Planet ISKCON

Gita verse-by-verse study Podcast

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The post Gita 09.32 – Bhakti brings universality to spirituality appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

While learning about animals, Lower Elementary students engaged in classifying animals based on their characteristics.

First, they learned to identify and divide them into Vertebrates and Invertebrates. Then they further categorized the Vertebrates into Mammals / Fish / Amphibians / Birds / and Reptiles.

The students also worked on finding the different habitats of various animals,  such as rain forest, jungle, ocean and desert.

We’re slowly coming to an end with our 3-day Kadamba Kanana Swami Worldwide Sankirtan Marathon. Wednesday is still young in the western hemisphere and later during the night results are expected from Canada, Mexico and the US.

Europe and Africa started submitting their offerings as of now. The numbers are just great. Earlier today, Australia again kept their standards high for the third day in the row, thus expressing their love for Kadamba Kanana Swami and desire to please Srila Prabhupada.

ISKCON inaugurated a new temple at the birthplace of Lord Nityananda, Ekachakra Dham. The temple is built in traditional Bengali style, painted saffron – a lovely sight in the midst of a rural area. ISKCON GBC Jayapataka Swami remarked that this was a humble offering to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Nityananda for the occasion of the auspicious year of ISKCON 50th.

Video by Blaiseus.

What is your philosophy? It is written by man. What is the value of your philosophy? It is speculation. We don’t say that the Vedas are written by man. They come from a transcendental source. The words spoken by the Lord are called apauruseya, which indicates that they are not delivered by any mundane person. They may say whatever they like, but we don’t accept it. Suppose somebody says, “Your father’s name is so-and-so.” What is his authority to say what my father’s name is? I know very well, So their suggestion is like that: “Your father’s name is this.” Is that a very good suggestion? We can challenge: “You don’t know anything about my family. How can you say, ‘Your father’s name is this?’” Is it not rascaldom? You do not know anything about my family, and you say, “Your father’s name is this.” What is this logic? Continue reading "Speculation Is Neither Science Nor Philosophy
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A video by Paul Tuffery (Prananath Das).

The grand annual Mayapur festival began today with the inaugural session of the ISKCON Leadership Sangha (ILS 2016) with 1,200 delegates attending 87 seminars spread over 12 venues at ISKCON Mayapur.  ILS 2016 features a spectacular 50^th Anniversary Expo highlighting the achievements of ISKCON, and stalls from various international projects such as Vanipedia, ISKCON Congregation services, TOVP and several others.

Speaker: Krishna Ksetra Swami
Venue: Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir
Date: 24 Feb 2016

Granthraj Srimad Bhagavatam ki jaya!
Has it ever happened to you that you are requested to give a Bhagavatam class in Sridhama Mayapur before all the exalted devotees and you are suggested to choose the verse that you want to speak from. And so you choose the verse and then you inform what that verse is and they say ok. You even write it in an email and then you come to sit down to give class, guess what, its another verse, its another Canto! Hare Krishna! I think Krishna is having a good laugh at me today. So be it! Well we may get to say something about what I was thinking to say but alas time is also very short. The verse on the board is Canto 7, Chapter 2, verse number 8. Its part of a translation of two verses. We will read together the second of these, the verse number 8.

mac-chula-bhinna-grivasya
bhurina rudhirena vai
asrk-priyam tarpayisye
bhrataram me gata-vyathah

Verse 7 is as follows

tasya tyakta-svabhavasya
ghrner maya-vanaukasah
bhajantam bhajamanasyabalasyevasthiratmanah

Translation
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead has given up His natural tendency of equality toward the demons and demigods. Although He is the Supreme Person, now, influenced by maya, He has assumed the form of a boar to please His devotees, the demigods, just as a restless child leans toward someone. “I shall therefore sever Lord Visnu’s head from His trunk by my trident, and with the profuse blood from His body I shall please my brother Hiranyaksa, who was so fond of sucking blood. Thus shall I too be peaceful.”

Before speaking something I beg for the blessings of all of you present, such an august assembly of Vaisnavas and Vaisnavis, that we may say something illuminating and inspiring. What Hiranyakasipu has to say may not be very illuminating and inspiring for the devotees because he is plotting to kill the Lord. But it becomes a kind of inspiration knowing, as we do, that his plot will be foiled!

Today is the first day of the ISKCON leadership sanga and I am most honoured to speak, discuss Bhagavatam on this occasion. I have to say that Mother Laxmimoni would not take no for an answer. So here I am. All glories to Mother Laxmimoni and her wonderful service of arranging this entire event.

