Planet ISKCON

Mahotsaha Das distributing books “I want that you all my students shall very vigorously try for this book distribution.” Srila Prabhupada, Letter to Kirtiraja — Vrindaban 27 November 1971 Mahotsaha Das has proven that the words of our founder Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are still living strong in the hearts of […]

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  In his purport to Caitanya Caritamrta (Madhya 24.256), he writes, “This is the process of initiation. The disciple must vow that he will no longer commit sinful activity — namely illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, and intoxication. He promises to execute the order of the spiritual master. Then the spiritual master takes care of him […]

The post What Technically Happens During Initiation? appeared first on ISKCON News.

 

 

In the West, this is the holiday season, with Christmas and Hanukkah both coming up. As Srila Prabhupada explained, the Lord comes to this world to enlighten people with transcendental knowledge. Sometimes He comes personally, and sometimes He sends His son or His prophet or His representative, but they all come with the same message. They may speak in different languages according to the circumstances and the audience, but the essence of the message is the same: God is great; we are but small parts and parcels of God, meant to serve Him with love, and we have come from God and are meant to return to Him.

One of Srila Prabhupada’s purports in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is contains a statement that relates to the holidays people in the West are about to celebrate:

“ ‘The avatara, or incarnation of Godhead, descends from the kingdom of God for material manifestation. And the particular form of the Personality of Godhead who so descends is called an incarnation, or avatara. Such incarnations are situated in the spiritual world, the kingdom of God. When they descend to the material creation, they assume the name avatara.’ [Cc Madhya 20.263­–264] There are various kinds of avataras, such as purusavataras, gunavataras, lilavataras, sakty-avesa avataras, manvantara-avataras, and yugavataras—all appearing on schedule all over the universe. But Lord Krsna is the primeval Lord, the fountainhead of all avataras. Lord Sri Krsna descends for the specific purpose of mitigating the anxieties of the pure devotees, who are very anxious to see Him in His original Vrndavana pastimes.” (Gita 4.8 purport)

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, said that Jesus Christ was a saktyavesa-avatara; he accepted that Jesus Christ descended to the earth from above. That is avatara. And saktyavesa means one who carries the power of the Lord. Thus, he accepted that Jesus Christ descended to earth with the power of the Lord to preach the message of Godhead. And Jesus Christ preached more or less the same message as Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita. Sometimes people would ask Srila Prabhupada about Jesus, and Srila Prabhupada would reply, “In the Bible Jesus said that he was the son of God, and in the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna says that He is the father of all living entities, so there is no contradiction.”

Jesus Christ filled the role of a spiritual master, or guru. The spiritual master teaches the science of Godhead, and when a disciple surrenders to a spiritual master, the spiritual master accepts the disciple’s sinful reactions. Jesus Christ performed the same functions in relation to his followers or disciples; he taught them about God, and he accepted their sinful reactions. Sometimes Christians quote Jesus as having said, “There is no way to the Father except through me.” This statement is a little controversial in learned circles—there is some question whether the attribution is authentic or not. But in any case, Srila Prabhupada took the truth in these words to be that one cannot approach the Lord directly; one can approach the Lord only through the Lord’s representative, the spiritual master.

As far as the idea that Jesus Christ accepted the sins, or sinful reactions, of his followers, Srila Prabhupada expressed one concern: The followers should refrain from sin. They should consider, “Oh, if I sin, my spiritual master will have to suffer!” Christians in particular may consider, “Because I have sinned, my spiritual master had to suffer! So I should not commit sin any longer.” That should be the basic sense. They should not think, “Oh, poor Jesus suffered for me, but now I can go on sinning.”

So, we accept Jesus as a saktyavesa-avatara, as an incarnation of Krishna. Christmas should be a time when we remember the teachings of Jesus Christ, the mercy of Jesus Christ, and the sacrifice he made for us. And we should resolve to be better followers, better servants of God and God’s representatives, and of all humankind and all living beings.

Hanukkah, in the Jewish tradition, is also an important festival celebrated at this time of year. It is a winter festival, and winter is a dark season, when the sun sets early and rises late. Hanukkah is the festival of light. Historically, the ancient temple in Jerusalem was seized and desecrated, but eventually, with great courage and sacrifice, the Jewish heroes, the Maccabees, won it back. They wanted to clean and purify the temple to make it fit for worship of the Lord, and their worship included a flame that was sustained by sanctified oil, to be maintained at all times. But when the Maccabees regained the temple, they found only one flask of the priestly oil, enough to burn for only one day. Still, they lit the great temple lamp, the menorah, and, according to the story, the oil burned for eight days, until they could get more. So, the miracle of Hanukkah is that the purified oil, which was sufficient to last only one day, burned for eight days, time enough to obtain more.

Figuratively, the temple is the heart. Cleaning the temple means cleaning one’s heart of the many dirty things that accumulate there by material association. That dirt includes false identification with the body and material desires for the gratification of the body’s senses and mind independent of God’s sanction and God’s service. And figuratively, the light is transcendental knowledge, or consciousness of God, which illuminates the heart and dispels the darkness of ignorance.

Just as the year has its cycles, we also pass through phases. We wish we could always be fully God conscious, but practically we may find cycles in our spiritual life, periods of increased devotion to God interspersed with periods of increased preoccupation with other matters. And the Hanukkah festival, the lighting of the candle or burning of the lamp, means brightening our hearts with God consciousness, with Krishna consciousness—cleaning the temple of the heart and rekindling the light of God consciousness, devotion to God, within the heart.

But we require help with such devotional activities, because alone each of us is quite weak. In the face of the material world, in the face of maya, we are weak and feeble, and we need the support and help of other devotees. If one person alone had to clean the temple, he or she would have a very hard job. But when all the devotees clean the temple together, the job becomes much easier.

The most complete science of God consciousness is presented in Srimad-Bhagavatam, which nicely explains the process of cleansing the heart:

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
   punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
   vidhunoti suhrt satam

 “Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.” (SB 1.2.17)

The Bhagavatam says that hearing topics of Krishna, of God—just as we are sitting here and listening to Krishna’s message—is itself a pious activity, a form of devotional service. We have only to open our ears to the message of Godhead and we become pious (srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana kirtanah). Then, hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani: the inauspicious things in the heart—we could say, the dirty things in the heart, our evil thoughts and selfish desires—become cleansed. How? Vidhunoti suhrt satam: The Lord Himself helps the truthful devotee to clean the dirt, because the Lord Himself is already there in the heart. He is already there, but because the heart is covered by material contamination, we cannot perceive the Lord’s presence; we cannot hear His voice. However, when we show our eagerness to hear the Lord’s message through our ears, the Lord within reciprocates. He helps cleanse the dirty things from the heart so that we can hear Him there, guiding us. And when we surrender to the Lord and make sacrifices for Him, He supplies unlimited fuel for maintaining our heart’s flame of devotion.

