Caitanya Caritamrta class at the Manor.

The post What it takes to accept the love Gauranga is freely distributing (Part 1) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

The post Back in New Vraja-dhama appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Srila Prabhupada Expresses “Great Enthusiasm” for Constructing New Vrindaban – August 1968.

From a series of letters written by Srila Prabhupada outlining his vision for New Vrindaban.

Thanks to Vanipedia for the source material.

——————————————————————

August 23rd, 1968.

Jaya Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya Astottara Sata
(108) Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada Ki Jaya
Namah Om Visnupadaya Krsnapresthaya Bhutale
Srimate Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Iti Namine
Jaya Sriman Hayagriva Brahmacari Prabhu Ki Jaya
Jaya Sriman Kirtanananda Swami Maharaja Ki Jaya

My Dear Kirtanananda and Hayagriva,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 20, 1968, and was so much pleased to read the contents carefully. Now I can understand clearly the mining position; anyway, as it is clear to everyone of us, now we can work with great enthusiasm for constructing a New Vrindaban in the United States of America. People who came from Europe to this part of the world, they named so many new provinces, and countries, just like New England, New Amsterdam, New York, so I also came in this part of the world to preach Krishna Consciousness and by His Grace and by your endeavor, New Vrindaban is being constructed. That is my great happiness. Our sincere endeavor in the service of the Lord, and the Lord’s assistants, to make our progressive march successful, are two important things to be followed in spiritual advancement of life. I think it was Krishna’s desire that this New Vrindaban scheme should be taken up by us, and now He has given us a great opportunity to serve Him in this scheme. So let us do it sincerely and all other help will come automatically. I am very glad to notice in Kirtanananda’s letter that he has realized more and more that the function of New Vrindaban is nothing physical or bodily, but purely spiritual and for the glorification of the Lord, Sri Hari. If we actually keep this view in our front, certainly we shall be successful in our progressive march.

I am very glad to learn, Kirtanananda, you are feeling so much happy in serving a beautiful Jagannatha Murtis which you have taken from Montreal. The aratrik ceremony can be performed as follows: The first aratrik ceremony is performed as you have seen in Vrindaban, at Radha Damodara Temple, early in the morning, before sunrise, at least one and a half hour before sunrise. The second aratrik is performed at about 8:00 in the morning, after dressing and decorating the Deity with flowers. The third aratrik is performed after offering the luncheon to the Deity. And then the fourth aratrik is performed in the evening. And the fifth aratrik is performed when the Lord goes to bed. So you have got practical experience, you have seen how they are doing in Radha Damodara Temple, and gradually, as far as possible, you can introduce them. Jagannatha Swami is very kind to the fallen souls, because He is the Lord of the Universe, and all the living creatures are His subjects, therefore, Jagannatha Swami will bless you with all the required intelligence, how to satisfy Him. On the bathing ghats in India, generally, they install Lord Siva’s Murti, but that is not possible here, neither we want to divert attention in so many performances. Concentrate in one temple, and then we shall extend one after another. Immediately the scheme should be to have a temple in the center as you have already taken the plan, and residential quarter for the Brahmacaris, or Grhasthas, and let us go ahead with that plan at first.

Our next attempt should be to establish a New Vrindaban post office at our door, and if you can arrange for this. I think to establish a post office nearby it will be required that you get some letters from all centers. So this will not be difficult if that is the rule. First of all you know from authorities what is the paraphernalia, rules, to get a post office, then we shall advise all our centers to send you letters, at least 6 or one dozen from each center, and this will be sufficient to give proof that we are getting letters plenty.

The scheme regarding the will of Hayagriva Brahmacari, as well as the lease agreement between the society and Hayagriva Brahmacari, the tax payment, all this scheme are very nicely made, and I have got all my approval and so far the trustees are concerned, this is also required, and I can suggest that amongst the trustees, your two names, Kirtanananda and Hayagriva, and then Brahmananda, and from San Francisco Jayananda, and Mukunda, and Satsvarupa, Dayananda, Syamasundara., etc. and such sincere boys, who are working with their life and soul for the society, may be the trustees, and I think you should immediately make correspondence with Brahmananda, and I have already advised him that we should make a central committee. for management of all the centers. Or, if especially for New Vrindaban, different trustees required, that I cannot say. In my idea, there should be one central body of trustees for directing all the different centers as well as New Vrindaban, but there must be a local governing body for each center, that is my idea. Now you are consulting with some lawyers, you can take their suggestion also, but do everything very nicely so that we can serve Krishna without any difficulty.

