Sunday 31 January 2010

Time I Am : part 1

Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer in response to the final results of the Manhattan project famously quoted the Bhagavad Gita " Time I am, destroyer of worlds".

Oppenheimer was considering the devastating effects of his creation the atomic bomb but if we look around today we can see that this statement is true of our everyday life also.

When Krishna was speaking this to his friend Arjuna He was pointing out the inevitable futility of trying to enjoy material existence.
The fact that all material activities are ruined by time. That without a spiritual centre to our lives guiding us towards self realization everything is destined to be destroyed.

We can see the material effects of time on peoples lives being played out in the media daily. Whether its on a community scale or on a more personal level (John Terry I'm looking at you) we can see how when left to our own devices given time, we make a mess of it.

continued tomorrow

Friday 15 January 2010

Broken Door

The door to my bedroom has been hanging down. Of the 3 hinges 1 had come off completely. This has meant that to close it I have had to lift it. Last week after over a year I fixed it. It only took 5 minutes??? The door now closes normally, so why am I still lifting it every time that I go to close it. I have to put effort into not lifting it. How easily we can become habituated to things. There are so many things that we become used to doing so much so that they become 2nd nature, we don't think about them. Hanging my door and seeing my automatic need to lift it has reminded me of a valuable jewel that we receive from meditation. Most days I think of my meditation as setting me up for the day or clearing away my material desires. But it is also habituating me to think of Krishna, so that I almost without thinking during the day think of Krishna, it's a natural automatic thing. More seriously it's making me ready to face death, oohhhhh the big D word. Well it's going to happen one day and if I can think of Krishna then, at that most important time. If it's a natural thing to always be thinking of God. Then no more reincarnation for me buddy I'm off. Away from all the rubbish and suffering of the mortal coil, escaped to be with Krishna.

Sunday 3 January 2010

Looking Back

It's funny how events in the world change the way you look at it. I used to be a big fan of the New Year thing, looking forward 'n' all that.
Then a few years back, Christmas eve, my Mother was rushed into hospital with very advanced cancer. She was dead 2 weeks later.
Now the new year just brings back thoughts of her. Every year at this time I find myself looking back at her.
As far as Krishna Consciousness goes we realize that we are not the body, but spirit souls and my Mother ( for this birth ) has continued on to where ever her karma has led her. The Bhagavad Gita states in the 2nd chapter that the soul is eternal, it cannot die which gives us comfort.

But today I miss her.

And thats OK.