Planet ISKCON

Upendra Prabhu and I had just observed Nirjala Ekadasi in Sri Vrndavan Dham.It was June of 1977. The temperature was over 100*. Even though we were young we became very weak and I could hardly stand up by the end of the day.Upendra would cook Srila Prabhupada's lunch every day spending hours every morning toiling away in the kitchen. Srila Prabhupada had been sick and he actually came to Vrndavan specifically to 'leave his body'. Even though Upendra worked so hard to prepare the foods the way Srila Prabhupada liked it; Srila Prabhupada had been refusing to eat.

For the previous few weeks when the Plate was brought to Srila Prabhupada he waved it off saying, "Distribute!". Well after fasting the day before and becoming so weak Upendra got frustrated when Srila Prabhupada again refused to eat. Upendra asked Srila Prabhupada how it was that we young boys could barely survive one day of fasting in the Vrndavan heat and he had been fasting for weeks now. Upendra asked Srila Prabhupada, "How do you do it?"

Srila Prabhupada responded, "I am living proof that the soul is not dependant on the body for subsistance; but rather the body is dependant on the soul"! Although I was a neopyhte I could see that Srila Prabhupada was totally Krishna conscious and above the bodily concept of life. He was/is a total inspiration to me. Those were the best days of my life. To serve Srila Prabhupada in Sri Vrndavan Dham was a dream come true. I counted my blessings as I gazed out my window at night and could see Srila Prabhupada translating his books all night long on his rooftop.I could hardly sleep at times anxious for the next morning when I could resume my daily services for Srila Prabhupada. All glories to our transcendental spiritual master; the acharya, our living proof!

"He lives forever by his divine instructions and the followers live with him"

By Gauridasa Pandita Dasa

2013-06-02 – Sunday Feast Drama – Surrendering Of Chand Kazi To Lord Caitanya – Gopal Funs School

Prabhupada began to tell a story. “Krsna said to one old lady, ‘You are so ugly, you should marry a monkey.’
“‘No’, said the old lady, ‘I have given up all material desires. I will marry you, Krsna!’
”‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ All the gopis and boys clapped and laughed.

While Prabhupada said this, his eyes lit up and he became very animated, laughing at the humorous pastimes of Krsna. “So Krsna was defeated,” said Srila Prabhupada, “by that laughing of the gopis.”

I recently visited the Radha Gopinatha Mandir in North Sydney. The devotees asked me to give a series of lectures about remembering Srila Prabhupada. I took the opportunity to read from relevant verses of Bhagavad-Gita and tell different stories and pastimes of Srila Prabhupada that occurred throughout his life.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Verse 3.24: If I did not perform prescribed duties, all these worlds would be put to ruination. I would be the cause of creating unwanted population, and I would thereby destroy the peace of all living beings.

As the Gita continues to speak about the necessity of leadership, it brings to mind another question that perhaps some of you have also pondered. Is it better to follow great persons or better to imitate? Please find below today's "post" in the form of an infographic I put together highlighting some of crucial differences between following and imitating.


Are you convinced?

Lecture – Devamrita Swami – Controlling the Heart

Here is the most recent version of the BBT Style Sheet.

You can have it either of two ways:

• The BBT Style Sheet (June 2013) (Word file) (392 KB)
• The BBT Style Sheet (June 2013) (PDF file) (753 KB)

The style sheet offers the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust’s latest standards on such matters as spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and word choice.

This is a routine update.

You can always find the latest version of the style sheet on the permanent page of BBT editorial resources.

The post Updated BBT style sheet (June 2013) appeared first on Jayadvaita Swami.

Here is the most recent version of the BBT Style Sheet. You can have it either of two ways:

• The BBT Style Sheet (June 2013) (Word file) (392 KB)
• The BBT Style Sheet (June 2013) (PDF file) (753 KB)

The style sheet offers the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust’s latest standards on such matters as spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and word choice. This is a routine update. You can always find the latest version of the style sheet on the permanent page of BBT editorial resources.

read more

Here is the most recent version of the BBT Style Sheet.

You can have it either of two ways:

• The BBT Style Sheet (June 2013) (Word file) (392 KB)
• The BBT Style Sheet (June 2013) (PDF file) (753 KB)

The style sheet offers the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust’s latest standards on such matters as spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and word choice.

This is a routine update.

You can always find the latest version of the style sheet on the permanent page of BBT editorial resources.

read more

Bhakti Charu Swami spoke at New Dwaraka Dhama.

“So many young Americans came forward to help Srila Prabhupada. Obviously they were somehow previously related to him from their past lives. It was not just a chance happening. One devotee, in  a humble mood, told Srila Prabhupada, ‘Before meeting you I was so fallen, so engrossed in all kinds of sinful activities, and you came and saved me.’ And Srila Prabhupada replied, ‘No, your fallen condition was superficial; as soon as I called, you came.’ As soon as Srila Prabhupada arrived in America, all these young boys and girls came forward as if they were just waiting for Srila Prabhupada to come. By Krishna’s divine arrangement they were planted in different parts of this world, and when Srila Prabhupada came, they came forward. Some simple happening completely changed their lives.” — Bhakti Charu Swami

Bhakti Charu Swami

by Domingo

When you are on dialysis you live a double life. You are like a bat who goes flying around for a while and then you return to the dark quiet cave where your blood is recycled, away from the eyes of those who know you. It is like keeping a secret. Some people regard you as a mysterious entity, not quiet human, because you spend a lot of time hooked to a machine in order to survive, and that makes you a little subterranean: a little subaquatic, rather. Those on dialysis are like a school of fish, emerging into the light after a stay in the cold chill water at bottom of the sea.

When I lay in the metal bed with the tubes driving the blood slowly into and out of my veins through long needles, the deep, monotonous gargling sound of the machine cleansing the blood in my ears, I fall into a sort of trance. My mind wanders. It frees itself from the flesh, somehow, and travels places and sees things from the past, and sometimes from the future. People like to think of disease as a physical state, yet it is largely a journey of the mind, the spirit. At all times the mind dances on the tight rope and senses the possibility of death. It is not impossible to perceive, as if out of the corner of one´s eye, flowing of specters nearby.

