Sri Locana Dasa Thakur – Disappearance 14th Jan 2021
→ Mayapur.com

“I am the servant of Thakura Shri Narahari, who is the master of my life. The desire of all my desires, I place my head at his lotus feet; which is that this vile creature (myself) might describe some-thing about the wonderful qualities of Shri Gaurasundara. In this expectation, he is my only refuge. [Chaitanya-mangala, […]

The post Sri Locana Dasa Thakur – Disappearance 14th Jan 2021 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Public Accounts Committee of Indian Parliament Visits ISKCON Mayapur
→ Mayapur.com

Hare Krishna, We are happy to inform you of the first ever visit of the Public Accounts Committee of the Indian Parliament to Sridham Mayapur on January 10. The Public Accounts Committee is the oldest among all committees and is considered the most influential since they are tasked with auditing the public spending of the […]

The post Public Accounts Committee of Indian Parliament Visits ISKCON Mayapur appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Srila Jiva Gosvami’s Disappearance (video)
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaBy Gour Govinda Swami

“A Vaisnava does not take birth under the jurisdiction of karmic law. His birth and disappearance are transcendental. The wise have declared that the servants of Visnu are eternally engaged in the liberated service of the Lord and hence are free from the laws of material nature.” (Padma Purana, quoted in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa, 10.113) Srila Jiva Gosvami was the youngest but most prolific writer among the Gosvamis. He wrote an astounding half million Sanskrit verses (about 25 books). When Srila Jiva Gosvami left this world many said that no one like him would ever appear on the planet again. Continue reading "Srila Jiva Gosvami’s Disappearance (video)
→ Dandavats"

Profit, Adoration, Distinction (video)
→ Dandavats



O unlimited Supreme Personality of Godhead, whatever a living entity does in this material world is well known to You because You are the Supersoul. In the presence of the sun there is nothing to be revealed by the light of a glowworm. Similarly, because You know everything, in Your presence there is nothing for me to make known.

Read More...

(This post has been viewed 431 times so far)

Locana Das Thakur Appearance
→ Ramai Swami

Shri Lochana Dasa Thakura was a disciple of Shri Narahari Sarakara Thakura, a dearest associate of Lord Gaura Raya.
 
 “My hope of hopes is to be near the lotus feet of Shri Narottama Dasa Thakura and serve him with my very life. The cherished desire of the fallen Lochana Dasa is to be allowed, by Narahari’s grace, to sing the glories of Lord Gauranga. My Lord is Shri Narahari Thakura, I am His servant. Bowing before him I beg for his service. This is my only aspiration.” (Lochana Dasa, Chaitanya Mangala)

 Lochana Dasa Thakura wrote Chaitanya Mangala which tells many pastimes of Lord Chaitanya not revealed by Vrindavana Dasa Thakura or Krishna Dasa Kaviraja. He mentions an especially touching conversation Shri Gaurasundara had with Vishnupriya Devi the night before He took sannyasa.

Being a talented musician, Lochana Dasa told Mahaprabhu’s pastimes in beautiful poetry filled with fire and rhythm. Common people could easily understand the divine character of Shri Chaitanya and awaken their religious feelings. As Devotees regularly chant the Vedic epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, Gaudiya Vaishnava’s still wander through Bengal reciting the Chaitanya Mangala.

 Lochana Dasa Thakura also wrote many songs praising Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Shri Nityananda Prabhu, and Gauridasa Pandit. Lochana Dasa stresses that raganuga bhaktas must take shelter of Gadadhara Vrindavanishvari to attain Radha-Govinda prema bhakti.

Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura used to print and distribute Lochana Dasa Thakura’s Shri Chaitanya Mangala. Shrila Prabhupada was very fond of his bhajans. While singing Parama Karuna Shrila Prabhupada would plunge into the ocean of Gauranga prema.

Prabhupada wrote an extensive commentary on this bhajana: Bhajo bhajo bhai, Caitanya Nitai, sudrdha visvasa kori … “Lochana Dasa asks everyone, ‘My dear brother, just worship Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda with firm faith and conviction.’ Don’t think that this chanting and dancing will not lead to the desired goal; it will. It is the assurance of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that one will get all perfection by this process. Therefore, one must chant with firm faith and conviction.” 

