Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-12-21 07:57:00 →

1974 December 21: "I am very anxious to get that building in New York City. I like it very much, so I want you to take it immediately. Now keep the atmosphere very pure by holding regular classes and kirtan, morning and evening arati and ensuring that everyone chants their 16 rounds and follows the regulative principles without fail."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

Bye Bye Blog Hello Facebook
→ kurma News

Dear Venerable readers,

As you may have gathered, I am not regularly blogging anymore. I am however Facebooking, so if you look me up on Facebook you can be my "friend' there!

kurma:

Feel free to use this huge resource of archives, accessible via the search box on the blog front page (that's it up there on the right - just key in any search topic).

with love,

Kurma

A kirtan Friday in Mayapur
→ KKSBlog

KKS_mayapur_20 DecAfter a week long visit to South Africa, Kadamba Kanana Swami returned to Sri Dham Mayapur on Wednesday. It was a day of kirtan yesterday (Friday, 20 December) as Maharaj kept devotees enthused for hours.

The first part took place in the garden outside the Gada Building. It started in the afternoon and continued into the night. Many international visitors to Mayapur, as well as local devotees, joined in the energetic kirtan. In a short lecture that followed, Maharaj spoke about the mercy that extends from the holy dham.

The second part took place in the Community Hall at the weekly Friday night program. Yesterday, the program was dedicated to HG Yamuna Devi Dasi on the second anniversary of her disappearance from this world and devotees shared their appreciation & memories of her. The kirtan this time around was more soulful and meditative.

Please find below photos and audio recordings.

KKS_Mayapur_20 Dec 2013_Kirtan_Garden

KKS_Mayapur_20 Dec 2013_Short Lecture_Garden

KKS_Mayapur_20 Dec 2013_Kirtan_Community Hall

 

If you cannot view the slide-show, then please visit flickr.

CBC Radio Interviews Bhaktimarga Swami!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

We stumbled upon a neat little recording of an interview done by our very own Bhaktimarga Swami from a few months ago (September, 2013), conducted by CBC Radio Saskatchewan!

The public broadcaster caught up with our walking Swami as he made his way through Canada's prairie province and this nice little interview highlights yet another way that people across this wonderful country are being introduced to our wonderful, spiritual way of life!

 

Establishing the holy dham
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 14 December 2011, Durban, South Africa, Lecture)

Disappearance day of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur

His father, Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakur, established the birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to be in Sridham Mayapur. Not everyone was ready to agree with that, particularly the caste goswamis, and the brahmin community in Navadwip was in total disagreement because they claimed the birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to be in Navadwip which was making Navadwip very prominent and also making them very prominent. When Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakur had confirmed the birthplace in Mayapur, he had it confirmed by Jaganath Das Babaji, who was the most respected and prominent vaishnava acharya at that time, so there could be no argument. But still Bhakti Vinoda instructed Bhakti Siddhanta to serve Sridham Mayapur and he did so by inaugurating the Navadwip Mandal Parikrama, based on the Navadwip Dham Mahatmya of Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakur, by physically visiting all the holy places that were identified in the Navadwip Dham Mahatmya. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta established these holy places as the truth and gradually, in this way, the concept of the holy dham, as Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakur revealed it, became established and the glories of Sridham Mayapur became established as a fact.

So Srila Bhakti Siddhanta spent substantial energy to establish Sridham Mayapur as the birth-site of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He also established the entire tour of South India that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu made, by establishing prints of the lotus feet Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in various places that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited. In this way, making the tour of South India famous and known to all so that if anyone might question: Did Caitanya Mahaprabhu really make that pilgrimage of South India?

Then that question would become totally irrelevant and it would become common knowledge that Caitanya Mahaprabhu was there. That mission is to be completed. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta himself only established eight such footprints and his disciples later on established some additional. Lokanatha Maharaja established further footprints when Padayatra visited these places. That mission should be completed…

Talk at Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and International School, December 20, Vrindavan
Giriraj Swami

12.20.13_Vdvn“The Juhu land had buildings with tenants, and the tenants’ children would run around the grounds making noise. One of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples approached him and said, ‘We have to do something to keep the children quiet.’ Srila Prabhupada replied, ‘You cannot keep the children quiet. But their tendency to make noise can be channeled in Krishna consciousness, in doing kirtan.’ And that was the beginning of the devotees’ teaching and engaging the tenants’ children at Juhu. It wasn’t really a school in any formal sense, but the children really liked it. Their time with the devotees became their favorite time of the day. The devotees would teach them to chant and do kirtan, to recite prayers and worship Tulasi-devi. They would teach them the basic philosophy of Krishna consciousness and the essential practices of devotees.”

BGIS Talk

Bhagavad Gita As it is – how to verify?
→ Servant of the Servant

The question of verification is raised when we are concerned with distortion, hence it is an important question. One way to test for distortion is to track the changes (or lack of) in a linear fashion from origin to end (historically speaking). Another way to test for distortion is to study the desired effects of the treatment. If the results or effects deviate from our desired results/effects, then we can conclude that the treatment has been altered or distorted somewhere. So as an investigator we need to know the nature of the tool (in this case the Gita) and the desired result/goal of the tool (the Gita).

