CREATE BREAKTHROUGHS WITH Q-STORMING

This description of Q-Storming® is one of the Question Thinking Tools in Marilee Adams’ book, Change Your Questions, Change Your Life: 10 Powerful Tools for Life and Work. (The book also has a whole chapter on Q-Storming.)

Q-Storming is akin to brainstorming. However, it is often more powerful than generative. Rather than seeking new answers and solutions, the goal of Q-Storming practice is to generate as many new questions as possible. This is because one can only get the best answers and solutions by asking the best questions first.

Typically, questions open thinking, while answers often close down thinking. Q-Storming empowers collaborative, creative and strategic thinking. It is a tool for moving beyond limitations in perception and thinking and advancing to novel and extraordinary solutions and answers. It is most often used when breakthroughs are sought in decision making, problem solving, strategic planning, and innovation.

Q-Storming is based on three premises: 1) Great results begin with great questions, 2) Most any problem can be solved with enough of the right questions, and 3) The questions we ask ourselves often provide the most fruitful openings for new thinking and possibilities.

Q-Storming is typically done with a group or team, especially when exploring ideas and possibilities. It is also used in goal-oriented conversations between two people, for example, in coaching, leadership, management, or sales. Q-Storming can be done in person or virtually, with a global team or a coaching client in a different geographic location.

The facilitator focuses on developing a robust goal and eliciting assumptions about it prior to the question generation phase of Q-Storming. Typically, action plans will then be made or revised based on discoveries made during the Q-Storming session.

Question Guidelines

Questions should be first-person singular or plural, using “I” and “we.” You want new questions to think with, not necessarily to ask someone else.

Generate questions from Learner mindset and avoid Judger.

Questions are mostly open-ended, not closed (“How can I?” rather than “Can I? and “How can we?” rather than “Can you?”)

Invite courageous and provocative, as well as “silly” and “dumb” questions.

inquiryinstitute.com

IF YOU PURIFY

Of course, with this mind you cannot understand.
You cannot think of Krsna.
With this tongue you cannot chant Hare Krsna.
With these ears you cannot hear what is Hare Krsna.
With these eyes you cannot see what is Krsna.
But if you purify...
Just like cataractic eyes cannot see, but if you purify the eyes, then you can see everything.
The eyes will remain as it is, but you have to purify.
The process is purification.
Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau.
That purification takes place when you engage yourself in the service of Krsna.

- Srila Prabhupada

DIVINE NAMES RETREAT LIVE VIDEO BROADCAST

Online Braodcasting from the Bhaktivedanta College Radhadesh

Divine Names Retreat 2011 with Sacinandana Swami

From now till 28th of April you will be able to follow the Bhaktivedana College Radhadesh Divine Names Retreat online at:

www.bhaktivedantacollege.com

Retreat schedule is here:
http://bhaktivedantacollege.com/downloads/D_Names_2011.pdf

MANIFESTO OF KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS

By Srila Prabhupada

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a movement aiming at the spiritual reorientation of mankind through the simple process of chanting the holy names of God. The human life is meant for ending the miseries of material existence. Our present-day society is trying to do so by material progress. However, it is visible to all that in spite of the extensive material progress, the human society is not in peaceful condition.

The reason is that a human being is essentially a spirit soul. It is the spirit soul which is the background of development of the material body. However the materialist scientist may deny the spiritual existence in the background of the living force, there is no better understanding than accepting the spirit soul within the body.

The body is changing from one form to another, but the spirit soul is existing eternally. This fact we can experience even in our own life. Since the beginning of our material body in the womb of our mother, the body is transforming from one shape to another in every second and in every minute. This process is generally known as growth, but actually it is change of body.

On this earth planet we see change of day and night and of seasons. The more primitive mentality attributes this change to changes occurring in the sun. For example, in the winter they think the sun is getting weaker, and at night they presume sometimes that the sun is dead. With more advanced knowledge of discovery we see that sun is not changing at all in this way.

