There Is No Secret
→ Japa Group

“There is no ‘secret’ to japa; it is a struggle. There is no easy shortcut. The secret is to surrender to the struggle. The secret is to be afraid of death and take it as very urgent that you must chant Hare Krishna."

From Japa Reform Notebook
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

The time is now
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 April 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Lecture at House Program)

srila prabhupada_writingI remember a Vyasa puja offering from Bhurijana, a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada. He joined in 1968 and then around 40 years later, Bhurijana wrote an offering to Prabhupada. In the offering he wrote, “I do not really have anything to report. I did not really do anything extraordinary this year. I did not distribute many books. The only thing I can say is that I am still here.”

I liked that offering because he made a deep point – 40 years and still here! That is something. There are many who have been around for more than 40 years and are still here. If we are still here that makes all the difference. At the end of the day, we can try to convince the world but are we ourselves convinced?

We have to be convinced; we have to really dedicate ourselves and to give everything we have. It has to come to that, we can take some time to get there, no problem. It is not that we have a burnout program where everyone has to push themselves beyond their limits, but for how long are we going to drag our feet? A few more grey hairs and still dragging our feet! How many years do we have anyway. Actually, what guarantee do we have that we are going to get old so how long can we postpone? This is not only for you – it is for me also. How long can I postpone? So many things I am postponing. How long can I postpone?

I have books I want to finish. I always find a reason why I cannot do it – too busy, too tired, health, this that, always reasons not to finish and I was thinking, “Yeah, but Srila Prabhupada just focused. He just focused.” So if we focus, it will be done. If we focus, so many things will be done. If you really focus then I think so many things become possible! So when will we focus?

Those kinds of thoughts we have and we think, ‘Yeah, but I also want some happiness in this world.’ All right, have some happiness in this world but understand that it is going to be ‘some’. Have a piece of cake with lots of cream, and it is tasty, but then afterwards you have to deal with the thing, you know. Once you have swallowed it, the fun of it is over. Once it has passed the tongue then the fun of the cake is over. It blows up in the stomach like a sponge, ‘That was a heavy cake!’ Oh God, how many heavy cakes is it going to take? How much enjoyment? Have some but it is over in a snap.

‘I want some love.’ Okay have some love in the world. Love, love, love and then it gets down to business. It is not only love but it is also bills, it is also duty, it is also responsibility! There is also maintenance and taking care, and when you do not want to then it is not so romantic at all. Fine have all these things but when are we going to focus on Krsna and on going back to Godhead, and making that a priority? That is the question?

 

July 3rd 2014 Krishna Lounge Kirtan & Talk
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oldman-kltalk
 
Kirtan lead by Vrndavana dasa:


 
Kirtan lead by Giriraj Gopal dasa:

 
Talk by Giriraj Gopal dasa:


 

Ratha Yatra festival on 29th June 2014 at ISKCON Salem, Tamil Nadu (Album 29 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Located two hundred kilometers southeast of Bangalore, Salem is home to a very enthusiastic group of ISKCON devotees, mostly young brahmacharis, who have recently relocated to a new property, a three-acre plot of land, just a half kilometer from Periyaar University and the Government Engineering college (which is part of the reason they purchased land in this area). Read more ›

Writing about Srila Prabhupada and Juhu
Giriraj Swami

SP GS Juhu BeachAfter the conveyance of the Juhu land—Hare Krishna Land—was finally signed in 1973, Srila Prabhupada declared, “It was a good fight. Someone should write a book about it.”

Srila Prabhupada had already given me the direct instruction to write, and I thought that I would be the person to write that book.

In fact, I am the only devotee who was intimately involved in the project from the time Srila Prabhupada got possession of the land in 1972 to the time the temple opened in 1978.

Over the years, and especially recently, well-wishing friends, including Indradyumna Swami, Radhanath Swami, Rtadhvaja Swami, and Sacinandana Swami, have urged me to take up writing about Srila Prabhupada and Juhu as my first priority, and now, by Srila Prabhupada and the devotees’ grace, I have begun.

I request you to bless me with your prayers and good wishes, that I may complete this work as Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari, the presiding Deities at Hare Krishna Land, would want, for their pleasure and for the pleasure of their devotees.

Thank you very much.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service to Srila Prabhupada,
Giriraj Swami

Standing the test of time
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 April 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Lecture at House Program)

KKS_kirtan partyThe weight of time is the biggest weight of all. Over time to maintain the standards of purity requires a very great effort; in fact, it requires more and more effort. In the material world, in the beginning things are difficult and then you become more and more expert. But in spiritual life, we realize over time that more and more we depend on Krsna and on his mercy… that we have to make endeavors for it and that we have to go deeper into our remembrance, into our meditation. 

We can no longer just mechanically chant. We can no longer mechanically go through our rituals. No, we need to actually reach out to Krsna… We need to actually reach out to our spiritual master and deepen our relationship. Somehow or other, in spiritual life a greater and greater commitment is required over time to maintain our standards of purity. It just drives us forward, forward on the transcendental path.

 

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario
 
When a Blessing Works
 
 
It was considerate of Mathieu and Krishna Dulal to drive me back to home base from Ottawa.  My most and least favourite modes of transportation, namely walking and bussing, were not the preferred options.  Off to Highway 7 (in Ontario) we went by conventional car.  Bless those two guys.  I’m home, I think.  Sometimes I’m convinced the road is my home. 
 
I did fortuitously meet some great folks that asked for blessings today.  I meant to say it was not my intent to meet these people who asked for some benedictions.  Some hours after Matheiu and K. Dulal dropped me off, I dashed for the first opportunity to move my legs.  I went south on Yonge Street.  I was softly chanting on my beads.  While exposing those beads I passed by a pub and a trio of people sat at sipping beer.  There was no window to bar me from communicating with them as it was an open concept pub.  When the woman said, “Oh, a rosary,” this was an opportunity.  I stopped at the remark and backtracked about three steps to address it. 
 
“Actually, these are what’s actually called japa mala.”
 
“That’s interesting,” she said. 
 
“Yes, Hindu and Buddhist followers use these with 108 beads on each strand.  If you’re Catholic, it’s a rosary with 54 beads.”
 
“You pray something different on each bead?” the woman persisted with curiosity.
 
“Basically, you stick to one mantra which you repeat for each bead.”
 
One of the men said, “Well, God bless you.” 
 
The woman said, “Can you bless us?”
 
I bore my right hand facing them, as is done in a Vedic blessing, “God bless you.”  They nodded.  I went about my way. 
 
For that, I believe I got blessed.  Not but three minutes later, I heard a voice behind me calling my name.  I knew the voice.  It came from Haridas, my spirit or godbrother.  From here on, we continued the trek on Yonge, chatting and chanting.  Meeting him was a good omen.  I believe to have received a blessing from the threesome. 
 
May the Source be with you. 
 
6 KM