The supernatural is involved in everything that happens to a person. We refuse to admit it, for the sake of solidity in life, for the sake of sanity, but then there are those moments when a fleeting shadow crosses before our eyes and leaves us trembling with an undefinable sadness, a fear, because we have been tapped on the shoulder by a cold hand, the hand of someone no longer in the physical world, or when we have dream which cannot be explained by any form of reasoning. For some weeks before I was diagnosed with end stage kidney failure, I had a reoccurring dream, in which I saw a large, very healthy looking vampire bat sucking the blood from a cow with a sort of dumb relish. Its fur had an amazing copper luster. I know now that the beast was a symbol for the machine which would soon be ingesting and regurgitating my altered blood, my treacherous blood.

Filed under: Liver Transplant

Verse 3.23: For if I ever failed to engage in carefully performing prescribed duties, O Pārtha, certainly all men would follow My path

For the past few verses, we've been discussing two essential aspects of leadership: 1) walking one's talk when everyone's watching and 2) walking one's talk when no one is watching.

Today though, I'd like to discuss a very subtle aspect of leadership and that is: motivation.

Our motivations and consciousness behind pursuing or doing anything has a huge effect on others. This especially holds true when a person is in a position of leadership.

In our world today, we have numerous examples of leaders whose motivations are questionable. Some may be in it for the power, others for the prestige and others due to the amount of money such positions may bring.

Note the one thing all these motivations have in common - they all serve the interest of one person alone; the person who is the "supposed" leader.

True leadership is when a leader puts their self-interest last and puts the welfare of others first. That leader is the one who doesn't micro-manage but instead allows and encourages everyone elses' gifts shine. Their yardstick in personally measuring how good a job they are doing as a leader is in witnessing the successes and growth of the people they are in charge of. In fact, if someone surpasses them in their own skills or talents, they take great happiness in that.

In other words, they are interested in creating more leaders, not just gathering more followers.

That's exactly what we are hearing today from the Supreme Leader. Krsna is revealing his consciousness in this verse by saying, "If I fail to set an proper example, then everyone else will follow that." As the Supreme, He has the best excuse not to have to follow anything but Krsna doesn't opt for that route. Why? Because He is showing by example what it means to be a true leader.

So if you're ever in a position of leadership or given that opportunity, think back to this verse. It's an important one to meditate on as it will always guide you to adopt the true spirit of leadership.

Give the fear back
to the sun

give the fear back to the man,
to the earth and to the god,
give the fear back
to the teacher
to the doctor
and the shrink

back to whom put it in you.
to the father, to the mother
and the door you could not open,
and the house of the suicide
and the dog
foaming at the mouth

hold nobody´s hand when walking,
love no one and hate nobody.

be alone.

be alone through life and death
and fear nothing
give the fear back to your blood,
give the fear back to your mind,
to the man who gave it to you
long ago

give the fear back to the book
to the knowledge in the book
which is nothing,
to the temple and the truth
which is a lie, give the fear
back,
and remain empty,
empty of thought or expectation,
empty of guilt and of redemption,
turn away from shades of angels
and be alone,
be alone until the wind
that comes out of the great sea
may for nothingness mistake you

and upon its currents take you
to the End

give your fear away forever
today

Filed under: Liver Transplant, Poetry

This Saturday, June 22, everyone is welcomed out to our Escondido farm for the day. We will be thinning out abundant crops, preparing new summer crop beds, weeding, planting and much more. On the farm there are many animals, including two cows (Shreya & Lila), who are being protected and cared for their whole lives and are thus lovingly providing cruelty-free raw milk and ghee.

Bring your friends, gardening tools, straw hat, and gloves.

Pure H2o & a farm fresh veg.lunch will be provided.

 

When: Saturday, June 22nd, 2013.  Any time between 10am and 4pm.

Where: 1365 Rincon Ave. Escondido. Ca. 92026

Questions? Call Shawn 951.233.9374
Directions to farm from San Diego:
1. Freeway 163 North
2. Freeway 15 North toward Escondido (19 miles)
3. Freeway 78 East (.8 miles)
4. Take exit 17C for Centre City Pkwy N (.5 miles)
5. Turn right onto N Iris Ln
6. Turn right onto W. Country Club Ln (.1 miles)
7. Continue onto Rincon Avenue (1 mile)
**** Destination will be on the right

From Bloomberg Businessweek

Filed under: News, Ramblings or Whatever

I was fanning Srila Prabhupada in his garden. Swarupa Damodar Swami had just come and began to tell Srila Prabhupada about the scientific conference they had just held in Bombay. Even though this was the time when Srila Prabhupada was sick; he became very enlivened by hearing of the preaching program. Srila Prabhupada sat up straight and pointing his finger to the sky, he declared, "Actually I appeared in this world for two reasons: to establish Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and to defeat the rascal scientists!" He told Swarupa Damodara that he was very pleased that he was preaching in the scientific community like that. Srila Prabhupada wasn't against all scientists; just the ones who tried to 'replace' God and promote their atheistic theories such as the 'big bang' and the like. Some of the devotees today are doing a good job preaching in the scientific community. I'm sure this is very pleasing to Srila Prabhupada.

There is a big debate, in India and around the world, over who is the Supreme Godhead. Srila Prabhupada cleared up the issue and established that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He did this using guru(teacher); sastra (scriptures) and sadhus(saints) to support the facts and his own realization. Srila Prabhupada didn't water-down the philosophy just to attract some easy followers. He presented the highest truth. Because of Srila Prabhupada, people in every town and village around the world are now chanting the Holy Names of the Lord and perfecting their lives. All glories to the greatest guru of our times; who worked so hard day and night, to translate the Vedic literatures that benefit us now and for thousands of years to come. Srila Prabhupada gave us the highest treasure; the 'matchless gift'. Let's take advantage of the gift and go back home, Back To Godhead!

