Tree of life - session notes

My notes from a meeting - HG Bhuta Bhavana Prabhu - Tree of Life - 18th January

Mentors meeting  with HG Kripamoya Prabhu and others.

Prequel

1) HH Sachinanadana Swami was asked for guidance by Pandava Sena UK for a holistic process for devotion for life.

2) His Holiness has developed the "Tree of Life" and has shared with Pandava Sena

3) HH Bhuta Bhavana Prabhu was asked to share this with Bhaktidevanda Manor mentors, and hence the meeting.

Introduction

1) There needs to be a balance in life.

2) Those that do well in KC are those who have this balance and thus are well situated.

3) Please rate yourself in three areas

A) Roots - A proper sadhana, hearing, chanting, reading, serving, association.

B) Trunk - physical, emotional, job, money - supportive things

C) Crown - social work, i.e. KC services, reaching out, serving, preaching, mentoring

Roots

1) One very senior Vaishnava has said "The problem in our movement is too much hearing and reading"

2) If we eat too much food and thus the food is not digested properly, we will become ill.

3) Similarly if hearing and reading is not digested properly, then we have some problems

4) We do need to meditate on our own lives when we hear and read.

5) Quality is important, Quantity will come later

6) The correct process to hear and read is

A) We hear or read.

B) We meditate on what we have read and read, in relation to our life.

C) We apply what we have read and read, to our lives.

D) We sincerely pray for realization of what we have read and heard, in our life.

7) In this way we will be able to digest what we have read or heard.

 

Trunk

1) Wanting to live beyond our means is not sattvic(goodness)

2) Working for needs is sattvic (goodness)

3) Working for wants is rajasic(passion)

4) Living within our means, for our needs is ok

5) Living for wants is greed and will reflect in our behaviour

6) Same with the mind, in fact "Satisfaction is the austerity of the mind"

Bhagavad Gita 17:16 "And satisfaction, simplicity, gravity, self-control and purification of one's existence are the austerities of the mind."

7) For the body we need good diet, healthy sleep, cleanliness, exercise, recreation, healthy lifestyle.

8) It is mentioned that Intelligence is the function of sleep, when we have bad sleep, in our conditioned state we will have bad Intelligence, and bad Intelligence would mean bad decisions.

9) Three modes interactions with people

Exchanging insults - Tamah guna(ignorance)

Exchanging desires - Rajo guna(passion)

Exchanging knowledge - Sattava guna (goodness)

10) Being in sattava Guna helps us know what is to be done and what is not to be done

11) For a realized person body can be neglected, but we should be very conscious of the fact that we are still very much conditioned.

12) Set small goals, with help of seniors and when you meet those small goals, then you gain more confidence.

13) That way we become more successful and gain prowess in various aspects of devotion.

14) Be careful! "Power corrupts and Absolute power corrupts absolutely"

15) As we gain more and more prowess and more people follow us, then we must also become more and more humble, or else we will fall down, due to controlling others, for our own use and our own glory!"

16) Always the equation is "Genuine ingrained humility > Spiritual prowess"

Crown

1) Developing empathy is extremely important; it is a must at all times.

2) Putting ourselves in the shoes of others, this will help develop empathy.

3) Never putting ourselves in the shoes of others, will never develop empathy.

4) When we are empathetic, then being compassionate towards others is easy.

5) Also when we are empathetic then our heart holds no grudge, the heart is light, as we already understand others from their point of view.

6) Few points to remember when we do not feel empathetic or compassionate towards someone in particular

A) All are equal

B) All experience misery in the same way

C) To eradicate misunderstanding requires some serious effort from us

7) Try and always emphasize common things between us, it is simpler when we have common things to share. No need to focus time and attention on things not common between us.

8) Not all people will have all things common with us.

9) An old HG Kripa Moya Prabhu statement repeated by HG Bhuta Bhava Prabhu

"People do not care what you Know ! Unless they know that you really care about them"

10) Always pray for insight and permission to inspire

11) It is never "you vs them”, instead it is "you, Sri Krishna and them"

12) Behind all of our envy is a need, see if we have a need and can we satisfy it in a KC way

13) Needs could be

A) Security

B) Significance

C) Satisfaction

D) Self Expression

E) Socialization

F) Spiritual Direction

14) We could have the following complaints as examples

A) These devotees are not co-operative

B) These devotees are not personal

C) These devotees do not understand me

D) These devotees are selfish

E) These devotees are not sincere

F) These devotees do have a loving nature

15) What we actually mean is

"These devotees do not recognize me as important enough and will not do what I want them to do"

16) Again controlling mentality.

17) We have to change or what we do to others will come back to us

18) This is what will happen to us (nothing happens by chance)

A) We are not co-operative, and hence Sri Krishna sends us people who are not co-operative, so we know what it is like and change ourselves.

B) We are not personal, and hence Sri Krishna sends us people who are not personal, so we know what it is like and change ourselves.

C) We are not very understanding of others, and hence Sri Krishna sends us people who do not understand us, so we know what it is like and change ourselves.

D) We are selfish, and hence Sri Krishna sends us people who are selfish, so we know what it is like and change ourselves.

E) We are not sincere, and hence Sri Krishna sends us people who are not sincere, so we know what it is like and change ourselves.

F) We do not love others, and hence Sri Krishna sends use people who do not love us, so we know what it is like and change ourselves.

19) So when we see a bad quality in others, know that it is Sri Krishna instructing us and thus we do not act that way

20) When we do act in this way sincere, personal, loving etc... We may see that no one is actually appreciating us, and then our tendency is to be morose

21) Do know that at all times Sri Krishna knows we are doing the right thing and just be happy in that knowledge that Sri Krishna appreciates us.

Discussion on values and competencies

1) Values have to be same to get along with people and become deep friends.

2) Competencies can be different for people with same values

3) We have to deeply respect, appreciate and be friendly to people of all values.

4) Relationships are built on common values

5) We should do the austerity to know what people like and talk to them about what they like and value.

6) Talking to someone about what we like and we value for hours is not right.

7) They may patiently hear us but we may have frustrated them, then we think why they avoid us later

8) Talking to someone about reading books for hours when this person loves Kirtan, is not correct.

9) Not all people will be inspired by and value the exact same things as us, we need to recognize that.