All Glories To His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami and his many wonderful assistants who opened the nectar-gates of the Vaikuntha Spiritual Worlds in Iskcon Ujjain Dhama! (Click on the pictures to discover the Treasure House Of India’s Spiritual Wisdom as presented by ISKCON Founder Acharya Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada) Opening the www.mayapur.tv on [...]
Around 1,000 local devotees as well as visitors from Atlanta, Miami, New York, and California gathered in Alachua, Florida on November 25th and 26th this year for the second annual Festival of the Holy Name—a uniquely immersive kirtan experience.
With great sadness, the Governing Body Commission (GBC) of ISKCON, deeply mourn the departure of Her Grace Yamuna Devi. She dedicated the last 45 years of her life to the worship of Krishna and Srila Prabhupada. She was a mentor, guide, and friend to many and a beloved member and hero of ISKCON.
"The light of one candle being communicated to other candles, although it burns separately in them, is the same in its quality. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who exhibits Himself equally in the same mobile manner in His various manifestations."
(Sri Brahma samhita 5.46)
As the traditional candles of Christmas shine in many homes, we wish you all a **Merry Christmas**. May today's darsanalight a candle of love and devotion in our lives that will withstand the extinguishing wind of material torment.
To help celerbate the cooking life of Yamuna Devi, here’s more serialising of recipes by my cooking guru, Yamuna Devi! Before attempting to cook any of her recipes, make sure you are aware of the difference between US measures and Australian/metric measures. See below*
Srila Prabhupada gave us this recipe during his 1967 San Francisco classes. In Bengal, bhaji is loosely defined as any fried vegetable, and while this variation has other names, such as eggplant Puki, one thing is constant: it must be served immediately after cooking, piping hot.
To get authentic results, I recommend using fresh ghee; my second choice would be a newcomer on the market – avocado oil. It can be heated to a very high temperature with out smoking, is very delicious, and one of the lowest of all unsaturated fats – actually helping to lower cholesterol in the blood. Olive oil would be the third choice. I like to use baby white or purple eggplants, but large eggplants can be cut into wedges and used as well.
Salting time: 15-30 minutes,
Preparation and Frying time: under 15 minutes,
Serves: 6 to 8.
1½ tablespoons turmeric,
1½ tablespoons salt,
3 tablespoons water,
8-10 baby white or purple eggplants (about 1¼ pounds/570g) or 1 medium-sized eggplant (about 1¼ pound/570 g),
ghee or olive oil for frying.
Combine the turmeric, salt and water in a bowl. Cut small eggplants in half, or cut larger ones into wedges roughly 2½ inches (6.5 cm) long and 1½ inches (4 cm) wide. Toss the eggplant with the turmeric-salt mixture and set aside for 15-30 minutes.
To remove the watery turmeric marinade, drain the eggplant in a paper towel-lined colander. Pour enough ghee or oil to reach a depth ½ inch (1.5 cm) in a large heavy frying pan and place it over moderately high heat. When it is hot and nearly reaches its smoking point, carefully add a single layer of eggplant pieces. Fry, turning the pieces on all sides, until they assume a rich reddish-brown color and are fork-tender.
Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.
*Note that since Yamuna wrote her recipes using US measurements, the weights are in US with metric in brackets.
More importantly, her tablespoons are US (15ml) whereas Australian/metric tablespoons are 20ml. So if you follow these recipes using metric measures, your tablespoons should be scant.
Similarly, the US cup is 240ml as distinct from the Australian/metric 250ml cup. The same scant measuring should thus apply to Australian/metric cup users.
The various rituals that comprise spiritual life – chanting, praying, worshipping and meditating – are opportunities to spend time with God. If we forget or neglect this core purpose of the rituals, then they become hollow shells; their performance becomes a boredom and a burden that brings little spiritual purification or enlivenment. Worse still, the Bhagavad-gita (3.6) warns that they can degenerate into exercises not only in futility, but also in hypocrisy – especially when the external engagement in spirituality is belied by an internal obsession with non-spiritual or even anti-spiritual indulgences.
But if we infuse our performance of spiritual activities with the quality of devotion, with the sincere intention to love and serve Krishna, then they become precious opportunities to bask in his sublime presence, to let our troubled minds be reassured and pacified by the healing stillness of his presence, to let our hearts be illumined and kindled by the resplendent power of his presence. When we start experiencing that potent presence, then the time that we spend with Krishna becomes the most eagerly awaited period of our schedule, the most cherished part of our day, the foremost divine passion of our life.
The Governing Body Commission (GBC), ISKCON’s top management authority, has recently introduced a completely new Executive Structure to increase its productivity and transparency.
To help celerbate the cooking life of Yamuna Devi, here's more serialising of recipes by my cooking guru, Yamuna Devi! Before attempting to cook any of her recipes, make sure you are aware of the difference between US measures and Australian/metric measures. See below*
Srila Prabhupada gave us this recipe during his 1967 San Francisco classes. In Bengal, bhaji is loosely defined as any fried vegetable, and while this variation has other names, such as eggplant Puki, one thing is constant: it must be served immediately after cooking, piping hot.
To get authentic results, I recommend using fresh ghee; my second choice would be a newcomer on the market – avocado oil. It can be heated to a very high temperature with out smoking, is very delicious, and one of the lowest of all unsaturated fats – actually helping to lower cholesterol in the blood. Olive oil would be the third choice. I like to use baby white or purple eggplants, but large eggplants can be cut into wedges and used as well.
Salting time: 15-30 minutes,
Preparation and Frying time: under 15 minutes,
Serves: 6 to 8.
1½ tablespoons turmeric,
1½ tablespoons salt,
3 tablespoons water,
8-10 baby white or purple eggplants (about 1¼ pounds/570g) or 1 medium-sized eggplant (about 1¼ pound/570 g),
ghee or olive oil for frying.
Combine the turmeric, salt and water in a bowl. Cut small eggplants in half, or cut larger ones into wedges roughly 2½ inches (6.5 cm) long and 1½ inches (4 cm) wide. Toss the eggplant with the turmeric-salt mixture and set aside for 15-30 minutes.
To remove the watery turmeric marinade, drain the eggplant in a paper towel-lined colander. Pour enough ghee or oil to reach a depth ½ inch (1.5 cm) in a large heavy frying pan and place it over moderately high heat. When it is hot and nearly reaches its smoking point, carefully add a single layer of eggplant pieces. Fry, turning the pieces on all sides, until they assume a rich reddish-brown color and are fork-tender.
Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.
*Note that since Yamuna wrote her recipes using US measurements, the weights are in US with metric in brackets.
More importantly, her tablespoons are US (15ml) whereas Australian/metric tablespoons are 20ml. So if you follow these recipes using metric measures, your tablespoons should be scant.
Similarly, the US cup is 240ml as distinct from the Australian/metric 250ml cup. The same scant measuring should thus apply to Australian/metric cup users.
I was chanting at Krishna Lunch the second half of November, mostly in Gainesville except once one at the end of the month in Tallahassee. I gave a lecture for the Gainesville Sunday Feast program on dancing and spirituality, and it was well received, with almost everyone chanting and dancing. Madhava Prabhu and Visvambhar of the Mayapuris came to chant at Gainesville’s Krishna Lunch one day and both the devotees and some onlookers appreciated, as you can see in this video below:
Visvambhar Sheth of the Mayapuris and Madhava Naidoo sang at Krishna Lunch on November 22, 2011. Both are famous and talented singers in the Hare Krishna movement who play all over the world and have made CDs. It was an honor to have them play at Krishna Lunch. One kid danced along and one guy played his guitar. The dancing at the end was especially wonderful. The singers were in town for the Festival of the Holy Name in Alachua.
The last two Saturdays in November we chanted at the stadium in Gainesville before the Gator’s last two football games, and visiting devotees, such as Guru Prasad Swami and Dravida Prabhu, joined us. The video below, includes clips taken at these football game harinamas, following a brief one showing the Gainesville Friday program kirtana.
At Krishna House in Gainesville we have a Friday program with some lively singing and dancing. Some autumn Saturdays, joined by Hare Krishnas from Alachua, we chant at the football stadium, which besides the beaches, are practically the only place you can find a crowd in Florida. Senior brahmacari, Dravida Prabhu, visiting from San Diego chanted before two games, and a popular ISKCON guru for Central and South America, Guru Prasad Swami came for the last one. Due to the crowd for the Festival of the Holy Name, we had over fifty devotees chanting before the Gators final game on November 26, 2011.
The Festival of the Holy Name, Alachua’s 24-hour kirtana, split over two days, and with several days of wonderful eveningkirtanas leading up to it was a absolutely wonderful major event during the end of November.
There are valuable insights from Prabhupada in the Acarya videos and Prabhupada Siksamrita, and from visiting devotees, Guru Prasad Swami and Dravida Prabhu, as well as many regular Krishna House speakers. Different devotees share different beautiful things that they were thankful for at Thanksgiving dinner at Krishna House.
The Festival of the Holy Name
Beginning the Saturday evening, the week before The Festival of the Holy Name, there was chanting of the holy name for several hours, every night, with the possible exception of the Thanksgiving at different places in the Alachua community. It was wonderful to see the devotees’ faith in and enthusiasm for the chanting.
One young lady from Florida State University who is doing her Ph.D. In ethnomusicology on kirtana in Hare Krishna festivals came to take video of the Festival of the Holy Name and to interview devotees. She had visited Alachua before and attended the Ratha-yatras in New York and Los Angeles, but she found the kirtana at the festival the sweetest of all and was very impressed.
I tried to stay for twelve hours both days except on Saturday when fifty of us chanted for two hours before the football game in Gainesville. I was impressed as usually only twenty people come out for that kirtana, but here thirty additional people chose not to hear some of the best kirtana singers in the Hare Krishna movement but to instead share their enthusiasm for the holy name with others. The final day, the kirtana ended just before midnight, but I had to stop dancing half an hour before that because I was physically exhausted. I joked with Madhava Prabhu, the final kirtana leader, saying that he defeated me before he was able to keep singing but I had to stop dancing. I did not take much video of the event because I saw many people with better video equipment videoing it already. You can find videos posted by YouTube user bvdasa, who has two play lists of videos from the Alachua holy name event. Find them at http://www.youtube.com/user/bvdasa. I did take many still pictures, hoping for a one that is good enough to use for the chant page of Back to Godhead. I tried to get shots of devotees really absorbed in the chanting. Here are a couple:
Dancing for Krishna
Hanan, manager of Krishna Lunch, invited me to speak at the Gainesville Sunday Feast program, which is designed to encourage our friends from the university community in their spiritual life. My topic was dancing and spirituality. I explained how Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, described his practice has having four features, chanting, dancing, feasting, and philosophy. At Krishna Lunch, the feasting is prominent, but the chanting is also there and the philosophy is evident in the books on the information table and through talks with devotees. The dancing, however, is somewhat lacking. I told about how my guru ordered me to dance more, and how dancing is there in the practicing stage of Krishna consciousness, in the stage of spiritual perfection, and in the spiritual world. God Himself, Krishna, is the source of dance and the best dancer. I complied a video of devotees dancing in different parts of the world, and I showed that for the audience. Then I taught the swami step, a simple dance taught by Srila Prabhupada himself, and seeing everyone participate in the chanting and dancing my joy knew no bounds. Mother Amrita Keli, who graduated from both University of Florida and our program at Krishna House and who is in charge of the academic aspect of it this year led the kirtana. One girl, who was a friend of Andrea, one of our most enthusiastic resident dancers at Krishna House, said that she did not expect to like the dancing, but that she found she did. Hanan Prabhu and his wife both loved the program, and I felt very successful. Here is the video I showed the people:
This video shows a variety of people in different countries and from different backgrounds dancing along with the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. Some people are older, some younger, some are have been committed to the Hare Krishna practice for many years and others are just encountering it for the first time. Still all of them, as you can see, experience some joy dancing in the Hare Krishna kirtan.
If you want to hear the lecture, I hope to have it uploaded to iskcondesiretree.net very soon.
Insights from Lectures
Srila Prabhupada:
From the Acarya videos:
Vedic religion means to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the Absolute Truth.
We chant to keep in touch with Krishna by just as by listening to the radio people keep in touch with what is going on.
From Prabhupada Siksamrita:
If one always remembers Krishna and prays that he may not fall down, Krishna will protect him.
For persons who were completely engaged in service, occasionally Srila Prabhupada did not consider their failure to chant sixteen rounds very seriously, but if anyone was not completely engaged in service, it was a great defect not to complete hisjapa quote, and it should be made up the next day.
Srila Prabhupada says in a purport, “One with material attachments cannot understand spiritual freedom.”
