Here are the latest updates for you - H.H. Kadamba Kanana Swami: When the saints go marching in
- Spiritual Scientist: Why does the Bhagavad-gita call for violence?
- Akrura das, Gita Coaching: STUMBLE
- Spiritual Scientist: The Gita guarantees ultimate success
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Vraja Krsna Prabhu
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Akrura das, Gita Coaching: REFLECTION ON 2011
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami in Ujjain
- Dandavats.com: Food Yoga
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Dandavats.com: Srila Prabhupada’s Transcendental Sweetness and Beauty
- Dandavats.com: Bhakti House loves L.A Youth, L.A. Youth love Bhakti House
- Dandavats.com: HG Devarsi Prabhu enters into nitya-lila
- Japa Group: We Must Stay Strong In Our Determination
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: How do I take a picture of my iPhone with my iPhone? Hare Krishna Mucukunda das
- Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: The story of Johnny Lingo and his eight cow wife…
- Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: Misdirected "Hi"
- Madan Gopal das, Chowpatty, IN: [Q&A] Ghee from Milk Cream
- Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Update on Hungary Church Law.
- Ananda Subramanian, Iowa, USA: Misery
- Akrura das, Gita Coaching: YOU CAN WALK SPIRITUAL STEPS
- Akrura das, Gita Coaching: THE LATEST NEWS FROM LONDON
- One ISKCON.com: Pizza Or Pakoras? – Part One (Presented For Review)
- 16 Rounds to Samadhi Magazine, LA, USA: Symbols of Ignorance
- Australian News: New web site for ISKCON Sydney – it’s all here on the Internet
- H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: Notes On Wedding Address And Morning Class By His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami
- ISKCON News.com: The Healing Power of the Sun
- ISKCON News.com: Govinda`s Restaurant On The Gold Coast, Australia.
- H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: Yamuna Devi, Award Winning Author & Spiritual Pioneer Passes Away
- Australian News: Krishnas Vegetarian – New Restaurant at ISKCON Sydney
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Mukunda Goswami's Memories of Yamuna Devi Dasi
- H.H. Sivarama Swami: Srila Prabhupada would sometimes say that the defect of his disciples is that they do not fear maya
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Hare Krishna Explosion
- Mayapur Online: HG Devarsi Prabhu enters into nitya-lila
- H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Friday, December 16th, 2011
- Matsyavatara das (ACBSP), Italy: Class about Markandeay Rishi on Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's anniversary. By Matsyavatara dasa (Marco Ferrini)
- Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: ISCOWP (International Society For Cow Protection) Update December 2011
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Vraja Krsna Prabhu
- H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: South-African Parliament Member Honours Bhagavad-Gita As It Is.
- Manoj, Melbourne, AU: 232. Best Wishes
- Gouranga TV: Mahavishnu Swami | Srila Prabhupada Disappearance Harinama, London, 29.10.11
- H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: India Protest Against Russian Bhagavad-Gita Ban Threat!
- Spiritual Scientist: From “Is God with me?” to “Am I with God?”
- H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Thursday 22 December 2011--Existence is In Itself Fully Blissful--and--Do Brahmacaris Become Deathless?
- More Recent Articles
- Search Planet ISKCON
- Prior Mailing Archive
A lecture given by HH Kadamba Kanana Maharaja, 21 December 2011, Cape Town, South Africa We’re reading from Srimad Bhagavatam, 7th Canto, Chapter 14, “The ideal family life,” text number 2: sri-narada uvaca grhesv avasthito rajan kriyah kurvan yathocitah vasudevarpanam saksad upasita maha-munin Translation: Narada Muni replied: My dear King, those who stay at home as householders must act to earn their livelihood, and instead of trying to enjoy the results of their work themselves, they should offer these results to Krsna, Vasudeva. How to satisfy Vasudeva in this life can be perfectly understood through the association of great devotees of the Lord. (Purport) (Invocatory Prayers) Goodbye sense gratification Srila Prabhupada, in the purport, immediately takes a verse from the Bhagavad Gita, from the 6th chapter, where he describes the renounced order of life. It’s interesting because the topic in the verse is the grhastha asrama and Prabhupada begins to speak about the renounced order of life because his point is basically is that whatever asrama one may be in, one has to really say goodbye to sense gratification. That is the point- goodbye to sense gratification and one should really get serious about spiritual life. That is Prabhupada’s point: “Whether one acts as a brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha or sannyasi he must act only for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord.” That is goodbye sense gratification because sense gratification is to act for the pleasure of our own senses. So that means a total revolution, that means a serious change in our life and what to say…we are hesitating. Even those who have taken sannyasa are hesitating, everyone is hesitating to really make that jump and say everything for Krsna. Therefore we are looking for sources of inspiration and strength and with time we realise that we need that more and more. Wherever we see extraordinary dedication to guru and Krsna, that is where we turn. We go on places of pilgrimage, we read about such personalities or we meditate on such devotees. In that way we try to take inspiration. Srila Prabhupada states these things but to actually do it is not simple at all but still, that is the thing to do. We see that at the end of the purport, Prabhupada is emphasising the point that in India in villages 50 years ago, in suburbs of Calcutta, people were all engaged in hearing Srimad Bhagavatam when all their activities ended or at least in the evening before going to bed. So that is nice. Sanatana Gosvami also is glorifying Srimad Bhagavatam and he calls Srimad Bhagavatam his “constant companion.” So I mean, that’s a meditation, to make Bhagavatam our constant companion. To either read Bhagavatam or remember Bhagavatam or think about Bhagavatam or think about Krsna and his pure devotee. That basically is what is going on so that we can get that strength through the saksad upasita maha-munin, by worshipping the great devotees. This worship of the great devotees is very purifying and it can immediately uplift us. Devotees are our saving grace
In the Caitanya Siksamrta, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, has explained that a devotee who has nistha can create faith in the heart of conditioned souls. He said a devotee who is in the stage of bhava can lift others up to the stage of ruci because this devotee in ecstasy, is sharing that ecstasy with others. That is why others are also getting a taste in spiritual life. And when that taste becomes more regular, due to regular association, then a person can actually come to the stage of ruci, a stage where one lives in that taste of serving Krsna, glorifying Krsna and so on. It is said that a devotee on the platform of Krsna-prema, there is no limit in how much such a devotee can elevate any conditioned soul; he can raise that conditioned soul up to the platform of prema. That we saw in Haridasa Thakura who brought that prostitute to the point where he was also, although she was completely fallen and materialistic. Somehow or other by his chanting she became elevated to a point where she was also able to chant 300 000 names of the Lord everyday, which means that he lifted her up to a platform of chanting in great ecstasy. Otherwise you can’t chant 300 000 names everyday! Maybe on determination; if one is very determined and can chant 300 000 names on one day… ‘I will do it! I shall do it! I must do it! (dramatic chanting) Done! See, now just like Haridas Thakura I’ve chanted 300 000 names!’ Good, good, good, now do it again, the next day! ‘Okay, (dramatic chanting) Done it! Done it! And the next day as well!’ Alright, do it again, the next day….On determination alone it’s not going to work. ‘This is too much, this is impossible…’ well, it must be on higher taste. So in this way, in the Siksamrta, we see that different devotees on different levels have the capacity to uplift others to different levels. That is interesting. So we are always connecting with the saintly devotees, always with the enthusiasm of devotees. I also like that story about Visnujana and his kirtan and then someone said, ‘oh Visnujana, you’re always so enthusiastic in kirtan,’ and then Visnujana said, “no, I’m not always so enthusiastic in kirtan but I just act enthusiastic in kirtan and then the devotees become enthusiastic in kirtan and that makes me enthusiastic!” So that is very nice because it shows the reciprocation of devotees and how the enthusiasm of one devotee makes the other devotee enthusiastic. Like this morning during mangal arati, the walls were vibrating. It was the enthusiasm! Like that we see that the devotees are depending on each other. When one is weak, another one is strong and in this way we rely on each other’s spiritual strength and we always stay close to the devotees, even if it is sometimes difficult because the association of the devotees is being stressed and of course we are looking for inspiration in the association of the devotees. There is a reference in the Caitanya Caritamrta about Gadhadhara Pandit and it is said that Vallabha Acarya had written a commentary on the Bhagavatam and he was at some points in disagreements with Sridhara Swami, the original Bhagavatam commentator. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu didn’t want to hear his commentary so when Caitanya Mahaprabhu didn’t want to hear it then no one wanted to hear it. And Vallabha Acarya was very much depressed because of that. But Gadhadhara was extremely soft and therefore he just one day overpowered Gadhadhara! He cornered him and he just said, “Now I am going to recite my commentary on Bhagavatam to you!” And then Gadhadhara is like, “Please…oh Lord, save me, save me, save me!” and he was thinking, “yes, Lord Caitanya, He will forgive me because He understands but I fear the devotees because they are very strict and they are not very tolerant.” So this showed another aspect of the devotees association that the devotees are strict and are like, ‘Maya! Maya! Maya!’ Therefore in the association of the devotees one also feels pushed to live up to a certain standard- peer pressure! So that is also there. And sometimes if the association of devotees is not directly inspiring us then at least indirectly it’s inspiring us to realise more about the verse, trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih, then at least we can learn tolerance because we are not all pure devotees and it is sometimes not so easy to deal with each other’s false ego. That can be intense and in that way we are also developing tolerance in the association of devotees. But whatever may be, we stay close to the devotees because that is our saving grace. And we see that when devotees become too distant from other devotees then they are at risk and many are watering down the spiritual standards more and more. What to do… And devotees together should maintain a culture of hearing and chanting and adhering to vaisnava principles. That culture is their strength because devotees find strength by taking shelter. That is the principle. Our shelter Sometimes I come on this point of taking shelter and how no one on his own is spiritually strong. It’s just by taking shelter that one becomes spiritually strong. So yes, again and again we must take shelter. The mind says, ‘no!’ the body says, ‘no!’ that may be…and even people around us might say, ‘what are you doing? Come on!’ maybe those who are close to us will shake their heads and say, ‘you’re gone! You’re lost! You’re totally impractical! Be more practical! I mean how are you going to deal with life like this? Now you’re young, and you think you are going to last like this your whole life? And what will you have later on, when you’ll need it to fall back on? Nothing! You’re wasting the best years of your life!’ In this way we hear and seeds of doubt are planted in our consciousness by the environment, by family, by friends, by the media, by our own minds…So how do we counteract all these mundane influences that are somehow or other entering our consciousness? By just turning back to the devotees, it’s so nice! The other day in Durban we came on the theme of reading many literatures and we went around the room and everyone gave a comment and at the end it was my turn. My point was that when reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, we don’t need any filters and you can just drink it in. And anything from Prabhupada’s books just enters our consciousness and is a benediction! It does good and is favourable and auspicious, whereas in the world, whatever we look at, we always have to look through filters and just filter out the good and just push away the bad and so on. And even that may be there with other sources of information about devotional service. But when it comes to Prabhupada’s books, all filters off! It’s so relaxing because it always takes energy, wherever we are, to be on guard and we just filter it out, all the rubbish and just constantly all day long- filters, filters, filters…But when we turn to Prabhupada, switch filters off! When we come to the devotees, to the temple….relief! Now we can relax! Here everything is right; it’s no weird, it’s not twisted, it’s not off, it’s not cynical, it’s not sarcastic, it’s not sceptical, it’s not perverted, it’s not sick…it’s just normal! Phew- finally! The whole day we are confronted with people who have committed themselves to some form of contamination, dedicated whole heartedly to a contaminated goal. Like in airports I see all kinds of people and I study them (my hobby is to study people). Like a story of a man in a black suit, a very fancy suit, and he had a little speck on his suit. So what he did was, he licked his hand and then he started to smear saliva all over it! And then he got into it like a cat (dramatic), smearing saliva over his whole suit! And I was sitting there on the edge of saying, ‘what on earth are you doing! You’re smearing saliva all over your suit!’ I had to bite my tongue to not create a public scene! So I like to study people….and we see in the morning, the businessman and then we see that they are all dressed in office clothes and cutting the successful profile, and jolly in a little circle and they have to say the right thing and you can see that they are sold out to the money! You see the smiles, the false, Pepsodent, or whatever other toothpaste, smile! It’s just like unreal and you see the hypocrisy in their faces as they talk to each other! And as they turn to the world… ‘I want your money!’ It’s just contaminating, to see that is just contaminating. Then you see the old men with the Thai girls! It’s very popular these days. The Thai girls don’t mind marrying the old men because they die quick and the girls get a lot of money after that. And you see these old guys, they are all over these girls and their hands are everywhere! And it’s like oh God, so early in the morning…Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare… So all day long we’ve got to face these things. When you fly with American airlines and the stewardess walks in the aisle and she looks like she knows it all, done it all, heard it all, seen it all…if you know what I mean- seasoned all the way! And as soon as I see a lady like that I go, ‘oh God save me!’ I mean, where is the purity? Then when we see purity in devotees, who are just dedicated to purity then what a relief! Here are people who are into becoming elevated instead of degraded- thoroughly degraded! To look at all these things in the face is just contaminating and we have to filter it out, like firewalls around our brain to keep out the viruses and all horrible things. So how nice is the association of devotees! Embracing the vaisnava culture And then one can also rise above differences between natures- this one has a nature that’s like that and that one has a nature that is like this! And this one is ladidadidadida…and one goes (dramatic), ‘now you listen here prabhu, I want to make myself really clear…!’ and the other is like, (dramatic- spaced out case) and ‘bhakta Bonzo your mouth is hanging opened!’ I mean it takes all kinds to make up a movement! Undoubtedly! But whatever may be of these natures is not so important and we just overlook the side in the nature that we don’t like so much because they are dedicated to Krsna and that is the main thing. Altogether we are behind Prabhupada, we are with the saints you know, (sings) ‘oh when the saints…go marching in…’ So it’s a great song! That’s it, that’s the Hare Krsna movement; we want to be there with the saints! And of course we hope that they notice us…I remember a film of Roman Polanski where these ordinary people were infiltrating with a whole group of vampires. And the vampires were in a gathering and there was a ball- not a football but a ball where they were all dancing- with the vampires and it was in a palace. And our friends were also infiltrating in there and they were dressed up in the same dress and so on. But everything was going well until they stood in front of the mirror because vampires, their bodies don’t show up in a mirror and suddenly their bodies reflected in the mirror and all the vampires just saw it! They suddenly realised….run, run, run, run for your life! So yes, we are so often in situations of people who suck our life force, who suck our spiritual life force and their association is just draining. So many people are like that, everywhere in society. So many things like that. So many things we have to see. But we were born in this world. Once upon a time we also had these big teeth (vampire) but we got rid of them and now we are devotees. But we were born in this world and accustomed to this world and therefore our mind being conditioned tends to just tell us that it’s normal. (Dramatic), ‘Well you know…well…well..’ and everything is contaminated- the language, ‘this guy and that guy and look at that guy…look at the prabhu!’ So it changes the whole thing, it immediately changes the attitude, the mood as soon as we get into this language of our environment. So the environment is very heavy and is weighing on our mind and has already entered and has taken over and little by little we are becoming liberated from this infiltration that has entered deep into our whole being and it’s a whole thing to throw it off by embracing the vaisnava way, the vaisnava culture. Step by step one has to embrace it and leave the other culture. Yes, it’s completely funny to see a person completely dressed up like an extreme creature, namely, a Hare Krsna, who is trying to act normal with people! I mean forget it, you’re not normal! No matter how much you are trying to be normal, it’s never going to be normal enough. The more we try to be normal to people it’s still to strange and may not be normal enough. We may as well be strange. Better be strange and be really strange- why be half strange? I mean to be half strange, you’re neither here or neither there. Better to be completely strange- ‘Haribol!’ ‘Hare Krsna!’We may as well go for it and go for the identity of a vaisnava and take shelter. That is the point. Of course, Prabhupada also on a morning walk said, “Good morning!” to someone and the devotees asked, “Prabhupada, why did you say good morning? Why didn’t you say Hare Krsna?” And Prabhupada said, “I said good morning so that he could wish me good morning in return and in that way do some service and he was making an offering.” When people voluntarily make an offering, oh that’s devotional service! Just like yesterday we walking on the beach and the guy on the bench was a bit of a…well, he was one of those bench people! A typical bench man! He spontaneously said, “oh, I really like your dress because it’s spiritual!” That was service, that was the kind of thing which one gets a lot of mercy of Lord Caitanya. That’s why I wanted him to have a book although he was ranting and raving…but anyway, what to do! He went on a preaching rave and he got carried away by the modes as he was doing that but that I didn’t care about because he had done voluntary service and that was the essence. For that, he had attracted the mercy of Lord Caitanya undoubtedly. Adopting a mood of glorifying devotees Let us just get into being devotees and then gradually adopt the values of being devotees and glorify devotees and find good qualities in devotees. In Radhadesh they had a custom, that at the end of the year after the Christmas marathon (and maybe they still have it), they had a session where they glorify all the devotees- not only the sankirtana devotees but every devotee. And you get someone to say something about everyone and it goes on for six hours! I mean, I can’t sit through it, my back, my bones, my everything…and it goes on for six hours and they get everybody to come forward to say something about everyone. And someone comes up and says like, “Madana Gopala is always peeling the potatoes!” So it’s like that, they find something to glorify! But it’s purifying in different ways- just sitting there is purifying in terms of austerity! It is purifying. Actually after that, the relationship with the devotees have improved, it really works. And it’s amazing because you know, people ghet stuck in their niches and when you live in the temple then after a while everyone has his niche, his corner and they look at other people in their niches and then you go like, ‘Hmph!’ And people in relationships they get like that, they think about each other like, ‘Hmph!’ These things creep in the relationships and then when we go through a glorification session, then we realise that after that it’s changed a little bit. So this is very nice. So if we have this culture, of practising glorifying the vaisnavas then something starts to happen. And the layers of contamination that starts to stick to our consciousness will start to slowly disappear. So this is very nice. Therefore upasita maha-munin, we are worshipping the devotees. Okay, I’ve bounced the ball around; you take a verse and then you sort of juggle it a little and I think I’ve juggled it and now it’s your turn to come up with comments or questions. Question: Maharaja, what did you mean when you said a person that drains one’s energy…is it a devotee also and maybe even a senior devotee? Maharaja: I’m really sorry for that (laughter), I’ll try to correct myself. No, no, no, no; with devotees it’s not like that. When we feel drained by devotees it means that we ourselves are still a little bit like the kitchen sink. It means that it all goes down the kitchen sink, it means that we ourselves have not yet developed the eyes to see the good side. So we should see more the good side of the devotees and see that, ‘actually he’s got a few rough edges, he does, but then again he’s also very dedicated.’ Of course I may keep like a few metres distance, that’s all right. If it gets too much, one can keep a respectful distance but at the same time one must see the good qualities in a person and must try to look for good qualities because every devotee has. So when we get overwhelmed by seeing the negative side of a devotee then we have to see that, ‘I’ve got my negative glasses on and I have to change my glasses and see the positive side of the devotee.’ Remember the story of Yudhisthira and Duryodhana? They were asked by Drona Acarya to go into the world and he asked Duryodhana, “Duryodhana, please go into the world and find one good person.’ And he asked Yudhisthira, “please go into the world and find one bad person.” They both went all over the place and Duryodhana was back first so Dronacaraya asked him, “So Duryodhana, did you find any good person in the world?” and Duryodhana said, “I really tried, I really tried but I couldn’t find! Everyone’s got something bad!” and then Yudhisthira came back and Dronacarya asked him, “Yudhisthira, did you find any bad person in this world?” and Yudhisthira said, “I looked everywhere, I looked everywhere but I can’t find anyone bad because everyone has some good quality.” So who do you want to be Duryodhana or Yudhisthira? Anyone else? Question: I heard that in the association of devotees the internal energy is there. Can you explain that maybe? Maharaja: The internal energy is the activity or the energy that pleases Krsna and that is the internal energy. It is the pleasure potency that has the power to please Krsna. Nothing else can please Krsna. So in the interaction with devotees, there is the energy that can please Krsna, if the interaction between devotees is pure. If it’s based on false ego then it may not always be pleasing…but that’s the reason; in the exchange there are principles that are pleasing to Krsna because devotees are after all appreciating devotion to Krsna in each other. That’s what we appreciate the devotee for. Like see a devotee who makes a sacrifice in devotional service is appreciated. Last year we went to the BBT conference and this mataji from Kenya impressed everyone! She’s just a tiny mataji and she standing there in the streets of Nairobi, right there, down town, in the heart of the African city. And she’s all day long distributing books to these kind of people. And it’s not soft; everyone knows that that is serious street life and she’s out there and she’s doing it. And she was just bubbling with enthusiasm and determination. then she sorts of says, “yes, it’s okay, I have my spot and I stand close to a security guard and he’s my friend, I keep my extra books there and at the same time he keeps an eye on me also. So she’s got it all under control and she looks like very innocent and meanwhile totally fixed and determined and bang- and everyone walks away with a book! She impressed everyone with her dedication. So that’s the internal energy that we see. We see, wow, look at this devotee! Look how much service this devotee is doing! Look at Madana Gopala (devotee in audience); look at how many potatoes he’s peeling! Therefore the service of the devotee is naturally enlivening us and enlivening Krsna. Srila Prabhupada ki, Jaya!
Answer: The Bhagavad-gita calls not for violence, but for transcendence. It may seem to call for violence because of its battlefield setting, but it uses that setting to demonstrate that its call for transcendence is practical, responsible and dynamic. Let’s see how the setting serves these three purposes: - The practicality of spirituality: Many people feel that spirituality is too other-worldly and so is impractical or irrelevant given the urgent practical demands of this world. To address their concern, the Bhagavad-gita’s spiritual message is delivered on a setting that is eminently this-worldly and calls for the most urgent practical action: a battlefield. By showing how its spiritual wisdom solaced and empowered a responsible head of state, Arjuna, who broke down on a battlefield, the Gita illustrates poignantly the universal applicability of its teachings. If a person on a battlefield spared time for gaining its spiritual wisdom and found it relevant, practical and empowering, then no one needs to doubt the practicality of the Gita’s message and no circumstance needs to warrant relegating the Gita’s message to the “to be done later” category.
The social responsibility of spiritualists:While the Bhagavad-gita offers a message that can guide any individual in any circumstance to personal transcendence, peace and fulfillment, it also recognizes that people at large can benefit from its message only when the prevailing sociopolitical order fosters moral and spiritual integrity. When the ruling heads of state are morally and spiritually depraved, as they were before the Kurushetra war, assertive action is essential to prevent people from being exploited, abused and ruined. The Mahabharata sections preceding the narration of the Gita describe vividly - The multiple injustices and atrocities committed by the ruling heads of state, the Kauravas
- The repeated efforts of the victims, the Pandavas, to restore justice and morality in a peaceful way
- The utter disdain with which the Kauravas rejected all the attempts for peace, thus making a peaceful solution impossible
For those victimized by massive injustice, the Gita doesn’t condone a passive spectator role that reduces noble pacifism to impotent and suicidal utopianism. Instead, the Gita advocates pragmatic assertive action for protecting basic human rights. That violence should be the last expression of such assertiveness – and never anything other than the last – is illustrated by the exhaustive peace efforts that preceded it. The very fact that several globally acclaimed champions of non-violence like Mahatma Gandhi found inspiration in the message of the Gita demonstrates that violence is not its core message. Of course, those who find the battlefield setting discomforting have tried to explain it (away) in metaphorical terms, but such an explanation undoes the intrinsic pragmatism that makes the Gita’s message of transcendence so appealing. By delivering this message on a battlefield, the Gita illustrates that even those who consider life’s ultimate goals to be other-worldly have a this-worldly responsibility to contribute to establishing and protecting the moral and spiritual fabric of society. - The inner dynamics of spirituality: The metaphorical interpretation of the Gita’s setting is not wrong, but it best harmonizes with the overall spirit of the Gita when seen as a supplement to –and not a substitute for – its historical context. Then, the battlefield setting, in addition to its historicity, represents our internal consciousness that features the battle between godly desires and ungodly desires. Each of us needs to win this inner battle if we are to play our part in establishing moral and spiritual integrity in society and not let our ungodly attachments to selfish interests sabotage our godly aspirations for personal integrity. Even when our godly aspirations are outnumbered by our ungodly attachments, as was the case with the godly Pandavas fighting the ungodly Kauravas, the Gita’s setting conveys the morale-boosting reassurance that when we harmonize our godly desires with God’s will, then his supreme power will empower us to attain inner victory and self-mastery.
To summarize, the Gita’s battlefield setting, when seen in its historical and philosophical context, reveals itself to be a call not for blanket violence, but for thoroughgoing spiritual activism.
All people occasionally stumble across the truth, but most pick themselves up and continue as if nothing had happened. WINSTON CHURCHILL
The Bhagavad-gita (18.78) concludes with the proclamation that success is guaranteed for those who harmonize their human will with the divine will. This proclamation is based on the understanding that success has two dimensions: internal and external. According to Gita wisdom, internal success refers to success in establishing a loving relationship with God and external success refers to success in expressing that relationship externally through loving service to God and all his children. Those with no knowledge of internal success envision success not in terms of contribution and service, but in terms of acquisition and domination. Such self-centered success is neither satisfying nor sustainable; such "successful" people are buffeted by the continuous onslaughts of worldly predicaments and problems that terminate in the ultimate defeat of death. When we seek first to succeed internally as directed by the Gita, then worldly problems can never exhaust our inner energy; we can always replenish our energy by connecting with God’s unlimited energy. Thus energized, we can confront change with courage and crisis with composure and contribute our talents and resources in a spirit of service to God for the holistic benefit of everyone. Even the defeat of death becomes transformed into the gateway to the ultimate victory of attaining eternal life in the kingdom of God.
