Author Archives: Krishna Dharma

ICJ14_05_Krishna_Dharma_ISKCON’s_initiation_system_v4-1The post A critique of ISKCON’s diksha guru system first appeared on Krishna Dharma.

An accusation I often hear levelled at religion is that it causes so many conflicts. As the recent tragic events unfolded in the Middle East, some have indeed pointed the finger of blame at religion, as at least a factor in the long-standing dispute. Writing for the ‘Big Think’, Adam Lee observed: “…what I do believe is that that it (the Israel Palestine conflict) is being inflamed and prolonged by religious zealotry on both sides.”…

The post Does Religion Cause War? first appeared on Krishna Dharma.

‘Celestial Dynasties’ refers to those of the sun and moon gods, in which both Lord Rama and Lord Krishna respectively appeared. The ninth canto traces both lines up to their appearances, giving details of their significant ancestors such as King Ambarisha, who overcame the powerful mystic Durvasa; Parasurama, who destroyed the world’s kshatriyas twenty-one times; Pururava, who married the celestial girl, Urvasi; King Yayati, who wed Sage Shukra’s daughter, Devayani, only to be cursed by…

The post Celestial Dynasties (Srimad Bhagavatam Canto Nine) first appeared on Krishna Dharma.

In this canto we hear the fascinating tale of Gajendra, king of elephants in the celestial realm, who was a saintly king in his previous life. Assailed by a mighty crocodile, he recalls his former devotion to Krishna and invokes his presence with heartfelt prayers. Then begins a long account of a conflict between the gods and Asuras, resulting in several divine incarnations, including Mohini, the Lord’s form as an exquisite female, and Vamana, a…

The post Enchanting Pastimes (Srimad Bhagavatam Canto Eight) first appeared on Krishna Dharma.

Can There Ever Be Free Speech?

Most of us discover at a fairly young age that the world is not a bed of roses. The carefree joys of childhood were brutally interrupted for me when I was just seven and I lost my mother. Navigating my way through an uncertain world after that, I encountered much more pain in the shape of a less than loving stepmother. It was enough to make me rather circumspect about the prospects of a trouble-free life. I tried to make the best of it, of course, but it was only

I have been trying to work out if in this life I have been fortunate or unfortunate. Certainly to have come into contact with your movement and to have some small faith in your words is a very great good fortune. I really don’t know how that happened. I was just an average fool heading straight to hell, fully absorbed in sense gratification. Sure I was suffering, but I wasn’t intelligent enough to recognise that fact.  I thought I was looking for spirituality, but didn’t have the faintest idea what

 

Back in 1972 I was a 17 year-old sea cadet. My ship had docked in Bombay and I stepped onto that exotic shore in search of reasonably priced souvenirs. Under the intense encouragement of a shopkeeper I came close to purchasing a fine ivory chess set costing most of my week’s wages before I spotted a little figurine of Krishna. He exerted a strange attraction over me and after handing over my hard-earned rupees I left with him in my pocket. The god of love, I thought. I could do

It is interesting that the US and UK style themselves as “liberators” of Iraq. Subtly implied in this euphemistic term is the assumption that we are ourselves already liberated, in a position to bestow our happy state on others. And that is surely a commonly held assumption in the West. We view ourselves as having the most progressive and free societies. But how true is this?

A popular newspaper columnist recently wrote a

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to you.

Lately, I have been reflecting on my good fortune in meeting your divine grace. Sastra tells us we have been languishing in material existence for countless millennia. I made a rough calculation for how long we in this present age have been around and found it pretty scary. We learn from the Bhagavatam that we jivas are injected into the creation at the beginning of Brahma’s life. He is now in his fifty-first year and just one of his days

Perhaps one of the saddest parts about growing up is learning that Father Christmas is not real. I recall a few years ago hearing how a teacher had been hauled across the coals for revealing this terrible truth to his class of six year olds, after outraged parents had bombarded the school with complaints.

I was never a big believer in Santa myself. I think it dawned on me at an early age that a portly gentleman bearing a huge sack on his back somehow would not fit down the chimney,

Back in 1972 I was a 17 year-old sea cadet. My ship had docked in Bombay and I stepped onto that exotic shore in search of reasonably priced souvenirs. Under the intense encouragement of a shopkeeper I came close to purchasing a fine ivory chess set costing most of my week’s wages before I spotted a little figurine of Krishna. He exerted a strange attraction over me and after handing over my hard-earned rupees I left with him in my pocket. The god of love, I

GODS, DEMONS AND HEROES.

