Transcendental coach
Coaches, consultants and advisors form an integral part of the formula to achieve excellence in any field. Be it team games like soccer, cricket or hockey, or individual games like tennis, badminton, coaches play a very important part in deciding the fate of matches and winning glory for the team. In soccer, many times the coach is more vital than the players. In 2010 we all experienced the mega sporting event on earth – the Soccer World Cup in South Africa Spain defeated the Netherlands Spain , Germany and the Netherlands Germany depended on swift counter attacks whereas Netherlands Spain
The world of business is full of consultants and advisors. From the big three business improvement consultants like Mckinsey, BCG and Accenture to the self improvement and CEO coaches like Ramcharan, the late CK Prahlad and Stephen Covey , there are a wide array of excellence selling agents to chose from. Politics has it’s coaches as well, right from the time when Chanakya Pandit played the role of chief strategist to Chandragupta Maurya, to present today Mccain who played a pivotal role in George Jr Bush’s winning his second term.
Why are coaches needed? Why can’t an individual attain glory by himself? Why should one take inputs from an entity outside oneself? One reason is that coaches have specialised knowledge, which helps them to view things in a particular perspective which is very valuable to enhance performance. Each field has certain areas of importance where a coach or a strategist imparts perspective to deliver excellence and victory - In sports it is your right style or approach in response to your opponent’s – for example Spain’s possession football scored over the defensive Dutch. The ‘Seven habits for highly effective people’ has helped many individuals to balance personal productivity, relationships and work life, leading to a more meaningful life. The second reason is that self introspection is itself not enough for identifying the loop holes and gaps which are preventing us from excellence. A view outside of ourselves sees a totally new dimension of our strengths and weaknesses. As the world becomes more complex, coaches have become a fundamental necessity for succeed in any field.
What is success? A typical individual in any of the famous metro cities of the world would aspire for success in multi-dimensions. The commonly understood dimensions are physical, intellectual, emotional, relationships, social, financial, and last but not least, the spiritual. Many times the dimensions are inter-related. Having a firm grounding and growth in the spiritual dimension can ensure concomitant stability in all other dimensions. Because of his interest in succeeding in these multi-dimensions, an individual may have many coaches – a physical trainer and nutritionist at the gym, a self improvement and productivity coach, and a yoga and meditation guru to take care of the spiritual aspect. The spiritual dimension, hitherto largely ignored, has gained popularity in the last two decades. Hatha yoga and kirtan yoga have become quite popular in the west. (See kirtaniyas.com)
The multi-dimensions of success mentioned above have arisen primarily out of a bodily concept of life. The concept of happiness in the bodily concept is the titillation of senses. Titillation means the sense of pleasure generated due to the interaction between a sense object and a sense. For example, eating is a pleasure derived by the interaction between palatable food and the tongue. There are subtle senses and gross senses. Sound, form, touch, taste, smell - these five give pleasure to the gross senses. In any kind of happiness in this world, we try to maximise these five sense experiences. The subtle sense pleasures are name and fame - being a celebrity for example. This is an urge to become famous or to be appreciated by many. If one wants peace and happiness, he should minimise the demands of the gross and subtle senses. Maximising the gross sense experience means dependence on refined processed objects. The objects are available in a gross way from Mother Nature. The processing of available objects in nature takes resources and is a costly affair. A fine dining experience in an upscale restaurant is costly, and addiction to such fine dining sensual experiences creates anxiety. The person becomes dependent on money to sustain the experience. The tongue which once tasted such fine dining will protest to going back to tasting gross products available in nature. So a yogi is always careful not to enhance his sense experience thru fine objects. He tries to satisfy his needs by using whatever is readily provided by Mother Nature.
We lack the real transcendental coach. The coaches of the lower planes of existence like the physical trainer, intellectual coach, relationship mentor and so on cannot deliver lasting happiness. They help us only to taste transient happiness and finally put us into misery. For example, one can build a great body and become enamoured by his body. But with time it is going to decay and our bodily attachment will only increase our misery with the dawn of old age. When in search of true happiness, we come across a transcendental coach; he gives a new paradigm of happiness called ‘reflective happiness’. He says if you want to be successful and happy, forget trying for your success and happiness. Instead start endeavouring for the increased happiness of the Supreme Being Sri Krishna. Try to gratify the senses of Sri Krishna! The transcendental coach will teach us skills of devotional service – the art of giving happiness to the root of existence Sri Krishna. It is said in the Srimad Bhagavatam – 4.31.14 –
tathaiva sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā
As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality.
The above sloka teaches the essence of ‘reflective happiness’. Just like watering the root automatically provides happiness and nourishment to the leaves, branches and twigs, just like working to gratify the stomach in turn energises the body parts, so desiring and working for the happiness of Sri Krishna will make us really happy. Components of the tree should not work for their own independent happiness but learn to cooperate with the other components to enhance the pleasure of the central root of creation – Sri Krsna. The Transcendental coach – Sri Gurudeva - is the perfect component, who is an expert in providing happiness to Sri Krsna. He is an accomplished dear servant. He infuses us with the service spirit, destroying tendencies for independent happiness.
The transcendental coach is simultaneously the manifestation of the Supreme Being, and the dear most of the Supreme Being. So it behoves us to search for a transcendental coach and learn the art of self forgetfulness and divine service. ‘Die to live’ is the essence of this transcendental service act.
Such a great transcendental coach, Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja, was amongst us and left this world on Dec 29th 2010. We celebrate his manifestation into this world on the 2nd of February. Transcendental coaches, unlike material coaches, never stop inspiring. He in his unmanifest form is continuing to inspire us to attain higher levels of excellence in devotional service - to attain the stage of prema bhakti, the super-excellent devotional attitude. I humbly request all aspirants to take advantage and to join us in glorifying and remembering him on the 2nd of February at our Kagaadaspura center. (See contact us for map)
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