In one letter, Prabhupada said we should read at least twice a day, morning and evening.
“You are to keep your beads very carefully because they are your direct link to Krishna.”
“Keep chanting and any offenses, because they are not intentional, will be vanquished.”
“Keep your beads in a bag and keep the bag around your neck. In this way you will not lose them.”
“If you lose your initiation beads, you do not to have your spiritual master chant on another set of beads. Once your chanting has been sanctified by the spiritual master it is eternally so.”
Regarding split personality, there is no question of split personality, just a very disturbed mind. Fix your mind on chanting Hare Krishna and that will bring the mind under control.
Guru Prasad Swami:
Srila Prabhupada said the disease of you Americans is that you want to change things.
For the devotee, every day is Thanksgiving, or he is thankful just to be allowed to engage in devotional service.
I tell the devotees that the first principle is that the preacher himself must be happy. The thing that will change devotees’ hearts is if a devotee is happy. Because happiness is what everyone is looking for.
People in general are thankful for the earth’s bounty, but they are not thankful for calamities.
In this world of duality we try for pleasurable situations and avoid the unpalatable ones, but the devotee sees Krishna in every circumstances and finds happiness everywhere.
Being deprived of someone's association causes one to relish it more when one has it.
Surrender to Krishna, desiring to please Him, is the essential feature of the devotee, and the other twenty-five qualities may or may not be present. Even if a devotees does not have all the Vaishnava qualities we must appreciate the presence of this most important quality.
The devotee is thankful that his suffering is reduced beyond what he deserves and that his facility is increased beyond what he deserves.
When prosperity occurs we are thankful for a greater opportunity for serving externally and when deprivation occurs we are thankful for a greater opportunity for internal work.
A mature devotee sees everything to be meant to be engaged in Krishna’s service. Although nothing every leaves Krishna’s control, Krishna makes it look like that so the devotee can reclaim it and engage it on His behalf.
When there is a rebellion, the government tries takes away the rebel’s facility. But Krishna is so kind he gives facility to the rebels who protest His existence.
Some modern psychologists do not think children should ever be restricted, but even plants are restricted so they may grow in the proper direction.
If you are too tolerant, people will take advantage of you, and if you are too stern people will rebel.
You should be tolerant of a person’s offense if the person has no knowledge or the person is repentant or they are unable to understand the gravity of the offense, or it is the first time. If it is the second or more offense, or when they know it is wrong but they do it anyway, you must be stern.
We should not waste time defending the false ego.
In his youth his village was wiped out by plague, but Bhaktivinoda Thakura saw it as Krishna’s mercy.
We are trying to govern the whole world by varnasrama, but we first have to follow varnasrama ourselves.
Srila Prabhupada's purport to Bhagavad-gita, purport to 10.4-5 is very illuminating.
On this day of Thanksgiving, we thank Krishna for everything He has given us.
Q: One lady I met on harinama said she was already happy without any spiritual endeavor. What to do?
A: Unless persons are interested, Prahlada recommended not speaking to them. That lady was not ready to listen. She was ready to speak. Also sometimes Krishna sends us people to defeat our false pride.
Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura would only speak to the more intellectual people and let his disciples speak to others. This was not his lack of humility but his practicality. When there was a chance to distribute prasadam, however, he would eagerly distribute to everyone.
Krishna intervenes in a devotees life when he surrenders, otherwise he just gets the response of the cosmic karmic mechanism.
Krishna never creates a situation that is impossible for a devotee to handle, but we may require to take extra help from the devotees to understand what to do.
The only purpose for a pure devotee to suffer unnecessarily is to show that the devotee's happiness is beyond material plane.
Christ says that not only he but all are sons of God. [ask him for verse reference]
The tendency is to bring the scripture down to our level instead broaden our intelligence to come to understand the Lord.
In school we hear of the activities of the same historical figures year after year. My experience was it was boring the first time, and it remained boring. But Krishna’s pastimes are ever fresh.
Sometimes people interpret another intentions, but the real way to understand a person’s intentions is to ask the person.
Bhagavad-gita, according to the great spiritual teachers, is just an introduction to the spiritual science, yet most people do not understand it in a whole lifetime.
At Radha Kund Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakra spoke about sa vai pumsam and other Bhagavatam verses and Sri Isopanisad to make the two points that (1) unless one understands the basic philosophy one cannot appreciate the highest knowledge of spiritual relationships, and (2) one advanced in the spiritual science can hear repeatedly the basic knowledge and relish it. In this way he was simultaneously chastising those who were proud and giving nectar to the humble.
The South Indian brahmana who could not perfectly pronounce the Sanskrit verses of Bhagavad-gita but had great appreciation of the sweet relationship between Krishna and Arjuna in the estimation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, attained the highest success in spiritual life simply by meditating on this single pastime of the Lord.
The proof that one has understood the philosophy of life is that one is always happy and satisfied. If you understand the knowledge of Bhagavad-gita you must be happy, what to speak of understanding Srimad-Bhagavatam or Caitanya-caritamrta.
Lord Krishna wanted to speak Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna because he was a playing the role a common man in human society and not a great saint such as Narada or Sukadeva Goswami.
Sometimes we want to be Krishna consciousness, but when we encounter some obstacle, we hesitate and become like Arjuna, saying in effect, “Krishna, change my service.”
Krishna says that He is the taste of water. If your tongue is dry, you cannot taste something without water in. Water is necessary to relish the taste of things.
When Nrsimhadeva appeared He saved Prahlada Maharaja, but when Krishna appeared He delivered even those inimical to Him, and what to speak of Lord Caitanya, who came to give everyone love of God.
We are advised to follow the gopis who wanted no spiritual or material happiness but only Krishna’s pleasure
Once Rukmini was crying, and Krishna asked why, wondering if she was remembering His joking words. She replied that was not it. She explained the problem was that He did not understand the feelings the devotees have for Him.
The Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam are all based on inquiry. One who is humble will inquire and easily advance.
In japa we are sitting down alone with Krishna.
Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura says kirtana is powerful because we have the reinforcement of others.
Srila Prabhupada says when we are chanting, here is Krishna, here is Vrndavana, etc.
To improve japa get up so early there is nothing else to do.
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami (from Memory in Krishna Consciousness):
The spiritual transformations that we seek do not come by accident. Only by deliberate management of our lives, taking time to go deep into the subject of spiritual devotion, can we obtain our hearts’ desires.