The condensed version of Mahabharata, the world’s greatest epic.

CHAPTER ONE Five Godly Boys

Spring had arrived in the mountains. The atmosphere was delightfully fresh. Pandu strolled through a field of fragrant flowers, admiring the celestial scenery. Cuckoos sang in the nearby champaka trees, and black bees hummed as they swarmed around the bright yellow blossoms. Pandu’s young wife Madri walked ahead of him, her long silk robe flowing in the gentle breeze. She sang softly to herself as she stooped to gather flowers. As

Srila Prabhupada

What if there was one simple solution for all your problems? Something so easy that even a child could do it? Something which costs nothing, is available to everyone and ultimately ends all suffering? Well, before you decide to follow the standard dictum that if it sounds too good to be true then it most likely is, ask yourself a couple of questions. Firstly, do you know who you really are? I don’t mean a man, woman, black, white, John, Jill or Javed—no, I’m talking about the real

It seems many of us do not like the government telling us how we should conduct our lives. The current lockdown has elicited vigorous opposition in certain corners of the media, and indeed on many streets around the world. The suggestions that a vaccine may become mandatory, if and when it is eventually developed, will no doubt create even bigger waves of resistance. Professor Ian Philip, a health expert at Sheffield University and government advisor, said, “The real challenge is that people don’t want to hear messages from government…”

I am

Listening today to a lecture by Srila Prabhupada, my esteemed teacher, I was struck by a brilliant analogy he gave. First, he cited a verse from Vedic literature which basically states that the attempt to improve one’s material situation amounts to nothing more than ‘decorating a dead body’. In other words, the material body is destined to die today or tomorrow. It is always dead, in one sense, as it is only animated by the soul within, which is who we are. As C.S.Lewis famously said, ‘You don’t have a

Srila Prabhupada once said that when devotees give up practicing Krishna consciousness it is ‘fifty percent their fault, and fifty percent ISKCON’s”. In this article I would like to explore what I perceive as a systemic problem contributing to our society’s fifty percent of the blame.

It is surely surprising that someone should get as far as seriously following the process of Krishna consciousness, only to give it up again. Most of us experienced an immediate relief of suffering when we joined, and we have all heard many times how pure

It can be a challenge to maintain your dignity sometimes. I remember when I became a Krishna monk many years ago and donned the orange robes to venture forth on to the streets. Hare Krishna devotees were not a familiar sight at the time, and we would often encounter a spirited response from onlookers, as we sang and danced our way along the road. On one occasion I was showered with a can of beer, and it took strong resolve on my part to keep my composure.

It’s much better

Love must be one of the most over used and perhaps undervalued words in the dictionary. I’m just as guilty as anyone else, declaring my love for cheese on toast, lying in the sun, or, confession time, Raymond Chandler.
In the true sense of the word I wouldn’t say I really love any of those things. For me love means an awful lot more than just liking something rather a lot. Actually in the language of my scriptures, Sanskrit, the word love is only used in connection

When I first moved into a Krishna temple, back in the 70s, I discovered that the founder of the Hare Krishna society had dubbed his movement ‘the kitchen religion’. I was somewhat bemused by this – but, as a young man in my 20’s with a keen interest in eating, I was not entirely averse to the idea.
And I soon found out the reason for this culinary epithet when, a few weeks later, a festival was celebrated in the temple. To my amazement and delight a colourful array of vegetarian

Officially, the summer solstice is the longest day – almost 17 hours of broad daylight. However, in my experience the length of the day depends largely upon what I happen to be doing. How could I ever forget, for example, those interminable history lessons at school. The clock on the wall all but froze as the teacher apprised us of the fascinating exploits of Oliver Cromwell and his gallant roundheads.
Thankfully I am no longer subjected to such torture, but now I find that on the sacred days when I

02.16.13
• VRAJA RAJA SUTAM ASTAKAM
1
nava-nîrada-nindita-kânti-dharam
rasa-sâgara-nâgara-bhûpa-varam
s’ubha-vankima-câru-s’ikhanda-s’ikham
bhaja-krishna-nidhim-vraja-râja-sutam

