The Game Commentary which can help you to win your game

Cricket commentary or for that matter any sport's commentary has the magical power of making viewers and listeners fall in love with the sport or vice-versa. Commentary enriches the sport and takes it to a whole new level; and the past few years have seen the influx of witty and researched minds that have something positive to offer the cricket fan every time, be it Harsha Bhogle with his liveliest voice and honest opinions or a Sanjay Manjrekar with his crisp tone and perfect analysis. First commentary was broadcasted through radio in 1922 in a Testimonial match for Charles Bannerman [Test cricket’s first centurion] at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Game commentary gives detailed account of action happening in stadium via medium of radio or TV, especially for those who are not in stadium. Surprisingly scriptures also gives us the account of that historical commentary which was spoken and written down 5000 years ago when there was major war being played between righteous and wicked kings of the world, Pandavas and Kauravas. The king Dhritarashtra couldn't participate in war but he had desire to know what's happening on battlefield of Kurukshetra. Then his minister Sanjaya, who had mystic powers narrates to Dhritarshtra the action in the climactic battle of Kurukshetra. This commentary is known as Bhagavad Gita. The entire Bhagavad Gita is Sanjay's recital to Dhritarashtra of the conversation between Arjuna and Krishna. Sanjaya was the first person apart from Arjuna to listen to the Gita as it was being instructed.

Sports commentaries are for specific time and for specific people e.g. football commentary can't be used for cricket match, even we have never heard that someone reciting or repeating it over again and again for same kind of play. But uniqueness of Bhagavad Gita is that although it was spoken to Arjuna during battle to tackle his problems it is still useful for all of us. It provides the universal principles of life management for everyone for all times to come. It never gets stale like commentaries of an ordinary sport. Not only that but also First commentator Sanjaya was getting thrilled at every moment while narrating it, he was rejoicing again and again(BG 18.76-77).

Our life is no less than any game or battle. Everyday we have to face so many challenges, oppositions, provocations and disturbances. Many times our enemy or objector is not someone from outside but from inside, it's our own mind. Gita not only teaches us to deal with external enemy which creates physical harm but also with internal enemy which is much more powerful and can create psychoemotional harm. Lord spoke Gita to invoke hope in the hopeless heart of Arjuna who had decided to quit the war and ready for begging. The impact of Gita was so solid on Arjuna that not only he fought the war but also won the war. In conclusion sport commentaries can give us analysis and report of sports but can't teach about the life's sport, can't guide us on our individual life's journey for victory, the true happiness. But if one hears Gita, the divine commentary, narrated by Sanjaya to Dhritarashtra, with submissive heart like Arjuna, and follows the principles of it can snatch the victory from loosing hands in all events of life(BG 18.78).

By Rupesh Gauranga Dasa 

What's new about news?

News are integral part of life, our day starts with watching or reading the breaking news while sipping a tea or a coffee. News are rich source of information of things happening around the corners of the world. Billions of newspapers are published every single day, there are thousands of news channels telecasting and updating us at every moment. Trillions of dollars are invested in news related businesses.

But if you analyse carefully news doesn't change with the time, it is same all the time. Similar kind of problems such as terrorism, corruption, abuse, death, theft etc we find everyday in news, only a performer, place and time of performance is changed. We have seen there are so many people who actually take so much interest in watching, reading, contemplating and revising same news over again and again. But we need to introspect over the significant benefits of news apart from some information. We must think over the questions like is this news taking me anywhere, is that making any change in my lifestyle or attitude or nature or habits or bringing transformation of my mind and heart? We haven't heard of anyone yet whose heart is changed or anyone whose character is developed by reading or watching a news.

Humans by nature are very curious and inquisitive, they are eager for knowledge, especially the knowledge which will make them happy. And if this inquisitiveness is not dovetailed in proper way then they take shelter of mundane knowledge which is actually not so beneficial for them. I am not against the news but we must not waste our precious time on chewing the subject matter discussed in it rather one must contemplate on how can we get rid of these problems (corruption, death, disease etc.) of life 'permanently' to lead our life with bliss and satisfaction.

