He's my God, He is my friend...

Now that I started with the words of my fave line of my fave bhajan I had to continue and finish it off. This title is so appropriate to how I feel today because even while I worship Kanhaji I feel like I can talk to Him like a true friend. Lately, I've found that a lot of the friends I had when I was younger have all changed - people have new responsibilities, new goals and new relationships that are sometimes hard to adjust to for them and in my case, I may not share the same responsibilities and new-found goals as they do. For a little while I was upset while thinking that I've lost some good friends, maybe I should try to recontact them etc. but I realized that maybe those things happened for a reason. Maybe I am not really friends with these people anymore because Kanhaji wants me to find new friends, to have a new direction in my life and He did send me some new friends - people I can trust and be open with because they share my thoughts in certain matters. Also, I realized that since I feel like I can talk to Him about everything and He always provides me with a solution (I'm telling you, it is an incredible feeling, talking to Kanhaji, after I finish my heart always feels lighter and if I was upset I always feel better, that is His heavenly power) and always takes care of me.
Befriending Kanhaji has certainly helped me to make better decisions in my daily life and I always consider if I would be proud of telling Kanhaji about certain actions that I committed when I am about to do something. If I know that I would not want to tell Him then I reconsider and don't do it. To me, His approval is the most important thing. But even though I can always talk to Him as a friend, I always remember that He is God and He is there for everyone, just like He is there for me.
The picture I've included shows Kanhaji playing his bansuri and I chose this one because here he looks both all-knowing and approachable - He's my God and He's my friend at the same time.
Jai Shri Krishna!

To heal and mend...

Now I know yesterday I talked about my favourite bhajan and the words and I honestly didn't plan to have a continuation title as my blog for the day but today I just felt Kanhaji's healing presence in my life and I realized how much my life has changed since I realized that Kanhaji is there for me always. I have been happier, when I didn't even realize that I wasn't as happy as I could be before; I have become more confident and I didn't realized that my confidence had not been the best before; I have become a different person and I've had more than one person tell me - "You look different." I think what they're really trying to say is that they see a change in me that they can't pinpoint and that change is a change in my whole mindset. Sometimes I may get depressed, I may feel hurt or upset about something but after I pray to Kanhaji with all my might, I feel so much better. Even in writing this blog - at first I was sporadic and now I do it every day because doing this makes me feel so much better. So I have to say that Kanhaji healed me even when I didn't realize that I needed to be healed. He has blessed me in so many different ways that I can't even count and I'm sure I'm not even aware of all the ways He has blessed me.
Sometimes I think about and read in my journal about feeling lonely when certain things happened to me and I really don't feel lonely anymore. I know that He is always there to listen to my every thought - it doesn't matter how insignificant and silly it seems to me, He still listens and He always helps me to feel better.
I just want other people to feel Kanhaji's divine presence in their lives and to understand when I say that I didn't even realize that I needed Him to heal me but He did and He has mended me.
The picture I have included shows a laughing Kanhaji going to pick up a clay pot filled with His favourite makhan. I really like this picture because whenever I look at it, it reminds me to be happy and smile. It always boosts my spirits. Hope you enjoy it too!
Jai Shri Krishna!

He is always there...

One of my favourite Kanhaji bhajans comes from an animated Krishna movie - it's the song 'Aayo Natkhat Nandlala' and Alisha Chinoy and others sing it. My favourite line in that song goes as follows: "He is always there, to heal and mend, He's my God, He is my friend," I love hearing that line because it means that Kanhaji can be so many things to us, to me, all at once. It never fails to cheer me up.
Today it just struck me that every little thing that I do, He is there with me. I was just relaxing and having a snack mid morning and I realized that even when I'm doing the simplest things that bring me little pieces of happiness, He is there with me, helping me to enjoy the moment and to be the best I can be.
Thank you Kanhaji for always being there for me and I hope everyone realizes that You are there for them too.
If you are reading this blog then you should remember that Kanhaji is always with you.
The picture I have chosen shows Kanhaji in one of my favourite pictures - it shows Kanhaji eating makhan and watching us all with the most adorable expression on His face. It's just so comforting to know that Kanhaji can be with us all the time when we see Him like this, so innocent and loving.
Jai Shri Krishna!

