Author Archives: KKSBlog

Day 9 – 21 November 2018 Written by Rukmini devi dasi Sri Giriraj stretches out before us as if in an early morning yawn, so close we could reach out and touch Him. Kadambavan, a path of the softest sands cushions our feet. Oh feet, sink deep in the holy dust of Govardhan and let […]

The article ” Vrindavan Braj Parikrama – Day 9 ” was published on KKSBlog.

Day 8 – 19 November 2018 Written by Candrasekhara das Most of us on the parikrama are from the West and accustomed to different comforts. Whilst Vrindavan offers its inconveniences, we must remember that Vrindavan is home and that home is nowhere else. We carry this important meditation by Kadamba Kanana Swami from Day 7 into […]

The article ” Vrindavan Braj Parikrama – Day 8 ” was published on KKSBlog.

Written by Harsarani devi dasi After a very bumpy ride on the bus, Day 7 of the Vrindavan parikrama led us to Sunhera at the Sudevi Sakhi Temple. It was not arranged for us to be here but somehow the driver took a different turn. Sudevi is one of the eight principle varistha gopis. This […]

The article ” Vrindavan Braj Parikrama – Day 7 ” was published on KKSBlog.

Day 6 – 17 November 2018 Written by Neil Bookseller Prema Sarovar Overlooking from the high steps of the spectacular Prema Sarovar, we gather to commence another day of meditations together. Maharaj begins with an ecstatic explosion of kirtan that gets all the devotees on their feet. It comes to a close, or so it […]

The article ” Vrindavan Braj Parikrama – Day 6 ” was published on KKSBlog.

Day 5 – 16 November 2018 Written by Vasanti dd Part 1- Vrinda Kund  We greeted the beautiful Vrinda Devi deity who was looking out over a small, but powerful, Vrinda Kund (bathing ghat).  The green parrots of Vrindavan are said to be the messengers of Vrinda Devi, who debate among themselves whether Krsna is […]

The article ” Vrindavan Braj Parikrama – Day 5 ” was published on KKSBlog.

Written by Rukmini dd On the banks of Sri Radha-kund we gather. “Let us sit down and hear about what we are really seeing. There is another reality here that is available to those who are absorbed. Since we do not have spiritual vision, Krsna Das Kaviraj Goswami opens our darkened eyes in the Govinda-lilamrta […]

The article ” Vrndavana Braj Parikrama – Day 4 ” was published on KKSBlog.

Written by Rukmini dd “The Varsana parikrama is situated around the Sriji Temple. The different hills here are demigods incarnating in this way to place the feet of the devotees on their heads.” Sancaricor First, we got lost but there is no wrong turn in Vrndavana. Following in the footsteps of the spiritual master, each […]

The article ” Vrndavana Braj Parikrama – Day 2 ” was published on KKSBlog.

Written by Rukmini dd The Vraj Parikrama is bursting at the seams this year. We are different. All 140 of us have come with a milieu of accents, skin tones, natures and cultures from all corners of the earth. Yet we have come to Vrindavan as family and Vrindavan is home. We begin our pilgrimage […]

The article ” Vrndavana Braj Parikrama – Day 1 ” was published on KKSBlog.

The article ” Eternal happiness ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 October 2011, Melbourne, Australia, Home Program) Damodarastakam, Verse 1 To the Supreme Lord, whose form is the embodiment of eternal existence, knowledge, and bliss, whose shark-shaped earrings are swinging to and fro, who is beautifully shining in the divine realm of Gokula, who (due to the offense of breaking the pot […]

The article ” Kartik meditation ” was published on KKSBlog.