Monday, January 11, 2021
→ The Walking Monk

Rosedale and Cherry Beach

 

Death and the Body

 

I received a call from a young chap, who is actually a dad with two children, saying that his father passed away. The call was specifically for me as I had known his dad, Brahma Svarup, since the early days when I became a recruit, a novice in Krishna Consciousness back in ‘73.

 

Brahma Svarup was a relatively new immigrant to Canada. He is from Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna. That was an astonishing honor for those of us who were introduced to him. That location is very sacred. He was one of the few persons from India participating with us in our humble abode at 187 Gerrard St. in Toronto during those days.

 

After we move to a larger facility — the former church on Avenue Road — he donated our walk-in cooler at $10,000, which would be at least double the investment at today’s standard. It was around this time that his young son, the one who called me, fell off his bike, which became a serious accident when his head split open and he almost passed away. The doctors were shocked that he survived. Of course, his father, Brahma Svarup, considered it Krishna’s miracle.

 

We are sad to hear of Brahma Svarup’s passing and we are making those last rites arrangements. Bless his soul.

 

Yes, the body will go. I’m reminded of my own situation. Age is creeping in. Today I went for x-ray and ultrasound testing on my knees and ankles. Reporting will get back to me in two days.

 

Also, in regard to bodily concerns, my dear friend Vishal Sharma, whom I consider a free spirit, took me to Cherry Beach for a walk. He just recovered from recent surgery after having a troubled growth in his leg since a child. He’s glowing now.

 

May the source be with you!

7 km


 

 

Sunday, January 10, 2021
→ The Walking Monk

Rosedale, Toronto

 

Let’s Get Around

 

There is definitely a walking craze going on, with people feeling confined to their living quarters. The weather is so conducive at just around the average freezing mark these days.

 

Graham and I participated in the craze and ended up gazing at front lawns, shrubs and trees. He is particularly interested in it as a hobby at his country home near Picton, Ontario. He identified the cedar globes, spruce, Colorado spruce, Norwegian pine; a host of God-made plant-life that could bring to light a world of scent, texture, beauty and grace.

 

Graham went on to say that “in the summer it’s all about flowers, but in the winter the eyes can be bedazzled by the landscape.” What a fantastic observation. I told him of how George Harrison was quite the gardener. There is also a great book on gardening, “Chaitanya Charitamrta,” which speaks figuratively about the tree of the fruit of prema, ultimate love for the Absolute. In this book we read of how the monk, Chaitanya, reaps the harvest of this fruit of different kinds.

 

Anyway, street after street Graham was naming the diversity of bush. To me it gave a deeper dimensional appreciation of the green that is so well tended to by homeowners in the area. On his own acreage, in the extensive backyard, there is ample red cedar for the homes winter warmth.

 

I do believe that walkers have a better chance at noticing good shrubs and trees than do fast-moving motorist. Please get out and have a hard look at jutting out hairs that spring from the earth.

 

May the source be with you!

4 km


 

 

Saturday, January 9, 2021
→ The Walking Monk

Ramsden Park, Toronto

Classes not in Masses

Congratulations to two blossoming Bhaktins in Montreal, who accepted diksha (initiation) via Zoom. Both Russian-speaking devotees have been active in the community for some time now and I’m happy to see them step-up to the occasion. Both ladies accepted new names. Zoya’s is now “Yamuna Priya” and Natalia accepted the name “Ganga Priya.” The initiation was executed from afar. Ganga was in Montreal’s temple, while Yamuna was in her apartment. Their friend, Dimitry, was the translator, at his Montreal home, while I was on my seat in Toronto. I joked that I gave names of sacred rivers in India, “They are almost as pure as the St. Lawrence.”

 

This amazing day of sun drew many people to the park across the street from my residence. Ramsden Park was teaming with energy. People want out of their homes. They want sunshine, air and to see each other. They took advantage of every ray of sunshine.

 

The same sun shone over Niagara. From a different seat in the same room in Toronto I gave a class on the theme, “Less Covid, more Govind.” More attention should go to confidence as opposed to fear. The media must offer hope and a positive outlook.

 

A third class for today, also on Zoom, was for an Oakville group. We are studying the nature of whimsy, termed in the Gita as “demoniac.” Directionless living is a common trend. Need I speak again about the sampling of the mob scene in DC this week? It is maddening.