Regarding Bhagavat edition: I have already decided that we must have a press. But it is understood that starting of press in New Vrindaban may not be very feasible, because if there is something wrong in the press, it will be difficult to repair it. Advaita, he is now working in some press for becoming our future press expert in running on the press. Advaita, Uddhava, both of them are working. And I have already advised that as soon as they assure that they can manage a press working, we shall immediately start the press.

Regarding editing of Bhagavatam: Certainly it will be entrusted to you, because Rayarama is engaged in the Back to Godhead. Hardly he will get some time. So I have decided to print Srimad-Bhagavatam in 12 volumes, naming them differently. I have decided in this way; 1st vol., Creation; 2nd vol., Cosmic Manifestation; 3rd vol., Status quo; 4th vol., Mercy of God; 5th vol., Creative Energy; 6th vol., The Rulers of the Universe; 7th vol., Activities of God; 8th vol., Dissolution; 9th vol., Liberation; 10th vol., Ultimate Goal; 11th vol., General History; 12th vol., The Age of Deterioration.

You told me that you will arrange for the electricity immediately, so as soon as electricity connection is there, I shall go and stay in New Vrindaban for some time. Maybe, Krishna desiring, I may make my headquarters there. Your suggestion that Pondicherry was made famous on account of press work, it is good suggestion and my Guru Maharaja’s opinion is that press is the brihat mrdanga, or the biggest, or the greater mrdanga. The sound of press goes long long distance, long distant places, so the organization of press and literature and public sales, should be our main business.

The San Francisco devotees are in New York, and so you may not send the Caitanya lila just now, better you finish it nicely. Then we shall see what to do.

Yes, Rayarama is trying his heart and soul to improve the quality of Back To Godhead, so this department should be exclusively managed by him, he has devoted his everything for this Back To Godhead department. I have asked also Janardana to join the editorial department of publication, and he will do translation work in French, of all our literatures, and similarly Syamasundara. may help in translating all the literatures in Germany, and I am arranging to take the mimeograph machine from New York, into Montreal, so that Janardana and other boy, Dayala Nitai, who is French Canadian, they can immediately issue, a French edition of Back To Godhead.

I am so pleased to learn that Kirtanananda, you have already attracted neighboring devotees by your presentation of Prasadam. I am sure this Prasadam attraction will make our neighbors friendly and surely they will come in number in future so that New Vrindaban will be ideal place for visiting from the neighboring provinces, counties, I think so and it will be done nicely. I am so glad to learn that you are feeling too much engagement in New Vrindaban, and this a spiritual inspiration. Our society should never be a devil’s workshop, but it should be certainly the most magnificent platform for spiritual activities.

You will be pleased also to know that I am trying for religious minister’s immigration visa in USA, and it is almost finished, and I am hopeful of becoming successful. Hope this will meet you all in good health, and complete Krishna Consciousness,

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

P.S. The goat can be named Revachhagai, and the cow can be named as Surabhigai. Also you will be pleased to note that I’ve asked Gaurasundara to make a layout of the whole land and I shall place 7 different temples in different situation, as prototype of Vrindaban. There will be seven principle temples, namely, Govinda, Gopinatha, Madana Mohana, Syamasundara., Radha Ramana, Radha Damodara, and Gokulananda. Of course in Vrindaban, there are about more or less, big and small, about 5,000 temples; that is a far distant scheme. But immediately, we shall take up constructing at least 7 temples in different situations, meadows and buildings. So I am trying to make a plan out of the description of the plot of our leased land. And the hilly portions may be name as Govardhana. Govardhana-side, the pasturing grounds for the cows may be allotted.

N.B. Hamsaduta is performing kirtana in the park, and yesterday he collected 24 dollars. There is some picture in the paper and I am sending one herewith.

“It is to be understood that the propagation of Mayavada philosophy by Sri Mahadeva and the propagation through Manu of social religious scriptures by Lord Brahma were both meant for bewildering unqualified people.”

— Appendix to ‘Brahmana and Vaishava’ of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

Krsnagana das, who formerly lived near Cairns in North Queensland, became a devotee seven or eight years ago and joined the asrama at New Govardhana. After a while he began traveling with Braja Gauranga das all over Australia doing prasadam catering at different festivals.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 03 October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.8)

Srila Prabhupada tells a story of the Kali worshiper, who goes to Kali (goddess) for some benediction to solve some material problem and promised to offer a goat. When the material problem got solved, no goat was offered. So when the worshiper went to the temple, Kali asked, “Where is my goat?”

