The determination to survive and enjoy a long life is an inate quality of every living being, whether man, beast, bird, fish or plant. My climbing purple beans grow inches every day. Firmly rooted in the rich, moist ground, they now reach towards the sky, ever-tightly wrapping themselves around their bamboo rods, assuring themselves not only of their own survival, but of the survival of generations to come. 
The small brown beans I planted a few weeks ago were the seeds from the dried fruits of a previous generation of purple beans (not unlike the ones pictured below) and when the fruits of this crop are long gone, the seeds I keep for next spring will be another generation yet to come. Thus the world goes on - birth, growth, reproduction, dwindling, and death. 
The same ingenuity to survive can be seen in my backyard where I have planted a famous Australian & New Zealand legend, the choko. I bought a choko in the supermarket, placed it in a dark corner of a kitchen cupboard, and forgot about it until it sprouted. I then placed it, sprout facing sideways, 5 inches under the soil, and waited. 
In case you're still confused, this is a choko (above - in Orstraylia we say it like it rhymes with coco) and it's an edible plant belonging to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, along with melons, cucumbers and squash. Choko is originally native to Mexico where it is known as chayote, but has been introduced as a crop worldwide. It is known in a mind-boggling number of countries by many names. The chayote (Sechium edule) is also known as vegetable pear, mirliton, pear squash, christophine in France, chouchoutein Vanuatu, starprecianté, citrayota, citrayote in Ecuador and Colombia, xuxu in Brazil, chow chow in India, cho cho in Jamaica, sayote in the Philippines, güisquil in Guatemala & El Salvador, and iskus in Nepal.When cooked, choko is usually handled like summer squash, it is generally lightly cooked to retain the crisp flavor. Raw chayote may be added to salads or salsas, and it is often marinated with lemon or lime juice. Whether raw or cooked, chayote is a good source of amino acids and vitamin C. The secret is to pick the fruits when they are tiny and sweet, not big and hard like they appear in the supermarket. 
My choko vine (only planted 3 weeks ago!!!) will soon completely take over the back fence. It is practically indestructible, and by end of summer, or autumn, I'll be pleading with neighbours to help me out by taking a bucket or two of the fruits. So I wish these souls well, entrapped in plant bodies, as they grow to maturity. I sing for them in my daily gardening potterings, and I will chant the great mahamantra at the time of plucking and cooking their humble offerings. Their natural gifts, their fruits, will be used well, and they will live on, not only in the form of their future descendants, but more exactly in their next incarnation in the cycle of samsara.
Vaishnava texts state that just as a sleeping person is awakened by the calling of his/her name, similarly that chanting of the Holy Names of God can awaken us from our dream of material life. There are many names of God. Secondary names of God describe the Lord’s majesty, compassion, omniscience and mercifulness. Whereas primary names describe the Lord in His full personal aspect. Chanting the names of God is a practice that exists in all religions. Mohammed, for example, exhorted his followers to, ‘Glorify the name of your Lord, the most high’ (Koran 87.2); Saint Paul wrote, ‘Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved’ (Romans 10.15); Buddha stated, ‘All who sincerely call upon my name will come to me after death, and I will take them to paradise’ (Vows of Amida Buddha 18); King David preached, ‘From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised (Psalms 113.3); and the Vaishnava scriptures say, ‘Chant the Holy Name, chant the Holy Name, chant the Holy Name of the Lord. In this age of quarrel there is no other way, no other way, no other way to attain self-realization (Brihan-naradiya Purana 3.8.126). There are many wonderful descriptions of the value of chanting in the Vaishnava literary tradition. Chanting is a meditation, a religious practice and a way of life. Chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna/ Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama/ Rama Rama Hare Hare, is the process of awakening our spiritual identity. We are not these bodies which are made of matter. We are the life or soul (atma) within the material body. Our spiritual identity is eternal and it is realized through pure chanting of the Holy Names of God. This chanting can be performed as a meditation on prayer beads or japa mala. Japa beads are something like the Christian rosary or Muslim zikr. The maha-mantra can also be sung. Such congregational chanting (where one person leads the chanting and others follow in unison) is called kirtan. Kirtan is usually accompanied by traditional drums calledmridangas, cymbals called karatalas and various other instruments. Kirtan is spiritually enlivening. The Vedic literatures recommend the chanting of Hare Krishna in this modern age. The chanting purifies the heart or consciousness and evokes spiritual realization. The word ‘Hare’ refers to Lord Hari – a name of Krishna that indicates His ability to remove obstacles from His devotees’ path. ‘Hari’ means ‘He who takes away all inauspiciousness.’ ‘Hare’, in a higher sense, is a vocative (ie. that which calls out) form of ‘Hara’. Mother Hara or Srimati Radharani embodies the Divine Feminine energy. ‘Krishna’ means ‘all-attractive’ and refers to the original form of God. Krish means the attractive feature of the Lord’s existence and na means spiritual pleasure. The combination of these ‘krish’ and ‘na’, krishna, means, ‘the absolute person who gives spiritual pleasure through His all-attractive qualities’. In the ancient Sanskrit (the language of Ancient India) language, na refers to the Lord’s ability to check samsara, or the cycle of repeated birth and death; and krish means sattartha, or ‘existential totality’ ie. ‘the Lord who embodies all of existence and who can help the living entities overcome the repeated suffering of birth and death’. Rama is a reference to Krishna’s older brother, Balarama and Lord Ramachandra (an incarnation of the Lord). ‘Rama’, however, refers to Radha-Ramana which is a name of Krishna meaning, ‘the one who brings pleasure to Radharani’. This mantra contains confidential names of the Lord that embody the essence of the Divine. It is a prayer, spoken from the core of the heart, that means, ‘O Lord, O Divine energy of the Lord! Please engage me in Your service!’ (from Steven Rosen’s The Hidden Glory of India)
Filed under: Mantra Meditation, Realizations, Spiritual Life, Uncategorized Tagged: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,chanting, chanting hare krishna, chanting hare krishna on japa mala, chanting japa, chanting on beads, hare krishna maha mantra, japa mala, japa meditation        
 Farmers and food reform activists to discuss abuse of corporate power and how it impacts our food supply.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh, Belgium, 2011) Lecture –Initiation, Part 1
 Although we desired happiness in the material world, but somehow or other the activities that we were performing were not really successful. Sometimes for a while it seems successful but then it didn’t work out. As pointed out by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura that: “One is baffled in material life.” Baffled means defeated…we are defeated. Bhagavatam says: “parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto
yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam”, (S.B. 5.5.5). When a person is not dedicating his life to the absolute truth (not only into enquiring about the absolute truth, but also not living according to the absolute truth)then that person is entangling himself in the network of more and more complications, which are endless. And these complications are ultimately leading to unhappiness. Sometimes, the unhappiness may not be acute. Not acute in the sense that the suffering is so much prevalent. Especially in the western world where we are living in, where there is a lot of comfort. Sometimes people say: “But I have never really experienced so much suffering. My life has been quite pleasant”. Yes, it may have been, but there is another type of suffering…..the suffering of not being fulfilled. Maybe when we live in comfort in our western world and after so many years, there has been peace in society, with so many years economically we have been doing well….we have all lived in great opulence in the western world. But we have only experienced emptiness of all that opulent lifestyle. The emptiness – the lack of happiness in that. So therefore, it is a fact that without Krishna Consciousness one cannot be happy! 
BY SANTI VARDHANA CAITANYA DASA  KUALA LUMPUR - A couple of initiation ceremonies was done by HH Jayapataka Swami in Kuala Lumpur during his recent visit here. The name of devotees initiated on 27/11/2011 are as follows:
- Sasikala Paramananthan - Seremban: SUNDARI RADHARANI DEVI DASI: Beautiful Radharani.
- Suryanarayanan Endgadasamy - Teluk Intan: SURYA MADHAVA DAS: Lord Madhava who is brilliant like the sun.
- Nirmala Kupan - SJMKL: DAYAVATI MADHAVI DEVI DASI: Radharani who is personality of mercy.
- Abhirami Subramaniam - SJMKL: ACYUTA PRITYA TULASI DEVI DASI: Tulasi Maharani, who is very dear to Lord Krsna (Acyuta).