As I said I had another verse in mind and we may get back to something from today’s verse but let me move on to what I had in mind and we will see where we go in the very limited time we have.

I chose a verse from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 8, Chapter 7, verse 39.

pranaih svaih praninah panti
sadhavah ksana-bhanguraih
baddha-vairesu bhutesu
mohitesv atma-mayaya

This is Lord Siva speaking and he is speaking to his wife and he is expressing his resolve to help the demigods who are in trouble because they have been churning the ocean, the Cosmic Ocean, together with the demons, with the intention to create nectar. But they are in trouble because they haven’t produced nectar. They have produced something else. Here is the translation:

“People in general, being bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are always engaged in animosity toward one another. But devotees, even at the risk of their own temporary lives, try to save them.”

So this is describing or this is in the context of, what Srila Prabhupada would call a reversal, a reversal of events. Events are going in some direction and then something happens by some arrangement. Ultimately we may say the Lord’s arrangement and this is a reversal, something unexpected. I thought to raise this subject of poison because, of course we are talking about leadership and it struck me that Lord Siva is identifying what is spiritual leadership in his own example and he uses the word sadhu, sadhavah ksana-bhanguraih pranaih svaih, they who recognise that life will be finished in a moment, ksana, ksana-bhanguraih, it will be broken in a moment and recognising that the sadhus are willing, are ready as Prabhupada translates ‘to risk their own temporary lives’ for others. For which others? For those who are in conflict, which is the tendency in this world. People in general being bewildered by the illusory energy of the Lord are always engaged in animosity with each other.

Actually I said that the demigods had approached Lord Siva. In fact its both parties, the demigods and the demons have approached him to solve this. But I want to raise the point that in a sense, taking this in an extended sense, the poison problem can arise in any situation, where there is an endeavour, a sincere endeavour to create something, to accomplish something. And I would suggest that if you study, especially in the first three Cantos of Bhagavatam, very much of the description of the efforts to create the universe, a feature of this creation is, there is always trouble. You start off and then there is trouble. You start again and there is more trouble. Okay, lets try it again! Lord Brahma has to give up his body at one point, his gross body but again he pursues his mission with determination.

So the question that I think we all have when trouble comes is how to deal with it. And especially it is a question for leaders. How to deal with challenges in a Krishna conscious way and I would suggest that Lord Siva is good to remember in this context because he was so willing to take trouble, such trouble that he actually takes on a kind of wound which becomes a permanent mark, which actually is a glorification of Lord Siva. He is known as Neelkantha because of his blue throat, because he agreed to take this poison.

Srila Prabhupada once referred to the age of Kali as the age of misunderstanding. We all have this experience. Misunderstanding may come despite our best efforts to be understood and often this is the beginning of the problem. We want to make sure that we are understood, when perhaps what is needed first of all is to understand what someone is trying to communicate to others. Now I want to expand on this but time is short.

I am going to first ask those of you who were here two years ago, when I also spoke Bhagavatam class if you can recall, I know its two years ago ago, what do you expect. But two years ago I was sharing with you something that I learnt in the spiritual leadership seminar which took place at that time. And what I learnt was, one way to understand leadership is in terms of three principles that a leader should give. Number one vision. Number two inspiration. And Number three, does anybody remember, (devotee responds: facility) facility. Give that man a gulabjamun! Hare Krishna! (applause) One should facilitate.

If we think about Srila Prabhupada, all of his activity and his preaching, who can think of a better leader than Srila Prabhupada, as one who gave the complete vision of Krishna consciousness, who gave unlimited inspiration, who gave facility, who facilitated us. I remember coming here the first time 1978, revealing my age, there were three buildings, there was Srila Prabhupada’s bhajan kutir, there was the Long building, there was the Lotus building. I feel nostalgia for those days. Now we have so many structures, all of course which are expressions of the sincere love of the devotees. So not to minimise this but I do like to remember that time when there were mainly fields.

Ok, vision, inspiration and facility. Could it be that sometimes misunderstanding comes because you and I have different partial perceptions of the vision and we take our particular vision or understanding of the vision as the whole vision and we may want to say, this is the whole vision, your’s is not the vision. That may be one possibility of misunderstanding.

Different inspirations, someone is inspired by, you know, lets keep it simple, especially by prasadam, someone else especially by kirtana. So someone says we have to do prasadam distribution, some says we have to do kirtana everywhere. This can be a kind of cause for misunderstanding.