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.24 - Devotees are very concerned for the spiritual emancipation of everyone.
I am reflecting on the past year. 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.
(Click on the picture to discover the Treasure House Of India’s Spiritual Wisdom as presented by ISKCON Founder Acharya Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada) Click here for all pictures of His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami in Ujjain on 22 December 2011. Sent By His Grace Mukunda Dasa Photo album
 By Vaidehi RajaniWe are not always able to give and honour prashadam to a mass of devotees to the extent to which we may desire due to the strains and time constraints we all have living in the west. For this reason and as a service and dedication to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad we present to you Food Yoga
 By Yamuna Devi DasiI appeal to the GBC that along with the laudable projects you are managing and those you are contemplating - especially the magnificent temple that will arise here in Sridhama Mayapura - consider that the behaviour of the ISKCON devotees who participate in these projects must also be magnificent
 By Krsna Namacarya dasa and Karuna Dharini dasiAfter only a few months of the Bhakti House Program, we have seen the devotee population at the temple start to become integrated with young people. It is an innovative way of introducing Krishna Consciousness to the youth of America. The whole setup is different from a traditional Hare Krishna temple. In fact the guests are invited to a simple house next to the temple
Mayapur.com: With great sadness, ISKCON Mayapur community devotees deeply mourn the departure of HG Devarsi Prabhu. A long time resident of Mayapur, although originally from Spain, Prabhu left his body at 2:30pm in Krishnanagar yesterday (21st Dec) on the auspicious Ekadasi day, following a severe attack of tuberculosis
My thought today was based on how I sometimes feel about Japa - we feel like we just don't want to spend the time and effort to chant rounds - there are so many other things in life to be done and the mind tends to latch onto that excuse - "You can finish them later, you have all day....now you need to do more important things before it's too late". This is our mind taking the role of an enemy - Maya enters through our thoughts and it can sweep us away.
Srila Prabhupada established the regular morning program for this very reason - so that we can become regulated in our sadhana and stick to it every day. Even if we can't attend the morning program at the temple, we can have our own morning program of chanting Japa and reading etc.
We must stay strong in our determination to carry on with good quality sadhana....chanting is our life and soul.
How do I take a picture of my iPhone with my iPhone? Hare Krishna Mucukunda das
Reprinted from here When I sailed to Kiniwata, an island in the Pacific, I took along a notebook. After I got back it was filled with descriptions of flora and fauna, native customs and costume. But the only note that still interests me is the one that says: “Johnny Lingo gave eight cows to Sarita’s father.” And I don’t need to have it in writing. I’m reminded of it every time I see a woman belittling her husband or a wife withering under her husband’s scorn. I want to say to them, “You should know why Johnny Lingo paid eight cows for his wife.” Johnny Lingo wasn’t exactly his name. But that’s what Shenkin, the manager of the guest house on Kiniwata, called him. Shenkin was from Chicago and had a habit of Americanizing the names of the islanders. But Johnny was mentioned by many people in many connections. If I wanted to spend a few days on the neighboring island of Nurabandi, Johnny Lingo would put me up. If I wanted to fish he could show me where the biting was best. If it was pearls I sought, he would bring the best buys. The people of Kiniwata all spoke highly of Johnny Lingo. Yet when they spoke they smiled, and the smiles were slightly mocking. “Get Johnny Lingo to help you find what you want and let him do the bargaining,” advised Shenkin. “Johnny knows how to make a deal.” “Johnny Lingo! A boy seated nearby hooted the name and rocked with laughter. “What goes on?” I demanded. “everybody tells me to get in touch with Johnny Lingo and then breaks up. Let me in on the joke.” “Oh, the people like to laugh,” Shenkin said, shruggingly. “Johnny’s the brightest, the strongest young man in the islands, And for his age, the richest.” “But if he’s all you say, what is there to laugh about?” “Only one thing. Five months ago, at fall festival, Johnny came to Kiniwata and found himself a wife. He paid her father eight cows! I knew enough about island customs to be impressed. Two or three cows would buy a fair-to-middling wife, four or five a highly satisfactory one. “Good Lord!” I said, “Eight cows! She must have beauty that takes your breath away.” “She’s not ugly,” he conceded, and smiled a little. “But the kindest could only call Sarita plain. Sam Karoo, her father, was afraid she’d be left on his hands.” “But then he got eight cows for her? Isn’t that extraordinary?” “Never been paid before.”“Yet you call Johnny’s wife plain?” “I said it would be kindness to call her plain. She was skinny. She walked with her shoulders hunched and her head ducked. She was scared of her own shadow.” “Well,” I said, “I guess there’s just no accounting for love.” “True enough,” agreed the man. “And that’s why the villagers grin when they talk about Johnny. They get special satisfaction from the fact that the sharpest trader in the islands was bested by dull old Sam Karoo.” “But how?” “No one knows and everyone wonders. All the cousins were urging Sam to ask for three cows and hold out for two until he was sure Johnny’d pay only one. Then Johnny came to Sam Karoo and said, ‘Father of Sarita, I offer eight cows for your daughter.’” “Eight cows,” I murmured. “I’d like to meet this Johnny Lingo.” And I wanted fish. I wanted pearls. So the next afternoon I beached my boat at Nurabandi. And I noticed as I asked directions to Johnny’s house that his name brought no sly smile to the lips of his fellow Nurabandians. And when I met the slim, serious young man, when he welcomed me with grace to his home, I was glad that from his own people he had respect unmingled with mockery. We sat in his house and talked. Then he asked, “You come here from Kiniwata?” “Yes.” “They speak of me on that island?” “They say there’s nothing I might want they you can’t help me get.” He smiled gently. “My wife is from Kiniwata.” “Yes, I know.” “They speak of her?” “A little.” “What do they say?” “Why, just…” The question caught me off balance. “They told me you were married at festival time.” “Nothing more?” The curve of his eyebrows told me he knew there had to be more. “They also say the marriage settlement was eight cows.” I paused. “They wonder why.” “They ask that?” His eyes lightened with pleasure. “Everyone in Kiniwata knows about the eight cows?” I nodded. “And in Nurabandi everyone knows it too.” His chest expanded with satisfaction. “Always and forever, when they speak of marriage settlements, it will be remembered that Johnny Lingo paid eight cows for Sarita.”So that’s the answer, I thought: vanity. And then I saw her. I watched her enter the room to place flowers on the table. She stood still a moment to smile at the young man beside me. Then she went swiftly out again. She was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. The lift of her shoulders, the tilt of her chin the sparkle of her eyes all spelled a pride to which no one could deny her the right. I turned back to Johnny Lingo and found him looking at me. “You admire her?” he murmured. “She…she’s glorious. But she’s not Sarita from Kiniwata,” I said. “There’s only one Sarita. Perhaps she does not look the way they say she looked in Kiniwata.” “She doesn’t. I heard she was homely. They all make fun of you because you let yourself be cheated by Sam Karoo.” “You think eight cows were too many?” A smile slid over his lips. “No. But how can she be so different?” “Do you ever think,” he asked, “what it must mean to a woman to know that her husband has settled on the lowest price for which she can be bought? And then later, when the women talk, they boast of what their husbands paid for them. One says four cows, another maybe six. How does she feel, the woman who was sold for one or two?” This could not happen to my Sarita.” “Then you did this just to make your wife happy?” “I wanted Sarita to be happy, yes. But I wanted more than that. You say she is different This is true. Many things can change a woman. Things that happen inside, things that happen outside. But the thing that matters most is what she thinks about herself. In Kiniwata, Sarita believed she was worth nothing. Now she knows she is worth more than any other woman in the islands.” “Then you wanted -” “I wanted to marry Sarita. I loved her and no other woman.” “But —” I was close to understanding. “But,” he finished softly, “I wanted an eight-cow wife.”
