Planet ISKCON

From Steven

Some people say that belief helps people to be positive and confident, so that is good. What they believe in is not important. So belief in God is not needed - just belief in belief is.

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As  the    Vedas,  being  vast  in scope, have many  prescriptions for those  interested in fruitive action  and  impersonal realization, instructions  for the devotee is not easy to extract.   In order  to clearly  show the  real  meaning which  is revealed here  and  there  in the  Vedas,  the  sattvika puranas have  been given.  Among the sattvika puranas, the Srimad  Bhagavatam is the best, most explicitly explaining the  highest import of the  Vedas.  Thus  the  Bhagavatam and  the Pancaratra scriptures, which  confirm  the same  conclusions, are counted as authoritative knowledge.

Chaitanya Shikshamrita, Bhaktivinoda Thakura

 

Q: Many people say the soul doesn’t have a gender.

In some context, the soul may not have a manifest gender, but inherently it is shakti and therefore essentially feminine by constitution.

A feminine entity can express herself in masculine ways, or visa versa, so the soul can sometimes exhibit a male form without changing the fact that fundamentally it is a female thing.

Q: Krishna says he is param purush (supreme male). But at the same time soul is not prakriti (material energy / female), it’s marginal energy.

All energy of the purusha is prakriti. But we can subdivide it into three categories: para-, apara-, and parāpara-prakriti. The spiritual reality is manifest through para-prakriti, the material reality through apara-prakriti, and the conscious entities (“souls”) through parāpara-prakṛti. Therefore the soul is prakṛti, specifically it is “marginal” prakṛti, or parāpara-prakṛti.

The term prakriti is synonymous with śakti (energy). pra-krti means “the fountainhead of doing.” It is the power that enables a cause to produce effects.

Purusha (śaktimān) establishes the essential nature of masculinity. Prakriti  (śakti) establishes the essential nature of masculinity.

It is a little misleading to say, “prakṛti is feminine,” because it sounds like we are ascribing femininity to it. Quite the opposite is true. The female gender is the ascription, due to its similarity to the nature of śakti / prakṛti. In other words, female gender is denoted as “female” because it bears some essential trait in common with the essential trait of the actual female entity, śakti. As mentioned before, the essential trait of śakti / prakṛti is that “it is the power enabling a cause to produce effects.” Prakṛti enables the puruṣa to expand. So, another synonym of prakriti is strī (a word used to denote the female gender, which literally means, “that which grants expansion.”) This facility for expansion is the essence of femininity, which the “female” gender emulates beginning with but not limited to its biological role in reproduction.

All of existence besides the original cause, Bhagavān, is a product of either para-, apara-, or parāpara-prakṛti. Therefore everything in creation is fundamentally feminine. This simply means that everything has the fundamental nature of facilitating the expansion of bliss of the Original Person.

The female biology does not have a monopoly on this essential trait. Any biological gender can act as śakti. For example, the boys of Vṛndāvana expand and facilitate Krishna’s desire to make his bliss more elaborate and fulfilling by enhancing the value and rarity of the time he spends directly with the original female manifestations of śakti, the girls of Vṛndāvana. All quantums of prakṛti expand the bliss of the Original Being, but some do it through masculine forms, others through feminine forms, and still others in neuter forms. Thus all are fundamentally feminine, but can express that femininity through masculine, feminine or neuter vehicles, depending upon the specifics of the role they like to play in the līlā of Bhagavān’s ānanda. 

 

Q: When souls go back to godhead, do they get spiritual bodies with a gender according to their natural Rasa?

Yes, they get forms that facilitate their cherished desires. It is the same principle that operates in the material reflection of reality. A soul develops and exhibits a bodily form that matches and facilitates its cherished desires (in the material reflection, we have the inescapable caveat “as far as possible”). So, in the spiritual realm, we exhibit a form / “body” that facilitates our specific treasured desires to please Krishna.

 

Q: The souls in madhurya rasa [romantic relationship to the divine], do they always get female form like that of the gopis?

As far as those souls directly and explicitly in Mādhurya Rasa, yes. There could potentially be some exception: perhaps in the case of mohinī-mūrti – a feminine direct manifestation of Bhagavān, but mohini-mūrti is an aiśvarya-avatāra who is not open to forming very intimate, egalitarian relationships with souls so that is ruled out. Sometimes the gopīs jest that a flute is masculine (by grammatical gender), yet Krishna always kisses it. However, most of the time, they describe the flute as feminine. And objectively speaking, it is neuter. So really, there is no literal exception to the principle that all souls directly in mādhurya-rāsa exhibit feminine forms. The flute might be seen as an example of a neuter entity directly in Mādhurya Rāsa, but because the flute does not exhibit a form that expresses sentience (although possessing sentience), it is directly in śānta-rāsa, and that śānta-rasa is engaged as a tool for mādhurya-rāsa. So the flutes mādhurya-rasa is indirect.

