Vyasa Puja Celebrations – August 29, 2013
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Blog!

In the wake of having celebrated on of our biggest festivals of the year last night, Krsna Janmastami, we will be celebrating one of the most important festivals for us as Hare Krishnas - Vyasa Puja starting at 11am on Thursday, August 29, 2013.  The Vyasa Puja festival is always held the day after Janmastami and the festival honours the appearance of our spiritual master His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

The program will begin at 11:00am with an abhisheka of Srila Prabhupada (bathing ceremony of a small Deity of Srila Prabhupada) and will continue with the arati, flower offerings (pushpanjali) and the reading of pre-written offerings from devotees in our community.  We hope to see everyone at this very important and sweet festival today!

Due to its emphasis on class preaching, is ISKCON not losing the opportunity for mass preaching?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Ravikant Jagtap P

Spiritual knowledge is meant for Rajrishis who have intelligence to understand it and who have influence to make it understandable to others as number of devotees and resources are few we want to help people in most effective way. We are preaching to educated and wealthy people that is out of our desire to reach every one in long run. in war less wounded people are treated first so that they can assist in treating others  but don't you feel aspect of reaching to large number of people is neglected and discriminately preaching is done? When we have spiritual ideals like Bhakti Tirtha Swami who preach in slums and also to influencing leaders without discrimination why we discriminate so much that people feel neglected when they come to us and don't take process seriously. As Lord Jagganath mercifully comes to give his darshan to everybody without discrimination, cant we reach more people so that they will feel loved and cared and misconception of iskcon is ment  for rich and foreigners can be broken? As we reach to every person during book marathon without discrimination can’t this mood be followed throughout year so that we can spread Prabhupada’s glory more effectively? Sorry for long question and if any devotee feel offended by this question.

Answer Podcast

Why does Prabhupada say that God has no names?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Ravikant Jagtap

Krishna no name, but by His qualities we give Him names. If a man is very beautiful, we call him "beautiful." If a man is very intelligent, we call him "wise.' So the name is given according to the quality. Because God is all-attractive, the name Krishna can be applied only to Him. Krishna means "all-attractive." It includes everything

And in lectures he says gods original name is Krishna how to understand this contradiction? What do we actually mean when we say lords name is eternal?

Answer Podcast

The bare facts of existence
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Under the spell of illusion, living entities are trying to be lords of all they survey, but actually they are dominated by the material energy of the Lord. The Lord is the master of material nature, and the conditioned souls are under the stringent rules of material nature. Unless one understands these bare facts, it is not possible to achieve peace in the world either individually or collectively.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is 5.29 purport

Direct service
→ KKS Blog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 30 June 2013, Vrindavan, India, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.16.34)

Aindra2011July7-36To really serve in a mood of trying to please Krsna is not so easy. Obviously, a lot of people get restless and may want to leave so it does require special determination, I think. In the light of that I can say, “Give them enough rope so they can hang themselves.”

It means that in this regard, some people are not meant for this program. It does not mean there is no program. There is somewhere else but not this one. This program requires commitment. It requires that at least one understands that we are greatly blessed, that we can chant here in Vrindavan and that our whole existence in the material world has become so simple.

Can you imagine the complexities that everybody has? Look around, people have to make so many arrangements just for their mind. Just because their mind is driving them, whipping them and somehow or other (as a devotee), you do not have to. We came to Vrindavan; it is a rare opportunity that life can be so simple and that we can do such direct activities.

02.40 – Things may belong, but for how long?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

We treasure our belongings, especially those belongings that are worth a lot financially or mean a lot emotionally. Many people go even further, making their belongings the primary purpose of their life and making their belongings their defining identity.

Yet no matter how much we treasure our belongings, how long can they belong to us? At best for a lifetime. Frequently, not even for that long. They become devalued, even decimated, by the passage of time. Or they are dragged away by the vicissitudes of the world. Natural calamities like earthquakes can in one dreadful moment dispossess thousands of people collectively. Or smaller earthquakes within our bodies – heart attacks, for example – can in one heartbreaking instant dispossess us individually.

Though we know at the back of our mind that nothing will belong to us for long, still we feel driven to possess.

Why? Because it is our nature to possess. We just need to find out the belonging that will not let us down, that will belong to us forever.