Seasonal and diurnal changes are attributed to the change of the position of the earth planet. Similarly, we experience bodily changes from embryo to child to youth to maturity to old age and to death. The less intelligent mentality presumes that at the death the spirit soul's existence is forever finished, just like primitive tribes who believe that the sun dies at sunset. Actually, the sun is rising in another part of the world. Similarly, the soul is accepting another type of body.

When the body gets old like the old garments and is no longer usable, then the soul accepts another body just like we accept a new suit of clothes. The modern civilization is practically unaware of this truth. They do not care about the constitutional position of the soul. There are different departments of knowledge in different universities and many technological institutions to study and understand the subtle laws of material nature -- medical research laboratories to study the physiological condition of the material body -- but there is no institution to study the constitutional position of the soul. This is the greatest drawback of material civilization, which is external manifestation of the soul.

They are enamored by the glimmering manifestation of the cosmic body or the individual body, but they do not try to understand the basic principles of this glimmering situation. The body looks very beautiful working with full energy and exhibiting great traits of talent and wonderful brain work. But as soon as the soul is away from the body, all this glimmering situation of the body becomes useless.

Even the great scientists who have discovered many wonderful scientific contributions could not trace out about the personal self, which is the cause of such wonderful discoveries. The Krsna consciousness movement basically is trying to reach this science of the soul -- not in any dogmatic way, but in complete scientific and philosophical understanding.

You can find out the background of this body as the soul and the soul's presence as perceived, perceivable by consciousness. Similarly, the presence of Supersoul and superconsciousness in the universal body of cosmic manifestation is perceived by the presence of the Supreme Lord, or the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is systematically experienced in the Vedanta-sutra, generally known as the Vedanta philosophy, which is elaborately explained by a commentary by the same author of the Vedanta-sutras known as the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

The Bhagavad-gita is the preliminary study of the Srimad-Bhagavatam to understand the constitutional position of the Supreme Lord, or the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding, namely as Brahman, or the impersonal universal soul; Paramatma, or the localized universal soul; and at the end as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

An individual soul is understood in three aspects, namely first in the consciousness pervading all over the body, then as the spirit soul within the heart, and ultimately exhibited as a person. Similarly, the Absolute Truth is first realized as impersonal Brahman, then as localized Supersoul, Paramatma, and at the end as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Krsna means all-inclusive, or, in other words, Krsna is simultaneously Brahman, Paramatma, and the Personality of Godhead. As such, as every one of us is simultaneously consciousness, soul, and person, this individual person and the Supreme Lord Person are qualitatively one but quantitatively different.

Just like the drop of sea water and the vast mass of sea water -- both are qualitatively one. The chemical composition of the drop of sea water and that of the mass of sea water are one and the same, but the quantity of salt and other minerals in the whole sea is many, many times greater than the quantity of salt and other minerals contained in the drop of sea water.

The Krsna consciousness movement maintains the speciality of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. From the Vedic Upanisads we can understand that both the Supreme Person, or God, and the individual person are eternal and living entities. The difference is that the supreme living entity, or Supreme Person, maintains all the innumerable living entities. In the Christian way of understanding, the same principle is admitted because in the Bible it is taught that the individual entities should pray to the supreme father for supplying means of maintenance and giving pardon for their sinful activities.

So it is understood from any source of scriptural injunction that the Supreme Lord, or Krsna, is the maintainer of the individual living entities, and it is the duty of the individual entity to feel obliged to the Supreme Lord. This is the whole background of religious principle. Without this acknowledgement, there is chaos, as it is happening in our daily experience at the present moment. Everyone is trying to become the Supreme Lord, either socially, politically or individually. Therefore there is competition for this false lordship and there is chaos all over the world, individually, nationally, socially or collectively.

The Krsna consciousness movement is trying to establish the supremacy of the Absolute Personality of Godhead. The human society is meant for this understanding because this consciousness makes his life successful. This Krsna consciousness movement is not a new introduction of the mental speculators. Actually this movement was started by Krsna Himself in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. At least five thousand years ago the movement was presented by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita.

