24 Hour Kartik Kirtan in New Vrindaban
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

24 Hr Kartik Kirtan

24 Hr Kartik Kirtan

New Vrindaban will have its Kartika 24 hour kirtan, one of the devotees’ and guests’ favorite festivals of the year on Sat. Oct. 19 from 11 a.m. to Sun. Oct 20 at 11 a.m. There will be continuous chanting of the Lord’s Holy Names for 24 hours. Many talented and devoted kirtaniyers will take turns leading the chanting.

At New Vrindaban’s summer kirtan in June, one guest remarked, “The atmosphere was electric!” This Kartik 24 hour kirtan on Sat. Oct. 19 is another opportunity to leave your worldly cares behind, and come join in the kirtan for 24 minutes, 24 hours, or as long as you’d like.

(A small donation will be requested to cover the costs of prasadam meals.)

Real, Personal Understanding vs. Answering by Route
→ The Enquirer

Tape recorder ZK140

What an extremely interesting śloka I had the good fortune to study this morning! Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Canto 2, Chapter 8, text 25. King Parīkṣit just finished presenting an exhaustive list of detailed questions to Śukadeva. Śuka’s initial reply (revealed by Śrīla Viśvanātha’s commentary):

These are excellent questions, but you know that they have already been asked and answered many times by many people. Why ask me to answer them again?

The King replies:

In these matters, you are as authoritative as the supreme, self-born divinity. You have the deepest comprehension because you personally understand the answers. Others merely repeat  what they have learned from those who have come before them.

Do you see how interesting this is!?

The general theme usually presented is that the best way to answer a question is to repeat the answer you have heard previously given by someone who has deeply realized the subject. But this śloka goes a little bit further and adds something a bit revolutionary and awfully interesting.

First let me explain the value of repeating.

I don’t know anything special about motorcycles, but my uncle is an expert – he takes them apart, puts them back together and build custom bikes. If you ask me some question about a spark plug or whatever, there is no way I can answer – because I don’t personally know anything about the subject. But I have two options, (1) I can remember if I ever heard my uncle say anything that would pertain to your question, (2) I can refer you to my uncle.

This is honest and provides sound knowledge. The knowledge will come only from people who actually know – by personal experience – what they are talking about.

Similarly, if you ask me about something that is beyond the grasp of empirically based logic, I can only answer in so far as I have personal, direct experience of the supra-empirical reality. If that is not a whole not, then I have two options (1) I can remember if I every heard “my uncle” (sages with lots of supra-empirical experience) say anything that relates to your question. And for this, I would need to regularly study the recorded material of what those sages have related (sacred texts, for example); or (2) I can refer you to a person with more supra-empirical experience.

This great system is called paramparā (successive) – the information comes from a valid source with actual personal experience of the answer. Even if the questioner cannot directly ask the valid source other agents (people without as much actual personal experience) can hand the answer over to the questioner.

The problem is in the act of handing it over. Invariably our fingerprints get onto the message we transmit – we shape it.

So there are two remedies, (1) wash your hands – get as few fingerprints as possible on the package you are transmitting, (2) become self-realized yourself – so that you have direct personal experience of the answer, and your fingerprints won’t smear the original ink, thy will decorate and enhance it instead.

Of the two, the first is somewhat hopeless. If the second is not implemented at least every few generations, dharmasya-glanir results – the original transmission gets too distorted by being transmitted through greasy hands.

Śuka was a person who put in the effort to become directly, personally self-realized. So King Parīkṣit had heard many other sages answer his questions before – and these were not just run of the mill Joe Shmoes. He had heard from the likes of Vyāsa and so on. But Śuka’s realization of reality was so special and sweet that he wanted to hear his answers to the questions.

 


GENTLE WARRIOR
→ Gita Coaching

Who is a Gentle Warrior? A devotee, a brahmana, a trusted authority, a sankirtan devotee (both book distributor and harinama devotee), a Gita Coach. He or she fights his fight with the help of the holy name, with Srila Prabhupada's books, with preaching and helping devotees and others succeed on their journey to Krsna. His traits are great faith in Krsna and unbreakable determination. He is

One Has To Chant With One’s Heart
→ Japa Group

Why is it that we are chanting and hearing and still experiencing material miseries?...because we are not actually chanting and hearing in a right way. Of course, we understand about the offences, that is a negative thing, what not to do. But we do not understand what to do.

What to do is more than just chanting with the lips. Bhaktivinod Thakur says that Hare Krishna mantra does not appear simply by chanting with the lips, moving the vocal cords but one has to chant with one's heart. One has to hear with one's heart and that is a very difficult thing to do.

 Bir Krsna Goswami

Sita’s Wedding
→ travelingmonk.com

In Vedic culture sannyasis [ monks in the renounced order ] did not conduct weddings. But our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, did in order to encourage his young disciples and help pioneer his fledgling Krsna consciousness movement in the early days. Following in his footsteps I performed the wedding ceremony of my Macedonian disciple, Sita-carana [...]

