"Planet ISKCON" - 31 new articles
H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Monday 19 September 2011--Daily Personal, Private Meeting with God--and--Yogic Meditation and Mantra MeditationA daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course Monday 19 September 2011 The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, and His eternal consort, Srimati Radharani are enjoying transcendental pastimes in the topmost planet of the spiritual world, Sri Goloka Vrindavan. They are beckoning us to rejoin them. (Click on photo to see a larger image.) Our Mission: To help everyone awaken their original Krishna consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. Such a global awakening will, in one stroke, solve all the problems of the world society bringing in a new era of unprecedented peace and prosperity for all. May that day, which the world so desperately needs, come very soon. We request you to participate in this mission by reviving your dormant Krishna consciousness and assisting us in spreading this science all over the world. Dedicated with love to ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master, and to you, our dear readers. For Transcendental Association Connect With Other Members of this Course. Join this Conference: http://groups.google.com/group/sda_students Today's Thought: Daily Personal, Private Meeting with God Uploaded from Timisoara, Romania Every day the devotees of Krishna are blessed with the most sublime opportunity of a private, personal meeting with God. This is the time that the devotees spend chanting the Hare Krishna mantra on their japa mala beads. Sometimes when people hear that the devotees have accepted a daily vow of chanting the Hare Krishna mahamantra at least 1,728 times daily, which takes one-and-a-half to two hours, they think that this is excessive. They find it odd that someone can spend so much time praying. But these same persons think nothing of spending so many hours a day wasting their time with their friends and family members in so many varieties of nonsensical activities, which do nothing but degrade their consciousness more and more. There is truly nothing more treasurable or sublime than personally meeting with God. This is the special privilege given every day to the devotees of Lord Sri Krishna and to anyone else who is willing to spend time calling out the names of God begging Him to be engaged in His service. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Revealing the Bliss of Krishna Consciousness Lecture in Arad, Romania--17 September 2011 http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Fall/Arad_Lecture.JPG Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Yogic Meditation and Mantra Meditation Gurudeva, Namaste. I would like to ask following question: Lord Krishna says The yogi by meditation develops a tranquil mind free from passions and devoid of sinful reactions, gets endowed with the spiritual substratum pervading all existence, certainly gets supreme bliss. What is the difference between this yogic meditation and the mantra recitation of the devotees?. Janardan M. Answer: The Devotee is the Highest Yogi. Krishna describes the meditational process of the yogis in Chapter Six of the Bhagavad-gita as follows: To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kusa grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should be neither too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogi should then sit on it very firmly and practice yoga to purify the heart by controlling his mind, senses and activities and fixing the mind on one point. One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life. To realize the highest truth in this way takes a very long time. For example it took Valmiki Muni 60,000 years to become self-realized through this system. This system was practical during the Satya yuga when men lived to be 100,000. But in this age of Kali when our life span is only up to 100 years, this yoga system is not practical. Plus it requires that one leave his home and live in a secluded place such as the Himalayan mountains. One must sever all ties with his wife and family. He must live as mendicant without any money surviving on whatever nature provides. How many people nowadays can even dream of doing such austerities? When Arjuna become disturbed on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra he was thinking to give up his professional duty and retire to the forest for yogic meditation. But Krishna taught him as follows in the Bhagavad-gita: yoginm api sarvesm mad-gatenntar-tman raddhvn bhajate yo mm sa me yuktatamo matah And of all yogis, 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. Bhagavad-gita 6.47 The devotees meditate on the Hare Krishna mantra. But it is not that the devotee simply practices mantra meditation. He engages his entire being in loving service the Supreme Personality of Godhead twenty-four hours daily. In this way he becomes qualified to attain the spiritual world in one lifetime. What will the take the yogi many lifetimes can be achieved by the devotee in one lifetime. Just as Arjuna, after surrendering to Krishna, remained in his profession and remained a married man, the devotee can also remain in his profession without having to give up his family and the comforts of home life. Simply he lovingly offers everything to Krishna and becomes the highest yogi. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Transcendental Resources: Receive the Special Blessings of Krishna Now you too can render the greatest service to the suffering humanity and attract the all-auspicious blessings of Lord Sri Krishna upon yourself and your family by assisting our mission. Lectures and Kirtans in Audio and Video: Link to High Definition Videos Link to Over 1,000 Lecture Audios Lecture-Travel Schedule for 2011 http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule Have Questions or Need Further Guidance? Check out the resources at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com or write Sankarshan Das Adhikari at: sda@backtohome.com Get your copy today of the world's greatest self-realization guide book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is available at:http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/store Know someone who could benefit from this? Forward it to them. Searchable archives of all of course material: http://www.sda-archives.com Receive Thought for the Day as an RSS feed: http://www.backtohome.com/rss.htm Unsubscribe or change your email address Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Daily_Thought Thought for the Day on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Ultimate.Self.Realization Copyright 2005-2011 by Ultimate Self Realization.Com Distribution of this material is encouraged. Simply we request you to acknowledge where it is coming from with a link to our sign up page: http://www.backtohome.com Our records indicate that at requested to be enrolled to receive e-mails from the Ultimate Self Realization Course at: This request was made on: From the following IP address:  • Email to a friend •  •ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Gopa-Vrndesa PrabhuSrimad Bhagavatam 1.2.26 - Who can be more merciful than Krsna who granted the position of mother to Putana although she was unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to kill Him (...kam va dayalum saranam vrajema). • Email to a friend • •
ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Nandamandir PrabhuClass given on Sunday 18-09-2011. Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.25 - The ultimate aim of religious performances is to release oneself from material bondage and regain the life of freedom in the transcendental world, where the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Person. • Email to a friend • •Japa Group: Praying For Service
Today I was praying to be able to develop strong desire to chant at any time of the day. When we chant, we are asking for service and this is the most important treasure a devotee can have -the precious service to the Lotus feet of Radha and Krsna. Here is a verse praying for service from Sri Sanatkumar Samhita.
I wish you a wonderful week of chanting. your servant, Aruna devi  • Email to a friend • •Akrura das, Gita Coaching: SURRENDER TO KRSNASaranagati, or surrender, means acceptance or firm belief that wherever the surrendered soul lives he is always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; he is never alone or unprotected. SB 4.8.68 Purport  • Email to a friend • •Krishna-kripa das, Mayapura: A Personal Tribute to Gopiparanadhana PrabhuA Personal Tribute to Gopiparanadhana Prabhu
I always like to write something in glorification of devotees I have even a little relationship with when they pass away. I guess I see it as a final service I can render to them. For me I got to know and appreciate Gopiparanadhana Prabhu much more than ever before in late August just this year when I joined the last four days of Indradyumna Swami's Festival of India in Poland. Gopiparanadhana Prabhu would give classes in the mornings to the devotees and answer questions at the festivals in the evenings. I arranged my schedule to attend almost all his question and answer sessions. He would often use the same old analogies that Prabhupada used and that we have heard others use many times, but I felt I appreciated them anew hearing them from him, and that was striking. He was wise and humorous, and he had a refreshing simplicity about him. He also presented spiritual truth in a very nonsectarian way. Once in response to a festival questioner asking what God we worship, he said, "If there is a God, there can only be one."
In his classes, he shared realizations from his lifetime of devotional practice, such as, "The purpose of this Krishna consciousness movement is to make pure devotees of the Lord. We can come to this movement with mixed motives, but we can expect that Krishna will do everything possible to change our motives. A devotee who wants to advance has to be ready to change."
I learned details I never knew before like, "Srila Prabhupada later told the editors that the figure of 640 million people killed in the Kurukshetra War was a misprint and should be 6.4 million."
Discussing King Yudhisthira's lamentation about the deaths on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra, Gopiparanadhana Prabhu said, "What to speak of a pure devotee, a pandit (an ordinary scholar) should not lament for the living or the dead. Death is natural and so is the mixed happiness that we experience in life. A brahmana should not lament. It is the business of sudras to lament and be depressed. If you do so, then you are becoming influenced by the mode of ignorance. If a brahmana finds himself depressed or discouraged, he should get beyond it as soon as possible. And what to speak of a pure devotee, like King Yudhisthira, an eternal servant of Krishna."
