Author Archives: Nicole

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 September 2014, Pretoria, South Africa, House Program) Srila Prabhupada came to the Western world. In the Western world, he began his movement and after a short time, he was successful in the Lower East Side. He began to attract some devotees. One of these devotees is Brahmananda Prabhu. I have been […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 22 May 2014, Prague, Czech Republic, Bhagavad-gita 7.20) Question: We have those other material desires and still we should engage in devotional service with determination. Can you specify more elaborately what does this point it mean, that we should engage with determination? It means that even when we have material desires, we do […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 22 May 2014, Czech Republic Temple, Bhagavad-gita 7.20) Actually material desires are not our problem because material desires will be washed away by devotional service. It is offences against the holy name that is a complication because that will slow down the cleansing process. Otherwise, we are not worried (about material desires). It […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 June 2014, Stockholm, Sweden, Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.75) I will tell you the story of André. Some of you may have heard it… There was a devotee in Holland who was always very eager to preach. He was the kind of person who was very friendly to everyone and with strangers, […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 June 2014, Stockholm, Sweden, Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.75) Sadhana-bhakti is like the Ganga. When we take bath in Mayapur, in the Ganga, then on the side, the water is not moving very much – it is slow. If you want to move in the water then you have to swim on your […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 June 2014, Stockholm, Sweden, Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.75) Sometimes, it is nice to remember that kind of magic shortcut of giving out the mercy. It is amazing what mercy one can give. I sometimes tell the story of how I was in the Netherlands and I had to do a program in […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 08 June 2014, Stockholm, Sweden, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.5.14) I used to think, before I came to Krsna consciousness, that now I would join a movement of very like-minded people and that I would feel very intimate friendship. Then, I was shocked to see that that person who I kind of detested for […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 08 June 2014, Stockholm, Sweden, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.5.14) Everything ultimately reminds us of Krsna and attachment to Krsna becomes very deep. This is where philosophy comes to life. What is the point of philosophy without attachment? What is the point? It is nice to understand that Krsna is behind everything. Knowledge helps to […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.4.49-50) I like in the Bhagavad-gita that when austerity is mentioned – there is the austerity of the body, austerity of speech and austerity of the mind. It is mentioned that the austerity of the mind is to be satisfied. So, since when is it […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 April 2014, Durban, South Africa, Lecture: The real meaning of charity) Charity begins at home! It begins with us being generous not only with our money but with ourselves. Vaisnava charity means to give yourself. It is like, we do not ask for your money but we ask for you. Give […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.4.49-50) In India, in village life, some people grow up very simple. When you ask them, “How old are you?” they do not know… Some people do not know their birthday. “How old are you?” “25, 26.” “Are you 25 or are you 26? What is it?” […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.4.49-50) We must, somehow or other, connect to Krsna and that changes everything. We had this one kirtan, a Ratha Yatra actually in South Africa, in Newcastle and it was raining cats and dogs, as they say in English. When it rains cats and dogs, you […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 9 March 2014, Sydney, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.6.11) I have some cartoons. This cartoon shows, first picture – a child, you know, baby just born and the caption says, “Too young.” Next picture shows a couple in love, hand-in-hand, full moon behind them, “Too much in love.” Next picture shows a family, […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.4.49-50) We see that Srila Prabhupada also had a positive outlook. He was seeing how nice it is that there are devotees who are chanting. How nice that we have the deities. How nice is it, this spiritual life. Prabhupada asked, “What is better? Who […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.4.49-50) Our purposes are fixed and we do not let obstructing circumstances to block us permanently. Somehow or other, we must go through and to fulfill our purpose – to chant sixteen rounds and to follow four regulative principles – because that is our first […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 01 April 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Evening Lecture) We may think, “What about my security? I need some security; like a little money in the bank, a credit card maybe. You know, just in case, something happens. Need to be prepared. What about my security?” But a vaisnava’s security is his goodwill; his goodwill with the […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 09 March 2014, Sydney, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.6.11) sarva mahā-guṇa-gaṇa vaiṣṇava-śarīre kṛṣṇa-bhakte kṛṣṇera guṇa sakali sañcāre (CC Madhya 22.75) This verse is saying that all the good qualities are present within the body of a vaisnava. All the good qualities of Krsna are actually manifesting in the devotee. So it is interesting […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 02 April 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, BYS Lecture) A saint in one tradition,one morning came out of the house, carrying a bucket with fire and a bucket with water. People said, “Ooooh, what you gonna do with all of that?” And the saint said, “With the water, I will put out […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 March 2014, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.52) We are not free; we are not free to live the life that we want: prakrteh kriyamanani, gunaih karmani sarvasah (The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 March 2014, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.52) Karma arranges amazing things – amazing, inconceivable things. How could it all come about? There is the karmic story about the man who went snorkeling in Spain, far into the ocean with his flippers. There was a forest fire and one of these big […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 20 March 2014, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.52) Because we are in the spiritual world, we are not really here in this material world. We’re only here because the spiritual world is covered by some cloud of illusion and it seems that we are in the material world, but actually we are […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 28 December 2013, Mayapur, India, Srimad Bhagavatam 5.10.24) One journalist came to Srila Prabhupada. He had done some homework. He said to Srila Prabhupada that he heard that the pure devotee always represents Krsna and acts according to Krsna’s will. So he asked, ”How does the pure devotee know Krsna’s will?” Then Rameshwar, […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 01 October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.1) More and more devotees are becoming vegan because they say milk is not pure; so much cruelty to the cows is involved now. But Srila Prabhupada was not fanatic about this. Srila Prabhupada felt that milk was very important, that we needed it for […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 01 October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.1) Many things are considered justified in the name of sankirtan. You know, in the name of sankirtan, you can do any damn thing! I wouldn’t think so. I think that even in the name of sankirtan, sankirtan devotees should be careful and should avoid unnecessary suffering […]

 (Kadamba Kanana Swami, 28 December 2013, Mayapur, India, Srimad Bhagavatam 5.10.24) One small anecdote comes to mind about Srila Prabhupada. It was late in the evening and Srila Prabhupada sat down to do translation work, at eleven o’ clock at night. So he invited a devotee, a brahmacāri to come and sit with him. He said, “Come […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 16 December 2013, Sandton, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.17.38) Krsna is like the sun, maya is like darkness; wherever there is Krsna, maya’s influence cannot be there. So in this way, we don’t have to fear. We don’t have to think, “How will I conquer? How will I ever conquer this illusory energy? I feel weak”. Then […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 December 2013, Midrand, South Africa, Evening Lecture) Prabhupada was saying, “How did this miracle happen to me? I’m an old man, I’m an old man. I am a foreigner. I came to America, I didn’t have any money.” Old man, foreigner, no money. Who’s gonna listen to him? Nobody will care […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 December 2013, Midrand, South Africa, Evening Lecture) It is the nature of Krsna that he wants to give the glory to his devotee because Krsna serves his devotee as the devotee is serving him. So, it is a mutual thing. It’s not like here is God and there is the living […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 December 2013, Midrand, South Africa, Evening Lecture) To be part of this movement means to become thoroughly honest, it is said. Thoroughly honest, it is not about not speaking a lie but it is more about being completely dedicated to speaking the absolute truth, Krsna, and not hiding it! Krsna, it’s […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 December 2011, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.13.46) When Krsna puts jewels on his body, the jewels get more beautiful. Usually it’s the other way around, you know what I mean, but in the case of Krsna, the jewels get more beautiful. Therefore devotees are interested in Krsna. In Jiva […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 21 November 2012, Cape Town, South Africa, Evening Talk) Philosophy helps us to remember how everything is connected to Krsna, even when we forget him all the time. I mean, I’ve given these examples of how good we are in forgetting Krsna. I mean, we can chant sixteen rounds and not think of Krsna […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 02 July 2013, Vrndavana, India, Bhagavad-gita 14.22-25) So when we are looking at the first of these four verses (BG 14.22-25), prakāśaḿ ca pravṛttiḿ ca moham eva ca pāṇḍava, we can see, “O son of Pāṇḍu, he who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present or long for […]