Satam means “truthful devotee.” The truthful devotee is honest in his endeavors in Krishna consciousness. One who is dishonest will make a show of piety or religiousness but behind the show will have other interests, harbor other ambitions. But the truthful devotee actually wants to understand the science of God and to serve the Lord and all living beings. Though he may be weak, if he is honest in his endeavors to listen to the messages of Godhead and apply the principles in life, even if he is incapable of executing the orders perfectly, still he is considered satam, a truthful devotee. And the Lord within the heart, who acts as the well-wishing friend of the truthful devotee, will cleanse the heart of the dirty things that have accumulated there.

Again we see the importance of association, because the process for cleansing the heart is hearing the messages of Godhead, and only in the association of devotees can we receive the messages properly. Through our hearing and then chanting and repeating what we have heard, the heart becomes cleansed by the grace of the Lord. Ceto-darpana-marjanam: By chanting the holy names of God and by hearing the transcendental glories of God, the heart becomes cleansed and the light of Krishna consciousness there burns more brightly. It spreads throughout the entire body and then emerges—through the skin, through the eyes, through all the different sense organs. Especially, it comes out through the mouth in the form of transcendental sound, which comes from the heart. The messages that one has received through the ears and that have entered the heart come out again through the mouth and spread light, enlightenment, throughout the world.

So, tonight we greatly appreciate the efforts of Mother Urvasi, for she works so hard to create a situation where we all can come together and speak about God, hear about God, and remember God. Holy days are special occasions when we can get together and remember the Lord’s appearance, or the appearance or disappearance of great devotees, or great events that have taken place in the service of the Lord. And when we get together and hear about the Lord and the great devotees of the Lord and the great service and miracles that have taken place in relation to the Lord, we become purified. And we become enlightened and engladdened.

Peace on earth and goodwill toward humanity actually can be achieved through God consciousness. The Bhagavad-gita explains how we can achieve peace: we must first make peace with God. If we reestablish our relationship with God and experience God’s peace and friendship, then we can have real peace and friendship amongst ourselves and help each other in our relationships with Him.

Srila Prabhupada said, “God consciousness is there. You have begun these Christmas holidays in your country. Throughout the whole month of December, you’ll observe nice festivities. Why? It began with God consciousness. Jesus Christ came to give you God consciousness, and in relation to him these festivities are going on. It may have degraded into another form, but the beginning was God consciousness. Now we may have lost it. But people cannot be happy without reviving God consciousness. It may be named differently—‘Krishna consciousness’—but that means God consciousness. That is the necessity. We want to love somebody. Our love will be perfected when we love Krishna, or God. We are teaching that. Try to love God, and if you love God, if you love Krishna, then automatically you love everybody. That is the perfection of love.”

Are there any questions?

Guest: I want to ask how you feel about a belief I am entertaining, namely that Jesus was a spiritual master because he had attained a spiritual level of consciousness or ascendancy through releasing his ego attachments and becoming transparent to God, and that statements attributed to him such as “No one can come to the Father but through me” and “I am the way, the truth, and the light” could be referring to the way he had attained his level of spiritual mastery. That is, such statements may be indicating that one cannot come to the Father in any other way but to release ego attachments and create this transparency to God. I realize that you were referring to the need for a spiritual master to assist one in achieving a level of spiritual ascendance, but could Jesus have been saying, “This is the way—the way I’ve done it”?

Giriraj Swami: What you say could be true. In fact, Srila Prabhupada used to describe the spiritual master as transparent. To be transparent, we have to purify ourselves of all material dross, and the subtlest level of material contamination is false ego. We cannot be transparent unless we become free from false ego. However, we do not accept the idea of the impersonalists that we give up our ego to merge and become one with God. Rather, we accept the instruction of the Bhagavad-gita, of Jesus Christ and other theists, to give up the false ego, the misconception that “I am the body, I am the Lord, I am the controller, I am the proprietor, I am the enjoyer” in favor of the real ego, the true understanding that “I am the eternal servant of God.” Certainly, the spiritual master is the eternal servant of God, or Krishna, so he can properly represent Him and direct others to Him. And certainly, the process of giving up the false ego in favor of the real ego, the process of devotional service, is the only process that will bring us to God, that will enable us to fully realize we are eternal servants of God rather than illusory masters of the world.

Hare Krishna.

[Adapted from a talk by Giriraj Swami, December 17, 2000, Ojai, California]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 3 May 2021, Simhachalam, Germany, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.19.27) 

What did it mean when Srila Prabhupada said that ISKCON cannot be destroyed from the outside, but only from the inside?

Yes, ISKCON can be destroyed from the inside. Srila Prabhupada is referring to a forest fire here. There are two forest fires that Krsna swallows. One of these forest fires is the disagreement that comes about in the spiritual movement in the sanga of the devotees. And so, this is highlighted as something that can destroy our movement from within. As long as there is a core group of devotees who are embodying pure Krsna consciousness, then everyone will be blessed by them. These are the devotees who are above the dualities, who have no enemies and are the well-wishers of all. As long as there is this core group within our movement, who are the well-wishers of all, then our movement can never be destroyed. Srila Prabhupada was very much that person. He was completely the well-wisher of all. If we turn to Prabhupada in that mood of being close to him, then that mood of giving and being generous will pass on. But if everyone starts fighting for themselves, for their position, for their room, for their facility, for their recognition and so on, then there will be fires. Then, that kind of fighting can undermine this movement. But fortunately, by Prabhupada’s grace, there are still so many Vaisnavas who are dedicated.

Prabhupada started the ISKCON movement, and when he did so, the older splinter groups about the succession of Gaudiya-matha also revived. But it is not so easy to destroy ISKCON because Prabhupada is so present. We always have to keep on it. Not just doing the Guru-puja of Prabhupada, but also aligning with his teachings and aligning with what he considered important. Therefore, book distribution should always remain strong as long as there are printing presses. The temples have a history of strong book distribution and we should really keep that and continue to revive it. It goes up and down. We have to rebuild it up again with new enthusiasm. It is very important here because that was the thing that pleased Srila Prabhupada the most, no doubt. That is what will revive our community. The fact that there are so many young people within our temples is because of book distribution. Where there is book distribution, people join. So this is one way to remain connected to Srila Prabhupada and of course in many ways we need to ensure that we remain connected to Prabhupada. We have to read not only his books, but we have to read his letters. We have to find out what did Prabhupada want? Not just lip service and, “Guru carana padma.” No, we must focus on what our founder acarya wanted, and then just do it.

The article " What did Srila Prabhupada want? " was published on KKSBlog.

This is a short video by Sadbhuja das explaining the process of external facade cleaning of the TOVP GRC (glass reinforced concrete) which will take place annually after the monsoon season. The TOVP will be maintained in an immaculately clean condition externally for years to come, and rightfully so.

 

TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

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From door knobs to big domes – the work continues on. Adjustments, refinements and accuracy on the drawings to fit the site conditions are in full swing for various elements of this grand building. Sharing some Architectural frames in this TOVP Architecture Department report.

Hope all devotees are keeping well and praying that we can progress sooner than later to offer this building to Their Lordships.

