Planet ISKCON

And taking physical association when possible, in light of the all-encompassing association of vani.

The post Discussion with Manjari dd on the importance of selecting a guru appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Life today is full of journeys, it seems. Most of us could hardly survive without our cars and think nothing of a fifty or sixty mile trip, a good two day walk in olden days. For many of us, there’s the daily commute which here in London where I live is less of a journey and more of a battle to the near death. Thankfully I only have to go twenty or so miles, but a lot of people nowadays have to commute as much as a hundred miles and back every day.

Life can be quite hectic, but in the midst of all our moving around we should not forget that our whole life is itself a journey. All of us are travelling continuously through life, observing so many changes as we go. In fact the spiritual teachings of the Bhagavad-gita suggest that by carefully considering this we can understand that we are eternal beings. We go from childhood, to youth to old age, but through all these changes of external body we remain the same unchanging spiritual person.

For me the most important journey is the one within, the search for my true self. This is truly a voyage of discovery, but you don’t have to go anywhere. It is the practise of yoga, which means to re-connect with the spirit. Each day then, before embarking on the furious rush of daily life, I sit down for a couple of hours to journey within myself, to peacefully meditate and contemplate my real existence, beyond the ephemeral world.

Krishna’s instructions tell us that this fleeting life is but one small part of a great journey. It ends when we reach God, where we are said to really belong. We are thus enjoined to prepare for that end by cultivating our inner life. By such practise, which I personally do by the simple method of chanting God’s holy names, we can ultimately perceive our true existence. The Gita describes this as eternity and bliss, and it promises us that when we finally achieve that our stressful travels in this world will be over.

Hare Krishna! “Give More Than You Take”
Indradyumna Swami: Samskaras are Vedic purificatory ceremonies for advancing in spiritual life. One of them is vivaha-samskara, the wedding rite. Our spiritual master said that in this material world a boy naturally desires a girl and a girl naturally desires a boy, and they come together in holy matrimony to make it sacred, and they advance in material prosperity and spiritual prosperity together. I think that is a nice definition of love: “to be concerned about the needs of your beloved.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=1363

Hare Krishna! Relating to Devotees with Due Respect
As we discussed in Respect, the Basis of Civilisation, Vedic Culture is based on respect and this respect is expressed through specific codes of conduct or etiquette. In this section, we will go a little more in detail about the principles and practices of Vaisnava etiquette. …it is the characteristic of a devotee to observe and protect the Vaisnava etiquette. Maintenance of the Vaisnava etiquette is the ornament of a devotee. …By observing the etiquette, you have satisfied My mind. Who else but you will show this example? (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya Lila 4.130, 132) Nothing can be successful without sadacara (etiquette). Every activity should be performed with the right attitude. A saint’s heart is free from all impurities. Thus the way a saint acts is the right behaviour known as sadacara. (Hari Bhakti Vilasa)
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=1091

We kindly request all devotees to please continue your prayers for HH Jayapataka Swami’s health since his condition is not totally out of complications just yet. Thank you

Hare Krishna! Srila Prabhupada and the puffed rice
Srutakirti dasa: “This evening you can make me some puffed rice and peanuts,” he said. “It will fill me, but it is not heavy. What I ate last night made it difficult for me to get up and do my translating work. With puffed rice there is no indigestion.” I left his room and began to prepare the puffed rice and peanuts. He told me to serve it with sliced cucumber and ginger root on the side. First, a chaunce was made and then the puffed rice and peanuts were put into the wok and cooked until all the grains were toasted. I brought it to his room along with hot milk that was sweetened with sugar.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17446

A very nicely made movie about the Hare Krishna movement and its basic beliefs (25 min video)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/YUlgrv

The last day of the 40th anniversary of Melbourne temple was just as ecstatic as the others.

The post Daily Darshan – May 20th, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Bhuta Bhavana dasa Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 19 229 236 20150516074214

Dhruva said, “You are the self-energized source of all energies. Entering into me, you energize my latent capacities. Now your internal energy enters me, awakening my capacity to speak about you. My hands awaken and want to touch you. My legs awaken and want to run to you. My ears awaken and want to hear your voice. My skin awakens and awaits your touch. My life force becomes truly alive for the first time, and I breathe only for you. I offer myself to you, the All-Attractive Person!”