From this Bhagavad-gita we can understand that this system of consciousness was spoken by Him long, long before -- He imparted to the sun-god Vivasvan. That calculation goes to show that before the repetition of the Bhagavad-gita in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, it was once before explained at least forty million years ago. So this movement is not at all new. It is coming down from disciplic succession, and in India from all great leaders of the Vedic society like Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnu Svami, Nimbarka, and lately, about 480 years ago, Lord Caitanya. The principle is still being followed today.

This Bhagavad-gita is also very widely persued in all parts of the world by great scholars, philosophers, and religionists. But in most cases the principle is not followed as it is. Krsna consciousness movement means to present the principles of the Bhagavad-gita as it is, without any misinterpretation.

In the Bhagavad-gita we can understand five main principles: namely God, the living entity, the material or the spiritual nature, time, and activities. Out of these five items, God, the living entities, nature -- material or spiritual -- and time are eternal. But activities are not eternal. The activities in the material nature are different from the activities in the spiritual nature.

In the material nature, although the spiritual soul is eternal, as we have explained before, the activities are temporary. Krsna consciousness movement is aiming to place the spirit soul in his eternal activities. The eternal activities can be practiced even when we are materially encaged. It requires simply direction. But it is possible, under the prescribed rules and regulations, to act spiritually. The Krsna consciousness movement teaches these spiritual activities, and if one is trained up in such spiritual activities, one is transferred to the spiritual world, of which we get ample evidence from Vedic literatures and also from the Bhagavad-gita. And the spiritually trained person can be transferred to the spiritual world easily by change of consciousness.

The consciousness is always there because it is the symptom of the living spirit soul. But at the present moment the consciousness is materially contaminated. Just like pouring water, water pouring, down from the cloud is pure, distilled water, but as soon as the water comes in touch with the earth it becomes muddy immediately. Again, by filtering the same water, the original clearness can be regained.

Similarly, Krsna consciousness movement is the process of clearing the consciousness, and as soon as the consciousness clear and pure it is transferred to the spiritual world for eternal life of knowledge and bliss, which we are hankering for in this material world, and being frustrated in every step on account of material contamination. Therefore this Krsna consciousness movement should be taken very seriously by the leaders of the human society. So,

utsahan niscayad dhairyat
tat-tat-karma-pravartanat
sato vrtteh sadhu-sange
sadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati
[Upadesamrta 3]

This Krsna consciousness movement, or a person's Krsna consciousness, can be progressively improved by six processes. What is that? Utsaha, enthusiasm. Dhairya. Dhairya means patience. Utsahan, dhairyat, and niscayat, firm conviction. Utsahan dhairyat niscayad tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. And following the regulative principles. Sato vrtteh. The profession must be strictly honest and serious. Sato vrtteh. And sadhu-sange, and in the association of the devotees.

MOUNTAINEERING ASSOCIATION GOES ON “EXTREME JAPA WALK”

Click on the title to access the article about mountain climbing chanters.

INSPIRATION

Click on the title to access the verse and purport from Srimad Bhagavatam.

It will inspire you.

TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE

There are two kinds of people in this life:
Those who walk into a room and say,
“Well, here I am!”
And those who walk in and say,
“Ahh, there you are.”

ISKCON LONDON VISION AND MISSION

(Click on the photo to enlarge it.)

This is ISKCON London Compass, a visual presentation of ISKCON London's Vision and Mission Statements. And here are these Statements in writing:

ISKCON LONDON VISION STATEMENT

London flooded with Krsna consciousness.

ISKCON LONDON MISSION STATEMENT

We spread Krishna conciousness from Central London to the world by:
• Joyfully chanting the holy names
• Distributing books and prasadam (vegetarian offered food to Lord Krishna with love and devotion), and
• Educating people in the techniques of spiritual life
- strictly according to the teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-acarya of the International Society for Krishna consciousness (ISKCON).

