Did Prabhupada sanction the post-publishing editing of his books?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From K Jayadeva Das:

Between the first release of the MacMillan edition and the year 1977 in which Srila Prabhupada disappeared there would have been many reprint of Bhagavad Gita As it is, why these changes were not incorporated at those times?

Where is the documentary evidence that Srila Prabhupada wanted those changes made to his Bhagavad Gita As it is?

Now justifying the changes is like argument between lawyers where the more powerful in arguing wins no matter what the truth is.

We don't need sophisticated flowery language nor the best use of the English language. For us the words come out from a pure devotee is enough that will do everything required spiritually. Please leave us with the original manuscript, we don't want the book written in your best Language.

Making changes is not the issue, but it should have been approved by the Acharya Srila Prabhupada. Now how does one know whether the changes are authorized? Leaving the decision to the readers is not acceptable, because we are not pure devotees.

The book should have been left "As it is" because even without those so called 'corrections' the potency of a pure devotee Srila Prabhupada's words will never be diminished and there is no doubts that the readers' heart will be cleansed in spite of the absence so called corrections.

If at all the changes were made, it should NOT have been marketed in the original name used by Srila Prabhupada, instead it should have been sold with Bhagavad Gita with the devotee who made the changes as the author.

Answer Podcast

Relevant quote

http://bbtedit.com/prabhupada_order_to_revise

Srila Prabhupāda knew there were mistakes in his books, and he wanted those mistakes fixed. Consider this excerpt from a class in Hawaii (January 1, 1974):

 Prabhupada [interrupts the word-for-word reading]: Hm? Purusadaih—by men? Purusadaih. . .  purusadaih means raksasa, the cannibals. So there has been. . . ‘Cannibals,’ it should be. You [Pradyumna, presumably] can have a notebook. . .  Whenever there is some discrepancy, you note in the next [that is, for the next printing]. Purusadaih means ‘by the cannibals, raksasas.’ [word-for-word reading continues]

 

 

 

Did Krishna become many? HH Giriraja Swami’s wonderful answer!
→ Dandavats.com

HH Giriraj Swami's wonderful answer! Lord Krishna and His energies exist eternally, simultaneoulsy, but because Krishna is primary and His energies are subordinate, we say that they come from Him. For example, we say that the sunshine comes from the sun, because the sunshine is secondary to the sun, but as long as the sun has existed, the sunshine has also existed. Read more ›

Recordings from Durban Ratha Yatra, 2014
→ KKSBlog

chariots_dbn_2014Please find below recordings of Kadamba Kanana Swami’s participation in the 26th annual Ratha Yatra festival in Durban.

You may listen online via the media player or download by right-clicking on a title and save target as.

 

 

 

KKS_DBN_RY_18April2014_Bhajan_The_glories_of_the_holy_name

KKS_DBN_RY_18April2014_Lecture_The_glories_of_the_holy_name

KKS_DBN_RY_19April2014_Kirtan_Soul_beat_dancing_feet

KKS_DBN_RY_19April2014_Lecture_Imperfect_senses_imperfect_knowledge

KKS_DBN_RY_19April2014_Lecture_Our_constitutional_position

KKS_DBN_RY_20April2014_Lecture_Initiation

KKS_DBN_RY_20April2014_Lecture_Main_stage

KKS_DBN_RY_20April2014_Lecture_The_real_meaning_of_charity

KKS_DBN_RY_21April2014_Lecture_Karma_and_reincarnation

 

 

Ratha Yatra in Durban, 2014
→ KKSBlog

kks_dbn_ry_procession_2014Easter is a time of family gatherings and feasting for those of the Christian faith. However in Durban, Easter also represents a time of celebration for Hare Krsna devotees as it is time for the annual Ratha Yatra festival. The four day festival took place from 18-21 April and is widely considered to be the largest of its kind outside India. A great fascination about this Ratha Yatra is its sheer size in terms of the number of people that attend.

Devotees travelled from all over South Africa to be part of it. There were also many prominent international guests including BB Govinda Swami, Bhakti Caitanya Swami, Partha-Sarathi Das Goswami, Rama Govinda Swami, Veda Vyasa Priya Swami, Bhakti Brhad Bhagavat Swami, Bhakti Marg Swami, Bhakti Ashraya Vaishnava Swami and Madhava Prabhu. For the eighteenth consecutive year, Kadamba Kanana Swami participated as well.

The festival started-off with the Ratha Yatra itself. As it happens every year, Maharaj took lead of one of three kirtans that accompanied each of three massive chariots mounted by Their Lordships Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra. Singing for two hours under the blazing African sun, in front of Baladeva’s cart, Maharaj had the crowd dancing in ecstasy.

This festival has become famous for many exhibitions that have endured over the years, for example: the main stage cultural entertainment, Q&A tents, an onsite Jagannatha temple and various Govindas food stalls. Some newer features of the festival were the youth tent called Bhakti Cloud – Up Your Soul Game and Kirtanuity tent which as the name suggests had ongoing kirtan through the duration of the festival. This year Bhakti Marg Swami directed the local youth in two dramas called Big Fish, Little Fish and Little Big Ramayana.

dbn ry 2014 (64)On Sunday, 20 April an initiation ceremony took place. Kadamba Kanana Swami initiated six devotees (one first initiation and five received second). Anisha from the KKS Blog team is now Amrtavani devi dasi! In this address to the initiates and audience, Maharaj emphasized the importance of receiving mercy in our lives.