Hari might reply, “My dear, before today you also spoke, breathed, touched things, heard things and so on. Why do you say I have newly brought these capacities to life?”

So the boy said, “Before today, I lived and breathed only to touch and be touched by the endless external things created by the amazing qualities of your energy called māyā. Even then, it was you alone who brought my capacities to life. Even then it was you alone who I sought, for you are the Animator of all the things produced by this temporary world, latently present at the heart of everything, just like fire is latent in wood.

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Comment: The internal energy entered Dhruva through the touch of Viṣṇu’s conch. When the internal energy energizes the jīva, the nature of that energy (bhakti) becomes one with the jīva and inspires the senses, emotions, thoughts, etc.. This is defined as the beginning of bhāva-bhakti. When the external energy energizes the jīva, the nature of that energy (bhukti) becomes one with the jīva, and inspires the senses, etc. If the jīva is not energized by either energy it is sūpta – latent, inactive, “comatose” in a spiritual sense.

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“He Nātha! Oh friend of the troubled! People take refuge in you because, when you energize them, their latent intellect will awaken and they will see everything clearly. A wise soul who seeks the ultimate prize could never disregard the refuge offered at your feet!

“Alas! You can completely deliver us from temporary existence, but fools whose delusions completely hijack their intellect come to you for other things. They worship a wish-fulfilling tree just to get some facsimile of pleasure for their own corpses. They worship you to get external sensations that can be found even by animals.

“He Nātha! What is the use of flying into paradise? The blade of time will only cut our wings! What even is the use of emancipation into the unfettered latent consciousness of Brahman? For in that state we can never taste the exhilarating joy of contemplating your lotus feet, or hearing your beloved associates discuss you!”

Hari might ask, “Then, do you want to meditate on my feet, or do you want to hear about me from my beloved associates? Which blessing do you want from me?”

Anticipating this, the boy said, “I want to become close with the infinitely glorious people whose spotless hearts are always absorbed in devotion to you. If I have this blessing, then why should I fear anything? Your devotees would intoxicate me by giving me the nectar-wine of discussions about your qualities, and then would be easily able to guide me through the terribly fearsome ocean of existence.”

– Śrī Bhāgavata 4.9.6 ~ 11

Vraja Kishor dās

VrajaKishor.com

Tagged: association of devotees, bhava-bhakti, dhruva, hari-katha, internal energy

"It is impossible for the jiva to singlehandedly avoid and overcome the illusion of distraction. By the mercy of the Lord, however, this is accomplished with ease.
Therefore it is essential to prayerfully beg for the Lord's grace with great humility, for this is the only means to salvation from this offense."

From Harinama Cintamani
by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur

Gita Verse-by-verse Study Podcast:

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Written by Michael

Travelling from Brisbane, after a seamlessly smooth landing into the then-expected arctic Melbourne, the temperature didn’t actually seem too bad; a little fresh, as the Europeans call it. To keep things short and sweet, below I will convey some highlights of the stay here, before our departure to Canberra tomorrow (20 May).

On Wednesday, 13 May, Maharaja was invited to an Urban Yoga event entitled “Mindfulness and Meditation”, where he addressed the value and importance of connecting with the Divine, to a group of mainly university students and budding yoga practitioners.

The evening of the day after was definitely my highlight of the week. Maharaja was invited to lead a mantra session at Mantra Lounge, Grattan St. As always, the kirtan was incredible, however at a certain point, Maharaja slowed down his melodious transitions, and spoke to the again ‘university student filled’ room. Eyes closed, he took us on a journey from where we were situated and ascended up towards the spiritual realms, past the Sapta Rsi’s, past Janaloka, past Brahmaloka, gradually penetrating the eight coverings of the universal shell and beyond. I won’t give the conclusion away but the recording is right below.

Friday evening was packed with a maha-harinama. A large number of devotees and distinguished guests were invited, such as HG Hari Sauri Prabhu (ACBSP) and Melbourne’s temple president, HG Aniruddha das. Maharaja led the harinama through the high streets outside the Town Hall. We went into an enclosed space and the kirtan sound waves rattled the nearby windows! Another kirtan which was as powerful as harinama that reached heights extremely close to Kingsday last month, was for the 40^th Anniversary Celebration for ISKCON Melbourne on Sunday (18 May). My word, that was serious! For three hours, the whole temple room was jumping up and down, and if for whatever reason somebody had not been satisfied with the kirtans before, they definitely would’ve been left satisfied with that! Maharaja was invited to give the Sunday Feast lecture, in which you could say, he gave cannonball of a talk. Hear it below.