While talking with Gopiparanadhana Prabhu on the Polish tour, I learned he was completing the Tattva-sandarbha, the first of Jiva Goswami's six Sandarbhas. I knew these Sandarbhas were important books in our sampradaya, and I knew also that I would never get around to reading them because of my lifestyle, although they would benefit my spiritual life. The only way I would read them is if I offered to proofread them. Then I would do it as a matter of duty and of service. I told Gopiparanadhana Prabhu that I had proofread the Back to Godhead magazine, Sadaputa Prabhu's books, and the books of Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. I was not competent enough to be the sole proofreader, but I usually caught a few things other people missed, and I offered to read the book. On September 3, he sent it to me saying, "Thank you for offering to read Tattva-sandarbha." Because of proofreading the BTG and because of being absorbed in Ukraine festival I made little progress on it. However, the day after the festival, September 15, I had a nine-hour bus ride, and I must have spent half the time proofreading Tattva-sandarbha, which has lots of wonderful glorification of Srimad-Bhagavatam in it. I thought of writing Gopiparanadhana Prabhu, and asking if he wanted to see what I had done so far, but on checking my email, I was shocked to find that the person I had spent hours serving that day had left this world, after having all but completed just one of the six Sandarbhas. I liked his association in Poland and looked forward to working with him in future years on the six Sandarbhas, but Krishna had and yet another inconceivable plan. Such is the will of the Lord.
I met Gopiparanadhana Prabhu at the Ukraine festival few years back. During prasadam, I was talking to him about the problem of devotees not pronouncing the Sanskrit properly. He acknowledged the problem, and said, "They should send someone to all the temples to teach the devotees how to properly pronounce the Sanskrit." I did not ask him who "they" might be.
Once I realized how much his Brhad-bhagavatamrita had made an impression on my mind. For three days I read a hundred pages a day of the final volume, describing Krishna playing with his cowherd boyfriends in the Vrndavana forest. Then over the next week I traveled by train through Germany and Poland, and whenever I would see a forest I would think about Krishna playing with his cowherd boyfriends in the forest of Vrndavana, something I would usually never think of.
One evening on the Polish tour he asked me for something to quench his thirst. All the drink from lunch was finished, so I got some tea for him from our restaurant. I was also thirsty but did not want to ask for any for myself, and I was too cheap to buy any water. Ten minutes later I was at questions and answers hearing Gopiparanadhana Prabhu, and a devotee brought some water for him. I was so thirsty, I thought, "This is Krishna's mercy." I figured he was not thirsty as he just drank a cup of tea, so I drank some of the water, and kept it in my bag, in case he later became thirsty. The devotee came back and asked where the water was. I gave it to the devotee, and he took the top off and set it next to Gopiparanadhana Prabhu, who drank a little, and set it aside, as far as I know, for the rest of the evening. I felt bad for taking his water, and I apologized the next day. He was very understanding of my situation and did not feel at all offended, and that completely relieved my mind.
I share with you the notes I took on Gopiparanadhana Prabhu's lectures to the Polish tour devotees and his answers to the fortunate souls who inquired from him at the evening festivals. I hope that you might feel some happiness remembering his transcendental wisdom and qualities:
Arjuna had a doubt about fighting before the battle, and King Yudhisthira had doubts afterward. Arjuna was not a coward. In the Adi Purana Arjuna tells Krishna, "Just as young boys and girls are spontaneously attracted to each other, I am spontaneously attracted to fighting." But by yogamaya he had doubts about fighting at Kurukshetra. Yudhisthira's victory was so decisive that it was clear to everyone that God must want him to be on the throne. Yet by yogamaya, he was not convinced by Vyasadeva or Krishna Himself that the carnage was justified. Krishna was able to convince Arjuna, but he failed to convince Yudhisthira. This was all because Krishna wanted Yudhisthira to be convinced by Bhismadeva.
The Mahabharata is so long because different historical incidents are cited whenever someone wants to convince someone of something. There over 1,000 chapters in Mahabharata, which has 18 major divisions, the 13th of which contains the Bhagavad-gita. The Ganguli translation into English is alright.
Srila Prabhupada wanted all the Puranas [and some other major Vedic works which I did not write down] translated.
A devotee is glorious because he is willing to do whatever Krishna wants.
The material world is created by God for those who want to imagine they can control and enjoy separately from Him.
If you just do pranayama [breath control] it can take thousands of years to realize God, but if you meditate on the personality of God you can be successful in a few years.
Q: Why do we have different traditions? A: People look at God in different ways. He is trying to make Himself understood to us, but we have our funny ways of understanding. Whatever religion can develop your love of God is a good religion.
There are higher planets and as you go upward in the universe more of the people know about God.
The famous saying about Gandhi is that he was saint among politicians and a politician among saints.
Yudhisthira's problem is that he was too much in the mode of goodness. Ksatriyas in general do not have difficulty being ruthless.
Bhima was more powerful than 10,000 elephants. Arjuna was the supreme archer. And Krishna was on His side. Thus Yudhisthira become emperor of the world.
