What a powerful photo!

Sunday lecture in Istanbul. (English/Turkish)

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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

"Those who think that devotion to God and kindness to the jivas [souls] are mutually different  from each other, and perform accordingly in their life, such persons will not be able to follow the devotional culture. Their performances are only a semblance of devotion. Therefore, all the types of beneficence to others, like kindness, friendliness, forgiveness, charity, respect, and so on, are included in bhakti. Among these, according to the triple categories of the recipients. viz., high, medium and low. The actions of respect, friendliness and kindness are the very form of love and the characteristic portion of bhakti: charity of medicines, clothes, food, water, etc., shelter during adversities, teaching of academic and spiritual educations, etc., are the activities included in the devotional culture."

-  Tattva Viveka-­Tattva Sutra-­Amnaya Sutra: A Comprehensive Exposition of the Spiritual Reality by Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Miami, Florida

Give Gita A Chance

It’s not my most favourite time of the year to be in Florida, the weather gets balmy and hot.  I decided to stay in the Miami airport terminal, as I usually do, to take advantage of the AC in anticipation for a pickup or a ride.  That was the reason for missing my ride by Dr. Romue, AKA, Murari Gupta.  In other words, I should have been standing outside.  I took pleasure in a sit down reading from the book, “Chaitanya Bhagavat”, on the life of the renowned mantra master.  Time passed by.  I phoned the doctor, but no response.  Okay, taxi then.  Walking was out of the question for the chance of getting lost.  And also contending with the distance factor while hauling luggage. 

I arrived by taxi at the Coconut Grove ISKCON address.  Happily, I met a group of eager people I’d not seen for months.  There were new people in the mix, people who had since my last visit, discovered the wisdom of the “Bhagavad Gita”, and which resonated with them.  New faces, and joyful ones, enthusiastic to hear and see someone who might be an exemplar of the culture of the Gita.  Personally, I could not fit such shoes.  In any event, “I’ve given some friendship as best as I can,” I thought. 

We all gathered in my accommodated room and basked in the warmth of light heartedness, and not the sun.  I offered words of encouragement, “Life,” I said, “on the outside provides little fulfillment.  We are all looking but we are not receiving.  When you come to the point of stumbling upon Krishna’s divine word, then everything changes.”  The room full of people all admitted that it’s all there – in the Gita, like, “An empire spoke,” as Emerson said.  And as Thoreau had put it, “I bathe my intellect in the stupendous philosophy” of the Gita’s enlightenment.

Humbly, I could not say anything fresh and new, but to point to the text itself which can change the hearts of all.  Give the Gita a chance. 

May the Source be with you!

0 KM

Toronto, Ontario

With His Finger

In our ashram office, a small packet was lying there on the desk.  I was curious.  It had arrived by regular post, I guess.  I opened the package, got to the contents, and saw it to be a complimentary copy of a CD entitled, “Mighty Govinda”, by the artist of the same name.  It’s a dancey piece of music with a touch of reggae, hip hop and classical music.  It’s upbeat.  I think I could walk to this genre of music.  It made me happy, gave me pleasure.  That’s all anybody ever wants anyways, right?  We desire ananda (joy). 

Don’t we all know from experience that where there’s pleasure there also will be some pain.  I have been concerned about my right index finger giving some botheration for a straight month now.  Not quite sure what it is – some minor infection.  It was some coincidence that I read from a calendar of Prabhupada’s meditations, a daily excerpt from his realization.  While listening to the music, I had a hard look at the finger, when I happened to glance at the quote for today. 

“If there is little pain in the finger, I become so much disturbed because I’ve got intimate connection with this finger.  Similarly, we have got intimate connection with Krishna, and we are fallen.  Therefore, Krishna always also feels little pain, and therefore, He comes down.  Krishna is feeling pain, so you become Krishna Conscious, then Krishna will feel pleasure.” – Srila Prabhupada.

May the Source be with you!

8 KM

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 03 April 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Evening Lecture)

Freedom! Where is freedom in this world? Somehow we became disconnected from our real self and therefore we always feel trapped in every situation. But this process (Krsna consciousness) can reconnect us with ourselves, where we belong, in a world with an all-attractive Supreme, in an all-attractive exchange.

I’ll tell you what – at the end of the day, fairytales are true. And you thought all along that it was just myth, didn’t you? There was a time when you believed in fairytales, didn’t you?  But then, on the way, you lost that belief. But today I tell you, fairytales are true, after all… “And they lived happily ever after!”

TRANSLATION
With the destruction of dynasty, the eternal family tradition is vanquished, and thus the rest of the family becomes involved in irreligion.

PURPORT
In the system of the varṇāśrama institution there are many principles of religious traditions to help members of the family grow properly and attain spiritual values. The elder members are responsible for such purifying processes in the family, beginning from birth to death. But on the death of the elder members, such family traditions of purification may stop, and the remaining younger family members may develop irreligious habits and thereby lose their chance for spiritual salvation. Therefore, for no purpose should the elder members of the family be slain.

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.39

"Chanting produces best results when we go deeper into chanting. Standing on the shores of the ocean one can’t access the precious gems and jewels on the bed of the ocean; one will be tossed away by the waves. However if we go deeper into the ocean, we can access the pearls. Similarly by chanting superficially or occasionally, we can’t avail the benefits; we’ll be thrown away by the waves of material energy."

Radhanatha Swami

The TKG Academy Community Picnic was held on April 27th.  Parents and teachers bond over team building games and honor potluck prasadam. Thank you to all the cooks!

 

 

1966 April 27: "I am holding classes thrice in a week and training some American youths in the matter of sankirtana and devotional service of the Lord. Some of them are taking the lessons very sincerely and in future they may be very good Vaisnavas according to rigid rituals."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1966

1967 April 27: "Rest assured in the discharge of Krishna conscious duties Krishna will always give us His protection. I have seen in you that Krishna has special mercy upon you so utilize this mercy fully so in this very life you can be elected as one of the associate of Krishna in His supreme abode Goloka Vrindaban."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1967 April 27: "My society desires to construct a nice American house on the land for study and promulgation of the Goswami literatures all over the world. We shall start a fine press for publication both in Sanskrit and English language and we can appoint your son as the Press manager if he can manage."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1969 April 27: "I am traveling now in so many places - from Los Angeles to Hawaii, then to San Francisco, then again Los Angeles, then New York, then Buffalo, and now I am in Boston. From here I shall go to Columbus, then to North Carolina, then to New Vrindaban, and then I may go to London if required."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1970 April 27: "The traveling Sankirtana Party was programmed long, long ago, even when I was in India. I used to say to my God-brothers that when I would begin preaching I shall take two trucks, one for Sankirtana Party and one for carrying requisites, and I would go from village to village throughout the whole world preaching Lord Caitanya's message. So the time has come as per my dream."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1971 April 27: "We are the only institution which can receive foreigners and train them nicely in spiritual life. So the Indian government should help to get us a nice place for such work to go on. Try to convince him in this way. Yes, we are contemplating Indira Gandhi's presence while laying down the foundation stone in Mayapur. So you arrange like that."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1973 April 27: "One who has no mother and who's wife is not obedient, such a home is as good as living in the desert. The steps you have taken are worthy of one who is my disciple. So please revive your old Krishna conscious activities and make your life successful. Do not spoil your life for a woman."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1974 April 27: "We can help them but the function has to be in connection with Krishna. We cannot divert our attention to such participation in so called Hindu religious functions. This has spoiled the Hindu religion into a hodgepodge pseudo religion. For advancement in Krishna Consciousness we should simply concentrate on Krishna."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

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