Do the Vedas teach that only brahmanas by birth can become brahmanas?
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The post Do the Vedas teach that only brahmanas by birth can become brahmanas? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The TOVP Masterplan
- TOVP.org

It has been created by one of our Russian architects, Rangavati dasi, who has been with the TOVP since 2013.

We are trying to create the most aesthetic and colorful gardens in India for the pleasure of the Lord.

By clicking on an icon number, you will get a glimpse of how magnificent the surrounding TOVP gardens will look. There are currently 2 sections available: Vegetation and Outdoor furniture.

Here is the link for the masterplan: http://masterplan.tovp.org

NOTE: For best visual experience please follow the following guidelines.

Use FULLSCREEN mode to get the best visual experience. Fullscreen mode can be activated by clicking an icon in the top left corner of the map.

Please be patient while the images load initially. Due to their large size (high resolution) it will take some time to load the maps fully. And then, when you click each pin/point on the map the first time wait for each image to load fully, it will autoposition itself properly on the map. The second and all consequtive times you load the map and each point it will open almost instantly.

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Why are the same pastimes described differently in different scriptures?
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March 2. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations. Satsvarupa…
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March 2. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Typing His Words.
In February 1966 Prabhupada spoke, over the space of two lectures, what later became the introduction to his Bhagavad-gita As It Is. He recorded these lectures himself and we typed them later. In a 1968 letter to me, Prabhupada wrote, “You have to meet many opposing elements in the matter of preaching work; therefore, you should always be careful to follow the principles in Bhagavad-gita As It Is. You will be glad to know that our arrangement with Macmillan for publishing Bhagavad-gita As It Is, is already complete and the manuscript has been handed over to them. We should clearly preach that our Krishna consciousness movement is purely based on Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Any other movement which does not tally with the principles of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, is considered unauthorized by us.”
I was still typing for him in 1968 despite many opposing elements. Typing is yoga. You sit on the floor cross-legged in front of the typewriter. Instead of performing pranayama and raising the life air in the cakras, you type the words of Swamiji from the Bhagavad-gita manuscript. If you make a mistake in typing, then stop and correct it. Everything is concentrated on looking at the message and making it right. Thinking of typing as yoga gives a nice spirit to the work, but the most important thing is that it is in connection with the Swamiji. It is his words of Bhagavad-gita. Besides the recorded lectures, he had bundles of thousands of pages that he had typed, wrapped in saffron and lying on the floor in his closet. When he first took some typing out of this mass of material and gave it to me, I remarked, “I think you have enough work to last me a whole winter.” Swamiji laughed and said, “I have many lifetimes of work for you.”
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=6

How can we tune our consciousness so that Krishna manifests therein?
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ISKCON Leadership Sanga (ILS) Attendees Pledge $250,000 to TOVP
- TOVP.org

The ILS seminars in Sridhama Mayapur during ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary celebrations and the Gaur Purnima Festival are underway and a dynamic partnership with the TOVP Fundraising Team is helping to facilitate this year’s seminars.

These seminars are organized every two years under the direction of Gopal Bhatta prabhu to educate, train and inspire ISKCON devotees in different areas of management, outreach, devotee care and much more. They are attended by hundreds of GBC’s, sannyasis, Temple Presidents, Congregational Development leaders, Bhakti Vrksha leaders and general devotees from all over the world.

This year also brought some additional inspiration and excitement to the gathering when the attendees themselves forged together to combinedly pledge $250,000 to the TOVP which included a $100,000 donation from Gopal Bhatta himself. The TOVP Team is very appreciative of this generous action which will undoubtedly be a springboard for further contributions during the Gaur Purnima Festival.

Visit the ILS website for more information: www.ilsglobal.org.

The post ISKCON Leadership Sanga (ILS) Attendees Pledge $250,000 to TOVP appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Don’t Look Back
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Yesterday I went on Parikrama, which literally means to “walk around.” Circumambulation of holy places has a symbolic meaning – to always keep our spiritual aspirations central and close, regardless of where we are in life (whatever point on the circle, one is never further away from the centre).

Bhagavatam study 34 01.7.44-51 Differences in opinion arise from differences in focus of perception
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Gita 10.03 – Understanding Krishna’s position frees us from sins
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Gita verse-by-verse study Podcast


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England, 02 February 2016
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Written by Nandan

Class at the Manor, Srimad Bhagavatam 10.2.19

After a short and sweet recital of the Jaya Radha Madhava prayers, Maharaj gave a nice class about how to get more engaged in devotional service and withstand the debilitating effects of the material energy. Maharaj usually has a very commanding presence and this time, despite being understated and in his demeanour; he still had that powerful presence about him. It was like the power and potency was all there inside him, but he wasn’t unleashing it like he normally would. It was coiled up and controlled. When the devotees at the Manor were seeing him, it was evident he was having an impact on them through his words and behaviour. But those who know him well reckoned he was more nuanced, not his usual bold self.

Maharaj came out with various points but the essence was that it doesn’t matter whether you’re a super-duper pandit, whether you’re in saffron, whether you wear a huge kavacha or a huge Tulasi leaf. It doesn’t matter that you’re a big, big Maharaj or an ultra-fixed up Brahmin with a 6 string thread or even a 12 string thread. NONE of these things matter. None of that will make you immune to the material energy. There is only one thing, only one thing that works and that is absorption, getting absorbed in Krishna’s service. That will help us to rise above the material level…

Later on that evening…

Maharaj was back at Krishna Kirtan Prabhu’s house and getting ready to go to a house program at Suan Mataji’s house (Maharaj’s enterprising Chinese disciple). Whilst getting ready, Maharaj got to meet one of the new brahmacharis from the Manor who was coming along to the program. His name was Ryan, an English chap who also happened to be a PhD scientist specialising in biology. The conversation they had was amazing. Initially, it was all about the Ayurvedic doshas, and Maharaj showed another side by demonstrating an astonishingly in-depth understanding of how the doshas work and their symptoms. He even went as far as identifying the combination of different doshas within various devotees, including himself (mainly pitta but with a solid dose of vata as well, in case you’re wondering!).

It then went onto the topic of varnashrama, but Maharaj also asserted that varnashrama is not an end in itself. It’s a secondary thing; we also have to go beyond our duties at some point. Varnashrama is like the goldsmith gently tinkering away whilst sankirtan is the sledgehammer. He then extolled on the glories of Michael Cremo and Richard Thomson who did amazing work in the field of scientific preaching.

Maharaj and Ryan spoke on the famous Stonehenge site in England and how the formation of columns there corresponds to the location of planets. And in Mexico, you’ll get Vedic observatory sites like the ‘Jantar Mantar’ observatory in Rajasthan. Maharaj explained how modern history is sadly mistaken about so many things. Why think there’s only a world culture now and to think it supposedly advanced? The ancient Egyptians had papyrus boats to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Modern day experts have tried to replicate that and continuously failed.  What the West has done now is make its own history and stopped at Egypt and Greece with Greece being the focal point and the “East remaining the East”. And this was all compounded with the West coming under the influence of a very Christian dominated paradigm.