News while giving description of problems doesn't give any substantial solution over such issues or crisis. On the other hand we have the scriptures, which does not only give us information of this entire material cosmos but also update us about transcendental cosmos which is 'Nitya-Navanavaymana'- always new and fresh. Like a news, scriptures also describe material problems lead by birth, old age, disease and death but it offers us solution and guidance not only to deal with such troubles of life but also to avoid these troubles in next life in most practical way.

“Now, how can we transfer our thoughts from the material energy to the spiritual energy? There are so many literatures which fill our thoughts with the material energy – newspapers, magazines, novels, etc. Our thinking, which is now absorbed in these literatures, must be transferred to the Vedic literatures. The great sages, therefore, have written so many Vedic literatures, such as the Purāṇas. The Purāṇas are not imaginative; they are historical records.”

“Just as materialists engage their minds in reading newspapers, magazines and so many materialistic literatures, we must transfer our reading to these literatures which are given to us by Vyāsadeva; in that way it will be possible for us to remember the Supreme Lord at the time of death.”
-Excerpt From: His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. “Bhagavad-gita As It Is.” Introduction.

By Rupesh Gauranga Dasa

Are we patient of impatience ?

If you're too impatient, you can make rash decisions with terrible consequences. If you're too patient, you can waste vast stretches of your life pursuing the wrong goals. On one side are rocks, and on the other is a vast vortex. And you must guide your ship between the two. - Anonymous

I remember when I was hospitalised, whenever doctors would come for visit I asked them only two questions several times. When I will get cured? And When you will free me? And they would reply, 'soon'. I was really getting frustrated and loosing my patience. Later I realised, it's not that doctors want me to be there for longer but it's my disease which was really deep and serious, that was holding me back.

Generally we want things to be done quicker and faster, but everything takes time. One has to wait patiently for results. No one has become rich or successful overnight. After sowing mango seeds one can't expect fruits on next day, in fact it takes few decades for a tree to bear the fruits. Even if you invest money in bank or shares it takes time to get good interest. It takes time for progressing from KG to PG. In relationship also one has to invest time, one has to wait for relationship to grow. Getting irritated or panic over the issues doesn't solve them. So better try to tolerate unavoidable situations without getting irritated.

Similarly when one comes to spirituality he expects things to go fast. People say, I am being a practitioner from so many years still no change? Does it actually works? Yes it works but process takes time. And this time depends upon sincerity of practitioner and seriousness of material disease which is deep rooted in the heart. Our conditionings and lower nature holds us back to this miserable world like a disease, more we detach ourself from such misgivings we take lesser time for perfection. In conclusion without loosing hope, doubting and switching goal one must continue on his spiritual sojourn patiently understanding that every single process takes time.

By Rupesh Gauranga Dasa

Fixing 'ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT'

It's extremely annoying when during the most important work your computer fails to connect to a server and you don't know how long it will take to fix the problem again. Even in case of gadgets a little absence of network connection makes people feel insecure and disturbed. Connection is very important part of life, people wants to remain connected with others, that is very natural for all of us.

Connection to proper source energises us, empowers us. For eg. As long as train's coaches are connected to an engine it will move, alone it can't. Not only that, connection also provides deep sense of love and feeling of security, For eg. connection to our family members gives us an experience of love and care. Connection fulfils our needs. But these all connections, may be with people or things, keep failing because they are time bound thus gives rise to miseries and frustration.

Just imagine small failure of internet connection disturbs us so much, how much pain we must be having at our spiritual core because of no connection with supreme server, the God from so many millenniums. Interestingly we don't realise such intense pain because we have been injected with anastasia of deep ignorance, we have forgotten our real identity. Even after knowing about spirituality we have hardly tried to fix this most important and sacred connection again which can give us everlasting bliss. We are trying to connect to a wrong server from so many years for our needs and that is a root cause of different problems in life.

It's an utmost urgency to set up this connection soon. We approach expert networking engineer to fix such network related issues, similarly a spiritual guide can help us to choose and to set up a lost connection with God. Just like without a proper connection expensive, high end computers and mobiles are of no use similarly without connection to supreme server, God, the priceless and rare human form of life is of no use.

Article Written by Rupeshgauranga dasa

Establishing Ramarajya within (part-1)

Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita(Ch. 16) explains about 2 kinds of created beings, divine and demoniac. It's not always that one who has big teeth, horns on head, unkept and unclean is a demon and one who is good looking and handsome is a demigod. The lord, rather than giving emphasis on the external looks of either one he focuses on their nature, attitude, qualities and behaviour.