One of the key lessons Vaisesika Prabhu taught us in his numerous visits to Toronto is to catch the attention of passerbys on the street with a big smile and big wave and loudly say "Hi". Eventhough I am not an experienced book distributor, I like saying "Hi" to people on the street when I am doing Sankirtan.
Today, while doing Sankirtan at Bay and Bloor, I saw this young man with a yoga mat hanging on his back and he had this look that made me feel like he would be interested in me. I smiled and said a loud "Hi" and to my dismay he ignored me, however, a man who was walking next to him, thinking that I said hi to him, looked at me and smiled back and said "Hi". I thought this was a sign from Krishna and I started to talk to him. The minute I showed him the book, he had a big smile on his face and he said - "Hare Krishna - I love you guys!" and he immediately brought a book.
Question: Would like to know the reason of not using most of the cream of the milk , turning the cream into thick yogurt, then churning that yogurt into butter and heating it till it turns into ghee? Because one can sell or use the milk which still has enough cream on it to [...] [Q&A] Ghee from Milk Cream is a post from: Cow Protection and Krishna Consciousness
In all the news about the potential ban of the Bhagavad Gita in Russia, perhaps this development is not well known. ISKCON Hungary/Krishna Valley is not out of the woods yet since the legislation may be modified to push through similar restrictions. However with ongoing pressure and Krishna's will, not only will this obstacle be eradicated but thousands of people will develop interest in Krishna Consciousness through media coverage in the Budapest Times and many other local and international media outlets. Hungary’s Constitutional Court strikes down law on churches, part of media law, criminal code
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary’s Constitutional Court has struck down the country’s restrictive new church law as well as parts of its disputed media law and the criminal code.
The Constitutional Court findings published Monday were a spirited response to Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government, which, backed by a two-thirds majority in Parliament, has been pushing through legislation at a chaotic pace.The church law, which would have gone into effect Jan. 1, only included 14 Christian churches and Jewish congregations, forcing all others to seek recognition from two-thirds of Hungary’s lawmakers.
The court also rejected aspects of the media law, including rules on content regulation and confidential sources.
In so many places in the Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gita, we read how Krishna and the devotees of Krishna talk about misery of this world. This world they say is a place of miserable condition where happiness is but a mirage. However, when Srila Prabhupada preached like that, many people (east and west alike) disagreed that they were in misery and rather they said they were happy.
So let us try to understand this apparent conundrum little more. Are we or are we not in misery? For that let us try to define what misery means. I would define misery as a condition (mental or physical) a living being is put in that is against the living being’s natural state. So for example if it is too hot then a living being will feel misery because the weather temperature is above the skin’s natural ability to handle. If someone would beat me up more than the body can handle then I would be in misery. These are gross examples. There can also be subtle examples like someone verbally abusing me or someone playing mind games etc etc. So in essence if the natural state is violated then it results in misery.
Therefore when saints from the Vedic culture talk about misery, perhaps we should first understand what our natural state is. Bhagavad Gita clearly explains our natural state. That is - we are eternal spiritual beings who are not subjected to old age, disease or death. This material world, however, is the opposite. We will grow old, diseased and die. This is compared to a fish out of water. No matter how much comfort you provide to the fish, it will die because its natural state is within the water. Similarly, the concept of misery is understood from the perspective that our original identity is spiritual/eternal and that death is but an unnatural albeit miserble condition.
In the interim, between birth and death, we may feel like we are going to live here forever and build our life based on that such as career, family, home etc and feel happy. However, the minute we are faced with our temporary position we will feel miserable. This, unfortunately, is inevitable and those who are wise will seek to find a way to get out of this temporary condition and return back to their original conditon. The Bhagavad Gita recommends that the only way to do that is by taking shelter of the original Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna. Those who have faith in Krishna and also practice the rigor of Krishna consciousness can actually experience the words spoken by Krishna in truth. So all what I have said is not some dogmatic belief system, the philosophy is actually rooted on reality and also tested and proven by people of saintly character for thousands of years. You can also try it. Simply chant Hare Krishna and take shelter of Krishna in earnest.
yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama - One who reaches it (Krishna’s abode) never returns to this material world – BG 15.6
Hare Krishna
So practice means employing both the mind and the senses in practical devotional service. This practice is not for developing something artificial. For example, a child learns or practices to walk. This walking is not unnatural. The walking capacity is there originally in the child, and simply by a little practice he walks very nicely.
Similarly, devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the natural instinct of every living entity. Even uncivilized men like the aborigines offer their respectful obeisances to something wonderful exhibited by nature's law, and they appreciate that behind some wonderful exhibition or action there is something supreme. So this consciousness, though lying dormant in those who are materially contaminated, is found in every living entity. And, when purified, this is called Krsna consciousness.