Dravida Prabhu:
We are taking the interest of the body and mind as our true interest and forgetting the actual interest of the soul.
Arjuna surrendered to Krishna when he realized he could not determine his actual self-interest and asked Krishna to instruct him about his real self-interest.
When we awaken from a dream, whether it is a nightmare we wish to forgot or a pleasant dream we may wish to return to, it is only temporary.
We invest every day, in our studies, in some relationship, or in Bhagavad-gita. And Srimad-Bhagavatam tells us where to invest.
Now instead of doing dharma to get economic development, people engage in technology to achieve that end.
Prahlada explains those who only see the value of the material cannot place their faith in Krishna. Because of uncontrolled senses they chew the chewed and view the viewed. Because they ignore the goal of Vishnu they take shelter of false goals, being led by blind men. Without taking shelter of the pure devotee, one cannot gain the goal of freedom from false goals.
Contact with the holy name gives us another kind of pleasure, and this pleasure is the antidote to all kinds of material addictions.
Serving Krishna means serving our true self.
We obey lust because we think it is us.
If we everything to Krishna, we get everything back. We have to have that faith that the more we give to Krishna, the more we get back.
Do we want to live eternally? Yes, but we have so much reluctance to do what is required to attain that state.
Srila Prabhupada asked his disciples, “What do you accept Krishna as God?”
One said, “Because what Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita.”
No said, Srila Prabhupada, “Because of you, Srila Prabhupada,” another said.
No, Srila Prabhupada, “Because you are experiencing bliss by chanting Hare Krishna.”
The Gaura-arati song is a description of the Maha-Prakasa-lilaof Lord Caitanya.
There is no point at which material piety can produce bhakti. Only spiritual piety can do that.
Greed is good, if it is greed for the Holy Name, or greed for service to the Lord. That comes from service to the guru.
As soon as you start chanting Hare Krishna, your previous life makes no difference.
Kalakantha Prabhu:
Because Drupada did not give Drona half his kingdom as he promised as a kid, Drona engaged his students in defeating Drupada as guru daksina [remuneration for their education], and thus winning his kingdom. Drona gave half back to Drupada so the promise would be kept but Drupada was so angry he performed sacrifice to have a son who would kill Drona, and thus Drystadyumna was born.
After the battle, when Arjuna is taking with Krishna about what to do about Asvattama, he offers prayers showing he is in full consciousness of Krishna as the Supreme Godhead and he is clearly surrendered to Him. Although in a serious situation, he is not freaked out because of his enlightened consciousness, and so he takes the time to glorify Krishna before asking for help.
People are looking for happiness in the mode of ignorance and passion but not finding it because happiness is there only in the mode of goodness. By living in an ashram we can come to mode of goodness.
Progressing in spiritual life is like walking on a tight rope, and sometimes Krishna will wiggle the rope. Actually you can count on Him to wiggle the rope.
When Srila Prabhupada heard that President Nixon asked the nation to pray for the safely of the Apollo 13 astronauts who were in danger, he chuckled and said, “They did not consult God before sending up the rocket.”
The people I ask to give class here [in Gainesville] have gone through many trying situations and remained in Krishna consciousness and so I think their realizations will benefit you.
In the 1970s, Srila Prabhupada could see that women’s liberation was promoted by men so they could exploit the women for their sense enjoyment without taking responsibility to maintain the women and their offspring. No one else was seeing it like that.
In Bg. 9.32 sudras are considered to be sinful birth, but in the Bhagavatam everyone in this age is said to be less thansudras, so we are all less than sinful.
One scientific study showed:
The weight of the brain is proportional to the weight of the body and thus women have smaller brains simply because their bodies are smaller. As a proportion of body weight there is no different in brain size between the sexes.
The study also showed that men work mostly with the left brain which specializes in discrimination, while women work with both sides of the brain and have better intuition and emotional intelligence. So the sexes excel in different areas.
Because of how they think women are better at passing on culture to children which is important and requires some time, therefore full time mothers play an essential role in society.
If a man cannot provide for a woman, he is not ready to get married.
The question, “Can pure devotees make mistakes?” often really means “Can I judge whether or not someone is a pure devotee by whether or not they make mistakes?”
Good judgment is born of experience, and experience is born of bad judgment.
One of my senior godbrothers used to tell us that Srila Prabhupada said, “My body is Indian, but my ideas are all American.”
Sesa Prabhu:
From a discussion on punishment:
Comment by Vaishnava Prabhu: Manu Samhita recommends different punishment according to the consciousness of the person who commits it.
Comment by Kalakantha Prabhu: To reduce meat consumption, I recommend taxing meat and reducing health insurance for nonmeat eaters.
Revenge is inconsistent with Krishna’s purpose of creating the material world.
Comment by Mother Amrita Keli: If forgiveness is globally applied, lawlessness will reign.
In a conversation with Prahlada Maharaja, the idea of sometimes forgiving is recommended, as never forgiving or always forgiving will not work.
From the legal point of view if one does not know of the illegal objective of an act he cannot be convicted for conspiracy to commit it. Thus because the meat eaters in general do not know it is sinful to kill animals they cannot be said to be part of conspiracy to do so.
We have to educate people about the connection between slaughtering animals and war and pestilence.
Animal rights theories:
For animal rights: Peter Singer, on the equality of all beings because they are sentient.
For animal rights: Tom Regan, animals have a right not be used in a way they experience pain or suffering.
Braja Hari Prabhu:
Somebody once told me that Arjuna decided to fight, because otherwise Krishna would explain the whole Bhagavad-gita all over again, and he did not want that. This of course is not true. Arjuna relished hearing the words of Krishna, although sometimes we [in our neophyte condition] get tired of hearing them.
Dr. Dina Bandhu: Without activity that is based on faith, there is no evidence that a person actually has faith.
“I cannot conceive of a genuine scientist without that profound faith. . . science without faith is lame, faith without science is blind.”—Albert Einstein
Mother Govinda Mohini dd from South Africa:
My mother is very supportive of my spiritual life, and she knows that Krishna has to purify me. Once when things were very difficult for me here in America, I decided to go back home to South Africa. My mother discouraged me, saying, “You are like a patient who is on the operating table in the middle of an operation. You should stay there.”
As Lord Caitanya accepted the form of a sannyasi so people would offer Him respect, sometimes Krishna would display the four-handed Vishnu form of the Supreme Lord so people would realize His divinity and take Him seriously.