Canberra and Sydney, here we come…

 

Photos

Visit flickr for more pictures.

 

Recordings

Courtesy of Michael

KKS_AUS_Brisbane_11 May 2015_Lecture_Rupa_and_Sanatana_Goswami

KKS_AUS_Brisbane_11 May 2015_Kirtan

KKS_AUS_Brisbane_11 May 2015_Lecture_SB_1.3.42

KKS_AUS_MEL_12 May 2015_Kirtan_Sandhya

KKS_AUS_MEL_12 May 2015_Personal_Address

KKS_AUS_MEL_13 May 2015_Lecture_Mindfulness_and_Meditation

KKS_AUS_MEL_13 May 2015_Lecture_SB_3.9.41

KKS_AUS_MEL_14 May 2015_Lecture_SB_3.9.42

KKS_AUS_MEL_14 May 2015_Mantra Lounge_Meditation

 

I had an interesting request today with a idea of how to bring groups of individuals together over distance.

It is a simple idea of having a regular sanga using Skype, meeting once a fortnight at a set time. The idea was to go through the Gita verse by verse however a senior devotee suggested that a more methodical look at the top 150 verses quoted by Srila Prabhupada.

It is also interesting how Sri Krishna works, with the initial request being that I myself front this digital sanga; however the senior devotee has advised and encouraged the initial devotee to take this up.

So I was wondering has anyone else tried to set up an online digital Skype sanga, if so what was your experience?

And is their anyone who would like to join and be a part of this community.

You can contact myself: dhirabhakta@gmail.com or Dipak prabhu (who’s idea it was): dipak.px@gmail.com

Hopefully the first meeting will be held in the next few weeks, and hopefully we can feedback the progress of this online sanga

Hare Krishna

Jaya Jagannatha & Hare Krishna chanting by HH Danavir Goswami (Musical 8 min. video)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/OkUg0b

FFL Nepal latest news
16th May, 2015, Nepal — FFL volunteers went to Chamkharka village at Panauti to cook and serve hot meals, along with relief materials. Twenty-five Volunteers from FFL Nepal ventured out early in the morning with utensils, fresh vegetables, rice, and dhal to cook their now famous khichadi (rice, bean and vegetable stew) onsite. However, preparation for cooking was delayed when they realized it was not possible to transport their cooking stove & gas to the remote village. Volunteers had to gather wood from around the area to cook on an open fire. Once the khichadi was ready, a rush of children came to get their share, thrusting their plates & cups at the servers and screaming in anticipation. “We asked the children to first wash their hands with soap before serving them the hot khichadi,” explained one of the volunteers. “Even though they were very hungry, they all happily complied.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17430

Hare Krishna! Impersonalism and the Doomed to Fail Attempt to Judge Sadhus
“For various reasons, common people do not easily develop faith in exalted persons who are still living, whereas they tend to develop great faith in the activities of mahajanas who have passed away.” (Jaiva Dharma chapter 22) The proud practice of using our dull material senses to try to judge who is sadhu and who is not is the same as the neti neti endeavor of the impersonalists. The impersonalists try to understand what is spirit by using their material senses. “Net, neti” means, “not this, not this”.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17427

Hare Krishna! Come back to Me and dance with Me. Why rot in this rotting dance?
Why don’t you come back to Me and dance and sport with Me?” “Why you are rotting in this rotting dance, in false lila, temporary lila, or hellish lila.? “Krishna’s business is rasadi-vilasa. He’s busy in dancing with the gopis. He has no other business. Just like we try to imitate Krishna. Big, big rich men, they go to the ball dance, to the night club for dancing. So wherefrom this propensity comes, dancing? That comes from the Supreme Lord. Rasadi-vilasa. Because Krishna has the business of dancing and we are part and parcel of Krishna, so we have got the same spirit of dancing. But because we are in the material world, the material covering has perverted the dancing propensity.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17424

Bhagavatam daily Podcast:

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CC daily Podcast:

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Gita Verse-by-verse Study Podcast:

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Questions from Bh. Ravi, Manjari dd. and Adhoksaja Krsna.

