Samarpan - Dedicate Your God-Given Talents to the Lord, September 2018

"Whatever one does with body, words, mind, senses, and intellect, in accordance with one's individual nature, should be offered to the Supreme Lord Narayan."

(Bhagavad Gita 5.29)

From the Editor's Desk

Often, we separate devotion from our daily life; we look upon devotion as something performed in the pooja room or at the temple. Instead, if we dedicate our every act to God, our work becomes worship.

"When works are dedicated and mentally delivered to God, it is called arpaṇam. Such an attitude metamorphoses the mundane activities of material life into divine service of God," elucidates H. H. Swami Mukundananda ji.

So, how then do we make a conscious choice to dedicate every activity of ours in devotion to God?

Bhakti Ras

Dedicate All Your God-Given Abilities to the Lord

All our work means nothing if not done from a humble heart devoted to God. We get closest to the Supreme Lord when we forget ourselves and go to work in his name. Shree Krishna compassionately instructs how we can engage in devotion every moment of our life:

यत्करोषि यदश्नासि यज्जुहोषि ददासि यत् |

यत्तपस्यसि कौन्तेय तत्कुरुष्व मदर्पणम् ||

yat karoṣhi yad aśhnāsi yaj juhoṣhi dadāsi yat |

yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruṣhva mad-arpaṇam ||

(Bhagavad Gita 9.27)

"Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer as oblation to the sacred fire, whatever you bestow as a gift, and whatever austerities you perform, O son of Kunti, do them as an offering to Me."

When we dedicate every activity to the Lord, making him our supreme

goal, our conscious will be always absorbed in him. Keeping our mind yoked to God in this manner, while going about our daily activities is a powerful technique to achieve happiness a

nd fulfillment. Eric Henry Liddell, an outstanding Olympic gold medalist runner once said, "I believe God made me for a purpose, and when I run I feel His pleasure." When we see our work as a dedication to God, the work becomes a joy to perform for the pleasure of God. So, dedicate your every activity to him, as Saint Kabir stated in his couplet:

jahañ jahañ chalooñ karooñ parikramā,

jo karooñ so sevā

aba sovooñ karooñ daṇḍavat,

jānooñ deva na doojā

"Wherever I walk, I feel I am circumambulating the Lord's temple; whatever I do, I see it as service to God. When I go to sleep, I meditate on the sentiment that I am offering obeisance to God. In this way, I remain ever united with Him."

God has shaped us for a purpose, so we can make the most of our abilities and talents he has bestowed upon us. The best way to express our love and devotion to God is to dedicate what he has given us. Be it teaching, writing, photography, decorating, videography, painting, gardening, cooking, singing, dancing, etc. - opportunities abound in every corner to glorify the Supreme Lord.

Therefore, let your heart be open to prayer through each and every activity you do, as Swami Vivekananda declared, "no work is secular. Everything is devotion and service!"

Wellness for Life

How to Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude?

Shri Swami Mukundananda ji says that "where there is gratitude, resentment and negativity cannot exist. It only brings a sense of joy and celebration." He adds that we should practice the sentiment of feeling gratitude on a daily basis in order to make it a habit.

What are we grateful for?

We are grateful to God and Guru for the many blessings we have received. We are thankful for a healthy body and mind, a roof over our head, an intellect that allows us to perform our duties in order to meet physical and emotional needs of family members, an inner strength that keeps us together when faced with challenges, and a support system of like-minded devotees. As an expression of our devotion and gratitude, in this issue we share a video by Shri Swami Mukundananda ji that encourages us to examine what and how we should feel gratitude for all the gifts from God and Guru. #1FeelGratitude.

Divine Satsang and Kirtans with Swami Mukundananda ji

October 7th (Sun) to 9th (Tues), 2018

7 pm to 8.30 pm

Dinner prasad will be served after the program

Free program!!

RSVP NOW!

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OCT 10 - 19, 2018: 7 pm onward daily

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