How does one achieve the highest benefit in all devotional practices by nama-sankirtan? When Krishna sees that someone is helping others by giving them the opportunity to hear the holy name, then Krishna from within and from without lifts the curtain of yogamaya from that person. He thus allows them to see the actual nature of the Deity and to penetrate and realize the deepest imports of the Bhagavata, the path of spontaneous devotion. Read more ›

The 2014 West Coast Vaisnava Women's Retreat was held April 25-27, 2014, at Radha’s Garden in the San Diego area. The three day event included: VIP Guest Speaker Narayani devi dasi VIP Guest Speaker Malati devi dasi VIP Guest Speaker Sandamini devi dasi VIP Guest Speaker Vrajalila devi dasi San Diego Rathayatra parade Read more ›

With Dayanidhi prabhu. Read more ›

2014 04 20 SB 10 44 05 Inconceivable Krishna Kills Kamsa Radhanath Swami ISKCON Chowpatty

Śāstra and ācāryas have given an elaborate explanations of various types of “eternality.” To  break it down in a simple way:

1. something which has no beginning and no ending is eternal in the fullest sense.
2. something that has a beginning but no end is also eternal in a sense (its ending point is undefinable by time)
3. something that has no beginning but has an end is also eternal (its starting point is undefinable by time)

When śāstra wants to refer to #2 or #3 it uses these words “an-ādi” (without beginning, #2), and “an-anta” (without an end).

See Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s own teaching on this issue in cc madhya 20, especially…

jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’
kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’ ‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’ (108)

“The constitutional nature of the jīva is to be an eternal servant of Krishna, because it is a one-yet-different manifestation of Krishna’s own energy (‘taṭasthā-śakti’).”

The question arises, if the jīva is Krishna’s eternal servant, why is it not currently engaged in service to Krishna, but instead is engaged in serving itself through Māyā? Mahaprabhu addresses this question in his next instruction to Śrī Sanātana Goswāmī:

kṛṣṇa bhuli’ sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha
ataeva māyā tāre deya saḿsāra-duḥkha (117)

“Disregarding Krishna, the Jīva  beginninglessly turns away from him. Therefore Māyā gives him to the miseries of saṁsāra.”

The question then arises, can the jīva ever fulfill its original, constitutional purpose and become engaged in Krishna’s service? Mahaprabhu addresses this in his next instruction:

sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha haya
sei jīva nistare, māyā tāhāre chāḍaya (120)

“If through the mercy of sādhu and śāstra he turns towards Krishna, that jīva becomes liberated, Māyā lets go of him.”

So, the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya siddhanta concludes that the jīva is eternally bound by māyā, but “eternal” in the sense of being from the very beginning of existence (“anādi”, without a markable beginning), not in the sense of being endless. Therefore the jīva can turn towards Krishna and become free from saṁsāra-duḥka.

—

Q: I thought they are called nitya-baddha figuratively. That is, the nitya-bhaddhas are ever-conditioned because they do not know when they came in touch with this material world.

Yes, no one knows when it happened, because it is anādi – it does not have a traceable beginning. It begins with the beginning itself.

Q: On the other hand, the nitya-siddhas never come in contact with this material world, and even when they descent under the order of the Supreme Lord, they do not tangle in the material world, and remain always transcendental.

This is perfectly correct, in my opinion — and vividly demonstrates the principle that no associate of Krishna can fall into the grip of māyā.

Q: Are all of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s associates nitya-siddhas?

No. Nor are  all of Śrī Krishna’s associates nitya-siddha. The descent of the līlā to this world is for the purpose of inducing souls from this world to the higher plane. So when it descends, the nitya-siddhas are joined by sādhana-siddhas and a few kripa-siddhas. Even non-siddhas also participate by observing (directly, or by hearing the recordings – Śrīmad Bhāgavatam) or participating incidentally, and thus being induced to join ASAP.

Q: Is there any  clear sastric statement that every being in the spiritual realm is a nitya-siddha?

Certainly there are many. Śrīla Jīva Goswami’s analysis of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Bhāgavata Sandarbha, Anuccheda 51 is devoted to this exact statement. He says “tato’skhalanam” (no one falls from there), and quotes dozens of verses from Bhāgavatam and Śruti to support the statement.

