In the last article, it was explained how it is possible to remember God all the time, even while engaged in worldly activities. We will now learn some useful techniques to achieve constant remembrance of God at all times, in order to become successful Karmyogis.
Remembering God at all times sounds very ambitious, especially when one is engaged in worldly activities on a day to day basis. However, if Arjun could practice it during a war, why should we feel discouraged?
Practicing the presence of God
There is an effective technique which can be employed to practice remembering God throughout the day. Wherever you spend your day – at the office, in school, at home, etc – choose a location where you are going to mentally place Shree Krishna. It could be in front of your desk, or by the window, or in the air – the location is not important, as long as you fix a place. Before beginning your activities, visualize Him at that place and feel that He is watching you. Then start your work.
After that, every hour, stop what you are doing for a few moments to glance at the spot where you placed Shree Krishna. Remember that He is with you, and you are not alone. You do not have to take the time to visualize the details of His appearance – you only need to remember that He is there. This will habituate your mind to feeling His constant presence.
It also interrupts any negative or critical thinking that may be going on in your mind. Once you get used to this time interval, you can shorten it to every 30 minutes. When you become accustomed to that, then you can do it every 15 minutes. Eventually, you will find that you naturally feel Krishna’s continuous presence with you.
Whenever you get a longer break from your work – anywhere from one minute, to five minutes, or longer – instead of spending the time looking at your smart phone or in idle conversation, you can engage your mind in doing jap of Radha Krishna name. This is done silently, and in coordination with the breath.
One way to practice this is to silently say “Ra-” in your heart as you inhale, and “-dhey” as you exhale. Alternatively, you could say “Radhey” on the inhalation and “Shyam” on the exhalation. Aside from the obvious spiritual benefit of helping us towards our goal of remembering God all the time, this technique is also a powerful stress reliever. It instantly causes you to relax and deepen your breathing, and it puts you in a completely different mental space for a few minutes.
If you have to go somewhere, for example to another classroom or even to your car, there is another technique that can be used to feel that you are bringing Shree Krishna along with you. Place Him in your heart and then go on your way. When you reach your destination, again take Him out and place Him in a specific location near you so that you feel He is with you and watching you.
Implementing these techniques, along with deeply understanding the philosophy behind karm yog, will put us on the path to actually living the teachings of the Gita in our everyday life. When we do that, we will begin the process of gradual heart purification which is the true goal of spirituality. Regarding the benefits of karm yog, there are a few questions left unanswered.
How can I learn to implement the teachings of the Gita?
Swami Nikhilanand helps both young and old not only understand the philosophy of the Gita but also how to implement it in daily life. He says, “It’s not just a theory to be understood and filed away – it has to be lived. Only then will someone appreciate the value of what is taught in a scripture like the Gita. In his Family Gita classes, the highest teachings of the Gita that relate to God, soul, dharm, duty, karm yog, meditation, liberation, and enlightenment, etc, are broken down into simple and easy-to-understand modules in an interactive workshop format so that each child and parent understands how their life will improve if they decide to apply this knowledge into daily practice.
There is plenty of time for questions, and the kids are especially enthusiastic about getting the answers to long-held confusions about Hinduism. The adults benefit too, when they learn the nuances about the philosophy at a much deeper level. All in all, the family Gita class is an excellent opportunity for the whole family to gain a greater appreciation of Hindu heritage, culture, and religion.
“These are fun and interactive classes – there is even a friendly game of Jeopardy at the end of each hour-and-a-half session. But the topics covered have the power to really change a person’s life for the better. They learn things like how to balance spiritual practice with everyday demands of life in the world, whether it be at school, home, office or business; how to perform their duty without attachment; how to do their best, but not be attached to the results; how to develop a higher sense of duty and compassion for all living beings; how to develop a stronger sense of self; how to reduce stress; how to remain calm in all situations.”
Disciple of Shree Kripaluji Maharaj:
Swami Nikhilanand Ji is a Canadian born Hindu spiritual leader based in Austin, Texas. He is a sanyasi disciple and pracharak of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj.
Attracted to the teachings of Hinduism from a young age, Swamiji eventually let his deep spiritual longing lead him to India, where he was most fortunate to come under the guidance of Shree Kripaluji Maharaj. Thereafter, living in the ashrams of JKP, he extensively studied Hindi, the philosophy of the prime Sanskrit scriptures (Vedas, Darshan Shastras, Gita, Bhagwatam), and practiced meditation in the tradition of raganuga bhakti. In 2003, he was given sanyas.
Swamiji conducts weeklong Family Gita classes across various cities in the U.S. Through these enlightening sessions, Swamiji imparts the true knowledge of the Hindu heritage, tradition and universal principles to children and adults alike. For more information regarding upcoming Family Gita classes in your city, please visit http://www.familygitaclass.org/.
Swami Nikhilanand
