It always pays off. This walking I do, to a nearby park, in any direction, almost each day, gets attention by some individual and leads to a spontaneously established friendship.
Today I made my way southbound to Queen’s Park to meet a newly made compadre, Saurav, where we would be going over a discussion on chapter 1 of The Gita. He tells me he has accepted me as his teacher and also admitted it’s hard for him to spark an interest in spiritual talk with his buddies. With me it’s 90% all about that.
Our reading over the verses of chapter 1 went well. It is one of the more compelling segments of the Gita. In our reading of the 40 plus verses I suggested he go at it a little more dramatically. I thought it suited his nature. After all, he is a very expressive type of person.
“Saurav, A little more oomph!” I am implied.
We were nearing the end of our verse recitation and discussion when a young Asian woman approached us. We were sitting on a park bench facing in the direction of an impressive statue of King Edward VII on a horse. She identified herself as Audrey and asked if she could join us. Naturally our answer was “Yes.” She pulled out of her bag a book authored by David Hawkins called, “Letting Go” and she admitted it’s helping her overcome some challenges in life.
The term “letting go” is perfect for describing the essential message behind The Gita, so we discussed that with Audrey, who’s such a pleasant person. We were a buzzed-up trio from here on until departing time. It was very fulfilling for all of us.
“Due to the king’s having no enemy, the living beings were not at any time disturbed by mental agonies, diseases, or excessive heat or cold.”
Srila Prabhupada explained, “In Maharaja Yudhisthira’s time, the government was responsible to keep people peaceful, without any anxiety. That is government—without any anxiety. And now the government means full of anxieties. You do not sleep peacefully at night. . . . This is our position, full of anxieties. Even we cannot sleep peacefully at night. This government. And here you see, compare the government—no anxiety. No anxiety. Just compare. So what is the use of this rascal government?
“The rascal government must be there because we are rascals. You cannot complain against the government, because we select. It is the days of democracy. We elect our representative. So why should you blame the government? You have created the government. You have sent your representative, a rascal, another big rascal. You are rascal, and another big rascal you have voted; so how you can expect good government? You send only big rascals. That’s all.
“So there cannot be. That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that in the Kali-yuga all the people will be rascals, sudras. Simply by manipulation if one gets vote, he captures the governmental power. Sudra. He’s a sudra. He is not a kshatriya like Maharaja Yudhisthira, trained-up kshatriya. He is a rascal, third-class man, fourth-class man. He gets the vote, and we give vote. So how we can be happy? How we can be carefree or anxiety-free or disease-free? It is not possible.
“Therefore if the people in general become Krishna conscious, become trained up in Krishna consciousness, understand the value of life, how to live, then they can send good representative, Krishna conscious man. Then the government will be nice.”
One of the gopis once playfully warned her friend about the power of Krsna’s attraction: “My dear friend, if you are at all attached to your worldly friends and relatives, do not look at the smiling face of Lord Govinda as He stands on the bank of the Yamuna at Kesi-ghata.
Padmavati Devi Dasi, during Harinama asks people in the street to chant twice the Hare Krishna maha-mantra for love and peace in the world. So many beautiful people are reciprocating and willing to chant for the first time!
As a part of World Holy Name week celebrations, ISKCON Mayapur management members and community did blissful Harinam around the Campus. After long silence int he campus , following the lock down, it was such a welcome sight to see Nagar Sankirtan going on in the temple with Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. Param Vijayate Sri […]
The process of bhakti teaches us so much about life…the journey is as important as the goal. We would now love to share the ‘story’, ‘process’ and ‘journey’ which have contributed towards not just the project, but also our own internal growth.
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What struck me most about that lecture more than anything was one question that was asked of him by a member of the audience. Srila Prabhupada had been stressing the importance of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, and the guest asked what Srila Prabhupada personally felt when he chanted this mantra. Without hesitation, Srila Prabhupada answered, “I feel no fear”; Because his response was so immediate and filled with such conviction, I sensed that not only what he said was true, but I felt an urgency to try the same mantra-meditation process myself. Continue reading "“I feel no fear” → Dandavats"
Harmonizing faith and reason in bhakti – The Monk’s Podcast with Radhika Raman Prabhu
Summary from 2:39:42
Chaitanya Charan Prabhu: So we discussed today you could say broadly on the topic of faith and reason, in devotion, in bhakti. In started with your experience. You had education, home-schooling, but that was protection, not isolation. And so you develop critical thinking at that time itself. And it was not a big culture shock or intellectual shock when you entered into academia.
