One Thousand Years On
→ travelingmonk.com

On our way to Varna for a public program, we stopped at the historic site of Nesebar, an ancient town on a peninsula just off the Black Sea coast. Nesebar dates back to the 11th Century and at one time had over 35 churches on the small peninsula measuring only 300 meters wide and 850 [...]

Where is Krsna?
→ KKS Blog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, August 2013, Germany, Hamsaduta Seminar Part 2)

Berlin - 10 August 2013 IThe gaudiya vaishnav mood is, “Where is Krsna?” We are always looking for Krsna. We see the six Goswamis were roaming around Vrindavan, always thinking, “Where is Krsna?”

So in this mood, everything reminds one of Krsna. The tamal tree reminds one of Krsna. So, as a devotee becomes more and more advanced, there are more and more udipan – there are more and more factors that remind one of Krsna.

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, October 3rd, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Castle and Apples

Toronto, Ontario

I took 5 people with me today to show them a trail unknown to them.  It was a brief trek to Casa Loma.

Our ashram where I live is in a unique location. It’s one kilometre from Queens Park, half a kilometre from Yonge Street, parks are all around.  The museum, a world class, is also just one kilometre away.  Ravines are within a two kilometre distance.  The country’s largest university’s limits are within a short walk.  And then there’s Sir Henry Pellat’s home, Casa Loma, which means in Spanish, Hill House.  It has 98 rooms and over 30 toilets.  There’s an oven large enough to cook an ox, they say.  The house was built for his wife, Lady Mary Pellat.

Sir Henry Pellat was not noted for his walking, but his running.  In 1879 he won the men’s 1500 metre or mile run at the US national championship.

In any event, there was Casa Loma.  Our walking/chanting group took a moment to look at this masterpiece of a castle as we dreamt away.  “What a gorgeous Vedic temple this would make,” as we gawked at the largest private residence in the country.

Onward we went to new streets of charm where you find those old red brick 19th century homes.  As we walked past the York tennis court, the edge of the property bore a golden delicious apple tree.  I shook a branch, the apples fell, we picked.  As a routine I chant a quick mantra as a way to offer such organic fruit to Krishna.  We ate with relish.

A security man from inside the building caught us on screen.  It was still early and dark.  He saw us, some in robes, he rushed out to the scene.  Suddenly, he halted and said, “Oh, it’s you, yeah go ahead, take them all,” he said in the tone of absolute kindness.  Relieved he was that we were neither pranksters nor thieves, and rewarded we were having a real gift of sweet fleshiness in our palms and then our mouths.  Thievery is not our game, but I’ll admit that we are greedy to hone in on all the treasures of the morning, the greatest of them all being the chanting on our lips and the company of bhakti yogis.

10 KM

Kartik 24 Hour Kirtan Sat. Oct. 19, 2013
→ New Vrindaban

New Vrindaban will have its Kartika 24 hour kirtan, one of the devotees’ 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.

12.11 – Krishna accommodates even those who can’t accommodate him
→ The Spiritual Scientist

It is relatively easy to accommodate those who accommodate us. It is much more difficult to accommodate those who don’t accommodate us.

The Bhagavad-gita reveals how Krishna is supremely accommodating. Therein, Krishna outlines various spiritual paths custom-made for people with varying inclinations, thereby expressing his desire to get everyone to start off on their spiritual journey.

Among these paths, he does establish bhakti-yoga as the best path for that journey. But even within bhakti-yoga, he offers a ladder of varying levels of practice, as delineated in the Gita (12.08-12.11). In this ladder’s lowest rung as conveyed in 12.11, Krishna accommodates even those who can’t accommodate him – even those who have neither any external cultural connection with him, nor any internal conceptual consciousness of him.

Krishna being one who sees beyond the surface to the substance appreciates those who are ready to develop the virtue of selflessness. After all, the whole spiritual journey spans the territory from self-absorption to selfless Krishna-absorption. Full absorption in Krishna is the greatest selflessness because it enables those thus absorbed to become instruments for the supremely selfless and benevolent person, Krishna.

