Humility

“Beginning from practicing humility up to the point of realization of the Supreme Truth, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, this process is just like a staircase beginning from the ground floor and going up to the top floor. Now on this staircase there are so many people who have reached the first floor, the second or the third floor, etc., but unless one reaches the top floor, which is the understanding of Krsna, he is at a lower stage of knowledge.

“If anyone wants to compete with God and at the same time make advancement in spiritual knowledge, he will be frustrated. It is clearly stated that without humility, understanding is not truly possible.”

Bhagavad Gita purport 13.8-12

“Humility contains in itself the answer to all the great problems of the life of the soul. It is the only key to faith, with which the spiritual life begins: for faith and humility are inseparable.”

Thomas Merton New Seeds of Contemplation: 180

 

Beyond Words

“Although prema-bhakti is beyond words, whatever can be conveyed by authorized devotees is appreciated by those who are sincere and faithful. Krsnadasa Kaviraja says, ‘Just try to hear these topics with faith, for there is great pleasure even in hearing them. That hearing will destroy all miseries pertaining to the body, mind, and other living entities, and the unhappiness of false arguments as well.’ [Cc. Antya 19.110]“

Narada Bhakti Sutra 4: 51 purport

“And the deepest level of communication is not communication, but communion. It is wordless. It is beyond words, and it is beyond speech, and it is beyond concept.  Not that we discover a new unity. We discover an older unity. My dear brothers,  we are already one. But we imagine that we are not. And what we have to recover  is our original unity. What we have to be is what we are.”

Asian Journal of Thomas Merton, ed. Naomi Burton, Brother Patrick Hart, and James Laughlin (New York: New Directions, 1973)  308

 

Directions

“Prahlada Maharaja loudly chanted the holy name of Lord Nrsimhadeva. May Lord Nrsimhadeva, roaring for His devotee Prahlada Maharaja, protect us from all fear of dangers created by stalwart leaders in all directions through poison, weapons, water, fire, air and so on. May the Lord cover their influence by His own transcendental influence. May Nrsimhadeva protect us in all directions and in all corners, above, below, within and without.”

Srimad Bhagvatam 6.8.34

“The Lord travels in all directions.

“The Lord arrives from all directions at once.

“Wherever we are, we find that He has just departed.

“Wherever we go, we discover that He has just arrived before  us.”

No Man Is An Island (New York: Harvest Book, 1983): 239

 

 

Transending Through Hope

“Those corrupted by a type of sophisticated cynicism may mock these descriptions of a paradisiacal world situation effected simply by worshiping the Supreme Lord. Unfortunately, modern man has created a hell on earth in his cynical rejection of heaven on earth, which is actually possible through Krsna consciousness.

“The situation described here, created simply by the auspicious bathing ceremony of the Lord, is an authentic historical incident. Since history repeats itself, there is hope that the Krsna consciousness movement may again bring the world community to the brilliant reality of self-realized existence.”

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.27.27

“Hope takes us entirely out of this world while we remain bodily in the midst of it. Our minds retain their clear views of what is good in creatures. Our wills remain chaste and solitary in the midst of all created beauty…”

No Man Is An Island (New York: Harvest Book, 1983):253

 

Without Attachment

“brahmanyadaya karmani sangam tyaktva karoti yah
lipyate na sa papena padma patram iva ambhasa

“One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus leaf is untouched by water.”

Bhagavad Gita 5.10

“Walking down a street, sweeping a floor, washing dishes, hoeing beans, reading a book, taking a stroll in the woods-all can be enriched with contemplation and with the obscure sense of the presence of God.”

Thomas Merton. The Inner Experience: Notes on Contemplation. William H. Shannon, editor (San   Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 2003): 66.

Thought for the Day:  “One is not worried about the results of what is done.”

The Inner Experience: Notes on Contemplation: 66.

 

Forgiveness Requires Humility

“Humility means that no one should be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honored by others. The material conception of life makes us very eager to receive honor from others, but from the point of view of a man in perfect knowledge-who knows that he is not this body-anything-honor or dishonor-pertaining to this body is useless. One should not be hankering after this material deception. People are very anxious to be famous for their religiousness”

Bhagavad Gita 7-11

“Do you want to know God? Then learn to understand the weaknesses and imperfections of other men. But how can you understand the weaknesses of others unless you understand your own? And how can you see the meaning of your own limitations until you have received mercy from God, by which you know yourself and Him?”

Thomas Merton. No Man Is An Island. New York: Doubleday and Company, 1955: 214

” It is not sufficient to forgive others: we must forgive them with humility and compassion. If we forgive them without humility, our forgiveness is a mockery: it presupposes that we are better than they.”

No Man Is An Island.: 214

 

Seeing Krishna Everywhere

‘Therefore the statement of Bhagavad-gita that a devotee should see Krsna everywhere (yo mam pasyati sarvatra) can be understood in terms of the example of a lusty man’s thinking that the world is full of beautiful women. Similarly, one should become transcendentally so desirous of seeing the Lord that one can perceive within the entire universe nothing but Krsna and His potency. “

Srimad Bhagvatam 11.2.45

“When we love God’s will we find Him and own His joy in all things.”

A Merton Reader, ed. by Thomas P. McDonnell, (New York: Image Books, 1989): 65

Psalm 95: 1 “Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; cry out to the rock of our salvation.”

Contemplative Pause: “Throughout this day, pause, take a breath, and listen with your heart. Name the joy in your life.”

The Merton Institute for Contemplative Living

 

Gotta Serve Somebody

“Yet man professes to belong to a particular type of faith with reference to particular time and circumstance and thus claims to be a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or an adherent of any other sect. Such designations are non-sanatana-dharma. A Hindu may change his faith to become a Muslim, or a Muslim may change his faith to become a Hindu, or a Christian may change his faith and so on.

“But in all circumstances the change of religious faith does not affect the eternal occupation of rendering service to others. The Hindu, Muslim or Christian in all circumstances is servant of someone. Thus, to profess a particular type of faith is not to profess one’s sanatana-dharma. The rendering of service is sanatana-dharma.”

Bhagavad Gita Introduction

“To live for oneself alone is to die. We grow and flourish in our own lives in so  far as we live for others and through others. What we ourselves lack, God has given them. They must complete us where we are deficient.”

Thomas Merton. Seasons of Celebration. (New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1950):
229

“Gotta Serve Somebody”

Bob Dylan