Sri Vyas Puja--The Most Holy Appearance Day of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Today is the most auspicious day. It is the appearance day of my most beloved spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. It is he who stands out in history more than any other spiritual master, for it is only he who has spread Krishna Consciousness all over the world.

I am unlimitedly indebted to Srila Prabhupada for rescuing me from this quagmirish material existence and engaging my entire life's energy in pushing forward the Sankirtan Movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is Srila Prabhupada's unlimited kindness upon me. He has truly raised me from the dead. Were it not for him I shudder to think what sort of condition I would be in at this very minute. All I can do is to try to show him my appreciation by eternally engaging my every thought, word, and deed in service that pleases him.

Questions and Answers

How Can I Know I Am Expressing Myself as a Spirit-Soul?...

Namaste. My question today concerns identity. I know intellectually that I am jivatma (spirit-soul) and that mind, intelligence and ego are of the subtle material realm. Practically, though, I am having trouble discerning the spiritual me from the material me. How can I know without doubt that I am expressing myself as a spirit-soul and not as an ego?

Thank you

Tommi

By Seeing If You Have Pleased the Spiritual Master...

You can know that you are expressing yourself as a spirit-soul and not with the "I am this body and mind" ego, by seeing if you have pleased the spiritual master. Therefore guru is required.

Ego is not bad. Ego simply means identity. What is bad is the false ego, "I am this body and mind." What is good is the real ego, "I am the eternal spirit-soul servant of Lord Sri Krishna."

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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