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

 

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
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOVP2022
Telegram: https://t.me/TOVP_GRAM
WhatsApp: https://m.tovp.org/whatsapp2
Instagram: https://m.tovp.org/tovpinstagram
App: https://m.tovp.org/app
News & Texts: https://m.tovp.org/newstexts
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Store: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/

The first-ever online youth girls camp for unmarried girls of India will be held on December  18th- 16th, 2021. This virtual event was originally to take place earlier in 2020 when the pandemic hit the world.  This event is an excellent opportunity for youth girls struggling with peer pressure and the inability to balance both […]

The post ISKCON India Youth Girls Camp appeared first on ISKCON News.

Burnaby, British Columbia

Night Walk

Sarva Rasa agreed to join me for an evening walk down by the greenhouse enclave. This was after a full day of his teaching and then catching up with the final portion of a reading of the Gita in the temple. Today marked the anniversary of Arjuna hearing the timeless truth from the mouth of Krishna Himself. It was aural reception divine.

In any event, it was time to just get outside and let nature do what it would wish of us. As is common, nature is a teaser. Within minutes of our start, clouds began to spit. A slight hesitation struck Sarva’s heart, about continuing our trek, so I tested him. “Do you want to go back?” I admit to a sarcastic tone of, “Are you chicken?”

“No! No! There’s no turning back,” he rebounded. “I’m inspired. This is going to help me,” he admitted with conviction.

The whole day, from early morning to afternoon, and finally with this walk, thought of the priceless lessons of the Gitacame as reminders to me; how my life turned around decades before. It’s been an experience of wellness.

Street lights allowed for us to recognize puddles. In the night, they are black and some glisten with lampposts reflecting on their surface.

It doesn’t fail that a reminder of covid always sneaks about. On every stroll I see an abandoned mask that, in most cases, slipped from someone’s pocket.

Some predator birds flew low and near as we made our way through the rain as it was letting up. Only near the end of our walk did clouds spit again. As we were nearing the door to our apartment, Sarva once again remarked about the need to be out. “I’ve got to make this a daily regimen.”

May the Source be with you!

4 km

 

Kitsilano, British Columbia

Gita Wisdom 

Once you were in the body of a very small child

Then you grew up to become a little wild

Your body as a youth showed all this passion

When people carry on in a certain kind of fashion

And then you took the body of a man

Energy went to responsibility as you plan

Then before long your body gets old

You then exit to enter another life of gold

The body will perish but you will not

What I tell you is very good food for thought

The soul is immortal, it will persist

It cannot be injured by sword or by fist

By fluid or water, it cannot be drowned

By fire, not burned, like ashes to the ground

By wind and air, it cannot be dried

No method of destruction will work if you tried

So Arjuna, you really should not lament

For the body that lived in time well spent

You start to focus as a warrior will do

Or else there’ll be ridicule towards your clan and you

The Kauravas are watching every move you make

It’s a matter of duty you’re obliged to take

If you hesitate when something needs to be done

You receive a reaction and that is no fun

Action, and subsequent reaction, is called karma

When we act as expected it’s called dharma

Do your dharma, avoid the karma

Do your dharma, avoid the karma

The world with all its changes will never come to an end

I’m telling you all this because you are my friend

-Composed by Bhaktimarga Swami, The Walking Monk©

 

May the Source be with you!

 

 

Burnaby, British Columbia

We’re Coming Together

I have known Abhidheya since the late ‘80s, through a cow protection program we had in Ontario, where she then lived (still trying to get back home). She has been extremely helpful with plays I’ve directed for the community, in addition to editing my material. Well, she and hubby, Arlen, came to visit me at Vancouver’s Govinda’s Restaurant.

It was Greek Day and the cooks prepared all Greek food, vegetarian of course, and offered to the Lord before dishing it out to us. It was really delicious. Different! When you get caught up in the presnt and the past, over food, it becomes delectable all around. From the couple I received not only a sweet time, but a gift and beautiful card with a peacock and decorated Douglas fir tree on its cover.

Nice to have that company. Nice to have such friends.

Then the afternoon and evening opened up for an ecstatic kirtan and an initiation ceremony. Three good souls received new Sanskrit holy names. Sunil, my doctor, friend and teacher, took the name Sarva Rasa. Lalita Gopi received the name Lila Shakti; she’s from Fiji. And Kirti accepted the name Krishna Shanti. I’ve known her for years and she has been steady in bhakti during this time.

The event was so pleasurable. At the end those who registered for the Nine Devotions Workshop received certificates recognizing their involvement from the day before.

I just hope Covid’s variants won’t slow down the fun and achievements experienced this day.

May the Source be with you!

 

Burnaby, British Columbia

Alignment

Planets have been making alignments with the moon as of late. During my evening walk this night I could see when the clouds were not covering. I spotted the moon and also a companion, another heavenly body situated on either side of the moon. I’m quite sure one was Saturn, however, I’m not sure about the other. This unique line up of luminaries reminded me of descriptions of planetary adjustments; when planets queued up at the time of Krishna’s birth. That day is called Janmasthami.

During my stroll of chanting mantrasand planetary gazing I also contemplated on the affairs of the day, much to do with alignment issues and falling in order. This time the issue is more to do with people.

At 4:30 p.m. the Sunday School group of kids were scheduled for kirtan; a chanting session. I was invited to lead a portion of the session. In doing so, we put into exercise the method of “receive and respond.” It went well. These five to fourteen-year-olds went through a clapping session also, all while moving together. How important it is, training to follow in line!

Earlier in the day, at 10 a.m., I conducted a workshop on the Nine Devotions. In that workshop, the spirit and practice of alignment, in many ways, became the theme.

Next Saturday, we’ve planned a Kirtan Standards seminar, which will highlight and help the participants gain a sense of order. There is beauty and strength in that.

May the Source be with you!

3 km

 

Burnaby, B.C.

Bhakti Yogis Are Precious

It was a full day of rain and I’m not used to this, but such is nature.

Special about today, though, is that it’s the birthday of Vrnda. Who is Vrnda? Well, she’s a very sweet and intelligent woman who is doing a lot for this movement. She has an incredible devotional and legal head and is most helpful in so many capacities, most of all acting as the zonal secretary for our North Zone here in North America. She assists me in my GBC responsibilities. GBC stands for Governing Body Commissioner.

It is interesting to note that she resides in the dead-centre of the continent – that is Winnipeg, Manitoba – and Manitoba is the place in the world known as the polar bear capital. No, you won’t find them roaming around at the Winnipeg location for Krishna Consciousness; at 108 Chestnut Street. Those big burly predators are found in the northern portion of the province.

While the local community paid homage to her, being that it is her day of appearance, I received a call that one of our Mauritius members, mother of Aindra, from Oakville, Ontario, passed away today at the age of 80. Her name is Coosmootee and she is a bright spot in this world, along with Vrnda.

I pray that Vrnda will be with us for a long time to come. Practitioners of bhakti yoga are precious.

May the Source be with you!

 

Burnaby, British Columbia

Walk With Purpose

As Sathya, Sunil, and I were about to embark on our backroads walk, we chanced upon a person we all know. His name is Hadai and I told him, quite frankly, the three of us were taking a break from people. Then I chanced upon these sayings from Jesus on TIKTOK.