Vrndavan, India June 1977

By Gauridasa Pandita Dasa

I was fanning Srila Prabhupada in his garden. Swarupa Damodar Swami had just come and began to tell Srila Prabhupada about the scientific conference they had just held in Bombay. Even though this was the time when Srila Prabhupada was sick; he became very enlivened by hearing of the preaching program. Srila Prabhupada sat up straight and pointing his finger to the sky, he declared, "Actually I appeared in this world for two reasons: to establish Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and to defeat the rascal scientists!" He told Swarupa Damodara that he was very pleased that he was preaching in the scientific community like that. Srila Prabhupada wasn't against all scientists; just the ones who tried to 'replace' God and promote their atheistic theories such as the 'big bang' and the like. Some of the devotees today are doing a good job preaching in the scientific community. I'm sure this is very pleasing to Srila Prabhupada.

There is a big debate, in India and around the world, over who is the Supreme Godhead. Srila Prabhupada cleared up the issue and established that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He did this using guru(teacher); sastra (scriptures) and sadhus(saints) to support the facts and his own realization. Srila Prabhupada didn't water-down the philosophy just to attract some easy followers. He presented the highest truth. Because of Srila Prabhupada, people in every town and village around the world are now chanting the Holy Names of the Lord and perfecting their lives. All glories to the greatest guru of our times; who worked so hard day and night, to translate the Vedic literatures that benefit us now and for thousands of years to come. Srila Prabhupada gave us the highest treasure; the 'matchless gift'. Let's take advantage of the gift and go back home, Back To Godhead!

Vrndavan, India June 1977

By Gauridasa Pandita Dasa

            I am writing this because many times people ask me how I got into writing, especially after having written so many books and articles. So I have decided to give it a full explanation to reveal how it began, whether my writing be an artistic, intellectual or spiritual expression.
            To begin with, I had always liked writing. I wrote as a means of expression and documentation, and for sharing with others my thoughts, realizations and experiences. I wrote my first science fiction story in my first grade class. As I grew, I tended to be attracted to the arts far more than athletics, even though all my neighborhood friends always played sports. Later, I also wrote poetry. Then in my early twenties I kept a journal for several years, which, later on while reading it, served as an interesting reminder of all the foolish things I’ve tried through the years, and then I threw most of it away.
            I tried writing an adventure novel when I was a teenager when the James Bond series became popular. Needless to say, I never got past 20 pages. I had also taken an interest in music and seriously pursued that for 10 years, when I focused on guitar and especially bass guitar, becoming quite good at it, taking the bass into areas of being a lead instrument rather than merely a part of the rhythm section. This was back in the late 1960s and early 70s before many bass players tried to do that.
            I also took an interest in painting, doing graphic designs in the psychedelic and black light genres in the late 60s. That was fun at the time. Painting lead me into being interested in photography, which started as an artistic expression, later leading me into wedding photography and doing a few hundred weddings over several years. Then I started doing what I call cultural photojournalism, which I still do today when I travel to India, developing a collection of over 18,000 slides and images I’ve taken of Indian holy places, festivals, people, historical sites, etc.
            Only after I took to my spiritual pursuits and reading many books on Eastern philosophy in the early 1970s, especially those of Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, did I start writing my own summaries and my own indexes to these books. Some of these were quite extensive and served as excellent reviews and study guides for later research when I needed them. This was long before they had such books on the Vedabase or computer, which made looking up topics much easier. In fact, to this day I still use those indexes that I wrote to look up the relevant references I need in my research for writing.
            Later, in the 1980s, I started to think that many other people, especially westerners like me, would also probably like to have access to this information, but without having to read 20 volumes of books in order to put it altogether and understand it properly. So I started thinking that writing some good, in-depth introductory literature might fill a need, especially at the time when many people were looking more deeply into Eastern philosophy to make sense of things or to add more meaning to their lives.

WHAT MOTIVATED ME TO WRITE
            One thing I saw early on was that bookstores had many metaphysical and new age and philosophical books, but many of these used no real basis of authority, were sometimes without references, and could also be merely someone’s ramblings and speculations that were misleading. And these were published books? My concern was how to get some authorized material out there that could lead people to real spirituality, and also to an accurate view of what is genuine Vedic philosophy.
            Another thing I saw was the genius of Srila Prabhupada who was practically the first to make standard Eastern texts and authorized translations, like the Bhagavad-gita and the more extensive Srimad-Bhagavatam as well as others, acceptable to the general marketplace by making them attractive, both through nice covers and beautiful interior illustrations on the topics described within. He was very particular about how the books were meant to be presented and formatted, and how the interior paintings were meant to look. These were actually able to be placed in some bookstores. Nonetheless, most of these books were still distributed hand-to-hand by the devotees to others. And the activities of selling these spiritual books through the devotees was quite lucrative. But it was not something that I could do very well. The temple president would force me to go out and try, but when I would return, I would have little to show for it.
            I was not very good at doing this sort of book distribution. I had no problem in talking to people who were already interested, but I was rather introverted and did not like approaching people who were strangers to me. I thought that there must be another way through which people would become attracted to this knowledge, a way in which the books would sell themselves, or a way wherein people would be interested to buy the books of their own accord. A way in which I, a shy person, could also participate in distributing this knowledge through books without having to go door-to-door or person to person. Nonetheless, many people appreciated the books that were sold by the devotees. And now there are ways of putting the books of Srila Prabhupada on book stands wherein they are attractive and easily purchased by customers. This is very important, but I also had some ideas. So, what to do?

