Concrete Jungle by Bob Marley and the Wailers
"....Darkness has covered my light, has turned my day into night, Where is the love, to be found?
Won't someone tell me 'cause, life, sweet life, must be somewhere, to be found."
No chains around my feet, but I'm not free. I know I'm bounded, in captivity oh now
Never known what happiness is, never known what sweet caress is,
Still I'll always be laughing like a clown. Oh someone help me 'cause (sweet life)
I've got to pick myself from off the ground (got to be, out there somewhere, out there for me)
In this ya concrete jungle, I said what do you got for me now?.. Why won't you let me be now?
I said life (sweet life) must be out there, to be found (out there somewhere for me)
Oh instead:concrete jungle, collusion confusion, Concrete jungle, what do you have for me now?"
Won't someone tell me 'cause, life, sweet life, must be somewhere, to be found."
No chains around my feet, but I'm not free. I know I'm bounded, in captivity oh now
Never known what happiness is, never known what sweet caress is,
Still I'll always be laughing like a clown. Oh someone help me 'cause (sweet life)
I've got to pick myself from off the ground (got to be, out there somewhere, out there for me)
In this ya concrete jungle, I said what do you got for me now?.. Why won't you let me be now?
I said life (sweet life) must be out there, to be found (out there somewhere for me)
Oh instead:concrete jungle, collusion confusion, Concrete jungle, what do you have for me now?"
George Harrison 1973
"Don't know what I'm doing here, but I hope to see much clearer, after living in the material world...
Hope to get out of this place, by the Lord Sri Krishna's grace....
"Don't know what I'm doing here, but I hope to see much clearer, after living in the material world...
Hope to get out of this place, by the Lord Sri Krishna's grace....
Eternal, Timely Wisdom From Bhagavad Gita
5,000 years ago in India, Sri Krishna, the All-Attractive Personality of Godhead spoke to his dear friend and student Arjuna the following for the benefit of all humanity, past, present and future.
Bhagavad Gita offers timeless wisdom treasured by transcendentalist from both the East and West.
Bg 6.20-23
The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga*. This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.
Bg 6.47
And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself and renders transcendental loving service to Me – he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.
*Yoga is defined as a means to re-connect to the Supreme Lord; we are already actually connected but somehow have forgotten that eternal connection. There are different types of yoga, or ways to re-connect with the Supreme cross-culturally, using different approaches and language. Anyone who is attempting to reach out to God through any bona-fide religious process, is considered a yogi.
Spiritual acts and cultures are intended to reveal different types of relationships one may have with God - the Absolute Truth from which everything emanates.
It can be noted that offering prayers, music and service to the Lord, is also a type yoga called Bhakti - a direct process of re-connecting to the Supreme through devotional offerings from the heart.
A person from any religious tradition who is sincerely striving to re-connect with the Supreme Lord, by offering heartfelt loving service, is also performing Bhakti-yoga. "A rose by any other name..."
Bg 10.1
The Supreme Lord said: My dear friend, mighty-armed Arjuna, listen again to My supreme word, which I shall impart to you for your benefit and which will give you great joy.
Bg 10.10
To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.
Bg 10.11
Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.
MORE Bhagavad Gita
Note: One may ask, what is the process of offering service to the Supreme? Different practices in religious frameworks are revealed according to the time and place and circumstance; the goal of all ideally being learning how to love God, and know oneself as a part and parcel of the Supreme.
Love of Godhead is already naturally dormant in the heart; it just needs to be uncovered. Like removing dust from a mirror, the real self and God can reflectively seen by internal vision - once the dust of delusion and misconception are cheerfully cleared by spiritual practice and grace.
To love, means you mus know who you are loving, so the Supreme reveals himself through various means - such appearing personally in different ages and places - or by sending a messenger/saint to represent Him - or speaking directly from within one's own heart.
According the sincerity level of each person, the Supreme Lord arranges a specific level of instruction and like-minded association to manifest for each seeking soul, custom fit for that soul's journey.