“Oh Kali, what can I do? The prices are so high these days. The economy and everything is really bad. I just cannot afford a goat.”

(Kali) “All right, offer me a fly.” The next day, still no fly.

(Kali) “You did not even offer me a fly?”

“Oh, you know Kali, it is so difficult to catch a fly but you have many hands so for you it might be much easier. So why don’t you catch the fly for yourself.”

All right, this is a gross comparison – a comparison of worshiping of Kali which is ghastly where we are offering goats and flies. But the point of mentality is what we are interested in. We can recognize these mentalities in our selves – laziness!

In Vrinda?vana the trees and vines filled with multitudes of wonderful, transcendental, splendid flowers and fruits, the blissful excited cooing of the multitudes of splendid transcendental peacocks, cuckoos, parrots and other birds, the many multitudes of splendid transcendental lakes, streams, hills, and newly blossoming forest groves, as well as the golden ground studded with jewels, have all enchanted me.

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

Please click here for more photos

Whilst out on a japa walk I stopped watching a small herd of cows enjoying a warm spring day it is always pleasing watching then chew the grass, as I stood watching I was joined by an elderly lady.
Its always interesting listening to the person mews and contemplate life’s problems and rationalizing the irrational especially when it comes to cow economics. The lady noted how sad it was to see such a gentle animal as the cow in the field and how they wouldn’t be their if it wasn’t for the meat; after all the farmer only keeps then nicely and we can enjoy watching them because of this.
Her conclusion economics wins the heart on compassion to care for and protect the cow.
It always makes me smile as I looked down at her faithful companion a rather friendly dog well kept well fed and well protected indeed speak to anyone and the thought of eating dog brings horror and condemnation; after all how can you contemplate such a thing?
Their is an irrational conclusion one animal is protected and a whole industry in their care and protection exists whilst on the other their is some care and protection up till the slaughter house.
It was an interesting turn in the conversation as we spoke about how much benefit can be gained from cow protection even our energy needs can be met along with milk products surly this is reason enough to keep the cows nicely?
We further discussed the bull she noted how in her lifetime she had never actually seen a bull indeed it reminded me how one mataji was shocked how large and powerful they are but in modern farming the bull has no real value.
Their is a disconnect between care and caring we speak and care of animal welfare whilst encouraging and propagating an industry based ultimately on murder, have industry geared to animal welfare even into old age keeping parks and open spaces for walking and runs but the unable to apply the same rational for other animals as we have simply designated them as food.
In the end after our long conversation watching the cows the lady concluded her own assessment was irrational especially given she cares for and protects her dog.
It did however remind me how we can justify almost anything and feel comfortable in the duality of our conclusions.

Answer Podcast

Soul

12:
na tv evāhaḿ jātu nāsaḿ, na tvaḿ neme janādhipāḥ
na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ, sarve vayam ataḥ param

But there certainly was never a time that I did not exist
nor you
nor all these people

Nor will there ever be.
for any of us,
now and forever.

[but everyone is always dying…]

13:
dehino ‘smin yathā dehe, kaumāraḿ yauvanaḿ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir, dhīras tatra na muhyati

The person in this body
Passes childhood,
Youth,
And old age

In the same way, they attain a new situation
when the body reaches its end.

This does not confuse the wise.

[bodies are always dying, but the beings within the bodes never die.]

20:
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaḿ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ‘yaḿ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

Never born, and never dying
It did not come to be,
Did not come to be
And will not come to be.
It always is,

Unborn, undecaying,
and ancient.

It does not die when its body dies.

———

Action

47:
karmaṇy evādhikāras te, mā phaleṣu kadācana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr, mā te sańgo ‘stv akarmaṇi

You are capable of making efforts,
but never capable of creating results

So don’t try to create results by your efforts
and don’t give up those efforts either.

[Then how should efforts be done?…]

48:
yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi, sańgaḿ tyaktvā dhanañjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā, samatvaḿ yoga ucyate

Make your efforts in a spiritual state of mind,
without being attached to them.
Success or failure will be the same
this equanimity is called “yoga.”
———

Wisdom

55:
prajahāti yadā kāmān, sarvān pārtha mano-gatān
ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ, sthita-prajñas tadocyate

When you give up all the desires your mind dreams up
And find true satisfaction by yourself, in yourself,
Then your wisdom is strong.