In indirect mādhurya-rasa, any of the three genders (male, female, neuter) can participate. In this sense, every resident of Vṛndāvana is in Mādhurya Rasa. All of Vṛndāvana is focused on the parakiya mādhurya rasa of Rādhā-Krishna. Even Krishna’s male friends are focused only on augmenting the excitement of Rādhā-Krishna’s romantic līlā. Even Krishna’s mother and father do what they do only to play a key role in facilitating the sweetness of Krishna’s mādhurya-līlā with Rādhārāṇī. Therefore although in a sense they are in sakhya or vatsalya rasa,  actually that sakhya or vataslya is a tool to serve the fundamental mādhurya rasa shared by every molecule and atom of Vṛndāvana Dhāma.

Everyone and everything, trees, flute, peacocks, peacock feathers, monkeys, vines, pathways, sun and moon, boys and girls, men and women, hills and valleys, rivers and pools… everyone and everything in Vṛndāvana is immersed in Rādhā-Krishna’s mādhurya-līlā.

 

 

From Bhajan Kutir #484
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

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This question is based on this Gita-daily article

Those who judge a horse by its harness can't harness its potential

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This talk is a part of the "Fascinating Mahabharata Characters" series. To know more about this course, please visit:
bhakticourses.com

 

Krsnadas Kaviraj Goswami is saying that the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is just amazing, and the more one tries to logically understand it, the more amazing it is. I like to call this verse, the open invitation to the Caitanya Caritamrta. I see this verse as an important verse because it shows us the proper attitude by which we are meant to look at the life of Lord Caitanya. We are looking at his mercy and that is what we are trying to uncover, more and more.

 

Yesterday in London on my birthday, I visited the Radha Krsna Temple on Soho Street to get the blessings of Sri Sri Radha London Iswara, who were installed in the early years of the movement by Srila Prabhupada. I first saw Them in 1972. I asked for Their mercy to continue with my service to [...]

Graduation Ceremony was held in the temple room on May 21st.  Led by bhajans by the students, each child recieved a Certificate of Merit, displaying key Vaishnava qualities they possessed.  How sweet it was to hear the teachers glorify these young boys and girls, noting their achievements in the class.

At the end, His Grace Nityananda Prabhu and His Holiness Rtadhvaja Swami spoke words of blessings.

Have a great summer!

On Wednesday, May 21, TKG Academy students, teachers and parents ended the school year with Field Day- teambuilding games and fun in the sun!

We built a human pyramid, ultimate frisbee, soccer and played partnered activities designed to test one’s trust in the other.

Take a look at the pictures!

 

Gadadhara Pandit Dasa is a most unlikely monk. A video by Contessa Gayles.

With Green Living City the innovator Broekbakema (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) states that intensifying the existing city can only be accomplished by building it vertically instead of the common breadth expansion of cities. The Green Living City is literally developed in the vertical direction by stacking a mix of functions, including the public space.

Bhaktivedanta Manor Photo Compilation 2014 Read more ›

1966 May 21:
"Dwitiya. In the afternoon there was Sanskrit class. The attendance was ten, the collection was $4.00. One boy paid for the books (partly) $6.00. At 5/30 P.M. we started for Ananda Ashram. In the evening there was Keertan at Ashram. It was nice as usual. There was dance of Balirama."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966

Anasuya was so happy to get out of the barn and onto the pasture. She ran, jumped and kicked her heels in joy. The winter was long and harsh and the warm temperatures and green grass were like heaven. She may be a little hesitant when meeting new people but not very much and charmed some students from Hanover College when they came for a visit to the ISCOWP farm. She also is kind as we learned when we put Gourangi in the Old Cow Shelter that Anasuya and Indraneela were using. Anasuya stuck close as Gourangi passed away. Healthy and pretty (who would have known by the way she looked when she was rescued), Anasusya is living the good life at the ISCOWP farm as a protected cow.

  See Anasuya when she first came to the ISCOWP Farm.