In the car, Maharaj was speaking about the poems of Srila Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur and Narottamma Das Thakur and made the point that even when you put up so many measures to be above lust, Kamadeva will keep coming back, never doubt that! Amongst other things, Maharaj also extracted a beautiful realisation from one of the contributors (most likely Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya) in the Padyavali where the person states, “I’m not a poet, nor scholar, nor debater, nor philosopher but just a rascal servant of Krishna.”

Finally, we arrived at Suan Mataji’s house. It was a nice and cosy place near the edge of a forest just outside of London. Being a Chinese devotee, her home had an interesting mix of very devotional paraphernalia like Vaishnava paintings, books and sculptures juxtaposed with classic Chinese paraphernalia like those traditional lanterns with red and gold motifs. Curiously enough, on the wall of her living room was a humongous map of the world. Maybe it’s to keep Suan Mataji motivated in her mission to take over the world and flood it with the Holy name!!

And of course in the centre of her room were gorgeous deities of Gaura Nitai. The crowd was mostly Chinese students, bankers and doctors but there were also a few European and Nepali students as well. Maharaj started explaining how he’s originally from Holland on the other side of the world (from China that is). He recalled how his mother told him that if you dig deep enough, you will land on the other side, in China! Of course, he has been traveling for the last 45 years and spending a lot of his life in India. It has that ancient classical culture which is still being practiced even though it is vanishing in many other places like Europe and China. Now most of the world’s cultures are being replaced with the modern culture of economic development. Even China had its ancient culture based on Confucius which was a lot more thoughtful than the modern way.

Maharaj explained what mantra meditation was and particularly the kirtan aspect of it, with music etc. Naturally some kirtan followed. In line with Maharaj’s mood this trip, it was mellow but beautiful; conjuring up images of going down a beautiful country path in Vrindavana. Lilting and haunting, Maharaj alternated seamlessly between classic melodies. What is more, the kirtan was perfectly in sync with the cosy surroundings. It was reminiscent of a traditional Vaishnava gathering from the days of yore. But in the middle of a warm grotto, in splendid contrast to the cold weather outside.

Maharaj spoke some more on various topics such as his own life story, and how he got into spirituality. He was born in Holland just after the war. The main ethos then was to build and build, money and economics. But when his generation came of age, they became disillusioned with all the materialism. At that time, the Beatles came out with the song ‘money can’t but you love‘ and they sang it to their parents. He sang it to his parents. And that’s when his journey started. Of course, his situation was also rather unique, he revealed how his parents left the planet when they were relatively young so the family kind of disintegrated and his siblings weren’t exactly fans of his new found spirituality… and they still aren’t.

Maharaj also elaborated on the subject of consciousness and how it shapes our perspective on life. One minute you’re in love and everything seems like paradise, the next minute your girlfriend shafts you and you’re in hell, just like that! Some brief conception of the three modes was also given, culminating in the understanding that we’re not actually these bodies. They are simply vehicles and we’re the souls. To devotees these concepts are so established that often they can lose their novelty but to outsiders these are real paradigm shifters. When looking around the room, as Maharaj was giving these eternal truths, the audience was absolutely riveted. It actually made one reminisce when one began in Krishna consciousness and the philosophy was so fresh and revolutionary. Before Krishna holds back the nectar tap a little, so that we go a little deeper of our own accord!

It was mentioned how so many teachers were coming from India in the sixties but Srila Prabhupada was the one that stood out. And he touched Maharaj so deeply that he’s been with this path for over 40 years. So after all these years what is there left? Maharaj declared,
“Of course, I can retire at this point. But I won’t because I’m having too much fun!”

In the end, Maharaj glorified the wonderful Suan who bought everyone together and rustled up an amazing feast made of Indian and Far Eastern items such as Vietnamese spring rolls; dumplings; fried karela sabji; paneer curry with aubergine, courgettes and potato; rice and plum crumble with double cream. And of course, no Chinese sanga feast would be complete without fortune cookies!

HH Kadamba Kanana Maharaj ki Jai!

 

02Feb2016_UK (4) 02Feb2016_UK (2) 02Feb2016_UK (5) 02Feb2016_UK (3) 02Feb2016_UK (6)

 

Mauritius Plans New School, Medical Center for 50th. ISKCON of…
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Mauritius Plans New School, Medical Center for 50th.
ISKCON of Phoenix, Mauritius, is planning a whole host of exciting events and projects for ISKCON’s 50th anniversary year, including a new school and medical center, and the groundbreaking for a new $3 million temple.
Devotees have already secured a 5-acre plot of land in the town of Phoenix in the center of the island, and hope to hold the groundbreaking ceremony within the next few months.
The ambitious project, which is expected to take a minimum of three years to construct, will include a 600 to 800-capacity temple hall for Radha-Golokananda, a guest house and accommodation for devotees, a prasadam hall, a conference hall, exhibition areas, an auditorium and a five-star restaurant. It will blend traditional domes with modern western features.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/gH7JVi

A visit to the Temple of Vedic Planetarium in Mayapur by the…
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A visit to the Temple of Vedic Planetarium in Mayapur by the Grade 2 students of SMIS (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Sometimes it is very risky to give great philosophical instructions to ordinary people, but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, for the benefit of the fallen souls of Kali-yuga, has given us a very nice instrument, the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.10.18 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/frba1B

ISKCON Leadership Sanga (ILS) Attendees Pledge $250,000 to TOVP
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By Praghosa Das

The ILS seminars in Sridhama Mayapur during ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary celebrations and the Gaur Purnima Festival are underway and a dynamic partnership with the TOVP Fundraising Team is helping to facilitate this year’s seminars.

These seminars are organized every two years under the direction of Gopal Bhatta prabhu to educate, train and inspire ISKCON devotees in different areas of management, outreach, devotee care and much more. They are attended by hundreds of GBC’s, sannyasis, Temple Presidents, Congregational Development leaders, Bhakti Vrksha leaders and general devotees from all over the world.

This year also brought some additional inspiration and excitement to the gathering when the attendees themselves forged together to combinedly pledge $250,000 to the TOVP which included a $100,000 donation from Gopal Bhatta himself. The TOVP Team is very appreciative of this generous action which will undoubtedly be a springboard for further contributions during the Gaur Purnima Festival.

Visit the ILS website for more information: www.ilsglobal.org

Preaching program at Sagar Institute of Research & Technology collage, Bhopal, India
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On Monday, 15th February 2016, HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja addressed approximately 600 students and congregational members at Sagar Institute of Research & Technology collage, Bhopal (India). HH Bhakti Prema Swami Maharaj also accompanied Maharaj in this program.