THE TURNING POINT
            While living in the ashrama and serving in the Denver temple in 1975 and 76 as a manager and treasurer, I would get notices from the Los Angeles BBT (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) that would include quotes by Srila Prabhupada wherein he would say that he expected his disciples to read all of his books, and then they should also write according to their own realizations. This stuck with me for a long time.
            In fact, I was addicted to his books. The very vibration that the books exuded kept me holding and reading them. I would go so far as to stay up late at night just to get the time to read these books. After everyone else went to sleep in the ashrama, I would light a candle and sit, using my trunk as a desk, and read and take notes. The temple president at the time got angry with me for spending all of my spare time reading. I remember he told me once that reading was for temple presidents and sannyasis, and everyone else should simply serve. I knew that was bhogus because of what I had already read from Srila Prabhupada books and the quotes I got from Los Angeles. However, I was not one to argue, at least back then, but I was also not one to give in to some poppycock. If I could not read these books, especially the new ones that were coming out, along with doing whatever other service I was scheduled to do in the temple, I would have easily left the temple and simply worked outside to feed my habit of reading his books. But I stayed in the ashrama, did my service and sadhana, and kept reading anyway.
            By 1984, I stopped writing my own reviews and indexes to the BBT books, except for any new ones that were published, and started thinking of how I could start writing my own books and articles to introduce this spiritual knowledge to others. By then I was located in Detroit, living in my own apartment, and where the temple did not have a newsletter to offer and send out to their congregation. Many temples did that, but we did not have one at the time. So I volunteered to make one, like a quarterly publication, a simple four page foldout. Even the temple president wanted to have such a newsletter. So I put a few things together, interviewed the temple president on his vision for the temple, made a prototype of the newsletter and about 20 copies to show people. Everyone liked it and agreed this should go forward. So I was set to go. But the temple treasurer at the time told me that, in spite of everyone else’s approval, he was not going to give any money for the project. In an extremely rude manner, he simply said, “Sri Nandanandana, I’m not giving you any money for this.” Then he laughed in my face and smirkingly said, “Good luck.”
            It was right then when I realized that if I was going to do any project that I thought was necessary and that I wanted to do to share in distributing this knowledge, even a simple quarterly newsletter, I should not expect any support from anyone. Certainly not even the temple. I was on my own and would have to do everything myself. (I did not know it at the time, but this was Krishna’s arrangement to direct me in a way to do something far bigger.) And so, even though I was disappointed, rather than getting mad or upset that someone was not supporting me and not allowing me to do this project, even when others thought it was a good idea, I merely thought of how to get around this problem, and then I made a plan.

NOT GIVING UP
            The first thing was to write something. At first I thought I would write a fiction novel that would incorporate the spiritual knowledge people should understand. I had a number of ideas, but the words simply were not coming to mind, and I couldn’t write anything.
            So I started to think about writing non-fiction, and then things simply exploded. I had too many things to say, too many ideas. Finally, I decided to write a home study course, which included a book on the main topics, a few tapes to listen to, a few additional transcripts of songs and things to read, and then a test, which when passed, a person would get a certificate of completion. So I started writing in my spare time. But how to finance this?
            Later, I made up a business plan calculating how much money may be needed and how much income I may get back and presented it to our local GBC or Iskcon authority. Again the response was nil. Nothing was said in return, either positive or negative. Later I learned that he was having his own problems and was soon gone from Iskcon anyway. So now what to do?
            So I again realized that though I knew I had a good idea and a vision of how to do it, no one else had the faith. So I would have to finance it myself. After that I got a regular job, at first as a security guard. This allowed me to do my service around the temple and then work in the evening. It also allowed me to read and study most of the time while at work. So in the morning I would write, and then I would work the evening shift and spend most of my time reading. This worked out great. And then the money I earned went towards publishing.
            I then learned all about the publishing business and how to form my own publishing company, which I did as The World Relief Network. When you are a small business, you need to sound like you are big, global even, so others will be more willing to work with you, or in this case order my books. Plus, I really was trying to relieve the world of its problems by spreading spiritual knowledge. So I registered the name, got my own ISBN numbers for my books and publishing company, and whatever else I needed, so when my first book came out, in 1986, which was “The Secret Teachings of the Vedas,” it was listed in Bowker’s “Books in Print” and other directories, along with my publishing company. I printed only 100 copies at the time, a simple edition which was in rather small print. Then I advertised the home study course in a few publications. It was fun when orders would come in, but to my surprise, most people would order only the book, and only a very few ordered the whole course. That was OK with me, but it was not what I expected.
            Then something happened that really surprised me. A large distributing company, Baker & Taylor, started ordering the book from me. They had obviously gotten orders for it, and they serviced both libraries and book stores. So this put everything into a different perspective. Then I realized that I needed to get more serious about this and do things more professionally.

UPGRADING THE BUSINESS
            By 1987 I had been to India and had taken lots of photos and gathered lots of information on the spiritual traditions on the holy places of India. So when I sold out of the first edition of my book, I re-edited it with a more readable interior, and professional cover with a color photograph, put in a travel section with 60 or more black and white photographs, and everything else that it needed. I then had 2000 copies printed. Then I re-marketed it under my legal name of Stephen Knapp rather than my spiritual name, which seemed a little difficult for most people to say. Gradually, things started to take off.
            I had divided the original manuscript into two parts. So, a few years later, the second part was made into my second book, “The Universal Path to Enlightenment,” which was a review of the basic spiritual paths and religions around the world, and the factors that were common to all of them that was also the essence of the Vedic path, concluding with the way to enlightenment in this age through chanting the holy names. Putting another travel section in it, I then published this as well. As sales picked up, I realized that this was becoming like a cottage industry.
            The only thing is that publishing is a fast way to make a slow buck. In other words, you have to invest a sizable amount of money, like $5000 at that time, for a good 2000 copies of the 300 page book, which gives you a good discount on the per-book-basis (costing roughly $3 or so per book), and able to still make a profit on each book sale, selling them for $14.95 retail, or $6.93 wholesale at a 55% discount to wholesalers, or a 40% discount to retailers, which is the industry standard. But the money trickles back in according to the number of sales, especially when you are catering to such a small niche market as Eastern spiritual philosophy. People are interested in this topic, but you have to reach the right people and let them know the book is available for them. And unless you are already a big name in the field, sales will take time.
            To do this I had to continue working a regular job to collect the funds, or even take loans from my father, in order to keep publishing more books. My father helped me a lot, several times, but I remember he once told me to stop writing books. He was always proud of my accomplishments, but never thought I would be anything but a starving artist, or in this case a starving author. But writing was now my mission–to spread this knowledge for the benefit of others, and I had too many book ideas to stop, and positive results were happening and I was getting good feedback from readers. Even other devotees were buying my books wholesale and having good luck at selling them to occult or new age bookstores.
            So then I kept writing and stopped telling my father about what I was doing. In fact, at times not many people around me knew what I was doing, except those who bought the books. I kept quiet about it but continued working at it, writing and publishing books as I could, depending on my time and finances. The topics were varied, some books took longer to do than others, but my list of books slowly grew. And some books sold better than others.