 

My Final meeting for the day was another visit to Ramsden park, this time to meet a homeless devotee who now has an apartment. The only thing is he didn’t show up. Perhaps he had forgotten the appointment he wished to lineup? Another occasion will arise. At this time of year I’m usually in Trinidad or Guyana, engaged in chanting or swimming at the beach.

 

May the source be with you!

3 km


 

Friday, January 8, 2021
→ The Walking Monk

243 Avenue Road, Toronto

A Day

I just wasn’t bold at all in terms of walking. I merely went around the block at 4 a.m., before the first rite of the day — mangal arati. The rest of my day of devotion entailed calls and meetings — all very meaningful. It included discussions about our mission in Cuba, where I’ve been involved for 12 years. The pandemic has not been easy on that country, like many. Our devotees are not able to gather together and Zoom is somewhat difficult to utilize due to lack of internet access.

 

I did enjoy the call with two other swamis, Guru Prasad Swami, from Texas, and Yadunandan Swami, from Spain. Spain is aslo having it tough with Covid; multiple deaths occurring each day. And we all know that the US is challenged big time, not only with the virus but also political upheaval in Washington DC. Here, in the province of Ontario, officials are talking about a possible curfew at certain hours.

 

If that be the case then I’ll switch timing and get my slow trotting in during sanctioned hours. Anyway — curfew — never would believe that such an imposition could be possible in a peaceful place like Canada. I’m glad I was able to catch a glimpse of the lake yesterday. I might not be able to get there in a while.

 

It was beautiful — clear, calm, tempting and almost irresistible. A polar bear dip perhaps? I always liked lake water. I grew up with massive lakes in every direction around me. In any event, as a monk one must resist the irresistible and accept the many items that come to me. Resist that which you can’t change but change that which you can. Work on yourself. Time will allow but don’t wait too long.

 

May the source be with you!

0 km

 

Please view our new film, Rolling the Dice:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF3legHdMgI

 


 

Makar Sankranti / Ganga Sagar – Auspiciousness in Abundance
→ Mayapur.com

Charity given out of duty, without expectation of return, at the proper time and place, and to a worthy person, is in the mode of goodness. (Bhagavad Gita 17:20) Those who give such charity without the slightest inclination for any reciprocal return are those situated in sattva guna the mode of goodness. Such aspirants will […]

The post Makar Sankranti / Ganga Sagar – Auspiciousness in Abundance appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Temple Youth qualify as co-principals at Avanti Schools Trust
→ Dandavats

By Radha Damodara dasa

From its inception, Avanti’s ethos has been inspired by the Vaisnava teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, creating a 21st century ecosystem that sustains the highest quality of education possible, integrated with unique, holistic and spiritual practices to support the innermost needs of every child. Continue reading "Temple Youth qualify as co-principals at Avanti Schools Trust
→ Dandavats"

TOVP Chairman 2020 Review and 2021 Message
→ Dandavats

By Ambarisa Das

2021 celebrates the 125th Appearance Anniversary of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our eternal master and savior. As mentioned above, in October we will be installing the new, worshiping-pose murti of Srila Prabhupada in the TOVP. His presence as our watchful guide will inspire our continued endeavors to open the new home of our beloved Mayapur Deities and the most important preaching project in ISKCON in 2023. We have planned an incredible abhisheka ceremony for this purpose and set a goal for a $1 million Guru Dakshina from sponsors of the abhishekas. Continue reading "TOVP Chairman 2020 Review and 2021 Message
→ Dandavats"

Thursday, January 7, 2021
→ The Walking Monk

Cherry Beach, Toronto

 

To Hear or Not to Hear

 

I called my sister, Rose Ann, whose husband passed away from cancer. “Jim was a fine man,” I told her, “therefore he is fine,” implying that his destination was a good one according to the laws of karma. I was impressed with the way my sister was listening. Words of comfort and assurance are what she really needed to hear.

 

Another sister, Pauline, had joined in on the call over speakerphone, as she had come to visit and spend some time with Rose Ann to console her. She was keen to listen, as well, to a message from her swami brother, of being aware of the greater dimension in life — God. I said it plainly. “God! Because family and friends will all be gone leaving us only with the Great Overseer. What is there without this great vision in life?”

 

They seemed pacified. I am also calmed to be able to contribute to someone I care for. In that regard I received an email message from a person who questioned my motive in visiting a criminal in prison, who was guilty of murdering his brother. He asked me why I don’t do something for a victim, himself.

