Anecdotes

There was a time when I was on the brink of ending what I thought was a meaningless existence when out of nowhere a friend whom I had not seen or heard from in years called and expressed how much she missed me, and I realized that there was still a reason to live. 

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Because I am not formally initiated, some of my god-brothers are saying that I have no connection to my guru whom I studied and followed the teaching and the best I can I am trying to serve. I thought that they were my god-brothers but they are not; because for them I have no connection to their Guru whom I consider is my Guru also. For them I am an outsider, someone who doesn't belong to the league of initiated disciple. But It doesn't matter, their belief has not much importance to me. They are not my Guru and I don't believe what they are saying. Religion is a personal relationship with God, it is not a group thing, and it's my life.  I am the one who is experiencing the result of my action. I am the one who is experiencing the changes in me. I am happier, I become better than I was before. I know and I feel that I have a connection to the Supreme Person. I am reaping and tasting the sweet fruit of my devotion.

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 "Can I talk to my son (on the phone)?" I begged my ex-wife, who had practically stolen my son from me and brought him to another country. She said, "OK, I will let you talk to him, but on one condition, you will not tell him that you are his father." The condition was unfair but I am begging and beggars can't demand more than the thing that he is asking for. I complied with the deal. I talked to my son whom I had not seen in years and I didn't tell him that I was his father. It was a weird experience. It hurt me deeply. But it didn't kill me; therefore it but made me stronger. This incident occurred many years ago. But yes, I have had my fair share of heartache in dealing with seemingly an "alienating parent" also

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Envy is inherent in everyone and it is everywhere. It is in workplace, churches, on social media; it is everywhere. Envious people follow and watch others' every action, but they will not like or love. They may be your friend, kin, or brother. They are not your enemies, but they are not your allies. But when it is with you and overpowers you, you are as good as dead. You are insecure, fearful, restless, and unhappy. Beware of envy, it is the ultimate enemy of the soul. We are imprisoned in this place called Mrtyaloka (the planet of death) because of envy, which is rooted in our being envious of God. It is an spiritual ailment, a disease of the soul. For as long as we have envy we will never be truly happy, we will not experience real love. We'll remain prisoners of lust.

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 "The greatest bondage is having an excessive attachment to material things. True freedom comes from being emancipated from the shackles of materialistic existence." 

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  According to Google, "Stubbornness is the ugly side of perseverance. Those who exhibit this attribute cling to the notion that they're passionate, decisive, full of conviction, and able to stand their ground—all of which are admirable leadership characteristics. Being stubborn isn't always a bad thing. The first thing I learned from my Guru is discernment, to study and introspect, to not simply believe anyone's teachings, including his, and to somehow be stubborn (as some of my enemies and friends when talking behind my back called me). I take the word stubborn as a compliment; it reminds me of my unflinching faith in the word of my teacher, which I stubbornly believe and follow.

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