With Kanhaji on your side, you will always succeed

Kanhaji will always help us to succeed. If we accept Him and take Him on our side then we will never fail. In the Bhagvad Gita, Duryodhana gives a speech to stir up his warriors on the battlefield before the actual battle has begun. However, the Gita stresses that Duryodhana's side never stood a chance, for even though they had many of the experienced warriors, they did not have Kanhaji with them, and this is the reason they were doomed. If we, like the Pandavas, take Kanhaji with us to fight our battles - all of them, personal, those concerning work or education and especially the spiritual battles, He will come through for us and help us to win those battles.
What do we have to do to get Kanhaji on our side? Nothing much, we just have to pray to Him with all our hearts and souls and truly accept Him into our lives as the one in charge of us. Just like Kanhaji was in charge of Arjuna and guided Arjuna in the battle, He will guide us and take care of us in our everyday lives.
The picture I've included shows Kanhaji giving His friends advice and they are all avidly listening to Him. They were very fortunate to be able to talk to Kanhaji and see Him as one of their friends. We must take Him as our friend in our hearts, guiding us and helping us with every decisions, imparting His divine advice to us always.
Jai Shri Krishna!

Remembering Kanhaji when you're happy

It sounds like a simple enough concept - remember God even when you are happy, not only when you are unhappy and desperate for Him to help you feel better. Yet, how many of us do practice this and pray to thank Kanhaji for us having a good day, for nice things happening to us? I know that I don't always remember to do it and I think I need to resolve to remember to praise Kanhaji when things are going my way because it means that He is taking care of me and allowing all the good things to happen to me. What I try to do is remember to thank Him when I have asked Him for help in some way and He has helped me. I don't always remember promptly but when I do I thank Him for granting me my wish and taking care of me.
The picture I've included shows Kanhaji smiling at us as he plays the bansuri for us to help us to remember to calm down and remember to count our blessings and not only to dwell on the bad things or things that we dont enjoy. He is reminding us that He is there to take care of everything for us, always.
Jai Shri Krishna!

People disappoint - Kanhaji doesn't

People disappoint us all the time - friends, family, strangers, those in authority. Any time a person has disappointed me I try not to let it upset me. But, it's hard, especially when that person is someone close to me, someone I love and care about. I'm sure that's true for everyone. What we have to remember is that no matter how much people disappoint us, it's okay, they're human, they make mistakes, just as we do. But, Kanhaji is God and God never disappoints. If He doesn't give you something that you want, you can bet it's because He knows it's something harmful to you. Kanhaji may not give you something you want now, but will definitely reward you with something better later on and then you will understand why He may have denied you of the thing you asked Him for before.
In the picture Kanhaji is watching us all with a knowing smile. He is telling us that we should trust in Him and remember that He will always take care of us, regardless of what is happening.
Remember that He loves us all no matter what and He is all seeing and all knowing so we must trust in Him to do the right thing for us always.
Jai Shri Krishna!

Kanhaji's ability to heal

He heals the sick persons. He heals us all with love and care as tender as a mother's for her newborn baby. He loves us all and wants to take care of us. Whenever I am sick, as I am now (I have the cold), I feel awful because I don't like feeling like something is wrong with me and keeping me back from functioning fully. I was feeling really badly yesterday and this morning. Having an illness is awful and for the strength that we need to regain our health we must pray to Kanhaji and ask him to help us and take care of us and help us regain our strength.
Again, this is a part of what I've been saying all along - remember Kanhaji at all times and He will know that you are thinking of Him always.
Now, I am feeling much better, still a little ill mind you, but this morning I prayed to Kanhaji to please help me get better and He did help me to feel better.
This is Kanhaji's ability to heal and so, whoever prays to Him wholeheartedly for help to get better will be healed.
The picture I have included shows Kanhaji looking after the cow and petting it. The cow is His follower, just as we are His followers. Kanhaji is trying to tell us that if we follow Him as purely as the cow does then we too will be taken care of by Him.
Jai Shri Krishna.