The “us and them”, mentality comes primarily when we don’t interact with people, except to say, speak down to them. Or so we, we can see our faith is special, but at the same time, respect other people’s faith also be seeing that there are different ways to approach Krishna.
And then within the faith and reason dialogue in the academic world. I think two main themes we discussed were the historicity and the principle of Revelation. So historicity- it was very beautiful. Before answering a question, we need to question the question that why this question is important, and in the Abrahamic traditions, because they have a linear conception of history. So history is going somewhere. And that’s why where what happened, when what happened and how becomes important. But in our tradition, history is not going anywhere, the soul is going somewhere. So the historical events promote the souls evolution; is more important than the specific history or geography of those events itself. So, we discussed Srila Prabhupada’s quote about not denying that Ahobilam is where Narsimha appeared, but not insisting on it. It’s not we are not historical or non-historical, but history is simply like a departure point for us to go to the transhistorical.
So, for us, if we start giving an exam that we are not prepared for, then we will get into trouble. Do we want to do that exam also? What is central for us is not the specific history. So, it is like a pyramid. One is to say a little history is itself important and this is how it is whatever the tradition says. The other is that Oh! it doesn’t matter at all. It’s what we taught is more important, it is all mythology. So, we understand its history, but the more than history is what is critical for us. What is the trans historical that is taught, that’s what we focus on. And even in the historical like say, we say Krishna appeared here in Vrindavana, it’s not the literal geography of Rādhā Kunda, but Radha Kunda as it is seen in the pratyaksha, Vidusha , that is what is important for us.
So historical question, if we want to change the frame of the discussion, you discussed earlier to go inside and there is a lot of area for going into the, into the academic world. And then like Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya spoke for seven days to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu got to speak.
So, some devotees who have the requisite supportive association to sustain that hearing of things which are of a non-devotional perspective to things and then they also have the intellectual skills, they have the nature and they get the training for that. Then when they speak, then they will be heard. And then the the mainstream dialogue itself will, the mode of that dialogue itself can be changed significantly. And we can see that other religions have done that significantly, but we Hindus have not done Hinduism Vaishnavism or even our movement has not done that so much.
Then we discussed about the revelation question. The religious or the traditions approaches that religion is something which is consistent, comprehensive and timeless, whereas, the academic scholars’ approach is that it is something historical, philosophical, social, cultural or psychological – these factors. So, when this conflict comes up, so, same as the Upanishads, they are other revelations or are they discussions and because of a political conflict between different regions that happened at a particular place.
So, both can go together, because we see that Krishna can act by breaking through history, descending into history or Krishna can act through the movements of history itself. Both can, it seems inclusive and they can increase our faith.
So there’s the transcendental circumstantial, we could say both of them are, are overlapping, are two simultaneous or overlapping modes of explaining the same thing. And that way, it doesn’t have to necessarily challenge one’s faith. We discussed various examples for that purpose.
And then, specifically with respect to faith and reason, we had a long discussion towards the conclusion that, reason is always a part of the okay if you want about faith. Faith is in our tradition; faith is not simply based on beliefs. Okay, this is what I believe that apart from beliefs, this is what I practice. This is what I have experience. This is how I have seen my saintly teachers to be and this is how what I have, say, learn by studying scripture. So there are so many aspects to faith. And when one area becomes weak, just as when one leg is weak, we rely more on the other leg. And that’s why while specializing in one according to our nature, you also need to have enough time to appreciate the other sources of faith also, because they may become the source of our survival at some time.
And overall, then we talked about, how faith can rely on reason at the initial stage, and faith can partially rely on reason and faith can ultimately transcend reason. But when it even when it transcends reason, it doesn’t reject reason it just doesn’t rely on reason. Because even in our tradition, there you talked about Ramanujachaya using reason to show how reason cannot prove the existence of God – the Shreebhashya.
