Madhudvisa Prabhu: A Letter in Separation
Giriraj Swami

Madhudvisa-Prabhu-at-LA-Ratha-yatra-cropMy dear Madhudvisa Prabhu,

I am feeling your separation so much right now. My mind is flooded with memories of our service to Srila Prabhupada together, not the least of which was our meeting in the last months and remembering his glorious qualities and activities.

All the circumstances surrounding your departure were auspicious. As was your desire, you lived through Ratha-yatra in Los Angeles and sang before all three carts. Then, just two days later, while your caregiver chanted Hare Krishna by your side, you departed—with a smile on your face. You were a great pioneer and champion of Ratha-yatra. During last year’s procession we discussed the importance of following Srila Prabhupada’s instructions in regard to Ratha-yatras, and in our last meeting in your room at New Dvaraka, six weeks ago, you told me how Srila Prabhupada sent you from Juhu to Australia and you introduced Ratha-yatra there:

“I thought, ‘Australia sounds like a pretty good place.’ So I went down there, and it was great. Immediately I decided that we had to have a Ratha-yatra. One leader said, ‘No, no. We’ve got all these books. We have to sell these books. We have a whole warehouse of books here.’ But I said, ‘Yes, we will sell all those books—don’t worry. We’ll hold a Ratha-yatra and we’ll make devotees and all these devotees will sell all the books we can get.’

“Then I said, ‘We are going to make the whole country into one temple. The whole country is going to cooperate, and we’re going to have this Ratha-yatra, and then we are going to sell books.’

“So we started organizing a Ratha-yatra. ‘You need money for Ratha-yatra,’ I told the devotees, ‘a lot of money. We’ll collect a lot of money and use it for building the Ratha-yatra cart and for publicity and for everything like that.’ So we started collecting money like crazy.

“We built a big, beautiful Ratha-yatra cart, and meanwhile we were saving money, too, because we were looking for a temple. They didn’t have any temples down there—just two small centers—and we needed a big temple, a big establishment. ‘But we can’t afford two,’ I realized. ‘We can get one, so let’s get one.’ So I started collecting money for a temple. I didn’t care if it was in Sydney or Melbourne; they were equally good. But we decided to have the Ratha-yatra in Melbourne. So, we collected money and built a Ratha cart. Melbourne was, and still is, an intellectual kind of place, with several universities. And there is a lot of interest in Krishna consciousness—they embrace Krishna consciousness.

“Anyway, Prabhupada decided for me to go to Australia—that it would be a good idea—so I went, and that was great.”

When you left Juhu, it was a loss for us. But I can see, in retrospect, that you went on to do even bigger and better things in Australia.

Now I am deeply lamenting your loss, but I know that you have gone to do greater service. And I hope that just as we met in New Dvaraka, after your serving in Australia and my serving in Bombay, and were reunited in service to Srila Prabhupada and the holy name, we will be reunited again, in service to Srila Prabhupada and sankirtana, and that again, as brothers, we will relish devotional service under Srila Prabhupada’s guidance and shelter.

In separation,

Your eternal servant,

Giriraj Swami

Need a shortcut?
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 14 September 2013, Durban, South Coast Hall Program, Class “Living in truth”)

srimad-bhagavatamIn one verse, the whole message of Srimad Bhagavatam is summarized. So, I am saving you from the trouble because the Bhagavatam is 18 000 verses long. So you pay attention, just for one moment, to catch this one. This is a shortcut to 18 000 verses. So that helps. It has been identified like that: as the one verse that sheds light to all the other verses – paribhasa-sutra – in a condensed form.

ete cāḿśa-kalāḥ puḿsaḥ
kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam
indrāri-vyākulaḿ lokaḿ
mṛḍayanti yuge yuge (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.28)

 

“I appear again and again, millennium after millennium, in so many forms, as so many avatars, but in this form of Krsna I am bhagavan svayam. I am – svayam – the Supreme Lord Himself – the Original Supreme Personality of Godhead, from whom everything emanates, who is the origin of all other forms and the origin of everything that exists. That original personality am I – Sri Krsna.”