CHOICE MAP

Click on the title to download the Choice Map by the Inquiry Institute. Under the picture are instructions for using it.

In any situation, be a Learner by asking Learner Questions, instead of a Judger.

It is simple and very effective.

Try it, and if you have any questions how to use it, email me on akrura@gmail.com

TOO MUCH ENDEAVOR

By Sacinandana Swami

Preserve your spiritual status - avoid stress.

In the name of service, we often overburden ourselves with impossible schedules, high expectations from ourselves and others and big projects and goals. Sometimes we end up stressed out and frustrated. We have lost the Higher connection.

At that time, our happy Krishna conscious mood leaves us, our spiritual practice might become compromised, and instead of gratitude, we feel burned out, bitter or anxious.

Of course, there is something like "healthy stress," an excitement which brings out the best in us, but here we are addressing unhealthy stress that brings about distress. This stress should be avoided. It harms us.

Here is a letter by Srila Prabhupada that will guide you further:

Krishna Consciousness means we should always be satisfied and happy. Not that we try to do some impossible work, become overburdened, and then because we are unhappy by so much trouble we lose enthusiasm altogether and give up all hope. No. Too much endeavor should be avoided. By all means we must preserve our spiritual status. That is the point. Not that we are mad after big buildings, many devotees, life-members, and this and that. No. These are only ways to engage the devotees so they may apply the principles of devotional living to some kind of work for practical realization of these principles. It is not the result of the work we want. If we only sincerely preach to one person a day, that is sufficient. Never mind big, big programs. So my request to you is that you do not be bothered by these things.... Krishna does not like to see his sincere devotee suffer or become frustrated or depressed. He will not stand by idly in such a case. Krishna has some plan for you. Always think in that way, and very soon he will provide everything to your heart's desire.
(Letter to Tejiyas, 19 December 1972)

Srila Prabhupada reminds us here that preserving our spiritual status is our primary project. The many engagements we have are really meant to help us realize our devotional principles. By bringing these principles out into the open field of practical life and engagement, we are supposed to understand them in a deeper way, not lose them. Spiritual life always comes first, in the middle and at the end.

What can we do from our side?

Again and again contemplate: what is this visible world? Who am I really? Who is Krishna and what is my relationship with Him? These questions will help us to get back on track, in case we get lost.

"MY VIEW"

This is the conclusion of a conversation that took place between His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and biochemist Thoudam Singh, Ph.D., in Bhubanesvara, India, on February 3, 1977.

Dr. Singh: Nowadays it seems everyone has his "view."

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Every rascal will give his own "view." But we don't have to accept this. "Modern world" means "I think," "in my opinion," "in my view." This is going on. But we don't accept this.

Dr. Singh: We hear these very words all the time from so-called scientific authorities. "In my opinion." "In my view."

Srila Prabhupada: In your opinion. In your view. But first of all, who are you? A soul shackled inside a material body, totally under the control of the material laws. So what is the value of your view?

This is ahankara, false ego. Ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate: one wants to give his view when he thinks, foolishly, "I am this big, proud material body. I am something." Kartaham iti manyate: he thinks, "I am doing such great things." But actually he is vimudha, a great ass. He does not understand that in fact he is not the material body, and that material nature -- not he -- is carrying out his so-called great activities.

In fact, material nature is pulling him around by his ear: "Come here. Lie down and sleep." And he has to lie down and sleep. He's so independent. So what is the value of his "view"?

Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah. As Lord Krsna explains, "The spirit soul bewildered by false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that in reality are being carried out by the modes of material nature." He doesn't realize that he is totally under the control of nature.

Now, you rascal scientists, just try to understand. From the spiritual world you have fallen into this prison, this material world. You have your prison uniform, this material body. So shall I have to accept your view? You are a fallen criminal, and I have to accept your view? What is the value of your view?