4 things to always walk away from:

1. Walk away from CONVERSATIONS that involve hate and gossip. JAMES 4.11

2. Walk away from unnecessary DRAMA. PROVERBS 11.9

3. Walk away from PEOPLE who put you down. PROVERBS 26.20

4. Walk away from the table if RESPECT is no longer being served. EXODUS 23.1

Something I reflected upon more than once is that these legs have multi-purposes. They are certainly designed for helping us to go to places, for reaching destinations. And we can justify moving away from unwanted places by the way of legs. We walk to a friend and walk away (or run) from the enemy.

Legs also perform the function of holding up the rest of the body. They are great for dancing and perhaps kicking. And for swimming, well, you would have a hard time to generate a propulsion within water to keep you afloat without them.

Finally, I just wanted to mention something about the legs and feet of our guru, Prabhupada. He walked on a cargo freighter that took him across the Atlantic and, after the trying journey was over, he walked off the ramp at the Boston Harbour and did a lot of people a favour by doing that with his legs.

May the Source be with you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvtwKQy6el4

Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Along the Dyke

It was the first sunny bright day in weeks, so a number of us took full advantage. We took to De Boville Slough, which has a dyke running along to one side and then edges along Pitt River. Bears do frequent the area.

We strolled for two-and-a-half kilometres and then returned, making it a five kilometre stretch of glory-walk. We talk as we walk, and sometimes get silly. It is a component of my daily reality to get down to dealing with grave matters, but I have found it necessary for equilibrium and sustainability to have light moments with others. Self-isolation is torture and unfavorable for spiritual progression. Being with others of like mindedness is a treasure. Part of my work.

One person recently asked me, on a Gita-study Zoom call, how they might reciprocate and be of service or assistance to me personally. My answer was, “I can be served a large thali, or plate of prasad, but I’m truly more satisfied when someone makes the effort to share higher (Krishna) consciousness with others.”

It is my experience that eating is not a problem for me. There’s always plenty. As our guru’s guru, Bhaktisiddhanta, used to say, there isn’t anything lacking in this world except for uplifting consciousness.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

 

Burnaby, British Columbia

Reading What Nature Says

A fresh snowfall descended recently and has blanketed the surface throughout most of the province. Nature, it seems, speaks to us all the time. With the whiteness of snow, the message is “be introspective,” “be pure,” “be still,” “be calm.” When spring comes around the message is “move about,” “clear the space,” “dance and sing,” “stretch,” “grow.” When summer rolls in I hear it saying “take in the sun,” “relax,” “swim,” “play.” And when autumn ushers in it says “breathe,” “eat,” “sleep,” “smell,” “work.”

For all the seasons, walking should be consistent – of course. Nine devotions are not a bad idea for any of the nature’s passing.

Today, however, was a rainy day, so it is time for indoor stuff, including planning. I spent a good seven hours in a conference or board room and there I sat, still for the most part, on the phone until the scheduled meeting with members of the NTC, new temple committee.

Yes, indeed, a new temple for Krishna has been conceived for Burnaby. The old one has lost its sense of functionality. A gorgeous good facility is being urged on and a Mr. Navin Malory, with origins from Fiji, is the chairperson, while two professional sons and their glorious wives are involved in plan-making. Others are included, such as Manu, the temple president. It’s a community and you feel like the four seasons are sitting around the conference table with good brains in motion.

May the Source be with you!

 

 

Chemainus, B.C.

Catching Up

My younger brother Paul, and his son John, popped over to see me at the Jagannath Temple, owned and operated by hosts Gadadhar and Manoharini. What a treat! Manoharini greeted them with a resounding “Amazing Grace,” played on her bagpipe. It was beautiful!

As usual, when family reunites there’s a natural tendency to catch up on matters that have not yet been shared - news of other family, friends, the world, and of course, covid as well as a sky-rocketing real estate on much of the planet.

We took the opportunity to walk the snow-cleared boardwalk at Crofton. If you are standing in the direction where the pulp-and-paper residue flies in the air you will experience a scent from the nether worlds.

In general, Vancouver Island is a place of rich and natural resources, a fine area to be. For that matter, all locations on earth can be a pleasant experience when incorporating a higher consciousness in life. It only requires the implementation of the phrase, “Just do it!” Then all is good.

My stay on the island ended with the exit of the bag pipe sound; so comforting and so triumphant.

May the Source be with you!

3 km

 

 

Chemainus, British Columbia

To the Mountain Cabins

Jaya Govinda, Dawn, Leah and I took to the early ferry at Horshoe Bay for a water voyage to Vancouver Island and then drove onto Chemainus, to the unique home of Gadadhar and Manoharini. I say “unique” because the couple have established a real amazing retreat or tirtha; a sacred place. How quaint are the cabins Gadadhar constructed! In addition to their mountain home, he assembled these rustic but regal 10 feet by 10 feet structures for resting and relaxation. A third cabin on the desk is a washroom where you can shower. Finally, a fourth 20 by 20, is the residence of Jagannatha, Lord of the Universe – an actual devotional temple.

We had arrived at this attractive destination by mid-morning. Before arriving, along the way, I was peering out the window of our vehicle wondering if I could spot from the road the trail I took to walking 25 years ago, when I embarked on that first of a number of marathon walks across the globe. I recall the main street at Ladysmith.

It was just great at mealtime. Nothing like nourishment in a mountain setting. When some guests arrived to join us it was Virat, who works with the town of Nanaimo, who asked a question about my walks. This was my cue to tell all about pedestrian adventures.

When I do these talks about trekking, I simply welcome listeners to join me on the road and let them feel the sensation of it all. They usually do feel it.

Then Virat asked a second question. “What do you do when you’re walking?” And my answer was, “I’m chanting, so if I’ve walked for nine hours I will have completed 64 rounds of chanting on the beads for that day.”

May the Source be with you!

By Sankirtana Das

The Hindus who visit our Krishna temples perceive ISKCON as an orthodox movement, appreciating the traditional temple service and how beautifully the altars are maintained. Many of our western friends might appreciate the Krishna movement differently: as a modern and relevant movement which advocates vegetarianism, honors the Earth, and offers meditation through joyous singing and dancing. Continue reading "ISKCON and the Vaisnava Paradox
→ Dandavats"

In the first verse of the Bhagavad-gita, the low-minded king Dhrtarastra asks his secretary, “O Sanjaya, after my sons and the sons of Pandu assembled in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, desiring to fight, what did they do?” Kim akurvata: “What did they do?” Srila Prabhupada says that this is a foolish question. The two armies had gathered to fight, so what is the question of what they did? Srila Prabhupada gives the example that if someone sits down before a plate of food, intending to eat, what is the question of “What did he do?” He would eat—that’s all.

So why did Dhrtarastra ask? Because Kurukshetra is dharma-ksetra, a holy place of pilgrimage. And under the influence of this religious place, his sons might have been influenced toward the good, to give up their intention to fight. Srila Prabhupada explains, “Yuyutsavah. This word yuyutsu [jujutsu] is still used in Japan. Perhaps you know, yuyutsu, fighting. So, yuyutsavah—‘desirous of fighting.’ Now, both parties were desiring to

fight, and they assembled. Why is Dhrtarastra asking the question Kim akurvata: ‘What did they do?’? Because he was a little doubtful. These boys, after being assembled in dharma-ksetra, might have changed their ideas. They might have settled up. The sons of Dhrtarastra might have admitted, ‘Yes, Pandavas, you are actually the owners. What is the use of unnecessarily fighting?’ So he was very much anxious to know whether they had changed their decision. Therefore he is asking.”