Spiritual Solutions to Material Problems, October 6, Dallas
Giriraj Swami

10.06.13_DallasGiriraj Swami discussed spiritual topics with an Iranian professor and students from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“You can’t eliminate war. You can’t eliminate anything—eating, sleeping, or anything else. What you can do is regulate it and adjust it so it is favorable for Krishna consciousness. As far as different parties within the material world, we generally don’t get directly involved—because generally the parties are ignorant of the real values of life. In that sense, all the parties are the same. In the sixties there were many protests against the war in Vietnam, for example. There were young men who wanted to avoid the draft to go into the army, and they would take shelter in churches, and there would be protests. In Boston, Satsvarupa Maharaja asked Srila Prabhupada if we should take part—because naturally our sentiment was for the young people and against the war. But Srila Prabhupada said, ‘No, because when it comes to meat-eating, intoxication, gambling, and illicit sex, all the parties agree; they are all for it.’ Srila Prabhupada wrote: ‘Although everything is included in Krishna consciousness, we do not wish to take part directly in controversial politics. We can take part in politics only which is sanctioned by Krishna. This political struggle by the students is different. It is a reaction of karma. Because both the opposing parties, namely the students who have taken shelter in the churches, and the Government force which is coming to arrest them, are in the same category, because on the question of meat-eating, or supporting the slaughterhouse, both of them will agree. So the present situation is the reaction of a man’s sinful activities. We especially recommend restraining from four kinds of primary sinful activities, namely illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. But all these fighting parties are addicted to all these habits. If they are serious for mitigating the unpalatable situation of the society, they must agree to accept Krishna consciousness, otherwise there is no possibility of peace in the world. Anyway, the situation in Boston as you have described is not very much favorable for preaching our Krishna consciousness, but if there is possibility of selling our Back to Godheads, that is very nice. You can take advantage.’ That is one example. But there could be another kind of example: given a choice between a government that is repressive of Krishna consciousness, and one that allows the practice and preaching of Krishna consciousness, the latter would be better. But it is very tricky, because mundane politics always change.”

Discussion with professor and students from Tulsa, Oklahoma

Conquering the spiritual master – Part II
→ KKS Blog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 25 September 2013, Cape Town, South Africa)

 

sp collectionI had this dream and in this dream, my spiritual master had forgotten my name and he said, “What’s your name?”

Oh my God! What if he forgets our name because we haven’t conquered him? We should conquer the spiritual master. We should, somehow or other, understand what he really wants and we should do it. That is how it works.

Spiritual life is personal; it is not mechanical, not like getting a pin-up button (badge), “Do you have a guru?”

“Ya, I do!” Pull out your bead bag, “See, pin-up button.”

Okay, you have pin-up button guru, but that’s not all that it is. If we try our level best in this life to conquer our spiritual master then something magic is going to happen. These are the things that we need to develop – how to conquer our spiritual master? It is not so easy.

kks queensday 2013aWhen I became a spiritual master myself then I started to think of one point. It is said that one must please the spiritual master. Ok, I’m a spiritual master now what is it? Should I be really pleased? Or should I just sort of act pleased when someone has come up to an acceptable level. Or must I be really pleased in the heart? Or is it, well you know, someone comes to sixteen rounds then I must just be pleased.

Well sometimes I am and sometimes, I’m not! I’m pleased, yes, but sometimes I’m not really pleased! What can I do because we are persons! Krsna is the same. Krsna is also such a person. It is not just that Krsna gives the mercy, all at the same time, to everyone. Some have to do a lot more sacrifice and then Krsna gives. Others, they do not do so much and they get the mercy because Krsna is pleased within the heart.

So ultimately, we should try to really please the spiritual master, to the point where he is pleased. And if you have a spiritual master that is hard to please then, too bad! (Laughter) Tough! What to do! Then it is like that.

It is not cheap. It is not automatic. It is not just about belonging to a group and getting approved by the temple president and getting the stamp. You get the beads and the name and everything is great – not exactly. You still have to conquer! We have to conquer our spiritual master!

 

07.19 – Krishna is not a dispensable filler; he is an indispensable shelter
→ The Spiritual Scientist

“I don’t have time.” That’s how we often respond whenever we are urged to give devotion to Krishna its due place in our lives.

This response stems from the mistaken assumption that Krishna is a dispensable filler in our life. However, he is an indispensable shelter. Let’s understand with an example.

If we get a serious disease, we will make time for the treatment by reminding ourselves: “The treatment is not optional; it’s essential. It’s not a filler to be added on as per my convenience; it’s a shelter around which I need to restructure my whole life.”

What holds true for the medical treatment of our physical disease also holds true for the devotional treatment of our spiritual disease. We are all souls afflicted by bhavaroga, the disease of material existence. This disease subjects us to the four intermittent miseries of birth, old age, disease and death as well as the three recurrent miseries of environmental, social and psychophysical disruptions.

Krishna is the cure for these miseries. How?

