Vegetarianism
Ghouls
→ MukundaGoswami.org
the mighty trio
→ everyday gita
Attachment, fear and anger - or as I call them - the mighty trio. These three emotions and characteristics have the capacity to steal away all reason and intelligence. In fact, as readers might remember, two of these three characteristics (attachment and anger) are also members of "the attachment trap".
It's not so much that these qualities or emotions are good or bad in and of themselves. It's the fact that one emotion leads to another which can ultimately lead to stress and complete frustration.
The cycle tends to go as such:
As was previous explained, attachment arises due to the contemplation of objects which we believe will satisfy and make us happy. Once attachment takes root, that's when the chaos can start to manifest. Take for example a small child. They might be perfectly happy playing in their corner when they see a ball across the room. Looking at the ball, they start to make their way towards it when another child picks it up. At this point in time, some children, may start to cry and get upset.
This is actually very illustrative of what we all go through if we just seek to look a little deeper and analyze what is motivating the child's behaviour. Many might think the child is crying because they didn't get to play with the ball, but one could suggest that it's even more than that. It's the fact that the other child got to play with it.
That's where fear and anger step in because...
Attachment often instills a sense of possessiveness in an individual.
In other words, it's the mentality of "I've contemplated the object and therefore it is mine." What the bhakti texts teach us is that the moment we identify ourselves with something then fear is often a side dish that comes along, even though we haven't asked for it. We fear losing whatever we've become attached to and if anything appears to impede our enjoyment of that object then anger rears its ugly head.
The path of bhakti yoga reminds us that nothing in this world is ours to keep. This body and the world we live in is all on loan. Trying to exert ownership and control doesn't really help us.
For those who truly want to practice yoga, this is such an integral point. Yoga is about connection but almost more important than understanding that fundamental truth is understanding what it is that we should be trying to connect to.
Attachment is just one facet of connection but it's not the whole thing.
An attachment can be broken, but a connection, as per the definition of yoga, is rooted in permanency. That permanent connection that all souls are longing for is eternal love and the only person who can give it to us is the Divine. All of these other objects that we form attachments to can get in the way of our search for that love if we aren't careful.
So the next time you catch yourself falling into this trap of this mighty trio, take a step back and observe. Is this attachment helping you to become a selfless, compassionate and positive individual or is it serving to bring out the opposite in you?
Food for All Plymouth Rathayatra with the Gurukulis
→ simple thoughts
Dear Maharajs/Prabhus,
pamho agtsp,
Plymouth Rathayatra July 2013
In 1620 the Mayflower left Plymouth on a pilgrimage to the new lands in America.
Plymouth is also the starting point of the massive UK slave industry.
But this time Plymouth becomes a pilgrimage place due to Jagannath’s presents and pure devotional service has replaced slavery.
Manu prabhu organised a pilgrimage from America of 40 enthusiastic “gurukuli kids”, and boy can they chant the Holy Name.
Such wonderful devotees gives us hope in the future of Harinam.
your servant Parasuram Das
Enjoy the movie
94 pics: Scenes from the Los Angeles Rathayatra, August 4th, 2013
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42 min vid: Jesus in India? – A BBC Documentary
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63 pics: Hariyali Teej @ Iskcon Vrindavan 9/8/2013
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196 pics: Euro Bus Tour part 3and 4: Radhadesh and Berlin!
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HOW TO BE EFFECTIVELY DEPRESSED
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705 pics: Festival in Gedaechnichts Church area, in Central Berlin
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63 pics: Inspiring harinam in Rovinj
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Memorial for Vahna; Letter to Vahna From Prabhupada; A Remembrance
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit
May 26, 1975
My dear Vahna dasa,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 12, 1975 and have read the Cintamani poetry book. It is indirect, impersonal and useless. Who will read these things? Krishna’s name is only mentioned in two poems in the whole book. What is this? There are so many poems written by great acaryas. Why do you try to concoct something like this? It is not in our line. How is that our Kirtanananda Swami is there and he has approved printing this? It is a waste of time, paper, money, ink, and labor. There is so much work to do for spreading this Krishna Consciousness. Who will become attracted by such things as this. You should all spend more time reading my books very carefully and stop all this unnecessary manufacturing.
I hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
N.B. Why there is no picture of Krishna on the cover? If you have the desire to write poetry, better if you read one chapter of Krishna book very carefully. Then put it into poetry. But, do not concoct anything. There is no need for that type of poetry. If you do this, I think it will be appreciated nicely.
Memory by Sacimata
Remember
I’ve lived at New Vrindaban for 32 years, and have known Vahna that long. However, I became much closer with him over the last several years, since he moved back to Talavan. Even though Vahna, as most of us know, didn’t follow the regulative principles strictly, there was one principle he did follow, “chanting his japa.” You would always see Vahna walking on Talavan Road chanting. A couple of years ago, he was spending a lot of time at his house, so he would call me and ask me to bring him some prasadam. So I would go over and bring him plates of maha, sweets and garlands. He was always so happy to receive the Lord’s mercy. He always told me I reminded him of Hladini in that way of bringing him the mercy of the Lord. He always spoke fondly of her, and I’m sure that she has helped him over the pathway to the spiritual sky.