MY PURPOSE IN WRITING
            My purpose in writing books was never to be in competition with anyone, especially the books of my own spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada. That is why I do not promote my own books that much to those who are already in the temple ashrama or initiated in the movement. They should simply finish reading all of Srila Prabhupada’s books.
            My purpose was to make this information more marketable and package it in what I thought would make it even more acceptable in today’s market place, meaning bookstores and other outlets where people could be attracted to purchase the books of their own accord. Nowadays, the internet is becoming one of the most effective avenues of distribution available. So my thought was how could I, being merely one guy, develop the most effective plan possible to reach the widest number of people regardless of where they were in the world without much help, and without having to verbally repeat the same message time and time again, especially since my memory is not what I wish it was. Anyway, whether it was perfect or not, this is what I came up with.
            My target audience was those who did not have much exposure to the Vedic spiritual knowledge, or who were looking for something deeper than what they had, and present something in a way that would make them want to take a look at it and see what it had to offer. So, what I wanted to do was to make this deep and sophisticated philosophy easy to understand for westerners like me who wanted to deepen their own spiritual development. I was so glad I had discovered it. It had completely changed my life. So, I figured other people would be happy as well, if they could get an introductory book that they could easily understand, and did not overwhelm them with what could be too many strange words or concepts.
            By the year 2000, I had written several books that were well accepted and I started getting requests to speak at engagements or conferences. This was mostly by other Hindu organizations, not the Iskcon temples, which seemed odd at first. After all, I was a part of Iskcon, but it was other Hindus who appreciated my writing the most. This was not part of the plan. My plan was to write for westerners who were looking for a simplification of this knowledge so they could apply it to their lives. The point was, if they cannot understand it, they will not remember it. If they cannot remember it, they will never apply it to their lives. And if they cannot apply it to their lives, you have missed your purpose. That is why I never wrote using too much Sanskrit or words people cannot understand. Because if people do not comprehend it, or it goes over their heads, and then they get bored, they may put the book down because of that, in which case you never know when they may pick it up again. So you have to be careful of that. So my plan was to make the sophisticated philosophy simple so anyone could understand it. And to my surprise, there were many Indian Hindus who also liked my writing style.
            One of the reasons for that was that I was fairly nonsectarian in my writing. I did not emphasize the superiority of one Vedic path over another, but presented them as all part of a family, something for everyone, but used shastric or scriptural references to make my points and show what was most recommended, and how to apply it in life in a practical way. I simply showed what the Vedic spiritual knowledge could do, what it says, and what it has to offer, especially from my own point of view and the realizations and spiritual progress that I made with it, and why others should also be interested in it. Other people also seemed to like that style of presentation.
            By 2001, I did my first organized lecture tour of India, that time with Professor Subhash Kak. The whole trip was paid for and organized, and it was my first time speaking to full Indian audiences, the size of which averaged from 100 to 200. But it went very well. I got increasingly used to it and began speaking more boldly. You could always tell how well you did by how many people came up to speak with you after the talk. And many were interested to hear the words of a Westerner on the importance of Vedic culture and how it had affected my life, and how I got started through the teachings of Srila Prabhupada. At one point in Vishakhapatnam, I spoke especially strongly about the need to protect and preserve Vedic culture by clearly understanding it and following it. Afterwards a man came up to me and said, “When you were speaking I felt like you were the return of Vivekananda.” Of course, I’m not Vivekananda, but for an Indian Hindu to say that to a Westerner, it is an extremely high compliment.
Various lecture tours continued whenever I was in India. Then in 2009, I did a lecture tour through Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Goa, etc., where I did something like 90 lectures at 76 different institutions, all in 30 days, or about three lectures a day. At this point it has been a privilege to have given hundreds of lectures and talks at other temples, conferences, colleges, universities, Dharma summits, and Hindu youth camps, and more. All this was because of writing books and becoming known as an author and authority on topics regarding different aspects of the Vedic spiritual culture, and for being one who still strongly advises the need and ways to protect, preserve, promote, and to perpetuate the Vedic culture.