 

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

"[The devotee] feels no apathy or attachment to mundane morality. On the other hand, morality waits like a maidservant to assist spiritual morality in the service of the Lord of Transcendental Love. At the same time we should understand that the character of one culturing spiritual love is never devoid of morality. One hostile to morality or fallen from it can never be a spiritual man. In the blazing core of the teaching of Shri Chaitanya Deva’s ideal—debauchery is not devotion. The evidence is abundant when reflecting on the character of Sri Chaitanya Deva and his followers."

Conversation between Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur and Prof. Albert E. Suthers, January 1929, Krishnanagar

Here is a summary of what we conclude upon considering the Bhagavatam’s description of evolution in Canto 3, Chapters 5 & 6 (which itself reiterates Canto 2, Chapters 5 & 6):

Bhāgavatam describes the evolution of senses, intelligence, emotion, individuality, and consciousness via combinations of material elements; but unlike the modern theory that this occurs from nothing and by chance, the Bhāgavata theory asserts that evolution is driven by the need to facilitate networking between the inert world and the qualities and attributes inherent within quantums of supra-material sentience.

Today was a struggle with the mind. There are so many things that Maya sends for our mind's to latch on to. Even if we are in a peaceful place from from the usual city sounds, still there are the sights and sounds of birds, insects etc.
In whatever situation we are in, if we simply give priority to the sound of the Mantra, then the mind will automatically be free from distracting thoughts.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 March 2014, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.47)

 

Krsna who is so kind that when the living being turns away from him, Krsna says, ‘Ok, but I won’t let you go alone!’

Our bhakta in his Hansel and Gretel play opened up as a spirit soul wanting to go to the material world. Krsna was there and said, ‘No, no – don’t go!’

But jiva said, ‘It’s alright, I am not really going to stay there, I will just have a look, just check it out, and will be right back!’

Krsna was again saying, ‘No, no – don’t go!’

‘Oh, that’s alright!’

Finally Krsna said, ‘Well, you really want to go?’

‘Yes! Really! Definitely!’

Krsna, ‘Alright. Then, take this!’

And then Krsna brings the sheet of transparent plastic with the hole in it, which is the subtle body.

‘Gosh, what is this?!’

Krsna, ‘Yes, you have to wear this.’

Then Krsna brings the huge overcoat – the gross body which the jiva has to wear as well. Then he gets these parcels – material desires, lust, greed, anger and the jiva has to balance all that, ready for the material world! The curtain closes and the next scene shows bhakta in the huge cradle with the baby head on and his feet are waving at the audience! Boy, that was really good! That is exactly how it is; here we are in the material world, now forgetful of the spiritual world and now anxiety begins which has become our second nature.

Krsna feels our absence, Krsna has been waiting all this time and Krsna even has come with us to the material world, as Paramatma. In the spiritual world, there is no Paramatma in the heart of the eternally liberated souls – that is only in the material world because when the living being wants to go and leave Krsna, Krsna says, ‘Alright, yes. Alright then, you go.’ But meanwhile Krsna goes with him, hiding in the heart all along.

‘But I don’t see anything?’ Yes, because Krsna is hiding in the heart! Sometimes Krsna is sort of hinting, ‘No, no, not left, go right, go to right path, not the wrong one.’ Some say (in a proud voice), ‘It is my conscience, it is my inner voice, it is a part of me!’ No, it is Krsna who is kindly accompanying us on our material journey and in this way, we can appreciate that actually we are never alone – never, ever. And therefore we can face the greatest difficulties, because we realize – Krsna is always with me! Therefore, what can go wrong!?

 

Today was a struggle with the mind. There are so many things that Maya sends for our mind's to latch on to. Even if we are in a peaceful place from from the usual city sounds, still there are the sights and sounds of birds, insects etc.
In whatever situation we are in, if we simply give priority to the sound of the Mantra, then the mind will automatically be free from distracting thoughts.

The students have finished up their Saxon Textbooks.  So we’re reviewing those objectives in Math that they all struggle on.  Counting coins is a big tedious process for most of the students.  Adding 25s, 10s, 5s, and 1s, requires them to practice their addition, multiplication and skip-counting processes in their heads.

Like anything else difficult, you put the word game next to the activity, and do it with a partner.  They are to take turns grabbing a handful of coins, and draw out what they found on their worksheet.  After totaling it up, they return it to the cup, and do it again.  Simple.

Its like the ‘Lightbulb’ effect.  Even the ones who have spent the whole year stumbling on the Coin Counting, get it.   We end the year with more confidence in our ability to count money.

 

 

 

Greetings from the garden…..