Comment by Amrita Keli: When I burned my arm and was there in the hospital with Ali Krishna I really felt how I was not my body. I had been praying to Krishna for purification for two weeks, and I really felt Krishna taking me seriously.
In difficult situations, I feel we should be grateful and ask for help.
Thanksgiving Dinner:
[Many devotees at Krishna House said what they were thankful for, and I wrote down some of them.]
Krishna-kripa Das:
I am thankful to see so many devotees who really love kirtana and who chant together morning and evening here. I am thankful that the Krishna House devotees maintained my program of chanting Wednesday at the Farmers’ Market when I went away for the summer. I am thankful to see how things are increasing here in so many ways, and I am grateful to be allow to live here.
Nimai Pandita:
If feel the three years I spent at Krishna House were the most valuable and educational in my life.
I am thankful Kalakantha Prabhu encourages people to offer their individuality in Krishna's service.
Padma:
I am thankful Arjuna was uncertain and needed guidance.
Anna, the Quaker lady:
I am thankful I heard the chanting at the Farmers’ Market, and that Terri taught me the Hare Krishna mantra. It does make you happy.
Gopal:
I am grateful that, unlike many men my age, I have the time to come and participate in Krishna House because I have not so many other responsibilities.
Trey:
I am thankful that I met Donna, a Unitarian universalist charible person, who came with me and spontaneously brought fruit to offer. I thankful for Krishna House.
Clayton:
I am thankful to Kalakantha Prabhu for letting me live here, to Estefania for making breakfast, to Gopal for cutting up all the vegetables, to Mike for his cooking, . . .
Govinda Mohini dd:
I am thankful for my month-long stay. I feel refreshed. I am inspired by the seriousness of the new devotees, some who are more serious than I am. I will always treasure this time.
Indian student:
I am thankful I applied to UF, and that Krishna House is right by the campus and Krishna Lunch is served every day.
Olivia:
I am grateful to Kalakantha and Caitanya Prabhus, who preached to me every day. Before meeting the devotees, the words on the Dr. Bronner’s soap bottle were all I knew of God. I see you are all very saintly people, and I am very happy to be in your association.
Sruti Sagar Prabhu:
I am thanks to Srila Prabhupada for bringing Krishna Consciousness to the West, and Gaura Nitai for allowing me to serve, and Kalakantha Prabhu for tolerating me. Thanks to all the devotees.
Jagannatha Puri Dhama Prabhu:
I feel thankful for Gopal every day [as he chops all vegetables I cook]. I am thankful for your calamities because it keeps me employed.
I am thankful for this amazing community that has been taking care of me in every way. Thanks for Kalakantha.
Joy:
I would not have become a devotee without Krishna Lunch and Krishna House. I have never lived in an ashram, although here I can pretend to.
Estefania:
I am thankful to Kalakantha Prabhu for dealing with all our stuff. I am thankful for my sister for becoming a great devotee, and Tony for teaching me mrdanga. I am thankful to Gaura Nitai, Srila Prabhupada, and Radhanatha Swami.
Mike:
I am thankful for my parents who are so supportive. I am thankful for all the great devotees who have created this place. Thanks for the friends. It is amazing you can make 25 friends all at once.
Ananta:
I am most thankful for Kalakantha Prabhu for facilitating my stay. I did not know what to expect. My mom said, “You are going to the Krishna House.” Everyone’s heart is so open here, even at 5:00 in the morning. Thanks to Tony for being such a respectable roommate. And Baladeva for being the ultimate gurukuli.
Ananda Seva Prabhu:
I want to thank Andrea for taking over this service [of organizing Thanksgiving dinner]. In the beginning I was worried letting the new people do my services. Now I like it. I do not think I would have been able to go back to school without Krishna. I would like to thank the Krishna consciousness management and all the devotees.
Brahma Tirtha Prabhu:
I am thankful for an interesting phenomena. In the beginning, we had more determination than patience, and we had Srila Prabhupada. But then Srila Prabhupada left, and we were left without any adult guidance, and somehow we just stuck to what we gave, and now we see you new devotees have come, and you have more patience and other good qualities, and to see this I am thankful. I can see how things will go on.
Hanan:
I am thankful for all the devotees I work with. Srila Prabhupada says in Nectar of Instruction that devotional service begins by appreciating the devotees have something valuable. Every day, every week, and every month I learn something valuable from the devotees.
Kalakantha Prabhu:
I am inspired to see all the devotion and all the happiness of the devotees.
Madhava Prabhu [from La Crosse]:
When we see a movie, we may cheer when the hero is victorious, but who is hearing our cheers? But when we glorify Krishna, it is different because He reciprocates.
Because we have an eternal relationship with Krishna, when we hear about Krishna, it awakens our spiritual emotions for Him.
Some devotees consider the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam a favorite part of the book because we are introduced to Krishna. We see how Krishna drives Arjuna’s chariot, He protects King Pariksit in the womb, he reciprocates with Kunti’s prayers.
Aindra Prabhu tells an analogy about a sitar and our relationship with Krishna. The sitar has two sets of strings, one that is played and another that vibrates when the others are played. Those reciprocal strings of our relationship with Krishna vibrate when we hear of Krishna.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura discussing Srivasa Thakuras son’s death and Srivasa’s words to the lamenting ladies, as long as you are in this world understand that your husbands, sons, etc., are temporary relationships. Do not get so caught up in them and forget your real relationship with Krishna.
Krishna has taken His dear one for His own pleasure.
Krishna may not protect your body or your mind which is so attached to your body, but He will protect your soul.
From Kalakantha Prabhu: When people are in lamentation over a loss, the best thing we can do is hear and try to understand their pain. Then if they are willing we can read Bhagavad-gita, just the verses about the eternality of the soul, without giving any of our own purport. You can ask their permission to read Bhagavad-gita.
Krishna did not call Arjuna a fool until he surrendered. Before they just had friendly talks.
When my mom was passing away, my relatives would watch TV as my mother lay dying. The first thing I did was turn off the TV. They were so attached to watching TV, you could see that disturbed their minds. Some even left soon after. I would take longer shifts than the others just so the TV would be off, and I would play kirtana softly. My relatives saw I knew how to deal with situation better than them, and that I was happier. My brother asked me about it, and I explained Krishna consciousness elaborately. But at a certain point, he realized to experience it, he would have to give up things that he was attached to, and so he stopped inquiring.
Some of the people you could see were making a show of grief, so in those cases, there is no grief to relieve.
