Planet ISKCON

H.H. Jayadvaita Swami Srimad Bhagavatam Introduction Lesson 7. ISKCON Leicester 29.6.13

When we come to know that Krishna is everywhere, we may naturally wonder: “Why can’t I perceive him everywhere or, for that matter, anywhere?”

The answer, Gita wisdom says, lies in nature. We are by nature spiritual, but at present our desire to enjoy material things has placed us in material nature. To help us experiment with material things, we have been given a material mind-body apparatus. This psychophysical mechanism works under subtle but strong forces of material nature known as modes that provide roadways for the traffic of consciousness between the spiritual and the material.

As we wish to enjoy material things, the modes direct our consciousness towards those things, thereby concealing spiritual reality, including the supreme spiritual reality, Krishna, as the Bhagavad-gita (07.13) indicates. Though the modes conceal Krishna, they don’t contain him; in fact, he contains them, as the previous verse (07.12) categorically asserts.  The implications of this statement are enlightening and empowering.

Enlightening because Krishna’s perceptions, motivations and actions are not conditioned by the modes, as are ours. He always acts only out of pure spiritual love, never out of material desire. He has none of the deficiencies and defects that mar all the persons we know. Thus, he is an entirely different kind of person – omniscient, omnipotent and omnibenevolent. He is eminently, supremely lovable.

Empowering because Krishna being the master of the modes is the director of the director of the traffic of our consciousness. When we show him our sincere desire to love him, he intervenes in the traffic. He reveals the beauty of his names, words, Deities and other such accessible manifestations. By thus attracting us to these specific manifestations, he empowers us to see beyond the covering of the modes. Gradually, we start perceiving his endearing, enlivening presence everywhere.

***

07.13 - Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the whole world does not know Me, who am above the modes and inexhaustible.

Question:

I was telling my friends that rains come due to kirtan and an atheist snapped back, "Now we are having too much rains, so that means you have done too much kirtans. So please stop it." How should I respond?

Answer podcast 

Holy name meditation podcast

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 02 July 2013, Vrndavan, India, Bhagavad-gita 14.22 – 25)

Devotional service itself is the means to become absorbed. So, Gaudiya vaisnavas do not need to spend so much exercise in trying to control the senses. Therefore, Gaudiyas are not putting so much emphasis on austerity or renunciation. It is said that austerity and renunciation are preliminary activities. They are actually not directly part of bhakti. They are not one of the sixty-four limbs of bhakti.

One can be as renounced as one wants but it does not in any way increase our love of God. So one can fast very, very rigidly but that in itself is not bringing us love of God. Therefore our fasting is simply to create space for hearing and chanting. That’s it! If on these fasting days, we are not getting absorbed in hearing and chanting, then there is very little benefit to the austerity in terms of trying to make the mind neutral. Because if by such a technique, of austerity or renunciation, that one is trying to make the mind neutral, still the roots of the material enjoyment have not been removed.

kecit kevalaya bhaktya
vasudeva-parayanah
agham dhunvanti kartsnyena
niharam iva bhaskarah (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.1.15)
Only by devotional service, are the roots of material enjoyment actually removed. Otherwise, as we see in the fifteenth chapter (of Bhagavad-gita), the description of the banyan tree of material existence - it says that all our material activities, all these different activities become branches and this is the network that we build-up called our life. So many things we are doing and all that creates a huge network of activities and the fruits of those activities. So, one can minimize the fruits of these activities by renunciation, by tyaga, give them up. One can minimize his involvement in endeavouring for such activities by tapasya.

“No, I will not do it. Cushion comfortable? No, I will not take it, better sit on the hard floor. It’s all right.” That kind of mood will diminish the plant. That will diminish all the branches and the fruits of our activity but it will not cut the roots at all. It will only cut the plant and the roots still stay in the garden. And again, again… with time, another plant with many branches will re-emerge. That is the nature of it…

That is why we understand that devotional service is completely different, agham dhunvanti kartsnyena niharam iva bhaskarah, it destroys that root because it gives us something so much more wonderful, so much more wonderful that one let’s go naturally; when we are appreciating Krsna then who cares about all these material things!

