Message from Sri Sri Mrinalini Mata for Janmashtami 2015

Dear One,

As we join in the worldwide celebrations of Janmashtami, the birth anniversary of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, may you hear in your heart the soul-awakening song of that great avatar of divine love. The enchanting melody of Krishna’s flute symbolizes the inner call of God that draws us forward in our soul’s evolution, awakening a deep yearning for our lost kingdom of eternal life and joy. At the same time, Krishna’s life and his wisdom-guidance to Arjuna remind us that to regain that kingdom, we must cultivate the valour, the discipline and unbreakable resolve of a true spiritual warrior, who cannot be intimidated by all the inner and outer circumstances that try to divert us from that goal.

It may seem that everything in today’s world conspires to pull our attention outward — daily pressures and responsibilities, and the increased pace of change. The tendency of human nature is often to get discouraged or to rebel at those demands upon our attention, and to think that we could progress more quickly if only life were simpler. But as Gurudeva Paramahansa Yogananda has told us, “Sri Krishna’s message in the Bhagavad Gita is the perfect answer for the modern age, and any age: Yoga of dutiful action, of nonattachment, and of meditation for God-realization.” On the battleground where God and our karma have placed us, we are meant to learn the art of balanced living that brings victory over maya. The Divine does not guarantee us ideal outer circumstances. Instead He gives us something greater — the opportunities we need to gain strength and soul freedom. When various situations in life curtail your ability to meditate or seem to put obstacles in your path, use those circumstances to kindle in you a greater longing for God. Rouse your determination to find ways to inwardly be with Him — to practise His presence during activity, and to so train your mind that even in brief periods of inner communion you can give yourself wholly to Him. Outer conditions cannot bind us. It is our ego’s resistance and emotional involvement in them that entangles us in the world of maya. Likes and dislikes, and the worries arising from attachment to the fruits of our actions are often the greatest distractions. When we begin to let go of those attachments, and lay at the feet of God our best efforts as a simple offering of our love, we gain freedom and peace of mind, and a sense of inner balance whatever our circumstances may be.

By looking upon each situation as a means to draw closer to God, we will weave into the fabric of our life the constant thought of the Divine, and ultimately realize that not for a moment can we be apart from Him. As God conveyed to Arjuna: “He who perceives Me everywhere and beholds everything in Me never loses sight of Me, nor do I ever lose sight of him.”

May you feel that divine assurance sustaining and strengthening you in all of life’s experiences.