The post Do demons who attain Goloka enjoy the same prema as devotees? appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Kirtaniya sada hari... Continue reading →

Mahavishnu Swami is inviting every one of you for a “Hare Krishna journey!” (1 min video)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/gcNz3q

Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna Festival of Chariots winds through Brisbane
Brisbane could almost have been mistaken for Bombay for a short while on Saturday as the Festival of Chariots parade made its way through the CBD. A celebration of the Hare Krishna community, the Festival of the Chariots originated in Puri, India, more than 2000 years ago and has been celebrated in cities across the world since. Central to the festival, as the name suggested, was a huge wooden chariot that was pulled through the streets of Brisbane amid music and dancing.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17421

Three Modes of Nature (4 min video)
Dance “Three Modes of Nature and the Soul” (must see). Performed in Balaramovka village (Russia). See how the modes are pulling and controlling the conditioned soul, until attraction for Krishna comes again.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/A2DHs1

Meet Ivar Foreland, a true Norwegian!
Travelling down from Nordkapp and we happened to stop at Honningsvag where many cruise ships dock. This very nice man pictured here reading the Sri Isopanisad (purchased from Iskcon Norway (Hare Krishna Movement) is Ivar Foreland who is 63 and works part of the year as a security guard for Securitas. He checks that no one gets onboard a ship that shouldn’t and he has a very friendly manner to go with it. He has 3 daughters and 3 step daughters as well as 7 grand children. He never argues as he feels it to be a waste of time (what a nice intelligent man). He likes the Beatles and especially George Harrison and one of his favourite songs is “My Sweet Lord”. He is very interested in history and philosophical discourse and he is a true Norwegian. I spent an enjoyable hour just chatting with him and I’m sure that this book will find a few ports to dock into as it journeys on its path into peoples lives. Om Tat Sat. Hare Krishna!

Bacteria Found in Cow Dung Can Make You Smarter
Researchers from the Sage Colleges in Troy, NY, USA, reported today their findings that specific bacteria common to our environment may increase learning behavior. Dorothy Matthews and Susan Jenks, who conducted the study, shared their findings with those in attendance at the meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego. The bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, is well known to scientists, as the dead bacteria is being tested as immunotherapy for asthma, cancer, depression, psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and tuberculosis. M. vaccae, so named because it was first discovered in cow dung in Austria, is naturally found in soil, and it is inhaled when people spend time outdoors, especially where there are plants and trees.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/RJ8V6F

We live in the world of instants – instant messaging, instant videos, instant coffee, instant relationships and needless to say ‘instant happiness’. Because I feel I need it, I should get it right now. However the reality of life often differs from what we want should happen…what comes easy often goes easy. Join us for […]

The post Happiness Talk 20 & 24 May appeared first on The Loft Yoga Lounge Auckland.

HG Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhu at ISKCON Mayapur on 2015-05-18, Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 06.08.18

The post Daily Darshan – May 19th, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

"The first regulative principle is that one must chant the Hare Krsna maha−mantra loudly enough so that he can hear himself, and one must vow to chant a fixed number of rounds."

Sri Chaitanya-caritamrta
Antya 11.24 purport

Relieved of their fear, the gods offered their grateful thanks to Urukrama, the Far Striding Viṣṇu, before returning to their places in the three dimensions. Thousand-Headed Viṣṇu mounted Garuḍa and went to Madhuvana, to see his devotee.

Dhruva’s fiercely intense yogic meditation had revealed Viṣṇu manifest within the lotus of his heart with the brilliance of lightning. But when that form suddenly vanished, Dhruva opened his eyes. Seeing that very same Viṣṇu standing outside him, Dhruva lost all composure and himself flat on the ground, straight as a pole, to offer respect. As the child rose and looked upon Viṣṇu, his eyes seemed to drink Viṣṇu’s beauty. Those eyes seemed like lips kissing Viṣṇu’s beauty, like arms embracing him.

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Comment: Dhruva practiced in Vṛṇdāvana, and by the mercy of Vṛṇdāvana was not bound by the stiff awe and reverence of distant worship. Actually, no true bhakta maintains any distance from Viṣṇu / Krishna, nor any object of love. Distance is required only when love is weak. The distance protects the relationship from its flaw, lack of love. When love is powerful, distance flees. Dhruva’s glance embraced Viṣṇu and kissed him while that drank in his beautiful form as if it were cool nectar.