What takes us along our spiritual journey is the gradual increment in our selflessness as we become less obsessed with ourselves, and become more conscious of Krishna and of how to serve everyone as his servants. In its pre-initial state, this journey begins with a selflessness that may not be explicitly devotional. For those who can’t directly connect with him due to social, cultural or other circumstantial obstacles, Krishna recommends the gradual development of selflessness by sacrificing the fruits of their work for a good cause. This selfless sacrificing spirit, when eventually spiritualized by saintly association, paves the way for their progression towards him.

Thus does Krishna accommodate even those who can’t accommodate him.

***

How long is the impersonal conception useful?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

The impersonal conception of the Supreme Absolute Truth, as described in this [twelfth] chapter, is recommended only up to the time one surrenders himself for self-realization. In other words, as long as one does not have the chance to associate with a pure devotee, the impersonal conception may be beneficial. In the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth one works without fruitive result, meditates and cultivates knowledge to understand spirit and matter. This is necessary as long as one is not in the association of a pure devotee. Fortunately, if one develops directly a desire to engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in pure devotional service, he does not need to undergo step-by-step improvements in spiritual realization.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is 12.20 purport

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Here Then And Now

Toronto, Ontario

Yesterday I trekked amidst trees.  Today I took to pavement with concrete buildings on both sides.

I can’t say that scenario number two, or today’s scene was anything less interesting.  Pedestrians are playing out their lives in their own natural way, conversing a bit, flaunting, or just moving from one place from another in their own individual way.

I time machined my way back to a hundred plus years and imagined the situation then.  People would be milling around, clothes would be dark and folks would be less risqué in their style of fashion.  Both men and women wore hats, there would be a sharing of space with horses.  There would likely be a courtesy, but not necessarily a warmth of exchange with that Victorian air about it.  There was optimism and talk about business and the family.  You might find people speaking of the Bore War, and Canada’s participation in it in Africa.  The pace of life would be slowed down compared to what it is now.  In the business district a stride would be more of a strut where as in the residential area it would be more of a stroll.

In 1905 there was a great fire.  It had razed many buildings demolishing many of them.  But people resilient as they are or were shot everything up again.

All this imagery I superimposed onto the current background of the existing urban setting of Toronto.  I couldn’t imagine a monk in saffron walking at that time – the turn of the century.  There wasn’t the kind of freedom then as there is now.

I had actually been walking with a member of the Krishna community when the flashback hit.  I had been urging him to settle down and formally tie the knot with his common-law wife.  The idea is to make commitments in life that encourage sacrifice.  The idea is to build a team of two, maybe three or four or more (as in children).  The idea is that love should be more firmed up and less whimsical.  The idea is that the relationship should have a spiritual base.

Funny thing is here I’m fast forwarding now using my walking partner as the subject.  I believe he appreciated my suggestions.  After pressing the rewind button and then the fast forward one I decided to press play.  Here we are, let’s live in the moment, get real, follow dharma (duty), and adhere to the wishes of guru and Krishna and make progress.

8 KM

Nuit Blanche Tomorrow!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Blog!

As many will remember, the Toronto Hare Krishna Centre participated in the annual Nuit Blanche
Festival Nuit Blanche - an all-night arts festival which transforms a huge area of downtown Toronto into a giant contemporary art museum. Last year, we presented a 12-Hour Kirtan that spiritually blew the roof off!

This year, we hope to have the same effect on downtown Toronto with a large harinam going out to the streets! The plan is to meet up at the Temple on Saturday, October 5th at 11:00pm and walk to Yonge and Wellesley, where we will set up carperts in the middle of the road and bring the sacred sounds of our tradition to the masses!

Please dress in your best Vaishnava traditional attire and warmly as it might be cold out. Bring your smile and enthusiasm to chant! We hoe to see you there!


Parikrama in Vrindavana with Srila Prabhupada (38 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

It is customary for devotees to walk around the town of Vrindavana. There is a parikrama path that goes around the town. This path is one street over from the ISKCON temple. It usually takes two to three hours to go around Vrindavana. The parikrama path is 10 km (6 miles). Some of the places passed on the way are: Mohana Ter, Kaliya Ghata, Madana Mohana Temple, Imli Tala, Sringara Vat, and Keshi Ghata. The main day that people do parikrama of Vrindavana is on Ekadasi (the eleventh day of the waxing and waning moon). It is customary to do this walk with bare feet, which is fairly painless, even for one who never walks in bare feet. Read more ›

