Serve others
The modern paradigm propels us to assume that if we don’t acquire more, we’re miserable and unworthy. This isn’t true. By giving, we receive more. Living a life of service to others fulfills our hearts and makes it purposeful and drives us to share the love with everyone without selfishness. Krishna was once telling his cowherd friends that trees are great personalities because the only purpose in their lives is to serve others irrespective of the heat, cold, wind, or any other eternal circumstances. With such tolerance, they still are willingly producing fruits and flowers for others and also provide refuge for birds, animals, and humans at times.
The difference between animal and human bodies is animal body is useful even after death while humans are useful only until they’re alive. Therefore, if you want to make your life useful and successful, four things are suggested by the scriptures. pranayair arthair dhiya vaca – pranayair use your life, arthair use your wealth, dhiya use your intelligence, vaca uses your words, for what? sreyan aca – that is to do good for yourself and to do good for others by serving others.
Avoid meat eating
There are severe consequences of meat-eating. There are economic, health, environmental, moral, and spiritual reasons that suggest why one must adapt to a dirty filled with vitality. It is widely known fact that all the cells in our body get completely replaced within a three months period. Thus, whatever we eat becomes the bricks in building our system.
And these cells basically grow from what we eat. If we are trying to satisfy ourselves at the expense of someone else’s life how can there be any satisfaction within? We are trying to be peaceful by killing and slaughtering someone and it is quite foolish to think it is possible. Yep, the best way to become satisfied is to love and be loved. To develop compassion for other animals is one of the ways to share our love. But if insensitivity and indifference towards killing animals persist and blind our eyes from seeing dead corpses being served on our plates, such compassion cannot develop.
Train mind to situate on principles of Satisfaction
sada santusta manasah
sarvah sivamaya disah
sarkara kantakhadibhyo
yathopanat padah sivam
“For a person who has suitable shoes on his feet, there is no danger even when he walks on pebbles and thorns. For him, everything is auspicious. Similarly, for one who is always self-satisfied, there is no distress; indeed, he feels happiness everywhere.” (SB 7.15.17)
So, the feeling of satisfaction is like a covering over the mind like how a pair of suitable shoes protect our feet. And our mind is protected when it is covered with satisfaction and happiness derived from such contentment. Because success is getting what you like but satisfaction and happiness are liking what you get.
Insulate the intelligence with transcendental knowledge
Intelligence misused is highly destructive. After covering the mind with satisfaction, intelligence needs to be insulted by the transcendental knowledge of Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. Such scriptures bestow the feeling of gratitude to the Supreme Lord and take us down the path to living a life of satisfaction.
Spiritualise your desire
Ice and water are made of the same components. Ice is a solid form and water is a liquid state. Whereas, they possess opposing qualities. Like, water has the power to make a heavy ship float whilst an iceberg possesses the power to drown the same ship. Likewise, our desires can be beneficial or irrevocably damaging to our consciousness. Thus, Spiritualising our desires is extremely important. Spiritualizing desires means changing the motive of our desire to enjoy to the desire to see others in joy. Acting from a place of selflessness and utilizing our desire in the service of the Lord, for his satisfaction can bring us an immense feeling of contentment.
Feast on Krishna Prasadam
How is it possible to feel satisfied when we are feasting like beasts? It is possible. In Krishna Consciousness, the way to attain satisfaction is by satisfying the Supreme Lord. One of the easiest ways to do that is by lovingly cooking delicacies from the fruits, vegetables, and other raw ingredients provided by the Lord and offering it to him with devotion. When he tastes the food made with devotion and gratitude, he is completely satisfied. Since he resides within all of our hearts as paramatma or Supersoul, we too feel that satisfaction in return. Actually, after tirelessly cooking for the Lord, we can even experience almost no appetite because we worked simply for his pleasure and not for ours. By honoring the remnants of the Lord as prasadam, we lose interest in seeking material pleasures through our senses.
Yield
The final step is to yield in front of the Supreme Lord and surrender ourselves at his lotus feet. Submission to God is the safest pillow to rest on. Because, when we submit our false ego and independence to the Lord, we are also accepting his desires as ours and agreeing to work under his will. By becoming the instrument in his sweet will, we greatly please him. The concluding message of Bhagavad Gita is “Mam ekam saranam vraja.” Krishna says to Arjuna to ultimately surrender unto him. In the age of Kali, Krishna in the form of Lord Caitanya preached chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord as the easiest way to surrender ourselves to God. Thus, the simple method of surrender is to chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra – Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!