We see in Ramayana that Manthra, who was a maid servant of kaikeyi was very duplicitous by nature. She had come to Ayodhya with kaikeyi thinking of her own enjoyment. She thought, Kaikeyi is younger and more beautiful than other 2 queens of Dasaratha, so she will soon become special of Maharaj, if I become servant of her then I also will be recognised as servant of an important queen. In fact when she came to know that Lord Ram is getting coronated as king she was very disturbed. And then she started poisoning Kaikeyi with her words. She was not actually concerned about Kaikeyi or her position, she was concerned about herself, what will happen to me if Ram becomes the king? She was apparently within Ramarajya but still her consciousness was not of Ramarajya, her mind was tuned with Ravanrajya where self enjoyment prevails over anything. She was wicked, she always opposed Ram, she had separatist mind, she wanted to separate Ram from his Ayodhya devotees.

On the other hand we have the example of Vibhishan, brother of Ravna. He was also great and powerful demon. Although staying in Ravanarajya and apparently serving Ravana, he had the consciousness which was inline with Ramarajya. He also gave the instructions to the Ravana, but these instructions were totally opposite of manthra's. He was convincing Ravana to return Sita back again to lord. And he knew if I speak against the ego of Ravana he may kill me but still he spoke against Ravana and glorified Ram. This show he was not concerned about his own life and pleasures. He was always thinking that how can I help for the union of Sita and Ram.

Similarly some of us may be staying very close to Ram, we may be associating with Ram in the form of his deity or holyname or his devotees but if we have the attitude like manthra then Ramarajya won't have any effect on us. On the other hand if somebody is staying in condition which unfavourable for devotional service but still if his attitude is like Vibhishana then while staying in that ghastly atmosphere he can experience Ramarajya. Yes, of course Ramarajya is physical thing but more than that it is a state of consciousness, manthra couldn't achieve it by being in Ramarajya where as Vibhishana achieved it being in ravanrajya.

Article written by Rupesh Gauranga Dasa

10 Lessons from T-20

In India cricket is larger than life. Most of us are drawn towards game because it's exhilarating, enjoyable and intoxicating. Our life is not less than any cricket match where life which is like a expert bowler keeps throwing balls at us in the form of different challenges. Unless one is trained physically, psychologically and spiritually it's difficult to sustain on pitch of life. Here are some lessons from gentleman's game.

1)Game of uncertainty
 Nothing is certain in cricket except its uncertainty. It is not likely that a batsman will hit every ball of an over for six; that a last wicket stand will add three hundred runs to the score; that a wicket-keeper will take off his pads and do the hat trick: none of these things are anything more than remotely possible, yet all of them have happened; and improbable events, interesting, exhilarating, something unbearably exciting, are happening every year that cricket is played.
Life is also very uncertain, who knows what will happen at next moment be ready to face or to catch each ball.

2)Turn the rare opportunity into best
Millions of children from all over the globe start learning cricket lessons but very few of them gets chance to play in first class cricket matches like IPL. Even those who get chance not all become successful cricketer. Whoever gets opportunity must try to become best player without getting diverted from outcomes or byproducts of cricket.
Similarly human form of life is very rarely achieved. Success of human life is to develop love of godhead. One whoever fails to achieve goal of human life he is just wasting his valuable time and energy. It's like a person who with hard labour reaches the mountain top not to make records but to commit suicide.

3)Be tranquil
 Sometimes batsman hit the centuries and sometimes he may go on 'duck' but without getting disturbed he should continue. Bad performance in some matches doesn't mean bad player or bad carrier.
Similarly there are many ups and downs in life, let's continue living it gratefully without getting disturbed. Try to do best in every single match, every day.

4)Forget the past, work on future
While batting if batsman thinks about his 'duck' performance of last match then he may not concentrate well on current match. Pondering over the past mistakes have to be done but not while the match is going on but during the practice sessions. Take it match by match, focus on what's in hand right now.
People have habit of cribbing and regretting about their past choices. While remembering the past they forget about their present and future opportunities.

