Johananda/Jayadev/John Matlick departs
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Nrsimhananda das: An unsung Vaisnava hero, John Matlick served the devotees since his mother, affectionately known as Prabhupada-lila dd, introduced him to Srila Prabhupada’s teachings in the early 1970’s. John was a videophile who was super helpful to myself and Siddhanta in the early years of ISKCON Television. Devotees worldwide have unlimitedly benefited from his
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The governing principle for our activity
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The governing principle for our activity should be to do what is favorable for pleasing Krishna. Letter to Lalita Kumar, November 27,1971 When we keep our association with Krishna every activity is proper and liberating, but if we should dissociate ourselves from the Lord’s Mercy then like a hand which is severed from the body
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Sri Ramanujacharya’s Appearance Day
Giriraj Swami

Today is the appearance anniversary of Sripada Ramanujacharya, the principal acharya in the Sri, or Lakshmi, sampradaya. Srila Prabhupada wrote, “We find great shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Ramanujacharya because his lotus feet are the strongest fort to combat the Mayavadi philosophy.” (letter 22.11.1974) And in the early days of ISKCON in India, before we had Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is in Hindi, Prabhupada would refer people to read the Hindi edition of the Gita with Sri Ramanujacharya’s commentary.

Srila Prabhupada often told a story about Sri Ramanujacharya’s merciful, compassionate nature. As he related it in Ahmedabad in 1972, “The servants of Krishna take all risk for Krishna’s sake. Just like Ramanujacharya. Sri Ramanujacharya’s spiritual master said, ‘My dear son, the mantra which I am giving, you chant silently and you will be delivered. It is so powerful. Don’t chant this mantra loudly so others can hear.’

“Ramanujacharya thought, ‘If this mantra is so powerful that if others hear it they’ll also be delivered, then why not?’ He immediately went to the market and began to chant the mantra. So, his spiritual master became very angry, that ‘I told you not to chant loudly, so others may not hear.’ And Ramanujacharya replied, ‘My Lordship, I have done offense unto you. That’s all right. For this I am prepared to go to hell. But if this mantra is so powerful, I must speak it to everyone.’ ”

In this mood, following in the footsteps of Sripada Ramanujacharya, Srila Prabhupada broadcast the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita everywhere, to everyone.

We pray and aspire to follow in their footsteps.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

 

A poor brahmana called Sudama
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Once there was a poor brahmana called Sudama, who had been a co-student of Sri Krshna under Guru Sandipani Muni. Lord Krishna and Sudama had wandered together in the forest as good friends. After their studies, Sudama had married and had many children. He received very little money, but always worshipped Lord Vishnu.


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Sri Ramanujacharya Appearance
→ Ramai Swami

In the year 1017 A.D., Ramanuja was born in the village of Perumbudur, about twenty-five miles west of Chennai. His father was Kesava Somayaji and his mother was Kantimathi, a very pious and virtuous lady. Quite early in life, Ramanuja lost his father. Then he came to Kancheepuram to prosecute his study of the Vedas under one Yadavaprakasha, a teacher of Advaita philosophy.

Ramanuja was a very brilliant student. Yadavaprakasha’s interpretations of Vedic texts were not quite up to his satisfaction. Ramanuja pointed out many mistakes in the exposition of his master. Sometimes he gave his own interpretations which were much liked by all the co-students. This made Yadavaprakasha very jealous of Ramanuja.

Yadavaprakasha made a plan to take away the life of Ramanuja. He arranged for Ramanuja and his cousin Govinda Bhatta–a fellow student–a pilgrimage to Varanasi. Govinda Bhatta, being a favourite student of Yadavaprakasha, came to know of the latter’s plan while they were travelling. He at once apprised Ramanuja of the danger and helped him to escape. By the grace of God, Ramanuja escaped with the help of a hunter and his wife whom he accidentally met on the way.

After the death of Yamuna, his disciples at Sri Rangam and other places wanted Ramanuja to take Yamuna’s place as the head of the Math at Sri Rangam. This was also the expressed wish of Yamuna. Accordingly, Ramanuja took his place and was duly installed with all the attendant ceremonies and celebrations as the head of the Visishtadvaita Math at Sri Rangam.

Ramanuja travelled throughout the length and breadth of India to disseminate the path of devotion. He visited all the sacred places throughout India including Kashi, Kashmir and Badrinath. On his way back he visited the Tirupati hills.

Ramanuja then visited all the Vaishnavite shrines in South India and again finally reached Sri Rangam. Here he settled himself permanently and continued his labours of preaching the Visishtadvaita philosophy and writing books. Thousands of people flocked to him everyday to hear his lectures.

He cleansed the temples, settled the rituals to be observed in them, and rectified many social evils which had crept into the community. He had a congregation of 700 Sannyasins, 74 dignitaries who held special offices of ministry, and thousands of holy men and women, who revered him.

He converted lakhs of people to the path of Bhakti. He gave initiation even to washermen. He was now seventy years old, but was destined to live many more years, establish more Maths, construct more temples and convert many more thousands of people.

Ramanuja was the exponent of the Visishtadvaita philosophy or qualified non-dualism. Ramanuja’s Brahman is Sa-visesha Brahman, i.e., Brahman with attributes. According to Ramanuja’s teachings, Lord Narayana or Bhagavan is the Supreme Being; the individual soul is Chit; matter is Achit.

Ramanuja regards the attributes as real and permanent, but subject to the control of Brahman. The attributes are called Prakaras or modes. Lord Narayana is the Ruler and Lord of the universe. The Jiva is His servant and worshipper. The Jiva should completely surrender himself to the Lord. The oneness of God is quite consistent with the existence of attributes, as the attributes or Shaktis depend upon God for their existence.

VOLUME ONE OF “CHASING RHINOS WITH THE SWAMI” IS NOW AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIOBOOK!
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Months in the making, my AUDIOBOOK version of VOLUME ONE of CRWTS is finally here! Reading “Chasing Rhinos With The Swami” is a great experience, but hearing it spoken (in my Tom Waits/Peter Coyote/Sam Elliot voice, a little gruff sometimes after a long session), with personal intonations and heartfelt emotions really brings this book ALIVE!
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We are surrounded by unlimited sins…
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The performance of sankirtana-yajna is a special concession for human society to save people from being affected by known or unknown sinful activities. We are surrounded by unlimited sins, and therefore it is compulsory that one take to Krishna consciousness and chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 9.16.23 Purport)
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Our Whole Philosophy Is Love
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Without love, nothing can sustain. If I do not love Krishna, I cannot surrender—it is not possible. Just like a small child—he is naturally surrendered to the parents because there is love. The child loves the parents. So without the basic principle of love—the more you love, the more the surrender is perfect. Just like a small child—you slap the child, he’s crying, yet crying with the words, “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy,” because there is love. Even in distress the child cannot forget. That is natural. Similarly, when you remain fully surrendered to the supreme will, either in distress or in happiness, that is your happiness, that is real happiness.


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Internal Prayer Should Be a 24 Hour Process (4 min. video)
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Prayer is one of the nine items of bhakti. Prabhupada said we can pray to Krishna to protect us so we don’t fall down. Even great sages sometimes are in compromised positions and fall down. In our conditioned state, we’re actually praying to Krishna to protect us from ourselves so we don’t give in to our weaknesses. That should be our internal mood of prayer.


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Career, Kids, Krishna: Striving for Balance
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Radha Dasi (Rebecca Cornia, JD) is a successful, Harvard-graduate lawyer, also one of the few female members of the leadership of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Her journey has been a delicate dance of balance between her career, spiritual practice and motherhood. Career, Kids, Krishna: Striving for Balance
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