Mettā is a care for ourselves or for other beings that doesn’t expect anything. It’s the simple feeling of the heart that there is a wish for the well-being of ourselves or for others.
Tuesday, 27 October 2026
D to CEM
We are all made of the same stuff, remember, we of the Jungle, you of the City. The same substance composes us
—the tree overhead, the stone beneath us, the bird, the beast, the star—we are all one, all moving to the same end.
P.L. Travers
JH
No matter your
circumstances, you will end up losing everything you love, you will end up aging, you will end up ill and the problem is that we need to figure out how to make that all be alright.
Jane Hirshfield
Damodar month
Damodar Month (दामोदर मास) is the holy month of Kartik, dedicated to Lord Krishna in His childhood form as Damodara. 🙏
When is Damodar Month in 2026?
- Start date: 26 October 2026 (some ISKCON calendars begin on 25 October)
- End date: 24 November 2026
- Today: 27 October 2026 — Damodar Month is currently being observed.
Why is it special?
According to Vaishnava tradition, Mother Yashoda lovingly tied child Krishna with a rope around His belly. The name Damodara refers to this pastime, and Kartik is considered especially dear to Lord Krishna.
What should you do during Damodar Month?
1. Offer a lamp every evening
Light a small ghee lamp or oil diya before Lord Krishna, preferably after sunset.
2. Recite Damodarashtakam
Sing or listen to the eight-verse prayer glorifying Lord Damodara.
3. Worship Tulasi and chant Hare Krishna
Offer prayers, chant the Hare Krishna mantra, and read about Krishna’s pastimes.
4. Practise simple devotional living
Offer vegetarian food to Krishna, perform acts of kindness, and observe fasting on Ekadashi according to your tradition.
These practices are common in the Kartik observance.
What would you like to know about Damodar Month?
Daily puja and lamp-offering procedure
Damodarashtakam in English with meaning
Full calendar and important dates for 2026
Fasting rules and what foods to eat
Show details
Practice the Pause
Practice the pause. Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you’re about to react harshly and you’ll avoid doing and saying things you’ll later regret.” |
~ Lori Deschene |
BG 18.15 16
Bhagavad Gita – Chapter 18, Verses 15–16
श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता 18.15
Sanskrit (श्लोक)
अनाधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम्। विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम्॥ १८.१५॥
Transliteration
Adhiṣṭhānaṁ tathā kartā karaṇaṁ cha pṛthag-vidham,
Vividhāś cha pṛthak cheṣṭā daivaṁ chaivātra pañchamam.
English meaning:
Every action is accomplished through five factors:
- Adhiṣṭhāna — the body, which serves as the seat of action.
- Kartā — the doer or individual who acts.
- Karaṇam — the various senses and instruments used to act.
- Ceṣṭāḥ — the different efforts and processes involved.
- Daivam — the divine factor, or circumstances beyond one’s control.
Explanation: Krishna explains that no action happens through the individual alone. The body, the doer, the instruments, personal effort, and the divine factor all contribute to the outcome.
श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता 18.16
Sanskrit (श्लोक)
तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः। पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न स पश्यति दुर्मतिः॥ १८.१६॥
Transliteration
Tatraivaṁ sati kartāram ātmānaṁ kevalaṁ tu yaḥ,
Paśyaty akṛta-buddhitvān na sa paśyati durmatiḥ.
English meaning:
“Therefore, one who considers the Self alone to be the sole doer, without understanding these factors, does not see things as they truly are.”
Explanation: Krishna teaches that believing “I alone am responsible for everything” reflects an incomplete understanding. Every action depends on multiple factors, not just the individual’s will.
The deeper spiritual message
- Verse 18.15: Five factors contribute to the performance of an action.
- Verse 18.16: Do not assume that the individual ego is the sole doer.
- Practical lesson: Make sincere efforts, take responsibility for your actions, and recognise that circumstances and factors beyond your control also influence results.
In simple words: Do your duty with dedication, but let go of the ego that says, “I alone make everything happen.”
This teaching does not mean that you have no responsibility for your choices. It means understanding the difference between making an effort and believing you are the only cause of everything.
