I've had the good fortune to hear many lectures by Hridayananda starting in the summer of 1973. I first saw him in the Krsna Temple in Brooklyn, N.Y. ... he spoke deeper [and wider] than any other speaker. I can see his devotional and intellectual growth certainly reflect the spiritual qualities of eternity, bliss and knowledge ! Jai!
Hi , iam happy that an American talking about lord Krishna but honestly iam against religious conversions because in every religion including in india people faced some problems because of religion. I love sree krishna no doubt about it but personally against conversions whether from Christian to hindu or vice versa because we are what we are. God has a plan that's why he gave birth to us related to a specific religion. We don't have to get converted because God is omniscient whether he is jesus, krishna, allah or Rama. Thanks.
🐟 16. YOGA/RELIGION: According to some sources, YOGA (authentic religion) was introduced to human society approximately seventeen thousand years ago, via the Ādiyogī (first religionist), Mahādeva Śiva, in His form known as Dakṣiṇāmūrti, in the subcontinent named Bhārata (India). Lord Shiva is universality recognized to be the first Avatar, that is, the first person to be born without sin (in other words, a pure embodiment of the Divine; enlightened from birth). Other sources claim that RELIGION began when Lord Brahmā spoke the four ”Vedas” (books of knowledge) in ancient Sanskrit, the essential teachings of which are non-dual, that is to say, describe everything in existence having the same ground of being. In other words, “All is One” without a second. ‘Sarvam khalvidam brahma’ (Chandogya Upanishad 3.14) teaches that ‘All this is indeed Brahman’ (“Brahman” referring to the TOTALITY of existence/non-existence). Since then, systems of religion have evolved or have been revealed on the continent of ASIA. Supernatural mythologies and superstitions developed in other locations, most of which featured animistic narratives and primitive rituals, but not on the same level of the monotheistic and monistic religions of Middle East Asia, Bhārata and China. The word "RELIGION" originates from the Latin verb "religare", meaning "to join or unite". It is the precise equivalent of the Sanskrit "yoga", from the verbal root "yuj". Thus, religion/yoga means to unite with the Supreme, or the understanding and realization that there is nothing but the Supreme (Spirit). Perhaps the best definition of yoga is "the UNION of the relative and absolute", meaning one who has fully realized himself to be "Brahman", but knows precisely how to integrate that understanding within temporal existence. Union with the Divine has no circumstantial prerequisites. It is NOT necessary to do anything to wake-up from this cosmic illusion and to become self-realized (to make real the true self). Spiritual awakening occurs according to the preordained “Story of Life”, although most (but not all) persons who experience awakening, liberation and enlightenment do so after practicing some form of religion/yoga, just as most persons (but not all) who become wealthy perform wealth-creation activities such as operating a business enterprise or composing a popular song. The REAL purpose of religion/yoga is to improve the human being - to make one more gentle, loving, forgiving, self-controlled, moral, holy and righteous - none of which automatically unites the self with the Self. Union with the Divine depends solely on Divine Grace (or, as explained above, predestination). Practically all religious precepts are prescriptive, that is, they instruct their followers to perform certain actions in order to achieve a particular objective. However, the most beneficial teachings are DESCRIPTIVE, that is, they describe Reality as it is, knowing that nothing can be done to alter the course of history. There are FOUR systems of religion/yoga: 1. The religion of ACTION/labour. This is the simplest method of union with God, known as "karma yoga" in Bharata, and is recommended by some experts as the one with which to begin one's spiritual journey. It involves a worker or businessman (or even a monarch) performing his duties with the goal of using his excess funds to support his spiritual preceptor or church/temple/mosque. It may also include performing beneficial deeds for one's master, such as cleaning his house or temple. Even though the author of this Holy Scripture is the current World Teacher, he began his adult spiritual journey by diligently practicing karma yoga in the temple of a local religious organization. So even though it may seem simplistic and inane, "Working for God" is truly a wonderful introduction to the spiritual path. 2. DEVOTIONAL religion/yoga: By far the most popular form of religion, but also the most perilous. This system of religion, known as "bhakti yoga" in Bhārata, comprises of reading (or hearing) about the personal conception of the Godhead (usually a Divine Incarnation), offering prayers, performing rituals and