Srila Prabhupada said that verification can be done through three sources; historical evidence, spiritual authority (Parampara) and one's own self realization (atma tattva darshanam).

LINEAR REFERENCING FROM ORIGIN TO END 
Historical evidence (in the secular world historical literary evidence is held high)
This is a tedious process. Historical evidence of the Kurukshetra war for example has been tested through astronomical alignment of stars/planets, archaeological facts and radioactive testing (these are few i am aware of). Literature studies such as the Bhagavad Gita is tested by modern scholars by way of variations in grammatical/literary and language presentations. So as prabhuji mentioned, the Mahabharat has returned various results and considered by some as corrupted with different narrations of the same incident. This is much like the Crucifixion of Christ is narrated differently in the Gospel John versus Mathew or Luke or Mark. So scholars debate which version is correct. Strictly from a literary standpoint, due to lack of standard documentation techniques, one can expect distorted versions of the same story or incident. Bhagavad Gita in that historical accuracy sense may be distorted....the real answer - we do not know for sure. So if you are studying the Gita from an archaeologist and/or historian perspective, then you may be hard pressed to verify the veracity of each sanskrit sloka in the Gita.

VERIFICATION THROUGH EFFECTS OF TREATMENT (can be divided into two - spiritually speaking the following two are held high)
Spiritual Authority (Parampara System)
Having touched on the historicity of the Gita, still the slokas in the Bhagavad Gita is the same in all translations of the modern era dating back as late as 2000 years or so. Now if you are reading the Gita from the perspective of spiritual emancipation and enlightenment (effects of the Gita), then historical evidence is not useful. We need to test it from the standpoint of spiritual authority (Guru Parampara). The meaning, and interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita was, is and will be consistent within the Parampara system (cannot guarantee outside of it). So Srila Prabhupada comes within the Parampara system directly started by Lord Brahma leading to Vyas to Madhwacharya and finally to Prabhupada himself. While the language and contextual explanation may be unique to the commentator, however, the essence and meaning will remain intact. It is like old wine in a new botte principle. As time changes, people change, culture changes - so Prabhupada presents his commentaries to the audience he writes while maintaining the core spirit, value and essence of the Bhagavad Gita. The spirit is maintained air-tight within the Parampara system. So if you study the previous translations of Brahma Madhwa Parampara writings of the Gita with Prabhupada's commentary, you will find the meaning and essence repeating itself AS IT IS without ulterior motivations. So this is one way to test positive for the Gita.

One's Own Self Realization (atma tattva darshanam).
Another effect of the Gita is through one's own realization of the truth (tattva). This is one of the significant evidences that cannot be over stated. This is where most if not all miss the bus. While verifying the Gita based on spiritual authority is the first step to enter into the Gita Wisdom, it is by one's own realization one sustains the Gita and transmit the essence to future generations integral with the Parampara teachings. So spiritual authority and one's own realization goes hand-in-hand. In other words, great saints who are ALL self-realized "ARE" part of the Parampara system (are spiritual authorities). That is why we can say with 100% confidence that the Gita by Prabhupada is the gold standard. This gold standard is true even if you read any saint's translation who is part of the parampara system (it is not exclusive to Prabhupada). However, Srila Prabhupada's translation fits the 21st century audience, hence most appropriate. Besides, he is the one who took immense pain to spread the word of Krishna throughout the world and it is because of his pains we are currently reading this Bhagavad Gita As it is.

Through the parampara system and through the Gita wisdom itself, we can analyze who is a self-realized soul and who is not. Then based on that criteria, we judge appropriately. If we take the medicine appropriately given by the doctor as per the instruction of the doctor and the label of the medicine, then we will become cured of our disease. Although I may not know anything about the medicine itself, still i can vote with confidence that the doctor and medicine are bonafide. Similarly by practicing spiritual sadhana as given in the Bhagavad Gita (like the label of the medicine) and as given by the self-realized soul Srila Prabhupada (like the doctor), and if both the Gita and Prabhupada commentary is indeed genuine/valid, then the readers or audience must also become self-realized (much like the patient must be cured of his/her disease). This is the ultimate test. Bhagavad Gita As it is passes that test.

Thousands have turned their lives around (giving up drugs, illiicit sex, meat eating and intoxication) and lead pure spiritual lives by reading Prabhupada's Gita. There is so much evidence of this. While the US Federal Govt spends 1/3rd of its taxes (approx 1 trillion) on health, human services type issues, still the Govt is not able to solve the socio-economic issues that stems from drug addiction and intoxication and meat eating (obesity/health risks). Srila Prabhupada on the other hand successfully changed thousands of people's lives simply by the power of the words of Krishna in the Gita. Out of the thousands who sobered up, few hundred went on to themselves become self-realized.