FINALLY REACHING MY GOAL
            The advantage of having written the books I’ve done is that I have since been to India 10 times to give lecture tours while having someone else pay my way and organize the events. It has opened many doors of opportunity for my own preaching work in ways I never expected. Even now I get invited to more conferences than I can attend, and I have met many other writers and authors who have also been working on spreading this knowledge in their own ways. I have also met many other spiritual authorities from various walks of life, many of whom have appreciated what I do, and I now get emails from people all over the world, some places rather remote and where I never would have gone personally, who express their gratitude for having come in contact with my books or the articles on my website, and to keep up the great work. These are all great to receive and for which I am most thankful.
            Presently, I have now completed 25 books, and a dozen free Ebooks, along with numerous articles on my website, to help people understand many different aspects of Vedic culture and its spiritual philosophy. I have over 5000 Facebook friends, a list of 1800 and growing followers, and other newslists with many people who stay in tune with the writing I do, and what I have to say. My websites (www.stephen-knapp.com or http://stephenknapp.info and http://stephenknapp.wordpress.com) also attract 4000 unique visitors everyday, and get from 15,000 to 20,000 hits a day. I’ve also put out a number of lecture and travel videos on the internet that have been much appreciated as well. Much to my surprise, it all keeps growing.
            My books are all available through Amazon.com and many other outlets, and they sell on a continual basis without much promotion, whether it is only several a week or over 50 a week. The books are also available in Kindle and other E-reader formats, which now sell more than my paperback books. And all of this happened simply because of my decision to make my own plan when I was not allowed to do a simple newsletter for the temple. But there are others who are also doing fantastic work to help spread this knowledge, too. I’m just glad to be a part of it.
            Thankfully, now I no longer need loans, nor do I need to work at outside jobs to get the money I need to keep publishing and writing my books as I did years ago. That is a blessing by itself. Now I can simply focus on my service to God, to humanity, and to Guru. Publishing has also gotten much simpler than before, and the outlets for books make it possible to reach greater numbers of people in more countries than ever before. So things have improved greatly.
            However, I need to remember that this was a slow process of reaching this stage, and has taken years of austerity and hard work. Yet, it is not like I can sit back and relax. I feel I still have more important books to write, and this takes more research, more writing, and more publishing. So I’m far from done yet, though I admit I’m fairly pleased with what I have accomplished so far, even without the support from anyone to help me do this, except my father who helped a lot at first, but later told me I should stop doing this. But my goal was to help as many people as possible and relieve the world as much as possible from the troubles that evolve from a lack of spiritual understanding. That was always my purpose to share what I’ve learned with those who may also be interested. It turned out that there were many more who were interested than I expected. That is a pleasant surprise. I may not be the most popular writer in the spiritual genre, and I certainly don’t plan to be, but I’m happy with what I’ve been able to accomplish, which is now more than I expected. It also gives me great pleasure to hear how my books have assisted various devotees early in their spiritual development. That is what I live for, to help in this way for everyone.
            Nonetheless, what has served me most, besides the encouragement from people who really appreciated and benefitted from my books, was the instructions from my own spiritual master to write according to my own realizations, along with the blessings from God to help me have the strength and perseverance to keep going, and the mantra “Never give up. Never give up. Never give up.” I never gave up, but continued to pursue what I thought was a necessary need in the world, to help spread genuine and deep spiritual knowledge and the means to follow the path by which anyone could attain their own spiritual realizations and direct perception of these spiritual truths.
            I still have more work to do, but I’m also happy that at this point I have set up things in a way wherein even if I died today, my work and books will continue to circulate and be available to those who are interested, and benefit those who are looking for this type of deep spiritual knowledge and insight. Who knows how many people I may continue to assist in the coming generations, people I will never know. I am very thankful for being able to help in such a way. Nothing means more to me than this.
            All glories to Guru and Gauranga!
            Sri Nandanandana dasa (Stephen Knapp)

Verse 3.22: O son of Pṛthā, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I a need to obtain anything — and yet I am engaged in prescribed duties.

Krsna, the speaker of the Gita, is known as Yogesvara. The name Yogesvara refers to the one who is the master of all mystic powers and the greatest of all yogis.

For all those of you who consider yourselves to be practitioners of yoga (or aspiring practitioners), this verse is of great importance since it teaches a key lesson in leadership. And for the rest of you, by the end this post you might realize that yourself are an aspiring yogi!

But before we get to that, I'd like to ask all of you a question today:

What does the word yoga mean?

I'm sure something came to your mind...so hang on to it! As many of you may know, Sanskrit is a complex language where one word may have several meanings. The context a word is used in is just as important as the many meanings it may have. That being said, there is always an essence or root from which each word stems from and for the word yoga that is: to link up

Link up in the sense of establishing relationships. The first step starts with establishing a relationship between the body and soul by recognizing they are different. After all it takes a minimum of two things to even have a relationship! By recognizing that difference, then it becomes easier to understand how they relate with one another (a key to any successful relationship). In conjunction with understanding that relationship, as one progresses, the linking aspect goes deeper.

It's about making soul to soul connections.

That's what we all crave and what we are all seeking for, whether we are aware of it or not. Ultimately, the goal of yoga is to re-establish our loving and eternal connection with the Supreme.

That's why spiritual texts like the Gita are so invaluable - because it's not just anyone giving us practical guidance and help but the Supreme Himself.

Recognizing that aspiring yogis (i.e. persons who want to "link up") may need some step by step guidance, Krsna is not just telling us what to do, but showing us by His own example.

That is, He's walking the talk. In Chapter 2, we discussed at length the importance of performing work and the spirit in which one does so. One question that we didn't address there was - why do we even need to perform work? That answer is given today - to obtain things that we need (i.e. food, clothing, shelter etc...)

What's amazing is the fact Krsna, being the Supreme, doesn't need to obtain anything because He has everything! That is, there is no need for Him to do work. However, just to show us by example "how it's done", He does so.

This is what real leadership is all about. It's about recognizing the fact that actions inspire and motivate others and getting out there and doing what you speak!

We invest in devotees to help them succeed.

We invest in devotees to help them succeed.

Vegetation helps sustain life. We eat many plants, herbs and so forth in our daily diet. But, we must remember to be choosy. Some plants, trees or shrubs are potential killers of man. Some part of the ornamental plants or flowers in your yard may contain deadly poison. Many poisonous plants are so common and seemingly innocuous you do not suspect their toxic qualities.

For example, who would expect that the beautiful oleander bush-grown indoors and outdoors all over the country-contains a deadly heart stimulant, similar to the drug digitalis?

It is easy to be deceived by plants…one part may be edible while another is poisonous. The following chart lists some of the more common poisonous plants.

Filed under: Cows and Environment

Yasodeva das, a disciple of Devamrta Swami and Caitanya Ballabha Das, a disciple of Janananda Swami, live in Sydney and do service for the Lotus Room centre in Kings Cross. At the moment they reside in a new property that was purchased in Liverpool Street.