In the Vedic tradition, nine processes of surrender and service have been recommended by sages and scriptures - the first three of which are: Hearing of the Supreme (Sravanam), Speaking or chanting singing the glories of the Supreme (Kirtanam), and remembering the Supreme (Smaranam) as much as possble. A highly recommend, simple and sublime method of performing all three services, is by repeating (silently or aloud this maha-mantra prayer):
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare
This prayer uses holy names to address the Supreme Being as the All-attractive Source of Divine Love (Krishna), He who is also the Source of all spiritual strength and happiness (Rama).
Prayer is asking to be engaged in divine service of the Source of Love and Strength and Happiness, by the agency of the Lord's internal spiritual potency (Hare).
As with all sincere prayer and meditation, even a few minutes a day of this chanting process is a divinely safe and powerful practice for allowing one to gradually feel the uplifting grace and loving presence of the Supreme Lord, within and without.
Bg 9.1
This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.
Wishing everyone,
Peace, Love, Introspection, and Ever-Increasing Happiness
Bhagavad Gita offers timeless wisdom treasured by transcendentalist from both the East and West.
Bg 6.20-23
The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga*. This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.
Bg 6.47
And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself and renders transcendental loving service to Me – he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.
*Yoga is defined as a means to re-connect to the Supreme Lord; we are already actually connected but somehow have forgotten that eternal connection. There are different types of yoga, or ways to re-connect with the Supreme cross-culturally, using different approaches and language. Anyone who is attempting to reach out to God through any bona-fide religious process, is considered a yogi.
Spiritual acts and cultures are intended to reveal different types of relationships one may have with God - the Absolute Truth from which everything emanates.
It can be noted that offering prayers, music and service to the Lord, is also a type yoga called Bhakti - a direct process of re-connecting to the Supreme through devotional offerings from the heart.
A person from any religious tradition who is sincerely striving to re-connect with the Supreme Lord, by offering heartfelt loving service, is also performing Bhakti-yoga. "A rose by any other name..."
Bg 10.1
The Supreme Lord said: My dear friend, mighty-armed Arjuna, listen again to My supreme word, which I shall impart to you for your benefit and which will give you great joy.
Bg 10.10
To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.
Bg 10.11
Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.
MORE Bhagavad Gita
Note: One may ask, what is the process of offering service to the Supreme? Different practices in religious frameworks are revealed according to the time and place and circumstance; the goal of all ideally being learning how to love God, and know oneself as a part and parcel of the Supreme.
Love of Godhead is already naturally dormant in the heart; it just needs to be uncovered. Like removing dust from a mirror, the real self and God can reflectively seen by internal vision - once the dust of delusion and misconception are cheerfully cleared by spiritual practice and grace.
To love, means you mus know who you are loving, so the Supreme reveals himself through various means - such appearing personally in different ages and places - or by sending a messenger/saint to represent Him - or speaking directly from within one's own heart.
According the sincerity level of each person, the Supreme Lord arranges a specific level of instruction and like-minded association to manifest for each seeking soul, custom fit for that soul's journey.
In the Vedic tradition, nine processes of surrender and service have been recommended by sages and scriptures - the first three of which are: Hearing of the Supreme (Sravanam), Speaking or chanting singing the glories of the Supreme (Kirtanam), and remembering the Supreme (Smaranam) as much as possble. A highly recommend, simple and sublime method of performing all three services, is by repeating (silently or aloud this maha-mantra prayer):
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare
This prayer uses holy names to address the Supreme Being as the All-attractive Source of Divine Love (Krishna), He who is also the Source of all spiritual strength and happiness (Rama).
Prayer is asking to be engaged in divine service of the Source of Love and Strength and Happiness, by the agency of the Lord's internal spiritual potency (Hare).
As with all sincere prayer and meditation, even a few minutes a day of this chanting process is a divinely safe and powerful practice for allowing one to gradually feel the uplifting grace and loving presence of the Supreme Lord, within and without.
Bg 9.1
This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.
Wishing everyone,
Peace, Love, Introspection, and Ever-Increasing Happiness
Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood
"Presence of the Lord"
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