That is the essence of Srimad Bhagavatam; the conclusion of all the 18000 verses.

On Love
→ Seed of Devotion

For the past 8 months or so, I have been in a relationship with a wonderful man by the name of Ghanashyam. He has met my parents and sister, and I've met his parents, siblings, and extended family in the US. The other day, he told me that his grandparents wanted to meet me.

So we hopped on a train to go meet them in New Jersey.

Ghanashyam's grandparents have been married for 69 years.

Sixty-nine years.

I don't think I have ever met anyone who has been married for 69 years. 

Sometimes when people say that "we'll be married forever" it almost seems like too long. I can't wrap my brain around forever.

But I can wrap my brain around 69 years because I witnessed it the other day. I witnessed two people at the age of 91 who have love, respect, and affection for each other.

I asked Ghanashyam's grandma the secret for such a long, healthy marriage. She replied, "Patience. Lots of patience." I wonder what this means because it can mean so many things. I'll stay in this question. 

I asked Ghanashyam's grandpa the secret for such a long, healthy marriage. He replied, "We like each other."

I found that profound. These two people simply like each other. They like each other's company, each other's sense of humor, each other's rhythms. Loving someone can be a little fickle, but liking someone seems to be a steady truth. 

I walked away from our lovely afternoon quite pensive. One day the grandfather or grandmother will pass away. It's hard to imagine being married for 69 years, but it's harder to imagine being married for 69 years and then one day that person is gone. So many journeys, so many lessons of love - so much so that the souls seemed to have intertwined. 

Then bam, gone. 

I feel a cavernous hole in my chest just to think about it. 

I resolve that along with cultivating my relationship with my partner in life I want to cultivate my relationship with God, with Krishna. Allow the three of us to intertwine. We'll be patient with each other. We'll like each other. We'll love each other. 

Then whether my partner and I are married for 69 years or 69 hours before death comes for one or both of us, there is no cavernous hole of sorrow but an overflowing cup of joy. I pray that we may be carried beyond these material bodies by the Lord to a place where love never ends. 
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what is shanti or peace?
→ Servant of the Servant

God is great, and we are most insignificant servant of God. Our business is to give service to God. When you come to this stage, then there will be shanti. Otherwise there is no possibility of shanti....He knows, "Krsna is there. Whatever I need, He will supply." And Krsna said, yoga-ksemam vahamy aham, tesam nityabhiyuktanam: [Bg. 9.22] "Those who are constantly engaged in My service, I take care how to supply their necessities of life." Then why shall I disbelieve Krishna if I am Krishna conscious? Let me do my duty as servant of Krishna, and whatever necessities are required, He will arrange for them. If you become confident about this thing and completely engage yourself in Krishna consciousness, that is the stage of shanta

- Srila Prabhupada, Dec 30 1974

A Little Tale
→ NY Times & Bhagavad Gita Sanga/ Sankirtana Das

With guest appearance by Bhakta Harpo Marx.....

Once upon a time I was on the internet for hours and hours and hours... And I realized that I lost my way, and looking around I found myself --- "TRAPPED! -  TRAPPED ON THE INTERNET!!!!!  - This is awful!  No way out...... What am I going to do..... 





WAIT! ... OMG I hear someone digging... They're coming to rescue me!!!!

THEY'RE GETTING CLOSER!!!


AND CLOSER!!!!




AND CLOSER!!!!!!!