 

Few Sundays ago we had a very nice visit from 2 members of the band, the 3 Kings.  On a USA tour, these fellows are out to bring about a revolution in consciousness to Christ Consciousness.   Their aim is to bring back positive messages back in the hip-hop scene with God-hop.  The hip-hop scene for over the past decade has been dominated materialistic and egoistic material.  The 3 Kings work on overcoming this negativity by bringing in non dogmatic God appreciation, the most positive element.

Some of their songs are Sadhana, and Darshan, and they can be seen on their album cover sporting japa beads.  Hare Krishna!

Some Kilometres

Montreal, Quebec

I managed to cover some kilometres on the streets in Montreal's east end. I love Montreal. It's just that the east-end is what it is, for instance at some of the street corners a woman will stand there with tight clothes on, or with clothes almost on, and when you walk by, as Ivan and I did, they tend to give you a strange look. It's a look of disapproval. They just can't relate to the devotional attire, it seems.

Our temple is located in this part of town and that's what lands me in this neighbourhood when it comes to walking. St. Catherine's Street has recently received a face-lift, yet the character of the people stays the same. It is an interesting phenomena to find this Crumpy Joe syndrome in all major cities I trek through.

The weather can be great. The sun can be shining and at the same time somethings eating away inside humans. The sun doesn't shine inside. It appears that the mind can become so agitated with hankerings and lamentations that no peace can wedge its way in.

What are we to think and feel for others?

One time a personal assistant to our guru, Srila Prabhupada made a remark, "Sometimes I feel bad for others."
His response was, "Only sometimes?"

Regarding the disturbed mind, here's an informative passage from the book Bhagavatam, 'The brahmana said, "These people are not the cause of my happiness and distress. Neither are the demigods, my own body, the planets, my past work, or time. Rather, it is the mind alone that causes happiness and distress and perpetuates the rotation of material life. Failing to conquer this irrepressible enemy, the mind, whose urges are intolerable and who torments the heart, many people are completely bewildered and create useless quarrel with others. Thus they conclude that other people are either their friends, their enemies or parties indifferent to them."' (Bhag 11.23.48)

10 KM

Today I heard a lecture by Giriraj Swami from a very nice Japa retreat. He was talking about the principle of focusing on one point to control the mind. He spoke about how our eyes tend to wander as we chant and this causes the mind to wander also, following the path of the eyes.

All TKG Academy students are required to wear a uniforms and uniform patch with the TKG Academy logo.  Here is the detailed information on what and where to buy.   Please read the information carefully.  If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher, or Melanie Kelley, Communications Director.

Girls’ Uniforms* (Monday to Thursday)

• Light blue or navy blue Polo shirt  (These can be purchased in short-sleeve style for warm weather and long-sleeve style for colder weather. Students must have at least one light blue Polo shirt for field trips.)
• Khaki or navy blue uniform pants  (Please purchase only flat-front pants. We request that you not purchase cargo pants or low-rise pants.)
• Khaki or navy blue jumper with navy blue leggings or navy blue Punjabi pants underneath.  The leggings must be simple (no frills or designs, etc.) and can be either capri-style or full-length.

* With the exception of the navy blue Punjabi pants, all of the above can be purchased in the School Uniform Shop at www.walmart.com. You may purchase school uniform items at any other location you find convenient.    We ask that the purchases reflect the styles found at Walmart.com.

Recommended footwear: Clogs, tennis shoes, sandals.  We do not recommend students wear flip flops or shoes with high heels.

Friday Devotional Clothing: Gopi skirts or saris. Please contact us if you need any help finding these items for your child.

Recommended P.E. Clothes: sweat pants, track pants, shorts longer than fingertips, T-shirts and sweatshirts

 

Boys’ Uniforms ** (Monday – Thursday)

1. Light blue or navy blue Polo shirt.  (These can be purchased in short-sleeve style for warm weather and long-sleeve style for colder weather. Students must have at least one light blue Polo shirt for field trips.
2. Khaki or navy blue uniform pants  (Please purchase only flat-front pants. We request that you not purchase cargo pants or low-rise pants.)
3. Khaki or navy blue uniform shorts  (The shorts must be longer than your child’s fingertips.)

** All of the above can be purchased in the School Uniform Shop at www.walmart.com. You may purchase school uniform items at any other location you find convenient. We ask that the
purchases reflect the styles found at Walmart.com.