Maharaja was enthusiastically greeted by the audience and after Maharaja arrived, a drama named “Live from Ahobilam” was performed. Thereafter, Guru Maharaja started the program with a very wonderful prayer. Maharaja began the class and described the glories of Sri Narsimhadeva and Prahalada Maharaja. He also glorified the actors for their wonderful acting skills and presentations.

In the class Maharaja focused on the concept of devotion where he also discussed the philosophy of scriptures depicting the transmigration of the souls from one body to another and the cycle of birth and death. Maharaja said that the best way of understanding the Lord is by directing ourselves on the track that is illuminated by “Bhagavad Gita As It Is”. He said that “the best way to understand the taste of pudding is by tasting it”. Similarly, the best way to understand devotion is by practicing it. He also said that Krishna and Arjuna had the conversation to cultivate the instruction of devotion within his devotees. Maharaja said that the best way to understand any person is asking him directly, similarly to know the Lord, you need to read His book of instructions “Bhagavad Gita As It Is”. Maharaja gave the conclusion in Hindi Tro accommodate the Hindi speaking audience.

Maharaja also answered several questions asked by the students, which was followed by an ecstatic kirtan led by Him. Many students joined Maharaja on stage dancing in the kirtan with Maharaja. In this way the program was concluded.

The next day, 16th February 2016, Maharaja gave Srimad Bhagvatam class at ISKCON Bhopal temple. HH Bhakti Prema Swami accompanied Maharaja. After that Maharaja visited “Transcendental classes”, a coaching institute opened by the local ISKCON youth forum devotees.

Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj graces Bhopal
Bhakti Charu Swami

On Monday, 15th February 2016, HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja addressed approximately 600 students and congregational members at Sagar Institute of Research & Technology collage, Bhopal (India). HH Bhakti Prema Swami Maharaj also accompanied Maharaj in this program. Maharaja was enthusiastically greeted by the audience and after Maharaja arrived, a drama named “Live from Ahobilam” was […]

The post Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj graces Bhopal appeared first on Bhakti Charu Swami.

Everything Srila Prabhupada did, he did for our benefit, for the…
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Everything Srila Prabhupada did, he did for our benefit, for the benefit of the living entities and especially for his disciples.
Ambarish: I found a palatial estate that was the Fisher Mansion and later became the Bhaktivedanta Cultural Center. We went there to look at it, and Srila Prabhupada immediately liked it. He mentioned, “Who would not like such a building?”
Govardhan said, “Well, Ambarish doesn’t like it.” It was dirty, and there were dogs in it, and the neighborhood was really bad. I couldn’t see what was going to happen to it, but Prabhupada had a vision of what this place could be.
Govardhan said, “Ambarish thinks it’s maya.” Prabhupada said, “Yes, but Krishna is also maya, and maya can be utilized in the service of Krishna.”
After we looked at the building, we went to see the man who owned it. We were sitting by his pool. He was materialistic and greedy and wanted as much money as he could get, but the neighborhood was so bad that I couldn’t see how he was possibly going to get that much money, three-hundred-fifty thousand.
Prabhupada told the man that he liked the building. He said, “Of course, we’re mendicants, we’re monks, we don’t have much money.” He suggested that the man give the building.
The man was cool. He didn’t seem too shocked with that suggestion, but the real-estate lady almost fell over backwards in her chair, because she was counting on her commission. Her jaw dropped when Prabhupada said that.
The owner was respectful and said he couldn’t possibly do that, as he had invested money in the property. So they settled on a price, and Prabhupada asked if Lekhashravanti and I could come up with the money. We ended up purchasing the building that way.
We were walking in the gardens, when Prabhupada explained that he wanted to make this Detroit building a showplace for Krishna consciousness. He specifically mentioned putting in diorama exhibitions.
He was very enthusiastic about these diorama exhibitions because his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, had used dioramas throughout India as an effective way of preaching.
Prabhupada saw that non-devotees like Disney were using them, and he wanted us to have them. Dioramas were one of the first things that I wanted to get working on when we bought the property.
I was concerned with the neighborhood because there was a lot of crime and burned-out buildings. Prabhupada said “If you simply bring Krishna here, everything will improve.” At the time, I didn’t have much faith in that, but it’s well known how the neighborhood has improved.
Now there are luxury condominiums there, and there’s the first new housing development within the city limits of Detroit in forty or fifty years.
The whole neighborhood has been transformed, and they have said specifically that it’s because the temple is there. Prabhupada could see that this was going to happen.
What I learned from this experience was that simply by following the instructions of the spiritual master, you become successful. As disciples, we don’t have to try to be innovative or think up new things, but just by following Prabhupada’s directions things will work out.
Prabhupada could see past, present, and future because he was in touch with Krishna. The Detroit building has worked out really well.
It has become a wonderful center and people who would never visit any other temple come there. I think Prabhupada would be very pleased with the way things developed.
The night after the new temple was purchased, the real-estate lady and her partner, two middle-aged Polish women, came to congratulate Prabhupada. They both were intoxicated and were laughing.
Prabhupada was kind and friendly with them, and he was very happy too, because he had purchased the building at a good price. Prabhupada didn’t discriminate. He always made whomever came feel comfortable. His attitude was so personable it was amazing.
During the last few months of his life, I knew Prabhupada was really ill, but I never thought that he was going to depart. I thought, “How can he leave? He can’t leave us now,” so I did not go to India.
In retrospect I wish I had gone, but Govardhan, the president of the Detroit temple, went, and when he first went into Prabhupada’s presence, Prabhupada said, “How is Ambarish?”
He was on his departure bed, yet he was asking how I was doing. It’s amazing to me that he was always so concerned. Right up to the end, he was translating and giving instructions.
Everything he did, he did for our benefit, for the benefit of the living entities and especially for his disciples. It’s such an example of love. I never knew what love was before I met Srila Prabhupada.
I had no idea, because we get so many perverted reflections. He was an example of Krishna’s love, and it is amazing that we’re able to see that.
—Ambarish
Excerpt from “Memories-Anecdotes of a Modern-Day Saint”
by Siddhanta das
www.prabhupadamemories.com

Day 7of ILS: Connection with ISKCON
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1st March 2016, Mayapur, India

By Romapada Das

At the pre-launch of ISKCON Connection on the 7th day of the ILS, Praharana Devi Dasi explained that the new initiative will help connect every devotee to our worldwide community. ISKCON Connection, which will be formally launched on Gaura Purnima day this year, is a 50th anniversary initiative.

“Any ISKCON devotee can register on the website, and will be able to connect to other ISKCON devotees, become familiar with GBC activities, be nurtured in spiritual life, and access a secure database of ISKCON members,” said Praharana Devi Dasi in her introductory talk.

