Wig
Not da body!
We had yet another wedding celebration this weekend, that of Simi and Christopher, which was quite emotional at times for the couple and some of the guests. The happy couple christened our temple mandap which has been newly revamped under the expertise of Bhaktin Tania. Enjoy the slideshow.
"...While joyfully embracing his son, Nanda Maharaja exclaims:
'O Krsna, the great festival of Your touch brings to me a cool sweetness that defeats camphor, moonlight, nalada roots, lotus flowers, and sandal paste..."
(Vidagdha Madhava) O Krsna, the splendorous festival of Your darsana blows a cooling breeze of sweetness over our hearts that have been set ablaze by anxiety, uncertainty and fearfulness, brought about by this material existence.
Whether or not God has a form is a perennial philosophical question perennial philosophical question with arguments on both sides. The way we pray to God, the way the saints address God in their devotional prayers, it seems that God is a person whom we are calling by our prayers. But then God is said to be unlimited. Will his being a person not limit him? Does a form limit God? To reconcile these two sides, we need to first understand the definition of God. The Vedanta-Sutra (1.1.2) defines God or the Absolute Truth, brahman, as the source of everything. Janmady asya yatah. Another ancient text, the Brahma-Samhita (5.1), defines God similarly as the cause of all causes sarva karana-karanam. This concise definition of God is essentially in agreement with the understanding of God given by all the theistic traditions of the world. So, if God is the source of everything that we see in this world, then God himself should possess the essential attributes of everything, else he would be lesser than his creation. In this world, there exist both personal beings and impersonal forces, so both these aspects should be present in God. If God were not a person, then he, who by definition is the Complete Being, would be incomplete. Another simpler way of putting this is: if we as the children of God are persons, how can our father, God, not be a person? So, those who say that God is not a person are actually limiting him, by divesting him of what his creation has.
Now let’s consider the question: do personality and form not limit God? Vedic wisdom helps us understand that what causes limitation is not form, but matter. Due to the very nature of matter, all material objects are limited, whether they have form or not. When we think of God’s form, we subconsciously project our conceptions of matter on the form of God and so think that a form would limit God. But God is not material; he is entirely spiritual. Spirit has characteristics different from matter; that which is spiritual has the potential to be unlimited, irrespective of whether it has form or not. So God’s form being spiritual does not limit him. This is how, due to his being spiritual, God is a person with a form and is still unlimited. Is man made in the image of God? This brings us to the next objection: even if we accept that God has a form, why should he have a humanlike form? Isn’t this an example of what you were saying earlier: of our projecting humanlike conceptions on God? Because we are human beings, so we imagine that God also has a humanlike form.
Factually, the opposite is true. Anthropomorphism – the idea that we have ascribed a humanlike forem to God – seems sensible initially, but if we think deeply about it, we will realize that it seems sensible because of our self-centered thinking, due to our placing ourselves at the center of things. We think that because we have a humanlike form, we have conceived God as humanlike. But could the reverse not be true? What if God originally had a form and our present human form was modeled according to that original form of God?
So logically both are potential possibilities. How do we know which is the reality? When we want knowledge about physics, we refer to the authorized textbooks of physics. Similarly, when we want knowledge about God, should we not refer to the authorized textbooks about God – the scriptures? The scriptures of the great religions of the world repeatedly refer to God in a personal, humanlike way. For example, the Bible talks about “under his feet” (Exodus 24:10); “inscribed with the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18); “the hand of the Lord” (Exodus 9:3); “the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 38:7); “the ears of the Lord” (Numbers 11:1). Ezekiel (1:26) describes God as having “the semblance of a human form.” Such phrases permeate the biblical literature. Similarly, in the Quran, there are references to “the face of your Lord” (055:027), “under My eye” (020:039), “under our eyes” (052:048) & (054:014), “the hand of Allah” (048:010), (038:075) & (039:067).
Some people say that these references should be taken metaphorically. But, isn’t that a human projection on the word of God? Aren’t we imposing our interpretation on the self-evident statements of the scriptures? Further, even if we grant that such references are metaphorical, why would the scriptures repeatedly and consistently present God as having a humanlike form if in reality he didn’t have one? Wouldn’t that be a dangerous and misleading metaphor? Instead of audaciously claiming that the scriptures are presenting a misleading metaphor, isn’t it humbler, safer and more logical to infer that it is our preconceptions, which are misleading and which need to be corrected by the words of the scriptures? Further, there is the classic and clear statement in the Bible: “Man is made in the image of God.” In which scripture is it said that God is made in the image of man? Nowhere. So the correct understanding is not that God is anthropomorphic (having a humanlike form), but that man is theomorphic (having a form modeled on God’s original form). Vedic Insights The Vedic scriptures assert that God has a form, but go further by giving vivid descriptions of his form. For example, the scripture glorified as “the ripened fruit of all the Vedic literatures”, the Srimad Bhagavatam (10.23.22), offers this enchanting description of the Lord’s form:
shyamam hiranya-paridhim vanamalya-barha-
dhatu-pravala-nata-vesham anavratamse
vinyasta-hastam itarena dhunanam abjam
karnotpalalaka-kapola-mukhabja-hasam
“His complexion was dark blue and his garment golden. Wearing a peacock feather, colored minerals, sprigs of flower buds, and a garland of forest flowers and leaves, He was dressed just like a dramatic dancer. He rested one hand upon the shoulder of a friend and with the other twirled a lotus. Lilies graced his ears, his hair hung down over his cheeks, and his lotuslike face was smiling.”