serving the spiritual teacher. The peril lies in the fact that a large number of devotees become radicalized towards his or her own group or spiritual leader, unwilling to accept the validity of other traditions or paths. The essence of love is the desire for all living beings to find true happiness. When we want the best for all creatures, then we can honestly say that we love everybody equally. One who appears to love one person more than another, in fact, loves nobody. True love revolves around sacrificing one’s selfish desires for those of his or her superiors, whether that be one's parents, husband, employer or spiritual master, even if they are imperfect. Should a child disobey its mother just because the mother is flawed? Of course not! This paradigm is applicable to everyone, without exception. 3. INTELLECTUAL union: This is known as "jñāna yoga" in Bhārata and is based on the investigation of spiritual concepts in conjunction with periodic meditation. The bulk of what you are reading in this Holy Scripture could be classified under this system of religion, which explains why very few persons actually read this document - this yoga attracts only highly-intelligent persons. No matter what system of religion one initially practices, it is virtually mandatory to have an inclination towards the systematic study of the King of Sciences (as Lord Krishna calls it in the "Bhagavad-gītā" portion of "Mahābhārata”), if one is to become truly enlightened. Despite its name, the Path of Knowledge includes acts of devotion towards one's teacher, thus integrating the heart and the mind. 4. The EIGHT-STEP yoga system: "aṣṭāṅga yoga", as it is known in the ancient language of Bhārata, has a defined series of stages beginning with moral precepts and culminating in a state of "steady mind (or intellect)". In his ”Yoga Sutras”, the ancient Indian sage Patañjali defined the eight limbs as follows: yama (abstinences), niyama (observances), asana (yoga postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption). Despite what most believe, the third stage of ashtanga yoga does not involve a multitude of complex physical poses but simply the lotus position (or at least simple sitting positions) in order to execute meditation and concentration in the higher steps. The myriad stretching exercises were devised in later centuries for those persons who were too inflexible to sit immediately in "padmāsana". Having stated that, modern yoga poses are highly-recommended for anyone and everyone, whether theistic or irreligious. There is no reason why one cannot practice MORE than one yoga system simultaneously but the typical person is usually attracted to devotional religions because it is the most "natural" one. A child is naturally attached to his parents, in a strong familial bond. The attachment between a devotee and his teacher (or Avatar/God) is a natural extension of this bond. However, the MOST beneficial spiritual practice is to “rest imperturbably in Flawless Awareness”, that is, to regress into one’s inner self (the sense of "I am"), or return attention to its Source, without the affliction of any belief system, thus transcending all temporal concepts. This can occur during any daily activity and if 'practiced' for short periods throughout the day, it eventually becomes one’s normal way of being. Any other practice merely reinforces the notion of a separate, individual, independent agent. This is sometimes referred to as the “direct path” or “pathless path”. “Insofar as you keep watching the mind and discover yourself as its witness, nothing else can project itself on the screen of consciousness. This is so, because two things cannot occupy the attention, at the same moment. Therefore, delve within and find out where thoughts arise. Seek the source of all thought and acquire the Self-knowledge, which is the awakening of Truth. ************ The way to the realization of Truth, is neither through attachment nor renunciation. There is in fact no way. No means of any kind, can either indicate or grasp the Ultimate.” Ramesh Balsekar, Indian Spiritual Teacher. “The mind that seeks happiness (or enlightenment) is like a character in a movie in search for the screen. It will NEVER find the screen in the movie, although everything it finds is made of the screen. The mind that longs for enlightenment or happiness will never find what it is longing for. And yet it is made out of what it is longing-for.” Rupert Spira, English Spiritual Teacher.
yes this is what kc should be like but only 1 thing would suggest that not to think aetheism as bad or wrong (aetheist may not have any kind of beliefs) but they are not fanatics they are just people who dont care to bother understanding of things that may not interest them or may be more involved & happy about physical world what they see what they hear & what could be proved ¡¡¡ so its just that as far as vedic culture is concerned it has place for aetheism (with out voilence) but certainly not the fanatics kinds ....