Giving gifts to God
→ Servant of the Servant

There was a time in ancient India when man spent his surplus wealth in serving the Deity form of God. God is omnipotent and hence the belief is that He resides in His Deity form to show mercy and compassion to His devotees. In reciprocation to God's love, devotees show their love by dedicating whatever they get as surplus in service to Him. This relationship of expression of love of giving gifts to God was the hallmark/essence of vedic customs, rites and rituals. Thus the fully satisfied man was a good steward of fellow living beings and nature. In such an enriched environment, there was no poverty, crime, exploitation, animal slaughter, greed, lust, pride etc - things we take for common today was not even heard of in ancient vedic culture.

Remnants of such culture can be seen even today where pious Hindus give gifts to the Deity form of the Lord. While the external rituals remain, the inner meaning of love is lost. Unless we revive our inner feelings of love for God we will not be satisfied in life. We will not be good stewards of fellow beings and nature. Our hearts will only be filled with exploitative tendencies of greed, lust, fear etc.

Feeding the poor, building orphanages or schools or hospitals might be the band-aid solution to solving social ills but the root cause solution is to clean the ecology of our own hearts from materialistic tendencies of greed, lust, pride, fear etc.

I will end this post in the spirit of Gandhi's birthday reminding us of his words - “Be the change that you wish to see in this world". The change within us can come about only if we revive our original culture of giving our surplus to God in an exchange of unmotivated gratitude, devotion and love.

Hare Krishna


Prasad distribution at Gauranga Shetu Village (Between Krishnagar & Nabadwip) 04/10/2013 (48 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Prabhupada: If halava is made nicely, actually it is best. So prepare all these things. Offer to Krsna and devotees, and at last you take. Don't take first. Give all, as much as you like, then you take. Susukham kartum avyayam. It is such a nice movement. It is simply pleasing. To execute, it is simply pleasing. Read more ›

Mahabharata – The Story Begins 2 0f 2
→ NY Times & Bhagavad Gita Sanga/ Sankirtana Das


My new book Mahabharata: The Eternal Quest reads like you're watching a movie and begins with short scenes in rapid succession to introduce many of the characters, to foreshadow events and to gradually set up the main storyline. This continues throughout the first and second chapters. The first seven or so pages conclude with this second installment. 

Check out the reviews and project at

www.Mahabharata-Project.com




Chapter 1  

The Vow


“Your sons and their forces are ready,” Sanjaya told the blind king. “As ready as they’ll ever be.”  
King Dhritarastra listened with both expectancy and regret, hovering in a world of his own, molded of past and future. If only he had listened to Vidura, it would not have come to this.  He feared for his sons, the Kauravas.  What would happen to them now? If he could, he would make Duryodhan give back all the land he had taken from the Pandavas. But of all his sons, Duryodhan had always been beyond his control. Surely, Providence would now have its way.
Sanjaya, the king’s aid and confidant, sat in the royal palace at Hastinapura by his side.  Though Sanjaya’s gaze was drawn within, he looked far beyond the city’s streets and walls. With Vyasa’s gift of mystic vision, he beheld the valley of Kurukshetra over a hundred miles away. There, as the two armies prepared for battle, Sanjaya could observe every aspect and scan every detail. He could hear any conversation and even know someone’s thoughts.
“This is quite unusual,” Sanjaya continued, and he paused in disbelief.
Dhritarastra impatiently stamped his jeweled cane for attention.  “What is it?” He insisted on knowing.
 “Yudhisthira has stepped off his chariot. He proceeds across the valley on foot and unarmed toward your sons.”
“Unarmed?  Does he mean to seek a truce or to surrender?”  Dhritarastra inquired. His mind hoped against hope. Could there still be time for reconciliation, for peace?
The morning air was crisp. Yudhisthira, the eldest of the Pandavas, walked toward the expanse of Kaurava warriors and their allies. The army Yudhisthira beheld far outnumbered his own.  In the distant ranks, amid his sworn enemies, he spied Bhismadev’s splendid chariot, decorated with many weapons. He headed straight for it. Bhismadev was the respected Grandsire of the dynasty, the eldest and wisest. He was also Yudhisthira’s ever well-wisher and like a father to him. Even now Bhismadev observed the solitary figure with pride. Yudhisthira took each step with such ease and grace. Bhismadev knew the last thing Yudhisthira wanted was this fight. 
Bhismadev was surrounded by men impatient for battle, for blood and glory, for the sweet taste of victory.  Duryodhan, Dushasana, Karna, Sakuni, and Ashwattama. They had waited years for this moment.  The horses drawing their chariots whinnied in anticipation. The nobles snickered upon seeing Yudhisthira approach. Maybe this would be easier than they thought. Had Yudhisthira lost his nerve when he saw the sight of their intimidating forces? After all, he had retreated to the forest to spend thirteen years in exile without a word of complaint.
 Bhismadev’s mind drifted away from the moment at hand and settled into the past. How had he let it come to this, a civil war that would rip apart this exalted Kuru dynasty? It was the one thing he sought all his life to avoid. His mind wandered back to his youth, and to his father, King Santanu.