Such is the influence of holy places. They can elevate one’s consciousness, even the consciousness of one habituated to low thoughts. And people who go to holy places—Mayapur, Vrindavan, Jagannath Puri—can immediately feel the difference. With reference to the power of living in Mathura-Vrindavan, The Nectar of Devotion explains, “Srila Rupa Gosvami has described Mathura-mandala: ‘I remember the Lord standing by the banks of the Yamuna River, so beautiful amid the kadamba trees, where many birds are chirping in the gardens. And these impressions are always giving me transcendental realization of beauty and bliss.’ This feeling about Mathura-mandala and Vrndavana described by Rupa Gosvami can actually be felt even by nondevotees. The places in the eighty-four-square-mile district of Mathura are so beautifully situated on the banks of the River Yamuna that anyone who goes there will never want to return to this material world. . . . Such transcendental feelings are aroused immediately and without fail after one arrives in Mathura or Vrndavana.” (Chapter 13)

Many pilgrims travel to Vrindavan and other holy places during the month of Kartik, and as they prepare to leave to return to their homes and places of service, they may wonder how they can keep the experience of Vrindavan with them. It is a challenge. The influence of materialistic cities, surcharged with passion and ignorance, can be daunting. And our own busy schedules may leave little time for direct service to Krishna. How can we keep the good influence of the holy places in our lives even after we leave?

Srila Rupa Gosvami advises,

krsnam smaran janam casya
  prestham nija-samihitam
tat-tat-katha-ratas casau
  kuryad vasam vraje sada

“The devotee should always think of Krsna within himself and should choose a very dear devotee who is a servitor of Krsna in Vrndavana. One should constantly engage in topics about that servitor and his loving relationship with Krsna, and one should live in Vrndavana. If one is physically unable to go to Vrndavana, he should mentally live there.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.294, quoted as Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 22.161)

We should always engage in remembering and discussing Krishna—His names, forms, qualities, pastimes, and associates in Vrindavan—and even our own experiences there. By such engagement, we can experience Vrindavan wherever we are, with Krishna as the focus of our lives.

And we should spread the message of Vrindavan, the message of Mayapur. Once, on a morning walk in Mayapur, a devotee said to Srila Prabhupada, “Mayapur is so nice, I wish I could just stay here,” and Prabhupada responded, “You must go out and make the whole world Mayapur.”

To experience Vrindavan outside Vrindavan is difficult; to create Mayapur outside Mayapur is difficult. But Srila Prabhupada said, “Spiritual life is difficult, but material life is impossible.” So let us make an honest effort to engage in Krishna consciousness, and Krishna and His devotees will surely help us.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

Source: ISKCON Kurukshetra

💫⚡💫 Gita Jayanti Mahotsava Seva 2021 💫⚡💫 It was Srila Prabhupada's deep desire to build a marvellous Krishna - Arjuna Temple in Kurukshetra to teach Gita and showcase its practicality to the world. 🏵🏵💥⭐ Let's come together to support the dear project of Srila Prabhupada and complete his unfulfilled dream.🛕🛕 On Gita Jayanti, we are targeting to get at least 1008 Sq Ft. sponsored to take this project to next level. Contribute Now 👇👇 https://rzp.io/l/gitajayantikurukshetra

Source: ISKCON News YouTube

 

So many new and exciting things are coming to ISKCON News and we are happy to share them with you. Starting with our new website launch, Dec 15th, 2021.

Moksada Ekadasi, observed on the 11th day of Shukla Paksha (the waxing phase of the moon) during the lunar month of Margashirsha, is a very special Ekadasi in two regards: it is the all-auspicious day on which Lord Sri Krishna spoke the Srimad Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra at the place now known as Jyotisha tirtha, and anyone who gifts a Bhagavad Gita away to a deserving person on this day is bestowed profuse blessings by Sri Krishna Bhagavan.

Gita Jayanti is the day on which Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna.

The Gita is also known as the Gitopanisad and is considered one of the Upanisads. The title Bhagavad-gita is sometimes translated as “The Song of God.” Gita means “song.” God, Krishna, is so sublime that whatever He speaks is music and poetry. The word bhagavan has been analyzed by Vedic authorities. Bhaga means “opulence” and is related to the word bhagya: “good fortune.” And van means “one who possesses.” So bhagavan means “He who possesses all opulence in full.”

aisvaryasya samagrasya
  viryasya yasasah sriyah
jnana-vairagyayos caiva
  sannam bhaga itingana

“Full wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation—these are the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Vishnu Purana 6.5.47)

All of us possess some wealth. I may have ten dollars, but if I look further, I will find someone who has a hundred dollars. And if I look still further, I will find someone who has a thousand dollars, and a million, and a billion. But no one can say that he has all the wealth in all creation, that no one is equal to him or greater than him in wealth. When we come to that person who has all wealth—no one is equal to or greater than him—that is Bhagavan, Krishna.

The Bhagavad-gita was originally spoken by Krishna to Arjuna. As stated in the Gita (4.1),

    sri-bhagavan uvaca
imam vivasvate yogam
  proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
  manur iksvakave ’bravit

“The Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku.” Lord Krishna originally spoke the Gita to Vivasvan, the sun-god, who spoke it to his son Manu, who in turn spoke it to Iksvaku. In this way the knowledge was passed on through disciplic succession from one to the next to the next. But in the course of time, that chain became broken.

evam parampara-praptam
  imam rajarsayo viduh
sa kaleneha mahata
  yogo nastah parantapa

“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.” (Gita 4.2) Nasta means “spoiled.” You may have a nice plate of prasada, but if you leave it aside and it becomes old and contaminated, it becomes nasta, spoiled. It is food, but you don’t get the benefit. And to get the real benefit of the Bhagavad-gita, one must receive it through parampara (evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh).

Five thousand years ago, Lord Krishna detected that the chain was broken and that, consequently, the knowledge was lost. So He came again and spoke the Bhagavad-gita again, to Arjuna: “Now, Arjuna, you become the first recipient of this knowledge in the new chain, so that the knowledge is received and presented as it is.” Srila Prabhupada called his translation of the Gita the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. “As it is” means as Krishna spoke it and as Arjuna understood it—five thousand years ago.

How did Arjuna understand it? First, he accepted Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead:

             arjuna uvaca
param brahma param dhama
  pavitram paramam bhavan
purusam sasvatam divyam
  adi-devam ajam vibhum

“Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest.” (Gita 10.12)

He accepted everything that Krishna said as true: sarvam etad rtam manye yan mam vadasi kesava—“Krishna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me.” (Gita 10.14) “I accept whatever You say, in toto.” He did not discriminate that he liked some parts of the Gita but not other parts. Sarvam etad rtam manye: “I accept in toto everything that You have said.”