Dr. Singh: These rascal scientists are so arrogant. They won't listen.

Srila Prabhupada: Make them listen. "What is the value of your proud view? You have become a criminal. You are being punished. And we have to accept your view?"

Again, what is the value of this materially imprisoned living entity's view? No value. At least we Krsna conscious, God conscious, people will not accept it. This position we shall maintain. "No 'view' from you, sir. Only Krsna's view shall we accept -- only God's view."

That's all. "Who are you to propound some view, rascal scientist? Your view? We don't give your view any value." Stick to this point. And maintain it scientifically. Then it will stand. Don't compromise.

Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya. "I am the supreme truth," the Lord says. "There is no truth superior to Me." This is the Supreme's view. The Supreme's view we shall accept.

Why accept some puny rascal's view? We are getting knowledge from the supreme person -- nobody is greater than Him; nobody is equal to Him. So why shall we accept some puny nonsensical rascal's view?

All over the world, people are becoming godless cats and dogs in the mere dress of human beings. So para-upakara: we have to rescue them from this nonsense and make them truly happy -- restore their God consciousness. The first step is to disprove their nonsensical pseudoscientific "view" that life comes from matter, with no need for the soul or the supreme soul. This is simply incorrect.

CHOOSE TO CHOOSE

We cannot control what happens to us or how people will behave. But we can control how we react to what happens to us and how people behave.

We have a freedom to choose our response.

We can always choose to choose our freedom of choice, in any given situation.

Life becomes interesting if we see it as a test of our responses - will we react wisely or not to what life brings us.

We can choose to be a victim or a volunteer, and victim or victor.

GITA COACHING BENEFITS

Among other things, Gita Coaching also helps you to:

- Be authentic
- Be truthful
- Say what you mean
- Be congruent with what you value
- Penetrate past lazy thinking, facades, games, defenses, fears, illusions
- Get a core understanding
- Get to the heart of the matter
- Open your belief systems for examination
- Increase your awareness of what is really going on and your choices on how to respond

BELIEFS AND FACTS

Facts often do not determine our beliefs, but usually our beliefs determine the facts that we accept.

COOL FRIENDS

Govinda Consult company from Denmark:

www.govindaconsult.dk

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

RIKKE LAURSEN

- I attended the course ”Become Your Own Healer” at Govinda Consult.
It has been hard, fun, a worth-while experience, educational and
challenging. I am deeply grateful that Ajit and Kalki have helped me
on my way to see life in another light. I’ve now got a much better
understanding of what life is all about. What I learned during the
course, WILL ALWAYS STAY WITH ME! Now, I just have to continue
building on top of what I’ve learned so far. So it’s definitely not
the last time they see me. You meet love, trust and security in Ajit
and Kalkis spiritual presence. They are a magnificent team, and they
always manage to reach deeply underneath the skin/the layers. At
Govinda Consult you will be shaked and turned upside down, nothing is
accidental or unimportant.

They are hard-bitten and razor-sharp! 

With love.
Rikke Laursen.
Director/Rikke Laursen Design

METTE LAURSEN

- A big THANK YOU for all you have reached for and with me.
I came with stress, performance anxiety, tinnitus, addictions of
different kinds, depression, knots on the vocal chord, and I was
therefore not a happy person. I was a forwarder and had lots of hurry
in my daily life; nothing could stop me except illness. After my
participation on the “Self-development Course” and “Become Your Own
Healer” I stand tall as a very beautiful, happy, positive, and open
spiritual flower. There is nothing which can prevent me from having a
good and challenging day, it is Saturday and sunshine every day in my
life now. I am completely out of all the before mentioned
diseases/diagnoses, and here THANK YOU are very poor words. This
should be obligatory in the school; in that case wars would not exist
nor would we find any unhappy/ill people  It has been hard, mystical,
tough, despairing, and sometimes with mixed feelings, when I had to
realize, who I really am. You are so skilled at what you do,
hard-bitten and still loving, that even I came through the needle’s
eye! Today I am no longer working as a forwarder but have found my
life’s calling as spiritual coach and body therapist.

