Diversity a necessity for growth- Part 2

There is not only our own egos that create conflict, but there is all kinds of egos around us that can incite division. sometimes brother's wives do not like the husband's brother and they can easily get affected. People have very very sectarian egoistic views and they very much influence the way we think. Not only do we have the mind that is affected by the bad dog of egoism, lust, anger, envy, greed and illusion , but there are so many factors around us inciting us and creating divisions.

For Bharat it was his own mother- but she wanted Ram to be in the forest and Bharat to be the king.Everyone was trying to convince Rama to go back but his love for his brother was so deep that nothing could budge him. Higher principle.
Bharat at every single kingdom was ruling the kingdom from his little straw hut- sometimes just drinking cow urine as he did not want to enjoy what was meant for Rama, he did it all as an expression of Ram to serve and maintained Ayodhya in the most wonderful way for the pleasure of Rama.

Finding Real happiness
A little later in the story- Ravana- he was just thinking about me- did not know anything about love.Anything wrong he wanted to do he could justify it through scripture. He wanted Sita Rama's wife to enjoy for Himself. He stole Sita away. His entire city was made of solid gold.Still was not enough for Him- he was the wealthiest man on earth.He had so many ladies to enjoy- but he wanted Sita. SB tells this about Hiranyakasipu- he had conquered the entire universe but he could not find a moment of real happiness   because he had not been able to control his own mind and senses. The more you have the more you need. If you are not finding happiness within yourself you cannot find it anywhere.No matter what you have , what you cna achieve, what you can do. Love is about finding the wealth within ourselves and using our abilities to express that love. When we don't find that within, we are trying to fill that vacuum with stuff from outside- power, money, fame, incredible skills. All that stuff can't go beyond that sharp pointed dot on that infinite line. It can hardly be sustainable within that dot on that infinite line. Sita could have been the princess above all others but all she wanted was Rama. Hanumana was a brahmacari all he wanted was to serve. The dynamics of Hanuman's consciousness - lets try to analyze it very briefly- give every drop of his energy just to bring Sita back to Rama. As a Brahmacari he did not have any possessions- his only aspiration was to see Rama and Sita happy together- that is seva- unconditional love. That love wasn't just sitting peacefully in a shanti stage.- jumped across the ocean..

For a devotee who has discovered that transcendental love within herself and himself  , honor and dishonor really does not make much difference. It only really affects us- when our level of satisfaction or fulfilment is on such a superficial shallow level.Just like in a river, if you are on the surface of the river all the waves,  the rains and winds affect you, but if you are deep in the current of the river you do not even notice the rains or the winds.So we are only affected by the transformations in this world because we are so shallow in our realizations of life, who we are, who is God and what is real happiness. It doesn't matter how much knowledge we have in our brains,money, skills, power, followers- none of that bring us any deeper. You can have or not have it, but Hanuman was satisfied within. He stood fearlessly in front of Ravana and told him-  Ravana you are a coward.

This is how love transcends the dualities of nature- pleasure, pain, honor, dishonor(example of Hanuman's tail being lighted and him still being very happy)

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Ravana started the fire with enmity to another- that fire came to burn his own wealth. When we try to hurt others- when we have envy, enmity, hate towards another. Then like the tail of Hanuman the fire of that negative quality of going to burn us from within and karmically it is going to burn us from without. Very good message. He started the fire himself that will destroy his kingdom. That is the nature of envy.

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Real Wealth
He went to meet Ram in the cave in Kishikindha ksetra. Rama came out of the cave to meet Hanuman- he told the whole story Sita's message to Him and the extra services he did. Greatest treasure is the treasure of love and that love is expressed through service. Rama said I have nothing to give you as a reward ... all I have is my embrace , woith deep satisfaction and infinite transcendental love Rama embraced Hanuman- that was the only thing that Hanuman could want..


If you want to know how rich you are- find out how many things you have that money cannot buy. The things that money can buy is not wealth. Real wealth is the inner treasure- things that money cannot buy. Love, Grace when we have those things then we have true wealth. Then we can billionaires or monks living within a cave. Doesnt matter that wealth is there within the hearts of all of us. Then whatever position we are in - we can use it.

Eventually there was a great battle  as hanuman predicted Ravana and his entire dynasty was destroyed and his brother Vibhisihna was made the king- Rama , hanuman and Vibhishana did not want it- but Rama wanted vibhishana to do it as a service to him.

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Diversity necessity for growth - Part 1

From the lecture:

2013-04-28 Various - Sunday Feast Lecture - Radhanath Swami ISKCON Chicago

Love by seeing the unity in the diversity
Diversity creates beauty. When we do not understand the inherent unity then there is egoism , envy, fear , hatred, war, terrorism, marital disasters, disasters between brothers and sisters. Living in a house a husband, wife or in a temple ashrama- we all have different natures. The ego wants everyone to be like me, the way I think is how they should think, and they think , that the way they think is the way I should think, then there is conflict. Harmonizing means to honor and respect the differences we have for the higher principles which is - the material nature is very difficult to overcome but when we take shelter of the Lord we can cross beyond it- that means taking shelter of the Higher principles. Ralph Waldo emerson wrote- " Diveristy is creating so much division on every level of humanity. And in so many cases it creates situations that leave us in ruins. The reason is we have become disconnected from our own self.Thats where it begins.

