Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Holy Name Festival in Nueva Vrajamandala, Spain (95 photos) Read more › The post September 9th, 2013 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Thanks to Srila Prabhupada the Raha Yatra Festivals are taking place in all major cities of the world and distribute like this the mercy of Lord Jagannath to thousands of participants! Jaya Jagannath! Read more › 
Panama Ratha Yatra with Vaiyasaki Das and the Kirtan Explosion Band (25 photos) Read more › 
Bir Krishna Goswami leads bhajan 02/09/13 (4 min video) Read more › 
Bhakti Vijnana Goswami is one of the leaders of ISKCON in Russia and is working tirelessly towards establishing a large new temple in Moscow. He was a brilliant graduate student, attending chemistry classes at Moscow State University before he meet devotees in 1977. In spite of heavy opposition from the state he decided to serve full time in the mission of Srila Prabhupada. He tirelessly preaches and gradually has made large number of devotees in Russia and surrounding former states of USSR Read more › Sachinandana Swami Kirtan – Holy Name Festival – New Vrajamandala, Spain – Aug 24, 2013
Q: Why did lord Krishna not marry Radha?
To understand Radha correctly you need to somewhat understand the mysteries of “rasa” and “prema” – the ecstatic experience of spiritual love. Krishna and Radharani playfully married once, as children sometimes do. They did not really marry, however, because their love is more primal, profound, and unbounded than what wedded love facilitates. Wedded love is a very elevated type of divine union with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yet in marriage the intimacy and spontaneity is not limitless. Some limitation is imposed by the sense of “duty” that husband and wife naturally acquire towards one another. This sense of duty is beautiful, but the highest type of love is even more beautiful. It is so profound that it requires no sense of duty – and flows absolutely spontaneously – breaking all things that stand in its path. Thus the pure transcendental love that Radha and Krishna enjoy on the highest level of bliss (paramānanda) expresses itself in the form of being paramours, not being husband and wife.
Q: How many wives did Krishna have? What was the names of his wives? How many sons did Krishna have?
Krishna does not marry anyone or have any children.
However, Krishna’s first expansion, as the king of Mathura and Dvaraka does marry. This “Krishna” is slightly distinct from the original svayam-bhagavan Krishna, who never exits his Dhāma, Vṛndāvana. This first expansion of Krishna is known properly as Vāsudeva Krishna.
Vāsudeva Krishna first married Rukmini, and then married another seven goddesses, headed by Satyabhama. Jambavati is another prominent one of these original wives. A little while later, Vāsudeva rescued 16,100 ladies from their abduction into a harem, and then married them all. He personally lived with each of his 16,108 wives simultaneously.
We hear that he had 10 sons with each wife. I have seen lists of names for the sons only of the 8 original wives. The most famous are Pradyumna, Samba, etc. I am not sure if he also had many children with the thousands of other wives, nor am I sure how many daughters he had. When Vāsudeva Krishna departed from the earth, there was a terrible event that allowed almost every single one of his family members to leave the world at about the same time.
Q: Was Radha realy Krishna Aunti?
Radharani is the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu and Kīrtidā. Krishna is the son of Yaśodā and Nandā (Vāsudeva Krishna, a little different, is the son of Devakī and Vasudeva). There may be some distant relationship which would make Rādhā and Krishna some type of cousins, but if that is the case, I am not aware of it. So far as I know there is no family relationship between Rādhā and Krishna, and certainly Radharani is not Krishna’s aunt. That is rather preposterous.
We should mention that Krishna’s mother, Yaśodā has so much motherly affection for Sri Rādhā that she treats her exactly like her own daughter, you can say, exactly like her own “Daughter-in-law.”
Q: Why is Krishna blue in skin color?
Blue is a word that is moderately useful towards describing the transcendental color of the Supreme Personality Śrī Krishna. Here is a more elaborate and accurate description: imagine a mountain of dark-blue sapphire. It would be almost jet-black. Now imagine the sun rising behind that mountain. That is something to give a clearer idea of the color of Krishna. Very black, but with a blue brilliance.
If you understand how light produces color, it will make clear sense why Krishna is so black. Black is the color that attracts light absolutely, and no light bounces off a black object. Krishna is all-attractive. Therefore he is black, every energy is completely attracted to him and never departs from him.
The impersonalist perceives the presence of the Lord in water by its taste, and the personalist also glorifies the Lord for His kindly supplying tasty water to quench man’s thirst. That is the way of perceiving the Supreme. Practically speaking, there is no conflict between personalism and impersonalism. One who knows God knows that the impersonal conception and personal conception are simultaneously present in everything and that there is no contradiction. Therefore Lord Caitanya established His sublime doctrine: acintya bheda- and abheda-tattva – simultaneous oneness and difference.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 21 July 2013, Cape Town, South Africa, Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 15.14)
The pious activities of one soul do not just benefit that soul but they benefit others also. It’s like when your son becomes a pious person, you are fortunate because the parents get the benefit from that piety and their destination changes. In the same way, they also get one sixth the karma of their children. So when your children become criminals and so on, then you get one-sixth of that karma. That is quite a bit – sixteen percent! Think about it… it’s a lot… the little darlings! If you suddenly get one-sixth of the karma of all the nonsense they do, then they are not as nice as you always thought. Suddenly you start to care a little more for everything they do.
But when they take up spiritual life then we all share in the benefit. So, this is the idea that the home becomes a very pious place where our children, from day one, are just engaged in glorification of the Lord. Then, by the time they grow up, it’s too late.
We have children that grew up in this movement and one day a son said to his father, “You know, there is a difference between us. Your generation is always trying to remember Krsna but my generation, we’re always struggling trying to forget Krsna.”
That’s nice, if you grow up with Krsna as a child, you can’t get rid of him. He going to be there, even if you try, he is going to be there forever.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 21 July 2013, Cape Town, South Africa, Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 15.14)
The pious activities of one soul do not just benefit that soul but they benefit others also. It’s like when your son becomes a pious person, you are fortunate because the parents get the benefit from that piety and their destination changes. In the same way, they also get one sixth the karma of their children. So when your children become criminals and so on, then you get one-sixth of that karma. That is quite a bit – sixteen percent! Think about it… it’s a lot… the little darlings! If you suddenly get one-sixth of the karma of all the nonsense they do, then they are not as nice as you always thought. Suddenly you start to care a little more for everything they do.
But when they take up spiritual life then we all share in the benefit. So, this is the idea that the home becomes a very pious place where our children, from day one, are just engaged in glorification of the Lord. Then, by the time they grow up, it’s too late.
We have children that grew up in this movement and one day a son said to his father, “You know, there is a difference between us. Your generation is always trying to remember Krsna but my generation, we’re always struggling trying to forget Krsna.”
That’s nice, if you grow up with Krsna as a child, you can’t get rid of him. He going to be there, even if you try, he is going to be there forever.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 21 July 2013, Cape Town, South Africa, Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 15.14)
The pious activities of one soul do not just benefit that soul but they benefit others also. It’s like when your son becomes a pious person, you are fortunate because the parents get the benefit from that piety and their destination changes. In the same way, they also get one sixth the karma of their children. So when your children become criminals and so on, then you get one-sixth of that karma. That is quite a bit – sixteen percent! Think about it… it’s a lot… the little darlings! If you suddenly get one-sixth of the karma of all the nonsense they do, then they are not as nice as you always thought. Suddenly you start to care a little more for everything they do.
But when they take up spiritual life then we all share in the benefit. So, this is the idea that the home becomes a very pious place where our children, from day one, are just engaged in glorification of the Lord. Then, by the time they grow up, it’s too late.