On sankirtana one women was obviously disturbed my lamentation. She gave money and took a Coming Back. The next day she thanked my profusely, saying her son had just died, and she was so relieved after reading the book.
Dr. Dina Bandhu Prabhu:
Everyone just wants to be saved by just believing in something without worrying about changing his actions.
Just because you do not see your anarthas (unbeneficial qualities and behaviors) does not mean you do not have any. It just means you are in the mode of ignorance [illusion].
Madhava Prabhu [from Switzerland]:
Kirtana is very special. It is our connection to Gaura Nitai and Srila Prabhupada.
Aindra Prabhu would say Krishna has very fine ears. If you do not know how to play the karatalas, then do not play them. There is time to learn them, but now is not that time.
Subuddhi Krishna Prabhu:
Here Shiva is described as being satisfied by his own ecstasy. Most people are satisfied by their wealth and other material possessions, but here we find Shiva is satisfied by his own ecstasy.
We say that Krishna is identical to Vishnu, and some places in the Vedic literature, as here, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are described as nondifferent, thus people protest, “Why should we worship Krishna as Supreme?”
Comment by me: Perhaps we should show them the statements where Brahma and Shiva address Lord Krishna as being Supreme, as being their own worshipable deity, and as being the source of their potency.
-----
atmendriya-priti-vancha—tare bali ‘kama’
krishnendriya-priti-iccha dhare ‘prema’ nama
“The desire to gratify one’s own senses is kama [lust], but the desire to please the senses of Lord Krishna is prema [love].” (SriCaitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.165)
This car just went out of control. At 3:45 AM I felt a thud. A female driver headed west on Dupont, crossed the street, went up the curb and into the park behind our temple. She zipped but 2 feet from our Prabhupada maple tree and went crashing against a mature tree, sending the car up in smoke and flames. It became a spectacle for those up at that hour. The woman survived as ambulance came to take the injured driver. The fire brigade put out the fire in no time. City TV came to report and police did their report. By 5:15 all was done, and the plot of land, the scene of the accident, right next to our building, was cleared of any mishap. The efficiency in dealing with the accident is commendable but the major point of reality here is the closeness of death. I could have been walking right there when the car sped along tearing up the grassy terrain and leaving a scar on the tree. The vehicle could also have struck our building leaving damage had it veered towards our temple.
The precariousness of life is interesting when you hear that a Utah truck driver who won a $380 000 Lamborghini in a convenience store contest crashed the sports car six hours after he got it. He now plans to sell the 640 horsepower convertible because he cannot afford the insurance taxes.
Tough world! It's a reality that's confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita. "Dukhalayam asasavatam" are two Sanskrit words meaning 'misery' and 'temporary'. Hence, the predawn episode is a mere reminder.
I'm off to Cuba until late December when I return on the 27th. Hare Krishna!
When there's a threat of rain (looks like no white Christmas here) I'm inclined to trek a street with awnings and stay close to an underground mall where no walking impediment is known. I chose to turn a right on Yonge, but it wasn't all dry. It was a sleazy strip where I stepped over a stream of human urine trailing off into branches. A transvestite lay against a shop letting it loose. A man stood at him /her to say, "You shouldn't be doing that." Well s/he didn't take kindly to that and blurted out the most non-Christmas remark imaginable. Not good for a monk's ears.
At one crossing in that area a newsstand window revealed a headline about two young Dutch men engaged in cannibal sensation as part of a culinary experience. Surgically, flesh was taken from each and then gobbled up. Bon appetit!
"I don't want you near me again," shouted the young woman to her night partner as I walked by the couple who lingered in argument. Happy Holiday indeed!
Sights and sounds of our decadent but decorated season. Night time stuff. It invokes both my disgust and sympathy simultaneously.
I could have chosen a left turn and avoided the entertainment but then I might get spat upon by nature. Someone would probably say, "Oh come on, Swami, what you describe about decadence is just the tip of the iceberg."
Maybe so! I'm rather glad to have been born and raised in more simpler times. I'm also grateful to be in a safe environment, staying in temples, ashrams, and homes of the more pious. If there was anything beneficial about this and my other walks its that it always enhances gratitude.
I am blessed and fortunate to have known you. You changed my life in ways that few others have. Your life was a myriad of service to Our Beloved Spiritual Master. Your love for Srila Prabhupad was palpable. By your kindness and mercy, for some years, you allowed me to accompany you on your journey in devotional service
It is with great sorrow that I wish to express my heartfelt grief and bereavement for the loss of our beloved Godsister Yamuna devi dasi. Yamuna devi has always been a stalwart beacon of pure Krishna Consciousness. Daily we are inspired by her transcendentally beautiful voice as she sings the “Govindam” prayers at the time of greeting the Deities at every ISKCON temple in the world. This morning song always gave our beloved Master Srila Prabhupada great joy, and so we can know for certain it continues to give the Lord and His Divine Associates the greatest pleasure
Wonderful village programmes were organized by the devotees in the south India tour of HH Subhaga Swami Maharaja. More than a hundred devotees from different part of the world (Spain, Poland, Israel, China, Bali, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and from all over India) enthusiastically took part in ecstatic Harinam Kirtan, Prasadam and Book distribution
Christine: I am a single Canadian woman in my thirties who want to live in Mayapuri. I am looking for renting a room in a house or an appartment on my arrival January 24th, 2012 to stay for several months up to 6 months. I could also take care of someone's house while they are away (house sitter)
Basu Ghosh Das: On Saturday, December 17, 2011, long time ISKCON devotee Parjanya Maharaj Das left his body at ISKCON Surat. He was 80 years old. Parjanya Maharaj Das, aka Ratilal Patel, was a motelier, who migrated to the United States of America, many years ago – I’m not aware of the exact details - and ran a motel at Syracuse in “Upstate” New York State, for many years. He grew up at Navsari, 30 kilometers South of Surat, in South Gujarat
(Click on the pictures to discover the Treasure House Of India’s Spiritual Wisdom as presented by ISKCON Founder Acharya Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada) Sent By His Grace Anand Shivalanka Dasa Date: Saturday, 24th December 2011 Time: 12pm-1.30pm (class, kirtan, prasadam) Venue: residence of Anand Shivalanka, C2-12A02 Parsvnath Exotica, Golf Course Road, Sector 53, [...]