5)Never underestimate opposition
Many times it's seen that smaller and supposedly weaker cricketing nations beat mighty nations. They want to win as much as other team.
Similarly in spiritual life we may feel that I have conquered over my opposite team consisting of mind and ego or my lower nature. But no, don't take risk always play safe.

6)Time is short
Batsman can't say, so many overs are remaining I will play nice in later overs or will perform outstanding later. Don't postpone the duties, overs are less in that too we don't know when batsman will 'out'.
 Life is very short, don't let it be so late in taking up devotional service.

7)Be Cooperative
Cricket demands team work for winning. Just imagine bowler is putting his all efforts in bowling but wicket keeper misses the catch each time intentionally, then whole efforts are waste.
Individually nothing is possible, either good or bad, cooperation is required in each game, at each stage of life. Alone how much can we do? Spiritual practices become easy when performed in cooperative association.

8)Be a proactive not a reactive
The best captains and teams are those who are proactive in their decision making, take the initiative and attack the game rather that's those who wait for something to happen and reacting to it.
Before life gives us challenges let's be ready for it physically, mentally and spiritually.

9)Be consistent
Some teams, some players are great in individual matches but over a period they can't keep their quality. The most successful people in any field are those who are consistent in their life, consistent in their performance.
Similarly spiritual aspirant needs to be consistent in his practices, doing too much spirituality one day and forgetting it for next few days won't work.

10)Be conscious of goal and be alert
On the pitch the player has to be conscious of his role. Anytime ball may come at him, for example if he is batsman then he has to be ready to face all kinds of balls(yorker, off-swing, in-swing etc) i.e. he should be ready for defence, if he is fielding he should be ready for 'catch'.
Similarly Maya Devi throws different challenges with various intensities in life if we are not alert and in defensive position which is acquired from krishna consciousness then we may go 'clean bold'.
Also cricket player attracts lots of name and fame and money that may affect his performance negatively. If he is conscious and serious about his goal i.e. To play well to win the match then he won't get affected by such allurements. As a humans we should be conscious and clear about our goal that will protect us from trap of Maya.


Article By Rupesh Gauranga Das
Sent by ISKCON Desire Tree
www.iskcondesiretree.com

He who fools us stays within us

We are staying in the world where we get cheated or fooled by people but more than anyone else our own mind who is staying within us has fooled us and still continues to do so. some of his tricks or ways of fooling are mentioned below-

1)By creating wrong picture of person or situation
Although one may have eyes to see but his vision depends upon mind. The person may be nice, situations may be a favourable but due to preconceived notions and impressions in mind one may misinterpret it. The best of the friend becomes worst enemy if mind sees him in that way. False and insignificant appears to be real and significant and vice a versa by mind's vision.

2)By false hopes and promises
Mind is like a cheater but pretends to be a good friend. Just like someone promises to give best of the things in exchange of money but after receiving money offers something very cheap in return or runs away with money. Similarly mind ask us to work hard for senses but the pleasure at the end we receive is so meagre and fractional. But still mind gives hopes saying this time you could not enjoy but let's try next time with whole energy, you will be the winner.

3)By convincing us
Mind is expert in convincing us about its plans for sense enjoyment. His arguments feels appealing to the conditioned. He convinces us to such an extent that we, eternal souls tries to seek permanent pleasure with impermanent things in this temporary world.

4)By depriving us
Gita calls mind to be an enemy that takes away our assets that are meant to understand our real nature. Mind keeps us controlled by his promising temptations, and most of us get hooked to it. Busy in trying to become blissful here in this world one completely forgets about his real identity as an eternal soul which by nature is always blissful and cognisant. Mind deprive us of our capacity to understand and enjoy pure bliss by alluring us for insignificant material pleasure.

5)By dishonest advice
Ideally senses should be controlled by mind and mind should be under intelligence. Mind doesn't want to get controlled by intelligence so he corrupts the intelligence and controls it, engages it in fulfilling own vicious wishes. Corrupted intelligence can no more give good advice rather just tries to fulfil the desires of mind.

Interestingly one who frees us(Krishna) stays also within us, in our heart as paramatma, when one looks at him, trusts him and follows him, then he guides us on our spiritual journey without fooling us.

Article By Rupesh Gauranga Dasa
www.iskcondesiretree.com