Sādhakas should practice looking at pictures and mūrtis of Krishna with emotion. Dhruva, however, was not practicing. It was an automatic and unstoppable reflex of his fully developed love.

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The boy put his hands together, but hesitated to speak because he knew little about Hari. Viṣṇu understood this, for he is always within everyone’s heart, and gently touched the boy’s forehead with his Conch – which is composed of Spiritual Wisdom. At that moment the boy could comprehend how to express himself in words, for he completely understood everything about the Divine Supreme Soul. He then spoke words full of pure devotion and beyond imperfection, glorifying the one who would soon grant him imperishable property, whose immense glories are heard everywhere, for all time.

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Comment: An effort is made here to make it clear that Dhruva was not overjoyed because he was about to attain his original goal. He was overjoyed simply by contacting the infinite bliss of Viṣṇu’s beauty. No other objective remains compelling when one experiences Hari’s beauty.

Dhruva was between five and six years old.

Next we will hear eleven verses spoken by Dhruva. It is very valuable. We will hear the realization of a person who practiced bhakti yoga with intensity we could not hope to match.

— Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.9.1 ~ 5

Vraja Kishor dās

www.VrajaKishor.com

Tagged: Bhakti, darshan, dhruva, Hari, Realization, Vishnu, Yoga

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 26 April 2015, Radhadesh, Belgium, Vyasa Puja: Address to disciples)

Transcribed by Tattvavati dd

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya 
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

First of all, I am indebted to my spiritual master, who really is a very broad-minded, generous personality and who just had a lot of faith in me and gave me everything.

Then, I was thinking… We have these gatherings and we come here with a lot of effort, spend a lot of money on it and I am doing it because first of all, it is dharma; it is a prescribed duty. It is a duty to observe vyasa puja, it is a duty to make an offering because within that we are all remembering our responsibility – you remember yours as disciples and I remember mine as a spiritual master.

We have some guests today who are not my disciples. Jaya Krishna is one of them, someone who I appreciate very much because I’ve seen his plays for years. The little skit that we had yesterday, he was the inspiration behind it all and the driving force! I’ve seen him play Bhaktivinoda Thakur and it was really nice. It was in Mayapur, years ago, but it really made you feel like Bhaktivinoda was there, you know, he was really carrying it. So with his theatre, he has done so much. I said earlier, a few words in appreciation of mother Jayabhadra (ACBSP) and that is some ongoing appreciation for her commitment and dedication.

Then my appreciation for all of you, for what you do in this movement. What to say? I have spoken about ISKCON, how in the past, ISKCON was very centered. When Srila Prabhupada was here, there was one leader. There was one real leader and everyone was accepting that one leader and therefore when Prabhupada wanted something, then everyone wanted it. So there was that kind of spirit…

After that, we had the zonal acharya era and well, at least they bundled their disciples although maybe they didn’t know how to deal with godbrothers and how to inspire godbrothers and there was a lot of immaturity. So although they bundled devotees, it didn’t carry the same depth and maturity as when Srila Prabhupada was doing it because Prabhupada was really thinking so much from just the ultimate Krsna conscious point of view.

Now it is a different time. I wish I could give one order and everyone would drop everything and just do as I would say! I wish it could be like that but it is not like that in the areas where I am preaching. Maybe, if I would be somewhere else in the world. There are some corners where I could have had my project with my disciples and maybe it could have been like that. When I took sannyasa in 1997, it was a bit later than many of my contemporaries. Somehow or other, I am a little late with some things in my life. So by the time I came in as a sannyasi, many of the other sannyasis were already in Eastern Europe. They were all in Eastern Europe so I chose Western Europe. I said, “I am not going to the East.” Of course, you know, that was not so easy. I still wound up in the Czech Republic because someone drove me there and then I was preaching and I kept on preaching in the Czech Republic. That was my exception for the Eastern countries. To Croatia, I thought I will not go, no way. I thought I will stay on the Western side: Scandinavia, Germany, Benelux, all these countries in Western Europe and even the UK. And then, it turned out that half of the Czechs that I was preaching to were Slovaks, right? And at that time, I couldn’t tell the difference. Now I can but it is too late and so the Slovaks took me further east. So now I have like Czechs and Slovaks, and then of course eventually, the Balkans got me, for better or worse!