Throughout the centuries warriors have had the idea that the winner in a war had the grace of God.
If you cannot memorize the Gita at least memorize the first and last verse. One way to tell the meaning of a book is to know what is said in the beginning and what is said in the end.
Yudhisthira preferred to be in the company of brahmanas studying the scriptures and not on the battlefield. But because Krishna wanted him to rule, for him to renounce the throne would be a big mistake. Our business is to teach and manifest the principles of religion. Ksatriyas protect religion through their physical strength.
We know what Krishna wants us to do because our guru and the authorities appointed by him tell us. If we accept and listen to guru, sadhu, and sastra, we will always know what Krishna wants.
Q: How to avoid identification with the body? A: Start thinking about who you really are—a servant of the Lord and the Vaishnavas.
If there is a difference of a opinion between one's diksa guru and one's siksa guru, one should accept one's diksa guru's opinion.
One reason archeologists find only stone tools in strata millions of years is no other material will last that long.
Hare Krishna is a famous prayer in India that has been around for thousands of years.
It makes a big difference if you understand you are eternal and your body is temporary. Just like if you are on a train and it is crowded and uncomfortable, you can get upset about it, or realize you are only there a couple of hours and tolerate it.
Any religion that can free people from illusion and develop love of God is a good religion.
Just like kids say, "My father is better than your father." In the same way, foolish people say, "My God is better than your God."
In some traditions from India they stamp your arms with a hot iron to mark the two points where you get extra arms when you go to the spiritual realm.
On tilaka: In India one who has a serious commitment to some particular path marks his forehead to indicate which spiritual group he belongs to.
Different groups of people require special protection from being exploited, among these are women.
There is less divorce and the families are more stable in India than in Europe.
There are advantages to arranged marriages, one being that a woman does not have to hunt for a husband.
Q: How many wives can a husband have? A: Ideally no more than one can take care of nicely, but practically it is not socially acceptable to have more than one.
Regarding astrology: If you are determined to do your duty in any situation, then there is no need to consult the signs.
If an astrologer promises you will attain unadulterated happiness if you follow his advice, then abandon him as a cheater.
I did astrology for a while, but I found it frustrating because you could not tell people the whole truth. They only want to hear the good things.
If you enter the service of God, your life becomes transformed, and it does not matter if you are rich or poor or smart or stupid. Our real mission is to find out our individual and eternal relationship with God.
If you just chant Hare Krishna and offer your food to God for one month, without changing any other aspect of your life, you will become spiritually situated.
Self-realization is not artificial, it is uncovering our real nature. Taking help from an expert in spiritual knowledge is required.
Anyone who is interested in being trained up can become a spiritual leader.
According to the Puranas, Buddha is God, but He is teaching atheism, so we offer Him respect as God, but we do not follow His philosophy. Future teachers reintroduced theism.
When God is nicely worshiped, nature is in perfect order, but when He is not worshiped properly, so many anomalies are there.
That Yudhisthira was concerned about the people who were killed to reinstate him on the throne shows that a perfect devotee is not without feeling. The pure devotee does not want only liberation for himself as Prahlada Maharaja says, but is also concerned for others.
Srila Prabhupada said that Socrates was the only real philosopher in the West. Socrates was against the Sophists who used knowledge for persuasion but were not lovers of knowledge for itself.
In the Vedic conception, Gautama Rsi taught there are three kinds of discussion: (1) Vada—when both sides are looking for the truth (2) Jalpa—if either side just wants to win, regardless of the truth, but they do not cheat (3) Vitanda—when either side wants to win so much they are willing to cheat
Yudhisthira is having his moments of doubt, but in the end, he did what Krishna wanted. Similarly we may have our moments, or even years, of doubt, but in the end we have to do what Krishna wants.
Of the gosthyanandi and the bhajanandi, either or both can have pure or mixed motives. If Krishna accepts their service, then that is their perfection.
The gosthyanandi is willing to put aside the pleasure of serving Krishna to go out and share Krishna's message, and because of this additional special quality, he is considered higher. Krishna explains in Bhagavad-gita 18.68–69 that he who explains his message to the devotees is the greatest, and there will not be a greater personality. The gopis confirm this, saying those who spread talks of Krishna are bhuri-da janah [most munificent].
Q: What is the difference between your teaching and Buddhism? A: Buddhism teaches that nothing is permanent. A chair has no existence but is a temporary energy field. In Krishna consciousness there are souls and God who have eternal existence.