- Saraswathy Nadarajan - BM: SRI PRADA RADHIKA DD: Radharani, giver of opulence (Sri Prada is also a name of Srimati Radharani).
- Kumaradevan Mahadevan - Nibong Tebal: KRISHNA BALADEVA DAS: Servant of Krsna Balarama.
- Ratnavathi Muniandy - Nibong Tebal: RATNAVALI VRAJAGOPI DEVI DASI: Servant of Ratnavali (Ratnavali, one of gopis of Vrndavana).
- Mogana Devi Kamalanathan - Nibong Tebal: MURTIMATI MADHAVI DEVI DASI: Personification of Radharani.
- Abhirami Ayampillai - SJMKL: AKASRSINI KAMAL DEVI DASI: Attractive Radharani (Kamala, a name of Radharani).
- Shamani Perumal - SJMKL: SAMARPITA TUNGAVIDYA DEVI DASI: Surrendered Tungavidya (Tungavidya, one of main Gopis).
- Sarojini Vethasalam - SJMKL: SAROJAMUKHI KAUSALYA DEVI DASI: Kausalya who face is like lotus(Kausalya, Mother of Lord Sri Rama).
- Meenatchi Kunji Kudian - Skudai: MAHALAKSHMI MALINI DEVI DASI: Radharani, the original Laksmi.
- Antonysamy Haridas - Ipoh: ANANTASESA BALARAMA DAS: Servant of Balarama.
- Punithan Jaganathan - Ipoh: PATITA TARANA JAGANNATHA DAS: Lord Jaganatha, deliverer of the fallen.
- Mirnal Mandal - SJMKL: MADHAVA GOKULESA DAS: Madhava, Lord of Gokula.
- Ajit dasa - Klang: AJITATMA GOVINDA DAS: Unconquerable Lord Govinda.
 And the following are the names of the devotees initiated on 1/12/2011.
- Pandian - Singapore: PANDAVA BANDHU KRSNA DAS: Servant of Krishna who is friend of Pandava
- Anitha Pandian - Singapore ANANDINI MADHAVI DEVI DASI: Madhavi means Radharani, servant of Radharani who gives happiness
- Acinta Kumar Dutta - Singapore ACYUTA KRPAMAYA DAS: Servant of Lord Krishna (Acyuta) who is merciful
- Sita Devi Kalidasa Caran das - Klang: SRI RUPINI RADHA DEVI DASI: Servant of Radharani, personification of Beauty
- Janmaalila Yun Ming Zhang - China: YAMUNA RADHA DEVI DASI: Servant of Radharani. Yamuna is one of thousand names of Radharani
- Ganesh Satya Rupa Govinda dasa - SJMKL Brahmacari: GOPESA GOVINDA DASA: Servant of Lord Govinda, who is Lord of the Gopas
The Case of the Bull
Toronto, Ontario
It has been a mild November. Leaves are still the dominant reality, and not snow, as they are strewn by Mother Nature on her own surface. Six men, I say 6, were blowing leaves off a front yard, with their very un-macho noise making machinery. That struck a nostalgic nerve of a yesteryear to a leaf raking back flash.
On Mount Pleasant Avenue the traffic speed lulled to make way for paramedics in a rush. The sirens gave alert. On into Moore Park Ravine, my daily pilgrim path, and I spotted yet another hornet's nest to add to the count of five days before. Hey, I'm counting 'days' too.
One woman in the ravine held one dozen dogs on leashes. I said to the dog sitter, "That's a little bit over-kill, isn't it?" She broke into a smile and agreed. Another dog owner expressed that his pet loves it down there, "And so do I," about himself.
At Evergreen Brickworks a beaver enjoyed his simultaneous bath and swim. My near presence to him didn't phase him at all.
Back up to street level and I pass by a newsstand where I caught a glimpse of a headline. Apparently the Ontario Government will pass legislation on anti-bullying, especially targeted for the school premises. Anyone caught being aggressive could face expulsion. "That's progressive implementation," I thought.
I also thought of the bad rap bulls get when we use the phrase 'bullying'. I was raised on a farm. Bulls are nice creatures. And for almost 40 years I'm linked up to a culture that adores cows and their counter parts. In the secular society we call somone whose physically mean a 'bully'. A graphic expression of anger is explained as 'a bull in a China shop'. In Spain the national sport is to kill a bull and everyone rejoices. And when we express disdain, we say, 'B.S.'.
Poor things! They deserve a better reputation.
Our temple ashram is on the verge of acquiring milk from ahimsa cows, meaning cows that won't be slaughtered. Unfortunately the bulls are 'sent away' if you know what I mean. If reason has a place you can say, 'without the bull there will be no milk, him being the breeder.' and that's 'no bull'. Oops, I caught myself. See how conditioned we are. I believe we should start a Bull Pride campaign.
In India the bull represents dharma. He's labelled as the Father of Duty. I believe India's got it right. His reputation needs boosting. He deserves some R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Sing it out, Aretha Franklin! Let's stand up for the old boys!
9 Km
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh, Belgium, 2011) Lecture – C.c Adi 7.20-21 
How hard must we try to develop our desires for Krishna? We must try with all our heart. We must try with every cell in our body! We must try with every thought that comes into our mind………we must try completely……completely…..nothing else! That’s what we should do. But of course, we don’t do that, and when it comes to the next part, and that is the part when we realise that: “I know what I should be doing, and I’m falling short….I’m very much falling short”. That is when we start to pray for mercy, and that is why I always stress about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, because I’m so much aware of how much I’m falling short. Of course, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was deeply absorbed in the meditation of Radha and Krishna. So I am also thinking about the amazing nature of Vrindavan. I consider Vrindavan as my home, but in that home I am just a poor miserly beggar! That’s the problem. I see the residents of Vrindavan passing by and sometimes a few drops of mercy come my way, but then I can’t really keep up with them at all……and then I know that it’s time for mercy, and so I pray to Lord Nityananda and Lord Caitanya for mercy…..and I pray to all the followers of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, to Srila Prabhupada, to all of you….and then I hope. I wrote something about this, which says: “As a beggar, basically I want Krishna Prema. Oh yes! I really want it but I don’t want to pay the price for it! Oh no, I don’t, and I offer Krishna only broken names, that’s all. Please give me Krishna Prema! Please……please!” Meanwhile, I’m offering broken names. That is my condition. So you must try to give everything. Not a little bit, but everything…..everything for Krishna! 
"Even if one carefully hides it, musk's sweet scent at once reveals where it is. In the same way, even though they were carefully hidden, Radha's beauty and virtues became known everywhere..."
(Vidagdha Madhava 13.c) The darsana of Sri Radha reveals but a drop of the unfathomable ocean of Her beauty and virtues.
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.2 - The transcendental pastime between Narada Muni and Vyasadeva helps us to appreciate the significance of Srimad Bhagavatam for finding the true satisfaction of the soul.
Hare Krsna everyone, I hope your week of chanting has been fantastic and you have been able to chant with your heart.
Talking about heart chanting...why is it so difficult to chant with the heart? Why it is easier to be in a kirtan and put all your energy in it and it is not easy sometimes to have a good and concentrated japa?
There maybe many reasons why, but the main thing is that we need to have faith in the chanting of the holy names and that our efforts to be good chanters are never in vain and the Lord will be always looking after us and filling our hearts with eternal bliss. Everything starts with a good practice, even if we don`t feel anything in the beginning we need to sit in a straight position, close our eyes and hear the mantra while chanting. Following the steps of the acaryas we will feel ecstatic.
Wishing you a great weekend of service.
your servant,
Aruna devi
By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on 2 Dec 2011  | A new course offered by Bhaktivedanta College at the ISKCON community in Radhadesh, Belgium, promises to open up a host of career opportunities for ISKCON devotees.
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SB 10.12.34 Human Life, Don’t Strike Out 2011-12-02 Lecture – Srimad Bhagavatam 10.12.34 Human Life, Don’t Strike Out 12-2-2011 Dallas SB 10.12.34 Human Life, Don't Strike Out 2011-12-02 Lecture - Srimad Bhagavatam 10.12.34 Human Life, Don't Strike Out 12-2-2011 Dallas
By Celeste M. Smucker for Natural News on 2 Dec 2011  | Once diabetes was largely considered a disease of adults, but today so many children receive this diagnosis it is no longer referred to as adult onset. Fortunately, given the pervasiveness and expense of diabetes, there are cost effective holistic remedies, which could make an important contribution towards its reversal, thus avoiding a great deal of pain and suffering and saving a lot of money.
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By Yamunacarya Das for ISKCON News on 2 Dec 2011  | Ancient folklore had it that flax seeds were blessed, and they could bring good fortune; restore overall health and ward of evil forces. Nevertheless at recent times it is no more different than before. Research has shown flax seeds as an emerging health supplement for large scale diseases and promoter of overall wellbeing.
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By Dhwani Pathak Dave for www.ahmedabadmirror.com on 2 Dec 2011  | He is an American who has spent 38 of his 54 years of life in Gujarat. Basu Ghosh Das, president of the ISKCON temple in Vadodara, is currently in Ahmedabad to participate in the All India Sanskrit Elocution Competition.
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By Tattvavit Dasa for ISKCON News on 2 Dec 2011  | Recently, Krishna-premarupa Dasa, a young monk heading the Zurich temple, was a weekend guest at the World Monastery in Radolfzell, Germany for the third time, to take part in an evening dialogue, before an audience of thirty-five religionists, with , the President of the International Sufi Movement in The Hague.
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By Carl Levesque, AWEA WASHINGTON, D.C. — Announcing their commitment at a New York City event to become certified under the new WindMade™ consumer label, several major companies—including some of the world’s most familiar commercial names—have procured or pledged to procure at least 25 percent of their electricity consumption from wind energy. The companies, which include Motorola Mobility, Deutsche Bank, and Bloomberg, are pioneering the use of the world’s first wind power consumer label. The New York City event was hosted by WindMade and the UN Global Compact. “These companies are at the forefront of the global sustainability movement,” said Henrik Kuffner, WindMade’s CEO. “We are delighted to have them on board the unique WindMade initiative, and are confident that many others will follow suit in the coming weeks and months.” The objective behind WindMade™ is to drive demand in wind power, thereby boosting investment and growing the renewable energy market. “Consumers are ready to act,” said Morten Albæk, senior vice president of global marketing and customer insight at Vestas Wind Systems, the company spearheading the WindMade initiative. “Sixty-seven percent of 31,000 consumers globally have told us they would favor WindMade products, even at a premium. WindMade empowers people to choose brands that choose wind.” According to the WindMade requirements, companies using the label must source a minimum of 25 percent of the electricity consumed from wind power. The wind energy share can be procured through a company-owned wind power generation facility, a long-term power purchase agreement for wind power, or the purchase of high-quality renewable energy certificates approved by WindMade. The exact percentage of the wind energy share will be stated on the label. Companies can choose to certify global, regional or facility level operations, a distinction that will be clearly communicated on the label itself. “We believe clean growth is good economics,” said Sabine Miltner, Group Sustainability Officer for Deutsche Bank. “We are committed to leveraging our core business expertise towards a cleaner and more energy efficient global economy. We believe in leading by example and have increased our use of clean electricity from 7 percent to 65 percent over the last four years. WindMade is an important step toward more market transparency and we are pleased to join this new partnership.” “It is Motorola Mobility’s intent through our participation in the WindMade initiative to encourage greater use of renewable energy sources like wind and solar around the globe,” said Bill Olson, director office of sustainability and stewardship at Motorola Mobility. WindMade is the world’s first global consumer label for companies and products using wind power. The label is managed by the WindMade non-profit organization, dedicated to accelerating the adoption of renewable energy by improving companies’ ability to communicate their wind energy investments to their stakeholders. WindMade is backed by the UN Global Compact, Vestas Wind Systems, WWF, Global Wind Energy Council, Bloomberg (as the official data provider), and the LEGO Group. “The supply side of the clean energy sector can clearly deliver, but now it is time to galvanize demand,” said Curtis Ravenel, head of sustainability at Bloomberg. “Government has done their part, and it is now up to the corporate community to demonstrate leadership by committing to clean energy development. WindMade provides us with a roadmap for achieving this.” “Corporations investing in wind energy technology need a global set of standards if they are to provide the transparency that’s critical to their stakeholders as well as gain the competitive advantage that such investments can mean for their businesses,” said Kathy Nieland, U.S. sustainable business solutions leader, PwC. “Using wind power helps BD become a more sustainable organization, and the WindMade label sends a message to our customers and the industry that supporting clean sources of electricity is a sound business decision and an important choice in reducing a corporation’s environmental footprint,” said Glenn Barbi, vice president, Global Sustainability, BD. The WindMade corporate pioneers and founders are: Motorola Mobility (mobile device and set-top manufacturer)
Deutsche Bank (financial services provider)
BD (Becton, Dickinson and Co.)(medical technology)
Method (maker of home and personal care products)
Better Place (electric car infrastructure)
Widex (hearing aid manufacturer)
| G24 Innovation (solar energy)
Engraw (textile producer)
RenewAire (energy recovery ventilator
TTTech (supplier of communication andcontrol platforms)
Vestas Wind Systems (wind turbine manufacturer)
PwC DK (professional services)
Bloomberg (financial news and data service)
LEGO Group (toy manufacturer)
Droga5 (independent advertising agency) |
A separate label for products is in development and will be released next year. For more information on the founders and pioneers, go to www.windmade.org.