If we begin to discriminate, “I like this portion, but I don’t like that portion,” we become implicated in ardha-kukkuti-nyaya, “half-hen” logic. A farmer had a hen that was laying eggs. But the farmer thought that only the hind portion was valuable, because that part was giving eggs—that the neck portion was simply troublesome, because it just ate food. He concluded, “I will cut the neck portion, which is just a botheration, and keep the hind portion, which gives eggs.” And when he did, of course, the hen died and there were no more eggs.

One verse in the Bhagavad-gita that is very popular among some people states, karmany evadhikaras te: “You are entitled to do your duty.” They think, “I can do my duty. I can go to work. I can make and spend money. I can take care of my family, live with my family, enjoy with my family and friends. That is a precious instruction.” But when they come to sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja—give up all varieties of religiousness and surrender to Krishna—that is a little troublesome, and they want to cut that part: “We don’t really need it. We’ll just keep the really valuable part: I can do my duty.”

In order to get the full benefit of the Bhagavad-gita, it is essential to accept it as it is. Devotees who have accepted it as it is and applied its principles in their lives have undergone extraordinary transformations. This knowledge can really help people. And any genuine person who gets something good will naturally want to share it with others. Anyone who has imbibed the nectar of the Bhagavad-gita, gotten the benefit of the Bhagavad-gita, will want to share the knowledge with others. It is natural. If you are eating a nice plate of prasada and taste something really good, it is natural to say, “You should try this; it’s really good.” Or, “You should try this with this; it’s a really good combination.” Anyone—any child—will do that. So when you actually experience the benefit of the Bhagavad-gita in your life, you will naturally want to share the knowledge with others so that they too can benefit and become happy.

Now, why did Krishna choose Arjuna to be the first student of the Bhagavad-gita? Arjuna was not a sannyasi; he was a married man. And he was not a brahman; he was a warrior. Why Arjuna? Krishna explains,

sa evayam maya te ’dya
  yogah proktah puratanah
bhakto ’si me sakha ceti
  rahasyam hy etad uttamam

“That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend and can therefore understand the transcendental mystery of this science.” (Gita 4.3) The main qualification for understanding the Gita is bhakto ’si me, to be Lord Krishna’s devotee. And later Krishna says that one should hear the Gita with faith and without envy (sraddhavan anasuyas ca srnuyad api yo narah). (Gita 18.71) This is a most important point: to get the true benefit of the Gita, one must be a devotee.

What does it mean to be a devotee? Sometimes the word devotee is used quite broadly. To begin, let us understand devotee in contrast to karmi, jnani, and yogi. These are all technical (as well as general) terms. A karmi engages in fruitive work. He works for personal gain: “I have worked and earned. Now I have the right to enjoy the fruit.” That is 90 percent of the world. People work, and they feel, “I have earned the money, so I have the right to spend it—on myself, on my family, on my community, on my country” (or whatever limited or extended concept of sense gratification they have). But the Gita says no. Karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana: “You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action.” (Gita 2.47) The fruits belong to Krishna.

If you invite a carpenter to your house and give him wood and nails and glue—everything he needs—and say, “I want you to build me a cabinet,” in the end, to whom does the cabinet belong—to the carpenter or to you? It belongs to the proprietor, not to the worker. The worker has assembled the ingredients supplied by the proprietor, but that doesn’t make him the owner.

This entire material creation, this entire cosmic manifestation—the elements are provided by Krishna. The earth we tread; the water we drink; the air we breathe; the fire, or electricity, we use—everything belongs to Him, and we cannot rightly claim any of it for ourselves. We may assemble the elements in different ways, but it all belongs to Him and is meant to be used for His purposes.

A karmi engages in work and wants to keep the fruits for himself. A karma-yogi engages in work but gives the fruits to Krishna. A man may grow a tree that produces fruit. A karmi will keep the fruit for himself, whereas a karma-yogi will give the fruit, or some of the fruit, to Krishna. The sakama-karma-yogi has selfish desires, but he still gives something to Krishna. If the tree produces a hundred mangoes, he may give one or two or ten or twenty to Krishna. And as he becomes purified, as he develops more faith and becomes more attached to Krishna, he will give more to Krishna. And eventually he may give all one hundred mangoes to Krishna, without any selfish desire (niskama-karma-yoga). But he will not be the loser. Krishna will give him His prasada, His mercy.

The jnanis and often the yogis are impersonalists; they believe that God is ultimately impersonal—nameless, formless, without qualities, without activities. They may even go so far as to think that Krishna’s form is material, that just as we have a physical body made of flesh and bones and blood, so does Krishna. And according to them, if Krishna is material, then His name, form, qualities, and activities are also all material. People may chant His name, but ultimately they have to go beyond that. People may worship His form, but they have to go beyond that. People may talk about His qualities and activities, but they have to go beyond that. Ultimately, according to them, we have to go beyond all these illusory forms and names and come to the all-pervading impersonal light and merge and become one with it. Then there is no you, no me, no Krishna—nothing. Just oneness.

In theory, that is also a possibility. But it is very rare to achieve that state, and very difficult. Lord Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-gita (12.2–7):

mayy avesya mano ye mam
  nitya-yukta upasate
sraddhaya parayopetas
  te me yuktatama matah

“Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect.

ye tv aksaram anirdesyam
  avyaktam paryupasate
sarvatra-gam acintyam ca
  kuta-stham acalam dhruvam

sanniyamyendriya-gramam
  sarvatra sama-buddhayah
te prapnuvanti mam eva
  sarva-bhuta-hite ratah

“But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable—the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth—by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me.

kleso ’dhikataras tesam
  avyaktasakta-cetasam
avyakta hi gatir duhkham
  dehavadbhir avapyate

“For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.

ye tu sarvani karmani
  mayi sannyasya mat-parah
ananyenaiva yogena
  mam dhyayanta upasate

tesam aham samuddharta
  mrtyu-samsara-sagarat
bhavami na cirat partha
  mayy avesita-cetasam

“But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Prtha—for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.”

Not only is the impersonal path difficult, but the result is also not very satisfying, because ultimately everyone wants happiness and love. The two most basic human needs are to love and be loved. We want friends, we want family, and we want community, and we are not happy without them. If you were a billionaire but could never see another living being, would you be happy? No. You would be so desperate for company, for relationship, that you would say, “I don’t want this wealth. I just want to be with people I love and who love me.” In a way, this was Arjuna’s thinking at the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita. He considered, “What is the use of winning a kingdom if in the course of the battle all my friends and family die? What’s the use? With whom will I enjoy my kingdom?” The thought of being without family and friends so overwhelmed Arjuna that he said to Krishna,

na hi prapasyami mamapanudyad
  yac chokam ucchosanam indriyanam
avapya bhumav asapatnam rddham
  rajyam suranam api cadhipatyam

“I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not be able to dispel it even if I win a prosperous, unrivaled kingdom on earth with sovereignty like that of the demigods in heaven.” (Gita 2.8)

There is much truth to what Arjuna said at the beginning of the Gita, but that truth is on a lower level. By the mercy of Lord Krishna, after hearing the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna was elevated to a higher, better understanding. He realized that perfect happiness and love were to be realized in relation to Krishna, and so Arjuna surrendered unto Him.