We have children that grew up in this movement and one day a son said to his father, “You know, there is a difference between us. Your generation is always trying to remember Krsna but my generation, we’re always struggling trying to forget Krsna.”
That’s nice, if you grow up with Krsna as a child, you can’t get rid of him. He going to be there, even if you try, he is going to be there forever.
"The chanting and hearing is essence. Even when dealing with a practical problem, Srila Prabhupada was seeing it and soon speaking of it in absolute terms. Chanting especially promotes this: leave everything aside and chant the holy name. Then we can take up even our most demanding preaching duties in this world with vigor and endurance."Accidents, diseases, atrocities – when we see such tragedies befall people around us, we may become fearful: “What if something like that happens to me? Why do such things happen?”
To help us overcome such insecurities, Gita wisdom strengthens us with philosophical insight and devotional inspiration.
The Gita’s philosophical insight is that whatever happens to anyone is due to that person’s past karmic deeds, from either this life or previous lives. Though we may not know the exact correlation between specific actions and their corresponding reactions, the broad understanding of the causal connection between action and liberation is heartening. It liberates us from resentment and fills us with hope – no matter how bleak my present, I have the power to shape a bright future by making wise choices.
The Gita’s devotional inspiration comes by understanding that Krishna doesn’t stand aloof, but stands abreast – ready and eager to help us. The Bhagavad-gita concludes with the proclamation (18.66) that Krishna protects us from all sinful reactions if we just accept that protection by surrendering undeviatingly to him. He grants us strength to face whatever karmic reactions come upon us. He gives us the wisdom to make the right choices, no matter how complex and confusing the consequences of our past karma. To receive what he is offering us, we need to tune our consciousness by cultivating his devotional remembrance and harmonizing our will with his will.
When we thus surrender to Krishna, making wise choices no longer appears to be a solitary struggle; it becomes an empowering exercise for building our willpower muscles by tapping the power of Krishna. The strength coming from this exercise enables us to progress through life’s reversals with the supreme confidence that whatever karma may get us to, Krishna will get us through.
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18.66 - Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
The Saturday after Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja, more first and second generation devotees had the opportunity to offer homages to Srila Prabhupada.
In the material energy, the principal manifestations are eight, as above mentioned. Out of these, the first five manifestations, namely earth, water, fire, air and sky, are called the five gigantic creations or the gross creations, within which the five sense objects are included. They are the manifestations of physical sound, touch, form, taste and smell. Material science comprises these ten items and nothing more. But the other three items, namely mind, intelligence and false ego, are neglected by the materialists. Philosophers who deal with mental activities are also not perfect in knowledge because they do not know the ultimate source, Krishna.
Piyush says, “It is the first Bhagwad Gita in the world written in mirror image. I wrote the epic in my own hand writing in two languages, Hindi and English. One can read all the 18 chapters and 700 verses in front of a mirror.” Read more › 
The Griffith University Multi-Faith Centre held an awards evening on Tuesday, 30 July 2013, celebrating the success of the High School and University teams and entrants in making it to the finals of the 2013 'Many Faiths, One Peace' film competition. Read more › BY SHANTHI RUPA DEVI DASI
KUALA LUMPUR - "When Srimati Radharani first saw Krishna, She suddenly became conscious of all transcendental happiness, and the functions of Her different limbs were stunned. When Lalita, Her constant companion, whispered into Her ear, the holy name of Krishna, Radharani immediately opened Her eyes wide. (Nectar of Devotion, pg 259)
"One day, in a joking mood, Krishna informed Radharani, 'My dear Radharani, I am going to give up Your Company.' Upon saying this, He immediately disappeared, and because of this, Radharani immediately fell down upon the ground of Vrindavana. she had practically stopped breathing, but when She smelled the flavor of the flowers on the ground, She awoke in ecstasy and got up.
"One night, Srimati Radharani was talking in a dream. “My dear Krishna”, She said, “please do not play any more jokes on Me! Please stop! And please don't touch my garments either. Otherwise I shall inform the elder persons, and I shall disclose all of Your naughty behavior. She was talking like this in a dream. She suddenly awoke and saw some of Her superiors standing before Her. Thus Radharani became ashamed and bowed Her head"
Relationship between Sri Krishna and Srimati Radharani
The relationship between Sri Krishna and Srimati Radharani (maya-mrgam) indicates yogamaya in this context since Radharani is Krishna’s hladini-sakti, His original internal pleasure potency. Because Krishna is Madana-mohana and Radharani is Madana-mohana-mohini, therefore mrgam means Krishna is like a deer that is controlled by the beautiful Radharani. Sri Radha always performs puja to bind Krishna because She cannot live without Him. Due to Radharani’s aradhana, or worship, Krishna never leaves Vrndavana. He runs through the forests of Vrndavana (anvadhavat), playing with His friends and cows and engaging in amorous pastimes with His most desired object (ipsitam), Srimati Radharani.
All the gopis love to hear Mother Yasoda sing about the glories of Krishna. Radharani is especially keen to hear Krishna’s pastimes, but She is particularly attracted to the Damodara pastime. Charmed by Damodara’s mood of surrender in agreeing to be bound by Mother Yasoda’s love, Sri Radha longs to have that same exchange with Krishna. She desires to express such intense love for Krishna that He will also agree to be bound by Her love. Appreciating this mood of Mother Yasoda to enhance Her own feelings for Krishna, She resolves to experience this same reciprocation of love. ”(Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.9.20, purport.)
Radha-Damodara thus refers to Radharani’s mood of intense attraction for this pastime between Damodara and Mother Yasoda. In celebration of this mood of love, She performs Katyayani vrata in the month of Kartik to receive the benediction to enter into this intimate relationship of loving exchange. By performing this vrata, Sri Radha is willing to undergo any austerities so that Krishna will agree to be bound by Her love.
According to Vedic civilization, during the month of Kartik unmarried girls are required to worship goddess Durga and perform austerities in order to get a good husband. In KRSNA book, the unmarried gopis perform Katyayani vrata to get Krishna as their husband. They eat only havisyanna—a bland kichari prepared by boiling mung dahl and rice together without any spices—to purify the body before enacting a ritualistic ceremony. After taking bath in the Yamuna River, they worship a deity of goddess Durga with sandalwood pulp, garlands, incense, lamps, fruits, grains, and twigs of plants. After worship, they pray for the benediction to become the wives of Krishna. (KRSNA, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, chapter 22)
Jiva Goswami has written that Srimati Radharani always performs austerities simply to bind Krishna more and more with Her love. Because without Krishna She cannot even bear to live. It is due to Sri Radha’s aradhana, or worship, that Krishna never leaves Vrndavana. Gaudiya Vaisnavas consider Radharani to be the presiding Deity for the month of Kartik, which, significantly, is also called Damodara. Srila Rupa Goswami, in his Sri Utkalika-vallari, proclaims Radharani as Kartik-devi, the goddess of Kartik.
The Hari-bhakti-vilasa proclaims, “O learned brahmanas! Lord Damodara becomes very pleased if during the month of Kartik one worships a Deity of Radhika solely for Her pleasure.” (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 16.95) For this reason, Vaisnavas perform austerities in the month of Kartik to please Sri Radha. They consider Kartik as the month of Radha-Damodara because of the following pastime in the Uttara-khanda of the Bhavisya Purana.
