JKP Literature

The Saint

Why True Divine Love Can Never Be Faked?

Question We have been told that Shri Maharaj Ji’s divine body exhibits the eight symptoms of divine ecstasy Asht Sattvik Bhav. Is it not possible for someone to mimic or fake these expressions to dupe people? Answer: The symptoms of ecstasy of divine love manifest themselves in the body

Gyan and Gyanyog

Can a Gyani Truly Know the Divine Atma?

Question: We have been told that the mind and intellect are material entities while the atma is divine. We are also told that no material mind can ever comprehend the divine. So, how does the gyani comprehend the divine atma with a material mind? Answer Those who follow the path

Kusang

Forms of Kusang That Derail Devotion

This article is a continuation of Fight Kusang Before it Consumes You. To understand topic of Kusang (कुसङ्ग) in its entirety please read both articles. Recap: One needs to perform Sadhana bhakti to earn spiritual merit and always be on guard to avoid Kusang. Both of these have

The Soul, Material world and detachment

Carrot on a Stick: The Game We Didn't Know We're Playing

Question When I was in elementary school, my parents said to me, work hard for 6 years and you will graduate with flying colors. Once I graduated from elementary school and joined middle school, my parents said, “just” 4 more years of hard work and you will get admission in

Bhaktiyog

God Loves "Love"

Ordinary men in medieval India considered shoe-makers a low caste since cobblers work with animal hides. Yet, God adored Raidas, a shoe-maker. Why? What is so special about Raidas that God loved him? Four paths have been described in the Vedas as a means for spiritual upliftment. Each of these

Karma

Who Really Shapes My Fate?

In King Kuru's family King Dhritarashtra was born to Queen Ambika, the first wife of King Vichittravirya. After death of King Vichittra Virya, His mother Satyavati asked her first born sage Ved Vyasa to give Queen Ambika a son. So, Dhritarashtra was born from glance of Ved Vyas.

Paths to attain God

Which Religion is Right?

Uddhava, a dear friend of Lord Shri Krishna was the greatest Brahma Gyani (see gyan) in the age of Dwapar. He once asked Shri Krishna – वदन्ति कृष्ण श्रेयांसि बहूनि ब्रह्मवादिनः ।तेषां विकल्प प्राधान्

Karma

Sow with Wisdom, Reap with Joy

Broadly speaking, all things in the world are categorized as being either good or bad. Even the karma that one performs, is categorized as: * Good actions or sukarma (Devanagari: सुकर्म ISO15919: sukarma ) and * Bad actions or kukarma (Devanagari: कुकर्म ISO15919: kukarma ) Within the spiritual realm, the

Practical Sadhana

The Art of Attentive Listening in Bhakti

Question We have heard Shri Maharaj Ji's lectures numerous times. And we understand them and also believe what he is saying to be true. Then why do the teachings of saints not have any impact on us? Answer Jeev is eternal and so is God. Jeev has taken

Practical Sadhana

When Does God Reveal His Divine Form

We all strive to attain pure, ever lasting, ever new, ever increasing bliss. The bliss can only be attained by having complete, unwavering faith in God. Our scriptures tell a beautiful story about Dhanna Jat to elaborate this point: Dhanna Jat was a poor uneducated man who lived in a

Practical Sadhana

Is God to Be Loved or Feared?

God is Love and He is also the most lovable personality. However, out of ignorance, most people fear Him more than loving Him. Fearful of incurring His wrath, they perform devotion to Him with their physical bodies like their hands to perform aarti, lips to sing keertans. While they do

Practical Sadhana

When Faith Becomes Power

Once upon a time, thousands of years ago, there lived a notorious highway robber by the name of Ratnakar. Though Ratnakar was born in a Brahmin family, had chosen robbery as his profession to financially support his family.  He was a cruel, ruthless and merciless person. His modus operandi was

Forms of God and Descensions

Why Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Stands Apart

Shri Krishna is Brahma - Supreme God. All forms of God including the Trinity: Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar, who are the governors of the brahmand, are His subordinates. In the age of Kali yuga, the same Supreme Lord Shri Krishna descended [1]in the village of “Nadia” in West Bengal,

Practical Sadhana

I Solemnly Pledge

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj was born in Mangarh, a small village in north India in the state of Uttar Pradesh. In 1966 for the very first time Shri Maharaj Ji organized a month long Sadhana program in Mangarh. Its sole purpose was to give the seekers of God an

Bhaktiyog

Did Krishna Cross the Bounds of Modesty?