Through the process of devotional service, he provides us the means to redirect our attachment from material things towards himself. This redirection helps us to decrease, tolerate and transcend material miseries. Decrease because Krishna minimizes the karmic reactions that are the cause of such problems. Tolerate because he gives us inner stability to face life’s unavoidable hardships. And transcend because he eventually takes us to his eternal abode that is forever beyond the reach of all material distresses.

Krishna is so eager to heal us that he appreciates as pious souls (udarah – Gita 07.18) even those who accommodate him as a dispensable filler in their lives. But he lauds as truly wise (jnanavan – Gita 07.19) those who wholeheartedly surrender to him, making him their indispensable shelter (vasudevah sarvam iti).

***

07.19 - After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.

WHAT IS PERFECT JOY?
→ Gita Coaching

One day St Francis of Assisi was walking from Perugia to the Santa Maria degli Angeli and it was early spring and it was night. It was freezing cold. It was pouring rain sometimes and it was snowing the other times as he was walking. He was walking with one of his brothers - Leo. And as they were walking through the cold, there was no food, they were just walking through the forest; it was

Vashana Maharaja Program at Srila Prabhupada’s Puspha Samadhi
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

Goswami Remembrance Day

When ……………Tuesday, October 15th

Where…………..Srila Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold

Guest Speaker……..His Holiness Varshana Maharaja

On the disappearance day of Raghunatha Das Goswami, Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami, and Srila Krishna das Kaviraja Goswami, the Brijbhasis will honor and seek the blessings of the six Goswamis of Vrindaban so they can fulfill Srila Prabhupada’s vision for building New Vrindaban into a holy place of pilgrimage in the west.

5:45 p.m. Bhajan

6:00 p.m. Excerpts from Srila Prabhupada’s writings.

6:10 p.m. Stories and realizations shared by His Holiness Varshana Maharaja

7:00 p.m. Arotika for Srila Prabhupada

7:30 p.m. Prasadam

Harinama in The Central Park of Culture and Recreation Gorky in Moscow, Russia (90 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Harinama is the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord as shown to us by Srila Prabhupada. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced the sankirtan movement 500 years ago and it is the spiritual process recommended in the Vedas for the age of Kali, the age we now find ourselves in. From the beginning of the Krishna consciousness movement in the West, Srila Prabhupada directed the devotees to chant congregationally in the temple as well as in the parks and streets of the towns and cities Read more ›

Rama-lila by B.G. Sharma (34 paintings)
→ Dandavats.com

O King, the pastimes of Lord Ramacandra were wonderful, like those of a baby elephant. In the assembly where mother Sita was to choose her husband, in the midst of the heroes of this world, He broke the bow belonging to Lord Siva. This bow was so heavy that it was carried by three hundred men, but Lord Ramacandra bent and strung it and broke it in the middle, just as a baby elephant breaks a stick of sugarcane. Thus the Lord achieved the hand of mother Sita, who was equally as endowed with transcendental qualities of form, beauty, behavior, age and nature. Read more ›

Saturday, October 12th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Warmer Than A Fireplace

Vancouver, British Columbia

There is something warmer than a fireplace which has a block of hardwood crackling in a dancing fire.  That warmth I’m referring to is a group of people who are tightly knit together in spirit.  This has little or nothing to do with people holding hands and hugging and feeling each other’s body heat. It is not warm temperature, rather warm temperament that we are looking at.  In fact, cool heads often times have attached to them warm hearts.

In the conference room of Loon Lake’s retreat centre our group of like minds glanced through mammoth windows to admire the body of water as placid as you could imagine.  Your spruce, pine and cedar trees are also to be adored, if not explored.  But not now!  Exploration can come later, at break time.  First, we chanted before a make shift shrine of Gaura Nitai deities and a picture of our guru, Srila Prabhupada.

I then read a passage from the book, “Blazing Sadhus”.  The contents of the passage saw a bit of the laughter warmth; more than was already there.

Brahmananda (an early student of his) was consulting a lawyer to help renew the Swami’s expired visa.  He explained to Swamiji that one way to solve the problem was to go to Canada, stay for some months, re-enter the USA and reapply.

“That is too much botheration,” Swamiji said.

Brahmananda then said, “Well, the only other way is to marry to an American citizen.”

Sitting with us was a pleasant mannish woman who, along with a lady friend, who had been attending classes regularly for weeks.

She said, “Well, I can marry you if it will help.”

“No, no.” Swamiji laughed.  “I am sannyasi, I cannot marry.  But thank you.  That is nice service attitude.”

This reading started and stoked up our sessions of discussion. We went for review of past business, discussed our publication sales and succession planning – principally.  It was apparent that some of our leaders are too exclusive with their members; that inclusiveness is lacking.  In other words, it’s important to demonstrate personalism at all times; to emphasize ‘togetherness’, the team spirit.  Connect well with your community.

I was obliged to attend “Enchant” at the Unity Yoga Studio off of Commercial Drive in Vancouver.  Here the attendees are warmly receiving  the maha mantra and then returning it.  We all got to dancing and I must admit the body heat was rising.

It’s the company you keep that makes all the difference in your life.

May the Source be with you!

6 KM