Author Archives: Vraja Kishor

I had a week or two before Ray would show up in San Diego, so I mostly holed-up in my room upstairs and put together the fourth issue of Enquirer. The main features were interviews with Zack and Porcell. I see these as the first noticeable examples of what would become a rather nasty habit…

Question: What does Prabhupāda mean by the phrase “impersonal brahman”? Brahman is consciousness. There are two conditions of consciousness (and all energies): latent or kinetic – otherwise known as “inactive” and “active.” Active brahman is also called “ātmā” – which means that it has an individuality to it. When consciousness is “activated,” it perceives things, and…

Even after she had expressed herself so feelingly, Pṛthu’s anger did not really subside. Although he did not release his arrows, his lips still trembled with rage. The Earth Goddess knew she must address king Pṛthu again, so she controlled her fear and settled her emotions within herself. “Powerful One,” she said, “Subdue your anger…

I remember an argument where my dad asked, “Love God? How can we love God? He is not here, like you or your mom. We should love each other! That’s how we should love God.” I’m sure my answer again didn’t thrill him. I think I brought up one of Prabhupāda’s analogies about watering the…

When I decided to join the Hare Krishna’s my parents, of course, tried to dissuade me. One of the more memorable arguments my dad offered went something like this, “You say you want to dedicate yourself to serving God, but how do you know what God wants from you? Maybe God wants you to finish…

Mantra-japa (meditation on a mantra) is fun, relaxing, and easy – particularly in bhakti-yoga, where the mantra describes the object of our love. Don’t look at mantra chanting as a chore, or a task, or a challenge. Look at it as an opportunity to rest, relax, and enjoy the happiness, peace and bliss that comes naturally and automatically from the ultimate core of the…

There is a very popular and important Mantra which is an important part of Devī Mahātmya: सर्वमऩ्गलमऩ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थसाधके । शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरी नारायणी नमो स्तु ते ।। sarva-maṅgala-maṅgalye śive sarvārtha-sādhake śaraṇye tryambake gaurī nārāyaṇī namo’stu te This mantra is about “devī” – which means it is about “śakti,” ALL śakti – Śaci, Kali, Durga,…

Question: I read all the stories about Krishna but can’t tie the images in my heart with most of the images people seem to paint. I thought that Krishna doesn’t age beyond 14, and Rādhā too. So why does everyone paint them like adults with so many curves and sexy looks? Krishna and his Gopīs manifest…

Someone may object, “First we perceive a blue object, then a yellow one. This shows that consciousness is neither constant nor eternal.” Yes, blue objects and yellow objects appear and disappear, but the consciousness that perceives them is constant. Objects change, they come and go, but the consciousness that perceives objects does not. The observer…

Question:  Can you explain why we fast from grains on ekadasi? No one has ever been able to explain it to me logically. I mean, for most devotees the fact that srila prabhupada and Lord caitanya recommend it is enough for them. But that’s a faith-based reason, I’m looking for a logic-based explanation. It does make…

“Those who know reality say it is non-dual knowledge.” — 1.2.11 Reality is the most valuable thing any person can attain. Therefore it certainly should be the highest form of happiness, and not diminish or come to an end. Those who understand reality describe it as “non-dual knowledge” – advaya-jñāna. Here, the word “knowledge” (jñāna)…

If you are going to spend an hour-and-a-half ~ two hours (or whatever) chanting a mantra over and over again do it right. Don’t waste your time being half-assed about it, or just pretending to do it on the surface. If you are going to take your time and energy away from your children, spouse, family,…

Ray Cappo / Raghunatha Dasa is one of the best frontmen ever. There is no doubt about it. I say so enthusiastically in my book, while describing the first time I ever saw Youth of Today. What made Ray a great frontman was his exceptionally outgoing charisma and unparalleled ability to control and rally the crowd like…

. This is going to get ugly. And it’s going to be beautiful. Ugliness and beauty will stand shoulder to shoulder – both of them unashamed of their nudity. It has to be like that, because that’s how I lived it. It was an awful train-wreck, and it was a wonderful transcendental journey – at…

I sat next to Zack on the plane back to So Cal, counting money. I had sold about 200 zines for 2 bucks each, and Inside Out had sold some shirts and Shelter had paid us something from the tour, so altogether I made about $600. I put it all back in its envelope and put…