Many skeptics often question the relevance of the various incomprehensible divine pastimes of Shri Krishna. Cheer Haran Leela or the pastime of Shri Krishna where He stole the clothes of the Gopis while they were taking a bath is one of those pastimes. Shri Krishna’s leelas or pastimes are

Ultimate goal of life

What is The Ultimate Human Delusion?

The biggest delusion is called out in the Aranya Parva of the great epic Mahabharata. What is it? The 5 sons of King Pandu along with their wife Draupadi were nearing the end of their twelve-year exile in the forest. They had just entered into the thirteenth and final year

Ultimate goal of life

The True Independence Day

India’s Independence day is celebrated on August 15. It is on this day in the year 1947 that India became an independent nation, freed from the British colonial rule of over 200 years. This day is celebrated as a national holiday in India. The struggle for India's

Practical Sadhana

Mastering the Monkey Within

Mind is the doer. Actions performed by the mind or with the association of the mind are considered as actions. Actions performed by the senses alone without the involvement of the mind are not considered as actions. But the mind, by nature, is fickle, unrestrained, and ponders over things. The

Ultimate goal of life

Why Hurry up to Attain God?

Question : You say Jeev is anadi (beginning-less) and anant (endless). And God is also anadi and anant. So that means there is not shortage of time. When there is no dearth of time then why do you always tell us to hurry up and attain God? Answer : Yes, it is

Ultimate goal of life

Understanding the Mind’s Endless Craving

Whether it's an insignificant ant or the creator Lord Brahma, all the living beings have only one desire - attainment of Bliss. Upon deep contemplation it is understood every living being from a small ant to the creator Lord Brahma desires to attain bliss. Furthermore, it is understood

Bhaktiyog

Don't Love God

Don't love God? If NOT God who else should be loved? This is a contentious question. So, let us answer this question based on the eternal philosophy of divine love as explained by the fifth original Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, who was honored with the title of

Fruits of bhakti

What Bhakti Does Behind the Scenes

Shri Maharaj Ji has emphasized numerous times to have a solid grasp on tattva gyan [1] pertaining to bhakti. Tattva gyan ought to be so strong [2] that one does not need to put it into practice. Rather, it is so ingrained that you can’t make a choice which

Fruits of bhakti

Bhakti Enchants Shri Krishna

In the last few articles, we discussed five of the six characteristics of Bhakti, namely, kleśaghnīi [1], śubhadāi [2], mokṣalaghutākṛti [3], sudurlabhā i[4], and sāndrānandaviśeṣātmā i[5]. In this publication, we will talk about the sixth quality, śrīkṛṣṇākarṣiṇī, meaning that which can control even Shri Krishna. All powers remain

Fruits of bhakti

Bhakti Grants Intense Ecstasy

क्लेशघ्नी शुभदा मोक्षलघुताकृत् सुदुर्लभा। सान्द्रानन्दविशेषात्मा श्रीकृष्णाकर्षिणी च सा ॥ भक्तिरसामृतसिंधु kleśaghnī śubhadā mokṣalaghutākr̥t sudurlabhā। sāndrānandaviśeṣātmā śrīkr̥ṣṇākarṣiṇī

Fruits of bhakti

Bhakti Trivializes Liberation

In the last two publications, we discussed in detail how bhakti eradicates miseries [1] and bestows auspiciousness [2]. In this edition, we will explore how it makes mukti seem trivial.  There are three things that one can seek.  * Bhukti - the opulence of the material world such as health, wealth,