Ratha-yatra, August 4, Venice Beach, Los Angeles
Giriraj Swami

08.04.13_07.Ratha-yatraGiriraj 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

Wow! Maya’s good at her Job!
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I was saddened to read the latest statement from the GBC and wondered how long before the usual ISKCON critics e-mail or make comments on social media; it didn’t take long the usual barrage from the usual suspects.

What surprises me or doesn’t depending on your point of view is that a fall down becomes a universal comment on the whole ISKCON devotee community; some how it appears that universally falldowns are only found in the ISKCON community.

Well coming from the Jehovah’s Witness community I can say that their was announcements of dis-fellowships for discretion from the expectations of baptised members; the protocol was that their association would be avoided until a time of penance and change in attitude prevails.

You can not have a statement like that issued by the GBC of dis-fellowships unless you actually have a standard and a committee that oversees that these standards are maintained for the good of the general society. If then this action is taken then it is usually with a heavy heart from those who had to discuss, research and follow the protocols leading to such an announcement.

For me this recent GBC announcement serves as a warning, in devotional life I am on a knife edge, especially given the little association. But more so that maya devi is wonderful at doing her job, to keep the spirit soul entrapped in material life it is amazing that somehow or another Krishna has allowed me to continue in association and to do a little seva.

I’m also thankful that I’m not seen as senior nor in a position within ISKCON indeed if I fell down today it wouldn’t even register; but to end up again captivated by material energy rather than Krishna is tragic. This being if one had been in devotee association for a day or 40years (given that ISKCON at Bhaktivedanta Manor is only 40years).

I’m not surprised that there is the voices of LOOK ISKCON doesn’t work rather than WOW LOOK MAYA is doing a Great Job; “May I take shelter and become more serious in devotional life”

And as an end notation over the years I’ve seen those who have gloated over devotee fall-down themselves struggle in spiritual life, fall down or worse cease to seek and association with devotees and indeed forget Krishna.

And as we are meant to be full of compassion our thoughts should be: “How can I please help them return back onto a spiritual path and end their material suffering once and for all” and be the first to open the door for them with a smile and prasadam.

Reflective Information From Srila Vyasadeva
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VICARU DAS
BHAKTIVEDANTA MANOR
ISKCON UK

SB 7,10,8
Indriyani manah prana
atma dharmo dhrtir matih
hrih sris tejah smrtih satyam
yasya nasyanti janmana

Oh; my lord because of lusty desires from the very beginning of ones birth,The functions of one’s senses,mind,life,body,religion ,patience,intelligence shyness,opulence,strength,memory, and truthfulness are vanquished.

SB 7,13,34
Soka-moha,bhaya-krodha
raga-klaibya–sramadayah
yan-mulah syur nrnam jahyat
sprham pranarthayor budhah

Those in human society who are intelligent should give up the original cause of lamentation ,illusion,fear,anger, attachment,poverty,and unnecessary labor,The original cause of all of these is the desire for unnecessary prestige and money.

SB 7,15,22
asankalpaj jayet kamam
krodham kama-vivarjanat
arthanartheksaya lobham
bhayam tattvavamarsanat.

By making plans with determination,one should give up lusty desires for sense gratification,similarly by giving up envy one should conquer anger, by discussing the disadvantages of accumulating wealth one should give up greed,and by discussing the truth ,one should give up fear.

SB 7,15,16
santustasya nirihasya
svatmaramasya yat sukham
kutas tat kama lobhena
dhavato ‘rthehaya disah

one who is content and satisfied and who links his activities with the supreme personality of godhead residing in everyones heart enjoys transcendental happiness without endeavouring for his livelihood,where is such happiness for a materialistic man who is impelled by lust and greed and therefore wander’s in all directions with a desire to accumulate wealth?