- Srila Prabhupada, Nectar Of Devotion
Team building workshop for the East London Pandava Sena youth group in Ilford, East London.
Talk on Self Care at ISKCON London, Central London.
Talk on Taking Responsibility And Initiative at ISKCON London, Central London.
Individual coaching sessions with various devotees in London.
This paper analyses some of the causes of conflict in ISKCON, particularly, as the title suggests, in the conservative/liberal realm. Should ISKCON stick to tradition as closely as possible or can we adapt Krsna consciousness to the surrounding culture when appropriate? 
This is something worth meditating on during the holiday season when “things” tend to come into the focus of (too)many. “The temporary forms of matter are symbols of ignorance and frustration for the conditioned souls who covet them.” -From the commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam 11.28.6-7
Hare it is, the iste you gave all been waiting for www.iskcon.com.au – revamped and refreshed and full of news and things of interest. Looking for temple program? Check out the home page to see the times for each Arati. There’s also a big banner with the latest programs. Click on about us for details about the Hare Krishna philosophy and information about the founder Acharya, Srila Prabhupada. Click on services to find our about the online bookstore and the brand new Krishna’s Vegetarian restaurant. Under the Food for Life link you will find out about the history of this great service which started right here in Sydney, Australia. Click on download to get yourself a wonderful kirtan by Sri Prahlada and there is much more to come so check back regularly as the site grows and becomes the central internet hub for the activities and programs of Sri Sri Rada Gopinatha Mandir Click here to see www.iskcon.com.au for yourself
(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) Notes sent by Her Grace Archana Dasi Gurumaharaja spoke on the wedding day of Aditya Narayana and Ratna Radhika Way to enter the Grhastha ashrama. Grhastha means reponsability. In the [...]
By Yamunacarya Das for ISKCON News on 22 Dec 2011  | Popular belief has it that basking in the sun without a sunscreen will put you in a health and cosmetic risk. Our ancient ancestors, whose indulgence with the sunlight was more regular and sacred, never felt this. The truth is that the researchers have started recognizing the importance of sunlight for a healthy lifestyle, and studies reveal that sunlight renders many health benefits.
|
If the selection above is hosted by YouTube then after the video plays there will be several links presented to other videos. ISKCON News Weekly has no control over the selections presented and is not responsible for their contents.
(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) *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* *Date: December 21, 2011* *Keshava Sharma (416) 616-5136 – ks@look.ca* *North American Director of Communications, ISKCON* *Anuttama das – (301) 299-9707 – ad@iskcon.org* *International Director of Communications, [...]
Dear Devotees, We are happy to introduce, the new temple restaurant, Now called “Krishna’s Vegetarian” (KV) We had started with the renovation last week and now it’s almost over. how ever we would like to introduce our new menu and make it available to the devotees at Krishna’s Vegetarian. Please keep in mind that we will be running full fledged from the first week of January, so kindly bear with us and forgive the inconveniences. We kindly request all the devotees to come and enjoy the delicious Prasadam, we are starting with new menu from Tomorrow. 23rd December 2011 Opening time is: 5:00pm to 8:30pm Pricing: Main Dish $12 (large size) $6 (regular size) Individual Dishes $3 Sweets: $3 -$4.50 Home made drinks:$3 Organic Drink $3.50 Chai $3 PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL BE NO LONGER SERVING REFILLS!!! We are having a special Christmas celebration in the temple with Lunch starting at 12:00pm to 2:00pm (please see attached for details) and the following day as well, lunch at 12:00pm t0 2:00pm (please see attached for details) Please come and give us your blessings, and let us serve you. We are open to comments on improvement!!! Thank you, Ys Sudarshan Das PS: Please pass this massage on to as many people as possible. (thank you for your service) Click here to see the announcement at ISKCON Sydney web site
Mukunda Goswami gave class at New Govardhana in Murwillumbah Thursday morning sharing his remembrance of Yamuna Devi Dasi. You can hear his class at the link below. The picture above is the last shot of Yamuna before she left taken in Melbourne Beach, FL on the 14th December.
Even George Harrison sang “Beware of Maya”.
Check out this video on YouTube:
Mucukunda das
With great sadness, ISKCON Mayapur community devotees deeply mourn the departure of HG Devarsi Prabhu. A long time resident of Mayapur, although originally from Spain, Prabhu left his body at 2:30pm in Krishnanagar yesterday (21st Dec) on the auspicious Ekadasi day, following a severe attack of tuberculosis. read more
The Story of the Missing Benches.
Vancouver, British Columbia
It was with a mix of humour and wrestling of mind that the following brief story was born here:
Once upon a time a considerate priest of the temple decided to make his place of. worship and meditation a more people friendly place. Instead of assuming that all pilgrims coming to visit would take a lotus position by sitting on the cold marble floor (and that especially the elderly just couldn’t be so austere), he decided to shop around for some benches. After investing hours and hours of searching he came upon the perfect seats. They were black, smart looking, cushioned and fit just right, between deco pillars against the wall. The Brahmin priest was happy and most important, so were the elderly.
But someone was not happy. It was a mystery at first that the comfy benches would disappear and be placed in a storage area of the temple. It was finally found out that one of the temple monks was disgruntled and saw these benches as ‘looking cluttered’. He took the liberty to remove them, not considering how vital they were for people over 50, or others with physical issues. Attempts at negotiations and reason failed.
The concerned priest decided that this issue be brought to his temple committee of wise persons who decided unanimously that the benches return. The benches were placed back for the convenience of other, and with a notice tagged onto one of the benches reading, “Utility is the principle!” A quote from the founding father of the Hare Krishna movement, Srila Prabhuada.
The committee was curious as to whether the smart benches would make their way back to the storage parking lot, where they would be neglected and be ‘out of service’. Much to their amazement, and especially the Brahmin priests, the benches remained and all those hind quarters that reaped the benefit that those smart benches offered, lived happily ever after.