THE FOLLOWING LECTURE ON SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM, CANTO 3, CHAPTER1, QUESTIONS BY VIDURA, TEXT 10, WAS GIVEN BY HIS HOLINESS BHAKTI CARU SWAMI ON 22 MARCH 2008 IN ISKCON UJJAIN, INDIA. Transcription : Her Grace Ranga Radhika Dasi Editing : Ramannda Raya Dasa (Click on the pictures to discover the Treasure House Of India’s Spiritual Wisdom as [...]
1971 December 22 : "Yes, it is a very good proposal that you should run for Mayor. I very much approve of this plan. We should always set the perfect example in all fields of activities, why not in politics?"
1971 December 22 : "Do not deviate from our high standard. That will mean great dishonor to me. Push on in your preaching as I have shown you, remain pure, enthusiastic, and optimistic, and Krishna will favor you."
1972 December 22 : "I am little observing now that our men are losing their enthusiasm for spreading our programmes. Otherwise, why so many letters of problems are coming, dissatisfied? That is not a very good sign."
1972 December 22 : "There is symptom of missing the point. Regulative principles must be followed by everyone. Otherwise enthusiasm dwindles and they again think of sex and become restless, and so many problems are there."
1972 December 22 : "I do not think the leaders are themselves following, nor they are seeing the others are following strictly. That must be rectified at once. Everyone must understand nicely why this tapasya is necessary."
1972 December 22 : "There must be always tapasya. We should not be after comforts and become complacent. Now you big managers train up more and more competent managers like yourselves. Forget this centralizing bureaucracy."
1972 December 22 : "Do not think in this way of big corporation, centralization - these are all nonsense proposals. Once there is bureaucracy the whole thing will be spoiled."
1972 December 22 : "Krishna Consciousness Movement is for training men to be independently thoughtful and competent, not for making bureaucracy. There must always be competitive spirit, not that one shall dominate the other."
1972 December 22 : "Our leaders shall be careful not to kill the spirit of enthusiastic service, which is spontaneous and voluntary. To draw out spontaneous, loving spirit - that is the art of management. But where are so many expert managers?"
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I have been thinking about this today. We can create in our mind the right mood for chanting, before we start our Japa....praying to the Lord for assistance and re-affirming the basics so we can avoid offenses to the Holy names.
An example could be something like this: "Today I will avoid doing anything else at the same time as chanting Japa" - by this positive affirmation we can create a goal in our minds and we can make our minds ready to overcome this obstacle and we can pray to Krsna "Please help me chant your Holy names attentively".
I went door knocking again today. It was relatively a quiet day. I met few folks and distributed some books. I met a guy who knew about the Hare Krishnas. I gave him a book and he accepted it although he did not offer any donations. Then I met an inquisitive individual who asked many questions. Sadly though, after like 15 mins of explaining the philosophy he just took a brochure from me. I suspect he was a christian trying to be polite with me.
The highlight was I met a Catholic Christian who to my surprise had a very Krishna conscious mind set. In the beginning, she said I know I am not this body and mind and I am soul. She said how God is Supremely good and hence all of His creation also has His goodness. She believes that every individual finds his path towards God and that has their own realizations, so who are we to judge that? As humans she agreed that we have limited capacity to understand God's creation. She also said, which I find interesting is, that Catholicism is the "fullest" form of religion than other paths. Its funny how every religious person thinks the same of their path. I went to a Masjid (mosque) last sunday to see if I could distribute any books, and the person I was conversing with was a devout muslim and he also said the same thing about Islam and Allah. As the Catholic lady was saying about the fullness of her religion, I thought the same about Krishna Consciousness. I guess we need that impetus to be attached to our own paths.
Anyways, the Catholic lady talked about other points that had spiritual (and not religious) connotation and I took leave expressing my pleasure to have met her. Honestly, I have been here for 8 years now and have not met an open minded Christian. Sorry if I offend any Christian, this however has been my experience so far. Either they are materialistic or too literal about the Bible to accept any other path as valid. This woman was a welcome exception and she gladly donated me her entire piggy bank which had a dollar and some chump change. Knocked on few other doors and drove back to my house.
I am hoping someone will be interested to discuss further about Krishna!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2011) Lecture – Caitanya-caritamrta Part 3
Generally speaking…..a puzzling topic, that vaisnavas consider themselves as most fallen. They spend time in presenting themselves as having no qualifications and so on. But Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur’s song, ‘Bhakti-kalpataru’ is basically clarifying the matter, which is:
‘I have received this wish fulfilling desire tree from my spiritual master, but by my harsh behaviour, I’ve covered its’ potency, and therefore, the full powers is not manifested now from the tree. But the tree itself can be restored in the association of the devotees.’
So that is a very important concept, of seeing how on the one hand, we have received the mercy; how we have something to give; how a vaisnava has a valuable contribution to make to the world, and at the same time can see himself as being totally unqualified; as the most fallen; as a fool; as an ignorant child; as having no intelligence and all these things that he had said in the first opening verse.
It all makes sense if you think: ‘Yes I am absolutely not qualified, but still why? It is from the mercy of the Lord and my guru, that gives me the most valuable jewel!”
That’s a very important point about humility – how vaisnava humility works. How one can see himself as the most fallen, but still living in great happiness, because of the great and unlimited mercy that somehow or other really helps us!
Conservatives accept a complementarian approach to the role of women: women have a distinctive role centred on being wives, mothers, and are in no way competing with men. They believe we should give to the outside world but that there is little we should take. While adjustments can be made to the culture for outreach activities, we already have a perfect, if yet to be fully implemented, culture; we need only execute our teachings with faith. Conservatives believe we should be wary of interfaith dialogue; after all, we already have the truth and others should learn it from us. They believe we have little to gain from others. We need only preach and exemplify the Vedic culture, which is glorious—supremely so. The closer we come to following it, the happier we will be, as will those who come in contact with us.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2011) Lecture – Caitanya-caritamrta Part 3
Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami says:
“What is the use of an arrow or poetry if it doesn’t penetrate the heart or make the head spin!”
So that is really good…..I like that a lot. It is something like that, because it is a deep hope giving verse. We are living in a world where we are constantly bombarded with so much rubbish. If anyone lives in an ocean of crocodiles then it is us. What to speak of these philosophies of yonder. We are just surrounded by the crocodiles that have multiplied with many faults. We have so many speculated theories, but if we simply take shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His teachings and His movement, then we can be protected!