Devotees can fill a form on the prelaunch site at www.iskconconnection.org straight away, but they will get a welcome letter and be able to access the facilities on the site after its formal launch on 23rd March.

In the next presentation, Kaunteya Das presented ISKCON’s 3 ecosystems made of the guru-disciple relationship, ISKCON as an organisation, and society at large. He explained that these ecosystems were interconnected and interdependent, but not interchangeable.

“Srila Prabhupada has told us that human society means that which is making progress towards spiritual realisation,” commented Kaunteya. “There may be differences that may sometimes surface between the needs and priorities of the management and those of the spiritual master, but these can be resolved. An organisation without the spiritual mentorship of a Guru is dead, and a social ecosystem without spirituality is mundane.”

After the plenary sessions in the morning, ILS delegates had to walk through the Expo area surrounded by different booths hosted by various ISKCON projects. Booths included those set up by the Tribal Care Initiative Mayapur, Govardhan Eco Village, Mayapur Chandrodaya Temple, Congregation Development Ministry, BBT, Museum of the Sacred Art, Back to Godhead, Kirtan Academy, VOICE and many others.

Bhakta Ashwin from ISKCON Pune NVCC who was hosting the VOICE stall said, “VOICE has been training and educating youth since 1996 and over 10,000 students have participated in different courses. It also has over a dozen youth hostels across the country close to prestigious colleges. ILS delegates who came to our stall appreciated the wide variety of training and preaching material we have here for youth, corporates, congregation and children.”

At the Kirtan Academy booth nearby, Chaitanya Chintamani Dasi was upbeat about promoting a 3-month course on kirtans.

“Mother Laxmimoni told us that the Kirtan Academy was the best kept secret of Mayapur,” she laughed. “Therefore we set this booth up and signed up many interested people whom we will contact later for our courses. It has been good to just get the word out and see how positive people feel about our work.”

The President of ISKCON Chennai, Sumithra Krishna Das felt that the booths and stalls at ILS helped him to get timely and up-to-date information about preaching activities and tools. “The best part were the free gifts so many of the stalls were handing out,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “However, it rained heavily on the second day. Water clogged the access area, and we could not get inside. The organisers helpfully sanded the entire area, and we could get access to the stalls the following day.”

Krishna Jhan Das from ISKCON Guyana expressed admiration for the commitment and dedication of the devotees who had set up the different stalls.

“They are helping Srila Prabhupada push our movement to the next level,” he concluded. “I have had a lifetime of experience by coming here, and hope to share this knowledge and apply it when I get back to my country.”

THINK 50! Act 50!

Source: http://iskconnews.org/day-7of-ils-connection-with-iskcon,5430/

Day 7of ILS: Connection with ISKCON
→ ISKCON News

At the pre-launch of ISKCON Connection on the 7th day of the ILS, Praharana Devi Dasi explained that the new initiative will help connect every devotee to our worldwide community. ISKCON Connection, which will be formally launched on Gaura Purnima day this year, is a 50th anniversary initiative.

Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir – SB Class, 01 March 2016: HG Prasanta Devi Dasi
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Speaker: HG Prasanta Devi Dasi
Venue: Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir
Date: 01 March 2016

So I am begging for the blessings of all my teachers and all of you assembled here. We shall listen, study a verse from the Fourth Canto, 30th Chapter, called the Activities of the Pracetas, this is verse 35, one of my favourite verses. Please repeat.

yatredyante katha mrstas
trsnayah prasamo yatah
nirvairam yatra bhutesu
nodvego yatra kascana

Translation:
“Whenever pure topics of the transcendental world are discussed, the members of the audience forget all kinds of material hankerings, at least for the time being. Not only that, but they are no longer envious of one another, nor do they suffer from anxiety or fear.”

So this is a very beautiful, interesting verse, as are all the verses of Srimad Bhagavatam, meant to turn our consciousness back towards the lotus feet of Sri Krishna, meant to teach us how to see Krishna, how to see Him everywhere. Because this is the solution to all the ills of the material world, the material society.

Srila Prabhupada explains in this verse, the characteristic of this world. It is full of envy. It is indeed the characteristic of this world. As soon as we accept a material body, Prahlada Maharaja says dehinam, those who are materially embodied, they are immediately full of anxiety. And one of the anxieties is that somehow we cannot conceive of a world where everyone is a well-wisher of another. There is envy in our heart and there is envy in the heart of others. And when interact with each other we suffer the results of that envy.

In Srimad Bhagavatam as been given to us, its our great great good fortune, to remove this awful conditioning, which is completely the opposite of what our original nature is about. Srila Prabhupada explains that Krishna katha, as we hear many times is non-different from Krishna. It is completely identical with Him. This statement has been made again and again that there is no difference between the words that describe Krishna and Krishna Himself. It is difficult indeed for us to understand that. Therefore we are requested always to be very submissive, to the instructions of the spiritual master who says, to engage in sravanam, kirtanam, as much as possible.

Any services that we perform are certainly meant for our deliverance and are certainly transcendental. At the same time it is the same teachings of Prahlada Maharaja that tell us that, unless the services that we perform are backed up, substantiated by hearing and chanting, they will not actually be able to give us the full satisfaction because service means that which is done for Krishna in a pure consciousness. And the pure consciousness is generated not from us but from Krishna, it is generated from our association with the Supreme Lord. And as soon as we deviate just a little bit from that association, immediately the atmosphere of the material world takes over, contaminates our heart, contaminates our mind.

Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, kirtaniya sada, sada harih, all the time hear and chant about Krishna. Srila Prabhupada says we should organise our life in such a way that we can always hear and chant about Krishna.

So the material world has an atmosphere that is actually completely against this remembrance of Krishna. It is pulling our mind, especially in this age, towards all kinds of sinful activities. We are pulled from outside, we are pulled from within, suffering the reactions of so many of our previous offences, previous sins and we are left to battle in this world, truly just like a straw that is floating in the current of a river.

It is a great benediction to us when one day we can be blessed with this realisation that we are no more than a straw that is floating on a river. A river that flows with a very very strong current. And sometimes the river bashes us on the left side of the river and suddenly our mind and association becomes sinful. And then after some time the river sends us or the water flow sends us on the right side of the river and suddenly we are surrounded by pious activities, our mind is peaceful. And sometimes the river starts going round and round and round and we feel like we are descending, descending, descending into an abyss full of darkness and it seems that we shall never get out of there.

This is a great blessing upon us when we can realise that, that we are being bashed left and right and there is absolutely nothing that we can do about it. The only thing, the only person that can actually help us is Krishna and specifically its Krishna in the form of sound. mantra-murtim, Krishna is called, mantra-murtim-amurtikam. It is difficult to understand for us because we cannot see the sound, we cannot see the sound. We hear, we hear. And it is difficult to actually to get this point that the sound itself is the presence of Lord Krishna in our life around us.