Filed under: News, Ramblings or Whatever        
Dear Brijabasis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Srila Prabhupada’s Marathon is starting all over the world around December 1st. New Vrindaban would like to contribute in this wonderful service to Srila Prabhupada. We will go on Saturday December 10th and December 17th to Pittsburgh and distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books. We plan to leave after Deity greeting for the full day. Please join us. Please email your interest and I will keep you updated. Hare Krishna. Your servant,
Jaya Krsna das
By Alexander Bratersky for The Moscow Times on 2 Dec 2011  | “Bhagavad Gita as It Is” can hardly be called Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf.” Still — if prosecutors in Tomsk have their way — the two may soon end up together on the Justice Ministry’s list of banned extremist literature. Why the Hindu text central to the Hare Krishna faith has suddenly been targeted is unclear, but some suspect the Russian Orthodox Church behind.
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In India in many places, Lord Siva is worshipped on equal platform with Lord Vishnu or Narayana. Technically, assuming both Lord Siva and Vishnu as same is an impersonal understanding of the Vedas. If Siva and Vishnu exist simultaneously and differently, then surely there has to be a personal reason for it...otherwise what is the need for two different manifestations. However, to be politically correct or spiritually lazy to understand deeper or due to sentiment, the general populace and even learned scholars equate Siva with Vishnu on the same platform.
Actually, they are same but at the same time not same. The actual truth is that Vishnu is Siva in the material sense. Vishnu who is completely spiritual and pure when in contact with material nature appears as Lord Siva. Therefore it is Lord Vishnu who transforms into Siva for the sake of creation and not vice versa.
This is clearly explained in the Srimad Bhagavata purana and Brahma Samhita. Please see below.
Actually Lord Viṣṇu maintains and accomplishes all good fortune. If one has to take shelter of Lord Viṣṇu, why should the demigods take shelter of Lord Śiva? They did so because Lord Viṣṇu acts through Lord Śiva in the creation of the material world. Lord Śiva acts on behalf of Lord Viṣṇu. When the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (14.4) that He is the father of all living entities (ahaḿ bīja-pradaḥ pitā), this refers to actions performed by Lord Viṣṇu through Lord Śiva. Lord Viṣṇu is always unattached to material activities, and when material activities are to be performed, Lord Viṣṇu performs them through Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva is therefore worshiped on the level of Lord Viṣṇu. When Lord Viṣṇu is untouched by the external energy He is Lord Viṣṇu, but when He is in touch with the external energy, He appears in His feature as Lord Śiva.
SB 8.7.22
Just as milk is transformed into curd by the action of acids, but yet the effect curd is neither same as, nor different from, its cause, viz., milk, so I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whom the state of Śambhu is a transformation for the performance of the work of destruction.