Q: We see the Catholic Church has its problems, and people are leaving. Could you comment on that? A: It is an age of corruption. I do not want to blame the Catholic Church. All religions have difficulty in this age. It is very difficult to remain pure. Anyone who can do so, we should respect. We have confidence in the practices of chanting the names of God and eating food offered to God which can keep us in a pure state, and we recommend followers of other religions to take this two practices very seriously if they want to maintain purity.
God is all-auspicious and when God is present as His name, all-auspiciousness is there.
These ideas are new to you but are not unfamiliar because we are all souls.
Chemistry can tell how the molecules in the body combine, but it can say nothing about consciousness. Carbon is needed for living bodies, but carbon is not conscious. Consciousness comes from another source.
If you have an appropriate body you can live in any environment.
Nature is so complex that we should wonder where has all the complexity come from.
Q: God is good and all-powerful, then why is there evil in this world. A: Our explanation is the God does not create the evil. We create it. According to the law of karma, the living entities did something in the past warranting the suffering. We can convince some people to stop causing suffering to others. If people follow the laws of God and are kind to other people, they will become free from karma. We can inoculate the children against polio, but that does not free them from the karma that caused them to get the disease. God is trying to help, but people are stubborn. He sent his son 2000 years ago, and what did they do? They tried to kill him.
The minimal respect we should have for other living beings is that we allow them to live. The modern world has forgotten this because we do not honor the basic commandments of God.
Q: What is consciousness? What about someone who is mentally disturbed? A: Consciousness is there in the mentally disturbed. It is just disturbed. Consciousness is there when we are asleep, but it is within. Even in a coma, there is still some consciousness. Even in a plant, there is still some consciousness.
When we use our body and mind in ungodly ways, we suffer as a reaction. Sometimes we can see causes within this life, but in other cases, it must be something from a past life.
We can choose to follow the laws of God as they are given in any religion that we select.
Why is suicide wrong? Because it is destroying someone else's property, since ultimately the body belongs to God.
We never made a proper contract for the use of the body for any length of time, and therefore we cannot complain about being kicked out untimely.
Buddhism does not tell about the God or soul, so we are not going to recommend it.
The biggest program with all religions, including Buddhism, is hypocrisy. Although nonviolence is a Buddhist principle, so many Buddhists are eating meat.
Some people think that once the Hare Krishnas get a hold of you cannot get free, but I know for a fact many people have come and gone, so that is not true.
The Koran forbids killing innocent men and women who are bystanders and not fighters. So those who kill innocent people and claim the Koran sanctions it are incorrect.
People are becoming too materialistic. Rather than fighting with each other, religions should unite and face their common enemy—materialism.
 • Email to a friend • •New Vrndavan, USA: Ecstatic college preaching by NV devoteesbu Gaurnathraj das New Vrindavan is a place of inspiration and worship. The mercy of their Lordships spreads far and wide. Trying to spread this mercy of the Lord five devotees from New Vrindavan headed to Ohio University. We conducted two programs there. One was a class of 20 students who were studying global leadership. They are actually writing a paper on New Vrindavan under the guidance of Professor Greg Emery. Greg Emery visits New Vrindavan very often and has had the association of H.H. Radhanath maharaj. When we went to the class the students were pretty blank so to speak, not knowing much. So I encouraged them to ask questions. The first question was why New Vrindavan? And that started it all. We covered almost all aspects of Srila Prabhupadas teaching beginning with the soul , devotion to Krishna and ended with a discussion on "Simple living High Thinking". The students listened very curiously and asked many questions. Finally after some hard hitting philosophy it was time for the real thing. I told them that the path to spiritual realization is full of happiness and joy and one can attain that joy simply by chanting . We just started chanting and then we started dancing and we asked all the students to come up and they did, one by one.
Our Next stop was College Greens, the forested area from within the campus. We had a student contact by name Tyler and he invited us to do a Harinam. We started with 2 students and gradually as we sang we attracted students passing by and joined us. Bhakta Brandon then suddenly started dancing and all students joined him. The dancing continued and the holy names kept growing louder and louder.