The manifestation of Krishna from the sound is described in the scriptures. It is said that the Vedic scriptures of which Srimad Bhagavatam is the king, they are compared like a wind. There is a wind that blows naturally in the world. And when it passes over a fragrant flower and then enters our nostrils, although there is some separation between us and the flower we experience the beauty, the quality of the flower, the beauty of the flower and we recognise the flower because we have knowledge that sometime in the past there was that fragrance and it was associated with a rose. We remember and we appreciate and within our mind we see the flower, we experience its qualities, we have its direct association.

So Bhagavatam says actually, Lord Brahma explains that the Vedic mantras they are like a wind that is travelling around this world and it enters not the nostrils but the ears. And this sound of the Vedic mantras is just like the wind that carries the aroma of the flower. It carries within it the form, qualities and activities of Krishna. It describes the activities and it carries them encapsulated within that sound. The sound itself comes from Krishna, He is origin of all sound. Caitanya Mahaprabhu told us that this Hare Krishna mahamantra has come from Goloka Vrindavana. So it has come from there. The sound is carrying Krishna’s aroma and when it enters the ears, if we are attentive enough and desirous to be with Krishna and submissive to the order of our spiritual master, that sound will go deep, deep, deep, deep within our heart. The heart is described as a very subtle space wherein the soul resides and within the heart the sound is going to release the fragrance of Krishna’s lotus feet. This is how the very very advanced devotees meet Krishna. It begins all with sound and the sound manifests the fragrance of Krishna’s lotus feet. It manifests the form of Krishna’s lotus feet.

This is why we came to this movement, hearing this beautiful descriptions. We came here with a great hope, hope against hope. Srila Rupa Goswami defines the hope of the devotee, it is hope against hope because we realise day after day that we are not qualified. And at the same time we read the descriptions of that Lord of our heart and the main description is His love for us, its His nature as merciful. He is merciful to the most fallen. This is our only good fortune. We do not have any other.

Pride is great obstruction, obstacle on the path of devotional service. It is the beginning of all fall, when we begin to identity with this body, with this mental capacity, with this material intelligence, with the place where we have taken birth and somehow associate with that ideas of superior-inferior, and we start relating with people in a way that is going to cause a lot of chaos. We have to uproot. And if we don’t make an effort to uproot, Krishna will help us, He will help us to remove that dangerous weed of pride. Because as long as that pride is there, the feeling with which the mahamantra has to be chanted will never come.

Pride, envy are the diseases that plague this world. And they plague each and every individual. The solution is given in this verse. It is in one sense the essence of the Bhagavatam verses that directly talk of hearing and chanting. So coming together to hear and chant, this is the essence of what Srila Prabhupada taught us. Here the verse explains, yatredyante katha mrstas, the katha of the Lord is pure, never contaminated. It is pure transcendental sound and wherever Prabhupada says the topics are discussed, the word idyante actually means worshipped, the word of the Lord are worshipped. The form of the lord is worshipped through arati, dressing, bhoga offerings and the words of the Lord are worshipped by recitation. They are worshipped by hearing them submissively, attentively, respectfully. This is a form of worship, it is called the Bhagavata marga.

We worship the Lord through sound. This is indeed the worship that will keep us going till the end of life. At the last moment it is said when the soul is ready to leave this material tabernacle, what is to be done – remember! What is the best way to remember – chant!

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

This kirtana, sravanam is the king of all processes, although we cannot minimise any process because they are all equal. Each and every one of them has the capacity to liberate us but unless we have heard we won’t know what to do and unless we chant it will be very difficult to keep Kali at bay.

So the katha is pure and the effect of the katha is that it brings what everyone is searching for, trsnayah prasamo yatah, from this katha there is satisfaction, satisfaction. This is what everyone wants. We are burning in this world due to material hankerings. There are unlimited wants. I want so many things. In our discussion on devotee care we learn to make a difference between the needs and the wants. We have needs which are essential for our existence and we have wants which are simply overflowing and which bring in our lives which is not essential. And actually divert us from the path of Krishna consciousness.

So this dissatisfaction that we experience is manifest as greed for example. We always want more. Lust. We always want to enjoy. Because within the heart there is no peace. There is no satisfaction. There is no tranquility. The state of satisfaction is searched for by all the great sages, by all the great yogis. We are searching for that place within the heart where there is satisfaction.

And the secret is written in a very obvious way on the pages of Srimad Bhagavatam – hear about the Lord, chant about the Lord and it also says in the association of devotees because thats where He manifests! Prabhupada used to make jokes – someone has gone to search for Krishna in the bushes in Vrindavana. Krishna is not in the bushes of Vrindavana – at least not for us who are plagued by all anarthas. We cannot find Krishna in the bushes. We will find Krishna in the loving association of the devotees.

So this is the nature of Krishna katha. It gives satisfaction by removing all the material hankerings Srila Prabhupada says because it makes one pious. Indeed pride, envy, these are not the qualities of a pious person. These are the qualities of the demons. So to remove those qualities is the first step on our path towards Krishna. Then this is the quality of Krishna katha.

When the heart is at peace, it is also explained in Bhagavatam how the heart can be at peace. Its by learning how to desire spiritual life more than anything else, how to desire to achieve Krishna more than anything else, how to desire to fulfil the orders of the spiritual master more than anything else.

I remember once many years ago receiving a hand written note from my own spiritual master saying that ‘If you are not ready to hear, what is the use of me giving you instructions!’

It is in the association of devotees that we get that determination to hear and chant and to focus on our spiritual life. It is not easy indeed. There are many distractions, many distractions from all over but we have to learn, we have to learn to create a bubble around ourselves. We have to go around in a bubble so that we do not get affected by so many interactions of the material modes of material nature. Whatever happens is but that. Usually anything that disturbs us in life it is an interaction of the material modes of nature. Anything spiritual is pleasing, it is pleasing to the soul, in general pleasing to the mind, if we apply it gently, properly.

So Srila Prabhupada founded this International Society for Krishna Consciousness to create what he called the Vaikuntha atmosphere. A place where there is no envy amongst ourselves, where there is no fear. Many of us have come to this movement because the material world was full of fear. It was bringing us so much fear. There are many reasons for which we join. This is actually the topic of this Fourth Canto, worshipping the Lord simply for material prosperity, or worshipping the Lord in goodness maybe, out of ignorance, coming for various reasons to Him, to take something, to learn something.