Also, our tradition has critical scholarship where you know, okay, this versus has this versions. So, there is the critical attitude with the tradition also. And ultimately for us the challenge is that the rationality is just one way of thinking. It is valuable for both- for us to understand Krishna better and for us to explain Krishna better to others, and between academic scholarship and sages, the devotional practice the devotional way of looking at things. There could be traditional scholarship also. So, that is something which has not been so developed. But as our movement is evolving, that kind of spaces will be created. And for us, the same rationality which can help us to fix our mind and Krishna can also obstruct us, if we start thinking that this is the only way or this is the superior way or this is the best way and we start looking down upon on the rational devotee. So, if we have that Vaishnav understanding that ultimately, we are here for Seva, and my scholarship is one way of serving, then we all can contribute in the Lord’s mission in the way that he has gifted us.
Radhika Raman prabhu: That was amazing. Your ability to summarise everything we spoke about, points to your own brilliance as a devotee and as an intellectual. So Thank You for that. I have nothing to add or subtract from what you just said. I think that’s a good overview.
I am just really really grateful that I have the opportunity to discuss all of these matters with you. So nourishing for my own Krishna Consciousness, to have your association like this today. Whether this video gets any views on YouTube or not it really not matter. To me it’s completely successful to just have your association to discuss these wonderful topics. It was for me a wonderful morning for me in the US and for you in India.
“All men are created equal” penned Thomas Jefferson in 1776’s “Declaration of Independence”, though he himself kept over 600 slaves throughout his adult life. Slavery […]
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 13 September 2018, Durban, South Africa, Northdene Program Lecture)
Radharani is known as the soft-hearted feminine counterpart of the Lord. She is therefore very compassionate. Now, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taken that mood of Srimati Radharani. One might say that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is golden but Caitanya Mahaprabhu said it Himself that, “I am not golden. I appear golden because I touched Srimati Radharani and therefore I became golden. Actually, I am blackish but I have taken this mood to feel the blissful emotions of Radharani”.
One day Krsna decided to take His breakfast as a picnic in the forest. Having risen early in the morning, He blew His bugle made of horn and woke all the cowherd boys and calves with its beautiful sound. Then Krsna and the boys, keeping their respective herds of calves before them, proceeded from Vrajabhumi to the forestRead More...
We should not think that sankirtana, or the chanting of the Lord's holy names, is simply part of the system of mantra-yoga, or is merely a formula that has been passed down through the ages like other yoga systems. Nor is it a ritual, ceremony, or activity meant for producing good karma or positive fruitive results. Neither is it merely a way to focus the mind and achieve peace and tranquility. It is far more than any of these. It is the Lord Himself who establishes the chanting of the holy names Continue reading "God Inaugurates Chanting the Holy Names → Dandavats"
Now, you may ask, but Srila Prabhupada instructed us to only chant 16 rounds. Why should we change that standard? Actually, we are not asking to change the institutional standard from 16 to 64 rounds. Our suggestion is simply that, on an individual basis, devotees should consider increasing their minimum daily vow of 16 to a higher number of rounds. Continue reading "Chant (at least) One More Round: Increasing our attachment to the Holy Name → Dandavats"
Despite cooler temperatures most trees in the area remain a rich green. Some, like the maple, are starting to show its true colour. At the end of the street from the temple/ashram you have got a majestic maple that is not just “showing” but it’s “showing off.” And it’s under that tree where, in two days, I’ll meet with my philosophical/spiritual friends for discussion. For now, a lit park lamp-post in the night is all that is necessary for the splendor of this tree to catch my fortunate eye.
With this vision my weekend ended, after Zoom classes and meetings. The day also included a good salad, endorsing papers for furthering spiritual education at one of our centres, speaking to Russians about the power of sweet mantras, watching videos of people who met our guru, Prabhupada, and much more. All culminating in the admiration of a tree.
My walk was deliberately brief—advice from my physio-therapist. I’m not doubting him, like I won’t doubt Mars getting close, and like I did not doubt, in our reading today, that a great avatar by the name Chaitanya, descended to establish this phenomenon of kirtan, under the plea of a concerned saint who sought a world that was slipping into darkness and danger.
I’m glad there are trees of color that offer hope.