“Once in the auspicious month of Kartik, Krishna came late for a rendezvous with Radharani in Her kunja. In loving anger, Sri Radha looked at Krishna with frowning eyebrows. Using some golden vines, Radha then tied a rope around Sri Krishna’s belly to punish Him for not showing up as promised. Krishna said He was late because Mother Yasoda kept Him home for a festival. Seeing Her mistake, Radha quickly untied Her beloved Damodara.” (Radha Kunda Mahima Madhuri, by Mahanidhi Swami, page 50)
Radharani’s desire to bind Krishna with Her love is fulfilled in this pastime. Therefore, Vraja Vaisnavas worship this Damodara who is bound by Radharani’s love. Of course, Krishna is already famous as Damodara from His childhood. In fact, just as Krishna is eternal, so is His Holy Name. He is always known as Damodara, although it appears that His name comes into being as a result of the pastime with Mother Yasoda. Damodar also means one who is bound with ropes of love by his mother.
New Govardhana's WWOOFing aims to provide volunteers with first-hand experience in organic and ecologically sound growing methods. WWOOF volunteers generally do not receive financial payment. The host provides food, accommodation, and opportunities to learn, in exchange for assistance with farming or gardening activities Read more › 
I am one of many Americans who was raised Christian. At first I wanted very badly to feel a connection with the God of the Bible to make my mother proud. However, deep down I knew this was not the right path for me. The more I studied the bible the more I would worry Read more › The fear of death haunts all living beings. This fear actuates the many intricate adaptations for self-preservation among nonhuman beings as well as the elaborate plans for self-defense among humans.
Sadly enough, all these arrangements are ultimately futile, because nothing can save us from the cruel clutches of death.
Moreover, acknowledging this fear often erodes, even evaporates, the joy of living by keeping our thoughts constantly in the scary shadow of death. To avoid becoming paranoid, we subconsciously neglect and forget the inevitability of death. But despite our denials, death grinds on relentlessly, reducing our dreams to debris by it ruthless march in one brutal moment.
If neither acknowledging nor denying the reality of death helps, what helps?
Only enlightenment helps.
Enlightenment catapults us to the spiritual level of reality that is beyond the jurisdiction of death. The Bhagavad-gita (02.24) helps us understand that we are spiritual beings, souls, who can’t be destroyed by any of the things that destroy everything material. We are meant for an eternal life of love with Krishna. By progressive spiritual illumination, we realize ourselves to be indestructible. This realization sets off a wondrous event in our heart – the slow but sure death of our fear of death.
When we train ourselves to live at the spiritual level by practicing devotional service, this training improves our life even at the material level – we may not live longer, but we live better. Rather than living in pursuit of illusory enjoyment in the arena of fear and death, we live for enlightened fulfillment in the arena of selfless devotional service to Krishna and all his children. We make the best contribution in this life while progressing towards the best destination in our afterlife. What can be a better way to live?
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02.24 - This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.
Iskcon devotees find success in intrducing SP's books in the 26th Moscow International Book Fair. 07/09/2013 Read more › How do we persevere in perfecting japa in face of our disqualifications.
These pictures were taken on August the 27th 2013 in Mayapur's Iskcon Temple during the installation of the murti of Srila Prabhupada. This murti is now being worshiped by the ashram boys with a very high standard. Jai Srila Prabhupada! Read more › 
Devotees of Krishna do not miss any opportunity to glorify the Lord, even in the most unusual places like a police station! Read more › 
Mahadevi Dasi, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, while on pilgrimage in the Ganga distributes transcendental books to all the people she meets there. Read more › 
Real Value
Society sees value in many different way’s however more and more we see that value of individual’s is seen either in their academic prowess or financial success; indeed never before have our children been tested to such an extent as they are being now.
Indeed so great is the pressure that a failure to achieve what is seen as a minimum result makes many feel that do not have any value within society; this is magnified when looking at my own client group who will never achieve what the UK government now sees as a minimum standard.
Does that mean they have no value within society?
Ok! They will always need a little help with everyday living skills, simple tasks may take some time to process but does that mean they have no intrinsic value?
Well for me anyone who holds such a view shows indeed their lack of either compassion or education for each one has had a skill, some have amazed me with their gardening skills, some with their woodwork skills and some who have the ability to make people smile no matter how glum the day is.
Each has a unique special skill that you cannot measure in an exam.
We see that even those who recruit from the academic groups are questioning the qualifications given that the individual has simply remembered the answers but increasingly it is reported has little practical understanding of the subject matter or inability to show practical use of the subject matter.
We see that within the devotee society we have slowly moved away from seeing the beauty and skills from each person who come engaging them nicely in there are of expertise and allowing some lateral development of bhakti; leaning more on offering courses and putting emphasis on academic achievement.
The disease of our age means we are starting to loose our appreciation for the individual looking more at pieces of paper and certificates or financial success; little realizing that we all have a place in society and without these differences society itself fails to function.
However if we look closely at those who have been the most successful at bringing people to a full understanding of God Consciousness (Krishna Consciousness) there is an interesting notation; No matter what faith those most effective have not gone through any apostolic training, indeed those who were the driving force in preaching namely women were until recently excluded from this.
Indeed most revivalist religious movements have been by those who have not gone through a traditional training course but have based their teachings on the word of god as it is; the greatest example is Srila Prabhupada/Prahlada Maharaja simply by hearing from authority and reading inspired many to turn away from a materialistic life and take up an extraordinary life of dhakti.
Indeed let’s take a close look at ISKCON the greatest movers within the society have studied personally, taken good association and understood the need for devotional service; they have by their enthusiasm encouraged and shown practically how this brings immense happiness. These individual’s have helped over the years to increase those practising Krishna Consciousness.
I am not saying scrap all courses their a waste of time, NO!
We see as this society becomes obsessed by exams that in order for certain sections to progress and take up bhakti we need an academic line run by academic individual’s and in many ways this will validate Krishna Consciousness in the wider society.
But we also need to engage those who are not academic, but who are able to bring Krishna Consciousness alive and inspire others they too should be given every opportunity.
Looking at my client group given the current set up they would never ever be able to get even first initiation; and I concur that this is wrong both morally but also for the wider society it simply means we have socially excluded a section based on our bias prejudice.
Given that for example one client, having asked about the small Radha Krishna pictures in the car understood the need to offer a flower to their Lordship’s and to chant the holy names of Krishna; he also encouraged others. On our last day he gave me some sweet instruction make sure you always offer a nice flower to Krishna; simple indeed, could he be given initiation based on this? No! first this course then may be.
We here that in many ways there is an understanding that we are no longer in an emergency situation; that we can now put into place all these things it’s good for society; but I will say hang on put the breaks on, lets look at those who have moved to an academic religious structure we see that their membership is reducing compared to those who have an more open self realization religious structure especially those who allow members to share openly their realizations.
Both academic and non academic can co-exist if the ultimate aim is to create devotees so all sections of society becomes engaged; we cannot reduce bhakti to a tick box exercise or force square pegs into a round hole.
Mentor-ship offers so much as long as we can use it to look at the individual, develop an individual spiritual progression plan encouraging them step by step by step; seeing and giving initiation based on sincerity and practical following.
Lay preachers not academic preachers
practical practitioners of Krishna Consciousness not artificial conformation.
ISKCON has benefited greatly from their academic resources in the form of it’s academic devotees; but has benefited even more from the sincere efforts from those who have understood and given their all in seva
The preaching of the glories of Shri Krishna from Iskcon devotees goes on 24/7 all over the planet! Read more › 
New Vrindaban residents greet Srila Prabhupada on an early morning walk, June 1976.
A highlighted quote from a conversation between Srila Prabhupada and some of his disciples during a room conversation in New Vrindaban – June 24th, 1976.
“Anyway, improve this mode of life. Live in open place, produce your food grains, produce your milk, save time, chant Hare Krsna. Plain living, high thinking, ideal life.” – Srila Prabhupada.
Thanks to the Vanipedia website for the transcript.
Read the entire conversation below:
Prabhupada: So what news?