But this section of the Bhagavatam, Lord Shiva instructing the Pracetas is teaching us the right purpose to come to the Lord. So whatever, we gave up the material world, we were looking for an umbrella, we were looking for protection. We came here to live the real life of a human being. What is the real life of a human being? It is to simply endeavour, to forget about all the past that we may have gone through, and simply look at the future. The future is Krishna’s lotus feet, the future is to distribute all over the world this process of hearing and chanting, to flood every street, every corner. This is what Srila Prabhupada gave us as the purpose of this movement. To instruct each and every person about the process of devotional service and to make it, to make a society that where the interactions are such that this hearing and chanting can go on uninterruptedly, both as groups and as individuals. We want to hear and chant uninterruptedly. There is no other solution for the miseries of the world. All fears, meaning that within our own society there shouldn’t be any fear, they should not be afraid. We should be afraid only of breaking our vows, we should be afraid of not following the instructions of the spiritual master. Otherwise there is no other fear.

So this is a very beautiful instruction that we are receiving this morning. And the conclusion that is given in the purport is that we must decide like the Pracetas to remain within that society, to remain within that society and to play our best role, to play our best part, to contribute to the Vaikuntha atmosphere. This is our duty. We cannot accuse anyone to spoil the atmosphere. We can only from within our little bubble try to influence, so that this Vaikuntha atmosphere will be generated. This is what Srila Prabhupada wanted. This is what the world needs.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Granthraj Srimad Bhagavatam ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Nitai Gaurapremanande Hari Haribol!

Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir – SB Class, 26 Feb. 2016: HH Radhanath Swami
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From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir

Date: February 26, 2016 Speaker: HH Radhanath Maharaj

Subject: Srimad Bhagavatam 5.18.9

TEXT 9

svasty astu viśvasya khalaḥ prasīdatāṁ

dhyāyantu bhūtāni śivaṁ mitho dhiyā

manaś ca bhadraṁ bhajatād adhokṣaje

āveśyatāṁ no matir apy ahaitukī

TRANSLATION

May there be good fortune throughout the universe, and may all envious persons be pacified. May all living entities become calm by practicing bhakti–yoga, for by accepting devotional service they will think of each other’s welfare. Therefore let us all engage in the service of the supreme transcendence, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and always remain absorbed in thought of Him.

PURPORT

The following verse describes a Vaiṣṇava:

vāñchā–kalpa-tarubhyaś ca

kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo

vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

Just like a desire tree, a Vaiṣṇava can fulfill all the desires of anyone who takes shelter of his lotus feet. Prahlāda Mahārāja is a typical Vaiṣṇava. He prays not for himself, but for all living entities—the gentle, the envious and the mischievous. He always thought of the welfare of mischievous persons like his father, Hiraṇyakaśipu. Prahlāda Mahārāja did not ask for anything for himself; rather, he prayed for the Lord to excuse his demoniac father. This is the attitude of a Vaiṣṇava, who always thinks of the welfare of the entire universe.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and bhāgavata–dharma are meant for persons who are completely free of envy (parama–nirmatsarāṇām). Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja prays in this verse, khalaḥ prasīdatām: “May all the envious persons be pacified.” The material world is full of envious persons, but if one frees himself of envy, he becomes liberal in his social dealings and can think of others’ welfare. Anyone who takes up Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engages himself completely in the service of the Lord cleanses his mind of all envy (manaś ca bhadraṁ bhajatād adhokṣaje). Therefore we should pray to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to sit in our hearts. We should pray, bahir nṛsiṁho hṛdaye nṛsiṁhaḥ: “Let Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva sit in the core of my heart, killing all my bad propensities. Let my mind become clean so that I may peacefully worship the Lord and bring peace to the entire world.”

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has given us a very fine purport in this regard. Whenever one offers a prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one always requests some benediction from Him. Even pure (niṣkāma) devotees pray for some benediction, as instructed by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His Śikṣāṣṭaka:

ayi nanda–tanuja kiṅkaraṁ

patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau

kṛpayā tava pāda–paṅkaja–

sthita–dhūlī–sadṛśaṁ vicintaya

“O son of Mahārāja Nanda [Kṛṣṇa], I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick Me up from the ocean of death and place Me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.” In another prayer Lord Caitanya says, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: “Life after life, kindly let Me have unalloyed love and devotion at Your Lordship’s lotus feet.” When Prahlāda Mahārāja chants oṁ namo bhagavate narasiṁhāya, he prays for a benediction from the Lord, but because he is also an exalted Vaiṣṇava, he wants nothing for his personal sense gratification. The first desire expressed in his prayer is svasty astu viśvasya: “Let there be good fortune throughout the entire universe.” Prahlāda Mahārāja thus requested the Lord to be merciful to everyone, including his father, a most envious person. According to Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, there are two kinds of envious living entities: one is a snake, and the other is the man like Hiraṇyakaśipu, who is by nature envious of everyone, even of his father or son. Hiraṇyakaśipu was envious of his little son Prahlāda, but Prahlāda Mahārāja asked a benediction for the benefit of his father. Hiraṇyakaśipu was very envious of devotees, but Prahlāda wished that his father and other demons like him would give up their envious nature by the grace of the Lord and stop harassing the devotees (khalaḥ prasīdatām). The difficulty is that the khala (envious living entity) is rarely pacified. One kind of khala, the snake, can be pacified simply by mantras or by the action of a particular herb (mantrauṣadhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ khalakena nivāryate). An envious person, however, cannot be pacified by any means. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja prays that all envious persons may undergo a change of heart and think of the welfare of others.

If the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement spreads all over the world, and if by the grace of Kṛṣṇa everyone accepts it, the thinking of envious people will change. Everyone will think of the welfare of others. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja prays, śivaṁ mitho dhiyā. In material activities, everyone is envious of others, but in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, no one is envious of anyone else; everyone thinks of the welfare of others. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja prays that everyone’s mind may become gentle by being fixed at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa (bhajatād adhokṣaje). As indicated elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ) and as advised by Lord Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā (18.65), man-manā bhava mad–bhaktaḥ, one should constantly think of the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Then one’s mind will certainly be cleansed (ceto-darpaṇa–mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]). Materialists always think of sense gratification, but Prahlāda Mahārāja prays that the Lord’s mercy will change their minds and they will stop thinking of sense gratification. If they think of Kṛṣṇa always, everything will be all right. Some people argue that if everyone thought of Kṛṣṇa in that way, the whole universe would be vacated because everyone would go back home, back to Godhead. However, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that this is impossible because the living entities are innumerable. If one set of living entities is actually delivered by the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, another set will fill the entire universe.

———————————

HH Radhanath Swami

Pranam Mantras

Hare Krishna.

It is my great honor and fortune to be with all of you today in Sri Mayapur Dham. Today’s verse, selected by Her Grace Laxmimoni devi, is from the Srimad Bhagavatam canto five, chapter eighteen, The Residents of Jambudvipa Offer Prayers, text number nine.

In the previous prayer from this chapter, the verse before, Prahlad Maharaj was offering his prayers to Lord Nrsimhadeva. He says “Oh my Lord who possesses nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly vanquish our demon-like desires for fruitive activity in this material world. Please appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance so that by Your mercy, we may become fearless in the struggle for existence in this material world.”

