Shukasari

 Just last month, I had to help my elderly mom and brother to move house. Believe me, it was a difficult task. We could not get movers as it was the holiday season over here. Moreover, we had to move from one block of the apartment to another block. I started packing two months earlier, but ended up not doing much as the kitchen stuff had to packed as we cooked our meals at home everyday. The new house was not ready as the owner had to fix the fans and there was plumbing works to be done. Finally when we got the keys, which was about a week earlier from the designated moving date, I decided to put as many stuff onto a trolley and move as much things as I can to the new block on the eighth floor. I realised I kept going up and down and the amount of stuff seem never ending. I pleaded with my mom and brother to ditch some stuff. It was really, really tiring.  My mom was getting irritated, what with her advanced age and all. I then reminded her how many times have we moved from o...

 Just the other day, I went to the supermarket with my mom. After the usual buying and paying at the counter, we were on our way to the escalator which will take us to the ground floor. Just then, my mom caught sight of a family of five with their shopping trolley packed to the brim. My very elderly mom said, "Wow, that's a lot of stuff!" I told my mom, it may not be a lot for them and it could be "just nice" for a family of five. It then hit me. The father, the man/master of the household was walking behind his little daughter, his wife, another daughter and a son.  It dawned upon me how we think we are masters of our homes, boss of a corporate firm or even the complete owner of a business etc. But the truth is, we are servants. We are always serving someone or something and of course our senses. Our spiritual masters have countless times reminded us that we are not the masters nor the doers. Only Lord Krsna is the Master and the Doer.  Like what my spiritual m...

  Today on this date 25th January, 25 years ago, I met my Srila Gurudeva and it was on my birthday. Although, I may think I met Srila Gurudeva, actually it was Srila Gurudeva who took me under his wings. I really didn't realise it then, and I hope to realise something eventually... I still remember that day. We didn't have a car, so my husband asked a friend of his to come along to Sungai Long, a new house in a relatively new housing estate. The place was quite a distance from our house. A would be godbrother's brother welcomed Srila Gurudeva to this new house of his. We waited and waited and finally a phone call came. My heart just broke. My husband's friend said his car broke down and it will take a while before he could reach us. My husband suggested we go the next day, but I was adamant. I wanted to meet this saint, whom I heard once or twice when I was still in Iskcon. His name resonated with my biological father's name and somehow I wanted to meet him.  After ...

  Hare Krsna.   Hope you are well and fine. Once a man was very frustrated and he started to question God’s injustice. He told himself that he prayed regularly, did not harm anyone and did everything righteous while his friends did not pray, told lies and did all sorts of bad deeds. But his friends were living a wealthy life, drove fast cars while he on the other hand, struggled to make a living. He felt God is being totally unfair to him. And this was not justice at all! Have you ever felt like that? You see, God is not our servant. Understand this. We are His servants. God is not someone whom we could make Him do what we want.  The reason we are suffering is due to our own deeds. Whatever is due to you will come and what is not yours will not be yours. Let others enjoy what is due to them. Justice and Injustice is not for us to mete out on others. That is the Lord’s work. Also, who are we to hope that someone gets punishment from God. We should just mind our own bus...

 The other day, I was having a conversation about children with this very sweet Mataji. Mataji lamented  how she keeps worrying about her children, even though all are grown up. She keeps advising them, although her advice is really not that appreciated or even taken seriously by her children. Then, when they get a hard knock, only then, they realise that their mother was right after all.  It is a very natural thing for a mother to keep worrying about her kids. Even in the spiritual world, Mother Yasoda keeps worrying about her Lala, Sweet Krsna. Of course, everything that happens here is a perverted reflection. Over there, it is only pure love of the Lord.  The conversation then went on to Srila Gurudeva. Mataji said, she found it hard to keep up with all of Srila Gurudeva's instructions. Sometimes she feels she needs time to evolve. I told her everything will happen in due time.  And just like how she worries about her children, Srila Gurudeva is also worried ...

We desire for many things in this human form of life. In fact we desire to be beautiful, to be intelligent, to be super rich and list goes on and on. At the end of the day, we cannot take even a farthing with us when we depart. So we desire for things we cannot actually possess. Then we cry our hearts out when we lose something. When it is suppose to be lost, it will be lost. The scriptures say that when we lose a wallet and if there are many people around it, if you are suppose to find it, you will still find it. But if you have so much money stashed in your house, with full security, if the money is suppose to be stolen then it will happen. The Lord arranges all these. So we lament for those things that we lose when in fact we cannot possess them.

(Srila Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Maharaja was one of the three pillars of devotion in Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, which was established by Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. His Divine Grace left this world on November 7, 2002) Some time ago, I a devotee told me of an interesting darshan she had with His Divine Grace. Below is the excerpt: (Srila Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Maharaja): Do you love your husband? (Devotee): Yes, I do. (Srila Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Maharaja): Do you think he loves you? (Devotee): I suppose so. Surely he must love me. (Srila Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Maharaja): This is the dealings of the material world. As long as someone does exactly what you want them to do, then they become your husband, wife, good friends and so on.