Conclusion
Based on these above two points (parampara and atma tattva) we can confidently verify that the Bhagavad Gita As it is achieved its desired result/goal. To know the ultimate goal of Bhagavad Gita, please refer to BG 11.54, 11.55, 18.55, 18.65 and 18.66.

Hare Krishna

Gopal’s Garden, our Home School Co-op
→ New Vrindaban

Gopal’s Garden Home School Co-op began its seventh year this September, 2013. Two new students joined us from the Philippines and we are very happy to have them as part of our class.  Every morning we begin our day at 9:30 with chanting Hare Krsna and Bhagavad-gita verses. The students hear stories about Krsna and the philosophy of Krsna Consciousness.

Read Gopal's Garden Newsletter here.

Sunday December 22nd **** Sunday Feast program Cancelled due to severe ice storm coming towards Southern Ontario***
→ ISKCON BRAMPTON


Join us this Sunday for the association of Her Grace Sita Thakurani Devi Dasi
You still have opportunities to sponsor one or more page(s) in the 2014 Vaisnava calendar
Contact Savyasacin Prabhu for more details:  savyasacin.bms@gmail.com or 416-574-7116

Sunday Love Feast

When?
Sunday, December 22nd
Program starts at 11 am

Where?
6 George Street South
Brampton, Ontario
L6Y 1P3, Canada

New! Listen
Click here to listen to previous class recordings on our blog
Make a Donation
Bhagavad Gita - 9.34
man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māḿ namaskuru
mām evaisyasi yuktvaivam
ātmānaḿ mat-parāyanah
Translation: Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.

The Sunday Feast program consists of arati, kirtan (devotional chanting), philosophical discussion and prasadam.  Please come, get inspired and inspire others through your desire to share Krsna Consciousness!

Program Schedule:
11.00 – 11.15                Tulsi Puja                                        
11.15 - 11.30                  Guru Puja                                         
11:30 – 11:55                Aarti & Kirtan                                   
11.55 - 12.00                Sri Nrsingadev Prayers                       
12.00 – 1:00                 Vedic Discourse by Her Grace Sita Thakurani Devi Dasi
1:00 – 1:30                    Closing Kirtan

Please note that ISKCON Brampton is a nut free environment. 

UPCOMING EVENT:
December 25th - Christmas Celebration at ISKCON BRAMPTON
We are pleased to invite you, your family and friends for the Christmas Party & a Thank you program at ISKCON Brampton. 
  • Program starts at 11:00am
  • Guru Puja, Kirtan, Graduation, Visit from Bhakta Santa and Prasadam (Vegetarian Feast)!
  • REGISTER YOUR CHILD TO ENSURE THEY WILL RECEIVE A GIFT FROM BHAKTA SANTA… please email us at sundayschool108@gmail.com with your child’s name and age by Friday, December 20th.
  • Suggested donation $10/per child

December 31st - New Year's eve candle light kirtan
  • Program starts at 9:00
  • Start the new year in the presence of the Lord and in the association of devotees with a mid night aarti

Jan 1st - New Year's program
  • Special New Year's program with His Holiness Bhaktimarga Swami.
  • Program starts from noon including initiation ceremony. 
  • More detailed program will be announced in the future weeks.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Chant and Be happy!

“Year’s End” by Richard Wilbur
→ View From a New Vrindaban Ridge

Now winter downs the dying of the year,
And night is all a settlement of snow;
From the soft street the rooms of houses show
A gathered light, a shapen atmosphere,
Like frozen-over lakes whose ice is thin
And still allows some stirring down within.

I’ve known the wind by water banks to shake
The late leaves down, which frozen where they fell
And held in ice as dancers in a spell
Fluttered all winter long into a lake;
Graved on the dark in gestures of descent,
They seemed their own most perfect monument.

There was perfection in the death of ferns
Which laid their fragile cheeks against the stone
A million years. Great mammoths overthrown
Composedly have made their long sojourns,
Like palaces of patience, in the gray
And changeless lands of ice. And at Pompeii

The little dog lay curled and did not rise
But slept the deeper as the ashes rose
And found the people incomplete, and froze
The random hands, the loose unready eyes
Of men expecting yet another sun
To do the shapely thing they had not done.

These sudden ends of time must give us pause.
We fray into the future, rarely wrought
Save in the tapestries of afterthought.
More time, more time. Barrages of applause
Come muffled from a buried radio.
The New-year bells are wrangling with the snow.


Filed under: Poetry

Srila Prabhupada’s Kachorie ” Weapon” and Hindu fury over India’s beef exports
→ Dandavats.com

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ONLY EVER suggested that those who out of ignorance kill animals risk His wrath if they interfere with the activities of His samkirtan devotees. He overlooked the killing of animals by those in ignorance. He was unforgiving of anyone who tried to impede the samkirtan movement. Srila Prabhupada told me personally that the devotees should prepare Kachories "First Class- cooked in ghee!" and then with this they would "lose their taste for meat". Srila Prabhupada never called for the "execution" of the ignorant. Just the opposite. He called out "If anyone is hungry, please come and eat!!!" Read more ›