This is kind of an evolution post. I started it when I was gripped by tv as entertainemnt, and while I stopped that, after a while I started reading fiction. So whatever your drug of choice is, your mental candy or comfort food, lets explore some alternate ideas and also take a good solid look at why we are doing that!
By the end of the day most people are totally exhausted, and sometimes it’s easy to slide into the habit of watching television programs… When I have just moved or my life is in upheaval or I’m feeling lazy, lonely, sad or unhappy, I do have a tendency to turn to some mental junkfood!
Recently I listened to a wonderful lecture from my spiritual master, Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda on our tendency to turn to anything BUT Krsna.. It really helped clarify in my mind what was going on with me and my mentality. You see, I’ve kind of fallen back into a really absorbing habit, which is reading. My life has taken a couple of swirly turns, and been for me and my family, a personal crisis. Our battle to survive in this sink or swim world.
The main point I took away from the eye opening lecture was that; when we fill our emptiness with substitutes for Krsna, we are papering over the very loneliness and heart ache which is what we should be turning and filling up with Krsna!
We have to remember that it’s not a good practice to fall into, as you are opening yourself up to whatever subject matter you decide to watch, and in the evenings just before bed it’s particularly influential. (my problem!)
Instead you can read a book, (scripture), color in, or tell your kids a Krishna story.
You can also listen to a lecture, do japa, or do a puzzle.
Maybe you enjoy colouring in, or you could do that with your kids.
Prepare an arotik tray for the morning! All ideas…
I hope that just writing this will help ME to remember Krishna – because in remembering Krishna comes loving Krsna, and nothing is sweeter for the heart than loving Krishna.
Please read on where I am sharing the most beautiful spiritual wisdom talk shared by my own spiritual teacher, who has given us all this gift of transcendental knowledge.
Take heart; Remembering Krishna makes it possible to have actual life.
When you remember Krishna big mountains seem like very small hills you can easily cross.
When you’re not remembering Krishna even small hills look too hard.
When you remember Krishna you have courage facing difficulties & challenges.
When you forget Krishna even the smallest obstacles seem insurmountable, you experience frustration, anxiety, depression.
When you remember Krishna you experience hope.
We forget Krishna & experience hopelessness.
When we remember Krishna we experience purposefulness.
When we forget Krishna we experience life is without any purpose.
When we remember Krishna we are surcharged with spiritual strength.
When we forget Krishna we become spiritually weak.
When we forget Krishna we are like a blind person, we cant see which way to go or where to aim.
When We remember Krishna we can see very clearly what path to follow.
When We remember Krishna our hearts fill with love, appreciation & gratitude.
When we forget Krishna we have hate, anger, feeling resentful, jealousy.
When we remember Krishna we experience tolerance, patience, forgiveness.
When we forget Krishna forgiveness is beyond our reach. We cannot forgive those who offend us.
Simply by remembering Krishna we have life – with forgetfulness of Krishna we have darkness & death.
We should always remember Krishna, and organise our life so that we always remember Krishna.
Chant japa – japa is the private practice of chanting names of Krishna solitarily.
If we neglect to spend time everyday chanting our japa, if we take lightly this instruction from our Spiritual master and don’t spend time alone with Krishna chanting japa then our remembrance of Krishna is weakened.
Some disciples think they are so busy that they don’t have time. They think that they cannot put aside an hour of the morning to chant the names of Krishna.
This is a big mistake. There is no meaning to ‘service’ without remembrance of Krishna.
If we neglect to follow the our vow of spending time with Krishna then we are undermining or rejecting the relationship with our spiritual master and Krishna.
when we neglect this basic central instruction to chant japa by ourselves with Krishna focused on hearing th enames, the form and pastimes of Krishna then we are neglecting the most wonderful opportunity that has been given by Krishna to come into contact with His representative and receive His holy names.
First make sure to remember Krishna by spending time every day chanting japa. Every opportunity here and there through the day we can do more japa.
Hearing the names of Krishna, putting on a cd of Krishna chanting, listening to the names of Krishna and hearing pastimes of Krishna, the names and forms of Krishna & chanting in congregational kirtan.
Organise your life so you are engaged in Krishna.
We eat and drink throughout the day – we can offer that to Krishna.
Remembering Krishna.