Is there such a belonging? Yes, there is answers Gita wisdom. The Bhagavad-gita (02.40) points to this everlasting asset – the progress we make on the path to transcendence; the attraction we cultivate towards spiritual reality, ultimately towards Krishna. Time can’t even deplete, leave alone decimate, our spiritual credits; they will stay with us life after life, increasing whenever we perform further spiritual activities. Eventually, their cumulative balance energizes us with an irresistible attraction towards Krishna. This attraction transforms our life-journey, from a doomed chase after non-retainable belongings to a purposeful pilgrimage towards eternal love for Krishna.

And pursuing this spiritual possession doesn’t require us to renounce our material belongings. If we use them in Krishna’s service without becoming infatuated by them, they can become aids, not obstacles, in our spiritual advancement.

**

02.40 - In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.

appreciation circle
→ everyday gita

Today is a very special day for all the aspiring bhakti yogis out there. That's why instead of continuing with Chapter 4 today, we would like to take the time to celebrate the appearance day of the speaker of the Bhagavad Gita - Krsna!

Some may be wondering why we are using the word appearance day as opposed to "birthday". To clear up any confusion, we'll go straight to the Gita to hear from the Krsna Himself. Skipping ahead to Chapter 10 Verse 3, Krsna states "He who knows Me as the unborn..."

So what does that mean? It means that Krsna is not born, nor does He die (it's a perk of being THE Divine!). He is eternal, just like our souls are.

But I digress...today is not so much about discussing the fascinating aspects of Krsna (which we'll definitely delve into another time) but more about appreciating Him.

In my circle of friends, we have a very beautiful tradition. On someone's birthday (or appearance day!) we normally have an appreciation circle. It's an opportunity for those of us who have gathered together to express to our gratitude and appreciation to the special person/s we are celebrating that day and let them know of the impact they have in our lives.

So here goes! One of the things I love most about Krsna is the fact that I never feel judged by Him. I may make all kinds of mistakes and do silly things, but I always feel like I'll never run out of chances. I always know that I can redeem myself and that's such a comforting feeling. It's truly a symptom of unconditional love. I also know that when I truly and genuinely turn to Him and ask for help, He has never failed me. Sure...it can take some time until I feel that reciprocation (and I'm definitely not a patient person!), but it always comes.

Finally, the quality I appreciate most about Krsna is the fact that He appreciates intention and devotion over expertise and results. It levels out the playing field so to speak. It breaks down the barriers as to who can and cannot approach Him. It doesn't matter what religion, culture, gender or -ism you associate yourself with - He's there for all of us if we simply want to connect.

So on this day celebrating his appearance, I request all of you, my dear readers, to also offer a few words of appreciation and gratitude to Krsna or even the practice of yoga which originates from Him. Please feel free to leave those appreciations in the comments, but most of all please do take the time to express them in your heart. Wishing everyone a wonderful and blessed day!

The Real “Brijbasi Spirit” – a class in New Vrindaban
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

by Lilasuka dasi

His Holiness Varsana Maharaj gave the early morning Srimad Bhagavatam class today, Janmastami, the Appearance Day of Lord Krsna.

Varsana Swami

Varsana Swami

Someone asked him, “Maharaj, what is the true meaning of “brijbasi spirit?”  His reply was, “the essence of the brijbasi spirit is loving relationships. Brijbasis live in the land of Braja, of course, thus the name “Brijbasi”.  However, it is not that we revere a specific tract of land as the “dhama” or holy place of pilgrimage. Rather, the dhama is more accurately a container, just like a vase, which holds “rasa”. “Rasa” is the synergy of all past, present and even future sweet relationships between the devotees and the Lord. The bottom line is that the spiritual master can make any place a holy dhama. It is, in fact, not the land itself, but the presence of the holy person that makes a place a dhama.”

29-8-13—Appearance day of HDG Srila Prabhupada
→ Dandavats.com

Srila Prabhupada: I was very naughty when I was a boy. I would break anything. When I was angry, I would break the glass hookah pipes, which my father kept to offer to guests. Once my mother was trying to bathe me, and I refused and knocked my head on the ground, and blood came out. They came running and said, “What are you doing? You shall kill the child.” Read more ›

Turn Up The Volume!
→ Seed of Devotion

One of my 2013 New Year's Resolution: Write a minimum of 40 blog posts this year.

Guess what?

