(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 05 October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Lecture)

Success in spiritual life depends on how much faith you can develop in Srila Prabhupada. That is really what it means – there is no doubt about it. That is the secret to our success. The strength of our movement, the backbone of this movement, is how much are we serving Srila Prabhupada. Yes, we take shelter of Srimad-Bhagavatam! Yes, we take shelter of Bhagavad-gita. Yes, we take shelter of the Vedas and all these things but particularly, the way Prabhupada gave it to us.

He is truly the one who will transform our lives, if we just take shelter of him. There is no corruption in him, there is no fault in him – it cannot be found! So if somehow or other, we can do something to serve His Divine Grace, that is where the change will come from a spiritual life without nectar to a spiritual life with nectar. Otherwise, it is so hard to taste nectar. For so many people, spiritual life remains an austerity but that is the secret of the change where one becomes an inspired devotee.

Everyone who comes to a programme in January goes in the draw to win a free fortnight pass to all programmes at Bhakti Lounge! (valid for February). That means you can try out everything like yoga, kirtan, workshop discussion, soulfeast and eat lots of yum for 4 nights a week.

It’s easy, when you walk in the door, put your name @ contact number into our surprise hat, box, bowl and at the end of the month a random winner will be jumping in happiness, which might be YOU!

Everyone who comes to a programme in January goes in the draw to win a free fortnight pass to all programmes at Bhakti Lounge! (valid for February). That means you can try out everything like yoga, kirtan, workshop discussion, soulfeast and eat lots of yum for 4 nights a week.

It’s easy, when you walk in the door, put your name @ contact number into our surprise hat, box, bowl and at the end of the month a random winner will be jumping in happiness, which might be YOU!

He who gives up the company of ordinary people, keeps no servants or followers, agitated with a desire to serve Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, constantly sheds tears, his hands placed on his cheeks and lives in Vrindavana, is the most fortunate of all persons.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-33 Translation]

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The day has come. The suspense is over. After over a year of correspondence, negotiations and near failure, the blue marble has finally been ordered.

There are only three countries in the world which have this color marble, and Bolivia holds the jewel of them all. Understandably, such a rarity is in high demand but the TOVP was relentless in the pursuit to procure a ration. Fortunately, the quarry owner is a follower of Shri Sai Baba and is inclined to contribute to a project aimed at empowering the spiritual evolution of the world. He even joined the devotees for prasadam.

The blue marble is going to be used in the finishing work on the altars. It’s warm tones will beautifully contrast with the sterling white Vietnamese marble on the floors. The entire temple will be ornamented in the finest decorative elements. This acquisition landmarks an important stage in the artistry the TOVP will be renowned for.

ISKCON Chowpatty Drama Festival – Gajapati

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Significance:

1. The Puranas say that on this day Sun visits the house of his son Shani, who is the swami of Makar Rashi. These father & son do not ordinarily get along nicely, but inspite of any difference between each other Lord Sun makes it a point to meet each other on this day. Father in fact himself comes to his son’s house, for a month. This day symbolized the importance of special relationship of father & son. It is the son who has the responsibility to carry forward his fathers dream and the continuity of the family.

2. From Uttarayana starts the ‘day’ of Devatas, while dakshinayana is said to be the ‘night’ of devatas, so most of the auspicious things are done during this time. Uttarayana is also called as Devayana, and the next half is called Pitrayana.

3. It was on this day when Lord Vishnu ended the ever increasing terrorism of the Asuras by finishing them off and burying their heads under the Mandar Parvat. So this occasion also represents the end of negativities and beginning of an era of righteous living.

4. The great savior of his ancestors, Maharaj Bhagirath, did great Tapasya to bring Gangaji down on the earth for the redemption of 60,000 sons of Maharaj Sagar, who were burnt to ashes at the Kapil Muni Ashram, near the present day Ganga Sagar. It was on this day that Bhagirath finally did tarpan with the Ganges water for his unfortunate ancestors and thereby liberated them from the curse. After visiting the Patala for the redemption of the curse of Bhagirath’s ancestors Gangaji finally merged in the Sagar. Even today a very big Ganga Sagar Mela is organized every year on this day at the confluence of River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal. Lakhs take dip in the water and do tarpan for their ancestors.

We salute such a great devotee & benefactor of his ancestors. One who can express such gratitude to his ancestors, work with tireless resolve to redeem the pride, pledges & resolves of his forefathers, alone possess a personality, which the history reveals to be a true benefactor of the world too. A person who has severed his own roots gets soon rooted out in the flow of time. Moral of the story is to see to it that the roots of the tree of ‘our’ life are not only intact but nourished well, thereafter alone the tree blooms & flourishes.
There is another spiritually symbolic aspect of this story. The 60,000 cursed son of Maharaj Sagar represent our thoughts, who become dull & dead-like because of uncultured & blind ambition. Redemption of such people is only by the waters of Gangaji, brought down ‘to’ & later ‘from’ the Himalayas with great tapasya. This represents dedicated hard work to get the redeeming Brahma-Vidya, which alone enlightens, enthuses & enlivens the life of anyone.