Similarly, another important scripture, the Brahma-samhita (5.30), offers an enthralling glimpse of the beautiful divine form:
venum kvanantam aravinda dalayataksham
barhavatamsam asitambuda sundarangam
kandarpa-koti kamaniya vishesha shobham
govindan adi-purusham tam aham bhajami
“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept at playing on his flute, who has blooming eyes like lotus petals, whose head is bedecked with a peacock feather, whose figure of beauty is tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and whose unique loveliness charms millions of Cupids.” Vedic Impersonalism? Despite the Vedic literature containing such vivid descriptions of God’s form, a common notion is that they say that God is nirguna (without qualities) and niraakara (without form).
While the Vedic scriptures do say that, but that is not all that they say. Often, the very same scriptures that say that God is nirguna also say that he is saguna. Consider this verse from the Srimad Bhagavatam (8.3.9):
tasmai namah pareshaya brahmane 'nanta-shaktaye
arupayoru-rupaya nama ashcarya-karmane
This verse contains two words relevant for our discussion: arupaya (without form) and uru-rupaya (having many forms). So, if some people quote only the word “arupaya” and declare that the verse says that God is formless, then are they properly representing the verse?
Are such Vedic descriptions self-contradictory? Not at all. In fact, the Vedic tradition teaches a higher principle that harmonizes such contradictions.
Let’s consider a verse from the Shvetashvatara Upanishad (3.19)
apani-pado javano grahita pashyaty acakshuh sa shrinoty akarnah
This verse contains an apparent contradiction: pashyaty acaksuh “God has no eyes, but he sees.” How is this contradiction to be reconciled?
The Vedic tradition contains a special pramana (method of acquiring knowledge) called arthapatti (postulation) that is used for reconciling contradictory statements by postulating a third statement. (In addition to the standard three methods of acquiring knowledge pratyaksha, anumana and shabda, Jiva Goswami in his Sarva-Samvadini gives seven more ways. Arthapatti is one of them) To see how arthapatti works, consider the two contradictory statements:
1. Ravi does not eat food during the day
2. Ravi is growing fat
The arthapatti to reconcile these two statements would be: Ravi eats at night.
Similarly, the arthapatti to reconcile the statements about God having and not having a form is: God has no material form, but has a spiritual form.
The same principle applies to the descriptions of God as nirguna. There are also verses describing him as saguna. So, the nirguna description implies that he has no material qualities and the saguna description conveys that he has spiritual qualities.
At this point, we may wonder: “Why do the Vedic scriptures contain such contradictory statements at all? Wouldn’t it be much better if they gave truths clearly and unambiguously?”
These seemingly contradictory descriptions serve the vital purpose of challenging our preconceptions and stimulating us to rise to a higher understanding.
Consider the following Ishopanishad verse (mantra 8):
sa paryagac chukram akayam avranam
ashnaviram shuddham apapa-viddham
This verse describes God as akayam (having no body) and then as ashnaviram (having no veins). If God has no body, why is there a need to describe that he has no veins? Isn’t it obvious that someone who has no body has no veins? The Ishopanishad wants us to rise to the higher understanding that God has a special kind of body that has no veins.
The specialty of God’s body is conveyed by describing him as akayam because the word kaya (body) has several connotations that do not apply to God. A body is that which:
• Is separate from the real person, the soul
• Is a product of the past karma of the soul
• Tends to degrade the soul by stimulating bodily desires
• Has to be given up in due course of time
None of these apply to God, whose body and soul are nondifferent, who has no karmic past, who is never degraded and whose body is eternal. Because we tend to superimpose our material conceptions on God, the scriptures sometimes use negative words like akayam to emphasize that God does not have any body – like ours. Why is it important to understand the difference between our material form and God’s spiritual form? Material forms are temporary, so attraction to them leads only to eventual frustration. But God’s form is eternal, so attraction to his form leads to ultimate fulfillment. The negative scriptural statements that God doesn’t have a form (like ours) save us from the frustration and the positive scriptural statements lead us to the fulfillment. Formless person? There are some who concede that God is a person, but insist that he doesn’t have a form.