Krishna gave Arjuna the choice. Krishna did not force him, because true surrender, or true love, is voluntary. Krishna gave Arjuna the freedom to deliberate and then decide:

iti te jnanam akhyatam
  guhyad guhyataram maya
vimrsyaitad asesena
  yathecchasi tatha kuru

“Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more confidential. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.” (Gita 18.63) Yathecchasi tatha kuru—“You can do whatever you like.” We all have free will, given to us by God. But after hearing the Bhagavad–gita, Arjuna immediately responded, karisye vacanam tava: “I will do whatever You say.” That is the position of the surrendered devotee.

           arjuna uvaca
nasto mohah smrtir labdha
  tvat-prasadan mayacyuta
sthito ’smi gata-sandehah
  karisye vacanam tava

“Arjuna said: My dear Krsna, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.” (Gita 18.73)

Now we may be a little worried. We are back to that troublesome sloka, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.” And we may wonder, “What are the implications of karisye vacanam tava: ‘I am prepared to act according to Your instructions’? What if Krishna tells me to give up my wife, my children, my business, my home? Then what?” This is a problematic question, and some people may not want to pursue the course of surrender to Krishna, because they are afraid of the consequences.

But there is some leniency here, some considerateness. Lord Krishna gives us a gradual process to come to the stage of surrender, because surrender is based on faith. When we have faith in someone or something, we can surrender. And if we don’t have faith, we won’t surrender. In this present Age of Kali, faith is very rare. It is very difficult to come by genuine faith. The society is materialistic, and everyone is cultured in the idea that they are independent, free to think and do whatever they like, without restriction. In fact, they are envious. Material life means envy—first of Krishna. People think, “Why should I surrender to Him? I am also intelligent. I also know things. I can also speak and argue. Why should I surrender?” And people find fault with Krishna: “Why did He tell Arjuna to fight? Why did He cause so many people to die?” In particular, people who are envious find fault with Krishna. They can never understand the Bhagavad-gita. Therefore Lord Krishna says,

idam te natapaskaya
  nabhaktaya kadacana
na casusrusave vacyam
  na ca mam yo ’bhyasuyati

“This confidential knowledge may never be explained to those who are not austere, or devoted, or engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of Me.” (Gita 18.67) One must be a devotee, a bhakta. Only devotees are without envy.

Still, like a loving father, Krishna wants to bring all His sons and daughters to the highest perfection, even though He knows that it may take some time. A parent will want his child to grow to be strong and healthy and happy and intelligent and competent, and to take over the family’s business. A genuine, loving parent will want to give everything to the child, but the parent first wants to see that the child is responsible enough.

As I grew up, my father gave me a weekly allowance. My first allowance was five or ten cents. I was just a child, and he wasn’t sure how I would use the money. Eventually he raised my allowance to twenty-five cents. And I felt so proud: “My father really trusts me.” Twenty-five cents was quite a good amount for me then.

So, parents want to give to their children, but they also want to see that their children are responsible enough to take care of what they give them. In a similar way, Krishna wants to give us everything—even Himself—but He wants to see that we are qualified.

Another analogy is a teacher in a classroom. The study of math begins with one plus one equals two. There is much more, but the students proceed step by step: addition, then subtraction, then multiplication, then division—so many processes they have to learn.

In the Bhagavad-gita, the first instruction is that you are not the body but the soul within the body. Aham brahmasmi. That is the beginning, and if we understand even one line of the Bhagavad-gita, from the very beginning, our lives will change.

dehino ’smin yatha dehe
  kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
  dhiras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.” (Gita 2.13) If we just understand that we are not the body but are the atma, the jivatma, within the body, that alone is enough to change our whole life. We will no longer act on the basis of the body, for sense gratification, but on the basis of the soul, for self-realization. In today’s materialistic society one’s whole endeavor is to get things for the body—my body, my wife’s body, my children’s bodies, my parents’ bodies—to make the body comfortable. But the body is just like a dress for the soul. Now, which is more important—the clothes or the person inside the clothes? The person, of course. The body itself is just a dress, which changes. The real person is the soul, who exists always.

vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
  navani grhnati naro ’parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
  anyani samyati navani dehi

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Gita 2.22)

If we understand just this one point, from the very beginning of the Bhagavad-gita, our entire life will change. We will work for the benefit of the soul, which is our actual self and is part and parcel of the Supreme Self, God, Krishna, knowing that our real relationship is with Him, not with the body. And then, gradually, step by step, we will come to the conclusion of the Bhagavad-gita:

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
  mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te
  pratijane priyo ’si me

“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me, and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.” (Gita 18.65)

sarva-dharman parityajya
  mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
  moksayisyami ma sucah

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” (Gita 18.66)

Man-mana—always think of Krishna. If you do that, you will naturally become a devotee of Krishna (mad-bhakto). You will worship Him (mad-yaji) and offer obeisance unto Him (mam namaskuru). It is so simple.

The critical point is man-mana, to always think of Krishna. And how can we always think of Him? In the ninth chapter of the Gita Krishna says,

satatam kirtayanto mam
  yatantas ca drdha-vratah
namasyantas ca mam bhaktya
  nitya-yukta upasate

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Gita 9.14) Satatam kirtayanto mam—if we always (satatam) engage in glorifying Krishna, chanting His holy name (kirtana), we will always think of Him.

We are Hare Krishna devotees, and we are speaking about the Bhagavad-gita. What is the connection? The chanting of Hare Krishna is the real way to follow the instructions of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita. Sri Krishna Chaitanya, the incarnation of Krishna for the present Age of Kali, who inaugurated the Hare Krishna movement five hundred years ago, taught, kirtaniyah sada harih: “Always chant the holy name of Hari [Krishna].” And in the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krishna gives the same instruction: satatam kirtayanto mam—always engage in kirtan, chanting the holy name of Krishna. So, the chanting of Hare Krishna is really the fulfillment of Lord Krishna’s ultimate instruction in the Bhagavad-gita: man-mana—always think of Krishna. And chanting is the best—and easiest—way to think of Him.

Of course, we think of Krishna when we hear about Him from the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, but for that we need a book or a reader. We think of Krishna when we see His deity form, His murti, but for that we need a temple, a mandir, with a murti. There are so many ways of thinking of Krishna, but the beauty of chanting, either kirtan or japa, is that we need only our tongue and ears. In the Bhagavad-gita (10.25) Lord Krishna recommends, yajnanam japa-yajno ’smi: “Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [japa].” This, anyone can do. Young or old, black or white, man or woman, educated or uneducated—anyone and everyone can chant Hare Krishna and fulfill Krishna’s instruction in the Bhagavad-gita.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, the authorized biography of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, relates an instructive story. While touring South India, Sri Chaitanya came to the holy place of Sri Ranga-kshetra, where, in front of the temple, He saw a brahman holding the Bhagavad-gita and crying, surrounded by people who were laughing and criticizing him. Sri Chaitanya asked him, “Why are these people laughing?” And the brahman replied, “I am holding the Bhagavad-gita, but I am more or less illiterate. I don’t know how to pronounce the words properly, and I do not know what they mean. But my guru ordered me to read the Gita, and so I read all eighteen chapters every day.” Chaitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, “Why are you crying?” And the brahman replied, “When I hold the Bhagavad-gita, I see before me Krishna and Arjuna on the chariot. Krishna is acting as Arjuna’s chariot driver. Taking the reins in His hands, He appears very beautiful. While seeing Lord Krishna instructing Arjuna, I weep in ecstatic happiness.” Then Lord Chaitanya told the brahman, “You are the true authority in the reading of the Bhagavad-gita. You know the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita.” And He embraced him.

