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According to Sri Gaura Gannoddesha Dipika, Srivasa Pandita is none other than the incarnation of Narada Muni, who had appeared to assist Sri Caitanya, his beloved Lord, enact the heart melting pastimes of Navadvipa. 

Srivasa pandita and his family members had originally hailed from Srihatta (Sylhet,currently situated in Bangladesh) and later moved over to reside at Navadvipa. Srivasa Pandita had appeared in this world about 30 years before the birth of Lord Caitanya. He is one of the members of the panca-tattva.

Sriram pandita, Srivasa’s younger brother, was the incarnation of Parvata Muni, a close friend of sage Narada. Srimati Malini Devi, the wife of Srivasa pandita, was previously the nurse Ambika in Krishna lila, who used to feed little Krishna, with her own breast milk. Malini devi was an intimate friend and companion of Saci mata, and regularly shared her advice on how to raise up mischievous Nimai.

Later, after Lord Gaurasundara had accepted His sannyasa initiation and moved over to Jagannatha Puri, Srivasa pandita together with his family, being unable to bear the mournful separation from their beloved Lord, shifted to a place called Halisahar, located on the other side of the Ganges. His worshipable Gaura-Nitai deities are till this day being served at a place called Chinsurah, where one can obtain their mesmerizing darsana.

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The 11th day of Krishna Paksha (Moon’s waning Phase) in the month Ashada (June – July) is observed as Yogini Ekadasi. It is considered a very auspicious and rewarding day to fulfill one’s wishes and destroy all the sins of a lifetime. This day is also known as Ashadi Ekadasi, and observing vrata (vow) on this day is equivalent to feeding 88,000 pious brahmins/priests.

As Gaudiya Vaishnavas, our main aim during ekadasi is to decrease bodily demands so we can spend more time in seva, especially hearing and chanting about the Lord. It’s recommended to chant extra rounds and stay up all night chanting and hearing the Lord’s glories.

It is also auspicious to donate to Vaishnavas and Lord Krishna’s service on ekadasi and we invite our readers to consider this occasion to donate towards either the new Pankajanghri Das Seva Campaign to complete Lord Nrsimha’s Wing in the TOVP, or sponsor an abhisheka for the installation of the new Prabhupada murti in the TOVP in October.

Below are links to both campaign pages on the TOVP website:

Prabhupada Murti Abhisheka
Pankajanghri Das Seva

 

Yogini Ekadasi

from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana

Yudhisthira Maharaj said, “Oh Supreme Lord, I have heard the glories of the Nirjala Ekadasi, which occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha (May – June). Now I wish to hear from You about the suddha Ekadasi that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Ashadha (June – July). Kindly describe to me all about it in detail, Oh killer of the Madhu demon (Madhusudana).”

The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, then replied, “Oh king, I shall indeed tell you about the best of all fasting days, the Ekadasi that comes during the dark part of the month of Ashadha. Famous as Yogini Ekadasi, it removes all kinds of sinful reactions and awards supreme liberation.

“Oh best of kings, this Ekadasi delivers people who are drowning in the vast ocean of material existence and transports them to the shore of the spiritual world.
In all the three worlds, it is the chief of all sacred fasting days. I shall now reveal this truth to you by narrating a history recounted in the Puranas.

“The king of Alakapuri – Kuvera, the treasurer of the devas – was a steadfast devotee of lord Shiva. He employed a servant named Hemamali as his personal gardener. Hemamali, a Yaksha like Kuvera, was very lustfully attracted to his gorgeous wife, Swarupavatii, who had large, enchanting eyes.

“Hemamali’s daily duty was to visit Manasarovara Lake and bring back flowers for his master, Kuvera, with which he would use them in the puja offerings to lord Shiva. One day, after picking the flowers, Hemamali went to his wife instead of returning directly to his master and fulfilling his duty by bringing the flowers for the puja. Absorbed in loving affairs of a bodily nature with his wife, he forgot to return to the abode of Kuvera.

“Oh king, while Hemamali was enjoying with his wife, Kuvera had begun the worship of lord Shiva as normal in his palace and soon discovered that there were no flowers ready to be offered in the midday puja. The lack of such an important item (upachara) angered the great Koshad-yaksha (treasurer of the devas) even more, and he asked a Yaksha messenger, ‘Why has dirty-hearted Hemamali not come with the daily offering of flowers? Go find out the exact reason and report back to me in person with your findings.’ The Yaksha returned and told Kuvera, ‘Oh dear lord, Hemamali has become lost in freely enjoying coitus with his wife.’

“Kuvera became extremely angry when he heard this and at once summoned lowly Hemamali before him. Knowing that he had been remiss and dawdling in his duty and exposed as meditating on his wife’s body, Hemamali approached his master in great fear. The gardener first paid his obeisances and then stood before his lord, whose eyes had become red with anger and whose lips trembled in rage.
So enraged, Kuvera cried out to Hemamali, ‘Oh you sinful rascal! Oh destroyer of religious principles! You are a walking offense to the devas! I therefore curse you to suffer from white leprosy and to become separated from your beloved wife! Only great suffering is deservedly yours! Oh lowborn fool, leave this place immediately and betake yourself to the lower planets to suffer!’

“And so Hemamali fell at once from grace in Alakapuri and became ill with the terrible affliction of white leprosy. He awoke in a dense and fearful forest, where there was nothing to eat or drink. Thus he passed his days in misery, unable to sleep at night due to pain. He suffered in both winter and summer season, but because he continued to worship lord Shiva himself with faith, his consciousness remained purely fixed and steady. Although implicated by great sin and its attendant reactions, he remembered his past life because of his piety.

“After wandering for some time here and there, over mountains and across plains, Hemamali eventually came upon the vast expanse of the Himalayan mountain ranges. There he had the wonderful good fortune to come in contact with the great saintly soul Markandeya Rishi, the best of ascetics, whose duration of life it is said, extends to seven of the days of Brahma.

“Markandeya Rishi was seated peacefully at his ashrama, looking as effulgent as a second Brahma. Hemamali, feeling very sinful, stood at a distance from the magnificent sage and offered his humble obeisances and choice prayers. Always interested in the welfare of others, Markandeya Rishi saw the leper and called him near, “Oh you, what sort of sinful deeds have you done to earn this dreadful affliction?’

“Hearing this, Hemamali painfully and ashamedly replied, ‘Dear sir, I am a Yaksha servant of lord Kuvera, and my name is Hemamali. It was my daily service to pick the flowers from the Manasarovara lake for my master’s worship of lord Shiva, but one day I was negligent and was late in returning with the offering because I had become overwhelmed with lusty passion for enjoying bodily pleasures with my wife. When my master discovered why I was late, he cursed me in great anger to be as I am before you. Thus, I am now bereft of my home, my wife, and my service. But fortunately, I have come upon you, and now I hope to receive from you an auspicious benediction, for I know that devotees such as you are as merciful as the Supreme Lord (Bhakta Vatsala) and always carry the interest of others uppermost in their hearts. That is their – your nature. Oh best of sages, please help me!’

“Softhearted Markandeya Rishi replied, ‘Because you have told me the truth, I shall tell you about a fast day that will benefit you greatly. If you fast on the Ekadasi that comes during the dark fortnight of the month of Ashadha, you will surely be freed of this terrible curse.’ Hemamali fell to the ground in complete gratitude and offered him his humble obeisances again and again. But Markandeya Rishi stood there and lifted poor Hemamali to his feet, filling him with inexpressible happiness.

“Thus, as the sage had instructed him, Hemamali dutifully observed the Ekadasi fast, and by its influence he again became a handsome Yaksha. Then he returned home, where he lived very happily with his wife.”

Lord Sri Krishna concluded, “So, you can readily see, Oh Yudhishthira, that fasting on Yogini Ekadasi is very powerful and auspicious. Whatever merit one obtains by feeding eighty-eight thousand brahmins is also obtained simply by observing a strict fast on Yogini Ekadasi. For one who fasts on this sacred Ekadasi, she (Ekadasi Devi), destroys heaps of past sinful reactions and makes him most pious. Oh King, thus I have explained to you the purity of Yogini Ekadasi.”

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Ashadha-krishna Ekadasii, or Yogini Ekadasi, from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana.

This article has been used courtesy of ISKCON Desire Tree).

 

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Hare Krishna dear Devotees, Please accept our humble obeisances All glories to Srila Prabhupada Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati reveals the secret of Navadvipa-dhama in his Navadvipa Satakam (verse 78): aradhitam nava-vanam vraja-kananam te naradhitam nava-vanam vraja eva dure aradhito dvija-suto vraja-nagaras te naradhito dvija-suto na taveha krsnah “If you worship the nine islands of Navadvipa, you […]

The post Live Address from H.H Jayapataka Swami 2nd July 2021! appeared first on Mayapur.com.