I recommend in pure love these courses to you, who desire permanent,
ecstatic happiness. You are always welcome to contact me, if you have
any questions!

With love,
Mette Anthony Laursen
Student of “Body sds”/body therapist
www.sundhelhed.dk

CHRISTIAN JØRGENSEN

When I came at first at Govinda Consult I was feeling very bad. I felt
like I had a hard knot in my heart. I had completely shut down
emotionally and had begun taking anxiolytic medicine. My doctor later
told me he had been very nervous for me! One of the first things that
hit me when I started the “Self Development Course” was that here
somebody actually listened to me. It was not the same superficial
listening as you meet the most; even among friends and family. Ajit
and Kalki listened to me with a truthful and deep interest in me as a
person, and I was immediately assured, that they from the heart wished
to help me with the things, I struggled with. By their help I
gradually loosened my frozen feelings, let go of my sorrow and pain,
which made me feel true happiness for the first time in a very long
time. I began very quickly to taper the anxiolytic medicine and the
doctor was more than surprised that I could stop it than suddenly and
at the same time show so much more capacity and joy in many ways. I
gradually turned my focus from the negative thoughts towards a
positive and spiritual point of view. Kalki and Ajit were fabulously
good at showing me the problems related to the material living, and I
got more and more convinced that the spirituality should become the
fulcrum of my life. I’ll never forget the powerful experiences I had
the first time I tried meditation. I found out that there is something
out there much higher than myself! It was fantastic! I realized that I
am an immortal, eternal living being, which nature is to be happy. At
Ajit and Kalki I got a lot of spiritual and philosophical knowledge
and tools and pure answers to the big questions of life. It gave me
believe in myself and a deep confidence, that I carry with me now,
wherever I go. Another great thing about Ajit and Kalki is that they
don’t let go of one, when you finish the course. Today they are among
my best friends, and I often show up at their spiritual meetings with
hour common spiritually interested friends.
A million thanks to Kalki and Ajit. I am deeply grateful!

With love from
Christian Jørgensen
Educational Assistent, swim coach and former danish and nordic
champion in bodybuilding.

ANNA NYGAARD

- The first time I entered at Govinda Consult a huge gang war was
going on in my mind and it had completely taken over. I had entirely
lost all willing of life and my inner negative filters transformed the
world to look like a tremendous, dark hell. I am surely not able to
remember even one thing that I took the slightest control of, and
everything inside of me was leading me beyond a slope of an apparently
bottomless hole.

I don’t grasp how lucky I am to have been placed at Govinda Consult. I
have now attended the COURSE IN SELF DEVELOPMENT and been in Ajit and
Kalkis amazingly positively infectious company for about half a year.
I’ve got deleted unbelievably huge volumes of inner shit from my hard
disc; awakened my vigor, willpower, courage and not to forget a true
desire – and the recipe - to live my own life.
It might sound contradictory, but I’ve only just begun the adventure.
But that fact only confirms that the road is infinite when the goal is
to reach your pure soul and live on a spiritual platform. But believe
me! Another more attractive, exciting, admirable, life-affirming (I
could go on for ages) journey doesn’t exist!

Follow a reasonable request and put on the spiritual hiking boots! I
assure you, that it will give you all you wish including more, if you
are willing to cross icy rivers, climb hillsides and fight a million
demons on your way. If it seems difficult to believe that just YOU are
able to go through all this, then listen to a wise man’s words:

“Impossible is a word in a fool’s dictionary!”

Another thing is certain: I couldn’t have come this far at any other
course, and I get butterflies in my stomach by thinking about my
further self-development in the company of Kalki and Ajit - In
harmony with all which is beautiful and right and certainly worth
fighting for! And yes, that was a recommendation!

Many warm greetings
Anna Nygaard
Student (yoga and Indian philosophy)