Proud people may think, “Oh, these Hare Krishna people can’t understand much. They don’t know Sanskrit. They don’t have the samskaras. Let them chant. It is good.” But actually, by chanting the holy name of Krishna, one awakens one’s love for Him, which is the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita. By chanting, one fulfills the Lord’s instructions in the Bhagavad-gita to always think of Him and sing His glories. Although some who chant may not be very learned or knowledgeable in a certain sense, if they are genuine devotees of Krishna, they are fulfilling the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita.

aho bata sva-paco ’to gariyan
  yaj-jihvagre vartate nama tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuh sasnur arya
  brahmanucur nama grnanti ye te

“Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Aryans. To be chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed at holy places of pilgrimage, studied the Vedas, and fulfilled everything required.” (SB 3.33.7)

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness not only presents the knowledge of the Bhagavad-gita but also gives the practical means by which one can fulfill its purport—to become a devotee of Krishna, to always think of Him, to worship Him, to offer homage to Him, and to preach His message. After personally surrendering to Krishna (sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja), one can go further and teach this knowledge. This is Lord Krishna’s last instruction:

ya idam paramam guhyam
  mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati
bhaktim mayi param krtva
  mam evaisyaty asamsayah

“For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.

na ca tasman manusyesu
  kascin me priya-krttamah
bhavita na ca me tasmad
  anyah priyataro bhuvi

“There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.” (Gita 18.68–69) The real conclusion of the Bhagavad-gita, built upon one’s full surrender to Krishna, is to spread this message and thus become most dear to Krishna.

This is the opportunity we all have. On Gita Jayanti we think of Krishna, recite the Gita, and perform the yajna, but the real essence of the celebration is to bring more people to Krishna, to the wisdom of the Gita. As devotees, we want to bring others to Krishna, and when we do, Krishna is even more pleased. And that is what Gita Jayanti is really meant to do: to please Krishna, to bring the Bhagavad-gita to more people and bring more people to Krishna—and make us dear to Krishna.

It is a wonderful, wonderful opportunity. I have been chanting Hare Krishna and reading the Bhagavad-gita for forty years, and it is ever-fresh. Once, Srila Prabhupada told a New York Times interviewer, “Every day your employer is printing so many newspapers. On Sunday especially the paper is so big that one can hardly carry it. But after reading it for an hour, people throw it away. Here is this book—the Bhagavad-gita—and people keep it and read it for a lifetime, and in this way it has been read for the past five thousand years. Give people such literature that will be taken and kept forever.” And the reporter laughed—and agreed.

I am very grateful to all of you for having come this evening, after what was probably a long, hard day at work, braving the rush-hour traffic. I am grateful that you came and spared your valuable time. And I look forward to working together with all of you on this wonderful project, which will be so beneficial to so many people. Srila Prabhupada’s guru instructed him to preach the message of the Bhagavad-gita in English all over the world, telling him, “This will do much good for you as well as your audience.” So, it is win-win-win: it will be beneficial for you, it will be beneficial for the people in general, and ultimately Krishna will be pleased. And that is our goal—that is what bhakti means—to please Krishna. When Krishna is pleased, our life is successful and we are naturally satisfied and pleased.

So, we thank you very much.

Hare Krishna.

[An address by Giriraj Swami to leaders of Hindu organizations, October 23, 2009, Houston]

It was 5000 years ago that Lord Krishna revealed the most confidential and topmost knowledge of devotional service unto Him in the form of the Bhagavad-gita to His dearmost devotee Arjuna, and to humanity at large in order to let everyone realize that the ultimate goal of life is to surrender unto the Lord’s lotus feet. 

Consciousness has been the most elusive object in all scientific explorations of reality. With gradual advances in modern science, it is increasingly receiving the singular focus simply because all our perception of reality is rooted in it. 

The goal for this year's Live to Give campaign, also known as the Prabhupada Marathon, is to distribute 2.2 million copies of Bhagavad Gita globally, from September 21st to January 7th. 

AN INSTITUTION WITH SOCIAL CONSCIENCE

We have been reaching out to the poor and needy in West Bengal since 2013 to make sure that they don’t go to sleep on an empty stomach. We feed half a million people annually, completely free of cost. A wholesome meal comprised of Dal (bean soup), Chawal (rice) and Sabzi (seasonal vegetables) served up to their hearts’ content fills them with a sense of both gratitude and fulfilment.

A state-of-the-art kitchen facility boasting all modern kitchen amenities such as automated dishwashers, captive boiler plant, vegetable cutting machines, cold storage facility to preserve raw materials for longer periods, and a grand dining hall that can accommodate 330+ people at a time, makes us a high-quality, hygienic facility in the region of West Bengal.

On average we serve about 1350 meals every day in four distribution sessions regardless of caste, creed, race, gender or belief, as well as evening snacks to all the visitors. To make it a well-managed regimen, free coupons are distributed in the morning and meals are served in the afternoon. For the snack distribution, we keep a simple approach of first-come, first-served, and attempt to ensure that everyone standing in the queue receives the snacks. The state of art facility is extremely spacious, and the food is prepared to the highest health standards.

During the pandemic period we are also reaching out to many COVID patients and their families and serve them highly nutritious food to ensure that food related anxieties don’t contribute to higher mortality rates and more infection.

To date, since 2013, we have served over 4 million meals in this region, and we want to expand and feed many more!

PARTNER WITH US

We seek assistance of institutions who have welfare at their heart as priority and who have the financial wherewithal to help us. Such partner institutions are stakeholders with us, and they are our partners in this noble cause. As the famous social scientist Maslow states, we need to first ensure that people are not hungry, only then can we hope that they will pay attention to higher aspects of human life.

DONATE

Our Food distribution program is highly appreciated by local people and tourists. Please join us to ensure that no one should ever go hungry. Please contribute by your voluntary services or money contribution. Thank you!

Click HERE for more information.

 

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This is the anniversary commemorating the day that Srimad Bhagavad Gita was spoken by Lord Sri Krishna to His dear-most devotee Arjuna.

It was spoken at the place now known as Jyotisar Tirtha amid the waring families of the Kurus and the Pandavas at Kurukshetra. If one wishes one can still go and visit that place and see the monument erected there with Krishna as Parthasarati (the chariot driver) and Arjuna the warrior on their chariot.

It is claimed by the ashram, which maintains the shrine, that the tree next to Them is a continuum growth of the original tree witness that was there at the actual day of speaking.

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