Recommended Footwear: Clogs, tennis shoes, sandals.  We do not recommend students wear flip flops or shoes with high heels.

Friday Devotional Clothing: Kurta with dhoti or yoga pants. Please contact us if you need any help finding these items for your child.

Recommended P.E. Clothes: sweat pants, track pants, shorts longer than fingertips, T-shirts and sweatshirts

Uniform Patches:

• All uniforms are required to have a TKG Academy Uniform Patch.  Patches are available at the school and at Orientation Meeting.  They are $2 each.
• Patches are to be placed on the upper portion of the shirt, at the chest level.  Patches can be ironed on, stitched on, or velcroed to the uniforms so they can take them on and off.
• The position of the patch is:  Over the child’s heart, on the child’s left side and the viewer’s right.

Here are pictures of the location of the patch and examples of Girls and Boys Uniforms.

“Hearing the Vaisnavas loudly chanting Lord Hari’s holy names in sankirtana, the people think a host of roaring lions have come to Navadvipa. “The great maharathi warrior Lord Gauracandra and the great sarathi warriors Lord Nityananda and Lord Advaita now charge into battle. Throwing the noose of ecstatic spiritual love, They capture many enemy soldiers [...]

Verse 4.7: Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion — at that time I descend Myself.

Today I'd like to highlight the Sanskrit of this verse as it contains an extremely important word: dharma

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaḿ sṛjāmy aham

The word dharma is often translated as "religion" in English which is often synonymous with the word faith. Unfortunately, this is one of those cases where the true meaning of the word gets lost in translation. That's because religion or faith can be accepted, rejected or converted, whereas one's dharma cannot be changed.

Dharma, as described by the great bhakti teacher, Swami Prabhupada, is the inherent characteristic of an object or living thing. Just as the innate nature of sugar is to be sweet and that of fire is to be hot, the dharma of the soul is to serve.

In fact, if only one word can be used to describe the quality of the soul, it would be service.

Whether knowingly or unknowingly, we are always serving something or someone all the time. For those who have been frustrated or disappointed in trying to serve others, that experience may impel one to repress their natural propensity of service, especially if that effort is not reciprocated.

So instead of being true to ourselves, we may become selfish due to negative experiences.

The bhakti texts describe that this frustration and pain arises when we are unaware of where to repose this natural inclination to serve.

So who should we serve then? Just as the leaves, branches and stem of a plant is nourished by watering the root, similarly all the other souls we interact with can be served by serving that person who connects us altogether - the Divine.

It's a subtle but important point to note. It's not that we give up trying to serve one another, which is what can sometimes be misinterpreted by the bhakti texts. Rather, it's placing the majority of our efforts and time in what will give us the greatest return by effecting the greatest number of people positively.

By serving the Divine by working in a spirit of detachment to the results and gratitude flooding our hearts, we serve all living beings simultaneously. It's kind of mystical actually!

It works because that positive attitude that we cultivate can effect other people unconsciously.

I'm sure everyone has had an experience where they have spent time with an amazingly inspirational, positive and/or spiritual person and afterwards they are left feeling happy and enlivened. If you ever wondered why, it's because you imbibed the other person's consciousness.

It's actually the greatest good we can do the planet today; that is, to work on ourselves and re-awaken (if it's sleeping or has been crushed) our propensity to serve. Just by doing that, you can become an instrument of powerful change and positivity.

Evening program in Budapest.

BY LAKSHMAN PODDAR

 

MALACCA - ISKCON Malacca at Malaysia celebrated the boat festival on 27th July 2013.

