![](\"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/wp-content\/uploads6\/tumblr_oe60coVonS1sbj0vuo1_500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
5 Things to do Everyday for Happiness.
\nAnanda Vrindavanesvari Devi Dasi: The ancient teachings of the Vedas say there are 5 things humans can do everyday to be happy. We would say that these are directly connected to an effective spiritual practice. If we understand that life is meant for self-realization then the following 5 support and help us achieve that goal, while being happy along the way.
\nHere they are:
\n Get up before the sun
\n Get clean
\n Worship the Lord
\n Give in charity
\n Receive guests
\nGet up before the sun \u2013 this sounds easy but we all know it can be oh so difficult to pull ourselves from the comfort of the comforter. Planning ahead is the key \u2013 this means early to bed, which means turning off screens, which means being determined to value the early morning hours. What\u2019s so good about the time before sunrise? Rise early and you will see!
\nGet clean \u2013 this is not just about teeth and body. This is also about our space. A clean body and a clean space really help control the mind. This is a good thing as the mind, according to the bhakti teachings, is the source of all misery. If cleaning is not your thing, try setting your phone timer for 15mins and do a blitz. You will be amazed how much can be achieved and how good you will feel.
\nWorship the Lord \u2013 whether it\u2019s for 5 minutes or 15 or for a few hours, the absolute best thing to do before anything else is to connect with Krishna. Of course we can do this at anytime during the day, but the tendency is to get busy and forget. Get up, get clean and get absorbed in some worship \u2013 in our practice it can be mantra meditation, or offering flowers or incense at an altar, or reading something wonderful about Krishna and His associates.
\nGive in charity \u2013 this is such a nice reminder. It is described that there is a difference in giving to those in need and giving to God, who is not in need. Giving donations to those in need shares our wealth; giving to Krishna acknowledges the source of our wealth and the importance of deepening our relationship with Krishna through our giving. Giving is such a core component of self-realization \u2013 giving up, giving away, giving back, but it\u2019s also a complex and nuanced activity. We should reflect on the spiritual call to give and do so in small and big ways every day.
\nReceive guests \u2013 in the traditions of the Vedas, guests are to be treated as good as God. Especially unexpected guests \u2013 they are signs of good fortune. No matter if we are at home or at work, we can try to interact with others as if they are guests in our space. Treat them as guests for that moment and be happy in their company. Offer water or some refreshment and kind words. Receive at least one guest into your life every day and be blessed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
![](\"http:\/\/68.media.tumblr.com\/b68610967a71e77c114dd9e537f69136\/tumblr_oe60coVonS1sbj0vuo1_500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
5 Things to do Everyday for Happiness.
\nAnanda Vrindavanesvari Devi Dasi: The ancient teachings of the Vedas say there are 5 things humans can do everyday to be happy. We would say that these are directly connected to an effective spiritual practice. If we understand that life is meant for self-realization then the following 5 support and help us achieve that goal, while being happy along the way.
\nHere they are:
\n Get up before the sun
\n Get clean
\n Worship the Lord
\n Give in charity
\n Receive guests
\nGet up before the sun – this sounds easy but we all know it can be oh so difficult to pull ourselves from the comfort of the comforter. Planning ahead is the key – this means early to bed, which means turning off screens, which means being determined to value the early morning hours. What’s so good about the time before sunrise? Rise early and you will see!
\nGet clean – this is not just about teeth and body. This is also about our space. A clean body and a clean space really help control the mind. This is a good thing as the mind, according to the bhakti teachings, is the source of all misery. If cleaning is not your thing, try setting your phone timer for 15mins and do a blitz. You will be amazed how much can be achieved and how good you will feel.
\nWorship the Lord – whether it’s for 5 minutes or 15 or for a few hours, the absolute best thing to do before anything else is to connect with Krishna. Of course we can do this at anytime during the day, but the tendency is to get busy and forget. Get up, get clean and get absorbed in some worship – in our practice it can be mantra meditation, or offering flowers or incense at an altar, or reading something wonderful about Krishna and His associates.
\nGive in charity – this is such a nice reminder. It is described that there is a difference in giving to those in need and giving to God, who is not in need. Giving donations to those in need shares our wealth; giving to Krishna acknowledges the source of our wealth and the importance of deepening our relationship with Krishna through our giving. Giving is such a core component of self-realization – giving up, giving away, giving back, but it’s also a complex and nuanced activity. We should reflect on the spiritual call to give and do so in small and big ways every day.
\nReceive guests – in the traditions of the Vedas, guests are to be treated as good as God. Especially unexpected guests – they are signs of good fortune. No matter if we are at home or at work, we can try to interact with others as if they are guests in our space. Treat them as guests for that moment and be happy in their company. Offer water or some refreshment and kind words. Receive at least one guest into your life every day and be blessed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10650,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-recent-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10650"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31784"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53355,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31784\/revisions\/53355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}