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Ramsden Park, Toronto

 

Congratulations

 

Our maintenance guy, who hails from Croatia, placed his phone close to my face and with a beaming face said, “Look Maharaja, at the message that just came to me.”

 

So, I read the message that came from the immigration department starting with, “Congratulations… you are a Canadian citizen.” This no doubt was a great cause for joy for him and the feeling is shared by his wife, Michaela, who was not actually present at that moment over lunch. Vallabha Hari (with his first name legally, Vladimir) also has a daughter with the same status. It may be a citizenship that carries with it a certain level of respect, but it is not a freeing position of moksha or nirvana. We are all entrapped in a body and are highly attached to bodily identity.

 

It is our guru, Prabhupada, who writes in the introduction to the Bhagavad-gita, “One who wants to become free, who wants to become liberated, must first of all learn that he/she is not this material body. Mukti, or liberation, means freedom from material consciousness.”

 

Anyway, I was happy for the family, which is probably toasting on soft drinks this evening. There is a lot to rejoice about. I’m alive. I’ve got a human birth. I practice spirituality. I’m working towards freedom and the ultimate love with the Supreme.

 

Vallabha is already one of the happiest people I know because he moves with that higher consciousness.

 

May the Source by with you!

2 km

 

The TOVP Book of Devotion is now officially going into production in preparation for offering to Srila Prabhupada. With over 9,000 names of TOVP donors, this will be the most magnificent, one-of-a-kind book presented to His Divine Grace in the history of ISKCON.

Since the deadline of Gaura Purnima, March 28, the TOVP Book Team of Rishab das and Mitravinda devi dasi, along with Madhusevita and Haladhara prabhus on the publishing side, have been busy going through several drafts making corrections and refining the presentation. The final draft was finally approved on the Disappearance Day of Shyamananda Prabhu and the book has now officially gone into production for printing.

But this is no ordinary book by any means. Here are some of the special features of this ornate, jewel-like publication, being produced by the makers of the largest Bhagavad Gita in the world at ISKCON Delhi:

• 15″ (38cm) x 20.5″ (52cm) in size
• 55 lbs./ 25 kg in weight
• 4.6″ (11.4cm) thick
• 500 gold-leafed pages
• Silver/Gold bas-relief on the cover
• Printed on handmade Free-life Merida paper
• Special illuminated text
• Printed in Milan, Italy

Madhusevita das, the Publisher and manager of the project describes the next phases of production:

Internal Work

a) Creation of digital “blueprints” of every page
b) Final approval of the pages by the TOVP Book Team
c) Separate printing of each and every single page (a work that few could do perfectly)
d) Gold-embossing of every page
e) Stitching of the book-block (all 500 pages)

Book Cover Work

a) Creation of the cover ‘case’ before adding the pages (leaves), bas-relief and spine plaques
b) Fixing of the bas-relief and the plaques on the cover and spine
c) Adding the book-block to the cover
The estimated production completion is by the end of August. We pray that everything goes smoothly. The photos below show Madhusevita and Haladhara prabhus with Mr. Loce, the printer, at his office while checking sample printings of the TOVP Book.

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This article was originally published in Atlantis Rising magazine in 2003 in my column, Notes from the Forbidden Archeologist.

In February of 2002, I was on a lecture tour of South India. At universities and other educational and cultural institutions in several cities, I was giving talks about the archeological evidence for extreme human antiquity documented in my book Forbidden Archeology. This evidence is consistent with accounts of a very ancient human presence on earth, found in the Vedas, the ancient Sanskrit writings of India. The talks were therefore popular with many Indian scholars and the general public.

In Chennai (as the city of Madras, the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu, is now called), I had a couple of days off. On one of these free days, the tour organizers arranged for me to go to the ancient hilltop temple of Tirupati, visited by more people each year than any other temple in India. On another free day, I went to Kanchipuram, another important pilgrimage town in the state of Tamil Nadu. There I visited several ancient temples, such as the Varadaraja temple.

While in Kanchipuram, I met an Indian archeologist who was curious about my work. I told him that I was not only interested in the extreme antiquity of the human race but also in the history of the Vedic culture in India. With that in mind, I showed him the following passage from the commentary of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on the Chaitanya Charitamrita, a sixteenth century biography of the avatar Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: “It is said that in the year 289 of the Age of Kali, the Alvar of the name Tondaradippadi was born. . . . He . . . prepared the third boundary wall of the Ranganatha temple.” That bit of information has some bearing on the question of the antiquity of Vedic culture in India. To show how this is true requires a little background about the Ranganatha temple and the Vedic time system.

The Ranganatha temple, also in the state of Tamil Nadu, is the largest temple complex in India. It is situated on a large island in the middle of the Kaveri River. The central temple building is surrounded by seven extensive boundary walls. According to some, the seven boundary walls represent the seven material coverings of the eternal self (the atma). And the path a pilgrim takes through the gates of the seven walls therefore represents a progressive process of spiritual realization.

According to the Vedic cosmological calendar, time proceeds in cycles of ages called yugas. There are four yugas in each cycle: a Satya Yuga, a Dvapara Yuga, a Treta Yuga, and a Kali Yuga. A cycle of four yugas lasts 4,320,000 years. A thousand such yuga cycles comprise a day of Brahma. According to the traditional calendar, we are now in the Kali Yuga of the current yuga cycle. The Kali Yuga began 5,105 years ago, in the year 3,102 BC according to our Western calendar. So, year 289 of the Kali Yuga corresponds to the Western year 2,813 BC. This means that the South India alvar (or saint) Tondaradippadi was born 4,816 years ago. If he built the third boundary wall of the Ranganatha temple during his lifetime, that means that this Vedic temple had been standing even before that. In other words, the Ranganatha temple has existed for at least five thousand years.

This contradicts the standard Western account of the antiquity of Vedic culture in India. According to the standard Western account, the Vedic culture goes back no further than 3,500 years in India. So, if it can be shown that the third boundary wall at Ranganatha really does date back to between 4,700 and 4,800 years ago that would give support to the great antiquity of Vedic culture in India, attested to in the Vedic literature.

The attribution of relatively recent dates to various non-Western civilizations is quite common. For example, according to standard Western accounts, the origin of the Mesopotamian civilizations goes back about six or seven thousand years. But there are Babylonian king lists that go back 432,000 years. Similarly, the traditional histories of Egypt and China go back much further in time than the standard Western histories now tell us, and the calendars of the Mayan civilization cover vast spans of time, millions of years.

The age of the Ranganatha temple could go back much further than five thousand years. The main deity worshiped in the Ranganatha temple is a reclining form of Vishnu. According to the traditional histories this deity was originally worshiped on the planet of the demigod Brahma, called Brahmaloka. It was transferred to our earth during the reign of the Vedic king Ikshvaku, who ruled from the city of Ayodhya tens of millions of years ago. During the time of the avatar Rama, the deity was taken by vimana (flying machine) for the purpose of transporting it to the island kingdom of Lanka in the south. But along the way, the vimana landed in South India. According to the conditions of transport, if the deity touched the ground before its final destination, it would remain there and would go no further. So the deity remained in the place where it landed, and a local king built a temple to accommodate the deity.

How long ago was that temple built? The construction of the temple occurred during the time of the avatar Rama, who lived toward the beginning of the Treta Yuga. The Treta Yuga of the current yuga cycle began about 2,155,000 years ago and ended about 840,000 years ago. That would mean the temple was constructed about 2 million years ago. However, there are some authorities who say that Rama appeared in the Treta Yuga of the fourth yuga cycle before the present one. If that is true, then the temple may have been constructed almost 20 million years ago.

That original temple, according to traditional sources, was later lost and covered by sand and jungle. In more recent times, over five thousand years ago, a local king uncovered the deity and began the construction of the current temple. On the roof of the central temple building, just above the place where the deity rests inside, there is a gold covered cupola. This cupola is called in Sanskrit vimana, perhaps a reference to the aircraft (vimana) by which the deity (with its interplanetary history) was transported to its present location. And the third boundary wall around the central temple building housing the deity was constructed by Tondaradippadi, who was born in 2,813 BC.

So, my immediate purpose is to show that the Ranganatha temple is at least five thousand years old, and that the third boundary wall is slightly younger than that. To that end I visited the Ranganatha temple complex with my Indian archeologist friend in February of this year. A European archeology graduate student who is also interested in the antiquity of the Ranganatha temple also accompanied us. Our goal was to see if there were any places along the third boundary wall that might be suitable for excavation. Our concern was that all the spaces in this inner part of the sacred temple complex might be either covered with construction or too much trafficked by the millions of pilgrims who visit the temple complex each year.