BG 18.15-16
The three kinds of actions are—kāyik (those performed with the body), vāchik (those performed by speech), and mānasik (those performed by the mind). In each of these categories, whether we do virtuous or sinful acts, the five causes mentioned in the previous verse are responsible. Due to the ego, we think of ourselves as the doers of our actions. “I achieved this.” “I accomplished that.” “I will do this.” These are statements we make under the illusion of being the doer. Shree Krishna’s purpose in revealing this knowledge is to annihilate the soul’s pride of doership. Thus, he states that those who see the soul only as the contributory factor for action do not see things as they truly are. If the soul were not granted a body by God, it could not have done anything at all. Further, if the body were not energized by God, it could have still done nothing. The Kenopaniṣhad states:
yadvāchānabhyuditaṁ yena vāgabhyudyate (1.4)[v8]
“Brahman cannot be described by the voice. By its inspiration, the voice gets the power to speak.”
yanmanasā na manute yenāhurmano matam (1.5)[v9]
“Brahman cannot be understood by the mind and intellect. By its power, the mind and intellect work.”
yachchakṣhuṣhā na paśhyati yena chakṣhūṁṣhi paśhyati (1.6)[v10]
“Brahman cannot be seen with the eyes. By its inspiration, the eyes see.”
yachchhrotreṇa na śhṛiṇoti yena śhrotramidaṁ śhrutam (1.7)[v11]
“Brahman cannot be heard with the ears. By its power, the ears hear.”
yat prāṇena na prāṇiti yena prāṇaḥ praṇīyate (1.8)[v12]
“Brahman cannot be energized by the life airs. By its inspiration, the life airs function.”
This does not mean that the soul has no role in performing karmas. It is like the driver in the car, who controls the steering wheel of the car and decides where to turn it and at what speed to drive. Similarly, the soul too governs the actions of the body, mind, and intellect, but it should not claim credit for any action(s) for itself. If we see ourselves to be the sole cause of action, then we want to be the enjoyers of our actions as well. But when we free ourselves from the pride of doership and ascribe the credit of our efforts to the grace of God and the tools provided by him, then we also realize that we are not the enjoyers of our actions and all actions are meant for his pleasure. As explained in the next verse, this understanding helps us to dedicate to him every act of sacrifice, charity, and penance, and perform these with devotion. - Commentary by Swami Mukundananda
*What are the three categories into which all actions (whether virtuous or sinful) are classified?*
🟠 Adhiṣhṭhānam (body), kartā (soul), and daiva (providence).
🔵 Sāttvik (good), rājasik (passionate), and tāmasik (ignorant).
🟢 Kāyik (body), vāchik (speech), and mānasik (mind).
🟣 Karma (action), vikarma (forbidden action), and akarma (inaction).
YS
The yogi's whole life is a tussle, is a kashmakash (inner conflict or turmoil) between the distracted mind and the concentrated mind. And always, even though it be a concentration for a lesser thing, you see, you can concentrate for your work, for your dissertation, for the project you have been given, or you can concentrate for awareness, for the stillness, which is the highest concentration, that is the witnessing awareness.
You are concentrating on God, you are concentrating on Atma, that is the highest concentration. Or the concentration on a normal project, or day to day activity. It is still concentration. Other than that, the mind which is not concentration, that is thinking of random thoughts. They are incoherent, they do not connect dots, they do not connect with anything, you know.
As you concentrate on the mind, the mind is divided into five sections.”
~ Yogiraj Siddhanath
Semaglutide. Anti aging
Semaglutide confers cardiovascular and kidney benefits and reduces all-cause mortality in high-risk populations. Whether biological-age metrics capture these effects and provide mechanistic insight remains unclear. We analyzed proteomics from 10,052 participants across five placebo-controlled semaglutide trials using externally trained organ-specific mortality clocks, proteomic frailty scores and disease-risk models. Semaglutide reduced heart biological age by approximately 2 to 4 years versus placebo, with reductions of 1 to 4 years across kidney, brain, pancreas, lung and multiorgan clocks. Proteomic frailty and cardiometabolic disease-risk scores improved during up to 156 weeks of follow-up. Effects were not fully mediated by weight loss, glycated hemoglobin or C-reactive protein. Exploratory mediation analyses suggested that heart biological-age changes may account for 34% to 49% of effects on selected outcomes. These findings demonstrate reproducible remodeling of mortality-associated proteomic signatures across populations and durations, supporting their potential as treatment-response readouts without establishing biological rejuvenation, causal mediation or surrogate validity.
Monday, 26 October 2026
One flow. TWBD. UFOGWCL
Key points: Non-duality, God, and the One Flow
1. God is One. God is Love. All existence belongs to one indivisible reality.
2. We are God’s children, fully here and now. Our spiritual worth and belonging are not something we must earn in the future.
3. We are not ultimately separate from God. The sense of separation may arise in thought, but non-duality points toward a deeper unity.
4. The separate self is questioned. The belief that we exist as entirely independent, isolated selves may not reflect the whole truth of our experience.
5. Reality is simply what is, here and now. Instead of endlessly chasing concepts about life, we can meet the immediacy of being.
6. Life is radically changed and yet remains ordinary. We still eat, work, love, care for family, experience difficulties, and participate in everyday life.
7. The miraculous is found in the ordinary. Nothing needs to look extraordinary for life to be experienced as sacred.
8. Everything arises within the One Flow. Thoughts, sensations, emotions, relationships, and experiences are all included in the unfolding of existence.