There may also be differences in understanding about facility. How much do we appreciate what facility is being given to us. So in terms of quantity but also other aspects of facility. We may not see where facility is, when its there. Or we may not understand the best way to use facility that is given.

Well all of these reflections led me to recall that Kapiladeva in speaking to His dear mother Devahuti itemises three types, actually four types of bhakti. Of course we want to all practise pure devotional service. But alas sometimes, because as we heard yesterday the modes of nature are always competing with each other and we just might some of the time feel some of the influence of those modes. So I though its good that we review the descriptions of devotional service predominated by these three modes. Shall we do this? Ok.

It starts from the bottom and goes to the top. Canto 3, Chapter 29, verse 8 we have,

“Devotional service executed by a person who is envious, proud, violent and angry, and who is a separatist, is considered to be in the mode of darkness.”

Now before I go on, I want to suggest, on the principle that Srila Prabhupada suggested that or encouraged that we discuss Bhagavatam from all angles of vision, I want to suggest, what if, just what if, we heard these verses not in terms of individuals but in terms of collectivity of devotees, of the society as a whole or a particular community of devotees in which we may reside, in which we may be involved.

Could it be the case that sometimes, although I may be engaged in suddha-sattva devotional service, that the community is a bit tinged. Again with so much no doubt sincerity but the road to hell is paved with what, good intentions. Ok, with that in mind let us hear about devotional service in the mode of passion.

“The worship of Deities in the temple by a separatist, with a motive for material enjoyment, fame and opulence, is devotion in the mode of passion.” (SB 3.29.9)

We should notice the word separatist here, bhinna-dṛg is the Sanskrit, one who is separate, thinking difference, thinking I am different, we are different, its me and Krishna only. Of course that gets into the definition of the prakrta bhakta. Moving on.

“When a devotee worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead and offers the results of his activities in order to free himself from the inebrieties of fruitive activities, his devotion is in the mode of goodness.” (SB 3.29.10)

Now here again I want to see if we can stretch ourselves a little to appreciate these statements with a different angle of vision and for this I need to invoke the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Aristotle spoke of what he called ‘virtue ethics’ and in his notion of ‘virtue ethics’ you have a virtue and then you have two extremes. One extreme going one way and another extreme going the other way. Example is courage. Courage is a virtue. To do something without consideration of dangers, taking unnecessary risks, that’s one extreme. Cowardice is another extreme.

So lets take this and apply it to the idea of the three modes of nature and instead of thinking of a hierarchy, mode of ignorance, mode of passion, mode of goodness at the top, what if we think of a triangle with mode of goodness at the top and the other two modes down at the bottom. I think this helps us to appreciate that this Krishna consciousness movement as a collectivity is not only or maybe I should say is inclusive of, its not only about going forward, Krishna prema, its about teaching the world virtue and that’s only possible to that extent we individually and collectively are virtuous.

The word guna happens to mean not only rope, that which binds, it also means, as we know, quality and it also means virtue. So devotional service in the mode of goodness can be working us to a position where people of the world will be more inclined to say ‘Oh yeah, those Hare Krishna’s! They are really nice people!’ Some people do that but I beg to submit, not enough. Not enough are saying, ‘Oh yes the Hare Krishna’s! They’re good people!’

Ok, then we have the transcendental, free from the modes, devotional service.

“The manifestation of unadulterated devotional service is exhibited when one’s mind is at once attracted to hearing the transcendental name and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is residing in everyone’s heart. Just as the water of the Ganges flows naturally down towards the ocean, such devotional ecstasy, uninterrupted by any material condition, flows towards the Supreme Lord.” (SB 3.29.11-12)

What do you think, do we want not just individually but collectively, uninterrupted by any material conditions, that our movement moves forward to spread Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. What do you think? (Haribol!) Sound like a good idea? I only heard a couple of Haribol! (devotees: Haribol!)

Again time is short I have so much more to say but back to Lord Siva. Lord Siva appears in Navadvipa dhama as Hamsa vahana Siva over in I believe its Madhya dvipa. He is called Hamsa vahana Siva because he is riding not on Nandi the bull but rather he is riding, he borrowed from Lord Brahma his hamsa. Why? He was in such a hurry, he was in a total hurry as we would say in America, he was totally in a hurry, right! Teenagers all say that, he was totally in a hurry, to come to this place. Why? In order to hear Gaura lila from Suta Goswami. That anxiety, that anxiousness to hear Gaura lila we know that is the solution and that is how Lord Siva we could say in this context is swallowing the poison.