Just as it started, the festival ended with a Ratha Yatra procession on Monday night and an ecstatic final kirtan. There are many pictures in the slide-show below trying to capture the spirit of this wonderful event. We hope that you will enjoy it. If you cannot view the slide-show then please visit flickr.

After a very busy tour of South Africa, on Tuesday night Kadamba Kanana Swami departed for Europe. The celebration of his Vyasa Puja takes place today (25 April) in Radhadesh and tomorrow is the world famous Kingsday Harinam in Amsterdam.

 

 

 

How exactly are “those in Krishna consciousness not responsible for their actions”, as Prabhupada states?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Sushant Kulkarni

"Those who are in complete Krsna Consciousness are not ultimately responsible for their actions." (Purport of verse 14, chapter 18 of Bhagavad-gita As It Is)
You have stated in a previous QA podcast (What is the meaning of 'cause' in the verse 2.47), that we are responsible for our actions. You gave the farmer analogy that if the farmer sows bad quality seeds he will obtain bad quality grains.
So how do we reconcile the two statements?

Answer Podcast

Who is the actual doer according to the Gita?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Sushant Kulkarni

Krishna says in the Gita: "Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities." (2.47)
If we are not the cause of the fruit of our work then what is the cause of the fruit of our work? Is it only the material nature as mentioned in the verse 5.14, or is it all the five factors of action collectively as mentioned in the verse 18.14?
Answer Podcast

How can we reconcile the Gita (3.4) – don’t give up work – and the Bhagavatam (1.5.17) – give up work?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Sushant Kulkarni

Krishna says in the Gita (3.4) "Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one achieve perfection."
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.17) we have- tyaktva sva dharmam caranam bujam harer...
So how to understand these seemingly contradictory instructions?

Answer Podcast

New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ April 24, 2014.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

01

Sri Radha’s charming teen-age maidservants in Vrindavana have braids that swing to and fro, beautiful broad hips, slender waists, splendid necklaces decorating the flower buds of their beautiful breasts, various splendid ornaments and garments, glistening golden complexions the color of saffron, and youthful beauty that is as sweet as nectar. Please meditate on Sri Radha’s maidservants in this way.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, Sataka-2, Text-22, Translation.]

Please click here for more photos

Telling Stories
- TOVP.org

Rudyard Kipling wrote, “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Perhaps he was exposed to the rich tradition of story-telling in Gaudiya Vaishnavism during his time in India. Indeed, stories are an honored means to understand the pastimes and philosophy of this spiritual practice.

What of ISKCON’s history? How will future generations of devotees imbibe not only Srila Prabhupada’s persistent determination, but also appreciate the dedicated service of his disciples and their disciples? The TOVP serves as a monument to Prabhuapa’s vision and sacrifice and commemorates those devotees whose united efforts built it. The temple carries stories of Prabhupada’s ambition while each day of construction accrues new tales of their own. Noteworthy are those of the main dome, the latest being that the second tier has just been completed and the third segment will begin being raised by the end of the month.

Grounded in the roots of ISKCON’s history, the temple will also play an integral role in the development of its future. It will be a home for discussion and sadhu sanga. Devotees are the troubadours, poetic lyricists spreading transcendental knowledge across the plains.

Harinam at Mentakab, Malaysia (Album 29 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

H G Harigaura Prabhu president of ISKCON Mentakab organised Harinam at Mentakab on 19 April 2014. Mentakab is a town which is around 120km away from Kuala Lumpur. This was the first ever harinam organised at mentakab. Deities of Sita Ram Lakshman Hanuman were taken on a palanquin procession in and around the housing areas of Mentakab. 40 residents did offering for Their Lordships and 50 devotees attended the harinam. The Harinam which continued for 3 hours started and ended at Sriman Arumugam’s house who is an active member of Mentakab centre. H G Siva Caitanya prabhu gave a class on chanting and Bhagavad Gita at the end of the harinam and enlightened each and every one who were present. Read more ›

Chronology in Eternal Time
→ The Enquirer

Some relationships are chronological, others are ontological.

An example of a chronological relationship is “Flavor comes (mainly) from chewing.” The order in the relationship is sequential, chronological – first chew, then experience flavor.

An example of an ontological relationship is, “The sunlight comes from the sun.” It is not that the sun first exists without the sunlight and later the sun comes. The relationship, the order in the relationship, is not chronological order, but ontological order; i.e. the sun is the root of the sunlight.

The relationship between ātmā and paramātma, and also between the various forms of Hari and the original form of Hari (Krishna, Govinda) is an ontological relationship, not a sequential relationship. Sequence is ruled out in authentic texts describing these things by prevalent use of words like anādi (beginningless) and sanātana (eternal). Paramātmā is the root of the ātmā, and Krishna is the root of Bhagavān in an ontological manner, analogous to how the Sun is the root of the sunlight.

Ontological relationships, however, have an implied, non-literal chronology. The Sun, for example, has an implied status of being historically prior to the sunlight, although this chronology is not literal. Similarly, there is an implied chronology in the unfolding of the original One Entity (Govinda) into various forms, and eventually even into the jīva-ātmā entities such as us. Therefore chronological descriptions are helpful for illustrating the ontological status, but the chronology is merely implicit within the ontological status, it is not a literal reality under chronological control.