One day a couple of years ago, he phoned and said his neckbeads had broken, and asked if I could buy him a set at the temple. I said that I always kept some neckbeads at my home and I would give him a set. So I sent a set of the old-fashioned big black tulsi neckbeads strung with silver and had my daughter, Nitai bring them to him.
When I read that Vahna was sick this summer, I was in Canada with my daughter, and planned to go see him as soon as possible in the hospital. Well the day he passed, I had went to the temple, got him some maha rasagullas, and was planning to visit that afternoon. Then I got a call from Gopisha saying that he had left. I was so sad, to hear that I missed the opportunity to visit, I cried for about 2 hours. One thing was consoling though, Gopisha was telling me that he and Kalindi had visited him on the weekend before, and was relating their visit together, and he said, one nice thing was that Vahna was chanting his japa on his neckbeads. He said it was one of those black tulsi and silver sets. Wow! That may me feel a lot better as I knew that in some way I was with him, in the form of my gift of neckbeads being with him to the end of his material life.
So, although I felt sorry that I missed the physical visit, the transcendental was still in place. But hopefully we will all remember how temporary this life is, and to always make time to visit devotees not only when they are sick, but as an exchange of love. It is a wonderful service to give our association to each other; which is one of the reasons Srila Prabhupada wanted his “SKCON.”
Your servant, Sachimata dd
July 31, 2013
August 9th, 2013 – Darshan
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The post August 9th, 2013 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.
4 min vid: Glastonbury Rathayatra 2013
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156 pics: Back to the festivals 72 hours after Woodstock. We have 21 more festivals to go!
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Srila Prabhupada: No Nirjana Bhajana
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20130806 HH Bhakti Rasamrita Swami
→ Gouranga TV - The Hare Krishna video collection
20130806 HH Bhakti Rasamrita Swami
06.08 – Let research reinforce, not replace, search
→ The Spiritual Scientist
The essence of the spiritual journey is not research, but search. Research refers to an academic, intellectual quest for information, whereas search refers to a personal, all-consuming quest for transformation.
Gita wisdom provides us an exciting and fulfilling arena for both research and search. Its philosophy incorporates and integrates different schools of thought in a comprehensive and coherent worldview. Understanding its multiple and multi-layered teachings can be a fascinating research project.
The central message of the Gita is a call for search, for seeking the supreme spiritual happiness by redirecting the heart from the world to the source of the world, Krishna. For this redirection, it offers various yogic processes culminating in bhakti-yoga. By yogic practice, we reach and relish higher spiritual realities centered ultimately on Krishna.
Research can reinforce search. It can introduce us to the basic terms and concepts of spiritual life. It can provide metaphysical scaffolding on which to ascend the spiritual ladder. And it can equip us with a compass to gauge our progress and success.
But research can never replace search – information alone doesn’t bring about transformation. Knowledge can show us the way, but it doesn’t move us along the way. Application alone moves us forward. Internalizing scriptural principles centered on remembrance of Krishna and thereby seeking the spiritual experience of love for Krishna is the search that is the heart of spiritual life.
Different yogic processes outlined in the Gita use different frames of reference to describe spiritual truths. Only by experience attained through search can we reconcile these variations. If we restrict ourselves only to research, then we remain caught in confusion and contradiction.
That's why the Bhagavad-gita (06.08: jnana-vijnana triptatma) urges those who seek contentment to complement research with search, to complete the spiritual journey by going beyond theoretical information to transformational realization.
**
A person is said to be established in self-realization and is called a yogi [or mystic] when he is fully satisfied by virtue of acquired knowledge and realization. Such a person is situated in transcendence and is self-controlled. He sees everything – whether it be pebbles, stones or gold – as the same.
Wednesday, August 7th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk
Burnaby, British Columbia
The woman at the Toronto airport was a passenger, ready to embark on the same flight as myself, destined for Vancouver. At the waiting area, she asked me that all too familiar question, "Are you a monk?" We began a conversation. Naturally, we got onto talking about not just me but also herself. She was born in Scotland and was raised Catholic. In recent years she had gone more "eastern" in her approach quoting Deepak Chopra that it's all inside of you, meaning the spiritual you. There was some implication from her side that you don't need an organized religion to depend on for your salvation.
I have to agree in part that it's all "from within" and that no religion should tell you all of what to do, but we can get some guidance and direction from someone. After all, Deepak did give this woman (my age) some direction. The moment we stop hearing from good sources, I guess, you think you're God.
In the Vedic system from India, a person on the path of self-actualization, actually accepts a guru, one who teaches selflessness, how to cultivate good character, how to live, even how to think and how to love.
