- I AM SPIRIT (Introduction)
- My SPIRITUAL TEACHER Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda
- WHO IS KRISHNA?
- I AM NOT THIS BODY
- What is KIRTAN? No. 1.
- DYING and FORGIVENESS
- KIRTAN IS FOR EVERYONE!
- HAIR – It’s Everywhere!
- THE HUNTER
- FISH ARE PEOPLE TOO!
- FRIENDS and FUN!
- VAISHNAVA HINDUISM IS NOT SECTARIAN
- GOD OR NOTHINGNESS?
- A ‘JUSTIFIED’ Life
- I CAN LOVE GOD!
- ‘GOD IS IN THE DETAIL’
- THIS TRANSITORY LIFE
- A CHRISTMAS THANK YOU!
- JESUS AND HIS FATHER
- MY LORD IN MY HEART, a Guitar and a Knife -a true story!
- THE TWILIGHT ZONE!
- BERT and MARTHA
- SOME DAYS THE BEAR GETS ME . . .
- UNCONDITIONAL FRIENDSHIP & KINDNESS – A true story
- THE ALIENS ARE HERE – coming from another world!
- HUMILITY IS NOT A WEAKNESS
- ‘QUIRKY’ Individuals
Category: I Am Spirit
‘QUIRKY’ Individuals
I have heard the word ‘quirky’ a lot lately. My wife likes those home ‘fixer-upper’ and ‘Moving to the Country’ shows on TV and I often overhear people saying, “We are a quirky couple,” or “I am a quirky person and I’m looking for a house that reflects that.” It made me think, why do people want to be seen as quirky? What’s the attraction?
Nothing wrong with that as far as I’m concerned, and as far as Vaishnava philosophy is concerned (see post about what is a Vaishnava).
People in today’s world are struggling to find some individuality in a society where everything can look the same. We are swamped in mediocrity and people struggle to be individuals. I think that is why people call themselves ‘quirky.’ What they are saying is “I’m an individual, I’m not like everyone else, I have my own personality, I just want everyone to know that!”
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HUMILITY IS NOT A WEAKNESS
It is a quality in developing love of God
Today our children are taught, directly and indirectly, that humility is something that does not get you far in this world. They are told they are “special” – better than others – and that the world owes them.
But for one who is trying to develop love for God, ideas of ‘specialness’ or self-importance go against all spiritual concepts:
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THE ALIENS ARE HERE – coming from another world!
There was a movie called “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” from 1956. The story is such a classic combination of sci-fi and horror that it has been remade several times.
In that movie, alien life forms were killing and replacing people. From memory ‘real people’ had to figure out who where the aliens and who weren’t.
The fact is we are all aliens in this world. We come from a place not of this world, a place where there is no time, a place that does not change.
In this world everything changes. Time gradually changes everything. Everything has a use-by-date. Even a rock becomes sand eventually, then that sand becomes dust, and that dust becomes minerals and chemicals that are absorbed by grubs and worms or by plants, which are then eaten by different animals.
Continue reading “THE ALIENS ARE HERE – coming from another world!”
UNCONDITIONAL FRIENDSHIP & KINDNESS – A true story
Most of us live in a series of bubbles.
First of all, we live inside this body. We are NOT our bodies. Each of us is a spirit soul residing in a body. Next, we surround ourselves with family and friends; generally, we limit ourselves to just a few people.
Then we surround ourselves with what we believe are our possessions, our house, our car, our things. But, of course, since at the time of death we cannot take them with us, these are not really ours at all.
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SOME DAYS THE BEAR GETS ME . . . .
“Some days I get the bear, and some days the bear gets me!”
Some days are very dark, and some nights are even darker. It’s those dark nights when the ‘bear’ gets me.
BERT and MARTHA
I’d hitchhiked almost a 1,000 miles to see them, and left wishing I hadn’t . . . .”
If you’ve read any of my other posts you’ll know I was brought up in a country town west of Sydney, Australia. It seems so long ago now as I get close to my 70’s.
THE TWILIGHT ZONE!
(I’d like to apologize to those that have subscribed to my blog that I have been inactive in posting for some months now. This was both forced [because of a reoccurring medical problem] and voluntary because my wife and I took an extended trip to spend time with our children and grandchildren . I hope to be more active on my blog in the coming months).
Some may know of an old groundbreaking TV show from the 1960’s called ‘The Twilight Zone’ presented by Rod Serling. The early episodes started with the words:
“There is a 5th dimension beyond that which is known to man, it is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge…..it is the area we call….The Twilight Zone!”
JESUS AND HIS FATHER
Once when asked what Jesus meant by “He who beholds me beholds the One Who sent me”, Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda explained that the son of God, or the empowered agent of God, is the pure medium of God. Because they are without any desire to be lord or master and are fully surrendered, they are able to be used by God. As Jesus himself puts it “……I have not spoken on my own initiative, but the Father Himself Who sent me has commanded me what to say and what to speak.“
A DEEPER MEANING
Jagad Guru explains further:
“When Jesus says “To see me is to see the Father” he is giving us the key to vision of God because vision of God begins with faith in His actual existence. When one looks into the eyes of Jesus, looks at his sacrifice, at his life, he sees present there, real love for someone. He sees that Jesus really is relating to someone.
To see the reality of someone’s love for another person is to simultaneously see the actual existence of the person being loved. To see the reality of a relationship is to see the reality of the personalities involved…..
Love for God can stand only on the secure platform of faith in and knowledge of His actual existence. So from time to time God will send His son or servant or come Himself just to inject faith and knowledge into the hearts of the pious, so they may come back to Him.”
Namaste and Merry Christmas 2016!
Chaitanya das/Charles Robinson
A CHRISTMAS THANK YOU!
Since I started this blog 6 months ago I have received many heartfelt messages of encouragement and thanks from so many people in different countries around the world. It has been humbling. I have tried to document my personal spiritual journey and I did not know how it was going to be received. But I have not had one negative comment.
This can be a crazy time with business people and others trying to hijack a spiritual celebration and turn it into a commercial opportunity, endeavoring to turn Christmas into Xmas! I personally am trying to maintain the focus on Lord Jesus and his teachings at this time. I guess I’m one of the ‘politically incorrect’.
Whether you do or don’t believe in a higher power, the Supersoul, the Father, Krishna, Jehovah, Lord Buddha, Allah – we are all brothers and sisters.
So to all of you who find this blog, who share my life and spiritual journey, I thank you.
I hope you and your loved ones have a happy and safe Christmas 2016 and if the Lord is willing we meet again in the New Year!
Namaste and Happy Krishnamas!
Chaitanya das/Charles Robinson
*The above image was made by one of my very talented daughters, Yogananda dasi (that silhouette is suppose to be me btw!). She is always busy so I’m pleased she found time to do this. There is more of her art on her FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/yoganandadasi/photos
THIS TRANSITORY LIFE
(Inspired by talks by Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa)
Make your way through this impermanent, transitory life in whatever way you can, keeping the goal of worshiping the Lord foremost in your minds.
Don’t abandon this goal, even in the face of hundreds of dangers, insults, or persecutions.”
Shrila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur 1874-1937