Glastonbury Rathayatra
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July 21st 2013 Glastonbury Rathayatra

Glastonbury is a famous city in England.
It was the centre of Christanity for the whole of Europe.
After Jesus’s crucifixion, Joeseph of Arimithea brought the “Holy Grail” to Glastonbury.
This cup was used in the last supper and was filled with the blood of Jesus Christ.This was buried beneith the Tor, so as part of the Rathayatra we climb the hill and perform the kirtan in the Tor.
Enjoy the movie

your servant
Parasuram Das

New Vrindaban hosts seminar on Dharma Sastra (Varnasrama)
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

Everyone is invited to a Dharma Sastra Seminar Aug.12-14

On Varnasrama Dharma

 with His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami

~Under the Lodge~

kaliya-with-prabhupada-New-Vrindaban-1972

Schedule:

Fri. Aug. 9- Maharaja arrives

Sat. Aug. 10 – gives Srimad Bhagavatam class

Sun. Aug. 11 – gives Srimad Bhagavatam class

Sun. Aug. 11 – gives Sunday feast lecture

Monday Aug.12         5 – 7 PM: Dharma Sastra under the Lodge

Tuesday Aug. 13        5 – 7 PM: Dharma Sastra under the Lodge

Wed. Aug. 14             5 – 7 PM: Dharma Sastra under the lodge

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What is the Dharma Sastra Course

The Dharma Shastri Course will present an overview of the ancient Vedic culture and traditional lifestyle as originally practiced in India, based on principles of Simple Living and High Thinking, the remnants of which can be found in various indigenous cultures around the world even today.

The course will help uncover forgotten concepts that have been the foundational pillars of the ancient Vedic culture for centuries.

Of particular interest will be the guidelines provided that will help establish a balanced social structure and the components needed to help establish a sound educational curriculum design.

The information given in the courses is taken exclusively from the ancient texts and covers a wide range of topics including politics and economics. All are welcome to attend the seminars.

For more information and registration please contact Gaura Nataraj das at: gaurnatraj@gmail.com

To know more about varnasrama dharma, please visit the following sites: www.iskconvarnasrama.com

Wonderful Service Opportunity
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05.23 – As long as we mistake the irresistible to be essential, we deprive ourselves of the essential
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Sometimes worldly desires, especially immoral and anti-devotional sexual desires, seem irresistible. No matter how much we try to resist them, they seem to keep returning again and again till we become too exhausted to resist and give in to them.

The Bhagavad-gita (05.22) provides the intellectual impetus for continuing the resistance: worldly pleasures are sources of misery. The enjoyment is fleeting, whereas the resulting emotional entanglement is lasting.

Even when we understand this intellectually, worldly desires still seem irresistible emotionally. At such times, it’s critical that we don’t mistake the irresistible to be essential. Just because it seems as if we can’t live without something doesn’t mean that we actually can’t live without it.

Addicts serve as unfortunate but universal examples. Drug addicts feel they can't live without their shot of cocaine. But the reality is that cocaine prevents them from living properly. Their addiction deprives them of life’s essential aspects – mental clarity, financial security, family stability, for example.

The same distraction from the essential happens, though in a less visible degree, for those of us who mistake irresistible material desires to be essential. We are souls, and our eternal necessity for real fulfillment is love for Krishna. As long as we keep pandering to our irresistible-seeming worldly desires, we leave ourselves with little time or energy to cultivate devotion to Krishna. And thus we deprive ourselves of spiritual happiness.

Thankfully, bhakti-yoga shows the way out of this trap of mistaking the irresistible to be essential. When we fix the mind on Krishna, then the resulting divine thoughts offer deep fulfillment, thereby gradually freeing us from the evil grip of our specific psychological illusions. The Bhagavad-gita (05.23) assures that those who successfully resist material desires attain lasting happiness.

 

**

Before giving up this present body, if one is able to tolerate the urges of the material senses and check the force of desire and anger, he is well situated and is happy in this world.

Tuesday, August 6th, 2013
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To Please Guru and God

Toronto, Ontario

Our guru, Srila Prabhupada always wanted to see his ashrams and temples look good, that they would be clean, neat and tidy. This was evident by the things he said and did. If need be, he would go at it himself to fix the problem or insist that his young and energetic students clean up whatever mess may have been created.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Cleanliness leaves a good impression, it also makes the atmosphere very conducive for spiritual activity. You want to have an atmosphere that is clean, both externally and internally for body and soul.

Our guru liked things first class. That attracts and this attraction ultimately would direct a visitor or seeker to Krishna.

Today was another day where neatness, colour and décor came to grace our temple. God and burgundy drapery was hung over the upper windows of the temple’s dining room called Govinda’s. The look in the end is gorgeous and is fit for a king in his palace. Of course, everything was done smartly and from a practical point of view, done within budgetary means.

This particular room is a 20 foot high ceiling space with Gothic arches and columns at their junctures. This room was also the original chapel for a Methodist congregation at the turn of the 19th century. Royal chambers they now resemble and are there to please guru and God. Visit Govinda’s for a great meal and ambience, feel spiritual; Monday – Saturday, 12 – 2:30 pm and 6 – 8:30 pm.