No one said it would be easy

No one said that following Kanhaji would be easy and many times we may meet opposition and ridicule from people who care about us, and those who don't. The important thing to remember is that no matter who criticizes you for following Kanhaji with all Your heart, you should always be a true follower of Kanhaji if that is what you want to do. Many times we've heard stories about people following their religions at great personal cost and against the wishes of members of their families. I dont mean to sound callous or rude but in your heart of hearts you should know that no matter who doesn't like you following Kanhaji, He likes that you are following Him, that you love Him and He will always protect you and guide you.
In the picture, He is watching us with pride and love because He knows the opposition that we face in serving Him and loving Him. He will always love us and help us through the hard times, as long as we continue believing in Him. The most important thing in the world is to have faith in Kanhaji and He will be pleased with our devotion.
Jai Shri Krishna

Kanhaji tells us how to serve Him better

He helps us with our devotion. It truly does not matter to Him how small our offerings are because the only thing He is really concerned about is our devotion in the truest sense - how much we believe in Him, how strong our faith is. He offers us many opportunities to learn how to do puja for Him, how to sing His bhajans. Many times when I was much younger I would go to Ramayans and satsangs with my grandparents and parents and sometimes the pundits would happen to be talking about Kanhaji and the ideal way to serve Him, the bhajans that we should sing, they would talk about His childhood and all the subsequent good deeds He committed. I remember being very young and wanting to read the Bhagvad Gita but my mother gave me a copy of the Mahabharata which I soon devoured. When I got older I finally began reading the Bhagvad Gita and the knowledge in it is so very applicable to life today that I wonder how we would have gotten along without it.
Thank you Kanhaji for helping me to love you more, for showing me the right way to praise you and to be your true bhakti.
The picture I have included shows a smiling Kanhaji who is about to eat His favourite butter. He is telling us in the picture that if we offer parsad, especially made with his favourite makhan, He will be very happy indeed. See how He is telling us the way to serve Him?
Jai Shri Krishna.

Kanhaji is such an adorable baby

I'm sorry I'm just in a mood to gush over how cute Kanhaji looks in pictures portrayed of Him as a baby. And all the literature I've ever read always focuses on what a cute baby He was and how much everyone loved Him when they first saw Him. And He always acts like a baby should - he holds his feet or sucks his toes and smiles at us. When Yashoda maiyya is feeding Him, He looks at her as if she is His whole world, just like any baby does for their mother. When He is able to walk He plays with His brother Balarama, He plays with the animals and teases the gopis. No one on earth can help but love Him.
Jai Shri Krishna

Serving Kanhaji is one of the best things we can do

Serving Kanhaji is one of the best things a person can do. And He makes it easy for us to serve Him by allowing us to do little things in service to Him. The picture shows the gopas feeding Kanhaji with their own hands and He obligingly opens His mouth for them to feed Him. He does this because He knows that people gain liberation only through serving Him. So, He allows them to freely feed Him and serve Him.
Kanhaji is willing to provide us with everything that we need if we only serve Him and decide that we would like to devote our lives to His service.
Jai Shri Krishna.

Love for your mother

All children who have had the fortune of having mothers, love their mothers. Mothers are such loving and giving persons in our lives that we cannot help but love them. No matter what they do, even if they are scolding us or angry with us, we still love them. The same is true of their love for us. Our mothers love us regardless of what we do. This is why we must respect their love and respect them. By respecting our mothers we will be blessed by Kanhaji because He has shown us in many ways that mothers are to be respected and above all, loved. He loved Yashoda maiyya very much, even though she was not his biological mother. The same was true of her love for Him. She loved Him endlessly and there are countless pictures with Kanhaji nestled in her lap, her feeding Him, her working while He is playing nearby, or even ones of her scolding Him lovingly and even a few of her punishing Him. Kanhaji was always with her and she was always looking after Him, as all good mothers do. The pair loved each other but Kanhaji had another mother - his biological mother - Devki. He also showed love for her because when he asked her what she wanted from Him she asked for the children she lost at the hands of her brother and He gave them back to her. This is how much He loved her. We too must follow Kanhaji's example and love our mothers and care for them always.
The picture I have included shows Kanhaji hugging His mother - Yashoda maiyya - while she is working and milking the cow. I bet she is milking the cow to get milk to make makhan for Him!
Jai Shri Krishna!

