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Who am I

Success in life begins with knowing, "Who am I? What is the purpose of my life?" Knowledge of the self exists; but sincere seekers are rare. More rare are the great teachers of such wisdom. Since time immemorial, wise men have described our wonderful nature: spiritual, primeval, ever-existing, undying, unchangeable, imperishable. This selection of the writings of Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa (Chris Butler) shares that timeless wisdom — inspiring, challenging , practical.
 
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Home arrow Self Surrender by Bhaktivinode Thakur arrow Self Surrender - The Spiritual Poetry Of Bhaktivinode Thakur (pg 1-4)
Self Surrender - The Spiritual Poetry Of Bhaktivinode Thakur (pg 1-4) PDF Print E-mail
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About Bhaktivinode Thakur

The intimate student of Srila Jagannath das Babaji and the spiritual master of Srila Gaurkisor das Babaji, Bhaktivinode Thakur was the pioneer of the program to inundate the entire world with Vedic wisdom.

If we look back one century we would find Vaishnavism, with its pure origin in the deep and majestic spiritual philosophy of Lord Chaitanya, in a degraded condition. It was the spiritual attempts and divine writings of Bhaktivinode Thakur that turned the scale and led the intelligent and educated community to follow the noble precepts and teachings of Lord Chaitanya and inspired a program to spread the teachings of Lord Chaitanya to every town of the world.

ONE

1
Sri Krishna Chaitanya, the Supreme Lord,
out of divine pity for jiva,
With His Own associates and His Own abode descending.

2
The Love of God that can only be obtained with the utmost difficulty to give freely away,
Teaches to take refuge in Him; a resignation that is the very life of the devotee,

3
Lowliness of the spirit, dedication of self, loving acceptance of Him as protector,
Cherishing faith that Krishna will surely protect,

4
Assenting only to acts that are conducive to devotion,
Promising to renounce conduct that is adverse to it ?

5
In these sixfold ways, whoever takes refuge in Him,
His prayer reaches the ears of the gracious child of Nanda,

6
At the feet of Rupa and Sanatana holding the straw between the teeth
Falls Bhaktivinode clasping both the feet with his hands,

7
Crying all the while as he says: ?I am the vilest I do realize,
Teach thou me resignation and make me the worthiest?.

"Who am I?" Maybe you've never even asked yourself this question. You might think you already know who you are. Unfortunately, however, it's likely that you don't know who you are at all. And if you don't know your real identity, you're in trouble. You'll spend your life in a kind of dream state,you'll falsely identify yourself as something or someone you aren't. Then, on the basis of this false identification, you'll determine the goals of your life and the purpose of your existence. You use these goals to gauge whether you are making "progress" in life, whether you are a "success." And you are aided and abetted in this delusion by a complex network of relationships with other dreamers. Of course, at death (and sometimes before), the whole thing turns into a nightmare.

So knowing who you are is a very practical necessity. The question "Who am I?" is not a philosophical football meant to be kicked around coffeehouses by pseudo-intellectuals. It's a real-life question. Nothing is more important and more relevant than to know who you are.
Science of Identity Foundation | Jagad Guru Speaks


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