“once in a blue moon” comes to mind instantly. A blue moon refers to those few times when there are two full moons in a month. Similarly, this human body is our only chance to increase our Krishna consciousness, and thanks to Srila Prabhupada, we have the right tools and guidance to return back home, back to Godhead.- Kirtan Patel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
“A stitch in time saves nine. ”
Getting a birth in the human form is rare. Without wasting time we have to serve the senior devotees by total surrender and thereby revive our pure Krishna consciousness. We can thus avoid further cycles of birth and death for sure. One life is enough to go back to Godhead. There’s no need to take another nine births or more in a lower form and subsequently get degraded.- Meenakshi Veerapaneni Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
“Kill two birds with one stone. ”
Although I am not in favor of killing birds, I like to apply this saying to the fact that I can hear transcendental sound vibration while engaged in many other services. I listen to Krishna conscious CDs while getting ready in the morning, cleaning, cooking, driving, honoring prasadam, doing laundry, sewing, doing exercise, gardening, etc. While caring for children, I like to play kirtanas or children’s CDs so they too can always be hearing. I can even use a headset while walking or shopping.- Kamalini Devi Dasi Hillsborough, North Carolina, USA
“Smile and the world smiles with you.”
Whenever I go to my temple and listen to kirtanas or bhajanas or whenever I see devotees chanting in public, I’m reminded of this phrase. I’ve only been a devotee for a year, but even before I first decided to visit a temple, I knew about devotees, albeit as “those crazy people in orange who dance in the street and always seem stupidly happy.”
A year on, I’ve been fortunate to see the power of kirtana and harinama and the maha-mantra many times over. The temple I go to is right next to a bar/pub in a part of London renowned for its seedy shops and clubs, but over and over I’ve seen the power of Krishna’s name as passersby, tourists, and regulars to the bar next door can’t help but be pulled in by the sound of bhajanas before harinama. Some people dance like crazy. Some tourists dance while looking slightly confused. Some sing. Some stand, beer glass in hand, their drinking temporarily suspended as they watch devotees whirl and jump and sing.
But one thing all of these random people have in common they all look happy. Even if its just for a moment, the power of Krishna’s name and the happiness and bliss it brings really is infectious.
I think that when you smile for Krishna, the whole world can’t help but smile with you.- Anna Mace London, England
People say,“ You only go around once, ”
meaning that we should try to squeeze as much pleasure out of life as possible. In the Bhagavad-gita, however, we learn that we’ve been going around and around for ages. Not only is it false that we only live once, it’s also very bad advice to pursue sense gratification as the goal of life. A Krishna conscious version of this expression might be: Human life is a rare opportunity to make spiritual advancement, so don’t waste it pursuing sense gratification.- Bhagavan acarya Dasa Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA
“I love you.”
Love is the most powerful human experience, but it fills us with misery because it contains selfish interests that are never fulfilled. We simply have to direct our love to Sri Radha-Madhava and serve Them in loving devotion. Their Lordships are always showering us with Their mercy, Their love. One in Krishna con consciousness experiences true love. “I am a soul who loves the Supreme Personality of Godhead and wants to serve Him.” This realization frees us from miseries and gets us love of Godhead.- Shivali Arora Kolkata, West Bengal
“Kill two birds with one stone. ”
In the Bhagavad-gita Krishna talks about many paths for spiritual advancement and self-realization. However, He makes it crystal clear that to achieve Him there is only one path: bhakti-yoga. He states that with this one path a person can achieve all the benefits of other paths, such as karma-yoga, jnanayoga, and astanga-yoga.
Bhakti-yoga is the one-stroke path recommended by Krishna if we want to save time in achieving self-realization in one lifetime. Other paths take several lifetimes to achieve purity of heart and control of the senses and mind. Such accomplishment does not lead to love of Godhead, the ultimate goal, because bhakti is necessary even after getting perfection in other yoga systems. Therefore go with one-stroke bhaktiyoga, devotional service to Lord Krishna.- Vitthalbhai D. Mistry Austin, Texas, USA
“I love you.”
This expression is used between lovers, spouses, friends, parents and their children, even owners and their dogs. Countless books, movies, experts, and industries explore love’s varied, complex dimensions: What exactly is love? Is it something biological, chemical, physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual? Is it lasting or fleeting? Is it solid or fluid? Are we born possessing it, or does it develop over time?
True love is totally unselfish, unmotivated, uninterrupted, and unconditional. In the highest abode and origin of love, Goloka Vrndavana, the greatest love exists between Krishna and His beloved devotees. There is no ending to that pure love it goes on increasing eternally. The next moment is greater than the last. Love truly knows no bounds there.
“I love you” takes on full force in that realm of ever-flowing, everexpanding love (prema).- Hardik Kaswala Unadilla, Georgia, USA
“You’ve made your bed, now lie in it.”
You made a decision and now must accept its consequences. That is our condition in material consciousness. It may be difficult to accept, but everything, especially what we see as “bad,” is the result of our own actions. We can of course make a new bed, figuratively speaking, by discovering our own spiritual identities and doing what comes naturally in our relationship with Krishna and His devotees before we got into the bed of thorns laced with sense enjoyment.- Milind Joshi Toronto, Ontario, Canada