1967 May 21: "It is clear the young people of this country are very much eager to have spiritual enlightenment and as such this sankirtan movement is just suitable. Let us convince them this movement - very simple and universal - is the only means for spiritual realization."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1967 May 21: "This movement is universal. Let the leaders be open minded and not biased by any sectarian thoughts. Convince them to accept this common formula, chanting Hare Krishna, dancing, hearing Bhagavad-gita directly from the representative of Krishna, and eating Krishna Prasada."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1967 May 21: "Convince them this Krishna Consciousness movement is the approved method for reviving God consciousness and the only remedy for human society's diseased condition. Let the leaders take this movement seriously. If they patiently hear me I am sure they will be convinced as you have been."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1970 May 21: "We begin Srimad Bhagavatam by offering obeisances to the Supreme Truth, Satyam Param Dhimahi. So those who are strictly following the Bhagavat line they are living in Satya Yuga. And our Temples are a replica of Vaikuntha, so live there peacefully, chant the regular beads, and follow the regulative principles."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1972 May 21: "You just try your best to serve Krishna and if any perplexing circumstances arise, just pray to Krishna to give you strength. These bodily relationships are only temporary. Our real relationship is with Krishna. Try to cultivate that."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1972 May 21: "Even a few of these words if propagated widely can have a tremendous effect on millions of people. So my Guru Maharaja used to say these literatures are the Brhat Mrdanga - the big mrdanga which can be heard from a long distance. Therefore above all it is our duty to print these words for the benefit of all mankind."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

Fort Frances, Ontario

The Marriage of a Monk

We bid farewell to our Thunder Bay host, Dr. Jani, and took a great drive up Highway 11.  With time zone change we gained an hour and it allowed for me to do some sporadic walking, for instance, when Michael would gas up, or just wanted to use his camera to capture the aesthetics of nature, I could then trail blaze.

It’s clearly beaver country out here, and at one of our breaks, being tempted, I dared to walk the edge of a beaver dam which would access fairly close to the beavers’ lodge, their home.  With grass grown over the dam’s edge, I thought it would be an easy effort.  But no, I was wrong; the train was just too uneven and slippery with Crocs as my footwear.  I wasn’t going to run the risk of getting plunged.  And being alone, and waters at temperatures just above freezing, I opted to turn back. Smartness and cowardice be married to each other. 

After hopping into the SUV with Michael and Karuna, we drove on and sighted deer, and also a pregnant porcupine.  Michael said it was.  I don’t know how you can tell.  Our destination was reached, the home of Andrew, a resident of Saint Frances, and at a lovely rustic home overlooking the wonder of lake land.  His friends came, they were curious about long distance walking, and perhaps, more so, coming face to face with monkism for the first time.  When Michael invited folks from town he discovered that there were misconceptions, “A monk is going to give a talk?  they thought monks don’t talk.” 

I sure did talk though, especially Theresa from the West End Weekly.  She rolled out her questions for an interview before I even got to a more formal-to-casual talk to the people that came.

A real highlight today was being reunited with Daruka from Winnipeg, and of course, his female Amazon parrot, Billie.  She still doesn’t like me.  She’ll always be dedicated to her one partner, Daruka.  Anyways,  as a monk you don’t fuss over any one person.  You are always partnered or married to the Divine and the mission. 

May the Source be with you!

6 KM

1972 May 21: "I shall be very glad to attend your Janmastami and I am pleased that you have consented to give me the 50% of your profits on that night. But I will have no objection if you consider giving me 100%."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

Here are recordings of lectures given by Kadamba Kanana Swami during his recent visit to Bhaktivedanta Manor and the final class in Radhadesh prior to going to the UK.

 

 

KKS_UK_Manor_10 May 2014_CC 8.31

KKS_UK_Manor_09 May 2014_SB 8.23.3-6

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KKS_Radhadesh_29 April 2014_SB 6.4.49-50

Conversation with Russian speaking devotees (English/Russian).

The post How long do I have to answer simple subjects of common sense appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

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The devotees from IskconSarajevoare continuing with prasadam distribution. Many devotees are taking days off their jobs or coming to serve prasadam with their small children. For the whole week we will be distributing cooked prasadam meals (lunch and dinner) near Sarajevo, where people have lost their homes due to landsliding. Donations are coming from all around Europe, so we will expand our distribution and keep you posted with our reports. Please keep donating, helping, praying! Thank you! Our team has contacted the Federal TV, which tomorrow will follow the devotees during the distribution of prasadam. Like every day, we start cooking from 6 pm, departure from the temple in 12h. Read more ›