I'm not religius more indiferent. ..? We don't need to be ...we are conected without our will 24h..when the signal became week we are losing life energy of regeneration and than we die. ..the body is dead then we are free...body is prision. .
Each of us needs a material refuge which then becomes our mental and spiritual refuge. Men have always had the dharma of giving refuge to women and women to children. But in this corrupt society no one has more refuge because nobody knows God, Krishna, the Supreme Lord. So the greatest act of charity we can do is to give KRISHNA consciousness. Anyone can make it man or woman. From that moment on, that person, man or woman who has, he or she becomes a refuge for others. Of course one cannot take refuge in a misogenous religious institution. Haribol! Truth always comes to the surface and then sets us free from material conditioning. 🙏 Why the female devotes can't give initiation even if they was direct disciples of SWAMI Prabhupada?
This if fine if you are a believer and convinced that Krishna is God. The comment he makes about Atheists is that he claims Atheists believe there is no God, which is false. The basic principle of Atheism is the lack of belief in a God in other words, they are willing to believe in a God if theists can present sufficient evidence. A lack of belief in something is not the same as having belief that something doesn't exist. So far from what I've seen is that ISKCON simply makes claims without any real evidence to support any of the claims.
I've had the good fortune to hear many lectures by Hridayananda starting in the summer of 1973. I first saw him in the Krsna Temple in Brooklyn, N.Y. ... he spoke deeper [and wider] than any other speaker. I can see his devotional and intellectual growth certainly reflect the spiritual qualities of eternity, bliss and knowledge ! Jai!
Thank you so much for appreciating Krishna's potency in Hridayananda Maharaja.. Jai!
Was Prabhupada aware that his devotees were preaching that we should steal cars for Krishna. Among other things.
This was very potent and helped me dispel illusion/philosophical issues for me, thank you :)
Swami, you are genuine!
Hi , iam happy that an American talking about lord Krishna but honestly iam against religious conversions because in every religion including in india people faced some problems because of religion. I love sree krishna no doubt about it but personally against conversions whether from Christian to hindu or vice versa because we are what we are. God has a plan that's why he gave birth to us related to a specific religion. We don't have to get converted because God is omniscient whether he is jesus, krishna, allah or Rama. Thanks.
🐟 16. YOGA/RELIGION:
According to some sources, YOGA (authentic religion) was introduced to human society approximately seventeen thousand years ago, via the Ādiyogī (first religionist), Mahādeva Śiva, in His form known as Dakṣiṇāmūrti, in the subcontinent named Bhārata (India). Lord Shiva is universality recognized to be the first Avatar, that is, the first person to be born without sin (in other words, a pure embodiment of the Divine; enlightened from birth).
Other sources claim that RELIGION began when Lord Brahmā spoke the four ”Vedas” (books of knowledge) in ancient Sanskrit, the essential teachings of which are non-dual, that is to say, describe everything in existence having the same ground of being. In other words, “All is One” without a second. ‘Sarvam khalvidam brahma’ (Chandogya Upanishad 3.14) teaches that ‘All this is indeed Brahman’ (“Brahman” referring to the TOTALITY of existence/non-existence).
Since then, systems of religion have evolved or have been revealed on the continent of ASIA. Supernatural mythologies and superstitions developed in other locations, most of which featured animistic narratives and primitive rituals, but not on the same level of the monotheistic and monistic religions of Middle East Asia, Bhārata and China.
The word "RELIGION" originates from the Latin verb "religare", meaning "to join or unite". It is the precise equivalent of the Sanskrit "yoga", from the verbal root "yuj".
