An Evening of Ultimate Bliss

I knew it was going to be the ultimate nectar, and indeed it was. To bow down at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada at 26 2nd Ave in New York City was the perfection of my existence. And then to be given two hours to share the inconceivable mercy of Srila Prabhupada with a storefront packed full of eager listeners was ecstatic beyond description.

In keeping with the diversity of New York City, 26 2nd Ave attracts all varieties of persons through her sacred door: college students, kids, actors, writers, young professionals, executives, doctors, scientists, monks, swamis, techies, consultants, etc. Last night's gathering was no exception.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

26 2nd Avenue--ISKCON's Original Center This is where it all began in 1966.

26 2nd Avenue--ISKCON's Original Center at New York

Diving into the Holy Names at the Lotus Feet of Srila Prabhupada at 26 2nd Avenue.

Diving into the Holy Names at the Lotus Feet of Srila Prabhupada

Explaining the Blissful Science of Bhakti at 26 2nd Avenue

Sankarshan Das Explaining the Blissful Science of Bhakti

Sankarshan Das explaining Science of Bhakti at 26 2nd Avenue

Explaining the Blissful Science of Bhakti to eager listeners

Last But Not Least---Krishna Prasadam!

Last But Not Least---Krishna Prasadam!

26 2nd Ave--A Beacon of Light in the Dark Kali Yuga New York City Night

26 2nd Ave--A Beacon of Light in the Dark Kali Yuga New York City

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: What Am I Doing?..

I have asked myself many times, 'How to get out of the ignorance that I live in?' Everyday I ask the Lord for forgiveness for my ignorance and I ask for His mercy even though I don't deserve it. All my life I have tended my material responsibilities like a spider it's prey.

My life is full of material preoccupations, which in truth are not really mine but are related to my family, my work, my economic situation and survival in this environment, full of disloyalties and hypocrisy, for which I always have to be on the alert. My mind is always sunk in this mire of problems which I know fully well that as soon as I solve one, another problem will surface and then another and that is how life goes on.

My greatest fear is this, that my life will just go on solving problems. In truth I can understand that no matter what problems I solve, it is like a mirage, soon another will come and then another. But now I would like to humbly ask for your advice because it is very difficult for me to become detached from this feeling of false responsibility. On one side, my mind feels the need to advance in spiritual life and it is confused by the daily concerns. I feel that it is contradictory because on the one hand, it is what I have built, a tangle of problems and responsibilities which I cannot escape without feelings of ruin if I abandon my loved ones, without feeling pain and sadness when I think, 'What will they do without me?', knowing that they are depending on me.

How to disconnect myself from something that is so deeply rooted in my heart? What do I do to not feel guilt? I fear that dedicating myself in thought and soul to God will bring misfortune to my loved ones, and I ask your forgiveness because I can understand that this is not so, but I cannot stop feeling guilty. It is like someone who is in a boat in a catastrophe and some people are going to drown if I don't help them, and a voice is screaming 'SAVE YOURSELF, SAVE YOURSELF', but how can I do it? Sometimes I feel that I would rather lose the boat and surrender to the mercy of God.

Jorge

Answer: Solve Problems for Krishna...

It is fact that material life is an endless stream of problems. It will always be like that. So instead of being bewildered, you should offer everything you have to Krishna. You should pray to the Lord, "My dear Lord, everything I have is yours--my house, my family, my money. Please bless me with the privilege of engaging everything I have in your service." As soon as you adopt this mood, your daily problem solving will no longer be a source of anxiety for you. It will become a blissful offering of love in the service of Lord Sri Krishna.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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