We entered through the main gate in the seventh, or outer wall, of the temple complex, and then we proceeded through the gates to the sixth, fifth, and fourth walls. Coming to the third wall, we noticed that there were some places that were out of the way of the pilgrims and were not covered by stone paving. We especially noted that on the west side of the third boundary wall was a garden area blocked off to the public. We concluded that it would be possible to do excavations in that area. Having determined this, we went to the temple offices, and began the process of getting the proper permissions from the trust that administers the temple complex. My archeologist friend will also seek needed permission from the Archeological Survey of India. One reason I am hopeful that the permissions will be granted is that the official archeological guide book to the Ranganatha temple, published by the temple trust itself, recommends that further excavations be made to determine the true age of the temple. If all goes well, I shall return to the Ranganatha temple this coming December to begin the excavation work. The idea will be to see if the present temple is built upon older foundations. Excavations might also reveal Vedic artifacts connected in strata five thousand years and older. It may also be possible that part of the current structure is quite old. If such parts can be identified, there are also possibilities for dating them. For example, the mortar between the stones could contain organic materials that could be dated by the radiocarbon method.

For me, the traditional literary sources provide sufficient proof of the great antiquity of the Ranganatha temple. But for those who do not give much credence to this source of historical information, new archeological evidence might help them come to a better understanding of the temple’s true age.

Postscript:
Regarding the Shri Rangam temple excavation, the Indian archeologist got the approval of the Shri Rangam temple trust, but the Archeological Survey of India, the government agency in charge of all archeological work in India, did not approve the project.

Michael A. Cremo is author, with Richard Thompson, of the underground classic Forbidden Archeology: The Hidden History of the Human Race.

You can purchase The Hidden History of the Human Race and other books by Michael A. Cremo HERE.

Srila Prabhupada emphasized that management and preaching go together. “Good management follows preaching like a shadow,” he wrote, “and the best thing is that the managers should always be preaching.”

At a certain stage in India during Srila Prabhupada’s presence, Tamal Krishna Goswami, who was the GBC for India, wanted to leave and go to the West to preach. At first Srila Prabhupada was reluctant, because he depended on Tamal Krishna Goswami to manage activities in India, but eventually Prabhupada concluded that a brief change might be beneficial, and said, “Yes, we can always pay a manager, but preaching is a matter of realization.” He stressed how important preaching was to the movement. “Without it,” he said, “ISKCON will become rubbish. The management will be at our fingertips if the devotees simply follow the rules, chant, and take prasada.”

In his purport to Bhagavad-gita (12.10), Srila Prabhupada writes, “Every endeavor requires land, capital, organization and labor. Just as in business one requires a place to stay, some capital to use, some labor and some organization to expand, so the same is required in the service of Krsna.”

And Srila Prabhupada said that although we do not want to waste any of those elements, the one element we cannot afford to waste is the labor or the manpower. In other words, we have to take very good care of the devotees and make sure they are engaged.

Srila Prabhupada often said that the first duty of a manager—or the government—is to see that everyone is engaged in service, even if dealing with some of the devotees is difficult. Once, when Srila Prabhupada wanted his disciple Nara Narayan to take charge of the garden in Juhu, he wrote me, “You can have the gardeners decorate the whole land with flowers and if possible some fruits also.” And a week later he added that he wanted Nara Narayan to take charge of the gardening. “Sometimes he may be difficult to live with,” Prabhupada acknowledged, “but good manager means he is able to satisfy everyone and live in cooperative manner with all the devotees, and if you manage things nicely he can do tremendous work. Practically no one has more energy than Vishwakarma” [the demigod architect and master builder after whom Prabhupada had nicknamed Nara Narayan].” So, yes, Prabhupada often said that the first duty of the leader, or manager, or government, was to see that everyone was engaged (and Nara Narayan was one example).

Three days after his directions to me about the gardening, Srila Prabhupada wrote again, chiding me and instructing me how to manage and engage the devotees. He knew our natures, and he was simultaneously engaging and training us all. “I have received reports from Mahamsa and Cyavana,” he wrote, “and it appears they are doing nicely. Some of the men, however, are complaining that they have no sufficient engagement. Two girls have already left Bombay, and their complaint was that they had no sufficient engagement. Similarly, I have received letters from Puranjana, Vardhana, and Atmarama, and either they are not willing to work according to direction or, otherwise, how do they complain there is no sufficient engagement? I think that there is more than sufficient engagement for everyone. We have got so much to do.”

Srila Prabhupada, in his letter, is simultaneously instructing me and instructing the devotees. To the devotees he is saying, “I think there is more than sufficient engagement for everyone. We have so much to do.” And then to me, he’s saying, “We have to deal with so many men with different personalities. So kindly utilize their energies and at the same time keep them satisfied. That is leadership.” So, he is instructing me, guiding me, with this very important instruction. And he addresses the devotees: “If one man is appointed as leader, all must follow him and be obedient. ‘Obedience is the first law of discipline.’ They are pointing out irregularities, but they themselves are not doing their duty, so they are pointing out the irregularities in others. They came to serve; now they don’t want to serve, so there is some excuse. Oh, irregularity, let me go away. The workers should not suggest irregularities.”

Srila Prabhupada reminded us of our greater mission, our higher responsibility: to reclaim the fallen souls on behalf of Krishna. We were always inspired to try to work cooperatively to please Srila Prabhupada, because he had given us such an important mission. In his letter he wrote, “So actually we have taken a very responsible task on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At the present moment, to speak the truth, the whole population of the world are demons and animals. It may be a very strong aspersion on the people of the world, but that is the fact. But still, because they are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, so originally they were pure, and therefore it is the mission of Krishna to get back His parts and parcels to home, exactly like a father likes to get back his son at home because this son had gone out of home for false happiness. But the people are so mad, they are talking so many nonsense things—nonsense philosophy, nonsense science—and our task is to meet all of them and at the same time pacify them in their lunatic condition. So I am sure you are a very good soul to act on behalf of Krishna, and do it nicely. Krishna will give you the proper intelligence. He is sitting in your heart. Simply, He wants to see us working sincerely.”

Srila Prabhupada put everything in the light of Krishna consciousness, that whatever service we were doing was meant to further the mission of Krishna, to get all the fallen conditioned souls back home, back to Godhead. To fulfill that mission, we should be prepared to go beyond our expected limitations, and Srila Prabhupada inspired us to do so.

So, I was affected by the criticism of the devotees, and there was also criticism from Prabhupada in relation to some neglect of the Deities. In his letter to me, he wrote, “This is a most abominable affair.” He was so angry. And it really affected me, and I tried to summon all my courage and strength and write a proper reply, but I had to mention that I was struggling, and Prabhupada wrote back a very nice letter in which he explained his criticism, and his letter pacified me. Understanding my heart, in his next letter Prabhupada explained his service in such a way that I could appreciate his criticism, which was clearly meant for my benefit. “Actually,” he wrote, “it is the duty of the spiritual master to find fault with his students so that they may make progress, not that he should always be praising them. So if you find some criticism, kindly accept it in that spirit. I am only interested in that you along with all my other students should become Krishna conscious.”

Prabhupada’s words and sincere desire acted upon my heart and influenced me to improve my efforts, and I reported to him about some of the progress I—we—had made. In his next letter he expressed his appreciation for my efforts and reinforced his earlier statements about management, encouraging me to continue in the same spirit: “I am glad to hear your explanation of how the men are being engaged there in Bombay. That will be the test of your management, how well the men are satisfied by their engagements. I am very glad to hear that Nara Narayan is doing so much work and that Puranjana has decided to remain there. He has decided rightly.”

Seeing things from the perspective of shastra and reminding us of our higher goals and the means to attain them, through parampara, in his next letter Prabhupada wrote, “Yes, by Krishna’s grace we have a very responsible task before us, so combinedly we should do it nicely so that everything goes on systematically. Rupa Goswami says that the things are enthusiasm, patience, conviction, acting according to the sastra and guru, and always keeping oneself in the society of devotees, and this makes our devotional service successful. So our serious students should follow Rupa Goswami’s advice.”

Srila Prabhupada hadn’t yet translated Rupa Gosvami’s Upadesamrta, and here he was basically repeating what Rupa Gosvami says in Upadesamrta: utsahan niscayad dhairyat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. So, you could say that part of Prabhupada’s management was to keep us Krishna conscious, and so, at the same time that he was giving us instructions on management, he was also giving us instructions on how to maintain our Krishna consciousness, because everything in ISKCON pretty much depends on Krishna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada knew my mind. This incident goes back to maybe 1974 in Juhu. I was very attracted to the Six Gosvamis of Vrindavan, and I imagined that one day I would be like them, roaming the forests of Vrindavan, chanting “Krishna! Krishna!” But Prabhupada was concerned that his property be managed properly, and one evening he spoke to me about it. “Raghunatha dasa managed his father’s estate just like an expert businessman,” he told me. “Similarly, you should also manage your father’s estate”—meaning his, my spiritual father’s, estate. “Raghunatha dasa managed his father’s estate just like an expert businessman,” he told me. “Similarly, you should also manage your father’s estate. Then you go to Vrindavan and become a gosvami.”

So, maybe a year or two later, we applied for permission to build the temple in Juhu and the police commissioner wrote a letter refusing permission on the grounds that “the bhajan singing, which had been complained about in the past, is likely to be a nuisance in the future as well.” So, this drew fire from Srila Prabhupada. He was so upset and angry.

In Vrindavan during the Mayapur-Vrindavan festival, Srila Prabhupada received this news and asked all the devotees in Vrindavan for the festival to come to Bombay to protest the refusal. So we began to organize preaching programs, but most of the devotees who came from Vrindavan would be back at the temple during the day. And Prabhupada was concerned about how the devotees would be engaged. Again, the first duty of the manager, or the leader, is to see that devotees are engaged. Prabhupada was concerned about how the devotees would be engaged, and he asked his managers what the devotees would do. We replied that we would have a program in the temple all day long, alternating readings, kirtans, and discussions about Krishna consciousness. “Very good,” he approved.

After a few days, Prabhupada asked how the program in the temple was going, whether the devotees were enjoying chanting and reading and hearing.

“Well, frankly, Srila Prabhupada,” Tamal Krishna had to inform him, “most of the devotees aren’t coming, and the ones who do come—most of them fall asleep.”

“All right,” Prabhupada replied, “if they are all sudras, let them work in the garden—but everyone must be engaged. You tell the devotees that if they are actually brahmans, they should sit in the temple and be engaged in kirtan and krsna-katha, and if they are not brahmans, if they are sudras, they can work in the garden. But nobody can remain idle; nobody can sleep.”

Vishnujana was in charge of the temple program, and he was a very charismatic figure and led beautiful kirtans. Still, and in spite of Prabhupada’s words, the devotees didn’t come—or work in the garden. One day Vishnujana told them, “Prabhupada is not pleased that we are all so lazy. We should be doing something. He says that if you just sit around, you’ll get sick.”

After two weeks, the Australian devotees became restless and asked me to approach Prabhupada on their behalf. There was little engagement for them in Bombay, they said, and they would have a lot of work to prepare for Prabhupada’s imminent visit to their country.

When I passed along their request to leave, Prabhupada had me deliver them a stern reply: “What is the question of ‘no engagement’? There are so many opportunities to read and chant. Don’t be impatient wanting to go here and there.” So, there is always engagement. We can always chant and hear. And do other service as well.

Now, I wish to address the important point of cooperation that Srila Prabhupada emphasized, especially toward the end. In Vrindavan Prabhupada told the devotees, as Tamal Krishna recorded in his diary, “Your love for me will be tested how after my departure you maintain this institution. We have glamor, and people are feeling our weight. This should be maintained. Not like Gaudiya Matha: After Guru Maharaja’s departure, so many ‘acharyas’ came up.” Later, Tamal Krishna told Satsvarupa that Prabhupada had said, “Your love for me will be shown by how much you cooperate to keep this institution together after I am gone’’—the same message.

And Bhakti Charu Swami recalled, “When Srila Prabhupada was in Vrindavan during his last days, Tamal Krishna would read him the letters that devotees wrote to Srila Prabhupada, and His Divine Grace would dictate his replies, and sometimes he would also make comments. One devotee had written that he wanted to offer his longevity to Srila Prabhupada so that Prabhupada could continue to be with us on the planet. It was a very sweet letter, steeped with emotion. However, Srila Prabhupada reacted in what seemed to me a rather unusual way and commented that our real love for him would be shown by how we cooperate with each other to maintain his mission. . . . That incident left a very deep impression in my heart, and I became aware that the best way to show my love for Srila Prabhupada is through my cooperation with the devotees of ISKCON who are serving His Divine Grace so sincerely to continue his mission.”

Prabhupada had made the same point in a letter in 1973: “The test of our actual dedication and sincerity to serve the spiritual master will be in this mutual cooperative spirit to push on this movement and not make factions and deviate.”

This reminds me of a very beautiful purport in Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.12), in which Srila Prabhupada describes the mood of service and appreciation among devotees, as it should be:

“Everyone should be friendly for the service of the Lord. Everyone should praise another’s service to the Lord and not be proud of his own service. This is the way of Vaisnava thinking, Vaikuntha thinking. There may be rivalries and apparent competition between servants in performing service, but in the Vaikuntha planets the service of another servant is appreciated, not condemned. This is Vaikuntha competition. There is no question of enmity between servants. Everyone should be allowed to render service to the Lord to the best of his ability, and everyone should appreciate the service of others. Such are the activities of Vaikuntha. Since everyone is a servant, everyone is on the same platform and is allowed to serve the Lord according to his ability. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (15.15), sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca: the Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, giving dictation according to the attitude of the servant.  . . . As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (10.10):

tesam satata-yuktanam
  bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
  yena mam upayanti te

‘To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.’ Everyone is actually a servant, not an enemy or friend, and everyone is working under different directions from the Lord, who directs each living entity according to his mentality.”

So, that should be our mood amongst ourselves: “Everyone should be friendly for the service of the Lord. Everyone should praise another’s service to the Lord and not be proud of his own service. This is the way of Vaisnava thinking.”

Also in Vrindavan, Srila Prabhupada had for years directed the managers that the temple bell should be rung every hour on the hour and every half hour. So during his final weeks, when the time came for the temple bell to ring but Srila Prabhupada didn’t hear it, he said, “This is my concern, that such a huge, huge establishment, if not properly, regularly, managed, then everything will be finished.” He had been insisting for years that the temple authorities arrange for the regular ringing of the bell and considered it a test of their management.

So, when Prabhupada said, “This is my concern, that such a huge, huge establishment, if not properly, regularly, managed, then everything will be finished,” Tamal Krishna responded, “I don’t think that’s going to happen. We’re too much indebted to you to allow what you have established to become spoiled.”

And Prabhupada replied, “Please see to that.”

In relation to temple construction, after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura constructed a big marble temple in Bhag Bazaar, his disciples fought and quarreled over who would occupy which room, which I take to mean who would have what position, and at Radha-kunda, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, told him, “If I could take the marble from the temple and sell it and print books, that would be better. If you ever get money, print books.”

So, in Juhu, Srila Prabhupada had us build a big temple, and in a talk in Mayapur in 1974 he had explained his purpose in constructing such big temples—and his concern that we use them in the proper mood: “We have got this nice, grand building. If we think, ‘This is my building,’ then there will be mishap. My guru maharaja personally told me, ‘When we were living in a rented house, if we could collect two hundred or three hundred rupees we were living very nicely at Ultadanga. But since we have been given this marble palace, there is friction between our men: “Who will occupy this room? Who will occupy that room? Who will be proprietor of room?” ’ Everyone was planning in a different way. . . . If we forget our position—if we become pound-shilling men, property men—then Krishna will be lost, because Krishna is akincana-gocara, easily approached by those who have no material possessions. Therefore we should always remember that we possess this nice house not for our comfort, but so people will come, because they are not accustomed to uncomfortable living conditions. If we would have invited people, ‘Come and sit down on this ground,’ there would have been no possibility. Therefore we must keep Krishna’s temple very nice so that people will come, and we shall preach. That is the philosophy—not that because we have got this nice house, therefore we should be very much attached. Attachment must be there, but for Krishna’s service. The temple must be very clean. The establishment must be very nice. What for? For attracting devotees. This is the purpose. Not for our personal benefit.”

Hare Krishna. Are there any questions or comments?

Devotee (1): Tamal Krishna Goswami desired to go and preach, and Prabhupada accepted the concept that managers could be hired and that it was okay for him to preach. At the same time, you also shared your experience that you had a desire to live like the Six Gosvamis but that Prabhupada wanted you to manage the estate. So, what do we learn . . . why withdraw from the management to preach? Is one easier than the other? Can a devotee do both?

Giriraj Swami: Different devotees have different natures and propensities and inclinations; for one devotee preaching might be easier, and for another devotee managing might be easier. Personally, I was more inclined to preach; although I did have some strong points as a manager, I didn’t really consider myself to be a manager as such. But Srila Prabhupada wanted me to manage, so I surrendered, because our duty is to obey the spiritual master and please the spiritual master.

Tamal Krishna Goswami, he could do both—preach and manage—and as I mentioned, Srila Prabhupada was relying on him in the management in India. But Tamal Krishna Goswami wanted a break, and although at first Srila Prabhupada was reluctant to agree, in the end he did give him permission. The result was that Tamal Krishna Goswami returned to America, where he began the Radha-Damodar Travelling Sankirtan Party, which was very successful.

The first time back in America that Srila Prabhupada met Tamal Krishna Goswami, in Los Angeles, Prabhupada was still a little annoyed that Tamal Krishna had left his service as GBC in India and asked him, “How is your preaching going?” “It is going well.” And Prabhupada said, “Preaching means there should be some result. What’s the result?”

Meanwhile, as Tamal Krishna Goswami had arranged, seven new devotees who had joined the Radha-Damodar temple were waiting downstairs, all shaved up and nicely dressed in dhotis and kurtas. So, when Prabhupada said, “Where’s the result?” Tamal Krishna Goswami called them all up, and Prabhupada was happy—there was some result.

Devotee (1): Thank you, Maharaja. Isn’t there sometimes a conflict when we are trying to make sure that devotees are happy based on their nature but also dealing with situations that arise day to day?

Giriraj Swami: There are two factors—the devotee’s nature or propensity, and the requirement of service—and sometimes a service requires that a devotee act in a way that’s not according to his nature. Of course, his highest nature is to be surrendered, so in that sense it is according to his nature. But the situation may require that he do service that is not according to his material nature. Srila Prabhupada often would say, “Do the needful.” We have to be able to do the needful. So, yes, as authorities we can take advantage of devotees’ propensities, but we are not bound to engage a devotee according to his propensity, because some other service may be required of that devotee.

Devotee (2): You said that if devotees simply follow the rules and chant and take prasada, then management will be at our fingertips. So, I was just wondering on that point—does that mean that management becomes effortless or just sort of happens by Krishna’s grace? And do you have any experience, can you share some experiences, of how that happened for you or others you know?

Giriraj Swami: I’ll share an experience, and the experience itself might address the other questions you asked. At one stage in Juhu, Srila Prabhupada had a very staunch devotee named Mr. P. L. Sethi, and Mr. Sethi belonged to a group that did twelve-hour akhanda kirtan, unbroken Hare Krishna kirtan, every Sunday. These devotees had a teacher, or guru, in Vrindavan, and they would do this twelve-hour continuous kirtan and then, for an hour or so, sing songs from Vraja.

One day, Mr. Sethi had the idea that instead of meeting at one of the grihastha’s homes, the group could meet at our temple. So, they did—they did the twelve-hour Hare Krishna kirtan and then one hour of Vraja songs—and Srila Prabhupada loved it. The next day he called me and said, “That was wonderful. We should invite them all to stay at Hare Krishna Land, and we will maintain them. All they have to do is twelve-hour kirtan every day.

I thought, They have families, they have jobs, and their children have studies—I didn’t see how it would work. Then, Prabhupada said, “All right, then our men should do twelve hours continuous kirtan every day.” I said, “Srila Prabhupada, we are trying to build this temple here. If we do twelve hours kirtan every day, how will it work?” And then finally Srila Prabhupada said, “All right. Then on Sunday twelve hours.” By then it was such a relief, going from twelve hours every day and maintaining all those families, to twelve hours on Sundays. I thought, “Oh, well, yes, we can do that.”

Afterwards, Tamal Krishna Goswami said that Srila Prabhupada had done transcendental bargaining with me. If Prabhupada had started with twelve hours a day on Sunday, I might have said, “Oh, twelve hours—that’s too much! Maybe three hours.” But because he started twelve hours a day every day, when he came to twelve hours a day for one day, on Sundays, I thought, “Oh, what a relief. Yes, we can do that.”

What I found as the manager, as temple president, was that all the problems that came up would be solved in the kirtan. Either the devotees who came to me with the problems would realize that there was no problem after all, or Krishna would make some arrangement to solve the problem. So if someone came to me on Monday or Tuesday, yes, I tried to deal with their problem, but by Wednesday, because I knew the kirtan was coming, I would say, “All right, well give me a few days to think about it.” And almost invariably, every time, the problem was solved by the kirtan—either the devotee had realized that there wasn’t a problem, or Krishna had made some arrangement.

Devotee (2): I was thinking that there are devotees who are very nice devotees—they are regulated and have good sadhana and sweet temperaments—but if you make one of them the temple president, then the management might not be so meticulously done.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, the person should know how to manage, and some people are natural managers. It is not an absolute rule that if you chant and read and take prasada, you will be a good manager, but I think that it’s pretty sure that if you don’t chant and read and take prasada, you won’t be a good manager.

Devotee (3): Maharaja, you quoted Srila Prabhupada as saying that our love for him will be shown by how much we cooperate. How do we deal with disagreement, when we disagree with somebody else and have reasons, but we have to cooperate? How do we reconcile the two?

Giriraj Swami: We had a farm in Hyderabad, and the three disciples whom Srila Prabhupada put in charge of the project were very strong willed and independent and they often did not agree. Srila Prabhupada told them, “You sit together, you fight like cats and dogs, and then, when you agree, you go ahead.”

So, yes, sometimes we have to . . . I don’t know if compromise is the right word, but yes, sometimes we may have to sacrifice a lesser principle for a higher principle. Cooperation is a high principle.

Shortly after Srila Prabhupada left, one of my godbrothers came to Juhu and was demanding money from me because Prabhupada had left me in charge of some of his funds. Within my heart I was quite sure that Prabhupada would not want the money to be used in the way my godbrother was intending, but the devotee was so attached to the idea of getting the money to use for that purpose, that I apprehended that if I didn’t give it to him, it would cause a terrible strain on our relationship. So I made the decision to give him the money, even though I felt that Prabhupada wouldn’t have really wanted the money used for that purpose. I thought having a cooperative mood amongst us disciples of Srila Prabhupada was a higher priority than saving some of the money, and I never regretted my decision.

We often have to prioritize; it depends on the situation. In some cases, we can’t compromise. I know there have been cases when a godbrother really wanted me to go along with something but I was sure that Prabhupada wouldn’t agree, and I didn’t go along with it, even if it upset the other devotee. But in the first case, I felt that it was better to give him the money and maintain the cooperative spirit.

Devotee (4): Hare Krishna, Maharaja. You made the point about how preaching and management follow one another, and you also emphasized the point of caring for devotees, that everyone should feel cared for, even if they are difficult. So, preaching can take us to far corners of the earth or different places where there is nothing in terms of a program. And caring for newer devotees can be very time-consuming. So, between these two things, sometimes we might find ourselves without too much pure association, which may only be possible on a phone call or going to Vrindavan once a year, or something like that. So, what is too little association, and how can preachers and managers make sure that they have the right amount of association?

Giriraj Swami: There was a period in ISKCON’s history when there was a lot of chaos. It was after the falldown of some of the zonal acharyas, and senior devotees were struggling just to keep their areas intact. I was in Mauritius and South Africa. I was not getting peer association, and I was feeling deprived of it. But then I got a chance to go to Dallas and associate with Tamal Krishna Goswami. Once, we were talking about association and he said, “You have to go out of your way to get it.” And then he said, “With all of my association with Srila Prabhupada and my three initiations from him, I still feel I need siksa-gurus.” And then he listed a number of people whom he considered to be his siksa-gurus. I felt that what he said was really true—that we need that association and, as he said, that we have to go out of our way to get it, because we don’t want to allow ourselves to become weak. If we become weak, then the people who are depending on us will suffer.

Devotee (5): In the early days the majority of the devotees were out there preaching; now we see a lot less of that. Is that due to the psycho-physical nature, or how can we get more into that spirit?

Giriraj Swami: Everyone should preach. Preaching is our life. Once, after a long day in Bombay, I came back to Juhu and said to Srila Prabhupada, “I really like preaching.” And Prabhupada replied, “Not ‘I “like” preaching,’ but ‘preaching is my life.’ ” Everyone should preach; whatever their capacity is, they should preach. There’s preaching to new people, and there’s also preaching to devotees. As Srila Prabhupada said, it is more important to maintain a devotee than to make a new devotee. Preaching means glorifying Krishna and the process of devotional service, so yes, everyone should preach in their own way.

Devotee (6): You talked about caring, and everyone can care, but those who are really in a position to care for others are the leaders. And then we also talked about Prabhupada’s statement: “Your love for me will be shown by how you cooperate.” Sometimes there is a possibility of conflict, and a leader will say, “Your love for Prabhupada will be shown by how much you cooperate with me as a leader.” So, it can be kind of weighted to one side. I don’t know if you can elaborate on that.

Giriraj Swami: The way I took Srila Prabhupada’s statement is that he meant cooperate with each other, give-and-take for his sake and for the sake of ISKCON. The word cooperate can mean “cooperate with me,” or “do what I say,” and our cooperating with each other can mean that, like in my example of the senior devotee who wanted money, but I think generally it means that we work together, co-operate—operate together, conjointly.

But it is true, Prabhupada did want us to follow our authorities. We might not agree with them, we might not think they are right, but we do have to follow them. Srila Prabhupada gave the example that you’re riding in a car and someone else is the driver and you think you know a better way to reach the destination than the driver does. You can tell the driver, “It’s better we go this way,” but ultimately, because you are not in the driver’s seat, you have to go along with what the driver decides. Still, you can within yourself hold the idea that your way was better.

Srila Prabhupada was saying that you can make your suggestion to an authority, but because they are the authority, ultimately they make the decision. But even if they don’t agree with you, you can still maintain the thought within yourself that your idea was better; that’s not an offense. You can still think that your idea was better. But you have to go along with the authority, because he is in the driver’s seat.

Anyway, that’s the general principle; it might not fit every case. Prabhupada said that disciple means discipline. There has to be some authority.

Devotee (7): Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Could you maybe share some practical examples of times in Bombay when there were devotees who had problems but then once the kirtan happened, they just completely forgot about those problems or considered them not to be problems anymore?

Giriraj Swami: I can’t remember offhand, because that was forty-five years ago, but I do remember the principle, and I do remember the experience, and I also remember Srila Prabhupada complaining that . . . I think maybe Mr. Sethi told Prabhupada that some of the devotees were leaving the kirtan; they weren’t staying in the kirtan. And Prabhupada complained to his servant, Upendra, “Why can’t my disciples stay in the kirtan like these householders? All my disciples can do is eat and sleep.”

Devotee (7): Were the congregation devotees actually staying for the twelve hours, for the entire kirtan?

Giriraj Swami: Yes. The Radha Madhava Prema Sudha Sankirtana Mandala. Not suddha, which means “pure,” but sudha, which means “nectar.” The Radha Madhava Prema Sudha Sankirtana Mandala people were very special devotees. There was one lady who would sing the Vraja songs after the twelve hours of kirtan, and she sang so beautifully. She would sing, “Jaya Radhe, Jaya Radhe Radhe, Jaya Radhe, Jaya Sri Radhe.” Mr. Sethi said that when she was singing, Srila Prabhupada had tears streaming down his cheeks.

Devotee (8): Can you comment a little about how in management sometimes we get a little tired or frustrated? Maybe we’ve worked a little too hard or pushed a little too much, and we need to take time out for ourselves, we need some recreation, we need some alone time, without feeling guilty about it. Can you maybe explain your realization or anything you saw from Srila Prabhupada in this regard as far as charging up instead of a continuous day-to-day week in, week out, which can cause burnout? Can you share any thoughts on our mental and physical health?

Giriraj Swami: Balance is very important. We always have to keep a balance. And what constitutes the proper balance at one time may not be the proper balance at another time. I know that when I was the temple president and had to deal with a lot in Juhu, I was very protective of my japa, my morning program and my japa.

When Lokanath Swami came to the temple for the first time and wanted to meet me, I think someone gave him the message—maybe I told them to give him the message—that I was busy and couldn’t meet him immediately, that he would have to wait. And then he found out that my business was that I was chanting japa. At first he thought it was odd, but then he came to appreciate it.

To maintain a balance in your life so you don’t get burned out, I mentioned japa, but it could be reading, it could be kirtan—whatever will nourish you and make you feel strong in your service. We don’t want to burn the candle at both ends.

Just a sort of a humorous point related to balance: Once, His Holiness Indradyumna Swami and I were invited to a couple’s home in South Africa for prasada, and they were very tricky in the way they served the prasada, because we would think we had come to the end, and then they’d bring out more. Then we’d think, “Okay, that’s it; we’ll have a little more.” And then they’d bring out something else. I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Then Indradyumna Swami said to me, “As Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita, one should not eat too much or eat too little. Today we’re focusing on not eating too little!”

Devotee (9): For devotees in leadership positions, there are higher expectations for them to perform and serve, and rightly so. And different devotees have their own understanding and ideas and perspectives about how a leader should be, or how that leader should express and show care, or how they should manage, or what they should be interested in. I personally experienced that, that everyone has their own wishes and desires and expectations for me and I don’t meet them, and I am faced with my limitedness—I’m limited.

So, when it comes to performing at a certain level and doing outreach, managing, devotee care, self-care, balance at home, that’s a lot, and I find that people are dissatisfied with me. So, how do I overcome that? Is it just that I stay humble, or is there something, or some understanding, that helps?

Giriraj Swami: People often don’t remember what you say to them, and they often don’t remember what you do, but people do remember how they feel with you. Personally, I’ve always been happy with your husband and you in terms of my experience with you. I think these devotees should count their blessings and be happy that they have your husband and you.

You can’t be all things to all people. It is not realistic. And I think of an instruction that His Holiness Radhanath Swami gave to His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu, that the best thing he can do as the temple president is to be happy.

Devotee (10): My question is about obedience being the first law of discipline, and we’ve also studied in class that bhakti is individual, spontaneous, and voluntary. It could seem like two opposite ends of a spectrum when dealing with devotees. Can you help us see how they can be reconciled? Because obedience is a word that not everybody likes, and if you bring it up, it’s kind of like a red flag. Everyone wants individual, spontaneous, and voluntary, and everyone wants to have that independence, and then if you are a manager you get questioned. So what are you doing? Not managing; facilitating. I’m sure there’s a connection, but I am not able to see it. Can you elaborate a bit?

Giriraj Swami: If the situation allows, we can encourage devotees to do what they want for Krishna, but if a devotee is needed to do something that the devotee doesn’t particularly want to do, but the devotee is needed, then they should be ready to do the needful, as Srila Prabhupada said. And if you think it is appropriate, you can apologize and say, “I know that this particular type of service doesn’t suit you, but the situation is such that we need someone to do it, and you are the only one who can do it. I am sorry that I have to ask you to do this, but under the circumstances I have no choice.” And I think the devotee would appreciate your care and concern and be willing to do the needful.

Devotee (11): You talked about how, by performing kirtan and bhajan, management can go on, and then we have that well-known conversation when you were serving Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada asked you, “How will this movement go on?” You said, “By chanting and following the principles.” And Srila Prabhupada thought and said, “By intelligence and organization.” So how can we blend those two statements together?

Giriraj Swami: When Srila Prabhupada asked me, that was in his last days; I think it was November 11, just three days before he left. “Do you think this movement will go on after I leave?” I said, “As long as the devotees are sincere and chant their rounds and follow the regulative principles, it will go on.” And then, as you quoted, Srila Prabhupada said, “Organization—intelligence and organization.” Reflecting on what Srila Prabhupada said, I understood that, yes, we do have to be sincere and chant our rounds and follow the regulative principles—that’s a must—but we can do that for our own benefit. If we really want to spread Krishna consciousness, we have to be intelligent and organized. And so what I got from Srila Prabhupada’s answer is that yes, we do have to be sincere and chant our rounds and follow the regulative principles, but we also have to think of others and spread Krishna consciousness, and to do that, we have to be intelligent and organized. So, I don’t think the two are contradictory; they are complementary.

Devotee (12): We are coming to the end of this GBC College zonal supervisor course, and many of us will be encouraged to take up these responsibilities, which means that we’ll have a zone and different temples within the zone, and we’ll need to go and work with the temple presidents and managers there. But it may be that we don’t really know, that we are not familiar with the goings on at those temples and don’t have personal relationships with the managers there or even know the temple presidents. And they don’t know us, either.

So, can you give us some tips on how to establish relationships with the leaders we will be supervising as zonal supervisors and how to build trust, how to win their trust so that we can work with them nicely? Because we don’t want them to think, “Oh, here comes a big, freshly trained person. They are going to try and take over and tell us what to do.” We don’t want it to be like that, especially because it may be that the temple presidents and leaders are senior to us, at least in terms of time in the movement. So, how to develop that trust so that we can have a working cooperative relationship?

Giriraj Swami: What would your role, or your duty, be?

Devotee (12): Our training is for zonal supervisor, so we’re sort of in between the temple presidents and the GBC for whatever our particular zone is.

Giriraj Swami: And how will you get assigned to a particular temple?

Devotees (13): The GBCs will nominate us, and the entire GBC body will approve our appointment, and we will be assisting the GBC.

Giriraj Swami: Okay. Well, what comes to mind is that when the Parsis—Zoroastrians from Persia—came in a boat to India and wanted to land in Gujarat, in response to their request, the king there sent a cup filled to the brim with milk, meaning, “We are already full. We don’t have any room for you.” And the Parsis very intelligently added sugar to the milk and sent it back, to say, “We’re not going to displace you, but we’ll make everything sweet and better for you.”

So, I think you can approach the temples in the mood of a servant, of a servant of the servant, and just say, “Yes, I am here to serve you, to assist you.” Srila Prabhupada said that GBC doesn’t mean to control a center; it just means to see that things are going on nicely. Just say that you’re there to serve them, that if there’s anything you can do to help, you would be happy to do so. And you can say, “If I see something, I’m duty bound to point it out, but I won’t try to enforce anything on you; I’m just here to support you.”

Host: Thank you very much, Maharaja, for your excellent lecture—so instructional, and imbued with your devotion and your experience. We are grateful that you gave us so much of your time.

Giriraj Swami: It’s a pleasure.

Hare Krishna.

[Discussion with the NA GBC College, June 9, 2021, via Zoom]

Niagara Falls, Ontario

 

An Affirmation of K. Consciousness

 

Last night, when I walked in the Cabbagetown area of Toronto, an Asian woman standing in front of her residence, a high-rise building, noticed me and instantly asked her question.

 

“What religion?”

 

“Hare Krishna!”

 

“Oh! From India!” she concluded. We chatted.

 

My answer was simple; there’s a lot included in those two words, “Hare Krishna.” There’s a whole culture, philosophy and way of being. Today, I came to affirm what that means in a practical way.

 

Madhava, Govinda, Sarthak and I headed for Niagara Falls. It would be Madhava’s first time seeing the splendour of it, but first we stopped at the beach of Port Dalhousie for the sun and the water; to take care of ourselves – the body, mind and heart. We then proceeded along the magnificent gorge till we hit the Falls. To see them puts one in awe, reverence and gratitude – traits or signs of a Hare Krishna.

 

Lastly, we proceeded to the juncture of the Chippewa and Niagara Rivers, to King’s Bridge Park, to gain sangha or the company of other bhakti-yogis. We ate. We sang. We talked. These are major practices of Krishna devotees. The centre of all such activities is Krishna and that’s what makes our lives somewhat distinctive. It is about the growth of the spirit, where we downplay self-centeredness – always a work in progress.

 

May the Source be with you!

 

High Park, Toronto

 

Groove in the Green

 

High Park is actually a beautiful space, but like most natural settings they have their drawbacks. This park is appealing, but there is a slight problem with the gypsy moth caterpillars. I’ve never known a forest without tics, mosquitoes, flies and the like. Avoiding natures creatures altogether by sticking yourself in a room all day in front of a screen is probably a worse scenario. Better to build up some strength, resistance, and immunity if you can. That’s the problem with city slickers who do not touch nature.

 

At least one caterpillar came to our kirtan spot, in a rustic pavilion, to enjoy our temple groove. Our Billy from Philly (now Tilly for Toronto) set the pace for chanting and then some ecstatic dance beats to the mantra. Oh, it was fun and it was pure, in a sense. Our group was not in a Saturday Night fever mode. We were in singing and dancing for our soul and at the same time drawing other souls to our little powwow.

 

Billy is particularly good at attracting people to the mantrascene and, before COVID, was conducting an actual temple groove, which certain orthodoxy may not understand. I say, “Let the dogs bark.” If a program lifts the consciousness of the crowd, let it reign supreme.

 

Tomorrow I’m looking forward to the kirtan in Niagara Falls for more of the same.

 

May the Source be with you!

6 km

 

Greektown, Toronto

 

In Greek Hood

 

A kind devotee by the name of Radha-Gopinath dropped me off to the home of a master wood carver to discuss with him a carving, out of basswood, of an eight-foot Radha and Krishna. The end product will be installed in one of our upcoming project facilities.

 

Here’s what I found interesting, my new-made artist friend spent eight years training to be a Christian priest. During that educational experience, he became acquainted with the sacred text Bhagavad-gita and to this day (he must be pushing 70 in age) he still holds the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna as a powerful message. My friend was born and raised in Southern Ontario, as I was. He started his vocation of woodcarving when he was 30.

 

In any event, he, I, and his wife, hit it off really well and after discussing the features of Krishna in a home-made 8-foot form (with a bit more masculine-looking elements than the usual female-like), I began walking back towards the ashram and found a good rest-spot at Logan and Danforth, within Greektown. It’s a neat little corner, a parkette of sorts, with a statue of Alexander the [Butcher]. A brass band was playing and a fine couple from Oakville came to deliver lunch. I thank Kasyapa and Panchami for the excellent veggie burgers; a change from the usual fare. Actually, avocado, asparagus and pineapple are good for the joints, which accompanied the burgers. There was more to my day, which included a car blessing.

 

May the Source be with you!

3 km

 

I wanted to inform you of the passing away of HG Manu das Prabhu, he was initiated in London in 1971. He spent his life serving Prabhupada's mission, and spent most of his later years in Vrindavan. He would visit his family for a few months in a year but he always said his real home was Vrindavan.Read More...

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In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (71) it is stated that Vakreśvara Paṇḍita was an incarnation of Aniruddha, one of the quadruple expansions of Viṣṇu (Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha and Pradyumna).

He could dance wonderfully for seventy-two continuous hours. When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu played in dramatic performances in the house of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, Vakreśvara Paṇḍita was one of the chief dancers, and he danced continuously for that length of time. Śrī Govinda dāsa, an Oriyā devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, has described the life of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita in his book Gaura-kṛṣṇodaya.

There are many disciples of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita in Orissa, and they are known as Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas although they are Oriyās. Among these disciples are Śrī Gopālaguru and his disciple Śrī Dhyānacandra Gosvāmī.

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(Kadamba Kanana, Swami, 25 June 2021, Split, Croatia, Zoom Meeting)

Tamal Krishna Goswami was such a brilliant person. He had a sharp brain and he was just such a general. He just knew what was the right thing to do and he was a leader in this way. He could just point and say, “Well I looked at all the options and clearly this is the way.” And everyone would say, “Yes, that makes sense.” So he was just so amazing in that way and pretty brilliant. Tamal Krishna Goswami was such a powerful man that he was Prabhupada’s man to develop things and do the impossible. Anything impossible to be done, Tamal Krishna Goswami was the man. So Tamal Krishna Goswami just took this movement forward with huge strides and did so many things that no one else could have done.

But Tamal Krishna Goswami at the same time was also very much with the devotees. He could just join in a kirtan with the devotees and have fun. He was not like the ‘big guru’. He was 1 of the 11 but he was ready to just be with the devotees by just walking up and down in a kirtan. As we were all just running up and down, Tamal Krishna Goswami was also running and swaying with us in the kirtan. Tamal Krishna Goswami would always engage with everybody.

These devotees, they were especially sent to help Prabhupada to do the impossible. Therefore, we should appreciate that here we are dealing with very special and powerful devotees – devotees like Tamal Krishna Goswami, Brahmananda and Guru Kripa – all these devotees were incredibly special.

The article " Especially sent to help Prabhupada " was published on KKSBlog.

By Rasanand Das

As conditioned souls within this material world, people who are averse to God, lament and aggrieved when they suffer but devotees of the Lord worships him with full faith and devotion and take these sufferings as gifts of the Lord and they understand that these sufferings are temporary and external. Sufferings are gifts of the Lord for a devotee, which apparently seems bitter but in reality its blessings of the Lord. Queen Kunti prays to the Lord in Srimad Bhagavatam (1.8.25) as: I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths. Continue reading "Sufferings: Apparently bitter but in reality blessings
→ Dandavats"

By Ravindra-svarupa dasa

Fifty centuries ago, during a fierce war, Lord Krishna and one of His pure devotees achieved a unique intimacy. In the midst of the great battle, surrounded by the clash of arms, the pounding of hooves, the rattle of trappings, the shouts of warriors, and the screams of wounded men and beasts, where the dust churned up by the horses dimmed the sun and blood turned the earth to mud, Krishna suddenly stopped the chariot and sprang to the ground. Raising the wheel of a disabled chariot over His head, the Lord raced toward the great general Bhishmadeva like a lion charging an elephant. Just moments before, wave after wave of lethal arrows from Bhishmadeva’s bow had crashed relentlessly down upon Arjuna’s chariot. In amazement, the other warriors had seen the figures of Arjuna and his driver Sri Krishna completely disappear behind the curtains of the general’s arrows. It had been certain that Arjuna was about to fall before the fury of the attack. Continue reading "Encounter at Kurukshetra
→ Dandavats"

The appropriate time to glorify a special soul is ‘always’. It has been more than a month that our beloved Pankajanghri prabhu has left this planet. His memories and contributions towards the TOVP are eternally etched in our hearts and in the walls of this iconic building.

