Page 16 - Ananda Mela 2016- Joyful Festival of India

person in the cycle of birth and death. He needs the guidance of a bona fide
spiritual master to overcome selfish desires. The guru can help the materially
mo vated person purify his material desires by steady devo onal service and
regular hearing and chan ng of the Lord’s names and pas mes. Gradually
the supplicant’s material desires transform into pure desires to please the
senses of the Lord. When the devotee desires to please the Lord by his ser-
vice and medita on, his dormant love and a achment for Krishna awakens.
He begins to serve the Lord spontaneously without any material mo ve.
Then Krishna looks a er the comfort and security of His devotee without be-
ing asked.

Krishna personally takes care of anyone who is completely engaged in His
devo onal service. Whatever the devotee has, the Lord protects, and what-
ever he needs, the Lord supplies. For the sincere devotee there is no need to
pray for material benefits. He simply focuses on glorifying the Lord’s name,
quali es, and pas mes with choice words and poetry. Real prayer is glorifica-

on of Lord Krishna and real yoga is following the dicta on of the Lord’s in-
struc ons. The cons tu onal posi on of all living beings is to carry out the
order of the Lord. If we fail to do this, we simply follow the dicta on of our
own lust, anger, greed and illusion and remain as prisoners of repeated kar-
mic sufferings.

Modern technology has advanced the decline of human civiliza on

The material world is a sort of prison in which the inmates (all living en es)
are meant to be reformed so that they can again a ain their natural exist-
ence of eternal life in the spiritual world. This is only possible in the human
form of life which is a ained a er many life mes of passage in the millions
of lower species of life. Once in the human form, if one is fortunate enough
to meet a genuine devotee of Lord Krishna, one can be trained to transform
the lust for sensual pleasures to love for Lord Krishna.

Previously in those places where Vedic Dharma was followed, many persons
a ained their righ ul place back in the spiritual world. Krishna tells Arjuna,
“All the liberated souls in ancient mes acted with this understanding of My
transcendental nature. Therefore you should perform your duty, following in
their footsteps.”(Bg 4.15) Krishna informs Arjuna that many persons before

16