(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 08 March 2014, Sydney, Australia, Bhagavad-gita 13.3) In spiritual life, we need to keep ourselves safe. We have to think, ”I am not very powerful spiritually. I am weak and I’m surrounded by maya (the material energy), and maya is very strong.” So I need to look for all kinds of protection – […]
Author Archives: Anisha
Seeking protection
The shelter of all
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 28 August 2013, Germany, Srimad Bhagavatam 10.90.48) Krsna is depicted as victorious. He is the shelter of all living beings. So yes, surely Krsna is also shelter for us. Where else is there shelter? We need shelter but where will we find it? Restlessly, we continue to wander on and have not […]
“I’ll carry what you lack”
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 08 March 2014, Sydney, Australia, Bhagavad-gita 13.3) Arjuna Acarya was a pundit who was writing a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita, and as he was writing he came along this verse, which basically says: “I’ll carry what you lack and I’ll preserve what you have.” When Arjuna Acarya was reading this verse, he […]
Love is greater than duty
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 16 March 2014, Melbourne, Australia, Caitanya Caritamrta Adi Lila 13.80) Krsna shows that ultimately, higher even than dharma (duty), is the love that exists between Krsna and his devotee. That is why in Kurukshetra, Krsna broke his vow. Krsna had promised not to fight, but when Bhismadev was about to kill Arjuna, […]
A tidal wave!
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 01 January 2014, Mayapur, India, Caitanya Caritamrta Seminar) After taking sannyasa, Lord Caitanya just began to dance in great ecstasy and so did Kesava Bharati; he started to dance along with Lord Caitanya and all the people began to dance. This was the first public display of such love of God. It […]
The anxiety of the Lord
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 01 January 2014, Mayapur, India, Caitanya Caritamrta Seminar) If we want to approach Krsna in a mood of friendship, then we must fulfill his desire. An example is found in the Caitanya Caritamrta about Haridas Thakur. At one point, Lord Caitanya was lamenting and saying to Haridas Thakur, ”What about all those […]
Gopi, gopi, gopi!
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 01 January 2014, Mayapur, India, Caitanya Caritamrta Seminar) Lord Caitanya was found to be in an ecstatic state of consciousness, chanting the name, gopi, gopi, gopi! It is said that Lord Caitanya, at that time, had entered into the mood of Srimati Radharani, who was in a disturbed state of consciousness, angry with Krsna […]
Reading from the Caitanya Caritamrta
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 01 January 2014, Mayapur, India, Caitanya Caritamrta Seminar) Part 1 of the Gaura Purnima series. Next article will be ”Gopi Gopi Gopi” Adi Lila 13, Text 80 In the month of January in the year 1406 of the Saka Era (A.D. 1485), Lord Krsna entered the bodies of both Jagannatha Misra and Saci. […]
An essential question
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2009, South Africa, Lecture) How is it that the all good, all merciful and kind, Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is just full of love, who is just the well-wisher and friend of every living being; who cares about every little plant, every little jiva (living entity); how is it that the Supreme […]
The bigger picture
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, March 2011, Melbourne, Australia, Lecture) When we look at all the devastation in the world, all the pain and suffering, then we think, “It’s too much! It is! It really is!” The only way to rise above it is to look at the bigger reality – how there is eternity and how these […]
An auspicious destination
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, March 2011, Melbourne, Australia, Lecture) Spiritual life immediately leads to fearlessness. Leaving it up to Krsna. Trusting in Krsna that Krsna will protect us. Krsna will take care of us. Krsna is not going to forsake us. Krsna is surely going to give us an auspicious destination, so what is the […]
He’s the one!
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, February 2011, Stockholm, Sweden, Lecture) It is certainly good to look for inspiration in the association of devotees but we must also learn to find it when we are completely alone. If we always try to fill the vacuum by being with others and hoping that something inspirational is going to happen, then […]
Friendship is important
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, June 2011, Stockholm, Sweden, Lecture) I think that the only thing that can really bond us together is friendship. Just common acceptance of Krsna as the Supreme Lord will bring us together from time to time – we will come together at the temple and festivals – but friendship will take us […]
Shaped by the vaisnavas
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, May 2011, Radhadesh, Belgium, Lecture) We have to be ready to be changed by the vaisnavas, by the directions of the vaiIsnavas. We have to be ready to give up our own ways, our own ideas and so on. We have to become soft! It is said that as one is advancing in […]
A matter of the heart
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, May 2011, Radhadesh, Belgium, Lecture) When I speak about different levels of commitment to different levels of authorities, then I’m speaking about a matter of the heart. When it comes to our spiritual master, we must give our heart and we must try, we must try cent percent. Although we will not make […]
A miracle?
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Sri Hamsaduta Seminar 2) Govardhan, in his role as a devotee, is just ecstatically running towards Krsna, believe it or not! For the skeptics, what can I say? For the cynics, there are clinics… (smile) For the devotee, life is a miracle. And this is what Prabhupada said […]
A drop of mercy
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.12) At one time, Krsna was establishing that he was the Supreme Lord and that all the various incarnations of the Lord were within him. So the gopis said, “If you are the origin of all the incarnations, then it means that Lord Ramachandra is also […]
Levels of consciousness
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2013, Cape Town, South Africa, BYS Lecture) I’m thinking about Carl Jung who in an interview was asked, “Mr Jung, would you say that you believe in God?” That’s a basic question when you interview Carl Jung because everybody knows that Jung was very religious. But Jung said, “No, I don’t believe […]
Nothing but a seeker
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 23 July 2013, Durban, South Africa, Lecture: Journey of faith) I had been in India and had searched for more spiritual depth but I had not yet found what I was looking for. I used to sing a song that I had written, ‘I am nothing but a stranger always around, I’m […]
The secret of the Hare Krsna movement
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 23 July 2013, Durban, South Africa, Lecture: Journey of faith) During my stay at the Krsna Balaram mandir, initially I was very impressed by the deities and the temple. But gradually it began to dawn on me that Prabhupada was even more prominently present in Vrindavan than Krsna. Krsna is so much present […]
“I cannot die!”
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2013, Cape Town, South Africa, BYS lecture) There’s a famous story of Alexander the Great who walked into this particular town. Apart from the presence of one saint, the town was completely empty. Alexander was used to this – he never walked into a town that was full of people. People […]
The real purpose of religion
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2013, Cape Town, South Africa, BYS lecture) We have an interesting story about a female saint in the Islamic tradition. One morning, she came out of her house carrying two buckets, one with fire inside and the other, with water. And people saw her and said, “Oh! What are you going […]
Beyond the mechanical level
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 18 July 2013, Sandton, South Africa, Krsna Balaram Youth Group Lecture) One time, in Jagannath Puri, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked Advaita Acarya, “Acarya, where are you coming from?” Advaita Acarya replied, “I’ve just come back from the temple. I took darshan of Lord Jagannath.” “No, no, no, Acarya, what did you do? […]
The first principle
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 September 2013, Durban, South Africa, Lalita Sasti Lecture) Krsna’s message must be delivered. Prabhupada made it very clear. Prabhupada came to this world as a messenger and dedicated his whole life to being a messenger. He humbly requested us to be messengers so that we would assist him. He alone, of course, […]
The real thing
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 September 2013, Durban, South Africa, Lalita Sasti Lecture) This is the prayer of the spiritual master, “May all obstacles be cast aside. For you, may your spiritual path be very easy. May it all just disappear, placing happiness and mercy in your heart.” Without happiness, what kind of mercy can there be? […]
The topmost beauty
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 13 September 2013, Durban, South Africa, Radhastami Lecture) The beauty of Srimati Radharani is the topmost beauty but it is not ordinary beauty or merely external beauty. That beauty is a reflection of her love for Krsna. In the Caitanya Caritamrta, there is a section of verses which describe how Srimati Radharani […]
Where is Krsna?
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, August 2013, Germany, Hamsaduta Seminar Part 2) The gaudiya vaishnav mood is, “Where is Krsna?” We are always looking for Krsna. We see the six Goswamis were roaming around Vrindavan, always thinking, “Where is Krsna?” So in this mood, everything reminds one of Krsna. The tamal tree reminds one of Krsna. So, as a […]
Within the name
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 25 July 2013, Durban, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.6) In the maha-mantra, there is a relationship. There is Krsna, the all-attractive Supreme Lord, and the vocative form of Hara which is Hare and that is the hladini shakti, the pleasure potency – pure devotional service embodied by Radharani, but also referring to […]
Within the name
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 25 July 2013, Durban, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.6) In the maha-mantra, there is a relationship. There is Krsna, the all-attractive Supreme Lord, and the vocative form of Hara which is Hare and that is the hladini shakti, the pleasure potency – pure devotional service embodied by Radharani, but also referring to […]
Blissful Krsna
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 25 July 2013, Durban, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.6) In the opening verse of the Hamsaduta, Srila Rupa Goswami says that he is praying that a certain blissful personality may enter into his heart. It is a nice way to start writing – about a certain blissful personality. We can see that […]
Blissful Krsna
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 25 July 2013, Durban, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.6) In the opening verse of the Hamsaduta, Srila Rupa Goswami says that he is praying that a certain blissful personality may enter into his heart. It is a nice way to start writing – about a certain blissful personality. We can see that […]
Radharani ki jaya!
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 23 September 2012, Durban, South Africa) Excerpts from Radhastami lectures A divine appearance As Krsna’s appearance was not an ordinary appearance, in the same way Srimati Radharani’s appearance was also not an ordinary appearance. One day, Maharaja Vrsabhanu was approaching the Yamuna and within the waters of the Yamuna there was […]
Radharani ki jaya!
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 23 September 2012, Durban, South Africa) Excerpts from Radhastami lectures A divine appearance As Krsna’s appearance was not an ordinary appearance, in the same way Srimati Radharani’s appearance was also not an ordinary appearance. One day, Maharaja Vrsabhanu was approaching the Yamuna and within the waters of the Yamuna there was […]
Still there
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 July 2013, Fruska Gouranga, Serbia, Initiation lecture) Life shakes us sometimes but our guru is still there – still there, doing the same thing. He is still serving Krsna and still chanting. We experience so much turbulence but he is just simply still there. That is how it’s meant to be, […]
Still there
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 July 2013, Fruska Gouranga, Serbia, Initiation lecture) Life shakes us sometimes but our guru is still there – still there, doing the same thing. He is still serving Krsna and still chanting. We experience so much turbulence but he is just simply still there. That is how it’s meant to be, […]
Reflections on Srila Prabhupada
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We can appreciate how unique Prabhupada really is in the entire sampradaya. Lord Caitanya appears only once in a day of Brahma and after Lord Caitanya, who introduced Krsna Consciousness basically in the Indian subcontinent, the mission that remained was to take Krsna Consciousness all over the world. Prabhupada did that. He brought it from […]
Reflections on Srila Prabhupada
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We can appreciate how unique Prabhupada really is in the entire sampradaya. Lord Caitanya appears only once in a day of Brahma and after Lord Caitanya, who introduced Krsna Consciousness basically in the Indian subcontinent, the mission that remained was to take Krsna Consciousness all over the world. Prabhupada did that. He brought it from […]
Meditations on Krsna
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“Janmastami is not just an ordinary day! We must celebrate Janmastami – it is our spiritual duty! It is actually a day when we can permanently deepen our relationship with Krsna!” “One detail that is given is that at the time when Krsna appeared, Nanda Maharaj was giving charity. He opened up his treasury and allowed everyone to […]
Meditations on Krsna
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“Janmastami is not just an ordinary day! We must celebrate Janmastami – it is our spiritual duty! It is actually a day when we can permanently deepen our relationship with Krsna!” “One detail that is given is that at the time when Krsna appeared, Nanda Maharaj was giving charity. He opened up his treasury and allowed everyone to […]
The eternal Vrindavan
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 July 2013, Fuska Gouranga, Serbia, Seminar 3) We must go to Vrindavan. There is no doubt about it. We must go. We must roll in the dust. We must taste the mahaprasadam. We must jump in the Yamuna. “Oh, but is the Yamuna still there?” Of course it is! On the […]