Originally posted on Vic DiCara’s Astrology:
Question: I take it you don’t agree with Sri Yukteswar’s thoughts on the Yugas? As you may know, the difference between Yukteshwar Jī’s yuga and the Purānas’ yuga is that Purāṇas multiply by 360 and he doesn’t. For example, he says Kali Yuga is 1,200 years. Purāṇas multiply this…

Thousands of people quit one job for another, and tons of people quit one band for another, but usually they do so because they think they are getting into a better job, a better band. Quitting Inside Out for Shelter, quite the opposite, was clearly an artistic downgrade, a career demotion, a severance from my…

Rādhā and Krishna’s morning pastimes follow immediately after their pre-dawn pastimes. They have returned to their homes and caught a little sleep. Then… राधांस्नात विभूषितां व्रजपयाहूतां सखीभिः प्रगे तद्गेहे विहितान्न पाकरचनां कृष्णावशेषाशनाम् कृष्णं बुद्धमवाप्त धेनुसदनं निर्व्यूढ गोदोहनं सुस्नातं कृत भोजनं सहचरैस्तां चाथ तं चाश्रये rādhāṁ snāta vibhūṣitāṁ vrajapayāhūtāṁ sakhībhiḥ prage tad-gehe vihitānna pāka racanāṁ kṛṣṇāvaśeṣāśanām…

Question: How does purification work for devotees – purification of anarthas? I always hear devotees say, “this is for your purification,” but how does it work? śṛṇvatām svakathā krishna, punya śravana kīrtana, hṛdyāntaḥ stho hyabhadrānī vidhunoti suhṛt satām This verse from Bhāgavatam (1.2.17) is the answer to your question, and there is no better answer. Abhadra […]

this continues from a previous post As the earth began to reply, she placed herself at his mercy by bowing to him, but she trembled with fear, for he was as angry as death personified. “I surrender to you, the supreme person,” she said, “whose energy expands into all the various forms and bodies within […]

रात्रान्तेत्रस्तवृन्दे रितबहुबिरवैर् बोधितौकीरसारी पद्यैर्हृद्यैरहृद्यैर् अपिसुखशयनाद् उत्तितौतौसखीभिः दृष्टौहृष्टौतदात्वो दितरतिललितौ कक्खतीगीःसशऩ्कौ राधाकृष्णौ सतृष्णाव् अपिनजनजधाम्न्याप्ततल्पौ स्मरामि rātrānte trasta vṛnde / rita bahubi ravair / bodhitau kīra sārī padyair hṛdyair ahṛdyair / api sukha śayanāt / utthitau tau sakhībhiḥ dṛṣṭau hṛṣṭau tadātvo/dita rati lalitau / kakkhatī gīḥ saśaṅkau rādhā-kṛṣṇau satṛṣṇav / api nija nija dhām / nyāpta talpau smarāmi […]

The Articles Article 1: Hare (Rādhā) Article 2: Krishna Articles 3 & 4: Repeat Articles 1 and 2. Articles 5 & 6: Repeat Article 2, twice. Articles 7 & 8: Repeat Article 1, twice. Article 9: Hare – as in Article 1. Article 10: Rāma – Rādhā’s lover. Articles 11 & 12: Repeat Articles 9 and 10. Articles 13 & 14: Repeat Article 10, twice. […]

Consciousness is “light” (jyoti) because light illuminates the world and makes it perceptible. External objects are described as “dark” (tamas) because they are insentient. Yes, this is a dualistic paradigm, but is nonetheless useful and accurate because it describes the situation in the external world – which in fact is a dualistic reality. Infinite lights […]

This tale of Pṛthu’s confrontation with the Earth Goddess continues from my previous post. “I will destroy you,” Pṛthu replied, “because you do not observe my orders.” She would certainly wonder, “what orders did you ever give me?” So he explained that he was referring to the standing order that the gods must reciprocate with […]

Shelter, Inside Out, Quicksand – Summer Tour 1990… It wasn’t a tour; it was the big bang, the the beginning of a completely new chapter in the history of rock music. Shelter was the dawn of Krishna-core, a genre that would dominate straightedge for at least four or five years. Quicksand would spawn the post-hardcore […]

