The Power of Austerity
()
About this ebook
Posts from the month of November, 2012. Estimated 152 pages.
"I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics." (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.9)
Read more from Krishna's Mercy
Vishnu Worship Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAvatara Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYoga Under Duress Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSuperconsciousness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Life of a Text Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConspiracy Theory Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShyamasundara Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ripened Fruit Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPraying For Rain Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Miserable Existence Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Source of Light Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Flag of Devotion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFinding Gold Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPadmini Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEveryday Miracles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMuralidhara Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMaintainer of the Universe Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Prayer That Never Expires Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat Is Maya Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings…And Mercy For All Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSin and Piety Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLighter Than Air Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKali Yuga Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Virat-Rupa Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Drug to Devotee Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAdhokshaja Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPashupati Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsComing Up For Air Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWithin and Without Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Invisible Man Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to The Power of Austerity
Related ebooks
Sakshi-gopala Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat Is Maya Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEveryday Miracles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Art of Giving Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDimensions of Wealth: Learn how to manifest effectively and transform your life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLight Up Hope - Life Energy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFind the Treasure Within: Buddhism and daily life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsResting in the Arms of God: Recognizing the Spiritual Connection in Our Daily Lives Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConversations with Gurudev: Volume II Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Exploratory Period of Awakening The Divine Origin Is Calling You Home Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnleash the Appatucker in U Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Complete Guide to Have Loving Relationship with Self and Others Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHigher Happiness: 5 Steps to a Healthier Body, Stronger Mindset & Fulfilling Life with Higher Consciousness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRemember Who You Are: How to Find Your Soul’s Purpose and Connect with Your Higher Self Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsComing Up For Air Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTen Secrets to a Balanced Successful & Happy Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBecoming a Master of Divine Consciousness: "Keys to Bring Balance to Your Emotion's and Thoughts" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUltimate Self Help to a Better Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWay of Life for Better Generation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Alignment to Enlightenment: The Path to Joy and Peace Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWithin and Without Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Universe Inside of You Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSpectrum Force and a Sense of the Acrostic: The Point Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReflections: Part I Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSpiritual Partnership: The Journey to Authentic Power Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Become Your Most Ultimate Self "Using the Universal Key to Unlock Your Most Ultimate Form" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Eternal Journey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe No-Fluff Cheat Sheet To Getting Anything You Want from The Cosmic Universe Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Spiritual Toolkit Handbook Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRaise Your Consciousness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Hinduism For You
The Satanic Bible 2012 Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana (Illustrated) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Four Vedas Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mahabharata: The Greatest Spiritual Epic of All Time Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Upanishads Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rig Veda Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bhagavad Gita (in English): The Authentic English Translation for Accurate and Unbiased Understanding Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Yoga Nidra Meditations: 24 Scripts for True Relaxation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHinduism For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Complete Chakra Healing Library: Chakra Healing Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Bhagavad Gita Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Introducing Hinduism: A Graphic Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chakras: Energy Centers of Transformation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bhagavad Gita Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga: A Practical Guide to Healing Body, Mind, and Spirit Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation, and Commentary Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Total Freedom: The Essential Krishnamurti Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Kundalini: Your Sex Energy Transformed Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hindu Mythology: A Guide to the Gods and Goddesses of India Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBhagavad Gita for Dummies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bhagavad Gita - The Song of God Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Embrace Yoga's Roots Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World--and Why Their Differences Matter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Be Here Now Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related categories
Reviews for The Power of Austerity
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
The Power of Austerity - Krishna's Mercy
Krishna's Mercy
––––––––
The Power of Austerity
Daily articles from November 2012
Copyright Krishna’s Mercy 2023
www.krishnasmercy.com
Contents
A Building To Stand The Test of Time
Free Wisdom
The Big Brain
Without Dependency
The Nature of Evidence
My Wonderful Brain
The Enemy Within
The Power of Austerity
Dear to Rama
Something’s Wrong With All You See
The Discouraging Lies
Diwali 2012
Govardhana Puja 2012
Not So Worried
Staying Detached
The Guru’s Influence
Beautifully Scented
Abandoning Pious and Impious
Precious Minerals
Beautifully Decorated Eyebrows
Thanksgiving 2012
Household Chores
Without Envy
The Best Fortune
Shining Like Lightning
Friends of the Queen
The Wrong Outcome
Two Worlds Colliding
Blaming the Creator
What Are Friends For
A Building To Stand The Test of Time
If someone gives up self-gratificatory pursuits and works in Krishna consciousness and then falls down on account of not completing his work, what loss is there on his part? And, what can one gain if one performs his material activities perfectly?
(Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.5.17)
You get up in the morning at a specific time because you know you have to go to work. There is no compromise here. You must get to the office on time because otherwise things won’t get done, and you’ll get in trouble. Even if you are the boss of the establishment, your absence will cause you pain in the future. The problem with getting up, however, is that you are so tired. You got home at midnight the previous night, so you didn’t even have time to unwind. Right away you took off your clothes and fell into bed. You didn’t want to talk to anyone because why cut into the precious moments of alone time? Why put more pressure on yourself when you’re finally in a place where no one requires anything from you?
The pressure during that time is due to the fact that the cycle of work repeats itself, day after day, week after week. Either you really like what you do for a living or you must support your dependents. You refuse to be a freeloader. Rather than rely on the government or someone else to take care of you and your family, you’re going to do it yourself. You’ll work two jobs if you have to. Where there is a will, there is a way, and in this case your will is strong. It’s so strong that you’ve signed up for punishing yourself just to keep going.
But is it all worth it? Sure, your time is occupied, which means that you’re in a better position than if you were, say, sleeping throughout the day. The hard worker dreams of time off, but when that pressure does lessen, the moments of free time are difficult to occupy. What to do all day? Sleep? Watch television? These actually get boring rather quickly, and they do nothing positive for the psyche. They are considered leisurely activities for a reason; they are not meant to occupy the entire day.