We offer obeisances to our Spiritual Master by thanking him for filling our hearts with transcendental knowledge – the truth of my identity that I am part and parcel of Krishna. He is my dear-most friend.
Remember Krishna means remembering our relationship with Krishna, not philosophically but in tasting love for Krishna, in remembering our loving relationship with Krishna.
Transcendental knowledge and love for Krishna are one and the same.
The realization of transcendental knowledge means loving Krishna.
My dear Krishna, you are the heart of my heart, the life of my life, let me take shelter of you. Just rest your heart and mind in Krishna – this is rememberance of Krishna.
This remembrance of Krishna saves us from the greatest dangers, the darkest night.
In all situations just remember Krishna, this is the solution to all of lifes problems.
Just remember Krishna means love Krishna.
Love Krishna and remember Krishna is one and the same. Please chant the names of Krishna
My notes from a lecture given by Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa Prabhupad a bonafide disciple of a bonafide spirtual master coming in a long line of spiritual teachers, originating from God Himself.
Any errors are due to my own note-taking & poor memory, and I beg you will forgive me for them.
For more nectarian instruction visit www.wisdom.yoga
Follow instagram @scienceofidentity for regular spirtual wisdom love bursts on your insta feed!
She also excitingly commissioned new gopi dolls for her granddaughters – she wanted to give them a birthday gift to match the Krsna doll they already had, and asked me to create two more gopi friends as well as Radharani.
Well you can imagine the burst of joyous creativity this inspired!
I worked on Lalita and Vishaka because I was so attracted to their descriptions, and also made Campakalata, after looking up the description of the Campaka flower.
To create artwork I did some research, and I hope you will forgive my literal interpretations. It may not be precisely correct, but it was helpful to me in creating the really sweet dolls I have made.
Constant companion of Srimati Radharani. She has a beautiful bright yellow complexion
Wears a dress the colour of peacock feathers.
Carries a parasol for RK
Decorates Them with flowers & decorates Their cottage when they rest at night.
peacock feathers
Visakha devi – 14 yrs 2 months & 15 days (same age as Radharani)
Her garments are decorated with stars
Complexion, cream colour with a tinge of red.
Likes to dress & decorate Radha & the gopis
Likes to be a messenger between RK
Expert at joking with Krishna
Campakalata 14yrs 2 months & 13 & ½ days (younger than Radha by 1 day)
Complexion like the yellow campaka flower
Garments the color of a blue-jay’s
Expert at collecting fruits, flowers & roots from the forest.
Expert cook – expert at making various kinds of candy.
She can skillfully fashion things from clay with her hands.
Seva is to offer jeweled necklaces and to fan with a camara.
Campakalata has a complexion like the Campaka flower. Magnolia champaca, known in English as champak, is a large evergreen tree in the Magnoliaceae family. It was previously classified as Michelia champaca. It known for its fragrant flowers, and its timber used in woodworking.From the Odisha forest website, photo of Blue Jay Description: State Bird: Blue Jay The blue jay is commonly known as Roller under the family Coraciidae. India is famous for a single type of blue jay which is popularly called “Indian Roller Bird”. In Hindi its popular name is ” Nilkanth ” or “Sabzak”. This is an attractive Oxford-and-Cambridge blue bird about the size of a pigeon. They are believed to be near relatives of bee-eaters and kingfishers. They are strongly-built and jay- like. They are characterized by a big head, heavy bill, rufous brown breast, pale blue abdomen and blunt tail. The tail is square. The dark and pale blue colours in the wings show up as brilliant shining bands in flight. Blue jay prefers open cultivated green country and avoids dense forests. Source: http://www.odishaforest.in/states_pride.jsp
Citra-devi 14 yrs 7 months 14 days (younger than Radharani by 26 days)
Complexion like saffron
Garments the color of crystal
Her seva is bringing cloves & garlands
She can nicely make various kinds of nectarean beverages.
Expert in playing music on pots filled with varying degrees of water.
Especially expert at gardening
She is the leader of the gopis who collect transcendental herbs and medicinal creepers from the forest (they don’t collect flowers or anything else)
Saffron flower and the tiny philamen which is harvested and used for cooking.
Tunga vidya 14yrs 2 months & 22 days (15 days younger than Radha)
Complexion color of kumkuma
Wears white garments
Seva is dancing and singing, she is a celebrated music teacher expert at playing the vina & singing in the style known as marga.