Thus, religion/yoga means to unite with the Supreme, or the understanding and realization that there is nothing but the Supreme (Spirit).
Perhaps the best definition of yoga is "the UNION of the relative and absolute", meaning one who has fully realized himself to be "Brahman", but knows precisely how to integrate that understanding within temporal existence.
Union with the Divine has no circumstantial prerequisites. It is NOT necessary to do anything to wake-up from this cosmic illusion and to become self-realized (to make real the true self). Spiritual awakening occurs according to the preordained “Story of Life”, although most (but not all) persons who experience awakening, liberation and enlightenment do so after practicing some form of religion/yoga, just as most persons (but not all) who become wealthy perform wealth-creation activities such as operating a business enterprise or composing a popular song.
The REAL purpose of religion/yoga is to improve the human being - to make one more gentle, loving, forgiving, self-controlled, moral, holy and righteous - none of which automatically unites the self with the Self. Union with the Divine depends solely on Divine Grace (or, as explained above, predestination).
Practically all religious precepts are prescriptive, that is, they instruct their followers to perform certain actions in order to achieve a particular objective. However, the most beneficial teachings are DESCRIPTIVE, that is, they describe Reality as it is, knowing that nothing can be done to alter the course of history.
There are FOUR systems of religion/yoga:
1. The religion of ACTION/labour. This is the simplest method of union with God, known as "karma yoga" in Bharata, and is recommended by some experts as the one with which to begin one's spiritual journey. It involves a worker or businessman (or even a monarch) performing his duties with the goal of using his excess funds to support his spiritual preceptor or church/temple/mosque. It may also include performing beneficial deeds for one's master, such as cleaning his house or temple.
Even though the author of this Holy Scripture is the current World Teacher, he began his adult spiritual journey by diligently practicing karma yoga in the temple of a local religious organization. So even though it may seem simplistic and inane, "Working for God" is truly a wonderful introduction to the spiritual path.
2. DEVOTIONAL religion/yoga: By far the most popular form of religion, but also the most perilous. This system of religion, known as "bhakti yoga" in Bhārata, comprises of reading (or hearing) about the personal conception of the Godhead (usually a Divine Incarnation), offering prayers, performing rituals and serving the spiritual teacher.
The peril lies in the fact that a large number of devotees become radicalized towards his or her own group or spiritual leader, unwilling to accept the validity of other traditions or paths.
The essence of love is the desire for all living beings to find true happiness. When we want the best for all creatures, then we can honestly say that we love everybody equally. One who appears to love one person more than another, in fact, loves nobody. True love revolves around sacrificing one’s selfish desires for those of his or her superiors, whether that be one's parents, husband, employer or spiritual master, even if they are imperfect. Should a child disobey its mother just because the mother is flawed? Of course not! This paradigm is applicable to everyone, without exception.
3. INTELLECTUAL union: This is known as "jñāna yoga" in Bhārata and is based on the investigation of spiritual concepts in conjunction with periodic meditation.
The bulk of what you are reading in this Holy Scripture could be classified under this system of religion, which explains why very few persons actually read this document - this yoga attracts only highly-intelligent persons.
No matter what system of religion one initially practices, it is virtually mandatory to have an inclination towards the systematic study of the King of Sciences (as Lord Krishna calls it in the "Bhagavad-gītā" portion of "Mahābhārata”), if one is to become truly enlightened.
Despite its name, the Path of Knowledge includes acts of devotion towards one's teacher, thus integrating the heart and the mind.
4. The EIGHT-STEP yoga system: "aṣṭāṅga yoga", as it is known in the ancient language of Bhārata, has a defined series of stages beginning with moral precepts and culminating in a state of "steady mind (or intellect)".
In his ”Yoga Sutras”, the ancient Indian sage Patañjali defined the eight limbs as follows: yama (abstinences), niyama (observances), asana (yoga postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption).