*  *  *  *  *

Santanu followed the maiden from the river to the far end of the village. She was of slender waist and golden skin, but above all, a remarkable fragrance emanated from her being.  Santanu could not take his eyes off her. Actually, he could have closed his eyes and followed her just by her enchanting scent.  He would do anything to have her as his wife. She looked back at the king riding upon his silver-encrusted chariot. She welcomed his unmoving gaze. This was the man and the world she would have. She smiled at Santanu and entered the house of her father, the chief of the fishermen. 

*  *  *  *  *

King Santanu returned from his trip markedly sullen. No matter how much he tried, he could not hide his mood from his son. He was pensive for days afterwards. Time and again, Bhismadev tried to find out what weighed upon his father’s mind. But Santanu only looked down and remained silent to all of his inquiries. Santanu loved his son. Bhismadev was the only surviving child born of Santanu and the goddess Ganga – the Ganges River personified. In his childhood, Bhismadev received his education and training from the Celestials, and especially from the sage Vasistha, in the heavenly regions from where Ganga had come. After his multifaceted education, Ganga brought the boy back to Earth to reside with his father. All the citizens knew this boy as Gangadatta – Son of Ganga – and they considered him the most blessed and fortunate person to walk the earth.
The king was unabashedly proud of Bhismadev and he continued to groom the youth with utmost care to become the future lord of the Kuru dynasty.  In turn, Bhismadev loved his father, and as a faithful son, he would do anything and go to any length to ensure his father’s happiness. 
Bhismadev privately questioned the king’s chariot driver about his recent excursions. When he informed the youth the king had lingered at the village of the fishermen, Bhismadev hastily proceeded there.

*  *  *  *  *

“Yes, your father came here seeking the hand of my daughter, Satyavati, in marriage,” explained the fisherman curtly. He eyed the young man suspiciously. Had he come to make trouble for him and the village?
After a moment of strained silence, Bhismadev inquired further. “And what happened?”
“I told your father, the king, my terms for marriage.” The fisherman paused again to gauge the youth’s response and continued. “He can marry my daughter with the condition that her children must ascend to the throne and inherit the kingdom.”
Bhismadev had not expected something like this, but now he understood the reason for his father’s despondency. He considered the proposal and what it meant to the well-being of his father.
“If that’s all you’re worried about,” he said rather nonchalantly, “I promise you here and now, and I will swear it before anyone you wish to bring forth as witnesses, that I relinquish all rights to the royal throne.”
 “This is indeed a generous offer,” said the fisherman,  “but it is not enough.”
“Not enough!” Bhismadev’s voice trembled with anger.
The fisherman continued cautiously. “Please. Let me explain. You’re a handsome and courageous young man. In due course, you’ll marry a woman worthy of you. In the future, you’ll have children, and when they grow up, your children will become envious of my daughter’s children. Your children will certainly feel they have been cheated out of a throne that is rightfully theirs. Their enmity would rip apart the dynasty and lead to a war that would only threaten to destroy this great kingdom.”
Understanding the human condition even in his youth, Bhismadev conceded, “It’s a point well made. Therefore, for the sake of my father’s happiness, and to preserve peace in the future, I make a vow to never marry and to never have children. I make a vow of lifelong celibacy.”
When Bhismadev spoke these words, a thunderous applause was heard from the heavens and flower petals fell from the sky. The Celestials were amazed one of their own would make such a vow.
When Bhismadev returned home with his father’s bride, Santanu was overwhelmed with happiness. The king was so grateful toward his son, he summoned all the power at his command to give Bhismadev a supreme benediction: he could choose the moment of his death. 

Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan at New Panihati Dham, Iskcon Atlanta, GA, United States, October 2013 (189 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

We have several programs focused on glorifying God through singing, dancing, worship of the lord(arati), discussing philosophy, and finally having vegetarian prasadam (sanctified food/food offered to the Lord) together. We believe in developing loving relationships, guiding, encouraging, and inspiring each other in spiritual practices and spreading the message of God. We sincerely invite you to join us in any of our programs, especially our Sunday program. If you have any questions, please call us at 404-377-8680. or email at info(at)atlantaharekrishnas.com. Please don't forget to register with us to receive email announcements about special events at our temple. Read more ›

God is Here
→ Seed of Devotion

Looking at the photos below, I'm sitting in my chair in front of my computer and I can hear my heart pound. My mind is wiped of all thoughts and my world has become a quiet lake. 

Everything's going to be all right. God is here. 

I pray that one day Their Lordships Gaura Nitai, Radha Shyamasundar, and Krishna Balaram will allow me to come before Them and be Their servant. 

(photo credits Damodar Rati Dasa)







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Mahabharata – The Story Begins – 1 of 2
→ NY Times & Bhagavad Gita Sanga/ Sankirtana Das


My new book Mahabharata: The Eternal Quest reads like you're watching a movie and begins with short scenes in rapid succession to introduce many of the characters, to foreshadow events and to gradually set up the main storyline. This continues throughout the first and second chapters. Here are the first seven or so pages below and in second installment. 

Check out the reviews and project at

www.Mahabharata-Project.com


Prologues

One/ Endangered


Bhumi, the Earth goddess, soared heavenward, beyond the Moon and the Sun and through the starry Milky Way, up and up, all the way to Brahmaloka, the planet of Lord Brahma, the topmost Celestial. Her steps quickened as she ascended the grand, crystal stairway and entered his ethereal, multi-domed palace with its magnificent, stained-glass windows. As she knelt before the four-headed one, the grief she carried in her heart gave way and tears flowed from her eyes.

“O Brahma, born of a lotus from Vishnu’s navel, you bear all things in this world. Please hear me. The Earth, like a small craft precariously adrift at sea, has become burdened by the military might of wicked men. It seems the Asuras, the demoniac forces, wish to seize control of my world. In the guise of royalty, and driven by insatiable greed, they ravage the Earth. No one can live in peace. The people, the animals, the birds and the land suffer terrible injustices. I implore you. Something must be done!”

Alarmed by her distress, yet sustained by inner calm, Brahma rose and reached out his hand. “Come with me, my child.” Together they at once set out for Svetadvipa, Lord Vishnu’s abode in this material universe. On their journey they were joined by Lord Shiva and the various gods of universal affairs: the thousand-eyed Indra, god of rain and king of Celestials; the wind-god Vayu ; Agni, the fire-god; Surya, the sun-god; the water-god Varuna, and many other Celestials. Arriving at Svetadvipa, they patiently waited on the shores of its milk ocean. Frothy waves lapped the shoreline laden with emeralds, diamonds, rubies and gems. The Celestials appealed to Vishnu, the God of gods. The crimson sky resounded with their prayers. But no response came from the Lord. Their prayers were met only by the sound of the waves crashing on that pristine beach. Their hearts were troubled by His silence. Why did not the all-compassionate Vishnu respond? At that moment, the Celestials experienced the anxiety and sufferings of those on Earth, and they understood Bhumi’s plight and were humbled.

Vishnu channeled His message into the heart of Brahma who in turn revealed it to the gods. “The Lord of lords will descend to the Earth, into the realm of man, to alleviate the anguish created by the Asura kings and to counteract their military might. Many of His close friends and servants will also descend to assist Him, and He wishes you Celestials should assist them.”


Two/ The Stolen Cow



She had to have it.
The kamadhenu cow held extraordinary powers. A cow of plenty, one that could fulfill all wishes. Whoever drank her milk would remain youthful for thousands of years. The cow, however, belonged to Vasistha, a sage who resided among the Celestials.
“Please get her for me,” she begged her husband.
“You should not desire that which belongs to another,” he chided her.
“It’s not for me, my love. It’s for a friend who is in need of the cow’s powers. My dear husband, please.” She touched his cheek. “It will not at all be difficult for you and your brothers. You are all great heroes. And Vasistha’s hermitage is nearby. Please, Dyu. For me.”