Then we handed out halwa prasadam to all. Not only that all passersby were given a cup of sweet halwa. The response was tremendous , we could see the mercy of Sri Sri Radha Vrindavanchandra flowing. Radha Vrindavan Chandra Bhagavan Ki Jay ! • Email to a friend • •Akrura das, Gita Coaching: WHAT TO DO WITH SO MANY PATHS?Many of us travel through our lives learning about many different philosophical, psychological, religious and spiritual paths in order to create a sense of clarity, comfort and understanding about our lives and the world around us. Some call this the search for knowledge. Some view such pursuits as the inevitable outcome of the human preoccupation with sanity and justice. Others believe we all really search for God. No matter what the rationale, we have a yearning for connection, communion and inner peace. Oftentimes, our sincere efforts, molded by the modern fad of going from discipline to discipline, keeping our options open, never quite committing, leave us empty-handed. There can be many roads to heaven, many avenues to clarity, many routes to peace of mind and many byways to love. However, we must travel far enough on one of those paths to reach such destinations. www.options.org  • Email to a friend • •Akrura das, Gita Coaching: WHAT TO SAY WHEN PEOPLE SAY "I DON'T KNOW"?Sometimes you ask someone why did they do this or that, and they say, "I don't know". "I don't know" often means "I don't want to know" or "I don't want to discuss it." If you still want to induce them to think about it, you may ask them, "What would be your best guess?"  • Email to a friend • •Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: Who actually encountered His Divine Grace first in America?September 19 marks the anniversary of Srila Prabhupada's arrival in the USA. Who first encountered His Divine Grace in America? Read the following letter from His Holiness Cyavana Swami of Camp Garuda Center for Vedic Studies. I was stationed aboard a Coast Guard Cutter at Boston Harbor, and on Sunday, 19 September '65 when Prabhupada's Jaladutta was moved from the anchorage over to Constitution Wharf, I was on duty on the Quarterdeck. It is a Maritime custom that when two ships pass they offer a "salute" by lowering, then raising again the Ensign or Flag at the stern of the ship. I offered the American Flag to Shrila Prabhupada's Jaladutta in this tradition, and when I looked up I was looking directly at him and he was looking directly at me. I was transfixed by his effulgence, and stood frozen in time as his ship passed. He acknowledged the greeting by slightly raising his left hand, palm outward. Six years later I was initiated, also in Boston. The night before the ceremony, Prabhupada called me up to his room, he asked me to read two verses from Bhagavad Gita, he commented briefly then ordered me to go to Africa to open centers and preach to the people there. I only wish I could do more. Your servant, Cyavana Swami (www.campgaruda.tripod.com) • Email to a friend • •Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Ashalata devi dasi requests Srila Prabhupada "Please always keep us in your lotus feet"... The blog schedule has been busy with a lot of posts on festivals, happenings and thoughts....so after a long break here is another favourite personal memory with Srila Prabhupada... Detroit 1976 Srila Prabhupada was visiting Detroit, so we took the opportunity to visit the Detroit temple. Due to Srila Prabhupada's health and demanding schedule, Pusta Krishna Prabhu was trying to keep everyone out. I pleaded with him to see Srila Prabhupada but he refused to budge. So disappointed I was made my exit when I saw a familiar face, Satsvarupa Maharaja who had parked his trailer and stayed with us in Toronto before. I explained my predicament and he assured me that everyone was in the same boat. However he had a brilliant suggestion. Maharaja told me that no one can block Srila Prabhupada's letters and suggested I write a note. The note effectively said that Ashalata devi dasi and I have come to take darshan of your lotus feet but they won't let me see you... So I quickly scribbled a note to Srila Prabhupada and marched back to Pusta Krishna Prabhu and asked him to give the note to Srila Prabhupada. Satsvarupa Maharaja told me to come and wait in his trailer. in a few minutes we all heard Pusta Krishna das yelling "Subhavilasa, Subhavilasa das, has anyone seen Subhavilasa?". Satsvarupa Maharaja gave me a big smile and I grabbed Ashalata and rushed to see Srila Prabhupada. We went upstairs and took Srila Prabhupada's darshan. As usual Srila Prabhupada was magnanimous and after some nectarean conversation and patient guidance, Ashalata devi dasi requests Srila Prabhupada to 'please always keep us in your lotus feet...' Srila Prabhupada turns to her and says, "you already are"... Jaya Gurudeva!Jaya Srila Prabhupada! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for accepting worthless servants like us at your lotus feet. • Email to a friend • •David Haslam, UK: 38 Years and 10 Months
38 years and 10 months does it have any significance? No! it’s not how many years I’ve been practicing Krishna Consciousness although I would so much desire to one day look back and say as much. But as some of you may be aware earlier on this year I made contact with an individual who was somewhat involved in the Krishna Conscious Movement remembering in Srila Prabhupada, and the opening and installation of the deities at Soho Street and not forgetting Bury Place; Yes a connection that goes back some way. He came in today and announced it has been 38 years and 10 months. I wondered myself what significance this had, is it how long he has been married, the age of his oldest child, how long he has worked in health care. No! It has taken him 38 years and 10 months to work out the connection of the soul in relation to Krishna, and how the soul is covered thus the connection is broke; he realized that we are always connected with Krishna but our realization of this is thus that we do not realize it and so make so many foolish mistakes. He then expanded, I realized everything is connected with Krishna and are covered to different degrees; and was surprised at what a numpty he was at not realizing this earlier; given that he had made such an endeavor to read both the Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and the bible. I pondered this for the rest of the day. And I concluded that it showed determination, a sincere determination to understand and that eventually Krishna reveals the hidden truth to us. However: It also made me realize that we could simply minimize this struggle by taking a very simple step, listening closely to those in authority who have become themselves self-realized and can impart this knowledge to those seeking it. But we all have to take our own path to self-realization, some by determined study, some by listening, some by constantly asking questions. Eventually the answer’s will come. Our we can simply learn by rendering devotional service and by association we can slowly learn. Saying that there is no guarantee’s it may still take 38 years and 10 months; but then in many ways does it matter how long? As long as we realize and reconnect with Krishna? And although for many this realization may be seen as basic, child’s play I am always filled with joy and bliss listening to individuals as the vedic knowledge clicks into place, piece by piece and reminds me that I too have to make that sort of determined effort to find out and understand more. • Email to a friend • •H.H. Sivarama Swami: Szatnik Balázs Szabolcs and Ananga Manjari dd ask similar questions
• Email to a friend • •Mayapur Online: Sri Mayapur International School Celebrates World Holy Name WeekSeventy primary school students from Sri Mayapur International School organized and participated in a Hari Nama sankirtan procession on Thursday 15th September in Sri Mayapur Dham. The students, aged from 3 to 11 years old, wanted to take part in World Holy Name week. • Email to a friend • •Srila Prabhupada's Letters1975 September 18: "You all should co-operate and then things will go on very nicely. We should not bring in politics. That is a very nasty thing."  • Email to a friend • •Srila Prabhupada's Letters1972 September 18: "The standards I have already given you, now maintain them. Do not try to innovate or create anything or manufacture anything, that will ruin everything. Simply do as I am doing and be always serious and sincere to serve Krsna, and He will give you intelligence how to do everything."  • Email to a friend • •Srila Prabhupada's Letters1965 September 18:  • Email to a friend • •Srila Prabhupada's Letters1960 September 18: "[From the Visitors' Book] I am pleased to write herein that I have come to Delhi from my H.Q. Kesi Ghat, Vrindaban (U.P.) purely on spiritual mission to propagate the cult of devotional service of the Lord. And I am publishing an English fortnightly magazine of the name Back-To-Godhead from this place."  • Email to a friend • •Srila Prabhupada's Letters1965 September 18:  • Email to a friend • •Srila Prabhupada's Letters1968 September 18: "If by begging alms we can provide ourself, we should not accept any job. Form a party of Sankirtana, and walk in the street, you can get not less than 50 to 100 marks daily. Form a local trust party of 12 heads and immediately start your work."  • Email to a friend • •Srila Prabhupada's Letters1968 September 18: "It is clear that the place is destined for our temple, and you can immediately take it on lease. You are a sincere devotee and Krishna will give you timely all good intelligence in this connection. Now please try to organize as quickly as possible."  • Email to a friend • •Srila Prabhupada's Letters1974 September 18: "The subject matter is very grave and unless you intimately associate yourself with us it will be very difficult to understand. I have got my program to go there by the end of the month. At that time you can try to meet me."  • Email to a friend • •Japa Group: Leave Everything Aside
The chanting and hearing is essence. Even when dealing with a practical problem, Srila Prabhupada was seeing it and soon speaking of it in absolute terms. Chanting especially promotes this: leave everything aside and chant the holy name. Then we can take up even our most demanding preaching duties in this world with vigor and endurance. Satsvarupa dasa Goswami  • Email to a friend • •Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: A friend from CalgaryWe were wrapping up our day at Kensington market and walking back when a nice devotee, Chloe, called me and introduced me to a girl she had just stopped. She was from Calgary and leaving town next morning. She was holding the Perfection of yoga that Chloe had given her. Chloe told me she wanted to know what is meditation and how can she practice it. This young lady was a junior Geologist in Calgary, very well read. I handed her the Bhagavad gita as it is and asked her to read it cover to cover as it explained everything she would ever want to know about meditation. She was impressed by the Sanskrit and the purports and the pictures and agreed to take the Gita. She still wanted to learn how to meditate. So we took her to the corner of the street and I started to show her how to chant japa in the middle of the street. She tried to chant with us and I requested her to go home and chant one round of japa everyday along with the study of the Gita. We exchanged emails and I showed her the address for the Calgary centre.  • Email to a friend • •Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: A rare chanceLast month I met young girl near Yonge and Dundas and at first she walked away, but then she turned around and came back to ask me what I had. She was just out of high school and very bright eyed young girl, inquisitive about transcendental knowledge. In first few minutes I saw cuts on her arms showing she was undergoing serious depression. But her face was bright; she was sharp and quickly understood some of the pictures in the Gita I tried to explain to her. She said she wanted to become a cop and eradicate drugs from the world but as of now she was living alone in the world. She took the Bhagavad gita and promised to keep in touch. As days went by she started reading the book and sent text messages about how she liked what she read. She lived far from the city and was waiting for a chance to come into town and visit our centre. Then few weeks later I got a message that she was in hospital counting last breath and funeral arrangements were underway. She had overdosed on drugs and never regained consciousness. Her friend agreed to honour her wishes and read from the Bhagavad gita at her burial and buried it with her. This Sankirtan experience gave me a close look into the madness that people live in this world and how rare is the chance for them to come in touch with Srila Prabhupada books. We never know who we will meet on Sankirtan and how much time they have. Surprising how Krishna in heart inspires one to turn around and come back to get a book.  • Email to a friend • •ISKCON Desire Tree: Vaishnava Calender - Srila Prabhupada's Arrival In the USA<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:63t7Ie-LG7Y"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=63t7Ie-LG7Y" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:YwkR-u9nhCs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=YwkR-u9nhCs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?i=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?i=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:KwTdNBX3Jqk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?i=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:KwTdNBX3Jqk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:l6gmwiTKsz0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=l6gmwiTKsz0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?i=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=xvnWkM16BXM:RGPwuPnaj1w:TzevzKxY174"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=TzevzKxY174" border="0"></img></a> </div> • Email to a friend • •Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: Second bookI met a girl earlier this summer and she had bought a chant and be happy. Yesterday I ran into her again and she remembered meeting me. She told me she had completed reading the Chant and be happy and had liked it. So I handed her the Science of self realisation. As soon as I put it in her hand, without me saying a word, she asked how much it was. I asked her to give what she can and she immediately gave a donation and took the book with her. Once in touch with the book, people so easily take their next one.  • Email to a friend • •Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: A friend at every step
 • Email to a friend • •H.H. Sivarama Swami: This is Patita Pavana Prabhu’s review of Jayadeva Prabhu’s new book The Beat of Different Drums • Email to a friend • •Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Sharing Srila Prabhupada This is a repost from a few weeks back...A follow through b A REPOST FROM A FEW WEEKS BACK...A FOLLOW THROUGH BLOG POST WILL ACTUALLY APPEAR THIS TIME :-) But before sharing these memories I wanted to share why I think it is important to share our memories about Srila Prabhupada. A few weeks ago I was asked by some Toronto youth to speak about memories of Srila Prabhupada and in the process I pondered what to share and the purpose. The most obvious purpose of sharing is to glorify my spirtual master and our Founder Acarya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. But is also to bring devotees closer to Srila Prabhupada. To understand his mood and instructions. And beyond that to make others realize that Srila Prabhupada is still available to all of his spirtual children, grand children and great grand children, etc. through his books, vani, teachings and media. It also dawned on me and became even clearer during recent festivals that there are new glorious memories being created within the Hare Krishna movement which Srila Prabhupada is at the centre of and thus old and new memories meld to inspire devotees to continue to expand Srila Prabhupada's movement. So as you read new articles that get published with these memories, I hope that glorification of Srila Prabhupada as well as realizations and inspiration is taken away. These memories are not exclusive to me but just a mere representation of Srila Prabhupada's wonderful nature, instructions, vani and pastimes and I will make an humble attempt to continue to share them. Stay tuned for the nectar... • Email to a friend • •Gouranga TV: Janmastami 2011 Celebrations in ISKCON Seattle templeJanmastami 2011 Celebrations in ISKCON Seattle temple • Email to a friend • •More Recent Articles
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