{"id":1416,"date":"2017-05-07T14:23:06","date_gmt":"2017-05-07T19:23:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/omahagita.org\/content\/?p=1416"},"modified":"2017-05-08T06:17:05","modified_gmt":"2017-05-08T11:17:05","slug":"what-would-you-say-if-i-ask-you-who-are-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omahagita.org\/content\/what-would-you-say-if-i-ask-you-who-are-you\/","title":{"rendered":"What would you say if I ask you who are you?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A fictitious conversation explaining\u00a0the deeper meaning of our identity based on Gita -by Bhaskarananda Das<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0Who are you?<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0\u201cI am John\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Well, that\u2019s\u00a0your name. You existed before you were named. If you were born in India, you could be named after three months. What about that?<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Thats interesting, funny. Alright. Well, I am an American.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Well, you grew up in America. That\u2019s\u00a0what made you American. If you were to be born in Russia, you would be Russian. Isnt it?<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Yes. I would like to eat chocolates.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> That\u2019s<\/i>\u00a0your taste.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 I like sports,..\u00a0OK\u00a0my\u00a0hobbies, got it. I am very cool guy. I can do flips.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> That\u2019s your activities\/talents.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 I am a sober person.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> That\u2019s<\/i>\u00a0your\u00a0nature.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 I am a father.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Thats your role. You existed before being father.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 I was a boy. I was young. Now I am in forties.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Good we are getting somewhere. Again that\u2019s your body growing. But you are the same person.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Well, my personality has changed.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Of course, your knowledge, intelligence now is different from child\u2019s. But you are still same \u00a0person because you are the connecting link between all the phases of life. Your mother will see you as same person. She will not kick you out of home because you look different now.\u00a0Isn\u2019t\u00a0it?<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 I hope not. She loves me more than anything else. Well, I give up. You tell me who I am?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Come on, are you saying you don\u2019t know who you are.\u00a0OK\u00a0I will help you out. Are you this body?<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Yes, in one sense. People recognize me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Thats true. Lets say, God forbid, you loose two legs in accident , you would be still alive and your friends will be\u00a0shocked\u00a0but they will treat you friendly, right?<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Yes.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> That means you are not just bJody parts or combination of body parts. Your thoughts, your desires make you right? You are more than that. What about your mind? Does it define you?<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Yes. I got it now. I am what I think. I am the mind. That should be the answer.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Nope! You say your mind or your thoughts. That means you have mind but not that you are mind. Besides, mind is place holder for all your desires, beliefs, convictions, fears, likes, dislikes, emotions like love, hate etc. Someone should experience them or access them and it has to be\u00a0beyond\u00a0mind.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Agree. That applies for intelligence also, right?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Yes. Intelligence is a tool for planning, weighing different options, deciding the best options. etc. Thats someone is doing intellectual work beyond intelligence. What is the most basic quality everyone has?<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Everyone is alive for sure!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Yes. That\u2019s\u00a0exactly the point.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 What?!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Yes, everyone is alive and conscious, aware of themselves. Awareness, consciousness are the\u00a0symptoms\u00a0only for living things. Not for dead people or matter. Not even sophisticated computers. They don\u2019t feel the happiness if they beat a human opponent in chess. They don\u2019t\u00a0dance in\u00a0ecstasy\u00a0 Unless, you program it to do few steps. But does machine\u00a0really\u00a0feel the joy?<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 No. They are are just dumb. They will do whatever you program to do.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> That\u2019s<\/i>\u00a0exactly right. That means a person is aware and he can do few things without being told by anyone or so called programming. Its free will. We can decide. The machines cant do that unless they\u00a0are\u00a0programmed.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 So, what are we? simply some free will persons?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Isn\u2019t<\/i>\u00a0it great. We can have choice at any point of time. Isn\u2019t freedom worth it?\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Yes, definitely. I don\u2019t want to be dumb like machine. So, we are persons with freedom, aware and conscious?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Yes. And more than that.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 What else?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> This consciousness comes because of the presence of soul. \u00a0The soul is one ten thousandth tip of the end of hair.\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 That\u2019s so small. Are you saying we are so tiny?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Yes, but that\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0mean we are less. When the soul leaves the body, the body is dead.. Nothing can bring it back. So, in one sense its much more valuable than millions of dollars or even the Sun. The sun can burn but he cant bring a dead man to life.\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Got it. But, doesn\u2019t scientists say that they are going to discover the\u00a0secret\u00a0of life? Then we don\u2019t have to die again.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Well, they have been saying it for many years. I would believe only if they can prove it. Without proof, I cant listen anything.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Thats true, its all just talk.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Yes, we are talking now! \u00a0Although the soul is so small,\u00a0consciousness\u00a0is spread over one\u2019s body.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Does it mean elephant has bigger soul?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> No, the soul is same size. But the\u00a0consciousness\u00a0is spread all over one\u2019s body.\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 I guess, each one of us is soul and the consciousness is spread over one\u2019s body separately<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> You get five stars. That\u2019s\u00a0true. Each one is\u00a0conscious\u00a0of his or her own body.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Does it include animals, fish, birds etc?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Why not? They are also living like us. They also grow, reproduce, get old and die and we cant bring them back to life\u00a0after\u00a0death.\u00a0At least\u00a0I have not seen any scientist bringing any cat or dogs life back. It happens only in Hollywood movies!<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 So, we are souls with\u00a0consciousness, awareness, and have free will. \u00a0So, what does it mean by be oneself?