Kanhaji is always watching us

Kanhaji is always watching us - whatever we do, wherever we are. If we remember this then we will never commit any sins because we know that Kanhaji is seeing us. It doesn't matter if no person sees us, if He sees us and knows that we are doing something wrong then He will be disappointed in us. The thought that Kanhaji might become upset with me is a very scary one for me and therefore I try to always do the right thing. If I find myself slipping I pray to Him for help to stay on the right path - and you know what? He always always helps me. Many times He also shows me a way to redeem myself. No person is perfect but if we remember and think about the way our actions appear in His eyes then there are many sins that will go uncommitted because we love Kanhaji and want to please Him.
The picture I have chosen shows Kanhaji about to eat his favourite Makhan, yet, He is still watching us in a way that says "I've got my eyes on you!" But, this is not at all intimidating for me. I love the fact that Kanhaji is looking at me, looking after me all the time. It is a very comforting feeling indeed to know that Kanhaji loves me and wants to take care of me. So, do not be scared when you think that Kanhaji is always watching you - instead, be happy that He is looking after you and taking care of you.
Jai Shri Krishna!

Kanhaji guides us

Kanhaji guides us and encourages us to do the right thing. He loves us very much and wants us to do right always. However, He is just like a parent to us and like a parent, He cannot control our every action, but He can suggest the right things to do. If we dont listen to Him, Kanhaji becomes very sad, just like a parent is sad when their son or daughter refuses to listen to them. This means that we should make every effort to listen to Kanhaji when He shows us the right path. We should follow His every direction and always ask for His advice before we do anything. If a person is about to commit a wrong act and they ask themselves - would Kanhaji like it if I do this? Then I am sure that person will stop and not commit the wrong/evil action. Kanhaji wants us to listen to Him and we must remember to consult Him always.
The picture I have included shows when Kanhaji showed Yashoda maiyya that He has the entire world in His mouth. Do you remember the story? Let me include my version for you.
"Choti maa! Choti maa!" Balarama ran into the house calling out to Yashoda maiyya.
"What's wrong Balarama? Is Kanha alright?"
"No Choti maa, Kanha is eating dirt!" Balarama was almost in tears as He said this. "He wont stop choti maa! Come quickly!"
Yashoda took Balarama's hand and followed him outside to her son.
"Kanha!" she scolded her son as she saw him pick up a handful of dirt and munch on it happily. "Don't eat that!"
"Don't eat what?" Kanha asked her as he blinked up at her adoringly.
"Don't eat dirt, open your mouth!" she commanded him and put her hand on his cheek. But Kanha was being stubborn.
"No!" he said and shook his head all over to get away from her.
"How much did he eat?" she asked the other children.
"A lot," they replied and pointed to a small hole in the ground which indicated how much of the dirt her son had eaten.
"Hai Bhagvan!" she said in despair, "open your mouth Kanha!" she scolded him once more.
"NO!" Kanha shouted and tried to run away from her.
Yashoda started to cry and scooped her baby up onto her lap.
"Please baby, please open your mouth," she sobbed.
Kanha, sorry to see his mother cry, did as she asked and opened his mouth and showed her the heavens, the earth, the entire universe was in his mouth.
Yashoda gasped in shock and gazed at the wonder that was in her son's mouth. Surprisingly, she did not feel afraid. After a few seconds Kanha giggled and kissed her cheek.
"Love you mummy," he said and snuggled into her arms with his thumb in his mouth.
"Kanha, open your mouth sweetheart," she said softly.
He sleepily obliged and she saw only pink gums and a few baby teeth. He yawned widely.
"Mummy, I'm sleepy," he said crankily and rubbed his eyes a little.
"Alright, it's naptime, that's why," she said as she kissed his forehead and lifted him in her arms. She held him tightly and carried him inside and put him down. After she was sure he was fast asleep she gently opened his mouth again to look inside. Pink gums and baby teeth again.
"I must have been dreaming," she whispered to herself and tucked a blanket around her sleeping son. She saw him smile a little and wondered about it though.
Jai Shri Krishna!