Dyu was one of the eight Vasus – the Shining Ones, protectors of Indra’s celestial court. Dyu called the Vasus together and they quickly arrived at the hermitage of Vasistha, deep in the forest. They were cautious, and not wanting a confrontation with the powerful, mystic sage, made sure to take the cow in his absence.


Vasistha returned shortly after they left. He knew something was amiss and quickly searched the nearby meadows where the kamadhenu usually roamed. The cow was gone. To locate her, he entered samadhi, a deep meditation, and engaged the energies of the sun, clouds, trees, and the earth itself. Sitting in stillness, he projected his astral body in search of the cow and her abductors.


The skies darkened and fierce winds began to blow. The Vasus hurried along the path with their prize. They had gone some distance when a towering figure of the sage loomed before them, blocking their way.
“You dare take my kamadhenu! What insolence! I shall curse you all!”
Lightning streaked across the sky as the earth shook. The once brave Vasus fell to their knees. “Please, spare us!” they cried. Thunder boomed above the trees. Branches and leaves fell all around them.


“None of you are fit to reside in the heavens. As punishment for your reckless act, you shall take birth on the Earth for one lifetime.”


“A lifetime on Earth!” The Vasus were aghast. “No, please don’t do this to us. Be merciful. Anything else.”


Vasistha paused to reconsider. “The curse has passed my lips and cannot be revoked. You must be born on Earth. But, if you can find a way to shorten your lives, you may return to the celestial realms quickly. But not Dyu. Dyu, you are the instigator of the group, and for your misdeed you will spend a long life on Earth. So be it."



Three/ Krishna Tells a Story



All was quiet. The night sky blanketed the valley. The stars sparkled, vying for attention.
Krishna pondered, “Can truth ever undermine Dharma? Or can a lie ever be preferable to the truth in upholding Dharma?”
Yudhisthira responded with a question. “But is not a lie under any circumstances still a lie?”
“My friend, morality might not be as easy to understand as you think. I’ll tell you a story:


“In the forest there lived a sage by the name of Kausika who took great pride in always telling the truth. He was known far and wide for this unwavering quality. One morning, when he sat outside his hut, three men went rushing past and bound into the thick woods. Shortly, a murderous gang came in search of the three men. Knowing he would never tell a lie, they asked the sage, “Which way did they go?” Kausika told them exactly where the men went. The gang took off in pursuit. They caught the three men and robbed and killed them.


“Kausika thought by telling the truth he had protected Dharma, but it led to the deaths of three travelers. In truth, he was very foolish and unable to discern the subtleties of Dharma. Dharma may point the way for moral behavior, but that doesn’t mean we should suspend our judgment when danger arises. At times, as in this story, truth may harm Dharma and falsehood may uphold Dharma. The wise men say Dharma protects us and sustains us. But we must also use our intelligence to understand the best course of action and protect Dharma.”


The blessing is upon us!
→ KKS Blog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, August 2013, Abentheur, Germany, Hamsaduta Seminar Part 1)

kks_cpt_dec 2012Sri Lalita speaking to a swan (from the Hamsaduta), “May all obstacles be cast aside. May your path be easy.  Placing happiness and mercy in your heart, rise at once. The running and playing gopa boys will gaze at you with the white of their eyes”

Now comes the incentive – the blessings. Again we are the swan – don’t forget. “May all obstacles be cast aside. May your path be easy. Placing happiness and mercy in your heart, rise at once.” So these are the blessings that are upon us. Just as Lalita - as a superior, as a spiritual master in a sense – is blessing the messenger, the swan, this is the blessing of the spiritual master.

