FULFILLMENTS IN OUR LIVES:

There are five kinds of fulfillments or stages in our lives. Audio: https://www.dropbox.com/s/76pk7q8l9967wed/FULFILLMENTS%20IN%20OUR%20LIVES.m4a?dl=0

1. Physical Fulfillment- A stage of survival: Annamaya Kosha: Anna means food: The hierarchy of fulfillment starts with the basic necessities. We require food, clothing and shelter for our survival; without basic necessities it is difficult to focus anywhere else in our lives. In this primitive stage of life, survival is the only purpose of life. In the fast running modern world, cars, smartphones, laptops....are also basic necessities for survival....and Facebook & WhatsApp too..... LOL 😂. 

2. Safety Fullfillment: Pranamaya Kosha: Prana means life: Once we have enough items for survival, we look for safety & security. Besides food & fun, the next important thing is to protect or defend ourselves and increase our longevity. In short, Stage 1 & 2 are all about āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam—Eating-Sleeping-Mating-Defending. Bird, beast, insect or fish; everyone is busy behind survival. "Where is food? Where is shelter? Where is a mate? How do I defend myself?" Man is also doing the same business, but in more sophisticated ways...LOL. 😂 

3. Emotional Fulfillment: Manomaya Kosha: Mana means mind: After stage 1 & 2, the individual pursues emotional fulfilment through a meaningful bond with family, friends, community, society, other creatures & nature.

4. Intellectual & Ego Fulfillment: Vigyanmaya Kosha: Vigyan means knowledge: Throughout our lives we try to fulfill intellectual & ego by acquiring more knowledge, wealth, power, achievements and fame in the society. By our own life experiences and observations of the world around us, we realize that there is a lot of struggle to acquire material pleasure in this world. Even when acquired, it is unsatisfying because of the body’s limited capacity to enjoy these pleasures and it is also affected by diseases & age and finished with death. Material pleasures taste like nectar in the beginning but like poison in the end...LOL 😂.

5. Spiritual fulfillment: Anandmaya Kosha: Anand means bliss: It is a stage of inner transformation & Bliss. A spiritual Journey begins with “Athato Brahma Jijnasa" is the 1st aphorism of Vedanta Sutra or Brahmā Sutra. It means that I have inquired & enjoyed enough of the worldly mundane subjects & object matters, but now it is time to inquire about Myself & the Absolute truth (God) - the cause of all the causes. This is only possible in the human form of life. With further evolution of our consciousness by spiritual knowledge & associations of like minded people we can experience inner satisfaction, peace & everlasting joy or Bliss. Spiritual development brings the four C’s: commitment, compassion, carefreeness & cheerfulness in our actions & activities. 

Here In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna says that

TEXT 3: Bg 7.3: Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.

Bg:13-12:— Accepting the importance of self-realization; and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth (God) – all these I declare to be knowledge, and besides this whatever there may be is ignorance. ( Vedabase.io).

It is easy to say, but difficult to follow. I am in the same boat with everyone else, or I may even be behind, but thinking in the right direction will help us to go in the right direction.    

The article is based on https://iskconnews.org/mr-motivator-2,7479/

THANK YOU. 

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MY SPIRITUAL INSPIRATION , SOURCE & THE GURUS:

I am inspired to hear & read the Vedic Scriptures by regularly listening to Sri Pandurang Shashtri Athvale, also known as Dadaji ( speaks on Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Veda based discourses & western philosophy ) and the association of Swadhyay Parivar every Sunday in Swadhya Kendra. 

I also hear and read the discourses & literature on Vedic thoughts from Srila Prabhupada, his disciples & grand disciples ( HH Bhakti Rasamitra Swami, HH Chaitanya Charandas Prabhu, Shubha Vilas Prabhu, Vraja Vihari Dasa, Sutapa Das, Amarnath Dasa, HH Bhakticharu Swami, HH Urmila Devi Dasi, HH Sivarama Swami, HH Radhanath Swami, HH Romapada Swami, Lal Govind Prabhu (Gujarati & Hindi), Prahalad Maharaj in Surat (Gujarati) .......and many more from ISKCON......). 

FYI: A good source of Vedic literature: Vedabase.com Srimad Bhagavad Gita is the essence & Srimad Bhagavatam (SB) is the nectar of all Vedic scriptures. Repeatedly hearing/reading & meditating the Scriptures, Eating Sanctified Pure Food and Chanting or Hearing the Vedic Mantras are nourishing to our heart (Soul), transcendental to our consciousness, purifying to our senses and thus helps us to overcome our weaknesses or deficiencies. Yes, we do have good qualities within us but there is always a room for improvement. 

It is always a good idea to share our good thoughts & knowledge with others. Thanks to the Facebook & Social media for providing me the platform. Of course I use Smartphone & Google search to collect some data. 

Besides my parents, wife, teachers, family & friends GREATFUL to EVERYONE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED in MY LIFE. Hopefully my enthusiasm will continue by Grace of the Guru & God (Krishna , Absolute Truth).

NOTE:

Many times a word Hearing is used instead of Listening when it comes to the Scriptures. Because Scriptures are so potent that simply by Hearing them even if you don’t try to interpret or analyze or understand them still there will be passive positive effects on our mind & senses.

We can follow either the Quran, Bible,Torah, Tripitaka-Buddhism, Agama-Jainism, Guru Granth Sahib-Sikhism, Gita or any other Philosophy which makes sense to us, purifies us, elevates our consciousness and qualifies us to understand God and instill the love of God & his creation. (whichever way we can understand God — either Personal with many names or Impersonal as an universal consciousness & energy).

Don’t try to understand God by Name, Religion or Depiction (means image, picture...etc) but try to understand him by the Definition through Scriptures. The Transcendental subject of God & his creation cannot be understood by mental speculation. Some times people ask why God is Supreme? It is just like asking why is the circle circular? Just by definition, the circle is circular. Similarly by definition, God is unborn, complete, unlimited, infinite, eternal, the Absolute Truth the source of everything, cause of all causes. 

I see God, besides the above mentioned qualities, as an eternal living person (not a abstract or some kind of light) known by the name KRISHNA meaning one who attracts everyone has also MANY other NAMES, forms, abodes, incarnations, activities, qualities, associates, is full of wisdom, bliss, and the cause of all causes.

Here Lord says in Gita

Bg 9.17 — I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable oṁ. I am also the Ṛg, the Sāma and the Yajur Vedas.

TEXT 18: Gita 9.18: I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed.

Bg:13-12:— Accepting the importance of self-realization; and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth ( God ) – all these I declare to be knowledge, and besides this whatever there may be is ignorance. ( Vedabase.com ).