A good friend of mine, a former schoolteacher, sent me images of the subject: “The Scale of Things,” featuring a seven-foot long leatherback sea-turtle at 2000 pounds, and a whole bunch of other astounding statistics of what’s big on Earth and in our universe. One picture he forwarded featured an eagle’s talon/claw as enormous. Another one lined up a cut-and-paste Titanic next to a modern cruise liner. Quite the difference in size, showing how modern-day shipbuilding has truly excelled in 100 years. There’s an image of Michelangelo’s David, the size of three men. Terrifying is the scale of a gorilla’s hand in comparison to a human’s. One display showed how 1.3 million Earths fit into the sun.
I got back to my friend after looking at these images and I proposed to him to consider setting up the soul against the ego. The Vedas say that the atma, the soul, is one ten-thousandth the size of a tip of a hair. Compare that tiny spark of life we call a soul against the average human’s ego, and you’d have trouble comparing the difference in scale.
What we might draw as a conclusion, from imagining such, is the need to deflate that crazy entity we call ego. Yes, indeed, it’s the ego that gets us into trouble. Think of it in terms of a hot air balloon. It looks substantial but it’s really so much less than it poses to be.
Another thing that is big is our dreams. Some dreams become reality. It would be nice to get back Home, where we all belong.
These days many numbers are thrown at us—stats about Covid. How many people are infected this very day? How many died from the virus? Stay at home and keep your number of people gathering down to ten. Outside you can have twenty-five, etc.… The numbers are on the rise for those found with the virus. It’s not good! It’s a second wave. The number two.
However, someone sent me some figures about saving lives if the world switched to a plant-based diet. It reads like so:
If the world switched to plant-based food by 2050:
-8.1 million human lives would be saved every year.
-Food related greenhouse gas emissions would fall by 70%.
-$1 trillion would be saved every year in healthcare costs.
Source: Oxford study.
Those are lofty numbers concerning sparing humans. Animals too.
For those of us who made vows, whether a monastic, like me, or a grihasta, householder, we’ve committed ourselves, to our guru, to chanting a minimum of sixteen rounds on our meditation beads, to follow four regulative principles, to the seven purposes of ISKCON, to honoring the avoidance of ten offenses to the Holy Name, cultivating nine processes of bhakti (devotion), and the list goes on.
Oh yes! And today I was to remember to follow a schedule. At 4:30 pm I was to meet Saurav, a young student who has questions on the goal of life. By 5:45 pm I was to return to the ashram. A nice few minutes with him.
Vrndavana forest improved from the rains and was replete with ripened dates, mangoes, blackberries, and other fruits. Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, accompanied by His cowherd friends and Lord Balarama, entered the forest to enjoy the new seasonal atmosphere.
As part of the World Holy Name week celebrations, we invite you all to hear from Shaktyavesha Avatar Das and Pancharatna Das. They will share their realizations and experiences on how to effectively propagate the most sublime chanting of the Holy names in the digital age.
We often hear that devotees live a life of mature compassion. They perform multifarious activities out of their compassion for the welfare of all living entities. While performing these compassionate acts, their vision is set on serving the Supreme Lord and begging for mercy, not for themselves, but for others. Each mature devotee performs different acts of compassion according to his inclination and capacity
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
“My dear Lord, I received this valuable human form of life, but I have wasted it for nothing. This life is meant for understanding Radha and Krishna, but I did not do so. Therefore I have knowingly taken poison.” Sometimes a person takes poison to commit suicide. He knows that as soon as he’ll take the poison he’ll die. Similarly, one who is not taking to Krishna consciousness is drinking poison. Continue reading "Freedom through the Holy Name → Dandavats"
At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, ISKCON temples around the world closed their doors, and many found challenges in maintaining themselves without traditional in-person outreach activities. By June, some had begun to reopen, with locally mandated restrictions. New Vrindaban, ISKCON’s first farm community, in West Virginia, faced particular economic challenges due to the size […]
More recently New Vrindaban devotees welcomed guests on Labor Day Weekend, from September 5th to 7th. As always, masks, sanitization, and social distancing were in place over the weekend.
By Siddhanta dasa
By Sri Nandanandana dasa
By Hector Rosario, PhD
By Pusta Krishna das
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada