Author Archives: KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 January 2005) We must develop the spirit of compassion. Compassion, in a sense, is natural because we ourselves are experiencing suffering in this world and we know the pain of suffering. So if we see that someone else is going through what we are going through then naturally there is compassion. […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 08 October 2016, Johannesburg, South Africa, Nama Hatta Lecture, Bhagavad-gita 9.10) Even on the strength of good karma, one cannot maintain high standards. It is not possible but by the mercy of a pure devotee, it is possible. And that mercy is not just a once-off, it is ongoing. It must be […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 February 2016, Durban, South Africa, Nityananda’s Appearance Day Lecture) Caitanya Caritamrta describes how the happiness of Lord Nityananda is so overwhelming and so intoxicating that he becomes drunk. He is drunk by that happiness, and one knows well that a drunk man cannot see clearly. So in this case, Lord Nityananda […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 14 February 2003) The lotus feet of Lord Nityananda are essential. Without the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda, one cannot ever get the mercy of Radha and Krsna. In other words, one cannot ever be an eligible candidate to go back to the spiritual world therefore we need the mercy of Lord […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 09 October 2009, Durban, South Africa, Ramayana Lecture) This evening, our meditation is on Lord Ramachandra, who appeared one million years ago and yet is still such a prominent personality that no one forgets. I was in India during the years that the television series based on the Ramayana was shown. It […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 30 August 2009) What benefit will renunciation alone give us? Simply by fasting, simply by giving up the world will we get the mercy of Krsna? No! By embracing devotional service to Krsna is how we will get the mercy of Krsna. But in the course of that service, there is so […]

 
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 November 2008, India, Lecture at Mamgachi) namo brahmanya–devaya, go brahmana–hitaya ca, jagad-dhitaya krishnaya, govindaya namo namah As Advaita Acharya continued his worship, he chanted this verse. Advaita Acharya fell prostrate before the Lord, seeking shelter at His lotus feet. Lord Gauranga lifted His lotus feet and placed it on Advaita Acharya’s head. Upon seeing this, the devotees became mad with […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 November 2008, India, Lecture at Mamgachi) We will just read something from the Caitanya Bhagavata. Srila Prabhupada said that the nature of scripture is that it is sweet on all sides so it does not matter where you begin, it is always sweet. Lord Visvambhara looked at Advaita Acharya and said, […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, April 2008, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Lecture) I would say that in our Hare Krsna Movement, one of the great causes of devotees becoming dry in their spiritual practices is because they do not get absorbed in reading. You see, chanting is something you do because we measure it – sixteen rounds; it is […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 08 October 2016, Johannesburg, South Africa, Nama Hatta Lecture, Bhagavad-gita 9.10) In Srimad Bhagavatam, in the discussions with Kapila Muni, it is said that doubt is a symptom of intelligence. So this is interesting, doubt as a symptom of intelligence. We always thought that doubt was a symptom of faithlessness and so […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 February 2009) In Vrindavan, at one point I was the Temple President. It was a very big temple so I never had a peaceful moment! Prabhupada made a rule that the Temple President was to sign off on every cheque that went out of the temple and there were lots of […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 16 September 2016, Durban, South Africa, Nama-hatta Lecture) The temple is the home of Krsna! It is also the Holy Dhama and the spiritual world. The scriptures say that Krsna does not descend alone but he brings along the entire spiritual world. This is not so simple to see. Only the very […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Untitled Lecture) In the age of kali, the general populace consists of two kinds of people – animals and hypocrites. Animals that are the blatantly degraded ones and hypocrites act as if they are not degraded but actually are! These are the only two classes of people will we can find in […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 July 2009, Japa Talks) In many years of chanting, not every day was an optimal one. I have chanted when I was tired, when I was ill and injured; I have chanted in cars, planes and boats. Once I also chanted on a horse racing track! The quality of my rounds has varied due […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2009, Melbourne, Australia, Lecture) The best way to chant is to chant at the same time every day. The best is to chant sixteen rounds in one go and not to break it up. The breaking up of rounds is not good – four here, four there, six and then the […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2008, Newcastle, Durban, Lecture) My life took many unexpected turns. I made plans but I could not fulfill many of them and I had to face many surprises – sometimes pleasant and sometimes unpleasant. I lived in many countries. Many people think that I am from Holland but to tell you the […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 08 October 2016, Johannesburg, South Africa, Nama Hatta Lecture, Bhagavad-gita 9.10) Prabhupada wrote so many books and some people never read much more than a Whatsapp message! They never get around to finishing the Bhagavatam. Even after nine years in Krsna consciousness, they are still reading the ninth chapter of the first […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Untitled Lecture) Sometimes, we get so caught up in external practices that we are still not remembering Krsna – we wear tilak for years, we hear and chant for years, we serve in a temple and yet we are not really thinking of Krsna as our first priority. Every day, we hear in a […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 17 June 2009, Japa Talks)  “This chanting should go on. Instead of meetings, resolutions, dissolutions, revolutions and then no solutions, there should be chanting.” His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, from Lilamrita, Volume 6, Page 182 I wonder how much time of my life has been spent in meetings. But then […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Untitled Lecture) Krsna knows what is best for us! Thus a devotee who is intelligent will rely on Krsna. If one desires a wife then Krsna will send someone or maybe he will not. If he does not send one then so be it; what is the point in looking – looking […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 December 2016, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.26.46) In deity worship, everything is prescribed from beginning to end e.g. one cannot chastise someone in front of the deity, one cannot cry in front of the deity except for tears of ecstasy, one should not eat in front of the deity except pure […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 31 August 2010, Zagreb, Croatia, Lecture) How can we face things all alone in this world!? But one who is with Krsna is never alone. When we are in a relationship with Krsna, when we are actively trying to please Krsna then we are never alone because Krsna reciprocates. It is not […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2009, Melbourne, Australia, Lecture) There is one thing I want to say about charity – vaisnava charity is not about giving donations here and there because when a vaisnava gets charitable, he does not just give some of his wealth, a vaisnava gives himself. This is the greatest charity, when we give […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 December 2016, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.26.41) Our favourite song which we chant so happily, “Sarīra abidyā-jāl, joḍendriya tāhe kāl, jīve phele viṣaya-sāgore, tā’ra madhye jihwā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati,” translates to, “The senses are a network leading to death and of all the senses the tongue is the most voracious to […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 June 1999) Once in India, I saw a serious drawing. It was a drawing of a frog and this particular frog was in somewhat of a precarious position because a snake had crawled up from behind and had half swallowed the frog! The mouth of the snake was slowly engulfing the […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 December 2016, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.26.41) One may want family life but how can you have a good family life without Krsna. Family life without Krsna will not be satisfactory; it will become very frustrating. It is only when we add Krsna that family life can actually start to work. […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2009, Durban, South Africa, Lecture) There was a Mr Gupta who lived in Indore in India and he had a shop selling truck parts and the whole day people would visit his shop. But there was something special about his shop in that everywhere there were pictures of Krsna! Never ever before […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 November 2016, Vrindavan, India, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.18.1-8) In an initiation ceremony, we receive the maha-mantra. So it is like those birthdays where you get a big gift, you open up the box and inside is a gift that you already have, “Oh, I already got that! I got the holy name before.” Yes, […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Untitled Lecture) When I approached my spiritual master for initiation, he said, “Hmmm, as good as God, are you prepared to accept that?” And I thought, “Umm, well, I don’t know…” but I just said yes with a weak voice because it is not so simple to accept the spiritual master as good as […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, July 2007, Phoenix, South Africa, Ratha Yatra Lecture) Sometimes we get so disturbed by the past that the clock stops, “On 12 December 1937, I …” and we still remember what happened! Forget what happened! Who cares about what happened! First of all, accept that whatever happened maybe due to our past karma, that […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 November 2016, Vrindavan, India, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.18.1-8) Just before I came to present this class, I met Gurukripa Prabhu who said, “I am going to listen in on the radio,” to sort of put some pressure on me which I appreciated. When Srila Prabhupada wanted to build this Krsna-Balarama temple then […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2008, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, Lecture) What will please Srila Prabhupada the most? Well, I remember a story of Tamal Krsna Maharaj. He was appointed as the GBC secretary for India and he was taking care for all of India. This was a very important service as these were big, big projects. […]

In 1965, a lone holy man sets out across the ocean from India to America carrying nothing but a timeless message and a vision of a world united. in a time of war and disillusionment, he inspires a generation of youth, and against all odds forms an unstoppable spiritual revolution. “Acharya” is the true story […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2008, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Lecture) Austerity in itself is not a limb of bhakti. Bhakti has sixty-four limbs; this means that there are sixty-four types of activities which give us bhakti but austerity is not amongst them. However, austerity is glorified in the scripture that by performing sacrifice, by giving in charity and […]