8 KM

Monday, August 5th, 2013
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A Question Came

Leamington, Ontario

A question came from one of our retreat members as we had some time to kill.

“When I approach people about this higher consciousness, they sometimes express disinterest, ‘The problem I have with all of you religious people is each one of you expresses the same self-righteousness. You say we are the only true faith or this is the highest form of religion or there’s the classic, only one way. How do I know which way is right? Maybe you’re all wrong.’ What kind of a response can I give these people that I meet?”

To answer such a sincere question, here’s my take on it.

Answer: As an objective and sincere seeker of the truth one can see that there are many many choices around there, around the globe, and people have benefitted tremendously from participating in the various spiritual functions. We would like to affirm that any system that brings you closer to the Divine is valid and can be honoured. Any program that especially subdues ego is to be praised, and blessed are those who have acceptance, beyond tolerance, for anyone whose approach is different from their own.

Now, how to know the right path? You are at liberty to scan all that’s available to you, and when you get to the Hare Krishnas just check out the delicious sponsored vegetarian feast, the drumming and the singing of ancient mantras and have a look and hear an ancient wisdom rich in philosophy. See the smiles and the happy faces, hear about a dancing God who’s also musical and tilts His head to a curious gesture that reads, “Won’t you celebrate with me?"

That’s how I would answer it.

10 KM

The capacity for austerity
→ KKS Blog

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

bhismaarrowbedOften, when I read the Srimad Bhagavatam, I think of Bhismadeva with the hundreds of arrows that pierced his body yet he was still totally peaceful. He was still instructing Yudhisthira, whereas we – with one arrow, then call the ambulance. And we wonder which would be louder, our scream or the siren of the ambulance! So it is like we have such little tolerance and such little determination. We have no training or austerity.

I have been on Indian unreserved trains. You have these people, they can sit on the door for ten hours. I cannot sit on the door for ten hours!  It is not a yogi but an ordinary villager who can sit on the door for ten hours. I can sit on the door for ten minutes then a certain part of my body turns black and blue. Literally, on these trains, by sitting on the floor I have bruises. I was not made for these kinds of conditions - did not grow up with that.

So what is our capacity for austerity? Coming from the West to modern India, it is catching up quick that gradually we become really soft. I was once carrying suitcases with cash on the train as a service for some purchase of land. So I took a first-class air-conditioned coach and it cost just as much as a plane.

jelly fishOn this train, you have a bell. It was just me and one other man in the compartment. This man, he was like extremely soft; I was not sure whether there were any bones inside of him. He was draped on the seat and he had this button. Whenever he pushed the button a servant would come and he would say, “In ten minutes the station is coming, go and see if there are any samoosas…”  He would send this guy onto the platform to buy something more to eat. At every stage, he would call by ringing the bell.

Gradually, we are all becoming like that – no more bones but soft and jellyfish like - just pushing buttons to satisfy the senses so what austerity can we take!?

 

Recover spiritual health by regular cultivation of Krishna consciousness
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Nescience… is compared to the disease called jaundice, which is caused by bilious secretions. Attacked by jaundice, the tongue of a diseased person cannot palatably relish sugar candy. Rather, a person with jaundice considers something sweet to taste very bitter. Avidya (ignorance) similarly perverts the ability to relish the transcendentally palatable name, quality, form and pastimes of Krishna. Despite this disease, if one with great care and attention takes to Krishna consciousness, chanting the holy name and hearing Krishna's transcendental pastimes, his ignorance will be destroyed and his tongue enabled to taste the sweetness of the transcendental nature of Krishna and His paraphernalia. Such a recovery of spiritual health is possible only by the regular cultivation of Krishna consciousness.

Nectar of Instruction 7 purport

The First Two Processes
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While thinking of something to post on the Japa Group, I sometimes struggle to come up with a new or interesting quote or video/audio recording but then I remembered Srila Prabhupada's instruction that all devotees should write daily realisations.

Today I wanted share a realisation - our spiritual life hinges on chanting the Holy names, it's the basis of Krsna consciousness....sravanam and kirtanam hearing and chanting as enunciated by Lord Chaitanya.

When we understand the importance of these two processes....then we can realise how this affects the rest of our sadhana - for example attentive Japa will mean we can hear class with attention.

The first two processes of devotional service are the most important.