Complexion that conquers storm clouds gathering
Lord of lovers and great sea of all ecstasies
Peacock plume in his crown angled auspiciously
Worship Krishna dark jewel son of Vrindavan’s king
2.
bhrû-vis’ankita-vankima-s’akru-dhanum
mukha-candra-vinindita-koti-vidhum
mridu-manda-suhâsya-subhâshya-yutam
bhaja-krishna-nidhim vraja-râja-sutam

His eyebrows like rainbows both broadly bending
A million full moons fail to match his beauty
Sparkling speech on his lips ever smiling sweetly
Worship Krishna dark jewel son of Vrindavan’s king.
3.
suvikampad-ananga-sad-anga-dharam
vraja-vâsi-manohara-ves’a-karam
bhris’a-lânchita-nîla-saroja-dris’am
bhaja-krishna-nidhim vraja-râja-sutam

Due to Cupid’s confusions his limbs shivering,
Ever dazzlingly dressed for Vrindavan’s delight
Like two blue lotus blossoms

Purva raga

Dear friend, the trembling of my heart can never find a cure.
No herb or medicine or balm, my beating breast can calm.
For this disease one remedy will bring relief for sure,
but that alas will soon produce painful opprobrium.

My friend I am severely struck and all my sense departs,
when Krishna’s name enters my ears and lodges in my heart.
And then there is another one whose flute enchants my mind,
seizing it with such madness that I can no peace find.
Again there is a third one, whose brilliance I see
in pictures of

Curious to see if I was an authentic Brit I recently attempted the Life in the Uk test that the government requires aspiring new British citizens to take. To my great relief I passed it with 90%, only falling down on a question of how long was the hundred years war. I can’t see many people knowing that it was actually 116 years nor indeed how relevant to being British that knowledge is. I would think it better to test prospective citizens on their ability to talk about the weather

In the halcyon days of my youth I was a bit of a rock fan. As well as permanently damaging my ear drums, it has left me with a head full of various song lyrics hollered out to the strains of rapid fire guitar and pounding drums. One such line I recall was an old blues song covered by Cream, where Jack Bruce declaimed that, “If it wasn’t for bad luck I wouldn’t have no luck at all.”

For a while that became something of an anthem for me, as I

It isn’t always easy to see the funny side of things. Often I find it happens in retrospect. Recently I set off for a trip to that fabled land of chocolate and respected home of the European Union, Belgium. After loading up my trusty Satnav with the appropriate maps, I struck out by road. All went well until I approached my destination and it became apparent that the old satnav was struggling. It had taken me far out into the snow swept wilds of the Ardennes and as I peered

 Holy Week

One of my favourite quotes is from the business mentor Stephen Covey, who said that the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. In other words, don’t lose your focus. To achieve that of course, I need to have a clear aim in life on which to focus. For many years I grappled with that, not being altogether clear what I was trying to achieve beyond survival and hopefully a bit of fun now and again. Finding myself struggling on both counts I eventually consulted

Deep in the forests of India there once lived a fierce hunter. Tawny skinned, with blood red eyes, he was like death personified to all animals. With his nets, knives and traps, he stalked among the trees carrying out his terrible business. He took pleasure from killing animals, even when he did not want them for food. Seeing him to be cruel and heartless, all his friends and relatives had shunned him, and he lived alone in a small hut. He survived on wild berries, fruits, and the meat of

In its most recent survey on the subject of God, the National Centre for Social Research found that some ninety percent of us claim to be believers.  One in five even said they had no doubts about God’s existence. Such statistics are perhaps surprising, given that education today tends to steer us toward more atheistic notions such as the’ Big Bang’ and evolution. Surprising also in the face of the widely touted suggestion that religion is the cause of most conflicts, a suggestion seemingly reinforced by the ferocity of some

Ho ho ho.

When we send our children to school obviously we hope that they will be taught the truth. Well, at least some of the time. It seems that painful truths may have to wait, such as the non-existence of Santa Claus. A teacher who recently made the grave error of informing children in her class that Father Christmas was not real found herself out of a job. Parents were furious. “My Joshua came home in tears,” said one anguished mother. “I didn’t know what to say.”

We want our