This week has been all about preparation. In the picture above you can see just a fraction of the vegetables and flowers waiting to be planted in the gardens. Some of the more hardy plants like kale, mint, lettuce, and beets are all ready hardening off. This means they are taken out of the greenhouse and left outside in their current containers to get used to the environment. Three types of mint have already been planted in the beds along the lodge ginger mint, banana mint, and spearmint.

In the Garden of Seven Gates the sugar snap peas and shell peas are growing nicely, they enjoy the cool nights. We also had our very first vegetable harvest of the year, asparagus. For some of our other seedlings we are building simple cold frames using cement blocks and old windows. The frame is placed on the ground and is used to house, protect, and harden off seedlings and small plants, without artificial heat. The windows are removed during the day and put back on top at night to protect the plants from the cold. The new lilac bushes along the gate are starting to bloom and soon we will be seeing many types of beautiful flowering buds in the garden.

1966 April 28:
"Navami. Expenses Paul paid $1.00. Today I brought all things from 72nd Street to Paul's loft."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966

1966 April 28: "Last month there was a theft in my room, my typewriter and tape recorder and some books were stolen. The American people have every thing in ample and still there are thieves for want of character. That is the way of material nature."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1966

1969 April 28: "Develop the house into a students residence. At a fixed up time there should be lectures and kirtana. If the students take part, they will take Krishna consciousness up and if our prasadam program is also introduced, that will also be great impetus."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1970 April 28: "Regarding their dogmatic insistence, everyone thinks like that, so if one is not prepared to advance more, it is better to avoid them. If one is limited by formulas only, he is described as an animal bound up by the master and unable to move beyond the length of the chain. So we are concerned only with people who are not chained by anything."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1974 April 28: "Those who pretend they have already attained perfection are sahajiya, simply imitation. This early rising, holding classes, going out regularly for sankirtana, worshiping the deity, they are the very substance of our devotional life."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 April 28: "I am very very proud of you both as you have given up everything and gone to a far away part of the world just on my order to carry out the will of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that the chanting of the Holy Name be heard in every town and village."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 April 28: "As for political speaking, our main message is that people should elect pure God Conscious leaders. If anywhere they will take seriously the principles of Bhagavad gita As It Is, that will be America. We are getting good response and there is every prospect that we may capture some political post."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

We are given this human form of life not to work hard like asses, swine and dogs but to attain the highest perfection of life. If we do not care for self-realization, the laws of nature force us to work very hard, even though we may not want to do so. Human beings in this age have been forced to work hard like the asses and bullocks that pull carts.

- Srila Prabhupada, Sri Isopanishad Mantra 3

Over 300 devotees from all over the world took part and spread Lord Chaitanya's mercy to the huge crowds. We began by loading the Festivals, UK van at the Manor in the pouring rain. Sound equipment, large Gaura Nitai Deities and a heavy duty rikshaw that was to be Their chariot. Then eight of us squeezed into the remaining room with our belongings. Then off to Dover to catch the 1AM ferry to Calais in France. We arrived in Amsterdam just in time to bath and start setting up the Deity and sound cart. Kadamba Karana maharaja arrived with 200 devotees from Radhadesh and off we went on probably the most memorable Harinam I've ever been part of. I konked out after 4 hours but it went on for another two. Great kirtans and the association of so many wonderful Vaisnava's. Thank you, Srila Prabhupada. Read more ›

07-02-2014 SB 1.6.14-15 Narada Muni’s Early Meditation, ISKCON Durban, South Africa.MP3

The post Conversation with guests at Saturday’s kirtan yoga program in Istanbul (Part 1) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

What a powerful photo!

Sunday lecture in Istanbul. (English/Turkish)

The post The meaning of raising our arms while chanting Hare Krsna (Part 1) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

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Hamsi's new calf Sita Priya at Hare Krishna Valley, Bambra, VIC. http://harekrishnavalley.com.au/ Read more ›

Bhakti-sandarbha (273) we find the following statement: Even if, in Kali-yuga, there is some other form of devotion ordained as duty, that duty should be performed along with the limb of bhakti known as kirtana. No kind of bhakti - such as residence in Mathura, association with holy saints, service to sri murti or hearing the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam - is complete without sri Krsna nama-kirtana. Only one who gives importance to sri Krsna nama-kirtana above everything else has access to the fruit it bears. Read more ›