Expert in dancing, drama, literature and all other arts & sciences.
kunkum powder
Indulekha 14yrs 2 months & 10 & ½ days ( 3 days younger than Radha)
Has a tan complexion
Wears the color of pomegranate flower
Often serves K by bringing nectar-like delicious meals.
Seva is fanning with chamara fan
Expert at stringing various kinds of wonderful necklaces, gemology & weaving various kinds of cloth.
Beautiful big pomegranate flower.
Ranga devi 14yrs 2 months & 4 & ½ days ( 7 days younger than Radha)
Complexion the color of a lotus filament
Garments are red
Expert in the use of perfumes & cosmetics and aromatic incense.
She carries coal during the winter and fans the divine couple in the summer.
Also her & her friends are able to control the lions, deer & other wild animals in the forest.
lotus with beautiful golden yellow filaments (the tiny hairs around the central pod)Don’t mind all they copymarks but here is a close up of lotus filament! Isn’t it beautiful?!
Sudevi 14yrs 2 months & 4 days
She is the sweet and charming sister of Ranga devi, slightly older by ½ day (twin)
So similar to Ranga devi that they are often mistaken for one another.
Complexion colour of lotus stamen
Wears colour of the red jaba flower (hibiscus)
Seva is to bring water
Arranges Radha’s hair, decorates Her eyes with mascara and massages Her body with scented oils.
Expert in training male & female parrots.
Expert sailor, knows how to start fires & keep them burning and knows which flowers blossom with the rising of the moon.
red hibiscus
If you would like to get a copy of this to print or store for later, you can download the document Description of The Eight Principal Gopis HERE.
Because this is a super interesting topic – who can ever get tired of the Gopi Companions of Srimate Radharani, I am working on a new set of all 8 cheif gopi companions of Radha!
I remember practicing to draw that beautiful blue treasure of our hearts when I was just a little tyke!
In fact I remember the first drawings of some of the most incredible artists of this age (Yep I’m looking at you, Devaki & Yogananda!)
Because we all dote on Krishna we can look fondly on the blue or yellow or green scribble and encourage further attempts.
The thing I find the most encouraging is that, Krishna’s sweetness can be evident even in a sketchy scribble where the arms maybe not exactly proportionate or even correct, but we can see tilak or some effulgence and we have this little piece of remembrance.
While I personally am only a mediocre artist, and am always learning more, it is a great delight to draw and practice on Krishna.
Thankfully many people have enjoyed my Krishna art and of course I am thrilled to be able to sell my Krishna dolls.
When I was little our parents encouraged us to create by giving us stories of Krishna, nursery rhymes which had lyrics about Him, and always coloring in activities with Krishna and His transcendental companions. If you remove tv and computer games as a distraction then there’s a lot more time to develop an interest! Interestingly – and this is not at all the point of my post but a fascinating side note – Bill Gates, the genius behind Microsoft computers, does not even allow his kids to own or have devices – citing developing creativity and interests as his parenting reasoning.
So, the beauty of capturing Krishna in art is such that, while we do so we can absorb ourselves in thinking about Him (what does He look like? How does He stand/ what does He wear, what have I heard about Him that I can incorporate into this artwork?).
The beauty for the audience is they also get to enjoy remembering Krishna by gazing upon the Krsna artwork – however inexpertly created. A win win situation!
While I work on painting my Krishna dolls, I find it is conducive to listen to a lecture, so my ears are occupied in hearing while my hands are busy. This can be nice, but other great times are when family is gathered or friends are visiting – like someone who knits, always on your lap!
Adorable but shiny
I also ask Krishna for His blessings and assistance before I try and represent Him – most especially before I attempt to paint deities of the Lord, I pay my obeisances and ask Krishna for His help to guide my hand – I need it because I am not very expert, but who can accurately portray the beauty of Krishna without His assistance?
Remembering Krishna’s name, qualities, beauty and pastimes I have some very very favorite and inspiring quotes to share with you to assist you in your own creativity painting Krishna.
Sri Krsna’s complexion is as enchanting as an emerald, a tamala tree, or a group of beautiful dark clouds. He is an ocean of nectarean handsomeness.
He wears yellow garments and a garland of forest flowers. He is decorated with various jewels and He is a great reservoir of the nectar of many transcendental pastimes.