Kanhaji's love for us

Today is Valentine's Day - an internationally recognized day for celebrating love. At first only lovers would celebrate on this day. However, I have noticed an increasing focus on the family and love of children for parents and vice versa, of siblings for each other and of friends for each other. This is excellent - that people can express their love for each other freely on this day. However, what about our love for God? Kanhaji loves us always. We know that. Do we love Him in an equal way? It is important to express love for Kanhaji because in doing so we will truly realize how important He is to us. Think about it - we depend on Him for everything. He helps us along the way of life always and manifests Himself in the form of family, friends, teachers,caregivers, significant others.
I love Kanhaji very much and I say it to Him often when I pray. But I still feel like I can say it more often. We should all say it more often - that we love Kanhaji because by saying such things, we are allowing ourselves to be closer to Him and to be closer to Him is our ultimate goal since He alone can keep us safe and can take care of us always.
The picture I have chosen shows baby Kanhaji lying on a banyan leaf playing with His feet and His bansuri. He loves us all so much that He came to earth in the form of a little, helpless baby to save us from evil. He will always help us when we ask Him because He is Kanhaji and He loves us.
Kanhaji, I love you.
Jai Shri Krishna.

Kanhaji is always in control

It doesn't matter what is happening at a particular point in time in the world - Kanhaji is always in control, of everything, all the time. This is one thing that we should never ever doubt - that Kanhaji knows everything that is happening all the time. He alone has the power to change things in our lives and so we must surrender ourselves fully to Him. We should never doubt His judgement or become upset because He has not granted our wishes. He will do so if He thinks it is a correct request for us and when He thinks it is right to do so.
He is smiling at us in the picture in a reassuring way. He wants to tell us that everything will be alright if we only trust in Him and Him alone. This is what we must do and accept - that Kanhaji is the only one who is in control - not our friends, our bosses, our coworkers, our families, He is the Supreme Personality of the Godhead and He will always be in control of us.
Jai Shri Krishna!

Helping us even when we are blind to danger

Kanhaji helps us and takes care of us even when we are blind to the danger we are walking into. The picture shows the villagers all going into the snake's mouth happily thinking it was an exotic place. However, Kanhaji is standing to the side and watching, knowing that He must find a way to help them. And He did, He rescued them all from the evil presence who was trying to take their lives.
In the same manner when we walk into a dangerous situation and feel like we can't escape we should pray to Kanhaji for He will help us to get out of it. He will always help us and take care of us if we only turn to Him and ask for His help. Often times we dont even notice when something bad was about to befall us because even without us asking Him, He helps us and takes care of us.
We should always remember to thank Him for keeping us safe and protecting us even when we are unaware of it. Being conscious of Kanhaji's divine presence in our lives AT ALL TIMES is important - He is always with us, it doesn't matter what we're doing - good or bad, He is always seeing.
He loves us and wants to take care of us and we must remember that.
Jai Shri Krishna.

The importance of play

"Children should play - that's their job." My grandmother, who taught and interacted with young children always said that. She was so right. Many times we see children being burdened with too many responsibilities and they are not given sufficient time to play and enjoy their childhood. This is not at all beneficial since later on they may decide to engage in leisurely activities that may not be so savoury. When a parent sees this they will regret their attitude towards the child when he/she was younger.
Kanhaji was a typical mischievous little boy when He lived with Nand and Yashoda as his parents and Balarama to keep him company. He was always engaged in exploits that showed us that he was a happy little child. This is why so many people can identify with and love Him in this child form. People love children and we all love Kanhaji. Again, He is teaching us a lesson on how to live, when you are younger you can play as much as you like and indulge in tasty food as much as you like. But when you get older you must take up your responsibilities and fulfill them completely - just like He did when he helped the Pandavas in the battle at Kurukshetra and when He killed Kans, his evil uncle.
The picture I have chosen shows Him playing and teasing a gopi while trying to get the butter in the pot on her head.
Jai Shri Krishna.