 

My response to him is that in the role in society is to display empathy to as many as possible. “I will be glad to be your friend, as a listener, and to the difficulty you go through.” It is not my intention to rule out anyone unless they are just nonsense.

 

Just before taking that gorgeous walk with Billy, on his birthday, I received a call from a prankster who wanted some personal information. To such an individual I give no audience. I am curt. “Shame on you! You coward!” Some folks are simply not aware of karma. They deserve no empathy. I hung up.

 

May the source be with you!

3 km


 

Wednesday, January 6, 2021
→ The Walking Monk

Bloor St., Toronto

 

The World Is Looking

 

The whole world is looking, once again, at US internal strife. This time a group of protesters stormed the capital building in Washington DC. It was a mob scene and it was ugly. It was described to me when I was on the phone with a friend from Vancouver, during the time that I was polishing brass in our temple. My immediate response, as I listened, was that it is shameless behavior on the part of the former US president simply being a poor sport.

 

I later took to seeing some visual coverage of the rioting myself on my phone. The worst of this disaster is what some spokesmen say is “a sad moment in America’s history” while protesters go off saying there was no violence and that they are proud of their aggressive march. Lo and behold, people were hurt.

 

Up here in Canada we are very concerned. We love America but there has been a sick person in charge. Let us pray that things settle down and that the new President, Biden, can rule peacefully and with integrity.

 

As usual I took an evening walk, this time on Bloor Street, ambling along passing by Christmas trees laid out in front lawns for garbage pick up. That’s something I also don’t feel very good about — the killing of thousands of trees for what’s become a major commercial event.

 

Anyway, I made it to Bloor at a time when it’s supremely quiet; where shoppers are usually all around during pre-Covid times. I was walking and the mantra was moving through the street lights. We need more mantras and less insanity.

 

May the source be with you!

4 km


 

TOVP Chairman Ambarisa Das 2020 Review and 2021 Message
- TOVP.org

Dear TOVP Supporters,

Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Hare Krishna!

The year 2020 has been one of the most unusual and difficult years in the history of modern civilization worldwide. No doubt, karma is taking its toll and we are seeing this firsthand. Unfortunately, there have also been setbacks to the sankirtan movement and the spreading of Krishna consciousness. And we also cannot bear the loss of one of our great sankirtan commanders, His Holiness Bhakti Charu Maharaja.

The TOVP also suffered great losses both in income from regular donations, as well as over eight months of a complete construction standstill. As a result, we had to reschedule the Grand Opening to 2023 and postpone the installation of the new Prabhupada murti to October, 2021. We pray there will no further delays, and leave everything in the hands of Lord Sri Krishna.

2021 celebrates the 125th Appearance Anniversary of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our eternal master and savior. As mentioned above, in October we will be installing the new, worshiping-pose murti of Srila Prabhupada in the TOVP. His presence as our watchful guide will inspire our continued endeavors to open the new home of our beloved Mayapur Deities and the most important preaching project in ISKCON in 2023. We have planned an incredible abhisheka ceremony for this purpose and set a goal for a $1 million Guru Dakshina from sponsors of the abhishekas.

Also of significance will be the offering of the one-of-a-kind TOVP Book of Devotion to Srila Prabhupada at his installation ceremony. This magnificent publication is being produced by the makers of the world’s largest Bhagavad Gita at ISKCON New Delhi, and contains the names of over 6,000 donors who have completed their pledges by Gaura Purnima, March 28. The deadline was officially extended recently.

While construction is not at the same pace as before, we are gradually getting back on track since resuming work in September, 2020. We encourage one and all to try and make your pledge payments this year, or give again according to your means. And I want to thank those of you who have continued to make their pledge payments and give donations through these challenging times. You can’t imagine how much this has helped us. This kind of sacrifice is most pleasing to the Lord.

Once again, I want to thank all our supporters ranging from ISKCON leadership to congregational members who have encouraged and inspired us in so many ways to continue over the last ten years. It’s been an ecstatic journey together as we work to make this combined offering to Srila Prabhupada. And the culmination in 2023 will be a most historic event, for ISKCON as well as humanity in general. The sankirtan movement will expand by leaps and bounds from that point forward and flood the world with Krishna prema. Hare Krishna!