I must say that the Balkan kirtans are just fun. The people just get into it, the whole night long; no problem. I mean, no one says, “There is a time schedule!” It is just a very spontaneous affair. Well, Sacinandana Maharaj has his style of mellow kirtan and I have my style of I don’t know what you want to call it but my style of kirtan. So one time, one year I got Sacinandana Maharaj dancing and dancing, and of course it came out on Facebook and the next day I got a message from Kavicandra Maharaj, “You had Sacinandana Swami dancing like a new bhakta.” It was nice, you know, it was fun. So it is fun. So many places.

I went to Germany because it is a very important country in Europe and German people are very capable. That is why they are a leading country in Europe. I went there with a strategy. I thought, “Okay, let me do something to build up Germany. Let me help to make Germany stronger.” I am still committed to that, to Germany, although they changed some temples in the places where I was preaching but now new life is coming.

It is difficult in this day and age, to really drive a focused effort because everyone is on his own program. And most of you also are on your own program and with that, my role then becomes someone who supports individuals, who inspires individuals in their Krsna consciousness, as a friend. All these things are part of what I want to do but actually I want to do much more. I want to drive a mission, a serious one, a full-on mission. I would like, if I could only say to every householder, “Go out every day for one hour on book distribution.” If they would actually do it, I would say it. But they won’t do it, if I say it. So I won’t say it although I just said it!

I remember that I came into Berlin as an active preacher after Prithu Prabhu had been a leading preacher there; I kind of came in as a next leader after that. I remember saying to the devotees, “It doesn’t matter what ashram you are in but why don’t just we try to live from preaching. Why do you need jobs, why do you need university education? Do you realize it is just the spirit of this time? In the 60’s or 70’s, no one in his right mind in those days thought of finishing an education, right? Everyone just forgot about it!”

No one thought about the future. We had mantras, “Be here now.” We thought that as long as that would be our focus, it would be enough for the rest of our lives. But the times changed in the world and security became a much more important issue. The future became a consideration. At the time when I became a devotee it was maya to think about security because Krsna will take care of you, “What is your problem? Why worry about the future? Krsna is there and surely He will make an arrangement if you, now simply give everything you have for Krsna.”

And I must say, to be honest, the times have changed but I didn’t. I didn’t. I still don’t have an education. I didn’t go back to college. I never went in the first place, not because I wasn’t smart enough but because I was too smart. I could see that the system will prepare me for a life that I did not want to live and I decided not to live that life. Therefore, even as a householder, I immediately told my former wife, “Look, you know, I’m not gonna have a job. If it means we are not going to have money, too bad but that’s how it is going to be. I am going to get no job, no way! I’m just going to preach and going to be involved in the temples.”

Maybe that was the spirit of the time, it was very much my spirit at the time. In one sense, I am Mr Flexible. When it is about people I can be very flexible. I can accept everyone in whatever endeavour they are in; Krsna consciousness is not at all stereotype. Rather, it can be practiced in all kinds of conditions of life – one can be involved in the world and still practice Krsna consciousness; that is fine, one can still do something for the mission. But, I do want some devotees full time for the mission. Some devotees who just say, “Okay, forget about the world.” Nowadays, we don’t think so much in that way anymore but when Srila Prabhupada was present, it definitely was a missionary movement! To remain brahmachari was a desired thing; to get married was a second best choice just from the perspective of the mission. So with that, I want to appreciate anyone in whatever ashram they are in, as I was a grhasta. I am not speaking out against grhasta life but I am speaking out in favour of changing the world. I remain a very idealistic person. I wanted to change the world long before I came to Krsna consciousness and I was trying to do it. I stood on street corners, singing songs about changing the world; I gave talks, and lectures; I wrote articles in newsletters. I was a missionary then and only gained more substance in the Krsna consciousness movement. And what I really would like to see is that you think about that and that you take on board everything I said earlier today about different natures and that we must be situated according to our nature…

Vasudev and I go back a long way. He joined in that little Amsterdam temple. I went there from India to recover after my injuries in Vrindavan and I stayed in one place for quite a long time, with a small group of people. I would rest a lot, to sort of get better so there was some strong bonding. Vasudev always said that he was more easy going than me. I’m like intense, intense! He used the word “intense” many times in a positive sense but I am intense. That is true. What can I do? I always was. I’m not expecting that you imitate me and get that equal intensity, if intensity is not so much in your nature. You would get a nervous breakdown if it’s not in your nature and you try to be intense like Kadamba Kanana Swami. You will probably burn out. I learned that…

In 1986, I was in Mayapur. I had gone to Mayapur at the end of ‘85 and I was helping with the ‘86 festival which was the 500^th anniversary of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It was very hectic and I was working with Jayapataka Maharaj. It was just incredible because I was building for him an expo, an exhibition area, and for that I had to get money from him and it was very difficult to get money from him because Jayapataka Maharaj is tight. Oh yes!

