Bliss!!! “A transcendental relationship with the Lord is the source of unlimited bliss. Were it not so, those those who are already on the liberated platform would not have been attracted by the transcendental bliss of the pastimes of the Lord."

SB Intro

“As such, there is an unlimited flow of everlasting happiness, without the fear of its being broken as we have experienced here in the material world. There is no grief and no fear.” SB 2/7/47

The Positive Alternative

Too often we take relationships for granted as if they’re something we have to squeeze into our schedule.

No, they are not. Relationships are what life is all about. Life is not about acquisition. You’re going to lose it all when you die. It’s not about achievement. It’s about relationships. And Krishna wants you to have them with other devotionally minded people.

Nothing can take the place of relationships. Fame can’t. Wealth can’t. Success can’t. Prestige can’t. Try being the wealthiest person in the world and having no friends. See how much you like that. Try being at the top of your career, have everyone hate you. See how much fulfillment you get out of that.

One day all of your press

clippings will yellow and

fade away. One day all

of your achievements will

be forgotten. One day

all your trophies are going to be trashed. What’s going to last are relationships.

“The news is yellowing in the rainIn the meadow it lies with all the words plainRead by the ants and the stars bright eyes The news is yellowing in the rain.”Oscar Williams

When there’s a funeral, we get focused on what matters most and we think, ‘I should have spent more time with them. I wish I had said this. I wish I had told them that.’

If the conditioned soul sees his life pass before him at death, it is usually with regret.

O Lord of the three worlds, we are drowning in the vast ocean of samsara, which is filled with the waters of material hankering, with many waves of illusion whipped up by the winds of lust, with whirlpools of wives, and with vast schools of sharks and other sea monsters who are our sons and brothers. O giver of all benedictions, please grant me a place on the boat of devotion that is Your lotus feet.King Kulashekhar

If you don’t do the very things you were created for why should God give you another day. Why should He give you another 24-hours if you’re going to keep wasting them the way we usually do.

As in the paddy field the unnecessary plants are taken out, so it is expected the unwanted plants like Drtarastra's son Duryodhana and others would be wiped out. This is the significance of the words dharma-kurukshetra and kuru-kshetra. BG 1/1

DhrtrarastraWhen he begins to realize that there is great danger in the way he is leading his life, enjoying a false sense of security within his orbit of friends and relatives, then he must by all means try to change the situation by taking up devotional service to the Lord. If he is fortunate he can convince his friends and relatives to also change and lead a life dedicated to God consciousness. But if he cannot change them, then he should at least save himself.

Prahlad & Hiranya Kashipu

tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinhsada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat

hitvatma-pata grham andha-kupamvanan gato yad dharim ashrayeta

"O best of the asuras, king of the demons, as far as I have learned from my spiritual master, any

person who has accepted a temporary body and temporary household life is certainly embarrassed by anxiety because of having fallen into a dark well

where there is no water but only suffering. One should give up this position and go to the forest.

More clearly, one should go to Vrndavana, where only Krishna consciousness is prevalent, and

should thus take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead" (SB 7.5.5).

aho mahiyasi jantor

jivitasyä yatha bhavan

bhimapavarjitam pindam

adatte grha-palavat

“Alas, how powerful are

the hopes of a living

being to continue his

life. Verily, you are

living just like a household dog and are eating remnants of food given by Bhima.”

Vidura - Yamarajandhah puraiva vadhiromanda-prana ca sampratamvisirna-danto mandagnihsaragah kapham udvahanYou have been blind from your very birth, and recently you have become hard of hearing. Your memory is shortened, and your intelligence is disturbed. Your teeth are loose, your liver is defective, and you are coughing up mucus.

“Saints and sages like Vidura approach such foolish men to awaken them to the real situation, but they take such sadhus and saints as parasites of society, and almost all of them refuse to hear the words of such sadhus and saints, although they welcome show-bottle sadhus and so-called saints who can satisfy their senses.”

Maharaja Dhrtarastra was placed in that position according to his past deeds; he had already suffered or enjoyed the benefits accrued to him in the past, but due to his good luck, somehow or other he had a good younger brother, Vidura, and by his instruction he left to achieve salvation by closing all accounts in the material world.

sadhu-sanga, ‘sadhu-sanga’,

sarva-sastra kaya

lava-matra sadhu-sanga

sarva-siddhi haya

“The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.

The power of thought should be developed in association with persons who are authorities in the scriptures, saintly persons and spiritual masters and those whose thinking is highly developed. Sukham, pleasure or happiness, should always be in that which is favorable for the cultivation of the spiritual knowledge of Krishnaconsciousness. BG 10/4

"One can execute the process of bhakti-yoga successfully with full-hearted enthusiasm, perseverance, and determination, by following the prescribed duties in the association of devotees and by engaging completely in activities of goodness." (Upadeshmrta 3)

This is the mentality of a pure devotee, who does not want anything, material or spiritual, from the Personality of Godhead. Our Krishna consciousness movement is therefore called krishna-bhavanamrta-sangha, the association of persons who are simply satisfied in thoughts of Krishna. Being absorbed in thoughts of Krishna is neither expensive nor troublesome. One who is absorbed in krishna-bhavanamrta-sangha a has no material benefits to ask from Krishna. Instead, such a person prays to the Lord for the benediction of being able to spread His glories all over the world. 9/9/45

"If, by good fortune, a living entity develops faith in Krishna he begins to associate with devotees. Inspired by devotee association he begins the process of devotional service by hearing and chanting which cleanses his heart of all unwanted contamination.

O tongue, please constantly chant the mantra composed of Sri Krishna’s names. This is the only mantra for destroying all enemies, the mantra worshiped by every word of the Upanishads, the mantra that uproots samsara, the mantra that drives away all the darkness of ignorance, the mantra for attaining infinite opulence, the mantra for curing those bitten by the poisonous snake of worldly distress, and the mantra for making one's birth in this world successful. Kulashekhar Maharaj

“Transcendental devotional service cannot be complete and cannot be relishable without the association of devotees. We have therefore established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Anyone who is trying to be aloof from this Krishna Consciousness Society and yet engage in Krishna consciousness is living in a great hallucination, for this is not possible. It is clear that unless one is associated with devotees, his devotional service does not mature; it does not become distinct from material activities.” Prabhupada 

“Transcendental devotional service cannot be complete and cannot be relishable without the association of devotees. We have therefore established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Anyone who is trying to be aloof from this Krishna Consciousness Society and yet engage in Krishna consciousness is living in a great hallucination, for this is not possible. It is clear that unless one is associated with devotees, his devotional service does not mature; it does not become distinct from material activities.” Prabhupada