Lord Balarama

Balarama Gives Spiritual Strength

admin — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 07:22:10 -0700

Balarama carries the plow to take out the dirty stuff in the heart. Prabhupada writes in Krsna Book that the name Balarama means spiritual strength. "Bala means strength, but is means spiritual strength. One cannot attain the supreme platform of self-realization without being sufficiently favored by Balarama. Bala does not mean physical strength. One must have the spiritual strength which is infused by Balarama." So when you think of Balarama, you can remember that He gives spiritual strength so that you can reach Krsna, so that you can serve Krsna. There are things that you like to do or that are helpful for you to do in service to Krsna, but sometimes you don't do them. And there are some things you know are not so good to do, but you still do them. Isn't it?

Balarama Protects Us from the Beast of Burden Mentality

admin — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 07:19:11 -0700

Dhenuka represents the principle of this foolish mentality, this ass-like mentality, the fruitive mentality, the beast of burden mentality, in which people think, "I have to work very hard. I don't have time for spiritual life. I have to work very hard. So many things I have to do. So much work I have to do. I don't have time." Life can be like that, if we allow it to be. But it doesn't need to be like that, for anyone – for ANYONE. It doesn't have to be like that because we have Balarama on our team, and Balarama will give us the strength to overcome such mentality, effortlessly. [Whirling sound, indicating Balarama wheeling Dhenukasura around by the back legs and throwing him into the top of the tala tree.] Boom!

Balarama: The Origin of the Mood of Service

admin — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 17:57:25 -0700

"Balarama's regard or mood in relation to Krsna is servitude. In all cases, without exception, Balarama is in the mood of servitude. In fact, because Balarama is the first expansion of Krsna, then we can say that from Balarama that all other expansions come. The first Sankarsana, and then the catur-vyuha, and Lord Narayana, then the second catur-vyuha, then the purusa-avataras, all living entities and all empowerments that go to those living entities, and the issuing forth of the material creation from the body of Maha-Visnu, all expansions flow from Balarama.

Krishna and Balaram: The Power to Remove Anarthas

admin — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 09:11:32 -0700

Q: Are we removing anarthas, or is Krsna the remover of anarthas?
A: Krsna gives us the strength. But that strength is also Krsna. The potency and the potent are nondifferent. It's not that we're doing…Just like Arjuna killing all the persons on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. Krsna showed Arjuna that He (Krsna) had already done it, but He was giving Arjuna the credit. He wanted to give Arjuna the credit, and He did. He empowered Arjuna. The power was Krsna's power. Krsna was doing, and Arjuna was the instrument. So Krsna gives us the strength.