Significance of boat festival

The boat festival marks the symbolic event occurred between Radha and Krishna before 5000 years at Rajghat in River Yamuna. The Gopis often carried the milk products from Vrindavana and sold at Mathura to earn their living. The event was artfully portrayed in the Bhakti Ratnakara (sloka 1700-1712) when Raghav Pandita was describing the pastimes of the Lord to Srinivasa Acharya, Narottama Das Thakura and Shyamananda Prabhu during in Vraja-parikrama. Raghava Pandita says: See this place with beautiful spots, where Nanda Kumara (Krishna) always wanders. Let us discuss the glorious pastimes of the expansions of Lord such as Krishna, Balarama and Narasimhadeva. Reaching the banks of Yamuna, Srinivasa Acharya says, “Krishna started the boat festival from this Raj Ghat with the beautiful Radha and Her associates to cross the River carrying pots of milk products. See the amazingly beautiful face of Krishna. On the riverside remained Krishna on a worn out boat. Radha and Her associates urged to Krishna, “Please take us to the other side of River Yamuna.” Krishna rowed them down to some distance with great pleasure. Let us describe Krishna’s playful pastimes with them.”

When the old boat floated in violent waters, the Gopis said, “You are troubling we young girls. O Madhava, You reap the seed of all troubles and You alone can make us cross this River.” Krishna said, “All food you carry will be drowned. Please throw away all you carry in water including your unwanted clothing.” Even at this dreadful moment, Krishna was cutting jokes at the Gopis and clapped hands showing no worries. The Gopis said, “We desperately throw water from the sinking boat with our bare hands. Even if we escape from here, we will not surrender to You.”

Interview 2, Cape Town Ratha Yatra 2007, South Africa.mp3

The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP) is not another preaching center, but is actually Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s home.

The fulfillment of the desire of visionaries, saints and incarnations from Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu down to Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the TOVP is a unique and ambitious project to make the vast culture and philosophy of the timeless Vedic tradition accessible to everyone. It will be a shining beacon to all aspiring spiritualists who are searching for answers to the questions of life.

Please join us on Saturday or Sunday to hear all about it.

From Manoj

Answer Podcast 

HH Indradyumna swami 2011 Brazil

Our bad habits, our attachments to base material things, are often extremely difficult to give up. The resulting struggle may raise the question: “I am a soul who being conscious am superior to unconscious matter. How then can inferior matter bind me?”

Because our consciousness is captivated by inferior desires, answers Gita wisdom.

The Bhagavad-gita (13.22) indicates that we become entangled in matter due to the desire to enjoy material things (karanam guna-sangasya). This desire disconnects our consciousness from the spiritual reality to which we belong, thereby depriving us of the unending happiness we relish there in loving Krishna. We cannot live without happiness. When we lose our link to spiritual fulfillment, the urge for happiness propels our consciousness to control matter according to various culturally-induced fantasies with the hope of gaining happiness.

However, all material things are ephemeral, whereas our longing for happiness is perennial. That’s why the enjoyment from manipulating matter can never substitute for the fulfillment from reciprocating love with Krishna. Though we feel dissatisfied, we unfortunately misdiagnose its cause: “I haven’t been able to control matter well enough. Let me get the really good material things that I haven't yet got. Then I will enjoy.” This false hope makes us seek pleasure more fervently in the very matter that has taken us away from pleasure. Thus, the more we desire to bring matter under our captivity, the more we go into its captivity.

The way to freedom is through detachment, as the Gita (15.03: asanga) indicates. This detachment becomes easier to cultivate when we complement it by cultivating  attachment to Krishna, for that restores our access to devotional joyfulness.

When we practice devotional service diligently and let ourselves become captivated by Krishna’s beauty, then matter can no longer captivate us.

***

15.03 - The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world. No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its foundation is. But with determination one must cut down this strongly rooted tree with the weapon of detachment.

Kale Conquers

Colborne, Ontario

Kale – a miracle food full of nutrients and enzymes, took second position after Krishna today. Our KCAT group had the pleasure of visiting Adrian Quinn and family in Colborne. He is an entrepreneur who has capitalized on this green vegetable as a marketable and spiritualized edible. He built up a factory and went real organic on this hearty veg. He grows it right there on his land, harvests it, and takes the product to the dehydrator after dipping it in a sauce of cashew and sunflower seeds, then consecrates it and finally packages it before it hits the shelves in the health food stores. He now has a growing number of employees from the local area to see that all is executed. He also loves talking about this family business and how the endeavour is a step towards making the world a better place one kale chip at a time.

I felt that this stop on our trip would provide an educational dimension to our group’s collective experience. Adrian, also known as Arjuna, took a risk at this new venture, and the dream flowered into reality. Like any project, in order for success to play into it, there must be a dream and then there must be a team. Adrian is a firm believer in God’s mercy. For him, that is the final factor and also the original factor in achieving a result of substance.