Every week, along with Hatha Yoga classes and different well being courses that are held, they have discussions on spiritual subjects from books like Bhagavad Gita and other sastras. Topics such as reincarnation, karma, meditation and a balanced life are talked about. These classes are mainly for those who are serious in learning more about the Krsna Conscious lifestyle.

Verse 3.21: Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.

Have you ever had the experience where you've met someone for the first time, yet you immediately felt that they were your well wisher? Or conversely, you knew instantly that someone had ulterior motives while talking to you? If so, you've experienced exactly how sensitive the soul is. The soul can sense these subtle energies that we give off to one another.

That's probably why we tend to judge people by their actions first and their words second. It makes sense if you think about it. After all, actions can reveal a lot more about how a person feels and where their intentions lie much than their words which can mask their true thoughts. That is why the Gita is stating here that a great person is revealed by the exemplary actions they perform. They don't just speak inspiring words, but inspire others by their very actions.

We may have the great fortune of having such individuals in our own lives. One of the things you may notice about them and marvel at (I certainly do!) is that:

they always try to act consistently irregardless of whether or not anyone is watching.

In fact there is a beautiful story I'd like to share that demonstrates this incredible quality. Once, a mother of a young boy asked Mahatma Gandhi to help her. Gandhi, being the loving individual that he was, immediately asked how he could be of service. The mother stated that her boy was addicted to sweets and requested the Mahatma to please tell the boy not to eat them. The Mahatma was more than willing to, but he had one request for the mother. He asked her to come back with her son one week later. Although the mother was puzzled, she agreed and after a week passed by she came back to see Gandhi along with her son.

At that time, Gandhi spoke to the boy and with great conviction in his voice said, "Please don't eat sweets!" The boy immediately nodded and promised he wouldn't. The mother, although happy, was still confused. She voiced her bewilderment by asking Mahatma Gandhi why he hadn't simply instructed her son the week before. Gandhi answered saying, "How could I tell your boy not to eat sweets last week when I myself was eating them! This week I gave up eating sweets and so only now I feel comfortable requesting your son to do the same."

I remember when I heard that story I was struck by two things. Firstly, our own behaviour and convictions can have a great effect on others whether they are aware of what we do or say privately. This is greatly illustrative of how sensitive the soul actually is. Secondly, it also demonstrated to me that words carry greater weight if we ourselves are practicing whatever advice or observations we offer.

Although it's a high standard to aspire to, what to speak of maintain, it's a worthy goal to work towards. It's a win-win situation if we try to live our lives this way. After all, most of us would probably like to be considered persons of integrity and as the saying goes: integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. The second win is the fact that our personal dedication to "walking our talk" may have the incredible ripple effect of inspiring others in a positive way. So try it for yourself and "walk your talk!"

Amogha gave Justin a couple of Back to Godhead magazines and walked with him to his car. Justin expressed his mind -- he had found Prabhupada's arguments thought-provoking and convincing -- especially those concerning the connection between contemporary problems and the bodily concept of life. As he was leaving he turned to Amogha and smiled. "Now I have to go back to my fourth-class life." Amogha related this to Srila Prabhupada, who was happy to hear the news. "This means he has understood," Prabhupada said. "He is better than so many clergies."

The quote above is taken from a conversation between Prabhupada and Justin. It was to a certain degree long winded going back and forth. Finally Justin had to leave Prabhupada’s association. The quote above is during his exit talking to Prabhupada’s disciple Amogha.

If you notice at the end, although Justin acknowledged everything Prabhupada said, still he indicates going back to “fourth class life”. So did Prabhupada’s preaching succeed or fail because if Justin went back to fourth class life then did his preaching make any lifestyle difference? Prabhupada expresses happiness that Justin intellectually understood the subject in comparison to numerous clergies who cannot even understand the basics.

So Srila Prabhupada sowed the seed of spiritual knowledge. The hope is this seed will fully fructify into love of God, in time. However, at the current instant, Prabhupada was satisfied with the seed. This shows his patience and detachment from fruits despite his laborious efforts.

We should also aspire to follow in Prabhupada's footsteps. We may preach to so many people with all our heart and mind but no one may take up Krishna consciousness, some may appreciate the philosophy and some may not care…regardless of the result we should be detached from the fruits of our labor. This detachment can come within us only if we fully understand that Krishna is the Supreme controller (and not I) and ultimately He is the one who inspires  people (from within) to be Krishna Conscious.

Hare Krishna

Amogha gave Justin a couple of Back to Godhead magazines and walked with him to his car. Justin expressed his mind -- he had found Prabhupada's arguments thought-provoking and convincing -- especially those concerning the connection between contemporary problems and the bodily concept of life. As he was leaving he turned to Amogha and smiled. "Now I have to go back to my fourth-class life." Amogha related this to Srila Prabhupada, who was happy to hear the news. "This means he has understood," Prabhupada said. "He is better than so many clergies."

The quote above is taken from a conversation between Prabhupada and Justin. It was to a certain degree long winded going back and forth. Finally Justin had to leave Prabhupada’s association. The quote above is during his exit talking to Prabhupada’s disciple Amogha.

If you notice at the end, although Justin acknowledged everything Prabhupada said, still he indicates going back to “fourth class life”. So did Prabhupada’s preaching succeed or fail because if Justin went back to fourth class life then did his preaching make any lifestyle difference? Prabhupada expresses happiness that Justin intellectually understood the subject in comparison to numerous clergies who cannot even understand the basics.

So Srila Prabhupada sowed the seed of spiritual knowledge. The hope is this seed will fully fructify into love of God, in time. However, at the current instant, Prabhupada was satisfied with the seed. This shows his patience and detachment from fruits despite his laborious efforts.

We should also aspire to follow in Prabhupada's footsteps. We may preach to so many people with all our heart and mind but no one may take up Krishna consciousness, some may appreciate the philosophy and some may not care…regardless of the result we should be detached from the fruits of our labor. This detachment can come within us only if we fully understand that Krishna is the Supreme controller (and not I) and ultimately He is the one who inspires  people (from within) to be Krishna Conscious.