Bhāgavata 4, Chapter 17, tells the tale of King Pṛthu ending a severe famine. During this tale, the earth manifests as a Cow-woman and says several very important things, especially about how women should be treated… The philosophers had coronated Pṛthu and declared him the protector of the people, so the citizens – emaciated from […]

kuñjād goṣṭhaṁ niśānte / praviśati kurute / dohanānnāśanādyāṁ From the groves to the villiage at dawn making his return. Then sleeping, having breakfast, and milking the cows. prātaḥ sāyaṁ ca līlāṁ / viharati sakhibhiḥ / saṅgave cārayan gāḥ Enjoying play day and night  enjoying with his girlfriends enjoying and moving among them madyāhne cātha naktaṁ / vilasati […]

“You mentioned that Pṛthu would ‘milk the earth,’” Vidura asked Maitreya. “The earth has so many forms, why would she chose to appear to Pṛthu as a cow? What sort of ‘milk’ did she give? Who was her calf? What did Pṛthu use as a milking pot?” “You mentioned that Pṛthu would level the mountains […]

Q: I have been reading your “A Simple Gita” and there are many things I like about it. For example, the very clear and modern language, which makes me think about what Krishna says in a slightly different way, which makes the message sink in better. For example, I like how you have replaced the word […]

Ray Cappo was on the east coast getting Shelter ready for the hordes of Youth of Today fans. I was on the west coast doing Inside Out and Enquirer zine. Between the two of us, and a few others like Kalki of Razor’s Edge, Krishna was pushing into the hardcore scene in a huge way. […]

I set out to do a second issue of Enquirer – this time without all the dot-matrix stuff that was all over the first issue. My dad now had an actual laser printer for the text, and I used a photocopier more than a prehistoric photo-editor to make the graphics. Using a typewriter I wrote […]

The monistic Theory of Division states: “Brahman is like the sky. Parts of the sky can be divided by being contained within pots. When the pot is made of ignorance, the Brahman within is an individual (jīva). When the pot is made of knowledge, the Brahman within is the master of illusion (Īśvara), God.” This […]

Ever since I heard a recording of someone singing it at Rādhā-Ramaṇa mandīr in Vṛndāvan, I’ve been charmed by the opening verse of Krishnadās Kavirāja’s Govinda-līlāmṛta. श्री गोविन्दं व्रजानन्दं सन्दोहानन्दमन्दिरम् । वन्दे वृन्दावनानन्दं श्री राधासऩ्गनन्दितम् ।। śrī go vin daṁ vra jā nan daṁ | san do hā nan da man di ram van de […]

I used to go to LA’s FOLK (“Friends of Lord Krishna”) dinners on Wednesdays in the building right next to the temple. One night, a black devotee walked up the stairs to give the lecture while we ate, seated on the floor in front of our low tables. He looked incredibly cool with imposing muscles under his […]

What is the “superior nature” inherent in the jīva? Pure sentience. This nature is described as “superior” because sentience is superior to the insentient objects of external reality. Why would a jīva forfeit her superior nature? She is mesmerized. By what? She is mesmerized by the desire to enjoy the fascinating qualities of the inferior, […]

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam recounts how King Pṛthu was glorified during his coronation ceremony. In Canto Four, Chapter 16, Text 17, we hear this: मातृभक्तिः परस्त्रीषु पत्न्यामर्ध इवात्मनः mātṛ-bhaktiḥ para-strīṣu, patnyām ardha ivātmanaḥ He will treat his wife as if she were half of his own self, and treat all other women with the same devotion he […]

My first gurus were my father and mother, who taught me how to think and feel. My first Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava-bhakti-yoga guru was Prabhupāda, Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī, via his books – especially the Śrī Īśopaniṣad and Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is. My first personal mentor was Ray Cappo (now Raghunātha dāsa). He did a good job, considering […]

By the discussion that arose from my previous posts on this topic (Traditional vs. Modern Approach and the followup) I came to realize that I was in error to depict the dynamic as if it was a problem limited to ISKCON and Gauḍīya Maṭha. I realize now that many, many gurus outside those institutions also have […]

I posted an article yesterday about how the modern approach to guru-disciple relationship is inefficient, but the traditional approach – in which the guru accepts few disciples and gives them full attention – is much better. Many people responded by pointing to gurus who had thousands of disciples, and disciples who spent half a minute with their […]

The Modern Approach By “modern approach” I mean the way the guru-diciple dynamic is implemented in most of the Gauḍīya Maṭh and ISKCON. We start out with a relatively advanced practitioner of bhakti, who attracts from the masses a few people who take bhakti  seriously enough to become novices. The relatively advanced guru continues to reach […]