5. Another well-known reference of this day came when the great grandsire of Mahabharata fame, Bhishma, declared his intent to leave his mortal coil on this day. He had the boon of Ichha-Mrityu from his father, so he kept lying on the bed of arrows till this day and then left his mortal coil on Makar Sankranti day. It is believed that the person, who dies during the period of Uttarayana, becomes free from transmigration. So this day was seen as a sure-shot Good Luck day to start your journey or endeavors to the higher realms beyond.

It’s completely silly to think that the way we dress doesn’t affect the way we feel. Completely silly. The way we feel, more or less is our consciousness. So its completely silly to think that how we dress doesn’t affect our consciousness.

So, if we want to develop divine love, its helpful for us to dress in a way that makes us feel like we are divine lovers. Young unmarried boys and girls do their hair, take care of their faces, work on their curves and bumps, and dress up because they want to attract a mate. The way they look (a) affects how attractive they feel, and (b) affects how potential mates feel about them. Similarly, if we want to attract bhakti into our hearts – why would we think that the way we dress, etc. has no bearing whatsoever on that endeavor?

I think, to be perfectly honest, we think it doesn’t matter how we dress because we aren’t really that interested in attracting our soul-mate.

For Gaudiya-Vaiṣṇavas, there really isn’t a book more śāstric and authoritative on the subject of how to attract our soul-mate than the Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu of Śrī Rūpa Goswāmī. He mentions the importance of external appearance by including it as one of the 64 limbs of sādhana bhakti. In other words, Śrī Rūpa says that keeping a devotional external appearance is not just “important” its an actual limb of sādhana, its a way, in and of itself, of cultivating bhakti!

He lists it as the 21st practice of sādhana: vaiṣṇava cihṇa dhṛtiḥ - which literally means “bear the marks/ insignias/ signs/ brands/ symbols of a Vaiṣṇava.”

This doesn’t mean that we have to dress exactly as encoded and endorsed by whatever the current version of the currently authorized Bhaka Handbook currently distributed by the current government of the current International Krishna Movement. But it does mean, quite simply, that we should adorn ourselves with symbols, clothing, marks and so on that are indicative of devotion to Krishna.

In other words, it doesn’t have to be a sikha, or an official “mātājī” braid, or a kurta and properly “tailed” dhoti, or a sari etc. etc. etc. but it does have to be something.  We have to dress and make our appearance in such a way that it reminds us of Krishna bhakti. Whatever that happens to be for you, go for it.

Arguing with simple and obvious things like this doesn’t really portend well.

This conversation continues here.

“Without protection of cows, brahminical culture cannot be maintained; and without brahminical culture, the aim of life cannot be fulfilled.”Srimad Bhagavatam 8.24.5

The discussion of whether devotees should use industrial milk currently has 3 schools of thought.

1. Use it and ok if it is offered .

Advantages: Fulfills Srila Prabhupada’s (ACBSP) instruction use milk to develop finer brain tissues

Fulfills ACBSP’s instruction to use milk to lure meat eaters to prasadam

Scaleable as what is needed can be purchased as needed

Cheap and abundant

Cow unknowingly benefits from having milk offered to Krsna

Disadvantages: Requires animal slaughter to subsidize cheap price

Cows lives shortened unnaturally and generally raised in poor unnatural conditions

Lose credibility with animal rightists and situational vegans

Creates complacency in not following ACBSP’s instruction to get from protected cows

2. Become a vegan

Advantages: Not implicated in animal slaughter or suffering

Credibility with animal rightists and situational vegans (preaching to Westerners programs   double size when menu shifts to vegan)

Disadvantages: Most devotees can’t/won’t perform the austerity

Doesn’t fulfill ACBSP’s instructions to use milk

Creates complacency in not following ACBSP’s instruction to get from protected cows

3. Drink milk only from protected cows

Advantages: Fulfills ACBSP’s ideal

Credibility with animal rightists and vegans

Cows live full life naturally and reciprocate loving relationship with devotees

Better quality safer milk

Major step towards varnashram

Disadvantages: Benefit (milk) short term but obligations (care for cows up to 20 years) long term

Capital intensive – up to 6 times more expensive than industrial milk

Requires dedicated milker(s)

Requires 20+ year commitment to calves born

Requires enforcement mechanism so money collected now is there for cow’s old age

 Not easily scaleable – good for small groups not peak events or increasing numbers

 Complex logistics to supply devotee and well wishers diaspora

Requires oxen program to be true cow protection

A fourth alternative has been discussed, Milk Offsets. It is based on the widely accepted concept of Carbon Offsets which is applied a couple of ways. One is when renewable energizes are produced they are given credits that utilities purchase to fulfill state law mandates that they produce a % of their energy from renewables. They are also offered to individuals paying their electric bill to pay a premium over what they owe and the extra used to buy renewable energy credits offsetting their individual usage.