Dear Friends and Well Wishers, You have no doubt heard about our campaign to collect 10,000 names to assist in requesting land in Regents Park for a new temple for the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Following the launch of the campaign at our 44th Anniversary Event in November 2013, so far we have approximately 2,500 signatures. Although the collection of signatures has not been happening as fast as anticipated, we are working hard to encourage all friends and well wishers of ISKCON to take part. We humbly request you to please continue to inform all your family and friends about the campaign and encourage them to sign up. This can be done using the following link: http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/the-empowered-leaders-of-the-united-kingdom-please-donate-five-acres-of-land-in-regent-s-park-in-central-london-in-order-to-build-a-temple-for-sri-sri-radha-londonisvara Read more ›

I remember the time when junk food, mainly chips was a part of my work schedule. Not anymore, thanks to the spiritual journey. But i still do have snack cravings here and there during work. Dried nuts, fresh fruits and herbal tea solves the problem. But there is another item that i enjoy having once a day while working:

My team mate asked – “what is that??!”

I answered – “nature”.

Joining the weekend crowd, Denver residents Bryan Bolen and Adam Copeland chant Kirtan, an ancient form of Indian music meant to glorify the lord on Saturday Jan. 25, 2014. Bolen and Copeland are founders of Musical Meditations Club at CSU, a club that meets once a week to play music and discuss philosophy. Photo by Natasha Leadem. Read more ›

ISKCON Juhu 21 April 2014 Sringar Darshan

Sri Jagannatha Mandir organized harinam at Kampung Pandan on 26/04/14. This was the second harinam for the month. Once again the Holy name was spread to a new place where it was never heard before. Residents were very receptive and enthusiastic to know more about the “Hare krishnas”. 45 small books and 42 chanting beads were distributed to those eager souls. 200 full meal prasadam was served in the area. Read more ›

Gītā 15.6 establishes that one who gains the abode of Krishna never leaves it.

8.15 establishes… “those who achieve me (mām upetya) are not born again (punar janma nāpnuvanti) in an impermanent and thus miserable ‘house’ / world / body (duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam).”

8.16 says it again just to confirm “those who achieve me (mām upetya) are not born again (punar janma na vidyate).”

What all these quotes establish is that “once we attain the spiritual abode, we never take birth again in the material world.” But they do not establish that we fall from the spiritual realm. In fact they contradict the idea that it is possible to fall from the spiritual realm.

If you enter the Hotel California you won’t come back out. Does that mean the people who are already in the Hotel California can leave? To my knowledge there is no  statement anywhere in śāstra that those who are eternally with Krishna can fall away from him, but those who fall away and come back never fall away again. This IS a popular idea among people often giving classes in ISKCON, I admit. But it is not an idea supported by śāstra, to the best of my knowledge.

In fact, śāstra says just the opposite. It says that people in the spiritual world are nitya-siddha - they are always perfect. Those in the material world are nitya-baddha – they were always in the material world. They were bound to this world (baddha) from the ontological very beginning of their being, due to the essence of their individual character.

Thus śāstra calls them anādi-bahirmukha “they have been looking away from Krishna without a beginning, always.”

There are many other quotes from śāstra, equally clear and direct. Śrī Jīva Goswāmī himself explicitly states in his most important book, the ṣaḍ-sandarbha, that no entity can fall from the spiritual world.

Somehow this idea is considered controversial among some ISKCON devotees, but objectively speaking, its not at all controversial, it is very clear. As far as I can see, its only a controversy because devotees misunderstood Prabhupāda and the teachings very early on in the 1970s and have a hard time admitting that they can be wrong, not just individually but collectively and on a philosophical issue.

It is not inappropriate to express the mood of being “fallen” from Krishna. Even Mahaprabhu embraces this mood in the 5th verse of the śikṣāṣṭaka. “patitam mam viṣame bhavāmbudau” — I am fallen into the poisonous ocean of existence. We are in fact fallen in a poisonous ocean of existence. This is an eternally present fact, not something that occurred at a particular point in time. This is what the early devotees and followers of Śrīla Prabhupāda didn’t completely grasp correctly — which is nothing to criticize. It is natural. It is a complex philosophy. The only thing worth criticizing is the inability to admit fallibility and move forward with a more clear understanding that actually represents Śrīla Prabhupāda’s sampradaya.

I think that’s why Śrīla Prabhupāda indicated that it would take a long time before ISKCON would really take its true shape, “the children of your children” he said. 2 generations. Now we are still at the beginning of the 1st generation since Prabhupāda – so things are still almost jut starting to fix themselves up. But there is a bright future.

MORE DISCUSSION HERE