The article ” Humility can Develop ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, October 2011, Melbourne, Australia, Lecture) During the month of Kartik, there is the chance to make special advancement. Especially whoever goes to Vrindavan is very fortunate because in Vrindavan, during Kartik, one can make many times more advancement under than under normal conditions! Therefore, being in Vrindavan during Kartik is very, very special. But […]

The article ” The spirit of Vrindavan ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 October 2014, Vrindavan Dham, India, Srimad Bhagavatam 5.13.22) Question: You have mentioned that logic can sometimes make us dull and this maybe is an example of how that works. In your class, I am trying to be logical and I am having a little difficulty, as what you have said seems […]

The article ” Taking advantage of mercy by making an effort ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 October 2011, Melbourne, Australia, Home Program) In the Bhagavad-gita 10.35, Krsna says that of all the months, “I am marga-sirsa,” which is a name for the November-December period. It is said that before Krsna, first comes Radha… Radha-Krsna, Radha-Syam, Sita-Rama, like that. First the consort of the Lord is mentioned. Therefore the […]

The article ” The month of Radharani… The month of devotional service ” was published on KKSBlog.

The article ” Real Security and Shelter ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 27 June 2015, New York, USA, Bhagavad-gita 9.33) Question: You mentioned the shooting incident. I am curious to know how this specific experience affected you in a personal way, if it is not too personal to share? I will keep it simple. I do not want to speak about the material side of it, […]

The article ” Lessons in life ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, December 2010, Cape Town, South Africa, Morning Lecture) The purpose of chanting is about taking shelter. Everyone needs shelter in this world; we know that very well. But where is our shelter other than at Krsna’s lotus feet? That is our situation, there is no other shelter! Everything else is illusory shelter. […]

The article ” Where is our shelter other than at Krsna’s lotus feet? ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 05 September 2018, Radhadesh, Belgium, Srimad Bhagavatam 8.24.50) Different countries are famous for their varieties of export. The Middle East exports, for instance, are known for oil and Holland is known for exporting flowers and cheese. Different countries export different things and India exports gurus. That has been a big thing for […]

The article ” A real guru ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 January 2018, Brisbane, Australia, Q&A Programme) Can you tell us how you came into contact with His Holiness Jayadvaita Swami, your spiritual master. How did you choose him and how did he help you in your progress in spiritual life? I met Jayadvaita Maharaj in Vrndavan in 1978 when he had just […]

The article ” Q&A with KKS: First contact with spiritual master ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 January 2018, Brisbane, Australia, Q&A Programme) You stayed in Vrndavan and Mayapur where you were in charge of many projects such as building Prabhupada’s samadhi. What was that experience like? I have the karma for such things. I could relate to India after having lived there for so long, and I understood […]

The article ” Q&A with KKS: Projects in India ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, March 2018, Durban, South Africa, Human Relationships Lecture) Krsna is always showing us the next step in our spiritual lives. So if it is clear that the next step is that you should be doing more, then we should take that step. If you feel, “Krsna is showing me that the next […]

The article ” Moving forward ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, March 2018, Durban, South Africa, Ratha Yatra Human Relationships Lecture) Our goal is to use the time that we have to deepen our lives. When devotees meet, it is not that we are just looking for some spiritual inspiration. Festivals where devotees come together are for lasting advancement. It is for transforming […]

The article ” Flying your own plane ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 January 2018, Brisbane, Australia, Q&A Programme) Can you tell us a bit about the time you entered into the grhasta ashram. How was that a factor in your spiritual life? Generally sanyasis do not speak about their purva janma (previous life) but since you are asking, I will briefly tell you. I was married for […]

The article ” Q&A with KKS: Changes in ashram ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 January 2018, Brisbane, Australia, Q&A Programme) Since you accepted the sanyas order, you have been travelling around the world. Can you tell us a bit about your current preaching activities. For the last 20 or so years, I have been travelling a lot. I started off as a sanyasi in 1997 and then […]

The article ” Q&A with KKS: Current preaching mission ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 January 2018, Brisbane, Australia, Q&A Programme) How did you go to Vrndavan? Is this when you took up Krsna consciousness seriously? I was walking with the cows one evening on the outskirts and arrived into Vrndavan by foot. I walked straight into the Krsna Balaram Mandir where they were just starting Tulasi Puja and […]

The article ” Q&A with KKS: First trip to Vrndavan ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 January 2018, Brisbane, Australia, Q&A Programme) Can you capture the moment when you accepted Krsna as the ultimate truth. Because many of the sadhus I met in India were smoking ganja, I did not have much faith in them. They always asked where I was from and just wanted some money to smoke ganja. So […]