There has to be more to life than just filling time, no? Shouldn’t we be working towards building something tangible, something that will bring real happiness in the future? In the Bhagavad-gita we learn that the consciousness is what stays with us from lifetime to lifetime. The consciousness is tied to the essence of individuality, the spirit soul. It is said that whatever consciousness one has at the time of death that type of being they attain in the next life.
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.
(Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.6)
The mind, intelligence and ego carry through the air like aromas, determining the internal qualities of the next life form. For instance, if we see someone who is particularly adept at sports from a young age, it should be known that these qualities were determined from the consciousness during the previous death. This is a positive aspect of the spiritual science, for it shows that destiny can be shaped. All we have to do is change our consciousness.
Consciousness is affected by what the mind thinks about throughout the day. If all the time is spent working to maintain a house and family, the consciousness will be altered accordingly. Yet we know that the house will eventually crumble, and typically the individual will leave this earth prior to that destruction. The hard work thus goes towards maintaining something temporary, and in the process the consciousness remains stuck on something temporary as well.
In Krishna consciousness, one shapes their activities in such a way that they always think about God. Starting in the morning with the chanting of the holy names, "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare", the mind is trained to do service to the Supreme Lord. This type of chanting qualifies as bhakti-yoga, or the mysticism of devotion. The full benefits of meditational yoga are still present, but the added bonus is that a higher entity helps you out. He is the beneficiary of the service, whereas in other yogas the individual is mainly working for personal pleasure.
Krishna is the name for God that means all-attractive
. He is also the reservoir of pleasure, and since He is inherently connected to every spirit soul in a relationship described as achintya-bhedabheda-tattva, or simultaneous oneness and difference, His pleasure brings pleasure to the devotee. Think of it like making an elaborate food preparation for your guests and then seeing smiles on their faces when they eat. Their pleasure in eating gives you pleasure. Now expand that same small practice to the largest scale and you get an idea of how bhakti-yoga works. Whether hearing, chanting, remembering, offering prayers, or surrendering everything, there is pleasure given to Krishna during the process, provided the service is genuine.
Any work begun on the material plane has to be completed, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure. But any work begun in Krishna consciousness has a permanent effect, even though not finished. The performer of such work is therefore not at a loss even if his work in Krishna consciousness is incomplete.
(Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 2.40 Purport)
Along the way a fixed consciousness develops. There is no loss on the yogi’s part, a fact confirmed by Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad-gita. Other kinds of development of consciousness can be erased, as the mind can travel elsewhere and develop new interests. In Krishna consciousness there is only a forward march, even if there are setbacks. The progress doesn’t go away, sort of like saving the spot you’re at in a particular video game and then resuming later on. The house of a consciousness connected in the yoga of love to the Supreme Lord is the only one worth building, making the many hours spent in devotional service worth the difficult effort.
In Closing:
"Nothing will get in my way,
On the path of work I will stay.
So much my body has perspired,
And from efforts I’m now so tired.
And will my building even stand?
Life is temporary I understand."
Instead same effort in devotion take,
And permanent consciousness thus make.
Thinking of God never to go in vain,
Progress in devotion always to remain.
Free Wisdom
Knowledge received by submissive inquiries and service is more effective than knowledge received in exchange for money.
(Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.5.1 Purport)
What’s wrong with getting paid for teaching? A teacher has to earn a living after all. They have bills to pay. They likely have children of their own. The kids need clothes, shoes, equipment for soccer, supplies for school, dental braces, food, and so many other things. And the house doesn’t just pay for itself. In the modern age especially, taxes are very high, so even if you own your home outright, your monthly expenses to maintain it are a lot. Thus even the teacher must be rewarded with a handsome salary; otherwise they will leave the profession. With the highest knowledge, however, from the teacher’s perspective there is no explicit need for remuneration. And when the exchange of money is replaced with submissive inquiries made in full sincerity, the transfer of information is more fruitful.
To purchase something means to assign it a value. If a person were to knock on our door and offer us free mangoes, we might be a little skeptical. Why are they here? Why are they just giving away their mangoes? Why aren’t they selling them? If they’re giving them away, the mangoes obviously must not be worth much. There must be something wrong with them. This person probably stole the mangoes from someone else.
This is the pre-exchange assessment, and if the exchange goes through the interest in the product will not be so great. If someone gives us something for free, we might place it in the closet and never see it again. What are we losing? There was no investment made, so we don’t even have to think about it. If we purchase the same item, however, there is an investment. If the purchased object sits in the closet, it means that our hard-earned money went to waste. Thus in the case of a purchase we are more likely to give value to the item.
The same should hold true in the transfer of knowledge, as the more prestigious universities typically charge much higher tuition, which means that the degrees earned are of a higher value. Yet in the highest occupation for man, there is no requirement that one be of a certain age range, ethnicity, gender, or income class. This means that both the poor man and the rich man can take up devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, God in His personal form. Money is not a factor, as the necessary ingredient for success is sincerity kept safely within a blanket of enthusiasm.
The soul is the essence of identity, and its existence is constant. Whether in the body of a human being or a dog, the soul is still the soul. And the soul’s primary characteristic is service. To find the highest object of service is to thus make the best use of the primary characteristic. Service to God is the ideal use of the service propensity, and since God is everything, the origin of all matter and spirit, service to Him can take place in any circumstance.
Those who know the art of practicing this service teach others. They don’t charge a monetary fee for this service, but they do require sincerity from the student. Sincerity