  4. Milk Offsets

 Advantages: Anyone anywhere can do it requires no authorization

Use of industrial milk and its disadvantages offset by donation to cow protection program

Donation is used by programs to expand cow protection

Milk is used and a cow is protected

Scaleable as Krishna Consciousness spreads and for peak events

Concept accessible to animal rightists and vegans who tend to be environmentalists

Disadvantages: Cows still suffer

Requires financial sacrifice

Not understood by persons unfamiliar with current environmental practices

References:

Carbon offsets

Srila Prabhupada on why devotees should protect cows

 European GBC discussion of the milk

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All glories to Sri Vrindavana which, with single particle of its glory, which cannot be understood even by Laksmi, Siva, Brahma, and all the leaders of the demigods, makes numberless kamadhenu cows, kalpa-vrksa trees, and cintamani gems appear insignificant.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-36 Translation ]

Venugopal Prabhu, from New Govardhana, is a devotee of more than 40 years standing. He has been a temple president in Brisbane and Cairns where he served in those roles with distinction.

 

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2011)

I was in one temple and they had a big office, full of computers and all the devotees were typing these letters.
Suddenly, I was thinking, “Are they perhaps writing these letters to me!?”
I got thirty mails after breakfast! And people, they complain, “He is not answering my emails!”

I always say that if I don’t answer your email then that is very good because then, there is a good chance that I’m actually chanting my rounds and reading Srimad Bhagavatam.

When I answer all my emails very faithfully then you should doubt about my chanting because it is not humanly possible to answer to all those emails.

NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas 

This is example of the disease of the bodily conception of life, a case of mistaken identity.   Our body is always changing in this life.  The body we had as child is no longer around and the current body that we have is composed of completely different cells and molecules.  It is a vehicle and we are the passenger.  As a passenger we have existed before the vehicle and shall exist after the vehicle's destruction.  Yet by the deluding power of avidya we ignorantly see the body as the self.  In this illusion we try to fulfill the needs of the self by placating the desires of the external vehicle, the subtle mind and physical body.  We may give the body comforts and give the mind profit, adoration, and prestige.  Yet despite such attempts towards satisfaction one remains not satisfied.  Only by loving connection to the Supreme does the self experience fulfillment.

Change directed towards the factual self is of value.  Ideologies for or against change based of the temporary bodily conception of life are of no real consequence.

To see all responses of the TEXAS Faith panel click here.

How do you assess the complex legacy of Nelson Mandela?

There are so many ways to get into this question. So, let me start with these three quick summaries of his long journey:

In a powerful and controversial move as president, he set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission after apartheid officially ended. The commission allowed those who testified about crimes in the apartheid era to step forward and tell the truth without fear of retribution. The sins of the past were acknowledged in exchange for individual amnesty.

On the other hand, Mandela was part of a group in the early 1960s that decided to take up arms against the apartheid government. They decided that rising up militarily against their oppressors was the best strategy. Of course, that was not the non-violent approach that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Mahatma Ganhdi embraced.

And then there was this revelation in Bill Keller’s obituary of Mandela in the New York Times:

Mr. Mandela said he regarded his prison experience as a major factor in his nonracial outlook. He said prison tempered any desire for vengeance by exposing him to sympathetic white guards who smuggled in newspapers and extra rations, and to moderates within the National Party government who approached him in hopes of opening a dialogue. Above all, prison taught him to be a master negotiator.

There are many aspects of his long, storied and complicated fight for justice. So, let me stop here and ask you:

What do you make of Nelson Mandela’s complex legacy?

NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas 

Undoubtedly his most powerful contribution is "culturally many, spiritually one."

It is a fact that on the bodily level, all people are different. But those who can see the spiritual spark in other beings, as beings that are qualitatively one with oneself, they can make great progress in moral standards and leadership.

Those who have no inkling of this information may try to do good but only succeed in hurting others. For without such vision what is there to unify us?

There will always be a group discriminated against because of the color of their skin, their sex, their species, their position within or outside the womb. The understanding of how we are all spiritually one, that the symptoms of life indicate the presence is the soul, is the beginning of spiritual life

To see all responses of the TEXAS Faith panel click here.