Hare Krishna

Dry Wall Raising

60th Birthday Party

Saturday, June 8th. from 11 am to 5 pm.
(Rain Date Sunday, June 9th)

My house (yellow house at the end of Peaceful Lane)

Please do not bring presents.

Rather bring prasadam dishes, drills (with phillips head bits), and razor knives.

Donations of 1 hour of dry wall raising: measuring, cutting, raising and screwing in drywall will help me complete my part in finishing this house.

Please let me know if you will be able to participate. Thank you very much.

Any questions about the details, please call me at 304-843-2334.

Gratefully, Sukhavaha d

Filed under: News, Ramblings or Whatever

Should we Americans boycott sweatshops in places like Bangladesh?

That’s the question many people are facing after a horrific fire in a Bangladesh sweatshop recently killed more than 1,100 workers. But it isn’t always an easy one to answer.

As New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof explains in this link, workers in some underdeveloped nations see a sweatshop as preferable to conditions they otherwise might work in. Here’s how Kristof put it in a 2009 column:

“I’m glad that many Americans are repulsed by the idea of importing products made by barely paid, barely legal workers in dangerous factories. Yet sweatshops are only a symptom of poverty, not a cause, and banning them closes off one route out of poverty. At a time of tremendous economic distress and protectionist pressures, there’s a special danger that tighter labor standards will be used as an excuse to curb trade.”

In essence, sweatshop employees may be making a rational decision to work in places most Americans would not set foot in. The demand for their goods leads to jobs that pay better than in other parts of a developing nation’s economy. And in better conditions, as hard as that might be to imagine

On the other hand, our demand for their goods is why sweatshops exist. And while those facilities may be better than others in a country, they also can be exploitative and even deadly.

I am also including a link to an interview that ran in The Dallas Morning News Points section. The Q&A is with Texas Tech professor Benjamin Powell, author of the forthcoming Sweatshops: Improving Lives and Economic Growth. He explains why he thinks Americans should not boycott sweatshops.

What do you think?

NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas 

The exploitation is a symptom of a greater spiritual problem. Sharing on a practical level how one can get rid of the exploitive nature through spiritual realization is more productive than fighting the symptoms. Don't blow on the boil, operate!

To see all responses of the TEXAS Faith panel click here.

Should we Americans boycott sweatshops in places like Bangladesh?

That’s the question many people are facing after a horrific fire in a Bangladesh sweatshop recently killed more than 1,100 workers. But it isn’t always an easy one to answer.

As New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof explains in this link, workers in some underdeveloped nations see a sweatshop as preferable to conditions they otherwise might work in. Here’s how Kristof put it in a 2009 column:

“I’m glad that many Americans are repulsed by the idea of importing products made by barely paid, barely legal workers in dangerous factories. Yet sweatshops are only a symptom of poverty, not a cause, and banning them closes off one route out of poverty. At a time of tremendous economic distress and protectionist pressures, there’s a special danger that tighter labor standards will be used as an excuse to curb trade.”

In essence, sweatshop employees may be making a rational decision to work in places most Americans would not set foot in. The demand for their goods leads to jobs that pay better than in other parts of a developing nation’s economy. And in better conditions, as hard as that might be to imagine

On the other hand, our demand for their goods is why sweatshops exist. And while those facilities may be better than others in a country, they also can be exploitative and even deadly.

I am also including a link to an interview that ran in The Dallas Morning News Points section. The Q&A is with Texas Tech professor Benjamin Powell, author of the forthcoming Sweatshops: Improving Lives and Economic Growth. He explains why he thinks Americans should not boycott sweatshops.

What do you think?

NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas 

The exploitation is a symptom of a greater spiritual problem. Sharing on a practical level how one can get rid of the exploitive nature through spiritual realization is more productive than fighting the symptoms. Don't blow on the boil, operate!

To see all responses of the TEXAS Faith panel click here.

(this blog is recorded on the full page: quick time player needed; works best with Firefox or Explorer)

My wife and I are traveling to the devotee farm community, Gita Nagari, near Port Royal, PA this Thursday to assist other members of the Grihastha Vision Team facilitate a couples' retreat this weekend (June 7-9). In preparing for our part of the retreat, I’m naturally thinking of what makes a successful marriage and relationship. What might be some helpful tips, like sutras or codes, seeds to plant, that will ideally give rise to reflections on how to grow, nurture, and implement them? In many people’s experience, solutions to life’s varied problems are often simple to explain, but more difficult to carry out. However, where there is a will, there is a way, combined with prayer and a good support system.

Before I explain them in a little detail, let’s cut to the chase, by listing all four tips:

Tip 1: Be committed to personal growth work and the introspection it fosters in order to become the best person you can. Work on letting go of those parts of your conditioning that are unfavorable for having happy, healthy, and meaningful relationships. In short, “Know thyself,” or your strengths and weaknesses, and strive to improve for everyone's benefit.

read more

(this blog is recorded on the full page: quick time player needed; works best with Firefox or Explorer)

My wife and I are traveling to the devotee farm community, Gita Nagari, near Port Royal, PA this Thursday to assist other members of the Grihastha Vision Team facilitate a couples' retreat this weekend (June 7-9). In preparing for our part of the retreat, I’m naturally thinking of what makes a successful marriage and relationship. What might be some helpful tips, like sutras or codes, seeds to plant, that will ideally give rise to reflections on how to grow, nurture, and implement them? In many people’s experience, solutions to life’s varied problems are often simple to explain, but more difficult to carry out. However, where there is a will, there is a way, combined with prayer and a good support system.

Before I explain them in a little detail, let’s cut to the chase, by listing all four tips:

Tip 1: Be committed to personal growth work and the introspection it fosters in order to become the best person you can. Work on letting go of those parts of your conditioning that are unfavorable for having happy, healthy, and meaningful relationships. In short, “Know thyself,” or your strengths and weaknesses, and strive to improve for everyone's benefit.

read more