Monthly Archives: October 2013

05.05 – See beyond divergent ideas to convergent ideals
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Some people ask: “How can we find harmony among the many different spiritual paths?” By looking beyond divergent ideas to convergent ideals, answers Gita wisdom. The Bhagavad-gita (05.05) states that true seers see the same ultimate destination of the paths of sankhya (analytical contemplation) and yoga (detached action). Sankhya focuses on analyzing the material elements […]

Festival called Sanjhee in Barsana 1/10/2013 (99 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Deena Bandhu Das: Today we went to Barsana on a beautiful cloudy day! This fortnight, called Pitri Paksa, they do colored rice flour paintings on the floor, a different lila depicted each day. Though pics are not allowed, Geet Govind managed to get some of this festival called Sanjhee! Don’t miss this rare darshan in this collection! Read more ›

3 nice videos by Radhavallabha Das, animating 3 songs by Titiksava Karunika Das
→ Dandavats.com

Titiksava Karunika Das AKA T.K. is the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for the Namrock Band. Namrock plays rock music in the style of 60’s and 70’s rock and roll with uplifting lyrics and also employs the use of sacred mantras. Mantras are used to elevate the consciousness of the listener. Sacred sound vibration in a rock candy coated package. Read more ›

Sri Prahlad awarded a PhD at University of Technology, Sydney
→ Dandavats.com

The University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) is a university in the CBD of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was ranked in the 401st-500th bracket and 17th-19th in Australia in the 2013 Academic Ranking of World Universities.[1] The university was founded in its current form in 1981, although its origins trace back to the 1870s. It is part of the Australian Technology Network of universities and has the fifth largest enrolment in Sydney Read more ›

I Love My Mind, Don’t You Love Yours?
→ Devamrita Swami's Facebook notes

Yes, life will be peaceful when we trust our mind, relaxing and basking in it. Loosen the reins—in fact, drop them. After all, it’s our very own mind, near and dear, worshipable and adorable. So my mind tells me.

Material existence, the Bhagavatam teaches, is a drama that happens through the mind. Fabricating superficial stuff known as happiness and distress, the mind drags us into one existential absorption after another, swinging us from body to body. 

As Krishna explains in the Gita, higher than the mind is the intelligence, and higher still is the soul. Bhakti-yoga means to  use the mind to think of Krishna and His service (the same) and to supervise the mind with its immediate superior——deliberative intelligence. Then gradually our real self the soul becomes uncovered, and as we become more advanced, the Supersoul begins to personally educate us.

On our way to Krishna, Sukadeva Goswami gives some crucial advice to bhakti practitioners: 

“After capturing animals, a cunning hunter does not put faith in them, for they might run away. Similarly, those who are advanced in spiritual life do not put faith in the mind. Indeed, they always remain vigilant and watch the mind’s action.

“All the learned scholars have given their opinion. The mind is by nature very restless, and one should not make friends with it. If we place full confidence in the mind, it may cheat us at any moment.” (S. bhag 5.6.2-3)

Let’s protest. 

Isn’t this warning mainly for new devotees, “new believers”? I’ve been around for a while now—time to just “let it be.”

Give me a break, after all these years, I’ve internalized all the spiritual practices, so I don’t have to be regular anymore. I just want to be a good human being, who does mostly as everyone does while believing, of course, in God, Krishna.

Foolish devotee, listen to Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur detail how the mind, like a chameleon, constantly assumes a new condition. One moment it flickers pure, the next, impure. 

A  cunning cheater shows friendship to trusting persons; then robs and kills them. Similarly the mind of the conditioned soul sometimes demonstrates its potential purity, shaking free of lust and anger, submitting to devotional activities. Eventually, one unsuspecting day, after the devotee has slackened and eased, suddenly the material mind storms back, betraying us, as we drown in a tsunami of material pollutants. Down goes the bhakti practioner. 

Cakravartipada further enunciates how when long-term yogis maintain an ongoing faith in the mind, such trust and confidence will eventually reveal itself to have drained away their accumulated potencies, corroding their austerities. In time, the escalating ugly truth pounces, catching them completely off-guard.

Sukadeva Goswami (5.6.4-5) continues his crucial instruction:

“An unchaste woman is very easily carried away by paramours, and it sometimes happens that her husband is violently killed by her paramours. If the yogi gives his mind a chance and does not restrain it, his mind will give facility to enemies like lust, anger and greed, and they will doubtlessly kill the yogi.

“The mind is the root cause of lust, anger, pride, greed, lamentation, illusion and fear. Combined, these constitute bondage to fruitive activity. What learned man would put faith in the mind?”

We shall ignore this essential advice at our own peril.

I Love My Mind, Don’t You Love Yours?
→ Devamrita Swami's Facebook notes

Yes, life will be peaceful when we trust our mind, relaxing and basking in it. Loosen the reins—in fact, drop them. After all, it’s our very own mind, near and dear, worshipable and adorable. So my mind tells me.

Material existence, the Bhagavatam teaches, is a drama that happens through the mind. Fabricating superficial stuff known as happiness and distress, the mind drags us into one existential absorption after another, swinging us from body to body. 

As Krishna explains in the Gita, higher than the mind is the intelligence, and higher still is the soul. Bhakti-yoga means to  use the mind to think of Krishna and His service (the same) and to supervise the mind with its immediate superior——deliberative intelligence. Then gradually our real self the soul becomes uncovered, and as we become more advanced, the Supersoul begins to personally educate us.

On our way to Krishna, Sukadeva Goswami gives some crucial advice to bhakti practitioners: 

“After capturing animals, a cunning hunter does not put faith in them, for they might run away. Similarly, those who are advanced in spiritual life do not put faith in the mind. Indeed, they always remain vigilant and watch the mind’s action.

“All the learned scholars have given their opinion. The mind is by nature very restless, and one should not make friends with it. If we place full confidence in the mind, it may cheat us at any moment.” (S. bhag 5.6.2-3)

Let’s protest. 

Isn’t this warning mainly for new devotees, “new believers”? I’ve been around for a while now—time to just “let it be.”

Give me a break, after all these years, I’ve internalized all the spiritual practices, so I don’t have to be regular anymore. I just want to be a good human being, who does mostly as everyone does while believing, of course, in God, Krishna.

Foolish devotee, listen to Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur detail how the mind, like a chameleon, constantly assumes a new condition. One moment it flickers pure, the next, impure. 

A  cunning cheater shows friendship to trusting persons; then robs and kills them. Similarly the mind of the conditioned soul sometimes demonstrates its potential purity, shaking free of lust and anger, submitting to devotional activities. Eventually, one unsuspecting day, after the devotee has slackened and eased, suddenly the material mind storms back, betraying us, as we drown in a tsunami of material pollutants. Down goes the bhakti practioner. 

Cakravartipada further enunciates how when long-term yogis maintain an ongoing faith in the mind, such trust and confidence will eventually reveal itself to have drained away their accumulated potencies, corroding their austerities. In time, the escalating ugly truth pounces, catching them completely off-guard.

Sukadeva Goswami (5.6.4-5) continues his crucial instruction:

“An unchaste woman is very easily carried away by paramours, and it sometimes happens that her husband is violently killed by her paramours. If the yogi gives his mind a chance and does not restrain it, his mind will give facility to enemies like lust, anger and greed, and they will doubtlessly kill the yogi.

“The mind is the root cause of lust, anger, pride, greed, lamentation, illusion and fear. Combined, these constitute bondage to fruitive activity. What learned man would put faith in the mind?”

We shall ignore this essential advice at our own peril.

Maha Harinam Sankirtan – World Holy Name Week 2013 at Double Six Beach, Seminyak – Kuta, Bali (14 min video)
→ Dandavats.com

Harinama is the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord as shown to us by Srila Prabhupada. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced the sankirtan movement 500 years ago and it is the spiritual process recommended in the Vedas for the age of Kali, the age we now find ourselves in. From the beginning of the Krishna consciousness movement in the West, Srila Prabhupada directed the devotees to chant congregationally in the temple as well as in the parks and streets of the towns and cities. Read more ›

Monday, September 30th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Driving At Night…

Toronto, Ontario

Driving at night is not the best situation.  Your vision is obscured.  It’s a risky way to go, yet sometimes you have no choice.

Our group of 5 took to interstate highways through Pennsylvania and New York states before reaching Ontario.  It was an all-nighter, it was impossible in a van to sleep as a passenger.  Pulling over the highway and having a break was like a glimpse of moksha, or as Buddhists call it, nirvana (a term that came from Hindus).  Basically you’re looking at having some relief from all the sitting.  Oh how I hanker to be on that road again, walking at my leisure.

A final relief came from the subtle agony of being motionless when at arrival time we finally reached or got home, and also much later on when Philippe and I made our way walking up Yonge Street.  Our destination was to Blu God tattoo shop.

During the nocturnal drive I had been thinking about the upcoming weekend in Toronto and how about a big outdoor art expression night called “Nuit Blanche” was to take place.  Two years ago we spontaneously went on Yonge Street for a chanting session.  We pulled large brass deities of Radha Krishna out of the tattoo shop at the courtesy of owner, Jamuna Jivan, and lovingly, respectfully, placed them on a blanket before setting them right on the street.  We then performed a ritual of love called arati with those deities, followed by chanting.  It was a crowd pleaser and a heart teaser.

Why not duplicate the process again?

It’s all a matter of laying out your creativity, being a little innovative and trying to instill in others a kindling of devotion, something that’s deep inside of everyone.

The one thing about walking (and I’ll also give some credit to driving a long distance) is there is some time for brain storms.  It’s a beautiful dream time while on journey, of course you have to watch where you’re going.

Padam padam yad vipadam na tesam is one of my favourite phrases, which means, “Every step (or in the case of a vehicle, every turn of the wheel) you take could spell danger.”

4 KM

KRISHNA: The Bright Black Master of Pleasure
→ The Enquirer

In Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.7.26, Brahmājī introduces the avatāra named “Krishna.” It is an exceedingly deep and wondrous śloka, so I would like to avail myself of the honor and pleasure of discussing it to some extent with those of you who might chance to happen upon this page. bhūmeḥ suretara-varūtha-vimarditāyāḥ kleśa-vyayāya kalayā sita-kṛṣṇa-keśaḥ jātaḥ kariṣyati janānupalakṣya-mārgaḥ karmāṇi cātma-mahimopanibandhanāni To erase […]

TEXAS FAITH 111: Pope Francis criticizes narrow focus on abortion, gay rights and conception
→ Nityananda Chandra Das' Blog, ISKCON Dallas

Dallas Morning News,

Each week we will post a question to a panel of about two dozen clergy, laity and theologians, all of whom are based in Texas or are from Texas. They will chime in with their responses to the question of the week. And you, readers, will be able to respond to their answers through the comment box.

Pope Francis offered some provocative thoughts last week. Speaking about the hot-button issues of abortion, gay rights and conception, he told a Jesuit interviewer: “It is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.”

He went on in the interview to say that his church had grown obsessed with those topics.

I have to admit, the church universal seems way too caught up in debates over abortion, gay marriage and conception. So, I happen to agree with his view.

But what do you think? Are people of faith becoming too occupied with gay rights, abortion and conception?

And what do you make of this statement that also came from the Pope:

“The dogmatic and moral teachings of the church are not all equivalent.”

Applying that line to your own religious tradition, how are believers supposed to know which teachings are more important than others?

In my tradition, the Presbyterian Church USA, we have creeds, but we don’t necessarily have a Presbyterian’s guide to the top 10 beliefs, or some such list of priorities.

This could get arbitrary, couldn’t it?

NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas 

All teachings start with a foundation. Without a clear foundation it is impossible to get a translucent picture as to how should one operate in this material world. Otherwise one may have various principles, many of which that have value, but such value will difficult to impart without a clear, logical, and philosophical premise.

The basic idea in the Bhagavad Gita is that the soul is different from the body. That is something that everyone witnesses, whether they know it or not. That body changes but the witness within that body remains the same.

So with this understanding one can evaluate various issues. One can see how the particular issue relates to the soul and that soul’s relationship with God.

If the soul is different from the body and if the soul can be understood to be present by the symptoms of life, then it is easy to understand that there is a soul in body of every human, every fetus, and every animal. To say that there is a soul in the fetus but Fido the dog does not have a soul is illogical.

People of this world will not continue to be satisfied with rules and regulations based illogical and foundationless principles. That is why so many have rejected religion altogether. Therefore anyone who is interested in the All Intelligent Supreme Person, Krishna or God, must seek a logical foundation upon which the proper rules and regulations can rest

To see all responses of the TEXAS Faith panel click here.

Citra Kavitvani – Amazing Sanskrit poetry from Rupa Goswami’s Stava Mala–Video
→ Nityananda Chandra Das' Blog, ISKCON Dallas

Only a powerful genius could compose such an amazing work.  Verses composed of only 2 or even 1 consonant and verses that create almost impossible pictures. 

Expounded upon by Baladeva Vidyabhusana in his last commentary.  This great video has been put together by the Matsya Avatara Prabhu and his students from ISKCON’s Govardhan Sanskrit school, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata Vidyāpīṭham.
Here are some related links
Books by Rupa Goswami – http://j.mp/17oRChW
HH Sivarama Swami – http://www.sivaramaswami.com/en/2008/12/07/citra-kavitvani/
Powerpoint – http://j.mp/15HwkxA

One Can Be Freed
→ Japa Group

“….one can be freed from all sinful reactions simply by remembering His holy name. The Lord is therefore as good as the holy places of pilgrimage. One can be free from all sinful reactions after reaching a place of pilgrimage, but one can have the same benefit at home or at any place simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord.”

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.7.15 purport

No ordinary gifts
→ KKS Blog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 8 September 2013, Johannesburg, South Africa, Home Program) There are favourable principles described: dadāti pratigŗhnāti guhyam ākhyāti pŗcchati bhuńkte bhojayate caiva ṣaḍ-vidhaḿ prīti-lakṣaname, (Nectar of Instruction, Verse 4)    It is said that first one must give, one must generously give. Yes, devotees, they are giving. It is about giving gifts but […]

Adjustment according to place, time and object is essential to make outreach effective
→ The Spiritual Scientist

“Desa-kala-patra (the place, the time and the object) should be taken into consideration ..Therefore it is a principle that a preacher must strictly follow the rules and regulations laid down in the sastras yet at the same time devise a means by which the preaching work to reclaim the fallen may go on with full force.” […]

05.22 – The body is a visa to pleasure, not a passport
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Many people imagine that the body is the gateway to pleasure, as is often depicted in novels and movies. Pleasure is not our native country, not our normal condition. Miseries from the body-mind complex, the social circle and the environment attack us repeatedly, if not constantly. Just as residents of a troubled country look for […]

Without a temple the devotees in Moscow, Russia, transform a whole central park in a temple by Harinama (111 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

The sixteen names of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare destroy all the inauspiciousness of the age of Kali. This is the conclusion of all the Vedas. (Kali-santarana Upanisad from Krishna Yajur Veda) Read more ›