Award winning book by Sankirtana das -  www.Mahabharata-Project.com

The old hermit and the monks…
→ Dandavats.com

Once upon a time there lived a group of monks in an old monastery in the forest, near to a large city. In years gone by the religious order had been so esteemed, with positions in the royal court, so much so that no person would ever pass by one of their temples or ashrams without visiting to pay most humble obeisances, to offer foodstuffs and donations and to prostate themselves in front of the deities. But for a very long time now the religious order had declined, many people who lived in the Cities, towns and villages were so caught up with pleasing themselves that they had forgotten all about the monks. The only devotees left were these scattered old monks, ageing and diseased. And the monks in each monastery were considered by each other to be the last of their order. Read more ›

In shabda pramana we receive knowledge from our senses (ears), so how is it superior to pratyaksha pramana?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Anuj Agarwal

Purport to mantra 17 of Sri Isopanisad mentions following -  "This mantra verifies the fact that the living entity exists after the annihilation of the material body." How does the mantra verifies this fact? Also how does this mantra text defeat mayavada philosophy?

Answer Podcast

How have so many languages come up worldwide when developing a computer language requires so much effort?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From: Praveen Nayak (Pandurang Charan P)

You talked about Varna(caste) and Jati(subcaste). Could you please explain How have all these jatis and languages come into existence in the world and especially in India. To create a language is such a herculean tasks. If we look at material languages used in IT world (Java, C etc), entire company with so many employees has to be inplace to create and maintain a language. So have has this got created in India.

Answer Podcast

Do we need to introspect whether we are progressing in our spiritual life?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Madan Govind P

We carry out our sadhna everyday & as you mentioned Krsna reveals himself gradually though realization of the same might be sudden. How do we know on ongoing basis we are making positive progress & Krsna is indeed reveling gradually or there is a need to get into introspection to find out what is working & what is not.

Answer Podcast

Profiles of Srila Prabhupada Disciples: Vinode Vani devi dasi
→ Dandavats.com

Vinode Vani devi dasi first met the devotees in 1970 while working for college credit at the University of California, San Francisco Hospital. She used to walk past the Hare Krishna Temple every day on her way to work and gave donations to the Harinama party in downtown San Francisco, receiving Back to Godhead magazines and sticks of incense in exchange. Being interested in Buddhism at the time, she did not visit the Temple, as she had heard that the devotees were into feasting - she was into fasting! In her hometown of Houston, TX, Vinode Vani prabhu again received BTGs, this time from Dharma-Bhavana das who was going door-to-door. Encountering BTGs once again sparked a fire in her heart, leading her to read every BTG in the University of Houston library. Within days, she went to the Houston Temple, where she met Ananga Manjari devi dasi and many other devotees. After visiting the temple for a week, she shaved up her husband and they moved into the Temple in December 1971. By early summer 1972, they were initiated. Read more ›

Harinama in New York City (Album 27 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. In Kali-yuga, if this Vedic maha-mantra is chanted regularly and heard regularly by the devotional process of shravanam kirtanam, it will purify all societies, and thus humanity will be happy both materially and spiritually. Srimad Bhagavatam 4.18.14, Srila Prabhupada. Read more ›

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-08-06 02:39:00 →

1970 August 6: "We are going to popularize our Sankirtana Movement by following strictly in the footsteps of Lord Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and distribute Krishna consciousness literature throughout India and the rest of the world. All of our resources are used for this purpose. Our Society is intended for the intelligent class of men, so you are invited to join."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-08-06 02:37:00 →

1970 August 6: "Now all my disciples must work combinedly and with cooperation to spread this Sankirtana Movement. If you cannot work together then my work is stopped up. We must give up the fighting spirit and use our intelligence to push ahead. If we work hard for Krishna without personal ambition, then we are assured of success."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-08-06 02:33:00 →

1972 August 6: "We are not very much for owning buildings, our real business is to preach and propagate Krishna Consciousness widely. So concentrate on this work, sankirtana and book distribution activities. I am more interested in preachers than builders and decorators. If we spend our whole time simply to earn money to pay for big, big buildings and decorations, what is the value?"
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-08-06 02:23:00 →

1973 August 6: "Another Book fund account had been opened in the Overseas Bank, is this correct? If so what is the amount there, that I also want to know, and who is jointly signing checks in this account? Please immediately transfer it to the Building Fund Account and let me know all these points in detail, this is absolutely necessary."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

Yogyakarta Rathayatra
→ Ramai Swami

DSCF1361DSCF1479

Yogyakarta is renowned as a centre of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as ballet, drama, music, poetry, and puppet shows. It is also a place of academic learning. The city is named after the Indian city of Ayodhya from the Ramayana epic.