The poison of so much good intention which it leads to unfortunate situations. In these unfortunate situations we all need to step back and recognise, despite all our good intentions something has arisen. Now we really need to take shelter of the devotees of the Lord, the sadhus, to remember that the business of our society is to be a society of sadhus and sadhavis. That is our business more that anything else in the public sphere of expanding this mission.

So I will ust end by saying, I suspect, I haven’t seen the schedule yet, but I suspect that in the ILS there will be several workshops and so on, on outreach and this is as it should be. I just want to suggest that along with the outreach there needs to be inreach. Because without the inreach, which looks critically at ourselves individually and collectively, our best intentions are not going to bring the result, the nectar which we are all hankering for.

Granthraj Srimad Bhagavatam ki jaya!

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja! So you were speaking about devotional service in the three modes and this is something that devotees often speak about. And of course we want to perform devotional service ultimately in a way that is not influenced by the modes. We spoke of how the, how we are perceived according to how we perform our devotional service and I a wondering, its difficult for me to understand what the difference is in the result of our devotional service when its practiced in the three modes. You can say maybe its not very pleasing to Krishna in terms of our conciseness and everything.

Maharaja: I will give one quite graphic example from my own experience in Germany 1975. Some of the devotees here will remember. One day on a Sunday morning, where you there Maharaja, at the temple, the temple found itself surrounded by police cars. I wasn’t there. I was in Denmark. You were there. What was this a result of. The devotees were out doing a lot of as we say collecting and they were doing it very successfully but they were doing it for the most part under false pretences. They were telling people we are collecting for X Y and Z, which we were not collecting for and alas karma, I think we can say something like collective karma caught up with us. So I would say this would be an example for devotional service in the mode of passion.

Again everyone had the best of intentions and we were convinced that we are beyond the modes of nature and therefore we can do this. I am sure although I haven’t yet had a chance to read that in Vaisesika Prabhu’s book, we get a thorough schooling in how this is not the way to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books. Yes? Thank you. (laughs) So thats one example. I am sure others could think of others.

But this became, this had huge negative consequences for our movement in Germany for years! The way we got ? through the coals of the German press unbelievable. There was no mercy. Well actually there was mercy because the movement continued. Devotees continued distributing books. They wrote to Srila Prabhupada and reported that despite all of this we are still distributing and people are still taking books and Srila Prabhupada said, ‘Yes let it increase, let it increase!’ And so it did.

Devotee: So the conclusion we can draw from this is that if we are performing devotional service affected by the modes there is going to be karmic consequence.

Maharaja: There could, I would say there is, this is my understanding, yes there can be, if not, thats a big subject but. Certainly something will be there which is there for us to push us forward to pure devotional service. We may call it karma, we may call it the Lord’s direct intervention but in any case something will be there.

All right I think we will stop here. Thank you all for your kind attention and I wish you all the best for today and for the remaining days of the ILS conference.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Anantakoti Vaisnava vrnda ki jaya!
Gaurapremande!

Beautiful Sridham Mayapur, February 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: You are all the limbs of my body. Unless you cooperate, my life will be useless. Letter to Brahmananda, July 17, 1968.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/H7qx6X

Krishna conscious snow art by devotees in Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Vaishnavas do not require to practice any yogic power to become materially powerful. Simply his surrender to Krishna makes him all-powerful. That is the position of Vaishnava. Vrindavan, August 4, 1974
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Y25xAD

Hari Hari!!
Bhaktin Jamuna: All must chant this whether in a dhoti or sari.
You may worship Govardha as Giriraj or Giridhari.
But whenever you hear these names approach the sound vibration quick be in a hurry.
There is danger at every step but just proceed don’t worry.
Because ito Harih parato Harih !
Plus Sri Nimai instructs us kirtaniyah sada Harih !
—
This maha mantra is like music to the ears.
O jivas! lets opt for relishing it in these 10 000 years.
To the heart it brings joy and to the eyes blissful tears.
The contribution required simlpy be that one hears.
So lets come together and drink this nectar- cheers !
—
Take Care !
This human form of life is very rare !
Spending one’s life serving this body no I wouldn’t dare.
For this is called maya and is a very tricky snare.
This Krishna Consciousness is complete and the greatest wellfare.
You can see all the suffering going on so don’t just stand back and stare.
Distribute Sri Gauranga’s mercy because this irreligiosity you can’t bear.
In this way you will qualify to go back home and wake up from this nightmare.