The article ” Q&A with KKS: First acceptance of Krsna ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 January 2018, Brisbane, Australia, Q&A Programme) When was the first time you connected with someone within the realm of Krsna consciousness? How did that develop into what it did? All those times in India that I visited, I never met devotees. But, I had seen devotees in my town in Holland. […]

The article ” Q&A with KKS: First connections ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 January 2018, Brisbane, Australia, Q&A Programme) What was it that first gave you the idea to travel to India? What was the inspiration behind going there and how was your first experience? I started travelling around 1970 and one of the first places I visited was the coast of Croatia where […]

The article ” Q&A with KKS: First trip to India ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 January 2018, Brisbane, Australia, Q&A Programme) Can you talk about your early life? What recollections do you have about your childhood and your family? I am from the outskirts of Amsterdam which is the business heart of Holland. This is what my family did – they ran lots of businesses. My […]

The article ” Q&A with KKS: Early life ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 January 2018, Brisbane, Australia, Q&A Programme) How do we know if Krsna is pleased with our service? We serve Krsna under the guidance of the Vaishnavas; the Vaishnavas give us the service and when they are pleased with us, then we take it that Krsna is also pleased with our service. One attains […]

The article ” Reach Krsna through Vaishnavas ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, October 2009, Vrindavan, India, Lecture) Love means to put our ideas aside for someone else. When we love someone, we will put our own agenda aside and just try to please that person and we will only do for that person what he desires. So, our love for Prabhupada has to show in […]

The article ” Our love for Prabhupada ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 17 August 2014, Goloka-dhama, Germany, Janmastami, Srimad Bhagavatam 10.41.6-10)   We remember the pastime of when Krsna first came to Mathura and he met a garland-maker, Sudama, who offered Krsna many nice garlands, sandalwood and other things. That garland-maker actually used go to Vrindavan regularly to collect flowers, so he had previously […]

The article ” Janmastami is coming ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 January 2018, Brisbane, Australia, Q&A Programme) In this age, which path of yoga (karma, jnana or bhakti) should we follow? Karma yoga basically means that we engage the work of our desires in the service of the Lord. So here, we perform our prescribed duty as we desire through our karma, but […]

The article ” Strive for bhakti yoga ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 05 June 2016, Radhadesh, Belgium, Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 25.57) The all blissful Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally young and not plagued by any imperfections, not plagued by an old cranky body and not ugly either. Some incarnations of God are certainly not the most beautiful. It is said that various incarnations […]

The article ” The incarnation of beauty ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 18 August 2016, Zadar, Croatia, Balarama’s Appearance Day Lecture) Kirtan is our meditation. We can meditate on so many things – freedom, sex, money, etc. but meditation on kirtan is the ultimate goal of life. It is deeper as it stays with us always. This connection never changes. If the connection with kirtan […]

The article ” Lord Balarama’s Appearance Day Lecture 2016 ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, March 2018, Durban, South Africa, Ratha Yatra Lecture) How can we help people deal with their aggression and anger? This is dependant on the seriousness of one’s anger and aggression. If it is very serious, then the person may need counselling. Krsna consciousness cannot resolve psychiatric or psychological problems. By chanting the […]

The article ” Willingness to change ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, March 2018, Durban, South Africa, Ratha Yatra Lecture) How do I deal with a relationship where there is a lot of friction? Such things are all a matter of stars. Astrology can show us how people’s karma is composed. It basically calculates different elements in a person’s nature which allows us to […]

The article ” Live and let live ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 September 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Evening Lecture) The more the eternal associates of Krsna develop their love for Krsna, the more they also develop their love for all those who are serving Krsna in love. Therefore, it is not that anyone looks with an envious eye at his neighbour. No, […]

The article ” Genuine appreciation ” was published on KKSBlog.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 03 February 2013, Prague, Czech Republic, Srimad Bhagavatam 4.19.4) If we want to be counted amongst the saints, we must have the courage to stand up for Krsna and not think, “What will the neighbours say?” We have heard many stories of devotees during the early days of the movement in the […]

The article ” Stand up for Krsna! ” was published on KKSBlog.