Be kind to all living creatures

I think one of the most important lessons both my grandmothers taught me was about respect for life - all life not just human life. They taught me to be kind to all living creatures and not do anything that will hurt a living being on purpose. I remember seeing someone beating their tied dog with a stick and the poor animal was crying out in pain. I was in a car on the road and the person was in their house and apparantely totally imune to the stares of people passing in their cars. I even saw a woman who was walking stop to berate the person and she was verbally abused and told to stay out of the person's business. How cruel. I know that animal cruelty is a big topic. But people cruelty is also something we should be concerned about. I think this post is linked to the earlier one I had about Kanhaji talking to and touching the lower caste woman. Sometimes we may be kind to animals and cruel to people. I think this is unacceptable.
Kanhaji teaches us to respect all life and that if any injustice is happening in this world - He Himself will come to take care of it or He will deal with it on His own. We are not to avenge anything or anyone. Just like He came to kill the evil Kans, he will take care of our troubles and punish the evil persons in this world. We just have to put our faith and trust in Him.
The picture I have included shows baby Kanhaji fascinated by a colourful parrot. I like it because it shows us that we must take the time to admire and appreciate living creatures, not just be afraid of them or see them as an annoyance.
Jai Shri Krishna!

Protecting us effortlessly

Kanhaji always protects us easily when we ask Him to. Take for instance the picture I have added - Kanhaji holding Govardhan mountain on his baby finger for days on end to protect the people of Vrindavan. He does it with a sweet smile and without ever complaining. He will always protect us when we need Him to, when we ask Him to. I think that people forget just how much love He gives us daily and how much he offers of Himself to help us and keep us safe. Sometimes we dont listen, we dont ask, but He is still with us. And so we must remember to thank Him. Often times I find myself praying and asking Kanhaji for something. But, when the thing is fulfilled - my wish, my hope, my dream, I sometimes forget to thank Him immediately and when I do remember I feel ashamed in thinking about how expedient I was in asking for His help but not in thanking Him for helping me.
We must all remember to ask Kanhaji for His help in our lives all the time - we should not pray only sometimes, according to a saying I heard 'Pray just once a day - from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed'. I love that saying because it's so true - to be happy, healthy and safe always we must continually talk to Kanhaji and ask Him to be with us all the time - not just some times. This is why we must make an effort to ALWAYS do the right thing. Yes it is a difficult thought, to be good all the time but with His help we can do it and never do the things that we know we will be ashamed to admit to Him. Then, we can truly talk to Him all the time and tell Him what we are doing always.
Jai Shri Krishna.

Help from our friends

Sometimes when the world seems all against us we decide to turn to people we know will always provide support - our family. However, sometimes even their support is not enough, especially in times of grief. At that time we turn to the support of our friends. Friends are the family members that we choose - people that we share everything with - our hurt, our happiness, our fears, our recoveries, our struggles, our achievements. They always help us when we need them to and give us good advice.
So who can be a better friend to us than Kanhaji Himself? He is always with us, guiding us, helping us, protecting us, encouraging us. Just like Kanhaji allows His friends to hold Him up and to help Him to get to his favourite butter - we must allow Kanhaji to help us, to hold us up to get to our dreams and to our goals. But, even better than His divine presence in our lives is the fact that He sent us our other friends - earthly friends through whom he works. He guides these earthly friends to help us and to do the right thing.
Kanhaji loves us very much to do all of this for us and we must remember this always.
Jai Shri Krishna.

Kanhaji provides for us

Kanhaji always provides what we need and even more - what we want - for us. He is always with us and even if we think that we should have received something that we didn't, it's because He felt that wasn't what we needed at that time. Kanhaji loves us and looks after us always, like parents look after children. Many people don't think of Him as a father. But He is a father to us, guiding us, protecting us and like any father, He gives us only the things that will not harm us. Even if we beg and plead with Him to give us something that will harm us, He will not, because His role is to protect us and to teach us what is right.
I love this picture because baby Kanha grasps the ladoo in His hand but He offers it to us lovingly, with a smile on His cherubic baby face. He is offering us parsad, food that He has blessed with His own two hands. He is even crawling toward us to give it to us. What can be more amazing than eating food Kanhaji has offered us Himself? This is why people say that you must never ever refuse parsad because then you are refusing food that Kanhaji has blessed for us.
In this entry I want to remind everyone that Kanhaji is with us always and He will always give us things that will benefit us but take away the things that will harm us. Jai Shri Krishna!