Dhrstadyumna: Well, Srila Prabhupada, we’ve distributed about 70,000 magazines so far this month. So I think we’ll reach 100,000 in this month. Even though we are getting much harassment from the police, still we are going on.
Prabhupada: Why harassment? What is the fault?
Dhrstadyumna: [break] They are mostly godless, Srila Prabhupada. They see us as a nuisance to the public. We are threatening their sense gratification.
Kirtanananda: What fault did Prahlada have?
Prabhupada: Sense gratification, we are refusing them?
Dhrstadyumna: We are threatening their sense gratification.
Prabhupada: Hmm. So it is bad?
Dhrstadyumna: It is bad for their way of life. Just like Prahlada was preaching to his school friends. And I think almost 20,000 big books so far.
Prabhupada: “So far” means?
Dhrstadyumna: Up to this month, for the first three weeks.
Hari-Sauri: Means there’s one more, one more week.
Dhrstadyumna: Nine days left.
Prabhupada: What is your party doing?
Kirtanananda: What is what?
Prabhupada: Your party, selling books?
Kirtanananda: I don’t know what the figures are.
Prabhupada: No, your line is this farming.
Kirtanananda: Per capita, we distribute more books.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Kirtanananda: Per man, we distribute more books than they do. I think per man we distribute more than anybody in ISKCON.
Prabhupada: And still they are maintaining this farm.
Dhrstadyumna: And building very nice buildings.
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Dhrstadyumna: Very nice projects they are building.
Prabhupada: This project should be advanced-plain living, high thinking.
Dhrstadyumna: I think we’ll take around that film of New Vrindaban to all the colleges this year when we are preaching and show it to the students as our practical example.
Prabhupada: This is nasty civilization, unnecessarily increasing necessities of life. Anartha.
Kirtanananda: We would not have understood you if you had said that eight, ten years ago.
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Kirtanananda: Ten years ago I know I could not have understood you if you had said that. Now I understand a little bit.
Prabhupada: Now suppose these electric lights. So, crude form of light, we grow some castor seed, everything from the earth. This also you are getting from earth, petroleum, and running on machine, and electricity is generated. But really you are getting the impetus from the earth. As soon as the petroleum supply is stopped, everything stopped. But for this purpose you have to search out petroleum from the middle of ocean, boring. Therefore it is ugra-karma. The purpose is that you grow some castor seed, press it, get oil, put in any pot, and one wick, the light is there. So even understanding that you have improved the lighting system, but that is not the only necessity of my life. But to improve from the castor seed lamp, castor oil lamp, to this electricity, you have to work so hard. You have to go to the middle of ocean and drill it and get out petroleum and… In this way your real business of life is finished. The energy and the intelligence you got for your self-realization or your, this precarious position, constantly dying and taking birth in various species of life, this is your problem, and this was to be solved in human life, you have got advanced intelligence, but that intelligence is utilized from castor seed lamp to the electric lamp. That’s all. Just try to understand. What is that improvement? And for this improving from castor seed oil lamp to electricity lamp, you forget your real business. You lost yourself. This civilization is going on. This is called maya. For some fictitious happiness you lose your whole purpose of life. It is difficult to understand, but the fact is there. But you are under the control of nature, you have to give up this body. All right, you make very nice arrangement to live here, nature will not allow you to live. You must die. And after death you are going to get another body. So in this body, working for high grade electricity lamp, you work so hard, have got your own business, and next life by the laws of nature, if you get the body of a dog, then what is the benefit? That you cannot check. What is the answer? Hmm?
Kuladri: Simple living, high thinking.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Kuladri: Simple living.
Prabhupada: No, here is the charge. Now what is your answer? In this life you are living very comfortably, next life if I’m going to be a dog, then this is the charge. Now how this class of men will answer it? Can he deny that he’s not going to be a dog?
Kirtanananda: He says he doesn’t believe it.
Prabhupada: You believe or not believe. Just like this child, it is boy, he does not know anything. But I know, his mother knows, his father knows that he’s going to be young man. If he says, “No, I am not going to be young man,” that is childish. That is childish. But the father, mother, friends know that the boy is going to grow a young man, so he should be educated and he should be properly situated. That is the guardian’s business. He doesn’t know. He doesn’t know. So that he doesn’t know, that does not mean it is fact. So similarly, if rascals say, “I don’t believe it,” that’s not a fact. He is a rascal, mad, he may say so, but that is not the fact. Karanam guna-sangasya. Real fact is that he’ll have to accept a body according to the quality of development.
Kirtanananda: But what if they say that “Actually this life of growing the castor seed is very difficult, farming is very difficult. It is easier to go to the factory for eight hours, and then I come home with my money and I enjoy.”
Prabhupada: No, you enjoy, but by enjoying, if you forget your real business, is that intelligent? Your real business is that you have got this human form of body to improve your next life. You are going to have a next life. Suppose you are going to be a dog. Is that success? So you must know the science that instead of becoming dog, how shall you become God. That is intelligence.
Kirtanananda: Why is it any better to grow castor seed than to dig oil?
Prabhupada: Huh?
Kirtanananda: Why is it any better to grow castor seed than to…
Prabhupada: No, you require lamp. So you finish that lamping business as simply as possible. In the balance time you save you improve your self-realization. That is the life. Just like this child, he wants to play. He does not go to school, does not take an education, and he improves type of toys, toys, he’s engaged in improved type of football playing, and… Then is that very good intelligence?
Kirtanananda: But nobody works longer hours than the farmer.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Kirtanananda: No one works harder than the farmer. The farmer has to work very hard.
Prabhupada: No, our point is that if you think that electricity improvement is better than farming, we have no objection. But if you forget your real business, is that intelligent?
Kirtanananda: No, of course not.
Prabhupada: That is our proposal. Our real business is how to become Krsna conscious. So simply for improving the condition of life, the necessities of life, if I forget my real business, is that intelligence? Therefore it is said duskrtinah. Krti means merit. But merit is being utilized for sinful activities. Take for example the meat-eaters. When man was… The uncivilized man is still there. In the uncivilized way they are living in the jungle. They require to eat something. So they stone over an animal going, and the animal dies, and then they eat. Now instead of killing the animal by stoning, if you have discovered scientific machine in the slaughterhouse to kill the animal, is that improvement? If you think this is advancement, “Now we have discovered very technical machine. Instead of stoning one animal killing, it takes so much time, hundreds and thousands of animals you can kill in one hour,” do you think that is improvement? That is going on. They think this is improvement. When we were uncivilized, we were stoning some animal and killing and eating, now we are, business is the same—animal killing and eating. But we have improved the machine how to kill. This is going on. This is going on as advancement of civilization. Hmm? What is your answer? Is that advancement of civilization? Now you are civilized, instead of killing the animal, you just take milk from it without killing and make so many nice preparations, and that is civilization. But killing is sinful. You have no right to kill any animal, even an ant. Because you cannot give life to anyone. It is nature’s law, God’s law. So infringement on the laws of nature or God, it is sinful activities. So you are utilizing your merit for this sinful activity. Therefore it is called duskrtinah. Merit is there, but it is utilized for sinful activities. That is defect of the modern civilization.
Kuladri: Srila Prabhupada, I remember once you said…
Prabhupada: These questions that “I believe,” “I don’t believe,” you are rascal, what is the meaning of your believe or not believing? You are, after all, a rascal. Just like a child will say something, “I don’t believe.” The mother will say “You are rascal, you must go to your room.” So rascals believe or not believe, what is the meaning? Mudha. It is the law of nature. Tatha dehantara-praptih. The example is given that this boy will change his body. Dehantara-praptir. He’ll become a young boy, young man. This body will not remain. What is the difficulty to understand? Yes, this body will not remain. While he came out of the womb of the mother, that was another body. But these rascals, they do not understand it. It is very difficult to deal with the rascals, that’s a fact, but… Whatever they are doing is all rascaldom, that’s all. And forgetting their real business. So your son, does he believe that he’s going to be a young man? You believe? (laughs) Huh? What is your…
Kulashekara: I remember once when we were staying at John Lennon’s estate, you said to me…
Prabhupada: Huh?
