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Meditations on Maturity

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Meditations on Maturity. Based on the teachings of. Founder Acharya:. His Divine Grace. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Image of Krishna. Animals not made in Krishna’s image Tailored shirt Human form unique Become Godly, not God - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Page 1: Meditations on Maturity
Page 2: Meditations on Maturity
Page 3: Meditations on Maturity

• Animals not made in

Krishna’s image

• Tailored shirt

• Human form unique

• Become Godly, not God

• Prabhupada reminds

us of our original nature

Page 4: Meditations on Maturity

Anna moya - food

Prana moya - life forms

Jnana moya - thinking, feeling

Vijnana moya - brahman

Ananda moya - bliss

Page 5: Meditations on Maturity

Hogs & DogsEvery living being is searching after happiness, but no one knows where eternal and unlimited happiness is obtainable. Foolish men seek after material sense pleasure as a substitute for real happiness, but forget that such happiness derived from sense pleasures is also enjoyed by the dogs and hogs. The human form of life, however, is not meant for such cheap happiness.. SB 1/3/13

Page 6: Meditations on Maturity

kaumara acaret prajnodharman bhagavatan iha

durlabhah manusya janmatad apy adhruvam arthadam

“One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very

beginning of life to practice devotional service. The human body is most rarely

achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can

give one complete perfection.SB 7/6/1

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Page 8: Meditations on Maturity

Maharaj KulashekharMaharaj Kulashekhar

"My dear Lord, just now I am quite healthy, and it is better that I die immediately so that the swan of my mind can seek pleasure at the stem of Your Lotus Feet."

Page 9: Meditations on Maturity

“One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego & equal both in happiness & distress, who is always satisfied & engaged in devotional service with determination, & whose mind & intelligence are in agreement with Me, he is very dear to Me.”

Gita 12/13

“One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego & equal both in happiness & distress, who is always satisfied & engaged in devotional service with determination, & whose mind & intelligence are in agreement with Me, he is very dear to Me.”

Gita 12/13

Page 10: Meditations on Maturity

Krishna wants you to be

mature in character.

Krishna is loving, Krishna

is fair, Krishna is truthful,

Krishna is kind, Krishna

is sensitive, Krishna is

always just and He wants

to make you like Himself

in those characteristics.

Page 11: Meditations on Maturity

26 Characteristics of a Pure Devotee

(1) He is very kind to everyone. (2) He does not make anyone his enemy. (3) He is truthful. (4) He is equal to everyone. (5) No one can find any fault in him. (6) He is magnanimous. (7) He is mild. (8) He is always clean. (9) He is without possessions. (10) He works for everyone's benefit. (11) He is very peaceful. (12) He is always surrendered to Krsna. (13) He has no material desires. (14) He is very meek. (15) He is steady. (16) He controls his senses. (17) He does not eat more than required. (18) He is not influenced by the Lord's illusory energy. (19) He offers respect to everyone. (20) He does not desire any respect for himself. (21) He is very grave. (22) He is merciful. (23) He is friendly. (24) He is poetic. (25) He is expert. (26) He is silent.

Page 12: Meditations on Maturity

In every In every movement movement Prabhupada made, Prabhupada made, I could never find I could never find any mistake. So any mistake. So when you find when you find such a person such a person how can you let how can you let them go? them go? Especially when Especially when Prabhupada says, Prabhupada says, “You can become “You can become like me also.”like me also.”ShyamasundarShyamasundar

In every In every movement movement Prabhupada made, Prabhupada made, I could never find I could never find any mistake. So any mistake. So when you find when you find such a person such a person how can you let how can you let them go? them go? Especially when Especially when Prabhupada says, Prabhupada says, “You can become “You can become like me also.”like me also.”ShyamasundarShyamasundar

Page 13: Meditations on Maturity

“Srila Prabhupada gave us spiritual life. He didn’t come to exploit, but he

genuinely cared & was concerned for everyone who came to him. We definitely felt that. Never before, from anyone else in our lives, not even our parents, had we felt the love & care that Prabhupada felt for us. Krishna consciousness was a process of falling in love with Srila Prabhupada. We were responding to the warm, deep, great love that he offered us.”

Malati

Page 14: Meditations on Maturity

"One should know the acarya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is My representative." (S.B. 11.17.27)

Page 15: Meditations on Maturity

If you became more like Prabhupada in the way that you think, in the way you react, in the way you respond to problems and stress, in the way you talk, do you think maybe your problems might be fewer? Do you think your stress level would be lessened? Yes.

Because that’s life as it was meant to be lived.

Page 16: Meditations on Maturity

“One who works in devotion, who is a pure

soul, & who controls his mind & senses, is

dear to everyone, & everyone is dear to him.