And it’s not only the great intellectuals who will be protected, because even an ignorant child will be protected! Lord Caitanya’s movement is certainly offering full satisfaction to intellectuals. It offers all logical arguments, intricate theologies and so on. It’s not that it’s exclusive and that those who are not great scholars or great intellectuals are excluded……that’s not at all the case, because the essence is to simply have faith….faith in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and that He is indeed the Supreme Lord and by simply taking shelter of Him, one will cross this ocean of nescience and of course, in particularly He came to propagate the sankirtan movement!
By Krishna-lila Dasi for ISKCON News on 23 Dec 2011
There was a window of hope for Hungarian Krishna-believers and many other religious organizations when on the 19th of December, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Hungary struck down the restrictive religious law. However, it all evaporated less than two days later.
Times of India: The prosecutor, it would appear, is a local anti-ISKCON activist, who has resorted to a number of lies...External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on Friday said: We do not want to dignify with too much attention some misdirected individuals who have filed an absurd complaint...Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband urges Hindus, Muslims to unite on Gita
The Bhagwat Purana instructs that `Both by rising and by setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone`, and that this holds true for all, except for those who utilise their time meditating and discussing topics of God.
This year I found out that many people read my blog, and not only the members of ISKCON. I am very happy because of that.
This was a second year of my new lifestyle of travelling and teaching. Since I had joined this movement, I wanted to live and serve like this. Now Krsna has fulfilled my desire. I meet many people of all ages, in various countries, and can serve them and love them and help them come closer to God.
Personal coaching has a great value in my life and I want to learn it even better. In this way, I will be able to provide better service to the devotees all over the world. I got a message many times that I should write a book. I started it, but I don't know when I will finish it.
This year brought some wonderful realizations, but I think that the next one will be even better.
By Contributor for indianexpress.com on 23 Dec 2011
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked the government of India to consider representing the country before the court in Russia to defend the Bhagwad Gita, the holy Hindu scripture which is facing a ban there.
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṇa Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love."
(Sri Brahma samhita 5.38)
May our eyes be smeared with that salve of love as we behold your darsana, O Sri Sri Radha Ballabha.
1967 December 21: "Be careful about your health. Not only you but all my noble sons. I am an old man. I may live or die it does not matter. But you must live for long time to push on this Krishna Consciousness movement."
1968 December 21: "Accelerate these school engagements and I am sure you will be very successful. When Krishna sees that we are trying very sincerely to preach His message He becomes very pleased and showers all blessings upon us. So please continue in this spirit."
1968 December 21: "Mr. Harrison must join this Krishna Consciousness movement without hesitation. If Mr. George Harrison takes the lead in organizing a huge Sankirtana Party consisting of the Beatles and our boys surely we shall change the face of the world."
1972 December 21: "Yes, spiritual activities, even mentally performed, are beneficial. No, mental sinful activities do not cause a bad reaction. We do not suffer for thinking something sinful. Not in this age. That is a special concession for Kali-yuga."
1972 December 21: "You are the pioneer preachers, you are paving the way. You will not stand by idly and listen to any nonsense ideas or Mayavadis. That is very nice. My Guru Maharaja was also inclined toward his bolder preachers."
1974 December 21: "Print thousands of books and distribute everywhere, all over the world at the same speed. If we can get the masses of people in the Western countries to become Krsna Conscious, then the rest of the world will follow. That is a fact."
1974 December 21: "By injecting our movement into the masses of people all over the world, especially in the Western countries, we can literally turn whole areas into Krsna Conscious nations. I am very glad to hear you have printed 100,000 copies. Now give them to everyone."
1974 December 21: "I am very anxious to get that building in New York City. I like it very much, so I want you to take it immediately. Now keep the atmosphere very pure by holding regular classes and kirtan, morning and evening arati and ensuring that everyone chants their 16 rounds and follows the regulative principles without fail."
HG Madhava Prabhu chanting awesome kirtan at Houston ISKCON temple during Iskcon Youth Ministry’s Tour stop. December 16, 2011. Sri Sri Radha Nilamadhava darshan. KIRTAN FOREVER!
(Click on the pictures to discover the Treasure House Of India’s Spiritual Wisdom as presented by ISKCON Founder Acharya Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada) Sent By Her Grace Yamuna Priya Dasi *By Malati Devi Dasi* Hare Krishna Respected Vaishnavas: With immense sorrow and deep regret, I beg to report the departure of Her [...]
This video is so expertly done that each picture corresponds to each word of the verse sung so beautifully by the late HG Yamuna Devi Dasi. So please watch this video and meditate upon Lord Sri Govinda – Adi Purusham! Sent By His Grace Dvarkadhish Das From: krsna108@hotmail.com To: krsna108@hotmail.com Subject: FW: “GOVINDAM ADI [...]
A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course Friday 23 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: Be Krishna Conscious. Make the World Krishna Conscious. uploaded from Pretoria, South Africa For a devotee of Krishna life is very simple. It is not at all complicated. His life is simply to be Krishna conscious and make the entire world Krishna conscious. In this way he does the highest welfare work both for himself and for the whole world. Since happiness is experienced in proportion to the degree of how much we render selfless service to others, there is no one more happy than the devotee anywhere in the entire universe. Indeed, his happiness is fathomless and unbounded. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Prabhupada Blesses the Whole Universe with Krishna Consciousness--San Francisco, Ratha Yatra http://www.backtohome.com/images/Prabhupada/SP_Ratha_yatra.jpg Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Meaning of Bona Fide Guru Please define the meaning of bona fide guru. Anupam R. Answer: He is Not a Rascal Like the So-Called Gurus The bona fide spiritual master is not a rascal like the profuse so-called gurus who are at the present moment so much misguiding the entire human civilization. He is described in the Srimad Bhagavatam 11.3.21 as follows: tasmd gurum prapadyeta jijñsuh reya uttamam bde pare ca nisntam brahmany upaamrayam Therefore any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realized the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters. The bona fide spiritual master accepts Krishna as the original guru. Therefore he never changes the words of Krishna. Whatever Krishna says he repeats without any addition or subtraction. He never presents himself as God. He presents himself as the servant of God. He is authorized by the previous acharyas to accept as a spiritual master. He cannot be self made. He can only become a spiritual master when he is ordered to do so by his spiritual master. 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 2011-2012 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. 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By Prahladpriya das
By Govinda dasi
By Madhavendu das
Even George Harrison sang “Beware of Maya”.
By Indian media
Oct 24th Skype conference with Russian speaking devotees (English only)