It's almost September and this is my 13th post. This has got to be my lowest publishing rate ever in the history of this blog. I feel sad and yet also indignant. Like, come on, you can do better than 13 posts. 

So, being a woman of my word, it's time to turn up the volume. 

On this stereo of Bhakti lata's life, we'll be playing 27 posts - life stories, photography, poetry, fiction, reflections, art, or just checking in. 

And who knows? My vow was a "minimum" of 40 posts. 

Stay tuned to this station. 

(photo by allvoices.com)

Subscribe

A Lament
→ travelingmonk.com

“The fortunate town of Navadwipa remains on the earth. The seashore remains. The city of Jagannatha Puri remains. The holy names of Lord Krsna remain. Alas! Alas! I do not see anywhere the same kind of festival of pure love for Lord Hari as before. O Lord Caitanya, O ocean of mercy, will I ever [...]

The Secret of Happiness
→ The Enquirer

Happiness

Happiness (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Anyone can be happy in their life. It is the inalienable right of every living entity to be surrounded by unmitigated happiness. But practically no one realizes this right, because practically everyone looks for happiness in external objects and situations, or even if they look inward, they retain a selfish subjective viewpoint.

Happiness is actually part of the constitutional nature of what you really are.

To achieve happiness, the key is to come into harmony with what you really are.

So we have to make efforts to de-condition ourselves from the misconceptions of identity that are currently so deeply ingrained in us. It can start by trying to deprogram yourself from seeing yourself as some specific, temporary bodily, corporeal thing – a body of a particular age, gender, nationality, race, size, etc. Then, as these misconceptions start to dissolve you can begin to look inward more clearly and discern your true self more carefully, from amidst all your inner thoughts and feelings.

You will, if your introspection is clear, experience directly that you are a being with undeniable reality, and undeniable awareness. Then you will also notice that you are aware of conditions that exist outside yourself. When you actually taste the reality of perceiving this essence of who or what you are, you will intuitively realize that your undeniable awareness of reality reveals beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are an integral part of some great whole.

You will directly percieve that within yourself there is not only reality and cognition, there is also a latent pool of happiness. But you will immediately note that the happiness there is a dynamic energy that seeks to flow in a circuit from within the being out to the whole and back again.

This circuit is the experience of deep, exhilarating happiness that every one of us hankers after all the time. You will need to carefully contemplate upon the nature of this circuit if you will hope to realize deep contact with it, and thus become truly, deeply, profoundly happy.

If you give a good effort to this task, you’ll note that the nature of the circuit is loving. The energy of happiness that wants to flow out towards the whole to nourish the whole is the essence of pure love. This pure love is the soul of happiness. Then you will begin to realize that you are not just an abstract energy, you are a distinct personal entity and the supreme whole as well is also a personal entity. At this point you will begin to tangibly realize more specific details about the nature of your specific relationship with the whole, and the exact delightful manners in which your inherent pool of loving happiness will flow out to the whole.

The more you dedicate yourself to this effort to enter within your true self, the more you will find yourself peaceful, satisfied, even delighted and really happy – regardless of the ups and downs and ins and outs of the impossible to control victories and defeats constantly transpiring on the external stage of the projected world of time and matter.

There are practical paths laid out to help persons like us on our inward odyssey. The Hare Krishna mahamantra is an extremely direct and powerful tool for linking the true self with the whole through the circuit of pure love. The word “hare” establish the energy of bliss-giving love within the soul, and the words “krishna” and “rama” direct that energy towards the Whole Person. Thus the mantra itself is a meditation upon establishing the blissful divine connection between the soul and the whole.

The complete mantra is:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare.
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

There are no rules set in stone regarding how to meditate using this mantra, but it is quite effective to set aside a certain block of time every day to softly but audibly pronounce the mantra, concentrating upon its significance and meaning. One can use beads or other means to count off a certain amount of mantras – if you want to introduce a more serious, more disciplined approach to your endeavor.

The mantra can also be utilized with large groups of people by singing it with musical accompaniment.

Sincere use of this mantra results in profound joy and happiness, for anyone.


Try strenuously to control desire
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Material desires, when unsatiated, generate anger, and thus the mind, eyes and chest become agitated. Therefore, one must practice to control them before one gives up this material body. One who can do this is understood to be self-realized and is thus happy in the state of self-realization. It is the duty of the transcendentalist to try strenuously to control desire and anger.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is 5.23 purport