9. Wholeness does not require constant happiness. Grief, anger, fear, and difficult energies can arise without making us fundamentally broken.
10. All experiences can be welcomed. We can allow feelings to be seen, felt, and understood without condemning ourselves for having them.
11. Our humanity is fully included. Non-duality does not require rejecting our personality, individuality, responsibilities, or human relationships.
12. The human journey becomes a kind of sacred poetry. Each life expresses existence in its own distinctive way.
13. The wave is the Ocean. A wave has its unique shape and qualities, yet it is never separate from the water that constitutes it.
14. Individuality and unity can coexist. We can retain our unique gifts, capacities, and personalities while contemplating our fundamental interconnectedness.
15. Love and compassion remain meaningful. Caring for our families, helping others, and bringing beauty into the world are not obstacles to spiritual realization.
16. Nothing needs to be added to this moment for it to exist completely as it is. This points toward a sense of inner rest rather than endless striving.
17. Thoughts are not the whole of reality. Concepts can help us navigate life, but they cannot fully capture the immediacy and depth of lived experience.
18. Silence can reveal what words cannot express. Spiritual language may point toward truth, but it should not be confused with truth itself.
19. Peace begins here and now. We need not postpone every possibility of peace until our circumstances become perfect.
20. Non-duality points toward an undivided wholeness. Nothing needs to be excluded from existence for existence to be embraced as a whole.
The central message
God is One. God is Love. Life is already unfolding here and now.
The invitation is to rest more deeply in this moment, welcome our experience with compassion, and live our ordinary human lives with love, freedom, and an appreciation of the profound unity that connects us all.
One important distinction: these are spiritual and philosophical insights, rather than universally established facts. Different traditions understand the relationship between God, individual souls, and ultimate reality differently. The Christian idea that we are God’s children, for example, does not necessarily mean that we are identical to God; some non-dual traditions make a stronger claim about that unity.
JC
Jesus — The Kingdom of God and the Mustard Seed 🌱
Jesus used the mustard seed to explain how the Kingdom of God begins in small, seemingly insignificant ways but grows into something remarkably great.
1. The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed
Mark 4:30–32 (Jesus’ teaching)
“It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches…”
— Mark 4:31–32, KJV
2. What does it mean?
- The seed represents a small beginning. God’s work may begin quietly, without outward greatness or recognition.
- Growth happens gradually. What starts as a small act of faith can develop into a transformed life.
- The Kingdom brings life and shelter. In the parable, the plant grows large enough for birds to nest in its branches, suggesting abundance and a place of shelter.
- Do not despise small beginnings. A little faith, a sincere prayer, or one act of love can have consequences far beyond what you initially see.
3. How does this connect with the Bhagavad Gita 6.5?
There is an interesting parallel between the two teachings, although they come from different spiritual traditions.
|
Jesus — Mustard seed |
Bhagavad Gita 6.5 |
|
A small seed grows into something great. |
A person can elevate themselves through self-mastery. |
|
The Kingdom develops from humble beginnings. |
Inner discipline helps a person grow spiritually. |
|
Growth may begin invisibly. |
Inner transformation begins with the mind. |
The shared insight: Great spiritual transformation does not necessarily begin with outward power or impressive achievements. It can begin with something small within you and grow through nurturing and practice.
4. Another teaching of Jesus: the mustard seed of faith
In Matthew 17:20, Jesus says that faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains.
This is a related but distinct teaching: the parable in Mark 4 describes the growth of the Kingdom of God, while Matthew 17 emphasizes the power of faith.
A question to contemplate:
What if the Kingdom of God begins within a person as a tiny seed—an awakening of faith, love, truth, and awareness—and gradually transforms the whole of their life?
Jesus’ teaching invites us not to judge the ultimate potential of something by how small it appears at the beginning.
BG 6.5. MTP
Bhagavad Gita 6.5 — Chapter 6, Verse 5
Sanskrit (Devanagari):
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥
Transliteration:
uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
English meaning:
“One must elevate oneself by one’s own mind, and not degrade oneself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and its enemy as well.”
Simple explanation:
- Lift yourself up: Take responsibility for your own growth and well-being.
- Master your mind: Your thoughts can encourage you, strengthen you, and guide you toward peace.
- Beware of your own mind: Uncontrolled thoughts, fear, anger, and negative habits can become obstacles.
- Become your own friend: Cultivate discipline, self-awareness, and positive thinking rather than allowing your mind to work against you.
🙏 The key message: Your mind can be your greatest ally or your greatest obstacle. Learn to guide it wisely, and you can help yourself rise above life’s challenges.
Kng Parikshit
A Vaisnava
is Perseverant
In The Nectar of Devotion Srila Prabhupada describes perseverance as one of the characteristics of a devotee who has developed ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa.
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