His handsome crown is decorated with many different flowers. His handsome forehead is splendidly decorated with tilaka markings and curling locks of hair.
The playful movements of His raised, dark eyebrows enchant the hearts of the gopis.
The tip of His nose is as handsome as the beak of Garuda, the king of birds.
His charming ears and cheeks are decorated with earrings made of various jewels.
He speaks many charming jokes.
Decorated with a necklace of pearls, the beauty of His neck enchants the residents of the three planetary systems. Decorated with a necklace of pearls and with the Kaustubha gem, which shines like lightning, Krsna’s handsome chest longs to enjoy the company of the beautiful gopis.
Decorated with bracelets and armlets, Krsna’s arms hang down to His knees.
Krsna’s knees are very splendid, charming and handsome.
His charming lotus feet are decorated with jeweled ankle-bells.
Krsna’s feet have the luster of roses, and they are decorated with various auspicious markings, such as the markings of the disc, half-moon, octagon, triangle, barleycorn, sky, parasol, waterpot, conchshell, cow’s footprint, svastika, rod for controlling elephants, lotus flower, bow and jambu fruit.
His reddish toes are decorated with the row of full moons that are His toenails.
Although we have sometimes compared Krsna’s handsomeness to various things, nothing can actually be equal to it.
I’m moving, I’m packing, cleaning, losing my mind, you know how it is! Can’t wait for this week to be a memory…
In the meantime thought you would enjoy a round up of just SOME of my “blogs to follow” suggestions.
Ok so they’re nearly all accounts I love to follow on Instagram too, so if you don’t spend a LOT of time reading blogs, check out their insta profiles.
1.) Aloha & Namaste – full of dreamy print worthy photos and achingly real from-the-heart words. Sometimes you cry, usually you laugh and you’ll often do both! Set at island life pace, keep up with Hula lessons, amazingly simple but tasty food & recipes, and Surabhi’s journey with terminal illness raw and wryly revealed with honesty which never fails to touch hearts.
2) Leaving this World – a blog about cancer, spirtuality, death.. and guitars.
Chaitanya das writes in his introduction:
“When I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer I was already doing some meditation and I was also reading Vedic scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita. So I understood in principle that I am not the body, but spirit in essence. This is opposed to what many think, that is, that we ARE our material bodies and we HAVE a spirit. NO!… I AM spirit soul and at this moment I HAVE this material body.
It is explained in the Bhagavad Gita that the Supreme Soul, Krishna, sits in our heart always. He never leaves us.
These 2 simple points of not being the body, and of being accompanied by the Supreme/ God/ Krishna, Yaweh (Jehovah) / The Father, wherever we go, is the basis of all spiritual knowledge.”
I urge you to click through and read some of the posts by Chaitanya das on http://www.leavingthisworld.com/ – they’re enlightening, funny, never too heavy and leave you feeling empowered and positive that you too, can leave this world and even live IN this world with dignity and purpose.
3) Yoga Wisdom – for all seekers of the truth, this beautiful and easy to use news style blog has the most overwhelming collection of useful insight to add to your spiritual tool kit. Serious and sobering, wisdom.yoga is an invaluable resource for all spiritual seekers. Let the light of love and knowledge guide your path.
4) Raising Happy Kids – I’ve got kids, and I love watching the lives of this pair of happy monkeys in Hawaii from the other side of mummies lens.
Beautiful Krsna
There’s lots of craft process photos (always a fave) and deliciously beautiful photos of Hawaiian home life. The authors writing style is so attractive and sweet, she writes like she’s everyones best friend, so you will soon grow as fond of her as I am! @raisinghappykids is a great ig account to follow should you choose to, and I highly and utterly recommend you view this site, with a sweet sincerity and open heart.
5) Dev also manages the absolutely darling blog coloring Krsna, where your kids can send in their coloring and get a chance to be featured on Instagram and be featured on the website, added the art files of this creative and arty house.
Thankfully many people have enjoyed my Krishna art and of course I am thrilled to be able to sell my 
While I work on painting my Krishna dolls, I find it is conducive to listen to a lecture, so my ears are occupied in hearing while my hands are busy. This can be nice, but other great times are when family is gathered or friends are visiting – like someone who knits, always on your lap!
1.) 
5) Dev also manages the absolutely darling blog