56:
viṣayā vinivartante, nirāhārasya dehinaḥ
rasa-varjaḿ raso ‘py asya, paraḿ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

You can forcefully try to stop yourself from enjoying sense objects
But you will not be able to give up your taste for them
Until you have experienced something better.

- Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com

Soul

12:
na tv evāhaḿ jātu nāsaḿ, na tvaḿ neme janādhipāḥ
na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ, sarve vayam ataḥ param

But there certainly was never a time that I did not exist
nor you
nor all these people

Nor will there ever be.
for any of us,
now and forever.

[but everyone is always dying…]

13:
dehino ‘smin yathā dehe, kaumāraḿ yauvanaḿ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir, dhīras tatra na muhyati

The person in this body
Passes childhood,
Youth,
And old age

In the same way, they attain a new situation
when the body reaches its end.

This does not confuse the wise.

[bodies are always dying, but the beings within the bodes never die.]

20:
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaḿ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ‘yaḿ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

Never born, and never dying
It did not come to be,
Did not come to be
And will not come to be.
It always is,

Unborn, undecaying,
and ancient.

It does not die when its body dies.

———

Action

47:
karmaṇy evādhikāras te, mā phaleṣu kadācana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr, mā te sańgo ‘stv akarmaṇi

You are capable of making efforts,
but never capable of creating results

So don’t try to create results by your efforts
and don’t give up those efforts either.

[Then how should efforts be done?…]

48:
yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi, sańgaḿ tyaktvā dhanañjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā, samatvaḿ yoga ucyate

Make your efforts in a spiritual state of mind,
without being attached to them.
Success or failure will be the same
this equanimity is called “yoga.”
———

Wisdom

55:
prajahāti yadā kāmān, sarvān pārtha mano-gatān
ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ, sthita-prajñas tadocyate

When you give up all the desires your mind dreams up
And find true satisfaction by yourself, in yourself,
Then your wisdom is strong.

56:
viṣayā vinivartante, nirāhārasya dehinaḥ
rasa-varjaḿ raso ‘py asya, paraḿ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

You can forcefully try to stop yourself from enjoying sense objects
But you will not be able to give up your taste for them
Until you have experienced something better.

- Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com

The post March 29th, 2014 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Agnidev Prabhu at Kirtan Mela Mayapur 2014 Day 2

Ambika Dasi shared Do women have the same varna as their husbands on Google+ in response to this question:

Do women have the same varna as their husbands?

Woman reporter: Where do women fit into these four classes?<br /><br
/>Prabhupada: That I already explained. Women's position is subordinate to
man. So if the man is first-class, the woman is first-class. If the man is
second-class, the woman is second-class. If the man is third-class, the
woman is third-class. In this... Because woman is meant for assisting man, so
the woman becomes suitable according to the man, her husband. (July 9, '75
SP TV Interview)

Answer Podcast

Quotes that women's varna is determined before marriage:

"According to the Vedic system, the parents would consider the horoscopes of the boy and girl who were to be married. If according to astrological calculations the boy and girl were compatible in every respect, the match was called yotaka and the marriage would be accepted. Even fifty years ago, this system was current in Hindu society. Regardless of the affluence of the boy or the personal beauty of the girl, without this astrological compatibility the marriage would not take place. A person is born in one of three categories, known as deva-gana, manusya-gana and raksasa-gana. In different parts of the universe there are demigods and demons, and in human society also some people resemble demigods whereas others resemble demons. If according to astrological calculations there was conflict between a godly and a demoniac nature, the marriage would not take place. Similarly, there were calculations of pratiloma and anuloma. The central idea is that if the boy and girl were on an equal level the marriage would be happy, whereas inequality would lead to unhappiness. Because care is no longer taken in marriage, we now find many divorces."

The many services to do make us stressed and I feel that I have simply replaced anxieties for material activities with anxieties for devotional activities.

Answer Podcast

Answer Podcast

I really want to love this show, because (a) I love science and space, and (b) I love Carl Sagan and the original Cosmos. But, by Episode 3 I’m starting to feel like its not going to be easy to love this new Cosmos.

It’s not because Episode 3 was a little boring (history easily gets boring). And its not because Neil DeGrasse Tyson is less of an orator or narrator than Sagan (he’s not, in fact, maybe he’s even better). It’s because the motive of the show is becoming a bit disagreeable.