Science Exhibition at Sri Mayapur International School (Album with photos) Srila Prabhupada: The spiritual science becomes revealed to the devotee from within the heart according to the degree of his surrender to Krsna. Letter to Ekayani, July 25, 1970. Find them here: https://goo.gl/9bC0e2

The post Kancana-vali asks whether we should read Caitanya-bhagavata appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

The post Daily Darshan: February 24th, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Science Exhibition at Sri Mayapur International School (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The spiritual science becomes revealed to the devotee from within the heart according to the degree of his surrender to Krsna. Letter to Ekayani, July 25, 1970.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/9bC0e2

Vyasa-puja Festival has been CANCELLED

Hare Krishna dear family.
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga.

Due to Kadamba Kanana Swami’s current health situation the Vyasa-puja festival in Radhadesh has been cancelled with immediate effect. This is unfortunate news, but the health of maharaja is vital at this moment. Thus we request everyone to respect this by not contacting him until he sends out his next health update by the weekend.

Maharaja’s health will become more clear after his second operation on Wednesday. Thereafter we will decide when and where we will organise a replacement disciples gathering which maharaja will attend – from June onwards.

Vyasa-puja should still proceed in principle and on the advice of Srila Jayadvaita Swami we encourage you all to promptly submit your vyasa puja offerings to vyasapujabook@kksblog.com, and begin to coordinate amongst your yatra for local vyasa puja celebrations on the actual tithi which is 1 day before the appearance day of Sri Gadhadhara Pandit –  5th May, or what is most convenient for your group. Please take photos and video clips which we will then show maharaja at the subsequent disciples gathering.

For those people who already planned to come and booked tickets for Vyasa puja; there will be one bus available (75 places) to bring you to the Kingsday festival in Amsterdam. Vraja Krsna prabhu will lead the Kingsday trip so it will still be a party.

We request people who already booked tickets and are definitively coming to Radhadesh to please contact Visakha at vyasapuja@kksblog.com to confirm and to request a place on the bus. Bus places will be given in order of registration and when there are empty places left to Radhadesh residents. Visakha will transfer all final registrations to Manu from the Radhadesh Guesthouse. The festival pricing has also changed so normal guesthouse rates apply. For more questions please contact guesthouse@radhadesh.com.

If you have donated for the festival, or already payed for accommodation then we will contact you personally about what to do with the donations. Because the kingsday will happen we still need to cover the expenses and the bus. But rest assured we have kept clear accounts and the money will go towards either the future disciples gathering or Maharaja’s health needs. We will request your consent either way.

Please be patient for any health updates.

Official health updates will be published on the profile of Kadamba Kanana Swami and by newsletters (sign up here: kkscontacts.com/register-contact)

Your servants
VP Team.

Zrušenie Vjása-púdža festivalu na Rádhádéši

Hare Krišna drahá rodina.
Prosíme, príjmite naše úctivé poklony. Všetka sláva Šrí Guruovi a Šrí Gaurangovi.

Kvôli súčasnému stavu zdravia Kadamba Kanana Swamiho sa festival Vjása-púdža ruší s okamžitým účinkom. Sú to nepriaznivé správy, ale mahárádžovo zdravie je v súčastnosti prvoradé. Preto Vás všetkých prosíme, aby ste to rešpektovali a nekontaktovali ho, kým nepošle ďalší zdravotný update koncom tohoto týždňa, ešte pred víkendom.

Mahárádžov zdravotný stav bude jasnejší po druhej operácii, ktorú absolvuje v stredu (dnes). potom sa rozhodneme kde a kedy zorganizujeme náhradné stretnutie žiakov, ktorého sa zúčastní aj mahárádža – najskôr v júni.

Vjása-púdža by v princípe mala pokračovať a na radu Jayadvaita Swamiho Vás prosíme, aby ste urýchlene zaslali svoje Vjása-púdža offeringy na vyasapujabook@kksblog.com, a začali v rámci Vašej játry koordinovať miestne Vjása-púdža oslavy, v deň tithi, čo je 1 deň pred zjavením Šrí Gádadhára Panditu – dňa 5. mája, alebo vtedy, keď to Vašej skupine vyhovuje najviac. Prosím, nafoťte a natočte video klipy, ktoré potom ukážeme mahárádžovi počas stretnutia žiakov.

Pre tých, ktorí plánovali na festival prísť a kúpili si letenky na Vjása-púdžu, ponecháme jeden autobus (75 miest), aby ste mohli ísť na festival Kingsday v Amsterdame. Vraja Krsna prabhu bude viesť Kingsday, takže párty bude tak či tak.