8 Km
This part of the Shrimad Bhagavatam could be defined: “The allegory of death”. Whatever Markandeya rishi witnesses in the macrocosm, I believe it is not different from all that each of us will witness at the moment of dissolution, of the microcosm of our body because, as it is explained in the Upanishad, macrocosm and microcosm are one the reflection of the other. At the time of death, we will be carried away like a floating leaf into space and, in a second, under the influence of a powerful driving force, we will be projected out of the body. Only through a spiritual realization we will be reminded of our origin, by understanding what is happening and acting in a sensible manner. Markandeya rishi’s tale is the story of a realized soul who through the passage beyond death meets the Lord. In the ocean of universal devastation, the Lord appears to him as a toddler who floats on a leaf and sucks his big toe in tenderness, whilst the light that emanates from his body entirely disperses darkness. Markandeya protects Him in his heart with deep devotion. Today is His Holy Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's anniversary. I remember one of Shrila Prabhupada’s lessons held in this occasion in order to glorify his Master for the great work made to value the Vaishnava image and that one of an authenticBrahmin. During this lesson Shrila Prabhupada narrates the story taken from the Shrimad Bhagavatam. Naradamuni meets the sons of a Brahmin, of a king and of a butcher. Each of them asks him in turn: “Tell me what my future will be like. Is it better for me to live or to die?”. Narada answers to the Brahmin’s son: “Living or dying does not matter to you because you are practising spiritual activities and you will do the same after death”. Narada’s answer to the prince is: “It is better for you to live because you have made so many sins, therefore having ceased the pleasures of this life, you will have to suffer a great deal in your next life”. What is the answer to the butcher’s son? Narada says: “Living or dying is the same for you. You are suffering in this life and likewise you will suffer after death". 
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.23 - Let the mercy flow through you.
(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) Article Sent By His Grace Ramkinkara Dasa Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, Member of Parliament, Mum Beatrice Ngcobo Honours Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita “I feel very honoured today, [...]
A day ago, as I opened the mailbox, there were no marketing junk materials or bills, surprisingly…just this lonely postcard…waiting to be picked up…and that I did. 
The front cover said, “With the holy angels & all the company of heaven, come let us adore Him” I thought of Krishna  The inside cover had a list of events at the church for Christmas Day. And it also had a message : “On the night of Jesus birth, angels appeared to shepherds in a field nearby. An angel said, “Do not be afraid, for see – I bring good news of great joy for all the people“. I liked this idea of dropping greeting cards into postboxes by the local religious centres. Some will throw, some will read, some will follow. But they still did it. Wouldn’t it be nice if our centres also had such materials dropped in the neighbourhood advertising our festivals like Janmasthami or Ratha Yatra events? In fact, each devotee or devotee family can do the same in their neighbourhoods where they live. You never know, who may benefit from the news? As the angel said, “I bring good news of great joy for all the people”. Just a thought….I know it’s still early but Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!
Mahavishnu Swami | Srila Prabhupada Disappearance Harinama, London, 29.10.11
(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) “This is great FREE publicity for Srila Prabhupada’s Gita and ISKCON! Krishna works in amazing ways!” Article By His Holiness Gopal Krsna Goswami Sent By His Grace Suhrid-Krishna Dasa The [...]
The Bhagavad-gita (18.73) expresses the summit of humanity’s faith in divinity when Arjuna declares to Krishna, “I will do your will.” Our faith in God begins with the feeling that there exists a higher being who will help us if we petition him through prayer. This level of faith is characterized by the primary spiritual question: “Is God with me?” At this level, we have faith in God’s power, but not his wisdom. That’s why we use our own wisdom to decide what we should do and ask for God’s power to help us do it. When we develop faith in God’s wisdom, then we first seek his guidance to decide what we should do and then seek his power to be able to do it. If we study the message of the Gita submissively and seriously, as did Arjuna, then the Gita can elevate us from the foothill to the summit of the mountain of faith, as it did to Arjuna, who expressed his mountaintop wisdom in the declaration, “Krishna, I am with you.”
A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course Thursday 22 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: Existence is In Itself Fully Blissful uploaded from Pretoria, South Africa Existence is by itself fully exciting, intriguing, and wonderful. Therefore all you have to do to be unlimitedly happy is to be your natural self. There is no need for anything extraneous. This means that anybody who is miserable is simply out of touch with his actual self. He is living in illusion, in unreality. If being happy is simply a matter of being natural, why is there so much misery in the world? The reason is that the modern day society is perpetuating a mass psychosis of bodily consciousness generation after generation, thus keeping everybody illusioned and miserable. This is why those who are learned and realized in transcendental knowledge fully dedicate their lives for awakening the dormant Krishna consciousness in the hearts of all living beings to save them from their unnecessary illusion and suffering. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Another Ecstatic Home Program Pretoria, South Africa--20 December 2011 http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Fall/Pretoria_Home2.JPG Farewell Kirtan as We Left the Home | http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Fall/Pretoria_Home2a.JPG Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Do Brahmacaris Become Deathless? Is it true that if one becomes an urdhva-retah yogi (one who does not ever pass semen) or a naistika brahmacari (life long celibate) one will have control over death? Some scriptures say the god of death, Yamaraja, cannot harm the one who has achieved mastery over his sex drive. Sanjaya Answer: Brahmacaris Die, But Devotees Live Forever. While it is true that a person who never indulges in sex will live a longer and healthier life, he will still have to eventually die. Therefore the only way to permanently conquer death is to fully surrender to Krishna and thus regain one's original, eternal spiritual body. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Transcendental Resources: Receive the Special Blessings of Krishna Now you too can render the greatest service to the suffering humanity and attract the all-auspicious blessings of Lord Sri Krishna upon yourself and your family by assisting our mission. Lectures and Kirtans in Audio and Video: Link to High Definition Videos Link to Over 1,000 Lecture Audios Lecture-Travel Schedule for 2011 http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule Have Questions or Need Further Guidance? Check out the resources at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com or write Sankarshan Das Adhikari at: sda@backtohome.com Get your copy today of the world's greatest self-realization guide book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is available at:http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/store Know someone who could benefit from this? Forward it to them. Searchable archives of all of course material: http://www.sda-archives.com Receive Thought for the Day as an RSS feed: http://www.backtohome.com/rss.htm Unsubscribe or change your email address Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Daily_Thought Thought for the Day on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Ultimate.Self.Realization Copyright 2005-2011 by Ultimate Self Realization.Com Distribution of this material is encouraged. Simply we request you to acknowledge where it is coming from with a link to our sign up page: http://www.backtohome.com Our records indicate that at requested to be enrolled to receive e-mails from the Ultimate Self Realization Course at: This request was made on: From the following IP address: {contact_address More Recent Articles | |
|
|  |
Print
Facebook
Twitter
Google Bookmarks
StumbleUpon
Yahoo! Buzz
del.icio.us
Digg
Live
MySpace
PDF
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario