Embracing My Nature
→ Seed of Devotion

I have always considered my nature to be that of a brahmana - one who feels the most alive and content to study and teach.

Today, though, I have been embracing the fact that my nature is also that of a ksatriya - an administrator, leader, even a bit of a warrior.

I saw a picture tonight of me dancing in kirtan and tears poured down my face. I looked so intense, so passionate, like I was about to fight someone.

Accepting the fact that I have a ksatriya nature is so much harder than I thought it would be. As a woman, am I still lovable even when I bust out a sword?

Looking at that picture, I felt repulsed and liberated at the same time to accept the reality of my nature to be intense, outspoken, different, even a bit of a fighter. This is who I have been all along, all of my life. I feel like today I'm finally accepting that maybe it's okay to be this way, that there's a place in society for me. My journey is learning how to dovetail my nature in service to God.

In one sense, it's not that big of a deal. I'm a brahmana-ksatriya by occupation. Teacher-warrior, no sweat.

Because ultimately, strip away all of those designations and I'm just a soul crying for Krishna.


"I am not a brahmana, I am not a ksatriya, I am not a vaisya or a sudra. Nor am I a brahmachari, a householder, a vanaprastha or a sannyasi. I identify myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna, the maintainer of the gopis. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance."
- Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya Lila, 13.80
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Embracing My Nature
→ Seed of Devotion

I have always considered my nature to be that of a brahmana - one who feels the most alive and content to study and teach.

Today, though, I have been embracing the fact that my nature is also that of a ksatriya - an administrator, leader, even a bit of a warrior.

I saw a picture tonight of me dancing in kirtan and tears poured down my face. I looked so intense, so passionate, like I was about to fight someone.

Accepting the fact that I have a ksatriya nature is so much harder than I thought it would be. As a woman, am I still lovable even when I bust out a sword?

Looking at that picture, I felt repulsed and liberated at the same time to accept the reality of my nature to be intense, outspoken, different, even a bit of a fighter. This is who I have been all along, all of my life. I feel like today I'm finally accepting that maybe it's okay to be this way, that there's a place in society for me. My journey is learning how to dovetail my nature in service to God.

In one sense, it's not that big of a deal. I'm a brahmana-ksatriya by occupation. Teacher-warrior, no sweat.

Because ultimately, strip away all of those designations and I'm just a soul crying for Krishna.


"I am not a brahmana, I am not a ksatriya, I am not a vaisya or a sudra. Nor am I a brahmachari, a householder, a vanaprastha or a sannyasi. I identify myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna, the maintainer of the gopis. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance."
- Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya Lila, 13.80
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Scientific Spirituality
→ blog

<h3><strong>Science is Great</strong></h3><p><span>Science is great! Science helps us understand the world, cure diseases, build great things like computers, mobile devices, skyscrapers, and jet airplanes. It is useful, fascinating and magical. Indeed, sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, as the physicist and science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke</span> <a href="http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Arthur_C._Clarke/">famously said</a>.</p><p>Moreover, additional benefits of science include wonderful inventions like coal-fired power plants, automobiles, and industrial farming, all allowing humans to do great things like <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/entire-rainforests-set-to-disappear-in-next-decade-585840.html">destroy the rainforest</a>, <a href="http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg1/ar4-wg1-spm.pdf">raise the temperature of the entire planet</a>, and <a href="http://innovationwatch.com/extinction-the-causes-and-consequences-of-the-disappearance-of-species-by-paul-and-anne-ehrlich-random-house/">cause mass extinctions</a>, clearly undesirable side effects of science. However, science will surely be able to solve the problem it has created. Take the Toyota Prius, for example, a wonder of technology, a hybrid car that is extremely fuel efficient. While it still uses fuel like any other car, it is much better than the gas-guzzlers of yesteryear. So good that its “fuel efficiency” is <a href="http://fatknowledge.blogspot.com/2005/05/horses-vs-cars.html">close to that of a horse</a>. With a few more years of scientific advances, we will surely be able to make cars that run on nearly nothing, re-grow the rainforest and clone extinct species back into existence. So, science is great. Right?</p><h3><span><strong>The Horsemen Approach</strong></span></h3><p>Have you heard of the Four Horsemen? The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Horsemen_of_the_Apocalypse">Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conquest">Conquest</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War">War</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famine">Famine</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death">Death</a>, are described in the last chapter of the Bible as harbingers of final judgement of God over all people. However, I’m not speaking of these horsemen. Rather, I’m referring to the self-styled Four Horsemen known as the torch-bearers of the “New Atheists” movement: Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens. These four scientists claim to represent critical thinking, knowledge and reason. Disagree with their thinking and you must be an irrational, delusional religious fanatic. After all, they represent science. </p><p>The most famous of the Four Horseman is Professor Richard Dawkins of Oxford University. A prolific author, Dawkins is best known for his book “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618918248/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=julianseidenb-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0618918248">The God Delusion</a>”. He also occasionally gives <a href="http://www.richarddawkins.net/events">public lectures</a>. I remember hearing of one of his lectures a few years ago. </p><h3><span><strong>The Horseman Speaks</strong></span></h3><p>I was sitting in my office in the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester, an office with narrow slits of windows letting in a little daylight, a building that is perpetually either too hot or too cold, having been designed with a monstrously over-powered air-conditioning system for the vacuum tube computers of years gone by. This building, the hallowed halls of learning, the zenith of Western Civilization, is not named after <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing">Alan Turing</a>, the famous scientist from Manchester who came up with a universal theory of computation. Instead, it is named after <a href="http://www.computer50.org/mark1/kilburn.html">Tom Kilburn</a>, the engineer who built the first stored program computer, highlighting the difference between science and engineering. Scientists come up with ideas, but it is the engineers that make them actually work and create technology. Engineering is applied science. </p><p><span>While sitting at my desk, Mikel, a friend and fellow PhD student, came in wearing a large backpack. I waited until he sat down and caught his breath, then asked him where he just came from. He explained he was at Oxford University for a public lecture by Richard Dawkins. I then asked what he thought of the lecture, expecting a rant about how Dawkins was brilliantly condemning religion, especially the Catholic Church. Mikel was a staunch atheists with a special axe to grind against the Catholic Church, an organization quite prominent in his home country of Spain. I enjoyed these rants, as they were quite entertaining and often led to interesting friendly arguments between the two of us.</span></p><p><span>Much to my surprise, however, Mikel said he was disappointed by Dawkins’ talk. Mikel explained that he was expecting Dawkins to make some good arguments for atheism, but instead the Professor was using emotional language and preaching like a Bible-basher. According to Mikel, Dawkins sounded as much as a religious fanatic, as the religious leaders he was speaking against with such “religious” fever.</span> </p><p><span>I remember this incident because it taught me of the insidiousness the Western materialistic scientific worldview. Matter is imbued with extraordinary secret powers. The material universe can come from nothing by magic, life can arise from matter by accident, and consciousness can arise from the brain by biochemical reaction. These claims are true, because, well, they just are.</span></p><h3><span><strong>Science is True</strong></span></h3><p><span>Let us examine a few of the ideas of materialistic science. I was quite astounded when I first learnt of each of these, reacting with a “wow, I would never have thought!”</span></p><p>It is common knowledge that the Earth orbits around the Sun. The Earth as the center of the Universe is an archaic idea, an outdated concept, one that no one believes in anymore. Western scientists as far back as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolaus_Copernicus">Copernicus</a> have discovered that actually the Sun is in the center and the Earth <a href="http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/retrograde/copernican.html">orbits around that</a>. </p><p>But not so fast. If we dig a bit deeper we learn that accepted wisdom is false. The Earth actually orbits around the gravitational center of the solar system. Large planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, pull on the Earth with their enormous gravitational force. This causes the central point of orbit to vary greatly. Indeed, it is almost <a href="http://mechanicalintegrator.com/?p=148">never being centered directly on the Sun</a>. We can go further still. Let us take into account that our entire solar system is orbiting around the galactic core, and our galaxy, in turn, is probably moving and orbiting in some undiscovered pattern around other galaxies. So, why do we believe one childish simplification of the structure of the universe (Sun is the center) in favor of another (Earth is the center)?</p><p>To <a href="http://our.ownpointofview.com/?p=1">quote Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi</a>:</p><blockquote><p>"Luke, you’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our <a href="http://www.obimomkenobi.com/2008/06/many-of-the-truths-we-cling-to-depend-greatly-on-our-own-point-of-view/">own point of view.</a>"</p></blockquote><p><span>There is more scientific “truth” that falls into this hazy realm, a realm of generally accepted scientific wisdom, a place of theories that no one has ever verified by observation and theories which are impossible to verify by observation.</span></p><p><span>One such hypothesis is the big bang theory. It proclaims to explain the origin of matter, time and space, but it seems highly unlikely that anyone will be able to stage an experiment to verify what actually happened at the beginning of the universe.</span></p><p>Then there is macro-evolution. A species is defined as a group of life-forms that <a href="http://www.pnas.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&amp;pmid=15851674">can interbreed producing fertile offspring</a>. Evolution claims that species evolve into other species, yet scientists have <a href="http://www.icr.org/index.php?module=articles&amp;action=view&amp;ID=867">never observed</a> any animal evolving into a new creature that no longer can interbreed with members of its previous species).</p><p>The last question we will tackle is the origin of life, and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/026269221X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=julianseidenb-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=026269221X">origin of consciousness</a>. How best to get to the bottom of these mysteries and know for sure? Could such a thing even be possible? Believe it or not, I see very good reasons to be optimistic about solving these conundrums.</p><h3><span><strong>Science is becoming more Scientific</strong></span></h3><p><span>Why do I see reasons to be optimistic? Two reasons, each converging on the other, as if seeking to merge in a wonderful fusion of spiritual and material knowledge.</span></p><p><span>On the spiritual side: we are rediscovering ancient spiritual knowledge that gives a detailed scientific account of life, the universe and consciousness. More on this a bit later on.</span></p><p>On the material side: some scientists are beginning to remove the blinders of materialism, considering that perhaps there might be more to the universe than just matter. Chinks are beginning to appear in the armor of the Western materialist worldview. People are beginning to realize that <a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/k477132777n3660v/">money does not buy happiness</a>, unlimited economic <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/155963071X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=julianseidenb-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=155963071X">growth is unsustainable</a>, and something as subtle as consciousness plays a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-slit_experiment">significant role in the laws of physics</a>. Scientists are realizing there is a great need for scientific research to answer fundamental questions such as: What is consciousness? How can we become more conscious? What is happiness? How can we become more happy?</p><p>In short, science is realizing that true science can and should be open to the <a href="http://pypacademymiami2011.wikispaces.com/file/view/BRADY+Eng.pdf">study of everything</a> and scientific spiritual knowledge is eagerly waiting to be rediscovered by open-minded scientists. Wonderful! </p><h3><span><strong>Vedas: Knowledge of Everything</strong></span></h3><p><span>I first came across the Vedic wisdom ancient India in the year 2000 while studying at the University of Southampton. I stumbled upon a university club dedicated to studying and applying the knowledge contained in the Vedas. “Veda” literally means knowledge, and the many books that encompass the Vedic literature indeed contain a great deal of knowledge.</span></p><p><span>One of the many pearls of timeless Vedic wisdom is that real spiritual knowledge should be scientific. The Vedas teach how to use scientific methods to study and understand spirituality. This was an intriguing proposition. I had always admired the rigor of scientific knowledge, and here was a way to apply that methodology to the big questions of life (who am I, why are we here, etc.)</span> </p><p><span>The Vedic wisdom explains the mystery of conscious as follows.</span></p><blockquote><p><span>“O son of Bharata, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness.”</span></p><p>- <a href="http://vedabase.net/bg/13/34/">Bhagavad-Gita 13.34</a></p></blockquote><p>That is the basis of scientific spiritual teachings. The body only functions when there is consciousness, without consciousness there can be no life. At the same time, the conscious entity is a separate thing from the material body. Some interpretations of quantum mechanics lead to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0199753814/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=julianseidenb-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0199753814">similar conclusions</a>.</p><h3><span><strong>Happiness, proof in the pudding</strong></span></h3><p>Everyone wants to be happy. The United States of America was founded on the promises of the right to the “<a href="http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/">pursuit of happiness</a>.” Yet it offers no clue on how someone might go about finding happiness. Indeed, that is one of the great mysterious of life. What will make me happy?</p><p><span>It turns out that happiness is one of the key factors in the scientific approach to spiritual knowledge. The Vedic knowledge explains a step-by-step process for finding happiness, happiness with a very distinct flavor, happiness unlike any previously experienced, happiness that is, quite literally, out of this world.</span></p><p><span>Here is a quote from a Vedic scripture on the topic of happiness.</span></p><blockquote><p><span>“Some say that people will be happy by performing pious religious activities. Others say that happiness is attained through fame, sense gratification, truthfulness, self-control, peace, self-interest, political influence, opulence, renunciation, consumption, sacrifice, penance, charity, vows, regulated duties or strict disciplinary regulation. Each process has its proponents."</span> </p><p>- <a href="http://vedabase.net/sb/11/14/10/">Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.10</a></p></blockquote><p><span>All the persons I have just mentioned obtain temporary fruits from their material work. Indeed, the meager and miserable situations they achieve bring future unhappiness and are based on ignorance. Even while enjoying the fruits of their work, such persons are filled with lamentation. </span> </p><blockquote><p>O learned Uddhava, those who fix their consciousness on Me [Krishna], giving up all material desires, share with Me a happiness that cannot possibly be experienced by those engaged in sense gratification.”</p><p>- <a href="http://vedabase.net/sb/11/14/12/en">Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.14.12</a></p></blockquote><p><span>This quote acknowledges various approaches to attaining happiness, ultimately recommending the approach of fixing one’s consciousness upon Krishna, Krishna being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, universally revered throughout the Vedic literature. The happiness experienced during this practice of “Krishna Consciousness” is markedly different from the happiness experienced through so many other activities. Here we have a scientific hypothesis: happiness in Krishna Consciousness is distinct from the happiness experienced when pleasing the senses.</span></p><p><span>“Hold on!” you might say, “happiness is a subjective experience, not something that can be objectively measured. Science only deals with things that are objectively measurable.” True enough, but consciousness is an entirely subjective experience, and that is exactly what we are trying to study here. We have to cast off the shackles of materialistic science to make progress is this exciting new field of spiritual science. Just because something is not objectively measurable does not mean it does not exist, and certainly does not mean we should not endeavor to study it. Otherwise, if we neglected to study anything new and unknown, how could we make any progress?</span></p><h3><span><strong>Process</strong></span></h3><p><span>So how does one make process in this exciting realm where science and spirituality coalesce? The Vedic wisdom suggests an approach.</span></p><blockquote><p>“Now hear, O son of Pṛthā, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.”</p><p>- <a href="http://vedabase.net/bg/7/1/en">Bhagavad-Gita 7.1</a></p></blockquote><p><span>Here Krishna is speaking in the seventh chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita. He is explaining a scientific yoga process for understanding His nature. This process is more than just physical exercise. Yoga is a complete system for self-realization where the physical yoga postures are only one small part of the routine, there to make the practitioner fit to dive deeper into the complete system, culminating in complete absorption in the spiritual energy, resulting in full consciousness of Krishna beyond any doubt. So, at the end of a systematic process we have scientific proof.</span> </p><p><span>The process Krishna mentions involves integrating Krishna consciousness into everyday activities, aligning them with Krishna’s desires. Krishna recommends, reading about him, chanting of special Vedic mantras, contemplating the spiritual science and ultimately dedicating all one’s actions for a spiritual purpose. At the end of the process, the result should speak for itself.</span></p><p>As the Nobel Prize winning quantum physicists <a href="http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1932/heisenberg-bio.html">Werner Heisenberg</a> has famously said: </p><blockquote><p><span>“The first gulp from the glass of the natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.”</span></p></blockquote>

Lost Baggage
→ Tattva - See inside out

During the flight I had a recurring bad feeling. Then, after waiting at the Delhi Airport Baggage Reclaim for one-hour, it was confirmed. KLM had lost my luggage! I had no choice but to proceed toward the holy village of Vrindavana with the clothes I was wearing and the few books I carried in my hand luggage. As the taxi pulled onto the busy highway the deeper meaning began to dawn on me. To truly enter the spiritual reality we have to leave all of our attachments behind. To receive spiritual gifts, we have to come forward with empty hands. I wish that all my material attachments were in that piece of luggage, and KLM never managed to find it! Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as that.

When a learned sage was one asked to elucidate the meaning of illusion, he responded by jumping off his dais and running out into the courtyard. The bemused audience quickly followed him. He rushed towards a tree, grabbed hold of it tightly, and proceeded to hysterically exclaim “let me go! Let me go! Let me go!” It was a graphic explanation. We’re holding onto our possessions and our need for security. We’re holding onto our image and our desires for reputation and respect. We’re holding onto our hopes and our plans for the future. We want the spiritual reality to manifest, but we’re still not quite ready to let go. How can a mind agitated and pre-occupied with so many thoughts focus on more profound pursuits?

It sounds painful to “sever our attachments”. In actuality, detachment is the most liberating experience in the world. When we pin the picture of our human journey on the backdrop of spiritual eternity, we gain incredible perspective. Real Success, the Bhagavad-gita states, is demonstrated by determined, dutiful and conscientious action. We carry out responsibilities with the best of intentions, and simultaneously remain detached from the temporary fortunes (or misfortunes) that we are dealt. By leaving our heavy and burdensome bags of attachment behind, we find an immediate relief, and simultaneously prepare ourselves for the eternal peace.

Lost Baggage
→ Tattva - See inside out

During the flight I had a recurring bad feeling. Then, after waiting at the Delhi Airport Baggage Reclaim for one-hour, it was confirmed. KLM had lost my luggage! I had no choice but to proceed toward the holy village of Vrindavana with the clothes I was wearing and the few books I carried in my hand luggage. As the taxi pulled onto the busy highway the deeper meaning began to dawn on me. To truly enter the spiritual reality we have to leave all of our attachments behind. To receive spiritual gifts, we have to come forward with empty hands. I wish that all my material attachments were in that piece of luggage, and KLM never managed to find it! Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as that.

When a learned sage was one asked to elucidate the meaning of illusion, he responded by jumping off his dais and running out into the courtyard. The bemused audience quickly followed him. He rushed towards a tree, grabbed hold of it tightly, and proceeded to hysterically exclaim “let me go! Let me go! Let me go!” It was a graphic explanation. We’re holding onto our possessions and our need for security. We’re holding onto our image and our desires for reputation and respect. We’re holding onto our hopes and our plans for the future. We want the spiritual reality to manifest, but we’re still not quite ready to let go. How can a mind agitated and pre-occupied with so many thoughts focus on more profound pursuits?

It sounds painful to “sever our attachments”. In actuality, detachment is the most liberating experience in the world. When we pin the picture of our human journey on the backdrop of spiritual eternity, we gain incredible perspective. Real Success, the Bhagavad-gita states, is demonstrated by determined, dutiful and conscientious action. We carry out responsibilities with the best of intentions, and simultaneously remain detached from the temporary fortunes (or misfortunes) that we are dealt. By leaving our heavy and burdensome bags of attachment behind, we find an immediate relief, and simultaneously prepare ourselves for the eternal peace.

President of Iskcon Malaysia critically ill
→ ISKCON Malaysia

BY SANTI VARDHANA CAITANYA DASA

PHOTOS BY MULAKARANAM DASA

 

UPDATES FROM KUALA LUMPUR

6/2/2013 1.26pm

HH Bhakti Vrajendranandana Swami has unfortunately contracted shingles.

The Doctors at Mawar Specialist Hospital are at loss what to do because it would 
need a strong dosage of antiviral drugs to counteract the resistant bacterias of the shingles. 
They are afraid it would worsen the liver sclerosis. 

They are already giving the antiviral drugs. However they are concerned about the liver sclerosis.
Therefore, they had advised that we use traditional medicines or even prayers simultaneously.

Today Maharaja went to Mahkota Hospital in Malacca for liver check up and met
a liver specialist. According to the liver specialist, Maharaja's liver is 10% damaged due to auto immune hepatitis. Auto immune hepatitis is a form of immune disorder whereby the body's own immune cells attacks the liver cells. This progressively damages the liver daily and the doctors have to prescribe immuno-suppressant drugs  in order to suppress the immune cells from attacking the liver cells. 

Unfortunately, by doing so, it would lower the immune system of Maharaja's body. Any form of sickness could create damage to Maharaja's health. The liver specialist has confirmed that without administering this drug the liver would be completely damaged within a year.

Therefore, the Doctors are looking from all angles to see what is best for Maharaja to recover from all these complications.

We humbly request all devotee to please increase your prayers and hold kirtans in your respective temple for Maharaja's health.

What is shingles?

Shingles is a painful skin rash. It is caused by the varicella zoster virus. Shingles usually appears in a band, a strip, or a small area on one side of the face or body. It is also called herpes zoster.
Shingles is most common in older adults and people who have weak immune systems because of stress, injury, certain medicines, or other reasons. Most people who get shingles will get better and will not get it again.

What causes shingles?

Shingles occurs when the virus that causes chickenpox starts up again in your body. After you get better from chickenpox, the virus "sleeps" (is dormant) in your nerve roots. In some people, it stays dormant forever. In others, the virus "wakes up" when disease, stress, or ageing weakens the immune system. Some medicines may trigger the virus to wake up and cause a shingles rash. It is not clear why this happens. But after the virus becomes active again, it can only cause shingles, not chickenpox.

BY SIMHESVARA DASA

18/1/2013 2.44pm

HH Bhakti Vrajendranandana Swami Maharaja's  angioplasty operation came out very good together with a few balloonings and one stent insertion.
Maharaja is very conscious and thanked all devotees for their prayers for his good health. Maharaja will remain in Mahkota Hospital tonight and then be transferred to Mawar Hospital tommorrow.

18/1/2013 2pm

The two hour angioplasty operation was successful.
The major block was cleared and Doctors placed a stend
and few other blocks were also cleared.

Maharaja is conscious and responding well to devotees. 
He will be monitored for next six hours and will rest at
Mahkota Specialist Hospital Malacca. Tomorrow, HH will be 
transferred back to Mawar Specialist Seremban to continue 
medication for liver sclerosis. 

18/1/2013 11.29am
Earlier Maharaja had an incident-free journey in an ambulance.
Maharaja was accompanied in the ambulance by HH Janananda Goswami,
who is his dear friend, as both joined ISKCON 40 years ago same time.

17/1/2013 9pm HH Bhakti Vrajendranandana Swami Maharaja will be taken to Mahkota Hospital in Malacca tomorrow morning at 7am for angioplasty operation.

 

17/1/2013 5.51pm

HH Bhakti Vrajendranandana Swami Maharaja had a massive heart attack at 4 PM. His condition is critical now.  Simheswara Prabhu has to decide whether to bring Maharaja to the Temple or send Maharaja for the Angioplasty operation.

 

BY SIMHESVARA DASA

17/1/2013 1.11pm 

I had just visited HH Bhakti Vrajendranandana Swami Maharaja. Maharaja is better now. HH is speaking and breathing is with a bit of problem. Dry cough. Plan is to do angioplasty on one or more blocks.

 

BY SANTI VARDHANA CAITANYA DASA
16/1/2013 7.34pm
HH Bhakti Vrajendrannandana Swami Maharaja's health deteriorated again and Maharaja is in ICU now in critical condition. Maharaja is having difficulty in breathing.
The doctors wants to take Maharaja to Malacca to Mahkota Hospital for Angioplasty Operation.
However, Maharaja is very weak now and he needs to gain strength before he could for the Angio. The doctors are strengthening him now and hope to send Maharaja on Friday. Please kindly pray for Maharaja's recovery.
10/1/2013 8pm
At 8.22 PM I received call from Kalpavrksa Prabhu.

Doctors checked Maharaja again in evening and said that HH is completely free from all danger. However, the water content in Maharaja's body is high and they are now in process of draining the liquids from the body.

 10/1/2013 3:17pm
This is information we received from Kalpavrksa Prabhu, the disciple of HH Bhakti Vrajendranandana Swami, who is in charge of caring for Maharaja now.
HH Bhakti Vrajendranandana Swami Maharaja, is in ICU now and his condition is STABLE.  Maharaja is resting well now and doctors advised that he should not be disturbed by any visitation for now. HH had difficulty in breathing this morning and upon checking, doctors confirmed that Maharaja  had a mild heart failure.
Only devotees authorized by Simheswara Prabhu is allowed visitation for now. We request devotees
to kindly refrain from visiting our beloved Maharaja for now please.
We humbly request everyone to please kindly pray for Maharaja's quick recovery and discharge from ICU.

 

Classic ISKCON Vinyl – Srila Prabhupada – Mayapur LP
→ Sit Properly

In the collection that is Classic ISKCON Records, there have been a lot of strange practices that went into making these records. From incredibly shoddy recording to bizarre disorganization, it’s been very difficult to figure out not only what was released, but who released it and when.

mayapur-cover-1-600

The Mayapur LP covers all of these bases. And though it’s far from the most disorganized release, this one has me absolutely confused.

By all looks, this is an album that contains a live recording of a Hare Krishna Festival. That festival probably took place in Mayapur. The word “Mayapur” is on the front cover, and on the back there’s a blurb in four different languages that talks about the Mayapur festival. It explains that nobody in this recording was a professional musician.

The label of the record itself gives us a little more information, stating: “Live recordings of a Hare Krishna Festival.” Side one is simply entitled “Part I,” while side two is labeled as “Part II.”

So it seems pretty straight forward. Someone took a microphone and a tape recorder to the Mayapur festival, made some field recordings, maybe touched them up a bit, and then cut a record.

But that’s not actually what’s on the record. The recordings are three tracks of Srila Prabhupada. Two are definitely from the studio, while the last one could be live (or it could simply be in a bigger studio with more devotees).

Getting back to the confusion, I have no absolute idea which record label released this. The record definitely comes from Germany, and in Germany there were two ISKCON-based record labels. One was called Hare Krsna Records, which mostly released recordings made by Hansadutta das. The other was called Radha Krsna Productions, and it mostly released music by Acyutananda das. That said, both labels were somehow related and released at least one identical record (the Hare Krishna Festival, which I’ll reconvert soon, I promise).

The blurb on the back cover alludes to Hare Krsna Records. The center paper label makes no claim to either organization. However, the etching on the runout groove of the vinyl (called the matrix) is: RKP-1006. If true (and I believe it is – mostly because I have to believe in something), that would make this Radha Krsna Productions’ sixth record – and probably their last.

mayapur-cover-2-600

The Music

Side A
1) Hare Krishna Mantra

Side B
1) Sri-Sri Gurv-astakam
2) Jaya Radha Madhava

The first song, which takes up all of the first side, is the same recording featured on the first Krishna Consciousness record, released by Happening Records in 1966 (which I will get to soon enough). This was the only other time (as far as I can tell) that it appeared on vinyl. The second side contains two songs, the first of which is a fairly famous version of “Sri Sri Guru-astaka.” Both of these songs appear on the Hare Krishna Classics & Originals CD released in the 90s.

The last song is “Jaya Radha Madhava,” but it’s no version I’ve heard anywhere before. It’s not any of the BBT CDs, nor on any of the “Vintage Series” CDs. It’s also not been released on any other vinyl records as far as I can tell. This is a very sweet version with a full congregation of devotees chanting along.

You can listen to samples below:

Wild Speculation
As with most of the Classic ISKCON Records, we’re left with zero details about the recording, pressing and distribution of this release. In actuality, none of it makes any sense. Here’s both a record cover and label that appear to contain recordings of the Mayapur Festival. Yet, when you drop the needle, you’re blessed with Srila Prabhupada instead. How this came about is anyone’s guess.

My speculation is this: The devotees, perhaps in 1976 or so, decided that it would be nice to release a record of field recordings from the Mayapur Festival. Thinking that nothing could possibly go wrong, they threw together an album cover, got a bunch of labels printed and then went to record the festival. Along the way, somehow something went horribly wrong. Maybe the devotee tasked with pushing the [REC] button spaced out. Maybe it was recorded, but somebody misplaced the tapes (ie, “spaced them out”). Maybe the sound quality was so horrible that it was rendered unlistenable. Whatever the reason, the music they wanted to appear on this record wasn’t available.

So rather than trash a thousand (or more? less? who knows!) covers and labels, they decided to fill it with Srila Prabhupada. Listening to it, I can tell that they must have had the master tapes (or a good copy thereof) in their possession. The first song sounds great, especially considering it’s the oldest of the bunch. The second and third sound even better. With these in hand, they then sent thirty-three minutes of mono music to the pressing plant. And what we have now is a Srila Prabhupada album, half of which had been already released, in a record cover claiming that it was a stereo recordings of the Mayapur Festival. Surprise!

mayapur-label-a-600 mayapur-label-b-600

The Archival Process
This was one of the easier records to work on. My copy of it is VG+ on the Goldmine Scale, and while it’s got its fair share of pops and clicks, it sounds pretty good. You’ve got to understand that I’m archiving, not restoring. The difference is that while I am doing my best to fix the many, many tiny pops and clicks, it’s simply not possible to fix them all. While I can assure you that this particular record has never sounded better, I also have to remind you that it has been sourced from a 35 year old chunk of vinyl that has gone through the hands of who knows how many people (apparently including someone named Werner Wilde who thought it a good idea to put address stickers on his records). You will still hear some pops and clicks. The only way to really avoid that is to acquire the master tapes and do a full restoration.

I have archived this record in both lossless FLAC (level 8) and as high quality MP3s (320kbps). For most, the MP3s will do just fine.

mp3

flac

Just click on the button and it’ll take you to a page where you can download the zip file. Then open the zip file with WinZip (or whatever program you use to open zip files). Add to your MP3 library or burn it to a CD-R. Easy as pie!

Technical Information:

Media Used:
Vinyl LP from my personal collection.

Audio Equipment Used:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon w/ acrylic platter and Speedbox II
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M Red
Preamp: Bellari VP-130 w/ Sovtek 12AX7LPS Vacuum Tube
Soundcard: Roland Edirol UA-1EX USB external soundcard

Software Used:
Audacity 2.0.1 on Linux Mint 14 (recorded at 24bit/96kHz)
Gnome Wave Cleaner 0.21-17 (click/pop removal)
Gnac 0.2.4 (to convert file to 16 bit FLAC level 8 and 320kbps MP3)

Artwork:
Scanned at 300dpi with Epson v500 Scanner
Edited and Restored Using GIMP Image Editor 2.8.2

When Saying "You Are Not Your Body" Is Not Enough
→ Life Comes From Life




This is the first in a series of essays I am writing based on my thoughts and experience as a devotee of Krishna, associated with ISKCON, in the 21stCentury. These thoughts are mine and mine alone, resonant surely with other devotee's thoughts, but not representative of any community, temple president, or any other personality or spiritual master

I have submitted this piece to such websites as ISKCON News and Dandavats and so far it have not been published. While I hardly think the thoughts I have here are “radical” in any way, I have noticed a certain hesitancy to discuss some of the issues herein, like the place of LGBTQ people within our society of devotees, or to associate these issues in any kind of official capacity with the institution of ISKCON. This I find frustrating, because there are many devotees like myself who want to understand how our society can relate in a more honest and relevant way with our fellow brothers and sisters on this planet.

I hope that these words add to a fruitful and healthy dialogue as to the present and future shape of our devotional society. I intend no offense with these words, and if I cause offense by these words, I sincerely and humbly beg your forgiveness.

One of the most powerful spiritual experiences I have ever had in my life was when I had the chance to visit Srila Prabhupada's room at the Radha-Damodara Mandir in Vrndavana. It was, as you can imagine or may have experienced yourself, overwhelming to be so distinctly in the presence of Srila Prabhupada. His vibrations still filled the room so clearly, so mystically, if I may use that term with all sincerity, so long after his presence last filled that room physically. I immediately could sense my own place, who I was, who I wasn't, and what I was being asked to do, now that I had come this far, and committed as much as I could to becoming a servant of Prabhupada's mission.

All I could really do (all I can really do anyway) was pray, and beg. I begged to be given the chance to be a part, to be a servant, of carrying Prabhupada's mission forward into the 21stCentury. Contemplating this responsibility felt like a two-ton weight on my shoulders. Everything I had considered serious in a materialistic sense up to that point in my lfe had the buoyancy of a riven cloud compared to the weight of this calling for Prabhupada. It was a frightening feeling in one sense, because I had never considered anything so serious, but it was also a liberation, a clarity that burned away the angst I had felt as a confused American kid in my twenties trying to find sense and belonging in the isolating substance of the material world which surrounded me.

With as much love and humility as I could muster, I simply asked Prabhupada for the chance to serve his heart. I asked for the chance to share the gift he had given me, that he had given all of us. Rarely before or since have I been able to find such a prayerful state. I felt embraced by Prabhupada for my efforts, trusted even to do what he needed me to do, despite the primary fault of my existence in this world. I've always wanted to be a revolutionary, and here the chance was being given to me in a way I never could have imagined. Every step I would now take, even if it was sideways, even if it was backwards, was to be shaped by this calling. To have any hope, I would just have to hang on to Prabhupada's lotus feet and never let go.

**
I was recently approached by a new friend over Facebook, a gay man who wanted to share his story and his anguish in approaching the bhaktitradition, and in particular ISKCON temples. He was clearly and deeply attracted in his heart to Krishna, and he wanted to walk forward in that resonance of his heart. Yet he had encountered prejudice because of his sexual persuasion when he had gone to his local temple. He was deeply affected by this, and he asked if there was anything I could tell him to help with his spiritual anxiety. I told him about the Bhakti Center community in New York City, where I had lived for over three years and how it was generally more welcoming than most Hare Krishna temples, but other than this, I had no easy answer for this obstacle of prejudice that he was encountering.

It broke my own heart to hear this. I simply wondered, on the level of common sense, how those claiming to represent the tradition of bhakti, those who claimed to represent the exquisitely magnanimous heart of Prabhupada, who have the obligation, as best as they can, to represent the pure and perfect love of Krishna, could look at someone from the vision of their body, and turn them away from the gift they themselves had been given.

This exchange shook me to my core, and left me with some serious and probing questions. What were these devotees missing or misunderstanding in the way they had related to my friend? How does this reflect what we may be missing or misunderstanding in our communication as devotees to the world at large today? What could I be missing or misunderstanding in my own conception and perception of Krishna consciousness? If we are telling ourselves, and if we are telling others, that “you are not the body”, how can we can judge anyone by their body? “You are not the body” is a saying every devotee has as an essential tool in their arsenal of spiritual communication, but I often wonder, as many devotees do, if we really understand what this means? Do we really understand that this saying, as essentially true as it is, can have an alienating effect upon others if we do not also know how to respond, comprehend, and comfort the bodily prejudice so many people experience in this world?

**
I am now a student at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, which is one of the oldest and most prestigious independent and progressive Christian seminaries in America. It is a place where I have the great fortune of having my spirituality shaped through many different sophisticated, outrageous, and radical lenses. It is a place where I am able to see and experience the beauty, pain, and struggle of how so many others outside of the “traditional ISKCON” universe understand the nature of God and reality. It is a place where I can develop my identity as a progressive devotee. What does this mean to be a progressive devotee? For me, it is a conscious choice to live one's devotional calling by examining how the purport of Prabhupada's mission, and the culture and tradition of bhakti which comes from that mission, can communicate in the most relevant concert and concern with the contemporary time, place, and circumstances of the 21stCentury. To be a progressive devotee is not to abandon the fundamental principles that Prabhupada has given us, but it is to consider, as Prabhupada himself did, how to make these principles realistic and relevant for the people of this age.

To be a progressive devotee is a precarious position. It brings upon the serious concern and even condemnation of those devotees who are deeply suspicious of anything labeled as such, who feel that to label oneself progressive is to commit the offense of abandoning Prabhupada's core teachings. It creates the opportunity to respond in a very offensive manner to the sincere concerns of these devotees. I know I myself must be careful to use this label, for the reality is that all sincere devotees of Krishna are truly the most progressive people on this planet. We have been given a revolutionary process which questions the very status quo of material existence itself. To label one set of devotees as progressive and another as conservative is a dangerous political game, yet for the nature of these essays, I want to highlight certain distinctions, perspectives, and proclivities that devotees share and don't share, as a way of highlighting serious issues and arguments which are shaping, and will shape, the future of Prabhupada's mission in the 21stCentury.

There is nothing I can do in preventing devotees who are concerned with my position from expressing their concern. This is their sacred and natural right to do so, and I welcome any conversation that does not come from or lead to offensive attitudes and expressions. My response to their concern and their criticism must stand on the solid ground of the wisdom that Prabhupada has given us. I write this essay in that spirit, standing on the bedrock of the gift of Prabhupada's wisdom as much as I can, and in that spirit, I hope to contribute to a fruitful and much needed dialogue in ISKCON. In that spirit, I hope that my own misconceptions can be corrected, that our mutual unhealthy assumptions can be confronted and transcended, and that the practice and art of our spiritual communication can be brought to a more profound and relevant level.

***
The heart of my concern as a progressive devotee is a question of the engagement, and the relevance of that engagement, of our movement to society at large. There are two levels of relevance to be considered here: the ultimate relevance of bhakti and of Krishna consciousness to the existential situation of being in the material world, a relevance that is beyond reproach and even the vagaries of human reason itself. Then there is the theological and sociological relevance of Prabhupada's movement to the concerns of our contemporary society, concerns which include social justice, civil rights, poverty, ecological collapse, amongst so many other connected issues. Here is where I, and many other devotees, feel that our movement suffers in its communication and in its relevance. I was particularly struck by something that Yogesvara Dasa (Joshua Greene), an esteemed and long-standing disciple of Srila Prabhupada, said in an interview with an academic publication on “Being a Krishna Devotee”

“The most candid comment I can give about public perception of Hare Krishna in North
America is that I don’t think there is one anymore. The worst possible thing has happened,
namely indifference. There was a time going back 20 years perhaps when there was a public
perception of the Hare Krishna movement in the sense that people felt accosted in airports or
read reports of abuses or saw devotees chanting in public. Devotees were a more visible part
of the landscape of American culture previously.

Maybe then one could say there was a public perception because Hare Krishna was in the news, it was on television, it was in the papers for good or for bad...I believe that Vaishnavism as it has been historically will not be the same in the future for the simple reason that the world it lives in is not the same. There is a compulsion within Vaishnava faith to move into the larger society and to become relevant, and the Vaishnava community has yet to demonstrate its relevance. For 99.99 percent of the world we don’t matter. Krishna Consciousness is irrelevant to most of the world.”

To be relevant, and to find relevance, is to always be considering how the prophetic voice of our movement is responding to the concerns of our fellow living entities on this planet. It is to be open to having a historicistapproach to how we express our faith in the world. We are not raw historicists, in that we believe in an Absolute Truth that is beyond the relativism of history, yet our prophetic voice is best expressed with an intelligent application of our principles to the time, places, and circumstances which we are intimately connected to.

To find our relevance means to understand that we should not frame our communication to others in such a way that we ignore who they are and where they are coming from. We also have to prove our worth and pull our weight. We may not be of this world, but we are in this world. This we cannot ignore. We have to learn to give the gift that Prabhupada has given us in such a way that it makes sense in people's lives and to the concerns in their life. We may tell someone that they are not the body, and yet by doing so, we may completely ignore how we can relate our transcendental message to their particular situation of bodily marginalization, pain, and oppression. We may completely ignore the questions they have for us, as to how the heart of bhakti, of Krishna's love, speaks to the body they live in and the ground they stand on.

In our relation as devotees to the material world, to our own bodies, and the bodies of others, we must learn to be transcendent, and we must learn to acknowledge. To be transcendent is to truly understand that we are eternal spirit souls, lovers and friends of Krishna, whose true home is the spiritual world, and that our ultimate destiny is the liberation of pure devotional service. This is the goal and perfection of our existence, and all that we do should direct us and all others towards this goal. This is the gift that Prabhupada has given us.

One of the most powerful and eternally relevant verses Krishna speaks in the Bhagavad-Gita is this:

The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]. (5.18)

This verse calls all devotees, all living entities, to a spiritual vision and lifestyle which has no room for bodily discrimination. For me, this verse gives us the foundation of equality and justice which underlies all movements for the same within the material realm. The vision of the sage is the essential and pristine vision which must be at the core of all movements for equality and justice in the material world, from the fight for civil rights for those who are marginalized because of their race, gender, or sexuality, all the way to the consideration of the right to life, decency, and sustainable health for the wide diversity of plant and animal life that this planet holds. As Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport to this verse:

A Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not make any distinction between species or castes. The brāhmaṇa and the outcaste may be different from the social point of view, or a dog, a cow and an elephant may be different from the point of view of species, but these differences of body are meaningless from the viewpoint of a learned transcendentalist. This is due to their relationship to the Supreme, for the Supreme Lord, by His plenary portion as Paramātmā, is present in everyone’s heart. Such an understanding of the Supreme is real knowledge.

The vision of the sage sees reality as it actually is, but this doesn't mean that the sage ignores the reality that is right in front of him/her. When Prabhupada says that the “differences of body are meaningless”, he is not saying that those who claim to be a sage should treat everyone the same regardless of their bodily situation. The real sage does not discriminate according to the body. He/she gives the same grace of spiritual knowledge to everyone regardless of the color of their skin, the shape of their caste, or whatever their sexual preference is. The humble sage is able to use his/her intelligence to shape their message in such a way so that the mercy of Guru and Gauranga speaks specifically and intimately to each person's bodily/mental/existential situation.

The humble sage is able that to understand that to merely say “you are not the body” and not acknowledge the person's specific psycho-physical makeup is not enough. This acknowledgement is the supremely compassionate and intelligent awareness of the bodily, social, political, and sexual contexts that people come from, allowing the principles of bhaktito speak to them in such a way that it doesn't add to the injustice and oppression that they may face because of their body. To be able to acknowledge in this way is to give the gift Krishna consciousness so that it confronts this oppression and injustice and gives the ways, means, and inspiration to transcend it.

Frankly, in the general history of ISKCON, I feel that we not effectively learned how to transcend and how to acknowledge. I kneel and beg to be corrected, but I don't just base this statement on my own speculation, but on the experience and sincere feelings of many other devotees that I have encountered. Because we struggle so much to transcend and acknowledge our own bodies and our own standing in this world, we are left with a number of psychological and psychosocial hang-ups which have crippled much of our outreach. It has tended to harden our hearts, and with our hearts encased in the stone of our guilt, envy, and shame, how can we truly acknowledge and answer to those who approach us wanting to transcend their own pain and walk towards the loving embrace of Krishna?

As we try to mature in treating the subject of our transcendence with more compassion, patience, and common sense than has been the history of our movement, as we try not to “storm the gates of heaven”, as we understand that to purify our hearts is something that is the journey of a lifetime, or lifetimes, that must be done hand-in-hand and heart-to-heart with each other, we must learn to acknowledge our own bodies, our own material natures, and how these aspects of our existential situation can lead us further on to transcendence.

To be able to acknowledge means to not see our bodily and material situations as obstacles which should be smashed, but as aspects of our being which must be seen in the light of compassion and the wisdom of sastra, andalso in the light of our common sense and natural experience of our lives in this world. We have to reach people at the point of how they live their own lives, in the reality of their social location, and not through any oppressive assumptions of meaning that we may have of what their lives and bodies represent. In the same way we have to meet our own experience as devotees in terms of who we actually are, and not through the frameworks of assumption others may place upon us.

In the next essay I hope to further develop these points, to acknowledge my own discomfort with identifying with ISKCON, and to ask a serious question of devotees: do we really understand how bad the Kali-Yuga is in the manifestations which presently surround us and which oppress so many of us.

When Saying "You Are Not Your Body" Is Not Enough
→ Life Comes From Life




This is the first in a series of essays I am writing based on my thoughts and experience as a devotee of Krishna, associated with ISKCON, in the 21stCentury. These thoughts are mine and mine alone, resonant surely with other devotee's thoughts, but not representative of any community, temple president, or any other personality or spiritual master

I have submitted this piece to such websites as ISKCON News and Dandavats and so far it have not been published. While I hardly think the thoughts I have here are “radical” in any way, I have noticed a certain hesitancy to discuss some of the issues herein, like the place of LGBTQ people within our society of devotees, or to associate these issues in any kind of official capacity with the institution of ISKCON. This I find frustrating, because there are many devotees like myself who want to understand how our society can relate in a more honest and relevant way with our fellow brothers and sisters on this planet.

I hope that these words add to a fruitful and healthy dialogue as to the present and future shape of our devotional society. I intend no offense with these words, and if I cause offense by these words, I sincerely and humbly beg your forgiveness.

One of the most powerful spiritual experiences I have ever had in my life was when I had the chance to visit Srila Prabhupada's room at the Radha-Damodara Mandir in Vrndavana. It was, as you can imagine or may have experienced yourself, overwhelming to be so distinctly in the presence of Srila Prabhupada. His vibrations still filled the room so clearly, so mystically, if I may use that term with all sincerity, so long after his presence last filled that room physically. I immediately could sense my own place, who I was, who I wasn't, and what I was being asked to do, now that I had come this far, and committed as much as I could to becoming a servant of Prabhupada's mission.

All I could really do (all I can really do anyway) was pray, and beg. I begged to be given the chance to be a part, to be a servant, of carrying Prabhupada's mission forward into the 21stCentury. Contemplating this responsibility felt like a two-ton weight on my shoulders. Everything I had considered serious in a materialistic sense up to that point in my lfe had the buoyancy of a riven cloud compared to the weight of this calling for Prabhupada. It was a frightening feeling in one sense, because I had never considered anything so serious, but it was also a liberation, a clarity that burned away the angst I had felt as a confused American kid in my twenties trying to find sense and belonging in the isolating substance of the material world which surrounded me.

With as much love and humility as I could muster, I simply asked Prabhupada for the chance to serve his heart. I asked for the chance to share the gift he had given me, that he had given all of us. Rarely before or since have I been able to find such a prayerful state. I felt embraced by Prabhupada for my efforts, trusted even to do what he needed me to do, despite the primary fault of my existence in this world. I've always wanted to be a revolutionary, and here the chance was being given to me in a way I never could have imagined. Every step I would now take, even if it was sideways, even if it was backwards, was to be shaped by this calling. To have any hope, I would just have to hang on to Prabhupada's lotus feet and never let go.

**
I was recently approached by a new friend over Facebook, a gay man who wanted to share his story and his anguish in approaching the bhaktitradition, and in particular ISKCON temples. He was clearly and deeply attracted in his heart to Krishna, and he wanted to walk forward in that resonance of his heart. Yet he had encountered prejudice because of his sexual persuasion when he had gone to his local temple. He was deeply affected by this, and he asked if there was anything I could tell him to help with his spiritual anxiety. I told him about the Bhakti Center community in New York City, where I had lived for over three years and how it was generally more welcoming than most Hare Krishna temples, but other than this, I had no easy answer for this obstacle of prejudice that he was encountering.

It broke my own heart to hear this. I simply wondered, on the level of common sense, how those claiming to represent the tradition of bhakti, those who claimed to represent the exquisitely magnanimous heart of Prabhupada, who have the obligation, as best as they can, to represent the pure and perfect love of Krishna, could look at someone from the vision of their body, and turn them away from the gift they themselves had been given.

This exchange shook me to my core, and left me with some serious and probing questions. What were these devotees missing or misunderstanding in the way they had related to my friend? How does this reflect what we may be missing or misunderstanding in our communication as devotees to the world at large today? What could I be missing or misunderstanding in my own conception and perception of Krishna consciousness? If we are telling ourselves, and if we are telling others, that “you are not the body”, how can we can judge anyone by their body? “You are not the body” is a saying every devotee has as an essential tool in their arsenal of spiritual communication, but I often wonder, as many devotees do, if we really understand what this means? Do we really understand that this saying, as essentially true as it is, can have an alienating effect upon others if we do not also know how to respond, comprehend, and comfort the bodily prejudice so many people experience in this world?

**
I am now a student at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, which is one of the oldest and most prestigious independent and progressive Christian seminaries in America. It is a place where I have the great fortune of having my spirituality shaped through many different sophisticated, outrageous, and radical lenses. It is a place where I am able to see and experience the beauty, pain, and struggle of how so many others outside of the “traditional ISKCON” universe understand the nature of God and reality. It is a place where I can develop my identity as a progressive devotee. What does this mean to be a progressive devotee? For me, it is a conscious choice to live one's devotional calling by examining how the purport of Prabhupada's mission, and the culture and tradition of bhakti which comes from that mission, can communicate in the most relevant concert and concern with the contemporary time, place, and circumstances of the 21stCentury. To be a progressive devotee is not to abandon the fundamental principles that Prabhupada has given us, but it is to consider, as Prabhupada himself did, how to make these principles realistic and relevant for the people of this age.

To be a progressive devotee is a precarious position. It brings upon the serious concern and even condemnation of those devotees who are deeply suspicious of anything labeled as such, who feel that to label oneself progressive is to commit the offense of abandoning Prabhupada's core teachings. It creates the opportunity to respond in a very offensive manner to the sincere concerns of these devotees. I know I myself must be careful to use this label, for the reality is that all sincere devotees of Krishna are truly the most progressive people on this planet. We have been given a revolutionary process which questions the very status quo of material existence itself. To label one set of devotees as progressive and another as conservative is a dangerous political game, yet for the nature of these essays, I want to highlight certain distinctions, perspectives, and proclivities that devotees share and don't share, as a way of highlighting serious issues and arguments which are shaping, and will shape, the future of Prabhupada's mission in the 21stCentury.

There is nothing I can do in preventing devotees who are concerned with my position from expressing their concern. This is their sacred and natural right to do so, and I welcome any conversation that does not come from or lead to offensive attitudes and expressions. My response to their concern and their criticism must stand on the solid ground of the wisdom that Prabhupada has given us. I write this essay in that spirit, standing on the bedrock of the gift of Prabhupada's wisdom as much as I can, and in that spirit, I hope to contribute to a fruitful and much needed dialogue in ISKCON. In that spirit, I hope that my own misconceptions can be corrected, that our mutual unhealthy assumptions can be confronted and transcended, and that the practice and art of our spiritual communication can be brought to a more profound and relevant level.

***
The heart of my concern as a progressive devotee is a question of the engagement, and the relevance of that engagement, of our movement to society at large. There are two levels of relevance to be considered here: the ultimate relevance of bhakti and of Krishna consciousness to the existential situation of being in the material world, a relevance that is beyond reproach and even the vagaries of human reason itself. Then there is the theological and sociological relevance of Prabhupada's movement to the concerns of our contemporary society, concerns which include social justice, civil rights, poverty, ecological collapse, amongst so many other connected issues. Here is where I, and many other devotees, feel that our movement suffers in its communication and in its relevance. I was particularly struck by something that Yogesvara Dasa (Joshua Greene), an esteemed and long-standing disciple of Srila Prabhupada, said in an interview with an academic publication on “Being a Krishna Devotee”

“The most candid comment I can give about public perception of Hare Krishna in North
America is that I don’t think there is one anymore. The worst possible thing has happened,
namely indifference. There was a time going back 20 years perhaps when there was a public
perception of the Hare Krishna movement in the sense that people felt accosted in airports or
read reports of abuses or saw devotees chanting in public. Devotees were a more visible part
of the landscape of American culture previously.

Maybe then one could say there was a public perception because Hare Krishna was in the news, it was on television, it was in the papers for good or for bad...I believe that Vaishnavism as it has been historically will not be the same in the future for the simple reason that the world it lives in is not the same. There is a compulsion within Vaishnava faith to move into the larger society and to become relevant, and the Vaishnava community has yet to demonstrate its relevance. For 99.99 percent of the world we don’t matter. Krishna Consciousness is irrelevant to most of the world.”

To be relevant, and to find relevance, is to always be considering how the prophetic voice of our movement is responding to the concerns of our fellow living entities on this planet. It is to be open to having a historicistapproach to how we express our faith in the world. We are not raw historicists, in that we believe in an Absolute Truth that is beyond the relativism of history, yet our prophetic voice is best expressed with an intelligent application of our principles to the time, places, and circumstances which we are intimately connected to.

To find our relevance means to understand that we should not frame our communication to others in such a way that we ignore who they are and where they are coming from. We also have to prove our worth and pull our weight. We may not be of this world, but we are in this world. This we cannot ignore. We have to learn to give the gift that Prabhupada has given us in such a way that it makes sense in people's lives and to the concerns in their life. We may tell someone that they are not the body, and yet by doing so, we may completely ignore how we can relate our transcendental message to their particular situation of bodily marginalization, pain, and oppression. We may completely ignore the questions they have for us, as to how the heart of bhakti, of Krishna's love, speaks to the body they live in and the ground they stand on.

In our relation as devotees to the material world, to our own bodies, and the bodies of others, we must learn to be transcendent, and we must learn to acknowledge. To be transcendent is to truly understand that we are eternal spirit souls, lovers and friends of Krishna, whose true home is the spiritual world, and that our ultimate destiny is the liberation of pure devotional service. This is the goal and perfection of our existence, and all that we do should direct us and all others towards this goal. This is the gift that Prabhupada has given us.

One of the most powerful and eternally relevant verses Krishna speaks in the Bhagavad-Gita is this:

The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]. (5.18)

This verse calls all devotees, all living entities, to a spiritual vision and lifestyle which has no room for bodily discrimination. For me, this verse gives us the foundation of equality and justice which underlies all movements for the same within the material realm. The vision of the sage is the essential and pristine vision which must be at the core of all movements for equality and justice in the material world, from the fight for civil rights for those who are marginalized because of their race, gender, or sexuality, all the way to the consideration of the right to life, decency, and sustainable health for the wide diversity of plant and animal life that this planet holds. As Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport to this verse:

A Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not make any distinction between species or castes. The brāhmaṇa and the outcaste may be different from the social point of view, or a dog, a cow and an elephant may be different from the point of view of species, but these differences of body are meaningless from the viewpoint of a learned transcendentalist. This is due to their relationship to the Supreme, for the Supreme Lord, by His plenary portion as Paramātmā, is present in everyone’s heart. Such an understanding of the Supreme is real knowledge.

The vision of the sage sees reality as it actually is, but this doesn't mean that the sage ignores the reality that is right in front of him/her. When Prabhupada says that the “differences of body are meaningless”, he is not saying that those who claim to be a sage should treat everyone the same regardless of their bodily situation. The real sage does not discriminate according to the body. He/she gives the same grace of spiritual knowledge to everyone regardless of the color of their skin, the shape of their caste, or whatever their sexual preference is. The humble sage is able to use his/her intelligence to shape their message in such a way so that the mercy of Guru and Gauranga speaks specifically and intimately to each person's bodily/mental/existential situation.

The humble sage is able that to understand that to merely say “you are not the body” and not acknowledge the person's specific psycho-physical makeup is not enough. This acknowledgement is the supremely compassionate and intelligent awareness of the bodily, social, political, and sexual contexts that people come from, allowing the principles of bhaktito speak to them in such a way that it doesn't add to the injustice and oppression that they may face because of their body. To be able to acknowledge in this way is to give the gift Krishna consciousness so that it confronts this oppression and injustice and gives the ways, means, and inspiration to transcend it.

Frankly, in the general history of ISKCON, I feel that we not effectively learned how to transcend and how to acknowledge. I kneel and beg to be corrected, but I don't just base this statement on my own speculation, but on the experience and sincere feelings of many other devotees that I have encountered. Because we struggle so much to transcend and acknowledge our own bodies and our own standing in this world, we are left with a number of psychological and psychosocial hang-ups which have crippled much of our outreach. It has tended to harden our hearts, and with our hearts encased in the stone of our guilt, envy, and shame, how can we truly acknowledge and answer to those who approach us wanting to transcend their own pain and walk towards the loving embrace of Krishna?

As we try to mature in treating the subject of our transcendence with more compassion, patience, and common sense than has been the history of our movement, as we try not to “storm the gates of heaven”, as we understand that to purify our hearts is something that is the journey of a lifetime, or lifetimes, that must be done hand-in-hand and heart-to-heart with each other, we must learn to acknowledge our own bodies, our own material natures, and how these aspects of our existential situation can lead us further on to transcendence.

To be able to acknowledge means to not see our bodily and material situations as obstacles which should be smashed, but as aspects of our being which must be seen in the light of compassion and the wisdom of sastra, andalso in the light of our common sense and natural experience of our lives in this world. We have to reach people at the point of how they live their own lives, in the reality of their social location, and not through any oppressive assumptions of meaning that we may have of what their lives and bodies represent. In the same way we have to meet our own experience as devotees in terms of who we actually are, and not through the frameworks of assumption others may place upon us.

In the next essay I hope to further develop these points, to acknowledge my own discomfort with identifying with ISKCON, and to ask a serious question of devotees: do we really understand how bad the Kali-Yuga is in the manifestations which presently surround us and which oppress so many of us.

Mother Ganga’s Power
- TOVP.org

The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, in partnership with the Alliance of Religions and Conservation, is addressing the need for custodianship of pilgrim sites within India. They have begun the Bhumi Project, an endeavor aimed to create awareness regarding the effects of pilgrimage on the environments of holy refuges. In November, I attended a conference on this subject as the representative of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. Many pilgrimage towns were represented for a weekend of discussions centering on planning the environmental sustainability of these revered sanctums.

Spiritual havens in India attract millions of visitors each year as they offer their obeisances to treasured deities and honor sites of worship. Grand festivals glorifying significant gods are auspicious milestones in the calendars of many. Attendance is welcomed and the festivities abound with joy.

However, while each step of a parikrama and each esteemed celebration are invaluable tributes, the aftermath of such glorification remains the responsibility of the local communities. Considerations such as green energy, trash disposal and recycling are among the many topics needing attention to ensure that the environmental impact on these respected places of homage is contained.

Hydrokinetic turbine in action

Hydrokinetic turbine in action

Since the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium will be a prominent feature in Mayapur and the surrounding areas, the management and planning officials of the project have assumed the responsibility of stewards of the local communities. Several progressive technologies will be employed in the new temple, the most exciting being one which will harness the natural power of Mother Ganga. Called a hydrokinetic turbine, the system is simple technology and easy to build. It has a proven history of successful installations worldwide on slow running rivers and canals. An area of the Ganga has been found which is deep enough and has enough speed to accommodate the needs of this small device. The turbine will float like a boat in the river and a single installation will produce approximately 75 kilowatts per hour. This translates into producing nearly half of Mayapur’s daily 4000 kilowatt consumption in 24 hours. Additionally, the hydrokinetic turbine is safe for the aquatic life and natural habitat in the river due to its slow rpm, open structure and silent operating.

Building a spiritual city is a huge undertaking requiring the dedication and forethought of many. The directors of the ToVP recognize the duties of their positions and work tirelessly to commemorate the sanctity of Mayapur in thought, word and deed.

For more information on the Bhumi Project, please visit bhumiproject.org.

Find Us on Facebook
→ Sit Properly

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As I’m getting ready to pitch into Side Two of the Mayapur LP, I’ve also decided to start a Facebook Page for Sit Properly.

Rather than updating this blog every time I have something to say, I’ll post it on Facebook. This will keep you good people in the loop as to how the digitization of each Classic ISKCON Record is coming along.

Take a gander to your right and you’ll see the Facebook Like Box. Click it and it’ll take you to our page.

This will cut down on the frivolous and random posts on the blog, allowing the music to be the focus. And that’s the point.

Haribol!

Eric

Chant Fest Melbourne 2013
→ sriprahlada.com

9 March at 09:00 until 11 March at 14:00 Chant-Fest is a retreat-festival experience which awakens your inner-soul and touches your heart through blissful devotional chanting and dancing. Re-kinder your love with the divine through soul-stirring, heartfelt sacred Kirtan-Chants with a wonderful line-up of local and international Kirtan & Yoga artists as we explore different […]

Retreat at Springbrook in the Gold Coast Hinterland
→ Atma Yoga

Join fellow yogis on the journey April 5-7, 2013 for three beautiful days and two nights.  Atma Yoga is hosting its second weekend retreat for 2013 at Springbrook in the Gold Coast Hinterland.  The theme for this retreat is “Diet: Eating for optimum physical health and mental happiness”. Come join us for this wonderful opportunity to relax with like-minded individuals and friends.
The retreat is located on the beautiful grounds of the Theosophical Society.  The accommodations are individual rooms with shared bathrooms and there is a general purpose area where we will hold the yoga classes.

The cost for the weekend is $275.00 .
The money can be deposited into:   Tracy Ann Wulf Felix,  Westpac  034 034 241043.
Please be sure to include your name with your deposit.

 

Retreat Schedule:

Friday 5 April

Start the weekend at midday with lunch and a welcome from the Atma Staff.  Free time until the evening, waiting for late arrivals and then yoga at 6:00 followed by dinner. The evening concludes with a circle of song.

Saturday 6 April

Open the mind with early morning meditation, followed by a sunrise yoga class. Breakfast is a time to connect with your fellow yogis and continue your morning getting acquainted. A walk in the rainforest will highlight your day. Lunch is followed by the workshop: “Diet: eating for optimum physical health and mental happiness”. After dinner we’ll finish the evening with music and heart songs.

Sunday 7 April

Rise and shine with meditation, yoga, followed by brunch, before a leisurely return to the city.

Atma Yoga
→ Atma Yoga

Atma Yoga is an urban human community; a spiritual sanctuary in Brisbane’s commercial heart.

“Be the change you want to see in the world” – Gandhi

Our mission is to become the change we wish to see in the world, and serve others to help them do the same.

Yoga is a process of transformation. Living a yogic life and beginning that transformation is not easy, especially in today’s age. Without the support and encouragement of fellow travelers on the path, becoming a perfected yogi is a difficult and daunting task. But through collective spiritual endeavor, we make it easy.

Teachers

Param Satya

Param Satya
Born and raised in Washington DC, Param Satya completed her Iyengar Yoga teacher training in New Zealand in 1997. Since then she’s taught in New Zealand, Perú, and Australia. She opened Atma Yoga in Brisbane in 2004, with its unique lifestyle blend of yoga and a vegetarian meal. In addition to her amazing culinary skills and hatha yoga knowledge, Param has practiced Bhakti yoga since 1986. She spent three years living as a nun in Taiwan, and speaks Mandarin Chinese. Now married with a 10-year old son, she is the driving force at the heart of Atma Yoga.

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Prem Yogi

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Prem started practicing yoga from a book, then travelled to India to study at the ashram of Sri BKS Iyengar. Since then he studied with Kate Pell in 2007, and has been teaching at Atma Yoga since 2005. As well as being an expert in vegan and gluten-free cooking, Prem has a penchant for permaculture and an extreme green thumb, and is currently completing a liberal arts degree in his spare time.

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Carisma

carisma-2
Carisma did her yoga teacher training in Bali, and is travelling to India in 2013 to deepen her yoga practice and steep herself in the culture of the traditional home of yoga. Before she goes you can still catch her Friday night Nidra Yoga classes, where she creates an amazing chillaxing atmosphere that is guaranteed to help you unwind after a week at work.

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Sitapati

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Sitapati started practicing hatha yoga from Yogi Ramacharaka’s “Hatha Yoga – the Yogi Philosophy of Physical Well-being“. He studied with various teachers in New Zealand, and did a yoga teacher training course with Kate Pell in 2007. In 1998 he began studying Bhagavad-gita, and hasn’t stopped since. As well as teaching hatha yoga Sitapati is a multi-instrumentalist, and leads and participates in kirtan (mantra music), as well as travelling around Australia with visiting kirtan artists.

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Completely Geeking Out, or Getting the Best Sound I Can
→ Sit Properly

While I’m waiting for the last piece of equipment to arrive (the Sovtek 12AX7LPS Vacuum Tube), I thought I’d give a rundown of the hardware that I’ll be using this time around compared to what I used before. This is really of no interest to anyone aside from the geekily curious.

The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon with acrylic platter.

The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon with acrylic platter.

First, let’s start with the heart of it all – the turntable. I’ve upgraded to the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon, a belt-driven, quiet deck with a one-piece carbon fiber tonearm. When I first started this project in 2007, I had a portable plastic picnic player. It was nice to have turntable again, but sound quality wasn’t exactly its top priority.

I then wandered into an Audio Technica LP-120, which is a knock off of the much more famous Technics 1200. You’ll recognize these iconic tables as the “wheels of steel” used by every DJ ever. While it was a step in the right direction, and I made certain tweaks to it to better the sound quality, it simply was a DJ table through and through. The Pro-Ject is infinitely better for my purposes.

I’ve also changed the phono preamp, a necessary component for getting any sound of your table. Each preamp is different and some sound great, while others are barely passable. What I had before was a very budget-minded preamp that actually performed pretty well. What I have now, the Bellari VP130 Tube Preamp, sounds amazing. I love a warm sound when it comes to vinyl, and the Bellari is smooth and comforting even with the stock tube. The Sovtek 12AX7LPS should make it even more so.

But that’s not all I changed. For instance, I swapped out the metal platter on the Pro-Ject with an acrylic one. This does away with the felt mat and thus the static produced. This means less pops and clicks (many pops/clicks are produced not by scratches in the vinyl, but by static).

Belllari VP-130 Tube Phono Preamp making things sound all warm.

Belllari VP-130 Tube Phono Preamp making things sound all warm.

I also added a device called the Speedbox II. One of the issues with belt drive turntables is their inability to play at constant speeds (when compared to direct drive tables). Most folks would never notice this. But for my purposes, the less pitch shifting that occurs, the better. Plus, though I don’t have perfect pitch, I could hear a bit of warbling on held out, steady notes. It simply provides a more accurate speed and sound. It also slows the motor down, and that cuts down on motor noise. Other things like better cables and stylus are new, as well.

What all this means is that before the sound even gets to the computer, it will be much cleaner and more accurate than before.

The computer’s job is then to translate the music to digital without changing the sound. This is, of course, impossible, but I want it to be as close t perfect as I can get. For that, I’ll be recording at 24bits with a sampling rate of 96kHz. This is much, much higher quality than a CD (16/44.1), but allows tons of room for editing out pops and clicks. Let’s face it, the records I’m converting here are not pristine.

I’ll then convert the files down to 16bit FLACs and 320k MP3s (both resampled to 44.1kHz so they can be played in regular MP3 players, too). The FLACs will be for people who are okay with big files (and want to burn CDs) and will indeed sound better than the MP3s, which are much smaller, but will still sound pretty darn good.

Basically, I’m going to start with a huge audio file that gives me room to edit out to stuff that shouldn’t be there so that when it gets to you, the listener, it sounds amazing.

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What’s really fun about this is that it will all be done on a Linux operating system (LinuxMint)! For a complete run down of the tools and equipment I’ll be using, see below.

Technical Information:

Audio Equipment Used:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon w/ acrylic platter and Speedbox II
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M Red
Preamp: Bellari VP-130 w/ Sovtek 12AX7LPS Vacuum Tube
Soundcard: Roland Edirol UA-1EX USB external soundcard

Software Used:
Audacity 2.0.1 on Linux Mint 14 (recorded at 24bit/96kHz)
Gnome Wave Cleaner 0.21-17 (click/pop removal)
Gnac 0.2.4 (to convert file to 16 bit FLAC level 8 and 320kbps MP3)

Sunday Feast, January 13th @ 11:00am
→ ISKCON BRAMPTON'S BLOG

Sunday Feast, January 13th @ 11:00am 

Once again we have the opportunity to get the association of His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari at ISKCON Brampton.

His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari appeared in this world in November 1947, the tenth day (Dasami) of the most holy month of Kartik according to the Vaisnava calendar. He first met his spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, in 1971 and was initiated by him the same year. Srila Prabhupada personally told this new young disciple that he was pleased with his sincerity and enthusiasm for spreading the Krishna consciousness movement. Sankarshan Das fully dedicated his life for serving the order of his spiritual master to become a guru and deliver the world. For the last 40+ years he has uninterruptedly served his spiritual master’s movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), in various capacities.

In the year 2000, in recognition for his full dedication to Srila Prabhupada’s mission, ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission (GBC) gave him their blessings to initiate disciples. Since that time he has been regularly traveling and lecturing extensively all over the world for reviving the dormant Krishna consciousness in the hearts of all living beings. Well known for his Internet based training program, the Ultimate Self Realization Course, he has attracted over 14,000 subscribers from over 100 different countries who receive a daily inspirational message and personal answers to their questions regarding how to become perfect in Krishna consciousness. Those who are interested can join his course at:www.backtohome.com

The program consists of arati, kirtan (devotional chanting), philosophical discussion and prasadam.  Please come, get inspired and inspire others through your desire to share Krsna Consciousness!

Program Schedule:
11:00 am - 11:30 am Guru Puja
11:30 am - 12:00 pm Arati & Kirtan
12:00 pm – 12:05 pm Narasingadev Prayers
12:10 pm - 1:00 pm Vedic discource by His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari
1:05 pm - 1:20 pm Tulasi Puja
1:20 pm - 2:00 pm Prasadam (Vegetarian feast)

The Vaisnava Calendar 2013 will be distributed in the following weeks at ISKCON Brampton. Please be there to receive yours!
ISKCON Brampton will be issuing tax receipts for 2012 donations this Sunday.

Upcoming events:

ISKCON Brampton Youth Program - Friday January 25th 2013 @ 7:00pm

Everyone is welcomed to come and participate. The program will  start at 7:00pm sharp! So please try to make it at around 6:45pm. Sumptuous Prasadam will also be served at 9:00pm.

This event is absolutely free, but donations to the temple are always accepted.

Anyone that would like to help out with prasadam, or has any questions/queries please contact Sukhavak Das at sukhavakdas@hotmail.ca.

Sunday Feast, January 13th @ 11:00am
→ ISKCON BRAMPTON'S BLOG

Sunday Feast, January 13th @ 11:00am 

Once again we have the opportunity to get the association of His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari at ISKCON Brampton.

His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari appeared in this world in November 1947, the tenth day (Dasami) of the most holy month of Kartik according to the Vaisnava calendar. He first met his spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, in 1971 and was initiated by him the same year. Srila Prabhupada personally told this new young disciple that he was pleased with his sincerity and enthusiasm for spreading the Krishna consciousness movement. Sankarshan Das fully dedicated his life for serving the order of his spiritual master to become a guru and deliver the world. For the last 40+ years he has uninterruptedly served his spiritual master’s movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), in various capacities.

In the year 2000, in recognition for his full dedication to Srila Prabhupada’s mission, ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission (GBC) gave him their blessings to initiate disciples. Since that time he has been regularly traveling and lecturing extensively all over the world for reviving the dormant Krishna consciousness in the hearts of all living beings. Well known for his Internet based training program, the Ultimate Self Realization Course, he has attracted over 14,000 subscribers from over 100 different countries who receive a daily inspirational message and personal answers to their questions regarding how to become perfect in Krishna consciousness. Those who are interested can join his course at:www.backtohome.com

The program consists of arati, kirtan (devotional chanting), philosophical discussion and prasadam.  Please come, get inspired and inspire others through your desire to share Krsna Consciousness!

Program Schedule:
11:00 am - 11:30 am Guru Puja
11:30 am - 12:00 pm Arati & Kirtan
12:00 pm – 12:05 pm Narasingadev Prayers
12:10 pm - 1:00 pm Vedic discource by His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari
1:05 pm - 1:20 pm Tulasi Puja
1:20 pm - 2:00 pm Prasadam (Vegetarian feast)

The Vaisnava Calendar 2013 will be distributed in the following weeks at ISKCON Brampton. Please be there to receive yours!
ISKCON Brampton will be issuing tax receipts for 2012 donations this Sunday.

Upcoming events:

ISKCON Brampton Youth Program - Friday January 25th 2013 @ 7:00pm

Everyone is welcomed to come and participate. The program will  start at 7:00pm sharp! So please try to make it at around 6:45pm. Sumptuous Prasadam will also be served at 9:00pm.

This event is absolutely free, but donations to the temple are always accepted.

Anyone that would like to help out with prasadam, or has any questions/queries please contact Sukhavak Das at sukhavakdas@hotmail.ca.

Devil or Angel?
→ Devamrita Swami's Facebook notes

Mirror, mirror on the wall, tell me how I'm special, among them all. Innocent, guilty, or somewhere between? Privately, introspective spiritual persons often interrogate themselves about their honest-to-goodness (or honest-to badness) genuine worth. It's good to face the truth and swallow hard: harbouring material desire is not innocent, normal,or even acceptable—that is, when considered from the viewpoint of the real world, Krishna's perspective.

Ouch! Who wants to be known as damaged goods—deformed, misshapen, even perverted.

Gradually, as we spiritually advance in bhakti, we shed the illusory cloak that confers an imagined respectability upon our foolish temporary desires and pursuits for temporary gain. We realize that somehow we have to squeeze into one of two cubby-holes: straightaway embracing the full standard for sane life or determinedly developing toward that normal standard of spiritual sanity.

Though overnight enlightenment hasn't happened to us, yet we certainly can be progressive and proactive about our spiritual growth. What hurts us most is when we seek to justify or rationalize the material desires that we allow to corrupt us—you know, the maya nonsense that has deviated us from our original constitutional position.

The guiding principle of bhakti in this Age of Quarrel is both magnanimously liberal and therapeutically prescriptive: "The Krishna consciousness movement is meant to attract all types of men, even those who desire things other than the Lord’s devotional service. Through the association of devotees, they gradually begin to render devotional service." (Cc. Madhya 24:124 purport)


Photographing Climate Change
→ The Yoga of Ecology



Click here to view the blog/slideshow from our friend Rachelle Klapheke at The New Yorker
Climate change is not only a major issue for scientists and politicians but for artists as well. Here are ten examples of photographers and other visual artists who are challenging viewers to consider the dangers of inaction by capturing the effects of extreme weather and a warming world.

Photographing Climate Change
→ The Yoga of Ecology



Click here to view the blog/slideshow from our friend Rachelle Klapheke at The New Yorker
Climate change is not only a major issue for scientists and politicians but for artists as well. Here are ten examples of photographers and other visual artists who are challenging viewers to consider the dangers of inaction by capturing the effects of extreme weather and a warming world.

How about a Release Schedule
→ Sit Properly

IMG_1242

As I’ve been getting ready to start up again, I’ve been trying to figure out which albums to convert first. I’m going to start with the album entitled simply: Mayapur. It was the sixth release by Radha Krishna Productions, though their name doesn’t appear anywhere on the cover or label. Oddly, only “Hare Krishna Records” is mentioned. This is the only Classic ISKCON record that I’ve never converted before.

The label claims that it is a live recording of a Hare Krishna festival, but it absolutely is not. It’s actually three recordings of Srila Prabhupada in the studio. You’ve definitely heard one of the songs before. Probably two. But the third seems to be something that has never been released digitally at all. In fact, I’ve only ever heard it here. That’s exciting!

I’ll then start with the selections that I had first done in 2007. I’ll probably kick that off with Krishna Consciousness by Srila Prabhupada. This was the first ISKCON record ever released. I have it posted, of course, but the MP3s are in a very low quality and no lossless FLAC files exist for it.

From there, I’ll probably head to the double LP called The Beautiful Hare Krsna People, released by Radha Krishna Productions out of Germany. The history of this one is weird and varied, clouded in a Tolkien-like mystery that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Due to the freakish practice of reissuing the same music under various labels and titles, converting this LP will take care of several other releases.

After that will come one of the many, many records inexplicably titled Hare Krsna Festival. This one was released by both Radha Krishna Productions (RKP-1004) and Hare Krishna Records (HKR-1003).

I’ve also been looking for a better copy of Acyutananda Swami’s Songs of the Bengali Vaisnavas, also entitled Lieder Der Bengali Vaisnavas, and most commonly known as India, since that’s the only word appearing on the front cover. My copy, the probable second pressing, sounds horrible. You can read all about it here. I’m currently looking for a clean first pressing.

This is proving very difficult. I’ve found ten record sellers (mostly in Germany) who quite possibly have the first edition. I emailed all of them, asking three specific questions to determine if they have the version I’m looking for.

First, I asked which cover was used. Was it the one with the “cut out” or was it the one without? Second, I asked if the text on the back was in German or English. Third, I asked if the labels were yellow or had a picture on them.

After four days, only two have responded. The first gave me a straight answer, telling me exactly which version they had (sadly, it wasn’t the version I was looking for). The second just said “I’m sorry. No.” Which makes no sense at all, since I wasn’t asking any yes or no questions. The remaining eight have been silent, which is a huge bummer since I’m pretty sure at least two of them have the exact version I’m looking for.

So anyway, I’ll keep everyone updated on the progress.

As it stands now, here is the schedule (with absolutely no promises of a time frame):
-Mayapur
-Krishna Consciousness by Srila Prabhupada
-The Beautiful Hare Krsna People Double LP
-Hare Krishna Festival (RKP-1004/HKR-1003)
-Songs of the Bengali Vaisnavas by Acyutananda Swami (if I find a first pressing)

From there, I’ll move on through the rest of my collection, which can be viewed here. I’m still unsure whether or not I’ll be converting the George Harrison-produced Apple Records since they’re readily available on CD. They are definitely my lowest priority at this point.

And for those who might ask if I’ll be converting a specific record from the 80s, the answer (which is probably “no”) and its explanation can be found here.

When all the vinyl is finished, I will start in on the cassettes! So basically, sometime in 2016.

Travel Journal#8.23: North Florida and New York State
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 8, No. 23
By Krishna-kripa das
(December 2012, part one)
North Florida and New York State
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on January 7, 2013)

What I Went and What I Did

December started off with a new event for the North Florida Hare Krishnas on its very first day, the St. Augustine Christmas parade. In Gainesville, we had our last week of Krishna Lunch on the campus for the year, and I chanted on the campus through Wednesday. That Wednesday we had our usual harinama at the Gainesville Farmers Market, which had a special feature this time. Thursday Andy drove me to University of North Florida where Hladini, Amrita, Dorian, and Dorian’s friend, Tim, and I chanted together for four hours outside the Student Union as hundreds of students traded in their used books. Hladini also distributed many cookies and invitations to our Thursday evening program which Tim ended up coming to for the first time. On Friday I flew to Philadelphia where I saw Radha-Saradbihari and Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, and Sraddha dd, and where I took my niece, Fern, to my friend Haryasva Prabhu’s Govinda’s Restaurant, along with Jaya Sita dd and Varuni, a couple friends from Florida. The next day I went to Stuyvesant Falls, New York, about 100 miles north of New York City, where my initiating guru, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami had his Vyasa Puja ceremony that weekend. For the next week after that I served Satsvarupa Maharaja, by cooking his breakfast and lunch, cleaning his room, and washing everyone’s dishes. Muktavandya Prabhu, who was also assisting Satsvarupa Maharaja, and I went to Hudson on the warmest day of that week and did harinama for an hour, and we received some favorable gestures and smiles from a few locals and no negativity. On Saturday the 15th, I made a day trip to New York City to do harinama and kirtana, and to hear from my siksa guru, Niranjana Swami. That harinama was a special experience because of the response, and I share some video of some Santa Clauses dancing along with our party.

I share insights of visiting guests like Niranjana and Rtadhvaja Swamis and Malati Prabhu, as well as senior devotees in the Alachua Country community like Kalakantha and Sesa Prabhus. I tell of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s Vyasa Puja ceremony and include some nice excerpts from his autobiography, The Story of My Life, in which he describes the early days with Srila Prabhupada. Then I share details from presentations by newer devotees in Gainesville and Jacksonville.

Lord Jagannatha Blesses the St. Augustine Christmas Parade


By the grace of enthusiastic devotees from Alachua, Ratha-yatras are on the increase in North Florida. For the first time we had a Ratha-yatra cart in the St. Augustine Christmas parade. It was also special as this was first time as the new replica Jagannatha Deities rode on the cart. Dharma-raj Prabhu and his family, as usual, made all kinds of practical arrangements, getting the cart there, and decorated.



Although I love freely distributing promotional literature about Krishna consciousness because I am convinced it will benefit the people, I was not very enthusiastic during the beginning of the parade because I thought the authorities would not appreciate us doing that at the parade and that the vast majority of the people would not be interested. Of course, I did it anyway as a matter of duty, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Many, many people were happy to see the devotees, and they reached out with smiles and words and gestures of approval to take the Krishna, Reservoir of Pleasure and On Chanting Hare Krishna pamphlets that we were distributing. Of course, the prasadam candy canes were even more popular. After two-thirds of the parade, a light rain started, and I hid the pamphlets under my kurta for protection and continued to distribute. Later Kesava Prabhu got a call from the organizers in St. Augustine, saying that we won the award for the most unique float. Of course, that is not so surprising. Who is more unique than Lord Jagannatha, His brother, and sister on their glorious cart and His entourage of singing and dancing followers?

1565Today.com, St. Augustine, Florida’s newest online magazine, in an article “The St. Augustine Christmas Parade Wows the Kids” posted on December 1, writes “And honorable mention goes to the Hare Krishna devotees, who sang and tambourined their way through the city in a colorful injection of ethnic and religious diversity.” The two pictures illustrating this article were taken by Brian Nelson of 1565Today.com and are used with his permission.

A Special Harinama at the Farmers Market

With devotees working on Krishna Lunch and finishing up projects and papers and studying for finals as the semester ended, we had few devotees to chant at the first Gainesville Farmers Market in December. There was one surprise addition to our chanting party though, and that is our friend, Anna, a Quaker lady in her sixties, who originally came in touch with Hare Krishna at the very same Farmers Market perhaps a year or so ago. She developed a fondness for chanting Hare Krishna on beads, attends some programs, and sometimes helps serve out the Krishna Lunch on the porch of Krishna House. She chanted with us for an hour at the Farmers Market, spontaneously giving out invitations to those sitting or standing nearby, so they could benefit from some of the gifts the Krishna consciousness movement is sharing, as she herself has.

December 15 Harinama in New York City

As I walked from 34 West 31th Street, where the Chinese bus from Albany dropped me off, to find our harinama in Union Square, or as it turned out, Washington Square Park, I was amazed to see somewhere between 10% and 25% of the people were dressed as Santa Claus! “What is going on?” I wondered. Later as I researched this article, I found out, “SantaCon!” According to Wikipedia, “SantaCon is an annual mass gathering of people dressed in Santa Claus costumes parading publicly on streets and in bars in cities around the world. The focus is on spontaneity and creativity, while having a good time and spreading cheer and goodwill.” [Donaldson James, Susan (December 11, 2009). "Santa Con: Kringle Chaos is Coming to Town". ABC News. Retrieved December 18, 2011.]

People are in mood of celebration around Christmas, and during SantaCon, that is intensified. Thus during our five-hour harinama, many jolly Santas danced along with the devotees, as you can see in these videos by Bhakta Peter of The Bhakti Center:






We ended our harinama fifteen minutes to eight, a little early, as many devotees wanted to attend the rest of this month’s six-hour kirtana at the Bhakti Center, with Niranjana Swami as a special guest. We made an announcement to those dancing with us at the end to follow us to 25 First Avenue for some more singing, dancing, and refreshments, and about five or six of the Christmas partiers came along. I noticed two of them stayed at least two hours. The most enthusiastic was Yael, a NYU student, who was attracted to the kirtana in Washington Square Park being a percussionist. Although it was her first encounter with Hare Krishna kirtana, she played the djembe drum with the party for several hours, came to the Bhakti Center for more kirtana and prasadam, and she even washed a few pots. The next day she returned to catch the end of Niranjana Swami’s lecture.


She showed up for a few harinamas the next week, and hopes to visit the Chicago temple when she returns home for the holidays.

It was awesome for me to see all the people doing so many acts of devotion as a result of meeting the harinama party on the SantaCon day. This daily four-hour harinama in Manhattan organized by Rama Raya Prabhu is a very powerful outreach event!

Insights

Niranjana Swami:

To accept one’s imminent death as good news takes realization.

My mother was ninety and had no interested in hearing the word “death.” As far as she was concerned, she would live another hundred years. Although there were signs that things would not improve, she did not take them seriously. Five months before she passed away she was in a rehabilitation hospital and she told me, “I do not belong here. This place is only for old and sick people.” Life is meant for learn how to deal with the unavoidable event of death, but our present society is not dealing with this. My aunt got notice she was going to die within a week, and my sister invited me to visit her. My aunt said about me, “Look at him. Look at his eyes. Look at how peaceful he is! He looks like he knows the purpose of life.” Then she addressed me directly, “I can tell that you can accept whatever happens to you in life. Can you teach me to be like that?” People detected that something was going to happen and so they left, not for a long time as it turned out. I explained that soul exists beyond the body, and takes up another body according to one’s karma. Then an old friend came in and our conversation ended, but at least she could understand her situation and try to deal with it.

As it turned out I was with my mother alone in the room as she was dying. I saw her breathing was slowing down, and I decided to stop reading and chant Hare Krishna kirtana. And so I was chanting Hare Krishna for five minutes when my mother left her body. When I messaged Devamrita Swami, he replied that Prabhupada told Giriraja that parents of devotees at the time they leave their bodies will realize their good fortune of having a child who became a devotee. When my sister came in the room she said to me, “Your face is glowing. As soon as I saw your face. I knew everything was alright.”

We have to feel as a result of our devotional service that Krishna is there making arrangements in our life.

Bali Maharaja was cheated by the Lord, to whom He had offered three steps of land, but who had taken everything in two. But Bali was so elevated, he was not disturbed.

Voluntary repentance is the way to get the Lord’s attention, not to blame others.

Pariksit Maharaja saw the curse as an opportunity to become detached from all his material possessions and to become attached to Krishna.

The devotees have the greatest asset and the greatest benediction—to remember the Lord. The Lord minimizes other things in a devotee’s life to facilitate that.

We should practice developing this consciousness throughout our life, not just at the time of death.

from a conversation after the lecture:

In 1972 I lived in a hippy commune on Cape Cod. There were 15 fifteen of us, and we all had our own dogs. We considered that we would not want to kill our dogs and so it was hypocritical to kill animals for food, and thus we all became vegetarian. Many people liked to cook, but no one liked to clean up, so there were piles of dishes in the sink. As I was becoming a devotee by reading Bhagavad-gita, I knew Krishna would not accept the offering if the kitchen was not clean, so I would always clean the kitchen before I cooked. When the others understood that I would clean the kitchen before it was my turn to cook, they became even less enthusiastic to clean their own pots and dishes. I became resentful that I was doing everyone else’s dishes. When I came to the temple for the first time, I had been reading Bhagavad-gita for some days. When the devotees asked me if I wanted to do some service after the Sunday Feast, I agreed. They led me to the kitchen, and I saw a pile of pots that was bigger than I had ever seen before. I was shocked, but because I agreed to do some service, I did it, although reluctantly. When I was halfway through, another devotee came in. His name was Narendra. He was rejoicing seeing my fortunate position being engaged in the Lord’s service, but it was difficult to appreciate his mood. Then he spoke to me some words that completely transformed my consciousness: “By cleaning Krishna’s pots, you are cleaning your heart.” Then I saw the service in a completely different way. It was different than cleaning the pots at the co-op house. These were indeed Krishna’s pots, and I was becoming closer to Krishna by cleaning them.

Rtadhvaja Swami:

from Kalakantha Prabhu’s grandchild’s grains ceremony:

When we were having festivals almost every weekend in LA, Srila Prabhupada told us, “If you let me know, I can give you a festival for every day.”

These events, like the child’s grains ceremony, allow us to remember that human life is meant for self-realization not sense gratification.

There is a pastime with Narottama Dasa Thakura. He would not take the grains at his grains ceremony repeatedly. Then they realized that the grains had not been offered to Krishna first. They made a new batch, and offered it to Krishna, and tried again, this time successfully.

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami [Vyasa-puja address]:

The purpose of the guru is to guide the disciple to go back to Godhead as soon as possible. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura advised to go back in this life. Why wait for additional births?

Srila Prabhupada said if you are 75% pure you can go back.

Srila Prabhupada said, “If you hold on my dhoti I can take you back to Godhead. I have a key to the back door.”

My task is to represent Srila Prabhupada to you. I have been representing Srila Prabhupada to people since being temple president in Boston.

I am in stable health and sound mind, and I am determined to serve you for the forseeable future.

It is said of the guru that he lives forever, and the follower lives with him by his instructions.

We serve the guru by taking care of him and serving his preaching mission.

I preach by the way I live my life and by my writing.

I wrote Srila Prabhupada asking if I could write, but fearfully, that I was so daring to write when he has written so nicely.

Srila Prabhupada replied, mentioning all the acaryas [previous spiritual teachers] who wrote extensively and saying, “Any self-realized soul can write unlimited books not deviating from the original purpose.”

Lilamrita [Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s biography of Hare Krishna founder Srila Prabhupada] is second best selling Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) book next to Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

I am writing now for my daily web site, beginning with quotations from a rasa-sastra, accompanied by illustrations, and then a japa report. I continue the japa report although it is repetitious because devotees say it helps their japa. I draw a picture. Then I tell about my life, telling my interactions with the devotees I live with, the local devotees, and those who visit here, along with material from the books I am hearing each day. And finally I tell about my deity worship.

By reading these writings is the best way for my disciples to keep in touch with me. It takes only ten minutes to have a relationship for me in cyberspace each day.

I try to write a book a year and present it to my disciples on Vyasa-puja day.

We have 150 books on Kindle and e-readers.

Radhanatha Swami looked through Prabhupada Smaranam and liked it very much. He promised to get help to print many copies for his followers.

I have written about Prabhupada, practices of devotional service, and the chanting of the holy name.

It is the duty of us all to produce as many Krishna conscious books as possible. People can help with these different tasks:

  1. We have funds. We need cover designs and proofreading for fifty low run books.
  2. Locating and digitizing art work.
  3. Obtaining a tripod for photography.
  4. Typists and proofreaders for my autobiography.
  5. Visit and promote sdgonline.org and our Facebook site.
  6. Buy ebooks and post comments on them.
  7. Print 50 sets of 100 of my books to place in schools and libraries at $7 per book.
  8. Transferring audio tapes to digital format.

We owe such a debt to the Goswamis, Krishna dasa Kaviraja Goswami, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Prabhupada for all their books.

I wrote 25 books about Srila Prabhupada.

I give people Caitanya Vaishnavism through a variety of genres.

If you attain pure love for Krishna, I will consider my spiritual master duties successful, and you can bless me, and we can go back to Godhead together. Srila Prabhupada writes about this in connection with Dhruva Maharaja taking his mother back to Godhead. That is my request of you. Thank you very much.


Vyasa-puja Homages:

Haridasa Prabhu:

You have led us by your example to be a follower of Srila Prabhupada. You are his faithful and empowered representative. Your writing of books is a great contribution in this. You are inextricably linked with Srila Prabupada. Your honesty has endeared you to your readers.

Rama Raya Prabhu:

You have linked us to Srila Prabhupada wonderfully for so many years. When I have your association I feel Srila Prabhupada’s presence.

I could distribute cards for your site on harinama.

Krishna-kripa das:

You praised your disciples who are publishing and selling Russian translations of your books. I just wanted to say from my own experience at the Ukraine festival, Isani and Alexi Prabhus set up their GN Press book table at the very beginning of the festival and go to the very end. Instead of working a single book table together as many couples would do, they have two separate tables at different locations to increase sales. This year new and reprinted titles numbered five, including Entering a Life of Prayer, Prabhupada Appreciation, Japa Transformations, and Distribute Books.

When I quote from your journal on my blog, I could include a link to it.

A friend of my loved your Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name in which you share your personal struggle. He learned from that it is alright for devotees to be personal and to share feelings, not just to be austere and stoic.

How did you help us? Your writings gave me faith in Srila Prabhupada and the holy name. Your instruction to dance more in kirtana has made me so enthusiastic to dance in kirtana, I do it even when everyone else is sitting down.

Haryasva Prabhu:

I feel sadness that I am not reading or distributing your books as I have in the past.
Prabhupada and the holy name are two gifts you emphasized.

I felt I just missed Srila Prabhupada, but through your writings I feel connected with him.

I find that new people find your books to be easy reading.

Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu:

After three years of interviewing for Lilamrita, the message I got from the devotees was that they wished they had given Srila Prabhupada more time to write as that is what is left, and that they feel bad they did not take advantage of his presence while he was here. This is a realization I had that any disciple can help to do these two things in connection with you.

Mother Lilavatara:

When I met you I felt you were someone special and would be someone special, and you were.

Thanks for teaching us to be more regulated.

The pictures Guru Das posts are special to me.

Your drawings of the devotees are so funny to me and make me so joyful. They make my heart feel so light.

Thank you inspiring us to go back to Godhead by improving our chanting.
Your servants have done such a wonderful job for you over the years.
Thank you for guiding me to become more Krishna consciousness.

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:

reading from his autobiography, The Story of My Life:

“No talent is required to make a combined diary and autobiography interesting.”—Mark Twain

“The Swami kept leading the chanting for a full half hour. After awhile I got bored, but I kept going and eventually entered into a trancelike stage. It was far out. I went past boredom and became absorbed in the sound vibration. . . . I had the mantra almost memorized, and I was mesmerized. By the time it was over I felt that I was high. I left the storefront and walked home chanting in my mind and feeling certain that I would continue to attend the meetings. I felt I wanted to change my life and become pure.”
“My first personal contact with Srila Prabhupada was in a formal setting — the question and answer period after his lecture. In the company of about fifteen people I raised my hand, and he recognized me. I asked, “Is misery eternal?” My question came from my reading of Van Gogh’s letters to his brother, Dear Theo. In one letter Van Gogh proposes to his brother that “misery is eternal.” I wanted to know what the Swami thought. Without hesitating he answered me, “Yes misery is eternal. You may break your arm and go to the hospital and have your arm healed. But then you may go out and break your leg. In this world there is no end to miseries. But there is another world . . . ” Swamiji explained that if you develop love of God and go back to the spiritual world you will be free of miseries, because there is no misery there. I was satisfied to be recognized, and his answer was assuring, overriding Van Gogh’s dismal view.”
“The early years with Swamiji were my favorite as ISKCON was a small movement, like a family.”

from a talk with disciples about japa:

Acaryas [the great spiritual teachers] say kirtana [chanting loudly with others] is more important than japa [individually chanting softly] because more people benefit, but that does not mean japa is not important, it is fundamental. Srila Prabhupada said it is the most essential instruction.

Japa is so personal. We speak to Krishna and Radha, and ask Them to engage us in Their service.

Lord Caitanya would not eat at the house of anyone who did not daily chant 64 rounds (100,000 names of the Lord).

I know one lady who plays the harmonium and sings kirtana, but does not chant her sixteen rounds of japa. Better that she would chant sixteen rounds first and then play the harmonium.

The mantras are a gift and should be handled gratefully.

In recent years, I have finally been able to pay attention to the names while I chant.

I pray to the holy name, “Please forgive me. Please protect me.”

I long for the day when I feel emotion like in “Siksastakam.”

Chanting is cozy, intimate and warms the heart.

Q: What does it mean no hard and fast rules?
A: It is not like Deity worship where you have to clean yourself first. You can chant morning or night. You can chant in the bathroom. The mantra can be chanted by anyone. You do not have to be initiated to chant. You can even still be doing sinful activities and still chant.

Q: Can you change the words?
A: No. Srila Prabhupada said not “Dear John.” No om, no sivaya. You can play any variety of instruments, and Prabhupada encouraged the musicians to play with us.

Q [by Rama Raya Prabhu]: How would you encourage us to preach in America?
A: Do Union Square harinama. There are bright spots: Kalakantha, Vaisesika, Hari Vilasa. Jayadvaita Swami said the Las Vegas center is encouraging. Take a place and do something, and it will become a bright spot that will be inspiring to others.

comment by Mother Lilavatara: I say Hare Krishna to the people. When they ask what it means? I said it is a blessing. They like that. They say, “I need all the blessings I can get.” Saying Hare Krishna to everyone I meet helps me, as now that I am older and cannot go out so much to share Krishna with people.

comment by Sankarsana Prabhu: Your example of chanting, getting up early, and being regulated, inspies me.

I yearn to progress to suddha-nama.

My disciple in Russia, Isani wrote a prayer, “Dear Lord, please give my guru maharaja nama-ruci [taste for the holy name].”

One should not chant too slowly.

Kalakantha Prabhu:

The conditions of Satya-yuga are similar to the Biblical description of the Garden of Eden. Then when Adam and Eve begot Cain and Able they two brothers got involved in agriculture which corresponds to the second age, Treta.

comment by Vaishnava Dasa: At Janaki Kunda in India one sage was reading the Vishnu Purana. There it said at the end of this age of Kali, the maximum age a human will live is seventeen years while the average is only twelve. A girl could conceive a child at age five.

No doubt that the teaching of Jesus Christ is pure bhakti, but with all that has happened over the years, it is hard to encounter his pure teachings.

I was involved with one meditation group where I had to pay for the mantra, and each successive class was more expensive than the last. The introduction to pure devotion is free, the intermediate instruction in devotion is also free, and the advanced classes in devotional service are also free.

Malati Prabhu:

There are two levels of liberation (1) freedom from material desires, and (2) positive engagement in Krishna’s service.

The Mayavadis accept the light but do not find out the source of the light, so theirs is an inferior understanding.

The natural instinct of the liberated person is to engage in the devotional service of the Lord.

Bowing down before the Lord is offering a service to Him.

Srila Prabhupada said we should not give children younger than ten the deities because they have not yet developed the necessary cleanliness.

Strictly speaking one should not set the holy books on one’s lap because the clothing below the waist is impure.

Srila Prabhupada’s father gave him 5-inch Radha-Krishna Deities which Prabhupada named Radha-Govinda like the larger Deities of his neighbors.

Srila Prabhupada said the Ratha-yatra cart is not different from the Lord and by decorating the cart one can make great advancement.

The Ratha-yatra symbolizes the gopis pulling Krishna from Kurukshetra to Vrindavana.

All religions are meant for awakening the dormant instinct for devotion for the Supreme Lord—to reconnect with the Supreme Lord.

When we went to England, we were thinking, “We are going to meet the Beatles and get them to chant Hare Krishna.” That was our strategic plan.

We could understand we needed special empowerment to spread Krishna consciousness in England. We had heard from the scriptures about the glories of the lotus feet of the spiritual master, so before leaving for England, we asked Srila Prabhupada if we could touch his feet. We had seen the Indians do it, but we could see Srila Prabhupada did not really like it. He consented, and so we did.

I have interviewed 183 of Srila Prabhupada’s female disciples and at least 180 said he was glowing.

When leading kirtanas in Tompkins Square Park, Srila Prabhupada would encourage people to sing along, and more people began to get involved.

Srila Prabhupada called his society “The International Society for Krishna Consciousness” because he wanted people to understand that Krishna is God.

As soon as George Harrison came in contact with the devotees his devotion sprouted up.

I have had people tell me that they had no idea what Hare Krishna was but because George Harrison made the record, they chanted.

From 1970 to 1971 was a Hare Krishna explosion with 32 new temples being opened.

In the beginning we called the Sunday Feast, the Sunday Love Feast. I think we should get back to calling it that. The world needs a lot more love.

On Srila Prabhupada’s morning walks you got insight on practically applying the teachings in life.

Srila Prabhupada was an expert musician, especially with mrdanga and harmonium, but he made it clear that playing the instruments was simply an accompaniment to the chanting of the maha-mantra.

Srila Prabhupada wrote 6,000 letters that have been archived, and 30,000 photos were taken of him and 70 hours of videos made about him.

Mahatma Prabhu was interesting how organizations were managed. He had seen the Hare Krishnas with their chanting and dancing and happy disposition, and wondered how they were managed. He secured the opportunity to witness a meeting between Srila Prabhupada and his main leaders. Prabhupada began by preaching. Two hours later he was still preaching. Then Mahatma understood that Srila Prabhupada managed by preaching.

Sesa Prabhu:

My daughter was teaching some 1st or 2nd graders as a student teacher as part of getting her teaching degree. One of the boys in the class said to her, “Miss Spellman, I saw you in the parade!” So she had to explain to the teacher and the class that she was in the UF Homecoming parade as a Hare Krishna devotee. The husband of the teacher came by and mentioned how he enjoyed the Krishna Lunch as a student. Then the teacher asked my daughter, “What do you believe?” Later at home at the dinner table, we discussed the best way to answer this, and concluded, “We believe the purpose of life is to love God and serve Him.”

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura considered that first three processes of devotional service, sravanam, kirtanam, vishnu smaranam, hearing, chanting, and remembering the Supreme Lord, are primary, and the other six are contained within these.

We can become absorbed in so many things in life, but they may not be good for ourselves or others, but Krishna kirtana is good for both ourselves and others.

Remembering the Lord is natural, especially when we are in difficulty. When the U.S. astronauts were in a dangerous situation, the American leaders advised the citizens to pray to God for their safety.

The five kinds of smaranam (remembering):
  1. to contemplate something we previously experienced
  2. dharana: to focus our meditation on a specific subject
  3. dhyanam: to meditate on a specific form of the Lord
  4. dhruvanusmriti: a flow of remembrance of some pastime of the Lord.
  5. samadhi: complete absorption.

comment by Mother Akuti: After I gave a class where we talked about how Lord Caitanya got all the animals to dance, we went on harinama, and I encouraged the devotees at least to get all the people to dance. That day we saw a lot of people dressed in animal costumes, and they all danced with us.

Citsukananda Prabhu was preaching in Trinidad, and he met the person who corresponded with Srila Prabhupada before he came to America about coming to Trinidad. The man even showed him the letters he received from Srila Prabhupada.

comment by Malati Prabhu: At the first arati of Radha-Shyamasundara in Vrindavana, Visakha Prabhu wanted to get a picture of Prabhupada doing the arati, but a tall sannyasi was standing in her way. She tapped the sannyasi on the shoulder twice, and the second time said pointing to her camera, “If you stand where you are, you will get a nice vision of Srila Prabhupada offering arati. but if you let me stand there the whole world will get that vision.” The sannyasi kindly traded places with her, and so we have that historic photo.

Tulasi Priya dd:

People who travel tend to be less bigoted, more tolerant, and more open minded.

A temple or place of pilgrimage is so powerful that no matter what your consciousness is, you will connect with Krishna simply by going there.

The Muslims have an idea that at least once in your life you should visit Mecca. Similarly, for us it is valuable if once in our life, we can go to India and visit Krishna’s birthplace.

We watch people’s lives like we watch a movie. We wonder what will happen to our friends next.

Dina Bandhu Prabhu:

In the purport to Bhagavad-gita 11.55 is a description of the spiritual world as having many planets. This tradition has more details of the spiritual world and what is going on there.

Our activities of exploiting material nature which we are thinking are making us happy are actually creating our distress.

Mental speculation is to think that by the power of our inductive reasoning we can understand the ultimate truth without hearing about it from a higher authority.

Bhagavad-gita 18.55 gives make practical suggestions of how to engage in devotional service to Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada explained to one devotee who was entering the household life and worried about how he would get good association there, “If when you are working, if you are remembering that you are working for Krishna, then you are associating with Krishna.”

Amrita Keli dd:

This Hare Krishna mantra is spiritual sound vibration, and it is completely different from any other sound vibration you have heard.

I started chanting Hare Krishna on my way to class, and I found my day went much better.

Bhaktin Laura:

As a result of chanting eight rounds a day, I became more peaceful and was not haunted by things I had done in my past. Recently, because of the end of the semester, I have been too busy to chant eight rounds a day, and I can see I am sometimes haunted by such thoughts as before. I am so glad I am finished now, and I can return to chanting eight rounds.

Bhakta John:

In addition to the famous example of God appearing to Moses as a burning bush, in the Bible it also says the Lord manifest as, “A pillar of a cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.”

comment by Ananda Loka Prabhu: When I was a tennis instructor, I would remember Krishna by chanting before and after going to work, bringing prasadam to the students, and bringing a small set of beads I could chant on when not otherwise engaged.

comment by Sruti Sagar Prabhu: To avoid bad association, Indradyumna Swami advised me to chant 64 rounds then, glorifying that practice for two minutes before saying at least chant 16 very good rounds.

Krishna-kripa das:

Sign on a church between Gainesville and Jacksonville, “You are the only Bible some people will read.”

from a post on Facebook:

Forty years ago on this day, Dec. 9, 1972, I broke my leg skiing. It hurt like hell, and it was awkward using crutches for six weeks with the snow and ice. In July of that year, my father had passed away, and my grandmother was to pass away in May of the next year. Thus when the Hare Krishnas told me seven years later, that the material world was a miserable place, I felt they actually understood the truth.

-----

susrusoh sraddadhanasya
vasudeva-katha-rucih
syan mahat-sevaya viprah
punya-tirtha-nisevanat

“O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vasudeva [the Supreme Lord].” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.16)

Travel Journal#8.23: North Florida and New York State
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 8, No. 23
By Krishna-kripa das
(December 2012, part one)
North Florida and New York State
(Sent from Brooklyn, New York, on January 7, 2013)

What I Went and What I Did

December started off with a new event for the North Florida Hare Krishnas on its very first day, the St. Augustine Christmas parade. In Gainesville, we had our last week of Krishna Lunch on the campus for the year, and I chanted on the campus through Wednesday. That Wednesday we had our usual harinama at the Gainesville Farmers Market, which had a special feature this time. Thursday Andy drove me to University of North Florida where Hladini, Amrita, Dorian, and Dorian’s friend, Tim, and I chanted together for four hours outside the Student Union as hundreds of students traded in their used books. Hladini also distributed many cookies and invitations to our Thursday evening program which Tim ended up coming to for the first time. On Friday I flew to Philadelphia where I saw Radha-Saradbihari and Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, and Sraddha dd, and where I took my niece, Fern, to my friend Haryasva Prabhu’s Govinda’s Restaurant, along with Jaya Sita dd and Varuni, a couple friends from Florida. The next day I went to Stuyvesant Falls, New York, about 100 miles north of New York City, where my initiating guru, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami had his Vyasa Puja ceremony that weekend. For the next week after that I served Satsvarupa Maharaja, by cooking his breakfast and lunch, cleaning his room, and washing everyone’s dishes. Muktavandya Prabhu, who was also assisting Satsvarupa Maharaja, and I went to Hudson on the warmest day of that week and did harinama for an hour, and we received some favorable gestures and smiles from a few locals and no negativity. On Saturday the 15th, I made a day trip to New York City to do harinama and kirtana, and to hear from my siksa guru, Niranjana Swami. That harinama was a special experience because of the response, and I share some video of some Santa Clauses dancing along with our party.

I share insights of visiting guests like Niranjana and Rtadhvaja Swamis and Malati Prabhu, as well as senior devotees in the Alachua Country community like Kalakantha and Sesa Prabhus. I tell of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s Vyasa Puja ceremony and include some nice excerpts from his autobiography, The Story of My Life, in which he describes the early days with Srila Prabhupada. Then I share details from presentations by newer devotees in Gainesville and Jacksonville.

Lord Jagannatha Blesses the St. Augustine Christmas Parade


By the grace of enthusiastic devotees from Alachua, Ratha-yatras are on the increase in North Florida. For the first time we had a Ratha-yatra cart in the St. Augustine Christmas parade. It was also special as this was first time as the new replica Jagannatha Deities rode on the cart. Dharma-raj Prabhu and his family, as usual, made all kinds of practical arrangements, getting the cart there, and decorated.



Although I love freely distributing promotional literature about Krishna consciousness because I am convinced it will benefit the people, I was not very enthusiastic during the beginning of the parade because I thought the authorities would not appreciate us doing that at the parade and that the vast majority of the people would not be interested. Of course, I did it anyway as a matter of duty, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Many, many people were happy to see the devotees, and they reached out with smiles and words and gestures of approval to take the Krishna, Reservoir of Pleasure and On Chanting Hare Krishna pamphlets that we were distributing. Of course, the prasadam candy canes were even more popular. After two-thirds of the parade, a light rain started, and I hid the pamphlets under my kurta for protection and continued to distribute. Later Kesava Prabhu got a call from the organizers in St. Augustine, saying that we won the award for the most unique float. Of course, that is not so surprising. Who is more unique than Lord Jagannatha, His brother, and sister on their glorious cart and His entourage of singing and dancing followers?

1565Today.com, St. Augustine, Florida’s newest online magazine, in an article “The St. Augustine Christmas Parade Wows the Kids” posted on December 1, writes “And honorable mention goes to the Hare Krishna devotees, who sang and tambourined their way through the city in a colorful injection of ethnic and religious diversity.” The two pictures illustrating this article were taken by Brian Nelson of 1565Today.com and are used with his permission.

A Special Harinama at the Farmers Market

With devotees working on Krishna Lunch and finishing up projects and papers and studying for finals as the semester ended, we had few devotees to chant at the first Gainesville Farmers Market in December. There was one surprise addition to our chanting party though, and that is our friend, Anna, a Quaker lady in her sixties, who originally came in touch with Hare Krishna at the very same Farmers Market perhaps a year or so ago. She developed a fondness for chanting Hare Krishna on beads, attends some programs, and sometimes helps serve out the Krishna Lunch on the porch of Krishna House. She chanted with us for an hour at the Farmers Market, spontaneously giving out invitations to those sitting or standing nearby, so they could benefit from some of the gifts the Krishna consciousness movement is sharing, as she herself has.

December 15 Harinama in New York City

As I walked from 34 West 31th Street, where the Chinese bus from Albany dropped me off, to find our harinama in Union Square, or as it turned out, Washington Square Park, I was amazed to see somewhere between 10% and 25% of the people were dressed as Santa Claus! “What is going on?” I wondered. Later as I researched this article, I found out, “SantaCon!” According to Wikipedia, “SantaCon is an annual mass gathering of people dressed in Santa Claus costumes parading publicly on streets and in bars in cities around the world. The focus is on spontaneity and creativity, while having a good time and spreading cheer and goodwill.” [Donaldson James, Susan (December 11, 2009). "Santa Con: Kringle Chaos is Coming to Town". ABC News. Retrieved December 18, 2011.]

People are in mood of celebration around Christmas, and during SantaCon, that is intensified. Thus during our five-hour harinama, many jolly Santas danced along with the devotees, as you can see in these videos by Bhakta Peter of The Bhakti Center:






We ended our harinama fifteen minutes to eight, a little early, as many devotees wanted to attend the rest of this month’s six-hour kirtana at the Bhakti Center, with Niranjana Swami as a special guest. We made an announcement to those dancing with us at the end to follow us to 25 First Avenue for some more singing, dancing, and refreshments, and about five or six of the Christmas partiers came along. I noticed two of them stayed at least two hours. The most enthusiastic was Yael, a NYU student, who was attracted to the kirtana in Washington Square Park being a percussionist. Although it was her first encounter with Hare Krishna kirtana, she played the djembe drum with the party for several hours, came to the Bhakti Center for more kirtana and prasadam, and she even washed a few pots. The next day she returned to catch the end of Niranjana Swami’s lecture.


She showed up for a few harinamas the next week, and hopes to visit the Chicago temple when she returns home for the holidays.

It was awesome for me to see all the people doing so many acts of devotion as a result of meeting the harinama party on the SantaCon day. This daily four-hour harinama in Manhattan organized by Rama Raya Prabhu is a very powerful outreach event!

Insights

Niranjana Swami:

To accept one’s imminent death as good news takes realization.

My mother was ninety and had no interested in hearing the word “death.” As far as she was concerned, she would live another hundred years. Although there were signs that things would not improve, she did not take them seriously. Five months before she passed away she was in a rehabilitation hospital and she told me, “I do not belong here. This place is only for old and sick people.” Life is meant for learn how to deal with the unavoidable event of death, but our present society is not dealing with this. My aunt got notice she was going to die within a week, and my sister invited me to visit her. My aunt said about me, “Look at him. Look at his eyes. Look at how peaceful he is! He looks like he knows the purpose of life.” Then she addressed me directly, “I can tell that you can accept whatever happens to you in life. Can you teach me to be like that?” People detected that something was going to happen and so they left, not for a long time as it turned out. I explained that soul exists beyond the body, and takes up another body according to one’s karma. Then an old friend came in and our conversation ended, but at least she could understand her situation and try to deal with it.

As it turned out I was with my mother alone in the room as she was dying. I saw her breathing was slowing down, and I decided to stop reading and chant Hare Krishna kirtana. And so I was chanting Hare Krishna for five minutes when my mother left her body. When I messaged Devamrita Swami, he replied that Prabhupada told Giriraja that parents of devotees at the time they leave their bodies will realize their good fortune of having a child who became a devotee. When my sister came in the room she said to me, “Your face is glowing. As soon as I saw your face. I knew everything was alright.”

We have to feel as a result of our devotional service that Krishna is there making arrangements in our life.

Bali Maharaja was cheated by the Lord, to whom He had offered three steps of land, but who had taken everything in two. But Bali was so elevated, he was not disturbed.

Voluntary repentance is the way to get the Lord’s attention, not to blame others.

Pariksit Maharaja saw the curse as an opportunity to become detached from all his material possessions and to become attached to Krishna.

The devotees have the greatest asset and the greatest benediction—to remember the Lord. The Lord minimizes other things in a devotee’s life to facilitate that.

We should practice developing this consciousness throughout our life, not just at the time of death.

from a conversation after the lecture:

In 1972 I lived in a hippy commune on Cape Cod. There were 15 fifteen of us, and we all had our own dogs. We considered that we would not want to kill our dogs and so it was hypocritical to kill animals for food, and thus we all became vegetarian. Many people liked to cook, but no one liked to clean up, so there were piles of dishes in the sink. As I was becoming a devotee by reading Bhagavad-gita, I knew Krishna would not accept the offering if the kitchen was not clean, so I would always clean the kitchen before I cooked. When the others understood that I would clean the kitchen before it was my turn to cook, they became even less enthusiastic to clean their own pots and dishes. I became resentful that I was doing everyone else’s dishes. When I came to the temple for the first time, I had been reading Bhagavad-gita for some days. When the devotees asked me if I wanted to do some service after the Sunday Feast, I agreed. They led me to the kitchen, and I saw a pile of pots that was bigger than I had ever seen before. I was shocked, but because I agreed to do some service, I did it, although reluctantly. When I was halfway through, another devotee came in. His name was Narendra. He was rejoicing seeing my fortunate position being engaged in the Lord’s service, but it was difficult to appreciate his mood. Then he spoke to me some words that completely transformed my consciousness: “By cleaning Krishna’s pots, you are cleaning your heart.” Then I saw the service in a completely different way. It was different than cleaning the pots at the co-op house. These were indeed Krishna’s pots, and I was becoming closer to Krishna by cleaning them.

Rtadhvaja Swami:

from Kalakantha Prabhu’s grandchild’s grains ceremony:

When we were having festivals almost every weekend in LA, Srila Prabhupada told us, “If you let me know, I can give you a festival for every day.”

These events, like the child’s grains ceremony, allow us to remember that human life is meant for self-realization not sense gratification.

There is a pastime with Narottama Dasa Thakura. He would not take the grains at his grains ceremony repeatedly. Then they realized that the grains had not been offered to Krishna first. They made a new batch, and offered it to Krishna, and tried again, this time successfully.

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami [Vyasa-puja address]:

The purpose of the guru is to guide the disciple to go back to Godhead as soon as possible. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura advised to go back in this life. Why wait for additional births?

Srila Prabhupada said if you are 75% pure you can go back.

Srila Prabhupada said, “If you hold on my dhoti I can take you back to Godhead. I have a key to the back door.”

My task is to represent Srila Prabhupada to you. I have been representing Srila Prabhupada to people since being temple president in Boston.

I am in stable health and sound mind, and I am determined to serve you for the forseeable future.

It is said of the guru that he lives forever, and the follower lives with him by his instructions.

We serve the guru by taking care of him and serving his preaching mission.

I preach by the way I live my life and by my writing.

I wrote Srila Prabhupada asking if I could write, but fearfully, that I was so daring to write when he has written so nicely.

Srila Prabhupada replied, mentioning all the acaryas [previous spiritual teachers] who wrote extensively and saying, “Any self-realized soul can write unlimited books not deviating from the original purpose.”

Lilamrita [Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s biography of Hare Krishna founder Srila Prabhupada] is second best selling Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) book next to Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

I am writing now for my daily web site, beginning with quotations from a rasa-sastra, accompanied by illustrations, and then a japa report. I continue the japa report although it is repetitious because devotees say it helps their japa. I draw a picture. Then I tell about my life, telling my interactions with the devotees I live with, the local devotees, and those who visit here, along with material from the books I am hearing each day. And finally I tell about my deity worship.

By reading these writings is the best way for my disciples to keep in touch with me. It takes only ten minutes to have a relationship for me in cyberspace each day.

I try to write a book a year and present it to my disciples on Vyasa-puja day.

We have 150 books on Kindle and e-readers.

Radhanatha Swami looked through Prabhupada Smaranam and liked it very much. He promised to get help to print many copies for his followers.

I have written about Prabhupada, practices of devotional service, and the chanting of the holy name.

It is the duty of us all to produce as many Krishna conscious books as possible. People can help with these different tasks:

  1. We have funds. We need cover designs and proofreading for fifty low run books.
  2. Locating and digitizing art work.
  3. Obtaining a tripod for photography.
  4. Typists and proofreaders for my autobiography.
  5. Visit and promote sdgonline.org and our Facebook site.
  6. Buy ebooks and post comments on them.
  7. Print 50 sets of 100 of my books to place in schools and libraries at $7 per book.
  8. Transferring audio tapes to digital format.

We owe such a debt to the Goswamis, Krishna dasa Kaviraja Goswami, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Prabhupada for all their books.

I wrote 25 books about Srila Prabhupada.

I give people Caitanya Vaishnavism through a variety of genres.

If you attain pure love for Krishna, I will consider my spiritual master duties successful, and you can bless me, and we can go back to Godhead together. Srila Prabhupada writes about this in connection with Dhruva Maharaja taking his mother back to Godhead. That is my request of you. Thank you very much.


Vyasa-puja Homages:

Haridasa Prabhu:

You have led us by your example to be a follower of Srila Prabhupada. You are his faithful and empowered representative. Your writing of books is a great contribution in this. You are inextricably linked with Srila Prabupada. Your honesty has endeared you to your readers.

Rama Raya Prabhu:

You have linked us to Srila Prabhupada wonderfully for so many years. When I have your association I feel Srila Prabhupada’s presence.

I could distribute cards for your site on harinama.

Krishna-kripa das:

You praised your disciples who are publishing and selling Russian translations of your books. I just wanted to say from my own experience at the Ukraine festival, Isani and Alexi Prabhus set up their GN Press book table at the very beginning of the festival and go to the very end. Instead of working a single book table together as many couples would do, they have two separate tables at different locations to increase sales. This year new and reprinted titles numbered five, including Entering a Life of Prayer, Prabhupada Appreciation, Japa Transformations, and Distribute Books.

When I quote from your journal on my blog, I could include a link to it.

A friend of my loved your Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name in which you share your personal struggle. He learned from that it is alright for devotees to be personal and to share feelings, not just to be austere and stoic.

How did you help us? Your writings gave me faith in Srila Prabhupada and the holy name. Your instruction to dance more in kirtana has made me so enthusiastic to dance in kirtana, I do it even when everyone else is sitting down.

Haryasva Prabhu:

I feel sadness that I am not reading or distributing your books as I have in the past.
Prabhupada and the holy name are two gifts you emphasized.

I felt I just missed Srila Prabhupada, but through your writings I feel connected with him.

I find that new people find your books to be easy reading.

Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu:

After three years of interviewing for Lilamrita, the message I got from the devotees was that they wished they had given Srila Prabhupada more time to write as that is what is left, and that they feel bad they did not take advantage of his presence while he was here. This is a realization I had that any disciple can help to do these two things in connection with you.

Mother Lilavatara:

When I met you I felt you were someone special and would be someone special, and you were.

Thanks for teaching us to be more regulated.

The pictures Guru Das posts are special to me.

Your drawings of the devotees are so funny to me and make me so joyful. They make my heart feel so light.

Thank you inspiring us to go back to Godhead by improving our chanting.
Your servants have done such a wonderful job for you over the years.
Thank you for guiding me to become more Krishna consciousness.

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:

reading from his autobiography, The Story of My Life:

“No talent is required to make a combined diary and autobiography interesting.”—Mark Twain

“The Swami kept leading the chanting for a full half hour. After awhile I got bored, but I kept going and eventually entered into a trancelike stage. It was far out. I went past boredom and became absorbed in the sound vibration. . . . I had the mantra almost memorized, and I was mesmerized. By the time it was over I felt that I was high. I left the storefront and walked home chanting in my mind and feeling certain that I would continue to attend the meetings. I felt I wanted to change my life and become pure.”
“My first personal contact with Srila Prabhupada was in a formal setting — the question and answer period after his lecture. In the company of about fifteen people I raised my hand, and he recognized me. I asked, “Is misery eternal?” My question came from my reading of Van Gogh’s letters to his brother, Dear Theo. In one letter Van Gogh proposes to his brother that “misery is eternal.” I wanted to know what the Swami thought. Without hesitating he answered me, “Yes misery is eternal. You may break your arm and go to the hospital and have your arm healed. But then you may go out and break your leg. In this world there is no end to miseries. But there is another world . . . ” Swamiji explained that if you develop love of God and go back to the spiritual world you will be free of miseries, because there is no misery there. I was satisfied to be recognized, and his answer was assuring, overriding Van Gogh’s dismal view.”
“The early years with Swamiji were my favorite as ISKCON was a small movement, like a family.”

from a talk with disciples about japa:

Acaryas [the great spiritual teachers] say kirtana [chanting loudly with others] is more important than japa [individually chanting softly] because more people benefit, but that does not mean japa is not important, it is fundamental. Srila Prabhupada said it is the most essential instruction.

Japa is so personal. We speak to Krishna and Radha, and ask Them to engage us in Their service.

Lord Caitanya would not eat at the house of anyone who did not daily chant 64 rounds (100,000 names of the Lord).

I know one lady who plays the harmonium and sings kirtana, but does not chant her sixteen rounds of japa. Better that she would chant sixteen rounds first and then play the harmonium.

The mantras are a gift and should be handled gratefully.

In recent years, I have finally been able to pay attention to the names while I chant.

I pray to the holy name, “Please forgive me. Please protect me.”

I long for the day when I feel emotion like in “Siksastakam.”

Chanting is cozy, intimate and warms the heart.

Q: What does it mean no hard and fast rules?
A: It is not like Deity worship where you have to clean yourself first. You can chant morning or night. You can chant in the bathroom. The mantra can be chanted by anyone. You do not have to be initiated to chant. You can even still be doing sinful activities and still chant.

Q: Can you change the words?
A: No. Srila Prabhupada said not “Dear John.” No om, no sivaya. You can play any variety of instruments, and Prabhupada encouraged the musicians to play with us.

Q [by Rama Raya Prabhu]: How would you encourage us to preach in America?
A: Do Union Square harinama. There are bright spots: Kalakantha, Vaisesika, Hari Vilasa. Jayadvaita Swami said the Las Vegas center is encouraging. Take a place and do something, and it will become a bright spot that will be inspiring to others.

comment by Mother Lilavatara: I say Hare Krishna to the people. When they ask what it means? I said it is a blessing. They like that. They say, “I need all the blessings I can get.” Saying Hare Krishna to everyone I meet helps me, as now that I am older and cannot go out so much to share Krishna with people.

comment by Sankarsana Prabhu: Your example of chanting, getting up early, and being regulated, inspies me.

I yearn to progress to suddha-nama.

My disciple in Russia, Isani wrote a prayer, “Dear Lord, please give my guru maharaja nama-ruci [taste for the holy name].”

One should not chant too slowly.

Kalakantha Prabhu:

The conditions of Satya-yuga are similar to the Biblical description of the Garden of Eden. Then when Adam and Eve begot Cain and Able they two brothers got involved in agriculture which corresponds to the second age, Treta.

comment by Vaishnava Dasa: At Janaki Kunda in India one sage was reading the Vishnu Purana. There it said at the end of this age of Kali, the maximum age a human will live is seventeen years while the average is only twelve. A girl could conceive a child at age five.

No doubt that the teaching of Jesus Christ is pure bhakti, but with all that has happened over the years, it is hard to encounter his pure teachings.

I was involved with one meditation group where I had to pay for the mantra, and each successive class was more expensive than the last. The introduction to pure devotion is free, the intermediate instruction in devotion is also free, and the advanced classes in devotional service are also free.

Malati Prabhu:

There are two levels of liberation (1) freedom from material desires, and (2) positive engagement in Krishna’s service.

The Mayavadis accept the light but do not find out the source of the light, so theirs is an inferior understanding.

The natural instinct of the liberated person is to engage in the devotional service of the Lord.

Bowing down before the Lord is offering a service to Him.

Srila Prabhupada said we should not give children younger than ten the deities because they have not yet developed the necessary cleanliness.

Strictly speaking one should not set the holy books on one’s lap because the clothing below the waist is impure.

Srila Prabhupada’s father gave him 5-inch Radha-Krishna Deities which Prabhupada named Radha-Govinda like the larger Deities of his neighbors.

Srila Prabhupada said the Ratha-yatra cart is not different from the Lord and by decorating the cart one can make great advancement.

The Ratha-yatra symbolizes the gopis pulling Krishna from Kurukshetra to Vrindavana.

All religions are meant for awakening the dormant instinct for devotion for the Supreme Lord—to reconnect with the Supreme Lord.

When we went to England, we were thinking, “We are going to meet the Beatles and get them to chant Hare Krishna.” That was our strategic plan.

We could understand we needed special empowerment to spread Krishna consciousness in England. We had heard from the scriptures about the glories of the lotus feet of the spiritual master, so before leaving for England, we asked Srila Prabhupada if we could touch his feet. We had seen the Indians do it, but we could see Srila Prabhupada did not really like it. He consented, and so we did.

I have interviewed 183 of Srila Prabhupada’s female disciples and at least 180 said he was glowing.

When leading kirtanas in Tompkins Square Park, Srila Prabhupada would encourage people to sing along, and more people began to get involved.

Srila Prabhupada called his society “The International Society for Krishna Consciousness” because he wanted people to understand that Krishna is God.

As soon as George Harrison came in contact with the devotees his devotion sprouted up.

I have had people tell me that they had no idea what Hare Krishna was but because George Harrison made the record, they chanted.

From 1970 to 1971 was a Hare Krishna explosion with 32 new temples being opened.

In the beginning we called the Sunday Feast, the Sunday Love Feast. I think we should get back to calling it that. The world needs a lot more love.

On Srila Prabhupada’s morning walks you got insight on practically applying the teachings in life.

Srila Prabhupada was an expert musician, especially with mrdanga and harmonium, but he made it clear that playing the instruments was simply an accompaniment to the chanting of the maha-mantra.

Srila Prabhupada wrote 6,000 letters that have been archived, and 30,000 photos were taken of him and 70 hours of videos made about him.

Mahatma Prabhu was interesting how organizations were managed. He had seen the Hare Krishnas with their chanting and dancing and happy disposition, and wondered how they were managed. He secured the opportunity to witness a meeting between Srila Prabhupada and his main leaders. Prabhupada began by preaching. Two hours later he was still preaching. Then Mahatma understood that Srila Prabhupada managed by preaching.

Sesa Prabhu:

My daughter was teaching some 1st or 2nd graders as a student teacher as part of getting her teaching degree. One of the boys in the class said to her, “Miss Spellman, I saw you in the parade!” So she had to explain to the teacher and the class that she was in the UF Homecoming parade as a Hare Krishna devotee. The husband of the teacher came by and mentioned how he enjoyed the Krishna Lunch as a student. Then the teacher asked my daughter, “What do you believe?” Later at home at the dinner table, we discussed the best way to answer this, and concluded, “We believe the purpose of life is to love God and serve Him.”

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura considered that first three processes of devotional service, sravanam, kirtanam, vishnu smaranam, hearing, chanting, and remembering the Supreme Lord, are primary, and the other six are contained within these.

