Author Archives: Ananda Vrindavan Dasi

Those of us who live on the east coast of the US are nearing the end of the cicada season. They are curious creatures who teach us a few helpful things for our spiritual practice

<p>H<span>ow to become resilient and, despite the ups and downs, not give up on our spiritual journey, our search for the self?</span></p>

The current Covid-19 has brought collective pain, fear, and unexpected difficulties. We have to ask – what is out of balance?

“Who is going to come looking for you when you get into a tough spot? Who has permission to ask you questions about your moral boundaries? Who in your life has permission to tell you that it’s time to take a break before you crash?”

How interesting that community building starts with our own internal work. How we show up, how we set our minds, how we hold radical responsibility, and how we value those around us.

Sometimes, for convenience,  we choose not to see what we don’t want to see.

“Why do I have to die? Why do I have to suffer? / But wait it will not. That minute is gone now and  / then another and another takes its place.” 

It happens and will continue to happen – someone says something to us, or about us, and we feel the emotions rise. We get ‘bent out of shape’, can’t stop the replay in our mind, and practice all kinds of imaginary ways to re…

This morning I watched the sunrise and marveled. What a blessing to see it and experience awe. It should be a daily tonic – to stand and soak it in, this moment of majestic movement. One could call it living yoga, feeling deeply connected to …

A poem by Ananda Vrindavan Dasi. 

The ancient teachings of the Vedas say there are 5 things humans can do everyday to be happy. We would say that these are directly connected to an effective spiritual practice.

At a recent meditation retreat, I learned two very helpful concepts – “it’s about connection, not concentration” and “be a receiver, not an achiever”. 

There are times in our lives when the cloudburst lets loose and we are thrown into intense situations. Emotions are fierce and there is no visibility, no answer, and no clear direction. 

Love is a small word with a big promise. In a spiritual practice like Krishna Bhakti, the intent is to awaken love – our original pure love between us and our source of life, Krishna, as well as our natural love for everything connected to Hi…

Spiritual life is an invitation to opposites. It’s the acceptance of both matter and spirit, it’s the notion that less is more, it’s the experience of being in control and not.

Unless we are on a total media fast, we have likely heard of the notion of tidying our home with the KonMari method of asking the question of our belongings – ‘does this spark joy for me?’. If not, we thank it for being in our lif…

Our time with japa is super important. A serious student of bhakti, the practice of self-realization in relationship with Krishna, will take a vow to chant a set number of rounds every day.

Balance is a key component of the bhakti practice  – the art of remembering Krishna and our relationship with him. When our life goes to the extremes – it can overwhelm us and move us away from that remembrance.

It is only by intentional practices that we can begin to access spiritual tastes and emotions that are less obvious and more refined. 

It is an odd development of the modern world that being excessively anxious about our children is considered a virtue. We consider ourselves good parents if we make life easy for them, reward them for the smallest achievement, and are anxious…

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, March 2008, Durban, South Africa) So humility is the key element in our spiritual life. Humility means that we are ready to put our own ideas aside, and that is an essential element in humility. It is not that necessarily one is always walking with the head a little bowed down, looking […]

The article ” Accept guidance from others, that is true humility. ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 05 September 2016, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Initiation Lecture) When we speak about the third offence to the holy name, we speak about disobeying the orders of the spiritual master. But let us think about it in a different way – instead of disobeying orders, one can talk to the spiritual master. The spiritual […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 30 June 2013, Vrindavana, India, Srila Prabhupada Pastimes Lecture) Question: What is the purpose of group chanting? Obviously when we do things together, it gives us support in different ways – it gives support in a positive way and also in another way like when your mind thinks, ‘Oh, I am so ill […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 10 October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.14) This movement of Caitanya Mahaprabhu is a mercy movement but we have to take it seriously; we have to take responsibility. A devotee has to take responsibility for what he does wrong and then correct it. We can’t just say, ‘Oh, these things are […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 05 September 2016, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Initiation Lecture) We need are the blessings of the spiritual master. It is said that we should try to please the spiritual master. This is when we look at it from the disciple’s perspective. Now, I was thinking about it from guru’s perspective – the disciple has […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 05 September 2016, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Initiation Lecture) When we get initiated and we get a new name, at first it is a shock. In my case, it was like that also. My first name was with a ‘P’ and my last name with a ‘K’ but somehow or other, they mixed the […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 21 February 2016, Durban, South Africa, Nityananda’s Appearance Day) Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master glorified him greatly for writing a poem in his Vyasa-puja offering and in that poem, one sentence was highlighted by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. It was, ‘Absolute is sentient thou hast proved, impersonal calamity thou hast removed.’   The […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2015, Vrindavan, India, Video Interview) When Krsna left Vrindavan for Mathura, the gopis of Vrindavan and Nanda Maharaj felt great separation from Krsna – they all wanted to see Krsna. Therefore Krsna sent Uddhava to Vrindavan with a philosophical message, to say that Krsna is everywhere. Nanda Maharaj replied, ‘This Uddhava, […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2015, Vrindavan, India, Video Interview) The scriptures speak about ahankara which means material attachment or false ego. False ego implies identification with the body where we think, ‘I am this body and all the things in the world are mine – I and mine!’  This is the bodily conception of life […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2015, Vrindavan, India, Video Interview) We chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra because it is said that by chanting these sixteen syllables all the influence of the Kali will be destroyed. Under the influence of Kali, we are becoming totally degraded. Illicit activities such as meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2015, Vrindavan, India, Video Interview) The real meaning of love means to act fully for the pleasure of Krsna and all living beings – to totally dedicate ourselves to Krsna’s well-being and to the well-being of all living beings in Krsna’s creation. This is the real meaning of love.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2015, Vrindavan, India, Video Interview) Good and bad things happen to everyone in this world – no one is exempt. This is the nature of a world where everything has two sides – everything can be used for pleasure and everything can be used for pain. We should see this dual […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2015, Vrindavan, India, Video Interview) Divorce happen because husbands and wives fight like cats and dogs. This happens because Krsna is not in the center. When Krsna is in the center and both husband and wife try to serve and please Krsna then there is no need for divorce. Divorce happens […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2015, Vrindavan, India, Video interview) I have no love at all. I selfishly go to Vrindavan, just thinking of how much benefit I can get. Thinking of whatever little bit of mercy and dust I can get, so that I can be delivered from all this suffering in the material world. […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2015, Vrindavan, India, Video interview) The mind is always controlled by something. There is no question of us being able to control the mind. Therefore when we are dealing with Krsna more and more, all the time, then the mind becomes controlled by Krsna and if we are dealing with material things […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2015, Vrindavan, India, Video interview) I pray to one day love Krsna! The words ‘love Krsna’ cannot be used so cheaply. It takes great effort in devotional service, it takes effort to sacrifice and to go step-by-step from the initial stages of having some faith to learning to associate with devotees. […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2015, Vrindavan, India, Video Interview) Bhismadeva, lying on the bed of arrows after being shot by Arjuna, was very peaceful and was saying that one can conquer anger by learning to forgive. So this the problem – that one cannot forgive! But why is it that we cannot forgive!? It is […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2015, Vrindavan, India, Video Interviews) When the living being turns away from Krsna then suffering begins. Happiness only exists in the relationship with Krsna so when we turn away from Krsna, we begin to suffer. Then Krsna has also added a little suffering, he added some sand-in-the-sweet-rice. Why is this so? […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2015, Vrindavan, India, Video Interviews) The essence is to consider the goal of life. When we think that sex is the goal of life, then sex is bad because then sex will be engaged in only on the basis of lust and day-by-day, we will become more and more bound up […]