This woman, who resides in Windsor and was on a visit to the west coast, concurred that teachers are needed. We wanted to continue but boarding time came and so we broke off the uplifted dialogue between us.
After a 4 and a 1/2 hour flight I deplaned and a gentleman in a suit and with the warmest smile and who was trying to sell me on an air miles program, asked the classic question, "Are you a monk?" "Yes, a Krishna monk," I said to the man who happened to be Iranian. "So you are from Iran, an Aryan, right?
"Yes, we Iranians are supposed to have some of that in us," he said.
"Great," I indicated. Aryans of India always accepted teachers, were keen on spiritual progression and were God-believing.
0 KM
When Lord Chaitanya knew he was soon going to take sannyasa, why did he marry for a second time?
→ The Spiritual Scientist
Should devotees do kirtan in drought-afflicted places to produce rains and thereby attract people to devotional service?
→ The Spiritual Scientist
Why do scriptures refer to the mind negatively when it is our faculty for deep thought as in “Einstein was the greatest mind of the 20th century”?
→ The Spiritual Scientist
Can a devotee pursue a career as a cricketer?
→ The Spiritual Scientist
Can devotees enter into politics?
→ The Spiritual Scientist
If bhakti offers higher taste why do devotees still struggle with sex desire?
→ The Spiritual Scientist
When scriptures teach matra devo bhava, why do brahmacharis give up their parents for the sake of God?
→ The Spiritual Scientist
Why is the Gita’s first chapter called a chapter on yoga when it contains no yogic teachings?
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Why is the Gita called yoga-shastra?
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Please Join The Japa Group
→ Japa Group
Great faith
→ KKS Blog
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 30 June 2013, Vrndavan, India, Student Talk)
After Srila Prabhupada left Vrndavan, he tried to preach in the Western world. It wasn’t easy; it is not just an easy success story. When Prabhupada was anchored with the Jaladuta just on the pier in New York city, at that time Prabhupada was reflecting how difficult it was to bring Krsna consciousness to the Western world.
Imagine that you would have to go all alone to New York to preach this sanatana-dharma from Srimad Bhagavatam!? What would you say!? So Prabhupada also felt like that.
While he was on the ship, the Jaladuta, with which he had come to America, he wrote a song called Mārkine Bhāgavata-dharma. In that song he says, “My dear Lord, I don’t know why you’ve brought me to this place. Here, everyone is engaged in all the sinful activities. I don’t know what I’m going to say to convince them. I can’t think of any word that I could say to convince them. All I can think of is that maybe your words will convince them.” And then he started to quote Srimad Bhagavatam:
srinvatam sva-kathah krishnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hridy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrit satam (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.17)
That by simply hearing about Krsna, all the impurities and all inauspiciousness from the heart will disappear and gradually one becomes purified. So, on the strength of that faith, Prabhupada did it. He had full faith in the holy name.
This morning in the Bhagavatam lecture, I spoke for a moment about the Tompkins Square Park where Prabhupada started kirtan. It’s sort of a symbol, this Tompkins Square Park, of Prabhupada’s first public chanting in the Western world.
In that way, gradually having that faith, that if we just chant Hare Krsna then everything will change. If I send you to America to make everyone devotees, that would not be so easy.
But Prabhupada went alone, without help, but with this great faith that the chanting of the holy name and Srimad Bhagavatam would make the difference.
SB 8.3.23 When we go to the substratum of reality our consciosuness attains stability
→ The Spiritual Scientist
SB 8.3.22 Meditation unites the creature with the creator
→ The Spiritual Scientist
Imitation of a good thing is desired
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We are sending sankirtana parties all over the world, and they are experiencing that even in the remotest part of the world, where there is no knowledge of Krishna, the Hare Krishna maha-mantra attracts thousands of men to our camp. In some areas, people begin to imitate the devotees by shaving their heads and chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, only a few days after hearing the mantra. This may be imitative, but imitation of a good thing is desired. Some imitators gradually become interested in being initiated by the spiritual master and offer themselves for initiation.
Ratha-yatra, August 4, Venice Beach, Los Angeles
Giriraj Swami
Giriraj Swami at the Question and Answer Tent at the Ratha-yatra festival.
“Material wealth may not be the best thing for you. What people really want is happiness. It is well documented that wealth does not bring an increase in happiness. Unless you are really poor — then a little increase to bring you to the point of having the basic necessities can result in some increase in happiness. But once you have the basic necessities, increasing your wealth does not increase your happiness. People have been told that if you get a good education, make a lot of money, have a beautiful wife and intelligent children and a large house and fast car and go on fabulous holidays you will be happy. There is a entire generation of people who did exactly what they were told would make them happy, and guess what? They did not become happy. That has given rise to a whole new study called ‘positive psychology’. Researchers have found that doing something meaningful for others and practicing some meditation technique can actually raise your level of happiness.”
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Q & A, Ratha-yatra LA