Despite what most believe, the third stage of ashtanga yoga does not involve a multitude of complex physical poses but simply the lotus position (or at least simple sitting positions) in order to execute meditation and concentration in the higher steps. The myriad stretching exercises were devised in later centuries for those persons who were too inflexible to sit immediately in "padmāsana".
Having stated that, modern yoga poses are highly-recommended for anyone and everyone, whether theistic or irreligious.
There is no reason why one cannot practice MORE than one yoga system simultaneously but the typical person is usually attracted to devotional religions because it is the most "natural" one. A child is naturally attached to his parents, in a strong familial bond. The attachment between a devotee and his teacher (or Avatar/God) is a natural extension of this bond.
However, the MOST beneficial spiritual practice is to “rest imperturbably in Flawless Awareness”, that is, to regress into one’s inner self (the sense of "I am"), or return attention to its Source, without the affliction of any belief system, thus transcending all temporal concepts. This can occur during any daily activity and if 'practiced' for short periods throughout the day, it eventually becomes one’s normal way of being.
Any other practice merely reinforces the notion of a separate, individual, independent agent. This is sometimes referred to as the “direct path” or “pathless path”.
“Insofar as you keep watching the mind and discover yourself as its witness, nothing else can project itself on the screen of consciousness.
This is so, because two things cannot occupy the attention, at the same moment.
Therefore, delve within and find out where thoughts arise.
Seek the source of all thought and acquire the Self-knowledge, which is the awakening of Truth.
************
The way to the realization of Truth, is neither through attachment nor renunciation.
There is in fact no way.
No means of any kind, can either indicate or grasp the Ultimate.”
Ramesh Balsekar,
Indian Spiritual Teacher.
“The mind that seeks happiness (or enlightenment) is like a character in a movie in search for the screen. It will NEVER find the screen in the movie, although everything it finds is made of the screen.
The mind that longs for enlightenment or happiness will never find what it is longing for. And yet it is made out of what it is longing-for.”
Rupert Spira,
English Spiritual Teacher.
yes this is what kc should be like but only 1 thing would suggest that not to think aetheism as bad or wrong (aetheist may not have any kind of beliefs) but they are not fanatics they are just people who dont care to bother understanding of things that may not interest them or may be more involved & happy about physical world what they see what they hear & what could be proved ¡¡¡ so its just that as far as vedic culture is concerned it has place for aetheism (with out voilence) but certainly not the fanatics kinds ....
I'm not religius more indiferent. ..? We don't need to be ...we are conected without our will 24h..when the signal became week we are losing life energy of regeneration and than we die. ..the body is dead then we are free...body is prision. .
You misspelled his name. Hidayananda instead Hridayananda :)
Piotr Warecki hridya ananda means joyful heart :)
Jesus was crishna?
No, Krishna is God.
Why can't women give initiation although they are direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada?
Each of us needs a material refuge which then becomes our mental and spiritual refuge. Men have always had the dharma of giving refuge to women and women to children. But in this corrupt society no one has more refuge because nobody knows God, Krishna, the Supreme Lord. So the greatest act of charity we can do is to give KRISHNA consciousness. Anyone can make it man or woman. From that moment on, that person, man or woman who has, he or she becomes a refuge for others.
Of course one cannot take refuge in a misogenous religious institution. Haribol!
Truth always comes to the surface and then sets us free from material conditioning. 🙏
Why the female devotes can't give initiation even if they was direct disciples of SWAMI Prabhupada?
This if fine if you are a believer and convinced that Krishna is God. The comment he makes about Atheists is that he claims Atheists believe there is no God, which is false. The basic principle of Atheism is the lack of belief in a God in other words, they are willing to believe in a God if theists can present sufficient evidence. A lack of belief in something is not the same as having belief that something doesn't exist. So far from what I've seen is that ISKCON simply makes claims without any real evidence to support any of the claims.
I met an atheist who believed there is no God. Very nice man. But yeah, he believed that way.
So an atheist doesn't have an opinion about God? That seems more like an agnostic.