Žiadame, aby tí, ktorí si už kúpili letenky a definitívne na Rádhádéš pôjdu, aby skontaktovali Višaku na vyasapuja@kksblog.com, aby potvrdili svoju účasť a vyžiadali si miesto v autobuse. Miesta v autobuse budú pridelované podľa poradia, ako sa zaregistrijete, a ak zostanú nejaké voľné, budú k dispozícii pre obyvateľov Rádhádéšu. Višaka posunie všetky konečné registrácie Manuovi z Radhadesh Guesthoust. Ceny ubytovania sa tiež zmenili, čiže sa budú účtovať bežné ceny Guesthousu. Ak chcete získať viac informácii, kontaktujte prosím guesthouse@radhadesh.com.

Ak ste prispeli príspevkom na festival, alebo už zaplatili ubytovanie, potom Vás oslovíme osobne a dohodneme sa, čo spraviť s príspevkami. Pretože Kingsday sa bude diať, stále musíme pokryť náklady a autobus. Buďte si ale istí, že financie zostanú transparentné a peniaze sa použijú buď na stretnutie žiakov s mahárádžom alebo na pokrytie mahárádžovích zdravotných nákladov. V každom prípade, najskôr Vás požiadame o súhlas.

Prosím s trpezlivosťou počkajte na ďalšie informácie ohľadne mahárádžovho zdravia.

Officiálne updaty ohľadne zdravia budú zverejnené na profile Kadamba Kanana Swamiho alebo prostredníctvom newslettru (zaregistrovať sa môžete tu: kkscontacts.com/register-contact)

Vaši služobníci,
Tím VP

Science Exhibition at Sri Mayapur International School (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The spiritual science becomes revealed to the devotee from within the heart according to the degree of his surrender to Krsna. Letter to Ekayani, July 25, 1970.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/9bC0e2

Speaker: Krishna Ksetra Swami Venue:     Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir Date:         24 Feb 2016   Granthraj Srimad Bhagavatam ki jaya! Has it ever happened to you that you are requested to give a Bhagavatam class in Sridhama Mayapur before all the exalted devotees and you are suggested to choose the verse that you want to speak from. […]

The post Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam: HH Krishna Ksetra Swami appeared first on Mayapur.com.

By Ravindra Svarupa Dasa

If we don’t want to be cheated, we must accept one undeniable law of spiritual life.

One Saturday afternoon at the Krishna-Balarama Mandir in Queens, NY, toward the end of conducting a workshop in chanting (japa-yoga), I felt thankful as indeed I had on similar occasions to be able to present the participants with the kind and reassuring statement that Krishna Himself offered His Devotee Uddhava in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. And my auditors, whose sincerity and seriousness had become evident to me. were similarly grateful.

It is not possible to give honest and effective guidance in spiritual advancement unless one states clearly and emphatically, without hedging and weasel-wording, certain fundamental laws of spiritual life. Industrial engineers design effective power plants by complying with the laws of thermodynamics. In the same way, the “science of self-realization,” as Prabhupada called it, imposes equally stringent demands on its practitioners.

Most of us have on some occasion felt oppressed by the constraints of the law. If we are honest, we still accept them. Otherwise, we cheat.

The temptation is to get something for nothing. If we give in to this temptation, we become cheaters, and often cheated ourselves.

The confidence man Joseph “Yellow Kid” Weil famously claimed that he never cheated an honest person.

“Each of my victims had larceny in his heart,” he observed.

Rolex or Bolex?

In the Philadelphia airport, I had occasion at one time to observe a pair of free-lance peripatetic sellers of watches working the crowds. They drew you aside and offered you a rare deal: a gleaming Rolex watch for a few hundred dollars, a tenth of the retail price. It was imperative to sell them quickly. Naturally you wondered how they were able to sell such expensive timepieces so cheaply, but by their haste, furtiveness, and weighty silences you were led to surmise that the chronographs were stolen goods. Of course, when you got home all delighted with your watch, closer inspection revealed not a Rolex but a “Bolex,” and it soon fell apart.

Spiritual life has its Bolex dealers:

Reporter: What frankly worries me is that since the arrival in Britain some time ago of an Indian yogi, who was the first guru that most people had ever heard of, a lot of gurus have suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Sometimes I get the feeling that not all of them are as genuine as they ought to be. Would it be right to warn people who are thinking of taking up spiritual life that they should make sure that they have a genuine guru to teach them?