We can become absorbed in so many things in life, but they may not be good for ourselves or others, but Krishna kirtana is good for both ourselves and others.

Remembering the Lord is natural, especially when we are in difficulty. When the U.S. astronauts were in a dangerous situation, the American leaders advised the citizens to pray to God for their safety.

The five kinds of smaranam (remembering):
  1. to contemplate something we previously experienced
  2. dharana: to focus our meditation on a specific subject
  3. dhyanam: to meditate on a specific form of the Lord
  4. dhruvanusmriti: a flow of remembrance of some pastime of the Lord.
  5. samadhi: complete absorption.

comment by Mother Akuti: After I gave a class where we talked about how Lord Caitanya got all the animals to dance, we went on harinama, and I encouraged the devotees at least to get all the people to dance. That day we saw a lot of people dressed in animal costumes, and they all danced with us.

Citsukananda Prabhu was preaching in Trinidad, and he met the person who corresponded with Srila Prabhupada before he came to America about coming to Trinidad. The man even showed him the letters he received from Srila Prabhupada.

comment by Malati Prabhu: At the first arati of Radha-Shyamasundara in Vrindavana, Visakha Prabhu wanted to get a picture of Prabhupada doing the arati, but a tall sannyasi was standing in her way. She tapped the sannyasi on the shoulder twice, and the second time said pointing to her camera, “If you stand where you are, you will get a nice vision of Srila Prabhupada offering arati. but if you let me stand there the whole world will get that vision.” The sannyasi kindly traded places with her, and so we have that historic photo.

Tulasi Priya dd:

People who travel tend to be less bigoted, more tolerant, and more open minded.

A temple or place of pilgrimage is so powerful that no matter what your consciousness is, you will connect with Krishna simply by going there.

The Muslims have an idea that at least once in your life you should visit Mecca. Similarly, for us it is valuable if once in our life, we can go to India and visit Krishna’s birthplace.

We watch people’s lives like we watch a movie. We wonder what will happen to our friends next.

Dina Bandhu Prabhu:

In the purport to Bhagavad-gita 11.55 is a description of the spiritual world as having many planets. This tradition has more details of the spiritual world and what is going on there.

Our activities of exploiting material nature which we are thinking are making us happy are actually creating our distress.

Mental speculation is to think that by the power of our inductive reasoning we can understand the ultimate truth without hearing about it from a higher authority.

Bhagavad-gita 18.55 gives make practical suggestions of how to engage in devotional service to Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada explained to one devotee who was entering the household life and worried about how he would get good association there, “If when you are working, if you are remembering that you are working for Krishna, then you are associating with Krishna.”

Amrita Keli dd:

This Hare Krishna mantra is spiritual sound vibration, and it is completely different from any other sound vibration you have heard.

I started chanting Hare Krishna on my way to class, and I found my day went much better.

Bhaktin Laura:

As a result of chanting eight rounds a day, I became more peaceful and was not haunted by things I had done in my past. Recently, because of the end of the semester, I have been too busy to chant eight rounds a day, and I can see I am sometimes haunted by such thoughts as before. I am so glad I am finished now, and I can return to chanting eight rounds.

Bhakta John:

In addition to the famous example of God appearing to Moses as a burning bush, in the Bible it also says the Lord manifest as, “A pillar of a cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.”

comment by Ananda Loka Prabhu: When I was a tennis instructor, I would remember Krishna by chanting before and after going to work, bringing prasadam to the students, and bringing a small set of beads I could chant on when not otherwise engaged.

comment by Sruti Sagar Prabhu: To avoid bad association, Indradyumna Swami advised me to chant 64 rounds then, glorifying that practice for two minutes before saying at least chant 16 very good rounds.

Krishna-kripa das:

Sign on a church between Gainesville and Jacksonville, “You are the only Bible some people will read.”

from a post on Facebook:

Forty years ago on this day, Dec. 9, 1972, I broke my leg skiing. It hurt like hell, and it was awkward using crutches for six weeks with the snow and ice. In July of that year, my father had passed away, and my grandmother was to pass away in May of the next year. Thus when the Hare Krishnas told me seven years later, that the material world was a miserable place, I felt they actually understood the truth.

-----

susrusoh sraddadhanasya
vasudeva-katha-rucih
syan mahat-sevaya viprah
punya-tirtha-nisevanat

“O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vasudeva [the Supreme Lord].” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.16)

Soon to be Spinning Again!
→ Sit Properly

It’s been nearly two years since I’ve done anything with this site. I had been in the middle of reconverting all of the Classic ISKCON Records from vinyl to digital. The older files (done in 2007) sounded fairly bad. The newer ones (from 2011) sound quite a bit better, but still don’t sound as good as I’d like them.

Coming up next!

Coming up next!

Recently, I’ve upgraded my equipment and will soon be going back through all of the Classic ISKCON Records and bringing them all up to the sound quality they deserve. They’ll be available in both high bitrate MP3 as well as lossless FLAC files.

That said, everything that I’ve ever converted from vinyl to digital is still available here. When I convert a new version, I’ll post it here and update the links, etc.

As for the Classic ISKCON Tapes, I would really like to update them as well. The problem is that I no longer have a tape deck. That will hopefully soon be remedied. No promises on the time frame though.

For now, I’ve got a record or two that I’ve never posted. They’ll be the first that I do and will become the template of everything I do from here on out.

If you are aware of any ISKCON records or tapes (recorded/released before 1979) that I don’t have, please let me know. I’d love to complete my collection and offer them to the assembled devotees.

Haribol!
-Eric

The Journey Home
→ Tattva - See inside out

I’ve just returned from Ireland. Great trip. As I catch my breath in London for a week, I simultaneously prepare for a flight to India this coming Monday. My destination is the holy village of Vrindavana where Krishna spent His childhood years. Located 130 km south of Delhi, it’s a mystical place which is full of inspiration, insight and intrigue. They say that nobody returns from Vrindavana the same person, and that’s exactly why I’m going there! We can present ourselves as spiritual doctors, but we are undoubtedly patients as well. People may accept us as teachers of wisdom, but we remain humble students. After a month of sharing spirituality with others, now comes an opportunity to explore my own heart and question whether that inner transformation is really taking place.

These trips are not just a physical journey to a special place but also an inner journey towards transcendence. The great saints of Vrindavana were so absorbed in meditation and prayer that they became indifferent to the external world. Their living quarters were not formal brick or wooden structures, but temporary arrangements like the hollow of a tree, a clearing under a thorny thicket, or an underground cave. One saint is renowned for performing his meditation in a vacant crocodile hole. In these austere and solitary settings the great saints would slide into spiritual trance and have their conversations with God. They would continue on for hours on end. Their chanting wasn’t a casual activity. It wasn’t a ritual. It wasn’t simply a discipline – but it was full of emotion and feeling. It was from the core of the heart.

Could I ever isolate myself and go that deep? Probably not, and neither is it recommended to try. But hearing of such remarkable personalities nevertheless inspires me to intensify my spiritual endeavors. I’m trying to break free of my mechanical and ritualistic approach. I’m trying to rediscover the freshness, enthusiasm and simplicity that attracted me to this path. I'm searching for that childlike innocence that I once had. I’m going back to basics. Core spiritual practices like mantra meditation, scriptural study and practical service to others are the bridge to the eternal reality. They are not to be taken lightly. I’m approaching Vrindavana in the mood of a beggar: spiritually impoverished but confident that I’ll find some sacred treasures along the way.

The Journey Home
→ Tattva - See inside out

I’ve just returned from Ireland. Great trip. As I catch my breath in London for a week, I simultaneously prepare for a flight to India this coming Monday. My destination is the holy village of Vrindavana where Krishna spent His childhood years. Located 130 km south of Delhi, it’s a mystical place which is full of inspiration, insight and intrigue. They say that nobody returns from Vrindavana the same person, and that’s exactly why I’m going there! We can present ourselves as spiritual doctors, but we are undoubtedly patients as well. People may accept us as teachers of wisdom, but we remain humble students. After a month of sharing spirituality with others, now comes an opportunity to explore my own heart and question whether that inner transformation is really taking place.

These trips are not just a physical journey to a special place but also an inner journey towards transcendence. The great saints of Vrindavana were so absorbed in meditation and prayer that they became indifferent to the external world. Their living quarters were not formal brick or wooden structures, but temporary arrangements like the hollow of a tree, a clearing under a thorny thicket, or an underground cave. One saint is renowned for performing his meditation in a vacant crocodile hole. In these austere and solitary settings the great saints would slide into spiritual trance and have their conversations with God. They would continue on for hours on end. Their chanting wasn’t a casual activity. It wasn’t a ritual. It wasn’t simply a discipline – but it was full of emotion and feeling. It was from the core of the heart.

Could I ever isolate myself and go that deep? Probably not, and neither is it recommended to try. But hearing of such remarkable personalities nevertheless inspires me to intensify my spiritual endeavors. I’m trying to break free of my mechanical and ritualistic approach. I’m trying to rediscover the freshness, enthusiasm and simplicity that attracted me to this path. I'm searching for that childlike innocence that I once had. I’m going back to basics. Core spiritual practices like mantra meditation, scriptural study and practical service to others are the bridge to the eternal reality. They are not to be taken lightly. I’m approaching Vrindavana in the mood of a beggar: spiritually impoverished but confident that I’ll find some sacred treasures along the way.

on fast forward
→ kirtaniyah sada hari


Last week as I was sitting down to chant my noon gayatri I realized something. I was trying to chant all the mantras really quickly as though I had some place to get to immediately. Truth was, the only thing I had lined up afterwards was checking my email! So why the need to rush?

When I analyze my life, I grudgingly realize it's something I do constantly. I fast forward through most of my spiritual practices as though there is some imaginary race that I must win. Even though I know faster isn't better, the challenge in slowing down is having to acknowledge the fact that I may be doing things imperfectly.

When I used to take singing lessons, the thing that challenged me the most was singing my scales slowly. And I'm not talking about just slowly, I mean excruciatingly slow. That was the time my teacher would always correct me. Over and over and over again would I have to repeat them until I got it right. Although frustrating, I never forgot what she told me. "If you don't get it right when you sing slow, you'll not only sing it wrong when you sing fast, but worse, you won't even notice that you're singing it wrong."

Similarly, as I hit fast forward in almost everything I do, I'm starting to realize the only person I'm short changing is myself. As aspiring bhakti yogis one of the most importantly lessons to imbibe is that it is the mood and consciousness that matters. When I rush, my consciousness is of stress, not devotion!

It's a humbling lesson. There's no need to fast forward. It's a good thing to hit pause and re-evaluate and even more important to be satisfied on play. That's the time when I'll grow.

on fast forward
→ kirtaniyah sada hari


Last week as I was sitting down to chant my noon gayatri I realized something. I was trying to chant all the mantras really quickly as though I had some place to get to immediately. Truth was, the only thing I had lined up afterwards was checking my email! So why the need to rush?

When I analyze my life, I grudgingly realize it's something I do constantly. I fast forward through most of my spiritual practices as though there is some imaginary race that I must win. Even though I know faster isn't better, the challenge in slowing down is having to acknowledge the fact that I may be doing things imperfectly.

When I used to take singing lessons, the thing that challenged me the most was singing my scales slowly. And I'm not talking about just slowly, I mean excruciatingly slow. That was the time my teacher would always correct me. Over and over and over again would I have to repeat them until I got it right. Although frustrating, I never forgot what she told me. "If you don't get it right when you sing slow, you'll not only sing it wrong when you sing fast, but worse, you won't even notice that you're singing it wrong."

Similarly, as I hit fast forward in almost everything I do, I'm starting to realize the only person I'm short changing is myself. As aspiring bhakti yogis one of the most importantly lessons to imbibe is that it is the mood and consciousness that matters. When I rush, my consciousness is of stress, not devotion!

It's a humbling lesson. There's no need to fast forward. It's a good thing to hit pause and re-evaluate and even more important to be satisfied on play. That's the time when I'll grow.

Winning life’s battles
Krishna Dharma das

The first question often asked about the Bhagavad-gita is why was it spoken on a battlefield? Despite a common view that religion is a major cause of war, in most people’s minds the two should remain separate. Religion or spirituality should result in peace not conflict. If one’s spiritual practises bring about the bloodthirsty desire to eliminate the followers of some other faith then they must be suspect. That would surely seem to make sense.

Nevertheless the Gita did arise from a war, the great Battle of Kurukshetra. Not only that, but its final message to Arjuna—a mighty warrior who had suddenly veered towards pacifism—was to give up his “petty weakness of heart” and sally forth to slay his enemies in battle. How then is it a religious text?

Perhaps we should begin by defining religion. Dictionaries usually describe it as a system of belief in some supernatural power. That is where the conflicts tend to arise. My beliefs may well be different to yours, and human nature is such that we identify with these to the point where we create divisions based upon them. Hence we have many religious communities going under different names—Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc. In most people’s minds this is what is meant by religion, all these various designations. The Gita however gives a broader definition.

In Sanskrit, the language of the Gita, the word for religion is dharma. This translates more accurately as the essential nature of a thing. In the case of a person this nature is to serve. We are always serving someone or something, be it our boss, family members, country, or maybe just our dog. We cannot avoid service. Even if we have no one to serve we will still serve our own mind and senses, which constantly demand satisfaction in one way or another. We cannot sit peacefully for very long before one bodily demand or another impinges upon us and we have to act to satisfy it.

Vedic wisdom tells us that this service propensity is actually meant for God. This is real religion, the dharma of the soul. No doubt the adherents of all the above named faiths and most others will concur with this, despite their external differences. Whatever our practises the ultimate aim must be to know and love God, to unite with him and serve him eternally. When we serve anything other than God we are never satisfied; we constantly search for the lasting fulfilment that no amount of sensual pleasure or material relationships can provide. As Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee.”

This is the message propounded by the Gita. It speaks of all beings as eternal parts of God having an unbreakable loving relationship with him. Arjuna’s dilemma as a warrior who was not inclined to fight was only the external context for a far deeper message than just getting him to take up his weapons. That message is encapsulated in the Gita’s key verse in the ninth chapter, where Krishna says, “Always think of me, offer me your respects, worship me and become my devotee. Surely then will you come to me.” This is the essence of all religion and it was what Arjuna had forgotten. He was thinking he had so many other duties which had all begun to seem onerous, conflicting and ultimately impossible. He got to the point where he did not know which way to turn or what to do. Krishna’s response was simple; just do what I want and you will be peaceful and happy.

As it happened at that time Krishna wanted Arjuna to fight. After all, sometimes fighting and violence are required when there are disturbing elements in society. We need the forces of law and order, which was Arjuna’s duty, but that’s not the real point. The ultimate message of the Gita is not about fighting or any other specific kind of work. It is about surrendering to God, acting only for his pleasure, recognising that this is truly in our own and everyone else’s best interests. When Arjuna understood this point his dilemma was over and he became peaceful. “My illusion is gone,” he told Krishna. “I am now free of duality and prepared to do whatever you ask.” And as Krishna asked him to fight that very fighting became a pure spiritual activity that led Arjuna to the highest point of self-realisation.

All of us are like Arjuna in so many ways. We stand on the battlefield of life faced with all kinds of challenges which often seem overwhelming. Sometimes we too don’t know which way to turn but the message of the Gita is also there for us. “Turn to me,” says Krishna. “I will always protect you and in the end bring you back to me.” That is the fight facing us all, turning from illusion towards Krishna, but with his help we like Arjuna will surely emerge victorious.

Sampradaya and Parampara: Sweet as a Stick of Rock
→ The Vaishnava Voice

A curious confection: The British ‘Stick of Rock’ is made entirely of pink and white coloured sugar and has the name of the seaside town where it is sold running all the way through it. No matter where you slice it, or suck it, you’ll always get the same name, the same sweet taste. So it is with the Vaishnava tradition. The sampradaya is sweet all the way through as is the Name of God. And the stick – the parampara – is the structure that delivers it.

 

The words sampradaya and parampara are often used interchangeably, as if they conveyed exactly the same meaning. Sampradaya means a school of thought or philosophical conclusion or siddhanta, embodied by a community of orthodox practitioners. Parampara is, quite literally, ‘one after the other’ – an historical chain of spiritual preceptors, each of whom was a legacy-holder for the same path and practice.

Sampradaya refers to what the sincere aspirant may contact in the here and now, how he may be taught the siddhanta in the present day, and locate a current exemplar of the tradition. Whereas parampara refers to how the siddhanta has been transmitted down through the years. It is a chain of illustrious preceptors, each of whom was connected to the previous one, either through accepting the teachings (siksha) or by becoming initiated with a mantra (diksha), or a combination of both. The parampara is a lineage of successive gurus which is established retrospectively, sometimes long after their physical demise. A leading member of the sampradaya – usually the current acarya himself – looks back over the centuries, traces his finger over the spiritual family tree, and concludes: ‘This is how we all got here.’

When we describe a parampara we single out certain persons who have contributed the most in establishing the siddhanta, explaining it to others; defending it from intellectual attack; and leaving behind a body of literature that served best to perpetuate the siddhanta beyond the lifetime of the authors. Yet in choosing some lineage-holders we simultaneously de-select others. They were not unworthy souls, rather, they were great Vaishnavas, each playing their part in supporting, defending and extending the sampradaya in their own time. But others were singled out to have their names as a permanent fixture in the list of the greatest historical contributors.

No devotees living today – including those who initiate disciples – know whether they will be ‘in the parampara,’ although by definition they are already ‘in the sampradaya.’ Of course, for disciples, their own chosen guru is the current representative of the parampara. But if the disciples do not initiate their own disciples then that singular branch of the parampara will terminate at the death of the last disciple.

It may be that the majority of current initiators in the ISKCON branch of the Gaudiya lineage – by this process of discipular termination – will not feature in the parampara 100 years hence, and what to speak of 300 years. They might be collectively featured in some future chronicle as the sincere and determined followers of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada; as those who met him personally and helped him in his mission to establish Gaudiya teachings outside India. But the moving index fingers of historians or acaryas of the far-distant future may pass immediately from Srila Prabhupada to the next major contributor in the chain. Names that are firmly fixed in the minds of all today, written in black ink as it were, may fade to grey or disappear completely, as many thousands throughout history have already done. Those who criticize the ISKCON movement for having what they consider to be less-than-suitable names ‘in the parampara’ should not unduly trouble themselves: time and tide will wash away anyone who is undeserving. And those who are already brilliant will continue to shine.