Let’s examine this proposition. We are all children or servants or parts or emanations from God; whatever way different religions word our relationship with him, the essential point is that we are dependent on him and subordinate to him. We are persons and have forms; if God is a formless person, then he would become lesser than us. Can the whole be less than the part? Obviously not. Moreover, the scriptural references we discussed earlier didn’t talk about God’s personality alone, but also about his form: his eyes, hands, legs and so on. So this argument is both illogical and non-scriptural.
People may come up with many such fallacious arguments. Instead of bothering to refute all of them individually, it’s better to understand why such arguments originate. It is because the human mind cannot grasp how God can have a form and still be unlimited. But, if to preserve God’s all-pervading nature, we argue that God doesn’t have any form whatsoever, then we are confronted with another perplexity: without a form, how would he be located anywhere at all?
People try to imagine God as all-pervading and then try to figure out how a form can be imposed on that all-pervasive being. But form is not a quality imposed on God like red paint is a quality imposed on an artificial rose made from white paper. Rather, form is an inherent quality of God, like the red color is an inherent quality of a natural rose. The inherent quality of an object is called as its vishesha and has been elaborately analyzed by the great saintly scholars in the Vedic tradition, especially Madhvacharya and Baladeva Vidyabhushana. God as the Three-in-One Composite Shrila Jiva Goswami has compiled the classic philosophical treatise, the Sat-Sandarbha, based on the teachings of Srimad Bhagavatam as explained by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In this book, he elaborately analyzes a sutra-like succinct verse from the Shrimad Bhagavatam (1.2.11): “Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan.” This verse reveals a profound a tripartite ontology of the Absolute Truth that reconciles various contradictory attributes of God like form and limitlessness by integrating them into a harmonious whole. The various divine conceptions in the world’s wisdom-traditions can be classed under three broad categories:
1. The all-pervading energy (Brahman): What quantum physicists call as the one energy-sea that underlies everything in the universe, what the mystics refer to as the impersonal oneness of all things and beings, the Vedic scriptures explain that to be Brahman, the all-pervading energetic effulgent light.
2. The inner guide (Paramatma): Many spiritual traditions talk about an aspect of God immanent within us. What the Christian tradition refers as the empowering Holy Spirit, the Vedic scriptures call as the Paramatma, the inner guide who mediates the interactions between the spiritual soul and the material body.
3. The supreme person (Bhagavan): Saints throughout history have lovingly connected with God as the Supreme Person. That Lord whom Moses called Jehovah, whom Jesus referred to as his father in heaven, whom Mohammed praised as Allah, the Vedic scriptures reveal as Krishna, God manifesting as the all-attractive transcendental Supreme Person.
Here’s an analogy to illustrate this unity-in-diversity of the Absolute Truth.
Three rural students arrive one night at a railway platform with their teacher eager to have their first sight of a train. After a long wait, when they see a bright light in the distance, the first student asks their teacher, “Is that the train?” When the teacher nods, he departs, convinced that he has seen the train. When the train comes closer, the second student notices the engine – the form behind the light – and asks, “Is that the train?” When the teacher nods again, he too leaves, confident of having seen the train. When the train finally comes into the station, the third student sees the train in its fullness with its driver and multiple compartments and passengers and, with the encouragement of his teacher, even meets and befriends the driver.
Analogically, the bright front-light of the train represents the effulgent spiritual substratum, Brahman and the engine with its concrete shape represents the localized, personalized divine substance, the Paramatma. The third student’s experience is akin to meeting the Supreme Person, Bhagavan, and developing a personal relationship with him. The teacher represents the wisdom-traditions, which give an answer commensurate with the seeker’s level of patience and commitment.
Thus, a proximate, holistic vision reveals a three-in-one Absolute Truth that integrates both the immanent and transcendent aspects as well as the personal and impersonal features. Conclusion: This discussion is just a small sample of the rigorous logical and scriptural analysis through which the acharyas (exemplary devotee-scholars) like Ramanujacharya, Madhavacharya, Jiva Goswami, Baladeva Vidyabhushana and Srila Prabhupada have established unequivocally that God is a person with a transcendental form. Once this truth becomes indubitably established in our heart, we can wholeheartedly aspire to love and serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, and gradually achieve prema, divine love, which alone will eternally and completely satisfy our heart’s longing for happiness. (Adapted from the author’s book “Idol Worship or Ideal Worship?”)
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Govinda Valley, 2011) Lecture – Caitanya-caritāmṛta  So rather than being so concerned with: The latest news; the latest events; everything that is going on; always being up to date on your phone with every hour of the latest of the latest news and in between you could call for it. And in this way we feel that we are on the top of the world, but the fact of the matter is that we are simply being controlled by the material energy!
Some images of what I prepared for dinner last night: A couple of homemade pizzas and a fruit tart. I had made the pizza dough from scratch, then rolled and pre-baked it before adding the toppings. It puffed up like an enormous chapati in the preheated 180 degree C oven. 