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us that the path of attaining the perfection of liberation, prema bhakti, is maha 28:33 to follow in the footsteps of great personalities. Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, these holy scriptures, especially provide the association of such great personalities who have surrendered their hearts, their lives, their souls to please Krishna.

Prahlad Maharaj is first praying for his eternal purification. As a true example of bhakti, he declares himself to be the most fallen. He declares himself to be envious. In other such prayers he declares himself as a person who was born in a family of asuras, demons and was so much affected by that.

He’s praying for mercy. Lord Nrsimhadeva, please appear in my heart. With your nails and with your teeth which are strong like thunderbolts, please remove these anarthas, these unwanted qualities, from my heart. Please engage me in your loving service.

After praying for his own purification, Prahlad Maharaj, in todays verse, is praying for only one benediction – that all living beings could give up their envy and find the true happiness, the true peace, of loving service to Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada begins his purport by explaining that this is a vaisnava. We call ourselves vaisnavas. On different levels the word is defined. But according to the principles of Srimad Bhagavatam, and Srila Prabhupada many times repeats, a vaisnava means one who is free of envy. When we are free of envy, the quality is that we are truly well wishers of everyone.

In this Krishna Consciousness movement that Srila Prabhupada has established on the basis of his books where he repeated explains this principle, this is what we must aspire for – to be free of envy, to truly be well wishers of everyone.

Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya explains in his 101 prayers in one particular verse that the chanting of the holy names of the Lord and the service of the vaisnavas are the only medicine for those living entities who are tormented by the age of Kali.

This verse explains that people in Kali yuga have been bitten by the poisonous serpent of this propensity of Kali for quarrel and hypocrisy and envy. They are fallen unconscious, and in that unconscious state, Kali is constantly attacking them.

He is illustrating what a helpless condition that people are in. Imagine, you’ve been bitten by a poisonous snake, you’re tormented, you’re laying unconscious, and in your helpless condition, Maya, with all of her forces, is attacking you.

That is our condition in this age. Everyone’s condition. The chanting of the holy names of Lord Krishna, and service to the vaisnavas, is the only medicine.

Prahlad Maharaj, in Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes, has appeared in two forms – Srila Haridas Thakur and Sri Vasudeva datta, who exhibited that same quality of compassion.

Prahlad Maharaj prays to Lord Nrsimha in the seventh canto that he has fallen into a pit of venomous snakes, a blind well, and he is in a helpless condition. But Narada Muni, his guru, came to save him and engage him in transcendental loving service.

Prahlad Maharaj never thinks of himself in any way except a very fallen and helpless soul. He is giving all credit to his guru. He never ever lets go of the shelter of the mercy of his guru. Prahlad Maharaj ends this particular sloka by saying that Narada Muni saved me from this condition. How could I ever give up the service of his lotus feet. That is his gratitude. That is his sincerity. That is Krishna Consciousness.

When Lord Nrsimhadeva offers Prahlad benedictions, Prahlad says that by always remembering You, I am free of all of the fear of material existence. Please give liberation to my father, who is so envious.So many saintly persons go to the forest or to the Himalayas or a secluded place to be without the influences of the material people for their own salvation. But I am not like them. Let me be in the cities, let me be in the towns, because I don’t want to go back to Godhead alone without all the beasts, fools, and rascals.

Such compassion.

Vasudeva datta approached Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Caitanya embraced him. He spoke his glories as if He had one thousand mouths. After being glorified by the Lord, embraced by the Lord in front of a whole assembly of devotees, what is the experience?

Vausdeva datta said I have but one desire. You are the supreme independent personality of Godhead and You can do anything. My heart breaks when I see the living entities within this universe immersed in desires to be happy through material activities. My heart breaks to see their suffering. Give me this one blessing, if You are merciful. Let all the sins of living entity in this universe fall on my head. My Lord, please, allow me to suffer perpetually so that everyone else can go back to Godhead and be happy.

He meant it. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, hearing his words, began to cry. His limbs trembled. His heart softened. With a faltering voice, He said that it is not astonishing that you are asking for this because you are the incarnation of Prahlad Maharaj. Just by your desire, Krishna will surely give His mercy to everyone. You don’t have to suffer.

Haridas Thakur, when he was arrested, close by in Kuliagram, he was brought before the local king, the Kazis. He was told that you are from our religion, stop preaching this other religion. We will let you go. Stop influencing others, otherwise we will have to torture you and kill you.

Haridas’s reply was that this body is going to die eventually anyway. But even if you cut my body into thousands of pieces, every one of those pieces will spread the glories of the holy name to all of the people in general.

This was his compassion. He so deeply cared about everyone. He didn’t just see the body. It’s very interesting, the story of Haridas. Usually, when something happens to us, when we’re mistreated, when we’re misjudged, we want to take it out on others.

In history we find that for Srila Haridas Thakur, everywhere he went practically, he was seen on the bodily concept. He was rejected. He was seen as a mallecha and a yavana. If he tried to speak the scriptures, the smarta brahmans would condemn him.

In this case, when he’s standing in the court of the king, many of the brahmans are condemning him, many of the kazis are condemning him. But he is not taking revenge. He is seeing everyone as a child of Krishna. He’s seeing every living being truly as a brother and sister. He’s seeing every living being as someone who Krishna loves. Therefore, whatever they may think of me, whether I live or die, my life is for Krishna’s pleasure. 42 50

Krishna tells in Bhagavad Gita that He incarnates in this world again and again and again to show compassion to the fallen souls. What is the greatest service that we can render to Krishna while we are in this material world? To assist in His mission, to be an instrument of His compassion to the envious people of this world.

Haridas Thakur gladly accepted being beaten through twenty-two market places, all the while begging Krishna to forgive his persecutors. Later, when he was thrown in the river and considered dead, he floated downstream. He came out of the water and walked right back to the king and the kazi and his executioners to try to convince them to accept Krishna’s mercy. That is Haridas Thakur.

When he was asked for any benediction by Lord Caitanya, he only asked, let me always remember you. Let me always chant your names. Let me always be the servant of the vaisnavas. In every birth I take, let me be a dog or an insect near the home of a devotee so that I can have the possibility of eating the remnants of their food. Haridas, so humble, said who am I to ask for such an exalted benediction? But that is my prayer.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained that Haridas Thakur was an incarnation of Prahlad Maharaj. It was the spirit. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to this world for this purpose. Here in Navadvipa He took His birth to experience the ecstasies of the love of Sri Radha and to actually reveal the supreme merciful heart of Sri Radha, to give that love everywhere to everyone.

It’s very significant how here in Navadvipa the devotees taught us, in fact, Lord Caitanya Himself came to teach not just by His words, but by His example. There are three principles, very important. One, is our own personal sadhana, to take it very seriously.

