This is the last and concluding ‘instruction’ on the topic of ‘Self Acceptance and Self Improvement’

[Guest guest]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

Hare Krishna 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\

!!!!

 

 

 

This is the last and concluding ‘instruction’ on the topic of ‘Self

Acceptance and Self Improvement’

 

According to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's teachings, instead of finding faults in

others, we should try to look inside and contemplate on how to improve

ourselves. That will become an agent to help us improve the situation outside of

us in a similar way. So, how do we look at ourselves? It should be with respect

- not in a false sense or a self-serving sense. Rather, we should treat

ourselves with dignity and some acceptance, with a non-judgmental attitude. Be

accepting of your own shortcoming and offer love, tenderness, and acceptance to

yourself. At the same time, wishing to not stay there, we should want to move

from that position and be more pleasing to Krishna and Srila Prabhupada, and

then, in turn, to the assembly of devotees. Purity is what attracts everyone’s

heart. When Krishna sees such qualities and purity, He feels, " This individual

is very, very dear to Me " . Wanting that purity to please Krishna is something

that is worth aspiring for. We

should want improvement…therefore, self-honesty is followed by

self-acceptance and self-improvement.

 

What is our objective? A short-term objective is to get off of the material

platform and get on to the spiritual platform. There are obstacles in being

self-honest, like our attachments, shortcomings, weaknesses, frailties, etc.

Acknowledge that, accept it, and then try to come to the spiritual platform

where the goal is clear. Srila Prabhupada says that when we have a clear

definition of the goal, then it is very easy to get there. At the same time, it

is pretty hard to get there if we do not have a clear conception of the

goal…If we have a spiritual conception, we can look at the stuff that we have

been self-honest and accepting about, and then we can proceed toward the

goal…We have great fortune – our line of disciplic succession is giving us a

clear delineation of the goal and the means to achieve it… So, pray to

Krishna, “Please Krishna, transform this frailty into purityâ€â€¦That is the

self-improvement side. 

 

-- From a lecture by HH Romapada Swami on 'Self Acceptance and Self Improvement

Part 1', during the Christmas Weekend Seminar on 'Seeming Paradox or

Contradictions' delivered on December 2009, in Chicago, US.