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Be oneself means, act like soul. Not the one who thinks he is American or Indian or European etc.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Is it wrong to think oneself American?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Nothing wrong but that\u2019s\u00a0not what we are. We are souls who happen to take birth in America.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 So soul takes birth?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> What do you think?<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 I think so, Soul is conscious from the baby, so I guess soul is taken birth.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Is consciousness material? or made up of chemicals?\u00a0No, we already discussed. No scientist\u00a0can\u00a0bring life back. So, its not made up of matter or chemicals. It has to be something non material.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 What do you mean by non material? We should have been made with something special material element,\u00a0which\u00a0we don\u2019t know!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> So, are you saying we are made of some material element that can be self conscious like human being? I have never any material element that\u2019s\u00a0self-conscious and self-aware.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 OK. my bad. I got it. It has to be non material.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Yes, its non material or we call it\u00a0spiritual.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Wow, so, we are not material. What a relief! I have been thinking my whole life I am just bunch of chemicals or thoughts or IQ. I feel good about it already.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> , knowing is only half the equation. Being soul is another half equation.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Hmm. how can we be soul?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Well, being soul means, be yourself. Not depending on the ideas that come from mind or some other identity like wife, husband, son, daughter, Indian, American etc. We are conscious living beings.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 So, how can we be on that platform all the time?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Well, that needs some training. We need\u00a0to\u00a0practice being ourselves by not identifying ourselves or getting attached to those \u00a0identities.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Well, at least I am not attached to those identities.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> OK<\/i>. You know whether you are\u00a0attached or not if anyone criticizes you or praises you.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 So, whats wrong with being elated if someone praises?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Nothing wrong. But we are affected by praise means we identifying with something and we got approval for that identity. Similarly, we feel little sad when someone criticizes us. That means we are not on soul level.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 OK\u00a0soul level means no feelings or emotions?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> No, I didn\u2019t\u00a0say that. That means not being influenced by praise or blame or loss or gain or\u00a0acceptance\u00a0or rejection etc. We can have feeling, emotions but at end of day we should not be hung up on those ideas or influenced and act up on those identities.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 What happens if we act up on those identities?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> We will make wrong decisions. And wrong decisions cause troubles. Like, if we think we are Software Engineers, we become\u00a0attached to it and when we get fired or retired, we feel like our life is done. We take long time to get rid of that identity and take some other identity. If we were to be on soul level, then we know that<\/em>\u00a0its only temporary role we are playing and we are actually\u00a0beyond\u00a0all these temporary roles.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 So, what do we do then?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> We do things what we do now but we will be doing with better knowledge. Because of being neutral, we will not hooked up to those identities and not disturbed when something\u00a0happens.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 OK. So, we will be happy?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> yes, soul is conscious and blissful by nature.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 How can it be blissful?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Because its conscious and with out any false identities and being one real self can make us really be blissful and then no miseries can affect your consciousness.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 So, are you saying our consciousness can affected by somethings?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Yes, very much so. It can be affected by\u00a0material\u00a0objects, gadgets,\u00a0Internet, sports, anything for\u00a0that\u00a0matter.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 So how do we live this world?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> We live in this world without being affected by them. That\u2019s the success.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 That seems impossible to me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Nothing is impossible. It takes time and patience to practice to be in that consciousness.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Is there any secret to this?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> yes, its\u00a0regular\u00a0practice of mantra\u00a0meditation.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 How\u00a0can\u00a0mantra meditation help us?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Because mantras are certain sounds that affect the soul. Just like, a certain frequency of sound can make us awake, scared, or even deaf, similarly certain sounds can make soul to be soul.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Wow. Thats awesome. What\u2019s that mantra?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. This mantra sound slowly puriies\u00a0the soul\u00a0and it will enable us to realize who we are.<\/em><\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Thank you. When can I chant?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> You can\u00a0chant any time, no hard and fast rules. Thats the best part of this. No need to learn complicated postures or breathing exercises. Just chant before eating, after eating, before \u00a0sleeping , when you wake up, while sitting, while standing, any time.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Do I have to give up anything?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> If you want to get best results, its better to stop few things like, eating meat, drinking, smoking, drugs, gambling, illicit sex (outside marriage).<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 Why these rules?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Because as long as our mind disturbed by these sinful acts\/reactions, we cant focus fully on chanting. It will help ourselves free from sinful reactions which bind the soul to material influence very strong like being tied up with rope.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 OK. Got it. What if I can\u2019t stop?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> You should try your level best. Its possible. It may take time but its worth it.\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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John:<\/b>\u00a0 I will try Thank you for sharing the wisdom.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devotee:<\/b>\u00a0<\/em> Thank you. Hare Krishna.Its all there in Gita. Chant Hare Krishna and try to read Gita. Everything will be revealed slowly.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A fictitious conversation explaining\u00a0the deeper meaning of our identity based on Gita -by Bhaskarananda Das Devotee:\u00a0Who are you? John:\u00a0\u201cI am<\/p>\n

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