If you have a simple little mundane disease like cancer, malignant cancer, and it’s about to kill the simple little temporary material body, you’ll probably take it very seriously if the doctor tells you there is a cure, but you must take the cure regularly. This is the therapy, this is the medicine. You’ll probably take it quite seriously. But the disease of envy, the disease of our forgetfulness of our eternal nature, is a disease that is limitlessly more dangerous than any disease of this world. Birth after birth after birth it’s going to torment us with suffering. Prahlad Maharaj explains that any material way of trying to solve the problems of these sufferings, the cure becomes even more dangerous than the original disease.

Here in Navadvipa, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave this simple message

enechi aushadhi maya nasibaro lagi’

hari-nama maha-mantra lao tumi magi’

(jiva jago verse four)

I have the medicine. Take the names of Krishna.

harer-nama harer-nama harer-namaiva kevalam

There’s no more powerful medicine. In this age of Kali, an ocean of bad qualities and faults, this is the great benediction.

param vijayate sri-krishna-sankirtanam

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come to teach us how to chant His own holy names.

Our personal spiritual practice, our sadhana, is so essential. It’s not just something we do when we have time, or something we somehow fit in with all of our other days activities. It’s the foundational basis of our spiritual lives. We should fit everything else around our spiritual practice. Chanting the holy names. Carefully studying Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Srila Prabhupada writes in one purport that if we don’t attentively and sincerely chant the Hare Krishna mantra, at least sixteen rounds a day, at any time we will be a victim of Maya. That’s the atmosphere that we’re in. If you have a well wishing Godbrother or Godsister or friend who doesn’t take their disease seriously, you’ll really try to convince them. But most of all, we have to convince ourselves first that Kali Yuga is a very, very difficult place.

Sarva Bhauma Bhatta Acharya explains that we are all in a blind well full of poisonous snakes. And Maya is attacking us constantly. We need mercy to chant the holy names, to read Srila Prabhupada’s books and to serve the vaisnavas. These are the principles that are essential for our own spiritual purification.

In Navadvipa, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told all of His devotees that we are chanting in the day time but then we are wasting the nights by sleeping. Every moment is so precious. We will chant together all night for one year. And it’s not that they slept all day. The devotees were very happy to hear this. Then Lord Caitanya told them how they are going to be able to do this.

trinad api sunicena taror api sahishnuna

amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harihi

If we live with this character, then Krishna will be pleased and empower us and reveal himself to us in the holy names. Humility, tolerance, forgiveness, offering all respects to others and not being in such a pathetic, pitiful, diseased condition that we just have to have respect for ourselves.

According to Prabhupada’s definition, what is a vasinava? One who doesn’t care about being respected, but one who takes joy in respecting.

Hiranyakasipu was constantly blaspheming and persecuting Prahlad, but Prahlad was offering all respects. Haridas Thakur was the same. Of course, where there is abuse, justice is required. But underlying that is not envy, it’s compassion.

So the devotees would chant all night. And what would they do during the day? Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu told Haridas Thakur and Nityananda Prabhu that this is My order to you, listen to what I say. To everywhere, to every home, to every bathing ghat, to every shop, to everyone and give them this simple message. Chant the names of Krishna, worship Krishna, tell others about Krishna. Krishna is your mother, Krishna is your father. Krishna is your true wealth. Krishna is your life and soul. Don’t discriminate who is fit and who is unfit. Give this message to everyone.

They did this because they knew that this is what it takes to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These three principles, to have our own sadhana, to have very deep relationships in the mood of the servant of the servant with other vaisnavas, and with the strength of that community, bring Krishna’s grace and Krishna’s names to the world.

Srila Prabhupada approximately fifty years ago, it’s still the fiftieth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada on the Jaladuta till next August, he received the same instruction that Lord Caitanya gave Nityananda Prabhu and Haridas Thakur from his Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. In 1922 Srila Prabhupada got the instructions to take the message of Lord Caitanya throughout the entire world in the English language.

In 1965 he boarded Jaladutta alone, with nothing, with no one, for that purpose. He was willing to sacrifice everything. He was willing to physically die to please his guru. And when he approached Boston Harbor, in his prayers to Krishna, just like the prayers of Haridas, Vasudeva Datta, and Prahlad, he was humbling himself completely. He said I am totally dependent upon You, my Lord Krishna. My only shelter, my only hope, is the mercy of my Guru Maharaj and this is his instruction. If You give me the power for these people to understand Your words, then they can be happy. Please let me be your puppet.

Those simple prayers are really the foundation of ISKCON. When Srila Prabhupada was asked how can we best please you? He said just receive what I’ve given you, the simple instructions to chant the holy names, to study and live by his books, to form communities, and international society of devotees. One where we take our own personal interests out of the center of our lives and put Krishna in the center of our lives. To put Krishna in the center of our lives means our words, our actions, are all for His pleasure. To serve the Vaisnavas. To take shelter of the holy names. To a great, great, sincere, compassion, we may not have compassion, but we are representatives of Srila Prabhupada’s compassion. To give the chance for everyone to go back home, back to Godhead.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Thank you very much.

That is why Srila Prabhupada created Mayapura Chandrodaya Mandir. It’s for all of the devotees to come together every year to inspire and empower each other in these principles. To create such a community here with the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium that the whole world will come to receive the association of Vaisnavas and the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Hare Krishna.

March 1. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations. Satsvarupa…
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March 1. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: His Lectures.
Prabhupada’s lectures were always of a good quality, although he never prepared them. Usually he went to the engagements without having chosen a topic, although, if a club or organization requested a topic, he would agree to it. Neither did he ever appear nervous or uncertain of what he would say, yet he writes with joy in his diary for February 1966: “Today’s meeting was attended by a greater number of members than other days.”
His preparation was his total commitment to Krishna consciousness. In that sense, he was more prepared than any speaker on any topic. He lived and breathed Krishna consciousness twenty-four hours a day. There was no question of his speaking about anything else. In one lecture at Northeastern University in 1968, Prabhupada began, “Thank you very much for allowing me to take this opportunity to glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” That was always his topic – glorifying Krishna. His speeches always appeared well thought out because he had such realization of his topic.
Prabhupada’s main emphasis was to present Krishna consciousness; therefore, he was sometimes concerned about his audience and was prepared to address their particular concerns. At other times, however, he was not. When reporters asked their hackneyed questions, Prabhupada often springboarded off their questions to his own points of interest in the philosophy. Similarly, he would give lectures to particular groups, but remain the irrepressible Prabhupada. He was independent.
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He Who Charms the Heart
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As the sun was setting we walked down the parikrama path and just before Kesi Ghat we turned right into the small lanes winding through Vrindavan town to the Radha Raman temple. When we arrived we took darsan of He who charms the heart of every resident in this transcendental abode. The perfect ending to [...]