I would go to his office at night. He would be there seeing people and then I would have to present the work I was doing for him and then, well, after about one hour he would agree to make the payment, then fifteen minutes later he would take the cheque book out of the desk, another half an hour later he would actually fill out the cheque but he would not sign it! Time was moving on. So then, at 11.30 at night, he would sign the cheque, but still he wouldn’t give it to me. At 11:45, I would have the cheque in my hands but he didn’t put his stamp on there. He said, “Oh, give it back to me to put the stamp.”

I said, “I have my own stamp. No problem.” I was never going to give it back! I had the cheque. So I had the cheque and then at almost midnight, he asked, “You want some prasad?” And I go like, “Well, you know, prasad now?” After that whole ordeal with the cheque, well, I thought why not. So then, we went in and a huge, huge table had like so many preparations, from one corner to the other corner of the table, was covered with prasadam. It was after midnight, and he was encouraging me to eat this and that, and everything. So, you know, like by one o´clock, I was sort of totally intoxicated from the incredible amount of prasadam and fell unconscious in my room, on the bed. Then at 5.30am, four and a half hours later, his servant was banging on my door… bang, bang, bang! “He wants to see you right now.” (exhale!) And then, he would talk about how to build things and where we would find some hidden bricks and cement and so on.

In the course of that, at one point, I got behind on my rounds. I didn’t have any more time to chant. It was just day and night being busy and I got thirty-two rounds behind so then I spoke to Harikesh about it and he said, “Well, you know, I mean, no one tries to keep up with Jayapataka Maharaj. You must be mad!” I really got some realization on that day that everyone is an individual and that we all serve Krsna in our own individual way. So don’t try to be Kadamba Kanana Swami but take the spirit, take a drop of the spirit of Kadamba Kanana Swami and that is (a) be independently thoughtful and (b) do something for the mission. Not just do something but do something REAL, make a plan to push on Krsna consciousness and do something! Really do something within your means but not in the mode of passion!

Although I am an intense personality, you see that in my travel schedule, you see that in my kirtan, I also brought Giriraj here today which is the other side, you know, which is my personal life. The Lord is kind enough to appear in my personal life and give me some personal shelter. Also, over all these years, although I had so much service, still I took time to read the Bhagavatam. And then in 1984, when the all-in-one volume of Caitanya Caritamrta came out, I carried it with me for many years until we went electronic and nowadays everything is carried electronically…

But there is the other side, the time that we take for our own spiritual life – I’m not only singing crazy and wild kirtans. I generally sing crazy and wild kirtans with other people but when I’m alone, I sing very mellow kirtans. You wouldn’t believe how mellow, really very soft, mellow, gentle… I don’t know where it started, that reputation, where I’m being announced, “Now Kadamba Kanana Swami will lead a kirtan which will be an explosion of an explosion!” Something I hate! I mean “explosion of an explosion”. How can you lead an “explosion of an explosion”? It’s ridiculous. So, my point is that I want you all to be well-rounded people. Well-rounded means people who take care of all the aspects of their life – their private life, their bhajan, their worship of Krsna, their japa, their absorption in the philosophy…

Mahavishnu Swami - Purity is the Force _ East Africa Tour 2009 Continue reading →

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Hare Krishna! Relativity and the Path to the Absolute
Later, after becoming a devotee, I discovered that according to the Vedic teachings my assertions were right. But now I could understand something about the nature of that absolute reality: It is Krishna. Everything we see in this world comes from one of Krishna’s many energies. But His illusory energy (maya) keeps us from perceiving things properly. Just as a magician can make us think we’re seeing something that’s not there, Krishna uses illusion to create our supposed reality. One might wonder why God would want to prevent us from seeing the truth
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