Though always working, such a man is never

entangled.” Gita 5/7

Page 17: Meditations on Maturity

When you understand this third purpose of Krishna, that He wants to make you godly before you go into eternity, then life takes on a whole new meaning and you look at every circumstance with new eyes.

Jeweler works on stone

Page 18: Meditations on Maturity

There is no situation in life that you can’t learn from if you’ll just learn to say, ‘How

can I become more like Prabhupada through this?’

Page 19: Meditations on Maturity
Page 20: Meditations on Maturity
Page 21: Meditations on Maturity

Prakasanand Saraswati

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Srnvatam sva katha Krishnam

Punya sravanam kirtanam

Hrdantas tu hi abhadrani

Vidhunoti shrt satam. SB 1/2/17

Page 24: Meditations on Maturity

“When one is enlightened with the knowledge by which nescience is destroyed, this knowledge reveals everything, as the sun lights up everything in the daytime.” Gita 5/16

Page 25: Meditations on Maturity

Devotional service is like a seed sown in the heart of a living entity. If he goes on hearing and chanting: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, that seed fructifies, just as the seed of a tree fructifies with regular watering.

Page 26: Meditations on Maturity

The spiritual plant of devotional service gradually grows and grows until it penetrates the covering of the material universe and enters into the brahmajyoti effulgence in the spiritual sky. In the spiritual sky that plant grows more and more until it reaches the highest planet, which is called Goloka Vrndavana, the supreme planet of Krishna.

Page 27: Meditations on Maturity

Krishna’s going to have to teach you patience. Krishna’s going to have to teach you to be unselfish. Krishna’s going to have to teach you all kinds of character qualities that often are learned during problems, during pain, during difficult times, things that would normally discourage you or depress you. Krishna is working on you to grow your character and make you like Himself. That’s why Krishna came to show us what He’s like and that’s why Krishna allows problems in your life, to make you godly.

Page 28: Meditations on Maturity

“Srila Prabhupada, I am chanting. I am following the program. I keep wondering. Is it possible I will ever be a pure devotee, like you?”

“Why not? You are in the process….”

Then he looked at me with a glimmer in his eye. “But it may take some time.”

Page 29: Meditations on Maturity

“Those who are on

this path are resolute

in purpose, and their

aim is one. O beloved

child of the Kurus,

the intelligence of the

irresolute is many

branched.” Gita 2/41

Page 30: Meditations on Maturity

“I did not want to take sannyas, because it is a very difficult position. But I received that letter from my Godbrother, & around the same time my guru appeared to me three times in dreams. Each time he walked away from me, turned around, and beckoned me to follow. In this way, my Guru Maharaj pulled me out of this material world.”

Page 31: Meditations on Maturity

“The consciousness of a pure devotee is very deep. It is like the ocean. Near the surface there may be many waves, but as you go down into the ocean, you will find that it is still.”“Is is like that even at death?’“Yes.”

Page 32: Meditations on Maturity

A Psalm of LifeTell me not, in mournful numbers,Life is but an empty dream ! —For the soul is dead that slumbers,And things are not what they seem.

Life is real ! Life is earnest!And the grave is not its goal ;Dust thou art, to dust returnest,Was not spoken of the soul.

Page 33: Meditations on Maturity

H. W. Longfellow 1838

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time ;

Footprints, that perhaps another,

Sailing o'er life's solemn main,

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

Seeing, shall take heart again.

Page 34: Meditations on Maturity

Song of Surrender

He reasons ill who tells that Vaishnavas die

When thou art living still in sound.

The Vaishnavas die to live and living try

To spread a holy life around!

Now let the candid man that seeks to live

Follow thy way on shores of time.

Page 35: Meditations on Maturity

Bhaktivinode Thakur 1871

Man! Man! Thou art immortal soul! Thee Death can never melt.For thee thy Sire on High has keptA store of bliss above,To end of time, thou art His-Who wants but purest love.

Page 36: Meditations on Maturity

I don't know what you're going through right now but I do know how Krishna wants you to respond. He wants you to respond the way Prabhupada did, with patience, perseverance, & determination. Life makes so much more sense when we realize it's not about what we’re doing but what we are becoming. It's not about our comfort. But it's all about our character and becoming like Prabhupada. Help us to use life for the reasons that Krishna gave it to us.

Page 37: Meditations on Maturity

Dear Krishna, I don't want to stay stuck in spiritual immaturity. I want to grow up. I want to become what You made me to be. I want to become more like Prabhupada in the way that I think and act and feel. If that means taking me through troubled time, so be it. I say to You, Krishna, Your will be done in my life. I'm going to trust You.

Page 38: Meditations on Maturity

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