Your humble servant,
Ambarisa das

Public Accounts Committee of Indian Parliament Visits Sridham Mayapur
- TOVP.org

Hare Krishna,

We are happy to inform you of the first ever visit of the Public Accounts Committee of the Indian Parliament to Sridham Mayapur on January 10.

The Public Accounts Committee is the oldest among all committees and is considered the most influential since they are tasked with auditing the public spending of the Government of India.

The multi-party delegation of nearly 60 people comprising Members of Parliament included Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdary (Leadership of Opposition), Shri Jagadambika Pal (Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh), Shri Satya Pal Singh (Former Deputy HRD Minister), Shri Ram Kripal Yadav (Former Deputy HRD Minister) along with other MPs, officials from various central government ministries, Lok Sabha officials and Comptroller & Auditor General.

The delegates were received by Dayaram Prabhu, Subheksana Prabhu, Madhava Gauranga Prabhu and the undersigned. They offered flowers to Srila Prabhupada and received the darshan of Their Lordships in the temple hall before proceeding to the TOVP for a tour lead by Vraja Vilas Prabhu. They were very impressed by the concept and sheer size of the project and appreciated the efforts of Ambarish Prabhu and his team.

The delegates also visited the Gurukul which they seemed to like a lot and spent close to an hour there touring the facility and meeting the students.

In the words of one of the delegates “this place is truly out of this world and I can’t believe that I hadn’t come here till now”. Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdary highly praised Srila Prabhupada and stated, “Now, the organization is going to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of that great personality, Srila Prabhupada, who was born in this world only to propagate love and devotion.”

To appreciate and express their gratitude to Srila Prabhupada they have agreed to give a proposal to the Indian Government to make coins in the name of Prabhupada on the occasion of his 125th Appearance Anniversary falling this year, 2021.

We are grateful to Madhava Guaranga Prabhu and his team for the wonderful arrangements, and to Vraja Vilas Prabhu for all the help with the TOVP.

Your servant,
Yudhistir Govinda Das
India ISKCON Communications Director

 

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
Instagram: https://m.tovp.org/tovpinstagram
Telegram Group Chat: https://t.me/joinchat/UJXwbO81scT6gwID
App: https://m.tovp.org/app
News & Texts: https://m.tovp.org/newstexts
RSS News Feed: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Store: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/

Good news from Iskcon Alachua – Weekly Temple Newsletter
→ Dandavats

Hare Krishna! In this week's temple newsletter, Akuti Devi Dasi writes about progress at the Eco Teaching Farm. We share documents listing the Pfizer vaccine ingredients, how it works, the latest guidelines to keep our families safe, and remind devotees not to linger on temple property outside of arati times, unless they are doing specific service. We thank those who helped paint the temple room ceiling last Saturday, as well as the many devotees who have contributed towards new ceiling fans and light fixtures. Read More...
(This post has been viewed 341 times so far)

HG Sesa Das about the COVID-19 Vaccination
→ Dandavats

Bioethicists often refer to the four basic principles of health care ethics when evaluating the merits and difficulties of medical procedures. Ideally, for a medical practice to be considered “ethical”, it must respect all four of these principles: autonomy, justice, beneficence, and non-maleficence. (Beauchamp and Childress, The Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 1979)

Read More...

(This post has been viewed 338 times so far)

Public Accounts Committee of Indian Parliament Visits Sridhama Mayapur (4 min. video)
→ Dandavats



We are happy to inform you of the first ever visit of the Public Accounts Committee of the Indian Parliament to Sridham Mayapur on January 10. The Public Accounts Committee is the oldest among all committees and is considered the most influential since they are tasked with auditing the public spending of the Government of India

Read More...

(This post has been viewed 338 times so far)

Temple of the Vedic Planetarium Cosmic Chandelier (6 min. video)
→ Dandavats



The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, currently under construction in Mayapur, West Bengal, India by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), will be the world’s first Vedic Temple/Planetarium combination and the largest modern temple in India. The mobile cosmic chandelier, depicted in the computer model you are about to see, will hang from the ceiling of the main dome about 200’ down. It will exhibit the authentic Vedic conception of the universe according to the ancient and sacred writings of India’s Vedas.

Read More...