“May all obstacles be cast aside.”  The blessing is there, upon us!  And we are depressed. We are thinking [imitates a disciple making excuses], “I’ll never make it. I have to struggle so much in my spiritual life. You don’t know what I’m going through actually. I mean, I’m going through unique problems. No really! Honestly speaking.  I understand everyone has problems but I AM GOING THROUGH PROBLEMS THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE AND EXTREMELY COMPLICATED and actually such a hindrance, such an obstacle. I mean, it is practically impossible for me.”

simhacalam_2008_04But the blessing is already there, “May all obstacles be cast aside.” Cast aside! Cast them aside! [appealing to everyone] May your path be easy. Your path is easy if you think about it! Everything is taken care of. Why this unnecessary fear?  [Imitates a devotee in distress] “Who will take care of me? Oh! What will happen to me? Where will I be? It’s not working out! I’m not getting what I wanted! Oh no! Now where will I be? My dream has not come true! What am I getting now! Now, I’m living in a reality which is not what I always dreamt that it should be. Now what will I be?”

It will be fine – just take it as it is. Stop trying to live according to your own plan. Just accept Krsna’s plan.  It is better than ours… BETTER!  “Oh but my plan is very good!”

Oh no, leave that plan. May your path be easy. The blessing is already there. It will get easier and easier. It will get very easy. Oh YES! Very blissful. [imitates a devotee making excuses] “Yeah, yeah, its easy to say for you.  You are Krsna conscious and I am not.” But why not?

Don’t worry. I said it on Janmastami and I’ll say it again today. Krsna penetrates! I used that verse were we established that Krsna will conquer. Krsna will conquer. You will be victorious. He will enter into our hearts and even the little bit of reluctance that we have gradually will be broken down, by Krsna’s blissful presence.  What can you do? He is just too blissful.

 

 

That Actually Qualifies Us
→ Japa Group

"Just as the Supreme Personality Of Godhead, Krsna, can take us back to Godhead - similarly His name also can take us back to Godhead. His name, His love-it fills our heart with the love for the Lord and that actually qualifies us to go back to the spiritual sky."

Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja
South Africa - March 30th 2013

Spiritual master is not just a person but also a truth
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Spiritual master is not that a particular man is spiritual master.
Spiritual master is a truth. So what is that truth? The truth is
samsara-davanala-lidha-loka-tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam. The whole world
is in the blaze of material pangs, threefold miseries. And a person who is
authorized to deliver people from that material pangs, he is called
spiritual master.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hamburg, September 5, 1969

02.45 – Possessor, possess thyself!
→ The Spiritual Scientist

“I want more.” This urge often consumes us, largely due to our culture’s glamorization of possessions and possessors.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard we work to get more, not one of our possessions will stay with us permanently.

Thankfully, we can direct the urge for possessions towards something that can be eternally ours – we ourselves, our eternal souls. The Bhagavad-gita (02.45) enjoins us to become atmavan: possessor of one’s soul. Phrased in today’s idiom, this call is: “I want myself.”

We may wonder: “When I am the soul, how can I be the possessor of the soul? The possessor and the possession have to be different, don’t they?”

Yes, they do. The verse uses atmavan in the sense of conscious awareness, not conceptual oneness. This is evident by looking at the word’s context – atmavan comes as the last word, the concluding call, after the verse has exhorted us to shed material consciousness.  It asks us to not be bogged down by considerations of material provision-protection (yoga-kshema) or by worldly dualities (dvandva) or even by parts of scripture that highlight such considerations, for they are meant for the spiritually uninformed.

Why do we need to shed material consciousness?

Because it makes us spiritually unconscious. It makes us unaware of the treasure that is ours due to our eternal devotional connection with Krishna, our supremely wealthy parent. Just as a billionaire’s child obsessed with a movie starring a pauper feels poverty-stricken due to emotionally identifying with the pauper, so do we souls obsessed with material things feel that so many things are missing in our life.

What we are actually missing is the fulfilling enrichment inherent in loving service to Krishna. When we learn to possess ourselves, that is, to live in the awareness of our true identity as Krishna’s beloved children, that enrichment becomes ours eternally.

***

02.45 - The Vedas deal mainly with the subject of the three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, become transcendental to these three modes. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the self.

 

 

Freedom from Envy—The Vaikuntha Mood, September 28, Dallas
Giriraj Swami

09.28.13.0109.28.13.02——————————-
Giriraj Swami and Giridhari Swami read and spoke on Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.13.60 during a home program in Dallas.