Thank you, Adrian, for taking us to the field and showing us your crop of wonder – Kale

4 KM

The Look At The Week

Ottawa/Montreal

We received our first serious rain this week, but the downpour didn’t really come until our last member of the group completed the course on the zip lining activity at Gatineau Park in Quebec. This activity was also scheduled as our last outdoor event before putting a cap on our trip.

We popped into the Ottawa ISKCON Centre for a meal and then kirtan before the 2 hour drive to Montreal, this was our destination to present our youth fest. I asked Philippe to orchestrate a rehearsal, a drum demo and then a kirtan while I gave a talk to the congregation on the simplicity of bhakti, devotion. I was so proud of the group’s presentation, it almost brought me to tears.

Here are some of the evaluations by the participants of KCAT (Krishna Canadian Adventure Tour) after completing a week of travel and devotion:

Emily (20):

“Living together in a van is a way to get to know somebody quickly.”

Attreya (13):

“I love the zip line place, also all the kirtan we had.”

Radhika (14):

“I learned how to be more patient.”

Philippe (22):

“Relished the association and every single fun-filled day.”

Ganga (14):

“We learned so much, like for example how to be together as a group. I really want to do it again.”

Aravinda (15):

“This tour was personal, thank you Kapil, thank you Maharaja.”

Devala (19):

“It kept my mind engaged. I think it would be nice to contribute in some way to the management of the tour.”

Hiten (12):

“After having this awesome time, it will not be my last one.”

Rsab (18):

“This trip helped me increase my japa (chanting on meditation beads) and gave me an exciting week of doing outdoor activities which I greatly enjoyed.”

Kapil (27, driver and organizer):

“Being in a smaller van it was easier to pack and drive. I noticed that everyone enjoyed all the activities and were able to bond amongst each other.”

10 KM

———————————————————————————————————
“One should practice bhakti-yoga with firm determination and faith and not be disturbed if there is a little delay in achieving the desired goal. In Srila Prabhupada’s commentary he quotes the verse:

utsahan niscayad dhairyat
tat-tat-karma-pravartanat
sanga-tyagat sato vritteh
shadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati

We have to be enthusiastic, and we have to be determined and patient. As we patiently chant the holy name — like we were doing tonight, it was wonderful. If you just let yourself be absorbed in the holy name, it is vey nice. We will get that higher taste. The higher taste comes slowly but surely. We just need to be patient. Patience is something that takes a little time to develop. And the determination — dridha-vrata — is only to chant the holy names of the Lord constantly.” — Rtadhvaja Swami

Rtadhvaja Swami
Giriraj Swami

From Rupa Gaura P

If that Lanka was on another plane as you told in your answer, how is it that we see the Rama setu still there in the sea, from Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka? Is it that just as size of people decrease in subsequent yugas, the earth itself shrinks, and so the distances too reduce?

Answer Podcast

Everyone requires possessions such as food grains, clothing, money and other things necessary for the maintenance of the body, but one should not collect more than necessary for his actual basic needs. If this natural principle is followed, there will be no difficulty in maintaining the body.

Nectar of Instruction purport 2

Holy name meditation podcast

"Of the nine processes of devotional service, the most important is to always chant the holy name. If one does so, avoiding the ten kinds of offenses, one very easily obtains the most valuable love of Godhead."

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Antya 4.71

This afternoon we unloaded 21 tons of foodstuffs from several semi-trailer trucks for cooking at Woodstock. The transcendental breakdown was as follows: 2.2 tons of sugar, 6.5 tons of peas, 2 tons of semolina, 2.2 tons of butter, 1 ton of oil, 4.2 tons of rice,1.5 tons of frozen vegetables, 1 tons soya, 500 kilos [...]

Forty-eight hours before Woodstock a huge storm front has descended on the region. With so much at stake we pray that Lord Nrsimhadeva will protect our humble efforts to share Krsna consciousness with hundreds of thousands of conditioned souls this coming week.

From Manoj P

Answer Podcast

From Manoj P

Answer Podcast

From Manoj P

Answer Podcast

From Parampara Vani P

Answer Podcast