(This post has been viewed 337 times so far)

I’ll Build You a Temple: The Juhu Story
→ Dandavats

By Nanda Kishor das

In August 1965, a few weeks before Srila Prabhupada left for America, on his way to see Srimati Sumati Morarji, the shipping magnate who secured him passage to the US, he passed a neglected four-acre plot of land near her residence on Juhu Beach, outside Bombay, and thought it would be a nice location for a Radha-Krishna temple. Continue reading "I’ll Build You a Temple: The Juhu Story
→ Dandavats"

Mahesh Pandit Disappearance
→ Ramai Swami

Srila Prabhupada writes, “The village of Mahesa Pandita, which is known as Palapada, is situated in the district of Nadia within a forest about one mile south of the Cakadaha railway station.”

Mahesa Pandita used to dance in the ecstasy of krsna-prema just like a madman. In the Gaura-ganodesa-dipika it is written that in vraja-lila he was the cowherd boy named Sriman Mahabahu.

He was an especially close friend of Nityananda Prabhu, and was present at the festival of yogurt and chipped rice in Panihati that was held by Nityananda Prabhu. His birthplaced was in what is now called Cakadaha.

The eight wave of the Bhakti-ratnakara observes that when Sri Narottama dasa Thakura visited Khadadaha he visited Sri Mahesa Pandita and took darsana of his lotus feet. There the Bhakti-ratnakara points out that Mahesa Pandita was an extremely exalted soul, a great mahanta.

In Caitanya-Bhagavata, Vrndavana dasa Thakura also refers to him as a great mahanta, and says that Mahesa Pandita was especially dear to Nityananda Prabhu. Mahesa Pandita passed away on the 13th day of the dark moon in the month Pausa, which corresponds to December-January.

Forgetfulness & Remembrance
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 23 August 2019, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Janmashtami Lecture)

It is said that the spiritual world is the tripad vibhuti (three-quarters of the manifestation) and the material world is ekepad vibhuti (one-quarter of the manifestation). And it is said that only one-tenth of the living entities are living in the material world whereas nine-tenths are in the spiritual world. So there are many more devotees who are eternally engaged in loving exchanges with Krsna. In the spiritual world, Krsna is playing His flute and causing the peacocks to dance as a result. The peacock offers Krsna a peacock feather, which is the most valuable thing he has, and that is why Krsna always wears a peacock feather. So all of this is going on in the spiritual world.

But we are here in the material world in separation from Krsna. We have developed desires to be separated from Him and that is difficult, because Krsna is actually everywhere and everything is Krsna. All the energies that exist are Krsna, so really how can we be separated from Him? It is simply not possible to be separated from Krsna. The item we are sitting on right now is Krsna, we are breathing Krsna, everything is Krsna. Even the fasting from prasadam we do is Krsna! (laughing) So there is not even a moment that we can be separated from Krsna. Therefore, Krsna says, sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham (Bhagavad-gita 15.15). He is saying that He is seated in everyone’s heart and from Him comes remembrance and from Him comes forgetfulness also. So Krsna arranges this forgetfulness of Him also.

When Srila Prabhupada was asked why he came to America, he said that it was to teach us what we have forgotten. This consciousness of ours is covered by the illusory energy, which is also Krsna’s energy and therefore now we are in a state where we do not know Krsna. We only know maya! What to do? And Krsna is atmarama, what does He need? Nothing! The atmaramas are self-satisfied and all the atmaramas are attracted to Krsna. But Krsna is the original self-satisfied person! He is fully self-satisfied, yet He is lacking something. What is it? The living entities which remain in the material world. Krsna is thinking, “How can I carry on with My pastimes without those living entities? Of course, I cannot stop my eternal pastimes. That is not possible and I will never do that. These eternal ecstasies are continuing but how can I do it without them?” So Krsna decides that He will appear so that we can get a taste. He gave us this incredible taste by performing His extraordinary pastimes!

The article " Forgetfulness & Remembrance " was published on KKSBlog.

Colbert Asks Celebrities “What Happens After We Die?” (7 min. video)
→ Dandavats



Colbert poses that question to the best, brightest, and most beloved stars on the planet, (George Clooney, Tom Hanks, & Meryl Streep), who really don't know, and proceed to just joke or speculate about it. Then, in a separate clip, Srila Prabhupada weighs in with some authoritative answers.

Read More...

(This post has been viewed 1154 times so far)