“The temple is supposed to be Vaikuntha, but it is not automatic. We have to have the Vaikuntha mood. Srila Prabhupada described the Vaikuntha mood in different ways at different times. When I joined the temple in Boston I heard that Srila Prabhupada had said that the whole temple is effected by each devotee’s spiritual position: if one devotee is doing well, the whole temple feels it; and if one devotee is having difficulty, the whole temple feels it. And he said that if a devotee is having difficulty and you think, ‘Oh, that devotee is in maya, let me avoid him’ — that is the mundane attitude. And if you think, ‘That devotee is having difficulty, let me help him’ — that is the Vaikuntha attitude. But as Srila Prabhupada wrote in the purport, ‘This mentality cannot appear all of a sudden, but it will gradually develop with Krishna consciousness; by sadhana, one can come to this platform.’ This is a very important point.” — Giriraj Swami

Home Program Talk

Is the world a playground or a battleground?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Summary: The world is first and foremost a service-ground, an arena for loving service to God and to all his children. Through such service, which can include both play and battle, we attain the highest fulfillment.

Answer:

The notion that the world is a playground is appealing, but it collides head-on with the harsh realities that we encounter frequently in real life. The regular obstacles and the occasional reversals that life sends our way remind us rudely that life is no picnic, that this world is no playground. Yet the playground metaphor retains a quaint appeal for many.

On the other hand, the notion of the world as a battleground agrees more with life’s experienced realities – we have to encounter and counter so many problems throughout our life. But the battleground metaphor militates against our heart’s aspiration for love – and the peace and the joy that love brings.

Gita wisdom explains that we are not just physical creatures; at our core, we are spiritual beings. Spiritually, we are meant for a life of love with God and with all living beings in his one universal family. In that family, with God at the center, we all reciprocate love with each other through service. Our life in this world is intended to serve as a preparation for reclaiming that life – a preparation that centers on internalizing an attitude of loving service. The more we learn to serve God and all living beings in relation to him, the more we regain the joyfulness that is natural to us as souls.

However, we have a lower nature that wants to exploit others, not serve them. We have to fight against this nature to stay true to our higher spiritual nature. That’s how while striving for service, the world becomes a battleground, wherein we battle against our lower nature and others’ lower nature and the complications resulting from those natures.

As the highest spiritual reality, Gita wisdom also offers us an endearing revelation of God as Krishna, as the Supreme Person who delights eternally in the play of love known as lila. He conceals his divinity to relish playful pastimes with his devotees and he invites us to join in his eternal love-play.

It is in that arena of pure love that our longing for the world as a playground is completely and eternally fulfilled. But before we can enter that sweet level of existence, we need to do battle in our inner world for internalizing the mood of service. When we learn to serve God intelligently and responsibly, we do justice to our talents in his service and contribute to others’ complete well-being – and progressively attain life’s ultimate fulfillment.

 

 

 

 

Devotees in Moscow to be given by the government another piece of land in the South of Moscow – but not offer received yet
→ Dandavats.com

Meanwhile, a new building in a different part of Leningradsky Prospekt has been rented and is being renovated for the Deities to move into by mid-October. The pujari (priest) department and the Deities’ kitchen, along with a temple room for daily programs, will also be included at this new location. Another building will be rented for Sunday programs. Read more ›

Aren’t we blaming the victim when we say that women’s revealing dresses are the cause of crimes against them?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Kamalaksi Rupini dd BhS

Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Hare Krsna, prabhu.
I must say I don't agree with what you wrote.
We have plenty of examples of women who were raped and were not dressing anything indecent. We also have plenty of examples of kids being raped or even very old women, who were definitely not dressed in such a way to "provoke" man.
That is the same kind of argument that makes muslim women to cover themselves from head to toe and also the same kind of argument that makes them sometimes be forced to be at home. Although it is an ok argument from the perspective of mental exercise of thinking, it is not completely according to the truth, as I said, since even kids are raped, and also it does not address the real problem - that is men behaving like animals. Women are NOT responsible for men's lack of control or lack of intelligence, and they should not shape their behavior or life as if they were the culprit. That would be like legitimating what men are doing, even though it can be covered under a speech that "ok, women are not to be blamed but..." but actually it is blaming women when it said it is because of the way they dress they are inviting these kind of things.
Please, don't take it as an offense. I have a deep respect for you and I appreciate your articles a lot. But I must give my opinion on this matter.

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