, we feel, that there is darkness all around in our life but we generally forget that Sun always shines above the clouds. Clouds in our life can darken the horizon of the sky sometimes but not always. Let's always have hope in our life that everything shall happen good in life ultimately.

Here below is philosophy of "Bhagwat Gita" which states that, whatever, happens in our life, always happens for the Good only. Before that let's see a beautiful story below:

"In old times there was a farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit him. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.

“All happens for the Good only,” the farmer replied. On hearing this his neighbors were surprised.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.

“All happens for the Good only,” replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

“All happens for the Good only,” answered the farmer. On hearing this his neighbors were again surprised.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

“All happens for the Good only,” said the farmer."

As per the "Gita Saar" which is the brief essence of the Philosophy of "Bhagwat Gita". It is said that:

"Whatever happened in the past, it happened for the good; Whatever is happening, is happening for the good; Whatever shall happen in the future, shall happen for the good only. Do not weep for the past, do not worry for the future, concentrate on your present life."

"जो हुआ अच्छा हुआ, जो हो रहा है अच्छा हो रहा है, जो होगा अच्छा होगा। जो बीत गया उस के लिए मत रोवो, जो आने वाला है उस की चिंता मत करो, अपने वर्तमान में धयान लगाओ"

We should have faith in ourselves & think that our soul is a spark of the Infinite, all powerful, all pervasive Universal Soul, so it's powers are also limit less. Just have positive traits in your life & you shall feel happy. Have a nature of Forgiveness & it shall remove unnecessary tensions in your life. Showing Gratitude towards others is also a positive aspect in life, which makes one humble & creates an environment of peace & harmony in one's life. So considering this we should have a positive attitude in our life. We should look positive in our times of adversity. We should have faith in God & we should always think that "Sun always shines above the clouds.

Jai Shri Krishna

What is the Proof that Soul Exists?

Soul, Spirit, Atman, Self etc. are words which are used to define subtle nature of ourselves which is invisible & mysterious. But if you say that Give me a proof for the existence of this Soul, how can it be given? Here below is how we can understand this invisible & mysterious Soul.

We in our daily life generally say that, "My Body", "My Mind", "My Senses or Indriyas", "My Pranas", etc. When you address these things as "My" that clearly means that your true Self, the Soul or Atman is entirely different from the Body, the Mind, the Prana and the Senses. The Body & Mind are your servants or instruments. They are as much outside of your true Self, Soul as these outside things as your home, car, bed etc. You are holding this body just as you are holding a long walking stick in your hand. Your true Self, the Soul is the possessor or proprietor of this body. The body is your property or possession. The body, the senses, the mind, etc. are not the Soul, Self or Atman, but belong to it.

Soul is something which is within this body & something which can exist without this body. When soul lives in this physical body then it enjoys the different sensory objects through this body. Soul is indestructible & immortal. It moves from one body to the other. As we are not able to see this Soul due to it's subtle nature so it looks mysterious to us.

Now let's understand about the Soul through the Bhagwat Gita. As per Bhagwat Gita both God (Super soul) and the Individual Souls do exist & It also believes in the incarnation of the individual souls, their delusion and bondage to the cycle of births and deaths because of desire ridden actions. As per this, Soul at death gets released from this body, rises to the higher worlds (heaven etc.) or to the lower wombs (animals, birds etc.) & reincarnates or return to the earth to continue its cycle of births and deaths.

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is indestructible and eternal (Chapter 2.18).

"antavanta ime deha
nityasyoktah saririnah
anasino ’prameyasya
tasmad yudhyasva bharata" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: All these bodies pertaining to the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity / soul are spoken of as perishable; therefore, fight, Arjuna."
According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, neither slays not can it be slain (Chapter 2.19).

"ya enam vetti hantaram
yas chainam manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijanito
nayam hanti na hanyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 19)

"Sri Krishna said: They are both ignorant, he who knows the soul to be capable of killing and he who takes it as killed; for verily the soul neither kills, nor is killed."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is never born, never dies and after coming into existence never ceases to be. It is nitya (always), shasvatah (permanent) and purana (very ancient) (Chapter 2.20).

"na jayate mriyate va kadacin
nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato ’yam purano
na hanyate hanyamane sarire" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: The soul is never born nor dies at any time. Soul has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. Soul is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. Soul is not slain when the body is slain."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, does not suffer & cannot be tainted. At the time of death it does not die, but leaves the body and enters into a new one (Chapter 2.22).

"vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
navani grhnati naro ’parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
anyani samyati navani dehi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said: As a human being puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman has the properties that Weapons cannot pierce it, fire cannot burn it, water cannot moisten it and wind cannot dry it (Chapter 2.23).

"nainam chindanti shastrani
nainam dahati pavakah
na chainam kledayanty apo
na sosayati marutah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 23)

"Sri Krishna said: The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is impenetrable, incombustible, all pervading, stable and immobile (Chapter 2.24).

"acchedyo ’yam adahyo ’yam
akledyo ’sosya eva cha
nityah sarva-gatah sthanur
achalo ’yam sanatanah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 24)

"Sri Krishna said: This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is invisible, imperceptible and immutable (Chapter 2.25).

"avyakto ’yam acintyo ’yam
avikaryo ’yam ucyate
tasmad evam viditvainam
nanusocitum arhasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 25)

"Sri Krishna said: It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body."
Lord Krishna knew the limitations of human consciousness to gauge the true nature of the inner soul. So in the Bhagwat Gita it concurs that no one can exactly know what a soul is. Someone looks at It with great surprise, another speaks about It with great surprise, some another hears about It with incredulity and yet another after hearing about It knows it not (Chapter 2.29).

"ascharya-vat pasyati kascid enam
ascharya-vad vadati tathaiva chanyah
ascharya-vac chainam anyah srnoti
srutvapy enam veda na chaiva kascit" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 29)

"Sri Krishna said: Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all."

So in this way Soul is a Mysterious thing & can be understood if you have faith in God & in religious scriptures.

Jai Shri Krishna