 The concept of Yoga is to reunite. On a broader level to reunite everyone as brothers and sisters.

mamivamso jiva loke -In Bhakti we understand every living being is a part of God, is Krsna in a little infinitesimal part. But Krishna is the original source and when we learn to love the original source then we learn to love the original source we see Krishna in every part- even if that part maybe covered by all sorts of egoism still within that part there is Krishna. See that spiritual essence in others unless we realize how we are a part of Krishna. Bhakti is the path of realizing that through love. Our reln with Krsna is jivera swarupa hoye- eternal servant of the Lord. What does servant mean- service is the highest possible realization- nitya siddha - prem divine love unconditional love for Krishna is dormant within the heart of everyone. We have simply forgotten- when that love is awakened then its is expressed through trying to please Krishna- in this world when we love somebody we want to please them give them happiness. Mother does so many sacrifices to give happiness to the child... when we realize the glory of seva, unconditional service as an expression of our love and also by the means we awaken that love , then we naturally extend that same realization for every living being for every living being is a part of Krishna. BVT wrote that anyone can say they love God- in every religion there are certain sectors that say they have the monopoly over God. The test that one has love for God- is we have genuine compassion for all living beings-you cannot have love without that  else its a mental conception not a reality. so when we have this love its the thread the harmonizes all the apparent dualities of the world- happiness distress, honor dishonor-


Apparent conflicts are actually gifts
 If we see this little lifetime is a single little pencil dot on a long line drawn by the pencil.Try to imagine like this, there is a pencil line that goes to infinity and its a really sharp pointed pencil and you put one dot on it- that is what our lifetime is. If we see reality from that perspective, just that one little dot- but why is this happening, how- we become confused about this situation- why? The fact is it is just one dot on an infinite line- but we see it as all in all and see it according to the immediate experience we are having. But we see success and failure opens special doors to self improvement on one level and to self realization on  a higher level.

If you just always succeeded life would be very boring- even if you dont like to fail, it enhances the quality of life. Only pleasure we will stop appreciating the pleasure. In SW you dont need that because there is ananda.

When we see from this perspective- then all the dualities even then variations and diversities in our relationships- when two people do not get along because they have their issues and it is very hard to forgive each other. To keep the relationship together not just on a cease fire level but on a reln of affection and respect- we have to focus on something higher. When these apparent conflicts come - they are teachings us you cannot survive unless you grow and the fact is unless these situations come we will remain complacent and never grow.Most of us are complacent in our chanting reading- nobody liked the fact we could die in a few minutes but on the flight with the emergency I was not complacent.

Crises between people, in our worldly situation are actually gifts teaching us or inviting us into a higher realm-. SP said show your love for me by how you cooperate. But there are so many reasons why we don't cooperate. Problem for me- No every devotee was not  born in Chicago- everyone else has weird conceptions. People from Europe Africa- have different upbringing, conditions how are we going to cooperate. At the same time- any temple situation only so many posts that can be filled- people want same posts, same facilities- how do we deal with that. SP said you can show your love by how you can cooperate.The dynamics of potential conflicts due to all these difference are an opportunity and believe it or not they are a necessity to spiritually grow.

Diversity creates an urgency to go deeper
Unless it is right in our face, then we are not going to take seriously what we have to do to make it work- the only way we can make it work and every single person has to take this responsibility. The way we make it work is not by changing everyone else but it has to begin by changing ourselves and unless we change ourself, we cant productively expect to change anyone else. St Francis instructed his followers, you should always preach and when necessary we should say something.That means Our character, our example is actually going to make the change., Unless our words or based on the foundation of our character they may impress people's minds but they will not change their hearts.What comes from the heart can actually touch another heart.

These diversities actually create an urgency to go deeper, to go higher in our sadhana in our values, in our character and ultimately to really take shelter. As we see in this verse- daivi hyesha gunamayi- we cannot do it ourselves- the diversities  the dualities, so much conflict are beyon our ability to transcend- but when we are put in those situations we realize that we have to genuinesly truly take shelter. When we take shelter through the proper motivations proper guidance- we invite grace that brings us into a realm of consciosuness that is beyond the dualities where all the diverities can be expoerienced as gifts from God- All the doveristies are actually there to bring our love for Krishna, love for each other and love for everyone else to a higher conception.

Wanting service and not position
Ram navami- the appearance of Ram- one little part from Ramayana - a heart breaking experience.

If Rama becomes the Prince regent , then Kausalya will become the favorite queen becase she is Rama's mother and if Kaikeyi's is neglected then where am I- I become nothing, I become irrelevant. So she had fear. Manthra was so insecure because of her deformity she as always suspicious and always afraid , the power of her envy convinced Kaikeyi to create a whole scheme where Rama would be exiled to the forest for 14 years and Bharat would be the king..........Lord Rama was demonstrating ideal relationships- relns with father, mothers brothers, animals, demons- showing the highest integrity- Neither Rama, Bharat wanted the position  There was a long debate- arguing like anything- but it is an argument of love- each was the total well wisher of the other. Rama said Bharat should be king and bharat said Rama should be.

Ultimately Rama said- this is how you can please me- You go back and become king..........