Kulashekara: At John Lennon’s estate, remember? In London. You said to me, the tractor, you said, this is the cause of all the trouble. That it took all the work from the young men and they went to the city and became entangled in the sense gratification in the cities. So I’ve noticed in the city there’s much more passion, but living in the country is simpler.
Prabhupada: Yes, passion, there must be. When you have got the facility, naturally we are lusty, and when we have got the facility, then we take to it.
Kulashekara: The country is more peaceful. It’s easier to think of spiritual life.
Prabhupada: Yes. Less disease. Less brain taxing. Everything is less. So balance time, utilize for Krsna consciousness. And if you have got temple, it is very happy life. Just for your food work little, and balance time engage yourself in Krsna consciousness. This is ideal life. Just see minute fibers on the flower. Can anyone manufacture this? So small fibers. And how brilliant it is. If you study only one flower, you become God conscious. There is a machine which we call nature. From that machine, everything is coming. But how machine is perfect? And who has discovered this machine?
Kulashekara: In London you said they do not know that the butterflies and flowers are painted, but Krsna paints them with thought.
Prabhupada: Yes. How you can expect without painting it has come so beautiful? This is foolishness, “nature”—what is this nature? Everything is being done by the machine of Krsna. Parasya Saktir vividaiva Sruyate. Anyway, improve this mode of life. Live in open place, produce your food grains, produce your milk, save time, chant Hare Krsna. Plain living, high thinking, ideal life. Artificial necessities of life do increase your so-called comforts, but if you forget your real business, that is suicidal. We want to stop this suicidal policy. We don’t want to stop the modern advancement of technology, although the so-called advancement technology is suicidal. But we don’t talk of this. (laughter) Caitanya Mahaprabhu has therefore given a simple formula-chant Hare Krsna. Even in your technological factories, you can chant. What is the wrong there? You go on pulling on with your machine and chant, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna.
Kirtanananda: They know that if people take up the chanting, gradually they will give up this technology.
Prabhupada: That is, of course.
Kirtanananda: You are actually putting the seeds of their destruction.
Prabhupada: Yes. No, what is destruction? It is, rather, construction. (laughter) He’ll live. He’ll live forever. This is destruction. You have to change body. But our method, this tyaktva deham punar janma naiti. You don’t get anymore material body. So that is saving. And without this? Tatha dehantara-praptir. Then you have to accept another body. So which is better? To accept another material body or no more accepting material body? Which is better? But as soon as you accept material body, you have to suffer. Material body means suffering. So that requires knowledge. If we finish our suffering up to this body, that is intelligent. And if we create another body for suffering, is that intelligent? But you have to, unless you understand Krsna, you have to accept. There is no alternative. Na hanyate hanyamane Sarire . They are so dull they cannot understand the simple truth that as the child, boy is accepting another body, we have to accept another body. They cannot understand. So dull brain. It will take five hundred years to teach them this very simple fact. Huh? Their education is so advanced. (laughter) Therefore mu?ha, the word is used. So-called education keeps them as an ass. Cannot understand the simple truth. So everyone is getting milk? How much?
Kirtanananda: As much as they want.
Prabhupada: As much as they want, then jaundice. (laughter) Too much is not good. They may take minimum half pound per head.
Kirtanananda: Minimum.
Prabhupada: Minimum. And maximum one pound. Not more than that. But “Because there is enough, let us eat,” no. That is not good. But children must get at least one pound, milk. If they drink more milk they become stout and strong.
Kirtanananda: They get more than one pound. They get at least two pounds.
Prabhupada: Then their life is built up strong, and nice brain to understand. Do they not see the benefit of the society, that we are not killing children, we are maintaining them with sufficient milk. Is it not better civilization? And they are, for fear of overpopulation, they are killing. The mother is killing the child. Is that civilization?
Kirtanananda: But in Bhagavad-gita Krsna says that those in the mode of ignorance, they take irreligion to be religion and religion to be irreligion.
Prabhupada: No, religion, there is no religion for them, but there is no morality. Here we are having so many children, we don’t brag that “We cannot maintain these children. Kill them.” We never say that. Never mind. Let them be trained up as Krsna conscious, live comfortably, take milk. So which is better civilization? Running with motorcar, putputputputputputputput and killing child? Is that civilization?
Kirtanananda: Most of these children are not even our own. They have been taken in from…
Prabhupada: Just see, that means we welcome.
Kirtanananda: …mothers without fathers,
Prabhupada: That means we welcome and they kill. So why do they not find the distinction between this civilization, that civilization?
Dhrstadyumna: They have no arguments against this except that they want to be free. In colleges…
Prabhupada: But they are not free. That means they are fools. They are not free, still they are thinking free. That is foolishness. If you are actually free, that is another thing, (laughs) but you are not free. You are responsible for even a minute work or misdeed, you are responsible. Where is your freedom? That freedom means ahankara vimu?hatma kartaham iti manyate BG 3.27 . The rascal, foolish, bewildered, he’s thinking that he’s free. Where is your freedom? Nature is working. If you are free, then why you are dying? If you are free, then do not die. Nobody wants to die. What is the answer?
Dhrstadyumna: They will give some nonsense answer.
Prabhupada: What is that nonsense? In nonsense there must be some sense also.
Pusta Krsna: I think they would like both. Like the Christians, they would like to enjoy sinful life and at the same time live forever.
Prabhupada: No, we don’t talk of any sect, we are talking of the general principles.
Pusta Krsna: Their tendency is…
Prabhupada: Now the people’s tendency, general tendency is, unless he’s a madman, nobody is prepared to die. But he has to die.
Dhrstadyumna: But I accept death as part of life.
Prabhupada: Part of life?
Dhrstadyumna: Yes, it’s natural. So I don’t, I’m not afraid.
Prabhupada: Then when there is some sign of death, why do you go away? Sit down and die. (laughter) You don’t accept. You are talking foolishly. You don’t want to die. That is a fact. You are talking foolishly, that “I accept it,” but you don’t accept it. That is the fact. But because you have no other way, then you say, “I accept it.” The real fact is this, that you do not wish to die, but you find that there is no other alternative, “Then I accept it. All right.” So you can talk like that, foolishly, but intelligent man, you do not want to die.
Dhrstadyumna: One time, one boy said that. So as soon as he said it, I picked up a stick and went like that “Oh!” and said “See, you are afraid.” And he said, “No, I’m not afraid.” So I went—and he was showing fear.
Prabhupada: Even dog is afraid, what to speak of man. The animals, when they are taken to be slaughtered, they cry. So animal is afraid of death, why not man? Everyone is afraid.
Kuladri: Prabhupada? They say why do you worry so much about death? We are living. We are enjoying life, why do you worry about death?