The TOVP Team members in the Design and Construction areas had a lot of interactions with His Grace Pankajanghri prabhu. They have shared some of those treasures in this compilation.

Click here to read the entire offering in your browser or download a copy to your desktop for offline reading.

 

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Mysteries of the Ancient Vedic Empire: Recognizing Vedic Contributions to Other Cultures Around the World

By Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana)

The Vedic culture is accepted by numerous scholars as one of the most sophisticated civilizations to appear after the last glacial period of 12,000 years ago.

It developed in ancient India, and as the people populated the region, they also expanded and spread into other parts of the planet, taking much of their culture with them. This book takes us on a journey through history and across many countries as we point out similarities and remnants of the Vedic tradition that remain there to this day. These include forms of art, philosophy, religion, architecture, temples, ways of living, and so on. Such countries include: Nepal, Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Africa, the Middle East, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Central Asia, Greece, Italy, Germany, Russia, Ireland, Scandinavia, the Americas, and more.

 
Author: By Stephen Knapp
Published: June 28, 2015
Book/File size: 1025 KB / 538 pages
Formats: Kindle, Paperback

 
BUY ON AMAZON  

  Residents of India will have to search for this book on www.amazon.in

 

TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

Visit: www.tovp.org
Support: https://tovp.org/donate/
Email: tovpinfo@gmail.com
Follow: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch: www.youtube.com/c/TOVPinfoTube
View at 360°: www.tovp360.org
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ISKCON united together to send love, prayers, and support to the devotee communities in Mayapur and Bangladesh. This special event includes guests such as HH Jayapataka Swami, HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami, HH Radhanath Swami, HG Vaisesika Das, and more.

A special Nrsimha Yagna was performed from New Vrindaban, West Virginia and many kirtaniyas including Gaura Vani Das and Amala Kirtan Das participated.

Help is still needed by the Vaishnava communities and those they serve in Mayapur and Bangladesh. Watch this inspiring video to find out more, or donate directly to one of these sites below.

DONATE: For Mayapur: o To contribute via Payment Gateway (Razorpay) visit https://servemayapur.com/ o Contribute via PayPal by using the id supportmayapur@mvtrust.org [Tax-exempt for US citizens as a 501(c)3] For Bangladesh: o Contribute via PayPal by using the id covidbangladesh@iskcononline.com [Tax-exempt for US citizens as a 501(c)3]

If we surrender to Krishna, then all our miseries will immediately end. This is confirmed by Krishna himself in Bhagavad Gita 18.66, “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” In spite of Krishna’s assurance, we refuse to completely surrender to Krishna. […]

The post Surrender to Krishna and Be Happy Forever appeared first on ISKCON News.

Purushottam Nitai Das is a member of the congregation at ISKCON Kolkata. He writes for https://discoverursupersoul.com/

Japa retreats starting June 26 and running through July 18th, online, hosted by Mahatma Das and Amogh Lila Das. Register here: http://bit.ly.3pStMZ4

Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies We are still remodeling our recently acquired BIHS headquarters, the former home of the president of the University of Florida. Through the generosity of Dr. Howard J. Resnick (Hridayananda das Goswami), we have a permanent headquarters with a Vaishnava archivist and a significant library donated by retired professors. This place […]

The post Updates From Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies appeared first on ISKCON News.

Summer 2021 updates from the Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies. For more info: https://bihstudies.org/

Online global event held on July 29^th – Aug 1^st 2021 on Zoom. Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vcuCtrjkoH9AT4P7zTX-56DQN-5l998OG

 

Saturday, 5th of June, the GSC hosted a three-hour online conference for ISKCON diksa gurus, the first of its kind as a virtual event, with more than 40 ISKCON diksa gurus present. 

More than 1,000 local residents and devotees gathered at the Spanish Fork temple on June 20th to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Radha Krishna Temple joining the religious landscape of the predominantly Morman state of Utah.  Local guests at the event watching the outside entertainment Temple President Charu Das and the team arranged the festivities […]

The post 20th Anniversary Celebration of Spanish Fork Radha Krishna Temple appeared first on ISKCON News.

More than 1,000 local residents and devotees gathered at the Spanish Fork temple on June 20th to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Radha Krishna Temple joining the religious landscape of the predominantly Morman state of Utah. Watch the event video: https://fb.watch/6lXNrGMNyi/

Historically in ISKCON, the only book distribution marathon was held in December, leaving the rest of the year rather quiet on the book distribution front in many parts of the world. Recently, however, Global Duty Officer for book distribution Vaisesika Dasa and the BBT Marketing, Communications and Innovations team have been introducing new campaigns throughout the […]

The post Book Distribution Campaign Celebrates Genius of Bhaktivinod Thakur appeared first on ISKCON News.

The Bhaktivedanta Academy in Alachua, Florida, a thriving spiritually-centered Pre-K through 10th grade Montessori and International Baccalaureate school, is seeking applicants for its new internship program for Pre-K and Elementary teachers. An informal internship program has already been running for some time; however, with the school now looking to double its capacity over the next […]

The post Alachua’s Bhaktivedanta Academy Seeks Teaching Interns appeared first on ISKCON News.

The Bhaktivedanta Academy in Alachua, Florida, a thriving spiritually-centered Pre-K through 10th grade Montessori and International Baccalaureate school, is seeking applicants for its new internship program for Pre-K and Elementary teachers.

The transcendental vibration of chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the sublime method of reviving our Krishna consciousness. As living spiritual souls, we are all originally Krishna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere.

In this polluted concept of life, we are trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities. This illusion is called maya—our hard struggle for existence for winning over the stringent laws of material nature.

This illusory struggle against material nature can at once be stopped by the revival of our Krishna consciousness. Krishna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind; it is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived, and therefore the process of chanting Hare Krishna is recommended by authorities for this age.

By practical experience also, we can perceive that by chanting this maha-mantra, “the great chanting for deliverance,” one can at once feel transcendental ecstasy from the spiritual stratum. When one is actually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind, and intelligence, one is situated on the transcendental plane. This chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, surpassing all lower stages of consciousness, namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is no need to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need of mental speculation, nor any intellectual adjustment for its chanting. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such anyone can take part in this transcendental sound vibration without any previous qualification and dance in ecstasy. We have seen it practically—even a child can take part in the chanting; even a dog can take part in it.

The chanting should be heard, however, from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that the immediate effect can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of nondevotees should be avoided. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects.

The word Hara is a form of addressing the energy of the Lord. Both Krishna and Rama are forms of directly addressing the Lord, and they mean “the highest pleasure.” Hara is the supreme pleasure potency of the Lord. This potency, addressed as Hare, helps us in reaching the Supreme Lord.

The material energy, known as maya, is also one of the multiple potencies of the Lord. The living entities are described as an energy that is superior to matter. When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, there arises an incompatible situation. But when the marginal potency is in contact with the supreme spiritual potency, Hara, that becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity.

The three words—namely Hare, Krishna, and Rama—are the transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra, and the chanting is the spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Hara, for giving protection to the conditioned souls. The chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of the child for its mother. Mother Hara helps in achieving the grace of the supreme father Hari, or Krishna, and the Lord reveals Himself to such sincere devotees.

Therefore no other means of spiritual realization is as effective in this age as chanting the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

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It was in Vrindavan that Shyamananda Prabhu met and befriended Shrila Narottam das Thakur and Shrinivas Acharya, and thus became the famous trio of the second generation of Vaishnava acharyas after the six Goswamis.    

These three were empowered by Mahaprabhu to continue the work of Nityananda Prabhu, Shri Virachandra and Jahnava Thakurani and plant the victory flag of Vaishnavism in Bengal and Orissa.  They unleashed a great flood of love and devotion to God in these blessed lands.    

Shyamananda Prabhu was deputed to Orissa for preaching. In a village called Rohini on the banks of the river Subarnarekha, the village chieftain Achyuta and his son Rasikananda became the disciples of Shyamananda Prabhu.    

Gradually, a large following collected around Shyamananda and thus grew the Syamanandi sect.  The land of Utkal (Orissa) was saturated in prema-bhakti. People became mad after Shyamananda and his teachings.    The whole of Orissa, Dharinda, Nrisinghapur, Balarampur, Gopiballabhpur, etc., became the centres of preaching of love and devotion by Shyamananda Prabhu and his chief and dearest disciple Rasikananda Prabhu.    

One day the news arrived that Hriday-Chaitanya had passed away. Shortly after that, Shyamananda Prabhu installed Shri Rasikananda as the Mahanta of the Shripat and handed over responsibility of the Shyamanandi sect to him.  Then he entered into the eternal leela. 

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