With Carl Sagan, the tangible motive was that he had passion to show the world how wonderful and amazing the universe was, and how excellent modern science was in helping us comprehend and appreciate the Cosmos. I like that. That’s uplifting and, more importantly, honest. With Neil DeGrasse Tyson, though, it feels a lot more like the motive and passion to show the world how stupid and backwards everyone and everything is – except whatever it is that he and his contemporaries currently recognize as “science.” I don’t like that, it’s negative, and its dishonest.

And there is something wrong with the science too… its not very “sciencey,” at all. Sagan’s Cosmos felt a lot more like the real thing. Sagan had some humility, a lot more than Tyson. Humility is not just a pleasant character trait, it’s  crucial to science… because knowledge cannot be had without humility. Without humility we only perceive what we want to perceive – and without accurate perception, there is no hope for an empirical method.

What could be more unscientific than claiming to know everything better than anyone else? That attitude completely biases perception and thus destroys the foundation of the empiric method itself.

Degrasse Tyson paints everything except the main hero (his version of science) as “superstition.” I’m tired of that mindset, a cult-mentality fanaticism that has saturated human history for as long as there has been human history. Listening to Neil, I get the feeling that every other culture, every other philosophy, every other “science” was really just pseudo-science and superstition – but his stuff is real. What we have today is real, but what they had yesterday was a joke.

Except that today becomes yesterday in a few hours, doesn’t it?

Every other culture and science in history had a plethora of extremely convincing  evidence and proof to substantiate their world view. This is because reality is subjective. We do not perceive reality, we perceive our own version of reality – and our own version of reality almost always makes perfect sense, to us. Reality has not suddenly ceased to be relative just because we can use computer graphics to illustrate our points these days.

If Neil DeGrasse Tyson represents the newest generation of science, then the newest generation of science sucks – I’m sorry to say. Give me a previous generation, please. I’ll take  the reruns of Carl Sagan and Albert Einstien over the new-school vendettas of Tysons and Hawkings.

- Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com

I really want to love this show, because (a) I love science and space, and (b) I love Carl Sagan and the original Cosmos. But, by Episode 3 I’m starting to feel like its not going to be easy to love this new Cosmos.

It’s not because Episode 3 was a little boring (history easily gets boring). And its not because Neil DeGrasse Tyson is less of an orator or narrator than Sagan (he’s not, in fact, maybe he’s even better). It’s because the motive of the show is becoming a bit disagreeable.

With Carl Sagan, the tangible motive was that he had passion to show the world how wonderful and amazing the universe was, and how excellent modern science was in helping us comprehend and appreciate the Cosmos. I like that. That’s uplifting and, more importantly, honest. With Neil DeGrasse Tyson, though, it feels a lot more like the motive and passion to show the world how stupid and backwards everyone and everything is – except whatever it is that he and his contemporaries currently recognize as “science.” I don’t like that, it’s negative, and its dishonest.

And there is something wrong with the science too… its not very “sciencey,” at all. Sagan’s Cosmos felt a lot more like the real thing. Sagan had some humility, a lot more than Tyson. Humility is not just a pleasant character trait, it’s  crucial to science… because knowledge cannot be had without humility. Without humility we only perceive what we want to perceive – and without accurate perception, there is no hope for an empirical method.

What could be more unscientific than claiming to know everything better than anyone else? That attitude completely biases perception and thus destroys the foundation of the empiric method itself.

Degrasse Tyson paints everything except the main hero (his version of science) as “superstition.” I’m tired of that mindset, a cult-mentality fanaticism that has saturated human history for as long as there has been human history. Listening to Neil, I get the feeling that every other culture, every other philosophy, every other “science” was really just pseudo-science and superstition – but his stuff is real. What we have today is real, but what they had yesterday was a joke.

Except that today becomes yesterday in a few hours, doesn’t it?

Every other culture and science in history had a plethora of extremely convincing  evidence and proof to substantiate their world view. This is because reality is subjective. We do not perceive reality, we perceive our own version of reality – and our own version of reality almost always makes perfect sense, to us. Reality has not suddenly ceased to be relative just because we can use computer graphics to illustrate our points these days.

If Neil DeGrasse Tyson represents the newest generation of science, then the newest generation of science sucks – I’m sorry to say. Give me a previous generation, please. I’ll take  the reruns of Carl Sagan and Albert Einstien over the new-school vendettas of Tysons and Hawkings.

- Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com