Prabhupada: Because we are intelligent. I love you. Therefore you’ll die and you’ll become a dog, so I am taking sympathy on you that “Don’t become a dog.” Every human being is anxious. The example is given just like a child flying kite and is going this way, this way, on the roof. Now on the edge of the roof, so one gentleman standing, “Hey, you’ll fall down.” That is his duty. He says, “Why you are checking me?” (laughter) “Why you are checking me?” “Because I am human being. You are foolish boy. Therefore I am checking you.” That is natural. Even a child, or the boy is not his son, but because he is a gentleman, he wants to give him some protection. It is the duty of gentleman. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said to the Indians, that “You become perfect and go and give this knowledge to the rest of the world. They are all rascals.” Bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara. It is para-upakara, humanitarian. You may say “Why do you bother?” But as a human being, I bother. Every human being will do that. Krsna comes, bothering Himself. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata. “When these have become rascals, fools, I come, again advise them.” So those who are servants of God, they are also doing the same thing, on behalf of God. Their position is therefore exalted. They should be worshiped as God because they are doing the work of God. They are not cheating public. So improve this farming very nicely. So the cows, they should be given as much as possible pasturing. If you simply drink little milk, and little vegetables, that will supply all vitamins. You do not require to take vitamin pills. No, there is no need. It has got all the vitamins. That is admitted. Vitamin A, D, in milk, they say… And fruits, vitamin C. In this way, in fruits, vegetables, grains, milk, all vitamins are there.
Kulashekara: Srila Prabhupada, if you take milk in other forms, like if you eat cheese, if you take curd or cheese, is it the same as drinking milk or … ?
Prabhupada: Yes. Any milk preparation. And if you have got enough milk, then keep it as ghee and open restaurant in the city. Give them nice samosa, kachori. So in exchange you get money, you require little money, so that money will help you. Actually, in India, before these British, the poorer class of men, they were simply keeping, say, a dozen of cows, and that was their means of livelihood, that’s all. From the milk they’ll eat the, that, little milk, then yogurt, then…, what is called? It is another milk?
Devotees: Casein? Curd? Cheese?
Visakha: Buttermilk.
Prabhupada: Buttermilk, yes, and in this way after drinking and eating so many things, whatever balance is there, churn it and they get ghee, and that ghee is kept in stock. On the market day, they go to the city and sell it. You’ll find in Vrndavana, so many cultivators, they have brought ghee. So the inhabitants of the city, town, they require ghee, they purchase, and with that money they get some necessities, just like some oil or some spices, salt, like this, which is not available. In this way…
Hari-Sauri: How is it they are so keen on buffalo milk in India?
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Hari-Sauri: The Indians, they seem to prefer buffalo milk to cow milk.
Prabhupada: No, cow milk is not available, therefore buffalo milk contains more fat. But milk means cow’s milk. What is the daily milk?
Kirtanananda: About a thousand pounds.
Prabhupada: Those who are meat-eaters, why don’t you inform them, when a cow dies, that “You can take it.”
Kirtanananda: That would be illegal.
Prabhupada: Why? Legal, illegal, that is their whim.
Kirtanananda: But that will get us in trouble.
Prabhupada: No, no. That is, they can give us, they are in power, they can do that, but legally…
Kirtanananda: Yes, you are right. If they want to eat, let them take the dead cow.
Prabhupada: They take it. Free, they get without any price. They get the skin, they get flesh, let them eat. We are not going to charge for the… You take it. Why maintain slaughterhouse? Take this.
Kirtanananda: They even object if you let the animals, wild animals eat the dead cow.
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Kirtanananda: They even object if you let the wild animals eat. They want it buried.
Prabhupada: Oh, jackals or fox, if they come, they don’t like it.
Kirtanananda: The jackals like it.
Prabhupada: No, jackals like it, (laughter) but government…
Kirtanananda: Government doesn’t like it.
Prabhupada: Government will like when the jackal takes your animal. They will eat it, they will not attack somebody else, because if they are not hungry, they don’t attack. Even tiger or any ferocious animal, if they are satisfied in hunger, they don’t attack. In the jungle, tiger and other animals, they live together. When they are hungry, they attack. So at least you can advertise that here is a cow, available free. Take it, those who are meat-eaters. Take free without any price.
Pusta Krsna: Most meat-eaters would consider it disgusting.
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Pusta Krsna: Most meat-eaters would consider it disgusting to have to cut cow open.
Prabhupada: Disgusting?
Pusta Krsna: Yes. If they had to do it themselves they would consider it abominable.
Prabhupada: No, some of them can do it, make business. As there are butchers, as they are selling meat, they can take it, they’ll make more profit. From slaughterhouse, if they purchase, they have to pay, but here they get free. The hotel man, they can get free. The tannary expert, he’ll get this skin free. I have seen they are eating the lobster, it is so decomposed it has become exactly like puss and they are eating. That argument is not valid.
Kirtanananda: They cannot even eat the animal when it is fresh. They never eat beef fresh. It must age for at least three weeks, otherwise it is not tasty. (laughter)
Hari-Sauri: I remember once there was one man, he was advertising himself, he was touring from one country to another, and he was advertising himself as being an expert meat-eater. And he said, one of his statements was you couldn’t eat a beefsteak until it had little white spots all over it, then it was ready to eat.
Prabhupada: White spot means decomposed. Fungus. Nana yoni brahmana kare kadarya bhaksana kari’ tara janma adho pate yaya.
Dhrstadyumna: Srila Prabhupada, we can point out all the defects in their system but then they say “But there is no proof that such a perfect society has ever existed as you speak of. We have no evidence that such a perfect society exists.”
Prabhupada: You can see, come and see with us. Live in our New Vrindaban, you’ll see.
Dhrstadyumna: Then they say “Well, that is all right for you, but that is not practical for everyone.”
Kirtanananda: Why not? We are human beings, and you are human being.
Prabhupada: So what is not practical for you, our system, your system is also not practical for us. We cannot live in this way. Anyway, if you can maintain a perfect community of plain living, high thinking, that is sufficient. We do not canvass, but naturally they will see that this is convenient. After all, they are human beings. They are learning. So that is part of our business to preach, but to practice personally, that is our main business. To practice personally, that is our main business. Not that everyone will be preacher, but at least his own life be perfect. What is this kijariya ?
Kulashekara: I don’t know if it’s spelled right, Prabhupada.
Hari-Sauri: Ki jaya.
Kirtanananda: Ki jaya
Prabhupada: Ki jaya. Oh.
Kulashekara: It is misspelled? I’m no Sanskrit scholar, Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: Guruban dhama ki, that ki should be different.
Kulashekara: K-i?
Prabhupada: No, not kijaya. Ki one word, jaya one word. Just like Guruban one word, dhama one word. Similarly ki one word and jaya .
Kulashekara: The spelling is correct though?
Prabhupada: Spelling? Yes, but generally k-i.
Kulashekara: I couldn’t find, I looked in many books but I couldn’t find ki jaya.
Prabhupada: Jaya is all right.
Kirtanananda: What does ki mean?
Prabhupada: Ki means possessive, “of.”
Kulashekara: Have you been receiving the past copies of the magazine, Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Kulashekara: Have you been receiving the past issues?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Pusta Krsna: Prabhupada read the last issue in Hawaii. I remember you read through the last issue with a brown cover in Hawaii.
Prabhupada: So how you make this double color. Twice printed?
Kulashekara: Three times. Red, black and yellow.
Prabhupada: Vrindaban-candra? No.
Kirtanananda: Vrindabana-natha.
Prabhupada: Where?
Kirtanananda: He is at the original farm where you stayed. This is the pujari. Very, very nice boy. He also makes that nice sandesh. Radhanatha.
Prabhupada: And who makes the singara ?
Kirtanananda: Kuladri.
Hari-Sauri: Kuladri makes those, he’s doing some special thing to them.
Prabhupada: They are not giving me. (laughter)
Kirtanananda: He’s doing it right now. You’ll have it tonight.
Hari-Sauri: He’s doing it now.
Prabhupada: Not night.
Kirtanananda: They said you want it at night. When would you like it, noon?
Prabhupada: Morning.
Kirtanananda: Breakfast.
Prabhupada: Yes, it is very nice. You decorate Krsna very nicely, then you’ll forget the business of decorating your person. This is the effect. Because people are busy how to decorate himself. They are spending so much money. Huh? But if you decorate Krsna nicely, you’ll forget this propensity. This is the process.
Kulashekara: You also said if you decorate Krsna, make Krsna beautiful, your heart will become beautiful.
Prabhupada: Yes. It is not fashion, it is for our benefit. By seeing Krsna beautifully decorated, he’ll be satisfied. He’ll have no more propensity, “Let me go to the market and find out some nice rag and decorate myself.” Finished. Hundreds and thousands of people in the temple, by seeing Krsna nicely decorated, he’s satisfied. Everyone satisfied.
Kulashekara: Srila Prabhupada, I think Radha-Vrindaban-chandra are more beautiful than the Deities in London.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. (laughter) London differently.
Kulashekara: They are very beautiful, but Radha-Vrindaban-chandra…
Prabhupada: Vrindaban-chandra is village beauty, and He is London beauty. He’s town beauty.
Kulashekara: I have not seen more beautiful anywhere than Radha-Vrindaban-chandra. The jewelry…
Prabhupada: No. Every one is beautiful, but everyone praises our London Deity.
Kirtanananda: They have not seen Radha-Vrindaban-chandra.
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Kirtanananda: They have not seen yet Radha-Vrindaban-chandra.
Prabhupada: No, they have seen the picture. (pause) So how we can go there?
Kirtanananda: I can take you.
Prabhupada: By car?
Kirtanananda: By truck.
Prabhupada: By truck? (laughter) Cannot go by car? Difficult.
Kirtanananda: I wouldn’t want to try it in a car. Might get, the road is not bad, but it is not quite good enough for a car.
Prabhupada: The same way we have to go?
Kirtanananda: Yes, but the road has been improved.
Prabhupada: So one day we can go.
Kirtanananda: When it dries up.
Prabhupada: You father is an architect, I see.
Kulashekara: No, he’s working on the docks.
Prabhupada: Oh. His father came to see me in London.
Kulashekara: He used to chauffeur you in his car. He would drive you in his car from the airport.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Kulashekara: He is a good man, but he’s not intelligent.
Prabhupada: No, he’ll profit by your activities. Krsna will give concession to your family. Because you are Vaisnava, everyone will get the profit.
Kulashekara: In London you said thirteen generations.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. That is special concession. Hiranyakasipu was given, such a demon. But your father is not a demon. He may be less intelligent, that is another thing. So Krsna is prepared to give facility to a demon father of a devotee.
Kulashekara: Anyone who gets to render you personal service, Prabhupada, they are most blessed, they are most fortunate.
Prabhupada: Anyway, you have got this jewel, utilize it properly, make your life perfect.
ei rupe brahman?a bhramite kono bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija
But we don’t say that you starve, you unnecessarily give trouble to your body. No. Eat nicely, but simply, and save time for advancing in Krsna consciousness. That is our program. Nanda Maharaja was a village man. Krsna was village boy. Krsna could live in New Delhi, but He did not like that. He lived in Vrndavana, a village. But one difficulty is that it is not plain land. Little troublesome, but not very much troublesome. So is there any difficulty of not being a plain land?
Kirtanananda: It makes farming more difficult on the hill. It takes more time, more work.
Prabhupada: Hard work.
Kirtanananda: That is good.
Prabhupada: For cows there is no difficulty.
Kirtanananda: No.
Prabhupada: In India, they call Paharhi when they are accustomed to hard work. Those who live on the Himalayan side, they have to work little hard, therefore they are Paharhi . You have accepted other’s children also?
Kirtanananda: Yes. Well, especially girls who have no husbands, there are quite a few here.
Prabhupada: Anyway, you are so kind you don’t refuse anybody. That is…, who is so kind unless one is a Vaisnava? Nobody is kind. Krpa-sindhubhya eva ca. Krpa-sindhu, ocean of mercy, that is Vaisnava. Never mind what you are, come here, stay, drink milk, chant Hare Krsna.
Kirtanananda: The children are doing very nicely.
Prabhupada: Yes?
Kirtanananda: And they will be our future community.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes.
Kirtanananda: Practically it is impossible to teach these older boys how to use bulls and how to… It is very difficult, they cannot do it. But I think if we train the children.
Prabhupada: Yes. Krsna Himself did it. He was king’s son, Nanda Maharaja. In the childhood, He was taking care of the calves, and when He was grown up, little, He was taking care of the cows. Krsna personally showed it. His father could have avoided, “No, no, You don’t go. The servants will go.” No. “You also go.” Krsna-Balarama, both. Balarama has got the plow, tilling ground, and Krsna has got the flute to enchant the cows. Krsna-Balarama. They were not sitting idly, although Nanda Maharaja could keep Them without any work. No. They worked. From the beginning of childhood. They would come in the evening and mother would take care of bathing Them, changing dress, and then giving nice food, and after taking food They would go to rest. Whole day They worked. Krsna never taught that you sit idly. No. Personally, He did not do so, neither He taught anyone. In the Bhagavad-gita you’ll find.
niyatah kuru karma tvam
karma jyayo hy akarmanah
Sarira-yatrapi ca te
na prasiddhyed akarmanah
Find out this.
Hari-Sauri: What was that again, Srila Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: Niyatah. You should read Bhagavad-gita so thoroughly for everything. That is good lawyer. Good lawyer means in the court, immediately give reference to the judge, “My Lordship, such and such law, under section…this is there.” He’s a good lawyer. Good lawyer means he immediately gives reference to the section on which he’s talking. Immediately judgement is there. If there is previous authority and it is recorded in the lawbook, then he doesn’t require to argue anymore, the evidence is there. Even in other court, if some judgement is there, they’ll be accepted. This is the law. So a good lawyer means he gives references from different courts, the judgement makes easier. Instead of proceeding for a long time, he gives reference—”Here is the judgement, you see,” and immediately…
Dhrstadyumna:
niyatah kuru karma tvam
karma jyayo hy akarmanah
Sarira-yatrapi ca te
na prasiddhyed akarmanah
“Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction. A man cannot even maintain his physical body without work.”
Prabhupada: Yes. Krsna consciousness does not mean to keep a set of men lazy, who cannot work. That is not Krsna consciousness. Everyone must work to his capacity. Prescribed duties. They accuse us that we are escaping. Huh? What is that? We do not escape. We are always busy.
Devotee: Recently I had an opportunity to see a (indistinct) farm community, and I was talking to one of the boys there about Krsna consciousness, and they said “You are under Swami Prabhupada.” They said, “We have never seen Prabhupada smile.” I told them that “Yes, birth, death, disease, and old age are nothing to smile about.”
Prabhupada: There are so many pictures, smiling. (laughter)
Devotee: When you smile it’s always beautiful.
Dhrstadyumna: They have not read your Bhagavad-gita, Srila Prabhupada. You are smiling here.
Prabhupada: No. There are so many. Hmm. What is that?
Dhrstadyumna: Purport? “There are many pseudo meditators who misrepresent themselves as belonging to high parentage, and great professional men who falsely pose that they have sacrificed everything for the sake of advancement in spiritual life. Lord Krsna did not want Arjuna to become a pretender, but that he perform his prescribed duties as set forth for ksatriyas. Arjuna was a householder and a military general, and therefore it was better for him to remain as such and perform his religious duties as prescribed for the householder ksatriya. Such activities gradually cleanse the heart of a mundane man and free him from material contamination. So-called renunciation for the purpose of maintenance is never approved by the Lord, nor by any religious scripture. After all, one has to maintain one’s body and soul together by some work. Work should not be given up capriciously, without purification of materialistic propensities. Anyone who is in the material world is certainly possessed of the impure propensity for lording it over material nature, or, in other words, for sense gratification. Such polluted propensities have to be cleared. Without doing so, through prescribed duties, one should never attempt to become a so-called transcendentalist, renouncing work and living at the cost of others.”