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Of course, to search out a guru is very nice, but if you want a cheap guru, or if you want to be cheated, then you will find many cheating gurus. But if you are sincere, you will find a sincere guru. Because people want everything very cheaply, they are cheated. We ask our students to refrain from illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, and intoxication. People think that this is all very difficult a botheration. But if someone else says, “You may do whatever nonsense you like, simply take my mantra,” then people will like him. The point is that people want to be cheated, and therefore cheaters come. No one wants to undergo any austerity. Human life is meant for austerity, but no one is prepared to undergo austerity. Consequently, cheaters come. . . .

Reporter: I wondered how many people you think might have been taken in by fake gurus.

Srila Prabhupada: Practically everyone. [Laughter.] There is no question of counting. Everyone.

Reporter: This would mean thousands of people, wouldn’t it?

Srila Prabhupada: Millions. Millions have been cheated, because they want to be cheated. God is omniscient. He can understand your desires. He is within your heart, and if you want to be cheated, God sends you a cheater.

Reporter: When you say that lots of people want to be cheated, do you mean that lots of people want to carry on with their worldly pleasures and at the same time, by chanting a mantra or by holding a flower, achieve spiritual life as well? Is this what you mean by wanting to be cheated?

Srila Prabhupada: Yes, this is like a patient thinking, “I shall continue with my disease, and at the same time I shall become healthy.” It is contradictory. The first requirement is that one become educated in spiritual life. . . .” From “Saints and Swindlers”: An interview with The London Times, in The Science of Self-Realization.

As Prabhupada’s representative, I found myself in Queens trying to be perfectly clear about the incontrovertible law of spiritual life: Like health and disease, self-realization and sense gratification are mutually exclusive. They are inversely proportional: When direct spiritual experience increases, sense gratification decreases, and vice versa. To add visual reinforcement, I stretched both arms out sideways, flat palms up, miming what I asked them to imagine an old-fashioned scale or pan balance, like the iconic “scale of justice.”

My right hand, I tell them, represents self-realization; my left, sense gratification. Then: “This in an inverse proportion,” and I begin raising my right hand. “Look at my right hand self-realization is going up, and when you look at my left hand on the other side, you see sense gratification goes down.” Indeed, they see my left hand going lower and lower. “And when sense gratification begins to rise” the left hand begins going up “see on the right how self-realization declines.”

Having, I hope, driven the point home, I conclude: “But this does not happen,” and I raise both hands simultaneously.

If we respectfully follow this law, then authentic spiritual life entails at the beginning, for almost everyone, a struggle with the mind and the senses. Prabhupada gave us ample notice. For example:

To pursue the transcendental path is more or less to declare war on the illusory energy. When we accept any process of self-realization, we are actually declaring war against maya, illusion, and maya is certain to place many difficulties before us. Therefore, there is a chance of failure, but one has to become very steady. Whenever a person tries to escape the clutches of the illusory energy, she tries to defeat the practitioner by various allurements. A conditioned soul is already allured by the modes of material energy, and there is every chance of being allured again, even while performing transcendental disciplines. This is called yogac-calita-manasah: deviation from the transcendental path. (Bhagavad-gita 6.37, Purport)

And: “Devotional service is more or less a declaration of war against the illusory energy. As long as one is not strong enough to fight the illusory energy, there may be accidental falldowns. But when one is strong enough, he is no longer subjected to such falldowns. . . .” (Gita 9.30, Purport)

Until a practitioner becomes, in Prabhupada’s phrase, “fixed up,” the war on maya, the struggle with the mind and senses, may lead him or her to discouragement, depression, and even despair. One may give up, or become conned onto some cheating path, kaitava-dharma.

Honesty, freedom from duplicity, is the first requirement. When we teach and follow the path of honesty, however, we need to know what to do when we struggle and sometimes fail.

Hope for the Spiritual Struggle

This is why I was happy, on that Saturday in Queens, to be able to recall Krishna’s words to Uddhava. Here (Bhagavatam 11.20.27–28) Krishna describes His devotee who is still struggling with the senses. The practitioner is committed to the path: His faith in the process of devotional service has been awakened (jata-sraddho mat-kathasu), and he is disgusted with all materialistic activities (nirvinnah sarvakarmasu). In fact, he knows very well that sense gratification of every kind has only suffering to offer him (veda duhkhatmakan kaman). Nevertheless, when it comes to giving up sense enjoyment, he finds himself unable (parityage ’py anisvarah).