Devotees from all over Indonesia attended the first Rathayatra parade there, which was organised to participate in a local city festival. At the start many speeches were made by persons such as the Governor and local Mayor.

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The Krsna West approach
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 08 June 2014, Stockholm Sweden, Sunday Feast, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.14)

srila prabhupada in carWhen Srila Prabhupada came to Germany, he met Sacinandana swami’s father. His son had just become a devotee and Sacinandana Maharaj’s father asked a question to Prabhupada,”How can a crocodile survive in the Rhine?” Srila Prabhupada’s answer was, “It is not required to wear this dress. One can also be in plain clothes and be a devotee.” So, there are many quotes on this story, some a little dramatic. Then Sacinandana Maharaj’s father was very impressed and said, “Oh, your guru is very intelligent.” Because Prabhupada understood that question, ‘A crocodile in the Rhine!’

We see that many spiritual traditions in the world have two sides to it. One monastic side, a priestly class, that wear some kind of uniform, some dress standing for spirituality that distinguishes them from the world and gives them their spiritual identity. The other is the secular feature. So, I think that the Krsna West approach to Krsna consciousness is going to be the secular feature of the movement, and best, and has always been because it is not a new invention. It has already been there, now it is just that the idea is formalised a bit more. You already know about the Krsna West because most of the time you are dressed in the Krsna West uniform, so the secular aspect.

Now the secular aspect of Krsna consciousness – Krsna consciousness is a transplant, it is ‘A crocodile that has been put into the Rhine’. It is another culture, not a tradition. The dress, well what is our idea of the Vedic dress? The kurta as Hridayananda Maharaj rightly points out, is a Muslim invention and the cholis are not exactly Vedic. But saris and some sort of dhotis or whatever, that sort of goes back to a more traditional thing. The chaadhar – very traditional! So it was born out of another culture. The clothes, they come out of a culture. This was born out of a culture that had tried to regulate sexual activity and therefore was not ‘putting it’ some much out into the public. Therefore, certain parts of the bodies were nicely covered. This (sannyasa) cloth is different! Tight jeans kind of displays whatever is there, right! Or when ladies walk around with tight jeans and tight t-shirts with nothing under it and chant Hare Krsna at the same time! Hare Krsna is nicely chanted but the dress is of a different culture, a culture that deals with sexuality in a different way.

kks_amsterdam_feb2012Now, when I brought up this argument to Hridayananda Maharaj, he pointed out, “Yes, I am not saying we should wear those kinds of clothes, I am talking about wearing sattvic Western clothes, something in the mode of goodness.” All right, nice, better than those other clothes which incite passion. But I can imagine that many people in the world could relate much easier to Krsna consciousness if it was not in such an oriental religious guise; you know, if it was a little more integrated. For those people, it is good. But I also think that as all traditions of the world show the monastic aspect of spiritual tradition, there are those people who are full time dedicated to it, without having to compromise with society. They are withdrawn from society. They are spending all their time with their spirituality and they become the spiritual leaders, the inspiration for the secular practitioners. So, I think that is, in my estimation, the best we can expect from Krsna West with all due respect to the efforts that are out there. I think it is nothing new, it sounds more dramatic than it is.

I am a sannyasi by vow, the vows are strict! I find that if we just dressed in jeans and in regular clothes then I would find that a burden. I find that if I would just let my hair grow and a little beard, I would sort of lose a certain amount of self-discipline. I find that even every once in a while when I shave my head, it reconfirms my self-discipline. So, I find I get benefits from all these practises on a personal level and therefore I am quite convinced that it is beneficial!