As you know, I am developing an online course on vows. It is turning out to be much more purifying than I had ever anticipated. It has not only helped me increase my commitment to Krsna consciousness, but has helped me increase my commitment in other areas of my life. Because I am finding this […]
Exploring Your Word of Honor Being Committed in a Non-Committal World Imagine this scene. After millions of lifetimes you finally make it back to the spiritual world. As you approach the gates of Goloka you are asked to wait because Krsna wants to personally greet you. You are getting more excited at every moment. You can […]
In the last issue we spoke about our need for recognition. In this issue I want to focus more specifically on how this hurts our relationship with Krsna – and how to deal with it. There is something else that ties into this. Often devotees say that when I become Krsna conscious all good qualities […]
Proudly Bowing Down To Maya Do I Want To Be Humble?] One of the great agonies of Krsna consciousness – or life in general for that matter – is that we can’t fully understand something without living it deeply. For years I desired to better understand humility. I studied it, analyzed it, discussed it, observed […]
There is something that often disturbs me: the lack of congruity between the teachings of Krsna and the lives of His devotees. The current of this world naturally flows away from Krsna and one of maya’s great tricks is to allow us to engage in bhakti while keeping us well charmed by her illusions – […]
Since the new year is around the corner, it’s natural to talk about new year’s resolutions. You might be thinking about doing something you’ve put off or making some changes for the new year. You might even be making the same resolutions you made last year at this time. Or maybe you just don’t make […]
If I wrote a newsletter telling you how to double your money in ten days, would you be interested? Well if I knew how I’d tell you. But I don’t, so sorry. But I can tell you something better. I can tell you how to double your blessings in ten days. Are you as interested? […]
During Christmas, ISKCON temples around the world focus on book distribution. During the holidays people are out shopping in large numbers and are in a generous mood. So this time of year is the optimum time to distribute books. Maybe you are indirectly or directly involved with book distribution this year. If you are, I […]
In past newsletters I have spoken a lot about goals. In this newsletter we look at one important reason you and I may not achieve all our goals – or even attempt them in the first place. Sometimes when a goal is very large or appears difficult or impossible to achieve, our minds shut down […]
In a past issue we spoke about obstacles to bhakti. One obstacle we didn’t mention was the path of bhakti itself. Yes, the very practice of sadhana can become an obstacle to spiritual advancement. As I explained in the newsletter entitled Putting An End to Courtesy Japa, japa done without attraction, taste or feeling often […]
Whenever we try to achieve something great, there will be obstacles and tests on our path. Devotional service is no exception. We all get tested, and as we all know, maya hits us where we are the weakest. So what do we do, lay down and roll over? You might feel like it sometimes. In […]
This newsletter is about japa. What kind of japa? Japa that’s mindless, heartless and robotic. Japa that ends up being more of a ritual, a chore to get over with, rather than an act of loving devotion. You know what I am talking about. We’ve all been there, done that. And it’s time to move […]
I have written something short, but I think you will find this newsletter extremely useful. It is one simple exercise that can dramatically help your spiritual life. Take this exercise seriously and you will reap great rewards. Make sure to write down your answers instead of just answering them in your mind. May you always […]
I have written several articles on vows and feel that any discussion on vows wouldn’t be complete without addressing sexual restraint. Plus, men often ask me how to control sexual desire and I felt that to do justice to this question I would need to write an article. So that’s the topic of this newsletter. […]
About two years ago I began to deeply ponder the reasons that I and other devotees don’t always kept the vows and promises we make. I also pondered how we are being negatively affected, even unconsciously, when we make spiritual promises we don’t keep. This newsletter is a reflection of my thoughts, and what Srila […]
In this issue we discuss one of the offences to the holy name: to maintain material attachments. Detachment follows bhakti. To maintain an attachment is to hold onto it while it is naturally being pulled away from us by the process of bhakti. We’ll look at why and how this happens. May you always think […]
From the beginning of Prabhupada’s preaching in New York, he spoke about the development of an international society. But his band of new followers couldn’t imagine Krsna consciousness going beyond the walls of the little storefront on 26 Second Avenue. Fortunately Prabhupada had deep faith in Lord Caitanya’s prediction and the instructions of his Guru […]
Recently I was at a program in Tennessee in which a devotee said that environment is more powerful than willpower. He later told me how he felt his environment at work was not at all conducive for being Krsna conscious. He felt he could be Krsna conscious at home, but not at work. After speaking […]
I received some feedback from a godbrother of mine about the last Illuminations newsletter on fault finding. This resulted in an exchange of several emails between us. Since our conversation went more deeply into the subject, I decided to share it with you because I thought you would find it enlightening. So this newsletter is […]
Aversion to fault finding is described in the Gita as one of the transcendental qualities of men endowed with the divine nature. In this issue we look at some of the instructions of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, on faultfinding. Hopefully this will give you greater insight into why you may fault […]