Here we find Krishna’s clear portrayal of a divided, conflicted soul, one whose firm convictions and actual behavior are in conflict. Although a devotee assumes that Krishna knows everything, it may still offer some succor to hear Krishna Himself describe what he’s going through.

What, then, should one in such a difficult position do? In this case, Krishna goes on to say, the devotee should continue in his worship and remain happy and undiscouraged (tato bhajeta mam pritah). Pritah may be a startling word here: The dictionary offers “pleased, delighted, satisfied, joyful, glad” as translations. According to the commentary, “The Lord here encourages such a devotee not to be overly depressed or morose but to remain enthusiastic and to go on with his loving service.”

Krishna continues: The devotee should go on worshiping Him with faith and strong determination (sraddhalur drdha-niscayah). Though he may sometimes indulge in sense enjoyment (jusamanas ca tan kaman), he knows that it leads to misery and he repents (duskhodarkams ca garhayan).

Interestingly, this statement of Krishna’s to Uddhava appears in paraphrase in Prabhupada’s purport to Bhagavad-gita 3.31. Prabhupada does not identify the source of his statement, but its provenance is obvious: “In the beginning of Krishna consciousness, one may not fully discharge the injunctions of the Lord, but because one is not resentful of this principle and works sincerely without consideration of defeat and hopelessness, he will surely be promoted to the stage of pure Krishna consciousness.”

Here we find no duplicity about one’s own shortcoming, nor any hostility toward the divine injunctions; there is honesty, and at the same time there is pritah, no consideration of defeat and hopelessness. There can be honest happiness yet even in Queens.

TOVP: Plans For 2016 (Album with photos)
Recently, Ambarisa prabhu, together with the other TOVP managers, went all around the TOVP, discussing plans to be executed in the year 2016. They talked about all the different procedures and areas where work will begin, and viewed all the great achievements from 2015.
Ambarisa was very pleased with the progress of the construction and the finishing work elements like the sandstone cladding, marble work and GRC pillars. He has blessed the TOVP team for a great year ahead in the service of Srila Prabhupada.
Find them here: http://goo.gl/NI0YYP

Harinama at Broadbeach - 21 February 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: When the chanting is performed offenselessly the Lord will automatically reveal Himself to the view of the chanter. The chanter, therefore, has to concentrate on hearing the vibration, and without extra endeavor on his part, the Lord will automatically appear. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.53 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/iBCLRS

An Ambiance of Antiquity (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Radha Kunda is one of the places that has retained an ambiance of antiquity despite all the development and construction around Vrindavan.To convey that special mood I used different filters on my camera lens to capture the mood of “old Vrindavan” at Radha Kunda.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/dxLqok

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February 24. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: A Pure Devotee Preacher.
The pure devotee is not restricted to the limitations of sadhana-bhakti, but follows those practices which nourish pure devotion. Pure devotion means Krishna consciousness, which specifically means service to Radha-Krishna.
Prabhupada conducted his life in that way. His only concern was for things that fostered the preaching and spreading of Krishna consciousness and the cultivation of essential spiritual life. The more we study texts about the most advanced Krishna consciousness as it exists between the Lord and His eternal associates, the more we see that Prabhupada was in that league.
He introduced Westerners to Radha-Krishna from the very beginning, but he also demonstrated gravity and privacy in his emotions. He taught that even if one is above the rules and regulations, he should still follow most of them to set an example. Prabhupada was sober. He didn’t give vent to many ecstatic expressions. Lord Caitanya was also careful about revealing His internal emotions when He was near superficial, ritualistic brahmanas while he was speaking with Ramananda Raya. Similarly, Prabhupada was always in the presence of doubters and atheists while preaching in the West, and thus his demeanor was sober and reserved.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=5

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A Pure Devotee Preacher

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Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 5. 208-209 during the morning program..

“Lord Nityananda is krpa avatara—He an incarnation of mercy. No one is more merciful than Nityananda prabhu. For those of us who want mercy and need mercy—which is all of us—He is the proper and best person to approach. How do we get that mercy? We have to fall down before Him—ye age padaye. So, it is very simple. And, uttama, adhama, kichu na kare vicara—He doesn’t distinguish between good or bad. All of us are generally a mixture of good and bad. But, if we are more good than bad it is not a problem and even if we are more bad than good it is also not a problem. Nothing is a problem. We just have to fall down before Nityananda prabhu. Which means we have to be humble, which is really the only qualification.”

Nityananda Trayodasi Morning, LA