Prabhupada: That is not the right way. Krsna never said to Arjuna that “You haven’t got to fight. You sit down, I shall do everything.” He never said that. “You have to fight.” Nimitta-matram bhava savyaSacin. “And the result is already created by Me, but you have to make a manifestation of fighting.” Just like our Krsna consciousness movement. Within eight or ten years we have developed so much. Is it humanly possible? It is Krsna’s plan. But Krsna says that “You go and preach. Take the credit.” Yes. It is His plan. Actually everything is done by Krsna. He gives the credit to His devotee, that’s all. You know the history of the Detroit temple (laughs)?
Kirtanananda: A little bit, not too much.
Prabhupada: Detroit temple, it was, that building was constructed at a cost of two million dollars, say some fifty years, sixty years ago. And we purchased it at three hundred thousand dollars. So when they said that there is a nice house, so I told “Let me go immediately.” So I went there and talked with the proprietor, so I liked it very much. It is a wonderful palace. So he asked $350,000. So I talked with him and asked some concession. Then I last bid again, “I’ll give you cash, three hundred thousand.” So he said “Yes, I accept.” There was no money. (laughter) So the Bombay purchase, you know, it was simply speculation. So Krsna is giving us. For a karmi, it is not possible, but Krsna gives us all facilities. You have been in that palace, Detroit? Very, very nice. Perhaps the best in our society, huh?
Hari-Sauri: Without a doubt.
Prabhupada: London, that is also nice, but not as nice. The building is so strong, and the rooms are so palatial, big, big, rooms. One room of this size of the whole…
Kirtanananda: How big is the temple room?
Hari-Sauri: The temple room is not so big, fifty feet long and about thirty feet wide.
Prabhupada: Bigger than here, double.
Dhrstadyumna: Very nice garden.
Prabhupada: Very nice garden and on the riverside.
Kirtanananda: Can you bathe in the river?
Hari-Sauri: Sometimes.
Prabhupada: Yes, if you like, you can bathe.
Hari-Sauri: You can drive a boat in it underneath the house. There’s a dock. It’s like a garage.
Dhrstadyumna: All the rich people come by in their yachts all day long and wave, “Hare Krsna.” So Srila Prabhupada said we should put a sign up on the, boat, that they can drive their boat in and take prasadam and read the books.
Prabhupada: Yes. And invite them, give here signboard: “Please come, read our books and take prasadam.” Gradually, they will come. Very big garden.
Hari-Sauri: Seven peacocks.
Kirtanananda: Is it stone?
Prabhupada: Huh?
Kirtanananda: What is it, the building is stone or…?
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Stone, marble. With golden work.
Hari-Sauri: The bathrooms, even the soap dishes, are gold. The soap dishes, the toilet roll holder, everything is gold.
Dhrstadyumna: Gold wall paper.
Prabhupada: One floor is like this. Very costly house.
Dhrstadyumna: They told me that the prasadam room floor alone, three hundred thousand dollars to build. And you have gotten the whole thing.
Prabhupada: Everywhere it is so beautiful, nice, strong, and quite suitable for our purpose. Everyone is living. Still, big, big three, four rooms, not yet utilized. And climate also is nice, at the present moment, huh?
Hari-Sauri: Yes.
Prabhupada: I think the same climate here.
Hari-Sauri: Yes, same as here.
Dhrstadyumna: There was a large swimming pool. Every afternoon all the…
Prabhupada: Yes, besides that, there is a swimming pool.
Dhrstadyumna: We would go out and have water fights.
Prabhupada: And they have kept five peacocks.
Hari-Sauri: Seven.
Prabhupada: Seven. They are very free moving, here and there, and chanting.
Kirtanananda: They stay on the grounds?
Hari-Sauri: They never leave the grounds. They sleep up in one tree.
Prabhupada: They are free to move from one tree to another, but they don’t go outside. Only complaint they are eating flowers.
Dhrstadyumna: Yes, they are eating all the flowers.
Prabhupada: They are also trained, they are not afraid. They are sitting, you go, they are not afraid. They have been trained up that “We are at home.” That animals and any birds can be trained. Just like these cows, they know that all of you are friends. Animals can understand. Even if you can make friends with the tigers and lions. Yes. I have seen it. In that New York exhibition, one man was showing me. He was embracing the lion and playing like dog. I’ve seen it.
Hari-Sauri: That used to be a circus trick as well. They used to put their heads in the lion’s mouth.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Dhrstadyumna: As long as the lion is well fed, you can put your head in his mouth, but if you don’t feed him, then it is dangerous.
Prabhupada: Naturally, if he’s animal. They can understand that he’s giving you food, he’s my friend. The love, friendship, everything is there, even in animals.
Devotee: Except God consciousness.
Prabhupada: That is possible in human life. But animal also can become God conscious by association.
Kirtanananda: Sometimes I’ve heard you say, Srila Prabhupada, that love only exists between similar categories.
Prabhupada: Similar categories, the love is very conducive. Otherwise, love is possible with any living entity. The central object of love is Krsna. That is Vrndavana. The animals love Krsna, the human beings love Krsna, the trees love Krsna, the water love Krsna, everyone loves Krsna-central point. That is the perfection of love. The Deity is kept in the same house?
Kirtanananda: But it is changed, the house is changed since you were there.
Prabhupada: Oh. Changed means?
Kirtanananda: The whole downstairs has been made into a big area.
Prabhupada: But I see the marble pillar?
Kirtanananda: Yeah, it has a marble altar.
Prabhupada: The same altar?
Kirtanananda: No, no.
Prabhupada: That is the beginning of New Vrindaban, yes. All right.
Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada! (end)
Nice cinematography and editing in this 5 min video abut the Polish Festival Of India Tour 2013 Read more › Experiment of the Week: Ice on Nerves
In Science, we have begun studying The Body. Our Bhagavad Gita verses of the past two weeks, 2.13 dehino smin and 2.14 matra sparsas very perfectly also tie into The Body theme.
Using the Abeka Science Curriculum, we make a game-plan for meeting all the objectives needed for this grade. The Body study has begun with the Nervous System and the Five Senses. It will end with study of proper nutrition, health, exercise and sleep.
After discussing the three main components of the nervous system, watching some cute Youtube videos and playing Brain Charades, we had our first experiment of the year.
It was important to outline the Scientific Method before beginning the experiment. Students are expected to journal each step of the Scientific method in their yellow Science Journals.
The first step: Ask a question.
What were our questions? ”How long can you hold ice before the nerves feel the cold sensation to be painful? How long would it take for your palm to feel numb and no sensation?”
Step number 2 of the Scientific Method: Make a prediction (a hypothesis). Some wrote 2 minutes. One boy wrote 10 minutes.
Step 3: Make a plan. We discussed the ingredients that would be needed and gathered them.
Finally it came time for bringing out the ice! You should have heard their squeals of laughter as they imagined placing the cold ice on their palms.
I got the timer out.
Ready, set, go!
The kids quickly picked up the ice and the entire classroom erupted in high pitched, happy squeals. Oooo.. its soo coolldd!! How long could they hold the ice for?
Our longest was 4 minutes. FOUR MINUTES!! That is a very long time. You should try it at home and see if you can beat that record.
Step 5: Draw a conclusion. The Science Journal was complete for the day.
This experiment showed them how nerves feel cold and heat, pain and pleasure. The topics we had read about and watched were reinforced by this simple and yet exciting experiment.