Sri Brahma-Samhita 5.45
As a note, there may be other puranas and upa-vedas that may extol Lord Siva as the Supreme Lord, father, paramatma and controller of all that be...that is again in the context of within this material creation and not beyond. But the above purports from Bhagavatam and BrahmaSamhita talk about a transformation from spiritual to material and not solely within material activities. Because Lord Siva is seen in the context of within material activities, He is considered as a powerful Demigod (Maha Eashwar or Maheshwar or Great Demigod). However, the goal of human life is to break the cycle of birth and death and go back to the spiritual world and for that to happen, the only way is to surrender to Narayana (not Siva) for He is beyond material activities and is fully spiritual. Therefore Narayana is addressed by great saints as the Supreme Absolute Truth (svayam Bhagavan) or Narayana paro avyaktat (Narayana transcendental to material manifestation)
Hare Krishna
Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction message and I will be happy to make you a member:
rasa108 (at) gmail.com
ys
Rasa Rasika dasa
By David Circk for ISKCON News on 2 Dec 2011  | With the participation of ISKCON devotees and local musicians, two concerts were held in Liverpool on the 29th November to mark ten years since the passing of George Harrison.
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Can be counteracted by following universal religious principles that are supported by the chanting of the holy names.
Continuing plans on developing and growing in service, some goals I’ve achieved and some are a work in continuing progress. But the school spring term looks like it’s going to be a busy one. Balancing out work and devotional life remains a challenge, bills increase and the pay doesn’t stretch as much so increasing hours worked makes sense, right? Wrong. Making sure that time is there for service should be at the forefront of our mind, not distracted by the commercial me first desires of life, but expounding the simple living higher thinking motto. So making sure that on Tuesdays and Thursdays there is a minimal work load to facilitate school preaching; with the hope one day that here in Wales it will be as successful as that found at Bhaktivadanta Manor. It is also nice to revisit some of the schools from last year, amazingly most are within the Primary School sector. This also along with my continued monthly visit to the Manor, with the aim to continue to work towards second initiation but it’s nice to face a spring term were there is a preaching marathon to be entered into. I am however also very aware that this increase has more to do with tremendous mercy being shown than any unique skill of my own; and remain humbled that in some way love of Krishna is being shared in this unique way.
People whose emotional faculty is predominant tend to be hotheaded.
People whose rational faculty is predominant tend to be coldhearted.
Integrating both these faculties in a healthy balance is one of the greatest challenges for leading a productive and fulfilling life.
The Bhagavad-gita (8.7) guides us toward achieving this balance when it urges us to offer both our mind (our emotional faculty) and our intelligence (our rational faculty) to Krishna in devotion. When we make Krishna the center and goal of our lives, then he reciprocates with our devotional intent by channelizing and harmonizing our emotional and rational faculties for his service. Bhakti integrates both these faculties so as to empower us to become coolheaded without being cold and warmhearted without being weak.
111002 Holy India – South Bangalore – His Holiness Jayapataka Swami
His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami, Preaching Vaisnava Philosophy Worldwide – Bhajan Music/Picture show Created By His Grace Subal Sakha Dasa In Bangladesh. To view on YouTube : click here To view on TripWow : click here ————– This morning total views are 377!, yesterday morning 254!! 123 VIEWS IN ONE DAY!! This is our TOP-POP [...]
A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course Friday 2 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: There is No Need for Ridiculous Misery uploaded from Bhaktivedanta Ashram--Austin, Texas USA It is very painful to see anybody in a miserable condition of existence. Such misery, which has completely enveloped the entire population of the universe, is totally ridiculous because nobody needs to suffer at all. Simply they must awaken their constitutional consciousness as eternal servitor spiritual beings qualitatively one with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, the source of all existence. This can easily be accomplished if they will humbly approach the bona fide spiritual master and take guidance from him on how they can become spiritually perfect. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Krishna Will Deliver You from Superfluous Misery http://www.backtohome.com/images/Krishna/Krishna_wth_Flute.JPG Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: How to Be Guided From Within? Please kindly accept my humble obeisances. Since the mind and also the intelligence are material and are thus under the clutches of maya, what is it that tells one from inside to perform devotional service despite all the material imperfections? Sujata Answer: Supersoul from Within, Guru from Without The devotee is guided from within by the Supersoul to take up the path of Krishna consciousness. That same Supersoul appears externally in the form of the spiritual master to rescue the disciple from his material consciousness and restore him to his original pure identity, which is eternal, full of bliss, and full of knowledge. 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
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