In actual fact, each time I prepare pizza dough, I use 1kg of flour which yields 5 or 6 large ones. In my freezer I have frozen balls of raw pizza dough which were punched down and popped into individual ziplock bags. When the need for pizza arises (read 'craving') I remove one or more bag and allow it to thaw out on the kitchen bench, or on the sunny patio. The yeast naturally awakens from sleep, the dough rises in its little bag, and it returns to being viable as if freshly made. This normally takes half a day, depending on the weather conditions. 
I spread the warm wheaty base with homemade sauce - olive oil, a smidge of dried chili, fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, gardenmarjoram, asafetida, black pepper, salt, sugar, and a sprinkle of dried Greek oregano (rigani). Kalamata olives, bitey animal-rennet-free cheddar + fresh mozzarella floating in whey, sweet little cherry tomatoes plus another sprinkle of rigani completed the job. 
Homemade sour cream tart pastry was the basis of my dessert, and I filled a pre-baked shell with lightly stewed fresh apricots, applesand the last of my homemade blueberry jam. I mixed some vanilla custard powder into the fruit mixture so the pie set on cooling. Leftover pastry was rolled and cut into strips for decoration. Twist my arm for the pastry recipe. 
All of us strive to achieve something worthwhile and wonderful in life, yet whatever we gain materially leaves us prone to the twin miseries of hankering and lamenting: hankering because, no matter what we gain, the feeling that there’s something more to be gained keeps dogging us, and lamenting because the upheavals of life inevitably take away whatever we have gained.
In the Bhagavad-gita (6.20-23), Lord Krishna describes the achievement that takes us beyond the reach of these two miseries: the state of divine trance. When we achieve a steady, intense, loving and ecstatic connection with the Supreme, that connection frees us from both hankering and lamenting: hankering because it completely satisfies our heart, and lamenting because it being intrinsic to us can never be disrupted by any material upheaval.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh, Belgium, 2011) Lecture –Initiation, Part 2
 At times when we are tested then we can actually see how much Krishna Conscious we are. When things are taken away and powers are taken away in our life then we will see how much Krishna Consciousness we have left, at times like that. So one cannot just take vows and then think:
“Oh alright, that’s it”. No, it must be followed with a sense of spiritual culture, then we can actually have the strength, so that we can take shelter. If we have the culture of: regular association with the scriptures, nicely chanting, engaging with other devotional practices relating to the deity. If we do these things then we can turn to them. So this is what it takes, since it takes more than just promising! 
 While the 1% buy dinner with (or rather the ears of politicians) to ensure stability, the 99% are quietly buying back America.
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.9 - The spiritual master gives us an exact diagnosis for our problems.
Christian priest chants hare krsna!
Guy in Eb games.
Thus consciously engaged in devotional service in the association of devotees, a person gains distaste for sense gratification, both in this world and in the next, by constantly thinking about the activities of the Lord. This process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the easiest process of mystic power; when one is actually situated on that path of devotional service, he is able to control the mind.
In all scriptures people are encouraged to act in a pious way so that they can enjoy sense gratification not only in this life but also in the next. For example, one is promised promotion to the heavenly kingdom of higher planets by pious fruitive activities. But a devotee in the association of devotees prefers to contemplate the activities of the Lord — how He has created this universe, how He is maintaining it, how the creation dissolves, and how in the spiritual kingdom the Lord’s pastimes are going on. There are full literatures describing these activities of the Lord, especially Bhagavad-gītā, Brahma-saṁhitā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The sincere devotee who associates with devotees gets the opportunity to hear and contemplate this subject of the pastimes of the Lord, and the result is that he feels distaste for so-called happiness in this or that world, in heaven or on other planets. The devotees are simply interested in being transferred to the personal association of the Lord; they have no more attraction for temporary so-called happiness. That is the position of one who is yoga-yukta. One who is fixed in mystic power is not disturbed by the allurement of this world or that world; he is interested in the matters of spiritual understanding or the spiritual situation. This sublime situation is very easily attained by the easiest process, bhakti-yoga. Ṛjubhir yoga-mārgaiḥ. A very suitable word used here is ṛjubhiḥ, or “very easy.” There are different processes of yoga-mārga, attaining yoga perfection, but this process, devotional service to the Lord, is the easiest. Not only is it the easiest process, but the result is sublime. Everyone, therefore, should try to take this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and reach the highest perfection of life.
It is said there, nirmāna-mohā jita-saṅga-doṣāḥ. This refers to one who is completely freed from the puffed-up condition of material possessiveness. A person may be materially very rich, opulent or respectable, but if he at all wants to transfer himself to the spiritual kingdom, back home, back to Godhead, then he has to be freed from the puffed-up condition of material possessiveness, because that is a false position. Srila prabhupada purport sb 3.25.24
1st of December we did books and i met a nice kid from hamilton, also i nice guy in eb games, a few other really interested ppl i almost had an awkward encounter with 2 prostitutes I distributed a book to a staff in aldi then a guy in a car laborer type a bit mentally imbalanced then I saw two very attractive girls hopping in his car and a big dude talking to them out side the bottle shop so I suspected they were prostitutes and decided to move on since the atmosphere was contaminating my mind a bit Then they saw me and came towards me and there was a mid thirty Yr old man walking just infront of them with sunnies I wasn’t going to stop him but I realized he was there at just the right time so I quickly asked him excuse me are you from around here or outta town. the prostitutes just walked passed. The guy took the books and gave a donation and I was saved from a contaminating situation . So that was a close call. That guy saved me and I gave him a book which saved him atleast from spending that money on karmic things . We saved each other ! Then I stuck a krishna sticker on a sign . Pretty small time welfare work compared to books but that’s where I’m at. survived another day In service I realized about building leaders that it’s first development then deployment in making a team but that requires self management I must be able to lead my self if I wanna make leaders. ATM I have bunch of friends and I’m acting as a leader in making a conscious rap and graffiti group I’m not very good at it. We haven’t made a single track or piece but we will soon. I should not over estimate what we can do in the short term and not underestimate what we can do in the long term. How ? Be optimistic but realistic and have long term vision.
So I’m realizing that I should plan for the year and adjust weekly . I heard these points from Sita pati. I like to think of myself as a creative innovate sharer of light . Ppl wanna stay in the darkness and turning
on the light is not always appreciated so I’m thinking of ways to turn on the light (while working on my self simultaneously) by means of slowly turning the dimmer up, putting candles on, playing music, doing fire twirling, sparklers, fire works, small led’s, Etc. 2nd
Today we wok up at 4 in the car.
Did books in mildura met so many nice ppl first was a funny guy who pretended he was a Christian but ended up taking a jsd then a lady from the Asian furniture store then during the day I met many young ppl interested I got In the paper for being able to answer a question do I know any of the 30 universal human rights that were laid down in the 40’s i said freedom of speech but that doesn’t do much good because ppl just bark like dogs and meow like cats simply demanding sense gratification . It’s said that a wise person speaks because he has something to say and a fool speaks cos he has to say something . Krsna says austerity of speech is to always speak the truth and speak for the benefit of others but whose doing that ? Where’s the benefit in this freedom to speak what ever one thinks . Loose lips sink ships . Any way I got in the paper. Then a guy came up and gave 40 bucks for a book then I went to some hippy shop and the lady christina who knew Ajita from murwillambah farm said we could stay at her house if we ever needed to. Nice lady. Also I met many couples who took books . Very nice ppl in mildura where ever I distribute I leave my box in a shop generally a music shop cos I like to make friends with musicians this time I left it in a cafe and cos I was going back every 1/2 hr to get more books they would pass them to me from behind the counter which was nice . That day I distributed 56 gitas ! Mostly couples and ladies cos they made the majority of pedestrians atleast coming across my path. I told the young men I met you become the first self realised person in mildura haha they looked like they were seriously considering it one guy who was with his partner asked how to become a monk. Said just read that book and don’t tell her you wanna be a monk haha. Then we left. It was my second day distributing a whole box of 56 gitas.
Then went to ouyen and after
Pitching a tent I talked with a punk couple in their caravan Toni the lady bought the book and I gave Daniel my street zine and played sword fighting with sticks with their son dragen who was about 4. 3rd
Today we woke up at 4 at a caravan park in ouyen did books there door to door I met nice ppl who took books from old ladies to young men to mid age woman to doctors in the hospital then went to the town I met a really nice guy Harry on the way o Adelaide who took a bg and gave a donation plus a plum which he grew but it was sour as but I enjoyed it then we went to horsham and set up the tent and had dinner same as usual potato chips , spinach, rocket, avo, carrot, any fruit and nuts then went dtd was awesome I did 6 bg met a guy named leeroy who introduced me to a guy named eggy but his real name is Adam who was really honest I said u look peaceful what’s ya method he said I’m not peaceful I’m stressed thats why I’m drinking I said ppl dont usually admit that’s the reason they drink, I showed him the book and he said yeah I’m into this I have Jehovah’s and stuff coming here telling me why I should believe in Jesus but I just be polite whereas i really like this. Can I give a donation he spent about 6 mins looking for coins and he found about 12 bucks so I gave him another one to give to a friend . 4th
Today we woke up at 5:30 chAnted hare krsna went for a swim I did about 10 laps I couldn’t beat 30 seconds . We had brekky in the car then did books Then drove to balarat then had dinner at 3 I did dtd and met sukhay really nice chap he bought a Gita and I told him the sankskrit meaning of his Name which is happiness.he was pleases Meet me because his cousin just went to Thailand and met monks and he said when I saw monks on mortal combat they seem like calm ppl . Haha then we went to Stambhas friends house Billy I kept doing dtd and met a nice guy who said he’d give it a read a lady who is a librarian who said she would read it every day, a couple who really liked it. I said it’s about how and why material happiness doesn’t satisfy us and she said that’s because theirs no such thing as material happiness I said yeah it’s a myth it only pertains to this body which is not us. where not the body were the person experiencing the body . She really liked that and bought 2 books then I met Audrey who goes to the satyananda ashram and she knows all the famous hare krsna kirtaneers like Sri prahlad, vaiyasaki, Mayapuris, tribhuvanesh. Etc she said she liked vaiyasaki s talk on Bhakti so she took 2 bg and I said there’s six chapters all on Bhakti she said yeah I’m leaning more to Bhakti . Bhakti means devotion to krsna. Then I went back to billies and stambha was there and Billy and his friends were all drinking and stuff around a table but they were asking stambha sensible questions about Bhakti and these guys are actually quite intelligent. there doctor students and engineers and have a real nice house together and they were highly respectful to stambha . Then they left for the pub and stambha and I sang some devotional songs which we were supposed to sing in the morning. Then I ironed my robes and now were in bed
Also from our friend Madhava Ghosh at View From a New Vrindaban Ridge
From Krishna Valley in Hungary:
Dear Members (Gosh’s note: and Well Wishers)
Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Please find below the explanation and link to an on-line petition on behalf of the Hungarian yatra. It is self explanatory.
We are planning a protest outside parliament December 13th–cows and all–to hand over this petition.
If you could forward the text below to your temple leaders with a few encouraging words and ask your leaders to send the text out to their data bases with their own few words of support, we could well collect our target of 100,000 plus names. Thank you for your help.
The picture below says to the speaker of parliament: “Sir! Where can we graze here?” (No need to send the picture with the petition. It was for your interest.)
Your servant
Sivarama Swami
Our Petition!
http://www.peticiok.com/krisna
Dear Devotees. The new “Church Law” in Hungary will take away ISKCON Hungary’s church status as of January 1st requiring us to reapply for the same next year.
However the government has not provided any legal stipulation for the society’s continued ownership of Krsna Valley’s lands in the interim period until we are again re-registered.
In short we risk losing Krsna Valley with no pasture for our cows or land to grow our food. I therefore request that you sign the online Petition —link below— and forward this message to as many people as possible, who
would also petition against this injustice.
Thank you.
Sivarama Swami.
http://www.peticiok.com/krisna
Eco village news from Hungary
4 Dec 2011
By Mukunda Goswami for ISKCON News on 4 Dec 2011  | We tend to think that saintliness is a kind of blissful detachment, an advanced kind of mystical merging into oneness with the universe and everything in it. There is no personhood involved, only an ethereal unity with Brahman and renunciation of things of this world.
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By Michelle Bosmier for Natural News on 4 Dec 2011 | During the holiday season, the cold and lack of sufficient sunlight are enough to weaken the body's natural defenses against cold and flu. Luckily, experts say that consuming specific types of foods might increase our resistance to colds and seasonal pathogens.
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By Fleur Hupston for Natural News on 4 Dec 2011  | Flower essences are said to contain the life forces of the flowers used to make them. They work by relieving negative feelings, and they encourage the healing process by balancing energy in the body.
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By Simon Denyer and Suhasini Raj for The Washington Post on 4 Dec 2011  | Buddhists from around the world chose India on Wednesday as the headquarters of a new international Buddhist organization and united in their criticism of the Chinese government for trying to prevent the Dalai Lama from speaking at their meeting here in New Delhi.
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By Pepe Cortes for Reuters.com on 4 Dec 2011  | If you are worried the world will end next year based on the Mayan calendar, relax: the end of time is still far off. So say Mayan experts who want to dispel any belief that the ancient Mayans predicted a world apocalypse next year.
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 And update on the Church Law in Hungary.
1968 December 4: "In these hymns they have no definite idea of what is God. But we are directly praying to Krishna for the highest benediction of eternal devotional service so we do not require to repeat the Christian hymns."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968
1968 December 4: "One person is appreciating water while another person is tasting the water. When we taste, appreciation is automatically there and when we have taste for chanting, automatically appreciation for God is there."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968
1969 December 4: "Anything which will remind one of Krishna is spiritual, and anything which will make one forget Krishna is material. Actually, everything is of spiritual nature because everything is coming from Krishna."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
1972 December 4: "You can write songs about Krishna, but one cannot take it very seriously. They should be perfectly from the transcendental platform, without any tinge of mundane influence or nonsense imagination."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
1973 December 4: "Regarding Bombay project, the foundation should be dug immediately. Regading Government loan, ask for at least 1 crore. If we construct a very attractive hotel many tourists will come just like the Holiday Inn."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
1974 December 4: "Regarding money for the Vrindaban project, I have written for a report, and as soon as it comes, I will reply you. You must be satisfied how the money is being spent."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
1975 December 4: "The reports are very encouraging. Keep me informed. There is tremendous field for selling books. In every home there should be at least one of our publications."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
1975 December 4: "Yes, managing the temple is not so important. I am pleased that you are selling my books, this is superior engagement, so please continue and increase it more and more."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
 | Russian state censorship increasingly extended nationwide in November to cover Jehovah's Witness websites – and possibly also Hare Krishna sms announcements, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. A Prosecutor's Office official claimed to Forum 18 that blocking the websites "isn't about freedom of conscience or censorship – it's about restricting access to extremist materials."
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"...the example may be given of where one person is appreciating that water is very nice and another is tasting water. So when we taste water the appreciation automatically is there and when we have taste for chanting, automatically the appreciation is there for God."
Letter to Sivananda
December 4, 1968
by Jaya Murari 
See slideshow of various scenes here.
SANUR
Already one year passed, Harinam in our Yatra takes place every day. Although sometimes only three or four but the devotees still go out to spread the the holy name of God. Today we have lot of devotees came for Harinam. 2 group walking and one group stay. Its really ecstatic day. The Everyday harinam its happening only because the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai and Sri Jagannath, Baladeva, Subadra devi. Let us pray to Srila Prabhupada and Gaura-Nitai and Sri Jagannath, Baladeva, Subadra devi so that the Harinam in Denpasar and in Bali can take place every day for many many years and many many soul join us in chanting the holy name of the Lord. Harinam Sankirtan ki jaya!!!
From Krishna Valley in Hungary: Dear Members (Gosh’s note: and Well Wishers) Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. Please find below the explanation and link to an on-line petition on behalf of the Hungarian yatra. It is self explanatory. We are planning a protest outside parliament December 13th–cows and all–to hand over this petition. If you could forward the text below to your temple leaders with a few encouraging words and ask your leaders to send the text out to their data bases with their own few words of support, we could well collect our target of 100,000 plus names. Thank you for your help. The picture below says to the speaker of parliament: “Sir! Where can we graze here?” (No need to send the picture with the petition. It was for your interest.) Your servant
Sivarama Swami
Our Petition! http://www.peticiok.com/krisna Dear Devotees. The new “Church Law” in Hungary will take away ISKCON Hungary’s church status as of January 1st requiring us to reapply for the same next year. However the government has not provided any legal stipulation for the society’s continued ownership of Krsna Valley’s lands in the interim period until we are again re-registered. In short we risk losing Krsna Valley with no pasture for our cows or land to grow our food. I therefore request that you sign the online Petition —link below— and forward this message to as many people as possible, who
would also petition against this injustice. Thank you.
Sivarama Swami. http://www.peticiok.com/krisna Eco village news from Hungary
Filed under: Cows and Environment        
(Click on pictures to dive in the treasure house of Self-Realization) The following article is inspired by a reply letter from His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami I received this morning. We billions of small, tiny spirit souls are deeply entangled in the waves of Maya Devi. We try to sleep on her lap but we [...]
As If For the First Time
Toronto, Ontario
A good number of people cast over themselves a cloud of sadness at Christmas time.
If we are wise, then there is no need for lamentation. Krishna tells Arjuna in the Gita, "You are talking like a learned man, but you do not know that one who is learned - one who knows what is body and what is soul - does not lament for any stage of the body, neither in the living nor in the dead condition."
Quoting further form the Gita 2.11's purport, this is elaborated upon. "It will be clear that knowledge means to know matter and spirit and the controller of both. Arjuna argued that religious principles should be given more importance than politics and sociology, but he did not know that knowledge of matter, soul and the Supreme is even more important than religious formularies. And because he was lacking in that knowledge, he should not have posed himself as a very learned man. As he did not happen to be a very learned man, he was consequently lamenting for something which was unworthy of lamentation. The body is born and is destined to be vanquished today or tomorrow; therefore the body is not as important as the soul. One who knows this is actually learned and for him there is no cause for lamentation regardless of the conditions of the material body."
I was floored when I read this message this morning. It's something which reached my eyes dozens of times before but somehow or other it was so impactful as if reading it for the first time. The words 'does not lament for any stage of the body, neither in the living nor in the dead conditions' stayed with me as I walked one of the city's larger cemeteries. It was dusk and all was fine.
9 Km
Adam And DannyKaimal Mark II Lens, Blanko Film, No Flash, Taken with Hipstamatic
www.peticiok.com/krisna Caitanya-caritamrta class: the direct and indirect interpretation of scriptures also indicates our own measure of faith.
http://www.peticiok.com/krisna
Dear Devotees. The new “Church Law” in Hungary will take away ISKCON Hungary’s church status as of January 1st requiring us to reapply for the same next year. However the government has not provided any legal stipulation for the society’s continued ownership of Krsna Valley’s lands in the interim period until we are again reregistered. In short we risk losing Krsna Valley with no pasture for our cows or land to grow our food. I therefore request that you sign the online petition—link below—and forward this message to as many people as possible who would also petition against this injustice. Thank you. Sivarama Swami.
http://www.peticiok.com/krisna
Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha Video Darsan Click on the video below, when it start click on full-screen then sit back and float away to the blissful strains of the Govindam Prayers from Radha Krishna Temple Album 
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Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.3-8 - A person who is cent-percent engaged in the service of the Lord is the emblem of all knowledge. Such a devotee of the Lord in full perfection of devotional service is also perfect by the qualification of the Personality of Godhead.
Become A Champion Chanter Part 2 Kadamba Kanana Swami
"Therefore I order every man within this universe to accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and distribute it everywhere.
PURPORT
In this connection there is a song sung by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura:
enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāra lāgi'
harināma-mahāmantra lao tumi māgi'
bhakativinoda prabhu-caraṇe paḍiyā
sei harināma-mantra la-ila māgiyā
The sańkīrtana movement has been introduced by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu just to dispel the illusion of māyā, by which everyone in this material world thinks himself to be a product of matter and therefore to have many duties pertaining to the body. Actually, the living entity is not his material body: he is a spirit soul. He has a spiritual need to be eternally blissful and full of knowledge, but unfortunately he identifies himself with the body, sometimes as a human being, sometimes as an animal, sometimes a tree, sometimes an aquatic, sometimes a demigod, and so on. Thus with each change of body he develops a different type of consciousness with different types of activities and thus becomes increasingly entangled in material existence, transmigrating perpetually from one body to another. Under the spell of māyā, or illusion, he does not consider the past or future but is simply satisfied with the short life span that he has gotten for the present. To eradicate this illusion, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has brought the sańkīrtana movement, and He requests everyone to accept and distribute it. A person who is actually a follower of Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura must immediately accept the request of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu by offering respectful obeisances unto His lotus feet and thus beg from Him the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. If one is fortunate enough to beg from the Lord this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, his life is successful.
CC Adi 9.37
A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course Sunday 4 December 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 Help Popularize Our Message By Liking Today's Thought on Facebook: Today's Thought: Nothing More Valuable then Devotee Association uploaded from Bhaktivedanta Ashram--Austin, Texas USA There is nothing more valuable than the association of Krishna's devotee. Krishna's devotee possesses Krishna and he can give Krishna to us. The unlimited kindness of Krishna is manifested in the form of His devotee. If we take full advantage of the association of Krishna's devotee, our lives will be successful. We will be fully happy in this life and forever more in the hereafter. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Srila Prabhupada's Association: the Perfect Blessing http://www.backtohome.com/images/Prabhupada/SP-Montreal.JPG Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Is Too Much Devotion Not Good? Dearest Srila Gurudeva, an advanced devotee once told us an quote from India,Too much devotion is a symptom of a thief. She said for the beginners, we should make a balance between spiritual and material life, not too much, not too little. Is it right? Is too much devotional service really a thief on our spiritual road? For a long time, I didn't strive hard to make progress fearing others may talk about me as just showing off. I always worry that other devotees may not like to see this if I stand out to express too much enthusiasm in devotional service or being a good example to help others. Is this anxiety unnecessary? How to get rid of such negative thoughts? And what's the real meaning of making a good balance between my spiritual and material life? In what degree should I expect of the speed of my progress in Krishna Consciousness? J.D. Answer: No Such Thing as Too Much Devotion There is no such thing are being too devoted to Krishna. Our problem is that we are never devoted enough. When it is said that too much devotion is the symptom of a thief, this refers to someone who is not a devotee but pretends to be a devotee in order to steal something from the devotees. Such a person will make an exaggerated outward show of being a devotee to convince the devotees that he is one of them, while within his heart he is simply a thief looking for the chance to steal something. Balance between life and spiritual life means that you should be healthy, materially and spiritually. In other words keep your body fit with proper diet and rest and simultaneously fully absorb yourself in Krishna consciousness 24 hours day. Balance does not means 12 hours for Maya and 12 hours for Krishna. Balance means to always be fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness while simultaneously keeping your body fit. You will advance in Krishna consciousness to whatever extent you absorb yourself 24 hours daily in Krishna's service. You should not be in anxiety about becoming too Krishna conscious. The more that you awaken your dormant Krishna consciousness, the more you will feel yourself to be very meek and lowly. An advanced devotee never advertises his Krishna consciousness. Rather he humbly presents himself as someone who is trying to become Krishna conscious. 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. 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