How has Krishna consciousness made you a better person?

You don’t need to go into outer space to find people disappointed with life just because things didn’t go their way. Having experienced it, I can say that having a plan and seeing it replaced by somebody else’s is really not pleasant. That somebody else may be a friend, a parent, a foe, or even God. It’s still upsetting.

Krishna consciousness taught me to cultivate the acceptance of my situations. It has made me a very positive person who thinks that if this has happened, whether I expected it or not, there is a higher will playing its part. And with the passing of time, and a little bit of faith, a better future has always been unfolded to me, much better than what my plan would have led me to see. It helps me see the positive in every situation and makes me believe that what I will get in return is going to be completely worth it. (Rashi Parikh, Mumbai)

“Hmmm! I haven’t really changed,” a voice reverberates in my mind when I ask myself if Krishna consciousness has helped me to become a better person. But then a few seconds later I realize that this acceptance that I haven’t really changed is the beginning of a change. Probably, after living for a year with devotees, a seed of humility has been sown. As someone said, “look within for value and look beyond for perspective;” at least I have started to look within and develop acceptance of my real nature. Previously, it was vice versa: I had in fact, it’s still there the tendency to do self projection on others and believe my perspective of them is always right. The ability to empathize and understand the other person’s perspective was missing. There was no habit of looking within; everything was external to the mind and body, and all solutions always existed outside. In a lecture, I heard this statement: “We want to be judged by our intentions, not actions; but we judge others by their actions and not intentions.” This triggered a change in me. This thought struck me deeply and is carved in my mind forever. Since then I have been watching my actions very carefully and trying to understand others’ intentions. Though I haven’t yet got over my judgmental tendency, I believe I will someday. As His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja rightly said, “Fake it till you make it.” (Manish Goel)

The Secret To Happiness

The secret behind every smile and happiness is not a difficult thing to find. Many people in this world may feel it is money, fame, or power that is the reason for happiness.

My secret to happiness is none of them. My happiness was found when Lord Krishna and the ISKCON temple showed me a direction. My life, which was earlier filled with arguments, has changed and arguments have reduced to a minimum. Lord Krishna has given me the power of discipline to my life. I had never woken up before noon. Now it has been over a month that I wake up not later then 10 am. I know that this is still very late, but for a person like me that is a sense of direction. I never had a genuine smile on my face. Now I smile most of the time and I know it’s a genuine, effortless smile. I may have come to the temple in search of peace selfishly but Lord Krishna gave me much more than peace; the Lord gifted me with true happiness.

Materially my life is something that I am not proud of. At the age of 25, I am without a job, short of money, and not doing many things I want to, but still Krishna consciousness has made me peaceful and genuinely happy. The secret to my happiness is my developing faith in Lord Krishna. (Trishank Zaveri)